Effect of Electrolytes on Solution and Interfacial Behaviors of Double Chain Cationic-Nonionic Surfactant Mixtures for Hydrophobic Surface Wetting and Oil/Water Emulsion Stability Applications.

The solution behaviors of the binary mixture of double chain cationic surfactant didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB) with nonionic surfactants of varied head groups, EO-9 and EO-40, in the presence and absence of electrolytes were studied and found nonideal behavior. The different physicochemical properties such as Gibb's surface excess (Γ), minimum area per molecule (Amin), and interaction parameters at bulk (ßM) and interface (ßσ) were calculated. In the presence of nonionic surfactants, lowering of CMC, CVC, and surface tension at these two concentrations of DDAB were observed. The ßM and ßσ values indicate strong interaction between DDAB and EO-40 mixed system. Further, addition of electrolytes to the mixed systems show increased interaction and change of physicochemical properties because of the combination of electrical and salting out effects.

Visible light-induced Ag nanoparticle deposited urchin-like structures for enhanced SERS application.

A simple and new fabrication method of Ag nanoparticle deposited "urchin-like" structures has been reported by the visible light-induced approach. The as-synthesized structures show the deposition of ∼5 nm sized Ag nanoparticles with nanogaps, which can generate highly enhanced electromagnetic fields for higher activity of surface-enhanced Raman scattering. Thus, these structures are important for highly sensitive Raman scattering activity.

Noble metals decorated hierarchical maghemite magnetic tubes as an efficient recyclable catalyst.

The noble metal nanocatalysts on high surface area magnetic material supports have huge technological importance in the field of catalysis. The green synthesis of magnetic-noble metal hybrid material has another technological importance. In this study, we report a novel, efficient, and sustainable synthesis methodology for Au nanoparticles (NPs) deposited hierarchical magnetic maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) tubes. In this methodology, the green tea extract was used as a reducing agent for both iron oxide and Au NPs synthesis. The natural cotton fibers were used as a sacrificial template to obtain porous and high surface area (90m2/g) magnetic γ-Fe2O3 tubes. Further, the Au NPs (7±2nm) were in situ deposited onto the tubes surface after reduction of Au salt by green tea extract. The XPS spectra was confirmed the presence of negatively charged Au on the iron oxide supports due to charge transfer process and strong metal-support material electronic interaction. The Au NPs decorated γ-Fe2O3 tubes were possessed 18emu/g saturation magnetization at room temperature which is large enough for the magnetic separation. The synthesized material was showed very good catalytic activity for the hydrogenation reaction of 4-nitrophenol to aminophenol conversion. As the catalyst has very good magnetic property, the reusability of catalyst was checked after magnetic separation and found only 0.29% reduction in catalytic activity after the sixth cycle. Further, the Ag and Pd NPs decorated γ-Fe2O3 tubes were also synthesized and tested for the same catalytic reaction and found the highest activity for Pd.

Carbon-Doped Mesoporous Anatase TiO2 Multi-Tubes Nanostructures for Highly Improved Visible Light Photocatalytic Activity.

Development of a high surface area and efficient visible light induced photocatalyst on a large scale is a promising task from the practical perspective. In this study, visible light active C-doped anatase TiO2 multi-tubes were synthesized using banana (Musa acuminata) stem fiber as a sacrificial template, removed by calcination at 450 °C. During the calcination process, the lattice of anatase TiO2 phase was doped with C, and obtained multi-tubes showed high surface area (∼99 m2/g) with a mesoporous structure made of ∼15 ± 3 nm nanoparticles. The synthesized TiO2 multi-tubes showed an enhanced light absorption property in the whole visible light region and good thermal stability of the anatase phase up to 750 °C. The synthesized C-doped TiO2 multi-tubes manifest an excellent photocatalytic activity for the reduction of Cr (VI) to Cr(III) under the visible light exposure. This process may have lots of practical importance as the method of synthesis of the catalyst is novel and the multi-tubes structure can be synthesized on a large scale through a quick and economical way with excellent photocatalytic activity. This novel multi-tubes structure may also be useful for photovoltaics, antimicrobial, and Li-batteries applications in the future.

An Au/AgBr-Ag heterostructure plasmonic photocatalyst with enhanced catalytic activity under visible light.

This study reports an easy synthesis protocol of a novel bimetallic silver halide (Au/AgBr-Ag) plasmonic heterostructure as a visible light induced photocatalyst. In this process, first CTAB capped Au NPs were coated with AgBr, and then Ag nanoparticles were formed on the surface of AgBr by photoreduction, while exposing to daylight at room temperature. The presence of Au and Ag improves the visible absorption ability of NPs and avoids charge recombination of the semiconductor AgBr during photoexcitation, which in turn enhances 16 and 8.9 fold the photocatalytic efficiency of Rhodamine B dye degradation under visible light irradiation compared to that of pure AgBr and AgBr/Ag, respectively. The recycling tests of the photocatalyst show only ∼8.7% decrease in efficiency after the 5th cycle of reuse without changing the morphology. During the photocatalytic process, active superoxide radicals (O2˙-) play a major role, proved through scavenger trapping and photoluminescence experiments. The presence of two plasmonic metals (Au and Ag) in the heterostructure helps to improve visible light absorption as well as avoid charge recombination of the semiconductor AgBr to act as a better photocatalyst. Since this heteronanostructure can be easily synthesized by a one-step method, this study could provide a new approach for the development of efficient bimetallic/semiconductor halide plasmonic photocatalysts with enhanced visible absorption and better charge separation.

A simple turn on fluorescent sensor for the selective detection of thiamine using coconut water derived luminescent carbon dots.

In this study microwave-assisted hydrothermal method was used to prepare highly luminescent carbon dots (1-6 nm size) within a minute from tender coconut (Cocos nucifera) water. The synthesized carbon dots (C-dots) exhibit emission of blue and green lights while excited at 390 and 450 nm wavelengths, respectively. As an application, these C-dots were tested for a simple "turn on" fluorescent sensor for rapid detection of thiamine (vitamin B1). The detection of thiamine in human body is very important to prevent various diseases such as beriberi, neurological disorders, optic neuropathy, etc. The fluorescence emission intensity of C-dots quenches after addition of Cu(2+) ion and then again increases selectively (turn on) after the addition of thiamine. The fluorescence emission intensity enhancement of Cu(2+) ion modified C-dots in the presence of thiamine exhibits a linear relationship within the thiamine concentration range of 10-50 µM. The limit of detection was found to be 280 nM from this study. The selectivity of the detection was also tested in the presence of different organic molecules and inorganic ions (Ca(2+), Mg(2+), Na(+), K(+), Cl(-), SO4(2-), and NO3(-)) which are present in blood serum and urine and found to be almost no interference in the detection. Finally, to see the applicability in real samples a commercial vitamin capsule was tested and found less than 3% error in the detected concentration. The C-dots were also used for bioimaging of fungus and the results show they are also suitable for this application too.

Ag doped hollow TiO2 nanoparticles as an effective green fungicide against Fusarium solani and Venturia inaequalis phytopathogens.

Chemical-based pesticides are widely used in agriculture to protect crops from insect infestation and diseases. However, the excessive use of highly toxic pesticides causes several human health (neurological, tumor, cancer) and environmental problems. Therefore nanoparticle-based green pesticides have become of special importance in recent years. The antifungal activities of pure and Ag doped (solid and hollow) TiO2 nanoparticles are studied against two potent phytopathogens, Fusarium solani (which causes Fusarium wilt disease in potato, tomato, etc) and Venturia inaequalis (which causes apple scab disease) and it is found that hollow nanoparticles are more effective than the other two. The antifungal activities of the nanoparticles were further enhanced against these two phytopathogens under visible light exposure. The fungicidal effect of the nanoparticles depends on different parameters, such as particle concentration and the intensity of visible light. The minimum inhibitory dose of the nanoparticles for V. inaequalis and F. solani are 0.75 and 0.43 mg/plate. The presence of Ag as a dopant helps in the formation of stable Ag-S and disulfide bonds (R-S-S-R) in cellular protein, which leads to cell damage. During photocatalysis generated (•)OH radicals loosen the cell wall structure and this finally leads to cell death. The mechanisms of the fungicidal effect of nanoparticles against these two phytopathogens are supported by biuret and triphenyl tetrazolium chloride analyses and field emission electron microscopy. Apart from the fungicidal effect, at a very low dose (0.015 mg/plate) the nanoparticles are successful in arresting production of toxic napthoquinone pigment for F. solani which is related to the fungal pathogenecity. The nanoparticles are found to be effective in protecting potatoes affected by F. solani or other fungi from spoiling.

Au and Ag/Au double-shells hollow nanoparticles with improved near infrared surface plasmon and photoluminescence properties.

Metallic hollow nanoparticles have been continuously drawing researcher's attention because of their excellent improved performance compare to the spherical particles in catalysis, photonics, information storage, surface-enhanced Raman scattering, and sensors applications. In this article we demonstrate a novel route for the synthesis of single and double-shells Au and Ag/Au bimetallic hollow nanoparticles using elemental sulfur as a sacrificial core. We also investigate the optical properties of these new hollow particles and compare with that of pure spherical nanoparticles. The surface plasmon resonance spectra of solid Au, hollow single shell Au, and double shells Ag/Au nanoparticles show that there is gradual shifting of Au peak position towards the higher wavelengths for these three nanoparticles respectively. A similar observation was also found for photoluminescence spectra. In case of double-shells Ag/Au hollow nanoparticles the emission spectrum shifts towards the NIR region with significant higher intensity, which is beneficial for in vivo biomedical applications of these particles.

Fluorometric selective detection of fluoride ions in aqueous media using Ag doped CdS/ZnS core/shell nanoparticles.

The presence of fluoride ions in drinking water plays an important role in human health. For that reason, maintaining the optimum concentration of fluoride ions in drinking water is essential, as both low and excess (above the permissible level) concentrations can cause different health problems, such as fluorosis, urolithiasis, kidney failure, cancer, and can even lead to death. So, development of a simple and low cost method for the detection of fluoride ions in water is highly desirable. In this study, a fluorometric method based on Ag-CdS/Ag-ZnS core/shell nanoparticles is developed for fluoride ion detection. The method was tested in aqueous solution at different pH values. The selectivity and sensitivity of the fluorescence probe was checked in the presence of other anions (Cl(-), Br(-), I(-), NO3(-) SO4(2-), HCO3(-), HPO4(2-), CH3COO(-), and H2PO4(-)) and found there is no significant interference of these associated ions. The fluoride ion concentration was varied in the range 190-22 800 µg L(-1) and a lower detection limit was obtained as 99.7 µg L(-1).

Fluorometric sensing of ultralow As(III) concentrations using Ag doped hollow CdS/ZnS bi-layer nanoparticles.

Arsenic poisoning from drinking water has been an important global issue in recent years. Because of the high level toxicity of arsenic to human health, an easy, inexpensive, low level and highly selective detection technique is of great importance to take any early precautions. This study reports the synthesis of Ag doped hollow CdS/ZnS bi-layer (Ag-h-CdS/ZnS) nanoparticles for the easy fluorometric determination of As(iii) ions in the aqueous phase. The hollow bi-layer structures were synthesized by a sacrificial core method using AgBr as the sacrificial core and the core was removed by dissolution in an ammonium hydroxide solution. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using different instrumental techniques. A good linear relationship was obtained between fluorescence quenching intensity and As(iii) concentration in the range of 0.75-22.5 µg L(-1) at neutral pH with a limit of detection as low as 0.226 µg L(-1).

Yolk/shell nanoparticles: classifications, synthesis, properties, and applications.

Core/shell nanoparticles were first reported in the early 1990s with a simple spherical core and shell structure, but the area is gradually diversifying in multiple directions such as different shapes, multishells, yolk/shell etc., because of the development of different new properties of the materials, which are useful for several advanced applications. Among different sub-areas of core/shell nanoparticles, yolk/shell nanoparticles (YS NPs) have drawn significant attention in recent years because of their unique properties such as low density, large surface area, ease of interior core functionalization, a good molecular loading capacity in the void space, tunable interstitial void space, and a hollow outer shell. The YS NPs have better properties over simple core/shell or hollow NPs in various fields including biomedical, catalysis, sensors, lithium batteries, adsorbents, DSSCs, microwave absorbers etc., mainly because of the presence of free void space, porous hollow shell, and free core surface. This review presents an extensive classification of YS NPs based on their structures and types of materials, along with synthesis strategies, properties, and applications with which one would be able to draw a complete picture of this area.

Mixed Phytochemicals Mediated Synthesis of Multifunctional Ag-Au-Pd Nanoparticles for Glucose Oxidation and Antimicrobial Applications.

The growing awareness toward the environment is increasing commercial demand for nanoparticles by green route syntheses. In this study, alloy-like Ag-Au-Pd trimetallic nanoparticles have been prepared by two plants extracts Aegle marmelos leaf (LE) and Syzygium aromaticum bud extracts (CE). Compositionally different Ag-Au-Pd nanoparticles with an atomic ratio of 5.26:2.16:1.0 (by LE) and 11.36:13.14:1.0 (by LE + CE) of Ag:Au:Pd were easily synthesized within 10 min at ambient conditions by changing the composition of phytochemicals. The average diameters of the nanoparticles by LE and LE + CE are ∼8 and ∼11 nm. The catalytic activity of the trimetallic nanoparticles was studied, and they were found to be efficient catalysts for the glucose oxidation process. The prepared nanoparticles also exhibited efficient antibacterial activity against a model Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli. The catalytic and antimicrobial properties of these readymade trimetallic nanoparticles have high possibility to be utilized in diverse fields of applications such as health care to environmental.

The wettability of PTFE and glass surfaces by nanofluids.

Wetting of solid surfaces by surfactant solutions is well focused in the literature compared that of nanofluids. Similar to the surfactant solutions nanofluids are also able to reduce the surface tension as well as influence on contact angle at the solid, liquid and gas interface. The surface tension and wettability of two different nanofluids containing hydrophilic (TiO2) and hydrophobic (S) particles have been experimentally studied here. The surface tension reduction of nanofluids strongly depends on material property, particle size and as well as concentration. These parameters also influence the change in contact angle on both hydrophilic (glass) and hydrophobic (PTFE) surfaces. Three important factors such as surface tension, surface hydrophobicity after deposition of particles on a solid surface, and the disjoining pressure influence the final contact angle of nanofluids on a solid surface. Sulfur nanofluids show maximum enhancement in contact angle (30.6°) on the glass surface; on the other hand TiO2 nanofluids show maximum reductions in surface tension (25.4 mN/m) and contact angle on the PTFE surface (17.7°) with respect to pure water.

Visible light induced photocatalytic activity of sulfur doped hollow TiO2 nanoparticles, synthesized via a novel route.

Water pollution by organic pollutants has been a growing global problem in recent years, for which there is a great demand of efficient technologies for wastewater treatment. Remediation of water by photocatalytic oxidation has several advantages over adsorption or any other conventional techniques. This study reports a easy synthesis technique of a sulfur doped hollow TiO2 nanocatalyst for photo degradation of organic dye under solar light. The hollow doped TiO2 nano catalyst has significantly high specific surface area (318.11 m(2) g(-1)) and low band gap (2.5 eV) compared to that of solid particles (130.94 m(2) g(-1) and 3.2 eV respectively), as a result it acts as an efficient photocatalyst under solar light. The methylene blue dye degradation ability of this catalyst is shown to be 98.6% compared to that of standard Degussa P25 (30%) as reported before. Additionally, the catalyst is also able to degrade 71% methylene blue dye during fifth times recycling without any further treatment because of its high surface area. So our sulfur doped hollow TiO2 nanoparticles can be used as a potential photocatalyst for environmental remediation applications.

Core/shell nanoparticles in biomedical applications.

Nanoparticles have several exciting applications in different areas and biomedial field is not an exception of that because of their exciting performance in bioimaging, targeted drug and gene delivery, sensors, and so on. It has been found that among several classes of nanoparticles core/shell is most promising for different biomedical applications because of several advantages over simple nanoparticles. This review highlights the development of core/shell nanoparticles-based biomedical research during approximately past two decades. Applications of different types of core/shell nanoparticles are classified in terms of five major aspects such as bioimaging, biosensor, targeted drug delivery, DNA/RNA interaction, and targeted gene delivery.

Effect of electrolytes on wettability of glass surface using anionic and cationic surfactant solutions.

Wetting behavior of a flat glass surface using pure nonionic, anionic, and cationic surfactants solutions has been studied by the dynamic contact angle (Wilhelmy plate) measurement technique. The advancing contact angle increases with the increasing concentration of surfactant and the value is maximum in the presence of cationic surfactant CTAB. The effect of different electrolytes in the presence of ionic surfactants was also studied to see the wetting behavior in the presence of electrolytes. The presence of electrolytes on ionic surfactant solutions significantly enhance the contact angle at very low concentration, which in turn lead to reduction in ionic surfactant requirement by more than 90% to achieve a particular contact angle. The effectiveness of electrolyte highly depends on the valance of counter ion. The reduction of ionic surfactant requirement is mostly useful for different applications such as flotation, and colloidal stability to reduce the production cost as well as environmental pollution.

A novel method for the templated synthesis of Ag2S hollow nanospheres in aqueous surfactant media.

Ag(2)S is an important direct semiconductor material that receives considerable research interest because of its low toxicity and high chemical stability. This work reports an easy and novel route for the synthesis of hollow Ag(2)S particles by a sacrificial core method in surfactant containing aqueous media. Sulfur is used as a sacrificial core in this method and removed by dissolving in carbon disulfide. Core sulfur particles were synthesized in situ by acid catalyzed reaction of sodium thiosulphate in aqueous surfactant media. The particles were characterized by using different instrumental techniques, showing 67% improved light emission capacity in terms of quantum yield compared to solid Ag(2)S particles. The same route is also suggested to prepare other nanoparticles.

Growth kinetics of sulfur nanoparticles in aqueous surfactant solutions.

Sulfur is an important element has many practical applications when present as nanoparticles. Despite the practicable applications, limited studies are available in the literature related to synthesis of sulfur nanoparticles. Growth kinetics of colloidal sulfur particles synthesized from aqueous solutions using different surfactants have been studied here. The effects of different parameters such as reactant concentration, temperature, sonication, types of acids, types of surfactants, and even surfactant concentration are studied on the growth kinetics. Since the reaction rate is fast, particle growth depends on the parameters which affect diffusion of sulfur molecules. There is a linear relationship found among the reactant concentration and the particle coarsening rate constant. The growth kinetics was studied in the presence of different surfactants such as nonionic (poly(oxyethylene) p-tert-octylphenyl ether, TX-100), anionic (sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate, SDBS), cationic (cetyltrimethyammonium bromide, CTAB) and results show the coarsening constant changes according to the following order: water>TX-100>SDBS>CTAB. The particle growth rate also depends on the surfactant concentration, coarsening rate constant decreases with the increase in surfactant concentration and become constant close to the critical micellar concentration (CMC). The coarsening rate constant also highly depends on the types of acid used as catalyst.

Synthesis of sulfur nanoparticles in aqueous surfactant solutions.

Sulfur is a widely used element in different applications such as fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, rubber, fiber industries, bioleaching processes, anti microbial agents, insecticides, and fumigants, etc. Nanosize sulfur particles are useful for pharmaceuticals, modification of carbon nano tubes, and synthesis of nano composites for lithium batteries. In this study we report a surfactant assisted route for the synthesis of sulfur nanoparticles by an acid catalyzed precipitation of sodium thiosulphate. We use both the inorganic and organic acids, and find that organic acid gives lower size sulfur particles. The size of the particles also depends on the reactant concentration and acid to reactant ratio. The effect of different surfactants (TX-100, CTAB, SDBS, and SDS) on particle size shows that the surfactant can significantly reduce the particle size without changing the shape. The size reducing ability is not same for all the surfactants, depending on the type of surfactant. The anionic surfactant SDBS is more effective for obtaining a uniform size in both the acid media. Whereas, the lowest size (30 nm) particles were obtained in a certain reactant concentration range using CTAB surfactant. The objective of this study is to synthesize sulfur nanoparticles in aqueous media and also study the effect of different surfactants on particle size.