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Applied Sciences
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Towards Ideal Nanomaterials
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Towards Ideal Nanomaterials

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanotechnology and Applied Nanosciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2021) | Viewed by 8565

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Victor M. Burlakov

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Linacre College, Oxford University, St Cross Road, Oxford OX1 3JA, UK
Interests: phase transformations and phase equilibria; nanoscience; exciton and charge transport; photovoltaics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Various nanostructures and nanoparticles are widely used in numerous applications ranging from surface chemistry and photochemistry (catalysis, pyrolysis, photolysis) to electronics, photoelectronics and photovoltaics. The functional properties of these nanomaterials are often determined by the degree of similarity of their elements, e.g., how narrow is the size distribution of nanoparticles or other active nanoobjects. Generating monodisperse ensembles of nanoobjects is therefore an extremely important, though and challenging task. The process opposing generation and stability of such an ‘ideal nanomaterial’ is coarsening, or Ostwald ripening. This process, forcing a nanosystem towards the minimum of its surface energy, results in broadening of the size distribution of its constituent ‘similar’ objects. Fabrication routes for nanomaterials with a narrow size distribution of similar nanoobjects, ways of inhibiting the coarsening process, theoretical studies of coarsening in nanosystems are the topics of immediate interest to this Special Issue.

Dr. Victor M. Burlakov
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • monodisperse nanoparticles
  • periodic surface nanostructures
  • fabrication and storage
  • theory and modelling of coarsening and stability

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

7 pages, 817 KiB  
Article
Ligand-Assisted Growth of Nanowires from Solution
by Victor M. Burlakov and Alain Goriely
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(16), 7641; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app11167641 - 20 Aug 2021
Viewed by 1136
Abstract
We consider the development of ligand-assisted growth processes for generating shape-anisotropic nanomaterials. Using statistical mechanics, we analyze the conditions under which ligand-assisted growth of shape-anisotropic crystalline nanomaterials from solution can take place. Depending on ligand-facet interaction energy and crystal facet area, molecular ligands [...] Read more.
We consider the development of ligand-assisted growth processes for generating shape-anisotropic nanomaterials. Using statistical mechanics, we analyze the conditions under which ligand-assisted growth of shape-anisotropic crystalline nanomaterials from solution can take place. Depending on ligand-facet interaction energy and crystal facet area, molecular ligands can form compact layers on some facets leaving other facets free. The growth process is then restricted to free facets and may result in significant anisotropy in crystal shape. Our study uncovers the conditions for ligand-assisted growth of nanoplatelets and nanowires from isotropic or anisotropic seed nanocrystals of cuboid shape. We show that in contrast to nanoplatelets, ligand-assisted growth of nanowires requires certain anisotropy in the ligand-facet interaction energy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Towards Ideal Nanomaterials)
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13 pages, 5064 KiB  
Article
Ag-Nanowire Bundles with Gap Hot Spots Synthesized in Track-Etched Membranes as Effective SERS-Substrates
by Elizaveta P. Kozhina, Sergey A. Bedin, Natalia L. Nechaeva, Sergey N. Podoynitsyn, Vladimir P. Tarakanov, Stepan N. Andreev, Yuriy V. Grigoriev and Andrey V. Naumov
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(4), 1375; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app11041375 - 03 Feb 2021
Cited by 30 | Viewed by 4324
Abstract
This paper presents a cost-effective approach for the template-assisted electrodeposition fabrication of substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) with metal nanowires (NWs) grown in pores of polymer track-etched membranes (TM). This technique allows the synthesis of NWs array with its certain surface density [...] Read more.
This paper presents a cost-effective approach for the template-assisted electrodeposition fabrication of substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) with metal nanowires (NWs) grown in pores of polymer track-etched membranes (TM). This technique allows the synthesis of NWs array with its certain surface density and diameter (from dozen to hundreds of nm). NWs length also may be varied (order of μm) by controlling deposition time. Here we grow vertical Ag-NWs which are leaning towards their nearest neighbors, forming self-assembled bundles whose parameters depend on the NW aspect ratio (length to diameter). We show that in such bundles there are “hot spots” in the nm-gaps between NWs tips. Computer simulations have demonstrated a strong enhancement of the electric field within these hot spots; thus, the Raman signal is markedly amplified for analyte molecules placed directly inside the gaps. We have experimentally proved the potential of this SERS-technique on the example of 4-Mercaptophenylboronic acid (4-MPBA). For 4-MPBA the maximal enhancement of Raman signal was found at NWs length of ~1.6 μm and diameter of ~100 nm. The effect is higher (up to twice) if “wet” substrate is used just immediately after the TM polymer removal so that the tips are brought to lean after analyte exposure. We suggest this new type of nanostructured SERS-substrates as a base of effective sensing of extremely low concentration of analytes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Towards Ideal Nanomaterials)
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11 pages, 899 KiB  
Article
Reverse Coarsening and the Control of Particle Size Distribution through Surfactant
by Victor M. Burlakov and Alain Goriely
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(15), 5359; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app10155359 - 03 Aug 2020
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2483
Abstract
The minimization of surface area, as a result of the minimization of (positive) surface energy, is a well-known driving force behind the spontaneous broadening of (nano) particle size distribution. We show that surfactant molecules binding to particle surfaces effectively decrease the surface energy [...] Read more.
The minimization of surface area, as a result of the minimization of (positive) surface energy, is a well-known driving force behind the spontaneous broadening of (nano) particle size distribution. We show that surfactant molecules binding to particle surfaces effectively decrease the surface energy and may change its sign. In this case, contrary to the expected broadening behavior, a minimum of free energy is achieved at the maximum surface area for all particles, i.e., when the particles are identical. Numerical simulations based on the classical Lifshitz–Slyozov–Wagner theory with surfactant-induced surface energy renormalization confirm the collapse of the particle size distribution. As the particle size evolution is much slower than particle nucleation and growth, the manipulation of surface energy with in-situ replacement of surfactant molecules provides a method for controlling particle size distribution with great potential for creating mono-disperse nanoparticles, a key goal of nanotechnology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Towards Ideal Nanomaterials)
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