Engineering Commons^™

In Vivo Biosynthesis Of Inorganic Nanomaterials Using Eukaryotes - A Review, Ashiqur Rahman, Julia Lin, Francisco E. Jaramillo, Dennis A. Bazylinski, Clayton Jeffryes, Si Amar Dahoumane

Life Sciences Faculty Research

Bionanotechnology, the use of biological resources to produce novel, valuable nanomaterials, has witnessed tremendous developments over the past two decades. This eco-friendly and sustainable approach enables the synthesis of numerous, diverse types of useful nanomaterials for many medical, commercial, and scientific applications. Countless reviews describing the biosynthesis of nanomaterials have been published. However, to the best of our knowledge, no review has been exclusively focused on the in vivo biosynthesis of inorganic nanomaterials. Therefore, the present review is dedicated to filling this gap by describing the many different facets of the in vivo biosynthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) using living eukaryotic …

Spectroscopic Investigation Of Palladium-Copper Bimetallic Systems For Pem Fuel Cell Catalysts, Timo Hofmann

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

One of the main barriers to commercialization of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells systems is cost, which is largely due to the need of platinum (Pt)-containing catalysts. In this thesis we investigate bimetallic systems consisting of a base metal (copper) and a noble metal (palladium) that, as an alloy on the nanoscale, mimic the electronic properties that make Pt desirable as a catalyst.

We present a detailed investigation of the electronic structure of carbon-supported Pd/Cu nanoparticle catalysts, model bilayer thin film systems, alloys, and various metal reference samples. We have investigated the valence band structure of the catalysts using a …

An Ultrahigh Vacuum Complementary Metal Oxide Silicon Compatible Nonlithographic System To Fabricate Nanoparticle-Based Devices, Arghya Banerjee, Biswajit Das

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Research

Nanoparticles of metals and semiconductors are promising for the implementation of a variety of photonic and electronic devices with superior performances and new functionalities. However, their successful implementation has been limited due to the lack of appropriate fabrication processes that are suitable for volume manufacturing. The current techniques for the fabrication of nanoparticles either are solution based, thus requiring complex surface passivation, or have severe constraints over the choice of particle size and material. We have developed an ultrahigh vacuum system for the implementation of a complex nanosystem that is flexible and compatible with the silicon integrated circuit process, thus …

A New Method Of Synthesizing Black Birnessite Nanoparticles: From Brown To Black Birnessite With Nanostructures, Shizhi Qian, Marcos A. Cheney, Pradip K. Bhowmik, Sang W. Joo, Wensheng Hou, Joseph M. Okoh

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research

A new method for preparing black birnessite nanoparticles is introduced. The initial synthesis process resembles the classical McKenzie method of preparing brown birnessite except for slower cooling and closing the system from the ambient air. Subsequent process, including wet-aging at 7◦C for 48 hours, overnight freezing, and lyophilization, is shown to convert the brown birnessite into black birnessite with complex nanomorphology with folded sheets and spirals. Characterization of the product is performed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and N2 adsorption (BET) techniques. Wet-aging and lyophilization times are shown to …