FUNCTIONAL METAL-BASED NANOSTRUCTURES AND BIOAPPLICATIONS

Abstract

IN THIS THESIS, VARIOUS FUNCTIONAL METAL-BASED NANOSTRUCTURES WITH CONTROLLED SIZE, SHAPE, COMPOSITION, CRYSTAL STRUCTURE AND SURFACE CAPPING WERE FABRICATED AND DEMONSTRATED FOR BIOAPPLICATIONS INCLUDING CHEMICAL SENSING, BIOIMAGING AND BACTERIAL INHIBITION. UNIFORM COPPER NANOWIRES WERE FIRST PREPARED THROUGH DISPROPORTIONATION REACTION, AND FURTHER USED AS TEMPLATE TO FORM VARIOUS BIMETALLIC NANOSTRUCTURES SUCH AS CU/AU (I.E., NANOTUBES, NANORODS, AND NANOPARTICLES) FOR GREATLY IMPROVING ELECTROCHEMICAL GLUCOSE SENSING. FLUORESCENT CHEMICAL SENSING WAS FURTHER DEMONSTRATED USING VARIOUS RARE EARTH INCORPORATED METAL OXIDE NANOPARTICLES (ZRO2:TB3+, Y2O3:TB3+, TIO2:EU3+, ZRO2: EU3+, AND Y2O3:EU3+) PREPARED IN THIS WORK. THIS IS THE FIRST OBSERVATION THAT INTERPARTICLE DISTANCE OF ZRO2:TB3+ NANOPARTICLES SIGNIFICANTLY ALTER THEIR PHOTOLUMINESCENCE AND IT IS SUCCESSFULLY OPTIMISED FOR HIGHLY SENSITIVE DETECTION OF PESTICIDES DOWN TO PPB LEVEL. THE RARE EARTH INCORPORATED METAL OXIDE NA