Tin dioxide nanoparticles are prepared using a newly developed synthesis method of plasma-assisted electrolysis. A high voltage is applied to the tin metal plate to apply a high pressure and temperature to the synthesized oxide layer on the metal surface, producing nanoparticles in a low concentration of sulfuric acid. The particle size, morphology, and size distribution is controlled by the concentration of electrolytes and frequency of the power supply. The as-prepared powder of tin dioxide nanoparticles is used to fabricate a gas sensor to investigate the potential application. The particle-based gas sensor exhibits a short response and recovery time. There is sensitivity to the reduction gas for the gas flowing at rates of 50, 250, and 500 ppm of H2S gas.

Carbon-based magnetic nanostructures in several instances have resulted in improved physicochemical and catalytic properties when compared to multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and magnetic nanoparticles. In this study, magnetic MWCNTs with a structure of NixZnxFe2O4/MWCNT as peroxidase mimics were fabricated by the one-pot hydrothermal method. The structure, composition and morphology of the nanocomposites were characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The magnetic properties were investigated with a vibrating sample magnetometer. The peroxidase-like catalytic activity of the nanocomposites was investigated by colorimetric and electrochemical tests with 3,3´,5,5´-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) and H2O2 as the substrates. The results show that the synthesis of the nanocomposites was successfully performed. XRD analysis confirmed the crystalline structures of the NixZnxFe2O4/ MWCNT nanohybrids and MWCNTs. The main peaks of the NixZnxFe2O4/MWCNTs crystals were presented. The Ni0.25Zn0.25Fe2O4/MWCNT and Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4/MWCNT nanocatalysts showed nearly similar physicochemical properties, but the Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4/MWCNT nanocatalyst was more appropriate than the Ni0.25Zn0.25Fe2O4/MWCNT nanocatalyst in terms of the magnetic properties and catalytic activity. The optimum peroxidase-like activity of the nanocatalysts was obtained at pH 3.0. The Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4/MWCNT nanocatalyst exhibited a good peroxidase-like activity. These magnetic nanocatalysts can be suitable candidates for future enzyme-based applications such as the detection of glucose and H2O2.

A Nanosized WO3 and CuO powder mixture is prepared using novel high-energy ball milling in a bead mill to obtain a W-Cu nanocomposite powder, and the effect of milling time on the structural characteristics of WO3-CuO powder mixtures is investigated. The results show that the ball-milled WO3-CuO powder mixture reaches at steady state after 10 h milling, characterized by the uniform and narrow particle size distribution with primary crystalline sizes below 50 nm, a specific surface area of 37 m2/g, and powder mean particle size (D50) of 0.57 μm. The WO3-CuO powder mixtures milled for 10 h are heat-treated at different temperatures in H2 atmosphere to produce W-Cu powder. The XRD results shows that both the WO3 and CuO phases can be reduced to W and Cu phases at temperatures over 700oC. The reduced W-Cu nanocomposite powder exhibits excellent sinterability, and the ultrafine W-Cu composite can be obtained by the Cu liquid phase sintering process.

RNA interference (RNAi) has been considered as an alternative strategy to control agricultural pests whereby double-strandedRNA triggers a potent and specific inhibition of its homologous mRNA. Since small double-stranded RNAs are requiredfor various RNAi applications, there is a need for cost-effective methods for producing large quantities of high-qualitydsRNA. Bacillus thuringiensis produces much insecticidal proteins with expression of their encoding genes being drivenby sporulation-dependent promoters. To develop dsRNA mass-production platform utilizing Bt, the pHT1K-EGFP plasmidvector which has cyt1Aa sporulation-dependent promoter was constructed. The transcriptional level of target gene (EGFP)is higher 113 times than Bt reference gene (ssPE). It was applied to protect honeybee from Sacbrood virus, so targetgene was replaced to SBV-vp1. By ingestion of Bt-derived dsRNA to honeybee shows positive effect on SBV suppression.

An optimum route to fabricate oxide dispersion strengthened ferritic superalloy with desired microstructure was investigated. Two methods of high energy ball milling or polymeric additive solution route for developing a uniform dispersion of Y2O3 particles in Fe-Cr-Al-Ti alloy powders were compared on the basis of the resulting microstructures. Microstructural observation revealed that the crystalline size of Fe decreased with increases in milling time, to values of about 15-20 nm, and that an FeCr alloy phase was formed. SEM and TEM analyses of the alloy powders fabricated by solution route using yttrium nitrate and polyvinyl alcohol showed that the nano-sized Y-oxide particles were well distributed in the Fe based alloy powders. The prepared powders were sintered at 1000 and 1100 oC for 30 min in vacuum. The sintered specimen with heat treatment before spark plasma sintering at 1100 oC showed a more homogeneous microstructure. In the case of sintering at 1100 oC, the alloys exhibited densified microstructure and the formation of large reaction phases due to oxidation of Al.

V-substituted SrTiO3 thermoelectric oxide materials were fabricated by the conventional solid state reaction method. From X-ray diffraction pattern analysis, it can be clearly seen that almost every vanadium atom incorporated into the SrTiO3 provided charge carriers. The electrical conductivity σ, Seebeck coefficient S, and thermal conductivity k were investigated in a high temperature regime above 1000 K. The addition of vanadium significantly reduced the thermal conductivity and enhanced the Seebeck coefficient, as well as the electrical conductivity, thus enhancing the ZT value. A maximum ZT value of 0.084 at 673 K was observed for the sample with 1.0 mole% of vanadium substitution. In this study, the reason for the enhanced thermoelectric properties via vanadium addition was also investigated.

The formation mechanism and photocatalytic properties of a multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/TiO2- based nanotube (TNTs) composite are investigated. The CNT/TNT composite is synthesized via a solution chemical route. It is confirmed that this 1-D nanotube composite has a core-shell nanotubular structure, where the TNT surrounds the CNT core. The photocatalytic activity investigated based on the methylene blue degradation test is superior to that of with pure TNT. The CNTs play two important roles in enhancing the photocatalytic activity. One is to act as a template to form the core-shell structure while titanate nanosheets are converted into nanotubes. The other is to act as an electron reservoir that facilitates charge separation and electron transfer from the TNT, thus decreasing the electronhole recombination efficiency.

YSZ (Yttria-stabilized zirconia) is a ceramic material that is used for electronic and structural materials due to its excellent mechanical properties and specific electrical characteristics according to the Yttrium addition. Hydrothermal synthesis has several advantages such as fine particle size, uniform crystalline phase, fast reaction time, low process temperature and good dispersion condition. In order to synthesize YSZ nanoparticles with high crystallinity, hydrothermal synthesis was performed at various concentrations of NaOH. The hydrothermal process was held at a low temperature (100 °C), with a short process time (2,4,8 hours); the acidity or alkalinity of solution was controlled in a range of pH 2~12 by addition of NaOH. The optimum condition was found to be pH 12, at which high solubility levels of Y(OH) and Zr(OH) were reported. The synthesized nano powder showed high crystallinity and homogenous composition, and uniform particle size of about 10 nm.

The structural formation of inorganic nanoparticles dispersed in polymer matrices is a key technology for producing advanced nanocomposites with a unique combination of optical, electrical, and mechanical properties. Barium titanate (BaTiO3) nanoparticles are attractive for increasing the refractive index and dielectric constant of polymer nanocomposites. Current synthesis processes for BaTiO3 nanoparticles require expensive precursors or organic solvents, complicated steps, and long reaction times. In this study, we demonstrate a simple and continuous approach for synthesizing BaTiO3 nanoparticles based on a salt-assisted ultrasonic spray pyrolysis method. This process allows the synthesis of BaTiO3 nanoparticles with diameters of 20-50 nm and a highly crystalline tetragonal structure. The optical properties and photocatalytic activities of the nanoparticles show that they are suitable for use as fillers in various nanocomposites.

In this study, we investigate the optical properties of InP/ZnS core/shell quantum dots (QDs) by controlling the synthesis temperature of InP. The size of InP determined by the empirical formula tends to increase with temperature: the size of InP synthesized at 140oC and 220oC is 2.46 nm and 4.52 nm, respectively. However, the photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of InP is not observed because of the formation of defects on the InP surface. The growth of InP is observed during the deposition of the shell (ZnS) on the synthesized InP, which is ended up with green-red PL spectrum. We can adjust the PL spectrum and absorption spectrum of InP/ZnS by simply adjusting the core temperature. Thus, we conclude that there exists an optimum shell thickness for the QDs according to the size.

There has been much interest in recycling electronic wastes in order to mitigate environmental problems and to recover the large amount of constituent metals. Silver recovery from electronic waste is extensively studied because of environmental and economic benefits and the use of silver in fabricating nanodevices. Hydrometallurgical processing is often used for silver recovery because it has the advantages of low cost and ease of control. Research on synthesis recovered silver into nanoparticles is needed for application to transistors and solar cells. In this study, silver is selectively recovered from the by-product of electrodes. Silver precursors are prepared using the dissolution characteristics of the leaching solution. In the liquid reduction process, silver nanoparticles are synthesized under various surfactant conditions and then analyzed. The purity of the recovered silver is 99.24%, and the average particle size of the silver nanoparticles is 68 nm.

In this study, the electroless nickel plating method has been investigated for the coating of Ni nanoparticles onto fine Al powder as promising energetic materials. The adsorption of nickel nanoparticles onto the surface of Al powders has been studied by varying various process parameters, namely, the amounts of reducing agent, complexing agent, and pH-controller. The size of nickel nanoparticles synthesized in the process has been optimized to approximately 200 nm and they have been adsorbed on the Al powder. TGA results clearly show that the temperature at which oxidation of Al mainly occurs is lowered as the amount of Ni nanoparticles on the Al surface increases. Furthermore, the Ni-plated Al powders prepared for all conditions show improved exothermic reaction due to the selfpropagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) between Ni and Al. Therefore, Al powders fully coated by Ni nanoparticles show the highest exothermic reactivity: this demonstrates the efficiency of Ni coating in improving the energetic properties of Al powders.

This research considers the effect of added mesophase pitch (MP) as an additive during the pitch synthesis reaction of pyrolyzed fuel oil (PFO). Two effects are generated by adding MP. One is an enhancement of thermal stability due to the high thermal property of the additive; the other is that the volatile compounds that were removed by vaporization of PFO during the thermal reaction can participate in the pitch synthesis reaction (PFO→pitch) more efficiently. The effect differs according to the amount of the additive. When the amount of the additive is less than 7 wt%, the first effect is dominant, whereas the second effect is dominant when the additive amount exceeds 10 wt%.

Polyurethane (PU) nanofibers containing graphene oxide (GO) and Ag doped functionalized reduced graphene oxide (Ag-RGO) were successfully prepared via the electrospinning technique. The uniform distribution of GO sheets along with Ag nanoparticle in the nanofibers was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and the elemental mapping technique. X-ray diffraction and thermal gravimetric analysis verified the presence of GO and Ag in the bicomposite nanofibrous mats. Antibacterial tests against Escherichia coli demonstrated that the addition of GO and Ag-RGO to the PU nanofiber greatly enhanced bactericidal efficiency. Overall, these features of the synthesized nanofibers make them a promising candidate material in the biomedical field for applications such as tissue engineering, wound healing, and drug delivery systems.

Photoelectron-hole separation efficiency plays an important role in the enhancement of the photocatalytic activity of photocatalysts towards the degradation of organic molecules. In this study, TiO2/TiOF2 heterostructured composite powders with suitable band structures, which structures are able to separate photoelectron-hole pairs, have been synthesized using a simple and versatile ultrasonic spray pyrolysis process. In addition, their phase volume fractions have been controlled by varying the pyrolysis temperature from 400 oC to 800 oC. The structural and optical properties of the synthesized powders have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electronic microscopy and UV-vis spectroscopy. The powder with a phase volume ratio close to 1, compared with single TiOF2 and other composite powders with different phase volume fractions, was found to have superior photocatalytic activity for the degradation of rhodamine B. This result shows that the TiO2/TiOF2 heterostructure promotes the separation of the photoinduced electrons and holes and that this powder can be applicable to environmental cleaning applications.

양이온계 광중합에 적용 가능한 propenyl ether 형태의 단량체들을 mono 및 di-functional alcohol과 allyl bromide의 축합반응으로 합성하였다. 이들 단량체들을 양이온 광개시제와 혼용하여 코 팅조성물을 제조하여 광경화 반응성을 조사하였다. 그 결과 mono propenyl ether 형태인 ((prop-1-en-1-yloxy)methyl)benzene (POMB)는 dipropenyl ether 계인 1,4-bis(prop-1-en-1-yloxy) benzene (BPOB) 비교하여 초기 중합 속도는 10.2로 상대적으로 낮게 나타났으나 1.5mol%의 광개시제 를 포합한 배합물에서는 90초이내에 거의 정량적으로 반응하였다. 또한 긴알킬기를 갖는 술폰산 염계 광개시제들은 단량체들에 빠른 용해 특성을 나타내었고 산성도가 높은 광개시제인 (4-n-decyloxyphenyl)diphenylsulfonium hexafluoroantimonate (DPSA)와 (4-n-decyloxyphenyl) diphenylsulfonium triflate (DPST) 를 사용한 경우 비교적 높은 중합속도와 전환율을 나타내었다.

고분자 주쇄가 공액구조를 갖는 고분자는 일반적으로 전기전도성, 비선형광학특성, 기체투과성, 자기성, 광 및 전기발광 등의 다양한 특성을 보인다. 공액구조 고분자의 이러한 특성을 근간으로 유기발광소자, 유기태양전지, FET, Schottky 다이오드, 배터리, 화학센서 등에서 중요한 소재로 이용되어 오고 있다. 지금까지 다양한 형태의 공액 구조 고분자가 설계되었는데, 특히 고분자 전해질은 고분자 구조 내의 많은 부분이 이온화가능하거나 이온성 부분을 갖는 분자량이 큰 물질을 말한다. 본고에서는 공액고분자 전해질의 분자설계와 합성, 더 나아가 이들의 응용에 관한 최근의 연구동향을 제시하였다.