Carbon Nanotube Composite Electrode Coated with Polypyrrole for Microbial Fuel Cell Application.

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are bio-electrochemical system that can convert biomass spontaneously into electricity through the metabolic activity of microorganisms. We constructed MFCs of polypyrrole (PPy) coated carbon nanotube (CNT) composite as an electrode material and Shewanella oneidensis as the biocatalyst to increase power density. The PPy-coated CNT were synthesized by the in-situ chemical polymerization of pyrrole on CNT, and the electrochemical properties and performance of the modified electrode as an anode in MFC were then investigated. Treatment with 0.1 wt% Ge-132 on the acid-treated MWNTs helped to form better PPy-MWNT composite. The PPy-CNT/CF anode showed a noteworthy 38% power production improvement when compared to plain CF anode. The PPy-CNT composite could be a very efficient and promising electrode material for electricity generation of MFC.

Detection of Human Ig G Using Photoluminescent Porous Silicon Interferometer.

Photoluminescent porous silicon (PSi) interferometers having dual optical properties, both Fabry-Pérot fringe and photolumincence (PL), have been developed and used as biosensors for detection of Human Immunoglobin G (Ig G). PSi samples were prepared by electrochemical etching of p-type silicon under white light exposure. The surface of PSi was characterized using a cold field emission scanning electron microscope. The sensor system studied consisted of a single layer of porous silicon modified with Protein A. The system was probed with various fragments of aqueous human immunoglobin G (Ig G) analyte. Both reflectivity and PL were simultaneously measured under the exposure of human Ig G. An increase of optical thickness and decrease of PL were obtained under the exposure of human Ig G. Detection limit of 500 fM was observed for the human Ig G.

Easy Synthesis and Characterization of Poly(alkoxysilane)s Promoted by Silver-Platinum Mixed Complexes.

One-pot Si-Si/Si-O dehydrocoupling of hydrosilanes with alcohols (1:1.5 mole ratio), promoted by a mixture of AgNO3-H2PtCl6 (150/1 mole ratio) readily gave poly(alkoxysilane)s in good yield (62-91%). The addition of small amount of platinum complex to form nanoparticles facilitated the silicon polymer formation when compared to the reaction rate with AgNO3 alone. The primary/secondary hydrosilanes [p-X-C6H4SiH3 (X = H, CH3, OCH3, F), PhCH2SiH3, and (PhSiH2)2] and alcohols [MeOH, EtOH, (i)PrOH, PhOH, and CF3(CF2)2CH2OH] were used for the reaction. The weight average molecular weight and polydispersity of the poly(alkoxysilane)s were in the range of 1,690-7,100 Dalton and 1.44-3.49, respectively. The reaction of phenylsilane with ethanol (1:3 mole ratio) using the Ag-Pt complexes produced triethoxyphenylsilane only, as expected. The reaction of phenylsilane with Ge-132 produced an insoluble cross-linked gel.

Synthesis and characterization of phosphine/borane-terminated poly(silole-co-germole) for the evaluation of luminescent polymer light-emitting diode.

Codehydrocoupling (using Red-Al) followed by borane/phosphine-capping (with Ph2BCl and Ph2PCl) of 1,1-dihydrotetraphenylsilole (1) and 1,1-dihydrotetraphenylgermole (2) (9:1 mole ratio) gave electroluminescent poly(silole-co-germole)s containing borane/phosphine-ends (3, 4) in high yield. The borane-terminated copolymer 3 emits at 522 nm and are electroluminescent at 521 nm. The fluorescence quantum yield of 3 in toluene is (1.60±0.30) x 10(-2). The phosphine-terminated copolymer 4 emits at 520 nm and are electroluminescent at 520 nm. The fluorescence quantum yield of 4 in toluene is (1.60±0.20) x 10(-2). 3 and 4 were then mixed in 1:1 ratio. The emission color of 3/4 mixture is green and the maximum brightness of the device is 2,760 cd/m2 with a luminous efficiency of 0.67 lm/W. The borane/phosphine end groups in the 1:1 mixture of 3 and 4 exhibited no appreciable effect on the luminescent properties in spite of possible B-P dative bonding. Ge-132 helped to increase the B-P dative bonding. The electroluminescent copolymers 3 and 4 are good candidates for PLED (polymer light-emitting diode) fabrication.

Fabrication and characterization of photoluminescent silicon nanoparticles for drug delivery applications.

Photoluminescent silicon nanoparticles containing camptothecin (CPT) were fabricated by using a CPT-derivatized porous silicon (PSi). PSi samples displaying red photoluminescence (PL) were prepared by an electrochemical etch of n-type silicon under the illumination with a 300 W tungsten filament bulb for the duration of etch. For the drug-derivatized PSi, luminescent PSi was oxidized and derivatized with CPT. Silicon nanoparticles containing CPT were obtained by fracturing of luminescent PSi with ultrasono-method. Optical characteristic of drug-derivatized silicon particles were investigated in aqueous buffer solution. The release of CPT was measured by UV-vis spectrometer. The intensity of fluorescence of the silicon nanoparticles was measured with a drug release. The concentration of released drug exhibited non-linear relationship with a release time.

Adsorption and desorption characteristics of gradient distributed Bragg reflector porous silicon layers.

Adsorption and desorption characteristics of gradient distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) porous silicon (PSi) were investigated under the exposure of organic vapors. Gradient DBR PSi whose average pore size decreased as the lateral distance from the Pt electrode increased was generated by using an asymmetric etching configuration. The reflection resonances were measured as a function of lateral distance from a point closest to the plate Pt electrode to a position on the silicon surface. Two types of gradient DBR PSi (H- and HO-terminated gradient DBR PSi) were used in this study. The detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) using the gradient DBR PSi had been achieved. When the vapor of VOCs condensed in the nanopores, the gradient DBR PSi modified with hydrophobic and hydrophilic functionality exhibited different pore adsorption and desorption characteristics.

Synthesis and optical characterization of silicon nanoparticles.

Various reaction conditions, such as quantity of reducing agent and reaction time were investigated with the aim of finding a simple, optimized synthetic route for the synthesis of luminescent silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs). Si NPs were synthesized from the reaction of ethylenediammonium chloride and magnesium silicide via a low temperature solution route. Optical characterizations of silicon nanoparticles were achieved by using ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. As the reaction time longer, silicon nanoparticles grew and their emission wavelength shifted to the longer wavelength. The monotonic shift of the photoluminescence as a function of excitation wavelength resulted in the excitation of different sizes of nanocrystals that had different optical transition energies.

Electrical properties of Ta(Si)N films prepared by atomic layer deposition from tert-butylimido-tris-diethylamido tantalum, silane and hydrogen plasma.

Ta(Si)N films were prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD) from tert-butylimido-tris-diethylamido tantalum (TBTDET), triethylsilane, and activated hydrogen. Triethylsilane was used as an ancillary reducing agent and as a silicon precursor. The effects of the addition of the triethylsilane at different hydrogen plasma pulse times and power on the electrical properties, particularly stability in air, were investigated. Longer plasma pulse times with high power were effective in decreasing resistivity and increasing stability in air. However, introduction of silane resulted in an increase in resistivity of the films regardless of the hydrogen plasma conditions.

Boric oxide deposition on carbon nanofibers for oxidation resistance.

The boric oxide deposition was performed to improve the oxidation resistivity of carbon nanofiber (CNF) from electrospinning at elevated temperatures. The stabilized electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers were coated with boric oxide, followed by heat treatment up to 1000, 1200, and 1400 degrees C in an inert nitrogen atmosphere. The relative oxidation resistance of boric oxide-coated CNFs showed oxidation resistive property, which was determined by weight loss after running a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) under air flow. The data were used for the calculations of activation energies through Arrhenius plot. The oxidation resistance of the boric oxide-coated CNFs was depended on the heat treatment temperature, the higher the temperature more resistive to oxidation. The boric oxide-coated CNFs showed extended oxidation resistivity as remaining 40-83% (w) of the original weight at the high temperature 1000 degrees C under air.

Improvement of optical properties of TiO2 thin film treated with electron beam.

Nanocrystalline titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin films on silicon wafer substrates were prepared by sol-gel spin coating process. The prepared thin films were treated with electron beam (1.1 MeV, 300 kGy) at air atmosphere. The effects of electron-beam (EB) irradiation on the structural and optical properties of the TiO2 thin films were investigated. The structures of all the TiO2 thin films by XRD analysis showed an anatase phase, and the phase remained unchanged within the investigating range of EB treatment. The thickness of the titania thin film decreased slightly with EB treatment whereas the porosity increased. The EB treatment of TiO2 thin film can increase the proportion of Ti3+ in Ti2p at the thin film surface. The optical transmittance of the film in the wavelength ranges of above 380 nm increased after the EB treatment while its refractive index decreased with increasing EB dose. Therefore, improvement of the optical properties could be due to the change in both surface chemistry and morphology of the TiO2 thin films affected by EB irradiation.

Facile synthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticle/bis(o-phenolpropyl)silicone composites using a gold catalyst.

The generation of silver nanoparticle/bis(o-phenolpropyl)silicone composites have been facilitated by the addition of sodium tetrachloroaurate or gold(Ill) chloride (< 1 wt% of NaAuCl4 or AuCl3) to the reaction of silver nitrate (AgNO3) with bis(o-phenolpropyl)silicone [BPPS, (o-phenolpropyl)2(SiMe2O)n, n = 2,3,8,236]. TEM and FE-SEM data showed that the silver nanoparticles having the size of < 20 nm are well dispersed throughout the BPPS silicone matrix in the composites. XRD patterns are consistent with those for polycrystalline silver. The size of silver nanoparticles augmented with increasing the relative molar concentration of AgNO3 added with respect to BPPS. The addition of gold complexes (1-3 wt%) did not affect the size distribution of silver nanoparticles appreciably. In the absence of BPPS, the macroscopic precipitation of silver by agglomeration, indicating that BPPS is necessary to stabilize the silver nanoparticles surrounded by coordination.

One-pot synthesis and structural characterization of poly(alkoxysilane)s catalyzed by silver-gold complexes.

Combinative one-pot Si-Si/Si-O dehydrocoupling of hydrosilanes with alcohols (1:1.5 mole ratio), mediated by a mixture of AgNO3-AuCl3 (100/1 mole ratio) rapidly produced poly(alkoxysilane)s in reasonably high yield. The addition of small amount of gold complex to the reaction mixture effectively accelerated the coupling reaction compared to the reaction rate with AgNO3 alone. The hydrosilanes include p-X-C6H4SiH3 (X = H, CH3, OCH3, F), PhCH2SiH3, and (PhSiH2)2. The alcohols include MeOH, EtOH, iPrOH, PhOH, and CF3(CF2)2CH2OH. The weight average molecular weight and polydispersity of the poly(alkoxysilane)s were in the range of 1,600-8,000 Dalton and 1.4-3.5, respectively. The dehydrocoupling reactions of phenylsilane with ethanol (1:3 mole ratio) in the presence of the Ag-Au complexes gave only triethoxyphenylsilane.

Detection of nitroaromatic compounds based on phenylethylene-derivatized porous silicon.

Nanocrystalline porous silicon (PSi) surfaces have been used to detect nitroaromatic compounds in vapor phase. The mode of photoluminescence (PL) is emphasized as a sensing attitude or detection technique. Quenching of PL from nanocrystalline porous surfaces as a transduction mode is measured upon the exposure of nitroaromatic compounds. To verify the detection of explosives, the surface of PSi is functionalized with different groups. The quenching mechanism of PL is attributed to the electron transfer behaviors of quantum-sized nano-crystallites in the PSi matrix to the analytes (nitroaromatics). An attempt has been done to prove that the surface-derivatized photoluminescent PSi surfaces can act as versatile substrates for sensing behaviors due to having a large surface area and highly sensitive transduction mode.

Fabrication of human IgG sensors based on porous silicon interferometer containing Bragg structures.

A simply modified biosensor based on protein A-modified distributed Bragg reflectors (DBR) porous silicon (PSi) chip for the detection of human immunoglobin G (IgG) are developed. The fabrication, optical characterization, and surface derivatization of DBR PSi are investigated. The sensor system studied consist of multi-layer of porous silicon modified with protein-A. The sensor is operated by the measurement of the reflection peak in the white light reflection spectrum. Molecular binding is detected as a shift in wavelength of reflection peaks.

Synthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticle composite with poly(p-Br-phenylsilane).

The one-pot synthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticle-poly(p-Br-phenylsilane) composites have been carried out. The conversion of silver(+1) salt to stable silver(0) nanoparticles is promoted by poly(p-Br-phenylsilane), Br-PPS possessing both possible reactive Si-H bonds in the polymer backbone and C-Br bonds in the substituents. The composites were characterized using XRD, TEM, FE-SEM, and solid-state UV-vis analytical techniques. TEM and FE-SEM data show the formation of the composites where large number of silver nanoparticles (less than 30 nm of size) are well dispersed throughout the Br-PPS matrix. XRD patterns are consistent with that for fcc-typed silver. The elemental analysis for Br atom and the polymer solubility confirm that the cleavage of C-Br bond and the Si-Br dative bonding were not occurred appreciably at ambient temperature. Nonetheless, TGA data suggest that some sort of cross-linking was occurred at high temperature. The size and processability of such nanoparticles depend on the ratio of metal to Br-PPS. In the absence of Br-PPS, most of the silver particles undergo macroscopic aggregation, which indicates that the polysilane is necessary for stabilizing the silver nanoparticles.

Synthesis and characterization of borane-terminated poly(silole-co-germole) for the evaluation of luminescent PLED.

Codehydrocoupling (in the presence of various inorganic B, Al-hydrides) followed by borane-capping (with Ph2BCl) of 1,1-dihydrotetraphenylsilole (1) and 1,1-dihydrotetraphenylgermole (2) (9:1 mole ratio) gave electroluminescent poly(silole-co-germole)s containing borane-ends (3) in high yield. The polymerization yield and molecular weight with Selectrides increase in the order L-Selectride < N-Selectride < K-Selectride. The molecular weights with B, Al-inorganic hydrides increase in the order L-Selectride < Red-Al

Fabrication and characterization of PSi smart particles containing 20(S)-camptothecin-functionalized germanium nanoparticles.

Porous silicon (PSi) smart particles containing 20(S)-Camptothecin (CPT)-functionalized germanium nanoparticles (Ge-NPs) for a noble drug delivery system were developed. PSi samples were prepared by anodization of a highly doped P(++)-type Si wafer in ethanolic HF solution using a platinum-meshed counter electrode. In this work, PSi was generated by an electrochemical etching of two discrete porous multilayered dielectric mirrors into Si, a top layer was referred to as the "DBR" multilayer, and a bottom layer was the "host" layer intended to infuse CPT-functionalized Ge-NPs. The DBR layer was chemically further passivated with (3-aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane groups. Resulting PSi was removed from the Si substrate by an applying of electropolishing current. CPT-functionalized Ge-NPs were infused into the host layer of PSi free-standing film. Samples were then made into particles by ultrasonic fracture in organic solutions. PSi smart particles were characterized by FE-SEM, FT-IR, EDX, UV-vis absorption, and fluorescence spectroscopy. PSi smart particles containing CPT-functionalized Ge-NPs displayed a linear release profile for the first 12 h, and then perfectly released CPT-functionalized Ge-NPs for 18 h.

Polygermole nanoaggregate chemical sensor for TNT: enhancement of photoluminescence efficiency by aggregation-induced emission.

New photoluminescent and nanoscale polygermole nanoaggregates for the detection of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) were developed by using aggregation-induced emission property. Polygermole nanoaggregates displaying diameter of 40 nm exhibited that photoluminescence (PL) intensity of emission band was increased about 730% when the water fraction was increased to 90% by volume. Relative PL efficiency of polygermole nanoaggregates was exponentially increased to the percent of water fraction and particle diameter was dependent on solvent composition. Particle size of polygermole nanoaggregates was tuned by controlling the water fraction by volume. PL intensity of polygermole nanoaggregates was not changed over a month. This indicated that polygermole nanoaggregates showed neither further aggregation nor degradation. Detection of TNT was achieved from the measuring of quenching PL of polygermole nanoaggregates by adding the TNT A linear Stern-Volmer relationship was observed for the detection of TNT.

Multi-spot porous silicon chip prepared from asymmetric electrochemical etching for human immunoglobin G sensor.

Multi-spot porous silicon (MSPS)-based optical biosensor was developed to specify the biomolecules. MSPS chip was generated by an electrochemical etching of silicon wafer using an asymmetric electrode configuration in aqueous ethanolic HF solution and constituted with nine arrayed porous silicon. MSPS prepared from anisotropic etching conditions displayed the Fabry-Pérot fringe patterns which varied spatially across the porous silicon (PS). Each spot displayed different reflection resonances and different pore characteristics as a function of the lateral distance from the Pt counter electrode. The sensor system consists of the 3 x 3 spot array of porous silicon modified with Protein A. The system was probed with various fragments of an aqueous Human Immunoglobin G (Ig G) analyte. The sensor operated by measurement of the reflection patterns in the white light reflection spectrum of MSPS. Molecular binding and specificity was detected as a shift in wavelength of these Fabry-Pérot fringe patterns.

Fabrication of gradient optical filter containing anisotropic Bragg nanostructure.

New gradient optical filters containing asymmetric Bragg structure were prepared from the distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) porous silicon (PSi). Anisotropic DBR PSi displaying a rainbow-colored reflection was generated by using an asymmetric etching configuration. Flexible anisotropic DBR PSi composite films were obtained by casting of polymer solution onto anisotropic DBR PSi thin films. The surface and cross-sectional images images of anisotropic DBR PSi composite films obtained with cold field emission scanning electron microscope indicated that the average pore size and the thickness of porous layer decreased as the lateral distance increased. As lateral distance increased, the reflection resonance shifted to shorter wavelength.