• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제35권8호
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• pp.2512-2518
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• 2014

The praseodymium-doped $TiO_2$ photocatalyst samples, which could degrade methyl orange under UV irradiation, were prepared by sol-microwave method for improving the photocatalytic activity of $TiO_2$. The resulting materials were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectra, Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) and Ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectra (UV-vis DRS). It was found Pr doping retarded the growth of crystalline size and the phase transformation from anatase to rutile, and narrowed the band gap energy. Praseodymium doping brought about remarkable improvement in the photoactivity. The optimal dopant amount of Pr was 2% by molar of cement and the calcination temperature was $500^{\circ}C$ for the best photocatalytic activity. The improvement of photocatalytic activity was ascribed to the occurrence of lattice distortion and the effective containment of the recombination of the electron-hole by $Pr^{3+}$.

• 한국진공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국진공학회 2011년도 제41회 하계 정기 학술대회 초록집
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• pp.211-211
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• 2011

Nanostructures, with a diversity of shapes, built on substrates have been developed within many research areas. Lithography is one powerful, but complex, technique to make structures at the nanometer scale, such as platinum nanowires for studying CO catalytic reactions [1], or aluminum nanodisks for studying the plasmon effect [2]. In this work, we approach a facile method to construct nanostructures using noble metals on a titania thin film by using self-assembled structures as a pattern. Here, a large-scale silica monolayer is transferred to the titania thin film substrates using a Langmuir-Blodgett trough, followed by the deposition of a thin transition metal layer. Owing to the hexagonal close-packed structure of the silica monolayer, we would obtain a metal nanostructure that includes separated metallic triangles (islands) after removing the patterning silica beads. This nanostructure can be employed to investigate the role of metal-oxide interfaces in CO catalytic reactions by changing the patterning silica particles with different sizes or by replacing the oxide support. The morphology and chemical composition of the structure can be characterized by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In addition, we modify these islands to a connected island structure by reducing the silica size of the patterning monolayer, which is utilized to generating hot electron flow based on the localized surface plasmon resonance effect of the metal nanostructures.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제33권1호
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• pp.215-220
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• 2012

ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized through a facile route and were used as ozonation catalysts. With the increase of calcination temperature ($150-300^{\circ}C$), surface hydroxyl groups and catalytic efficiency of asobtained ZnO decreased remarkably, and the ZnO obtained at $150^{\circ}C$ showed the best catalytic activity. Compared with ozonation alone, the degradation efficiency of phenol increased above 50% due to the catalysis of ZnO-150. In the reaction temperatures range from $5^{\circ}C$ to $35^{\circ}C$, ZnO nanocatalyst revealed remarkable catalytic properties, and the catalytic effect of ZnO was better at lower temperature. Through the effect of tertbutanol on degradation of phenol and the catalytic properties of ZnO on degradation of nitrobenzene, it was proposed that the degradation of phenol was ascribed to the direct oxidation by ozone molecules based on solidliquid interface reaction.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제35권4호
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• pp.1144-1148
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• 2014

Here we report a facile synthesis of ruthenium (Ru) Nanoparticles (NPs) by chemical co-precipitation method. The calcination of ruthenium hydroxide samples at $500^{\circ}C$ under hydrogen atmosphere lead to the formation of $Ru^0$ NPs. The size and aggregation of Ru NPs depends on the pH of the medium, and type of surfactant and its concentration. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope image (TEM) analyses of particles indicated the formation of $Ru^0$ NPs, and have 10 to 20 nm sizes. As-synthesized $Ru^0$ NPs are characterized and investigated their catalytic ability in click chemistry (azidealkyne cycloaddition reactions), showing good results in terms of reactivity. Interestingly, small structural differences in triazines influence the catalytic activity of $Ru^0$ nanocatalysts. Click chemistry has recently emerged to become one of the most powerful tools in drug discovery, chemical biology, proteomics, medical sciences and nanotechnology/nanomedicine. In addition, preliminary tests of recycling showed good results with neither loss of activity or significant precipitation.

• 대한금속재료학회지
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• 제47권8호
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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.

• Advances in nano research
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• 제10권4호
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• pp.397-414
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• 2021

The steady growth in population has led to an enhanced water demand and immense pressure on water resources. Pharmaceutical residues (PRs) are unused or non-assimilated medicines found in water supplies that originate from the human and animal consumption of antibiotics, antipyretics, analgesics etc. These have been detected recently in sewage effluents, surface water, ground water and even in drinking water. Due to their toxicity and potential hazard to the environment, humans and aquatic life, PRs are now categorized as the emerging contaminants (ECs). India figures in the top five manufacturers of medicines in the world and every third pill consumed in the world is produced in India. Present day conventional wastewater treatment methods are ineffective and don't eliminate them completely. The use of nanotechnology via advanced oxidation processes (AOP) is one of the most effective methods for the removal of these PRs. Present study is aimed at reviewing the presence of various PRs in water supplies and also to describe the process of AOP to overcome their threat. This study is also very important in view of World Health Organization report confirming more than 30 million cases of COVID-19 worldwide. This will lead to an alleviated use of antibiotics, antipyretics etc. and their subsequent occurrence in water bodies. Need of the hour is to devise a proper treatment strategy and a decision thereof by the policymakers to overcome the possible threat to the environment and health of humans and aquatic life.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국신재생에너지학회 2007년도 춘계학술대회
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• pp.141-145
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• 2007

Due to their excellent catalytic activity with respect to methanol oxidation on platinum at low temperature, platinum nanosized catalysts have been a topic of great interest for use in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). Since pure platinum is readily poisoned by CO, a by-product of methanol electrooxidation, and is extremely expensive, a number of efforts to design and characterize Pt-based alloy nanosized catalysts or Pt nanophase-support composites have been attempted in order to reduce or relieve the CO poisoning effect. In this review paper, we summarize these efforts based upon our recent research results. The Pt-based nanocatalysts were designed by chemical synthesis and thin-film technology, and were characterized by a variety of analyses. According to bifunctional mechanism, it was concluded that good alloy formation with $2^{nd}$ metal (e.g., Ru) as well as the metallic state and optimum portion of Ru element in the anode catalyst contribute to an enhanced catalytic activity for methanol electrooxidation. In addition, we found that the modified electronic properties of platinum in Pt alloy electrodes as well as the surface and bulk structure of Pt alloys with a proper composition could be attributed to a higher catalytic activity for methanol electooxdation. Proton conducting contribution of nanosized electrocatalysts should also be considered to be excellent in methanol electrooxidation (Spillover effect). Finally, we confirmed the ensemble effect, which combined all above effects, in Pt-based nanocatalsyts especially, such as PtRuRhNi and $PtRuWO_{3}$, contribute to an enhanced catalytic activity.

• 한국진공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국진공학회 2013년도 제44회 동계 정기학술대회 초록집
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• pp.164-164
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• 2013

Among multicomponent nanostructures, hybrid nanocatalysts consisting of metal nanoparticle-semiconductor junctions offer an interesting platform to study the role of metal-oxide interfaces and hot electron flows in heterogeneous catalysis. In this study, we report that hot carriers generated upon photon absorption significantly impact the catalytic activity of CO oxidation. We found that Pt-CdSe-Pt nanodumbbells exhibited a higher turnover frequency by a factor of two during irradiation by light with energy higher than the bandgap of CdSe, while the turnover rate on bare Pt nanoparticles didn't depend on light irradiation. We also found that Pt nanoparticles deposited on a GaN substrate under light irradiation exhibit changes in catalytic activity of CO oxidation that depends on the type of doping of the GaN. We suppose that hot electrons are generated upon the absorption of photons by the semiconducting nanorods or substrates, whereafter the hot electrons are injected into the Pt nanoparticles, resulting in the change in catalytic activity. We discuss the possible mechanism for how hot carrier flows generated during light irradiation affect the catalytic activity of CO oxidation.

• 한국분말재료학회지
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• 제18권6호
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• pp.532-537
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• 2011

Thermally stable $TiO_2$/Pt/$SiO_2$ core-shell nanocatalyst has been synthesized by chemical processes. Citrated capped Pt nanoparticles were deposited on amine functionalized silica produced by Stober process. Ultrathin layer of titania was coated on Pt/$SiO_2$ for preventing sintering of the metal nanoparticles at high temperatures. Thermal stability of the metal-oxide hybrid catalyst was demonstrated heating the sample up to $600^{\circ}C$ in air and by investigating the morphology and integrity of the structure by transmission electron spectroscopy. The surface analysis of the constituent elements was performed by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. The catalytic activity of the hybrid catalysts was investigated by CO oxidation reaction with oxygen as a model reaction.

• 한국재료학회지
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• 제28권11호
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• pp.646-652
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• 2018

During a long-term operation of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs), the fuel cell performance may degrade due to severe agglomeration and dissolution of metal nanoparticles in the cathode. To enhance the electrochemical durability of metal catalysts and to prevent the particle agglomeration in PEMFC operation, this paper proposes a hybrid catalyst structure composed of PtCo alloy nanoparticles encapsulated by porous carbon layers. In the hybrid catalyst structure, the dissolution and migration of PtCo nanoparticles can be effectively prevented by protective carbon shells. In addition, $O_2$ can properly penetrate the porous carbon layers and react on the active Pt surface, which ensures high catalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction. Although the hybrid catalyst has a much smaller active surface area due to the carbon encapsulation compared to a commercial Pt catalyst without a carbon layer, it has a much higher specific activity and significantly improved durability than the Pt catalyst. Therefore, it is expected that the designed hybrid catalyst concept will provide an interesting strategy for development of high-performance fuel cell catalysts.