Various embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to methods of making graphene quantum dots from a carbon source by exposing the carbon source to a solution that contains an oxidant. The exposing results in the formation of the graphene quantum dots from the carbon source. The carbon sources can include coal, coke, biochar, asphalt, and combinations thereof. The oxidants can include an acid, such as nitric acid. In some embodiments, the oxidant consists essentially of a single acid, such as nitric acid. Various embodiments of the present disclosure also include steps of separating the formed graphene quantum dots from the oxidant by various methods, such as evaporation. In various embodiments, the methods of the present disclosure also include steps of enhancing a quantum yield of the graphene quantum dots, reducing the formed graphene quantum dots, and controlling the diameter of the formed graphene quantum dots.

Semiconductor structures having a nanocrystalline core and corresponding nanocrystalline shell and insulator coating, wherein the semiconductor structure includes an anisotropic nanocrystalline core composed of a first semiconductor material, and an anisotropic nanocrystalline shell composed of a second, different, semiconductor material surrounding the anisotropic nanocrystalline core. The anisotropic nanocrystalline core and the anisotropic nanocrystalline shell form a quantum dot. An insulator layer encapsulates the nanocrystalline shell and anisotropic nanocrystalline core.

The present invention relates to a method of post-synthetic downsizing zeolite-type crystals and/or agglomerates thereof to nanosized particles, and in particular a heating-free and chemical-free method. The present invention also relates to nanosized particles of zeolite-type material capable of being obtained by the method of the invention and to the use of such particles as a catalyst or catalyst support for heterogeneous catalyst, or as molecular sieve, or as a cation exchanger.

Provided are a self-cleaning coating, a self-cleaning fiber, a self-cleaning carpet and uses thereof. The self-cleaning coating is provided with a porous structure where pores communicate with one another; the volume of the pores comprised in the coating makes up 20%-98% of the total volume of the coating; and the pore diameter of the pores in the porous structure is between 0.5 nm-50 nm. The self-cleaning coating is mainly prepared from host materials; the host materials are one or more of titanium oxide, zirconia, titanium nitride, silicon oxide, tungsten oxide, g-C.sub.3N.sub.4 semiconducting polymer, perovskite semiconductor, silver, iron, gold, aluminum, copper, zinc, tin and platinum.

An object of the present invention is to easily obtain zirconium oxide particles that contain a metallic element such as a rare earth oxide (preferably stabilized with a metallic element) and exhibit good dispersibility in organic media, without using an aqueous sulfate solution such as an aqueous solution of MgSO.sub.4, or using a reduced amount of the aqueous sulfate solution. The present invention is a zirconium oxide nanoparticle coated with a first carboxylic acid that is at least one of primary carboxylic acids and secondary carboxylic acids and has 3 or more carbon atoms, wherein the zirconium oxide nanoparticle comprises at least one selected from the group M consisting of rare earth elements, Al, Fe, Co, Sn, Zn, In, Bi, Mn, Ni, and Cu.

A nano-composite structure. A synthetic nano-composite is described having a first component including a fibrous structured amorphous silica structure, and a second component including a precipitated calcium carbonate structure developed by pressure carbonation. The nano-composite may be useful for fillers in paints and coatings. Also, the nano-composite may be useful in coatings used in the manufacture of paper products.

Semiconductor structures having a nanocrystalline core and corresponding nanocrystalline shell and insulator coating, wherein the semiconductor structure includes an anisotropic nanocrystalline core composed of a first semiconductor material, and an anisotropic nanocrystalline shell composed of a second, different, semiconductor material surrounding the anisotropic nanocrystalline core. The anisotropic nanocrystalline core and the anisotropic nanocrystalline shell form a quantum dot. An insulator layer encapsulates the nanocrystalline shell and anisotropic nanocrystalline core.

Monodisperse particles having: a single pure crystalline phase of a rare earth-containing lattice, a uniform three-dimensional size, and a uniform polyhedral morphology are disclosed. Due to their uniform size and shape, the monodisperse particles self assemble into superlattices. The particles may be luminescent particles such as down-converting phosphor particles and up-converting phosphors. The monodisperse particles of the invention have a rare earth-containing lattice which in one embodiment may be an yttrium-containing lattice or in another may be a lanthanide-containing lattice. The monodisperse particles may have different optical properties based on their composition, their size, and/or their morphology (or shape). Also disclosed is a combination of at least two types of monodisperse particles, where each type is a plurality of monodisperse particles having a single pure crystalline phase of a rare earth-containing lattice, a uniform three-dimensional size, and a uniform polyhedral morphology; and where the types of monodisperse particles differ from one another by composition, by size, or by morphology. In a preferred embodiment, the types of monodisperse particles have the same composition but different morphologies. Methods of making and methods of using the monodisperse particles are disclosed.

The present invention provides a Molybdenum or Tungsten chalcogenide nanoobject having: (a) an object size comprised from 0.1 to 500 nm, and (b) from 1 to 99% by weight of molecules of formula (I) with respect to the total weight of the nanoobject, wherein: A is OH; X is selected from: (C.sub.1-C.sub.20)alkyl optionally substituted with one or more radicals; a 2 to 20-member heteroalkyl optionally substituted with one or more radicals; and a homopolymer or copolymer comprising a polymeric chain; B is selected from: H, OH, NH.sub.2, (C.sub.1-C.sub.4)alkyl, halogen, phenyl substituted with one or more halogen radicals, benzyl substituted with one or more halogen radicals, C(O)R.sub.3, C(O)(R.sub.7), OC(O)(O)R.sub.3, C(O)(O.sup.), C(O)(O)R.sub.3, OR.sub.3, CH(OR.sub.3)(OR.sub.4), C(OR.sub.3)(OR.sub.4)(R.sub.5), C(OR.sub.3)(OR.sub.4)(OR.sub.5), C(OR.sub.3)(OR.sub.4)(OR.sub.5)(OR.sub.6), NR.sub.1R.sub.2, N.sup.+R.sub.1R.sub.2R.sub.3, C(NR.sub.1)(R.sub.2), C(O)(NR.sub.1R.sub.2), N(C(O)(R.sub.1)) (C(O)(R.sub.2))(R.sub.3), O(CN), NC(O), ONO.sub.2, CN, NC, ON(O), NO.sub.2, NO, C.sub.5H.sub.4N, SR.sub.1, SSR.sub.1, S(O)(R.sub.1), S(O)(O)(R.sub.1), S(O)(OH), S(O)(O)(OH), SCN, NCS, C(S)(R.sub.1), PR.sub.1R.sub.2, P(O)(OH).sub.2, OP(O)(OH).sub.2, OP(O)(OR.sub.1)(OR.sub.2), B(OH), B(OR.sub.1)(OR.sub.2), and B(OR.sub.1)(R.sub.2); provided that when B is H or (C.sub.1-C.sub.4) alkyl, then X is a homopolymer, a copolymer, or a 2 to 20-member heteroalkyl optionally substituted with one or more radicals as defined above.

The present invention also provides processes for the preparation of the nanoobjects, their use as additive for reducing the friction coefficient of a material, and compositions comprising thereof.

A-X-B(I)

A method for producing water dispersible CuO nanostructures includes mixing copper nitrate with an ammonia solution. The copper nitrate and ammonia solution can be treated with ultrasound at room temperature. The water dispersible CuO nanostructures can be produced without any surfactant.