• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.61 no.2
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• pp.287-295
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• 2023

Iron nanoparticles (Fe-NPs) were synthesized employing Lagenaria siceraria (LS) leaf aqueous extract as a reducing and capping medium to remove methylene blue (MB) dye and have antibacterial properties against G-negative (Escherichia coli) and G-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus). The formation of LS-Fe-NPs (Lagenaria-siceraria-iron-nanoparticles) was confirmed by a change in color from pale yellow to dark brown. Characterization techniques, such as particle size analysis (PSA), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), were employed to prove nano spherical particles of size range between 80-100 nm. Phytochemicals and the presence of iron in LS-Fe-NPs nanoparticles were proved by UV-visible spectrophotometry. Further, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis results confirmed the existence of bioactive molecules in the plants. The magnetic property was analyzed using a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), which displayed that the synthesized nanoparticles were superparamagnetic and exhibiting a saturation magnetization of 12.5 emu/g. Synthesized magnetic nanoparticles were used in methylene blue (MB) dye removal through adsorption. About 83% of 100 mg/L MB dye was removed within 120 min at pH 6 with a maximum adsorption capacity of 246.8 mg/g. Antibacterial efficacy of LS-Fe-NPs was screened against G-negative (Escherichia coli) and G-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus), respectively, and found that LS-Fe-NPs were effective against Staphylococcus aureus.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.295-304
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• 2023

In this paper, a powerful photocatalyst based on carbon nanocomposite is developed in order to obtain a new material applicable in water treatment and especially for the discoloration of effluents used in the textile industry. For that, TiO₂-graphene nanocomposites have been successfully synthesized by a mixture of Functionalized Graphene Sheet (FGS) and tetrachlorotitanium complexes to form FGS-TiO₂ nanocomposite. In the presence of an anionic surfactant, we used a new chemical process to functionalize graphene sheets in order to make them an excellent medium for blocking and preventing the aggregation of TiO₂ nanoparticles. The components of these nanocomposites are characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), which confirms the successful formation of the FGS-TiO₂ nanocomposite. It was found that the TiO₂ nanoparticles were dispersed uniformly on the graphene plane which possesses better charge separation capability than pure TiO₂. The FGS-TiO₂ nanocomposites exhibited higher photocatalytic activity compared to pure TiO₂ for the removal of three dyes: such as Methylene Blue (MB), Bromophenol Blue (BB) and Alizarin Red-S (AR) in water. The removal process was fast and more efficient with FGS-TiO₂ nanocomposite in daylight (in the absence of UV irradiation) compared to pure TiO₂ nanoparticles without and under UV in all pH range.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.108-115
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• 2009

The superlattice infrared photodetector (SLIP) with an active layer of 8/8-ML InAs/GaSb type-II strained-layer superlattice (SLS) of 150 periods was grown by MBE technique, and the proto-type discrete device was defined with an aperture of $200-{\mu}m$ diameter. The contrast profile of the transmission electron microscope (TEM) image and the satellite peak in the x-ray diffraction (XRD) rocking curve show that the SLS active layer keeps abrupt interfaces with a uniform thickness and a periodic strain. The wavelength and the bias-voltage dependences of responsivity (R) and detectivity ($D^*$) measured by a blackbody radiation source give that the cutoff wavelength is ${\sim}5{\mu}m$, and the maximum Rand $D^*$ ($\lambda=3.25{\mu}m$) are ${\sim}10^3mA/W$ (-0.6 V/13 K) and ${\sim}10^9cm.Hz^{1/2}/W$ (0 V/13 K), respectively. The activation energy of 275 meV analyzed from the temperature dependent responsivity is in good agreement with the energy difference between two SLS subblevels of conduction and valence bands (HH1-C) involving in the photoresponse process.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.464-470
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• 2009

For the investigation of the oxidation behavior for titanium metal at various temperatures, titanium specimens were heated for 2 hours in the range of $300{\sim}1000^{\circ}C$, individually. And then X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopic analyses were carried out. At $300^{\circ}C$, infrared absorption bands on the surface of the titanium specimen were shown in a spectrum by the oxygen uptake of titanium metal(hexagonal). At increased temperature, not only infrared absorption bands but also X-ray diffraction peaks for the titanium oxide were grown and shifted to low wave number ($cm^{-1}$) and angle($^{\circ}$) due to the more oxygen diffusion into titanium metal. At $700^{\circ}C$, $Ti_3O$ (hexagonal phase) was identified by X-ray diffractometer. $TiO_2$ (rutile, tetragonal phase) layer was produced on the surface of the specimen below $1{\mu}m$ in thickness at $600^{\circ}C$, and grown about $2{\mu}m$ at $700^{\circ}C$ and with $110{\mu}m$ in thickness at $1000^{\circ}C$. Above $900^{\circ}C$, (110) plane of the crystal on the surface of rutile-$TiO_2$ layer was grown.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.95-102
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• 2008

The $\alpha$,$omega$-diacrylate poly(dimethylsiloxane) (DA-PDMS) containing vinyl ester of versatic acid/vinyl acetate (Veova-10/VAc) was prepared by emulsion copolymerization of (DA-PDMS), Veova-10 (with VAc), and auxiliary agents at $85^{\circ}C$ in the presence of ammonium peroxodisulfate (APS) as an initiator. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and nonylphenol ethylene oxide-40 units (NP-40) were used as anionic and nonionic emulsifiers, respectively. The resulting copolymers were characterized by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Thermal properties of the copolymers were studied by using thermogravimetric analysis(TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The morphology of copolymers was also investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and then the effects of variables such as temperature, agitation speed, surfactant kinds, molecular weights, initiator, and DA-PDMS concentrations on the properties of the silicone-containing Veova-10/VAc emulsions were examined. The calculation of monomer conversion versus time histories indicates that by increasing the DA-PDMS concentration the polymerization rate and the number of polymer particles decrease, respectively.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.1669-1674
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• 2012

A novel superabsorbent composite was prepared by intercalation polymerization of acrylic acid (AA) and 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propane sulfonic acid (AMPS) in the presence of montmorillonite (MMT), using ammonium persulfate (APS) as an initiator and $N,N'$-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as a cross linker. The superabsorbent composite was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Maximum absorbency of the composite in distilled water and 0.9% sodium chloride solution was 722 and 108 g/g, respectively. The composite was used for removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions. Maximum amount of adsorption for $Ni^{2+}$, $Cu^{2+}$ and $Pb^{2+}$ was 211.0, 159.6 and 1646.0 mg/g, respectively, and the adsorption was in accordance with both Langmuir and Freundlich model. The composite could be regenerated and reused in wastewater treatment.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.127-134
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• 2016

A series of Ce-doped ZnO (Ce/ZnO) nanostructures were fabricated using the co-precipitation method, then a simply nontoxic hydrothermal approach was proposed for preparation of reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-Ce/ZnO composites. The synthesized composites were investigated by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) techniques and Raman pattern. The as-synthesized rGO-Ce/ZnO composites showed high photodecomposition efficiency in comparison with the rGO-ZnO, Ce/ZnO, pure ZnO under UV, visible-light and sunlight irradiation. The degradation of methylene blue (MB) (10 mg/L, 100ml) by 95.8% within 60 min by using rGO-2 (10 mg) under sunlight irradiation was observed. The repeated use of the rGO-2 was investigated, and the results showed almost no decay in the catalytic activity.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.71-82
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• 2013

A simple chemical precipitation technique is reported for the synthesis of a hybrid nanostructure of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) and titania ($TiO_2$) nanocrystals of average size 5 nm, which may be useful as a prominent photocatalytic material with improved functionality. The synthesized hybrid structure has been characterized by transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), powder X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy. It is clearly revealed that nearly monodispersed titania nanocrystals (anatase phase) of average size 5 nm decorate the surfaces of SWCNT bundles. The UV-vis absorption study shows a blue shift of 16 nm in the absorbance peak position of the composite material compared to the unmodified SWCNTs. The photoluminescence study shows a violet-blue emission in the range of 325-500 nm with a peak emission at 400 nm. The low temperature electrical transport property of the synthesized nanomaterial has been studied between 77-300 K. The DC conductivity shows semiconductor-like characteristics with conductivity increasing sharply with temperature in the range of 175-300 K. Such nanocomposites may find wide applications as improved photocatalyst due to transfer of photo-ejected electrons from $TiO_2$ to SWCNT, thus reducing recombination, with the SWCNT scaffold providing a firm and better positioning of the catalytic material.

• Carbon letters
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.138-142
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• 2011

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) composites with various graphite oxide (GO) contents (0 to 10 wt%) were prepared by sonicating the mixture of PVA and GO, followed by crosslinking with glutaraldehyde. GO was pre-treated with oxyfluorination ($O_2:F_2$ = 8:2) in order to modify the surface of GO to allow it to carry hydrophilic functional groups. PVA/GO composite hydrogels were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer (FT-IR). The morphology of the PVA/GO composite hydrogels and the variations in soluble gel portion were investigated under various GO contents and UV irradiation doses. The variation in the chemical structure of photo degraded PVA/GO composite hydrogels was studied by FT-IR. The photochemical stability of PVA/GO composite hydrogels under UV irradiation was found to improve noticeably with increasing content of uniformly dispersed GO.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.393-397
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• 2012

We report a new route to synthesize high quality zinc blende CdS and ZnS nanocrystals in noncoordinating solvent 1-octadecene, using dodecanethiol (DDT) molecules as both the sulfur source and surface capping ligands. Different reaction temperatures and Cd(Zn)/DDT molar ratios were tested to optimize the synthesis conditions. Absorption photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to characterize assynthesized nanocrystals. The narrow half width at the half-maximum on the long wavelength side of the firstexcitonic absorption peak and TEM images demonstrated nearly monodisperse size distributions of asprepared CdS, ZnS, and CdS/ZnS core/shell nanocrystals. Only trap emissions of the nanocrystals were detected when the amount of DDT was excessive, this came from the strong quenching effect of thiol groups on the nanocrystal surfaces. After overcoating with ZnS shells, band-gap emissions of CdS nanocrystals were partially recovered.