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Magnetic nanoparticles can be efficient contrast agents for T2 weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after tuning of some key parameters such as size, surface state, colloidal stability and magnetization, thus motivating the development of new synthetic pathways. In this paper we report the effects of surface coating on the efficiency of two different types of iron based nanoparticles (NPs) as MRI contrast agents. Starting from well-defined hydrophobic iron oxide nanospheres and iron nanocubes of 13 nm size, we have used three methods to increase their hydrophilicity and transfer them into water: surface ligand modification, ligand exchange or encapsulation. The NPs obtained have been characterized by dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy, and the relaxivities of their stable colloidal solutions in water have been determined. Among all samples prepared, iron nanocubes coated by silica display the highest relaxivity ( r 2 ) value: 628 s −1 mM −1 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We have developed a versatile catalyst-assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique for the synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) from discrete nickel nanoparticles (average diameter of 4.7±1.5 nm). Atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron diffraction are used to characterize these as-grown nanotubes. On a particular sample we found that the SWNTs have an average chiral angle of 25.3°. This result shows that a control of the chiral angle of SWNT with large diameters (mean diameter=1.75 nm) and with a relatively broad diameter distribution (standard deviation=0.5 nm) is achievable to a certain extent. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We have developed a versatile catalyst-assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique for the synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) from discrete nickel nanoparticles (average diameter of 4.7±1.4 nm). Atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and micro-Raman spectroscopy are used to characterize these as-grown nanotubes. Using a conventional set-up, we are able to produce isolated SWNTs with a narrow diameter distribution (1.5±0.5 nm). The advantages of such a versatile CVD method for the study of physical properties at the single nanotube level are illustrated by means of two prospective studies on vibrational and electrostatic properties of SWNTs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]