Hierarchical structures of carbon nanotubes and arrays of chromium-capped silicon nanopillars: formation and electrical properties.

The formation of stochastically oriented carbon-nanotube networks on top of an array of free-standing chromium-capped silicon nanopillars is reported. The combination of nanosphere lithography and chemical vapor deposition enables the construction of nanostructures that exhibit a hierarchical sequence of structural sizes. Metallic chromium serves as an etching mask for Si-pillar formation and as a nucleation site for the formation of carbon nanotubes through the chemical vapor deposition of ethene, ethanol, and methane, respectively, thereby bridging individual pillars from top to top. Iron and cobalt were applied onto the chromium caps as catalysts for CNT growth and the influence of different carbon sources and different gas-flow rates were investigated. The carbon nanotubes were structurally characterized and their DC electrical properties were studied by in situ local- and ex situ macroscopic measurements, both of which reveal their semiconductor properties. This process demonstrates how carbon nanotubes can be integrated into Si-based semiconductors and, thus, this process may be used to form high-surface-area sensors or new porous catalyst supports with enhanced gas-permeation properties.

Assembly of one dimensional inorganic nanostructures into functional 2D and 3D architectures. Synthesis, arrangement and functionality.

This review will focus on the synthesis, arrangement, structural assembly, for current and future applications, of 1D nanomaterials (tubes, wires, rods) in 2D and 3D ordered arrangements. The ability to synthesize and arrange one dimensional nanomaterials into ordered 2D or 3D micro or macro sized structures is of utmost importance in developing new devices and applications of these materials. Micro and macro sized architectures based on such 1D nanomaterials (e.g. tubes, wires, rods) provide a platform to integrate nanostructures at a larger and thus manageable scale into high performance electronic devices like field effect transistors, as chemo- and biosensors, catalysts, or in energy material applications. Carbon based, metal oxide and metal based 1D arranged materials as well as hybrid or composite 1D materials of the latter provide a broad materials platform, offering a perspective for new entries into fascinating structures and future applications of such assembled architectures. These architectures allow bridging the gap between 1D nanostructures and the micro and macro world and are the basis for an assembly of 1D materials into higher hierarchy domains. This critical review is intended to provide an interesting starting point to view the current state of the art and show perspectives for future developments in this field. The emphasis is on selected nanomaterials and the possibilities for building three dimensional arrays starting from one dimensional building blocks. Carbon nanotubes, metal oxide nanotubes and nanowires (e.g. ZnO, TiO(2), V(2)O(5), Cu(2)O, NiO, Fe(2)O(3)), silicon and germanium nanowires, and group III-V or II-VI based 1D semiconductor nanostructures like GaS and GaN, pure metals as well as 1D hybrid materials and their higher organized architectures (foremost in 3D) will be focussed. These materials have been the most intensively studied within the last 5-10 years with respect to nano-micro integration aspects and their functional and application oriented properties. The critical review should be interesting for a broader scientific community (chemists, physicists, material scientists) interested in synthetic and functional material aspects of 1D materials as well as their integration into next higher organized architectures.

Degradation of dichlorvos using hydrodynamic cavitation based treatment strategies.

The degradation of an aqueous solution of dichlorvos, a commonly used pesticide in India, has been systematically investigated using hydrodynamic cavitation reactor. All the experiments have been carried out using a 20 ppm solution of commercially available dichlorvos. The effect of important operating parameters such as inlet pressure (over a range 3-6 bar), temperature (31 °C, 36 °C and 39 °C) and pH (natural pH = 5.7 and acidic pH = 3) on the extent of degradation has been investigated initially. It has been observed that an optimum value of pressure gives maximum degradation whereas low temperature and pH of 3 are favorable. Intensification studies have been carried out using different additives such as hydrogen peroxide, carbon tetrachloride, and Fenton's reagent. Use of hydrogen peroxide and carbon tetrachloride resulted in the enhancement of the extent of degradation at optimized conditions but significant enhancement was obtained with the combined use of hydrodynamic cavitation and Fenton's chemistry. The maximum extent of degradation as obtained by using a combination of hydrodynamic cavitation and Fenton's chemistry was 91.5% in 1h of treatment time. The present work has conclusively established that hydrodynamic cavitation in combination with Fenton's chemistry can be effectively used for the degradation of dichlorvos.

Gas phase synthesis and field emission properties of 3D aligned double walled carbon nanotube/anatase hybrid architectures.

A 3D hybrid architecture composed of macroscopic, vertically aligned CNT blocks which are formed via a metal catalyzed CVD process followed by deposition of TiO(2) on the CNT side walls in nanocrystalline or amorphous form is presented. The morphology of the deposited TiO(2) can be tailored by the deposition method employed. Depositing TiO(2) from the gas phase by employing the organometallic precursor Ti[OCH(CH(3))(2)](4) leads to formation of nanocrystalline anatase or rutile particles with a dense coverage on the surface and within the 3D CNT scaffold. Phase pure TiO(2) (anatase) is formed between 500 and 700 °C, while higher temperatures resulted in rutile modification of TiO(2). Below 500 °C, TiO(2) forms an amorphous oxide layer. At higher temperatures such initially formed TiO(2) layers segregate into particles which tend to crystallize. In contrast, when generating TiO(2) by oxidation of Ti metal which is deposited by vaporization onto the 3D CNT block array, and subsequently oxidized in air or controlled O(2) atmosphere this leads to a porous layer with a particular nanostructure on top of the CNT blocks. First studies of the fabrication and field emission of the new 3D CNT/TiO(2) hybrid cathodes display good and stable FE characteristics with onset fields for current density of 1 µA cm(-2) of 1.7 to 1.9 V µm(-1), while the average field enhancement factor is in the range between 2000 and 2500 depending on the O(2) base pressure during the measurements.