Semiconductor-Metal Nanofloret Hybrid Structures by Self-Processing Synthesis.

We present a synthetic strategy that takes advantage of the inherent asymmetry exhibited by semiconductor nanowires prepared by Au-catalyzed chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The metal-semiconductor junction is used for activating etch, deposition, and modification steps localized to the tip area using a wet-chemistry approach. The hybrid nanostructures obtained for the coinage metals Cu, Ag, and Au resemble the morphology of grass flowers, termed here Nanofloret hybrid nanostructures consisting of a high aspect ratio SiGe nanowire (NW) with a metallic nanoshell cap. The synthetic method is used to prepare hybrid nanostructures in one step by triggering a programmable cascade of events that is autonomously executed, termed self-processing synthesis. The synthesis progression was monitored by ex situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM), in situ scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analyses to study the mechanistic reaction details of the various processes taking place during the synthesis. Our results indicate that the synthesis involves distinct processing steps including localized oxide etch, metal deposition, and process termination. Control over the deposition and etching processes is demonstrated by several parameters: (i) etchant concentration (water), (ii) SiGe alloy composition, (iii) reducing agent, (iv) metal redox potential, and (v) addition of surfactants for controlling the deposited metal grain size. The NF structures exhibit broad plasmonic absorption that is utilized for demonstrating surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of thiophenol monolayer. The new type of nanostructures feature a metallic nanoshell directly coupled to the crystalline semiconductor NW showing broad plasmonic absorption.

Electroanalysis of As(III) at nanodendritic Pd on PEDOT.

Nanodendritic Pd electrodeposited on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) modified Pd nanodendrite electrodes has been studied for electroanalysis of As(III) in 1 M HCl solution. The Pd nanodendrites are grown on a porous thin film of PEDOT by electrodeposition process. Pd-PEDOT/C electrodes are characterized by physicochemical and electrochemical studies. Cyclic voltammetry studies show that Pd-PEDOT/C electrodes exhibit greater electrocatalytic activity towards As(iii)/As(0) redox reaction than the Pd/C electrodes. Differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV) is performed for analysis of As(iii) ion at pH 1.0. The Pd-PEDOT/C electrode is highly sensitive towards As(III) detection with sensitivity of 1482 µA cm(-2) µM(-1). A wide detection range up to 10 µM and low detection limit of 7 nM (0.52 ppb) are obtained with a pre-deposition time of 120 s under optimum conditions. High sensitivity and low detection limit obtained on Pd-PEDOT/C, for the first time in the literature, are attractive from a practical view point. Interference studies of Cu(II) ions are investigated and it is observed that Cu(II) ions do not interfere.