Evaluating differences in the active-site electronics of supported Au nanoparticle catalysts using Hammett and DFT studies.

Supported metal catalysts, which are composed of metal nanoparticles dispersed on metal oxides or other high-surface-area materials, are ubiquitous in industrially catalysed reactions. Identifying and characterizing the catalytic active sites on these materials still remains a substantial challenge, even though it is required to guide rational design of practical heterogeneous catalysts. Metal-support interactions have an enormous impact on the chemistry of the catalytic active site and can determine the optimum support for a reaction; however, few direct probes of these interactions are available.

Modulation of Spatiotemporal Particle Patterning in Evaporating Droplets: Applications to Diagnostics and Materials Science.

Spatiotemporal particle patterning in evaporating droplets lacks a common design framework. Here, we demonstrate autonomous control of particle distribution in evaporating droplets through the imposition of a salt-induced self-generated electric field as a generalized patterning strategy. Through modeling, a new dimensionless number, termed "capillary-phoresis" (CP) number, arises, which determines the relative contributions of electrokinetic and convective transport to pattern formation, enabling one to accurately predict the mode of particle assembly by controlling the spontaneous electric field and surface potentials.

PEGylated Carbon Nanocapsule: A Universal Reactor and Carrier for In Vivo Delivery of Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Nanoparticles.

We have developed PEGylated mesoporous carbon nanocapsule as a universal nanoreactor and carrier for the delivery of highly crystalline hydrophobic/hydrophilic nanoparticles (NPs) which shows superior biocompatibility, dispersion in body fluids, good biodistribution and NPs independent cellular uptake mechanism. The hydrophobic/hydrophilic NPs without surface modification were synthesized in situ inside the cavities of mesoporous carbon capsules (200-850 nm). Stable and inert nature of carbon capsules in a wide range of reaction conditions like high temperature and harsh solvents, make it suitable for being used as nano/microreactors for the syntheses of a variety of NPs for bioimaging applications, such as NaYF4:Eu(3+)(5%), LaVO4:Eu(3+)(10%), GdVO4:Eu(3+)(10%), Y2O3:Eu(3+)(5%), GdF3:Tb(3+)(10%), Mo, Pt, Pd, Au, and Ag.