[Determination of metal elements in Achyranthis bidentatae radix from various habitats].

PubMed

Tu, Wan-Qian; Zhang, Liu-Ji

2011-12-01

To establish an atomic absorption spectrometry method for determination of the contents of metal elements in Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix and analyze 21 batches of samples from different areas. Fe, Mn, Ca, Mg, K, Zn and Cu were detected by atomic absorption spectrometry with hydrogen flame detector, Pb, As and Cd were detected by graphite furnace atomic absorption, Hg was detected by cold atomic absorption. The heavy metal contents met the requirement of Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The contents of K, Mg, Cu and Mn in the samples of geo-authentic areas were higher,while the contents of Fe, Zn, Hg and Pb in the samples of non-authentic areas were higher. This method is sample, accurate, repeatable and could be used to evaluate the quality of Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix.

Cation distribution in NiZn-ferrite films determined using x-ray absorption fine structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harris, V. G.; Koon, N. C.; Williams, C. M.; Zhang, Q.; Abe, M.

1996-04-01

We have applied extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy to study the cation distribution in a series of spin-sprayed NiZn-ferrite films, Ni0.15ZnyFe2.85-yO4 (y=0.16, 0.23, 0.40, 0.60). The Ni, Zn, and Fe EXAFS were collected from each sample and analyzed to Fourier transforms. Samples of Ni-ferrite, Zn-ferrite, and magnetite were similarly studied as empirical standards. These standards, together with EXAFS data generated from the theoretical EXAFS FEFF codes, allowed the correlation of features in the Fourier transforms with specific lattice sites in the spinel unit cell. We find that the Ni ions reside mostly on the octahedral (B) sites whereas the Zn ions are predominantly on the tetrahedral (A) sites. The Fe ions reside on both A and B sites in a ratio determined by the ratio of Zn/Fe. The addition of Zn displaces a larger fraction of Fe cations onto the B sites serving to increase the net magnetization. The fraction of A site Ni ions is measured to increase peaking at ≊25% for y=0.6. At higher Zn concentrations (y≥0.5) the lattice experiences local distortions around the Zn sites causing a decrease in the superexchange resulting in a decrease in the net magnetization.

Determination of copper binding in Pseudomonas putida CZ1 by chemical modifications and X-ray absorption spectroscopy.

PubMed

Chen, XinCai; Shi, JiYan; Chen, YingXu; Xu, XiangHua; Chen, LiTao; Wang, Hui; Hu, TianDou

2007-03-01

Previously performed studies have shown that Pseudomonas putida CZ1 biomass can bind an appreciable amount of Cu(II) and Zn(II) ions from aqueous solutions. The mechanisms of Cu- and Zn-binding by P. putida CZ1 were ascertained by chemical modifications of the biomass followed by Fourier transform infrared and X-ray absorption spectroscopic analyses of the living or nonliving cells. A dramatic decrease in Cu(II)- and Zn(II)-binding resulted after acidic methanol esterification of the nonliving cells, indicating that carboxyl functional groups play an important role in the binding of metal to the biomaterial. X-ray absorption spectroscopy was used to determine the speciation of Cu ions bound by living and nonliving cells, as well as to elucidate which functional groups were involved in binding of the Cu ions. The X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectra analysis showed that the majority of the Cu was bound in both samples as Cu(II). The fitting results of Cu K-edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectra showed that N/O ligands dominated in living and nonliving cells. Therefore, by combining different techniques, our results indicate that carboxyl functional groups are the major ligands responsible for the metal binding in P. putida CZ1.

Investigation of the optical properties of novel organic macromolecules for solar cell applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adegoke, Oluwasegun Oluwasina

The search for renewable energy sources to replace fossil fuel has been a major research focus in the energy sector. The sun, with its vast amount of energy, remains the most abundant and ubiquitous energy source that far exceeds the world energy demand. The ability to effectively capture and convert energy from the sun in the form of photons will be the key to its effective utilization. Organic macromolecules have tremendous potentials to replace and out-perform existing materials, due to their low-cost, ease of tunability, high absorption coefficient and "green" nature. In this dissertation, spectroscopic techniques of steady state absorption and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy were used to show the improved absorption of the oligothiophene-functionalized ZnPc through ultrafast energy transfer. ZnPc is known for its chemical and thermal stability. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) in ZnPc-based solar devices is however, very low because of the poor absorption of ZnPc in the 300 - 550 nm region of the solar spectrum. Oligothiophenes have good absorption in the spectral region where the absorption of ZnPc is poor. Other groups of organic compounds that have gained prominence in the study for the design of efficient active materials for photovoltaic cells are the polymers. In the dissertation, different factors which can affect the performance of organic polymers in photovoltaics systems were investigated and analyzed. The effects of the alteration of conjugation, donor-acceptor groups, heteroatoms and alkyl side chains on the photophysical properties and ultimately the performance of organic polymers in organic photovoltaics were investigated. The different effects were investigated using ultrafast spectroscopic techniques which are capable of providing insight of fluorescence decay dynamics at very short times in a time scale of femtosecond. The electronic structure calculations of the polymers were carried out to provide further evidence to the experimental findings. PTB7, which has one of the best power conversion efficiency in organic photovoltaics, was one of the investigated polymers. Other novel organic polymers based on thiophene and furan framework were also considered.

Large-scale synthesis and microwave absorption enhancement of actinomorphic tubular ZnO/CoFe2O4 nanocomposites.

PubMed

Cao, Jing; Fu, Wuyou; Yang, Haibin; Yu, Qingjiang; Zhang, Yanyan; Liu, Shikai; Sun, Peng; Zhou, Xiaoming; Leng, Yan; Wang, Shuangming; Liu, Bingbing; Zou, Guangtian

2009-04-09

Actinomorphic tubular ZnO/CoFe(2)O(4) nanocomposites were fabricated in large scale via a simple solution method at low temperature. The phase structures, morphologies, particle size, shell thickness, chemical compositions of the composites have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The as-synthesized nanocomposites were uniformly dispersed into the phenolic resin then the mixture was pasted on metal plate with the area of 200 mm x 200 mm as the microwave absorption test plate. The test of microwave absorption was carried out by the radar-absorbing materials (RAM) reflectivity far field radar cross-section (RCS) method. The range of microwave absorption is from 2 to 18 Hz and the best microwave absorption reach to 28.2 dB at 8.5 Hz. The results indicate that the composites are of excellence with respect to microwave absorption.

Influence of dietary chromium yeast supplementation on apparent trace elements metabolism in growing camel (Camelus dromedarius) reared under hot summer conditions.

PubMed

Alhidary, Ibrahim A; Alsofi, M A; Abdoun, K A; Samara, E M; Okab, A B; Al-Haidary, A A

2018-03-01

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of dietary chromium (Cr) supplementation on the apparent metabolism of some trace elements in camel calves reared under hot summer conditions. The study was conducted on a total of 15 male camel calves (5-6 months old) reared under hot summer conditions for 12 weeks. The animals were housed individually under shelter and divided into three dietary treatment groups (diets supplemented with 0.0, 0.5, or 1.0 mg Cr/kg DM), five animals each. At the end of the study, a metabolic trial was conducted on all camels for the evaluation of trace elements metabolism. Cr excretion, absorption, and retention showed an increasing trend with the increasing level of dietary Cr supplementation. Dietary Cr supplementation at 0.5 mg Cr/kg DM to camel calves resulted in a significant (P < 0.05) increase in Cu and an increasing trend in Zn and Mn excretion via urine and feces. However, Fe retention increased significantly (P < 0.05) in camel calves fed on diet supplemented with Cr. Dietary Cr supplementation to camel calves resulted in an increasing trend of plasma Cr concentration, while plasma concentration of Cu and Zn tended to decrease and without any effect on plasma Fe concentration. The results of the present study suggests that care should be taken for the negative interaction of Cr with the utilization of other trace elements, in cases where Cr is supplemented to the diet as a feed additive to promote growth and immunity under hot climatic conditions.

Intestinal fate of dietary zinc and copper: Postprandial net fluxes of these trace elements in portal vein of pigs.

PubMed

Matte, J Jacques; Girard, Christiane L; Guay, Frédéric

2017-12-01

In pig, the assessment of bioavailability of dietary trace minerals with classical approaches such as relative bioavailability estimates or digestive tract balances have often generated inconsistent responses. In the present study, net portal-drained-viscera fluxes were monitored after a meal to assess intestinal absorption of zinc (Zn) or copper (Cu) according to dietary sources and levels of these trace minerals. Twelve pigs were surgically equipped with portal and carotid catheters and a portal ultrasonic flow probe for 12-h postprandial measurements. In a cross-over design, pigs received boluses of inorganic (I) or organic (O) dietary Cu and Zn at adequate (A, 20 and 200mg, respectively) or high (H, 40 and 400mg, respectively) level just before a 0.8-kg meal (semi-purified diet). Whatever treatments, arterial Zn increased by 72% at 45min postprandial and gradually declined thereafter (P<0.01). Arterial Zn were greater by 11% after O than I (P=0.02) and by 19% after H than A (P<0.01) meals. Net portal-drained-viscera fluxes of Zn during the first 240min postprandial were greater by 44% after O than I (P=0.10) and by 51% after H than A (P=0.07) meals. For Cu, portal-drained-viscera fluxes of Cu up to 240min postprandial were greater (P=0.03) after A than H meals. Those results suggest that Zn is absorbed rapidly, likely in the upper digestive tract of pigs and, whatever dietary levels, more efficiently after O meals. It appears that H levels of both Zn and Cu interfered with intestinal absorption of Cu and/or stimulate post-absorption enterocyte sequestration of this mineral. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

A naphthalimide fluorophore with efficient intramolecular PET and ICT processes: application in molecular logic.

PubMed

Wang, Haixia; Wu, Haixia; Xue, Lin; Shi, Yan; Li, Xiyou

2011-08-07

A novel 4-amino-1,8-naphthalimide (NDI) with two different metal cation receptors connected at 4-amino or imide nitrogen positions respectively was designed and prepared. Significant internal charge transfer (ICT) as well as photoinduced electron transfer (PET) from the receptors to NDI is revealed by the shifted UV-vis absorption spectra and significant fluorescence quenching. Both Zn(2+) and Cu(2+) can coordinate selectively with the two cation receptors in this molecule with different affinities. The coordination of Zn(2+) with the receptor at imide nitrogen hindered the PET process and accordingly restored the quenched fluorescence of NDI. But the coordination of Zn(2+) at 4-amino position blocked the ICT process and caused significant blue-shift on the absorption peak with the fluorescence intensity unaffected. Similarly, coordination of Cu(2+) with the receptor at imide nitrogen can block the PET process, but can not restore the quenched fluorescence of compound 3 due to the paramagnetic properties of Cu(2+), which quench the fluorescence significantly instead. With Cu(2+) and Zn(2+) as two chemical inputs and absorption or fluorescence as output, several logic gate operations, such as OR, NOR and INHIBIT, can be achieved.

Growth of Cu2ZnSnS4(CZTS) by Pulsed Laser Deposition for Thin film Photovoltaic Absorber Material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nandur, Abhishek; White, Bruce

2014-03-01

CZTS (Cu2ZnSnS4) has become the subject of intense interest because it is an ideal candidate absorber material for thin-film solar cells with an optimal band gap (1.5 eV), high absorption coefficient (104 cm-1) and abundant elemental components. Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) provides excellent control over film composition since thin films are deposited under high vacuum with excellent stoichiometry transfer from the target. CZTS thin films were deposited using PLD from a stoichiometrically close CZTS target (Cu2.6Zn1.1Sn0.7S3.44). The effects of laser energy fluence and substrate temperature and post-deposition sulfur annealing on the surface morphology, composition and optical absorption have been investigated. Optimal CZTS thin films exhibited a band gap of 1.54 eV with an absorption coefficient of 4x104cm-1. A solar cell utilizing PLD grown CZTS with the structure SLG/Mo/CZTS/CdS/ZnO/ITO showed a conversion efficiency of 5.85% with Voc = 376 mV, Jsc = 38.9 mA/cm2 and Fill Factor, FF = 0.40.

Determination of essential elements in beverages, herbal infusions and dietary supplements using a new straightforward sequential approach based on flame atomic absorption spectrometry.

PubMed

Gómez-Nieto, Beatriz; Gismera, Mª Jesús; Sevilla, Mª Teresa; Procopio, Jesús R

2017-03-15

A simple method based on FAAS was developed for the sequential multi-element determination of Cu, Zn, Mn, Mg and Si in beverages and food supplements with successful results. The main absorption lines for Cu, Zn and Si and secondary lines for Mn and Mg were selected to carry out the measurements. The sample introduction was performed using a flow injection system. Using the choice of the absorption line wings, the upper limit of the linear range increased up to 110mgL -1 for Mg, 200mgL -1 for Si and 13mgL -1 for Zn. The determination of the five elements was carried out, in triplicate, without the need of additional sample dilutions and/or re-measurements, using less than 3.5mL of sample to perform the complete analysis. The LODs were 0.008mgL -1 for Cu, 0.017mgL -1 for Zn, 0.011mgL -1 for Mn, 0.16mgL -1 for Si and 0.11mgL -1 for Mg. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ultrafast light matter interaction in CdSe/ZnS core-shell quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yadav, Rajesh Kumar; Sharma, Rituraj; Mondal, Anirban; Adarsh, K. V.

2018-04-01

Core-shell quantum dot are imperative for carrier (electron and holes) confinement in core/shell, which provides a stage to explore the linear and nonlinear optical phenomena at the nanoscalelimit. Here we present a comprehensive study of ultrafast excitation dynamics and nonlinear optical absorption of CdSe/ZnS core shell quantum dot with the help of ultrafast spectroscopy. Pump-probe and time-resolved measurements revealed the drop of trapping at CdSe surface due to the presence of the ZnS shell, which makes more efficient photoluminescence. We have carried out femtosecond transient absorption studies of the CdSe/ZnS core-shell quantum dot by irradiation with 400 nm laser light, monitoring the transients in the visible region. The optical nonlinearity of the core-shell quantum dot studied by using the Z-scan technique with 120 fs pulses at the wavelengths of 800 nm. The value of two photon absorption coefficients (β) of core-shell QDs extracted as80cm/GW, and it shows excellent benchmark for the optical limiting onset of 2.5GW/cm2 with the low limiting differential transmittance of 0.10, that is an order of magnitude better than graphene based materials.

Initial Transient in Zn-doped InSb Grown in Microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ostrogorsky, A G.; Marin, C.; Volz, M.; Duffar, T.

2009-01-01

Three Zn-doped InSb crystals were directionally solidified under microgravity conditions at the International Space Station (ISS) Alpha. The distribution of the Zn was measured using SIMS. A short diffusion-controlled transient, typical for systems with k greater than 1 was demonstrated. Static pressure of approximately 4000 N/m2 was imposed on the melt, to prevent bubble formation and dewetting. Still, partial de-wetting has occurred in one experiment, and apparently has disturbed the diffusive transport of Zn in the melt.

Fabrication of thin ZnO films with wide-range tuned optical properties by reactive magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davydova, A.; Tselikov, G.; Dilone, D.; Rao, K. V.; Kabashin, A. V.; Belova, L.

2018-02-01

We report the manufacturing of thin zinc oxide films by reactive magnetron sputtering at room temperature, and examine their structural and optical properties. We show that the partial oxygen pressure in DC mode can have dramatic effect on absorption and refractive index (RI) of the films in a broad spectral range. In particular, the change of the oxygen pressure from 7% to 5% can lead to either conventional crystalline ZnO films having low absorption and characteristic descending dependence of RI from 2.4-2.7 RIU in the visible to 1.8-2 RIU in the near-infrared (1600 nm) range, or to untypical films, composed of ZnO nano-crystals embedded into amorphous matrix, exhibiting unexpectedly high absorption in the visible-infrared region and ascending dependence of RI with values varying from 1.5 RIU in the visible to 4 RIU in the IR (1600 nm), respectively. Untypical optical characteristics in the second case are explained by defects in ZnO structure arising due to under-oxidation of ZnO crystals. We also show that the observed defect-related film structure remains stable even after annealing of films under relatively high temperatures (30 min under 450 °C). We assume that both types of films can be of importance for photovoltaic (as contact or active layers, respectively), as well as for chemical or biological sensing, optoelectronics etc.

Optical absorption enhancement by inserting ZnO optical spacer in plasmonic organic solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

N'Konou, Kekeli; Torchio, Philippe

2018-01-01

Optical absorption enhancement (AE) using coupled optical spacer and plasmonic effects in standard and inverted organic solar cells (OSCs) are demonstrated using the finite-difference time-domain numerical method. The influence of an added zinc oxide (ZnO) optical spacer layer inserted below the active layer in standard architecture is first theoretically investigated while the influence of varying the ZnO cathodic buffer layer thickness in inverted design is studied on AE. Then, the embedding of a square periodic array of core-shell silver-silica nanospheres (Ag@SiO2 NSs) at different positions in standard and inverted OSCs is performed while AE and short-circuit current density (Jsc) are calculated. As a result of previous combined effects, the optimized standard plasmonic OSCs present 15% and 79.45% enhancement in J over the reference with and without ZnO optical spacer layer, respectively, and a 16% increase of AE when Ag@SiO2 NSs are placed on top of the PEDOT:PSS layer. Compared to the inverted OSC reference, the plasmonic OSCs present 26% and 27% enhancement in J and AE, respectively, when the Ag@SiO2 NSs are located on top of the ZnO layer. Furthermore, the spatial position of these NSs in such OSCs is a key parameter for increasing light absorption via enhanced electromagnetic field distribution.

Synthesis and characterization of rod like C doped ZnO nanoparticles with enhanced photocatalytic activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Labhane, P. K.; Sapkal, B. M.; Sonawane, G. H.

2018-05-01

Carbon (C) doped ZnO rod like nanoparticles were prepared by simple co-precipitation method. The effect of C doping on ZnO has been evaluated by using XRD, Williamson-Hall Plot, FESEM and EDX data. UV light assisted photocatalytic activities of prepared samples were evaluated spectrophotometrically by the degradation of methylene blue (MB). C doped ZnO shows excellent catalytic efficiency compared to pure ZnO, degrading MB completely within 100 min under UV light. Photocatalysis follows the first order kinetics law and the calculated apparent reaction kinetics rate constant suggest the better activity of C-ZnO.

Zinc Fractional Absorption from a Representative Diet in Young Chinese Men and Women of the Shandong Rural Region.

PubMed

Wang, Cuiping; Lin, Xinying; Guo, Dongmei; Ding, Lili; Guo, Haifeng; Xu, Guifa; Cui, Xi; Wang, Xia

2017-05-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the zinc fractional absorption of young Chinese men and women from the Shandong rural region under the routine dietary pattern by stable isotope technique. Ten men and 10 women, aged 20 to 35 years, and with a representative diet during the experiment were recruited from the Shandong rural region. Stable 67 Zn was used as a tracer to label ZnCl 2 , and Yb was used to monitor the excretion of 67 Zn in urine and feces. All volunteers were given rice containing 4.0 mg 67 Zn and 1.0 mg Yb on the fourth day. Then the food and fecal samples of all subjects were collected for 12 consecutive days. The total zinc and the stable zinc isotope ratio of all samples were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometer and thermal ionization mass spectrometer, respectively. The determination of the other nutrients was performed based on the Chinese National Standard Methods. Among volunteers, the daily intake of zinc was 15.50 mg, 103.33 % of recommended nutrient intake (RNI, set by the Chinese Nutrition Society) in men and 15.43 mg, 134.17 % in women. The fractional absorption of Zn was 23.42 ± 2.23 % in men, and 22.49 ± 2.19 % in women. The protein candidates got from the typical diets was 93.96 % of RNI in women. Calcium and ascorbic acid intakes were 76.23 % of RNI and 27.91 % of RNI in men, respectively and 51.17 % of RNI and 34.23 % of RNI in women, respectively. Our results showed that a typical meal for someone in the Shandong rural region presented an adequate intake of zinc and a moderate Zn bioavailability. The shortage of protein and the inappropriate protein pattern may play important roles in reducing zinc bioavailability.

Synthesis and structural, optical and thermal properties of CdS:Zn2+ nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muruganandam, S.; Anbalagan, G.; Murugadoss, G.

2014-12-01

Undoped and Zn (1-5, 10 %) -doped CdS nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by chemical method and polyvinylpyrrolidone was used as capping agent. The morphology and crystalline structure of the samples were studied by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The average particle size of the spherical nanoparticles determined by these techniques was of the order of 2.5-6 nm. The functional groups of the capping agent on CdS:Zn2+ surface were identified by FT-IR study. The band gap of the nanoparticles was calculated using UV-visible absorption spectra and the result showed that the band gap values were dramatically blue shifted from the bulk CdS. The optimum concentration of the doping ions was selected through absorption study. Photoluminescence of the CdS:Zn2+ nanoparticle showed strong blue and green emission. The thermal properties of the nanoparticles were analyzed by thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis.

Real-structure effects: Band gaps of Mg_xZn_{1-x}O, Cd_xZn_{1-x}O, and n-type ZnO from ab-initio calculations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schleife, A; Bechstedt, F

2012-02-15

Many-body perturbation theory is applied to compute the quasiparticle electronic structures and the optical-absorption spectra (including excitonic effects) for several transparent conducting oxides. We discuss HSE+G{sub 0}W{sub 0} results for band structures, fundamental band gaps, and effective electron masses of MgO, ZnO, CdO, SnO{sub 2}, SnO, In{sub 2}O{sub 3}, and SiO{sub 2}. The Bethe-Salpeter equation is solved to account for excitonic effects in the calculation of the frequency-dependent absorption coefficients. We show that the HSE+G{sub 0}W{sub 0} approach and the solution of the Bethe-Salpeter equation are very well-suited to describe the electronic structure and the optical properties of various transparentmore » conducting oxides in good agreement with experiment.« less

Liquid petroleum gas sensing application of ZnO/CdO:ZnO nanocomposites at low temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajput, Jeevitesh K.; Pathak, T. K.; Kumar, V.; Swart, H. C.; Purohit, L. P.

2018-04-01

ZnO and CdO:ZnO nanoparticles are synthesized by sol-gel precipitation method. The structural analysis shows composite structure for CdO:ZnO nanoparticles with (002) and (111) phase. The SEM images show wedge like morphology and 3-D hexagonal morphology with ˜110 nm in size. The uniform growth of CdO:ZnO nanoparticles were observed in EDS element mapping image. LPG sensing was observed for CdO:ZnO nanoparticle with rapid sensing response 8.69% at operating temperature 50°C. This sensing response can be accounted due by absorption ions reactions at low operating temperature.

Core/shell structured Zn/ZnO nanoparticles synthesized by gaseous laser ablation with enhanced photocatalysis efficiency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Lu; Wang, Yafei; Ma, Jing; Zhang, Qinghua; Shen, Zhijian

2018-06-01

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a competitive candidate in semiconductor photocatalysts, only if the efficiency could be fully optimized especially by tailored nanostructures. Here we report a kind of core/shell structured Zn/ZnO nanoparticles with enhanced photocatalysis efficiency, which were synthesized by a highly-productive gaseous laser ablation method. The nanodroplets generated by laser ablation would be reduced to zinc in the protective atmosphere, and further be oxidized at surface to form a specific core/shell structured Zn/ZnO nanoparticles within seconds. Thanks to the formation of this Zn-ZnO Schottky junction, the photocatalysis degradation efficiency of such core/shell Zn/ZnO nanostructure is significantly improved owing to the enhanced visible light absorption and inhibited carrier recombination by introducing the metallic zinc.

Effects on the optical properties and conductivity of Ag-N co-doped ZnO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Zhenchao; Hou, Qingyu; Qu, Lingfeng

2017-01-01

Nowadays, the studies of the effects on the optical bandgap, absorption spectrum, and electrical properties of Ag-N co-doped ZnO have been extensively investigated. However, Ag and N atoms in doped systems are randomly doped, and the asymmetric structure of ZnO is yet to be explored. In this paper, the geometric structure, stability, density of states, absorption spectra and conductivity of pure and Ag-N co-doped Zn1-xAgxO1-xNx(x=0.03125, 0.0417 and 0.0625) in different orientations are calculated by using plane-wave ultrasoft pseudopotential on the basis of density functional theory with GGA+U method. Results show that the volume, equivalent total energy and formation energy of the doped system increase as the concentration of Ag-N co-doped Zn1-xAgxO1-xNx increases at the same doping mode. The doped systems also become unstable, and difficulty in doping. At the same concentration of Ag-N co-doped Zn1-xAgxO1-xNx, the systems with Ag-N along the c-axis orientation is unstable, and doping is difficult. The optical bandgap of Ag-N co-doped systems is narrower than that of the pure ZnO. At the same doping mode, the optical bandgap of the systems with Ag-N perpendicular to the c-axis orientation becomes narrow as the concentration of Ag-N co-doped Zn1-xAgxO1-xNx increases. The absorption spectra of the doped systems exhibit a red shift, and this red shift becomes increasingly significant as the concentration of Ag-N co-doped Zn1-xAgxO1-xNx increases. Under the same condition, the relative hole concentrations of the doped systems increases, the hole effective mass in valence band maximum decreases, the hole mobility decreases, the ionization energy decreases, Bohr radius increases, the conductance increases and the conductivity become better. Our results may be used as a basis for the designing and preparation of new optical and electrical materials for Ag-N co-doped ZnO applied in low temperature end of temperature difference battery.

Electromagnetic interference attenuation and shielding effect of quaternary Epoxy-PPy/Fe3O4-ZnO nanocomposite as a broad band microwave-absorber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olad, Ali; Shakoori, Sahar

2018-07-01

An increase in the electromagnetic wave pollution generated from wireless telecommunication devices has devoted to a great request for exploiting microwave absorbing materials for themselves. The combination of inherently conducting polymers such as polypyrrole (PPy) with metal oxides has led to design ideal microwave absorbing materials which benefit both advantage effects of ICPs and metal oxide nanoparticles. Herein, the quaternary nanocomposite of Epoxy-PPy/Fe3O4-ZnO was prepared and tested for the absorption of X-band microwaves. Simultaneous application of metal oxides and conducting polypyrrole in the epoxy matrix was evaluated in order to increase the absorption intensity and broadness of microwaves in X-band region. The morphology, microstructure, and phase structure of Fe3O4, ZnO, and PPy, as well as quaternary nanocomposite were characterized and studied using FTIR, XRD, FESEM and TEM techniques. The presence of nanoparticles in the quaternary nanocomposite was confirmed by EDS. The magnetization of iron oxide was studied by VSM. The synergetic effect of iron oxide and zinc oxide nanoparticles in different weight ratios (Fe3O4/ZnO) on the electromagnetic wave absorption was evaluated. The electromagnetic parameters have been evaluated by the vector network analyzer in the frequency range of 8.2-12.4 GHz which is named as X-band region and is adequate for radar applications. The electromagnetic wave absorbing outcomes indicated that Epoxy-PPy/Fe3O4-ZnO quaternary nanocomposite has wide absorption area and high attenuation, which is believed to be due to dielectric loss properties related to the polypyrrole, magnetic loss factor of Fe3O4, and synergetic effects of components. The maximum reflection loss reached to -32.53 dB at 9.96 GHz with a nanocomposite thickness of 2 mm which is dedicated to the Epoxy-PPy/Fe3O4-ZnO with iron oxide to zinc oxide ratio of 2:1. The absorption bandwidth with the reflection loss lower than -10 dB (90% attenuation) was up to 4.2 GHz that covering a frequency range of 8.2-12.4 GHz. Results showed that absorber having %15 (w/w) polypyrrole/epoxy resin in Epoxy-PPy/Fe3O4-ZnO nanocomposite with iron oxide to zinc oxide ratio of 2:1 displays the best reflection loss properties. The loss curves illustrated the values of dielectric loss tangent and magnetic loss tangent of prepared nanocomposites which are in the range of 0.25-0.7 and -0.08 to 0.09 respectively. Therefore, microwave absorption mechanism is probably attributed to dielectric loss.

Absorption spectra and nonlinear transmission (at λ = 2940 nm) of a diffusion-doped Fe{sup 2+}:ZnSe single crystal

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bufetova, G A; Gulyamova, E S; Il'ichev, N N

2015-06-30

Transmission spectra of a ZnSe sample diffusion-doped with Fe{sup 2+} ions have been measured in the wavelength range 500 – 7000 nm. A broad absorption band in the range 500 – 1500 nm has been observed in both doped and undoped regions of the sample. This band is possibly due to deviations from stoichiometry in the course of diffusion doping. The transmission of the Fe{sup 2+}:ZnSe sample at a wavelength of 2940 nm has been measured at various dopant concentrations and high peak pulse intensities (up to 8 MW cm{sup -2}). The samples have been shown to be incompletely bleached:more » during a laser pulse, the transmission first increases, reaches a maximum, and then falls off. Our results suggest that the incomplete bleaching cannot be accounted for by excited-state absorption. The incomplete bleaching (as well as the transmission maximum) is due to the heating of the sample, which leads to a reduction in upper level lifetime and, accordingly, to an increase in absorption saturation intensity. (nonlinear optical phenomena)« less

Optical nonlinearities of colloidal InP@ZnS core-shell quantum dots probed by Z-scan and two-photon excited emission

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wawrzynczyk, Dominika; Szeremeta, Janusz; Samoc, Marek

Spectrally resolved nonlinear optical properties of colloidal InP@ZnS core-shell quantum dots of various sizes were investigated with the Z-scan technique and two-photon fluorescence excitation method using a femtosecond laser system tunable in the range from 750 nm to 1600 nm. In principle, both techniques should provide comparable results and can be interchangeably used for determination of the nonlinear optical absorption parameters, finding maximal values of the cross sections and optimizing them. We have observed slight differences between the two-photon absorption cross sections measured by the two techniques and attributed them to the presence of non-radiative paths of absorption or relaxation.more » The most significant value of two-photon absorption cross section σ{sub 2} for 4.3 nm size InP@ZnS quantum dot was equal to 2200 GM, while the two-photon excitation action cross section σ{sub 2}Φ was found to be 682 GM at 880 nm. The properties of these cadmium-free colloidal quantum dots can be potentially useful for nonlinear bioimaging.« less

Thermodynamic evidence of flexibility in H2O and CO2 absorption of transition metal ion exchanged zeolite LTA.

PubMed

Guo, Xin; Wu, Lili; Navrotsky, Alexandra

2018-02-07

Gas absorption calorimetry has been employed to probe the intercation of water and carbon dioxide with transition metal ion (TM = Mn 2+ , Fe 2+ , Co 2+ , Cu 2+ , and Zn 2+ ) exchanged zeolite A samples. There appears to be a two-phase region, indicative of a guest-induced flexibility transition, separating hydrated zeolite A and its dehydrated form, both of which have variable water content in the single phase region. The differential enthalpy of absorption as a function of water loading directly identifies different strengths of multiple interactions along with possible binding mechanisms of Zn-A and Mn-A exhibiting the highest water absorption with most exothermic initial enthalpies of -125.28 ± 4.82 and -115.30 ± 2.56 kJ mol -1 . Zn-A and Mn-A also show moderately good capture ability for CO 2 with zero-coverage negative enthalpies of -55.59 ± 2.48 and -44.07 ± 1.53 kJ mol -1 . The thermodynamic information derived from differential enthalpy, chemical potential and differential entropy elucidated the multistage interactive behavior of small guest molecules (H 2 O/CO 2 ) and ion-exchanged frameworks.

Attachment of Quantum Dots on Zinc Oxide Nanorods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seay, Jared; Liang, Huan; Harikumar, Parameswar

2011-03-01

ZnO nanorods grown by hydrothermal technique are of great interest for potential applications in photovoltaic and optoelectronic devices. In this study we investigate the optimization of the optical absorption properties by a low temperature, chemical bath deposition technique. Our group fabricated nanorods on indium tin oxide (ITO) substrate with precursor solution of zinc nitrate hexahydrate and hexamethylenetramine (1:1 molar ratio) at 95C for 9 hours. In order to optimize the light absorption characteristics of ZnO nanorods, CdSe/ZnS core-shell quantum dots (QDs) of various diameters were attached to the surface of ZnO nanostructures grown on ITO and gold-coated silicon substrates. Density of quantum dots was varied by controlling the number drops on the surface of the ZnO nanorods. For a 0.1 M concentration of QDs of 10 nm diameter, the PL intensity at 385 nm increased as the density of the quantum dots on ZnO nanostructures was increased. For quantum dots at 1 M concentration, the PL intensity at 385 nm increased at the beginning and then decreased at higher density. We will discuss the observed changes in PL intensity with QD concentration with ZnO-QD band structure and recombination-diffusion processes taking place at the interface.

Zn doped CdO thin films with enhanced linear and third order nonlinear optical properties for optoelectronic applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bairy, Raghavendra; Jayarama, A.; Shivakumar, G. K.; Patil, P. S.; Bhat, K. Udaya

2018-04-01

Thin films of undoped and zinc doped CdO have been deposited on glass substrate using spray pyrolysis technique with various dopant concentrations of Zn such as 1, 5 and 10%. Influence of Zn doping on CdO thin films for the structural, morphological, optical and nonlinear optical properties are reported. XRD analysis reveals that as prepared pure and Zn doped CdO films show polycrystalline nature with face centered cubic structure. Also, Zn doping does not significantly modify the crystallinity and not much increase in the crystallite size of the film. SEM images shows grains which are uniform and grain size with increase in dopant concentration. The transmittance of the prepared CdO films recorded in the UV visible spectra and it shows 50 to 60% in the visible region. The estimated optical band gap increases from 2.60 to 2.70 eV for various dopant concentrations. The nonlinear optical absorption of Zn-doped CdO films have been measured used the Z-scan technique at a wavelength 532 nm. The nonlinear optical absorption coefficient (β), nonlinear refractive index (n2) and the third order nonlinear optical susceptibility (χ(3)) of the pure and Zn doped films were determined.

Photoeletrocatalytic activity of an n-ZnO/p-Cu2O/n-TNA ternary heterojunction electrode for tetracycline degradation.

PubMed

Li, Jinhua; Lv, Shubin; Liu, Yanbiao; Bai, Jing; Zhou, Baoxue; Hu, Xiaofang

2013-11-15

In this study, a novel ternary heterojunction n-ZnO/p-Cu2O/n-TiO2 nanotube arrays (n-ZnO/p-Cu2O/n-TNA) nanophotocatalyst with a sandwich-like nanostructure was constructed and applied for the photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) degradation of typical PPCPs, tetracycline (TC). The ternary heterojunction n-ZnO/p-Cu2O/n-TNA was obtained by depositing Cu2O on the surface of TNA via sonoelectrochemical deposition (SED) and subsequently building a layer of ZnO onto the p-Cu2O/n-TNA surface through hydrothermal synthesis. After being deposited by the Cu2O, the absorption-band edge of the p-Cu2O/n-TNA was obviously red-shifted to the visible region (to 505 nm), and the band gap was reduced from its original 3.20 eV to 2.46 eV. The band gap absorption edge of the ternary n-ZnO/p-Cu2O/n-TNA is similar to that of p-Cu2O/n-TN and extends the visible spectrum absorption to 510 nm, corresponding to an Eg value of about 2.43 eV. Under illumination of visible light, the photocurrent density of the ternary heterojunction n-ZnO/p-Cu2O/n-TNA electrode at 0.5 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) was more than 106 times as high as that of the pure TNAs electrode, 3.6 times as high as that of the binary heterojunction p-Cu2O/n-TNA electrode. The degradation of TC indicated that the ternary heterojunction n-ZnO/p-Cu2O/n-TNA electrode maintained a very high photoelectrocatalytic activity and excellent stability and reliability. Such kind of ternary heterojunction electrode material has a broad application prospect not only in pollution control but also in many other fields. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Strong photocurrent enhancements in plasmonic organic photovoltaics by biomimetic nanoarchitectures with efficient light harvesting.

PubMed

Leem, Jung Woo; Kim, Sehwan; Park, Chihyun; Kim, Eunkyoung; Yu, Jae Su

2015-04-01

We propose the biomimetic moth-eye nanoarchitectures as a novel plasmonic light-harvesting structure for further enhancing the solar-generated photocurrents in organic photovoltaics (OPVs). The full moth-eye nanoarchitectures are composed of two-dimensional hexagonal periodic grating arrays on surfaces of both the front zinc oxide (ZnO) and rear active layers, which are prepared by a simple and cost-effective soft imprint nanopatterning technique. For the 380 nm period ZnO and 650 nm period active gratings (i.e., ZnO(P380)/Active(P650)), the poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl):indene-C60 bis-adduct (P3HT:ICBA)-based plasmonic OPVs exhibit an improvement of the absorption spectrum compared to the pristine OPVs over a broad wavelength range of 350-750 nm, showing absorption enhancement peaks at wavelengths of ∼370, 450, and 670 nm, respectively. This leads to a considerable increase of short-circuit current density (Jsc) from 10.9 to 13.32 mA/cm(2), showing a large Jsc enhancement percentage of ∼22.2%. As a result, the strongly improved power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 6.28% is obtained compared to that (i.e., PCE = 5.12%) of the pristine OPVs. For the angle-dependent light-absorption characteristics, the plasmonic OPVs with ZnO(P380)/Active(P650) have a better absorption performance than that of the pristine OPVs at incident angles of 20-70°. For optical absorption characteristics and near-field intensity distributions of plasmonic OPVs, theoretical analyses are also performed by a rigorous coupled-wave analysis method, which gives a similar tendency with the experimentally measured data.

Colloidal synthesis of Cu-ZnO and Cu@CuNi-ZnO hybrid nanocrystals with controlled morphologies and multifunctional properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Deqian; Gong, Pingyun; Chen, Yuanzhi; Zhang, Qinfu; Xie, Qingshui; Peng, Dong-Liang

2016-06-01

Metal-semiconductor hybrid nanocrystals have received extensive attention owing to their multiple functionalities which can find wide technological applications. The utilization of low-cost non-noble metals to construct novel metal-semiconductor hybrid nanocrystals is important and meaningful for their large-scale applications. In this study, a facile solution approach is developed for the synthesis of Cu-ZnO hybrid nanocrystals with well-controlled morphologies, including nanomultipods, core-shell nanoparticles, nanopyramids and core-shell nanowires. In the synthetic strategy, Cu nanocrystals formed in situ serve as seeds for the heterogeneous nucleation and growth of ZnO, and it eventually forms various Cu-ZnO hetero-nanostructures under different reaction conditions. These hybrid nanocrystals possess well-defined and stable heterostructure junctions. The ultraviolet-visible-near infrared spectra reveal morphology-dependent surface plasmon resonance absorption of Cu and the band gap absorption of ZnO. Furthermore, we construct a novel Cu@CuNi-ZnO ternary hetero-nanostructure by incorporating the magnetic metal Ni into the pre-synthesized colloidal Cu nanocrystals. Such hybrid nanocrystals possess a magnetic Cu-Ni intermediate layer between the ZnO shell and the Cu core, and exhibit ferromagnetic/superparamagnetic properties which expand their functionalities. Finally, enhanced photocatalytic activities are observed in the as-prepared non-noble metal-ZnO hybrid nanocrystals. This study not only provides an economical way to prepare high-quality morphology-controlled Cu-ZnO hybrid nanocrystals for potential applications in the fields of photocatalysis and photovoltaic devices, but also opens up new opportunities in designing ternary non-noble metal-semiconductor hybrid nanocrystals with multifunctionalities.Metal-semiconductor hybrid nanocrystals have received extensive attention owing to their multiple functionalities which can find wide technological applications. The utilization of low-cost non-noble metals to construct novel metal-semiconductor hybrid nanocrystals is important and meaningful for their large-scale applications. In this study, a facile solution approach is developed for the synthesis of Cu-ZnO hybrid nanocrystals with well-controlled morphologies, including nanomultipods, core-shell nanoparticles, nanopyramids and core-shell nanowires. In the synthetic strategy, Cu nanocrystals formed in situ serve as seeds for the heterogeneous nucleation and growth of ZnO, and it eventually forms various Cu-ZnO hetero-nanostructures under different reaction conditions. These hybrid nanocrystals possess well-defined and stable heterostructure junctions. The ultraviolet-visible-near infrared spectra reveal morphology-dependent surface plasmon resonance absorption of Cu and the band gap absorption of ZnO. Furthermore, we construct a novel Cu@CuNi-ZnO ternary hetero-nanostructure by incorporating the magnetic metal Ni into the pre-synthesized colloidal Cu nanocrystals. Such hybrid nanocrystals possess a magnetic Cu-Ni intermediate layer between the ZnO shell and the Cu core, and exhibit ferromagnetic/superparamagnetic properties which expand their functionalities. Finally, enhanced photocatalytic activities are observed in the as-prepared non-noble metal-ZnO hybrid nanocrystals. This study not only provides an economical way to prepare high-quality morphology-controlled Cu-ZnO hybrid nanocrystals for potential applications in the fields of photocatalysis and photovoltaic devices, but also opens up new opportunities in designing ternary non-noble metal-semiconductor hybrid nanocrystals with multifunctionalities. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Synthesis and TEM images of pure ZnO nanocrystals. Photocatalytic testing procedures and degradation curves. SEM and TEM images, SAED pattern and EDS spectra and maps of parts of Cu-ZnO hybrid samples. A schematic image of coincident lattice matching between Cu and ZnO. STEM-EDS elemental maps and XRD pattern of the Cu@CuNi-ZnO sample. Comparative synthetic parameters. See DOI: 10.1039/c6nr02055k

Effect of Molecular Coupling on Ultrafast Electron-Transfer and Charge-Recombination Dynamics in a Wide-Gap ZnS Nanoaggregate Sensitized by Triphenyl Methane Dyes.

PubMed

Debnath, Tushar; Maity, Partha; Dana, Jayanta; Ghosh, Hirendra N

2016-03-03

Wide-band-gap ZnS nanocrystals (NCs) were synthesized, and after sensitizing the NCs with series of triphenyl methane (TPM) dyes, ultrafast charge-transfer dynamics was demonstrated. HRTEM images of ZnS NCs show the formation of aggregate crystals with a flower-like structure. Exciton absorption and lumimescence, due to quantum confinement of the ZnS NCs, appear at approximately 310 and 340 nm, respectively. Interestingly, all the TPM dyes (pyrogallol red, bromopyrogallol red, and aurin tricarboxylic acid) form charge-transfer complexes with the ZnS NCs, with the appearance of a red-shifted band. Electron injection from the photoexcited TPM dyes into the conduction band of the ZnS NCs is shown to be a thermodynamically viable process, as confirmed by steady-state and time-resolved emission studies. To unravel charge-transfer (both electron injection and charge recombination) dynamics and the effect of molecular coupling, femtosecond transient absorption studies were carried out in TPM-sensitized ZnS NCs. The electron-injection dynamics is pulse-width-limited in all the ZnS/TPM dye systems, however, the back electron transfer differs, depending on the molecular coupling of the sensitizers (TPM dyes). The detailed mechanisms for the above-mentioned processes are discussed. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Preparation and optical properties of TeO2-BaO-ZnO-ZnF2 fluoro-tellurite glass for mid-infrared fiber Raman laser applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jie; Xiao, Xusheng; Gu, Shaoxuan; Xu, Yantao; Zhou, Zhiguang; Guo, Haitao

2017-04-01

A serial of novel fluoro-tellurite glasses with compositions of 60TeO2-20BaO-(20-x)ZnO-xZnF2 (x = 0, 2, 4, 5 and 6 mol%) were prepared. The compositional dependences of glass structural evaluation, Raman gain coefficient, UV-Vis transmission spectrum, IR transmission spectrum, linear refractive index and third-order nonlinearity were analyzed. The results showed that the addition of 6 mol% ZnF2 can further improve the Raman gain coefficient to as well as 52 × 10-11 cm/W and effectively decrease around 73% and 57% absorption coefficients respectively caused by free Osbnd H groups (@3.3 μm) and hydrogen-bonded Osbnd H groups (@4.5 μm) in glass. Addition of ZnF2 does not change the UV-Vis absorption edge, optical band gap energy and infrared region cut-off edge almost, while the linear refraction index and ultrafast third-nonlinearity show unmonotonic changes. These novel fluoro-tellurite glasses may be suitable candidates for using in mid-infrared Raman fiber laser and/or amplifier.

Quantitative analysis of a brass alloy using CF-LIBS and a laser ablation time-of-flight mass spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed, Nasar; Abdullah, M.; Ahmed, Rizwan; Piracha, N. K.; Aslam Baig, M.

2018-01-01

We present a quantitative analysis of a brass alloy using laser induced breakdown spectroscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and laser ablation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LA-TOF-MS). The emission lines of copper (Cu I) and zinc (Zn I), and the constituent elements of the brass alloy were used to calculate the plasma parameters. The plasma temperature was calculated from the Boltzmann plot as (10 000  ±  1000) K and the electron number density was determined as (2.0  ±  0.5)  ×  1017 cm-3 from the Stark-broadened Cu I line as well as using the Saha-Boltzmann equation. The elemental composition was deduced using these techniques: the Boltzmann plot method (70% Cu and 30% Zn), internal reference self-absorption correction (63.36% Cu and 36.64% Zn), EDX (61.75% Cu and 38.25% Zn), and LA-TOF (62% Cu and 38% Zn), whereas, the certified composition is (62% Cu and 38% Zn). It was observed that the internal reference self-absorption correction method yields analytical results comparable to that of EDX and LA-TOF-MS.

Zn-VI quasiparticle gaps and optical spectra from many-body calculations.

PubMed

Riefer, A; Weber, N; Mund, J; Yakovlev, D R; Bayer, M; Schindlmayr, Arno; Meier, C; Schmidt, W G

2017-06-01

The electronic band structures of hexagonal ZnO and cubic ZnS, ZnSe, and ZnTe compounds are determined within hybrid-density-functional theory and quasiparticle calculations. It is found that the band-edge energies calculated on the [Formula: see text] (Zn chalcogenides) or GW (ZnO) level of theory agree well with experiment, while fully self-consistent QSGW calculations are required for the correct description of the Zn 3d bands. The quasiparticle band structures are used to calculate the linear response and second-harmonic-generation (SHG) spectra of the Zn-VI compounds. Excitonic effects in the optical absorption are accounted for within the Bethe-Salpeter approach. The calculated spectra are discussed in the context of previous experimental data and present SHG measurements for ZnO.

Photophysical study of the interaction between ZnO nanoparticles and globular protein bovine serum albumin in solution and in a layer-by-layer self-assembled film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hansda, Chaitali; Maiti, Pradip; Singha, Tanmoy; Pal, Manisha; Hussain, Syed Arshad; Paul, Sharmistha; Paul, Pabitra Kumar

2018-10-01

In this study, we investigated the spectroscopic properties of the water-soluble globular protein bovine serum albumin (BSA) while interacting with zinc oxide (ZnO) semiconductor nanoparticles (NPs) in aqueous medium and in a ZnO/BSA layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembled film fabricated on poly (acrylic acid) (PAA)-coated quartz or a Si substrate via electrostatic interactions. BSA formed a ground state complex due to its interaction with ZnO NPs, which was confirmed by ultraviolet-visible absorption, and steady state and time-resolved fluorescence emission spectroscopic techniques. However, due to its interaction with ZnO, the photophysical properties of BSA depend significantly on the concentration of ZnO NPs in the mixed solution. The quenching of the fluorescence intensity of BSA in the presence of ZnO NPs was due to the interaction between ZnO and BSA, and the formation of their stable ground state complex, as well as energy transfer from the excited BSA to ZnO NPs in the complex nano-bioconjugated species. Multilayer growth of the ZnO/BSA LbL self-assembled film on the quartz substrate was confirmed by monitoring the characteristic absorption band of BSA (280 nm), where the nature of the film growth depends on the number of bilayers deposited on the quartz substrate. BSA formed a well-ordered molecular network-type morphology due to its adsorption onto the surface of the ZnO nanostructure in the backbone of the PAA-coated Si substrate in the LbL film according to atomic force microscopic study. The as-synthesized ZnO NPs were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, and dynamic light scattering techniques.

Effect of some operational parameters on the hydrogen generation efficiency of Ni-ZnO/PANI composite under visible-light irradiation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nsib, Mohamed Faouzi, E-mail: Mohamed.faouzi.ncib@gmail.com; National School of Engineers; Naffati, Naima

2015-10-15

Graphical abstract: UV–vis spectra of PANI, ZnO, Ni{sub 0.01}Zn{sub 0.99}O, Ni{sub 0.01}Zn{sub 0.99}O/PANI3 and Ni{sub 0.1}Zn{sub 0.9}O/PANI{sub 10} nanocomposites. - Highlights: • Ni{sub x}Zn{sub 1−x}O/PANI{sub y} photocatalysts are synthesized by the impregnation method. • Ni{sup 2+} amount control the morphology of ZnO and enhances its photoactivity. • Both Ni{sup 2+} and PANI extend the light absorption of ZnO toward the visible region. • Both Ni{sup 2+} and PANI enhance the electron–hole separation. - Abstract: Ni{sub x}Zn{sub 1−x}O/Polyaniline hybrid photocatalysts are synthesized and used for the experiments of hydrogen production from water-splitting under visible irradiation. XRD, UV–vis DRS and SEM aremore » used to characterize the prepared materials. It is shown that the Ni{sup 2+} amount doped into ZnO controls its morphology and enhances its photoactivity for H{sub 2} generation. Polyaniline (PANI) is shown to sensitize ZnO and to extend its light absorption toward the visible region. The hybrid photocatalyst with 10 mol% Ni{sup 2+} and 10 wt.% PANI shows the maximum photocatalytic H{sub 2} production for one hour of visible irradiation: ∼558 μmol while only ∼178 μmol in the presence of pure ZnO. Additives like sacrificial electron donors and carbonate salts are found to play a key role in the improvement of H{sub 2} evolution. Thus, the hydrogen photoproduction efficiency increases in the order: thiosulfate > sulfide > propanol and HCO{sub 3}{sup −} > CO{sub 3}{sup 2−}.« less

Electrosynthesis of ZnO nanorods and nanotowers: Morphology and X-ray Absorption Near Edge Spectroscopy studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sigircik, Gokmen; Erken, Ozge; Tuken, Tunc; Gumus, Cebrail; Ozkendir, Osman M.; Ufuktepe, Yuksel

2015-06-01

Deposition mechanism of nano-structured ZnO films has been investigated in the absence and presence of chloride ions from aqueous solution. The resulting opto-electronic properties were interpreted extensively, using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray Absorption Near Edge Spectroscopy (XANES), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), UV-Visible spectroscopy and four probe techniques. The ZnO deposition is mass transport controlled process and the interaction of chloride ions with the surface has great influence on diffusion kinetics, considering the substantial species (Zn2+ and OH-) involved in the construction of ZnO film. This effect does not change major lattice parameters, as shown with detailed analysis of XRD data. However, the texture coefficient (Tc) (0 0 2) value is higher in presence of chloride ions containing synthesis solution which gave vertically aligned, well defined and uniformly dispersed nanorods structure. The calculated Eg values are in the range 3.28-3.41 eV and 3.22-3.31 eV for ZnO nanorods and nanotowers synthesized at different deposition periods, respectively. Furthermore, the charge mobility values regarding the deposition periods were measured to be in the ranges from 130.4 to 449.2 cm2 V-1 s-1 and 126.2 to 204.7 cm2 V-1 s-1 for nanorods and nanotowers, respectively. From XANES results, it was shown that the Zn K-edge spectrum is dominated by the transition of Zn 1s core electrons into the unoccupied Zn 4p states of the conduction band. Comparing the rod and tower nano-structured ZnO thin films, the excitation behavior of valence band electrons is different. Moreover, the density states of Zn 4p are higher for ZnO nanorods.

Fate of zinc in an electroplating sludge during electrokinetic treatments.

PubMed

Liu, Shou-Heng; Wang, H Paul

2008-08-01

Chemical structure of zinc in the electrokinetic treatments of an electroplating sludge has been studied by in situ extended X-ray absorption fine structural (EXAFS) and X-ray absorption near edge structural (XANES) spectroscopies in the present work. The least-square fitted XANES spectra indicate that the main zinc compounds in the sludge were ZnCO(3) (75%), ZnOSiO(2) (17%) and Zn(OH)(2) (7%). Zinc in the sludge possessed a Zn-O bond distance of 2.07 A with a coordination number (CN) of 5. In the second shells, the bond distance of Zn-(O)-Si was 3.05 A (CN=2). An increase of Zn-(O)-Si (0.05 A) with a decrease of its CN (from 5 to <1) was found in the early stage of the electrokinetic treatment. Prolong the electrokinetic treatment time to 180 min, about 34% of Zn(II) was dissolved into the aqueous phase and about 68% of Zn(II) in the sludge (or 23% of total zinc) was migrated to the cathode under the electric field (5 V cm(-1)). The dissolution and electromigration rates of Zn(II) in the sludge were 1.0 and 0.6 mmol h(-1)g(-1) sludge, respectively during the electrokinetic treatment. This work also exemplifies the utilization of in situ EXAFS and XANES for revealing speciation and possible reaction pathways during the course of zinc recycling from the sludge by electrokinetic treatments.

Evidence for Different Reaction Pathways for Liquid and Granular Micronutrients in a Calcareous Soil

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hettiarachchi, Ganga M.; McLaughlin, Mike J.; Scheckel, Kirk G.

2008-06-16

The benefits of Mn and Zn fluid fertilizers over conventional granular products in calcareous sandy loam soils have been agronomically demonstrated. We hypothesized that the differences in the effectiveness between granular and fluid Mn and Zn fertilizers is due to different Mn and Zn reaction processes in and around fertilizer granules and fluid fertilizer bands. We used a combination of several synchrotron-based x-ray techniques, namely, spatially resolved micro-x-ray fluorescence (?-XRF), micro-x-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy (?-XANES), and bulk-XANES and -extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy, along with several laboratory-based x-ray techniques to speciate different fertilizer-derived Mn and Znmore » species in highly calcareous soils to understand the chemistry underlying the observed differential behavior of fluid and granular micronutrient forms. Micro-XRF mapping of soil-fertilizer reactions zones indicated that the mobility of Mn and Zn from liquid fertilizer was greater than that observed for equivalent granular sources of these micronutrients in soil. After application of these micronutrient fertilizers to soil, Mn and Zn from liquid fertilizers were found to remain in comparatively more soluble solid forms, such as hydrated Mn phosphate-like, Mn calcite-like, adsorbed Zn-like, and Zn silicate-like phases, whereas Mn and Zn from equivalent granular sources tended to transform into comparatively less soluble solid forms such as Mn oxide-like, Mn carbonate-like, and Zn phosphate-like phases.« less

ABSORBANCE, ABSORPTION COEFFICIENT, AND APPARENT QUANTUM YIELD: A COMMENT ON AMBIGUITY IN THE USE OF THESE OPTICAL CONCEPTS

EPA Science Inventory

Several important optical terms such as "absorbance" and "absorption coefficient" are frequently used ambiguously in the current peer-reviewed literature. Since they are important terms that are required to derive other quantities such as the "apparent quantum yield" of photoprod...

Fabrication of a Nano-ZnO/Polyethylene/Wood-Fiber Composite with Enhanced Microwave Absorption and Photocatalytic Activity via a Facile Hot-Press Method

PubMed Central

Dang, Baokang; Chen, Yipeng; Shen, Xiaoping; Chen, Bo; Sun, Qingfeng; Jin, Chunde

2017-01-01

A polyethylene/wood-fiber composite loaded with nano-ZnO was prepared by a facile hot-press method and was used for the photocatalytic degradation of organic compounds as well as for microwave absorption. ZnO nanoparticles with an average size of 29 nm and polyethylene (PE) powders were dispersed on the wood fibers’ surface through a viscous cationic polyacrylamide (CPAM) solution. The reflection loss (RL) value of the resulting composite was −21 dB, with a thickness of 3.5 mm in the frequency of 17.17 GHz. The PE/ZnO/wood-fiber (PZW) composite exhibited superior photocatalytic activity (84% methyl orange degradation within 300 min) under UV light irradiation. ZnO nanoparticels (NPs) increased the storage modulus of the PZW composite, and the damping factor was transferred to the higher temperature region. The PZW composite exhibited the maximum flexural strength of 58 MPa and a modulus of elasticity (MOE) of 9625 MPa. Meanwhile, it also displayed dimensional stability (thickness swelling value of 9%). PMID:29099777

Diatom frustules decorated with zinc oxide nanoparticles for enhanced optical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamastra, F. R.; Grilli, M. L.; Leahu, G.; Belardini, A.; Li Voti, R.; Sibilia, C.; Salvatori, D.; Cacciotti, I.; Nanni, F.

2017-09-01

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were synthesized on diatomite (DE) surface by a low temperature sol gel technique, starting from zinc acetate dihydrate (Zn(CH3COO)2 · 2H2O) solution in water/ethyl alcohol, in presence of triethanolamine (TEA) with functions of Zn2+ chelating agent, catalyst and mediator of nanoparticle growth on DE surface. Microstructural features were investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction. ZnO crystalline nanoparticles, well distributed both on the surface and into the porous architecture of diatomite, were obtained just after the synthesis carried out at 80 °C without the need of calcination treatments. The optical properties of ZnO/DE hybrid powders were measured for the first time by means of photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS). A new method to retrieve both the optical absorption and scattering coefficients from PAS is here discussed for powder aggregates. The fingerprint of the zinc oxide nanoparticles has been highlighted in the Mie scattering resonance in the UV-Vis range, and in the enhancement of the optical absorption with respect to diatomite.

Comprehensive studies of structural, electronic and magnetic properties of Zn{sub 0.95}Co{sub 0.05}O nanopowders

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Radisavljević, Ivana, E-mail: iva@vin.bg.ac.rs; Novaković, Nikola; Matović, Branko

2016-02-15

Highlights: • Zn{sub 0.95}Co{sub 0.05}O nanopowders are characterized by high structural order. • Co atoms show no tendency for Co–Co clustering and Co–Ov complexes formation. • Co–O–Co clustering along the c-axis has not lead to ferromagnetic order. • XMCD provides no evidence of magnetic polarization of O 2p and Co 3d states. - Abstract: X-ray absorption (XANES, EXAFS, XMCD) and photoelectron (XPS) spectroscopic techniques were employed to study local structural, electronic and magnetic properties of Zn{sub 0.95}Co{sub 0.05}O nanopowders. The substitutional Co{sup 2+} ions are incorporated in ZnO lattice at regular Zn sites and the sample is characterized by highmore » structural order. There was no sign of ferromagnetic ordering of Co magnetic moments and the sample is in paramagnetic state at all temperatures down to 5 K. The possible connection of the structural defects with the absence of ferromagnetism is discussed on the basis of theoretical calculations of the O K-edge absorption spectra.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Helzel, J.; Jankowski, S.; El Helou, M.

The optical transitions of pentacene films deposited on ZnO have been studied by absorption spectroscopy as a function of temperature in the range of room temperature down to 10 K. The pentacene films were prepared with thicknesses of 10 nm, 20 nm, and 100 nm on the ZnO-O(000-1) surface by molecular beam deposition. A unique temperature dependence has been observed for the two Davydov components of the excitons for different film thicknesses. At room temperature, the energetic positions of the respective absorption bands are the same for all films, whereas the positions differ more than 20 meV at 10 Kmore » caused by the very different expansion coefficients of pentacene and ZnO. Although the pentacene is just bonded via van der Waals interaction to the ZnO substrate, the very first pentacene monolayer (adlayer) is forced to keep the initial position on the ZnO surface and suffering, therefore, a substantial tensile strain. For all the subsequent pentacene monolayers, the strain is reduced step by step resulting electronically in a strong potential gradient at the interface.« less

Ultrafast carrier dynamics and third-order nonlinear optical properties of AgInS2/ZnS nanocrystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Kuai; Yang, Yang; Wang, Junzhong; Tang, Xiaosheng; Xu, Qing-Hua; Wang, Guo Ping

2018-06-01

Broad photoluminescence (PL) emission, a large Stokes shift and extremely long-lived radiative lifetimes are the characteristics of ternary I–III–VI semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs), such as CuInS2 and AgInS2. However, the lack of understanding regarding the intriguing PL mechanisms and photo-carrier dynamics limits their further applications. Here, AgInS2 and AgInS2/ZnS NCs were chemically synthesized and their carrier dynamics were studied by time-resolved PL spectroscopy. The results demonstrated that the surface defect state, which contributed dominantly to the non-radiative decay processes, was effectively passivated through ZnS alloying. Femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy was also used to investigate the carrier dynamics, revealing the electron storage at the surface state and donor state. Furthermore, the two photon absorption properties of AgInS2 and AgInS2/ZnS NCs were measured using an open-aperture Z-scan technique. The improved third-order nonlinear susceptibility {χ }(3) of AgInS2 through ZnS alloying demonstrates potential application in two photon PL biological imaging.

Optical properties of thin films of zinc oxide quantum dots and polydimethylsiloxane: UV-blocking and the effect of cross-linking.

PubMed

Eita, Mohamed; El Sayed, Ramy; Muhammed, Mamoun

2012-12-01

Thin films of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and ZnO quantum dots (QDs) were built up as multilayers by spin-coating. The films are characterized by a UV-blocking ability that increases with increasing number of bilayers. Photoluminescence (PL) emission spectra of the thin films occur at 522 nm, which is the PL wavelength of the ZnO QDs dispersion, but with a lower intensity and a quantum yield (QY) less than 1% that of the dispersion. Cross-linking has introduced new features to the absorption spectra in that the absorption peak was absent. These changes were attributed to the morphological and structural changes revealed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), respectively. TEM showed that the ZnO particle size in the film increased from 7 (±2.7) nm to 16 (±7.8) upon cross-linking. The FTIR spectra suggest that ZnO QDs are involved in the cross-linking of PDMS and that the surface of the ZnO QDs has been chemically modified. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of thermal treatment on the Mg{sub x}Zn{sub 1−x}O films and fabrication of visible-blind and solar-blind ultraviolet photodetectors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tian, Chunguang; Jiang, Dayong, E-mail: dayongjiangcust@126.com; Tan, Zhendong

Highlights: • Single-phase wurtzite/cubic Mg{sub x}Zn{sub 1−x}O films were grown by RF magnetron sputtering technique. • We focus on the red-shift caused by annealing the Mg{sub x}Zn{sub 1−x}O films. • MSM-structured visible-blind and solar-blind UV photodetectors were fabricated. - Abstract: A series of single-phase Mg{sub x}Zn{sub 1−x}O films with different Mg contents were prepared on quartz substrates by RF magnetron sputtering technique using different MgZnO targets, and annealed under the atmospheric environment. The absorption edges of Mg{sub x}Zn{sub 1−x}O films can cover the whole near ultraviolet and even the whole solar-blind spectra range, and the solar-blind wurtzite/cubic Mg{sub x}Zn{sub 1−x}Omore » films have been realized successfully by the same method. In addition, the absorption edges of annealed films shift to a long wavelength, which is caused by the diffusion of Zn atoms gathering at the surface during the thermal treatment process. Finally, the truly solar-blind metal-semiconductor-metal structured photodetectors based on wurtzite Mg{sub 0.445}Zn{sub 0.555}O and cubic Mg{sub 0.728}Zn{sub 0.272}O films were fabricated. The corresponding peak responsivities are 17 mA/W at 275 nm and 0.53 mA/W at 250 nm under a 120 V bias, respectively.« less

Nicotianamine forms complexes with Zn(II) in vivo.

PubMed

Trampczynska, Aleksandra; Küpper, Hendrik; Meyer-Klaucke, Wolfram; Schmidt, Holger; Clemens, Stephan

2010-01-01

The non-proteinogenic amino acid nicotianamine (NA) is a major player in plant metal homeostasis. It is known to form complexes with different transition metals in vitro. Available evidence associates NA with translocation of Fe, and possibly other micronutrients, to and between different plant cells and tissues. To date, however, it is still extremely challenging to detect metal-ligand complexes in vivo because tissue disruption immediately changes the chemical environment and thereby the availability of binding partners. In order to overcome this limitation we used various Schizosaccharomyces pombe strains expressing a plant NAS gene to study formation of metal-NA complexes in vivo. Tolerance, accumulation and competition data clearly indicated formation of Zn(ii)-NA but not of Cu(ii)-NA complexes. Zn(ii)-NA was then identified by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). About half of the cellular Zn was found to be bound by NA in NAS-expressing cells while no NA-like ligands were detected by XAS in control cells not expressing NAS. Given the high conservation of eukaryotic metal homeostasis components, these results strongly suggest the possible existence of Zn(ii)-NA complexes also in planta. Reported observations implicating NA in plant Zn homeostasis would then indeed be attributable to direct interaction of Zn(ii) with NA rather than only indirectly to perturbations in Fe metabolism. Re-evaluation of extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectra for the Zn hyperaccumulator Thlaspi caerulescens showed that NA is as expected not a major storage ligand for Zn. Instead it is hypothesized to be involved in efficient translocation of Zn to above-ground tissues in hyperaccumulators.

Preparation and characterization of double layer thin films ZnO/ZnO:Ag for methylene blue photodegradation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wibowo, Singgih, E-mail: singgih@st.fisika.undip.ac.id; Sutanto, Heri, E-mail: herisutanto@undip.ac.id

2016-02-08

Double layer (DL) thin films of zinc oxide and silver-doped zinc oxide (ZnO/ZnO:Ag) were deposited on glass substrate by sol-gel spray coating technique. The prepared thin films were subjected for optical and photocatalytic studies. UV-visible transmission spectra shows that the subtitution of Ag in ZnO leads to band gap reduction. The influence of Ag doping on the photocatalytic activity of ZnO for the degradation of methylene blue dye was studied under solar radiation. The light absorption over an extended visible region by Ag ion doping in ZnO film contributed equally to improve the photocatalytic activity up to 98.29%.

Structure and magnetic properties of Fe-doped ZnO prepared by the sol-gel method.

PubMed

Liu, Huilian; Yang, Jinghai; Zhang, Yongjun; Yang, Lili; Wei, Maobin; Ding, Xue

2009-04-08

Zn(0.97)Fe(0.03)O nanoparticles were synthesized by the sol-gel method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis revealed that the samples had pure ZnO wurtzite structure and Fe ions were well incorporated into the ZnO crystal lattice. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) showed that both Fe(2+) and Fe(3+) existed in Zn(0.97)Fe(0.03)O. The result of x-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) further testified that Fe ions took the place of Zn sites in our samples. Magnetic measurements indicated that Zn(0.97)Fe(0.03)O was ferromagnetic at room temperature.

Nanostructured hybrid ZnO thin films for energy conversion

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

We report on hybrid films based on ZnO/organic dye prepared by electrodeposition using tetrasulfonated copper phthalocyanines (TS-CuPc) and Eosin-Y (EoY). Both the morphology and porosity of hybrid ZnO films are highly dependent on the type of dyes used in the synthesis. High photosensitivity was observed for ZnO/EoY films, while a very weak photoresponse was obtained for ZnO/TS-CuPc films. Despite a higher absorption coefficient of TS-CuPc than EoY, in ZnO/EoY hybrid films, the excited photoelectrons between the EoY levels can be extracted through ZnO, and the porosity of ZnO/EoY can also be controlled. PMID:21711909

ZnO nanorods decorated with ZnS nanoparticles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Joicy, S.; Sivakumar, P.; Thangadurai, P., E-mail: thangaduraip.nst@pondiuni.edu.in

In this study, ZnO nanorods (NRs) and ZnS nanoparticles decorated ZnO-NRs were prepared by a combination of hydrothermal and hydrolysis method. Structural and optical properties of the samples were studied by XRD, FE-SEM, UV-Vis DRS and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Microscopy analysis revealed that the diameter of ZnO-NRs was ∼500 nm and the length was ranging from a few hundred nm to several micrometers and their surface was decorated with ZnS nanoparticles. UV-Vis DRS showed the absorption of ZnS decorated ZnO-NRs was blue shifted with respect to pure ZnO-NRs which enhanced the separation of electron-hole pairs. PL spectrum of ZnS decorated ZnO-NRs showedmore » a decrease in intensity of UV and green emissions with the appearance of blue emission at 436 nm.« less

Nonlinear optical and multi-photon absorption properties in graphene-ZnO nanocomposites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tong, Qing; Wang, Yu-Hua; Yu, Xiang-Xiang; Wang, Bo; Liang, Zhuang; Tang, Meng; Wu, An-Shun; Zhang, Hai-Jun; Liang, Feng; Xie, Ya-Feng; Wang, Jun

2018-04-01

Graphene-ZnO (GZO) nanocomposites were synthesized by a modified solvothermal method, and characterized by transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, Raman spectra, and UV-vis absorption spectra. The controllable nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of as-prepared GZO nanocomposites were tested by an open-aperture Z-scan method with 1030 nm fs laser pulses; the tested results showed that there were five-photon absorption (5PA) at 46.8 GW cm-2, 3PA at 28.1 GW cm-2, 2PA at 18.7 GW cm-2, and a vital change from saturable absorption (SA) to reverse SA (RSA) with the increase of incident intensity. This was the first time that 5PA was found in GZO nanocomposites at such a low intensity, 46.8 GW cm-2. The tunable NLO property from SA to RSA and controllable multi-photon absorption provided a facile approach for their applications in optical, optoelectronic devices, and information storage.

Modifying infrared scattering effects of single yeast cells with plasmonic metal mesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malone, Marvin A.; Prakash, Suraj; Heer, Joseph M.; Corwin, Lloyd D.; Cilwa, Katherine E.; Coe, James V.

2010-11-01

The scattering effects in the infrared (IR) spectra of single, isolated bread yeast cells (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) on a ZnSe substrate and in metal microchannels have been probed by Fourier transform infrared imaging microspectroscopy. Absolute extinction [(3.4±0.6)×10-7 cm2 at 3178 cm-1], scattering, and absorption cross sections for a single yeast cell and a vibrational absorption spectrum have been determined by comparing it to the scattering properties of single, isolated, latex microspheres (polystyrene, 5.0 μm in diameter) on ZnSe, which are well modeled by the Mie scattering theory. Single yeast cells were then placed into the holes of the IR plasmonic mesh, i.e., metal films with arrays of subwavelength holes, yielding "scatter-free" IR absorption spectra, which have undistorted vibrational lineshapes and a rising generic IR absorption baseline. Absolute extinction, scattering, and absorption spectral profiles were determined for a single, ellipsoidal yeast cell to characterize the interplay of these effects.

Transition metal-doped zinc chalcogenides: Spectroscopy and laser demonstration of a new class of gain media

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

DeLoach, L.D.; Page, R.H.; Wilke, G.D.

The absorption and emission properties of transition metal (TM)-doped Zinc chalcogenides have been investigated to understand their potential application as room-temperature, mid-infrared tunable laser media. Crystals of ZnS, ZnSe, and ZnTe, individually doped with Cr{sup 2+}, Co{sup 2+}, Ni{sup 2+}, or Fe{sup 2+}, have been evaluated. The absorption and emission properties are presented and discussed in terms of the energy levels from which they arise. The absorption spectra of the crystals studied exhibit strong bands between 1.4 and 2.0 {micro}m which overlap with the output of strained-layer InGaAs diodes. The room-temperature emission spectra reveal wide-band emissions from 2--3 {micro}m formore » Cr and from 2.8--1.0 {micro}m for Co. Laser demonstrations of Cr:ZnS and Cr:ZnSe have been performed in a laser-pumped laser cavity with a Co:MgF{sub 2} pump laser. The output of both lasers were determined to peak at wavelengths near 2.35 {micro}m, and both lasers demonstrated a maximum slope efficiency of approximately 20%. Based on these initial results, the Cr{sup 2+} ion is predicted to be a highly favorable laser ion for the mid-IR when doped into the zinc chalcogenides; Co{sup 2+} may also serve usefully, but laser demonstrations yet remain to be performed.« less

Growth of Well-Aligned ZnO Nanorod Arrays and Their Application for Photovoltaic Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Zhaolin; Yao, Juncai

2017-11-01

We have fabricated well-aligned ZnO nanorod arrays (ZNRAs) on indium tin oxide-coated glass substrates by a facile chemical bath deposition method. We used field-emission scanning electron microscope, x-ray diffraction and UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy to study the morphology, crystalline structure and optical absorption of the fabricated ZNRAs, respectively. The results showed that ZnO nanorods stood almost perpendicularly on the substrate, were about 30-50 nm in diameter and 800-900 nm in length, and were wurtzite-structured (hexagonal) ZnO. In addition, well-aligned ZNRAs exhibited a weak absorption in the visible region and had an optical band gap value of 3.28 eV. Furthermore, a hybrid ZNRAs/polymer photovoltaic device was made, under 1 sun AM 1.5 illumination (light intensity, ˜100 mW/cm2), and the device showed an open circuit voltage ( V oc) of 0.32 V, a short circuit current density ( J sc) of 7.67 mA/cm2, and a fill factor ( FF) of 0.37, yielding an overall power conversion efficiency of 0.91%. Also, the exciton dissociation and transportation processes of charge carriers in the device under illumination were explained according to its current density-voltage ( J- V) curve and the energy level diagram.

Electronic structure-sunlight driven water splitting activity correlation of (Zn1-yGay)(O1-zNz).

PubMed

RajaAmbal, Sivaraman; Yadav, A K; Jha, S N; Bhattacharyya, D; Gopinath, Chinnnakonda S

2014-11-21

(Zn1-yGay)(O1-zNz) (y≤ 0.10; z≤ 0.15) solid solutions have been investigated for their electronic structure and visible light photocatalytic activity, and a correlation was found between them. (Zn1-yGay)(O1-zNz) with ZnO as the major component have been synthesized by a solution combustion method in 10 minutes using simple raw materials. The local structures of Zn K edge and Ga K edge, and changes in the chemical environment with the incorporation of Ga and N in ZnO were determined by EXAFS study. EXAFS and XRD results suggested the dissolution of GaN in the ZnO lattice. The homogeneity of the solid solution was demonstrated from HRTEM studies. Photoluminescence studies revealed the creation of a new band at the top of the ZnO valence band (VB), and thus the broadening of the VB of (Zn1-yGay)(O1-zNz) or a decrease in the band gap was attributed to the origin of visible light absorption. UV-Vis spectral studies showed light absorption up to 550 nm, which directly supports the VB broadening. Predominant oxygen vacancies and high photocorrosion observed for ZnO were fully suppressed for (Zn1-yGay)(O1-zNz), indicating the minimization of defects, and thus more sustainability under irradiation conditions. The bare solid solution exhibited reasonable and promising activity for solar hydrogen evolution and photoelectrochemical current generation at 0 V. The present work explained factors such as the preparation method, single phase structure with the stabilization of integral parts, homogeneity in the structure, compensation of oxygen vacancies, and suppression of the density of recombination centres that play a pivotal role in realizing solar energy harvesting.

Sol-gel synthesis of thorn-like ZnO nanoparticles endorsing mechanical stirring effect and their antimicrobial activities: Potential role as nano-antibiotics

PubMed Central

Khan, Mohd Farhan; Ansari, Akhter H.; Hameedullah, M.; Ahmad, Ejaz; Husain, Fohad Mabood; Zia, Qamar; Baig, Umair; Zaheer, Mohd Rehan; Alam, Mohammad Mezbaul; Khan, Abu Mustafa; AlOthman, Zeid A.; Ahmad, Iqbal; Ashraf, Ghulam Md; Aliev, Gjumrakch

2016-01-01

The effect of mechanical stirring on sol-gel synthesis of thorn-like ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) and antimicrobial activities is successfully reported in this study. The in-house synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, FTIR, TGA, DSC and UV-visible spectroscopy. The X-Ray Diffraction analysis revealed the wurtzite crystal lattice for ZnO-NPs with no impurities present. The diametric measurements of the synthesized thorn-like ZnO-NPs (morphology assessed by SEM) were well accounted to be less than 50 nm with the help of TEM. Relative decrease in aspect ratio was observed on increasing the agitation speed. The UV-visible spectroscopy showed the absorption peaks of the ZnO-NPs existed in both UVA and UVB region. A hypsochromic shift in λmax was observed when stirring pace was increased from 500 rpm to 2000 rpm. The FTIR spectroscopy showed the absorption bands of the stretching modes of Zn-O between 500 cm−1 to 525 cm−1. The Thermal analysis studies revealed better stability for ZnO-NPs prepared at 2000 rpm (ZnO-2000 rpm). TGA revealed the weight loss between two main temperatures ranges viz. around (90 °C–120 °C) and (240 °C–280 °C). Finally, the effect of ZnO-NPs prepared at different stirring conditions on the growth of Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis), Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria and a fungi (Candida albicans) were examined; which showed good antibacterial as well as antifungal properties. These findings introduce a simple, inexpensive process to synthesize ZnO-NPs using conventional methods without the use of sophisticated equipments and its application as a potent nano-antibiotic. PMID:27349836

EXAFS and XANES investigation of (Li, Ni) codoped ZnO thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition.

PubMed

Mino, Lorenzo; Gianolio, Diego; Bardelli, Fabrizio; Prestipino, Carmelo; Senthil Kumar, E; Bellarmine, F; Ramanjaneyulu, M; Lamberti, Carlo; Ramachandra Rao, M S

2013-09-25

Ni doped, Li doped and (Li, Ni) codoped ZnO thin films were successfully grown using a pulsed laser deposition technique. Undoped and doped ZnO thin films were investigated using extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and x-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES). Preliminary investigations on the Zn K-edge of the undoped and doped ZnO thin films revealed that doping has not influenced the average Zn-Zn bond length and Debye-Waller factor. This shows that both Ni and Li doping do not appreciably affect the average local environment of Zn. All the doped ZnO thin films exhibited more than 50% of substitutional Ni, with a maximum of 77% for 2% Ni and 2% Li doped ZnO thin film. The contribution of Ni metal to the EXAFS signal clearly reveals the presence of Ni clusters. The Ni-Ni distance in the Ni(0) nanoclusters, which are formed in the film, is shorter with respect to the reference Ni metal foil and the Debye-Waller factor is higher. Both facts perfectly reflect what is expected for metal nanoparticles. At the highest doping concentration (5%), the presence of Li favors the growth of a secondary NiO phase. Indeed, 2% Ni and 5% Li doped ZnO thin film shows %Nisub = 75 ± 11, %Nimet = 10 ± 8, %NiO = 15 ± 8. XANES studies further confirm that the substitutional Ni is more than 50% in all the samples. These results explain the observed magnetic properties.

Insights into the effect of iron and cobalt doping on the structure of nanosized ZnO.

PubMed

Giuli, Gabriele; Trapananti, Angela; Mueller, Franziska; Bresser, Dominic; d'Acapito, Francesco; Passerini, Stefano

2015-10-05

Here we report an in-depth structural characterization of transition metal-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles that have recently been used as anode materials for Li-ion batteries. Structural refinement of powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) data allowed the determination of small though reproducible changes in the unit cell dimensions of four ZnO samples (wurtzite structure) prepared with different dopants or different synthesis conditions. Moreover, large variations of the full width at half-maximum of the XRD reflections indicate that the crystallinity of the samples decreases in the order ZnO, Zn0.9Co0.1O, Zn0.9Fe0.1O/C, and Zn0.9Fe0.1O (the crystallite sizes as determined by Williamson-Hall plots are 42, 29, 15, and 13 nm, respectively). X-ray absorption spectroscopy data indicate that Co is divalent, whereas Fe is purely trivalent in Zn0.9Fe0.1O and 95% trivalent (Fe(3+)/(Fe(3+) + Fe(2+)) ratio = 0.95) in Zn0.9Fe0.1O/C. The aliovalent substitution of Fe(3+) for Zn(2+) implies the formation of local defects around Fe(3+) such as cationic vacancies or interstitial oxygen for charge balance. The EXAFS (extended X-ray absorption fine structure) data, besides providing local Fe-O and Co-O bond distances, are consistent with a large amount of charge-compensating defects. The Co-doped sample displays similar EXAFS features to those of pure ZnO, suggesting the absence of a large concentration of defects as found in the Fe-doped samples. These results are of substantial importance for understanding and elucidating the modified electrochemical lithiation mechanism by introducing transition metal dopants into the ZnO structure for the application as lithium-ion anode material.

Environmentally induced chemical and morphological heterogeneity of zinc oxide thin films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jiang, Hua; Chou, Kang Wei; Petrash, Stanislas

Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films have been reported to suffer from degradation in electrical properties, when exposed to elevated heat and humidity, often leading to failures of electronic devices containing ZnO films. This degradation appears to be linked to water and oxygen penetration into the ZnO film. However, a direct observation in the ZnO film morphological evolution detailing structural and chemical changes has been lacking. Here, we systematically investigated the chemical and morphological heterogeneities of ZnO thin films caused by elevated heat and humidity, simulating an environmental aging. X-ray fluorescence microscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, grazing incidence small angle and widemore » angle X-ray scattering, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), ultra-high-resolution SEM, and optical microscopy were carried out to examine ZnO and Al-doped ZnO thin films on two different substrates—silicon wafers and flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films. In the un-doped ZnO thin film, the simulated environmental aging is resulting in pin-holes. In the Al-doped ZnO thin films, significant morphological changes occurred after the treatment, with an appearance of platelet-shaped structures that are 100–200 nm wide by 1 μm long. Synchrotron x-ray characterization further confirmed the heterogeneity in the aged Al-doped ZnO, showing the formation of anisotropic structures and disordering. X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption spectroscopy indicated the formation of a zinc hydroxide in the aged Al-doped films. Utilizing advanced characterization methods, our studies provided information with an unprecedented level of details and revealed the chemical and morphologically heterogeneous nature of the degradation in ZnO thin films.« less

Environmentally induced chemical and morphological heterogeneity of zinc oxide thin films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jiang, Hua; Chou, Kang Wei; Petrash, Stanislas

Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films have been reported to suffer from degradation in electrical properties, when exposed to elevated heat and humidity, often leading to failures of electronic devices containing ZnO films. This degradation appears to be linked to water and oxygen penetration into the ZnO film. However, a direct observation in the ZnO film morphological evolution detailing structural and chemical changes has been lacking. Here, we systematically investigated the chemical and morphological heterogeneities of ZnO thin films caused by elevated heat and humidity, simulating an environmental aging. X-ray fluorescence microscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, grazing incidence small angle and widemore » angle X-ray scattering, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), ultra-high-resolution SEM, and optical microscopy were carried out to examine ZnO and Al-doped ZnO thin films on two different substrates—silicon wafers and flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films. In the un-doped ZnO thin film, the simulated environmental aging is resulting in pin-holes. In the Al-doped ZnO thin films, significant morphological changes occurred after the treatment, with an appearance of platelet-shaped structures that are 100–200 nm wide by 1μm long. Synchrotron x-ray characterization further confirmed the heterogeneity in the aged Al-doped ZnO, showing the formation of anisotropic structures and disordering. X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption spectroscopy indicated the formation of a zinc hydroxide in the aged Al-doped films. In conclusion, utilizing advanced characterization methods, our studies provided information with an unprecedented level of details and revealed the chemical and morphologically heterogeneous nature of the degradation in ZnO thin films.« less

Environmentally induced chemical and morphological heterogeneity of zinc oxide thin films

DOE PAGES

Jiang, Hua; Chou, Kang Wei; Petrash, Stanislas; ...

2016-09-02

Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films have been reported to suffer from degradation in electrical properties, when exposed to elevated heat and humidity, often leading to failures of electronic devices containing ZnO films. This degradation appears to be linked to water and oxygen penetration into the ZnO film. However, a direct observation in the ZnO film morphological evolution detailing structural and chemical changes has been lacking. Here, we systematically investigated the chemical and morphological heterogeneities of ZnO thin films caused by elevated heat and humidity, simulating an environmental aging. X-ray fluorescence microscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, grazing incidence small angle and widemore » angle X-ray scattering, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), ultra-high-resolution SEM, and optical microscopy were carried out to examine ZnO and Al-doped ZnO thin films on two different substrates—silicon wafers and flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films. In the un-doped ZnO thin film, the simulated environmental aging is resulting in pin-holes. In the Al-doped ZnO thin films, significant morphological changes occurred after the treatment, with an appearance of platelet-shaped structures that are 100–200 nm wide by 1μm long. Synchrotron x-ray characterization further confirmed the heterogeneity in the aged Al-doped ZnO, showing the formation of anisotropic structures and disordering. X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption spectroscopy indicated the formation of a zinc hydroxide in the aged Al-doped films. In conclusion, utilizing advanced characterization methods, our studies provided information with an unprecedented level of details and revealed the chemical and morphologically heterogeneous nature of the degradation in ZnO thin films.« less

The effect of Cd substitution doping on the bandgap and absorption spectrum of ZnO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hou, Qingyu; Li, Yong; Qu, Lingfeng; Zhao, Chunwang

2016-08-01

Many research papers have reported that in the ultraviolet area of 290-360 nm wavelength range, blueshift and redshift in the absorption spectrum occurred in ZnO with Cd doping; however, there is no reasonable theoretical explanation to this so far. To solve this problem, this study investigates the differences of blueshift and redshift in doping system by adopting plane-wave ultrasoft pseudopotential technology based on the density functional theory and applying LDA + U method to calculate band structures, density of states and absorption spectrum distribution of the models, which is on the basis of model geometry optimization. By increasing the Cd doping concentration, the following results are obtained: increased volume of the mixed system, raised total energy, a decrease in stability, narrowed bandgaps and a significant redshift in the absorption spectrum in the ultraviolet or visible light area.

A study on the optics of copper indium gallium (di)selenide (CIGS) solar cells with ultra-thin absorber layers.

PubMed

Xu, Man; Wachters, Arthur J H; van Deelen, Joop; Mourad, Maurice C D; Buskens, Pascal J P

2014-03-10

We present a systematic study of the effect of variation of the zinc oxide (ZnO) and copper indium gallium (di)selenide (CIGS) layer thickness on the absorption characteristics of CIGS solar cells using a simulation program based on finite element method (FEM). We show that the absorption in the CIGS layer does not decrease monotonically with its layer thickness due to interference effects. Ergo, high precision is required in the CIGS production process, especially when using ultra-thin absorber layers, to accurately realize the required thickness of the ZnO, cadmium sulfide (CdS) and CIGS layer. We show that patterning the ZnO window layer can strongly suppress these interference effects allowing a higher tolerance in the production process.

Time-resolved optical studies of wide-gap II-VI semiconductor heterostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Hong

ZnSe and ZnSe-based quantum well and superlattice structures are potential candidates for light emitting devices and other optical devices such as switches and modulators working in the blue-green wavelength range. Carrier dynamics studies of these structures are important in evaluating device performance as well as understanding the underlying physical processes. In this thesis, a carrier dynamics investigation is conducted for temperature from 77K to 295K on CdZnSSe/ZnSSe single quantum well structure (SQW) and ZnSe/ZnSTe superlattice fabricated by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Two experimental techniques with femtosecond time resolution are used in this work: up-conversion technique for time- resolved photoluminescence (PL) and pump-probe technique for time-resolved differential absorption studies. For both heterostructures, the radiative recombination is dominated by exciton transition due to the large exciton binding energy as a result of quantum confinement effect. The measured decay time of free exciton PL in CdZnSSe/ZnSSe SQW increases linearly with increasing temperature which agrees with the theoretical prediction by considering the conservation of momentum requirement for radiative recombination. However, the recombination of free carriers is also observed in CdZnSSe/ZnSSe SQW for the whole temperature range studied. On the other hand, in ZnSe/ZnSTe superlattice structures, the non- radiative recombination processes are non-negligible even at 77K and become more important in higher temperature range. The relaxation processes such as spectral hole burning, carrier thermalization and hot-carrier cooling are observed in ZnSe/ZnSTe superlattices at room temperature (295K) by the femtosecond pump-probe measurements. A rapid cooling of the thermalized hot- carrier from 763K to 450K within 4ps is deduced. A large optical nonlinearity (i.e., the induced absorption change) around the heavy-hole exciton energy is also obtained.

Physiological roles of zinc transporters: molecular and genetic importance in zinc homeostasis.

PubMed

Hara, Takafumi; Takeda, Taka-Aki; Takagishi, Teruhisa; Fukue, Kazuhisa; Kambe, Taiho; Fukada, Toshiyuki

2017-03-01

Zinc (Zn) is an essential trace mineral that regulates the expression and activation of biological molecules such as transcription factors, enzymes, adapters, channels, and growth factors, along with their receptors. Zn deficiency or excessive Zn absorption disrupts Zn homeostasis and affects growth, morphogenesis, and immune response, as well as neurosensory and endocrine functions. Zn levels must be adjusted properly to maintain the cellular processes and biological responses necessary for life. Zn transporters regulate Zn levels by controlling Zn influx and efflux between extracellular and intracellular compartments, thus, modulating the Zn concentration and distribution. Although the physiological functions of the Zn transporters remain to be clarified, there is growing evidence that Zn transporters are related to human diseases, and that Zn transporter-mediated Zn ion acts as a signaling factor, called "Zinc signal". Here we describe critical roles of Zn transporters in the body and their contribution at the molecular, biochemical, and genetic levels, and review recently reported disease-related mutations in the Zn transporter genes.

Fabrication and analysis of Cr-doped ZnO nanoparticles from the gas phase.

PubMed

Schneider, L; Zaitsev, S V; Jin, W; Kompch, A; Winterer, M; Acet, M; Bacher, G

2009-04-01

High quality Cr-doped ZnO nanoparticles from the gas phase were prepared and investigated with respect to their structural, optical and magnetic properties. The extended x-ray absorption fine structure and the x-ray absorption near edge structure of the particles verify that after nanoparticle preparation Cr is incorporated as Cr3+ ) at least partially on sites with a 4-fold oxygen configuration, most likely on a Zn site, into the wurtzite lattice. Despite the fact that Cr is known to act as an efficient non-radiative loss centre for near band gap emission (NBE), a pronounced NBE is obtained up to room temperature even for a nominal Cr concentration of 10 at.%. Annealing at 1000 degrees C results in a significant improvement of the photoluminescence efficiency and a reduced PL linewidth down to 2.9 meV at low temperatures while the structural and magnetic data indicate the formation of ZnCr2O4 clusters.

Absorption media for irreversibly gettering thionyl chloride

DOEpatents

Buffleben, George; Goods, Steven H.; Shepodd, Timothy; Wheeler, David R.; Whinnery, Jr., LeRoy

2002-01-01

Thionyl chloride is a hazardous and reactive chemical used as the liquid cathode in commercial primary batteries. Contrary to previous thinking, ASZM-TEDA.RTM. carbon (Calgon Corporation) reversibly absorbs thionyl chloride. Thus, several candidate materials were examined as irreversible getters for thionyl chloride. The capacity, rate and effect of temperature were also explored. A wide variety of likely materials were investigated through screening experiments focusing on the degree of heat generated by the reaction as well as the material absorption capacity and irreversibility, in order to help narrow the group of possible getter choices. More thorough, quantitative measurements were performed on promising materials. The best performing getter was a mixture of ZnO and ASZM-TEDA.RTM. carbon. In this example, the ZnO reacts with thionyl chloride to form ZnCl.sub.2 and SO.sub.2. The SO.sub.2 is then irreversibly gettered by ASZM-TEDA.RTM. carbon. This combination of ZnO and carbon has a high capacity, is irreversible and functions effectively above -20.degree. C.

Optical properties of InP/ZnS quantum dots deposited into nanoporous anodic alumina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Savchenko, S. S.; Vokhmintsev, A. S.; Weinstein, I. A.

2016-08-01

Spectral characteristics of InP/ZnS core/shell colloidal quantum dots of two different sizes (QD-1 and QD-2) were investigated. Absorption and luminescence spectra were analyzed for a series of solutions with a concentration range from 0.04 to 40 g/l. Energies of the optical transitions are evaluated. The obtained values of 2.60 eV (QD-1) and 2.38 eV (QD-2) correspond to the InP first excitonic transitions while 4.06 (QD-2) and 4.70 eV (QD-1, QD-2) are assumed to be caused by the ZnS shell absorption. Structures based on nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) with the QDs were synthesized via an electrochemical oxidation and ultrasonic-assisted deposition. Chromaticity coordinates and correlated color temperatures for all phosphors under study were calculated. The fabrication possibilities of InP/ZnS@AAO nanostructures with tunable emission color (including the border of white region) were shown.

Role of ZnO photoanode nanostructures and sensitizer deposition approaches on the photovoltaic properties of CdS/CdSe and CdS1-xSex quantum dot-sensitized solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Şişman, İlkay; Tekir, Oktay; Karaca, Hüseyin

2017-02-01

Hierarchical bundle-like ZnO nanorod arrays (BNRs) were synthesized by a one-pot hydrothermal method based on two consecutive temperature steps for cascade CdS/CdSe and ternary CdS1-xSex alloy quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) as photoanode. The CdS/CdSe and CdS1-xSex QDs were deposited on the surface of the ZnO BNRs by conventional and modified successive ionic-layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) methods, respectively. Using the ZnO BNRs/CdS/CdSe photoanode, the power conversion efficiency reaches 2.08%, which is 1.8 times higher than that of pristine ZnO nanorods/CdS/CdSe photoanode, while by applying ZnO BNRs/CdS1-xSex, the power conversion efficiency improves 2.52%. The remarkably improved photovoltaic performance is mainly derived from the bundle-like nanorod arrays structure, which increases the QDs loading amount and the scattering effect for light absorption, and the appropriate conduction band energy, sufficient Se amount and well coverage of the ternary CdS1-xSex QDs result in enhanced photogenerated electron injection, high light absorption and reduced recombination, respectively. As a result, ZnO BNRs/CdS1-xSex combination can significantly improve performance of QDSSCs.

A facile synthesis of Zn(x)Cd(1-x)S/CNTs nanocomposite photocatalyst for H2 production.

PubMed

Wang, Lei; Yao, Zhongping; Jia, Fangzhou; Chen, Bin; Jiang, Zhaohua

2013-07-21

The sulfide solid solution has become a promising and important visible-light-responsive photocatalyst for hydrogen production nowadays. Zn(x)Cd(1-x)S/CNT nanocomposites were synthesized to improve the dispersion, adjust the energy band gap, and enhance the separation of the photogenerated electrons and holes. The as-prepared photocatalysts were characterized by scanning electron-microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectra (UV-visible), respectively. And the effects of CNTs on structure, composition and optical absorption property of the sulfide solid solutions were investigated along with their inherent relationships. For Zn0.83Cd0.17S/CNTs, sulfide solid solution is assembled along the CNTs orderly, with a diameter of 100 nm or so. XPS analysis shows that there is bonding effect between the solid solutions and the CNTs due to the strong adsorption of Zn(2+) and Cd(2+) on the surface of CNTs. There are two obvious absorption edges for Zn0.83Cd0.17S/CNTs, corresponding to two kinds of sulfide solid solutions with different molar ratios of Zn/Cd. The hybridization of solid solutions with CNTs makes the absorption spectrum red shift. The photocatalytic property was evaluated by splitting Na2S + Na2SO3 solution into H2, and the highest rate of H2 evolution of 6.03 mmol h(-1) g(-1) was achieved over Zn0.83Cd0.17S/CNTs. The high activity of photocatalytic H2 production is attributed to the following factors: (1) the optimum band gap and a moderate position of the conduction band (which needs to match the irradiation spectrum of the Xe lamp best), (2) the efficient separation of photogenerated electrons and holes by hybridization, and (3) the improvement of the dispersion of nanocomposites by assembling along the CNTs as well.

Formation of Isolated Zn Vacancies in ZnO Single Crystals by Absorption of Ultraviolet Radiation: A Combined Study Using Positron Annihilation, Photoluminescence, and Mass Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Enamul H.; Weber, Marc H.; McCluskey, Matthew D.

2013-07-01

Positron annihilation spectra reveal isolated zinc vacancy (VZn) creation in single-crystal ZnO exposed to 193-nm radiation at 100mJ/cm2 fluence. The appearance of a photoluminescence excitation peak at 3.18 eV in irradiated ZnO is attributed to an electronic transition from the VZn acceptor level at ˜100meV to the conduction band. The observed VZn density profile and hyperthermal Zn+ ion emission support zinc vacancy-interstitial Frenkel pair creation by exciting a wide 6.34 eV Zn-O antibonding state at 193-nm photon—a novel photoelectronic process for controlled VZn creation in ZnO.

Deep levels due to hydrogen in ZnO single crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parmar, Narendra; Weber, Marc; Lynn, Kelvin

2009-05-01

Hydrogen impurities and oxygen vacancies are involved in the ˜0.7 eV shift of the optical absorption edge of ZnO. Deuterium causes a smaller shift. Titanium metal is used to bind hydrogen as it diffuses out of ZnO. Positron annihilation spectroscopy coupled with other techniques point to the presence of oxygen vacancies. Removing hydrogen followed by annealing in oxygen reduces the carrier concentration.

Visible Light-Induced Degradation of Methylene Blue in the Presence of Photocatalytic ZnS and CdS Nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Soltani, Nayereh; Saion, Elias; Hussein, Mohd Zobir; Erfani, Maryam; Abedini, Alam; Bahmanrokh, Ghazaleh; Navasery, Manizheh; Vaziri, Parisa

2012-01-01

ZnS and CdS nanoparticles were prepared by a simple microwave irradiation method under mild conditions. The obtained nanoparticles were characterized by XRD, TEM and EDX. The results indicated that high purity of nanosized ZnS and CdS was successfully obtained with cubic and hexagonal crystalline structures, respectively. The band gap energies of ZnS and CdS nanoparticles were estimated using UV-visible absorption spectra to be about 4.22 and 2.64 eV, respectively. Photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue was carried out using physical mixtures of ZnS and CdS nanoparticles under a 500-W halogen lamp of visible light irradiation. The residual concentration of methylene blue solution was monitored using UV-visible absorption spectrometry. From the study of the variation in composition of ZnS:CdS, a composition of 1:4 (by weight) was found to be very efficient for degradation of methylene blue. In this case the degradation efficiency of the photocatalyst nanoparticles after 6 h irradiation time was about 73% with a reaction rate of 3.61 × 10−3 min−1. Higher degradation efficiency and reaction rate were achieved by increasing the amount of photocatalyst and initial pH of the solution. PMID:23202896

In(1-x)Ga(x)N@ZnO: a rationally designed and quantum dot integrated material for water splitting and solar harvesting applications.

PubMed

Rajaambal, Sivaraman; Mapa, Maitri; Gopinath, Chinnakonda S

2014-09-07

The highly desirable combination of the visible light absorption properties of In1-xGaxN Quantum dots (QD) along with the multifunctionality of ZnO into a single integrated material was prepared for solar harvesting. This is the first report on InGaN QD integrated with ZnO (InGaN@ZnO), synthesized by a highly reproducible, simple combustion method in 15 min. Structural, microstructural and electronic integration of the nitride and oxide components of InGaN@ZnO was demonstrated by appropriate characterization methods. Self-assembly of InGaN QD is induced in growing nascent zinc oxo nanoclusters taking advantage of the common wurtzite structure and nitrogen incorporation at the expense of oxygen vacancies. Direct integration brings about a single phase structure exhibiting extensive visible light absorption and high photostability. InGaN@ZnO suggests synergistic operation of light harvesting and charge conducting components for solar H2 generation without using any co-catalyst or sacrificial agent, and a promising photocurrent generation at 0 V under visible light illumination. The present study suggests a direct integration of QD with the host matrix and is a potential method to realize the advantages of QDs.

Magnetically addressable fluorescent Fe3O4/ZnO nanocomposites: Structural, optical and magnetization studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roychowdhury, A.; Pati, S. P.; Mishra, A. K.; Kumar, S.; Das, D.

2013-06-01

Fe3O4/ZnO nanocomposites (NCs) are prepared by a wet chemical route. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy studies confirm the coexistence of Fe3O4 and ZnO phases in the NCs. The UV-vis absorption spectra show a red shift of the absorption peak with increase in Fe3O4 content indicating a modification of the band structure of ZnO in the NCs. Photoluminescence emission spectra of the NCs display strong excitonic emission in the UV region along with weak emission bands in the visible range caused by electronic transitions involving defect-related energy levels in the band gap of ZnO. Positron annihilation lifetimes indicate that cation vacancies in the ZnO structure are the strong traps for positrons and the overall defect concentration in the NCs decreases with increase in Fe3O4 content. Dc magnetization measurements reveal an anomalous temperature dependence of the coercivity of the NCs that is argued to be due to the anomalous variation of magnetocrystalline anisotropy at lower temperature. The irreversibility observed in the temperature dependent ZFC-FC magnetization points to the presence of a spin-glass phase in the NCs.

Synthesis of nanocrystalline NiO/ZnO heterostructured composite powders by sol-gel auto combustion method and their characterizations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tangcharoen, Thanit; Klysubun, Wantana; Kongmark, Chanapa

2018-03-01

Nanocrystalline NiO/ZnO heterostructured composite powders were prepared by the sol-gel auto combustion method, based on nickel and zinc nitrate precursors and using diethanolamine (DEA) as novel fuel. The composition of different NiO and ZnO ratios, ranging from 100/0, 95/5, 90/10, 80/20, 60/40, 50/50, 40/60, 20/80, 10/90, 5/95 to 0/100, were studied. The structural, chemical bonding, morphological, optical, and fluorescence properties including the local atomic structure of each calcined sample were systematically investigated by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-DRS), photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, and synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), respectively. For the ZnO concentration below 20%, both XRD and Raman spectroscopy results revealed only the NiO phase. This conformed to the observation of Zn K-edge and Ni K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES). The Zn ions found in the samples of low ZnO concentration exhibited six-fold coordination with oxygen atoms rather than the four-fold coordination found in the wurtzite (WZ) structure of ZnO. In contrast, the Ni ions which are found in the samples of low NiO concentration (≤10%) are coordinated both tetrahedrally and octahedrally by four or six oxygen atoms, respectively, rather than the six-fold coordination which is usually observed for Ni ions in the rock salt (RS) form of NiO. All analytical results obtained from experimental XANES spectra were verified by the theoretical calculation of absorption spectra using the FEFF9.7 code. The UV-DRS results showed that there was an increase in the reflectance efficiency for both infrared and visible light conditions as the content of ZnO increases; meanwhile, the values for the energy gap (Eg) of all composite samples were higher than that of pure NiO and ZnO. In addition, the PL spectra revealed major blue emission bands observed at 490 nm when the excitation wavelength was 300 nm. As the ZnO phase developed, a variety of violet emission bands occurred within the range of 400 nm-450 nm, which was obviously related to the change in Eg. The intrinsic defects occurred in the NiO/ZnO composite powders were probably responsible for this phenomenon.

Using Synchrotron-Based Approaches To Examine the Foliar Application of ZnSO4 and ZnO Nanoparticles for Field-Grown Winter Wheat.

PubMed

Zhang, Teng; Sun, Hongda; Lv, Zhiyuan; Cui, Lili; Mao, Hui; Kopittke, Peter M

2018-03-21

The effects of foliar-applied ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and ZnSO 4 on the winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) grain yield and grain quality were studied under field conditions, with the distribution and speciation of Zn within the grain examined using synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence microscopy and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Although neither of the two Zn compounds improved the grain yield or quality, both increased the grain Zn concentration (average increments were 5 and 10 mg/kg for ZnSO 4 and ZnO NP treatments, respectively). Across all treatments, this Zn was mainly located within the aleurone layer and crease of the grain, although the application of ZnO NPs also slightly increased Zn within the endosperm. This Zn within the grain was found to be present as Zn phosphate, regardless of the form in which Zn was applied. These results indicate that the foliar application of ZnO NPs appears to be a promising approach for Zn biofortification, as required to improve human health.

Impurity optical absorption spectra of ZnGa 2Se 4:Ni 2+ single crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Wha-Tek; Jin, Moon-Seog; Cheon, Seung-Ho; Kim, Yong-Geun; Park, Byong-Seo

1990-04-01

The optical absorption of single crystals of ZnGa 2Se 4:Ni 2+ grown by the chemical transport reaction method was investigated in the temperature region 20-300 K. In the single crystals the impurity optical absorption peaks due to the transitions 3T1( 3F) → 3T2( 3F), 3T1( 3F) → 3A2( 3F) and 3T1( 3F) → 3T1( 3P) of the Ni 2+ ions sited in the host lattice of the ZnGa 2Se 4 single crystal with Td symmetry appeared at 4444, 7874 and 11 600 cm -1, respectively. The crystal-field parameter and the Racah parameter were given by Dq = 340 cm -1 and B = 615 cm -1, respectively. The peak due to the transition 3T1( 3F) → 3T1( 3P) split into four levels by first order spin-orbit-coupling effects of Ni 2+ ions in the lower temperature below 150 K. The spin-orbit-coupling parameter was found to be λ = -400 cm -1.

In situ spectroscopic characterization of Ni 1-xZn x/ZnO catalysts and their selectivity for acetylene semihydrogenation in excess ethylene

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Spanjers, Charles S.; Sim, Richard S.; Sturgis, Nicholas P.

2015-10-30

The structures of ZnO-supported Ni catalysts were explored with in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy, temperature-programmed reduction, X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), scanning transmission electron microscopy, and electron energy loss spectroscopy. Calcination of nickel nitrate on a nanoparticulate ZnO support at 450 °C results in the formation of Zn-doped NiO (ca. N₀̣̣₈₅ Zn₀̣̣₁₅O) nanoparticles with the rock salt crystal structure. Subsequent in situ reduction monitored by X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) at the Ni K edge reveals a direct transformation of the Zn-doped NiO nanoparticles to a face-centered cubic alloy, Ni 1-xZn x, at ~400 °C with x increasingmore » with increasing temperature. Both in situ XANES and ex situ HRTEM provide evidence for intermetallic β₁-NiZn formation at ~550 °C. In comparison to a Ni/SiO₂ catalyst, Ni/ZnO necessitates a higher temperature for the reduction of Ni II to Ni⁰, which highlights the strong interaction between Ni and the ZnO support. The catalytic activity for acetylene removal from an ethylene feed stream is decreased by a factor of 20 on Ni/ZnO in comparison to Ni/SiO₂. The decrease in catalytic activity of Ni/ZnO is accompanied by a reduced absolute selectivity to ethylene. H–D exchange measurements demonstrate a reduced ability of Ni/ZnO to dissociate hydrogen in comparison to Ni/SiO₂.These results of the catalytic experiments suggest that the catalytic properties are controlled, in part, by the zinc oxide support and stress the importance of reporting absolute ethylene selectivity for the catalytic semihydrogenation of acetylene in excess ethylene.« less

Colloidal synthesis of Cu-ZnO and Cu@CuNi-ZnO hybrid nanocrystals with controlled morphologies and multifunctional properties.

PubMed

Zeng, Deqian; Gong, Pingyun; Chen, Yuanzhi; Zhang, Qinfu; Xie, Qingshui; Peng, Dong-Liang

2016-06-02

Metal-semiconductor hybrid nanocrystals have received extensive attention owing to their multiple functionalities which can find wide technological applications. The utilization of low-cost non-noble metals to construct novel metal-semiconductor hybrid nanocrystals is important and meaningful for their large-scale applications. In this study, a facile solution approach is developed for the synthesis of Cu-ZnO hybrid nanocrystals with well-controlled morphologies, including nanomultipods, core-shell nanoparticles, nanopyramids and core-shell nanowires. In the synthetic strategy, Cu nanocrystals formed in situ serve as seeds for the heterogeneous nucleation and growth of ZnO, and it eventually forms various Cu-ZnO hetero-nanostructures under different reaction conditions. These hybrid nanocrystals possess well-defined and stable heterostructure junctions. The ultraviolet-visible-near infrared spectra reveal morphology-dependent surface plasmon resonance absorption of Cu and the band gap absorption of ZnO. Furthermore, we construct a novel Cu@CuNi-ZnO ternary hetero-nanostructure by incorporating the magnetic metal Ni into the pre-synthesized colloidal Cu nanocrystals. Such hybrid nanocrystals possess a magnetic Cu-Ni intermediate layer between the ZnO shell and the Cu core, and exhibit ferromagnetic/superparamagnetic properties which expand their functionalities. Finally, enhanced photocatalytic activities are observed in the as-prepared non-noble metal-ZnO hybrid nanocrystals. This study not only provides an economical way to prepare high-quality morphology-controlled Cu-ZnO hybrid nanocrystals for potential applications in the fields of photocatalysis and photovoltaic devices, but also opens up new opportunities in designing ternary non-noble metal-semiconductor hybrid nanocrystals with multifunctionalities.

Optical and structural properties of individual Co-doped ZnO microwires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolomys, O. F.; Strelchuk, V. V.; Rarata, S. V.; Hayn, R.; Savoyant, A.; Giovannelli, F.; Delorme, F.; Tkach, V.

2018-06-01

The Co-doped ZnO microwires (MWs) were grown using the optical furnace method. We used Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), polarized micro-Raman spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL) and optical absorption spectroscopy to systematic investigation of the optical and structural properties of Co-doped ZnO MWs. The SEM analysis reveals that Co-doped ZnO MWs has hexagonal facets and cavity inside. The EDS results confirmed the presence and non-uniform distribution of Co impurities in the samples. Co doping of ZnO MWs leads to the decreased intensity, drastically broadening and high-energy shift of the NBE PL band. The red emission band at 1.85 eV originates from 2E(2G) → 4A2 (4F) intra-3d-transition of Co2+ in the ZnO lattice has been observed. The intense structured absorption bands within the near infrared ranges 3800-4800 and 5500-9000 cm-1 are caused by electronic spin-allowed transitions 4T2(F) ← 4A2(F) and 4T1(F) ← 4A2(F) of the tetrahedrally coordinated Co2+ (3 d7) ions substituting Zn2+ ions in Co-doped ZnO MWs. Micro-Raman studies of Co doped ZnO MWs show doping/disorder induced additional modes as compared to the undoped sample. The resonant enhancement of the additional local Co-related A1-symmetry Raman mode is observed in the parallel polarization geometry y(z , z) ybar . For the Co doped ZnO MWs, the enhancement of the additional Co-related local vibration mode with an increase in the excitation photon energy is also observed in the Raman spectra.

Chemical Synthesis of ZnS:Cu Nanosheets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bodo, Bhaskarjyoti; Kalita, P. K.

2010-10-01

ZnS thin films are synthesized through chemical bath deposition (CBD) technique from aqueous solution of ZnSO4 and thiourea mixing in equal volume and equimolar ratio. A 1% CuSO4 solution is mixed with the ZnSO4 solution for doping before the final chemical reaction. SEM image shows the formation of mainly nanosheets, teeth and comb like structures. Absorption studies show red shift of enhanced band gap on Cu doping. Photoluminescence of ZnS:Cu reveals the enhancement of blue luminescence at 468 nm and low intensity green emission at 493 nm which is attributed to more Cu2+ lying in the interstices. XRD shows that the prepared ZnS nanophosphors possess cubic zinc blende structures.

Ap4A is not an efficient Zn(II) binding agent. A concerted potentiometric, calorimetric and NMR study.

PubMed

Wszelaka-Rylik, Małgorzata; Witkiewicz-Kucharczyk, Aleksandra; Wójcik, Jacek; Bal, Wojciech

2007-05-01

Diadenosine 5',5''-P(1)P(4) tetraphosphate (Ap(4)A) has been considered as an intracellular partner for Zn(II). We applied potentiometry, ITC and NMR to study protonation equilibria of Ap(4)A and Zn(II) complexation by this dinucleotide. The values of binding constants obtained by these three techniques under various experimental conditions coherently demonstrated that Ap(4)A binds Zn(II) weakly, with an apparent binding constant of ca. 10(4) at neutral pH. Such a low stability of Zn(II) complexes with Ap(4)A excludes a possibility for interactions between these two agents in vivo.

Evolution of dielectric function of Al-doped ZnO thin films with thermal annealing: effect of band gap expansion and free-electron absorption.

PubMed

Li, X D; Chen, T P; Liu, Y; Leong, K C

2014-09-22

Evolution of dielectric function of Al-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films with annealing temperature is observed. It is shown that the evolution is due to the changes in both the band gap and the free-electron absorption as a result of the change of free-electron concentration of the AZO thin films. The change of the electron concentration could be attributed to the activation of Al dopant and the creation/annihilation of the donor-like defects like oxygen vacancy in the thin films caused by annealing.

Effect of hydrogenation on the electrical and optical properties of CdZnTe substrates and HgCdTe epitaxial layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sitharaman, S.; Raman, R.; Durai, L.; Pal, Surendra; Gautam, Madhukar; Nagpal, Anjana; Kumar, Shiv; Chatterjee, S. N.; Gupta, S. C.

2005-12-01

In this paper, we report the experimental observations on the effect of plasma hydrogenation in passivating intrinsic point defects, shallow/deep levels and extended defects in low-resistivity undoped CdZnTe crystals. The optical absorption studies show transmittance improvement in the below gap absorption spectrum. Using variable temperature Hall measurement technique, the shallow defect level on which the penetrating hydrogen makes complex, has been identified. In 'compensated' n-type HgCdTe epitaxial layers, hydrogenation can improve the resistivity by two orders of magnitude.

Manifestation of Crystal Lattice Distortions in the IR Reflection Spectra of Abrasion-Treated ZnSe Ceramics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sitnikova, V. E.; Dunaev, A. A.; Mamalimov, R. I.; Pakhomov, P. M.; Khizhnyak, S. D.; Chmel, A. E.

2017-07-01

The Fourier IR reflection spectra of ZnSe ceramics prepared by hot pressing (HP), physical vapor deposition (PVD), and PVD combined with hot isostatic pressing (HIP) are presented. The optical constants of polished and dry-ground specimens were used for comparison. The grinding treatment simulated the erosion of the outer surface of optical elements made of zinc selenide under the influence of solid dust particles and deposits. In the polished specimens residual stresses showed up in the IR reflection spectra of the ZnSePVD and ZnSeHIP ceramics, which had well-defined orientation of grains, but were not present in the spectra of the ZnSeHIP ceramics as a result of mutual compensation of the stresses in the randomly oriented grains of the material. The stresses, which appeared as a shift of the absorption bands calculated by the Kramers-Kronig method, increased significantly after abrasive treatment of the specimens. For all the treated ceramics the intensity of the absorption bands resulting from the anharmonicity of the vibrations in the distorted crystal lattice increased by several times. The last effect also depends on the production prehistory of the ceramics.

Ultrafast carrier dynamics and third-order nonlinear optical properties of AgInS2/ZnS nanocrystals.

PubMed

Yu, Kuai; Yang, Yang; Wang, Junzhong; Tang, Xiaosheng; Xu, Qing-Hua; Wang, Guo Ping

2018-06-22

Broad photoluminescence (PL) emission, a large Stokes shift and extremely long-lived radiative lifetimes are the characteristics of ternary I-III-VI semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs), such as CuInS 2 and AgInS 2 . However, the lack of understanding regarding the intriguing PL mechanisms and photo-carrier dynamics limits their further applications. Here, AgInS 2 and AgInS 2 /ZnS NCs were chemically synthesized and their carrier dynamics were studied by time-resolved PL spectroscopy. The results demonstrated that the surface defect state, which contributed dominantly to the non-radiative decay processes, was effectively passivated through ZnS alloying. Femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy was also used to investigate the carrier dynamics, revealing the electron storage at the surface state and donor state. Furthermore, the two photon absorption properties of AgInS 2 and AgInS 2 /ZnS NCs were measured using an open-aperture Z-scan technique. The improved third-order nonlinear susceptibility [Formula: see text] of AgInS 2 through ZnS alloying demonstrates potential application in two photon PL biological imaging.

Tuning the optical properties of ZnO nanorods by variation of precursor concentration through hydrothermal method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumari, Lakshmi; Kar, Asit Kumar

2018-05-01

ZnO nanorods with varying precursor concentration have been successfully synthesized by the hydrothermal method. The effect of the precursor concentration on the structural, morphological and optical properties of the resulting nanorods was investigated by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), UV-Vis spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The crystalline structural characterization demonstrated that the synthesized materials crystallize in pure ZnO wurtzite structure without any other secondary phase. SEM micrographs demonstrate nanorod type features in all the samples. In addition, they show that increase of precursor concentration changes the length and diameter of nanorods. The UV-Vis studies show a strong absorption band in UV region at 373 nm attributed to the band-edge absorption of wurtzite hexagonal ZnO, blue shifted relative to its bulk form (380 nm). The PL spectra of obtained nanorods excited at 360 nm present broad visible emission. Moreover, as the visible region (from 510 to 550 nm) is concerned, it is speculated that the increase of the precursor concentration affects strongly the kind of interstitial defects (Oi, Zni and Vo) formed in ZnO nanorods. The luminescence intensity decreases with the increase of precursor concentration.

Separating light absorption layer from channel in ZnO vertical nanorod arrays based photodetectors for high-performance image sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Yang; Wu, Congjun; Xu, Zhihao; Wang, Fei; Wang, Min

2018-05-01

Photoconductor arrays with both high responsivity and large ON/OFF ratios are of great importance for the application of image sensors. Herein, a ZnO vertical nanorod array based photoconductor with a light absorption layer separated from the device channel has been designed, in which the photo-generated carriers along the axial ZnO nanorods drive to the external electrodes through nanorod-nanorod junctions in the dense layer at the bottom. This design allows us to enhance the photocurrent with unchanged dark current by increasing the ratio between the ZnO nanorod length and the thickness of the dense layer to achieve both high responsivity and large ON/OFF ratios. As a result, the as-fabricated devices possess a high responsivity of 1.3 × 105 A/W, a high ON/OFF ratio of 790, a high detectivity of 1.3 × 1013 Jones, and a low detectable light intensity of 1 μW/cm2. More importantly, the developed approach enables the integration of ZnO vertical nanorod array based photodetectors as image sensors with uniform device-to-device performance.

ZnO-PVA nanocomposite films for low threshold optical limiting applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Viswanath, Varsha; Beenakumari, C.; Muneera, C. I.

Zinc oxide-PVA nanocomposite films were fabricated adopting a simple method based on solution-casting, incorporating small weight percentages (<1.2 wt%) of ZnO in PVA (∼0.625×10{sup −3}M to 7×10{sup −3}M), and their structure, morphology, linear and low threshold nonlinear optical properties were investigated. The films were characterized as nanostructured ZnO encapsulated between the molecules/chains of the semicrystalline host polymer PVA. The samples exhibited low threshold nonlinear absorption and negative nonlinear refraction, as studied using the Z-scan technique. A switchover from SA to RSA was observed as the concentration of ZnO was increased. The optical limiting of 632.8 nm CW laser light displayedmore » by these nanocomposite films is also demonstrated. The estimated values of the effective coefficients of nonlinear absorption, nonlinear refraction and third-order nonlinear susceptibility, |χ{sup (3)}|, compared to those reported for continuous wave laser light excitation, measure up to the highest among them. The results show that the ZnO-PVA nanocomposite films have great potential applications in future optical and photonic devices.« less

Lead, Cadmium, Zinc, and Copper Bioavailability in the Soil-Plant-Animal System in a Polluted Area

PubMed Central

Angelova, Violina R.; Ivanova, Radka V.; Todorov, Jivko M.; Ivanov, Krasimir I.

2010-01-01

A comparative research study on the bioavailability of Pb, Cd, Zn, and Cu in the soil-plant-animal-system was carried out. The connection between the total quantity and the mobile forms of Pb, Cd, Zn, and Cu in soils with different levels of contamination; the transition of these metals into rapeseed; and their assimilation by rabbits fed with a food that consisted mainly of rapeseed was studied. It was established that the absorption of heavy metals by the rapeseed definitely has a selective character, as the affinity towards Zn is most strongly expressed. The accumulation of Pb, Cd, Zn, and Cu in the organs of the rapeseed occurs in the following order: inflorescences > leaves > stems. A direct connection between the quantity of the mobile forms and their accumulation in the plants was not found. The environmental contamination has a significant effect on heavy metal levels and distribution, as the largest quantity of all four elements is accumulated in the kidneys and liver. A well-expressed impact of the level of Cd contamination on the absorption of essential trace metals (Zn and Cu) and their accumulation into some of the organs of the animals was found. PMID:20191239

Phosphorescent inner filter effect-based sensing of xanthine oxidase and its inhibitors with Mn-doped ZnS quantum dots.

PubMed

Tang, Dandan; Zhang, Jinyi; Zhou, Rongxin; Xie, Ya-Ni; Hou, Xiandeng; Xu, Kailai; Wu, Peng

2018-05-10

Overexpression and crystallization of uric acid have been recognized as the course of hyperuricemia and gout, which is produced via xanthine oxidase (XOD)-catalyzed oxidation of xanthine. Therefore, the medicinal therapy of hyperuricemia and gout is majorly based on the inhibition of the XOD enzymatic pathway. The spectroscopic nature of xanthine and uric acid, namely both absorption (near the ultraviolet region) and emission (non-fluorescent) characteristics, hinders optical assay development for XOD analysis. Therefore, the state-of-the-art analysis of XOD and the screening of XOD inhibitors are majorly based on chromatography. Here, we found the near ultraviolet absorption of uric acid overlapped well with the absorption of a large bandgap semiconductor quantum dots, ZnS. On the other hand, the intrinsic weak fluorescence of ZnS QDs can be substantially improved via transition metal ion doping. Therefore, herein, we developed an inner filter effect-based assay for XOD analysis and inhibitor screening with Mn-doped ZnS QDs. The phosphorescence of Mn-doped ZnS QDs could be quenched by uric acid generated from xanthine catabolism by XOD, leading to the phosphorescence turn-off detection of XOD with a limit of detection (3σ) of 0.02 U L-1. Furthermore, the existence of XOD inhibitors could inhibit the XOD enzymatic reaction, resulting in weakened phosphorescence quenching. Therefore, the proposed assay could also be explored for the facile screening analysis of XOD inhibitors, which is important for the potential medicinal therapy of hyperuricemia and gout.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gilbert, H.K.

Research objectives were to study the effect of food source, preparation method and chemical form on bioavailability of chromium. Chromium concentration in potatoes was determined and tubers labeled either intrinsically or extrinsically with radioactive chromate. A labeled chromium complexes was isolated from preparations of raw, baked or fried potatoes and chromatographed on gel permeation media. Availability of the potato chromium complex to the rat was examined in three feeding studies. Animals were dosed with radioactive extrinsically or intrinsically labeled potato extract or with chromate. A labeled chromium complex was isolated from gastrointestinal contents of rats and chromatographed. Potato pulp andmore » peel contained 1.63 and 2.70 ..mu..g Cr/g tissue respectively. True and apparent absorption from extrinsically labeled feedings were 33.4 +/- 4.7 and 29.8 +/- 11.2% respectively, and no differences existed between absorption from raw and cooked potatoes. Absorption from the extrinsic labeled potatoes differed significantly from absorption of inorganic chromatium. Apparent absorption of raw (11.1 +/- 7.9%) and cooked (-0.7 +/- 2.8%) intrinsically labeled feedings differed significantly. Absorption of inorganic chromium was 17.8% (true) and 11.5% (apparent). Examination of the chromium complex isolated from gastrointestinal tract contents showed enlargement of the complex in the stomach after consumption.« less

Enhanced optical band-gap of ZnO thin films by sol-gel technique

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Raghu, P., E-mail: dpr3270@gmail.com; Naveen, C. S.; Shailaja, J.

2016-05-06

Transparent ZnO thin films were prepared using different molar concentration (0.1 M, 0.2 M & 0.8 M) of zinc acetate on soda lime glass substrates by the sol-gel spin coating technique. The optical properties revealed that the transmittance found to decrease with increase in molar concentration. Absorption edge showed that the higher concentration film has increasingly red shifted. An increased band gap energy of the thin films was found to be direct allowed transition of ∼3.9 eV exhibiting their relevance for photovoltaic applications. The extinction coefficient analysis revealed maximum transmittance with negligible absorption coefficient in the respective wavelengths. The resultsmore » of ZnO thin film prepared by sol-gel technique reveal its suitability for optoelectronics and as a window layer in solar cell applications.« less

A novel approach reveals that zinc oxide nanoparticles are bioavailable and toxic after dietary exposures

USGS Publications Warehouse

Croteau, M.-N.; Dybowska, A.D.; Luoma, S.N.; Valsami-Jones, E.

2011-01-01

If engineered nanomaterials are released into the environment, some are likely to end up associated with the food of animals due to aggregation and sorption processes. However, few studies have considered dietary exposure of nanomaterials. Here we show that zinc (Zn) from isotopically modified 67ZnO particles is efficiently assimilated by freshwater snails when ingested with food. The 67Zn from nano-sized 67ZnO appears as bioavailable as 67Zn internalized by diatoms. Apparent agglomeration of the zinc oxide (ZnO) particles did not reduce bioavailability, nor preclude toxicity. In the diet, ZnO nanoparticles damage digestion: snails ate less, defecated less and inefficiently processed the ingested food when exposed to high concentrations of ZnO. It was not clear whether the toxicity was due to the high Zn dose achieved with nanoparticles or to the ZnO nanoparticles themselves. Further study of exposure from nanoparticles in food would greatly benefit assessment of ecological and human health risks. ?? 2011 Informa UK, Ltd.

Tunable surface plasmon resonance frequency of Au-Ag bimetallic asymmetric structure thin films in the UV and IR region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Ruijin; Ji, Jialin; Tao, Chunxian; Zhang, Dawei

2016-10-01

Au/ZnO/Ag sandwich structure films were fabricated by DC magnetron sputter at room temperature. The tunability of the surface plasmon resonance wavelength was realized by varying the thickness of ZnO thin film. The effects of ZnO layer on the optical properties of Au/ZnO/Au thin films were investigated by optical absorption and Raman scattering measurements. It has been found that both the surface plasmon resonance frequency and SERS can be controlled by adjusting the thickness of ZnO layer due to the coupling of metal and semiconductor.

Optical absorption edge of ZnO thin films: The effect of substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srikant, V.; Clarke, D. R.

1997-05-01

The optical absorption edge and the near-absorption edge characteristics of undoped ZnO films grown by laser ablation on various substrates have been investigated. The band edge of films on C [(0001)] and R-plane [(1102)] sapphire, 3.29 and 3.32 eV, respectively, are found to be very close to the single crystal value of ZnO (3.3 eV) with the differences being accounted for in terms of the thermal mismatch strain using the known deformation potentials of ZnO. In contrast, films grown on fused silica consistently exhibit a band edge ˜0.1 eV lower than that predicted using the known deformation potential and the thermal mismatch strains. This behavior is attributed to the small grain size (50 nm) realized in these films and the effect of electrostatic potentials that exist at the grain boundaries. Additionally, the spread in the tail (E0) of the band edge for the different films is found to be very sensitive to the defect structure in the films. For films grown on sapphire substrates, values of E0 as low as 30 meV can be achieved on annealing in air, whereas films on fused silica always show a value >100 meV. We attribute this difference to the substantially higher density of high-angle grain boundaries in the films on fused silica.

XAS study of chromium in Li 2MSiO 4 (M=Mg, Zn)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jousseaume, C.; Ribot, F.; Kahn-Harari, A.; Vivien, D.; Villain, F.

2003-01-01

X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) investigations at the Cr K-edge on Cr:Li 2MSiO 4 (M=Mg, Zn) have been performed to understand the exceptionally long fluorescence lifetime of Cr IV. Previous work has shown the simultaneous presence of three oxidation states Cr IV, Cr V and Cr VI. X-ray absorption near edge structure measurements confirm that Cr in Li 2MSiO 4 (M=Mg, Zn) single crystals is in tetrahedral coordination. They also reveal that Cr VI is the dominant species in Li 2MgSiO 4, and that Li 2ZnSiO 4 contains more Cr V than Li 2MgSiO 4. The extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectra of Cr:Li 2MgSiO 4 single crystals recorded at the Cr K-edge, are fitted with two types of Cr environments: the first one corresponds to oxygen atoms at a mean distance of 1.68 Å and the second to oxygen atoms at a mean distance of 2.07 Å. This second environment is attributed to Cr III in the minor parasitic phase LiCr IIIO 2. The first environment corresponds to Cr that substitutes silicon in the Li 2MgSiO 4 lattice in the silicon site if the cations sizes are considered.

Effect of copper and nickel doping on the optical and structural properties of ZnO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muǧlu, G. Merhan; Sarıtaş, S.; ćakıcı, T.; Şakar, B.; Yıldırım, M.

2017-02-01

The present study is focused on the Cu doped ZnO and Ni doped ZnO dilute magnetic semiconductor thin films. ZnO:Cu and ZnO:Ni thin films were grown by Chemically Spray Pyrolysis (CSP) method on glass substrates. Optical analysis of the films was done spectral absorption and transmittance measurements by UV-Vis double beam spectrophotometer technique. The structure, morphology, topology and elemental analysis of ZnO:Cu and ZnO:Ni dilute magnetic thin films were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman Analysis, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques, respectively. Also The magnetic properties of the ZnO:Ni thin film was investigated by vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) method. VSM measurements of ZnO:Ni thin film showed that the ferromagnetic behavior.

Preparation and optical characteristics of ZnSe nanocrystals doped glass by sol gel in situ crystallization method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, Haiyan; Yao, Xi; Wang, Minqiang

2007-01-01

Homogeneous ZnSe nanocrystals doped SiO 2 glass was successfully prepared by sol-gel in situ crystallization method. The structure of the doped ZnSe nanocrystals was studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD). ZnSe nanocrystals in silica were about 4-10 nm analysed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which was consistent with the results of XRD estimated using Scherrer's formular. The quantum size effect in ZnSe nanocrystals was evidenced from the blue-shifts of the optical absorption edge, and the average size of ZnSe nanocrystals was estimated by the magnitude of blue shift according to the L.E. Brus' effective mass model. The size of ZnSe nanocrystals depending on annealing time and temperature was further discussed using XRF.

Green synthesis of CuInS2/ZnS core-shell quantum dots by facile solvothermal route with enhanced optical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jindal, Shikha; Giripunje, Sushama M.; Kondawar, Subhash B.; Koinkar, Pankaj

2018-03-01

We report an eco-friendly green synthesis of highly luminescent CuInS2/ZnS core-shell quantum dots (QDs) with average particle size ∼ 3.9 nm via solvothermal process. The present study embodies the intensification of CuInS2/ZnS QDs properties by the shell growth on the CuInS2 QDs. The as-prepared CuInS2 core and CuInS2/ZnS core-shell QDs have been characterized using a range of optical and structural techniques. By adopting a low temperature growth of CuInS2 core and high temperature growth of CuInS2/ZnS core-shell growth, the tuning of absorption and photoluminescence emission spectra were observed. Optical absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy probe the effect of ZnS passivation on the electronic structure of the CuInS2 dots. In addition, QDs have been scrutinized using ultra violet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) to explore their electronic band structure. The band level positions of CuInS2 and CuInS2/ZnS QDs suffices the demand of non-toxic acceptor material for electronic devices. The variation in electronic energy levels of CuInS2 core with the coating of wide band gap ZnS shell influence the removal of trap assisted recombination on the surface of the core. QDs exhibited tunable emission from red to orange region. These studies reveal the feasibility of QDs in photovoltaic and light emitting diodes.

Novel chromium doped perovskites A2ZnTiO6 (A = Pr, Gd): Synthesis, crystal structure and photocatalytic activity under simulated solar light irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Hekai; Fang, Minghao; Huang, Zhaohui; Liu, Yan'gai; Chen, Kai; Guan, Ming; Tang, Chao; Zhang, Lina; Wang, Meng

2017-01-01

Double perovskite related oxides A2ZnTiO6 (A = Pr, Gd) have been successfully synthesized by solid state reaction and investigated as photocatalysts for the first time. The two layered titanates mainly demonstrate absorbances under UV irradiation, except for several sharp absorption bands above 400 nm for Pr2ZnTiO6. Therefore, a series of photocatalysts by doping A2ZnTiO6 (A = Pr, Gd) with Cr have been developed in the hope to improve their absorption in the visible light region. The successful incorporation of Cr was detected by XRD and XPS, and the prepared samples have also been characteriazed by SEM, UV-vis DRS and PL. The characterization results suggested that Cr was present mainly in the form of Cr3+, with only a small amount of Cr6+ species. It served as an efficient dopant for the extension of visible light absorbance and improved photocatalytic activities under solar light irradiation. For both Pr2ZnTiO6 and Gd2ZnTiO6, the valence band (VB) was composed of hybridized states of the Zn 3d, O 2p and the conduction band (CB) has major contribution from Zn 4s, Ti 3d orbitals. For Cr doped samples, the newly formed spin-polarized valence band in the middle of the band gap that primarily arises from Cr 3d orbitals was responsible for the improved optical and photocatalytic properties.

Effect of Zn/Sn molar ratio on the microstructural and optical properties of Cu2Zn1-xSnxS4 thin films prepared by spray pyrolysis technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thiruvenkadam, S.; Prabhakaran, S.; Sujay Chakravarty; Ganesan, V.; Vasant Sathe; Santhosh Kumar, M. C.; Leo Rajesh, A.

2018-03-01

Quaternary kesterite Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) compound is one of the most promising semiconductor materials consisting of abundant and eco-friendly elements for absorption layer in thin film solar cells. The effect of Zn/Sn ratio on Cu2Zn1-xSnxS4 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) thin films were studied by deposited by varying molar volumes in the precursor solution of zinc and tin was carried out in proportion of (1-x) and x respectively onto soda lime glass substrates kept at 573 K by using chemical spray pyrolysis technique. The GIXRD pattern revealed that the films having composites of Cu2ZnSnS4, Cu2SnS3, Sn2S3, CuS and ZnS phases. The crystallinity and grain size were found to increase by increasing the x value and the preferential orientation along (103), (112), (108) and (111) direction corresponding to CZTS, Cu2SnS3, CuS, and ZnS phases respectively. Micro-Raman spectra exposed a prominent peak at 332 cm-1 corresponding to the CZTS phase. Atomic force microscopy was employed to study the grain size and roughness of the deposited thin films. The optical band gap was found to lie between 1.45 and 2.25 eV and average optical absorption coefficient was found to be greater than 105 cm-1. Hall measurements exhibited that all the deposited Cu2Zn1-xSnxS4 films were p type and the resistivity lies between 10.9 ×10-2Ωcm and 149.6 × 10-2Ωcm .

Magnesium, zinc, arsenic, selenium and platinum urinary excretion from cancer patients of Antofagasta region, Chile: multi-metal approach

PubMed Central

Pizarro, I; Rivera, L; Ávila, J; Cortés, P

2016-01-01

Objectives To evaluate the short-term 24 h urinary excretion of platinum, arsenic, selenium, magnesium and zinc in patients with lung cancer and with cancer other than lungs treated with cisplatin or/and carboplatin from Antofagasta, Chile. Design Urine measurements of Pt and Se were made by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry, As by hydride-generation atomic absorption spectrometry and Mg and Zn by means of flame furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Setting All samples were provided by the Oncological Centre of Antofagasta Regional Hospital (Region of Antofagasta, Chile). Participants Ninety 24-h urine samples from cancer patients after the infusion of Pt-base drugs and 10 24-h urine samples from cancer patients not treated with metal-base drugs. Main outcome measures Concentrations of Pt, Se, As, Zn and Mg coming from 24-h urine samples. Results Pt excreted was not significantly different between patients with lung and other cancers treated with cisplatin. The excretion of Mg, Zn and Se was greater than As. Then, Pt favours the excretion of essential elements. For lung and other types of cancers treated with drugs without Pt, excretion of Mg, Zn and Se was also greater than that of As, suggesting antagonism Mg-Zn-Se–anti-cancer drug relationship. Conclusions The amounts of Mg, Zn and Se excreted were greater than for As either with or without Pt-containing drugs, suggesting antagonist Mg-Zn-Se–anti-cancer drug relationships. The excretion of As, Mg, Zn and Se is induced by Pt. Knowledge obtained can contribute to understanding the arsenic cancer mechanism and the As-Mg-Zn-Se-Pt inter-element association for lung cancer and other types of cancer. PMID:27757244

The formation of tungsten doped Al2O3/ZnO coatings on aluminum by plasma electrolytic oxidation and their application in photocatalysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stojadinović, Stevan; Vasilić, Rastko; Radić, Nenad; Tadić, Nenad; Stefanov, Plamen; Grbić, Boško

2016-07-01

Tungsten doped Al2O3/ZnO coatings are formed by plasma electrolytic oxidation of aluminum substrate in supporting electrolyte (0.1 M boric acid + 0.05 M borax + 2 g/L ZnO) with addition of different concentrations of Na2WO4·2H2O. The morphology, crystal structure, chemical composition, and light absorption characteristics of formed surface coatings are investigated. The X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results indicate that formed surface coatings consist of alpha and gamma phase of Al2O3, ZnO, metallic tungsten and WO3. Obtained results showed that incorporated tungsten does not have any influence on the absorption spectra of Al2O3/ZnO coatings, which showed invariable band edge at about 385 nm. The photocatalytic activity of undoped and tungsten doped Al2O3/ZnO coatings is estimated by the photodegradation of methyl orange. The photocatalytic activity of tungsten doped Al2O3/ZnO coatings is higher thanof undoped Al2O3/ZnO coatings; the best photocatalytic activity is ascribed to coatings formed in supporting electrolyte with addition of 0.3 g/L Na2WO4·2H2O. Tungsten in Al2O3/ZnO coatings acts as a charge trap, thus reducing the recombination rate of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. The results of PL measurements are in agreement with photocatalytic activity. Declining PL intensity corresponds to increasing photocatalytic activity of the coatings, indicating slower recombination of electron-hole pairs.

Exploring the color of transition metal ions in irregular coordination geometries: new colored inorganic oxides based on the spiroffite structure, Zn(2-x)M(x)Te3O8 (M = Co, Ni, Cu).

PubMed

Tamilarasan, S; Sarma, Debajit; Bhattacharjee, S; Waghmare, U V; Natarajan, S; Gopalakrishnan, J

2013-05-20

We describe the synthesis, crystal structures, and optical absorption spectra of transition metal-substituted spiroffite derivatives, Zn(2-x)M(x)Te3O8 (M(II) = Co, Ni, Cu; 0 < x ≤ 1.0). The oxides are readily synthesized by solid state reaction of stoichiometric mixtures of the constituent binaries at 620 °C. Reitveld refinement of the crystal structures from powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) data shows that the Zn/MO6 octahedra are strongly distorted, as in the parent Zn2Te3O8 structure, consisting of five relatively short Zn/M(II)-O bonds (1.898-2.236 Å) and one longer Zn/M(II)-O bond (2.356-2.519 Å). We have interpreted the unique colors and the optical absorption/diffuse reflectance spectra of Zn(2-x)M(x)Te3O8 in the visible, in terms of the observed/irregular coordination geometry of the Zn/M(II)-O chromophores. We could not however prepare the fully substituted M2Te3O8 (M(II) = Co, Ni, Cu) by the direct solid state reaction method. Density Functional Theory (DFT) modeling of the electronic structure of both the parent and the transition metal substituted derivatives provides new insights into the bonding and the role of transition metals toward the origin of color in these materials. We believe that transition metal substituted spiroffites Zn(2-x)M(x)Te3O8 reported here suggest new directions for the development of colored inorganic materials/pigments featuring irregular/distorted oxygen coordination polyhedra around transition metal ions.

Absorption and distribution of cadmium in mice fed diets containing either inorganic or oyster-incorporated cadmium

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sullivan, M.F.; Hardy, J.T.; Miller, B.M.

1984-02-01

To determine the absorption, organ distribution, and retention of organically bound cadmium (Cd) and the effects of dietary zinc (Zn) on Cd metabolism, groups of mice were fed five different diets. The organic Cd used in the diets was in the form of lyophilized oyster (Crassostrea virginica) that had accumulated radiolabeled 109Cd through a plankton food chain. The mice were fed either a standard basal mouse diet (AIN-76) or diets containing five or eight times the Zn concentration of the basal diet. The source of Zn was either oyster tissue or ZnCO3. The concentration of organic and inorganic Cd providedmore » a dose of approximately 0.4 mg/kg. Diets prepared from oyster tissue probably contained all of the Cd and 85% of the Zn in organic form. Diets prepared with inorganic metals contained about the same Cd and Zn concentrations as the diets prepared with oyster. There was very little difference between the retention of Cd by mice that ingested organic (oyster bound) Cd and those fed inorganic Cd (CdCl2). However, when the Cd retained in the intestine was excluded, retention of organic Cd was significantly greater than that of inorganic Cd. The organ distribution of Cd differed significantly according to the chemical form of Cd fed (organic or inorganic) and the Zn level in the diet. The kidneys of mice fed organically bound Cd retained a higher percentage of the metal than the kidneys of those fed inorganic Cd. On the other hand, the livers of animals fed a low-Zn diet retained a higher percentage of the Cd than the livers of those fed a high-Zn diet, regardless of the dietary source of Cd.« less

Photo- and Thermo-Induced Changes in Optical Constants and Structure of Thin Films from GeSe2-GeTe-ZnTe System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petkov, Kiril; Todorov, Rossen; Vassilev, Venceslav; Aljihmani, Lilia

We examined the condition of preparation of thin films from GeSe2-GeTe-ZnTe system by thermal evaporation and changes in their optical properties after exposure to light and thermal annealing. The results for composition analysis of thin films showed absence of Zn independently of the composition of the bulk glass. By X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis it was found that a reduction of ZnTe in ZnSe in bulk materials takes of place during the film deposition. A residual from ZnSe was observed in the boat after thin film deposition. Optical constants (refractive index, n and absorption coefficient, α) and thickness, d as well as the optical band gap, Eg, depending of the content of Te in ternary Ge-Se-Te system are determined from specrophotometric measurements in the spectral range 400-2500 nm applying the Swanepoel's envelope method and Tauc's procedure. With the increase of Te content in the layers the absorption edge is shifted to the longer wavelengths, refractive index increases while the optical band gap decreases from 2.02 eV for GeSe2 to 1.26 eV for Ge34Se42Te24. The values of the refractive index decrease after annealing of all composition and Eg increase, respectively. Thin films with composition of Ge27Se47Te9Zn17 and Ge28Se49Te10Zn13 were prepared by co-evaporation of (GeSe2)78(GeTe)22 and Zn from a boat and a crucible and their optical properties, surface morphology and structure were investigated. The existence of a correlation between the optical band gap and the copostion of thin films from the system studied was demonstrated.

Tuning the third-order nonlinear optical properties of In:ZnO thin films by 8 MeV electron beam irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shettigar, Nayana; Pramodini, S.; Kityk, I. V.; Abd-Lefdil, M.; Eljald, E. M.; Regragui, M.; Antony, Albin; Rao, Ashok; Sanjeev, Ganesh; Ajeyakashi, K. C.; Poornesh, P.

2017-11-01

We report the third-order nonlinear optical properties of electron beam treated Indium doped ZnO (Zn1-xInxO (x = 0.03) thin films at different dose rate. Zn1-xInxO (x = 0.03) thin films prepared by spray pyrolysis deposition technique were irradiated using 8 MeV electron beam at dose rates ranging from 1 kGy to 4 kGy. X-ray diffraction patterns were obtained to examine the structural changes, The transformation from sphalerite to wurtzite structure of ZnO was observed which indicates occurrence of structural changes due to irradiation. Morphology of irradiated thin films examined using atomic force microscopy (AFM) technique indicates the surface roughness varying with irradiation dose rate. The switching over from Saturable Absorption (SA) to Reverse Saturable Absorption (RSA) behaviour was noted when the irradiation dose rate was increased from 1 kGy to 4 kGy. The significant changes observed in the third-order nonlinear optical susceptibility χ(3) of the Zn1-xInxO (x = 0.03) thin films is attributed mainly due to electron beam irradiation. The study indicates that nonlinear optical parameters can be controlled by electron beam irradiation by choosing appropriate dose rate which is very much essential for device applications. Hence Zn1-xInxO (x = 0.03) materialize as a promising material for use in nonlinear optical device applications.

Quantification of zinc-porphyrin in dry-cured ham products by spectroscopic methods Comparison of absorption, fluorescence and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy.

PubMed

Laursen, Kristoffer; Adamsen, Christina E; Laursen, Jens; Olsen, Karsten; Møller, Jens K S

2008-03-01

Zinc-protoporphyrin (Zn-pp), which has been identified as the major pigment in certain dry-cured meat products, was extracted with acetone/water (75%) and isolated from the following meat products: Parma ham, Iberian ham and dry-cured ham with added nitrite. The quantification of Zn-pp by electron absorption, fluorescence and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy was compared (concentration range used [Zn-pp]=0.8-9.7μM). All three hams were found to contain Zn-pp, and the results show no significant difference among the content of Zn-pp quantified by fluorescence, absorbance and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy for Parma ham and Iberian ham. All three methods can be used for quantification of Zn-pp in acetone/water extracts of different ham types if the content is higher than 1.0ppm. For dry-cured ham with added nitrite, XRF was not applicable due to the low content of Zn-pp (<0.1ppm). In addition, XRF spectroscopy provides further information regarding other trace elements and can therefore be advantageous in this aspect. This study also focused on XRF determination of Fe in the extracts and as no detectable Fe was found in the three types of ham extracts investigated (limit of detection; Fe⩽1.8ppm), it allows the conclusion that iron containing pigments, e.g., heme, do not contribute to the noticeable red colour observed in some of the extracts.

Structure and optical properties of ZnO with silver nanoparticles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lyadov, N. M., E-mail: nik061287@mail.ru; Gumarov, A. I.; Kashapov, R. N.

Textured nanocrystalline ZnO thin films are synthesized by ion beam assisted deposition. According to X-ray diffraction data, the crystallite size is ∼25 nm. Thin (∼15 nm) ZnO layers containing Ag nanoparticles are formed in a thin surface region of the films by the implantation of Ag ions with an energy of 30 keV and a dose in the range (0.25–1) × 10{sup 17} ion/cm{sup 2}. The structure and optical properties of the layers are studied. Histograms of the size distribution of Ag nanoparticles are obtained. The average size of the Ag nanoparticles varies from 0.5 to 1.5–2 nm depending onmore » the Ag-ion implantation dose. The optical transmittance of the samples in the visible and ultraviolet regions increases, as the implantation dose is increased. The spectra of the absorption coefficient of the implanted films are calculated in the context of the (absorbing film)/(transparent substrate) model. It is found that the main changes in the optical-density spectra occur in the region of ∼380 nm, in which the major contribution to absorption is made by Ag nanoparticles smaller than 0.75 nm in diameter. In this spectral region, absorption gradually decreases, as the Ag-ion irradiation dose is increased. This is attributed to an increase in the average size of the Ag nanoparticles. It is established that the broad surface-plasmon-resonance absorption bands typical of nanocomposite ZnO films with Ag nanoparticles synthesized by ion implantation are defined by the fact that the size of the nanoparticles formed does not exceed 1.5–2 nm.« less

Synthesis and optical properties of Co2+-doped ZnO Network prepared by new precursors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akhtari, Fereshteh; Zorriasatein, Suzan; Farahmandjou, Majid; Elahi, Seyed Mohammad

2018-06-01

Pure ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) and Co/ZnO alloy NPs were synthesized with different percentages of cobalt impurity (1%, 3%, 5%, and 25%) with new precursors through the coprecipitation method. The structural results of the XRD analysis indicated that the pure and impure samples have a wurtzite hexagonal structure such that with an elevation of Co impurity up to 1%, the size of the nanocrystals declines by up to 30 nm. Furthermore, the FESEM analysis results suggest the homogeneity of the NPs such that with increased cobalt impurity, its level declines. The TEM analysis results revealed that the NPs with 5% impurity have a mean size of 32 nm in spherical form. The FTIR optical analysis results suggest a very sharp absorption peak within the wavelength ranges of 434–448 cm‑1, belonging to the Zn-O vibration bond. In addition, the absorption peak developed at the wavelength of 3428 cm‑1 is related to the activation of the OH radicals, whose absorption value grows with the addition of an impurity, thereby, causing enhanced photocatalytic activity. The UV-DRS optical analysis indicated that the absorption wavelength grows with increased impurity, causing the development of redshift and a reduction of the energy band gap. In this regard, for the pure sample, the band gap value was 3.18 eV, while for the sample with 5% impurity, the band gap was obtained as 2.68 eV. The VSM magnetic analysis suggests ferromagnetic development in the impure sample, with a saturation magnetism of 16 memu g‑1 and a coercivity field of 342 G.

[Effect of quantum dots CdSe/ZnS's concentration on its fluorescence].

PubMed

Jin, Min; Huang, Yu-hua; Luo, Ji-xiang

2015-02-01

The authors measured the absorption and the fluorescence spectra of the quantum dots CdSe/ZnS with 4 nm in size at different concentration with the use of the UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy and fluorescence spectrometer. The effect of quantum dots CdSe/ZnS's concentration on its fluorescence was especially studied and its physical mechanism was analyzed. It was observed that the optimal concentration of the quantum dots CdSe/ZnS for fluorescence is 2 micromole x L(-1). When the quantum dot's concentration is over 2 micromol x L(-1), the fluorescence is decreased with the increase in the concentration. While the quantum dot's concentration is less than 2 micromol x L(-1), the fluorescence is decreased with the decrease in the concentration. There are two main reasons: (1) fluorescence quenching and 2) the competition between absorption and fluorescence. When the quantum dot's concentration is over 2 micromol x L(-1), the distance between quantum dots is so close that the fluorescence quenching is induced. The closer the distance between quantum dots is, the more serious the fluorescence quenching is induced. Also, in this case, the absorption is so large that some of the quantum dots can not be excited because the incident light can not pass through the whole sample. As a result, the fluorescence is decreased with the increase in the quantum dot's concentration. As the quantum dot's concentration is below 2 micromol x L(-1), the distance between quantum dots is far enough that no more fluorescence quenching is induced. In this case, the fluorescence is determined by the particle number per unit volume. More particle number per unit volume produces more fluorescence. Therefore, the fluorescence is decreased with the decrease in the quantum dot's concentration.

Efficient Förster resonance energy transfer in 1,2,3-triazole linked BODIPY-Zn(II) meso-tetraphenylporphyrin donor-acceptor arrays.

PubMed

Leonardi, Matthew J; Topka, Michael R; Dinolfo, Peter H

2012-12-17

Cu(I) catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reactivity was successfully employed to synthesize three donor-acceptor energy transfer (EnT) arrays that contain one (Dyad), three (Tetrad) and four (Pentad) 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene (BODIPY) donors connected to a Zn-tetraphenylporphyrin acceptor via 1,2,3-triazole linkages. The photophysical properties of the three arrays, along with individual donor and acceptor chromophores, were investigated by UV-vis absorption and emission spectroscopy, fluorescence lifetimes, and density functional theory (DFT) electronic structure modeling. Comparison of the UV-vis absorption spectra and frontier molecular orbitals from DFT calculations of the three arrays with ZnTPP, ZnTTrzlP, and Trzl-BODIPY shows that the electronic structure of the chromophores is essentially unperturbed by the 1,2,3-triazole linkage. Time-dependent DFT (TDDFT) calculations on the Dyad reproduce the absorption spectra in THF and show no evidence of excited state mixing of the donor and acceptor. The BODIPY singlet excited state emission is significantly quenched in all three arrays, consistent with EnT to the porphyrin core, with efficiencies of 95.8, 97.5, and 97.2% for the Dyad, Tetrad, and Pentad, respectively. Fluorescence excitation spectra of the three arrays, measured at the porphyrin emission, mirror the absorption profile of both the porphyrin and BODIPY chromophores and are consistent with the Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) mechanism. Applying Förster theory to the spectroscopic data of the chromophores gives EnT efficiency estimates that are in close agreement with experimental values, suggesting that the through-space mechanism plays a dominant role in the three arrays.

Metalloporphyrin-based porous polymers prepared via click chemistry for size-selective adsorption of protein.

PubMed

Zhu, Dailian; Qin, Cunqi; Ao, Shanshi; Su, Qiuping; Sun, Xiying; Jiang, Tengfei; Pei, Kemei; Ni, Huagang; Ye, Peng

2018-08-01

Zinc porphyrin-based porous polymers (PPs-Zn) with different pore sizes were prepared by controlling the reaction condition of click chemistry, and the protein adsorption in PPs-Zn and the catalytic activity of immobilized enzyme were investigated. PPs-Zn-1 with 18 nm and PPS-Zn-2 with 90 nm of pore size were characterized by FTIR, NMR and nitrogen absorption experiments. The amount of adsorbed protein in PPs-Zn-1 was more than that in PPs-Zn-2 for small size proteins, such as lysozyme, lipase and bovine serum albumin (BSA). And for large size proteins including myosin and human fibrinogen (HFg), the amount of adsorbed protein in PPs-Zn-1 was less than that in PPs-Zn-2. The result indicates that the protein adsorption is size-selective in PPs-Zn. Both the protein size and the pore size have a significant effect on the amount of adsorbed protein in the PPs-Zn. Lipase and lysozyme immobilized in PPs-Zn exhibited excellent reuse stability.

Trace metal dynamics in zooplankton from the Bay of Bengal during summer monsoon.

PubMed

Rejomon, G; Kumar, P K Dinesh; Nair, M; Muraleedharan, K R

2010-12-01

Trace metal (Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb) concentrations in zooplankton from the mixed layer were investigated at 8 coastal and 20 offshore stations in the western Bay of Bengal during the summer monsoon of 2003. The ecotoxicological importance of trace metal uptake was apparent within the Bay of Bengal zooplankton. There was a distinct spatial heterogeneity of metals, with highest concentrations in the upwelling zones of the southeast coast, moderate concentrations in the cyclonic eddy of the northeast coast, and lowest concentrations in the open ocean warm gyre regions. The average trace metal concentrations (μg g⁻¹) in coastal zooplankton (Fe, 44894.1 ± 12198.2; Co, 46.2 ± 4.6; Ni, 62.8 ± 6.5; Cu, 84.9 ± 6.7; Zn, 7546.8 ± 1051.7; Cd, 46.2 ± 5.6; Pb, 19.2 ± 2.6) were higher than in offshore zooplankton (Fe, 3423.4 ± 681.6; Co, 19.5 ± 3.81; Ni, 25.3 ± 7.3; Cu, 29.4 ± 4.2; Zn, 502.3 ± 124.3; Cd, 14.3 ± 2.9; Pb, 3.2 ± 2.0). A comparison of average trace metal concentrations in zooplankton from the Bay of Bengal showed enrichment of Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb in coastal zooplankton may be related to metal absorption from primary producers, and differences in metal concentrations in phytoplankton from coastal waters (upwelling zone and cyclonic eddy) compared with offshore waters (warm gyre). Zooplankton showed a great capacity for accumulations of trace metals, with average concentration factors of 4 867 929 ± 569 971, 246 757 ± 51 321, 337 180 ± 125 725, 43 480 ± 11 212, 1 046 371 ± 110 286, 601 679 ± 213 949, and 15 420 ± 9201 for Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb with respect to dissolved concentrations in coastal and offshore waters of the Bay of Bengal. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2009. Copyright © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Recent Advances in the Synthesis, Characterization and Application of Zn+-containing Heterogeneous Catalysts.

PubMed

Chen, Guangbo; Zhao, Yufei; Shang, Lu; Waterhouse, Geoffrey I N; Kang, Xiaofeng; Wu, Li-Zhu; Tung, Chen-Ho; Zhang, Tierui

2016-07-01

Monovalent Zn + (3d 10 4s 1 ) systems possess a special electronic structure that can be exploited in heterogeneous catalysis and photocatalysis, though it remains challenge to synthesize Zn + -containing materials. By careful design, Zn + -related species can be synthesized in zeolite and layered double hydroxide systems, which in turn exhibit excellent catalytic potential in methane, CO and CO 2 activation. Furthermore, by utilizing advanced characterization tools, including electron spin resonance, X-ray absorption fine structure and density functional theory calculations, the formation mechanism of the Zn + species and their structure-performance relationships can be understood. Such advanced characterization tools guide the rational design of high-performance Zn + -containing catalysts for efficient energy conversion.

Composition Dependence of the Hydrostatic Pressure Coefficients of the Bandgap of ZnSe(1-x)Te(x) Alloys

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, J.; Yu, K. M.; Walukiewicz, W.; Shan, W.; Ager, J. W., III; Haller, E. E.; Miotkowski, I.; Ramdas, A. K.; Su, Ching-Hua

2003-01-01

Optical absorption experiments have been performed using diamond anvil cells to measure the hydrostatic pressure dependence of the fundamental bandgap of ZnSe(sub 1-xTe(sub x) alloys over the entire composition range. The first and second-order pressure coefficients are obtained as a function of composition. Starting from the ZnSe side, the magnitude of both coefficients increases slowly until x approx. 0.7, where the ambient-pressure bandgap reaches a minimum. For larger values of x the coefficients rapidly approach the values of ZnTe. The large deviations of the pressure coefficients from the linear interpolation between ZnSe and ZnTe are explained in terms of the band anticrossing model.

Recent Advances in the Synthesis, Characterization and Application of Zn+‐containing Heterogeneous Catalysts

PubMed Central

Chen, Guangbo; Zhao, Yufei; Shang, Lu; Waterhouse, Geoffrey I. N.; Kang, Xiaofeng; Wu, Li‐Zhu; Tung, Chen‐Ho

2016-01-01

Monovalent Zn+ (3d104s1) systems possess a special electronic structure that can be exploited in heterogeneous catalysis and photocatalysis, though it remains challenge to synthesize Zn+‐containing materials. By careful design, Zn+‐related species can be synthesized in zeolite and layered double hydroxide systems, which in turn exhibit excellent catalytic potential in methane, CO and CO2 activation. Furthermore, by utilizing advanced characterization tools, including electron spin resonance, X‐ray absorption fine structure and density functional theory calculations, the formation mechanism of the Zn+ species and their structure‐performance relationships can be understood. Such advanced characterization tools guide the rational design of high‐performance Zn+‐containing catalysts for efficient energy conversion. PMID:27818902

Combining Electronic and Geometric Effects of ZnO-Promoted Pt Nanocatalysts for Aqueous Phase Reforming of 1-Propanol

DOE PAGES

Lei, Yu; Lee, Sungsik; Low, Ke -Bin; ...

2016-04-26

Compared with Pt/Al 2O 3, sintering-resistant Pt nanoparticle catalysts promoted by ZnO significantly improved the reactivity and selectivity toward hydrogen formation in the aqueous phase reforming (APR) of 1-propanol. The improved performance was found to benefit from both the electronic and geometric effects of ZnO thin films. In situ small-angle X-ray scattering and scanning transmission electron microscopy showed that ZnO-promoted Pt possessed promising thermal stability under APR reaction conditions. In situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy showed clear charge transfer between ZnO and Pt nanoparticles. The improved reactivity and selectivity seemed to benefit from having both Pt-ZnO and Pt-Al 2O 3 interfaces.

Electronic structure modifications and band gap narrowing in Zn0.95V0.05O

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahad, Abdul; Majid, S. S.; Rahman, F.; Shukla, D. K.; Phase, D. M.

2018-04-01

We present here, structural, optical and electronic structure studies on Zn0.95V0.05O, synthesized using solid state method. Rietveld refinement of x-ray diffraction pattern indicates no considerable change in the lattice of doped ZnO. The band gap of doped sample, as calculated by Kubelka-Munk transformed reflectance spectra, has been found reduced compared to pure ZnO. Considerable changes in absorbance in UV-Vis range is observed in doped sample. V doping induced decrease in band gap is supported by x-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements. It is experimentally confirmed that conduction band edge in Zn0.95V0.05O has shifted towards Fermi level than in pure ZnO.

EXAFS analysis of a human Cu,Zn SOD isoform focused using non-denaturing gel electrophoresis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chevreux, Sylviane; Solari, Pier Lorenzo; Roudeau, Stéphane; Deves, Guillaume; Alliot, Isabelle; Testemale, Denis; Hazemann, Jean Louis; Ortega, Richard

2009-11-01

Isoelectric point isoforms of a metalloprotein, copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD), separated on electrophoresis gels were analyzed using X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy. Mutations of this protein are involved in familial cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The toxicity of mutants could be relied to defects in the metallation state. Our purpose is to establish analytical protocols to study metallation state of protein isoforms such as those from CuZnSOD. We previously highlighted differences in the copper oxidation state between CuZnSOD isoforms using XANES. Here, we present the first results for EXAFS analyses performed at Cu and Zn K-edge on the majoritary expressed isoform of human CuZnSOD separated on electrophoresis gels.

Point Defect Distributions in ZnSe Crystals: Effects of Gravity Vector Orientation During Physical Vapor Transport Growth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Su, Ching-Hua; Feth, S.; Hirschfeld, D.; Smith, T. M.; Wang, Ling Jun; Volz, M. P.; Lehoczky, S. L.

1999-01-01

ZnSe crystals were grown by the physical vapor transport technique under horizontal and vertical (stabilized and destabilized) configurations. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy and photoluminescence measurements were performed on the grown ZnSe samples to map the distributions of [Si], [Fe], [Cu], [Al] and [Li or Na] impurities as well as Zn vacancy, [V (sub Zn)]. Annealings of ZnSe under controlled Zn pressures were studied to correlate the measured photoluminescence emission intensity to the equilibrium Zn partial pressure. In the horizontal grown crystals the segregations of [Si], [Fe], [Al] and [V (sub Zn)] were observed along the gravity vector direction whereas in the vertically stabilized grown crystal the segregation of these point defects was radially symmetrical. No apparent pattern was observed on the measured distributions in the vertically destabilized grown crystal. The observed segregations in the three growth configurations were interpreted based on the possible buoyancy-driven convection in the vapor phase.

Quantitative determination of optical and recombination losses in thin-film photovoltaic devices based on external quantum efficiency analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nakane, Akihiro; Tamakoshi, Masato; Fujimoto, Shohei

2016-08-14

In developing photovoltaic devices with high efficiencies, quantitative determination of the carrier loss is crucial. In conventional solar-cell characterization techniques, however, photocurrent reduction originating from parasitic light absorption and carrier recombination within the light absorber cannot be assessed easily. Here, we develop a general analysis scheme in which the optical and recombination losses in submicron-textured solar cells are evaluated systematically from external quantum efficiency (EQE) spectra. In this method, the optical absorption in solar cells is first deduced by imposing the anti-reflection condition in the calculation of the absorptance spectrum, and the carrier extraction from the light absorber layer ismore » then modeled by considering a carrier collection length from the absorber interface. Our analysis method is appropriate for a wide variety of photovoltaic devices, including kesterite solar cells [Cu{sub 2}ZnSnSe{sub 4}, Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4}, and Cu{sub 2}ZnSn(S,Se){sub 4}], zincblende CdTe solar cells, and hybrid perovskite (CH{sub 3}NH{sub 3}PbI{sub 3}) solar cells, and provides excellent fitting to numerous EQE spectra reported earlier. Based on the results obtained from our EQE analyses, we discuss the effects of parasitic absorption and carrier recombination in different types of solar cells.« less

Magnetic properties of ZnO nanoparticles.

PubMed

Garcia, M A; Merino, J M; Fernández Pinel, E; Quesada, A; de la Venta, J; Ruíz González, M L; Castro, G R; Crespo, P; Llopis, J; González-Calbet, J M; Hernando, A

2007-06-01

We experimentally show that it is possible to induce room-temperature ferromagnetic-like behavior in ZnO nanoparticles without doping with magnetic impurities but simply inducing an alteration of their electronic configuration. Capping ZnO nanoparticles ( approximately 10 nm size) with different organic molecules produces an alteration of their electronic configuration that depends on the particular molecule, as evidenced by photoluminescence and X-ray absorption spectroscopies and altering their magnetic properties that varies from diamagnetic to ferromagnetic-like behavior.

The Impact of Iron Adsorption on the Electronic and Photocatalytic Properties of the Zinc Oxide (0001) Surface: A First-Principles Study.

PubMed

Cheng, Jingsi; Wang, Ping; Hua, Chao; Yang, Yintang; Zhang, Zhiyong

2018-03-12

The structural stability, electronic structure, and optical properties of an iron-adsorbed ZnO (0001) surface with three high-symmetry adsorption sites are investigated with first-principle calculations on the basis of density functional theory and the Hubbard-U method. It is found that the iron adatom in the H₃ adsorption site of ZnO (0001) surface has the lowest adsorption energy of -5.665 eV compared with T₄ and Top sites. For the Top site, compared with the pristine ZnO (0001) surface, the absorption peak located at 1.17 eV has a red shift, and the elevation of the absorption coefficient is more pronounced in the visible-light region, because the Fe-related levels are introduced in the forbidden band and near the Fermi level. The electrostatic potential computation reveals that the work function of the ZnO (0001) surface is significantly decreased from 2.340 to 1.768 eV when iron is adsorbed on the Top site. Furthermore, the degradation mechanism based on the band structure is analyzed. It can be concluded that the adsorption of iron will promote the separation of photoinduced carriers, thus improving the photocatalytic activity of ZnO (0001) surface. Our study benefits research on the photocatalytic activity of ZnO and the utilization rate of solar energy.

Magnetic Photocatalyst BiVO₄/Mn-Zn ferrite/Reduced Graphene Oxide: Synthesis Strategy and Its Highly Photocatalytic Activity.

PubMed

Xie, Taiping; Li, Hui; Liu, Chenglun; Yang, Jun; Xiao, Tiancun; Xu, Longjun

2018-05-29

Magnetic photocatalyst BiVO₄/Mn-Zn ferrite (Mn 1- x Zn x Fe₂O₄)/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) was synthesized by a simple calcination and reduction method. The magnetic photocatalyst held high visible light-absorption ability with low band gap energy and wide absorption wavelength range. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopies illustrated good electrical conductivity which indicated low charge-transfer resistance due to incorporation of Mn 1- x Zn x Fe₂O₄ and RGO. The test of photocatalytic activity showed that the degradation ratio of rhodamine B (RhB) reached 96.0% under visible light irradiation after only 1.5 h reaction. The photocatalytic mechanism for the prepared photocatalyst was explained in detail. Here, the incorporation of RGO enhanced the specific surface area compared with BiVO4/Mn 1- x Zn x Fe₂O₄.The larger specific surface area provided more active surface sites, more free space to improve the mobility of photo-induced electrons, and further facilitated the effective migration of charge carriers, leading to the remarkable improvement of photocatalytic performance. Meanwhile, RGO was the effective acceptor as well as transporter of photo-generated electron hole pairs. •O₂ - was the most active species in the photocatalytic reaction. BiVO₄/Mn 1- x Zn x Fe₂O₄/RGO had quite a wide application in organic contaminants removal or environmental pollution control.

Melting-solidification transition of Zn nanoparticles embedded in SiO2: Observation by synchrotron x-ray and ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared light

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amekura, H.; Tanaka, M.; Katsuya, Y.; Yoshikawa, H.; Ohnuma, M.; Matsushita, Y.; Kobayashi, K.; Kishimoto, N.

2010-11-01

Melting-solidification transition of Zn nanoparticles (NPs) with the mean diameter of 11.5 nm, embedded in silica glass, was investigated by glancing incident x-ray diffraction (GIXRD) at high temperatures using synchrotron radiation (SR). With increasing temperature, 101Zn diffraction peak gradually decreases up to ˜360 °C and then steeply decreases. This is due to the melting of Zn NPs, which completes around 420 °C. With decreasing temperature, the solidification of the NPs begins around ˜310 °C. The temperature hysteresis with a width of ˜110 °C was observed. With temperature, the diffraction angle shows a shift without hysteresis, which is ascribed to thermal expansion of Zn NP lattice. Thermal expansion coefficient of Zn NPs was determined as 24.4×10-6 K-1 along the ⟨101⟩ direction. Optical absorption spectroscopy shows a broad ultraviolet (UV) peak which was observed at even higher temperatures than the melting temperature but shifts to the low-energy side with the melting. The energy shift in the UV peak also shows the temperature hysteresis which resembles with the melting-solidification hysteresis recorded by SR-GIXRD. The melting-solidification transition is also detectable by the optical absorption spectroscopy in the UV-visible-near-infrared region.

Synthesis of Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4} nanoparticles and controlling the morphology with polyethylene glycol

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rawat, Kusum; Department of Electronic Science, University of Delhi South Campus, Delhi 110021; Kim, Hee-Joon

Highlights: • Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4} nanoparticles were synthesized by wet chemical technique. • First report on the effect of using polyethylene glycol as a structure directing agent on Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4} nanoparticles. • The morphology of Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4} nanoparticles changes into nanoflakes and nanorods structures with polyethylene glycol concentration. • Polyethylene glycol assisted Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4} nanoparticle film exhibits optical bandgap of 1.5 eV which is suitable for the application in solar cells. - Abstract: Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4} nanoparticles were synthesized by wet chemical technique using metal thiourea precursor at 250 °C. The structural and morphological properties of asmore » grown nanoparticles have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The influence of different concentration of polyethylene glycol as structure directing agent on the morphologies of Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4} nanoparticles are investigated on thin films deposited by spin coating technique. The mean crystallite size of the Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4} nanoparticles was found to improve with polyethylene glycol concentration. Scanning electron microscopy images of Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4} revealed aggregated spherical shaped nanoparticles whereas the polyethylene glycol assisted Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4} nanoparticle films show nanoflakes and nanorods structures with increasing concentration of polyethylene glycol. Transmission electron microscopy analysis has also been performed to determine the size and structure of nanorods. UV–vis absorption spectroscopy shows the broad band absorption with optical bandgap of 1.50 eV for polyethylene glycol assisted Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4} films.« less

Effect of Zn doping on the microwave absorption of BFO multiferroic materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bi, S.; Li, J.; Mei, B.; Su, X. J.; Ying, C. Z.; Li, P. H.

2018-01-01

The microwave absorbing materials were firstly used in the Second World War. And the BiFeO3 (BFO) based microwave absorbers have been widely applied into the microwave absorbing area due to its possession of excellent electromagnetic properties. Various methods have been conducted to improve the microwave absorption performance of the BFO based materials. In the work, the sol-gel method were used to prepare the BFO, and the Zn were doped into the BFO to prepare the Bi1-xZnxFeO3 nanoparticles. The X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, and vector network analysis (VNA) were conducted to characterize the microstructure and electromagnetic properties of the as-prepared samples. The results indicate that the Bi1-xZnxFeO3 nanoparticles were successfully gained and the as-prepared samples possess excellent microwave absorption properties.

Ab-initio calculations of structural, electronic, and optical properties of Zn3(VO4)2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed, Nisar; Mukhtar, S.; Gao, Wei; Zafar Ilyas, Syed

2018-03-01

The structural, electronic, and optical properties of Zn3(VO4)2 are investigated using full potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method within the framework of density functional theory (DFT). Various approaches are adopted to treat the exchange and correlation potential energy such as generalized gradient approximation (GGA), GGA+U, and the Tran–Blaha modified Becke–Johnson (TB-mBJ) potential. The calculated band gap of 3.424 eV by TB-mBJ is found to be close to the experimental result (3.3 eV). The optical anisotropy is analyzed through optical constants, such as dielectric function and absorption coefficient along parallel and perpendicular crystal orientations. The absorption coefficient reveals high absorption (1.5× {10}6 {cm}}-1) of photons in the ultraviolet region.

H passivation of Li on Zn-site in ZnO: Positron annihilation spectroscopy and secondary ion mass spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johansen, K. M.; Zubiaga, A.; Tuomisto, F.; Monakhov, E. V.; Kuznetsov, A. Yu.; Svensson, B. G.

2011-09-01

The interaction of hydrogen (H) with lithium (Li) and zinc vacancies (VZn) in hydrothermally grown n-type zinc oxide (ZnO) has been investigated by positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) and secondary ion mass spectrometry. Li on Zn-site (LiZn) is found to be the dominant trap for migrating H atoms, while the trapping efficiency of VZn is considerably smaller. After hydrogenation, where the LiZn acceptor is passivated via formation of neutral LiZn-H pairs, VZn occurs as the prime PAS signature and with a concentration similar to that observed in nonhydrogenated Li-poor samples. Despite a low efficiency as an H trap, the apparent concentration of VZn in Li-poor samples decreases after hydrogenation, as detected by PAS, and evidence for formation of the neutral VZnH2 complex is presented.

The Importance of Optical Pathlength Control for Plasma Absorption Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cruden, Brett A.; Rao, M. V. V. S.; Sharma, Surendra P.; Meyyappan, M.; Partridge, Harry (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

An inductively coupled GEC Cell with modified viewing ports has been used to measure in-situ absorption in CF4 plasmas via Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, and the results compared to those obtained in a standard viewport configuration. The viewing ports were modified so that the window boundary is inside, rather than outside, of the GEC cell. Because the absorption obtained is a spatially integrated absorption, measurements made represent an averaging of absorbing species inside and outside of the plasma. This modification is made to reduce this spatial averaging and thus allow a more accurate estimation of neutral species concentrations and temperatures within the plasmas. By reducing this pathlength, we find that the apparent CF4 consumption increases from 65% to 95% and the apparent vibrational temperature of CF4 rises by 50-75 K. The apparent fraction of etch product SiF4 decreases from 4% to 2%. The data suggests that these density changes may be due to significant temperature gradients between the plasma and chamber viewports.

Influence of physicochemical properties of rice flour on oil uptake of tempura frying batter.

PubMed

Nakamura, Sumiko; Ohtsubo, Ken'ichi

2010-01-01

The physicochemical properties of rice flour and wheat flour influenced the oil uptake of tempura frying batter. Rice flour was better than wheat flour in the overall quality and crispness of the fried tempura batter. Rice flour resisted oil absorption more than wheat flour, and a higher level of apparent starch amylose and higher consistency/breakdown ratio of the pasting properties led to a lower oil uptake of the batter. Super hard EM10 rice showed the highest apparent amylose content and higher consistency/breakdown ratio than the other flour samples, the batter from EM10 revealing the lowest oil content after frying among all the batters examined. The apparent amylose content, consistency/breakdown ratio and oil absorption index are proposed as useful guides for oil absorption when frying from among the physicochemical properties that influence the oil content of fried batter. Our proposal for the "oil absorption index" could be a simple, although not perfect method for estimating the oil content of batter flour.

SEM-EDX, water absorption, and wetting capability studies on evaluation of the influence of nano-zinc oxide as additive to paraloid B72 solutions used for wooden artifacts consolidation.

PubMed

Tuduce Traistaru, Ana-Adriana; Crina Anca Sandu, Irina; Cristina Timar, Maria; Lucia Dumitrescu, Georgeta; Sandu, Ion

2013-02-01

Consolidation of frail, degraded wood is a key issue of wooden cultural heritage conservation. Paraloid B72 is one of the most often used consolidant in conservation practice. The present research aimed at formulating stable consolidation solutions of Paraloid B72 with ZnO nano-additives and at determining the influence of these additives on the penetration pathways, retention of the consolidation material into wood and on the water behavior of the treated wood. The experiments were performed on sound samples of aspen (Populus tremula). The addition of nano-ZnO slightly increased the uptake and retention of the consolidant within the wooden structure and led to hydrophobic surfaces. However, the influence of nano-ZnO additives to the water absorption was not conclusive. Scanning Electron Microscope coupled with an EDX Detector investigation proved vessels, fibers, and interconnecting pits as main pathways of consolidant penetration into the wooden structure as well as the presence and distribution of nano-ZnO. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Structural, optical, and magnetic studies of manganese-doped zinc oxide hierarchical microspheres by self-assembly of nanoparticles.

PubMed

Hao, Yao-Ming; Lou, Shi-Yun; Zhou, Shao-Min; Yuan, Rui-Jian; Zhu, Gong-Yu; Li, Ning

2012-02-02

In this study, a series of manganese [Mn]-doped zinc oxide [ZnO] hierarchical microspheres [HMSs] are prepared by hydrothermal method only using zinc acetate and manganese acetate as precursors and ethylene glycol as solvent. X-ray diffraction indicates that all of the as-obtained samples including the highest Mn (7 mol%) in the crystal lattice of ZnO have a pure phase (hexagonal wurtzite structure). A broad Raman spectrum from as-synthesized doping samples ranges from 500 to 600 cm-1, revealing the successful doping of paramagnetic Mn2+ ions in the host ZnO. Optical absorption analysis of the samples exhibits a blueshift in the absorption band edge with increasing dopant concentration, and corresponding photoluminescence spectra show that Mn doping suppresses both near-band edge UV emission and defect-related blue emission. In particular, magnetic measurements confirm robust room-temperature ferromagnetic behavior with a high Curie temperature exceeding 400 K, signifying that the as-formed Mn-doped ZnO HMSs will have immense potential in spintronic devices and spin-based electronic technologies.

Spectroscopic ellipsometry study of Cu2ZnSnS4 bulk poly-crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levcenko, S.; Hajdeu-Chicarosh, E.; Garcia-Llamas, E.; Caballero, R.; Serna, R.; Bodnar, I. V.; Victorov, I. A.; Guc, M.; Merino, J. M.; Pérez-Rodriguez, A.; Arushanov, E.; León, M.

2018-04-01

The linear optical properties of Cu2ZnSnS4 bulk poly-crystals have been investigated using spectroscopic ellipsometry in the range of 1.2-4.6 eV at room temperature. The characteristic features identified in the optical spectra are explained by using the Adachi analytical model for the interband transitions at the corresponding critical points in the Brillouin zone. The experimental data have been modeled over the entire spectral range taking into account the lowest E0 transition near the fundamental absorption edge and E1A and E1B higher energy interband transitions. In addition, the spectral dependences of the refractive index, extinction coefficient, absorption coefficient, and normal-incidence reflectivity values have been accurately determined and are provided since they are essential data for the design of Cu2ZnSnS4 based optoelectronic devices.

Studies of the Magnetic Properties and Specific Absorption of Mn0.3Zn0.7Fe2O4 Nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phong, Pham Thanh; Nam, P. H.; Manh, Do Hung; Tung, D. K.; Lee, In-Ja; Phuc, N. X.

2015-01-01

Nanosized mixed ferrite Mn0.3Zn0.7Fe2O4 was prepared by a hydrothermal method at pH 11 and 180°C. XRD analysis showed that the material had the characteristic spinel structure with average particle size 14 nm. The real part of the AC susceptibility clearly proved the ferrite had spin glass like behavior. Magnetic inductive heating studies were performed at 236 kHz with magnetic field amplitude 50-80 Oe. The specific absorption (SA) was investigated by use of linear response theory. The experimental results were in good agreement with theoretical predictions. Moreover, the intrinsic loss power (ILP) was calculated from SA values. It is believed that Mn0.3Zn0.7Fe2O4 nanoparticles with a high ILP will be useful for in situ hyperthermia treatment of cancer.

Nature of native defects in ZnO.

PubMed

Selim, F A; Weber, M H; Solodovnikov, D; Lynn, K G

2007-08-24

This study revealed the nature of native defects and their roles in ZnO through positron annihilation and optical transmission measurements. It showed oxygen vacancies are the origin for the shift in the optical absorption band that causes the red or orange coloration. It also revealed experimental evidence that the donor nature of oxygen vacancy is approximately 0.7 eV. In addition, this work showed the Zn interstitial was not the donor in the as-grown ZnO and supported recent calculations that predicted hydrogen in an oxygen vacancy forms multicenter bonds and acts as a shallow donor.

Effect of Cr doping on structural and magnetic properties of ZnS nanoparticles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Virpal,; Singh, Jasvir; Sharma, Sandeep

2016-05-23

The structural, optical and magnetic properties of pure and Cr doped ZnS nanoparticles were studied at room temperature. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the absence of any mixed phase and the cubic structure of ZnS in pure and Cr doped ZnS nanoparticles. Fourier transfer infrared spectra confirmed the Zn-S stretching bond at 664 cm{sup −1} of ZnS in all prepared nanoparticles. The UV-Visible absorption spectra showed blue shift which became even more pronounced in Cr doped ZnS nanoparticles. However, at relatively higher Cr concentrations a slower red shift was shown by the doped nanoparticles. This phenomenon is attributed to sp-d exchange interactionmore » that becomes prevalent at higher doping concentrations. Further, magnetic hysteresis measurements showed that Cr doped ZnS nanoparticles exhibited ferromagnetic behavior at room temperature.« less

A nanoporous 3D zinc(II) metal–organic framework for selective absorption of benzaldehyde and formaldehyde

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moradpour, Tahereh; Abbasi, Alireza, E-mail: aabbassi@khayam.ut.ac.ir; Van Hecke, Kristof

A new 3D nanoporous metal–organic framework (MOF), [[Zn{sub 4}O(C{sub 24}H{sub 15}N{sub 6}O{sub 6}){sub 2}(H{sub 2}O){sub 2}]·6H{sub 2}O·DMF]{sub n} (1) based on 4,4′,4″-s-triazine-1,3,5-triyltri-p-aminobenzoate (TATAB) ligand was solvothermally synthesized and characterized by single–crystal X-ray diffraction, Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), infrared spectroscopy (IR) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analyses. X-ray single crystal diffraction analysis reveals that 1 exhibits a 3D network with new kvh1 topology. Semi-empirical (AM1) calculations were carried out to obtain stable conformers for TATAB ligand. In addition, the absorption of two typical aldehydes (benzaldehyde and formaldehyde) in the presence of 1 was investigated and the effect of the aldehyde concentration, exposure timemore » and temperature was studied. It was found that compound 1 has a potential for the absorption of aldehydes under mild conditions. - Graphical abstract: Absorption of two typical aldehydes (formaldehyde and benzaldehyde) by solvothermally synthesized of a 3D nano-porous MOF based on TATAB tricarboxylate ligand and Zn (NO{sub 3}){sub 2}·6H{sub 2}O. - Highlights: • We present a 3D Zn(II)-MOF with TATAB linker by solvothermal method. • The framework possesses a new kvh1 topology. • The framework displays formaldehyde and benzaldehyde absorption property. • Conformational analysis was performed to determine the stable linker geometry.« less

Quinoline containing acetyl hydrazone: An easily accessible switch-on optical chemosensor for Zn2 +

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Wei-Na; Mao, Pan-Dong; Wang, Yuan; Zhao, Xiao-Lei; Xu, Zhou-Qing; Xu, Zhi-Hong; Xue, Yuan

2018-01-01

A simple chemosensor, namely, N-((quinolin-8-yl)methylene)acetohydrazide (1) was synthesized and used as an off-on fluorescence sensor, which exhibits high selectivity toward Zn2 + in aqueous media. The probe has large Stokes shift of > 200 nm, and its detection limit for Zn2 + is 89.3 nM. The binding process was confirmed through UV-vis absorption analysis, fluorescence measurements, mass spectroscopy study, 1H NMR spectra and density functional theory calculation. The crystal structures of Zn2 +, Ni2 +, and Cu2 + complexes based on 1 were determined through X-ray crystallographic analysis. The fluorescent probe was then applied to monitor intracellular Zn2 + in HeLa cells.

The epitaxial growth of wurtzite ZnO films on LiNbO 3 (0 0 0 1) substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, J.; Liu, Z. G.; Liu, H.; Wang, X. S.; Zhu, T.; Liu, J. M.

2000-12-01

ZnO epitaxial films were deposited on LiNbO 3 (0 0 0 1) substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The smaller lattice misfit (-8.5%) between ZnO along <1 0 1¯ 0>- direction and LiNbO 3 (0 0 0 1) along <1 1 2¯ 0>- direction, as compared with that in the case of normally used sapphire (0 0 0 1) substrates, favored the epitaxial growth of ZnO films. The transmittance spectra of ZnO films deposited in vacuum after annealed in pure oxygen show a sharp absorption edge at 375.6 nm (E g=3.31 eV) .

Local structure analysis of diluted magnetic semiconductor Co and Al co-doped ZnO nanoparticles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hyodo, K.; Morimoto, S.; Yamazaki, T.

2016-02-01

In this study, Co and Al ions co-doped ZnO nanoparticles (Zn(Al, Co)O NPs) were prepared by our original chemical preparation method. The obtained samples prepared by this method, were encapsulated in amorphous SiO{sub 2}. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results showed Zn(Al, Co)O NPs had a single-phase nature with hexagonal wurtzite structure. These particle sizes could be controlled to be approximately 30 nm. We investigate the effect that the increase in the carrier has on the magnetization by doping Al to Co-doped ZnO NPs. The local structures were qualitatively analyzed using X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) measurements.

Bioavailability of zinc in two zinc sulfate by-products of the galvanizing industry.

PubMed

Edwards, H M; Boling, S D; Emmert, J L; Baker, D H

1998-10-01

Two Zn depletion/repletion assays were conducted with chicks to determine the relative bioavailability (RBV) of Zn from two new by-products of the galvanizing industry. Using a soy concentrate-dextrose diet, slope-ratio methodology was employed to evaluate two different products: Fe-ZnSO4 x H2O with 20.2% Fe and 13.0% Zn, and Zn-FeSO4 x H2O with 14.2% Fe and 20.2% Zn. Feed-grade ZnSO4 x H2O was used as a standard. Weight gain, tibia Zn concentration, and total tibia Zn responded linearly (P < 0.01) to Zn supplementation from all three sources. Slope-ratio calculations based on weight gain established average Zn RBV values of 98% for Fe-ZnSO4 x H2O and 102% for Zn-FeSO4 x H2O, and these values were not different (P > 0.10) from the ZnSO4 standard (100%). Slope-ratio calculations based on total tibia Zn established average Zn RBV values of 126% for Fe-ZnSO4 x H2O and 127% for Zn-FeSO4 x H2O, and these values were greater (P < 0.01) than those of the ZnSO4 standard (100%). It is apparent that both mixed sulfate products of Fe and Zn are excellent sources of bioavailable Zn.

Anisotropy of atomic bonds formed by p-type dopants in bulk GaN crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lawniczak-Jablonska, K.; Suski, T.; Gorczyca, I.; Christensen, N. E.; Libera, J.; Kachniarz, J.; Lagarde, P.; Cortes, R.; Grzegory, I.

The anisotropy of atomic bonds formed by acceptor dopants with nitrogen in bulk wurtzite GaN crystals was studied by means of linearly polarized synchrotron radiation used in measurements of X-ray-absorption spectra for the K-edgeof Mg and Zn dopants. These spectra correspond to i) a single acceptor N bond along the c-axis and ii) three bonds realized with N atoms occupying the ab-plane perpendicular to the c-axis. The Zn dopant formed resonant spectra similar to that characteristic for Ga cations. In the case of the Mg dopant, similarity to Ga cations was observed for triple bonds in the ab-plane, only. Practically no resonant structure for spectra detected along the c-axis was observed. The absorption spectra were compared with ab initio calculations using the full-potential linear muffin-tin-orbital method. These calculations were also used for determination of the bond length for Mg-N and Zn-N in wurtzite GaN crystals and show that introducing dopants causes an increase of the lengths of the bonds formed by both dopants. Extended X-ray-absorption fine-structure measurements performed for bulk GaN:Zn confirmed the prediction of the theory in the case of the Zn-N bond. Finally, it is suggested that the anisotropy in the length of the Mg-N bonds, related to their larger strength in the case of bonds in the ab-plane, can explain preferential formation of a superlattice consisting of Mg-rich layers arranged in ab-planes of several bulk GaN:Mg crystals observed by transmission electron microscopy. Within the sensitivity of the method used, no parasitic metallic clusters or oxide compounds formed by the considered acceptors in GaN crystals were found.

Role of Short-Range Chemical Ordering in (GaN) 1–x (ZnO) x for Photodriven Oxygen Evolution

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Dennis P.; Neuefeind, Joerg C.; Koczkur, Kallum M.

(GaN)1–x(ZnO)x (GZNO) is capable of visible-light driven water splitting, but its bandgap at x ≤ 0.15 (>2.7 eV) results in poor visible-light absorption. Unfortunately, methods to narrow its bandgap by incorporating higher ZnO concentrations are accompanied by extensive Urbach tailing near the absorption-edge, which is indicative of structural disorder or chemical inhomogeneities. We evaluated whether this disorder is intrinsic to the bond-length distribution in GZNO or is a result of defects introduced from the loss of Zn during nitridation. Here, the synthesis of GZNO derived from layered double hydroxide (LDH) precursors is described which minimizes Zn loss and chemical inhomogeneitiesmore » and enhances visible-light absorption. The average and local atomic structures of LDH-derived GZNO were investigated using X-ray and neutron scattering and are correlated with their oxygen evolution rates. An isotope-contrasted neutron-scattering experiment was conducted in conjunction with reverse Monte Carlo (RMC) simulations. We showed that a bond-valence bias in the RMC refinements reproduces the short-range ordering (SRO) observed in structure refinements using isotope-contrasted neutron data. The findings suggest that positional disorder of cation–anion pairs in GZNO partially arises from SRO and influences local bond relaxations. Furthermore, particle-based oxygen evolution reactions (OERs) in AgNO3 solution reveal that the crystallite size of GZNO correlates more than positional disorder with oxygen evolution rate. These findings illustrate the importance of examining the local structure of multinary photocatalysts to identify dominant factors in particulate-based photodriven oxygen evolution.« less

Exciton localization and large Stokes shift in quaternary BeMgZnO grown by molecular beam epitaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toporkov, Mykyta; Ullah, Md. Barkat; Hafiz, Shopan; Nakagawara, Tanner; Avrutin, Vitaliy; Morkoç, Hadis; Özgür, Ümit

2016-02-01

Owing to wide range bandgap tunability to more than 5 eV, the quaternary (Be,Mg)ZnO solid solutions are attractive for a variety of UV optoelectronic applications, inclusive of solar blind photodetectors, and intersubband transition devices. The mutual compensation effects of Be and Mg on the formation energy and strain allows a wide range of compositions and bandgaps beyond those achievable by MgZnO and BeZnO ternaries. Localization effects are well pronounced in such wide-bandgap semiconductor alloys due to large differences in metal covalent radii and the lattice constants of the binaries, resulting in strain-driven compositional variations within the film and consequently large potential fluctuations, in addition to that possibly caused by defects. However, carrier localization may suppress recombination through nonradiative channels, and thus, facilitate high-efficiency optoelectronic devices. To investigate potential fluctuations and localization in BexMgyZn(1-x-y)O films grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy, optical absorption and steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) measurements were performed. O-polar BexMgyZn(1-x-y)O samples grown on GaN templates with compositions up to x = 0.04 and y = 0.18 were used for timeresolved studies, and O-polar BexMgyZn(1-x-y)O samples grown on sapphire with compositions up to x = 0.19 and y = 0.52 were used for absorption measurements. From spectrally resolved PL transients, BeMgZnO samples with higher Mg/Be content ratio were found to exhibit smaller localization depth, Δ0=98 meV for Be0.04Mg0.17Zn0.79O and Δ0=173 meV for Be0.10Mg0.25Zn0.65O, compared to samples with smaller Mg/Be ratio, Δ0=268 meV for Be0.11Mg0.15Zn0.74O. Similar correlation is observed in temporal redshift of the PL peak position of 8 meV, 42 meV and 55 meV for Be0.04Mg0.17Zn0.79O, Be0.10Mg0.25Zn0.65O and Be0.11Mg0.15Zn0.74O, respectively, that originates from potential fluctuations and removal of band filling effect in the localized states. PL transients indicate that emission at low temperature is dominated by recombination of localized excitons, which exhibit decay times as long as τ = 0.36 ns at the peak position. The Sshaped behavior of PL peak with change in temperature was observed for the quaternary alloy Be0.04Mg0.17Zn0.79O. The degree of localization σ was determined to be 22 meV. Relatively high potential fluctuations and localization energy lead to a strong Stokes shift, which increased with bandgap reaching ~0.5 eV for O-polar BeMgZnO on sapphire with 4.6 eV absorption edge.

Pseudopotential calculations and photothermal lensing measurements of two-photon absorption in solids

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

White, W.T. III

1985-11-04

We have studied two-photon absorption in solids theoretically and experimentally. We have shown that it is possible to use accurate band structure techniques to compute two-photon absorption spectra within 15% of measured values in a wide band-gap material, ZnS. The empirical pseudopotential technique that we used is significantly more accurate than previous models of two-photon absorption in zinc blende materials, including present tunneling theories (which are essentially parabolic-band results in disguise) and the nonparabolic-band formalism of Pidgeon et al. and Weiler. The agreement between our predictions and previous measurements allowed us to use ZnS as a reference material in ordermore » to validate a technique for measuring two-photon absorption that was previously untried in solids, pulsed dual-beam thermal lensing. With the validated technique, we examined nonlinear absorption in one other crystal (rutile) and in several glasses, including silicates, borosilicates, and one phosphate glass. Initially, we believed that the absorption edges of all the materials were comparable; however, subsequent evidence suggested that the effective band-gap energies of the glasses were above the energy of two photons in our measurement. Therefore, we attribute the nonlinear absorption that we observed in glasses to impurities or defects. The measured nonlinear absorption coefficients were of the order of a few cm/TW in the glasses and of the order of 10 cm/GW in the crystals, four orders of magnitude higher than in glasses. 292 refs.« less

In vitro biopharmaceutical evaluation of ciprofloxacin/metal cation complexes for pulmonary administration.

PubMed

Brillault, J; Tewes, F; Couet, W; Olivier, J C

2017-01-15

Pulmonary delivery of fluoroquinolones (FQs) is an interesting approach to treat lung infections as it may lead to high local concentrations while minimizing systemic exposure. However, FQs have a rapid diffusion through the lung epithelium giving the pulmonary route no advantage compared to the oral route. Interactions between FQs and metal cations form complexes which limit the diffusion through the epithelial barrier and would reduce the absorption of FQs and maintain high concentrations in the lung. The effects of this complexation depend on the FQ and the metal cations and optimum partners should be selected through in vitro experiments prior to aerosol drug formulation. In this study, CIP was chosen as a representative FQ and 5 cations (Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , Zn 2+ , Al 3+ , Cu 2+ ) were selected to study the complexation and its effects on permeability, antimicrobial efficacy and cell toxicity. The results showed that the apparent association constants between CIP and cations ranked with the descending order: Cu 2+ >Al 3+ >Zn 2+ >Mg 2+ >Ca 2+ . When a target of 80% complexation was reached with the adequate concentrations of cations, the CIP permeability through the Calu-3 lung epithelial cells was decreased of 50%. Toxicity of the CIP on the Calu-3 cells, with an EC50 evaluated at 7μM, was not significantly affected by the presence of the cations. The minimum inhibitory concentration of CIP for Pseudomonas aeruginosa was not affected or slightly increased in the range of cation concentrations tested, except for Mg 2+ . In conclusion, permeability was the main parameter that was affected by the metal cation complexation while cell toxicity and antimicrobial activity were not or slightly modified. Cu 2+ , with the highest apparent constant of association and with no effect on cell toxicity and antimicrobial activity of the CIP, appeared as a promising cation for the development of a controlled-permeability formulation of CIP for lung treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dependence of nonlinear optical properties of Ag2S@ZnS core-shells on Zinc precursor and capping agent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dehghanipour, M.; Khanzadeh, M.; Karimipour, M.; Molaei, M.

2018-03-01

In this research, four different types of Ag2S@ZnS core-shells were synthesized and their nonlinear optical (NLO) properties were investigated using a Z-scan technique by a 532 nm laser diode. Here, Ag2S and ZnS nanoparticles were also synthesized and their NLO properties were compared with Ag2S@ZnS core-shells. It was observed that the NLO properties of Ag2S@ZnS quantum dots significantly increased by increasing the values of Zn(NO3)2 and thioglycolic acid (TGA). It was also observed that the NLO properties of Ag2S@ZnS core-shells for 0.1 g of Zn(NO3)2 and 7000 μl TGA is higher than sole Ag2S and ZnS nanoparticles. In open aperture Z-scan curve of ZnS sample, a saturable absorption peak was observed and this peak was seen also in type of Ag2S@ZnS nanoparticles which the value of Zn(NO3)2 much more.

Efficient photocatalytic degradation of malachite green dye under visible irradiation by water soluble ZnS:Mn/ZnS core/shell nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khaparde, Rohini A.; Acharya, Smita A.

2018-05-01

ZnS:Mn/ ZnS core/shell nanoparticles was prepared by two step synthesis method. In first step, oleic acid - coated Mn doped ZnS core nanoparticles were prepared which were charged through ligand exchange. Shell of ZnS NPs was finally deposited upon the surface of charged Mn doped ZnS core. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image exhibit morphological confirmation of ZnS:Mn/ZnS core/shell. As Nano ZnS are the most suitable candidates for photocatalyst that extensively involved in degradation and complete mineralization of various toxic organic pollutants owing to its high efficiency, strong oxidizing power, non-toxicity, high photochemical and biological stability, corrosive resistance and low cost. Photodegradation of malachite green is systematically investigated by adding different molar proportional of ZnS:Mn/ZnS core/shell in the dye. The rate of de-coloration of dye is detected by UV-VIS absorption spectroscopy. Efficient detoriation in the colour of dye is attributed to the core /shell morphology of the particles.

Plasmonic enhanced optical characteristics of Ag nanostructured ZnO thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarkar, Arijit; Gogurla, Narendar; Shivakiran Bhaktha, B. N.; Ray, Samit K.

2016-04-01

We have demonstrated the enhanced photoluminescence and photoconducting characteristics of plasmonic Ag-ZnO films due to the light scattering effect from Ag nanoislands. Ag nanoislands have been prepared on ITO-coated glass substrates by thermal evaporation followed by annealing. Plasmonic Ag-ZnO films have been fabricated by depositing ZnO over Ag nanoislands by sol-gel process. The band-edge emission of ZnO is enhanced for 170 nm sized Ag nanoislands in ZnO as compared to pure ZnO. The defect emission is also found to be quenched simultaneously for plasmonic Ag-ZnO films. The enhancement and quenching of photoluminescence at different wavelengths for Ag-ZnO films can be well understood from the localized surface plasmon resonance of Ag nanoislands. The Ag-ZnO M-S-M photoconductor device showed a tenfold increment in photocurrent and faster photoresponse as compared to the control ZnO device. The enhancement in photoresponse of the device is due to the increased photon absorption in ZnO films via scattering of the incident illumination.

Investigating the Implementation of ZnO Nanoparticles as a Tunable UV Detector for Different Skin Types

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mosayebi, Pegah; Dorranian, Davoud; Behzad, Kasra

A facile chemical reduction method was used to synthesize ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) in ethylene glycol solvent at two different calcination temperatures. As a result of variation in the calcination temperature, ZnO NPs with two different sizes were achieved. The NPs were investigated for their structural and optical characteristics using X-ray diffraction and ultraviolet (UV)-Vis spectroscopy. The synthesized ZnO NPs exhibited a hexagonal structure with sizes of 46 and 65nm. The synthesized NPs were then used to investigate dye photocatalytic behavior of products as a tunable UV detector for different skin types. The dye degradation and decolorization of methylene blue in the presence of ZnO NP, following UV radiation as a function of time, were studied at different pH levels. The optical absorption spectra were then taken every 15min for all samples. The UV-Vis spectroscopy spectra revealed that optical absorption of solution was decreased upon UV exposure as a function of time. Photocatalytic reaction indicated that the dye degradation and decolorization rate were accelerated with the increase of pH level. Therefore, a tunable UV detector for different skin types could be engineered by varying the pH level of solution to avoid human skin burning.

Composition and Band Gap Tailoring of Crystalline (GaN)1- x(ZnO) x Solid Solution Nanowires for Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Performance.

PubMed

Li, Jing; Liu, Baodan; Wu, Aimin; Yang, Bing; Yang, Wenjin; Liu, Fei; Zhang, Xinglai; An, Vladimir; Jiang, Xin

2018-05-07

Photoelectrochemical water splitting has emerged as an effective artificial photosynthesis technology to generate clean energy of H 2 from sunlight. The core issue in this reaction system is to develop a highly efficient photoanode with a large fraction of solar light absorption and greater active surface area. In this work, we take advantage of energy band engineering to synthesize (GaN) 1- x (ZnO) x solid solution nanowires with ZnO contents ranging from 10.3% to 47.6% and corresponding band gap tailoring from 3.08 to 2.77 eV on the basis of the Au-assisted VLS mechanism. The morphology of nanowires directly grown on the conductive substrate facilitates the charge transfer and simultaneously improves the surface reaction sites. As a result, a photocurrent approximately 10 times larger than that for a conventional powder-based photoanode is obtained, which indicates the potential of (GaN) 1- x (ZnO) x nanowires in the preparation of superior photoanodes for enhanced water splitting. It is anticipated that the water-splitting capability of (GaN) 1- x (ZnO) x nanowire can be further increased through alignment control for enhanced visible light absorption and reduction of charge transfer resistance.

Effect of Mo and Ti doping concentration on the structural and optical properties of ZnS nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naz, Hina; Ali, Rai Nauman; Zhu, Xingqun; Xiang, Bin

2018-06-01

In this paper, we report the effect of single phase Mo and Ti doping concentration on the structural and optical properties of the ZnS nanoparticles. The structural and optical properties of the as-synthesized samples have been examined by x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-visible near infrared absorption spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. TEM characterizations reveal a variation in the doped ZnS nanoparticle size distribution by utilizing different dopants of Mo and Ti. In absorption spectra, a clear red shift of 14 nm is observed with increasing Mo concentration as compared to pure ZnS nanoparticles, while by increasing Ti doping concentration, blue shift of 14 nm is obtained. Moreover, it demonstrates that the value of energy band gap decreases from 4.03 eV to 3.89 eV in case of Mo doping. However, the value of energy band gap have shown a remarkable increase from 4.11 eV to 4.27 eV with increasing Ti doping concentration. Our results provide a new pathway to understand the effect of Mo and Ti doping concentrations on the structural and optical properties of ZnS nanoparticles as it could be the key to tune the properties for future optoelectronic devices.

Effect of F ions on physical and optical properties of fluorine substituted zinc arsenic tellurite glasses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kareem Ahmmad, Shaik; kondaul, Edu; Rahman, Syed

2015-02-01

The effect of substitution of fluoride ions for oxide ions on the physical and optical properties of glass system (20-x) ZnO-xZnF2-40As2O3-40TeO2 where x = 0, 4, 8,12,16,20 mole % were investigated. The samples prepared by melt quenching method under controlled condition. The amorphous nature of these glasses was checked by X-ray diffraction technique. The density was measured according to Archimedes principle. The room temperature absorption spectra of all glass samples were determined using UV-Vis-NIR spectrometer. The thermal behaviour, glass transition temperature and stability of glass samples were studied by a differential scanning calorimetric (DSC). The density reduction of present glasses with ZnF2 concentrations may be due to the low density of ZnF2 compared with that of ZnO. Breaking the oxide network, the cross linking degree of the glass former could be reduced which results in decrease of both Tg and Tx. In the present glass system when F ions replaced by oxygen ions UV-Vis absorption cut-off wavelength decreases. This resulted form the conversion of structural unit in the glass from TeO4 to Te(O,F)4 and then to Te(O, F)3.

Prediction of microwave absorption properties of tetrapod-needle zinc oxide whisker radar absorbing material without prior knowledge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yu-Chen; Wang, Jie; Liu, Jiang-Fan; Song, Zhong-Guo; Xi, Xiao-Li

2017-07-01

The radar absorbing material (RAM) containing a tetrapod-needle zinc oxide whisker (T-ZnOw) has been proved to have good efficiency of microwave absorption. However, the available theoretical models, which are intended to predict the microwave absorbing properties of such an interesting composite, still cannot work well without some prior knowledge, like the measured effective electromagnetic parameters of the prepared T-ZnOw composite. Hence, we propose a novel predictive method here to calculate the reflectivity of T-ZnOw RAM without prior knowledge. In this method, the absorbing ability of this kind of material is divided into three main aspects: the unstructured background, the conductive network, and the nanostructured particle. Then, the attenuation properties of these three parts are represented, respectively, by three different approaches: the equivalent spherical particle and the static strong fluctuation theory, the equivalent circuit model obtained from the complex impedance spectra technology, and the combination of four different microscopic electromagnetic responses. The operational calculation scheme can be obtained by integrating these three absorption effects into the existing theoretical attenuation model. The reasonable agreement between the theoretical and experimental data of a T-ZnON/SiO2 composite in the range of 8-14 GHz shows that the proposed scheme can predict the microwave absorption properties of the T-ZnOw RAM. Furthermore, a detailed analysis of these three mechanisms indicates that, on the one hand, the background plays a dominant role in determining the real part of the effective permittivity of the T-ZnOw composite while the network and the particle are the decisive factors of its material loss; on the other hand, an zero-phase impedance, i.e., a pure resistance, with appropriate resonance characteristic might be a rational physical description of the attenuation property of the conductive network, but it is difficult to realize such an impedance property by the traditional resistance and capacitance network. As a result, a series resonant circuit with a relatively low quality factor is introduced to approximate the material loss caused by the network. Finally, the different combinations of these three absorbing mechanisms are analyzed to further display their roles in the overall absorbing performance.

Reducing mineral usage in feedlot diets for Nellore cattle: I. Impacts of calcium, phosphorus, copper, manganese, and zinc contents on microbial efficiency and ruminal, intestinal, and total digestibility of dietary constituents.

PubMed

Sathler, D F T; Prados, L F; Zanetti, D; Silva, B C; Filho, S C Valadares; Pacheco, M V C; Amaral, P M; Rennó, L N; Paulino, M F

2017-04-01

This study evaluated intake, microbial efficiency, and ruminal, small and large intestinal, and total digestibility of DM, OM, CP, and NDF, as well as availability of Ca, P, Mg, Na, K, Cu, Mn, and Zn in Zebu cattle fed with or without supplemental sources of Ca and P or a micromineral premix. Five rumen- and ileum-cannulated Nellore bulls (BW = 200 ± 10.5 kg; 9 mo) were used in the experiment, distributed in a 5 × 5 Latin square design. The experiment was developed in a 2 × 2 + 1 factorial design to measure the effects of mineral supplementation on intake, digestibility, and site of nutrient absorption. The factors consisted of 2 Ca and P levels (macromineral factor; CaP+ or CaP-) and 2 microminerals levels (micromineral factor; CuMnZn+ or CuMnZn-). In addition, a treatment with alimentary restriction (REST) was evaluated at 1.7% of BW. Nutrient fluxes were measured in the omasum and ileum, in addition to intake and fecal excretion. Microbial efficiency was estimated using purine derivative excretion. Dry matter, OM, NDF, CP intake, and total digestibility were not affected ( ≥ 0.058) by the absence of Ca, P, Cu, Mn, and Zn supplementation. Intake of Ca, P, and Mg were reduced ( < 0.01) by CaP-. The absence of CuMnZn reduced ( < 0.01) Cu, Mn, and Zn intake. Ruminal recycling of P, Na, and K is significant for increasing the influx of these minerals to the digestive tract; however, influences of treatments were not observed. The small and large intestines contributed to mineral absorption in different proportions ( < 0.05), according to minerals and treatments. Because of the similarity ( > 0.05) of OM, NDF, and CP digestion sites and coefficients, we assume that omitting supplemental sources of Ca, P, Cu, Mn, and Zn may be an option in raising cattle on feedlots. If supplementation is viable, knowledge about the specific absorption site of each mineral could positively impact choices about the supplemental source.

Theoretical investigation of geometries, stabilities, electronic and optical properties for advanced Ag{sub n}@(ZnO){sub 42} (n=6-18) hetero-nanostructure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cheng, Hai-Xia; Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, 117542; Wang, Xiao-Xu

The structural properties of Ag{sub n}@(ZnO){sub 42} (n=6-18) core-shell nanoparticles have been investigated by the first principles calculations, and the core-shell nanostructure with n=13 is proved to be the most stable one for the first time. Ag{sub 13}@(ZnO){sub 42} core-shell nanostructure possesses higher chemistry activity and shows a red shift phenomenon in the light of the absorption spectrum compare to the (ZnO){sub 48}, this can be confirmed by the calculated electron structure. The visible-light could be absorbed by Ag{sub 13}@(ZnO){sub 42} to improve the photo-catalysis of (ZnO){sub 48} nanostructure. Our results show good agreement with experiments.

Probing the Li Insertion Mechanism of ZnFe 2O 4 in Li-Ion Batteries: A Combined X-Ray Diffraction, Extended X-Ray Absorption Fine Structure, and Density Functional Theory Study [Probing the Li insertion mechanism of ZnFe 2O 4 in Li ion batteries: A combined XRD, EXAFS, and DFT study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Yiman; Pelliccione, Christopher J.; Brady, Alexander B.

Here, we report an extensive study on fundamental properties that determine the functional electrochemistry of ZnFe 2O 4 spinel (theoretical capacity of 1000 mAh/g). For the first time, the reduction mechanism is followed through a combination of in situ X-ray diffraction data, synchrotron based powder diffraction, and ex-situ extended X-ray absorption fine structure allowing complete visualization of reduction products irrespective of their crystallinity. The first 0.5 electron equivalents (ee) do not significantly change the starting crystal structure. Subsequent lithiation results in migration of Zn 2+ ions from 8a tetrahedral sites into vacant 16c sites. Density functional theory shows that Limore » + ions insert into 16c site initially and then 8a site with further lithiation. Fe metal is formed over the next eight ee of reduction with no evidence of concurrent Zn 2+ reduction to Zn metal. Despite the expected formation of LiZn alloy from the electron count, we find no evidence for this phase under the tested conditions. Additionally, upon oxidation to 3 V, we observe an FeO phase with no evidence of Fe 2O 3. Electrochemistry data show higher electron equivalent transfer than can be accounted for solely based on ZnFe 2O 4 reduction indicating excess capacity ascribed to carbon reduction or surface electrolyte interphase formation.« less

Investigation and characterization of ZnO single crystal microtubes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Al-Naser, Qusay A.H.; Zhou, Jian, E-mail: jianzhou@whut.edu.cn; Liu, Guizhen

2016-04-15

Morphological, structural, and optical characterization of microwave synthesized ZnO single crystal microtubes were investigated in this work. The structure and morphology of the ZnO microtubes are characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), single crystal diffraction (SCD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results reveal that the as-synthesized ZnO microtube has a highly regular hexagonal cross section and smooth surfaces with an average length of 650–700 μm, an average outer diameter of 50 μm and wall thickness of 1–3 μm, possessing a single crystal wurtzite hexagonal structure. Optical properties of ZnOmore » single crystal microtubes were investigated by photoluminescence (PL) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption techniques. Room-temperature PL spectrum of the microtube reveal a strong UV emission peak at around 375.89 nm and broad and a weak visible emission with a main peak identified at 577 nm, which was assigned to the nearest band-edge emission and the deep-level emission, respectively. The band gap energy of ZnO microtube was found to be 3.27 eV. - Highlights: • ZnO microtube length of 650–700 μm, diameter of 50 μm, wall thickness of 1–3 μm • ZnO microtube possesses a single crystal wurtzite hexagonal structure. • The crystal system is hexahedral oriented along a-axis with indices of (100). • A strong and sharp UV emission at 375.89 nm (3.29 eV) • One prominent absorption band around 378.88 nm (3.27 eV)« less

Theoretical study of ZnS/CdS bi-layer for thin-film CdTe solar cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohamed, H. A.; Mohamed, A. S.; Ali, H. M.

2018-05-01

The performance of CdTe solar cells is strongly limited by the thickness of CdS window layer. A higher short-circuit current density might be achieved by decreasing the thickness of CdS layer as a result of reducing the absorption losses that take place in this layer. However, it is difficult to obtain uniform and pin-hole free CdS layers thinner than 50 nm. This problem can be solved through increasing the band gap of the window layer by adding a wide band gap semiconductor such as ZnS. In this work, bi-layer ZnS/CdS film was studied as an improved window layer of ITO/ZnS/CdS/CdTe solar cell. The total thickness of ZnS/CdS layer was taken about 60 nm. The effect of optical losses due to reflection at different interfaces in the cell and absorption in ITO, ZnS, CdS as well as the recombination loss have been studied. Finally, the effects of the recombination losses in the space-charge region and the reflectivity from the back contact were taken into accounts. The results revealed that the optical losses of 23% were achieved at 60 nm thickness of CdS and theses losses minimized to 18% when ZnS layer of 30 nm thickness was added to CdS layer. The minimum optical and recombination losses of about 26% were obtained at 1 ns of electron life-time and ∼0.4 μm width of the space-charge region. The maximum efficiency of 18.5% was achieved for ITO/CdS/CdTe cell and the efficiency increased up to 20% for ITO/ZnS/CdS/CdTe cell.

Interplay between Surface Chemistry, Precursor Reactivity, and Temperature Determines Outcome of ZnS Shelling Reactions on CuInS2 Nanocrystals

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

ZnS shelling of I–III–VI2 nanocrystals (NCs) invariably leads to blue-shifts in both the absorption and photoluminescence spectra. These observations imply that the outcome of ZnS shelling reactions on I–III–VI2 colloidal NCs results from a complex interplay between several processes taking place in solution, at the surface of, and within the seed NC. However, a fundamental understanding of the factors determining the balance between these different processes is still lacking. In this work, we address this need by investigating the impact of precursor reactivity, reaction temperature, and surface chemistry (due to the washing procedure) on the outcome of ZnS shelling reactions on CuInS2 NCs using a seeded growth approach. We demonstrate that low reaction temperatures (150 °C) favor etching, cation exchange, and alloying regardless of the precursors used. Heteroepitaxial shell overgrowth becomes the dominant process only if reactive S- and Zn-precursors (S-ODE/OLAM and ZnI2) and high reaction temperatures (210 °C) are used, although a certain degree of heterointerfacial alloying still occurs. Remarkably, the presence of residual acetate at the surface of CIS seed NCs washed with ethanol is shown to facilitate heteroepitaxial shell overgrowth, yielding for the first time CIS/ZnS core/shell NCs displaying red-shifted absorption spectra, in agreement with the spectral shifts expected for a type-I band alignment. The insights provided by this work pave the way toward the design of improved synthesis strategies to CIS/ZnS core/shell and alloy NCs with tailored elemental distribution profiles, allowing precise tuning of the optoelectronic properties of the resulting materials. PMID:29657360

Sandwiched ZnO@Au@CdS nanorod arrays with enhanced visible-light-driven photocatalytical performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Shoutian; Wang, Yingying; Fan, Guanghua; Gao, Renxi; Liu, Wenjun

2017-11-01

The development of high-performance photocatalysts is central to efforts focused on taking advantage of solar energy to overcome environmental and energy crises. Integrating different functional materials artfully into nanostructures can deliver more efficient photocatalytic activity. Here, sandwiched ZnO@Au@CdS nanorod films were synthesized via successive ZnO nanorod electrodeposition, Au sputtering and CdS electrodeposition. The as-synthesized composites were characterized by UV-vis spectrophotometer, x-ray diffractometer, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Their photocatalytic activity was assessed by degrading Rhodamine B solution under visible light irradiation. ZnO@Au@CdS exhibited better photocatalytic performance than ZnO@CdS throughout the visible light region, and the corresponding enhancement factor of Au nanoparticles was measured as a function of CdS loading amount, and it could reach 190% with CdS deposition for 1 min. The normalized rate constant could reach 0.387 h-1 for ZnO@Au@CdS-1min, which was equivalent to or better than results in reference photocatalysts. The enhancement mechanism of Au nanoparticles was estimated by comparing the monochromatic photocatalytic action spectra with the absorption spectrum of ZnO@Au@CdS, and it was mainly determined by incident photon energy. With selective excitation of Au nanoparticles by incident photons, the excited hot electrons in Au NPs are transferred to the conduction band of ZnO to boost photocatalytic reaction. With selective excitation of CdS, the enhanced interband absorption of CdS and relay station effect of Au nanoparticles should be responsible for the enhanced photocatalytic performance. Our work not only opens the door to the design of efficient supported photocatalysts, but also helps to understand the enhancement mechanism of LSPR effect on the photoelectric conversion of semiconductors.

Probing the Li Insertion Mechanism of ZnFe 2O 4 in Li-Ion Batteries: A Combined X-Ray Diffraction, Extended X-Ray Absorption Fine Structure, and Density Functional Theory Study [Probing the Li insertion mechanism of ZnFe 2O 4 in Li ion batteries: A combined XRD, EXAFS, and DFT study

DOE PAGES

Zhang, Yiman; Pelliccione, Christopher J.; Brady, Alexander B.; ...

2017-04-24

Here, we report an extensive study on fundamental properties that determine the functional electrochemistry of ZnFe 2O 4 spinel (theoretical capacity of 1000 mAh/g). For the first time, the reduction mechanism is followed through a combination of in situ X-ray diffraction data, synchrotron based powder diffraction, and ex-situ extended X-ray absorption fine structure allowing complete visualization of reduction products irrespective of their crystallinity. The first 0.5 electron equivalents (ee) do not significantly change the starting crystal structure. Subsequent lithiation results in migration of Zn 2+ ions from 8a tetrahedral sites into vacant 16c sites. Density functional theory shows that Limore » + ions insert into 16c site initially and then 8a site with further lithiation. Fe metal is formed over the next eight ee of reduction with no evidence of concurrent Zn 2+ reduction to Zn metal. Despite the expected formation of LiZn alloy from the electron count, we find no evidence for this phase under the tested conditions. Additionally, upon oxidation to 3 V, we observe an FeO phase with no evidence of Fe 2O 3. Electrochemistry data show higher electron equivalent transfer than can be accounted for solely based on ZnFe 2O 4 reduction indicating excess capacity ascribed to carbon reduction or surface electrolyte interphase formation.« less

Surface structure, optoelectronic properties and charge transport in ZnO nanocrystal/MDMO-PPV multilayer films.

PubMed

Lian, Qing; Chen, Mu; Mokhtar, Muhamad Z; Wu, Shanglin; Zhu, Mingning; Whittaker, Eric; O'Brien, Paul; Saunders, Brian R

2018-05-07

Blends of semiconducting nanocrystals and conjugated polymers continue to attract major research interest because of their potential applications in optoelectronic devices, such as solar cells, photodetectors and light-emitting diodes. In this study we investigate the surface structure, morphological and optoelectronic properties of multilayer films constructed from ZnO nanocrystals (NCs) and poly[2-methoxy-5-(3',7'-dimethyloctyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] (MDMO-PPV). The effects of layer number and ZnO concentration (C ZnO ) used on the multilayer film properties are investigated. An optimised solvent blend enabled well-controlled layers to be sequentially spin coated and the construction of multilayer films containing six ZnO NC (Z) and MDMO-PPV (M) layers (denoted as (ZM) 6 ). Contact angle data showed a strong dependence on C ZnO and indicated distinct differences in the coverage of MDMO-PPV by the ZnO NCs. UV-visible spectroscopy showed that the MDMO-PPV absorption increased linearly with the number of layers in the films and demonstrates highly tuneable light absorption. Photoluminescence spectra showed reversible quenching as well as a surprising red-shift of the MDMO-PPV emission peak. Solar cells were constructed to probe vertical photo-generated charge transport. The measurements showed that (ZM) 6 devices prepared using C ZnO = 14.0 mg mL -1 had a remarkably high open circuit voltage of ∼800 mV. The device power conversion efficiency was similar to that of a control bilayer device prepared using a much thicker MDMO-PPV layer. The results of this study provide insight into the structure-optoelectronic property relationships of new semiconducting multilayer films which should also apply to other semiconducting NC/polymer combinations.

Total scattering and pair distribution function analysis in modelling disorder in PZN (PbZn1/3Nb2/3O3)

PubMed Central

Whitfield, Ross E.; Goossens, Darren J.; Welberry, T. Richard

2016-01-01

The ability of the pair distribution function (PDF) analysis of total scattering (TS) from a powder to determine the local ordering in ferroelectric PZN (PbZn1/3Nb2/3O3) has been explored by comparison with a model established using single-crystal diffuse scattering (SCDS). While X-ray PDF analysis is discussed, the focus is on neutron diffraction results because of the greater extent of the data and the sensitivity of the neutron to oxygen atoms, the behaviour of which is important in PZN. The PDF was shown to be sensitive to many effects not apparent in the average crystal structure, including variations in the B-site—O separation distances and the fact that 〈110〉 Pb2+ displacements are most likely. A qualitative comparison between SCDS and the PDF shows that some features apparent in SCDS were not apparent in the PDF. These tended to pertain to short-range correlations in the structure, rather than to interatomic separations. For example, in SCDS the short-range alternation of the B-site cations was quite apparent in diffuse scattering at (½ ½ ½), whereas it was not apparent in the PDF. PMID:26870378

Assessment of the Zinc and Copper Status in Alpaca.

PubMed

Pechová, A; Husáková, T; Pavlata, L; Holasová, M; Hauptmanová, K

2018-02-01

This study was performed with the aim of investigating the concentration of zinc and copper in the blood of healthy alpacas (Vicugna pacos) kept in central Europe and to compare the concentration of Zn and Cu in plasma and in whole blood. A further objective was to evaluate blood Zn and Cu in relation to different micromineral supplementation, age and sex groups of alpacas. A total of 299 alpacas (224 adults and 75 crias) from 18 farms were included in this study. The concentrations of copper and zinc in plasma/whole blood were measured by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The results of this study show high individual variability in plasma Zn (median 3.54, range 1.56-8.01 μmol/l), whole blood Zn (median 10.01, range 6.23-75.0 μmol/l), plasma Cu (median 7.53, range 2.93-16.41 μmol/l) and whole blood Cu (median 6.33, range 3.02-13.95 μmol/l). Plasma Zn was not significantly influenced by sex, age or feeding group. Whole blood Zn was only significantly higher in females than in males. The intake of Zn in all groups was equal to or higher than the nutritional recommendation. During excessive supplementation, Zn absorption decreased and thus blood Zn did not reflect the higher intake. Only a weak correlation was found (Spearman correlation coefficient r = 0.384; p > 0.01; n = 204) between plasma and whole blood Zn concentrations. Plasma copper concentration was significantly influenced by age, sex and feeding; whole blood Cu by age and feeding. However, neither plasma Cu nor whole blood Cu reflected the intake of the element. We found a close correlation between plasma and blood copper concentrations (Spearman correlation coefficient r = 0.9043; p ≤ 0.01; n = 99). According to our results, copper in plasma or blood is not a good indicator of copper intake.

Color Tuning in Garnet Oxides: The Role of Tetrahedral Coordination Geometry for 3 d Metal Ions and Ligand-Metal Charge Transfer (Band-Gap Manipulation).

PubMed

Bhim, Anupam; Laha, Sourav; Gopalakrishnan, Jagannatha; Natarajan, Srinivasan

2017-10-18

We explored garnet-structured oxide materials containing 3d transition-metal ions (e.g., Co 2+ , Ni 2+ , Cu 2+ , and Fe 3+ ) for the development of new inorganic colored materials. For this purpose, we synthesized new garnets, Ca 3 Sb 2 Ga 2 ZnO 12 (I) and Ca 3 Sb 2 Fe 2 ZnO 12 (II), that were isostructural with Ca 3 Te 2 Zn 3 O 12 . Substitution of Co 2+ , Ni 2+ , and Cu 2+ at the tetrahedral Zn 2+ sites in I and II gave rise to brilliantly colored materials (different shades of blue, green, turquoise, and red). The materials were characterized by optical absorption spectroscopy and CIE chromaticity diagrams. The Fe 3+ -containing oxides showed band-gap narrowing (owing to strong sp-d exchange interactions between Zn 2+ and the transition-metal ion), and this tuned the color of these materials uniquely. We also characterized the color and optical absorption properties of Ca 3 Te 2 Zn 3-x Co x O 12 (0

Complete transformation of ZnO and CuO nanoparticles in culture medium and lymphocyte cells during toxicity testing

EPA Science Inventory

Here, we present evidence on complete transformation of ZnO and CuO nanoparticles, which are among the most heavily studied metal oxide particles, during 24 h in vitro toxicological testing with human T-lymphocytes. Synchrotron radiation-based X-ray absorption near edge st...

Effect of aluminium doping on structural and optical properties of ZnO thin films by sol-gel method

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vijayaprasath, G.; Murugan, R.; Ravi, G., E-mail: raviganesa@rediffmail.com, E-mail: gravicrc@gmail.com

2015-06-24

We systematically investigated the structural, morphological and optical properties of 0.05 mol % Al doped ZnO (Al:ZnO) thin films deposited on glass substrates by sol-gel spin coating method. The influences of Al doping in ZnO thin films are characterized by Powder X-ray diffraction study. ZnO and Al:ZnO thin films have showed hexagonal wurtzite structure without any secondary phase in c-axis (002) orientation. The SEM images also proved the hexagonal rod like morphologies for both films. All the films exhibited transmittance of 70-80% in the visible range up to 800 nm and cut-off wavelength observed at ∼390 nm corresponding to the fundamental absorption ofmore » ZnO. The band gap of the ZnO thin films slightly widened with the Al doping. The photoluminescence properties have been studied for Al: ZnO thin films and the results are presented in detail.« less

Optical Properties of ZnCdS:I Orange and ZnSTe:I White Thin Film Phosphor for High Ra White LED

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujii, Satoshi; Tasaki, Norio; Shinomura, Naohiko; Kurai, Satoshi; Yamada, Yoichi; Taguchi, Tsunemasa

In order to develop visible thin film phosphors, we have for the first time prepared ZnCdS and ZnSTe doped with Iodine (I) using low-pressure MOCVD method. ZnCdS:I, of which Cd composition was calibrated to match the lattice constant to that of substrate and the band gap to absorption peak, showed a orange broad emission consist of yellow near band edge emission and red SA emission. Isoelectronic Te in ZnS indicates strong blue-green emissions, whilst I donor impurity in ZnS shows strong red SA emissions. A typical ZnSTe:I thin film shows two broad emission bands locating at around 500 and 680 nm, respectively, indicating Ra˜90. It was shown that high Ra thin film phosphor can be realized by single material (ZnSTe:I), and that MOCVD method is capable for controlling the thickness and doping profile to obtain uniform white emission pattern.

Excitonic Gain and Laser Action in Zinc Selenide Based Quantum Confined Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, Jian

1992-01-01

Successful doping (both n and p type) and the knowledge obtained through optical pumping studies of ZnSe/ZnCdSe quantum well laser structures have led to the successful realization of ZnCdSe/ZnSe/ZnCdSSe and ZnCdSe/ZnSe injection diode lasers at temperatures above 200K, so far under pulsed excitation, where ZnSe/ZnCdSe quantum wells (single or multiple) are used as the gain media. One of the key design issues in optimizing such diode lasers for eventual room temperature, continuous-wave (cw) operation in technological applications (such as high density optical memories) is the question about the microscopic mechanism responsible for gain and stimulated emission. In other words, are there departures from the standard degenerate electron -hole pair picture which is rooted in population inversion models e.g. for the III-V semiconductor lasers, including quantum wells (QW). That some closer consideration may indeed be appropriate is suggested by the strong excitonic effects which have been recently observed in the optical properties of ZnSe based QW's. In particular, it has been demonstrated that for the type I (Zn,Cd)Se/ZnSe QW system, the quasi-2 dimensional (2D) confinement of electron-hole pairs leads to enhancement of the exciton binding energy E_{rm x}, such that it exceeds the longitudinal optical (LO) phonon energy hbaromega_{sc LO }. In striking contrast to bulk ZnSe, strong, distinct exciton absorption features can be seen well above room temperature. The question hence arises whether exciton effects might also be of fundamental and practical consequence in laser structures. In this thesis, we present experimental evidence to argue that excitons indeed do play a central role in the formation of gain in the (Zn,Cd)Se/ZnSe QW's which have emerged as the prime candidates for diode lasers in the blue-green portion of the spectrum. By employing both steady state and picosecond spectroscopy, we show that the origin of gain and laser action in (Zn,Cd)Se/ZnSe quantum wells in the blue-green is of excitonic nature. Among other observations we find that stimulated emission occurs when excitation takes place resonantly into the n = 1 HH exciton absorption line. Picosecond excite-probe measurements demonstrate directly the existence of gain as well as dynamical process of exciton relaxation. A simple excitonic gain model is also given to explain the phenomena observed in the stimulated emission process in ZnCdSe/ZnSe quantum well structures.

Temperature Evolution of Excitonic Absorptions in Cd(1-x)Zn(x)Te Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quijada, Manuel A.; Henry, Ross

2007-01-01

The studies consist of measuring the frequency dependent transmittance (T) and reflectance (R) above and below the optical band-gap in the UV/Visible and infrared frequency ranges for Cd(l-x),Zn(x),Te materials for x=0 and x=0.04. Measurements were also done in the temperature range from 5 to 300 K. The results show that the optical gap near 1.49 eV at 300 K increases to 1.62 eV at 5 K. Finally, we observe sharp absorption peaks near this gap energy at low temperatures. The close proximity of these peaks to the optical transition threshold suggests that they originate from the creation of bound electron-hole pairs or excitons. The decay of these excitonic absorptions may contribute to a photoluminescence and transient background response of these back-illuminated HgCdTe CCD detectors.

Integration of Semiconducting Sulfides for Full-Spectrum Solar Energy Absorption and Efficient Charge Separation.

PubMed

Zhuang, Tao-Tao; Liu, Yan; Li, Yi; Zhao, Yuan; Wu, Liang; Jiang, Jun; Yu, Shu-Hong

2016-05-23

The full harvest of solar energy by semiconductors requires a material that simultaneously absorbs across the whole solar spectrum and collects photogenerated electrons and holes separately. The stepwise integration of three semiconducting sulfides, namely ZnS, CdS, and Cu2-x S, into a single nanocrystal, led to a unique ternary multi-node sheath ZnS-CdS-Cu2-x S heteronanorod for full-spectrum solar energy absorption. Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) in the nonstoichiometric copper sulfide nanostructures enables effective NIR absorption. More significantly, the construction of pn heterojunctions between Cu2-x S and CdS leads to staggered gaps, as confirmed by first-principles simulations. This band alignment causes effective electron-hole separation in the ternary system and hence enables efficient solar energy conversion. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Spectroscopy and visible frequency upconversion in Er3+-Yb3+: TeO2-ZnO glass.

PubMed

Mohanty, Deepak Kumar; Rai, Vineet Kumar

2014-01-01

The UV-Vis-NIR absorption studies of the Er(3+)/Er(3+)-Yb(3+) doped/codoped TeO2-ZnO (TZO) glasses fabricated by the melting and quenching method has been performed. The spectroscopic radiative parameters viz. radiative transition probabilities, branching ratios and lifetimes have been determined from the absorption spectrum by using Judd-Ofelt theory. The near infrared (NIR) to visible frequency upconversion (UC) have been monitored by using an excitation of 976 nm wavelength radiation from a CW diode laser. The effect of codoping with Yb(3+) ions on the intensity of the UC emission bands from the Er(3+) ions throughout visible region has been studied. The mechanism responsible for the observed upconversion emissions in the prepared samples have been explained on the basis of excited state absorption and efficient energy transfer processes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sensitive measurement of nonlinear absorption and optical limiting in undoped and Fe-doped ZnO quantum dots using pulsed laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, D.; Malik, B. P.; Gaur, A.

2016-11-01

Zinc oxide quantum dots (QDs) with Fe-doping at different concentrations were prepared by chemical co-precipitation method. The prepared QDs were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and Z-scan technique. The sizes of QDs were found to be within 4.6-6.6 nm range. The nonlinear parameters viz. two-photon absorption coefficient (βTPA) and two-photon absorption cross-section (σTPA) were extracted with the help of open aperture Z-scan technique using nanosecond Nd:YAG laser operating at wavelength 532 nm. Higher values of βTPA and σTPA for Fe doped ZnO implied that they were potential materials for development of photonics devices and sensor protection applications. Fe doped sample (3 % by wt) was found to be the best optical limiter with limiting threshold intensity of 0.64 TW/cm2.

Remarkably high apparent quantum yield of the overall photocatalytic H2O splitting achieved by utilizing Zn ion added Ga2O3 prepared using dilute CaCl2 solution.

PubMed

Sakata, Yoshihisa; Hayashi, Takuya; Yasunaga, Ryō; Yanaga, Nobuyuki; Imamura, Hayao

2015-08-21

Remarkably high photocatalytic activity for the overall H2O splitting, where the activity was 32 mmol h(-1) for H2 production and 16 mmol h(-1) for O2 production under irradiation from a 450 W high-pressure Hg lamp and the apparent quantum yield (AQY) was 71% under irradiation at 254 nm, was achieved by utilizing a Rh(0.5)Cr(1.5)O3(Rh; 0.5 wt%)/Zn(3 mol%)-Ga2O3 photocatalyst when Ga2O3 was prepared using dilute CaCl2 aqueous solution having a concentration of 0.001 mol l(-1).

Gradient Structure Design of Flexible Waterborne Polyurethane Conductive Films for Ultraefficient Electromagnetic Shielding with Low Reflection Characteristic.

PubMed

Xu, Yadong; Yang, Yaqi; Yan, Ding-Xiang; Duan, Hongji; Zhao, Guizhe; Liu, Yaqing

2018-06-06

Highly efficient electromagnetic shielding materials entailing strong electromagnetic wave absorption and low reflection have become an increasing requirement for next-generation communication technologies and high-power electronic instruments. In this study, a new strategy is employed to provide flexible waterborne polyurethane composite films with an ultra-efficient electromagnetic shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) and low reflection by constructing gradient shielding layers with a magnetic ferro/ferric oxide deposited on reduced graphene oxide (rGO@Fe 3 O 4 ) and silver-coated tetraneedle-like ZnO whisker (T-ZnO/Ag) functional nanoparticles. Because of the differences in density between rGO@Fe 3 O 4 and T-ZnO/Ag, a gradient structure is automatically formed during the film formation process. The gradient distribution of rGO@Fe 3 O 4 over the whole thickness range forms an efficient electromagnetic wave absorption network that endows the film with a strong absorption ability on the top side, while a thin layer of high-density T-ZnO/Ag at the bottom constructs a highly conductive network that provides an excellent electromagnetic reflection ability for the film. This specific structure results in an "absorb-reflect-reabsorb" process when electromagnetic waves penetrate into the composite film, leading to an excellent EMI shielding performance with an extremely low reflection characteristic at a very low nanofiller content (0.8 vol % Fe 3 O 4 @rGO and 5.7 vol % T-ZnO/Ag): the EMI SE reaches 87.2 dB against the X band with a thickness of only 0.5 mm, while the shielding effectiveness of reflection (SE R ) is only 2.4 dB and the power coefficient of reflectivity ( R) is as low as 0.39. This result means that only 39% of the microwaves are reflected in the propagation process when 99.9999998% are attenuated, which is the lowest value among the reported references. This composite film with remarkable performance is suitable for application in portable and wearable smart electronics, and this method offers an effective strategy for absorption-dominated EMI shielding.

Defect-induced ferromagnetism in ZnO nanoparticles prepared by mechanical milling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phan, The-Long; Zhang, Y. D.; Yang, D. S.; Nghia, N. X.; Thanh, T. D.; Yu, S. C.

2013-02-01

Though ZnO is known as a diamagnetic material, recent studies have revealed that its nanostructures can be ferromagnetic (FM). The FM origin has been ascribed to intrinsic defects. This work shines light on an alternate method based on mechanical milling to induce defect-related ferromagnetism in ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) from initial diamagnetic ZnO powders. Our idea is motivated by the fact that mechanical milling introduces more defects to a ground material. We point out that the FM order increases with increasing the density of defects in ZnO NPs. The experimental results obtained from analyzing X-ray absorption, electron spin resonance, and Raman scattering spectra demonstrate that the ferromagnetism in ZnO NPs is due to intrinsic defects mainly related to oxygen and zinc vacancies. Among these, zinc vacancies play a decisive role in introducing a high FM order in ZnO NPs.

Synthesis of Ag-ZnO with multiple rods (multipods) morphology and its application in the simultaneous photo-catalytic degradation of methyl orange and methylene blue.

PubMed

Arab Chamjangali, M; Bagherian, G; Javid, A; Boroumand, S; Farzaneh, N

2015-11-05

In this study, the photo-decolorization of a mixture of methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) was investigated using Ag-ZnO multipods. The photo-catalyst used, ZnO multipods, was successfully synthesized. The surface of ZnO microstructure was modified by deposition of different amounts of Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs) using the photo-reduction method. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-Vis and atomic absorption spectroscopy. The photo-catalytic efficiency of Ag-ZnO is mainly controlled by the amount of Ag NPs deposited on the ZnO surface. The results obtained suggest that Ag-ZnO containing 6.5% Ag NPs, has the highest photo-catalytic performance in the simultaneous photo-degradation of dyes at a shorter time. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Stability of Cd 1–xZn xO yS 1–y Quaternary Alloys Assessed with First-Principles Calculations

DOE PAGES

Varley, Joel B.; He, Xiaoqing; Rockett, Angus; ...

2017-02-08

One route to decreasing the absorption in CdS buffer layers in Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 and Cu 2ZnSn(S,Se) 4 thin-film photovoltaics is by alloying. Here we use first-principles calculations based on hybrid functionals to assess the energetics and stability of quaternary Cd, Zn, O, and S (Cd 1–xZn xO yS 1–y) alloys within a regular solution model. Our results identify that full miscibility of most Cd 1–xZn xO yS 1–y compositions and even binaries like Zn(O,S) is outside typical photovoltaic processing conditions. Finally, the results suggest that the tendency for phase separation of the oxysulfides may drive the nucleation of other phasesmore » such as sulfates that have been increasingly observed in oxygenated CdS and ZnS.« less

Stability of Cd 1–xZn xO yS 1–y Quaternary Alloys Assessed with First-Principles Calculations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Varley, Joel B.; He, Xiaoqing; Rockett, Angus

One route to decreasing the absorption in CdS buffer layers in Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 and Cu 2ZnSn(S,Se) 4 thin-film photovoltaics is by alloying. Here we use first-principles calculations based on hybrid functionals to assess the energetics and stability of quaternary Cd, Zn, O, and S (Cd 1–xZn xO yS 1–y) alloys within a regular solution model. Our results identify that full miscibility of most Cd 1–xZn xO yS 1–y compositions and even binaries like Zn(O,S) is outside typical photovoltaic processing conditions. Finally, the results suggest that the tendency for phase separation of the oxysulfides may drive the nucleation of other phasesmore » such as sulfates that have been increasingly observed in oxygenated CdS and ZnS.« less

Room temperature synthesis and optical properties of small diameter (5 nm) ZnO nanorod arrays.

PubMed

Cho, Seungho; Jang, Ji-Wook; Lee, Jae Sung; Lee, Kun-Hong

2010-10-01

We report a simple wet-chemical synthesis of ∼5 nm diameter ZnO nanorod arrays at room temperature (20 °C) and normal atmospheric pressure (1 atm) and their optical properties. They were single crystalline in nature, and grew in the [001] direction. These small diameter ZnO nanorod arrays can also be synthesized at 0 °C. Control experiments were also conducted. On the basis of the results, we propose a mechanism for the spontaneous growth of the small diameter ZnO structures. The optical properties of the 5 nm diameter ZnO nanorod arrays synthesized using this method were probed by UV-Visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. A clear blue-shift, relative to the absorption band from 50 nm diameter ZnO nanorod arrays, was attributed to the quantum confinement effects caused by the small nanocrystal size in the 5 nm diameter ZnO nanorods.

Influence of Post-Heat Treatment of ZnO:Al Transparent Electrode for Copper Indium Gallium Selenide Thin Film Solar Cell.

PubMed

Eom, Taewoo; Park, Jeong Eun; Park, Sang Yong; Park, Jeong Hoon; Bweupe, Jackson; Lim, Donggun

2018-09-01

Copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) thin film solar cells have been regarded as a candidate for energy conversion devices owing to their high absorption coefficient, high temperature stability, and low cost. ZnO:Al thin film is commonly used in CIGS solar cells as a window layer. In this study, ZnO:Al films were deposited on glass under various post-heat temperature using RF sputtering to observe the characteristics of ZnO:Al films such as Hall mobility, carrier concentration, and resistivity; subsequently, the ZnO:Al films were applied to a CIGS solar cell as a window. CIGS solar cells fabricated with various ZnO:Al films were analyzed in order to investigate their influence. The test results showed that the improvement of ZnO:Al characteristics affects Jsc and Voc in the solar cell through reduced recombination and increase of optical property.

Hyperaccumulation of zinc by zinc-depleted Candida utilis grown in chemostat culture.

PubMed

Lawford, H G; Pik, J R; Lawford, G R; Williams, T; Kligerman, A

1980-01-01

The steady-state levels of zinc in Candida utilis yeast grown in continuous culture under conditions of zinc limitations are <1nmol Zn2+/mg dry weight of cells. Unlike carbon-limited cells, zinc-depleted cells from a zinc-limited chemostat possess the capacity to accumulate and store zinc at levels far in excess of the steady-state level of 4 nmol/mg dry biomass observed in carbon-limited chemostat cultures. Zinc uptake is energy-dependent and apparently undirectional since accumulated 65Zn neither exists from preloaded cells nor exchanges with cold Zn2+. The transport system exhibits a high affinity for Zn2+ (Km =.36micrM) with a Vmaxof 2.2 nmol per minute per milligram dry weight of cells. Growth during the period of the uptake assay is responsible for the apparent plateau level of 35 nmol Zn2+/mg dry weight of cells achieved after 20-30 min in the presence of 65Zn at pH 4.5 and 30 degrees C. Inhibition of growth during the uptake assay by cycloheximide results in a biphasic linear pattern of zinc accumulation where the cellular zinc is about 60 nmol/mg dry weight after 1 h. The enhanced level of accumulated zinc is not inhibtory to growth. Zinc-depleted C. utilis contains elevated amounts of polyphosphate and this anionic evidence does not allow discrimination between possible regulation of zinc homestasis either by inhibitions of zinc efflux through control of the membrane carrier or by control of the synthesis of a cytoplasmic zinc-sequestering macromolecule.

Excitons and photoluminescence in ZnO and Zn0.99Mn0.01O nanocrystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gruzdev, N. B.; Sokolov, V. I.; Ermakov, A. E.; Uimin, M. A.; Mysik, A. A.; Pustovarov, V. A.

2010-08-01

The photoluminescence and photoluminescence excitation spectra for Zn1- x Mn x O nanocrystals are presented. After annealing of powders in air, the intensity of the bands attributable to manganese decreases noticeably. This suggests that the oxygen vacancies affect the Zhang-Rice-like states appearing due to strong d- p-hybridization, which is confirmed by an increase in the band gap of Zn1- x Mn x O for low x. The origin of the 2.9-eV peak and the shape of its excitation spectrum are discussed qualitatively. For Zn1- x Mn x O nanocrystals, the shape of the excitation spectrum is as unusual as the intense absorption in the range (2.2-3.0) eV.

Photoluminescence studies on Cd(1-x)Zn(x)S:Mn2+ nanocrystals.

PubMed

Sethi, Ruchi; Kumar, Lokendra; Pandey, A C

2009-09-01

Highly monodispersed, undoped and doped with Mn2+, binary and ternary (CdS, ZnS, Cd(1-x)Zn(x)S) compound semiconductor nanocrystals have been synthesized by co-precipitation method using citric acid as a stabilizer. As prepared sample are characterized by X-ray diffraction, Small angle X-ray scattering, Transmission electron microscope, Optical absorption and Photoluminescence spectroscopy, for their optical and structural properties. X-ray diffraction, Small angle X-ray scattering and Transmission electron microscope results confirm the preparation of monodispersed nanocrystals. Photoluminescence studies show a significant blue shift in the wavelength with an increasing concentration of Zn in alloy nanocrystals.

Photorefractivity in a Titanium Doped ZnCdTe Crystal

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, M.; Collins, L.; Dyer, K.; Tong, J.; Ueda, A.; Chen, H.; Chen, K.-T.; Burger, A.; Pan, Z.; Morgan, S. H.

1997-01-01

Single crystals of Zn(.04)Cd(.96)Te was grown by horizontal physical vapor transport (PVT) method and doped by annealing with TiTe2 powder at 600 C for six days. Photorefractive two-beam coupling, along with photoluminescence and absorption spectroscopy, were used to characterize the ZnCdTe:Ti crystal. At 1.32 micrometers, the photorefractive gain has been measured as a function of the grating period. A gain of about 0.16/cm was obtained at an intensity of about 0.1 W/sq cm. The results of this titanium doped ZnCdTe crystal are compared to that of vanadium-doped CdTe crystals reported previously.

Performance and stability analysis of curcumin dye as a photo sensitizer used in nanostructured ZnO based DSSC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinha, D.; De, D.; Ayaz, A.

2018-03-01

Environmental friendly natural dye curcumin extracted from low-cost Curcumina longa stem is used as a photo-sensitizer for the fabrication of ZnO-based dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC). Nanostructured ZnO is fabricated on a transparent conducting glass (TCO), using a cost-effective chemical bath deposition technique. Scanning electron microscopic images show hexagonal patterned ZnO nano-towers decorated with several nanosteps. The average length of ZnO nano-tower is 5 μm and diameter is 1.2 μm. The UV-Vis spectroscopic study of the curcumin dye is used to understand the light absorption behavior as well as band gap energy of the extracted natural dye. The dye shows wider absorption band-groups over 350-470 nm and 500-600 nm with two peaks positioned at 425 nm and 525 nm. The optical band gap energy and energy band position of the dye is derived which supports its stability and high electron affinity that makes it suitable for light harvesting and effortless electron transfer from dye to the semiconductor or interface between them. FTIR spectrum of curcumin dye-sensitized ZnO-based DSSC shows the presence of anchoring groups and colouring constitutes. The I-V and P-V curves of the fabricated DSSC are measured under simulated light (100 mW/cm2). The highest visible light to electric conversion efficiency of 0.266% (using ITO) and 0.33% (using FTO) is achieved from the curcumin dye-sensitized cell.

Evaluation of dog bones in the indirect assessment of environmental contamination with trace elements.

PubMed

Lanocha, Natalia; Kalisinska, Elzbieta; Kosik-Bogacka, Danuta I; Budis, Halina

2012-06-01

The aim of this paper was to determine the level of five elements, two essential for life [zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu)] and three distinctly toxic [lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and mercury (Hg)], in four types of biological material in bones of the dog Canis lupus familiaris. The experiment was carried out on bones from the hip joints of dogs. The samples of cartilage, compact bone, spongy bone, and cartilage with adjacent compact bone came from 26 domestic dogs from northwestern Poland. Concentrations of Cu, Zn, Pb, and Cd were determined by ICP-AES (atomic absorption spectrophotometry) in inductively coupled argon plasma, using a Perkin-Elmer Optima 2000 DV. Determination of Hg concentration was performed by atomic absorption spectroscopy. In the examined bone material from the dog, the greatest concentrations (median) were observed for Zn and the lowest for Hg (98 mg Zn/kg and 0.0015 mg Hg/kg dw, respectively). In cartilage and spongy bone, metal concentrations could be arranged in the following descending order: Zn > Pb > Cu > Cd > Hg. In compact bone, the order was slightly different: Zn > Pb > Cd > Cu > Hg (from median 70 mg/kg dw to 0.002 mg/kg dw). The comparisons of metal concentrations between the examined bone materials showed distinct differences only in relation to Hg: between concentrations in spongy bone, compact bone, and in cartilage, being greater in cartilage than in compact bone, and lower again in spongy bone.

An HST study of galactic inerstellar zinc and chromium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roth, Katherine C.; Blades, J. Chris

1995-01-01

We present a survey of interstellar Zn II and Cr II absorption extracted from the Hubble Space Telescope Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph (HST GHRS) data archive. We find clear evidence for an enhanced depletion of Zn from the gas phase with increasing fractional abundance of molecular hydrogen f(H2). Our lower limit to the Galactic interstellar metallicity is approximately 65% of the solar value as determined by the measured Zn abundances in the lowest f(H2) sightlines, (N(Zn)/N(H(sup 0)(sub tot)) = -0.19 +/- 0.04. The correspondingly high depletion of Cr with respect to solar (N(Cr/N(H(sup 0)(sub tot)) = -1.44 +/- 0.26 indicates that there are significant amounts of dust present in these lines of sight. The Galactic abundances of Zn and Cr in the ISM provide a fundamental reference point which is used to understand the metal enrichment and dust formation history of damped Lyman alpha QSO absorption-line systems, normally believed to arise from intervening precursors to modern disk galaxies. Although the spread in Zn abundances is large for both the local ISM and in damped Lyman alpha systems, we still find a substantial difference (factor of 4-10) in metallicity between the two sets. This survey and future observations of more distant objects which probe the full extent of the Milky Way halo provide a more complete picture of the enrichment and depletion characteristics of present-day galaxies.

Effects of Oral Administration of CrCl3 on the Contents of Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, Cu, and Zn in the Liver, Kidney, and Heart of Chicken.

PubMed

Liu, Yanhan; Zhao, Xiaona; Zhang, Xiao; Zhao, Xuejun; Liu, Yongxia; Liu, Jianzhu

2016-06-01

This study aimed to investigate the effects of oral administration of trivalent chromium on the contents of Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, Cu, and Zn in the heart, liver, and kidney. Different levels of 1/8, 1/4, and 1/2 LD50 (LD50 = 5000 mg/kg body mass) CrCl3 milligrams per kilogram body mass daily were added into the water to establish the chronic poisoning model. Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, Cu, and Zn were detected with the flame atomic absorption spectrometry in the organs exposed 14, 28, and 42 days to CrCl3, respectively. Results showed that Cr was accumulated in the heart, liver, and kidney significantly (P < 0.05) with extended time and dose. The contents of Ca and Fe increased, whereas those of Mg, Mn, Cu, and Zn decreased in the heart, liver, and kidney of each treated group, which had a dose- and time-dependent relationship, but the contents of Mg and Zn in the heart took on a fluctuated change. These particular observations were different from those in the control group. In conclusion, the oral administration of CrCl3 could change the contents of Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, Cu, and Zn in the heart, liver, and kidney, which may cause disorders in the absorption and metabolism of the metal elements of chickens.

VO2+ ions in zinc lead borate glasses studied by EPR and optical absorption techniques.

PubMed

Prakash, P Giri; Rao, J Lakshmana

2005-09-01

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and optical absorption spectra of vanadyl ions in zinc lead borate (ZnO-PbO-B2O3) glass system have been studied. EPR spectra of all the glass samples exhibit resonance signals characteristic of VO2+ ions. The values of spin-Hamiltonian parameters indicate that the VO2+ ions in zinc lead borate glasses were present in octahedral sites with tetragonal compression and belong to C4V symmetry. The spin-Hamiltonian parameters g and A are found to be independent of V2O5 content and temperature but changing with ZnO content. The decrease in Deltag( parallel)/Deltag( perpendicular) value with increase in ZnO content indicates that the symmetry around VO2+ ions is more octahedral. The decrease in intensity of EPR signal above 10 mol% of V2O5 is attributed to a fall in the ratio of the number of V4+ ions (N4) to the number of V5+ ions (N5). The number of spins (N) participating in resonance was calculated as a function of temperature for VO2+ doped zinc lead borate glass sample and the activation energy was calculated. From the EPR data, the paramagnetic susceptibility was calculated at various temperatures and the Curie constant was evaluated from the 1/chi-T graph. The optical absorption spectra show single absorption band due to VO2+ ions in tetragonally distorted octahedral sites.

Bioavailability of minerals in legumes.

PubMed

Sandberg, Ann-Sofie

2002-12-01

The mineral content of legumes is generally high, but the bioavailability is poor due to the presence of phytate, which is a main inhibitor of Fe and Zn absorption. Some legumes also contain considerable amounts of Fe-binding polyphenols inhibiting Fe absorption. Furthermore, soya protein per se has an inhibiting effect on Fe absorption. Efficient removal of phytate, and probably also polyphenols, can be obtained by enzymatic degradation during food processing, either by increasing the activity of the naturally occurring plant phytases and polyphenol degrading enzymes, or by addition of enzyme preparations. Biological food processing techniques that increase the activity of the native enzymes are soaking, germination, hydrothermal treatment and fermentation. Food processing can be optimized towards highest phytate degradation provided that the optimal conditions for phytase activity in the plant is known. In contrast to cereals, some legumes have highest phytate degradation at neutral or alkaline pH. Addition of microbial enzyme preparations seems to be the most efficient for complete degradation during processing. Fe and Zn absorption have been shown to be low from legume-based diets. It has also been demonstrated that nutritional Fe deficiency reaches its greatest prevalence in populations subsisting on cereal- and legume-based diets. However, in a balanced diet containing animal protein a high intake of legumes is not considered a risk in terms of mineral supply. Furthermore, once phytate, and in certain legumes polyphenols, is degraded, legumes would become good sources of Fe and Zn as the content of these minerals is high.

Long-term exposure of rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) to ZnO nanoparticles: anatomical and ultrastructural responses.

PubMed

Mousavi Kouhi, Seyed Mousa; Lahouti, Mehrdad; Ganjeali, Ali; Entezari, Mohammad H

2015-07-01

Rapid development of nanotechnology in recent years has raised concerns about nanoparticle (NPs) release into the environment and its adverse effects on living organisms. The present study is the first comprehensive report on the anatomical and ultrastructural changes of a variety of cells after long-term exposure of plant to NPs or bulk material particles (BPs). Light and electron microscopy revealed some anatomical and ultrastructural modifications of the different types of cell in the root and leaf, induced by both types of treatment. Zinc oxide (ZnO) BPs-induced modifications were surprisingly more than those induced by ZnO NPs. The modifications induced by ZnO BPs or ZnO NPs were almost similar to those induced by excess Zn. Zn content of the root and leaf of both ZnO NPs- and ZnO BPs-treated plants was severely increased, where the increase was greater in the plants treated with ZnO BPs. Overall, these results indicate that the modifications induced by ZnO particles can be attributed, at least partly, to the Zn(2+) dissolution by ZnO particles rather than their absorption by root and their subsequent effects.

Origin of luminescence from ZnO/CdS core/shell nanowire arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhiqiang; Wang, Jian; Sham, Tsun-Kong; Yang, Shaoguang

2014-07-01

Chemical imaging, electronic structure and optical properties of ZnO/CdS nano-composites have been investigated using scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM), X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) and X-ray excited optical luminescence (XEOL) spectroscopy. STXM and XANES results confirm that the as-prepared product is ZnO/CdS core/shell nanowires (NWs), and further indicate that ZnS was formed on the surface of ZnO NWs as the interface between ZnO and CdS. The XEOL from ZnO/CdS NW arrays exhibits one weak ultraviolet (UV) emission at 375 nm, one strong green emission at 512 nm, and two broad infrared (IR) emissions at 750 and 900 nm. Combining XANES and XEOL, it is concluded that the UV luminescence is the near band gap emission (BGE) of ZnO; the green luminescence comes from both the BGE of CdS and defect emission (DE, zinc vacancies) of ZnO; the IR luminescence is attributed to the DE (bulk defect related to the S site) of CdS; ZnS contributes little to the luminescence of the ZnO/CdS NW arrays. Interestingly, the BGE and DE from oxygen vacancies of ZnO in the ZnO/CdS nano-composites are almost entirely quenched, while DE from zinc vacancies changes little.Chemical imaging, electronic structure and optical properties of ZnO/CdS nano-composites have been investigated using scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM), X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) and X-ray excited optical luminescence (XEOL) spectroscopy. STXM and XANES results confirm that the as-prepared product is ZnO/CdS core/shell nanowires (NWs), and further indicate that ZnS was formed on the surface of ZnO NWs as the interface between ZnO and CdS. The XEOL from ZnO/CdS NW arrays exhibits one weak ultraviolet (UV) emission at 375 nm, one strong green emission at 512 nm, and two broad infrared (IR) emissions at 750 and 900 nm. Combining XANES and XEOL, it is concluded that the UV luminescence is the near band gap emission (BGE) of ZnO; the green luminescence comes from both the BGE of CdS and defect emission (DE, zinc vacancies) of ZnO; the IR luminescence is attributed to the DE (bulk defect related to the S site) of CdS; ZnS contributes little to the luminescence of the ZnO/CdS NW arrays. Interestingly, the BGE and DE from oxygen vacancies of ZnO in the ZnO/CdS nano-composites are almost entirely quenched, while DE from zinc vacancies changes little. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: PL spectra of the ZnO NW arrays before/after CdS coating. S K-edge XANES spectra of the ZnO/CdS core/shell NW arrays. See DOI: 10.1039/c4nr02231a

Ab initio study of II-(VI)2 dichalcogenides.

PubMed

Olsson, P; Vidal, J; Lincot, D

2011-10-12

The structural stabilities of the (Zn,Cd)(S,Se,Te)(2) dichalcogenides have been determined ab initio. These compounds are shown to be stable in the pyrite phase, in agreement with available experiments. Structural parameters for the ZnTe(2) pyrite semiconductor compound proposed here are presented. The opto-electronic properties of these dichalcogenide compounds have been calculated using quasiparticle GW theory. Bandgaps, band structures and effective masses are proposed as well as absorption coefficients and refraction indices. The compounds are all indirect semiconductors with very flat conduction band dispersion and high absorption coefficients. The work functions and surface properties are predicted. The Te and Se based compounds could be of interest as absorber materials in photovoltaic applications.

Depth distribution of secondary phases in kesterite Cu 2ZnSnS 4 by angle-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Just, J.; Lützenkirchen-Hecht, D.; Müller, O.

The depth distribution of secondary phases in the solar cell absorber material Cu 2ZnSnS 4 (CZTS) is quantitatively investigated using X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES) analysis at the K-edge of sulfur at varying incidence angles. Varying information depths from several nanometers up to the full thickness is achieved. A quantitative profile of the phase distribution is obtained by a self-consistent fit of a multilayer model to the XANES spectra for different angles. Single step co-evaporated CZTS thin-films are found to exhibit zinc and copper sulfide secondary phases preferentially at the front or back interfaces of the film.

Depth distribution of secondary phases in kesterite Cu 2ZnSnS 4 by angle-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy

DOE PAGES

Just, J.; Lützenkirchen-Hecht, D.; Müller, O.; ...

2017-12-12

The depth distribution of secondary phases in the solar cell absorber material Cu 2ZnSnS 4 (CZTS) is quantitatively investigated using X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES) analysis at the K-edge of sulfur at varying incidence angles. Varying information depths from several nanometers up to the full thickness is achieved. A quantitative profile of the phase distribution is obtained by a self-consistent fit of a multilayer model to the XANES spectra for different angles. Single step co-evaporated CZTS thin-films are found to exhibit zinc and copper sulfide secondary phases preferentially at the front or back interfaces of the film.

Influence of thiol capping on the photoluminescence properties of L-cysteine-, mercaptoethanol- and mercaptopropionic acid-capped ZnS nanoparticles.

PubMed

Tiwari, A; Dhoble, S J; Kher, R S

2015-11-01

Mercaptoethanol (ME), mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) and L-cysteine (L-Cys) having -SH functional groups were used as surface passivating agents for the wet chemical synthesis of ZnS nanoparticles. The effect of the thiol group on the optical and photoluminescence (PL) properties of ZnS nanoparticles was studied. L-Cysteine-capped ZnS nanoparticles showed the highest PL intensity among the studied capping agents, with a PL emission peak at 455 nm. The PL intensity was found to be dependent on the concentration of Zn(2+) and S(2-) precursors. The effect of buffer on the PL intensity of L-Cys-capped ZnS nanoparticles was also studied. UV/Vis spectra showed blue shifting of the absorption edge. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Observation of ZnS nanoparticles sputtered from ZnS films under 2 MeV Au irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuiri, P. K.; Joseph, B.; Ghatak, J.; Lenka, H. P.; Sahu, G.; Acharya, B. S.; Mahapatra, D. P.

2006-07-01

ZnS nanoparticles have been observed on catcher foils due to 2 MeV Au ion irradiation of ZnS films thermally evaporated on Si(1 0 0) substrates. The structure and size distribution of nanoclusters collected were studied using transmission electron microscopy for irradiation fluences in the range of 1 × 10 11-1 × 10 15 ions cm -2. The nanoclusters were found to have a hexagonal wurtzite structure. Optical absorption measurements on similarly deposited ZnS on silica glass indicate the film to be also composed of hexagonal wurtzite ZnS. Based on this and available data we argue that the observed nanoparticles on the catcher foils are the results of shock waves induced emission of material chunks with the same atomic coordination as in the target.

Understanding the shrinkage of optical absorption edges of nanostructured Cd-Zn sulphide films for photothermal applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hossain, Md. Sohrab; Kabir, Humayun; Rahman, M. Mahbubur; Hasan, Kamrul; Bashar, Muhammad Shahriar; Rahman, Mashudur; Gafur, Md. Abdul; Islam, Shariful; Amri, Amun; Jiang, Zhong-Tao; Altarawneh, Mohammednoor; Dlugogorski, Bogdan Z.

2017-01-01

In this article Cd-Zn sulphide thin films deposited onto soda lime glass substrates via chemical bath deposition (CBD) technique were investigated for photovoltaic applications. The synthesized films were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and ultraviolet visible (UV-vis) spectroscopic methodologies. A higher degree of crystallinity of the films was attained with the increase of film thicknesses. SEM micrographs exhibited a partial crystalline structure with a particulate appearance surrounded by the amorphous grain boundaries. The optical absorbance and absorption coefficient of the films were also enhanced significantly with the increase in film thicknesses. Optical band-gap analysis indicated a monotonic decrease in direct and indirect band-gaps with the increase of thicknesses of the films. The presence of direct and indirect transitional energies due to the exponential falling edges of the absorption curves may either be due to the lack of long-range order or to the existence of defects in the films. The declination of the optical absorption edges was also confirmed via Urbach energy and steepness parameters studies.

An X-ray absorption spectroscopy study of the inversion degree in zinc ferrite nanocrystals dispersed on a highly porous silica aerogel matrix.

PubMed

Carta, D; Marras, C; Loche, D; Mountjoy, G; Ahmed, S I; Corrias, A

2013-02-07

The structural properties of zinc ferrite nanoparticles with spinel structure dispersed in a highly porous SiO(2) aerogel matrix were compared with a bulk zinc ferrite sample. In particular, the details of the cation distribution between the octahedral (B) and tetrahedral (A) sites of the spinel structure were determined using X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The analysis of both the X-ray absorption near edge structure and the extended X-ray absorption fine structure indicates that the degree of inversion of the zinc ferrite spinel structures varies with particle size. In particular, in the bulk microcrystalline sample, Zn(2+) ions are at the tetrahedral sites and trivalent Fe(3+) ions occupy octahedral sites (normal spinel). When particle size decreases, Zn(2+) ions are transferred to octahedral sites and the degree of inversion is found to increase as the nanoparticle size decreases. This is the first time that a variation of the degree of inversion with particle size is observed in ferrite nanoparticles grown within an aerogel matrix.

Hybrid density functional study of band alignment in ZnO-GaN and ZnO-(Ga(1-x)Zn(x))(N(1-x)O(x))-GaN heterostructures.

PubMed

Wang, Zhenhai; Zhao, Mingwen; Wang, Xiaopeng; Xi, Yan; He, Xiujie; Liu, Xiangdong; Yan, Shishen

2012-12-05

The band alignment in ZnO-GaN and related heterostructures is crucial for uses in solar harvesting technology. Here, we report our density functional calculations of the band alignment and optical properties of ZnO-GaN and ZnO-(Ga(1-x)Zn(x))(N(1-x)O(x))-GaN heterostructures using a Heyd-Scuseria-Ernzerhof (HSE) hybrid functional. We found that the conventional GGA functionals underestimate not only the band gap but also the band offset of these heterostructures. Using the hybrid functional calculations, we show that the (Ga(1-x)Zn(x))(N(1-x)O(x)) solid solution has a direct band gap of about 2.608 eV, in good agreement with the experimental data. More importantly, this solid solution forms type-II band alignment with the host materials. A GaN-(Ga(1-x)Zn(x))(N(1-x)O(x))-ZnO core-shell solar cell model is presented to improve the visible light absorption ability and carrier collection efficiency.

Biodegradation of the ZnO:Eu nanoparticles in the tissues of adult mouse after alimentary application.

PubMed

Kielbik, Paula; Kaszewski, Jaroslaw; Rosowska, Julita; Wolska, Ewelina; Witkowski, Bartłomiej S; Gralak, Mikolaj A; Gajewski, Zdzisław; Godlewski, Marek; Godlewski, Michal M

2017-04-01

Biodegradable zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are considered promising materials for future biomedical applications. To fulfil this potential, biodistribution and elimination patterns of ZnO NPs in the living organism need to be resolved. In order to investigate gastrointestinal absorption of ZnO NPs and their intra-organism distribution, water suspension of ZnO or fluorescent ZnO:Eu (Europium-doped zinc oxide) NPs (10mg/ml; 0.3ml/mouse) was alimentary-administered (IG: intra-gastric) to adult mice. Internal organs collected at key time-points after IG were evaluated by AAS for Zn concentration and analysed by cytometric techniques. We found that Zn-based NPs were readily absorbed and distributed (3 h post IG) in the nanoparticle form throughout the organism. Results suggest, that liver and kidneys were key organs responsible for NPs elimination, while accumulation was observed in the spleen and adipose tissues. We also showed that ZnO/ZnO:Eu NPs were able to cross majority of biological barriers in the organism (including blood-brain-barrier). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Solubilization of insoluble zinc compounds by Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus and the detrimental action of zinc ion (Zn2+) and zinc chelates on root knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita.

PubMed

Saravanan, V S; Kalaiarasan, P; Madhaiyan, M; Thangaraju, M

2007-03-01

To examine the zinc (Zn) solubilization potential and nematicidal properties of Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus. Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer, Differential Pulse Polarography and Gas Chromatography Coupled Mass Spectrometry were used to estimate the total Zn and Zn(2+) ions and identify the organic acids present in the culture supernatants. The effect of culture filtrate of Zn-amended G. diazotrophicus PAl5 on Meloidogyne incognita in tomato was examined under gnotobiotic conditions. Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus PAl5 effectively solubilized the Zn compounds tested and 5-ketogluconic acid was identified as the major organic acid aiding the solubilization of zinc oxide. The presence of Zn compounds in the culture filtrates of G. diazotrophicus enhanced the mortality and reduced the root penetration of M. incognita under in vitro conditions. 5-ketogluconic acid produced by G. diazotrophicus mediated the solubilization process and the available Zn(2+) ions enhanced the nematicidal activity of G. diazotrophicus against M. incognita. Zn solubilization and enhanced nematicidal activity of Zn-amended G. diazotrophicus provides the possibility of exploiting it as a plant growth promoting bacteria.

Efficient light absorption by plasmonic metallic nanostructures in photovoltaic application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roy, Rhombik; Datta, Debasish

2018-04-01

This article reports the way to trap light efficiently inside a tri-layered Cu(Zn,Sn)S2 (CZTS) and Zinc Oxide (ZnO) based solar cell module using Ag nanoparticles as light concentrators by virtue of their plasmonic property. The passage of E. M. radiation within the cell has been simulated using finite difference time domain (FDTD) method.

Optical and superparamagnetic behavior of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lal, Ganesh; Punia, Khushboo; Dolia, S. N.; Kumar, Sudhish

2018-05-01

Nanoparticles of zinc ferrite have been synthesized using a low temperature citrate sol-gel route and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman & UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopic and SQUID magnetometry measurements. Analysis of XRD pattern and Raman spectrum confirmed that the synthesized ZnFe2O4 sample crystallizes in single phase fcc spinel ferrite structure and the average particle size of nanoparticles is estimated to 24nm. Optical absorption study shows that maximum photo absorption take place in the visible band and peaking in UV band at 206nm and the band gap energy is estimated to Eg = 2.1eV. Zero Field Cooled (ZFC) and Field Cooled (FC) modes of magnetization down to 5K and in fields up to 20kOe shows that ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles exhibits superparamagnetism with high magneto-crystalline anisotropy and high magnetization. Small difference of 9K between the separation temperature TS=˜30K and blocking temperature TB= 21K are suggestive of the formation of ferromagnetic clusters and a narrow particle size distribution of the nanoparticles in superparamagnetic ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles.

Improved Photodynamic Efficacy of Zn(II) Phthalocyanines via Glycerol Substitution

PubMed Central

Chin, Yunni; Lim, Siang Hui; Zorlu, Yunus; Ahsen, Vefa; Kiew, Lik Voon; Chung, Lip Yong; Dumoulin, Fabienne; Lee, Hong Boon

2014-01-01

Phthalocyanines are excellent photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy as they have strong absorbance in the near infra-red region which is most relevant for in vivo activation in deeper tissular regions. However, most phthalocyanines present two major challenges, ie, a strong tendency to aggregate and low water-solubility, limiting their effective usage clinically. In the present study, we evaluated the potential enhancement capability of glycerol substitution on the photodynamic properties of zinc (II) phthalocyanines (ZnPc). Three glycerol substituted ZnPc, 1–3, (tetra peripherally, tetra non-peripherally and mono iodinated tri non-peripherally respectively) were evaluated in terms of their spectroscopic properties, rate of singlet oxygen generation, partition coefficient (log P), intracellular uptake, photo-induced cytotoxicity and vascular occlusion efficiency. Tetrasulfonated ZnPc (ZnPcS4) was included as a reference compound. Here, we showed that 1–3 exhibited 10–100 nm red-shifted absorption peaks with higher molar absorptivity, and at least two-fold greater singlet oxygen generation rates compared to ZnPcS4. Meanwhile, phthalocyanines 1 and 2 showed more hydrophilic log P values than 3 consistent with the number of glycerol attachments but 3 was most readily taken up by cells compared to the rest. Both phthalocyanines 2 and 3 exhibited potent phototoxicity against MCF-7, HCT-116 and HSC-2 cancer cell-lines with IC50 ranging 2.8–3.2 µM and 0.04–0.06 µM respectively, while 1 and ZnPcS4 (up to 100 µM) failed to yield determinable IC50 values. In terms of vascular occlusion efficiency, phthalocyanine 3 showed better effects than 2 by causing total occlusion of vessels with diameter <70 µm of the chorioallantoic membrane. Meanwhile, no detectable vascular occlusion was observed for ZnPcS4 with treatment under similar experimental conditions. These findings provide evidence that glycerol substitution, in particular in structures 2 and 3, is able to improve the photodynamic properties of ZnPc. PMID:24840576

Improved photodynamic efficacy of Zn(II) phthalocyanines via glycerol substitution.

PubMed

Chin, Yunni; Lim, Siang Hui; Zorlu, Yunus; Ahsen, Vefa; Kiew, Lik Voon; Chung, Lip Yong; Dumoulin, Fabienne; Lee, Hong Boon

2014-01-01

Phthalocyanines are excellent photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy as they have strong absorbance in the near infra-red region which is most relevant for in vivo activation in deeper tissular regions. However, most phthalocyanines present two major challenges, ie, a strong tendency to aggregate and low water-solubility, limiting their effective usage clinically. In the present study, we evaluated the potential enhancement capability of glycerol substitution on the photodynamic properties of zinc (II) phthalocyanines (ZnPc). Three glycerol substituted ZnPc, 1-3, (tetra peripherally, tetra non-peripherally and mono iodinated tri non-peripherally respectively) were evaluated in terms of their spectroscopic properties, rate of singlet oxygen generation, partition coefficient (log P), intracellular uptake, photo-induced cytotoxicity and vascular occlusion efficiency. Tetrasulfonated ZnPc (ZnPcS4) was included as a reference compound. Here, we showed that 1-3 exhibited 10-100 nm red-shifted absorption peaks with higher molar absorptivity, and at least two-fold greater singlet oxygen generation rates compared to ZnPcS4. Meanwhile, phthalocyanines 1 and 2 showed more hydrophilic log P values than 3 consistent with the number of glycerol attachments but 3 was most readily taken up by cells compared to the rest. Both phthalocyanines 2 and 3 exhibited potent phototoxicity against MCF-7, HCT-116 and HSC-2 cancer cell-lines with IC50 ranging 2.8-3.2 µM and 0.04-0.06 µM respectively, while 1 and ZnPcS4 (up to 100 µM) failed to yield determinable IC50 values. In terms of vascular occlusion efficiency, phthalocyanine 3 showed better effects than 2 by causing total occlusion of vessels with diameter <70 µm of the chorioallantoic membrane. Meanwhile, no detectable vascular occlusion was observed for ZnPcS4 with treatment under similar experimental conditions. These findings provide evidence that glycerol substitution, in particular in structures 2 and 3, is able to improve the photodynamic properties of ZnPc.

Effect of Co and O defects on ferromagnetism in Co-doped ZnO: An X-ray absorption spectroscopic investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singhal, Rishi K.; Jakhar, Narendra; Samariya, A.; Dolia, S. N.; Kumar, Sudhish

2018-02-01

Understanding of origin of ferromagnetism in dilute magnetic oxides (DMO's) has become one of the most challenging research problems in condensed matter physics. Here we are reporting a detailed study of magnetic properties and electronic structure of two 5% Co-doped ZnO samples (the as-prepared sample Zn0.95Co0.05O and the hydrogenated sample Zn0.95Co0.05O:H). The as-prepared sample is found to be paramagnetic while through hydrogenation, we observed inducement of remarkable ferromagnetism in it. The H-mediated magnetic transition is accompanied by electronic structure modifications with no structural deviations. To get in-depth information into electronic structure correlations of the observed ferromagnetism, we have investigated their electronic properties in detail. For this purpose, we have employed the site-selective and element-sensitive X-ray-absorption spectroscopy (XAS) in the vicinity of the Cobalt L2,3 edge, the oxygen K edge, and the Zinc L3 edge using synchrotron radiation. The Co L2,3 edge spectra clearly show that Co dopants reside at the Zn sites for both these samples and that they are tetrahedrally coordinated with the ligand O atoms. Very minor changes are observed in the Zn L3 edge spectra. However, the O 1s edge spectra display dominant additional components in the ferromagnetic hydrogenated sample Zn0.95Co0.05O:H, not observed in the as-prepared non-magnetic sample Zn0.95Co0.05O. We conclude that the observed spectral features can be attributed to the presence of O vacancies and the hybridization of Co 3d states with O 2p vacancy states. These two factors together are likely to play important role in inducement of ferromagnetic ordering in this Co-doped ZnO system. However, which of these two weighs more in this mechanism, cannot be pinpointed and more studies are required in this regard.

Influence of processing conditions on the optical properties of chemically deposited zinc sulphide (ZnS) thin film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Igweoko, A. E.; Augustine, C.; Idenyi, N. E.; Okorie, B. A.; Anyaegbunam, F. N. C.

2018-03-01

In this paper, we present the influence of post deposition annealing and varying concentration on the optical properties of ZnS thin films fabricated by chemical bath deposition (CBD) at 65 °C from chemical baths comprising NH3/SC(NH2)2/ZnSO4 solutions at pH of about 10. The film samples were annealed at temperatures ranging from 373 K–473 K and the concentration of the film samples vary from 0.1 M–0.7 M. Post deposition annealing and concentration played an important role on the optical parameters investigated which includes absorbance, transmittance, reflectance, absorption coefficient, band gap, refractive index and extinction coefficient. The optical parameters were found to vary with post deposition annealing in one direction and concentration of Zn2+ in the reverse direction. For instance, post deposition annealing increases the band gap from 3.65 eV for as-deposited to 3.70 eV, 3.75 eV and 3.85 eV for annealed at 373 K, 423 K and 473 K respectively whereas concentration of Zn2+ decreases the band gap from 3.95 eV at 0.1 M to 3.90 eV, 3.85 eV and 3.80 eV at 0.3 M, 0.5 M and 0.7 M respectively. The fundamental absorption edge of ZnS thin films shifted toward the highest photon energies (blue shift) after annealing and shifted toward the lowest photon energies (red shift) with increasing Zn ions concentration. A linear relation between band gap energy and Urbach energy was found. After annealing, the Urbach energy increases form 3.10 eV to 3.50 eV and decreases from 3.40 eV to 3.10 eV at varying Zn2+ concentration. The property of wide band gap makes ZnS suitable for buffer layer of film solar cells, permitting more light especially the short wavelength light into absorber layer.

The effects of Mg incorporation and annealing temperature on the physicochemical properties and antibacterial activity against Listeria monocytogenes of ZnO nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shadan, Nima; Ziabari, Ali Abdolahzadeh; Meraat, Rafieh; Jalali, Kamyar Mazloum

2017-02-01

In this paper, Mg-doped ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized by the facile sol-gel method. The crystalline structure, characteristic absorption bands and morphology of the obtained Mg-doped ZnO nanoparticles were studied by XRD, FTIR and TEM. The thermal degradation behaviour of the samples was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetry (TG). The effect of Mg concentrations and annealing temperatures on the antibacterial properties of the obtained nanoparticles was investigated in detail. The results indicated that doping Mg ions into ZnO lattice could enhance its antibacterial activity. Antibacterial assay demonstrated that Mg-doped ZnO with 7% Mg content annealed at 400 ∘C had the strongest antibacterial activity against Listeria monocytogenes (98.7%). This study indicated that the inhibition rate of ZnO nanoparticles increased with the formation of granular structure and the decrease of ZnO size due to the doping of Mg ions into the ZnO lattice.

Growth and structural, optical, and electrical properties of zincite crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaurova, I. A.; Kuz'micheva, G. M.; Rybakov, V. B.

2013-03-01

An X-ray diffraction study of ZnO crystals grown by the hydrothermal method has revealed reflections that give grounds to assign them to the sp. gr. P3 rather than to P63 mc. The distribution of Zn1, Zn2, O1, and O2 over structural positions, along with vacancies and incorporated zinc atoms, explains the dissymmetrization observed in terms of the kinetic (growth) phase transition of the order-disorder type, which is caused by ordering Zn and O atoms over structural positions. The color of crystals of refined compositions (Zn0.975□0.025)Zn i(0.015)(O0.990□0.010) (green) and (Zn0.965□0.035)Zn i(0.035)O (bright green) is related to different oxygen contents, which is confirmed by the results of electron probe X-ray microanalysis and absorption spectroscopy. The degree of the structural quality of crystals, their resistivity, and activation energy are also related to oxygen vacancies.

Hydrothermal synthesis of In2O3 nanoparticles hybrid twins hexagonal disk ZnO heterostructures for enhanced photocatalytic activities and stability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Hairui; Zhai, Haifa; Hu, Chunjie; Yang, Jien; Liu, Zhiyong

2017-07-01

In2O3 nanoparticles hybrid twins hexagonal disk (THD) ZnO with different ratios were fabricated by a hydrothermal method. The as-obtained ZnO/In2O3 composites are constituted by hexagonal disks ZnO with diameters of about 1 μm and In2O3 nanoparticles with sizes of about 20-50 nm. With the increase of In2O3 content in ZnO/In2O3 composites, the absorption band edges of samples shifted from UV to visible light region. Compared with pure ZnO, the ZnO/In2O3 composites show enhanced photocatalytic activities for degradation of methyl orange (MO) and 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) under solar light irradiation. Due to suitable alignment of their energy band-gap structure of the In2O3 and ZnO, the formation of type п heterostructure can enhance efficient separation of photo-generate electro-hole pairs and provides convenient carrier transfer paths.

Hetero-metal cation control of CuO nanostructures and their high catalytic performance for CO oxidation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Hongwen; Zhang, Liqiang; Wu, Kewei; Yu, Qing; Chen, Ru; Yang, Hangsheng; Peng, Xinsheng; Ye, Zhizhen

2012-11-01

A controllable synthesis of various morphologies of CuO nanostructures with tuning by hetero-metal cations has been developed in aqueous solution at room temperature. The morphologies of CuO can be engineered from nanosheets to nanoparticles with different length ratios of the long axis to the short axis. The formation of many metal-ion complexes plays an important role in slowing the release rate of OH- and affects the reaction kinetics further. We found that the effect of hetero-metal cations on the final morphology of the CuO nanostructures was the same as that of the cooling temperature. A series of temperature-controlled experiments demonstrated this. Furthermore, among all the synthesized CuO nanostructures, the fascinating colloidal mesoporous CuO quasi-monocrystalline nanosheets prepared at 25 °C with a thickness of ca. 10 nm and large specific surface area of 80.32 m2 g-1 is investigated intensively. These CuO nanosheets demonstrate a superior catalytic activity for CO oxidation, with features of high CO conversion efficiency (47.77 mmolCO g-1CuO h-1 at 200 °C), which is close to that reported for previously investigated supported-CuO catalysts, and a low apparent activation energy Ea (53.3 kJ mol-1).A controllable synthesis of various morphologies of CuO nanostructures with tuning by hetero-metal cations has been developed in aqueous solution at room temperature. The morphologies of CuO can be engineered from nanosheets to nanoparticles with different length ratios of the long axis to the short axis. The formation of many metal-ion complexes plays an important role in slowing the release rate of OH- and affects the reaction kinetics further. We found that the effect of hetero-metal cations on the final morphology of the CuO nanostructures was the same as that of the cooling temperature. A series of temperature-controlled experiments demonstrated this. Furthermore, among all the synthesized CuO nanostructures, the fascinating colloidal mesoporous CuO quasi-monocrystalline nanosheets prepared at 25 °C with a thickness of ca. 10 nm and large specific surface area of 80.32 m2 g-1 is investigated intensively. These CuO nanosheets demonstrate a superior catalytic activity for CO oxidation, with features of high CO conversion efficiency (47.77 mmolCO g-1CuO h-1 at 200 °C), which is close to that reported for previously investigated supported-CuO catalysts, and a low apparent activation energy Ea (53.3 kJ mol-1). Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Raman spectrum of Zn2Cu2 prepared at 25 °C (Fig. S1); content ratios of Zn/Cu for Zn2Cu2, Zn4Cu2 and Zn6Cu2 samples prepared at 25 °C measured by ICP-MS (Table S1); representative TEM images of Cu2, Zn2Cu2, Zn4Cu2 and Zn6Cu2 samples prepared at 25 °C (Fig. S2); size distributions along two perpendicular directions for Cu2, Zn2Cu2, Zn4Cu2 and Zn6Cu2 samples prepared at 25 °C (Fig. S3); the characteristic parameters of Cu2, Zn2Cu2, Zn4Cu2 and Zn6Cu2 samples prepared at 25 °C (Table S2); the characteristic parameters of Cu2, Zn2Cu2, Zn4Cu2 and Zn6Cu2 samples prepared at 35 °C (Table S3); SEM images of Zn2Cu2 products prepared at 20 °C, 25 °C, 30 °C and 50 °C (Fig. S4); the characteristic parameters of Zn2Cu2 prepared at 20 °C, 25 °C, 30 °C and 50 °C (Table S4); pH values of Cu2, Zn2Cu2, Zn4Cu2 and Zn6Cu2 solution without adding 1.6 mmol AE aqueous solution at 25 °C (Table S5); SEM images of Ag2Cu2, Mg2Cu2, Al2Cu2 prepared at 25 °C and EDS spectrum of Al2Cu2 (Fig. S5); the characteristic parameters of Cu2, Zn2Cu2, Ag2Cu2, Mg2Cu2 and Al2Cu2 samples prepared at 25 °C (Table S6); UV-Vis spectrum of Cu2 nanosheets prepared at 25 °C (Fig. S6); photograph of the Tyndall effect for the Cu2 solution prepared at 25 °C and UV-Vis absorption changes of Evans blue solutions after filtering the 80 ml Cu2 solution products (Fig. S7); FTIR spectrum of Cu2 nanosheets prepared at 25 °C (Fig. S8); Cu2p XPS spectrum of Cu2 nanosheets prepared at 25 °C (Fig. S9); detailed reaction rates of catalytic CO oxidation at different temperatures (Table S7); XRD pattern and SEM image of Cu2 sample after 6 hours of catalytic reaction (Fig. S10); nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms at 77 K of Zn4Cu2 prepared at 25 °C (Fig. S11). See DOI: 10.1039/c2nr32729e

Study on electrical structure and magneto-optical properties of W-doped ZnO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yong; Hou, Qingyu; Zhao, Chunwang; Xu, Zhenchao

2018-04-01

For W-doping amounts ranging from 0.0417 to 0.0833, experimental UV-visible absorption spectra blue shift and red shift results have been reported in the literatures. However, there is few literature reported research on magnetic mechanism. To solve this problem, this study investigates the disagreement about blue shift and red shift results and research on magnetic mechanism. The band structures, density of states, absorption spectra and magnetism have been investigated using first-principles planewave ultrasoft pseudopotential method based on the density functional theory. The calculated results showed that increased W-doping amounts first increase the volumes, and then reduce the volumes, decrease the formation energies, and stabilize the doped system. The band gaps become narrower and the absorption spectrum exhibits a significant red shift in UV and visible light emission. Moreover, the covalent bond vertical to c-axis strengthens, and the ionic bond parallel to c-axis weakens. Increased W-doping amounts decrease the magnetism of doped system. The magnetism of doped system originates from the electron exchange among W-5d, O-2p and Zn-3d orbitals of the W-doped ZnO. In W double-doped system, the ferromagnetic Curie temperature can be above room temperature when the doped system has a longer W-W distance.

Incorporation of Keplerate-type Mo-O based macroanions into Zn2Al-LDH results in the formation of all-inorganic composite films with remarkable third-order optical nonlinearity.

PubMed

Ren, Haizhou; Shehzad, Farooq Khurum; Zhou, Yunshan; Zhang, Lijuan; Iqbal, Arshad; Long, Yi

2018-05-01

Herein, new all-inorganic transparent composite films with the formula (Zn2Al-LDH/{Mo132-Ac})n have been fabricated by a layer-by-layer method using the exfoliated Zn2Al-LDH monolayer nanosheets and Keplerate-type macroanion {Mo132-Ac}. They were characterized by UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, SEM, AFM, and XPS techniques. The Z-scan measurements, which were conducted under laser irradiation at a wavelength of 532 nm, a pulse width of 6 ns, a repetition rate of 10 Hz, and the light intensity at a focus E0 of 10 μJ, revealed that all the films had notable saturated absorption and self-defocusing effect with a large third-order optical nonlinear susceptibility χ(3). With an increase in the number of layers (i.e., n) corresponding to the increase in the thickness of the films, the third-order nonlinear absorption β and refractive effects of the films were improved (i.e., the χ(3) value was up to 1.99 × 10-11 esu when n = 24); this implied that the NLO responses could be modified by fine-tuning the thickness of the composite films to meet the demands of different devices.

Comparison of soy-protein and egg albumin on endogenously secreted zinc

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oberleas, D.; Smith, J.C.

1986-03-05

Male albino rats (Charles River) were maintained on a basal soy-protein diet, unsupplemented with Zn and with 1.6% Ca for 4 weeks (Ca)(Phy)/(Zn) = 9.4(molar). Animals were subdivided in 2 expts. between soy-protein 0.8% Ca, 11.24 mg Zn/Kg diet (4.2(molar)) or 1.6% Ca, 11.21 mg Zn/Kg (9.4(molar)) and egg albumin 0.8% Ca, 0.46 mg Zn/Kg diet and 1.6% Ca, 0.37 mg Zn/Kg diet at which time each animal was injected with 10 ..mu..Ci /sup 65/Zn. Daily fecal collections were made for 14 days and ratios of /sup 65/Zn Soy:Egg alb. calculated. The very low concentration of Zn in the eggmore » albumin diet restricted the pancreatic secretion of Zn and the differential effect of phytate on these diets was not apparent as shown earlier with soy and casein diets. This was also reflected in the growth rates of the exptl. groups in that the egg albumin fed rats gained -4.4 and -9.0 g/wk; soy fed rats gained 28.0 and 17.3 g/wk.« less

Thin film assembly of nano-sized Zn(II)-8-hydroxy-5,7-dinitroquinolate by using successive ion layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) technique: characterization and optical-electrical-photovoltaic properties.

PubMed

Farag, A A M; Haggag, Sawsan M S; Mahmoud, Mohamed E

2012-07-01

A method is described for thin film assembly of nano-sized Zn(II)-8-hydroxy-5,7-dinitroquinolate complex, Zn[((NO(2))(2)-8HQ)(2)] by using successive ion layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) technique. Highly homogeneous assembled nano-sized metal complex thin films with particle size distribution in the range 27-47nm was identified by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Zn[((NO(2))(2)-8HQ)(2)] and [(NO(2))(2)-8HQ] ligand were studied by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). Graphical representation of temperature dependence of the dark electrical conductivity produced two distinct linear parts for two activation energies at 0.377eV and 1.11eV. The analysis of the spectral behavior of the absorption coefficient in the intrinsic absorption region reveals a direct allowed transition with a fundamental band gap of 2.74eV. The dark current density-voltage (J-V) characteristics showed the rectification effect due to the formation of junction barrier of Zn[((NO(2))(2)-8HQ)(2)] complex film/n-Si interface. The photocurrent in the reverse direction is strongly increased by photo-illumination and the photovoltaic characteristics were also determined and evaluated. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparative absorption spectroscopy involving 4f-4f transitions to explore the kinetics of simultaneous coordination of uracil with Nd(III) and Zn(II) and its associated thermodynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Victory Devi, Ch.; Rajmuhon Singh, N.

2011-10-01

The interaction of uracil with Nd(III) has been explored in presence and absence of Zn(II) using the comparative absorption spectroscopy involving the 4f-4f transitions in different solvents. The complexation of uracil with Nd(III) is indicated by the change in intensity of 4f-4f bands expressing in terms of significant change in oscillator strength and Judd-Ofelt parameters. Intensification of this bands became more prominent in presence of Zn(II) suggesting the stimulative effect of Zn(II) towards the complexation of Nd(III) with uracil. Other spectral parameters namely Slator-Condon ( Fk's), nephelauxetic effect ( β), bonding ( b1/2) and percent covalency ( δ) parameters are computed to correlate their simultaneous binding of metal ions with uracil. The sensitivities of the observed 4f-4f transitions towards the minor coordination changes around Nd(III) has been used to monitor the simultaneous coordination of uracil with Nd(III) and Zn(II). The variation of intensities (oscillator strengths and Judd-Ofelt parameters) of 4f-4f bands during the complexation has helped in following the heterobimetallic complexation of uracil. Rate of complexation with respect to hypersensitive transition was evaluated. Energy of activation and thermodynamic parameters for the complexation reaction were also determined.

Nano-engineering of p-n CuFeO2-ZnO heterojunction photoanode with improved light absorption and charge collection for photoelectrochemical water oxidation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karmakar, Keshab; Sarkar, Ayan; Mandal, Kalyan; Gopal Khan, Gobinda

2017-08-01

The effective utilization of abundant visible solar light for photoelectrochemical water splitting is a green approach for energy harvesting, to reduce the enormous rise of carbon content in the atmosphere. Here, a novel efficient design strategy for p-n type nano-heterojunction photoanodes is demonstrated, with the goal of improving water splitting efficiency by growing low band gap p-CuFeO2 nanolayers on n-ZnO nanorods by an easy and scalable electrochemical route. The photoconversion efficiency of p-n CuFeO2/ZnO photoanodes is found to be ˜450% higher than that of pristine ZnO nanorod electrodes under visible solar light illumination (λ > 420 nm, intensity 10 mW cm-2). The p-n CuFeO2/ZnO nano-engineering not only boosts the visible light absorption but also resolves limitations regarding effective charge carrier separation and transportation due to interfacial band alignment. This photoanode also shows remarkably enhanced stability, where the formation of p-n nano-heterojunction enhances the easy migration of holes to the electrode/electrolyte interface, and of electrons to the counter electrode (Pt) for hydrogen generation. Therefore, this work demonstrates that p-n nano-engineering is a potential strategy to design light-harvesting electrodes for water splitting and clean energy generation.

Weatherability and Leach Resistance of Wood Impregnated with Nano-Zinc Oxide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clausen, Carol A.; Green, Frederick; Nami Kartal, S.

2010-09-01

Southern pine specimens vacuum-treated with nano-zinc oxide (nano-ZnO) dispersions were evaluated for leach resistance and UV protection. Virtually, no leaching occurred in any of the nano-ZnO-treated specimens in a laboratory leach test, even at the highest retention of 13 kg/m3. However, specimens treated with high concentrations of nano-ZnO showed 58-65% chemical depletion after 12 months of outdoor exposure. Protection from UV damage after 12 months exposure is visibly obvious on both exposed and unexposed surfaces compared to untreated controls. Graying was markedly diminished, although checking occurred in all specimens. Nano-zinc oxide treatment at a concentration of 2.5% or greater provided substantial resistance to water absorption following 12 months of outdoor exposure compared to untreated and unweathered southern pine. We conclude that nano-zinc oxide can be utilized in new wood preservative formulations to impart resistance to leaching, water absorption and UV damage of wood.

Manipulating the optical properties of dual implanted Au and Zn nanoparticles in sapphire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Epie, E. N.; Scott, D.; Chu, W. K.

2017-11-01

We have synthesized and manipulated the optical properties of metallic nanoparticles (NPs) by using a combination of low-energy high-fluence dual implantation and thermal annealing. We demonstrated that by implanting Zn before Au, the resulting absorption peak is enormously blue-shifted by 120 nm with respect to that of Au-only implanted samples. This magnitude of optical shift is not characteristic of unalloyed Au and to the best of our knowledge cannot be attributed to NP size change alone. On the other hand, the absorption peak for samples implanted with Au followed by Zn is blue-shifted about 20 nm. Additionally, by carefully annealing all implanted samples, both NP size distribution and corresponding optical properties can be further modified in a controlled manner. We attribute these behaviours to nanoalloy formation. This work provides a direct method for synthesizing and manipulating both the plasmonic and structural properties of metallic alloy NP in various transparent dielectrics for diverse applications.

Superhydrophobic Surface Based on a Coral-Like Hierarchical Structure of ZnO

PubMed Central

Wu, Jun; Xia, Jun; Lei, Wei; Wang, Baoping

2010-01-01

Background Fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces has attracted much interest in the past decade. The fabrication methods that have been studied are chemical vapour deposition, the sol-gel method, etching technique, electrochemical deposition, the layer-by-layer deposition, and so on. Simple and inexpensive methods for manufacturing environmentally stable superhydrophobic surfaces have also been proposed lately. However, work referring to the influence of special structures on the wettability, such as hierarchical ZnO nanostructures, is rare. Methodology This study presents a simple and reproducible method to fabricate a superhydrophobic surface with micro-scale roughness based on zinc oxide (ZnO) hierarchical structure, which is grown by the hydrothermal method with an alkaline aqueous solution. Coral-like structures of ZnO were fabricated on a glass substrate with a micro-scale roughness, while the antennas of the coral formed the nano-scale roughness. The fresh ZnO films exhibited excellent superhydrophilicity (the apparent contact angle for water droplet was about 0°), while the ability to be wet could be changed to superhydrophobicity after spin-coating Teflon (the apparent contact angle greater than 168°). The procedure reported here can be applied to substrates consisting of other materials and having various shapes. Results The new process is convenient and environmentally friendly compared to conventional methods. Furthermore, the hierarchical structure generates the extraordinary solid/gas/liquid three-phase contact interface, which is the essential characteristic for a superhydrophobic surface. PMID:21209931

The effect of zinc diffusion on extinction ratio of MQW electroabsorption modulator integrated with DFB laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Daibing; Zhang, Ruikang; Wang, Huitao; Wang, Baojun; Bian, Jing; An, Xin; Zhao, Lingjuan; Zhu, Hongliang; Ji, Chen; Wang, Wei

2014-11-01

Monolithically integrated electroabsorption modulated lasers (EML) are widely being used in the optical fiber communication systems, due to their low chip, compact size and good compatible with the current communication systems. In this paper, we investigated the effect of Zinc diffusion on extinction ratio of electroabsorption modulator (EAM) integrated with distributed feedback laser (DFB). EML was fabricated by selective area growth (SAG) technology. The MQW structure of different quantum energy levels was grown on n-type InP buffer layer with 150nm thick SiO2 parallel stripes mask by selective area metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). A 35nm photoluminescence wavelength variation was observed between the laser area (λPL=1535nm) and modulator area (λPL=1500nm) by adjusting the dimension of parallel stripes. The grating (λ=1550nm) was fabricated in the selective area. The device was mesa ridge structure, which was constituted of the DFB laser, isolation gap and modulator. The length of every part is 300μm, 50μm, and 150μm respectively. Two samples were fabricated with the same structure and different p-type Zn-doped concentration, the extinction ratio of heavy Zn-doped device is 12.5dB at -6V. In contrast, the extinction ratio of light Zn-doped device is 20dB at -6V, that was improved for approximate 60%. The different Zn diffusion depth into the MQW absorption layer was observed by Secondary ion mass spectrometer (SIMS). The heavy Zn-doped device diffused into absorption layer deeper than the light Zn-doped device, which caused the large non-uniformity of the electric field in the MQW layer. So the extinction ratio characteristics can be improved by optimizing the Zn-doped concentration of p-type layer.

Associations of cadmium, zinc, and lead in soils from a lead and zinc mining area as studied by single and sequential extractions.

PubMed

Anju, M; Banerjee, D K

2011-05-01

An exploratory study of the area surrounding a historical Pb-Zn mining and smelting area in Zawar, India, detected significant contamination of the terrestrial environment by heavy metals. Soils (n=87) were analyzed for pH, EC, total organic matter (TOM), Pb, Zn, Mn, and Cd levels. The statistical analysis indicated that the frequency distribution of the analyzed parameters for these soils was not normal. The median concentrations of metals in surface soils were: Pb 420.21 μ g/g, Zn 870.25 μ g/g, Mn 696.70 μ g/g, and Cd 2.09 μ g/g. Zn concentrations were significantly correlated with Cd (r=0.867), indicating that levels of Cd are dependent on Zn. However, pH, electrical conductivity and total organic matter were not correlated significantly with Cd, Pb, Zn, and Mn. To assess the potential mobility of Cd, Pb, and Zn in soils, single (EDTA) as well as sequential extraction scheme (modified BCR) were applied to representative (n=23) soil samples. The amount of Cd, Pb, and Zn extracted by EDTA and their total concentrations showed linear positive correlation, which are statistically significant (r values for Cd, Pb, and Zn being 0.901, 0.971, and 0.795, respectively, and P values being <0.001). The correlation coefficients indicate a strong relation between EDTA-extractable metal and total metal. These results appear to justify the use of 'total' metal contents as a useful preliminary indicator of areas where the risks of metal excess or deficiency are high. The EDTA extractability was maximum for Cd followed by Pb and Zn in soils from all the locations. As indicated by single extraction, the apparent mobility and potential bioavailability of metals in soils followed the order: Cd ≥ Pb > > Zn. Soil samples were sequentially extracted (modified BCR) so that solid pools of Cd, Zn, and Pb could be partitioned into four operationally defined fractions viz. acid-soluble, reducible, oxidizable, and residual. Cadmium was present appreciably (39.41%) in the acid-soluble fraction and zinc was predominantly associated (32.42%) with residual fraction. Pb (66.86%) and Zn (30.44%) were present mainly in the reducible fraction. Assuming that the mobility and bioavailability are related to solubility of geochemical forms of metals and decrease in the order of extraction, the apparent mobility and potential metal bioavailability for these contaminated soil samples is Cd > Zn > Pb.

Infiltrated Zinc Oxide in Poly(methyl methacrylate): An Atomic Cycle Growth Study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ocola, Leonidas E.; Connolly, Aine; Gosztola, David J.

We have investigated the growth of zinc oxide in a polymer matrix by sequential infiltration synthesis (SiS). The atomic cycle-by-cycle self-terminating reaction growth investigation was done using photoluminescence (PL), Raman, and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS). Results show clear differences between Zn atom configurations at the initial stages of growth. Mono Zn atoms (O-Zn and O-Zn-O) exhibit pure UV emission with little evidence of deep level oxygen vacancy states (VO). Dimer Zn atoms (O-Zn-O-Zn and O-Zn-O-Zn-O) show strong UV and visible PL emission from VO states 20 times greater than that from the mono Zn atom configuration. After three precursor cycles,more » the PL emission intensity drops significantly exhibiting first evidence of crystal formation as observed with Raman spectroscopy via the presence of longitudinal optical phonons. We also report a first confirmation of energy transfer between polymer and ZnO where the polymer absorbs light at 241 nm and emits at 360 nm, which coincides with the ZnO UV emission peak. Our work shows that ZnO dimers are unique ZnO configurations with high PL intensity, unique O1s oxidation states, and sub-10 ps absorption and decay, which are interesting properties for novel quantum material applications.« less

Competition behaviour of metal uptake in cementitious systems: An XRD and EXAFS investigation of Nd- and Zn-loaded 11 Å tobermorite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vespa, M.; Dähn, R.; Wieland, E.

Cement-based materials play an important role in multi-barrier concepts developed worldwide for the safe disposal of hazardous and radioactive wastes. Cement is used to condition and stabilize the waste materials and to construct the engineered barrier systems (container, backfill and liner materials) of repositories for radioactive waste. In this study, bulk-X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) was used to investigate the uptake mechanism of Nd on the crystalline C-S-H phase 11 Å tobermorite in the presence of Zn (co-absorbing metal), and vice versa, as potential competitor under strongly alkaline conditions (pH = 12.5-13.3). The Zn and Nd concentration in all samples was 50,000 ppm, whereas the reaction times varied from 1 to 6 months. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) data of the Nd LIII-edge indicate that the local structural environment of Nd consists of ∼7-8 O atoms at 2.42 Å, ∼7-8 Si at ∼3.67 Å and ∼5-6 Ca at ∼3.8 Å, and that this environment remains unchanged in the presence and absence of Zn. In contrary, Zn K-edge EXAFS data exhibit distinct differences in the presence and absence of Nd as co-absorbing element. Data analysis indicates that Zn is tetrahedrally coordinated (∼4 O at ∼1.96 Å) and the obtained structural data in the simultaneous presence of Nd and Zn are consistent with the formation of mixed Zn surface complexes and Zn bound in the interlayer remaining in these positions also with prolonged reaction times (up to 6 months). However, without the co-absorbing element Nd, strong structural changes in the uptake mechanisms of Zn are observable, e.g., after 3 month reaction time Zn-Zn backscattering pairs can be observed. These findings suggest that Nd has an influence on the incorporation of Zn in the tobermorite structure. In addition, the results of this study indicate that competitive uptake of metal cations with similar sorption behaviour by C-S-H phases can take place, deserving further attention in future assessments of the safe disposal of radioactive wastes in cement-based repositories.

NMR Observation of Mobile Protons in Proton-Implanted ZnO Nanorods

PubMed Central

Park, Jun Kue; Kwon, Hyeok-Jung; Lee, Cheol Eui

2016-01-01

The diffusion properties of H+ in ZnO nanorods are investigated before and after 20 MeV proton beam irradiation by using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Herein, we unambiguously observe that the implanted protons occupy thermally unstable site of ZnO, giving rise to a narrow NMR line at 4.1 ppm. The activation barrier of the implanted protons was found to be 0.46 eV by means of the rotating-frame spin-lattice relaxation measurements, apparently being interstitial hydrogens. High-energy beam irradiation also leads to correlated jump diffusion of the surface hydroxyl group of multiple lines at ~1 ppm, implying the presence of structural disorder at the ZnO surface. PMID:26988733

In situ formation of a ZnO/ZnSe nanonail array as a photoelectrode for enhanced photoelectrochemical water oxidation performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Liyang; Tian, Guohui; Chen, Yajie; Xiao, Yuting; Fu, Honggang

2016-04-01

In this study, a ZnO/ZnSe nanonail array was prepared via a two-step sequential hydrothermal synthetic route. In this synthetic process, the ZnO nanorod array was first grown on a fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate using a seed-mediated growth approach via the hydrothermal process. Then, the ZnO nanonail array was obtained via in situ growth of ZnSe nano caps onto the ZnO nanorod array via a hydrothermal process in the presence of a Se source. The surface morphology and amount of ZnSe grown on the surface of the ZnO nanorods can be regulated by varying the reaction time and reactant concentration. Compared with pure ZnO nanorods, this unique nanonail array heterostructure exhibits enhanced visible light absorption. The transient photocurrent condition, in combination with steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy, reveals that the ZnO/ZnSe nanonail array electrode has the highest charge separation rate, highest electron injection efficiency, and highest chemical stability. The photocurrent density of the ZnO/ZnSe nanonail array heterostructure reaches 1.01 mA cm-2 at an applied potential of 0.1 V (vs. Ag/AgCl), which is much higher than that of the ZnO/ZnSe nanorod array (0.71 mA cm-2), the pristine ZnO nanorod array (0.39 mA cm-2), and the ZnSe electrode (0.21 mA cm-2), indicating its significant visible light driven activities for photoelectrochemical water oxidation. This unique morphology of nail-capped nanorods might be important for providing better insight into the correlation between heterostructure and photoelectrochemical activity.In this study, a ZnO/ZnSe nanonail array was prepared via a two-step sequential hydrothermal synthetic route. In this synthetic process, the ZnO nanorod array was first grown on a fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate using a seed-mediated growth approach via the hydrothermal process. Then, the ZnO nanonail array was obtained via in situ growth of ZnSe nano caps onto the ZnO nanorod array via a hydrothermal process in the presence of a Se source. The surface morphology and amount of ZnSe grown on the surface of the ZnO nanorods can be regulated by varying the reaction time and reactant concentration. Compared with pure ZnO nanorods, this unique nanonail array heterostructure exhibits enhanced visible light absorption. The transient photocurrent condition, in combination with steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy, reveals that the ZnO/ZnSe nanonail array electrode has the highest charge separation rate, highest electron injection efficiency, and highest chemical stability. The photocurrent density of the ZnO/ZnSe nanonail array heterostructure reaches 1.01 mA cm-2 at an applied potential of 0.1 V (vs. Ag/AgCl), which is much higher than that of the ZnO/ZnSe nanorod array (0.71 mA cm-2), the pristine ZnO nanorod array (0.39 mA cm-2), and the ZnSe electrode (0.21 mA cm-2), indicating its significant visible light driven activities for photoelectrochemical water oxidation. This unique morphology of nail-capped nanorods might be important for providing better insight into the correlation between heterostructure and photoelectrochemical activity. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: SEM, EDS, XPS and photocurrent test. See DOI: 10.1039/c6nr01969b

Rotational Spectroscopy of ClZnCH3 (tilde{X}1A1): Characterization of a Monomeric Grignard-Type Reagent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kilchenstein, K. M.; Min, Jie; Bucchino, Matthew; Ziurys, Lucy M.

2016-06-01

The pure rotational spectrum of the organozinc halide, ClZnCH3 (tilde{X}1A1), has been measured using Fourier-transform microwave (FTMW) and millimeter-wave direct-absorption methods in the frequency range 10-296 GHz. This work is the first study of ClZnCH3 by gas-phase spectroscopy. The molecule was created in a DC discharge from the reaction of zinc vapor, produced either by a Broida-type oven or by laser ablation, with chloromethane in what appears to be a metal insertion process. Rotational and chlorine quadrupole constants were determined for three zinc isotopologues. The Zn - Cl bond was found to be partly ionic and significantly shorter than in EtZnCl.

Optical properties of ZnO/BaCO3 nanocomposites in UV and visible regions.

PubMed

Zak, Ali Khorsand; Hashim, Abdul Manaf; Darroudi, Majid

2014-01-01

Pure zinc oxide and zinc oxide/barium carbonate nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs and ZB-NPs) were synthesized by the sol-gel method. The prepared powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis), Auger spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The XRD result showed that the ZnO and BaCO3 nanocrystals grow independently. The Auger spectroscopy proved the existence of carbon in the composites besides the Zn, Ba, and O elements. The UV-Vis spectroscopy results showed that the absorption edge of ZnO nanoparticles is redshifted by adding barium carbonate. In addition, the optical parameters including the refractive index and permittivity of the prepared samples were calculated using the UV-Vis spectra. 81.05.Dz; 78.40.Tv; 42.70.-a.

Optical, thermal and morphological study of ZnS doped PVA polymer nano composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guruswamy, B.; Ravindrachary, V.; Shruthi, C.; Sagar, Rohan N.; Hegde, Shreedatta

2018-05-01

The effect of ZnS nano particle doping on optical, thermal properties and morphological study of the PVA polymer has been investigated using FTIR, UV-Visible and TGA, FESEM techniques. Nano sized ZnS particles were synthesized by a simple wet chemical route. Pure and ZnS/PVA nano composites were prepared using solution casting technique. The FTIR study confirms that the ZnS nano particles interacts with the OH group of PVA polymer and forms the complex. The formation of these complexes affects the optical and thermal properties of the composite. The changes in optical properties were studied using UV-Vis absorption method. The variation in thermal property was analysed using TGA results. The modified surface morphology analysis was carried out using FESEM.

Quinoline containing acetyl hydrazone: An easily accessible switch-on optical chemosensor for Zn2.

PubMed

Wu, Wei-Na; Mao, Pan-Dong; Wang, Yuan; Zhao, Xiao-Lei; Xu, Zhou-Qing; Xu, Zhi-Hong; Xue, Yuan

2018-01-05

A simple chemosensor, namely, N-((quinolin-8-yl)methylene)acetohydrazide (1) was synthesized and used as an off-on fluorescence sensor, which exhibits high selectivity toward Zn 2+ in aqueous media. The probe has large Stokes shift of >200nm, and its detection limit for Zn 2+ is 89.3nM. The binding process was confirmed through UV-vis absorption analysis, fluorescence measurements, mass spectroscopy study, 1 H NMR spectra and density functional theory calculation. The crystal structures of Zn 2+ , Ni 2+ , and Cu 2+ complexes based on 1 were determined through X-ray crystallographic analysis. The fluorescent probe was then applied to monitor intracellular Zn 2+ in HeLa cells. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Local Structures Around Co Atoms in Wurtzite ZnO Nano-Composites Probed by Fluorescence XAFS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shi Tongfei; National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230029; Liu Wenhan

2007-02-02

The local structures around Co ions in the Zn1-xCoxO nano-composites prepared by the sol-gel method have been investigated by fluorescence X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) technique. The results indicate that for dilute Co-doped ZnO (x=0.02, 0.05), the Co2+ ions are incorporated into the ZnO lattice, and are located at the position of the substitutional Zn2+ ions. As the Co content increases to 0.10 or higher, only part of the Co ions enter the lattice of the wurtzite and the others exist in the form of a Co3O4 phase whose content increases with the doped Co concentration. In the substitutional Zn0.98Co0.02Omore » sample, the bond length of the first shell RCo-O and the second shell RCo-Zn is smaller than the second shell Zn-Zn distance in ZnO by about 0.01{approx}0.02 A. These results imply that only small local lattice deformation is induced by dilute Co2+ substituting into the Zn2+ sites.« less

Controlled growth of ZnO/Zn₁-xPbxSe core-shell nanowires and their interfacial electronic energy alignment.

PubMed

Chen, Z H; Yeung, S Y; Li, H; Qian, J C; Zhang, W J; Li, Y Y; Bello, I

2012-05-21

ZnO/Zn(1-x)Pb(x)Se core-shell nanowires (NWs) have been synthesized by a solution based surface ion transfer method at various temperatures. The energy dispersive spectroscopic (EDS) mapping of single NWs suggests that the Zn, Pb and Se atoms are uniformly distributed in their shell layers. The ternary Zn(1-x)Pb(x)Se layers with tunable bandgaps extend the band-edge of optical absorption from 450 nm to 700 nm contrasting with the binary ZnSe layers. The ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopic (UPS) analysis reveals a transition from the type I to type II band alignment when the x fraction decreases from 0.66 to the value of 0.36 in the nanoshell layers. This quantitative investigation of electronic energy levels at ZnO and Zn(1-x)Pb(x)Se interfaces indicates that the proper type II band alignment is well suited for photovoltaic energy conversion. The photovoltaic cells comprising a ZnO/Zn(1-x)Pb(x)Se nano-heterojunction with the optimized Pb content are expected to be more efficient than the devices sensitized by binary ZnSe or PbSe.

Pinned orbital moments in uncompensated antiferromagnetic Co doped ZnO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buchner, Martin; Henne, Bastian; Ney, Verena; Lumetzberger, Julia; Wilhelm, Fabrice; Rogalev, Andrei; Hen, Amir; Ney, Andreas

2018-05-01

Low temperature Co K-edge x-ray magnetic circular dichroism spectra at different field cooling conditions were recorded to study the imprinted magnetization in antiferromagnetic (AFM) Co doped ZnO (Co:ZnO) films which manifests itself in a vertical exchange bias effect. Co:ZnO films with 50% and 60% doping concentrations were investigated to provide a high degree of pinned magnetic moments. The measurements reveal a change at the main absorption energy of the spectra, while the signal obtained at the pre-edge stays unaffected by the cooling conditions. Therefore, the pinned uncompensated AFM moments, resulting in an imprinted magnetization, are predominantly of orbital character and are independent of ferromagnetic layers.

Photocurrent enhancement mechanisms in bilayer nanofilm-based ultraviolet photodetectors made from ZnO and ZnS spherical nanoshells

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Hollow-sphere bilayer nanofilm-based ultraviolet light photodetectors made from ZnO and ZnS spherical nanoshells show enhanced photocurrent, which are comparable to or even better than those of other semiconductor nanostructures with different shapes. In this work, the photocurrent enhancement mechanisms of these bilayer nanofilm-based ultraviolet light photodetectors are explained, which could be attributed to the strong light absorption based on the whispering gallery mode resonances, the separation of the photogenerated carriers through the internal electric field within the bilayer nanofilms, the hopping-like electrical transport, and the effective charge injection from Cr/Au contacts to the nanofilms. PMID:25136287

Investigations on structural and optical properties of starch capped ZnS nanoparticles synthesized by microwave irradiation method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lalithadevi, B.; Mohan Rao, K.; Ramananda, D.

2018-05-01

Following a green synthesis method, zinc sulfide (ZnS) nanoparticles were prepared by chemical co-precipitation technique using starch as capping agent. Microwave irradiation was used as heating source. X-ray diffraction studies indicated that nanopowders obtained were polycrystalline possessing ZnS simple cubic structure. Transmission electron microscopic studies indicated that starch limits the agglomeration by steric stabilization. Interaction between ZnS and starch was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy as well as Raman scattering studies. Quantum size effects were observed in optical absorption studies while quenching of defect states on nanoparticles was improved with increase in starch addition as indicated by photoluminescence spectra.

Semipolar III-nitride laser diodes with zinc oxide cladding.

PubMed

Myzaferi, Anisa; Reading, Arthur H; Farrell, Robert M; Cohen, Daniel A; Nakamura, Shuji; DenBaars, Steven P

2017-07-24

Incorporating transparent conducting oxide (TCO) top cladding layers into III-nitride laser diodes (LDs) improves device design by reducing the growth time and temperature of the p-type layers. We investigate using ZnO instead of ITO as the top cladding TCO of a semipolar (202¯1) III-nitride LD. Numerical modeling indicates that replacing ITO with ZnO reduces the internal loss in a TCO clad LD due to the lower optical absorption in ZnO. Lasing was achieved at 453 nm with a threshold current density of 8.6 kA/cm 2 and a threshold voltage of 10.3 V in a semipolar (202¯1) III-nitride LD with ZnO top cladding.

Competition of the self-activated and Mn-related luminescence in ZnS single crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bacherikov, Yu. Yu.; Vorona, I. P.; Markevich, I. V.; Korsunska, N. O.; Kurichka, R. V.

2018-06-01

The photoluminescence (PL) and photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectra of ZnS single crystals thermally doped from ZnS/MnS mixture were studied at 300 and 77 K. PL spectra exhibit bands caused by Mn-related centers and centers of self-activated (SA) emission. Besides intrinsic maximum, a number of narrow peaks corresponded to Mn-related absorption are found in the PLE spectra of both SA and Mn-related emission. A redistribution of SA and Mn-related emission intensities is observed with temperature change. The mechanism of this phenomenon involving free hole trapping by MnZn and the possible position of a ground energy level of substitutional Mn are discussed.

[The quantitative changes of bioelements (Ca, Zn, Mg, Cu, Mn) in crystalline lenses under the influence of hypodynamic stress and zinc].

PubMed

Kusleika, Saulius

2002-01-01

The aim of the study was to investigate and estimate quantitative changes of bioelements (Ca, Zn, Mg, Cu, Mn) in the lenses on the influence of hypodynamic stress and zinc (Zn). Hypodynamic stress of 48 days duration was provoked for Chinchilla rabbits (n = 20) by placing them in metal hutches. Every day (48 days) 10 rabbits, which had intervention received 0.3 mg/kg body wt. doses of Zn (in form of Zn acetate). The rabbits (n = 10) of the control group, which had no intervention were kept in vivarium conditions. Concentration of bioelements in the lenses of rabbits was detected by atomic absorption spectrophotometry 503 "Perkin-Elmer" (USA). The investigation revealed that hypodynamic stress of 48 days duration caused the increase in amount of Ca, Zn, Mn in lenses as compared with that in control rabbits and in rabbits receiving Zn. The concentration of bioelements (Ca, Zn, Mg, Cu, Mn) in lenses of rabbits receiving Zn in case of hypodynamic stress did not change significantly.

Functional behaviour of polypropylene/ZnO soluble starch nanocomposites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chandramouleeswaran, Subramani; Mhaske, S. T.; Kathe, A. A.; Varadarajan, P. V.; Prasad, Virendra; Vigneshwaran, Nadanathangam

2007-09-01

ZnO-polypropylene nanocomposites (nano-PP) were prepared using nanoparticles of ZnO stabilized by soluble starch (nano-ZnO) as filler in PP by the melt mixing process. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and other spectroscopic analysis—ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and photoluminescence—revealed the presence and characteristics of nano-ZnO in the composites. The presence of ZnO imparts whiteness, while starch increased the yellowing of polymers. The nanocomposites were analyzed for changes in optical, mechanical, electrical and rheological properties, as influenced by the increasing concentration of nano-ZnO. The mechanical properties were marginally increased and the dielectric strength of the nano-PP increased to a notable level. By monitoring the evolution of the carbonyl absorption bands from FTIR analysis, the efficacy of nano-ZnO in the reduction of photo-degradation due to UV irradiation was demonstrated. The excellent antibacterial activity exhibited by nano-ZnO impregnated PP against two human pathogenic bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae, makes it a suitable candidate for food packaging applications.

Luminescent ZnO quantum dots as an efficient sensor for free chlorine detection in water.

PubMed

Singh, Kulvinder; Mehta, S K

2016-04-21

Highly luminescent ZnO quantum dots (QDs) synthesized via a simple and facile route are used for the preparation of an optical sensor for the detection of free chlorine. The concentration of free chlorine greatly affects the PL emission of the ZnO QDs at 525 nm. Since hypochlorite gains electrons with high efficiency, it takes electrons from the oxygen vacancies of ZnO QDs, which gives rise to defect emission in ZnO QDs. UV-vis data analysis shows that free chlorine does not affect the optical absorption spectra of ZnO QDs. The optical sensing of free chlorine using ZnO QDs has several advantages, like quick response time, good selectivity and of course high sensitivity. The pH has very little effect on the PL emission of ZnO QDs. It does not interfere in the sensing mechanism for free chlorine. After 60 s, the response of the ZnO QDs remains stable. The present sensor shows high selectivity with respect to various common cations, as well as anions.

Spectrum-enhanced Au@ZnO plasmonic nanoparticles for boosting dye-sensitized solar cell performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Qisheng; Wei, Yunwei; Shahid, Malik Zeeshan; Yao, Mingming; Xu, Bo; Liu, Guangning; Jiang, Kejian; Li, Cuncheng

2018-03-01

Spectrum-enhanced Au@ZnO plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) are developed for fabrication of the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), and their remarkable enhanced performances are achieved due to Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) effects. When being doped different blended amounts of the Au@ZnO NPs within the photoanode layers, various enhanced effects in the SPR-based DSSCs are exhibited. Compared with the power conversion efficiency (PCE, 7.50%) achieved for bare DSSC, device with doped Au@ZnO NPs of 1.93% delivers the top PCE of 8.91%, exhibiting about 20% enhancement. To elaborate the charge transfer process in the Au@ZnO NPs blended DSSCs, the photoluminescence (PL), electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS), etc are performed. We find that both the enhanced SPR absorption properties and the suppressed recombination process of charges contribute much to the improved performance of Au@ZnO-incorporated DSSCs.

The salen based chemosensors for highly selective recognition of Zn2+ ion.

PubMed

Zhu, Wenkai; Du, LongChao; Li, Wensheng; Zuo, Jinyan; Shan, Jingrui

2018-06-03

Two novel salen based chemosensors have been successfully synthesized. UV-vis absorption, fluorescence emission spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry (CV) were exploited to investigate their recognition toward various metal ions, including Na + , K + , Mg 2+ , Al 3+ , Zn 2+ , Ag + , Pb 2+ , Co 2+ , Li + , Ba 2+ , Ca 2+ , Cd 2+ , La 3+ , Cu 2+ and Mn 2+ ions. The results indicated that the sensor L1 and L2 exhibited highly selective and sensitive recognition for Zn 2+ ions. The binding stoichiometry ratio of L1-Zn 2+ /L2-Zn 2+ were recognized as 4:1 by the method of Job's plot. Meanwhile, this investigation is confirmed by 1 H NMR. These results indicated that L1 and L2 can be applied as chemosensor for the detection of Zn 2+ ion. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Direct Electrothermal Atomic Absorption Determination of Trace Elements in Body Fluids (Review)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zacharia, A. N.; Arabadji, M. V.; Chebotarev, A. N.

2017-03-01

This review is focused on the state and development of tendencies of electrothermal atomic absorption spectroscopy over the last 25 years (from 1990 to 2016) in the direct determination of Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, Mn, Se, As, Cr, Co, Ni, Al, and Hg in body fluids such as blood, urine, saliva, and breast milk.

Improved photovoltaic properties of ZnTeO-based intermediate band solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanaka, Tooru; Saito, Katsuhiko; Guo, Qixin; Yu, Kin Man; Walukiewicz, Wladek

2018-02-01

Highly mismatched ZnTe1-xOx (ZnTeO) alloy is one of the potential candidates for an absorber material in a bulk intermediate band solar cell (IBSC) because a narrow, O-derived intermediate band IB (E-) is formed well below the conduction band CB (E+) edge of the ZnTe. We have previously demonstrated the generation of photocurrent induced by two-step photon absorption (TSPA) in ZnTeO IBSCs using n-ZnO window layer. However, because of the large conduction band offset (CBO) between ZnTe and ZnO, only a small open circuit voltage (Voc) was observed in this structure. Here, we report our recent progress on the development of ZnTeO IBSCs with n-ZnS window layer. ZnS has a large direct band gap of 3.7 eV with an electron affinity of 3.9 eV that can realize a smaller CBO with ZnTe. We have grown n-type ZnS thin films on ZnTe substrates by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), and demonstrated ZnTe solar cells and ZnTeO IBSCs using n-ZnS window layer with an improved VOC. Especially, a n-ZnS/i-ZnTe/p-ZnTe solar cell showed an improved Voc of 0.77 V, a large short-circuit current density of 6.7 mA/cm2 with a fill factor of 0.60, yielding the power conversion efficiency of 3.1 %, under 1 sun illumination.

Changing the zinc:iron ratio in a cereal-based nutritional supplement has no effect on percent absorption of iron and zinc in Sri Lankan children

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Thriposha program is a community-level nutrition intervention in Sri Lanka that provides a combination of energy, protein, and micronutrients as a 'ready-to-eat' cereal-based food. We measured the bioavailability of Fe and Zn from Thriposha formula at two different molar ratios of Zn: Fe in orde...

[Analysis of effects of salt stress on absorption and accumulation of mineral elements in Elymus spp. using atomic absorption spectrophotometer].

PubMed

Jia, Ya-xiong; Sun, Lei; He, Feng; Wan, Li-qiang; Yuan, Qing-hua; Li, Xiang-lin

2008-12-01

Salinization contributes significantly to soil degradation and the growth and survival of plants. A high level of salts imposes both ionic and osmotic stresses on plants, resulting in an excessive accumulation of sodium (Na) in plant tissues. Na toxicity disrupts the uptake of soil nutrients. Plant uptake and absorption of macro-elements under salt stress have been studied in plants, but there is little literature addressing the effect of salt stress on plant accumulation and absorption of micro-elements. Species in Elymus genus are among the most important forage plants on high-salinity soils in China An experiment was conducted to study the effect of salt stress on accumulation and absorption of both macro- and micro-elements by wild plants of Elymus genus. Plant samples taken from two populations with different salt tolerance were tested and the level of 4 macro-elements, namely Na, K, Ca and Mg, and 4 micro-elements, namely Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn was determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The relationship between the selection of elements in the process of absorption and accumulation and salt tolerance was also analyzed. The results showed that the level of Na in root and leaf tissues increased with increasing salt stress. The level of Na in leaf tissue of plants with high salt tolerance (HS) was significantly higher than that in plants with low salt tolerance (P<0.05). The level of K and Ca decreased in response to increasing salt stress, while that in HS was higher than in LS. The level of Fe and Zn in the tissues of both roots and leaves increased. No significant difference was detected between HS and LS samples in the level of Cu in root tissues, while that of Cu in leaf tissue of both samples increased. The level of Mn decreased with increasing salt stress, but was higher in HS than in LS. Fe and Zn in roots and leaves of HS were lower than in those of LS.

Characterization of 68Zn uptake, translocation, and accumulation into developing grains and young leaves of high Zn-density rice genotype*

PubMed Central

Wu, Chun-yong; Feng, Ying; Shohag, Md. Jahidul Islam; Lu, Ling-li; Wei, Yan-yan; Gao, Chong; Yang, Xiao-e

2011-01-01

Zinc (Zn) is an essential micronutrient for humans, but Zn deficiency has become serious as equally as iron (Fe) and vitamin A deficiencies nowadays. Selection and breeding of high Zn-density crops is a suitable, cost-effective, and sustainable way to improve human health. However, the mechanism of high Zn density in rice grain is not fully understood, especially how Zn transports from soil to grains. Hydroponics experiments were carried out to compare Zn uptake and distribution in two different Zn-density rice genotypes using stable isotope technique. At seedling stage, IR68144 showed higher 68Zn uptake and transport rate to the shoot for the short-term, but no significant difference was observed in both genotypes for the long-term. Zn in xylem sap of IR68144 was consistently higher, and IR68144 exhibited higher Zn absorption ratio than IR64 at sufficient (2.0 µmol/L) or surplus (8.0 µmol/L) Zn supply level. IR64 and IR68144 showed similar patterns of 68Zn accumulation in new leaves at seedling stage and in developing grains at ripening stage, whereas 68Zn in new leaves and grains of IR68144 was consistently higher. These results suggested that a rapid root-to-shoot translocation and enhanced xylem loading capacity may be the crucial processes for high Zn density in rice grains. PMID:21528496

Structural, magnetic and optical properties of ZnO nanostructures converted from ZnS nanoparticles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Patel, Prayas Chandra; Ghosh, Surajit; Srivastava, P.C., E-mail: pcsrivastava50@gmail.com

Graphical abstract: The phase conversion of ZnS to highly crystalline hexagonal ZnO was done by heat treatment. - Highlights: • Phase change of cubic ZnS to hexagonal ZnO via heat treatment. • Band gap was found to decrease with increasing calcinations temperature. • ZnO samples have higher magnetic moment than ZnS. • Blocking Temperature of the samples is well above room temperature. • Maximum negative%MR with saturation value ∼38% was found for sample calcined at 600° C. - Abstract: The present work concentrates on the synthesis of cubic ZnS and hexagonal ZnO semiconducting nanoparticle from same precursor via co-precipitation method.more » The phase conversion of ZnS to highly crystalline hexagonal ZnO was done by heat treatment. From the analysis of influence of calcination temperature on the structural, optical and vibrational properties of the samples, an optimum temperature was found for the total conversion of ZnS nanoparticles to ZnO. Role of quantum confinement due to finite size is evident from the blue shift of the fundamental absorption in UV–vis spectra only in the ZnS nanoparticles. The semiconducting nature of the prepared samples is confirmed from the UV–vis, PL study and transport study. From the magnetic and transport studies, pure ZnO phase was found to be more prone to magnetic field.« less

The Critical Role of Thioacetamide Concentration in the Formation of ZnO/ZnS Heterostructures by Sol-Gel Process

PubMed Central

Kiatkoski Kaminski, Renata Cristina; Caetano, Bruno Leonardo; Magnani, Marina; Meneau, Florian; Rochet, Amélie; Santilli, Celso Valentim; Briois, Valérie; Bourgaux, Claudie

2018-01-01

ZnO/ZnS heterostructures have emerged as an attractive approach for tailoring the properties of particles comprising these semiconductors. They can be synthesized using low temperature sol-gel routes. The present work yields insight into the mechanisms involved in the formation of ZnO/ZnS nanostructures. ZnO colloidal suspensions, prepared by hydrolysis and condensation of a Zn acetate precursor solution, were allowed to react with an ethanolic thioacetamide solution (TAA) as sulfur source. The reactions were monitored in situ by Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) and UV-vis spectroscopy, and the final colloidal suspensions were characterized by High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM). The powders extracted at the end of the reactions were analyzed by X-ray Absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Depending on TAA concentration, different nanostructures were revealed. ZnO and ZnS phases were mainly obtained at low and high TAA concentrations, respectively. At intermediate TAA concentrations, we evidenced the formation of ZnO/ZnS heterostructures. ZnS formation could take place via direct crystal growth involving Zn ions remaining in solution and S ions provided by TAA and/or chemical conversion of ZnO to ZnS. The combination of all the characterization techniques was crucial to elucidate the reaction steps and the nature of the final products. PMID:29360735

Enhanced performance of P3HT/(PCBM:ZnO:TiO{sub 2}) blend based hybrid organic solar cells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ikram, M., E-mail: mianraj.1981@gmail.com; Murray, R.; Imran, M.

Highlights: • We fabricated hybrid bulk heterojunction organic solar cells. • TiO{sub 2} and ZnO nanoparticles replace PCBM with fixed amount of P3HT in active layer • PCE was significantly improved by the introduction of TiO{sub 2} and ZnO. • A possible route toward low-cost OPV. • To the best of my knowledge, this work is the first time going to report. - Abstract: Quaternary blend hybrid organic solar cells enjoy both an increased light absorption range and an easy method to fabricate because of the simple structure. In this study effects of mixing inorganic metal oxides (ZnO and TiO{submore » 2}) nanoparticles to the active layer of organic photovoltaics devices were investigated. The active layer primarily consists of various ratios of electron donor poly (3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and an electron acceptor [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) together with nanostructured ZnO and TiO{sub 2} dispersed in chlorobenzene (CB) and 1,2-dichlorobenzene (DCB). The ratio of PCBM to nanoparticles was varied keeping the ratio of P3HT to acceptor material constant. Mixing of nanoparticle plays a significant role in the resulting power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the devices. An increased PCE for ZnO/TiO{sub 2} doped devices can be attributed to increased absorption in the visible region and enhanced charge collection due to the percolation networks formed by metal oxides nanoparticles.« less

The saturable absorption and reverse saturable absorption properties of Cu doped zinc oxide thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Cheng-Bao; Wen, Xin; Li, Qiang-Hua; Yan, Xiao-Yan; Li, Jin; Zhang, Ke-Xin; Sun, Wen-Jun; Bai, Li-Na; Yang, Shou-Bin

2017-03-01

We present the structure and nonlinear absorption (NLA) properties of Cu-doped ZnO (CZO) films prepared by magnetron sputtering. The films were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The results show that the CZO films can maintain a wurtzite structure. Furthermore, the open-aperture (OA) Z-scan measurements of the film were carried out by nanosecond laser pulse. A transition from saturable absorption (SA) to reverse saturable absorption (RSA) was observed as the excitation intensity increasing. With good excellent nonlinear optical coefficient, the samples were expected to be the potential applications in optical devices.

Porphyrin-based polymeric nanostructures for light harvesting applications: Ab initio calculations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orellana, Walter

The capture and conversion of solar energy into electricity is one of the most important challenges to the sustainable development of mankind. Among the large variety of materials available for this purpose, porphyrins concentrate great attention due to their well-known absorption properties in the visible range. However, extended materials like polymers with similar absorption properties are highly desirable. In this work, we investigate the stability, electronic and optical properties of polymeric nanostructures based on free-base porphyrins and phthalocyanines (H2P, H2Pc), within the framework of the time-dependent density functional perturbation theory. The aim of this work is the stability, electronic, and optical characterization of polymeric sheets and nanotubes obtained from H2P and H2Pc monomers. Our results show that H2P and H2Pc sheets exhibit absorption bands between 350 and 400 nm, slightly different that the isolated molecules. However, the H2P and H2Pc nanotubes exhibit a wide absorption in the visible and near-UV range, with larger peaks at 600 and 700 nm, respectively, suggesting good characteristic for light harvesting. The stability and absorption properties of similar structures obtained from ZnP and ZnPc molecules is also discussed. Departamento de Ciencias Físicas, República 220, 037-0134 Santiago, Chile.

Field enhancement of multiphoton induced luminescence processes in ZnO nanorods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hyyti, Janne; Perestjuk, Marko; Mahler, Felix; Grunwald, Rüdiger; Güell, Frank; Gray, Ciarán; McGlynn, Enda; Steinmeyer, Günter

2018-03-01

The near-ultraviolet photoluminescence of ZnO nanorods induced by multiphoton absorption of unamplified Ti:sapphire pulses is investigated. Power dependence measurements have been conducted with an adaptation of the ultrashort pulse characterization method of interferometric frequency-resolved optical gating. These measurements enable the separation of second harmonic and photoluminescence bands due to their distinct coherence properties. A detailed analysis yields fractional power dependence exponents in the range of 3-4, indicating the presence of multiple nonlinear processes. The range in measured exponents is attributed to differences in local field enhancement, which is supported by independent photoluminescence and structural measurements. Simulations based on Keldysh theory suggest contributions by three- and four-photon absorption as well as avalanche ionization in agreement with experimental findings.

Study of the degradation and recovery of the optical properties of H+-implanted ZnO pigments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chundong; Lv, Jinpeng; Yao, Shulong; Hu, Jiangang; Liang, Zhiqiang

2013-01-01

We studied the influences of proton implantation and oxygen post-annealing on the optical properties of ZnO pigments using a combination of Raman scattering, positron annihilation and photoluminescence techniques. Raman scattering results indicated that oxygen vacancies and interstitial zinc defects were produced after proton implantation. Positron annihilation spectroscopy and photoluminescence measurements demonstrated that the zinc vacancies do not contribute to the optical absorption, but give rise to the visible band emission. Interestingly, the proton implantation induced optical degradation can be annealed out at 800 °C in an O2 atmosphere. We conclude that the defect centers responsible for the optical absorption are primarily composed of VO+, ionized Zni and ionized Oi.

Laser therapy by noncoherent light field of radiation.

PubMed

Djibladze, M I; Melikishvili, Z G; Uchaneishvili, S D

1997-01-01

Conducted researches on study of interaction of radiation with blood have shown, that the interaction is the most effective for light with wavelengths in the range of 600-1000 nm that corresponds to the minimum absorption factor of the whole blood. Calculations show, that at interaction of radiation with blood considerably grows effective (electronic) temperature of biological environment, that results in sharp increase of speed of biochemical reactions. The absence of necessity of application of laser radiation coherence in lasertherapy permits to create high efficient noncoherent sources of light on the basis of the GaALAs(Zn) crystals, radiating with two maxima of wavelengths 675 and 900 nm. The radiation spectrum of GaALAs(Zn) crystals falls in the most favourable area of a blood absorption spectrum.

Fluorescence properties of alloyed ZnSeS quantum dots overcoated with ZnTe and ZnTe/ZnS shells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adegoke, Oluwasesan; Mashazi, Philani; Nyokong, Tebello; Forbes, Patricia B. C.

2016-04-01

Fluorescent alloyed ternary ZnSeS quantum dots (QDs) have been synthesized via the pyrolysis of organometallic precursors. The effects of passivation of ZnTe and ZnTe/ZnS shells on the optical properties of the ternary alloyed ZnSeS core have been studied. A ligand exchange reaction using L-cysteine as a capping ligand was used to obtain water-soluble nanocrystals. The nanocrystals were each characterized by UV/vis absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield (QY) of alloyed ZnSeS QDs was 14% and this value increased to 27% when ZnTe was overcoated around the surface but further coating with a ZnS shell decreased the PL QY slightly to 24%. This implies that ZnTe shell suppressed non-radiative recombination exciton states in the alloyed core while further layering with a ZnS shell offered no further improvement in suppressing the defect states. XPS analysis confirmed the presence of the first shell layering but showed a weakened intensity signal of S (2p) and Se (3d) for the ZnSeS/ZnTe/ZnS QDs. Our work demonstrates for the first time that shell passivation of alloyed Zn-based QDs can offer improved optical properties. We hope the optical information presented in this work will be useful in the selection of alloyed Zn-based QDs appropriate for the intended application.

Electronic Band Structure Tuning of Highly-Mismatched-Alloys for Energy Conversion Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ting, Min

Highly-mismatched alloys: ZnO1-xTe x and GaN1-xSb x are discussed within the context of finding the suitable material for a cost-effective Si-based tandem solar cell (SBTSC). SBTSC is an attractive concept for breaking through the energy conversion efficiency theoretical limit of a single junction solar cell. Combining with a material of 1.8 eV band gap, SBTSC can theoretically achieve energy conversion efficiency > 45%. ZnO and GaN are wide band gap semiconductors. Alloying Te in ZnO and alloying Sb in GaN result in large band gap reduction to < 2 eV from 3.3 eV and 3.4 eV respectively. The band gap reduction is majorly achieved by the upward shift of valence band (VB). Incorporating Te in ZnO modifies the VB of ZnO through the valence-band anticrossing (VBAC) interaction between localized Te states and ZnO VB delocalized states, which forms a Te-derived VB at 1 eV above the host VB. Similar band structure modification is resulted from alloying Sb in GaN. Zn1-xTex and GaN 1-xSbx thin films are synthesized across the whole composition range by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and low temperature molecular beam epitaxy (LT-MBE) respectively. The electronic band edges of these alloys are measured by synchrotron X-ray absorption, emission, and the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies. Modeling the optical absorption coefficient with the band anticrossing (BAC) model revealed that the Te and Sb defect levels to be at 0.99 eV and 1.2 eV above the VB of ZnO and GaN respectively. Electrically, Zn1-xTex is readily n-type conductive and GaN1-xSbx is strongly p-type conductive. A heterojunction device of p-type GaN 0.93Sb0.07 with n-type ZnO0.77Te0.93 upper cell (band gap at 1.8 eV) on Si bottom cell is proposed as a promising SBTSC device.

Site Selective Binding of Zn(ll) ot Metallo-b-Lactamase L1 from Stenotrophomonas Maltophilia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Costello,A.; Periyannan, G.; Yang, K.

2006-01-01

Extended X-ray absorption fine structure studies of the metallo-{beta}-lactamase L1 from Stenotrophomonas maltophilia containing 1 and 2 equiv of Zn(II) and containing 2 equiv of Zn(II) plus hydrolyzed nitrocefin are presented. The data indicate that the first, catalytically dominant metal ion is bound by L1 at the consensus Zn1 site. The data further suggest that binding of the first metal helps preorganize the ligands for binding of the second metal ion. The di-Zn enzyme displays a well-defined metal-metal interaction at 3.42 Angstroms. Reaction with the {beta}-lactam antibiotic nitrocefin results in a product-bound species, in which the ring-opened lactam rotates inmore » the active site to present the S1 sulfur atom of nitrocefin to one of the metal ions for coordination. The product bridges the two metal ions, with a concomitant lengthening of the Zn-Zn interaction to 3.62 Angstroms.« less

Synthesis of ZnO nanopencils using wet chemical method and its investigation as LPG sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimpi, Navinchandra G.; Jain, Shilpa; Karmakar, Narayan; Shah, Akshara; Kothari, D. C.; Mishra, Satyendra

2016-12-01

ZnO nanopencils (NPCs) were prepared by a novel wet chemical process, using triethanolamine (TEA) as a mild base, which is relatively simple and cost effective method as compared to hydrothermal method. ZnO NPCs were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) spectroscopy in mid-IR and far-IR regions, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), UV-vis (UV-vis) absorption spectroscopy, room temperature Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM). ZnO NPCs obtained, were highly pure, uniform and monodispersed.XRD pattern indicated hexagonal unit cell structure with preferred orientation along the c-axis. Sensing behaviour of ZnO NPCs was studied towards Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) at different operating temperatures. The study shows that ZnO NPCs were most sensitive and promising candidate for detection of LPG at 250 °C with gas sensitivity > 60%. The high response towards LPG is due to high surface area of ZnO NPCs and their parallel alignment.

Synthesis, optical properties and efficient photocatalytic activity of CdO/ZnO hybrid nanocomposite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reddy, Ch Venkata; Babu, B.; Shim, Jaesool

2018-01-01

Pure CdO, ZnO and CdO/ZnO hybrid nanocomposite photocatalyst were synthesized using simple co-precipitation technique and studied in detail. The synthesized photocatalysts were characterized using several measurements such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), surface analysis (BET), diffuse reflectance UV-vis spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, FT-IR, TG-DTA and photoluminescence (PL). The XRD results revealed that the hexagonal and cubic crystal structure of CdO and ZnO nanoparticles. The optical response for the composite showed the presence of separate absorption signature for CdO and ZnO in the visible region at about 510 nm and 360 nm respectively. The CdO/ZnO hybrid nanocomposite photocatalyst exhibited enhanced photocatalytic degradation activity compared to pristine CdO and ZnO. The enhanced photocatalytic activity may be due to the higher specific surface area and significantly reduced the electron-hole recombination rate.

Effect of Eu3+ doping on the structural, morphological and luminescence properties ZnO nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vinoditha, U.; Balakrishna, K. M.; Sarojini, B. K.; Narayana, B.; Kumara, K.

2018-05-01

Pure and Eu3+ ions (1, 3, 5 atomic wt%) doped ZnO nanostructures are synthesized by a surfactant assisted hydrothermal method. The effect of doping concentrations on structural, morphological and optical properties of ZnO nanostructures is studied. The XRD analysis shows good crystallinity and the phase purity of the ZnO nanostructures. A shift in the standard Zn-O stretching mode after Eu3+ doping is observed in the FTIR spectra. The images of FESEM demonstrate the morphological variations from hexagonal nanorods to nanoflowers on varying the dopant concentrations. Substitution of Eu3+ ions into Zn2+ sites is confirmed by EDX analysis. The dominance of particle shape over the UV-Visible absorption properties of the prepared samples is noticed. The photoluminescence (PL) emission of undoped and doped ZnO nanostructures show dominant near band edge emission (NBE) in the UV region and minor defect induced deep level emissions in the visible region.

Hierarchical Heterostructure of ZnO@TiO2 Hollow Spheres for Highly Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yue; Wang, Longlu; Liang, Jian; Gao, Fengxian; Yin, Kai; Dai, Pei

2017-09-01

The rational design and preparation of hierarchical nanoarchitectures are critical for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Herein, well-integrated hollow ZnO@TiO2 heterojunctions were obtained by a simple hydrothermal method. This unique hierarchical heterostructure not only caused multiple reflections which enhances the light absorption but also improved the lifetime and transfer of photogenerated charge carriers due to the potential difference generated on the ZnO-TiO2 interface. As a result, compared to bare ZnO and TiO2, the ZnO@TiO2 composite photocatalyst exhibited higher hydrogen production rated up to 0.152 mmol h-1 g-1 under simulated solar light. In addition, highly repeated photostability was also observed on the ZnO@TiO2 composite photocatalyst even after a continuous test for 30 h. It is expected that this low-cost, nontoxic, and readily available ZnO@TiO2 catalyst could exhibit promising potential in photocatalytic H2 to meet the future fuel needs.

Noble-metal-free NiO@Ni-ZnO/reduced graphene oxide/CdS heterostructure for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Fayun; Zhang, Laijun; Wang, Xuewen; Zhang, Rongbin

2017-11-01

Noble-metal-free semiconductor materials are widely used for photocatalytic hydrogen generation because of their low cost. ZnO-based heterostructures with synergistic effects exhibit an effective photocatalytic activity. In this work, NiO@Ni-ZnO/reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/CdS heterostructures are synthesized by a multi-step method. rGO nanosheets and CdS nanoparticles were introduced into the heterostructures via a redox reaction and light-assisted growth, respectively. A novel Ni-induced electrochemical growth method was developed to prepare ZnO rods from Zn powder. NiO@Ni-ZnO/rGO/CdS heterostructures with a wide visible-light absorption range exhibited highly photocatalytic hydrogen generation rates under UV-vis and visible light irradiation. The enhanced photocatalytic activity is attributed to the Ni nanoparticles that act as cocatalysts for capturing photoexcited electrons and the improved synergistic effect between ZnO and CdS due to the rGO nanosheets acting as photoexcited carrier transport channels.

[Effect of different organic fertilizers on bioavailability of soil Cd and Zn].

PubMed

Xie, Yun-he; Ji, Xiong-hui; Wu, Jia-mei; Huang, Juan; Guan, Di; Zhu, Jian

2015-03-01

The active effect of soil Cd and Zn and their interaction was studied in typical paddy field in south China by monitoring the contents of Cd and Zn in soil and rice in rice fields applied with pig manure, chicken manure or rice straw for 4 years continuously. The results showed that applying pig manure, chicken manure or rice straw had no significant impact on the soil total Cd content, soil available Cd content and soil Cd activity, but tended to increase the soil total Cd content and increased the soil total Zn content, soil available Zn content and Zn activity significantly. Applications of pig manure, chicken manure and rice straw all reduced the Cd content of brown rice, in order of pig manure > chicken manure > rice straw. The Cd contents of brown rice, stem and leaf in the treatment applied with pig manure were lower than in the control by 37.5%, 44.0% and 36.4%, respectively; the Cd contents of brown rice, stem and leaf in the treatment applied with chicken manure were lower than in the control by 22.5%, 33.8%, and 22.7%, respectively; the Cd content of brown rice in the treatment applied with rice straw was lower than in the control by 7.5% but its contents in stem and leaf increased by 8.2% and 22.7% , respectively. The reduction in the brown rice Cd content was mainly due to the reduction of Cd enrichment from soil to brown rice after application of pig or chicken manure, but mainly due to the reduction of Cd transportation from stem to brown rice after straw application. Applications of pig manure, chicken manure and rice straw increased Zn contents in rice stem by 53.4%, 53.4% and 13.9%, respectively, but all had no significant effect on brown rice and leaf' s Zn contents. Zn and Cd had the significant antagonistic effects in the soil and rice stem. The increase of Zn content in soil and rice stem inhibited the adsorption and accumulation of Cd in the brown rice, stem and leaf significantly, and with the increase of the proportion of Zn/Cd, the competitive absorption between Cd and Zn by rice was the main control factor affecting the Cd absorption by rice than their competitive adsorption by soil.

Transparent nanocrystalline ZnO and ZnO:Al coatings obtained through ZnS sols

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolobkova, E. V.; Evstropiev, S. K.; Nikonorov, N. V.; Vasilyev, V. N.; Evstropyev, K. S.

2017-11-01

Thin and uniform ZnO and ZnO:Al coatings were prepared on glass surfaces by using film-forming colloidal solutions containing small ZnS nanoparticles and polyvinylpyrrolidone as a polymer stabilizer. Film-forming ZnS sols were synthesized in the mixed water-propanol-2 solutions by chemical reaction between zinc nitrate and sodium sulfide. The addition of modifying component such as Al(NO3)3 into the film-forming solutions allows one to obtain thin and uniform ZnO:Al coatings. An increase in the sodium sulfide content in film-forming solutions leads to the growth of light absorption in the UV. The evolution of a coating material at all technological stages from the ZnS sols up to the transparent ZnO and ZnO:Al2O3 coatings (the latter kind being denoted further, in accord with a common practice, by ZnO:Al) was studied using the optical spectroscopy, XRD analysis, DSC-TGA, and SEM methods. The chemical processes of decomposing salts and the polymer occur by heating the intermediate composite ZnS/polyvinylpyrrolidone coatings in the 280-500 °C temperature range. Experimental data show that the ZnO and ZnO:Al coatings prepared consist of the slightly elongated oxide nanoparticles. These coatings fully cover the glass surface and demonstrate a high transparency in the UV and visible.

DFT/TD-DFT study on the electronic and spectroscopic properties of hollow cubic and hollow spherical (ZnO) m quantum dots interacting with CO, NO2 and SO3 molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gopalakrishnan, Sankarasubramanian; Shankar, Ramasamy; Kolandaivel, Ponmalai

2018-03-01

Hollow spherical (HS) and hollow cubic (HC) (ZnO) m quantum dots (QDs) were constructed and optimized using density functional theory (DFT) method. CO, NO2 and SO3 molecules were used to interact with the HC and HS (ZnO) m QDs at the centre and on the surface of the QDs. The changes in the electronic energy levels of HC and HS (ZnO) m QDs due to the interactions of CO, NO2 and SO3 molecules have been studied. The electronic and spectroscopic properties, such as density of states, HOMO-LUMO energy gap, absorption spectra, IR and Raman spectra of HC and HS (ZnO) m QDs have been studied using DFT and Time dependent-DFT (TD-DFT) methods. The interaction energy values show that the SO3 molecule has strongly interacted with HC and HS (ZnO) m QDs than the CO and NO2 molecules. The results of the density of states show that the HC QDs have peaks that are very close to each other, whereas the same is found to be broad in the HS QDs. The HOMO-LUMO energy gap is more for the HS QDs than the HC QDs, and also it gets decreased, when the NO2 and SO3 molecules interact at the centre of the HC and HS (ZnO) m QDs. The blue and red shifts were observed in the absorption spectra of HS and HC QDs. The natural transition orbital (NTO) plot reveals that the interaction of the molecules on the surface of the QDs reduce the chance of electron-hole recombination; hence the energy gap increases for NO2 and SO3 molecular interactions on the surface of the HC and HS (ZnO) m QDs. The vibrational assignments have been made for HC and HS QDs interacting with CO, NO2 and SO3 molecules.

Acceptors in bulk and nanoscale ZnO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCluskey, M. D.

2012-02-01

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a semiconductor that emits bright UV light, with little wasted heat. This intrinsic feature makes it a promising material for energy-efficient white lighting, nano-lasers, and other optical applications. For devices to be competitive, however, it is necessary to develop reliable p-type doping. Although substitutional nitrogen has been considered as a potential p-type dopant for ZnO, theoretical and experimental work indicates that nitrogen is a deep acceptor and will not lead to p-type conductivity. This talk will highlight recent experiments on ZnO:N at low temperatures. A red/near-IR photoluminescence (PL) band is correlated with the presence of deep nitrogen acceptors. PL excitation (PLE) measurements show an absorption threshold of 2.26 eV, in good agreement with theory. Magnetic resonance experiments provide further evidence for this assignment. The results of these studies seem to rule out group-V elements as shallow acceptors in ZnO, contradicting numerous reports in the literature. If these acceptors do not work as advertised, is there a viable alternative? Optical studies on ZnO nanocrystals show some intriguing leads. At liquid-helium temperatures, a series of sharp IR absorption peaks arise from an unknown acceptor impurity. The data are consistent with a hydrogenic acceptor 0.46 eV above the valence band edge. While this binding energy is still too deep for many practical applications, it represents a significant improvement over the ˜ 1.3 eV binding energy for nitrogen acceptors. Nanocrystals present another twist. Due to their high surface-to-volume ratio, surface states are especially important. Specifically, electron-hole recombination at the surface give rises to a red luminescence band. From our PL and IR experiments, we have developed a ``unified'' model that attempts to explain acceptor and surface states in ZnO nanocrystals. This model could provide a useful framework for designing future nanoscale ZnO devices.

Electrical properties of undoped zinc oxide nanostructures at different annealing temperature

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nasir, M. F., E-mail: babaibaik2002@yahoo.com; Zainol, M. N., E-mail: nizarzainol@yahoo.com; Hannas, M., E-mail: mhannas@gmail.com

This project has been focused on the electrical and optical properties respectively on the effect of Undoped zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films at different annealing temperature which is varied 400 °C, 450 °C, 500 °C, and 550 °C.Undoped ZnO solutions were deposited onto the glass substrates using sol-gel spin coating method. This project was involved with three phases, which are thin films preparation, deposition and characterization. The thin films were characterized using Current Voltage (I-V) measurement and UV-vis-NIR spectrophotometer for electrical properties and optical properties. The electrical properties show that the resistivity is the lowest at 500 °C which itsmore » resistivity is 5.36 × 10{sup 4} Ωcm{sup −1}. The absorption coefficient spectrum obtained from UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometer measurement shows all films exhibit very low absorption in the visible (400-800 nm) and near infrared (NIR) (>800 nm) range but exhibit high absorption in the UV range.« less

Ultra-violet absorption induced modifications in bulk and nanoscale electrical transport properties of Al-doped ZnO thin films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kumar, Mohit; Basu, Tanmoy; Som, Tapobrata, E-mail: tsom@iopb.res.in

Using conductive atomic force microscopy and Kelvin probe force microscopy, we study local electrical transport properties in aluminum-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Al or AZO) thin films. Current mapping shows a spatial variation in conductivity which corroborates well with the local mapping of donor concentration (∼10{sup 20 }cm{sup −3}). In addition, a strong enhancement in the local current at grains is observed after exposing the film to ultra-violet (UV) light which is attributed to persistent photocurrent. Further, it is shown that UV absorption gives a smooth conduction in AZO film which in turn gives rise to an improvement in the bulk photoresponsivity ofmore » an n-AZO/p-Si heterojunction diode. This finding is in contrast to the belief that UV absorption in an AZO layer leads to an optical loss for the underneath absorbing layer of a heterojunction solar cell.« less

Magnetically separable core–shell ZnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}@ZnO nanoparticles for visible light photodegradation of methyl orange

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kulkarni, Suresh D., E-mail: suresh.dk@manipal.edu; Kumbar, Sagar; Menon, Samvit G.

Highlights: • Phase pure, magnetic ZnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}@ZnO nanoparticles synthesized with excellent yield. • ZnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}@ZnO displayed higher UV photocatalytic efficiency than ZnO nanoparticles. • First report on visible light photodegradation of methyl orange by ZnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}@ZnO. • Excellent reusability of ZnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}@ZnO nanoparticles observed for azo dye removal. - Abstract: Visible light photodegradation of aqueous methyl orange using magnetically separable core–shell ZnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}@ZnO nanoparticles is reported. A combination of low temperature (190 °C) microwave synthesis and hydrothermal method were used to prepare phase pure material with excellent yield (95%). The magnetic separability, surface area ofmore » 41 m{sup 2}/g and visible light absorption make ZnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}@ZnO nanoparticles a good solar photocatalyst. ZnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}@ZnO displayed greater UV photocatalytic efficiency than ZnO owing to the generation of large number of electron-hole pairs. Visible light photodegradation of MO using ZnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}@ZnO nanoparticles is reported for the first time. Higher first order rate constants under both UV and visible light for core-shell nanoparticles suggested their superiority over its individual oxides. The ZnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}@ZnO showed excellent reusability with high photocatalytic efficiencies suggesting its suitability for solar photocatalytic applications.« less

Tri-functional Fe2O3-encased Ag-doped ZnO nanoframework: magnetically retrievable antimicrobial photocatalyst

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karunakaran, Chockalingam; Vinayagamoorthy, Pazhamalai

2016-11-01

Fe2O3-encased ZnO nanoframework was obtained by hydrothermal method and was doped with Ag through photoreduction process. Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution TEM, selected area electron diffractometry, x-ray diffractometry and Raman spectroscopy were employed for the structural characterization of the synthesized material. While the charge transfer resistance of the prepared nanomaterial is larger than those of Fe2O3 and ZnO the coercivity of the nanocomposite is less than that of hydrothermally obtained Fe2O3 nanostructures. Although Fe2O3/Ag-ZnO exhibits weak visible light absorption its band gap energy does not differ from that of ZnO. The photoluminescence of the fabricated nanoframework is similar to that of ZnO. The radiative recombination of charge carriers is slightly slower in Fe2O3/Ag-ZnO than in ZnO. The synthesized Fe2O3-encased Ag-doped ZnO, under UV A light, exhibits sustainable photocatalytic activity to degrade dye and is magnetically recoverable. Also, the Fe2O3/Ag-ZnO nanocomposite disinfects bacteria effectively in absence of direct illumination.

Effect of the Low-Temperature Annealing on Zn-Doped Indium-Tin-Oxide Films for Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Seunghun; Lee, Jong-Han; Tark, Sung Ju; Choi, Suyoung; Kim, Chan Seok; Lee, Jeong Chul; Kim, Won Mok; Kim, Donghwan

2012-10-01

The effects of the low-temperature annealing on Zn-doped indium-tin-oxide (ITO) films such as the electrical, optical and structural properties were investigated. Zn-doped ITO films were fabricated by rf magnetron sputtering of ITO and Al-doped ZnO (AZO) targets on corning glass at room temperature. The content of Zn increased with increasing the power of AZO target. The carrier concentration of films shows the decreasing behaviour with increasing the content of Zn, due to a carrier compensation originating from the substitution of a doped Zn for an In or interstitial site. After the low-temperature annealing at 180 °C in vacuum, all films were slightly decreased a carrier concentration and increased the hall mobility because of the absorption of oxygen on the surface films. In addition, the average transmittance did not show a considerable change and had a high values over 80%. Especially, the Zn-doped ITO with atomic ratio of Zn/(In+Zn) of 6.8 at. % had the resistivity of 4×10-4 Ω cm, the highest hall mobility of 41 cm2 V-1 s-1, and the average transmittance of 82%.

Cation-Deficient Spinel ZnMn2O4 Cathode in Zn(CF3SO3)2 Electrolyte for Rechargeable Aqueous Zn-Ion Battery.

PubMed

Zhang, Ning; Cheng, Fangyi; Liu, Yongchang; Zhao, Qing; Lei, Kaixiang; Chen, Chengcheng; Liu, Xiaosong; Chen, Jun

2016-10-05

Rechargeable aqueous Zn-ion batteries are attractive cheap, safe and green energy storage technologies but are bottlenecked by limitation in high-capacity cathode and compatible electrolyte to achieve satisfactory cyclability. Here we report the application of nonstoichiometric ZnMn 2 O 4 /carbon composite as a new Zn-insertion cathode material in aqueous Zn(CF 3 SO 3 ) 2 electrolyte. In 3 M Zn(CF 3 SO 3 ) 2 solution that enables ∼100% Zn plating/stripping efficiency with long-term stability and suppresses Mn dissolution, the spinel/carbon hybrid exhibits a reversible capacity of 150 mAh g -1 and a capacity retention of 94% over 500 cycles at a high rate of 500 mA g -1 . The remarkable electrode performance results from the facile charge transfer and Zn insertion in the structurally robust spinel featuring small particle size and abundant cation vacancies, as evidenced by combined electrochemical measurements, XRD, Raman, synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy, FTIR, and NMR analysis. The results would enlighten and promote the use of cation-defective spinel compounds and trifluoromethanesulfonic electrolyte to develop high-performance rechargeable zinc batteries.

Characterisation of zinc in slags originated from a contaminated sediment by coupling /μ-PIXE, /μ-RBS, /μ-EXAFS and powder EXAFS spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Isaure, M. P.; Laboudigue, A.; Manceau, A.; Sarret, G.; Tiffreau, C.; Trocellier, P.

2001-07-01

Depositing dredged sediments on soils is usual but it is a hazardous practice for the local environment when these sediments are polluted by heavy metals. This chemical hazard can be assessed by determining the speciation of metals. In this study, slags highly polluted with Zn and originated from a contaminated dredged sediment were investigated. Zn speciation was studied by laterally resolved techniques such as μ-particle induced X-ray emission (μ-PIXE), μ-Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (μ-RBS), μ-extended X-ray absorption fine structure (μ-EXAFS), and bulk analyses such as powder EXAFS spectroscopy. μ-PIXE and μ-RBS results showed that high concentrations of Zn were associated with S in localised areas at the surface of the slags while moderate amounts of Zn were mainly associated with Fe in the matrix. EXAFS results allowed to identify ZnS and Zn sorbed on ferrihydrite (5Fe 2O 3·9H 2O), proxy for iron oxy-hydroxides, as the main Zn-bearing phases. The occurrence of this Zn-iron oxy-hydroxide is interpreted as a mobilisation of Zn released from ZnS oxidation.

Luminescence of colloidal ZnO nanoparticles synthesized in alcohols and biological application of ZnO passivated by MgO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sikora, Bożena; Fronc, Krzysztof; Kamińska, Izabela; Koper, Kamil; Stępień, Piotr; Elbaum, Danek

2013-05-01

This report presents the results of spectroscopic measurements of colloidal ZnO nanoparticles synthesized in various alcohols. Luminescence of colloidal ZnO was monitored under different reaction conditions to elucidate the mechanism of the visible emission. We performed the process in different alcohols, temperatures and reaction times for two different reactants: water and NaOH. Based on the presented and previously published results it is apparent that the luminescence of the nanoparticles is influenced by several competing phenomena: the formation of new nucleation centers, the growth of the nanoparticles and surface passivation. Superimposed on the above effects is a size dependent luminescence alteration resulting from the quantum confinement. The study contributes to our understanding of the origin of ZnO nanoparticles’ green emission which is important in a rational design of fluorescent probes for nontoxic biological applications. The ZnO nanoparticles were coated with a magnesium oxide layer and introduced into a HeLa cancer cell.

Importance of Plasmonic Heating on Visible Light Driven Photocatalysis of Gold Nanoparticle Decorated Zinc Oxide Nanorods

PubMed Central

Bora, Tanujjal; Zoepfl, David; Dutta, Joydeep

2016-01-01

Herein we explore the role of localized plasmonic heat generated by resonantly excited gold (Au) NPs on visible light driven photocatalysis process. Au NPs are deposited on the surface of vertically aligned zinc oxide nanorods (ZnO NRs). The localized heat generated by Au NPs under 532 nm continuous laser excitation (SPR excitation) was experimentally probed using Raman spectroscopy by following the phonon modes of ZnO. Under the resonant excitation the temperature at the surface of the Au-ZnO NRs reaches up to about 300 °C, resulting in almost 6 times higher apparent quantum yield (AQY) for photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) compared to the bare ZnO NRs. Under solar light irradiation the Au-ZnO NRs demonstrated visible light photocatalytic activity twice that of what was achieved with bare ZnO NRs, while significantly reduced the activation energy required for the photocatalytic reactions allowing the reactions to occur at a faster rate. PMID:27242172

Luminescence of colloidal ZnO nanoparticles synthesized in alcohols and biological application of ZnO passivated by MgO.

PubMed

Sikora, Bożena; Fronc, Krzysztof; Kamińska, Izabela; Koper, Kamil; Stępień, Piotr; Elbaum, Danek

2013-05-15

This report presents the results of spectroscopic measurements of colloidal ZnO nanoparticles synthesized in various alcohols. Luminescence of colloidal ZnO was monitored under different reaction conditions to elucidate the mechanism of the visible emission. We performed the process in different alcohols, temperatures and reaction times for two different reactants: water and NaOH. Based on the presented and previously published results it is apparent that the luminescence of the nanoparticles is influenced by several competing phenomena: the formation of new nucleation centers, the growth of the nanoparticles and surface passivation. Superimposed on the above effects is a size dependent luminescence alteration resulting from the quantum confinement. The study contributes to our understanding of the origin of ZnO nanoparticles' green emission which is important in a rational design of fluorescent probes for nontoxic biological applications. The ZnO nanoparticles were coated with a magnesium oxide layer and introduced into a HeLa cancer cell.

Piezoelectric films for acoustoelectronic devices - Production, properties, and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anisimkin, V. I.; Kotelianskii, I. M.

1990-06-01

Various aspects of the production of ZnO, AlN, and Ta2O5 piezoelectric films are briefly reviewed. The mininum possible absorption coefficient of surface acoustic waves in textured films is estimated theoretically with allowance for different absorption mechanisms. The results obtained are compared with those for single crystals of the same materials. Methods for calculating the absorption coefficient and temperature delay coefficient for Rayleigh and Sezawa surface acoustic waves in layered structures are proposed and verified experimentally.

Recent advances in nanosized Mn-Zn ferrite magnetic fluid hyperthermia for cancer treatment.

PubMed

Lin, Mei; Huang, Junxing; Sha, Min

2014-01-01

This paper reviews the recent research and development of nanosized manganese zinc (Mn-Zn) ferrite magnetic fluid hyperthermia (MFH) for cancer treatment. Mn-Zn ferrite MFH, which has a targeted positioning function that only the temperature of tumor tissue with magnetic nanoparticles can rise, while normal tissue without magnetic nanoparticles is not subject to thermal damage, is a promising therapy for cancer. We introduce briefly the composition and properties of magnetic fluid, the concept of MFH, and features of Mn-Zn ferrite magnetic nanoparticles for MFH such as thermal bystander effect, universality, high specific absorption rate, the targeting effect of small size, uniformity of hyperthermia temperature, and automatic temperature control and constant temperature effect. Next, preparation methods of Mn-Zn ferrite magnetic fluid are discussed, and biocompatibility and biosecurity of Mn-Zn ferrite magnetic fluid are analyzed. Then the applications of nanosized Mn-Zn ferrite MFH in cancer are highlighted, including nanosized Mn-Zn ferrite MFH alone, nanosized Mn-Zn ferrite MFH combined with As2O3 chemotherapy, and nanosized Mn-Zn ferrite MFH combined with radiotherapy. Finally, the combination application of nanosized Mn-Zn ferrite MFH and gene-therapy is conceived, and the challenges and perspectives for the future of nanosized Mn-Zn ferrite MFH for oncotherapy are discussed.

Effects of flame made zinc oxide particles in human lung cells - a comparison of aerosol and suspension exposures

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Predominantly, studies of nanoparticle (NPs) toxicology in vitro are based upon the exposure of submerged cell cultures to particle suspensions. Such an approach however, does not reflect particle inhalation. As a more realistic simulation of such a scenario, efforts were made towards direct delivery of aerosols to air-liquid-interface cultivated cell cultures by the use of aerosol exposure systems. This study aims to provide a direct comparison of the effects of zinc oxide (ZnO) NPs when delivered as either an aerosol, or in suspension to a triple cell co-culture model of the epithelial airway barrier. To ensure dose–equivalence, ZnO-deposition was determined in each exposure scenario by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Biological endpoints being investigated after 4 or 24h incubation include cytotoxicity, total reduced glutathione, induction of antioxidative genes such as heme-oxygenase 1 (HO–1) as well as the release of the (pro)-inflammatory cytokine TNFα. Results Off-gases released as by-product of flame ZnO synthesis caused a significant decrease of total reduced GSH and induced further the release of the cytokine TNFα, demonstrating the influence of the gas phase on aerosol toxicology. No direct effects could be attributed to ZnO particles. By performing suspension exposure to avoid the factor “flame-gases”, particle specific effects become apparent. Other parameters such as LDH and HO–1 were not influenced by gaseous compounds: Following aerosol exposure, LDH levels appeared elevated at both timepoints and the HO–1 transcript correlated positively with deposited ZnO-dose. Under submerged conditions, the HO–1 induction scheme deviated for 4 and 24h and increased extracellular LDH was found following 24h exposure. Conclusion In the current study, aerosol and suspension-exposure has been compared by exposing cell cultures to equivalent amounts of ZnO. Both exposure strategies differ fundamentally in their dose–response pattern. Additional differences can be found for the factor time: In the aerosol scenario, parameters tend to their maximum already after 4h of exposure, whereas under submerged conditions, effects appear most pronounced mainly after 24h. Aerosol exposure provides information about the synergistic interplay of gaseous and particulate phase of an aerosol in the context of inhalation toxicology. Exposure to suspensions represents a valuable complementary method and allows investigations on particle-associated toxicity by excluding all gas–derived effects. PMID:22901679

Determination of iridium in mafic rocks by atomic absorption

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grimaldi, F.S.; Schnepfe, M.M.

1970-01-01

Iridium is determined in mineralized mafic rocks by atomic absorption after fire-assay concentration into a gold bead. Interelement interferences in the atomic-absorption determination are removed and Ir sensitivity is increased by buffering the solutions with a mixture of copper and sodium sulphates. Substantial amounts of Ag, Al, Au, Bi, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Fe, Ho, Hg, K, La, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Te, Ti, V, Y, Zn and platinum metals can be tolerated in the atomic-absorption determination. The sensitivity and detection limits are 3.2 and 0.25 ppm of Ir, respectively. ?? 1970.

Analysis on nonlinear optical properties of Cd (Zn) Se quantum dots synthesized using three different stabilizing agents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

J, Joy Sebastian Prakash; G, Vinitha; Ramachandran, Murugesan; Rajamanickam, Karunanithi

2017-10-01

Three different stabilizing agents, namely, L-cysteine, Thioglycolic acid and cysteamine hydrochloride were used to synthesize Cd(Zn)Se quantum dots (QDs). It was characterized using UV-vis spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The non-linear optical properties (non-linear absorption and non-linear refraction) of synthesized Cd(Zn)Se quantum dots were studied with z-scan technique using diode pumped continuous wavelaser system at a wavelength of 532 nm. Our (organic) synthesized quantum dots showed optical properties similar to the inorganic materials reported elsewhere.

Ternary Amides Containing Transition Metals for Hydrogen Storage: A Case Study with Alkali Metal Amidozincates.

PubMed

Cao, Hujun; Richter, Theresia M M; Pistidda, Claudio; Chaudhary, Anna-Lisa; Santoru, Antonio; Gizer, Gökhan; Niewa, Rainer; Chen, Ping; Klassen, Thomas; Dornheim, Martin

2015-11-01

The alkali metal amidozincates Li4 [Zn(NH2)4](NH2)2 and K2[Zn(NH2)4] were, to the best of our knowledge, studied for the first time as hydrogen storage media. Compared with the LiNH2-2 LiH system, both Li4 [Zn(NH2)4](NH2)2-12 LiH and K2[Zn(NH2)4]-8 LiH systems showed improved rehydrogenation performance, especially K2[Zn(NH2)4]-8 LiH, which can be fully hydrogenated within 30 s at approximately 230 °C. The absorption properties are stable upon cycling. This work shows that ternary amides containing transition metals have great potential as hydrogen storage materials. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Novel optical properties of CdS:Zn rocksalt system (a theoretical study)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, M. Junaid Iqbal; Nauman Usmani, M.; Kanwal, Zarfishan

2017-11-01

In present computational study, we focus on optical properties of Zn doped CdS for 1  ×  1  ×  2 and 2  ×  2  ×  2 supercell configurations. Cd atoms are substituted with Zn atoms and results for optical properties demonstrate different trends due to interaction of Zn with S atoms. The study has been performed by PBE-GGA approach using Wien2K within framework of DFT. TDOS and PDOS represent that S-3p states are responsible for conduction. For large supercell configuration, a tremendous change in optical properties has been observed due to different bonding. Optical absorption tends to increase in visible range which supports candidacy of Zn doped CdS for enhanced optoelectronic and nanotechnology applications.

Electronic and Optical Properties of Atomic Layer-Deposited ZnO and TiO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ates, H.; Bolat, S.; Oruc, F.; Okyay, A. K.

2018-05-01

Metal oxides are attractive for thin film optoelectronic applications. Due to their wide energy bandgaps, ZnO and TiO2 are being investigated by many researchers. Here, we have studied the electrical and optical properties of ZnO and TiO2 as a function of deposition and post-annealing conditions. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a novel thin film deposition technique where the growth conditions can be controlled down to atomic precision. ALD-grown ZnO films are shown to exhibit tunable optical absorption properties in the visible and infrared region. Furthermore, the growth temperature and post-annealing conditions of ZnO and TiO2 affect the electrical properties which are investigated using ALD-grown metal oxide as the electron transport channel on thin film field-effect devices.

Al decorated ZnO thin-film photoanode for SPR-enhanced photoelectrochemical water splitting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Hongxia; Li, Xin; Dong, Wei; Xi, Junhua; Wu, Xin

2018-06-01

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting has been considered to be a promising approach to ease the energy and environmental crisis. Herein, Al decorated ZnO thin films are successfully achieved through a facile dc magnetron-sputtering method followed with Al evaporation for further enhanced PEC performance. The Al/ZnO thin film with 60 s Al evaporating time exhibits the highest photocurrent density under AM1.5G and visible light irradiation, which are more than 5 and 3 times as the pure ZnO film, respectively. Such surface modification by Al not only enlarges the visible light absorption based on surface plasmonic resonance effect, but facilitates the charge separation and transportation at the electrode/electrolyte interface. Finally, a possible mechanism is proposed for the photocatalytic activity enhancement of Al/ZnO thin film photoanode.

Complete transformation of ZnO and CuO nanoparticles in culture medium and lymphocyte cells during toxicity testing.

PubMed

Ivask, Angela; Scheckel, Kirk G; Kapruwan, Pankaj; Stone, Vicki; Yin, Hong; Voelcker, Nicolas H; Lombi, Enzo

2017-03-01

Here, we present evidence on complete transformation of ZnO and CuO nanoparticles, which are among the most heavily studied metal oxide particles, during 24 h in vitro toxicological testing with human T-lymphocytes. Synchrotron radiation-based X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy results revealed that Zn speciation profiles of 30 nm and 80 nm ZnO nanoparticles, and ZnSO 4 - exposed cells were almost identical with the prevailing species being Zn-cysteine. This suggests that ZnO nanoparticles are rapidly transformed during a standard in vitro toxicological assay, and are sequestered intracellularly, analogously to soluble Zn. Complete transformation of ZnO in the test conditions was further supported by almost identical Zn spectra in medium to which ZnO nanoparticles or ZnSO 4 was added. Likewise, Cu XANES spectra for CuO and CuSO 4 -exposed cells and cell culture media were similar. These results together with our observation on similar toxicological profiles of ZnO and soluble Zn, and CuO and soluble Cu, underline the importance of dissolution and subsequent transformation of ZnO and CuO nanoparticles during toxicological testing and provide evidence that the nano-specific effect of ZnO and CuO nanoparticles is negligible in this system. We strongly suggest to account for this aspect when interpreting the toxicological results of ZnO and CuO nanoparticles.

Complete transformation of ZnO and CuO nanoparticles in ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Here, we present evidence on complete transformation of ZnO and CuO nanoparticles, which are among the most heavily studied metal oxide particles, during 24 h in vitro toxicological testing with human T-lymphocytes. Synchrotron radiation-based X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy results revealed that Zn speciation profiles of 30 nm and 80 nm ZnO nanoparticles, and ZnSO4- exposed cells were almost identical with the prevailing species being Zn-cysteine. This suggests that ZnO nanoparticles are rapidly transformed during a standard in vitro toxicological assay, and are sequestered intracellularly, analogously to soluble Zn. Complete transformation of ZnO in the test conditions was further supported by almost identical Zn spectra in medium to which ZnO nanoparticles or ZnSO4 was added. Likewise, Cu XANES spectra for CuO and CuSO4-exposed cells and cell culture media were similar. These results together with our observation on similar toxicological profiles of ZnO and soluble Zn, and CuO and soluble Cu, underline the importance of dissolution and subsequent transformation of ZnO and CuO nanoparticles during toxicological testing and provide evidence that the nano-specific effect of ZnO and CuO nanoparticulates is negligible in this system. We strongly suggest to account for this aspect when interpreting the toxicological results of ZnO and CuO nanoparticles. Although a number of studies have discussed the transformation of nanoparticles during

Fabrication of Well-Aligned ZnO Nanorods Using a Composite Seed Layer of ZnO Nanoparticles and Chitosan Polymer.

PubMed

Khun, Kimleang; Ibupoto, Zafar Hussain; AlSalhi, Mohamad S; Atif, Muhammad; Ansari, Anees A; Willander, Magnus

2013-09-30

In this study, by taking the advantage of both inorganic ZnO nanoparticles and the organic material chitosan as a composite seed layer, we have fabricated well-aligned ZnO nanorods on a gold-coated glass substrate using the hydrothermal growth method. The ZnO nanoparticles were characterized by the Raman spectroscopic techniques, which showed the nanocrystalline phase of the ZnO nanoparticles. Different composites of ZnO nanoparticles and chitosan were prepared and used as a seed layer for the fabrication of well-aligned ZnO nanorods. Field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and infrared reflection absorption spectroscopic techniques were utilized for the structural characterization of the ZnO nanoparticles/chitosan seed layer-coated ZnO nanorods on a gold-coated glass substrate. This study has shown that the ZnO nanorods are well-aligned, uniform, and dense, exhibit the wurtzite hexagonal structure, and are perpendicularly oriented to the substrate. Moreover, the ZnO nanorods are only composed of Zn and O atoms. An optical study was also carried out for the ZnO nanoparticles/chitosan seed layer-coated ZnO nanorods, and the obtained results have shown that the fabricated ZnO nanorods exhibit good crystal quality. This study has provided a cheap fabrication method for the controlled morphology and good alignment of ZnO nanorods, which is of high demand for enhancing the working performance of optoelectronic devices.

Fabrication of Well-Aligned ZnO Nanorods Using a Composite Seed Layer of ZnO Nanoparticles and Chitosan Polymer

PubMed Central

Khun, Kimleang; Ibupoto, Zafar Hussain; AlSalhi, Mohamad S.; Atif, Muhammad; Ansari, Anees A.; Willander, Magnus

2013-01-01

In this study, by taking the advantage of both inorganic ZnO nanoparticles and the organic material chitosan as a composite seed layer, we have fabricated well-aligned ZnO nanorods on a gold-coated glass substrate using the hydrothermal growth method. The ZnO nanoparticles were characterized by the Raman spectroscopic techniques, which showed the nanocrystalline phase of the ZnO nanoparticles. Different composites of ZnO nanoparticles and chitosan were prepared and used as a seed layer for the fabrication of well-aligned ZnO nanorods. Field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and infrared reflection absorption spectroscopic techniques were utilized for the structural characterization of the ZnO nanoparticles/chitosan seed layer-coated ZnO nanorods on a gold-coated glass substrate. This study has shown that the ZnO nanorods are well-aligned, uniform, and dense, exhibit the wurtzite hexagonal structure, and are perpendicularly oriented to the substrate. Moreover, the ZnO nanorods are only composed of Zn and O atoms. An optical study was also carried out for the ZnO nanoparticles/chitosan seed layer-coated ZnO nanorods, and the obtained results have shown that the fabricated ZnO nanorods exhibit good crystal quality. This study has provided a cheap fabrication method for the controlled morphology and good alignment of ZnO nanorods, which is of high demand for enhancing the working performance of optoelectronic devices. PMID:28788336

Room-temperature wide-range luminescence and structural, optical, and electrical properties of SILAR deposited Cu-Zn-S nano-structured thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jose, Edwin; Kumar, M. C. Santhosh

2016-09-01

We report the deposition of nanostructured Cu-Zn-S composite thin films by Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction (SILAR) method on glass substrates at room temperature. The structural, morphological, optical, photoluminescence and electrical properties of Cu-Zn-S thin films are investigated. The results of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy studies indicate that the films exhibit a ternary Cu-Zn-S structure rather than the Cu xS and ZnS binary composite. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) studies show that the Cu-Zn-S films are covered well over glass substrates. The optical band gap energies of the Cu-Zn-S films are calculated using UV-visible absorption measurements, which are found in the range of 2.2 to 2.32 eV. The room temperature photoluminescence studies show a wide range of emissions from 410 nm to 565 nm. These emissions are mainly due to defects and vacancies in the composite system. The electrical studies using Hall effect measurements show that the Cu-Zn-S films are having p-type conductivity.