Singlet Oxygen Generation Enhanced by Silver-Pectin Nanoparticles

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Antimicrobial Bacterial Cellulose-Silver Nanoparticles Composite Membranes

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Influence of the substitution of Y2O3 for CeO2 on the mechanical and microstructural properties of silicon nitride

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Si3N4 ceramic cutting tool sintered with CeO2 and Al2O3 additives with AlCrN coating

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Synthesis of SnO2 nanoparticles and their use in the fabrication of varistors

SnO2 nanoparticles doped with TiO2, CoO, Nb2O3 and Al2O3 were obtained in this work using the methods of coprecipitation and polymeric precursor. X Ray Diffraction (XRD), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize the ceramic powders obtained. Their synterization capacity was determined by dilatometric studies. Sinterized samples of the system on study were also characterized electrically and microstructurally to determine their suitability as varistors.

Synthesis and sintering of ZrO2-CeO2 powder by use of polymeric precursor based on Pechini process

Nanocrystalline ZrO2-12 mol % CeO2 powders were synthesized using a polymeric precursor method based on the Pechini process. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns showed that the method was effective to synthesize tetragonal zirconia single-phase. The mean crystallite size attained ranges from 6 to 15 nm. The BET surface areas were relatively high reaching 97 m(2)/g. Studies by nitrogen adsorption/desorption on powders, dilatometry of the compacts, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of the powders, were also developed to verify the particles agglomeration state. Both citric acid : ethylene glycol ratio and calcination temperature affected the powder morphology, which influenced the sinterability and microstructure of the sintered material, as showed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). (C) 2001 Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Addition of Ca-compounds nanoparticles in melt-textured Bi : 2212

Superconducting BSCCO samples made by melt-texturing process were prepared with the addition of calcium zirconate and calcium silicate nanoparticles. Bi:2212 melt-textured composites prepared with I wt.% of either addition showed different behavior for the critical current density as a function of the applied field, indicating that for each additional compound the improvement can be associated to different enhancement mechanisms, such as the creation of pinning centers and the increase on the connectivity of the grains. The estimated pinning forces indicated higher values for the calcium compound containing samples. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electrochemical oxidation of methanol on Pt nanoparticles dispersed on RuO2

Pt-modified RuO2 was prepared by a sol-gel procedure on titanium substrates in the form of thin films of similar to2-mum thickness. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses showed that these films actually consist of Pt nanoparticles dispersed in RuO2 and that neither metallic Ru nor Pt-Ru alloy are present on the surface. Electrodes with different Pt:Ru nominal compositions were prepared and their electrocatalytic activity for the oxidation of methanol was investigated by potential sweeps and chronoamperometry. The results obtained show an enhancement effect for methanol oxidation that can be interpreted as associated to the formation of hydrous oxides on the RuO2 surface.

Catalysis and temperature dependence on the formation of ZnO nanoparticles and of zinc acetate derivatives prepared by the sol-gel route

The chemical and structural nature of powders prepared from the zinc acetate-derived precursor using the sol-gel route is discussed. The influence of the synthesis temperature and of the hydrolytic catalyst on the structural features of the powder is focused on the basis of X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measurements and complemented with density and thermoanalysis (TG-DTA) results. EXAFS and XRPD results show that no-washed nanoparticulate powders are composed of a mixture of ZnO (wurtzite), zinc acetate, and zinc hydroxyacetate. The latter has a layered structure typical of hydroxy double salts (HDS). The main component of no-washed powders is always unreacted zinc acetate solid but the relative amount of the zinc-based compounds depends on the nature of the hydrolytic catalyst, hydrolysis ratio, and of synthesis temperature. According to the proportion of the three zinc-based compounds, three families of powders could be distinguished. The amount of ZnO nanoparticles (1.6 +/- 0.6 nm) decreases as the synthesis temperature increases, as the hydrolysis ratio decreases, or by changing from basic to acid catalysis. This finding suggests that the formation of zinc compounds is controlled by the equilibrium between hydrolysis-condensation and complexation-reprecipitation reactions.

Structure of redispersible SnO2 nanoparticles

Suspensions of undoped SnO2 nanoparticles and containing Eu3+ ions were prepared by a sol-gel procedure. Using the classical synthesis method ( precipitation), the particles tend to grow by a coarsening process in order to minimize the surface free energy. This effect can strongly be reduced by the addition of an amide and surfactant during the synthesis, which decreases the surface free energy of the colloidal particles. These additives promote the formation of powders composed of very small primary particles formed by a crystallite of 10 Angstrom, and exhibit good redispersion properties. The local and long order structures of the redispersible powder were studied by X-rays absorption spectroscopy at Sn L-I edge and X-rays diffraction, respectively. The structure of the colloidal aggregates in suspension was investigated by small angle X-rays scattering (SAXS). SAXS results indicate the sol are composed by a polidisperse system of hard spheres resulting of agglomeration of the primary particles and their size increasing by agglomeration for progressively higher Eu3+ content.

Evaluation of nanoparticles loaded with benzopsoralen in rat peritoneal exudate cells

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Small angle X-ray scattering study of surface modified tin oxide nanoparticles prepared by sol-gel route

The surface properties of SnO2 nanoparticles were modified by grafting ionic (Tiron (R). (OH)(2)C6H2(SO3Na)(2)(H2O)-H-.) or non-ionic (Catechol (R). C6H4-1,2-(OH)(2)) capping Molecules during aqueous sol-gel processing to improve the redispersibility of powdered xerogel. The effect of the amount of grafted organic molecules on the redispersibility of powders in aqueous solution at several basic pH values was Studied. The nanostructural features of the colloidal suspensions were analyzed by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements. Irrespective of the nature and amount of grafted molecules, complete redispersion was obtained in aqueous solution at pH = 13. The redispersion at pH = 11 results in a mixture of dispersed primary particles and aggregates. The proportion of well dispersed nanoparticles and aggregates (and their average size) can be tuned by the quantity of grafted ionic molecules.

Synthesis and luminescence properties of water dispersible Eu3+-doped boehmite nanoparticles

Nanocrystallized boehmite gamma-AlOOH center dot nH(2)O had been synthesized by spray-drying (SD) of a solution of aluminium tri-sec-butoxide peptized by nitric acid. The sub-micronic spherical particles obtained had an average diameter of 500 nm and were built of 100 nm or less platelet-like sub-particles. The average crystallite size calculated from XRD was 1.6 nm following the b axis (i.e. one unit cell) and 3-4 nm perpendicular to b. As a result of the nanometric sizes of crystallites, there was a large surface free for water adsorption and it was found to be n = 1.18 +/- 0.24H(2)O per AlOOH. The SD spheres spontaneously dispersed in water at room temperature and formed stable-over months-suspensions with nanometre-size particles (25-85 nm). Luminescent europium-doped nanocrystallized boehmites AlOOH: Eu (Al0.98Eu0.02OOH center dot nH(2)O) were synthesized the same way by SD and demonstrated the same crystallization properties and morphologies as the undoped powders. It is inferred from the Eu3+ luminescence spectroscopy that partly hydrated europium species are immobilized on the boehmite nanocrystals where they are directly bonded to alpha(OH) groups of the AlOOH surface. The europium coordination is schematically written [Eu3+(OH)(alpha)(H2O)(7-alpha/2)]. The europium-doped boehmite from SD spontaneously dispersed in water: the luminescence spectroscopy proves that most of the Eu3+ ions were detached from the NPs during water dispersion. The AlOOH: Eu nanoparticles were modified by the amine acid asparagine (ASN). The modification aimed to render the NPs compatible for further bio-functionalization. After surface modification, the NPs easily dispersed in water; the luminescence spectra after dispersion prove that the Eu3+ ions were held at the boehmite surface.

Room temperature co-precipitation of nanocrystalline CeO2 and Ce0.8Gd0.2O1.9-delta powder

This paper describes a simple method to co-precipitate CeO2 and Ce0.8Gd0.2O1.9-delta with ammonium hydroxide from solvents such as: water, ethylene glycol, ethyl alcohol and isopropyl alcohol. Characterization by Raman spectroscopy and XRD evidenced the formation of a solid solution of gadolinium-doped ceria at room temperature. Nanometric particles with crystallite size of 3.1 nm were obtained during synthesis using ethyl alcohol as solvent. This is a promising result compared with those mentioned in the literature, in which the smallest crystallite size reported was, 6.5 nm. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.