A facile method for gold decoration of Te@CdTe nanorods in aqueous solution

Colloidal synthesis of metal-semiconductor hybrid nanostructures is mainly achieved in organic solution. In some applications of hybrid nanoparticles relevant in aqueous media, phase transfer of hydrophobic metal-semiconductor hybrid nanostructures is essential. In this work, we present a simple method for direct synthesis of water-soluble gold (Au) decorated Te@CdTe hybrid nanorods (NRs) at room temperature by using aqueous Te@CdTe NRs as templates, which were preformed by using CdTe nanocrystals (NCs) as precursor in the presence of hydrazine hydrate (N(2)H(4)). Our results showed that NRs were decorated with Au islands both on tips and along the surface of the NRs. The size and density of Au islands can be controlled by varying the amount of Au precursor (mixture of HAuCl(4) and thioglycolic acid (TGA)) and TGA/HAuCl(4) ratio. A possible growth mechanism for the Au decoration of Te@CdTe NRs is concluded as three steps: (1) the formation of AuTe(1.7) via the substitution reaction of Cd(2+) by Au(3+), (2) adsorption of Au-TGA complex onto the preformed AuTe(1.7) anchors and following reduction by CdTe and N(2)H(4), leading to the formation of small Au NCs, (3) Au NCs grow to bigger ones, followed by reduction of more Au precursor by N(2)H(4).     

1D Mn0.2Cd0.8S纳米棒/2D Ti3C2纳米片肖特基异质结的构建及光催化产氢性能研究

Sustainable photocatalytic H₂ evolution has attracted extensive attention in recent years because it can address both energy shortage and environmental pollution issues. In particular, metal sulfide solid-solution photocatalysts have been widely applied in photocatalytic hydrogen generation owing to their excellent light harvesting properties, narrow enough band gap, and suitable redox potentials of conduction and valance bands. However, it is still challenging to develop low-cost and high-efficiency sulfide solid-solution photocatalysts for practical photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Recently, 1D Mn_xCd_1-xS nanostructures have shown superior light absorption, charge separation, and H₂-evolution activity owing to their shortened diffusion pathway of carriers and high length-to-diameter ratios. Thus, 1D Mn_xCd_1-xS nanostructures have been applied in photocatalytic H₂ evolution. However, a single Mn_xCd_1-xS photocatalyst still has some disadvantages for photocatalytic H₂ evolution, such as the rapid recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs and low quantum efficiency. Herein, to further boost the separation of photogenerated charge carriers and H₂-evolution kinetics, an in situ solvothermal method was used to synthesize the 1D/2D Schottky-based heterojunctions between the Mn_0.2Cd_0.8S nanorods (MCS NRs) and Ti₃C₂ MXene nanosheets (NSs). Furthermore, various characterization methods have been used to investigate the crucial roles and underlying mechanisms of metallic Ti₃C₂ MXene NSs in boosting the photocatalytic H₂ evolution over the Mn_0.2Cd_0.8S nanorods. X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM), element mapping images, and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) results clearly demonstrate that hybrid low-cost Schottky-based heterojunctions have been successfully constructed for practical applications in photocatalytic H₂ evolution. Additionally, the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) was also carried out in a mixed solution of Na₂SO₃ and Na₂S using as the sacrificial agents. The highest hydrogen evolution rate of the optimized 1D/2D Schottky-based heterojunction is 15.73 mmol·g^-1·h^-1, which is 6.72 times higher than that of pure MCS NRs (2.34 mmol·g^-1·h^-1). An apparent quantum efficiency of 19.6% was achieved at 420 nm. The stability measurements of the binary photocatalysts confirmed their excellent photocatalytic stability for practical applications. More interestingly, the UV-Vis diffuse reflection spectra, photoluminescence (PL) spectrum, transient photocurrent responses, and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) Nyquist plots clearly confirmed the promoted charge separation between the MCS NRs and Ti₃C₂ MXene NSs. The linear sweep voltammetry also showed that the loading of MXene cocatalysts could greatly decrease the overpotential of pure MCS NRs, suggesting that the 2D Ti₃C₂ NSs could act as an electronic conductive bridge to improve the H₂-evolution kinetics. In summary, these results show that the 2D/1D hybrid Schottky-based heterojunctions between metallic Ti₃C₂ MXene NSs and MCS NRs can not only improve the separation of photogenerated electrons and holes but also decrease the H₂-evolution overpotential, thus resulting in significantly enhanced photocatalytic H₂ generation. We believe that this study will inspire new ideas for constructing low-cost Schottky-based heterojunctions for practical applications in photocatalytic H₂ evolution.      

Synthesis and alignment of silver nanorods and nanowires and the formation of Pt, Pd, and core/shell structures by galvanic exchange directly on surfaces

Here we describe the synthesis of Ag nanorods (NRs) (aspect ratio <20) and nanowires (NWs) (aspect ratio > or =20) directly on surfaces by seed-mediated growth. The procedure involves attaching gold seed nanoparticles (Au NPs) to 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS)-functionalized silicon or glass surfaces and growing them into NRs/NWs by placing the substrates into a solution containing cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), silver nitrate, and ascorbic acid with the pH ranging from 7 to 12. Under our conditions, Ag NRs/NWs grow optimally at pH 10.6 with a 3% yield, where spherical, triangular, and hexagonal nanostructures represent the other byproducts. The length of Ag NRs/NWs ranges from 50 nm to more than 10 microm, the aspect ratio (AR) ranges from 1.4 to >300, and the average diameter is approximately 35 nm. Approximately 40% of the 1D structures are NRs, and 60% are NWs as defined by their ARs. We also report the alignment of Ag NRs/NWs directly on surfaces by growing the structures on amine-functionalized Si(100) surfaces after an amidation reaction with acetic acid and a method to improve the percentage of Ag NRs/NWs on the surface by removing structures of other shapes with adhesive tape. Surface-grown Ag NRs/NWs also react with salts of palladium, platinum, and gold via galvanic exchange reactions to form high-surface-area 1D structures of the corresponding metal. The combination of the seed-mediated growth of Ag on Au NRs followed by the galvanic exchange of Ag with Pd leads to interesting core/shell NRs grown directly on surfaces. We used scanning electron microscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to characterize the surface-grown nanostructures.     

Anisotropic Cu@Cu-BTC core-shell nanostructure for memory device

The activity and stability of Cu nanostructures strongly depend on their sizes, morphology and structures.Here we report the preparation of two-dimensional(2 D) Cu@Cu-BTC core-shell nanosheets(NSs). The thickness of the Cu NSs could be tuned to sub-10 nm through a mild etching process, in which the Cu-BTC in situ grow along with the oxidation on the surface of the Cu NSs. This unique strategy can also be extended to synthesize one-dimensional(1 D) Cu@Cu-BTC nanowires(NWs). Furthermore, the obtained Cu@Cu-BTC NSs could be applied as an effective material to the memory device with the write-onceread-many times(WORM) behavior and the high I_(ON)/I (OFF) ratio(2.7 × 10~3).     

Excited Semiconductor Clusters: Magic Source

In this paper, we review the preparation and properties of CdS-like clusters as well as their important applications in several nanostructures. The clusters created by the reaction of S^2? ions generated by the decomposition of thioglycolic acid (TGA) and Cd²⁺ ions play important roles for the construction of novel nanocrystals (NCs), the assembly of the NCs, and the formation of nanostructures including 1D solid and tubal fibers, 2D dendritic morphology, and 3D crystals. The formation and property of the clusters depended strongly on the molar ratio of TGA and Cd²⁺ ions in solutions. When aqueous CdTe NCs coated with a hybrid SiO₂ shell containing the clusters, they revealed a drastic increase in photoluminescence (PL) efficiency (from 28 to 80 %) and temperature-dependent PL. These excellent PL properties were ascribed to the clusters very closed to CdTe cores. This is confirmed through the observation of a lengthening of the Auger recombination lifetime by a factor of ~3.5 in the presence of the clusters. The size of the clusters determined the PL properties of the hybrid SiO₂-coated NCs and those fibers. Because of their high PL, these biofunctional materials could provide a platform for various applications.     

End‐to‐End Self‐Assembly of Semiconductor Nanorods in Water by Using an Amphiphilic Surface Design

One‐dimensional (1D) self‐assemblies of nanocrystals are of interest because of their vectorial and polymer‐like dynamic properties. Herein, we report a simple method to prepare elongated assemblies of semiconductor nanorods (NRs) through end‐to‐end self‐assembly. Short‐chained water‐soluble thiols were employed as surface ligands for CdSe NRs having a wurtzite crystal structure. The site‐specific capping of NRs with these ligands rendered the surface of the NRs amphiphilic. The amphiphilic CdSe NRs self‐assembled to form elongated wires by end‐to‐end attachment driven by the hydrophobic effect operating between uncapped NR ends. The end‐to‐end assembly technique was further applied to CdS NRs and CdSe tetrapods (TPs) with a wurtzite structure.     

Synthesis and Localized Photoluminescence Blinking of Lead-Free 2D Nanostructures of Cs3Bi2I6Cl3 Perovskite

Two-dimensional (2D) lead-free halide perovskites have generated enormous perception in the field of optoelectronics due to their fascinating optical properties. However, an in-depth understanding on their shape-controlled charge-carrier recombination dynamics is still lacking, which could be resolved by exploring the photoluminescence (PL) blinking behaviour at the single-particle level. Herein, we demonstrate, for the first time, the synthesis of nanocrystals (NCs) and 2D nanosheets (NSs) of layered mixed halide, Cs₃Bi₂I₆Cl₃, by solution-based method. We applied fluorescence microscopy and super-resolution optical imaging at single-particle level to investigate their morphology-dependent PL properties. Narrow emission line widths and passivation of non-radiative defects were evidenced for 2D layered nanostructures, whereas the activation of shallow trap states was recognized at 77 K. Interestingly, individual NCs were found to display temporal intermittency (blinking) in PL emission. On the other hand, NS showed temporal PL intensity fluctuations within localized domains of the crystal. In addition, super-resolution optical image of the NS from localization-based method showed spatial inhomogeneity of the PL intensity within perovskite crystal.     

Simple replacement reaction for the preparation of ternary Fe(1-x)PtRu(x) nanocrystals with superior catalytic activity in methanol oxidation reaction

The finding of new metal alloyed nanocrystals (NCs) with high catalytic activity and low cost to replace PtRu NCs is a critical step toward the commercialization of fuel cells. In this work, a simple cation replacement reaction was utilized to synthesize a new type of ternary Fe(1-x)PtRu(x) NCs from binary FePt NCs. The detailed structural transformation from binary FePt NCs to ternary Fe(1-x)PtRu(x) NCs was analyzed by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Ternary Fe(35)Pt(40)Ru(25), Fe(31)Pt(40)Ru(29), and Fe(17)Pt(40)Ru(43) NCs exhibit superior catalytic ability to withstand CO poisoning in methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) than do binary NCs (FePt and J-M PtRu). Also, the Fe(31)Pt(40)Ru(29) NCs had the highest alloying extent and the lowest onset potential among the ternary NCs. Furthermore, the origin for the superior CO resistance of ternary Fe(1-x)PtRu(x) NCs was investigated by determining the adsorption energy of CO on the NCs' surfaces and the charge transfer from Fe/Ru to Pt using a simulation based on density functional theory. The simulation results suggested that by introducing a new metal into binary PtRu/PtFe NCs, the anti-CO poisoning ability of ternary Fe(1-x)PtRu(x) NCs was greatly enhanced because the bonding of CO-Pt on the NCs' surface was weakened. Overall, our experimental and simulation results have indicated a simple route for the discovery of new metal alloyed catalysts with superior anti-CO poisoning ability and low usage of Pt and Ru for fuel cell applications.     

Molecular Ligand-Mediated Assembly of Multicomponent Nanosheet Superlattices for Compact Capacitive Energy Storage

Inspired by the self-assembly of nanoparticle superlattices, we report a general method that exploits long-chain molecular ligands to induce ordered assembly of colloidal nanosheets (NSs), resulting in 2D laminate superlattices with high packing density. Co-assembly of two types of NSs further enables 2D/2D heterostructured superlattices. As a proof of concept, co-assembly of Ti₃C₂T_x and graphene oxide (GO) NSs followed by thermal annealing leads to MXene-rGO superlattices with tunable microstructures, which exhibit significantly higher capacitance than their filtrated counterparts, delivering an ultrahigh volumetric capacitance of 1443 F cm⁻³ at 2 mV s⁻¹. Moreover, the as-fabricated binder-free symmetric supercapacitors show a high volumetric energy density of 42.1 Wh L⁻¹, which is among the best reported for MXene-based materials in aqueous electrolytes. This work paves the way toward rational design of 2D material-based superstructures for energy applications.     

Fluorescence blinking statistics from CdSe core and core/shell nanorods

We report fluorescence blinking statistics measured from single CdSe nanorods (NRs) of seven different sizes with aspect ratios ranging from 3 to 11. This study also included core/shell CdSe/ZnSe NRs and core NRs with two different surface ligands producing different degrees of surface passivation. We compare the findings for NRs to our measurements of blinking statistics from spherical CdSe core and CdSe/ZnS core/shell nanocrystals (NCs). We find that, for both NRs and spherical NCs, the off-time probability distributions are well described by a power law, while the on-time probability distributions are best described by a truncated power law, P(tau(on)) approximately tau(on)(-alpha)e((-tau)(on)/(tau)(c)). The measured crossover time, tau(c), is indistinguishable within experimental uncertainty for core and core/shell NRs, as well as for core NRs with different ligands, for the same core size, indicating that surface passivation does not affect the blinking statistics significantly. We find that, at fixed excitation intensity, 1/tau(c) increases approximately linearly with increasing NR aspect ratio; for a given sample, 1/tau(c) increases very gradually with increasing excitation intensity. Examining 1/tau(c)versus the single-particle photon absorption rate for all samples indicates that the change in NR absorption cross section with sample size can account for some but not all of the differences in crossover time. This suggests that the degree of quantum confinement may be partially responsible for the aspect ratio dependence of the crossover time.     

Concave Pt-Cu-Fe ternary nanocubes:One-pot synthesis and their electrocatalytic activity of methanol and formic acid oxidation

Concave nanostructures may be developed to improve the specific mass activity of a catalyst for formic acid and methanol electro-oxidation. In this work, we report the elctrocatalytic oxidation of methanol and formic acid in acid medium over concave Pt-Cu-Fe ternary nanocubes (NCs), obtained by the galvanic exchange of Pt and Fe on Cu NCs. The concave Pt-Cu-Fe NCs exhibited improved electrooxidation performance contrasted to Pt-Cu NCs and purchased commercial Pt/C as demonstrated by their improved durability, lower onset potential, and more preferable anti-poisoning properties. These properties are believed to originate from the tailored concave structure of the catalyst and possible synergetic effects among the components of the Pt-Cu-Fe NCs.     

Synthesis and Localized Photoluminescence Blinking of Lead‐Free 2D Nanostructures of Cs3Bi2I6Cl3 Perovskite

Two‐dimensional (2D) lead‐free halide perovskites have generated enormous perception in the field of optoelectronics due to their fascinating optical properties. However, an in‐depth understanding on their shape‐controlled charge‐carrier recombination dynamics is still lacking, which could be resolved by exploring the photoluminescence (PL) blinking behaviour at the single‐particle level. Herein, we demonstrate, for the first time, the synthesis of nanocrystals (NCs) and 2D nanosheets (NSs) of layered mixed halide, Cs₃Bi₂I₆Cl₃, by solution‐based method. We applied fluorescence microscopy and super‐resolution optical imaging at single‐particle level to investigate their morphology‐dependent PL properties. Narrow emission line widths and passivation of non‐radiative defects were evidenced for 2D layered nanostructures, whereas the activation of shallow trap states was recognized at 77 K. Interestingly, individual NCs were found to display temporal intermittency (blinking) in PL emission. On the other hand, NS showed temporal PL intensity fluctuations within localized domains of the crystal. In addition, super‐resolution optical image of the NS from localization‐based method showed spatial inhomogeneity of the PL intensity within perovskite crystal.     

Hydrothermal synthesis of TiO2 nanorods: formation chemistry,growth mechanism,and tailoring of surface properties for photocatalytic activities

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) is one of the best semiconductor photocatalysts with optical band gap of 3.2 eV. The optical band gap and photocatalytic properties could be further tuned by tailoring shape, size, composition, and morphology of the nanostructures. Hydrothermal synthesis methods have been applied to produce well-controlled nanostructured TiO₂ materials with different morphologies and improved optoelectronic properties. Among various morphologies, one-dimensional (1D) TiO₂ nanostructures are of great importance in the field of energy, environmental, and biomedical because of the directional transmission properties resulting from their 1D geometry. Particularly, TiO₂ nanorods (NRs) have gained special attention because of their densely packed structure, quantum confinement effect, high aspect ratio, and large specific surface area that could specially improve the directional charge transmission efficiency. This results in the effective photogenerated charge separation and light absorption, which are really important for potential applications of TiO₂-based materials for photocatalytic and other important applications. In this review, hydrothermal syntheses of TiO₂ NRs including the formation chemistry and the growth mechanism of NRs under different chemical environments and effects of various synthesis parameters (pH, reaction temperature, reaction time, precursors, solvents etc.) on morphology and optoelectronic properties have been discussed. Recent developments in the hydrothermal synthesis of TiO₂ NRs and tailoring of their surface properties through various modification strategies such as defect creation, doping, sensitization, surface coating, and heterojunction formation with various functional nanomaterials (plasmonic, oxide, quantum dots, graphene-based nanomaterials, etc.) have been reported to improve the photocatalytic activities. Furthermore, applications of TiO₂ NRs/tailored TiO₂ NRs as superior photocatalysts in degradation of organic pollutants and bacterial disinfection have been discussed with emphasis on mechanisms of action and recent advances in the fields.     

Distinct Young's modulus of nanostructured materials in comparison with nanocrystals

Young's modulus (Y) of nanostructured materials (NSs) free of porosity is modeled with regard to the coordination number imperfection at grain boundaries. In light of it, Y of NSs is suppressed substantially in the whole solid temperature range, differing from the case of nanocrystals (NCs) where Y is enhanced at lower temperature (T) but weakened at higher T. It is found that, similar to NCs, the thermally-driven decline associated with the melting point depression plays an increasing role in suppressing Y of NSs on raising T. On the other hand, the lattice expansion and the bond weakening lead to a further suppression in Y of NSs independent of T, while the lattice contraction and the reinforced bonding strength result in an enhancement in Y of NCs, which should be responsible for the distinction in Y between NSs and NCs. The established functions were supported by available experimental and computer simulation results.     

Assembly of one dimensional inorganic nanostructures into functional 2D and 3D architectures. Synthesis, arrangement and functionality

This review will focus on the synthesis, arrangement, structural assembly, for current and future applications, of 1D nanomaterials (tubes, wires, rods) in 2D and 3D ordered arrangements. The ability to synthesize and arrange one dimensional nanomaterials into ordered 2D or 3D micro or macro sized structures is of utmost importance in developing new devices and applications of these materials. Micro and macro sized architectures based on such 1D nanomaterials (e.g. tubes, wires, rods) provide a platform to integrate nanostructures at a larger and thus manageable scale into high performance electronic devices like field effect transistors, as chemo- and biosensors, catalysts, or in energy material applications. Carbon based, metal oxide and metal based 1D arranged materials as well as hybrid or composite 1D materials of the latter provide a broad materials platform, offering a perspective for new entries into fascinating structures and future applications of such assembled architectures. These architectures allow bridging the gap between 1D nanostructures and the micro and macro world and are the basis for an assembly of 1D materials into higher hierarchy domains. This critical review is intended to provide an interesting starting point to view the current state of the art and show perspectives for future developments in this field. The emphasis is on selected nanomaterials and the possibilities for building three dimensional arrays starting from one dimensional building blocks. Carbon nanotubes, metal oxide nanotubes and nanowires (e.g. ZnO, TiO(2), V(2)O(5), Cu(2)O, NiO, Fe(2)O(3)), silicon and germanium nanowires, and group III-V or II-VI based 1D semiconductor nanostructures like GaS and GaN, pure metals as well as 1D hybrid materials and their higher organized architectures (foremost in 3D) will be focussed. These materials have been the most intensively studied within the last 5-10 years with respect to nano-micro integration aspects and their functional and application oriented properties. The critical review should be interesting for a broader scientific community (chemists, physicists, material scientists) interested in synthetic and functional material aspects of 1D materials as well as their integration into next higher organized architectures.     

Design of Silica@Au Hybrid Nanostars for Enhanced SERS and Photothermal Effect

Core-shell nanostructures of silicon oxide@noble metal have drawn a lot of interest due to their distinctive characteristics and minimal toxicity with remarkable biocompatibility. Due to the unique property of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), plasmonic nanoparticles are being used as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) based detection of pollutants and photothermal (PT) agents in cancer therapy. Herein, we demonstrate the synthesis of multifunctional silica core – Au nanostars shell (SiO₂@Au NSs) nanostructures using surfactant free aqueous phase method. The SERS performance of the as-synthesized anisotropic core-shell NSs was examined using Rhodamine B (RhB) dye as a Raman probe and resulted in strong enhancement factor of 1.37×10⁶. Furthermore, SiO₂@Au NSs were also employed for PT killing of breast cancer cells and they exhibited a concentration-dependent increase in the photothermal effect. The SiO₂@Au NSs show remarkable photothermal conversion efficiency of up to 72 % which is unprecedented. As an outcome, our synthesized NIR active SiO₂@Au NSs are of pivotal importance to have their dual applications in SERS enhancement and PT effect.     

PdFe Ultrathin Nanosheets for Highly Sensitive Detection of Nitrite

PdFe ultrathin nanosheets (NSs) were prepared by one‐step hydrothermal route. PdFe NSs showed superior catalytic activity towards the oxidation of nitrite due to the large surface area of 2 dimensional (2D) nanostructure and the synergetic effect between Pd and Fe. A sensitive and selective electrochemical nitrite sensing platform was designed base on PdFe NSs and the amperometric technique. The limit of detection (LOD) was found to be 0.12 μM (S/N=3), with a linear relationship between nitrite concentration and response current in the range of 1–160 μM. The nitrite sensor was applied to analysis of nitrite in tap water and sausage successfully.     

Self‐Supported FeP‐CoMoP Hierarchical Nanostructures for Efficient Hydrogen Evolution

Fabricating highly efficient electrocatalysts for electrochemical hydrogen generation is a top priority to relief the global energy crisis and environmental contamination. Herein, a rational synthetic strategy is developed for constructing well‐defined FeP?CoMoP hierarchical nanostructures (HNSs). In general terms, the self‐supported Co nanorods (NRs) are grown on conductive carbon cloth and directly serve as a self‐sacrificing template. After solvothermal treatment, Co NRs are converted into well‐ordered Co?Mo nanotubes (NTs). Subsequently, the small‐sized Fe oxyhydroxide nanorods arrays are hydrothermally grown on the surface of Co?Mo NTs to form Fe?Co?Mo HNSs, which are then converted into FeP?CoMoP HNSs through a facile phosphorization treatment. FeP?CoMoP HNSs display high activity for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) with an ultralow cathodic overpotential of 33 mV at 10 mA cm^?2 and a Tafel slope of 51 mV dec^?1. Moreover, FeP?CoMoP HNSs also possess an excellent electrochemical durability in alkaline media. First‐principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrate that the remarkable HER activitiy of FeP?CoMoP HNSs originates from the synergistic effect between FeP and CoMoP.     

Colloidal Self‐Assembly of Catalytic Copper Nanoclusters into Ultrathin Ribbons

Metal nanoclusters (NCs) with diameter below 2 nm are promising catalysts in oxygen reduction reactions (ORR). However, the high surface energy of ultra‐small clusters leads to structural instability, shedding doubt on practical applications. Herein, we demonstrate a self‐assembly method to improve the durability of catalytic metal NCs, employing copper NCs capped by 1‐dodecanethiol (DT) to form free‐standing ribbons in colloidal solution. By tuning the cooperation between the dipolar attraction between Cu NCs and the van der Waals attraction between DT, the thickness of ribbons is adjusted to a single NC scale. Such free‐standing ribbons exhibit excellent catalytic activity and durability in ORR.     

Control of the surface charges of Au-Ag nanorods: selective detection of iron in the presence of poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate)

In this article, we report a simple approach for selectively sensing Fe2+ ions using CTAB-stabilized Au-Ag nanorods (CTAB-Au-Ag NRs) in the presence of poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS). The prepared CTAB-Au-Ag NRs exhibit an intense longitudinal surface plasmon resonance absorption (>10(9) M(-1) cm(-1) at 827 nm) in the near-infrared region. As a result of attractive electrostatic interactions between PSS and CTAB, agglomeration of the CTAB-Au-Ag NRs induces a change in the absorption at 827 nm. From zeta potential measurements, we found that the degree of agglomeration was highly dependent on the surface charge density of the CTAB-Au-Ag NRs. Because Fe2+ (Fe3+) ions selectively interact with PSS, the degree of agglomeration-and, thus, the change in absorption at 827 nm-is dependent on the concentration of Fe2+ (Fe3+) ions. To improve the selectivity of the present sensing system, Fe3+ ions were reduced to Fe2+ ions in the presence of ascorbic acid prior to analysis. The concentrations of CTAB-Au-Ag NRs and PSS are both important parameters in determining the sensitivity and selectivity of the present approach toward sensing Fe2+ ions. Under the optimum conditions [34 pM CTAB-Au-Ag NRs, (5 x 10(-6))% PSS, pH 7.2], the limit of detection for Fe2+ ions at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 was 1.0 microM. We applied this nanosensor system to the determination of Fe2+ in ferritin and in aqueous environmental samples; this approach has the advantages of simplicity, accuracy, and precision (the relative standard deviation from five runs with each sample was below 3%).