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Only limited information is available on the design and synthesis of functional materials for preventing corrosion of metal nanostructures. In the nanometer regime, even noble metals are subject to chemical attack. Here, the corrosion behavior of noble metal nanoparticles coated with a conjugated polymer nanolayer was explored for the first time. Specifically, electrochemical corrosion and sulfur tarnishing behaviors were examined for Ag-polypyrrole (PPy) core-shell nanoparticles using potentiodynamic polarization and spectrophotometric analysis, respectively. First, the Ag-PPy nanoparticles exhibited enhanced resistance to electrochemically induced corrosion compared to their exposed silver counterparts. Briefly, a neutral PPy shell provided the highest protection efficiency (75.5%), followed by sulfate ion- (61.3%) and dodecylbenzenesulfonate ion- (53.6%) doped PPy shells. However, the doping of the PPy shell with chloride ion induced an adverse effect (protection efficiency, -120%). Second, upon exposure to sulfide ions, the Ag-PPy nanoparticles preserved their morphology and colloidal stability while the bare silver analog underwent significant structural deformation. To further understand the function of the PPy shell as a protection layer for the silver core, the catalytic activity of the nanostructures was also evaluated. Using the reduction of 4-nitrophenol as a representative example of a catalytic reaction, the rate constant for that reduction using the PPy encased Ag nanoparticles was found to be 1.1 × 10(-3) s(-1), which is approximately 33% less than that determined for the parent silver. These results demonstrate that PPy can serve as both an electrical and chemical barrier for mitigating undesirable chemical degradation in corrosive environments, as well as provide a simple physical barrier to corrosive substances under appropriate conditions.

Recognition of diverse hormones in the human body is a highly significant challenge because numerous diseases can be affected by hormonal imbalances. However, the methodologies reported to date for detecting hormones have exhibited limited performance. Therefore, development of innovative methods is still a major concern in hormone-sensing applications. In this study, we report an immobilization-based approach to facilitate formation of close-packed arrays of carboxylated polypyrrole nanoparticles (CPPyNPs) and their integration with human parathyroid hormone receptor (hPTHR), which is a B-class family of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Our devices enabled use of an electrically controllable liquid-ion-gated field-effect transistor by using the surrounding phosphate-buffered saline solution (pH 7.4) as electrolyte solution. Field-induced signals from the peptide hormone sensors were observed and provided highly sensitive and selective recognition of target molecules at unprecedentedly low concentrations (ca. 48 fM). This hormone sensor also showed long-term stability and excellent selectivity in fetal bovine serum. Importantly, the hormone receptor attached on the surface of CPPyNPs enabled GPCR functional studies; synergistic effects corresponding to increased hPTH peptide length were monitored. These results demonstrate that close-packed CPPyNP arrays are a promising approach for high-performance biosensing devices.

A facile way to synthesize nanometer-sized polymer (polypyrrole, PPy) particles is explored on the basis of the formation of complexes between water-soluble polymers and metal cations in aqueous solution. The metal cation is used as an oxidizing agent to initiate the chemical oxidation polymerization of the corresponding monomer, and the water-soluble polymer effectively provides a steric stability for the growth of polymer nanoparticles during the polymerization process. Light-scattering analyses are performed to give insight into the behavior of the complexes in aqueous solution. In addition, major physical parameters affecting the formation of polymer nanoparticles are investigated, including hydrodynamic radius, radius of gyration, shape factor, and viscosity. By judicious control of these parameters, PPy nanoparticles with narrow size distribution can be readily fabricated in large quantities. It is also possible to control the diameter of the nanoparticles by changing critical synthetic variables. Importantly, PPy nanoparticles of approximately 20-60 nm in diameter can be prepared without using any surfactants or specific templates; this novel strategy offers great possibility for mass production of polymer nanoparticles.

There has been a continuous pursuit toward developing techniques used to prepare enhanced carbon nanomaterials over the last several decades. In particular, the demand for new and advanced carbon nanomaterials is related to the need to optimize their physicochemical characteristics for specific applications. In this regard, polymer precursors have great potential for fabricating nanostructured carbons with desirable properties since the chemical structure and surface/interface properties of the polymer can be designed and tailored during the preparation process. Various types of polymers including synthetic polymers, natural polymers, and biomass have been investigated as carbon precursors. Elaborate efforts have been made to prepare polymer nanoparticles, polymer blends, and nanocarbon/polymer hybrids for versatile carbon nanomaterials via heat treatment processes, for which knowledge and technologies regarding the interface and polymer chemistry/physics are required. In addition, more in-depth studies into the carbonization mechanism may lead to various strategies for creating advanced carbon nanomaterials with desirable properties. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The carbon nanoparticles derived from polypyrrole were treated with oxygen and ammonia radio-frequency plasma. Micro-attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared, element analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses were performed to confirm the incorporation of polar functional groups onto the carbon nanoparticles. Moreover, the morphology of plasma treated carbon nanoparticles was retained without nanoparticle aggregation. The plasma treated carbon nanoparticles exhibited the enhanced dispersibility in aqueous solution, compared to the pristine carbon nanoparticles. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Fe3O4–poly(3,4-ethylene-dioxythiophene) (PEDOT) core-shell nanoparticles as heterogeneous Fenton catalysts were synthesized by acid etching-mediated chemical oxidation polymerization. Compared with pristine Fe3O4 nanoparticles or commercialized iron oxide nanopowder, Fe3O4–PEDOT core-shell nanoparticles demonstrated outstanding catalytic performance for the degradation of Reactive Black 5 (RB5) and Orange II. In the case of the degradation of RB5, Fe3O4–PEDOT core-shell nanoparticles had an approximately 2.5 times higher catalytic activity than commercialized Fe3O4 nanopowder. In addition, the ultrathin PEDOT shell can suppress leaching of iron cation through coordination formation, facilitating the catalytic reaction in the confined region of the nanoparticle surface. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Pt nanoparticles dispersed nitrogen-doped magnetic carbon nanoparticles (N-MCNPs) were prepared by chemical method, conventional sodium borohydride reduction. Then, those probable applications were evaluated for a support material comparing with Vulcan XC-72 for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell. N-MCNPs-supported Pt nanoparticles show a better activity of methanol oxidation reaction compared to Vulcan XC-72-supported one in terms of both mass and electrochemical surface area (ESA) normalized current density. In particular, Pt/N-MCNPs show more enhanced activity based on the mass normalized specific activity rather than ESA normalized activity. For investigation of physical characterizations of Pt/N-MCNPs, and Pt/Vulcan XC-72, X-ray diffraction (XRD), high resolution-transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) likes various experiments were performed. Especially, to identify the role of nitrogen in the N-MCNPs for Pt nanoparticles dispersion, specific investigation of N 1s XP spectra with peak deconvolution were performed on N-MCNPs support material of the before and after chemical reduction of Pt nanoparticles. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Over the past decades, biosensors, a class of physicochemical detectors sensitive to biological analytes, have drawn increasing interest, particularly in light of growing concerns about human health. Functional polymeric materials have been widely researched for sensing applications because of their structural versatility and significant progress that has been made concerning their chemistry, as well as in the field of nanotechnology. Polymeric nanoparticles are conventionally used in sensing applications due to large surface area, which allows rapid and sensitive detection. On the macroscale, hydrogels are crucial materials for biosensing applications, being used in many wearable or implantable devices as a biocompatible platform. The performance of both hydrogels and nanoparticles, including sensitivity, response time, or reversibility, can be significantly altered and optimized by changing their chemical structures; this has encouraged us to overview and classify chemical design strategies. Here, we have organized this review into two main sections concerning the use of nanoparticles and hydrogels (as polymeric structures) for biosensors and described chemical approaches in relevant subcategories, which act as a guide for general synthetic strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]