Search results for "colloid"
showing 10 items of 1288 documents
Thermal Effects of Water Intrusion in Hydrophobic Nanoporous Materials.
2009
Liquid water intrusion in hydrophobic nanoporous silicalite-1, a pure siliceous zeolite, in isothermal conditions under high pressure produces an endothermic effect. After intrusion, confined water in zeolite pores is in a different state from that of the liquid bulk water. Such forced intrusion also chemically modifies the material and tends to render it slightly more hydrophilic.
Hybrid aerosol assisted atmospheric pressure Chemical Vapour Deposition: a facile route toward nano-composite thin films?
2009
A hybrid chemical vapour deposition strategy is presented as a facile route for the production of vanadium dioxide nano-composite thin films. The effect of the inclusion of gold nano-particles and the use of a surfactant molecule; tetraoctylammonium bromide (TOAB), is discussed. The films are fully characterised and it is shown that micro-structural changes lead to an enhancement of thermochromic properties, whilst gold nano-particles lead to a change in the films optical properties. Optical data is used in energy modelling studies to elucidate the films potential as an energy saving coating in architectural glazing.
Photoswitchable Micro-Supercapacitor Based on a Diarylethene-Graphene Composite Film
2017
Stimuli-responsive micro-supercapacitors (MSCs) controlled by external stimuli can enable a wide range of applications for future on-chip energy storage. Here, we report on a photoswitchable MSC based on a diarylethene-graphene composite film. The microdevice delivers an outstanding and reversible capacitance modulation of up to 20%, demonstrating a prototype photoswitchable MSC. Terahertz spectroscopy indicates that the photoswitching of the capacitance is enabled by the reversible tuning of interfacial charge injection into diarylethene molecular orbitals, as a consequence of charge transfer at the diarylethene-graphene interface upon light modulation.
Steric stabilization of modified nanoclays triggered by temperature.
2015
Halloysite clay nanotubes were modified through the adsorption of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-amine terminated (PNIPA-NH2) onto the external surface by exploiting electrostatic interactions at pH=6. In spite the amount of attached polymer is rather low (1 wt%), the properties of the nanotubes are deeply modified. The apparent specific volume and isentropic compressibilities of the hybrid nanomaterial dispersed in water evidenced the transferring of the termosensitive property from the polymer to halloysite. The hydrodynamic radius as well as the ζ-potential of the nanohybrid are consistent with the attachment of a positively charged polymer onto the negative surface of the nanotube. The col…
Sedimentation of halloysite nanotubes from different deposits in aqueous media at variable ionic strengths
2019
Abstract Halloysite clay is a natural nanomaterial that is attracting a growing interest in colloidal science. The halloysite aqueous dispersion stability is a key aspect for the configuration of a purification protocol as well as to establish the durability of a formulation. A physico-chemical study demonstrated the role of ionic strength and nanotube characteristic sizes on the sedimentation behavior. We highlighted the importance of the electrostatic repulsions exercised between the particles in the settling process. A protocol for image analysis has been proposed to provide robust information from time resolved optical images on the suspensions. In conclusion, we managed to correlate mi…
Depletion of carbon nanotube depositions and tube realignment in the spreading of sessile drops
2015
Abstract We studied spreading of drops of water and dilute alcohol on multiwall carbon nanotube (MWNT) depositions. These deposits consisted of individual arc-discharge synthesized MWNTs and irregular amorphous carbon nanoparticles on hydrophilically rendered silicon substrates. The mobile circular contact line of a spreading drop created an annular shape on the deposit, where some of the MWNTs and the amorphous nanoparticles in particular were largely depleted. The effect was strongly dependent on the hydrophilicity of the substrate. Most of the MWNTs were not only left within the annuli, but were also apparently reoriented by their interaction with the passing contact line. Our results im…
Halloysite Nanotube with Fluorinated Lumen: Non-Foaming Nanocontainer for Storage and Controlled Release of Oxygen in Aqueous Media
2014
Halloysite clay nanotubes were selectivity modified by adsorbing perfluoroalkylated anionic surfactants at the inner surface. The modified nanotubes formed kinetically stable dispersions due to the enhanced electrostatic repulsions exercised between the particles. We proved that the modified nanotubes can be used as non-foaming oxygen nanocontainers in aqueous media. The gas release from supersaturated dispersions can be controlled by external stimuli and system composition. In conclusion, we managed to put forward an easy strategy to develop smart materials from natural nanoclays, which can endow important applications like the storage and delivery of gas.
Strongly Red-Emissive Molecular Ruby [Cr(bpmp)2]3+ Surpasses [Ru(bpy)3]2+
2021
Gaining chemical control over the thermodynamics and kinetics of photoexcited states is paramount to an efficient and sustainable utilization of photoactive transition metal complexes in a plethora of technologies. In contrast to energies of charge transfer states described by spatially separated orbitals, the energies of spin-flip states cannot straightforwardly be predicted as Pauli repulsion and the nephelauxetic effect play key roles. Guided by multireference quantum chemical calculations, we report a novel highly luminescent spin-flip emitter with a quantum chemically predicted blue-shifted luminescence. The spin-flip emission band of the chromium complex [Cr(bpmp)2]3+ (bpmp = 2,6-bis(…
A Quantitative In Vitro Approach to Study the Intracellular Fate of Gold Nanoparticles: From Synthesis to Cytotoxicity
2009
Due to their physico-chemical characteristics, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) seem to be suitable for biomedical and therapeutic applications even if conflicting data on their toxicological profiles are present in literature. In order to better understand if AuNPs could be safe we must consider different biological endpoints such as cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, inflammation and biopersistence. Starting from these considerations, one of the first issues to be assessed is to better understand if AuNPs can be internalized by cells. In this work, we propose a methodological approach to radioactivate AuNPs by neutron activation and the quantification of their internalization by two in vitro cell syst…
Label-free histamine detection with nanofluidic diodes through metal ion displacement mechanism
2017
[EN] We design and characterize a nanofluidic device for the label-free specific detection of histamine neurotransmitter based on a metal ion displacement mechanism. The sensor consists of an asymmetric polymer nanopore fabricated via ion track-etching technique. The nanopore sensor surface having metal-nitrilotriacetic (NTA-Ni2+) chelates is obtained by covalent coupling of native carboxylic acid groups with N-alpha,N-alpha-bis(carboxymethyl)-L-lysine (BCML), followed by exposure to Ni2+ ion solution. The BCML immobilization and subsequent Ni2+ ion complexation with NTA moieties change the surface charge concentration, which has a significant impact on the current-voltage (I-V) curve after…