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Near infrared (NIR)-excitable and NIR-emitting probes have fuelled advances in biomedical applications owing to their power in enabling deep tissue imaging, offering high image contrast and reducing phototoxicity. There are essentially three NIR biological windows, i.e., 700-950 nm (NIR I), 1000-1350 nm (NIR II) and 1550-1870 nm (NIR III). Recently emerging optical probes that can be excited by an 800 nm laser and emit in the NIR II or III windows, denoted as NIR I-to-NIR II/III, are particularly attractive. That is because the longer wavelengths in the NIR II and NIR III windows offer deeper penetration and higher signal to noise ratio than those in the NIR I window. NIR imaging has indeed become a quickly evolving field and, simultaneously, stimulated the further development of new classes of NIR I-to-NIR II/III inorganic fluorescent probes, which include PbS, Ag 2 S-based quantum dots (QDs) and rare earth (RE) doped NPs (RENPs) that possess quite diverse optical properties and follow different emission mechanisms. This review summarizes the recent progress on material merits, synthetic routes, the rational choice of excitation in the NIR I window, NIR II/III emission optimization, and surface modification of aforementioned fluorescent probes. We also introduce the latest notable accomplishments enabled by these probes in fluorescence imaging, lifetime-based multiplexed imaging and photothermal therapy (PTT), together with a critical discussion of forthcoming challenges and perspectives for clinic use.

Bionanotechnology, the use of biological resources to produce novel, valuable nanomaterials, has witnessed tremendous developments over the past two decades. This eco-friendly and sustainable approach enables the synthesis of numerous, diverse types of useful nanomaterials for many medical, commercial, and scientific applications. Countless reviews describing the biosynthesis of nanomaterials have been published. However, to the best of our knowledge, no review has been exclusively focused on the in vivo biosynthesis of inorganic nanomaterials. Therefore, the present review is dedicated to filling this gap by describing the many different facets of the in vivo biosynthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) using living eukaryotic cells and organisms-more specifically, live plants and living biomass of several species of microalgae, yeast, fungus, mammalian cells, and animals. It also highlights the strengths and weaknesses of the synthesis methodologies and the NP characteristics, bio-applications, and proposed synthesis mechanisms. This comprehensive review also brings attention to enabling a better understanding between the living organisms themselves and the synthesis conditions that allow their exploitation as nanobiotechnological production platforms as these might serve as a robust resource to boost and expand the bio-production and use of desirable, functional inorganic nanomaterials.

In this study, novel organic⁻inorganic composites were prepared by the complexation of dicarboxylic azo dye (AD) with aluminum⁻magnesium hydroxycarbonate (AlMg⁻LH). This procedure provides an effective method for the stabilization of dicarboxylic organic chromophores on an AlMg-LH host. The structures of the hybrid composites were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), 27-Al solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). The TOF-SIMS method was applied to investigate the metal⁻dye interactions and to monitor the thermal stability of the organic⁻inorganic complexes. Secondary ion mass spectrometry confirmed the presence of a characteristic peak for C 18 H 10 O₅N₂Mg₂ 2+ , indicating that both carboxylic groups interacted with AlMg-LH by forming complexes with two Mg 2+ ions. Modification with hybrid pigments affected the crystal structure of the AlMg-LH mineral, as shown by the appearance of new peaks on the X-ray diffraction patterns. Adsorption of the dicarboxylic chromophore not only led to significantly enhanced solvent resistance but also improved the thermal and photostability of the hybrid pigments. We propose a possible arrangement of the azo dye in the inorganic matrix, as well as the presumed mechanism of stabilization.

An efficient synthesis of a series of 4'-oxyalkyl-isocordoin analogues ( 2 - 8 ) is reported for the first time. Their structures were confirmed by ¹H-NMR, 13 C-NMR, and HRMS. Their anti-oomycete activity was evaluated by mycelium and spores inhibition assay against two selected pathogenic oomycetes strains: Saprolegnia parasitica and Saprolegnia australis . The entire series of isocordoin derivatives (except compound 7 ) showed high inhibitory activity against these oomycete strains. Among them, compound 2 exhibited strong activity, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum oomyceticidal concentration (MOC) values of 50 µg/mL and 75 µg/mL, respectively. The results showed that 4'-oxyalkylated analogues of isocordoin could be potential anti-oomycete agents., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

A route for the fabrication of porous inorganic hollow fibers with high surface-area-to-volume ratio that avoids harmful solvents is presented. The approach is based on bio-ionic gelation of an aqueous mixture of inorganic particles and sodium alginate during wet spinning. In a subsequent thermal treatment, the bio-organic material is removed and the inorganic particles are sintered. The method is applicable to the fabrication of various inorganic fibers, including metals and ceramics. The route completely avoids the use of organic solvents, such as N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, and additives associated with the currently used fiber fabrication methods. In addition, it inherently avoids the manifestation of so-called macro voids and allows the facile incorporation of additional metal oxides in the inorganic hollow fibers., (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

For more than 5000 years, organic-inorganic composite materials created by men via skill and serendipity have been part of human culture and customs. The concept of "hybrid organic-inorganic" nanocomposites exploded in the second half of the 20th century with the expansion of the so-called "chimie douce" which led to many collaborations between a large set of chemists, physicists and biologists. Consequently, the scientific melting pot of these very different scientific communities created a new pluridisciplinary school of thought. Today, the tremendous effort of basic research performed in the last twenty years allows tailor-made multifunctional hybrid materials with perfect control over composition, structure and shape. Some of these hybrid materials have already entered the industrial market. Many tailor-made multiscale hybrids are increasingly impacting numerous fields of applications: optics, catalysis, energy, environment, nanomedicine, etc. In the present feature article, we emphasize several fundamental and applied aspects of the hybrid materials field: bioreplication, mesostructured thin films, Lego-like chemistry designed hybrid nanocomposites, and advanced hybrid materials for energy. Finally, a few commercial applications of hybrid materials will be presented.

The rapid expansion of nanotechnology requires scaled-up production rates to cope with increased nanomaterials demand. However, in many cases, the final uses of nanomaterials impose strict requisites on their physical and chemical characteristics including size, shape, chemical composition and type of functional groups on their surface. Frequently, additional features such as a limited degree of agglomeration are also demanded. These requisites represent a serious challenge to present-day synthesis methods when nanomaterials must be produced in large amounts. Some of the possible solutions from the reaction engineering perspective are discussed in this work for both gas and liquid phase production processes. Special attention will be devoted to enabling technologies, which allow the production of engineered nanoparticles with limited aggregation and with a good control on their nano-scale characteristics., (© 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Inorganic nanocrystals have myriad applications in medicine, including their use as drug or gene delivery complexes, therapeutic hyperthermia agents, in diagnostic systems and as contrast agents in a wide range of medical imaging techniques. In MRI, nanocrystals can produce contrast themselves, with iron oxides having been the most extensively explored, or can be given a coating that generates MR contrast, for example gold nanoparticles coated with gadolinium chelates. These MR-active nanocrystals can be used for imaging of the vasculature, liver and other organs, as well as molecular imaging, cell tracking and theranostics. As a result of these exciting applications, the synthesis and rendering of these nanocrystals as water soluble and biocompatible are therefore highly desirable. We discuss aqueous phase and organic phase methods for the synthesis of inorganic nanocrystals, such as gold, iron oxides and quantum dots. The pros and cons of the various methods are highlighted. We explore various methods for making nanocrystals biocompatible, i.e. direct synthesis of nanocrystals coated with biocompatible coatings, ligand substitution, amphiphile coating and embedding in carrier matrices that can be made biocompatible. Various examples are highlighted and their applications explained. These examples signify that the synthesis of biocompatible nanocrystals with controlled properties has been achieved by numerous research groups and can be applied to a wide range of applications. Therefore, we expect to see reports of preclinical applications of ever more complex MRI-active nanoparticles and their wider exploitation, as well as in novel clinical settings., (Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Many kinds of inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) including semiconductor, metal, metal oxide, and lanthanide-doped NPs have been developed for imaging and therapy applications. Their unique optical, magnetic, and electronic properties can be tailored by controlling the composition, size, shape, and structure. Interaction of such NPs with cells and/or in vivo compartments is critically determined by the surface properties, and sophisticated control over the NP surface is essential to control their fate in biological environments. We review NP surface coating strategies using the categories of small surface ligand, polymer, and lipid. Use of small ligand molecules has the advantage of maintaining the minimal hydrodynamic (HD) size. Polymers can be advantageous in NP anchoring by combining multiple affinity groups. Encapsulation of NPs in polymers, lipids or surfactants can preserve the as-synthesized NPs. NP surface properties and reaction conditions should be carefully considered to obtain a bioconjugate that maintains the physicochemical properties of NP and functionalities of the conjugated biomolecules. We highlight how the surface properties of NPs impact their interactions with cells and in vivo compartments, especially focused on the important surface design parameters such as HD size, surface charge, and targeting. Typically, maximal cellular uptake can take place in the intermediate NP size range of 40-60nm. Clearance of NPs from blood circulation is largely dependent on the degree of uptake by reticuloendothelial system when they are larger than 10nm. When the HD size is below 10nm, NPs show broad distribution over many organs. Reduction of HD size below the limit of renal barrier can achieve fast clearance of NPs. For maximal tumor accumulation, NPs should have long blood circulation time and should be large enough to prevent rapid penetration. NPs are also desired to rapidly clear out from the body after the mission before they cause toxic side effects. However, efficient clearance from the body to avoid side effects may result in the reduction in residence time required for accumulation in target tissues. Smart design of NP surface coating that can meet the conflicting demands can open a new avenue of NP applications. Surface charge and hydrophobicity need to be carefully considered for NP surface design. Positively charged NPs more adsorb on cell membranes and consequently show higher level of internalizations when compared with negatively charged or neutral NPs. NPs encounter a large variety of biomolecules in vivo, where non-specific adsorptions can potentially alter the physicochemical properties of the NPs. For optimal performance, NPs are suggested to have neutral surface charge at physiological conditions, small HD size, and minimal non-specific adsorption levels. Zwitterionic NP surface coating by small surface ligands can be a promising approach. Toxicity is one of most critical issues, where proper control of the NP surface can significantly reduce the toxicities., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Polymeric/inorganic nanocomposite films have been fabricated through a combination of flame-spray-pyrolysis (FSP) made inorganic scaffold and surface initiated polymerization of cyanoacrylate. The highly porous structure of pristine SnO(2) films allows the uptake of cyanoacrylate and the polymerization is surface initiated by the water adsorbed onto the SnO(2) surface. Scanning electron microscopy study reveals a nonlinear increase in the composite particle size and the film thickness with polymerization time. The structural change is rather homogeneous throughout the whole layer. The composite is formed mainly by an increase of the particle size and not by just filling the existing pores. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy imaging shows SnO(2) nanoparticles embedded in the polymeric matrix, constituting the nanocomposite material. Thermogravimetric analysis indicates that the porosity of the nanocomposite films decreases from 98% to 75%, resulting in a significant enhancement of the hardness of the films. DC conductivity measurements conducted in situ on the nanocomposite layer suggest a gradual increase in the layer resistance, pointing to a loss of connectivity between the SnO(2) primary particles as the polymerization proceeds., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012)

In this paper, atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and radical grafting polymerization were combined to synthesize a novel amphiphilic hybrid material, meanwhile, the amphiphilic hybrid material was employed in the absorption of heavy metal and organic pollutants. After the formation of attapulgite (ATP) ATRP initiator, ATRP block copolymers of styrene (St) and divinylbenzene (DVB) were grafted from it as ATP-P(S-b-DVB). Then radical polymerization of acrylonitrile (AN) was carried out with pendent double bonds in the DVD units successfully, finally we got the inorganic-organic hybrid materials ATP-P(S-b-DVB-g-AN). A novel amphiphilic hybrid material ATP-P(S-b-DVB-g-AO) (ASDO) was obtained after transforming acrylonitrile (AN) units into acrylamide oxime (AO) as hydrophilic segment. The adsorption capacity of ASDO for Pb(II) could achieve 131.6 mg/g, and the maximum removal capacity of ASDO towards phenol was found to be 18.18 mg/g in the case of monolayer adsorption at 30°C. The optimum pH was 5 for both lead and phenol adsorption. The adsorption kinetic suited pseudo-second-order equation and the equilibrium fitted the Freundlich model very well under optimal conditions. At the same time FT-IR, TEM and TGA were also used to study its structure and property., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The templated sol-gel synthesis of ultrabright fluorescent nanoporous silica particles based on the use of organic silica sources has previously been reported. The use of organosilanes as the main silica precursors has a number of issues, in particular, the low robustness of the synthesis due to instability of the organic silica source. Here we report on a novel synthesis of ultrabright fluorescent nanoporous silica discoids (a specific shape in-between the sphere and disk) of 3.1 ± 0.7 microns in size, which were prepared using a stable inorganic sodium silicate silica source. Organic fluorescent dye Rhodamine 6G (R6G) was physically (non-covalently) entrapped inside cylindrical nanochannels of ∼4-5 nm in diameter. In contrast to the synthesis with organic silica precursors, the obtained particles showed an excessive leakage of dye. To prevent this leakage, we modified the synthesis by adding a small amount of a secondary silica source. The synthesized particles show virtually no leakage, high photostability, and a brightness equivalent to the fluorescence of up to 7 × 10(7) free R6G molecules. This is about 7 times higher than the fluorescent brightness of particles of the same size made of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots, and 420 times higher than the brightness of the same volume of aqueous solution of free R6G dye., (© The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011)

The cosmetic industry is among the first adaptors of nanotechnology through the use of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) to enhance the performance of their products and meet the customers' needs. Recently, there have been increasing concerns from different societal stakeholders (e.g., governments, environmental activist pressure groups, scientists, general public, etc.) concerning the safety and environmental impact of ENPs used in cosmetics. This review paper seeks to address the twin concerns of the safety of cosmetics and the potential environmental impacts due to the constituent chemicals-the ENPs. The safety aspect is addressed by examining recently published scientific data on the possibility of ENPs penetrating human skin. Data indicates that although particular types of ENPs can penetrate into the skin, until now no penetration has been detected beyond the stratum corneum of the ENPs used in cosmetics. Yet, important lessons can be learned from the more recent studies that identify the characteristics of ENPs penetrating into and permeating through human skin. On the part of the environmental impact, the scientific literature has very limited or none existent specific articles addressing the environmental impacts of ENPs owing to the cosmetic products. Therefore, general ecotoxicological data on risk assessment of ENPs has been applied to ascertain if there are potential environmental impacts from cosmetics. Results include some of the first studies on the qualitative and quantitative risk assessment of ENPs from cosmetics and suggest that further research is required as the knowledge is incomplete to make definitive conclusions as is the case with skin penetration. The authors conclude that the cosmetic industry should be more transparent in its use of nanotechnology in cosmetic products to facilitate realistic risk assessments as well as scientists and pressure groups being accurate in their conclusions on the general applicability of their findings. Transparency in cosmetics needs nanotechnology, but nanotechnology in cosmetics also needs transparency...

Template-directed strategy has become one of the most popular methods for the fabrication of one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures with uniform size and controllable physical dimensions in recent years. This Review article describes the recent progress in the synthesis of 1D inorganic nanostructures by using suitable templates. A brief survey on the templating method based on the organic templates and porous membrane is firstly given. Then, the article is focused on recent emerging synthetic strategies by templating against the pre-existing 1D nanostructures using different physical and chemical transformation techniques, including epitaxial growth, nonepitaxial growth, direct chemical transformation, solid-state interfacial diffusion reaction, and so on. The important reactivity role of the 1D nanostructures will be emphasized in such transformation process. Finally, we conclude this paper with some perspectives and outlook on this research topic.

This review presents an application of micromixer technologies, which have driven a number of critical research trends over the past few decades, particularly for chemical and biological fields. Micromixer technologies in this review are categorized according to their applications: (1) chemical applications, including chemical synthesis, polymerization, and extraction; (2) biological applications, including DNA analysis, biological screening enzyme assays, protein folding; and (3) detection/analysis of chemical or biochemical content combined with NMR, FTIR, or Raman spectroscopies. In the chemical application, crystallization, extraction, polymerization, and organic synthesis have been reported, not only for laboratory studies, but also for industrial applications. Microscale techniques are used in chemical synthesis to develop microreactors. In clinical medicine and biological studies, microfluidic systems have been widely applied to the identification of biochemical products, diagnosis, drug discovery, and investigation of disease symptoms. The biological and biochemical applications also include enzyme assays, biological screening assays, cell lysis, protein folding, and biological analytical assays. Nondestructive analytical/detection methods have yielded a number of benefits to chemical and biochemical processes. In this chapter, we introduce analytical methods those are frequently integrated into micromixing technologies, such as NMR, FT-IR, and Raman spectroscopies. From the study of micromixers, we discovered that the Re number and mixing time depends on the specific application, and we clustered micromixers in various applications according to the Re number and mixing performance (mixing time). We expect that this clustering will be helpful in designing of micromixers for specific applications.

Novel Ru(II) complex-based hybrid inorganic-organic materials immobilized via a diamine co-ligand site instead of the conventional diphosphine ligand have been prepared. The complexes were prepared by two different methods: sol-gel and surface modification techniques. The structures of the desired materials were deduced by several available physical measurements like elemental analyses, infrared, FAB-MS and (1)H-, (13)C- and (31)P-NMR spectroscopy. Due to a lack of solubility the structures of xerogel 3 and modified 4 were studied by solid state (13)C-, (29)Si- and (31)P-NMR spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy and EXAFS. These materials were stable enough to serve as hydrogenation catalysts. Selective hydrogenation of functionalized carbonyls in alpha,beta-unsaturated compounds was successfully carried out under mild conditions in a basic medium using these complexes as catalysts.

The preparations of novel platinum and copper metallodendrimers are reported. Surface modified first generation (G0) poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendritic Schiff base, prepared via a condensation reaction was coordinated with platinum chloride and copper chloride yielding [G0-Py(4)-[PtCl(2)](4)] (4D) and [G0-Py(4)-[CuCl(2)](7)] (7E) respectively. These functionalized hyper-branched complexes were characterized by IR spectroscopy and CHN analysis. 4D was further characterized through (1)H and (13)C spectroscopy, while 7E was characterized using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI/TOF) Mass Spectrometer. The cytotoxic effects of the compounds against cells of neoplastic origin (MOLT-4, MCF-7) and cells of benign origin (Chang Liver) were studied. Their cytotoxicities were then compared to their mono-nuclear analogues, [(MeCONHCH(2)CH(2)NCHPy)(PtCl(2))] (1D) and [(MeCONHCH(2)CH(2)NCHPy)(CuCl(2))] (1E). The multi-nuclear complexes showed increased cytotoxic activities as compared to their respective mono-nuclear compounds. Most notably, significant inhibitions were observed for 7E on all cell lines, in which its IC(50) values were 11.1+/-0.6, 10.2+/-1.5 and 8.7+/-0.7microM against MOLT-4, MCF-7 and Chang Liver cells respectively. The multi-nuclear copper-based complexes (7E) are therefore most effective against a cancer cell line (MOLT-4) and a cisplatin-resistant cell line (MCF-7).

Monodisperse Cu2WO4(OH)2 round and elliptical hollow spheres have been successfully prepared by a ligand-assisted dissolution process, without any template or surfactant.

We carried out a "pathway" screen of 50,000 small molecules to identify novel modulators of cAMP signaling. One class of compounds, the 2-(acylamino)-3-thiophenecarboxylates, strongly suppressed cAMP and cGMP in multiple cell lines in response to different agonists acting on G-protein-coupled receptors, adenylyl cyclase, and guanylyl cyclase. The best compounds from structure-activity analysis of 124 analogs, including several synthesized chiral analogs, had and IC(50) of <5 microM for suppression of agonist-induced cAMP and cGMP elevation. Measurements of cAMP, cGMP, and downstream signaling in response to various activators/inhibitors suggested that the 2-(acylamino)-3-thiophenecarboxylates function as nonselective phosphodiesterase activators, although it was not determined whether their action on phosphodiesterases is direct or indirect. The 2-(acylamino)-3-thiophenecarboxylates suppressed CFTR-mediated Cl(-) current in T84 colonic cells in response to cholera and Escherichia coli (STa) toxins, and prevented intestinal fluid accumulation in a closed-loop mouse model of secretory diarrhea. They also prevented cyst growth in an in vitro renal epithelial cell model of polycystic kidney disease. The 2-(acylamino)-3-thiophenecarboxylates represent the first small-molecule cyclic nucleotide suppressors, whose potential therapeutic indications include secretory diarrheas, polycystic kidney disease, and growth inhibition of cAMP-dependent tumors.

The number of new chemicals synthesized and marketed increases exponentially. The database CAS REGISTRY at present contains more than 33 million organic and inorganic substances. However, the little information regarding the potential hazard associated with a large amount of chemicals is an old known problem in the European Union and also in the United States. This critical problem may find a solution in the collaboration of the different involved countries and in a planned task setting at international level. Both in the United States (e.g., the "Gore Initiative") and in European Union (the REACH policy) a big effort has been dedicated to this solution, within standardized procedures and an appropriate collaboration.

Biopolymers in the biosphere are well known to mediate the formation of a wide array of inorganic materials, such as bone, shells, lenses, and magnetic particles to name a few. Recently, in vitro experiments with biopolymers such as peptides, RNA, and DNA have shown that templating by these macromolecules can yield a variety of materials under mild reaction conditions. The primary sequence of the biopolymer can be viewed as a proteomic or genomic signature for the templating of an inorganic material from defined metal precursors and reaction conditions. Together with the rapid advances in inorganic particle synthesis by other combinatorial methods, these bioinspired in vitro materials experiments may provide additional insights into possible inorganic materials yet to be discovered and subsequently synthesized by conventional methods. Some of the concepts important to understanding the crystallization phenomena occurring during biopolymer mediation are discussed. A simple kinetic model is provided in the context of known biopolymer-mediated inorganic crystallizations.

Nature is an exquisite designer of inorganic materials using biomolecules as templates. Diatoms create intricate silica wall structures with fine features using the protein family of silaffins as templates. Marine sponges create silica spicules also using proteins, termed silicateins. In recent years, our group and others have used biomolecules as templates for the deposition of inorganic materials. In contrast with the traditional materials science approach, which requires high heat, extreme pH and non-aqueous solutions, the bio-based approaches allow the reactions to proceed usually at near ambient conditions. Additionally, the biological templates allow for the control of the inorganic nanoparticle morphology. The use of peptides and biomolecules for templating and assembling inorganics will be discussed here.

The synthesis of thin films and nanocrystalline matter at the interface of two liquids is emerging as an important area in synthesis of inorganic materials. The advances in this area are reviewed to highlight potential uses of this method. The current understanding of the deposition process is discussed.

Hierarchically porous inorganic nanocomposites have been synthesized combining interconnected macropores and mesopores with a high loading of site-isolated gold nanoparticles.

Mesoporous films containing organic or biological functions within an organised array of cavities are produced by combining sol-gel, self-assembly of supramolecular templates and surface chemistry. This paper reviews the essential physics and chemical concepts behind the synthesis of these complex multifunctional materials.

A room-temperature sol-gel-based process was used to produce by direct synthesis talc-like organosilicates having hexadecyl or aminopropyl groups pending in the interlayer space. Thermal analyses, Fourier transform infrared and 13C/29Si solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies confirmed the presence of organic moieties bonded to the inorganic network. Exfoliation of these organoclays in polar solvents such as water for the positively charged magnesium phyllo(aminopropyl)silicate, and in low polar solvents such as toluene and chloroform for hydrophobic magnesium phyllo(hexadecyl)silicate, was investigated by TEM. The ability of these layered magnesium organosilicates to exfoliate in appropriate solvents was exploited for the preparation of transparent self-supporting films and ordered macroporous networks using by latex colloidal crystal templates.

A method that combines co-evaporation of pure elements from multiple finite-size sources on temperature-controlled substrates with independently controlled source shutters has been used for the synthesis of solid-state material combinatorial libraries. The source shutters are positioned to achieve a controlled gradient of the deposited elements across the substrate and are fixed during the course of deposition. Choice of the shutter position and the rate of deposition for each source allow the direct synthesis of continuous and controlled materials of varying composition. There are significant advantages of the method over alternatives which rely on sequential deposition and subsequent heat treatment to produce thin film materials. The parameters governing the creation of gradients have been identified and defined. Simulations and experimental data have been compared in the case of a single source. Results are presented for the synthesis of a ternary alloy library to demonstrate the methodology.

Nanoscale materials are currently being exploited as active components in a wide range of technological applications in various fields, such as composite materials, chemical sensing, biomedicine, optoelectronics and nanoelectronics. Colloidal nanocrystals are promising candidates in these fields, due to their ease of fabrication and processibility. Even more applications and new functional materials might emerge if nanocrystals could be synthesized in shapes of higher complexity than the ones produced by current methods (spheres, rods, discs). Here, we demonstrate that polytypism, or the existence of two or more crystal structures in different domains of the same crystal, coupled with the manipulation of surface energy at the nanoscale, can be exploited to produce branched inorganic nanostructures controllably. For the case of CdTe, we designed a high yield, reproducible synthesis of soluble, tetrapod-shaped nanocrystals through which we can independently control the width and length of the four arms.

The synthesis and applications of organic-inorganic nanostructured colloids and colloidal-based materials are reviewed here. Emphasis is placed on the strategies and synthetic methods developed to organize organic-inorganic architectures. The article begins with a description and a general hierarchical classification of different systems, from inorganic particle synthesis and surface modification to more elaborate nanostructured colloids obtained through in situ encapsulation and/or self-assembly techniques. Ordering of colloids into two- and three-dimensional arrays and their use as templates is also considered. For every system, typical examples are given that highlight the advantages and limitations of the techniques, as are more recent developments. Some properties and applicability of organic-inorganic colloids in catalysis, medicine, and coating technologies are also cited.

In this Account we describe the hydrothermal synthesis of some new materials including microporous crystals, ionic conductors, complex oxides and fluorides, low-dimensional aluminophosphates, inorganic-organic hybrid materials, and particularly condensed materials such as diamond and inorganic helical chains. Hydrothermal synthesis in biology and environment sciences is also introduced. The increasing interest in hydrothemal synthesis derives from its advantages in terms of high reactivity of reactants, easy control of solution or interface reactions, formation of metastable and unique condensed phases, less air pollution, and low energy consumption.