Enhanced thermoelectric properties of atomic-layer-deposited Hf:Zn16O/18O superlattice films by interface-engineering

This study examines three novel approaches for enhancing the thermoelectric (TE) properties of atomic-layer-deposited (ALD) ZnO thin films: 1) Hf-doping, which preserved the crystallinity of ZnO and provided effective phonon scattering owing to Hf's similar atomic radius to and large mass difference with Zn, leading to high power factor (PF) and low thermal conductivity (κ); 2) controlling the distribution of Hf into an alternating scattered phase/clustered phase superlattice, which balanced the high PF of the scattered phases with the low κ of the clustered phases, while providing significant energy-filtering effect to raise the Seebeck coefficient; 3) introducing ¹⁸O/¹⁶O periodicity into the Hf:ZnO films—by alternately using H₂¹⁶O and H₂¹⁸O as oxidants in the ALD processes, which further suppressed κ without compromising PF. The combination of the three approaches resulted in a maximum improvement in ZT of ~1600% over that of the undoped ZnO.     

Preparation of nanocrystalline nickel oxide from nickel hydroxide using spark plasma sintering and inverse Hall-Petch related densification

Nanocrystalline nickel oxide (NiO) was prepared from nickel hydroxide by Spark plasma sintering (SPS) and the mechanisms involved in the densification of NiO were studied. Reverse precipitated nickel hydroxide powders were SPS processed at 400, 600 and 700?°C with 70?MPa pressure. Pure NiO with 12?nm crystallite size formed after 400?°C sintering process. However NiO grains had grown to 18 and 38?nm after 600 and 700?°C sintering respectively. NiO pellets prepared using 600 and 700?°C SPS sintering schedules had relative densities of 83% and 94% respectively. Two displacement rate regimes were observed during densification of NiO in both 600 and 700?°C sintering processes. Decomposition of nickel hydroxide and particle sliding of NiO led to first displacement rate maximum while inverse Hall-Petch based plastic deformation facilitated densification during the constant second displacement rate regime. No densification occurred during sintering holding times indicating the limited role that diffusion played during densification.     

Nanocrystalline transition metal oxides and their composites with reduced graphene oxide and carbon nanotubes for photocatalytic applications

Transition metal oxide nanoparticles (CuO, ZnO & Fe₂O₃) and mixed metal oxides CuO. ZnO.Fe₂O₃ were fabricated by facile co-precipitation approach for photocatalytic treatment of organic dyes. The structural features, phase purity, crystallite size and morphology of individual and mixed metal oxides were analysed by X-rays diffraction patterns (XRD) and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis. Electrical behaviour of CuO, ZnO, Fe₂O₃ and mixed metal oxides CuO. ZnO.Fe₂O₃ was explored by current-voltage (I-V) measurements. Functional groups present in the synthesized metal oxides were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) which ensures the existence of M-O functional groups in the samples. The optical bandgap analysis was carried out by UV–visible spectroscopic technique which revealed that the blend of three different transition metal oxides reduced the bandgap energy of mixed metal oxides. The reason behind this reduced bandgap energy is formation of new electronic state which arises due to the metal-oxygen interactions. Moreover, the nanocomposites of CuO.ZnO.Fe₂O₃ with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were prepared to study the effect of the carbonaceous materials on the rate of photodegradation. These carbonaceous nanomaterials have plethora properties which can bring advancement in sector of photocatalytic treatment of wastewater. The photocatalytic experiments were performed using methylene blue (MB) as standard dye for comparative study of metal oxides and their composites with rGO and CNTs. The percentage degradation of methylene blue (MB) by nanocomposite CuO.ZnO.Fe₂O₃/rGO is 87% which is prominent among all samples. This result ascribed the photocatalytic aspects of reduced graphene oxide along with mixed metal oxides.     

Surface structural and solar absorptance features of nitrate-based copper-cobalt oxides composite coatings: Experimental studies and molecular dynamic simulation

The copper and cobalt oxides composites coatings on aluminum substrates have been successfully synthesized via sol-gel method using nitrate-based sol precursors. The composites were characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), and UV–Vis–NIR spectrophotometry. The sol-gel reactions were discussed and Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulation was integrated into the study to predict molecules assembly properties. The XRD analyses revealed that the CuO and the Co₃O₄ composites were formed after the annealing process with the average difference of the calculated lattice parameters compared to ICDDs was 1.17%. The surface electronic structure was mainly consisted of tetrahedral Cu(I), octahedral Cu(II), tetrahedral Co(II), octahedral Co(III) as well as surface, sub-surface and lattice oxygen O^?. The XRD, XPS and MD simulation results showed that there was minimal (or possibly non-existing) indication of copper-cobalt mixed phase oxides formations. FESEM and AFM surveys revealed that the coating had a porous surface composed of interlinked nanoparticles in the range of ~?10 to ~?40?nm. UV–Vis–NIR reflectance spectra showed that the sol precursors concentration and the dip-drying cycle significantly influenced the absorptance value with optimum absorptance (α) of 88.7% exhibited by coating synthesized using sol concentration of 0.1?M and 10 dip-drying cycles. High absorptance value and simplicity in the synthesis process render the coatings to be very promising candidates for solar selective absorber (SSA) applications.     

不同有机物对硝酸盐氮测试的影响

研究了红糖、葡萄糖、乙酸钠、甲醇、乙醇、乙酸、丙酸、丁酸、正戊酸、混合有机溶剂等10种不同有机物对麝香草酚光谱法和离子色谱法测试硝酸盐氮的影响。结果表明,溶液中含有红糖或葡萄糖时,均会对麝香草酚法测试硝酸盐氮造成影响,使得测试结果偏大;在无硝酸根离子存在时,红糖和葡萄糖的质量浓度与硝酸盐氮的测试浓度非线性相关;而乙酸钠、甲醇、乙醇、乙酸、丙酸、丁酸、正戊酸和混合有机溶剂则对麝香草酚法测试硝酸盐氮没有影响。实验发现,红糖和葡萄糖在浓硫酸的作用下与麝香草酚发生Molisch反应,形成有色复合物和红棕色不溶性沉淀。实验采用离子色谱法测试硝酸盐氮时,红糖和葡萄糖等糖类有机物对测试结果均无影响。     

高熵氧化物的制备及应用研究进展

高熵氧化物作为近几年发展起来的新型氧化物体系，打破了传统掺杂氧化物的设计理念，由五种及以上氧化物以等摩尔或近等摩尔构成，因其具有简单的结构和优异的性能等受到国内外研究人员的广泛关注。高熵氧化物由于多主元且主元之间混乱排列，易形成岩盐型、氟化钙型、尖晶石型或钙钛矿等固溶体结构，从而表现出优异的性能，尤其在能源存储材料和磁性材料方面有十分广阔的应用前景，但目前对高熵氧化物应用研究较少。本工作介绍了国内外高熵氧化物的制备方法，主要包括固相法、热解法、共沉淀法、水热合成法和液相燃烧合成法等，比较了各方法的优缺点和发展前景；归纳了高熵氧化物作为锂离子电极材料、巨介电材料、磁性材料和催化材料等方面的应用；指出了高熵氧化物目前研究存在的问题，讨论了解决措施，展望了高熵氧化物未来的发展趋势。     

Formation and properties of high entropy oxides in Co-Cr-Fe-Mg-Mn-Ni-O system: Novel (Cr,Fe,Mg,Mn,Ni)3O4 and (Co,Cr,Fe,Mg,Mn)3O4 high entropy spinels

Possibility of formation of quinary and senary equimolar high entropy oxides from the Co-Cr-Fe-Mg-Mn-Ni-O system is presented. Different proposed compositions are synthesized using the solid-state reaction route at high temperatures (900−1100 °C) and quenched to room temperature. Phase composition of the samples is studied, showing tendency toward formation of two main phases: rock salt-structured Fm-3 m and spinel-structured Fd-3 m. It is documented that the annealing temperature has a profound effect on stability of both structures, and at 1100 °C usually the highest content of Fm-3 m phase is usually observed. Three different oxides, namely, (Co,Cr,Fe,Mn,Ni)₃O₄, (Co,Cr,Fe,Mg,Mn)₃O₄ and (Cr,Fe,Mg,Mn,Ni)₃O₄ are obtained as single-phase materials, which structure can be described as the high entropy Fd-3 m spinel one. The latter two compounds have not been previously reported in the literature. Activated character of the electrical conductivity dependence on temperature is observed, with relatively high total conductivity at high temperatures and corresponding high absolute values of Seebeck coefficient.     

Unraveling the effect of alumina-supported Y- doped ceria composition and method of preparation on the WGS activity of gold catalysts

The demands for high-purity hydrogen required in fuel-cell applications impose new goals and challenges for design of well performing water-gas shift (WGS) catalysts. Gold-based catalysts have exhibited high activity in the WGS reaction at low temperature. Preparation of appropriate and economically viable supports with complex composition by various synthesis procedures is an attractive approach to WGS performance improvement. The effect of two different preparation methods (wet impregnation or mechanical mixing) and ceria content (10, 20 or 30 wt%) on textural, structural, surface and reductive properties and WGS activity of gold catalysts was studied. Additionally, the role of Y₂O₃ as a promoter of ceria was examined. Long-term stability test was carried out at 260 °C over the most active catalyst. The composition of the best performing sample (composed of about 70 wt% alumina), prepared by mechanical mixing, was considered promising in case of practical applications because of its cost efficiency. The combination of gold nanoparticles and alumina supported Y-doped ceria proved an advantageous approach for developing new catalytic formulations with high effectiveness in clean hydrogen production.     

Quantum Sensing in a Physiological‐Like Cell Niche Using Fluorescent Nanodiamonds Embedded in Electrospun Polymer Nanofibers

Fluorescent nanodiamonds (fNDs) containing nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers are promising candidates for quantum sensing in biological environments. This work describes the fabrication and implementation of electrospun poly lactic‐co‐glycolic acid (PLGA) nanofibers embedded with fNDs for optical quantum sensing in an environment, which recapitulates the nanoscale architecture and topography of the cell niche. A protocol that produces uniformly dispersed fNDs within electrospun nanofibers is demonstrated and the resulting fibers are characterized using fluorescent microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) and longitudinal spin relaxometry results for fNDs and embedded fNDs are compared. A new approach for fast detection of time varying magnetic fields external to the fND embedded nanofibers is demonstrated. ODMR spectra are successfully acquired from a culture of live differentiated neural stem cells functioning as a connected neural network grown on fND embedded nanofibers. This work advances the current state of the art in quantum sensing by providing a versatile sensing platform that can be tailored to produce physiological‐like cell niches to replicate biologically relevant growth environments and fast measurement protocols for the detection of co‐ordinated endogenous signals from clinically relevant populations of electrically active neuronal circuits.     

Zinc doped Fe2O3 for boosting Electrocatalytic Nitrogen Fixation to ammonia under mild conditions

Artificial nitrogen fixation is emerging as a promising approach for synthesis of ammonia at mild conditions. Inspired by biological nitrogen fixation based on bacteria containing iron, zinc doped Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles are proposed as an efficient and earth abundant electrocatalyst for converting N₂ to NH₃. In neutral media, it achieves a maximum Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 10.4% and a large NH₃ yield rate of 15.1 μg h^?1 mg^?1_cat. at ?0.5 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode. This catalyst also exhibits excellent selectivity and stability. Theoretical calculations suggest the reaction follows the associative enzymatic mechanism and it has a barrier of as low as 0.68 eV.