Water-Dissolvable Sodium Sulfate Nanowires as a Versatile Template for the Fabrication of Polyelectrolyte-and Metal-Based Nanotubes

摘要

This study presents the synthesis of water-dissolvable sodium sulfate nanowires,where Na_2-SO_4 nanowires were produced by an easy reflux process in an organic solvent,N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and formed from the coexistence of AgNO_3,SnCl_2,dodecylsodium sulfate (SDS),and cetyltri-methylammonium bromide (CTAB).Na_2SO_4 nanowires were derived from SDS,and the morphology control of the Na_2SO_4 nanowires was established by the cooperative effects of Sn and NO_3~-,while CTAB served as the template and led to homogeneous nanowires with a smooth surface.Since the as-synthesized sodium sulfate nanowires are readily dissolved in water,these nanowires can be treated as soft templates for the fabrication of nanotubes by removing the Na_2SO_4 core.This process is therefore significantly better than other reported methodologies to remove the templates under harsh condition.We have demonstrated the preparation of biocompatible polyelectrolyte (PE) nanotubes using a layer-by-layer (LbL) method on the Na_2SO_4 nanowires and the formation of Au nanotubes by the self-assembly of Au nanoparticles.In both nanotube synthesis processes,PEI (polyethylenimine),PAA (poly(acrylic acid)),and Au nanoparticles served as the building blocks on the Na_2SO_4 templates,which were then rinsed with water to remove the core templates.This unique water-dissolvable template is anticipated to bring about versatile and flexible downstream applications.