Modification of nanomaterial surface through functionalization has created a great revolution in the field of nanotechnology specially in the  field of  pharmaceutical and biomedical sciences. The clinical results have suggested that functionalization of nanoparticles with specific chemical species yielded multifunctional nanoparticles with enhanced efficacy. Precisely engineered, functionalized nanoparticles are finding use as optical materials, components of sensors, catalyst precursors and a host for other applications. Functionalization of host molecules with inorganic/organic functional groups  is a useful strategy in the preparation of advanced materials combining the optoelectronic and surface  properties of the substrate with the molecular selectivity of the covering  groups. Conjugation of  these  specific  chemical functional groups   create specific surface sites on nanoparticles  with  selective molecular attachment  to perform specific functions  viz. functionalization of  gold  nanoparticles with amino acids such as lysine, polylysine and glycine etc. bind  DNA with higher efficiency for gene delivery without toxicity. Surface-functionalization  firstly, links the nanoparticles with various organic and inorganic moieties, secondly,  improves  the  solubility of   nanoparticles  so that   they may be used as carriers  for  hydrophobic species and thirdly, they can be used for the  homogeneous distribution  in organic matrix. The surface functionalization can be done by any of  the process, either (i)  by post-functionalization , in which functionalization is generally done on the  already formed inorganic nanoparticles or (ii)   by  in- situ functionalization, in which functionalization is done  during synthesis. The functional groups generally used for tailoring surface functionality  are  hydroxy-, thio-, amino-, nitro-, carboxy-, or  primary alkyl groups etc. The operating forces works for functionalization are mainly hydrophobic, hydrophilic, ionic, nonionic ,van der waal’s or  hydrogen bond interactions.

Dielectric ceramic components were fabricated by ultraviolet laser lithography. 2D cross sections were created through dewaxing and sintering by UV laser drawing on spread resin paste including ceramic nanoparticles, and 3D composite models were sterically printed by layer laminations. As the row material of the lithography, ceramic nanoparticles from 500 nm in average diameters were dispersed in to liquid resins from 50 % in volume fraction. The resin paste was spread on a glass substrate at 50 μm in layer thickness by a mechanically moved knife edge. An ultraviolet laser beam of 355 nm in wavelength was adjusted at 10 μm in spot diameter and scanned on the pasted resin surface. Irradiation power was changed from 600 to 700 mW for enough solidification depth for 2D layer bonding. Scanning speed was changed from 50 to 100 mm/s to create fine lattice structures as shown in Figs. 1 (a), (b) and (c). The half wavelength of the incident ultraviolet ray should be comparable with the nanoparticles gaps in the resin paste, therefore the dewaxing and sintering will be realized through the electromagnetic waves resonations and localizations as shown in Fig. 1 (c). Through the layer lamination, the 3D titania structures with 97% in volume fraction were successfully fabricated. The titania crystal structure was analyzed as dual phase of anatase and rutile. After the reheating treatment at 1350 °C for 2 hs, titania components with rutile phase was obtained. The linear shrinkage through the sintering was < 1 %. The diamond lattice with four coordination number of 270 μm in periodicity could diffract electromagnetic waves of 0.25 to 0.45 THz, and exhibit forbidden gaps in transmission spectra for all spatial directions. The dielectric lattice especially is called photonic crystal.

Nuclear energy is one of the best sources of clean energy. One major concern is the disposal of the used nuclear fuel, any process for its disposal needs to have a minimal impact on the environment. Globally plutonium and uranium recovery for MOX fuel is performed using the PUREX process. However, this comes with certain disadvantages such as the requirement for large quantities of separation reagents and the generation of significant volumes of secondary waste that might increase the threat of proliferation. With long term storage of used nuclear fuel, there is potential for contaminating ground water due to the performance of interim and long-term geologic storage containers. Novel magnetic nanosorbents-surface functionalized magnetic nanoparticles conjugated with specific metal chelators-has been developed for separation of metal ions from aqueous systems, which offers a simple, fast, effective, and environmentally benign technique in spent nuclear separation. The unique properties of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), such as their extremely small size and high surface area to volume ratio, provide better kinetics for the adsorption of metal ions from aqueous solutions. The high magnetic susceptibility of MNPs aids in an efficient separation of particles from waste solution. In this work, we demonstrated the separation of minor actinides using complex conjugates of MNPs with DTPA chelator. The uptake behavior of Am(III), Pu(IV), U(VI), and Np(V) from 0.1M NaNO3 solution was determined. The sorption results show the strong affinity of DTPA towards Am(III) and Pu(IV) by extracting 97% and 80% of actinides, respectively. Advanced magnetic separation nanotechnology proves an effective method for used nuclear fuel recycling as it is a simple, versatile, compact, and cost-efficient process that minimizes secondary waste and improves storage performance.

The metal-semiconductor hybrid mediated photocatalytic reactions has been regarded as promising approach, because of the multifaceted functionalities attained due to the synergistic intra-particle interactions at the interface of integrated components. The surface Plasmon resonance of Au NPs and superior photocatalytic properties of ZnO makes them as a prime choice for heterojunction formation, which is extensively explored in pollutant degradation and hydrogen evolution reaction under a variety of reaction conditions.

In this presentation, choice of Au over other noble metals, preparative methods, band offsets between ZnO and Au, core@shell structures, and mechanisms of photocatalytic reactions associated with Au-ZnO will be discussed in detail. The merits and demerits associated with the deposition method of Au and site specific deposition of Au over the ZnO surface will be highlighted. Further progress achieved in Au-ZnO through modifications with organic functional groups that facilitate the formation of stable composite will be explained. In addition, ternary composites of Au-ZnO accomplished by heterostructuring with metals, carbon materials and other semiconductors are discussed by emphasizing on the preparation methods and charge carrier dynamics. This presentation provides sufficient information about the design and development of multifunctional Au-ZnO heterostructure concerning the visible light harvesting ability, charge carrier separation and interface engineering which can be explored in energy and environment applications. 

Statement of the Problem: Hierarchical superstructures (HSSs) are 3-D structures with a significant improvement in some properties as compared to isolated nanoparticles. However, formation of HSSs has been conducted by intricate methods that usually involve synthesis of the building blocks and the assembly in superstructures in a second step. Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: As alternative one-pot procedure, we propose the use of bicontinuous microemulsions (BCME). The channels of BCMEs have a thickness in the nanometer scale. Both water and oil channels are continuous phases, having infinite lengths. Thus, it is feasible to imagine the growth of HSS inside them, as the narrow thickness of the channels will allow the formation of nanometer building blocks, whilst their interconnection allows for the self-assembly of these nanoparticles into macroscopic 3D networks. The use of BCME for the synthesis of inorganic nanomaterials is rare, in comparison to the use of W/O and O/W ME. When BCME were used, isolated and well dispersed NPs has been obtained, mostly using ionic surfactants and water-soluble precursors. In this investigation, we used BCME based on the nonionic system water/ Synperonic 91/5 /isooctane for the synthesis of Pt, PtCo₃O₄, PtCoNi,  and Ag HSSs. The use of both water- and oil-soluble precursors were compared. Findings: HSSs resembling nanocorals, made by interconnected NPs or nanoneedles were obtained (Pt, PtCo, PtNi, PtCo₃O₄), both by chemical reduction and electrodeposition. These materials were explored as electrocatalysts. On the other hand, for Ag superstructures, it was necessary to add a stabilizer (sodium citrate) in order to form a Ag HSS, which was assessed as Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) substrate, resulting in analytical enhancement factors in the order of 10⁹ for Rhodamine 6G.  These results demonstrate the usefulness of employing certain BCME for HSSs synthesis of, although the concept is not universal to all BCMEs.