Enhanced optical responses of Au@Pd core/shell nanobars.

A Pd nanoshell was epitaxially grown on a Au nanorod (NR) via simple seed-mediated growth. Compared with the cylindrical shape of the Au NR, the Au core/Pd shell (Au@Pd) nanorods change to a rectangular shape due to the disappearance of {110} facets. The Au NRs exhibit a strong longitudinal surface plasmon resonance (LSPR).

Well-controlled synthesis of Au@Pt nanostructures by gold-nanorod-seeded growth.

Pt nanodots were formed on Au nanorods (NRs) by using a simple seed-mediated growth. Their density and distribution on the Au NR can be finely tuned by varying the reaction parameters. At lower Pt/Au ratios, the Pt nanodots mainly appear at endcaps and side edges of the Au rod.

Gold nanorod-seeded growth of silver nanostructures: from homogeneous coating to anisotropic coating.

Single crystalline gold nanorods (Au NRs) dominated by {110} side facets were employed as seeds to tailor the deposition of Ag. Apart from homogeneous coating, anisotropic coating of Ag was observed and resulted in an orange slice-like shape for the Au@Ag nanocrystal. Different growth rates for the {110} side facets were responsible for this shape: among the four {110} facets, two of the neighboring {110} facets grew more quickly and another two grew more slowly, thus inducing the anisotropic deposition of Ag around the Au NR.

Directly synthesized strong, highly conducting, transparent single-walled carbon nanotube films.

We report the direct synthesis of strong, highly conducting, and transparent single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) films. Systematically, tests reveal that the directly synthesized films have superior electrical and mechanical properties compared with the films made from a solution-based filtration process: the electrical conductivity is over 2000 S/cm and the strength can reach 360 MPa. These values are both enhanced by more than 1 order.

Batchwise growth of silica cone patterns via self-assembly of aligned nanowires.

Silica-cone patterns self-assembled from well-aligned nanowires are synthesized using gallium droplets as the catalyst and silicon wafers as the silicon source. The cones form a triangular pattern array radially on almost the whole surface of the molten Ga ball. Detailed field-emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis shows that the cone-pattern pieces frequently slide off and are detached from the molten Ga ball surface, which leads to the exposure of the catalyst surface and the growth of a new batch of silicon oxide nanowires as well as the cone patterns.

Synthesis of long indium nitride nanowires with uniform diameters in large quantities.

Large quantities of indium nitride (InN) nanowires are synthesized by the in situ nitriding of indium oxide (In(2)O(3)) powders in an ammonia (NH(3)) flux. Tens of milligrams of nanowires are obtained in one batch. Every 100 mg of In(2)O(3) starting powder can produce up to 65 mg of InN nanowires under the optimized conditions.

Structural, magnetic, and magnetoresistive properties of electrodeposited Ni5Zn21 alloy nanowires.

Ni5Zn21 alloy nanowires were fabricated through template-assisted electrochemical deposition method. The morphology and microstructures of as-deposited nanowires were determined by field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), electron diffraction (ED), and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). The accurate composition was measured via induced coupling plasma atomic emission spectroscopy.

Formation of rectangularly shaped Pd/Au bimetallic nanorods: evidence for competing growth of the Pd shell between the 110 and 100 side facets of Au nanorods.

In this letter, we report the competing growth of a Pd shell on the {110} and {100} facets of Au nanorods (Au NRs). This results in the disappearance of unstable {110} facets and the formation of rectangularly shaped Pd/Au bimetallic nanorods that show only four stable {100} side surfaces. The energy minimization to a more stable morphology is believed to be the driving force for the formation of the rectangular shape of the Pd shell.

Low-temperature growth and photoluminescence property of ZnS nanoribbons.

At a low temperature of 450 degrees C, ZnS nanoribbons have been synthesized on Si and KCl substrates by a simple chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method with a two-temperature-zone furnace. Zinc and sulfur powders are used as sources in the different temperature zones. X-ray diffraction (XRD), selected area electron diffraction (SEAD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis show that the ZnS nanoribbons are the wurtzite structure, and there are two types-single-crystal and bicrystal nanoribbons.

Growth mechanism, photoluminescence, and field-emission properties of ZnO nanoneedle arrays.

ZnO nanoneedle arrays have been grown on a large scale with a chemical vapor deposition method at 680 degrees C. Zn powder and O(2) gas are employed as source materials, and catalyst-free Si plates are used as substrates. Energy-dispersive X-ray and X-ray diffraction analyses show that the nanoneedles are almost pure ZnO and preferentially aligned in the c-axis direction of the wurtzite structure.

Human fibrinogen adsorption onto single-walled carbon nanotube films.

The adsorption behavior of human fibrinogen (Hfg) on single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) films was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy. It was shown in the SEM images that fibrinogen was adsorbed strongly on the surface of SWNT when the samples were incubated in the Hfg solutions for 10 min. The dependence of adsorption on the concentration of fibrinogen was also investigated and it was found that adsorption increased with increasing concentration.