Gas phase fabrication of morphology-controlled ITO nanoparticles and their assembled conductive films.

ITO nanoparticles were generated in the gas phase with a magnetron plasma gas aggregation cluster source. Their morphologies were modified by modulating the discharging power of magnetron sputtering. The shape of the nanoparticles changed from rough spheroid formed with a higher discharging power to multi-branch formed with a lower discharging power.

Uncertainty and sensitivity analysis of radionuclide migration through fractured granite aquifer.

The radionuclide migration in the high-level radioactive waste (HLW) disposal is usually predicted by numerical simulations for risk analysis of radionuclide contamination in a large scale of time and space. However, the uncertainties in radionuclide migration models and their associated parameters significantly affect the simulation results. In the present study, we first selected certain parameters and output data as independent parameters and risk metrics and performed a series of radionuclide transport models at a research site in Northwestern China.

Two orders of magnitude extra SERS enhancement on silver nanoparticle-based substrate induced by laser irradiation in nitrogen ambient.

Photo-reduction of silver oxide and light-induced Ag nanoparticle (NP) generations have been applied for Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrate fabricated for years. In this paper, we demonstrate a general method to enhance the SERS activity of conventional Ag NPs-based SERS substrates by performing Raman scattering measurement in a nitrogen ambient after a period of laser irradiation (photoactivation). The Raman characteristic peak intensity of carbonaceous impurities adsorbed on the surfaces of Ag NPs display an additional enhancement of 93 times after photoactivation in nitrogen ambient.

Controllable Fabrication of Percolative Metal Nanoparticle Arrays Applied for Quantum Conductance-Based Strain Sensors.

We use gas phase deposition of well-defined nanoparticles (NPs) to fabricate closely-spaced Pd NP arrays on flexible membranes prepatterned with interdigital electrodes (IDEs). The evolution of the morphology and electron conductance of the NP arrays during deposition is analyzed. The growth of two-dimensional percolation clusters of interconnected NPs, which correlate with the percolation pathway for electron conduction in the NP deposits, is demonstrated.