Sharif Digital Repository

Molecular dynamics simulations are carried out to investigate the manipulation of metallic clusters on stepped surfaces. Five surface forms are considered in the simulations. The system parts are made of pure transition metals and Sutton-Chen many-body potential is used as interatomic potential. The conditions which are subjected to change in the tests include: materials used for particles and substrate, and surface step conditions. In addition to qualitative observations, two criteria which represent the particle deformation and substrate abrasion are utilized as evaluation tools and are computed for each case. Simulation results show the effect of the aforementioned working conditions on... 

Molecular dynamics simulations are carried out to investigate the manipulation of metallic clusters on double-layer surfaces. The system parts are made of transition metals. The conditions which are subjected to change in the tests are material combinations for cluster, main substrate and lubricant layer (adlayer). In addition to qualitative observations, two criteria which represent the particle deformation and substrate abrasion are utilized as evaluation tools and are computed for each case. Obtaining this sort of knowledge is highly beneficial for further experiments in order to be able to plan the conditions and routines, which guarantee better success in the manipulation process  

The main aim of this study was to improve current efficiency and to obtain thicker coatings via aluminum oxide (Al2O3) addition to the chromium (Cr) (III) bath. Design/methodology/approach ‐ Pure Cr and nanocomposite Cr–Al2O3 coatings were electrodeposited from Cr (III) bath onto cathode copper substrates by conventional method. Dependence of current efficiency to current density, Al2O3 content and particle size were investigated. Findings ‐ Current efficiency increased with Al2O3 amount and decreased with Al2O3 particle size. Maximum current efficiency was achieved at 25 A/dm2 for pure Cr and 30 A/dm2 for composite coatings. Al2O3 bath content, current density and stirring rate increased... 

Friction stir processing (FSP) is a solid state route with a capacity of preparing fine grained nanocomposites from metal sheets. In this work, we employed this process to finely distribute TiO2 nanoparticles throughout an Al–Mg alloy, aiming to enhance mechanical properties. Titanium dioxide particles (30 nm) were preplaced into grooves machined in the middle of the aluminium alloy sheet and multipass FSP was afforded. This process refined the grain structure of the aluminium alloy, distributed the hard nanoparticles in the matrix and promoted solid state chemical reactions at the interfaces of the metal/ceramic particles. Detailed optical and electron microscopic studies showed that the... 

Cu/SiC nanocomposite powders with homogeneously distributed nanosize SiC particles were produced by high energy mechanical milling (MM). Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and micro-hardness and density measurements were performed to understand the effects of microstructure and hardness on compaction behavior during MM. The effects of SiC nanoparticle content and mechanical milling time on apparent density (AD) and tap density (TD) of the nanocomposite powders were systematically investigated. The Hausner ratio (HR), defined as TD to AD, were estimated to evaluate friction between the particles. Increasing MM duration and SiC content resulted... 

The size mono-dispersity, saturation magnetization, and surface chemistry of magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) are recognized as critical factors for efficient biomedical applications. Here, we performed modified water-in-oil inverse nano-emulsion procedure for preparation of stable colloidal superparamagnetic iron oxide NPs (SPIONs) with high saturation magnetization. To achieve mono-dispersed SPIONs, optimization process was probed on several important factors including molar ratio of iron salts [Fe3+ and Fe2+], the  

Polycaprolactone (PCL) composite films containing 5 wt.% bioactive glass (BG) particles of different sizes (6 μm, 250 nm, < 100 nm) were prepared by solvent casting methods. The ultra-fine BG particles were prepared by high-energy mechanical milling of commercial 45S5 Bioglass® particles. The characteristics of bioactive glass particles were studied by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) methods. In vitro bioactivity of the PCL/BG composite films was evaluated through immersion in the simulated body fluid (SBF). The films were analyzed by FE-SEM, energy dispersive... 

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are increasingly used in medical applications, such as targeting delivery and imaging. In the future, patients are more likely to be exposed to pharmaceutical products containing such particles. The study of toxicity of SPIONs has become of great importance in recent years, although the published data in this arena is limited. The aim of the present work is to investigate the cytotoxicity of SPIONs and the effect of the particles on the cell medium components. For this purpose, uncoated and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) coated SPIONs with narrow size distribution were synthesized via a well-known coprecipitation method. The mouse fibroblast cell... 

Gallium-67 labeled superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles were prepared and evaluated for their altered biodistribution in normal rats. Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles with narrow size distribution were synthesized by co-precipitation technique using ferric and ferrous salts at molar ratio Fe3+/Fe2+=2:1 followed by structure identification using XRD, thermo gravimetric analysis , differential scanning calorimetric , vibrating sample magnetometer, high-resolution scanning electron microscopy,transmission electron microscopy and fourier transform infrared absorption techniques. In order to trace superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles bio-distribution, the radiolabeled iron... 

Chemical Vapor Synthesis route was used for synthesis of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles in hot-walled reactor at 800degreeC using TiCl4 as precursor. The effect of processing parameters e.g., temperature and amount of precursor on phase structure, size, purity, coagulation and agglomeration of nanoparticles were investigated in this respect. Also, the H2O effects on the size, crystallinity, phase transformation and purity of nanoparticles were studied. Comprehensive experimental observations were confirmed by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis and thermal gravimetric-differential thermal analysis results. The obtained results showed that by increasing the... 

XFe2O4 magnetic nanoparticles (X = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, and Zn) were prepared by using two methods: coprecipitation and hydrothermal. The synthesized nanoparticles were compared according to the separation in an external magnetic field and finally, the hydrothermal method was specified as a better synthesis method. The magnetic nanoparticles were characterized by physico-chemical analysis methods such as Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nitrogen adsorption-adsorption isotherm and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Magnetic properties of synthesized nanoparticles were studied by ab-initio theoretical methods to... 

ZnO and Mordenite zeolite (MOR) nanoparticles were prepared by precipitation process using ultrasonic irradiation and hydrothermal method, respectively. Supported ZnO catalysts were prepared and the effect of different supports on the photocatalytic activity of ZnO nanoparticles was investigated. All prepared samples were characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform-Infra Red Spectroscopy (FTIR), UV–vis spectroscopy (UV–vis) and BET surface area technique. The photocatalytic activity of the synthesized catalysts was elucidated using the photo-oxidation of Acid Blue 92 (AB92) as a hazardous pollutant under UV light. The effect of different... 

Reduced graphene oxide (RGO) was used to improve the hydrogen sensing properties of Pd and Pt-decorated TiO2 nanoparticles by facile production routes. The TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized by sol–gel method and coupled on GO sheets via a photoreduction process. The Pd or Pt nanoparticles were decorated on the TiO2/RGO hybrid structures by chemical reduction. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrated that GO reduction is done by the TiO2 nanoparticles and Ti–C bonds are formed between the TiO2 and the RGO sheets as well. Gas sensing was studied with different concentrations of hydrogen ranging from 100 to 10,000 ppm at various temperatures. High sensitivity (92%) and fast response time... 

This research regards to a two-dimensional lateral pushing nanomanipulation using Atomic Force Microscope (AFM). Yet a reliable control of the AFM tip position during the AFM-based manipulation process is a chief issue since the tip can jump over the target nanoparticle and then the process can fail. However, a detailed Modeling and understanding of the interaction forces on the AFM tip is important for prosperous manipulation control and a nanometer resolution tip positioning. In the proposed model, Lund-Grenoble (LuGre) dynamic friction model is used as friction force on the contact surface between the nanoparticle and the substrate. This model leads to a stick-slip behavior of the... 

In recent years, polysilicon nanoparticles are used to enhance the oil recovery through the water injection process in oilfields. The contributing mechanisms are the reduction of interfacial tension and wettability alteration which lead to improving or decreasing the oil phase relative permeability and can be traced by change of relative permeability curves. However, profound understanding of the effect of dispersed nano-silica particles on the hysteretic behavior of relative permeability curves remains a controversy topic in the literature.The current study illustrates the influence of dispersed silica particles on hysteretic trend of two-phase curves of oil-water relative permeability.... 

It has been shown that one kind of poly silicon particles with sizes ranging from 10-500 nm, can be used in oilfields to enhance the oil recovery of water injection by 15-20%. The contributing mechanism might be reducing the interfacial tension which appears through improving relative permeability of the oil-phase. However, fundamental understanding of how hysteretic behavior of relative permeability curves affected by nanosilica particles remains a topic of debate in the literature. In this study, water as well as water dispersed nanosilica particles floods was performed on sandstone rock sample saturated by light crude oil supplied from one of Iranian oil reservoir, and the relative... 

It is well known that the displacement efficiency of EOR processes is mainly affected by wettability of porous medium; however, the role of nanoparticles on wettability alteration of pores surfaces remains a topic of debate in the literature. Furthermore, a little is known about how the dispersed silica nanoparticles affect the microscopic/macroscopic recovery efficiency of heavy oils during common immiscible EOR processes such as water flooding. In this study, a series of injection experiments was performed on five-spot glass micromodel which is initially saturated with the heavy oil. Distilled water and dispersed silica nanoparticles in water (DSNW) at different values of weight percent... 

The diverse physical properties of membranes play a critical role in many membrane associated biological processes. Proteins responsible for membrane transport can be affected by the lateral membrane order and lateral segregation of proteins is often controlled by the preference of certain membrane anchors for membrane phases having a physically ordered state. The dynamic properties of coexisting membrane phases are often studied by investigating their thermal behavior. Optical trapping of gold nanoparticles is a useful tool to generate local phase transitions in membranes. The high local temperatures surrounding an irradiated gold nanoparticle can be used to melt a part of a giant... 

Graphene oxide (GO) sheets functionalized by aminopropylsilyl groups (8.0 wt.%) were labeled by 198,199Au nanoparticle radioisotopes (obtained through reduction of HAuCl4 in sodium citrate solution followed by thermal neutron irradiation) for fast in vivo targeting and SPECT imaging (high purity germanium-spectrometry) of tumors. Using instant thin layer chromatography method, the physicochemical properties of the amino-functionalized GO sheets labeled by 198,199Au NPs (198,199Au@AF-GO) were found to be highly stable enough in organic phases, e.g. a human serum, to be reliably used in bioapplications. In vivo biodistribution of the 198,199Au@AF-GO composite was investigated in rats bearing... 

A highly sensitive and selective colorimetric method for detection of copper ions, based on anti-aggregation of D-penicillamine (D-PC) induced aggregated gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) was developed. Copper ions can hinder the aggregation of AuNPs induced by D-PC, through formation of mixed-valence complex with D-PC that is a selective copper chelator. In the presence of a fixed amount of D-PC, the aggregation of AuNPs decreases with increasing concentrations of Cu2+ along with a color change from blue to red in AuNPs solution and an increase in the absorption ratio (A520/A 650). Under the optimum experimental conditions (pH 7, [AuNPs] =3.0 nmol L-1 and [NaCl]=25 mmol L-1), a linear calibration...