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Cadmium telluride (CdTe) nanoparticles (NPs) are known for their unique physical and chemical properties. NP synthesis via a size-controlled procedure has become an intriguing research topic because NPs exhibit novel optical and physical properties depending on their size. Their sizes and properties can vary depending on the types and concentrations of stabilizers, which are bound to the surface of the NPs and protect the NPs from aggregation. In this study, we synthesized CdTe NPs stabilized by thioglycolic acid (TGA), 1-thioglycerol (TGC), and L-cysteine (L-C). The ratio of stabilizer to Cd2+ was 1:2.4. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and photoluminescence (PL) were employed for characterization of the NPs. The average sizes of the synthesized NPs were 4.2, 4.1, and 3.7 nm for TGA, TGC, and L-C, respectively. The maximum fluorescent emission peaks of the three NP solutions were at 554.9, 551.6, and 538.3 nm for TGA, TGC, and L-C, respectively. The produced particles were crystalline in structure with a face-centered cubic (fcc) system.

Cellulose is a cheap, ecofriendly, and abundant organic polymer. In this study, physically or chemically modified microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) was evaluated as a kinetic hydrate inhibitor (KHI) for CH4 hydrates using experimental and computational methods. To overcome the strong hydrophobicity of MCC, high-pressure homogenized cellulose (HPHC) was prepared by dispersing MCC homogeneously in water, and surface-modified ionic cellulose (SMIC) was obtained by attaching an ionic liquid (1,3-dimethylimidazolium methylphosphite, [DMIM]­[MP]) to the surface of MCC. The onset temperature and gas uptake of CH4 hydrates were experimentally measured to examine the inhibition performance of HPHC and SMIC. Experimental results demonstrated that both HPHC and SMIC functioned as potential KHIs and SMIC had better inhibition capability than HPHC. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to reveal the inhibition mechanisms of the KHIs during cage formation and hydrate growth. It was found that the different inhibition effects of the KHIs were caused by a combination of multiple inhibition mechanisms, including both their interactions with water and cage adsorption. Given the improved hydrophilicity and inhibition performance through physical or chemical modification of the naturally derived organic compound, cellulose holds great potential as a novel and green KHI.

The incorporation of cadmium telluride (CdTe) nanowire photovoltaics offers the possibility to overcome energy loss in solar cells associated with minority carrier recombination, and to increase optical efficiency by reducing reflection. In this study, CdTe nanowires (NWs) were synthesized from individual nanoparticles encapsulated with thioglycolic acid (TGA) and 1-thioglycerol (TGC) via self-assembly under illumination by a 550 nm wavelength light. This wavelength resulted in the self-assembly of nanoparticles into nanowires. TGA-stabilized CdTe NWs (TGA-NWs) and TGC-stabilized CdTe NWs (TGC-NWs) that made up the self-assembly were different crystalline structures. Most of the produced nanowires were straight and varied in length from 1.2 to 3.9 µm. The oxidation of Te 2− in CdTe nanoparticles under a 550 nm wavelength light resulted in the assembly of nanowires consisting of several layers of individual nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscopy was performed to characterize the synthesized nanostructures. Photoluminescence analysis showed that the wavelength of the nanostructures was slightly blue-shifted.