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A catalytically active nanoassembly comprising Cu-nanoparticles grown on integrated and active supports (large pore Zr-doped mesoporous SBA-15 silica) has been synthesized and used to promote CO2 hydrogenation. The doped mesoporous material was synthesized using a sal-gel method, in which the pore size was tuned between 11 and 15 nm while maintaining a specific surface area of about 700 m(2) g (1). The subsequent Cu nanoparticle growth was achieved by an infiltration process involving attachment of different functional groups on the external and internal surfaces of the mesoporous structure such that 7-10 nm sized Cu nanoparticles grew preferentially inside the pores. Chemisorption showed improved absorption of both CO2 and H-2 for the assembly compared to pure SBA-15 and 15% of the total CO2 was converted to methanol and dimethyl ether at 250 degrees C and 33 bar., Funding Agencies|EUs Erasmus-Mundus program; Swedish Research Council; Swedish Government Strategic Research Area in Materials Science on Functional Materials at Linkoping University [SFO-Mat-LiU 11 2009-00971]; Knut och Alice Wallenbergs Foundation [KAW 2012.0083]

This paper reports a new strategy for nanoparticle surface assembly so that they form anisotropic fibril like features, consisting of particles directly attached to each other, which can extend 500 nm from the surface. The particles are both formed and deposited in a single step process enabled via the use of a pulsed plasma based technique. Using this approach, we have successfully modified zinc oxide rods, up to several hundred nanometers in diameter, with 25 nm diameter copper nanoparticles for catalytic applications. The resulting structure could be modelled using a diffusion limited aggregation based approach. This gives the material the appearance of marine coral, hence the term nanocoral. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved., Funding Agencies|Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation [KAW 2014.0276]; Swedish Research Council under Linkoping Linneaus Environment LiLi-NFM [2008-6572]

Mesoporous silica films consisting of a monolayer of separated SBA-15 particles with unusually wide and short pores grown on silicon wafers have been fabricated in a simple single-pot-synthesis, and the formation of the films has been studied. A recipe for synthesizing mesoporous silica rods with the addition of heptane and NH4F at low temperature was used and substrates were added to the synthesis solution during the reaction. The films are ∼90 nm thick, have a pore size of 10.7–13.9 nm depending on the hydrothermal treatment time and temperature, and a pore length of 200–400 nm. All pores are parallel to the substrate, open, and easy to access, making them suitable for applications such as catalyst hosts and gas separation. The growth of the films is closely correlated to the evolution of the mesoporous silica particles. Here, we have studied the time for adding substrates to the synthesis solution, the evolution of the films with time during formation, and the effect of hydrothermal treatment. It was found that the substrates should be added within 30–60 s after turning off the stirring and the films are formed within 10 min after addition to the synthesis solution. The study has yielded a new route for synthesizing mesoporous silica films with a unique morphology.

Starting with an ammonical solution of zinc acetate, dense single crystal ZnO nanorod arrays were grown directly on high surface area porous 3D nickel foam substrates using a low temperature hydrothermal route. Heterogeneous nucleation of the nanorods with diameters around 100 nm can be conveniently and reproducibly Controlled by adjusting the amount of ammonia added to the growth solution. X-ray diffraction and HRTEM analysis confirmed the single phase wurtzite structure and c-axis orientation of the as grown ZnO nanorod arrays. Cathodoluminescence measurements indicate that the as-grown nanorod arrays were rich in atomic defects and gave strong orange emissions in the visible region. The nanorod arrays on unique 3D substrate are expected to improve the sensitivity and efficiency of ZnO based electrochemical sensors and heterogeneous catalysts.

The knowledge of how to control the pore size and morphology of separated mesoporous silica particles is crucial for optimizing their performance in applications, such as molecular sieves and drug delivery systems. In this work, we have systematically studied the effects of various synthesis parameters to gain a deeper understanding of how particle morphologies can be altered. It was found that the morphology for isolated particles of SBA-15 type, with unusually short and wide pores, could be altered from rods to platelets by variations in the NH4F concentration. The pore length is nearly constant (similar to 300 nm) for the different morphologies, but the particle width is increasing from 200 nm to >3 mu m when decreasing the amount of NH4F, and the pore size can be tuned between 10 and 13 nm. Furthermore, other synthesis parameters such as heptane concentration, pH, silica precursor, and additions of ions have also been studied. The trend regarding particle width is independent of heptane concentration, at the same time as heptane increases the particle length up to a plateau value of similar to 500 nm. In all, parameters controlling particle width, length, and pore size have been separated in order to evaluate their function in the particle formation. Additionally, it was found that the formation time of the particles is strongly affected by the fluoride ion concentration, and a mechanism for particle formation for this system, where micelles transform from a foam, to multilamellar vesicles, and finally to cylindrical micelles, is suggested.

Gadolinium oxide (Gd2O3) nanoparticles with very small size, and narrow size distribution were synthesized by infiltration of Gd(NO3)3.6H2O as an oxide precursor into the pores of SBA-15 mesoporous silica using a wet-impregnation technique. High resolution transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction show that during the hydrothermal treatment of the precursor at 550 °C, gadolinium oxide nanoparticles inside the silica pores are formed. Subsequent dissolution of the silica template by NaOH resulted in well dispersed nanoparticles with an average diameter of 3.6 ± 0.9 nm., At the time of the defence, this publication was an unsubmitted manuscript

Water-dispersible and luminescent gadolinium oxide (GO) nanoparticles (NPs) were designed and synthesized for potential dual-modal biological imaging. They were obtained by capping gadolinium oxide nanoparticles with a fluorescent glycol-based conjugated carboxylate (HL). The obtained nanoparticles (GO-L) show long-term colloidal stability and intense blue fluorescence. In addition, L can sensitize the luminescence of europium(III) through the so-called antenna effect. Thus, to extend the spectral ranges of emission, europium was introduced into L-modified gadolinium oxide nanoparticles. The obtained Eu-III-doped particles (Eu:GO-L) can provide visible red emission, which is more intensive than that without L capping. The average diameter of the monodisperse modified oxide cores is about 4nm. The average hydrodynamic diameter of the L-modified nanoparticles was estimated to be about 13nm. The nanoparticles show effective longitudinal water proton relaxivity. The relaxivity values obtained for GO-L and Eu:GO-L were r(1)=6.4 and 6.3s(-1)mM(-1) with r(2)/r(1) ratios close to unity at 1.4T. Longitudinal proton relaxivities of these nanoparticles are higher than those of positive contrast agents based on gadolinium complexes such as Gd-DOTA, which are commonly used for clinical magnetic resonance imaging. Moreover, these particles are suitable for cellular imaging and show good biocompatibility.

Gadolinium decorated ZnO nanoparticles simultaneously possess both fluorescent and MR enhancement properties. These ZnO nanoparticles are crystalline and shielded by an amorphous gadolinium acetate matrix. Interestingly, the Gd-acetate decoration enhances the fluorescence emission of the ZnO nanoparticles. The quantum yield does increase for samples with high Gd/Zn relative ratios and these samples do also show a higher colloidal stability. In addition, these nanoparticles show an enhanced relaxivity value per Gd atom (r119.9mM1s-1) compared to results earlier reported both on Gd alloyed ZnO nanoparticles and pure Gd2O3 nanoparticles. This improvement is considered to be due to the close proximity of Gd atoms and surrounding water molecules. A comprehensive study of the quantum yield and the relaxivity, as a function of composition, enable us to identify the ultimate design/composition of gadolinium decorated ZnO nanoparticles for optimum fluorescence and MR enhancement properties.

A method for synthesizing mesoporous silica films with cylindrical pores perpendicular to the substrate has been developed. The films consist of SBA-15 platelets that are grafted on glass substrates. The grafting is studied in terms of parameters such as pH, substrate functionalization, salt additions, time for TEOS prehydrolysis, and calcination. The best coverage of particles on the substrate was achieved for a low pH in combination with OTS-treated glass substrate. Furthermore, the prehydrolysis time of the TEOS was found to be a key parameter in order to bind the particles to the substrate. These porous films have potential in applications such as catalysis, drug delivery, and as a template for nanoparticle or nanorod, growth.

Sub 5 nm sized manganese oxide nanoparticles; MnOx (1 ≤ x ≤ 2), were synthesized via a short time room temperature synthesis route. The nanoparticles are crystalline, spherically shaped and in the size range of 2-4 nm as shown by transmission electron microscopy studies. Selected area electron diffraction patterns were collected and their appearance indicated that the nanoparticle cores are composed of MnO. Also, co-existence of the (II) and (III) oxidation states at the nanoparticle surface was verified by results achieved from infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. These measurements also supported presence of a minor amount of acetate groups as well as a negligible fraction of carbonate groups at the nanoparticle surfaces. The interpretation of the IR spectra was confirmed by quantum chemical calculations using the high spin manganese nanoparticle Mn12O12(OAc)16(H2O)4, as a model system for the MnOx nanoparticle surface. Bulk MnO and Mn2O3 are known to be antiferromagnetic. The magnetic properties are however somewhat dependent of the crystallite size and changes when scaling down to the nanoregion. The MnOx (1 ≤ x ≤ 2) nanoparticles investigated in this work show a superparamagnetic behavior with a blocking temperature of approximately 12 K proven by means of SQUID measurements. The relaxivities of the nanoparticles and the Mn(OAc)2 precursors were studied with a bench top NMR analyzer verifying nanoparticle r1 and r2 of 0.5 and 6 mMs-1 respectively. The r1 relaxivity is lower than what is earlier reported for Gd based contrast agent, but improvements are expected by further surface modification, due to increased rotational time and higher water dispersability.

A simple method is presented to grow thick honeycomb β-Ni(OH)2 films on 3D nickel foam substrates at80 °C using nickel sulfate and ammonia as the starting materials. The porous honeycomb network structureof the films with pore openings about 0.5–1 μm wide is built from seamlessly connected polycrystallinenanowalls, approximately 10–20 nm thick. The amount of ammonia added to the growth solution and thegrowth time were found to be critical parameters in determining the morphology and pore structure ofthe films. Air annealing of the as-prepared films resulted in polycrystalline NiO films with morphologiessimilar to those of their hydroxide precursors., funding agencies|HEC, Pakistan

The performance of a magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent (CA) depends on several factors, including the relaxation times of the unpaired electrons in the CA. The electron spin relaxation time may be a key factor for the performance of new CAs, such as nanosized Gd2O3 particles. The aim of this work is, therefore, to study changes in the magnetic susceptibility and the electron spin relaxation time of paramagnetic Gd2O3 nanoparticles diluted with increasing amounts of diamagnetic Y2O3. Nanoparticles of (GdxY1-x)(2)O-3 (0 <= x <= 1) were prepared by the combustion method and thoroughly characterized (by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetry coupled with mass spectroscopy, photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and magnetic susceptibility measurements). Changes in the electron spin relaxation time were estimated by observations of the signal line width in electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, and it was found that the line width was dependent on the concentration of yttrium, indicating that diamagnetic Y2O3 may increase the electron spin relaxation time of Gd2O3 nanoparticles.

Silver nanowires with a diameter of 30 nm and typical lengths of 5–10 μm have been synthesized in an aqueous medium. To initiate the reaction, citrate ions were used, and during the reaction the aromatic organicmolecules polymerize forming “straight” chain surfactants which support the formation of nanowires. Characterization by TEM and HRETM revealed the nanowires to be highly crystalline with a growth along the [110] direction.

This study reports ZnO nanoparticles and thin film surface modification using a two-step functionalization strategy. A small silane molecule was used to build up a stabilizing layer and for conjugation of biotin (vitamin B7), as a specific tag. Biotin was chosen because it is a well-studied bioactive molecule with high affinity for avidin. ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized by electrochemical deposition under oxidizing condition, and ZnO films were prepared by plasma-enhanced metal organic chemical vapor deposition. Both ZnO nanoparticles and ZnO thin films were surface modified by forming a (3-mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane (MPTS) layer followed by attachment of a biotin derivate. lodoacetyl-PEG2-biotin molecule was coupled to the thiol unit in MPTS through a substitution reaction. Powder X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoemission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy were used to investigate the as-synthesized and functionalized ZnO materials. The measurements showed highly crystalline materials in both cases with a ZnO nanoparticle diameter of about 5 nm and a grain size of about 45 nm for the as-grown ZnO thin films. The surface modification process resulted in coupling of silanes and biotin to both the ZnO nanoparticles and ZnO thin films. The two-step functionalization strategy has a high potential for specific targeting in bioimaging probes and for recognition studies in biosensing applications.

Recently, much attention has been given to the development of biofunctionalized nanoparticles with magnetic properties for novel biomedical imaging. Guided, smart, targeting nanoparticulate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents inducing high MRI signal will be valuable tools for future tissue specific imaging and investigation of molecular and cellular events. In this study, we report a new design of functionalized ultrasmall rare earth based nanoparticles to be used as a positive contrast agent in MRI. The relaxivity is compared to commercially available Gd based chelates. The synthesis, PEGylation, and dialysis of small (3−5 nm) gadolinium oxide (DEG-Gd2O3) nanoparticles are presented. The chemical and physical properties of the nanomaterial were investigated with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and dynamic light scattering. Neutrophil activation after exposure to this nanomaterial was studied by means of fluorescence microscopy. The proton relaxation times as a function of dialysis time and functionalization were measured at 1.5 T. A capping procedure introducing stabilizing properties was designed and verified, and the dialysis effects were evaluated. A higher proton relaxivity was obtained for as-synthesized diethylene glycol (DEG)-Gd2O3 nanoparticles compared to commercial Gd-DTPA. A slight decrease of the relaxivity for as-synthesized DEG-Gd2O3 nanoparticles as a function of dialysis time was observed. The results for functionalized nanoparticles showed a considerable relaxivity increase for particles dialyzed extensively with r1 and r2 values approximately 4 times the corresponding values for Gd-DTPA. The microscopy study showed that PEGylated nanoparticles do not activate neutrophils in contrast to uncapped Gd2O3. Finally, the nanoparticles are equipped with Rhodamine to show that our PEGylated nanoparticles are available for further coupling chemistry, and thus prepared

Zinc oxide is an interesting material for bio and chemical sensors. it is a semiconducting metal oxide with potential as an integrated multisensing sensor platform, which simultaneously detects Parameters like change in field effect, mass and Surface resistivity. in this investigation we have used resistive sensor measurements regarding the oxygen gas sensitivity in order to characterize sensing layers based on electrochemically produced ZnO nanoparticles and PE-MOCVD grown ZnO films. Proper annealing procedures were developed in order to get stable sensing properties and the oxygen sensitivity towards operation temperature was investigated. The ZnO nanoparticles showed a considerably increased response to oxygen as compared to the films. Preliminary investigations were also performed regarding the selectivity to other gases present in car exhausts or flue gases., Original Publication: Jens Eriksson, Volodymyr Khranovskyy, Fredrik Söderlind, Per-Olov Käll, Rositsa Yakimova and Anita Lloyd-Spets , ZnO nanoparticles or ZnO films: A comparison of the gas sensing capabilities, 2009, Sensors and actuators. B, Chemical, (137), 1, 94-102. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2008.10.072 Copyright: Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. http://www.elsevier.com

Wide bandgap materials like SiC, ZnO, AlN form a strong platform as transducers for biosensors realized as e.g. ISFET (ion selective field effect transistor) devices or resonators. We have taken two main steps towards a multifunctional biosensor transducer. First we have successfully functionalized ZnO and SiC surfaces with e.g. APTES. For example ZnO is interesting since it may be functionalized with biomolecules without any oxidation of the surface and several sensing principles are possible. Second, ISFET devises with a porous metal gate as a semi-reference electrode are being developed. Nitric oxide, NO, is a gas which participates in the metabolism. Resistivity changes in Ga doped ZnO was demonstrated as promising for NO sensing also in humid atmosphere, in order to simulate breath., Original Publication: Anita Lloyd Spetz, Ruth Pearce, Linnea Hedin, Volodymyr Khranovskyy, Fredrik Söderlind, Per-Olov Käll, Rositsa Yakimova and Kajsa Uvdal, New transducer material concepts for biosensors and surface functionalization, Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering, ed Ulrich Schmid , 7362, 736206, 2009. http://dx.doi.org/10.1117/12.821662 Copyright 2009 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. One print or electronic copy may be made for personal use only. Systematic reproduction and distribution, duplication of any material in this paper for a fee or for commercial purposes, or modification of the content of the paper are prohibited.

Förekomsten av brott är ett stort problem i vårt samhälle och har stor inverkan på de enkla beslut som tas i vår vardag, exempelvis på valet av område att bosätta sig i. Historiskt sett har ansvaret för att förebygga brottslighet legat hos polisen och de enskilda hushållen men de kan inte allena lösa problemen med brottslighet, och följaktligen blir en bredare strategi för brottsförebyggande arbete nödvändig. Ett sätt att utforma säkerheten är genom arkitektur och kallas för Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED). Perspektivet avser att minska både möjligheter och rädslan för brott genom att utnyttja de möjligheter som finns att öka överblickbarheten, att ta vara på framtoningen av ett område och att stärka den territoriella känslan hos invånare i ett bostadsområde. Grunden för den teoretiska ramen kommer från artikeln Towards an Economic approach to Crime and Prevention (2002), och använder sig av de fyra begreppen som utvecklades av Clark och Homel (ökad ansträngning, en ökad risk, minska belöningar och minimera antalet potentiella ursäkter). Det finns mängder av litteratur som behandlar ett ekonomiskt angreppssätt på brottslighet, men det finns emellertid få ekonomiska bidrag vad gäller att förebygga brott, och ännu färre inom området för att utforma brottsförebyggande arkitektur. Syftet med uppsatsen är att integrera dessa perspektiv för brottsprevention för att se vilka möjligheter det finns för att kunna använda sig av arkitektur som ett instrument för prevention av brott. Uppsatsen analys visar att det är den upplevda risken för att bli tillfångatagen, det vill säga. den risk som finns, som har den största inverkan på tjuvars val av mål. Den första faktor som påverkar den upplevda risken är överblickbarheten från omgivande grannar. En annan princip som förstärker den ökade risken i ett bostadsområde är territorialiteten. Genom att främja en ökad territorialitet bland de boende finns det en potential för att öka viljan hos invånarna att försvara

Electrochemical synthesis and physical characterization of ZnO nanoparticles functionalized with four different organic acids, three aromatic (benzoic, nicotinic, and trans-cinnamic acid) and one nonaromatic (formic acid), are reported. The functionalized nanoparticles have been characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV−vis, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The adsorption of the organic acids at ZnO nanoparticles was further analyzed and interpreted using quantum-chemical density-functional theory computations. Successful functionalization of the nanoparticles was confirmed experimentally by the measured splitting of the carboxylic group stretching vibrations as well as by the N(1s) and C(1s) peaks from XPS. From a comparison between computed and experimental IR spectra, a bridging mode adsorption geometry was inferred. PL spectra exhibited a remarkably stronger near band edge emission for nanoparticles functionalized with formic acid as compared to the larger aromatic acids. From the quantum-chemical computations, this was interpreted to be due to the absence of aromatic adsorbate or surface states in the band gap of ZnO, caused by the formation of a complete monolayer of HCOOH. In the UV−vis spectra, strong charge-transfer transitions were observed.

Zinc oxide is a wide band gap (similar to 3.4ev) semiconductor material, making it a promising material for high temperature applications, such as exhaust and flue environments where NO and NO2 monitoring is increasingly required due to stricter emission controls[1]. In these environments water vapour and background levels of oxygen are present and, as such, the effect of humidity on the sensing characteristics of these materials requires further study. The reaction mechanisms in the presence of water vapour are poorly understood and there is a need for deeper understanding of the principles and mechanisms of gas response of these materials. An investigation of the influence of changing water vapour (H2O) and oxygen (O-2) backgrounds on the response of nanoparticulate Ga-doped ZnO resistive sensors is presented.

Ultrasmall gadolinium oxide nanoparticles doped with terbium ions were synthesized by the polyol route and characterized as a potentially bifunctional material with both fluorescent and magnetic contrast agent properties. The structural, optical, and magnetic properties of the organic-acid-capped and PEGylated Gd2O3:Tb3+ nanocrystals were studied by HR-TEM, XPS, EDX, IR, PL, and SQUID. The luminescent/fluorescent property of the particles is attributable to the Tb3+ ion located on the crystal lattice of the Gd2O3 host. The paramagnetic behavior of the particles is discussed. Pilot studies investigating the capability of the nanoparticles for fluorescent labeling of living cells and as a MRI contrast agent were also performed. Cells of two cell lines (THP-1 cells and fibroblasts) were incubated with the particles, and intracellular particle distribution was visualized by confocal microscopy. The MRI relaxivity of the PEGylated nanoparticles in water at low Gd concentration was assessed showing a higher T-1 relaxation rate compared to conventional Gd-DTPA chelates and comparable to that of undoped Gd2O3 nanoparticles., On the day of the defence date the status of this article was Submitted

An environmental pollutant of great concern is NOx (nitrogen monoxide and nitrogen dioxide). Here we report the utilisation of electrochemically synthesised gold and palladium nanoparticles as catalytically active gate material on gas sensitive field effect sensor devices. The synthesised nanoparticles have been characterised by TEM and XPS, and the morphology of the thermally treated nanostructured sensing layers has been investigated using SEM and XPS. Measurements on the gas response of the palladium as well as the gold nanoparticle sensors towards a number of analytes found in automotive gas exhausts were performed and their response patterns were compared. The initial gas response measurements show interesting sensing properties for both the gold and the palladium nanoparticle sensors towards NOx detection.

There is a demand for more efficient and tissue-specific MRI contrast agents and recent developments involve the design of substances useful as molecular markers and magnetic tracers. In this study, nanoparticles of gadolinium oxide (Gd2O3) have been investigated for cell labeling and capacity to generate a positive contrast. THP-1, a monocytic cell line that is phagocytic, was used and results were compared with relaxivity of particles in cell culture medium (RPMI 1640). The results showed that Gd2O3-labeled cells have shorter T1 and T2 relaxation times compared with untreated cells. A prominent difference in signal intensity was observed, indicating that Gd2O3 nanoparticles can be used as a positive contrast agent for cell labeling. The r1 for cell samples was 4.1 and 3.6 s-1 mm-1 for cell culture medium. The r2 was 17.4 and 12.9 s-1 mm-1, respectively. For r1, there was no significant difference in relaxivity between particles in cells compared to particles in cell culture medium, (pr1 = 0.36), but r2 was significantly different for the two different series (pr2 = 0.02). Viability results indicate that THP-1 cells endure treatment with Gd2O3 nanoparticles for an extended period of time and it is therefore concluded that results in this study are based on viable cells.

Synthesis of very small (about 4 nm) perovskite structured gadolinium orthoferrite nanoparticles (GdFeO3) was performed by the polyol method. The material shows promising relaxivity properties and potential as a contrast agent in magnetic resonance imaging. The perovskite nanoparticles were characterized by x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, magnetic resonance, and magnetization measurements. Upon heating in air at 800 °C for 3 h the size of the crystals increased to about 40 nm. The crystalline structure of the heat treated compound is in good agreement with perovskite GdFeO3 as the primary product. Contributions from various secondary phases were also identified, including one hitherto unknown phase with the suggested composition 'Gd3FeO6' and isostructural with Gd3GaO6. The novel 'Gd3FeO6' phase appears to be kinetically stabilized in the nano state.

Conference proceedings

The size distribution and magnetic properties of ultra-small gadolinium oxide crystals (US-Gd2O3) were studied, and the impact of polyethylene glycol capping on the relaxivity constants (r1, r2) and signal intensity with this contrast agent was investigated. Size distribution and magnetic properties of US-Gd2O3 nanocrystals were measured with a TEM and PPMS magnetometer. For relaxation studies, diethylene glycol (DEG)-capped US-Gd2O3 nanocrystals were reacted with PEG-silane (MW 5000). Suspensions were adequately dialyzed in water to eliminate traces of Gd3+ and surfactants. The particle hydrodynamic radius was measured with dynamic light scattering (DLS) and the proton relaxation times were measured with a 1.5 T MRI scanner. Parallel studies were performed with DEG–Gd2O3 and PEG-silane–SPGO (Gd2O3,< 40 nm diameter). The small and narrow size distribution of US-Gd2O3 was confirmed with TEM (~3 nm) and DLS. PEG-silane–US-Gd2O3 relaxation parameters were twice as high as for Gd–DTPA and the r2/r1 ratio was 1.4. PEG-silane–SPGO gave low r1 relaxivities and high r2/r1 ratios, less compatible with positive contrast agent requirements. Higher r1 were obtained with PEG-silane in comparison to DEG–Gd2O3. Treatment of DEG–US-Gd2O3 with PEG-silane provides enhanced relaxivity while preventing aggregation of the oxide cores. This study confirms that PEG-covered Gd2O3 nanoparticles can be used for positively contrasted MR applications requiring stability, biocompatible coatings and nanocrystal functionalization.

Conference proceedings

Invited talker

Thin films of the perovskite structured Na0.5K0.5NbO3 (NKN) have been synthesized with three different sol–gel methods, viz. the alkoxide method, a modified Pechini method and a somewhat novel oxalate method, based on 2-methoxy ethanol as solvent with oxalic acid and ethylene glycol as chelating ligand and stabilizer. Only one method (the modified Pechini method) gave pure NKN phase while the other two methods gave extra peaks in the X-ray diffraction patterns, indicating that other, unidentified, phases were present. SEM images revealed grain sizes ranging from 100 to 300 nm.

The surface interactions between Y2O3 nanocrystals and the organic molecules formic acid, diethylene glycol (DEG), and tetramethoxy silane (TMOS), have been studied experimentally and by quantum chemical calculations with the intent to elucidate the chemisorption characteristics such as adsorbate vibrational spectra and adsorption structures. Nanocrystal synthesis was performed by a colloidal method based on polyols and by a rapid combustion method. The products were experimentally characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). In the quantum chemical calculations, the B3LYP hybrid density functional ab initio method was used to study the chemisorption of formic acid, DEG and TMOS at the surface of Y12O18 clusters. From a comparison of calculated and experimental vibrational spectra, the binding mode for formic acid on Y2O3 was inferred to be of bridge or bidentate type. The XPS and FT-IR experiments showed that DEG is chemisorbed on the particle surface. The experimental IR spectra of DEG chemisorbed on Y2O3 were consistent with an adsorption mode where the hydroxyl groups are deprotonated according to the quantum-chemical computations. The adsorption energy is of the order of 370 kJ mol−1 for formic acid, 550 kJ mol−1 for DEG, and 60 kJ mol−1 for TMOS, according to the quantum chemical calculations.

Nanocrystals of Gd2O3 have been prepared by various methods, using, e.g., trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO), diethylene glycol (DEG) or glycine. The crystalline particles were of sizes 5 to 15 nm. Different carboxylic acids, e.g., oleic acid or citric acid, were adsorbed onto the surface of the particles made with DEG. IR measurements show that the molecules coordinate to the Gd2O3 surface via the carboxylate group in a bidentate or bridging manner. The organic-acid/particle complexes were characterised by XRPD, TEM, FTIR, Raman, and XPS.

Thin films of (Na,K)NbOx (NKN) were grown by reactive RF magnetron sputtering on polycrystalline Pt80Ir20 substrates, at relatively low growth temperatures between 300°C and 450°C. The results show that the electrical performance and the microstructure of the films are a strong function of the substrate temperature. X-ray diffraction of films grown up to 400°C revealed the formation of only one crystalline NKN-phase with a preferred (0 0 2)-orientation. However, a mixed orientation together with a secondary, paraelectric potassium niobate phase, were observed for NKN films deposited at 450°C. The differences in the microstructure explains the variations in the dielectric constants and losses: The single phase NKN films displayed a dielectric constant and a dielectric loss of 506 and 0.011, respectively, while the films with mixed phases exhibited values of 475 and 0.022, respectively. The possibility of fabricating NKN films with relatively high dielectric properties at low growth temperatures, as demonstrated here, is of high technological importance.

Conference proceedings

(a) Thin films of the perovskite structured Na0.5K0.5NbO3 (NKN) have been synthesised with several different sol-gel methods. Only one method gave pure NKN phase while the other methods gave extra peaks in the x-ray diffraction patterns, indicating that other, unidentified, phases were present. Scanning electron microscopy revealed grain sizes ranging from about 50 to 300 nm. The films prepared by chemical methods are compared with sputtered thin films. (b) Nanocrystals of Gd2O3 have been prepared by various methods, using e.g. trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO), diethylene glycol (DEG). The crystalline particles were of sizes 5 to 15 nm. Onto the surface of the particles, made with DEG, different carboxylic acids e.g. oleic acid or citric acid etc, were adsorbed. From IR measurements the bonding to the surface is recognised as chemisorbed via the carboxylate group in a bidentate or bridging fashion, with preference for the bridging coordination. The organic acid-particle complexes were characterised by XRPD, TEM, FTIR, Raman and XPS.