Influence of Ga-doping on the thermoelectric properties of Bi(2−x)GaxTe2.7Se0.3 alloy

Bi(2-x)GaxTe2.7Se0.3(x=0, 0.04, 0.08, 0.12) alloys were fabricated by vacuum melting and hot pressing technique. The structure of the samples was evaluated by means of X-ray diffraction. The peak shift toward higher angle can be observed by Ga-doping. The effects of Ga substitution for Bi on the electrical and thermal transport properties were investigated in the temperature range of 300–500 K. The power factor values of the Ga-doped samples are obviously improved in the temperature range of 300–440 K. Among all the samples, the Bi(2-x)GaxTe2.7Se0.3(x=0.04) sample showed the lowest thermal conductivity near room temperature and the maximum ZT value reached 0.82 at 400 K.     

Influence of catalyst on structural and morphological properties of TiO2 nanostructured films prepared by sol–gel on glass

Transparent TiO2 thin films have been prepared by the sol-gel method using titanium alkoxides as precursors.Thin films were deposited on glass supports by the dip-coating technique.The TiO2 layer acts as a self-cleaning coating generated from its photocatalysis and photoinduced superhydrophilicity.The crystalline structure of TiO2 films was dominantly identified as the anatase phase,consisted of uniform spherical particles of about 14-50 nm in size,which strongly depends upon catalyst-type and heat treatment temperature.Increasing heat treating temperature can lead to an increase in crystalline size.The results indicated that the sample S.S(sample derived from sol containing sulfuric acid as catalyst) exhibits superhydrophilic nature and better photocatalytic activity,which can be attributed to its higher anatase content and lower crystalline size.Morphological studies,carried out using Atomic Force Microscopy(AFM),confirm the presence of crystalline phase with such a grain size and low surface roughness.Thus,the applied films exhibiting high photocatalytic activity,superhydrophilic behavior,and low surface roughness can be used as an efficient self-cleaning coating on glass and other optical applications.     

Effects of deposition parameters on the properties of VO2 thin films

The vanadium oxide thin films are deposited for microbolometers by radio frequency reactive sputtering method at room temperature. The effects of the oxygen partial pressure on the deposition rate, electrical properties and compositions of the films are discussed. The as-deposited VO_x thin films with x value of nearly 2 are deposited by adjusting the oxygen partial pressure. After oxidation annealing of these films in air, the VO₂ films with high temperature coefficients of resistivity (about -4%/℃) and low resistivity can be obtained. The square resistances of the films are in the range of 100 kΩ/squ?300 kΩ/squ. All films are deposited at room temperature and annealed at 400℃, in which the compatibility between VO_x deposition process and MEMS (micro electromechanical systems) is greatly improved.     

Effects of deposition parameters on the properties of VO2 thin films

The vanadium oxide thin films are deposited for microbolometers by radio frequency reactive sputtering method at room temperature. The effects of the oxygen partial pressure on the deposition rate, electrical properties and compositions of the films are discussed. The as-deposited VO_x thin films with x value of nearly 2 are deposited by adjusting the oxygen partial pressure. After oxidation annealing of these films in air, the VO₂ films with high temperature coefficients of resistivity (about -4%/℃) and low resistivity can be obtained. The square resistances of the films are in the range of 100 kΩ/squ?300 kΩ/squ. All films are deposited at room temperature and annealed at 400℃, in which the compatibility between VO_x deposition process and MEMS (micro electromechanical systems) is greatly improved.     

Effects of deposition parameters on the properties of VO_2 thin films

Up to now, much attention has been paid tovanadiumoxide (VOx) thinfil ms due to their exten-sive applications in the infrared microbolometers .Incontrast tothe conventional photon detectors ,the mi-crobolometer using VOxthinfil ms as sensitive materi-als can offer decreased systemcost ,i mproved reliabil-ity,low power-consumption and high sensitivity inthe spectral range of 8—14μm.Vanadiumoxides have various crystal structuresand valency states ,such as VO, V2O3, VO2, V2O5,whichleads tol…     

Influence of Ag content on the microstructure,mechanical, and tribological properties of TaVN-Ag films

A series of TaVN-Ag nanocomposite films were deposited using a radio-frequency magnetron sputtering system. The microstructure, mechanical properties, and tribological performance of the films were investigated. The results showed that TaVN-Ag films were composed of face-centered cubic (fcc) TaVN and fcc-Ag. With increasing Ag content, the hardness of TaVN-Ag composite films first increased and then decreased rapidly. The maximum hardness value was 31.4 GPa. At room temperature, the coefficient of friction (COF) of TaVN-Ag films decreased from 0.76 to 0.60 with increasing Ag content from 0 to 7.93at%. For the TaVN-Ag films with 7.93at% Ag, COF first increased and then decreased rapidly from 0.60 at 25℃ to 0.35 at 600℃, whereas the wear rate of the film increased continuously from 3.91×10-7 to 19.1×10-7 mm3/(N·mm). The COF of the TaVN-Ag film with 7.93at% Ag was lower than that of the TaVN film, and their wear rates showed opposite trends with increasing temperature.     

Influence of Ag content on the microstructure,mechanical, and tribological properties of TaVN–Ag films

A series of TaVN–Ag nanocomposite films were deposited using a radio-frequency magnetron sputtering system. The microstructure, mechanical properties, and tribological performance of the films were investigated. The results showed that TaVN–Ag films were composed of face-centered cubic(fcc) TaVN and fcc-Ag. With increasing Ag content, the hardness of TaVN–Ag composite films first increased and then decreased rapidly. The maximum hardness value was 31.4 GPa. At room temperature, the coefficient of friction(COF) of TaVN–Ag films decreased from 0.76 to 0.60 with increasing Ag content from 0 to 7.93 at%. For the TaVN–Ag films with 7.93 at% Ag, COF first increased and then decreased rapidly from 0.60 at 25℃ to 0.35 at 600℃, whereas the wear rate of the film increased continuously from 3.91 × 10-7 to 19.1 × 10-7 mm~3/(N·mm). The COF of the TaVN–Ag film with 7.93 at% Ag was lower than that of the TaVN film, and their wear rates showed opposite trends with increasing temperature.     

Preparation and magnetic properties of CoFe_2O_4/TiO_2 composite films

Using (Ti(OC_4H_9)_4) and metal chlorates as starting materials, CoFe_2O_4/TiO_2 composite films were pre-pared by sol-gel method. The effects of heat treatment temperature and pH of the precursor on micro-structure and magnetic properties were studied. The phase structure of the samples was examined by X-ray diffraction. The microstructure was examined by scanning electron microscope, atomic force microscope and polarized microscope. The magnetic property was measured by vibrating sample magnetometer. The results show that the crystals of different phases grow up independently. CoFe_2O_4 is uniformly embedded into the TiO_2 matrix in the prepared composite films, and the growth of com-posite films is dependent on the heat treatment temperatures and PH of the precursor. The average size of CoFe_2O_4 crystal is 19 nm in Nanocomposite film prepared when the heat treatment temperature is 800℃ and the pH of the precursor is between 2 and 3. The magnetism of the composite films is en-hanced as the heat treatment temperature increases.     

Preparation of Al2O3–SiO2 composite aerogels and their Cu2+absorption properties

In order to remediate heavy metal ions from waste water,Al2O3–SiO2 composite aerogels are prepared via a sol–gel and an organic solvent sublimation drying method.Various characterisation techniques have been employed including X-ray diffraction(XRD),Fourier transform infrared spectrometry(FTIR),scanning electron microscope(SEM),Energy-dispersion X-ray spectroscopy(EDX),Brunauer–Emmett–Teller(BET)N2 adsoprtion isotherm,and atomic absorption spectrometer(AAS).XRD and FTIR suggest that the aerogels are composed of mainly Al2O3 and minor SiO2.They have a high specific surface area(827.544 m^2/g)and high porosity(86.0%)with a pore diameter of~20 nm.Their microstructures show that the distribution of Al,Si,and O is homogeneous.The aerogels can remove~99%Cu^2+within~40 min and then reach the equilibrium uptake(~69 mg/g).Preliminary calculations show that the Cu2+uptake by the aerogels follows pseudo second-order kinetics where chemical sorption may take effect owing largely to the high surface area,high porosity,and abundant functional groups,such as Al–OH and Si–OH,in the aerogel network.The prepared aerogels may serve as efficient absorbents for Cu^2+removal.     

Investigation of Mechanism of Co-doped Zn2+ and In3+ Influence on Optical Properties of Fe∶LiNbO3

Doping Zn with the concentration of 3mol% and In2O3 with different concentrations in Fe∶LiNbO3, Zn∶In∶Fe∶LiNbO3 crystals were grown.　The infrared spectra of the crystals were measured and the mechanism of the OH-, absorption peak shifting was studied. The diffraction efficiency, response time and photoconduction of the crystals were measured. The mechanisms of the photoconduction increasing, diffraction efficiency decreasing and response time shorting for those crystals were studied.     

Influence of interactions between chromium and cerium on catalytic performances of CrO_x–CeO_2/Ti-PILC catalysts for deep oxidation of n-butylamine

A series of CrOx-CeO2/Ti-PILC （PILC is pillared interlayered clay） catalysts for n-butylamine oxidation were prepared using an impregnation method, and the structures, surface acidity distributions, and redox properties of the catalysts were characterized using X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, H2 temperature-programmed reduction, and NH3 temperature-programmed desorption. The results show that addition of an appropriate amount of CeO2 enhances the interactions between Cr and Ce, and this increases the acid strength and mobility of active oxygen species on the cata- lyst. 8CrCe（6：1）/Ti-PILC（12,20） exhibits the best catalytic performance and control of NOx in n-butylamine oxidation.     

Microstructure and oxidation resistance of SiC–MoSi2 multi-phase coating for SiC coated C/C composites

In order to improve the anti-oxidation of C/C composites, a SiC–MoSi2multi-phase coating for SiC coated carbon/carbon composites(C/C)was prepared by low pressure chemical vapor deposition(LPCVD) using methyltrichlorosilane(MTS) as precursor, combined with slurry painting from MoSi2 powder. The phase composition and morphology were analyzed by scanning electron microscope(SEM) and X-ray diffraction(XRD) methods, and the deposition mechanism was discussed. The isothermal oxidation and thermal shock resistance were investigated in a furnace containing air environment at 1500 1C. The results show that the as-prepared SiC–MoSi2coating consists of MoSi2 particles as a dispersing phase and CVD–SiC as a continuous phase. The weight loss of the coated samples is 1.51% after oxidation at 1500 1C for 90 h, and 4.79% after 30 thermal cycles between 1500 1C and room temperature. The penetrable cracks and cavities in the coating served as the diffusion channel of oxygen, resulted in the oxidation of C/C composites, and led to the weight loss in oxidation.     

Influence of hot-rolling on the microstructure and mechanical properties of a near β-type Ti-5.2Mo-4.8Al-2.5Zr-1.7Cr alloy

In this work, the 90° clock rolling and the uni-directionally rolling processes at high temperature were carried out on the near β-type Ti-5.2Mo-4.8Al-2.5Zr-1.7Cr titanium alloy cutting from an ingot, respectively. The corresponding microstructures were quantitatively characterized, and its effect on the dynamic mechanical properties and fracture mechanism were emphatically investigated. It was found that after 90° clock rolling, the microstructure composed of equiaxed primary α phase(α_p) with an average size of about 2 ?μm and the β transformed regions containing the acicular secondary α phase(α_s) with an average thickness of about 50 ?nm and the separated β phase was obtained. However, in the uni-directionally rolled titanium alloy, no acicular α_s was observed, and the corresponding microstructure consisted elongated lamellar α phase (average thickness: about 1.3 ?μm), few equiaxed α phase (average grain size: about 300 ?nm) and the inlaid β phase. The microstructural difference of the hot-rolled titanium alloys was closely related to the deformation process. Moreover, a great number of α_p and α_s in the 90° clock rolled titanium alloy effectively enhanced the strength, and the dynamic compressive strength reached to 1730 ?MPa. Furthermore, equiaxed α_p was conducive to the homogeneous deformation, which counteracted the localized deformation caused by acicular α_s to a certain extent and made the 90° clock rolled titanium alloy exhibit an acceptable critical fracture strain of about 10.5%. Moreover, the fracture microstructures showed that the main failure mode of the 90° clock rolled and the uni-directionally rolled titanium alloy were ductile fracture and brittle fracture, respectively.     

Nanostructured TiO2（B）:the effect of size and shape on anode properties for Li-ion batteries

Reducing the dimensions of electrode materials from the micron to the nanoscale can have a profound influence on their properties and hence on the performance of electrochemical devices,e.g.Li-ion batteries,that employ such electrodes.TiO2(B) has received growing interest as a possible anode for Li-ion batteries in recent years.It offers the possibility of higher energy storage compared with the commercialized Li4Ti5O12.Bulk,nanowire,nanotube,and nanoparticle morphologies have been prepared and studied.However,to date these materials have not be compared in one article.In the current review we first summarize the different synthesis methods for the preparation of nanostructured TiO2(B);then present the effects of size and shape on the electrochemical properties.Finally TiO2(B) with nanometer dimensions exhibit a higher capacity to store Li,regardless of rate,due to structural distortions inherent at the nanoscale.     

Fabrication and photoluminescence of GaN nanowires prepared by ammoniating Ga_2O_3/BN films on Si substrate

GaN has been considered to be the most promising optoelectronic material for such applications as light emitting diodes (LEDs), laser diodes (LDs) as well as high power electronic devices, due to its large direct energy band gap of 3.39 eV at room tempera…     

Effects of CeO_2 pre-calcined at different temperatures on the performance of Pt/CeO_2–C electrocatalyst for methanol oxidation reaction

Pt/CeO2–C catalysts with CeO_2 pre-calcined at 300–600°C were synthesized by combining hydrothermal calcination and wet impregnation. The effects of the pre-calcined CeO_2 on the performance of Pt/CeO_2–C catalysts in methanol oxidation were investigated. The Pt/CeO2–C catalysts with pre-calcined CeO_2 at 300–600°C showed an average particle size of 2.6–2.9 nm and exhibited better methanol electro-oxidation catalytic activity than the commercial Pt/C catalyst. In specific, the Pt/CeO_2–C catalysts with pre-calcined CeO_2 at 400°C displayed the highest electrochemical surface area value of 68.14 m~2·g~(-1) and If/Ib ratio(the ratio of the forward scanning peak current density(If)and the backward scanning peak current density(Ib)) of 1.26, which are considerably larger than those(53.23 m2·g~(-1) and 0.79, respectively) of the commercial Pt/C catalyst, implying greatly enhanced CO tolerance.     

Addition of IrO2 to RuO2+TiO2 coated anodes and its effect on electrochemical performance of anodes in acid media

Ternary mixed metal oxide coatings with the nominal composition IrxRu(0.6-x)Ti0.4O2(x=0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3) on the titanium substrate were prepared by thermal decomposition of a chloride precursor mixture. Surface morphology and microstructure of the coatings were investigated by Scanning electron microscopy(SEM), Field emission scanning electron microscopy(FE-SEM) and X-ray diffraction(XRD) analysis. Systematic study of electrochemical properties of these coatings was performed by cyclic voltammetry(CV) and polarization measurements. The corrosion behavior of the coatings was evaluated under accelerated conditions(j=2 A cm-2) in acidic electrolyte. The role of iridium oxide admixture in the change of electrocatalytic activity and stability of Ru0.6Ti0.4O2coating was discussed. Small addition of IrO2can improve the stability of the RuO2+TiO2mixed oxide, while the electrocatalytic activity for oxygen evolution reaction(OER) is decreased. The shift of redox potentials for Ru0.6Ti0.4O2electrode that is slightly activated with IrO2and improvement in the stability can be attributed to the synergetic effect of mixed oxide formation.     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of （Ti,AI,Zr）N/（Ti,AI,Zr,Cr）N films on cemented carbide substrates

（Ti,Al,Zr）N/（Ti,Al,Zr,Cr）N bilayer films were deposited on cemented carbide （WC-8%Co） substrates by multi-arc ion plating （MAIP） using two Ti-AI-Zr alloy targets and one pure Cr target. To investigate the composition, morphology, and crystalline structure of the bilayer films, a number of complementary methods of elemental and structural analysis were used, namely, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, energy disperse X-ray spectroscopy （EDS）, and X-ray diffraction （XRD）. Adhesive strength and mechanical properties of the films were evaluated by scratch testing and Vickers microindentation, respectively. It is shown that the resulting films have a TiN-type face-centered cubic （FCC） structure. The films exhibit fully dense, uniform, and columnar morphology. Furthermore, as the bias voltages vary from -50 to -200 V, the microhardness （max. Hv001 4100） and adhesive strength （max. 〉 200 N） of the bilayer films are superior to those of the （Ti,Al,Zr）N and （Ti,Al,Zr, Cr）N monolayer films.     

Effect of Aβ1-40 on membrane permeability and intracellular free Ca2+ of nerve cells

The effects of soluble and fibrillar Aβ1-40 on membrane permeability and intracellular free Ca^2 of nerve cells were investigated by the laser confocal microscopy. Results indicate that: i) Effects of soluble and fibrillar Aβ1-40 on cell membrane permeability are both concentration-dependent. Soluble Aβ1-40 increases membrane permeability only at concentration of 3μmol/L, while the toxic effect of fibrillar Aβ1-40 is much stronger, its evident effect begins from 1μmol/L. When its concentration rose to 3μmol/L, not only the membrane permeability increased, but also the nuclear membrane broke seriously, ii) Both soluble and fibrillar Aβ1-40 at high concentrations increased the intracellular free Ca^2 , and the increased amplitudes are concentration-dependent. However, the fibrillar one induces the increase of intracellular Ca^2 much quicker and synchronously.These results indicate that some correlation exists between the neurotoxicity of high concentration soluble and fibrillar Aβ1-40 and the change of physico-chemical properties and intracellular Ca ion imbalance.     

For progress in natural science: Materials international investigations of structural phase transformation and THz properties across metal–insulator transition in VO_2/Al_2O_3 epitaxial films

Vanadium dioxide (VO2) epitaxial thin films on (0001)-oriented Al2O3 substrates were prepared using radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering techniques. To study the metal-insulator-transition (MIT) mechanism and extend the applications of VO2 epitaxial films at terahertz (THz) band, temperature-dependent X-ray diffraction (XRD) and THz time domain spectroscopy of the VO2 epitaxial films were performed. Both the lattice constants and THz transmission exhibited a similar and sharp transition that was similar to that observed for the electrical resistance. Consequently, the MIT of the VO2/Al2O3 epitaxial films should be co-triggered by the structural phase transition and electronic transition. Moreover, the very large resistance change (on the order of ~103) and THz response (with a transmission modulation ratio of ~87%) in the VO2/Al2O3 epitaxial heterostructures are promising for electrical switch and electro-optical device applications.