Cathodoluminescent characteristics and light technical parameters of thin-film screens based on oxides and oxysulfides of rare-earth elements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bondar, Vyacheslav D.; Grytsiv, Myroslav; Groodzinsky, Arkady; Vasyliv, Mykhailo

1995-11-01

Results on creation of thin-film single-crystal high-resolution screens with energy control of luminescence color are presented. In order to create phosphor films ion-plasma technology for deposition of yttrium and lanthanum oxides and oxysulfides activated by rare earth elements has been developed. The screen consists of phosphor film on phosphor substrate with different colors of luminescence (e.g. Y2O3-Eu film with red color on Y3Al5O12- Tb, Ce substrate with green color of luminescence). Electron irradiation causes luminescence with color that depends on energy of the electron beam. The physical reason for color change is that electron beam energy defines electron penetration depth. If the energy is weak, only the film is excited. More powerful beam penetrates into the substrate and thus changes the color of luminescence.

Recycling of the anode from spent Ni-MH batteries for synthesis of the lanthanide oxysulfide/oxysulfate compounds used in an oxygen storage and release system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dixini, P. V. M.; Celante, V. G.; Lelis, M. F. F.; Freitas, M. B. J. G.

2014-08-01

In this work, lanthanide oxysulfide/oxysulfate compounds, denominated as an oxygen storage and release system, have been synthesized from the anode electrodes of spent Ni-MH batteries. The rare earth metals have recovered by means of chemical precipitation as a mixture of La2(SO4)3, Ce2(SO4)3, and Nd2(SO4)3. The synthesis of (La·Nd)O2S·CeO2 have been carried out by subjecting a mixture of La2(SO4)3, Ce2(SO4)3, and Nd2(SO4)3 to a heat treatment in a reducing atmosphere up to 1000 °C. The (La·Nd)O2SO4·CeO2 compounds have been obtained after thermal treatment of (La·Nd)O2S·CeO2 in a synthetic air atmosphere. The oxysulfide/oxysulfate compounds have been subjected to thermal cycles, respectively, in synthetic air as well as in an N2-CO atmosphere. The thermogravimetric plot (TG) for (La·Nd)2O2S·CeO2 shows a mass gain of 14.98% w/w in a temperature range of 300-550 °C, which is due to the oxidation of (La·Nd)2O2S·CeO2 to (La·Nd)2O2SO4CeO2, where 2 mol of O2 are added. Likewise, in the (La·Nd)2O2SO4CeO2 thermogravimetric plot, a mass loss of 17.16% w/w is observed in the range of 500-750 °C. This loss of mass can be associated with output of 2 mol of O2 forming again the (La·Nd)2O2S·CeO2. The transformation of the (La·Nd)2·O2S·CeO2 to (La·Nd)2O2SO4CeO2 causes an increase in the macropores.

Cation deficient layered Ruddlesden-Popper-related oxysulfides La2LnMS2O5 (Ln=La, Y; M=Nb, Ta).

PubMed

Cario, Laurent; Popa, Aurelian Florin; Lafond, Alain; Guillot-Deudon, Catherine; Kabbour, Houria; Meerschaut, A; Clarke, Simon J; Adamson, Paul

2007-11-12

The structures of the new oxysulfide Ruddlesden-Popper phases La2LnMS2O5 (Ln=La, Y; M=Nb, Ta) are reported together with an iodide-containing variant: La3-xNb1+xS2O5I2x (0

Use of carbon oxysulfide, a structural analog of CO sub 2 , to study active CO sub 2 transport in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus UTEX 625

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

Miller, A.G.; Espie, G.S.; Canvin, D.T.

1989-07-01

Carbon oxysulfide (carbonyl sulfide, COS) is a close structural analog of CO{sub 2}. Although hydrolysis of COS (to CO{sub 2} and H{sub 2}S) does occur at alkaline pH (> 9), at pH 8.0 the rate of hydrolysis is slow enough to allow investigation of COS as a possible substrate and inhibitor of the active CO{sub 2} transport system of Synechococcus UTEX 625. A light-dependent uptake of COS was observed that was inhibited by CO{sub 2} and the ATPase inhibitor diethylstilbestrol. The COS taken up by the cells could not be recovered when the lights were turned off or when acidmore » was added. Bovine erythrocyte carbonic anhydrase catalyzed the stoichiometric hydrolysis of COS to H{sub 2}S. The active transport of CO{sub 2} was inhibited by COS in an apparently competitive manner. When Na{sup +}-dependent HCO{sub 3}{sup {minus}} transport was allowed in the presence of COS, the extracellular (CO{sub 2}) rose considerably above the equilibrium level. This CO{sub 2} appearing in the medium was derived from the dehydration of transported HCO{sub 3}{sup {minus}} and was leaked from the cells. In the presence of COS the return to the cells of this leaked CO{sub 2} was inhibited. These results showed that the Na{sup +}-dependent HCO{sub 3}{sup {minus}} transport was not inhibited by COS, whereas active CO{sub 2} transport was inhibited. The steady state rate of CO{sub 2} fixation was, however, inhibited about 50% in the presence of COS. This inhibition can be at least partially explained by the significant leakage of CO{sub 2} from the cells that occurred when CO{sub 2} uptake was inhibited by COS. Neither CS{sub 2} nor N{sub 2}O acted like COS. It is concluded that COS is an effective and selective inhibitor of active CO{sub 2} transport.« less

A comprehensive study of magnetic exchanges in the layered oxychalcogenides Sr 3 Fe 2 O 5 Cu 2 Q 2 ( Q = S, Se)

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

Lü, Minfeng; Mentré, Olivier; Gordon, Elijah E.

2017-12-01

The layered oxysulfide Sr3Fe2O5Cu2S2 was prepared, and its crystal structure and magnetic properties were characterized by synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD), powder neutron diffraction (PND), Mössbauer spectroscopy measurements and by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. In addition, the spin exchange interactions leading to the ordered magnetic structure of Sr3Fe2O5Cu2S2 were compared with those of its selenium analogue Sr3Fe2O5Cu2Se2. The oxysulfide Sr3Fe2O5Cu2S2 adopts a G-type antiferromagnetic (AFM) structure at a temperature in the range 485–512 K, which is comparable with the three-dimensional (3D) AFM ordering temperature, TN ≈ 490 K, found for Sr3Fe2O5Cu2Se2. Consistent with this observation, the spin exchange interactions ofmore » the magnetic (Sr3Fe2O5)2+ layers are slightly greater (but comparable) for oxysulfide than for the oxyselenide. Attempts to reduce or oxidize Sr3Fe2O5Cu2S2 using topochemical routes yield metallic Fe.« less

High-Throughput Experimental Approach Capabilities | Materials Science |

Science.gov Websites

NREL High-Throughput Experimental Approach Capabilities High-Throughput Experimental Approach by yellow and is for materials in the upper right sector. NREL's high-throughput experimental ,Te) and oxysulfide sputtering Combi-5: Nitrides and oxynitride sputtering We also have several non

Characterizing energy dependence and count rate performance of a dual scintillator fiber-optic detector for computed tomography.

PubMed

Hoerner, Matthew R; Stepusin, Elliott J; Hyer, Daniel E; Hintenlang, David E

2015-03-01

Kilovoltage (kV) x-rays pose a significant challenge for radiation dosimetry. In the kV energy range, even small differences in material composition can result in significant variations in the absorbed energy between soft tissue and the detector. In addition, the use of electronic systems in light detection has demonstrated measurement losses at high photon fluence rates incident to the detector. This study investigated the feasibility of using a novel dual scintillator detector and whether its response to changes in beam energy from scatter and hardening is readily quantified. The detector incorporates a tissue-equivalent plastic scintillator and a gadolinium oxysulfide scintillator, which has a higher sensitivity to scatter x-rays. The detector was constructed by coupling two scintillators: (1) small cylindrical plastic scintillator, 500 μm in diameter and 2 mm in length, and (2) 100 micron sheet of gadolinium oxysulfide 500 μm in diameter, each to a 2 m long optical fiber, which acts as a light guide to transmit scintillation photons from the sensitive element to a photomultiplier tube. Count rate linearity data were obtained from a wide range of exposure rates delivered from a radiological x-ray tube by adjusting the tube current. The data were fitted to a nonparalyzable dead time model to characterize the time response. The true counting rate was related to the reference free air dose air rate measured with a 0.6 cm(3) Radcal(®) thimble chamber as described in AAPM Report No. 111. Secondary electron and photon spectra were evaluated using Monte Carlo techniques to analyze ionization quenching and photon energy-absorption characteristics from free-in-air and in phantom measurements. The depth/energy dependence of the detector was characterized using a computed tomography dose index QA phantom consisting of nested adult head and body segments. The phantom provided up to 32 cm of acrylic with a compatible 0.6 cm(3) calibrated ionization chamber to measure the

Characterizing energy dependence and count rate performance of a dual scintillator fiber-optic detector for computed tomography

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

Hoerner, Matthew R., E-mail: mrh5038@ufl.edu; Stepusin, Elliott J.; Hyer, Daniel E.

Purpose: Kilovoltage (kV) x-rays pose a significant challenge for radiation dosimetry. In the kV energy range, even small differences in material composition can result in significant variations in the absorbed energy between soft tissue and the detector. In addition, the use of electronic systems in light detection has demonstrated measurement losses at high photon fluence rates incident to the detector. This study investigated the feasibility of using a novel dual scintillator detector and whether its response to changes in beam energy from scatter and hardening is readily quantified. The detector incorporates a tissue-equivalent plastic scintillator and a gadolinium oxysulfide scintillator,more » which has a higher sensitivity to scatter x-rays. Methods: The detector was constructed by coupling two scintillators: (1) small cylindrical plastic scintillator, 500 μm in diameter and 2 mm in length, and (2) 100 micron sheet of gadolinium oxysulfide 500 μm in diameter, each to a 2 m long optical fiber, which acts as a light guide to transmit scintillation photons from the sensitive element to a photomultiplier tube. Count rate linearity data were obtained from a wide range of exposure rates delivered from a radiological x-ray tube by adjusting the tube current. The data were fitted to a nonparalyzable dead time model to characterize the time response. The true counting rate was related to the reference free air dose air rate measured with a 0.6 cm{sup 3} Radcal{sup ®} thimble chamber as described in AAPM Report No. 111. Secondary electron and photon spectra were evaluated using Monte Carlo techniques to analyze ionization quenching and photon energy-absorption characteristics from free-in-air and in phantom measurements. The depth/energy dependence of the detector was characterized using a computed tomography dose index QA phantom consisting of nested adult head and body segments. The phantom provided up to 32 cm of acrylic with a compatible 0.6 cm{sup 3

Synthesis and characterization of physical properties of Gd2O2S:Pr3+ semi-nanoflower phosphor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bagheri, A.; Rezaee Ebrahim Saraee, Kh.; Shakur, H. R.; Zamani Zeinali, H.

2016-05-01

Pure gadolinium oxysulfide phosphor (Gd2O2S) and trivalent praseodymium-doped gadolinium oxysulfide phosphor (Gd2O2S:Pr3+) scintillators with semi-nanoflower crystalline structures were successfully synthesized through a precipitation method and subsequent calcination treatment as a converter for X-ray imaging detectors. The characterization such as the crystal structures and nanostructure of Gd2O2S:Pr3+ scintillator measured by XRD and FeE-SEM experiment. The optical properties of Gd2O2S:Pr3+ scintillator were studied. Luminescence spectra of Gd2O2S:Pr3+ under 320 nm UV excitation show a green emission at near 511 nm corresponding to the 3P0-3H4 of Pr ions. After scintillation properties of synthesized Gd2O2S:Pr3+ scintillator investigated, Gd2O2S:Pr3+ scintillating film fabricated on a glass substrate by a sedimentation method. X-ray imaging of the fabricated scintillators confirmed that the Gd2O2S:Pr3+ scintillator could be used for radiography applications in which good spatial resolution is needed.

Marine Security of Hazardous Chemical Cargo

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-08-26

Division 6.1 Poisonous liquids (by inhalation) Liquid pesticide 6 Division 4.2 Spont. combustible ( pyrophoric ) Barium alloys 7 Division 4.1 Flammable...25167-67-3 10,000 Fire 2.1 Carbon disulfide 75-15-0 20,000 Toxic 3 Carbon oxysulfide [Carbon oxide sulfide (COS)] 463-58-1 10,000 Fire 2.3 Chlorine...acid (conc 50% or greater) [Hydrofluoric acid] 7664-39-3 1,000 Toxic 8 Hydrogen selenide 7/5/7783 500 Toxic 2.3 Hydrogen sulfide 6/4/7783 10,000 Toxic

Nanostructure-Directed Chemical Sensing: The IHSAB Principle and the Effect of Nitrogen and Sulfur Functionalization on Metal Oxide Decorated Interface Response

PubMed Central

Laminack, William I.; Gole, James L.

2013-01-01

The response matrix, as metal oxide nanostructure decorated n-type semiconductor interfaces are modified in situ through direct amination and through treatment with organic sulfides and thiols, is demonstrated. Nanostructured TiO2, SnOx, NiO and CuxO (x = 1,2), in order of decreasing Lewis acidity, are deposited to a porous silicon interface to direct a dominant electron transduction process for reversible chemical sensing in the absence of significant chemical bond formation. The metal oxide sensing sites can be modified to decrease their Lewis acidity in a process appearing to substitute nitrogen or sulfur, providing a weak interaction to form the oxynitrides and oxysulfides. Treatment with triethylamine and diethyl sulfide decreases the Lewis acidity of the metal oxide sites. Treatment with acidic ethane thiol modifies the sensor response in an opposite sense, suggesting that there are thiol (SH) groups present on the surface that provide a Brønsted acidity to the surface. The in situ modification of the metal oxides deposited to the interface changes the reversible interaction with the analytes, NH3 and NO. The observed change for either the more basic oxynitrides or oxysulfides or the apparent Brønsted acid sites produced from the interaction of the thiols do not represent a simple increase in surface basicity or acidity, but appear to involve a change in molecular electronic structure, which is well explained using the recently developed inverse hard and soft acids and bases (IHSAB) model. PMID:28348345

Towards the design of novel cuprate-based superconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yee, Chuck-Hou

The rapid maturation of materials databases combined with recent development of theories seeking to quantitatively link chemical properties to superconductivity in the cuprates provide the context to design novel superconductors. In this talk, we describe a framework designed to search for new superconductors, which combines chemical rules-of-thumb, insights of transition temperatures from dynamical mean-field theory, first-principles electronic structure tools, materials databases and structure prediction via evolutionary algorithms. We apply the framework to design a family of copper oxysulfides and evaluate the prospects of superconductivity.

Atomic layer deposition of Al-incorporated Zn(O,S) thin films with tunable electrical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Helen Hejin; Jayaraman, Ashwin; Heasley, Rachel; Yang, Chuanxi; Hartle, Lauren; Mankad, Ravin; Haight, Richard; Mitzi, David B.; Gunawan, Oki; Gordon, Roy G.

2014-11-01

Zinc oxysulfide, Zn(O,S), films grown by atomic layer deposition were incorporated with aluminum to adjust the carrier concentration. The electron carrier concentration increased up to one order of magnitude from 1019 to 1020 cm-3 with aluminum incorporation and sulfur content in the range of 0 ≤ S/(Zn+Al) ≤ 0.16. However, the carrier concentration decreased by five orders of magnitude from 1019 to 1014 cm-3 for S/(Zn+Al) = 0.34 and decreased even further when S/(Zn+Al) > 0.34. Such tunable electrical properties are potentially useful for graded buffer layers in thin-film photovoltaic applications.

Rare-Earth-compound nanowires, nanotubes, and fullerene-like nanoparticles: synthesis, characterization, and properties.

PubMed

Wang, Xun; Li, Yadong

2003-11-21

Various low-dimensional nanostructures, such as nanowires, nanotubes, nanosheets, and fullerene-like nanoparticles have been selectively synthesized from rare-earth compounds (hydroxides, fluorides) based on a facile hydrothermal method. The subsequent dehydration, sulfidation, and fluoridation processes lead to the formation of rare-earth oxide, oxysulfide, and oxyhalide nanostructures, which can be functionalized further by doping with other rare-earth ions or by coating with metal nanoparticles. Owing to the interesting combination of novel nanostructures and functional compounds, these nanostructures can be expected to bring new opportunities in the vast research areas of and application in biology, catalysts, and optoelectronic devices.

Bulk superconductivity in bismuth oxysulfide Bi4O4S3.

PubMed

Singh, Shiva Kumar; Kumar, Anuj; Gahtori, Bhasker; Shruti; Sharma, Gyaneshwar; Patnaik, Satyabrata; Awana, Veer P S

2012-10-10

A very recent report on the observation of superconductivity in Bi(4)O(4)S(3) [Mizuguchi, Y.; http://arxiv.org/abs/1207.3145] could potentially reignite the search for superconductivity in a broad range of layered sulfides. We report here the synthesis of Bi(4)O(4)S(3) at 500 °C by a vacuum encapsulation technique and its basic characterizations. The as-synthesized Bi(4)O(4)S(3) was contaminated with small amounts of Bi(2)S(3) and Bi impurities. The majority phase was found to be tetragonal (space group I4/mmm) with lattice parameters a = 3.9697(2) Å and c = 41.3520(1) Å. Both AC and DC magnetization measurements confirmed that Bi(4)O(4)S(3) is a bulk superconductor with a superconducting transition temperature (T(c)) of 4.4 K. Isothermal magnetization (M-H) measurements indicated closed loops with clear signatures of flux pinning and irreversible behavior. The lower critical field (H(c1)) at 2 K for the new superconductor was found to be ~15 Oe. Magnetotransport measurements showed a broadening of the resistivity (ρ) and a decrease in T(c) (ρ = 0) with increasing magnetic field. The extrapolated upper critical field H(c2)(0) was ~31 kOe with a corresponding Ginzburg-Landau coherence length of ~100 Å . In the normal state, the ρ ~ T(2) dependence was not indicated. Hall resistivity data showed a nonlinear magnetic field dependence. Our magnetization and electrical transport measurements substantiate the appearance of bulk superconductivity in as-synthesized Bi(4)O(4)S(3). On the other hand, Bi heat-treated at the same temperature is not superconducting, thus excluding the possibility of impurity-driven superconductivity in the newly discovered superconductor Bi(4)O(4)S(3).

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

DOE PAGES

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

2017-02-08

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

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

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

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

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

Co-solvent enhanced zinc oxysulfide buffer layers in Kesterite copper zinc tin selenide solar cells.

PubMed

Steirer, K Xerxes; Garris, Rebekah L; Li, Jian V; Dzara, Michael J; Ndione, Paul F; Ramanathan, Kannan; Repins, Ingrid; Teeter, Glenn; Perkins, Craig L

2015-06-21

A co-solvent, dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), is added to the aqueous chemical "bath" deposition (CBD) process used to grow ZnOS buffer layers for thin film Cu2ZnSnSe4 (CZTSe) solar cells. Device performance improves markedly as fill factors increase from 0.17 to 0.51 upon the co-solvent addition. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses are presented for quasi-in situ CZTSe/CBD-ZnOS interfaces prepared under an inert atmosphere and yield valence band offsets equal to -1.0 eV for both ZnOS preparations. When combined with optical band gap data, conduction band offsets exceed 1 eV for the water and the water/DMSO solutions. XPS measurements show increased downward band bending in the CZTSe absorber layer when the ZnOS buffer layer is deposited from water only. Admittance spectroscopy data shows that the ZnOS deposited from water increases the built-in potential (Vbi) yet these solar cells perform poorly compared to those made with DMSO added. The band energy offsets imply an alternate form of transport through this junction. Possible mechanisms are discussed, which circumvent the otherwise large conduction band spike between CZTSe and ZnOS, and improve functionality with the low-band gap absorber, CZTSe (Eg = 0.96 eV).

Laser-induced fluorescence of phosphors for remote cryogenic thermometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beshears, D. L.; Capps, G. J.; Cates, M. R.; Simmons, C. M.; Schwenterly, S. W.

1990-01-01

Remote cryogenic temperature measurements can be made by inducing fluorescence in phosphors with temperature-dependent emissions and measuring the emission lifetimes. The thermographic phosphor technique can be used for making precision, noncontact, cryogenic-temperature measurements in electrically hostile environments, such as high dc electric or magnetic fields. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is interested in using these thermographic phosphors for mapping hot spots on cryogenic tank walls. Europium-doped lanthanum oxysulfide (La2O2S:Eu) and magnesium fluorogermanate doped with manganese (Mg4FGeO6:Mn) are suitable for low-temperature surface thermometry. Several emission lines, excited by a 337-nm ultraviolet laser, provide fluorescence lifetimes having logarithmic dependence with temperature from 4 to above 125 K. A calibration curve for both La2O2S:Eu and Mg4FGeO6:Mn is presented, as well as emission spectra taken at room temperature and 11 K.

Optical fiber sensor for low dose gamma irradiation monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Andrés, Ana I.; Esteban, Ã.`scar; Embid, Miguel

2016-05-01

An optical fiber gamma ray detector is presented in this work. It is based on a Terbium doped Gadolinium Oxysulfide (Gd2O2S:Tb) scintillating powder which cover a chemically etched polymer fiber tip. This etching improves the fluorescence gathering by the optical fiber. The final diameter has been selected to fulfill the trade-off between light gathering and mechanical strength. Powder has been encapsulated inside a microtube where the fiber tip is immersed. The sensor has been irradiated with different air Kerma doses up to 2 Gy/h with a 137Cs source, and the spectral distribution of the fluorescence intensity has been recorded in a commercial grade CCD spectrometer. The obtained signal-to-noise ratio is good enough even for low doses, which has allowed to reduce the integration time in the spectrometer. The presented results show the feasibility for using low cost equipment to detect/measure ionizing radiation as gamma rays are.

Development of x-ray imaging technique for liquid screening at airport

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

Sulaiman, Nurhani binti, E-mail: nhani.sulaiman@gmail.com; Srisatit, Somyot, E-mail: somyot.s@chula.ac.th

2016-01-22

X-ray imaging technology is a viable option to recognize flammable liquids for the purposes of aviation security. In this study, an X-ray imaging technology was developed whereby, the image viewing system was built with the use of a digital camera coupled with a gadolinium oxysulfide (GOS) fluorescent screen. The camera was equipped with a software for remote control setting of the camera via a USB cable which allows the images to be captured. The image was analysed to determine the average grey level using a software designed by Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0. The data was obtained for various densities ofmore » liquid thickness of 4.5 cm, 6.0 cm and 7.5 cm respectively for X-ray energies ranging from 70 to 200 kVp. In order to verify the reliability of the constructed calibration data, the system was tested with a few types of unknown liquids. The developed system could be conveniently employed for security screening in order to discriminate between a threat and an innocuous liquid.« less

Feasibility evaluation of a neutron grating interferometer with an analyzer grating based on a structured scintillator.

PubMed

Kim, Youngju; Kim, Jongyul; Kim, Daeseung; Hussey, Daniel S; Lee, Seung Wook

2018-03-01

We introduce an analyzer grating based on a structured scintillator fabricated by a gadolinium oxysulfide powder filling method for a symmetric Talbot-Lau neutron grating interferometer. This is an alternative way to analyze the Talbot self-image of a grating interferometer without using an absorption grating to block neutrons. Since the structured scintillator analyzer grating itself generates the signal for neutron detection, we do not need an additional scintillator screen as an absorption analyzer grating. We have developed and tested an analyzer grating based on a structured scintillator in our symmetric Talbot-Lau neutron grating interferometer to produce high fidelity absorption, differential phase, and dark-field contrast images. The acquired images have been compared to results of a grating interferometer utilizing a typical absorption analyzer grating with two commercial scintillation screens. The analyzer grating based on the structured scintillator enhances interference fringe visibility and shows a great potential for economical fabrication, compact system design, and so on. We report the performance of the analyzer grating based on a structured scintillator and evaluate its feasibility for the neutron grating interferometer.

Optoelectronic and Thermoelectric Properties of Bi2OX 2 (X = S, Se, Te) for Solar Cells and Thermoelectric Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azam, Sikander; Khan, Saleem Ayaz; Goumri-Said, Souraya

2018-02-01

We have explored the optoelectronic structure and related thermoelectric properties of Bi2OX 2 (X = S, Se, Te) using density functional theory and spin-orbit coupling (SOC). We report herein calculations of the bandgap of these bismuth sulfides/oxysulfides to participate in the recent debate regarding such values. The generalized gradient approximation calculations corrected using the SOC scheme estimated bandgaps of 0.950 eV, 0.635 eV, and 0.441 eV for Bi2OS2, Bi2OSe2, and Bi2OTe2, respectively, in close agreement with experimental results and showing better accuracy compared with available theoretical calculations. This bandgap range shows the potential use of Bi2OX 2 for solar cell applications. Hence, we derived their optical and thermoelectric properties. Similarly to one of the parent materials, Bi2S3, a semiconductor with special photovoltaic and thermoelectric properties, the present derivatives Bi2OX 2 show promising characteristics for exploration in the near future for use in solar cells and thermoelectric devices.

Feasibility evaluation of a neutron grating interferometer with an analyzer grating based on a structured scintillator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Youngju; Kim, Jongyul; Kim, Daeseung; Hussey, Daniel. S.; Lee, Seung Wook

2018-03-01

We introduce an analyzer grating based on a structured scintillator fabricated by a gadolinium oxysulfide powder filling method for a symmetric Talbot-Lau neutron grating interferometer. This is an alternative way to analyze the Talbot self-image of a grating interferometer without using an absorption grating to block neutrons. Since the structured scintillator analyzer grating itself generates the signal for neutron detection, we do not need an additional scintillator screen as an absorption analyzer grating. We have developed and tested an analyzer grating based on a structured scintillator in our symmetric Talbot-Lau neutron grating interferometer to produce high fidelity absorption, differential phase, and dark-field contrast images. The acquired images have been compared to results of a grating interferometer utilizing a typical absorption analyzer grating with two commercial scintillation screens. The analyzer grating based on the structured scintillator enhances interference fringe visibility and shows a great potential for economical fabrication, compact system design, and so on. We report the performance of the analyzer grating based on a structured scintillator and evaluate its feasibility for the neutron grating interferometer.

Development of x-ray imaging technique for liquid screening at airport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sulaiman, Nurhani binti; Srisatit, Somyot

2016-01-01

X-ray imaging technology is a viable option to recognize flammable liquids for the purposes of aviation security. In this study, an X-ray imaging technology was developed whereby, the image viewing system was built with the use of a digital camera coupled with a gadolinium oxysulfide (GOS) fluorescent screen. The camera was equipped with a software for remote control setting of the camera via a USB cable which allows the images to be captured. The image was analysed to determine the average grey level using a software designed by Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0. The data was obtained for various densities of liquid thickness of 4.5 cm, 6.0 cm and 7.5 cm respectively for X-ray energies ranging from 70 to 200 kVp. In order to verify the reliability of the constructed calibration data, the system was tested with a few types of unknown liquids. The developed system could be conveniently employed for security screening in order to discriminate between a threat and an innocuous liquid.

Behavior and impact of sulfur incorporation in Zinc Oxysulfide alloy grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Jingrui; Tang, Kun; Mao, Haoyuan; Ye, Jiandong; Zhu, Shunming; Xu, Zhonghua; Yao, Zhengrong; Gu, Shulin; Zheng, Youdou

2018-03-01

Highly mismatched ZnO1-xSx:N alloy films with various x were deposited on c-plane sapphire substrates by a near-equilibrium method, metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. The sulfur concentration in the films could be tuned by changing the flow rate of H2S during the growth process. The films that could maintain single phase have an upper limit for x ∼ 0.15, which is smaller than the x values obtained from other non-equilibrium-grown samples (x ∼ 0.23). When x > 0.15, phases other than the wurtzite ZnO (W-ZnO) one appeared. Those phases were ascribed to the sulfur-diluted W-ZnO like phase, low x W-ZnO like phase, and high x W-ZnS like phase. The S contents in different phase has been determined by using Vegard's law and the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Meanwhile, the compositional dependence of the bandgap energy in the ZnO1-xSx alloyed material has been investigated and studied comparing with other reported results. The dispersed bowing parameter b and the mechanism of the phase separation in samples grown by both the near-equilibrium method and the non-equilibrium one have also been discussed based on the difference of the atomic radius and electronegativity of the oxygen and sulfur atoms. Furthermore, the Raman and photoluminescence spectra have shown that the sulfur incorporation may suppress zinc interstitials related defects, while the oxygen vacancies related defects may be easily formed at the same time. These results indicate that ZnO1-xSx films could be beneficial to the realization of p-type doping in ZnO, although no obvious p-type characteristic has been attained in the work yet.

Reinvestigation of the uranium(3.5+) rare-earth oxysulfides "(UO)2LnS3" (Ln = Yb, Y).

PubMed

Jin, Geng Bang; Choi, Eun Sang; Ibers, James A

2009-09-07

Dark-red square plates of the previously reported compounds "(UO)(2)LnS(3)" (Ln = Yb, Y) have been synthesized by solid-state reactions of UOS and YbS or Y(2)S(3) with Sb(2)S(3) as a flux at 1273 K. The structure of these isotypic compounds was reinvestigated by single-crystal X-ray diffraction methods and an inductively coupled plasma experiment. The actual formula of "(UO)(2)LnS(3)" (Ln = Yb, Y) is (U(0.5)Ln(0.5)O)(2)LnS(3), that is, ULn(2)O(2)S(3), which can be charge-balanced with U(4+) and Ln(3+). The layered structure comprises (U/Ln)O(4)S(4) square antiprisms alternating with LnS(6) octahedra. U and Ln1 atoms disorder on the eight-coordinate metal position, but Ln2 atoms occupy the six-coordinate metal position exclusively. UYb(2)O(2)S(3) is a modified Curie-Weiss paramagnet between 293 and 32 K, below which part of the paramagnetic moments go through a possible ferromagnetic transition. The band gaps of ULn(2)O(2)S(3) (Ln = Yb, Y) are around 2 eV.

Enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production from aqueous sulfide/sulfite solution by ZnO0.6S0.4 with simultaneous dye degradation under visible-light irradiation.

PubMed

Chu, Ka Him; Ye, Liqun; Wang, Wei; Wu, Dan; Chan, Donald Ka Long; Zeng, Cuiping; Yip, Ho Yin; Yu, Jimmy C; Wong, Po Keung

2017-09-01

Photocatalytic hydrogen (H 2 ) production was performed by visible-light-driven (VLD) ternary photocatalyst, zinc oxysulfide (ZnO 0.6 S 0.4 ) in the presence of sulfide/sulfite (S 2 2- /SO 3 2- ) sacrificing system, with simultaneous azo-dye Reactive Violet 5 (RV5) degradation. Enhancement in both RV5 degradation and H 2 production was achieved, with the promotion of H 2 production after decolorization of RV5. The effect of initial concentration of RV5 was found to be influential on the enhancement of H 2 during the simultaneous processes, with a maximum of 110% increase of H 2 produced. The mechanism of the simultaneous system was investigated by scavenger study and intermediate analysis, including Fourier transform-infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and total organic carbon (TOC) analysis. It was confirmed that the partial degradation of RV5 and presence of dynamic organic intermediates contributed to the enhancement in H 2 production. The present study revealed the feasibility of developing VLD photocatalysis as a sustainable and environmentally friendly technology for concurrent organic pollutant degradation with energy generation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of Adding Cerium on Microstructure and Morphology of Ce-Based Inclusions Formed in Low-Carbon Steel

PubMed Central

Adabavazeh, Z.; Hwang, W. S.; Su, Y. H.

2017-01-01

Intra-granular Acicular Ferrite (IAF), as one of the most well-known desirable microstructure of ferrite with a chaotic crystallographic orientation, can not only refine the microstructure and retard the propagation of cleavage crack but also provide excellent combination of strength and toughness in steel. The effect of adding cerium on microstructure and controlling proper cerium-based inclusions in order to improve properties in low-carbon commercial steel (SS400) were investigated. The type of inclusions can be controlled by changing S/O ratio and Ce content. Without Ce modification, MnS is a dominate inclusion. After adding Ce, the stable inclusion phases change from AlCeO3 to Ce2O2S. The optimum amount of cerium, 0.0235 wt.%, lead in proper grain refinement and formation of cerium oxide, oxy-sulfide and sulfide inclusions. Having a high amount of cerium results in increasing the number of inclusions significantly as a result it cannot be effective enough and the inclusions will act like barriers for others. It is found that the inclusions with a size of about 4∼7 μm can serve as heterogeneous nucleation sites for AF formation. Thermodynamic calculations have been applied to predict the inclusion formation in this molten steel as well, which show a good agreement with experimental one. PMID:28485376

The magnetic and adsorption properties of ZnO1-xSx nanoparticles.

PubMed

Zhang, Huiyun; Liu, Guixian; Cao, Yanqiang; Chen, Jing; Shen, Kai; Kumar, Ashwini; Xu, Mingxiang; Li, Qi; Xu, Qingyu

2017-10-11

Sulfur is easy to be incorporated into ZnO nanoparticles by the solution-combustion method. Herein, the magnetic and adsorption properties of a series of ZnO 1-x S x (x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, and 0.2) nanoparticles were systematically investigated. The X-ray diffraction patterns show that the as-prepared ZnO 1-x S x nanoparticles have the hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO with a low sulfur content that gradually transforms into the zinc blende structure of ZnS when the x value is greater than 0.1. PL spectra show several bands due to different transitions, which have been explained by the recombination of free excitons or defect-induced transitions. The introduction of sulfur not only modifies the bandgap of ZnO, but also impacts the concentration of Zn vacancies. The as-prepared ZnO shows weak room-temperature ferromagnetism, and the incorporation of sulfur improves the ferromagnetism owing to the increased concentration of Zn vacancies, which may be stabilized by the doped sulfur ions. The adsorption capability of ZnO 1-x S x nanoparticles has been significantly improved, and the process can be well described by the pseudo-first-order kinetic model and the Freundlich isotherm model. The mechanism has been confirmed to be due to the active sulfate groups existing in zinc oxysulfide nanoparticles.

Comparative investigation of the detective quantum efficiency of direct and indirect conversion detector technologies in dedicated breast CT.

PubMed

Kuttig, Jan D; Steiding, Christian; Kolditz, Daniel; Hupfer, Martin; Karolczak, Marek; Kalender, Willi A

2015-06-01

To investigate the dose saving potential of direct-converting CdTe photon-counting detector technology for dedicated breast CT. We analyzed the modulation transfer function (MTF), the noise power spectrum (NPS) and the detective quantum efficiency (DQE) of two detector technologies, suitable for breast CT (BCT): a flat-panel energy-integrating detector with a 70 μm and a 208 μm thick gadolinium oxysulfide (GOS) and a 150 μm thick cesium iodide (CsI) scintillator and a photon-counting detector with a 1000 μm thick CdTe sensor. The measurements for GOS scintillator thicknesses of 70 μm and 208 μm delivered 10% pre-sampled MTF values of 6.6 mm(-1) and 3.2 mm(-1), and DQE(0) values of 23% and 61%. The 10% pre-sampled MTF value for the 150 μm thick CsI scintillator 6.9 mm(-1), and the DQE(0) value was 49%. The CdTe sensor reached a 10% pre-sampled MTF value of 8.5 mm(-1) and a DQE(0) value of 85%. The photon-counting CdTe detector technology allows for significant dose reduction compared to the energy-integrating scintillation detector technology used in BCT today. Our comparative evaluation indicates that a high potential dose saving may be possible for BCT by using CdTe detectors, without loss of spatial resolution. Copyright © 2015 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chalcogenide Perovskites for Solar Energy Harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perera, Samanthe

Methylammonium Lead halide perovskites have recently emerged as a promising candidate for realizing high efficient low cost photovoltaic modules. Charge transport properties of the solution processed halide perovskites are comparable to some of the existing absorbers used in the current PV industry which require sophisticated processing techniques. Due to this simple processing required to achieve high efficiencies, halide perovskites have become an active field of research. As a result, perovskite solar cells are rapidly reaching towards theoretical efficiency limit of close to 30%. It's believed that ionicity inherent to perovskite materials is one of the contributing factors for the excellent charge transport properties of perovskites. Despite the growing interest for solar energy harvesting purposes, these halide perovskites have serious limitations such as toxicity and instability that need to be addressed in order to commercialize the solar cells incorporating them. This dissertation focuses on a new class of ionic semiconductors, chalcogenide perovskites for solar energy harvesting purposes. Coming from the family perovskites they are expected to have same excellent charge transport properties inherent to perovskites due to the ionicity. Inspired by few theoretical studies on chalcogenide perovskites, BaZrS3 and its Ti alloys were synthesized by sulfurizing the oxide counterpart. Structural characterizations have confirmed the predicted distorted perovskite phase. Optical characterizations have verified the direct band gap suitable for thin film single junction solar cells. Anion alloying was demonstrated by synthesizing oxysulfides with widely tunable band gap suitable for applications such as solid state lighting and sensing.

Microstructure, texture evolution and magnetic properties of strip-casting non-oriented 6.5 wt.% Si electrical steel doped with cerium

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

Li, Hao-Ze, E-mail: lhzqq83@163.com; Liu, Hai-Tao; Liu, Zhen-Yu, E-mail: zyliu@mail.neu.edu.cn

A 0.3 mm thick non-oriented 6.5 wt.% Si electrical steel sheet doped with cerium is produced by twin-roll strip casting, hot rolling, warm rolling and annealing. A detailed study of the cerium precipitates in the as-cast strip, microstructure and texture evolution at different processing stages is carried out by electron probe micro-analysis, optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction and electron backscattered diffraction analysis. Grain interior distributing precipitates identified as Ce-oxides, Ce-oxysulfides and Ce-phosphides, and boundary distributing Ce-oxides and Ce-phosphides are observed in the as-cast strip. The initial as-cast strip is characterized by a much finer solidification microstructure and dominated by obvious //ND texture through the strip thickness. After hot and warm rolling, inhomogeneous microstructure containing large amounts of in-grain shear bands is characterized by mixed < 110 >//RD and < 111 >//ND textures. The texture of the annealed sheet with a relatively large average grain size is far more optimized by the domination of the beneficial cube, rotated cube, (001)< 120 > to (001)< 130 > and Goss texture components, and the elimination of the detrimental γ-fiber texture, leading to a superior magnetic induction and improved iron loss. - Highlights: • An Fe–6.5 wt.% Si as-cast strip doped with cerium was produced. • A thin warm rolled sheet with limited edge cracks was obtained. • Microstructure and texture evolution at each stage were investigated. • Strong λ-fiber and Goss recrystallization textures were formed. • The magnetic properties of the annealed sheet were significantly improved.« less

Effects of Reoxidation of Liquid Steel and Slag Composition on the Chemistry Evolution of Inclusions During Electroslag Remelting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Chengbin; Wang, Hui; Li, Jing

2018-06-01

Electroslag remelting (ESR) is increasingly used to produce some varieties of special steels and alloys, mainly because of its ability to provide extreme cleanliness and an excellent solidification structure simultaneously. In the present study, the combined effects of varying SiO2 contents in slag and reoxidation of liquid steel on the chemistry evolution of inclusions and the alloying element content in steel during ESR were investigated. The inclusions in the steel before ESR refining were found to be oxysulfides of patch-type (Ca,Mn)S adhering to a CaO-Al2O3-SiO2-MgO inclusion. The oxide inclusions in both the liquid metal pool and remelted ingots are CaO-Al2O3-MgO and MgAl2O4 together with CaO-Al2O3-SiO2-MgO inclusions (slightly less than 30 pct of the total inclusions), which were confirmed to originate from the reduction of SiO2 from the original oxide inclusions by dissolved Al in liquid steel during ESR. CaO-Al2O3-MgO and MgAl2O4 are newly formed inclusions resulting from the reactions taking place inside liquid steel in the liquid metal pool caused by reoxidation of liquid steel during ESR. Increasing the SiO2 content in slag not only considerably reduced aluminum pickup in parallel with silicon loss during ESR, but also suppressed the decrease in SiO2 content in oxide inclusions. (Ca,Mn)S inclusions were fully removed before liquid metal droplets collected in the liquid metal pool.

X-ray luminescence imaging of water, air, and tissue phantoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lun, Michael C.; Li, Changqing

2018-02-01

X-ray luminescence computed tomography (XLCT) is an emerging hybrid molecular imaging modality. In XLCT, high energy x-ray photons excite phosphors emitting optical photons for tomographic image reconstruction. During XLCT, the optical signal obtained is thought to only originate from the embedded phosphor particles. However, numerous studies have reported other sources of optical photons such as in air, water, and tissue that are generated from ionization. These sources of optical photons will provide background noise and will limit the molecular sensitivity of XLCT imaging. In this study, using a water-cooled electron multiplying charge-coupled device (EMCCD) camera, we performed luminescence imaging of water, air, and several tissue mimicking phantoms including one embedded with a target containing 0.01 mg/mL of europium-doped gadolinium oxysulfide (GOS:Eu3+) particles during x-ray irradiation using a focused x-ray beam with energy less than the Cerenkov radiation threshold. In addition, a spectrograph was used to measure the x-ray luminescence spectrum. The phantom embedded with the GOS:Eu3+ target displayed the greatest luminescence intensity, followed by the tissue phantom, and finally the water phantom. Our results indicate that the x-ray luminescence intensity from a background phantom is equivalent to a GOS:Eu3+ concentration of 0.8 μg/mL. We also found a 3-fold difference in the radioluminescence intensity between liquid water and air. From the measurements of the emission spectra, we found that water produced a broad spectrum and that a tissue-mimicking phantom made from Intralipid had a different x-ray emission spectrum than one made with TiO2 and India ink. The measured spectra suggest that it is better to use Intralipid instead if TiO2 as optical scatterer for future XLCT imaging.

Tungsten Disulfide Nanotubes Reinforced Biodegradable Polymers for Bone Tissue Engineering

PubMed Central

Lalwani, Gaurav; Henslee, Allan M.; Farshid, Behzad; Parmar, Priyanka; Lin, Liangjun; Qin, Yi-Xian; Kasper, F. Kurtis; Mikos, Antonios G.; Sitharaman, Balaji

2013-01-01

In this study, we have investigated the efficacy of inorganic nanotubes as reinforcing agents to improve the mechanical properties of poly(propylene fumarate) (PPF) composites as a function of nanomaterial loading concentration (0.01-0.2 wt%). Tungsten disulfide nanotubes (WSNTs) were used as reinforcing agents in the experimental groups. Single- and multi- walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs and MWCNTs) were used as positive controls, and crosslinked PPF composites were used as baseline control. Mechanical testing (compression and three-point bending) shows a significant enhancement (up to 28-190%) in the mechanical properties (compressive modulus, compressive yield strength, flexural modulus, and flexural yield strength) of WSNT reinforced PPF nanocomposites compared to the baseline control. In comparison to positive controls, at various concentrations, significant improvements in the mechanical properties of WSNT nanocomposites were also observed. In general, the inorganic nanotubes (WSNTs) showed a better (up to 127%) or equivalent mechanical reinforcement compared to carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs and MWCNTs). Sol fraction analysis showed significant increases in the crosslinking density of PPF in the presence of WSNTs (0.01-0.2 wt%). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis on thin sections of crosslinked nanocomposites showed the presence of WSNTs as individual nanotubes in the PPF matrix, whereas SWCNTs and MWCNTs existed as micron sized aggregates. The trend in the surface area of nanostructures obtained by BET surface area analysis was SWCNTs > MWCNTs > WSNTs. The BET surface area analysis, TEM analysis, and sol fraction analysis results taken together suggest that chemical composition (inorganic vs. carbon nanomaterials), presence of functional groups (such as sulfide and oxysulfide), and individual dispersion of the nanomaterials in the polymer matrix (absence of aggregation of the reinforcing agent) are the key parameters affecting the mechanical

Electrodeposition of ZnO-doped films as window layer for Cd-free CIGS-based solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsin, Fabien; Vénérosy, Amélie; Hildebrandt, Thibaud; Hariskos, Dimitrios; Naghavi, Negar; Lincot, Daniel; Rousset, Jean

2016-02-01

The Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) thin film solar cell technology has made a steady progress within the last decade reaching efficiency up to 22.3% on laboratory scale, thus overpassing the highest efficiency for polycrystalline silicon solar cells. High efficiency CIGS modules employ a so-called buffer layer of cadmium sulfide CdS deposited by Chemical Bath Deposition (CBD), which presence and Cd-containing waste present some environmental concerns. A second potential bottleneck for CIGS technology is its window layer made of i-ZnO/ZnO:Al, which is deposited by sputtering requiring expensive vacuum equipment. A non-vacuum deposition of transparent conductive oxide (TCO) relying on simpler equipment with lower investment costs will be more economically attractive, and could increase competitiveness of CIGS-based modules with the mainstream silicon-based technologies. In the frame of Novazolar project, we have developed a low-cost aqueous solution photo assisted electrodeposition process of the ZnO-based window layer for high efficiency CIGS-based solar cells. The window layer deposition have been first optimized on classical CdS buffer layer leading to cells with efficiencies similar to those measured with the sputtered references on the same absorber (15%). The the optimized ZnO doped layer has been adapted to cadmium free devices where the CdS is replaced by chemical bath deposited zinc oxysulfide Zn(S,O) buffer layer. The effect of different growth parameters has been studied on CBD-Zn(S,O)-plated co-evaporated Cu(In,Ga)Se2 substrates provided by the Zentrum für Sonnenenergie-und Wasserstoff-Forschung (ZSW). This optimization of the electrodeposition of ZnO:Cl on CIGS/Zn(S,O) stacks led to record efficiency of 14%, while the reference cell with a sputtered (Zn,Mg)O/ZnO:Al window layer has an efficiency of 15.2%.

Imaging responses of on-site CsI and Gd2O2S flat-panel detectors: Dependence on the tube voltage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeon, Hosang; Chung, Myung Jin; Youn, Seungman; Nam, Jiho; Lee, Jayoung; Park, Dahl; Kim, Wontaek; Ki, Yongkan; Kim, Ho Kyung

2015-07-01

One of the emerging issues in radiography is low-dose imaging to minimize patient's exposure. The scintillating materials employed in most indirect flat-panel detectors show a drastic change of X-ray photon absorption efficiency around their K-edge energies that consequently affects image quality. Using various tube voltages, we investigated the imaging performance of most popular scintillators: cesium iodide (CsI) and gadolinium oxysulfide (Gd2O2S). The integrated detective quantum efficiencies (iDQE) of four detectors installed in the same hospital were evaluated according to the standardized procedure IEC 62220-1 at tube voltages of 40 - 120 kVp. The iDQE values of the Gd2O2S detectors were normalized by those of CsI detectors to exclude the effects of image postprocessing. The contrast-to-noise ratios (CNR) were also evaluated by using an anthropomorphic chest phantom. The iDQE of the CsI detector outperformed that of the Gd2O2S detector over all tube voltages. Moreover, we noted that the iDQE of the Gd2O2S detectors quickly rolled off with decreasing tube voltage under 70 kVp. The CNRs of the two scintillators were similar at 120 kVp. At 60 kVp, however, the CNR of Gd2O2S was about half that of CsI. Compared to the Gd2O2S detectors, variations in the DQE performance of the CsI detectors were relatively immune to variations in the applied tube voltages. Therefore, we claim that Gd2O2S detectors are inappropriate for use in low-tube-voltage imaging (e.g., extremities and pediatrics) with low patient exposure.

Novel applications of diagnostic x-rays in activating photo-agents through x-ray induced visible luminescence from rare-earth particles: an in vitro study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abliz, Erkinay; Collins, Joshua E.; Friedberg, Joseph S.; Kumar, Ajith; Bell, Howard; Waynant, Ronald W.; Tata, Darrell B.

2010-02-01

Photodynamic agents such as Photofrin II (Photo II) utilized in photodynamic therapy (PDT) possess a remarkable property to become preferentially retained within the tumor's micro-environment. Upon the photo-agent's activation through visible light photon absorption, the agents exert their cellular cytotoxicity through type II and type I mechanistic pathways through extensive generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS): singlet oxygen 1O2, superoxide anion O2 -, and hydrogen peroxide H2O2, within the intratumoral environment. Unfortunately, due to shallow visible light penetration depth (~2mm to 5mm) in tissues, the PDT strategy currently has largely been restricted to the treatments of surface tumors, such as the melanomas. Additional invasive strategies through optical fibers are currently utilized in getting the visible light into the intended deep seated targets within the body for PDT. In this communication, we report on a novel strategy in utilizing "soft" energy diagnostic X-rays to indirectly activate Photo II through X-ray induced luminescence from Gadolinium oxysulfide (20 micron dimension) particles doped with Terbium: Gd2O2S:Tb. X-ray induced visible luminescence from Gd2O2S:Tb particles was spectroscopically characterized and the ROS production levels from clinically relevant concentration (10 μg/ml) of Photo II was quantified through changes in the Vitamin C absorbance. ROS kinetics through X-ray induced luminescence was found to be similar to the ROS kinetics from red He-Ne laser exposures used in the clinics. Taken together, in-vitro findings herein provide the basis for future studies in determining the safety and efficacy of this non-invasive X-ray induced luminescence strategy in activating photo-agent in deep seated tumors.

WE-D-17A-02: Evaluation of a Two-Dimensional Optical Dosimeter On Measuring Lateral Profiles of Proton Pencil Beams

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

Hsi, W; Lee, T; Schultz, T

Purpose: To evaluate the accuracy of a two-dimensional optical dosimeter on measuring lateral profiles for spots and scanned fields of proton pencil beams. Methods: A digital camera with a color image senor was utilized to image proton-induced scintillations on Gadolinium-oxysulfide phosphor reflected by a stainless-steel mirror. Intensities of three colors were summed for each pixel with proper spatial-resolution calibration. To benchmark this dosimeter, the field size and penumbra for 100mm square fields of singleenergy pencil-scan protons were measured and compared between this optical dosimeter and an ionization-chamber profiler. Sigma widths of proton spots in air were measured and compared betweenmore » this dosimeter and a commercial optical dosimeter. Clinical proton beams with ranges between 80 mm and 300 mm at CDH proton center were used for this benchmark. Results: Pixel resolutions vary 1.5% between two perpendicular axes. For a pencil-scan field with 302 mm range, measured field sizes and penumbras between two detection systems agreed to 0.5 mm and 0.3 mm, respectively. Sigma widths agree to 0.3 mm between two optical dosimeters for a proton spot with 158 mm range; having widths of 5.76 mm and 5.92 mm for X and Y axes, respectively. Similar agreements were obtained for others beam ranges. This dosimeter was successfully utilizing on mapping the shapes and sizes of proton spots at the technical acceptance of McLaren proton therapy system. Snow-flake spots seen on images indicated the image sensor having pixels damaged by radiations. Minor variations in intensity between different colors were observed. Conclusions: The accuracy of our dosimeter was in good agreement with other established devices in measuring lateral profiles of pencil-scan fields and proton spots. A precise docking mechanism for camera was designed to keep aligned optical path while replacing damaged image senor. Causes for minor variations between emitted color lights will be

Towards an ab initio description of correlated materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yee, Chuck-Hou

the superconducting transition temperatures across the cuprate families. In the second, we extend this idea towards first-principles design of cuprates by exploring a new family of copper oxysulfides.

Flexible radioluminescence imaging for FDG-guided surgery

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

King, Martin T., E-mail: mking@lroc.harvard.edu; J

Purpose: Flexible radioluminescence imaging (Flex-RLI) is an optical method for imaging {sup 18}F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-avid tumors. The authors hypothesize that a gadolinium oxysulfide: terbium (GOS:Tb) flexible scintillator, which loosely conforms to the body contour, can enhance tumor signal-to-background ratio (SBR) compared with RLI, which utilizes a flat scintillator. The purpose of this paper is to characterize flex-RLI with respect to alternative modalities including RLI, beta-RLI (RLI with gamma rejection), and Cerenkov luminescence imaging (CLI). Methods: The photon sensitivity, spatial resolution, and signal linearity of flex-RLI were characterized with in vitro phantoms. In vivo experiments utilizing 13 nude mice inoculated with themore » head and neck (UMSCC1-Luc) cell line were then conducted in accordance with the institutional Administrative Panel on Laboratory Animal Care. After intravenous injection of {sup 18}F-FDG, the tumor SBR values for flex-RLI were compared to those for RLI, beta-RLI, and CLI using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. Results: With respect to photon sensitivity, RLI, beta-RLI, and flex-RLI produced 1216.2, 407.0, and 98.6 times more radiance per second than CLI. Respective full-width half maximum values across a 0.5 mm capillary tube were 6.9, 6.4, 2.2, and 1.5 mm, respectively. Flex-RLI demonstrated a near perfect correlation with {sup 18}F activity (r = 0.99). Signal uniformity for flex-RLI improved after more aggressive homogenization of the GOS powder with the silicone elastomer during formulation. In vivo, the SBR value for flex-RLI (median 1.29; interquartile range 1.18–1.36) was statistically greater than that for RLI (1.08; 1.02–1.14; p < 0.01) by 26%. However, there was no statistically significant difference in SBR values between flex-RLI and beta-RLI (p = 0.92). Furthermore, there was no statistically significant difference in SBR values between flex-RLI and CLI (p = 0.11) in a more limited dataset

SU-D-BRA-07: Applications of Combined KV/MV CBCT Imaging with a High-DQE MV Detector

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

Bazalova-Carter, M; Newson, M; Wang, A

Purpose: To investigate whether a high detection quantum efficiency (DQE) MV detector makes combined kV/MV CBCT clinically practical. Methods: Combined kV/MV CBCT was studied for scan time reduction (STR) and metal artifact reduction (MAR). 6MV CBCT data (dose rate = 0.017 MU/degree) were collected using 1) a novel focused pixelated cadmium tungstate (CWO) scintillator (15mm thickness, DQE(0) = 22%, 0.784mm pixel pitch) coupled to a flat panel imager, and 2) a commercial portal imager with a 133mg/cm{sup 2} gadolinium oxysulfide (GOS) screen (DQE(0) = 1.2%). The 100kVp data were acquired using a commercial imager employing a columnar cesium iodide scintillatormore » (DQE(0) = 70%) with a dose rate of 0.0016 cGy/degree. For STR, MV and kV projections spanning 105° were combined to constitute a complete CBCT scan. Total dose was ∼2cGy and acquisition time was 18s. For MAR, only the metalcorrupted pixels in the kV projections were replaced with MV data resulting in a total dose of less than 1cGy for a 360° scan. Image quality was assessed using an 18-cm diameter electron density phantom with nine tissue inserts, some of which were replaced with steel rods for MAR studies. Results: The CWO contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) was ∼4.0x higher than the GOS CNR and was ∼4.8x lower than the kV CNR when normalized for dose. When CWO MV data were combined with kV data for STR, all contrast inserts were visible, but only two were detectable in the composite kV/GOS image. Metal artifacts were greatly reduced using the kV/MV MAR technique with all contrast inserts clearly visible in the composite kV/CWO image but only two inserts visible in the composite kV/GOS image. Conclusion: We have demonstrated that a high DQE MV detector significantly improves kV/MV CBCT image quality thus enabling scan time reduction and metal artifact reduction without a severe dose penalty. AW and JS-L are employees of Varian, RF is an employee of Siemens.« less

Copper solubility in a basaltic melt and sulfide liquid/silicate melt partition coefficients of Cu and Fe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ripley, Edward M.; Brophy, James G.; Li, Chusi

2002-09-01

The solubility of copper in a sulfur-saturated basaltic melt has been determined at 1245°C as a function of fO 2 and fS 2. Copper solubilities at log fO 2 values between -8 and -11 fall into two distinct populations as a function of fS 2. At log fS 2 values < -1.65, sulfide liquid that coexists with the basaltic glass quenches to sulfur-poor bornite solid solution. At log fS 2 values in excess of -1.65, the sulfide liquid quenches to a complex intergrowth of sulfur-rich bornite and intermediate solid solution. Copper solubilities in the low-fS 2 population range from 594 to 1550 ppm, whereas those in the high-fS 2 population range from 80 to 768 ppm. Sulfide liquid/silicate liquid partition coefficients (D) for Cu and Fe range from 480 to 1303 and 0.7 to 13.6, respectively. Metal-sulfur complexing in the silicate liquid is shown to be insignificant relative to metal-oxide complexing for Fe but permissible for Cu at high fS 2 values. On log D Fe (sulfide-silicate) and log D Cu (sulfide-silicate) vs. 1/2 (log fS 2 - log fO 2) diagrams, both fS 2 populations show distinct but parallel trends. The observation of two D values for any fS 2/fO 2 ratio indicates nonideal mixing of species involved in the exchange reaction. The two distinct trends observed for both Cu and Fe are thought to be due to variations in activity coefficient ratios (e.g., γ FeO/γ FeS and γ CuO 0.5/γ CuS 0.5). Results of the experiments suggest that accurate assessments of fS 2/fO 2 ratios are required for the successful numerical modeling of processes such as the partial melting of sulfide-bearing mantle and the crystallization of sulfide-bearing magmas, as well as the interpretation of sulfide mineralogical zoning. In addition, the experiments provide evidence for oxide or oxy-sulfide complexing for Cu in silicate magmas and suggest that the introduction of externally derived sulfur to mafic magma may be an important process for the formation of Cu-rich disseminated magmatic sulfide ore

Novel applications of diagnostic X-rays in activating a clinical photodynamic drug: Photofrin II through X-ray induced visible luminescence from "rare-earth" formulated particles.

PubMed

Abliz, Erkinay; Collins, Joshua E; Bell, Howard; Tata, Darrell B

2011-01-01

In this communication we report on a novel non-invasive methodology in utilizing "soft" energy diagnostic X-rays to indirectly activate a photo-agent utilized in photodynamic therapy (PDT): Photofrin II (Photo II) through X-ray induced luminescence from Gadolinium Oxysulfide (20 micron dimension) particles doped with Terbium: Gd_{2}O_{2}S:Tb. Photodynamic agents such as Photo II utilized in PDT possess a remarkable property to become preferentially retained within the tumor's micro-environment. Upon the photo-agent's activation through (visible light) photon absorption, the agents exert their cellular cytotoxicity through type I and type II pathways through extensive generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS); namely, singlet oxygen ^{1}O_{2}, superoxide anion O_{2}^{-}, and hydrogen peroxide H_{2}O_{2}, within the intra-tumoral environment. Unfortunately, due to shallow visible light penetration depth (∼ 2 mm to 5 mm) in tissues, the current PDT strategy has largely been restricted to the treatment of surface tumors, such as the melanomas. Additional invasive strategies through optical fibers are currently utilized in getting the visible light into the intended deep seated targets within the body for PDT. X-ray induced visible luminescence from Gd_{2}O_{2}S:Tb particles were spectroscopically characterized, and the potential in-vitro cellular cytotoxicity of Gd_{2}O_{2}S:Tb particles on human glioblastoma cells (due to 48 Hrs Gd_{2}O_{2}S:Tb particle exposure) was screened through the MTS cellular metabolic assay. In-vitro human glioblastoma cellular exposures in presence of Photo II with Gd_{2}O_{2}S:Tb particles were performed in the dark in sterile 96 well tissue culture plates

A piecewise-focused high DQE detector for MV imaging.

PubMed

Star-Lack, Josh; Shedlock, Daniel; Swahn, Dennis; Humber, Dave; Wang, Adam; Hirsh, Hayley; Zentai, George; Sawkey, Daren; Kruger, Isaac; Sun, Mingshan; Abel, Eric; Virshup, Gary; Shin, Mihye; Fahrig, Rebecca

2015-09-01

Electronic portal imagers (EPIDs) with high detective quantum efficiencies (DQEs) are sought to facilitate the use of the megavoltage (MV) radiotherapy treatment beam for image guidance. Potential advantages include high quality (treatment) beam's eye view imaging, and improved cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) generating images with more accurate electron density maps with immunity to metal artifacts. One approach to increasing detector sensitivity is to couple a thick pixelated scintillator array to an active matrix flat panel imager (AMFPI) incorporating amorphous silicon thin film electronics. Cadmium tungstate (CWO) has many desirable scintillation properties including good light output, a high index of refraction, high optical transparency, and reasonable cost. However, due to the 0 1 0 cleave plane inherent in its crystalline structure, the difficulty of cutting and polishing CWO has, in part, limited its study relative to other scintillators such as cesium iodide and bismuth germanate (BGO). The goal of this work was to build and test a focused large-area pixelated "strip" CWO detector. A 361 × 52 mm scintillator assembly that contained a total of 28 072 pixels was constructed. The assembly comprised seven subarrays, each 15 mm thick. Six of the subarrays were fabricated from CWO with a pixel pitch of 0.784 mm, while one array was constructed from BGO for comparison. Focusing was achieved by coupling the arrays to the Varian AS1000 AMFPI through a piecewise linear arc-shaped fiber optic plate. Simulation and experimental studies of modulation transfer function (MTF) and DQE were undertaken using a 6 MV beam, and comparisons were made between the performance of the pixelated strip assembly and the most common EPID configuration comprising a 1 mm-thick copper build-up plate attached to a 133 mg/cm(2) gadolinium oxysulfide scintillator screen (Cu-GOS). Projection radiographs and CBCT images of phantoms were acquired. The work also introduces the use of a

A piecewise-focused high DQE detector for MV imaging

PubMed Central

Star-Lack, Josh; Shedlock, Daniel; Swahn, Dennis; Humber, Dave; Wang, Adam; Hirsh, Hayley; Zentai, George; Sawkey, Daren; Kruger, Isaac; Sun, Mingshan; Abel, Eric; Virshup, Gary; Shin, Mihye; Fahrig, Rebecca

2015-01-01

Purpose: Electronic portal imagers (EPIDs) with high detective quantum efficiencies (DQEs) are sought to facilitate the use of the megavoltage (MV) radiotherapy treatment beam for image guidance. Potential advantages include high quality (treatment) beam’s eye view imaging, and improved cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) generating images with more accurate electron density maps with immunity to metal artifacts. One approach to increasing detector sensitivity is to couple a thick pixelated scintillator array to an active matrix flat panel imager (AMFPI) incorporating amorphous silicon thin film electronics. Cadmium tungstate (CWO) has many desirable scintillation properties including good light output, a high index of refraction, high optical transparency, and reasonable cost. However, due to the 0 1 0 cleave plane inherent in its crystalline structure, the difficulty of cutting and polishing CWO has, in part, limited its study relative to other scintillators such as cesium iodide and bismuth germanate (BGO). The goal of this work was to build and test a focused large-area pixelated “strip” CWO detector. Methods: A 361  ×  52 mm scintillator assembly that contained a total of 28 072 pixels was constructed. The assembly comprised seven subarrays, each 15 mm thick. Six of the subarrays were fabricated from CWO with a pixel pitch of 0.784 mm, while one array was constructed from BGO for comparison. Focusing was achieved by coupling the arrays to the Varian AS1000 AMFPI through a piecewise linear arc-shaped fiber optic plate. Simulation and experimental studies of modulation transfer function (MTF) and DQE were undertaken using a 6 MV beam, and comparisons were made between the performance of the pixelated strip assembly and the most common EPID configuration comprising a 1 mm-thick copper build-up plate attached to a 133 mg/cm2 gadolinium oxysulfide scintillator screen (Cu-GOS). Projection radiographs and CBCT images of phantoms were acquired. The work

UT-CT: A National Resource for Applications of High-Resolution X-ray Computed Tomography in the Geological Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carlson, W. D.; Ketcham, R. A.; Rowe, T. B.

2002-12-01

An NSF-sponsored (EAR-IF) shared multi-user facility dedicated to research applications of high-resolution X-ray computed tomography (CT) in the geological sciences has been in operation since 1997 at the University of Texas at Austin. The centerpiece of the facility is an industrial CT scanner custom-designed for geological applications. Because the instrument can optimize trade-offs among penetrating ability, spatial resolution, density discrimination, imaging modes, and scan times, it can image a very broad range of geological specimens and materials, and thus offers significant advantages over medical scanners and desktop microtomographs. Two tungsten-target X-ray sources (200-kV microfocal and 420-kV) and three X-ray detectors (image-intensifier, high-sensitivity cadmium tungstate linear array, and high-resolution gadolinium-oxysulfide radiographic line scanner) can be used in various combinations to meet specific imaging goals. Further flexibility is provided by multiple imaging modes: second-generation (translate-rotate), third-generation (rotate-only; centered and variably offset), and cone-beam (volume CT). The instrument can accommodate specimens as small as about 1 mm on a side, and as large as 0.5 m in diameter and 1.5 m tall. Applications in petrology and structural geology include measuring crystal sizes and locations to identify mechanisms governing the kinetics of metamorphic reactions; visualizing relationships between alteration zones and abundant macrodiamonds in Siberian eclogites to elucidate metasomatic processes in the mantle; characterizing morphologies of spiral inclusion trails in garnet to test hypotheses of porphyroblast rotation during growth; measuring vesicle size distributions in basaltic flows for determination of elevation at the time of eruption to constrain timing and rates of continental uplift; analysis of the geometry, connectivity, and tortuosity of migmatite leucosomes to define the topology of melt flow paths, for numerical

A novel method for quantification of beam's-eye-view tumor tracking performance.

PubMed

Hu, Yue-Houng; Myronakis, Marios; Rottmann, Joerg; Wang, Adam; Morf, Daniel; Shedlock, Daniel; Baturin, Paul; Star-Lack, Josh; Berbeco, Ross

2017-11-01

scintillator thickness and MLI architecture on tumor tracking performance. Quantification of MV images of lung tissue as an inverse power-law with respect to frequency yields exponent values of β = 3.11 and 3.29 for benign and malignant tissues, respectively. Tracking performance with and without fiducials was found to be generally limited by quantum noise, a factor dominated by quantum detective efficiency (QDE). For generic SLI construction, increasing the scintillator thickness (gadolinium oxysulfide - GOS) from a standard 290 μm to 1720 μm reduces noise to about 10%. However, 81% of this reduction is appreciated between 290 and 1000 μm. In comparing MLI and SLI detectors of equivalent individual GOS layer thickness, the improvement in noise is equal to the number of layers in the detector (i.e., 4) with almost no difference in MTF. Further, improvement in tracking performance was slightly less than the square-root of the reduction in noise, approximately 84-90%. In comparing an MLI detector with an SLI with a GOS scintillator of equivalent total thickness, improvement in object detectability is approximately 34-39%. We have presented a novel method for quantification of tumor tracking quality and have applied this model to evaluate the performance of SLI and MLI EPID designs. We showed that improved tracking quality is primarily limited by improvements in NPS. When compared to very thick scintillator SLI, employing MLI architecture exhibits the same gains in QDE, but by mitigating the effect of optical Swank noise, results in more dramatic improvements in tracking performance. © 2017 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Geochemical Exploration Techniques Applicable in the Search for Copper Deposits

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chaffee, Maurice A.

1975-01-01

Geochemical exploration is an important part of copper-resource evaluation. A large number of geochemical exploration techniques, both proved and untried, are available to the geochemist to use in the search for new copper deposits. Analyses of whole-rock samples have been used in both regional and local geochemical exploration surveys in the search for copper. Analyses of mineral separates, such as biotite, magnetite, and sulfides, have also been used. Analyses of soil samples are widely used in geochemical exploration, especially for localized surveys. It is important to distinguish between residual and transported soil types. Orientation studies should always be conducted prior to a geochemical investigation in a given area in order to determine the best soil horizon and the best size of soil material for sampling in that area. Silty frost boils, caliche, and desert varnish are specialized types of soil samples that might be useful sampling media. Soil gas is a new and potentially valuable geochemical sampling medium, especially in exploring for buried mineral deposits in arid regions. Gaseous products in samples of soil may be related to base-metal deposits and include mercury vapor, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, carbon oxysulfide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, the noble gases, the halogens, and many hydrocarbon compounds. Transported materials that have been used in geochemical sampling programs include glacial float boulders, glacial till, esker gravels, stream sediments, stream-sediment concentrates, and lake sediments. Stream-sediment sampling is probably the most widely used and most successful geochemical exploration technique. Hydrogeochemical exploration programs have utilized hot- and cold-spring waters and their precipitates as well as waters from lakes, streams, and wells. Organic gel found in lakes and at stream mouths is an unproved sampling medium. Suspended material and dissolved gases in any type of water may also be useful

Metal oxide electrocatalysts for alternative energy technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pacquette, Adele Lawren

This dissertation focuses on the development of metal oxide electrocatalysts with varying applications for alternative energy technologies. Interest in utilizing clean, renewable and sustainable sources of energy for powering the planet in the future has received much attention. This will address the growing concern of the need to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. The facile synthesis of metal oxides from earth abundant metals was explored in this work. The electrocatalysts can be incorporated into photoelectrochemical devices, fuel cells, and other energy storage devices. The first section addresses the utilization of semiconductors that can harness solar energy for water splitting to generate hydrogen. An oxysulfide was studied in order to combine the advantageous properties of the stability of metal oxides and the visible light absorbance of metal chalcogenides. Bi 2O2S was synthesized under facile hydrothermal conditions. The band gap of Bi2O2S was smaller than that of its oxide counterpart, Bi2O3. Light absorption by Bi 2O2S was extended to the visible region (>600 nm) in comparison to Bi2O3. The formation of a composite with In 2O3 was formed in order to create a UV irradiation protective coating of the Bi2O2S. The Bi2O2S/In 2O3 composite coupled with a dye CrTPP(Cl) and cocatalysts Pt and Co3O4 was utilized for water splitting under light irradiation to generate hydrogen and oxygen. The second section focuses on improving the stability and light absorption of semiconductors by changing the shapes and morphologies. One of the limitations of semiconductor materials is that recombination of electron-hole pairs occur within the bulk of the materials instead of migration to the surface. Three-dimensional shapes, such as nanorods, can prevent this recombination in comparison to spherical particles. Hierarchical structures, such as dendrites, cubes, and multipods, were synthesized under hydrothermal conditions, in order to reduce recombination and improve

Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Production

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

Hu, Jian

short-circuit photocurrent density of the hybrid device (measured in a 2-electrode configuration) increased significantly without assistance of any external bias, i.e. from ≤1 mA/cm{sup 2} to ~5 mA/cm{sup 2}. With the copper chalcopyrite compounds, we have achieved a STH efficiency of 3.7% in a coplanar configuration with 3 a-Si solar cells and one CuGaSe{sub 2} photocathode. This material class exhibited good durability at a photocurrent density level of -4 mA/cm{sup 2} (“5% STH” equivalent) at a fixed potential (-0.45 VRHE). A poor band-edge alignment with the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) potential was identified as the main limitation for high STH efficiency. Three new pathways have been identified to solve this issue. First, PV driver with bandgap lower than that of amorphous silicon were investigated. Crystalline silicon was identified as possible bottom cell. Mechanical stacks made with one Si solar cell and one CuGaSe{sub 2} photocathode were built. A 400 mV anodic shift was observed with the Si cell, leading to photocurrent density of -5 mA/cm{sup 2} at 0VRHE (compared to 0 mA/cm{sup 2} at the same potential without PV driver). We also investigated the use of p-n junctions to shift CuGaSe{sub 2} flatband potential anodically. Reactively sputtered zinc oxy-sulfide thin films was evaluated as n-type buffer and deposited on CuGaSe{sub 2}. Ruthenium nanoparticles were then added as HER catalyst. A 250 mV anodic shift was observed with the p-n junction, leading to photocurrent density at 0VRHE of -1.5 mA/cm{sup 2}. Combining this device with a Si solar cell in a mechanical stack configuration shifted the onset potential further (+400 mV anodically), leading to photocurrent density of -7 mA/cm{sup 2} at 0VRHE. Finally, we developed wide bandgap copper chalcopyrite thin film materials. We demonstrated that Se can be substituted with S using a simple annealing step. Photocurrent densities in the 5-6 mA/cm{sub 2} range were obtained with red 2.0eV Cu

Solid State Ionics Advanced Materials for Emerging Technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chowdari, B. V. R.; Careem, M. A.; Dissanayake, M. A. K. L.; Rajapakse, R. M. G.; Seneviratne, V. A.

2006-06-01

SiO[symbol]) ceramics via solid state sintering of Zr)[symbol] and SiO[symbol] and the effect of dopants on the zircon yield / U. Dhanayake, B. S. B. Karunaratne. Preparation and properties of vanadium doped ZnTe cermet thin films / M. S. Hossain, R. Islam, K. A. Khan. Dynamical properties and electronic structure of lithium-ion conductor / M. Kobayashi ... [et al.]. Cuprous ion conducting Montmorillonite-Polypyrrole nanocomposites / D. M. M. Krishantha ... [et al.]. Frequency dependence of conductivity studies on a newly synthesized superionic solid solution/mixed system: [0.75AgI: 0.25AgCl] / R. K. Nagarch, R. Kumar. Diffuse X-ray and neutron scattering from Powder PbS / X. Lian ... [et al.]. Electron affinity and work function of Pyrolytic MnO[symbol] thin films prepared from Mn(C[symbol]H[symbol]O[symbol])[symbol].4H[symbol]) / A. K. M. Farid Ul Islam, R. Islam, K. A. Khan. Crystal structure and heat capacity of Ba[symbol]Ca[symbol]Nb[symbol]O[symbol] / T. Shimoyama ... [et al.]. XPS and impedance investigations on amorphous vanadium oxide thin films / M. Kamalanathan ... [et al.]. Sintering and mixed electronic-ionic conducting properties of La[symbol]Sr[symbol]NiO[symbol] derived from a polyaminocarboxylate complex precursor / D.-P. Huang ... [et al.]. Preparation and characteristics of ball milled MgH[symbol] + M (M= Fe, VF[symbol] and FeF[symbol]) nanocomposites for hydrogen storage / N. W. B. Balasooriya, Ch. Poinsignon. Structural studies of oxysulfide glasses by X-ray diffraction and molecular dynamics simulation / R. Prasada Rao, M. Seshasayee, J. Dheepa. Synthesis, sintering and oxygen ionic conducting properties of Bi[symbol]V[symbol]Cu[symbol]O[symbol] / F. Zhang ... [et al.]. Synthesis and transport characteristics of PbI[symbol]-Ag[symbol]O-Cr[symbol]O[symbol] superioninc system / S. A. Suthanthiraraj, V. Mathew. Electronic conductivity of La[symbol]Sr[symbol]Ga[symbol]Mg[symbol]Co[symbol]O[symbol] electrolytes / K. Yamaji ... [et al.] -- pt. II. Electrode materials