Study of phase separation in Ga25Se75 xTex chalcogenide thin films

The effects of composition and thermal annealing in between glass transition and crystallization temperature on the optical and structural properties of Ga25Se75-xTex were investigated. The glass transition and crystallization temperature of the synthesized samples was measured by non-isothermal DSC measurements. Amorphous thin films of Ga25Se75-xTex glasses were grown onto ultra clean glass/Si wafer (100) substrates using the vacuum evaporation technique. The effect of thermal annealing on the optical gap (Eg) for Ga25Se75-xTex thin films in the temperature range 358-388K is studied. As-prepared and annealed thin films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and optical absorption. Thermal annealing was found to be accompanied by structural effects, which in turn, lead to changes in the optical constants. The optical absorption coefficient (a) for as-deposited and thermally annealed films was calculated from the absorbance data. From the knowledge of absorption coefficient at different wavelengths, the optical band gap (Eg) was calculated for all compositions of Ga25Se75-xTex thin films before and after thermal annealing. Results indicate that allowed indirect optical transition is predominated in as-deposited and thermally annealed thin films. The influence of Te incorporation and thermal annealing in Ga25Se75-xTex thin films results in a gradual decrease in the indirect optical gap, this behaviorcan be explained as increased tailing. The decrease in optical band gap and an increase in absorption coefficient and extinction coefficient with thermal annealing can be attributed to transformation from amorphous to crystalline phase.     

Fabrication of fine spongy nanoporous Ag-Au alloys with improved catalysis properties

Fine NP-AgAu(nanoporous AgAu) alloys with spongy structure was fabricated by chemical dealloying from rapidly solidified amorphous precursors Ag_(38.75-x)Cu_(38.75)Si_(22.5)Au_x(x=0, 0.5, 1 and 5). The results indicate that the addition of small content Au in precursor can refine both the ligaments and pores obviously. Among the present components of the precursors, NP-AgAu alloys dealloying from Ag_(37.75)Cu_(38.75)Si_(22.5)Au_1 had the finest spongy structure. The size of pores was 5–10 nm and the grain size of ligaments was 10–20 nm. It also had the highest surface area of 106.83 m~2g~(-1) and the best catalytic activity towards electro-oxidation of formaldehyde with the peak current of 665 mA mg~(-1).     

Preparation of Cu（In,Ga）Se2 thin film by sputtering from Cu（In,Ga）Se2 quaternary target

Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) thin films were prepared by directly sputtering Cu(In,Ga)Se2 quaternary target consisting of Cu:In:Ga:Se 25:17.5:7.5:50 at%. The composition and structure of CIGS layers have been investigated after annealing at 550 ℃ under vacuum and a Se-containing atmosphere. The results show that recrystallization of the CIGS thin film occurs and a chalcopyrite structure with a preferred orientation in the (112) direction was obtained. The CIGS thin film annealed under vacuum exhibits a loss of a portion of Se, while the film annealed under Se-containing atmosphere reveals compensation of Se. Several solar cells with three different absorber thicknesses were fabricated using a soda lime glass/Mo/CIGS/CdS/i-ZnO/ZnO:Al/Al grid stack structure. The highest conversion efficiency of 9.65% with an open circuit voltage of 452.42 mV, short circuit current density of 32.16 mA cm2 and fill factor of 66.32% was obtained on a 0.755 cm2 cell area.     

Hydrogen absorption properties of amorphous (Ni0.6Nb0.4−yTay)100−xZrx membranes

Ni based amorphous materials have great potential as hydrogen purification membranes. In the present work the melt spun(Ni_(0.6)Nb_(0.4-y)Ta_y)_(100-x)Zr_x with y=0, 0.1 and x=20, 30 was studied. The result of X-ray diffraction spectra of the ribbons showed an amorphous nature of the alloys. Heating these ribbons below T 400 °C, even in a hydrogen atmosphere(1-10 bar), the amorphous structure was retained. The crystallization process was characterized by differential thermal analysis and the activation energy of such process was obtained. The hydrogen absorption properties of the samples in their amorphous state were studied by the volumetric method,and the results showed that the addition of Ta did not significantly influence the absorption properties, a clear change of the hydrogen solubility was observed with the variation of the Zr content. The values of the hydrogenation enthalpy changed from ~37 k J/mol for x=30 to ~9 k J/mol for x=20. The analysis of the volumetric data provides the indications about the hydrogen occupation sites during hydrogenation, suggesting that at the beginning of the absorption process the deepest energy levels are occupied, while only shallower energy levels are available at higher hydrogen content, with the available interstitial sites forming a continuum of energy levels.     

Effect of Sr on microstructure and aging behavior of Mg–14Li alloys

The as-cast and as-extruded Mg–14 wt%Li–x Sr ( x=0.14, 0.19, 0.39 wt%) alloys were,respectively, prepared through a simple alloying process and hot extrusion. The effects of Sr addition on microstructure and aging behavior of the Mg–14 wt%Li–xSr alloys were studied. The results indicated that β(Li) and Mg2Sr were the two primary phases in the microstructures of both as-cast and as-extruded Mg–14 wt%Li–xSr alloys. Interestingly, with the increase of Sr content from 0.14 wt% to 0.39 wt%, the grain sizes of the as-cast and as-extruded Mg–14 wt%Li–xSr alloys markedly decreased from 5000mm and 38mm to 330 mm and 22mm respectively, while no obvious changes of the micro-hardness and microstructure of the as-extruded alloys were observed during the aging treatment.     

Effect of Co addition on crystallization and magnetic properties of FeSiBPCu alloy

The effects of Co addition on the microstructure,crystallization processes and soft magnetic properties of(Fe1 xCox)83Si4B8P4Cu1(x?0.35,0.5,0.65)alloys were investigated.The experimental results demonstrated that the addition of Co decreased the thermal stability against crystallization of the amorphous phase,and thus improved the heat treatment temperature of this alloy.Fe Co Si BPCu nanocrystalline alloys with a dispersedα0-Fe Co phase were obtained by appropriately annealing the as-quenched ribbons at 763 K for 10 min.Theα0-Fe Co with grains size ranging from 9 to 28 nm was identified in primary crystallization.The coercivity(Hc)markedly increased with increasing x and exhibited a minimum value at x0.35,while the saturation magnetic flux density(Bs)shows a slight decrease.The(Fe0.65Co0.35)83Si4B8P4Cu1nanocrystalline alloy exhibited a high saturation magnetic flux density Bsof 1.68 T,a low coercivity,Hcof 5.4 A/m and a high effective permeability meof 29,000 at 1 k Hz.     

Effects of Ce, Y, and Sm doping on the thermoelectric properties of Bi2Te3 alloy

Nanopowders of elements doped Bi2Te3thermoelectric alloy R0.2Bi1.8Te3(R Ce,Y and Sm)were synthesized by the hydrothermal method.The nanopowders were hot-pressed into pellets and their thermoelectric properties were investigated.The results show that Ce,Y,and Sm doping has signifcant effects on the morphologies of the synthesized nanopowders and thermoelectric properties.Among the doping elements,Ce doping is a superiority dopant.Although the electrical conductivity and Seebeck coeffcient are not improved much by Ce doping,the thermal conductivity is supressed greatly.As a result the fgure of merit(ZT) of Ce0.2Bi1.8Te3is improved and reaches 1.29 at 398 K,which is higher than the Bi2Te3ingots made by the traditional zone-melting method     

Electrochemical properties of LaFeO3-rGO composite

LaFeO_3-xwt% r GO composite(x = 8, 10, 12) was synthesized by ultraphonic stirring and lyophilization method.SEM, TEM and XRD results show that the perovskite-type LaFeO_3 was dispersed by rGO to form special porous structure due to the gauze-shaped wrinkles and folds structure of rGO. It was found that the special porous structure can effectively increase the specific surface area and suppress particle aggregation of LaFeO_3, thus improving the electrical conductivity and appreciably enhancing the electrochemical properties of LaFeO_3. As compared with LaFeO_3, the maximum discharge capacity of the composite(x=10) increased from 209.5 mAhg~(–1) to 334.6 mAhg~(–1).The High rate dischargeability at a discharge current density of 1500 mAg~(–1)(HRD1500) and the capacity retention rate after 100 charge/discharge cycles(S100) of the composite increased by 9% and 17%, respectively.     

Solvother mal synthesis of Co1-xNixFe2O4 nanoparticles and its application in ammonia vapors detection

Magnetic Co1-xNixFe2O4 nanoparticles (NPs) were successfully synthesized via a solvothermal method using ethylene glycol as solvent.The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD),field emiss...     

Mechanical and thermal properties of NpO2 using LSDAt U approach

The elastic constants,bulk modulus,shear modulus,Young’s modulus,Debye temperature,isobaric heat capacity and minimum thermal conductivity are estimated for NpO2 using plane-wave pseudopotential method within the local spin density approximation plus Hubbard U(LSDAtU) theory.The computed lattice constants are in good agreement with the available experimental results and then three independent elastic constants were computed by means of the stress–strain method.From the knowledge of the elastic constants,the values of Young’s modulus,Poisson,Debye temperature and minimum thermal conductivity are obtained and they are 218 GPa,0.288,453.5 K and0.99 Wm-1K-1,respectively.The obtained mechanical and thermal properties of NpO2 are in agreement with the previous experimental and theoretical data.Our investigations which are unobtainable from previous report can provide valuable reference in the future.     

Induced modi fi cations in the properties of Sr doped BiFeO3 multiferr oics

Multiferroics exhibit unique combination of ferroic properties,simultaneously.For instance,in BiFeO3,magnetic and electric properties co-exist.In this work,BiFeO3 and Sr-doped BiFeO3 samples with general formula,Bi1-x Srx FeO3(x=0.00,0.05,0.10,0.20,and 0.30) were synthesized by sol-gel auto-combustion technique,in order to investigate these ferroic properties.The samples were confrmed to have perovskite type rhombohedral structure,characteristic of BiFeO3.A dilute phase of Bi2Fe4O9was also found in all the Sr-doped samples.The micrographs of the palletized samples revealed that minutely doped Sr might not have any effect on the morphology of the samples.Frequency dependent dielectric measurements were carried out at room temperature for all the samples from 100 Hz to 1 MHz.The dielectric constant of un-doped sample at low frequency was 52 which decreased with increasing Sr doping.An enhancement of magnetic properties was observed with increasing the Sr contents.Pure BiFeO3 material was observed to have the least value of remanent magnetization.As the Sr2+ tions were doped in BiFeO3,its magnetization and remanence were increased to 0.867 emu/g and 0.175 emu/g,respectively,at x=0.30.     

Structural and dielectric study of nano-crystalline single phase Sn1−xNixS (xNi=0–10%) showing room temperature ferromagnetism

SnS is a promising Ⅳ-Ⅵ semiconductor,which is very less explored for diluted magnetic semiconducting and dielectric applications.In this study,the Ni doping(x_(Ni)=0-10mol%) effects on SnS host lattice were investigated.A simple and low cost co-precipitation technique was employed to grow Ni doped SnS powders.The X-ray diffraction confirmed single phase orthorhombic structure with a nano-crystalline nature that was further verified through the surface structure observed by scanning electron microscopy.Near edge x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy revealed a shift in the Ni absorption edge towards higher energy,depicting the formation of Ni~(+3) oxidation state.The impedance measurements,in the frequency range 1 kHz to 20 MHz,depict that owing to the excellent sensitivity to the electromagnetic radiations at the low energy,the Ni doped SnS finds potential applications in various energy related devices.Vibrating sample magnetometer measurements have elucidated room temperature ferromagnetism,which depicts potential memory device applications.     

DC-bias and visible light effect on dielectric characteristics of La_(0.5)Cr_(0.5)TiO_(3+δ)

La_(0.5)Cr_(0.5)TiO_(3+δ) ceramic sample was prepared via traditional solid-state reaction route. Frequency and temperature dependence of dielectric permittivity were studied in the range of 10~2~ 10~6 Hz and of 77 ~360 K, respectively. It was observed that extraordinarily high low-frequency dielectric constants appeared at room temperature, and dielectric relaxation peaks shifted to higher temperature with increasing frequency. In the dc-bias studies, it was also found that the dielectric permittivity had obviously dc-bias dependence in low frequency, but independence as the frequency above 14 kHz. Interestingly, the dielectric characteristics of the sample had obvious light dependence at room temperature within the measured frequency range. The results demonstrate that visible light improves the dielectric properties of the ceramic by means of I–V and complex impedance analysis.     

Phase stability and thermal conductivity of ytterbia and yttria co-doped zirconia

Rare earth oxides doping has been extensively investigated as one of the effective methods to lower thermal conductivity of 4.55 mol% Y2O3stabilized ZrO2(YSZ) thermal barrier coatings(TBCs).In the present work,5–6 mol% Yb2O3and Y2O3co-doped ZrO2ceramics were synthesized by solid reaction sintering at 1600 1C.The phase stability of the samples after heat treatment at 1500 1C was investigated.Yb2O3and Y2O3co-doped zirconia,especially when Yb2O3/Y2O3≥1,contained less monoclinic phase than single Yb2O3or Y2O3phase doped zirconia,indicating that co-doped zirconia was more stable at high temperature than YSZ.The thermal conductivity of the 3 mol% Yb2O3+3 mol% Y2O3co-doped ZrO2was 1.8 W m 1K 1at 1000 1C,which was more than 20% lower than that of YSZ.     

Synthesis, structure, and optical properties of manganese phthalocyanine thin films and nanostructures

Manganese phthalocyanine(MnPc) nanostructures with different morphologies were prepared on porous anodic alumina oxide(AAO) at different substrate temperature(T_S=50 ℃,80 ℃,120 ℃,180 ℃,240 ℃) in an organic molecular beam deposition(OMBD) system.The nanostructures morphologies were studied using scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and the results showed that the nanostructures morphologies could be modulated by the control of T_S,as a result,the continuous film was obtained at 50 ℃,whereas the nanorods(NRs),nanoribbons(NBs),nanowires(NWs),nanosheets(NSs) and nanoparticles(NPs) were facilely generated as T_S increased.At the same time,the density and the uniformity of the nanostructures decreased.The results of X-ray diffraction(XRD) indicated that only the(3-phase polymorph formed throughout the growth process irrelevant to the T_S.Additionally,the ultraviolet visible(UV-Vis) absorption spectra demonstrated that the main absorption bands of MnPc nanostructures showed a remarkable band broadening as the T_S was increased.     

Effect of solvent on Se-modified ruthenium/carbon catalyst for oxygen reduction

Se-modified ruthenium supporting on carbon(Sex–Ru/C) electrocatalyst was prepared by solvothermal one-step synthesis method. The reaction mechanism was revealed after discussing impact of different solvents(i-propanol and EG) in solvotermal reaction. The result showed that the grain size of Se-modified ruthenium electrocatalyst was as small as 1 to 3 nm and highly dispersed on carbon surface. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) presented that selenium mainly existed in the catalyst in the form of elemental selenium and selenium oxides when the solvent was EG and i-propanol, respectively. The oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) performance was improved by appearance of selenium oxides.     

Microstructure, mechanical and thermo-physical properties of hot-pressed Al2O3-GdAlO3-ZrO2 ceramics with eutectic composition

A low cost chemical co-precipitation method was employed to fabricate nanoscale Al_2O_3-GdAlO_3-ZrO_2 powder with eutectic composition. A careful control of reaction conditions was required during the preparation. The synthesized nanopowders exhibited a particle size of 20-200 nm, and were highly dispersive and uniform. The results showed that calcination temperature had an important influence on the phase constituents of the nanopowders. With increasing the calcination temperature, a phase transformation from θ-Al_2O_3 to α-Al_2O_3 and a thermal decomposition from Gd_3 Al_5O_(12)(GdAG) to GdAlO_3 and α-Al_2O_3 occurred in sequence. A calcination temperature of 1300 ℃ was needed for the crystallization of α-Al_2 O_3. These nanosized powders were consolidated via hot pressing to produce a fully densified ceramic composite with eutectic composition. The Al_2O_3-GdAlO_3-ZrO_2 ceramic hot-pressed at 1500 ℃ exhibited a relative density of 99.4%, a flexural strength of 485 MPa and a fracture toughness of 6.5 MPa m~(1/2). The ceramic had a thermal conductivity of 1.9 W m K~(-1) at 1200 ℃ and a thermal expansion coefficient of 9.49 ×10~(-6) K~(-1) at 1100 ℃.     

A.C. conductivity and relaxation dynamics in zinc–borate glasses

The frequency-dependent dielectric dispersion of ZnO–Na2O–Al2O3–B2O3(in mol%) glass prepared by the melt quenching technique is investigated in the temperatur e ranges from room temperature to 420 K. Dielectric relaxation has been analyzed based on the behavior of electric modulus behavior. An analysis of the real and imaginary parts of dielectric is performed assuming the ideal Debye behavior as confirmed by Cole–Cole plot. The activation energy associated with the dielectric relaxation determined from the electric modulus spectra was found to be 1.863 eV, which is close to that the activation energy for d.c. conductivity (1.871 eV), indicating the similar nature of relaxation and conductivity.     

Highly dispers ed iron species created on alkali-treated zeolite for ammonia SCR

Alkaline treatment using sodium hydroxide was introduced to obtain a hierarchical pore structure in H-ZSM-5 zeolite.Fe-exchanged zeolite catalysts were prepared by impregnation on the original and alkali-treated zeolites,and were evaluated for NOx reduction by NH3,NO oxidation,and NH3 oxidation reactions.The highly dispersed iron species as active sites can be obtained by controlling the pore structure and particle size of zeolite.Therefore,the Fe/ZSM-5 catalyst treated mildly by sodium hydroxide before iron exchange,which contains amounts of highly dispersed Fe species,obtains over80% NOx conversion at a wide temperature range of 250-500℃.     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of Nb–Si alloys fabricated by spark plasma sintering

This paper deals with microstructural evolutions and mechanical properties of Nb-Si binaries containing dual-phase Nb/Nb5Si3 with Nb to Nb5Si3 fraction ratios of 90:10,80:20,70:30 and 50:50,prepared by spark plasma sintering(SPS).Dense Nb/Nb5Si3 samples with a relative density larger than 99.5% were obtained by SPS processing.The SPS samples consist of the Nb and Nb5Si3 phases with less than 3% fraction of NbO oxide.Hv at room temperature,and compressive strength at 1150℃ and 1250 1C of the bulk SPS alloys increase monolithically by enhancing fraction of the stiffening Nb5Si3 phase.For example,0.2% yield strength,σ0.2,increases from 175 MPa to 420 MPa at 1150℃ and from 110 MPa to 280 MPa at 1250℃,when the Nb5Si3 fraction increases from 10% to 50%.It is interesting that the fracture toughness,KQ,of the bulk SPS samples seems not to be sensitive to phase fraction.Heat treatment,however,plays a key role on the KQ as compared with that of the as-sintered state,at the corresponding Nb5Si3 fraction and considerably improves the KQ by about 100% for samples with the Nb5Si3 fractions of 10%-30%,and by about 50% for the sample with 50% Nb5Si3 fraction.