Silver nanoparticles capped with mercaptoacetic acid and 2-aminoethanethiol short-chain alkanethiols were prepared by a one-step method in aqueous solution for monitoring pH and a range of heavy metal ions. The mode of transduction is optical, based on the change in aggregation of the nanoparticles in solution. Because of the different ionic interactions between the modified nanoparticles, thes...

Nanostructured Cu(x)Zn(1-x)Al(2)O(4) with a Cu:Zn ratio of ¼:¾ has been prepared by a microwave-assisted hydrothermal synthesis at 150 °C and used as a precursor for Cu/ZnO/Al(2)O(3)-based catalysts. The spinel nanoparticles exhibit an average size of approximately 5 nm and a high specific surface area (above 250 m(2) g(-1)). Cu nanoparticles of an average size of 3.3 nm can be formed by reduct...

Experimental evidence shows that small Cu(2)O nanoparticles exhibit ferromagnetic or paramagnetic properties, allowing for the promising possibility to recycle the catalyst Cu(2)O easily in wastewater treatment. In this paper, theoretical calculation studying the magnetic property of copper/oxide clusters is reported. A series of Cu(m)O(n) ((m, n) = (4, 1); (4, 2); (4, 5); (16, 15); (28, 15); (...

We demonstrate a template-free synthetic approach for the preparation of a highly conductive Cu/Cu(2)O nanocomposite electrode by a chemical reduction process. Cu(2)O octahedra were prepared through chemical dehydrogenation of as-synthesized Cu(OH)(2) nanowire precursors. To provide a sufficiently electron-conducting network, the Cu(2)O particles were transformed into Cu/Cu(2)O nanocomposites b...

Cu nanoparticles are known to be very active for methanol (MeOH) synthesis at relatively low temperatures, such that smaller particle sizes yield better MeOH productivity. We aimed to control Cu nanoparticle (NP) size and size distribution for catalysing MeOH synthesis, by using the spinning disk reactor. The spinning disk reactor (SDR), which operates based on shear effect and plug flow in thi...

Power cycle reliability of Cu nanoparticle joint has been studied for high temperature operation of power devices. Al2O3 heater chips and Cu–65 wt% Mo baseplates were joined by Cu nanoparticles and Sn–0.7Cu and power cycle tests of 65/200 C and 65/250 C were carried out on the joints. The Cu nanoparticles were prepared by reducing Cu carbonate in ethylene glycol with dodecanoic acid + dodecyl a...

Nanoparticles embedded in a matrix can trap positrons under certain conditions. In such cases nanoparticles can be effectively studied by means of positron annihilation because positron annihilation characteristics contain information related to nanoparticles’ electronic and atomic structure. Of great importance is to calculate the positron response from such nanoparticles. Then, nanoparticles ...

Mg–Cu alloy nanoparticles were in situ prepared by a physical vapor condensation method (arc discharge) in a mixture of argon and hydrogen. Four crystalline phases, Mg, Mg2Cu, MgCu2 and MgO, were formed simultaneously during the arc-discharge evaporation. Detailed experiments revealed that nanostructured hydrogen-active phases of Mg2Cu and Mg exhibit enhanced hydrogen absorption kinetics possib...

The photodecomposition of ketones by the Norrish Type I reaction, leading to the efficient release of reducing ketyl or alpha-amino alkyl radicals, provides a facile route for the synthesis of copper nanoparticles (CuNP) in both aqueous and organic solvents. The role of different counterions (especially halides) and surfactants has been used to 'tune' the morphology and size of the nanostructur...