9 research outputs found

    Photoinduced Electron Transfer between Ruthenium-bipyridyl Complex and Methylviologen in Suspensions of Smectite Clays

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    We examined photoinduced electron transfer (PET) in multicomponent aqueous suspensions composed of trisĀ­(2,2ā€²-bipyridine)Ā­rutheniumĀ­(II) (RuĀ­(bpy)<sub>3</sub><sup>2+</sup>, photocatalyst), methylviologen (1,1ā€²-dimethyl-4,4ā€²-bipyridinium dication, MV<sup>2+</sup>, electron acceptor), and ethylenediamine tetraacetate (EDTA, sacrificial electron donor) together with particles of smectite-type clays although previous studies indicated inhibition of the electron transfer from RuĀ­(bpy)<sub>3</sub><sup>2+</sup> to MV<sup>2+</sup> in the presence of clay particles. Clays with different lateral particle sizes were compared: hectorite (Hect) and saponite (Sapo) with small particle sizes (āˆ¼30 nm) and fluorohectorite (FH) and montmorillonite (Mont) with large particle sizes (>0.1 Ī¼m). Clay particles were flocculated and were settled in many cases after the addition of RuĀ­(bpy)<sub>3</sub><sup>2+</sup>, MV<sup>2+</sup>, and EDTA species, and the RuĀ­(bpy)<sub>3</sub><sup>2+</sup> and MV<sup>2+</sup> cations were almost all adsorbed on the clay particles. When Hect and Sapo were used, reduction of MV<sup>2+</sup> was observed on the aggregated clay particles upon visible light irradiation indicating the occurrence of PET from RuĀ­(bpy)<sub>3</sub><sup>2+</sup> to MV<sup>2+</sup>. However, the reaction was not observed for the samples where the clay particles were not settled. When FH and Mont were used, PET was not observed irrespective of the flocculation of clay particles. These results demonstrated that PET from RuĀ­(bpy)<sub>3</sub><sup>2+</sup> to MV<sup>2+</sup> in the presence of clay particles is possible when the clay particles with small sizes are appropriately aggregated to allow interparticle electron hopping

    Real-Time Monitoring of Adsorption-Induced Scrolling of Colloidal Inorganic Nanosheets

    No full text
    Inorganic nanotubes have attracted much attention due to their unique physicochemical properties. Nanotubes can be prepared by scrolling exfoliated nanosheets under ambient conditions. However, how the nanosheet scrolled in its colloidal state has not been experimentally visualized. In this paper, we directly observed the scrolling process of nanosheets upon adsorption of organic cations. Exfoliated flat nanosheets of niobate and clay in aqueous colloids were found to scroll by adding organic cations, such as exfoliation reagents, to the colloids. Employment of cationic stilbazolium dye enabled in situ observation of the dye adsorption and scrolling by optical microscopy based on changes in color and morphology of the nanosheets. The scrolling was promoted for nanosheets adsorbed with a stilbazolium dye with a longer alkyl chain, suggesting that the interaction between the hydrophobic parts of the dye cations is the driving force of the scrolling. This finding should encourage research on the formation of nanotubes from nanosheets and also provides important guidelines for the selection of appropriate exfoliation reagents when exfoliating nanosheets from layered crystals

    Real-Time Monitoring of Adsorption-Induced Scrolling of Colloidal Inorganic Nanosheets

    No full text
    Inorganic nanotubes have attracted much attention due to their unique physicochemical properties. Nanotubes can be prepared by scrolling exfoliated nanosheets under ambient conditions. However, how the nanosheet scrolled in its colloidal state has not been experimentally visualized. In this paper, we directly observed the scrolling process of nanosheets upon adsorption of organic cations. Exfoliated flat nanosheets of niobate and clay in aqueous colloids were found to scroll by adding organic cations, such as exfoliation reagents, to the colloids. Employment of cationic stilbazolium dye enabled in situ observation of the dye adsorption and scrolling by optical microscopy based on changes in color and morphology of the nanosheets. The scrolling was promoted for nanosheets adsorbed with a stilbazolium dye with a longer alkyl chain, suggesting that the interaction between the hydrophobic parts of the dye cations is the driving force of the scrolling. This finding should encourage research on the formation of nanotubes from nanosheets and also provides important guidelines for the selection of appropriate exfoliation reagents when exfoliating nanosheets from layered crystals

    Real-Time Monitoring of Adsorption-Induced Scrolling of Colloidal Inorganic Nanosheets

    No full text
    Inorganic nanotubes have attracted much attention due to their unique physicochemical properties. Nanotubes can be prepared by scrolling exfoliated nanosheets under ambient conditions. However, how the nanosheet scrolled in its colloidal state has not been experimentally visualized. In this paper, we directly observed the scrolling process of nanosheets upon adsorption of organic cations. Exfoliated flat nanosheets of niobate and clay in aqueous colloids were found to scroll by adding organic cations, such as exfoliation reagents, to the colloids. Employment of cationic stilbazolium dye enabled in situ observation of the dye adsorption and scrolling by optical microscopy based on changes in color and morphology of the nanosheets. The scrolling was promoted for nanosheets adsorbed with a stilbazolium dye with a longer alkyl chain, suggesting that the interaction between the hydrophobic parts of the dye cations is the driving force of the scrolling. This finding should encourage research on the formation of nanotubes from nanosheets and also provides important guidelines for the selection of appropriate exfoliation reagents when exfoliating nanosheets from layered crystals

    Real-Time Monitoring of Adsorption-Induced Scrolling of Colloidal Inorganic Nanosheets

    No full text
    Inorganic nanotubes have attracted much attention due to their unique physicochemical properties. Nanotubes can be prepared by scrolling exfoliated nanosheets under ambient conditions. However, how the nanosheet scrolled in its colloidal state has not been experimentally visualized. In this paper, we directly observed the scrolling process of nanosheets upon adsorption of organic cations. Exfoliated flat nanosheets of niobate and clay in aqueous colloids were found to scroll by adding organic cations, such as exfoliation reagents, to the colloids. Employment of cationic stilbazolium dye enabled in situ observation of the dye adsorption and scrolling by optical microscopy based on changes in color and morphology of the nanosheets. The scrolling was promoted for nanosheets adsorbed with a stilbazolium dye with a longer alkyl chain, suggesting that the interaction between the hydrophobic parts of the dye cations is the driving force of the scrolling. This finding should encourage research on the formation of nanotubes from nanosheets and also provides important guidelines for the selection of appropriate exfoliation reagents when exfoliating nanosheets from layered crystals

    Real-Time Monitoring of Adsorption-Induced Scrolling of Colloidal Inorganic Nanosheets

    No full text
    Inorganic nanotubes have attracted much attention due to their unique physicochemical properties. Nanotubes can be prepared by scrolling exfoliated nanosheets under ambient conditions. However, how the nanosheet scrolled in its colloidal state has not been experimentally visualized. In this paper, we directly observed the scrolling process of nanosheets upon adsorption of organic cations. Exfoliated flat nanosheets of niobate and clay in aqueous colloids were found to scroll by adding organic cations, such as exfoliation reagents, to the colloids. Employment of cationic stilbazolium dye enabled in situ observation of the dye adsorption and scrolling by optical microscopy based on changes in color and morphology of the nanosheets. The scrolling was promoted for nanosheets adsorbed with a stilbazolium dye with a longer alkyl chain, suggesting that the interaction between the hydrophobic parts of the dye cations is the driving force of the scrolling. This finding should encourage research on the formation of nanotubes from nanosheets and also provides important guidelines for the selection of appropriate exfoliation reagents when exfoliating nanosheets from layered crystals

    Pickering Emulsions Prepared by Layered Niobate K<sub>4</sub>Nb<sub>6</sub>O<sub>17</sub> Intercalated with Organic Cations and Photocatalytic Dye Decomposition in the Emulsions

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    We investigated emulsions stabilized with particles of layered hexaniobate, known as a semiconductor photocatalyst, and photocatalytic degradation of dyes in the emulsions. Hydrophobicity of the niobate particles was adjusted with the intercalation of alkylammonium ions into the interlayer spaces to enable emulsification in a tolueneā€“water system. After the modification of interlayer space with hexylammonium ions, the niobate stabilized water-in-oil (w/o) emulsions in a broad composition range. Optical microscopy showed that the niobate particles covered the surfaces of emulsion droplets and played a role of emulsifying agents. The niobate particles also enabled the generation of oil-in-water (o/w) emulsions in a limited composition range. Modification with dodecylammonium ions, which turned the niobate particles more hydrophobic, only gave w/o emulsions, and the particles were located not only at the tolueneā€“water interface but also inside the toluene continuous phase. On the other hand, interlayer modification with butylammonium ions led to the formation of o/w emulsions. When porphyrin dyes were added to the system, the cationic dye was adsorbed on niobate particles at the emulsion droplets whereas the lipophilic dye was dissolved in toluene. Upon UV irradiation, both of the dyes were degraded photocatalytically. When the cationic and lipophilic porphyrin molecules were simultaneously added to the emulsions, both of the dyes were photodecomposed nonselectively

    Radiation Pressure Induced Hierarchical Structure of Liquid Crystalline Inorganic Nanosheets

    No full text
    Although hierarchical assemblies of colloidal particles add novel structure-based functions to systems, few local and on-demand colloidal structures have been developed. We have combined the colloidal liquid crystallinity of two-dimensional inorganic particles and laser radiation pressure to obtain a large hierarchical and local structure in a colloidal system. The scattering force of the laser beam converted the parallel nanosheet alignment to the direction of the incident laser beam. At the focal point, the nanosheet orientation depends on the electric field of the polarized laser beam. In contrast, a giant tree-ring-like nanosheet texture of more than 100 Ī¼m, and which is independent of the polarization direction, was organized at the periphery of the focal point. This organization resulted from a cooperative effect between the liquid-crystalline nanosheets, which indicates an effectiveness of optical manipulation to construct hierarchical colloidal structures with the aid of interparticle interactions

    Radiation Pressure Induced Hierarchical Structure of Liquid Crystalline Inorganic Nanosheets

    No full text
    Although hierarchical assemblies of colloidal particles add novel structure-based functions to systems, few local and on-demand colloidal structures have been developed. We have combined the colloidal liquid crystallinity of two-dimensional inorganic particles and laser radiation pressure to obtain a large hierarchical and local structure in a colloidal system. The scattering force of the laser beam converted the parallel nanosheet alignment to the direction of the incident laser beam. At the focal point, the nanosheet orientation depends on the electric field of the polarized laser beam. In contrast, a giant tree-ring-like nanosheet texture of more than 100 Ī¼m, and which is independent of the polarization direction, was organized at the periphery of the focal point. This organization resulted from a cooperative effect between the liquid-crystalline nanosheets, which indicates an effectiveness of optical manipulation to construct hierarchical colloidal structures with the aid of interparticle interactions
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