Guided self-assembly of nanostructured titanium oxide.

A series of nanostructured titanium oxide particles were synthesized by a simple wet chemical method and characterized by means of small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS)/wide-angle x-ray scattering (WAXS), atomic force microscope (AFM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), thermal analysis, and rheometry. Tetrabutyl titanate (TBT) and ethylene glycol (EG) can be combined to form either TiO(x) nanowires or smooth nanorods, and the molar ratio of TBT:EG determines which of these is obtained. Therefore, TiO(x) nanorods with a highly rough surface can be obtained by hydrolysis of TBT with the addition of cetyl-trimethyl-ammonium bromide (CTAB) as surfactant in an EG solution. Furthermore, TiO(x) nanorods with two sharp ends can be obtained by hydrolysis of TBT with the addition of salt (LiCl) in an EG solution. The AFM results show that the TiO(x) nanorods with rough surfaces are formed by the self-assembly of TiO(x) nanospheres. The electrorheological (ER) effect was investigated using a suspension of titanium oxide nanowires or nanorods dispersed in silicone oil. Oil suspensions of titanium oxide nanowires or nanorods exhibit a dramatic reorganization when submitted to a strong DC electric field and the particles aggregate to form chain-like structures along the direction of applied electric field. Two-dimensional SAXS images from chains of anisotropically shaped particles exhibit a marked asymmetry in the SAXS patterns, reflecting the preferential self-assembly of the particles in the field. The suspension of rough TiO(x) nanorods shows stronger ER properties than that of the other nanostructured TiO(x) particles. We find that the particle surface roughness plays an important role in modification of the dielectric properties and in the enhancement of the ER effect.

Quantitative electron microscopy of cellulose nanofibril structures from Eucalyptus and Pinus radiata kraft pulp fibers.

This work comprises the structural characterization of Eucalyptus and Pinus radiata pulp fibers and their corresponding fibrillated materials, based on quantitative electron microscopy techniques. Compared to hardwood fibers, the softwood fibers have a relatively open structure of the fiber wall outer layers. The fibrillation of the fibers was performed mechanically and chemi-mechanically. In the chemi-mechanical process, the pulp fibers were subjected to a TEMPO-mediated oxidation to facilitate the homogenization. Films were made of the fibrillated materials to evaluate some structural properties. The thicknesses and roughnesses of the films were evaluated with standardized methods and with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), in backscattered electron imaging mode. Field-emission SEM (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were performed to quantify the nanofibril morphology. In this study, we give additional and significant evidences about the suitability of electron microscopy techniques for quantification of nanofibril structures. In addition, we conclude that standard methods are not suitable for estimating the thickness of films having relatively rough surfaces. The results revealed significant differences with respect to the morphology of the fibrillated material. The differences are due to the starting raw material and to the procedure applied for the fibrillation.

Fischer-Tropsch synthesis on hierarchically structured cobalt nanoparticle/carbon nanofiber/carbon felt composites.

The hierarchically structured carbon nanofibers (CNFs)/carbon felt composites, in which CNFs were directly grown on the surface of microfibers in carbon felt, forming a CNF layer on a micrometer range that completely covers the microfiber surfaces, were tested as a novel support material for cobalt nanoparticles in the highly exothermic Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) synthesis. A compact, fixed-bed reactor, made of disks of such composite materials, offered the advantages of improved heat and mass transfer, relatively low pressure drop, and safe handling of immobilized CNFs. An efficient 3-D thermal conductive network in the composite provided a relatively uniform temperature profile, whereas the open structure of the CNF layer afforded an almost 100 % effectiveness of Co nanoparticles in the F-T synthesis in the fixed bed. The greatly improved mass and heat transport makes the compact reactor attractive for applications in the conversion of biomass, coal, and natural gas to liquids.

Synthesis of KNbO3 nanorods by hydrothermal method.

Potassium niobate (KNbO3) nanorods were prepared from Nb2O5 powder by hydrothermal synthesis in KOH solution at 180 degrees C for 48 h using sodium dodecyl sulfate surfactant. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction as well as scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The KNbO3 nanorods were shown to have orthorhombic crystal structure and were 100-300 nm in diameter and up to 5 microm long. The addition of surfactant changed the product morphology from agglomerated particles to nanorods. A possible mechanism for the formation of the KNbO3 nanorods is briefly discussed.