• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.47-54
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• 2014

Nanotechnology has become one of the fastest developing technologies and recently applied to a variety of industries. Thus, increasing number of nano materials including various nanoparticles would be discharged into wastewater and consequently entering a biological wastewater treatment process. However, the impact of the nano particles on biological wastewater treatment has not been estimated intensively. In this research, we investigated the effect of silica nanoparticle on the oxygen uptake rates (OURs) of activated sludge used in a conventional wastewater treatment process. The inhibition (%) values were estimated from the results of OURs experiments for the silica nanoparticles with various sizes of 10-15, 45-50, and 70-100 nm and concentrations of 50, 250, and 500 ppm. As results, the inhibition value was increased as the size of silica nano particles decreased and the injected concentration increased. The maximum inhibition value was investigated as 37.4 % for the silica nanoparticles with the size of 45-50 nm and concentration of 50 ppm. Additionally, the effect of size and concentration on the inhibition should be considered cautiously in case that the aggregation of particles occurred seriously so that the size of individual particles was increased in aquatic solution.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.626-630
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• 2008

Poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) was used successfully to control the size and distribution of silver nanoparticles generated on inorganic silica nanofibers. The inorganic nanofibers were electro spun using sol-gel chemistry of silicates, and the diameter of the prepared nanofibers was unaffected by adding up to 7% of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone). The silver ions, in the form of silver nitrate, were introduced into the silica nanofibers and reduced to metallic silver by ultraviolet irradiation with a subsequent thermal treatment. The size of the generated silver particles was decreased dramatically by adding poly(vinyl pyrrolidone). The size of the silver nanoparticles was 73 nm when no poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) was added but 23 nm with the addition of only 1% of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone). The extent of reduction could be checked by determining the concentration of silver ions leached into water from the silica nanofibers. After thermal treatment of the silica nanofibers, more than 99% of the silver remained in the nanofibers, indicating almost complete reduction of the silver ions to silver metal.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.15-25
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• 2023

In this study, silicon sludge from semiconductor dicing process is recycled to fabricate silica nanoparticles, which are applied as dispersing materials for electro-responsive (ER) smart fluid. In specific, metal impurities are removed from silicon sludge by acid washing to obtain the high-purity silicon powder. And then, silica nanoparticles are synthesized by facile hydrothermal method employing the silicon powder as reactant material. To control the size of silica nanoparticles, the reaction time of hydrothermal method is varied as 8, 15, 20, and 30 hours are applied to control the size of silica nanoparticles. Sizes of silica nanoparticles are increased proportionally to the reaction time owing to the increased numbers of hydrolysis and condensation reactions. As-synthesized silica nanoparticles are prepared as electro-responsive smart fluids by dispersing into silicon oil. Silica nanoparticles synthesized by 30 hours of hydrothermal reaction (SiO₂-H30) exhibit the highest shear stress of 21.4 Pa under an applied electric field strength of 3.0kV mm^-1. Such enhancement in ER performance of SiO₂-H30 among various silica nanoparticles are attribute to the reinforcing effect originated from the mixed particle size, which allowing the formation of rigid chain-like structures. Accordingly, this study successfully propose a recycling method of silicon sludge to synthesize silica nanoparticles and their derived ER fluids, which may suggest new possibility to ESG management emphasizing the eco-friendliness.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.441-446
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• 2014

In this study, we synthesize silica-core gold-satellite nanoparticles (SGNPs) for the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) based sensing applications. They consist of gold satellite nanoparticles (AuNPs) fixed on the silica core nanoparticles, which sizes of AuNPs can be tunned by varying the amount of reactants (growth solution and reducing agent). Their surface plasmon resonance (SPR) properties were characterized by using UV-vis spectroscopy, showing that the growth of AuNPs on silica cores leads to the light absorption in the longer wavelength region. Furthermore, the size increase of AuNPs exhibited the dramatic change in SERS activity due to the formation of hot spots. The optimized SGNPs showing enhancement factor ${\sim}3.8{\times}10^6$ exhibited a detection limit of rhodamine 6G (R6G) as low as $10^{-8}M$. These findings suggest the importance of size control of SGNPs and their SPR properties to develop highly efficient SERS sensors.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2010.05a
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• pp.6.2-6.2
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• 2010

Stainless steel is widely known to have superior corrosion properties. However, in some harsh conditions it still suffers various kinds of corrosions such as galvanic corrosion, pitting corrosion, intergranular corrosion, chloride stress corrosion cracking, and etc. For the corrosion protection of stainless steel, the ceramic coatings such as protective silica film can be used. The sol-gel coating technique for the silica film has been extensively studied especially because of the cost effectiveness. It has been proved that silica can improve the oxidation and the acidic corrosion resistance of metal surface in a wide range of temperatures due to its high heat and chemical resistance. However, in the sol-gel coating process there used to engage a heat treatment at an elevated temperature like $500^{\circ}C{\sim}600^{\circ}C$ where cracks in the silica film would be formed because of the thermal expansion mismatch with the metal. The cracks and pores of the film would deteriorate the corrosion resistance. When the heat treatment temperature is reduced while keeping the adhesion and the density of the film, it could possibly give the enhanced corrosion resistance. In this respect, inorganic protective silica film was tried on the surface of stainless steel using a sol-gel chemical route where silica nanoparticles, tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) were used. Silica nanoparticles with different sizes were mixed and then the film was deposited on the stainless steel substrate. It was intended by mixing the small and the large particles at the same time a sufficient consolidation of the film is possible because of the high surface activity of the small nanoparticles and a modest silica film is obtained with a low temperature heat treatment at as low as $200^{\circ}C$. The prepared film showed enhanced adhesion when compared with a silica film without nanoparticle addition. The films also showed improved protect ability against corrosion.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.275-279
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• 2012

(3-mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane (MPTMS) was used as a silylation agent, and modified silica nanoparticles were prepared by solution polymerization. 2.0 g of silica nanoparticles, 150 ml of toluene, and 20 ml of MPTMS were put into a 300 ml flask, and these mixtures were dispersed with ultrasonic vibration for 60 min. 0.2 g of hydroquinone as an inhibitor and 1 to 2 drops of 2,6-dimethylpyridine as a catalyst were added into the mixture. The mixture was then stirred with a magnetic stirrer for 8 hrs. at room temperature. After the reaction, the mixture was centrifuged for 1 hr. at 6000rpm. After precipitation, 150 ml of ethanol was added, and ultrasonic vibration was applied for 30 min. After the ultrasonic vibration, centrifugation was carried out again for 1 hr. at 6000rpm. Organo-modification of silica nanoparticles with a ${\gamma}$-methacryloxypropyl functional group was successfully achieved by solution polymerization in the ethanol solution. The characteristics of the ${\gamma}$-mercaptopropyl modified silica nanoparticles (MPSN) were examined using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, THERMO VG SCIENTIFIC, MultiLab 2000), a laser scattering system (LSS, TOPCON Co., GLS-1000), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR, JASCO INTERNATIONL CO., FT/IR-4200), scanning electron microscopy (SEM, HITACHI, S-2400), an elemental analysis (EA, Elementar, Vario macro/micro) and a thermogravimetric analysis (TGA, Perkin Elmer, TGA 7, Pyris 1). From the analysis results, the content of the methacryloxypropyl group was 0.98 mmol/g and the conversion rate of acrylamide monomer was 93%. SEM analysis results showed that the organo-modification of ultra-fine particles effectively prevented their agglomeration and improved their dispensability.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.23-29
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• 2004

In this study, we introduce the structural analysis of amorphous silica nanoparticles by EF-TEM electron diffraction and in-situ heating experiments. Three diffused rings were observed on the electron diffraction patterns of initial silica nanoparticles, while crystalline spot patterns were gradually appeared during the insitu heating process at $900^{\circ}C$. These patterns indicate the basic unit of $SiO_4$ tetrahedra consisting amorphous silica and gradual crystallization into the ideal layer structure of tridymite by heating. Under high vacuum condition in TEM, SiO nanoparticles were redeposited on the carbon grid after evaporation of SiO gas from $SiO_2$ above $850^{\circ}C$ and the remaining $SiO_2$ were crystallized into orthorhombic tridymite, consistent with ex-situ heating results in furnace at $900^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.321-329
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• 2008

Amorphous silica nanoparticles are among the most fundamental $SiO_2$ compounds, having implications in diverse geological processes and technological applications. Here, we explore structural details of amorphous silica nanoparticles with varying particle sizes (7 and 14 nm) using $^{29}Si$ and $^{1}H$ MAS NMR spectroscopy together with quantum chemical calculations to have better prospect for their size-dependent atomic structures. $^{29}Si$ MAS NMR spectra at 9.4 T resolve $Q^2,\;Q^3$ and $Q^4$ species at -93 ppm, -101 ppm, -110 ppm, respectively. The fractions of $Q^2,\;Q^3,\;O^4$ species are $7{\pm}1%,\;27{\pm}2%$, and $66{\pm}2%$ for 7 nm amorphous silica nanoparticles and $6{\pm}1%,\;21{\pm}2%$, and $73{\pm}2%$ for 14 nm amorphous silica nanoparticles. Whereas it has been suggested that $Q^2$ and $Q^3$ species exist on particles surfaces, the difference in $Q^{2}\;+\;Q^{3}$ fraction in both 7 and 14 nm particles is not significant, suggesting that $Q^2$ and $Q^3$ species could exist inside particles. $^{1}H$ MAS NMR spectra at 11.7 T shows diverse hydrogen environments, including physisorbed water, hydrogen bonded silanol, and non-hydrogen bonded silanol with varying hydrogen bond strength. The hydrogen contents in the 7nm silica nanoparticles (including water and hydroxyl groups) are about 3 times of that of 14 nm particles. The larger chemical shills for proton environments in the former suggest stronger hydrogen bond strength. The fractions of non-hydrogen bonded silanols in the 14 nm amorphous silica nanoparticles are larger than those in 7 nm amorphous silica nanoparticles. This observation suggests closer proximity among hydrogen atoms in the nanoparticles with smaller diameter. The current results with high-resolution solid-state NMR reveal previously unknown structural details in amorphous silica nanoparticles with particle size.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.177-181
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• 2012

Copper composite materials have attracted wide attention for energy applications. Especially $CuInS_2$ has a desirable direct band gap of 1.5 eV, which is well matched with the solar spectrum. $CuInS_2$ nanoparticles could make it possible to develop color-tunable $CuInS_2$ nanoparticle emitter in the near-infrared region (NIR) for energy application and bio imaging sensors. In this paper, $CuInS_2$ nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by thermo-decomposition methods. Surface modification of $CuInS_2$ nanoparticles were carried out with various semiconductor materials (CdS, ZnS) for enhanced optical properties. Surface modification and silica coating of hydrophobic nanoparticles could be dispersed in polar solvent for potential applications. Their optical properties were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). The structures of silica coated $CuInS_2$ were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.69-73
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• 2009

We report the preparation of nanocrystalline cobalt ferrite, $CoFe_2O_4$ particles and their surface coating with silica layers using micro emulsion method. The cobalt ferrite nanoparticles with the size 7nm are firstly prepared by thermal decomposition method. Hydrophobic nanoparticles were coated with silica using micro-emulsion method with surfactant, $NH_4OH$, and tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS). Monodispersed and spherical silica coated cobalt ferrite nanoparticles have average particle diameter of 38 nm and narrow sized distribution.