Graphene oxide (GO) can be used as an electron acceptor for polymeric solar cells but still band gap matching for electron donor and acceptor demands more study. The generation of the exciton in such materials is intimately related to the optical band gap. However, exciton dissociation is related to transport band gap that controls the device performance, particularly the open circuit voltage and short circuit current. Therefore, the modulation of the optical gap is useful because it results into tuning of the transport gap. The interest of the present work is to study the reduction of graphene oxide (GO) at room temperature, using environmental friendly reagents like glucose, fructose and ascorbic acid for the modulation of a band gap. It has been found that glucose and fructose function effectively only in presence of NH4OH. Although ascorbic acid can reduce GO alone, NH4OH speeds up the reaction. The optical band gap of GO can be reduced and tuned effectively from 2.7eV to 1.15eV

In this study, a novel binary nanocomposite system based on TiO₂-SiO₂ was functionalized with trimethylolpropane triacrylate (TMPTA) and characterized by XPS and XRD. Results revealed that TiO₂-SiO₂ nanoparticles were covalently functionalized. Functionalized nanoparticles at low concentrations (0.1 wt % and 0.5 wt %) were dispersed in acrylic acid acting as a polymer matrix. Nanocomposite coatings analysis demonstrate to achieve superhydrophilic properties as well as very good optical characteristics. Water contact angle characterization showed the functionalization effect by achieving a superhydrophilic behavior with a contact angle less than 5°. UV-Vis measurements demonstrated high optical transmittance above 95% for the coatings. Based on the obtained results a mechanism describing the chemical interactions of the constituents responsible for the synergy in the nanocomposite as well as the morphological play role in the behavior are presented.

Nanostructured silver (Ag) and gold (Au) are widely known to be potent biocidal and cytotoxic agents as well as biocompatible nanomaterials. It has been recently reported that combining both metals in a specific chemical composition causes a significant enhancement in their antibacterial activity against antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains, as well as in their anticancer effects, while preserving cytocompatibility properties. In this work, Ag/Au bimetallic nanoparticles over a complete atomic chemical composition range were prepared at 10 at% through a green, highly reproducible, and simple approach using starch as a unique reducing and capping agent. The noble metal nanosystems were thoroughly characterized by different analytical techniques, including UV-visible and FT-IR spectroscopies, XRD, TEM/EDS, XPS and ICP-MS. Moreover, absorption spectra simulations for representative colloidal Ag/Au-NP samples were conducted using FDTD modelling. The antibacterial properties of the bimetallic nanoparticles were determined against multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, showing a clear dose-dependent inhibition even at the lowest concentration tested (5 µg/mL). Cytocompatibility assays showed a medium range of toxicity at low and intermediate concentrations (5 and 10 µg/mL), while triggering an anticancer behavior, even at the lowest concentration tested, in a process involving reactive oxygen species production per the nanoparticle Au:Ag ratio. In this manner, this study provides promising evidence that the presently fabricated Ag/Au-NPs should be further studied for a wide range of antibacterial and anticancer applications.

Water repellency has significant potential in applications like self-cleaning coatings, anti-staining textiles, and electronics. This study introduces a novel nanocomposite system incorporating functionalized Al₂O₃ and CeO₂ nanoparticles within a polyurethane matrix to achieve hydrophobic and UV-blocking properties. The nanoparticles were functionalized using an octadecyl phosphonic acid solution and characterized by FTIR and XPS, confirming non-covalent functionalization. Spin-coated polyurethane coatings with functionalized and non-functionalized Al₂O₃, CeO_2, and binary Al₂O₃-CeO₂ nanoparticles were analyzed. The three-layered Al₂O₃-CeO₂-ODPA binary system achieved a contact angle of 166.4° and 85% transmittance in the visible range. Incorporating this binary functionalized system into a 0.4% w/v polyurethane solution resulted in a nanocomposite with 75% visible transmittance, 60% at 365 nm UV, and a 147.7° contact angle after three layers. These findings suggest that ODPA-functionalized nanoparticles, when combined with a polymer matrix, offer a promising approach to developing advanced hydrophobic and UV-protective coatings with potential applications across various industrial sectors.

Graphene Derivatives: Controlled Properties, Nanocomposites, and Energy Harvesting Applications | InTechOpen, Published on: 2017-05-17. Authors: Ulises Antonio Méndez Romero, Miguel Ángel Velasco Soto, Liliana Licea Jiménez, et