The initial growth process of silver nanoparticles on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) and amorphous carbon (a-C) was studied. Scanning tunneling microscopy was used for analysis of the nanoparticles formed on HOPG. Transmission electron microscopy was employed to study the growth procedure on a-C. The number densities (Dn) of silver nanoparticles on both HOPG and a-C remain constant at a very early stage, then both decrease with deposition time and have a saturated value. The Dn decrease suggests migration followed by impingement. We found evidence of migration of 5nm particles on a-C. Interpretations are given to explain the impingement and shape change of the silver nanoparticles.

Binary monolayers comprised of mercaptopyrimidine (MP) and 1-dodecanethiol (C12SH) in varying ratios were prepared on gold surfaces by self-assembly and then characterized using reflection absorption FTIR spectroscopic (RA-IR), electrochemical, and wettability measurements. The RA-IR results revealed that the coverage of MP in the mixed monolayer is controlled by its composition in solution. The adsorption of mixed monolayers appears to be kinetically controlled. The wettability of mixed monolayers indicated that the surface fraction of C12SH exposed to the probe liquid exceeded that of its mole fraction in the monolayer. Electrochemical measurements demonstrated that the permeabilities of various quinone probes into the mixed self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) were dominated by their geometry. The origination of the geometrydependent permeability of probes is believed to be related to the average size of MP domain in SAMs.

The influence of bromine adsorption on copper electrodeposition on a polycrystalline gold electrode modified with self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) has been investigated by chronoamperometry and cyclic voltammetry. It was found that the deposition potential of copper was shifted negatively due to the SAMs. The hydrogen bond interaction between w-carboxyl thiols decreased the defect density of the SAMs and significantly retarded the deposition of copper. The presence of bromide anions also shifted the potential more negatively through adsorption into the defects of SAMs.

Porous aluminum oxide membranes with pore diameters smaller than 20nm were prepared by anodization of aluminum. Using these porous membranes as a template, we fabricated uniform gold cylinder arrays by electrodeposition of gold into the pores. All cylinders in the array were parallel, with their long axes perpendicular to the surface of the template. Electron microscopy, including transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), were employed to characterize the morphology of the templates and the fabricated nanometer scale of cylinder arrays. The extinction spectra of the arrays along the longer axes showed that the extinction maximal (λmax) shifted to a short wavelength and strengthened when the aspect ratio (l=d) of the cylinders increased. The dependence of the maximal (λmax) on the size was explained qualitatively by using the approximate dynamical Maxwell-Garnett model, and the calculated results were compared with the experimental ones.

Uniform arrays of Fe nanowires were prepared by electrochemical deposition of iron into nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide films. The microstructure and crystal structures of the nanowires were studied by transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction. It was found that each nanowire looked like a chain of dots and each dot in the chain was supposed to be a single crystal of a-Fe. Each dot was shown to be a single magnetic domain. The magnetic properties of a uniform array of Fe nanowires and the magnetization reversal in a Fe nanowire were investigated by Mossbauer spectroscopy and vibrating sample magnetometry, which demonstrated that the film of Fe nanowires in alumina had superior perpendicular magnetic characteristics. The magnetic studies also revealed that the moments of each single domain dot were oriented along the chain. Experimental results could be interpreted by the reversal model of ''chains of spheres'' with the symmetric fanning mechanism.