• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.08a
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• pp.221-221
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• 2012

Small-molecule organic photovoltaic cells have recently attracted growing attention due to their potential for the low-cost fabrication of flexible and lightweight solar modules. The PVP/Ag nanoparticles were synthesized by the reaction of poly vinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and silver nitrate at $150^{\circ}C$. In the reaction, the size of the nanoparticles was controlled by relative mole fractions between PVP and Ag. The PVP/Ag nanoparticles with various sizes were then spin coated on the patterned ITO glass prior to the deposition of the PEDOT:PSS hole transport layer. The scattering of the incident light caused by these incorporated nanoparticles resulted in an increase in the path length of the light through the active layer and hence the enhancement of the light absorption. This scattering effect increased as the size of the nanoparticles increased, but it was offset by the decrease in total transmittance caused by the non-transparent nanoparticles. As a result, the maximum power conversion efficiency, 0.96% which was the value enhanced by 14% compared to the cell without incorporation of nanoparticles, was obtained when the mole fraction of PVP:Ag was 24:1 and the size of the nanoparticles was 20~40 nm.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.30
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• pp.3.1-3.6
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• 2015

Objectives This study aims to evaluate the size-dependent toxicity of spherical silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) to an endemic benthic organism, Glyptotendipes tokunagai. Methods Ag nanoparticles of three nominal sizes (50, 100, and 150 nm) capped with polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP-Ag NPs) were used. Their physicochemical properties, acute toxicity (48 hours), and bioaccumulation were measured using third instar larvae of G. tokunagai. Results The aggregation and dissolution of PVP-Ag NPs increased with exposure time and concentration, respectively, particularly for 50 nm PVP-Ag NPs. However, the dissolved concentration of Ag ions was not significant compared with the median lethal concentration value for $AgNO_3$ (3.51 mg/L). The acute toxicity of PVP-Ag NPs was highest for the smallest particles (50 nm), whereas bioaccumulation was greatest for the largest particles (150 nm). However, larger PVP-Ag NPs were absorbed and excreted rapidly, resulting in shorter stays in G. tokunagai than the smaller ones. Conclusions The size of PVP-Ag NPs significantly affects their acute toxicity to G. tokunagai. In particular, smaller PVP-Ag NPs have a higher solubility and stay longer in the body of G. tokunagai, resulting in higher toxicity than larger PVP-Ag NPs.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.104-110
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• 2016

The transport of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was investigated through a column packed with sand. A series of column experiments were carried out to evaluate the effect of ionic strength (IS), pH, electrolyte type and clay mineral on mobility of polyvinylpyrrolidone-coated silver nanoparticles (PVP-AgNPs). The deposition of PVP-AgNPs was increased with increasing solution ionic strength and decreasing pH. Furthermore, the depositon of PVP-AgNPs was affected by the electrolyte type (NaCl vs. NaNO₃) and was shown to be greater at NaNO₃ solution. Also, the transport of PVP-AgNPs was greatly increased after the pre-deposition of clay particles on sand. Our results suggest that various environmental factors can influence the mobility of PVP-AgNPs in soil-groundwater systems and should be carefully considered in assessing their environmental risks.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.1252-1256
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• 2010

A polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)/Ag nanocomposites was prepared by the simultaneous thermal reduction and radical polymerization route. The in situ synthesis of the Ag/PVP nanocomposites is based on the finding that the silver n-propylcarbamate (Ag-PCB) complex can be directly dissolved in the NVP monomer, and decomposed by only heat treatment in the range of 110 to $130^{\circ}C$ to form silver metal. Silver nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution (5 - 40 nm) were obtained, which were well dispersed in the PVP matrix. A successful synthesis of Ag/PVP nanocomposites then proceeded upon heat treatment as low as $110^{\circ}C$. Moreover, important advantages of the in situ synthesis of Ag/PVP composites include that no additives (e.g. solvent, surface-active agent, or reductant of metallic ions) are used, and that the stable silver nanocolloid solution can be directly prepared in high concentration simply by dissolving the Ag/PVP nanocomposites in water or organic solvent.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.263-270
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• 2016

Recent Engineered nanoparticles were increasingly exposed to environmental system with the wide application and production of nanomaterials, concerns are increasing about their environmental risk to soil and groundwater system. In order to assess the transport behavior of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), a saturated packed column experiments were examined. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and a DLS detector was used for concentration and size measurement of AgNPs. The column experiment results showed that solution chemistry had a considerable temporal deposition of AgNPs on the porous media of solid glass beads. In column experiment, comparable mobility improvement of AgNPs were observed by changing solution chemistry conditions from salts (in both NaCl and $CaCl_2$ solutions) to DI conditions, but in much lower ionic strength (IS) with $CaCl_2$. Additionally, the fitted parameters with two-site kinetic attachment model form the experimental breakthrough curves (BTCs) were associated that the retention rates of the AgNPs aggregates were enhanced with increasing IS under both NaCl and $CaCl_2$ solutions.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.448-452
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• 2014

Nanocomposite membrane to show facilitated olefin transport was prepared for enhanced separation performance. Addtion of halogen molecules into PVP/AgNPs/ TCNQ nanocomposite membrane was expected to further polarize the surface of AgNPs for enhancing the separation performance. The formation of AgNPs and presence of iodine was confirmed by TEM and EDS analysis, respectively. The separation performance for propylene/propane mixture was compared with that of PVP/AgNPs/TCNQ nanocomposite membrane. The long-term stability of membrane was investigated with time.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.10
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• pp.2865-2870
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• 2013

Ni-Ag core-shell nanoparticles were synthesized by polyol process and microemulsion technique successfully. In the polyol process, a chemical reduction method for preparing highly dispersed pure nickel and Ag shell formation have been reported. The approach involved the control of reaction temperature and reaction time in presence of organic solvent (ethylene glycol) as a reducing agent for Ag cation with poly(vinyl-pyrrolidone) (PVP. Mw = 40000) as a capping agent. In microemulsion method, the emulsion was prepared by water/cetyltrimetylammonium bromide (CTAB)/cyclohexane. The size of microemulsion droplet was determined by the molar ratio of water to surfactant (${\omega}_o$). The core-shell formation along with the change in structural phase and stability against oxidation at high temperature heat treatments of nanoparticles were investigated by X-ray diffraction and TEM analysis. Under optimum conditions the polyol process gives the Ni-Ag core-shell structures with 13 nm Ni core covered with 3 nm Ag shell, while the microemulsion method gives Ni core diameter of 8 nm with Ag shell of thickness 6 nm. The synthesized Ni-Ag core-shell nanoparticles were stable against oxidation up to $300^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.232-239
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• 2018

In this paper, the recovery and nanoparticle synthesis of Ag from low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) by-products are studied. The effect of reaction behavior on Ag leaching conditions from the LTCC by-products is confirmed. The optimum leaching conditions are determined to be: 5 M $HNO_3$, a reaction temperature of $75^{\circ}C$, and a pulp density of 50 g/L at 60 min. For the selective recovery of Ag, the [Cl]/[Ag] equivalence ratio experiment is performed using added HCl; most of the Ag (more than 99%) is recovered. The XRD and MP-AES results confirm that the powder is AgCl and that impurities are at less than 1%. Ag nanoparticles are synthesized using a chemical reduction process for recycling, $NaBH_4$ and PVP are used as reducing agents and dispersion stabilizers. UV-vis and FE-SEM results show that AgCl powder is precipitated and that Ag nanoparticles are synthesized. Ag nanoparticles of 100% Ag are obtained under the chemical reaction conditions.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.167-172
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• 2007

The reduction behavior of silver ions to silver nanoparticles is an important topic in polymer/silver salt complex membranes to facilitate olefin transport, as this has a significant effect on the long-term performance stability of the membrane. In this study, the effects ofthe solvent type on the formation of silver nanoparticles, as well as the long-term membrane performance of a solid polymer/silver salt complex membrane were investigated. These effects were assessed for solid complexes of poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone) $(PVP)/AgBF_4$, using either an ionic liquid (IL), acetonitrile (ACN) or water as the solvent for the membrane preparation. The membrane performance test showed that long-term stability was strongly dependent on the solvent type, which increased in the following order: IL > ACN >> water. The formation of silver nanoparticles was more favorable with the solvent type in the reverse order, as supported by UV-visible spectroscopy. The poor stability of the $(PVP)/AgBF_4$ membrane when water was used as the solvent might have been due to the small amount of water present in the silver-polymer complex membranes actively participating in the reduction reaction of the silver ions into silver nanoparticles. Conversely, the higher stability of the $(PVP)/AgBF_4$, membrane when an IL was used as the solvent was attributable to the cooperative coordination of silver ions with the IL, as well as with the polymer matrix, as confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2015

It was known that the polarlized surface of silver nanoparticles could be interacted revesibly with olefin molecules for facilitated olefin transport. However, it was thought that it can be regenerated by interaction between oxide surface of AgNPs and olefin molecules because the surface of the silver nanoparticles is easily oxidized in the air. In order to investigate the effect of the silver oxide, 5 wt% AgO or $Ag_2O$ was dispersed in polymer PVP solutions and 0.005~0.02% electron acceptor as TCNQ or p-BQ were added to fabricate the separation membrane. After the addition of the electron acceptor, it was expected to improve the polarity on the surface of the silver oxide and the degree of dispersion. The characteristics of the separation membrane were identified by the gas permeance, XPS and TEM.