Bi-phasic photocatalyic particles have been prepared in the form of Janus-like structures (bi-phasic materials with two distinct properties on opposing sides of the particle) using a new synthetic procedure consisting of the sequential layer depositions of semiconductor oxide materials onto soluble substrates. A number of different systems have to date been investigated with an aim of photocata...

While nanocatalysis is a very active field, there have been very few studies in the size/shape-dependent catalytic properties of transition metals from a thermodynamical approach. Transition metal nanoparticles are very attractive due their high surface to volume ratio and their high surface energy. In particular, in this paper we focus on the Pt-Pd catalyst which is an important system in cata...

Paper-based lateral flow immunoassays (LFIAs) are one of the most widely used point-of-care (PoC) devices; however, their application in early disease diagnostics is often limited due to insufficient sensitivity for the requisite sample sizes and the short time frames of PoC testing. To address this, we developed a serum-stable, nanoparticle catalyst-labeled LFIA with a sensitivity surpassing t...

The relationship between the structural properties, such as the size and the shape, of a catalytic nanoparticle and its reactivity is a key concept in (electro)catalysis. Current understanding of this relationship is mainly derived from studies involving large ensembles of nanoparticles (NPs). However, the results necessarily reflect the average catalytic behavior of an ensemble, even though th...

Cost reduction and improved durability are the two major targets for accelerating the commercialization of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEFCs). To achieve these goals, the development of a novel method to fabricate platinum (Pt)-based electrocatalysts with a high mass activity, deposited on durable conductive support materials, is necessary. In this study, we describe a facile appro...

Conventional photocatalysts are primarily stimulated using ultraviolet (UV) light to elicit reactive oxygen species and have wide applications in environmental and energy fields, including self-cleaning surfaces and sterilization. Because UV illumination is hazardous to humans, visible light-responsive photocatalysts (VLRPs) were discovered and are now applied to increase photocatalysis. Howeve...

The Langmuir-Blodgett technique was utilized and optimized to produce closed monolayers of cobalt-platinum nanoparticles over vast areas. It is shown that sample preparation, "dipping angle", and subphase type have a strong impact on the quality of the produced films. The amount of ligands on the nanoparticle's surface must be minimized, the dipping angle must be around 105 degrees , while the ...

The extensive physiological and regulatory roles of nitric oxide (NO) have spurred the development of NO sensors, which are of critical importance in neuroscience and various medical applications. The development of electrochemical NO sensors is of significant importance, and has garnered a tremendous amount of attention due to their high sensitivity and selectivity, rapid response, low cost, m...

heating which are conducive to homogenous nucleation and a shorter crystallization time [14]-[16]; factors which are generally believed to be the prerequisite to the formation of monodisperse nanoparticles. Furthermore, microwave heating has also been found to increase reaction kinetics by one to two orders of magnitude [16]-[18]. Thus microwave assisted synthesis could pave way for the prepara...

Microwave irradiation was employed for spherical-shaped platinum nanoparticle (Pt NPs) preparation. Spherical Pt NPs indexed with (111) facets were prepared using Pt(II) precursor salt, glycerol as solvent and reducing agent, and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as a shape directer under microwave irradiation for 3-5 min at 300 °C. Electron spin resonance (ESR) peak at 336.000 mT (milli Tesla) confir...