Search results for "NANOMATERIALS"

NIR laser scanning microscopy for photophysical characterization of upconversion nanoparticles and nanohybrids

2021

Photophysical characterization of upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) and nanohybrids (UCNHs) is more challenging than that of down-conversion nanomaterials. Moreover, it is still difficult to gain knowledge about the homogeneity of the sample and colocalization of emissive chromophores and nanoparticles in nanohybrids. Near infrared laser scanning microscopy (NIR-LSM) is a well-known and useful imaging technique, which enables excitation in the NIR region and has been extensively applied to optical fluorescence imaging of organic fluorophores and nanomaterials, such as quantum dots, which exhibit a short-lived emission. NIR-LSM has recently been used to determine the empirical emission life…

Nanocomposite, an innovative route to large structure and infrastructure protection. A case of study: CNT-doped polyurea

2010

<p>In this work we focus on experimental studies of polymer-nanocomposites intended for passive protection of civil structures. The material consists of a polyurea-matrix enhanced by different quantities of multiwalled carbon nanotubes. Several tensile and cyclic tests are performed to evaluate and characterize the mechanical behaviour of this new material. Furthermore, we subject the material to accelerated thermal aging and study its performance deterioration which is fairly unknown. The results on the unaged specimens are intuitive and indicate that an arbitrary amount of CNTs may result in suboptimal performance. More specifically, 1% in weight of CNTs yields the best mechanical p…

Assembly of iron oxide nanosheets at the air-water interface by leucine-histidine peptides

2021

The fabrication of inorganic nanomaterials is important for a wide range of disciplines. While many purely inorganic synthetic routes have enabled a manifold of nanostructures under well-controlled conditions, organisms have the ability to synthesize structures under ambient conditions. For example, magnetotactic bacteria, can synthesize tiny ‘compass needles’ of magnetite (Fe3O4). Here, we demonstrate the bio-inspired synthesis of extended, self-supporting, nanometer-thin sheets of iron oxide at the water–air interface through self-assembly using small histidine-rich peptides.

Atomically Precise Distorted Nanographenes: The Effect of Different Edge Functionalization on the Photophysical Properties down to the Femtosecond Sc…

2023

Nanographenes (NGs) have been attracting widespread interest since they combine peculiar properties of graphene with molecular features, such as bright visible photoluminescence. However, our understanding of the fundamental properties of NGs is still hampered by the high degree of heterogeneity usually characterizing most of these materials. In this context, NGs obtained by atomically precise synthesis routes represent optimal benchmarks to unambiguously relate their properties to well-defined structures. Here we investigate in deep detail the optical response of three curved hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene (HBC) derivatives obtained by atomically precise synthesis routes. They are constituted…

Complexes of carbon nanotubes with ions and macromolecules : studies on electronic conduction properties

2014

Determining nanomaterials in food

2011

Abstract Nanotechnology has emerged as one of the most innovative technologies and has the potential to improve food quality and safety. However, there are a few studies demonstrating that nanomaterials (NMs) are not inherently benign. This review highlights some current applications of NMs in food, food additives and food-contact materials, and reviews analytical approaches suitable to address food-safety issues related to nanotechnology. We start with a preliminary discussion on the current regulatory situation with respect to nanotechnology in relation to foods. We cover sample preparation, imaging techniques (e.g., electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray microscopy),…

An Overview of Functionalized Graphene Nanomaterials for Advanced Applications

2021

Interest in the development of graphene-based materials for advanced applications is growing, because of the unique features of such nanomaterials and, above all, of their outstanding versatility, which enables several functionalization pathways that lead to materials with extremely tunable properties and architectures. This review is focused on the careful examination of relationships between synthetic approaches currently used to derivatize graphene, main properties achieved, and target applications proposed. Use of functionalized graphene nanomaterials in six engineering areas (materials with enhanced mechanical and thermal performance, energy, sensors, biomedical, water treatment, and c…

Co-reductive fabrication of carbon nanodots with high quantum yield for bioimaging of bacteria

2018

A simple and straightforward synthetic approach for carbon nanodots (C-dots) is proposed. The strategy is based on a one-step hydrothermal chemical reduction with thiourea and urea, leading to high quantum yield C-dots. The obtained C-dots are well-dispersed with a uniform size and a graphite-like structure. A synergistic reduction mechanism was investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The findings show that using both thiourea and urea during the one-pot synthesis enhances the luminescence of the generated C-dots. Moreover, the prepared C-dots have a high distribution of functional groups on their surface. In this work, C-dots proved …

Design of PNIPAAM covalently grafted on halloysite nanotubes as a support for metal-based catalysts

2016

A thermo-responsive polymer such as poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAM) was covalently grafted on the external surface of halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) by means of microwave irradiation. This nanomaterial was used as a support and stabilizer for palladium nanoparticles. The obtained HNT–PNIPAAM/PdNPs was characterized by means of TGA, SEM, EDS and TEM analyses. The palladium content of the catalyst was estimated to be 0.4 wt%. The stability of the catalytic material at different temperatures (below and above the PNIPAAM lower critical solution temperature) was tested in the Suzuki reaction under microwave irradiation. In addition, TEM analysis after five consecutive runs was performed. The …

Covalently modified nanoclays: synthesis, properties and applications

2020

Abstract Clay minerals are phyllosilicates of nanoscale dimensions. According to their ability to entrap and release organic moieties, they have found applications in several fields, such as drug carrier and delivery, support for catalyst, environmental remediation and filler for polymeric matrices. The possibility to modify, by covalent linkage, their surfaces gives the possibility to form new nanomaterials with improved properties respect to the pristine clay minerals. In this chapter, the modifications of the siloxane surfaces of the most representative clay minerals, namely montmorillonite, sepiolites, laponite and halloysite were reviewed and discussed.