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Nanomaterials
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Functional Inorganic Nanomaterials
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Functional Inorganic Nanomaterials

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Synthesis, Interfaces and Nanostructures".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2021) | Viewed by 24227

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Julio Ramirez-Castellanos

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical Sciences, University Complutense Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: functional inorganic materials; nanomaterials; electron mycroscopy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Motivated by the rise of functional materials, research in different types of materials such as nanoparticles (0D), threads (1D) or two-dimensional materials (2D) has been growing in recent years. The reduced dimensionality results in the appearance of new physical and chemical properties, such as superparamagnetism in nanoparticles or new luminescent properties, which are of great interest from the point of view of applications. These nanomaterials are increasingly essential constituents in electronic devices, lasers, Li-ion batteries or sensors.

Within the field of nanomaterials, the nanostructures of semiconductor metal oxides are especially relevant. Their applications are based on two structural characteristics: the presence of cations with different states of valence and a variable oxygen deficiency due to the existence of anionic vacancies. The control of these aspects allows modification of the chemical and physical properties of the material, facilitating its integration into devices. Among these oxides, α-Fe2O3 (hematite), Cr2O3, b-Ga2O3, MoO3 or the homologous series ZnkIn2Ok+3 are good examples.

 Moreover, it has been shown that the combination of such oxides with allotropic forms of carbon and their derivatives (graphene, graphite, graphene oxide, etc.), gives rise to a family of composite materials with very promising applications. Specifically, they favor photocatalytic activity, increase the efficiency of solar cells, and increase the cyclability and capacity of Li-ion batteries, with respect to electrode performances that only include isolated nanoparticles. For the proper advance in this area, it is necessary to use new techniques that allow the morphology, particle size, and properties of these nanostructures to be analyzed on a reduced scale. In addition, it is essential to develop new methods of synthesis, which permits you to obtain functional nanomaterials in a controlled and reproducible manner.

Therefore, I invite all researchers in this field to participate with their latest results as well as review articles in the upcoming Special Issue, in order to contribute to the development of knowledge and development of nanomaterials of the future.

Dr. Julio Ramire-Castellanos
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. Nanomaterials 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 2900 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

  • functional nanooxides
  • transparent semiconductors
  • chemical synthesis
  • structural characterization
  • transmission electron microscopy
  • diffraction of electrons
  • x-rays

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 2445 KiB  
Article
In Situ Local Oxidation of SnO Induced by Laser Irradiation: A Stability Study
by Antonio Vázquez-López, David Maestre, Julio Ramírez-Castellanos and Ana Cremades
Nanomaterials 2021, 11(4), 976; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11040976 - 10 Apr 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2139
Abstract
In this work, semiconductor tin oxide (II) (SnO) nanoparticles and plates were synthesized at room conditions via a hydrolysis procedure. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed the high crystallinity of the as-synthesized romarchite SnO nanoparticles with dimensions ranging from 5 [...] Read more.
In this work, semiconductor tin oxide (II) (SnO) nanoparticles and plates were synthesized at room conditions via a hydrolysis procedure. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed the high crystallinity of the as-synthesized romarchite SnO nanoparticles with dimensions ranging from 5 to 16 nm. The stability of the initial SnO and the controlled oxidation to SnO2 was studied based on either thermal treatments or controlled laser irradiation using a UV and a red laser in a confocal microscope. Thermal treatments induced the oxidation from SnO to SnO2 without formation of intermediate SnOx, as confirmed by thermodiffraction measurements, while by using UV or red laser irradiation the transition from SnO to SnO2 was controlled, assisted by formation of intermediate Sn3O4, as confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. Photoluminescence and Raman spectroscopy as a function of the laser excitation source, the laser power density, and the irradiation duration were analyzed in order to gain insights in the formation of SnO2 from SnO. Finally, a tailored spatial SnO/SnO2 micropatterning was achieved by controlled laser irradiation with potential applicability in optoelectronics and sensing devices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Inorganic Nanomaterials)
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13 pages, 3078 KiB  
Article
Towards Control of the Size, Composition and Surface Area of NiO Nanostructures by Sn Doping
by María Taeño, David Maestre, Julio Ramírez-Castellanos, Shaohui Li, Pooi See Lee and Ana Cremades
Nanomaterials 2021, 11(2), 444; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11020444 - 10 Feb 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2561
Abstract
Achieving nanostructures with high surface area is one of the most challenging tasks as this metric usually plays a key role in technological applications, such as energy storage, gas sensing or photocatalysis, fields in which NiO is gaining increasing attention recently. Furthermore, the [...] Read more.
Achieving nanostructures with high surface area is one of the most challenging tasks as this metric usually plays a key role in technological applications, such as energy storage, gas sensing or photocatalysis, fields in which NiO is gaining increasing attention recently. Furthermore, the advent of modern NiO-based devices can take advantage of a deeper knowledge of the doping process in NiO, and the fabrication of p-n heterojunctions. By controlling experimental conditions such as dopant concentration, reaction time, temperature or pH, NiO morphology and doping mechanisms can be modulated. In this work, undoped and Sn doped nanoparticles and NiO/SnO2 nanostructures with high surface areas were obtained as a result of Sn incorporation. We demonstrate that Sn incorporation leads to the formation of nanosticks morphology, not previously observed for undoped NiO, promoting p-n heterostructures. Consequently, a surface area value around 340 m2/g was obtained for NiO nanoparticles with 4.7 at.% of Sn, which is nearly nine times higher than that of undoped NiO. The presence of Sn with different oxidation states and variable Ni3+/Ni2+ ratio as a function of the Sn content were also verified by XPS, suggesting a combination of two charge compensation mechanisms (electronic and ionic) for the substitution of Ni2+ by Sn4+. These results make Sn doped NiO nanostructures a potential candidate for a high number of technological applications, in which implementations can be achieved in the form of NiO–SnO2 p-n heterostructures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Inorganic Nanomaterials)
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11 pages, 44905 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of the Nanodomain Structure in In-Zn-O Transparent Conductors
by Javier García-Fernández, Almudena Torres-Pardo, Julio Ramírez-Castellanos, Marta D. Rossell and José M. González-Calbet
Nanomaterials 2021, 11(1), 198; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11010198 - 14 Jan 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1625
Abstract
The optimization of novel transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) implies a better understanding of the role that the dopant plays on the optoelectronic properties of these materials. In this work, we perform a systematic study of the homologous series ZnkIn2O [...] Read more.
The optimization of novel transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) implies a better understanding of the role that the dopant plays on the optoelectronic properties of these materials. In this work, we perform a systematic study of the homologous series ZnkIn2Ok+3 (IZO) by characterizing the specific location of indium in the structure that leads to a nanodomain framework to release structural strain. Through a systematic study of different terms of the series, we have been able to observe the influence of the k value in the nano-structural features of this homologous series. The stabilization and visualization of the structural modulation as a function of k is discussed, even in the lowest term of the series (k = 3). The strain fields and atomic displacements in the wurtzite structure as a consequence of the introduction of In3+ are evaluated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Inorganic Nanomaterials)
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15 pages, 4272 KiB  
Article
Synthesis and Studies of Electro-Deposited Yttrium Arsenic Selenide Nanofilms for Opto-Electronic Applications
by Chawki Awada, Goodfriend M. Whyte, Peter O. Offor, Favour U. Whyte, Mohammed Benali Kanoun, Souraya Goumri-Said, Adil Alshoaibi, Azubike B. C. Ekwealor, Malik Maaza and Fabian I. Ezema
Nanomaterials 2020, 10(8), 1557; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10081557 - 08 Aug 2020
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2998
Abstract
Nanocomposite films grown by incorporating varying concentrations of Yttrium, a d-block rare-earth ion, into the binary chalcogenide Arsenic selenide host matrix is here presented. Films were grown via the wet-chemical electro-deposition technique and characterized for structural, optical, surface morphology, and photoluminescence (PL) properties. [...] Read more.
Nanocomposite films grown by incorporating varying concentrations of Yttrium, a d-block rare-earth ion, into the binary chalcogenide Arsenic selenide host matrix is here presented. Films were grown via the wet-chemical electro-deposition technique and characterized for structural, optical, surface morphology, and photoluminescence (PL) properties. The X-ray Diffraction (XRD) result of the host matrix (pristine film) showed films of monoclinic structure with an average grain size of 36.2 nm. The composite films, on the other hand, had both cubic YAs and tetragonal YSe structures with average size within 36.5–46.8 nm. The fairly homogeneous nano-sized films are shown by the Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) micrographs while the two phases of the composite films present in the XRD patterns were confirmed by the Raman shifts due to the cleavage of the As-Se host matrix and formation of new structural units. The refractive index peaked at 2.63 within 350–600 nm. The bandgap energy lies in the range of 3.84–3.95 eV with a slight decrease with increasing Y addition; while the PL spectra depict emission bands across the Vis-NIR spectral regions. Theoretically, the density functional theory (DFT) simulations provided insight into the changes induced in the structure, bonding, and electronic properties. Besides reducing the bandgap of the As2Se3, the yttrium addition has induced a lone pair p-states of Se contributing nearby to Fermi energy level. The optical constants, and structural and electronic features of the films obtained present suitable features of film for IR applications as well as in optoelectronics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Inorganic Nanomaterials)
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15 pages, 3227 KiB  
Article
Effect of Synthesis Temperature on the Size of ZnO Nanoparticles Derived from Pineapple Peel Extract and Antibacterial Activity of ZnO–Starch Nanocomposite Films
by Hasbullah Hassan Basri, Rosnita A. Talib, Rashidah Sukor, Siti Hajar Othman and Hidayah Ariffin
Nanomaterials 2020, 10(6), 1061; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10061061 - 30 May 2020
Cited by 63 | Viewed by 6011
Abstract
This research investigated the effect of synthesis temperature on the size and shape of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized using pineapple peel waste and antibacterial activity of ZnO NPs in starch films. Zinc oxide NPs synthesized at different temperatures were characterized by [...] Read more.
This research investigated the effect of synthesis temperature on the size and shape of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized using pineapple peel waste and antibacterial activity of ZnO NPs in starch films. Zinc oxide NPs synthesized at different temperatures were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Micrographs of ZnO NPs synthesized at 28 and 60 °C showed that synthesis temperature affected the sizes and shapes of ZnO NPs. The non-heated (28 °C) condition resulted in NPs with diameters in the range of 8–45 nm with a mixture of spherical and rod shapes, whereas the heated (60 °C) condition led to NPs with diameters in the range of 73–123 nm with flower rod shapes. The ZnO–starch nanocomposite films incorporated with 1, 3, and 5 wt.% ZnO NPs were prepared via a film casting method. The antibacterial activity of the films against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria was investigated using the disc diffusion method. The results showed an increase in the inhibition zone for Gram-positive bacteria, particularly Bacillus subtilis, when the concentration of ZnO NPs incorporated in the film was increased from 1 to 5 wt.%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Inorganic Nanomaterials)
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20 pages, 5873 KiB  
Article
Cerium Dioxide Nanoparticles as Smart Carriers for Self-Healing Coatings
by Sehrish Habib, Eman Fayyad, Muddasir Nawaz, Adnan Khan, Rana A. Shakoor, Ramazan Kahraman and Aboubakr Abdullah
Nanomaterials 2020, 10(4), 791; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10040791 - 20 Apr 2020
Cited by 46 | Viewed by 4772
Abstract
The utilization of self-healing cerium dioxide nanoparticles (CeO2), modified with organic corrosion inhibitors (dodecylamine (DDA) and n-methylthiourea (NMTU)), in epoxy coating is an efficient strategy for enhancing the protection of the epoxy coating and increasing its lifetime. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) [...] Read more.
The utilization of self-healing cerium dioxide nanoparticles (CeO2), modified with organic corrosion inhibitors (dodecylamine (DDA) and n-methylthiourea (NMTU)), in epoxy coating is an efficient strategy for enhancing the protection of the epoxy coating and increasing its lifetime. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis was used to confirm the loading and presence of inhibitors in the nanoparticles. Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) measurement studies revealed the amount of 25% and 29.75% w/w for NMTU and DDA in the nanoparticles, respectively. The pH sensitive and self-release behavior of modified CeO2 nanoparticles is confirmed through UV-vis spectroscopy and Zeta potential. It was observed, through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), that a protective layer had been formed on the defect site separating the steel surface from the external environment and healed the artificially created scratch. This protective film played a vital role in the corrosion inhibition of steel by preventing the aggressiveness of Cl− in the solution. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements exhibited the exceptional corrosion inhibition efficiency, reaching 99.8% and 95.7% for the modified coating with DDA and NMTU, respectively, after five days of immersion time. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Inorganic Nanomaterials)
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14 pages, 4613 KiB  
Article
TiO2 Passivation Layer on ZnO Hollow Microspheres for Quantum Dots Sensitized Solar Cells with Improved Light Harvesting and Electron Collection
by Zhen Li, Libo Yu, Hao Wang, Huiwen Yang and Huan Ma
Nanomaterials 2020, 10(4), 631; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10040631 - 28 Mar 2020
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 3083
Abstract
Light harvesting and electron recombination are essential factors that influence photovoltaic performance of quantum dots sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs). ZnO hollow microspheres (HMS) as architectures in QDSSCs are beneficial in improving light scattering, facilitating the enhancement of light harvesting efficiency. However, this advantage [...] Read more.
Light harvesting and electron recombination are essential factors that influence photovoltaic performance of quantum dots sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs). ZnO hollow microspheres (HMS) as architectures in QDSSCs are beneficial in improving light scattering, facilitating the enhancement of light harvesting efficiency. However, this advantage is greatly weakened by defects located at the surface of ZnO HMS. Therefore, we prepared a composite hollow microsphere structure consisting of ZnO HMS coated by TiO2 layer that is obtained by immersing ZnO HMS architectures in TiCl4 aqueous solution. This TiO2-passivated ZnO HMS architecture is designed to yield good light harvesting, reduced charge recombination, and longer electron lifetime. As a result, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of QDSSC reaches to 3.16% with an optimal thickness of TiO2 passivation layer, which is much higher when compared to 1.54% for QDSSC based on bare ZnO HMS. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Inorganic Nanomaterials)
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