• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.75-82
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• 2008

In this study, the photocatalysed degradation of safranin-O was investigated using Au colloids. Au metal nanoparticle wasused to eliminate safranin-O fast in solution. Au nanoparticles were prepared reduction method using $Na_2CO_3$ and PVP in aqueous solution. The degradation of safranin-O was examined using a variety of condition such as concentration of Au colloid or Au salt, reaction pH, and reaction time in the presence of UV light and $H_2O_2$. As the concentration of Au colloid increases, the rate of dye degradation increases. The photo-oxidation of the safranin-O was monitored spectrophotometrically. The properties of Au nanoparticles were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy. In addition, catalytic capacities of Au nanoparticles were also determined by UV-Vis spectroscopy.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.97-102
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• 2015

The waste of sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets was recycled using the method of dopingPrNd nanoparticles. The effect of PrNd nanoparticle doping on the magnetic properties of the regenerated magnets has been studied. As the content of the PrNd nanoparticles increases, the coercivity increases monotonically, whereas both the remanence and the maximum energy products reach the maximum values for 4 wt% PrNd doping. Microstructural observation reveals that the appropriate addition of PrNd nanoparticles improves the magnetic properties and refines the grain. Domain investigation shows that the self-pinning effect of the rare earth (Re)-rich phase is enhanced by PrNd nano-particle doping. Compared to the magnet with 4 wt% PrNd alloy prepared using the dual-alloy method, the regenerated magnet doped with the same number of PrNd nanoparticles exhibits better magnetic properties and a more homogeneous microstructure. Therefore, it is concluded that PrNd nanoparticle doping is an efficient method for recycling the leftover scraps of Nd-Fe-B magnets.

• Journal of the Korean Physical Society
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• v.73 no.10
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• pp.1444-1451
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• 2018

The surface-to-volume ratio of one-dimensional (1D) semiconductor metal-oxide sensors is an important factor for achieving good gas sensing properties because it offers a wide response area. To exploit this effect, in this study, we determined the optimal calcination temperature to maximize the specific surface area and thereby the sensitivity of the sensor. The $In_2O_3$ nanorods were synthesized by using vapor-liquid-solid growth of $In_2O_3$ powders and were decorated with the Pt nanoparticles by using a sol-gel method. Subsequently, the Pt nanoparticle-decorated $In_2O_3$ nanorods were calcined at different temperatures to determine the optimal calcination temperature. The $NO_2$ gas sensing properties of five different samples (pristine uncalcined $In_2O_3$ nanorods, Pt-decorated uncalcined $In_2O_3$ nanorods, and Pt-decorated $In_2O_3$ nanorods calcined at 400, 600, and $800^{\circ}C$) were determined and compared. The Pt-decorated $In_2O_3$ nanorods calcined at $600^{\circ}C$ showed the highest surface-to-volume ratio and the strongest response to $NO_2$ gas. Moreover, these nanorods showed the shortest response/recovery times toward $NO_2$. These enhanced sensing properties are attributed to a combination of increased surface-to-volume ratio (achieved through the optimal calcination) and increased electrical/chemical sensitization (provided by the noble-metal decoration).

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.08a
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• pp.388-388
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• 2011

Graphene, with its unique physical and structural properties, has recently become a proving ground for various physical phenomena, and is a promising candidate for a variety of electronic device and flexible display applications. The physical properties of graphene depend directly on the thickness. These properties lead to the possibility of its application in high-performance transparent conducting films (TCFs). Compared to indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes, which have a typical sheet resistance of ~60 ${\Omega}/sq$ and ~85% transmittance in the visible range, the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) synthesized graphene electrodes have a higher transmittance in the visible to IR region and are more robust under bending. Nevertheless, the lowest sheet resistance of the currently available CVD graphene electrodes is higher than that of ITO. Here, we report an ingenious strategy, irradiation of MeV electron beam (e-beam) at room temperature under ambient condition,for obtaining size-homogeneous gold nanoparticle decorated on graphene. The nano-particlization promoted by MeV e-beam irradiation was investigated by transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy elemental mapping, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. These results clearly revealed that gold nanoparticle with 10~15 nm in mean size were decorated along the surface of the graphene after 1.0 MeV-e-beam irradiation. The fabrication high-performance TCF with optimized doping condition showed a sheet resistance of ~150 ${\Omega}/sq$ at 94% transmittance. A chemical transformation and charge transfer for the metal gold nanoparticle were systematically explored by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. This approach advances the numerous applications of graphene films as transparent conducting electrodes.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.522-533
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• 2014

Bionanotechnology has revolutionized nanomaterial synthesis by providing a green synthetic platform using biological systems. Among such biological systems, microalgae have tremendous potential to take up metal ions and produce nanoparticles by a detoxification process. The present study explores the intracellular and extracellular biogenic syntheses of silver nanoparticles (SNPs) using the unicellular green microalga Scenedesmus sp. Biosynthesized SNPs were characterized by AAS, UV-Vis spectroscopy, TEM, XRD, FTIR, DLS, and TGA studies and finally checked for antibacterial activity. Intracellular nanoparticle biosynthesis was initiated by a high rate of $Ag^+$ ion accumulation in the microalgal biomass and subsequent formation of spherical crystalline SNPs (average size, 15-20 nm) due to the biochemical reduction of $Ag^+$ ions. The synthesized nanoparticles were intracellular, as confirmed by the UV-Vis spectra of the outside medium. Furthermore, extracellular synthesis using boiled extract showed the formation of well scattered, highly stable, spherical SNPs with an average size of 5-10 nm. The size and morphology of the nanoparticles were confirmed by TEM. The crystalline nature of the SNPs was evident from the diffraction peaks of XRD and bright circular ring pattern of SAED. FTIR and UV-Vis spectra showed that biomolecules, proteins and peptides, are mainly responsible for the formation and stabilization of SNPs. Furthermore, the synthesized nanoparticles exhibited high antimicrobial activity against pathogenic gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. Use of such a microalgal system provides a simple, cost-effective alternative template for the biosynthesis of nanomaterials in a large-scale system that could be of great use in biomedical applications.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.15-20
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• 2015

Carbon fiber has received much attention owing to its properties, including a large surface-to-volume ratio, chemical and thermal stability, high thermal and electrical conductivity, and high mechanical strengths. In particular, magnetic nanopowder dispersed carbon fiber has been attractive in technological applications such as the electrochemical capacitor and electromagnetic wave shielding. In this study, the nickel-oxide-nanoparticle dispersed polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers were prepared through an electrospinning method. Electron beam irradiation was carried out with a 2.5 MeV beam energy to stabilize the materials. The samples were then heat-treated for stabilization and carbonization. The nanofiber surface was analyzed using a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). The crystal structures of the carbon matrix and nickel nanopowders were analysed using X-ray diffraction (XRD). In addition, the magnetic and electrical properties were analyzed using a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and 4 point probe. As the irradiation dose increases, the density of the carbon fiber was increased. In addition, the electrical properties of the carbon fiber improved through electron beam irradiation. This is because the amorphous region of the carbon fiber decreases. This electron beam effect of PAN fibers containing nickel nanoparticles confirmed their potential as a high performance carbon material for various applications.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.08a
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• pp.217-217
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• 2011

Recently, demand for thermally stable metal nanoparticles suitable for chemical reactions at high temperatures has increased to the point to require a solution to nanoparticle coalescence. Thermal stability of metal nanoparticles can be achieved by adopting core-shell models and encapsulating supported metal nanoparticles with mesoporous oxides [1,2]. However, to understand the role of metal-support interactions on catalytic activity and for surface analysis of complex structures, we developed a novel catalyst design by coating an ultra-thin layer of titania on Pt supported silica ($SiO_2/Pt@TiO_2$). This structure provides higher metal dispersion (~52% Pt/silica), high thermal stability (~600$^{\circ}C$) and maximization of the interaction between Pt and titania. The high thermal stability of $SiO_2/Pt@TiO_2$ enabled the investigation of CO oxidation studies at high temperatures, including ignition behavior, which is otherwise not possible on bare Pt nanoparticles due to sintering [3]. It was found that this hybrid catalyst exhibited a lower activation energy for CO oxidation because of the metal-support interaction. The concept of an ultra-thin active metal oxide coating on supported nanoparticles opens-up new avenues for synthesis of various hybrid nanocatalysts with combinations of different metals and oxides to investigate important model reactions at high-temperatures and in industrial reactions.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.02a
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• pp.129-129
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• 2013

Nanometal alloy catalysts have been found to significantly increase catalytic efficiency, compared to the monometallic counterparts. This enhancement can be attributed to various alloying effects: i) the existence of uniquemixed-metal surface sites [the so called ensemble (geometric) effect]; ii) electronic state changes due to metal-metal interactions [the so called ligand (electronic) effect]; and iii) strain caused by lattice mismatch between the alloy components [the socalled strain effect]. In addition, the presence of low-coordination surface atoms and preferential exposure of specific facets [(111), (100), (110)] in association with the size and shape of nanoparticle catalysts [the so called shape-size-facet effect] can be another important factor for modifying the catalytic activity. However, mechanisms underlying the alloying effect still remain unclear owing to the difficulty of direct characterization. Computational approaches, particularly the prediction using first-principles density functional theory (DFT), can be a powerful and flexible alternative for unraveling the role of alloying effects in catalysis since those can give us quantitative insights into the catalytic systems. In this talk, I will present the underlying principles (such as atomic arrangement, facet, local strain, ligand interaction, and effective atomic coordination number at the surface) that govern catalytic reactions occurring on Pd-based alloys using the first-principles calculations. This work highlights the importance of knowing how to properly tailor the surface reactivity of alloy catalysts for achieving high catalytic performance.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.02a
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• pp.79-79
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• 2013

Quantum-structures with nanoparticles have been attractive for various electronic and photonic devices [1,2]. In recent, nonvolatile memories such as nano-floating gate memory (NFGM) and resistance random access memory (ReRAM) have been studied using silicides, metals, and metal oxides nanoparticles [3,4]. In this study, we fabricated nonvolatile memories with silicides (WSi2, Ti2Si, V2Si) and metal-oxide (Cu2O, Fe2O3, ZnO, SnO2, In2O3 and etc.) nanoparticles embedded in polyimide matrix, and photovoltaic device also with SiC nanoparticles. The capacitance-voltageand current-voltage data showed a threshold voltage shift as a function of write/erase voltage, which implies the carrier charging and discharging into the metal-oxide nanoparticles. We have investigated also the electrical properties of ReRAM consisted with the nanoparticles embedded in ZnO, SiO2, polyimide layer on the monolayered graphene. We will discuss what the current bistability of the nanoparticle ReRAM with monolayered graphene, which occurred as a result of fully functional operation of the nonvolatile memory device. A photovoltaic device structure with nanoparticles was fabricated and its optical properties were also studied by photoluminescence and UV-Vis absorption measurements. We will discuss a feasibility of nanoparticles to application of nonvolatile memories and photovoltaic devices.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.08a
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• pp.141-141
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• 2013

Shape control of metal nanocrystals has broad applications, including catalysis, plasmonics, and sensing. It was found that controlling the atomic arrangement on metal nanocrystal surfaces affects many properties, including the electronic dipole or work function. Tuning the surface structure of exposed facets of metal nanocrystals was enabled by shape control. We investigated the effect of shape on nanomechanical properties, including friction and adhesion forces. Two nanoparticles systems, high-index {321} and low-index {100}, were used as model nanoparticle surfaces. Scanning force microscopy was used to probe nanoscale friction and adhesion. Because of the abundant presence of high-density atomic steps and kinks, high-index faceted nanoparticles have a higher surface energy than low-index faceted cubic nanoparticles. Due to this high surface energy, high-index faceted particles have shown stronger adhesion and higher friction than low-index nanoparticles. We discuss the results in light of the differences in surface energy as well as the effect of capping layers in the measurement.