Direct Electrodeposition of Highly Dense Bi/Sb Superlattice Nanowire Arrays

Zinc Sulfide Nanosheet-Based Hybrid Superlattices with Tunable Architectures Showing Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Properties

Zinc sulfide nanosheet-based hybrid superlattices with tunable periodicities and rod-like or tubular morphologies are constructed by the spontaneous assembly of nanosheets as they grow in amine solution. The as-prepared architectures can be used as an enhanced electrode for photocurrent response and converted to other functional materials.

One-dimensional ferromagnetic dendritic iron wire array growth by facile electrochemical deposition

One-dimensional ferromagnetic iron dendritic wire array film is prepared by facile electrodeposition. The space hindrance effect caused by neighbouring crystals resists the free growth directions parallel to the substrate, which is considered as a possible growth mechanism of one-dimensional morphology. Dendritic iron wire can be transformed into α-Fe(2)O(3) without destroying the dendritic morphology by thermal oxidation.

One-pot synthesis of Bi-Ni nanowire and nanocable arrays by coelectrodeposition approach

A novel and convenient one-pot electrodeposition approach has been developed for precisely controlled fabrication of large-scale Bi-Ni nanowire and nanocable arrays. Using porous anodic aluminum oxide as a shape-directing template, by simply changing the electrochemical deposition mode, desired Bi-Ni hybrid nanowires and Bi-Ni core-shell nanocables have been obtained in the CV and CC modes, respectively. The structure, morphology, and composition of the as-prepared samples were characterized using X-ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, elemental mapping, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry.

A facile and universal way to fabricate superlattice nanowire arrays

A facile and universal synthetic approach for preparing superlattice nanowire (SLNW) arrays is developed. In this method, two kinds of elements are alternately electrodeposited into the holes of the anodic alumina oxide (AAO) template, automatically in separate electrolytes by a programmed device. This method is not restricted by the relative values of the reduction potentials of the elements, and the deposition of each element can be controlled independently. Three kinds of representative SLNW arrays containing noble-metal material (Ag/Ni), thermoelectric material (Bi/Sb) and magnetic material (Ni/Cu) with adjustable segment length are fabricated successfully.

Nanostructures for thermoelectric applications: synthesis, growth mechanism, and property studies

Both heterostructures and hollow nanostructures have been predicted as candidates with excellent thermoelectric performance. In this Research News areticle, recent advances with regard to synthetic strategies, growth mechanisms, and thermoelectric properties of one-dimensional heterostructures (segmented and core/shell) and tubular nanostructures are reported. The thermoelectric property studies of Te/Bi core/shell heterostructured nanowires and Bi(2)Te(3) nanotubes indicate that the Seebeck coefficient and thermal conductivity of these materials can be optimized to improve their thermoelectric performance. In addition, the current issues and future research directions for promising thermoelectric nanostructures will be discussed on the basis of these experimental results.

Ordered CdS micro/nanostructures on CdSe nanostructures

Composite structures of aligned and orientation-ordered quasi-one-dimensional CdS micro/nanostructures on CdSe substrates of different shaped nanostructures have been synthesized by using two-step thermal evaporation processes. The CdSe substrate crystalline orientations and local temperatures play their roles in the CdS nanostructure growth step, which is in some contrast with the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth mechanism. Micro-photoluminescence measurements show strong luminescence responses on the six-fold symmetrical CdSe/CdS nanostructure. Controllable growth on various shaped substrates may find applications in obtaining many other aligned orientation-ordered hetero-nano/microstructure materials.

Ordered Mesostructured CdS Nanowire Arrays with Rectifying Properties

Highly ordered mesoporous CdS nanowire arrays were synthesized by using mesoporous silica as hard template and cadmium xanthate (CdR(2)) as a single precursor. Upon etching silica, mesoporous CdS nanowire arrays were produced with a yield as high as 93 wt%. The nanowire arrays were characterized by XRD, N(2) adsorption, TEM, and SEM. The results show that the CdS products replicated from the mesoporous silica SBA-15 hard template possess highly ordered hexagonal mesostructure and fiber-like morphology, analogous to the mother template. The current-voltage characteristics of CdS nanoarrays are strongly nonlinear and asymmetrical, showing rectifying diode-like behavior.

Kinetic versus thermodynamic control over growth process of electrodeposited Bi/BiSb superlattice nanowires

The growth mechanism of the electrodeposited single crystalline nanowires is generally considered to follow a three-dimensional to two-dimensional (2D) transition mode, and as for the 2D growth, it is ordinarily considered as a plane growth mode (layer-by-layer growth mechanism). We report in this Letter the growth of Bi/BiSb superlattice nanowires by adopting a charge-controlled pulse electrodeposition technique, and to our best knowledge, different growth modes of the nanowires, the 2D plane growth mode, the tilted plane growth mode, and the curved plane growth mode, were first observed. These growth modes were gathered and analyzed from the perspectives of crystal growth as well as kinetics and thermodynamics. It is shown that the superlattice nanowires are good structures for studying the growth mechanism of electrodeposited nanowires. This work will deeply benefit the understanding of the growth process of the electrodeposited nanowires and provide important experiment data to crystal growth theory.

Direct electrochemistry of hemoglobin in gold nanowire array

Gold nanowire array has been proven to be efficient support matrixes for the immobilization of hemoglobin (Hb). The vertically oriented nanowire array provides an ordered well-defined 3D structure with nanowire density approximately 5 x 10(8)cm(2). The adsorption of ferritin onto the nanowire surface was visualized by transmission electron microscopy. When Hb was adsorbed, UV-vis absorption and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra show no obvious denaturation of Hb in the nanowire array. The Hb-modified nanowire array exerted direct electron transfer and gave a well-defined, nearly reversible redox couple with formal potential of -0.225 V. The quantity of electroactive Hb varied with the changing of the morphology of the electrode and found to increase with the increasing of the nanowire length. Comparisons of voltammetric and quartz crystal microbalance measurements show that 70% of the Hb molecules adsorbed are electroactive when the length of the nanowire was 2 microm. Both of the Hb-modified nanowire array and the unmodified nanowire array demonstrate good electrocatalytic reduction ability for hydrogen peroxide. With the adsorption of glucose oxidase onto the bare nanowire surface, sensitive and selective glucose biosensors can be fabricated.

The synthesis and fabrication of one-dimensional nanoscale heterojunctions

There are a variety of methods for synthesizing or fabricating one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures containing heterojunctions between different materials. Here we review recent developments in the synthesis and fabrication of heterojunctions formed between different materials within the same 1D nanostructure or between different 1D nanostructures composed of different materials. Structures containing 1D nanoscale heterojunctions exhibit interesting chemistry as well as size, shape, and material-dependent properties that are unique when compared to single-component materials. This leads to new or enhanced properties or multifunctionality useful for a variety of applications in electronics, photonics, catalysis, and sensing, for example. This review separates the methods into vapor-phase synthesis, solution-phase synthesis, template-based synthesis, and other approaches, such as lithography, electrospinning, and assembly. These methods are used to form a variety of heterojunctions, including segmented, core/shell, branched, or crossed, from different combinations of semiconductor, metal, carbon, and polymeric materials.

Platinum nanowire nanoelectrode array for the fabrication of biosensors

Platinum nanowire arrays can be grown by electrodeposition in polycarbonate membrane, with the average diameter of the nanowires about 250 nm and the height about 2 microm. The nanowire array prepared by the proposed method can be considered as nanoelectrode array (NEA) with nanoelectrode density of 5 x 10(8)cm(-2). While the NEA can improve the signal-to-noise ratio and decrease the detection limit, the high surface area of the platinum NEA circumvents the problem of conventional platinum electrodes associated with the limited electroactive site. The platinum NEA can direct response to hydrogen peroxide at low potential of 0 V with wide linear range (1 x 10(-7)-6 x 10(-2)M) and sensitivity 50 times larger than that of the conventional platinum electrode. With the absorption of glucose oxidase onto the ordered NEA surface, the spatially patterned glucose oxidase improves greatly the resulting biosensor. The biosensor can achieve interference free determination of glucose with wide linear range (10(-6)-3 x 10(-2)M). The sensitivity of the glucose biosensor is one-fifth of the sensitivity toward hydrogen peroxide, indicating high efficiency of signal transduction. The biosensor was used to determine glucose in real blood samples, and the glucose contents determined by the present biosensor were in agreement with the results of existing method.