Sample records for n-fe2o3 nanowire films

  1. Enhanced Performance of Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting with ITO@α-Fe2O3 Core-Shell Nanowire Array as Photoanode.

    PubMed

    Yang, Jie; Bao, Chunxiong; Yu, Tao; Hu, Yingfei; Luo, Wenjun; Zhu, Weidong; Fu, Gao; Li, Zhaosheng; Gao, Hao; Li, Faming; Zou, Zhigang

    2015-12-09

    Hematite (α-Fe2O3) is one of the most promising candidates for photoelectrodes in photoelectrochemical water splitting system. However, the low visible light absorption coefficient and short hole diffusion length of pure α-Fe2O3 limits the performance of α-Fe2O3 photoelectrodes in water splitting. Herein, to overcome these drawbacks, single-crystalline tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) nanowire core and α-Fe2O3 nanocrystal shell (ITO@α-Fe2O3) electrodes were fabricated by covering the chemical vapor deposited ITO nanowire array with compact thin α-Fe2O3 nanocrystal film using chemical bath deposition (CBD) method. The J-V curves and IPCE of ITO@α-Fe2O3 core-shell nanowire array electrode showed nearly twice as high performance as those of the α-Fe2O3 on planar Pt-coated silicon wafers (Pt/Si) and on planar ITO substrates, which was considered to be attributed to more efficient hole collection and more loading of α-Fe2O3 nanocrystals in the core-shell structure than planar structure. Electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS) characterization demonstrated a low interface resistance between α-Fe2O3 and ITO nanowire arrays, which benefits from the well contact between the core and shell. The stability test indicated that the prepared ITO@α-Fe2O3 core-shell nanowire array electrode was stable under AM1.5 illumination during the test period of 40,000 s.

  2. Anoxic and oxic removal of humic acids with Fe@Fe2O3 core-shell nanowires: a comparative study.

    PubMed

    Wu, Hao; Ai, Zhihui; Zhang, Lizhi

    2014-04-01

    In this study we comparatively investigate the removal of humic acids with Fe@Fe2O3 core-shell nanowires under anoxic and oxic conditions. The products of humic acids after reacting with Fe@Fe2O3 core-shell nanowires under anoxic and oxic conditions were carefully examined with three-dimensional excitation emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy and gas chromatography mass spectrometry. It was found that humic acids were removed by Fe@Fe2O3 core-shell nanowires via adsorption under anoxic condition. Langmuir adsorption isotherm was applicable to describe the adsorption processes. Kinetics of humic acids adsorption onto Fe@Fe2O3 core-shell nanowires was found to follow pseudo-second-order rate equation. By contrast, the oxic removal of humic acids with Fe@Fe2O3 core-shell nanowires involved adsorption and subsequent oxidation of humic acids because Fe@Fe2O3 core-shell nanowires could activate molecular oxygen to produce reactive oxygen species to oxidize humic acids. This subsequent oxidation of humic acids could improve the oxic removal rate to 2.5 times that of anoxic removal, accompanying with about 8.4% of mineralization. This study provides a new method for humic acids removal and also sheds light on the effects of humic acids on the pollutant removal by nano zero-valent iron. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Shape anisotropy and hybridization enhanced magnetization in nanowires of Fe/MgO/Fe encapsulated in carbon nanotubes

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

    Aryee, Dennis; Seifu, Dereje

    Arrays of tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) nanowires were synthesized for the first time by filling Fe/MgO/Fe inside vertically grown and substrate supported carbon nanotubes. The magnetic properties of nanowires and planar nanoscale thin films of Fe/MgO/Fe showed several similarities, such as two-fold magnetic symmetry and ratio of orbital moment to spin moment. Nanowires of Fe/MgO/Fe showed higher saturation magnetization by a factor of 2.7 compared to planar thin films of Fe/MgO/Fe at 1.5 kOe. The enhanced magnetic properties likely resulted from shape anisotropy of the nanowires and as well as the hybridization that occur between the π- electronic states of carbonmore » and 3d-bands of the Fe-surface.« less

  4. Synthesis of nanocrystalline α-Fe2O3 by using thermal oxidation of Fe Films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fortas, G.; Saidoun, I.; Abboud, H.; Gabouze, N.; Haine, N.; Manseri, A.; Zergoug, M.; Menari, H.; Sam, S.; Cheraga, H.; Bozetine, I.

    2018-03-01

    α-Fe2O3 hematite films were prepared by thermal oxidation from Fe films electroplated on silicon. Electrodeposition of Fe thin films was carried out from a sulfate bath containing an ammonium chloride complexing agent. The electrochemical study was performed by cyclic voltammetry. The SEM analysis of the films obtained at a -1.3 V constant polarization shows dendritic grains in the form of islet. The DRX spectra exhibit characteristic iron peaks according to the face centered cubic (Fcc) structure. These samples were annealed. At a temperature of 650 ° C, a single iron oxide phase was well formed, with the hematite structure. The SEM photos show a well-assembled columnar structure with formation of nanowires at the surface of the deposit. The absorbance spectra reveal an absorption features in the ultraviolet range

  5. Topotaxial growth of α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanowires on iron substrate in thermal annealing method

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

    Srivastava, Himanshu, E-mail: himsri@rrcat.gov.in; Srivastava, A. K.; Babu, Mahendra

    2016-06-28

    A detail cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy of as-grown α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanowire sample, synthesized on iron substrate by thermal annealing method, was carried out to understand the mechanism of growth in this system. Iron undergoes sequential oxidation to form a layered structure of Fe/FeO/Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}/α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}. α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanowires grow on to the top of α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} layer. It was found that subsequent oxide layers grow topotaxially on the grains of iron, which results in a direct orientation relationship between the α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanowire and the parent grain of iron. The results also showed thatmore » the grains of α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} layer, which were uniquely oriented in [110] direction, undergo highly anisotropic growth to form the nanowire. This anisotropic growth occurs at a twin interface, given by (−11−1), in the α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} layer. It was concluded that the growth at twin interface could be the main driving factor for such anisotropic growth. These observations are not only helpful in understanding the growth mechanism of α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanowires, but it also demonstrates a way of patterning the nanowires by controlling the texture of iron substrate.« less

  6. Symmetric transparent and flexible supercapacitor based on bio-inspired graphene-wrapped Fe2O3 nanowire networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Xuankai; Zhang, Haiyan; Li, Na

    2017-02-01

    Transition metal oxides with high specific capacitance materials are ideal for a new generation of high-performance transparent supercapacitors but are rarely reported. Commonly, the synthesis of the required nanostructured materials is a crucial step required to achieve the transparency of the device. In this study, a Fe2O3 nanowire network transparent film is developed simply through air-solution interface reactions and wrapped in graphene shells for use as transparent electrodes. The Fe2O3 nanowire networks surrounded by the graphene layer exhibit an effective encapsulation structure, providing rapid three-dimensional electron and ion transport pathways. The specific areal capacitance (3.3 mF cm-2 at a scan rate of 10 mV s-1) was greatly improved, which is at least one hundred times higher than that for transparent devices based on planar chemical vapor deposition graphene. Furthermore, the films have a power density of 191.3 W cm-3, which is higher than that of electrolytic capacitors, an energy density of 8 mWh cm-3, which is comparable to that of lithium thin-film batteries, and superior cycling stability.

  7. Enhanced photoelectrocatalytic performance of α-Fe2O3 thin films by surface plasmon resonance of Au nanoparticles coupled with surface passivation by atom layer deposition of Al2O3.

    PubMed

    Liu, Yuting; Xu, Zhen; Yin, Min; Fan, Haowen; Cheng, Weijie; Lu, Linfeng; Song, Ye; Ma, Jing; Zhu, Xufei

    2015-12-01

    The short lifetime of photogenerated charge carriers of hematite (α-Fe2O3) thin films strongly hindered the PEC performances. Herein, α-Fe2O3 thin films with surface nanowire were synthesized by electrodeposition and post annealing method for photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) water splitting. The thickness of the α-Fe2O3 films can be precisely controlled by adjusting the duration of the electrodeposition. The Au nanoparticles (NPs) and Al2O3 shell by atom layer deposition were further introduced to modify the photoelectrodes. Different constructions were made with different deposition orders of Au and Al2O3 on Fe2O3 films. The Fe2O3-Au-Al2O3 construction shows the best PEC performance with 1.78 times enhancement by localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of NPs in conjunction with surface passivation of Al2O3 shells. Numerical simulation was carried out to investigate the promotion mechanisms. The high PEC performance for Fe2O3-Au-Al2O3 construction electrode could be attributed to the Al2O3 intensified LSPR, effective surface passivation by Al2O3 coating, and the efficient charge transfer due to the Fe2O3-Au Schottky junctions.

  8. Electric-field control of magnetic properties for α-Fe2O3/Al2O3 films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cheng, Bin; Qin, Hongwei; Liu, Liang; Xie, Jihao; Zhou, Guangjun; Chen, Lubin; Hu, Jifan

    2018-06-01

    α-Fe2O3/Al2O3 films can exhibit weak ferromagnetism at room temperature. The saturation magnetization of the thinner film is larger than that of the thick one deposited at the same temperature of 500 °C, which implies that the weak ferromagnetism at room temperature comes not only from the intrinsic canted magnetic structure, but also from the effects of interface between α-Fe2O3/Al2O3, such as the effect of Al diffusion into α-Fe2O3 film. Perpendicular electric field upon α-Fe2O3/Al2O3 film at room temperature could adjust the magnetic properties (saturation magnetization, magnetic remanence, coercivity and saturation magnetizing field). The positive electric field can enhance the magnetism of α-Fe2O3/Al2O3 thin film, while negative electric field can reduce it. The change induced by electric field may be connected with the migration effects of Al3+ ions. The steps of curve for saturation magnetization versus the electric field may reflect these complicated processes. The magnetization of the film deposited at a higher temperature can be changed by electric field more easily. This study may inspire more in-depth research and lead to an alternative approach to future magneto-electronic devices.

  9. Room temperature magneto-transport properties of nanocomposite Fe-In2O3 thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tambasov, Igor A.; Gornakov, Kirill O.; Myagkov, Victor G.; Bykova, Liudmila E.; Zhigalov, Victor S.; Matsynin, Alexey A.; Yozhikova, Ekaterina V.

    2015-12-01

    A ferromagnetic Fe-In2O3 nanocomposite thin film has been synthesized by the thermite reaction Fe2O3+In→Fe-In2O3. Measurements of the Hall carrier concentration, Hall mobility and magnetoresistance have been conducted at room temperature. The nanocomposite Fe-In2O3 thin film had n=1.94·1020 cm-3, μ=6.45 cm2/Vs and negative magnetoresistance. The magnetoresistance for 8.8 kOe was ~-0.22%.The negative magnetoresistance was well described by the weak localization and model proposed by Khosla and Fischer.

  10. Fe(Ⅲ) ions enhanced catalytic properties of (BiO)2CO3 nanowires and mechanism study for complete degradation of xanthate.

    PubMed

    Guo, Yujiao; Cui, Kuixin; Hu, Mingyi; Jin, Shengming

    2017-08-01

    The wire-like Fe 3+ -doped (BiO) 2 CO 3 photocatalyst was synthesized by a hydrothermal method. The photocatalytic property of Fe 3+ -doped (BiO) 2 CO 3 nanowires was evaluated through degradation of sodium isopropyl xanthate under UV-visible light irradiation. The as-prepared Fe 3+ -doped (BiO) 2 CO 3 nanowires were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) in detail. The results of XRD showed that the crystallinity of (BiO) 2 CO 3 nanowires decreased when Fe 3+ ions were introduced into the solution system. XPS results illustrated that xanthate could be absorbed on the surface of Fe 3+ -doped (BiO) 2 CO 3 nanowires to produce BiS bond at the beginning of the reaction, which could broaden the visible light absorption. FTIR spectra confirmed the formation of SO 4 2- after photocatalytic decomposition of xanthate solution. The Fe 3+ -doped (BiO) 2 CO 3 nanowires showed an enhanced photocatalytic activity for decomposition of xanthate due to the narrower band gap and larger BET surface area, comparing with pure (BiO) 2 CO 3 nanowires. By the results of UV-vis spectra of the solution and FTIR spectra of recycled Fe 3+ -doped (BiO) 2 CO 3 , the xanthate was oxidized completely into CO 2 and SO 4 2- . The photocatalytic degradation process of xanthate followed a pseudo-second-order kinetics model. The mechanism of enhanced photocatalytic activity was proposed as well. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Unveiling structural, chemical and magnetic interfacial peculiarities in ε-Fe2O3/GaN (0001) epitaxial films.

    PubMed

    Ukleev, Victor; Suturin, Sergey; Nakajima, Taro; Arima, Taka-Hisa; Saerbeck, Thomas; Hanashima, Takayasu; Sitnikova, Alla; Kirilenko, Demid; Yakovlev, Nikolai; Sokolov, Nikolai

    2018-06-07

    The metastable ε-Fe 2 O 3 is known to be the most intriguing ferrimagnetic and multiferroic iron oxide phase exhibiting a bunch of exciting physical properties both below and above room temperature. The present paper unveils the structural and magnetic peculiarities of a few nm thick interface layer discovered in these films by a number of techniques. The polarized neutron reflectometry data suggests that the interface layer resembles GaFeO 3 in composition and density and is magnetically softer than the rest of the ε-Fe 2 O 3 film. While the in-depth density variation is in agreement with the transmission electron microscopy measurements, the layer-resolved magnetization profiles are qualitatively consistent with the unusual wasp-waist magnetization curves observed by superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry. Interestingly a noticeable Ga diffusion into the ε-Fe 2 O 3 films has been detected by secondary ion mass spectroscopy providing a clue to the mechanisms guiding the nucleation of exotic metastable epsilon ferrite phase on GaN at high growth temperature and influencing the interfacial properties of the studied films.

  12. Fe2 PO5 -Encapsulated Reverse Energetic ZnO/Fe2 O3 Heterojunction Nanowire for Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Oxidation of Water.

    PubMed

    Qin, Dong-Dong; He, Cai-Hua; Li, Yang; Trammel, Antonio C; Gu, Jing; Chen, Jing; Yan, Yong; Shan, Duo-Liang; Wang, Qiu-Hong; Quan, Jing-Jing; Tao, Chun-Lan; Lu, Xiao-Quan

    2017-07-10

    Zinc oxide is regarded as a promising candidate for application in photoelectrochemical water oxidation due to its higher electron mobility. However, its instability under alkaline conditions limits its application in a practical setting. Herein, we demonstrate an easily achieved wet-chemical route to chemically stabilize ZnO nanowires (NWs) by protecting them with a thin layer Fe 2 O 3 shell. This shell, in which the thickness can be tuned by varying reaction times, forms an intact interface with ZnO NWs, thus protecting ZnO from corrosion in a basic solution. The reverse energetic heterojunction nanowires are subsequently activated by introducing an amorphous iron phosphate, which substantially suppressed surface recombination as a passivation layer and improved photoelectrochemical performance as a potential catalyst. Compared with pure ZnO NWs (0.4 mA cm -2 ), a maximal photocurrent of 1.0 mA cm -2 is achieved with ZnO/Fe 2 O 3 core-shell NWs and 2.3 mA cm -2 was achieved for the PH 3 -treated NWs at 1.23 V versus RHE. The PH 3 low-temperature treatment creates a dual function, passivation and catalyst layer (Fe 2 PO 5 ), examined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, TEM, photoelectrochemical characterization, and impedance measurements. Such a nano-composition design offers great promise to improve the overall performance of the photoanode material. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  13. Atomic layer deposition and properties of ZrO2/Fe2O3 thin films

    PubMed Central

    Seemen, Helina; Ritslaid, Peeter; Rähn, Mihkel; Tamm, Aile; Kukli, Kaupo; Kasikov, Aarne; Link, Joosep; Stern, Raivo; Dueñas, Salvador; Castán, Helena; García, Héctor

    2018-01-01

    Thin solid films consisting of ZrO2 and Fe2O3 were grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD) at 400 °C. Metastable phases of ZrO2 were stabilized by Fe2O3 doping. The number of alternating ZrO2 and Fe2O3 deposition cycles were varied in order to achieve films with different cation ratios. The influence of annealing on the composition and structure of the thin films was investigated. Additionally, the influence of composition and structure on electrical and magnetic properties was studied. Several samples exhibited a measurable saturation magnetization and most of the samples exhibited a charge polarization. Both phenomena were observed in the sample with a Zr/Fe atomic ratio of 2.0. PMID:29441257

  14. Study of GaN nanowires converted from β-Ga2O3 and photoconduction in a single nanowire

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, Mukesh; Kumar, Sudheer; Chauhan, Neha; Sakthi Kumar, D.; Kumar, Vikram; Singh, R.

    2017-08-01

    The formation of GaN nanowires from β-Ga2O3 nanowires and photoconduction in a fabricated single GaN nanowire device has been studied. Wurtzite phase GaN were formed from monoclinic β-Ga2O3 nanowires with or without catalyst particles at their tips. The formation of faceted nanostructures from catalyst droplets presented on a nanowire tip has been discussed. The nucleation of GaN phases in β-Ga2O3 nanowires and their subsequent growth due to interfacial strain energy has been examined using a high resolution transmission electron microscope. The high quality of the converted GaN nanowire is confirmed by fabricating single nanowire photoconducting devices which showed ultra high responsivity under ultra-violet illumination.

  15. EFFECT OF PRE-ANNEALING TEMPERATURE ON THE GROWTH OF ALIGNED α-Fe2O3 NANOWIRES VIA A TWO-STEP THERMAL OXIDATION

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rashid, Norhana Mohamed; Kishi, Naoki; Soga, Tetsuo

    2016-03-01

    Pre-annealing as part of a two-step thermal oxidation process has a significant effect on the growth of hematite (α-Fe2O3) nanowires on Fe foil. High-density aligned nanowires were obtained on iron foils pre-annealed at 300∘C under a dry air flow for 30min. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns indicate that the nanowires are transformed from the small α-Fe2O3 grains and uniquely grow in the (110) direction. The formation of a high-density of small grains by pre-annealing improved the alignment and density of the α-Fe2O3 nanowires.

  16. Ni: Fe2O3, Mg: Fe2O3 and Fe2O3 thin films gas sensor application

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saritas, Sevda; Kundakci, Mutlu; Coban, Omer; Tuzemen, Sebahattin; Yildirim, Muhammet

    2018-07-01

    Iron oxide is a widely used sensitive material for gas sensor applications. They have fascinated much attention in the field of gas sensing and detecting under atmospheric conditions and at 200 °C temperature due to their low cost in production; simplicity and fast of their use; large number of detectable gases. Iron oxide gas sensors constitute investigated for hazardous gases used in various fields. The morphological structure (particle size, pore size, etc.), optical, magnetic and electrical properties of Ni:Fe2O3, Mg:Fe2O3 and Fe2O3 thin films which grown by Spray pyrolysis (SP) have been investigated. XRD, Raman and AFM techniques have been used for structural analysis. AFM measurements have been provided very useful information about surface topography. I-V (Van der Pauw) technique has been used for response of gas sensor. These devices offer a wide variety of advantages over traditional analytical instruments such as low cost, short response time, easy manufacturing, and small size.

  17. Dewetting process of Au films on SiO2 nanowires: Activation energy evaluation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ruffino, F.; Grimaldi, M. G.

    2015-05-01

    SiO2 nanowires gain scientific and technological interest in application fields ranging from nano-electronics, optics and photonics to bio-sensing. Furthermore, the SiO2 nanowires chemical and physical properties, and so their performances in devices, can be enhanced if decorated by metal nanoparticles (such Au) due to local plasmonic effects. In the present paper, we propose a simple, low-cost and high-throughput three-steps methodology for the mass-production of Au nanoparticles coated SiO2 nanowires. It is based on (1) production of the SiO2 nanowires on Si surface by solid state reaction of an Au film with the Si substrate at high temperature; (2) sputtering deposition of Au on the SiO2 nanowires to obtain the nanowires coated by an Au film; and (3) furnace annealing processes to induce the Au film dewetting on the SiO2 nanowires surface. Using scanning electron microscopy analyses, we followed the change of the Au nanoparticles mean versus the annealing time extracting values for the characteristic activation energy of the dewetting process of the Au film on the SiO2 nanowires surface. Such a study can allow the tuning of the nanowires/nanoparticles sizes for desired technological applications.

  18. Two steps hydrothermal growth and characterisations of BaTiO3 films composed of nanowires

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zawawi, Che Zaheerah Najeehah Che Mohd; Salleh, Shahril; Oon Jew, Lee; Tufail Chaudhary, Kashif; Helmi, Mohamad; Safwan Aziz, Muhammad; Haider, Zuhaib; Ali, Jalil

    2018-05-01

    Barium titanate (BaTiO3) films composed of nanowires have gained considerable research interest due to their lead-free composition and strong energy conversion efficiency. BaTiO3 films can be developed with a simple two steps hydrothermal reactions, which are low cost effective. In this research, BaTiO3 films were fabricated on titanium foil through two steps hydrothermal method namely, the growth of TiO2 and followed by BaTiO3 films. The structural evolutions and the dielectric properties of the films were investigated as well. The structural evolutions of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and BaTiO3 nanowires were characterized using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. First step of hydrothermal reaction, TiO2 nanowires were prepared in varied temperatures of 160 °C, 200 °C and 250 °C respectively. Second step of hydrothermal reaction was performed to produce a layer of BaTiO3 films.

  19. Nanoscale TiO2 and Fe2O3 Architectures for Solar Energy Conversion Schemes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sedach, Pavel Anatolyvich

    The direct conversion of sunlight into more useable forms of energy has the potential of alleviating the environmental and social problems associated with a dependence on fossil fuels. If solar energy is to be utilized en-masse, however, it must be inexpensive and widely available. In this vein, the focus of this thesis is on nanostructured materials relevant to solar energy conversion and storage. Specifically, this thesis describes the ambient sol-gel synthesis of titanium dioxide (Ti02) nanowires designed for enhanced charge-transfer in solar collection devices, and the synthesis of novel disordered metal-oxide (MOx) catalysts for water oxidation. The introductory chapter of this thesis gives an overview of the various approaches to solar energy conversion. Sol---gel reaction conditions that enable the growth of one-dimensional (1-D) anatase TiO2 nanostructures from fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) for photovoltaics (PVs) are described in the second chapter. The generation of these linear nanostructures in the absence of an external bias or template is achieved by using facile experimental conditions (e.g., acetic acid (HOAc) and titanium isopropoxide (Ti(OiPr)4) in anhydrous heptane). The procedure was developed by functionalizing base-treated substrates with Ti-oxide nucleation sites that serve as a foundation for the growth of linear Ti-oxide macromolecules, which upon calcination, render uniform films of randomly oriented anatase TiO2 nanowires. A systematic evaluation of how reaction conditions (e.g., solvent volume, stoichiometry of reagents, substrate base treatment) affect the generation of these TiO 2 films is presented. A photo-organic MO. deposition route (i.e., photochemical metal-organic deposition (PMOD)) used to deposit thin-films of amorphous iron oxide (a-Fe2O3) for water oxidation catalysis is detailed in third chapter. It is shown that the irradiation of a spin-coated metal-organic film produces a film of non-crystalline a-Fe203. It is shown

  20. Preparation of a γ-Fe2 O3 /Ag nanowire coaxial nanocable for high-performance lithium-ion batteries.

    PubMed

    Geng, Hongbo; Ge, Danhua; Lu, Shuanglong; Wang, Jiaqing; Ye, Zhengmao; Yang, Yonggang; Zheng, Junwei; Gu, Hongwei

    2015-07-27

    In this study, we report the design and synthesis of a silver nanowire-γ-Fe2 O3 coaxial nanocable architecture (Ag NWs@γ-Fe2 O3 nanocable) through mild oxidation of [Fe(CO)5 ] on the surface of silver nanowires followed by a calcination process. After optimization of the structural design, the Ag NWs@γ-Fe2 O3 nanocable could deliver superior lithium storage performance in terms of high reversible capacity, good rate performance, and excellent stability, such as a high reversible capacity of about 890 mA h g(-1) after 60 cycles at a current rate of 0.1 C (1.0 C=1005 mA g(-1) ). The reversible capacity remains as high as about 550 mA h g(-1) even at a high current rate of 2.0 C. This dramatic performance is mainly attributed to the smart coaxial design, which can not only alleviate the large volume change and prevent the aggregation of γ-Fe2 O3 nanoparticles, but also enables good conductivity and thus enhances fast charge transfer. The unique structural features of the Ag NWs@γ-Fe2 O3 nanocable represent a promising anode material in lithium-ion battery applications. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  1. Growth, structure, and magnetic properties of γ-Fe2O3 epitaxial films on MgO

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gao, Y.; Kim, Y. J.; Thevuthasan, S.; Chambers, S. A.; Lubitz, P.

    1997-04-01

    Single-crystal epitaxial thin films of γ-Fe2O3(001) have been grown on MgO(001) using oxygen-plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. The structure and magnetic properties of these films have been characterized by a variety of techniques, including reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED), low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron/Auger electron diffraction (XPD/AED), vibrating sample magnetometry, and ferromagnetic resonance. Real-time RHEED reveals that the film growth occurs in a layer-by-layer fashion. The γ-Fe2O3(001) film surface exhibits a (1×1) LEED pattern. The growth of γ-Fe2Ooverflow="scroll">3 films at 450 °C is accompanied by significant Mg outdiffusion. AED of Mg KLL Auger emission reveals that Mg substitutionally incorporates in the γ-Fe2O3 lattice, occupying the octahedral sites. Magnetic moments are ˜2300 G and ˜4500 G for γ-Fe2O3 films grown at 250 °C and 450 °C, respectively. The high magnetic moment for the films grown at 450 °C could be attributed to the high degree of structural order of the films and Mg substitution at octahedral sites.

  2. Coaxial metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) Au/Ga2O3/GaN nanowires.

    PubMed

    Hsieh, Chin-Hua; Chang, Mu-Tung; Chien, Yu-Jen; Chou, Li-Jen; Chen, Lih-Juann; Chen, Chii-Dong

    2008-10-01

    Coaxial metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) Au-Ga2O3-GaN heterostructure nanowires were successfully fabricated by an in situ two-step process. The Au-Ga2O3 core-shell nanowires were first synthesized by the reaction of Ga powder, a mediated Au thin layer, and a SiO2 substrate at 800 degrees C. Subsequently, these core-shell nanowires were nitridized in ambient ammonia to form a GaN coating layer at 600 degrees C. The GaN shell is a single crystal, an atomic flat interface between the oxide and semiconductor that ensures that the high quality of the MOS device is achieved. These novel 1D nitride-based MOS nanowires may have promise as building blocks to the future nitride-based vertical nanodevices.

  3. Magnetic glass-film based on single-nanosize 𝜺 -Fe2O3 nanoparticles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yoshikiyo, Marie; Namai, Asuka; Nakagawa, Kosuke; Ohkoshi, Shin-ichi

    2017-05-01

    We report a magnetic thin film of single-nanosize ɛ-Fe2O3 in SiO2 matrix. The glass-film was prepared by sintering a silica coated iron oxide hydroxide on a quartz substrate in air. The glass-film consists of ɛ-Fe2O3 of 8.8 nm size, and its thickness was 570 nm (0.57 μm) with a roughness of 10 nm (0.01 μm). UV-vis spectrum showed that the glass-film has small absorbance of 0.043 at 500 nm. The magneto-optical effect was investigated, and Faraday ellipticity showed a magnetic hysteresis loop with a coercive field of 3.0 ± 0.2 kOe. Furthermore, single-nanosize ɛ-Fe2O3 without silica was prepared as a reference sample, and ferroelectricity was observed. Therefore, the present thin glass-film consists of single-nanosize ferroelectric-ferromagnetic nanoparticles.

  4. Conversion between hexagonal GaN and beta-Ga(2)O(3) nanowires and their electrical transport properties.

    PubMed

    Li, Jianye; An, Lei; Lu, Chenguang; Liu, Jie

    2006-02-01

    We have observed that the hexagonal GaN nanowires grown from a simple chemical vapor deposition method using gallium metal and ammonia gas are usually gallium-doped. By annealing in air, the gallium-doped hexagonal GaN nanowires could be completely converted to beta-Ga(2)O(3) nanowires. Annealing the beta-Ga(2)O(3) nanowires in ammonia could convert them back to undoped hexagonal GaN nanowires. Field effect transistors based on these three kinds of nanowires were fabricated, and their performances were studied. Because of gallium doping, the as-grown GaN nanowires show a weak gating effect. Through the conversion process of GaN nanowires (gallium-doped) --> Ga(2)O(3) nanowires --> GaN nanowires (undoped) via annealing, the final undoped GaN nanowires display different electrical properties than the initial gallium-doped GaN nanowires, show a pronounced n-type gating effect, and can be completely turned off.

  5. Dielectric and optical study of poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) / Fe2O3 films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anita, Chimankar, O. P.; Bansod, A. R.; Sannakki, Basavaraja

    2013-06-01

    Organic/inorganic polymer composite films containing poly (methyl-methacrylate) (PMMA)/ ferric oxide Fe2O3 were prepared following solution casting technique. Dielectric Properties of films has been studied using LCR meter at room temperature 26°C. Also optical properties have been studied using digital abbey refractometer. The dielectric behavior of films have been studied as a function of concentration, and at lower frequencies over the range 100 Hz-25 KHz, The results elucidate that 70:30 and 50:50 wt% of PMMA/Fe2O3 composite films posses optimal conducting properties due to observed electronic polarisability dip at 40Wt% of Fe2O3.

  6. Excellent field emission properties of vertically oriented CuO nanowire films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Feng, Long; Yan, Hui; Li, Heng; Zhang, Rukang; Li, Zhe; Chi, Rui; Yang, Shuaiyu; Ma, Yaya; Fu, Bin; Liu, Jiwen

    2018-04-01

    Oriented CuO nanowire films were synthesized on a large scale using simple method of direct heating copper grids in air. The field emission properties of the sample can be enhanced by improving the aspect ratio of the nanowires just through a facile method of controlling the synthesis conditions. Although the density of the nanowires is large enough, the screen effect is not an important factor in this field emission process because few nanowires sticking out above the rest. Benefiting from the unique geometrical and structural features, the CuO nanowire samples show excellent field emission (FE) properties. The FE measurements of CuO nanowire films illustrate that the sample synthesized at 500 °C for 8 h has a comparatively low turn-on field of 0.68 V/μm, a low threshold field of 1.1 V/μm, and a large field enhancement factor β of 16782 (a record high value for CuO nanostructures, to the best of our knowledge), indicating that the samples are promising candidates for field emission applications.

  7. Self-Poling of BiFeO3 Thick Films.

    PubMed

    Khomyakova, Evgeniya; Sadl, Matej; Ursic, Hana; Daniels, John; Malic, Barbara; Bencan, Andreja; Damjanovic, Dragan; Rojac, Tadej

    2016-08-03

    Bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3) is difficult to pole because of the combination of its high coercive field and high electrical conductivity. This problem is particularly pronounced in thick films. The poling, however, must be performed to achieve a large macroscopic piezoelectric response. This study presents evidence of a prominent and reproducible self-poling effect in few-tens-of-micrometer-thick BiFeO3 films. Direct and converse piezoelectric measurements confirmed that the as-sintered BiFeO3 thick films yield d33 values of up to ∼20 pC/N. It was observed that a significant self-poling effect only appears in cases when the films are heated and cooled through the ferroelectric-paraelectric phase transition (Curie temperature TC ∼ 820 °C). These self-poled films exhibit a microstructure with randomly oriented columnar grains. The presence of a compressive strain gradient across the film thickness cooled from above the TC was experimentally confirmed and is suggested to be responsible for the self-poling effect. Finally, the macroscopic d33 response of the self-poled BiFeO3 film was characterized as a function of the driving-field frequency and amplitude.

  8. Dipole pinning effect on photovoltaic characteristics of ferroelectric BiFeO3 films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Biswas, P. P.; Thirmal, Ch.; Pal, S.; Murugavel, P.

    2018-01-01

    Ferroelectric bismuth ferrite is an attractive candidate for switchable devices. The effect of dipole pinning due to the oxygen vacancy layer on the switching behavior of the BiFeO3 thin film fabricated by the chemical solution deposition method was studied after annealing under air, O2, and N2 environment. The air annealed film showed well defined and dense grains leading to a lower leakage current and superior electrical properties compared to the other two films. The photovoltage and transient photocurrent measured under positive and negative poling elucidated the switching nature of the films. Though the air and O2 annealed films showed a switchable photovoltaic response, the response was severely affected by oxygen vacancies in the N2 annealed film. In addition, the open circuit voltage was found to be mostly dependent on the polarization of BiFeO3 rather than the Schottky barriers at the interface. This work provides an important insight into the effect of dipole pinning caused by oxygen vacancies on the switchable photovoltaic effect of BiFeO3 thin films along with the importance of stoichiometric, defect free, and phase pure samples to facilitate meaningful practical applications.

  9. Heterojunction metal-oxide-metal Au-Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-Au single nanowire device for spintronics

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

    Reddy, K. M., E-mail: mrkongara@boisestate.edu; Punnoose, Alex; Hanna, Charles

    2015-05-07

    In this report, we present the synthesis of heterojunction magnetite nanowires in alumina template and describe magnetic and electrical properties from a single nanowire device for spintronics applications. Heterojunction Au-Fe-Au nanowire arrays were electrodeposited in porous aluminum oxide templates, and an extensive and controlled heat treatment process converted Fe segment to nanocrystalline cubic magnetite phase with well-defined Au-Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} interfaces as confirmed by the transmission electron microscopy. Magnetic measurements revealed Verwey transition shoulder around 120 K and a room temperature coercive field of 90 Oe. Current–voltage (I-V) characteristics of a single Au-Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-Au nanowire have exhibited Ohmic behavior. Anomalous positivemore » magnetoresistance of about 0.5% is observed on a single nanowire, which is attributed to the high spin polarization in nanowire device with pure Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} phase and nanocontact barrier. This work demonstrates the ability to preserve the pristine Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} and well defined electrode contact metal (Au)–magnetite interface, which helps in attaining high spin polarized current.« less

  10. Growth, structure, and magnetic properties of {gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} epitaxial films on MgO

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

    Gao, Y.; Kim, Y.J.; Thevuthasan, S.

    1997-04-01

    Single-crystal epitaxial thin films of {gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}(001) have been grown on MgO(001) using oxygen-plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. The structure and magnetic properties of these films have been characterized by a variety of techniques, including reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED), low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron/Auger electron diffraction (XPD/AED), vibrating sample magnetometry, and ferromagnetic resonance. Real-time RHEED reveals that the film growth occurs in a layer-by-layer fashion. The {gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}(001) film surface exhibits a (1{times}1) LEED pattern. The growth of {gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} films at 450 {degree}C is accompanied by significant Mg outdiffusion. AED ofmore » Mg KLL Auger emission reveals that Mg substitutionally incorporates in the {gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} lattice, occupying the octahedral sites. Magnetic moments are {approximately}2300 G and {approximately}4500 G for {gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} films grown at 250{degree}C and 450{degree}C, respectively. The high magnetic moment for the films grown at 450{degree}C could be attributed to the high degree of structural order of the films and Mg substitution at octahedral sites. {copyright} {ital 1997 American Institute of Physics.}« less

  11. Epitaxial integration of CoFe2O4 thin films on Si (001) surfaces using TiN buffer layers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prieto, Pilar; Marco, José F.; Prieto, José E.; Ruiz-Gomez, Sandra; Perez, Lucas; del Real, Rafael P.; Vázquez, Manuel; de la Figuera, Juan

    2018-04-01

    Epitaxial cobalt ferrite thin films with strong in-plane magnetic anisotropy have been grown on Si (001) substrates using a TiN buffer layer. The epitaxial films have been grown by ion beam sputtering using either metallic, CoFe2, or ceramic, CoFe2O4, targets. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Rutherford spectrometry (RBS) in random and channeling configuration have been used to determine the epitaxial relationship CoFe2O4 [100]/TiN [100]/Si [100]. Mössbauer spectroscopy, in combination with XRD and RBS, has been used to determine the composition and structure of the cobalt ferrite thin films. The TiN buffer layer induces a compressive strain in the cobalt ferrite thin films giving rise to an in-plane magnetic anisotropy. The degree of in-plane anisotropy depends on the lattice mismatch between CoFe2O4 and TiN, which is larger for CoFe2O4 thin films grown on the reactive sputtering process with ceramic targets.

  12. Fabrication and Characterization of Luminescent Magnetic Bifunctional Nanocomposite Based on TbPO4·H2O Nanowires and Fe3O4 Nanoparticles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huong, Nguyen Thanh; Hung, Nguyen Manh; Lien, Pham Thi; Van, Nguyen Duc; Nam, Pham Hong; Binh, Nguyen Thanh; Minh, Le Quoc

    2016-07-01

    The fabrication and properties of luminescent magnetic bifunctional nanocomposites comprised of TbPO4·H2O nanowires as a core and magnetite nanoparticles as a shell are presented. TbPO4·H2O nanowires were synthesized by a microwave-assisted method while the grafting process of freshly-formed superparamagnetic magnetite nanoparticles on the surface of luminescent nanowires was carried out by a co-precipitate method. The effects of the Fe3O4/TbPO4·H2O mass ratio on the luminescent and magnetic properties of the obtained nanocomposite were also investigated. The results showed that, for the optimized bifunctional nanocomposites, green luminescent emissions at 488 nm, 542 nm, 585 nm, 620 nm and superparamagnetic behavior with saturation magnetization M s of 6 emu/g were achieved. With a hyperthermia temperature of ~43.5°C under an alternating current (AC) magnetic field, the obtained TbPO4·H2O/Fe3O4 nanocomposite was expected to be used for both optical probing and hyperthermia cancer treatments in biomedical applications.

  13. A Nanocrystalline Fe2O3 Film Anode Prepared by Pulsed Laser Deposition for Lithium-Ion Batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Teng, Xiaoling; Qin, Youzhi; Wang, Xia; Li, Hongsen; Shang, Xiantao; Fan, Shuting; Li, Qiang; Xu, Jie; Cao, Derang; Li, Shandong

    2018-02-01

    Nanocrystalline Fe2O3 thin films are deposited directly on the conduct substrates by pulsed laser deposition as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. We demonstrate the well-designed Fe2O3 film electrodes are capable of excellent high-rate performance (510 mAh g- 1 at high current density of 15,000 mA g- 1) and superior cycling stability (905 mAh g- 1 at 100 mA g- 1 after 200 cycles), which are among the best reported state-of-the-art Fe2O3 anode materials. The outstanding lithium storage performances of the as-synthesized nanocrystalline Fe2O3 film are attributed to the advanced nanostructured architecture, which not only provides fast kinetics by the shortened lithium-ion diffusion lengths but also prolongs cycling life by preventing nanosized Fe2O3 particle agglomeration. The electrochemical performance results suggest that this novel Fe2O3 thin film is a promising anode material for all-solid-state thin film batteries.

  14. Fabrication of MgFe2O4/MoS2 Heterostructure Nanowires for Photoelectrochemical Catalysis.

    PubMed

    Fan, Weiqiang; Li, Meng; Bai, Hongye; Xu, Dongbo; Chen, Chao; Li, Chunfa; Ge, Yilin; Shi, Weidong

    2016-02-16

    A novel one-dimensional MgFe2O4/MoS2 heterostructure has been successfully designed and fabricated. The bare MgFe2O4 was obtained as uniform nanowires through electrospinning, and MoS2 thin film appeared on the surface of MgFe2O4 after further chemical vapor deposition. The structure of the MgFe2O4/MoS2 heterostructure was systematic investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS), and Raman spectra. According to electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) results, the MgFe2O4/MoS2 heterostructure showed a lower charge-transfer resistance compared with bare MgFe2O4, which indicated that the MoS2 played an important role in the enhancement of electron/hole mobility. MgFe2O4/MoS2 heterostructure can efficiently degrade tetracycline (TC), since the superoxide free-radical can be produced by sample under illumination due to the active species trapping and electron spin resonance (ESR) measurement, and the optimal photoelectrochemical degradation rate of TC can be achieved up to 92% (radiation intensity: 47 mW/cm(2), 2 h). Taking account of its unique semiconductor band gap structure, MgFe2O4/MoS2 can also be used as an photoelectrochemical anode for hydrogen production by water splitting, and the hydrogen production rate of MgFe2O4/MoS2 was 5.8 mmol/h·m(2) (radiation intensity: 47 mW/cm(2)), which is about 1.7 times that of MgFe2O4.

  15. High-loading Fe2O3/SWNT composite films for lithium-ion battery applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Ying; Guo, Jiahui; Li, Li; Ge, Yali; Li, Baojun; Zhang, Yingjiu; Shang, Yuanyuan; Cao, Anyuan

    2017-08-01

    Single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) films are a potential candidate as porous conductive electrodes for energy conversion and storage; tailoring the loading and distribution of active materials grafted on SWNTs is critical for achieving maximum performance. Here, we show that as-synthesized SWNT samples containing residual Fe catalyst can be directly converted to Fe2O3/SWNT composite films by thermal annealing in air. The mass loading of Fe2O3 nanoparticles is tunable from 63 wt% up to 96 wt%, depending on the annealing temperature (from 450 °C to 600 °C), while maintaining the porous network structure. Interconnected SWNT networks containing high-loading active oxides lead to synergistic effect as an anode material for lithium ion batteries. The performance is improved consistently with increasing Fe2O3 loading. As a result, our Fe2O3/SWNT composite films exhibit a high reversible capacity (1007.1 mA h g-1 at a current density of 200 mA g-1), excellent rate capability (384.9 mA h g-1 at 5 A g-1) and stable cycling performance with the discharge capacity up to 567.1 mA h g-1 after 600 cycles at 2 A g-1. The high-loading Fe2O3/SWNT composite films have potential applications as nanostructured electrodes for various energy devices such as supercapacitors and Li-ion batteries.

  16. Epitaxial Fe16N2 thin film on nonmagnetic seed layer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hang, Xudong; Zhang, Xiaowei; Ma, Bin; Lauter, Valeria; Wang, Jian-Ping

    2018-05-01

    Metastable α″ -Fe16N2 has attracted much interest as a candidate for rare-earth-free hard magnetic materials. We demonstrate that Fe16N2 thin films were grown epitaxially on Cr seed layers with MgO (001) substrates by facing-target sputtering. Good crystallinity with the epitaxial relation MgO (001 )[110 ] ∥ Cr (001 )[100 ] ∥ Fe16N2 (001 )[100 ] was obtained. The chemical order parameter, which quantifies the degree of N ordering in the Fe16N2 (the N-disordered phase is α' -Fe8N martensite), reaches 0.75 for Cr-seeded samples. Cr has a perfect lattice constant match with Fe16N2, and no noticeable strain can be assigned to Fe16N2. The intrinsic saturation magnetization of this non-strained Fe16N2 thin film at room temperature is determined to be 2.31 T by polarized neutron reflectometry and confirmed with vibrating sample magnetometry. Our work provides a platform to directly study the magnetic properties of high purity Fe16N2 films with a high order parameter.

  17. Engineering of high performance supercapacitor electrode based on Fe-Ni/Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-NiO core/shell hybrid nanostructures

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

    Singh, Ashutosh K., E-mail: ashuvishen@gmail.com, E-mail: aksingh@bose.res.in; Mandal, Kalyan

    The present work reports on fabrication and supercapacitor applications of a core/shell Fe-Ni/Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-NiO hybrid nanostructures (HNs) electrode. The core/shell Fe-Ni/Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-NiO hybrid nanostructures have been fabricated through a two step method (nanowire fabrication and their controlled oxidation). The 1D hybrid nanostructure consists of highly porous shell layer (redox active materials NiO and Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}) and the conductive core (FeNi nanowire). Thus, the highly porous shell layer allows facile electrolyte diffusion as well as faster redox reaction kinetics; whereas the conductive FeNi nanowire core provides the proficient express way for electrons to travel to the current collector,more » which helps in the superior electrochemical performance. The core/shell Fe-Ni/Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-NiO hybrid nanostructures electrode based supercapacitor shows very good electrochemical performances in terms of high specific capacitance nearly 1415 F g{sup −1} at a current density of 2.5 A g{sup −1}, excellent cycling stability and rate capability. The high quality electrochemical performance of core/shell hybrid nanostructures electrode shows its potential as an alternative electrode for forthcoming supercapacitor devices.« less

  18. Nonstoichiometry of Epitaxial FeTiO(3+delta) Films

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2003-01-01

    nonstoichiometry of the FeTiO3 +8 films was probably produced by cation vacancies and disarrangement of Fe3+ and Ti4 ions, which randomly occupied both interstitial...and substitutional sites of the FeTiO 3 related structure. INTRODUCTION Solid solutions of ot-Fe20 3- FeTiO3 (hematite-ilmenite) series are known to...tried to confirm preparation conditions of stoichiometric FeTiO 3 films. According to a literature on bulk crystal growth of FeTiO3 [5], very low oxygen

  19. Magnetocrystalline anisotropy of ɛ-Fe2O3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ahamed, Imran; Pathak, Rohit; Skomski, Ralph; Kashyap, Arti

    2018-05-01

    The epsilon Fe2O3 phase of iron oxide has been studied to understand the spin structure and the magnetocrystalline anisotropy in the bulk and in thin films of ɛ-Fe2O3 and Co-doped ɛ-Fe2O3. The preferential magnetization direction in the nanoparticles of ɛ-Fe2O3 is along the a-axis [M. Gich et al., Chem. Mater. 18, 3889 (2006)]. Compared to the bulk band gap of 1.9 eV, the thin-film band gap is reduced to 1.3 eV in the Co-free films and to 0.7 eV in the film with partial Co substitution. The easy magnetization direction of the bulk and Co-free ɛ-Fe2O3 is along the c-axis, but it switches to the a-axis on Co substitution. All three systems exhibit in-plane anisotropies associated with the orthorhombic crystal structure of the oxide.

  20. Effect of indium on photovoltaic property of n-ZnO/p-Si heterojunction device prepared using solution-synthesized ZnO nanowire film

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kathalingam, Adaikalam; Kim, Hyun-Seok; Park, Hyung-Moo; Valanarasu, Santiyagu; Mahalingam, Thaiyan

    2015-01-01

    Preparation of n-ZnO/p-Si heterostructures using solution-synthesized ZnO nanowire films and their photovoltaic characterization is reported. The solution-grown ZnO nanowire film is characterized using scanning electron microscope, electron dispersive x-ray, and optical absorption studies. Electrical and photovoltaic properties of the fabricated heterostructures are studied using e-beam-evaporated aluminum as metal contacts. In order to use transparent contact and to simultaneously collect the photogenerated carriers, sandwich-type solar cells were fabricated using ZnO nanorod films grown on p-silicon and indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass as ITO/n-ZnO NR/p-Si. The electrical properties of these structures are analyzed from current-voltage (I-V) characteristics. ZnO nanowire film thickness-dependent photovoltaic properties are also studied. Indium metal was also deposited over the ZnO nanowires and its effects on the photovoltaic response of the devices were studied. The results demonstrated that all the samples exhibit a strong rectifying behavior indicating the diode nature of the devices. The sandwich-type ITO/n-ZnO NR/p-Si solar cells exhibit improved photovoltaic performance over the Al-metal-coated n-ZnO/p-Si structures. The indium deposition is found to show enhancement in photovoltaic behavior with a maximum open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.3 V and short-circuit current (Isc) of 70×10-6 A under ultraviolet light excitation.

  1. Growth of β-Ga2O3 and GaN nanowires on GaN for photoelectrochemical hydrogen generation.

    PubMed

    Hwang, Jih-Shang; Liu, Tai-Yan; Chattopadhyay, Surjit; Hsu, Geng-Ming; Basilio, Antonio M; Chen, Han-Wei; Hsu, Yu-Kuei; Tu, Wen-Hsun; Lin, Yan-Gu; Chen, Kuei-Hsien; Li, Chien-Cheng; Wang, Sheng-Bo; Chen, Hsin-Yi; Chen, Li-Chyong

    2013-02-08

    Enhanced photoelectrochemical (PEC) performances of Ga(2)O(3) and GaN nanowires (NWs) grown in situ from GaN were demonstrated. The PEC conversion efficiencies of Ga(2)O(3) and GaN NWs have been shown to be 0.906% and 1.09% respectively, in contrast to their 0.581% GaN thin film counterpart under similar experimental conditions. A low crystallinity buffer layer between the grown NWs and the substrate was found to be detrimental to the PEC performance, but the layer can be avoided at suitable growth conditions. A band bending at the surface of the GaN NWs generates an electric field that drives the photogenerated electrons and holes away from each other, preventing recombination, and was found to be responsible for the enhanced PEC performance. The enhanced PEC efficiency of the Ga(2)O(3) NWs is aided by the optical absorption through a defect band centered 3.3 eV above the valence band of Ga(2)O(3). These findings are believed to have opened up possibilities for enabling visible absorption, either by tailoring ion doping into wide bandgap Ga(2)O(3) NWs, or by incorporation of indium to form InGaN NWs.

  2. Ascorbic acid/Fe@Fe2O3: A highly efficient combined Fenton reagent to remove organic contaminants.

    PubMed

    Hou, Xiaojing; Huang, Xiaopeng; Ai, Zhihui; Zhao, Jincai; Zhang, Lizhi

    2016-06-05

    In this study, we demonstrate that the combination of ascorbic acid and Fe@Fe2O3 core-shell nanowires (AA/Fe@Fe2O3) offers a highly efficient Fenton reagent. This combined Fenton reagent exhibited extremely high activity on the decomposition of H2O2 to produce OH for the degradation of various organic contaminants, including rhodamine B, methylene blue, alachlor, atrazine, siduron, lincomycin, and chloroamphenicol. The contaminant degradation constants in the AA/Fe@Fe2O3/H2O2 Fenton systems were 38-53 times higher than those in the conventional homogeneous Fenton system (Fe(II)/H2O2) at pH 3.8. Moreover, the OH generation rate constant in the AA/Fe@Fe2O3/H2O2 Fenton system was 1-3 orders of magnitudes greater than those of heterogeneous Fenton systems developed with other iron-containing materials (α-FeOOH, α-Fe2O3, FeOCl, and so on). The high activity of AA/Fe@Fe2O3 was attributed to the effective Fe(III)/Fe(II) cycle and the iron-ascorbate complex formation to stabilize ferrous ions with desirable and steady concentrations. During the AA/Fe@Fe2O3/H2O2 Fenton process, ascorbic acid served as a reducing and complexing reagent, enabling the reuse of Fe@Fe2O3 nanowires. We systematically investigated the alachlor and ascorbic acid degradation and found that they could be effectively degraded in the AA/Fe@Fe2O3/H2O2 system, accompanying with 100% of dechlorination and 92% of denitrification. This study sheds light on the importance of Fe(III)/Fe(II) cycle for the design of high efficient Fenton system and provides an alternative pathway for the organic contaminants removal. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Structural, magnetic and electronic properties of pulsed-laser-deposition grown SrFeO3-δ thin films and SrFeO3-δ /La2/3Ca1/3MnO3 multilayers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Perret, E.; Sen, K.; Khmaladze, J.; Mallett, B. P. P.; Yazdi-Rizi, M.; Marsik, P.; Das, S.; Marozau, I.; Uribe-Laverde, M. A.; de Andrés Prada, R.; Strempfer, J.; Döbeli, M.; Biškup, N.; Varela, M.; Mathis, Y.-L.; Bernhard, C.

    2017-12-01

    We studied the structural, magnetic and electronic properties of SrFeO3-δ (SFO) thin films and SrFeO3-δ /La2/3 Ca1/3 MnO3 (LCMO) superlattices that have been grown with pulsed laser deposition (PLD) on La0.3 Sr0.7 Al0.65 Ta0.35 O3 (LSAT) substrates. X-ray reflectometry and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) confirm the high structural quality of the films and flat and atomically sharp interfaces of the superlattices. The STEM data also reveal a difference in the interfacial layer stacking with a SrO layer at the LCMO/SFO and a LaO layer at the SFO/LCMO interfaces along the PLD growth direction. The x-ray diffraction (XRD) data suggest that the as grown SFO films and SFO/LCMO superlattices have an oxygen-deficient SrFeO3-δ structure with I4/ mmm space group symmetry (δ≤slant 0.2 ). Subsequent ozone annealed SFO films are consistent with an almost oxygen stoichiometric structure (δ ≈ 0 ). The electronic and magnetic properties of these SFO films are similar to the ones of corresponding single crystals. In particular, the as grown SrFeO3films are insulating whereas the ozone annealed films are metallic. The magneto-resistance effects of the as grown SFO films have a similar magnitude as in the single crystals, but extend over a much wider temperature range. Last but not least, for the SFO/LCMO superlattices we observe a rather large exchange bias effect that varies as a function of the cooling field.

  4. Interface composition of InAs nanowires with Al2O3 and HfO2 thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Timm, R.; Hjort, M.; Fian, A.; Borg, B. M.; Thelander, C.; Andersen, J. N.; Wernersson, L.-E.; Mikkelsen, A.

    2011-11-01

    Vertical InAs nanowires (NWs) wrapped by a thin high-κ dielectric layer may be a key to the next generation of high-speed metal-oxide-semiconductor devices. Here, we have investigated the structure and chemical composition of the interface between InAs NWs and 2 nm thick Al2O3 and HfO2 films. The native oxide on the NWs is significantly reduced upon high-κ deposition, although less effective than for corresponding planar samples, resulting in a 0.8 nm thick interface layer with an In-/As-oxide composition of about 0.7/0.3. The exact oxide reduction and composition including As-suboxides and the role of the NW geometry are discussed in detail.

  5. Interfacial characteristics and multiferroic properties of ion-doped BiFeO3/NiFe2O4 thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guo, Meiyou; Tan, Guoqiang; Zheng, Yujuan; Liu, Wenlong; Ren, Huijun; Xia, Ao

    2017-05-01

    Multi-ion doped BiFeO3/NiFe2O4 bilayered thin films were successfully prepared on fluorine-doped SnO2/glass (SnO2:F) substrates by sol-gel method. The crystalline structure, leakage current, interfacial characteristics, and multiferroic properties were investigated in detail. The results of Rietveld refinement showed that the structure of BSrSFMC layer is transformed from rhombohedral to tetragonal structure by the means of ion-doping. The difference of leakage current density of the BSrSFMC/NiFe2O4 (NFO) bilayered films of the -40 V to 40 V and 40 V to -40 V are 0.32 × 10-5 and 1.13 × 10-5 A/cm2, respectively. It was observed that there are obvious interface effects between BSrSFMC and NFO layers, which will cause the accumulation of space charges and the establishment of built-in internal electric field (EI) at the interface. Therefore, different EI directions will affect the dipoles reversal and migration of carriers in the BSrSFMC layer, which will result in different values of transient current with the same applied voltage in the opposite directions. The larger coercive field (Ec ˜ 750 kV/cm) of BSrSFMC/NFO film indicated that there is a tensile stress at the interface between BSrSFMC and NFO layers, making the polarization difficult. These results showed that the above interesting phenomena of the J-V are closely related to the interface effects between the layer of BiFeO3 and NiFe2O4.

  6. Photoconductivity in BiFeO3 thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Basu, S. R.; Martin, L. W.; Chu, Y. H.; Gajek, M.; Ramesh, R.; Rai, R. C.; Xu, X.; Musfeldt, J. L.

    2008-03-01

    The optical properties of epitaxial BiFeO3 thin films have been characterized in the visible range. Variable temperature spectra show an absorption onset near 2.17eV, a direct gap (2.667±0.005eV at 300K), and charge transfer excitations at higher energy. Additionally, we report photoconductivity in BiFeO3 films under illumination from a 100mW /cm2 white light source. A direct correlation is observed between the magnitude of the photoconductivity and postgrowth cooling pressure. Dark conductivities increased by an order of magnitude when comparing films cooled in 760 and 0.1Torr. Large increases in photoconductivity are observed in light.

  7. Enhancements of magnetic properties and planar magnetoresistance by electric fields in γ-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}/MgO thin films

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

    Cheng, Bin; Qin, Hongwei; Pei, Jinliang

    2016-05-23

    The treatment of perpendicular electric field upon γ-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}/MgO film at room temperature could adjust the magnetic properties (saturation magnetization, magnetic remanence, coercivity, and saturation magnetizing field) of the film. The enhancement of saturation magnetization after the treatment of electric field may be connected with the combined shift effects of Mg ions from MgO to γ-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} and O{sup 2−} ions from γ-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} to MgO. The negative magnetoresistance of the γ-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}/MgO film also enhances with the treatment of perpendicular electric field at room temperature, possibly due to the increasing of electron hopping rate betweenmore » Fe{sup 2+} and Fe{sup 3+}.« less

  8. Rapid and controllable flame reduction of TiO2 nanowires for enhanced solar water-splitting.

    PubMed

    Cho, In Sun; Logar, Manca; Lee, Chi Hwan; Cai, Lili; Prinz, Fritz B; Zheng, Xiaolin

    2014-01-08

    We report a new flame reduction method to generate controllable amount of oxygen vacancies in TiO2 nanowires that leads to nearly three times improvement in the photoelectrochemical (PEC) water-splitting performance. The flame reduction method has unique advantages of a high temperature (>1000 °C), ultrafast heating rate, tunable reduction environment, and open-atmosphere operation, so it enables rapid formation of oxygen vacancies (less than one minute) without damaging the nanowire morphology and crystallinity and is even applicable to various metal oxides. Significantly, we show that flame reduction greatly improves the saturation photocurrent densities of TiO2 nanowires (2.7 times higher), α-Fe2O3 nanowires (9.4 times higher), ZnO nanowires (2.0 times higher), and BiVO4 thin film (4.3 times higher) in comparison to untreated control samples for PEC water-splitting applications.

  9. Morin transition temperature in (0001)-oriented α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin film and effect of Ir doping

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

    Shimomura, Naoki, E-mail: shimomura@ecei.tohoku.ac.jp; Pati, Satya Prakash; Sato, Yuji

    2015-05-07

    The structural properties and Morin transition in c-plane-oriented α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} and Ir-doped α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin films have been investigated. The enhancement of the Morin transition temperature (T{sub M}) in α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} film by Ir doping has been demonstrated. The T{sub M} in the c-plane-oriented α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin film was determined from the temperature-dependent in-plane magnetization and change of coercivity (H{sub c}); this T{sub M} value was found close to that of bulk α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}. The spin directions of non-doped and Ir-doped α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} at room temperature were also estimated from conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopymore » measurements. We confirmed that Ir doping dramatically enhances the T{sub M} of α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin film.« less

  10. Catalyst-Free Growth of Large Scale Ga2O3 Nanowires

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2001-11-01

    XRD and TEM analyses indicate that the Ga 20 3 nanowires exhibit a monoclinic structure. PL characteristic of the Ga2O3 nanowires shows a UV emission...using Ga metal and N2 / H 20 reactants. The Ga2O3 nanowires, which have diameters ranging from 60 to 150 nm and lengths of several micrometers, are 133

  11. Preparation and electrical properties of ultrafine Ga2O3 nanowires.

    PubMed

    Huang, Yang; Yue, Shuanglin; Wang, Zhongli; Wang, Qiang; Shi, Chengying; Xu, Z; Bai, X D; Tang, Chengcun; Gu, Changzhi

    2006-01-19

    Uniform and well-crystallized beta-Ga2O3 nanowires are prepared by reacting metal Ga with water vapor based on the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism. Electron microscopy studies show that the nanowires have diameters ranging from 10 to 40 nm and lengths up to tens of micrometers. The contact properties of individual Ga2O3 nanowires with Pt or Au/Ti electrodes are studied, respectively, finding that Pt can form Schottky-barrier junctions and Au/Ti is advantageous to fabricate ohmic contacts with individual Ga2O3 nanowires. In ambient air, the conductivity of the Ga2O3 nanowires is about 1 (Omega.m)-1, while with adsorption of NH3 (or NO2) molecules, the conductivity can increase (or decrease) dramatically at room temperature. The as-grown Ga2O3 nanowires have the properties of an n-type semiconductor.

  12. Three-Dimensional Nanoporous Fe2O3/Fe3C-Graphene Heterogeneous Thin Films for Lithium-Ion Batteries

    PubMed Central

    2015-01-01

    Three-dimensional self-organized nanoporous thin films integrated into a heterogeneous Fe2O3/Fe3C-graphene structure were fabricated using chemical vapor deposition. Few-layer graphene coated on the nanoporous thin film was used as a conductive passivation layer, and Fe3C was introduced to improve capacity retention and stability of the nanoporous layer. A possible interfacial lithium storage effect was anticipated to provide additional charge storage in the electrode. These nanoporous layers, when used as an anode in lithium-ion batteries, deliver greatly enhanced cyclability and rate capacity compared with pristine Fe2O3: a specific capacity of 356 μAh cm–2 μm–1 (3560 mAh cm–3 or ∼1118 mAh g–1) obtained at a discharge current density of 50 μA cm–2 (∼0.17 C) with 88% retention after 100 cycles and 165 μAh cm–2 μm–1 (1650 mAh cm–3 or ∼518 mAh g–1) obtained at a discharge current density of 1000 μA cm–2 (∼6.6 C) for 1000 cycles were achieved. Meanwhile an energy density of 294 μWh cm–2 μm–1 (2.94 Wh cm–3 or ∼924 Wh kg–1) and power density of 584 μW cm–2 μm–1 (5.84 W cm–3 or ∼1834 W kg–1) were also obtained, which may make these thin film anodes promising as a power supply for micro- or even nanosized portable electronic devices. PMID:24669862

  13. Enhanced magnetic moment in ultrathin Fe-doped CoFe2O4 films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moyer, J. A.; Vaz, C. A. F.; Kumah, D. P.; Arena, D. A.; Henrich, V. E.

    2012-11-01

    The effect of film thickness on the magnetic properties of ultrathin Fe-doped cobalt ferrite (Co1-xFe2+xO4) grown on MgO (001) substrates is investigated by superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry and x-ray magnetic linear dichroism, while the distribution of the Co2+ cations between the octahedral and tetrahedral lattice sites is studied with x-ray absorption spectroscopy. For films thinner than 10 nm, there is a large enhancement of the magnetic moment; conversely, the remanent magnetization and coercive fields both decrease, while the magnetic spin axes of all the cations become less aligned with the [001] crystal direction. In particular, at 300 K the coercive fields of the thinnest films vanish. The spectroscopy data show that no changes occur in the cation distribution as a function of film thickness, ruling this out as the origin of the enhanced magnetic moment. However, the magnetic measurements all support the possibility that these ultrathin Fe-doped CoFe2O4 films are transitioning into a superparamagnetic state, as has been seen in ultrathin Fe3O4. A weakening of the magnetic interactions at the antiphase boundaries, leading to magnetically independent domains within the film, could explain the enhanced magnetic moment in ultrathin Fe-doped CoFe2O4 and the onset of superparamagnetism at room temperature.

  14. Aqueous chemical growth of alpha-Fe2O3-alpha-Cr203 nanocompositethin films

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

    Vayssieres, Lionel; Guo, Jinghua; Nordgren, Joseph

    2001-06-30

    We are reporting here on the inexpensive fabrication and optical properties of an iron(III) oxide chromium(III) oxide nanocomposite thin film of corundum crystal structure. Its novel and unique-designed architecture consists of uniformed, well-defined and oriented nanorods of Hematite (alpha-Fe2O3) of 50 nm in diameter and 500nm in length and homogeneously distributed nonaggregated monodisperse spherical nanoparticles of Eskolaite (alpha-Cr2O3) of 250 nm in diameter. This alpha-Fe2O3 alpha-Cr2O3 nanocomposite thin film is obtained by growing, directly onto transparent polycrystalline conducting substrate, an oriented layer of hematite nanorods and growing subsequently, the eskolaite layer. The synthesis is carried out by a template-free, low-temperature,more » multilayer thin film coating process using aqueous solution of metal salts as precursors. Almost 100 percent of the light is absorbed by the composite film between 300 and 525 nm and 40 percent at 800 nm which yields great expectations as photoanode materials for photovoltaic cells and photocatalytic devices.« less

  15. Spin Seebeck effect in insulating epitaxial γ-Fe2O3 thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jiménez-Cavero, P.; Lucas, I.; Anadón, A.; Ramos, R.; Niizeki, T.; Aguirre, M. H.; Algarabel, P. A.; Uchida, K.; Ibarra, M. R.; Saitoh, E.; Morellón, L.

    2017-02-01

    We report the fabrication of high crystal quality epitaxial thin films of maghemite (γ-Fe2O3), a classic ferrimagnetic insulating iron oxide. Spin Seebeck effect (SSE) measurements in γ-Fe2O3/Pt bilayers as a function of sample preparation conditions and temperature yield a SSE coefficient of 0.5(1) μV/K at room temperature. Dependence on temperature allows us to estimate the magnon diffusion length in maghemite to be in the range of tens of nanometers, in good agreement with that of conducting iron oxide magnetite (Fe3O4), establishing the relevance of spin currents of magnonic origin in magnetic iron oxides.

  16. Significant role of antiferromagnetic GdFeO3 on multiferroism of bilayer thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shah, Jyoti; Bhatt, Priyanka; Dayas, K. Diana Diana; Kotnala, R. K.

    2018-02-01

    Inversion of BaTiO3 and GdFeO3 thin films in bilayer configuration has been deposited by pulsed laser deposition technique. A significant effect of strain on thin film has been observed by X-ray diffraction analysis. Tensile strain of 1.04% and 0.23% has been calculated by X-ray diffraction results. Higher polarization value 70.4 μC cm-2 has been observed by strained BaTiO3 film in GdFeO3/BaTiO3 bilayer film. Strained GdFeO3 film in BaTiO3/GdFeO3 bilayer configuration exhibited ferromagnetic behaviour showed maximum magnetization value of 50 emu gm-1. Magnetoelectric coupling coefficient of bilayer films have been carried out by dynamic method. Room temperature magnetoelectric coupling 2500 mV cm-1-Oe has been obtained for BaTiO3/GdFeO3 bilayer film. The high ME coupling of the BaTiO3/GdFeO3 bilayer film reveals strong interfacial coupling between ferroelectric and ferromagnetic dipoles. On magnetoelectric coupling coefficient effect of ferromagnetic GdFeO3 layer has a significant role. Such high value of ME coupling may be useful in realization of magnetoelectric RAM (MeRAM) application.

  17. Bipolar resistive switching of single gold-in-Ga2O3 nanowire.

    PubMed

    Hsu, Chia-Wei; Chou, Li-Jen

    2012-08-08

    We have fabricated single nanowire chips on gold-in-Ga(2)O(3) core-shell nanowires using the electron-beam lithography techniques and realized bipolar resistive switching characteristics having invariable set and reset voltages. We attribute the unique property of invariance to the built-in conduction path of gold core. This invariance allows us to fabricate many resistive switching cells with the same operating voltage by simple depositing repetitive metal electrodes along a single nanowire. Other characteristics of these core-shell resistive switching nanowires include comparable driving electric field with other thin film and nanowire devices and a remarkable on/off ratio more than 3 orders of magnitude at a low driving voltage of 2 V. A smaller but still impressive on/off ratio of 10 can be obtained at an even lower bias of 0.2 V. These characteristics of gold-in-Ga(2)O(3) core-shell nanowires make fabrication of future high-density resistive memory devices possible.

  18. Self-Powered Solar-Blind Photodetector with Fast Response Based on Au/β-Ga2O3 Nanowires Array Film Schottky Junction.

    PubMed

    Chen, Xing; Liu, Kewei; Zhang, Zhenzhong; Wang, Chunrui; Li, Binghui; Zhao, Haifeng; Zhao, Dongxu; Shen, Dezhen

    2016-02-17

    Because of the direct band gap of 4.9 eV, β-Ga2O3 has been considered as an ideal material for solar-blind photodetection without any bandgap tuning. Practical applications of the photodetectors require fast response speed, high signal-to-noise ratio, low energy consumption and low fabrication cost. Unfortunately, most reported β-Ga2O3-based photodetectors usually possess a relatively long response time. In addition, the β-Ga2O3 photodetectors based on bulk, the individual 1D nanostructure, and the film often suffer from the high cost, the low repeatability, and the relatively large dark current, respectively. In this paper, a Au/β-Ga2O3 nanowires array film vertical Schottky photodiode is successfully fabricated by a simple thermal partial oxidation process. The device exhibits a very low dark current of 10 pA at -30 V with a sharp cutoff at 270 nm. More interestingly, the 90-10% decay time of our device is only around 64 μs, which is much quicker than any other previously reported β-Ga2O3-based photodetectors. Besides, the self-powering, the excellent stability and the good reproducibility of Au/β-Ga2O3 nanowires array film photodetector are helpful to its commercialization and practical applications.

  19. Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanowires on HOPG as precursor of new carbon-based anode for high-capacity lithium ion batteries

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

    Angelucci, Marco; Frau, Eleonora; Betti, Maria Grazia

    Iron Oxides nanostructures are very promising systems for new generation of anode material for Lithium-Ion batteries because of their high capacity associated to their surface area. A core-level photoemission study of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanowires deposited on highly-oriented pyrolitic graphite (HOPG) under Li exposure is presented. The Fe-2p, Fe-3p, and Li-1s core-level lineshape evolution upon Li exposure in ultra-high-vacuum conditions clearly brings to light the Fe ion reduction from fully trivalent to prevalently divalent at saturation. Furthermore, the graphite substrate allows allocation of a large amount of Li ions surrounding the iron-oxide nanowires, opening a new scenario towards the usemore » of graphene for improving the ionic charge exchange.« less

  20. Synthesis of ZnO nanowires for thin film network transistors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dalal, S. H.; Unalan, H. E.; Zhang, Y.; Hiralal, Pritesh; Gangloff, L.; Flewitt, Andrew J.; Amaratunga, Gehan A. J.; Milne, William I.

    2008-08-01

    Zinc oxide nanowire networks are attractive as alternatives to organic and amorphous semiconductors due to their wide bandgap, flexibility and transparency. We demonstrate the fabrication of thin film transistors (TFT)s which utilize ZnO nanowires as the semiconducting channel. These thin film transistors can be transparent and flexible and processed at low temperatures on to a variety of substrates. The nanowire networks are created using a simple contact transfer method that is easily scalable. Apparent nanowire network mobility values can be as high as 3.8 cm2/Vs (effective thin film mobility: 0.03 cm2/Vs) in devices with 20μm channel lengths and ON/OFF ratios of up to 104.

  1. Enhancement of electrical properties in polycrystalline BiFeO3 thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yun, Kwi Young; Ricinschi, Dan; Kanashima, Takeshi; Okuyama, Masanori

    2006-11-01

    Ferroelectric BiFeO3 thin films were grown on Pt /TiO2/SiO2/Si substrates by pulsed-laser deposition. From the x-ray diffraction analysis, the BiFeO3 thin films consist of perovskite single phase, and the crystal structure shows the tetragonal structure with a space group P4mm. The BiFeO3 thin films show enhanced electrical properties with low leakage current density value of ˜10-4A /cm2 at a maximum applied voltage of 31V. This enhanced electrical resistivity allowed the authors to obtain giant ferroelectric polarization values such as saturation polarizations of 110 and 166μC/cm2 at room temperature and 80K, respectively.

  2. Structural, XPS and magnetic studies of pulsed laser deposited Fe doped Eu{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin film

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

    Kumar, Sandeep; Prakash, Ram, E-mail: rpgiuc@gmail.com; Choudhary, R.J.

    2015-10-15

    Highlights: • Growth of Fe doped Eu{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin films by PLD. • XRD and Raman’s spectroscopy used for structure confirmation. • The electronic states of Eu and Fe are confirmed by XPS. • Magnetic properties reveals room temperature magnetic ordering in deposited film. - Abstract: Fe (4 at.%) doped europium (III) oxide thin film was deposited on silicon (1 0 0) substrate by pulsed laser deposition technique. Structural, spectral and magnetic properties were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and magnetization measurements. XRD and Raman spectroscopy reveal that the grown film is singlemore » phased and belongs to the cubic structure of Eu{sub 2}O{sub 3}. XPS study of the Eu{sub 1.92}Fe{sub 0.08}O{sub 3} film shows that Fe exists in Fe{sup 3+} ionic state in the film. The film exhibits magnetic ordering at room temperature.« less

  3. A kinetic study of the reactions FeO+ + O, Fe+.N2 + O, Fe+.O2 + O and FeO+ + CO: implications for sporadic E layers in the upper atmosphere.

    PubMed

    Woodcock, K R S; Vondrak, T; Meech, S R; Plane, J M C

    2006-04-21

    These gas-phase reactions were studied by pulsed laser ablation of an iron target to produce Fe(+) in a fast flow tube, with detection of the ions by quadrupole mass spectrometry. Fe(+).N(2) and Fe(+).O(2) were produced by injecting N(2) and O(2), respectively, into the flow tube. FeO(+) was produced from Fe(+) by addition of N(2)O, or by ligand-switching from Fe(+).N(2) following the addition of atomic O. The following rate coefficients were measured: k(FeO(+) + O --> Fe(+) + O(2), 186-294 K) = (3.2 +/- 1.5) x 10(-11); k(Fe(+).N(2) + O --> FeO(+)+ N(2), 294 K) = (4.6 +/- 2.5) x 10(-10); k(Fe(+).O(2) + O --> FeO(+) + O(2), 294 K) = (6.3 +/- 2.7) x 10(-11); and k(FeO(+) + CO --> Fe(+) + CO(2), 294 K) = (1.59 +/- 0.34) x 10(-10) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1), where the quoted uncertainties are a combination of the 1sigma standard errors in the kinetic data and the systematic experimental errors. The surprisingly slow reaction between FeO(+) and O is examined using ab initio quantum calculations of the relevant potential energy surfaces. The importance of this reaction for controlling the lifetime of sporadic E layers is then demonstrated using a model of the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere.

  4. Ferroelectric enhancement in heterostructured ZnO /BiFeO3-PbTiO3 film

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, Shengwen; Chen, Rui; Zhang, Guanjun; Cheng, Jinrong; Meng, Zhongyan

    2006-11-01

    The authors have prepared heterostructured ZnO /BiFeO3-PbTiO3 (BFO-PT) composite film and BFO-PT film on Pt /Ti/SiO2/Si substrates by pulsed-laser deposition. The structure and morphologies of the films were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope. XRD results show that both films are perovskite structured last with different orientations. The leakage current density in the ZnO /BFO-PT film was found to be nearly two orders of magnitude lower. This could be due to the introduced ZnO layer behaving as a Schottky barrier between the BFO-PT film and top electrodes. The dramatic ferroelectric enhancement in ZnO /BFO-PT film is mostly ascribed to the improved insulation.

  5. Single-domain multiferroic BiFeO 3 films

    DOE PAGES

    Kuo, Chang -Yang; Hu, Z.; Yang, J. C.; ...

    2016-09-01

    The strong coupling between antiferromagnetism and ferroelectricity at room temperature found in BiFeO 3 generates high expectations for the design and development of technological devices with novel functionalities. However, the multi-domain nature of the material tends to nullify the properties of interest and complicates the thorough understanding of the mechanisms that are responsible for those properties. Here we report the realization of a BiFeO 3 material in thin film form with single-domain behaviour in both its magnetism and ferroelectricity: the entire film shows its antiferromagnetic axis aligned along the crystallographic b axis and its ferroelectric polarization along the c axis.more » With this we are able to reveal that the canted ferromagnetic moment due to the Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction is parallel to the a axis. Moreover, by fabricating a Co/BiFeO 3 heterostructure, we demonstrate that the ferromagnetic moment of the Co film does couple directly to the canted moment of BiFeO 3.« less

  6. Enhanced magnetoelectric response in 2-2 bilayer 0.50Pb(Ni1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.35PbTiO3-0.15PbZrO3/NiFe2O4 thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ade, Ramesh; Sambasiva, V.; Kolte, Jayant; Karthik, T.; Kulkarni, Ajit R.; Venkataramani, N.

    2018-03-01

    In this work, room temperature magnetoelectric (ME) properties of 0.50Pb(Ni1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.35PbTiO3-0.15PbZrO3 (PNNZT)/NiFe2O4 (NFO) 2-2 bilayer thin films grown on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrate, using pulsed laser deposition technique, are reported. Structural studies confirm single phase PNNZT/NFO 2-2 bilayer structure formation. PNNZT/NFO 2-2 bilayer thin film shows a maximum ME voltage coefficient (α E ) of ~0.70 V cm-1. Oe-1 at a frequency of 1 kHz. The present study reveals that PNNZT/NFO bilayer thin film can be a potential candidate for technological applications.

  7. Extrinsic pinning of magnetic domain walls in CoFeB-MgO nanowires with perpendicular anisotropy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Xueying; Vernier, Nicolas; Zhao, Weisheng; Vila, Laurent; Ravelosona, Dafiné

    2018-05-01

    In this work, we have studied the mechanism of domain wall motion in 0.2-1.5 μm wide nanowires based on Ta/CoFeB/MgO films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. We show that domain wall propagation can be completely stopped due to the presence of strong pinning sites along the nanowires. From the analysis of the distribution of the strongest depinning fields as a function of the wire width, we evidence the presence of extrinsic pinning sites in nanowires, probably induced by edge damages, that dominate over the intrinsic pinning of the magnetic films even for these large wire widths.

  8. Magnetic interactions in BiFe0.5Mn0.5O3 films and BiFeO3/BiMnO3 superlattices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Qingyu; Sheng, Yan; Khalid, M.; Cao, Yanqiang; Wang, Yutian; Qiu, Xiangbiao; Zhang, Wen; He, Maocheng; Wang, Shuangbao; Zhou, Shengqiang; Li, Qi; Wu, Di; Zhai, Ya; Liu, Wenqing; Wang, Peng; Xu, Y. B.; Du, Jun

    2015-03-01

    The clear understanding of exchange interactions between magnetic ions in substituted BiFeO3 is the prerequisite for the comprehensive studies on magnetic properties. BiFe0.5Mn0.5O3 films and BiFeO3/BiMnO3 superlattices have been fabricated by pulsed laser deposition on (001) SrTiO3 substrates. Using piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM), the ferroelectricity at room temperature has been inferred from the observation of PFM hysteresis loops and electrical writing of ferroelectric domains for both samples. Spin glass behavior has been observed in both samples by temperature dependent magnetization curves and decay of thermo-remnant magnetization with time. The magnetic ordering has been studied by X-ray magnetic circular dichroism measurements, and Fe-O-Mn interaction has been confirmed to be antiferromagnetic (AF). The observed spin glass in BiFe0.5Mn0.5O3 films has been attributed to cluster spin glass due to Mn-rich ferromagnetic (FM) clusters in AF matrix, while spin glass in BiFeO3/BiMnO3 superlattices is due to competition between AF Fe-O-Fe, AF Fe-O-Mn and FM Mn-O-Mn interactions in the well ordered square lattice with two Fe ions in BiFeO3 layer and two Mn ions in BiMnO3 layer at interfaces.

  9. Constructing hierarchical interfaces: TiO 2-supported PtFe-FeO x nanowires for room temperature CO oxidation

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

    Zhu, Huiyuan; Wu, Zili; Dong, Su

    2015-08-05

    This is a report of a facile approach to constructing catalytic active hierarchical interfaces in one-dimensional (1D) nanostructure, exemplified by the synthesis of TiO 2-supported PtFe–FeO x nanowires (NWs). The hierarchical interface, constituting atomic level interactions between PtFe and FeO x within each NW and the interactions between NWs and support (TiO 2), enables CO oxidation with 100% conversion at room temperature. We identify the role of the two interfaces by probing the CO oxidation reaction with isotopic labeling experiments. Both the oxygen atoms (Os) in FeO x and TiO 2 participate in the initial CO oxidation, facilitating the reactionmore » through a redox pathway. Moreover, the intact 1D structure leads to the high stability of the catalyst. After 30 h in the reaction stream, the PtFe–FeO x/TiO2 catalyst exhibits no activity decay. These results provide a general approach and new insights into the construction of hierarchical interfaces for advanced catalysis.« less

  10. Co3O4-x-Carbon@Fe2-yCoyO3 Heterostructural Hollow Polyhedrons for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

    PubMed

    Xu, Wangwang; Xie, Weiwei; Wang, Ying

    2017-08-30

    Hollow heterostructured nanomaterials have received tremendous interest in new-generation electrocatalyst applications. However, the design and fabrication of such materials remain a significant challenge. In this work, we present Co 3 O 4-x -carbon@Fe 2-y Co y O 3 heterostructural hollow polyhedrons that have been fabricated by facile thermal treatment followed by solution-phase growth for application as efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts. Starting from a single ZIF-67 hollow polyhedron, a novel complex structured composite material constructed from Co 3 O 4-x nanocrystallite-embedded carbon matrix embedded with Fe 2-y Co y O 3 nanowires was successfully prepared. The Co 3 O 4-x nanocrystallite with oxygen vacancies provides both heterogeneous nucleation sites and growth platform for Fe 2-y Co y O 3 nanowires. The resultant heterostructure combines the advantages of Fe 2-y Co y O 3 nanowires with the large surface area and surface defects of Co 3 O 4-x nanocrystallite, resulting in improved electrocatalytic activity and electrical conductivity. As a result, such novel heterostructured OER electrocatalysts exhibit much lower onset potential (1.52 V) and higher current density (70 mA/cm 2 at 1.7 V) than Co 3 O 4-x -carbon hollow polyhedrons (onset 1.55 V, 35 mA/cm 2 at 1.7 V) and pure Co 3 O 4 hollow polyhedrons (onset 1.62 V, 5 mA/cm 2 at 1.7 V). Furthermore, the design and synthesis of metal-organic framework (MOF)-derived nanomaterials in this work offer new opportunities for developing novel and efficient electrocatalysts in electrochemical devices.

  11. The effect of annealing on structural and optical properties of α-Fe2O3/CdS/α-Fe2O3 multilayer heterostructures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saleem, M.; Durrani, S. M. A.; Saheb, N.; Al-Kuhaili, M. F.; Bakhtiari, I. A.

    2014-11-01

    Multilayered thin film heterostructures of α-Fe2O3/CdS/α-Fe2O3 were prepared through physical vapor deposition. Each α-Fe2O3 layer was deposited by e-beam evaporation of iron in an oxygen atmosphere. The CdS layer was deposited by thermal evaporation in a vacuum. The effect of post annealing of multilayered thin films in air in the temperature range 250 °C to 450 °C was investigated. Structural characterization indicated the growth of the α-Fe2O3 phase with a polycrystalline structure without any CdS crystalline phase. As-deposited multilayer heterostructures were amorphous and transformed into polycrystalline upon annealing. The surface modification of the films during annealing was revealed by scanning electron microscopy. Spectrophotometric measurements were used to determine the optical properties, including the transmittance, absorbance, and band gap. All the films had both direct as well as indirect band gaps.

  12. Structure and magnetism of Fe-doped BaSnO 3 thin films

    DOE PAGES

    Alaan, Urusa S.; N’Diaye, Alpha T.; Shafer, Padraic; ...

    2017-02-28

    BaSnO 3 is an excellent candidate system for developing a new class of perovskite-based dilute magnetic semiconductors. Here in this study, we show that BaSn 0.95Fe 0.05O 3 can be grown from a background pressure of ~2×10-3 mTorr to oxygen pressures of 300 mTorr with high crystallinity and excellent structural quality. When grown in vacuum, the films may be weakly ferromagnetic with a nonzero x-ray magnetic circular dichroism signal on the Fe L 3 edge. Growth with oxygen flow appears to suppress magnetic ordering. Even for very thick films grown in 100 mTorr O 2, the films are paramagnetic. Finally,more » the existence of ferromagnetism in vacuum-grown BaSnO 3 may be attributed to the F-center exchange mechanism, which relies on the presence of oxygen vacancies to facilitate the ferromagnetism. However, other possible extrinsic contributions to the magnetic ordering, such as clusters of Fe 3O 4 and FeO or contamination can also explain the observed behavior.« less

  13. Statistical modeling of the reactions Fe(+) + N2OFeO(+) + N2 and FeO(+) + CO → Fe(+) + CO2.

    PubMed

    Ushakov, Vladimir G; Troe, Jürgen; Johnson, Ryan S; Guo, Hua; Ard, Shaun G; Melko, Joshua J; Shuman, Nicholas S; Viggiano, Albert A

    2015-08-14

    The rates of the reactions Fe(+) + N2OFeO(+) + N2 and FeO(+) + CO → Fe(+) + CO2 are modeled by statistical rate theory accounting for energy- and angular momentum-specific rate constants for formation of the primary and secondary cationic adducts and their backward and forward reactions. The reactions are both suggested to proceed on sextet and quartet potential energy surfaces with efficient, but probably not complete, equilibration by spin-inversion of the populations of the sextet and quartet adducts. The influence of spin-inversion on the overall reaction rate is investigated. The differences of the two reaction rates mostly are due to different numbers of entrance states (atom + linear rotor or linear rotor + linear rotor, respectively). The reaction Fe(+) + N2O was studied either with (6)Fe(+) or with (4)Fe(+) reactants. Differences in the rate constants of (6)Fe(+) and (4)Fe(+) reacting with N2O are attributed to different contributions from electronically excited potential energy surfaces, such as they originate from the open-electronic shell reactants.

  14. Epitaxial patterning of nanometer-thick Y 3Fe 5O 12 films with low magnetic damping

    DOE PAGES

    Li, Shaozhen; Zhang, Wei; Ding, Junjia; ...

    2016-11-27

    Magnetic insulators such as yttrium iron garnet, Y 3Fe 5O 12, with extremely low magnetic damping have opened the door for low power spin-orbitronics due to their low energy dissipation and effcient spin current generation and transmission. We demonstrate reliable and effcient epitaxial growth and nanopatterning of Y 3Fe 5O 12 thin-film based nanostructures on insulating Gd 3Ga 5O 12 substrates. In particular, our fabrication process is compatible with conventional sputtering and liftoff, and does not require aggressive ion milling which may be detrimental to the oxide thin films. Structural and magnetic properties indicate good qualities, in particular low magneticmore » damping of both films and patterned structures. The dynamic magnetic properties of the nanostructures are systematically investigated as a function of the lateral dimension. By comparing to ferromagnetic nanowire structures, a distinct edge mode in addition to the main mode is identified by both experiments and simulations, which also exhibits cross-over with the main mode upon varying the width of the wires. In conclusion, the non-linear evolution of dynamic modes over nanostructural dimensions highlights the important role of size confinement to their material properties in magnetic devices where Y 3Fe 5O 12 nanostructures serve as the key functional component.« less

  15. An innovative concept of use of redox-active electrolyte in asymmetric capacitor based on MWCNTs/MnO2 and Fe2O3 thin films

    PubMed Central

    Chodankar, Nilesh R.; Dubal, Deepak P.; Lokhande, Abhishek C.; Patil, Amar M.; Kim, Jin H.; Lokhande, Chandrakant D.

    2016-01-01

    In present investigation, we have prepared a nanocomposites of highly porous MnO2 spongy balls and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in thin film form and tested in novel redox-active electrolyte (K3[Fe(CN)6] doped aqueous Na2SO4) for supercapacitor application. Briefly, MWCNTs were deposited on stainless steel substrate by “dip and dry” method followed by electrodeposition of MnO2 spongy balls. Further, the supercapacitive properties of these hybrid thin films were evaluated in hybrid electrolyte ((K3[Fe(CN)6 doped aqueous Na2SO4). Thus, this is the first proof-of-design where redox-active electrolyte is applied to MWCNTs/MnO2 hybrid thin films. Impressively, the MWCNTs/MnO2 hybrid film showed a significant improvement in electrochemical performance with maximum specific capacitance of 1012 Fg−1 at 2 mA cm−2 current density in redox-active electrolyte, which is 1.5-fold higher than that of conventional electrolyte (Na2SO4). Further, asymmetric capacitor based on MWCNTs/MnO2 hybrid film as positive and Fe2O3 thin film as negative electrode was fabricated and tested in redox-active electrolytes. Strikingly, MWCNTs/MnO2//Fe2O3 asymmetric cell showed an excellent supercapacitive performance with maximum specific capacitance of 226 Fg−1 and specific energy of 54.39 Wh kg−1 at specific power of 667 Wkg−1. Strikingly, actual practical demonstration shows lightning of 567 red LEDs suggesting “ready-to sell” product for industries. PMID:27982087

  16. An innovative concept of use of redox-active electrolyte in asymmetric capacitor based on MWCNTs/MnO2 and Fe2O3 thin films.

    PubMed

    Chodankar, Nilesh R; Dubal, Deepak P; Lokhande, Abhishek C; Patil, Amar M; Kim, Jin H; Lokhande, Chandrakant D

    2016-12-16

    In present investigation, we have prepared a nanocomposites of highly porous MnO 2 spongy balls and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in thin film form and tested in novel redox-active electrolyte (K 3 [Fe(CN) 6 ] doped aqueous Na 2 SO 4 ) for supercapacitor application. Briefly, MWCNTs were deposited on stainless steel substrate by "dip and dry" method followed by electrodeposition of MnO 2 spongy balls. Further, the supercapacitive properties of these hybrid thin films were evaluated in hybrid electrolyte ((K 3 [Fe(CN) 6 doped aqueous Na 2 SO 4 ). Thus, this is the first proof-of-design where redox-active electrolyte is applied to MWCNTs/MnO 2 hybrid thin films. Impressively, the MWCNTs/MnO 2 hybrid film showed a significant improvement in electrochemical performance with maximum specific capacitance of 1012 Fg -1 at 2 mA cm -2 current density in redox-active electrolyte, which is 1.5-fold higher than that of conventional electrolyte (Na 2 SO 4 ). Further, asymmetric capacitor based on MWCNTs/MnO 2 hybrid film as positive and Fe 2 O 3 thin film as negative electrode was fabricated and tested in redox-active electrolytes. Strikingly, MWCNTs/MnO 2 //Fe 2 O 3 asymmetric cell showed an excellent supercapacitive performance with maximum specific capacitance of 226 Fg -1 and specific energy of 54.39 Wh kg -1 at specific power of 667 Wkg -1 . Strikingly, actual practical demonstration shows lightning of 567 red LEDs suggesting "ready-to sell" product for industries.

  17. Antiferromagnetic Order in Epitaxial FeSe Films on SrTiO3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, Y.; Miao, L.; Wang, P.; Zhu, F. F.; Jiang, W. X.; Jiang, S. W.; Zhang, Y.; Lei, B.; Chen, X. H.; Ding, H. F.; Zheng, Hao; Zhang, W. T.; Jia, Jin-feng; Qian, Dong; Wu, D.

    2018-03-01

    Single monolayer FeSe film grown on a Nb-doped SrTiO3 (001 ) substrate shows the highest superconducting transition temperature (TC˜100 K ) among the iron-based superconductors (iron pnictides), while the TC value of bulk FeSe is only ˜8 K . Although bulk FeSe does not show antiferromagnetic order, calculations suggest that the parent FeSe /SrTi O3 films are antiferromagnetic. Experimentally, because of a lack of a direct probe, the magnetic state of FeSe /SrTi O3 films remains mysterious. Here, we report direct evidence of antiferromagnetic order in the parent FeSe /SrTi O3 films by the magnetic exchange bias effect measurements. The magnetic blocking temperature is ˜140 K for a single monolayer film. The antiferromagnetic order disappears after electron doping.

  18. Preparation and properties of hybrid monodispersed magnetic α-Fe2O3 based chitosan nanocomposite film for industrial and biomedical applications.

    PubMed

    Singh, Jay; Srivastava, M; Dutta, Joydeep; Dutta, P K

    2011-01-01

    In this study, hydrothermally prepared magnetic α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles were dispersed in chitosan (CH) solution to fabricate nanocomposite film. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns indicated that the α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles were pure α-Fe2O3 with rhombohedral structures, and the fabrication of CH did not result in a phase change. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) results showed that the hexagonal and spherical monodispersed α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles were encapsulated into the spherical dumb shaped CH-α-Fe2O3 nanocomposite film with a mean diameter of ∼87 and ∼110 nm respectively. The α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles and CH-α-Fe2O3 nanocomposite film were also characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Magnetic measurements revealed that the saturated magnetization (Ms) and remanent magnetization (Mr) of the pure α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles reached 0.573 emu/g and 0.100 emu/g respectively and the nanoparticles showed the characteristics of weak ferromagnetic before and after coating with CH. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Controlled Growth of Parallel Oriented ZnO Nanostructural Arrays on Ga2O3 Nanowires

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-11-01

    Controlled Growth of Parallel Oriented ZnO Nanostructural Arrays on Ga2O3 Nanowires Lena Mazeina,* Yoosuf N. Picard, and Sharka M. Prokes Electronics...Manuscript ReceiVed NoVember 6, 2008 ABSTRACT: Novel hierarchical ZnO- Ga2O3 nanostructures were fabricated via a two stage growth process. Nanowires of Ga2O3 ...nanobrushes (NBs) with Ga2O3 as the core and ZnO as the branches self-assembling symmetrically in six equiangular directions around the core

  20. Epitaxial growth and magnetic properties of ultraviolet transparent Ga2O3/(Ga1-xFex)2O3 multilayer thin films.

    PubMed

    Guo, Daoyou; An, Yuehua; Cui, Wei; Zhi, Yusong; Zhao, Xiaolong; Lei, Ming; Li, Linghong; Li, Peigang; Wu, Zhenping; Tang, Weihua

    2016-04-28

    Multilayer thin films based on the ferromagnetic and ultraviolet transparent semiconductors may be interesting because their magnetic/electronic/photonic properties can be manipulated by the high energy photons. Herein, the Ga2O3/(Ga1-xFex)2O3 multilayer epitaxial thin films were obtained by alternating depositing of wide band gap Ga2O3 layer and Fe ultrathin layer due to inter diffusion between two layers at high temperature using the laser molecular beam epitaxy technique. The multilayer films exhibits a preferred growth orientation of crystal plane, and the crystal lattice expands as Fe replaces Ga site. Fe ions with a mixed valence of Fe(2+) and Fe(3+) are stratified distributed in the film and exhibit obvious agglomerated areas. The multilayer films only show a sharp absorption edge at about 250 nm, indicating a high transparency for ultraviolet light. What's more, the Ga2O3/(Ga1-xFex)2O3 multilayer epitaxial thin films also exhibits room temperature ferromagnetism deriving from the Fe doping Ga2O3.

  1. 1D Magnetic Materials of Fe3O4 and Fe with High Performance of Microwave Absorption Fabricated by Electrospinning Method

    PubMed Central

    Han, Rui; Li, Wei; Pan, Weiwei; Zhu, Minggang; Zhou, Dong; Li, Fa-shen

    2014-01-01

    Fe3O4 and Fe nanowires are successfully fabricated by electrospinning method and reduction process. Wiry microstructures were achieved with the phase transformation from α-Fe2O3 to Fe3O4 and Fe by partial and full reduction, while still preserving the wire morphology. The diameters of the Fe3O4 and Fe nanowires are approximately 50–60 nm and 30–40 nm, respectively. The investigation of microwave absorption reveals that the Fe3O4 nanowires exhibit excellent microwave absorbing properties. For paraffin-based composite containing 50% weight concentration of Fe3O4 nanowires, the minimum reflection loss reaches −17.2 dB at 6.2 GHz with the matching thickness of 5.5 mm. Furthermore, the calculation shows that the modulus of the ratio between the complex permittivity and permeability |ε/μ| is far away from unity at the minimum reflection loss point, which is quite different from the traditional opinions. PMID:25510415

  2. A photoelectrochemical (PEC) study on graphene oxide based hematite thin films heterojunction (R-GO/Fe2O3)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sharma, Poonam; Zachariah, Michael; Ehrman, Sheryl; Shrivastava, Rohit; Dass, Sahab; Satsangi, Vibha; Michael Zachariah, Sheryl Ehrman Collaboration; Rohit Shrivastava, Sahab Dass Collaboration; Vibha R Satsangi, Poonam Sharma Team

    2013-03-01

    Graphene has an excellent electronic conductivity, a high theoretical surface area of 2630 m2/g and excellent mechanical properties and, thus, is a promising component for high-performance electrode materials. Following this, GO has been used to modify the PEC response of photoactive material hematite thin films in PEC cell. A reduced graphene oxide/iron oxide (R-GO/Fe2O3) thin film structure has been successfully prepared on ITO by directly growing iron oxide particles on the thermally reduced graphene oxide sheets prepared from suspension of exfoliated graphene oxide. R-GO/Fe2O3 thin films were tested in PEC cell and offered ten times higher photocurrent density than pristine Fe2O3 thin film sample. XRD, SEM, EDS, UV-Vis, Mott-Schottky and Raman studies were carried out to study spectro-electrochemical properties. Enhanced PEC performance of these photoelectrodes was attributed to its porous morphology, improved conductivity upon favorable carrier transfer across the oxides interface.

  3. Characteristics and anticorrosion performance of Fe-doped TiO2 films by liquid phase deposition method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Yu; Xu, Chao; Feng, ZuDe

    2014-09-01

    Fe-doped TiO2 thin films were fabricated by liquid phase deposition (LPD) method, using Fe(III) nitrate as both Fe element source and fluoride scavenger instead of commonly-used boric acid (H3BO3). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and UV-vis spectrum were employed to examine the effects of Fe element on morphology, structure and optical characteristics of TiO2 films. The as-prepared films were served as photoanode applied to photogenerated cathodic protection of SUS304 stainless steel (304SS). It was observed that the photoelectrochemical properties of the as-prepared films were enhanced with the addition of Fe element compared to the undoped TiO2 film. The highest photoactivity was achieved for Ti13Fe (Fe/Ti = 3 molar ratio) film prepared in precursor bath containing 0.02 M TiF4 + 0.06 M Fe(NO3)3 under white-light illumination. The effective anticorrosion behaviors can be attributed to the Fe element incorporation which decreases the probability of photogenerated charge-carrier recombination and extends the light response range of Fe-doped TiO2 films appeared to visible-light region.

  4. Photoluminescence Probing of Complex H2O Adsorption on InGaN/GaN Nanowires.

    PubMed

    Maier, Konrad; Helwig, Andreas; Müller, Gerhard; Hille, Pascal; Teubert, Jörg; Eickhoff, Martin

    2017-02-08

    We demonstrate that the complex adsorption behavior of H 2 O on InGaN/GaN nanowire arrays is directly revealed by their ambient-dependent photoluminescence properties. Under low-humidity, ambient-temperature, and low-excitation-light conditions, H 2 O adsorbates cause a quenching of the photoluminescence. In contrast, for high humidity levels, elevated temperature, and high excitation intensity, H 2 O adsorbates act as efficient photoluminescence enhancers. We show that this behavior, which can only be detected due to the low operation temperature of the InGaN/GaN nanowires, can be explained on the basis of single H 2 O adsorbates forming surface recombination centers and multiple H 2 O adsorbates forming surface passivation layers. Reversible creation of such passivation layers is induced by the photoelectrochemical splitting of adsorbed water molecules and by the interaction of reactive H 3 O + and OH - ions with photoactivated InGaN surfaces. Due to electronic coupling of adsorbing molecules with photoactivated surfaces, InGaN/GaN nanowires act as sensitive nanooptical probes for the analysis of photoelectrochemical surface processes.

  5. Depth resolved lattice-charge coupling in epitaxial BiFeO3 thin film

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

    Lee, Hyeon Jun; Lee, Sung Su; Kwak, Jeong Hun

    2016-12-01

    For epitaxial films, a critical thickness (t c) can create a phenomenological interface between a strained bottom layer and a relaxed top layer. Here, we present an experimental report of how the tc in BiFeO 3 thin films acts as a boundary to determine the crystalline phase, ferroelectricity, and piezoelectricity in 60 nm thick BiFeO 3/SrRuO 3/SrTiO 3 substrate. We found larger Fe cation displacement of the relaxed layer than that of strained layer. In the time-resolved X-ray microdiffraction analyses, the piezoelectric response of the BiFeO 3 film was resolved into a strained layer with an extremely low piezoelectric coefficientmore » of 2.4 pm/V and a relaxed layer with a piezoelectric coefficient of 32 pm/V. The difference in the Fe displacements between the strained and relaxed layers is in good agreement with the differences in the piezoelectric coefficient due to the electromechanical coupling.« less

  6. Depth resolved lattice-charge coupling in epitaxial BiFeO3 thin film

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Hyeon Jun; Lee, Sung Su; Kwak, Jeong Hun; Kim, Young-Min; Jeong, Hu Young; Borisevich, Albina Y.; Lee, Su Yong; Noh, Do Young; Kwon, Owoong; Kim, Yunseok; Jo, Ji Young

    2016-01-01

    For epitaxial films, a critical thickness (tc) can create a phenomenological interface between a strained bottom layer and a relaxed top layer. Here, we present an experimental report of how the tc in BiFeO3 thin films acts as a boundary to determine the crystalline phase, ferroelectricity, and piezoelectricity in 60 nm thick BiFeO3/SrRuO3/SrTiO3 substrate. We found larger Fe cation displacement of the relaxed layer than that of strained layer. In the time-resolved X-ray microdiffraction analyses, the piezoelectric response of the BiFeO3 film was resolved into a strained layer with an extremely low piezoelectric coefficient of 2.4 pm/V and a relaxed layer with a piezoelectric coefficient of 32 pm/V. The difference in the Fe displacements between the strained and relaxed layers is in good agreement with the differences in the piezoelectric coefficient due to the electromechanical coupling. PMID:27929103

  7. Characterization of Fe-doped SrTiO3/BaTiO3 multilayer films and their ethanol sensing applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Supasai, Thidarat; Wisitsoraat, Anurat; Hodak, Satreerat

    2010-03-01

    Fe-doped SrTiO3/BaTiO3 multilayer films have been deposited on alumina substrate using a sol-gel spin coating technique. The field effect scanning electron microscope photographs revealed a mixture of round and facet-shaped crystals in the undoped films. This microstructure disappeared in Fe-doped films which adopted a more porous sponge-like structure. The grain size of the films decreased from 300 nm for undoped films to 100 nm and 70 nm with Fe doping concentrations of 4 and 8 wt%, respectively. The absorption edge energy for X-rays by Fe was found to be about 7121 eV consistent with Fe^2+ oxidation state. Interdigitated electrodes were applied on these films for ethanol gas sensing application. A sensitivity figure of merit based on the relative change in the resistance of the Fe-doped films 8 wt% film was found to be in the 1-3 range for ethanol doses of 100-1000 ppm when operating at 250 C and in the range of 3-10 when the operating temperature was 350 C.

  8. Distinctive uniaxial magnetic anisotropy and positive magnetoresistance in (110)-oriented Fe3O4 films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dho, Joonghoe; Kim, Byeong-geon; Ki, Sanghoon

    2015-04-01

    Magnetite (Fe3O4) films were synthesized on (110)-oriented MgO, MgAl2O4, and SrTiO3 substrates for comparative studies of the substrates' effects on magnetic and magnetoresistance properties of the films. For the [-110] direction, the hysteresis loops of the Fe3O4 film on MgAl2O4 exhibited a good squareness with the largest coercivity of ˜1090 Oe, and the ratio of remanent magnetization to saturation magnetization was ˜0.995. For the [001] direction, positive magnetoresistance in weak magnetic fields was most distinct for the (110) SrTiO3 substrate with the largest lattice mismatch. Positive magnetoresistance in the (110) Fe3O4 films was presumably affected by imperfect atomic arrangements at anti-phase boundaries.

  9. Resistive switching of Sn-doped In2O3/HfO2 core-shell nanowire: geometry architecture engineering for nonvolatile memory.

    PubMed

    Huang, Chi-Hsin; Chang, Wen-Chih; Huang, Jian-Shiou; Lin, Shih-Ming; Chueh, Yu-Lun

    2017-05-25

    Core-shell NWs offer an innovative approach to achieve nanoscale metal-insulator-metal (MIM) heterostructures along the wire radial direction, realizing three-dimensional geometry architecture rather than planar type thin film devices. This work demonstrated the tunable resistive switching characteristics of ITO/HfO 2 core-shell nanowires with controllable shell thicknesses by the atomic layer deposition (ALD) process for the first time. Compared to planar HfO 2 thin film device configuration, ITO/HfO 2 core-shell nanowire shows a prominent resistive memory behavior, including lower power consumption with a smaller SET voltage of ∼0.6 V and better switching voltage uniformity with variations (standard deviation(σ)/mean value (μ)) of V SET and V RESET from 0.38 to 0.14 and from 0.33 to 0.05 for ITO/HfO 2 core-shell nanowire and planar HfO 2 thin film, respectively. In addition, endurance over 10 3 cycles resulting from the local electric field enhancement can be achieved, which is attributed to geometry architecture engineering. The concept of geometry architecture engineering provides a promising strategy to modify the electric-field distribution for solving the non-uniformity issue of future RRAM.

  10. Synthesis and electronic properties of Fe2TiO5 epitaxial thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Osada, Motoki; Nishio, Kazunori; Hwang, Harold Y.; Hikita, Yasuyuki

    2018-05-01

    We investigate the growth phase diagram of pseudobrookite Fe2TiO5 epitaxial thin films on LaAlO3 (001) substrates using pulsed laser deposition. Control of the oxygen partial pressure and temperature during deposition enabled selective stabilization of (100)- and (230)-oriented films. In this regime, we find an optical gap of 2.1 eV and room temperature resistivity in the range of 20-80 Ω cm, which are significantly lower than α-Fe2O3, making Fe2TiO5 potentially an ideal inexpensive visible-light harvesting semiconductor. These results provide a basis to incorporate Fe2TiO5 in oxide heterostructures for photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical applications.

  11. Epitaxial growth and magnetic properties of ultraviolet transparent Ga2O3/(Ga1−xFex)2O3 multilayer thin films

    PubMed Central

    Guo, Daoyou; An, Yuehua; Cui, Wei; Zhi, Yusong; Zhao, Xiaolong; Lei, Ming; Li, Linghong; Li, Peigang; Wu, Zhenping; Tang, Weihua

    2016-01-01

    Multilayer thin films based on the ferromagnetic and ultraviolet transparent semiconductors may be interesting because their magnetic/electronic/photonic properties can be manipulated by the high energy photons. Herein, the Ga2O3/(Ga1−xFex)2O3 multilayer epitaxial thin films were obtained by alternating depositing of wide band gap Ga2O3 layer and Fe ultrathin layer due to inter diffusion between two layers at high temperature using the laser molecular beam epitaxy technique. The multilayer films exhibits a preferred growth orientation of crystal plane, and the crystal lattice expands as Fe replaces Ga site. Fe ions with a mixed valence of Fe2+ and Fe3+ are stratified distributed in the film and exhibit obvious agglomerated areas. The multilayer films only show a sharp absorption edge at about 250 nm, indicating a high transparency for ultraviolet light. What’s more, the Ga2O3/(Ga1−xFex)2O3 multilayer epitaxial thin films also exhibits room temperature ferromagnetism deriving from the Fe doping Ga2O3. PMID:27121446

  12. Dynamic interface rearrangement in LaFeO3/n -SrTiO3 heterojunctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Spurgeon, Steven R.; Sushko, Peter V.; Chambers, Scott A.; Comes, Ryan B.

    2017-11-01

    Thin-film synthesis methods that have developed over the past decades have unlocked emergent interface properties ranging from conductivity to ferroelectricity. However, our attempts to exercise precise control over interfaces are constrained by a limited understanding of growth pathways and kinetics. Here we demonstrate that shuttered molecular beam epitaxy induces rearrangements of atomic planes at a polar/nonpolar junction of LaFeO3 (LFO)/n -SrTiO3 (STO) depending on the substrate termination. Surface characterization confirms that substrates with two different (TiO2 and SrO) terminations were prepared prior to LFO deposition; however, local electron-energy-loss spectroscopy measurements of the final heterojunctions show a predominantly LaO/TiO2 interfacial junction in both cases. Ab initio simulations suggest that the interfaces can be stabilized by trapping extra oxygen (in LaO/TiO2) and forming oxygen vacancies (in FeO2/SrO), which points to different growth kinetics in each case and may explain the apparent disappearance of the FeO2/SrO interface. We conclude that judicious control of deposition time scales can be used to modify growth pathways, opening new avenues to control the structure and properties of interfacial systems.

  13. Dynamic interface rearrangement in LaFeO 3 / n - SrTiO 3 heterojunctions

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

    Spurgeon, Steven R.; Sushko, Peter V.; Chambers, Scott A.

    2017-11-06

    Thin-film synthesis methods that have developed over the past decades have unlocked emergent interface properties ranging from conductivity to ferroelectricity. However, our attempts to exercise precise control over interfaces are constrained by a limited understanding of growth pathways and kinetics. In this paper, we demonstrate that shuttered molecular beam epitaxy induces rearrangements of atomic planes at a polar/nonpolar junction of LaFeO 3 (LFO)/n-SrTiO 3 (STO) depending on the substrate termination. Surface characterization confirms that substrates with two different (TiO 2 and SrO) terminations were prepared prior to LFO deposition; however, local electron-energy-loss spectroscopy measurements of the final heterojunctions show amore » predominantly LaO/TiO 2 interfacial junction in both cases. Ab initio simulations suggest that the interfaces can be stabilized by trapping extra oxygen (in LaO/TiO 2) and forming oxygen vacancies (in FeO 2/SrO), which points to different growth kinetics in each case and may explain the apparent disappearance of the FeO 2/SrO interface. Finally, we conclude that judicious control of deposition time scales can be used to modify growth pathways, opening new avenues to control the structure and properties of interfacial systems.« less

  14. Structure and photoluminescence properties of ZnS-core/In2O3-shell one-dimensional nanowires

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Park, Sunghoon; Lee, Jungkeun; Jeong, Bongyong; Lee, Wan In; Lee, Chongmu

    2011-12-01

    ZnS-core/In2O3-shell nanowires have been prepared by using a two-step process: the thermal evaporation of ZnS powders on Si(100) substrates coated with Au thin films and the sputter-deposition of In2O3. The ZnS nanowires were a few tens to a few hundreds of nanometers in diameter and up to a few hundreds of micrometers in length. ZnS nanowires have an emission band centered at around 570 nm in the yellow region. The yellow emission has been enhanced in intensity by coating the ZnS nanowires with In2O3 and further enhanced by annealing in a reducing atmosphere, but it is degraded by annealing in an oxidative atmosphere.

  15. Electrical Characteristics CuFe2O4 Thick Film Ceramics Made with Different Screen Size Utiizing Fe2O3 Nanopowder Derived from Yarosite for NTC Thermistor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wiendartun, Syarif, Dani Gustaman

    2010-10-01

    Fabrication of CuFe2O4 thick film ceramics utilizing Fe2O3 derived from yarosite using screen printing technique for NTC thermistor has been carried out. Effect of thickness variation due to different size of screen (screen 225; 300 and 375 mesh) has been studied. X-ray diffraction analyses (XRD) was done to know crystal structure and phases formation. SEM analyses was carried out to know microstructure of the films. Electrical properties characterization was done through measurement of electrical resistance at various temperatures (room temperature to 100° C). The XRD data showed that the films crystalize in tetragonal spinel. The SEM images showed that the screen with the smaller of the hole size, made the grain size was bigger. Electrical data showed that the larger the screen different size thickness variation (mesh), the larger the resistance, thermistor constant and sensitivity. From the electrical characteristics data, it was known that the electrical characteristics of the CuFe2O4 thick film ceramics followed the NTC characteristic. The value of B and RRT of the produced CuFe2O4 ceramics namely B = 3241-3484 K and RRT = 25.6-87.0 M Ohm, fitted market requirement.

  16. Phase-transformation in iron oxide and formation of Cu/γ-Fe2O3 nanocomposite using radio-frequency sputtering with metal chips on an α-Fe2O3 target

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abe, Seishi; Watanabe, Masato

    2017-07-01

    A simple technique that uses radio-frequency sputtering with a functional element on a hematite (α-Fe2O3) target is presented for the production of maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) thin films. These films are prepared on water-cooled glass substrates in an Ar atmosphere. Investigations are done with Ti, Si, Al, Cu, Mo, and Zn, with γ-Fe2O3 being obtained only in the presence of Cu, indicating that phase transition occurs only for this metal. Mössbauer spectra and magnetization analysis reveal that the quality of the obtained γ-Fe2O3 films is higher than that of the film produced using Mg, which was reported in our previous work. High-angle annular dark-field scanning tunneling electron microscopy and electron energy-loss spectroscopy reveal that the added Cu remains in a metallic state (without oxidization), forming a Cu/γ-Fe2O3 phase-mixture in the as-deposited film. The Cu/γ-Fe2O3 composite film exhibits negative magnetoresistance (MR), with a MR ratio of approximately 0.6% at room temperature in an applied field of 10 kOe, and a negative Faraday rotation of -5708 deg cm-1 at 830 nm.

  17. Structural and optical properties of cobalt doped multiferroics BiFeO3 nanostructure thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prasannakumara, R.; Naik, K. Gopalakrishna

    2018-05-01

    Bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3) and Cobalt doped BiFeO3 (BiFe1-XCoXO3) nanostructure thin films were deposited on glass substrates by the sol-gel spin coating method. The X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD) of the grown BiFeO3 and BiFe1-XCoXO3 nanostructure thin films showed distorted rhombohedral structure. The shifting of peaks to higher angles was observed in cobalt doped BiFeO3. The surface morphology of the BiFeO3 and BiFe1-XCoXO3 nanostructure thin films were studied using FESEM, an increase in grain size was observed as Co concentration increases. The thickness of the nanostructure thin films was examined using FESEM cross-section. The EDX studies confirmed the elemental composition of the grown BiFeO3 and BiFe1-XCoXO3 nanostructure thin films. The optical characterizations of the grown nanostructure thin films were carried out using FTIR, it confirms the existence of Fe-O and Bi-O bands and UV-Visible spectroscopy shows the increase in optical band gap of the BiFeO3 nanostructure thin films with Co doping by ploting Tauc plot.

  18. Using granular C0-AI2O3 spacer for optimization of functional parameters of the FeMn/Fe20Ni80 magnetoresistive films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gorkovenko, A. N.; Lepalovskij, V. N.; Adanakova, O. A.; Vas'kovskiy, V. O.

    2016-03-01

    In this paper we studied the possibility of tailoring the functional properties of the multilayer magnetoresistive medium with unidirectional anisotropy and the anisotropic magnetoresistance effect (AMR). Objects of the research were composite Co-Al2O3 films and Ta/Fe20Ni80/Fe50Mn50/Fe20Ni80/Co-Al2O3/Fe20Ni80/Ta multilayers structures obtained by magnetron sputtering and selectively subjected vacuum annealing. Structure, magnetic and magnetoresistive properties of the films in the temperature range 77÷440 K were investigated.

  19. Magnetic anisotropy modulation of epitaxial Fe3O4 films on MgO substrates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chichvarina, O.; Herng, T. S.; Xiao, W.; Hong, X.; Ding, J.

    2015-05-01

    Fe3O4 has been widely studied because of its great potential in spintronics and other applications. As a magnetic electrode, it is highly desired if magnetic anisotropy can be controlled. Here, we report the results from our systematic study on the magnetic properties of magnetite (Fe3O4) thin films epitaxially grown on various MgO substrates. Strikingly, we observed a prominent perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in Fe3O4 film deposited on MgO (111) substrate. When measured in out-of-plane direction, the film (40 nm thick) exhibits a well-defined square hysteresis loop with coercivity (Hc) above 1 kOe, while much lower coercivity was obtained in the in-plane orientation. In sharp contrast, the films deposited onto MgO (100) and MgO (110) substrates show in-plane magnetic anisotropy. These films exhibit a typical soft magnet characteristic—Hc lies within the range of 200-400 Oe. All the films showed a clear Verwey transition near 120 K—a characteristic of Fe3O4 material. In addition, a series of magnetoresistance (MR) measurements is performed and the MR results are in good agreement with the magnetic observations. The role of the substrate orientation and film thickness dependency is also investigated.

  20. Magnetic characteristics and nanostructures of FePt granular films with GeO2 segregant

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ono, Takuya; Moriya, Tomohiro; Hatayama, Masatoshi; Tsumura, Kaoru; Kikuchi, Nobuaki; Okamoto, Satoshi; Kitakami, Osamu; Shimatsu, Takehito

    2017-01-01

    To realize a granular film composed of L10-FePt grains with high uniaxial magnetic anisotropy energy, Ku, and segregants for energy-assisted magnetic recording, a FePt-GeO2/FePt-C stacked film was investigated in the engineering process. The FePt-GeO2/FePt-C stacked film fabricated at a substrate temperature of 450 °C realized uniaxial magnetic anisotropy, Kugrain , of about 2.5 × 107 erg/cm3, which is normalized by the volume fraction of FePt grains, and a granular structure with an averaged grain size of 7.7 nm. As the thickness of the FePt-GeO2 upper layer was increased to 9 nm, the Ku values were almost constant. That result differs absolutely from the thickness dependences of the other oxide segregant materials such as SiO2 and TiO2. Such differences on the oxide segregant are attributed to their chemical bond. The strong covalent bond of GeO2 is expected to result in high Ku of the FePt-GeO2/FePt-C stacked films.

  1. Influences of annealing temperature on sprayed CuFeO2 thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abdelwahab, H. M.; Ratep, A.; Abo Elsoud, A. M.; Boshta, M.; Osman, M. B. S.

    2018-06-01

    Delafossite CuFeO2 thin films were successfully prepared onto quartz substrates using simple spray pyrolysis technique. Post annealing under nitrogen atmosphere for 2 h was necessary to form delafossite CuFeO2 phase. The effect of alteration in annealing temperature (TA) 800, 850 and 900 °C was study on structural, morphology and optical properties. The XRD results for thin film annealed at TA = 850 °C show single phase CuFeO2 with rhombohedral crystal system and R 3 bar m space group with preferred orientation along (0 1 2). The prepared copper iron oxide thin films have an optical transmission ranged ∼40% in the visible region. The optical direct optical band gap of the prepared thin films was ranged ∼2.9 eV.

  2. Synthesis and electronic properties of Fe 2TiO 5 epitaxial thin films

    DOE PAGES

    Osada, Motoki; Nishio, Kazunori; Hwang, Harold Y.; ...

    2018-05-02

    Here, we investigate the growth phase diagram of pseudobrookite Fe 2TiO 5 epitaxial thin films on LaAlO 3 (001) substrates using pulsed laser deposition. Control of the oxygen partial pressure and temperature during deposition enabled selective stabilization of (100)- and (230)-oriented films. In this regime, we find an optical gap of 2.1 eV and room temperature resistivity in the range of 20–80 Ω cm, which are significantly lower than α-Fe 2O 3, making Fe 2TiO 5 potentially an ideal inexpensive visible-light harvesting semiconductor. These results provide a basis to incorporate Fe 2TiO 5 in oxide heterostructures for photocatalytic and photoelectrochemicalmore » applications.« less

  3. Self-assembly and electrical characteristics of 4-pentynoic acid functionalized Fe3O4-γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles on SiO2/n-Si

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baharuddin, Aainaa Aqilah; Ang, Bee Chin; Wong, Yew Hoong

    2017-11-01

    A novel investigation on a relationship between temperature-influential self-assembly (70-300 °C) of 4-pentynoic acid functionalized Fe3O4-γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles (NPs) on SiO2/n-Si with electrical properties was reported with the interests for metal-oxide-semiconductor applications. X-ray diffractometer (XRD) analysis conveyed that 8 ± 1 nm of the NPs were assembled. Increasing heating temperature induced growth of native oxide (SiO2). Raman analysis confirmed the coexistence of Fe3O4-γ-Fe2O3. Attenuated Total Reflectance Infrared (ATR-IR) spectra showed that self-assembly occurred via Sisbnd Osbnd C linkages. While Sisbnd Osbnd C linkages were broken down at elevated temperatures, formations of Si-OH defects were amplified; a consequence of physisorbed surfactants disintegration. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) showed that sample with more physisorbed surfactants exhibited the highest root-mean-square (RMS) roughness (18.12 ± 7.13 nm) whereas sample with lesser physisorbed surfactants displayed otherwise (12.99 ± 4.39 nm RMS roughness). Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM) analysis showed non-uniform aggregation of the NPs, deposited as film (12.6 μm thickness). The increased saturation magnetization (71.527 A m2/kg) and coercivity (929.942 A/m) acquired by vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) of the sample heated at 300 °C verified the surfactants' disintegration. Leakage current density-electric field (J-E) characteristics showed that sample heated at 150 °C with the most aggregated NPs as well as the most developed Sisbnd Osbnd C linkages demonstrated the highest breakdown field and barrier height at 2.58 × 10-3 MV/cm and 0.38 eV respectively. Whereas sample heated at 300 °C with the least Sisbnd Osbnd C linkages as well as lesser aggregated NPs showed the lowest breakdown field and barrier height at 1.08 × 10-3 MV/cm and 0.19 eV respectively. This study opens up better understandings on how formation and breaking down of covalent

  4. Structural and optical characterization of p-type highly Fe-doped SnO2 thin films and tunneling transport on SnO2:Fe/p-Si heterojunction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ben Haj Othmen, Walid; Ben Hamed, Zied; Sieber, Brigitte; Addad, Ahmed; Elhouichet, Habib; Boukherroub, Rabah

    2018-03-01

    Nanocrystalline highly Fe-doped SnO2 thin films were prepared using a new simple sol-gel method with iron amounts of 5, 10, 15 and 20%. The obtained gel offers a long durability and high quality allowing to reach a sub-5 nm nanocrystalline size with a good crystallinity. The films were structurally characterized through X-ray diffraction (XRD) that confirms the formation of rutile SnO2. High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM) images reveals the good crystallinity of the nanoparticles. Raman spectroscopy shows that the SnO2 rutile structure is maintained even for high iron concentration. The variation of the PL intensity with Fe concentration reveals that iron influences the distribution of oxygen vacancies in tin oxide. The optical transmittance results indicate a redshift of the SnO2 band gap when iron concentration increases. The above optical results lead us to assume the presence of a compensation phenomenon between oxygen vacancies and introduced holes following Fe doping. From current-voltage measurements, an inversion of the conduction type from n to p is strongly predicted to follow the iron addition. Electrical characterizations of SnO2:Fe/p-Si and SnO2:Fe/n-Si heterojunctions seem to be in accordance with this deduction. The quantum tunneling mechanism is expected to be important at high Fe doping level, which was confirmed by current-voltage measurements at different temperatures. Both optical and electrical properties of the elaborated films present a particularity for the same iron concentration and adopt similar tendencies with Fe amount, which strongly correlate the experimental observations. In order to evaluate the applicability of the elaborated films, we proceed to the fabrication of the SnO2:Fe/SnO2 homojunction for which we note a good rectifying behavior.

  5. Semiconductor Ceramic Mn0.5Fe1.5O3-Fe2O3 from Natural Minerals as Ethanol Gas Sensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aliah, H.; Syarif, D. G.; Iman, R. N.; Sawitri, A.; Sanjaya WS, M.; Nurul Subkhi, M.; Pitriana, P.

    2018-05-01

    In this research, Mn and Fe-based ceramic gas sensing were fabricated and characterized. This research used natural mineral which is widely available in Indonesia and intended to observe the characteristics of Mn and Fe-based semiconducting material. Fabricating process of the thick films started by synthesizing the ceramic powder of Fe(OH)3 and Mn oxide material using the precipitation method. The deposition from precipitation method previously was calcined at a temperature of 800 °C to produce nanoparticle powder. Nanoparticle powder that contains Mn and Fe oxide was mixed with an organic vehicle (OV) to produce a paste. Then, the paste was layered on the alumina substrate by using the screen printing method. XRD method was utilized to characterize the thick film crystal structure that has been produced. XRD spectra showed that the ceramic layer was formed from the solid Mn0.5Fe1.5O3 (bixbyite) and Fe2O3. In addition, the electrical properties (resistance) examination was held in the room that contains air and ethanol to determine the sensor sensitivity of ethanol gas. The sensor resistance decreases as the ethanol gas was added, showing that the sensor was sensitive to ethanol gas and an n-type semiconductor. Gas sensor exhibit sensitive characterization of ethanol gas on the concentration of (100 to 300) ppm at a temperature of (150 to 200) °C. This showed that the Mn0.5Fe1.5O3-Fe2O3 ceramic semiconductor could be utilized as the ethanol gas detector.

  6. The kinetic friction of ZnO nanowires on amorphous SiO2 and SiN substrates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Roy, Aditi; Xie, Hongtao; Wang, Shiliang; Huang, Han

    2016-12-01

    ZnO nanowires were bent on amorphous SiO2 and SiN substrates in an ambient atmosphere using optical nanomanipulation. The kinetic friction between the nanowires and substrate was determined from the bent shape of the nanowires. The kinetic friction force per unit area, i.e. frictional shear stress, for the ZnO/SiO2 and ZnO/SiN nanowire/substrate systems being measured were 1.05 ± 0.28 and 2.08 ± 0.33 MPa, respectively. The surface roughness and the Hamaker constant of SiO2 and SiN substrates had significant effect on the frictional stresses.

  7. Synthesis of Vertically-Aligned Carbon Nanotubes from Langmuir-Blodgett Films Deposited Fe Nanoparticles on Al2O3/Al/SiO2/Si Substrate.

    PubMed

    Takagiwa, Shota; Kanasugi, Osamu; Nakamura, Kentaro; Kushida, Masahito

    2016-04-01

    In order to apply vertically-aligned carbon nanotubes (VA-CNTs) to a new Pt supporting material of polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC), number density and outer diameter of CNTs must be controlled independently. So, we employed Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique for depositing CNT growth catalysts. A Fe nanoparticle (NP) was used as a CNT growth catalyst. In this study, we tried to thicken VA-CNT carpet height and inhibit thermal aggregation of Fe NPs by using Al2O3/Al/SiO2/Si substrate. Fe NP LB films were deposited on three typed of substrates, SiO2/Si, as-deposited Al2O3/Al/SiO2/Si and annealed Al2O3/Al/SiO2/Si at 923 K in Ar atmosphere of 16 Pa. It is known that Al2O3/Al catalyzes hydrocarbon reforming, inhibits thermal aggregation of CNT growth catalysts and reduces CNT growth catalysts. It was found that annealed Al2O3/Al/SiO2/Si exerted three effects more strongly than as-deposited Al2O3/Al/SiO2/Si. VA-CNTs were synthesized from Fe NPs-C16 LB films by thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. As a result, at the distance between two nearest CNTs 28 nm or less, VA-CNT carpet height on annealed Al2O3/Al/SiO2/Si was about twice and ten times thicker than that on SiO2/Si and that on as-deposited Al2O3/Al/SiO2/Si, respectively. Moreover, distribution of CNT outer diameter on annealed Al2O3/Al/SiO2/Si was inhibited compared to that on SiO2/Si. These results suggest that since thermal aggregation of Fe NPs is inhibited, catalyst activity increases and distribution of Fe NP size is inhibited.

  8. Converse magnetoelectric coupling in NiFe/Pb(Mg{sub 1/3}Nb{sub 2/3})O{sub 3}–PbTiO{sub 3} nanocomposite thin films grown on Si substrates

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

    Feng, Ming; Key Laboratory of Functional Materials Physics and Chemistry of the Ministry of Education, Jilin Normal University, Siping 136000; Hu, Jiamian

    2013-11-04

    Multiferroic NiFe (∼30 nm)/Pb(Mg{sub 1/3}Nb{sub 2/3})O{sub 3}–PbTiO{sub 3}(PMN–PT, ∼220 nm) bilayered thin films were grown on common Pt/Ti/SiO{sub 2}/Si substrates by a combination of off-axis magnetron sputtering and sol-gel spin-coating technique. By using AC-mode magneto-optical Kerr effect technique, the change in the Kerr signal (magnetization) of the NiFe upon applying a low-frequency AC voltage to the PMN–PT film was in situ acquired at zero magnetic field. The obtained Kerr signal versus voltage loop essentially tracks the electromechanical strain curve of the PMN–PT thin film, clearly demonstrating a strain-mediated converse magnetoelectric coupling, i.e., voltage-modulated magnetization, in the NiFe/PMN–PT nanocomposite thin films.

  9. Dynamic interface rearrangement in LaFeO 3 / n − SrTiO 3 heterojunctions

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

    Spurgeon, Steven R.; Sushko, Peter V.; Chambers, Scott A.

    2017-11-01

    Thin film synthesis methods developed over the past decades have unlocked emergent interface properties ranging from conductivity to ferroelectricity. However, our attempts to exercise precise control over interfaces are constrained by a limited understanding of growth pathways and kinetics. Here we demonstrate that shuttered molecular beam epitaxy induces rearrangements of atomic planes at a polar / non- polar junction of LaFeO3 (LFO) / n-SrTiO3 (STO) depending on the substrate termination. Surface characterization confirms that substrates with two different (TiO2 and SrO) terminations were prepared prior to LFO deposition; however, local electron energy loss spectroscopy measurements of the final heterojunctions showmore » a predominantly LaO / TiO2 interfacial junction in both cases. Ab initio simulations suggest that the interfaces can be stabilized by trapping extra oxygen (in LaO / TiO2) and forming oxygen vacancies (in FeO2 / SrO), which points to different growth kinetics at these interfaces and may explain the apparent disappearance of the FeO2 / SrO interface. We conclude that judicious control of deposition timescales can be used to modify growth pathways, opening new avenues to control the structure and properties of interfacial systems.« less

  10. Cathodoluminescence Studies of the Inhomogeneities in Sn-doped Ga2O3 Nanowires

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-01-01

    Cathodoluminescence Studies of the Inhomogeneities in Sn-doped Ga2O3 Nanowires S. I. Maximenko, L. Mazeina, Y. N. Picard, J. A. Freitas, Jr., V. M...color imaging and spectroscopy were employed to study the properties of Ga2O3 nanowires grown with different Sn/Ga ratios. The structures grown under...green to red emission correlates with a phase transition of β- Ga2O3 to polycrystalline SnO2. The origin of the green emission band is discussed based

  11. Fabricate BC/Fe3O4@PPy 3D nanofiber film as flexible electrode for supercapacitor application

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lv, Xvdan; Li, Guohui; Pang, Zengyuan; Li, Dawei; Lei, Luo; Lv, Pengfei; Mushtaq, Muhammad; Wei, Qufu

    2018-05-01

    For flexible film supercapacitor, high areal capacitance is a main evaluating indicator. In this paper, bacterial cellulose (BC) with special three-dimensional structure was used as the natural flexible base material. Fe3O4 nanoparticles with average diameter of 20 nm were synthesized on the surface of BC fibers. The conductive path polypyrrole (PPy) was introduced as shell of BC/Fe3O4 fibers to further improve the pseudo capacitance in 1 mol/L H2SO4 solution. Besides, the BC/Fe3O4@PPy was used for supercapacitor application in acid electrolyte, and delivered higher areal capacitance compared to other Fe3O4 composites in previous reports. The obtained BC/Fe3O4@PPy film showed excellent mechanical strength (tensile strength reached 11 MPa), high areal specific capacitance (5.4 F cm-2 at active mass of 8.4 mg cm-2), and long cycle life (1.95 F cm-2 over 3500 cycles).

  12. Mixed-valent [FeIV(mu-O)(mu-carboxylato)2FeIII]3+ core.

    PubMed

    Slep, Leonardo D; Mijovilovich, Ana; Meyer-Klaucke, Wolfram; Weyhermüller, Thomas; Bill, Eckhard; Bothe, Eberhard; Neese, Frank; Wieghardt, Karl

    2003-12-17

    The symmetrically ligated complexes 1, 2, and 3 with a (mu-oxo)bis(mu-acetato)diferric core can be one-electron oxidized electrochemically or chemically with aminyl radical cations [*NR3][SbCl6] in acetonitrile yielding complexes which contain the mixed-valent [(mu-oxo)bis(mu-acetato)iron(IV)iron(III)]3+ core: [([9]aneN3)(2FeIII2)(mu-O)(mu-CH3CO2)2](ClO4)2 (1(ClO4)2), [(Me3[9]aneN3)(2FeIII2)(mu-O)(mu-CH3CO2)2](PF6)2 (2(PF6)(2)), and [(tpb)(2FeIII2)(mu-O)(mu-CH3CO2)2] (3) where ([9]aneN3) is the neutral triamine 1,4,7-triazacyclononane and (Me3[9]aneN3) is its tris-N-methylated derivative, and (tpb)(-) is the monoanion trispyrazolylborate. The asymmetrically ligated complex [(Me3[9]aneN3)FeIII(mu-O)(mu-CH3CO2)2FeIII(tpb)](PF6) (4(PF6)) and its one-electron oxidized form [4ox]2+ have also been prepared. Finally, the known heterodinuclear species [(Me3[9]aneN3)CrIII(mu-O)(mu-CH3CO2)2Fe([9]aneN3)](PF6)2 (5(PF6)(2)) can also be one-electron oxidized yielding [5ox]3+ containing an iron(IV) ion. The structure of 4(PF6).0.5CH3CN.0.25(C2H5)2O has been determined by X-ray crystallography and that of [5ox]2+ by Fe K-edge EXAFS-spectroscopy (Fe(IV)-O(oxo): 1.69(1) A; Fe(IV)-O(carboxylato) 1.93(3) A, Fe(IV)-N 2.00(2) A) contrasting the data for 5 (Fe(III)-O(oxo) 1.80 A; Fe(III)-O(carboxylato) 2.05 A, Fe-N 2.20 A). [5ox]2+ has an St = 1/2 ground state whereas all complexes containing the mixed-valent [FeIV(mu-O)(mu-CH3CO2)2FeIII]3+ core have an St = 3/2 ground state. Mössbauer spectra of the oxidized forms of complexes clearly show the presence of low spin FeIV ions (isomer shift approximately 0.02 mm s(-1), quadrupole splitting approximately 1.4 mm s(-1) at 80 K), whereas the high spin FeIII ion exhibits delta approximately 0.46 mm s(-1) and DeltaE(Q) approximately 0.5 mm s(-1). Mössbauer, EPR spectral and structural parameters have been calculated by density functional theoretical methods at the BP86 and B3LYP levels. The exchange coupling constant, J, for diiron complexes

  13. P-type ZnO:N Films Prepared by Thermal Oxidation of Zn3N2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Bin; Li, Min; Wang, Jian-Zhong; Shi, Li-Qun

    2013-02-01

    We prepare p-type ZnO:N films by annealing Zn3N2 films in oxygen over a range of temperatures. The prepared films are characterized by various techniques, such as Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoemission spectroscopy, the Hall effect and photoluminescence spectra. The results show that the Zn3N2 films start to transform to ZnO at 300°C and the N content decreases with an increase in annealing temperature. N has two local chemical states: zinc oxynitride (ZnO1-xNx) and substitutional NO in O-rich local environments (α -NO). The conduction type changes from n-type to p-type upon oxidation at 400-600°C, indicating that N is an effective acceptor in the ZnO film. The photoluminescence spectra show the UV emission and defect-related emissions of ZnO:N films. The mechanism and efficiency of p-type doping are briefly discussed.

  14. Oxidation of GaAs substrates to enable β-Ga2O3 films for sensors and optoelectronic devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mao, Howard; Alhalaili, Badriyah; Kaya, Ahmet; Dryden, Daniel M.; Woodall, Jerry M.; Islam, M. Saif

    2017-08-01

    A very simple and inexpensive method for growing β-Ga2O3 films by heating GaAs wafers at high temperature in a furnace was found to contribute to large-area, high-quality β-Ga2O3 nanoscale thin films as well as nanowires depending on the growth conditions. We present the material characterization results including the optical band gap, Schottky barrier height with metal (gold), field ionization and photoconductance of β-Ga2O3 film and nanowires.

  15. BaFe2As2/Fe Bilayers with [001]-tilt Grain Boundary on MgO and SrTiO3 Bicrystal Substrates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Iida, K.; Haindl, S.; Kurth, F.; Hänisch, J.; Schulz, L.; Holzapfel, B.

    Co-doped BaFe2As2 (Ba-122) can be realized on both MgO and SrTiO3 bicrystal substrates with [001]-tilt grain boundary by employing Fe buffer layers. However, an additional spinel (i.e. MgAl2O4) buffer between Fe and SrTiO3 is necessary since an epitaxial, smooth surface of Fe layer can not be grown on bare SrTiO3. Both types of bicrystal films show good crystalline quality.

  16. Hybrid Pd/Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanowires: Fabrication, characterization, optical properties and application as magnetically reusable catalyst for the synthesis of N-monosubstituted ureas under ligand-free conditions

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

    Nasrollahzadeh, Mahmoud, E-mail: mahmoudnasr81@gmail.com; Azarian, Abbas; Ehsani, Ali

    2014-07-01

    Highlights: • Preparation of Pd/Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanowires as magnetically reusable catalysts. • The optical properties of the catalyst were studied using Gans theory. • N-arylation of benzylurea and in situ hydrogenolysis of 1-benzyl-3-arylureas. - Abstract: This paper reports the synthesis and use of Pd/Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanowires, as magnetically separable catalysts for ligand-free amidation coupling reactions of aryl halides with benzylurea under microwave irradiation. Then, the in situ hydrogenolysis of the products was performed to afford the N-monosubstituted ureas from good to excellent yields. This method has the advantages of high yields, simple methodology and easy work up. Themore » catalyst can be recovered by using a magnet and reused several times without significant loss of its catalytic activity. The catalyst was characterized using the powder XRD, SEM, EDS and UV–vis spectroscopy. Experimental absorbance spectra was compared with results from the Gans theory.« less

  17. Photocatalysis applications of some hybrid polymeric composites incorporating TiO2 nanoparticles and their combinations with SiO2/Fe2O3

    PubMed Central

    Buruiana, Tinca; Melinte, Violeta; Buruiana, Emil C

    2017-01-01

    Polymer nanocomposites containing titanium oxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) combined with other inorganic components (Si–O–Si or/and γ-Fe2O3) were prepared by the dispersion of premade NPs (nanocrystalline TiO2, TiO2/SiO2, TiO2/Fe2O3, TiO2/SiO2/Fe2O3) within a photopolymerizable urethane dimethacrylate (polytetrahydrofuran-urethane dimethacrylate, PTHF-UDMA). The physicochemical characterization of nanoparticles and hybrid polymeric composites with 10 wt % NPs (S1–S4) was realized through XRD, TEM and FTIR analyses. The mean size (10–30 nm) and the crystallinity of the NPs varied as a function of the inorganic constituent. The catalytic activity of these hybrid films was tested for the photodegradation of phenol, hydroquinone and dopamine in aqueous solution under UV or visible-light irradiation. The best results were obtained for the films with TiO2/Fe2O3 or TiO2/SiO2/Fe2O3 NPs. The degradation of the mentioned model pollutants varied between 71% and 100% (after 250 min of irradiation) depending on the composition of the hybrid film tested and the light applied (UV–visible light). Also, it was established that such hybrid films can be reused at least for five cycles, without losing too much of the photocatalytic efficiency (ca. 7%). These findings could have implications in the development of new nanocatalysts. PMID:28243566

  18. Mesoporous α-Fe2O3 thin films synthesized via the sol-gel process for light-driven water oxidation.

    PubMed

    Hamd, Wael; Cobo, Saioa; Fize, Jennifer; Baldinozzi, Gianguido; Schwartz, Wilfrid; Reymermier, Maryse; Pereira, Alexandre; Fontecave, Marc; Artero, Vincent; Laberty-Robert, Christel; Sanchez, Clement

    2012-10-14

    This work reports a facile and cost-effective method for synthesizing photoactive α-Fe(2)O(3) films as well as their performances when used as photoanodes for water oxidation. Transparent α-Fe(2)O(3) mesoporous films were fabricated by template-directed sol-gel chemistry coupled with the dip-coating approach, followed by annealing at various temperatures from 350 °C to 750 °C in air. α-Fe(2)O(3) films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, XPS, FE-SEM and electrochemical measurements. The photoelectrochemical performance of α-Fe(2)O(3) photoanodes was characterized and optimized through the deposition of Co-based co-catalysts via different methods (impregnation, electro-deposition and photo-electro-deposition). Interestingly, the resulting hematite films heat-treated at relatively low temperature (500 °C), and therefore devoid of any extrinsic dopant, achieve light-driven water oxidation under near-to-neutral (pH = 8) aqueous conditions after decoration with a Co catalyst. The onset potential is 0.75 V vs. the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), thus corresponding to 450 mV light-induced underpotential, although modest photocurrent density values (40 μA cm(-2)) are obtained below 1.23 V vs. RHE. These new materials with a very large interfacial area in contact with the electrolyte and allowing for a high loading of water oxidation catalysts open new avenues for the optimization of photo-electrochemical water splitting.

  19. Facile synthesis of p-type Zn-doped α-Fe2O3 films for solar water splitting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuo, Chun-Lin; Hsu, Yu-Kuei; Lin, Yan-Gu

    2014-10-01

    A facile and simple fabrication of Zn-doped α-Fe2O3 thin films as a photocathode for solar hydrogen generation was proposed in this report. Transparent Zn-doped α-Fe2O3 films were prepared by a deposition-annealing (DA) process using nontoxic iron(III) chloride as the Fe precursor and zinc chloride as a acceptor dopant, followed by annealing at 550 °C in air. In terms of the structural examination of as-grown samples, X-ray diffraction analysis demonstrated an increase in the lattice parameters of Zn incorporated in Fe2O3 by substituting Fe in the host lattice. No second phase was determined, indicating no phase separation in the ternary materials. Energy dispersive spectroscopy results demonstrated that Zn, Fe, and O elements existed in the deposits. Furthermore, impedance measurements show that the Zn-dopant serves as an hole acceptor and increases the acceptor concentration by increasing concentration of zinc precursor. Significantly, the photoelectrochemical measurements exhibited remarkable cathodic current, corresponding to the reduction reaction of hydrogen. Finally, the optimum photocurrent can be achieved by controlled variation of the Fe and Zni precursor concentration, annealing conditions, and the number of DA cycles. According to our investigation, the understandings of morphology effect on PEC activity give the blueprint for materials design in the application of solar hydrogen.

  20. Shape Engineering Driven by Selective Growth of SnO2 on Doped Ga2O3 Nanowires.

    PubMed

    Alonso-Orts, Manuel; Sánchez, Ana M; Hindmarsh, Steven A; López, Iñaki; Nogales, Emilio; Piqueras, Javier; Méndez, Bianchi

    2017-01-11

    Tailoring the shape of complex nanostructures requires control of the growth process. In this work, we report on the selective growth of nanostructured tin oxide on gallium oxide nanowires leading to the formation of SnO 2 /Ga 2 O 3 complex nanostructures. Ga 2 O 3 nanowires decorated with either crossing SnO 2 nanowires or SnO 2 particles have been obtained in a single step treatment by thermal evaporation. The reason for this dual behavior is related to the growth direction of trunk Ga 2 O 3 nanowires. Ga 2 O 3 nanowires grown along the [001] direction favor the formation of crossing SnO 2 nanowires. Alternatively, SnO 2 forms rhombohedral particles on [110] Ga 2 O 3 nanowires leading to skewer-like structures. These complex oxide structures were grown by a catalyst-free vapor-solid process. When pure Ga and tin oxide were used as source materials and compacted powders of Ga 2 O 3 acted as substrates, [110] Ga 2 O 3 nanowires grow preferentially. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy analysis reveals epitaxial relationship lattice matching between the Ga 2 O 3 axis and SnO 2 particles, forming skewer-like structures. The addition of chromium oxide to the source materials modifies the growth direction of the trunk Ga 2 O 3 nanowires, growing along the [001], with crossing SnO 2 wires. The SnO 2 /Ga 2 O 3 junctions does not meet the lattice matching condition, forming a grain boundary. The electronic and optical properties have been studied by XPS and CL with high spatial resolution, enabling us to get both local chemical and electronic information on the surface in both type of structures. The results will allow tuning optical and electronic properties of oxide complex nanostructures locally as a function of the orientation. In particular, we report a dependence of the visible CL emission of SnO 2 on its particular shape. Orange emission dominates in SnO 2 /Ga 2 O 3 crossing wires while green-blue emission is observed in SnO 2 particles attached to Ga 2

  1. Transport properties of ultrathin BaFe1.84Co0.16As2 superconducting nanowires

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yuan, Pusheng; Xu, Zhongtang; Li, Chen; Quan, Baogang; Li, Junjie; Gu, Changzhi; Ma, Yanwei

    2018-07-01

    Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) have an absolute advantage over other types of single-photon detectors, except for the low operating temperature. Therefore, much effort has been devoted to finding high-temperature superconducting materials that are suitable for preparing SNSPDs. Copper-based and MgB2 ultrathin superconducting nanowires have already been reported. However, the transport properties of iron-based ultrathin superconducting nanowires have not been studied. In this work, a 10 nm thick × 200 nm wide × 30 μm long high-quality superconducting nanowire was fabricated from ultrathin BaFe1.84Co0.16As2 films by a lift-off process. The precursor BaFe1.84Co0.16As2 film with a thickness of 10 nm and root-mean-square roughness of 1 nm was grown on CaF2 substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The nanowire shows a high superconducting critical temperature {T}{{c}}{{zero}} = 20 K with a narrow transition width of ΔT = 2.5 K and exhibits a high critical current density J c of 1.8 × 107 A cm-2 at 10 K. These results of ultrathin BaFe1.84Co0.16As2 nanowire will attract interest in electronic applications, including SNSPDs.

  2. Epitaxial growth of high quality SrFeO3 films on (001) oriented (LaAlO3)0.3(Sr2TaAlO6)0.7

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hong, Deshun; Liu, Changjiang; Pearson, John; Bhattacharya, Anand

    2017-12-01

    The growth of strontium ferrite SrFeO3 films with a stoichiometry of (1:1:3) is challenging as the unstable Fe4+ oxidation state favors the formation of O vacancies. Here, we report the layer by layer growth of SrFeO3 on (001) oriented (LaAlO3)0.3(Sr2TaAlO6)0.7 using ozone assisted molecular beam epitaxy. Upon cooling from room temperature, the film's resistivity decreased from 750 μΩ c m to 150 μΩ c m , as low as the best single crystals, with two identifiable transition points near 110 K and 60 K in resistivity measurements, being hysteretic between cooling and warming through the 60 K transition. During various annealing steps, the low temperature resistivity changes by orders of magnitude, accompanied by an increase in the c-axis lattice parameter. The hysteresis near 60 K persists for a wide range of annealing conditions. We have identified conditions under which changes due to annealing can be reversed. We attribute changes in resistivity and the out of plane lattice parameter to the reversible movement of oxygen ions in the lattice. SrFeO3 may be a promising material for resistive memory applications based upon the control of oxygen vacancies.

  3. CoFe2O4-TiO2 and CoFe2O4-ZnO thin film nanostructures elaborated from colloidal chemistry and atomic layer deposition.

    PubMed

    Clavel, Guylhaine; Marichy, Catherine; Willinger, Marc-Georg; Ravaine, Serge; Zitoun, David; Pinna, Nicola

    2010-12-07

    CoFe(2)O(4)-TiO(2) and CoFe(2)O(4)-ZnO nanoparticles/film composites were prepared from directed assembly of colloidal CoFe(2)O(4) in a Langmuir-Blodgett monolayer and atomic layer deposition (ALD) of an oxide (TiO(2) or ZnO). The combination of these two methods permits the use of well-defined nanoparticles from colloidal chemistry, their assembly on a large scale, and the control over the interface between a ferrimagnetic material (CoFe(2)O(4)) and a semiconductor (TiO(2) or ZnO). Using this approach, architectures can be assembled with a precise control from the Angstrom scale (ALD) to the micrometer scale (Langmuir-Blodgett film). The resulting heterostructures present well-calibrated thicknesses. Electron microscopy and magnetic measurement studies give evidence that the size of the nanoparticles and their intrinsic magnetic properties are not altered by the various steps involved in the synthesis process. Therefore, the approach is suitable to obtain a layered composite with a quasi-monodisperse layer of ferrimagnetic nanoparticles embedded in an ultrathin film of semiconducting material.

  4. Magnetic properties of epitaxial hexagonal HoFeO3 thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Xiao; Xiao, Zhuyun; Xu, Xiaoshan; Wang, Wenbin; Keavney, David; Liu, Yaohua; Cheng, X. M.

    2014-03-01

    Multiferroic materials exhibit multiple ferroic orders simultaneously and thus have great potential applications in information technology, sensing and actuation. Epitaxial hexagonal HoFeO3 (h-HFO) films are very promising candidates as multiferroic materials with room temperature ferromagnetism, because magnetic Ho3+ ions are expected to have stronger exchange interactions with Fe3+ ions than the well-studied h-LuFeO3 films. We report study of magnetic properties of epitaxial h-HFO thin films deposited using laser molecular beam epitaxy on Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) substrates. X-ray diffraction measurements confirmed the epitaxial registry and six-fold symmetry of the film. Temperature dependence of magnetization of the film measured by a Quantum Design SQUID magnetometer shows dominating paramagnetic characteristic. Element specific x-ray magnetic circular dichroism measurements performed at beamline 4-ID-C of the Advanced Photon Source show a ferromagnetic ordering of Fe and an exchange coupling between Ho3+ and Fe3+ ions. Work at BMC is supported by NSF Career award (DMR 1053854). Work at ANL is supported by US-DOE, Office of Science, BES (No. DE-AC02-06CH11357).

  5. Orbital ordering-driven ferromagnetism in LaCoO3 nanowires

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Yang; Fan, Hong Jin

    2010-09-01

    The structure and magnetic properties of LaCoO3 nanowires are investigated as a function of the diameter in the temperature range of 5-300 K. Ferromagnetism below 85 K is observed in these nanowires, in agreement with the recent observations in LaCoO3 epitaxial thin films and nanoparticles. With the diameter of nanowires decreasing, the unit-cell volume increases, while both the global and local structural distortions lessen, accompanied by the gradual enhancement of ferromagnetism. The structure analysis reveals that LaCoO3 nanowires exhibit a monoclinic distorted structure with I2/a space group in the entire investigated temperature range. Different from bulks, there is no clear spin-state transition occurring with temperature in LaCoO3 nanowires. There exists a noticeable Jahn-Teller (JT) distortion in the nanowires even at the lowest temperature, namely, orbital-ordered JT active Co3+ ions with intermediate-spin (IS) state persist at low temperatures, which is not observed in bulk LaCoO3. These results indicate that the ferromagnetism in the nanowires is driven by the orbital ordering of IS Co3+.

  6. Improvement of electroluminescence performance by integration of ZnO nanowires and single-crystalline films on ZnO/GaN heterojunction

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

    Shi, Zhifeng; Zhang, Yuantao, E-mail: zhangyt@jlu.edu.cn; Cui, Xijun

    2014-03-31

    Heterojunction light-emitting diodes based on n-ZnO nanowires/ZnO single-crystalline films/p-GaN structure have been demonstrated for an improved electroluminescence performance. A highly efficient ultraviolet emission was observed under forward bias. Compared with conventional n-ZnO/p-GaN structure, high internal quantum efficiency and light extraction efficiency were simultaneously considered in the proposed diode. In addition, the diode can work continuously for ∼10 h with only a slight degradation in harsh environments, indicating its good reliability and application prospect in the future. This route opens possibilities for the development of advanced nanoscale devices in which the advantages of ZnO single-crystalline films and nanostructures can be integrated together.

  7. Catalytic N 2O decomposition and reduction by NH 3 over Fe/Beta and Fe/SSZ-13 catalysts

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

    Wang, Aiyong; Wang, Yilin; Walter, Eric D.

    Fe/zeolites are important N 2O abatement catalysts, efficient in direct N 2O decomposition and (selective) catalytic N 2O reduction. In this study, Fe/Beta and Fe/SSZ-13 were synthesized via solution ion-exchange and used to catalyze these two reactions. Nature of the Fe species was probed with UV-vis, Mössbauer and EPR spectroscopies and H2-TPR. The characterizations collectively indicate that isolated and dinuclear Fe sites dominate in Fe/SSZ-13, whereas Fe/Beta contains higher concentrations of oligomeric Fe xO y species. H 2-TPR results suggest that Fe-O interactions are weaker in Fe/SSZ-13, as evidenced by the lower reduction temperatures and higher extents of autoreduction duringmore » high-temperature pretreatments in inert gas. Kinetic measurements show that Fe/SSZ-13 has higher activity in catalytic N 2O decomposition, thus demonstrating a positive correlation between activity and Fe-O binding, consistent with O 2 desorption being rate-limiting for this reaction. However, Fe/Beta was found to be more active in catalyzing N 2O reduction by NH 3. This indicates that larger active ensembles (i.e., oligomers) are more active for this reaction, consistent with the fact that both N 2O and NH 3 need to be activated in this case. The authors from PNNL gratefully acknowledge the US Department of Energy (DOE), Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Vehicle Technologies Office for the support of this work. The research described in this paper was performed in the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL), a national scientific user facility sponsored by the DOE’s Office of Biological and Environmental Research and located at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). PNNL is operated for the US DOE by Battelle. Aiyong Wang gratefully acknowledges the China Scholarship Council for the Joint-Training Scholarship Program with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). The authors from East China University of Science and Technology acknowledge

  8. Magnetically Separable Fe2O3/g-C3N4 Nanocomposites with Cocoon-Like Shape: Magnetic Properties and Photocatalytic Activities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, Xiaojia; Yang, Xiaoyu; Li, Guang

    2018-01-01

    We report magnetically separable Fe2O3/g-C3N4 nanocomposites as a photocatalyst under visible-light irradiation in this study. The Fe2O3/g-C3N4 nanocomposites were synthesized through a two-step hydrothermal method. The Fe2O3 with cocoon-like shape was obviously dispersed on the surface of g-C3N4 with porous and layered nanostructure as seen from micrographs of the particles. Furthermore, the magnetic conversion of the samples was studied via vibrating sample magnetometer technology. It was found that the saturated magnetization Ms of the Fe2O3/g-C3N4 nanoparticles obviously decreased in the presence of g-C3N4, and the photocatalytic activity of the samples investigated by degrading Rhodamine B suggested that the Fe2O3/g-C3N4 photocatalyst was prior to the pure Fe2O3 and g-C3N4 samples. In addition, the magnetically separable ability of Fe2O3/g-C3N4 nanocomposites was efficiently exhibited by an external magnet.

  9. On stoichiometry and intermixing at the spinel/perovskite interface in CoFe2O4/BaTiO3 thin films.

    PubMed

    Tileli, Vasiliki; Duchamp, Martial; Axelsson, Anna-Karin; Valant, Matjaz; Dunin-Borkowski, Rafal E; Alford, Neil McN

    2015-01-07

    The performance of complex oxide heterostructures depends primarily on the interfacial coupling of the two component structures. This interface character inherently varies with the synthesis method and conditions used since even small composition variations can alter the electronic, ferroelectric, or magnetic functional properties of the system. The focus of this article is placed on the interface character of a pulsed laser deposited CoFe2O4/BaTiO3 thin film. Using a range of state-of-the-art transmission electron microscopy methodologies, the roles of substrate morphology, interface stoichiometry, and cation intermixing are determined on the atomic level. The results reveal a surprisingly uneven BaTiO3 substrate surface formed after the film deposition and Fe atom incorporation in the top few monolayers inside the unit cell of the BaTiO3 crystal. Towards the CoFe2O4 side, a disordered region extending several nanometers from the interface was revealed and both Ba and Ti from the substrate were found to diffuse into the spinel layer. The analysis also shows that within this somehow incompatible composite interface, a different phase is formed corresponding to the compound Ba2Fe3Ti5O15, which belongs to the ilmenite crystal structure of FeTiO3 type. The results suggest a chemical activity between these two oxides, which could lead to the synthesis of complex engineered interfaces.

  10. Interaction mechanisms between α-Fe2O3, γ-Fe2O3 and Fe3O4 nanoparticles and Citrus maxima seedlings.

    PubMed

    Li, Junli; Hu, Jing; Xiao, Lian; Wang, Yunqiang; Wang, Xilong

    2018-06-01

    The interactions between α-Fe 2 O 3 , γ-Fe 2 O 3 , and Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles (NPs) and Citrus maxima seedlings were examined so as to better understand possible particle applications as an Fe source for crop plants. NPs toxicity to the exposed plant was investigated as well. The α- and γ-Fe 2 O 3 NPs were accumulated by plant root cells through diapirism and endocytosis, respectively, but translocation to the shoots was negligible. Analysis of malondialdehyde (MDA), soluble protein content, and antioxidant enzyme activity revealed that Fe deficiency induced strong oxidative stress in Citrus maxima seedlings, which followed an order of Fe deficiency>Fe 3+ >α-Fe 2 O 3 , γ-Fe 2 O 3 NPs>Fe 3 O 4 NPs. However, the chlorophyll leaf content of plants exposed to α-Fe 2 O 3 , γ-Fe 2 O 3 , Fe 3 O 4 NPs and Fe 3+ were significantly reduced by 31.1%, 14.8%, 18.8% and 22.0%, respectively, relative to the control. Furthermore, RT-PCR analysis revealed no up-regulation of AHA and Nramp3 genes in Citrus maxima roots; however, the relative FRO2 gene expression upon exposure to iron oxide NPs was 1.4-2.8-fold higher than the control. Ferric reductase activity was consistently enhanced upon iron oxide NPs exposure. These findings advance understanding of the interaction mechanisms between metal oxide NPs and plants, and provide important knowledge need for the possible application of these materials in agriculture. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Enhancement of Fenton processes at initial circumneutral pH for the degradation of norfloxacin with Fe@Fe2O3 core-shell nanomaterials.

    PubMed

    Liu, Jingyi; Hu, Wenyong; Sun, Maogui; Xiong, Ouyang; Yu, Haibin; Feng, Haopeng; Wu, Xuan; Tang, Lin; Zhou, Yaoyu

    2018-06-13

    The degradation of norfloxacin by Fenton reagent with core-shell Fe@Fe 2 O 3 nanomaterials was studied under neutral conditions in a closed batch system. Norfloxacin was significantly degraded (90%) in the Fenton system with Fe@Fe 2 O 3 in 30 min at the initial pH 7.0, but slightly degraded in Fenton system without Fe@Fe 2 O 3 under the same experimental conditions. The intermediate products were investigated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and the possible Fenton oxidation pathway of norfloxacin in the presence of Fe@Fe 2 O 3 nanowires was proposed. Electron spin resonance spectroscopy was used to identify and characterize the free radicals generated, and the mechanism for norfloxacin degradation was also revealed. Finally, the reusability and the stability of Fe@Fe 2 O 3 nanomaterials were studied using x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope, which indicated that Fe@Fe 2 O 3 is a stable catalyst and can be used repetitively in environmental pollution control.

  12. Interfacial stability of ultrathin films of magnetite Fe3O4 (111) on Al2O3(001) grown by ozone-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy

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

    Hong, Hawoong; Kim, Jongjin; Fang, Xinyue

    Thin films of iron oxides including magnetite (Fe3O4) and hematite (α-Fe2O3) have many important applications. Both forms of oxide can occur naturally during film growth by iron deposition under various oxidation environment; an important issue is to understand and control the process resulting in a single-phase film. We have performed in-situ real-time studies using x-ray diffraction of such film growth on sapphire (001) under pure ozone by monitoring the (00L) rod. Stable magnetite growth can be maintained at growth temperatures below 600° C up to a certain critical film thickness, beyond which the growth becomes hematite. The results demonstrate themore » importance of interfacial interaction in stabilizing the magnetite phase.« less

  13. An eco-friendly route of γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles formation and investigation of the mechanical properties of the HPMC-γ-Fe2O3 nanocomposites.

    PubMed

    Sarkar, Joy; Mollick, Md Masud Rahaman; Chattopadhyay, Dipankar; Acharya, Krishnendu

    2017-03-01

    In recent times, biosynthetic approaches toward the synthesis of nanoparticles have been shown to have several advantages over physical and chemical methods. Here, we report the extracellular mycosynthesis of γ-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles by Alternaria alternata. The fungal biomass when exposed to aqueous iron(III) chloride solution led to the formation of highly stable γ-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles extracellularly. The influence of these biosynthesized γ-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles on the properties of hydroxyl propyl methyl cellulose was also investigated. Characterization of the biosynthesized γ-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles and HPMC-γ-Fe 2 O 3 nanocomposite films were done by the different types of spectral and electron microscopic analysis. The size of the γ-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles ranges from 75 to 650 nm. The mechanical effect of the agglomerated γ-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles into the HPMC polymer matrix was also investigated.

  14. Highly Flexible and Transparent Ag Nanowire Electrode Encapsulated with Ultra-Thin Al2O3: Thermal, Ambient, and Mechanical Stabilities

    PubMed Central

    Hwang, Byungil; An, Youngseo; Lee, Hyangsook; Lee, Eunha; Becker, Stefan; Kim, Yong-Hoon; Kim, Hyoungsub

    2017-01-01

    There is an increasing demand in the flexible electronics industry for highly robust flexible/transparent conductors that can withstand high temperatures and corrosive environments. In this work, outstanding thermal and ambient stability is demonstrated for a highly transparent Ag nanowire electrode with a low electrical resistivity, by encapsulating it with an ultra-thin Al2O3 film (around 5.3 nm) via low-temperature (100 °C) atomic layer deposition. The Al2O3-encapsulated Ag nanowire (Al2O3/Ag) electrodes are stable even after annealing at 380 °C for 100 min and maintain their electrical and optical properties. The Al2O3 encapsulation layer also effectively blocks the permeation of H2O molecules and thereby enhances the ambient stability to greater than 1,080 h in an atmosphere with a relative humidity of 85% at 85 °C. Results from the cyclic bending test of up to 500,000 cycles (under an effective strain of 2.5%) confirm that the Al2O3/Ag nanowire electrode has a superior mechanical reliability to that of the conventional indium tin oxide film electrode. Moreover, the Al2O3 encapsulation significantly improves the mechanical durability of the Ag nanowire electrode, as confirmed by performing wiping tests using isopropyl alcohol. PMID:28128218

  15. Room temperature multiferroic properties of (Bi{sub 0.95}La{sub 0.05})(Fe{sub 0.97}Mn{sub 0.03})O{sub 3}/NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} double layered thin film

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

    Raghavan, C.M.; Kim, H.J.; Kim, J.W.

    2013-11-15

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Chemical solution deposition of (Bi{sub 0.95}La{sub 0.05})(Fe{sub 0.97}Mn{sub 0.03})O{sub 3}–NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} double layered thin film. • Studies on structural, electrical and multiferroic properties. • NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} acts as both resistive buffer layer and magnetic source. - Abstract: (Bi{sub 0.95}La{sub 0.05})(Fe{sub 0.97}Mn{sub 0.03})O{sub 3}/NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} double layered thin film was prepared on a Pt(111)/Ti/SiO{sub 2}/Si(100) substrate by a chemical solution deposition method. X-ray diffraction and Raman scattering spectroscopy studies confirmed the formation of the distorted rhombohedral perovskite and the inverse spinel cubic structures for the (Bi{sub 0.95}La{sub 0.05})(Fe{sub 0.97}Mn{sub 0.03})O{sub 3}/NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}more » double layered thin film. The (Bi{sub 0.95}La{sub 0.05})(Fe{sub 0.97}Mn{sub 0.03})O{sub 3}/NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} double layered thin film exhibited well saturated ferromagnetic (2 M{sub r} of 18.1 emu/cm{sup 3} and 2H{sub c} of 0.32 kOe at 20 kOe) and ferroelectric (2P{sub r} of 60 μC/cm{sup 2} and 2E{sub c} of 813 kV/cm at 866 kV/cm) hysteresis loops with low order of leakage current density (4.5 × 10{sup −6} A/cm{sup 2} at an applied electric field of 100 kV/cm), which suggest the ferroelectric and ferromagnetic multi-layers applications in real devices.« less

  16. Pulsed Laser Deposition Growth of Delafossite (CuFeO2) thin films and multilayers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Joshi, Toyanath; Ferrari, Piero; Borisov, Pavel; Cabrera, Alejandro; Lederman, David

    2014-03-01

    Owing to its narrow band gap (<2 eV) and p-type conductivity delafossite CuFeO2 is attractive for applications in the field of solar energy conversion. Obtaining pure phase CuFeO2 thin films, however, is relatively difficult. It is necessary to maintain the lowest possible Cu valency (+1) in order to avoid forming the comparably stable spinel compound CuFe2O4. We present a systematic study of the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) growth conditions for epitaxial (00.1) oriented CuFeO2 thin films on Al2O3 (00.1) substrates. The secondary impurity phase, CuFe2O4, was removed completely by optimizing the growth conditions. RHEED, XRD and TEM showed that the pure phase delafossite films are highly epitaxial to the substrate. The chemical purity was verified by Raman and XPS. The indirect bandgap of 1.15 eV was measured using infrared reflectivity, and is in agreement with the CuFeO2 bulk value. Finally, we discuss the growth and structural characterization of delafossite multilayers, CuFeO2/CuGaO2. This work was supported by a Research Challenge Grant from the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC.dsr.12.29) and the Microelectronics Advanced Research Corporation (Contract # 2013-MA-2382) at WVU.

  17. Resistive and Ferroelectric-Domain Switching in Multiferroic BiFeO3 Films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ramirez, J. G.; Arango, I. C.; Gomez, M. F.; Dominguez, C.; Sulekar, S.; Cardona, A.; Trastoy, J.; Nino, J. C.; Schuller, I. K.; Gomez, M. E.

    Resistive switching (RS) in oxides has attracted much attention due to its potential application for nonvolatile memory and neuromorphic computing devices. Here we study the voltage-induced RS mechanisms in metal/multiferroic/semiconductor (Au/BiFeO3/Nb:SrTiO3) thin film vertical devices. We found switching with RON and ROFF ratios as big as 0.16 at voltages starting at +/- 2V. Further voltage increase produced an intensification of the RS effects, until dielectric breakdown was reached. Interestingly, the voltage at which the RS effect appears coincides with the coercive voltage of the ferroelectric polarization in similar BiFeO3 films, as measured by piezoelectric force microscopy. This suggests that the primary RS mechanism is the ferroelectric switching. Impedance spectroscopy measurements show filamentary contributions after ferroelectric saturation, possible due to voltage-induced movement of charge defects across the device and therefore suggesting an additional RS mechanism. Work supported by: Univalle CI 7999; FAPA at Uniandes; Colciencias 120471250659 and 120424054303. J.T. acknowledges the support from the Fundación Areces (Spain); AFOSR and DoD for a Vannevar Bush Fellowship.

  18. Evolution of structural distortion in BiFeO3 thin films probed by second-harmonic generation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jin, Kuijuan; Wang, Jiesu; Gu, Junxing; L03 Group in Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences Team

    BiFeO3 thin films have drawn much attention due to its potential applications for novel magnetoelectric devices and fundamental physics in magnetoelectric coupling. However, the structural evolution of BiFeO3 films with thickness remains controversial. Here we use an optical second-harmonic generation technique to explore the phase-related symmetry evolution of BiFeO3 thin films with the variation of thickness. The crystalline structures for 60 and 180-nm-thick BiFeO3 thin films were characterized by high-resolution X-ray diffractometry reciprocal space mapping and the local piezoelectric response for 60-nm-thick BiFeO3 thin films was characterized by piezoresponse force microscopy. The present results show that the symmetry of BiFeO3 thin films with a thickness below 60 nm belongs to the point group 4mm. We conclude that the disappearance of fourfold rotational symmetry in SHG s-out pattern implies for the appearance of R-phase. The fact that the thinner the film is, the closer to 1 the tensor element ratio χ31/ χ15 tends, indicates an increase of symmetry with the decrease of thickness for BiFeO3 thin films. email: kjjin@iphy.ac.cn

  19. Evolution of structural distortion in BiFeO3 thin films probed by second-harmonic generation.

    PubMed

    Wang, Jie-Su; Jin, Kui-Juan; Guo, Hai-Zhong; Gu, Jun-Xing; Wan, Qian; He, Xu; Li, Xiao-Long; Xu, Xiu-Lai; Yang, Guo-Zhen

    2016-12-01

    BiFeO 3 thin films have drawn much attention due to its potential applications for novel magnetoelectric devices and fundamental physics in magnetoelectric coupling. However, the structural evolution of BiFeO 3 films with thickness remains controversial. Here we use an optical second-harmonic generation technique to explore the phase-related symmetry evolution of BiFeO 3 thin films with the variation of thickness. The crystalline structures for 60 and 180-nm-thick BiFeO 3 thin films were characterized by high-resolution X-ray diffractometry reciprocal space mapping and the local piezoelectric response for 60-nm-thick BiFeO 3 thin films was characterized by piezoresponse force microscopy. The present results show that the symmetry of BiFeO 3 thin films with a thickness below 60 nm belongs to the point group 4 mm. We conclude that the disappearance of fourfold rotational symmetry in SHG s-out pattern implies for the appearance of R-phase. The fact that the thinner the film is, the closer to 1 the tensor element ratio χ 31 /χ 15 tends, indicates an increase of symmetry with the decrease of thickness for BiFeO 3 thin films.

  20. Evolution of structural distortion in BiFeO3 thin films probed by second-harmonic generation

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Jie-su; Jin, Kui-juan; Guo, Hai-zhong; Gu, Jun-xing; Wan, Qian; He, Xu; Li, Xiao-long; Xu, Xiu-lai; Yang, Guo-zhen

    2016-01-01

    BiFeO3 thin films have drawn much attention due to its potential applications for novel magnetoelectric devices and fundamental physics in magnetoelectric coupling. However, the structural evolution of BiFeO3 films with thickness remains controversial. Here we use an optical second-harmonic generation technique to explore the phase-related symmetry evolution of BiFeO3 thin films with the variation of thickness. The crystalline structures for 60 and 180-nm-thick BiFeO3 thin films were characterized by high-resolution X-ray diffractometry reciprocal space mapping and the local piezoelectric response for 60-nm-thick BiFeO3 thin films was characterized by piezoresponse force microscopy. The present results show that the symmetry of BiFeO3 thin films with a thickness below 60 nm belongs to the point group 4 mm. We conclude that the disappearance of fourfold rotational symmetry in SHG s-out pattern implies for the appearance of R-phase. The fact that the thinner the film is, the closer to 1 the tensor element ratio χ31/χ15 tends, indicates an increase of symmetry with the decrease of thickness for BiFeO3 thin films. PMID:27905565

  1. Structural Properties of Alternate Monatomic Layered [Fe/Co]n Epitaxial Films on MgO Substrate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chu, In Chang; Saki, Yoshinobu; Kawasaki, Shohei; Doi, Masaaki; Sahashi, Masashi

    2008-06-01

    Body-centered-cubic (bcc) Fe50Co50 material is reported to show a high bulk spin scattering coefficient on current perpendicular to plane-giant magneto-resistance (CPP-GMR) system. But the origin of that phenomenon does not make sure yet. We prepared artificially alternate monatomic layered (AML) [Fe/Co] 41 MLs epitaxial films (Ts: 75, 250 °C) by monatomic deposition method and investigated the topology of AML [Fe/Co]n epitaxial films on MgO substrate with different orientation (001), (011) by the scanning tunnel microscopy (STM) and reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED), which we could confirm Frank-van der Merwe (FM) growth mode for AML [Fe/Co]n on MgO(001) and Volmer-Weber (VW) growth mode for that on Mg(011). The roughness of surface, Ra (0.20 nm) of AML [Fe/Co] 41 MLs epitaxial film grown at 75 °C on MgO(001) is smaller than that (0.46 nm) of AML [Fe/Co] grown at 250 °C on MgO(001), which has the large terraces of over 50 nm (Ra: 0.17 nm), even though there are some valleys between large terraces. Moreover we confirmed the structural properties of trilayered epitaxial films with AML [Fe/Co]n (Ra: 0.18 nm) and Fe50Co50 alloy epitaxial film on Au electrode by RHEED before confirming the characteristics of CPP-GMR devices.

  2. Synthesis of In2O3 nanowire-decorated Ga2O3 nanobelt heterostructures and their electrical and field-emission properties.

    PubMed

    Lin, Jing; Huang, Yang; Bando, Yoshio; Tang, Chengchun; Li, Chun; Golberg, Dmitri

    2010-04-27

    We report on the synthesis of In2O3 nanowire-decorated Ga2O3 nanobelt heterostructures via a simple catalyst-free method. A typical heterostructure, where an In2O3 nanowire forms a sort of a "dorsal fin" on the Ga2O3 nanobelt, exhibits the T-shaped cross-section. The structure, electrical porperties, and field-emission properties of this material are systematically investigated. The heterostructures possess a typical n-type semiconducting behavior with enhanced conductivity. Field-emission measurements show that they have a low turn-on field (approximately 1.31 V/microm) and a high field-enhancement factor (over 4000). The excellent field-emission characteristics are attributed to their special geometry and good electrical properties. The present In2O3-decorated Ga2O3 heterostructures are envisaged to be decent field-emitters useful in advanced electronic and optoelectronic nanodevices.

  3. Heterojunction Fe2O3-SnO2 Nanostructured Photoanode for Efficient Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Han, Hyun Soo; Shin, Sun; Noh, Jun Hong; Cho, In Sun; Hong, Kug Sun

    2014-04-01

    Hierarchically organized nanostructures were fabricated by growing SnO2 nanoparticles on a fluorine-doped tin oxide/glass substrate via a laser ablation method. Cauliflower-like clusters consisting of agglomerated nanoparticles were deposited and aligned with respect to the substrate with a large internal surface area and open channels of pores. The morphological changes of SnO2 nanostructured films were investigated as a function of the oxygen working pressure in the range of 100-500 mTorr. A nanostructured scaffold prepared at an oxygen working pressure of 100 mTorr exhibited the best photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance. A Ti:Fe2O3-SnO2 nanostructured photoanode showed the photocurrent that was 34% larger than that of a Ti:Fe2O3 flat photoanode when the amount of Ti:Fe2O3 sensitizer was identical for the two photoanodes. The larger surface area and longer electron lifetime of the Ti:Fe2O3-SnO2 nanostructured photoanode explains its improved PEC performance.

  4. Improvement of perpendicular anisotropy of columnar FePt-ZrO2-C films with FePt insert layer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dong, Kaifeng; Mo, Wenqin; Jin, Fang; Song, Junlei; Cheng, Weimin; Wang, Haiwei

    2018-05-01

    The effects of various thicknesses of FePt insert layer on the microstructure and magnetic properties of FePt-ZrO2-C thin films have been investigated. It is found that with inserting 0.4 nm FePt films between the TiON intermediate layer and FePt-ZrO2-C layer, the perpendicular anisotropy indicated by Hc⊥/Hc//ratio would increase from 4 to 13.1, suggesting the perpendicular anisotropy could be improved a lot with using FePt insert layer. Simultaneously, the FePt grains of FePt-ZrO2-C thin films maintained columnar structure and the grain isolation could also be improved in a certain degree. With further increase of the FePt insert layer thickness, although the perpendicular anisotropy was still larger than that without FePt insert layer, the grain size of the FePt-ZrO2-C films would increase and the isolation would be deteriorated.

  5. Magnetoelectricity in CoFe2O4 nanocrystal-P(VDF-HFP) thin films

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Transition metal ferrites such as CoFe2O4, possessing a large magnetostriction coefficient and high Curie temperature (Tc > 600 K), are excellent candidates for creating magnetic order at the nanoscale and provide a pathway to the fabrication of uniform particle-matrix films with optimized potential for magnetoelectric coupling. Here, a series of 0–3 type nanocomposite thin films composed of ferrimagnetic cobalt ferrite nanocrystals (8 to 18 nm) and a ferroelectric/piezoelectric polymer poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropene), P(VDF-HFP), were prepared by multiple spin coating and cast coating over a thickness range of 200 nm to 1.6 μm. We describe the synthesis and structural characterization of the nanocrystals and composite films by XRD, TEM, HRTEM, STEM, and SEM, as well as dielectric and magnetic properties, in order to identify evidence of cooperative interactions between the two phases. The CoFe2O4 polymer nanocomposite thin films exhibit composition-dependent effective permittivity, loss tangent, and specific saturation magnetization (Ms). An enhancement of the effective permittivity and saturation magnetization of the CoFe2O4-P(VDF-HFP) films was observed and directly compared with CoFe2O4-polyvinylpyrrolidone, a non-ferroelectric polymer-based nanocomposite prepared by the same method. The comparison provided evidence for the observation of a magnetoelectric effect in the case of CoFe2O4-P(VDF-HFP), attributed to a magnetostrictive/piezoelectric interaction. An enhancement of Ms up to +20.7% was observed at room temperature in the case of the 10 wt.% CoFe2O4-P(VDF-HFP) sample. PMID:24004499

  6. Transport properties of ultrathin YBa2Cu3O7 -δ nanowires: A route to single-photon detection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arpaia, Riccardo; Golubev, Dmitri; Baghdadi, Reza; Ciancio, Regina; Dražić, Goran; Orgiani, Pasquale; Montemurro, Domenico; Bauch, Thilo; Lombardi, Floriana

    2017-08-01

    We report on the growth and characterization of ultrathin YBa2Cu3O7 -δ (YBCO) films on MgO (110) substrates, which exhibit superconducting properties at thicknesses down to 3 nm. YBCO nanowires, with thicknesses down to 10 nm and widths down to 65 nm, have also been successfully fabricated. The nanowires protected by a Au capping layer show superconducting properties close to the as-grown films and critical current densities, which are limited by only vortex dynamics. The 10-nm-thick YBCO nanowires without the Au capping present hysteretic current-voltage characteristics, characterized by a voltage switch which drives the nanowires directly from the superconducting to the normal state. We associate such bistability to the presence of localized normal domains within the superconductor. The presence of the voltage switch in ultrathin YBCO nanostructures, characterized by high sheet resistance values and high critical current values, makes our nanowires very attractive devices to engineer single-photon detectors.

  7. Improved ferroelectric polarization of V-doped Bi{sub 6}Fe{sub 2}Ti{sub 3}O{sub 18} thin films prepared by a chemical solution deposition

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

    Song, D. P.; University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026; Yang, J., E-mail: jyang@issp.ac.cn

    We prepared V-doped Bi{sub 6}Fe{sub 2}Ti{sub 3}O{sub 18} thin films on Pt/Ti/SiO{sub 2}/Si (100) substrates by using a chemical solution deposition route and investigated the doping effect on the microstructure, dielectric, leakage, and ferroelectric properties of Bi{sub 6}Fe{sub 2}Ti{sub 3}O{sub 18} thin films. The Bi{sub 5.97}Fe{sub 2}Ti{sub 2.91}V{sub 0.09}O{sub 18} thin film exhibits improved dielectric properties, leakage current, and ferroelectric properties. The incorporation of vanadium resulted in a substantially enhanced remnant polarization (2P{sub r}) over 30 μC/cm{sup 2} in Bi{sub 5.97}Fe{sub 2}Ti{sub 2.91}V{sub 0.09}O{sub 18} thin film compared with 10 μC/cm{sup 2} in Bi{sub 6}Fe{sub 2}Ti{sub 3}O{sub 18} thin film. It ismore » demonstrated that the improved properties may stem from the improvement of crystallinity of the films with the contribution of suppressed oxygen vacancies and decreased mobility of oxygen vacancies caused by the V-doping. The results will provide a guidance to optimize the ferroelectric properties in Bi{sub 6}Fe{sub 2}Ti{sub 3}O{sub 18} thin films by chemical solution deposition, which is important to further explore single-phase multiferroics in the n = 5 Aurivillius thin films.« less

  8. High surface stability of magnetite on bi-layer Fe3O4/Fe/MgO(0 0 1) films under 1 MeV Kr+ ion irradiation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim-Ngan, N.-T. H.; Krupska, M.; Balogh, A. G.; Malinsky, P.; Mackova, A.

    2017-12-01

    We investigate the stability of the bi-layer Fe3O4/Fe(0 0 1) films grown epitaxially on MgO(0 0 1) substrates with the layer thickness in the range of 25-100 nm upon 1 MeV Kr+ ion irradiation. The layer structure and layer composition of the films before and after ion irradiation were studied by XRR, RBS and RBS-C techniques. The interdiffusion and intermixing was analyzed. No visible change in the RBS spectra was observed upon irradiation with ion fluence below 1015 Kr cm-2. The bi-layer structure and the stoichiometric Fe3O4 layer on the surface were well preserved after Kr+ ion irradiation at low damage levels, although the strong intermixing implied a large interfacial (Fe x O y ) and (Fe, Mg)O y layer respective at Fe3O4-Fe and Fe-MgO interface. The high ion fluence of 3.8  ×  1016 Kr cm-2 has induced a complete oxidization of the buffer Fe layer. Under such Kr fluence, the stoichiometry of the Fe3O4 surface layer was still preserved indicating its high stability. The entire film contains Fe x O y -type composition at ion fluence large than 5.0  ×  1016 Kr cm-2.

  9. High-resolution x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy of multiferroic BiFeO3 films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qi, Xiaoding; Wei, Ming; Lin, Yuan; Jia, Quanxi; Zhi, Dan; Dho, Joonghoe; Blamire, Mark G.; MacManus-Driscoll, Judith L.

    2005-02-01

    High-resolution x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) have been used to study BiFeO3 thin films grown on the bare and SrRuO3 buffered (001) SrTiO3 substrates. Reciprocal space mapping (RSM) around (002) and (103) reflections revealed that BFO films with a thickness of about 200 nm were almost fully relaxed and had a rhombohedral structure. Cross-sectional, high-resolution TEM showed that the films started to relax at a very early stage of growth, which was consistent with the RSM results. A thin intermediate layer of about 2 nm was observed at the interface, which had a smaller lattice than the overgrown film. Twist distortions about the c axis to release the shear strain introduced by the growth of rhombic (001) BiFeO3 on cubic (001) SrTiO3 were also observed. The results indicate that a strained, coherent BiFeO3 film on (001) SrTiO3 is very difficult to maintain and (111) STO substrates are preferable.

  10. Spray deposited MnFe2O4 thin films for detection of ethanol and acetone vapors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nagarajan, V.; Thayumanavan, A.

    2018-01-01

    Spinel MnFe2O4 films were synthesized with the help of spray pyrolysis technique. The morphology study shows fine crushed sand grain morphology of the film. The structural investigation verifies the polycrystalline nature of prepared MnFe2O4 films, which possess the spinel structure. Crystalline size is found to be around 23.5 nm-37.4 nm morphology analyses. Energy dispersive spectroscopy validates the presence of oxygen, iron and manganese in MnFe2O4 film. The prepared MnFe2O4 film is extremely sensitive towards ethanol molecules at 300 K. The electrical resistance of MnFe2O4 thin film decreases quickly when ethanol and acetone vapor molecules are adsorbed on base material. The synthesized MnFe2O4 film is also highly sensitive towards acetone molecules at ambient temperature. The selectivity, sensing response, stability and recovery time of MnFe2O4 film towards acetone and ethanol detection are analyzed in the present work.

  11. TiO2-BASED Composite Films for the Photodegradation of Oxytetracycline

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Hui; Guan, Ling-Xiao; Feng, Ji-Jun; Li, Fang; Yao, Ming-Ming

    2015-02-01

    The spread of the antibiotic oxytetracycline (OTC) has been thought as a threat to the safety of drinking water. In this paper, the photocatalytic activity of the nanocrystalline Fe/Ca co-doped TiO2-SiO2 composite film for the degradation of OTC was studied. The films were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) equipped with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), N2 adsorption/desorption isotherms, photoluminescence (PL) spectra, and UV-Vis diffraction reflectance absorption spectra (DRS). The FE-SEM results indicated that the Fe/Ca co-doped TiO2-SiO2 film was composed of smaller nanoparticles compared to pure TiO2 or TiO2-SiO2 film. The BET surface area results showed that the specific surface area of the pure TiO2, TiO2-SiO2 and Ca2+/Fe3+ co-doped TiO2-SiO2 is 118.3 m2g-1, 294.3 m2g-1 and 393.7 m2g-1, respectively. The DRS and PL spectra revealed that the Fe/Ca co-doped TiO2-SiO2 film had strong visible light adsorption and diminished electrons/holes recombination. Experimental results showed that the Fe/Ca co-doped TiO2-SiO2 film is effective in the degradation of OTC under both UV and visible light irradiation.

  12. 3D ZnIn2S4 nanosheet/TiO2 nanowire arrays and their efficient photocathodic protection for 304 stainless steel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, Wenxia; Wei, Na; Cui, Hongzhi; Lin, Yuan; Wang, Xinzhen; Tian, Jian; Li, Jian; Wen, Jing

    2018-03-01

    A well-designed heterostructure engineered ZnIn2S4 nanosheet/TiO2 nanowire arrays photoanode is investigated for photocathodic protection. The ZnIn2S4 nanosheets are distributed uniformly on the surface of the TiO2 nanowire by a hydrothermal method. The stem-and-leaf-like ZnIn2S4 nanosheet/TiO2 nanowire arrays exhibit excellent photoelectrochemical properties, owing to the energy band structure and large surface area. A maximum photocurrent density of 2 mA cm-2 is achieved for the ZnIn2S4 nanosheet/TiO2 nanowire composite film for a 6 h reaction time under white illumination. Moreover, the potential of the 304 stainless steel coupled with the composite film immediately shifts negatively to -1.17 V (vs. SCE), which is significantly lower than the corrosion potential (-0.201 V vs. SCE). Thus, the composite film offers a superior photocathodic protection for stainless steel against corrosion by a NaCl solution. This study provides a promising approach for the design and synthesis of composite films with enhanced photoelectrochemical performance.

  13. Formation of Fe2SiO4 thin films on Si substrates and influence of substrate to its thermoelectric transport properties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Choi, Jeongyong; Nguyen, Van Quang; Duong, Van Thiet; Shin, Yooleemi; Duong, Anh Tuan; Cho, Sunglae

    2018-03-01

    Fe2SiO4 thin films have been grown on n-type, p-type and semi-insulating Si(100) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. When Fe-O thin films were deposited on Si(100) substrate at 300 °C, the film reacted with Si, resulting in a Fe2SiO4 film because of the high reactivity between Fe and Si. The electrical resistance and Seebeck coefficient of Fe2SiO4 thin films grown were different in different doping states. On n-type and p-type Si(100), the electrical resistance decreased suddenly and increased again at 350 and 250 K, respectively, while on semi-insulating Si(100), it exhibited typical semiconducting resistance behavior. We observed similar crossovers at 350 and 250 K in temperature dependent Seebeck coefficients on n-type and p-type Si(100), respectively. These results suggest that the measured electrical and thermoelectric properties originate from Si substrate.

  14. Simultaneous growth of pure hyperbranched Zn3As2 structures and long Ga2O3 nanowires.

    PubMed

    Li, Jianye; Wang, Lung-Shen; Buchholz, D Bruce; Chang, Robert P H

    2009-05-01

    Through a facile and highly repeatable chemical vapor method, pure three-dimensional hyperbranched Zn(3)As(2) structures and ultralong Ga(2)O(3) nanowires were simultaneously grown with controllable locations in the same experiment. The hyperbranched Zn(3)As(2) consists of cone-shaped submicro-/nanowires and has a single-crystalline tetragonal structure. This is the first report of nano Zn(3)As(2) and hyperbranched Zn(3)As(2) structures. The as-grown Ga(2)O(3) nanowires are monoclinic single crystals. A vapor-solid-solid mechanism is suggested for the growth of the Ga(2)O(3) nanowires, and a vapor-solid mechanism, for the Zn(3)As(2) structures.

  15. Ferroelectric and magnetic properties of Aurivillius Bi{sub m+1}Ti{sub 3}Fe{sub m−3}O{sub 3m+3} thin films

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

    Jia, Tingting, E-mail: jia.tingting@nims.go.jp; Kimura, Hideo, E-mail: KIMURA.Hideo@nims.go.jp; Cheng, Zhenxiang

    2015-11-15

    Aurivillius Bi{sub m+1}Ti{sub 3}Fe{sub m−3}O{sub 3m+3} (m = 4, 5, 6) thin films have been deposited by a pulsed laser deposition system. The x-ray diffraction patterns indicate the formation of orthorhombic phase. The remanent polarization (2P{sub r}) of Bi{sub m+1}Ti{sub 3}Fe{sub m−3}O{sub 3m+3} thin films is decreased with the m-number. Positive-up-negative-down measurements indicate the presence of ferroelectric (FE) polarization in as-obtained thin films. Piezoresponse force microscopy investigations confirm the existence of FE domains and the switchable polarization. Weak magnetic moment is detected in the Aurivillius films at room temperature. The present work suggests the possibility of Aurivillius Bi{sub m+1}Ti{sub 3}Fe{sub m−3}O{sub 3m+3}more » (m = 4, 5, 6) materials as potential room-temperature multiferroics.« less

  16. Electrical Characteristics CuFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} Thick Film Ceramics Made with Different Screen Size Utilizing Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} Nanopowder Derived from Yarosite for NTC Thermistor

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

    Wiendartun,; Syarif, Dani Gustaman

    2010-10-24

    Fabrication of CuFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} thick film ceramics utilizing Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} derived from yarosite using screen printing technique for NTC thermistor has been carried out. Effect of thickness variation due to different size of screen (screen 225; 300 and 375 mesh) has been studied. X-ray diffraction analyses (XRD) was done to know crystal structure and phases formation. SEM analyses was carried out to know microstructure of the films. Electrical properties characterization was done through measurement of electrical resistance at various temperatures (room temperature to 100 deg. C). The XRD data showed that the films crystalize in tetragonal spinel. Themore » SEM images showed that the screen with the smaller of the hole size, made the grain size was bigger. Electrical data showed that the larger the screen different size thickness variation (mesh), the larger the resistance, thermistor constant and sensitivity. From the electrical characteristics data, it was known that the electrical characteristics of the CuFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} thick film ceramics followed the NTC characteristic. The value of B and R{sub RT} of the produced CuFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} ceramics namely B = 3241-3484 K and R{sub RT} = 25.6-87.0 M Ohm, fitted market requirement.« less

  17. Room-Temperature Multiferroics and Thermal Conductivity of 0.85BiFe1-2xTixMgxO3-0.15CaTiO3 Epitaxial Thin Films (x = 0.1 and 0.2).

    PubMed

    Zhang, Ji; Sun, Wei; Zhao, Jiangtao; Sun, Lei; Li, Lei; Yan, Xue-Jun; Wang, Ke; Gu, Zheng-Bin; Luo, Zhen-Lin; Chen, Yanbin; Yuan, Guo-Liang; Lu, Ming-Hui; Zhang, Shan-Tao

    2017-08-02

    Thin films of 0.85BiFe 1-2x Ti x Mg x O 3 -0.15CaTiO 3 (x = 0.1 and 0.2, abbreviated to C-1 and C-2, respectively) have been fabricated on (001) SrTiO 3 substrate with and without a conductive La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 buffer layer. The X-ray θ-2θ and ϕ scans, atomic force microscopy, and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy confirm the (001) epitaxial nature of the thin films with very high growth quality. Both the C-1 and C-2 thin films show well-shaped magnetization-magnetic field hysteresis at room temperature, with enhanced switchable magnetization values of 145.3 and 42.5 emu/cm 3 , respectively. The polarization-electric loops and piezoresponse force microscopy measurements confirm the room-temperature ferroelectric nature of both films. However, the C-1 films illustrate a relatively weak ferroelectric behavior and the poled states are easy to relax, whereas the C-2 films show a relatively better ferroelectric behavior with stable poled states. More interestingly, the room-temperature thermal conductivity of C-1 and C-2 films are measured to be 1.10 and 0.77 W/(m·K), respectively. These self-consistent multiferroic properties and thermal conductivities are discussed by considering the composition-dependent content and migration of Fe-induced electrons and/or charged point defects. This study not only provides multifunctional materials with excellent room-temperature magnetic, ferroelectric, and thermal conductivity properties but may also stimulate further work to develop BiFeO 3 -based materials with unusual multifunctional properties.

  18. Spin-glass behaviors in carrier polarity controlled Fe{sub 3−x}Ti{sub x}O{sub 4} semiconductor thin films

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

    Yamahara, H., E-mail: yamahara@bioxide.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp; Seki, M.; Adachi, M.

    2015-08-14

    Carrier-type control of spin-glass (cluster spin-glass) is studied in order to engineer basic magnetic semiconductor elements using the memory functions of spin-glass. A key of carrier-polarity control in magnetite is the valence engineering between Fe(II) and Fe(III) that is achieved by Ti(IV) substitution. Single phases of (001)-oriented Fe{sub 3−x}Ti{sub x}O{sub 4} thin films have been obtained on spinel MgAl{sub 2}O{sub 4} substrates by pulsed laser deposition. Thermoelectric power measurements reveal that Ti-rich films (x = 0.8) show p-type conduction, while Ti-poor films (x = 0.6–0.75) show n-type conduction. The systematic Fe(III) reduction to Fe(II) followed by Ti(IV) substitution in the octahedral sublattice is confirmedmore » by the X-ray absorption spectra. All of the Fe{sub 3−x}Ti{sub x}O{sub 4} films (x = 0.6–0.8) exhibit ferrimagnetism above room temperature. Next, the spin-glass behaviors of Ti-rich Fe{sub 2.2}Ti{sub 0.8}O{sub 4} film are studied, since this magnetically diluted system is expected to exhibit the spin-glass behaviors. The DC magnetization and AC susceptibility measurements for the Ti-rich Fe{sub 2.2}Ti{sub 0.8}O{sub 4} film reveal the presence of the spin glass phase. Thermal- and magnetic-field-history memory effects are observed and are attributed to the long time-decay nature of remanent magnetization. The detailed analysis of the time-dependent thermoremanent magnetization reveals the presence of the cluster spin glass state.« less

  19. Vacancy-induced spin-glass behavior of Prussian blue analogue Fe II1.1Cr IIx[Cr III (CN) 6] 0.6- x· nH 2O nanowires

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gao, Bo; Yao, Jinli; Xue, Desheng

    2010-09-01

    Prussian blue analogue Fe II1.1Cr IIx[Cr III(CN) 6] 0.6- x· nH 2O nanowires were synthesized by electrodeposition. The magnetic properties investigation indicates that the nanowires exhibit cluster spin-glass behavior, which undergoes a magnetic transition to a frozen state below about 62 K. Spin disorder arising from reduced coordination and broken exchange bonds between spin centers due to the structural defects may be the reason that causes the spin-glass freezing behavior. The negative magnetization observed at temperature lower than the compensation temperature ( Tcomp˜43 K) at a field of 10 Oe may be due to the different temperature dependences of the ferromagnetic site Fe-Cr and antiferromagnetic site Cr-Cr.

  20. Epitaxial BiFeO3 thin films fabricated by chemical solution deposition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, S. K.; Kim, Y. K.; Funakubo, H.; Ishiwara, H.

    2006-04-01

    Epitaxial BiFeO3 (BFO) thin films were fabricated on (001)-, (110)-, and (111)-oriented single-crystal SrRuO3(SRO )/SrTiO3(STO) structures by chemical solution deposition. X-ray diffraction indicates the formation of an epitaxial single-phase perovskite structure and pole figure measurement confirms the cube-on-cube epitaxial relationship of BFO ‖SRO‖STO. Chemical-solution-deposited BFO films have a rhombohedral structure with lattice parameter of 0.395nm, which is the same structure as that of a bulk single crystal. The remanent polarization of approximately 50μC/cm2 was observed in BFO (001) thin films at 80K.

  1. Ternary mixed metal Fe-doped NiCo2O4 nanowires as efficient electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yan, Kai-Li; Shang, Xiao; Li, Zhen; Dong, Bin; Li, Xiao; Gao, Wen-Kun; Chi, Jing-Qi; Chai, Yong-Ming; Liu, Chen-Guang

    2017-09-01

    Designing mixed metal oxides with unique nanostructures as efficient electrocatalysts for water electrolysis has been an attractive approach for the storage of renewable energies. The ternary mixed metal spinel oxides FexNi1-xCo2O4 (x = 0, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 0.9, 1) have been synthesized by a facile hydrothermal approach and calcination treatment using nickel foam as substrate. Fe/Ni ratios have been proved to affect the nanostructures of FexNi1-xCo2O, which imply different intrinsic activity for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). SEM images show that Fe0.5Ni0.5Co2O4 has the uniform nanowires morphology with about 30 nm of the diameter and 200-300 nm of the length. The OER measurements show that Fe0.5Ni0.5Co2O4 exhibits the better electrocatalytic performances with lower overpotential of 350 mV at J = 10 mA cm-2. In addition, the smaller Tafel slope of 27 mV dec-1 than other samples with different Fe/Ni ratios for Fe0.5Ni0.5Co2O4 is obtained. The improved OER activity of Fe0.5Ni0.5Co2O4 may be attributed to the synergistic effects from ternary mixed metals especially Fe-doping and the uniform nanowires supported on NF. Therefore, synthesizing Fe-doped multi-metal oxides with novel nanostructures may be a promising strategy for excellent OER electrocatalysts and it also provides a facile way for the fabrication of high-activity ternary mixed metal oxides electrocatalysts.

  2. Long-range ordering in the Bi 1-xAe xFeO 3-x/2 perovskites: Bi 1/3Sr 2/3FeO 2.67 and Bi 1/2Ca 1/2FeO 2.75

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lepoittevin, C.; Malo, S.; Barrier, N.; Nguyen, N.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Hervieu, M.

    2008-10-01

    Two-ordered perovskites, Bi 1/3Sr 2/3FeO 2.67 and Bi 1/2Ca 1/2FeO 2.75, have been stabilized and characterized by transmission electron microscopy, Mössbauer spectroscopy and X-ray powder diffraction techniques. They both exhibit orthorhombic superstructures, one with a≈ b≈2 ap and c≈3 ap (S.G.: Pb2 n or Pbmn) for the Sr-based compound and one with a≈ b≈2 ap and c≈8 ap (S.G.: B222, Bmm2, B2 mm or Bmmm) for the Ca-based one. The high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images evidence the existence of one deficient [FeO x] ∞ layer, suggesting that Bi 1/3Sr 2/3FeO 2.67 and Bi 1/2Ca 1/2FeO 2.75 behave differently compared to their Ln-based homolog. The HAADF-STEM images allow to propose a model of cation ordering on the A sites of the perovskite. The Mössbauer analyses confirm the trivalent state of iron and its complex environment with three types of coordination. Both compounds exhibit a high value of resistivity and the inverse molar susceptibility versus temperature curves evidence a magnetic transition at about 730 K for the Bi 1/3Sr 2/3FeO 2.67 and a smooth reversible transition between 590 and 650 K for Bi 1/2Ca 1/2FeO 2.75.

  3. Optical properties of quasi-tetragonal BiFeO3 thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, P.; Podraza, N. J.; Xu, X. S.; Melville, A.; Vlahos, E.; Gopalan, V.; Ramesh, R.; Schlom, D. G.; Musfeldt, J. L.

    2010-03-01

    Optical transmission spectroscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry were used to extract the optical properties of an epitaxially grown quasi-tetragonal BiFeO3 thin film in the near infrared to near ultraviolet range. The absorption spectrum is overall blue shifted compared with that of rhombohedral BiFeO3, with an absorption onset near 2.25 eV, a direct 3.1 eV band gap, and charge transfer excitations that are ˜0.4 eV higher than those of the rhombohedral counterpart. We interpret these results in terms of structural strain and local symmetry breaking.

  4. Development of high efficient visible light-driven N, S-codoped TiO2 nanowires photocatalysts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Yanlin; Liu, Peihong; Wu, Honghai

    2015-02-01

    One-dimensional (1D) nanowire material (especially nonmetal doped 1D nanowires) synthesized by a facile way is of great significance and greatly desired as it has higher charge carrier mobility and lower carrier recombination rate. N, S-codoped TiO2 nanowires were synthesized using titanium sulfate as a precursor and isopropanol as a protective capping agent by a hydrothermal route. The obtained doped nanowires were characterized by XRD, SEM, HRTEM, SAED, XPS, BET and UV-vis absorption spectrum. The incorporation of N and S into TiO2 NWs can lead to the expansion of its lattice and remarkably lower its electron-transfer resistance. Photocatalytic activity measurement showed that the N, S-codoped TiO2 nanowires with high quantum efficiency revealed the best photocatalytic performance for atrazine degradation under visible light irradiation compared to N, S-codoped TiO2 nanoparticles and S-doped TiO2 nanowires, which was attributed to (i) the synergistic effect of N and S doping in narrowing the band gap, separating electron-hole pairs and increasing the photoinduced electrons, and (ii) extending the anatase-to-rutile transformation temperature above 600 °C.

  5. Fabrication of a transparent ultraviolet detector by using n-type Ga2O3 and p-type Ga-doped SnO2 core-shell nanowires.

    PubMed

    Hsu, Cheng-Liang; Lu, Ying-Ching

    2012-09-21

    This study investigates the feasibility of synthesizing high-density transparent Ga(2)O(3)/SnO(2):Ga core-shell nanowires on a sapphire substrate at 1000 °C by VLS. The doping Ga concentrations are 0.46, 1.07, 2.30 and 17.53 atomic%. The XRD spectrum and HR-TEM reveal Ga(2)O(3) and SnO(2) as having monoclinic and tetragonal rutile structures, respectively. Experimental results indicate that the XRD peak shift of SnO(2) to a larger angle increases with the increasing amount of Ga doping. According to the CL spectrum, SnO(2) and Ga(2)O(3) peak at approximately 528-568 nm and 422-424 nm, respectively. The maximum quantum efficiency of Ga(2)O(3)/SnO(2):Ga core-shell nanowires is around 0.362%. The UV light on-off current contrast ratio of Ga(2)O(3)/SnO(2):Ga core-shell nanowires is around 1066.7 at a bias of 5 V. Moreover, the dynamic response of Ga(2)O(3)/SnO(2):Ga core-shell nanowires has an on-off current contrast ratio of around 16. Furthermore, the Ga(2)O(3) region functions similar to a capacitor and continues to accumulate SnO(2):Ga excited electrons under UV light exposure.

  6. Preparation and characterization of epitaxial Fe{sub 2-x}Ti{sub x}O{sub 3} films with various Ti concentrations (0.5

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

    Takada, Y.; Nakanishi, M.; Fujii, T.

    2008-08-01

    An ilmenite-hematite solid solution (Fe{sub 2-x}Ti{sub x}O{sub 3}) is one of the candidates for practical magnetic semiconductors with a high Curie temperature. We have prepared well-crystallized epitaxial Fe{sub 2-x}Ti{sub x}O{sub 3} films with a wide range of Ti concentrations--x=0.50, 0.60, 0.65, 0.76, 0.87, and 0.94--on {alpha}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}(001) substrates. The films are prepared by a reactive helicon plasma sputtering technique to evaporate Fe and TiO targets simultaneously under optimized oxygen pressure conditions. The structural characterizations of the films reveal that all films have a single phase of the ordered structure with R3 symmetry, where Ti-rich and Fe-rich layers are stackedmore » alternately along the c axis. All films have large ferrimagnetic moments at low temperature, and room temperature magnetization is clearly observed at x<0.7. The inverse temperature dependence of the resistivities of the films indicates their semiconducting behavior. The film resistivities decrease with decreasing Ti concentration.« less

  7. Built-In Potential in Fe 2 O 3 -Cr 2 O 3 Superlattices for Improved Photoexcited Carrier Separation

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

    Kaspar, Tiffany C.; Schreiber, Daniel K.; Spurgeon, Steven R.

    2015-12-17

    We demonstrate that the different surface terminations exhibited by α-Fe2O3 (hematite) and α-Cr2O3 (eskolaite) in superlattices (SL) of these materials, synthesized with exquisite control by molecular beam epitaxy, determine the heterojunction interface structure and result in controllable, non-commutative band offset values. Precise atomic control of the interface structure allowed us to vary the valence band offset from 0.35 eV to 0.79 eV. This controllable band alignment can be harnessed to generate a built-in potential in Fe2O3-Cr2O3 SLs. For instance, in a 2.5-period SL, a built-in potential of 0.8 eV was realized as measured by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of Ti dopantsmore » as probe species. The high quality of the SL structure was confirmed by atom probe tomography and scanning transmission electron microscopy. Enhanced photocurrents were measured for a thick Fe2O3 epitaxial film capped with an (Fe2O3)3-(Cr2O3)3 SL; this enhancement was attributed to efficient electron-hole separation in the SL as a result of the band alignment. The Fe-O-Cr bonds at the SL interfaces also red-shifted the onset of photoconductivity to ~1.6 eV. Exploiting the band alignment and photoabsorption properties of Fe2O3-Cr2O3 SLs has the potential to increase the efficiency of hematite-based photoelectrochemical water splitting.« less

  8. Nanocrystalline Fe-Fe2O3 particle-deposited N-doped graphene as an activity-modulated Pt-free electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dhavale, Vishal M.; Singh, Santosh K.; Nadeema, Ayasha; Gaikwad, Sachin S.; Kurungot, Sreekumar

    2015-11-01

    The size-controlled growth of nanocrystalline Fe-Fe2O3 particles (2-3 nm) and their concomitant dispersion on N-doped graphene (Fe-Fe2O3/NGr) could be attained when the mutually assisted redox reaction between NGr and Fe3+ ions could be controlled within the aqueous droplets of a water-in-oil emulsion. The synergistic interaction existing between Fe-Fe2O3 and NGr helped the system to narrow down the overpotential for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) by bringing a significant positive shift to the reduction onset potential, which is just 15 mV higher than its Pt-counterpart. In addition, the half-wave potential (E1/2) of Fe-Fe2O3/NGr is found to be improved by a considerable amount of 135 mV in comparison to the system formed by dispersing Fe-Fe2O3 nanoparticles on reduced graphene oxide (Fe-Fe2O3/RGO), which indicates the presence of a higher number of active sites in Fe-Fe2O3/NGr. Despite this, the ORR kinetics of Fe-Fe2O3/NGr are found to be shifted significantly to the preferred 4-electron-transfer pathway compared to NGr and Fe-Fe2O3/RGO. Consequently, the H2O2% was found to be reduced by 78.3% for Fe-Fe2O3/NGr (13.0%) in comparison to Fe-Fe2O3/RGO (51.2%) and NGr (41.0%) at -0.30 V (vs. Hg/HgO). This difference in the yield of H2O2 formed between the systems along with the improvements observed in terms of the oxygen reduction onset and E1/2 in the case of Fe-Fe2O3/NGr reveals the activity modulation achieved for the latter is due to the coexistence of factors such as the presence of the mixed valancies of iron nanoparticles, small size and homogeneous distribution of Fe-Fe2O3 nanoparticles and the electronic modifications induced by the doped nitrogen in NGr. A controlled interplay of these factors looks like worked favorably in the case of Fe-Fe2O3/NGr. As a realistic system level validation, Fe-Fe2O3/NGr was employed as the cathode electrode of a single cell in a solid alkaline electrolyte membrane fuel cell (AEMFC). The system could display an open

  9. Influence of film thickness and Fe doping on LPG sensing properties of Mn3O4 thin film grown by SILAR method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Belkhedkar, M. R.; Ubale, A. U.

    2018-05-01

    Nanocrystalline Fe doped and undoped Mn3O4 thin films have been deposited by Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction (SILAR) method onto glass substrates using MnCl2 and NaOH as cationic and anionic precursors. The grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM)) have been carried out to analyze structural and surface morphological properties of the films. The LPG sensing performance of Mn3O4thin films have been studied by varying temperature, concentration of LPG, thickness of the film and doping percentage of Fe. The LPG response of the Mn3O4thin films were found to be enhances with film thickness and decreases with increased Fe doping (0 to 8 wt. %) at 573 K temperature.

  10. Controlling electrodeposited ultrathin amorphous Fe hydroxides film on V-doped nickel sulfide nanowires as efficient electrocatalyst for water oxidation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shang, Xiao; Yan, Kai-Li; Lu, Shan-Shan; Dong, Bin; Gao, Wen-Kun; Chi, Jing-Qi; Liu, Zi-Zhang; Chai, Yong-Ming; Liu, Chen-Guang

    2017-09-01

    Developing cost-effective electrocatalysts with both high activity and stability remains challenging for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in water electrolysis. Herein, based on V-doped nickel sulfide nanowire on nickel foam (NiVS/NF), we further conduct controllable electrodeposition of Fe hydroxides film on NiVS/NF (eFe/NiVS/NF) to further improve OER performance and stability. For comparison, ultrafast chemical deposition of Fe hydroxides on NiVS/NF (uFe/NiVS/NF) is also utilized. V-doping of NiVS/NF may introduce more active sites for OER, and nanowire structure can expose abundant active sites and facilitate mass transport. Both of the two depositions generate amorphous Fe hydroxides film covering on the surface of nanowires and lead to enhanced OER activities. Furthermore, electrodeposition strategy realizes uniform Fe hydroxides film on eFe/NiVS/NF confirmed by superior OER activity of eFe/NiVS/NF than uFe/NiVS/NF with relatively enhanced stability. The OER activity of eFe/NiVS/NF depends on various electrodepositon time, and the optimal time (15 s) is obtained with maximum OER activity. Therefore, the controllable electrodeposition of Fe may provide an efficient and simple strategy to enhance the OER properties of electrocatalysts.

  11. The effect of CO2 gas adsorption on the electrical properties of Fe doped TiO2 films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mardare, Diana; Adomnitei, Catalin; Florea, Daniel; Luca, Dumitru; Yildiz, Abdullah

    2017-11-01

    CO2 has to be monitored for indoor air quality, being also an important greenhouse gas. The electrical and sensing gas properties of the undoped and Fe doped TiO2 thin films, obtained by RF sputtering, have been investigated in different CO2 atmospheres. It was observed that the response to CO2 increases by Fe doping for the lowest doped film, and then decreases, as the dopant concentration increases. An explanation was given based on multiphonon-assisted hopping model. By studying the films electrical conductivity in front of a certain CO2 atmosphere, we have qualitatively evidenced the semiconducting n-type nature of the films under study, except for the highest Fe doped film which has a p-type behavior. An important finding is that Fe doping determines the decrease of the optimum operating temperature, approaching the room temperature.

  12. Investigations on FCAM-III (Ca2.38Mg2.09Fe3+10.61Fe2+1.59Al9.33O36): A new homologue of the aenigmatite structure-type in the system CaO-MgO-Fe2O3-Al2O3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zöll, Klaus; Kahlenberg, Volker; Krüger, Hannes; Tropper, Peter

    2018-02-01

    In the course of a systematic study of a part of the quaternary system Fe2O3-CaO-Al2O3-MgO (FCAM) the previously unknown compound Ca2.38Mg2.09Fe3+10.61Fe2+1.59Al9.33O36 (FCAM-III) has been synthesized. By analogy with the so-called SFCA series [1-5], our investigation in the system of FCAM shows the existence of a stoichiometric homologous series M14+6nO20+8n, where M = Fe, Ca, Al, Mg and n = 1 or 2. In air, we can prove the formation of coexisting FCAM-III and FCAM-I solid solutions at 1400 °C. By increasing the temperature up to 1425 °C FCAM-I disappears completely and FCAM-III co-exists with magnesiumferrite and a variety of calcium iron oxides. At 1450 °C FCAM-III breaks down to a mixture of FCAM-I again as well as magnesioferrite and melt. Small single-crystals of FCAM-III up to 35 μm in size could be retrieved from the 1425 °C experiment and were subsequently characterized using electron microprobe analysis and synchroton X-ray single-crystal diffraction. Finally the Fe2+/Fetot ratio was calculated from the total iron content based on the crystal-chemical formula obtained from EMPA measurements and charge balance considerations. FCAM-III or Ca2.38Mg2.09Fe3+10.61Fe2+1.59Al9.33O36 has a triclinic crystal structure (space group P 1 ̅). The basic crystallographic data are: a = 10.223(22) Å, b = 10.316(21) Å, c = 14.203(15) Å, α = 93.473(50)°, β = 107.418(67)°, γ = 109.646(60)°, V = 1323.85(2) ų, Z = 1. Using Schreinemaker's technique to analyze the phase relations in the system Fe2O3-CaO-Al2O3-MgO it was possible to obtain the semi-quantitative stability relations between the participating phases and construct a topologically correct phase sequence as a function of T and fO2. The analysis shows that Ca2Al0.5Fe1.5O5 (C2A0.25F0.75) and CaAl1.5Fe2.5O7 (CA0.75F1.25) with higher calculated Fe2+ contents are preferably formed at lower oxygen fugacity and react to CaAl0.5Fe1.5O4 (CA0.25F0.75) by increasing fO2. Spinel-type magnesium

  13. Synergistic effect of Fe2O3/Ho2O3 Co-modified 2D-titanate heterojunctions on enhanced photocatalytic degradation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Xiaona; Liu, Xinzhao; Lu, Dingze; Wu, Pei; Yan, Qiuyang; Liu, Min; Fang, Pengfei

    2017-01-01

    TiO2-based nanosheets (TNSs) co-modified by Fe2O3 and Ho2O3 were synthesized by one-pot hydrothermal method using Fe(NO3)3 and Ho(NO3)3 as precursors compositing with TiO2. The Fe2O3/Ho2O3-TNSs heterojunctions possessed a thickness of approximately 3-4 nm, large specific surface area of 210-310 cm2/g, with Fe2O3 and Ho2O3 nanoparticles highly dispersed over the surface of the nanosheets. The crystallization of the samples gradually increased with the amount of Fe2O3 nanoparticles, which was confirmed by the XRD, BET and Raman spectra, indicating that Ho2O3 and Fe2O3 influenced the crystallinity and structure evolution of the TNSs, besides, led to an improved the visible-light absorption. Surface photocurrent and fluorescence spectral studies revealed that the photo-generated charge carrier separation efficiency could be efficiently improved by an appropriate amount of modification. The Fe2O3/Ho2O3-TNSs exhibited synergistic effect on photocatalytic degradation of RhB as well as MO under visible light. The highest efficiency was obtained by 0.05%-Fe2O3/Ho2O3-TNSs (Fe:Ho:Ti = 0.05:1:100), which was 8.86 and 6.72 times than that of individual 1.0%-Ho2O3-TNSs (Ho:Ti = 1:100) and 0.05%-Fe2O3-TNSs (Fe:Ti = 0.05:100), respectively. The possible mechanism for enhanced visible-light-induced photocatalytic activity was proposed. Ho2O3 introduced in the photocatalysts may act as the hole capture while Fe2O3 may share the same Fermi levels with TNSs and serve as the electron capture center in the n-n-p system, which reduced the recombination rate of photo-induced electron-hole pairs.

  14. Syntheses, crystal structures, and magnetic properties of the oxalato-bridged mixed-valence complexes (FeII(bpm)3]2[FeIII2(ox)5].8H2O and FeII(bpm)3Na(H2O)2Fe(ox)(3).4H2O (bpm = 2,2'-bipyrimidine).

    PubMed

    Armentano, D; De Munno, G; Faus, J; Lloret, F; Julve, M

    2001-02-12

    The preparation and crystal structures of two oxalato-bridged FeII-FeIII mixed-valence compounds, [FeII(bpm)3]2[FeIII2(ox)5].8H2O (1) and FeII(bpm)3Na(H2O)2FeIII(ox)(3).4H2O (2) (bpm = 2,2'-bipyrimidine; ox = oxalate dianion) are reported here. Complex 1 crystallizes in the triclinic system, space group P1, with a = 10.998(2) A, b = 13.073(3) A, c = 13.308(3) A, alpha = 101.95(2) degrees, beta = 109.20(2) degrees, gamma = 99.89(2) degrees, and Z = 1. Complex 2 crystallizes in the monoclinic system, space group P2(1)/c, with a = 12.609(2) A, b = 19.670(5) A, c = 15.843(3) A, beta = 99.46(1) degrees, and Z = 4. The structure of complex 1 consists of centrosymmetric oxalato-bridged dinuclear high-spin iron(III) [Fe2(ox)5]2- anions, tris-chelated low-spin iron(II) [Fe(bpm)3]2+ cations, and lattice water molecules. The iron atoms are hexacoordinated: six oxygen atoms (iron(III)) from two bidentate and one bisbidentate oxalato ligands and six nitrogen atoms (iron(II)) from three bidentate bpm groups. The Fe(III)-O(ox) and Fe(II)-N(bpm) bond distances vary in the ranges 1.967(3)-2.099(3) and 1.967(4)-1.995(3) A, respectively. The iron(III)-iron(III) separation across the bridging oxalato is 5.449(2) A, whereas the shortest intermolecular iron(III)-iron(II) distance is 6.841(2) A. The structure of complex 2 consists of neutral heterotrinuclear Fe(bpm)2Na(H2O)2Fe(ox)3 units and water molecules of crystallization. The tris-chelated low-spin iron(II) ([Fe(bpm)3]2+) and high-spin iron(III) ([Fe(ox)3]3-) entities act as bidentate ligands (through two bpm-nitrogen and two oxalato-oxygen atoms, respectively) toward the univalent sodium cation, yielding the trinuclear (bpm)2Fe(II)-bpm-Na(I)-ox-Fe(III)(ox)2 complex. Two cis-coordinated water molecules complete the distorted octahedral surrounding of the sodium atom. The ranges of the Fe(II)-N(bpm) and Fe(III)-O(ox) bond distances [1.968(6)-1.993(5) and 1.992(6)-2.024(6) A, respectively] compare well with those observed in 1. The Na-N

  15. Visible electroluminescence from a ZnO nanowires/p-GaN heterojunction light emitting diode.

    PubMed

    Baratto, C; Kumar, R; Comini, E; Faglia, G; Sberveglieri, G

    2015-07-27

    In the current paper we apply catalyst assisted vapour phase growth technique to grow ZnO nanowires (ZnO nws) on p-GaN thin film obtaining EL emission in reverse bias regime. ZnO based LED represents a promising alternative to III-nitride LEDs, as in free devices: the potential is in near-UV emission and visible emission. For ZnO, the use of nanowires ensures good crystallinity of the ZnO, and improved light extraction from the interface when the nanowires are vertically aligned. We prepared ZnO nanowires in a tubular furnace on GaN templates and characterized the p-n ZnO nws/GaN heterojunction for LED applications. SEM microscopy was used to study the growth of nanowires and device preparation. Photoluminescence (PL) and Electroluminescence (EL) spectroscopies were used to characterize the heterojunction, showing that good quality of PL emission is observed from nanowires and visible emission from the junction can be obtained from the region near ZnO contact, starting from onset bias of 6V.

  16. Ab initio understanding of magnetic properties in Zn2+ substitution of Fe3O4 ultra-thin film with dilute Zn substitution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Zhaocong; Chen, Qian; Jiang, Sheng; Dong, Shuai; Zhai, Ya

    2018-05-01

    The mechanism of the magnetic properties on the Zn2+ substituted Fe3O4 film have been investigated based on first principle calculations. It is found that the surface effect plays an important role in the occupation of Zn ion, and in turn changes the magnetic moment. It may also destroy the half metallic behavior of Fe3O4 film even if the Zn2+ concentration only is one Zn2+ per unit cell (4%), which is different from that in bulk material.

  17. A comparative study of heterostructured CuO/CuWO4 nanowires and thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Polyakov, Boris; Kuzmin, Alexei; Vlassov, Sergei; Butanovs, Edgars; Zideluns, Janis; Butikova, Jelena; Kalendarev, Robert; Zubkins, Martins

    2017-12-01

    A comparative study of heterostructured CuO/CuWO4 core/shell nanowires and double-layer thin films was performed through X-ray diffraction, confocal micro-Raman spectroscopy and electron (SEM and TEM) microscopies. The heterostructures were produced using a two-step process, starting from a deposition of amorphous WO3 layer on top of CuO nanowires and thin films by reactive DC magnetron sputtering and followed by annealing at 650 °C in air. The second step induced a solid-state reaction between CuO and WO3 oxides through a thermal diffusion process, revealed by SEM-EDX analysis. Morphology evolution of core/shell nanowires and double-layer thin films upon heating was studied by electron (SEM and TEM) microscopies. A formation of CuWO4 phase was confirmed by X-ray diffraction and confocal micro-Raman spectroscopy.

  18. Synthesis of cobalt doped BiFeO3 multiferroic thin films on p-Si substrate by sol-gel method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prasannakumara, R.; Shrisha, B. V.; Naik, K. Gopalakrishna

    2018-05-01

    Bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3) and cobalt doped BiFeO3 (BiFe1-xCoxO3) nanostructure thin films were grown on p-silicon substrates by sol-gel spin coating method with a sequence of coating and annealing process. The post-annealing of the grown films was carried out under high pure argon atmosphere. The grown nanostructure thin films were characterized using XRD, FESEM, and AFM for the structural, morphological and topological studies, respectively. The elemental compositions of the samples were studied by EDX spectra. The PL spectra of the grown sample shows a narrow emission peak around 559 nm which corresponds to the energy band gap of BFO thin films. The XRD peaks of the BiFeO3 nanostructure thin film reveals the rhombohedral structure and transformed from rhombohedral to orthorhombic or tetragonal structure in Co doped BiFeO3 thin films. The Co substitution in BiFeO3 helped to obtain higher dense nanostructure thin films with smaller grain size than the BiFeO3 thin films.

  19. Structure and photoluminescence properties of TeO2-core/TiO2-shell nanowires

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Park, Sunghoon; An, Soyeon; Lee, Chongmu

    2013-12-01

    TeO2-core/TiO2-shell nanowires were fabricated by thermal evaporation of Te powders and MOCVD of TiO2. The as-synthesized TeO2 nanowires showed a weak broad violet band centered at approximately 430 nm. The emission peak was shifted to a bluish violet region (∼455 nm) by the encapsulation of the nanowires with a TiO2 thin film. The intensity of the major emission from the core-shell nanowires showed strong dependence on the shell layer thickness. The strongest emission was obtained for the shell layer thickness of ∼15 nm and its intensity was approximately 80 times higher than that of the violet emission from the as-synthesized TeO2 nanowires. This enhancement in emission intensity is attributed to the subwavelength optical resonant cavity formation in the shell layer. The major emission intensity was enhanced further and blue-shifted by annealing, which might be attributed to the increase in the Ti interstitial and O vacancy concentrations in the TeO2 cores during annealing.

  20. Characterization of planar pn heterojunction diodes constructed with Cu2O nanoparticle films and single ZnO nanowires.

    PubMed

    Kwak, Kiyeol; Cho, Kyoungah; Kim, Sangsig

    2013-05-01

    In this study, we fabricate planar pn heterojunction diodes composed of Cu2O nanoparticle (NP) films and single ZnO nanowires (NWs) on SiO2 (300 nm)/Si substrates and investigate their characteristics in the dark and under the illumination of white light and 325 nm wavelength light. The diode at bias voltages of +/- 1 V shows rectification ratios of 10 (in the dark) and 34 (under the illumination of white light). On the other hand, the diode exposed to the 325 nm wavelength light exhibits Ohmic characteristics which are associated with efficient photocurrent generation in both the Cu2O NP film and the single ZnO NW.

  1. Transparent nanostructured Fe-doped TiO2 thin films prepared by ultrasonic assisted spray pyrolysis technique

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rasoulnezhad, Hossein; Hosseinzadeh, Ghader; Ghasemian, Naser; Hosseinzadeh, Reza; Homayoun Keihan, Amir

    2018-05-01

    Nanostructured TiO2 and Fe-doped TiO2 thin films with high transparency were deposited on glass substrate through ultrasonic-assisted spray pyrolysis technique and were used in the visible light photocatalytic degradation of MB dye. The resulting thin films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction (XRD), and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy techniques. Based on Raman spectroscopy results, both of the TiO2 and Fe-doped TiO2 films have anatase crystal structure, however, because of the insertion of Fe in the structure of TiO2 some point defects and oxygen vacancies are formed in the Fe-doped TiO2 thin film. Presence of Fe in the structure of TiO2 decreases the band gap energy of TiO2 and also reduces the electron–hole recombination rate. Decreasing of the electron–hole recombination rate and band gap energy result in the enhancement of the visible light photocatalytic activity of the Fe-doped TiO2 thin film.

  2. Direct observation of dynamical magnetization reversal process governed by shape anisotropy in single NiFe2O4 nanowire.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Junli; Zhu, Shimeng; Li, Hongli; Zhu, Liu; Hu, Yang; Xia, Weixing; Zhang, Xixiang; Peng, Yong; Fu, Jiecai

    2018-05-31

    Discovering how the magnetization reversal process is governed by the magnetic anisotropy in magnetic nanomaterials is essential and significant to understand the magnetic behaviour of micro-magnetics and to facilitate the design of magnetic nanostructures for diverse technological applications. In this study, we present a direct observation of a dynamical magnetization reversal process in single NiFe2O4 nanowire, thus clearly revealing the domination of shape anisotropy on its magnetic behaviour. Individual nanoparticles on the NiFe2O4 nanowire appear as single domain states in the remanence state, which is maintained until the magnetic field reaches 200 Oe. The magnetization reversal mechanism of the nanowire is observed to be a curling rotation mode. These observations are further verified by micromagnetic computational simulations. Our findings show that the modulation of shape anisotropy is an efficient way to tune the magnetic behaviours of cubic spinel nano-ferrites.

  3. Giant Polarization Rotation in BiFeO3/SrTiO3 Thin Films.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Langner, M. C.; Chu, Y. H.; Martin, L. M.; Gajek, M.; Ramesh, R.; Orenstein, J.

    2008-03-01

    We use optical second harmonic generation to probe dynamics of the ferroelectric polarization in (111) oriented BiFeO3 thin films grown on SrTiO3 substrates. The second harmonic response indicates 3m point group symmetry and is consistent with a spontaneous polarization normal to the surface of the film. We measure large changes in amplitude and lowering of symmetry, consistent with polarization rotation, when modest electric fields are applied in the plane of the film. At room temperature the rotation is an order of magnitude larger than expected from reported values of the dielectric constant and increases further (as 1/T) as temperature is lowered. We propose a substrate interaction model to explain these results.

  4. Studying the Polarization Switching in Polycrystalline BiFeO3 Films by 2D Piezoresponse Force Microscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jin, Yaming; Lu, Xiaomei; Zhang, Junting; Kan, Yi; Bo, Huifeng; Huang, Fengzhen; Xu, Tingting; Du, Yingchao; Xiao, Shuyu; Zhu, Jinsong

    2015-07-01

    For rhombohedral multiferroelectrics, non-180° ferroelectric domain switching may induce ferroelastic and/or (anti-)ferromagnetic effect. So the determination and control of ferroelectric domain switching angles is crucial for nonvolatile information storage and exchange-coupled magnetoelectric devices. We try to study the intrinsic characters of polarization switching in BiFeO3 by introducing a special data processing method to determine the switching angle from 2D PFM (Piezoresponse Force Microscopy) images of randomly oriented samples. The response surface of BiFeO3 is first plotted using the piezoelectric tensor got from first principles calculations. Then from the normalized 2D PFM signals before and after switching, the switching angles of randomly oriented BiFeO3 grains can be determined through numerical calculations. In the polycrystalline BiFeO3 films, up to 34% of all switched area is that with original out-of-plane (OP) polarization parallel to the poling field. 71° polarization switching is more favorable, with the area percentages of 71°, 109° and 180° domain switching being about 42%, 29% and 29%, respectively. Our analysis further reveals that IP stress and charge migration have comparable effect on switching, and they are sensitive to the geometric arrangements. This work helps exploring a route to control polarization switching in BiFeO3, so as to realize desirable magnetoelectric coupling.

  5. Epitaxial growth of high quality SrFeO 3 films on (001) oriented (LaAlO 3 ) 0.3 (Sr 2 TaAlO 6 ) 0.7

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

    Hong, Deshun; Liu, Changjiang; Pearson, John

    2017-12-04

    Growth of strontium ferrite SrFeO3 films with stoichiometry of (1:1:3) is challenging as the unstable Fe4+ oxidation state favors the formation of O vacancies. Here, we report layer by layer growth of SrFeO3 on (001) oriented (LaAlO3)0.3(Sr2TaAlO6)0.7 using ozone assisted molecular beam epitaxy. Upon cooling from room temperature, the film’s resistivity decreased from 750 Ω ∙ to 150 Ω ∙ , as low as the best single crystals, with two identifiable transition points near 110 K and 60 K in resistivity measurements, being hysteretic between cooling and warming through the 60 K transition. During various annealing steps, the low temperaturemore » resistivity changes by orders of magnitude, accompanied by an increase in the c-axis lattice parameter. The hysteresis near 60 K persists for a wide range of annealing conditions. We have identified conditions under which changes due to annealing can be reversed. We attribute changes in resistivity and out of plane lattice parameter to the reversible movement of oxygen ions in the lattice. SrFeO3 may be a promising material for resistive memory applications based upon the control of oxygen vacancies.« less

  6. Magnetization reversal and coercivity of Fe3Se4 nanowire arrays

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, D.; Li, S. J.; Zhou, Y. T.; Bai, Y.; Zhu, Y. L.; Ren, W. J.; Long, G.; Zeng, H.; Zhang, Z. D.

    2015-05-01

    The microstructure and magnetic properties of Fe3Se4 nanowire (NW) arrays in anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) porous membrane are studied. Cross-sectional SEM and plane-view TEM images show that the mean wire diameter (dw) and the center-to-center spacing (D) of Fe3Se4 nanowires are about 220 nm and 330 nm, respectively. The field-cooled magnetization dependent on the temperature indicates a Curie temperature around 334 K for the Fe3Se4 nanowires. The coercivities of Fe3Se4 nanowires at 10 K, obtained from the in-plane and out-of-plane hysteresis loops, are as high as 22.4 kOe and 23.3 kOe, which can be understood from the magnetocrystalline anisotropy and the magnetization reversal process.

  7. Synthesis and cathodoluminescence of beta-Ga2O3 nanowires with holes.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Xitian; Liu, Zhuang; Hark, Suikong

    2008-03-01

    Gallium oxide nanowires were synthesized on Si (001) substrate by chemical vapor deposition, using a Ga/Ga2O3 mixture as a precursor and Au as a catalyst. The structure of the as-synthesized products was examined by X-ray powder diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and found to be monoclinic beta-Ga2O3. The morphologies of the beta-Ga2O3 nanowires were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The majority of the nanowires contain holes along their length, but a few were also found without holes. The holes are believed to be formed by the reaction of adsorbed Ga droplets on reactive terminating surfaces of the nanowires. For nanowires where these reactive surfaces are not exposed, the reaction of Ga is retarded. Cathodoluminescence (CL) of the nanowires was measured. Three emission bands centered at 376, 454, and 666 nm, respectively, were observed.

  8. TiO2 nanowire-templated hierarchical nanowire network as water-repelling coating

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hang, Tian; Chen, Hui-Jiuan; Xiao, Shuai; Yang, Chengduan; Chen, Meiwan; Tao, Jun; Shieh, Han-ping; Yang, Bo-ru; Liu, Chuan; Xie, Xi

    2017-12-01

    Extraordinary water-repelling properties of superhydrophobic surfaces make them novel candidates for a great variety of potential applications. A general approach to achieve superhydrophobicity requires low-energy coating on the surface and roughness on nano- and micrometre scale. However, typical construction of superhydrophobic surfaces with micro-nano structure through top-down fabrication is restricted by sophisticated fabrication techniques and limited choices of substrate materials. Micro-nanoscale topographies templated by conventional microparticles through surface coating may produce large variations in roughness and uncontrollable defects, resulting in poorly controlled surface morphology and wettability. In this work, micro-nanoscale hierarchical nanowire network was fabricated to construct self-cleaning coating using one-dimensional TiO2 nanowires as microscale templates. Hierarchical structure with homogeneous morphology was achieved by branching ZnO nanowires on the TiO2 nanowire backbones through hydrothermal reaction. The hierarchical nanowire network displayed homogeneous micro/nano-topography, in contrast to hierarchical structure templated by traditional microparticles. This hierarchical nanowire network film exhibited high repellency to both water and cell culture medium after functionalization with fluorinated organic molecules. The hierarchical structure templated by TiO2 nanowire coating significantly increased the surface superhydrophobicity compared to vertical ZnO nanowires with nanotopography alone. Our results demonstrated a promising strategy of using nanowires as microscale templates for the rational design of hierarchical coatings with desired superhydrophobicity that can also be applied to various substrate materials.

  9. TiO2 nanowire-templated hierarchical nanowire network as water-repelling coating

    PubMed Central

    Hang, Tian; Chen, Hui-Jiuan; Xiao, Shuai; Yang, Chengduan; Chen, Meiwan; Tao, Jun; Shieh, Han-ping; Yang, Bo-ru; Liu, Chuan

    2017-01-01

    Extraordinary water-repelling properties of superhydrophobic surfaces make them novel candidates for a great variety of potential applications. A general approach to achieve superhydrophobicity requires low-energy coating on the surface and roughness on nano- and micrometre scale. However, typical construction of superhydrophobic surfaces with micro-nano structure through top-down fabrication is restricted by sophisticated fabrication techniques and limited choices of substrate materials. Micro-nanoscale topographies templated by conventional microparticles through surface coating may produce large variations in roughness and uncontrollable defects, resulting in poorly controlled surface morphology and wettability. In this work, micro-nanoscale hierarchical nanowire network was fabricated to construct self-cleaning coating using one-dimensional TiO2 nanowires as microscale templates. Hierarchical structure with homogeneous morphology was achieved by branching ZnO nanowires on the TiO2 nanowire backbones through hydrothermal reaction. The hierarchical nanowire network displayed homogeneous micro/nano-topography, in contrast to hierarchical structure templated by traditional microparticles. This hierarchical nanowire network film exhibited high repellency to both water and cell culture medium after functionalization with fluorinated organic molecules. The hierarchical structure templated by TiO2 nanowire coating significantly increased the surface superhydrophobicity compared to vertical ZnO nanowires with nanotopography alone. Our results demonstrated a promising strategy of using nanowires as microscale templates for the rational design of hierarchical coatings with desired superhydrophobicity that can also be applied to various substrate materials. PMID:29308265

  10. Structural and electromagnetic properties of NiAlxFe2-xO4/SiO2 nanocomposite films deposited using a sol-gel spin-coating method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Li; Li, Xuejian; Li, Ji; Liu, Mei; Xu, Shichong; Li, Haibo

    2017-12-01

    NiAlxFe2-xO4/SiO2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1.0) nanocomposite films deposited on Si(1 0 0) substrates were prepared by a sol-gel spin-coating method. The influences of Al3+ content and annealing temperature on the structural and electromagnetic properties of the nanocomposite films were investigated. The results indicated that NiAlxFe2-xO4 in the nanocomposite films crystallized after annealing at 1073 K and above. When the doping content x increased from 0 to 1.0, the lattice constants and the average crystallite sizes of the NiAlxFe2-xO4 nanoparticles decreased. The saturation magnetization and coercivity of the films were inversely proportional to the Al3+ content. The maximum value of saturation magnetization (361.6 emu/cm3) and the minimum value of coercivity (18.6 kA/m) were obtained for x of 0.2. When the annealing temperature increased from 1073 to 1473 K, the lattice constant and the average crystallite size of the NiAl0.2Fe1.8O4 nanoparticles increased from 0.8322 to 0.8349 nm and 4 to 28 nm, respectively, and the saturation magnetization and coercivity of the films increased from 214.8 to 464.5 emu/cm3 and 8.2 to 26.9 kA/m, respectively. Moreover, the DC resistivity of the films increased with increasing Al3+ content and annealing temperature.

  11. Giant Faraday Rotation through Ultrasmall Fe0 n Clusters in Superparamagnetic FeO-SiO2 Vitreous Films.

    PubMed

    Nakatsuka, Yuko; Pollok, Kilian; Wieduwilt, Torsten; Langenhorst, Falko; Schmidt, Markus A; Fujita, Koji; Murai, Shunsuke; Tanaka, Katsuhisa; Wondraczek, Lothar

    2017-04-01

    Magnetooptical (MO) glasses and, in particular, Faraday rotators are becoming key components in lasers and optical information processing, light switching, coding, filtering, and sensing. The common design of such Faraday rotator materials follows a simple path: high Faraday rotation is achieved by maximizing the concentration of paramagnetic ion species in a given matrix material. However, this approach has reached its limits in terms of MO performance; hence, glass-based materials can presently not be used efficiently in thin film MO applications. Here, a novel strategy which overcomes this limitation is demonstrated. Using vitreous films of x FeO·(100 - x )SiO 2 , unusually large Faraday rotation has been obtained, beating the performance of any other glassy material by up to two orders of magnitude. It is shown that this is due to the incorporation of small, ferromagnetic clusters of atomic iron which are generated in line during laser deposition and rapid condensation of the thin film, generating superparamagnetism. The size of these clusters underbids the present record of metallic Fe incorporation and experimental verification in glass matrices.

  12. BiFeO3 epitaxial thin films and devices: past, present and future

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sando, D.; Barthélémy, A.; Bibes, M.

    2014-11-01

    The celebrated renaissance of the multiferroics family over the past ten years has also been that of its most paradigmatic member, bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3). Known since the 1960s to be a high temperature antiferromagnet and since the 1970s to be ferroelectric, BiFeO3 only had its bulk ferroic properties clarified in the mid-2000s. It is however the fabrication of BiFeO3 thin films and their integration into epitaxial oxide heterostructures that have fully revealed its extraordinarily broad palette of functionalities. Here we review the first decade of research on BiFeO3 films, restricting ourselves to epitaxial structures. We discuss how thickness and epitaxial strain influence not only the unit cell parameters, but also the crystal structure, illustrated for instance by the discovery of the so-called T-like phase of BiFeO3. We then present its ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties and their evolution near morphotropic phase boundaries. Magnetic properties and their modification by thickness and strain effects, as well as optical parameters, are covered. Finally, we highlight various types of devices based on BiFeO3 in electronics, spintronics, and optics, and provide perspectives for the development of further multifunctional devices for information technology and energy harvesting.

  13. Electrostatic spray deposition of porous Fe 2O 3 thin films as anode material with improved electrochemical performance for lithium-ion batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, L.; Xu, H. W.; Chen, P. C.; Zhang, D. W.; Ding, C. X.; Chen, C. H.

    Iron oxide materials are attractive anode materials for lithium-ion batteries for their high capacity and low cost compared with graphite and most of other transition metal oxides. Porous carbon-free α-Fe 2O 3 films with two types of pore size distribution were prepared by electrostatic spray deposition, and they were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy. The 200 °C-deposited thin film exhibits a high reversible capacity of up to 1080 mAh g -1, while the initial capacity loss is at a remarkable low level (19.8%). Besides, the energy efficiency and energy specific average potential (E av) of the Fe 2O 3 films during charge/discharge process were also investigated. The results indicate that the porous α-Fe 2O 3 films have significantly higher energy density than Li 4Ti 5O 12 while it has a similar E av of about 1.5 V. Due to the porous structure that can buffer the volume changes during lithium intercalation/de-intercalation, the films exhibit stable cycling performance. As a potential anode material for high performance lithium-ion batteries that can be applied on electric vehicle and energy storage, rate capability and electrochemical performance under high-low temperatures were also investigated.

  14. Fabrication of superconducting nanowires from ultrathin MgB2 films via focused ion beam milling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Chen; Wang, Da; Liu, Zheng-Hao; Zhang, Yan; Ma, Ping; Feng, Qing-Rong; Wang, Yue; Gan, Zi-Zhao

    2015-02-01

    High quality superconducting nanowires were fabricated from ultrathin MgB2 films by a focused ion beam milling technique. The precursor MgB2 films in 10 nm thick were grown on MgO substrates by using a hybrid physical-chemical vapor deposition method. The nanowires, in widths of about 300-600 nm and lengths of 1 or 10 μm, showed high superconducting critical temperatures (Tc's) above 34 K and narrow superconducting transition widths (ΔTc's) of 1-3 K. The superconducting critical current density Jc of the nanowires was above 5 × 107 A/cm2 at 20 K. The high Tc, narrow ΔTc, and high Jc of the nanowires offered the possibility of making MgB2-based nano-devices such as hot-electron bolometers and superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors with high operating temperatures at 15-20 K.

  15. Preparation and characterization of Y-Fe alloy nanowires by template-assisted electrodeposition from aqueous solution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, XiaoChao; Han, Li; Zhang, YuanYuan; Xue, ShouHong

    2016-03-01

    In this study, a method was proposed for the preparation of Y-Fe alloy nanowires by PC membrane template-assisted electrodeposition from aqueous solution. Citric acid acted as complexing agent was used into the solution to fabricate Y-Fe alloy nanowires. The electrolyte solution consisted of 5 g L-1 YCl3, 12.5 g L-1 FeSO·6H2O, different concentrations of citric acid , 25 g L-1 boric acid in deionized water. The energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) found that the content of Y in the nanowires can be controlled by citric acid concentration and the current intensity, and the content of Y could reach up to 33.16 wt%. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), BET specific surface area (BET), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that there was a shift in the structure of nanowires from semicrystalline to amorphous due to the change of Y content, and their shapes were approximately 100 nm in diameter and 6 μm in length; the surface areas of nanowires were about 3.97 m2/g. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicated the formation of Y-Fe alloy, Y2O3 and Fe2O3 existed in the outer layer of nanowires. The magnetic field applied both parallel and perpendicular to the nanowires by alternating gradient magnetometer (AGM) showed small magnetic anisotropy and low coercivity with easy axis of magnetization perpendicular to the nanowires. In addition, the magneto-optic Kerr effect (MOKE) was investigated, and a Kerr rotation angle of 29 mdeg was obtained.

  16. Temperature controlled evolution of monoclinic to super-tetragonal phase of epitaxial BiFeO3 thin films on La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 buffered SrTiO3 substrate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, Anar; Kaifeng, Dong; Chen, Jing-Sheng

    2018-03-01

    Epitaxial BiFeO3 thin films of 130nm were deposited by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique on La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 buffered SrTiO3 (001) substrate at various temperatures under different ambient oxygen pressures. Reciprocal space mapping reveals that, with decreasing temperature and oxygen pressure, the broadly reported monoclinic phase (MA) of BiFeO3 thin film initially transforms to a tetragonal phase (T1) with c/a =1.05 (1) in a narrow girth of deposition condition and then to a super-tetragonal phase (T2) with giant c/a = 1.24 (1), as confirmed by reciprocal space mapping using high resolution x-ray diffraction. The surface morphology of the films reveals the island growth of the BiFeO3 films deposited at low temperatures. We propose that the transformation from monoclinic to the super-tetragonal phase is essentially due to the manifestation of excess local strain as a result of the island growth. This study offers a recipe to grow the super-tetragonal phase of BiFeO3, with giant c/a =1.24 (1) which exhibits exceptionally large ferroelectric polarization, on ferromagnetic layer La0.67Sr0.33MnO3. This phase of BiFeO3 can be utilized for the ferroelectric control of magnetism at the interface of BiFeO3 and La0.67Sr0.33MnO3.

  17. Effect of Growth Parameters on SnO2 Nanowires Growth by Electron Beam Evaporation Method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rakesh Kumar, R.; Manjula, Y.; Narasimha Rao, K.

    2018-02-01

    Tin oxide (SnO2) nanowires were synthesized via catalyst assisted VLS growth mechanism by the electron beam evaporation method at a growth temperature of 450 °C. The effects of growth parameters such as evaporation rate of Tin, catalyst film thickness, and different types of substrates on the growth of SnO2 nanowires were studied. Nanowires (NWs) growth was completely seized at higher tin evaporation rates due to the inability of the catalyst particle to initiate the NWs growth. Nanowires diameters were able to tune with catalyst film thickness. Nanowires growth was completely absent at higher catalyst film thickness due to agglomeration of the catalyst film. Optimum growth parameters for SnO2 NWs were presented. Nanocomposites such as Zinc oxide - SnO2, Graphene oxide sheets- SnO2 and Graphene nanosheets-SnO2 were able to synthesize at a lower substrate temperature of 450 °C. These nanocompsoites will be useful in enhancing the capacity of Li-ion batteries, the gas sensing response and also useful in increasing the photo catalytic activity.

  18. Facile synthesis of Fe4N/Fe2O3/Fe/porous N-doped carbon nanosheet as high-performance anode for lithium-ion batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Dan; Li, Guangshe; Yu, Meijie; Fan, Jianming; Li, Baoyun; Li, Liping

    2018-04-01

    Iron nitrides are considered as highly promising anode materials for lithium-ion batteries because of their nontoxicity, high abundance, low cost, and higher electrical conductivity. Unfortunately, their limited synthesis routes are available and practical application is still hindered by their fast capacity decay. Herein, a facile and green route is developed to synthesize Fe4N/Fe2O3/Fe/porous N-doped carbon nanosheet composite. The size of Fe4N/Fe2O3/Fe particles is small (10-40 nm) and they are confined in porous N-doped carbon nanosheet. These features are conducive to accommodate volume change well, shorten the diffusion distance and further elevate electrical conductivity. When tested as anode material for lithium-ion batteries, a high discharge capacity of 554 mA h g-1 after 100 cycles at 100 mA g-1 and 389 mA h g-1 after 300 cycles at 1000 mA g-1 are retained. Even at 2000 mA g-1, a high capacity of 330 mA h g-1 can be achieved, demonstrating superior cycling stability and rate performance. New prospects will be brought by this work for the synthesis and the potential application of iron nitrides materials as an anode for LIBs.

  19. Fabrication of CoFe2O4 ferrite nanowire arrays in porous silicon template and their local magnetic properties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hui, Zheng; Man-Gui, Han; Long-Jiang, Deng

    2016-02-01

    CoFe2O4 ferrite nanowire arrays are fabricated in porous silicon templates. The porous silicon templates are prepared via metal-assisted chemical etching with gold (Au) nanoparticles as the catalyst. Subsequently, CoFe2O4 ferrite nanowires are successfully synthesized into porous silicon templates by the sol-gel method. The magnetic hysteresis loop of nanowire array shows an isotropic feature of magnetic properties. The coercivity and squareness ratio (Mr/Ms) of ensemble nanowires are found to be 630 Oe (1 Oe, = 79.5775 A·m-1 and 0.4 respectively. However, the first-order reversal curve (FORC) is adopted to reveal the probability density function of local magnetostatic properties (i.e., interwire interaction field and coercivity). The FORC diagram shows an obvious distribution feature for interaction field and coercivity. The local coercivity with a value of about 1000 Oe is found to have the highest probability. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 61271039), the Scientific Projects of Sichuan Province, China (Grant No. 2015HH0016), and the Natural Science Foundations of Zhejiang Province, China (Grant Nos. LQ12E02001 and Y107255).

  20. Epitaxial Fe/Y2O3 interfaces as a model system for oxide-dispersion-strengthened ferritic alloys

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

    Kaspar, Tiffany C.; Bowden, Mark E.; Wang, Chong M.

    2015-02-01

    The fundamental mechanisms underlying the superior radiation tolerance properties of oxide-dispersion-strengthened ferritic steels and nanostructured ferritic alloys are poorly understood. Thin film heterostructures of Fe/Y2O3 can serve as a model system for fundamental studies of radiation damage. Epitaxial thin films of Y2O3 were deposited by pulsed laser deposition on 8% Y:ZrO2 (YSZ) substrates with (100), (110), and (111) orientation. Metallic Fe was subsequently deposited by molecular beam epitaxy. Characterization by x-ray diffraction and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry in the channeling geometry revealed a degree of epitaxial or axiotaxial ntation for Fe(211) deposited on Y2O3(110)/YSZ(110). In contrast, Fe on Y2O3(111)/YSZ(111) was fullymore » polycrystalline, and Fe on Y2O3(100)/YSZ(100) exhibited out-of-plane texture in the [110] direction with little or no preferential in-plane orientation. Scanning transmission electron microscopy imaging of Fe(211)/Y2O3(110)/YSZ(110) revealed a strongly islanded morphology for the Fe film, with no epitaxial grains visible in the cross-sectional sample. Well-ordered Fe grains with no orientation to the underlying Y2O3 were observed. Well-ordered crystallites of Fe with both epitaxial and non-epitaxial orientations on Y2O3 are a promising model system for fundamental studies of radiation damage phenomena. This is illustrated with preliminary results of He bubble formation following implantation with a helium ion microscope. He bubble formation is shown to preferentially occur at the Fe/Y2O3 interface.« less

  1. Molecular beam epitaxy growth of SmFeAs(O,F) films with Tc = 55 K using the new fluorine source FeF3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sakoda, Masahito; Ishii, Akihiro; Takinaka, Kenji; Naito, Michio

    2017-07-01

    REFeAs(O,F) (RE: rare-earth element) has the highest-Tc (˜58 K) among the iron-based superconductors, but a thin-film growth of REFeAs(O,F) is difficult. This is because it is not only a complex compound consisting of five elements but also requires doping of highly reactive fluorine to achieve superconductivity. We have reported in our previous article that fluorine can be supplied to a film by subliming solid-state fluorides such as FeF2 or SmF3. In this article, we report on the growth of SmFeAs(O,F) using FeF3 as an alternative fluorine source. FeF3 is solid at ambient temperatures and decomposes at temperatures as low as 100-200 °C, and releases fluorine-containing gas during the thermal decomposition. With this alternative fluorine source, we have grown SmFeAs(O,F) films with Tc as high as 55 K. This achievement demonstrates that FeF3 has potential as a fluorine source that can be employed ubiquitously for a thin-film growth of any fluorine containing compounds. One problem specific to FeF3 is that the compound is highly hydroscopic and contains a substantial amount of water even in its anhydrous form. In this article, we describe how to overcome this specific problem.

  2. Viscosity of SiO2-"FeO"-Al2O3 System in Equilibrium with Metallic Fe

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Mao; Raghunath, Sreekanth; Zhao, Baojun

    2013-08-01

    The present study delivered the measurements of viscosities in SiO2-"FeO"-Al2O3 system in equilibrium with metallic Fe. The rotational spindle technique was used in the measurements at the temperature range of 1473 K to 1773 K (1200 °C to 1500 °C). Molybdenum crucibles and spindles were employed in all measurements. The Fe saturation condition was maintained by an iron plate placed at the bottom of the crucible. The equilibrium compositions of the slags were measured by EPMA after the viscosity measurements. The effect of up to 20 mol. pct Al2O3 on the viscosity of the SiO2-"FeO" slag was investigated. The "charge compensation effect" of the Al2O3 and FeO association has been discussed. The modified quasi-chemical viscosity model has been optimized in the SiO2-"FeO"-Al2O3 system in equilibrium with metallic Fe to describe the viscosity measurements of the present study.

  3. Hierarchically Structured Co3O4@Pt@MnO2 Nanowire Arrays for High-Performance Supercapacitors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xia, Hui; Zhu, Dongdong; Luo, Zhentao; Yu, Yue; Shi, Xiaoqin; Yuan, Guoliang; Xie, Jianping

    2013-10-01

    Here we proposed a novel architectural design of a ternary MnO2-based electrode - a hierarchical Co3O4@Pt@MnO2 core-shell-shell structure, where the complemental features of the three key components (a well-defined Co3O4 nanowire array on the conductive Ti substrate, an ultrathin layer of small Pt nanoparticles, and a thin layer of MnO2 nanoflakes) are strategically combined into a single entity to synergize and construct a high-performance electrode for supercapacitors. Owing to the high conductivity of the well-defined Co3O4 nanowire arrays, in which the conductivity was further enhanced by a thin metal (Pt) coating layer, in combination with the large surface area provided by the small MnO2 nanoflakes, the as-fabricated Co3O4@Pt@MnO2 nanowire arrays have exhibited high specific capacitances, good rate capability, and excellent cycling stability. The architectural design demonstrated in this study provides a new approach to fabricate high-performance MnO2-based nanowire arrays for constructing next-generation supercapacitors.

  4. Structural, magnetic and optical properties of Y bFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} films deposited by spin coating

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

    Fujii, Tatsuo, E-mail: tfujii@cc.okayama-u.ac.jp; Okamura, Naoya; Hashimoto, Hideki

    Rare-earth iron oxides (RFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}) have attracting attention as new electronic device materials because of their numerous functionalities, such as electronic ferroelectricity, ferrimagnetism, and high infrared absorption. In this paper, nearly monophasic Y bFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} films were prepared on α-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}(001) substrates by the spin coating method using an aqueous-based Y bFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} solution. The solution was composed of a stoichiometric ratio of Y b(CH{sub 3}COO){sub 3} and Fe(NO{sub 3}){sub 3} with excess chelating agents. After heat treatment above 800 °C, well-crystallized and highly (001)-oriented Y bFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} started to epitaxially form on the substrate undermore » controlled oxygen partial pressure with H{sub 2}/CO{sub 2} gas mixtures. X-ray pole figure analysis confirmed the following epitaxial relationship: Y bFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}[100](001)//α-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}[100](001). Moreover formation of an Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} interracial layer between Y bFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} and α-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} was detected by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Presence of the Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} interracial layer seemed to release the lattice misfit with the substrate. The Fe{sup 2+}/Fe{sup 3+} ratio in the obtained Y bFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} films was nearly stoichiometric and the indirect bandgap assigned to Fe{sup 2+} → Fe{sup 3+} charge transfer excitation was found to be ∼0.4 eV by optical spectroscopy. A clear magnetic transition from the paramagnetic state to the ferrimagnetic state occurred at ∼230 K.« less

  5. Octahedral rotation patterns in strained EuFeO 3 and other Pbnm perovskite films: Implications for hybrid improper ferroelectricity

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

    Choquette, A. K.; Smith, C. R.; Sichel-Tissot, R. J.

    2016-07-01

    We report the relationship between epitaxial strain and the crystallographic orientation of the in-phase rotation axis and A-site displacements in Pbnm-type perovskite films. Synchrotron diffraction measurements of EuFeO3 films under strain states ranging from 2% compressive to 0.9% tensile on cubic or rhombohedral substrates exhibit a combination of a(-)a(+)c(-) and a(+)a(-)c(-) rotational patterns. We compare the EuFeO3 behavior with previously reported experimental and theoretical work on strained Pbnm-type films on nonorthorhombic substrates, as well as additional measurements from LaGaO3, LaFeO3, and Eu0.7Sr0.3MnO3 films on SrTiO3. Compiling the results from various material systems reveals a general strain dependence in which compressivemore » strain strongly favors a(-)a(+)c(-) and a(+)a(-)c(-) rotation patterns and tensile strain weakly favors a(-)a(-)c(+) structures. In contrast, EuFeO3 films grown on Pbnm-type GdScO3 under 2.3% tensile strain take on a uniform a(-)a(+)c(-) rotation pattern imprinted from the substrate, despite strain considerations that favor the a(-)a(-)c(+) pattern. These results point to the use of substrate imprinting as a more robust route than strain for tuning the crystallographic orientations of the octahedral rotations and A-site displacements needed to realize rotation-induced hybrid improper ferroelectricity in oxide heterostructures.« less

  6. Octahedral rotation patterns in strained EuFeO 3 and other Pbnm perovskite films: Implications for hybrid improper ferroelectricity

    DOE PAGES

    Choquette, A. K.; Smith, C. R.; Sichel-Tissot, R. J.; ...

    2016-07-07

    Here, we report the relationship between epitaxial strain and the crystallographic orientation of the in-phase rotation axis and A -site displacements in Pbnm-type perovskite films. Synchrotron diffraction measurements of EuFeO 3 films under strain states ranging from 2% compressive to 0.9% tensile on cubic or rhombohedral substrates exhibit a combination of a - a + c - and a + a - c - rotational patterns. We compare the EuFeO 3 behavior with previously reported experimental and theoretical work on strained Pbnm-type films on nonorthorhombic substrates, as well as additional measurements from LaGaO 3 ,more » LaFeO 3 , and Eu 0.7Sr 0.3 MnO 3 films on SrTiO 3 . Compiling the results from various material systems reveals a general strain dependence in which compressive strain strongly favors a - a + c - and a + a - c - rotation patterns and tensile strain weakly favors a - a - c + structures. In contrast, EuFeO 3 films grown on Pbnm-type GdScO 3 under 2.3% tensile strain take on a uniform a - a + c - rotation pattern imprinted from the substrate, despite strain considerations that favor the a - a - c + pattern. Our results point to the use of substrate imprinting as a more robust route than strain for tuning the crystallographic orientations of the octahedral rotations and A -site displacements needed to realize rotation-induced hybrid improper ferroelectricity in oxide heterostructures.« less

  7. Coherent Fe-rich nano-scale perovskite oxide phase in epitaxial Sr2FeMoO6 films grown on cubic and scandate substrates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deniz, Hakan; Preziosi, Daniele; Alexe, Marin; Hesse, Dietrich

    2017-01-01

    We report the growth of high-quality epitaxial Sr2FeMoO6 (SFMO) thin films on various unconventional oxide substrates, such as TbScO3, DyScO3, and Sr2Al0.3Ga0.7TaO6 (SAGT) as well as on the most commonly used one, SrTiO3 (STO), by pulsed laser deposition. The films were found to contain a foreign nano-scale phase coherently embedded inside the SFMO film matrix. Through energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy, we identified the foreign phase to be Sr2-xFe1+yMo1-yO6, an off-stoichiometric derivative of the SFMO compound with Fe rich content (y ≈ 0.6) and a fairly identical crystal structure to SFMO. The films on STO and SAGT exhibited very good magnetic properties with high Curie temperature values. All the samples have fairly good conducting behavior albeit the presence of a foreign phase. Despite the relatively large number of items of the foreign phase, there is no significant deterioration in the properties of the SFMO films. We discuss in detail how magneto-transport properties are affected by the foreign phase.

  8. Magnetoresistance Versus Oxygen Deficiency in Epi-stabilized SrRu1 - x Fe x O3 - δ Thin Films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dash, Umasankar; Acharya, Susant Kumar; Lee, Bo Wha; Jung, Chang Uk

    2017-03-01

    Oxygen vacancies have a profound effect on the magnetic, electronic, and transport properties of transition metal oxide materials. Here, we studied the influence of oxygen vacancies on the magnetoresistance (MR) properties of SrRu1 - x Fe x O3 - δ epitaxial thin films ( x = 0.10, 0.20, and 0.30). For this purpose, we synthesized highly strained epitaxial SrRu1 - x Fe x O3 - δ thin films with atomically flat surfaces containing different amounts of oxygen vacancies using pulsed laser deposition. Without an applied magnetic field, the films with x = 0.10 and 0.20 showed a metal-insulator transition, while the x = 0.30 thin film showed insulating behavior over the entire temperature range of 2-300 K. Both Fe doping and the concentration of oxygen vacancies had large effects on the negative MR contributions. For the low Fe doping case of x = 0.10, in which both films exhibited metallic behavior, MR was more prominent in the film with fewer oxygen vacancies or equivalently a more metallic film. For semiconducting films, higher MR was observed for more semiconducting films having more oxygen vacancies. A relatively large negative MR ( 36.4%) was observed for the x = 0.30 thin film with a high concentration of oxygen vacancies ( δ = 0.12). The obtained results were compared with MR studies for a polycrystal of (Sr1 - x La x )(Ru1 - x Fe x )O3. These results highlight the crucial role of oxygen stoichiometry in determining the magneto-transport properties in SrRu1 - x Fe x O3 - δ thin films.

  9. Growth of Fe2O3/SnO2 nanobelt arrays on iron foil for efficient photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lei, Rui; Ni, Hongwei; Chen, Rongsheng; Zhang, Bowei; Zhan, Weiting; Li, Yang

    2017-04-01

    Tin(IV) oxide has been intensively employed in optoelectronic devices due to its excellent electrical and optical properties. But the high recombination rates of the photogenerated electron-hole pairs of SnO2 nanomaterials often results in low photocatalytic efficiency. Herein, we proposed a facile route to prepare a novel Fe2O3/SnO2 heterojunction structure. The nanobelt arrays grown on iron foil naturally form a Schottky-type contact and provide a direct pathway for the photogenerated excitons. Hence, the Fe2O3/SnO2 nanobelt arrays exhibit much improved photocatalytic performance with the degradation rate constant on the Fe2O3/SnO2 film of approximately 12 times to that of α-Fe2O3 nanobelt arrays.

  10. Fabrication of a P3HT-ZnO Nanowires Gas Sensor Detecting Ammonia Gas

    PubMed Central

    Kuo, Chin-Guo; Chen, Jung-Hsuan; Chao, Yi-Chieh; Chen, Po-Lin

    2017-01-01

    In this study, an organic-inorganic semiconductor gas sensor was fabricated to detect ammonia gas. An inorganic semiconductor was a zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowire array produced by atomic layer deposition (ALD) while an organic material was a p-type semiconductor, poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT). P3HT was suitable for the gas sensing application due to its high hole mobility, good stability, and good electrical conductivity. In this work, P3HT was coated on the zinc oxide nanowires by the spin coating to form an organic-inorganic heterogeneous interface of the gas sensor for detecting ammonia gas. The thicknesses of the P3HT were around 462 nm, 397 nm, and 277 nm when the speeds of the spin coating were 4000 rpm, 5000 rpm, and 6000 rpm, respectively. The electrical properties and sensing characteristics of the gas sensing device at room temperature were evaluated by Hall effect measurement and the sensitivity of detecting ammonia gas. The results of Hall effect measurement for the P3HT-ZnO nanowires semiconductor with 462 nm P3HT film showed that the carrier concentration and the mobility were 2.7 × 1019 cm−3 and 24.7 cm2∙V−1∙s−1 respectively. The gas sensing device prepared by the P3HT-ZnO nanowires semiconductor had better sensitivity than the device composed of the ZnO film and P3HT film. Additionally, this gas sensing device could reach a maximum sensitivity around 11.58 per ppm. PMID:29295573

  11. Protein immobilization onto electrochemically synthesized CoFe nanowires

    PubMed Central

    Torati, Sri Ramulu; Reddy, Venu; Yoon, Seok Soo; Kim, CheolGi

    2015-01-01

    CoFe nanowires have been synthesized by the electrodeposition technique into the pores of a polycarbonate membrane with a nominal pore diameter of 50 nm, and the composition of CoFe nanowires varying by changing the source concentration of iron. The synthesized nanowire surfaces were functionalized with amine groups by treatment with aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) linker, and then conjugated with streptavidin-Cy3 protein via ethyl (dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide and N-hydroxysuccinimide coupling chemistry. The oxide surface of CoFe nanowire is easily modified with aminopropyltriethoxysilane to form an amine terminating group, which is covalently bonded to streptavidin-Cy3 protein. The physicochemical properties of the nanowires were analyzed through different characterization techniques such as scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometer. Fluorescence microscopic studies and Fourier transform infrared studies confirmed the immobilization of protein on the nanowire surface. In addition, the transmission electron microscope analysis reveals the thin protein layer which is around 12–15 nm on the nanowire surfaces. PMID:25609966

  12. Anionic ordering and thermal properties of FeF3·3H2O.

    PubMed

    Burbano, Mario; Duttine, Mathieu; Borkiewicz, Olaf; Wattiaux, Alain; Demourgues, Alain; Salanne, Mathieu; Groult, Henri; Dambournet, Damien

    2015-10-05

    Iron fluoride trihydrate can be used to prepare iron hydroxyfluoride with the hexagonal-tungsten-bronze (HTB) type structure, a potential cathode material for batteries. To understand this phase transformation, a structural description of β-FeF3·3H2O is first performed by means of DFT calculations and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The structure of this compound consists of infinite chains of [FeF6]n and [FeF2(H2O)4]n. The decomposition of FeF3·3H2O induces a collapse and condensation of these chains, which lead to the stabilization, under specific conditions, of a hydroxyfluoride network FeF3-x(OH)x with the HTB structure. The release of H2O and HF was monitored by thermal analysis and physical characterizations during the decomposition of FeF3·3H2O. An average distribution of FeF4(OH)2 distorted octahedra in HTB-FeF3-x(OH)x was obtained subsequent to the thermal hydrolysis/olation of equatorial anionic positions involving F(-) and H2O. This study provides a clear understanding of the structure and thermal properties of FeF3·3H2O, a material that can potentially bridge the recycling of pickling sludge from the steel industry by preparing battery electrodes.

  13. Spinel, YbFe2O4, and Yb2Fe3O7 types of structure for compounds in the In2O3 and Sc2O3-A2O3-BO systems (A: Fe, Ga, or Al; B: Mg, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, or Zn) at temperatures over 1000C

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

    Kimizuka, N.; Mohri, T.

    In the Sc2O3-Ga2O3-CuO, Sc2O3-Ga2O3-ZnO, and Sc2O3-Al2O3-CuO systems, ScGaCuO4, ScGaZnO4, and ScAlCuO4 with the YbFe2O4-type structure and Sc2Ga2CuO7 with the Yb2Fe3O7-type structure were obtained. In the In2O3-A2O3-BO systems (A: Fe, Ga, or Al; B: Mg, Mn, Fe, Ni, or Zn), InGaFeO4, InGaNiO4, and InFeT MgO4 with the spinel structure, InGaZnO4, InGaMgO4, and InAl-CuO4 with the YbFe2O4-type structure, and In2Ga2MnO7 and In2Ga2ZnO7 with the Yb2Fe3O7-type structure were obtained. InGaMnO4 and InFe2O4 had both the YbFe2O4-type and spinel-type structures. The revised classification for the crystal structures of AB2O4 compounds is presented, based upon the coordination numbers of constituent A and B cations. 5more » references, 2 tables.« less

  14. Critical Evaluations and Thermodynamic Optimizations of the MnO-Mn2O3-SiO2 and FeO-Fe2O3-MnO-Mn2O3-SiO2 Systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kang, Youn-Bae; Jung, In-Ho

    2017-06-01

    A critical evaluation and thermodynamic modeling for thermodynamic properties of all oxide phases and phase diagrams in the Fe-Mn-Si-O system (MnO-Mn2O3-SiO2 and FeO-Fe2O3-MnO-Mn2O3-SiO2 systems) are presented. Optimized Gibbs energy parameters for the thermodynamic models of the oxide phases were obtained which reproduce all available and reliable experimental data within error limits from 298 K (25°C) to above the liquidus temperatures at all compositions covering from known oxide phases, and oxygen partial pressure from metal saturation to 0.21 bar. The optimized thermodynamic properties and phase diagrams are believed to be the best estimates presently available. Slag (molten oxide) was modeled using the modified quasichemical model in the pair approximation. Olivine (Fe2SiO4-Mn2SiO4) was modeled using two-sublattice model in the framework of the compound energy formalism (CEF), while rhodonite (MnSiO3-FeSiO3) and braunite (Mn7SiO_{12} with excess Mn2O3) were modeled as simple Henrian solutions. It is shown that the already developed models and databases of two spinel phases (cubic- and tetragonal-(Fe, Mn)3O4) using CEF [Kang and Jung, J. Phys. Chem. Solids (2016), vol. 98, pp. 237-246] can successfully be integrated into a larger thermodynamic database to be used in practically important higher order system such as silicate. The database of the model parameters can be used along with a software for Gibbs energy minimization in order to calculate any type of phase diagram section and thermodynamic properties.

  15. Ni doping dependent dielectric, leakage, ferroelectric and magnetic properties in Bi7Fe3-xNixTi3O21 thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, B. B.; Song, D. P.; Wei, R. H.; Tang, X. W.; Hu, L.; Yang, J.; Song, W. H.; Dai, J. M.; Zhu, X. B.; Sun, Y. P.

    2018-05-01

    Bi7Fe3-xNixTi3O21 thin films were prepared by chemical solution deposition on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates. The Ni doping effects on the dielectric, leakage, ferroelectric and magnetic properties were investigated. Coexistence of ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties at room-temperature was observed in the Bi7Fe2NiTi3O21 thin film with a remnant polarization 2Pr of 36.4 μC/cm2 and a remnant magnetization 2Mr of 3.9 emu/cm3. The dielectric and leakage properties were discussed in detailed. The results will provide important information to explore single-phase multiferroic materials.

  16. Tuning magnetic properties of magnetoelectric BiFeO 3-NiFe 2O 4 nanostructures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Crane, S. P.; Bihler, C.; Brandt, M. S.; Goennenwein, S. T. B.; Gajek, M.; Ramesh, R.

    2009-02-01

    Multifunctional thin film nanostructures containing soft magnetic materials such as nickel ferrite are interesting for potential applications in microwave signal processing because of the possibility to shrink the size of device architecture and limit device power consumption. An essential prerequisite to future applications of such a system is a firm understanding of its magnetic properties. We show that nanostructures composed of ferrimagnetic NiFe 2O 4 pillars in a multiferroic BiFeO 3 matrix can be tuned magnetically by altering the aspect ratio of the pillars by depositing films of varying thickness. Magnetic anisotropy is studied using ferromagnetic resonance, which shows that the uniaxial magnetic anisotropy in the growth direction changes sign upon increasing the film thickness. The magnitude of this anisotropy contribution can be explained via a combination of shape and magnetostatic effects, using the object-oriented micromagnetic framework (OOMMF). The key factors determining the magnetic properties of the films are shown to be the aspect ratio of individual pillars and magnetostatic interactions between neighboring pillars.

  17. Fabrication and magnetic properties of structure-tunable Co2FeGa-SiO2 Heusler nanocompounds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Yunli; Yang, Dongchao; Luo, Zhaochu; Wu, Fengyu; Chen, Cheng; Liu, Min; Yi, Lizhi; Piao, Hong-Guang; Yu, Guanghua

    2018-05-01

    Co2FeGa-SiO2 nanocompounds were chemically synthesized by using SBA-15 as template, which has the L21 Heusler phase. The reactants comprised CoCl2 . 6H2O, Fe(NO3)3 . 9H2O and Ga(NO3) . xH2O with the addition of SBA-15 with different contents. The structure and morphology of the product were controlled by modulating the ratio of reactants to templates. After high-temperature annealing under H2 atmosphere and the removal of the template, the Co2FeGa nanowires, which are of about 125˜200 nm length, 4˜7 nm width and the length-to-width ratio of about 30 were observed by transmission electron microscope. The structure and component of the nanowires were confirmed by selected area electron diffraction, X-ray diffraction and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, respectively. The magnetic test showed that the saturation magnetization (Ms) was 87.5 emu/g for the Co2FeGa nanowires, and the Curie temperature was higher than 380K. The effective anisotropy constant Keff=4.196 × 105 J/m3 was calculated using magnetization curve, which is below the value of bulk Co2FeGa 6.54 × 105 J/m3. The dynamic magnetic properties study performed by ferromagnetic resonance indicated that the Gilbert damping coefficient α were about 0.1944-0.0288 for different samples. The high damping coefficient makes the nanocomposites promising to be used as a microwave absorber in the GHz band.

  18. Pyrrolic-N-doped graphene oxide/Fe2O3 mesocrystal nanocomposite: Efficient charge transfer and enhanced photo-Fenton catalytic activity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Bing; Tian, Lihong; Wang, Ran; Yang, Jinfeng; Guan, Rong; Chen, Xiaobo

    2017-11-01

    Though α-Fe2O3 has attracted much attention in photocatalytic or Fenton-catalytic degradation of organic contaminants, its performance is still unsatisfactory due to fast recombination of electrons and holes in photocatalytic process and the difficult conversion of Fe(II) and Fe(III) in Fenton reaction. Herein, a pyrrolic N-doped graphene oxide/Fe2O3 mesocrystal (NG-Fe2O3) nanocomposite with good distribution is synthesized by a simple solvothermal method and adjusting the oxygen-containing groups on graphene oxide. The morphology of NG-Fe2O3 contributes to a relatively large BET surface area and an intimate contact between NG and Fe2O3. These two important factors along with the excellent electro-conductivity of pyrrolic-N doped GO result in the efficient separation of electron-hole pairs and fast conversion of Fe(II)and Fe(III) in photo-Fenton synergistic reaction. Thus, a remarkably improved photo-Fenton catalytic activity of NG-Fe2O3 is obtained. The degrading rate on methyl blue increases by 1.5 times and the conversion rate of glyphosate increases by 2.3 times under visible light irradiation, compared to pristine α-Fe2O3 mesocrystals.

  19. Positive magnetoresistance in Fe3Se4 nanowires

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, D.; Jiang, J. J.; Liu, W.; Zhang, Z. D.

    2011-04-01

    We report the magnetotransport properties of Fe3Se4 nanowire arrays in anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) porous membrane. The temperature dependence of resistance of Fe3Se4 nanowires at a zero field shows thermal activated behavior below 295 K. The exponential relationship in resistance is consistent with the model of strong localization with variable-range hopping (VRH) for a finite one-dimensional wire. Resistance versus magnetic field curves below 100 K show small positive magnetoresistance (MR). The field dependencies of log[R(H)/R(0)] explain the positive MR as the effect of magnetic field on the VRH conduction.

  20. Local structure study of (In{sub 0.95−x}Fe{sub x}Cu{sub 0.05}){sub 2}O{sub 3} thin films using x-ray absorption spectroscopy

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

    Ren, Yuan; Xing, Yaya; Ma, Guanxiong

    2015-07-15

    The (In{sub 0.95−x}Fe{sub x}Cu{sub 0.05}){sub 2}O{sub 3} (x = 0.06, 0.08, 0.15, and 0.20) films prepared by RF-magnetron sputtering were investigated by the combination of x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) at Fe, Cu, and O K-edge. Although the Fe and O K-edge XAS spectra show that the Fe atoms substitute for the In sites of In{sub 2}O{sub 3} lattice for all the films, the Cu K-edge XAS spectra reveal that the codoped Cu atoms are separated to form the Cu metal clusters. After being annealed in air, the Fe atoms are still substitutionally incorporated into the In{sub 2}O{sub 3} lattice, while the Cumore » atoms form the CuO secondary phases. With the increase of Fe concentration, the bond length R{sub Fe-O} shortens and the Debye–Waller factor σ{sup 2}{sub Fe-O} increases in the first coordination shell of Fe, which are attributed to the relaxation of oxygen environment around the substitutional Fe ions. The forming of Cu relating secondary phases in the films is due to high ionization energy of Cu atoms, leading that the Cu atoms are energetically much harder to be oxidized to substitute for the In sites of In{sub 2}O{sub 3} lattice than Fe atoms. These results provide new experimental guidance in the preparation of the codoped In{sub 2}O{sub 3} based dilute magnetic oxides.« less

  1. Hierarchically Structured Co3O4@Pt@MnO2 Nanowire Arrays for High-Performance Supercapacitors

    PubMed Central

    Xia, Hui; Zhu, Dongdong; Luo, Zhentao; Yu, Yue; Shi, Xiaoqin; Yuan, Guoliang; Xie, Jianping

    2013-01-01

    Here we proposed a novel architectural design of a ternary MnO2-based electrode – a hierarchical Co3O4@Pt@MnO2 core-shell-shell structure, where the complemental features of the three key components (a well-defined Co3O4 nanowire array on the conductive Ti substrate, an ultrathin layer of small Pt nanoparticles, and a thin layer of MnO2 nanoflakes) are strategically combined into a single entity to synergize and construct a high-performance electrode for supercapacitors. Owing to the high conductivity of the well-defined Co3O4 nanowire arrays, in which the conductivity was further enhanced by a thin metal (Pt) coating layer, in combination with the large surface area provided by the small MnO2 nanoflakes, the as-fabricated Co3O4@Pt@MnO2 nanowire arrays have exhibited high specific capacitances, good rate capability, and excellent cycling stability. The architectural design demonstrated in this study provides a new approach to fabricate high-performance MnO2–based nanowire arrays for constructing next-generation supercapacitors. PMID:24132040

  2. Soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy investigations of Bi{sub 6}FeCoTi{sub 3}O{sub 18} and LaBi{sub 5}FeCoTi{sub 3}O{sub 18} epitaxial thin films

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

    Cui, Zhangzhang; Huang, Haoliang; Fu, Zhengping

    High-quality single-crystalline Bi{sub 6}FeCoTi{sub 3}O{sub 18} and LaBi{sub 5}FeCoTi{sub 3}O{sub 18} thin films were prepared by pulsed laser deposition. X-ray diffraction characterizations indicate a more disordered lattice structure of the LaBi{sub 5}FeCoTi{sub 3}O{sub 18} film. The magnetic measurement results demonstrated significantly enhanced ferromagnetism in the LaBi{sub 5}FeCoTi{sub 3}O{sub 18} film. The modulation of oxidation and hybridization states caused by substituting Bi with La was studied using the soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The spectroscopic results revealed the reduced concentration of oxygen vacancies and the more distorted lattice structure in the LaBi{sub 5}FeCoTi{sub 3}O{sub 18} film, which explained the enhanced ferromagnetism.

  3. Fabrication of ordered Fe–Ni nitride film with equiatomic Fe/Ni ratio

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Takata, Fumiya; Ito, Keita; Suemasu, Takashi

    2018-05-01

    We successfully grew a single-phase tetragonal FeNiN film with an equiatomic ratio of Fe, Ni, and N on a MgO(001) substrate by molecular beam epitaxy. We then demonstrated the formation of Fe2Ni2N films by extracting N atoms from the FeNiN film. These results suggested that Fe and Ni atoms in the Fe2Ni2N film were L10-ordered along the film plane direction because of the a-axis orientation growth of the FeNiN film on the MgO(001) substrate.

  4. Growing Oxide Nanowires and Nanowire Networks by Solid State Contact Diffusion into Solution-Processed Thin Films.

    PubMed

    Glynn, Colm; McNulty, David; Geaney, Hugh; O'Dwyer, Colm

    2016-11-01

    New techniques to directly grow metal oxide nanowire networks without the need for initial nanoparticle seed deposition or postsynthesis nanowire casting will bridge the gap between bottom-up formation and top-down processing for many electronic, photonic, energy storage, and conversion technologies. Whether etched top-down, or grown from catalyst nanoparticles bottom-up, nanowire growth relies on heterogeneous material seeds. Converting surface oxide films, ubiquitous in the microelectronics industry, to nanowires and nanowire networks by the incorporation of extra species through interdiffusion can provide an alternative deposition method. It is shown that solution-processed thin films of oxides can be converted and recrystallized into nanowires and networks of nanowires by solid-state interdiffusion of ionic species from a mechanically contacted donor substrate. NaVO 3 nanowire networks on smooth Si/SiO 2 and granular fluorine-doped tin oxide surfaces can be formed by low-temperature annealing of a Na diffusion species-containing donor glass to a solution-processed V 2 O 5 thin film, where recrystallization drives nanowire growth according to the crystal habit of the new oxide phase. This technique illustrates a new method for the direct formation of complex metal oxide nanowires on technologically relevant substrates, from smooth semiconductors, to transparent conducting materials and interdigitated device structures. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  5. Ferroelectric size effects in multiferroic BiFeO3 thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chu, Y. H.; Zhao, T.; Cruz, M. P.; Zhan, Q.; Yang, P. L.; Martin, L. W.; Huijben, M.; Yang, C. H.; Zavaliche, F.; Zheng, H.; Ramesh, R.

    2007-06-01

    Ferroelectric size effects in multiferroic BiFeO3 have been studied using a host of complementary measurements. The structure of such epitaxial films has been investigated using atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and x-ray diffraction. The crystal structure of the films has been identified as a monoclinic phase, which suggests that the polarization direction is close to ⟨111⟩. Such behavior has also been confirmed by piezoforce microscopy measurements. That also reveals that the ferroelectricity is down to at least 2nm.

  6. Origin of the butterfly-shaped magnetoresistance in reactive sputtered epitaxial Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} films

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

    Li, P.; Zhang, L. T.; Mi, W. B.

    2009-08-01

    Epitaxial Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} thin films were synthesized by facing-target reactive sputtering Fe targets. The epitaxy of the Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} film on MgO (100) was examined macroscopically using x-ray diffraction, including conventional theta-2theta scan, tilting 2theta scan, phi scan, and pole figure. The observed low-field butterfly-shaped magnetoresistance (MR) are explained by the primary fast rotation of the spins far away from antiphase boundaries and the high-field MR changing linearly with magnetic field can be understood by the gradual rotation of the spins near the antiphase boundaries. It is magnetocrystalline anisotropy that causes an increase in MR below Verwey transitionmore » temperature.« less

  7. Epitaxial growth and magnetic properties of Fe4-xMnxN thin films grown on MgO(0 0 1) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anzai, Akihito; Takata, Fumiya; Gushi, Toshiki; Toko, Kaoru; Suemasu, Takashi

    2018-05-01

    Epitaxial Fe4-xMnxN (x = 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4) thin films were successfully grown on MgO(0 0 1) single-crystal substrates by molecular beam epitaxy, and their crystalline qualities and magnetic properties were investigated. It was found that the lattice constants of Fe4-xMnxN obtained from X-ray diffraction measurement increased with the Mn content. The ratio of the perpendicular lattice constant c to the in-plane lattice constant a of Fe4-xMnxN was found to be about 0.99 at x ⩾ 2. The magnetic properties evaluated using a vibrating sample magnetometer at room temperature revealed that all of the Fe4-xMnxN films exhibited ferromagnetic behavior regardless of the value of x. In addition, the saturation magnetization decreased non-linearly as the Mn content increased. Finally, FeMn3N and Mn4N exhibited perpendicular anisotropy and their uniaxial magnetic anisotropy energies were 2.2 × 105 and 7.5 × 105 erg/cm3, respectively.

  8. Fabrication of doped TiO2 nanotube array films with enhanced photo-catalytic activity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Peighambardoust, Naeimeh-Sadat; Khameneh-asl, Shahin; Khademi, Adib

    2018-01-01

    In the present work, we investigate the N and Fe-doped TiO2 nanotube array film prepared by treating TiO2 nanotube array film with ammonia solution and anodizing in Fe(NO3)3 solution respectively. This method avoided the use of hazardous ammonia gas, or laborious ion implantation process. N and Fe-doped TiO2 nanotube arrays (TiO2 NTs) were prepared by electrochemical anodization process in 0.5 wt % HF aqueous solution. The anodization was performed at the conditions of 20 V and 20 min, Followed by a wet immersion in NH3.H2O (1M) for N-doping for 2 hr and annealing post-treatment at 450 °C. The morphology and structure of the nanotube films were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and EDX. UV-vis. illumination test were done to observe photo-enhanced catalysis. The effect of different annealing temperature on the structure and photo-absorption property of the TiO2-TNTs was investigated. The results showed that N-TNTs nanotubes exhibited higher photocatalytic activity compared whit the Fe-doped and pure TNTs, because doping N promoted the separation of the photogenerated electrons and holes.

  9. Anionic ordering and thermal properties of FeF 3·3H 2O

    DOE PAGES

    Burbano, Mario; Duttine, Mathieu; Borkiewicz, Olaf; ...

    2015-09-17

    In this study, iron fluoride tri-hydrate can be used to prepare iron hydroxyfluoride with the Hexagonal-Tungsten-Bronze (HTB) type structure, a potential cathode material for batteries. To understand this phase transformation, a structural description of β-FeF 3·3H 2O is first performed by means of DFT calculations and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The structure of this compound consists of infinite chains of [FeF 6]n and [FeF 2(H2O) 4] n. The decomposition of FeF 3·3H 2O induces a collapse and condensation of these chains, which lead to the stabilization, under specific conditions, of a hydroxyfluoride network FeF 3-x(OH) x with the HTB structure. The releasemore » of H 2O and HF was monitored by thermal analysis and physical characterizations during the decomposition of FeF 3·3H 2O. An average distribution of FeF 4(OH) 2 distorted octahedra in HTB-FeF 3-x(OH) x was obtained subsequent to the thermal hydrolysis/olation of equatorial anionic positions involving F- and H 2O. This study provides a clear understanding of the structure and thermal properties of FeF 3·3H 2O, a material that can potentially bridge the recycling of pickling sludge from the steel industry by preparing battery electrodes.« less

  10. Significantly enhanced energy output from 3D ordered macroporous structured Fe2O3/Al nanothermite film.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Wenchao; Yin, Baoqing; Shen, Ruiqi; Ye, Jiahai; Thomas, Jason A; Chao, Yimin

    2013-01-23

    A three-dimensionally ordered macroporous Fe(2)O(3)/Al nanothermite membrane has been prepared with a polystyrene spheres template. The nanothermite, with an enhanced interfacial contact between fuel and oxidizer, outputs 2.83 kJ g(-1) of energy. This is significantly more than has been reported before. This approach, fully compatible with MEMS technology, provides an efficient way to produce micrometer thick three-dimensionally ordered nanostructured thermite films with overall spatial uniformity. These exciting achievements will greatly facilitate potential for the future development of applications of nanothermites.

  11. Multiferroic BiFeO3 thin films processed via chemical solution deposition: Structural and electrical characterization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Iakovlev, S.; Solterbeck, C.-H.; Kuhnke, M.; Es-Souni, M.

    2005-05-01

    Polycrystalline BiFeO3 thin films were fabricated on (111)Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates via Bi-acetate- and Fe-acetylacetonate-based chemical solution deposition and spin-coating techniques. The processing parameters were optimized in order to obtain films with high resistivity. The optical properties (refractive indices and extinction coefficients) were measured by means of ellipsometry (HeNe laser, λ=632.8Å). Microstructure characterization was made by means of atomic force microscopy, grazing incidence x-ray diffractometry (XRD), and texture analysis. Additionally, powders prepared from a stoichiometric precursor were investigated by means of thermogravimetric and differential thermal analyses and XRD. It is demonstrated that the formation of perovskite-type BiFeO3 is accompanied by the appearance of bismuth oxide at low temperatures which then transforms into Bi36Fe2O57. For the films it was found that annealing in oxygen leads to higher indices of refraction, lower roughness, and smaller grain size. Complete crystallization of the films was achieved at a substantially lower temperature compared to that of the powders. A (100) (pseudocubic) out-of-plane preferred orientation was revealed for specimens annealed in air and oxygen. It is supposed that the crystal lattice of the thin film is close to cubic possibly due to stress development at the substrate/film interface. The electrical properties of the films were measured at room temperature by impedance analysis. The piezoelectric properties were determined using a laser vibrometer. Room temperature resistances measured at 1 kHz for metal-film-metal configurations for the specimens annealed in air and O2 were 14 Ω and 1.35 kΩ, respectively. This is explained in terms of the high sensitivity of the oxidation state (+2 or +3) of iron ions to oxygen stoichiometry in the specimens. Further electrical characterization of the specimen annealed in O2 revealed very low frequency dispersion of the dielectric constant. A

  12. Structural and magnetic analysis of Cu, Co substituted NiFe2O4 thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sharma, Hakikat; Bala, Kanchan; Negi, N. S.

    2016-05-01

    In the present work we prepared NiFe2O4, Ni0.95Cu0.05Fe2O4 and Ni0.94Cu0.05Co0.01 Fe2O4 thin films by metallo-organic decomposition method (MOD) using spin coating technique. The thin films were analyzed by X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and Atomic force microscope (AFM) for structural studies. The XRD patterns confirmed the ferrite phase of thin films. From AFM, we analyzed surface morphology, calculated grain size (GS) and root mean square roughness (RMSR). Room temperature magnetic properties were investigated by vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM).

  13. Swift heavy ion irradiation studies of GdFeO3 orthoferrite thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kaur, Pawanpreet; Pandit, Rabia; Sharma, K. K.; Kumar, Ravi

    2018-04-01

    Thin films of GdFeO3, orthoferrite have been grown on MgO (001) substrate by pulsed laser deposition technique (PLD) to investigate the effect of swift heavy ion irradiation on their structural and magnetic properties. Thin films were irradiated with 200 MeV Ag15+ ions with fluence of 1×1011ions/cm2. The results of X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy and vibrating sample magnetometer characterization techniques are found to be different for the irradiated film from that of the pristine sample. The modifications in the irradiated samples are explained in terms of the ion-induced disorder.

  14. Role of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone for preparation of Fe3O4@SiO2 controlled the shell thickness

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wee, Sung-Bok; Oh, Hyeon-Cheol; Kim, Tae-Gyun; An, Gye-Seok; Choi, Sung-Churl

    2017-04-01

    We developed a simple and novel approach for the synthesis of Fe3O4@SiO2 nanoparticles with controlled shell thickness, and studied the mechanism. The introduction of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) led to trapping of monomer nuclei in single shell and controlled the shell thickness. Fe3O4@SiO2 controlled the shell thickness, showing a high magnetization value (64.47 emu/g). Our results reveal the role and change in the chemical structure of NMP during the core-shell synthesis process. NMP decomposed to 4-aminobutanoic acid in alkaline condition and decreased the hydrolysis rate of the silica coating process.

  15. Parasitic phases at the origin of magnetic moment in BiFeO3 thin films grown by low deposition rate RF sputtering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mori, Thiago J. A.; Mouls, Caroline L.; Morgado, Felipe F.; Schio, Pedro; Cezar, Júlio C.

    2017-09-01

    A series of epitaxial BiFeO3 thin films has been grown under high partial pressure in a pure O2 atmosphere, which leads to a low deposition rate. The samples grown under these conditions have presented an evolution of the quality of the epitaxy as the deposition temperature increases, however, spurious β- Bi2O3 and supertetragonal BiFeO3 phases are present in the films grown at higher temperatures. The presence of γ- Fe2O3 is reported in one growing condition, and has been attributed to the origin of hysteretic ferromagnetic behavior. A second kind of magnetism, with higher magnetic moment and anhysteretic behaviour, is attributed to the presence of mixed phases of BiFeO3.

  16. Effect of substrate surface treatment on electrochemically assisted photocatalytic activity of N-S co-doped TiO2 films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Parada-Gamboa, N. J.; Pedraza-Avella, J. A.; Meléndez, A. M.

    2017-01-01

    To investigate whether different metal surface treatments, performed on meshes of stainless steel 304 and titanium, affect the photocatalytic activity (PCA) of supported modified anodic TiO2 films, metallic substrates were coated with titanium isopropoxide sol-gel precursor modified with thiourea. Substrates were pretreated by some of the following techniques: a) sandblasting, b) pickling, c) hydroxylation and d) passivation. The as-prepared electrode materials were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and voltammetry in the dark and under light UVA irradiation. PCA of modified N-S-TiO2 electrodes was evaluated by electrochemically assisted photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange. The results of XPS revealed that N and S were incorporated into the lattice of TiO2. FESEM showed that surface roughness and thickness of films varies depending on surface treatment. Voltammetric and XPS characterization of N-S co-doped TiO2 films supported on stainless steel revealed that their surface contains alpha-Fe2O3/FeOOH. Accordingly, iron contamination of the films coming from stainless steel was detrimental to the degradation of methyl orange. Prior to sol-gel coating process, sandblasting followed by nitric acid passivation for stainless steel or hydrofluoric acid pickling process in the case of titanium improved the PCA of N-S co-doped TiO2 films.

  17. Fabrication of a P3HT-ZnO Nanowires Gas Sensor Detecting Ammonia Gas.

    PubMed

    Kuo, Chin-Guo; Chen, Jung-Hsuan; Chao, Yi-Chieh; Chen, Po-Lin

    2017-12-25

    In this study, an organic-inorganic semiconductor gas sensor was fabricated to detect ammonia gas. An inorganic semiconductor was a zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowire array produced by atomic layer deposition (ALD) while an organic material was a p-type semiconductor, poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT). P3HT was suitable for the gas sensing application due to its high hole mobility, good stability, and good electrical conductivity. In this work, P3HT was coated on the zinc oxide nanowires by the spin coating to form an organic-inorganic heterogeneous interface of the gas sensor for detecting ammonia gas. The thicknesses of the P3HT were around 462 nm, 397 nm, and 277 nm when the speeds of the spin coating were 4000 rpm, 5000 rpm, and 6000 rpm, respectively. The electrical properties and sensing characteristics of the gas sensing device at room temperature were evaluated by Hall effect measurement and the sensitivity of detecting ammonia gas. The results of Hall effect measurement for the P3HT-ZnO nanowires semiconductor with 462 nm P3HT film showed that the carrier concentration and the mobility were 2.7 × 10 19 cm -3 and 24.7 cm²∙V -1 ∙s -1 respectively. The gas sensing device prepared by the P3HT-ZnO nanowires semiconductor had better sensitivity than the device composed of the ZnO film and P3HT film. Additionally, this gas sensing device could reach a maximum sensitivity around 11.58 per ppm.

  18. EPR spectroscopic investigations in 15BaO-25Li2O-(60-x) B2O3-xFe2O3 glass system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bhogi, Ashok; Kumar, R. Vijaya; Kistaiah, P.

    2018-05-01

    Glasses with composition 15BaO-25Li2O-(60-x) B2O3 -xFe2O3 (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1 mol %) were prepared by the conventional melt quenching technique. These glasses were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD). Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) investigations have been carried out as a function of iron ion concentration. The observed EPR spectra of Fe3+ ion exhibits resonance signals at g= 2.0, 4.3 and 8.0. The resonance signal at g= 4.3 is due to isolated Fe3+ ions in site with rhombic symmetry where as the g= 2.0 resonance signal is attributed to the Fe3+ ions coupled by exchange interaction in a distorted octahedral environment and the signal at g= 8.0 arises from axially distorted sites. The number of spins participating in resonance (N) and its paramagnetic susceptibilities (χ) have also been evaluated. The peak-to-peak line width ΔB for the resonance lines at g ≈ 4.3 and at g ≈ 2.0 is increasing as function of the iron ion content. The line intensity of the resonance centered at g ≈ 4.3 and at g ≈ 2.0 increases up to 0.8 mol% of Fe2O3 and for 1 mol% of Fe2O3 its value is found to decrease. The analysis of these results indicated that the conversion some of Fe3+ cations to Fe2+ ions beyond 0.8 mol%.

  19. Chromatographic determination of Fe chelated by ethylenediamine-N-(o-hydroxyphenylacetic)-N'-(p-hydroxyphenylacetic) acid in commercial EDDHA/Fe3+ fertilizers.

    PubMed

    García-Marco, Sonia; Torreblanca, Ana; Lucena, Juan J

    2006-02-22

    EDDHA/Fe3+ chelates are the most common fertilizers used to solve Fe chlorosis in established crops. Commercial products contain two regioisomers, ethylenediamine-N,N'-bis(o-hydroxyphenylacetic) acid (o,o-EDDHA)/Fe3+ and ethylenediamine-N-(o-hydroxyphenylacetic)-N'-(p-hydroxyphenylacetic) acid (o,p-EDDHA)/Fe3+. Although several chromatographic methods exist for the determination of Fe3+ chelated by the o,o-EDDHA isomer, no method has been described for the quantification of Fe3+ chelated by o,p-EDDHA. In this work, factors that affect the behavior of o,p-EDDHA/Fe3+ in ion pair chromatography are reviewed: pH, ion pair reagent, and organic modifier. The best chromatographic performance was obtained with an aqueous mobile phase at pH 6.0 containing 35% acetonitrile and 5 mM tetrabutylammonium hydroxide under isocratic elution conditions. This method was applied to the quantification of commercial samples.

  20. Strain Coupling of Conversion-type Fe 3O 4 Thin Films for Lithium Ion Batteries

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

    Hwang, Sooyeon; Meng, Qingping; Chen, Ping-Fan

    2017-05-29

    Lithiation/delithiation induces significant stresses and strains into the electrodes for lithium ion batteries, which can severely degrade their cycling performance. Moreover, this electrochemically induced strain can interact with the local strain existing at solid–solid interfaces. It is not clear how this interaction affects the lithiation mechanism. The effect of this coupling on the lithiation kinetics in epitaxial Fe 3O 4 thin film on a Nb-doped SrTiO 3 substrate is investigated. In-situ and ex-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results show that the lithiation is suppressed by the compressive interfacial strain. At the interface between the film and substrate, the existence ofmore » Li xFe 3O 4 rock-salt phase during lithiation consequently restrains the film from delamination. 2D phase-field simulation verifies the effect of strain. This work provides critical insights of understanding the solid–solid interfaces of conversion-type electrodes.« less

  1. Highly efficient photocatalysis by BiFeO3/α(γ)-Fe2O3 ferromagnetic nano p/n junctions formed by dopant-induced phase separation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ramadan, Wegdan; Shaikh, Parvez A.; Ebrahim, Sh.; Ramadan, Abdallah; Hannoyer, Beatrice; Jouen, Samuel; Sauvage, Xavier; Ogale, Satishchandra

    2013-08-01

    A series of Bi1- x Ca x FeO3 (BCFO) nanoparticles (with x = 0.0, 0.03, 0.07, 0.10, 0.15, and 0.20) have been synthesized by sol-gel reaction. X-ray diffraction patterns establish the formation of hexagonal bismuth ferrite as the prominent phase, with a small contribution of the Bi2Fe4O9 phase (as reported by others as well) which diminishes rapidly with the increase in Ca concentration. Interestingly, above a calcium dopant concentration of about 10 % peaks of Fe2O3 (both α and γ components) are observed with a concomitant enhancement of ferromagnetism. Small contribution of the Bi6Ca4O13 phase is also noted in these samples. This phase evolution is driven by dopant-induced strain energy and increasing oxygen vacancy concentration for local charge balance. Transmission electron microscopy (with elemental scanning) and Mössbauer spectroscopy techniques bring out the evolution of nanoparticle morphology (and elemental distribution) and phase configuration, respectively. Measurements of photocatalytic activity (and photo-Fenton activity with H2O2) reveal that Ca doping at the Bi site in BFO enhances the activity significantly in the concentration regime where BFO/α(γ)-Fe2O3 phases coexist in the form of a nanocomposite. The enhancement can thus be attributed to the carrier transfer between BFO and α(γ)-Fe2O3 across nano p/n junctions leading to enhanced carrier lifetime. Importantly, the magnetization of the nanocomposite (about 16 emu gm-1 at x = 0.20) provides a convenient way to collect the photocatalyst with the help of an external magnet for reuse.

  2. Theoretical study of negatively charged Fe(-)-(H2O)(n ≤ 6) clusters.

    PubMed

    Castro, Miguel

    2012-06-14

    Interactions of a singly negatively charged iron atom with water molecules, Fe(-)-(H(2)O)(n≤6), in the gas phase were studied by means of density functional theory. All-electron calculations were performed using the B3LYP functional and the 6-311++G(2d,2p) basis set for the Fe, O, and H atoms. In the lowest total energy states of Fe(-)-(H(2)O)(n), the metal-hydrogen bonding is stronger than the metal-oxygen one, producing low-symmetry structures because the water molecules are directly attached to the metal by basically one of their hydrogen atoms, whereas the other ones are involved in a network of hydrogen bonds, which together with the Fe(δ-)-H(δ+) bonding accounts for the nascent hydration of the Fe(-) anion. For Fe(-)-(H(2)O)(3n), three-, four-, five-, and six-membered rings of water molecules are bonded to the metal, which is located at the surface of the cluster in such a way as to reduce the repulsion with the oxygen atoms. Nevertheless, internal isomers appear also, lying less than 3 or 5 kcal/mol for n = 2-3 or n = 4-6. These results are in contrast with those of classical TM(+)-(H(2)O)(n) complexes, where the direct TM(+)-O bonding usually produces high symmetry structures with the metal defining the center of the complex. They show also that the Fe(-) anions, as the TM(+) ions, have great capability for the adsorption of water molecules, forming Fe(-)-(H(2)O)(n) structures stabilized by Fe(δ-)-H(δ+) and H-bond interactions.

  3. Modulated exchange bias in NiFe/CoO/α-Fe2O3 trilayers and NiFe/CoO bilayers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, X.; Lin, K.-W.; Yeh, W.-C.; Desautels, R. D.; van Lierop, J.; Pong, Philip W. T.

    2017-02-01

    While the exchange bias in ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic (FM/AF) bilayer and FM1/AF/FM2 trilayer configurations has been widely investigated, the role of an AF2 layer in FM/AF1/AF2 trilayer configurations is still not well understood. In this work, the magnetic properties of NiFe/CoO, NiFe/α-Fe2O3 bilayers, and NiFe/CoO/α-Fe2O3 trilayer were studied comparatively. The microstructure and chemical composition were characterized. Temperature dependent magnetometry reveals increased irreversibility temperature in NiFe/CoO/α-Fe2O3 trilayer compared with NiFe/CoO bilayer. The magnetic hysteresis loops show that the exchange bias (Hex) and coercivity (Hc) depend strongly on the anisotropy of AF layer (CoO, α-Fe2O3 and CoO/α-Fe2O3). Our work shows that the AF1/AF2 interfacial interactions can be used effectively for tuning the exchange bias in FM/AF1/AF2 trilayers.

  4. Effects of Fe2O3 addition on the nitridation of silicon powder

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hasegawa, Y.; Inomata, Y.; Kijima, K.; Matsuyama, T.

    1977-01-01

    The reaction of silicon powder and nitrogen was studied in the range of 1300-1400 C. When an addition of Fe2O3 was more than 0.8wt%, the reaction was linear and compared to samples with no Fe2O3, the reaction velocity increased 5 to 10 times. The reactions were mediated by the process of peeling and cracking in a thin layer of Si2N4 formed on the silicon particles or on the surface of the Fe-Si melts. As the addition of Fe2O3 increased, the reaction activation energy for highly pure samples decreased. Fe2O3 which exceeded the Si3N4 solubility limits was finally converted to d-Fe.

  5. Influence of Co doping on structural, optical and magnetic properties of BiFeO3 films deposited on quartz substrates by sol-gel method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Peng, Lin; Deng, Hongmei; Tian, Jianjun; Ren, Qing; Peng, Cheng; Huang, Zhipeng; Yang, Pingxiong; Chu, Junhao

    2013-03-01

    Multiferroic BiFe1-xCoxO3 (x = 0, 0.03, 0.05, 0.1) thin films have been prepared on quartz substrates using a sol-gel technique. X-ray diffraction data confirms that Co atoms have been successfully incorporated into the host lattice. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) exhibits that the surface morphologies of BiFe0.97Co0.03O3 and BiFe0.95Co0.05O3 thin films become more compact and uniform. With increasing Co dopant, the position of A1-1 and E-4 modes shift towards the lower wavenumber indicates that Co doping induces structural distortion of BiFeO3. With increasing Co composition, the fundamental absorption edges of BiFe1-xCoxO3 films show red shift. Furthermore, transmittance spectra demonstrates that the optical band gap of BiFe1-xCoxO3 films decreases from 2.66 eV to 2.53 eV with the increase of Co from x = 0 to 0.1. At the wavelength of 720 nm, the refractive index decreases and the extinction coefficient increases with increasing the amount of Co. Optical properties reveal that Co doping in BiFeO3 provides preliminary research for optoelectronic devices and infrared detectors. Compared with BiFeO3 prepared under similar conditions, the remanent magnetization Mr of BiFe1-xCoxO3 (x = 0.03, 0.05, 0.1) thin films significantly enhanced, which provides potential applications in information storage.

  6. Structural phase diagram for ultra-thin epitaxial Fe 3O 4 / MgO(0 01) films: thickness and oxygen pressure dependence

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

    Alraddadi, S.; Hines, W.; Yilmaz, T.

    2016-02-19

    A systematic investigation of the thickness and oxygen pressure dependence for the structural properties of ultra-thin epitaxial magnetite (Fe 3O 4) films has been carried out; for such films, the structural properties generally differ from those for the bulk when the thickness ≤10 nm. Iron oxide ultra-thin films with thicknesses varying from 3 nm to 20 nm were grown on MgO (001) substrates using molecular beam epitaxy under different oxygen pressures ranging from 1 × 10 -7 torr to 1 × 10 -5 torr. The crystallographic and electronic structures of the films were characterized using low energy electron diffraction (LEED)more » and x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. Moreover, the quality of the epitaxial Fe 3O 4 ultra-thin films was judged by magnetic measurements of the Verwey transition, along with complementary XPS spectra. We observed that under the same growth conditions the stoichiometry of ultra-thin films under 10 nm transforms from the Fe 3O 4 phase to the FeO phase. In this work, a phase diagram based on thickness and oxygen pressure has been constructed to explain the structural phase transformation. It was found that high-quality magnetite films with thicknesses ≤20 nm formed within a narrow range of oxygen pressure. An optimal and controlled growth process is a crucial requirement for the accurate study of the magnetic and electronic properties for ultra-thin Fe 3O 4 films. Furthermore, these results are significant because they may indicate a general trend in the growth of other oxide films, which has not been previously observed or considered.« less

  7. Interface studies of N2 plasma-treated ZnSnO nanowire transistors using low-frequency noise measurements.

    PubMed

    Kim, Seongmin; Kim, Hwansoo; Janes, David B; Ju, Sanghyun

    2013-08-02

    Due to the large surface-to-volume ratio of nanowires, the quality of nanowire-insulator interfaces as well as the nanowire surface characteristics significantly influence the electrical characteristics of nanowire transistors (NWTs). To improve the electrical characteristics by doping or post-processing, it is important to evaluate the interface characteristics and stability of NWTs. In this study, we have synthesized ZnSnO (ZTO) nanowires using the chemical vapor deposition method, characterized the composition of ZTO nanowires using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and fabricated ZTO NWTs. We have characterized the current-voltage characteristics and low-frequency noise of ZTO NWTs in order to investigate the effects of interface states on subthreshold slope (SS) and the noise before and after N2 plasma treatments. The as-fabricated device exhibited a SS of 0.29 V/dec and Hooge parameter of ~1.20 × 10(-2). Upon N2 plasma treatment with N2 gas flow rate of 40 sccm (20 sccm), the SS improved to 0.12 V/dec (0.21 V/dec) and the Hooge parameter decreased to ~4.99 × 10(-3) (8.14 × 10(-3)). The interface trap densities inferred from both SS and low-frequency noise decrease upon plasma treatment, with the highest flow rate yielding the smallest trap density. These results demonstrate that the N2 plasma treatment decreases the interface trap states and defects on ZTO nanowires, thereby enabling the fabrication of high-quality nanowire interfaces.

  8. Exchange coupling in permalloy/BiFeO3 heterostructures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Heron, John; Wang, Chen; Carlton, David; Nowakowski, Mark; Gajek, Martin; Awschalom, David; Bokor, Jeff; Ralph, Dan; Ramesh, R.

    2010-03-01

    BiFeO3 is a ferroelectric and antiferromagnetic multiferroic with the ferroelectric and antiferromagnetic order parameters coupled at room temperature. This coupling results in the reorientation of the ferroelectric and magnetic domains as applied voltages switch the electric polarization. Previous studies using ferromagnet/BiFeO3 heterostructures have shown that the anisotropy of the ferromagnetic layer can be tuned by the ferroelectric domain structure of the BiFeO3 film [1, 2]. The physical mechanism driving this exchange bias with BiFeO3 is still under investigation. We use patterned permalloy structures, with varying aspect ratios, on BiFeO3 thin films to investigate the physics of this interaction. The results of our studies using MFM, PEEM, and MOKE to understand this mechanism as a means to electric field control of magnetic structures will be presented. [4pt] [1] H. Bea et al., Physical Review Letters 100, 017204 (2008).[0pt] [2] L.W. Martin et al., Nanoletters 8, 2050 (2008).

  9. Visible light-induced water oxidation on mesoscopic alpha-Fe2O3 films made by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis.

    PubMed

    Duret, Alexis; Grätzel, Michael

    2005-09-15

    Alpha-Fe(2)O(3) films having a mesoscopic leaflet type structure were produced for the first time by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis (USP) to explore their potential as oxygen-evolving photoanodes. The target of these studies is to use translucent hematite films deposited on conducting fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) glass as top electrodes in a tandem cell that accomplishes the cleavage of water into hydrogen and oxygen by sunlight. The properties of layers made by USP were compared to those deposited by conventional spray pyrolysis (SP). Although both types of films show similar XRD and UV-visible and Raman spectra, they differ greatly in their morphology. The mesoscopic alpha-Fe(2)O(3) layers produced by USP consist mainly of 100 nm-sized platelets with a thickness of 5-10 nm. These nanosheets are oriented mainly perpendicularly to the FTO support, their flat surface exposing (001) facets. The mesoscopic leaflet structure has the advantage that it allows for efficient harvesting of visible light, while offering at the same time the very short distance required for the photogenerated holes to reach the electrolyte interface before recombining with conduction band electrons. This allows for water oxidation by the valence band holes even though their diffusion length is only a few nanometers. Distances are longer in the particles produced by SP favoring recombination of photoinduced charge carriers. Open-circuit photovoltage measurements indicate a lower surface state density for the nanoplatelets as compared to the round particles. These factors explain the much higher photoactivity of the USP compared to the SP deposited alpha-Fe(2)O(3) layers. Addition of hydrogen peroxide to the alkaline electrolyte further improves the photocurrent-voltage characteristics of films generated by USP indicating the hole transfer from the valence band of the semiconductor oxide to the adsorbed water to be the rate-limiting kinetic step in the oxygen generation reaction.

  10. Magnetically Recoverable Pd/Fe 3O 4 Core-Shell Nanowire Clusters with Increased Hydrogenation Activity

    DOE PAGES

    Watt, John; Kotula, Paul G.; Huber, Dale L.

    2017-02-06

    Core-shell nanostructures are promising candidates for the next generation of catalysts due to synergistic effects which can arise from having two active species in close contact, leading to increased activity. Likewise, catalysts displaying added functionality, such as a magnetic response, can increase their scientific and industrial potential. Here, we synthesize Pd/Fe 3O 4 core-shell nanowire clusters and apply them as hydrogenation catalysts for an industrially important hydrogenation reaction; the conversion of acetophenone to 1-phenylethanol. During synthesis, the palladium nanowires self-assemble into clusters which act as a high surface area framework for the growth of a magnetic iron oxide shell. Wemore » demonstrate excellent catalytic activity due to the presence of palladium while the strong magnetic properties provided by the iron oxide shell enable facile catalyst recovery.« less

  11. Spin Hall magnetoresistance in CoFe 2O 4/Pt films

    DOE PAGES

    Wu, Hao; Qintong, Zhang; Caihua, Wan; ...

    2015-05-13

    Pulse laser deposition and magnetron sputtering techniques have been employed to prepare MgO(001)//CoFe 2O 4/Pt samples. Cross section transmission electron microscope results prove that the CoFe 2O 4 film epitaxially grew along (001) direction. X-ray magnetic circular dichroism results show that magnetic proximity effect in this sample is negligible. Magnetoresistance (MR) properties confirm that spin Hall MR (SMR) dominates in this system. Spin Hall effect-induced anomalous Hall voltage was also observed in this sample. Lastly, these results not only demonstrate the universality of SMR effect but also demonstrate the utility in spintronics of CoFe 2O 4 as a new typemore » of magnetic insulator.« less

  12. Effect of Fe2O3 and Binder on the Electrochemical Properties of Fe2O3/AB (Acetylene Black) Composite Electrodes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anh, Trinh Tuan; Thuan, Vu Manh; Thang, Doan Ha; Hang, Bui Thi

    2017-06-01

    In an effort to find the best anode material for Fe/air batteries, a Fe2O3/AB (Acetylene Black) composite was prepared by dry-type ball milling using Fe2O3 nanoparticles and AB as the active and additive materials, respectively. The effects of various binders and Fe2O3 content on the electrochemical properties of Fe2O3/AB electrodes in alkaline solution were investigated. It was found that the content of Fe2O3 strongly affected the electrochemical behavior of Fe2O3/AB electrodes; with Fe2O3 nanopowder content reaching 70 wt.% for the electrode and showing improvement of the cyclability. When the electrode binder polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) was used, clear redox peaks were observed via cyclic voltammetry (CV), while polyvinylidene fluoride-containing electrodes provided CV curves with unobservable redox peaks. Increasing either binder content in the electrode showed a negative effect in terms of the cyclability of the Fe2O3/AB electrode.

  13. Stabilization of the high coercivity {epsilon}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} phase in the CeO{sub 2}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}/SiO{sub 2} nanocomposites

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

    Mantlikova, A., E-mail: mantlikova@fzu.cz; Poltierova Vejpravova, J.; Bittova, B.

    2012-07-15

    We have investigated the processes leading to the formation of the Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} and CeO{sub 2} nanoparticles in the SiO{sub 2} matrix in order to stabilize the {epsilon}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} as the major phase. The samples with two different concentrations of the Fe were prepared by sol-gel method, subsequently annealed at different temperatures up to 1100 Degree-Sign C, and characterized by the Moessbauer spectroscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Powder X-ray Diffraction (PXRD), Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and magnetic measurements. The evolution of the different Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} phases under various conditions of preparation was investigated, starting with themore » preferential appearance of the {gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} phase for the sample with low Fe concentration and low annealing temperature and stabilization of the major {epsilon}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} phase for high Fe concentration and high annealing temperature, coexisting with the most stable {alpha}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} phase. A continuous increase of the particle size of the CeO{sub 2} nanocrystals with increasing annealing temperature was also observed. - Graphical abstract: The graphical abstract displays the most important results of our work. The significant change of the phase composition due to the variation of preparation conditions is demonstrated. As a result, significant change of the magnetic properties from superparamagnetic {gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} phase with negligible coercivity to the high coercivity {epsilon}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} phase has been observed. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Research of the stabilization of the high coercivity {epsilon}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} in CeO{sub 2}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}/SiO{sub 2}. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Samples with two different concentrations of Fe and three annealing temperatures. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Phase transition {gamma}{yields}{epsilon}{yields}({beta}){yields}{alpha} with increasing annealing temperature

  14. Room temperature ferromagnetism in BiFe1-xMnxO3 thin film induced by spin-structure manipulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shigematsu, Kei; Asakura, Takeshi; Yamamoto, Hajime; Shimizu, Keisuke; Katsumata, Marin; Shimizu, Haruki; Sakai, Yuki; Hojo, Hajime; Mibu, Ko; Azuma, Masaki

    2018-05-01

    The evolution of crystal structure, spin structure, and macroscopic magnetization of manganese-substituted BiFeO3 (BiFe1-xMnxO3), a candidate for multiferroic materials, were investigated on bulk and epitaxial thin-film. Mn substitution for Fe induced collinear antiferromagnetic spin structure around room temperature by destabilizing the cycloidal spin modulation which prohibited the appearance of net magnetization generated by Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. For the bulk samples, however, no significant signal of ferromagnetism was observed because the direction of the ordered spins was close to parallel to the electric polarization so that spin-canting did not occur. On the contrary, BiFe1-xMnxO3 thin film on SrTiO3 (001) had a collinear spin structure with the spin direction perpendicular to the electric polarization at room temperature, where the appearance of spontaneous magnetization was expected. Indeed, ferromagnetic hysteresis behavior was observed for BiFe0.9Mn0.1O3 thin film.

  15. Interface Structure, Band Alignment, and Built-In Potentials at LaFeO 3 / n - SrTiO 3 Heterojunctions

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

    Comes, Ryan; Chambers, Scott

    We demonstrate that LaFeO 3/n-SrTiO 3(001) heterojunctions engineered to have opposite interface polarities exhibit very similar band offsets and built-in potentials within the LaFeO 3 layer of the same sign. However, heterojunctions with the TiO20-LaO+ interface structure attract electronic charge from the n-STO substrate, whereas those with the SrO0-FeO2-1 interface structure do not. These results suggest that the latter would more effectively facilitate photogenerated electron-hole pair separation than the former, an important result for photoelectrochemical water splitting

  16. Graphene-palladium nanowires based electrochemical sensor using ZnFe2O4-graphene quantum dots as an effective peroxidase mimic.

    PubMed

    Liu, Weiyan; Yang, Hongmei; Ma, Chao; Ding, Ya-nan; Ge, Shenguang; Yu, Jinghua; Yan, Mei

    2014-12-10

    We proposed an electrochemical DNA sensor by using peroxidase-like magnetic ZnFe2O4-graphene quantum dots (ZnFe2O4/GQDs) nanohybrid as a mimic enzymatic label. Aminated graphene and Pd nanowires were successively modified on glassy carbon electrode, which improved the electronic transfer rate as well as increased the amount of immobilized capture ssDNA (S1). The nanohybrid ZnFe2O4/GQDs was prepared by assembling the GQDs on the surface of ZnFe2O4 through a photo-Fenton reaction, which was not only used as a mimic enzyme but also as a carrier to label complementary ssDNA (S3). By synergistically integrating highly catalytically activity of nano-sized GQDs and ZnFe2O4, the nanohybrid possessed highly-efficient peroxidase-like catalytic activity which could produce a large current toward the reduction of H2O2 for signal amplification. Thionine was used as an excellent electron mediator. Compared with traditional enzyme labels, the mimic enzyme ZnFe2O4/GQDs exhibited many advantages such as environment friendly and better stability. Under the optimal conditions, the approach provided a wide linear range from 10(-16) to 5×10(-9) M and low detection limit of 6.2×10(-17) M. The remarkable high catalytic capability could allow the nanohybrid to replace conventional peroxidase-based assay systems. The new, robust and convenient assay systems can be widely utilized for the identification of other target molecules. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Combined effects of Bi deficiency and Mn substitution on the structural transformation and functionality of BiFeO{sub 3} films

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

    Chen, Jingyi; Wang, Yao, E-mail: wang-yao@buaa.edu.cn; Deng, Yuan, E-mail: dengyuan@buaa.edu.cn

    2014-11-07

    Mn-doped BiFeO{sub 3} films with Mn contents of 5 and 10 mol. % were prepared via a chemical route. A carefully controlled amount of Bi deficiency was introduced to further tune the lattice structure and the functionality of multiferroic BiFeO{sub 3}. The crystal structure of Bi{sub 1−δ}Fe{sub 1−x}Mn{sub x}O{sub 3} films was investigated by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectra; a rhombohedral-to-orthorhombic phase transition was revealed. The observed double hysteresis loops and two capacitance maxima from polarization vs electric field and capacitance-voltage measurements indicate an antiferroelectric-like behavior. Additionally, the coexistence of ferroelectric (FE) and antiferroelectric (AFE) phases in Bi{sub 1−δ}Fe{sub 1−x}Mn{sub x}O{submore » 3} films was revealed from the domain structures obtained by piezoelectric force microscopy. The effects of Mn substitution in conjunction with Bi deficiency on the FE-AFE phase transition and electrical behavior of BiFeO{sub 3} films are discussed in detail. Meanwhile, magnetic and photoluminescence measurements on the films illustrate that Mn substitution gives rise to the net magnetic moment and the defects induced by both Bi deficiency and Mn substitution influence the electronic structure of BiFeO{sub 3} films. This study thus shows a simple and effective way to control the functionalities of BiFeO{sub 3} films.« less

  18. Characteristics of a thick film ethanol gas sensor made of mechanically treated LaFeO3 powder

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Suhendi, Endi; Witra, Hasanah, Lilik; Syarif, Dani Gustaman

    2017-05-01

    In this work, fabrication of LaFeO3 thick film ceramics for ethanol gas sensor made of mechanically treated (milling) powder was studied. The thick films were fabricated using screen printing technique from LaFeO3 powder treated by HEM (High Energy Milling). The films were baked at 800°C for one hour and analyzed using XRD and SEM. Sensitivity of the films was studied by measuring resistance of them at various temperatures in a chamber containing air with and without ethanol gas. Data of XRD showed that the thick film crystalizes in orthorombic structure with space group of Pn*a. SEM data showed that the films consisted of small grains with grain size of about 225 nm. According to the electrical data, the LaFeO3 thick films that produced in this work could be applied as ethanol gas with operating temperature of about 275°C.

  19. Facile synthesis of CuFe2O4-Fe2O3 composite for high-performance supercapacitor electrode applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khan, Rashid; Habib, Muhammad; Gondal, Mohammed A.; Khalil, Adnan; Rehman, Zia Ur; Muhammad, Zahir; Haleem, Yasir A.; Wang, Changda; Wu, Chuan Qiang; Song, Li

    2017-10-01

    We report the synthesis of CuFe2O4-Fe2O3 composite material for efficient and highly stable supercapacitor electrode by using eco-friendly low-temperature co-precipitation method. The CuFe2O4-Fe2O3 composite demonstrated the highest specific capacitance of 638.24 F g-1 and excellent stability up to 2000 charge/discharge cycles. The achieved capacitance value is 16 times higher than that of pure CuFe2O4. The results revealed the extraordinary performance of CuFe2O4-Fe2O3 composite as supercapacitor electrode with excellent retention in comparison to CuFe2O4. The enhanced electrochemical activity of CuFe2O4-Fe2O3 composite is attributed to the synergistic effect which is responsible for redox coupling between Cu2+ and Fe3+ that has never been achieved by single component before.

  20. Enhanced photo-Fenton-like process over Z-scheme CoFe2O4/g-C3N4 Heterostructures under natural indoor light.

    PubMed

    Yao, Yunjin; Wu, Guodong; Lu, Fang; Wang, Shaobin; Hu, Yi; Zhang, Jie; Huang, Wanzheng; Wei, Fengyu

    2016-11-01

    Low-cost catalysts with high activity and stability toward producing strongly oxidative species are extremely desirable, but their development still remains a big challenge. Here, we report a novel strategy for the synthesis of a magnetic CoFe 2 O 4 /C 3 N 4 hybrid via a simple self-assembly method. The CoFe 2 O 4 /C 3 N 4 was utilized as a photo-Fenton-like catalyst for degradation of organic dyes in the presence of H 2 O 2 under natural indoor light irradiation, a green and energy-saving approach for environmental cleaning. It was found the CoFe 2 O 4 /C 3 N 4 hybrid with a CoFe 2 O 4 : g-C 3 N 4 mass ratio of 2:1 can completely degrade Rhodamine B nearly 100 % within 210 min under room-light irradiation. The effects of the amount of H 2 O 2 (0.01-0.5 M), initial dye concentration (5-20 mg/L), solution pH (3.08-10.09), fulvic acid concentration (5-50 mg/L), different dyes and catalyst stability on the organic dye degradation were investigated. The introduction of CoFe 2 O 4 on g-C 3 N 4 produced an enhanced separation efficiency of photogenerated electron - hole pairs by a Z-scheme mechanism between the interfaces of g-C 3 N 4 and CoFe 2 O 4 , leading to an excellent activity as compared with either g-C 3 N 4 or CoFe 2 O 4 and their mixture. This study demonstrates an efficient way to construct the low-cost magnetic CoFe 2 O 4 /C 3 N 4 heterojunction as a typical Z-scheme system in environmental remediation.

  1. Infrared Optical Absorption in Low-spin Fe2+-doped SrTiO3

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

    Comes, Ryan B.; Kaspar, Tiffany C.; Heald, Steve M.

    2016-01-06

    Band gap engineering in SrTiO3 and related titanate perovskites has long been explored due to the intriguing properties of the materials for photocatalysis and photovoltaic applications. A popular approach in the materials chemistry community is to substitutionally dope aliovalent transition metal ions onto the B site in the lattice to alter the valence band. However, in such a scheme there is limited control over the dopant valence, and compensating defects often form. Here we demonstrate a novel technique to controllably synthesize Fe2+- and Fe3+-doped SrTiO3 thin films without formation of compensating defects by co-doping with La3+ ions on the Amore » site. We stabilize Fe2+-doped films by doping with two La ions for every Fe dopant, and find that the Fe ions exhibit a low-spin electronic configuration, producing optical transitions in the near infrared regime and degenerate doping. The novel electronic states observed here offer a new avenue for band gap engineering in perovskites for photocatalytic and photovoltaic applications.« less

  2. Exchange-coupled Fe3O4/CoFe2O4 nanoparticles for advanced magnetic hyperthermia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Glassell, M.; Robles, J.; Das, R.; Phan, M. H.; Srikanth, H.

    Iron oxide nanoparticles especially Fe3O4, γ-Fe2O3 have been extensively studied for magnetic hyperthermia because of their tunable magnetic properties and stable suspension in superparamagnetic regime. However, their relatively low heating capacity hindered practical application. Recently, a large improvement in heating efficiency has been reported in exchange-coupled nanoparticles with exchange coupling between soft and hard magnetic phases. Here, we systematically studied the effect of core and shell size on the heating efficiency of the Fe3O4/CoFe2O4 core/shell nanoparticles. The nanoparticles were synthesized using thermal decomposition of organometallic precursors. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed formation of spherical shaped Fe3O4 and Fe3O-/CoFe2O4 nanoparticles. Magnetic measurements showed high magnetization (≅70 emu/g) and superparamagnetic behavior for the nanoparticles at room temperature. Magnetic hyperthermia results showed a large increase in specific absorption rate (SAR) for 8nm Fe3O4/CoFe2O4 compared to Fe3O4 nanoparticles of the same size. The heating efficiency of the Fe3O4/CoFe2O4 with 1 nm CoFe2O4 (shell) increased from 207 to 220 W/g (for 800 Oe) with increase in core size from 6 to 8 nm. The heating efficiency of the Fe3O4/CoFe2O4 with 2 nm CoFe2O4 (shell) and core size of 8 nm increased from 220 to 460 W/g (for 800 Oe). These exchange-coupled Fe3O4/CoFe2O4 core/shell nanoparticles can be a good candidate for advanced hyperthermia application.

  3. Ferroelectric photovoltaic properties in doubly substituted (Bi0.9La0.1)(Fe0.97Ta0.03)O3 thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Katiyar, R. K.; Sharma, Y.; Barrionuevo, D.; Kooriyattil, S.; Pavunny, S. P.; Young, J. S.; Morell, G.; Weiner, B. R.; Katiyar, R. S.; Scott, J. F.

    2015-02-01

    Doubly substituted [Bi0.9La0.1][Fe0.97Ta0.03]O3 (BLFTO) films were fabricated on Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Si substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The ferroelectric photovoltaic properties of ZnO:Al/BLFTO/Pt thin film capacitor structures were evaluated under white light illumination. The open circuit voltage and short circuit current density were observed to be ˜0.20 V and ˜1.35 mA/cm2, respectively. The band gap of the films was determined to be ˜2.66 eV, slightly less than that of pure BiFeO3 (2.67 eV). The PV properties of BLFTO thin films were also studied for various pairs of planar electrodes in different directions in polycrystalline thin films.

  4. Rational synthesis of high nuclearity Mo/Fe/S clusters: the reductive coupling approach in the convenient synthesis of (Cl(4)-cat)(2)Mo(2)Fe(6)S(8)(PR(3))(6) [R = Et, (n)Pr, (n)Bu] and the new [(Cl(4)-cat)(2)Mo(2)Fe(2)S(3)O(PEt(3))(3)Cl]-1/2(Fe(PEt(3))(2)(MeCN)(4)) and (Cl(4)-cat)(2)Mo(2)Fe(3)S(5)(PEt(3))(5) clusters.

    PubMed

    Han, J; Koutmos, M; Ahmad, S A; Coucouvanis, D

    2001-11-05

    A general method for the synthesis of high nuclearity Mo/Fe/S clusters is presented and involves the reductive coupling of the (Et(4)N)(2)[(Cl(4)-cat)MoOFeS(2)Cl(2)] (I) and (Et(4)N)(2)[Fe(2)S(2)Cl(4)] (II) clusters. The reaction of I and II with Fe(PR(3))(2)Cl(2) or sodium salts of noncoordinating anions such as NaPF(6) or NaBPh(4) in the presence of PR(3) (R = Et, (n)Pr, or (n)Bu) affords (Cl(4)-cat)(2)Mo(2)Fe(6)S(8)(PR(3))(6) [R = Et (IIIa), (n)Pr (IIIb), (n)Bu (IIIc)], Fe(6)S(6)(PEt(3))(4)Cl(2) (IV) and (PF(6))[Fe(6)S(8)(P(n)Pr(3))(6)] (V) as byproducts. The isolation of (Et(4)N)[Fe(PEt(3))Cl(3)] (VI), NaCl, and SPEt(3) supports a reductive coupling mechanism. Cluster IV and V also have been synthesized by the reductive self-coupling of compound II. The reductive coupling reaction between I and II by PEt(3) and NaPF(6) in a 1:1 ratio produces the (Et(4)N)(2)[(Cl(4)-cat)Mo(L)Fe(3)S(4)Cl(3)] clusters [L = MeCN (VIIa), THF (VIIb)]. The hitherto unknown [(Cl(4)-cat)(2)Mo(2)Fe(2)S(3)O(PEt(3))(3)Cl](+) cluster (VIII) has been isolated as the 2:1 salt of the (Fe(PEt(3))(2)(MeCN)(4))(2+) cation after the reductive self-coupling reaction of I in the presence of Fe(PEt(3))(2)Cl(2). Cluster VIII crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/c with a = 11.098(3) A, b = 22.827(6) A, c = 25.855(6) A, beta = 91.680(4) degrees, and Z = 4. The formal oxidation states of metal atoms in VIII have been assigned as Mo(III), Mo(IV), Fe(II), and Fe(III) on the basis of zero-field Mössbauer spectra. The Fe(PEt(3))(2)(MeCN)(4) cation of VIII is also synthesized independently, isolated as the BPh(4)(-) salt (IX), and has been structurally characterized. The reductive coupling of compound I also affords in low yield the new (Cl(4)-cat)(2)Mo(2)Fe(3)S(5)(PEt(3))(5) cluster (X) as a byproduct. Cluster X crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/n with a = 14.811(3) A, b = 22.188(4) A, c = 21.864(4) A, beta = 100.124(3) degrees, and Z = 4 and the structure shows very short Mo-Fe

  5. Dependence of catalytic properties of Al/Fe2O3 thermites on morphology of Fe2O3 particles in combustion reactions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Ningning; He, Cuicui; Liu, Jianbing; Gong, Hujun; An, Ting; Xu, Huixiang; Zhao, Fengqi; Hu, Rongzu; Ma, Haixia; Zhang, Jinzhong

    2014-11-01

    Three Fe2O3 particle samples with the same crystal structure but different morphologies were prepared by the hydrothermal method and then combined with Al nanoparticles to produce Al/Fe2O3 thermites using ultrasonic mixing. The properties of Fe2O3 and Al/Fe2O3 were studied using a combination of experimental techniques including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The influences of the three Al/Fe2O3 thermites on the combustion properties of the AP/HTPB (ammonium perchlorate/hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene) composite propellant were investigated in comparison to those of Fe2O3. The results show that the Al/Fe2O3 thermites are better than Fe2O3 in enhancing the combustion performance of AP/HTPB. Furthermore, the surface area, which depends on size and mophology, of Fe2O3 particles was found to play a vital role in improving the burning rate of the thermites-containing propellant formulation, with the smallest particles with the largest surface-to-volume (S/V) ratio performing the best. The enhanced catalytic property of the granular-shape Fe2O3 and the corresponding thermite is attributed to the large specific surface area of Fe2O3. The different thermal behaviors of these three superthemites were supposed to be attributed to the surface site of Fe2O3 particles. This work provides a better understanding on the catalytic properties of thermites that are important for combustion applications.

  6. Epitaxial Bi2 FeCrO6 Multiferroic Thin Film as a New Visible Light Absorbing Photocathode Material.

    PubMed

    Li, Shun; AlOtaibi, Bandar; Huang, Wei; Mi, Zetian; Serpone, Nick; Nechache, Riad; Rosei, Federico

    2015-08-26

    Ferroelectric materials have been studied increasingly for solar energy conversion technologies due to the efficient charge separation driven by the polarization induced internal electric field. However, their insufficient conversion efficiency is still a major challenge. Here, a photocathode material of epitaxial double perovskite Bi(2) FeCrO(6) multiferroic thin film is reported with a suitable conduction band position and small bandgap (1.9-2.1 eV), for visible-light-driven reduction of water to hydrogen. Photoelectrochemical measurements show that the highest photocurrent density up to -1.02 mA cm(-2) at a potential of -0.97 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode is obtained in p-type Bi(2) FeCrO(6) thin film photocathode grown on SrTiO(3) substrate under AM 1.5G simulated sunlight. In addition, a twofold enhancement of photocurrent density is obtained after negatively poling the Bi(2) FeCrO(6) thin film, as a result of modulation of the band structure by suitable control of the internal electric field gradient originating from the ferroelectric polarization in the Bi(2) FeCrO(6) films. The findings validate the use of multiferroic Bi(2) FeCrO(6) thin films as photocathode materials, and also prove that the manipulation of internal fields through polarization in ferroelectric materials is a promising strategy for the design of improved photoelectrodes and smart devices for solar energy conversion. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  7. Removal of nitrate and phosphate using chitosan/Al2O3/Fe3O4 composite nanofibrous adsorbent: Comparison with chitosan/Al2O3/Fe3O4 beads.

    PubMed

    Bozorgpour, Farahnaz; Ramandi, Hossein Fasih; Jafari, Pooya; Samadi, Saman; Yazd, Shabnam Sharif; Aliabadi, Majid

    2016-12-01

    In the present study the chitosan/Al 2 O 3 /Fe 3 O 4 composite nanofibrous adsorbent was prepared by electrospinning process and its application for the removal of nitrate and phosphate were compared with chitosan/Al 2 O 3 /Fe 3 O 4 composite bead adsorbent. The influence of Al 2 O 3 /Fe 3 O 4 composite content, pH, contact time, nitrate and phosphate initial concentrations and temperature on the nitrate and phosphate sorption using synthesized bead and nanofibrous adsorbents was investigated in a single system. The reusability of chitosan/Al 2 O 3 /Fe 3 O 4 composite beads and nanofibers after five sorption-desorption cycles were carried out. The Box-Behnken design was used to investigate the interaction effects of adsorbent dosage, nitrate and phosphate initial concentrations on the nitrate and phosphate removal efficiency. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model and known Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm models were used to describe the kinetic and equilibrium data of nitrate and phosphate sorption using chitosan/Al 2 O 3 /Fe 3 O 4 composite beads and nanofibers. The influence of other anions including chloride, fluoride and sulphate on the sorption efficiency of nitrate and phosphate was examined. The obtained results revealed the higher potential of chitosan/Al 2 O 3 /Fe 3 O 4 composite nanofibers for nitrate and phosphate compared with chitosan/Al 2 O 3 /Fe 3 O 4 composite beads. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Thermodynamic Properties of α-Fe 2O 3 and Fe 3O 4 Nanoparticles

    DOE PAGES

    Spencer, Elinor C.; Ross, Nancy L.; Olsen, Rebecca E.; ...

    2015-04-21

    Here we comprehansively assessed the thermodynamic properties of hydrated α-Fe 2O 3 (hematite) and Fe 3O 4 (magnetite) nanoparticles. In addition to 9 nm Fe 3O 4, three α-e 2O 3nanoparticles samples of different sizes (11, 14, and 25 nm) and bulk α-e 2O 3 have been evaluated by inelastic neutron scattering methods. The contribution of the two-level magnetic spin flip transition to the heat capacity of the α-e 2O 3 particles has been determined. The isochoric heat capacity of the water confined on the surface of these two types of iron oxide particles have been calculated from their INSmore » spectra, and is affected by the chemical composition of the underlying particle. Furthermore, the heat capacity and dynamics of the particle hydration layers appear to be influenced by a complex array of factors including particle size, water coverage, and possibly the magnetic state of the particle itself.« less

  9. Fe2O3/Reduced Graphene Oxide/Fe3O4 Composite in Situ Grown on Fe Foil for High-Performance Supercapacitors.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Chongjun; Shao, Xiaoxiao; Zhang, Yuxiao; Qian, Xiuzhen

    2016-11-09

    A Fe 2 O 3 /reduced graphene oxide (RGO)/Fe 3 O 4 nanocomposite in situ grown on Fe foil was synthesized via a simple one-step hydrothermal growth process, where the iron foil served as support, reductant of graphene oxide, Fe source of Fe 3 O 4 , and also the current collector of the electrode. When it directly acted as the electrode of a supercapacitor, as-synthesized Fe 2 O 3 /RGO/Fe 3 O 4 @Fe exhibited excellent electrochemical performance with a high capability of 337.5 mF/cm 2 at 20 mA/cm 2 and a superior cyclability with 2.3% capacity loss from the 600th to the 2000th cycle.

  10. Three-dimensional electrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells: synthesis of indium-tin-oxide nanowire arrays and ITO/TiO2 core-shell nanowire arrays by electrophoretic deposition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Hong-Wen; Ting, Chi-Feng; Hung, Miao-Ken; Chiou, Chwei-Huann; Liu, Ying-Ling; Liu, Zongwen; Ratinac, Kyle R.; Ringer, Simon P.

    2009-02-01

    Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) show promise as a cheaper alternative to silicon-based photovoltaics for specialized applications, provided conversion efficiency can be maximized and production costs minimized. This study demonstrates that arrays of nanowires can be formed by wet-chemical methods for use as three-dimensional (3D) electrodes in DSSCs, thereby improving photoelectric conversion efficiency. Two approaches were employed to create the arrays of ITO (indium-tin-oxide) nanowires or arrays of ITO/TiO2 core-shell nanowires; both methods were based on electrophoretic deposition (EPD) within a polycarbonate template. The 3D electrodes for solar cells were constructed by using a doctor-blade for coating TiO2 layers onto the ITO or ITO/TiO2 nanowire arrays. A photoelectric conversion efficiency as high as 4.3% was achieved in the DSSCs made from ITO nanowires; this performance was better than that of ITO/TiO2 core-shell nanowires or pristine TiO2 films. Cyclic voltammetry confirmed that the reaction current was significantly enhanced when a 3D ITO-nanowire electrode was used. Better separation of charge carriers and improved charge transport, due to the enlarged interfacial area, are thought to be the major advantages of using 3D nanowire electrodes for the optimization of DSSCs.

  11. Magnetic properties of x(Fe2O3).(100-x)[P2O5.Li2O] and x(Fe2O3).(100-x)[P2O5.CaO] glass systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Andronache, Constantin; Racolta, Dania; Ardelean, Gheorghe

    2017-12-01

    Magnetic properties of x(Fe2O3).(100-x)[P2O5 .Li2O] and x(Fe2O3).(100-x)[P2O5 .CaO] with 0 < x ≤ 50 mol % were investigated using magnetic susceptibility measurements. The both glass systems were prepared in the same condition. The valence states and the distribution of iron ions in the glass matrix depend on the Fe2O3 content. For the P2O5.CaO glass matrix with x≤35mol%, the data revealed iron ions as isolated or participating in dipole-dipole interaction. For x > 35 mol% an antiferromagnetic coupling is observed. For the P2O5.Li2O glass matrix, the iron ions behave magnetically similarly as in other oxide glasses, but concentration of Fe2O3 over which magnetic superexchange interactions occur is lower. The absolute magnitude of θp values increases when content of Fe2O3 are increased. If the content of the magnetic ions is increased in the glass, the exchange integral increased and as a result the magnitude of the θP increases.

  12. Optical properties of epitaxial BiFeO3 thin film grown on SrRuO3-buffered SrTiO3 substrate.

    PubMed

    Xu, Ji-Ping; Zhang, Rong-Jun; Chen, Zhi-Hui; Wang, Zi-Yi; Zhang, Fan; Yu, Xiang; Jiang, An-Quan; Zheng, Yu-Xiang; Wang, Song-You; Chen, Liang-Yao

    2014-01-01

    The BiFeO3 (BFO) thin film was deposited by pulsed-laser deposition on SrRuO3 (SRO)-buffered (111) SrTiO3 (STO) substrate. X-ray diffraction pattern reveals a well-grown epitaxial BFO thin film. Atomic force microscopy study indicates that the BFO film is rather dense with a smooth surface. The ellipsometric spectra of the STO substrate, the SRO buffer layer, and the BFO thin film were measured, respectively, in the photon energy range 1.55 to 5.40 eV. Following the dielectric functions of STO and SRO, the ones of BFO described by the Lorentz model are received by fitting the spectra data to a five-medium optical model consisting of a semi-infinite STO substrate/SRO layer/BFO film/surface roughness/air ambient structure. The thickness and the optical constants of the BFO film are obtained. Then a direct bandgap is calculated at 2.68 eV, which is believed to be influenced by near-bandgap transitions. Compared to BFO films on other substrates, the dependence of the bandgap for the BFO thin film on in-plane compressive strain from epitaxial structure is received. Moreover, the bandgap and the transition revealed by the Lorentz model also provide a ground for the assessment of the bandgap for BFO single crystals.

  13. Self catalytic growth of indium oxide (In2O3) nanowires by resistive thermal evaporation.

    PubMed

    Kumar, R Rakesh; Rao, K Narasimha; Rajanna, K; Phani, A R

    2014-07-01

    Self catalytic growth of Indium Oxide (In2O3) nanowires (NWs) have been grown by resistive thermal evaporation of Indium (In) in the presence of oxygen without use of any additional metal catalyst. Nanowires growth took place at low substrate temperature of 370-420 degrees C at an applied current of 180-200 A to the evaporation boat. Morphology, microstructures, and compositional studies of the grown nanowires were performed by employing field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) respectively. Nanowires were uniformly grown over the entire Si substrate and each of the nanowire is capped with a catalyst particle at their end. X-ray diffraction study reveals the crystalline nature of the grown nanowires. Transmission electron microscopy study on the nanowires further confirmed the single crystalline nature of the nanowires. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis on the nanowires and capped nanoparticle confirmed that Indium act as catalyst for In2O3 nanowires growth. A self catalytic Vapor-Liquid-Solid (VLS) growth mechanism was responsible for the growth of In2O3 nanowires. Effect of oxygen partial pressure variation and variation of applied currents to the evaporation boat on the nanowires growth was systematically studied. These studies concluded that at oxygen partial pressure in the range of 4 x 10(-4), 6 x 10(-4) mbar at applied currents to the evaporation boat of 180-200 A were the best conditions for good nanowires growth. Finally, we observed another mode of VLS growth along with the standard VLS growth mode for In2O3 nanowires similar to the growth mechanism reported for GaAs nanowires.

  14. Novel ultrathin Bi2O3 nanowires for supercapacitor electrode materials with high performance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qiu, Yongfu; Fan, Hongbo; Chang, Xueyi; Dang, Haifeng; Luo, Qun; Cheng, Zhiyu

    2018-03-01

    In this paper, the ultrathin Bi2O3 nanowires are synthesized by an oxidative metal vapor transport deposition technique. Their diameters and length are about 10 nm and several tens of micrometers, the growth direction is along [101] and the specific surface area is about 7.34 m2 g-1. The galvanostatic charge-discharge measurement results show that the specific capacitances of the Bi2O3 nanowires-based electrodes increase with the decrease of the current densities. The maximum capacitance is 691.3 F g-1 at the current density of 2.0 A g-1. The Ragone plot shows that the Bi2O3 nanowires has excellent supercapacitive performance. Moreover, the cyclic stability is measured by the galvanostatic charge/discharge technique at a constant current density of 10.0 A g-1 in 6.0 M KOH electrolyte. The results show the excellent capacitance retention of 75.5% over 3000 cycles. In a word, the Bi2O3 nanowires should be the ideal potential electrode materials for low-costing and effective electrochemical supercapacitors.

  15. Preparation and catalytic activities of LaFeO3 and Fe2O3 for HMX thermal decomposition.

    PubMed

    Wei, Zhi-Xian; Xu, Yan-Qing; Liu, Hai-Yan; Hu, Chang-Wen

    2009-06-15

    Perovskite-type LaFeO(3) and alpha-Fe(2)O(3) with high specific surface areas were directly prepared with appropriate stearic acid-nitrates ratios by a novel stearic acid solution combustion method. The obtained powders were characterized by XRD, FT-IR and XPS techniques. The catalytic activities of perovskite-type LaFeO(3) and alpha-Fe(2)O(3) for the thermal decomposition of octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX) were investigated by TG and TG-EGA techniques. The experimental results show that the catalytic activity of perovskite-type LaFeO(3) was much higher than that of alpha-Fe(2)O(3) because of higher concentration of surface-adsorbed oxygen (O(ad)) and hydroxyl of LaFeO(3). The study points out a potential way to develop new and more active perovskite-type catalysts for the HMX thermal decomposition.

  16. Symmetry of Highly-Strained BiFeO3 Films in the Ultrathin Regime

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Yongsoo; Senabulya, Nancy; Clarke, Roy; Schlepütz, Christian M.; Beekman, Christianne; Siemons, Wolter; Christen, Hans M.

    2014-03-01

    At room temperature, highly-strained BiFeO3 (BFO) films grown on LaAlO3 substrates exhibit a monoclinic structure with a giant c/a ratio (~1.3) when the films are thicker than 4 nm. Their structural symmetry can be controlled by adjusting the temperature [Appl. Phys. Express 4, 095801 (2011), Adv. Mater. 25, 5561 (2013)], with a high-temperature tetragonal phase being observed. We report that a structural phase transition can also be achieved by controlling the film thickness: synchrotron x-ray diffraction data shows that the Bragg peak splitting associated with the monoclinic phase disappears as the film thickness decreases below 3 nm, indicating a tetragonal symmetry, but still maintaining the giant c/a ratio. Unlike a similar transition reported for moderately strained BFO grown on SrTiO3 [APL Mater. 1, 052102 (2013)], the half-order Bragg peaks indicate that this transition does not involve a significant change in the octahedral tilt pattern of the film. This suggests that the structural evolution of highly-strained BFO films should be understood in terms of the unique (non-octahedral) oxygen coordination of the Fe ion in this highly-strained BFO, not the corner-connectivity of the oxygen octahedra between the film and the substrate. Funding: U.S. Department of Energy, BES-MSED (U. Michigan: DE-FG02-06ER46273, and at ORNL). Measurements: 13-BMC, 33-IDD, 33-BMC of the Advanced Photon Source, ANL (DE-AC02-06CH11357).

  17. Exchange-coupled Fe3O4/CoFe2O4 nanoparticles for advanced magnetic hyperthermia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Robles, J.; Das, R.; Glassell, M.; Phan, M. H.; Srikanth, H.

    2018-05-01

    We report a systematic study of the effects of core and shell size on the magnetic properties and heating efficiency of exchange-coupled Fe3O4/CoFe2O4 core/shell nanoparticles. The nanoparticles were synthesized using thermal decomposition of organometallic precursors. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed the formation of spherical Fe3O4 and Fe3O4/CoFe2O4 nanoparticles. Magnetic measurements showed high saturation magnetization for the nanoparticles at room temperature. Increasing core diameter (6.4±0.7, 7.8±0.1, 9.6±1.2 nm) and/or shell thickness (˜1, 2, 4 nm) increased the coercive field (HC), while an optimal value of saturation magnetization (MS) was achieved for the Fe3O4 (7.8±0.1nm)/CoFe2O4 (2.1±0.1nm) nanoparticles. Magnetic hyperthermia measurements indicated a large increase in specific absorption rate (SAR) for 8.2±1.1 nm Fe3O4/CoFe2O4 compared to Fe3O4 nanoparticles of same size. The SAR of the Fe3O4/CoFe2O4 nanoparticles increased from 199 to 461 W/g for 800 Oe as the thickness of the CoFe2O4 shell was increased from 0.9±0.5 to 2.1±0.1 nm. The SAR enhancement is attributed to a combination of the large MS and the large HC. Therefore, these Fe3O4/CoFe2O4 core/shell nanoparticles can be a good candidate for advanced hyperthermia application.

  18. High Ms Fe16N2 thin film with Ag under layer on GaAs substrate

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

    Allard Jr, Lawrence Frederick

    2016-01-01

    (001) textured Fe16N2 thin film with Ag under layer is successfully grown on GaAs substrate using a facing target sputtering (FTS) system. After post annealing, chemically ordered Fe16N2 phase is formed and detected by X-ray diffraction (XRD). High saturation magnetization (Ms) is measured by a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). In comparison with Fe16N2 with Ag under layer on MgO substrate and Fe16N2 with Fe under layer on GaAs substrate, the current layer structure shows a higher Ms value, with a magnetically softer feature in contrast to the above cases. In addition, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is performed to characterize themore » binding energy of N atoms. To verify the role of strain that the FeN layer experiences in the above three structures, Grazing Incidence X-ray Diffraction (GIXRD) is conducted to reveal a large in-plane lattice constant due to the in-plane biaxial tensile strain. INTRODUCTION« less

  19. Diameter Tuning of β-Ga2O3 Nanowires Using Chemical Vapor Deposition Technique.

    PubMed

    Kumar, Mukesh; Kumar, Vikram; Singh, R

    2017-12-01

    Diameter tuning of [Formula: see text]-Ga 2 O 3 nanowires using chemical vapor deposition technique have been investigated under various experimental conditions. Diameter of root grown [Formula: see text]-Ga 2 O 3 nanowires having monoclinic crystal structure is tuned by varying separation distance between metal source and substrate. Effect of gas flow rate and mixer ratio on the morphology and diameter of nanowires has been studied. Nanowire diameter depends on growth temperature, and it is independent of catalyst nanoparticle size at higher growth temperature (850-900 °C) as compared to lower growth temperature (800 °C). These nanowires show changes in structural strain value with change in diameter. Band-gap of nanowires increases with decrease in the diameter.

  20. Nano-sized Fe2O3/Fe3O4 facilitate anaerobic transformation of hexavalent chromium in soil-water systems.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yaxian; Li, Hua; Gong, Libo; Dong, Guowen; Shen, Liang; Wang, Yuanpeng; Li, Qingbiao

    2017-07-01

    The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of nano-sized or submicro Fe 2 O 3 /Fe 3 O 4 on the bioreduction of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) and to evaluate the effects of nano-sized Fe 2 O 3 /Fe 3 O 4 on the microbial communities from the anaerobic flooding soil. The results indicated that the net decreases upon Cr(VI) concentration from biotic soil samples amended with nano-sized Fe 2 O 3 (317.1±2.1mg/L) and Fe 3 O 4 (324.0±22.2mg/L) within 21days, which were approximately 2-fold of Cr(VI) concentration released from blank control assays (117.1±5.6mg/L). Furthermore, the results of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and high-throughput sequencing indicated a greater variety of microbes within the microbial community in amendments with nano-sized Fe 2 O 3 /Fe 3 O 4 than the control assays. Especially, Proteobacteria occupied a predominant status on the phylum level within the indigenous microbial communities from chromium-contaminated soils. Besides, some partial decrease of soluble Cr(VI) in abiotic nano-sized Fe 2 O 3 /Fe 3 O 4 amendments was responsible for the adsorption of nano-sized Fe 2 O 3 /Fe 3 O 4 to soluble Cr(VI). Hence, the presence of nano-sized Fe 2 O 3 /Fe 3 O 4 could largely facilitate the mobilization and biotransformation of Cr(VI) from flooding soils by adsorption and bio-mediated processes. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  1. Time-dependent dielectric breakdown of atomic-layer-deposited Al2O3 films on GaN

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hiraiwa, Atsushi; Sasaki, Toshio; Okubo, Satoshi; Horikawa, Kiyotaka; Kawarada, Hiroshi

    2018-04-01

    Atomic-layer-deposited (ALD) Al2O3 films are the most promising surface passivation and gate insulation layers in non-Si semiconductor devices. Here, we carried out an extensive study on the time-dependent dielectric breakdown characteristics of ALD-Al2O3 films formed on homo-epitaxial GaN substrates using two different oxidants at two different ALD temperatures. The breakdown times were approximated by Weibull distributions with average shape parameters of 8 or larger. These values are reasonably consistent with percolation theory predictions and are sufficiently large to neglect the wear-out lifetime distribution in assessing the long-term reliability of the Al2O3 films. The 63% lifetime of the Al2O3 films increases exponentially with a decreasing field, as observed in thermally grown SiO2 films at low fields. This exponential relationship disproves the correlation between the lifetime and the leakage current. Additionally, the lifetime decreases with measurement temperature with the most remarkable reduction observed in high-temperature (450 °C) O3-grown films. This result agrees with that from a previous study, thereby ruling out high-temperature O3 ALD as a gate insulation process. When compared at 200 °C under an equivalent SiO2 field of 4 MV/cm, which is a design guideline for thermal SiO2 on Si, high-temperature H2O-grown Al2O3 films have the longest lifetimes, uniquely achieving the reliability target of 20 years. However, this target is accomplished by a relatively narrow margin and, therefore, improvements in the lifetime are expected to be made, along with efforts to decrease the density of extrinsic Al2O3 defects, if any, to promote the practical use of ALD Al2O3 films.

  2. Magnetic, local ferroelectricity and magnetodielectric properties of NiFe2O4-poly (vinylidene-fluoride)-BaTiO3 composite film

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, Amit; Yadav, K. L.

    2016-04-01

    We report the magnetic, dielectric, and magnetoelctric properties of NiFe2O4-poly (vinylidene-fluoride)-BaTiO3 composite film. The coercive field (±2H c ˜ 344 Oe) and remnant magnetization (M r ˜ 6.1 emu g-1) were observed at room temperature. The dielectric permittivity at room temperature (ɛ‧RT ˜ 281) was found to decrease with increase in frequency. The magnetocapacitance was found to be ˜5.9% at an applied dc magnetic field of 8 kOe (frequency = 1 kHz). Magnetoelectric coupling coefficient (α E ˜ 4.1 mV cm-1 Oe-1) measured by dynamic method (at ac magnetic field = 30 Oe) is observed higher (two times) than those reported for some materials. In addition, we have observed the image of ferroelectric domain using piezoelectric force microscopy at room temperature. Large magnetodielectric/magnetoelectric response in this composite is possibly a result of the effective mechanical interaction between NiFe2O4 and BaTiO3 through the polymer matrix.

  3. Growth, structure, and properties of epitaxial thin films of first-principles predicted multiferroic Bi2FeCrO6

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nechache, Riad; Harnagea, Catalin; Pignolet, Alain; Normandin, François; Veres, Teodor; Carignan, Louis-Philippe; Ménard, David

    2006-09-01

    The authors report the structural and physical properties of epitaxial Bi2FeCrO6 thin films on epitaxial SrRuO3 grown on (100)-oriented SrTiO3 substrates by pulsed laser ablation. The 300nm thick films exhibit both ferroelectricity and magnetism at room temperature with a maximum dielectric polarization of 2.8μC /cm2 at Emax=82kV/cm and a saturated magnetization of 20emu/cm3 (corresponding to ˜0.26μB per rhombohedral unit cell), with coercive fields below 100Oe. The results confirm the predictions made using ab initio calculations about the existence of multiferroic properties in Bi2FeCrO6.

  4. FeOx-TiO2 Film with Different Microstructures Leading to Femtosecond Transients with Different Properties: Biological Implications under Visible Light

    PubMed Central

    Rtimi, Sami; Pulgarin, Cesar; Nadtochenko, Victor A.; Gostev, Fedor E.; Shelaev, Ivan V.; Kiwi, John

    2016-01-01

    This study presents the first report addressing the effect of FeOx-TiO2 films microstructure on the transients detected by fast spectroscopy related to the long-range bacterial inactivation performance. The different fast kinetic femtosecond transient spectroscopy is reported for each FeOx+TiO2 microstructure. The lifetime of the short transient-species and the oxidative intermediate radicals generated under light were identified. Co-sputtered FeOx-TiO2 on polyethylene films presenting random distribution for both oxides were compared with sequentially sputtered FeOx/TiO2 films made up only by FeOx in the topmost layers. The ratio FeOx:TiO2 was optimized to attain the highest photo-conversion. By X-ray fluorescence, the Fe:Ti ration was found to be ~1.4 in the film bulk and by XPS-etching a ratio of 4:1 was found on the photocatalyst top-most layers. For co-sputtered FeOx-TiO2-PE films, the FeOx-TiO2 heterojunction led to electron injection from the FeOx to lower-lying TiO2 trapping states. The film optical properties, particle size, roughness, hydrophobic-hydrophilic shift and temporal evolution of the transient redox states were characterized in detail. Films with different microstructure led to different antibacterial activity. This suggests that the FeOx-TiO2-PE microstructure and not the position of the potential energy level of the semiconductors FeOx and TiO2 control the charge transfer under light irradiation. PMID:27443505

  5. FeOx-TiO2 Film with Different Microstructures Leading to Femtosecond Transients with Different Properties: Biological Implications under Visible Light.

    PubMed

    Rtimi, Sami; Pulgarin, Cesar; Nadtochenko, Victor A; Gostev, Fedor E; Shelaev, Ivan V; Kiwi, John

    2016-07-22

    This study presents the first report addressing the effect of FeOx-TiO2 films microstructure on the transients detected by fast spectroscopy related to the long-range bacterial inactivation performance. The different fast kinetic femtosecond transient spectroscopy is reported for each FeOx+TiO2 microstructure. The lifetime of the short transient-species and the oxidative intermediate radicals generated under light were identified. Co-sputtered FeOx-TiO2 on polyethylene films presenting random distribution for both oxides were compared with sequentially sputtered FeOx/TiO2 films made up only by FeOx in the topmost layers. The ratio FeOx:TiO2 was optimized to attain the highest photo-conversion. By X-ray fluorescence, the Fe:Ti ration was found to be ~1.4 in the film bulk and by XPS-etching a ratio of 4:1 was found on the photocatalyst top-most layers. For co-sputtered FeOx-TiO2-PE films, the FeOx-TiO2 heterojunction led to electron injection from the FeOx to lower-lying TiO2 trapping states. The film optical properties, particle size, roughness, hydrophobic-hydrophilic shift and temporal evolution of the transient redox states were characterized in detail. Films with different microstructure led to different antibacterial activity. This suggests that the FeOx-TiO2-PE microstructure and not the position of the potential energy level of the semiconductors FeOx and TiO2 control the charge transfer under light irradiation.

  6. FeOx-TiO2 Film with Different Microstructures Leading to Femtosecond Transients with Different Properties: Biological Implications under Visible Light

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rtimi, Sami; Pulgarin, Cesar; Nadtochenko, Victor A.; Gostev, Fedor E.; Shelaev, Ivan V.; Kiwi, John

    2016-07-01

    This study presents the first report addressing the effect of FeOx-TiO2 films microstructure on the transients detected by fast spectroscopy related to the long-range bacterial inactivation performance. The different fast kinetic femtosecond transient spectroscopy is reported for each FeOx+TiO2 microstructure. The lifetime of the short transient-species and the oxidative intermediate radicals generated under light were identified. Co-sputtered FeOx-TiO2 on polyethylene films presenting random distribution for both oxides were compared with sequentially sputtered FeOx/TiO2 films made up only by FeOx in the topmost layers. The ratio FeOx:TiO2 was optimized to attain the highest photo-conversion. By X-ray fluorescence, the Fe:Ti ration was found to be ~1.4 in the film bulk and by XPS-etching a ratio of 4:1 was found on the photocatalyst top-most layers. For co-sputtered FeOx-TiO2-PE films, the FeOx-TiO2 heterojunction led to electron injection from the FeOx to lower-lying TiO2 trapping states. The film optical properties, particle size, roughness, hydrophobic-hydrophilic shift and temporal evolution of the transient redox states were characterized in detail. Films with different microstructure led to different antibacterial activity. This suggests that the FeOx-TiO2-PE microstructure and not the position of the potential energy level of the semiconductors FeOx and TiO2 control the charge transfer under light irradiation.

  7. Ga2O3 and GaN nanocrystalline film: reverse micelle assisted solvothermal synthesis and characterization.

    PubMed

    Sinha, Godhuli; Ganguli, Dibyendu; Chaudhuri, Subhadra

    2008-03-01

    Gallium oxide (beta-Ga2O3) nanoparticles were successfully deposited on quartz glass substrates using sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT)/n-hexane/ethylene glycol monomethyl ether (EGME) reverse micelle-mediated solvothermal process with different omega values. The mean diameter of Ga2O3 particles was approximately 2-3 nm and found to be approximately independent of omega values of the reverse micelles. However, when the Ga2O3 nanocrystalline films were nitrided at 900 degrees C under flowing NH3 atmosphere for 1 h, the mean diameter of the resulted gallium nitride (wurtzite-GaN) nanoparticles varied from 3-9 nm. Both nanocrystalline films of Ga2O3 and GaN were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy and photoluminescence in order to study their chemical and physical properties explicitly.

  8. Hydrothermal growth of highly textured BaTiO₃ films composed of nanowires.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Zhi; Lin, Yirong; Tang, Haixiong; Sodano, Henry A

    2013-03-08

    Textured barium titanate (BaTiO(3)) films are attracting immense research interest due to their lead-free composition and excellent piezoelectric and dielectric properties. Most synthesis methods for these films require a high temperature, leading to the formation of a secondary phase and an overall decrease in the electrical properties of the ceramic. In order to alleviate these issues, a novel fabrication method is introduced by transferring oriented rutile TiO(2) nanowires to a textured BaTiO(3) film at temperatures below 160 °C. The microstructure and thickness of the fabricated BaTiO(3) films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, and the crystal structure and degree of orientation were evaluated by x-ray diffraction patterns using the Lotgering method. It is shown that the thickness of the BaTiO(3) film can be controlled by the length of TiO(2) nanowire array template, and the degree of orientation of the textured BaTiO(3) films is highly dependent on the film thickness; the crystallographic orientation has been measured to reach up to 87%. The relative dielectric constant (ε(r) = 1300) and ferroelectric properties (P(r) = 2.7 μC cm(-2), E(c) = 4.0 kV mm(-1)) of the textured BaTiO(3) films were also characterized to demonstrate their potential application in sensors, random access memory, and micro-electromechanical systems.

  9. Rapid fabrication of superhydrophobic Al/Fe2O3 nanothermite film with excellent energy-release characteristics and long-term storage stability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ke, Xiang; Zhou, Xiang; Hao, Gaozi; Xiao, Lei; Liu, Jie; Jiang, Wei

    2017-06-01

    One of the challenges for the application of energetic materials is their energy-retaining capabilities after long-term storage. In this study, we report a facile method to fabricate superhydrophobic Al/Fe2O3 nanothermite film by combining electrophoretic deposition and surface modification technologies. Different concentrations of dispersion solvents and additives are investigated to optimize the deposition parameters. Meanwhile, the dependence of deposition rates on nanoparticle concentrations is also studied. The surface morphology and chemical composition are characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. A static contact angles as high as 156° shows the superhydrophobicity of the nanothermite film. Natural and accelerated aging tests are performed and the thermal behavior is analyzed. Thermal analysis shows that the surface modification contributes to significantly improved energy-release characteristics for both fresh and aged samples, which is supposed to be attributed to the preignition reaction between Al2O3 shell and FAS-17. Superhydrophobic Al/Fe2O3 nanothermite film exhibits excellent long-time storage stability with 83.4% of energy left in natural aging test and 60.5% in accelerated aging test. This study is instructive to the practical applications of nanothermites, especially in highly humid environment.

  10. Chemical quenching of positronium in Fe 2O 3/Al 2O 3 catalysts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, C.; Zhang, H. J.; Chen, Z. Q.

    2010-09-01

    Fe 2O 3/Al 2O 3 catalysts were prepared by solid state reaction method using α-Fe 2O 3 and γ-Al 2O 3 nano powders. The microstructure and surface properties of the catalyst were studied using positron lifetime and coincidence Doppler broadening annihilation radiation measurements. The positron lifetime spectrum shows four components. The two long lifetimes τ3 and τ4 are attributed to positronium annihilation in two types of pores distributed inside Al 2O 3 grain and between the grains, respectively. With increasing Fe 2O 3 content from 3 wt% to 40 wt%, the lifetime τ3 keeps nearly unchanged, while the longest lifetime τ4 shows decrease from 96 ns to 64 ns. Its intensity decreases drastically from 24% to less than 8%. The Doppler broadening S parameter shows also a continuous decrease. Further analysis of the Doppler broadening spectra reveals a decrease in the p-Ps intensity with increasing Fe 2O 3 content, which rules out the possibility of spin-conversion of positronium. Therefore the decrease of τ4 is most probably due to the chemical quenching reaction of positronium with Fe ions on the surface of the large pores.

  11. Long-time relaxation of photo-induced influence on BiFeO3 thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gu, Jun-xing; Jin, Kui-juan; Wang, Le; He, Xu; Guo, Hai-zhong; Wang, Can; He, Meng; Yang, Guo-zhen

    2015-11-01

    An intuitively persistent enhancement of the local surface potential of BiFeO3 layers in both heterostructures of BiFeO3/SrRuO3/SrTiO3 and BiFeO3/Sr0.09Nb0.01TiO3 was observed by the Kelvin probe force microscopy technique after the illumination of 375 nm laser. This photo-induced enhanced surface potential can maintain as long as 15 h after the illumination. We attributed this super-long-time relaxation of photo-induced influence to a photo-induced depolarization in the BiFeO3 thin films, and our first-principles calculation of double-potential well further provides an instinct understanding on this depolarization process. Our findings provide a peculiar understanding into the photo-induced phenomena on the widely researched ferroelectric systems and offer an approach to tune their multifunctionality of the magnetization and polarization not only by applied magnetic and electric fields but also by optical filed.

  12. Ferromagnetic-Antiferromagnetic Coupling by Distortion of Fe/Mn Oxygen Octahedrons in (BiFeO3 )m (La0.7 Sr0.3 MnO3 )n Superlattices.

    PubMed

    Xiong, Jie; Lei, Tianyu; Chu, Junwei; Yang, Chao; Wei, Jiake; Zhuo, Mujin; Choi, Eun-Mi; Tao, Bowan; Zhang, Wanli; Wang, Yongqiang; Li, Yanrong

    2017-05-01

    Interface enhanced magnetism attracts much attention due to its potential use in exploring novel structure devices. Nevertheless, the magnetic behavior at interfaces has not been quantitatively determined. In this study, abnormal magnetic moment reduction is observed in La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 (LSMO)/BiFeO 3 (BFO) superlattices, which is induced by ferromagnetic (FM)/antiferromagnetic (AFM) coupling in the interface. With reduced repetition of the superlattice's unit cell [(LSMO) n /(BFO) n ] 60/ n (n = 1, 2, 5, 10) on a SrTiO 3 substrate, magnetic moment reduction from 25.5 emu cc -1 ([(LSMO) 10 /(BFO) 10 ] 6 ) to 1.5 emu cc -1 ([(LSMO) 1 /(BFO) 1 ] 60 ) is obtained. Ab initio simulations show that due to the different magnetic domain formation energies, the magnetic moment orientation tends to be paramagnetic in the FM/AFM interface. The work focuses on the magnetic domain formation energy and provides a pathway to construct artificial heterostructures that can be an effective way to tune the magnetic moment orientation and control the magnetization of ultrathin films. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  13. Synthesis of Ga 2O 3 chains with closely spaced knots connected by nanowires

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dai, L.; You, L. P.; Duan, X. F.; Lian, W. C.; Qin, G. G.

    2004-07-01

    Chains of closely spaced metal or semiconductor particles have potential applications in optoelectronics and single electron devices. We report, for the first time, the synthesis of Ga 2O 3 chains with closely spaced knots connected by nanowires using the thermal evaporation method with a specially designed quartz boat. The Ga 2O 3 chains grew only on the Si substrates where Au catalyst or Ga droplets were coated. The average diameter of the knots is about 450 nm and that of the nanowires is about 50 nm. The selected area electron diffraction of either a knot or a connecting nanowire includes two sets of overlapped single crystal electron diffraction patterns which belong to the [1 0 2] and [1 0 1¯] crystal zone axes of the monoclinic β-Ga 2O 3 phase, respectively. The knot and its neighbor nanowire have the common ( 2¯ 0 1) growth planes at their interface. A mechanism model for the Ga 2O 3 chains synthesis based on the vapor-liquid-solid mechanism is discussed.

  14. Synthesis of BiFeO3 thin films by chemical solution deposition - Structural and magnetic studies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Angappane, S.; Kambhala, Nagaiah

    2012-06-01

    BiFeO3 thin films were deposited on Si (100) substrates by chemical solution deposition. A precursor solution of bismuth acetate and iron acetylacetonate dissolved in distilled water and acetic acid was spin coated on to silicon substrates at ambient conditions, followed by drying and annealing at 650 °C. The films were characterized by XRD and FESEM to study structural properties and morphology. The magnetic properties studied by SQUID magnetometer shows the ferromagnetic nature of the chemical solution deposited BiFeO3 films which are crucial for low cost device applications.

  15. Tensile stress effect on epitaxial BiFeO 3 thin film grown on KTaO 3

    DOE PAGES

    Bae, In-Tae; Ichinose, Tomohiro; Han, Myung-Geun; ...

    2018-01-17

    Comprehensive crystal structural study is performed for BiFeO 3 (BFO) film grown on KTaO 3 (KTO) substrate using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). Nano beam electron diffraction (NBED) combined with structure factor calculation and high resolution TEM images clearly reveal that the crystal structure within BFO thin film is rhombohedral BFO, i.e., bulk BFO phase. Epitaxial relationship found by NBED indicates the BFO film grows in a manner that minimizes lattice mismatch with KTO. It further suggests BFO film is under slight biaxial tensile stress (~0.35%) along in-plane direction. XRD reveals BFO lattice is under compressive stressmore » (~1.6%), along out-of-plane direction as a result of the biaxial tensile stress applied along in-plane direction. This leads to Poisson’s ratio of ~0.68. In addition, we demonstrate (1) why hexagonal notation rather than pseudocubic one is required for accurate BFO phase evaluation and (2) a new XRD method that shows how rhombohedral BFO can readily be identified among other phases by measuring a rhombohedral specific Bragg’s peak.« less

  16. Tensile stress effect on epitaxial BiFeO 3 thin film grown on KTaO 3

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

    Bae, In-Tae; Ichinose, Tomohiro; Han, Myung-Geun

    Comprehensive crystal structural study is performed for BiFeO 3 (BFO) film grown on KTaO 3 (KTO) substrate using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). Nano beam electron diffraction (NBED) combined with structure factor calculation and high resolution TEM images clearly reveal that the crystal structure within BFO thin film is rhombohedral BFO, i.e., bulk BFO phase. Epitaxial relationship found by NBED indicates the BFO film grows in a manner that minimizes lattice mismatch with KTO. It further suggests BFO film is under slight biaxial tensile stress (~0.35%) along in-plane direction. XRD reveals BFO lattice is under compressive stressmore » (~1.6%), along out-of-plane direction as a result of the biaxial tensile stress applied along in-plane direction. This leads to Poisson’s ratio of ~0.68. In addition, we demonstrate (1) why hexagonal notation rather than pseudocubic one is required for accurate BFO phase evaluation and (2) a new XRD method that shows how rhombohedral BFO can readily be identified among other phases by measuring a rhombohedral specific Bragg’s peak.« less

  17. 57Fe Mössbauer study of unusual magnetic structure of multiferroic 3R-AgFeO2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sobolev, A.; Rusakov, V.; Moskvin, A.; Gapochka, A.; Belik, A.; Glazkova, I.; Akulenko, A.; Demazeau, G.; Presniakov, I.

    2017-07-01

    We report new results of a 57Fe Mössbauer study of hyperfine magnetic interactions in the layered multiferroic 3R-AgFeO2 demonstrating two magnetic phase transitions at T N1 and T N2. The asymptotic value β *  ≈  0.34 for the critical exponent obtained from the temperature dependence of the hyperfine field H hf(T) at 57Fe the nuclei below T N1  ≈  14 K indicates that 3R-AgFeO2 shows quasi-3D critical behavior. The spectra just above T N1 (T N1  <  T  <  T  *  ≈  41 K) demonstrate a relaxation behavior due to critical spin fluctuations which indicates the occurrence of short-range correlations. At the intermediate temperature range, T N2  <  T  <  T N1, the 57Fe Mössbauer spectra are described in terms of collinear spin-density-waves (SDW) with the inclusion of many high-order harmonics, indicating that the real magnetic structure of the ferrite appears to be more complicated than a pure sinusoidally modulated SDW. Below T  <  T N2  ≈  9 K, the hyperfine field H hf reveals a large spatial anisotropy (ΔH anis  ≈  30 kOe) which is related with a local intra-cluster (FeO6) spin-dipole term that implies a conventional contribution of the polarized oxygen ions. We proposed a simple two-parametric formula to describe the dependence of H anis on the distortions of the (FeO6) clusters. Analysis of different mechanisms of spin and hyperfine interactions in 3R-AgFeO2 and its structural analogue CuFeO2 points to a specific role played by the topology of the exchange coupling and the oxygen polarization in the delafossite-like structures.

  18. Synthesis of BiFeO{sub 3} thin films on single-terminated Nb : SrTiO{sub 3} (111) substrates by intermittent microwave assisted hydrothermal method

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

    Velasco-Davalos, Ivan; Ambriz-Vargas, Fabian; Kolhatkar, Gitanjali

    We report on a simple and fast procedure to create arrays of atomically flat terraces on single crystal SrTiO{sub 3} (111) substrates and the deposition of ferroelectric BiFeO{sub 3} thin films on such single-terminated surfaces. A microwave-assisted hydrothermal method in deionized water and ammonia solution selectively removes either (SrO{sub 3}){sup 4−} or Ti{sup 4+} layers to ensure the same chemical termination on all terraces. Measured step heights of 0.225 nm (d{sub 111}) and uniform contrast in the phase image of the terraces confirm the single termination in pure and Nb doped SrTiO{sub 3} single crystal substrates. Multiferroic BiFeO{sub 3} thinmore » films were then deposited by the same microwave assisted hydrothermal process on Nb : SrTiO{sub 3} (111) substrates. Bi(NO{sub 3}){sub 3} and Fe(NO{sub 3}){sub 3} along with KOH served as the precursors solution. Ferroelectric behavior of the BiFeO{sub 3} films on Nb : SrTiO{sub 3} (100) substrates was verified by piezoresponse force microscopy.« less

  19. Low-cost flexible supercapacitors with high-energy density based on nanostructured MnO2 and Fe2O3 thin films directly fabricated onto stainless steel.

    PubMed

    Gund, Girish S; Dubal, Deepak P; Chodankar, Nilesh R; Cho, Jun Y; Gomez-Romero, Pedro; Park, Chan; Lokhande, Chandrakant D

    2015-07-24

    The facile and economical electrochemical and successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) methods have been employed in order to prepare manganese oxide (MnO2) and iron oxide (Fe2O3) thin films, respectively with the fine optimized nanostructures on highly flexible stainless steel sheet. The symmetric and asymmetric flexible-solid-state supercapacitors (FSS-SCs) of nanostructured (nanosheets for MnO2 and nanoparticles for Fe2O3) electrodes with Na2SO4/Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) gel as a separator and electrolyte were assembled. MnO2 as positive and negative electrodes were used to fabricate symmetric SC, while the asymmetric SC was assembled by employing MnO2 as positive and Fe2O3 as negative electrode. Furthermore, the electrochemical features of symmetric and asymmetric SCs are systematically investigated. The results verify that the fabricated symmetric and asymmetric FSS-SCs present excellent reversibility (within the voltage window of 0-1 V and 0-2 V, respectively) and good cycling stability (83 and 91%, respectively for 3000 of CV cycles). Additionally, the asymmetric SC shows maximum specific capacitance of 92 Fg(-1), about 2-fold of higher energy density (41.8 Wh kg(-1)) than symmetric SC and excellent mechanical flexibility. Furthermore, the "real-life" demonstration of fabricated SCs to the panel of SUK confirms that asymmetric SC has 2-fold higher energy density compare to symmetric SC.

  20. Low-cost flexible supercapacitors with high-energy density based on nanostructured MnO2 and Fe2O3 thin films directly fabricated onto stainless steel

    PubMed Central

    Gund, Girish S.; Dubal, Deepak P.; Chodankar, Nilesh R.; Cho, Jun Y.; Gomez-Romero, Pedro; Park, Chan; Lokhande, Chandrakant D.

    2015-01-01

    The facile and economical electrochemical and successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) methods have been employed in order to prepare manganese oxide (MnO2) and iron oxide (Fe2O3) thin films, respectively with the fine optimized nanostructures on highly flexible stainless steel sheet. The symmetric and asymmetric flexible-solid-state supercapacitors (FSS-SCs) of nanostructured (nanosheets for MnO2 and nanoparticles for Fe2O3) electrodes with Na2SO4/Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) gel as a separator and electrolyte were assembled. MnO2 as positive and negative electrodes were used to fabricate symmetric SC, while the asymmetric SC was assembled by employing MnO2 as positive and Fe2O3 as negative electrode. Furthermore, the electrochemical features of symmetric and asymmetric SCs are systematically investigated. The results verify that the fabricated symmetric and asymmetric FSS-SCs present excellent reversibility (within the voltage window of 0–1 V and 0–2 V, respectively) and good cycling stability (83 and 91%, respectively for 3000 of CV cycles). Additionally, the asymmetric SC shows maximum specific capacitance of 92 Fg−1, about 2-fold of higher energy density (41.8 Wh kg−1) than symmetric SC and excellent mechanical flexibility. Furthermore, the “real-life” demonstration of fabricated SCs to the panel of SUK confirms that asymmetric SC has 2-fold higher energy density compare to symmetric SC. PMID:26208144

  1. Low-cost flexible supercapacitors with high-energy density based on nanostructured MnO2 and Fe2O3 thin films directly fabricated onto stainless steel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gund, Girish S.; Dubal, Deepak P.; Chodankar, Nilesh R.; Cho, Jun Y.; Gomez-Romero, Pedro; Park, Chan; Lokhande, Chandrakant D.

    2015-07-01

    The facile and economical electrochemical and successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) methods have been employed in order to prepare manganese oxide (MnO2) and iron oxide (Fe2O3) thin films, respectively with the fine optimized nanostructures on highly flexible stainless steel sheet. The symmetric and asymmetric flexible-solid-state supercapacitors (FSS-SCs) of nanostructured (nanosheets for MnO2 and nanoparticles for Fe2O3) electrodes with Na2SO4/Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) gel as a separator and electrolyte were assembled. MnO2 as positive and negative electrodes were used to fabricate symmetric SC, while the asymmetric SC was assembled by employing MnO2 as positive and Fe2O3 as negative electrode. Furthermore, the electrochemical features of symmetric and asymmetric SCs are systematically investigated. The results verify that the fabricated symmetric and asymmetric FSS-SCs present excellent reversibility (within the voltage window of 0-1 V and 0-2 V, respectively) and good cycling stability (83 and 91%, respectively for 3000 of CV cycles). Additionally, the asymmetric SC shows maximum specific capacitance of 92 Fg-1, about 2-fold of higher energy density (41.8 Wh kg-1) than symmetric SC and excellent mechanical flexibility. Furthermore, the “real-life” demonstration of fabricated SCs to the panel of SUK confirms that asymmetric SC has 2-fold higher energy density compare to symmetric SC.

  2. Dependence of the Thermal Conductivity of BiFeO3 Thin Films on Polarization and Structure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ning, Shuai; Huberman, Samuel C.; Zhang, Chen; Zhang, Zhengjun; Chen, Gang; Ross, Caroline A.

    2017-11-01

    The role of the ferroelectric polarization state and crystal structure in determining the room-temperature thermal conductivity of epitaxial BiFeO3 thin films is investigated. The ferroelectric domain configuration is varied by changing the oxygen partial pressure during growth, as well as by polarizing the samples by the application of an in situ electric field during the thermal conductivity measurement. However, little or no dependence of thermal conductivity on the ferroelectric domain structure is observed. In contrast, the thermal conductivity significantly depends on the morphotropic phase structure, being about 2 /3 as large in tetragonal-like compared to rhombohedral-like BiFeO3 film. The substantial structural dependence of thermal conductivity found here may provide a route to reversible manipulation of thermal properties.

  3. Preparation of surface plasmon resonance biosensor based on magnetic core/shell Fe3O4/SiO2 and Fe3O4/Ag/SiO2 nanoparticles.

    PubMed

    Wang, Liying; Sun, Ying; Wang, Jing; Wang, Jian; Yu, Aimin; Zhang, Hanqi; Song, Daqian

    2011-06-01

    In this paper, surface plasmon resonance biosensors based on magnetic core/shell Fe(3)O(4)/SiO(2) and Fe(3)O(4)/Ag/SiO(2) nanoparticles were developed for immunoassay. With Fe(3)O(4) and Fe(3)O(4)/Ag nanoparticles being used as seeding materials, Fe(3)O(4)/SiO(2) and Fe(3)O(4)/Ag/SiO(2) nanoparticles were formed by hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate. The aldehyde group functionalized magnetic nanoparticles provide organic functionality for bioconjugation. The products were characterized by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), transmission electronic microscopy (TEM), FTIR and UV-vis absorption spectrometry. The magnetic nanoparticles possess the unique superparamagnetism property, exceptional optical properties and good compatibilities, and could be used as immobilization matrix for goat anti-rabbit IgG. The magnetic nanoparticles can be easily immobilized on the surface of SPR biosensor chip by a magnetic pillar. The effects of Fe(3)O(4)/SiO(2) and Fe(3)O(4)/Ag/SiO(2) nanoparticles on the sensitivity of SPR biosensors were also investigated. As a result, the SPR biosensors based on Fe(3)O(4)/SiO(2) nanoparticles and Fe(3)O(4)/Ag/SiO(2) nanoparticles exhibit a response for rabbit IgG in the concentration range of 1.25-20.00 μg ml(-1) and 0.30-20.00 μg ml(-1), respectively. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Profound Interfacial Effects in CoFe2O4/Fe3O4 and Fe3O4/CoFe2O4 Core/Shell Nanoparticles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Polishchuk, Dmytro; Nedelko, Natalia; Solopan, Sergii; Ślawska-Waniewska, Anna; Zamorskyi, Vladyslav; Tovstolytkin, Alexandr; Belous, Anatolii

    2018-03-01

    Two sets of core/shell magnetic nanoparticles, CoFe2O4/Fe3O4 and Fe3O4/CoFe2O4, with a fixed diameter of the core ( 4.1 and 6.3 nm for the former and latter sets, respectively) and thickness of shells up to 2.5 nm were synthesized from metal chlorides in a diethylene glycol solution. The nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and magnetic measurements. The analysis of the results of magnetic measurements shows that coating of magnetic nanoparticles with the shells results in two simultaneous effects: first, it modifies the parameters of the core-shell interface, and second, it makes the particles acquire combined features of the core and the shell. The first effect becomes especially prominent when the parameters of core and shell strongly differ from each other. The results obtained are useful for optimizing and tailoring the parameters of core/shell spinel ferrite magnetic nanoparticles for their use in various technological and biomedical applications.

  5. Composite CuFe1 - xSnxO2/p-type silicon photodiodes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Al-Sehemi, Abdullah G.; Mensah-Darkwa, K.; Al-Ghamdi, Ahmed A.; Soylu, M.; Gupta, R. K.; Yakuphanoglu, F.

    2017-06-01

    CuFe1 - xSnxO2 composite thin film/p-type silicon diodes were prepared on substrate by sol-gel method (x = 0.00, 0.01, 0.03, 0.05, 0.07). The structure of CuFe1 - xSnxO2 composite thin films was studied using XRD analysis and films exhibited amorphous behavior. The elemental compositions and surface morphology of the films were characterized using SEM and EDX. EDX results confirmed the presence of the compositional elements. The optical band gap of CuFe1 - xSnxO2 composite thin films was determined using the optic spectra. The optical band gaps of the CuFe1 - xSnxO2 composite thin films were calculated using optical data and were found to be 3.75, 3.78, 3.80, 3.85 and 3.83 eV for x = 0.00, 0.01, 0.03, 0.05 and 0.07, respectively. The photoresponse and electrical properties of the Al/CuFe1 - xSnxO2/p-Si/Al diode were studied. The barrier height and ideality factor were determined to be averagely 0.67 eV and 2.6, respectively. The electrical and photoresponse characteristics of the diodes have been investigated under dark and solar light illuminations, respectively. The interface states were used to explain the results obtained in present study. CuFe1 - xSnxO2 photodiodes exhibited a high photoresponsivity to be used in optoelectronic applications.

  6. Perovskites Bi0.8La0.2FeO3 and Bi0.8La0.2Fe0.95Cr0.05O3: Crystal structure and magnetic and charge states of iron ions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sigov, A. S.; Pokatilov, V. S.; Makarova, A. O.; Pokatilov, V. V.

    2014-06-01

    Perovskites of the Bi0.8La0.2Fe1 - x Cr x O3 system ( x = 0, 0.05) were investigated by Mössbauer spectroscopy in the temperature range of 298-800 K. The samples were fabricated by solid-state synthesis and had a rhombic structure. Iron ions in Bi0.8La0.2FeO3 and Bi0.8La0.2Fe0.95Cr0.05O3 are situated in trivalent states. The magnetic transition temperatures (the Néel temperatures T N ) T N = 677.5 ± 2.5 K for Bi0.8La0.2FeO3 and T N = 647.6 ± 2.5 K for Bi0.8La0.2Fe0.95Cr0.05O3 are measured. The substitution of trivalent iron ions from trivalent chromium ions in the amount x = 0.05 in Bi0.8La0.2Fe0.95Cr0.05O3 perovskite decreases the hyperfine magnetic field at nuclei 57Fe in Fe+3-O-Cr+3 chains by 30 kOe.

  7. Polarization fatigue of BiFeO3 films with ferromagnetic metallic electrodes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Chen; Wang, Ji; Li, Chen; Wen, Zheng; Xu, Qingyu; Du, Jun

    2017-05-01

    BiFeO3 (BFO) thin films were epitaxially grown on (001) SrTiO3 substrates using LaNiO3 as bottom electrode by pulsed laser deposition. The ferroelectric properties of BFO layer with ferromagnetic Ni21Fe79 (NiFe) or non-magnetic Pt electrode are investigated. Well saturated polarization-electric field (P-E) hysteresis loops are observed. Significant fatigue and associated drastic decrease in switchable polarization have been observed with cycling number exceeds 106, which can be explained by the domain wall pinning due to the oxygen vacancies trapping. With increasing cycle number to above 107, the polarization is rejuvenated. The polarization for BFO layer with NiFe electrode recovers to the initial value, while only about 75% of initial polarization is recovered for BFO layer with Pt electrode. Furthermore, the imprint is alleviated and the P-E hysteresis loops become more symmetric after the polarization recovery. The difference can be understood by the different interface state of NiFe/BFO and Pt/BFO.

  8. Combustion synthesis of AlB2-Al2O3 composite powders with AlB2 nanowire structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Pan; Xiao, Guoqing; Ding, Donghai; Ren, Yun; Yang, Shoulei; Lv, Lihua; Hou, Xing

    2018-05-01

    Using of Al and B2O3 powders as starting materials, and Mg-Al alloy as additives, AlB2-Al2O3 composite powders with AlB2 nanowire structures were successfully fabricated via combustion synthesis method in Ar atmosphere at a pressure of 1.5 MPa. The effect of different amount of Mg-Al alloy on the phase compositions and morphology of the combustion products was investigated. The results revealed that AlB2 and Al2O3 increased, whereas Al decreased with the content of Mg-Al alloy increasing. The impurities MgAl2O4 and AlB12 would exist in the sample with adding of 18 wt% Mg-Al alloy. Interestingly, FESEM/TEM/EDS results showed that AlB2 nanowires were observed in the products when the content of Mg-Al alloy is 6 wt% and 12 wt%. The more AlB2 nanowires can be found as the content of Mg-Al alloy increased. And the yield of AlB2 nanowires with the diameter of about 200 nanometers (nm) and the length up to several tens of micrometers (μm) in the combustion product is highest when the content of Mg-Al alloy is 12 wt%. The vapor, such as Mg-Al (g), B2O2 (g), AlO (g) and Al2O (g), produced during the process of combustion synthesis, reacted with each other to yield AlB2 nanowires by vapor-solid (VS) mechanism and the corresponding model was also proposed.

  9. Effect of a CoFeB layer on the anisotropic magnetoresistance of Ta/CoFeB/MgO/NiFe/MgO/CoFeB/Ta films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Minghua; Shi, Hui; Dong, Yuegang; Ding, Lei; Han, Gang; Zhang, Yao; Liu, Ye; Yu, Guanghua

    2017-10-01

    The anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) and magnetic properties of NiFe films can be remarkably enhanced via CoFeB layer. In the case of an ultrathin NiFe film having a Ta/CoFeB/MgO/NiFe/MgO/CoFeB/Ta structure, the CoFeB/MgO layers suppressed the formation of magnetic dead layers and the interdiffusions and interface reactions between the NiFe and Ta layers. The AMR reached a maximum value of 3.56% at 450 °C. More importantly, a single NiFe (1 1 1) peak can be formed resulting in higher AMR values for films having CoFeB layer. This enhanced AMR also originated from the significant specular reflection of electrons owing to the crystalline MgO layer, together with the sharp interfaces with the NiFe layer. These factors together resulted in higher AMR and improved magnetic properties.

  10. Characterization of Water Coordination to Ferrous Nitrosyl Complexes with fac-N2O, cis-N2O2, and N2O3 Donor Ligands.

    PubMed

    McCracken, John; Cappillino, Patrick J; McNally, Joshua S; Krzyaniak, Matthew D; Howart, Michael; Tarves, Paul C; Caradonna, John P

    2015-07-06

    Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) experiments were done on a series of S = (3)/2 ferrous nitrosyl model complexes prepared with chelating ligands that mimic the 2-His-1-carboxylate facial triad iron binding motif of the mononuclear nonheme iron oxidases. These complexes formed a comparative family, {FeNO}(7)(N2Ox)(H2O)3-x with x = 1-3, where the labile coordination sites for the binding of NO and solvent water were fac for x = 1 and cis for x = 2. The continuous-wave EPR spectra of these three complexes were typical of high-spin S = (3)/2 transition-metal ions with resonances near g = 4 and 2. Orientation-selective hyperfine sublevel correlation (HYSCORE) spectra revealed cross peaks arising from the protons of coordinated water in a clean spectral window from g = 3.0 to 2.3. These cross peaks were absent for the {FeNO}(7)(N2O3) complex. HYSCORE spectra were analyzed using a straightforward model for defining the spin Hamiltonian parameters of bound water and showed that, for the {FeNO}(7)(N2O2)(H2O) complex, a single water conformer with an isotropic hyperfine coupling, Aiso = 0.0 ± 0.3 MHz, and a dipolar coupling of T = 4.8 ± 0.2 MHz could account for the data. For the {FeNO}(7)(N2O)(H2O)2 complex, the HYSCORE cross peaks assigned to coordinated water showed more frequency dispersion and were analyzed with discrete orientations and hyperfine couplings for the two water molecules that accounted for the observed orientation-selective contour shapes. The use of three-pulse electron spin echo envelope modulation (ESEEM) data to quantify the number of water ligands coordinated to the {FeNO}(7) centers was explored. For this aspect of the study, HYSCORE spectra were important for defining a spectral window where empirical integration of ESEEM spectra would be the most accurate.

  11. Fe3O4/γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticle multilayers deposited by the Langmuir-Blodgett technique for gas sensors application.

    PubMed

    Capone, S; Manera, M G; Taurino, A; Siciliano, P; Rella, R; Luby, S; Benkovicova, M; Siffalovic, P; Majkova, E

    2014-02-04

    Fe3O4/γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles (NPs) based thin films were used as active layers in solid state resistive chemical sensors. NPs were synthesized by high temperature solution phase reaction. Sensing NP monolayers (ML) were deposited by Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) techniques onto chemoresistive transduction platforms. The sensing ML were UV treated to remove NP insulating capping. Sensors surface was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Systematic gas sensing tests in controlled atmosphere were carried out toward NO2, CO, and acetone at different concentrations and working temperatures of the sensing layers. The best sensing performance results were obtained for sensors with higher NPs coverage (10 ML), mainly for NO2 gas showing interesting selectivity toward nitrogen oxides. Electrical properties and conduction mechanisms are discussed.

  12. Thickness-dependent multiferroic behavior of BiFe0.75Cr0.25O3 films over Pt(111)/Ti/SiO2/Si substrate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    William, R. V.; Sivaprakash, P.; Marikani, A.; Reddy, V. Raghavendra; Arumugam, S.

    2018-02-01

    We present here the experimental results of BiFe0.75Cr0.25O3 (BFCO) thin film deposited by sol-gel spin coating technique directly on Pt(111)/Ti/SiO2/Si substrate at different thicknesses. The crystal structure of BFCO has been investigated using X-ray diffraction which acts as a double perovskite structure with high crystallinity obtained at 400 °C. Further microscopic studies such as scanning electron microscope (SEM) with EDAX, transmission electron microscope (TEM) were also used in identifying the grain size and particle distribution over Pt (111) substrate. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) on the films at a different thickness (- 80 to - 250 nm) reveals that the surface roughness and other amplitude parameters increases with the increase in thickness signifying an increase of grain size with thickness. Increase in grain size and substrate clamping effect between the BFCO film and the substrate induces change in ferroelectric polarization and dielectric properties in relation to thickness effect. Similarly, decrease in magnetization from 9.241 emu/cm3 (- 80 nm) to 5.7791 emu/cm3 (- 250 nm) is attributed to the formation of anti-sites and anti-phase boundaries in the films. In addition, temperature dependence of magnetization reveals ferromagnetic super-exchange interaction of BFCO which is unlike the spin structure of antiferromagnetic BiFeO3.

  13. Domain switching kinetics in ferroelectric-resistive BiFeO3 thin film memories

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Meng, Jianwei; Jiang, Jun; Geng, Wenping; Chen, Zhihui; Zhang, Wei; Jiang, Anquan

    2015-02-01

    We fabricated (00l) BiFeO3 (BFO) thin films in different growth modes on SrRuO3/SrTiO3 substrates using a pulsed laser deposition technique. X-ray diffraction patterns show an out-of-plane lattice constant of 4.03 Å and ferroelectric polarization of 82 µC/cm2 for the BFO thin film in a layer-by-layer growth mode (2D-BFO), larger than 3.96 Å and 51 µC/cm2 for the thin film in the 3D-island formation growth mode (3D-BFO). The 2D-BFO thin film at 300 K shows switchable on/off diode currents upon polarization flipping near a negative coercive voltage, which is nevertheless absent from the above 3D-BFO thin film. From a positive-up-negative-down pulse characterization technique, we measured domain switching current transients as well as polarization-voltage (Pf-Vf) hysteresis loops in both semiconducting thin films. Pf-Vf hysteresis loops after 1 µs-retention time show the preferred domain orientation pointing to bottom electrodes in a 3D-BFO thin film. The poor retention of the domains pointing to top electrodes can be improved considerably in a 2D-BFO thin film. From these measurements, we extracted domain switching time dependence of coercive voltage at temperatures of 78-300 K. From these dependences, we found coercive voltages in semiconducting ferroelectric thin films much higher than those in insulating thin films, disobeying the traditional Merz equation. Finally, an equivalent resistance model in description of free-carrier compensation of the front domain boundary charge is developed to interpret this difference. This equivalent resistance can be coincidently extracted either from domain switching time dependence of coercive voltage or from applied voltage dependence of domain switching current, which drops almost linearly with the temperature until down to 0 in a ferroelectric insulator at 78 K.

  14. Nanophotonic switch: gold-in-Ga2O3 peapod nanowires.

    PubMed

    Hsieh, Chin-Hua; Chou, Li-Jen; Lin, Gong-Ru; Bando, Yoshio; Golberg, Dimitri

    2008-10-01

    A novel metal-insulator heterostructure made of twinned Ga2O3 nanowires embedding discrete gold particles along the twin boundary was formed through a reaction between gold, gallium, and silica at 800 degrees C during simple thermal annealing. The Au-in-Ga2O3 peapods spontaneously crystallized under phase separation induced by the formation of twin boundaries. The nanostructures were analyzed by field emission scanning (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopes (FETEM), and their photoresponse was investigated using a double-frequency Nd:YAG laser with a wavelength of 532 nm on a designed single-nanowire device. The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effects of embedded Au nanoparticles are proposed to be responsible for the remarkable photoresponse of these novel structures.

  15. Neutron Diffraction Investigations of Magnetism in BiFeO3 Epitaxial Films

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-01-01

    magnetism;epitaxial thin film;BiFeO3 Daisuke Kan, Wangchun Chen, Shannon Watson, Songxue Chi, Ross Erwin, Garry J. McIntyre, Sylvia C. Capelli, William ...Weinheim 1567wileyonlinelibrary.comAdv. Funct. Mater. 2011, 21, 1567–1574 William Ratcliff II , * Daisuke Kan , * Wangchun Chen , Shannon Watson...15 ] S. W. Lovesey , Theory of Neutron Scattering from Condensed Matter vol. 2 Oxford , New York , 1984 . [ 16 ] W. Gavin Williams

  16. Common electronic origin of superconductivity in (Li,Fe)OHFeSe bulk superconductor and single-layer FeSe/SrTiO3 films.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Lin; Liang, Aiji; Yuan, Dongna; Hu, Yong; Liu, Defa; Huang, Jianwei; He, Shaolong; Shen, Bing; Xu, Yu; Liu, Xu; Yu, Li; Liu, Guodong; Zhou, Huaxue; Huang, Yulong; Dong, Xiaoli; Zhou, Fang; Liu, Kai; Lu, Zhongyi; Zhao, Zhongxian; Chen, Chuangtian; Xu, Zuyan; Zhou, X J

    2016-02-08

    The mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity in the iron-based superconductors remains an outstanding issue in condensed matter physics. The electronic structure plays an essential role in dictating superconductivity. Recent revelation of distinct electronic structure and high-temperature superconductivity in the single-layer FeSe/SrTiO3 films provides key information on the role of Fermi surface topology and interface in inducing or enhancing superconductivity. Here we report high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission measurements on the electronic structure and superconducting gap of an FeSe-based superconductor, (Li0.84Fe0.16)OHFe0.98Se, with a Tc at 41 K. We find that this single-phase bulk superconductor shows remarkably similar electronic behaviours to that of the superconducting single-layer FeSe/SrTiO3 films in terms of Fermi surface topology, band structure and the gap symmetry. These observations provide new insights in understanding high-temperature superconductivity in the single-layer FeSe/SrTiO3 films and the mechanism of superconductivity in the bulk iron-based superconductors.

  17. Common electronic origin of superconductivity in (Li,Fe)OHFeSe bulk superconductor and single-layer FeSe/SrTiO3 films

    PubMed Central

    Zhao, Lin; Liang, Aiji; Yuan, Dongna; Hu, Yong; Liu, Defa; Huang, Jianwei; He, Shaolong; Shen, Bing; Xu, Yu; Liu, Xu; Yu, Li; Liu, Guodong; Zhou, Huaxue; Huang, Yulong; Dong, Xiaoli; Zhou, Fang; Liu, Kai; Lu, Zhongyi; Zhao, Zhongxian; Chen, Chuangtian; Xu, Zuyan; Zhou, X. J.

    2016-01-01

    The mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity in the iron-based superconductors remains an outstanding issue in condensed matter physics. The electronic structure plays an essential role in dictating superconductivity. Recent revelation of distinct electronic structure and high-temperature superconductivity in the single-layer FeSe/SrTiO3 films provides key information on the role of Fermi surface topology and interface in inducing or enhancing superconductivity. Here we report high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission measurements on the electronic structure and superconducting gap of an FeSe-based superconductor, (Li0.84Fe0.16)OHFe0.98Se, with a Tc at 41 K. We find that this single-phase bulk superconductor shows remarkably similar electronic behaviours to that of the superconducting single-layer FeSe/SrTiO3 films in terms of Fermi surface topology, band structure and the gap symmetry. These observations provide new insights in understanding high-temperature superconductivity in the single-layer FeSe/SrTiO3 films and the mechanism of superconductivity in the bulk iron-based superconductors. PMID:26853801

  18. Improved Performance by SiO2 Hollow Nanospheres for Silver Nanowire-Based Flexible Transparent Conductive Films.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Liwen; Zhang, Longjiang; Qiu, Yejun; Ji, Yang; Liu, Ya; Liu, Hong; Li, Guangji; Guo, Qiuquan

    2016-10-12

    Flexible transparent conductive films (TCFs) have attracted tremendous interest thanks to the rapid development of portable/flexible/wearable electronics. TCFs on the basis of silver nanowires (AgNWs) with excellent performance are becoming an efficient alternative to replace the brittle transparent metal oxide. In this study, a promising method was developed by introducing SiO 2 hollow nanospheres (SiO 2 -HNSs) into the film to significantly improve the performance of AgNW-based TCFs. Since SiO 2 -HNSs have opposite charges to AgNWs, the strong attraction had promoted a uniform distribution of AgNWs and made the distance between AgNWs closer, which could decrease the contact resistance greatly. The introduction of SiO 2 layer remarkably enhanced the transmission of visible light and the conductivity. In addition, the TCFs constructed by AgNWs and SiO 2 -HNSs showed much higher thermal stability and adhesive force than those by only AgNWs. As an example, the transmission of AgNW/SiO 2 -HNS-coated poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) could increase about 14.3% in comparison to AgNW-coated PET. Typically, a AgNW/SiO 2 -HNS-based TCF with a sheet resistance of about 33 Ω/sq and transmittance of about 98.0% (excluding substrate) could be obtained with excellent flexibility, adhesion, and thermal stability. At last some devices were fabricated.

  19. The effect of Fe2O3 crystal phases on CO2 hydrogenation

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Tianqi; Chen, Hongxian; Yang, Xiazhen; Jin, Yangfu

    2017-01-01

    The effect of Fe2O3 crystal phases on their performance in CO2 hydrogenation was studied. α-Fe2O3 crystal was prepared by precipitation method from Fe(NO3)3·9H2O and (NH4)2CO3, and γ-Fe2O3 was prepared by grinding Fe(NO3)3·9H2O and L(+)-Tartaric acid in agate mortar completely. The crystal phases of Fe2O3 influence the distribution of promoter Zn, K and Cu on catalysts. The dispersity of K on γ-Fe2O3 surface is higher than α-Fe2O3. On the contrary, Cu and Zn are more dispersive on α-Fe2O3 surface than γ-Fe2O3. The catalyst in γ-Fe2O3 phase is easily reduced relative to the catalyst in α-Fe2O3 phase. The former presents higher CO2 conversion and C2+ hydrocarbon selectivity than the latter in CO2 hydrogenation. PMID:28806421

  20. The effect of Fe2O3 crystal phases on CO2 hydrogenation.

    PubMed

    Ning, Wensheng; Wang, Tianqi; Chen, Hongxian; Yang, Xiazhen; Jin, Yangfu

    2017-01-01

    The effect of Fe2O3 crystal phases on their performance in CO2 hydrogenation was studied. α-Fe2O3 crystal was prepared by precipitation method from Fe(NO3)3·9H2O and (NH4)2CO3, and γ-Fe2O3 was prepared by grinding Fe(NO3)3·9H2O and L(+)-Tartaric acid in agate mortar completely. The crystal phases of Fe2O3 influence the distribution of promoter Zn, K and Cu on catalysts. The dispersity of K on γ-Fe2O3 surface is higher than α-Fe2O3. On the contrary, Cu and Zn are more dispersive on α-Fe2O3 surface than γ-Fe2O3. The catalyst in γ-Fe2O3 phase is easily reduced relative to the catalyst in α-Fe2O3 phase. The former presents higher CO2 conversion and C2+ hydrocarbon selectivity than the latter in CO2 hydrogenation.

  1. Directional and magnetic field enhanced emission of Cu-doped ZnO nanowires/p-GaN heterojunction light-emitting diodes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Viana, Bruno; Lupan, Oleg; Pauporté, Thierry

    2011-01-01

    The electrochemical deposition technique was used for the preparation of Cu-doped ZnO-nanowire-based emitters. Nanowires of high structural and optical quality were epitaxially grown on p-GaN single crystalline film substrates. We found that the emission is directional with a wavelength that is tuned and redshifted toward the visible region by doping with Cu in nanowires. Furthermore, Cu-doped ZnO-nanowires show an enhancement of the transition probability under magnetic field.

  2. Growth mechanism and elemental distribution of beta-Ga2O3 crystalline nanowires synthesized by cobalt-assisted chemical vapor deposition.

    PubMed

    Wang, Hui; Lan, Yucheng; Zhang, Jiaming; Crimp, Martin A; Ren, Zhifeng

    2012-04-01

    Long beta-Ga2O3 crystalline nanowires are synthesized on patterned silicon substrates using chemical vapor deposition technique. Advanced electron microscopy indicates that the as-grown beta-Ga2O3 nanowires are consisted of poly-crystalline (Co, Ga)O tips and straight crystalline beta-Ga2O3 stems. The catalytic cobalt not only locates at the nanowire tips but diffuses into beta-Ga2O3 nanowire stems several ten nanometers. A solid diffusion growth mechanism is proposed based on the spatial elemental distribution along the beta-Ga2O3 nanowires at nanoscale.

  3. EFFECTS OF PRECURSOR SOLUTION MODIFICATION ON THE CRYSTALLINITY AND ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3-BiFeO3 BASED THIN FILM

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sui, Huiting; Yang, Changhong; Wang, Gaoyun; Feng, Chao

    2014-07-01

    For chemical solution decomposition process, the precursor solution is a basic factor affecting the quality of the deposited-film. In this paper, we choose (l00)-oriented 0.7[(Bi0.95Ce0.05)0.5Na0.5(Ti0.99Fe0.01)O3]-0.3BiFe0.97Mn0.03O3(0.7NBTCeFe-0.3BFOMn) thin films prepared by various precursor solutions for investigation. The roles of precursor solution modification on crystallinity, ferroelectric and dielectric properties are characterized. With the addition of polyethylene glycol into the solution, phase-pure perovskite structure can be obtained. Furthermore, when the volume ratio for the solvents (ethylene glycol to acetic acid) is modified as 2:1, enhanced ferroelectricity can be achieved with a remanent polarization (Pr) of 27.5 μC/cm2, which coincides well with the capacitance-voltage curve with relatively sharp feature. Also, the 0.7NBTCeFe-0.3BFOMn film exhibits a dielectric constant (ɛr) of 576 and dielectric loss (tan δ) of 0.123 at 100 kHz.

  4. Charged Nanowire-Directed Growth of Amorphous Calcium Carbonate Nanosheets in a Mixed Solvent for Biomimetic Composite Films.

    PubMed

    Liu, Yang-Yi; Liu, Lei; Chen, Si-Ming; Chang, Fu-Jia; Mao, Li-Bo; Gao, Huai-Ling; Ma, Tao; Yu, Shu-Hong

    2018-05-22

    Bio-inspired mineralization is an effective way for fabricating complex inorganic materials, which inspires us to develop new methods to synthesize materials with fascinating properties. In this article, we report that the charged tellurium nanowires (TeNWs) can be used as biomacromolecule analogues to direct the formation of amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) nanosheets (ACCNs) in a mixed solvent. The effects of surface charges and the concentration of the TeNWs on the formation of ACCNs have been investigated. Particularly, the produced ACCNs can be functionalized by Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles to produce magnetic ACC/Fe 3 O 4 hybrid nanosheets that can be used to construct ACC/Fe 3 O 4 composite films through a self-evaporation process. Moreover, sodium alginate-ACC nanocomposite films with remarkable toughness and good transmittance can also be fabricated by using such ACCNs as nanoscale building blocks. This mineralization approach in a mixed solvent using charged TeNWs as biomacromolecule analogues provides a new way for the synthesis of ACCNs, which can be used as nanoscale building blocks for the fabrication of biomimetic composite films.

  5. Evolution of magnetic properties in the vicinity of the Verwey transition in Fe3O4 thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, X. H.; Liu, W.; Zhang, Z. D.

    2017-09-01

    We have systematically studied the evolution of magnetic properties, especially the coercivity and the remanence ratio in the vicinity of the Verwey transition temperature (TV), of high-quality epitaxial Fe3O4 thin films grown on MgO (001), MgAl2O4 (MAO) (001), and SrTiO3 (STO) (001) substrates. We observed rapid change of magnetization, coercivity, and remanence ratio at TV, which are consistent with the behaviors of resistivity versus temperature [ρ (T )] curves for the different thin films. In particular, we found quite different magnetic behaviors for the thin films on MgO from those on MAO and STO, in which the domain size and the strain state play very important roles. The coercivity is mainly determined by the domain size but the demagnetization process is mainly dependent on the strain state. Furthermore, we observed a reversal of remanence ratio at TV with thickness for the thin films grown on MgO: from a rapid enhancement for 40-nm- to a sharp drop for 200-nm-thick film, and the critical thickness is about 80 nm. Finally, we found an obvious hysteretic loop of coercivity (or remanence ratio) with temperature around TV, corresponding to the hysteretic loop of the ρ (T ) curve, in Fe3O4 thin film grown on MgO.

  6. A study of the properties and microstructure of Ni 81Fe 19 ultrathin films with MgO

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Minghua; Han, Gan; Ding, Lei; Wang, Xiaocui; Liu, Yang; Feng, Chun; Wang, Haicheng; Yu, Guanghua

    2012-01-01

    The anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) of a Ta (5 nm)/MgO (3 nm)/Ni81Fe19 (10 nm)/MgO (2 nm)/Ta (3 nm) film with MgO-Nano Oxide Layer (NOL) increases dramatically from 1.05% to 3.24% compared with a Ta (5 nm)/Ni81Fe19 (10 nm)/Ta (3 nm) film without the MgO-NOL layer after annealing at 380 °C for 2 h. Although the MgO destroys the NiFe (1 1 1) texture, it enhances the specular electron scattering of the conduction electrons at the NOL interface and suppresses the interface reactions and diffusion at the Ta/NiFe and NiFe/Ta interfaces. The NiFe (1 1 1) texture was formed after the annealing, resulting in a higher AMR ratio. X-ray photoelectron spectroscope results show that Mg and Mg2+ were present in the MgOx films.

  7. Monodisperse Fe3O4 and γ-Fe2O3 magnetic mesoporous microspheres as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries.

    PubMed

    Xu, Jing-San; Zhu, Ying-Jie

    2012-09-26

    Monodisperse Fe(3)O(4) and γ-Fe(2)O(3) magnetic mesoporous microspheres are prepared via a surfactant-free solvothermal combined with precursor thermal transformation method. The as-prepared Fe(3)O(4) and γ-Fe(2)O(3) magnetic mesoporous microspheres have a relatively high specific surface area of 122.3 and 138.6 m(2)/g, respectively. The Fe(3)O(4) and γ-Fe(2)O(3) magnetic mesoporous microspheres are explored as the anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, and they have a high initial discharge capacity of 1307 and 1453 mA h/g, respectively, and a good reversible performance (450 mA h/g for Fe(3)O(4) and 697 mA h/g for γ-Fe(2)O(3) after 110 cycles) at the current density of 0.2C.

  8. Interfacial coupling in multiferroic BiFeO3 and ferromagnetic La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dominguez, C.; E Ordoñez, J.; E Gomez, M.

    2017-12-01

    Antiferromagnetic/Ferromagnetic coupling mechanics have been studying by growing successfully BiFeO3/La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 bilayers on SrTiO3 single crystals by using rf and dc sputtering technique at pure oxygen pressures. We have investigated the magnetic behaviour of this samples, field cooling loops evidence interfacial coupling effect when antiferromagnetic ferroelectric BiFeO3 is placed in contact with ferromagnetic La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 indicate by the shift of the magnetization loop to negative values of the applied magnetic field. Our samples exhibited an exchange bias of 76Oe at 5K after field cooling the sample under 5000Oe. Temperature dependence of the exchange bias field showed exponential decay. The BFO/LSMO bilayer exhibits excellent ferroelectric behaviour (Ps=65μC/cm2 at 4V and 100Hz). Coexistence of ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties in the BFO/LSMO bilayer make it a promising candidate system for applications where the magnetoelectric behaviour is required.

  9. TiO2-based (Fe3O4, SiO2, reduced graphene oxide) magnetically recoverable photocatalysts for imazalil degradation in a synthetic wastewater.

    PubMed

    Santiago, Dunia E; Pastrana-Martínez, Luisa M; Pulido-Melián, Elisenda; Araña, Javier; Faria, Joaquim L; Silva, Adrián M T; González-Díaz, Óscar; Doña-Rodríguez, José M

    2018-03-02

    Magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 ), a core-shell material (SiO 2 @Fe 3 O 4 ), and reduced graphene oxide-Fe 3 O 4 (referred as rGO-MN) were used as supports of a specific highly active TiO 2 photocatalyst. Thermal treatments at 200 or 450 °C, different atmospheres (air or N 2 ), and TiO 2 :support weight ratios (1.0, 1.5, or 2.0) were investigated. X-ray diffractograms revealed that magnetite is not oxidized to hematite when the core-shell SiO 2 @Fe 3 O 4 material-or a N 2 atmosphere (instead of air) in the thermal treatment-was employed to prepare the TiO 2 -based catalysts (the magnetic properties being preserved). The materials treated with N 2 were first tested for degradation of imazalil (a well-known fungicide) in deionized water. The best compromise between the photocatalytic activity, magnetic separation, and Fe leached (1.61 mg L -1 , i.e., below the threshold for water reuse in irrigation) was found for the magnetic catalyst prepared with SiO 2 @Fe 3 O 4 , an intermediate TiO 2 :support ratio (1.5), and treated at 200 °C under N 2 atmosphere (i.e., SiO 2 @Fe 3 O 4 -EST-1.5-200-N 2 ). This material was then tested for the treatment of imazalil in a synthetic wastewater, SW (with a chemical composition simulating an effluent resulting from fruit postharvest activity). This SW has a pH of 4.2 and the experiments were carried out at this natural pH 0 and at neutral conditions (keeping pH at 7 along the reaction). The magnetic catalyst was more active than bare TiO 2 for the treatment of imazalil in SW at natural pH. Since Fe leaching was observed (3.53 mg L -1 ), added H 2 O 2 enhanced both imazalil degradation and mineralization. Conveniently, these catalysts can be readily recovered by using a conventional magnetic field, as demonstrated over three consecutive recycling runs. Graphical abstract % Imazalil conversion using different magnetic catalysts and comparison with bare TiO 2 .

  10. Photooxidative desulfurization for diesel using Fe / N - TiO2 photocatalyst

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khan, Muhammad Saqib; Kait, Chong Fai; Mutalib, Mohd Ibrahim Abdul

    2014-10-01

    A series of N - TiO2 with different mol% N was synthesized via sol-gel method and characterized using thermal gravimetric analyzer and raman spectroscopy. 0.2 wt% Fe was incorporated onto the calcined (200°C) N - TiO2 followed by calcination at 200°C, 250°C and 300°C. Photooxidative desulfurization was conducted in the presence of 0.2wt% Fe / N - TiO2 with different mol% N with and without oxidant (H2O2). Oxidative desulfurization was only achieved when H2O2 was used while without H2O2 no major effect on the sulfur removal. 0.2Fe -30N - H2O2 photocatalysts showed best performance at all calcination temperatures as compared to other mol% N - H2O2 photocatalysts. 16.45% sulfur removal was achieved using photocatalysts calcined at 300 °C.

  11. Thickness-modulated anisotropic ferromagnetism in Fe-doped epitaxial HfO2 thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Wenlong; Liu, Ming; Zhang, Ruyi; Ma, Rong; Wang, Hong

    2017-10-01

    Epitaxial tetragonal Fe-doped Hf0.95Fe0.05O2 (FHO) thin films with various thicknesses were deposited on (001)-oriented NdCaAlO4 (NCAO) substrates by using a pulsed laser deposition (PLD) system. The crystal structure and epitaxial nature of the FHO thin films were confirmed by typical x-ray diffraction (XRD) θ-2θ scan and reciprocal space mapping (RSM). The results indicate that two sets of lattice sites exist with two different crystal orientations [(001) and (100)] in the thicker FHO thin films. Further, the intensity of the (100) direction increases with the increase in thicknesses, which should have a significant effect on the anisotropic magnetization of the FHO thin films. Meanwhile, all the FHO thin films possess a tetragonal phase structure. An anisotropy behavior in magnetization has been observed in the FHO thin films. The anisotropic magnetization of the FHO thin films is slowly weakened as the thickness increases. Meanwhile, the saturation magnetization (Ms) of both in-plane and out-of-plane decreases with the increase in the thickness. The change in the anisotropic magnetization and Ms is attributed to the crystal lattice and the variation in the valence of Fe ions. These results indicate that the thickness-modulated anisotropic ferromagnetism of the tetragonal FHO epitaxial thin films is of potential use for the integration of metal-oxide semiconductors with spintronics.

  12. Nanocrystalline Pd:NiFe2O4 thin films: A selective ethanol gas sensor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rao, Pratibha; Godbole, R. V.; Bhagwat, Sunita

    2016-10-01

    In this work, Pd:NiFe2O4 thin films were investigated for the detection of reducing gases. These films were fabricated using spray pyrolysis technique and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) to confirm the crystal structure. The surface morphology was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Magnetization measurements were carried out using SQUID VSM, which shows ferrimagnetic behavior of the samples. These thin film sensors were tested against methanol, ethanol, hydrogen sulfide and liquid petroleum gas, where they were found to be more selective to ethanol. The fabricated thin film sensors exhibited linear response signal for all the gases with concentrations up to 5 w/o Pd. Reduction in optimum operating temperature and enhancement in response was also observed. Pd:NiFe2O4 thin films exhibited faster response and recovery characteristic. These sensors have potential for industrial applications because of their long-term stability, low power requirement and low production cost.

  13. CO adsorption on small Au{sub n} (n = 1–4) structures supported on hematite. II. Adsorption on the O-rich termination of α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}(0001) surface

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

    Pabisiak, Tomasz; Kiejna, Adam, E-mail: kiejna@ifd.uni.wroc.pl; Winiarski, Maciej J.

    2016-01-28

    The adsorption of small Au{sub n} (n = 1–4) nanostructures on oxygen terminated α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}(0001) surface was investigated using density functional theory in the generalized gradient approximation of Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) form with Hubbard correction U, accounting for strong electron correlations (PBE+U). The structural, energetic, and electronic properties were examined for two classes of the adsorbed Au{sub n} nanostructures with vertical and flattened configurations. Similarly to the Fe-terminated α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}(0001) surface considered in Part I, the flattened configurations were found energetically more favored than vertical ones. The binding of Au{sub n} to the O-terminated surface is much stronger thanmore » to the Fe-termination. The adsorption bonding energy of Au{sub n} and the work function of the Au{sub n}/α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}(0001) systems decrease with the increased number of Au atoms in a structure. All of the adsorbed Au{sub n} structures are positively charged. The bonding of CO molecules to the Au{sub n} structures is distinctly stronger than on the Fe-terminated surface; however, it is weaker than the binding to the bare O-terminated surface. The CO molecule binds to the Au{sub n}/α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}(0001) system through a peripheral Au atom partly detached from the Au{sub n} structure. The results of this work indicate that the most energetically favored sites for adsorption of a CO molecule on the Au{sub n}/α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}(0001) systems are atoms in the Au{sup 0.5+} oxidation state.« less

  14. Metallic State FeS Anchored (Fe)/Fe3O4/N-Doped Graphitic Carbon with Porous Spongelike Structure as Durable Catalysts for Enhancing Bioelectricity Generation.

    PubMed

    Xu, Xin; Dai, Ying; Yu, Jia; Hao, Liang; Duan, Yaqiang; Sun, Ye; Zhang, Yanhong; Lin, Yuhui; Zou, Jinlong

    2017-03-29

    The critical issues in practical application of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) for wastewater treatment are the high cost and poor activity and durability of precious metal catalysts. To alleviate the activity loss and kinetic barriers for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on cathode, (Fe)/Fe 3 O 4 /FeS/N-doped graphitic carbon ((Fe)/Fe 3 O 4 /FeS/NGC) is prepared as ORR catalyst through a one-step method using waste pomelo skins as carbon source. Various characterization techniques and electrochemical analyses are conducted to illustrate the correlation between structural characteristics and catalytic activity. MFCs with Fe/Fe 3 O 4 /FeS/NGC (900 °C) cathode produces the maximum power density of 930 ± 10 mW m -2 (Pt/C of 489 mW m -2 ) and maintains a good long-term durability, which only declines 18% after 90 day operation. Coulombic efficiency (22.2%) obtained by Fe/Fe 3 O 4 /FeS/NGC (900 °C) cathode is significantly higher than that of Pt/C (17.3%). Metallic state FeS anchored in porous NGC skeleton can boost electron transport through the interconnected channels in spongelike structure to improve catalytic activity. Charge delocalization of C atoms can be strengthened by N atoms incorporation into carbon skeleton, which correspondingly contributes to the O 2 chemisorptions and O-O bond weakening during ORR. Energetically existed active components (Fe and N species) are more efficient than Pt to trap and consume electrons in catalyzing ORR in wastewater containing Pt-poisoning substances (bacterial metabolites). (Fe)/Fe 3 O 4 /FeS/NGC catalysts with the advantages of durable power outputs and environmental-friendly raw material can cover the shortages of Pt/C and provide an outlook for further applications of these catalysts.

  15. Hierachical Ni@Fe2O3 superparticles through epitaxial growth of γ-Fe2O3 nanorods on in situ formed Ni nanoplates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tahir, Muhammad Nawaz; Herzberger, Jana; Natalio, Filipe; Köhler, Oskar; Branscheid, Robert; Mugnaioli, Enrico; Ksenofontov, Vadim; Panthöfer, Martin; Kolb, Ute; Frey, Holger; Tremel, Wolfgang

    2016-05-01

    One endeavour of nanochemistry is the bottom-up synthesis of functional mesoscale structures from basic building blocks. We report a one-pot wet chemical synthesis of Ni@γ-Fe2O3 superparticles containing Ni cores densely covered with highly oriented γ-Fe2O3 (maghemite) nanorods (NRs) by controlled reduction/decomposition of nickel acetate (Ni(ac)2) and Fe(CO)5. Automated diffraction tomography (ADT) of the Ni-Fe2O3 interface in combination with Mössbauer spectroscopy showed that selective and oriented growth of the γ-Fe2O3 nanorods on the Ni core is facilitated through the formation of a Fe0.05Ni0.95 alloy and the appearance of superstructure features that may reduce strain at the Ni-Fe2O3 interface. The common orientation of the maghemite nanorods on the Ni core of the superparticles leads to a greatly enhanced magnetization. After functionalization with a catechol-functional polyethylene glycol (C-PEG) ligand the Ni@γ-Fe2O3 superparticles were dispersible in water.One endeavour of nanochemistry is the bottom-up synthesis of functional mesoscale structures from basic building blocks. We report a one-pot wet chemical synthesis of Ni@γ-Fe2O3 superparticles containing Ni cores densely covered with highly oriented γ-Fe2O3 (maghemite) nanorods (NRs) by controlled reduction/decomposition of nickel acetate (Ni(ac)2) and Fe(CO)5. Automated diffraction tomography (ADT) of the Ni-Fe2O3 interface in combination with Mössbauer spectroscopy showed that selective and oriented growth of the γ-Fe2O3 nanorods on the Ni core is facilitated through the formation of a Fe0.05Ni0.95 alloy and the appearance of superstructure features that may reduce strain at the Ni-Fe2O3 interface. The common orientation of the maghemite nanorods on the Ni core of the superparticles leads to a greatly enhanced magnetization. After functionalization with a catechol-functional polyethylene glycol (C-PEG) ligand the Ni@γ-Fe2O3 superparticles were dispersible in water. Electronic supplementary

  16. Ultrafast relaxation dynamics in BiFeO 3/YBa 2Cu 3O 7 bilayers

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

    Springer, D.; Nair, Saritha K.; He, Mi

    The temperature dependence of the relaxation dynamics in the bilayer thin film heterostructure composed of multiferroic BiFeO 3 (BFO) and superconducting YBa 2Cu 3O 7 (YBCO) grown on (001) SrTiO 3 substrate is studied by time-resolved pump-probe technique, and compared with that of pure YBCO thin film grown under the same growth conditions. The superconductivity of YBCO is found to be retained in the heterostructure. We observe a speeding up of the YBCO recombination dynamics in the superconducting state of the heterostructure, and attribute it to the presence of weak ferromagnetism at the BFO/YBCOinterface as observed inmagnetization data. An extensionmore » of the Rothwarf-Taylor model is used to fit the ultrafast dynamics of BFO/YBCO, that models an increased quasiparticle occupation of the ferromagnetic interfacial layer in the superconducting state of YBCO.« less

  17. Ultrafast relaxation dynamics in BiFeO 3/YBa 2Cu 3O 7 bilayers

    DOE PAGES

    Springer, D.; Nair, Saritha K.; He, Mi; ...

    2016-02-12

    The temperature dependence of the relaxation dynamics in the bilayer thin film heterostructure composed of multiferroic BiFeO 3 (BFO) and superconducting YBa 2Cu 3O 7 (YBCO) grown on (001) SrTiO 3 substrate is studied by time-resolved pump-probe technique, and compared with that of pure YBCO thin film grown under the same growth conditions. The superconductivity of YBCO is found to be retained in the heterostructure. We observe a speeding up of the YBCO recombination dynamics in the superconducting state of the heterostructure, and attribute it to the presence of weak ferromagnetism at the BFO/YBCOinterface as observed inmagnetization data. An extensionmore » of the Rothwarf-Taylor model is used to fit the ultrafast dynamics of BFO/YBCO, that models an increased quasiparticle occupation of the ferromagnetic interfacial layer in the superconducting state of YBCO.« less

  18. Facile synthesis of nanorod-type graphitic carbon nitride/Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} composite with enhanced photocatalytic performance

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

    Wang, Jiangpeng; Li, Changqing; Cong, Jingkun

    2016-06-15

    Here we report a facile synthesis of nanorod-type graphitic carbon nitride/Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} composite (Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4}) by using Fe-melamine supramolecular framework as precursor. The chemical and optical properties of the nanocomposites are well-characterized. The Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} nanocomposite demonstrated excellent photocatalytic activities under visible light due to the efficient utilization of sunlight and the construction of Z-scheme electron transfer pathway. The results indicated that it could be a promising approach for the preparation of efficient g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} nanocomposites photocatalysts by using metal-melamine supramolecular framework as precursors. - Graphical abstract: Nanorod-type graphitic carbon nitride/Fe{sub 2}O{submore » 3} composite (Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4}) was synthesized by using Fe-melamine supramolecular framework as precursor. The Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} nanocomposite demonstrated excellent photocatalytic activities under visible light. Display Omitted - Highlights: • Nanorod-type graphitic carbon nitride/Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} composite (Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4}) was synthesized. • Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} showed strong optical absorption in the visible-light region. • The Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} nanocomposite demonstrated excellent photocatalytic activities.« less

  19. Ag-bridged Ag2O nanowire network/TiO2 nanotube array p-n heterojunction as a highly efficient and stable visible light photocatalyst.

    PubMed

    Liu, Chengbin; Cao, Chenghao; Luo, Xubiao; Luo, Shenglian

    2015-03-21

    A unique Ag-bridged Ag2O nanowire network/TiO2 nanotube array p-n heterojunction (Ag-Ag2O/TiO2 NT) was fabricated by simple electrochemical method. Ag nanoparticles were firstly electrochemically deposited onto the surface of TiO2 NT and then were partly oxidized to Ag2O nanowires while the rest of Ag mother nanoparticles were located at the junctions of Ag2O nanowire network. The Ag-Ag2O/TiO2 NT heterostructure exhibited strong visible-light response, effective separation of photogenerated carriers, and high adsorption capacity. The integration of Ag-Ag2O self-stability structure and p-n heterojunction permitted high and stable photocatalytic activity of Ag-Ag2O/TiO2 NT heterostructure photocatalyst. Under 140-min visible light irradiation, the photocatalytic removal efficiency of both dye acid orange 7 (AO7) and industrial chemical p-nitrophenol (PNP) over Ag-Ag2O/TiO2 NT reached nearly 100% much higher than 17% for AO7 or 13% for PNP over bare TiO2 NT. After 5 successive cycles under 600-min simulated solar light irradiation, Ag-Ag2O/TiO2 NT remained highly stable photocatalytic activity. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Structural and magnetic analysis of Cu, Co substituted NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} thin films

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

    Sharma, Hakikat; Bala, Kanchan; Negi, N. S.

    2016-05-23

    In the present work we prepared NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}, Ni{sub 0.95}Cu{sub 0.05}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4} and Ni{sub 0.94}Cu{sub 0.05}Co{sub 0.01} Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4} thin films by metallo-organic decomposition method (MOD) using spin coating technique. The thin films were analyzed by X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and Atomic force microscope (AFM) for structural studies. The XRD patterns confirmed the ferrite phase of thin films. From AFM, we analyzed surface morphology, calculated grain size (GS) and root mean square roughness (RMSR). Room temperature magnetic properties were investigated by vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM).

  1. Effect of external magnetic field on the crystal growth of nano-structured Zn xMn 1- x+ yZr yFe 2-2 yO 4 thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anjum, Safia; Rafique, M. S.; Khaleeq-ur-Rahaman, M.; Siraj, K.; Usman, Arslan; Ahsan, A.; Naseem, S.; Khan, K.

    2011-06-01

    Zn 0.2Mn 0.81Zr 0.01Fe 1.98O 4 and Zn 0.2Mn 0.83Zr 0.03Fe 1.94O 4 thin films with different concentrations of Mn and Zr have been deposited on single crystal n-Si (400) at room temperature (RT) by pulse laser deposition technique (PLD). The films have been deposited under two conditions: (i) with the applied external magnetic field across the propagation of the plume (ii) without applied external magnetic field ( B=0). XRD results show the films have spinel cubic structure when deposited in the presence of magnetic field. SEM and AFM observations clearly show the effect of external applied magnetic field on the growth of films in terms of small particle size, improved uniformity and lower r.m.s. roughness. Thin films deposited under the influence of external magnetic field exhibit higher magnetization as measured by the VSM. The optical band gap energy Eg, refractive index n, reflection, absorption and the thickness of the thin films were measured by spectroscopy ellipsometer. The reflection of Zn 0.2Mn 0.83Zr 0.03Fe 1.94O 4 thin films is higher than Zn 0.2Mn 0.81Zr 0.01Fe 1.98O 4 thin films due to the greater concentration of Zr. The thicknesses of the thin films under the influence of external magnetic field are larger than the films grown without field for both samples. The optical band gap energy Eg decreases with increasing film thickness. The films with external magnetic field are found highly absorbing in nature due to the larger film thickness.

  2. Electrical characterization of amorphous Al2O3 dielectric films on n-type 4H-SiC

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khosa, R. Y.; Thorsteinsson, E. B.; Winters, M.; Rorsman, N.; Karhu, R.; Hassan, J.; Sveinbjörnsson, E. Ö.

    2018-02-01

    We report on the electrical properties of Al2O3 films grown on 4H-SiC by successive thermal oxidation of thin Al layers at low temperatures (200°C - 300°C). MOS capacitors made using these films contain lower density of interface traps, are more immune to electron injection and exhibit higher breakdown field (5MV/cm) than Al2O3 films grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD) or rapid thermal processing (RTP). Furthermore, the interface state density is significantly lower than in MOS capacitors with nitrided thermal silicon dioxide, grown in N2O, serving as the gate dielectric. Deposition of an additional SiO2 film on the top of the Al2O3 layer increases the breakdown voltage of the MOS capacitors while maintaining low density of interface traps. We examine the origin of negative charges frequently encountered in Al2O3 films grown on SiC and find that these charges consist of trapped electrons which can be released from the Al2O3 layer by depletion bias stress and ultraviolet light exposure. This electron trapping needs to be reduced if Al2O3 is to be used as a gate dielectric in SiC MOS technology.

  3. Structural complexity of simple Fe 2O 3 at high pressures and temperatures

    DOE PAGES

    Bykova, Elena; Dubrovinsky, L.; Dubrovinskaia, N.; ...

    2016-02-11

    Although chemically very simple, Fe 2O 3 is known to undergo a series of enigmatic structural, electronic and magnetic transformations at high pressures and high temperatures. So far, these transformations have neither been correctly described nor understood because of the lack of structural data. Here we report a systematic investigation of the behaviour of Fe 2O 3 at pressures over 100 GPa and temperatures above 2,500 K employing single crystal X-ray diffraction and synchrotron Mössbauer source spectroscopy. Crystal chemical analysis of structures presented here and known Fe(II, III) oxides shows their fundamental relationships and that they can be described bymore » the homologous series nFeO·mFe 2O 3. Decomposition of Fe 2O 3 and Fe 3O 4 observed at pressures above 60 GPa and temperatures of 2,000 K leads to crystallization of unusual Fe 5O 7 and Fe 25O 32 phases with release of oxygen. Lastly, our findings suggest that mixed-valence iron oxides may play a significant role in oxygen cycling between earth reservoirs.« less

  4. Controlling the ferroelectric and resistive switching properties of a BiFeO3 thin film prepared using sub-5 nm dimension nanoparticles.

    PubMed

    Shirolkar, Mandar M; Li, Jieni; Dong, Xiaolei; Li, Ming; Wang, Haiqian

    2017-10-04

    In recent years, BiFeO 3 has attracted significant attention as an interesting multiferroic material in the exploration of fundamental science and development of novel applications. Our previous study (Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys.18, 2016, 25409) highlighted the interesting physicochemical features of BiFeO 3 of sub-5 nm dimension. The study also accentuated the existence of weak ferroelectricity at sub-5 nm dimensions in BiFeO 3 . Based on this feature, we have prepared thin films using sub-5 nm BiFeO 3 nanoparticles and explored various physicochemical properties of the thin film. We report that during the formation of the thin film, the nanoparticles aggregated; particularly, annihilation of their nanotwinning nature was observed. Qualitatively, the Gibbs free energy change ΔG governed the abovementioned processes. The thin film exhibited an R3c phase and enhanced Bi-O-Fe coordination as compared to the sub-5 nm nanoparticles. Raman spectroscopy under the influence of a magnetic field shows a magnetoelectric effect, spin phonon coupling, and magnetic anisotropy. We report room-temperature ferroelectric behavior in the thin film, which enhances with the application of a magnetic field; this confirms the multiferroic nature of the thin film. The thin film shows polarization switching ability at multiple voltages and read-write operation at low bias (±0.5 V). Furthermore, the thin film shows negative differential-complementary resistive switching behavior in the nano-microampere current range. We report nearly stable 1-bit operation for 10 2 cycles, 10 5 voltage pulses, and 10 5 s, demonstrating the paradigm device applications. The observed results thus show that the thin films prepared using sub-5 nm BiFeO 3 nanoparticles are a promising candidate for future spintronics and memory applications. The reported approach can also be pertinent to explore the physicochemical properties and develop potential applications of several other nanoparticles.

  5. Spin-Coating and Characterization of Multiferroic MFe2O4 (M=Co, Ni) / BaTiO3 Bilayers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Quandt, Norman; Roth, Robert; Syrowatka, Frank; Steimecke, Matthias; Ebbinghaus, Stefan G.

    2016-01-01

    Bilayer films of MFe2O4 (M=Co, Ni) and BaTiO3 were prepared by spin coating of N,N-dimethylformamide/acetic acid solutions on platinum coated silicon wafers. Five coating steps were applied to get the desired thickness of 150 nm for both the ferrite and perovskite layer. XRD, IR and Raman spectroscopy revealed the formation of phase-pure ferrite spinels and BaTiO3. Smooth surfaces with roughnesses in the order of 3 to 5 nm were found in AFM investigations. Saturation magnetization of 347 emu cm-3 for the CoFe2O4/BaTiO3 and 188 emu cm-3 for the NiFe2O4/BaTiO3 bilayer, respectively were found. For the CoFe2O4/BaTiO3 bilayer a strong magnetic anisotropy was observed with coercivity fields of 5.1 kOe and 3.3 kOe (applied magnetic field perpendicular and parallel to film surface), while for the NiFe2O4/BaTiO3 bilayer this effect is less pronounced. Saturated polarization hysteresis loops prove the presence of ferroelectricity in both systems.

  6. Understanding strain-induced phase transformations in BiFeO 3 thin films

    DOE PAGES

    Dixit, Hemant; Beekman, Christianne; Schlepütz, Christian M.; ...

    2015-05-01

    Bismuth ferrite (BiFeO 3) is a promising lead free multiferroic with large polarization, ferroelectricity and robust antiferomagnetism. Experiments demonstrate that epitaxial strain substantially enhance the piezoelectric response of BiFeO 3 thin films. Here, through a synergestic combination of theory and experiments, we characterize the co-existing polymorphs (specifically an intermediate S' phase between the bulk rhombohedral-R and the pseudotetragonal T' phases) observed in strained BiFeO 3 thin films. We show that the S' phase, although energetically very close to the T' phase, exhibits structural similarities with the bulk R phase. G-type antiferromagnetic ordering is predicted for the S' and R phases,more » whereas, the G/C-type antiferromagnetic order types are energetically indistinguishable for the T' phase. Furthermore, we predict a blue-shift in the band gap Eg when moving from R to S' to T', which we confirm by Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy measurements. The flat energy landscape and the absence of an energy barrier between the T and S' phases indicate that a reversible phase transformation between the two is possible under the application of an external electric field. This may make it possible to strain engineer the electromechanical response or, utilizing the corresponding changes in Eg, create unique photonic structures.« less

  7. Magnetoresistance Versus Oxygen Deficiency in Epi-stabilized SrRu1 - x Fe x O3 - δ Thin Films.

    PubMed

    Dash, Umasankar; Acharya, Susant Kumar; Lee, Bo Wha; Jung, Chang Uk

    2017-12-01

    Oxygen vacancies have a profound effect on the magnetic, electronic, and transport properties of transition metal oxide materials. Here, we studied the influence of oxygen vacancies on the magnetoresistance (MR) properties of SrRu 1 - x Fe x O 3 - δ epitaxial thin films (x = 0.10, 0.20, and 0.30). For this purpose, we synthesized highly strained epitaxial SrRu 1 - x Fe x O 3 - δ thin films with atomically flat surfaces containing different amounts of oxygen vacancies using pulsed laser deposition. Without an applied magnetic field, the films with x = 0.10 and 0.20 showed a metal-insulator transition, while the x = 0.30 thin film showed insulating behavior over the entire temperature range of 2-300 K. Both Fe doping and the concentration of oxygen vacancies had large effects on the negative MR contributions. For the low Fe doping case of x = 0.10, in which both films exhibited metallic behavior, MR was more prominent in the film with fewer oxygen vacancies or equivalently a more metallic film. For semiconducting films, higher MR was observed for more semiconducting films having more oxygen vacancies. A relatively large negative MR (~36.4%) was observed for the x = 0.30 thin film with a high concentration of oxygen vacancies (δ = 0.12). The obtained results were compared with MR studies for a polycrystal of (Sr 1 - x La x )(Ru 1 - x Fe x )O 3 . These results highlight the crucial role of oxygen stoichiometry in determining the magneto-transport properties in SrRu 1 - x Fe x O 3 - δ thin films.

  8. Crystallization of MgFe2O4 from a glass in the system K2O/B2O3/MgO/P2O5/Fe2O3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    El Shabrawy, Samha; Bocker, Christian; Rüssel, Christian

    2016-10-01

    Spherical magnetic Mg-Fe-O nanoparticles were successfully prepared by the crystallization of glass in the system K2O/B2O3/MgO/P2O5/Fe2O3. The magnetic glass ceramics were prepared by melting the raw materials using the conventional melt quenching technique followed by a thermal treatment at temperatures in the range 560-700 °C for a time ranging from 2 to 8 h. The studies of the X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy and FTIR spectra confirmed the precipitation of finely dispersed spherical (Mg, Fe) based spinel nanoparticles with a minor quantity of hematite (α-Fe2O3) in the glass matrix. The average size of the magnetic nano crystals increases slightly with temperature and time from 9 to 15 nm as determined by the line broadening from the XRD patterns. XRD studies show that annealing the glass samples for long periods of time at temperature ≥604 °C results in an increase of the precipitated hematite concentration, dissolution of the spinel phase and the formation of magnesium di-borate phase (Mg2B2O5). For electron microscopy, the particles were extracted by two methods; (i) replica extraction technique and (ii) dissolution of the glass matrix by diluted acetic acid. An agglomeration of the nano crystals to larger particles (25-35 nm) was observed.

  9. Self-assembled monolayer and multilayer films of the nanocluster [HxPMo12O40 subsetH4Mo72Fe30(O2CMe)15O254(H2O)68] on gold.

    PubMed

    Colorado, Ramon; Crouse, Christopher A; Zeigler, Christopher N; Barron, Andrew R

    2008-08-19

    Films of the molybdenum-iron nanocluster [H x PMo 12O 40 subsetH 4Mo 72Fe 30(O 2CMe) 15O 254(H2O) 68] (FeMoC) were generated on gold via the self-assembly technique using two divergent routes. The first route entails the self-assembly of unfunctionalized FeMoC onto a preprepared carboxyl-terminated SAM on gold. The second route involves the preparation of thiol-terminated functionalized FeMoC clusters, which are then allowed to self-assemble onto bare gold surfaces. Monolayer films of FeMoC clusters are attained via both routes, with the second route requiring shorter immersion times (2 days) than the first route (6 days). Multilayer films of FeMoC are formed via the second route for immersion times longer than 2 days. Characterization of these films using optical ellipsometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy confirm the self-assembly of the clusters on the surfaces.

  10. Nonstoichiometric Zn Ferrite and ZnFe2O4/Fe2O3 Composite Spheres: Preparation, Magnetic Properties, and Chromium Removal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hang, Chun-Liang; Yang, Li-Xia; Sun, Chang-Mei; Liang, Ying

    2018-03-01

    Monodisperse and porous nonstoichiometric Zn ferrite can be prepared by a solvothermal method. Such non-Zn ferrite was used to be the precursor for synthesis of ZnFe2O4/Fe2O3 composite via calcination at 600°C for 3 h in air. X-ray powder diffractometer (XRD) and Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS) proved the nonstoichiometry of Zn ferrite synthesized by solvothermal method and the formation of ZnFe2O4/Fe2O3 composite via calcination. TEM image showed that non-Zn ferrite spheres with wormlike nanopore structure were made of primary nanocrystals. BET surface area of non-Zn ferrite was much higher than that of ZnFe2O4/Fe2O3 composite. Saturation magnetization of non-Zn ferrites was significantly higher than that of ZnFe2O4/Fe2O3 composites. Calcination of non-Zn ferrite resulted in the formation of large amount of non-magnetic Fe2O3,which caused a low magnetization of composite. Because of higher BET surface area and higher saturation magnetization, non-Zn ferrite presented better Cr6+ adsorption property than ZnFe2O4/Fe2O3 composites.

  11. Third generation biosensing matrix based on Fe-implanted ZnO thin film

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saha, Shibu; Gupta, Vinay; Sreenivas, K.; Tan, H. H.; Jagadish, C.

    2010-09-01

    Third generation biosensor based on Fe-implanted ZnO (Fe-ZnO) thin film has been demonstrated. Implantation of Fe in rf-sputtered ZnO thin film introduces redox center along with shallow donor level and thereby enhance its electron transfer property. Glucose oxidase (GOx), chosen as model enzyme, has been immobilized on the surface of the matrix. Cyclic voltammetry and photometric assay show that the prepared bioelectrode, GOx/Fe-ZnO/ITO/Glass is sensitive to the glucose concentration with enhanced response of 0.326 μA mM-1 cm-2 and low Km of 2.76 mM. The results show promising application of Fe-implanted ZnO thin film as an attractive matrix for third generation biosensing.

  12. Nanosized As2O3/Fe2O3 complexes combined with magnetic fluid hyperthermia selectively target liver cancer cells.

    PubMed

    Wang, Zi-Yu; Song, Jian; Zhang, Dong-Sheng

    2009-06-28

    To study the methods of preparing the magnetic nano-microspheres of Fe(2)O(3) and As(2)O(3)/Fe(2)O(3) complexes and their therapeutic effects with magnetic fluid hyperthermia (MFH). Nanospheres were prepared by chemical co-precipitation and their shape and diameter were observed. Hemolysis, micronucleus, cell viability, and LD(50) along with other in vivo tests were performed to evaluate the Fe(2)O(3) microsphere biocompatibility. The inhibition ratio of tumors after Fe(2)O(3) and As(2)O(3)/Fe(2)O(3) injections combined with induced hyperthermia in xenograft human hepatocarcinoma was calculated. Fe(2)O(3) and As(2)O(3)/Fe(2)O(3) particles were round with an average diameter of 20 nm and 100 nm as observed under transmission electron microscope. Upon exposure to an alternating magnetic field (AMF), the temperature of the suspension of magnetic particles increased to 41-51 degrees C, depending on different particle concentrations, and remained stable thereafter. Nanosized Fe(2)O(3) microspheres are a new kind of biomaterial without cytotoxic effects. The LD(50) of both Fe(2)O(3) and As(2)O(3)/Fe(2)O(3) in mice was higher than 5 g/kg. One to four weeks after Fe(2)O(3) and As(2)O(3)/Fe(2)O(3) complex injections into healthy pig livers, no significant differences were found in serum AST, ALT, BUN and Cr levels among the pigs of all groups (P > 0.05), and no obvious pathological alterations were observed. After exposure to alternating magnetic fields, the inhibition ratio of the tumors was significantly different from controls in the Fe(2)O(3) and As(2)O(3)/Fe(2)O(3) groups (68.74% and 82.79%, respectively; P < 0.01). Tumors of mice in treatment groups showed obvious necrosis, while normal tissues adjoining the tumor and internal organs did not. Fe(2)O(3) and As(2)O(3)/Fe(2)O(3) complexes exerted radiofrequency-induced hyperthermia and drug toxicity on tumors without any liver or kidney damage. Therefore, nanospheres are ideal carriers for tumor-targeted therapy.

  13. The optical properties of α-Fe2O3 nanostructures synthesized with different immersion time

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ahmad, W. R. W.; Mamat, M. H.; Zoolfakar, A. S.; Khusaimi, Z.; Yusof, M. M.; Ismail, A. S.; Saidi, S. A.; Rusop, M.

    2018-05-01

    In this study, nanostructured hematite (α-Fe2O3) thin films have been prepared successfully by sonicated immersion method on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass substrate. The effect of the immersion time on the structural and optical properties of α-Fe2O3 nanostructure were investigated for a variation of immersion time ranging from 1 to 4 hour. From the characterization results, the surface morphology of the sample prepared in 4 hours immersion process has exhibited highest porosity, and the highest absorbance properties were found in the same sample. These results suggest that the different time duration during immersion process play important roles in optical properties of α-Fe2O3 nanostructures.

  14. Mössbauer study and magnetic properties of MgFe2O4 crystallized from the glass system B2O3/K2O/P2O5/MgO/Fe2O3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shabrawy, S. El; Bocker, C.; Miglierini, M.; Schaaf, P.; Tzankov, D.; Georgieva, M.; Harizanova, R.; Rüssel, C.

    2017-01-01

    An iron containing magnesium borate glass with the mol% composition 51.7 B2O3/9.3 K2O /1 P2O5/27.6MgO/10.4Fe2O3was prepared by the conventional melts quenching method followed by a thermal treatment process at temperatures in the range from 530 to 604 °C.The thermally treated samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. It was shown that superparamagnetic MgFe2O4 nanoparticles were formed during thermal treatment. The size of the spinel type crystals was in the range from 6 to 15 nm. Mössbauer spectra of the powdered glass ceramic samples and the extracted nanoparticles after dissolving the glass matrix in diluted acid were recorded at room temperature. The deconvolution of the spectra revealed the crystallization of two spinel phases MgFe2O4 (as a dominant phase) and superparamagnetic maghemite, γ-Fe2O3 (as a secondary phase). Room temperature magnetic measurements showed that, increasing the crystallization temperature changed the superparamagnetic behavior of the samples to ferrimagnetic behavior. The Curie temperatures of the samples were measured and showed a higher value than that of the pure bulk MgFe2O4.

  15. Effect of composition on properties of In2O3-Ga2O3 thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Demin, I. E.; Kozlov, A. G.

    2017-06-01

    The In2O3-Ga2O3 mixed oxide polycrystalline thin films with various ratios of components were obtained by pulsed laser deposition. The effect of films composition on surface morphology, electrophysical and gas sensing properties and energies of adsorption and desorption of combustible gases was studied. The films with50%In2O3-50%Ga2O3 composition showed maximum gas response (˜25 times) combined with minimum optimal working temperature (˜530 °C) as compared with the other films. The optical transmittance of the films in visible range was investigated. For 50%In2O3-50%Ga2O3 films, the transmittance is higher in comparison with the other films. The explanation of the dependency of films behaviors on their composition was presented.The In2O3-Ga2O3 films were assumed to have perspectives as gas sensing material for semiconducting gas sensors.

  16. Ground and excited states of the [Fe(H2O)6]2+ and [Fe(H2O)6]3+ clusters: Insight into the electronic structure of the [Fe(H2O)6]2+ – [Fe(H2O)6]3+ complex

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

    Miliordos, Evangelos; Xantheas, Sotiris S.

    We report the ground and low lying electronically excited states of the [Fe(H2O)6]2+ and [Fe(H2O)6]3+ clusters using multi-configuration electronic structure theory. In particular, we have constructed the Potential Energy Curves (PECs) with respect to the iron-oxygen distance when removing all water ligands at the same time from the cluster minima and established their correlation to the long range dissociation channels. Due to the fact that both the second and third ionization potentials of iron are larger than the one for water, the ground state products asymptotically correlate with dissociation channels that are repulsive in nature at large separations as theymore » contain at least one H2O+ fragment and a positive metal center. The most stable equilibrium structures emanate – via intersections and/or avoided crossings – from the channels consisting of the lowest electronic states of Fe2+(5D; 3d6) or Fe3+(6S; 3d5) and six neutral water molecules. Upon hydration, the ground state of Fe2+(H2O)6 is a triply (5Tg) degenerate one with the doubly (5Eg) degenerate state lying slightly higher in energy. Similarly, Fe3+(H2O)6 has a ground state of 6Ag symmetry under Th symmetry. We furthermore examine a multitude of electronically excited states of many possible spin multiplicities, and report the optimized geometries for several selected states. The PECs for those cases are characterized by a high density of states. Focusing on the ground and the first few excited states of the [Fe(H2O)6]2+ and [Fe(H2O)6]3+ clusters, we studied their mutual interaction in the gas phase. We obtained the optimal geometries of the Fe2+(H2O)6 – Fe3+(H2O)6 gas phase complex for different Fe–Fe distances. For distances shorter than 6.0 Å, the water molecules in the respective first solvation shells located between the two metal centers were found to interact via weak hydrogen bonds. We examined a total of ten electronic states for this complex, including those corresponding to the

  17. Interface Engineering of Domain Structures in BiFeO 3 Thin Films

    DOE PAGES

    Chen, Deyang; Chen, Zuhuang; He, Qian; ...

    2016-12-07

    A wealth of fascinating phenomena have been discovered at the BiFeO 3 domain walls, examples such as domain wall conductivity, photovoltaic effects, and magnetoelectric coupling. Thus, the ability to precisely control the domain structures and accurately study their switching behaviors is critical to realize the next generation of novel devices based on domain wall functionalities. In this work, the introduction of a dielectric layer leads to the tunability of the depolarization field both in the multilayers and superlattices, which provides a novel approach to control the domain patterns of BiFeO 3 films. Moreover, we are able to study the switchingmore » behavior of the first time obtained periodic 109° stripe domains with a thick bottom electrode. Besides, the precise controlling of pure 71° and 109° periodic stripe domain walls enable us to make a clear demonstration that the exchange bias in the ferromagnet/BiFeO 3 system originates from 109° domain walls. Lastly, our findings provide future directions to study the room temperature electric field control of exchange bias and open a new pathway to explore the room temperature multiferroic vortices in the BiFeO 3 system.« less

  18. Manipulating Conduction in Metal Oxide Semiconductors: Mechanism Investigation and Conductance Tuning in Doped Fe2O3 Hematite and Metal/Ga2O3/Metal Heterostructure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Bo

    This study aims at understanding the fundamental mechanisms of conduction in several metal oxide semiconductors, namely alpha-Fe2O 3 and beta-Ga2O3, and how it could be tuned to desired values/states to enable a wide range of application. In the first effort, by adding Ti dopant, we successfully turned Fe2O3 from insulating to conductive by fabricated compositionally and structurally well-defined epitaxial alpha-(TixFe1-x)2 O3(0001) films for x ≤ 0.09. All films were grown by oxygen plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy on Al2O3(0001) sapphire substrate with a buffer layer of Cr2O3 to relax the strain from lattice mismatch. Van der Pauw resistivity and Hall effect measurements reveal carrier concentrations between 1019 and 1020 cm-3 at room temperature and mobilities in the range of 0.1 to 0.6 cm2/V˙s. Such low mobility, unlike conventional band-conduction semiconductor, was attributed to hopping mechanism due to strong electron-phonon interaction in the lattice. More interestingly, conduction mechanism transitions from small-polaron hopping at higher temperatures to variable range hopping at lower temperatures with a transition temperature between 180 to 140 K. Consequently, by adding Ti dopant, conductive Fe 2O3 hematite thin films were achieved with a well-understood conducting mechanism that could guide further device application such as spin transistor and water splitting. In the case of Ga2O3, while having a band gap as high as 5 eV, they are usually conductive for commercially available samples due to unintentional Si doping. However, we discovered the conductance could be repeatedly switched between high resistance state and low resistance state when made into metal/Ga2O3 /metal heterostructure. However, to obtain well controlled switching process with consistent switching voltages and resistances, understanding switching mechanism is the key. In this study, we fabricated resistive switching devices utilizing a Ni/Ga2O3/Ir heterostructure. Bipolar

  19. The role of double TiO 2 layers at the interface of FeSe/SrTiO 3 superconductors

    DOE PAGES

    Zou, Ke; Bozovic, Ian; Mandal, Subhasish; ...

    2016-05-16

    We determine the surface reconstruction of SrTiO 3 used to achieve superconducting FeSe films in experiments, which is different from the 1×1 TiO 2-terminated SrTiO 3 assumed by most previous theoretical studies. In particular, we identify the existence of a double TiO 2 layer at the FeSe/SrTiO 3 interface that plays two important roles. First, it facilitates the epitaxial growth of FeSe. Second, ab initio calculations reveal a strong tendency for electrons to transfer from an oxygen deficient SrTiO 3 surface to FeSe when the double TiO 2 layer is present. The double layer helps to remove the hole pocketmore » in the FeSe at the Γ point of the Brillouin zone and leads to a band structure characteristic of superconducting samples. The characterization of the interface structure presented here is a key step towards the resolution of many open questions about this superconductor.« less

  20. Dependence of catalytic properties of Al/Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} thermites on morphology of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} particles in combustion reactions

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

    Zhao, Ningning; He, Cuicui; Liu, Jianbing

    2014-11-15

    Three Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} particle samples with the same crystal structure but different morphologies were prepared by the hydrothermal method and then combined with Al nanoparticles to produce Al/Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} thermites using ultrasonic mixing. The properties of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} and Al/Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} were studied using a combination of experimental techniques including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The influences of the three Al/Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} thermites on the combustion properties of the AP/HTPB (ammonium perchlorate/hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene) composite propellant were investigated in comparisonmore » to those of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}. The results show that the Al/Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} thermites are better than Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} in enhancing the combustion performance of AP/HTPB. Furthermore, the surface area, which depends on size and mophology, of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} particles was found to play a vital role in improving the burning rate of the thermites-containing propellant formulation, with the smallest particles with the largest surface-to-volume (S/V) ratio performing the best. The enhanced catalytic property of the granular-shape Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} and the corresponding thermite is attributed to the large specific surface area of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}. The different thermal behaviors of these three superthemites were supposed to be attributed to the surface site of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} particles. This work provides a better understanding on the catalytic properties of thermites that are important for combustion applications. - Graphical abstract: Effects of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} and Al/Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} have been compared for the first time by analyzing combustion properties of formulations containing them, suggesting their potential application in AP/HTPB composite propellant systems. - Highlights

  1. Influence of piezoelectric strain on the Raman spectra of BiFeO 3 films deposited on PMN-PT substrates

    DOE PAGES

    Himcinschi, Cameliu; Guo, Er -Jia; Talkenberger, Andreas; ...

    2016-01-27

    In this study, BiFeO 3 epitaxial thin films were deposited on piezoelectric 0.72Pb(Mg 1/3Nb 2/3)O 3-0.28PbTiO 3 (PMN-PT) substrates with a conductive buffer layer (La 0.7Sr 0.3MnO 3 or SrRuO 3) using pulsed laser deposition. The calibration of the strain values induced by the electric field applied on the piezoelectric PMN-PT substrates was realised using X-Ray diffraction measurements. The method of piezoelectrically induced strain allows to obtain a quantitative correlation between strain and the shift of the Raman-active phonons, ruling out the influence of extrinsic factors, such as growth conditions, crystalline quality of substrates, or film thickness. Using the Poissonmore » number for BiFeO 3 one can determine the volume change induced by strain, and therefore the Gr neisen parameters for specific phonon modes.« less

  2. Temperature effects on prevalent structures of hydrated Fe{sup +} complexes: Infrared spectroscopy and DFT calculations of Fe{sup +}(H{sub 2}O){sub n} (n = 3–8)

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

    Ohashi, Kazuhiko, E-mail: kazu@chem.kyushu-univ.jp; Sekiya, Hiroshi; Sasaki, Jun

    2014-12-07

    Hydrated Fe{sup +} ions are produced in a laser-vaporization cluster source of a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. The Fe{sup +}(H{sub 2}O){sub n} (n = 3–8) complexes are mass-selected and probed with infrared (IR) photodissociation spectroscopy in the OH-stretch region. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations are also carried out for analyzing the experimental IR spectra and for evaluating thermodynamic quantities of low-lying isomers. Solvation through H-bonding instead of direct coordination to Fe{sup +} is observed already at n = 3, indicating the completion of the first hydration shell with two H{sub 2}O molecules. Size dependent variations in the spectra for nmore » = 5–7 provide evidence for the second-shell completion at n = 6, where a linearly coordinated Fe{sup +}(H{sub 2}O){sub 2} subunit is solvated with four H{sub 2}O molecules. Overall spectral features for n = 3–8 agree well with those predicted for 2-coordinated structures. DFT calculations predict that such 2-coordinated structures are lowest in energy for smaller n. However, 4-coordinated isomers are predicted to be more stable for n = 7 and 8; the energy ordering is in conflict with the IR spectroscopic observation. Examination of free energy as a function of temperature suggests that the ordering of the isomers at warmer temperatures can be different from the ordering near 0 K. For n = 7 and 8, the 4-coordinated isomers should be observed at low temperatures because they are lowest in enthalpy. Meanwhile, outer-shell waters in the 2-coordinated structures are bound less rigidly; their contribution to entropy is rather large. The 2-coordinated structures become abundant at warmer temperatures, owing to the entropy effect.« less

  3. Electric Field Controlled Magnetism in BiFeO3/Ferromagnet Films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barry, M.; Lee, K.; Chu, Y. H.; Yang, P. L.; Martin, L. W.; Jenkins, C. A.; Ramesh, R.; Scholl, A.; Doran, A.

    2007-03-01

    BiFeO3 is the only single phase room temperature multiferroic that is currently known. Not only does it have applications as a lead-free replacement for ferroelectric memory cells and piezoelectric sensors, but its interactions with other materials are now attracting a great deal of attention. Its multiferroic nature has potential in the field of exchange bias, where it could allow electric-field control of the ferromagnetic (FM) magnetization. In order to understand this coupling, an understanding of the magnetization in BiFeO3 is necessary. X-ray linear and circular dichroism images were obtained using a high spatial resolution photoelectron emission microscope (PEEM), allowing elemental specificity and surface sensitivity. A piezoelectric force microscope (PFM) was used to map the ferroelectric state in micron-sized regions of the films, which were then probed using crystallographic measurements and temperature dependent PEEM measurements. Temperature dependent structural measurements allow decoupling of the two order parameters, ferroelectric and magnetic, contributing to the photoemission signal. Careful analysis of linear and circular dichroism images allows determination of magnetic directions in BiFeO3 and FM layers.

  4. Adsorption of proteins on γ-Fe2O3 and γ-Fe2O3/SiO2 magnetic materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khokhlova, T. D.

    2017-10-01

    γ-Fe2O3-SiO2 composites are synthesized via the coprecipitation of a γ-Fe2O3 magnetic carrier (with specific surface S = 17 m2/g and pore volume V = 0.51 cm3/g) and silicon dioxide from an aqueous glass (sodium silicate) solution. The effect coagulation agent NaCl has on the coprecipitation process and structural characteristics of the composite is discussed. Adding NaCl to the aqueous glass solution prevents the formation of SiO2 macrogel making it possible to obtain highly porous composites with high adsorption capacity for proteins cytochrome C and hemoglobin. It is established that a composite that is 50% SiO2 and produced with the addition of 5% NaCl ( S = 150 m2/g and V = 0.87 cm3/g) has a sixfold and twofold higher capacity (280 and 175 mg/g) for cytochrome C and hemoglobin, respectively, than the initial ferric oxide (45 and 82 mg/g). The capacity for cytochrome C and hemoglobin of a composite synthesized without NaCl ( S = 50 m2/g and V = 0.45 cm3/g) is 19 and 20 mg/g, respectively, which is twofold and fourfold lower than those of the initial γ-Fe2O3. The dependence of protein adsorption on pH and the ionic strength of a solution is studied, and the conditions for the maximum adsorption and complete desorption of proteins are established. It is concluded that composites synthesized with additions of NaCl can be used as magnetocontrollable sorbents for the purification, concentration, and immobilization of proteins, and for the preparation of biocatalysts based on immobilized enzymes.

  5. Effect of doping and chemical ordering on the optoelectronic properties of complex oxides: Fe 2 O 3 –V 2 O 3 solid solutions and hetero-structures

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

    Nayyar, Iffat H.; Chamberlin, Sara E.; Kaspar, Tiffany C.

    2017-01-01

    The electronic and optical properties of a-(Fe1xVx)2O3 at low (x = 0.04) and high (x = 0.5) doping levels are investigated using a combination of periodic and embedded cluster approaches, and time dependent density functional theory. At low V concentrations the onset of the optical absorption is B0.5 eV (i.e., nearly 1.6 eV lower than that in pure a-Fe2O3) and corresponds to the electron transitions from V 3d to Fe 3d* orbitals. At high V concentrations, optical absorption energies and intensities are sensitive to specific arrangements of Fe and V atoms and their spin configuration that determine Fe–V hybridization. Themore » onset of the lowest inter-vanadium absorption band in the case of Fe2O3/V2O3 hetero-structures is as low as B0.3 eV and the corresponding peak is at B0.7 eV. In contrast, in the case of solid solutions this peak has lower intensity and is shifted to higher energy (B1.2 eV). Analysis of the orbital character of electronic excitation suggests that Fe2O3/V2O3 hetero-structures absorb light much more effectively than random alloys, thus promoting efficient photo-induced carrier generation. These predictions can be tested in a-(Fe1xVx)2O3 thin films synthesized with well-controlled spatial distribution of Fe and V species.« less

  6. Structural and magnetic properties of epitaxial delafossite CuFeO2 thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Senty, Tess; Joshi, Toyanath; Trappen, Robbyn; Zhou, Jinling; Chen, Song; Ferrari, Piero; Borisov, Pavel; Song, Xueyan; Holcomb, Mikel; Bristow, Alan; Cabrera, Alejandro; Lederman, David

    2015-03-01

    Growth of pure phase delafossite CuFeO2 thin films on Al2O3 (00.1) substrates by pulsed laser deposition was systematically investigated as function of growth temperature and oxygen pressure. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, Raman scattering, and x-ray absorption spectroscopy confirmed the existence of the delafossite phase. Infrared reflectivity spectra determined a band edge at 1.15 eV, in agreement with the bulk delafossite data. Magnetization measurements on CuFeO2 films demonstrated a phase transition at TC = 15K, which agrees with the first antiferromagnetic transition at 14K in the bulk CuFeO2. Low temperature magnetic phase is best described by commensurate, weak ferromagnetic spin ordering along the c-axis. This work was supported by a Research Challenge Grant from the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC.dsr.12.29) and the Microelectronics Advanced Research Corporation (Contract #2013-MA-2382) at WVU. Work at PUC was supported by FONDECyT.

  7. Fe doped TiO2 nanofibers on the surface of graphene sheets for photovoltaics applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Farhangi, Nasrin; Medina-Gonzalez, Yaocihuatl; Charpentier, Paul A.

    2011-08-01

    Highly ordered, visible light driven TiO2 nanowire arrays doped with Fe photocatalysts were grown on the surface of functionalized graphene sheets (FGSs) using a sol-gel method with titanium isopropoxide (TIP) monomer, acetic acid (HAc) as the polycondensation agent and iron chloride in the green solvent, supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2). The morphology of the synthesized materials was studied by SEM and TEM, which showed uniform formation of Fe doped TiO2 nanofibers on the surface of graphene sheets, which acted as a template for nanowire growth through surface -COOH functionalities. Increasing Fe content in the nanowires did not change the morphology significantly. Optical properties of the synthesized composites were examined by UV spectroscopy which showed a significant reduction in band gap with increasing Fe content, i.e. 2.25 eV at 0.6% Fe. The enhancement of the optical properties of synthesized materials was confirmed by photocurrent measurement. The optimum sample containing 0.6% Fe doped TiO2 on the graphene sheets increased the power conversation efficiency by 6-fold in comparison to TiO2 alone.

  8. A weak-light-responsive TiO2/g-C3N4 composite film: photocatalytic activity under low-intensity light irradiation.

    PubMed

    Wang, Peifang; Guo, Xiang; Rao, Lei; Wang, Chao; Guo, Yong; Zhang, Lixin

    2018-05-10

    A TiO 2 /g-C 3 N 4 composite photocatalytic film was prepared by in situ synthesis method and its photocatalytic capability under weak-visible-light condition was studied. The co-precursor with different ratio of melamine and TiO 2 sol-gel precursor were treated using ultrasonic mixing, physical deposition, and co-sintering method to form the smooth, white-yellow, and compact TiO 2 /g-C 3 N 4 composite films. The prepared TiO 2 /g-C 3 N 4 materials were characterized by SEM, TEM, EDS, XRD, BET, VBXPS, and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra. The results of composite showed that TiO 2 and g-C 3 N 4 have close interfacial connections which are favorable to charge transfer between these two semiconductors with suitable band structure, g-C 3 N 4 retard the anatase-to-rutile phase transition of TiO 2 significantly, the specific surface area were increased with g-C 3 N 4 ratio raised. Under weak-light irradiation, composite films photocatalytic experiments exhibited RhB removal efficiency approaching 90% after three recycles. Powders suspension degradation experiments revealed the removal efficiency of TiO 2 /g-C 3 N 4 (90.8%) was higher than pure TiO 2 (52.1%) and slightly lower than pure g-C 3 N 4 (96.6%). By control experiment, the enhanced photocatalysis is ascribed to the combination of TiO 2 and g-C 3 N 4 , which not only produced thin films with greater stability but also formed heterojunctions that can be favorable to charge transfer between these two semiconductors with suitable band structure. This study presents the potential application of photocatalytic film in the wastewater treatment under weak-light situation.

  9. Effect of La substitution on structural and electrical properties of BiFeO3 thin film

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Das, S. R.; Bhattacharya, P.; Choudhary, R. N. P.; Katiyar, R. S.

    2006-03-01

    The effect of La substitution on the structural and electrical properties of multiferroic BiFeO3 thin films grown on Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Si substrates by pulsed laser deposition has been reported. X-ray diffraction data confirmed the substitutions of La into the Bi site with the elimination of all of the secondary phases. The dielectric constant of the films was systematically increased from 165 to ~350 and the films showed excellent dielectric loss behavior. We observed a gradual increase in the remnant polarization (2Pr) with lanthanum substitution obtaining a maximum value of ~42 μC/cm2 at 20 mol % La incorporation. The leakage current behavior at room temperature of the films was studied and it was found that the leakage current decreased from 10-4 to 10-7 A/cm2 for La-substituted films at a field strength of 50 kV/cm. The reduction of dc leakage current of La-substituted films is explained on the basis of relative phase stability and improved microstructure of the material.

  10. The Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3}–Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}–Sb{sub 2}O{sub 5} system phase diagram refinement, Bi{sub 3}FeSb{sub 2}O{sub 11} structure peculiarities and magnetic properties

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

    Egorysheva, A.V., E-mail: anna_egorysheva@rambler.ru; Ellert, O.G.; Gajtko, O.M.

    2015-05-15

    The refinement of the Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3}–Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}–Sb{sub 2}O{sub 5} system phase diagram has been performed and the existence of the two ternary compounds has been confirmed. The first one with a pyrochlore-type structure (sp. gr. Fd 3-barm) exists in the wide solid solution region, (Bi{sub 2−x}Fe{sub x})Fe{sub 1+y}Sb{sub 1−y}O{sub 7±δ}, where x=0.1–0.4 and y=−0.13–0.11. The second one, Bi{sub 3}FeSb{sub 2}O{sub 11}, corresponds to the cubic KSbO{sub 3}-type structure (sp. gr. Pn 3-bar) with unit cell parameter a=9.51521(2) Å. The Rietveld structure refinement showed that this compound is characterized by disordered structure. The Bi{sub 3}FeSb{sub 2}O{sub 11} factor groupmore » analysis has been carried out and a Raman spectrum has been investigated. According to magnetization measurements performed at the temperature range 2–300 K it may be concluded that the Bi{sub 3}FeSb{sub 2}O{sub 11} magnetic properties can be substantially described as a superposition of strong short-range antiferromagnetic exchange interactions realizing inside the [(FeSb{sub 2})O{sub 9}] 3D-framework via different pathways. - Graphical abstract: The refinement of the Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3}–Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}–Sb{sub 2}O{sub 5} system phase diagram has been performed and the existence of the solid solution with a pyrochlore-type structure (sp. gr. Fd 3-barm) and Bi{sub 3}FeSb{sub 2}O{sub 11}, correspond of the cubic KSbO{sub 3}-type structure (sp. gr. Pn 3-bar has been confirmed. The structure refinement, Raman spectroscopy as well as magnetic measurements data of Bi{sub 3}FeSb{sub 2}O{sub 11} are presented. - Highlights: • The Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3}–Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}–Sb{sub 2}O{sub 5} system phase diagram refinement has been performed. • The Bi{sub 3}FeSb{sub 2}O{sub 11} existence along with pyrochlore structure compound is shown. • It was determined that the Bi{sub 3}FeSb{sub 2}O{sub 11} is of disordered cubic KSbO{sub 3}-type structure. • Factor group

  11. Magnetic spin structure and magnetoelectric coupling in BiFeO{sub 3}-BaTiO{sub 3} multilayer

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

    Lazenka, Vera, E-mail: Vera.Lazenka@fys.kuleuven.be; Modarresi, Hiwa; Bisht, Manisha

    2015-02-23

    Magnetic spin structures in epitaxial BiFeO{sub 3} single layer and an epitaxial BaTiO{sub 3}/BiFeO{sub 3} multilayer thin film have been studied by means of nuclear resonant scattering of synchrotron radiation. We demonstrate a spin reorientation in the 15 × [BaTiO{sub 3}/BiFeO{sub 3}] multilayer compared to the single BiFeO{sub 3} thin film. Whereas in the BiFeO{sub 3} film, the net magnetic moment m{sup →} lies in the (1–10) plane, identical to the bulk, m{sup →} in the multilayer points to different polar and azimuthal directions. This spin reorientation indicates that strain and interfaces play a significant role in tuning the magnetic spin order.more » Furthermore, large difference in the magnetic field dependence of the magnetoelectric coefficient observed between the BiFeO{sub 3} single layer and multilayer can be associated with this magnetic spin reorientation.« less

  12. Optical properties of tetragonal and nanoscale BiFeO3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, P.; Xu, X. S.; Musfeldt, J. L.; Santulli, A. C.; Koenigsmann, C.; Wong, S. S.; Podraza, N. J.; Melville, A.; Vlahos, E.; Gopalan, V.; Schlom, D. G.; Ramesh, R.

    2010-03-01

    We measured the optical properties of tetragonal thin film and nanoscale rhombohedral BiFeO3 in the range from near infrared to the near ultraviolet. The absorption spectrum in the tetragonal film is overall blue-shifted compared with that of the rhombohedral BiFeO3 film. It shows an absorption onset near 2.25 eV, a direct 3.1 eV band gap, and charge transfer excitations that are ˜0.4 eV higher than those of the rhombohedral counterpart. In the nanoparticles, the band gap decreases from 2.7 eV to ˜2.3 eV, and the well-known 3.2 and 4.5 eV charge transfer excitations split into multiplets. We discuss these results in terms of structural strain, surface strain, and local symmetry breaking.

  13. Grain size engineering for ferroelectric Hf{sub 0.5}Zr{sub 0.5}O{sub 2} films by an insertion of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} interlayer

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

    Kim, Han Joon; Park, Min Hyuk; Kim, Yu Jin

    2014-11-10

    The degradation of ferroelectric (FE) properties of atomic layer deposited Hf{sub 0.5}Zr{sub 0.5}O{sub 2} films with increasing thickness was mitigated by inserting 1 nm-thick Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} interlayer at middle position of the thickness of the FE film. The large P{sub r} of 10 μC/cm{sup 2}, which is 11 times larger than that of single layer Hf{sub 0.5}Zr{sub 0.5}O{sub 2} film with equivalent thickness, was achieved from the films as thick as 40 nm. The Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} interlayer could interrupt the continual growth of Hf{sub 0.5}Zr{sub 0.5}O{sub 2} films, and the resulting decrease of grain size prevented the formation of non-ferroelectricmore » monoclinic phase. The Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} interlayer also largely decreased the leakage current of the Hf{sub 0.5}Zr{sub 0.5}O{sub 2} films.« less

  14. FAST TRACK COMMUNICATION: Ferroelectric properties and dielectric responses of multiferroic BiFeO3 films grown by RF magnetron sputtering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qi, Xiaoding; Tsai, Po-Chou; Chen, Yi-Chun; Ko, Cheng-Hung; Huang, Jung-Chun-Andrew; Chen, In-Gann

    2008-12-01

    Multiferroic BiFeO3 films have been grown on LaNiO3-x/SrTiO3 and Pt/Si substrates by RF magnetron sputtering. The films showed fully saturated ferroelectric hysteresis loops with large remanent polarization of 64 µC cm-2, suitable for most device applications. Piezoresponse force microscopy confirmed that the films were electrically writable. In addition to the high-frequency intrinsic dielectric loss of epitaxial films, the Argand diagram also revealed low-frequency contributions from both dc conductivity and interfacial polarization at electrodes. For polycrystalline films on Pt/Si, the dominant contribution to dielectric loss was space charge polarization at grain boundaries.

  15. Phase Transitions and Domain Structure in Mixed Tetragonal-Rhombohedral BiFeO3 thin films using Raman Spectroscopy and Nonlinear Optics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vlahos, E.; Kumar, A.; Denev, S.; Melville, A.; Adamo, C.; Ihlefeld, J. F.; Sheng, G.; Zeches, R. J.; Zhang, J. X.; He, Q.; Yang, C. H.; Erni, R.; Rossell, M. D.; J, A.; Hatt; Chu, Y.-H.; Wang, C. H.; Ederer, C.; Gopalan, V.; Chen, L. Q.; Schlom, D. G.; Spaldin, N. A.; Martin, L. W.; Ramesh, R.; Tenne, Dmitri

    2010-03-01

    We have shown that biaxially strained BiFeO3 thin films can undergo an isosymmetric phase transition from a rhombohedral-like to a tetragonal-like phase. This talk discusses the evolution of the tetragonal and the mixed phases in BiFeO3/YAlO3 thin films with varying film thickness using optical second harmonic generation (SHG) and Raman spectroscopy. 25nm, 75nm, and 225 nm thick films were studied; thinner films are dominated by the tetragonal phase, whereas thicker films exhibit both tetragonal and rhombohedral phases. The evolution of these phases as function of film thickness and temperature was experimentally determined.

  16. Fabrication and electrocatalytic properties of chitosan and keplerate-type polyoxometalate {Mo72Fe30} hybrid films.

    PubMed

    Fan, Dawei; Hao, Jingcheng

    2009-05-28

    Hybrid films composed of chitosan and Keplerate-type polyoxometalate, {Mo72Fe30} (Mo72VIFe30IIIO252L102.ca.180H2O, L=H2O/CH3COO-/Mo2O8/9n-), were fabricated on quartz, silicon, and ITO substrates by layer-by-layer (LbL) method. The LbL films were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and cyclic voltammetry (CV). UV-vis spectra show that the absorbance values at characteristic wavelengths of the multilayer films increase almost linearly with the number of chitosan/{Mo72Fe30} bilayers. XPS spectra confirm the incorporation of chitosan and {Mo72Fe30} into the films. The electrocatalytic reduction of ClO3-, BrO3-, and IO3- by chitosan/{Mo72Fe30} hybrid films in an acidic aqueous solution shows an electrocatalytic reduction activity of IO3->BrO3->ClO3-. In particular, the modified electrodes exhibited high electrocatalytic activity for reduction of IO3-.

  17. Controlled assembly of In2O3 nanowires on electronic circuits using scanning optical tweezers.

    PubMed

    Lee, Song-Woo; Jo, Gunho; Lee, Takhee; Lee, Yong-Gu

    2009-09-28

    In(2)O(3) nanowires can be used effectively as building blocks in the production of electronic circuits used in transparent and flexible electronic devices. The fabrication of these devices requires a controlled assembly of nanowires at crucial places and times. However, this kind of controlled assembly, which results in the fusion of nanowires to circuits, is still very difficult to execute. In this study, we demonstrate the benefits of using various lengths of In(2)O(3) nanowires by using non-contact mechanisms, such as scanning optical tweezers, to place them on designated targets during the fabrication process. Furthermore, these nanowires can be stabilized at both ends of the conducting wires using a focused laser, and later in the process, the annealed technique, so that proper flow of electrons is affected.

  18. Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy of Ruddlesden-Popper Srn+1TinO3n+1 (n = 1,2,3) Thin Films

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-01-29

    permittivity, strontium compounds N. D. Orloff, W. Tian, C. J. Fennie , C. H. Lee, D. Gu, J. Mateu, X. X. Xi, K. M. Rabe, D. G. Schlom, I. Takeuchi, J...of Ruddlesden–Popper Srn+1TinO3n+1 (n = 1,2,3) thin films N. D. Orloff, W. Tian, C. J. Fennie , C. H. Lee, D. Gu et al. Citation: Appl. Phys. Lett... Fennie ,4 C. H. Lee,3,5 D. Gu,2 J. Mateu,6 X. X. Xi,5 K. M. Rabe,7 D. G. Schlom,3 I. Takeuchi,1 and J. C. Booth2 1Department of Materials Science and

  19. Synthesis, characterization, and growth mechanism of motifs of ultrathin cobalt-substituted NaFeSi 2O 6 nanowires

    DOE PAGES

    Lewis, Crystal S.; Moronta, Dominic; Terban, Maxwell W.; ...

    2017-12-12

    In this report, we have synthesized and structurally characterized nanowire bundles of cobalt-substituted pyroxenes, similar to the crystal structure of aegirine (i.e. Co-substituted XYSi 2O 6 with X and Y referring to metallic elements such as but not limited to Co, Na, and Fe), using a readily scalable hydrothermal technique. We then propose a growth mechanism for these bundles, based on detailed time and temperature dependent studies as well as complementary control experiments, particularly reactions in the absence of either 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) or sodium hydroxide (NaOH), via a transmission electron microscopy visualization study. Moreover, these nanowire bundles were probed formore » their magnetic properties and chemical composition using superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) measurements, X-ray diffraction, and pair distribution function analysis, respectively. Specifically, SQUID measurement observations highlighted that these bundles evince (i) unique and interesting super-paramagnetic properties at 5 K that are consistent with that of our previously published ~2 nm ultra-small nanoparticles as well as (ii) paramagnetic behavior at 300 K.« less

  20. Synthesis, characterization, and growth mechanism of motifs of ultrathin cobalt-substituted NaFeSi 2O 6 nanowires

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

    Lewis, Crystal S.; Moronta, Dominic; Terban, Maxwell W.

    In this report, we have synthesized and structurally characterized nanowire bundles of cobalt-substituted pyroxenes, similar to the crystal structure of aegirine (i.e. Co-substituted XYSi 2O 6 with X and Y referring to metallic elements such as but not limited to Co, Na, and Fe), using a readily scalable hydrothermal technique. We then propose a growth mechanism for these bundles, based on detailed time and temperature dependent studies as well as complementary control experiments, particularly reactions in the absence of either 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) or sodium hydroxide (NaOH), via a transmission electron microscopy visualization study. Moreover, these nanowire bundles were probed formore » their magnetic properties and chemical composition using superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) measurements, X-ray diffraction, and pair distribution function analysis, respectively. Specifically, SQUID measurement observations highlighted that these bundles evince (i) unique and interesting super-paramagnetic properties at 5 K that are consistent with that of our previously published ~2 nm ultra-small nanoparticles as well as (ii) paramagnetic behavior at 300 K.« less

  1. OPTICAL AND SPECTROSCOPIC STUDIES OF Fe2O3-Bi2O3-B2O3:V2O5 GLASSES

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sanjay; Kishore, N.; Agarwal, A.; Dahiya, S.; Pal, Inder; Kumar, Navin

    2013-11-01

    The glasses of compositions xFe2O3ṡ (40 - x)Bi2O3ṡ60B2O32V2O5 have been prepared by the standard melt-quenching technique. Amorphous nature of these samples is ascertained by XRD patterns. The presence of BO3 and BO4 units is identified by IR spectra of glass samples. The absorption edge (λcut-off) shifts toward longer wavelengths with an increase in Fe2O3 content in the glass matrix. The values of optical band gap energy for indirect allowed and forbidden transitions have been determined and it is found to decrease with increase in transition metal ions. The Urbach's energy is used to characterize the degree of disorder in amorphous solids.

  2. Insertion of bentonite with Organometallic [Fe3O(OOC6H5)6(H2O)3(NO3).nH2O] as Adsorbent of Congo Red

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Said, Muhammad; Paluta Utami, Hasja; Hayati, Ferlina

    2018-01-01

    The adsorption of Congo red using bentonite inserted organometallic has been investigated. The insertion bentonite was characterized using FT-IR Spectrophotometer, XRD and XRF analysis. The FT-IR characterization showed the higher intensity of peak wavenumber at 470.6 cm-1 for Fe3O on the ratio 1:3. While the XRD characterization showed the shift of diffraction angle of 2θ was 5.2° and has a basal spacing of 16.8 Å. In the XRF characterization, the insertion process of organometallic occurred optimally with the percentage of metal oxide reached 71.75 %. The adsorption process of bentonite inserted organometallic compound [Fe3O(OOC6H5)6(H2O)3(NO3nH2O] showed the adsorption rate (k) is 0.050 min-1, the largest adsorption capacity (b) at 70°C is 4.48 mol/g, the largest adsorption energy at temperature 30°C which is 6.4 kJ/mol Organometallic compounds. The value of the enthalpy (ΔH) and entropy (ΔS) decreased with increasing concentrations of the Congo red. Effect of pH on the adsorption on at pH 3 shows the biggest of number Congo red absorbed is 19.52 mg/L for insertion of bentonite.

  3. A screen-printed Ce 0.8Sm 0.2O 1.9 film solid oxide fuel cell with a Ba 0.5Sr 0.5Co 0.8Fe 0.2O 3- δ cathode

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Yaohui; Huang, Xiqiang; Lu, Zhe; Liu, Zhiguo; Ge, Xiaodong; Xu, Jiahuan; Xin, Xianshuang; Sha, Xueqing; Su, Wenhui

    Screen-printing technology was developed to fabricate Ce 0.8Sm 0.2O 1.9 (SDC) electrolyte films onto porous NiO-SDC green anode substrates. After sintering at 1400 °C for 4 h, a gas-tight SDC film with a thickness of 12 μm was obtained. A novel cathode material of Ba 0.5Sr 0.5Co 0.8Fe 0.2O 3- δ was subsequently applied onto the sintered SDC electrolyte film also by screen-printing and sintered at 970 °C for 3 h to get a single cell. A fuel cell of Ni-SDC/SDC (12 μm)/Ba 0.5Sr 0.5Co 0.8Fe 0.2O 3- δ provides the maximum power densities of 1280, 1080, 670, 370, 180 and 73 mW cm -2 at 650, 600, 555, 505, 455 and 405 °C, respectively, using hydrogen as fuel and stationary air as oxidant. When dry methane was used as fuel, the maximum power densities are 876, 568, 346 and 114 mW cm -2 at 650, 600, 555 and 505 °C, respectively. The present fuel cell shows excellent performance at lowered temperatures.

  4. Hybrid absorbers composed of Fe3O4 thin film and magnetic composite sheet and enhancement of conduction noise absorption on a microstrip line

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Sung-Soo

    2015-05-01

    In response to develop wide-band noise absorbers with an improved low-frequency performance, this study investigates hybrid absorbers that are composed of conductive Fe3O4 thin film and magnetic composite sheets. The Fe3O4 films prepared via reactive sputtering exhibit a typical value of electrical resistivity of ≃10-4 Ωm. Rubber composites with flaky Fe-Si-Al particles of a high permeability and high permittivity are used as the magnetic sheet functioning as an electromagnetic shield barrier. Microstrip lines with a characteristic impedance of 50 Ω are used to measure the noise absorbing properties. For the Fe3O4 film with a low surface resistance and covered by the magnetic sheet, approximately 80% power absorption can be obtained at 1 GHz, which is significantly higher than that of the original magnetic sheet or Fe3O4 film. The high power absorption of the hybrid absorber is attributed to the enhanced ohmic loss of the Fe3O4 film through increased electric field strength bounded by the upper magnetic composite sheet. The noise absorption is further enhanced through increasing the electrical conductivity of the film containing more conductive phase (Fe3O4 + Fe), which can be prepared in a reduced oxygen partial pressure during reactive sputtering.

  5. Highly Efficient visible-light-induced photoactivity of magnetically retrievable Fe3O4@SiO2@Bi2WO6@g-C3N4 hierarchical microspheres for the degradation of organic pollutant and production of hydrogen

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lu, Dingze; Wang, Hongmei; Shen, Qingqing; Kondamareddy, Kiran Kumar; Neena D

    2017-07-01

    The new multifunctional composite Fe3O4@SiO2@Bi2WO6@g-C3N4 (FSBG) hierarchical microspheres with Bi2WO6/g-C3N4 heterostructure as an outer shell and Fe3O4@SiO2 as a magnetic core have been synthesized and characterized for photocatalytic applications. An efficient and adoptable approach of synthesizing magnetic Bi2WO6/g-C3N4 hierarchical microspheres of grape-like morphology is realized. The as-synthesized structures exhibit highly efficient visible-light absorption and separation efficiency of photo-induced charge. The visible-light-induced photocatalytic activity of g-C3N4, Fe3O4@SiO2@Bi2WO6, and FSBG is evaluated by investigating the photodegradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) and hydrogen (H2) out of water. The comparative study reveals that the FSBG microspheres exhibit an optimum visible-light-induced photocatalytic activity in degrading Rhodamin B (RhB), which is 3.06 and 1.92 times to that of g-C3N4 and Fe3O4@SiO2@Bi2WO6 systems respectively and 3.89 and 2.31 times in the production of hydrogen (H2) out of water, respectively. The FSBG composite microspheres also exhibit good magnetic recoverability. An alternate mechanism for the enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity is given in the present manuscript.

  6. Magnetism from Fe2O3 nanoparticles embedded in amorphous SiO2 matrix

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sendil Kumar, A.; Bhatnagar, Anil K.

    2018-02-01

    Fe2O3 nanoparticles are embedded in amorphous SiO2 matrix by coprecipitation method with varying concentrations. Conditions are optimized to get almost monodispersed Fe2O3 nanoparticles with high chemical stability. Microstructure of synthesized nanoparticles is well characterized and found that Fe2O3 is in nanocrystalline form and embedded uniformly in amorphous SiO2 matrix. Enhanced surface reactivity is found for nanoparticles which influences physical properties of the SiO2 supported Fe2O3 system due to adsorption. In oxide nanoparticles, significant number of defect sites at the surface is expected but when supported medium such as SiO2 it reduces this defect concentration. Field- and temperature-dependent magnetisation studies on these samples show superparamagnetic behaviour. Superparamagnetic behaviour is seen in all the concentration systems but the coercivity observed in the lower concentration systems is found to be anomalous compared to that of higher concentrations. The observed magnetic behaviour comes from either unsaturated bond existing due to the absence of anions at the surface of nanoparticles or reconstruction of atomic orbitals taking place at interface of Fe2O3-SiO2 system.

  7. Fabrication of ordered NiO coated Si nanowire array films as electrodes for a high performance lithium ion battery.

    PubMed

    Qiu, M C; Yang, L W; Qi, X; Li, Jun; Zhong, J X

    2010-12-01

    Highly ordered NiO coated Si nanowire array films are fabricated as electrodes for a high performance lithium ion battery via depositing Ni on electroless-etched Si nanowires and subsequently annealing. The structures and morphologies of as-prepared films are characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. When the potential window versus lithium was controlled, the coated NiO can be selected to be electrochemically active to store and release Li+ ions, while highly conductive crystalline Si cores function as nothing more than a stable mechanical support and an efficient electrical conducting pathway. The hybrid nanowire array films exhibit superior cyclic stability and reversible capacity compared to that of NiO nanostructured films. Owing to the ease of large-scale fabrication and superior electrochemical performance, these hybrid nanowire array films will be promising anode materials for high performance lithium-ion batteries.

  8. Construction of 1D SnO2-coated ZnO nanowire heterojunction for their improved n-butylamine sensing performances

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Liwei; Li, Jintao; Wang, Yinghui; Yu, Kefu; Tang, Xingying; Zhang, Yuanyuan; Wang, Shaopeng; Wei, Chaoshuai

    2016-10-01

    One-dimensional (1D) SnO2-coated ZnO nanowire (SnO2/ZnO NW) N-N heterojunctions were successfully constructed by an effective solvothermal treatment followed with calcination at 400 °C. The obtained samples were characterized by means of XRD, SEM, TEM, Scanning TEM coupled with EDS and XPS analysis, which confirmed that the outer layers of N-type SnO2 nanoparticles (avg. 4 nm) were uniformly distributed onto our pre-synthesized n-type ZnO nanowire supports (diameter 80~100 nm, length 12~16 μm). Comparisons of the gas sensing performances among pure SnO2, pure ZnO NW and the as-fabricated SnO2/ZnO NW heterojunctions revealed that after modification, SnO2/ZnO NW based sensor exhibited remarkably improved response, fast response and recovery speeds, good selectivity and excellent reproducibility to n-butylamine gas, indicating it can be used as promising candidates for high-performance organic amine sensors. The enhanced gas-sensing behavior should be attributed to the unique 1D wire-like morphology of ZnO support, the small size effect of SnO2 nanoparticles, and the semiconductor depletion layer model induced by the strong interfacial interaction between SnO2 and ZnO of the heterojunctions. The as-prepared SnO2/ZnO NW heterojunctions may also supply other novel applications in the fields like photocatalysis, lithium-ion batteries, waste water purification, and so on.

  9. Highly transparent and thermal-stable silver nanowire conductive film covered with ZnMgO by atomic-layer-deposition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Lei; Huang, Dongchen; Li, Min; Xu, Hua; Zou, Jianhua; Tao, Hong; Peng, Junbiao; Xu, Miao

    2017-12-01

    Solution-processed silver nanowires (AgNWs) have been considered as a promising material for next generation flexible transparent conductive electrodes. However AgNWs films have several intrinsic drawbacks, such as thermal stability and storage stability. Herein, we demonstrate a laminated ZnO/MgO (ZnMgO, ZMO) as a protective layer on the AgNWs films using atomic layer deposition (ALD). The fabricated films exhibited a low sheet resistance of 16 Ω/sq with high transmittance of 91% at 550 nm, an excellent thermal stability and bending property. The ZMO film grows perpendicularly on the surface of the AgNWs, making a perfect coverage of bulk silver nanowires and junction, which can effectively prompt the electrical transport behavior and enhance stability of the silver nanowires network.

  10. Magnetization and anomalous Hall effect in SiO2/Fe/SiO2 trilayers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sekhar Das, Sudhansu; Senthil Kumar, M.

    2017-03-01

    SiO2/Fe/SiO2 sandwich structure films fabricated by sputtering were studied by varying the Fe layer thickness (t Fe). The structural and microstructural studies on the samples showed that the Fe layer has grown in nanocrystalline form with (1 1 0) texture and that the two SiO2 layers are amorphous. Magnetic measurements performed with the applied field in in-plane and perpendicular direction to the film plane confirmed that the samples are soft ferromagnetic having strong in-plane magnetic anisotropy. The temperature dependence of magnetization shows complex behavior with the coexistence of both ferromagnetic and superparamagnetic properties. The transport properties of the samples as studied through Hall effect measurements show anomalous Hall effect (AHE). An enhancement of about 14 times in the saturation anomalous Hall resistance (R\\text{hs}\\text{A} ) was observed upon reducing the t Fe from 300 to 50 Å. The maximum value of R\\text{hs}\\text{A}   =  2.3 Ω observed for t Fe  =  50 Å sample is about 4 orders of magnitude larger than that reported for bulk Fe. When compared with the single Fe film, a maximum increase of about 56% in the R\\text{hs}\\text{A} was observed in sandwiched Fe (50 Å) film. Scaling law suggests that the R s follows the longitudinal resistivity (ρ) as, {{R}\\text{s}}\\propto {ρ1.9} , suggesting side jump as the dominant mechanism of the AHE. A maximum enhancement of about 156% in the sensitivity S was observed.

  11. Formation mechanisms of Si3N4 and Si2N2O in silicon powder nitridation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yao, Guisheng; Li, Yong; Jiang, Peng; Jin, Xiuming; Long, Menglong; Qin, Haixia; Kumar, R. Vasant

    2017-04-01

    Commercial silicon powders are nitrided at constant temperatures (1453 K; 1513 K; 1633 K; 1693 K). The X-ray diffraction results show that small amounts of Si3N4 and Si2N2O are formed as the nitridation products in the samples. Fibroid and short columnar Si3N4 are detected in the samples. The formation mechanisms of Si3N4 and Si2N2O are analyzed. During the initial stage of silicon powder nitridation, Si on the outside of sample captures slight amount of O2 in N2 atmosphere, forming a thin film of SiO2 on the surface which seals the residual silicon inside. And the oxygen partial pressure between the SiO2 film and free silicon is decreasing gradually, so passive oxidation transforms to active oxidation and metastable SiO(g) is produced. When the SiO(g) partial pressure is high enough, the SiO2 film will crack, and N2 is infiltrated into the central section of the sample through cracks, generating Si2N2O and short columnar Si3N4 in situ. At the same time, metastable SiO(g) reacts with N2 and form fibroid Si3N4. In the regions where the oxygen partial pressure is high, Si3N4 is oxidized into Si2N2O.

  12. A simple way to prepare reduced graphene oxide nanosheets/Fe2O3-Pd/N-doped carbon nanosheets and their application in catalysis.

    PubMed

    Yao, Tongjie; Zhang, Junshuai; Zuo, Quan; Wang, Hao; Wu, Jie; Zhang, Xiao; Cui, Tieyu

    2016-04-15

    The catalysts with Pd and γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles embedded between reduced graphene oxide nanosheets (rGS) and N-doped carbon nanosheets (NCS) were prepared through a two-step method. Firstly, graphene oxide nanosheets (GS)/prussian blue (PB)-Pd/polypyrrole (PPy) composites were synthesized by using pyrrole monomer as reductant, K3Fe(CN)6 and PdCl2 as oxidants in the presence of GS via a redox reaction. Subsequently, the as-obtained GS/PB-Pd/PPy composites were calcinated in N2 atmosphere. During the heat-treatment, carbonization of PPy to NCS, conversion of nonmagnetic PB to magnetic γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles, and reduction of GS to rGS were finished, simultaneously. rGS/Fe2O3-Pd/NCS composites exhibited good catalytic activity toward reduction of 4-nitrophenol. The rate constant k and turnover frequency were calculated and compared with recent reports. Owing to γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles, the rGS/Fe2O3-Pd/NCS composites could be quickly separated by magnet and reused without obvious decrease in activity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Difference between blocking and Néel temperatures in the exchange biased Fe3O4/CoO system.

    PubMed

    van der Zaag, P J; Ijiri, Y; Borchers, J A; Feiner, L F; Wolf, R M; Gaines, J M; Erwin, R W; Verheijen, M A

    2000-06-26

    The blocking temperature T(B) has been determined as a function of the antiferromagnetic layer thickness in the Fe3O4/CoO exchange biased system. For CoO layers thinner than 50 A, T(B) is reduced below the Néel temperature T(N) of bulk CoO (291 K), independent of crystallographic orientation or film substrate ( alpha-Al2O3, SrTiO3, and MgO). Neutron diffraction studies show that T(B) does not track the CoO ordering temperature and, hence, that this reduction in T(B) does not arise from finite-size scaling. Instead, the ordering temperature of the CoO layers is enhanced above the bulk T(N) for layer thicknesses approximately less than or equal to 100 A due to the proximity of magnetic Fe3O4 layers.

  14. Kamarizaite, Fe{3/3+}(AsO4)2(OH)3 · 3H2O, a new mineral species, arsenate analogue of tinticite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chukanov, N. V.; Pekov, I. V.; Möckel, S.; Mukhanova, A. A.; Belakovsky, D. I.; Levitskaya, L. A.; Bekenova, G. K.

    2010-12-01

    Kamarizaite, a new mineral species, has been identified in the dump of the Kamariza Mine, Lavrion mining district, Attica Region, Greece, in association with goethite, scorodite, and jarosite. It was named after type locality. Kamarizaite occurs as fine-grained monomineralic aggregates (up to 3 cm across) composed of platy crystals up to 1 μm in size and submicron kidney-shaped segregations. The new mineral is yellow to beige, with light yellow streak. The Mohs hardness is about 3. No cleavage is observed. The density measured by hydrostatic weighing is 3.16(1) g/cm3, and the calculated density is 3.12 g/cm3. The wavenumbers of absorption bands in the IR spectrum of kamarizaite are (cm-1; s is strong band, w is weak band): 3552, 3315s, 3115, 1650w, 1620w, 1089, 911s, 888s, 870, 835s, 808s, 614w, 540, 500, 478, 429. According to TG and IR data, complete dehydration and dehydroxylation in vacuum (with a weight loss of 15.3(1)%) occurs in the temperature range 110-420°C. Mössbauer data indicate that all iron in kamarizaite is octahedrally coordinated Fe3+. Kamarizaite is optically biaxial, positive: n min = 1.825, n max = 1.835, n mean = 1.83(1) (for a fine-grained aggregate). The chemical composition of kamarizaite (electron microprobe, average of four point analyses) is as follows, wt %: 0.35 CaO, 41.78 Fe2O3, 39.89 As2O5, 1.49 SO3, 15.3 H2O (from TG data); the total is 98.81. The empirical formula calculated on the basis of (AsO4,SO4)2 is Ca0.03Fe{2.86/3+} (AsO4)1.90(SO4)0.10(OH)2.74 · 3.27H2O. The idealized formula is Fe{3/3+}(AsO4)2(OH)3 · 3H2O. Kamarizaite is an arsenate analogue of orthorhombic tinticite, space group Pccm, Pcc2, Pcmm, Pcm21, or Pc2 m; a = 21.32(1), b = 13.666(6), c =15.80(1) Å, V= 4603.29(5) Å3, Z= 16. The strongest reflections of the X-ray powder diffraction pattern [ bar d , Å ( I, %) ( hkl)] are: 6.61 (37) (112, 120), 5.85 (52) (311), 3.947 (100) (004, 032, 511), 3.396 (37) (133, 431), 3.332 (60) (314), 3.085 (58) (621, 414, 324

  15. Acetone sensors based on microsheet-assembled hierarchical Fe2O3 with different Fe3+ concentrations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Han; Yan, Lei; Li, Shuo; Li, Yu; Liu, Li; Du, Liting; Duan, Haojie; Cheng, Yali

    2018-02-01

    Several different morphologies of microsheet-assembled Fe2O3 have been fabricated by hydrothermal method using diverse concentrations of Fe3+ precursor solutions (0.025, 0.020, 0.015, 0.010 mol/L Fe3+). The as-synthesized materials have been characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS). The SEM images reflect that the morphologies of as-synthesized materials are affected by the concentrations of Fe3+ in precursor solutions. The less concentration of Fe3+, the more porous of Fe2O3 microflowers, and thinner of slices distributed on the surface. Furthermore, gas sensors based on these Fe2O3 microflowers manufactured and tested to various common gases. The optimum response value to 100 ppm acetone is 52 at the working temperature of 220 °C. Meanwhile, the Fe2O3 microflower sensors possess ultrafast response-recovery speed, which are 8 and 19 s, respectively. The possible sensing mechanism was mainly attributed to the high surface area, three-dimensional porous structure.

  16. Polycrystalline BiFeO{sub 3} thin film synthesized via sol-gel assisted spin coating technique for photosensitive application

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

    Bogle, K. A., E-mail: kashinath.bogle@gmail.com; Narwade, R. D.; Mahabole, M. P.

    2016-05-06

    We are reporting photosensitivity property of BiFeO{sub 3} thin film under optical illumination. The thin film used for photosensitivity work was fabricated via sol-gel assisted spin coating technique. I-V measurements on the Cu/BiFeO{sub 3}/Al structure under dark condition show a good rectifying property and show dramatic blue shit in threshold voltage under optical illumination. The microstructure, morphology and elemental analysis of the films were characterized by using XRD, UV-Vis, FTIR, SEM and EDS.

  17. Preparation and electrical properties of Cr 2O 3 gate insulator embedded with Fe dot

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yokota, Takeshi; Kuribayashi, Takaaki; Murata, Shotaro; Gomi, Manabu

    2008-09-01

    We investigated the electrical properties of a metal (Au)/insulator (magneto-electric materials: Cr 2O 3)/magnetic materials (Fe)/tunnel layer (Cr 2O 3)/semiconductor (Si) capacitor. This capacitor shows the typical capacitance-voltage ( C- V) properties of an Si-MIS capacitor with hysteresis depending on the Fe dispersibility which is determined by the deposition condition. The C- V curve of the only sample having a 0.5 nm Fe layer was seen to have a hysteresis window with a clockwise trace, indicating that electrons have been injected into the ultra-thin Fe layer. The samples having Fe layers of other thicknesses show a counterclockwise trace, which indicates that the film has mobile ionic charges due to the dispersed Fe. These results indicated that the charge-injection site, which works as a memory, in the Cr 2O 3 can be prepared by Fe insertion, which is deposited using well-controlled conditions. The results also revealed the possibility of an MIS capacitor containing both ferromagnetic materials and an ME insulating layer in a single system.

  18. Growth, Structural, Electronic, and Magnetic Characterization of GaN, CrN, Fe Islands on CrN, and Fe/CrN Bilayer Thin Films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alam, Khan

    -order magnetic phase transition from paramagnetic (room temperature) to antiferromagnetic (low temperature) at 280+/-3 K. Our experiments suggest that the structural transition in CrN thin films occur in out-of-plane direction, and epitaxial constraints suppress the in-plane transition; therefore, the low temperature crystal structure of CrN is tetragonal. This new model explains our structural and magnetic data at low temperatures, but it is different than the previously published orthorhombic model. In third project, I studied exchange bias and exchange spring effect in MBE grown Fe/CrN bilayer thin films. We grew Fe/CrN bilayer thin films on MgO(001) substrate by molecular beam epitaxy, and studied them using variable temperature vibrating sample magnetometry, polarized neutron reflectometry, x-ray reflectivity, and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. We observed exchange bias and exchange spring effect in all bilayer thin films. We studied the relationship of exchange bias, blocking temperature, and coercivity with Fe and CrN layers thicknesses. We used polarized neutron beam reflectometry to see if spins at Fe/CrN interface are pinned. We found a thin ferromagnetically ordered CrN layer at the interface. In my final project, I studied growth of submonolayer Fe islands on CrN thin films. These films are prepared in two stages: first, a CrN layer is grown by MBE and then a submonolayer Fe is deposited at room temperature from a carefully degassed e-beam evaporator. The films are studied at liquid helium temperature using low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. Islands are seen in STM images, after the Fe deposition, at the edges as well as at the center of atomically flat CrN terraces. However, numerical calculations performed by our collaborator Ponce-P'erez from Benem'erita Universidad Aut'onoma de Puebla show that the Fe islands are energetically unstable on the surface. The Fe atoms substitute Cr atoms in the surface layer and the Cr

  19. Understanding Strain-Induced Phase Transformations in BiFeO3 Thin Films.

    PubMed

    Dixit, Hemant; Beekman, Christianne; Schlepütz, Christian M; Siemons, Wolter; Yang, Yongsoo; Senabulya, Nancy; Clarke, Roy; Chi, Miaofang; Christen, Hans M; Cooper, Valentino R

    2015-08-01

    Experiments demonstrate that under large epitaxial strain a coexisting striped phase emerges in BiFeO 3 thin films, which comprises a tetragonal-like ( T ') and an intermediate S ' polymorph. It exhibits a relatively large piezoelectric response when switching between the coexisting phase and a uniform T ' phase. This strain-induced phase transformation is investigated through a synergistic combination of first-principles theory and experiments. The results show that the S ' phase is energetically very close to the T ' phase, but is structurally similar to the bulk rhombohedral ( R ) phase. By fully characterizing the intermediate S ' polymorph, it is demonstrated that the flat energy landscape resulting in the absence of an energy barrier between the T ' and S ' phases fosters the above-mentioned reversible phase transformation. This ability to readily transform between the S ' and T ' polymorphs, which have very different octahedral rotation patterns and c / a ratios, is crucial to the enhanced piezoelectricity in strained BiFeO 3 films. Additionally, a blueshift in the band gap when moving from R to S ' to T ' is observed. These results emphasize the importance of strain engineering for tuning electromechanical responses or, creating unique energy harvesting photonic structures, in oxide thin film architectures.

  20. Fabrication of p-type CuO thin films using chemical bath deposition technique and their solar cell applications with Si nanowires

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Akgul, Funda Aksoy; Akgul, Guvenc

    2017-02-01

    Recently, CuO has attracted much interest owing to its suitable material properties, inexpensive fabrication cost and potential applications for optoelectronic devices. In this study, CuO thin films were deposited on glass substrates using chemical bath deposition technique and post-deposition annealing effect on the properties of the prepared samples were investigated. p-n heterojunction solar cells were then constructed by coating of p-type CuO films onto the vertically well-aligned n-type Si nanowires synthesized through MACE method. Photovoltaic performance of the fabricated devices were determined with current-voltage (I-V) measurements under AM 1.5 G illumination. The optimal short-circuit current density, open-circuit voltage, fill factor and power conversion efficiency were found to be 3.2 mA/cm-2, 337 mV, 37.9 and 0.45%, respectively. The observed performance clearly indicates that the investigated device structure could be a promising candidate for high-performance low-cost new-generation photovoltaic diodes.

  1. Controllable construction of flower-like FeS/Fe2O3 composite for lithium storage

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Jie; He, Huan; Wu, Zexing; Liang, Jianing; Han, Lili; Xin, Huolin L.; Guo, Xuyun; Zhu, Ye; Wang, Deli

    2018-07-01

    Transitions metal sulfides/oxides have been considered as promising anode candidates for next generation lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to high theoretical capacities. However, the large volume change during lithiation/delithiation process and poor electronic conductivity often result in a poor charging/discharging performance. Herein, we design a flower-like FeS/Fe2O3 composite via a simple "solvothermal-oxidation" method, in which the Fe2O3 is most distributed on the surface of the flower. The unique porous structure and synergistic effect between FeS and Fe2O3 not only accommodate the large volume expansion, but also facilitate Li ion and electron transport. The Fe2O3 shell effectively reduce the dissolution of Li2Sx during discharge/charge process. When serving as the anode material in lithium ion battery, FeS/Fe2O3 exhibits superior specific capacity, rate capacity and cycling stability compared with pure FeS and Fe2O3.

  2. A Resumable Fluorescent Probe BHN-Fe3O4@SiO2 Hybrid Nanostructure for Fe3+ and its Application in Bioimaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, Xi; Wang, Yujiao; Peng, Qi; Liu, Weisheng

    2017-12-01

    A multifunctional fluorescent probe BHN-Fe3O4@SiO2 nanostructure for Fe3+ was designed and developed. It has a good selective response to Fe3+ with fluorescence quenching and can be recycled using an external magnetic field. With adding EDTA (2.5 × 10-5 M) to the consequent product Fe3+-BHN-Fe3O4@SiO2, Fe3+ can be removed from the complex, and its fluorescence probing ability recovers, which means that this constituted on-off type fluorescence probe could be reversed and reused. At the same time, the probe has been successfully applied for quantitatively detecting Fe3+ in a linear mode with a low limit of detection 1.25 × 10-8 M. Furthermore, the BHN-Fe3O4@SiO2 nanostructure probe is successfully used to detect Fe3+ in living HeLa cells, which shows its great potential in bioimaging detection.

  3. In2O3 nanowire based field effect transistor for biological sensors.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zeng, Zhongming; Wang, Kai; Zhou, Weilie

    2008-03-01

    Semiconductor nanowires (NWs) are attracting considerable attention due to their nanoscale dimensions and enormous surface-to-volume ratios. Many applications have been demonstrated in toxic gas, protein, small molecule and viruses sensing because of their superior sensing performances. Indium oxide (In2O3) NWs have been successfully applied for toxic gas and small organic molecule sensing. In our experiment, In2O3 NWs based field effect transistors (FET) are fabricated for virus (Ricin) detections. Single-crystalline In2O3 NWs with diameters around 100 nm were synthesized by the thermal evaporation. The nanodevice based on In2O3 NWs bridges the source/drain electrodes with a channel length of ˜5 μm. Basic transport properties of devices were measured before biological detection. The I-V curves with the gate voltage Vg=0 shows good ohmic contact and the resistance is about 10 Mφ. The back-gate effect on the conductivity showed that In2O3 NW is working as n-type channel with obvious back-gate effect, which is much stronger than the reported results. The nanodevices used as virus detection will be also discussed.

  4. Reversible [4Fe-3S] cluster morphing in an O(2)-tolerant [NiFe] hydrogenase.

    PubMed

    Frielingsdorf, Stefan; Fritsch, Johannes; Schmidt, Andrea; Hammer, Mathias; Löwenstein, Julia; Siebert, Elisabeth; Pelmenschikov, Vladimir; Jaenicke, Tina; Kalms, Jacqueline; Rippers, Yvonne; Lendzian, Friedhelm; Zebger, Ingo; Teutloff, Christian; Kaupp, Martin; Bittl, Robert; Hildebrandt, Peter; Friedrich, Bärbel; Lenz, Oliver; Scheerer, Patrick

    2014-05-01

    Hydrogenases catalyze the reversible oxidation of H(2) into protons and electrons and are usually readily inactivated by O(2). However, a subgroup of the [NiFe] hydrogenases, including the membrane-bound [NiFe] hydrogenase from Ralstonia eutropha, has evolved remarkable tolerance toward O(2) that enables their host organisms to utilize H(2) as an energy source at high O(2). This feature is crucially based on a unique six cysteine-coordinated [4Fe-3S] cluster located close to the catalytic center, whose properties were investigated in this study using a multidisciplinary approach. The [4Fe-3S] cluster undergoes redox-dependent reversible transformations, namely iron swapping between a sulfide and a peptide amide N. Moreover, our investigations unraveled the redox-dependent and reversible occurence of an oxygen ligand located at a different iron. This ligand is hydrogen bonded to a conserved histidine that is essential for H(2) oxidation at high O(2). We propose that these transformations, reminiscent of those of the P-cluster of nitrogenase, enable the consecutive transfer of two electrons within a physiological potential range.

  5. Thermal stability of γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles and their employment for sensing of acetone vapours

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luby, Š.; Ivančo, J.; Jergel, M.; Švec, P., Jr.; Kotlár, M.; Kostiuk, D.; Halahovets, J.; Kollár, J.; Mosnáček, J.; Majková, E.

    2017-12-01

    Stability of γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles-based films upon an isochronal annealing in air was investigated by x-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetry. The γ-α transformation temperature increased owing to the nanoscaling of Fe2O3; the higher stability of the γ phase was explained on the ground of the surface free energy of nanoparticles (with the size of about 6.4 nm). Further, chemiresistors based on the Fe2O3 nanoparticle bilayer prepared by the Langmuir-Schaefer method were fabricated and examined in terms of their sensitivity to acetone vapours down to 500 ppb concentration in air.

  6. Ferroelectric and structural properties of stress-constrained and stress-relaxed polycrystalline BiFeO3 thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nakashima, Seiji; Ricinschi, Dan; Park, Jung Min; Kanashima, Takeshi; Fujisawa, Hironori; Shimizu, Masaru; Okuyama, Masanori

    2009-03-01

    The stress influence of the structural and ferroelectric properties of polycrystalline BiFeO3 (BFO) thin films has been investigated using a membrane substrate for relaxing stress. Reciprocal space mapping (RSM) measurement has been performed to confirm the stress dependence of the crystal structure of polycrystalline BFO thin films on the Pt (200 nm)/TiO2 (50 nm)/SiO2 (600 nm)/Si (625 μm) substrate (stress-constrained BFO film) and the Pt (200 nm)/TiO2 (50 nm)/SiO2 (600 nm)/Si (15 μm) membrane substrate (stress-relaxed BFO film). The BFO thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition were polycrystalline and mainly exhibit a texture with (001) and (110) plane orientations. From the RSM results, the crystal structure of the (001)-oriented domain changes from Pm monoclinic to Cm monoclinic or to R3c rhombohedral due to stress relaxation. Moreover, at room temperature as well as at 150 K, remanent polarization (Pr) increases and double coercive field (2Ec) decreases (in the latter case from 88 to 94 μC/cm2 and from 532 to 457 kV/cm, respectively) due to relaxing stress. The enhancement of ferroelectricity is attributed to the crystal structural deformation and/or transition and angle change between the polarization direction and film plane.

  7. Preparation of Fe3O4/TiO2 magnetic mesoporous composites for photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Hongfeng; He, Xiu; Zhao, Weiwei; Peng, Yu; Sun, Donglan; Li, Hao; Wang, Xiaocong

    2017-04-01

    Fe 3 O 4 /TiO 2 magnetic mesoporous composites were synthesized through a sol-gel method with tetra-n-butyl titanate as precursor and surfactant P123 as template. The as-prepared Fe 3 O 4 /TiO 2 composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm and pore size distribution. The as-synthesized products were applied as photocatalysis for the degradation of Acid Black ATT and tannery wastewater under UV lamp irradiation. Fe 3 O 4 /TiO 2 -8 composites containing Fe 3 O 4 of 8 wt% were selected as model catalysts. The optimal catalyst dosage was 3 g/L in this photocalytic system. The magnetic Fe 3 O 4 /TiO 2 composites possessed good photocatalytic stability and durability. This approach may provide a platform to prepare a magnetic composite to optimize the catalytic ability.

  8. Electrochemical fabrication of SrTiO3 nanowires with nanoporous alumina template.

    PubMed

    Kang, Jinwook; Ryu, Jaemin; Ko, Eunseong; Tak, Yongsug

    2007-11-01

    Strontium titanate nanowires were electrochemically synthesized with nanoporous alumina template. Both chemical and electrical variables such as electrolyte pH, temperature, and current waveform were modulated to investigate the synthesis process of SrTiO3 nanowires. Superimposed cathodic pulse and diffusion time accelerated the growth of SrTiO3 nanowires, which suggested that the concentration of H+ and Sr2+ ion inside alumina template had a strong influence on the formation of SrTiO3 nanowires. Morphology and crystallinity of SrTiO3 nanowires were investigated with scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffractometer and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy.

  9. Defect induced structural inhomogeneity, ultraviolet light emission and near-band-edge photoluminescence broadening in degenerate In2O3 nanowires

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mukherjee, Souvik; Sarkar, Ketaki; Wiederrecht, Gary P.; Schaller, Richard D.; Gosztola, David J.; Stroscio, Michael A.; Dutta, Mitra

    2018-04-01

    We demonstrate here defect induced changes on the morphology and surface properties of indium oxide (In2O3) nanowires and further study their effects on the near-band-edge (NBE) emission, thereby showing the significant influence of surface states on In2O3 nanostructure based device characteristics for potential optoelectronic applications. In2O3 nanowires with cubic crystal structure (c-In2O3) were synthesized via carbothermal reduction technique using a gold-catalyst-assisted vapor-liquid-solid method. Onset of strong optical absorption could be observed at energies greater than 3.5 eV consistent with highly n-type characteristics due to unintentional doping from oxygen vacancy ({V}{{O}}) defects as confirmed using Raman spectroscopy. A combination of high resolution transmission electron microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and valence band analysis on the nanowire morphology and stoichiometry reveals presence of high-density of {V}{{O}} defects on the surface of the nanowires. As a result, chemisorbed oxygen species can be observed leading to upward band bending at the surface which corresponds to a smaller valence band offset of 2.15 eV. Temperature dependent photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy was used to study the nature of the defect states and the influence of the surface states on the electronic band structure and NBE emission has been discussed. Our data reveals significant broadening of the NBE PL peak consistent with impurity band broadening leading to band-tailing effect from heavy doping.

  10. NiO nanoparticles anchored on P-doped α-Fe2O3 nanoarrays: an efficient hole extraction p-n heterojunction photoanode for water oxidation.

    PubMed

    Li, Feng; Li, Jing; Zhang, Jie; Gao, Lili; Long, Xuefeng; Hu, Yiping; Li, Shuwen; Jin, Jun; Ma, Jiantai

    2018-05-16

    The photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting efficiency of hematite-based photoanode is still far from the theoretical value due to its poor surface reaction kinetics and high density of surface trapping states. To solve these drawbacks, a photoanode consisting of NiO nanoparticles anchored on a gradient P-doped α-Fe2O3 nanorod (NR) array (NiO/P-α-Fe2O3) was fabricated to achieve optimal light absorption and charge separation, and rapid surface reaction kinetic. Specifically, the photoanode with the NR arrays structure allowed high mass transport rate to be achieved while the P-doping effectively decreased surface trapping sites and improved the electrical conductivity of α-Fe2O3. Furthermore, the p-n junction formed between the NiO and P-α-Fe2O3 can further improve the PEC performance due to the efficient hole extraction property and water oxidization catalytic activity of NiO. Consequently, the NiO/P-α-Fe2O3 NR photoanode produced a high photocurrent density of 2.08 mA cm-2 at 1.23V vs. RHE and a 110 mV cathodic shift of the onset potential. This rational design of structure offers a new perspective in exploring high performance PEC photoanodes. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  11. Dimensionality Effects in FeGe 2 Nanowires: Enhanced Anisotropic Magnetization and Anomalous Electrical Transport

    DOE PAGES

    Mandrus, D.; Gai, Zheng; Ward, Thomas Zac; ...

    2017-08-02

    Here, we report the synthesis of single-crystal iron germanium nanowires via chemical vapor deposition without the assistance of any catalysts. The assembly of single-crystal FeGe 2 nanowires with tetragonal C16 crystal structure shows anisotropic magnetic behavior along the radial direction or the growth axial direction, with both antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic orders. Single FeGe 2 nanowire devices were fabricated using e-beam lithography. Electronic transport measurement in these devices show two resistivity anomalies near 250 K and 200 K which are likely signatures of the two spin density wave states in FeGe 2.

  12. Dimensionality Effects in FeGe 2 Nanowires: Enhanced Anisotropic Magnetization and Anomalous Electrical Transport

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

    Mandrus, D.; Gai, Zheng; Ward, Thomas Zac

    Here, we report the synthesis of single-crystal iron germanium nanowires via chemical vapor deposition without the assistance of any catalysts. The assembly of single-crystal FeGe 2 nanowires with tetragonal C16 crystal structure shows anisotropic magnetic behavior along the radial direction or the growth axial direction, with both antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic orders. Single FeGe 2 nanowire devices were fabricated using e-beam lithography. Electronic transport measurement in these devices show two resistivity anomalies near 250 K and 200 K which are likely signatures of the two spin density wave states in FeGe 2.

  13. Oxygen-Vacancy-Induced Polar Behavior in (LaFeO 3) 2/(SrFeO 3) Superlattices

    DOE PAGES

    Mishra, Rohan; Kim, Young-Min; Salafranca, Juan; ...

    2014-04-15

    Complex oxides displaying ferroelectric and/or multiferroic behavior are of high fundamental and applied interest. In this work, for the first time, we show that it is possible to achieve polar order in a superlattice made up of two nonpolar oxides by means of oxygen vacancy ordering. Using scanning transmission electron microscopy imaging, we show the polar displacement of magnetic Fe ions in a superlattice of (LaFeO 3) 2/(SrFeO 3) grown on a SrTiO 3 substrate. Using density functional theory calculations, we systematically study the effect of epitaxial strain, octahedral rotations, and surface terminations in the superlattice and find them tomore » have a negligible effect on the antipolar displacements of the Fe ions lying in between SrO and LaO layers of the superlattice (i.e., within La 0.5Sr 0.5FeO 3 unit cells). The introduction of oxygen vacancies, on the other hand, triggers a polar displacement of the Fe ions. We confirm this important result using electron energy loss spectroscopy, which shows partial oxygen vacancy ordering in the region where polar displacements are observed and an absence of vacancy ordering outside of that area.« less

  14. Giant Faraday rotation in Bi(x)Ce(3-x)Fe5O12 epitaxial garnet films.

    PubMed

    Chandra Sekhar, M; Singh, Mahi R; Basu, Shantanu; Pinnepalli, Sai

    2012-04-23

    Thin films of Bi(x)Ce(3-x)Fe(5)O(12) with x = 0.7 and 0.8 compositions were prepared by using pulsed laser deposition. We investigated the effects of processing parameters used to fabricate these films by measuring various physical properties such as X-ray diffraction, transmittance, magnetization and Faraday rotation. In this study, we propose a phase diagram which provides a suitable window for the deposition of Bi(x)Ce(3-x)Fe(5)O(12) epitaxial films. We have also observed a giant Faraday rotation of 1-1.10 degree/µm in our optimized films. The measured Faraday rotation value is 1.6 and 50 times larger than that of CeYIG and YIG respectively. A theoretical model has been proposed for Faraday rotation based on density matrix method and an excellent agreement between experiment and theory is found. © 2012 Optical Society of America

  15. Effect of N2 flow during deposition on p-type ZnO film

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, Chiung-Wei; Liu, Bor-Chang

    2017-01-01

    In this study, the influence of a nitrogen source on p-type conductive ZnO films was studied. Rapid thermal oxidation was conducted to oxidize ZnN films and convert them to ZnO films. When an as-deposited ZnN film was prepared at a high nitrogen gas flow rate, the converted ZnO film possessed many acceptors and showed stable p-type conduction. This p-type conduction was attributed to the nitrogen gas flow providing many “No” states, which act as acceptors within the processed ZnO film. It was found that the as-deposited ZnN film prepared at a high nitrogen gas flow rate is oxidized slightly so that only a few nitrogen atoms were replaced by oxygen. The carrier concentration and mobility of the optimized oxidized ZnN film were 9.76 × 1017 cm-3 and 62.78 cm2 V-1 s-1, respectively. A good rectified current-voltage characteristic with a turn-on voltage of 3.65 V was achieved for the optimized ZnO:N/ZnO junction.

  16. Magnetism mediated by a majority of [Fe3+ + \\mathbf{V}_{\\mathbf{O}}^{\\mathbf{2-}} ] complexes in Fe-doped CeO2 nanoparticles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Paidi, V. K.; Ferreira, N. S.; Goltz, D.; van Lierop, J.

    2015-08-01

    We examine the role of Fe3+ and vacancies ({{V}\\text{O}} ) on the magnetism of Fe-doped CeO2 nanoparticles. Magnetic nanoparticles of Ce100-xFexO2 (x  =  0, 0.26, 1.82, 2.64, 5.26, 6.91, and 7.22) were prepared by a co-precipitation method, and their structural, compositional and magnetic properties were investigated. The CeO2 nanoparticles had a mixed valance of Ce4+ and Ce3+ ions, and doping introduced Fe3+ ions. The decrease in Ce3+ and increase in Fe3+ concentrations indicated the presence of more [Fe3+ +V\\text{O}2- ] complexes with Fe loading in the particles. Charge neutralization, Fe3+ + V\\text{O}2- + 2Ce4+ ≤ftrightarrow 2Ce3+ + Fe3+, identified the impact of {{V}\\text{O}} on the magnetism, where our results suggest that the Fe-doped CeO2 nanoparticle magnetism is mediated by a majority of [Fe3+ +V\\text{O}2- ]—Ce3+ —[Fe3+ +V\\text{O}2- ] complexes.

  17. Long-range stripe nanodomains in epitaxial (110) BiFeO 3 thin films on (100) NdGaO 3 substrate

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

    Sharma, Yogesh; Agarwal, Radhe; Phatak, Charudatta

    Here, we report the observation of ferroelectric and ferroelastic nanodomains in (110)-oriented BiFeO 3 (BFO) thin films epitaxially grown on low symmetric (100) NdGaO 3 (NGO) substrate. We observed long range ordering of ferroelectric 109° stripe nanodomains separated by periodic vertical domain walls in as-grown 130 nm thick BFO films. The effect of La 0.67Sr 0.33CoO 3 (LSCO) conducting interlayer on domain configurations in BFO/NGO film was also observed with relatively short range-ordering of stripe domains due to the modified electrostatic boundary conditions in BFO/LSCO/NGO film. Additional studies on B-site doping of Nb ions in BFO films showed change inmore » the domain structures due to doping induced change in lattice anisotropy while maintaining the stripe domain morphology with 109° domain wall. Finally, this long-range array of ferroelectric and ferroelastic domains can be useful for optoelectronic devices and ferroelastic templates for strain coupled artificial magnetoelectric heterostructures.« less

  18. Long-range stripe nanodomains in epitaxial (110) BiFeO 3 thin films on (100) NdGaO 3 substrate

    DOE PAGES

    Sharma, Yogesh; Agarwal, Radhe; Phatak, Charudatta; ...

    2017-07-07

    Here, we report the observation of ferroelectric and ferroelastic nanodomains in (110)-oriented BiFeO 3 (BFO) thin films epitaxially grown on low symmetric (100) NdGaO 3 (NGO) substrate. We observed long range ordering of ferroelectric 109° stripe nanodomains separated by periodic vertical domain walls in as-grown 130 nm thick BFO films. The effect of La 0.67Sr 0.33CoO 3 (LSCO) conducting interlayer on domain configurations in BFO/NGO film was also observed with relatively short range-ordering of stripe domains due to the modified electrostatic boundary conditions in BFO/LSCO/NGO film. Additional studies on B-site doping of Nb ions in BFO films showed change inmore » the domain structures due to doping induced change in lattice anisotropy while maintaining the stripe domain morphology with 109° domain wall. Finally, this long-range array of ferroelectric and ferroelastic domains can be useful for optoelectronic devices and ferroelastic templates for strain coupled artificial magnetoelectric heterostructures.« less

  19. Tuning of optical and electrical properties of wide band gap Fe:SnO2/Li:NiO p- n junctions using 80 MeV oxygen ion beam

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mistry, Bhaumik V.; Avasthi, D. K.; Joshi, U. S.

    2016-12-01

    Electrical and optical properties of pristine and swift heavy ion (SHI) irradiated p- n junction diode have been investigated for advanced electronics application. Fe:SnO2/Li:NiO p- n junction was fabricated by using pulsed laser deposition on c-sapphire substrate. The optical band gaps of Fe:SnO2 and Li:NiO films were obtained to be 3.88 and 3.37 eV, respectively. The current-voltage characteristics of the oxide-based p- n junction showed a rectifying behaviour with turn-on voltage of 0.95 V. The oxide-based p- n junction diode was irradiated to 80 MeV O+6 ions with 1 × 1012 ions/cm2 fluence. Decrease in grain size due to SHI irradiation is confirmed by the grazing angle X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy. In comparison with the pristine p- n junction diode, O+6 ion irradiated p-n junction diode shows the increase of surface roughness and decrease of percentage transmittance in visible region. For irradiated p- n junction diode, current-voltage curve has still rectifying behaviour but exhibits lower turn-on voltage than that of virgin p- n junction diode.

  20. Visible cathodoluminescence of Er ions in β-Ga(2)O(3) nanowires and microwires.

    PubMed

    Nogales, E; Méndez, B; Piqueras, J

    2008-01-23

    Erbium doped β-Ga(2)O(3) nanowires and microwires have been obtained by a vapour-solid process from an initial mixture of Ga(2)O(3) and Er(2)O(3) powders. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis reveals the presence of erbium gallium garnet as well as β-Ga(2)O(3) phases in the microwires. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images show that the larger microwires have a nearly rectangular cross-section. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution TEM (HRTEM) analysis show good crystal quality of the β-Ga(2)O(3) nanowires. The nanostructures have been studied by means of the cathodoluminescence technique in the scanning electron microscope. Er intraionic blue, green and red emission lines are observed in luminescence spectra even at room temperature, which confirms the optical activity of the rare earth ions in the grown structures. Mapping of the main 555 nm emission intensity shows a non-homogeneous distribution of Er ions in the microstructures.

  1. Fabrication by Electrophoretic Deposition of Nano-Fe3O4 and Fe3O4@SiO2 3D Structure on Carbon Fibers as Supercapacitor Materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hajalilou, Abdollah; Abouzari-Lotf, Ebrahim; Etemadifar, Reza; Abbasi-Chianeh, Vahid; Kianvash, Abbas

    2018-05-01

    Core-shell nanostructured magnetic Fe3O4@SiO2 with particle size ranging from 3 nm to 40 nm has been synthesized via a facile precipitation method. Tetraethyl orthosilicate was employed as surfactant to prepare core-shell structures from Fe3O4 nanoparticles synthesized from pomegranate peel extract using a green method. X-ray diffraction analysis, Fourier-transform infrared and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopies, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy were employed to characterize the samples. The prepared Fe3O4 nanoparticles were approximately 12 nm in size, and the thickness of the SiO2 shell was 4 nm. Evaluation of the magnetic properties indicated lower saturation magnetization for Fe3O4@SiO2 powder ( 11.26 emu/g) compared with Fe3O4 powder ( 13.30 emu/g), supporting successful wrapping of the Fe3O4 nanoparticles by SiO2. As-prepared powders were deposited on carbon fibers (CFs) using electrophoretic deposition and their electrochemical behavior investigated. The rectangular-shaped cyclic voltagrams of Fe3O4@CF and Fe3O4@C@CF samples indicated electrochemical double-layer capacitor (EDLC) behavior. The higher specific capacitance of 477 F/g for Fe3O4@C@CF (at scan rate of 0.05 V/s in the potential range of - 1.13 to 0.45 V) compared with 205 F/g for Fe3O4@CF (at the same scan rate in the potential range of - 1.04 to 0.24 V) makes the former a superior candidate for use in energy storage applications.

  2. Hemoglobin as a nitrite anhydrase: modeling methemoglobin-mediated N2O3 formation.

    PubMed

    Hopmann, Kathrin H; Cardey, Bruno; Gladwin, Mark T; Kim-Shapiro, Daniel B; Ghosh, Abhik

    2011-05-27

    Nitrite has recently been recognized as a storage form of NO in blood and as playing a key role in hypoxic vasodilation. The nitrite ion is readily reduced to NO by hemoglobin in red blood cells, which, as it happens, also presents a conundrum. Given NO's enormous affinity for ferrous heme, a key question concerns how it escapes capture by hemoglobin as it diffuses out of the red cells and to the endothelium, where vasodilation takes place. Dinitrogen trioxide (N(2)O(3)) has been proposed as a vehicle that transports NO to the endothelium, where it dissociates to NO and NO(2). Although N(2)O(3) formation might be readily explained by the reaction Hb-Fe(3+)+NO(2)(-)+NO⇌Hb-Fe(2+)+N(2)O(3), the exact manner in which methemoglobin (Hb-Fe(3+)), nitrite and NO interact with one another is unclear. Both an "Hb-Fe(3+)-NO(2)(-)+NO" pathway and an "Hb-Fe(3+)-NO+NO(2)(-) " pathway have been proposed. Neither pathway has been established experimentally. Nor has there been any attempt until now to theoretically model N(2)O(3) formation, the so-called nitrite anhydrase reaction. Both pathways have been examined here in a detailed density functional theory (DFT, B3LYP/TZP) study and both have been found to be feasible based on energetics criteria. Modeling the "Hb-Fe(3+)-NO(2)(-)+NO" pathway proved complex. Not only are multiple linkage-isomeric (N- and O-coordinated) structures conceivable for methemoglobin-nitrite, multiple isomeric forms are also possible for N(2)O(3) (the lowest-energy state has an N-N-bonded nitronitrosyl structure, O(2)N-NO). We considered multiple spin states of methemoglobin-nitrite as well as ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic coupling of the Fe(3+) and NO spins. Together, the isomerism and spin variables result in a diabolically complex combinatorial space of reaction pathways. Fortunately, transition states could be successfully calculated for the vast majority of these reaction channels, both M(S)=0 and M(S)=1. For a six-coordinate Fe(3+)-O

  3. Imaging TiO2 nanoparticles on GaN nanowires with electrostatic force microscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xie, Ting; Wen, Baomei; Liu, Guannan; Guo, Shiqi; Motayed, Abhishek; Murphy, Thomas; Gomez, R. D.

    Gallium nitride (GaN) nanowires that are functionalized with metal-oxides nanoparticles have been explored extensively for gas sensing applications in the past few years. These sensors have several advantages over conventional schemes, including miniature size, low-power consumption and fast response and recovery times. The morphology of the oxide functionalization layer is critical to achieve faster response and recovery times, with the optimal size distribution of nanoparticles being in the range of 10 to 30 nm. However, it is challenging to characterize these nanoparticles on GaN nanowires using common techniques such as scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and x-ray diffraction. Here, we demonstrate electrostatic force microscopy in combination with atomic force microscopy as a non-destructive technique for morphological characterization of the dispersed TiO2 nanoparticles on GaN nanowires. We also discuss the applicability of this method to other material systems with a proposed tip-surface capacitor model. This project was sponsored through N5 Sensors and the Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS, #5418).

  4. Tunable band gap in Bi(Fe1-xMnx)O3 films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, X. S.; Ihlefeld, J. F.; Lee, J. H.; Ezekoye, O. K.; Vlahos, E.; Ramesh, R.; Gopalan, V.; Pan, X. Q.; Schlom, D. G.; Musfeldt, J. L.

    2010-05-01

    In order to investigate band gap tunability in polar oxides, we measured the optical properties of a series of Bi(Fe1-xMnx)O3 thin films. The absorption response of the mixed metal solid solutions is approximately a linear combination of the characteristics of the two end members, a result that demonstrates straightforward band gap tunability in this system.

  5. Fe-N co-doped SiO2@TiO2 yolk-shell hollow nanospheres with enhanced visible light photocatalytic degradation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wan, Hengcheng; Yao, Weitang; Zhu, Wenkun; Tang, Yi; Ge, Huilin; Shi, Xiaozhong; Duan, Tao

    2018-06-01

    SiO2@TiO2 yolk@shell hollow nanospheres (STNSs) is considered as an outstanding photocatalyst due to its tunable structure and composition. Based on this point, we present an unprecedentedly excellent photocatalytic property of STNSs toward tannic acid via a Fe-N co-doped strategy. Their morphologies, compositions, structure and properties are characterized. The Fe-N co-doped STNSs formed good hollow yolk@shell structure. The results show that the energy gap of the composites can be downgraded to 2.82 eV (pure TiO2 = 3.2 eV). Photocatalytic degradation of tannic acid (TA, 30 mg L-1) under visible light (380 nm < λ < 780 nm) irradiation is used to evaluate the photocatalytic activity of the composites. Compared with pure TiO2 nanospheres, non-doped STNSs and N-doped STNSs, the Fe-N co-doped STNSs exhibits the highest activity, which can degrade 99.5% TA into CO2 and H2O in 80 min. The probable degradation mechanism of the composites is simultaneously proposed, the band gap of STNSs becomes narrow by co-doping Fe-N, so that the TiO2 shell can stimulate electrons under visible light exposure, generate the ions of radOH and radO2- with a strong oxidizing property. Therefore this approach works is much desired for radioactive organic wastewater photocatalytic degradation.

  6. Low-temperature growth of highly crystalline β-Ga2O3 nanowires by solid-source chemical vapor deposition

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Growing Ga2O3 dielectric materials at a moderately low temperature is important for the further development of high-mobility III-V semiconductor-based nanoelectronics. Here, β-Ga2O3 nanowires are successfully synthesized at a relatively low temperature of 610°C by solid-source chemical vapor deposition employing GaAs powders as the source material, which is in a distinct contrast to the typical synthesis temperature of above 1,000°C as reported by other methods. In this work, the prepared β-Ga2O3 nanowires are mainly composed of Ga and O elements with an atomic ratio of approximately 2:3. Importantly, they are highly crystalline in the monoclinic structure with varied growth orientations in low-index planes. The bandgap of the β-Ga2O3 nanowires is determined to be 251 nm (approximately 4.94 eV), in good accordance with the literature. Also, electrical characterization reveals that the individual nanowire has a resistivity of up to 8.5 × 107 Ω cm, when fabricated in the configuration of parallel arrays, further indicating the promise of growing these highly insulating Ga2O3 materials in this III-V nanowire-compatible growth condition. PACS 77.55.D; 61.46.Km; 78.40.Fy PMID:25114641

  7. Low-temperature growth of highly crystalline β-Ga2O3 nanowires by solid-source chemical vapor deposition.

    PubMed

    Han, Ning; Wang, Fengyun; Yang, Zaixing; Yip, SenPo; Dong, Guofa; Lin, Hao; Fang, Ming; Hung, TakFu; Ho, Johnny C

    2014-01-01

    Growing Ga2O3 dielectric materials at a moderately low temperature is important for the further development of high-mobility III-V semiconductor-based nanoelectronics. Here, β-Ga2O3 nanowires are successfully synthesized at a relatively low temperature of 610°C by solid-source chemical vapor deposition employing GaAs powders as the source material, which is in a distinct contrast to the typical synthesis temperature of above 1,000°C as reported by other methods. In this work, the prepared β-Ga2O3 nanowires are mainly composed of Ga and O elements with an atomic ratio of approximately 2:3. Importantly, they are highly crystalline in the monoclinic structure with varied growth orientations in low-index planes. The bandgap of the β-Ga2O3 nanowires is determined to be 251 nm (approximately 4.94 eV), in good accordance with the literature. Also, electrical characterization reveals that the individual nanowire has a resistivity of up to 8.5 × 10(7) Ω cm, when fabricated in the configuration of parallel arrays, further indicating the promise of growing these highly insulating Ga2O3 materials in this III-V nanowire-compatible growth condition. 77.55.D; 61.46.Km; 78.40.Fy.

  8. Direct observation of Au/Ga2O3 peapodded nanowires and their plasmonic behaviors.

    PubMed

    Chen, Po-Han; Hsieh, Chin-Hua; Chen, Sheng-Yu; Wu, Chen-Hwa; Wu, Yi-Jen; Chou, Li-Jen; Chen, Lih-Juann

    2010-09-08

    Gold-peapodded Ga(2)O(3) nanowires were fabricated successfully in a well-controlled manner by thermal annealing of core-shell gold-Ga(2)O(3) nanowires. During the heating process, the core gold nanowires were broken up into chains of nanoparticles at sufficiently high temperature by the mechanism of Rayleigh instability. In addition, the size, shape, and interspacing between the particles can be manipulated by varying the annealing time and/or the forming gas. The plasmonic behaviors of these nanostructures are investigated by optical spectroscopy. A single nanowire optical device was designed, and its photonic characteristics were investigated. A remarkably high on/off photocurrent ratio in response to a 532 nm Nd:YAG laser light was found. As the size of the particle (pea) increases, the corresponding spectra are red-shifted. In addition, morphological changes of the peas lead to a distinct spectral response. The results may usher in the diverse applications in optoelectronics and biosensing devices with peapod nanostructures.

  9. Assembly of flexible CoMoO4@NiMoO4·xH2O and Fe2O3 electrodes for solid-state asymmetric supercapacitors

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Jing; Zhang, Leipeng; Liu, Xusong; Zhang, Xiang; Tian, Yanlong; Liu, Xiaoxu; Zhao, Jiupeng; Li, Yao

    2017-01-01

    In this work, CoMoO4@NiMoO4·xH2O core-shell heterostructure electrode is directly grown on carbon fabric (CF) via a feasible hydrothermal procedure with CoMoO4 nanowires (NWs) as the core and NiMoO4 nanosheets (NSs) as the shell. This core-shell heterostructure could provide fast ion and electron transfer, a large number of active sites, and good strain accommodation. As a result, the CoMoO4@NiMoO4·xH2O electrode yields high-capacitance performance with a high specific capacitance of 1582 F g−1, good cycling stability with the capacitance retention of 97.1% after 3000 cycles and good rate capability. The electrode also shows excellent mechanical flexibility. Also, a flexible Fe2O3 nanorods/CF electrode with enhanced electrochemical performance was prepared. A solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor device is successfully fabricated by using flexible CoMoO4@NiMoO4·xH2O as the positive electrode and Fe2O3 as the negative electrode. The asymmetric supercapacitor with a maximum voltage of 1.6 V demonstrates high specific energy (41.8 Wh kg−1 at 700 W kg−1), high power density (12000 W kg−1 at 26.7 Wh kg−1), and excellent cycle ability with the capacitance retention of 89.3% after 5000 cycles (at the current density of 3A g−1). PMID:28106170

  10. Strain localization in thin films of Bi(Fe,Mn)O 3 due to the formation of stepped Mn 4+-rich antiphase boundaries

    DOE PAGES

    MacLaren, I.; Sala, B.; Andersson, S. M. L.; ...

    2015-10-17

    Here, the atomic structure and chemistry of thin films of Bi(Fe,Mn)O 3 (BFMO) films with a target composition of Bi 2FeMnO 6 on SrTiO 3 are studied using scanning transmission electron microscopy imaging and electron energy loss spectroscopy. It is shown that Mn4+-rich antiphase boundaries are locally nucleated right at the film substrate and then form stepped structures that are approximately pyramidal in three dimensions. These have the effect of confining the material below the pyramids in a highly strained state with an out-of-plane lattice parameter close to 4.1 Å. Outside the area enclosed by the antiphase boundaries, the out-of-planemore » lattice parameter is much closer to bulk values for BFMO. This suggests that to improve the crystallographic perfection of the films whilst retaining the strain state through as much of the film as possible, ways need to be found to prevent nucleation of the antiphase boundaries. Since the antiphase boundaries seem to form from the interaction of Mn with the Ti in the substrate, one route to perform this would be to grow a thin buffer layer of pure BiFeO 3 on the SrTiO 3 substrate to minimise any Mn-Ti interactions.« less

  11. SnO 2 nanowires decorated with forsythia-like TiO 2 for photoenergy conversion

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

    Park, Ik Jae; Park, Sangbaek; Kim, Dong Hoe

    Here, we report forsythia-like TiO 2-decorated SnO 2 nanowires on fluorine-doped SnO 2 electrode as a photoelectrode of dye-sensitized solar cells. When SnO 2 nanowires grown via vapor-liquid-solid reaction were soaked in TiCl 4 solution, leaf-shaped rutile TiO 2 was grown onto the surface of the nanowires. The TiO 2 decoration increases the short circuit current (J sc), open circuit voltage (V oc) and fill factor (FF) of dye-sensitized solar cells. Further, electron lifetime increased by employing an atomic-layer-deposited TiO 2 nanoshell between the TiO 2 leaves and the SnO 2 nanowire, due to preventing charge recombination at the nanowire/electrolytemore » interface.« less

  12. SnO 2 nanowires decorated with forsythia-like TiO 2 for photoenergy conversion

    DOE PAGES

    Park, Ik Jae; Park, Sangbaek; Kim, Dong Hoe; ...

    2017-05-17

    Here, we report forsythia-like TiO 2-decorated SnO 2 nanowires on fluorine-doped SnO 2 electrode as a photoelectrode of dye-sensitized solar cells. When SnO 2 nanowires grown via vapor-liquid-solid reaction were soaked in TiCl 4 solution, leaf-shaped rutile TiO 2 was grown onto the surface of the nanowires. The TiO 2 decoration increases the short circuit current (J sc), open circuit voltage (V oc) and fill factor (FF) of dye-sensitized solar cells. Further, electron lifetime increased by employing an atomic-layer-deposited TiO 2 nanoshell between the TiO 2 leaves and the SnO 2 nanowire, due to preventing charge recombination at the nanowire/electrolytemore » interface.« less

  13. In situ construction of g-C3N4/TiO2 heterojunction films with enhanced photocatalytic activity over magnetic-driven rotating frame

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pan, Chao; Jia, Jia; Hu, Xiaoyun; Fan, Jun; Liu, Enzhou

    2018-02-01

    Corn-shaped TiO2 nanofilms were fabricated by a glycerol-assisted hydrothermal method, and then g-C3N4 was deposited on the surface of TiO2 films using melamine as precursor under air atmosphere by an in site microwave-heating technique. The investigations indicate that microwave-heating process is a facile strategy to obtain g-C3N4 by thermal polymerization of melamine, which can achieve in situ constructing of g-C3N4/TiO2 heterojunction films with high stability. The as-prepared TiO2 films with crack and holes have visible light scattering capability, and the scattering light overlaps with the intrinsic absorption of g-C3N4, leading to an absorption plateau in the range of 400-550 nm. Besides, a magnetic-driven rotating frame was developed to enhance the mass transfer processes during the photocatalytic water splitting. The result shows that g-C3N4/TiO2 films exhibit excellent activities under simulated-sunlight irradiation, in addition to the enhanced mass transfer, the overlapped visible light absorption, stable contact and effective charge transfer between g-C3N4 and TiO2 can facilitate the hydrogen production and light utilization efficiency as well. The hydrogen production rate can reach 13.8 mmol h-1 m-2 over g-C3N4/TiO2 films prepared using 0.5 g of melamine and 16.0 cm2 of TiO2.

  14. Effect of the CaO/SiO2 mass ratio and FeO content on the viscosity of CaO-SiO2-"FeO"-12wt%ZnO-3wt%Al2O3 slags

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lü, Jian-fang; Jin, Zhe-nan; Yang, Hong-ying; Tong, Lin-lin; Chen, Guo-bao; Xiao, Fa-xin

    2017-07-01

    An effective process for recycling lead from hazardous waste cathode ray tubes (CRTs) funnel glass through traditional lead smelting has been presented previously. The viscous behavior of the molten high lead slag, which is affected by the addition of funnel glass, plays a critical role in determining the production efficiency. Therefore, the viscosities of the CaO-SiO2-"FeO"-12wt%ZnO-3wt%Al2O3 slags were measured in the current study using the rotating spindle method. The slag viscosity decreases as the CaO/SiO2 mass ratio is increased from 0.8 to 1.2 and also as the FeO content is increased from 8wt% to 20wt%. The breaking temperature of the slag is lowered substantially by the addition of FeO, whereas the influence of the CaO/SiO2 mass ratio on the breaking temperature is complex. The structural analysis of quenched slags using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy reveals that the silicate network structure is depolymerized with increasing CaO/SiO2 mass ratio or increasing FeO content. The [FeO6]-octahedra in the slag melt increase as the CaO/SiO2 mass ratio or the FeO content increases. This increase can further decrease the degree of polymerization (DOP) of the slag. Furthermore, the activation energy for viscous flow decreases both with increasing CaO/SiO2 mass ratio and increasing FeO content.

  15. Redox exchange induced MnO2 nanoparticle enrichment in poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) nanowires for electrochemical energy storage.

    PubMed

    Liu, Ran; Duay, Jonathon; Lee, Sang Bok

    2010-07-27

    MnO2 nanoparticle enriched poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) nanowires are fabricated by simply soaking the PEDOT nanowires in potassium permanganate (KMnO4) solution. The structures of these MnO2 nanoparticle enriched PEDOT nanowires are characterized by SEM and TEM, which show that the MnO2 nanoparticles have uniform sizes and are finely dispersed in the PEDOT matrix. The chemical constituents and bonding of these composite nanowires are characterized by energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and infrared spectroscopy, which indicate that the formation and dispersion of these MnO2 nanoparticles into the nanoscale pores of the PEDOT nanowires are most likely triggered by the reduction of KMnO4 via the redox exchange of permanganate ions with the functional group on PEDOT. Varying the concentrations of KMnO4 and the reaction time controls the loading amount and size of the MnO2 nanoparticles. Cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge are used to characterize the electrochemical properties of these MnO2 nanoparticle loaded PEDOT nanowires. Due to their extremely high exposed surface area with nanosizes, the pristine MnO2 nanoparticles in these MnO2 nanoparticle enriched PEDOT nanowires show very high specific capacitance (410 F/g) as the supercapacitor electrode materials as well as high Li+ storage capacity (300 mAh/g) as cathode materials of Li ion battery, which boost the energy storage capacity of PEDOT nanowires to 4 times without causing excessive volume expansion in the polymer. The highly conductive and porous PEDOT matrix facilitates fast charge/discharge of the MnO2 nanoparticles and prevents them from agglomerating. These synergic properties enable the MnO2 nanoparticle enriched PEDOT nanowires to be promising electrode materials for supercapacitors and lithium ion batteries.

  16. Comparison of the solar photocatalytic activity of ZnO-Fe2O3 and ZnO-Fe(0) on 2,4-D degradation in a CPC reactor.

    PubMed

    Maya-Treviño, M L; Villanueva-Rodríguez, M; Guzmán-Mar, J L; Hinojosa-Reyes, L; Hernández-Ramírez, A

    2015-03-01

    In this work a comparative study of the catalytic activity of ZnO-Fe2O3 and ZnO-Fe(0) 0.5 wt% materials was carried out in the degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) as a commercial formulation Hierbamina®, using a compound parabolic collector (CPC) reactor. The catalysts were synthesized by the sol-gel method and characterized by X-ray diffraction, UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy. The textural properties of solids were determined from N2 adsorption isotherms using the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method. The incorporation of Fe(0) onto ZnO was demonstrated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. The photocatalytic tests were performed at pH 7, using 10 mg L(-1) of herbicide and 0.5 g L(-1) of catalyst loading. The decay in herbicide concentration was followed by reversed-phase chromatography. A complete degradation of 2,4-D was achieved using ZnO-Fe(0) while 47% of herbicide removal was attained with ZnO-Fe2O3 mixed oxide for an accumulated energy QUV ≈ 2 kJ L(-1). The removal percentage of total organic carbon (TOC) during the solar photocatalytic process was superior using ZnO-Fe(0), achieving 45% compared to the 15% obtained with the mixed oxide catalyst.

  17. A neutral molecular-based layered magnet [Fe(C2O4)(CH3OH)]n exhibiting magnetic ordering at TN approximately 23 K.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Bin; Zhang, Yan; Zhang, Jinbiao; Li, Junchao; Zhu, Daoben

    2008-10-07

    Solvothermal synthesis of FeCl(2).4H2O and H2C2O(4).2H2O in methanol at 120 degrees C yielded yellow plate-like crystals of [Fe(C2O4)(CH3OH)]n. Each iron atom is in a distorted octahedral environment, being bonded to four oxygen atoms from two bisbidentate oxalate anions, one O atom of a chelating oxalate anion and one O atom from a methanol molecule as an oxalate group bridging ligand in a five-coordination mode. The neutral layer of [Fe(C2O4)(CH3OH)]n with a [4,4] net along the ac plane. There is no interaction between layers. A long range magnetic ordering with spin canting at TN approximately 23 K was observed and confirmed by AC susceptibility measurements.

  18. CuO nanowire/microflower/nanowire modified Cu electrode with enhanced electrochemical performance for non-enzymatic glucose sensing.

    PubMed

    Li, Changli; Yamahara, Hiroyasu; Lee, Yaerim; Tabata, Hitoshi; Delaunay, Jean-Jacques

    2015-07-31

    CuO nanowire/microflower structure on Cu foil is synthesized by annealing a Cu(OH)2 nanowire/CuO microflower structure at 250 °C in air. The nanowire/microflower structure with its large surface area leads to an efficient catalysis and charge transfer in glucose detection, achieving a high sensitivity of 1943 μA mM(-1) cm(-2), a wide linear range up to 4 mM and a low detection limit of 4 μM for amperometric glucose sensing in alkaline solution. With a second consecutive growth of CuO nanowires on the microflowers, the sensitivity of the obtained CuO nanowire/microflower/nanowire structure further increases to 2424 μA mM(-1) cm(-2), benefiting from an increased number of electrochemically active sites. The enhanced electrocatalytic performance of the CuO nanowire/microflower/nanowire electrode compared to the CuO nanowire/microflower electrode, CuO nanowire electrode and CuxO film electrode provides evidence for the significant role of available surface area for electrocatalysis. The rational combination of CuO nanowire and microflower nanostructures into a nanowire supporting microflower branching nanowires structure makes it a promising composite nanostructure for use in CuO based electrochemical sensors with promising analytical properties.

  19. The phase relations in the In 2O 3Fe 2ZnO 4ZnO system at 1350°C

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nakamura, Masaki; Kimizuka, Noboru; Mohri, Takahiko

    1990-05-01

    The phase relations in the In 2O 3Fe 2ZnO 4ZnO system at 1350°C are determined by means of a classical quenching method. There are a series of homologous solid solutions, In 1.28Fe 0.72O 3(ZnO)InFeO 3(ZnO), In 1.69Fe 0.31O 3(ZnO) 2InFeO 3(ZnO) 2In 0.85Fe 1.15O 3(ZnO) 2, In 2O 3(ZnO) 3InFeO 3(ZnO) 3In 0.78Fe 1.22O 3(ZnO) 3, In 2O 3(ZnO) 4InFeO 3(ZnO) 4In 0.62Fe 1.38O 3(ZnO) 4, In 2O 3(ZnO) 5InFeO 3(ZnO) 5In 0.67Fe 1.33O 3(ZnO) 5, In 2O 3(ZnO) 6InFeO 3(ZnO) 6In 0.60Fe 1.40O 3(ZnO) 6, In 2O 3(ZnO) 7InFeO 3(ZnO) 7In 0.51Fe 1.49O 3(ZnO) 7, In 2O 3(ZnO) 8InFeO 3(ZnO) 8In 1- xFe 1+ xO 3(ZnO) 8 (0.44 ≦ x ≦ 0.64), In 2O 3(ZnO) 9InFeO 3(ZnO) 9In 0.20Fe 1.80O 3(ZnO) 9, In 2O 3(ZnO) 10InFeO 3(ZnO) 10In 1- xFe 1+ xO 3(ZnO) 10 (0.74 ≦ x ≦ 0.89), In 2O 3(ZnO) 11InFeO 3(ZnO) 11In 1- xFe 1+ xO 3(ZnO) 11 (0.60 ≦ x < 1.00), and In 2O 3(ZnO) 13InFeO 3(ZnO) 13Fe 2O 3(ZnO) 13 having the layered structures with space group R overline3m (m = odd) or {P6 3}/{mmc} (m = even) for m in the InFeO 3(ZnO) m. We conclude that there are a series of homologous phases, (Fe 2O 3)(ZnO) m (m ≧ 12) , in the binary ZnOFe 2O 3 system. The lattice constants for these solid solutions are presented as a hexagonal crystal system. It is also concluded that the crystal structures for each solid solution consist of three kinds of layers which are stacked perpendicular to the c-axis in the hexagonal crystal system. In 1+ xFe 1- xO 3(ZnO) m (0 ≦ x ≦ 1) is composed of the InO 1.5, (In xFe 1- xZn)O 2.5, and ZnO layers, and In 1- xFe 1+ xO 3(ZnO) m (0 ≦ x ≦ 1) is composed of (In 1- xFe x)O 1.5, (FeZn)O 2.5, and ZnO layers, respectively. The solid solution range between Fe 2ZnO 4 and In xFe 2- xZnO 4 ( x = 0.40 ± 0.02) with a spinel structure is observed.

  20. Symmetry of Epitaxial BiFeO3 Films in the Ultrathin Regime

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Yongsoo; Schlep&üTz, Christian; Adamo, Carolina; Schlom, Darrell; Clarke, Roy

    2013-03-01

    BiFeO3 (BFO) films grown on SrTiO3 (STO) with a SrRuO3 buffer layer exhibit a monoclinic structure at thicknesses greater than 40 nm, but higher structural symmetry can be observed for thinner films [Phys. Rev. B 81, 144115 (2010)]. We report a structural phase transition from monoclinic to tetragonal in ultra-thin BFO films grown directly on (100)-oriented STO. X-ray diffraction measurements of 3-dimensional reciprocal space maps reveal half-integer order peaks due to oxygen octahedral tilting. When the film thickness is decreased below 20 unit cells, the integer-order Bragg peak splitting associated with the presence of multiple domains of the monoclinic phase disappears. Instead, a single peak that is commensurate with the STO substrate lattice appears. The diffraction pattern has four-fold symmetry, ruling out the presence of a single monoclinic domain in favor of a tetragonal film structure. The evolution of the oxygen octahedra tilt pattern inferred from the intensities of half-order peaks suggests that this transition originates from the corner-connectivity of oxygen atoms at the interface between BFO and STO, and also strongly supports this monoclinic to tetragonal transition. Supported in part by the U.S. Department of Energy (DE-FG02-06ER46273). Measurements performed at Sectors 13-BMC, 33-IDD, 33-BMC of the Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, USA (DOE contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357).

  1. 2:1 Charge disproportionation in perovskite-structure oxide La{sub 1/3}Ca{sub 2/3}FeO{sub 3} with unusually-high-valence Fe{sup 3.67+}

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

    Guo, Haichuan; Hosaka, Yoshiteru; Seki, Hayato

    La{sub 1/3}Ca{sub 2/3}FeO{sub 3} with unusually-high-valence Fe{sup 3.67+} was synthesized at a high pressure and high temperature. The compound crystallizes in a √22a×√2a perovskite cell in which the La and Ca ions at the A site are disordered. At 217 K the Fe{sup 3.67+} shows charge disproportionation to Fe{sup 3+} and Fe{sup 5+} in a ratio of 2:1, and this disproportionation is accompanied by transitions in magnetic and transport properties. The charge-disproportionated Fe{sup 3+} and Fe{sup 5+} are arranged along the <111> direction of the cubic perovskite cell. The local electronic and magnetic environments of Fe in La{sub 1/3}Ca{sub 2/3}FeO{submore » 3} are quite similar to those of Fe in La{sub 1/3}Sr{sub 2/3}FeO{sub 3}, and the 2:1 charge disproportionation pattern of Fe{sup 3+} and Fe{sup 5+} in La{sub 1/3}Ca{sub 2/3}FeO{sub 3} is also the same as that in La{sub 1/3}Sr{sub 2/3}FeO{sub 3}. - Graphical abstract: The perovskite-structure oxide La{sub 1/3}Ca{sub 2/3}FeO{sub 3} with unusually-high-valence Fe{sup 3.67+} shows charge disproportionation to Fe{sup 3+} and Fe{sup 5+} in a ratio of 2:1, and the charge-disproportionated Fe{sup 3+} and Fe{sup 5+} are arranged along the <111> direction of the cubic perovskite cell. - Highlights: • La{sub 1/3}Ca{sub 2/3}FeO{sub 3} with unusually-high-valence Fe{sup 3.67+} was synthesized at a high pressure and high temperature. • At 217 K the Fe{sup 3.67+} shows charge disproportionation (CD) to Fe{sup 3+} and Fe{sup 5+} in a ratio of 2:1. • The charge-disproportionated Fe{sup 3+} and Fe{sup 5+} are arranged along the <111> direction of the cubic perovskite cell. • The disproportionation is accompanied by transitions in magnetic and transport properties.« less

  2. Flexible Fe2O3 and V2O5 nanofibers as binder-free electrodes for high-performance all-solid-state asymmetric supercapacitors.

    PubMed

    Jiang, He; Niu, Hao; Yang, Xue; Sun, Zhiqin; Li, Fuzhi; Wang, Qian; Qu, Fengyu

    2018-04-16

    Flexible highly porous Fe2O3 and V2O5 nanofibers are synthesized by a facile electrospinning method followed by calcination treatment and directly used as binder-free electrodes for high-performance supercapacitors. These Fe2O3 and V2O5 nanofibers interconnect with each other and construct three-dimensional hierarchical porous films with high specific surface area. Benefiting from the unique structural features, the intriguing binder-free Fe2O3 and V2O5 porous nanofiber electrodes possess high specific capacitance of 255 F g-1 and 256 F g-1 at 2 mV s-1 in 1 M Na2SO4 electrolyte, respectively. An all-solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor is fabricated using Fe2O3 and V2O5 nanofibers as negative and positive electrodes, respectively, and the all-solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor can be operated up to 1.8 V attributed to the wide and opposite potential window of both electrodes. The assembled all-solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor achieves a high energy density up to 32.2 Wh kg-1 at an average power density of 128.7 W kg-1 as well as excellent cycling stability and power capability. The effective and facile synthesis method and superior electrochemical performance provided in this work make electrospun Fe2O3 and V2O5 nanofibers promising electrode materials for high performance asymmetric supercapacitors. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  3. Highly improved sensibility and selectivity ethanol sensor of mesoporous Fe-doped NiO nanowires

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, X. Q.; Wei, J. Q.; Xu, J. C.; Jin, H. X.; Jin, D. F.; Peng, X. L.; Hong, B.; Li, J.; Yang, Y. T.; Ge, H. L.; Wang, Xinqing

    2017-12-01

    In this paper, nickel oxides (NiO) and iron (Fe)-doped NiO nanowires (NWs) with the various doping content (from 1 to 9 at%) were synthesized by using SBA-15 templates with the nanocasting method. All samples were synthesized in the same conditions and exhibited the same mesoporous-structures, uniform diameter, and defects. Mesoporous-structures with high surface area created more active sites for the adsorption of oxygen on the surface of all samples, resulting in the smaller surface resistance in air. The impurity energy levels from the donor Fe-doping provided electrons to neutralize the holes of p-type Fe-doped NiO NWs, which greatly enhanced the total resistance. The comparative gas-sensing study between NiO NWs and Fe-doped NiO NWs indicated that the high-valence donor Fe-doping obviously improved the ethanol sensitivity and selectivity for Fe-doped NiO NWs. And Ni0.94Fe0.06O1.03 NWs sensor presented the highest sensitivity of 14.30 toward ethanol gas at 320 °C for the high-valence metal-doping.

  4. Hole-dominated transport in InSb nanowires grown on high-quality InSb films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Algarni, Zaina; George, David; Singh, Abhay; Lin, Yuankun; Philipose, U.

    2016-12-01

    We have developed an effective strategy for synthesizing p-type indium antimonide (InSb) nanowires on a thin film of InSb grown on glass substrate. The InSb films were grown by a chemical reaction between S b 2 S 3 and I n and were characterized by structural, compositional, and optical studies. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies reveal that the surface of the substrate is covered with a polycrystalline InSb film comprised of sub-micron sized InSb islands. Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) results show that the film is stoichiometric InSb. The optical constants of the InSb film, characterized using a variable-angle spectroscopic ellipsometer (VASE) shows a maximum value for refractive index at 3.7 near 1.8 eV, and the extinction coefficient (k) shows a maximum value 3.3 near 4.1 eV. InSb nanowires were subsequently grown on the InSb film with 20 nm sized Au nanoparticles functioning as the metal catalyst initiating nanowire growth. The InSb nanowires with diameters in the range of 40-60 nm exhibit good crystallinity and were found to be rich in Sb. High concentrations of anions in binary semiconductors are known to introduce acceptor levels within the band gap. This un-intentional doping of the InSb nanowire resulting in hole-dominated transport in the nanowires is demonstrated by the fabrication of a p-channel nanowire field effect transistor. The hole concentration and field effect mobility are estimated to be ≈1.3 × 1017 cm-3 and 1000 cm2 V-1 s-1, respectively, at room temperature, values that are particularly attractive for the technological implications of utilizing p-InSb nanowires in CMOS electronics.

  5. Phase Constituents and Microstructure of Ti3Al/Fe3Al + TiN/TiB2 Composite Coating on Titanium Alloy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Jianing; Chen, Chuanzhong; Zhang, Cuifang

    Laser cladding of the Fe3Al + B4C/TiN + Al2O3 pre-placed powders on the Ti-6Al-4V alloy can form the Ti3Al/Fe3Al + TiN/TiB2 composite coating, which improved the wear resistance of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy surface. In this study, the Ti3Al/Fe3Al + TiN/TiB2 composite coating has been researched by means of X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope. It was found that during the laser cladding process, Al2O3 can react with TiB2, leading to the formations of Ti3Al and B. This principle can be used to improve the Fe3Al + B4C/TiN laser-cladded coating on the Ti-6Al-4V alloy. Furthermore, during the cladding process, C consumed the oxygen in Fe3Al + B4C /TiN + Al2O3 molten pool, which retarded the productions of the redundant metal oxides.

  6. Structural and magnetic properties of nanocrystalline NiFe2O4 thin film prepared by spray pyrolysis technique

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chavan, Apparao R.; Chilwar, R. R.; Shisode, M. V.; Hivrekar, Mahesh M.; Mande, V. K.; Jadhav, K. M.

    2018-05-01

    The nanocrystalline NiFe2O4 thin film has been prepared using a spray pyrolysis technique on glass substrate. The prepared thin film was characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Field Emission-Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) characterization techniques for the structural and microstructural analysis. The magnetic property was measured using vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) at room temperature. X-ray diffraction studies show the formation of single phase spinel structure of the thin film. The octahedral and tetrahedral vibration in the sample was studied by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra. Magnetic hysteresis loop was recorded for thin film at room temperature. At 15 kOe, saturation magnetization (Ms) was found to increase while coercivity (Hc) decreases with thickness of the NiFe2O4 thin film.

  7. Crystallographic and magnetic properties of sol-gel synthesized T xCo 1-xFe 2O 4 (T=Mn and Cr) thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Kwang Joo; Kyung Kim, Hee; Ran Park, Young; Choi, Seung-li; Eun Kim, Sung; Jung Lee, Hee; Yun Park, Jae; Jin Kim, Sam

    Effects of Mn and Cr substitution for Co on crystallographic and magnetic properties of inverse-spinel CoFe 2O 4 thin films were investigated. The crystal structure of the samples remain cubic for x<1 with the lattice constant ( a0) increasing with x for Mn doping and remaining constant for Cr doping. Tetrahedral Fe 2+ ions were detected in Cr xCo 1-xFe 2O 4 by Mössbauer spectroscopy while no such ions existed in Mn xCo 1-xFe 2O 4. The appearance of the tetrahedral Fe 2+ ions can be explained in terms of the Cr 3+ substitution for the octahedral Co 2+ sites with the resultant charge imbalance being compensated by a reduction of the tetrahedral Fe 3+ into Fe 2+. The observed variation in a0 and magnetic properties can be partly explained in terms of Mn 2+ and Cr 3+ substitution of octahedral sites in Mn xCo 1-xFe 2O 4 and Cr xCo 1-xFe 2O 4, respectively.

  8. Enhancing visible light photo-oxidation of water with TiO2 nanowire arrays via cotreatment with H2 and NH3: synergistic effects between Ti3+ and N.

    PubMed

    Hoang, Son; Berglund, Sean P; Hahn, Nathan T; Bard, Allen J; Mullins, C Buddie

    2012-02-29

    We report a synergistic effect involving hydrogenation and nitridation cotreatment of TiO(2) nanowire (NW) arrays that improves the water photo-oxidation performance under visible light illumination. The visible light (>420 nm) photocurrent of the cotreated TiO(2) is 0.16 mA/cm(2) and accounts for 41% of the total photocurrent under simulated AM 1.5 G illumination. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy reveals that the concentration of Ti(3+) species in the bulk of the TiO(2) following hydrogenation and nitridation cotreatment is significantly higher than that of the sample treated solely with ammonia. It is believed that the interaction between the N-dopant and Ti(3+) is the key to the extension of the active spectrum and the superior visible light water photo-oxidation activity of the hydrogenation and nitridation cotreated TiO(2) NW arrays. © 2012 American Chemical Society

  9. Enhanced Water Oxidation Photoactivity of Nano-Architectured α-Fe2O3-WO3 Composite Synthesized by Single-Step Hydrothermal Method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rahman, Gul; Joo, Oh-Shim; Chae, Sang Youn; Shah, Anwar-ul-Haq Ali; Mian, Shabeer Ahmad

    2018-04-01

    This study reports the one-step in situ synthesis of a hematite-tungsten oxide (α-Fe2O3-WO3) composite on fluorine-doped tin oxide substrate via a simple hydrothermal method. Scanning electron microscopy images indicated that the addition of tungsten (W) precursor into the reaction mixture altered the surface morphology from nanorods to nanospindles. Energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy analysis confirmed the presence of W content in the composite. From the ultraviolet-visible spectrum of α-Fe2O3-WO3, it was observed that absorption began at ˜ 600 nm which corresponded to the bandgap energy of ˜ 2.01 eV. The α-Fe2O3-WO3 electrode demonstrated superior performance, with water oxidation photocurrent density of 0.80 mA/cm2 (at 1.6 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode under standard illumination conditions; AM 1.5G, 100 mW/cm2) which is 2.4 times higher than α-Fe2O3 (0.34 mA/cm2). This enhanced water oxidation performance can be attributed to the better charge separation properties in addition to the large interfacial area of small-sized particles present in the α-Fe2O3-WO3 nanocomposite film.

  10. Defect induced structural inhomogeneity, ultraviolet light emission and near-band-edge photoluminescence broadening in degenerate In 2 O 3 nanowires

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

    Mukherjee, Souvik; Sarkar, Ketaki; Wiederrecht, Gary P.

    We demonstrate here defect induced changes on the morphology and surface properties of indium oxide (In2O3) nanowires and further study their effects on the near-band-edge (NBE) emission, thereby showing the significant influence of surface states on In2O3 nanostructure based device characteristics for potential optoelectronic applications. In2O3 nanowires with cubic crystal structure (c-In2O3) were synthesized via carbothermal reduction technique using a gold-catalyst-assisted vapor–liquid–solid method. Onset of strong optical absorption could be observed at energies greater than 3.5 eV consistent with highly n-type characteristics due to unintentional doping from oxygen vacancy (VO) defects as confirmed using Raman spectroscopy. A combination of highmore » resolution transmission electron microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and valence band analysis on the nanowire morphology and stoichiometry reveals presence of high-density of VO defects on the surface of the nanowires. As a result, chemisorbed oxygen species can be observed leading to upward band bending at the surface which corresponds to a smaller valence band offset of 2.15 eV. Temperature dependent photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy was used to study the nature of the defect states and the influence of the surface states on the electronic band structure and NBE emission has been discussed. Our data reveals significant broadening of the NBE PL peak consistent with impurity band broadening leading to band-tailing effect from heavy doping.« less

  11. Defect induced structural inhomogeneity, ultraviolet light emission and near-band-edge photoluminescence broadening in degenerate In2O3 nanowires.

    PubMed

    Mukherjee, Souvik; Sarkar, Ketaki; Wiederrecht, Gary P; Schaller, Richard D; Gosztola, David J; Stroscio, Michael A; Dutta, Mitra

    2018-04-27

    We demonstrate here defect induced changes on the morphology and surface properties of indium oxide (In 2 O 3 ) nanowires and further study their effects on the near-band-edge (NBE) emission, thereby showing the significant influence of surface states on In 2 O 3 nanostructure based device characteristics for potential optoelectronic applications. In 2 O 3 nanowires with cubic crystal structure (c-In 2 O 3 ) were synthesized via carbothermal reduction technique using a gold-catalyst-assisted vapor-liquid-solid method. Onset of strong optical absorption could be observed at energies greater than 3.5 eV consistent with highly n-type characteristics due to unintentional doping from oxygen vacancy [Formula: see text] defects as confirmed using Raman spectroscopy. A combination of high resolution transmission electron microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and valence band analysis on the nanowire morphology and stoichiometry reveals presence of high-density of [Formula: see text] defects on the surface of the nanowires. As a result, chemisorbed oxygen species can be observed leading to upward band bending at the surface which corresponds to a smaller valence band offset of 2.15 eV. Temperature dependent photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy was used to study the nature of the defect states and the influence of the surface states on the electronic band structure and NBE emission has been discussed. Our data reveals significant broadening of the NBE PL peak consistent with impurity band broadening leading to band-tailing effect from heavy doping.

  12. The Study of Electrical Properties for Multilayer La2O3/Al2O3 Dielectric Stacks and LaAlO3 Dielectric Film Deposited by ALD.

    PubMed

    Feng, Xing-Yao; Liu, Hong-Xia; Wang, Xing; Zhao, Lu; Fei, Chen-Xi; Liu, He-Lei

    2017-12-01

    The capacitance and leakage current properties of multilayer La 2 O 3 /Al 2 O 3 dielectric stacks and LaAlO 3 dielectric film are investigated in this paper. A clear promotion of capacitance properties is observed for multilayer La 2 O 3 /Al 2 O 3 stacks after post-deposition annealing (PDA) at 800 °C compared with PDA at 600 °C, which indicated the recombination of defects and dangling bonds performs better at the high-k/Si substrate interface for a higher annealing temperature. For LaAlO 3 dielectric film, compared with multilayer La 2 O 3 /Al 2 O 3 dielectric stacks, a clear promotion of trapped charges density (N ot ) and a degradation of interface trap density (D it ) can be obtained simultaneously. In addition, a significant improvement about leakage current property is observed for LaAlO 3 dielectric film compared with multilayer La 2 O 3 /Al 2 O 3 stacks at the same annealing condition. We also noticed that a better breakdown behavior for multilayer La 2 O 3 /Al 2 O 3 stack is achieved after annealing at a higher temperature for its less defects.

  13. Facile synthesis of SnO2/α-Fe2O3 nanocomposite for supercapacitor capacitor applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rani, B. Jansi; Saravanakumar, B.; Ravi, G.; Yuvakkumar, R.

    2018-05-01

    Facile and economically viable one step hydrothermal route was adapted to synthesis SnO2/α-Fe2O3 nanocomposite with and without hexamine (HMT) as surfactant successfully. The formation of SnO2/α-Fe2O3 nanocomposite was confirmed through XRD, Raman, PL and FTIR studies. The presence of well defined XRD diffraction peaks of both SnO2 and α-Fe2O3 revealed the formation SnO2/α-Fe2O3 nanocomposite. The obtained characteristic Raman active (Eg+Eg+Eu+A2u) mode of vibrations confirmed the formation of SnO2/α-Fe2O3 nanocomposite. Photoluminescence study revealed the emission behavior of the product. Metal oxygen vibrations of Fe-O in both octahedral, tetrahedral sites and Sn-O were confirmed by the bands located at 466, 580 and 673 cm-1 respectively through FTIR. The spherical morphology of the product synthesized with and without the surfactant HMT has been revealed by SEM images. The electrochemical behavior of the product was investigated through CV and EIS studies in 1M Na2SO4 electrolyte solution and obtained the highest specific capacitance of 211.25 F/g at 5 mV for the surfactant assisted product.

  14. Reduction of conductance mismatch in Fe/Al2O3/MoS2 system by tunneling-barrier thickness control

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hayakawa, Naoki; Muneta, Iriya; Ohashi, Takumi; Matsuura, Kentaro; Shimizu, Jun’ichi; Kakushima, Kuniyuki; Tsutsui, Kazuo; Wakabayashi, Hitoshi

    2018-04-01

    Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) among two-dimensional semiconductor films is promising for spintronic devices because it has a longer spin-relaxation time with contrasting spin splitting than silicon. However, it is difficult to fabricate integrated circuits by the widely used exfoliation method. Here, we investigate the contact characteristics in the Fe/Al2O3/sputtered-MoS2 system with various thicknesses of the Al2O3 film. Current density increases with increasing thickness up to 2.5 nm because of both thermally-assisted and direct tunneling currents. On the other hand, it decreases with increasing thickness over 2.5 nm limited by direct tunneling currents. These results suggest that the Schottky barrier width can be controlled by changing thicknesses of the Al2O3 film, as supported by calculations. The reduction of conductance mismatch with this technique can lead to highly efficient spin injection from iron into the MoS2 film.

  15. Anodic Aluminum Oxide Membrane-Assisted Fabrication of beta-In(2)S(3) Nanowires.

    PubMed

    Shi, Jen-Bin; Chen, Chih-Jung; Lin, Ya-Ting; Hsu, Wen-Chia; Chen, Yu-Cheng; Wu, Po-Feng

    2009-06-06

    In this study, beta-In(2)S(3) nanowires were first synthesized by sulfurizing the pure Indium (In) nanowires in an AAO membrane. As FE-SEM results, beta-In(2)S(3) nanowires are highly ordered, arranged tightly corresponding to the high porosity of the AAO membrane used. The diameter of the beta-In(2)S(3) nanowires is about 60 nm with the length of about 6-8 mum. Moreover, the aspect ratio of beta-In(2)S(3) nanowires is up to 117. An EDS analysis revealed the beta-In(2)S(3) nanowires with an atomic ratio of nearly S/In = 1.5. X-ray diffraction and corresponding selected area electron diffraction patterns demonstrated that the beta-In(2)S(3) nanowire is tetragonal polycrystalline. The direct band gap energy (E(g)) is 2.40 eV from the optical measurement, and it is reasonable with literature.

  16. Electrical current flow at conductive nanowires formed in GaN thin films by a dislocation template technique

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Amma, Shin-ichi; Tokumoto, Yuki; Edagawa, Keiichi; Shibata, Naoya; Mizoguchi, Teruyasu; Yamamoto, Takahisa; Ikuhara, Yuichi

    2010-05-01

    Conductive nanowires were fabricated in GaN thin film by selectively doping of Al along threading dislocations. Electrical current flow localized at the nanowires was directly measured by a contact mode atomic force microscope. The current flow at the nanowires was considered to be Frenkel-Poole emission mode, suggesting the existence of the deep acceptor level along the nanowires as a possible cause of the current flow. The results obtained in this study show the possibility for fabricating nanowires using pipe-diffusion at dislocations in solid thin films.

  17. Preparation of SiO2/(PMMA/Fe3O4) from monolayer linolenic acid modified Fe3O4 nanoparticles via miniemulsion polymerization.

    PubMed

    He, Lei; Li, Zhiyang; Fu, Jing; Deng, Yan; He, Nongyue; Wang, Zhifei; Wang, Hua; Shi, Zhiyang; Wang, Zunliang

    2009-10-01

    SiO2/(PMMA/Fe3O4) composite particles were prepared from linolenic acid (LA) instead of oleic acid (OA) modified Fe3O4 nanoparticles by miniemulsion polymerization. LA has three unsaturated double bonds with which it can polymerizate more easily than OA. And coating Fe3O4 with polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) polymer beforehand can prevent magnetic nanoparticles from the aggregation that usually comes from the increasing of ionic strength during the hydrolyzation of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) by the steric hindrance. Finally, the resulting PMMA/Fe3O4 nanoparticles were coated with silica, forming SiO2/(PMMA/Fe3O4) core-shell structure particles. The sizes of nanoparticles with core-shell structure were in the range from 300 to 600 nm. The nanoparticles were spherical particles and had consistent size. The result of magnetic measurement showed that the composite particles had superparamagnetic property.

  18. Impact of Fe doping on the electronic structure of SrTiO3 thin films determined by resonant photoemission

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kubacki, J.; Kajewski, D.; Goraus, J.; Szot, K.; Koehl, A.; Lenser, Ch.; Dittmann, R.; Szade, J.

    2018-04-01

    Epitaxial thin films of Fe doped SrTiO3 have been studied by the use of resonant photoemission. This technique allowed us to identify contributions of the Fe and Ti originating electronic states to the valence band. Two valence states of iron Fe2+ and Fe3+, detected on the base of x-ray absorption studies spectra, appeared to form quite different contributions to the valence band of SrTiO3. The electronic states within the in-gap region can be attributed to Fe and Ti ions. The Fe2+ originating states which can be connected to the presence of oxygen vacancies form a broad band reaching binding energies of about 0.5 eV below the conduction band, while Fe3+ states form in the gap a sharp feature localized just above the top of the valence band. These structures were also confirmed by calculations performed with the use of the FP-LAPW/APW+lo method including Coulomb correlations within the d shell. It has been shown that Fe doping induced Ti originating states in the energy gap which can be related to the hybridization of Ti and Fe 3d orbitals.

  19. Effects of complexing agents on electrochemical deposition of FeS x O y in ZnO/FeS x O y heterostructures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Supee, A.; Ichimura, M.

    2017-12-01

    Heterostructures which consist of ZnO and FeS x O y were deposited via electrochemical deposition (ECD) for application to solar cells. Galvanostatic ECD was used in FeS x O y deposition with a solution containing 100 mM Na2S2O3 and 30 mM FeSO4. To alter the film properties, L(+)-tartaric acid (C4H6O6) and lactic acid [CH3CH(OH)COOH] were introduced as the complexing agents into the FeS x O y deposition solution. Larger film thickness and smaller oxygen content were obtained for the films deposited with the complexing agents. ZnO was deposited on FeS x O y by two-step pulse ECD from a solution containing Zn(NO3)2. For the ZnO/FeS x O y heterostructures fabricated with/without complexing agents, rectifying properties were confirmed in the current density-voltage ( J- V) characteristics. However, photovoltaic properties were not improved with addition of both complexing agents.

  20. Thin films sputtered from Ba{sub 2}NdFeNb{sub 4}O{sub 15} multiferroic targets on BaFe{sub 12}O{sub 19} coated substrates

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

    Bodeux, Romain; Univ. Bordeaux, ICMCB, UPR 9048, F-33600 Pessac; Michau, Dominique, E-mail: dominique.michau@icmcb.cnrs.fr

    2016-09-15

    Highlights: • Synthesis of Ba{sub 2}NdFeNb{sub 4}O{sub 15}/BaFe{sub 12}O{sub 19} (BaM) heterostructures by RF magnetron sputtering. • Growth of TTB layer were retained regardless of the underlayer (Pt bottom electrode or BaM). • Dielectric and magnetic properties were obtained from the Pt/TTB/BaM/Pt stacks. - Abstract: Ba{sub 2}NdFeNb{sub 4}O{sub 15} tetragonal tungsten bronze (TTB)/BaFe{sub 12}O{sub 19} (BaM) hexaferrite bilayers have been grown by RF magnetron sputtering on Pt/TiO{sub 2}/SiO{sub 2}/Si (PtS) substrates. The BaM layer is textured along (0 0 1) while the TTB layer is multioriented regardless of the PtS or BaM/PtS substrate. Dielectric properties of TTB films are similarmore » to those of bulk, i.e., ε ∼ 150 and a magnetic hysteresis loop is obtained from TTB/BaM bilayers, thanks to the BaM component. This demonstrates the possibility of transferring to 2 dimensional structures the composite multiferroic system TTB/BaM previously identified in 3 dimensional bulk ceramics.« less

  1. Synthesis of α-Fe2O3 and Fe-Mn Oxide Foams with Highly Tunable Magnetic Properties by the Replication Method from Polyurethane Templates

    PubMed Central

    Feng, Yuping; Fornell, Jordina; Zhang, Huiyan; Solsona, Pau; Barό, Maria Dolors; Suriñach, Santiago; Sort, Jordi

    2018-01-01

    Open cell foams consisting of Fe and Fe-Mn oxides are prepared from metallic Fe and Mn powder precursors by the replication method using porous polyurethane (PU) templates. First, reticulated PU templates are coated by slurry impregnation. The templates are then thermally removed at 260 °C and the debinded powders are sintered at 1000 °C under N2 atmosphere. The morphology, structure, and magnetic properties are studied by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and vibrating sample magnetometry, respectively. The obtained Fe and Fe-Mn oxide foams possess both high surface area and homogeneous open-cell structure. Hematite (α-Fe2O3) foams are obtained from the metallic iron slurry independently of the N2 flow. In contrast, the microstructure of the FeMn-based oxide foams can be tailored by adjusting the N2 flow. While the main phases for a N2 flow rate of 180 L/h are α-Fe2O3 and FeMnO3, the predominant phase for high N2 flow rates (e.g., 650 L/h) is Fe2MnO4. Accordingly, a linear magnetization versus field behavior is observed for the hematite foams, while clear hysteresis loops are obtained for the Fe2MnO4 foams. Actually, the saturation magnetization of the foams containing Mn increases from 5 emu/g to 52 emu/g when the N2 flow rate (i.e., the amount of Fe2MnO4) is increased. The obtained foams are appealing for a wide range of applications, such as electromagnetic absorbers, catalysts supports, thermal and acoustic insulation systems or wirelessly magnetically-guided porous objects in fluids. PMID:29439450

  2. Highly Sensitive Switchable Heterojunction Photodiode Based on Epitaxial Bi2FeCrO6 Multiferroic Thin Films.

    PubMed

    Huang, Wei; Chakrabartty, Joyprokash; Harnagea, Catalin; Gedamu, Dawit; Ka, Ibrahima; Chaker, Mohamed; Rosei, Federico; Nechache, Riad

    2018-04-18

    Perovskite multiferroic oxides are promising materials for the realization of sensitive and switchable photodiodes because of their favorable band gap (<3.0 eV), high absorption coefficient, and tunable internal ferroelectric (FE) polarization. A high-speed switchable photodiode based on multiferroic Bi 2 FeCrO 6 (BFCO)/SrRuO 3 (SRO)-layered heterojunction was fabricated by pulsed laser deposition. The heterojunction photodiode exhibits a large ideality factor ( n = ∼5.0) and a response time as fast as 68 ms, thanks to the effective charge carrier transport and collection at the BFCO/SRO interface. The diode can switch direction when the electric polarization is reversed by an external voltage pulse. The time-resolved photoluminescence decay of the device measured at ∼500 nm demonstrates an ultrafast charge transfer (lifetime = ∼6.4 ns) in BFCO/SRO heteroepitaxial structures. The estimated responsivity value at 500 nm and zero bias is 0.38 mA W -1 , which is so far the highest reported for any FE thin film photodiode. Our work highlights the huge potential for using multiferroic oxides to fabricate highly sensitive and switchable photodiodes.

  3. Preparation of (Fe, N)-doped TiO2 powders and their antibacterial activities under visible light irradiation.

    PubMed

    He, Rong-Liang; Wei, Yi; Cao, Wen-Bin

    2009-02-01

    Yellowish (Fe, N)-doped nanocrystalline TiO2 powders have been prepared using TiOSO4, CO(NH2)2, Fe(NO3)3.9H2O and CN3H5.HCl as precursors by hydrothermal method. The as-synthesized powders were anatase in phase and the grain size was about 10 nm according to the TEM photos. The ratio of Fe/Ti is 2.2 at% and N/O is 0.8 at% respectively. TiO2 powders were mixed with organic silicon and acrylic syrup to test their antibacterial performance by the colony counting method. The results show that the sterilization ratio of E. coli by the heat-treated (Fe, N)-doped nanocrystalline TiO2 powders is reached up to 94.5% while that of the powders without any heat treatment is 91.1% by 8 hours-400 lux-Visible-light irradiation with humidity of 55% RH.

  4. Magnetic ordered mesoporous Fe3O4/CeO2 composites with synergy of adsorption and Fenton catalysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Keyan; Zhao, Yongqin; Song, Chunshan; Guo, Xinwen

    2017-12-01

    Magnetic Fe3O4/CeO2 composites with highly ordered mesoporous structure and large surface area were synthesized by impregnation-calcination method, and the mesoporous CeO2 as support was synthesized via the hard template approach. The composition, morphology and physicochemical properties of the materials were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, Raman spectra and N2 adsorption/desorption analysis. The mesoporous Fe3O4/CeO2 composite played a dual-function role as both adsorbent and Fenton-like catalyst for removal of organic dye. The methylene blue (MB) removal efficiency of mesoporous Fe3O4/CeO2 was much higher than that of irregular porous Fe3O4/CeO2. The superior adsorption ability of mesoporous materials was attributed to the abundant oxygen vacancies on the surface of CeO2, high surface area and ordered mesoporous channels. The good oxidative degradation resulted from high Ce3+ content and the synergistic effect between Fe and Ce. The mesoporous Fe3O4/CeO2 composite presented low metal leaching (iron 0.22 mg L-1 and cerium 0.63 mg L-1), which could be ascribed to the strong metal-support interactions for dispersion and stabilization of Fe species. In addition, the composite can be easily separated from reaction solution with an external magnetic field due to its magnetic property, which is important to its practical applications.

  5. Controlled Formation of Mixed Nanoscale Domains of High Capacity Fe 2O 3FeF 3 Conversion Compounds by Direct Fluorination

    DOE PAGES

    Zhou, Hui; Ruther, Rose E.; Adcock, Jamie; ...

    2015-02-22

    In this paper, we report a direct fluorination method under fluorine gas atmosphere using a fluidized bed reactor for converting nanophase iron oxide (n-Fe 2O 3) to an electrochemically stable and higher energy density iron oxyfluoride/fluoride phase. Interestingly, no noticeable bulk iron oxyfluoride phase (FeOF) phase was observed even at fluorination temperature close to 300 °C. Instead, at fluorination temperatures below 250 °C, scanning transmission electron microscopy coupled with electron energy loss spectroscopy (STEM-EELS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis showed surface fluorination with nominal composition, Fe 2O 3-xF 2x (x < 1). At fluorination temperatures of 275 °C, STEM-EELSmore » results showed porous interconnected nanodomains of FeF 3 and Fe 2O 3 coexisting within the same particle, and overall the particles become less dense after fluorination. We performed potentiometric intermittent titration and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies to understand the lithium diffusion (or apparent diffusion) in both the oxyfluoride and mixed phase FeF 3 + Fe 2O 3 composition, and correlate the results to their electrochemical performance. Finally and further, we analyze from a thermodynamical perspective, the observed formation of the majority fluoride phase (77% FeF 3) and the absence of the expected oxyfluoride phase based on the relative formation energies of oxide, fluoride, and oxyfluorides.« less

  6. Decorating TiO2 Nanowires with BaTiO3 Nanoparticles: A New Approach Leading to Substantially Enhanced Energy Storage Capability of High-k Polymer Nanocomposites.

    PubMed

    Kang, Da; Wang, Guanyao; Huang, Yanhui; Jiang, Pingkai; Huang, Xingyi

    2018-01-31

    The urgent demand of high energy density and high power density devices has triggered significant interest in high dielectric constant (high-k) flexible nanocomposites comprising dielectric polymer and high-k inorganic nanofiller. However, the large electrical mismatch between polymer and nanofiller usually leads to earlier electric failure of the nanocomposites, resulting in an undesirable decrease of electrical energy storage capability. A few studies show that the introduction of moderate-k shell onto a high-k nanofiller surface can decrease the dielectric constant mismatch, and thus, the corresponding nanocomposites can withstand high electric field. Unfortunately, the low apparent dielectric enhancement of the nanocomposites and high electrical conductivity mismatch between matrix and nanofiller still result in low energy density and low efficiency. In this study, it is demonstrated that encapsulating moderate-k nanofiller with high-k but low electrical conductivity shell is effective to significantly enhance the energy storage capability of dielectric polymer nanocomposites. Specifically, using BaTiO 3 nanoparticles encapsulated TiO 2 (BaTiO 3 @TiO 2 ) core-shell nanowires as filler, the corresponding poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropylene) nanocomposites exhibit superior energy storage capability in comparison with the nanocomposites filled by either BaTiO 3 or TiO 2 nanowires. The nanocomposite film with 5 wt % BaTiO 3 @TiO 2 nanowires possesses an ultrahigh discharged energy density of 9.95 J cm -3 at 500 MV m -1 , much higher than that of commercial biaxial-oriented polypropylene (BOPP) (3.56 J cm -3 at 600 MV m -1 ). This new strategy and corresponding results presented here provide new insights into the design of dielectric polymer nanocomposites with high electrical energy storage capability.

  7. Effect of NiO spin orientation on the magnetic anisotropy of the Fe film in epitaxially grown Fe/NiO/Ag(001) and Fe/NiO/MgO(001)

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

    Kim, W.; Jin, E.; Wu, J.

    Single crystalline Fe/NiO bilayers were epitaxially grown on Ag(001) and on MgO(001), and investigated by Low Energy Electron Diffraction (LEED), Magneto-Optic Kerr Effect (MOKE), and X-ray Magnetic Linear Dichroism (XMLD). We find that while the Fe film has an in-plane magnetization in both Fe/NiO/Ag(001) and Fe/NiO/MgO(001) systems, the NiO spin orientation changes from in-plane direction in Fe/NiO/Ag(001) to out-of-plane direction in Fe/NiO/MgO(001). These two different NiO spin orientations generate remarkable different effects that the NiO induced magnetic anisotropy in the Fe film is much greater in Fe/NiO/Ag(001) than in Fe/NiO/MgO(001). XMLD measurement shows that the much greater magnetic anisotropy inmore » Fe/NiO/Ag(001) is due to a 90{sup o}-coupling between the in-plane NiO spins and the in-plane Fe spins.« less

  8. Double perovskite Sr2FeMoO6-xNx (x=0.3, 1.0) oxynitrides with anionic ordering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Retuerto, M.; de la Calle, C.; Martínez-Lope, M. J.; Porcher, F.; Krezhov, K.; Menéndez, N.; Alonso, J. A.

    2012-01-01

    Two new oxynitride double perovskites of composition Sr2FeMoO6-xNx (x=0.3, 1.0) have been synthesized by annealing precursor powders obtained by citrate techniques in flowing ammonia at 750 °C and 650 °C, respectively. The polycrystalline samples have been characterized by chemical analysis, x-ray and neutron diffraction (NPD), Mössbauer spectroscopy and magnetic measurements. They exhibit a tetragonal structure with a=5.5959(1) Å, c=7.9024(2) Å, V=247.46(2) Å3 for Sr2FeMoO5.7N0.3; and a=5.6202(2) Å, c=7.9102(4) Å, V=249.85(2) Å3 for Sr2FeMoO5N; space group I4/m, Z=2. The nitridation process seems to extraordinarily improve the long-range Fe/Mo ordering, achieving 95% at moderate temperatures of 750 °C. The analysis of high resolution NPD data, based on the contrast existing between the scattering lengths of O and N, shows that both atoms are located at (O,N)2 anion substructure corresponding to the basal ab plane of the perovskite structure, whereas the O1 site is fully occupied by oxygen atoms. The evolution of the <Fe-O> and O> distances suggests a shift towards a configuration close to Fe4+(3d4, S=2):Mo5+(4d1, S=1/2). The magnetic susceptibility shows a ferrimagnetic transition with a reduced saturation magnetization compared to Sr2FeMoO6, due to the different nature of the magnetic double exchange interactions through Fe-N-Mo-N-Fe paths in contrast to the stronger Fe-O-Mo-O-Fe interactions. Also, the effect observed by low-temperature NPD seems to reduce the ordered Fe moments and enhance the Mo moments, in agreement with the evolution of the oxidation states, thus decreasing the saturation magnetization.

  9. In situ TEM study of electron-beam radiation induced boron diffusion and effects on phase and microstructure evolution in nanostructured CoFeB/SiO2 thin film

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, B. H.; Teo, H. W.; Mo, Z. H.; Mai, Z. H.; Lam, J.; Xue, J. M.; Zhao, Y. Z.; Tan, P. K.

    2017-01-01

    Using in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we studied boron diffusion and segregation in CoFeB/SiO2 nanostructured thin film stacks. We also investigated how these phenomena affected the phase and microstructure of CoFeB thin films under electron beam irradiation at 300 kV. A unique phase transformation was observed in CoFeB thin films under high-dose electron irradiation, from a polycrystalline Co3Fe to a unilateral amorphous phase of Co3Fe and nanocrystalline FexCo23-xB6. The unilateral amorphization of the Co3Fe film showed an electron-dose-rate sensitivity with a threshold dose rate. Detailed in situ TEM studies revealed that the unilateral amorphization of the Co3Fe film arose from boron segregation at the bottom of the Co3Fe thin film induced by radiation-enhanced diffusion of boron atoms that were displaced by electron knock-on effects. The radiation-induced nanocrystallization of FexCo23-xB6 was also found to be dose-rate sensitive with a higher electron beam current leading to earlier nucleation and more rapid grain growth. The nanocrystallization of FexCo23-xB6 occurred preferentially at the CoFeB/SiO2 interface. Kinetic studies by in situ TEM revealed the surface crystallization and diffusion-controlled nucleation and grain growth mechanisms. The radiation-enhanced atomic diffusivity and high-concentration of radiation-induced point defects at the Co3Fe/SiO2 interface enhanced the local short-range ordering of Fe, Co, and B atoms, favoring nucleation and grain growth of FexCo23-xB6 at the interface.

  10. FIB-tomographic studies on chemical vapor deposition grown SnO2 nanowire arrays on TiO2 (001)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Haoyun; Liu, Yi; Wu, Hong; Xiong, Xiang; Pan, Jun

    2016-12-01

    Tin oxide nanowire arrays on titania (001) have been successfully fabricated by chemical vapor deposition of Sn(O t Bu)4 precursor. The morphologies and structures of ordered SnO2 nanowires (NWs) were analyzed by cross-sectional SEM, HR-TEM and AFM. An FIB-tomography technique was applied in order to reconstruct a 3D presentation of ordered SnO2 nanowires. The achieved 3D analysis showed the spatial orientation and angles of ordered SnO2 NWs can be obtained in a one-shot experiment, and the distribution of Au catalysts showed the competition between 1D and 2D growth. The SnO2 nanowire arrays can be potentially used as a diameter- and surface-dependent sensing unit for the detection of gas- and bio-molecules.

  11. Visible-light-driven N-TiO2@SiO2@Fe3O4 magnetic nanophotocatalysts: Synthesis, characterization, and photocatalytic degradation of PPCPs.

    PubMed

    Kumar, Ashutosh; Khan, Musharib; Fang, Liping; Lo, Irene M C

    2017-07-24

    TiO 2 -based photocatalysis offers certain advantages like rapid degradation and mineralization of organic compounds. However, the practical applicability of photocatalysts in degradation of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) is still restricted by challenges including their limited photocatalytic activity under visible light and difficulty in their separation from suspension. To overcome these challenges, a visible-light-driven magnetic N-TiO 2 @SiO 2 @Fe 3 O 4 nanophotocatalyst was developed through fine-tuning the pertinent factors (calcination temperature, Fe 3 O 4 loading, and nitrogen doping) involved during synthesis process, on the basis of degradation of ibuprofen (a typical PPCP). The TEM-EDX, XRD and XPS analyses confirmed the successful synthesis of nanophotocatalyst. By comparing nanophotocatalyst's performance on ibuprofen under two visible light sources, i.e., compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and light emitting diodes (LEDs) of similar irradiance, CFLs of irradiance 320μWcm -2 and peak emissive wavelength 543nm served as a better source, resulting in 94% degradation. Furthermore, 93% of benzophenone-3 within 5h and 71% of carbamazepine within 9h was degraded under visible light emitted by CFLs. The superparamagnetic behavior of the nanophotocatalyst enabled its successful magnetic separation (95% efficiency) from the suspension within 20-25min under an electromagnetic field of ∼200mT. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Electrical compensation by Ga vacancies in Ga2O3 thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Korhonen, E.; Tuomisto, F.; Gogova, D.; Wagner, G.; Baldini, M.; Galazka, Z.; Schewski, R.; Albrecht, M.

    2015-06-01

    The authors have applied positron annihilation spectroscopy to study the vacancy defects in undoped and Si-doped Ga2O3 thin films. The results show that Ga vacancies are formed efficiently during metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy growth of Ga2O3 thin films. Their concentrations are high enough to fully account for the electrical compensation of Si doping. This is in clear contrast to another n-type transparent semiconducting oxide In2O3, where recent results show that n-type conductivity is not limited by cation vacancies but by other intrinsic defects such as Oi.

  13. Gas-Sensing Characteristics of SrFeO3-δ Thin Film Probed by a Homemade Apparatus

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Manikandan, M.; Santhosh Kumar, B.; Mukil Raj, T.; Moorthy Babu, S.; Venkateswaran, C.

    2018-05-01

    SrFeO2.97 phase obtained by annealing radiofrequency-sputtered stoichiometric film at 600°C for 24 h has been tested using a homemade apparatus coupled with impedance spectrometry. Oxygen nonstoichiometry plays a vital role in sensing of reducing gases. Hence, this phase showed efficient sensing performance for different reducing gases such as acetone (CH3COCH3), ethanol (C2H5OH), ammonia (NH3), and hydrogen sulfide (H2S), with high sensing response recorded for H2S gas at 60°C.

  14. γ-Fe2O3 and Fe3O4 magnetic hierarchically nanostructured hollow microspheres: preparation, formation mechanism, magnetic property, and application in water treatment.

    PubMed

    Xu, Jing-San; Zhu, Ying-Jie

    2012-11-01

    In this paper, we report the preparation of γ-Fe(2)O(3) and Fe(3)O(4) magnetic hierarchically nanostructured hollow microspheres by a solvothermal combined with precursor thermal conversion method. These γ-Fe(2)O(3) and Fe(3)O(4) magnetic hierarchically nanostructured hollow microspheres were constructed by three-dimensional self-assembly of nanosheets, forming porous nanostructures. The effects of experimental parameters including molar ratio of reactants and reaction temperature on the precursors were studied. The time-dependent experiments indicated that the Ostwald ripening was responsible for the formation of the hierarchically nanostructured hollow microspheres of the precursors. γ-Fe(2)O(3) and Fe(3)O(4) magnetic hierarchically nanostructured hollow microspheres were obtained by the thermal transformation of the precursor hollow microspheres. Both γ-Fe(2)O(3) and Fe(3)O(4) hierarchically nanostructured hollow microspheres exhibited a superparamagnetic property at room temperature and had the saturation magnetization of 44.2 and 55.4 emu/g, respectively, in the applied magnetic field of 20 KOe. Several kinds of organic pollutants including salicylic acid (SA), methylene blue (MB), and basic fuchsin (BF) were chosen as the model water pollutants to evaluate the removal abilities of γ-Fe(2)O(3) and Fe(3)O(4) magnetic hierarchically nanostructured hollow microspheres. It was found that γ-Fe(2)O(3) hierarchically nanostructured hollow microspheres showed a better adsorption ability over SA than MB and BF. However, Fe(3)O(4) hierarchically nanostructured hollow microspheres had the best performance for adsorbing MB. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Growth and characterization of single crystalline Zn0.8-xMg0.2AlxO films with UV band gap on GaN/Al2O3 template by RF magnetron sputtering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Min-Sung; Lee, Byung-Teak

    2013-02-01

    Single crystalline Zn0.8-xMg0.2AlxO thin films were grown on a GaN/Al2O3 template. As the Al content is increased from 0 to 0.06, the optical band gap increased from 3.6 eV to 4.0 eV, growth rate decreased from 6 nm/min to 3 nm/min, and the surface roughness decreased from 17 nm to 0.8 nm. It was observed that interfacial layers were formed between the thin films and the substrates, identified as cubic MgAl2O4 in the case of ZnMgAlO/GaN and cubic MgO in the case of ZnMgO/GaN. It was proposed that the MgAl2O4 layer, with low lattice mismatch of ˜7% against the GaN substrate, acted as the buffer layer to correlate the film and the substrate, resulting in growth of the single crystalline thin films in the case of the ZnMgAlO/GaN system.

  16. Non-polar a-plane ZnO films grown on r-Al2O3 substrates using GaN buffer layers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, C. X.; Chen, W.; Pan, X. H.; Chen, S. S.; Ye, Z. Z.; Huang, J. Y.

    2016-09-01

    In this work, GaN buffer layer has been used to grow non-polar a-plane ZnO films by laser-assisted and plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. The thickness of GaN buffer layer ranges from ∼3 to 12 nm. The GaN buffer thickness effect on the properties of a-plane ZnO thin films is carefully investigated. The results show that the surface morphology, crystal quality and optical properties of a-plane ZnO films are strongly correlated with the thickness of GaN buffer layer. It was found that with 6 nm GaN buffer layer, a-plane ZnO films display the best crystal quality with X-ray diffraction rocking curve full-width at half-maximum of only 161 arcsec for the (101) reflection.

  17. Band gap enhancement of glancing angle deposited TiO2 nanowire array

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chinnamuthu, P.; Mondal, A.; Singh, N. K.; Dhar, J. C.; Chattopadhyay, K. K.; Bhattacharya, Sekhar

    2012-09-01

    Vertically oriented TiO2 nanowire (NW) arrays were fabricated by glancing angle deposition technique. Field emission-scanning electron microscopy shows the formation of two different diameters ˜80 nm and ˜40 nm TiO2 NW for 120 and 460 rpm azimuthal rotation of the substrate. The x-ray diffraction and Raman scattering depicted the presence of rutile and anatase phase TiO2. The overall Raman scattering intensity decreased with nanowire diameter. The role of phonon confinement in anatase and rutile peaks has been discussed. The red (7.9 cm-1 of anatase Eg) and blue (7.4 cm-1 of rutile Eg, 7.8 cm-1 of rutile A1g) shifts of Raman frequencies were observed. UV-vis absorption measurements show the main band absorption at 3.42 eV, 3.48 eV, and ˜3.51 eV for thin film and NW prepared at 120 and 460 rpm, respectively. Three fold enhance photon absorption and intense light emission were observed for NW assembly. The photoluminescence emission from the NW assembly revealed blue shift in main band transition due to quantum confinement in NW structures.

  18. Interface science of virtual GaN substrates on Si(111) via Sc2O3/Y2O3 buffers: Experiment and theory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tarnawska, L.; Dabrowski, J.; Grzela, T.; Lehmann, M.; Niermann, T.; Paszkiewicz, R.; Storck, P.; Schroeder, T.

    2013-06-01

    The final film quality of GaN on foreign substrates is known to crucially depend on the initial GaN interface and nucleation characteristics. To shed light on these characteristics of recently pioneered virtual, hexagonal GaN(0001) substrates on Si(111) via step graded Sc2O3(111)/Y2O3(111) buffers, a complex GaN(0001)/Sc2O3(111) interface structure model and the initial nucleation scenario is derived from a combined experimental (reflection high energy electron diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) and theoretical ab initio study. It is shown that the GaN/Sc2O3 interface chemistry is determined by a N-Ga-O-Sc atomic arrangement leading to N-polar GaN films. However, the atomic GaN(0001)/Sc2O3(111) interface configuration is complex and local perturbations might be at the origin of Ga-polar inversion domains in the mainly N-polar GaN films. The initial growth of GaN on Sc2O3 is characterized by an ultrathin N-Ga-O-Sc wetting layer which carries tensile strain and relaxes with increasing thickness. Further GaN deposition results in the formation of 3D islands which fully relax before island coalescence occurs. The implications of the GaN/Sc2O3 interface configuration, the 3D nucleation growth mode, and the coalescence process of misaligned islands are discussed with respect to the defect characteristics (inversion domains, cubic inclusions, threading dislocations) of the final GaN layer.

  19. Structure and magnetic properties of spinel-perovskite nanocomposite thin films on SrTiO3 (111) substrates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Dong Hun; Yang, Junho; Kim, Min Seok; Kim, Tae Cheol

    2016-09-01

    Epitaxial CoFe2O4-BiFeO3 nanocomposite thin films were synthesized on perovskite structured SrTiO3 (001) and (111) substrates by combinatorial pulsed laser deposition and characterized using scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and vibrating sample magnetometer. Triangular BiFeO3 nanopillars were formed in a CoFe2O4 matrix on (111) oriented SrTiO3 substrates, while CoFe2O4 nanopillars with rectangular or square top surfaces grew in a BiFeO3 matrix on (001) substrates. The magnetic hysteresis loops of nanocomposites on (111) oriented SrTiO3 substrates showed isotropic properties due to the strain relaxation while those of films on SrTiO3 (001) substrates exhibited a strong out-of-plane anisotropy originated from shape and strain effects.

  20. Strain induced enhancement of magnetization in Ba{sub 2}FeMoO{sub 6} based heterostructure with (Ba{sub x}Sr{sub 1-x})TiO{sub 3}

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

    Kim, Kyeong-Won; Norton, David P.; Ghosh, Siddhartha, E-mail: ghoshsid@gmail.com

    2016-05-14

    High quality epitaxial Ba{sub 2}FeMoO{sub 6} thin films and Ba{sub 2}FeMoO{sub 6}–(Ba{sub x}Sr{sub 1−x})TiO{sub 3} bi-layer (BL) and superlattice (SL) structures were grown via pulsed laser deposition under low oxygen pressure, and their structural, magnetic, and magneto-transport properties were examined. Superlattice and bi-layer structures were confirmed by X-ray diffraction patterns. Low temperature magnetic measurement shows that the saturation magnetization (M{sub S}) is significantly higher for SLs and almost similar or lower for BLs, when compared to phase pure Ba{sub 2}FeMoO{sub 6} thin films. The variation of the coercive field (H{sub C}) follows exact opposite trend, where BL samples have highermore » H{sub C} and SL samples have lower H{sub C} than pure Ba{sub 2}FeMoO{sub 6} thin films. Also, a significant decrease of the Curie temperature is found in both BL and SL structures compared to pure Ba{sub 2}FeMoO{sub 6} thin films. Negative magneto-resistance is seen in all the BL and SL structures as well as in pure Ba{sub 2}FeMoO{sub 6} thin films. In contrast to the magnetic properties, the magneto-transport properties do not show much variation with induced strain.« less

  1. Binder-free NiFe2O4/C nanofibers as air cathodes for Li-O2 batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Xin; Wang, Chengyi; Chen, Ya-Nan; Wang, Xin-Gai; Xie, Zhaojun; Zhou, Zhen

    2018-02-01

    Rechargeable Li-O2 batteries have aroused much attention for their high energy density. However, the poor rechargeability and low efficiency hinder their practical applications. To solve these issues, free-standing carbon films combined with high-activity NiFe2O4 catalysts are prepared by electrospinning method, and directly used as air cathodes for Li-O2 batteries. The obtained films have 3D networks formed by stacking and interlacing massive nanofibers with uniformly dispersed NiFe2O4 nanoparticles on them. The Li-O2 batteries with such binder-free air cathodes show low charging overpotential even comparable to precious metal cathodes, and can sustain excellent discharge/charge cyclic stability. The unique structure and binder-free superiority greatly facilitates the Li+ and O2 diffusion, accelerates the decomposition of Li2O2, and avoid the disturbance of polymer binders.

  2. High-Quality CrO2 Nanowires for Dissipation-less Spintronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, Amrita; Jansen, Charlotte; Lahabi, Kaveh; Aarts, Jan

    2016-10-01

    Superconductor-ferromagnet (S-F) hybrids based on half-metallic ferromagnets, such as CrO2 , are ideal candidates for superconducting spintronic applications. This is primarily due to the fully spin-polarized nature of CrO2 , which produces enhanced long-range triplet proximity effects. However, reliable production of CrO2 -based Josephson junctions (JJs) has proved to be extremely challenging because of a poorly controlled interface transparency and an incomplete knowledge of the local magnetization of the CrO2 films. To address these issues, we use a bottom-up approach to grow CrO2 nanowires on prepatterned substrates via chemical-vapor deposition. A comprehensive study of the growth mechanism enables us to reliably synthesize faceted, homogeneous CrO2 wires with a well-defined magnetization state. Combining these high-quality wires with a superconductor produces JJs with a high interface transparency, leading to exceptionally large 100% spin-polarized supercurrents, with critical current densities exceeding 109 Am-2 over distances as long as 600 nm. These CrO2 -nanowire-based JJs thus provide a realistic route to creating a scalable device platform for dissipation-less spintronics.

  3. Ultrafine Ti4+ doped α-Fe2O3 nanorod array photoanodes with high charge separation efficiency for solar water splitting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Yilin; Liu, Jie; Luo, Wenjun; Wen, Xin; Liu, Xiaokang; Zou, Zhigang; Huang, Wei

    2017-06-01

    Hematite (α-Fe2O3) is a promising photoanode material for solar water splitting due to its suitable band gap, earth-abundance, excellent stability and non-toxicity. However, a short hole diffusion length limits its performance. A nanorod array structure can shorten hole transfer distance to photoelectrode/electrolyte interface and decrease recombination of photo-generated carriers. However, average diameters of all previously reported nanorods are over 50 nm, thus being too thick for holes to transfer to the interface. It is still a big challenge to prepare a Fe2O3 nanorod array photoelectrode with finer diameter. In this study, we prepare an ultrafine α-Fe2O3 nanorod array film with average diameter about 25 nm by calcining γ-FeOOH for the first time. The ultrafine nanorod array photoanode indicates much higher carrier separation efficiency and performance than a conventional nanorod array film.

  4. Fe 2O 3–TiO 2 core–shell nanorod arrays for visible light photocatalytic applications

    DOE PAGES

    Yao, Kun; Basnet, Pradip; Sessions, Henry; ...

    2015-11-11

    By using the glancing angle deposition technique and post-deposition annealing, Fe 2O 3–TiO 2 core-shell nanorod arrays with specific crystalline states can be designed and fabricated. The Fe 2O 3–TiO 2 core-shell samples annealed at temperatures greater than 450°C formed α-Fe 2O 3 and anatase TiO 2, and showed higher catalytic efficiency for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) under visible light illumination when compared with pure anatase TiO 2 or α-Fe 2O 3 nanorod arrays. Solar conversion of carbon dioxide and water vapor in the presence of Fe 2O 3–TiO 2 core-shell nanorod arrays was also investigated. Carbon monoxide,more » hydrogen, methane, and methanol along with other hydrocarbons were produced after only several hours’ exposure under ambient sunlight. It was determined that the core-shell structure showed greater efficiency for solar CO 2 conversion than the pure TiO 2 nanorod arrays.« less

  5. Synthesis of Co2+-doped Fe2O3 photocatalyst for degradation of pararosaniline dye

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Suresh, R.; Giribabu, K.; Manigandan, R.; Mangalaraja, R. V.; Solorza, Jorge Yanez; Stephen, A.; Narayanan, V.

    2017-06-01

    In this paper, x (=2, 5, 7 and 10mol%) Co2+-doped Fe2O3 (xCo:Fe2O3) nanoparticles with enhanced photocatalytic activity have been reported. xCo:Fe2O3 nanoparticles were successfully prepared by co-precipitation followed thermal decomposition method. The structural, optical and morphological properties of the prepared samples were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), diffuse reflectance (DR) UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The obtained results revealed that Co2+ ions were well doped within the lattices of Fe2O3. Also, Co2+ ions suppress the formation of the most stable α- Fe2O3 and stabilize less stable γ-Fe2O3 at 450 °C. The photocatalytic activity of xCo:Fe2O3 was examined by using pararosaniline (PR) dye. It was found that photocatalytic degradation of PR depends on dopant concentration (Co2+ ions). Relatively, the highest photocatalytic activity was observed for 5%Co:Fe2O3 nanoparticles. The plausible photocatalytic degradation pathway of PR at xCo:Fe2O3 surface has also been proposed.

  6. Growth and Surface Modification of LaFeO3 Thin Films Induced By Reductive Annealing

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

    Flynn, Brendan T.; Zhang, Hongliang; Shutthanandan, V.

    2015-03-01

    The electronic and ionic conductivity of perovskite oxides has enabled their use in diverse applications such as automotive exhaust catalysts, solid oxide fuel cell cathodes, and visible light photocatalysts. The redox chemistry at the surface of perovskite oxides is largely dependent on the oxidation state of the metal cations as well as the oxide surface stoichiometry. In this study, LaFeO3 (LFO) thin films grown on yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) was characterized using both bulk and surface sensitive techniques. A combination of in situ reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED), x-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS)more » demonstrated that the film is highly oriented and stoichiometric. The film was annealed in an ultra-high vacuum chamber to simulate reducing conditions and studied by angle-resolved x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Iron was found to exist as Fe(0), Fe(II), and Fe(III) depending on the annealing conditions and the depth within the film. A decrease in the concentration of surface oxygen species was correlated with iron reduction. These results should help guide and enhance the design of perovskite materials for catalysts.« less

  7. Bioaccumulation of Fe2O3(magnetic) nanoparticles in Ceriodaphnia dubia.

    PubMed

    Hu, Ji; Wang, Demin; Wang, Jiangtao; Wang, Jianmin

    2012-03-01

    While nano-Fe(2)O(3)(magnetic) is generally considered non-toxic, it could serve as a carrier of other toxic chemicals such as As(V) and enhance their toxicity. The bioaccumulation of nano-Fe(2)O(3)(m) with different exposure times, NP concentrations, and pH conditions was investigated using Ceriodaphnia dubia (C. dubia) as the model organism. Under natural pH conditions, C. dubia significantly accumulated nano-Fe(2)O(3)(m) in the gut, with the maximum accumulation being achieved after 6 h of exposure. The concentration of nano-Fe(2)O(3) also impacted its accumulation, with the maximum uptake occurring at 20 mg/L or more. In addition, the highest bioaccumulation occurred in a pH range of 7-8 where the highest feeding rate was reported, confirming that the ingestion of NPs is the main route of nano-Fe(2)O(3)(m) bioaccumulation. In a clean environment without NPs, depuration of nano-Fe(2)O(3)(m) occurred, and food addition accelerated the depuration process. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Direct charge carrier injection into Ga2O3 thin films using an In2O3 cathode buffer layer: their optical, electrical and surface state properties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cui, W.; Zhao, X. L.; An, Y. H.; Guo, D. Y.; Qing, X. Y.; Wu, Z. P.; Li, P. G.; Li, L. H.; Cui, C.; Tang, W. H.

    2017-04-01

    Conductive Ga2O3 thin films with an In2O3 buffer layer have been prepared on c-plane sapphire substrates using a laser molecular beam epitaxy technique. The effects of the In2O3 buffer layer on the structure and optical, electrical and surface state properties of the Ga2O3 films have been studied. The change in conductivity of the thin films is attributed to different thicknesses of the In2O3 buffer layer, which determine the concentration of charge carriers injected into the upper Ga2O3 layer from the interface of the bilayer thin films. In addition, the increase in flat band voltage shift and capacitance values as the In2O3 buffer layer thickens are attributed to the increase in surface state density, which also contributes to the rapid shrinkage of the optical band gap of the Ga2O3. With transparency to visible light, high n-type conduction and the ability to tune the optical band gap and surface state density, we propose that Ga2O3/In2O3 bilayer thin film is an ideal n-type semiconductor for fabrication of transparent power devices, solar cell electrodes and gas sensors.

  9. CsFe3(SeO3)2F6 with S = 5/2 Cube Tile Lattice.

    PubMed

    Lu, Hongcheng; Kageyama, Hiroshi

    2018-05-21

    A layered iron selenite fluoride CsFe 3 (SeO 3 ) 2 F 6 1 was hydrothermally synthesized. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies show that 1 has a trigonal ( P3̅ m1) lattice, where [Fe 3 (SeO 3 ) 2 F 6 ] - blocks of three iron sublayers are separated by Cs cations. Within the block, only Fe(2)F 6 and Fe(1)O 3 F 3 octahedra are magnetically connected via superexchange Fe(1) -F -Fe(2) pathways, giving an S = 5/2 cube tile (dice) lattice. At low magnetic field, 1 exhibits an antiferromagnetic transition at ∼130 K, where ferrimagnetic cube tile layers are arranged in a staggered manner. At low temperatures, we observed a field-induced transition to a ferrimagnetic state with a one-third magnetization plateau.

  10. Investigations on the Synthesis and Properties of Fe2O3/Bi2O2CO3 in the Photocatalytic and Fenton-like Process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, Dongxue; Shen, Tingting; Sun, Jing; Wang, Chen; Wang, Xikui

    2018-01-01

    Catalyst of Bi2O2CO3 and Fe2O3 modified Bi2O2CO3 (Fe2O3/Bi2O2CO3) were prepared by hydrothermal method and characterized by X-ray diffractions (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and UV-vis DRS. The catalytic activity of Bi2O2CO3 and Fe2O3/Bi2O2CO3 were comparatively investigated in the photodegradation and Fento-like process. Rhodamine B(RhB) was selected as the target pollutant under the irradiation of 300 W xenon lamp. The results indicated that Fe2O3 plays a great role in the enhancing the treatment efficiency and the and the maximum reaction rate was achieved at the Fe2O3 loading of 1.5%. The Fenton-like degradation rate constant of RhB with bare Bi2O2CO3 in dark is 0.4 min-1, while that with 1.5 Fe2O3/Bi2O2CO3 increases to 28.4 min-1 under visible light irradiation, a 71-fold improvement. It is expected to shed a new light for the constructing novel composite photocatalyst and also provide a potential method for the removal of dyes in the aqueous system.

  11. Controllable synthesis and enhanced microwave absorbing properties of Fe3O4/NiFe2O4/Ni heterostructure porous rods

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Yana; Wu, Tong; Jin, Keying; Qian, Yao; Qian, Naxin; Jiang, Kedan; Wu, Wenhua; Tong, Guoxiu

    2016-11-01

    We developed a coordinated self-assembly/precipitate transfer/sintering method that allows the controllable synthesis of Fe3O4/NiFe2O4/Ni heterostructure porous rods (HPRs). A series of characterizations confirms that changing [Ni2+] can effectively control the crystal size, internal strain, composition, textural characteristics, and properties of HPRs. Molar percentages of Ni and NiFe2O4 in HPRs increase with [Ni2+] in various Boltzmann function modes. Saturation magnetization Ms and coercivity Hc show U-shaped change trends because of crystal size, composition, and interface magnetic coupling. High magnetic loss is maintained after decorating NiFe2O4 and Ni on the surface of Fe3O4 PRs. Controlling the NiFe2O4 interface layers and Ni content can improve impedance matching and dielectric losses, thereby leading to lighter weight, stronger absorption, and broader absorption band of Fe3O4/NiFe2O4/Ni HPRs than Fe3O4 PRs. An optimum EM wave absorbing property was exhibited by Fe3O4/NiFe2O4/Ni HPRs formed at [Ni2+] = 0.05 M. The maximum reflection loss (RL) reaches -58.4 dB at 13.68 GHz, which corresponds to a 2.1 mm matching thickness. The absorbing bandwidth (RL ≤ -20 dB) reaches 14.4 GHz with the sample thickness at 1.6-2.4 and 2.8-10.0 mm. These excellent properties verify that Fe3O4/NiFe2O4/Ni HPRs are promising candidates for new and effective absorptive materials.

  12. Thin film nano-photocatalyts with low band gap energy for gas phase degradation of p-xylene: TiO2 doped Cr, UiO66-NH2 and LaBO3 (B  =  Fe, Mn, and Co)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Loc Luu, Cam; Thuy Van Nguyen, Thi; Nguyen, Tri; Nguyen, Phung Anh; Hoang, Tien Cuong; Ha, Cam Anh

    2018-03-01

    By dip-coating technique the thin films of nano-photocatalysts TiO2, Cr-doped TiO2, LaBO3 perovskites (B  =  Fe, Mn, and Co) prepared by sol-gel method, and UiO66-NH2 prepared by a solvothermal were obtained and employed for gas phase degradation of p-xylene. Physicochemical characteristics of the catalysts were examined by the methods of BET, SEM, TEM, XRD, FT-IR, TGA, Raman and UV-vis spectroscopies. The thickness of film was determined by a Veeco-American Dektek 6M instrument. The activity of catalysts was evaluated in deep photooxidation of p-xylene in a microflow reactor at room temperature with the radiation sources of a UV (λ  =  365 nm) and LED lamps (λ  =  400-510 nm). The obtained results showed that TiO2 and TiO2 doped Cr thin films was featured by an anatase phase with nanoparticles of 10-100 nm. Doping TiO2 with 0.1%mol Cr2O3 led to reduce band gap energy from 3.01 down to 1.99 eV and extend the spectrum of photon absorption to the visible region (λ  =  622 nm). LaBO3 perovkite thin films were also featured by a crystal phase with average particle nanosize of 8-40 nm, a BET surface area of 17.6-32.7 m2 g-1 and band gap energy of 1.87-2.20 eV. UiO66-NH2 was obtained in the ball shape of 100-200 nm, a BET surface area of 576 m2 g-1 and a band gap energy of 2.83 eV. The low band gap energy nano-photocatalysts based on Cr-doped TiO2 and LaBO3 perovskites exhibited highly stable and active for photo-degradation of p-xylene in the gas phase under radiation of UV-vis light. Perovskite LaFeO3 and Cr-TiO2 thin films were the best photocatalysts with a decomposition yield being reached up to 1.70 g p-xylene/g cat.

  13. A comparative study of three-terminal Hanle signals in CoFe/SiO{sub 2}/n{sup +}-Si and Cu/SiO{sub 2}/n{sup +}-Si tunnel junctions

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

    Lee, Jeong-Hyeon; Cho, B. K., E-mail: chobk@gist.ac.kr; Grünberg Center for Magnetic Nanomaterials, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology

    We performed three-terminal (3T) Hanle measurement for two types of sample series, CoFe/SiO{sub 2}/n{sup +}-Si and Cu/SiO{sub 2}/n{sup +}-Si, with various tunnel resistances. Clear Hanle signal and anomalous scaling between spin resistance-area product and tunnel resistance-area product were observed in CoFe/SiO{sub 2}/n{sup +}-Si devices. In order to explore the origin of the Hanle signal and the impurity-assisted tunneling effect on the Hanle signal in our devices, Hanle measurement in Cu/SiO{sub 2}/n{sup +}-Si devices was performed as well. However, no detectable Hanle signal was observed in Cu/SiO{sub 2}/n{sup +}-Si, even though a lot of samples with various tunnel resistances were studiedmore » in wide temperature and bias voltage ranges. Through a comparative study, it is found that the impurity-assisted tunneling magnetoresistance mechanism would not play a dominant role in the 3T Hanle signal in CoFe/SiO{sub 2}/n{sup +}-Si tunnel junctions, where the SiO{sub 2} was formed by plasma oxidation to minimize impurities.« less

  14. Characterization of Fe3O4/SiO2/Gd2O(CO3)2 core/shell/shell nanoparticles as T1 and T2 dual mode MRI contrast agent.

    PubMed

    Yang, Meicheng; Gao, Lipeng; Liu, Kai; Luo, Chunhua; Wang, Yiting; Yu, Lei; Peng, Hui; Zhang, Wen

    2015-01-01

    Core/shell/shell structured Fe3O4/SiO2/Gd2O(CO3)2 nanoparticles were successfully synthesized. Their properties as a new type of T1-T2 dual model contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging were investigated. Due to the introduce of a separating SiO2 layer, the magnetic coupling between Gd2O(CO3)2 and Fe3O4 could be modulated by the thickness of SiO2 layer and produce appropriate T1 and T2 signal. Additionally, the existence of Gd(3+) enhances the transverse relaxivity of Fe3O4 possibly because of the magnetic coupling between Gd(3+) and Fe3O4. The Fe3O4/SiO2/Gd2O(CO3)2 nanoparticles exhibit good biocompatibility, showing great potential for biomedical applications. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Magnetic domain configuration of (111)-oriented LaFeO 3 epitaxial thin films

    DOE PAGES

    Hallsteinsen, I.; Moreau, M.; Chopdekar, R. V.; ...

    2017-08-22

    In antiferromagnetic spintronics control of the domains and corresponding spin axis orientation is crucial for devices. Here we investigate the antiferromagnetic axis in (111)-oriented LaFeO 3 SrTiO 3 , which is coupled to structural twin domains. The structural domains have either the orthorhombic a- or b-axis along the in-plane <1more » $$\\bar{1}$$0> cubic directions of the substrate, and the corresponding magnetic domains have the antiferromagnetic axis in the sample plane. Six degenerate antiferromagnetic axes are found corresponding to the <1$$\\bar{1}$$0> and <11$$\\bar{2}$$> in-plane directions. This is in contrast to the biaxial anisotropy in (001)-oriented films and reflects how crystal orientation can be used to control magnetic anisotropy in antiferromagnets.« less

  16. YBa2Cu3O7 thin films on nanocrystalline diamond films for HTSC bolometer

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cui, G.; Beetz, C. P., Jr.; Boerstler, R.; Steinbeck, J.

    1993-01-01

    Superconducting YBa2Cu3O(7-x) films on nanocrystalline diamond thin films have been fabricated. A composite buffer layer system consisting of diamond/Si3N4/YSZ/YBCO was explored for this purpose. The as-deposited YBCO films were superconducting with Tc of about 84 K and a relatively narrow transition width of about 8 K. SEM cross sections of the films showed very sharp interfaces between diamond/Si3N4 and between Si3N4/YSZ. The deposited YBCO film had a surface roughness of about 1000 A, which is suitable for high-temperature superconductive (HTSC) bolometer fabrication. It was also found that preannealing of the nanocrystalline diamond thin films at high temperature was very important for obtaining high-quality YBCO films.

  17. Fast Response and High Sensitivity of ZnO Nanowires-Cobalt Phthalocyanine Heterojunction Based H2S Sensor.

    PubMed

    Kumar, Ashwini; Samanta, Soumen; Singh, Ajay; Roy, Mainak; Singh, Surendra; Basu, Saibal; Chehimi, Mohmad M; Roy, Kallol; Ramgir, Niranjan; Navaneethan, M; Hayakawa, Y; Debnath, Anil K; Aswal, Dinesh K; Gupta, Shiv K

    2015-08-19

    The room temperature chemiresistive response of n-type ZnO nanowire (ZnO NWs) films modified with different thicknesses of p-type cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc) has been studied. With increasing thickness of CoPc (>15 nm), heterojunction films exhibit a transition from n- to p-type conduction due to uniform coating of CoPc on ZnO. The heterojunction films prepared with a 25 nm thick CoPc layer exhibit the highest response (268% at 10 ppm of H2S) and the fastest response (26 s) among all samples. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and work function measurements reveal that electron transfer takes place from ZnO to CoPc, resulting in formation of a p-n junction with a barrier height of 0.4 eV and a depletion layer width of ∼8.9 nm. The detailed XPS analysis suggests that these heterojunction films with 25 nm thick CoPc exhibit the least content of chemisorbed oxygen, enabling the direct interaction of H2S with the CoPc molecule, and therefore exhibit the fastest response. The improved response is attributed to the high susceptibility of the p-n junctions to the H2S gas, which manipulates the depletion layer width and controls the charge transport.

  18. Effect of epitaxial strain on ferroelectric polarization in multiferroic BiFeO3 films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Dae Ho; Lee, Ho Nyung; Biegalski, Michael D.; Christen, Hans M.

    2008-01-01

    Multiferroic BiFeO3 epitaxial films with thicknesses ranging from 40to960nm were grown by pulsed laser deposition on SrTiO3 (001) substrates with SrRuO3 bottom electrodes. X-ray characterization shows that the structure evolves from angularly distorted tetragonal with c /a≈1.04 to more bulklike distorted rhombohedral (c/a≈1.01) as the strain relaxes with increasing thickness. Despite this significant structural evolution, the ferroelectric polarization along the body diagonal of the distorted pseudocubic unit cells, as calculated from measurements along the normal direction, barely changes.

  19. Magnetically Separable MoS2/Fe3O4/nZVI Nanocomposites for the Treatment of Wastewater Containing Cr(VI) and 4-Chlorophenol

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Jingkang; Wang, Ting

    2017-01-01

    With a large specific surface area, high reactivity, and excellent adsorption properties, nano zerovalent iron (nZVI) can degrade a wide variety of contaminants in wastewater. However, aggregation, oxidation, and separation issues greatly impede its wide application. In this study, MoS2/Fe3O4/nZVI nanocomposites were successfully synthesized by a facile step-by-step approach to overcome these problems. MoS2 nanosheets (MNs) acted as an efficient support for nZVI and enriched the organic pollutants nearby, leading to an enhanced removal efficiency. Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) could not only suppress the agglomeration and restacking of MNs, but also facilitate easy separation and recovery of the nanocomposites. The synergistic effect between MNs and Fe3O4 NPs effectively enhanced the reactivity and efficiency of nZVI. In the system, Cr(VI) was reduced to Cr(III) by nZVI in the nanocomposites, and Fe2+ produced in the process was combined with H2O2 to further remove 4-Chlorophenol (4-CP) through a Fenton reaction. Furthermore, the nanocomposites could be easily separated from wastewater by a magnet and be reused for at least five consecutive runs, revealing good reusability. The results demonstrate that the novel nanocomposites are highly efficient and promising for the simultaneous removal of Cr(VI) and 4-CP in wastewater. PMID:28973986

  20. Domain structure of BiFeO3 thin films grown on patterned SrTiO3(001) substrates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nakashima, Seiji; Seto, Shota; Kurokawa, Yuta; Fujisawa, Hironori; Shimizu, Masaru

    2017-10-01

    Recently, new functionalities of ferroelectric domain walls (DWs) have attracted much attention. To realize novel devices using the functionalities of the DWs, techniques to introduce the DWs at arbitrary positions in the ferroelectric thin films are necessary. In this study, we have demonstrated the introduction of the DWs at arbitrary positions in epitaxial BiFeO3 (BFO) thin films using the patterned surface of the SrTiO3 (STO) single-crystal substrate. On the slope pattern of the STO surface, the in-plane orientation of BFO has changed because the in-plane orientation of BFO can be controlled by the step propagation direction of the patterned surface. From the piezoresponse scanning force microscopy and X-ray diffraction reciprocal space mapping results, charged 109° DWs have been introduced into the BFO thin film at the bottom and top of the slope pattern of the STO surface. In addition, the conductivity modulation of the positively charged DW has been observed by current-sensitive atomic force microscopy imaging.