• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.582-588
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• 2009

Direct electron transfer of hemoglobin (Hb) in the chitosan (CTS) and $TiO_2$ nanoparticles (nano-$TiO_2$) composite films was achieved by using a room temperature ionic liquid of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ($BMIMPF_6$) modified carbon paste electrode (CILE) as the basal electrode. UV-Vis and FT-IR spectroscopy indicated that Hb in the film retained the native structure. Electrochemical investigation indicated that a pair of well-defined quasi-reversible redox peaks of Hb heme Fe(III)/Fe(II) was obtained with the formal potential located at -0.340 V (νs. SCE) in pH 7.0 phosphate buffer solution (PBS). The electrochemical parameters such as the electron transfer coefficient (α), the electron transfer number (n) and the standard electron transfer rate constant ($k_s$) were got as 0.422, 0.93 and 0.117 $s^{-1}$, respectively. The fabricated CTS/nano-$TiO_2$/Hb/CILE showed good electrocatalytic ability to the reduction of trichloroacetic acid (TCA) and hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$), which exhibited a potential application in fabricating a new kind of third generation biosensor.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.1096-1103
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• 2019

UCB-1 is the commercial rootstock of pistachio. Reproduction of this rootstock by tissue culture is limited by low levels of proliferation rate. Therefore, any compound that improves the proliferation rate and the quality of the shoots can be used in the process of commercial reproduction of this rootstock. Use of plant growth-promoting bacteria is one of the best ideas. Given the beneficial effects of nanoparticles in enhancement of the growth in plant tissue cultures, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of nanoencapsulation of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (using silica nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes) and their metabolites in improving UCB1 pistachio micropropagation. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with three replications. Before planting, treatments on the DKW medium were added. The results showed that the use of Pseudomonas fluorescens VUPF5 and Bacillus subtilis VRU1 nanocapsules significantly enhanced the root length and proliferation. The nanoformulation of the VUPF5 metabolite led to the highest root length (6.26 cm) and the largest shoot (3.34 cm). Inoculation of explants with the formulation of the metabolites (both bacterial strains) significantly elevated the average shoot length and the fresh weight of plant compared to the control. The explants were dried completely using both bacterial strains directly and with capsule coating after the three days.

• Anatomy and Cell Biology
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.538-551
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• 2023

Exposure to environmental pollutants such as carbon tetrachloride (CCL₄) causes liver damage. This study aimed to compare the ameliorative activity of the dates flesh extract (DFE) and selenium-nanoparticles (SeNPs) on CCL₄-induced hepatotoxicity and if DFE could be a useful alternative supplement. Twenty-four male albino rats were enrolled and randomly divided into four equal groups (6 rats in each group): control group received only basal diet with no medications. Group II received CCL₄ in a dose of 0.5 mg/kg intraperitoneal injection twice weekly for four weeks. Group III rats were pretreated with SeNPs in a dose of 2.5 mg/kg once a day orally three times/wk for four weeks alone then combined with the previously described dose of CCL₄ for another four weeks. Group IV rats were pretreated with DFE in a dose of 8 ml of the aqueous extract/kg/d orally for four weeks alone then combined with the previously described dose of CCL₄ for another four weeks. The liver damage was assessed by estimation of plasma concentration of albumin and enzymes activities of alanine aminotransferase and tissue genes expression. Liver oxidation levels were assessed by measuring the tissue concentration of the malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, and the total glutathione. Additionally, inflammatory mediators tumour necrosis factor--α and interleukin-6 were estimated. Detecting the liver's cellular structural damage was done by histopathological and immunohistochemical examination. This study suggests that CCL₄-induced liver damage in rats can be protected by administration whether the costly SeNPs or the economical DFE.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.197-201
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• 2013

This paper describes the fabrication and characterization of graphene based carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) gas sensors. Graphene was synthesized by thermal decomposition of SiC. The resistivity $CO_2$ gas sensors were fabricated by pure graphene and graphene decorated Au nanoparticles (NPs). The Au NPs with size of 10 nm were decorated on graphene. Au electrode deposited on the graphene showed Ohmic contact and the sensors resistance changed following to various $CO_2$ concentrations. Resulting in resistance sensor using pure graphene can detect minimum of 100 ppm $CO_2$ concentration at $50^{\circ}C$, whereas Au/graphene can detect minimum 2 ppm $CO_2$ concentration at same at $50^{\circ}C$. Moreover, Au NPs catalyst improved the sensitivity of the graphene based $CO_2$ sensors. The responses of pure graphene and Au/graphene are 0.04% and 0.24%, respectively, at $50^{\circ}C$ with 500 ppm $CO_2$ concentration. The optimum working temperature of $CO_2$ sensors is at $75^{\circ}C$.

• Carbon letters
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.336-342
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• 2010

Different oxidation treatments on CNTs using diluted 4.0 M $H_2SO_4$ solution at room temperature and or at $90^{\circ}C$ reflux conditions were investigated to elucidate the physical and chemical changes occurring on the treated CNTs, which might have significant effects on their performance as catalyst supports in PEM fuel cells. Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscope analyses were made for the acid treated CNTs to determine the particle size and distribution of the CNT-supported Pt-Ru nanoparticles. These CNT-supported Pt-based nanoparticles were then employed as anode catalysts in PEMFC to investigate their catalytic activity and single-cell performance towards $H_2$ oxidation. Based on PEMFC performance results, refluxed Pt-Ru/CNT catalysts prepared using CNTs treated at $90^{\circ}C$ for 0.5 h as anode have shown better catalytic activity and PEMFC polarization performance than those of the commercially available Pt-Ru/C catalyst from ETEK and other Pt-Ru/CNT catalysts developed using raw CNT, thus demonstrating the importance of acid treatment in improving and optimizing the surface properties of catalyst support.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.269-276
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• 2016

Carbon-supported ordered Pt-Ti alloy nanoparticles were prepared as a durable and efficient oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalyst for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) via wet chemical reduction of Pt and Ti precursors with heat treatment at $800^{\circ}C$. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that the prepared electrocatalysts with Ti precursor molar compositions of 40% (PtTi40) and 25% (PtTi25) had ordered $Pt_3Ti$ and $Pt_8Ti$ structures, respectively. Comparison of the ORR polarization before and after 1500 electrochemical cycles between 0.6 and 1.1 V showed little change in the ORR polarization curve of the electrocatalysts, demonstrating the high stability of the PtTi40 and PtTi25 alloys. Under the same conditions, commercial carbon-supported Pt nanoparticle electrocatalysts exhibited a negative potential shift (10 mV) in the ORR polarization curve after electrochemical cycling, indicating degradation of the ORR activity.

• Advances in environmental research
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.61-77
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• 2016

$NanoTiO_2$ was synthesized by ultrasonication assisted sol-gel process and subjected to iron doping and carbon-iron codoping. The synthesized catalysts were characterized by XRD, HR-SEM, EDX, UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy and BET specific surface area analysis. The average crystallite size of pure $TiO_2$ was in the range of 30 - 33 nm, and that of Fe-$TiO_2$ and C-Fe $TiO_2$ was in the range of 7 - 13 nm respectively. The specific surface area of the iron doped and carbon-iron codoped nanoparticles was around $105m^2/g$ and $91m^2/g$ respectively. The coupled semiconductor photo-Fenton's activity of the synthesized catalysts was evaluated by the degradation of a cationic dye (C.I. Basic blue 9) and an anionic dye (C.I. Acid orange 52) with concurrent investigation on the operating variables such as pH, catalyst dosage, oxidant concentration and initial pollutant concentration. The most efficient C-Fe codoped catalyst was found to effectively destruct synthetic dyes and potentially treat real textile effluent achieving 93.4% of COD removal under minimal solar intensity (35-40 kiloLUX). This reveals the practical applicability of the process for the treatment of real wastewater in both high and low insolation regimes.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.285-292
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• 2021

To study the effect of the mixture ratio of Ni-Pt nanocatalysts on water electrolysis characteristics in anion exchange membrane system, Ni-Pt nanocatalysts were loaded on carbon black by using a spontaneous reduction reaction of acetylacetonate compounds. The loading weight of Ni-Pt nanocatalysts on the carbon black was measured by thermogravimetric analyzer and the elemental ratio of Ni and Pt was estimated by energy dispersive x-ray analyzer. It was found that the loading weight of Ni-Pt nanoparticles was 5.36-5.95 wt%, and the loading weight increased with increasing Pt wt%. As the Ni-Pt loading weight increased, the specific surface area decreased, because Ni-Pt nanoparticles block the pores of carbon black. It was confirmed by BET analysis and dynamic vapor sorption analysis. I-V characteristics were estimated.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.342-346
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• 2010

Pd nanoparticles (NPs) were successfully functionalizedon the surfaces of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) by dendrimer-mediated synthesis. The hydrogen sensing properties of the Pd NPs functionalized SWNTs were investigated. Pd NPs-dendrimer-SWNTs sensors show much better speedsand superior recovery rates but lower sensitivity compared to Pd NPs-functionalized SWNTs directly fabricated due to the existence of dendrimers. Pyrolysis of the dendrimers by heat treatment resulted in a fast response time and high sensitivity owing to the reduced length of the dendrimers. These results demonstrate that the heat treatment of dendrimers in Pd NPs-dendrimer-SWNTs sensors can enable significant electrical conductance modulation upon exposure to extremely low concentrations (10 ppm) of hydrogen gas ($H_2$) in air.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.02a
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• pp.441-441
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• 2011

$TiO_2$ nanoparticles were grown on carbon fiber by atomic later deposition (ALD) with TTIP $(Ti(OCH(CH_3)_2)_4$ and $H_2O$ precusors. After sampe surfaces were treated by electron beam (1 MeV, 5 KGy), an improvement in the photocatalytic reacitivity of $TiO_2$ nanoparticles on carbon fiber was observed. An increase in the population of hydroxyl group on $TiO_2$ particles and the oxidation of carbon fiber were found upon e-beam exposure, whereas there was no noticeable changes of their morphology. It implies that those changes in O and C 1s state of $TiO_2$ particles/carbon fiber induced by e-beam treatment could be related to the enhancement of the photocatalytic activity. In contrast, when carbon fiber fully covered with $TiO_2$ thick films was treated with high-energy electron beam under same conditions, the improvement of photocatalytic activity as well as any changes in XPS spectra (Ti 2p, O 1s and C 1s) could not be found.