One-pot green synthesis of biocompatible arginine-stabilized magnetic nanoparticles

A green one-step approach has been developed for the synthesis of amino-functionalized magnetite nanoparticles. The synthesis was accomplished by simply mixing FeCl2 with arginine under ambient conditions. It was found that the Fe2+/arginine molar ratio, reaction duration and temperature greatly influence the size, morphology and composition of magnetic nanoparticles. The arginine-stabilized magnetic nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy techniques.

Indium sulfide microflowers: Fabrication and optical properties

With the assistance of urea, uniform 2D nanoflakes assembled 3D In2S3 microflowers were synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method at relative low temperature. The properties of the as-obtained In2S3 flowers were characterized by various techniques. In this work, the utilization of urea and L-cysteine, as well as the amount of them played important roles in the formation of In2S3 with different nanostructures. Inferred from their morphology evolution, a urea induced precursor-decomposition associated with the Ostwald-ripening mechanism was proposed to interpret these hierarchical structure formation.

Controllable Synthesis and Luminescence Properties of La(OH)(3) and La(OH)(3):Tb3+ Nanocrystals with Multiform Morphologies

One-dimensional La(OH)(3) nanocrystals with multiform morphologies have been successfully synthesized by a facile bydrothermal process without using any surfactant, catalyst, or template. It can be found that the pH values of the initial solutions and the alkaline sources play a crucial role in controlling the morphologies of the products. The possible formation process of the 1D samples was investigated in detail, Furthermore, the as-prepared Tb3+-doped La(OH)(3) samples show a strong green emission corresponding to D-5(4)-F-7(5) transition of the Tb3+ ions under ultraviolet or low-voltage excitation.

Synthesis of Tributylphosphate Capped Luminescent Rare Earth Phosphate Nanocrystals in an Ionic Liquid Microemulsion

Uniform rare earth phosphate (REPO4, RE = La-Tb) nanocrystals were successfully synthesized in a properly designed TBP/[Omim]Cl/H2O (tributylphosphate/1-octyl-3-methyl-imidazolium chloride/water) microemulsion system. The phosphoryl groups anchored the TBP molecules oil the surfaces of the nanocrystals, and this made the nanocrystals easily dispersed in some imidazolium-based ILs. LaPO4:Eu3+ and CePO4:Tb3+ nanocrystals capped with TBP showed bright red and green emission under UV excitation, with enhanced emission intensity and lifetimes compared with the uncapped ones.

3D Fe3S4 flower-like microspheres: high-yield synthesis via a biomolecule-assisted solution approach, their electrical, magnetic and electrochemical hydrogen storage properties

Well-defined 3D Fe3S4 flower-like microspheres were synthesized via a simple biomolecule-assisted hydrothermal process for the first time. On the basis of a series of contrast experiments, the probable growth mechanism and fabrication process of the products were proposed. The electrical conductivity property of the as-synthesized Fe3S4 sample exhibited a rectifying characteristic when a forward bias was applied for the bottom-contacted device. The magnetic properties of the products were studied as well and the results demonstrated that the products presented ferromagnetic properties related to the corresponding microstructure. In addition, we first verified that the Fe3S4 flower-like microspheres could store hydrogen electrochemically, and a discharge capacity of 214 mA h g(-1) was measured without any activation under normal atmospheric conditions at room temperature.

Facile Synthesis and Assemblies of Flowerlike SnS2 and In3+-Doped SnS2: Hierarchical Structures and Their Enhanced Photocatalytic Property

Novel flowerlike SnS2 and In3+-doped SnS2 hierarchical structures have been successfully synthesized by a simple hydrothermal route using biomolecular L-Cysteine-assisted methods. The L-cysteine plays an important role both as assistant and as sulfur source. Experiments with various parameters indicate that the pH values have a strong effect on the morphology of the assembly. Based on the experiments, a growth mechanical process was proposed. The synthetic samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM (HRTEM), BET measurement, TGA, and XPS in detail.

CuIn(WO4)(2) nanospindles and nanorods: controlled synthesis and host for lanthanide near-infrared luminescence properties

CuIn(WO4)(2) porous nanospindles and nanorods were synthesized through a low-cost hydrothermal method without introducing any template or surfactants. An interesting formation mechanism, namely "oriented attachment", was observed for the growth of nanorods based on the experimental process and the anisotropic intrinsic crystalline structure of CuIn(WO4)(2), which is uncommon in such a system. The near-infrared luminescence of lanthanide ions (Er, Nd, Yb and Ho) doped CuIn(WO4)(2) nanostructures, especially in the 1300-1600 nm region, was discussed and of particular interest for telecommunications applications. X-Ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, electron diffraction and photoluminescence spectra were used to characterize these materials.