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In this study, we reported a facile and rapid synthesis of NiAl LDH/ERGO and reduced by electrochemical method. Compared with previous studies, this experiment greatly decreased the use of reductive solvents and was environmentally friendly. The nanocomposite material was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) & transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT-IR). A series of electrochemical methods were applied to test the electrochemical performance of modified electrodes. When the modified electrode was used to detect AA, DA and UA, the three substances can be clearly separated and the limits of detection for AA, DA and UA can be 0.85 μM in the range 12.48-232 μM, 0.38 μM in the range 1.06-13.26 μM and 0.42 μM in the range 1.25-23.20 μM (S/N = 3), respectively. The modified electrode could provide a reproducible and stable platform to detect AA, DA, and UA simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The form of the external potential (FEP) for generating field emission resonance (FER) in a scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) junction is usually assumed to be triangular. We demonstrate that this assumption can be examined using a plot that can characterize FEP. The plot is FER energies versus the corresponding distances between the tip and sample. Through this energy–distance relationship, we discover that the FEP is nearly triangular for a blunt STM tip. However, the assumption of a triangular potential form is invalid for a sharp tip. The disparity becomes more severe as the tip is sharper. We demonstrate that the energy–distance plot can be exploited to determine the barrier width in field emission and estimate the effective sharpness of an STM tip. Because FERs were observed on Pb islands grown on the Cu(111) surface in this study, determination of the tip sharpness enabled the derivation of the subtle expansion deformation of Pb islands due to electrostatic force in the STM junction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silver nanowire (AgNW) thin film is a promising candidate to replace traditional indium tin oxide in optoelectronics applications. To date however, the widespread application of AgNW thin film is limited by the weak point contacts between individual AgNWs and the lack of facile patterning techniques. Here, we demonstrate a novel and facile method to not only nanoweld AgNW junctions but also pattern AgNW thin films via mask-free cold plasma-jet scanning in ambient conditions. After the plasma-jet nanowelding treatment, the morphology of AgNWs change substantially and the junctions are welded together. The nanowelded AgNWs-based thin film shows enhanced electrical and mechanical properties. On the other hand, after the plasma-jet patterning treatment, the AgNWs are etched and transformed into separated large particles. Different kinds of patterns are produced via this patterning technique. At last, a simple light emitting diode circuit is fabricated to demonstrate the suitability of the nanowelded and patterned AgNW electrodes for flexible electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]