Online ISSN
1750-0443
Micro & Nano Letters
Volume 7, Issue 5, May 2012
Volumes & issues:
Volume 7, Issue 5
May 2012
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- Author(s): M. Bazarganipour and M. Salavati-Niasari
- Source: Micro & Nano Letters, Volume 7, Issue 5, p. 388 –391
- DOI: 10.1049/mnl.2012.0074
- Type: Article
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A facile route for large-scale synthesis of zinc telluride nanostructures has been achieved by a hydrothermal method. Scanning electron microscopy images showed many nanorods stuck together in the middle, composing a typical nanorod bundle. These nanorods consisted of widths in the range ∼37 nm and lengths up to several micrometres. Based on a series of contrast experiments under different reaction conditions, some probable effective factors such as capping agents, reductant sorts, time and temperature were discussed. - Author(s): M. Hajj-Hassan ; V.P. Chodavarapu ; S. Musallam
- Source: Micro & Nano Letters, Volume 7, Issue 5, p. 392 –396
- DOI: 10.1049/mnl.2012.0044
- Type: Article
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In neural prosthetic systems, microelectrodes implanted in the brain record the electro-potentials elicited by specific thoughts and relay the signals to algorithms trained to translate the electrical activity into intended action. The authors describe novel elongated silicon optoelectronic neural electrodes that can record electrical signals and specific neural biomarkers. Specifically, the authors describe the integration of optical oxygen (O2) sensors with silicon neural microelectrodes. The O2 sensors are sol–gel derived xerogel thin films, that are coated on the exposed core of an optical fibre, that encapsulate O2 responsive luminophores tris(4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline) ruthenium(II) in their porous structures. The electrodes were inserted into the trunk region of the somatosensory cortex and lowered into the barrel field of a rat. Oxygen and action potential recordings during whisker stimulation provide support for the potential utility of the device. The proposed optoelectronic neural electrodes, which can reach depths greater than 10 mm in the brain, could help the development of intelligent and more user-friendly neural prosthesis/brain machine interfaces as well as aid in providing answers to complex brain diseases and disorders. - Author(s): Chuanwei Cheng and Yan Luo
- Source: Micro & Nano Letters, Volume 7, Issue 5, p. 397 –401
- DOI: 10.1049/mnl.2012.0089
- Type: Article
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A new organic waveguide material based on perylenediimide-bridged silsesquioxane (PTCDBS) microtubes is reported. The fluorescent, photoluminescence (PL) imaging and spatial-resolved PL measurements are performed on individual PTCDBS microtubes with changing the excitation position. The result demonstrates that the tube wall can act as an optical waveguide that allows the propagation of excited luminescence in the range 550−700 nm along the tube axis over several tens micrometers. In addition, the luminescence intensity exhibits an obvious dependence on the direction of the emission light polarisation with respect to the tube axis. The organic microtubes might be useful for flexible photonic microdevices, such as optical switches and interconnects, and polarised light-emitting diodes. - Author(s): Liqun Du ; Yonghui Li ; Jianfei Liu
- Source: Micro & Nano Letters, Volume 7, Issue 5, p. 402 –406
- DOI: 10.1049/mnl.2012.0108
- Type: Article
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With the development of MEMS technology, the demand of multilayer or moveable micro-metal devices fabricated by microelectroforming is growing. The quality and life of the devices are seriously restricted by interfacial bond strength between two electroformed layers. In this Letter, a novel method to control the interfacial bond strength by adjusting the current density of microelectroforming is presented. On the basis of microelectroforming experiment, the quantitative measurement method of the interfacial bond strength by the scratch test, the effect of current density on interfacial bond strength and its mechanism are investigated. The experimental result indicates that within the range of chosen current densities, the bond strength keeps a decreasing trend along with the increase of current density, and there is a sharp decline when current density is between 0.4 and 0.6 A/dm2. The adhesion work at 0.4 A/dm2 is improved by 69.1% compared with that at 1.0 A/dm2. This phenomenon is discussed with the partial discharge theory and the relationship between current density and overpotential. The method presented in this Letter, which is simple, efficient and economical, can improve the qualified rate of microdevices and prolong their life. - Author(s): Jiasheng Xu ; He Zhang ; Jie Zhang ; Xiaoyang Liu ; Xiangke He ; Dongli Xu ; Jianhua Qian ; Lin Liu ; Jin Sun
- Source: Micro & Nano Letters, Volume 7, Issue 5, p. 407 –411
- DOI: 10.1049/mnl.2012.0116
- Type: Article
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Potassium/sodium titanate nanofibres have been successfully prepared using titanium dioxide (TiO2) microspheres as the starting material, KOH and NaOH solution as the solvent. Powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and UV-vis spectrophotometer are used to characterise various properties of the obtained nanofibres. The morphology and size of products have a close relationship with the quantity of KOH/NaOH. The nanofibres surfaces are smooth, which exhibit a wire-like morphology with a large aspect ratio. The diameter of these nanofibres falls in the range of 15–30 nm and the length ranges from several hundreds of nanometres to several micrometres. It is found that the morphologies of titanate nanofibres strongly depend on the hydrothermal conditions, in which alkali plays an important role during the whole process. The result shows that the reaction activity of NaOH with TiO2 is better than that of KOH, because the radius of K (1.33 Å) is significantly larger than that of Na (0.97 Å). The aspect ratio of the products becomes larger with the increase of the KOH concentration. When the size of the titanate nanowire samples decrease, the results show that UV–vis spectra are blue-shift. These nanofibres are wideband semiconductors with a bandgap from 3.15 to 3.38 eV. This work has provided an effective method to synthesise titanate nanofibres in alkali solution, which may also be applicable to the preparation of other nanomaterials. - Author(s): D. Medina ; F. Perdigones ; J. García ; A. Luque ; J.M. Quero
- Source: Micro & Nano Letters, Volume 7, Issue 5, p. 412 –414
- DOI: 10.1049/mnl.2012.0124
- Type: Article
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This Letter reports a simple laser process to fabricate three-dimensional, free-standing and multilevel polymeric (SU-8) microstructures using a nanoseconds neodymium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet (Nd:YAG) laser. The proposed process is intended to be a complement for the bonding, exposing and transferring technique in SU-8 (BETTS) process in MEMS applications. Thanks to this technique, BETTS-laser micromachining, the fabrication of free-standing 3D SU-8 microstructures can be performed, decreasing the number of steps of the typical SU-8 process. Furthermore, it improves the aspect ratio of BETTS-based planar microstructures, and also allows the fabrication of 3D microstructures which are not possible to fabricate using BETTS, or the typical SU-8 process. To prove the viability of BETTS-laser micromachining process, several microstructures have successfully been fabricated. - Author(s): Lu Pan ; Li Li ; Xia Bao ; Yonghong Chen
- Source: Micro & Nano Letters, Volume 7, Issue 5, p. 415 –418
- DOI: 10.1049/mnl.2012.0169
- Type: Article
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Nano-scale copper-chromium oxide (CuCr2O4) samples were synthesised by calcining their precursors prepared via a co-precipitation procedure. The as-prepared samples were characterised by thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy technologies, respectively. The results revealed that the size of the as-synthesised sample increased by increasing the calcination temperature. The resultant samples quenched at between 400 and 500°C were composed of nanoparticles, but the ones quenched at over 550°C showed octahedral morphology in shape. The final samples were used as photocatalyst for degradation of p-nitrophenol in wastewater with assistance of H2O2 under irradiation of visible light. The photocatalytic degradation properties, including irradiation time, catalyst concentration, pH, initial concentration of the pollutant and repeatability of the catalyst were investigated, respectively. The results indicated that CuCr2O4 samples could degrade effectively p-nitrophenol. After being used ten times, the catalyst still exhibited high catalytic activity. The technology possesses potential application in treatment to wastewater containing nitrophenol pollutant. - Author(s): A.M. Elshurafa and K.N. Salama
- Source: Micro & Nano Letters, Volume 7, Issue 5, p. 419 –421
- DOI: 10.1049/mnl.2012.0181
- Type: Article
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In this Letter, the authors fabricate for the first time MEMS fractal capacitors possessing two layers and compare their performance characteristics with the conventional parallel-plate capacitor and previously reported state-of-the-art single-layer MEMS fractal capacitors. Explicitly, a capacitor with a woven structure and another with an interleaved configuration were fabricated in the standard PolyMUMPS surface micromachining process and tested at S-band frequencies. The self-resonant frequencies of the fabricated capacitors were close to 10 GHz, which is better than that of the parallel-plate capacitor, which measured only 5.5 GHz. Further, the presented capacitors provided a higher capacitance when compared with the state-of-the-art-reported MEMS fractal capacitors created using a single layer at the expense of a lower quality factor. - Author(s): K. Nasouri ; A.M. Shoushtari ; A. Kaflou
- Source: Micro & Nano Letters, Volume 7, Issue 5, p. 423 –426
- DOI: 10.1049/mnl.2012.0054
- Type: Article
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This study focuses on using curve fitting methodology and power law equation to analyse polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibres morphology synthesised by electrospinning. The effects of polymer solution properties (i.e. polymer concentration, viscosity and Berry number) on electrospinnability of the PAN/DMF (N,N-dimethylformamide) solutions are investigated. For the polymer electrospun from concentrated solution (3.5<Be<7.5), the nanofibres form without beads. The relationship between solution viscosity and its concentration is in the form: η=0.0205C4.16, the relation between the diameter of electrospun the PAN nanofibres and solution concentration is in the form: d=0.0326C3.45, and the relationship between the nanofibres diameter and solution viscosity is in the form: d=0.834η0.827. - Author(s): Qianqian Fang ; Weizhong Jiang ; Xiaoping Liao
- Source: Micro & Nano Letters, Volume 7, Issue 5, p. 427 –429
- DOI: 10.1049/mnl.2012.0143
- Type: Article
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In this Letter, sol–gel was used to prepare hydrophobic films on the enamel substrate. Using tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) as the precursor, which was combined with dimethyldichlorosilane (DDS), films with SiO2 nanoparticles were coated on the enamel substrate, which make the droplets contact angle increase to over 110°. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscope were used to determine the elements and structure of hydrophobic film on the enamel substrate. It was found that SiO2 nanoparticles were beneficial to increase surface roughness while –CH3 incorporated could decrease the film surface energy. The high surface roughness and low surface energy make it a hydrophobic performance which brings a new value to the application of enamel materials. - Author(s): Hao-Ming Hsiao ; Kuang-Huei Lee ; Ying-Chih Liao ; Yu-Chen Cheng
- Source: Micro & Nano Letters, Volume 7, Issue 5, p. 430 –433
- DOI: 10.1049/mnl.2011.0590
- Type: Article
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The stent is a major breakthrough in the treatment of coronary artery diseases. The permanent vascular implant of a stent, however, changes the intra-stent blood flow haemodynamics. There is a growing consensus that the stent implant may change the artery wall shear stress distribution and hence trigger the restenosis process. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has been widely used to analyse haemodynamics in stented arteries. In this Letter, CFD models were developed to investigate the effects of stent design pattern and strut geometry, respectively, on the wall shear stress distribution in coronary stented arteries. Assessment of the potential restenosis risk was primarily based on the wall shear stress distribution. Results show that the stent design pattern alone does not have a significant impact on the stent haemodynamic behaviour. Wall shear stress is very sensitive to strut thickness, while varying the strut width or crown radius has very little effect. The proposed methodology and findings will provide great insight for future optimisation of stent design to reduce the risk of restenosis. - Author(s): Zhao Danqi ; Zhang Xia ; Liu Peng ; Yang Fang ; Zhang Dacheng
- Source: Micro & Nano Letters, Volume 7, Issue 5, p. 434 –438
- DOI: 10.1049/mnl.2012.0144
- Type: Article
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A novel method of detecting infrared (IR) radiation by tracking resonant frequency of bimaterial resonant sensors is presented. A capacitive bimaterial resonant sensor (BRS) array consisting of 6×6 cells is fabricated by surface sacrificial layer process. The BRSs are packaged and tested not only by optical but also by electrical method. The results indicate that the BRSs exhibit a monotonic frequency response, which is in correspondence with the theoretical prediction by finite element method. The resonant frequency responsivity of the BRS is better than 363 Hz/K by electrical measurement. - Author(s): Yuanyuan Lv ; Tao Mei ; Huaxu Gong ; Denghu Wei ; Zheng Xing ; Yongchun Zhu ; Yitai Qian
- Source: Micro & Nano Letters, Volume 7, Issue 5, p. 439 –442
- DOI: 10.1049/mnl.2012.0199
- Type: Article
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Orthorhombic LiMnO2 porous microspheres with the pore size of 200–500 nm were synthesised by Mn2O3 precursor and LiOH·H2O at 750°C for 5 h. Field-emitting scanning electron microscope images show the obtained products basically preserve the initial morphology of Mn2O3 precursor. The electrochemical tests of the as-obtained LiMnO2 presented the maximum discharge capacity of 163 mAh/g at the 11th cycle, and remained above 143 mAh/g after 30 cycles at a current density of 30 mA/g, corresponding to a capacity fading of ∼12.1%. For comparative purpose, the LiMnO2 nanoparticles prepared with the Li2CO3 substituted for LiOH·H2O as the lithium source were studied, which showed their maximum discharge capacity was only 153 mAh/g, together with a capacity of 136 mAh/g after 30 cycles at the same current density. - Author(s): C.W. Lai and S. Sreekantan
- Source: Micro & Nano Letters, Volume 7, Issue 5, p. 443 –447
- DOI: 10.1049/mnl.2012.0237
- Type: Article
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Adding hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) for the fast formation of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotube arrays produce smooth and clean TiO2 nanotubes without bundling and cracking problems. The nanotube formation rate accelerated after the periodical addition of H2O2 at different intervals. Adding H2O2 at 10 min intervals formed longer nanotubes (13 µm) with larger pore diameters (140 nm). These novel TiO2 nanotubes exhibited optimal photocurrent density (1.8 mA/cm2) and 3.8% photoconversion efficiency because of high crystallinity with numerous oxygen vacancies in the large pore diameters allowed for better light absorption and good interaction between the electrolytes and TiO2 nanotubes. - Author(s): E. Haghshenas Jazi ; G. Borhani ; R. Esalmi Farsani
- Source: Micro & Nano Letters, Volume 7, Issue 5, p. 448 –452
- DOI: 10.1049/mnl.2012.0082
- Type: Article
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In this study, mechanical alloying (MA) was used to synthesise Al–Fe/TiB2 nanocomposites using aluminium, ferrotitanium and acid boric as raw materials. The powders were mixed and subjected to MA in an attritor ball mill under argon (Ar) atmosphere. Then, the milled powders were heat-treated under Ar atmosphere. The phase transformation, microstructure and morphology of MA powders were investigated by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that the heat-treated powders lead to the in situ formation of nanosized TiB2 particles in the Al matrix with an average grain size of 45 nm. It was also found that after heat-treating, TiB2 phase and other intermetallics such as Al13Fe4 and Al3Ti have been formed. - Author(s): R.L. Kohale and S.J. Dhoble
- Source: Micro & Nano Letters, Volume 7, Issue 5, p. 453 –455
- DOI: 10.1049/mnl.2012.0173
- Type: Article
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A microcrystalline Sr2P207:Eu2+ pyrophosphate-based phosphor was prepared by the modified solid-state diffusion. The crystalline phases were recognised using X-ray diffraction and surface morphology was studied by scanning electron microscope. Photoluminescence properties were investigated under ultraviolet-ray excitation. The Sr2P207:Eu2+ exhibits unique colour: a blue band centred at 430 nm originating from Eu2+ when excited at 328 nm, Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage chromaticity coordinate values are calculated from emission spectra of Sr2P207:Eu2+ for the prepared sample. The results show Sr2P207 is a promising microcrystalline host lattice for the solid-state lighting. - Author(s): Xin Liu ; Jinlong Song ; Libo Wu ; Wenji Xu ; Yao Lu ; Jing Sun
- Source: Micro & Nano Letters, Volume 7, Issue 5, p. 456 –459
- DOI: 10.1049/mnl.2012.0175
- Type: Article
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The present Letter reports a simple and effective two-steps immersion method to fabricate superhydrphobic surfaces with high adhesive forces towards water on steel substrates. The steel plates were firstly immersed in the aqueous CuSO4 solution for 20 s, and then immersed in the stearic acid ethanol solution for 24 h. The sample surfaces were characterised by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectrophotometry, X-ray diffraction and optical contact angle measurements. The results show that, after two-steps immersion processes, the cupric stearate microspheres with binary micro/nanometre-scale rough structures are formed on the steel surfaces. The as-prepared steel surfaces exhibit a good high adhesive superhydrophobicity with a 166.3° water contact angle and no rolling angle. The high adhesive superhydrophobic surfaces on steel substrates have a good potential application in no loss liquid transportation. - Author(s): S. Gholami-Kaliji ; E. Saievar-Iranizad ; Z. Dehghani ; M.H. Majles Ara
- Source: Micro & Nano Letters, Volume 7, Issue 5, p. 460 –463
- DOI: 10.1049/mnl.2011.0641
- Type: Article
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In this Letter, Cd0.6Zn0.4Te nanocrystals were synthesised in aqueous solution, in presence of short-chain thiol thioglycolic acid (TGA) as stabiliser. The samples have been characterised by X-ray diffraction, which confirmed that the alloyed nanocrystals were formed and crystal structure is FCC. The synthesis temperature effect on linear optical properties of the nanocrystals has been studied by room temperature UV-vis absorption and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. It can be observed as a red shift in emission and absorption peaks by increasing the synthesis temperature. All obtained samples display a narrow PL and sharp absorption spectra because of the monodispersed distribution. Nonlinear indices of Cd0.6Zn0.4Te nanocrystals were defined by the z-scan technique using continuum wave (CW) He–Ne laser (λ=632.8 nm). The results reveal that these nanoparticles exhibit strong nonlinear optical (NLO) effect such as self-defocusing and two-photon absorption. The z-scan results show that by increasing the synthesis temperature, the nonlinear coefficients were reduced. - Author(s): Hanmei Hu ; Chonghai Deng ; Kehua Zhang ; Peng Yin
- Source: Micro & Nano Letters, Volume 7, Issue 5, p. 464 –466
- DOI: 10.1049/mnl.2012.0280
- Type: Article
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Nanoparticle-assembled tube-like PbS nanostructures were successfully fabricated in the aqueous solution of Pb(NO3)2, NH2NHCSNH2 and NaOH through a green microwave-assisted chemical synthesis route without using any surfactants. The products were characterised by X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and selected area electron diffraction. The prepared PbS nanotubes are composed of nanoparticles with diameters of 20–40 nm. The outer diameter, the thickness and the length of the PbS nanotubes can be identified as 200–400 nm, 60–100 nm and 2–6 µm, respectively. The influencing factors, such as alkaline source, sulphur source and lead source, were investigated. The experimental results revealed that the introduction of NaOH into the reaction system of Pb(NO3)2 and NH2NHCSNH2 is essential for the growth of tube-like PbS nanostructures. - Author(s): Weimin Zhu ; Wei Lu ; Xiaojun Zhang ; Zhimin Cai ; Haifeng Liu ; Liangquan Peng ; Hao Li ; Yun Han ; Wenzhe Fen ; Daping Wang ; Yanjun Zeng
- Source: Micro & Nano Letters, Volume 7, Issue 5, p. 467 –471
- DOI: 10.1049/mnl.2012.0090
- Type: Article
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Nano-hydroxyapatite (nano-HA), with similar components of human bone tissues and good biomechanical properties, is considered as the most promising bioactive material. Its application, however, is still limited because of its lack of bone induction effect. To assess the ability of polypro nano-HA/fibrin glue/recombination human osteogenic protein-1 (nano-HA/FG/rhOP-1) for bone defect reconstruction. After the unilateral radius bone defect was established at the 45 New Zealand white rabbits, they were randomly divided into the nano-HA/FG/rhOP-1 (Group A), nano-HA/FG (Group B) and control groups (Group C; without repair), each with 15 rabbits. The ability of bone defect repair was evaluated by gross observation, X-ray radiography, scanning electronic microscope, radionuclide bone imaging and biomechanical analysis at 4, 8 and 12 weeks after repair. The radio graphically score, bone formation, radionuclide intake ratio and biomechanical strength were higher in the nano-HA/FG/rhOP-1 group than the nano-HA/FG and control groups at 4, 8 and 12 weeks (P<0.05). There were no bone connection at the defect site and the bone defect was reconstructed in the control group. It is indicated that the nano-HA/FG/rhOP-1 artificial bone has good osteoconductibility and is a promising material for repair of bone defect. - Author(s): Yu-Lin Kuo and Yu-Ming Su
- Source: Micro & Nano Letters, Volume 7, Issue 5, p. 472 –475
- DOI: 10.1049/mnl.2012.0178
- Type: Article
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The small amount (0.25 wt.%) of SiOX and TiOX as sintering aids was added to gadolinia-doped ceria (GDC) powder for densifying solid electrolytes by sol–gel method. Material characteristics of the prepared and calcined electrolytes were identified by X-ray diffraction for crystalline structures, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller measurements for surface, area and scanning electron microscopy for surface morphology and microstructures. The route process of doping SiOX and TiOX as sintering aid in GDC electrolytes not only suppresses crystallite growth to form the ultrafine particle, but also lowers the sintering temperature for the densification process of bulk electrolyte by active sintering or liquid phase sintering. Additionally, doping a small amount of SiOX and TiOX also increases the relative density of the bulk electrolyte and the total conductivity. Material produced in this way could be recommended as solid electrolyte layers for solid oxide fuel cell systems to be densifying the compared with the well-known yttria-stabilised zirconia. - Author(s): Qiang Lin ; Haiming Sun ; Mingyan Dong ; Dan Chen ; Qingzhi Wu ; Xiaohui Chen
- Source: Micro & Nano Letters, Volume 7, Issue 5, p. 476 –479
- DOI: 10.1049/mnl.2012.0101
- Type: Article
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Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are characterised by the two-dimensional lamellar-stacking structure through weak interactions and have attracted great interest because of their extensive applications as ion-exchanging carriers, adsorbents, precursors of metal oxide catalysts etc. In this work, a facile hydrothermal route has been developed to synthesise novel pyroaurite-type Co–Fe LDHs, with a formula of CoII5.84FeIII2.16(OH)16(CO3)1.08 · 0.32H2O, using lysine (Lys) molecules as the directing reagent. Co–Fe LDH nanostructures obtained were characterised by means of a scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, fourier transform infrared and thermogravimetric analysis. Furthermore, the adsorption performance of Co–Fe LDH nanostructures, both the flower-like and octahedral structure, was assessed using different dyes as the model. The results demonstrate that pyroaurite-type Co–Fe LDHs exhibit excellent adsorption performance on anionic dyes (such as Methyl orange, Congo red and Acid blue 80) in aqueous solution, indicating great potential for the removal of anionic organic contaminants from the industrial effluents. - Author(s): Lu Pan ; Li Li ; Yonghong Chen
- Source: Micro & Nano Letters, Volume 7, Issue 5, p. 480 –484
- DOI: 10.1049/mnl.2012.0043
- Type: Article
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Spinel-structured M3O4 (M=Fe, Co) samples with different shapes were synthesised mainly via a hydrothermal procedure. All Fe3O4 samples were prepared using a one-step process; however, all Co3O4 samples were synthesised via two-step paths, namely their precursors were prepared first then the resultant oxide products were obtained by calcining their precursors at a certain temperature. The samples were characterised by thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution electron microscopy and field-emission scanning electron microscopy measurements, respectively. The results showed that plate-, particle- and sphere-like Fe3O4 and sheet-, particle- and tube-like Co3O4 samples were obtained successfully. The electrocatalytic properties of the samples modified on a glassy carbon electrode were investigated, and the results indicated that Fe3O4 and Co3O4 samples with different shapes exhibited different enhanced electrocatalytic activity for p-nitrophenol reduction, and Fe3O4 and Co3O4 nanoparticles all showed the highest elctrocatalytic activity. - Author(s): Ying Lei ; Jing Wang ; Fengyu Qu ; Hui Li ; Xiang Wu
- Source: Micro & Nano Letters, Volume 7, Issue 5, p. 485 –488
- DOI: 10.1049/mnl.2012.0067
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The growth of ZnO nanorods by directly etching Zn foil through a low-temperature aqueous method has been demonstrated. The as-obtained ZnO nanorod possesses a single crystalline structure. The morphologies of ZnO nanostructures are sensitive to a series of growth parameters. Room-temperature photoluminescence property of the as-synthesised ZnO nanorods shows a strong ultraviolet emission peak at 379 nm. The present work demonstrates the feasibility of the growth of semiconductor nanorods by directly etching the substrate. - Author(s): Ying Cao ; Yan-Hua Zhang ; Xue-Hong Yu ; Hua-Jie Wang
- Source: Micro & Nano Letters, Volume 7, Issue 5, p. 489 –491
- DOI: 10.1049/mnl.2012.0105
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A facile method was designed to fabricate bovine serum albumin (BSA)-conjugated Ag/Ca phosphate nanocomposites (Ag/CaPNCs). High-resolution transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscope indicated that Ag/CaPNCs with about 1000 nm in diameter were composed of smaller nanoparticles and had dispersity. Fourier transform infrared spectrograph, thermogravimetry-differential scanning calorimetry and atomic absorption spectroscopy clearly displayed that the content of BSA, Ag and Ca reached 26.7, 21.2 and 46.0%, respectively. The metabolic viability assay indicated that Ag/CaPNCs could inhibit the metabolism of PC 12 cells in a dose-dependent manner, with 64.8 ppm of the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50). Consequently, the present study suggested that Ag/CaPNCs had potential as cytostatic agents. - Author(s): Guoxiu Tong ; Jinhao Yuan ; Wenhua Wu ; Qinqin Zhang ; Xi Cen ; Qi Tang
- Source: Micro & Nano Letters, Volume 7, Issue 5, p. 492 –495
- DOI: 10.1049/mnl.2012.0028
- Type: Article
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Hierarchical flower-like hexagonal close-packed Co superstructures were prepared using a hydrothermal approach without surfactants and complex precursors, and their static magnetic and microwave electromagnetic properties were investigated. The enhanced saturation magnetisation and coercivity were owing to the low surface spin disorder and the cooperative action between the coupling effect and the spatial confinement effect, respectively. The hierarchically equivalent circuit and frequency-selective surface (FSS) were applied for the first time to interpret multiresonance behaviours and nesting microwave absorption peaks of hierarchical flower-like Co/wax composites. Given the presence of hierarchical tuning loops, the composites exhibited three strong absorption peaks over 14–18 GHz. Three zero absorption peaks (corresponding to transmission) and nesting microwave absorption peaks can also be observed on the reflection loss (RL) plots of the composites. Such absorption and transmission of the FSS are attributed to the hierarchical flower-like Co superstructures that function as randomly distributed patches in the wax matrix. - Author(s): Zhina Jin ; Guoqing Wang ; Wenge Li ; Hong Wang
- Source: Micro & Nano Letters, Volume 7, Issue 5, p. 496 –500
- DOI: 10.1049/mnl.2012.0276
- Type: Article
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Silver nanoparticles were first generated by reduction of silver–amine complex with isobutyraldehyde in the presence of polyvinyl butyral in alcohol solution at room temperature. The fully organic phase is composed of silver acetate (SA) as a silver precursor, alkylamine as a ligand dissolving SA and alkaline-regulating agent accelerating the reaction. 1H NMR and Fourier transformation infrared spectra were performed to analyse the formation of silver–amine complex. The products were characterised by X-ray powder diffraction, UV–vis absorption spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, proving that nearly monodispersed silver nanospheres were obtained. - Author(s): Bin Zhu ; Zhuoqing Yang ; Wenguo Chen ; Qifa Liu ; Guifu Ding ; Xiaolin Zhao
- Source: Micro & Nano Letters, Volume 7, Issue 5, p. 501 –504
- DOI: 10.1049/mnl.2012.0156
- Type: Article
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Based on non-silicon surface micromachining, a single sensitive direction (z-axis) inertial microswitch with electrophoretic polymer–metal composite fixed electrode has been designed and characterised in the present work. The microswitch mainly consists of two parts: a suspended proof mass as movable electrode and maple leaf-like top as vertical electrode. When an acceleration (threshold level or over) is applied to the switch along its sensitive direction, the mass electrode will rapidly move towards and touch the vertical fixed electrode, switching on the external circuit. The vertical composite fixed electrode of the microswitch can realise a flexible contact, decrease bounce and extend the contact time between the electrodes. The fabricated microswitches have been characterised by a standard dropping test. The threshold acceleration of the prototype is about 70 g while the contact time is about 110 µs, longer than that (about 65 µs) without a polymer.
Fabrication and characterisation of nanostructure zinc telluride by the hydrothermal method
Silicon optoelectronic microelectrodes with integrated oxygen sensors for brain–machine interfaces
Optical waveguides and polarised emission of self-assembled perylenediimide-bridged silsesquioxane microtubes
Influence of current density on the interfacial bond strength of electroformed layers
Hydrothermal synthesis of potassium/sodium titanate nanofibres and their ultraviolet properties
Bonding, exposing and transferring technique in SU-8 and SU-8 laser micromachining combination for 3D, free-standing and multilevel microstructures
Highly photocatalytic activity for p-nitrophenol degradation with spinel-structured CuCr2O4
Two-layer radio frequency MEMS fractal capacitors in PolyMUMPS for S-band applications
Investigation of polyacrylonitrile electrospun nanofibres morphology as a function of polymer concentration, viscosity and Berry number
Study of hydrophobic SiO2 films on enamel substrate via sol–gel process
Cardiovascular stent design and wall shear stress distribution in coronary stented arteries
Uncooled bimaterial cantilever for infrared detection based on resonant frequency tracking
Synthesis of LiMnO2 porous microsphere and its electrochemical behaviour as cathode material in lithium-ion batteries
Dimensional control of titanium dioxide nanotube arrays with hydrogen peroxide content for high photoelectrochemical water splitting performance
Preparation of Al–Fe/TiB2 nanocomposite powder by ball milling and subsequent heat treatment
Luminescence in Eu2+-activated microcrystalline pyrophosphor
Fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces with high adhesive forces towards water on steel substrates
Photoluminescent and nonlinear optical properties of aqueous synthesised Cd0.6Zn0.4Te nanocrystals in different temperatures
Facile microwave-assisted synthesis of PbS nanotubes
Nano-hydroxyapatite/fibrin glue/recombinant human osteogenic protein-1 artificial bone for repair of bone defect in an animal model
Sintering behaviour and electrical properties of gadolinia-doped ceria modified by addition of silicon oxide and titanium oxide
Facile synthesis of pyroaurite-type Co–Fe layered double hydroxides for anionic dye adsorbents
Synthesis and electrocatalytic properties for p-nitrophenol deduction of nano-scaled M3O4 (M=Fe, Co) products with different shapes
Facile approach to ZnO nanorods by directly etching zinc substrate
Facile synthesis and antineoplastic activity of bovine serum albumin-conjugated Ag/Ca phosphate nanocomposites
Enhanced static magnetic properties, multiresonance behaviour and novel frequency-selective surface absorption properties of hierarchical flower-like hexagonal close-packed Co superstructures
Alkylamine-effected formation of PVB-capped silver nanoparticles in alcohol solution at room temperature
Design and characterisation of an inertial microswitch with electrophoretic polymer–metal composite fixed electrode for extending contact time
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