Recent progress in molten salt synthesis of low-dimensional perovskite oxide nanostructures, structural characterization,properties, and functional applications: A review

Molten salt synthesis （MSS） method has advantages of the simplicity in the process equipment, versatile and large-scale synthesis, and friendly environment, which provides an excellent approach to synthesize high pure oxide powders with controllable compositions and morphologies. Among these oxides, perovskite oxides with a composition of ABO3 exhibit a broad spectrum of physical properties and functions （e.g. ferroelectric, piezoelectric, magnetic, photovoltaic and photocatalytic properties）. The downscaling of the spatial geometry of perovskite oxides into nanometers result in novel properties that are different from the bulk and film counterparts. Recent interest in nanoscience and nanotechnology has led to great efforts focusing on the synthesis of low-dimensional perovskite oxide nanostructures （PONs） to better understand their novel physical properties at nanoscale. Therefore, the low-dimensional PONs such as perovskite nanoparticles, nanowires, nanorods, nanotubes, nanofibers, nanobelts, and two dimensional oxide nanostructures, play an important role in developing the next generation of oxide electronics. In the past few years, much effort has been made on the synthesis of PONs by MSS method and their structural characterizations. The functional applications of PONs are also explored in the fields of storage memory, energy harvesting, and solar energy conversion. This review summarizes the recent progress in the synthesis of low-dimensional PONs by MSS method and its modified ways. Their structural char- acterization and physical properties are also scrutinized. The potential applications of low-dimensional PONs in different fields such as data memory and storage, energy harvesting, solar energy conversion, are highlighted. Perspectives concerning the future research trends and challenges of low-dimensional PONs are also outlined. ~ 2017 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The editorial office of Journal of Materials Science ＆ Technology.

Plasmonic nanostructure characterized by deep-neuralnetwork-assisted spectroscopy[Invited]

The lateral geometry and material property of plasmonic nanostructures are critical parameters for tailoring their optical resonance for sensing applications.While lateral geometry can be easily observed by a scanning electron microscope or an atomic force microscope,characterizing materials properties of plasmonic devices is not straightforward and requires delicate examination of material composition,cross-sectional thickness,and refractive index.In this study,a deep neural network is adopted to characterize these parameters of unknown plasmonic nanostructures through simple transmission spectra.The network architecture is established based on simulated data to achieve accurate identification of both geometric and material parameters.We then demonstrate that the network training by a mixture of simulated and experimental data can result in correct material property recognition.Our work may indicate a simple and intelligent characterization approach to plasmonic nanostructures by spectroscopic techniques.

Characterization and Preparation of Bimetallic Nanoparticles

1 Results Bimetallic particles in the nanometer size range are of substantial interest due to their vast applications in catalysis[1].The synthesis of bimetallic nanoparticles with definite size with a well-control over their nanostructure remains a challenging problem.Thus there exists a great demand for both synthesis and atomic level characterization of nanostructure of bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs).With the recent advent of high-intensity tunable sources of X-rays,now available at synchrotron radia...

Effect of Annealing Temperature on the Morphology and Sensitivity of the Zinc Oxide Nanorods-Based Methane Senor

ZnO nanorods in the form of thin films were synthesized by a facile chemical route and the effect of annealing temperature on the structure and sensitivity of such ZnO-based sensors was studied in detail towards methane sensing.Morphological analyses of such films were carried out by scanning electron microscopy,whereas,the crystalline structure and phase purity of the films were analysed by X-ray diffraction technique.The films were observed to display a gradual change in their morphology from granular to dense nanorods and each of them was used to fabricate methane sensor prototype.They were also tested for temperature-dependent methane-sensing capability with varying methane concentrations.The optimized sensor exhibited highest gas response of ＊80% at 250 °C with significantly low response and recovery time.