• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.315-324
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• 2003

In this study, a new method is presented to produce stable hydrophobic metal alloy nanocluster in chloroform solution including surfactant NaAOT(sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)-sulfosuccinate) via the chemical reduction of metal salt $(HAuCl_4,\AgNO_3,\Cu(NO_3)_2)$ by sodium borohydride. For the alloy nanocluster, several samples were prepared by changing the molar ratio of Au/Cu, Au/Ag alloy nanocluster, 3:1, 1:1, 1:3. The alloy nanoclusters were characterized by UV-Visible spectrophotometer, TEM(Transmission Electron Microscope), and XPS(X-ray Photoelectron Spectrometer). With the change of the mole ratio of the alloy component, the wavelengths of the surface plasmon absorption shift linearly from 520 nm of the pure Au nanocluster to 570 nm of the pure Cu nanocluster for Au/Cu alloy nanoclusters and from 405 nm to 520 nm for Au/Ag alloy nanoclusters. The chemical shifts of the Au4f, Ag3d, Cu2p XPS peaks were observed with changing the molar ratio of the alloy element. The alloy nanoclusters in chloroform solution were made uniformly in size and colloidally stable for long periods of time. These results indicate that the method here is a very effective method for synthesizing hydrophobic alloy nanoclusters with uniform or nearly uniform particle size distribution.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.1105-1109
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• 2014

While single strand DNAs have been widely used for the scaffold of brightly fluorescent silver nanoclusters (Ag NCs), double strand DNAs have not been as successful. Herein, we report a novel synthetic approach for bright Ag NCs using branched double strand DNAs as the scaffolds for synthesis. X-shaped DNA (X-DNA) and Y-shaped DNA (Y-DNA) effectively stabilized Ag NCs, and both X-DNA and Y-DNA resulted in brightly fluorescent Ag NCs. The concentration and molar ratio of silver and DNA were found important for the fluorescence efficiency. The brightest Ag NC with the photoluminescence quantum efficiency of 19.8% was obtained for the reaction condition of 10 ${\mu}M$ X-DNA, 70 ${\mu}M$ silver, and the reaction time of 48 h. The fluorescence lifetime was about 2 ns for the Ag NCs and was also slightly dependent on the synthetic condition. Addition of Cu ions at the Ag NC preparations resulted in the quenching of Ag NC fluorescence, which was different to the brightening cases of single strand DNA stabilized Ag NCs.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.47 no.8
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• pp.461-465
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• 2009

We study the diffusion of Ag based bimetallic nanoclusters supported on graphite. Using a molecular dynamics simulation, we reveal that the Ag clusters show rapid diffusion because of their hexagonal bottom layer. In order to decrease the rate of diffusion, we added Pt and Ni to distort the structure of the alloy cluster (i.e., the alloying method). We expected Pt to provide a stronger force on Ag atoms, and Ni to shorten the bond length and thereby change the structure of Ag cluster. However, the attempt was unsuccessful, because Pt and Ni atoms formed cores inside the Ag clusters. We therefore designed a collision system where large Ag clusters collide with small Pt or Ni clusters. Upon collision with Pt clusters, the diffusion showed little change, because Pt atoms are substituted at the Ag atomic site and form a perfectly ordered structure. The collision with Ni, however, deforms the bottom layer as well as the overall cluster structure and decreases diffusion. This outcome appoints toward the possibility of further application to the manufacture of durable nanocatalysts.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.22 no.7
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• pp.329-334
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• 2012

Two types of nanoclusters, termed Cluster (1) and Cluster (2) here, both play an important role in the age-hardening behavior in Al-Mg-Si alloys. Small amounts of additions of Cu and Ag affect the formation of nanoclusters. Two exothermic peaks were clearly detected in differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) curves by means of peak separation by the Gaussian method in the base, Cu-added, Ag-added and Cu-Ag-added Al-Mg-Si alloys. The formation of nanoclusters in the initial stage of natural aging was suppressed in the Ag-added and Cu-Ag-added alloys, while the formation of nanoclusters was enhanced at an aging time longer than 259.2 ks(3 days) of natural aging with the addition Cu and Ag. The formation of nanoclusters while aging at $100^{\circ}C$ was accelerated in the Cu-added, Ag-added and Cu-Ag-added alloys due to the attractive interaction between the Cu and Ag atoms and the Mg atoms. The influence of additions of Cu and Ag on the clustering behavior during low-temperature aging was well characterized based on the interaction energies among solute atoms and on vacancies derived from the first-principle calculation of the full-potential Korrinaga-Kohn-Rostoker(FPKKR)-Green function method. The effects of low Cu and Ag additions on the formation of nanoclusters were also discussed based on the age-hardening phenomena.