Impressively Printing Patterns of Gold and Silver Nanoparticles.

The optical and chemical properties of gold and silver nanoparticles make them useful for many applications, including surface enhanced spectroscopy-based biosensors, photostable colorants, enhanced photovoltaics, and nanoscale optical elements. We report a simple technique to generate patterns of gold and silver nanoparticles with controlled shape and shape-dependent optical properties using metal stamps to impress them onto a glass substrate or flexible polymers. The pressure flattens the nanoparticles, converting initially spherical nanoparticles into discs with reduced height and increased diameter.

CO reduction using paper-derived carbon electrodes modified with copper nanoparticles.

The conversion of CO into useful chemicals can lead to the production of carbon neutral fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A key technological challenge necessary to enable such a process is the development of substrates that are active, cost effective, and selective for this reaction. In this regard, the reduction of CO electrochemical means is one of the most attractive alternatives but still requires rather unique electrodes.

Towards sensor applications of a polymer/Ag nanoparticle nanocomposite film.

We have demonstrated the capability of a nanocomposite film made of a 2D array of Ag nanoparticles embedded into a poly(glycidyl methacrylate), PGMA, matrix to monitor the presence of organic vapors in the atmosphere. Specifically, changes in the extinction spectra of the submicron nanocomposite film are used to sense the vapors. The transformations of the spectra are fully reversible and reproducible upon multiple exposures.

Two halide-containing cesium manganese vanadates: synthesis, characterization, and magnetic properties.

Two new halide-containing cesium manganese vanadates have been synthesized by a high-temperature (580 °C) hydrothermal synthetic method from aqueous brine solutions. One compound, CsMn(VO)Cl, (1) was prepared using a mixed cesium hydroxide/chloride mineralizer, and crystallizes in the polar noncentrosymmetric space group Cmm2, with a = 16.7820(8) Å, b = 8.

Highly Conductive and Transparent Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanoscale Films via Thermal Conversion of Polymer-Encapsulated Graphene Oxide Sheets.

Despite noteworthy progress in the fabrication of large-area graphene sheetlike nanomaterials, the vapor-based processing still requires sophisticated equipment and a multistage handling of the material. An alternative approach to manufacturing functional graphene-based films includes the employment of graphene oxide (GO) micrometer-scale sheets as precursors. However, search for a scalable manufacturing technique for the production of high-quality GO nanoscale films with high uniformity and high electrical conductivity is still continuing.