NZ – Page 4 – TechConnect Briefs

The Synthesis and Characterisation of Photocatalytic Silver/Silver Halide Nanocomposites of Kraft Paper Fibres and Calcium Silicate

Tate E.W., Johnston J.H., Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, NZ

Recently it has been shown that hybrid silver/silver halide nanoparticles exhibit interesting photocatalytic properties, and are known plasmonic photocatalysts. Enhanced photostability and photocatalysis are observed in the nanoparticles due to the surface plasmon resonance of [...]

Aulana and NgaPure : Novel Nanogold Coloured and Antimicrobial Nanosilver Woollen Textiles: The Journey of Discovery, the Nanoscience and Pathway to Commercialisation

Johnston J.H., Noble Bond Ltd, NZ

Aulana and NgaPure products innovatively combine the nanoscience of gold and silver with their affinity for sulfur in cystine amino acids of wool fibres in a synergistic way, to nanofunctionalise wool and produce a boutique [...]

Gold Nanorods: A Journey Towards Successful Synthesis

Kolb A.N.D., Johnston J.H., Victoria University of Wellington/MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, NZ

Gold nanorods (AuNRs) are attracting substantial research interest due to their remarkable size- and shape-related optical properties. AuNRs in solution are brightly coloured but not golden whereby the precise colours of AuNRs depend on accurately [...]

Making Nanoparticles Mega: Scaling-up the Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticle-Wool Fibre Composites

Nilsson T.W., Johnston J.H., Victoria University of Wellington and the MacDiarmid Institute of Advanced Materials, NZ

Gold nanoparticles exhibit intense surface plasmon resonances in the visible region of light. This property allows them to be employed as stable colourants for fine New Zealand wool fibres. A novel proprietary approach for the [...]

Testing a Geochemical Tool to Enhance Our Ability to Ensure Water Security

Slade A.T., Whitehead B.P., The University of Auckland, NZ

Chemicals that are transported in our water can be used to our advantage. Both natural and anthropogenic chemicals can be targeted to understand the way our water behaves. The use of boron isotope compositions has [...]

Testing a Geochemical Tool to Enhance Our Ability to Ensure Water Security

Slade A.T., Whitehead B.P., The University of Auckland, NZ

Chemicals that are transported in our water can be used to our advantage. Both natural and anthropogenic chemicals can be targeted to understand the way our water behaves. The use of boron isotope compositions has [...]

New Generation Hybrid Plastics Functionalised by Nanogold and Nanosilver

Pobedinsky M., Johnston J.H., Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, NZ

This paper reports on the synthesis of a new generation of hybrid plastics comprising polyurethane and nylon with gold or silver nanoparticles respectively, in a synergistic way. The gold and silver nanoparticles are prepared in-situ, [...]

New Fluorescent Hybrid Materials Comprising Quantum Dots, Organic Fluorophores and Natural Fibre Substrates

Zeller A.J., Johnston J.H., Victoria University of Wellington, NZ

The nanotechnology research presented here deals with the development and characterisation of new fluorescent hybrid materials comprising quantum dots and organic fluorophores respectively with wool and paper fibres that exhibit tuneable optical fluorescence and electronic [...]

Characterization of palladium nanoparticles embedded in a wool substrate

Fonseca-Paris C., Johnston J.H., Victoria University of Wellington, NZ

In the present paper we report the characterization of nanopalladium-wool fibre composites. Professor James Johnston and his research group at Victoria University of Wellington have developed a new methodology to reduce metal salts of palladium [...]

Silver Chloride – Wool Nanohybrid Materials: Synthesis and Properties

Johnston J.H., Kelly F.M., Victoria University of Wellington, NZ

The development and characterisation of a new nanowool hybrid material formed by functionalising merino wool with silver chloride nanoparticles is presented. The nanoparticles are formed directly on the surface and inside the wool fibre. Initially [...]