In Situ Synthesis Of Metal Nanoparticles In Thin Films And Other Solid Matrix

Due to their quantum confinement effect and high surface area, metal nanoparticles have been attracting increasing interests in terms of potential applications in optical and catalysis. When synthesizing functional materials and devices, the assembly and immobilization of metal nanoparticles in or on the surface of the matrix are often demanded. This research aims at exploring the internal and external conditions that influence the in-situ synthesis of metal nanoparticles in ultra-thin films and other solid matrices.The template method is very effective in synthesizing 1D nanomaterials and porous structures. Human hair was for the first time used as template, and porous ceramic microtubes were synthesized by the sol-gel process. The microtubes have micro/nano hierarchically porous structure, and the cuticle of human hair had been effectively replicated. Ice crystals can be formed and immobilized in the freezing process, combining with the sol-gel process, 3D porous ceramics and carbon materials with unique structures can be synthesized without additional templates, and they show excellent catalytic properties.The formation of metal nanoparticles in microtubes and polymer films is not largely affected by diffusion and other conditions, and nanoparticles are usually homogeneously distributed in the matrices. The composite showed excellent optical and antimicrobial properties. The properties of 3D composite materials are affected by many factors such as the characters and the interaction of the metal precursor and the matrix, diffusion, etc. The in situ method is superior to the other methods in the homogeneous loading of metal nanoparticles, the enhancement of carbon yield and catalytic activity.We succeeded in synthesizing 1D complex and semiconductor nanowires under ambient conditions, and they had very good stability. Previous reports in this field are quite rare. The assembly of small organic molecules is a hot topic in material science in recent years, and we succeeded in synthesizing urchin-like and rod-like 1D semiconductor complex materials, the morphologies of which can be well controlled by adjusting the reacting conditions. The mechanism of the formation of the complex was also discussed.