Displaying publications 61 - 80 of 128 in total

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  1. Foroozandeh P, Aziz AA
    Nanoscale Res Lett, 2015;10:221.
    PMID: 25995715 DOI: 10.1186/s11671-015-0922-3
    Protein corona has became a prevalent subject in the field of nanomedicine owing to its diverse role in determining the efficiency, efficacy, and the ultimate biological fate of the nanomaterials used as a tool to treat and diagnose various diseases. For instance, protein corona formation on the surface of nanoparticles can modify its physicochemical properties and interfere with its intended functionalities in the biological microenvironments. As such, much emphasis should be placed in understanding these complex phenomena that occur at the bio-nano interface. The main aim of this review is to present different factors that are influencing protein-nanoparticle interaction such as physicochemical properties of nanoparticle (i.e., size and size distribution, shape, composition, surface chemistry, and coatings) and the effect of biological microenvironments. Apart from that, the effect of ignored factors at the bio-nano interface such as temperature, plasma concentration, plasma gradient effect, administration route, and cell observer were also addressed.
  2. Kazi SN, Badarudin A, Zubir MN, Ming HN, Misran M, Sadeghinezhad E, et al.
    Nanoscale Res Lett, 2015;10:212.
    PMID: 25995712 DOI: 10.1186/s11671-015-0882-7
    This paper presents a unique synergistic behavior between a graphene oxide (GO) and graphene nanoplatelet (GnP) composite in an aqueous medium. The results showed that GO stabilized GnP colloid near its isoelectric point and prevented rapid agglomeration and sedimentation. It was considered that a rarely encountered charge-dependent electrostatic interaction between the highly charged GO and weakly charged GnP particles kept GnP suspended at its rapid coagulation and phase separation pH. Sedimentation and transmission electron microscope (TEM) micrograph images revealed the evidence of highly stable colloidal mixtures while zeta potential measurement provided semi-quantitative explanation on the mechanism of stabilization. GnP suspension was confirmed via UV-vis spectral data while contact angle measurement elucidated the close resemblance to an aqueous solution indicating the ability of GO to mediate the flocculation prone GnP colloids. About a tenfold increase in viscosity was recorded at a low shear rate in comparison to an individual GO solution due to a strong interaction manifested between participating colloids. An optimum level of mixing ratio between the two constituents was also obtained. These new findings related to an interaction between charge-based graphitic carbon materials would open new avenues for further exploration on the enhancement of both GO and GnP functionalities particularly in mechanical and electrical domains.
  3. Ahmad Makinudin AH, Fakir MS, Supangat A
    Nanoscale Res Lett, 2015;10:53.
    PMID: 25852350 DOI: 10.1186/s11671-015-0741-6
    The use of templating method to synthesize the vanadyl 2,9,16,23-tetraphenoxy-29H,31H-phthalocyanine (VOPcPhO):[6,6]-phenyl C71 butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) composite nanotubes is presented here. VOPcPhO is a p-type material and PC71BM is an n-type material which acts as an electron donor and electron acceptor, respectively. Both materials have been studied due to their potential applications as solar energy converter and organic electronics. High-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) and field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) images have shown the replication of the porous template diameter of approximately 200 nm with a superior incorporation of both VOPcPhO and PC71BM. VOPcPhO:PC71BM composite nanotubes showed the significant properties improvement if compared over their bulk heterojunction counterpart. UV-vis spectra of composite nanotubes show a shift to a longer wavelength at the absorption peaks. Significant quenching has been attained by the photoluminescence spectra of VOPcPhO:PC71BM composite nanotubes which supports the redshift of UV-vis absorption spectra. Presumably, the photo-induced charge transfer and charge carrier dissociation can be enhanced from the VOPcPhO:PC71BM composite nanotubes rather than the bulk heterojunction.
  4. Ahmad NF, Yasui K, Hashim AM
    Nanoscale Res Lett, 2015;10:10.
    PMID: 25852308 DOI: 10.1186/s11671-014-0716-z
    A seed/catalyst-free growth of ZnO on graphene by thermal evaporation of Zn in the presence of O2 gas was further studied. The effects of substrate positions and graphene thicknesses on the morphological, structural, and optical properties were found to be very pronounced. By setting the substrate to be inclined at 90°, the growth of ZnO nanostructures, namely, nanoclusters and nanorods, on single-layer (SL) graphene was successfully realized at temperatures of 600°C and 800°C, respectively. For the growth on multilayer (ML) graphene at 600°C with an inclination angle of 90°, the grown structures show extremely thick and continuous cluster structures as compared to the growth with substrate's inclination angle of 45°. Moreover, the base of nanorod structures grown at 800°C with an inclination angle of 90° also become thicker as compared to 45°, even though their densities and aspect ratios were almost unchanged. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra of the grown ZnO structures were composed of the UV emission (378-386 nm) and the visible emission (517-550 nm), and the intensity ratio of the former emission (I UV) to the latter emission (I VIS) changed, depending on the temperature. The structures grown at a low temperature of 600°C show the highest value of I UV/I VIS of 16.2, which is almost two times higher than the structures grown on SL graphene, indicating fewer structural defects. The possible growth mechanism was proposed and described which considered both the nucleation and oxidation processes. From the results obtained, it can be concluded that temperature below 800°C, substrate position inclined at 90° towards the gas flow, and ML graphene seems to be preferable parameters for the growth of ZnO structures by thermal evaporation because these factors can be used to overcome the problem of graphene's oxidation that takes place during the growth.
  5. Jayah NA, Yahaya H, Mahmood MR, Terasako T, Yasui K, Hashim AM
    Nanoscale Res Lett, 2015;10:7.
    PMID: 25852306 DOI: 10.1186/s11671-014-0715-0
    Hydrothermal zinc oxide (ZnO) thick films were successfully grown on the chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-grown thick ZnO seed layers on a-plane sapphire substrates using the aqueous solution of zinc nitrate dehydrate (Zn(NO3)2). The use of the CVD ZnO seed layers with the flat surfaces seems to be a key technique for obtaining thick films instead of vertically aligned nanostructures as reported in many literatures. All the hydrothermal ZnO layers showed the large grains with hexagonal end facets and were highly oriented towards the c-axis direction. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra of the hydrothermal layers were composed of the ultraviolet (UV) emission (370 to 380 nm) and the visible emission (481 to 491 nm), and the intensity ratio of the former emission (I UV) to the latter emission (I VIS) changed, depending on both the molarity of the solution and temperature. It is surprising that all the Hall mobilities for the hydrothermal ZnO layers were significantly larger than those for their corresponding CVD seed films. It was also found that, for the hydrothermal films grown at 70°C to 90°C, the molarity dependences of I UV/I VIS resembled those of mobilities, implying that the mobility in the film is affected by the structural defects. The highest mobility of 166 cm(2)/Vs was achieved on the hydrothermal film with the carrier concentration of 1.65 × 10(17) cm(-3) grown from the aqueous solution of 40 mM at 70°C.
  6. Kura AU, Saifullah B, Cheah PS, Hussein MZ, Azmi N, Fakurazi S
    Nanoscale Res Lett, 2015;10:105.
    PMID: 25852400 DOI: 10.1186/s11671-015-0742-5
    Layered double hydroxide (LDH) is an inorganic-organic nano-layered material that harbours drug between its two-layered sheets, forming a sandwich-like structure. It is attracting a great deal of attention as an alternative drug delivery (nanodelivery) system in the field of pharmacology due to their relative low toxic potential. The production of these nanodelivery systems, aimed at improving human health through decrease toxicity, targeted delivery of the active compound to areas of interest with sustained release ability. In this study, we administered zinc-aluminium-LDH-levodopa nanocomposite (ZAL) and zinc-aluminium nanocomposite (ZA) to Sprague Dawley rats to evaluate for acute oral toxicity following OECD guidelines. The oral administration of ZAL and ZA at a limit dose of 2,000 mg/kg produced neither mortality nor acute toxic signs throughout 14 days of the observation. The percentage of body weight gain of the animals showed no significant difference between control and treatment groups. Animal from the two treated groups gained weight continuously over the study period, which was shown to be significantly higher than the weight at the beginning of the study (P 
  7. Kawamura G, Ohmi H, Tan WK, Lockman Z, Muto H, Matsuda A
    Nanoscale Res Lett, 2015;10:219.
    PMID: 26019696 DOI: 10.1186/s11671-015-0924-1
    ABSTRACT: Dye-sensitized solar cells composed of a photoanode of Ag nanoparticle (NP)-deposited TiO2 nanotube (TNT) arrays were fabricated. The TNT arrays were prepared by anodizing Ti films on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO)-coated glass substrates. Efficient charge transportation through the ordered nanostructure of TNT arrays should be carried out compared to conventional particulate TiO2 electrodes. However, it has been a big challenge to grow TNT arrays on FTO glass substrates with the lengths needed for sufficient light-harvesting (tens of micrometers). In this work, we deposited Ag nanoparticles (NPs) on the wall of TNT arrays to enhance light-harvesting property. Dye-sensitized solar cells with these Ag NP-deposited TNT arrays yielded a higher power conversion efficiency (2.03 %) than those without Ag NPs (1.39 %).

    PACS CODES: 06.60.Ei Sample preparation, 81.05.Bx Metals, Semimetals, Alloys, 81.07.De Nanotubes.

  8. Aziz NS, Mahmood MR, Yasui K, Hashim AM
    Nanoscale Res Lett, 2014 Feb 26;9(1):95.
    PMID: 24568668 DOI: 10.1186/1556-276X-9-95
    We report the seed/catalyst-free vertical growth of high-density electrodeposited ZnO nanostructures on a single-layer graphene. The absence of hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) and heat has resulted in the formation of nanoflake-like ZnO structure. The results show that HMTA and heat are needed to promote the formation of hexagonal ZnO nanostructures. The applied current density plays important role in inducing the growth of ZnO on graphene as well as in controlling the shape, size, and density of ZnO nanostructures. High density of vertically aligned ZnO nanorods comparable to other methods was obtained. The quality of the ZnO nanostructures also depended strongly on the applied current density. The growth mechanism was proposed. According to the growth timing chart, the growth seems to involve two stages which are the formation of ZnO nucleation and the enhancement of the vertical growth of nanorods. ZnO/graphene hybrid structure provides several potential applications in electronics and optoelectronics such as photovoltaic devices, sensing devices, optical devices, and photodetectors.
  9. Jun HK, Careem MA, Arof AK
    Nanoscale Res Lett, 2014 Feb 10;9(1):69.
    PMID: 24512605 DOI: 10.1186/1556-276X-9-69
    Different counter electrode (CE) materials based on carbon and Cu2S were prepared for the application in CdS and CdSe quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs). The CEs were prepared using low-cost and facile methods. Platinum was used as the reference CE material to compare the performances of the other materials. While carbon-based materials produced the best solar cell performance in CdS QDSSCs, platinum and Cu2S were superior in CdSe QDSSCs. Different CE materials have different performance in the two types of QDSSCs employed due to the different type of sensitizers and composition of polysulfide electrolytes used. The poor performance of QDSSCs with some CE materials is largely due to the lower photocurrent density and open-circuit voltage. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy performed on the cells showed that the poor-performing QDSSCs had higher charge-transfer resistances and CPE values at their CE/electrolyte interfaces.
  10. Pourasl AH, Ahmadi MT, Rahmani M, Chin HC, Lim CS, Ismail R, et al.
    Nanoscale Res Lett, 2014 Jan 15;9(1):33.
    PMID: 24428818 DOI: 10.1186/1556-276X-9-33
    In recent years, carbon nanotubes have received widespread attention as promising carbon-based nanoelectronic devices. Due to their exceptional physical, chemical, and electrical properties, namely a high surface-to-volume ratio, their enhanced electron transfer properties, and their high thermal conductivity, carbon nanotubes can be used effectively as electrochemical sensors. The integration of carbon nanotubes with a functional group provides a good and solid support for the immobilization of enzymes. The determination of glucose levels using biosensors, particularly in the medical diagnostics and food industries, is gaining mass appeal. Glucose biosensors detect the glucose molecule by catalyzing glucose to gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide in the presence of oxygen. This action provides high accuracy and a quick detection rate. In this paper, a single-wall carbon nanotube field-effect transistor biosensor for glucose detection is analytically modeled. In the proposed model, the glucose concentration is presented as a function of gate voltage. Subsequently, the proposed model is compared with existing experimental data. A good consensus between the model and the experimental data is reported. The simulated data demonstrate that the analytical model can be employed with an electrochemical glucose sensor to predict the behavior of the sensing mechanism in biosensors.
  11. Ghazali NM, Yasui K, Hashim AM
    Nanoscale Res Lett, 2014;9(1):685.
    PMID: 25593562 DOI: 10.1186/1556-276X-9-685
    Gallium nitride (GaN) nanostructures were successfully synthesized by the nitridation of the electrochemically deposited gallium oxide (Ga2O3) through the utilization of a so-called ammoniating process. Ga2O3 nanostructures were firstly deposited on Si substrate by a simple two-terminal electrochemical technique at a constant current density of 0.15 A/cm(2) using a mixture of Ga2O3, HCl, NH4OH and H2O for 2 h. Then, the deposited Ga2O3 sample was ammoniated in a horizontal quartz tube single zone furnace at various ammoniating times and temperatures. The complete nitridation of Ga2O3 nanostructures at temperatures of 850°C and below was not observed even the ammoniating time was kept up to 45 min. After the ammoniating process at temperature of 900°C for 15 min, several prominent diffraction peaks correspond to hexagonal GaN (h-GaN) planes were detected, while no diffraction peak of Ga2O3 structure was detected, suggesting a complete transformation of Ga2O3 to GaN. Thus, temperature seems to be a key parameter in a nitridation process where the deoxidization rate of Ga2O3 to generate gaseous Ga2O increase with temperature. The growth mechanism for the transformation of Ga2O3 to GaN was proposed and discussed. It was found that a complete transformation can not be realized without a complete deoxidization of Ga2O3. A significant change of morphological structures takes place after a complete transformation of Ga2O3 to GaN where the original nanorod structures of Ga2O3 diminish, and a new nanowire-like GaN structures appear. These results show that the presented method seems to be promising in producing high-quality h-GaN nanostructures on Si.
  12. Hambali NA, Yahaya H, Mahmood MR, Terasako T, Hashim AM
    Nanoscale Res Lett, 2014;9(1):609.
    PMID: 25411567 DOI: 10.1186/1556-276X-9-609
    The electrochemical growth of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures on graphene on glass using zinc nitrate hexahydrate was studied. The effects of current densities and temperatures on the morphological, structural, and optical properties of the ZnO structures were studied. Vertically aligned nanorods were obtained at a low temperature of 75°C, and the diameters increased with current density. Growth temperature seems to have a strong effect in generating well-defined hexagonal-shape nanorods with a smooth top edge surface. A film-like structure was observed for high current densities above -1.0 mA/cm(2) and temperatures above 80°C due to the coalescence between the neighboring nanorods with large diameter. The nanorods grown at a temperature of 75°C with a low current density of -0.1 mA/cm(2) exhibited the highest density of 1.45 × 10(9) cm(-2). X-ray diffraction measurements revealed that the grown ZnO crystallites were highly oriented along the c-axis. The intensity ratio of the ultraviolet (UV) region emission to the visible region emission, I UV/I VIS, showed a decrement with the current densities for all grown samples. The samples grown at the current density below -0.5 mA/cm(2) showed high I UV/I VIS values closer to or higher than 1.0, suggesting their fewer structural defects. For all the ZnO/graphene structures, the high transmittance up to 65% was obtained at the light wavelength of 550 nm. Structural and optical properties of the grown ZnO structures seem to be effectively controlled by the current density rather than the growth temperature. ZnO nanorod/graphene hybrid structure on glass is expected to be a promising structure for solar cell which is a conceivable candidate to address the global need for an inexpensive alternative energy source.
  13. Noroozi M, Radiman S, Zakaria A, Soltaninejad S
    Nanoscale Res Lett, 2014;9(1):645.
    PMID: 25489293 DOI: 10.1186/1556-276X-9-645
    Silver nanoparticles were successfully prepared in two different solvents using a microwave heating technique, with various irradiation times. The silver nanoparticles were dispersed in polar liquids (distilled water and ethylene glycol) without any other reducing agent, in the presence of the stabilizer polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). The optical properties, thermal properties, and morphology of the synthesized silver particles were characterized using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, photopyroelectric technique, and transmission electron microscopy. It was found that for the both solvents, the effect of microwave irradiation was mainly on the particles distribution, rather than the size, which enabled to make stable and homogeneous silver nanofluids. The individual spherical nanostructure of self-assembled nanoparticles has been formed during microwave irradiation. Ethylene glycol solution, due to its special properties, such as high dielectric loss, high molecular weight, and high boiling point, can serve as a good solvent for microwave heating and is found to be a more suitable medium than the distilled water. A photopyroelectric technique was carried out to measure thermal diffusivity of the samples. The precision and accuracy of this technique was established by comparing the measured thermal diffusivity of the distilled water and ethylene glycol with values reported in the literature. The thermal diffusivity ratio of the silver nanofluids increased up to 1.15 and 1.25 for distilled water and ethylene glycol, respectively.
  14. Ghadiry M, Ismail R, Saeidmanesh M, Khaledian M, Manaf AA
    Nanoscale Res Lett, 2014;9(1):604.
    PMID: 25404874 DOI: 10.1186/1556-276X-9-604
    Combination of high-mean free path and scaling ability makes graphene nanoribbon (GNR) attractive for application of field-effect transistors and subject of intense research. Here, we study its behaviour at high bias near and after electrical breakdown. Theoretical modelling, Monte Carlo simulation, and experimental approaches are used to calculate net generation rate, ionization coefficient, current, and finally breakdown voltage (BV). It is seen that a typical GNR field-effect transistor's (GNRFET) breakdown voltage is in the range of 0.5 to 3 V for different channel lengths, and compared with silicon similar counterparts, it is less. Furthermore, the likely mechanism of breakdown is studied.
  15. Kang ES, Ismail R
    Nanoscale Res Lett, 2014;9(1):598.
    PMID: 25404871 DOI: 10.1186/1556-276X-9-598
    The electronic band structure and carrier density of strained armchair graphene nanoribbons (AGNRs) with widths of n =3 m and n =3 m +1 were examined using tight-binding approximation. The current-voltage (I-V) model of uniaxial strained n =3 m AGNRs incorporating quantum confinement effects is also presented in this paper. The derivation originates from energy dispersion throughout the entire Brillouin zone of uniaxial strained AGNRs based on a tight-binding approximation. Our results reveal the modification of the energy bandgap, carrier density, and drain current upon strain. Unlike the two-dimensional graphene, whose bandgap remains near to zero even when a large strain is applied, the bandgap and carrier density of AGNRs are shown to be sensitive to the magnitude of uniaxial strain. Discrepancies between the classical calculation and quantum calculation were also measured. It has been found that as much as 19% of the drive current loss is due to the quantum confinement. These analytical models which agree well with the experimental and numerical results provide physical insights into the characterizations of uniaxial strained AGNRs.
  16. Bakar NA, Supangat A, Sulaiman K
    Nanoscale Res Lett, 2014;9(1):600.
    PMID: 25392707 DOI: 10.1186/1556-276X-9-600
    In this study, the synthesis of poly [N-9'-heptadecanyl-2, 7-carbazole-alt-5, 5-(4', 7'-di-2-thienyl-2', 1', 3'-benzothiadiazole)] (PCDTBT) nanotubes via a templating method is reported. PCDTBT nanotubes were successfully grown by immersing the porous alumina template into 15 mg/ml of solution concentration for 2- and 24-h periods and annealed at 50°C. Changes in morphological and optical properties between nanotubes of different infiltration times (2 and 24 h) as well as its thin films are observed. The longer infiltration time of 24 h produced nanotubes with enhanced morphological, structural, and optical properties. Nanotubes that are formed between 2 and 24 h of infiltration show enhancement in absorption, photoluminescence, and shift in Raman peak if compared to their thin films.
  17. Foo KL, Hashim U, Muhammad K, Voon CH
    Nanoscale Res Lett, 2014;9(1):429.
    PMID: 25221458 DOI: 10.1186/1556-276X-9-429
    Nanostructured zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods (NRs) with hexagonal wurtzite structures were synthesized using an easy and low-cost bottom-up hydrothermal growth technique. ZnO thin films were prepared with the use of four different solvents, namely, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, and 2-methoxyethanol, and then used as seed layer templates for the subsequent growth of the ZnO NRs. The influences of the different solvents on the structural and optical properties were investigated through scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, and photoluminescence. The obtained X-ray diffraction patterns showed that the synthesized ZnO NRs were single crystals and exhibited a preferred orientation along the (002) plane. In addition, the calculated results from the specific models of the refractive index are consistent with the experimental data. The ZnO NRs that grew from the 2-methoxyethanol seeded layer exhibited the smallest grain size (39.18 nm), largest diffracted intensities on the (002) plane, and highest bandgap (3.21 eV).
  18. Kiani MJ, Harun FK, Ahmadi MT, Rahmani M, Saeidmanesh M, Zare M
    Nanoscale Res Lett, 2014;9(1):371.
    PMID: 25114659 DOI: 10.1186/1556-276X-9-371
    Graphene is an attention-grabbing material in electronics, physics, chemistry, and even biology because of its unique properties such as high surface-area-to-volume ratio. Also, the ability of graphene-based materials to continuously tune charge carriers from holes to electrons makes them promising for biological applications, especially in lipid bilayer-based sensors. Furthermore, changes in charged lipid membrane properties can be electrically detected by a graphene-based electrolyte-gated graphene field effect transistor (GFET). In this paper, a monolayer graphene-based GFET with a focus on the conductance variation caused by membrane electric charges and thickness is studied. Monolayer graphene conductance as an electrical detection platform is suggested for neutral, negative, and positive electric-charged membrane. The electric charge and thickness of the lipid bilayer (Q LP and L LP) as a function of carrier density are proposed, and the control parameters are defined. Finally, the proposed analytical model is compared with experimental data which indicates good overall agreement.
  19. Akbari E, Buntat Z, Enzevaee A, Yazdi MK, Bahadoran M, Nikoukar A
    Nanoscale Res Lett, 2014;9(1):402.
    PMID: 25177219 DOI: 10.1186/1556-276X-9-402
    Carbonaceous materials have recently received attention in electronic applications and measurement systems. In this work, we demonstrate the electrical behavior of carbon films fabricated by methane arc discharge decomposition technique. The current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of carbon films are investigated in the presence and absence of gas. The experiment reveals that the current passing through the carbon films increases when the concentration of CO2 gas is increased from 200 to 800 ppm. This phenomenon which is a result of conductance changes can be employed in sensing applications such as gas sensors.
  20. Aziz NS, Nishiyama T, Rusli NI, Mahmood MR, Yasui K, Hashim AM
    Nanoscale Res Lett, 2014;9(1):337.
    PMID: 25024694 DOI: 10.1186/1556-276X-9-337
    A seedless growth of zinc oxide (ZnO) structures on multilayer (ML) graphene by electrochemical deposition without any pre-deposited ZnO seed layer or metal catalyst was studied. A high density of a mixture of vertically aligned/non-aligned ZnO rods and flower-shaped structures was obtained. ML graphene seems to generate the formation of flower-shaped structures due to the stacking boundaries. The nucleation of ZnO seems to be promoted at the stacking edges of ML graphene with the increase of applied current density, resulting in the formation of flower-shaped structures. The diameters of the rods/flower-shaped structures also increase with the applied current density. ZnO rods/flower-shaped structures with high aspect ratio over 5.0 and good crystallinity were obtained at the applied current densities of -0.5 and -1.0 mA/cm(2). The growth mechanism was proposed. The growth involves the formation of ZnO nucleation below 80°C and the enhancement of the growth of vertically non-aligned rods and flower-shaped structures at 80°C. Such ZnO/graphene hybrid structure provides several potential applications in sensing devices.
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