III-V/Si wafer bonding using transparent, conductive oxide interlayers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tamboli, Adele C., E-mail: Adele.Tamboli@nrel.gov; Hest, Maikel F. A. M. van; Steiner, Myles A.; Essig, Stephanie; Norman, Andrew G.; Bosco, Nick; Stradins, Paul [National Center for Photovoltaics, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 15013 Denver West Pkwy, Golden, Colorado 80401 (United States); Perl, Emmett E. [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106-9560 (United States)

2015-06-29

We present a method for low temperature plasma-activated direct wafer bonding of III-V materials to Si using a transparent, conductive indium zinc oxide interlayer. The transparent, conductive oxide (TCO) layer provides excellent optical transmission as well as electrical conduction, suggesting suitability for Si/III-V hybrid devices including Si-based tandem solar cells. For bonding temperatures ranging from 100 °C to 350 °C, Ohmic behavior is observed in the sample stacks, with specific contact resistivity below 1 Ω cm{sup 2} for samples bonded at 200 °C. Optical absorption measurements show minimal parasitic light absorption, which is limited by the III-V interlayers necessary for Ohmic contact formation to TCOs. These results are promising for Ga{sub 0.5}In{sub 0.5}P/Si tandem solar cells operating at 1 sun or low concentration conditions.

Nanostructured Transparent Conducting Oxides for Device Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Dutta, Titas

2011-12-01

Research on transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) alternative to indium tin oxide (ITO) has attracted a lot of attention due to the serious concern related to cost and chemical stability of indium tin oxide. The primary aim of this research is to develop low cost alternative transparent conducting oxides with an eye towards (1) increasing the organic solar cell efficiency and (2) fabricating transparent electronic devices utilizing p-type TCOs. To investigate the fundamental properties, the novel TCO films have been grown on sapphire and economical glass substrates using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. The films were also grown under different deposition conditions in order to understand the effect of processing parameters on the film properties. The characteristics of the thin films have been investigated in detail using (X-ray diffraction, TEM, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV- photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), four probe resistivity and UV-Vis transmittance measurements) in order to establish processing-structure-property correlation. ZnO doped with group III elements is a promising candidate because of its superior stability in hydrogen environment, benign nature and relatively inexpensive supply. However, ZnO based TCO films suffer from low work function (4.4 eV, compared to that of 4.8 eV for ITO), which increases the energy barrier and affects the carrier transport across ZnGa0.05O/organic layer interface. To overcome this issue of ZnO based TCOs, the growth of bilayered structure consisting of very thin MoOx (2.0 target composition. These optimized bilayer films exhibited good optical transmittance (≥ 80%) and low resistivity of ˜ 10-4 O-cm. The optimized NiO1+x / GZO and MoOx / GZO bilayers showed significant increase in work function values (˜5.3 eV). The work function of the bilayer films was tuned by varying the processing conditions and doping of over layers. Preliminary test device results of the organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs

Triple-conducting layered perovskites as cathode materials for proton-conducting solid oxide fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Junyoung; Sengodan, Sivaprakash; Kwon, Goeun; Ding, Dong; Shin, Jeeyoung; Liu, Meilin; Kim, Guntae

2014-10-01

We report on an excellent anode-supported H(+) -SOFC material system using a triple conducting (H(+) /O(2-) /e(-) ) oxide (TCO) as a cathode material for H(+) -SOFCs. Generally, mixed ionic (O(2-) ) and electronic conductors (MIECs) have been selected as the cathode material of H(+) -SOFCs. In an H(+) -SOFC system, however, MIEC cathodes limit the electrochemically active sites to the interface between the proton conducting electrolyte and the cathode. New approaches to the tailoring of cathode materials for H(+) -SOFCs should therefore be considered. TCOs can effectively extend the electrochemically active sites from the interface between the cathode and the electrolyte to the entire surface of the cathode. The electrochemical performance of NBSCF/BZCYYb/BZCYYb-NiO shows excellent long term stability for 500 h at 1023 K with high power density of 1.61 W cm(-2) . © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The role of transparent conducting oxides in metal organic chemical vapour deposition of CdTe/CdS Photovoltaic solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Irvine, S.J.C.; Lamb, D.A.; Barrioz, V.; Clayton, A.J.; Brooks, W.S.M.; Rugen-Hankey, S.; Kartopu, G.

2011-01-01

A systematic study is made between the relationship of Cd 0.9 Zn 0.1 S/CdTe photovoltaic (PV) device properties for three different commercial transparent conducting oxide (TCO) materials and some experimental CdO to determine the role of the TCO in device performance. The resistance contribution from the TCO was measured after depositing the gold contact architectures directly onto the TCOs. These were compared with the Cd 0.9 Zn 0.1 S/CdTe device properties using the same contact arrangements. Series resistance for the commercial TCOs correlated with their sheet resistance and gave good agreement with the PV device series resistance for the indium tin oxide (ITO) and fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) 15 Ω/Sq. superstrates. The devices on the thicker FTO 7 Ω/sq superstrates were dominated by a low shunt resistance, which was attributed to the rough surface morphology causing micro-shorts. The device layers on the CdO substrate delaminated but devices were successfully made for ultra-thin CdTe (0.8 μm thick) and compared favourably with the comparable device on ITO. From the measurements on these TCOs it was possible to deduce the back contact resistance and gave an average value of 2 Ω.cm 2 . The correlation of fill factor with series resistance has been compared with the predictions of a 1-D device model and shows excellent agreement. For high efficiency devices the combined series resistance from the TCO and back contact need to be less than 1 Ω.cm 2 .

p-Type Transparent Conducting Oxide/n-Type Semiconductor Heterojunctions for Efficient and Stable Solar Water Oxidation.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Le; Yang, Jinhui; Klaus, Shannon; Lee, Lyman J; Woods-Robinson, Rachel; Ma, Jie; Lum, Yanwei; Cooper, Jason K; Toma, Francesca M; Wang, Lin-Wang; Sharp, Ian D; Bell, Alexis T; Ager, Joel W

2015-08-05

Achieving stable operation of photoanodes used as components of solar water splitting devices is critical to realizing the promise of this renewable energy technology. It is shown that p-type transparent conducting oxides (p-TCOs) can function both as a selective hole contact and corrosion protection layer for photoanodes used in light-driven water oxidation. Using NiCo2O4 as the p-TCO and n-type Si as a prototypical light absorber, a rectifying heterojunction capable of light driven water oxidation was created. By placing the charge separating junction in the Si using a np(+) structure and by incorporating a highly active heterogeneous Ni-Fe oxygen evolution catalyst, efficient light-driven water oxidation can be achieved. In this structure, oxygen evolution under AM1.5G illumination occurs at 0.95 V vs RHE, and the current density at the reversible potential for water oxidation (1.23 V vs RHE) is >25 mA cm(-2). Stable operation was confirmed by observing a constant current density over 72 h and by sensitive measurements of corrosion products in the electrolyte. In situ Raman spectroscopy was employed to investigate structural transformation of NiCo2O4 during electrochemical oxidation. The interface between the light absorber and p-TCO is crucial to produce selective hole conduction to the surface under illumination. For example, annealing to produce more crystalline NiCo2O4 produces only small changes in its hole conductivity, while a thicker SiOx layer is formed at the n-Si/p-NiCo2O4 interface, greatly reducing the PEC performance. The generality of the p-TCO protection approach is demonstrated by multihour, stable, water oxidation with n-InP/p-NiCo2O4 heterojunction photoanodes.

High efficiency bifacial Cu2ZnSnSe4 thin-film solar cells on transparent conducting oxide glass substrates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jung-Sik Kim

2016-09-01

Full Text Available In this work, transparent conducting oxides (TCOs have been employed as a back contact instead of Mo on Cu2ZnSnSe4 (CZTSe thin-film solar cells in order to examine the feasibility of bifacial Cu2ZnSn(S,Se4 (CZTSSe solar cells based on a vacuum process. It is found that the interfacial reaction between flourine doped tin oxide (FTO or indium tin oxide (ITO and the CZTSe precursor is at odds with the conventional CZTSe/Mo reaction. While there is no interfacial reaction on CZTSe/FTO, indium in CZTSe/ITO was significantly diffused into the CZTSe layers; consequently, a SnO2 layer was formed on the ITO substrate. Under bifacial illumination, we achieved a power efficiency of 6.05% and 4.31% for CZTSe/FTO and CZTSe/ITO, respectively.

Limits of transparency of transparent conducting oxides

Science.gov (United States)

Peelaers, Hartwin

A fundamental understanding of the factors that limit transparency in transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) is essential for further progress in materials and applications. These materials have a sufficiently large band gap, so that direct optical transitions do not lead to absorption of light within the visible spectrum. Since the presence of free carriers is essential for conductivity and thus for device applications, this introduces the possibility of additional absorption processes. In particular, indirect processes are possible, and these will constitute a fundamental limit of the material. The Drude theory is widely used to describe free-carrier absorption, but it is phenomenological in nature and tends to work poorly at shorter wavelengths, where band-structure effects are important. We will present calculations of phonon- and defect-assisted free-carrier absorption in a TCO completely from first principles. We will focus in detail on SnO2, but the methodology is general and we will also compare the results obtained for other TCO materials such as In2O3. These calculations provide not just quantitative results but also deeper insights in the mechanisms that govern absorption processes, which is essential for engineering improved materials to be used in more efficient devices. This work was performed in collaboration with E. Kioupakis and C.G. Van de Walle and was supported by ARO and NSF.

Development of high-performance transparent conducting oxides and their impact on the performance of CdS/CdTe solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coutts, T.J.; Wu, X.; Sheldon, P.; Rose, D.H. [National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States)

1998-09-01

This paper begins with a review of the modeled performance of transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) as a function of their free-carrier concentration, mobility, and film thickness. It is shown that it is vital to make a film with high mobility to minimize the width and height of the free-carrier absorption band, and to optimize the optical properties. The free-carrier concentration must be kept sufficiently small that the absorption band does not extend into that part of the spectrum to which the solar cell responds. Despite this consideration, a high electrical conductivity is essential to minimize series resistance losses. Hence, a high mobility is vital for these materials. The fabrication of thin-films of cadmium stannate is then discussed, and their performance is compared with that of tin oxide, both optically and as these materials influence the performance of CdTe solar cells.

Roll-to-roll fabrication of a low-reflectance transparent conducting oxide film with subwavelength structures

Science.gov (United States)

Chou, Ta-Hsin; Cheng, Kuei-Yuan; Hsieh, Chih-Wei; Takaya, Yasuhiro

2012-04-01

The transparent conducting oxide (TCO) film is a significant component in flat panel display, e-paper and touch panel. The tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) material is one of the most popular TCOs. However, ITO has high refractive index, so the phenomenon of high-reflectance limits the wide use of ITO. In this study, the structure and mass production process of new low-reflectance TCO film is verified. Laser interference lithography and the roll-to-roll UV embossing process are used to fabricate subwavelength structures on PET film; then ITO was deposited on structures by roll-to-roll sputtering. When the dimension of structures reaches 300 nm pitch, the optical reflectance and electrical performance of film are reduced to 8.1% at wavelength 550 nm and its transmittance rate is 84.3% at the same wavelength, and the sheet resistance of this film is 50.44 Ω/□. This result indicates that the new TCO proposed in this study is suitable for touch panel and other display applications.

A single-source precursor route to anisotropic halogen-doped zinc oxide particles as a promising candidate for new transparent conducting oxide materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniela Lehr

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Numerous applications in optoelectronics require electrically conducting materials with high optical transparency over the entire visible light range. A solid solution of indium oxide and substantial amounts of tin oxide for electronic doping (ITO is currently the most prominent example for the class of so-called TCOs (transparent conducting oxides. Due to the limited, natural occurrence of indium and its steadily increasing price, it is highly desired to identify materials alternatives containing highly abundant chemical elements. The doping of other metal oxides (e.g., zinc oxide, ZnO is a promising approach, but two problems can be identified. Phase separation might occur at the required high concentration of the doping element, and for successful electronic modification it is mandatory that the introduced heteroelement occupies a defined position in the lattice of the host material. In the case of ZnO, most attention has been attributed so far to n-doping via substitution of Zn2+ by other metals (e.g., Al3+. Here, we present first steps towards n-doped ZnO-based TCO materials via substitution in the anion lattice (O2− versus halogenides. A special approach is presented, using novel single-source precursors containing a potential excerpt of the target lattice 'HalZn·Zn3O3' preorganized on the molecular scale (Hal = I, Br, Cl. We report about the synthesis of the precursors, their transformation into halogene-containing ZnO materials, and finally structural, optical and electronic properties are investigated using a combination of techniques including FT-Raman, low-T photoluminescence, impedance and THz spectroscopies.

Grids on TCO's for higly transparent materials with a resistivity below 1 Ohm/sq

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Deelen, J. van; Rendering, H.; Mannetje, H.H 't; Hovestad, A.

2011-01-01

Various transparent conducting materials are compared based on their transparency versus sheet resistance characteristics. At present, transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) are still superior in performance compared to various recent alternatives and can only be surpassed by the combination of TCOs

Electroplating of electrical circuitry on optoelectronic windows for thin film solar cells on foil

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hovestad, A.; Rendering, H.; Peter, M.; Meinders, E.R.

2010-01-01

In many flexible electronic devices transparent conductive oxide (TCO) window layers are used for current collection. The trade-off between the electrical resistance and optical transmission of TCOs results in power losses. Increasing the electrical conductivity by combining metallic grids with TCOs

Properties of TiO{sub 2}-based transparent conducting oxides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hitosugi, Taro [Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), 213-0012 Kawasaki (Japan); Advanced Institute for Materials Research (WPI-AIMR), Tohoku University, 980-8577 Sendai (Japan); Yamada, Naoomi; Nakao, Shoichiro [Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), 213-0012 Kawasaki (Japan); Hirose, Yasushi; Hasegawa, Tetsuya [Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), 213-0012 Kawasaki (Japan); Department of Chemistry, University of Tokyo, 113-0033 Tokyo (Japan)

2010-07-15

The development and properties of titanium dioxide (TiO{sub 2})-based transparent conducting oxides (TCO), which exhibit properties comparable to those of In{sub 2-x}Sn{sub x}O{sub 3} (ITO), are reviewed in this article. An epitaxial thin film of anatase Ti{sub 0.94}Nb{sub 0.06}O{sub 2} exhibited a resistivity ({rho}) of 2.3 x 10{sup -4}{omega} cm and internal transmittance of {proportional_to}95% in the visible light region. Furthermore, we prepared polycrystalline films with {rho} of 6.4 x 10{sup -4}{omega} cm at room temperature on glass substrates by using sputtering. We focus on characteristics unique to TiO{sub 2}-based TCO, such as a high refractive index, high transmittance in infrared, and high stability in reducing atmospheres. Possible applications of TiO{sub 2}-based TCOs, as well as the mechanism of the transparent conducting properties found in this d-electron-based TCO, are discussed in this review. Photograph showing TiO{sub 2}-based TCO on a transparent plastic film. Note that the film appears greenish due to interference in the film originating from its high refractive index. This high refractive index is one of the unique characteristics of TiO{sub 2}-based TCO. (Abstract Copyright [2010], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Influence of oblique-angle sputtered transparent conducting oxides on performance of Si-based thin film solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leem, Jung Woo; Yu, Jae Su

2011-01-01

The transparent conducting oxide (TCO) films with low-refractive-index (low-n) are fabricated by the oblique-angle sputtering method. By using the experimentally measured physical data of the fabricated low-n TCO films as the simulation parameters, the effect of low-n TCOs on the performance of a-Si:H/μc-Si:H tandem thin film solar cells is investigated using Silvaco ATLAS. The Al-doped zinc oxide, indium tin oxide (ITO), and Sb-doped tin oxide films are deposited at the flux incidence angles of θ i = 0 (normal sputtering) and θ i = 80 from the sputtering target during the sputtering process. The oblique-angle sputtered films at θ i = 80 show the inclined columnar nanostructures compared to those at θ i = 0 , modifying the optical properties of the films. This is caused mainly by the increase of porosity within the film which leads to its low-n characteristics. The a-Si:H/μc-Si:H tandem thin film solar cell incorporated with the low-n ITO film exhibits an improvement in the conversion efficiency of ∝1% under AM1.5g illumination because of its higher transmittance and lower absorption compared to that with the ITO film at θ i = 0 , indicating a conversion efficiency of 13.75%. (Copyright copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Influence of sputtering deposition parameters on electrical and optical properties of aluminium-doped zinc oxide thin films for photovoltaic applications

Science.gov (United States)

Krawczak, Ewelina; Agata, Zdyb; Gulkowski, Slawomir; Fave, Alain; Fourmond, Erwann

2017-11-01

Transparent Conductive Oxides (TCOs) characterized by high visible transmittance and low electrical resistivity play an important role in photovoltaic technology. Aluminum doped zinc oxide (AZO) is one of the TCOs that can find its application in thin film solar cells (CIGS or CdTe PV technology) as well as in other microelectronic applications. In this paper some optical and electrical properties of ZnO:Al thin films deposited by RF magnetron sputtering method have been investigated. AZO layers have been deposited on the soda lime glass substrates with use of variable technological parameters such as pressure in the deposition chamber, power applied and temperature during the process. The composition of AZO films has been investigated by EDS method. Thickness and refraction index of the deposited layers in dependence on certain technological parameters of sputtering process have been determined by spectroscopic ellipsometry. The measurements of transmittance and sheet resistance were also performed.

Influence of sputtering deposition parameters on electrical and optical properties of aluminium-doped zinc oxide thin films for photovoltaic applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krawczak Ewelina

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Transparent Conductive Oxides (TCOs characterized by high visible transmittance and low electrical resistivity play an important role in photovoltaic technology. Aluminum doped zinc oxide (AZO is one of the TCOs that can find its application in thin film solar cells (CIGS or CdTe PV technology as well as in other microelectronic applications. In this paper some optical and electrical properties of ZnO:Al thin films deposited by RF magnetron sputtering method have been investigated. AZO layers have been deposited on the soda lime glass substrates with use of variable technological parameters such as pressure in the deposition chamber, power applied and temperature during the process. The composition of AZO films has been investigated by EDS method. Thickness and refraction index of the deposited layers in dependence on certain technological parameters of sputtering process have been determined by spectroscopic ellipsometry. The measurements of transmittance and sheet resistance were also performed.

Transparent semiconducting oxides: materials and devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grundmann, Marius; Frenzel, Heiko; Lajn, Alexander; Lorenz, Michael; Schein, Friedrich; von Wenckstern, Holger [Universitaet Leipzig, Institut fuer Experimentelle Physik II, Linnestr. 5, 04103 Leipzig (Germany)

2010-06-15

Transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) are a well-known material class allowing Ohmic conduction. A large free carrier concentration in the 10{sup 21} cm{sup -3} range and high conductivity (beyond 10{sup 4} S/cm) is feasible simultaneously with high transparency. Applications are manifold and include touch screens and front contacts for displays or solar cells. Transparent semiconducting oxides (TSO) are oxides with an intermediate free carrier concentration (typically 10{sup 14}-10{sup 18} cm{sup -3}) allowing the formation of depletion layers. We review recent results on TSO-based transistors and inverters. Most work has been reported on MISFETs. We show that MESFETs exhibit high performance and low voltage operation of oxide electronics. MESFET-based inverters offer superior performance compared to results reported for TSO MISFET-based circuits. Optical image of inverter based on thin film MESFETs with Mg{sub 0.003}Zn{sub 0.997}O channels (left) and experimental inverter characteristic for supply voltage of V{sub DD} = + 2.0 V (right). (Abstract Copyright [2010], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Influence of oblique-angle sputtered transparent conducting oxides on performance of Si-based thin film solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leem, Jung Woo; Yu, Jae Su [Department of Electronics and Radio Engineering, Kyung Hee University, 1 Seocheon-dong, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 446-701 (Korea, Republic of)

2011-09-15

The transparent conducting oxide (TCO) films with low-refractive-index (low-n) are fabricated by the oblique-angle sputtering method. By using the experimentally measured physical data of the fabricated low-n TCO films as the simulation parameters, the effect of low-n TCOs on the performance of a-Si:H/{mu}c-Si:H tandem thin film solar cells is investigated using Silvaco ATLAS. The Al-doped zinc oxide, indium tin oxide (ITO), and Sb-doped tin oxide films are deposited at the flux incidence angles of {theta}{sub i} = 0 (normal sputtering) and {theta}{sub i} = 80 from the sputtering target during the sputtering process. The oblique-angle sputtered films at {theta}{sub i} = 80 show the inclined columnar nanostructures compared to those at {theta}{sub i} = 0 , modifying the optical properties of the films. This is caused mainly by the increase of porosity within the film which leads to its low-n characteristics. The a-Si:H/{mu}c-Si:H tandem thin film solar cell incorporated with the low-n ITO film exhibits an improvement in the conversion efficiency of {proportional_to}1% under AM1.5g illumination because of its higher transmittance and lower absorption compared to that with the ITO film at {theta}{sub i} = 0 , indicating a conversion efficiency of 13.75%. (Copyright copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Transparent conducting oxide layers for thin film silicon solar cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rath, J.K.; Liu, Y.; de Jong, M.M.; de Wild, J.; Schuttauf, J.A.; Brinza, M.; Schropp, R.E.I.

2009-01-01

Texture etching of ZnO:1%Al layers using diluted HCl solution provides excellent TCOs with crater type surface features for the front contact of superstrate type of thin film silicon solar cells. The texture etched ZnO:Al definitely gives superior performance than Asahi SnO2:F TCO in case of

Controlling the optical performance of transparent conducting oxides using direct laser interference patterning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berger, Jana; Roch, Teja; Correia, Stelio; Eberhardt, Jens; Lasagni, Andrés Fabián

2016-01-01

In this study, a laser based process called Direct Laser Interference Patterning (DLIP) was used to fabricate micro-textured boron doped zinc oxide (ZnO:B) thin films to be used as electrodes in thin-film silicon solar cells. First, the ablation thresholds of the ZnO:B film were determined using a nanosecond pulsed laser at wavelengths of 266 and 355 nm (100 mJ/cm"2 and 89 mJ/cm"2, respectively). After that, DLIP experiments were performed at 355 nm wavelength. Line-like periodic surface structures with spatial periods ranging from 0.8 to 5.0 μm were fabricated using two interfering laser beams. It was found that the structuring process of the transparent conducting oxide (TCO) is mainly based on a photo-thermal mechanism. The surface of the ZnO:B film was molten and evaporated at the interference maxima positions and the depth and width of the generated microfeatures depend on the laser parameters as well as the spatial period of the interference pattern. The optical properties of the structured TCOs were investigated as a function of the utilized laser processing parameters. Both diffuse and total transmission and the intensity of the diffraction orders were determined. These data were used to calculate the increase of the optical path of the transmitted light. - Highlights: • Direct Laser Interference Patterning (DLIP) on boron doped zinc oxide (LPCVD-ZnO:B) • No relevant decrease of total transmission • Periods of 1.5 μm provide large diffraction angle and good diffraction intensity. • Significant increase of optical path length could be reached.

Controlling the optical performance of transparent conducting oxides using direct laser interference patterning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berger, Jana; Roch, Teja [Fraunhofer-Institut für Werkstoff-und Strahltechnik IWS, Winterbergstr. 28, 01277 Dresden (Germany); Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Manufacturing Technology, George-Baehr-Str.1, 01069 Dresden (Germany); Correia, Stelio; Eberhardt, Jens [Bosch Solar Energy AG, August-Broemel-Str. 6, 99310 Arnstadt (Germany); Lasagni, Andrés Fabián, E-mail: andres_fabian.lasagni@tu-dresden.de [Fraunhofer-Institut für Werkstoff-und Strahltechnik IWS, Winterbergstr. 28, 01277 Dresden (Germany); Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Manufacturing Technology, George-Baehr-Str.1, 01069 Dresden (Germany)

2016-08-01

In this study, a laser based process called Direct Laser Interference Patterning (DLIP) was used to fabricate micro-textured boron doped zinc oxide (ZnO:B) thin films to be used as electrodes in thin-film silicon solar cells. First, the ablation thresholds of the ZnO:B film were determined using a nanosecond pulsed laser at wavelengths of 266 and 355 nm (100 mJ/cm{sup 2} and 89 mJ/cm{sup 2}, respectively). After that, DLIP experiments were performed at 355 nm wavelength. Line-like periodic surface structures with spatial periods ranging from 0.8 to 5.0 μm were fabricated using two interfering laser beams. It was found that the structuring process of the transparent conducting oxide (TCO) is mainly based on a photo-thermal mechanism. The surface of the ZnO:B film was molten and evaporated at the interference maxima positions and the depth and width of the generated microfeatures depend on the laser parameters as well as the spatial period of the interference pattern. The optical properties of the structured TCOs were investigated as a function of the utilized laser processing parameters. Both diffuse and total transmission and the intensity of the diffraction orders were determined. These data were used to calculate the increase of the optical path of the transmitted light. - Highlights: • Direct Laser Interference Patterning (DLIP) on boron doped zinc oxide (LPCVD-ZnO:B) • No relevant decrease of total transmission • Periods of 1.5 μm provide large diffraction angle and good diffraction intensity. • Significant increase of optical path length could be reached.

Ultra-fast transient plasmonics using transparent conductive oxides

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrera, Marcello; Carnemolla, Enrico G.

2018-02-01

During the last decade, plasmonic- and metamaterial-based applications have revolutionized the field of integrated photonics by allowing for deep subwavelength confinement and full control over the effective permittivity and permeability of the optical environment. However, despite the numerous remarkable proofs of principle that have been experimentally demonstrated, few key issues remain preventing a widespread of nanophotonic technologies. Among these fundamental limitations, we remind the large ohmic losses, incompatibility with semiconductor industry standards, and largely reduced dynamic tunability of the optical properties. In this article, in the larger context of the new emerging field of all-dielectric nanophotonics, we present our recent progresses towards the study of large optical nonlinearities in transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) also giving a general overview of the most relevant and recent experimental attainments using TCO-based technology. However, it is important to underline that the present article does not represent a review paper but rather an original work with a broad introduction. Our work lays in a sort of ‘hybrid’ zone in the middle between high index contrast systems, whose behaviour is well described by applying Mie scattering theory, and standard plasmonic elements where optical modes originate from the electromagnetic coupling with the electronic plasma at the metal-to-dielectric interface. Beside remaining in the context of plasmonic technologies and retaining all the fundamental peculiarities that promoted the success of plasmonics in the first place, our strategy has the additional advantage to allow for large and ultra-fast tunability of the effective complex refractive index by accessing the index-near-zero regime in bulk materials at telecom wavelength.

Developing New TCOs for Renewable Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Ginley, David

2013-03-01

Transparent conducting oxides are enabling for a broad range of optoelectronic technologies. Not only are conductivity and transparency critical but many other factors are critical including: carrier type, processing conditions, work function, chemical stability, and interface properties. The historical set of materials cannot meet all these needs. This has driven a renaissance in new materials development and approaches to transparent contacts. We will discuss these new developments in general and in the context of photovoltaics specifically. We will present results on new materials and also the development bilayer structrues that enable charge selective contacts. Materials set includes amorphous materials for hybrid solar cells like InZnO and ZnSnO, it includes Nb and Ta doped TiO2 as a high refractive index TCO and it includes the use of thin n- and p-type oxides as electron and hole selective contacts such as has been demonstrated for organic photovotaics. This work is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, under Contract No. DE-AC36-08GO28308 to NREL as a part of the DOE Energy Frontier Research Center ``Center for Inverse Design'' and through the US Department of Energy under Contract no. DOE-AC36-08GO28308 through the National Center for Photovoltaics.

Subnanometer-accuracy optical distance ruler based on fluorescence quenching by transparent conductors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Moerland, R.J.; Hoogenboom, J.P.

2016-01-01

Available data: Complex refractive index of Indium Tin Oxide, http://dx.doi.org/10.4121/uuid:59febf27-a532-4ac9-8ec0-29d4195b2c8c Transparent conductive oxides (TCOs), such as the well-known indium-tin oxide, find widespread use in modern (nano)technological applications because of their unique

Transparent conducting oxides and production thereof

Science.gov (United States)

Gessert, Timothy A.; Yoshida, Yuki; Coutts, Timothy J.

2014-06-10

Transparent conducting oxides and production thereof are disclosed. An exemplary method of producing a transparent conducting oxide (TCO) material may comprise: providing a TCO target doped with either a high-permittivity oxide or a low-permittivity oxide in a process chamber. The method may also comprise depositing a metal oxide on the target in the process chamber to form a thin film having enhanced optical properties without substantially decreasing electrical quality.

Sputtered tin oxide and titanium oxide thin films as alternative transparent conductive oxides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boltz, Janika

2011-12-12

Alternative transparent conductive oxides to tin doped indium oxide have been investigated. In this work, antimony doped tin oxide and niobium doped titanium oxide have been studied with the aim to prepare transparent and conductive films. Antimony doped tin oxide and niobium doped titanium oxide belong to different groups of oxides; tin oxide is a soft oxide, while titanium oxide is a hard oxide. Both oxides are isolating materials, in case the stoichiometry is SnO{sub 2} and TiO{sub 2}. In order to achieve transparent and conductive films free carriers have to be generated by oxygen vacancies, by metal ions at interstitial positions in the crystal lattice or by cation doping with Sb or Nb, respectively. Antimony doped tin oxide and niobium doped titanium oxide films have been prepared by reactive direct current magnetron sputtering (dc MS) from metallic targets. The process parameters and the doping concentration in the films have been varied. The films have been electrically, optically and structurally analysed in order to analyse the influence of the process parameters and the doping concentration on the film properties. Post-deposition treatments of the films have been performed in order to improve the film properties. For the deposition of transparent and conductive tin oxide, the dominant parameter during the deposition is the oxygen content in the sputtering gas. The Sb incorporation as doping atoms has a minor influence on the electrical, optical and structural properties. Within a narrow oxygen content in the sputtering gas highly transparent and conductive tin oxide films have been prepared. In this study, the lowest resistivity in the as deposited state is 2.9 m{omega} cm for undoped tin oxide without any postdeposition treatment. The minimum resistivity is related to a transition to crystalline films with the stoichiometry of SnO{sub 2}. At higher oxygen content the films turn out to have a higher resistivity due to an oxygen excess. After post

Reversible solid oxide fuel cells (R-SOFCs) with chemically stable proton-conducting oxides

KAUST Repository

Bi, Lei

2015-07-01

Proton-conducting oxides offer a promising way of lowering the working temperature of solid oxide cells to the intermediate temperate range (500 to 700. °C) due to their better ionic conductivity. In addition, the application of proton-conducting oxides in both solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and sold oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) provides unique advantages compared with the use of conventional oxygen-ion conducting conductors, including the formation of water at the air electrode site. Since the discovery of proton conduction in some oxides about 30. years ago, the development of proton-conducting oxides in SOFCs and SOECs (the reverse mode of SOFCs) has gained increased attention. This paper briefly summarizes the development in the recent years of R-SOFCs with proton-conducting electrolytes, focusing on discussing the importance of adopting chemically stable materials in both fuel cell and electrolysis modes. The development of electrode materials for proton-conducting R-SOFCs is also discussed. © 2015 Elsevier B.V.

Electrical conductivity of uranium-antimony oxide catalysts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Golunski, S.E.; Nevell, T.G.; Hucknall, D.J.

1985-01-01

The relative ionic and electronic contributions to the electrical conductivity of a uranium-antimony oxide catalyst and of USbO 5 have been determined from measurements of a.c. and d.c. conductance. Under inert atmospheres (390 to 775 K) conduction in the catalyst (predominantly USb 3 O 10 together with small proportions of Sb 2 O 4 and USbO 5 ) is associated with both electronic and effectively charged atomic point defects. Only electronic conduction occurs in USbO 5 . Under oxygen (10 to 70 kPa, 493 to 682 K) both materials are n-type semiconductors at higher temperatures, but at lower temperatures semiconducting behaviour varies with the pressure of oxygen. Heating USbO 5 in oxygen induces an ionic contribution to conductivity. Ionic conduction in the catalyst is eliminated by heating in hydrogen or propene at 470 K but is restored by heating in oxygen. It is suggested that both charged oxygen vacancies and interstitial oxide ions are involved in interactions of gaseous components with uranium-antimony oxides. With alkenes, interstitial oxide ions give rise to the products of selective partial oxidation. (author)

Electrical conductivity of uranium-antimony oxide catalysts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Golunski, S.E.; Nevell, T.G. (Portsmouth Polytechnic (UK)); Hucknall, D.J. (Southampton Univ. (UK). Dept. of Chemistry)

1985-05-01

The relative ionic and electronic contributions to the electrical conductivity of a uranium-antimony oxide catalyst and of USbO/sub 5/ have been determined from measurements of a.c. and d.c. conductance. Under inert atmospheres (390 to 775 K) conduction in the catalyst (predominantly USb/sub 3/O/sub 10/ together with small proportions of Sb/sub 2/O/sub 4/ and USbO/sub 5/) is associated with both electronic and effectively charged atomic point defects. Only electronic conduction occurs in USbO/sub 5/. Under oxygen (10 to 70 kPa, 493 to 682 K) both materials are n-type semiconductors at higher temperatures, but at lower temperatures semiconducting behaviour varies with the pressure of oxygen. Heating USbO/sub 5/ in oxygen induces an ionic contribution to conductivity. Ionic conduction in the catalyst is eliminated by heating in hydrogen or propene at 470 K but is restored by heating in oxygen. It is suggested that both charged oxygen vacancies and interstitial oxide ions are involved in interactions of gaseous components with uranium-antimony oxides. With alkenes, interstitial oxide ions give rise to the products of selective partial oxidation.

Use of TCO as splitter in the optical splitting system for solar cells combination: a simulation study

Science.gov (United States)

Ayala-Mató, F.; Seuret-Jiménez, D.; Vigil-Galán, O.; Escobedo Alatorre, J. J.

2017-10-01

Transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) are evaluated as optical splitters in combined single thin film solar cells by using theoretical considerations. The optical properties of TCOs (transmittance and reflectance) are calculated using the Drude theory for free carriers. To improve the overall efficiency of the combined solar cells, the optical properties of the TCOs are studied as a function of the electron concentration and thickness, to obtain the best fit with the external quantum efficiency (EQE) of the solar cells in each case. The optimum values of the above parameters are obtained by applying a modified version of the Hooke-Jeeves method. To validate the proposal of the use of a TCO as the splitter, the short circuit current is calculated for several combined solar cell systems and the results are compared with those obtained using more sophisticated and expensive splitters, reported in the literature. The experimental results using a commercial TCO are presented, to verify the validity and feasibility of the novel concept.

On the Performance of Carbon Nanotubes in Extreme Conditions and in the Presence of Microwaves

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

been considered for use as transparent conductors include: transparent conducting oxides (TCOs), intrinsically conducting polymers (ICPs), graphene ...optical transmission properties, but are extremely sensitive to environmental conditions (such as temperature and humidity). Graphene has recently...during the dicing procedure, silver paint was applied to the sample to serve as improvised contact/probe-landing points. Figure 1 shows the CNT thin

Highly Conductive One-Dimensional Manganese Oxide Wires by Coating with Graphene Oxides

Science.gov (United States)

Tojo, Tomohiro; Shinohara, Masaki; Fujisawa, Kazunori; Muramatsu, Hiroyuki; Hayashi, Takuya; Ahm Kim, Yoong; Endo, Morinobu

2012-10-01

Through coating with graphene oxides, we have developed a chemical route to the bulk production of long, thin manganese oxide (MnO2) nanowires that have high electrical conductivity. The average diameter of these hybrid nanowires is about 25 nm, and their average length is about 800 nm. The high electrical conductivity of these nanowires (ca. 189.51+/-4.51 µS) is ascribed to the homogeneous coating with conductive graphene oxides as well as the presence of non-bonding manganese atoms. The growth mechanism of the nanowires is theoretically supported by the initiation of morphological conversion from graphene oxide to wrapped structures through the formation of covalent bonds between manganese and oxygen atoms at the graphene oxide edge.

Transparent conducting oxide nanotubes

Science.gov (United States)

Alivov, Yahya; Singh, Vivek; Ding, Yuchen; Nagpal, Prashant

2014-09-01

Thin film or porous membranes made of hollow, transparent, conducting oxide (TCO) nanotubes, with high chemical stability, functionalized surfaces and large surface areas, can provide an excellent platform for a wide variety of nanostructured photovoltaic, photodetector, photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic devices. While large-bandgap oxide semiconductors offer transparency for incident light (below their nominal bandgap), their low carrier concentration and poor conductivity makes them unsuitable for charge conduction. Moreover, materials with high conductivity have nominally low bandgaps and hence poor light transmittance. Here, we demonstrate thin films and membranes made from TiO2 nanotubes heavily-doped with shallow Niobium (Nb) donors (up to 10%, without phase segregation), using a modified electrochemical anodization process, to fabricate transparent conducting hollow nanotubes. Temperature dependent current-voltage characteristics revealed that TiO2 TCO nanotubes, doped with 10% Nb, show metal-like behavior with resistivity decreasing from 6.5 × 10-4 Ωcm at T = 300 K (compared to 6.5 × 10-1 Ωcm for nominally undoped nanotubes) to 2.2 × 10-4 Ωcm at T = 20 K. Optical properties, studied by reflectance measurements, showed light transmittance up to 90%, within wavelength range 400 nm-1000 nm. Nb doping also improves the field emission properties of TCO nanotubes demonstrating an order of magnitude increase in field-emitter current, compared to undoped samples.

Ultraviolet laser crystallized ZnO:Al films on sapphire with high Hall mobility for simultaneous enhancement of conductivity and transparency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nian, Qiong; Zhang, Martin Y.; Schwartz, Bradley D.; Cheng, Gary J.

2014-01-01

One of the most challenging issues in transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) is to improve their conductivity without compromising transparency. High conductivity in TCO films often comes from a high carrier concentration, which is detrimental to transparency due to free carrier absorption. Here we show that UV laser crystallization (UVLC) of aluminum-doped ZnO (AZO) films prepared by pulsed laser deposition on sapphire results in much higher Hall mobility, allowing relaxation of the constraints of the conductivity/transparency trade-off. X-ray diffraction patterns and morphological characterizations show grain growth and crystallinity enhancement during UVLC, resulting in less film internal imperfections. Optoelectronic measurements show that UVLC dramatically improves the electron mobility, while the carrier concentration decreases which in turn simultaneously increases conductivity and transparency. AZO films under optimized UVLC achieve the highest electron mobility of 79 cm 2 /V s at a low carrier concentration of 7.9 × 10 +19  cm −3 . This is realized by a laser crystallization induced decrease of both grain boundary density and electron trap density at grain boundaries. The infrared (IR) to mid-IR range transmittance spectrum shows UVLC significantly enhances the AZO film transparency without compromising conductivity.

Bilayered Oxide thin films for transparent electrode application

Science.gov (United States)

Dutta, Titas; Narayan, Jagdish

2008-10-01

Ga doped ZnO films with electrical and optical properties comparable to indium tin oxide (ITO) is a promising candidate for transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) because of its superior stability in hydrogen environment, benign nature and relatively inexpensive supply. However, ZnO based TCO films suffer from low work function, which is a critical parameter for device applications. We report here the growth of a novel bilayered structure consisting of very thin (few monolayers) ITO, MoOx layer on Zn0.95Ga0.05O film for transparent electrode applications by using pulsed laser deposition technique at different temperatures and oxygen partial pressure. The characteristics of the ITO film and the heterostructure have been investigated in detail using XRD, TEM, XPS, and electrical and optical property measurements. It is envisaged that the overall transmittance and the resistivity are dictated by the thicker layer of ZnGa0.05O beneath the ITO layer. Hence, this study is aimed to improve the surface characteristics without affecting the overall transmittance and sheet resistance. This will enhance the transport of the carriers across the heterojunction in the device, thus, resulting in the increase in device efficiency.

Reversible solid oxide fuel cells (R-SOFCs) with chemically stable proton-conducting oxides

KAUST Repository

Bi, Lei; Boulfrad, Samir; Traversa, Enrico

2015-01-01

Proton-conducting oxides offer a promising way of lowering the working temperature of solid oxide cells to the intermediate temperate range (500 to 700. °C) due to their better ionic conductivity. In addition, the application of proton

Transparent conductive Ga-doped ZnO films fabricated by MOCVD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Behrends, Arne; Wagner, Alexander; Al-Suleiman, Mohamed Aid Mansur; Waag, Andreas; Bakin, Andrey [Institute of Semiconductor Technology, University of Technology Braunschweig, Hans-Sommer-Str. 66, 38106 Braunschweig (Germany); Lugauer, Hans-Juergen; Strassburg, Martin; Walter, Robert; Weimar, Andreas [OSRAM Opto Semiconductors GmbH, Leibnizstr. 4, 93055 Regensburg (Germany)

2012-04-15

Transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) are used for a variety of different applications, e.g., in solar cells and light emitting diodes (LEDs). Mostly, sputtering is used, which often results in a degradation of the underlying semiconductor material. In this work we report on a ''soft'' method for the fabrication of ZnO films as TCO layers by using metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) at particularly low temperatures. The MOCVD approach has been studied focusing on the TCO key issues: fabrication temperature, morphology, optical, and electrical properties. Very smooth ZnO films with rms values down to 0.8 nm were fabricated at a substrate temperature of only 300 C. Ga-doping is well controllable even for high carrier concentrations up to 2 x 10{sup 20} cm{sup -3}, which is above the Mott-density leading to metallic-like behavior of the films. Furthermore all films show excellent optical transparency in the visible spectral range. As a consequence, our MOCVD approach is well suited for the soft fabrication of ZnO-based TCO layers. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Oxide interfaces with enhanced ion conductivity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Leon, C.; Santamaria, J.; Boukamp, Bernard A.

2013-01-01

The new field of nano-ionics is expected to yield large improvements in the performance of oxide-based energy generation and storage devices based on exploiting size effects in ion conducting materials. The search for novel materials with enhanced ionic conductivity for application in energy devices

Optical Properties of Gallium-Doped Zinc Oxide—A Low-Loss Plasmonic Material: First-Principles Theory and Experiment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jongbum Kim

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Searching for better materials for plasmonic and metamaterial applications is an inverse design problem where theoretical studies are necessary. Using basic models of impurity doping in semiconductors, transparent conducting oxides (TCOs are identified as low-loss plasmonic materials in the near-infrared wavelength range. A more sophisticated theoretical study would help not only to improve the properties of TCOs but also to design further lower-loss materials. In this study, optical functions of one such TCO, gallium-doped zinc oxide (GZO, are studied both experimentally and by first-principles density-functional calculations. Pulsed-laser-deposited GZO films are studied by the x-ray diffraction and generalized spectroscopic ellipsometry. Theoretical studies are performed by the total-energy-minimization method for the equilibrium atomic structure of GZO and random phase approximation with the quasiparticle gap correction. Plasma excitation effects are also included for optical functions. This study identifies mechanisms other than doping, such as alloying effects, that significantly influence the optical properties of GZO films. It also indicates that ultraheavy Ga doping of ZnO results in a new alloy material, rather than just degenerately doped ZnO. This work is the first step to achieve a fundamental understanding of the connection between material, structural, and optical properties of highly doped TCOs to tailor those materials for various plasmonic applications.

A comparative study of semiconductor-based plasmonic metamaterials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Naik, Gururaj V.; Boltasseva, Alexandra

2011-01-01

and very large negative real permittivity values, and in addition, their optical properties cannot be tuned. These issues that put severe constraints on the device applications of MMs could be overcome if semiconductors are used as plasmonic materials instead of metals. Heavily doped, wide bandgap oxide...... semiconductors could exhibit both a small negative real permittivity and relatively small losses in the NIR. Heavily doped oxides of zinc and indium were already reported to be good, low loss alternatives to metals in the NIR range. Here, we consider these transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) as alternative...

Nanoionics phenomenon in proton-conducting oxide: Effect of dispersion of nanosize platinum particles on electrical conduction properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hiroshige Matsumoto et al

2007-01-01

Full Text Available High-temperature proton conductors are oxides in which low-valence cations are doped as electron acceptors; the incorporation of water molecules into the oxides results in the formation of protonic defects that act as charge carriers. Since the protons thus formed are in equilibrium with other electronic defects, electrons and holes, the oxides possibly have different proton-conduction properties at and near boundaries when they are in contact with another phase. In this paper, we present our recent experimental observation of a marked change in the electrical properties of a proton conductor upon the dispersal of fine platinum particles in the oxide. First, the material shows extremely low electrical conductivity in comparison with the original proton-conducting perovskite. Second, there was a threshold amount of platinum at which such a drop in conductivity occurred. A percolation model is employed to explain these experimental results; the fine platinum particles dispersed in the proton-conducting oxide wears highly resistive skin that is formed due to shifts in defect equilibriums, which prevents ionic/electronic conduction. The experiments suggest that the ion-conducting properties of oxides can be varied by introducing interfaces at a certain density; nanoionics is a key to yielding enhanced and/or controlled ionic conduction in solids.

Novel transparent conducting oxide: Anatase Ti1-xNb xO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Furubayashi, Yutaka; Hitosugi, Taro; Yamamoto, Yukio; Hirose, Yasushi; Kinoda, Go; Inaba, Kazuhisa; Shimada, Toshihiro; Hasegawa, Tetsuya

2006-01-01

Single-crystalline Ti 1-x Nb x O 2 (x = 0.2) films of 40 nm thickness were deposited on SrTiO 3 (100) substrates by the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. X-ray diffraction measurement confirmed epitaxial growth of anatase (001) film. The resistivity of Ti 1-x Nb x O 2 films with x ≥ 0.03 is 2-3 x 10 -4 Ω cm at room temperature. The carrier density of Ti 1-x Nb x O 2 , which is almost proportional to the Nb concentration, can be controlled in a range of 1 x 10 19 to 2 x 10 21 cm -3 . Optical measurements revealed that internal transmittance in the visible and near-infrared region for films with x = 0.03 was more than 97%. These results demonstrate that the presently developed anatase Ti 1-x Nb x O 2 is one of the promising candidates for the practical TCOs

Conducting metal oxide and metal nitride nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

DiSalvo, Jr., Francis J.; Subban, Chinmayee V.

2017-12-26

Conducting metal oxide and nitride nanoparticles that can be used in fuel cell applications. The metal oxide nanoparticles are comprised of for example, titanium, niobium, tantalum, tungsten and combinations thereof. The metal nitride nanoparticles are comprised of, for example, titanium, niobium, tantalum, tungsten, zirconium, and combinations thereof. The nanoparticles can be sintered to provide conducting porous agglomerates of the nanoparticles which can be used as a catalyst support in fuel cell applications. Further, platinum nanoparticles, for example, can be deposited on the agglomerates to provide a material that can be used as both an anode and a cathode catalyst support in a fuel cell.

Ionic Conductivity and its Role in Oxidation Reactions

Science.gov (United States)

Tamimi, Mazin Abdulla

In the field of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), a substantial portion of research is focused on the ability of some oxide materials to conduct oxygen anions through their structure. For electrolytes, the benefits of improving bulk transport of ions are obvious: decrease the resistive losses of the electrolyte, and device efficiency goes up and higher power densities are possible. Even for cathode materials, better bulk ion transport leads to an increase in the oxygen exchange rate at the cathode surface, and the oxygen reduction reaction at the cathode surface is the rate limiting step for SOFC operation at intermediate temperatures (500-700ºC). As operation in this regime is a key step towards lowering the manufacturing cost and increasing the lifetime of devices, much effort is spent searching for new, more conductive materials, and analyzing existing materials to discover the structure-activity relationships that influence ionic conductivity. In the first part of this work, an overview is given of the neutron powder diffraction (NPD) techniques that are used to probe the structure of the materials in later parts. In the second part, NPD was used to analyze the structures of perovskite-type cathode materials, and show that increases in bulk conductivity led to increases in the surface oxygen exchange rate of these materials. In the final part, the methods used for SOFC cathode design were applied towards the design of oxide catalysts used for certain hydrocarbon partial oxidation reactions. The reactions studied follow the Mars van Krevelen mechanism, where oxygen atoms in the catalyst are consumed as part of the reaction and are subsequently replenished by oxygen in the gas phase. Similar to SOFC cathode operation, these processes include an oxygen reduction step, so it was hypothesized that increasing the ionic conductivity of the catalysts would improve their performance, just as it does for SOFC cathode materials. While the results are preliminary, the

Highly conducting and transparent sprayed indium tin oxide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rami, M.; Benamar, E.; Messaoudi, C.; Sayah, D.; Ennaoui, A. (Faculte des Sciences, Rabat (Morocco). Lab. de Physique des Materiaux)

1998-03-01

Indium tin oxide (ITO) has a wide range of applications in solar cells (e.g. by controlling the resistivity, we can use low conductivity ITO as buffer layer and highly conducting ITO as front contact in thin films CuInS[sub 2] and CuInSe[sub 2] based solar cells) due to its wide band gap (sufficient to be transparent) in both visible and near infrared range, and high carrier concentrations with metallic conduction. A variety of deposition techniques such as reactive electron beam evaporation, DC magnetron sputtering, evaporation, reactive thermal deposition, and spray pyrolysis have been used for the preparation of undoped and tin doped indium oxide. This latter process which makes possible the preparation of large area coatings has attracted considerable attention due to its simplicity and large scale with low cost fabrication. It has been used here to deposit highly transparent and conducting films of tin doped indium oxide onto glass substrates. The electrical, optical and structural properties have been investigated as a function of various deposition parameters namely dopant concentrations, temperature and nature of substrates. X-ray diffraction patterns have shown that deposited films are polycrystalline without second phases and have preferred orientation [400]. INdium tin oxide layers with small resistivity value around 7.10[sup -5] [omega].cm and transmission coefficient in the visible and near IR range of about 85-90% have been easily obtained. (authors) 13 refs.

Conductive oxide cantilever for cryogenic nano-potentiometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hiroya, Tsutomu; Inagaki, Katsuhiko; Tanda, Satoshi; Tsuneta, Taku; Yamaya, Kazuhiko

2003-01-01

Nanoscale electrical transport properties have attracted attentions because of new phenomena such as ballistic transport, quantized resistance, and Coulomb blockade. For measurement of nanoscale resistance, we have been developing a cryogenic atomic force microscope that can operate at 1.8 K. To use it as an electrode, we coated the cantilever with conductive oxides of TiO and indium tin oxide (ITO). We verified that TiO and ITO thin films remain conductive even at 4.2 K. Also we measured I-V characteristics of the tip-sample contact with a standard sample of NbSe 2 single crystal, and found that the conductive coats were not lost under large stresses due to the tip-sample contact. Moreover, we succeeded in obtaining a room temperature nano-potentiometry of a gold thin film with the ITO coated cantilever. In conclusion, the TiO and ITO coated cantilevers are applicable to cryogenic nano-potentiometry

Transparent Electrodes for Efficient Optoelectronics

KAUST Repository

Morales-Masis, Monica

2017-03-30

With the development of new generations of optoelectronic devices that combine high performance and novel functionalities (e.g., flexibility/bendability, adaptability, semi or full transparency), several classes of transparent electrodes have been developed in recent years. These range from optimized transparent conductive oxides (TCOs), which are historically the most commonly used transparent electrodes, to new electrodes made from nano- and 2D materials (e.g., metal nanowire networks and graphene), and to hybrid electrodes that integrate TCOs or dielectrics with nanowires, metal grids, or ultrathin metal films. Here, the most relevant transparent electrodes developed to date are introduced, their fundamental properties are described, and their materials are classified according to specific application requirements in high efficiency solar cells and flexible organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). This information serves as a guideline for selecting and developing appropriate transparent electrodes according to intended application requirements and functionality.

Transparent Electrodes for Efficient Optoelectronics

KAUST Repository

Morales-Masis, Monica; De Wolf, Stefaan; Woods-Robinson, Rachel; Ager, Joel W.; Ballif, Christophe

2017-01-01

With the development of new generations of optoelectronic devices that combine high performance and novel functionalities (e.g., flexibility/bendability, adaptability, semi or full transparency), several classes of transparent electrodes have been developed in recent years. These range from optimized transparent conductive oxides (TCOs), which are historically the most commonly used transparent electrodes, to new electrodes made from nano- and 2D materials (e.g., metal nanowire networks and graphene), and to hybrid electrodes that integrate TCOs or dielectrics with nanowires, metal grids, or ultrathin metal films. Here, the most relevant transparent electrodes developed to date are introduced, their fundamental properties are described, and their materials are classified according to specific application requirements in high efficiency solar cells and flexible organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). This information serves as a guideline for selecting and developing appropriate transparent electrodes according to intended application requirements and functionality.

Electrical and optical properties of Zn–In–Sn–O transparent conducting thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carreras, Paz; Antony, Aldrin; Rojas, Fredy; Bertomeu, Joan

2011-01-01

Indium tin oxide (ITO) is one of the widely used transparent conductive oxides (TCO) for application as transparent electrode in thin film silicon solar cells or thin film transistors owing to its low resistivity and high transparency. Nevertheless, indium is a scarce and expensive element and ITO films require high deposition temperature to achieve good electrical and optical properties. On the other hand, although not competing as ITO, doped Zinc Oxide (ZnO) is a promising and cheaper alternative. Therefore, our strategy has been to deposit ITO and ZnO multicomponent thin films at room temperature by radiofrequency (RF) magnetron co-sputtering in order to achieve TCOs with reduced indium content. Thin films of the quaternary system Zn–In–Sn–O (ZITO) with improved electrical and optical properties have been achieved. The samples were deposited by applying different RF powers to ZnO target while keeping a constant RF power to ITO target. This led to ZITO films with zinc content ratio varying between 0 and 67%. The optical, electrical and morphological properties have been thoroughly studied. The film composition was analysed by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy. The films with 17% zinc content ratio showed the lowest resistivity (6.6 × 10 −4 Ω cm) and the highest transmittance (above 80% in the visible range). Though X-ray Diffraction studies showed amorphous nature for the films, using High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy we found that the microstructure of the films consisted of nanometric crystals embedded in a compact amorphous matrix. The effect of post deposition annealing on the films in both reducing and oxidizing atmospheres were studied. The changes were found to strongly depend on the zinc content ratio in the films.

Tungsten oxide proton conducting films for low-voltage transparent oxide-based thin-film transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Hongliang; Wan, Qing; Wan, Changjin; Wu, Guodong; Zhu, Liqiang

2013-01-01

Tungsten oxide (WO x ) electrolyte films deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering showed a high room temperature proton conductivity of 1.38 × 10 −4 S/cm with a relative humidity of 60%. Low-voltage transparent W-doped indium-zinc-oxide thin-film transistors gated by WO x -based electrolytes were self-assembled on glass substrates by one mask diffraction method. Enhancement mode operation with a large current on/off ratio of 4.7 × 10 6 , a low subthreshold swing of 108 mV/decade, and a high field-effect mobility 42.6 cm 2 /V s was realized. Our results demonstrated that WO x -based proton conducting films were promising gate dielectric candidates for portable low-voltage oxide-based devices.

Localized conductive patterning via focused electron beam reduction of graphene oxide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Songkil; Henry, Mathias [George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332 (United States); Kulkarni, Dhaval D.; Zackowski, Paul; Jang, Seung Soon; Tsukruk, Vladimir V. [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332 (United States); Fedorov, Andrei G., E-mail: agf@gatech.edu [George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332 (United States); Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332 (United States)

2015-03-30

We report on a method for “direct-write” conductive patterning via reduction of graphene oxide (GO) sheets using focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID) of carbon. FEBID treatment of the intrinsically dielectric graphene oxide between two metal terminals opens up the conduction channel, thus enabling a unique capability for nanoscale conductive domain patterning in GO. An increase in FEBID electron dose results in a significant increase of the domain electrical conductivity with improving linearity of drain-source current vs. voltage dependence, indicative of a change of graphene oxide electronic properties from insulating to semiconducting. Density functional theory calculations suggest a possible mechanism underlying this experimentally observed phenomenon, as localized reduction of graphene oxide layers via interactions with highly reactive intermediates of electron-beam-assisted dissociation of surface-adsorbed hydrocarbon molecules. These findings establish an unusual route for using FEBID as nanoscale lithography and patterning technique for engineering carbon-based nanomaterials and devices with locally tailored electronic properties.

Factors controlling the oxide ion conductivity of fluorite and perovskite structured oxides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mogensen, Mogens Bjerg; Lybye, D.; Bonanos, N.

2004-01-01

Many metal oxides of fluorite and perovskite related structures are oxide ion conductors, which have practical applications in devices such as oxygen sensors, solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) and electrolysers. Several structural and thermodynamic parameters such as (1) critical radius of the pathway...... such parameters for fluorite and perovskite oxides by considering their sensitivities to the individual ionic radii. Based on experimental data available in the literature, it is argued that lattice distortion (lattice stress and deviation from cubic symmetry) due to ion radii mismatch determines the ionic...... conductivity to a very large extent, and that lattice distortion is of much greater importance than many other proposed parameters. In case of the perovskites, the charge of the B-site ion is also of major importance. (C) 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V....

Conductivity study of nitrogen-doped calcium zinc oxide prepared by spray pyrolysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hsu, Yu-Ting; Lan, Wen-How; Huang, Kai-Feng; Lin, Jia-Ching; Chang, Kuo-Jen

2016-01-01

In this study, the spray pyrolysis method was used to prepare unintentionally doped and nitrogen-doped calcium zinc oxide films by using zinc acetate, calcium nitrate precursor, and ammonium acetate precursor. Morphological and structural analyses were conducted using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The results indicated that film grain size decreased as the nitrogen doping was increased. Both calcium oxide and zinc oxide structures were identified in the unintentionally doped calcium zinc oxide. When nitrogen doping was introduced, the film mainly exhibited a zinc oxide structure with preferred (002) and (101) orientations. The concentration and mobility were investigated using a Hall measurement system. P-type films with a mobility and concentration of 10.6 cm"2 V"−"1 s"−"1 and 2.8×10"1"7 cm"−"3, respectively, were obtained. Moreover, according to a temperature-dependent conductivity analysis, an acceptor state with activation energy 0.266 eV dominated the p-type conduction for the unintentionally doped calcium zinc oxide. By contrast, a grain boundary with a barrier height of 0.274–0.292 eV dominated the hole conduction for the nitrogen-doped calcium zinc oxide films.

Iodine doping effects on the lattice thermal conductivity of oxidized polyacetylene nanofibers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bi, Kedong, E-mail: lishi@mail.utexas.edu, E-mail: kedongbi@seu.edu.cn [Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, School of Mechanical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189 (China); Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712 (United States); Weathers, Annie; Pettes, Michael T.; Shi, Li, E-mail: lishi@mail.utexas.edu, E-mail: kedongbi@seu.edu.cn [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712 (United States); Matsushita, Satoshi; Akagi, Kazuo [Department of Polymer Chemistry, Kyoto University, Kyoto 615-8510 (Japan); Goh, Munju [Department of Polymer Chemistry, Kyoto University, Kyoto 615-8510 (Japan); Institute of Advanced Composite Materials, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Eunha-ri san 101, Bondong-eup, Wanju-gun, Jeolabuk-do 565-905 (Korea, Republic of)

2013-11-21

Thermal transport in oxidized polyacetylene (PA) nanofibers with diameters in the range between 74 and 126 nm is measured with the use of a suspended micro heater device. With the error due to both radiation and contact thermal resistance corrected via a differential measurement procedure, the obtained thermal conductivity of oxidized PA nanofibers varies in the range between 0.84 and 1.24 W m{sup −1} K{sup −1} near room temperature, and decreases by 40%–70% after iodine doping. It is also found that the thermal conductivity of oxidized PA nanofibers increases with temperature between 100 and 350 K. Because of exposure to oxygen during sample preparation, the PA nanofibers are oxidized to be electrically insulating before and after iodine doping. The measurement results reveal that iodine doping can result in enhanced lattice disorder and reduced lattice thermal conductivity of PA nanofibers. If the oxidation issue can be addressed via further research to increase the electrical conductivity via doping, the observed suppressed lattice thermal conductivity in doped polymer nanofibers can be useful for the development of such conducting polymer nanostructures for thermoelectric energy conversion.

Iodine doping effects on the lattice thermal conductivity of oxidized polyacetylene nanofibers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bi, Kedong; Weathers, Annie; Pettes, Michael T.; Shi, Li; Matsushita, Satoshi; Akagi, Kazuo; Goh, Munju

2013-01-01

Thermal transport in oxidized polyacetylene (PA) nanofibers with diameters in the range between 74 and 126 nm is measured with the use of a suspended micro heater device. With the error due to both radiation and contact thermal resistance corrected via a differential measurement procedure, the obtained thermal conductivity of oxidized PA nanofibers varies in the range between 0.84 and 1.24 W m −1  K −1 near room temperature, and decreases by 40%–70% after iodine doping. It is also found that the thermal conductivity of oxidized PA nanofibers increases with temperature between 100 and 350 K. Because of exposure to oxygen during sample preparation, the PA nanofibers are oxidized to be electrically insulating before and after iodine doping. The measurement results reveal that iodine doping can result in enhanced lattice disorder and reduced lattice thermal conductivity of PA nanofibers. If the oxidation issue can be addressed via further research to increase the electrical conductivity via doping, the observed suppressed lattice thermal conductivity in doped polymer nanofibers can be useful for the development of such conducting polymer nanostructures for thermoelectric energy conversion

New lithium-ion conducting perovskite oxides related to (Li, La)TiO3

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

We describe the synthesis and lithium-ion conductivity of new perovskite-related oxides ... work on lithium-ion conducting perovskite oxides containing d0 cations. Keywords. ..... On the other hand, Nb/Ta compounds show a higher conductivity.

Thermal diffusivity and conductivity of thorium- uranium mixed oxides

Science.gov (United States)

Saoudi, M.; Staicu, D.; Mouris, J.; Bergeron, A.; Hamilton, H.; Naji, M.; Freis, D.; Cologna, M.

2018-03-01

Thorium-uranium oxide pellets with high densities were prepared at the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) by co-milling, pressing, and sintering at 2023 K, with UO2 mass contents of 0, 1.5, 3, 8, 13, 30, 60 and 100%. At the Joint Research Centre, Karlsruhe (JRC-Karlsruhe), thorium-uranium oxide pellets were prepared using the spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique with 79 and 93 wt. % UO2. The thermal diffusivity of (Th1-xUx)O2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) was measured at CNL and at JRC-Karlsruhe using the laser flash technique. ThO2 and (Th,U)O2 with 1.5, 3, 8 and 13 wt. % UO2 were found to be semi-transparent to the infrared wavelength of the laser and were coated with graphite for the thermal diffusivity measurements. This semi-transparency decreased with the addition of UO2 and was lost at about 30 wt. % of UO2 in ThO2. The thermal conductivity was deduced using the measured density and literature data for the specific heat capacity. The thermal conductivity for ThO2 is significantly higher than for UO2. The thermal conductivity of (Th,U)O2 decreases rapidly with increasing UO2 content, and for UO2 contents of 60% and higher, the conductivity of the thorium-uranium oxide fuel is close to UO2. As the mass difference between the Th and U atoms is small, the thermal conductivity decrease is attributed to the phonon scattering enhanced by lattice strain due to the introduction of uranium in ThO2 lattice. The new results were compared to the data available in the literature and were evaluated using the classical phonon transport model for oxide systems.

Steam electrolysis by solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) with proton-conducting oxides

KAUST Repository

Bi, Lei; Boulfrad, Samir; Traversa, Enrico

2014-01-01

Energy crisis and environmental problems caused by the conventional combustion of fossil fuels boost the development of renewable and sustainable energies. H2 is regarded as a clean fuel for many applications and it also serves as an energy carrier for many renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power. Among all the technologies for H2 production, steam electrolysis by solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) has attracted much attention due to its high efficiency and low environmental impact, provided that the needed electrical power is generated from renewable sources. However, the deployment of SOECs based on conventional oxygen-ion conductors is limited by several issues, such as high operating temperature, hydrogen purification from water, and electrode stability. To avoid these problems, proton-conducting oxides are proposed as electrolyte materials for SOECs. This review paper provides a broad overview of the research progresses made for proton-conducting SOECs, summarizing the past work and finding the problems for the development of proton-conducting SOECs, as well as pointing out potential development directions.

Steam electrolysis by solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) with proton-conducting oxides.

Science.gov (United States)

Bi, Lei; Boulfrad, Samir; Traversa, Enrico

2014-12-21

Energy crisis and environmental problems caused by the conventional combustion of fossil fuels boost the development of renewable and sustainable energies. H2 is regarded as a clean fuel for many applications and it also serves as an energy carrier for many renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power. Among all the technologies for H2 production, steam electrolysis by solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) has attracted much attention due to its high efficiency and low environmental impact, provided that the needed electrical power is generated from renewable sources. However, the deployment of SOECs based on conventional oxygen-ion conductors is limited by several issues, such as high operating temperature, hydrogen purification from water, and electrode stability. To avoid these problems, proton-conducting oxides are proposed as electrolyte materials for SOECs. This review paper provides a broad overview of the research progresses made for proton-conducting SOECs, summarizing the past work and finding the problems for the development of proton-conducting SOECs, as well as pointing out potential development directions.

Transparent conductive oxides for thin-film silicon solar cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Löffler, J.

2005-01-01

This thesis describes research on thin-film silicon solar cells with focus on the transparent conductive oxide (TCO) for such devices. In addition to the formation of a transparent and electrically conductive front electrode for the solar cell allowing photocurrent collection with low ohmic losses,

Proton and oxide ion conductivity of doped LaScO3

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lybye, D.; Bonanos, N.

1999-01-01

. At temperatures below 800 degrees C and low partial pressure of oxygen, proton conduction was dominant. Above this temperature, the ionic conductivity is dominated by oxide ion transport. The protonic transport number was estimated from the conductivities measured in dry and in water-moisturised gas. An isotope......The conductivity of La0.9Sr0.1Sc0.9Mg0.1O3 has been studied by impedance spectroscopy in controlled atmospheres. The material was found to be a mixed conductor with p-type conduction at high oxygen partial pressures and a combined proton and oxide ion conductor at low oxygen partial pressures...

Nanostructured transparent conducting oxide electrochromic device

Science.gov (United States)

Milliron, Delia; Tangirala, Ravisubhash; Llordes, Anna; Buonsanti, Raffaella; Garcia, Guillermo

2016-05-17

The embodiments described herein provide an electrochromic device. In an exemplary embodiment, the electrochromic device includes (1) a substrate and (2) a film supported by the substrate, where the film includes transparent conducting oxide (TCO) nanostructures. In a further embodiment, the electrochromic device further includes (a) an electrolyte, where the nanostructures are embedded in the electrolyte, resulting in an electrolyte, nanostructure mixture positioned above the substrate and (b) a counter electrode positioned above the mixture. In a further embodiment, the electrochromic device further includes a conductive coating deposited on the substrate between the substrate and the mixture. In a further embodiment, the electrochromic device further includes a second substrate positioned above the mixture.

Highly Conductive and Reliable Copper-Filled Isotropically Conductive Adhesives Using Organic Acids for Oxidation Prevention

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Wenjun; Deng, Dunying; Cheng, Yuanrong; Xiao, Fei

2015-07-01

The easy oxidation of copper is one critical obstacle to high-performance copper-filled isotropically conductive adhesives (ICAs). In this paper, a facile method to prepare highly reliable, highly conductive, and low-cost ICAs is reported. The copper fillers were treated by organic acids for oxidation prevention. Compared with ICA filled with untreated copper flakes, the ICA filled with copper flakes treated by different organic acids exhibited much lower bulk resistivity. The lowest bulk resistivity achieved was 4.5 × 10-5 Ω cm, which is comparable to that of commercially available Ag-filled ICA. After 500 h of 85°C/85% relative humidity (RH) aging, the treated ICAs showed quite stable bulk resistivity and relatively stable contact resistance. Through analyzing the results of x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis, we found that, with the assistance of organic acids, the treated copper flakes exhibited resistance to oxidation, thus guaranteeing good performance.

Ionic Conductance, Thermal and Morphological Behavior of PEO-Graphene Oxide-Salts Composites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Saleem Khan

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Thin films composites of poly(ethylene oxide-graphene oxide were fabricated with and without lithium salts by solvent cast method. The ionic conductivity of these composites was studied at various concentrations of salt polymer-GO complexes and at different temperatures. The effects of temperature and graphene oxide concentration were measured from Arrhenius conductance plots. It is shown that the addition of salts in pure PEO increases conductance many times. The graphene oxide addition has enhanced the conductance approximately 1000 times as compared to that of pure PEO. The activation energies were determined for all the systems which gave higher values for pure PEO and the value decreased with the addition of LiClO4 and LiCl salts and further decreases with the addition of graphene oxide. The composite has also lowered the activation energy values which mean that incorporation of GO in PEO has decreased crystallinity and the amorphous region has increased the local mobility of polymer chains resulting in lower activation energies. SEM analysis shows uniform distribution of GO in polymer matrix. The thermal stability studies reveal that incorporation of GO has somewhat enhanced the thermal stability of the films.

Oxidized calmodulin kinase II regulates conduction following myocardial infarction: a computational analysis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthew D Christensen

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Calmodulin kinase II (CaMKII mediates critical signaling pathways responsible for divergent functions in the heart including calcium cycling, hypertrophy and apoptosis. Dysfunction in the CaMKII signaling pathway occurs in heart disease and is associated with increased susceptibility to life-threatening arrhythmia. Furthermore, CaMKII inhibition prevents cardiac arrhythmia and improves heart function following myocardial infarction. Recently, a novel mechanism for oxidative CaMKII activation was discovered in the heart. Here, we provide the first report of CaMKII oxidation state in a well-validated, large-animal model of heart disease. Specifically, we observe increased levels of oxidized CaMKII in the infarct border zone (BZ. These unexpected new data identify an alternative activation pathway for CaMKII in common cardiovascular disease. To study the role of oxidation-dependent CaMKII activation in creating a pro-arrhythmia substrate following myocardial infarction, we developed a new mathematical model of CaMKII activity including both oxidative and autophosphorylation activation pathways. Computer simulations using a multicellular mathematical model of the cardiac fiber demonstrate that enhanced CaMKII activity in the infarct BZ, due primarily to increased oxidation, is associated with reduced conduction velocity, increased effective refractory period, and increased susceptibility to formation of conduction block at the BZ margin, a prerequisite for reentry. Furthermore, our model predicts that CaMKII inhibition improves conduction and reduces refractoriness in the BZ, thereby reducing vulnerability to conduction block and reentry. These results identify a novel oxidation-dependent pathway for CaMKII activation in the infarct BZ that may be an effective therapeutic target for improving conduction and reducing heterogeneity in the infarcted heart.

The Preparation and Property of Graphene /Tin Oxide Transparent Conductive Film

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

SUN Tao

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Graphene doped tin oxide composites were prepared with SnCIZ·2HZ 0 and graphene oxide as raw materials with sol-gel method and then spincoated on the quartz glass to manufacture a new transparent conductive film. The composite film was characterized with X-ray diffraction(XRDand scanning electron microscopy(SEM analysis. XRD results show that the graphene oxide was successfully prepared with Hummers method. The graphene layers and particulate SnOZ can be clearly observed in SEM photos. The transmittance and conductivity of the thin films were tested with ultraviolet visible spectrophotometer and Hall effect measurement. The results show that the transmittivity of composite film in visible region is more than 90% and surface square resistance is 41 S2/口.The graphene/ SnOZ film exhibits a higher performance in transparence and conductivity than commercial FTO glass.

Electronically conductive perovskite-based oxide nanoparticles and films for optical sensing applications

Science.gov (United States)

Ohodnicki, Jr., Paul R; Schultz, Andrew M

2015-04-28

The disclosure relates to a method of detecting a change in a chemical composition by contacting a electronically conducting perovskite-based metal oxide material with a monitored stream, illuminating the electronically conducting perovskite-based metal oxide with incident light, collecting exiting light, monitoring an optical signal based on a comparison of the incident light and the exiting light, and detecting a shift in the optical signal. The electronically conducting perovskite-based metal oxide has a perovskite-based crystal structure and an electronic conductivity of at least 10.sup.-1 S/cm, where parameters are specified at the gas stream temperature. The electronically conducting perovskite-based metal oxide has an empirical formula A.sub.xB.sub.yO.sub.3-.delta., where A is at least a first element at the A-site, B is at least a second element at the B-site, and where 0.8perovskite-based oxides include but are not limited to La.sub.1-xSr.sub.xCoO.sub.3, La.sub.1-xSr.sub.xMnO.sub.3, LaCrO.sub.3, LaNiO.sub.3, La.sub.1-xSr.sub.xMn.sub.1-yCr.sub.yO.sub.3, SrFeO.sub.3, SrVO.sub.3, La-doped SrTiO.sub.3, Nb-doped SrTiO.sub.3, and SrTiO.sub.3-.delta..

Synthesis of oxide-free aluminum nanoparticles for application to conductive film

Science.gov (United States)

Jong Lee, Yung; Lee, Changsoo; Lee, Hyuck Mo

2018-02-01

Aluminum nanoparticles are considered promising as alternatives to conventional ink materials, replacing silver and copper nanoparticles, due to their extremely low cost and low melting temperature. However, a serious obstacle to realizing their use as conductive ink materials is the oxidation of aluminum. In this research, we synthesized the oxide-free aluminum nanoparticles using catalytic decomposition and an oleic acid coating method, and these materials were applied to conductive ink for the first time. The injection time of oleic acid determines the size of the aluminum nanoparticles by forming a self-assembled monolayer on the nanoparticles instead of allowing the formation of an oxide phase. Fabricated nanoparticles were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to verify their structural and chemical composition. In addition, conductive inks made of these nanoparticles exhibit electrical properties when they are sintered at over 300 °C in a reducing atmosphere. This result shows that aluminum nanoparticles can be used as an alternative conductive material in printed electronics and can solve the cost issues associated with noble metals.

Evaluation of the optoelectronic properties and corrosion behavior of Al2O3-doped ZnO films prepared by dc pulsed magnetron sputtering

Science.gov (United States)

Zubizarreta, C.; Berasategui, E. G.; Bayón, R.; Escobar Galindo, R.; Barros, R.; Gaspar, D.; Nunes, D.; Calmeiro, T.; Martins, R.; Fortunato, E.; Barriga, J.

2014-12-01

The main requirements for transparent conducting oxide (TCO) films acting as electrodes are a high transmission rate in the visible spectral region and low resistivity. However, in many cases, tolerance to temperature and humidity exposure is also an important requirement to be fulfilled by the TCOs to assure proper operation and durability. Besides improving current encapsulation methods, the corrosion resistance of the developed TCOs must also be enhanced to warrant the performance of optoelectronic devices. In this paper the performance of aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) films deposited by pulsed dc magnetron sputtering has been studied. Structure, optical transmittance/reflectance, electrical properties (resistivity, carrier concentration and mobility) and corrosion resistance of the developed coatings have been analyzed as a function of the doping of the target and the coating thickness. Films grown from a 2.0 wt% Al2O3 target with a thickness of approximately 1 µm showed a very low resistivity of 6.54  ×  10-4 Ωcm and a high optical transmittance in the visible range of 84%. Corrosion studies of the developed samples have shown very low corrosion currents (nanoamperes), very high corrosion resistances (in the order of 107 Ω) and very high electrochemical stability, indicating no tendency for electrochemical corrosion degradation.

Interstitial pressure dependence of the thermal conductivity of some rare earth oxide powders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pradeep, P.

1997-01-01

Thermal transport properties of powdered materials depend upon interstitial gas pressure. The present study reports the experimental results for the effective thermal conductivity of three rare earth oxide powders viz. yttrium oxide, samarium oxide, and gadolinium oxide, at various interstitial pressures by using transient plane source (TPS) method. A theoretical model is also proposed for the interpretation of the variation of the effective thermal conductivity with interstitial gas pressure. Its validity is found to be good in low pressure range of 45 mm Hg to normal pressure when compared with the experimental results. Also an attempt has been made to calculate the variation of thermal conductivity with interstitial pressure in the high pressure range up to 2 kbar using the proposed model. (author)

Intrinsic localized gap states in IGZO and its parent single crystalline TCOs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schmeißer, D.; Haeberle, J.

2016-03-31

We report on the X-ray absorption data for Indium–Gallium–Zink–Oxide thin films, amorphous ZnO films, amorphous SnO{sub x} films, and single crystalline In{sub 2}O{sub 3}, Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3}, ZnO, and SnO{sub 2} data. These absorption data probe the empty conduction band states explicitly. Also they allow for an elemental assignment using resonant excitation to derive the contributions of each metal ion. We find that the lowest states appear right at the Fermi energy and result from configuration interaction induced charge transfer states which we consider as intrinsic gap states. - Highlights: • We identify contributions of localized configuration interaction induced gap states. • Auger profiles taken on metal absorption edges show metallic density of states around E{sub F}. • D-shell opening leads to a charge-transfer state involving metallic d-states.

Effects of solid fission products forming dissolved oxide (Nd) and metallic precipitate (Ru) on the thermal conductivity of uranium base oxide fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Dong-Joo; Yang, Jae-Ho; Kim, Jong-Hun; Rhee, Young-Woo; Kang, Ki-Won; Kim, Keon-Sik; Song, Kun-Woo

2007-01-01

The effects of solid fission products on the thermal conductivity of uranium base oxide nuclear fuel were experimentally investigated. Neodymium (Nd) and ruthenium (Ru) were added to represent the physical states of solid fission products such as 'dissolved oxide' and 'metallic precipitate', respectively. Thermal conductivity was determined on the basis of the thermal diffusivity, density and specific heat values. The effects of the additives on the thermal conductivity were quantified in the form of the thermal resistivity equation - the reciprocal of the phonon conduction equation - which was determined from the measured data. It is concluded that the thermal conductivity of the irradiated nuclear fuel is affected by both the 'dissolved oxide' and the 'metallic precipitate', however, the effects are in the opposite direction and the 'dissolved oxide' influences the thermal conductivity more significantly than that of the 'metallic precipitate'

Atomic-Layer-Deposited AZO Outperforms ITO in High-Efficiency Polymer Solar Cells

KAUST Repository

Kan, Zhipeng

2018-05-11

Tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) transparent conducting electrodes are widely used across the display industry, and are currently the cornerstone of photovoltaic device developments, taking a substantial share in the manufacturing cost of large-area modules. However, cost and supply considerations are set to limit the extensive use of indium for optoelectronic device applications and, in turn, alternative transparent conducting oxide (TCO) materials are required. In this report, we show that aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin films grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD) are sufficiently conductive and transparent to outperform ITO as the cathode in inverted polymer solar cells. Reference polymer solar cells made with atomic-layer-deposited AZO cathodes, PCE10 as the polymer donor and PC71BM as the fullerene acceptor (model systems), reach power conversion efficiencies of ca. 10% (compared to ca. 9% with ITO-coated glass), without compromising other figures of merit. These ALD-grown AZO electrodes are promising for a wide range of optoelectronic device applications relying on TCOs.

Atomic-Layer-Deposited AZO Outperforms ITO in High-Efficiency Polymer Solar Cells

KAUST Repository

Kan, Zhipeng; Wang, Zhenwei; Firdaus, Yuliar; Babics, Maxime; Alshareef, Husam N.; Beaujuge, Pierre

2018-01-01

Tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) transparent conducting electrodes are widely used across the display industry, and are currently the cornerstone of photovoltaic device developments, taking a substantial share in the manufacturing cost of large-area modules. However, cost and supply considerations are set to limit the extensive use of indium for optoelectronic device applications and, in turn, alternative transparent conducting oxide (TCO) materials are required. In this report, we show that aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin films grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD) are sufficiently conductive and transparent to outperform ITO as the cathode in inverted polymer solar cells. Reference polymer solar cells made with atomic-layer-deposited AZO cathodes, PCE10 as the polymer donor and PC71BM as the fullerene acceptor (model systems), reach power conversion efficiencies of ca. 10% (compared to ca. 9% with ITO-coated glass), without compromising other figures of merit. These ALD-grown AZO electrodes are promising for a wide range of optoelectronic device applications relying on TCOs.

Novel transparent conducting oxide technology for solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bishop, P.T.; Sutton, P.A.; Gardener, M.; Wakefield, G.

2005-07-01

This report outlines the development of both n- and p-type transparent Conducting Oxide (TCO) materials and the demonstrated feasibility of economic production of TCO films by deposition techniques. Descriptions are given of the four main tasks of the project with Task A concentrating on material design and synthesis covering the new precursor to zinc oxide thin films and selection of polymers for formulation; Task B dealing with film formation involving film deposition by spin coating, screen printing, inkjet printing, dip coating and chemical vapour deposition; Task C concerning performance evaluation; and Task D examining manufacturing process development. The prospects for commercialisation are explored and recommendation for future work are considered.

Magnetron sputtered transparent conductive zinc-oxide stabilized amorphous indium oxide thin films on polyethylene terephthalate substrates at ambient temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan, Y.; Zhang, X.-F.; Ding, Y.-T.

2013-01-01

Amorphous transparent conducting zinc-oxide stabilized indium oxide thin films, named amorphous indium zinc oxide (a-IZO), were deposited by direct current magnetron sputtering at ambient temperature on flexible polyethylene terephthalate substrates. It has been demonstrated that the electrical resistivity could attain as low as ∼ 5 × 10 −4 Ω cm, which was noticeably lower than amorphous indium tin oxide films prepared at the same condition, while the visible transmittance exceeded 84% with the refractive index of 1.85–2.00. In our experiments, introduction of oxygen gas appeared to be beneficial to the improvement of the transparency and electrical conductivity. Both free carrier absorption and indirect transition were observed and Burstein–Moss effect proved a-IZO to be a degenerated amorphous semiconductor. However, the linear relation between the optical band gap and the band tail width which usually observed in covalent amorphous semiconductor such as a-Si:H was not conserved. Besides, porosity could greatly determine the resistivity and optical constants for the thickness variation at this deposition condition. Furthermore, a broad photoluminescence peak around 510 nm was identified when more than 1.5 sccm oxygen was introduced. - Highlights: ► Highly conducting amorphous zinc-oxide stabilized indium oxide thin films were prepared. ► The films were fabricated on polyethylene terephthalate at ambient temperature. ► Introduction of oxygen can improve the transparency and electrical conductivity. ► The linear relation between optical band gap and band tail width was not conserved

Highly Confined Electronic and Ionic Conduction in Oxide Heterostructures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pryds, Nini

2015-01-01

The conductance confined at the interface of complex oxide heterostructures provides new opportunities to explore nanoelectronic as well as nanoionic devices. In this talk I will present our recent results both on ionic and electronic conductivity at different heterostructures systems. In the first...... unattainable for Bi2O3-based materials, is achieved[1]. These confined heterostructures provide a playground not only for new high ionic conductivity phenomena that are sufficiently stable but also uncover a large variety of possible technological perspectives. At the second part, I will discuss and show our...

Electronic-Reconstruction-Enhanced Tunneling Conductance at Terrace Edges of Ultrathin Oxide Films.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lingfei; Kim, Rokyeon; Kim, Yoonkoo; Kim, Choong H; Hwang, Sangwoon; Cho, Myung Rae; Shin, Yeong Jae; Das, Saikat; Kim, Jeong Rae; Kalinin, Sergei V; Kim, Miyoung; Yang, Sang Mo; Noh, Tae Won

2017-11-01

Quantum mechanical tunneling of electrons across ultrathin insulating oxide barriers has been studied extensively for decades due to its great potential in electronic-device applications. In the few-nanometers-thick epitaxial oxide films, atomic-scale structural imperfections, such as the ubiquitously existed one-unit-cell-high terrace edges, can dramatically affect the tunneling probability and device performance. However, the underlying physics has not been investigated adequately. Here, taking ultrathin BaTiO 3 films as a model system, an intrinsic tunneling-conductance enhancement is reported near the terrace edges. Scanning-probe-microscopy results demonstrate the existence of highly conductive regions (tens of nanometers wide) near the terrace edges. First-principles calculations suggest that the terrace-edge geometry can trigger an electronic reconstruction, which reduces the effective tunneling barrier width locally. Furthermore, such tunneling-conductance enhancement can be discovered in other transition metal oxides and controlled by surface-termination engineering. The controllable electronic reconstruction can facilitate the implementation of oxide electronic devices and discovery of exotic low-dimensional quantum phases. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Conductive iron oxide minerals accelerate syntrophic cooperation in methanogenic benzoate degradation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhuang, Li; Tang, Jia; Wang, Yueqiang; Hu, Min; Zhou, Shungui, E-mail: sgzhou@soil.gd.cn

2015-08-15

Highlights: • Paddy soil contaminated with benzoate incubated with hematite and magnetite. • Iron oxides addition enhanced methanogenic benzoate degradation by 25–53%. • The facilitated syntrophy might involve direct interspecies electron transfer. • Bacillaceae, Peptococcaceae, and Methanobacterium are potentially involved. - Abstract: Recent studies have suggested that conductive iron oxide minerals can facilitate syntrophic metabolism of the methanogenic degradation of organic matter, such as ethanol, propionate and butyrate, in natural and engineered microbial ecosystems. This enhanced syntrophy involves direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) powered by microorganisms exchanging metabolic electrons through electrically conductive minerals. Here, we evaluated the possibility that conductive iron oxides (hematite and magnetite) can stimulate the methanogenic degradation of benzoate, which is a common intermediate in the anaerobic metabolism of aromatic compounds. The results showed that 89–94% of the electrons released from benzoate oxidation were recovered in CH{sub 4} production, and acetate was identified as the only carbon-bearing intermediate during benzoate degradation. Compared with the iron-free controls, the rates of methanogenic benzoate degradation were enhanced by 25% and 53% in the presence of hematite and magnetite, respectively. This stimulatory effect probably resulted from DIET-mediated methanogenesis in which electrons transfer between syntrophic partners via conductive iron minerals. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that Bacillaceae, Peptococcaceae, and Methanobacterium are potentially involved in the functioning of syntrophic DIET. Considering the ubiquitous presence of iron minerals within soils and sediments, the findings of this study will increase the current understanding of the natural biological attenuation of aromatic hydrocarbons in anaerobic environments.

Electrochemically oxidized electronic and ionic conducting nanostructured block copolymers for lithium battery electrodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Shrayesh N; Javier, Anna E; Balsara, Nitash P

2013-07-23

Block copolymers that can simultaneously conduct electronic and ionic charges on the nanometer length scale can serve as innovative conductive binder material for solid-state battery electrodes. The purpose of this work is to study the electronic charge transport of poly(3-hexylthiophene)-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (P3HT-PEO) copolymers electrochemically oxidized with lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide (LiTFSI) salt in the context of a lithium battery charge/discharge cycle. We use a solid-state three-terminal electrochemical cell that enables simultaneous conductivity measurements and control over electrochemical doping of P3HT. At low oxidation levels (ratio of moles of electrons removed to moles of 3-hexylthiophene moieties in the electrode), the electronic conductivity (σe,ox) increases from 10(-7) S/cm to 10(-4) S/cm. At high oxidation levels, σe,ox approaches 10(-2) S/cm. When P3HT-PEO is used as a conductive binder in a positive electrode with LiFePO4 active material, P3HT is electrochemically active within the voltage window of a charge/discharge cycle. The electronic conductivity of the P3HT-PEO binder is in the 10(-4) to 10(-2) S/cm range over most of the potential window of the charge/discharge cycle. This allows for efficient electronic conduction, and observed charge/discharge capacities approach the theoretical limit of LiFePO4. However, at the end of the discharge cycle, the electronic conductivity decreases sharply to 10(-7) S/cm, which means the "conductive" binder is now electronically insulating. The ability of our conductive binder to switch between electronically conducting and insulating states in the positive electrode provides an unprecedented route for automatic overdischarge protection in rechargeable batteries.

Quantum conductance of zigzag graphene oxide nanoribbons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kan, Zhe; Nelson, Christopher; Khatun, Mahfuza

2014-01-01

The electronic properties of zigzag graphene oxide nanoribbons (ZGOR) are presented. The results show interesting behaviors which are considerably different from the properties of the perfect graphene nanoribbons (GNRs). The theoretical methods include a Huckel-tight binding approach, a Green's function methodology, and the Landauer formalism. The presence of oxygen on the edge results in band bending, a noticeable change in density of states and thus the conductance. Consequently, the occupation in the valence bands increase for the next neighboring carbon atom in the unit cell. Conductance drops in both the conduction and valence band regions are due to the reduction of allowed k modes resulting from band bending. The asymmetry of the energy band structure of the ZGOR is due to the energy differences of the atoms. The inclusion of a foreign atom's orbital energies changes the dispersion relation of the eigenvalues in energy space. These novel characteristics are important and valuable in the study of quantum transport of GNRs

Ionic conductivity in oxide heterostructures: the role of interfaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emiliana Fabbri, Daniele Pergolesi and Enrico Traversa

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Rapidly growing attention is being directed to the investigation of ionic conductivity in oxide film heterostructures. The main reason for this interest arises from interfacial phenomena in these heterostructures and their applications. Recent results revealed that heterophase interfaces have faster ionic conduction pathways than the bulk or homophase interfaces. This finding can open attractive opportunities in the field of micro-ionic devices. The influence of the interfaces on the conduction properties of heterostructures is becoming increasingly important with the miniaturization of solid-state devices, which leads to an enhanced interface density at the expense of the bulk. This review aims to describe the main evidence of interfacial phenomena in ion-conducting film heterostructures, highlighting the fundamental and technological relevance and offering guidelines to understanding the interface conduction mechanisms in these structures.

Composite electrolyte with proton conductivity for low-temperature solid oxide fuel cell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Raza, Rizwan, E-mail: razahussaini786@gmail.com [Department of Physics, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Lahore 54000 (Pakistan); Department of Energy Technology, Royal Institute of Technology, KTH, Stockholm 10044 (Sweden); Ahmed, Akhlaq; Akram, Nadeem; Saleem, Muhammad; Niaz Akhtar, Majid; Ajmal Khan, M.; Abbas, Ghazanfar; Alvi, Farah; Yasir Rafique, M. [Department of Physics, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Lahore 54000 (Pakistan); Sherazi, Tauqir A. [Department of Chemistry, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Abbotabad 22060 (Pakistan); Shakir, Imran [Sustainable Energy Technologies (SET) center, College of Engineering, King Saud University, PO-BOX 800, Riyadh 11421 (Saudi Arabia); Mohsin, Munazza [Department of Physics, Lahore College for Women University, Lahore, 54000 (Pakistan); Javed, Muhammad Sufyan [Department of Physics, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Lahore 54000 (Pakistan); Department of Applied Physics, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); Zhu, Bin, E-mail: binzhu@kth.se, E-mail: zhubin@hubu.edu.cn [Department of Energy Technology, Royal Institute of Technology, KTH, Stockholm 10044 (Sweden); Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Organic Chemical Materials, Faculty of Physics and Electronic Science/Faculty of Computer and Information, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062 (China)

2015-11-02

In the present work, cost-effective nanocomposite electrolyte (Ba-SDC) oxide is developed for efficient low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (LTSOFCs). Analysis has shown that dual phase conduction of O{sup −2} (oxygen ions) and H{sup +} (protons) plays a significant role in the development of advanced LTSOFCs. Comparatively high proton ion conductivity (0.19 s/cm) for LTSOFCs was achieved at low temperature (460 °C). In this article, the ionic conduction behaviour of LTSOFCs is explained by carrying out electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements. Further, the phase and structure analysis are investigated by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy techniques. Finally, we achieved an ionic transport number of the composite electrolyte for LTSOFCs as high as 0.95 and energy and power density of 90% and 550 mW/cm{sup 2}, respectively, after sintering the composite electrolyte at 800 °C for 4 h, which is promising. Our current effort toward the development of an efficient, green, low-temperature solid oxide fuel cell with the incorporation of high proton conductivity composite electrolyte may open frontiers in the fields of energy and fuel cell technology.

Composite electrolyte with proton conductivity for low-temperature solid oxide fuel cell

Science.gov (United States)

Raza, Rizwan; Ahmed, Akhlaq; Akram, Nadeem; Saleem, Muhammad; Niaz Akhtar, Majid; Sherazi, Tauqir A.; Ajmal Khan, M.; Abbas, Ghazanfar; Shakir, Imran; Mohsin, Munazza; Alvi, Farah; Javed, Muhammad Sufyan; Yasir Rafique, M.; Zhu, Bin

2015-11-01

In the present work, cost-effective nanocomposite electrolyte (Ba-SDC) oxide is developed for efficient low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (LTSOFCs). Analysis has shown that dual phase conduction of O-2 (oxygen ions) and H+ (protons) plays a significant role in the development of advanced LTSOFCs. Comparatively high proton ion conductivity (0.19 s/cm) for LTSOFCs was achieved at low temperature (460 °C). In this article, the ionic conduction behaviour of LTSOFCs is explained by carrying out electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements. Further, the phase and structure analysis are investigated by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy techniques. Finally, we achieved an ionic transport number of the composite electrolyte for LTSOFCs as high as 0.95 and energy and power density of 90% and 550 mW/cm2, respectively, after sintering the composite electrolyte at 800 °C for 4 h, which is promising. Our current effort toward the development of an efficient, green, low-temperature solid oxide fuel cell with the incorporation of high proton conductivity composite electrolyte may open frontiers in the fields of energy and fuel cell technology.

Evaluation of the optoelectronic properties and corrosion behavior of Al2O3-doped ZnO films prepared by dc pulsed magnetron sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zubizarreta, C; Berasategui, E G; Bayón, R; Barriga, J; Escobar Galindo, R; Barros, R; Gaspar, D; Nunes, D; Calmeiro, T; Martins, R; Fortunato, E

2014-01-01

The main requirements for transparent conducting oxide (TCO) films acting as electrodes are a high transmission rate in the visible spectral region and low resistivity. However, in many cases, tolerance to temperature and humidity exposure is also an important requirement to be fulfilled by the TCOs to assure proper operation and durability. Besides improving current encapsulation methods, the corrosion resistance of the developed TCOs must also be enhanced to warrant the performance of optoelectronic devices. In this paper the performance of aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) films deposited by pulsed dc magnetron sputtering has been studied. Structure, optical transmittance/reflectance, electrical properties (resistivity, carrier concentration and mobility) and corrosion resistance of the developed coatings have been analyzed as a function of the doping of the target and the coating thickness. Films grown from a 2.0 wt% Al 2 O 3 target with a thickness of approximately 1 µm showed a very low resistivity of 6.54  ×  10 –4  Ωcm and a high optical transmittance in the visible range of 84%. Corrosion studies of the developed samples have shown very low corrosion currents (nanoamperes), very high corrosion resistances (in the order of 10 7  Ω) and very high electrochemical stability, indicating no tendency for electrochemical corrosion degradation. (paper)

Structure and conductive properties of poly(ethylene oxide)/layered double hydroxide nanocomposite polymer electrolytes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liao, C.-S.; Ye, W.-B.

2004-01-01

The oligo(ethylene oxide) modified layered double hydroxide (LDH) prepared by template method was added as a nanoscale nucleating agent into poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) to form PEO/OLDH nanocomposite electrolytes. The effects of OLDH addition on morphology and conductivities of nanocomposite electrolytes were studied using wide-angle X-ray diffractometer, polarized optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and ionic conductivity measurement. The results show that the exfoliated morphology of nanocomposites is formed due to the surface modification of LDH layers with PEO matrix compatible oligo(ethylene oxide)s. The nanoscale dispersed OLDH layers inhibit the crystal growth of PEO crystallites and result in a plenty amount of intercrystalline grain boundary within PEO/OLDH nanocomposites. The ionic conductivities of nanocomposite electrolytes are enhanced by three orders of magnitude compared to the pure PEO polymer electrolytes at ambient temperature. It can be attributed to the ease transport of Li + along intercrystalline amorphous phase. This novel nanocomposite electrolytes system with high conductivities will be benefited to fabricate the thin-film type of Li-polymer secondary battery

Amorphous semiconducting and conducting transparent metal oxide thin films and production thereof

Science.gov (United States)

Perkins, John; Van Hest, Marinus Franciscus Antonius Maria; Ginley, David; Taylor, Matthew; Neuman, George A.; Luten, Henry A.; Forgette, Jeffrey A.; Anderson, John S.

2010-07-13

Metal oxide thin films and production thereof are disclosed. An exemplary method of producing a metal oxide thin film may comprise introducing at least two metallic elements and oxygen into a process chamber to form a metal oxide. The method may also comprise depositing the metal oxide on a substrate in the process chamber. The method may also comprise simultaneously controlling a ratio of the at least two metallic elements and a stoichiometry of the oxygen during deposition. Exemplary amorphous metal oxide thin films produced according to the methods herein may exhibit highly transparent properties, highly conductive properties, and/or other opto-electronic properties.

Electrical Properties of Conductive Cotton Yarn Coated with Eosin Y Functionalized Reduced Graphene Oxide.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Eunju; Arul, Narayanasamy Sabari; Han, Jeong In

2016-06-01

This study reports the fabrication and investigation of the electrical properties of two types of conductive cotton yarns coated with eosin Y or eosin B functionalized reduced graphene (RGO) and bare graphene oxide (GO) using dip-coating method. The surface morphology of the conductive cotton yarn coated with reduced graphene oxide was observed by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Due to the strong electrostatic attractive forces, the negatively charged surface such as the eosin Y functionalized reduced graphene oxide or bare GO can be easily coated to the positively charged polyethyleneimine (PEI) treated cotton yarn. The maximum current for the conductive cotton yarn coated with eosin Y functionalized RGO and bare GO with 20 cycles repetition of (5D + R) process was found to be 793.8 μA and 3482.8 μA. Our results showed that the electrical conductivity of bare GO coated conductive cotton yarn increased by approximately four orders of magnitude with the increase in the dipping cycle of (5D+R) process.

Proton dynamics in oxides: insight into the mechanics of proton conduction from quasielastic neutron scattering.

Science.gov (United States)

Karlsson, Maths

2015-01-07

This article is concerned with the use of quasielastic neutron scattering as a technique for investigation of the dynamical properties of proton conducting oxides. Currently, the main interest in these materials comes from their promise as electrolytes in future electrochemical devices and particularly through their use as electrolytes in next-generation, intermediate-temperature, fuel cells. However, the realization of such devices depends critically on the development of new, more highly proton conducting oxides. Such a development depends on increasing the current understanding of proton conduction in oxides and for this purpose quasielastic neutron scattering is an important mean. The aim of this article is to introduce the non-specialist reader to the basic principles of quasielastic neutron scattering, its advantages and disadvantages, to summarize the work that has been done on proton conducting oxides using this technique, as well as to discuss future opportunities within this field of research.

Coupling ultraviolet light and ultrasound irradiation with Conductive-Diamond Electrochemical Oxidation for the removal of progesterone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vidales, María J. Martín de; Barba, Silvia; Sáez, Cristina; Cañizares, Pablo; Rodrigo, Manuel A.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Single sonolysis and photolysis technologies entail a slight progesterone removal and nil mineralization. • Synergistic effects of irradiating UV light and US are clearly observed in the oxidation rate. • The energy required by CDSEO and CDSPEO prevents against their application. • CDSEO mainly favors the mass transfer of organics to the conductive-diamond surface. • CDPEO promotes the formation of radicals in the bulk solution. - Abstract: This work focusses on the improvement of the efficiency of Conductive Diamond Electrochemical Oxidation (CDEO) by coupling US and UV irradiation in the degradation of progesterone from wastewater. Results show that CDEO is a promising technology for the degradation of progesterone, just the opposite of that observed for single sonolysis and photolysis technologies, which only entail a slight removal of progesterone and nil mineralization. Coupling UV light and US irradiations with CDEO seems to have a very positive effect, improving results obtained by single CDEO very significantly. Conductive Diamond Sono Electrochemical Oxidation (CDSEO) mainly seems to improve the transfer of pollutants to the conductive-diamond surface, while Conductive Diamond Photo Electrochemical Oxidation (CDPEO) seems to promote the formation of radicals from oxidants produced electrochemically. Soft oxidation conditions are obtained with the single application of both irradiation technologies, whereas an efficient mineralization is attained with CDEO, CDSEO, CDPEO and Conductive Diamond Sono-Photo Electrochemical Oxidation (CDSPEO). However, the high energy demands of US irradiation technologies advices against the use of CDSEO and CDSPEO

ZnO based transparent conductive oxide films with controlled type of conduction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zaharescu, M., E-mail: mzaharescu@icf.ro [Institute of Physical Chemistry “Ilie Murgulescu”, Romanian Academy, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest (Romania); Mihaiu, S., E-mail: smihaiu@icf.ro [Institute of Physical Chemistry “Ilie Murgulescu”, Romanian Academy, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest (Romania); Toader, A. [Institute of Physical Chemistry “Ilie Murgulescu”, Romanian Academy, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest (Romania); Atkinson, I., E-mail: irinaatkinson@yahoo.com [Institute of Physical Chemistry “Ilie Murgulescu”, Romanian Academy, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest (Romania); Calderon-Moreno, J.; Anastasescu, M.; Nicolescu, M.; Duta, M.; Gartner, M. [Institute of Physical Chemistry “Ilie Murgulescu”, Romanian Academy, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest (Romania); Vojisavljevic, K.; Malic, B. [Institute Jožef Stefan, Ljubljana (Slovenia); Ivanov, V.A.; Zaretskaya, E.P. [State Scientific and Production Association “Scientific-Practical Materials Research Center of the National Academy of Science Belarus, P. Brovska str.19, 220072, Minsk (Belarus)

2014-11-28

The transparent conductive oxide films with controlled type of conduction are of great importance and their preparation is intensively studied. In our work, the preparation of such films based on doped ZnO was realized in order to achieve controlled type of conduction and high concentration of the charge carriers. Sol–gel method was used for films preparation and several dopants were tested (Sn, Li, Ni). Multilayer deposition was performed on several substrates: SiO{sub 2}/Si wafers, silica-soda-lime and/or silica glasses. The structural and morphological characterization of the obtained films were done by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy respectively, while spectroscopic ellipsometry and transmittance measurements were done for determination of optical properties. The selected samples with the best structural, morphological and optical properties were subjected to electrical measurement (Hall and Seebeck effect). In all studied cases, samples with good adherence and homogeneous morphology as well as monophasic wurtzite type structure were obtained. The optical constants (refractive index and extinction coefficient) were calculated from spectroscopic ellipsometry data using Cauchy model. Films with n- or p-type conduction were obtained depending on the composition, number of deposition and thermal treatment temperature. - Highlights: • Transparent conductive ZnO based thin films were prepared by the sol–gel method. • Controlled type of conduction is obtained in (Sn, Li) doped and Li-Ni co-doped ZnO films. • Hall and Seebeck measurements proved the p-type conductivity for Li-Ni co-doped ZnO films. • The p-type conductivity was maintained even after 4-months of storage. • Influence of dopant- and substrate-type on the ZnO films properties was established.

Measurement of thermal conductivity of the oxide coating on autoclaved monel-400

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dua, A.K.; George, V.C.; Agarwala, R.P.

1982-01-01

Thermal conductivity of the oxide coating on monel-400 has been measured by a direct method. The oxide coating is applied on an electrically conducting wire having stable characteristics. The wire is placed in a constant temperature bath and a constant direct current is passed through it. The wire gets heated and loses heat to the surrounding. Temperature is measured by considering it as a resistance thermometer. A convection heat transfer coefficient, which is difficult to measure experimentally but is involved in the analytical expression for thermal conductivity, is eliminated by connecting a second uncoated wire of a noble metal having similar surface finish as that of the coated wire in series with it. The accuracy of the method is nearly six percent. However, the method is not easily applicable for very thin (thickness <= 1μ), highly porous coatings and materials having relatively large thermal conductivity. (M.G.B.)

Respiration sensor made from indium tin oxide-coated conductive fabrics

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Sun Hee; Lee, Joo Hyeon; Jee, Seung Hyun

2015-02-01

Conductive fabrics with new properties and applications have been the subject of extensive research over the last few years, with wearable respiration sensors attracting much attention. Different methods can be used to obtain fabrics that are electrically conducting, an essential property for various applications. For instance, fabrics can be coated with conductive polymers. Here, indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated conductive fabrics with cross-linked polyvinyl alcohol (C-PVA) were prepared using a doctor-blade. The C-PVA was employed in the synthesis to bind ITO on the fabrics with the highest possible mechanical strength. The feasibility of a respiration sensor prepared using the ITO-coated conductive fabric was investigated. The ITO-coated conductive fabric with the C-PVA was demonstrated to have a high potential for use in respiration sensors.

The electronic conduction of glass and glass ceramics containing various transition metal oxides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshida, T.; Matsuno, Y.

1980-01-01

Nb 2 O 5 -V 2 O 5 -P 2 O 5 glasses containing only Group Va oxides have been investigated to elucidate their electronic conduction and structure, as compared with other glasses obtained by the addition of various transition metal oxides to vanadium phosphate. The P 2 O 5 introduction for Nb 2 O 5 in this glass with the same amount of V 2 O 5 increased the conductivity about two times. Glass ceramics having high conductivity increased by two orders of magnitude and the activation energy for conduction decreased from about 0.5 to 0.2 eV. The crystals were confirmed to be (V,Nb) 2 O 5 and Nb phosphate, one of which was highly conductive and developed a pillar-like shape with a length of more than 20 μm. (orig.)

Conductive iron oxides accelerate thermophilic methanogenesis from acetate and propionate.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamada, Chihaya; Kato, Souichiro; Ueno, Yoshiyuki; Ishii, Masaharu; Igarashi, Yasuo

2015-06-01

Anaerobic digester is one of the attractive technologies for treatment of organic wastes and wastewater, while continuous development and improvements on their stable operation with efficient organic removal are required. Particles of conductive iron oxides (e.g., magnetite) are known to facilitate microbial interspecies electron transfer (termed as electric syntrophy). Electric syntrophy has been reported to enhance methanogenic degradation of organic acids by mesophilic communities in soil and anaerobic digester. Here we investigated the effects of supplementation of conductive iron oxides (magnetite) on thermophilic methanogenic microbial communities derived from a thermophilic anaerobic digester. Supplementation of magnetite accelerated methanogenesis from acetate and propionate under thermophilic conditions, while supplementation of ferrihydrite also accelerated methanogenesis from propionate. Microbial community analysis revealed that supplementation of magnetite drastically changed bacterial populations in the methanogenic acetate-degrading cultures, in which Tepidoanaerobacter sp. and Coprothermobacter sp. dominated. These results suggest that supplementation of magnetite induce electric syntrophy between organic acid-oxidizing bacteria and methanogenic archaea and accelerate methanogenesis even under thermophilic conditions. Findings from this study would provide a possibility for the achievement of stably operating thermophilic anaerobic digestion systems with high efficiency for removal of organics and generation of CH4. Copyright © 2014 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Analysis of sources of bulk conductivity change in saturated silica sand after unbuffered TCE oxidation by permanganate.

Science.gov (United States)

Hort, Ryan D; Revil, André; Munakata-Marr, Junko

2014-09-01

Time lapse resistivity surveys could potentially improve monitoring of permanganate-based in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) of organic contaminants such as trichloroethene (TCE) by tracking changes in subsurface conductivity that result from injection of permanganate and oxidation of the contaminant. Bulk conductivity and pore fluid conductivity changes during unbuffered TCE oxidation using permanganate are examined through laboratory measurements and conductivity modeling using PHREEQC in fluid samples and porous media samples containing silica sand. In fluid samples, oxidation of one TCE molecule produces three chloride ions and one proton, resulting in an increase in fluid electrical conductivity despite the loss of two permanganate ions in the reaction. However, in saturated sand samples in which up to 8mM TCE was oxidized, at least 94% of the fluid conductivity associated with the presence of protons was removed within 3h of sand contact, most likely through protonation of silanol groups found on the surface of the sand grains. Minor conductivity effects most likely associated with pH-dependent reductive dissolution of manganese dioxide were also observed but not accounted for in pore-fluid conductivity modeling. Unaccounted conductivity effects resulted in an under-calculation of post-reaction pore fluid conductivity of 2.1% to 5.5%. Although small increases in the porous media formation factor resulting from precipitation of manganese dioxide were detected (about 3%), these increases could not be confirmed to be statistically significant. Both injection of permanganate and oxidation of TCE cause increases in bulk conductivity that would be detectable through time-lapse resistivity surveys in field conditions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Methodologies For Characterising Mixed Conducting Oxides For Oxygen Membrane And SOFC Cathode Application

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hendriksen, Peter Vang; Søgaard, Martin; Plonczak, Pawel

2012-01-01

Two methods for detailed characterization of the process of oxygen exchange between the gas phase and a mixed conducting solid oxide are discussed. First, the use of solid electrolyte probes for measuring the change in oxygen activity over the surface of a mixed conductor is presented and advanta......Two methods for detailed characterization of the process of oxygen exchange between the gas phase and a mixed conducting solid oxide are discussed. First, the use of solid electrolyte probes for measuring the change in oxygen activity over the surface of a mixed conductor is presented...

Mechanistic interaction study of thin oxide dielectric with conducting organic electrode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, Himani; Sethi, Kanika; Raj, P. Markondeya; Gerhardt, R.A.; Tummala, Rao

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Thin film-oxide dielectric-organic electrode interface studies for investigating the leakage mechanism. ► XPS to elucidate chemical-structural changes on dielectric oxide surface. ► Correlates structural characterization data with capacitor leakage current and impedance spectroscopy characteristics. - Abstract: This paper aims at understanding the interaction of intrinsic conducting polymer, PEDT, with ALD-deposited Al 2 O 3 and thermally oxidized Ta 2 O 5 dielectrics, and the underlying mechanisms for increase in leakage currents in PEDT-based capacitors. Conducting polymers offer several advantages as electrodes for high surface area capacitors because of their lower resistance, self-healing and enhanced conformality. However, capacitors with in situ polymerized PEDT show poor electrical properties that are attributed to the interfacial interaction between the organic electrode and the oxide dielectric. This study focuses on characterizing these interactions. A combination of compositional, structural and electrical characterization techniques was applied to polymer-solid-state-capacitor to understand the interfacial chemical behavior and dielectric property deterioration of alumina and tantalum-oxide films. XPS and impedance studies were employed to understand the stiochiometric and compositional changes that occur in the dielectric film on interaction with in situ deposited PEDT. Based on the observations from several complimentary techniques, it is concluded that tantalum-pentoxide has more resistance towards chemical interaction with in situ polymerized PEDT. The thermally oxidized Ta 2 O 5 -PEDT system showed leakage current of 280 nA μF −1 at 3 V with a breakdown voltage of 30 V. On the other hand, Al 2 O 3 -PEDT capacitor showed leakage current of 50 μA μF −1 and a breakdown voltage of 40 V. The study reports direct evidence for the mechanism of resistivity drop in alumina dielectric with in situ polymerized PEDT electrode.

Effect of oxidizer on grain size and low temperature DC electrical conductivity of tin oxide nanomaterial synthesized by gel combustion method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rajeeva, M. P.; Jayanna, H. S.; Ashok, R. L.; Naveen, C. S.; Bothla, V. Prasad

2014-01-01

Nanocrystalline Tin oxide material with different grain size was synthesized using gel combustion method by varying the fuel (C 6 H 8 O 7 ) to oxidizer (HNO 3 ) molar ratio by keeping the amount of fuel as constant. The prepared samples were characterized by using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Energy Dispersive Analysis X-ray Spectroscopy (EDAX). The effect of fuel to oxidizer molar ratio in the gel combustion method was investigated by inspecting the grain size of nano SnO 2 powder. The grain size was found to be reduced with the amount of oxidizer increases from 0 to 6 moles in the step of 2. The X-ray diffraction patterns of the calcined product showed the formation of high purity tetragonal tin (IV) oxide with the grain size in the range of 12 to 31 nm which was calculated by Scherer's formula. Molar ratio and temperature dependence of DC electrical conductivity of SnO 2 nanomaterial was studied using Keithley source meter. DC electrical conductivity of SnO 2 nanomaterial increases with the temperature from 80K to 300K. From the study it was observed that the DC electrical conductivity of SnO 2 nanomaterial decreases with the grain size at constant temperature

ITO Modification for Efficient Inverted Organic Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Susarova, Diana K; Akkuratov, Alexander V; Kukharenko, Andrey I; Cholakh, Seif O; Kurmaev, Ernst Z; Troshin, Pavel A

2017-10-03

We demonstrate a facile approach to designing transparent electron-collecting electrodes by depositing thin layers of medium and low work function metals on top of transparent conductive metal oxides (TCOs) such as ITO and FTO. The modified electrodes were fairly stable for months under ambient conditions and maintained their electrical characteristics. XPS spectroscopy data strongly suggested integration of the deposited metal in the TCO structure resulting in additional doping of the conducting oxide at the interface. Kelvin probe microscopy measurements revealed a significant decrease in the ITO work function after modification. Organic solar cells based on three different conjugated polymers have demonstrated state of the art performances in inverted device geometry using Mg- or Yb-modified ITO as electron collecting electrode. The simplicity of the proposed approach and the excellent ambient stability of the modified ITO electrodes allows one to expect their wide utilization in research laboratories and electronic industry.

Dielectric response and ac conductivity analysis of hafnium oxide nanopowder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karahaliou, P K; Xanthopoulos, N; Krontiras, C A; Georga, S N

2012-01-01

The dielectric response of hafnium oxide nanopowder was studied in the frequency range of 10 -2 -10 6 MHz and in the temperature range of 20-180 °C. Broadband dielectric spectroscopy was applied and the experimental results were analyzed and discussed using the electric modulus (M*) and alternating current (ac) conductivity formalisms. The analyses of the dc conductivity and electric modulus data revealed the presence of mechanisms which are thermally activated, both with almost the same activation energy of 1.01 eV. A fitting procedure involving the superposition of the thermally activated dc conductivity, the universal dielectric responce and the near constant loss terms has been used to describe the frequency evolution of the real part of the specific electrical conductivity. The conductivity master curve was obtained, suggesting that the time-temperature superposition principle applies for the studied system, thus implying that the conductivity mechanisms are temperature independent.

A perovskite oxide with high conductivities in both air and reducing atmosphere for use as electrode for solid oxide fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Lan, Rong; Cowin, Peter I.; Sengodan, Sivaprakash; Tao, Shanwen

2016-08-01

Electrode materials which exhibit high conductivities in both oxidising and reducing atmospheres are in high demand for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and solid oxide electrolytic cells (SOECs). In this paper, we investigated Cu-doped SrFe0.9Nb0.1O3-δ finding that the primitive perovskite oxide SrFe0.8Cu0.1Nb0.1O3-δ (SFCN) exhibits a conductivity of 63 Scm-1and 60 Scm-1 at 415 °C in air and 5%H2/Ar respectively. It is believed that the high conductivity in 5%H2/Ar is related to the exsolved Fe (or FeCu alloy) on exposure to a reducing atmosphere. To the best of our knowledge, the conductivity of SrFe0.8Cu0.1Nb0.1O3-δ in a reducing atmosphere is the highest of all reported oxides which also exhibit a high conductivity in air. Fuel cell performance using SrFe0.8Cu0.1Nb0.1O3-δ as the anode, (Y2O3)0.08(ZrO2)0.92 as the electrolyte and La0.8Sr0.2FeO3-δ as the cathode achieved a power density of 423 mWcm-2 at 700 °C indicating that SFCN is a promising anode for SOFCs.

Written-in conductive patterns on robust graphene oxide biopaper by electrochemical microstamping.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Kesong; Tolentino, Lorenzo S; Kulkarni, Dhaval D; Ye, Chunhong; Kumar, Satish; Tsukruk, Vladimir V

2013-12-16

The silk road: By employing silk fibroin as a binder between graphene oxide films and aluminum foil for a facile, highly localized reduction process, conductive paper is reinvented. The flexible, robust biographene papers have high toughness and electrical conductivity. This electrochemical written-in approach is readily applicable for the fabrication of conductive patterned papers with complex circuitries. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Synthesis of Oxidation-Resistant Cupronickel Nanowires for Transparent Conducting Nanowire Networks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rathmall, Aaron [Duke University; Nguyen, Minh [Duke University; Wiley, Benjamin J [Duke University

2012-01-01

Nanowires of copper can be coated from liquids to create flexible, transparent conducting films that can potentially replace the dominant transparent conductor, indium tin oxide, in displays, solar cells, organic light-emitting diodes, and electrochromic windows. One issue with these nanowire films is that copper is prone to oxidation. It was hypothesized that the resistance to oxidation could be improved by coating copper nanowires with nickel. This work demonstrates a method for synthesizing copper nanowires with nickel shells as well as the properties of cupronickel nanowires in transparent conducting films. Time- and temperature-dependent sheet resistance measurements indicate that the sheet resistance of copper and silver nanowire films will double after 3 and 36 months at room temperature, respectively. In contrast, the sheet resistance of cupronickel nanowires containing 20 mol % nickel will double in about 400 years. Coating copper nanowires to a ratio of 2:1 Cu:Ni gave them a neutral gray color, making them more suitable for use in displays and electrochromic windows. These properties, and the fact that copper and nickel are 1000 times more abundant than indium or silver, make cupronickel nanowires a promising alternative for the sustainable, efficient production of transparent conductors.

Oxide-ion and proton conducting electrolyte materials for clean energy applications: structural and mechanistic features.

Science.gov (United States)

Malavasi, Lorenzo; Fisher, Craig A J; Islam, M Saiful

2010-11-01

This critical review presents an overview of the various classes of oxide materials exhibiting fast oxide-ion or proton conductivity for use as solid electrolytes in clean energy applications such as solid oxide fuel cells. Emphasis is placed on the relationship between structural and mechanistic features of the crystalline materials and their ion conduction properties. After describing well-established classes such as fluorite- and perovskite-based oxides, new materials and structure-types are presented. These include a variety of molybdate, gallate, apatite silicate/germanate and niobate systems, many of which contain flexible structural networks, and exhibit different defect properties and transport mechanisms to the conventional materials. It is concluded that the rich chemistry of these important systems provides diverse possibilities for developing superior ionic conductors for use as solid electrolytes in fuel cells and related applications. In most cases, a greater atomic-level understanding of the structures, defects and conduction mechanisms is achieved through a combination of experimental and computational techniques (217 references).

Balancing activity, stability and conductivity of nanoporous core-shell iridium/iridium oxide oxygen evolution catalysts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Yong-Tae; Lopes, Pietro Papa; Park, Shin-Ae; Lee, A-Yeong; Lim, Jinkyu; Lee, Hyunjoo; Back, Seoin; Jung, Yousung; Danilovic, Nemanja; Stamenkovic, Vojislav; Erlebacher, Jonah; Snyder, Joshua; Markovic, Nenad M.

2017-11-13

The selection of oxide materials for catalyzing the Oxygen Evolution Reaction in acid-based electrolyzers must be guided by the proper balance between activity, stability and conductivity – a challenging mission of great importance for delivering affordable and environmentally friendly hydrogen. Here we report that the highly conductive nanoporous architecture of an iridium oxide shell on a metallic iridium core, formed through the fast dealloying of osmium from an Ir25Os75 alloy, exhibits an exceptional balance between oxygen evolution activity and stability as quantified by the Activity-Stability FactorASF. Based on this metric, the nanoporous Ir/IrO2 morphology of dealloyed Ir25Os75 shows a factor of ~30 improvement ASFrelative to conventional Ir-based oxide materials and a ~8 times improvement over dealloyed Ir25Os75 nanoparticles due to optimized stability and conductivity, respectively. We propose that the Activity-Stability FactorASF is the key “metric” for determining the technological relevance of oxide-based anodic water electrolyzer catalysts.

Pulsed laser deposition of transparent conductive oxide thin films on flexible substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Socol, G.; Socol, M.; Stefan, N.; Axente, E.; Popescu-Pelin, G.; Craciun, D.; Duta, L.; Mihailescu, C. N.; Mihailescu, I. N.; Stanculescu, A.; Visan, D.; Sava, V.; Galca, A. C.; Luculescu, C. R.; Craciun, V.

2012-11-01

The influence of target-substrate distance during pulsed laser deposition of indium zinc oxide (IZO), indium tin oxide (ITO) and aluminium-doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin films grown on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates was investigated. It was found that the properties of such flexible transparent conductive oxide (TCO)/PET electrodes critically depend on this parameter. The TCO films that were deposited at distances of 6 and 8 cm exhibited an optical transmittance higher than 90% in the visible range and electrical resistivities around 5 × 10-4 Ω cm. In addition to these excellent electrical and optical characteristics the films grown at 8 cm distance were homogenous, smooth, adherent, and without cracks or any other extended defects, being suitable for opto-electronic device applications.

Preparation of Aluminum Nanomesh Thin Films from an Anodic Aluminum Oxide Template as Transparent Conductive Electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yiwen; Chen, Yulong; Qiu, Mingxia; Yu, Hongyu; Zhang, Xinhai; Sun, Xiao Wei; Chen, Rui

2016-02-01

We have employed anodic aluminum oxide as a template to prepare ultrathin, transparent, and conducting Al films with a unique nanomesh structure for transparent conductive electrodes. The anodic aluminum oxide template is obtained through direct anodization of a sputtered Al layer on a glass substrate, and subsequent wet etching creates the nanomesh metallic film. The optical and conductive properties are greatly influenced by experimental conditions. By tuning the anodizing time, transparent electrodes with appropriate optical transmittance and sheet resistance have been obtained. The results demonstrate that our proposed strategy can serve as a potential method to fabricate low-cost TCEs to replace conventional indium tin oxide materials.

The Effects of Zr Doping on the Optical, Electrical and Microstructural Properties of Thin ZnO Films Deposited by Atomic Layer Deposition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephania Herodotou

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Transparent conducting oxides (TCOs, with high optical transparency (≥85% and low electrical resistivity (10−4 Ω·cm are used in a wide variety of commercial devices. There is growing interest in replacing conventional TCOs such as indium tin oxide with lower cost, earth abundant materials. In the current study, we dope Zr into thin ZnO films grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD to target properties of an efficient TCO. The effects of doping (0–10 at.% Zr were investigated for ~100 nm thick films and the effect of thickness on the properties was investigated for 50–250 nm thick films. The addition of Zr4+ ions acting as electron donors showed reduced resistivity (1.44 × 10−3 Ω·cm, increased carrier density (3.81 × 1020 cm−3, and increased optical gap (3.5 eV with 4.8 at.% doping. The increase of film thickness to 250 nm reduced the electron carrier/photon scattering leading to a further reduction of resistivity to 7.5 × 10−4 Ω·cm and an average optical transparency in the visible/near infrared (IR range up to 91%. The improved n-type properties of ZnO: Zr films are promising for TCO applications after reaching the targets for high carrier density (>1020 cm−3, low resistivity in the order of 10−4 Ω·cm and high optical transparency (≥85%.

Efficient reduction of graphene oxide film by low temperature heat treatment and its effect on electrical conductivity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hu, Xuebing; Chen, Zheng [Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute, Jingdezhen (China). Key Lab. of Inorganic Membrane; Yu, Yun [Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Shanghai (China). Key Lab. of Inorganic Coating Materials; Zhang, Xiaozhen; Wang, Yongqing; Zhou, Jianer [Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute, Jingdezhen (China). Dept. of Materials Engineering

2018-03-01

Graphene-based conductive films have already attracted great attention due to their unique and outstanding physical properties. In this work, in order to develop a novel, effective method to produce these films with good electrical conductivity, a simple and green method is reported to rapidly and effectively reduce graphene oxide film using a low temperature heat treatment. The reduction of graphene oxide film is verified by XRD, FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy. Compared with graphene oxide film, the obtained reduced graphene oxide film has better electrical conductivity and its sheet resistance decreases from 25.3 kΩ x sq{sup -1} to 3.3 kΩ x sq{sup -1} after the heat treatment from 160 to 230 C. The mechanism of thermal reduction of the graphene oxide film mainly results from the removal of the oxygen-containing functional groups and the structural changes. All these results indicate that the low temperature heat treatment is a suitable and effective method for the reduction of graphene oxide film.

Transparent conductive zinc oxide basics and applications in thin film solar cells

CERN Document Server

Klein, Andreas; Rech, Bernd

2008-01-01

Zinc oxide (ZnO) belongs to the class of transparent conducting oxides which can be used as transparent electrodes in electronic devices or heated windows. In this book the material properties of, the deposition technologies for, and applications of zinc oxide in thin film solar cells are described in a comprehensive manner. Structural, morphological, optical and electronic properties of ZnO are treated in this review. The editors and authors of this book are specialists in deposition, analysis and fabrication of thin-film solar cells and especially of ZnO. This book is intended as an overview and a data collection for students, engineers and scientist.

Low temperature formation of electrode having electrically conductive metal oxide surface

Science.gov (United States)

Anders, Simone; Anders, Andre; Brown, Ian G.; McLarnon, Frank R.; Kong, Fanping

1998-01-01

A low temperature process is disclosed for forming metal suboxides on substrates by cathodic arc deposition by either controlling the pressure of the oxygen present in the deposition chamber, or by controlling the density of the metal flux, or by a combination of such adjustments, to thereby control the ratio of oxide to metal in the deposited metal suboxide coating. The density of the metal flux may, in turn, be adjusted by controlling the discharge current of the arc, by adjusting the pulse length (duration of on cycle) of the arc, and by adjusting the frequency of the arc, or any combination of these parameters. In a preferred embodiment, a low temperature process is disclosed for forming an electrically conductive metal suboxide, such as, for example, an electrically conductive suboxide of titanium, on an electrode surface, such as the surface of a nickel oxide electrode, by such cathodic arc deposition and control of the deposition parameters. In the preferred embodiment, the process results in a titanium suboxide-coated nickel oxide electrode exhibiting reduced parasitic evolution of oxygen during charging of a cell made using such an electrode as the positive electrode, as well as exhibiting high oxygen overpotential, resulting in suppression of oxygen evolution at the electrode at full charge of the cell.

Development of a tritium monitor combined with an electrochemical tritium pump using a proton conducting oxide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tanaka, M. [National Institute for Fusion Science, Toki, Gifu (Japan); Sugiyama, T. [Nagoya University, Fro-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya (Japan)

2015-03-15

The detection of low level tritium is one of the key issues for tritium management in tritium handling facilities. Such a detection can be performed by tritium monitors based on proton conducting oxide technique. We tested a tritium monitoring system composed of a commercial proportional counter combined with an electrochemical hydrogen pump equipped with CaZr{sub 0.9}In{sub 0.1}O{sub 3-α} as proton conducting oxide. The hydrogen pump operated at 973 K under electrolysis conditions using tritiated water vapor (HTO). The proton conducting oxide extracts tritium molecules (HT) from HTO and tritium concentration is measured by the proportional counter. The advantage of the proposed tritium monitoring system is that it is able to convert HTO into molecular hydrogen.

Solid-state ionics: Studies of lithium-conducting sulfide glasses and a superconducting oxide compound

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahn, Byung Tae.

1989-01-01

The first part of this work studies lithium-conducting sulfide glasses for battery applications, while the second part studies the thermodynamic properties of a superconducting oxide compound by using an oxide electrolyte. Lithium conducting glasses based on the SiS 2 -Li 2 S system are possible solid electrolytes for high-energy-density lithium batteries. The foremost requirement for solid electrolytes is that they should have high ionic conductivities. Unfortunately, most crystalline lithium conductors have low ionic conductivities at room temperature. However, glass ionic conductors show higher ionic conductivities than do crystalline forms of the same material. In addition to higher ionic conductivities, glasses appear to have several advantages over crystalline materials. These advantages include isotropic conductivity, absence of grain boundary effects, ease of glass forming, and the potential for a wide range of stability to oxidizing and reducing conditions. Using pyrolitic graphite-coated quartz ampoules, new ternary compounds and glasses in the SiS 2 -Li 2 S system were prepared. Several techniques were used to characterize the materials: powder x-ray diffraction, differential thermal analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and AC impedance spectroscopy. The measured lithium conductivity of the sulfide glasses was one of the highest among the known solid lithium conductors. Measuring the equilibrium open circuit voltages assisted in determining the electrochemical stabilities of the ternary compounds and glasses with respect to pure Li. A solid-state ionic technique called oxygen coulometric titration was used to measure the thermodynamic stability, the oxygen stoichiometry, and the effects of the oxygen stoichiometry, and the effects of the oxygen stoichiometry and the cooling rate on superconductivity of the YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x compound were investigated

Oxidation of clean silicon surfaces studied by four-point probe surface conductance measurements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Christian Leth; Grey, Francois; Aono, M.

1997-01-01

We have investigated how the conductance of Si(100)-(2 x 1) and Si(111)-(7 x 7) surfaces change during exposure to molecular oxygen. A monotonic decrease in conductance is seen as the (100) surfaces oxidizes. In contract to a prior study, we propose that this change is caused by a decrease in sur...

Highly transparent front electrodes with metal fingers for p-i-n thin-film silicon solar cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moulin Etienne

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The optical and electrical properties of transparent conductive oxides (TCOs, traditionally used in thin-film silicon (TF-Si solar cells as front-electrode materials, are interlinked, such that an increase in TCO transparency is generally achieved at the cost of reduced lateral conductance. Combining a highly transparent TCO front electrode of moderate conductance with metal fingers to support charge collection is a well-established technique in wafer-based technologies or for TF-Si solar cells in the substrate (n-i-p configuration. Here, we extend this concept to TF-Si solar cells in the superstrate (p-i-n configuration. The metal fingers are used in conjunction with a millimeter-scale textured foil, attached to the glass superstrate, which provides an antireflective and retroreflective effect; the latter effect mitigates the shadowing losses induced by the metal fingers. As a result, a substantial increase in power conversion efficiency, from 8.7% to 9.1%, is achieved for 1-μm-thick microcrystalline silicon solar cells deposited on a highly transparent thermally treated aluminum-doped zinc oxide layer combined with silver fingers, compared to cells deposited on a state-of-the-art zinc oxide layer.

Preparation and properties of highly conductive palmitic acid/graphene oxide composites as thermal energy storage materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mehrali, Mohammad; Latibari, Sara Tahan; Mehrali, Mehdi; Indra Mahlia, Teuku Meurah; Cornelis Metselaar, Hendrik Simon

2013-01-01

PA/GO (palmitic acid/graphene oxide) as PCMs (phase change materials) prepared by vacuum impregnation method, have high thermal conductivity. The GO (graphene oxide) composite was used as supporting material to improve thermal conductivity and shape stabilization of composite PCM (phase change material). SEM (Scanning electronic microscope), FT-IR (Fourier transformation infrared spectroscope) and XRD (X-ray diffractometer) were applied to determine microstructure, chemical structure and crystalloid phase of palmitic acid/GO composites, respectively. DSC (Differential scanning calorimeter) test was done to investigate thermal properties which include melting and solidifying temperatures and latent heat. FT-IR analysis represented that the composite instruction of porous palmitic acid and GO were physical. The temperatures of melting, freezing and latent heats of the composite measured through DSC analysis were 60.45, 60.05 °C, 101.23 and 101.49 kJ/kg, respectively. Thermal cycling test showed that the form-stable composite PCM has good thermal reliability and chemical stability. Thermal conductivity of the composite PCM was improved by more than three times from 0.21 to 1.02. As a result, due to their acceptable thermal properties, good thermal reliability, chemical stability and great thermal conductivities, we can consider the prepared form-stable composites as highly conductive PCMs for thermal energy storage applications. - Highlights: • Novel composite PCM with high thermal conductivity and latent heat storage. • New thermal cycling test for thermal reliability of composite PCMs. • Increasing thermal conductivity of composite PCM with graphene oxide. • Increasing thermal stability of phase change material by adding graphene oxide

A high performance cathode for proton conducting solid oxide fuel cells

KAUST Repository

Wang, Zhiquan

2015-01-01

Intermediate temperature solid-oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs)), as one of the energy conversion devices, have attracted worldwide interest for their great fuel efficiency, low air pollution, much reduced cost and excellent longtime stability. In the intermediate temperature range (500-700°C), SOFCs based on proton conducting electrolytes (PSOFCs) display unique advantages over those based on oxygen ion conducting electrolytes. A key obstacle to the practical operation of past P-SOFCs is the poor stability of the traditionally used composite cathode materials in the steam-containing atmosphere and their low contribution to proton conduction. Here we report the identification of a new Ruddlesden-Popper-type oxide Sr3Fe2O7-δ that meets the requirements for much improved long-term stability and shows a superior single-cell performance. With a Sr3Fe2O7-δ-5 wt% BaZr0.3Ce0.5Y0.2O3-δ cathode, the P-SOFC exhibits high power densities (683 and 583 mW cm-2 at 700°C and 650°C, respectively) when operated with humidified hydrogen as the fuel and air as the cathode gas. More importantly, no decay in discharging was observed within a 100 hour test. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2015.

Highly conductive grain boundaries in copper oxide thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deuermeier, Jonas, E-mail: j.deuermeier@campus.fct.unl.pt [Department of Materials Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, i3N/CENIMAT, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa and CEMOP/UNINOVA, Campus de Caparica, 2829-516 Caparica (Portugal); Department of Materials and Earth Sciences, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Jovanka-Bontschits-Straße 2, D-64287 Darmstadt (Germany); Wardenga, Hans F.; Morasch, Jan; Siol, Sebastian; Klein, Andreas, E-mail: aklein@surface.tu-darmstadt.de [Department of Materials and Earth Sciences, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Jovanka-Bontschits-Straße 2, D-64287 Darmstadt (Germany); Nandy, Suman; Calmeiro, Tomás; Martins, Rodrigo; Fortunato, Elvira [Department of Materials Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, i3N/CENIMAT, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa and CEMOP/UNINOVA, Campus de Caparica, 2829-516 Caparica (Portugal)

2016-06-21

High conductivity in the off-state and low field-effect mobility compared to bulk properties is widely observed in the p-type thin-film transistors of Cu{sub 2}O, especially when processed at moderate temperature. This work presents results from in situ conductance measurements at thicknesses from sub-nm to around 250 nm with parallel X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. An enhanced conductivity at low thickness is explained by the occurrence of Cu(II), which is segregated in the grain boundary and locally causes a conductivity similar to CuO, although the surface of the thick film has Cu{sub 2}O stoichiometry. Since grains grow with an increasing film thickness, the effect of an apparent oxygen excess is most pronounced in vicinity to the substrate interface. Electrical properties of Cu{sub 2}O grains are at least partially short-circuited by this effect. The study focuses on properties inherent to copper oxide, although interface effects cannot be ruled out. This non-destructive, bottom-up analysis reveals phenomena which are commonly not observable after device fabrication, but clearly dominate electrical properties of polycrystalline thin films.

Ionic conductivity of metal oxides : an essential property for all-solid-state Lithium-ion batteries

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chen, C.; Eichel, R.-A.; Notten, P.H.L.

2017-01-01

Essential progress has been made for adopting metal oxides (MeO) in various energy storage and energy conversion applications. Among these, utilizing MeO in Lithium-ions batteries (LIBs) seems to be one of the most promising applications. In particular, conductive Li-containing oxides or

Electrical conductivity of activated carbon-metal oxide nanocomposites under compression: a comparison study.

Science.gov (United States)

Barroso-Bogeat, A; Alexandre-Franco, M; Fernández-González, C; Macías-García, A; Gómez-Serrano, V

2014-12-07

From a granular commercial activated carbon (AC) and six metal oxide (Al2O3, Fe2O3, SnO2, TiO2, WO3 and ZnO) precursors, two series of AC-metal oxide nanocomposites were prepared by wet impregnation, oven-drying at 120 °C, and subsequent heat treatment at 200 or 850 °C in an inert atmosphere. Here, the electrical conductivity of the resulting products was studied under moderate compression. The influence of the applied pressure, sample volume, mechanical work, and density of the hybrid materials was thoroughly investigated. The DC electrical conductivity of the compressed samples was measured at room temperature by the four-probe method. Compaction assays suggest that the mechanical properties of the nanocomposites are largely determined by the carbon matrix. Both the decrease in volume and the increase in density were relatively small and only significant at pressures lower than 100 kPa for AC and most nanocomposites. In contrast, the bulk electrical conductivity of the hybrid materials was strongly influenced by the intrinsic conductivity, mean crystallite size, content and chemical nature of the supported phases, which ultimately depend on the metal oxide precursor and heat treatment temperature. The supported nanoparticles may be considered to act as electrical switches either hindering or favouring the effective electron transport between the AC cores of neighbouring composite particles in contact under compression. Conductivity values as a rule were lower for the nanocomposites than for the raw AC, all of them falling in the range of semiconductor materials. With the increase in heat treatment temperature, the trend is toward the improvement of conductivity due to the increase in the crystallite size and, in some cases, to the formation of metals in the elemental state and even metal carbides. The patterns of variation of the electrical conductivity with pressure and mechanical work were slightly similar, thus suggesting the predominance of the pressure

Spin and spinless conductivity in polypyrrole. Evidence for mixed-valence conduction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zotti, G.; Schiavon, G. (Ist. di Polarografia ed Elettrochimica Preparativa, Padova (Italy))

In situ conductivity of polypyrrole (as tosylate) as a function of oxidative doping level attains a maximum at three-quarters the total oxidation charge and the relevant in situ ESR signal corresponds to an equal concentration of spin-carrying (polaron) and spinless (bipolaron) species. Results are explained on the basis of mixed-valence conduction. Bipolaron conduction, taking the place of polaron-bipolaron conductivity at higher oxidation levels, accounts for persisting conductivity in the high-oxidation state.

Effect of proton-conduction in electrolyte on electric efficiency of multi-stage solid oxide fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Matsuzaki, Yoshio; Tachikawa, Yuya; Somekawa, Takaaki; Hatae, Toru; Matsumoto, Hiroshige; Taniguchi, Shunsuke; Sasaki, Kazunari

2015-07-01

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are promising electrochemical devices that enable the highest fuel-to-electricity conversion efficiencies under high operating temperatures. The concept of multi-stage electrochemical oxidation using SOFCs has been proposed and studied over the past several decades for further improving the electrical efficiency. However, the improvement is limited by fuel dilution downstream of the fuel flow. Therefore, evolved technologies are required to achieve considerably higher electrical efficiencies. Here we present an innovative concept for a critically-high fuel-to-electricity conversion efficiency of up to 85% based on the lower heating value (LHV), in which a high-temperature multi-stage electrochemical oxidation is combined with a proton-conducting solid electrolyte. Switching a solid electrolyte material from a conventional oxide-ion conducting material to a proton-conducting material under the high-temperature multi-stage electrochemical oxidation mechanism has proven to be highly advantageous for the electrical efficiency. The DC efficiency of 85% (LHV) corresponds to a net AC efficiency of approximately 76% (LHV), where the net AC efficiency refers to the transmission-end AC efficiency. This evolved concept will yield a considerably higher efficiency with a much smaller generation capacity than the state-of-the-art several tens-of-MW-class most advanced combined cycle (MACC).

Treatment of real effluents from the pharmaceutical industry: A comparison between Fenton oxidation and conductive-diamond electro-oxidation.

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez, J F; Llanos, J; Sáez, C; López, C; Cañizares, P; Rodrigo, M A

2017-06-15

Wastewater produced in pharmaceutical manufacturing plants (PMPs), especially the one coming from organic-synthesis facilities, is characterized by its large variability due to the wide range of solvents and chemical reagents used in the different stages of the production of medicines. Normally, the toxicity of the organic compounds prevent the utilization of biological processes and more powerful treatments are needed becoming advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) a valid alternative. In this work, the efficiency in abatement of pollution by Fenton oxidation (FO) and conductive-diamond electro-oxidation (CDEO) are compared in the treatment of 60 real effluents coming from different processes carried out in a pharmaceutical facility, using standardized tests. In 80% of the samples, CDEO was found to be more efficient than FO and in the remaining 20%, coagulation was found to exhibit a great significance in the COD abatement mechanism during FO, pointing out the effectiveness of the oxidation promoted by the electrochemical technology. Mean oxidation state of carbon was found to be a relevant parameter to understand the behavior of the oxidation technologies. It varied inversely proportional to efficiency in FO and it showed practically no influence in the case of CDEO. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mixed conductivity studies in silver oxide based barium vanado-tellurite glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pant, Meenakshi; Kanchan, D.K.; Sharma, Poonam; Jayswal, Manish S.

2008-01-01

The dc conductivity and frequency dependent ac conductivity of the quaternary glass system x(BaO:1.5 Ag 2 O)-(95 - x)V 2 O 5 -5TeO 2 , are reported in the frequency range 1 Hz to 32 MHz in the temperature range from room temperature to 433 K. The dc conductivity measured in high temperature range increased with transition metal oxide content while the activation range decreased. The conductivity arises mainly from polaron hopping between V 4+ and V 5+ ions. High temperature conductivity data satisfy Mott's small polaron hopping model. It is found that a mechanism of non-adiabatic hopping is the most appropriate conduction model for these glasses. A power law behavior σ(ω) = σ dc + Aω n (with 0 < n < 1) is well exhibited by the ac conductivity data of the glasses. The activation energy calculated from both the relaxation time and dc conductivity is found to be nearly same in both the cases. A scaling of the conductivity spectra with respect to temperature and composition is attempted and it is observed that the relaxation dynamics of charge carriers in the present glasses is independent of temperature and composition

High power pulsed magnetron sputtering of transparent conducting oxides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sittinger, V.; Ruske, F.; Werner, W.; Jacobs, C.; Szyszka, B.; Christie, D.J.

2008-01-01

High power pulsed magnetron sputtering (HPPMS) has been used in order to study the deposition of transparent conducting oxides. We summarize the studies carried out on different materials (indium tin oxide-ITO and aluminium-doped zinc oxide-AZO) using rather different technological approaches, namely sputtering of ceramic targets and reactive sputtering. For the deposition of AZO reactive HPPMS for metallic targets has been used. A feedback control loop has been implemented in order to stabilize the discharge at any given setpoint on the hysteresis curve. The hysteresis was also found to have a rather untypical form. Reactive HPPMS was found to be a promising tool for obtaining high quality films of low total thickness. In the case of ITO deposition a ceramic target has been used. The process has been characterized in terms of its plasma emission and increasing indium ionization was found for higher peak power densities. The properties of the deposited films were compared to DC sputtered films. While for DC sputtering the choice of oxygen addition and shieldings is crucial for determining surface morphology and resistivity, in HPPMS sputtering peak power density has been found to be a good parameter for influencing the crystal structure. The morphologies obtained differ strongly from those seen in DC sputtering. At high power densities films with low surface roughness and excellent resistivity could be deposited without the use of shieldings

Formation of high oxide ion conductive phases in the sintered oxides of the system Bi2O3-Ln2O3 (Ln = La-Yb)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwahara, H.; Esaka, T.; Sato, T.; Takahashi, T.

1981-01-01

The electrical conduction in various phases of the system Bi 2 O 3 -Ln 2 O 3 (Ln = La, Nd, Sm, Dy, Er, or Yb) was investigated by measuring ac conductivity and the emf of the oxygen gas concentration cell. High-oxide-ion conduction was observed in the rhombohedral and face-centered cubic (fcc) phase in these systems. The fcc phase could be stabilized over a wide range of temperature by adding a certain amount of Ln 2 O 3 . In these cases, the larger the atomic number of Ln, the lower the content of Ln 2 O 3 required to form the fcc solid solution, except in the case of Yb 2 O 3 . The oxide ion conductivity of this phase decreased with increasing content of Ln 2 O 3 . Maximum conductivity was obtained at the lower limit of the fcc solid solution formation range in each system, which was more than one order of magnitude higher than those of conventional stabilized zirconias. Lattice parameters of the fcc phase were calculated from the x-ray diffraction patterns. The relationship between the oxide ion conductivity and the lattice parameter was also discussed

Lipase immobilized on nanostructured cerium oxide thin film coated on transparent conducting oxide electrode for butyrin sensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Panky, Sreedevi; Thandavan, Kavitha; Sivalingam, Durgajanani; Sethuraman, Swaminathan; Krishnan, Uma Maheswari; Jeyaprakash, Beri Gopalakrishnan; Rayappan, John Bosco Balaguru

2013-01-01

Nanostructured cerium oxide (CeO 2 ) thin films were deposited on transparent conducting oxide (TCO) substrate using spray pyrolysis technique with cerium nitrate salt, Ce(NO 3 ) 3 ·6H 2 O as precursor. Fluorine doped cadmium oxide (CdO:F) thin film prepared using spray pyrolysis technique acts as the TCO film and hence the bare electrode. The structural, morphological and elemental characterizations of the films were carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) respectively. The diffraction peak positions in XRD confirmed the formation of highly crystalline ceria with cubic structure and FE-SEM images showed uniform adherent films with granular morphology. The band gaps of CeO 2 and TCO were found to be 3.2 eV and 2.6 eV respectively. Lipase enzyme was physisorbed on the surface of CeO 2 /TCO film to form the lipase/nano-CeO 2 /TCO bioelectrode. Sensing studies were carried out using cyclic voltammetry and amperometry, with lipase/nano-CeO 2 /TCO as working electrode and tributyrin as substrate. The mediator-free biosensor with nanointerface exhibited excellent linearity (0.33–1.98 mM) with a lowest detection limit of 2 μM with sharp response time of 5 s and a shelf life of about 6 weeks. -- Graphical abstract: Nanostructured cerium oxide thin films were deposited on transparent conducting oxide (TCO) substrate using spray pyrolysis technique. Fluorine doped cadmium oxide (CdO:F) thin film acts as the TCO film and hence the working electrode. Lipase enzyme was physisorbed on the surface of CeO 2 /TCO film and hence the lipase/nano-CeO 2 /TCO bioelectrode has been fabricated. Sensing studies were carried out using cyclic voltammetry and amperometry with tributyrin as substrate. The mediator-free biosensor with nanointerface exhibited excellent linearity (0.33–1.98 mM) with a lowest detection limit of 2 μM with sharp response time of 5 s and a shelf life of about 6

Lithium ion conductivity of molecularly compatibilized chitosan-poly(aminopropyltriethoxysilane)-poly(ethylene oxide) nanocomposites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuentes, S.; Retuert, P.J.; Gonzalez, G.

2007-01-01

Films of composites of chitosan/poly(aminopropyltriethoxysilane)/poly(ethylene oxide) (CHI/pAPS/PEO) containing a fixed amount of lithium salt are studied. The ternary composition diagram of the composites, reporting information on the mechanic stability, the transparence and the electrical conductivity of the films, shows there is a window in which the molecular compatibility of the components is optimal. In this window, defined by the components ratios CHI/PEO 3:2, pAPS/PEO 2:3 and CHI/PEO 1:2, there is a particular composition Li x (CHI) 1 (PEO) 2 (pAPS) 1.2 for which the conductivity reaches a value of 1.7 x 10 -5 S cm -1 at near room temperature. Considering the balance between the Lewis acid and basic sites available in the component and the observed stoichiometry limits of formed polymer complexes, the conductivity values of these products may be understood by the formation of a layered structure in which the lithium ions, stabilized by the donors, poly(ethylene oxide) and/or poly(aminopropyltriethoxysilane), are intercalated in a chitosan matrix

Electrical and optical performance of transparent conducting oxide films deposited by electrostatic spray assisted vapour deposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Hou, Xianghui; Choy, Kwang-Leong; Liu, Jun-Peng

2011-09-01

Transparent conducting oxide (TCO) films have the remarkable combination of high electrical conductivity and optical transparency. There is always a strong motivation to produce TCO films with good performance at low cost. Electrostatic Spray Assisted Vapor Deposition (ESAVD), as a variant of chemical vapour deposition (CVD), is a non-vacuum and low-cost deposition method. Several types of TCO films have been deposited using ESAVD process, including indium tin oxide (ITO), antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO), and fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO). This paper reports the electrical and optical properties of TCO films produced by ESAVD methods, as well as the effects of post treatment by plasma hydrogenation on these TCO films. The possible mechanisms involved during plasma hydrogenation of TCO films are also discussed. Reduction and etching effect during plasma hydrogenation are the most important factors which determine the optical and electrical performance of TCO films.

Surface conductivity of the single crystal aluminum oxide in vacuum and caesium vapors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasilchenko, A.V.; Izhvanov, O.L.

1996-01-01

Results of measurements of surface conductivity of single-crystal aluminum oxide samples in vacuum and cesium vapors at T=620 endash 830 K and P Cs =0.13 endash 2 Pa are shown in the paper. Analysis of caesium vapor influence is carried out and ultimate characteristics of samples conductivity under operation conditions in thermionic nuclear power system (NPP) TFE are estimated. copyright 1996 American Institute of Physics

Exfoliation approach for preparing high conductive reduced graphite oxide and its application in natural rubber composites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wipatkrut, Pattharaporn [Department of Chemical Technology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand); Poompradub, Sirilux, E-mail: sirilux.p@chula.ac.th [Department of Chemical Technology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand); Center for Petroleum, Petrochemical and Advanced Material, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand)

2017-04-15

Highlights: • Graphite waste was exfoliated by oxidation and chemical and thermal reduction. • The obtained graphene-T was a single layer sheet with a high electrical conductivity. • Graphene-T incorporation at 5 phr improved the electrical conductivity of NR. • Graphene-T incorporation at 5–25 phr improved the mechanical properties of NR. - Abstract: High conductivity reduced graphite oxide (RGO) was prepared by exfoliation of graphite waste from the metal smelting industry. To improve the surface properties of the RGO, the graphite oxide obtained based on Hummers’ method was reduced by L-ascorbic acid to give RGOV, which was then subjected to thermal reduction to obtain RGOT. The residual oxygen-containing groups in RGOV were almost completely removed by the thermal reduction and the conjugated graphene networks were restored in RGOT. The effect of the RGOT content in natural rubber (NR) on the cure, electrical and mechanical properties of the NR-RGOT (NG) composites was evaluated. The electrical conductivity of NR was increased by the inclusion of RGOT at a percolation threshold of 5 phr, with an electrical conductivity of 8.71 × 10{sup −6} S/m. The mechanical properties, i.e., the modulus, tensile strength and hardness, of NG were comparable with those of conductive carbon black filled NR ones.

Rapid thermal processing of nano-crystalline indium tin oxide transparent conductive oxide coatings on glass by flame impingement technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schoemaker, S.; Willert-Porada, M.

2009-01-01

Indium tin oxide (ITO) is still the best suited material for transparent conductive oxides, when high transmission in the visible range, high infrared reflection or high electrical conductivity is needed. Current approaches on powder-based printable ITO coatings aim at minimum consumption of active coating and low processing costs. The paper describes how fast firing by flame impingement is used for effective sintering of ITO-coatings applied on glass. The present study correlates process parameters of fast firing by flame impingement with optoelectronic properties and changes in the microstructure of suspension derived nano-particulate films. With optimum process parameters the heat treated coatings had a sheet resistance below 0.5 kΩ/ □ combined with a transparency higher than 80%. To characterize the influence of the burner type on the process parameters and the coating functionality, two types of methane/oxygen burner were compared: a diffusion burner and a premixed burner

High mobility transparent conducting oxides for thin film solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calnan, S.; Tiwari, A.N.

2010-01-01

A special class of transparent conducting oxides (TCO) with high mobility of > 65 cm 2 V -1 s -1 allows film resistivity in the low 10 -4 Ω cm range and a high transparency of > 80% over a wide spectrum, from 300 nm to beyond 1500 nm. This exceptional coincidence of desirable optical and electrical properties provides opportunities to improve the performance of opto-electronic devices and opens possibilities for new applications. Strategies to attain high mobility (HM) TCO materials as well as the current status of such materials based on indium and cadmium containing oxides are presented. Various concepts used to understand the underlying mechanisms for high mobility in HMTCO films are discussed. Examples of HMTCO layers used as transparent electrodes in thin film solar cells are used to illustrate possible improvements in solar cell performance. Finally, challenges and prospects for further development of HMTCO materials are discussed.

Method of depositing an electrically conductive oxide film on a textured metallic substrate and articles formed therefrom

Science.gov (United States)

Christen, David K.; He, Qing

2001-01-01

The present invention provides a biaxially textured laminate article having a polycrystalline biaxially textured metallic substrate with an electrically conductive oxide layer epitaxially deposited thereon and methods for producing same. In one embodiment a biaxially texture Ni substrate has a layer of LaNiO.sub.3 deposited thereon. An initial layer of electrically conductive oxide buffer is epitaxially deposited using a sputtering technique using a sputtering gas which is an inert or forming gas. A subsequent layer of an electrically conductive oxide layer is then epitaxially deposited onto the initial layer using a sputtering gas comprising oxygen. The present invention will enable the formation of biaxially textured devices which include HTS wires and interconnects, large area or long length ferromagnetic and/or ferroelectric memory devices, large area or long length, flexible light emitting semiconductors, ferroelectric tapes, and electrodes.

Cellulose nanofibers/reduced graphene oxide flexible transparent conductive paper.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Kezheng; Shao, Ziqiang; Wu, Xue; Wang, Xi; Li, Jia; Zhang, Yunhua; Wang, Wenjun; Wang, Feijun

2013-08-14

The cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) paper exhibit high visible light transmittance, high mechanical strength, and excellent flexibility. Therefore, CNFs paper may be an excellent substrate material for flexible transparent electronic devices. In this paper, we endeavor to prepare CNFs-based flexible transparent conductive paper by layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly using divalent copper ions (Cu(2+)) as the crosslinking agent. The thickness of the reduced graphene oxide (RGO) active layer in the CNFs paper can be controlled by the cycle times of the LbL assembly. CNFs/[RGO]20 paper has the sheet resistances of ∼2.5 kΩ/□, and the transmittance of about 76% at a wavelength of 550 nm. Furthermore, CNFs/[RGO]20 paper inherits the excellent mechanical properties of CNFs paper, and the ultimate strength is about 136 MPa. CNFs-based flexible transparent conductive paper also exhibits excellent electrical stability and flexibility. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Uranium dioxide and beryllium oxide enhanced thermal conductivity nuclear fuel development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrade, Antonio Santos; Ferreira, Ricardo Alberto Neto

2007-01-01

The uranium dioxide is the most used substance as nuclear reactor fuel for presenting many advantages such as: high stability even when it is in contact with water in high temperatures, high fusion point, and high capacity to retain fission products. The conventional fuel is made with ceramic sintered pellets of uranium dioxide stacked inside fuel rods, and presents disadvantages because its low thermal conductivity causes large and dangerous temperature gradients. Besides, the thermal conductivity decreases further as the fuel burns, what limits a pellet operational lifetime. This research developed a new kind of fuel pellets fabricated with uranium dioxide kernels and beryllium oxide filling the empty spaces between them. This fuel has a great advantage because of its higher thermal conductivity in relation to the conventional fuel. Pellets of this kind were produced, and had their thermophysical properties measured by the flash laser method, to compare with the thermal conductivity of the conventional uranium dioxide nuclear fuel. (author) (author)

High adhesion transparent conducting films using graphene oxide hybrid carbon nanotubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Da, Shi-Xun; Wang, Jie; Geng, Hong-Zhang; Jia, Song-Lin; Xu, Chun-Xia; Li, Lin-Ge; Shi, Pei-Pei; Li, Guangfen

2017-01-01

Graphical abstract: The GO hybrid CNTs to fabricate TCFs could dramatically enhance the conductivity, adhesion, flatness, and wettability of the films, all these improvements are advantageous for optoelectronic applications. - Highlights: • TCFs were fabricated using GO/CNT hybrid inks by a simple spray method. • Conductivity of TCFs was improved through the hybrid of GO/CNT, sheet resistance of TCFs was 146 Ω/sq at the transmittance of 86.0% when the ratio of GO/CNT got 1.5:1.0. • The flatness and wettability of TCFs were improved dramatically, which is advantageous for the solution-based processing of organic electronics for spraying and printing. • The adhesion of the TCFs increased dramatically with the raise of the ratio GO/CNT hybrid. - Abstract: Flexible transparent conducting films (TCFs) with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have attracted more and more attention for their wide range of potential applications. While, there are still some problems to be solved on several aspects. In this study, a graphene oxide/carbon nanotube (GO/CNT) hybrid TCF was fabricated through the simple spray coating method. GO sheets were introduced to form new electron transporting channels. It was found that the best optoelectronic property films were fabricated when the ratio of GO/CNT is 1.5:1.0, which the sheet resistance of the film was found to be 146 Ω/sq at the transmittance of 86.0%. Due to the two-dimensional structure and the oxidation groups of GO sheets, flatness and wettability of the electrode surface was improved obviously. Adhesion factor of the TCFs was calculated by the change of transparent and sheet resistance after trial test, the addition of GO sheets enhanced the adhesion dramatically and the mechanism was analyzed. Improvements of conductivity, flatness, wettability and adhesion above are all advantageous for the solution-based processing of organic electronics for spraying and printing.

High adhesion transparent conducting films using graphene oxide hybrid carbon nanotubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Da, Shi-Xun; Wang, Jie; Geng, Hong-Zhang, E-mail: genghz@tjpu.edu.cn; Jia, Song-Lin; Xu, Chun-Xia; Li, Lin-Ge; Shi, Pei-Pei; Li, Guangfen

2017-01-15

Graphical abstract: The GO hybrid CNTs to fabricate TCFs could dramatically enhance the conductivity, adhesion, flatness, and wettability of the films, all these improvements are advantageous for optoelectronic applications. - Highlights: • TCFs were fabricated using GO/CNT hybrid inks by a simple spray method. • Conductivity of TCFs was improved through the hybrid of GO/CNT, sheet resistance of TCFs was 146 Ω/sq at the transmittance of 86.0% when the ratio of GO/CNT got 1.5:1.0. • The flatness and wettability of TCFs were improved dramatically, which is advantageous for the solution-based processing of organic electronics for spraying and printing. • The adhesion of the TCFs increased dramatically with the raise of the ratio GO/CNT hybrid. - Abstract: Flexible transparent conducting films (TCFs) with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have attracted more and more attention for their wide range of potential applications. While, there are still some problems to be solved on several aspects. In this study, a graphene oxide/carbon nanotube (GO/CNT) hybrid TCF was fabricated through the simple spray coating method. GO sheets were introduced to form new electron transporting channels. It was found that the best optoelectronic property films were fabricated when the ratio of GO/CNT is 1.5:1.0, which the sheet resistance of the film was found to be 146 Ω/sq at the transmittance of 86.0%. Due to the two-dimensional structure and the oxidation groups of GO sheets, flatness and wettability of the electrode surface was improved obviously. Adhesion factor of the TCFs was calculated by the change of transparent and sheet resistance after trial test, the addition of GO sheets enhanced the adhesion dramatically and the mechanism was analyzed. Improvements of conductivity, flatness, wettability and adhesion above are all advantageous for the solution-based processing of organic electronics for spraying and printing.

Lipase immobilized on nanostructured cerium oxide thin film coated on transparent conducting oxide electrode for butyrin sensing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Panky, Sreedevi; Thandavan, Kavitha [Centre for Nanotechnology and Advanced Biomaterials (CeNTAB), SASTRA University, Thanjavur 613 401, Tamil Nadu (India); School of Chemical and Biotechnology, SASTRA University, Thanjavur 613 401, Tamil Nadu (India); Sivalingam, Durgajanani [Centre for Nanotechnology and Advanced Biomaterials (CeNTAB), SASTRA University, Thanjavur 613 401, Tamil Nadu (India); School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, SASTRA University, Thanjavur 613 401, Tamil Nadu (India); Sethuraman, Swaminathan; Krishnan, Uma Maheswari [Centre for Nanotechnology and Advanced Biomaterials (CeNTAB), SASTRA University, Thanjavur 613 401, Tamil Nadu (India); School of Chemical and Biotechnology, SASTRA University, Thanjavur 613 401, Tamil Nadu (India); Jeyaprakash, Beri Gopalakrishnan [Centre for Nanotechnology and Advanced Biomaterials (CeNTAB), SASTRA University, Thanjavur 613 401, Tamil Nadu (India); School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, SASTRA University, Thanjavur 613 401, Tamil Nadu (India); Rayappan, John Bosco Balaguru, E-mail: rjbosco@ece.sastra.edu [Centre for Nanotechnology and Advanced Biomaterials (CeNTAB), SASTRA University, Thanjavur 613 401, Tamil Nadu (India); School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, SASTRA University, Thanjavur 613 401, Tamil Nadu (India)

2013-01-15

Nanostructured cerium oxide (CeO{sub 2}) thin films were deposited on transparent conducting oxide (TCO) substrate using spray pyrolysis technique with cerium nitrate salt, Ce(NO{sub 3}){sub 3}{center_dot}6H{sub 2}O as precursor. Fluorine doped cadmium oxide (CdO:F) thin film prepared using spray pyrolysis technique acts as the TCO film and hence the bare electrode. The structural, morphological and elemental characterizations of the films were carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) respectively. The diffraction peak positions in XRD confirmed the formation of highly crystalline ceria with cubic structure and FE-SEM images showed uniform adherent films with granular morphology. The band gaps of CeO{sub 2} and TCO were found to be 3.2 eV and 2.6 eV respectively. Lipase enzyme was physisorbed on the surface of CeO{sub 2}/TCO film to form the lipase/nano-CeO{sub 2}/TCO bioelectrode. Sensing studies were carried out using cyclic voltammetry and amperometry, with lipase/nano-CeO{sub 2}/TCO as working electrode and tributyrin as substrate. The mediator-free biosensor with nanointerface exhibited excellent linearity (0.33-1.98 mM) with a lowest detection limit of 2 {mu}M with sharp response time of 5 s and a shelf life of about 6 weeks. -- Graphical abstract: Nanostructured cerium oxide thin films were deposited on transparent conducting oxide (TCO) substrate using spray pyrolysis technique. Fluorine doped cadmium oxide (CdO:F) thin film acts as the TCO film and hence the working electrode. Lipase enzyme was physisorbed on the surface of CeO{sub 2}/TCO film and hence the lipase/nano-CeO{sub 2}/TCO bioelectrode has been fabricated. Sensing studies were carried out using cyclic voltammetry and amperometry with tributyrin as substrate. The mediator-free biosensor with nanointerface exhibited excellent linearity (0.33-1.98 mM) with a lowest detection limit of 2 {mu}M with sharp

Structure, temperature and frequency dependent electrical conductivity of oxidized and reduced electrochemically exfoliated graphite

Science.gov (United States)

Radoń, Adrian; Włodarczyk, Patryk; Łukowiec, Dariusz

2018-05-01

The article presents the influence of reduction by hydrogen in statu nascendi and modification by hydrogen peroxide on the structure and electrical conductivity of electrochemically exfoliated graphite. It was confirmed that the electrochemical exfoliation can be used to produce oxidized nanographite with an average number of 25 graphene layers. The modified electrochemical exfoliated graphite and reduced electrochemical exfoliated graphite were characterized by high thermal stability, what was associated with removing of labile oxygen-containing groups. The presence of oxygen-containing groups was confirmed using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Influence of chemical modification by hydrogen and hydrogen peroxide on the electrical conductivity was determined in wide frequency (0.1 Hz-10 kHz) and temperature range (-50 °C-100 °C). Material modified by hydrogen peroxide (0.29 mS/cm at 0 °C) had the lowest electrical conductivity. This can be associated with oxidation of unstable functional groups and was also confirmed by analysis of Raman spectra. The removal of oxygen-containing functional groups by hydrogen in statu nascendi resulted in a 1000-fold increase in the electrical conductivity compared to the electrochemical exfoliated graphite.

Pulsed laser deposition of transparent conductive oxide thin films on flexible substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Socol, G.; Socol, M.; Stefan, N.; Axente, E.; Popescu-Pelin, G.; Craciun, D.; Duta, L.; Mihailescu, C.N.; Mihailescu, I.N.; Stanculescu, A.; Visan, D.; Sava, V.; Galca, A.C.; Luculescu, C.R.; Craciun, V.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► TCO thin films were grown by PLD on PET substrate at low temperature. ► We found that the quality of TCO on PET substrate depends on the target–substrate distance. ► TCO with high transparency (>95%) and reduced electrical resistivity (∼5 × 10 −4 Ω cm) were obtained. ► Optimized TCO films deposited on PET were free of any cracks. - Abstract: The influence of target–substrate distance during pulsed laser deposition of indium zinc oxide (IZO), indium tin oxide (ITO) and aluminium-doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin films grown on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates was investigated. It was found that the properties of such flexible transparent conductive oxide (TCO)/PET electrodes critically depend on this parameter. The TCO films that were deposited at distances of 6 and 8 cm exhibited an optical transmittance higher than 90% in the visible range and electrical resistivities around 5 × 10 −4 Ω cm. In addition to these excellent electrical and optical characteristics the films grown at 8 cm distance were homogenous, smooth, adherent, and without cracks or any other extended defects, being suitable for opto-electronic device applications.

Functional doped metal oxide films. Zinc oxide (ZnO) as transparent conducting oxide (TCO) titanium dioxide (TiO{sub 2}) as thermographic phosphor and protective coating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nebatti Ech-Chergui, Abdelkader

2011-07-29

Metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) was used in the present work. Un-doped and Al-doped ZnO films were developed using two reactors: Halogen Lamp Reactor (HLR) (a type of Cold Wall Reactor) and Hot Wall Reactor (HWR), and a comparison was made between them in terms of the film properties. Zinc acetylacetonate was used as precursor for ZnO films while aluminum acetylacetonate was used for doping. The amount of Al doping can be controlled by varying the gas flow rate. Well ordered films with aluminum content between 0 and 8 % were grown on borosilicate glass and silicon. The films obtained are 0.3 to 0.5 {mu}m thick, highly transparent and reproducible. The growth rate of ZnO films deposited using HLR is less than HWR. In HLR, the ZnO films are well oriented along c-axis ((002) plane). ZnO films are commonly oriented along the c-axis due to its low surface free energy. On the other hand, the HWR films are polycrystalline and with Al doping these films aligned along the a-axis ((100) plane) which is less commonly observed. The best films were obtained with the HLR method showing a minimum electrical resistivity of 2.4 m{omega}cm and transmittance of about 80 % in the visible range. The results obtained for Al-doped films using HLR are promising to be used as TCOs. The second material investigated in this work was un-doped and doped titanium dioxide (TiO{sub 2}) films- its preparation and characterization. It is well known that thermographic phosphors can be used as an optical method for the surface temperature measurement. For this application, the temperature-dependent luminescence properties of europium (III)-doped TiO{sub 2} thin films were studied. It was observed that only europium doped anatase films show the phosphorescence. Rutile phase do not show phosphorescence. The films were prepared by the sol-gel method using the dip coating technique. The structures of the films were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The excitation and the emission

Plasmachemical synthesis and evaluation of the thermal conductivity of metal-oxide compounds "Molybdenum-uranium dioxide"

Science.gov (United States)

Kotelnikova, Alexandra A.; Karengin, Alexander G.; Mendoza, Orlando

2018-03-01

The article represents possibility to apply oxidative and reducing plasma for plasma-chemical synthesis of metal-oxide compounds «Mo‒UO2» from water-salt mixtures «molybdic acid‒uranyl nitrate» and «molybdic acid‒ uranyl acetate». The composition of water-salt mixture was calculated and the conditions ensuring plasma-chemical synthesis of «Mo‒UO2» compounds were determined. Calculations were carried out at atmospheric pressure over a wide range of temperatures (300-4000 K), with the use of various plasma coolants (air, hydrogen). The heat conductivity coefficients of metal-oxide compounds «Mo‒UO2» consisting of continuous component (molybdenum matrix) are calculated. Inclusions from ceramics in the form of uranium dioxide were ordered in the matrix. Particular attention is paid to methods for calculating the coefficients of thermal conductivity of these compounds with the use of different models. Calculated results were compared with the experimental data.

Preparation of transparent conducting zinc oxide films by rf reactive sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasanelli, L.; Valentini, A.; Losacco, A.

1986-01-01

Transparent conducting zinc oxide films have been prepared by reactive sputtering in a Ar/H/sub 2/ mixture. The optical and electrical properties of the films are presented and discussed. The effects of some post-deposition thermal treatment have been also investigated. ZnO/CdTe heterojunctions have been prepared by sputtering ZnO films on CdTe single crystals. The photovoltaic conversion efficiencies of the obtained solar cells was 6.8%

Transparent conducting oxide contacts and textured metal back reflectors for thin film silicon solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Franken, R. H.-J.

2006-09-01

With the growing population and the increasing environmental problems of the 'common' fossil and nuclear energy production, the need for clean and sustainable energy sources is evident. Solar energy conversion, such as in photovoltaic (PV) systems, can play a major role in the urgently needed energy transition in electricity production. At the present time PV module production is dominated by the crystalline wafer technology. Thin film silicon technology is an alternative solar energy technology that operates at lower efficiencies, however, it has several significant advantages, such as the possibility of deposition on cheap (flexible) substrates and the much smaller silicon material consumption. Because of the small thickness of the solar cells, light trapping schemes are needed in order to obtain enough light absorption and current generation. This thesis describes the research on thin film silicon solar cells with the focus on the optimization of the transparent conducting oxide (TCO) layers and textured metal Ag substrate layers for the use as enhanced light scattering back reflectors in n-i-p type of solar cells. First we analyzed ZnO:Al (TCO) layers deposited in an radio frequent (rf) magnetron deposition system equipped with a 7 inch target. We have focused on the improvement of the electrical properties without sacrificing the optical properties by increasing the mobility and decreasing the grain boundary density. Furthermore, we described some of the effects on light trapping of ZnO:Al enhanced back reflectors. The described effects are able to explain the observed experimental data. Furthermore, we present a relation between the surface morphology of the Ag back contact and the current enhancement in microcrystalline (muc-Si:H) solar cells. We show the importance of the lateral feature sizes of the Ag surface on the light scattering and introduce a method to characterize the quality of the back reflector by combining the vertical and lateral feature sizes

Dense ceramic membranes based on ion conducting oxides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fontaine, M.L.; Larring, Y.; Bredesen, R.; Norby, T.; Grande, T.

2007-01-01

This chapter reviews the recent progress made in the fields of high temperature oxygen and hydrogen separation membranes. Studies of membranes for oxygen separation are mainly focusing on materials design to improve flux, and to lesser extent, related to stability issues. High oxygen fluxes satisfying industrial requirements can be obtained but, for many materials, the surface exchange rate is limiting the performance. The current status on electrolyte-type and mixed proton and electron conducting membranes is outlined, highlighting materials with improved stability in typical applications as solid oxide fuel cell technology and gas separation. In our presentation more fundamental aspects related to transport properties, chemical and mechanical stability of membrane materials are also treated. It is concluded that a significantly better understanding of the long term effects of operation in chemical gradients is needed for these types of membrane materials. (authors)

Sulfonation degree effect on ion-conducting SPEEK-titanium oxide membranes properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marrero, Jacqueline Costa; Gomes, Ailton de Souza; Dutra Filho, José Carlos, E-mail: jacquecosta@gmail.com [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (IMA/UFRJ), RJ (Brazil). Instituto de Macromoléculas Professora Eloisa Mano; Hui, Wang Shu [Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP (Brazil). Departamento de Engenharia Metalúrgica e de Materiais; Oliveira, Vivianna Silva de [Escola Técnica Rezende Rammel (ETRR), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2017-07-01

Polymeric membranes were developed using a SPEEK (sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone)) polymer matrix, containing titanium oxide (TiO{sub 2}) (incorporated by sol-gel method). SPEEK with different sulfonation degrees (SD): 63% and 50% were used. The influence of sulfonation degree on membrane properties was investigated. The thermal analysis (TGA and DTGA) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were carried out to characterize the membranes and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was carried out to evaluate the proton conductivity of the membranes. The proton conductivities in water were of 3.25 to 37.08 mS.cm{sup -1}. Experimental data of impedance spectroscopy were analyzed with equivalent circuits using the Zview software, and the results showed that, the best fitted was at 80 °C. (author)

Graphene oxide-loaded shortening as an environmentally friendly heat transfer fluid with high thermal conductivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vongsetskul Thammasit

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Graphene oxide-loaded shortening (GOS, an environmentally friendly heat transfer fluid with high thermal conductivity, was successfully prepared by mixing graphene oxide (GO with a shortening. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that GO particles, prepared by the modified Hummer’s method, dispersed well in the shortening. In addition, the latent heat of GOS decreased while their viscosity and thermal conductivity increased with increasing the amount of loaded GO. The thermal conductivity of the GOS with 4% GO was higher than that of pure shortening of ca. three times, from 0.1751 to 0.6022 W/mK, and increased with increasing temperature. The GOS started to be degraded at ca. 360°C. After being heated and cooled at 100°C for 100 cycles, its viscosity slightly decreased and no chemical degradation was observed. Therefore, the prepared GOS is potentially used as environmentally friendly heat transfer fluid at high temperature.

Fabrication and characterization of conductive anodic aluminum oxide substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Altuntas, Sevde; Buyukserin, Fatih

2014-11-01

Biomaterials that allow the utilization of electrical, chemical and topographic cues for improved neuron-material interaction and neural regeneration hold great promise for nerve tissue engineering applications. The nature of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes intrinsically provides delicate control over topographic and chemical cues for enhanced cell interaction; however their use in nerve regeneration is still very limited. Herein, we report the fabrication and characterization of conductive AAO (CAAO) surfaces for the ultimate goal of integrating electrical cues for improved nerve tissue behavior on the nanoporous substrate material. Parafilm was used as a protecting polymer film, for the first time, in order to obtain large area (50 cm2) free-standing AAO membranes. Carbon (C) was then deposited on the AAO surface via sputtering. Morphological characterization of the CAAO surfaces revealed that the pores remain open after the deposition process. The presence of C on the material surface and inside the nanopores was confirmed by XPS and EDX studies. Furthermore, I-V curves of the surface were used to extract surface resistance values and conductive AFM demonstrated that current signals can only be achieved where conductive C layer is present. Finally, novel nanoporous C films with controllable pore diameters and one dimensional (1-D) C nanostructures were obtained by the dissolution of the template AAO substrate.

Aluminum-doped zinc oxide films as transparent conductive electrode for organic light-emitting devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, X.; Wong, F.L.; Fung, M.K.; Lee, S.T.

2003-01-01

Highly transparent conductive, aluminum-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Al) films were deposited on glass substrates by midfrequency magnetron sputtering of metallic aluminum-doped zinc target. ZnO:Al films with surface work functions between 3.7 and 4.4 eV were obtained by varying the sputtering conditions. Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) were fabricated on these ZnO:Al films. A current efficiency of higher than 3.7 cd/A, was achieved. For comparison, 3.9 cd/A was achieved by the reference OLEDs fabricated on commercial indium-tin-oxide substrates

Transparent conductive oxides and alternative transparent electrodes for organic photovoltaics and OLEDs; Transparente leitfaehige Elektroden. Oxide und alternative Materialien fuer die organische Photovoltaik und OLEDs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mueller-Meskamp, Lars; Sachse, Christoph; Kim, Yong Hyun; Furno, Mauro [Technische Univ. Dresden (DE). Inst. fuer Angewandte Photophysik (IAPP); May, Christian [Fraunhofer Institut fuer Photonische Mikrosysteme (IPMS), Dresden (Germany); Leo, Karl [Technische Univ. Dresden (DE). Inst. fuer Angewandte Photophysik (IAPP); Fraunhofer Institut fuer Photonische Mikrosysteme (IPMS), Dresden (Germany)

2012-08-15

Organic, photoactive devices, such as OLEDs or organic solar cells, currently use indium tin oxide (ITO) as transparent electrode. Whereas ITO is industry-proven for many years and shows very good electrical and optical properties, its application for low-cost and flexible devices might not be optimal. For such applications innovative technologies such as network-based metal nanowire or carbon nanotube electrodes, graphene, conductive polymers, metal thin-films and alternative transparent conductive oxides emerge. Although some of these technologies are rather experimental and far from application, some of them have the potential to replace ITO in selected applications. (orig.)

Probing anodic oxidation kinetics and nanoscale heterogeneity within TiO2 films by Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy and combined techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diamanti, M.V.; Souier, T.; Stefancich, M.; Chiesa, M.; Pedeferri, M.P.

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Nanoscale anodic titanium oxides were investigated with multidisciplinary approach. • Oxide thickness was estimated via spectrophotometry and coulometry. • C-AFM identified nanometric conductivity heterogeneities, ascribed to oxide structure. • High conductivity areas exhibited local memristive behavior. - Abstract: Anodic oxidation of titanium in acid electrolytes allows to obtain a thin, compact oxide layer with thickness, structure, color, and electrical properties that vary with process parameters imposed, among which cell voltage has a key effect. Although oxidation kinetics have been investigated in several research works, a broader vision of oxide properties–including thickness and structure–still has to be achieved, especially in the case of very thin oxide films, few tens of nanometers thick. This is vital for engineered applications of nanostructured TiO 2 films, as in the field of memristive devices, where a precise control of oxide thickness, composition and structure is required to tune its electrical response. In this work, oxide films were produced on titanium with thickness ranging from few nanometers to 200 nm. Oxide thickness was estimated by coulometry and spectrophotometry. These techniques were then combined with C-AFM, which provided a deeper understanding of oxide thickness and uniformity of the metal surface and probed the presence of crystalline nano-domains within the amorphous oxide phase affecting the overall film electrical and optical properties

Hot-wire substoichiometric tungsten oxide films deposited in hydrogen environment with n-type conductivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kostis, I; Vasilopoulou, M; Giannakopoulos, K; Papadimitropoulos, G; Davazoglou, D; Michalas, L; Papaioannou, G; Konofaos, N; Iliadis, A A; Kennou, S

2012-01-01

Substoichiometric tungsten oxide nanostructured films were synthesized by a hot-wire deposition technique in hydrogen-rich environment and characterized for their structural and electrical properties. A semiconducting behaviour was identified, allowing n-type conductivity even at room temperature which is an important result since it is well known that fully stoichiometric tungsten trioxide is nearly an insulator. Current-voltage characteristics for various temperatures were measured for tungsten oxide/Si heterostructures and analysed using proper modelling. As a result, the conduction mechanism inside the films was identified and found to be of a dual nature, with variable range hopping being dominant at near room temperatures. The saturation current was found to be thermally activated and the activation energy was calculated at 0.40 eV and the grain boundaries barrier at 150 meV. From Hall measurements it was also revealed that the dominant carriers are electrons and a carrier concentration of about 10 14 cm -3 was estimated.

Transparent conducting oxide top contacts for organic electronics

KAUST Repository

Franklin, Joseph B.

2014-01-01

A versatile method for the deposition of transparent conducting oxide (TCO) layers directly onto conjugated polymer thin film substrates is presented. Using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) we identify a narrow window of growth conditions that permit the deposition of highly transparent, low sheet resistance aluminium-doped zinc oxide (AZO) without degradation of the polymer film. Deposition on conjugated polymers mandates the use of low growth temperatures (<200°C), here we deposit AZO onto poly-3-hexylthiophene (P3HT) thin films at 150°C, and investigate the microstructural and electrical properties of the AZO as the oxygen pressure in the PLD chamber is varied (5-75 mTorr). The low oxygen pressure conditions previously optimized for AZO deposition on rigid substrates are shown to be unsuitable, resulting in catastrophic damage of the polymer films. By increasing the oxygen pressure, thus reducing the energy of the ablated species, we identify conditions that allow direct deposition of continuous, transparent AZO films without P3HT degradation. We find that uptake of oxygen into the AZO films reduces the intrinsic charge carriers and AZO films with a measured sheet resistance of approximately 500 Ω □-1 can be prepared. To significantly reduce this value we identify a novel process in which AZO is deposited over a range of oxygen pressures-enabling the deposition of highly transparent AZO with sheet resistances below 50 Ω □-1 directly onto P3HT. We propose these low resistivity films are widely applicable as transparent top-contacts in a range of optoelectronic devices and highlight this by demonstrating the operation of a semi-transparent photovoltaic device. © 2014 The Royal Society of Chemistry. 2014.

Transparent solar antenna of 28 GHz using transparent conductive oxides (TCO) thin film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohd Ali, N I; Misran, N; Mansor, M F; Jamlos, M F

2017-01-01

This paper presents the analysis of 28GHz solar patch antenna using the variations of transparent conductive oxides (TCO) thin film as the radiating patch. Solar antenna is basically combining the function of antenna and solar cell into one device and helps to maximize the usage of surface area. The main problem of the existing solar antenna is the radiating patch which made of nontransparent material, such as copper, shadowing the solar cell and degrades the total solar efficiency. Hence, by using the transparent conductive oxides (TCO) thin film as the radiating patch, this problem can be tackled. The TCO thin film used is varied to ITO, FTO, AgHT-4, and AgHT-8 along with glass as substrate. The simulation of the antenna executed by using Computer Simulation Technology (CST) Microwave Studio software demonstrated at 28 GHz operating frequency for 5G band applications. The performance of the transparent antennas is compared with each other and also with the nontransparent patch antenna that using Rogers RT5880 as substrate, operating at the same resonance frequency and then, the material that gives the best performance is identified. (paper)

Transparent solar antenna of 28 GHz using transparent conductive oxides (TCO) thin film

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, N. I. Mohd; Misran, N.; Mansor, M. F.; Jamlos, M. F.

2017-05-01

This paper presents the analysis of 28GHz solar patch antenna using the variations of transparent conductive oxides (TCO) thin film as the radiating patch. Solar antenna is basically combining the function of antenna and solar cell into one device and helps to maximize the usage of surface area. The main problem of the existing solar antenna is the radiating patch which made of nontransparent material, such as copper, shadowing the solar cell and degrades the total solar efficiency. Hence, by using the transparent conductive oxides (TCO) thin film as the radiating patch, this problem can be tackled. The TCO thin film used is varied to ITO, FTO, AgHT-4, and AgHT-8 along with glass as substrate. The simulation of the antenna executed by using Computer Simulation Technology (CST) Microwave Studio software demonstrated at 28 GHz operating frequency for 5G band applications. The performance of the transparent antennas is compared with each other and also with the nontransparent patch antenna that using Rogers RT5880 as substrate, operating at the same resonance frequency and then, the material that gives the best performance is identified.

Large-Area Chemical Vapor Deposited MoS2 with Transparent Conducting Oxide Contacts toward Fully Transparent 2D Electronics

KAUST Repository

Dai, Zhenyu

2017-09-08

2D semiconductors are poised to revolutionize the future of electronics and photonics, much like transparent oxide conductors and semiconductors have revolutionized the display industry. Herein, these two types of materials are combined to realize fully transparent 2D electronic devices and circuits. Specifically, a large-area chemical vapor deposition process is developed to grow monolayer MoS2 continuous films, which are, for the first time, combined with transparent conducting oxide (TCO) contacts. Transparent conducting aluminum doped zinc oxide contacts are deposited by atomic layer deposition, with composition tuning to achieve optimal conductivity and band-offsets with MoS2. The optimized process gives fully transparent TCO/MoS2 2D electronics with average visible-range transmittance of 85%. The transistors show high mobility (4.2 cm2 V−1 s−1), fast switching speed (0.114 V dec−1), very low threshold voltage (0.69 V), and large switching ratio (4 × 108). To our knowledge, these are the lowest threshold voltage and subthreshold swing values reported for monolayer chemical vapor deposition MoS2 transistors. The transparent inverters show fast switching properties with a gain of 155 at a supply voltage of 10 V. The results demonstrate that transparent conducting oxides can be used as contact materials for 2D semiconductors, which opens new possibilities in 2D electronic and photonic applications.

Does the conductivity of interconnect coatings matter for solid oxide fuel cell applications?

Science.gov (United States)

Goebel, Claudia; Fefekos, Alexander G.; Svensson, Jan-Erik; Froitzheim, Jan

2018-04-01

The present work aims to quantify the influence of typical interconnect coatings used for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) on area specific resistance (ASR). To quantify the effect of the coating, the dependency of coating thickness on the ASR is examined on Crofer 22 APU at 600 °C. Three different Co coating thicknesses are investigated, 600 nm, 1500 nm, and 3000 nm. Except for the reference samples, the material is pre-oxidized prior to coating to mitigate the outward diffusion of iron and consequent formation of poorly conducting (Co,Fe)3O4 spinel. Exposures are carried out at 600 °C in stagnant laboratory air for 500 h and subsequent ASR measurements are performed. Additionally the microstructure is investigated with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). On all pre-oxidized samples, a homogenous dense Co3O4 top layer is observed beneath which a thin layer of Cr2O3 is present. As the ASR values range between 7 and 12 mΩcm2 for all pre-oxidized samples, even though different Co3O4 thicknesses are observed, the results strongly suggest that for most applicable cases the impact of the coating on ASR is negligible and the main contributor is Cr2O3.

Transparent Conducting Films with Multilayered Structures Formed by Carbon Nanotubes and Reduced Graphene Oxides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Jie Hun; Jang, Hyun Chul; Choi, Jung Mi; Hyeon, Jae Young; Sok, Jung Hyun

2014-01-01

The replacement for indium tin oxide (ITO) in electronic displays should have comparable optical transmittance and electrical conductivity while being easy to source and manufacture. However, novel materials such as single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and reduced graphene oxides (RGOs) are incapable of addressing these challenges. We demonstrate a simple method to fabricate good transparent conductive films (TCFs) by combining and leveraging the superior optical transparency of RGOs and the excellent electrical conductivity of SWCNTs. This method affords thin multilayers of SWCNTs and RGOs with excellent optical and electrical properties because these properties are correlated with spraying time and the amount of SWCNTs or RGOs. In general, transmittance is advantageous to RGO as conductance is to CNTs. With a view to finding good TCFs with reduced sheet resistance, but with little sacrifice of transmittance, it is natural to explore the combination of CNT and RGO. The sandwiched multilayer of SWCNTs and RGOs exhibited a low sheet resistance of 214.2 Ω/sq, which was comparable to that of SWCNTs, and a transmittance of 60% at a wavelength of 550 nm. To further reduce the sheet resistance and improve the transparency of the multilayer TCFs, Au doping was carried out. The doping, in combination with controlled spraying of the amount of SWCNTs and RGOs, led to multilayers with resistance/transmittance combinations of 141.3 Ω/sq and 70% and 371.5 Ω/sq and 83%. These properties meet the requisite criteria for an ITO replacement.

The special features of the crystal structure and properties of oxides with mixed conductivity based on lanthanum gallate

Science.gov (United States)

Politova, E. D.; Ivanov, S. A.; Kaleva, G. M.; Mosunov, A. V.; Rusakov, V. S.

2008-10-01

The paper presents a review of works on the synthesis, structural composition effects, phase transitions, and electrical conductivity properties of multicomponent solid solutions based on heterosubstituted lanthanum gallate (La,A)(Ga,M)O3 - y . High-temperature phase transitions and structural and charge ordering effects were studied. The presence of iron cations in different valence states was proved; the relative contents of these cations depended on the x parameter and nonstoichiometry parameter y of the base composition. For M = Fe, antiferromagnetic ordering was observed; its temperature interval was determined by the concentration of iron cations in the high-spin state. The total conductivity was found to increase as the concentration of transition metal cations grew because of an increase in the electronic conductivity component. The data on structural parameters and dc and ac conductivity substantiated the conclusion that the highest ionic conductivity and permeability to oxygen were characteristic of iron-containing oxides. The results obtained are evidence that crystal chemical factors play a determining role in the formation of the ion-conducting properties of anion-deficient perovskite-like oxides.

Effect of Samarium Oxide on the Electrical Conductivity of Plasma-Sprayed SOFC Anodes

Science.gov (United States)

Panahi, S. N.; Samadi, H.; Nemati, A.

2016-10-01

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are rapidly becoming recognized as a new alternative to traditional energy conversion systems because of their high energy efficiency. From an ecological perspective, this environmentally friendly technology, which produces clean energy, is likely to be implemented more frequently in the future. However, the current SOFC technology still cannot meet the demands of commercial applications due to temperature constraints and high cost. To develop a marketable SOFC, suppliers have tended to reduce the operating temperatures by a few hundred degrees. The overall trend for SOFC materials is to reduce their service temperature of electrolyte. Meanwhile, it is important that the other components perform at the same temperature. Currently, the anodes of SOFCs are being studied in depth. Research has indicated that anodes based on a perovskite structure are a more promising candidate in SOFCs than the traditional system because they possess more favorable electrical properties. Among the perovskite-type oxides, SrTiO3 is one of the most promising compositions, with studies demonstrating that SrTiO3 exhibits particularly favorable electrical properties in contrast with other perovskite-type oxides. The main purpose of this article is to describe our study of the effect of rare-earth dopants with a perovskite structure on the electrical behavior of anodes in SOFCs. Sm2O3-doped SrTiO3 synthesized by a solid-state reaction was coated on substrate by atmospheric plasma spray. To compare the effect of the dopant on the electrical conductivity of strontium titanate, different concentrations of Sm2O3 were used. The samples were then investigated by x-ray diffraction, four-point probe at various temperatures (to determine the electrical conductivity), and a scanning electron microscope. The study showed that at room temperature, nondoped samples have a higher electrical resistance than doped samples. As the temperature was increased, the electrical

Laboratory Investigation of Complex Conductivity and Magnetic Susceptibility on Natural Iron Oxide Coated Sand

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, C.; Slater, L. D.; Day-Lewis, F. D.; Briggs, M. A.

2017-12-01

Redox reactions occurring at the oxic/anoxic interface where groundwater discharges to surface water commonly result in iron oxide deposition that coats sediment grains. With relatively large total surface area, these iron oxide coated sediments serve as a sink for sorption of dissolved contaminants, although this sink may be temporary if redox conditions fluctuate with varied flow conditions. Characterization of the distribution of iron oxides in streambed sediments could provide valuable understanding of biogeochemical reactions and the ability of a natural system to sorb contaminants. Towards developing a field methodology, we conducted laboratory spectral induced polarization (SIP) and magnetic susceptibility (MS) measurements on natural iron oxide coated sand (Fe-sand) with grain sizes ranging from 0.3 to 2.0 mm in order to assess the sensitivity of these measurements to iron oxides in sediments. The Fe-sand was also sorted by sieving into various grain sizes to study the impact of grain size on the polarization mechanisms. The unsorted Fe-sand saturated with 0.01 S/m NaCl solution exhibited a distinct phase response ( > 4 mrad) in the frequency range from 0.001 to 100 Hz whereas regular silica sand was characterized by a phase response less than 1 mrad under the same conditions. The presence of iron oxide substantially increased MS (3.08×10-3 SI) over that of regular sand ( Laboratory results demonstrated that SIP and MS may be well suited to mapping the distribution of iron oxides in streambed sediments associated with anoxic groundwater discharge.

Fabrication and excellent conductive performance of antimony-doped tin oxide-coated diatomite with porous structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Du Yucheng; Yan Jing; Meng Qi; Wang Jinshu; Dai Hongxing

2012-01-01

Graphical abstract: Antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO)-coated diatomite with porous structures are fabricated using the co-precipitation method. The porous ATO-coated diatomite material shows excellent conductive performance. Highlights: ► Sb-doped SnO 2 (ATO)-coated diatomite materials with porous structures are prepared. ► Sn/Sb ratio, ATO coating amount, pH value, and temperature influence resistivity. ► Porous ATO-coated diatomite materials show excellent conductive performance. ► The lowest resistivity of the porous ATO-coated diatomite sample is 10 Ω cm. - Abstract: Diatomite materials coated with antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO) were prepared by the co-precipitation method, and characterized by means of the techniques, such as X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, selected-area electron diffraction, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, and N 2 adsorption–desorption measurement. It was shown that the coated ATO possessed a tetragonal rutile crystal structure, and the ATO-coated diatomite materials had a multi-pore (micro- meso-, and macropores) architecture. The porous ATO-coated diatomite materials exhibited excellent electrical conductive behaviors. The best conductive performance (volume resistivity = 10 Ω cm) was achieved for the sample that was prepared under the conditions of Sn/Sb molar ratio = 5.2, Sn/Sb coating amount = 45 wt%, pH = 1.0, and reaction temperature = 50 °C. Such a conductive porous material is useful for the applications in physical and chemical fields.

Tuning the Electrical and Thermal Conductivities of Thermoelectric Oxides through Impurity Doping

Science.gov (United States)

Torres Arango, Maria A.

Waste heat and thermal gradients available at power plants can be harvested to power wireless networks and sensors by using thermoelectric (TE) generators that directly transform temperature differentials into electrical power. Oxide materials are promising for TE applications in harsh industrial environments for waste heat recovery at high temperatures in air, because they are lightweight, cheaply produced, highly efficient, and stable at high temperatures in air. Ca3Co4O9(CCO) with layered structure is a promising p-type thermoelectric oxide with extrapolated ZT value of 0.87 in single crystal form [1]. However the ZT values for the polycrystalline ceramics remain low of ˜0.1-0.3. In this research, nanostructure engineering approaches including doping and addition of nanoinclusions were applied to the polycrystalline CCO ceramic to improve the energy conversion efficiency. Polycrystalline CCO samples with various Bi doping levels were prepared through the sol-gel chemical route synthesis of powders, pressing and sintering of the pellets. Microstructure features of Bi doped ceramic bulk samples such as porosity, development of crystal texture, grain boundary dislocations and segregation of Bi dopants at various grain boundaries are investigated from microns to atomic scale. The results of the present study show that the Bi-doping is affecting both the electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity simultaneously, and the optimum Bi doping level is strongly correlated with the microstructure and the processing conditions of the ceramic samples. At the optimum doping level and processing conditions of the ceramic samples, the Bi substitution of Ca results in the increase of the electrical conductivity, decrease of the thermal conductivity, and improvement of the crystal texture. The atomic resolution Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM) Z-contrast imaging and the chemistry analysis also reveal the Bi-segregation at grain boundaries of CCO

Optimization of mechanical performance of oxidative nano-particle electrode nitrile butadiene rubber conducting polymer actuator.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Baek-Chul; Park, S J; Cho, M S; Lee, Y; Nam, J D; Choi, H R; Koo, J C

2009-12-01

Present work delivers a systematical evaluation of actuation efficiency of a nano-particle electrode conducting polymer actuator fabricated based on Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR). Attempts are made for maximizing mechanical functionality of the nano-particle electrode conducting polymer actuator that can be driven in the air. As the conducting polymer polypyrrole of the actuator is to be fabricated through a chemical oxidation polymerization process that may impose certain limitations on both electrical and mechanical functionality of the actuator, a coordinated study for optimization process of the actuator is necessary for maximizing its performance. In this article actuation behaviors of the nano-particle electrode polypyrrole conducting polymer is studied and an optimization process for the mechanical performance maximization is performed.

Copper:molybdenum sub-oxide blend as transparent conductive electrode (TCE) indium free

Science.gov (United States)

Hssein, Mehdi; Cattin, Linda; Morsli, Mustapha; Addou, Mohammed; Bernède, Jean-Christian

2016-05-01

Oxide/metal/oxide structures have been shown to be promising alternatives to ITO. In such structures, in order to decrease the high light reflection of the metal film it is embedded between two metal oxides dielectric. MoO3-x is often used as oxide due to its capacity to be a performing anode buffer layer in organic solar cells, while silver is the metal the most often used [1]. Some attempts to use cheaper metal such as copper have been done. However it was shown that Cu diffuses strongly into MoO3-x [2]. Here we used this property to grow simple new transparent conductive oxide (TCE), i.e., Cu: MoO3-x blend. After the deposition of a thin Cu layer, a film of MoO3-x is deposited by sublimation. An XPS study shows more than 50% of Cu is present at the surface of the structure. In order to limit the Cu diffusion an ultra-thin Al layer is deposited onto MoO3-x. Then, in order to obtain a good hole collecting contact with the electron donor of the organic solar cells, a second MoO3-x layer is deposited. After optimization of the thickness of the different layers, the optimum structure is as follow: Cu (12 nm) : MoO3-x (20 nm)/Al (0.5 nm)/ MoO3-x (10 nm). The sheet resistance of this structure is Rsq = 5.2 Ω/sq. and its transmittance is Tmax = 65%. The factor of merit ϕM = T10/Rsq. = 2.41 × 10-3 Ω-1, which made this new TCE promising as anode in organic solar cells. Contribution to the topical issue "Materials for Energy Harvesting, Conversion and Storage (ICOME 2015) - Elected submissions", edited by Jean-Michel Nunzi, Rachid Bennacer and Mohammed El Ganaoui

High rate deposition of transparent conducting oxide thin films by vacuum arc plasma evaporation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Minami, Tadatsugu; Ida, Satoshi; Miyata, Toshihiro

2002-01-01

Transparent conducting oxide (TCO) thin films have been deposited at a high rate above 370 nm/min by vacuum arc plasma evaporation (VAPE) using sintered oxide fragments as the source material. It was found that the deposition rate of TCO films was strongly dependent on the deposition pressure, whereas the obtained electrical properties were relatively independent of the pressure. Resistivities of 5.6x10 -4 and 2.3x10 -4 Ω·cm and an average transmittance above 80% (with substrate included) in the visible range were obtained in Ga-doped ZnO (GZO) thin films deposited at 100 and 350 deg. C, respectively. In addition, a resistivity as low as 1.4x10 -4 Ω·cm and an average transmittance above 80% were also obtained in indium-tin-oxide (ITO) films deposited at 300 deg. C. The deposited TCO films exhibited uniform distributions of resistivity and thickness on large area substrates

High rate deposition of transparent conducting oxide thin films by vacuum arc plasma evaporation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Minami, Tadatsugu; Ida, Satoshi; Miyata, Toshihiro

2002-09-02

Transparent conducting oxide (TCO) thin films have been deposited at a high rate above 370 nm/min by vacuum arc plasma evaporation (VAPE) using sintered oxide fragments as the source material. It was found that the deposition rate of TCO films was strongly dependent on the deposition pressure, whereas the obtained electrical properties were relatively independent of the pressure. Resistivities of 5.6x10{sup -4} and 2.3x10{sup -4} {omega}{center_dot}cm and an average transmittance above 80% (with substrate included) in the visible range were obtained in Ga-doped ZnO (GZO) thin films deposited at 100 and 350 deg. C, respectively. In addition, a resistivity as low as 1.4x10{sup -4} {omega}{center_dot}cm and an average transmittance above 80% were also obtained in indium-tin-oxide (ITO) films deposited at 300 deg. C. The deposited TCO films exhibited uniform distributions of resistivity and thickness on large area substrates.

Low mercury concentration produces vasoconstriction, decreases nitric oxide bioavailability and increases oxidative stress in rat conductance artery.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Núbia Belem Lemos

Full Text Available Mercury is an environmental pollutant that reduces nitric oxide (NO bioavailability and increases oxidative stress, having a close link with cardiovascular diseases, as carotid atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, coronary heart disease and hypertension. One of the main sites affected by oxidative stress, which develops atherosclerosis, is the aorta. Under acute exposure to low mercury concentrations reactive oxygen species (ROS production were only reported for resistance vessels but if low concentrations of mercury also affect conductance arteries it is still unclear. We investigated the acute effects of 6 nM HgCl(2 on endothelial function of aortic rings measuring the reactivity to phenylephrine in rings incubated, or not, with HgCl(2 for 45 min, the protein expression for cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2 and the AT1 receptor. HgCl(2 increased Rmax and pD2 to phenylephrine without changing the vasorelaxation induced by acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside. Endothelial damage abolished the increased reactivity to phenylephrine. The increase of Rmax and pD2 produced by L-NAME was smaller in the presence of HgCl(2. Enalapril, losartan, indomethacin, furegrelate, the selective COX-2 inhibitor NS 398, superoxide dismutase and the NADPH oxidase inhibitor apocynin reverted HgCl(2 effects on the reactivity to phenylephrine, COX-2 protein expression was increased, and AT1 expression reduced. At low concentration, below the reference values, HgCl(2 increased vasoconstrictor activity by reducing NO bioavailability due to increased ROS production by NADPH oxidase activity. Results suggest that this is due to local release of angiotensin II and prostanoid vasoconstrictors. Results also suggest that acute low concentration mercury exposure, occurring time to time could induce vascular injury due to endothelial oxidative stress and contributing to increase peripheral resistance, being a high risk factor for public health.

Transparent and conductive polyethylene oxide film by the introduction of individualized single-walled carbon nanotubes.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Yong Chae; Muramatsu, Hiroyuki; Park, Ki Chul; Shimamoto, Daisuke; Kim, Jin Hee; Hayashi, Takuya; Song, Sung Moo; Kim, Yoong Ahm; Endo, Morinobu; Dresselhaus, Mildred S

2009-12-16

It is demonstrated that an optically transparent and electrically conductive polyethylene oxide (PEO) film is fabricated by the introduction of individualized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). The incorporated SWNTs in the PEO film sustain their intrinsic electronic and optical properties and, in addition, the intrinsic properties of the polymer matrix are retained. The individualized SWNTs with smaller diameter provide high transmittance as well as good electrical conductivity in PEO films. Copyright © 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Origin of Colossal Ionic Conductivity in Oxide Multilayers: Interface Induced Sublattice Disorder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pennycook, Timothy J.; Pantelides, Sokrates T.; Beck, Matthew J.; Varga, Kalman; Varela, Maria; Pennycook, Stephen J.

2010-01-01

Oxide ionic conductors typically operate at high temperatures, which limits their usefulness. Colossal room-temperature ionic conductivity was recently discovered in multilayers of yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) and SrTiO 3 . Here we report density-functional calculations that trace the origin of the effect to a combination of lattice-mismatch strain and O-sublattice incompatibility. Strain alone in bulk YSZ enhances O mobility at high temperatures by inducing extreme O disorder. In multilayer structures, O-sublattice incompatibility causes the same extreme disorder at room temperature.

Low Temperature Synthesis of Fluorine-Doped Tin Oxide Transparent Conducting Thin Film by Spray Pyrolysis Deposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Ko, Eun-Byul; Choi, Jae-Seok; Jung, Hyunsung; Choi, Sung-Churl; Kim, Chang-Yeoul

2016-02-01

Transparent conducting oxide (TCO) is widely used for the application of flat panel display like liquid crystal displays and plasma display panel. It is also applied in the field of touch panel, solar cell electrode, low-emissivity glass, defrost window, and anti-static material. Fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) thin films were fabricated by spray pyrolysis of ethanol-added FTO precursor solutions. FTO thin film by spray pyrolysis is very much investigated and normally formed at high temperature, about 500 degrees C. However, these days, flexible electronics draw many attentions in the field of IT industry and the research for flexible transparent conducting thin film is also required. In the industrial field, indium-tin oxide (ITO) film on polymer substrate is widely used for touch panel and displays. In this study, we investigated the possibility of FTO thin film formation at relatively low temperature of 250 degrees C. We found out that the control of volume of input precursor and exhaust gases could make it possible to form FTO thin film with a relatively low electrical resistance, less than 100 Ohm/sq and high optical transmittance about 88%.

Nanostructuring the electronic conducting La0.8Sr0.2MnO3-δ cathode for high-performance in proton-conducting solid oxide fuel cells below 600°C

KAUST Repository

Da’ as, Eman Husni; Bi, Lei; Boulfrad, Samir; Traversa, Enrico

2017-01-01

Proton-conducting oxides offer a promising electrolyte solution for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) due to their high conductivity and low activation energy. However, the lower operation temperature leads to a reduced cathode activity and thus a poorer fuel cell performance. La0.8Sr0.2MnO3-δ (LSM) is the classical cathode material for high-temperature SOFCs, which lack features as a proper SOFC cathode material at intermediate temperatures. Despite this, we here successfully couple nanostructured LSM cathode with proton-conducting electrolytes to operate below 600°C with desirable SOFC performance. Inkjet printing allows depositing nanostructured particles of LSM on Y-doped BaZrO3(BZY) backbones as cathodes for proton-conducting SOFCs, which provides one of the highest power output for the BZY-based fuel cells below 600°C. This somehow changes the common knowledge that LSM can be applied as a SOFC cathode materials only at high temperatures (above 700°C).

Nanostructuring the electronic conducting La0.8Sr0.2MnO3-δ cathode for high-performance in proton-conducting solid oxide fuel cells below 600°C

KAUST Repository

Da’as, Eman Husni

2017-10-28

Proton-conducting oxides offer a promising electrolyte solution for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) due to their high conductivity and low activation energy. However, the lower operation temperature leads to a reduced cathode activity and thus a poorer fuel cell performance. La0.8Sr0.2MnO3-δ (LSM) is the classical cathode material for high-temperature SOFCs, which lack features as a proper SOFC cathode material at intermediate temperatures. Despite this, we here successfully couple nanostructured LSM cathode with proton-conducting electrolytes to operate below 600°C with desirable SOFC performance. Inkjet printing allows depositing nanostructured particles of LSM on Y-doped BaZrO3(BZY) backbones as cathodes for proton-conducting SOFCs, which provides one of the highest power output for the BZY-based fuel cells below 600°C. This somehow changes the common knowledge that LSM can be applied as a SOFC cathode materials only at high temperatures (above 700°C).

The iron and cerium oxide influence on the electric conductivity and the corrosion resistance of anodized aluminium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souza, Kellie Provazi de

2006-01-01

The influence of different treatments on the aluminum system covered with aluminum oxide is investigated. The aluminum anodization in sulphuric media and in mixed sulphuric and phosphoric media was used to alter the corrosion resistance, thickness, coverage degree and microhardness of the anodic oxide. Iron electrodeposition inside the anodic oxide was used to change its electric conductivity and corrosion resistance. Direct and pulsed current were used for iron electrodeposition and the Fe(SO 4 ) 2 (NH 4 ) 2 .6H 2 O electrolyte composition was changed with the addition of boric and ascorbic acids. To the sealing treatment the CeCl 3 composition was varied. The energy dispersive x-ray (EDS), the x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (FRX) and the morphologic analysis by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) allowed to verify that, the pulsed current increase the iron content inside the anodic layer and that the use of the additives inhibits the iron oxidation. The chronopotentiometric curves obtained during iron electrodeposition indicated that the boric and ascorbic acids mixture increased the electrodeposition process efficiency. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIE), the Vickers (Hv) microhardness measurements and morphologic analysis evidenced that the sealing treatment improves the corrosion resistance of the anodic film modified with iron. The electrical impedance (EI) technique allowed to prove the electric conductivity increase of the anodized aluminum with iron electrodeposited even after the cerium low concentration treatment. Iron nanowires were prepared by using the anodic oxide pores as template. (author)

An experimental study of perovskite-structured mixed ionic- electronic conducting oxides and membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Pingying

In recent decades, ceramic membranes based on mixed ionic and electronic conducting (MIEC) perovskite-structured oxides have received many attentions for their applications for air separation, or as a membrane reactor for methane oxidation. While numerous perovskite oxide materials have been explored over the past two decades; there are hardly any materials with sufficient practical economic value and performance for large scale applications, which justifies continuing the search for new materials. The main purposes of this thesis study are: (1) develop several novel SrCoO3-delta based MIEC oxides, SrCoCo1-xMxO3-delta, based on which membranes exhibit excellent oxygen permeability; (2) investigate the significant effects of the species and concentration of the dopants M (metal ions with fixed valences) on the various properties of these membranes; (3) investigate the significant effects of sintering temperature on the microstructures and performance of oxygen permeation membranes; and (4) study the performance of oxygen permeation membranes as a membrane reactor for methane combustion. To stabilize the cubic phase structure of the SrCoO3-delta oxide, various amounts of scandium was doped into the B-site of SrCoO 3-delta to form a series of new perovskite oxides, SrScxCoCo 1-xO3-delta (SSCx, x = 0-0.7). The significant effects of scandium-doping concentration on the phase structure, electrical conductivity, sintering performance, thermal and structural stability, cathode performance, and oxygen permeation performance of the SSCx membranes, were systematically studied. Also for a more in-depth understanding, the rate determination steps for the oxygen transport process through the membranes were clarified by theoretical and experimental investigation. It was found that only a minor amount of scandium (5 mol%) doping into the B-site of SrCoO3-delta can effectively stabilize the cubic phase structure, and thus significantly improve the electrical conductivity and

Building up Graphene-Based Conductive Polymer Composite Thin Films Using Reduced Graphene Oxide Prepared by γ-Ray Irradiation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siyuan Xie

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, reduced graphene oxide (RGO was prepared by means of γ-ray irradiation of graphene oxide (GO in a water/ethanol mix solution, and we investigated the influence of reaction parameters, including ethanol concentration, absorbed dose, and dose rate during the irradiation. Due to the good dispersibility of the RGO in the mix solution, we built up flexible and conductive composite films based on the RGO and polymeric matrix through facile vacuum filtration and polymer coating. The electrical and optical properties of the obtained composite films were tested, showing good electrical conductivity with visible transmittance but strong ultraviolet absorbance.

Fabrication and excellent conductive performance of antimony-doped tin oxide-coated diatomite with porous structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Du Yucheng, E-mail: ychengdu@bjut.edu.cn [Key Lab of Advanced Functional Materials, Ministry of Education, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124 (China); Yan Jing; Meng Qi; Wang Jinshu [Key Lab of Advanced Functional Materials, Ministry of Education, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124 (China); Dai Hongxing, E-mail: hxdai@bjut.edu.cn [Laboratory of Catalysis Chemistry and Nanoscience, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Environmental and Energy Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124 (China)

2012-04-16

Graphical abstract: Antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO)-coated diatomite with porous structures are fabricated using the co-precipitation method. The porous ATO-coated diatomite material shows excellent conductive performance. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Sb-doped SnO{sub 2} (ATO)-coated diatomite materials with porous structures are prepared. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Sn/Sb ratio, ATO coating amount, pH value, and temperature influence resistivity. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Porous ATO-coated diatomite materials show excellent conductive performance. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The lowest resistivity of the porous ATO-coated diatomite sample is 10 {Omega} cm. - Abstract: Diatomite materials coated with antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO) were prepared by the co-precipitation method, and characterized by means of the techniques, such as X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, selected-area electron diffraction, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, and N{sub 2} adsorption-desorption measurement. It was shown that the coated ATO possessed a tetragonal rutile crystal structure, and the ATO-coated diatomite materials had a multi-pore (micro- meso-, and macropores) architecture. The porous ATO-coated diatomite materials exhibited excellent electrical conductive behaviors. The best conductive performance (volume resistivity = 10 {Omega} cm) was achieved for the sample that was prepared under the conditions of Sn/Sb molar ratio = 5.2, Sn/Sb coating amount = 45 wt%, pH = 1.0, and reaction temperature = 50 Degree-Sign C. Such a conductive porous material is useful for the applications in physical and chemical fields.

TRANSPARENT CONDUCTING OXIDE SYNTHESIS OF ALUMINIUM DOPED ZINC OXIDES BY CHEMICAL COPRECIPITATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Silvia Maioco

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Aluminium doped zinc oxides (AZO are promising replacements for tin doped indium oxides (ITO but thin films show a wide range of physical properties strongly dependent on deposition process conditions. Submicrometric 1% aluminum doped zinc oxide ceramics (AZO are examined, prepared by coprecipitation, from Zn(NO32 and Al(NO33 aqueous solutions, sintered at 1200°C and subsequently annealed in 10-16 atm controlled oxygen fugacity atmospheres, at 1000°C. Electrical resistivity diminishes by two orders of magnitude after two hours of annealing and the Seebeck coefficient gradually changes from -140 to -50 µV/K within 8 h. It is concluded that increased mobility is dominant over the increased carrier density, induced by changes in metal-oxygen stoichiometry

RF-superimposed DC and pulsed DC sputtering for deposition of transparent conductive oxides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stowell, Michael; Mueller, Joachim; Ruske, Manfred; Lutz, Mark; Linz, Thomas

2007-01-01

Transparent conductive oxide films are widely used materials for electronic applications such as flat panel displays and solar cells. The superposition of DC and pulsed DC power by a certain fraction of RF power was applied to deposit indium tin oxide films. This technique allows an additional tuning of different parameters relevant to film growth, and yields high quality films even under kinetically limited conditions. A long-term stable RF/DC process could be realized by using different combinations of standard power supply components, which includes a fully reliable arc handling system for both the RF and DC generators. The effectiveness of the arc handling system is illustrated by the current and voltage behavior recorded for actual arcing events. The resistivity of indium tin oxide films is strongly influenced by the respective sputtering mode. The best resistivity values of 145-148 μΩ cm were obtained by RF-superimposed pulsed DC sputtering at a pulse frequency between 100 and 200 kHz and a substrate temperature as low as 140 deg. C. In addition, the films were extremely smooth with a surface roughness of 1-2.5 nm

Transparent conductive electrodes of mixed TiO2−x–indium tin oxide for organic photovoltaics

KAUST Repository

Lee, Kyu-Sung; Lim, Jong-Wook; Kim, Han-Ki; Alford, T. L.; Jabbour, Ghassan E.

2012-01-01

A transparent conductive electrode of mixed titanium dioxide (TiO2−x)–indium tin oxide (ITO) with an overall reduction in the use of indium metal is demonstrated. When used in organic photovoltaicdevices based on bulk heterojunction photoactive

A study of tritium behavior in lithium oxide by ion conductivity measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noda, Kenji; Ishii, Yoshinobu; Ohno, Hideo; Watanabe, Hitoshi

1989-01-01

Ion conductivity of lithium oxide (Li 2 O) irradiated with oxygen ions was measured to obtain information about the effects of irradiation on the behavior of lithium ions and tritium. The conductivity around 490 K decreased with the ion fluence, while around 440 K it increased. The decrease around 490 K and the increase around 440 K were assumed to be attributed to the F + centers and the unspecified radiation defects, respectively. From the point of view that the rate determinant in the mechanism of diffusion of lithium ions in Li 2 O leading to the ion conductivity is the same as that of tritium, the diffusivity of tritium is assumed to be as follows: the diffusivity of tritium is decreased by the F + centers in the range from 490 K to the temperature at which almost all of F + centers are recovered, while it is increased around 440 K by the unspecified radiation defects. In addition, effects of the irradiation on valence states of tritium (i.e., T + , T - ) were discussed in terms of the radiation defects. (orig.)

Inorganic proton conducting electrolyte coupled oxide-based dendritic transistors for synaptic electronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Chang Jin; Zhu, Li Qiang; Zhou, Ju Mei; Shi, Yi; Wan, Qing

2014-05-07

Ionic/electronic hybrid devices with synaptic functions are considered to be the essential building blocks for neuromorphic systems and brain-inspired computing. Here, artificial synapses based on indium-zinc-oxide (IZO) transistors gated by nanogranular SiO2 proton-conducting electrolyte films are fabricated on glass substrates. Spike-timing dependent plasticity and paired-pulse facilitation are successfully mimicked in an individual bottom-gate transistor. Most importantly, dynamic logic and dendritic integration established by spatiotemporally correlated spikes are also mimicked in dendritic transistors with two in-plane gates as the presynaptic input terminals.

Oxygen effect of transparent conducting amorphous Indium Zinc Tin Oxide films on Polyimide substrate for flexible electrode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ko, Yoon Duk; Lee, Chang Hun; Moon, Doo Kyung; Kim, Young Sung

2013-01-01

This paper discusses the effect of oxygen on the transparent conducting properties and mechanical durability of the amorphous indium zinc tin oxide (IZTO) films. IZTO films deposited on flexible clear polyimide (PI) substrate using pulsed direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering at room temperature under various oxygen partial pressures. All IZTO films deposited at room temperature exhibit an amorphous structure. The electrical and optical properties of the IZTO films were sensitively influenced by oxygen partial pressures. At optimized deposition condition of 3.0% oxygen partial pressure, the IZTO film shows the lowest resistivity of 6.4 × 10 −4 Ωcm, high transmittance of over 80% in the visible range, and figure of merit value of 3.6 × 10 −3 Ω −1 without any heat controls. In addition, high work function and good mechanical flexibility of amorphous IZTO films are beneficial to flexible applications. It is proven that the proper oxygen partial pressure is important parameter to enhance the transparent conducting properties of IZTO films on PI substrate deposited at room temperature. - Highlights: • Indium zinc tin oxide (IZTO) films were deposited on polyimide at room temperature. • Transparent conducting properties of IZTO were influenced with oxygen partial pressure. • The smooth surface and high work function of IZTO were beneficial to anode layer. • The mechanical reliability of IZTO shows better performance to indium tin oxide film

Electronic devices containing switchably conductive silicon oxides as a switching element and methods for production and use thereof

Science.gov (United States)

Tour, James M; Yao, Jun; Natelson, Douglas; Zhong, Lin; He, Tao

2013-11-26

In various embodiments, electronic devices containing switchably conductive silicon oxide as a switching element are described herein. The electronic devices are two-terminal devices containing a first electrical contact and a second electrical contact in which at least one of the first electrical contact or the second electrical contact is deposed on a substrate to define a gap region therebetween. A switching layer containing a switchably conductive silicon oxide resides in the the gap region between the first electical contact and the second electrical contact. The electronic devices exhibit hysteretic current versus voltage properties, enabling their use in switching and memory applications. Methods for configuring, operating and constructing the electronic devices are also presented herein.

Integration of conducting polymer network in non-conductive polymer substrates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Thomas Steen; West, Keld; Hassager, Ole

2006-01-01

Anew method for integration ofconjugated, inherently conducting polymers into non-conductive polymer substrates has been developed. Alayer of the conducting polymer is polymerised by chemical oxidation, e.g. using Fe(ID) p-toluene sulfonate (ferri tosylate) followed by washing with a solvent which...... simultaneously removes residual and spent oxidant and at the same time dissolves the top layer of the polymer substrate. This results in an integration of the conducting polymer into the surface layers of the polymer substrate. Several combinations of conducting polymers and substrates have been tested...... absorption during sequential reactive ion etching has allowed for analysis of the PEDOT distribution within the surface layer of thePMMA substrate. The surface resistance ofthe conducting polymer layer remains low while the surface layer at the same time adapts some of the mechanical properties...

An Indium-Free Anode for Large-Area Flexible OLEDs: Defect-Free Transparent Conductive Zinc Tin Oxide

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Morales-Masis, M.; Dauzou, F.; Jeangros, Q.; Dabirian, A.; Lifka, H.; Gierth, R.; Ruske, M.; Moet, D.; Hessler-Wyser, A.; Ballif, C.

2016-01-01

Flexible large-area organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) require highly conductive and transparent anodes for efficient and uniform light emission. Tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) is the standard anode in industry. However, due to the scarcity of indium, alternative anodes that eliminate its use are

An electrical method for the measurement of the thermal and electrical conductivity of reduced graphene oxide nanostructures.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwamb, Timo; Burg, Brian R; Schirmer, Niklas C; Poulikakos, Dimos

2009-10-07

This paper introduces an electrical four-point measurement method enabling thermal and electrical conductivity measurements of nanoscale materials. The method was applied to determine the thermal and electrical conductivity of reduced graphene oxide flakes. The dielectrophoretically deposited samples exhibited thermal conductivities in the range of 0.14-2.87 W m(-1) K(-1) and electrical conductivities in the range of 6.2 x 10(2)-6.2 x 10(3) Omega(-1) m(-1). The measured properties of each flake were found to be dependent on the duration of the thermal reduction and are in this sense controllable.

A polarity-induced defect mechanism for conductivity and magnetism at polar-nonpolar oxide interfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Liping; Zunger, Alex

2014-10-13

The discovery of conductivity and magnetism at the polar-nonpolar interfaces of insulating nonmagnetic oxides such as LaAlO3 and SrTiO3 has raised prospects for attaining interfacial functionalities absent in the component materials. Yet, the microscopic origin of such emergent phenomena remains unclear, posing obstacles to design of improved functionalities. Here we present first principles calculations of electronic and defect properties of LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interfaces and reveal a unifying mechanism for the origins of both conductivity and magnetism. We demonstrate that the polar discontinuity across the interface triggers thermodynamically the spontaneous formation of certain defects that in turn cancel the polar field induced by the polar discontinuity. The ionization of the spontaneously formed surface oxygen vacancy defects leads to interface conductivity, whereas the unionized Ti-on-Al antisite defects lead to interface magnetism. The proposed mechanism suggests practical design principles for inducing and controlling both conductivity and magnetism at general polar-nonpolar interfaces.

Transparent conducting oxide clad limited area epitaxy semipolar III-nitride laser diodes

KAUST Repository

Myzaferi, A.

2016-08-11

The bottom cladding design of semipolar III-nitride laser diodes is limited by stress relaxation via misfit dislocations that form via the glide of pre-existing threading dislocations (TDs), whereas the top cladding is limited by the growth time and temperature of the p-type layers. These design limitations have individually been addressed by using limited area epitaxy (LAE) to block TD glide in n-type AlGaN bottom cladding layers and by using transparent conducting oxide (TCO) top cladding layers to reduce the growth time and temperature of the p-type layers. In addition, a TCO-based top cladding should have significantly lower resistivity than a conventional p-type (Al)GaN top cladding. In this work, LAE and indium-tin-oxide cladding layers are used simultaneously in a (202⎯⎯1) III-nitride laser structure. Lasing was achieved at 446 nm with a threshold current density of 8.5 kA/cm2 and a threshold voltage of 8.4 V.

Mesoporous tin-doped indium oxide thin films: effect of mesostructure on electrical conductivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Till von Graberg, Pascal Hartmann, Alexander Rein, Silvia Gross, Britta Seelandt, Cornelia Röger, Roman Zieba, Alexander Traut, Michael Wark, Jürgen Janek and Bernd M Smarsly

2011-01-01

Full Text Available We present a versatile method for the preparation of mesoporous tin-doped indium oxide (ITO thin films via dip-coating. Two poly(isobutylene-b-poly(ethyleneoxide (PIB-PEO copolymers of significantly different molecular weight (denoted as PIB-PEO 3000 and PIB-PEO 20000 are used as templates and are compared with non-templated films to clarify the effect of the template size on the crystallization and, thus, on the electrochemical properties of mesoporous ITO films. Transparent, mesoporous, conductive coatings are obtained after annealing at 500 °C; these coatings have a specific resistance of 0.5 Ω cm at a thickness of about 100 nm. Electrical conductivity is improved by one order of magnitude by annealing under a reducing atmosphere. The two types of PIB-PEO block copolymers create mesopores with in-plane diameters of 20–25 and 35–45 nm, the latter also possessing correspondingly thicker pore walls. Impedance measurements reveal that the conductivity is significantly higher for films prepared with the template generating larger mesopores. Because of the same size of the primary nanoparticles, the enhanced conductivity is attributed to a higher conduction path cross section. Prussian blue was deposited electrochemically within the films, thus confirming the accessibility of their pores and their functionality as electrode material.

Ionic conductivity in new perovskite type oxides: NaAZrMO6 (A = Ca or Sr; M = Nb or Ta)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rajendran, Deepthi N.; Ravindran Nair, K.; Prabhakar Rao, P.; Sibi, K.S.; Koshy, Peter; Vaidyan, V.K.

2008-01-01

New oxides of the type, NaAZrMO 6 (M = Ca or Sr; M = Nb or Ta), have been prepared by the solid-state reaction technique. Phase identification by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) shows that NaCaZrMO 6 has orthorhombic perovskite type structure (Pnma) and NaSrZrMO 6 has cubic perovskite type structure (Pm3m). The grain morphology observation by scanning electron microscope (SEM) shows well-sintered grains. ac impedance spectra and electrical conductivity measurements in air, oxygen and nitrogen atmospheres indicate that they are probable oxide ion conductors with ionic conductivities of the order of 10 -3 S cm -1 at 750 deg. C

Effect of Zirconium Oxide Nanofiller and Dibutyl Phthalate Plasticizer on Ionic Conductivity and Optical Properties of Solid Polymer Electrolyte

Science.gov (United States)

Yasin, Siti Mariah Mohd; Ibrahim, Suriani

2014-01-01

New solid polymer electrolytes (SPE) based on poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) doped with lithium trifluoromethanesulfonate (LiCF3SO3), dibutyl phthalate (DBP) plasticizer, and zirconium oxide (ZrO2) nanoparticles were prepared by solution-casting technique. The conductivity was enhanced by addition of dibutyl phthalate (DBP) plasticizer and ZrO2 nanofiller with maximum conductivity (1.38 × 10−4 Scm−1). The absorption edge and band gap values showed decreases upon addition of LiSO3CF3, DBP, and ZrO2 due to the formation of localized states in the SPE and the degree of disorder in the films increased. PMID:25133244

Effect of Zirconium Oxide Nanofiller and Dibutyl Phthalate Plasticizer on Ionic Conductivity and Optical Properties of Solid Polymer Electrolyte

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siti Mariah Mohd Yasin

2014-01-01

Full Text Available New solid polymer electrolytes (SPE based on poly(ethylene oxide (PEO doped with lithium trifluoromethanesulfonate (LiCF3SO3, dibutyl phthalate (DBP plasticizer, and zirconium oxide (ZrO2 nanoparticles were prepared by solution-casting technique. The conductivity was enhanced by addition of dibutyl phthalate (DBP plasticizer and ZrO2 nanofiller with maximum conductivity (1.38×10-4 Scm-1. The absorption edge and band gap values showed decreases upon addition of LiSO3CF3, DBP, and ZrO2 due to the formation of localized states in the SPE and the degree of disorder in the films increased.

Local structure and oxide-ion conduction mechanism in apatite-type lanthanum silicates.

Science.gov (United States)

Masson, Olivier; Berghout, Abid; Béchade, Emilie; Jouin, Jenny; Thomas, Philippe; Asaka, Toru; Fukuda, Koichiro

2017-01-01

The local structure of apatite-type lanthanum silicates of general formula La 9.33+x (SiO 4 ) 6 O 2+3x/2 has been investigated by combining the atomic pair distribution function (PDF) method, conventional X-ray and neutron powder diffraction (NPD) data and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. DFT was used to build structure models with stable positions of excess oxide ions within the conduction channel. Two stable interstitial positions were obtained in accordance with literature, the first one located at the very periphery of the conduction channel, neighbouring the SiO 4 tetrahedral units, and the second one closer to the channel axis. The corresponding PDFs and average structures were then calculated and tested against experimental PDFs obtained by X-ray total scattering and NPD Rietveld refinements results gathered from literature. It was shown that of the two stable interstitial positions obtained with DFT only the second one located within the channel is consistent with experimental data. This result consolidates one of the two main conduction mechanisms along the c-axis reported in the literature, namely the one involving cooperative movement of O4 and Oi ions.

Development of uranium dioxide fuel pellets with addition of beryllium oxide for increasing of thermal conductivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Queiroz, Carolinne Mol; Ferreira, Ricardo Alberto Neto

2011-01-01

The CDTN - Centro de Desenvolvimento de Tecnologia Nuclear presents a project named 'Beryllium Project' viewing to increasing the thermal conductivity of UO 2 fuel pellets, increasing the lifetime of those pellets in the reactor, generating a greater economy. This increase of conductivity is obtained by means of Be O addition to the UO 2 fuel pellets, which is very used for the production of nuclear energy. The UO 2 pellets however present a thermal conductivity relatively low, generating a high temperature gradient between the center and his side surface. The addition of beryllium oxide, with higher thermal conductivity gives pellets which will present lower temperature gradient and, consequently, more durability and better utilization of energy potential of the pellet in the reactor. (author)

Nitrogen grain-boundary passivation of In-doped ZnO transparent conducting oxide

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, D.; Butt, M. Z.; Coughlan, C.; Caffrey, D.; Shvets, I. V.; Fleischer, K.

2018-04-01

We have investigated the properties and conduction limitations of spray pyrolysis grown, low-cost transparent conducting oxide ZnO thin films doped with indium. We analyze the optical, electrical, and crystallographic properties as functions of In content with a specific focus on postgrowth heat treatment of these thin films at 320 ∘C in an inert, nitrogen atmosphere, which improves the films electrical properties considerably. The effect was found to be dominated by nitrogen-induced grain-boundary passivation, identified by a combined study using i n situ resistance measurement upon annealing, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, photoluminescence, and x-ray diffraction studies. We also highlight the chemical mechanism of morphologic and crystallographic changes found in films with high indium content. By optimizing growth conditions according to these findings, ZnO:In with a resistivity as low as 2 ×10 -3Ω cm , high optical quality (T ≈90 % ), and sheet resistance of 32 Ω /□ has been obtained without any need for postgrowth treatments.

An experimental correlation approach for predicting thermal conductivity of water-EG based nanofluids of zinc oxide

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmadi Nadooshan, Afshin

2017-03-01

In this study, the effects of temperature (20 °Cconductivity of zinc oxide/ethylene glycol-water nanofluid have been presented. Nanofluid samples were prepared by a two-step method and thermal conductivity measurements were performed by a KD2 pro instrument. Results showed that the thermal conductivity increases uniformly with increasing solid volume fraction and temperature. The results also revealed that the thermal conductivity of nanofluids significantly increases with increasing solid volume fraction at higher temperatures. Moreover, it can be seen that for more concentrated samples, the effect of temperature was more tangible. Experimental thermal conductivity enhancement of the nanofluid in comparison with the Maxwell model indicated that Maxwell model was unable to predict the thermal conductivity of the present nanofluid. Therefore, a new correlation was presented for predicting the thermal conductivity of ZnO/EG-water nanofluid.

Electrical property heterogeneity at transparent conductive oxide/organic semiconductor interfaces: mapping contact ohmicity using conducting-tip atomic force microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

MacDonald, Gordon A; Veneman, P Alexander; Placencia, Diogenes; Armstrong, Neal R

2012-11-27

We demonstrate mapping of electrical properties of heterojunctions of a molecular semiconductor (copper phthalocyanine, CuPc) and a transparent conducting oxide (indium-tin oxide, ITO), on 20-500 nm length scales, using a conductive-probe atomic force microscopy technique, scanning current spectroscopy (SCS). SCS maps are generated for CuPc/ITO heterojunctions as a function of ITO activation procedures and modification with variable chain length alkyl-phosphonic acids (PAs). We correlate differences in small length scale electrical properties with the performance of organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs) based on CuPc/C(60) heterojunctions, built on these same ITO substrates. SCS maps the "ohmicity" of ITO/CuPc heterojunctions, creating arrays of spatially resolved current-voltage (J-V) curves. Each J-V curve is fit with modified Mott-Gurney expressions, mapping a fitted exponent (γ), where deviations from γ = 2.0 suggest nonohmic behavior. ITO/CuPc/C(60)/BCP/Al OPVs built on nonactivated ITO show mainly nonohmic SCS maps and dark J-V curves with increased series resistance (R(S)), lowered fill-factors (FF), and diminished device performance, especially near the open-circuit voltage. Nearly optimal behavior is seen for OPVs built on oxygen-plasma-treated ITO contacts, which showed SCS maps comparable to heterojunctions of CuPc on clean Au. For ITO electrodes modified with PAs there is a strong correlation between PA chain length and the degree of ohmicity and uniformity of electrical response in ITO/CuPc heterojunctions. ITO electrodes modified with 6-8 carbon alkyl-PAs show uniform and nearly ohmic SCS maps, coupled with acceptable CuPc/C(60)OPV performance. ITO modified with C14 and C18 alkyl-PAs shows dramatic decreases in FF, increases in R(S), and greatly enhanced recombination losses.

Hydrophilicity Reinforced Adhesion of Anodic Alumina Oxide Template Films to Conducting Substrates for Facile Fabrication of Highly Ordered Nanorod Arrays.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chuanju; Wang, Guiqiang; Yang, Rui; Sun, Xiangyu; Ma, Hui; Sun, Shuqing

2017-01-17

Arrays of ordered nanorods are of special interest in many fields. However, it remains challenging to obtain such arrays on conducting substrates in a facile manner. In this article, we report the fabrication of highly ordered and vertically standing nanorod arrays of both metals and semiconductors on Au films and indium tin oxide glass substrates without an additional layering. In this approach, following the simple hydrophilic treatment of an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane and conducting substrates, the AAO membrane was transferred onto the modified substrates with excellent adhesion. Subsequently, nanorod arrays of various materials were electrodeposited on the conducting substrates directly. This method avoids any expensive and tedious lithographic and ion milling process, which provides a simple yet robust route to the fabrication of arrays of 1D materials with high aspect ratio on conducting substrates, which shall pave the way for many practical applications in a range of fields.

Flexible Metal Oxide/Graphene Oxide Hybrid Neuromorphic Devices on Flexible Conducting Graphene Substrates

OpenAIRE

Wan, Chang Jin; Wang, Wei; Zhu, Li Qiang; Liu, Yang Hui; Feng, Ping; Liu, Zhao Ping; Shi, Yi; Wan, Qing

2016-01-01

Flexible metal oxide/graphene oxide hybrid multi-gate neuron transistors were fabricated on flexible graphene substrates. Dendritic integrations in both spatial and temporal modes were successfully emulated, and spatiotemporal correlated logics were obtained. A proof-of-principle visual system model for emulating lobula giant motion detector neuron was investigated. Our results are of great interest for flexible neuromorphic cognitive systems.

2015 Progress Report/July 2016: Iron Oxide Redox Transformation Pathways: The Bulk Electrical Conduction Mechanism

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scherer, Michelle M. [Univ. of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (United States); Rosso, Kevin M. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2016-07-25

Despite decades of research on the reactivity and stable isotope properties of Fe oxides, the ability to describe the redox behavior of Fe oxides in the environment is still quite limited. This is due, in large part, to the analytical and spatial complexities associated with studying microscopic processes at the Fe oxide-water interface. This project had the long-term vision of filling this gap by developing a detailed understanding of the relationship between interfacial ET processes, surface structure and charge, and mineral semiconducting properties. We focused on the Fe(III)-oxides and oxyhydroxides because of their geochemical preponderance, versatility in synthesis of compositionally, structurally, and morphologically tailored phases, and because they are amenable to a wide range of surface and bulk properties characterization. In particular, reductive transformation of phases such as hematite (α-Fe₂O₃) and goethite (α-FeOOH) in aqueous solution can serve as excellent model systems for studies of electron conduction processes, as well as provide valuable insights into effect of nanoscale conductive materials on contaminant fate at DOE sites. More specifically, the goal of the Iowa component of this project was to use stable Fe isotope measurements to simultaneously measure isotope specific oxidation states and concentrations of Fe at the hematite-water and goethite-water interface. This work builds on our previous work where we used an innovative combination of ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy and high precision isotope ratio measurements (MC-ICP-MS) to probe the dynamics of the reaction of aqueous Fe(II) with goethite. Mössbauer spectroscopy detects ⁵⁷Fe only among all other Fe isotopes and we have capitalized on this to spectroscopically demonstrate Fe(II)-Fe(III) electron transfer between sorbed Fe(II) and Fe(III) oxides (Handler, et al., 2009; Gorski, et al. 2010; Rosso et al., 2010). By combining the M�

Electrochemical supercapacitors of cobalt hydroxide nanoplates grown on conducting cadmium oxide base-electrodes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kailas K. Tehare

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Dopant-free and cost-effective sprayed cadmium oxide (CdO conducting base-electrodes, obtained at different concentrations (0.5, 1 and 1.5 M, characterized for their structures, morphologies and conductivities by using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and electrical conductivity measurements, respectively, are employed as base-electrodes for growing cobalt hydroxide (Co(OH2 nanoplates using a simple electrodeposition method which further are envisaged for electrochemical supercapacitor application. Polycrystalline nature and mushroom-like plane-views are confirmed from the structure and morphology analyses. Both CdO and CdO–Co(OH2 electrodes reveal specific capacitances as high as 312 F g−1 and 1119 F g−1, respectively, in 0.1 M KOH electrolyte at 10 mV s−1 sweep rate. Optimized Co(OH2–CdO configuration electrode demonstrates energy density of 98.83 W h kg−1 and power density of 0.75 kW kg−1. In order to investigate the charge transfer kinematics electrochemical impedance measurements are carried out and explored.

Deep vs shallow nature of oxygen vacancies and consequent n -type carrier concentrations in transparent conducting oxides

Science.gov (United States)

Buckeridge, J.; Catlow, C. R. A.; Farrow, M. R.; Logsdail, A. J.; Scanlon, D. O.; Keal, T. W.; Sherwood, P.; Woodley, S. M.; Sokol, A. A.; Walsh, A.

2018-05-01

The source of n -type conductivity in undoped transparent conducting oxides has been a topic of debate for several decades. The point defect of most interest in this respect is the oxygen vacancy, but there are many conflicting reports on the shallow versus deep nature of its related electronic states. Here, using a hybrid quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical embedded cluster approach, we have computed formation and ionization energies of oxygen vacancies in three representative transparent conducting oxides: In2O3 ,SnO2, and ZnO. We find that, in all three systems, oxygen vacancies form well-localized, compact donors. We demonstrate, however, that such compactness does not preclude the possibility of these states being shallow in nature, by considering the energetic balance between the vacancy binding electrons that are in localized orbitals or in effective-mass-like diffuse orbitals. Our results show that, thermodynamically, oxygen vacancies in bulk In2O3 introduce states above the conduction band minimum that contribute significantly to the observed conductivity properties of undoped samples. For ZnO and SnO2, the states are deep, and our calculated ionization energies agree well with thermochemical and optical experiments. Our computed equilibrium defect and carrier concentrations, however, demonstrate that these deep states may nevertheless lead to significant intrinsic n -type conductivity under reducing conditions at elevated temperatures. Our study indicates the importance of oxygen vacancies in relation to intrinsic carrier concentrations not only in In2O3 , but also in SnO2 and ZnO.

Electrically conductive aluminum oxide thin film used as cobalt catalyst-support layer in vertically aligned carbon nanotube growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Azam, Mohd Asyadi; Ismail, Syahriza; Mohamad, Noraiham; Isomura, Kazuki; Shimoda, Tatsuya

2015-01-01

This paper will present the unique characteristics of aluminum oxide (Al–O) and cobalt catalyst included in aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) electrode system of energy storage device, namely electrochemical capacitor. Electrical conductivity and nanostructure of the thermally oxidized Al–O used as catalyst-support layer in vertically grown single-walled CNTs were studied. Al–O films were characterized by means of current–voltage measurement and high resolution transmission electron microscopy analysis. The Al–O support layer was found to be conductive, with a relatively low resistance and, approximately 20 nm film thickness of Al–O is suggested to be too thin to form insulating barrier. The scanning TEM—annular dark field analysis confirmed that the nanosized cobalt catalyst particles distributed on Al–O surfaces and also embedded inside the Al–O film structure. (paper)

Fibrous flexible solid-type dye-sensitized solar cells without transparent conducting oxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan Xing; Chu Zengze; Chen Lin; Zhang Chao; Wang Fuzhi; Tang Yanwei; Sun Jianliang; Zou Dechun

2008-01-01

We have explored a type of all-solid fibrous flexible dye-sensitized solar cells without transparent conducting oxide based on a CuI electrolyte. The working electrode's substrate is a metal wire. Cu wire counterelectrode is twisted with the dye-sensitized and CuI-coated working electrode. The cell's apparent diameter is about 150 μm. The cell's current-voltage output depends little on the incident angle of light. A 4-cm-long fibrous cell's open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current generate 304 mV and 0.032 mA, respectively. The interfacial interaction between the two electrodes has a significant influence on the inner charge transfer of the cell

Improved Long-Term Stability of Transparent Conducting Electrodes Based on Double-Laminated Electrosprayed Antimony Tin Oxides and Ag Nanowires

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Koo B.-R.

2017-06-01

Full Text Available We fabricated double-laminated antimony tin oxide/Ag nanowire electrodes by spin-coating and electrospraying. Compared to pure Ag nanowire electrodes and single-laminated antimony tin oxide/Ag nanowire electrodes, the double-laminated antimony tin oxide/Ag nanowire electrodes had superior transparent conducting electrode performances with sheet resistance ~19.8 Ω/□ and optical transmittance ~81.9%; this was due to uniform distribution of the connected Ag nanowires because of double lamination of the metallic Ag nanowires without Ag aggregation despite subsequent microwave heating at 250°C. They also exhibited excellent and superior long-term chemical and thermal stabilities and adhesion to substrate because double-laminated antimony tin oxide thin films act as the protective layers between Ag nanowires, blocking Ag atoms penetration.

Effect of α-lipoic acid combined with nerve growth factor on bone metabolism, oxidative stress and nerve conduction function after femoral fracture surgery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

An-Jun Cao

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Objective: To discuss the effect of 毩 -lipoic acid combined with nerve growth factor on bone metabolism, oxidative stress and nerve conduction function after femoral fracture surgery. Methods: A total of 110 patients with femoral fracture who received surgical treatment in the hospital between January 2015 and January 2017 were collected and divided into the control group (n=55 and study group (n=55 by random number table. Control group received postoperative nerve growth factor therapy, and study group received postoperative 毩 -lipoic acid combined with nerve growth factor therapy. The differences in the contents of bone metabolism and oxidative stress indexes as well as the levels of nerve conduction function indexes were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. Results: Before treatment, the differences in the contents of bone metabolism and oxidative stress indexes as well as the levels of nerve conduction function indexes were not statistically significant between the two groups. After treatment, serum bone metabolism indexes BGP and PⅠNP contents of study group were higher than those of control group while CTX-Ⅰ and TRAP contents were lower than those of control group; serum oxidative stress indexes TAC, CAT and SOD contents of study group were higher than those of control group while MDA content was lower than that of control group; limb nerve conduction velocity SCV and MCV levels of study group were higher than those of control group. Conclusion: 毩 -lipoic acid combined with nerve growth factor therapy after femoral fracture surgery can effectively balance osteoblast/ osteoclast activity, reduce oxidative stress and improve limb nerve conduction velocity.

High-performance a-IGZO thin-film transistor with conductive indium-tin-oxide buried layer

Science.gov (United States)

Ahn, Min-Ju; Cho, Won-Ju

2017-10-01

In this study, we fabricated top-contact top-gate (TCTG) structure of amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide (a-IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) with a thin buried conductive indium-tin oxide (ITO) layer. The electrical performance of a-IGZO TFTs was improved by inserting an ITO buried layer under the IGZO channel. Also, the effect of the buried layer's length on the electrical characteristics of a-IGZO TFTs was investigated. The electrical performance of the transistors improved with increasing the buried layer's length: a large on/off current ratio of 1.1×107, a high field-effect mobility of 35.6 cm2/Vs, a small subthreshold slope of 116.1 mV/dec, and a low interface trap density of 4.2×1011 cm-2eV-1 were obtained. The buried layer a-IGZO TFTs exhibited enhanced transistor performance and excellent stability against the gate bias stress.

Structure and properties of a model conductive filament/host oxide interface in HfO2-based ReRAM

Science.gov (United States)

Padilha, A. C. M.; McKenna, K. P.

2018-04-01

Resistive random-access memory (ReRAM) is a promising class of nonvolatile memory capable of storing information via its resistance state. In the case of hafnium oxide-based devices, experimental evidence shows that a conductive oxygen-deficient filament is formed and broken inside of the device by oxygen migration, leading to switching of its resistance state. However, little is known about the nature of this conductive phase, its interface with the host oxide, or the associated interdiffusion of oxygen, presenting a challenge to understanding the switching mechanism and device properties. To address these problems, we present atomic-scale first-principles simulations of a prototypical conductive phase (HfO), the electronic properties of its interface with HfO2, as well as stability with respect to oxygen diffusion across the interface. We show that the conduction-band offset between HfO and HfO2 is 1.3 eV, smaller than typical electrode-HfO2 band offsets, suggesting that positive charging and band bending should occur at the conductive filament-HfO2 interface. We also show that transfer of oxygen across the interface, from HfO2 into HfO, costs around 1.2 eV per atom and leads to a gradual opening of the HfO band gap, and hence disruption of the electrical conductivity. These results provide invaluable insights into understanding the switching mechanism for HfO2-based ReRAM.

Metal{Polymer Hybrid Materials For Flexible Transparent Conductors

Science.gov (United States)

Narayanan, Sudarshan

The field of organic electronics, till recently a mere research topic, is currently making rapid strides and tremendous progress into entering the mainstream electronics industry with several applications and products such as OLED televisions, curved displays, wearable devices, flexible solar cells, etc. already having been commercialized. A major component in these devices, especially for photovoltaic applications, is a transparent conductor used as one of the electrodes, which in most commercial applications are highly doped wide bandgap semiconducting oxides also called Transparent Conducting Oxides (TCOs). However, TCOs exhibit inherent disadvantages such as limited supply, brittle mechanical properties, expensive processing that present major barriers for the more widespread economic use in applications such as exible transparent conductors, owing to which suitable alternative materials are being sought. In this context we present two approaches in realizing alternative TCs using metal-polymer hybrid materials, with high figures of merit that are easily processable, reasonably inexpensive and mechanically robust as well. In this context, our first approach employs laminated metal-polymer photonic bandgap structures to effectively tune optical and electrical properties by an appropriate design of the material stack, factoring in the effect of the materials involved, the number of layers and layer properties. We have found that in the case of a four-bilayer Au/polystyrene (AujPS) laminate structure, an enhancement in optical transmittance of ˜ 500% in comparison to a monolithic A film of equivalent thickness, can be achieved. The high conductivity (˜ 106 O--1cm--1) of the metallic component, Au in this case, also ensures planar conductivity; metallic inclusions in the dielectric polymer layer can in principle give rise to out-of-plane conductivity as well enabling a fully functional TC. Such materials also have immense potential for several other applications

Suppression of persistent photo-conductance in solution-processed amorphous oxide thin-film transistors

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Minkyung; Kim, Minho; Jo, Jeong-Wan; Park, Sung Kyu; Kim, Yong-Hoon

2018-01-01

This study offers a combinatorial approach for suppressing the persistent photo-conductance (PPC) characteristic in solution-processed amorphous oxide semiconductor (AOS) thin-film transistors (TFTs) in order to achieve rapid photo-recovery. Various analyses were used to examine the photo-instability of indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (IGZO) TFTs including negative-bias-illumination-stress (NBIS) and transient photo-response behaviors. It was found that the indium ratio in metallic components had a significant impact on their PPC and photo-recovery characteristics. In particular, when the indium ratio was low (51.5%), the PPC characteristic was significantly suppressed and achieving rapid photo-recovery was possible without significantly affecting the electrical performance of AOSs. These results imply that the optimization of the indium composition ratio may allow achieving highly photo-stable and near PPC-free characteristics while maintaining high electrical performance of AOSs. It is considered that the negligible PPC behavior and rapid photo-recovery observed in IGZO TFTs with a lower indium composition are attributed to the less activation energy required for the neutralization of ionized oxygen vacancies.

Assembly and benign step-by-step post-treatment of oppositely charged reduced graphene oxides for transparent conductive thin films with multiple applications

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Jiayi; He, Junhui

2012-05-01

We report a new approach for the fabrication of flexible and transparent conducting thin films via the layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly of oppositely charged reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and the benign step-by-step post-treatment on substrates with a low glass-transition temperature, such as glass and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET). The RGO dispersions and films were characterized by means of atomic force microscopy, UV-visible absorption spectrophotometery, Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, contact angle/interface systems and a four-point probe. It was found that the graphene thin films exhibited a significant increase in electrical conductivity after the step-by-step post-treatments. The graphene thin film on the PET substrate had a good conductivity retainability after multiple cycles (30 cycles) of excessively bending (bending angle: 180°), while tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) thin films on PET showed a significant decrease in electrical conductivity. In addition, the graphene thin film had a smooth surface with tunable wettability.We report a new approach for the fabrication of flexible and transparent conducting thin films via the layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly of oppositely charged reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and the benign step-by-step post-treatment on substrates with a low glass-transition temperature, such as glass and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET). The RGO dispersions and films were characterized by means of atomic force microscopy, UV-visible absorption spectrophotometery, Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, contact angle/interface systems and a four-point probe. It was found that the graphene thin films exhibited a significant increase in electrical conductivity after the step-by-step post-treatments. The graphene thin film on the PET substrate had a good conductivity retainability after multiple cycles (30 cycles) of excessively bending (bending angle: 180°), while tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) thin films on

Mesoporous silica wrapped with graphene oxide-conducting PANI nanowires as a novel hybrid electrode for supercapacitor

Science.gov (United States)

Javed, Mohsin; Abbas, Syed Mustansar; Siddiq, Mohammad; Han, Dongxue; Niu, Li

2018-02-01

A high charge-carrier transport is an important aim in the synthesis of nanostructures for an effective supercapacitor. This article describes a methodology to prepare mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) wrapped with graphene oxide (GO) together with conducting polyaniline (PANI) wires. The morphology and chemical structure of the prepared samples have been tested by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM (HRTEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD), whereas the stability and electrostatic interaction of the structures have been verified by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, respectively. The supercapacitive behaviour of these nanocomposites has been analysed by cyclic voltammetry (CV), charge-discharge tests, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Compared with pristine MSNs and PANI, the 20%-GO@MSNs/PANI nanocomposite had the highest specific capacitance, reaching 412 F g-1. The nanocomposite structure maximizes the synergy between mesoporous metal oxide, conducting PANI, and GO, yielding a significantly enhanced specific capacitance, rapid charge-discharge rates, and good cycling stability of the resulting device. The wrapping with GO prevents the structural breakdown and acts as a highly conductive pathway by bridging the individual particles, whereas the MSNs nanoparticles greatly enlarge the specific surface area to facilitate ion transport and charge transfer throughout the cycling performance of supercapacitor. The approach adopted in this article can be applied for preparing similar novel functional materials in future for electrochemical applications.

Spectral and optical performance of electrochromic poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) deposited on transparent conducting oxide coated glass and polymer substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sindhu, S.; Narasimha Rao, K.; Ahuja, Sharath; Kumar, Anil; Gopal, E.S.R.

2006-01-01

Electrochromic devices utilizing conjugated polymers as electrochromic layers have gained increasing attention owing to their optical properties, fast switching times and contrast ratios. Polyethylenedioxythiophene (PEDOT) is an excellent material from its electrochromic properties, high conductivity and high stability in the doped form. Aqueous dispersions of PEDOT were either spin coated or electro-polymerized on transparent conducting oxide coated glass and polyethylene tetraphthalate (PET) film substrates. The spectro- and opto-electrochemical studies of the films on transparent conducting oxide coated glass/PET substrates were performed. These films have application in the fabrication of electrochromic windows (smart windows). Smart window devices having excellent switching characteristics over wide range of temperature are used for glazing applications. The aerospace industry is interested in the development of visors and windows that can control glare for pilots and passengers, especially if the coatings can be made on curved surfaces and electrically conducting

Mechanistic analysis of temperature-dependent current conduction through thin tunnel oxide in n+-polySi/SiO2/n+-Si structures

Science.gov (United States)

Samanta, Piyas

2017-09-01

We present a detailed investigation on temperature-dependent current conduction through thin tunnel oxides grown on degenerately doped n-type silicon (n+-Si) under positive bias ( VG ) on heavily doped n-type polycrystalline silicon (n+-polySi) gate in metal-oxide-semiconductor devices. The leakage current measured between 298 and 573 K and at oxide fields ranging from 6 to 10 MV/cm is primarily attributed to Poole-Frenkel (PF) emission of trapped electrons from the neutral electron traps located in the silicon dioxide (SiO2) band gap in addition to Fowler-Nordheim (FN) tunneling of electrons from n+-Si acting as the drain node in FLOating gate Tunnel OXide Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory devices. Process-induced neutral electron traps are located at 0.18 eV and 0.9 eV below the SiO2 conduction band. Throughout the temperature range studied here, PF emission current IPF dominates FN electron tunneling current IFN at oxide electric fields Eox between 6 and 10 MV/cm. A physics based new analytical formula has been developed for FN tunneling of electrons from the accumulation layer of degenerate semiconductors at a wide range of temperatures incorporating the image force barrier rounding effect. FN tunneling has been formulated in the framework of Wentzel-Kramers-Brilloiun taking into account the correction factor due to abrupt variation of the energy barrier at the cathode/oxide interface. The effect of interfacial and near-interfacial trapped-oxide charges on FN tunneling has also been investigated in detail at positive VG . The mechanism of leakage current conduction through SiO2 films plays a crucial role in simulation of time-dependent dielectric breakdown of the memory devices and to precisely predict the normal operating field or applied floating gate (FG) voltage for lifetime projection of the devices. In addition, we present theoretical results showing the effect of drain doping concentration on the FG leakage current.

Ionic conductivity in new perovskite type oxides: NaAZrMO{sub 6} (A = Ca or Sr; M = Nb or Ta)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rajendran, Deepthi N.; Ravindran Nair, K. [Regional Research Laboratory (CSIR), Trivandrum 695019 (India); Prabhakar Rao, P. [Regional Research Laboratory (CSIR), Trivandrum 695019 (India)], E-mail: padala_rao@yahoo.com; Sibi, K.S.; Koshy, Peter [Regional Research Laboratory (CSIR), Trivandrum 695019 (India); Vaidyan, V.K. [Department of Physics, University of Kerala, Trivandrum 695581 (India)

2008-06-15

New oxides of the type, NaAZrMO{sub 6} (M = Ca or Sr; M = Nb or Ta), have been prepared by the solid-state reaction technique. Phase identification by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) shows that NaCaZrMO{sub 6} has orthorhombic perovskite type structure (Pnma) and NaSrZrMO{sub 6} has cubic perovskite type structure (Pm3m). The grain morphology observation by scanning electron microscope (SEM) shows well-sintered grains. ac impedance spectra and electrical conductivity measurements in air, oxygen and nitrogen atmospheres indicate that they are probable oxide ion conductors with ionic conductivities of the order of 10{sup -3} S cm{sup -1} at 750 deg. C.

Electrochemical properties and electrocatalytic activity of conducting polymer/copper nanoparticles supported on reduced graphene oxide composite

Science.gov (United States)

Ehsani, Ali; Jaleh, Babak; Nasrollahzadeh, Mahmoud

2014-07-01

Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) was used to support Cu nanoparticles. As electro-active electrodes for supercapacitors composites of reduced graphene oxide/Cu nanoparticles (rGO/CuNPs) and polytyramine (PT) with good uniformity are prepared by electropolymerization. Composite of rGO/CuNPs-PT was synthesized by cyclic voltammetry (CV) methods and electrochemical properties of film were investigated by using electrochemical techniques. The results show that, the rGO/CuNPs-PT/G has better capacitance performance. This is mainly because of the really large surface area and the better electronic and ionic conductivity of rGO/CuNPs-PT/G, which lead to greater double-layer capacitance and faradic pseudo capacitance. Modified graphite electrodes (rGO/CuNPs-PT/G) were examined for their redox process and electrocatalytic activities towards the oxidation of methanol in alkaline solutions. The methods of cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry (CA) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were employed. In comparison with a Cu-PT/G (Graphite), rGO/CuNPs-PT/G modified electrode shows a significantly higher response for methanol oxidation. A mechanism based on the electro-chemical generation of Cu(III) active sites and their subsequent consumptions by methanol have been discussed.

Shrinkage Effects of the Conduction Zone in the Electrical Properties of Metal Oxide Nanocrystals: The Basis for Room Temperature Conductometric Gas Sensor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Manzanares

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The influence of charge localized at the surface of minute metal oxide nanocrystals was studied in WO3 and In2O3 nanostructures, which were obtained replicating mesoporous silica templates. Here, it is shown that the very high resistive states observed at room temperature and dark conditions were originated by the total shrinkage of the conductive zone in the inner part of these nanocrystals. On the contrary, at room temperature and under UV illumination, both photogenerated electron-hole pairs and empty surface states generated by photons diminished the negative charge accumulated at the surface, enlarging the conductive zone and, as a consequence, leading to a reduction of the electrical resistance. Under these conditions, empty surface states produced by UV light reacted with oxidizing gaseous molecules. The charge exchange associated to these reactions also affected the size of the inner conductive zone, and leaded to a new steady-state resistance. These chemical, physical and geometrical effects can be used for gas detection, and constitutes the basis for developing novel room temperature conductometric gas sensors responsive to oxidizing species.

Polyaniline: Aniline oxidation with strong and weak oxidants under various acidity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bláha, Michal, E-mail: blaha@imc.cas.cz [Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, 162 06 Prague 6 (Czech Republic); Trchová, Miroslava; Bober, Patrycja; Morávková, Zuzana [Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, 162 06 Prague 6 (Czech Republic); Prokeš, Jan [Charles University, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, 180 00 Prague 8 (Czech Republic); Stejskal, Jaroslav [Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, 162 06 Prague 6 (Czech Republic)

2017-06-15

Aniline was oxidized with three strong inorganic oxidants (ammonium peroxydisulfate, cerium(IV) sulfate, potassium dichromate), two weak inorganic oxidants (iron(III) chloride, silver nitrate), and one organic oxidant (p-benzoquinone) in aqueous solutions of methanesulfonic acid (MSA) of various concentration. Whereas oxidation of aniline with ammonium peroxydisulfate yielded high-molecular-weight conducting polyaniline (PANI) in the whole acidity range, the oxidation with cerium(IV) sulfate led also to a single product close to PANI with considerably lower molecular weight and lower conductivity. Potassium dichromate gave PANI only at high concentration of MSA. The use of iron(III) chloride yielded composite mixtures of PANI and low-molecular-weight aniline oligomers. The oxidation of aniline with silver nitrate led to composites of silver and an organic part, which was constituted either by aniline oligomers or conducting polyaniline or both. p-Benzoquinone as oxidant produced mainly aniline oligomers with poor conductivity and 2,5-dianilino-p-benzoquinone-like structure detected in FTIR and Raman spectra when oxidation proceeded with weak oxidants. A general model of oxidation with strong and weak oxidants was formulated. - Highlights: • Comparison of aniline oxidation with oxidants of different redox potential. • UV–vis, FTIR and Raman spectroscopies combined with size-exclusion chromatography. • The contents of polymer and oligomers were analyzed and discussed. • General model of aniline oxidation with strong and weak oxidants was formulated.

Electrically conductive anodized aluminum coatings

Science.gov (United States)

Alwitt, Robert S. (Inventor); Liu, Yanming (Inventor)

2001-01-01

A process for producing anodized aluminum with enhanced electrical conductivity, comprising anodic oxidation of aluminum alloy substrate, electrolytic deposition of a small amount of metal into the pores of the anodized aluminum, and electrolytic anodic deposition of an electrically conductive oxide, including manganese dioxide, into the pores containing the metal deposit; and the product produced by the process.

Three-dimensional ionic conduction in the strained electrolytes of solid oxide fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Yupei; Zou, Minda; Lv, Weiqiang; He, Weidong; Mao, Yiwu; Wang, Wei

2016-01-01

Flexible power sources including fuel cells and batteries are the key to realizing flexible electronic devices with pronounced foldability. To understand the bending effects in these devices, theoretical analysis on three-dimensional (3-D) lattice bending is necessary. In this report, we derive a 3-D analytical model to analyze the effects of electrolyte crystal bending on ionic conductivity in flexible solid-state batteries/fuel cells. By employing solid oxide fuel cells as a materials' platform, the intrinsic parameters of bent electrolyte materials, including lattice constant, Young's modulus, and Poisson ratio, are evaluated. Our work facilitates the rational design of highly efficient flexible electrolytes for high-performance flexible device applications.

Y-doped BaZrO3 as a chemically stable electrolyte for proton-conducting solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs)

KAUST Repository

Bi, Lei

2015-01-01

A proton-conducting solid oxide electrolysis cell using an Y-doped BaZrO3 electrolyte film, which has been demonstrated to be chemically stable, was successfully fabricated for the first time and showed a promising electrolysis performance.

Thin-film silicon solar cell technology

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Shah, A. V.; Schade, H.; Vaněček, Milan; Meier, J.; Vallat-Sauvain, E.; Wyrsch, N.; Kroll, U.; Droz, C.; Bailat, J.

2004-01-01

Roč. 12, - (2004), s. 113-142 ISSN 1062-7995 R&D Projects: GA MŽP SN/320/11/03 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z1010914 Keywords : thin-film silicon modules * hydrogenerated amorphous silicon(a-Si:H) * hydrogenerated microcrystalline (ćc-Si:H) * transparent conductive oxydes(TCOs) * building-integrated photovoltaics(BIPV) Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.196, year: 2004

A method for determining an effective porosity correction factor for thermal conductivity in fast reactor uranium-plutonium oxide fuel pellets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inoue, Masaki; Abe, Kazuyuki; Sato, Isamu

2000-01-01

A reliable method has been developed for determining an effective porosity correction factor for calculating a realistic thermal conductivity for fast reactor uranium-plutonium (mixed) oxide fuel pellets. By using image analysis of the ceramographs of transverse sections of mixed-oxide fuel pellets, the fuel morphology could be classified into two basic types. One is a 'two-phase' type that consists of small pores dispersed in the fuel matrix. The other is a 'three-phase' type that has large pores in addition to the small pores dispersed in the fuel matrix. The pore sizes are divided into two categories, large and small, at the 30 μm area equivalent diameter. These classifications lead to an equation for calculating an effective porosity correction factor by accounting for the small and large pore volume fractions and coefficients. This new analytical method for determining the effective porosity correction factor for calculating the realistic thermal conductivity of mixed-oxide fuel was also experimentally confirmed for high-, medium- and low-density fuel pellets

Preparation of high surface area and high conductivity polyaniline nanoparticles using chemical oxidation polymerization technique

Science.gov (United States)

Budi, S.; Yusmaniar; Juliana, A.; Cahyana, U.; Purwanto, A.; Imaduddin, A.; Handoko, E.

2018-03-01

In this work, polyaniline nanoparticles were synthesized using a chemical oxidation polymerization technique. The ammonium peroxydisulfate (APS)/aniline ratio, APS dropping time, and polymerization temperature were optimized to increase the surface area and conductivity of the polyaniline.The Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum confirmed the formation of emeraldine salt polyaniline. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns indicated that amorphous and crystalline phases of the polyaniline were formed with crystallinity less than 40%. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrographs showed that the finest nanoparticles with uniform size distribution were obtained at the polymerization temperature of 0°C. A surface area analyzer (SAA) showed that the highest Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area (SBET ) of 42.14 m2/gwas obtained from an APS/aniline ratio of 0.75 with a dropping time of 0 s at a polymerization temperature of 0°C. A four-point probe measurement conducted at 75–300K indicated relatively high conductivity of the semiconductor characteristic of the polyaniline.

Co-sputtered ZnO:Si thin films as transparent conductive oxides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Faure, C. [CNRS, Univ. Bordeaux, ICMCB, UPR 9048, F33600 Pessac (France); Clatot, J. [LRCS, 33 Rue St Leu, F-80039 Amiens (France); Teule-Gay, L.; Campet, G. [CNRS, Univ. Bordeaux, ICMCB, UPR 9048, F33600 Pessac (France); Labrugere, C. [CeCaMA, Universite de Bordeaux, ICMCB, 87 avenue du Dr. A. Schweitzer, Pessac, F-33608 (France); Nistor, M. [National Institute for Lasers, Plasmas and Radiation Physics, L22, PO Box MG-36, 77125 Bucharest-Magurele (Romania); Rougier, A., E-mail: rougier@icmcb-bordeaux.cnrs.fr [CNRS, Univ. Bordeaux, ICMCB, UPR 9048, F33600 Pessac (France)

2012-12-01

Silicon doped Zinc Oxide thin films, so-called SZO, were deposited at room temperature on glass and plastic substrates by co-sputtering of ZnO and SiO{sub 2} targets. The influence of the SiO{sub 2} target power supply (from 30 to 75 W) on the SZO thin film composition and crystallinity is discussed. Si/Zn atomic ratio, determined by X-ray microprobe, increases from 1.2 to 8.2 at.%. For Si/Zn ratio equal and lower than 3.9%, SZO (S{sub 3.9}ZO) thin films exhibit the Wurzite structure with the (0 0 2) preferred orientation. Larger Si content leads to a decrease in crystallinity. With Si addition, the resistivity decreases down to 3.5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -3} Ohm-Sign {center_dot}cm for SZO thin film containing 3.9 at.% of Si prior to an increase. The mean transmittance of S{sub 3.9}ZO thin film on glass substrate approaches 80% (it is about 90% for the film itself) in the visible range (from 400 to 750 nm). Co-sputtered SZO thin films are suitable candidates for large area transparent conductive oxides. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Si doped ZnO thin films by co-sputtering of ZnO and SiO{sub 2} targets. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Minimum of resistivity for Si doped ZnO thin films containing 3.9% of Si. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Si and O environments by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy.

Tuning the conductivity threshold and carrier density of two-dimensional electron gas at oxide interfaces through interface engineering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. J. Harsan Ma

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG formed at the perovskite oxides heterostructures is of great interest because of its potential applications in oxides electronics and nanoscale multifunctional devices. A canonical example is the 2DEG at the interface between a polar oxide LaAlO3 (LAO and non-polar SrTiO3 (STO. Here, the LAO polar oxide can be regarded as the modulating or doping layer and is expected to define the electronic properties of 2DEG at the LAO/STO interface. However, to practically implement the 2DEG in electronics and device design, desired properties such as tunable 2D carrier density are necessary. Here, we report the tuning of conductivity threshold, carrier density and electronic properties of 2DEG in LAO/STO heterostructures by insertion of a La0.5Sr0.5TiO3 (LSTO layer of varying thicknesses, and thus modulating the amount of polarization of the oxide over layers. Our experimental result shows an enhancement of carrier density up to a value of about five times higher than that observed at the LAO/STO interface. A complete thickness dependent metal-insulator phase diagram is obtained by varying the thickness of LAO and LSTO providing an estimate for the critical thickness needed for the metallic phase. The observations are discussed in terms of electronic reconstruction induced by polar oxides.

Interface polymerization synthesis of conductive polymer/graphite oxide@sulfur composites for high-rate lithium-sulfur batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Xiwen; Zhang, Zhian; Yan, Xiaolin; Qu, Yaohui; Lai, Yanqing; Li, Jie

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A hybrid nanostructure that incorporate the merits of conductive polymer nanorods and graphite oxide sheets. • A novel approach based on interface polymerization for synthesizing CP/GO@S ternary composite. • CP/GO@S ternary composite cathode shows enhanced electrochemical properties compared with CP@S binary composite cathode. • PEDOT/GO@S composite is the material system that have best electrochemical performance in all CP/GO@S ternary composites. - Abstract: The novel ternary composites, conductive polymers (CPs)/graphene oxide (GO)@sulfur composites were successfully synthesized via a facile one-pot route and used as cathode materials for Li-S batteries The poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT)/GO and polyaniline (PANI)/GO composites were prepared by interface polymerization of monomers on the surface of GO sheets. Then sulfur was in-situ deposited on the CPs/GO composites in same solution. The component and structure of the composites were characterized by XPS, TGA, FTIR, SEM, TEM and electrochemical measurements. In this structure, the CPs nanostructures are believed to serve as a conductive matrix and an adsorbing agent, while the highly conductive GO will physically and chemically confine the sulfur and polysulfide within cathode. The PEDOT/GO@S composites with the sulfur content of 66.2 wt% exhibit a reversible discharge capacity of 800.2 mAh g −1 after 200 cycles at 0.5 C, which is much higher than that of PANI/GO@S composites (599.1 mAh g −1 ) and PANI@S (407.2 mAh g −1 ). Even at a high rate of 4 C, the PEDOT/GO@S composites still retain a high specific capacity of 632.4 mAh g −1

Defect Chemistry and Electrical Conductivity of Sm-Doped La1-xSrxCoO3-δ for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Björketun, Mårten; Castelli, Ivano Eligio; Rossmeisl, Jan

2017-01-01

We have calculated the electrical conductivity of the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) cathode contact material La1-xSrxCoO3-δ at 900 K. Experimental trends in conductivity against x, and against δ for fixed x, are correctly reproduced for x ≲ 0.8. Furthermore, we have studied the chemistry of neutral...

Using Coupled Mesoscale Experiments and Simulations to Investigate High Burn-Up Oxide Fuel Thermal Conductivity

Science.gov (United States)

Teague, Melissa C.; Fromm, Bradley S.; Tonks, Michael R.; Field, David P.

2014-12-01

Nuclear energy is a mature technology with a small carbon footprint. However, work is needed to make current reactor technology more accident tolerant and to allow reactor fuel to be burned in a reactor for longer periods of time. Optimizing the reactor fuel performance is essentially a materials science problem. The current understanding of fuel microstructure have been limited by the difficulty in studying the structure and chemistry of irradiated fuel samples at the mesoscale. Here, we take advantage of recent advances in experimental capabilities to characterize the microstructure in 3D of irradiated mixed oxide (MOX) fuel taken from two radial positions in the fuel pellet. We also reconstruct these microstructures using Idaho National Laboratory's MARMOT code and calculate the impact of microstructure heterogeneities on the effective thermal conductivity using mesoscale heat conduction simulations. The thermal conductivities of both samples are higher than the bulk MOX thermal conductivity because of the formation of metallic precipitates and because we do not currently consider phonon scattering due to defects smaller than the experimental resolution. We also used the results to investigate the accuracy of simple thermal conductivity approximations and equations to convert 2D thermal conductivities to 3D. It was found that these approximations struggle to predict the complex thermal transport interactions between metal precipitates and voids.

Development of Lithium Stuffed Garnet-Type Oxide Solid Electrolytes with High Ionic Conductivity for Application to All-Solid-State Batteries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ryoji Inada

2016-07-01

Full Text Available All-solid-state lithium-ion battery (LiB is expected as one of the next generation energy storage devices because of their high energy density, high safety and excellent cycle stability. Although oxide-based solid electrolyte materials have rather lower conductivity and poor deformability than sulfide-based one, they have other advantages such as their chemical stability and easiness for handling. Among the various oxide-based SEs, lithium stuffed garnet-type oxide with the formula of Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZ have been widely studied because of their high conductivity above 10-4 Scm-1 at room temperature, excellent thermal performance and stability against Li metal anode.Here, we present our recent progress for the development of garnet-type solid electrolytes with high conductivity by simultaneous substitution of Ta5+ into Zr4+ site and Ba2+ into La3+ site in LLZ. Li+ concentration was fixed to 6.5 per chemical formulae, so that the formulae of our Li garnet-type oxide is expressed as Li6.5La3-xBaxZr1.5-xTa0.5+xO12 (LLBZT and Ba contents x are changed from 0 to 0.3. As results, all LLBZT samples have cubic garnet structure without containing any secondary phases. The lattice parameters of LLBZT decrease with increasing Ba2+ contents x < 0.10 while increase with x from 0.10 to 0.30, possibly due to the simultaneous change of Ba2+ and Ta5+ substitution levels. Relative densities of LLBZT are in the range between 89% and 93% and not influenced so much by the compositions. From AC impedance spectroscopy measurements, the total (bulk + grain conductivity at 27ºC of LLBZT shows its maximum value of 8.34 x 10-4 S cm-1 at x = 0.10, which is slightly higher than the conductivity (= 7.94 x 10-4 S cm-1 of LLZT without substituting Ba (x = 0. Activation energy of the conductivity tends to become lower by Ba substation, while excess Ba substitution degrades the conductivity in LLBZT. LLBZT has wide electrochemical potential window of 0-6 V vs. Li+/Li and

Pentacene ohmic contact on the transparent conductive oxide films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chu, Jian-An; Zeng, Jian-Jhou; Wu, Kuo-Chen; Lin, Yow-Jon

2010-01-01

Low-resistance ohmic contacts are essential to improve the performance of pentacene-based electronic and optoelectronic devices. In this study, we reported ohmic contact formation at the indium tin oxide (ITO)/pentacene and indium cerium oxide (ICO)/pentacene interfaces. According to the observed results from current-voltage and Kelvin probe measurements, we found that the lower contact resistivity of the ICO/pentacene sample than the ITO/pentacene sample may be attributed to the higher surface work function of ICO than ITO.

Increase of thermal conductivity of uranium dioxide nuclear fuel pellets with beryllium oxide addition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Camarano, D.M.; Mansur, F.A.; Santos, A.M.M. dos; Ferraz, W.B.

2016-01-01

The UO_2 fuel is one of the most used nuclear fuel in thermal reactors and has many advantages such as high melting point, chemical compatibility with cladding, etc. However, its thermal conductivity is relatively low, which leads to a premature degradation of the fuel pellets due to a high radial temperature gradient during reactor operation. An alternative to avoid this problem is to increase the thermal conductivity of the fuel pellets, by adding beryllium oxide (BeO). Pellets of UO_2 and UO_2-BeO were obtained from a homogenized mixture of powders of UO_2 and BeO, containing 2% and 3% by weight of BeO and sintering at 1750 °C for 3 h under H_2 atmosphere after uniaxial pressing at 400 MPa. The pellet densities were obtained by xylol penetration-immersion method and the thermal diffusivity, specific heat and thermal conductivity were determined according to ASTM E-1461 at room temperature (25 deg C) and 100 deg C. The thermal diffusivity measurements were carried out employing the laser flash method. The thermal conductivity obtained at 25 deg C showed an increase with the addition of 2% and 3% of BeO corresponding to 19% and 28%, respectively. As for the measurements carried out at 100 deg C, there was an increase in the thermal conductivity for the same BeO contents of 20% and 31%. These values as a percentage of increased conductivity were obtained in relation to the UO_2 pellets. (author)

Impedance spectroscopic analysis of composite electrode from activated carbon/conductive materials/ruthenium oxide for supercapacitor applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Taer, E.; Awitdrus,; Farma, R. [School of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor (Malaysia); Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Riau, 28293 Pekanbaru, Riau (Indonesia); Deraman, M., E-mail: madra@ukm.my; Talib, I. A.; Ishak, M. M.; Omar, R.; Dolah, B. N. M.; Basri, N. H.; Othman, M. A. R. [School of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor (Malaysia); Kanwal, S. [ICCBS, H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry, University of Karachi, 75270 Karachi (Pakistan)

2015-04-16

Activated carbon powders (ACP) were produced from the KOH treated pre-carbonized rubber wood sawdust. Different conductive materials (graphite, carbon black and carbon nanotubes (CNTs)) were added with a binder (polivinylidene fluoride (PVDF)) into ACP to improve the supercapacitive performance of the activated carbon (AC) electrodes. Symmetric supercapacitor cells, fabricated using these AC electrodes and 1 molar H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} electrolyte, were analyzed using a standard electrochemical impedance spectroscopy technique. The addition of graphite, carbon black and CNTs was found effective in reducing the cell resistance from 165 to 68, 23 and 49 Ohm respectively, and increasing the specific capacitance of the AC electrodes from 3 to 7, 17, 32 F g{sup −1} respectively. Since the addition of CNTs can produce the highest specific capacitance, CNTs were chosen as a conductive material to produce AC composite electrodes that were added with 2.5 %, 5 % and 10 % (by weight) electro-active material namely ruthenium oxide; PVDF binder and CNTs contents were kept at 5 % by weight in each AC composite produced. The highest specific capacitance of the cells obtained in this study was 86 F g{sup −1}, i.e. for the cell with the resistance of 15 Ohm and composite electrode consists of 5 % ruthenium oxide.

Conductivity in redox modified conducting polymers. In-situ conductivity of poly(cyclopentadithiophenes) bearing p-nitrophenyl and 4-N-methylpyridinium groups

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zotti, G. [Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, (Italy). Istituto di Polarografia ed Elettrochimica Preparativa; Berlin, A. [Milan Univ. (Italy). Dipartimento di Chimica Organica e Industriale; Pagani, G. [Milan Univ. (Italy). Dipartimento di Chimica Organica e Industriale; Schiavon, G. [Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, (Italy). Istituto di Polarografia ed Elettrochimica Preparativa; Zecchin, S. [Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, (Italy). Istituto di Polarografia ed Elettrochimica Preparativa

1995-01-01

Redox-modified polythiophenes exhibiting the highest mixed-valence conductivities of any polymer containing a pendant redox group are reported. The ordering of the polymer, in which the backbone has been oxidized to a bipolaron conducting state and the redox sites have been reduced to a mixed-valence conducting state, encourages inter-site hopping and results in the high conductivities. Electron interactions are shown not have an influence on the conduction. (orig.)

Pyroelectric response of perovskite heterostructures incorporating conductive oxide electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

Tipton, Charles Wesley, IV

2000-10-01

The use of imaging technologies has become pervasive in many applications as the demand for situational awareness information has increased over the last decade. No better example of the integration of these technologies can be found than that of infrared or thermal imaging. This dissertation, in the field of thermal imaging, has been motivated by the desire to advance the technology of uncooled, thin-film pyroelectric sensors and focuses on the materials and structures from which the detector elements will be built. This work provides a detailed study of the pyroelectric response of the La-Sr-Co-O/Pb-La-Zr-Ti-O/La-Sr-Co-O (LPL) structure. The LPL structure was chosen based on the needs of thin film detectors, the unique properties of the conductive oxide La-Sr-Co-O (LSCO), and the broad applicability of the Pb-La-Zr-Ti-O (PLZT) material system. Epitaxial heterostructures were grown by pulsed laser deposition on single-crystal oxide substrates. Using the oxygen pressure during cooling and heating of the LSCO layer as a key variable, we have been able to produce structures that have a pronounced internal field in the as-grown state. In these capacitors, where the bottom electrode has a large concentration of oxygen vacancies, we have discovered very large pyroelectric responses that are 10 to 30 times larger than expected of PLZT-based pyroelectric materials (typical values are 20 to 40 nCcm-2K -1). The enhanced pyroelectric responses are very repeatable, stable over time, and distinctly different from responses attributed to thermally stimulated currents. Detailed positron annihilation spectroscopy measurements reveal that there is indeed an oxygen concentration gradient across the capacitor. Based on the results of this study, I will present an analysis of the enhanced pyroelectric response. Although the enhanced response has been correlated with high concentrations of oxygen vacancies in the PLZT film and LSCO electrodes, the mechanism by which the large

Electrical conductivity of molten carbonate and carbonate-chloride systems coexisting with aluminium oxide powder

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nikolaeva, Elena V. [Institute of High Temperature Electrochemistry, Yekaterinburg (Russian Federation); Ural Federal Univ., Yekaterinburg (Russian Federation); Ural State Economic Univ., Yekaterinburg (Russian Federation); Bovet, Andrey L.; Zakiryanova, Irina D. [Institute of High Temperature Electrochemistry, Yekaterinburg (Russian Federation); Ural Federal Univ., Yekaterinburg (Russian Federation)

2018-04-01

The electrical properties of composite electrolytes (suspensions) composed of α-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} powder and molten carbonate eutectic (Li{sub 2}CO{sub 3}-Na{sub 2}CO{sub 3}-K{sub 2}CO{sub 3}){sub eut} or molten carbonate-chloride mixture 0.72(Li{sub 2}CO{sub 3}-Na{sub 2}CO{sub 3}-K{sub 2}CO{sub 3}){sub eut}-0.28NaCl have been investigated by AC impedance method. This system shows a dependence of the electrical conductivity upon the temperature and the α-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} content. The specific electrical conductivity of the α-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/(Li{sub 2}CO{sub 3}-Na{sub 2}CO{sub 3}-K{sub 2}CO{sub 3}){sub eut} system can be adequately described by the Maxwell equation for two-phase heterogeneous materials. The regression equation for the dependence of the specific conductivity of the α-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/(Li{sub 2}CO{sub 3}-Na{sub 2}CO{sub 3}-K{sub 2}CO{sub 3}){sub eut} composite on the aluminium oxide concentration and temperature was obtained.

Conduction at domain walls in oxide multiferroics

Science.gov (United States)

Seidel, J.; Martin, L. W.; He, Q.; Zhan, Q.; Chu, Y.-H.; Rother, A.; Hawkridge, M. E.; Maksymovych, P.; Yu, P.; Gajek, M.; Balke, N.; Kalinin, S. V.; Gemming, S.; Wang, F.; Catalan, G.; Scott, J. F.; Spaldin, N. A.; Orenstein, J.; Ramesh, R.

2009-03-01

Domain walls may play an important role in future electronic devices, given their small size as well as the fact that their location can be controlled. Here, we report the observation of room-temperature electronic conductivity at ferroelectric domain walls in the insulating multiferroic BiFeO3. The origin and nature of the observed conductivity are probed using a combination of conductive atomic force microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and first-principles density functional computations. Our analyses indicate that the conductivity correlates with structurally driven changes in both the electrostatic potential and the local electronic structure, which shows a decrease in the bandgap at the domain wall. Additionally, we demonstrate the potential for device applications of such conducting nanoscale features.

Steam Electrolysis by Proton-Conducting Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells (SOECs) with Chemically Stable BaZrO3-Based Electrolytes

KAUST Repository

Bi, Lei; Traversa, Enrico

2015-01-01

BaZrO3-based material was applied as the electrolyte for proton-conducting solid oxide fuel cells (SOECs). Compared with the instability of BaCeO3-based proton-conductors, BaZrO3-based material could be a more promising candidate for proton

Influence of the optical window on the performance of TCO/CdS/CdTe solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gordillo, G [Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogota (Colombia). Dept. de Fisica; Grizalez, M [Univ. de la Amazonia, Florencia (Colombia); Moreno, L C [Dept. de Quimica, Univ. Nacional de Colombia, Bogota (Colombia); Landazabal, F [Dept. de Fisica, Univ. de Cundinamarca, Fusagasuga (Colombia)

2000-07-01

Thin film solar cells, with structure TCO/CdS/CdTe/Cu, were fabricated using the transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) SnO{sub 2}:F, deposited by spray pyrolysis, and ZnO, deposited by reactive evaporation, as transparent electrodes. The TCO/CdS system with the CdS layer deposited by CBD (chemical bath deposition) method acts in the cell as an optical window and the CdTe deposited by CSS (close space sublimation) method acts as absorber layer, being the unique active layer of the cell. Details of the technological aspects of the solar cells fabrication as well as a discussion to explain the effect of the TCO layer on the solar cell performance will be given. The best results obtained in this work were: open circuit voltage of 0.57 V, short circuit current of 13 mA/cm{sup 2}, fill factor of 0.63 and conversion efficiency of 5.8%. (orig.)

Simplified tunnelling current calculation for MOS structures with ultra-thin oxides for conductive atomic force microscopy investigations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frammelsberger, Werner; Benstetter, Guenther; Stamp, Richard; Kiely, Janice; Schweinboeck, Thomas

2005-01-01

As charge tunnelling through thin and ultra-thin silicon dioxide layers is regarded as the driving force for MOS device degradation the determination and characterisation of electrically week spots is of paramount importance for device reliability and failure analysis. Conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM) is able to address this issue with a spatial resolution smaller than the expected breakdown spot. For the determination of the electrically active oxide thickness in practice an easy to use model with sufficient accuracy and which is largely independent of the oxide thickness is required. In this work a simplified method is presented that meets these demands. The electrically active oxide thickness is determined by matching of C-AFM voltage-current curves and a tunnelling current model, which is based on an analytical tunnelling current approximation. The model holds for both the Fowler-Nordheim tunnelling and the direct tunnelling regime with one single tunnelling parameter set. The results show good agreement with macroscopic measurements for gate voltages larger than approximately 0.5-1 V, and with microscopic C-AFM measurements. For this reason arbitrary oxides in the DT and the FNT regime may be analysed with high lateral resolution by C-AFM, without the need of a preselection of the tunnelling regime to be addressed

Effects of Xueshuantong combined with antioxidant drugs on nerve conduction function and oxidative stress in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuan-Zhen Chu

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Objective: To study the effect of Xueshuantong combined with antioxidant drugs on nerve conduction function and oxidative stress in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Methods: 138 cases of patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy who were treated in endocrinology department of our hospital between June 2014 and October 2016 were enrolled and randomly divided into two groups. The combination group received Xueshuantong combined with antioxidant drug therapy, and the control group received antioxidant drug therapy. Before and after treatment, the nerve conduction velocity as well as serum content of oxidative stress indexes and nerve cytokines was measured. Results: 4 weeks and 8 weeks after treatment, common peroneal nerve and median nerve MNCV and SNCV as well as serum SOD, GSH-Px, HO-1, CAT, CNTF, BDNF and SDF-1α levels of both groups were significantly higher than those before treatment while serum MDA, AOPP and 8-OHdG levels were significantly lower than those before treatment, and common peroneal nerve and median nerve MNCV and SNCV as well as serum SOD, GSH-Px, HO-1, CAT, CNTF, BDNF and SDF-1α levels of combination group were significantly higher than those of control group while serum MDA, AOPP and 8-OHdG levels were significantly lower than those of control group. Conclusion: Xueshuantong combined with antioxidant drugs can improve the nerve conduction function, inhibit oxidative stress response and improve neurotrophy status in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Preparation and proton conductivity of composite membranes based on sulfonated poly(phenylene oxide) and benzimidazole

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Yifeng; Yu Qinchun; Wu Yihua

2007-01-01

The Bronsted acid-base composite membrane was prepared by entrapping benzimidazole in sulfonated poly(phenylene oxide) by tuning the doping ratios. Their thermal stability, dynamic mechanical properties and proton conductivity were investigated under the conditions for intermediate temperature proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell operation. In addition, investigation of activation energies of the SPPO-xBnIm at different relative humidity was also performed. TG-DTA curves reveal these SPPO-xBnIm composite materials had the high thermal stability. The proton conductivity of SPPO-xBnIm composite material increased with the temperature, and the highest proton conductivity of SPPO-xBnIm composite materials was found to be 8.93 x 10 -4 S/cm at 200 deg. C under 35% relative humidity (RH) with a 'doping rate' where x = 2. The SPPO-2BnIm composite membrane show higher storage moduli and loss moduli than SPPO. Tests in a hydrogen-air laboratory cell demonstrate the applicability of SPPO-2BnIm in PEMFCs at intermediate temperature under non-humidified conditions

Transparent Conducting Oxides for Photovoltaics: Manipulation of Fermi Level, Work Function and Energy Band Alignment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diana E. Proffit

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Doping limits, band gaps, work functions and energy band alignments of undoped and donor-doped transparent conducting oxides Zn0, In2O3, and SnO2 as accessed by X-ray and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS/UPS are summarized and compared. The presented collection provides an extensive data set of technologically relevant electronic properties of photovoltaic transparent electrode materials and illustrates how these relate to the underlying defect chemistry, the dependence of surface dipoles on crystallographic orientation and/or surface termination, and Fermi level pinning.

Ionic conductivity in polyethylene-b-poly(ethylene oxide)/lithium perchlorate solid polymer electrolytes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guilherme, L.A.; Borges, R.S.; Moraes, E. Mara S.; Silva, G. Goulart; Pimenta, M.A.; Marletta, A.; Silva, R.A.

2007-01-01

The ionic conductivity and phase arrangement of solid polymeric electrolytes based on the block copolymer polyethylene-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (PE-b-PEO) and LiClO 4 have been investigated. One set of electrolytes was prepared from copolymers with 75% of PEO units and another set was based on a blend of copolymer with 50% PEO units and homopolymers. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results, for electrolytes based on the copolymer with 75% of PEO units, were dominated by the PEO phase. The PEO block crystallinity dropped and the glass transition increased with salt addition due to the coordination of the cation by PEO oxygen. The conductivity for copolymers 75% PEO-based electrolyte with 15 wt% of salt was higher than 10 -5 S/cm at room temperature and reached to 10 -3 S/cm at 100 deg. C on a heating measurement. The blend of PE-b-PEO (50% PEO)/PEO/PE showed a complex thermal behavior with decoupled melting of the blocks and the homopolymers. Upon salt addition the endotherms associated with PEO domains disappeared and the PE crystals remained untouched. The conductivity results were limited at 100 deg. C to values close to 10 -4 S/cm and at room temperature values close to 3 x 10 -6 S/cm were obtained for the 15 wt% salt electrolyte. Raman study showed that the ionic association of the highly concentrated blend electrolytes at room temperature is not significant. Therefore, the lower values of conductivity in the case of the blend with 50% PEO can be assigned to the higher content of PE domains leading to a morphology with lower connectivity for ionic conduction both in the crystalline and melted state of the PE domains

Electrode-Impregnable and Cross-Linkable Poly(ethylene oxide)-Poly(propylene oxide)-Poly(ethylene oxide) Triblock Polymer Electrolytes with High Ionic Conductivity and a Large Voltage Window for Flexible Solid-State Supercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Jae Hee; Lee, Jang Yong; Suh, Dong Hack; Hong, Young Taik; Kim, Tae-Ho

2017-10-04

We present cross-linkable precursor-type gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) that have large ionic liquid uptake capability, can easily penetrate electrodes, have high ion conductivity, and are mechanically strong as high-performance, flexible all-solid-state supercapacitors (SC). Our polymer precursors feature a hydrophilic-hydrophobic poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO-PPO-PEO) triblock main-chain structure and trifunctional silane end groups that can be multi-cross-linked with each other through a sol-gel process. The cross-linked solid-state electrolyte film with moderate IL content (200 wt %) shows a well-balanced combination of excellent ionic conductivity (5.0 × 10 -3 S cm -1 ) and good mechanical stability (maximum strain = 194%). Moreover, our polymer electrolytes have various advantages including high thermal stability (decomposition temperature > 330 °C) and the capability to impregnate electrodes to form an excellent electrode-electrolyte interface due to the very low viscosity of the precursors. By assembling our GPE-impregnated electrodes and solid-state GPE film, we demonstrate an all-solid-state SC that can operate at 3 V and provides an improved specific capacitance (112.3 F g -1 at 0.1 A g -1 ), better rate capability (64% capacity retention until 20 A g -1 ), and excellent cycle stability (95% capacitance decay over 10 000 charge/discharge cycles) compared with those of a reference SC using a conventional PEO electrolyte. Finally, flexible SCs with a high energy density (22.6 W h kg -1 at 1 A g -1 ) and an excellent flexibility (>93% capacitance retention after 5000 bending cycles) can successfully be obtained.

Functional separation of oxidation–reduction reactions and electron transport in PtRu/ND and conductive additive hybrid electrocatalysts during methanol oxidation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Yan; Wang, Yanhui [State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); Bian, Linyan [College of Physics and Chemistry, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, Henan 454000 (China); Lu, Rui [State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); Zang, Jianbing, E-mail: jbzang@ysu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China)

2016-02-28

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Functional separation of reactions and electron transport in PtRu/ND + AB (or CNT). • A conductive network was formed after the addition of AB or CNT. • PtRu/ND + AB (or CNT) exhibited enhanced activity and stability than PtRu/ND. - Abstract: Undoped nanodiamond (ND) supported PtRu (PtRu/ND) electrocatalyst for methanol oxidation reactions (MOR) in direct methanol fuel cells was prepared by a microwave-assisted polyol reduction method. Sp{sup 3}-bonded ND possesses high electrochemical stability but low conductivity, while sp{sup 2}-bonded carbon nanomaterials with high conductivity are prone to oxidation. Therefore, the functions of the supporting material were separated in this study. ND (sp{sup 3}), as a support, and AB or CNTs (sp{sup 2}), as a conductive additive, were combined to form the hybrid electrocatalysts PtRu/ND + AB and PtRu/ND + CNT for MOR. The morphology of the electrocatalysts was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and electrochemical measurements were performed using an electrochemical workstation. The results indicated that the electrocatalytic activity of PtRu/ND for MOR was improved with the addition of AB or CNTs as a conductive additive. Moreover, adding CNTs to PtRu/ND as a conductive additive showed better electrocatalytic activities than adding AB, which can be ascribed to the better electron-transfer ability of CNTs.

Interpenetrating networks of two conducting polymers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Winther-Jensen, Bjørn; West, Keld

2005-01-01

Interpenetrating networks (IPNs) of two conjugated polymers are prepared by a combination of a chemical oxidation step and a vapour phase polymerisation step on non-conducting surfaces. In this work ferric tosylate was used as the oxidant as it gives very smooth and homogeneous coatings, and beca......Interpenetrating networks (IPNs) of two conjugated polymers are prepared by a combination of a chemical oxidation step and a vapour phase polymerisation step on non-conducting surfaces. In this work ferric tosylate was used as the oxidant as it gives very smooth and homogeneous coatings......, and because its reaction products can be removed efficiently after the formation of the composite. Several combinations of polymers are demonstrated, and the versatility of the proposed method allows extensions to a wide range of conjugated polymers. The IPNs show optical and electrochemical characteristics......, which are sums of the characteristics from the participating conducting polymers....

An easily sintered, chemically stable, barium zirconate-based proton conductor for high-performance proton-conducting solid oxide fuel cells

KAUST Repository

Sun, Wenping

2014-07-25

Yttrium and indium co-doped barium zirconate is investigated to develop a chemically stable and sintering active proton conductor for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). BaZr0.8Y0.2-xInxO3- δ possesses a pure cubic perovskite structure. The sintering activity of BaZr0.8Y0.2-xInxO3- δ increases significantly with In concentration. BaZr0.8Y0.15In0.05O3- δ (BZYI5) exhibits the highest total electrical conductivity among the sintered oxides. BZYI5 also retains high chemical stability against CO2, vapor, and reduction of H2. The good sintering activity, high conductivity, and chemical stability of BZYI5 facilitate the fabrication of durable SOFCs based on a highly conductive BZYI5 electrolyte film by cost-effective ceramic processes. Fully dense BZYI5 electrolyte film is successfully prepared on the anode substrate by a facile drop-coating technique followed by co-firing at 1400 °C for 5 h in air. The BZYI5 film exhibits one of the highest conductivity among the BaZrO3-based electrolyte films with various sintering aids. BZYI5-based single cells output very encouraging and by far the highest peak power density for BaZrO3-based proton-conducting SOFCs, reaching as high as 379 mW cm-2 at 700 °C. The results demonstrate that Y and In co-doping is an effective strategy for exploring sintering active and chemically stable BaZrO3-based proton conductors for high performance proton-conducting SOFCs. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Application of Developed APCVD Transparent Conducting Oxides and Undercoat Technologies for Economical OLED Lighting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silverman, Gary S.; Bluhm, Martin; Coffey, James; Korotkov, Roman; Polsz, Craig; Salemi, Alexandre; Smith, Robert; Smith, Ryan; Stricker, Jeff; Xu, Chen; Shirazi, Jasmine; Papakonstantopulous, George; Carson, Steve; Hartmann, Sören; Jessen, Frank; Krogmann, Bianaca; Rickers, Christoph; Ruske, Manfred; Schwab, Holger; Bertram, Dietrich

2011-01-02

Economics is a key factor for application of organic light emitting diodes (OLED) in general lighting relative to OLED flat panel displays that can handle high cost materials such as indium tin oxide (ITO) or Indium zinc oxide (IZO) as the transparent conducting oxide (TCO) on display glass. However, for OLED lighting to penetrate into general illumination, economics and sustainable materials are critical. The issues with ITO have been documented at the DOE SSL R&D and Manufacturing workshops for the last 5 years and the issue is being exaserbated by export controls from China (one of the major sources of elemental indium). Therefore, ITO is not sustainable because of the fluctuating costs and the United States (US) dependency on other nations such as China. Numerous alternatives to ITO/IZO are being evaluated such as Ag nanoparticles/nanowires, carbon nanotubes, graphene, and other metal oxides. Of these other metal oxides, doped zinc oxide has attracted a lot of attention over the last 10 years. The volume of zinc mined is a factor of 80,000 greater than indium and the US has significant volumes of zinc mined domestically, resulting in the ability for the US to be self-sufficient for this element that can be used in optoelectonic applications. The costs of elemental zinc is over 2 orders of magnitude less than indium, reflecting the relative abundance and availablility of the elements. Arkema Inc. and an international primary glass manufacturing company, which is located in the United States, have developed doped zinc oxide technology for solar control windows. The genesis of this DOE SSL project was to determine if doped zinc oxide technology can be taken from the commodity based window market and translate the technology to OLED lighting. Thus, Arkema Inc. sought out experts, Philips Lighting, Pacific Northwest National Laboratories (PNNL) and National Renewable Research Laboratories (NREL), in OLED devices and brought them into the project. This project had a

Development of Lithium-Stuffed Garnet-Type Oxide Solid Electrolytes with High Ionic Conductivity for Application to All-Solid-State Batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Inada, Ryoji, E-mail: inada@ee.tut.ac.jp; Yasuda, Satoshi; Tojo, Masaru; Tsuritani, Keiji; Tojo, Tomohiro; Sakurai, Yoji [Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology, Toyohashi (Japan)

2016-07-20

All-solid-state lithium-ion batteries are expected to be one of the next generations of energy storage devices because of their high energy density, high safety, and excellent cycle stability. Although oxide-based solid electrolyte (SE) materials have rather lower conductivity and poor deformability than sulfide-based ones, they have other advantages, such as their chemical stability and ease of handling. Among the various oxide-based SEs, lithium-stuffed garnet-type oxide, with the formula of Li{sub 7}La{sub 3}Zr{sub 2}O{sub 12} (LLZ), has been widely studied because of its high conductivity above 10{sup −4} S cm{sup −1} at room temperature, excellent thermal performance, and stability against Li metal anode. Here, we present our recent progress for the development of garnet-type SEs with high conductivity by simultaneous substitution of Ta{sup 5+} into the Zr{sup 4+} site and Ba{sup 2+} into the La{sup 3+} site in LLZ. Li{sup +} concentration was fixed to 6.5 per chemical formulae, so that the formula of our Li garnet-type oxide is expressed as Li{sub 6.5}La{sub 3−x}Ba{sub x}Zr{sub 1.5−x}Ta{sub 0.5+x}O{sub 12} (LLBZT) and Ba contents x are changed from 0 to 0.3. As a result, all LLBZT samples have a cubic garnet structure without containing any secondary phases. The lattice parameters of LLBZT decrease with increasing Ba{sup 2+} contents x ≤ 0.10 while increase with x from 0.10 to 0.30, possibly due to the simultaneous change of Ba{sup 2+} and Ta{sup 5+} substitution levels. The relative densities of LLBZT are in a range between 89 and 93% and are not influenced in any significant way by the compositions. From the AC impedance spectroscopy measurements, the total (bulk + grain) conductivity at 27°C of LLBZT shows its maximum value of 8.34 × 10{sup −4} S cm{sup −1} at x = 0.10, which is slightly higher than the conductivity (= 7.94 × 10{sup −4} S cm{sup −1}) of LLZT without substituting Ba (x = 0). The activation energy of the conductivity

A novel technique for increase the figure of merit of indium-tin oxide transparent conducting coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keshmiri, S.H.; Roknabadi, M.R.

1999-01-01

Indium-Tin Oxide (ITO) films have been used as transparent electrodes in many optoelectronic devices. Although the free electron concentration in these films can be rather high, but due to low drift mobilities, the electrical conductivity of ITO films are much lower than that of metals. This is mainly due to high concentration of trapping centers created by structural defects in an ITO film. In this article, a simple technique is explained for post-deposition hydrogenation of ITO films. It was found that exposure of ITO films to atomic-hydrogen plasma produced a significant increases in the electrical conductivity of the films. At the optimum condition, an increase of about 330% in the electrical conductivity of an ITO film was observed. The hydrogenation process did not affect optical transparency of he samples adversely. But some slight improvements (in visible wavelengths) were observed. SEM studies indicated that the microstructure of the films was not noticeably changed by the hydrogenation process. (author)

Improvement of the effective work function and transmittance of thick indium tin oxide/ultrathin ruthenium doped indium oxide bilayers as transparent conductive oxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taweesup, Kattareeya; Yamamoto, Ippei; Chikyow, Toyohiro; Lothongkum, Gobboon; Tsukagoshi, Kazutoshi; Ohishi, Tomoji; Tungasmita, Sukkaneste; Visuttipitukul, Patama; Ito, Kazuhiro; Takahashi, Makoto; Nabatame, Toshihide

2016-01-01

Ruthenium doped indium oxide (In_1_−_xRu_xO_y) films fabricated using DC magnetron co-sputtering with In_2O_3 and Ru targets were investigated for use as transparent conductive oxides. The In_1_−_xRu_xO_y films had an amorphous structure in the wide compositional range of x = 0.3–0.8 and had an extremely smooth surface. The transmittance and resistivity of the In_1_−_xRu_xO_y films increased as the Ru content increased. The transmittance of the In_0_._3_8Ru_0_._6_2O_y film improved to over 80% when the film thickness was less than 5 nm, while the specific resistivity (ρ) was kept to a low value of 1.6 × 10"−"4 Ω cm. Based on these experimental data, we demonstrated that thick indium tin oxide (In_0_._9Sn_0_._1O_y, ITO) (150 nm)/ultrathin In_0_._3_8Ru_0_._6_2O_y (3 nm) bilayers have a high effective work function of 5.3 eV, transmittance of 86%, and low ρ of 9.2 × 10"−"5 Ω cm. This ITO/In_0_._3_8Ru_0_._6_2O_y bilayer is a candidate for use as an anode for organic electroluminescent devices. - Highlights: • We investigated characteristics of thick ITO/ultrathin Ru doped In_2O_3 bilayers. • Effect of Ru addition in In_2O_3 results in smooth surface because of an amorphous structure. • The In_0_._3_8Ru_0_._6_2O_y film with less than 5 nm improves to high transmittance over 80%. • ITO/In_0_._3_8Ru_0_._6_2O_y bilayer has a high effective work function of 5.3 eV. • We conclude that ITO/ultrathin In_0_._3_8Ru_0_._6_2O_y bilayer is a candidate as an anode of OEL.

Electrochemical properties of mixed conducting (La,M)(CoFe) oxide perovskites (M=3DSr, Ca, and Ba)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stevenson, J.W.; Armstrong, T.R.; Bates, J.L. [and others

1996-04-01

Electrical properties and oxygen permeation properties of solid mixed-conducting electrolytes (La,M)(CoFe) oxide perovskites (M=3DSr, Ca, and Ba) have been characterized. These materials are potentially useful as passive membranes to separate high purity oxygen from air and as the cathode in a fuel cell. Dilatometric linear expansion measurements were performed as a function of temperature and oxygen partial pressure to evaluate the stability.

Three-dimensionally embedded indium tin oxide (ITO) films in photosensitive glass: a transparent and conductive platform for microdevices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beke, S.; Sugioka, K.; Midorikawa, K.; Koroesi, L.; Dekany, I.

2011-01-01

A new method for embedding transparent and conductive two- and three-dimensional microstructures in glass is presented. We show that the internal surface of hollow structures fabricated by femtosecond-laser direct writing inside the photosensitive glass can be coated by indium tin oxide (Sn-doped In 2 O 3 , ITO) using a sol-gel process. The idea of combining two transparent materials with different electrical properties, i.e., insulating and conductive, is very promising and hence it opens new prospects in manufacturing cutting edge microdevices, such as lab-on-a-chips (LOCs) and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). (orig.)

Transparent conductive oxide films embedded with plasmonic nanostructure for light-emitting diode applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Chuang, Shih-Hao; Tsung, Cheng-Sheng; Chen, Ching-Ho; Ou, Sin-Liang; Horng, Ray-Hua; Lin, Cheng-Yi; Wuu, Dong-Sing

2015-02-04

In this study, a spin coating process in which the grating structure comprises an Ag nanoparticle layer coated on a p-GaN top layer of InGaN/GaN light-emitting diode (LED) was developed. Various sizes of plasmonic nanoparticles embedded in a transparent conductive layer were clearly observed after the deposition of indium tin oxide (ITO). The plasmonic nanostructure enhanced the light extraction efficiency of blue LED. Output power was 1.8 times the magnitude of that of conventional LEDs operating at 350 mA, but retained nearly the same current-voltage characteristic. Unlike in previous research on surface-plasmon-enhanced LEDs, the metallic nanoparticles were consistently deposited over the surface area. However, according to microstructural observation, ITO layer mixed with Ag-based nanoparticles was distributed at a distance of approximately 150 nm from the interface of ITO/p-GaN. Device performance can be improved substantially by using the three-dimensional distribution of Ag-based nanoparticles in the transparent conductive layer, which scatters the propagating light randomly and is coupled between the localized surface plasmon and incident light internally trapped in the LED structure through total internal reflection.

Defect studies in copper-based p-type transparent conducting oxides

Science.gov (United States)

Ameena, Fnu

Among other intrinsic open-volume defects, copper vacancy (VCu) has been theoretically identified as the major acceptor in p-type Cu-based semiconducting transparent oxides, which has potential as low-cost photovoltaic absorbers in semi-transparent solar cells. A series of positron annihilation experiments with pure Cu, Cu2O, and CuO presented strong presence of VCu and its complexes in the copper oxides. The lifetime data also showed that the density of VCu was becoming higher as the oxidation state of Cu increased which was consistent with the decrease in the formation energy of VCu. Doppler broadening measurements further indicated that electrons with low momentum made more contribution to the contributed as pure Cu oxidizes to copper oxides. The metastable defects are known to be generated in Cu2O upon illumination and it has been known to affect the performance of Cu2O-based hetero-junctions used in solar cells. The metastable effect was studied using positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy and its data showed the change in the defect population upon light exposure and the minimal effect of light-induced electron density increase in the bulk of materials to the average lifetime of the positrons. The change in the defect population is concluded to be related to the dissociation and association of VCu -- V Cu complexes. For example, the shorter lifetime under light was ascribed to the annihilation with smaller size vacancies, which explains the dissociation of the complexes with light illumination. Doppler broadening of the annihilation was independent of light illumination, which suggested that the chemical nature of the defects remained without change upon their dissociation and association -- only the size distribution of copper vacancies varied. The delafossite metal oxides, CuMIIIO2 are emerging wide-bandgap p-type semiconductors. In this research, the formation energies of structural vacancies are calculated using Van Vechten cavity model as an attempt

Numerical modelling of the impedance plane for simultaneous determining, by eddy currents, the oxide thickness and conductivity in Zircaloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lois, Alejandro E.

2001-01-01

During service at high temperature or in aggressive media, metallic structures and components may suffer different types of changes or degradation. As an example, phase transformations may occur, second phases may precipitate, and in consequence the mechanical and chemical properties of the material may change. Their behavior will therefore differ from that considered for the design of the component. The knowledge of the amount of a precipitated second phase in a component should be an important tool in the hands of the maintenance engineer. And it would be very important to obtain this knowledge nondestructively and reliably. The objective of this project is to evaluate by eddy currents the amount of the hydrogen incorporated during service in structural zirconium base materials. For this purpose, a series of Zircaloy-4 specimens with oxide layers of different thickness and different concentration of hydrogen obtained by controlled autoclave treatments were used. These specimens were tested with eddy current equipment. The information produced by an eddy current test is the superposition of many variables, e.g.: thickness of oxide layers, conductance, thickness of specimen, etc. In order to sort out this information, an analytical model of the impedance plane was programmed in a PC, with which this information was processed, permitting, in this way, to evaluate the conductivity of materials, taking into account the effect of oxide layers thickness. A linear relationship between the conductivity and the hydrogen content in the range of hydrogen concentrations of technological interest was observed. Therefore, the calculated electrical conductivity may be transformed to the amount of hydrogen content, using a suitable calibration curve. This process will allow for the nondestructive assessment of the amount of hydrogen in reactor components, such as pressure and calandria tubes, a knowledge which will enable the experts to predict the degree of fragility of those

Proton conducting sodium alginate electrolyte laterally coupled low-voltage oxide-based transistors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Yang Hui; Wan, Qing, E-mail: wanqing@nju.edu.cn [Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201 (China); School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Qiang Zhu, Li, E-mail: lqzhu@nimte.ac.cn [Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201 (China); Shi, Yi [School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China)

2014-03-31

Solution-processed sodium alginate electrolyte film shows a high proton conductivity of ∼5.5 × 10{sup −3} S/cm and a high lateral electric-double-layer (EDL) capacitance of ∼2.0 μF/cm{sup 2} at room temperature with a relative humidity of 57%. Low-voltage in-plane-gate indium-zinc-oxide-based EDL transistors laterally gated by sodium alginate electrolytes are fabricated on glass substrates. The field-effect mobility, current ON/OFF ratio, and subthreshold swing of such EDL transistors are estimated to be 4.2 cm{sup 2} V{sup −1} s{sup −1}, 2.8 × 10{sup 6}, and 130 mV/decade, respectively. At last, a low-voltage driven resistor-load inverter is also demonstrated. Such in-plane-gate EDL transistors have potential applications in portable electronics and low-cost biosensors.

Nanocomposites of iridium oxide and conducting polymers as electroactive phases in biological media.

Science.gov (United States)

Moral-Vico, J; Sánchez-Redondo, S; Lichtenstein, M P; Suñol, C; Casañ-Pastor, N

2014-05-01

Much effort is currently devoted to implementing new materials in electrodes that will be used in the central nervous system, either for functional electrostimulation or for tests on nerve regeneration. Their main aim is to improve the charge capacity of the electrodes, while preventing damaging secondary reactions, such as peroxide formation, occurring while applying the electric field. Thus, hybrids may represent a new generation of materials. Two novel hybrid materials are synthesized using three known biocompatible materials tested in the neural system: polypyrrole (PPy), poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and iridium oxide (IrO2). In particular, PPy-IrO2 and PEDOT-IrO2 hybrid nanocomposite materials are prepared by chemical polymerization in hydrothermal conditions, using IrO2 as oxidizing agent. The reaction yields a significant ordered new hybrid where the conducting polymer is formed around the IrO2 nanoparticles, encapsulating them. Scanning electron microscopy and backscattering techniques show the extent of the encapsulation. Both X-ray photoelectron and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies identify the components of the phases, as well as the absence of impurities. Electrochemical properties of the final phases in powder and pellet form are evaluated by cyclic voltammetry. Biocompatibility is tested with MTT toxicity tests using primary cultures of cortical neurons grown in vitro for 6 and 9days. Copyright © 2013 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Highly transparent conductive electrode with ultra-low HAZE by grain boundary modification of aqueous solution fabricated alumina-doped zinc oxide nanocrystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nian, Qiong; Cheng, Gary J. [Birck Nanotechnology Center and School of Industrial Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47906 (United States); Callahan, Michael; Bailey, John [Greentech Solutions, Inc., Hanson, Massachusetts 02341 (United States); Look, David [Semiconductor Research Center, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio 45435 (United States); Efstathiadis, Harry [College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE), University of Albany, Albany, New York 12203 (United States)

2015-06-01

Commercial production of transparent conducting oxide (TCO) polycrystalline films requires high electrical conductivity with minimal degradation in optical transparency. Aqueous solution deposited TCO films would reduce production costs of TCO films but suffer from low electrical mobility, which severely degrades both electrical conductivity and optical transparency in the visible spectrum. Here, we demonstrated that grain boundary modification by ultra-violet laser crystallization (UVLC) of solution deposited aluminium-doped zinc oxide (AZO) nanocrystals results in high Hall mobility, with a corresponding dramatic improvement in AZO electrical conductance. The AZO films after laser irradiation exhibit electrical mobility up to 18.1 cm{sup 2} V{sup −1} s{sup −1} with corresponding electrical resistivity and sheet resistances as low as 1 × 10{sup −3} Ω cm and 75 Ω/sq, respectively. The high mobility also enabled a high transmittance (T) of 88%-96% at 550 nm for the UVLC films. In addition, HAZE measurement shows AZO film scattering transmittance as low as 1.8%, which is superior over most other solution deposited transparent electrode alternatives such as silver nanowires. Thus, AZO films produced by the UVLC technique have a combined figure of merit for electrical conductivity, optical transparency, and optical HAZE higher than other solution based deposition techniques and comparable to vacuumed based deposition methods.

Flexibility of the Indium Tin Oxide Transparent Conductive Film Deposited Onto the Plastic Substrate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shao-Kai Lu

2014-03-01

Full Text Available In this study, we utilize the RF magnetron sputtering system to deposit the indium tin oxide (ITO conductive transparent film with low resistivity and high light transmittance to the polyethylene tetephthalate (PET plastic substrate and measure the film’s bending property and reliability at different tensile/compressive strain bending curvatures as well as the flexibility after cycling bending. The results show that the critical curvatures corresponded to the significant increase in the resistance of the 150 nm-thick ITO film deposited onto the PET substrate under tensile and compressive stress areO 14.1 mm and 5.4 mm, respectively. By observing the film’s surface crack and morphology, we can further discover that the critical curvature of the crack generated when the film is bent is quite consistent with the critical curvature at which the conductivity property degrades, and the film can withstand a higher compressive strain bending. In addition, the resistance and adhesion behavior of the film almost is unchanged after cycling bent for 1000 times with the curvature below the critical curvature.

Enhanced catalytic and dopamine sensing properties of electrochemically reduced conducting polymer nanocomposite doped with pure graphene oxide.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wenting; Xu, Guiyun; Cui, Xinyan Tracy; Sheng, Ge; Luo, Xiliang

2014-08-15

Significantly enhanced catalytic activity of a nanocomposite composed of conducting polymer poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) doped with graphene oxide (GO) was achieved through a simple electrochemical reduction process. The nanocomposite (PEDOT/GO) was electrodeposited on an electrode and followed by electrochemical reduction, and the obtained reduced nanocomposite (PEDOT/RGO) modified electrode exhibited lowered electrochemical impedance and excellent electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of dopamine. Based on the excellent catalytic property of PEDOT/RGO, an electrochemical sensor capable of sensitive and selective detection of DA was developed. The fabricated sensor can detect DA in a wide linear range from 0.1 to 175μM, with a detection limit of 39nM, and it is free from common interferences such as uric acid and ascorbic acid. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High mobility In2O3:H transparent conductive oxides prepared by atomic layer deposition and solid phase crystallization

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Macco, B.; Wu, Y.; Vanhemel, D.; Kessels, W.M.M.

2014-01-01

The preparation of high-quality In2O3:H, as transparent conductive oxide (TCO), is demonstrated at low temperatures. Amorphous In2O3:H films were deposited by atomic layer deposition at 100 °C, after which they underwent solid phase crystallization by a short anneal at 200 °C. TEM analysis has shown

Electrical conductivity of metal powders under pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Montes, J. M.; Cuevas, F. G.; Cintas, J.; Urban, P.

2011-12-01

A model for calculating the electrical conductivity of a compressed powder mass consisting of oxide-coated metal particles has been derived. A theoretical tool previously developed by the authors, the so-called `equivalent simple cubic system', was used in the model deduction. This tool is based on relating the actual powder system to an equivalent one consisting of deforming spheres packed in a simple cubic lattice, which is much easier to examine. The proposed model relates the effective electrical conductivity of the powder mass under compression to its level of porosity. Other physically measurable parameters in the model are the conductivities of the metal and oxide constituting the powder particles, their radii, the mean thickness of the oxide layer and the tap porosity of the powder. Two additional parameters controlling the effect of the descaling of the particle oxide layer were empirically introduced. The proposed model was experimentally verified by measurements of the electrical conductivity of aluminium, bronze, iron, nickel and titanium powders under pressure. The consistency between theoretical predictions and experimental results was reasonably good in all cases.

Preparation of p-type transparent conducting tin-antimony oxide thin films by DC reactive magnetron sputtering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ji, Zhenguo [College of Electronic Information, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou (China); State Key Laboratory for Silicon Materials, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou (China); Xi, Junhua; Huo, Lijuan; Zhao, Yi [State Key Laboratory for Silicon Materials, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou (China)

2008-07-01

P-type transparent conducting tin-antimony oxide (TAO) films were successfully prepared by DC reactive magnetron sputtering followed by post annealing in the air. Structural, optical and electrical properties of the TAO films were investigated. X-ray diffraction studies showed that the films are polycrystalline with orthorhombic structure of Sb{sub 2}O{sub 4}. UV-Visible absorption and transmittance spectra showed that the optical band-gap of the TAO films is about 3.90 eV, and the overall transmittance is higher than 85% in the visible region. Hall effect measurement indicated that the Sn/Sb ratio is a critical parameter to get p-type conducting TAO films. It was found that 0.19conducting films. (copyright 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Mixed conductivity in erbia-stabilized bismuth oxide

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vinke, I.C.; Vinke, I.C.; Boukamp, Bernard A.; de Vries, K.J.; de Vries, Karel Jan; Burggraaf, Anthonie; Burggraaf, A.J.

1992-01-01

The mixed conducting solid solution 0.75Bi2O3−0.25Tb4O7 (BT40) was studied by impedance techniques using ionically blocking electrodes. These measurements confirmed the p-type electronic conductivity suggested in literature. In air at temperatures between 600 and 900 K the ionic transference number

Multielectronic conduction in La1-xSrxGa1/2Mn1/2O3-δ as solid oxide fuel cell cathode

Science.gov (United States)

Iguchi, E.; Hashimoto, Y.; Kurumada, M.; Munakata, F.

2003-08-01

Four-probe dc conductivities, capacitances, and thermopower have been measured in the temperature range of 80-1123 K for La1-xSrxGa1/2Mn1/2O3-δ, which is a desirable cathode material for lanthanum-gallate electrolytes of solid oxide fuel cells. The dc conductivities in the specimens (0.1⩽x⩽0.3) are insensitive to x but the thermopower is very sensitive to x, although the x=0 specimen exhibits a somewhat different conduction behavior. At T500 K, the band conduction dominates the electronic transports. The ionic conduction due to O2- migration seems difficult to contribute directly to the dc conduction even at high temperature.

Development of composite ceramic materials with improved thermal conductivity and plasticity based on garnet-type oxides

Science.gov (United States)

Golovkina, L. S.; Orlova, A. I.; Boldin, M. S.; Sakharov, N. V.; Chuvil'deev, V. N.; Nokhrin, A. V.; Konings, R.; Staicu, D.

2017-06-01

Powders based on the complex garnet-type oxide Y2.5Nd0.5Al5O12 - x wt. % Ni (x = 0, 10, 20) were prepared using wet chemistry methods. Ceramics based on these compounds were obtained by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) with a relative densities: 99%. 4% (TD = 4.77 g/cm3 (0%)), 97.6% (TD = 4.88 g/cm3 (10%)), 94.4% (TD = 5.06 g/cm3 (20%)). The influence of nickel concentration on the mechanical (fracture toughness, microhardness) and thermophysical (thermal conductivity) properties of the composites was studied.

Improved continuity of reduced graphene oxide on polyester fabric by use of polypyrrole to achieve a highly electro-conductive and flexible substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berendjchi, Amirhosein; Khajavi, Ramin; Yousefi, Ali Akbar; Yazdanshenas, Mohammad Esmail

2016-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Discontinuity of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) coated polyester fabric (PET) substrate was overcome by filling the gaps by in situ chemical oxidative polymerization of polypyrrole (PPy). • The RGO–PPy coated samples exhibited 53% and 263% lower surface resistivity values (5 Ω/sq) than samples coated only with PPy (12 Ω/sq) and RGO (1300 Ω/sq), respectively. • The RGO–PPy coated fabric displayed other properties, such as excellent UV blocking (UPF = 73), antibacterial activity, improved electrochemical behavior and thermal stability which make it a multifunctional fabric. - Abstract: A flexible and highly conductive fabric can be applied for wearable electronics and as a pliable counter electrode for photovoltaics. Methods such as surface coating of fabrics with conductive polymers and materials have been developed, but the roughness of fabric is a challenge because it creates discontinuity in the coated layer. The present study first coated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fabric with reduced graphene oxide sheets; RGO and then filled the gaps with polypyrrole (PPy). The samples were first dipped in graphene oxide (GO) and then reduced to RGO. They were next coated with PPy by in situ polymerization. The results showed that the presence of oxidative agent during synthesis of PPy oxidized the RGO to some extent on the previously RGO-coated samples. PPy was more uniform on samples pre-coated with RGO in comparison those coated with raw PET. The RGO–PPy coated samples exhibited 53% and 263% lower surface resistivity values than samples coated only with PPy and RGO, respectively. There was no significant difference between the tenacity of samples but the bending rigidity of samples increased. The RGO–PPy coated fabric displayed properties, such as excellent UV blocking (UPF = 73), antibacterial activity, improved electrochemical behavior and thermal stability which make it a multifunctional fabric.

Improved continuity of reduced graphene oxide on polyester fabric by use of polypyrrole to achieve a highly electro-conductive and flexible substrate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berendjchi, Amirhosein [Department of Textile Engineering, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Khajavi, Ramin, E-mail: khajavi@azad.ac.ir [Nano Technology Research Center, South Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Yousefi, Ali Akbar [Faculty of Polymer Processing, Iran Polymer and Petrochemical Institute, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Yazdanshenas, Mohammad Esmail [Department of Textile Engineering, Yazd Branch, Islamic Azad University, Yazd (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2016-02-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Discontinuity of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) coated polyester fabric (PET) substrate was overcome by filling the gaps by in situ chemical oxidative polymerization of polypyrrole (PPy). • The RGO–PPy coated samples exhibited 53% and 263% lower surface resistivity values (5 Ω/sq) than samples coated only with PPy (12 Ω/sq) and RGO (1300 Ω/sq), respectively. • The RGO–PPy coated fabric displayed other properties, such as excellent UV blocking (UPF = 73), antibacterial activity, improved electrochemical behavior and thermal stability which make it a multifunctional fabric. - Abstract: A flexible and highly conductive fabric can be applied for wearable electronics and as a pliable counter electrode for photovoltaics. Methods such as surface coating of fabrics with conductive polymers and materials have been developed, but the roughness of fabric is a challenge because it creates discontinuity in the coated layer. The present study first coated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fabric with reduced graphene oxide sheets; RGO and then filled the gaps with polypyrrole (PPy). The samples were first dipped in graphene oxide (GO) and then reduced to RGO. They were next coated with PPy by in situ polymerization. The results showed that the presence of oxidative agent during synthesis of PPy oxidized the RGO to some extent on the previously RGO-coated samples. PPy was more uniform on samples pre-coated with RGO in comparison those coated with raw PET. The RGO–PPy coated samples exhibited 53% and 263% lower surface resistivity values than samples coated only with PPy and RGO, respectively. There was no significant difference between the tenacity of samples but the bending rigidity of samples increased. The RGO–PPy coated fabric displayed properties, such as excellent UV blocking (UPF = 73), antibacterial activity, improved electrochemical behavior and thermal stability which make it a multifunctional fabric.

Polypyrrole-vanadium oxide nanocomposite: polymer dominates crystallanity and oxide dominates conductivity

Science.gov (United States)

Roy, Swarup; Mishra, Suryakant; Yogi, Priyanka; Saxena, Shailendra K.; Mishra, Vikash; Sagdeo, Pankaj R.; Kumar, Rajesh

2018-01-01

A hybrid nanocomposite of polypyrrole (Ppy)-V2O5 has been fabricated and characterized for better understanding of material enabling one to use this for appropriate application as the nanocomposite shows better thermal stability. The characterization has been done using XRD, FT-IR, FESEM, and UV-Vis for their structure, surface morphology, respectively, along with TGA and two-probe method used for checking thermal stability, and DC electrical conductance and dielectric behavior of the electrical phenomena of sample. The analysis of XRD demonstrates that crystallinity of nanocomposites is the same as that of the polymer, even though interaction between conducting Ppy and V2O5 is present as evident from FT-IR spectroscopy. A variation in bandgap, in comparison with Ppy, is observed when V2O5 is added into it. The microstructural study of nanocomposites shows encapsulation of V2O5 particles in Ppy matrix with changes in morphology with increase in doping. Conductance results show that electrical conductivity of Ppy decayed on adding V2O5. It has also been found that addition of V2O5 in Ppy has noticeable effect on the dielectric properties.

Effects of reduction temperature on the optoelectronic properties of diodes based on n-type Si and reduced graphene oxide doped with a conductive polymer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeng, Jian-Jhou; Lin, Yow-Jon; Ruan, Cheng-He; Lin, Jian-Huang

2013-01-01

The effect of reduction temperature on the optoelectronic properties of diodes based on n-type Si and reduced graphene oxide (RGO) doped with a conductive polymer [poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) doped with poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)] was examined in this study. It is found that conductivity of RGO-doped PEDOT:PSS films increases with increasing reduction temperature of graphene oxide (GO) sheets. The improvement of electrical conductivity is considered to mainly come from the carrier mobility enhancement. In addition, the ideality factor of n-type Si/RGO-doped PEDOT:PSS diodes decreases with increasing reduction temperature of GO sheets. The device-performance improvement originates from high-mobility hole transport combined with long-lifetime electron trapping in the RGO-doped PEDOT:PSS film. In addition, note that a suitable reduction temperature is an important issue for improving the device performance. (paper)

Beryllium Project: developing in CDTN of uranium dioxide fuel pellets with addition of beryllium oxide to increase the thermal conductivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferreira, Ricardo Alberto Neto; Camarano, Denise das Merces; Miranda, Odair; Grossi, Pablo Andrade; Andrade, Antonio Santos; Queiroz, Carolinne Mol; Gonzaga, Mariana de Carvalho Leal

2013-01-01

Although the nuclear fuel currently based on pellets of uranium dioxide be very safe and stable, the biggest problem is that this material is not a good conductor of heat. This results in an elevated temperature gradient between the center and its lateral surface, which leads to a premature degradation of the fuel, which restricts the performance of the reactor, being necessary to change the fuel before its full utilization. An increase of only 5 to 10 percent in its thermal conductivity, would be a significant increase. An increase of 50 percent would be a great improvement. A project entitled 'Beryllium Project' was developed in CDTN - Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear, which aimed to develop fuel pellets made from a mixture of uranium dioxide microspheres and beryllium oxide powder to obtain a better heat conductor phase, filling the voids between the microspheres to increase the thermal conductivity of the pellet. Increases in the thermal conductivity in the range of 8.6% to 125%, depending on the level of addition employed in the range of 1% to 14% by weight of beryllium oxide, were obtained. This type of fuel promises to be safer than current fuels, improving the performance of the reactor, in addition to last longer, resulting in great savings. (author)

Graphene oxide as a dual-function conductive binder for PEEK-derived microporous carbons in high performance supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Christine H. J.; Zhang, Hongbo; Liu, Jie

2015-06-01

Microporous carbons (MPCs) are promising electrode materials for supercapacitors because of their high surface area and accessible pores. However, their low electrical conductivity and mechanical instability result in limited power density and poor cycle life. This work proposes a unique two-layered film made of polyetheretherketone-derived MPCs and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as an electrode for supercapacitors. Electrochemical characterizations of films show that such a layered structure is more effective in increasing the accessibility of ions to the hydrophilic MPCs and establishing conductive paths through the rGO network than a simple mixed composite film. The two-layered structure increases the capacitance by ˜124% (237 F g-1) with excellent cycling stability (˜93% after 6000 cycles). More importantly, we demonstrate that such performance improvements result from an optimal balance between electrical conductivity and ion accessibility, which maximizes the synergistic effects of MPC and rGO. The MPCs, which are exposed to the surface, provide a highly accessible surface area for ion adsorption. The rGO serves a dual function as a conductive filler to increase the electrical conductivity and as a binder to interconnect individual MPC particles into a robust and flexible film. These findings provide a rational basis for the design of MPC-based electrodes in high performance supercapacitors.

Rare earth oxide doping in oxide cathodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Engelsen, Daniel den; Gaertner, Georg

2006-01-01

The effect on life performance and poisoning with O 2 by doping oxide cathodes with rare earth oxides and pseudo rare earth oxides, notably yttria, is qualitatively explained in terms of electrolysis of BaO during emission of electrons. Doped cathodes show less electrolysis and consume therefore less Ba during life: consequently, doped cathodes have a better life performance. However, the lower Ba-production makes doped cathodes more sensitive to oxygen poisoning. The experimentally found relation between conductivity and yttria concentration was the motive to propose a new model for the crystal imperfections in BaO. In this new imperfection model most Y 3+ -ions will combine with barium vacancies, therefore, the increase of the conductivity is modest and also the effect on the position of the Fermi level is modest. By assuming a combination of bulk and surface conductivity, the agreement between experiment and theory can be improved further

Rapidly curable electrically conductive clear coatings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bowman, Mark P.; Anderson, Lawrence G.; Post, Gordon L.

2018-01-16

Rapidly curable electrically conductive clear coatings are applied to substrates. The electrically conductive clear coating includes to clear layer having a resinous binder with ultrafine non-stoichiometric tungsten oxide particles dispersed therein. The clear coating may be rapidly cured by subjecting the coating to infrared radiation that heats the tungsten oxide particles and surrounding resinous binder. Localized heating increases the temperature of the coating to thereby thermally cure the coating, while avoiding unwanted heating of the underlying substrate.

Is the Narco-violence in Mexico an Insurgency?

Science.gov (United States)

2011-05-19

Familia is the only one with an actual ideology in which it vows to protect the people of Michoacán from outsiders. Initially, La Famila carried out...conducted Project Coronado resulting in the arrests of more than 300 people in raids that targeted one of Mexico’s most violent TCOs, La Familia ...counterinsurgency specialists who fail to see the evolving political aims of the drug gangs.” They also use La Familia , a criminal organization from

'Stuffed' conducting polymers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Winther-Jensen, Bjørn; Chen, Jun; West, Keld

2005-01-01

Conducting polymers (CP) obtained by oxidative polymerization using iron(III) salts shrink when Fe(II) and the excess counter ions are washed out after polymerization. This phenomenon can be used to incorporate active molecules into the CP matrix via their addition to the wash liquid. In the pres......Conducting polymers (CP) obtained by oxidative polymerization using iron(III) salts shrink when Fe(II) and the excess counter ions are washed out after polymerization. This phenomenon can be used to incorporate active molecules into the CP matrix via their addition to the wash liquid....... In the present work we demonstrate this principle on three different CP's: polypyrrole (PPy), poly-terthiophene (PTTh) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxy thiophene) (PEDT), using ferrocene as a model molecule to be trapped in the polymer films. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved....

Proton Conducting Graphene Oxide/Chitosan Composite Electrolytes as Gate Dielectrics for New-Concept Devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Ping; Du, Peifu; Wan, Changjin; Shi, Yi; Wan, Qing

2016-09-30

New-concept devices featuring the characteristics of ultralow operation voltages and low fabrication cost have received increasing attention recently because they can supplement traditional Si-based electronics. Also, organic/inorganic composite systems can offer an attractive strategy to combine the merits of organic and inorganic materials into promising electronic devices. In this report, solution-processed graphene oxide/chitosan composite film was found to be an excellent proton conducting electrolyte with a high specific capacitance of ~3.2 μF/cm 2 at 1.0 Hz, and it was used to fabricate multi-gate electric double layer transistors. Dual-gate AND logic operation and two-terminal diode operation were realized in a single device. A two-terminal synaptic device was proposed, and some important synaptic behaviors were emulated, which is interesting for neuromorphic systems.

Wet-Chemical Surface Texturing of Sputter-Deposited ZnO:Al Films as Front Electrode for Thin-Film Silicon Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xia Yan

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Transparent conductive oxides (TCOs play a major role as the front electrodes of thin-film silicon (Si solar cells, as they can provide optical scattering and hence improved photon absorption inside the devices. In this paper we report on the surface texturing of aluminium-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Al or AZO films for improved light trapping in thin-film Si solar cells. The AZO films are deposited onto soda-lime glass sheets via pulsed DC magnetron sputtering. Several promising AZO texturing methods are investigated using diluted hydrochloric (HCl and hydrofluoric acid (HF, through a two-step etching process. The developed texturing procedure combines the advantages of the HCl-induced craters and the smaller and jagged—but laterally more uniform—features created by HF etching. In the two-step process, the second etching step further enhances the optical haze, while simultaneously improving the uniformity of the texture features created by the HCl etch. The resulting AZO films show large haze values of above 40%, good scattering into large angles, and a surface angle distribution that is centred at around 30°, which is known from the literature to provide efficient light trapping for thin-film Si solar cells.

Development of composite ceramic materials with improved thermal conductivity and plasticity based on garnet-type oxides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Golovkina, L.S., E-mail: golovkina_lyudmila@mail.ru [Lobachevsky State University of Nizhni Novgorod, 603950 Nizhni Novgorod (Russian Federation); Orlova, A.I.; Boldin, M.S.; Sakharov, N.V.; Chuvil' deev, V.N.; Nokhrin, A.V. [Lobachevsky State University of Nizhni Novgorod, 603950 Nizhni Novgorod (Russian Federation); Konings, R.; Staicu, D. [European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Directorate G – Nuclear Safety and Security, 76125 Karlsruhe (Germany)

2017-06-15

Powders based on the complex garnet-type oxide Y{sub 2.5}Nd{sub 0.5}Al{sub 5}O{sub 12} - x wt. % Ni (x = 0, 10, 20) were prepared using wet chemistry methods. Ceramics based on these compounds were obtained by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) with a relative densities: 99%. 4% (TD = 4.77 g/cm{sup 3} (0%)), 97.6% (TD = 4.88 g/cm{sup 3} (10%)), 94.4% (TD = 5.06 g/cm{sup 3} (20%)). The influence of nickel concentration on the mechanical (fracture toughness, microhardness) and thermophysical (thermal conductivity) properties of the composites was studied. - Highlights: •Powders were prepared using wet chemistry methods. •Ceramics were sintering by SPS method (ρ{sub rel} ∼ 99%); t{sub shrinkage} < 10 min. •By increasing Ni concentration in composites, their fracture toughness was enhanced. •Thermal conductivity increases with elevated concentration of Ni.

Method to induce a conductivity type in a semiconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aboaf, J.A.; Sedgwick, T.O.

1977-01-01

The invention deals with a method in which one can produce a region of a desired type of conductivity in a semiconductor as is required for, e.g., field effect transistors. A metal oxide layer combination consisting of several metal oxides is thus deposited on the semiconductor. This is carried out according to the invention in a non-oxidizing atmosphere at temperatures at which the metal oxides do not diffuse into the semiconductor. The sign and degree of the induced conductivity type is adjusted by dosed depositing of the individual metal oxides related to one another. The gaseous metal oxides due to heating, mixed with a non-oxidizing gas are added in compounds to the semiconductor heated to depositing temperature. These compounds decompose at the depositing temperature into the metal oxide and a gaseous residual component. The semiconductor consists of silicon, and nitrogen is used as carrier gas; when depositing aluminium oxide, gaseous aluminium isopropoxide is added; when depositing silicon dioxide, gaseous tetra-ethyl orthosilicate. (ORU) [de

Covalently Bonded Polyaniline and para-phenylenediamine Functionalized Graphene Oxide: How the Conductive Two-dimensional Nanostructure Influences the Electrochromic Behaviors of Polyaniline

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiong, Shanxin; Li, Zhufeng; Gong, Ming; Wang, Xiaoqin; Fu, Jialun; Shi, Yujing; Wu, Bohua; Chu, Jia

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Abstract: Polyaniline (PANI) was attached onto the reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sheets through copolymerization of aniline with a para-phenylenediamine (PPD) functionalized graphene oxide (GO-PPD) using the poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS) as the macromolecular dopant agent to produce a water-dispersible electrochromic material. The structures and the morphologies analysis confirm that the final electrochromic materials (rGO-PANI) are the mixture of PANI/PSS and the covalently bonded rGO-PANI (rGO-PANI hybrid). The rGO-PANI hybrid can be found to form a parallel arrangement to the substrate in the spin-coated film. This parallel arrangement of the layered two-dimensional nanostructure of rGO-PANI hybrid may narrow the ion transportation pathways of the exchanged ions, which will result in a high charge transfer resistance and slow switching speed. Meanwhile, with the conductive rGO added, the electrical conductivity of the electrochromic layer will be increased, which will benefit to low charge transfer resistance and high optical contrast. So the conductive two-dimensional nanostructure has a double-face influence on the electrochromic performances of PANI, which include a positive influence on the electrical conductivity and a negative influence on the ion diffusion. The overall influences depend on the loading amount of GO-PPD. With 4 wt.% GO-PPD feeding, the optical contrast was enhanced by 36% from 0.38 for PANI/PSS to 0.52 for rGO-PANI-3, while the coloration time was almost same as that of PANI/PSS and the bleaching time was decreased by ∼20% from 9.1s for PANI/PSS to 7.4s for rGO-PANI-3. The electrochemical tests showed that with the increasing of GO-PPD loading, the peak currents of cyclic voltammetry (CV) curves were increased, and the peak locations shifted to the positive potential for oxidation peak and the negative potential for reduction peak, respectively, which confirmed that the double-face influences of rGO-PANI on the

Graphene oxide as a dual-function conductive binder for PEEK-derived microporous carbons in high performance supercapacitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Christine H J; Zhang, Hongbo; Liu, Jie

2015-01-01

Microporous carbons (MPCs) are promising electrode materials for supercapacitors because of their high surface area and accessible pores. However, their low electrical conductivity and mechanical instability result in limited power density and poor cycle life. This work proposes a unique two-layered film made of polyetheretherketone-derived MPCs and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as an electrode for supercapacitors. Electrochemical characterizations of films show that such a layered structure is more effective in increasing the accessibility of ions to the hydrophilic MPCs and establishing conductive paths through the rGO network than a simple mixed composite film. The two-layered structure increases the capacitance by ∼124% (237 F g −1 ) with excellent cycling stability (∼93% after 6000 cycles). More importantly, we demonstrate that such performance improvements result from an optimal balance between electrical conductivity and ion accessibility, which maximizes the synergistic effects of MPC and rGO. The MPCs, which are exposed to the surface, provide a highly accessible surface area for ion adsorption. The rGO serves a dual function as a conductive filler to increase the electrical conductivity and as a binder to interconnect individual MPC particles into a robust and flexible film. These findings provide a rational basis for the design of MPC-based electrodes in high performance supercapacitors. (paper)

Effect of annealing on silicon heterojunction solar cells with textured ZnO:Al as transparent conductive oxide

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roca i Cabarrocas P.

2012-07-01

Full Text Available We report on silicon heterojunction solar cells using textured aluminum doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Al as a transparent conductive oxide (TCO instead of flat indium tin oxide. Double side silicon heterojunction solar cell were fabricated by radio frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition on high life time N-type float zone crystalline silicon wafers. On both sides of these cells we have deposited by radio frequency magnetron sputtering ZnO:Al layers of thickness ranging from 800 nm to 1400 nm. These TCO layers were then textured by dipping the samples in a 0.5% hydrochloric acid. External quantum efficiency as well as I-V under 1 sun illumination measurements showed an increase of the current for the cells using textured ZnO:Al. The cells were then annealed at 150 °C, 175 °C and 200 °C during 30 min in ambient atmosphere and characterized at each annealing step. The results show that annealing has no impact on the open circuit voltage of the devices but that up to a 175 °C it enhances their short circuit current, consistent with an overall enhancement of their spectral response. Our results suggest that ZnO:Al is a promising material to increase the short circuit current (Jsc while avoiding texturing the c-Si substrate.

MoOx modified ZnGaO based transparent conducting oxides

Science.gov (United States)

Dutta, Titas; Gupta, P.; Bhosle, V.; Narayan, J.

2009-03-01

We report here the growth of high work function bilayered structures of thin MoOx (2.0MoOx layer, molybdenum exists in Mo4+, Mo5+, and Mo6+ oxidation states, and the ratio of (Mo4++Mo5+) to Mo6+ was determined to be ˜2:1. The bilayer films showed good optical transparency (≥80%) and low resistivity of ˜10-4 Ω cm. Different transport behavior of the MoOx/ZnGa0.05O films grown at different Ts (substrate temperature) was observed in temperature-dependent resistivity measurements. The bilayer film at higher Ts showed metallic conductivity behavior down to 113 K. Moreover, a blueshift of the absorption edge in the transmission spectrum was observed with the increase in Ts, indicating an increase in the carrier concentration. It was observed that the ZnGa0.05O films with ultrathin MoOx (˜1-2 nanometers) overlayer showed a higher work function (varying from 4.7 to 5.1 eV) as compared to the single layer ZnGa0.05O film work function (˜4.4 eV). A correlation between the surface work function and MoOx layer thickness is observed. The higher work function of the MoOx overlayer is envisaged to improve the transport of the carriers across the heterojunction in a solid state device, thus resulting an increase in device efficiency.

Nanostructures and thin films of transparent conductive oxides studied by perturbed angular correlations

CERN Document Server

Barbosa, M B; Redondo-Cubero, A; Miranda, S M C; Simon, R; Kessler, P; Brandt, M; Henneberger, F; Nogales, E; Méndez, B; Johnston, K; Alves, E; Vianden, R; Araújo, J P; Lorenz, K; Correia, J G

2013-01-01

The versatility of perturbed angular correlations (PAC) in the study of nanostructures and thin films is demonstrated, namely for the specific cases of ZnO/Cd$_x$Zn$_{1-x}$O thin films and Ga$_2$O$_3$ powder pellets and nanowires, examples of transparent conductive oxides. PAC measurements as a function of annealing temperature were performed after implantation of $^{111m}$Cd$/^{111}$Cd (T$_{1/2}$=48$\\,$min.) and later compared to density functional theory simulations. For ZnO, the substitution of Cd probes at Zn sites was observed, as well as the formation of a probe-defect complex. The ternary Cd$_x$Zn$_{1-x}$O (x=0.16) showed good macroscopic crystal quality but revealed some clustering of local defects around the probe Cd atoms, which could not be annealed. In the Ga$_2$O$_3$ samples, the substitution of the Cd probes in the octahedral Ga-site was observed, demonstrating the potential of ion-implantation for the doping of nanowires.

Indium oxide-based transparent conductive films deposited by reactive sputtering using alloy targets

Science.gov (United States)

Miyazaki, Yusuke; Maruyama, Eri; Jia, Junjun; Machinaga, Hironobu; Shigesato, Yuzo

2017-04-01

High-quality transparent conductive oxide (TCO) films, Sn-doped In2O3 (ITO) and In2O3-ZnO (IZO), were successfully deposited on either synthetic silica or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates in the “transition region” by reactive dc magnetron sputtering using In-Zn and In-Sn alloy targets, respectively, with a specially designed plasma emission feedback system. The composition, crystallinity, surface morphology, and electrical and optical properties of the films were analyzed. All of the IZO films were amorphous, whereas the ITO films were polycrystalline over a wide range of deposition conditions. The minimum resistivities of the IZO and ITO films deposited on the heated PET substrates at 150 °C were 3.3 × 10-4 and 5.4 × 10-4 Ω·cm, respectively. By applying rf bias to unheated PET substrates, ITO films with a resistivity of 4.4 × 10-4 Ω·cm were deposited at a dc self-bias voltage of -60 V.

Layered SmBaCuCoO5+δ and SmBaCuFeO5+δ perovskite oxides as cathode materials for proton-conducting SOFCs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nian Qiong; Zhao Ling; He Beibei; Lin Bin; Peng Ranran; Meng Guangyao; Liu Xingqin

2010-01-01

A dense BaCe 0.8 Sm 0.2 O 5+δ (BCS) electrolyte was fabricated on a porous anode by in situ drop-coating to develop a simple and cost-effective route to fabricate proton-conducting solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Layered perovskite-structure oxides SmBaCuCoO 5+δ (SBCC) and SmBaCuFeO 5+δ (SBCF) were prepared and the electrical conductivity, the thermal expansion coefficient and electrochemical performance were investigated as potential cathode materials for proton-conducting SOFCs. Thermal expansion coefficients of SBCC and SBCF were suitable for BCS electrolyte and the electrical conductivity of the SBCC is higher than that of the SBCF. The maximum power density of 449 mW cm 2 and 333 mW cm 2 at 700 o C were obtained for the SBCC/BCS/NiO-BCS and SBCF/BCS/NiO-BCS cells, respectively. The interfacial polarization resistances for SBCC and SBCF cathode are as low as 0.137 Ω cm -2 and 0.196 Ω cm -2 at 700 o C, respectively. The results indicate that the SBCC and SBCF are promising cathode materials for proton-conducting SOFCs.

Conductive transition metal oxide nanostructured electrochromic material and optical switching devices constructed thereof

Science.gov (United States)

Mattox, Tracy M.; Koo, Bonil; Garcia, Guillermo; Milliron, Delia J.; Trizio, Luca De; Dahlman, Clayton

2017-10-10

An electrochromic device includes a nanostructured transition metal oxide bronze layer that includes one or more transition metal oxide and one or more dopant, a solid state electrolyte, and a counter electrode. The nanostructured transition metal oxide bronze selectively modulates transmittance of near-infrared (NIR) spectrum and visible spectrum radiation as a function of an applied voltage to the device.

Conductive polymer composition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

2010-01-01

The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of a conductive polymer composition comprising graphene and the articles obtained by this process. The process comprises the following steps: A) contacting graphite oxide in an aqueous medium with a water-soluble or dispersible

Thermal conductivity of beginning-of-life uranium-plutonium mixed oxide fuel for fast reactor (Interim report)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inoue, Masaki; Mizuno, Tomoyasu; Asaga, Takeo

1997-11-01

Thermal conductivity of uranium-plutonium mixed oxide fuel for fast reactor at beginning-of-life was correlated based on the recent results in order to apply to the fuel design and the fuel performance analysis. A number of experimental results of unirradiated fuel specimens were corrected from open literatures and PNC internal reports and examined for the database. In this work two porosity correction factors were needed for high density fuel and low density fuel (around the current Monju specification). The universal porosity correction factor was not determined in this work. In the next step, theoretical and analytical considerations should be taken into account. (J.P.N.)

Transparent conductive electrodes of mixed TiO2−x–indium tin oxide for organic photovoltaics

KAUST Repository

Lee, Kyu-Sung

2012-05-22

A transparent conductive electrode of mixed titanium dioxide (TiO2−x)–indium tin oxide (ITO) with an overall reduction in the use of indium metal is demonstrated. When used in organic photovoltaicdevices based on bulk heterojunction photoactive layer of poly (3-hexylthiophene) and [6,6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester, a power conversion efficiency of 3.67% was obtained, a value comparable to devices having sputtered ITO electrode. Surface roughness and optical efficiency are improved when using the mixed TiO2−x–ITO electrode. The consumption of less indium allows for lower fabrication cost of such mixed thin filmelectrode.

Electrically conductive material

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, J.P.; Bosak, A.L.; McPheeters, C.C.; Dees, D.W.

1993-09-07

An electrically conductive material is described for use in solid oxide fuel cells, electrochemical sensors for combustion exhaust, and various other applications possesses increased fracture toughness over available materials, while affording the same electrical conductivity. One embodiment of the sintered electrically conductive material consists essentially of cubic ZrO[sub 2] as a matrix and 6-19 wt. % monoclinic ZrO[sub 2] formed from particles having an average size equal to or greater than about 0.23 microns. Another embodiment of the electrically conductive material consists essentially at cubic ZrO[sub 2] as a matrix and 10-30 wt. % partially stabilized zirconia (PSZ) formed from particles having an average size of approximately 3 microns. 8 figures.

Control of the electrical conductivity of composites of antimony doped tin oxide (ATO) nanoparticles and acrylate by grafting of 3-methacryloxpropyltrimethoxysilane (MPS)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Posthumus, W.; Laven, J.; With, de G.; Linde, van der R.

2006-01-01

The effect of the addition of antimony doped tin oxide (ATO) nanoparticles on the electrical conductivity of acrylate films is described. To enable dispersing of ATO in acrylate matrices, 3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MPS) was grafted on the surface of the filler. The amount of MPS used for

Statistical analysis of nitrous oxide emission factors from pastoral agriculture field trials conducted in New Zealand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelliher, F.M.; Cox, N.; Weerden, T.J. van der; Klein, C.A.M. de; Luo, J.; Cameron, K.C.; Di, H.J.; Giltrap, D.; Rys, G.

2014-01-01

Between 11 May 2000 and 31 January 2013, 185 field trials were conducted across New Zealand to measure the direct nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emission factors (EF) from nitrogen (N) sources applied to pastoral soils. The log(EF) data were analysed statistically using a restricted maximum likelihood (REML) method. To estimate mean EF values for each N source, best linear unbiased predictors (BLUPs) were calculated. For lowland soils, mean EFs for dairy cattle urine and dung, sheep urine and dung and urea fertiliser were 1.16 ± 0.19% and 0.23 ± 0.05%, 0.55 ± 0.19% and 0.08 ± 0.02% and 0.48 ± 0.13%, respectively, each significantly different from one another (p 12°, mean EFs were significantly lower. Thus, urine and dung EFs should be disaggregated for sheep and cattle as well as accounting for terrain. -- Highlights: • Nitrous oxide emission factors (EFs) for pastoral soils measured in 185 field trials. • For lowland, the mean (±standard error) urea nitrogen fertiliser EF was 0.5 ± 0.1%. • For lowland, mean dairy cattle urine and dung EFs were 1.2 and 0.2%, respectively. • For lowland, mean sheep urine and dung EFs were 0.6 and 0.1%, respectively. • For pastoral soils in terrain with slopes >12°, mean EFs were significantly lower. -- From 185 field trials, mean nitrous oxide emission factors for pastoral soils were 0.1% for sheep dung up to 1.2% for dairy cattle urine, while that for urea fertiliser was 0.5%

Application of Developed APCVD Transparent Conducting Oxides and Undercoat Technologies for Economical OLED Lighting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martin Bluhm; James Coffey; Roman Korotkov; Craig Polsz; Alexandre Salemi; Robert Smith; Ryan Smith; Jeff Stricker; Chen Xu; Jasmine Shirazi; George Papakonstantopulous; Steve Carson; Claudia Goldman; Soren Hartmann; Frank Jessen; Bianca Krogmann; Christoph Rickers; Manfred Ruske; Holger Schwab; Dietrich Bertram

2011-01-02

Economics is a key factor for application of organic light emitting diodes (OLED) in general lighting relative to OLED flat panel displays that can handle high cost materials such as indium tin oxide (ITO) or Indium zinc oxide (IZO) as the transparent conducting oxide (TCO) on display glass. However, for OLED lighting to penetrate into general illumination, economics and sustainable materials are critical. The issues with ITO have been documented at the DOE SSL R&D and Manufacturing workshops for the last 5 years and the issue is being exacerbated by export controls from China (one of the major sources of elemental indium). Therefore, ITO is not sustainable because of the fluctuating costs and the United States (US) dependency on other nations such as China. Numerous alternatives to ITO/IZO are being evaluated such as Ag nanoparticles/nanowires, carbon nanotubes, graphene, and other metal oxides. Of these other metal oxides, doped zinc oxide has attracted a lot of attention over the last 10 years. The volume of zinc mined is a factor of 80,000 greater than indium and the US has significant volumes of zinc mined domestically, resulting in the ability for the US to be self-sufficient for this element that can be used in optoelectronic applications. The costs of elemental zinc is over 2 orders of magnitude less than indium, reflecting the relative abundance and availability of the elements. Arkema Inc. and an international primary glass manufacturing company, which is located in the United States, have developed doped zinc oxide technology for solar control windows. The genesis of this DOE SSL project was to determine if doped zinc oxide technology can be taken from the commodity based window market and translate the technology to OLED lighting. Thus, Arkema Inc. sought out experts, Philips Lighting, Pacific Northwest National Laboratories (PNNL) and National Renewable Research Laboratories (NREL), in OLED devices and brought them into the project. This project had a

Conductive polymer switch for controlling superconductivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDevitt, J.T.; Haupt, S.G.; Riley, D.R.; Zhao, J.; Grassi, J.; Lo, K.; Jones, C.

1994-01-01

The preparation of a hybrid conducting polymer/high-temperature superconductor device consisting of a polypyrrole coated YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-σ microbridge is reported. Electrochemical techniques are exploited to alter the oxidation state of the polymer and, in doing so, it is found for the first time that superconductivity can be modulated in a controllable and reproducible fashion by a polymer layout. Whereas the neutral (insulating) polypyrrole only slightly influences the electrical properties of the underlying YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-σ film, the oxidized (conductive) polymer depresses T c by up to 50K. In a similar fashion, the oxidation state of the polymer is found to reversibly modulate the magnitude of J c , the superconducting critical current. Thus, a new type of molecule switch for controlling superconductivity is demonstrated

Mathematical Modeling Analysis and Optimization of Key Design Parameters of Proton-Conductive Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hong Liu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A proton-conductive solid oxide fuel cell (H-SOFC has the advantage of operating at higher temperatures than a PEM fuel cell, but at lower temperatures than a SOFC. This study proposes a mathematical model for an H-SOFC in order to simulate the performance and optimize the flow channel designs. The model analyzes the average mass transfer and species’ concentrations in flow channels, which allows the determination of an average concentration polarization in anode and cathode gas channels, the proton conductivity of electrolyte membranes, as well as the activation polarization. An electrical circuit for the current and proton conduction is applied to analyze the ohmic losses from an anode current collector to a cathode current collector. The model uses relatively less amount of computational time to find the V-I curve of the fuel cell, and thus it can be applied to compute a large amount of cases with different flow channel dimensions and operating parameters for optimization. The modeling simulation results agreed satisfactorily with the experimental results from literature. Simulation results showed that a relatively small total width of flow channel and rib, together with a small ratio of the rib’s width versus the total width, are preferable for obtaining high power densities and thus high efficiency.

Natively textured surface hydrogenated gallium-doped zinc oxide transparent conductive thin films with buffer layers for solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Xin-liang, E-mail: cxlruzhou@163.com; Wang, Fei; Geng, Xin-hua; Huang, Qian; Zhao, Ying; Zhang, Xiao-dan

2013-09-02

Natively textured surface hydrogenated gallium-doped zinc oxide (HGZO) thin films have been deposited via magnetron sputtering on glass substrates. These natively textured HGZO thin films exhibit rough pyramid-like textured surface, high optical transmittances in the visible and near infrared region and excellent electrical properties. The experiment results indicate that tungsten-doped indium oxide (In{sub 2}O{sub 3}:W, IWO) buffer layers can effectively improve the surface roughness and enhance the light scattering ability of HGZO thin films. The root-mean-square roughness of HGZO, IWO (10 nm)/HGZO and IWO (30 nm)/HGZO thin films are 28, 44 and 47 nm, respectively. The haze values at the wavelength of 550 nm increase from 7.0% of HGZO thin film without buffer layer to 18.37% of IWO (10 nm)/HGZO thin film. The optimized IWO (10 nm)/HGZO exhibits a high optical transmittance of 82.18% in the visible and near infrared region (λ ∼ 400–1100 nm) and excellent electrical properties with a relatively low sheet resistance of 3.6 Ω/□ and the resistivity of 6.21 × 10{sup −4} Ωcm. - Highlights: • Textured hydrogenated gallium-doped zinc oxide (HGZO) films were developed. • Tungsten-doped indium oxide (IWO) buffer layers were applied for the HGZO films. • Light-scattering ability of the HGZO films can be improved through buffer layers. • Low sheet resistance and high haze were obtained for the IWO(10 nm)/HGZO film. • The IWO/HGZO films are promising transparent conductive layers for solar cells.

A facile strategy for the reduction of graphene oxide and its effect on thermal conductivity of epoxy based composites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Xie

2016-06-01

Full Text Available A facile and efficient approach to reduce graphene oxide with Al particles and potassium hydroxide was developed at moderate temperature and the graphene/epoxy composite was prepared by mould casting method. The as-prepared graphene has been confirmed by Transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Thermal gravimetric analysis. This provides a new green way to synthesize graphene with high surface area and opens another opportunity for the production of graphene. Effects of graphene on thermal conductivity, thermal stability and microstructures of the epoxy-based composite were also investigated. The results showed that thermal conductivity of the composite exhibited a remarkable improvement with increasing content of graphene and thermal conductivity could reach 1.192 W/(m*K when filled with 3 wt% graphene. Moreover, graphene/epoxy composite exhibits good thermal stability with 3 wt% graphene.

Conductive polymer/superconductor bilayer structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDevitt, J.T.; Haupt, S.G.; Riley, D.R.; Zhao, J.; Grassi, J.; Lo, R.K.; Jones, C.

1994-01-01

The preparation of a hybrid conducting polymer/high-temperature superconductor device consisting of a polypyrrole-coated YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-∂ microbridge is reported. Electrochemical techniques are exploited to alter the oxidation state of the polymer and, in doing so, it is found for the first time that superconductivity can be modulated in a controllable and reproducible fashion by a polymer layer. Whereas the neutral (insulating) polypyrrole only slightly influences the electrical properties of the underlying YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-∂ film, the oxidized (conductive) polymer depresses Tc by up to 50K. In a similar fashion, the oxidation state of the polymer is found to modulate reversibly the magnitude of J c , the superconducting critical current. Thus, a new type of molecular switch for controlling superconductivity is demonstrated. Electrochemical, resistance vs. temperature, conact resistance, atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy measurements are utilized to explore the polymer/superconductor interactions

Conducting single-molecule magnet materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Cosquer, Goulven; Shen, Yongbing; Almeida, Manuel; Yamashita, Masahiro

2018-05-11

Multifunctional molecular materials exhibiting electrical conductivity and single-molecule magnet (SMM) behaviour are particularly attractive for electronic devices and related applications owing to the interaction between electronic conduction and magnetization of unimolecular units. The preparation of such materials remains a challenge that has been pursued by a bi-component approach of combination of SMM cationic (or anionic) units with conducting networks made of partially oxidized (or reduced) donor (or acceptor) molecules. The present status of the research concerning the preparation of molecular materials exhibiting SMM behaviour and electrical conductivity is reviewed, describing the few molecular compounds where both SMM properties and electrical conductivity have been observed. The evolution of this research field through the years is discussed. The first reported compounds are semiconductors in spite being able to present relatively high electrical conductivity, and the SMM behaviour is observed at low temperatures where the electrical conductivity of the materials is similar to that of an insulator. During the recent years, a breakthrough has been achieved with the coexistence of high electrical conductivity and SMM behaviour in a molecular compound at the same temperature range, but so far without evidence of a synergy between these properties. The combination of high electrical conductivity with SMM behaviour requires not only SMM units but also the regular and as far as possible uniform packing of partially oxidized molecules, which are able to provide a conducting network.

Effect of plasticizer and fumed silica on ionic conductivity behaviour ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

behaviour of proton conducting polymer electrolytes containing different concentrations of hexafluorophosphoric acid (HPF6) in polyethylene oxide ... Polymer electrolytes; ionic conductivity; polyethylene oxide; plasticizer; fumed silica. 1. Introduction ..... is a rapid weight loss which could be due to the degradation of polymer ...

Increasing the proton conductivity of sulfonated polyether ether ketone by incorporating graphene oxide: Morphology effect on proton dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Leong, Jun Xing; Diño, Wilson Agerico; Ahmad, Azizan; Daud, Wan Ramli Wan; Kasai, Hideaki

2018-03-01

We synthesized graphene oxide-sulfonated polyether ether ketone (GO-SPEEK) composite membrane and compare its proton conductivity with that of Nafion® 117 and SPEEK membranes. From experimental measurements, we found that GO-SPEEK has better proton conductivity (σGO-SPEEK = 3.8 × 10-2 S cm-1) when compared to Nafion® 117 (σNafion = 2.4 × 10-2 S cm-1) and SPEEK (σSPEEK = 2.9 × 10-3 S cm-1). From density functional theory (DFT-) based total energy calculations, we found that GO-SPEEK has the shortest proton diffusion distance among the three membranes, yielding the highest tunneling probability. Hence, GO-SPEEK exhibits the highest conductivity. The short proton diffusion distance in GO-SPEEK, as compared to Nafion® 117 and SPEEK, can be attributed to the presence of oxygenated functional groups of GO in the polymer matrix. This also explains why GO-SPEEK requires the lowest hydration level to reach its maximum conductivity. Moreover, we have successfully shown that the proton conductivity σ is related to the tunneling probability T, i.e., σ = σ‧ exp(-1/T). We conclude that the proton diffusion distance and hydration level are the two most significant factors that determine the membrane’s good conductivity. The distance between ionic sites of the membrane should be small to obtain good conductivity. With this short distance, lower hydration level is required. Thus, a membrane with short separation between the ionic sites can have enhanced conductivity, even at low hydration conditions.

Ultrabroadband terahertz conductivity of highly doped ZnO and ITO

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Tianwu; Zalkovskij, Maksim; Iwaszczuk, Krzysztof

2015-01-01

The broadband complex conductivities of transparent conducting oxides (TCO), namely aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO), gallium-doped zinc oxide (GZO) and tin-doped indium oxide (ITO), were investigated by terahertz time domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) in the frequency range from 0.5 to 18 THz using air...... to be more thickness dependent than GZO and ITO, indicating high importance of the surface states for electron dynamics in AZO. Finally, we measure the transmittance of the TCO films from 10 to 200 THz with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) measurements, thus closing the gap between THz...

Crystal structure and ionic conduction path of solid electrolytic materials by high temperature neutron diffraction method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yashima, Masatomo; Nomura, Katsuhiro

2005-01-01

Research of the distribution of oxide ions and the ionic conduction path of bismuth oxide (Bi 2 O 3 ), cerium oxide (CeO 2 ) and lanthanum gallate ((La 0.8 Sr 0.2 )(Ga 0.8 Mg 0.15 Co 0.05 )O 3-δ ) is stated. The high temperature neutron diffraction method, analytical method such as Rietveld method, crystal structure analysis of ionic conductor and MEM (Maximum- Entropy Method) are explained. The nuclear density distribution of oxide ions in bismuth oxide showed so larger distribution in the direction of and than Bi ions that the oxide ions conducted these direction in the crystal. The nuclear density distribution of oxide ions of cerium oxide indicated larger distribution in the direction of than Ce ions and its tendency was remarkable at high temperature. Accordingly, the oxide ions conducted in the direction of and . The oxide ions distribution in lanthanum gallate compound was larger and complicated than positive ions. The oxide ions conducted to by describing an arc between the two stable positions. The nuclear density on the conduction path increased with increasing temperature. This above result corresponded to increase of oxide ion conductivity in the area. (S.Y.)

Thin film photovoltaic devices with a minimally conductive buffer layer

Science.gov (United States)

Barnes, Teresa M.; Burst, James

2016-11-15

A thin film photovoltaic device (100) with a tunable, minimally conductive buffer (128) layer is provided. The photovoltaic device (100) may include a back contact (150), a transparent front contact stack (120), and an absorber (140) positioned between the front contact stack (120) and the back contact (150). The front contact stack (120) may include a low resistivity transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer (124) and a buffer layer (128) that is proximate to the absorber layer (140). The photovoltaic device (100) may also include a window layer (130) between the buffer layer (128) and the absorber (140). In some cases, the buffer layer (128) is minimally conductive, with its resistivity being tunable, and the buffer layer (128) may be formed as an alloy from a host oxide and a high-permittivity oxide. The high-permittivity oxide may further be chosen to have a bandgap greater than the host oxide.

High Performance Proton-Conducting Solid Oxide Fuel Cells with a Layered Perovskite GdBaCuCoO5+ x Cathode

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiaozhen; Jiang, Yuhua; Hu, Xuebing; Sun, Liangliang; Ling, Yihan

2018-03-01

Proton-conducting solid oxide fuel cell (H-SOFC) based on layered perovskite type GdBaCuCoO5+x (GBCC) cathode was fabricated with in situ drop-coating BaZr0.1Ce0.7Y0.2O3-δ (BZCY) electrolyte membrane. The influences of Cu doping into Co sites of GdBaCo2O5+ x on the electrical conductivity and conduction mechanism, thermal expansion property and electrochemical performance of cathode materials and corresponding single cell were investigated. Results show that the electrical conductivity decreased and the conduction mechanism would gradually transform to the semiconductor-like behavior. A high maximum power density of 480 mW cm-2 was obtained for the anode supported NiO-BZCY/NiO-BZCY/BZCY/GBCC single cells with wet H2 fuel at 700 °C. The corresponding polarization resistance was as low as 0.17 Ω cm2. The excellent electrochemical performance of as-prepared single cell indicates that GBCC is a good candidate of cathode materials for H-SOFCs.

Toxicity of metal oxide nanoparticles in Escherichia coli correlates with conduction band and hydration energies.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaweeteerawat, Chitrada; Ivask, Angela; Liu, Rong; Zhang, Haiyuan; Chang, Chong Hyun; Low-Kam, Cecile; Fischer, Heidi; Ji, Zhaoxia; Pokhrel, Suman; Cohen, Yoram; Telesca, Donatello; Zink, Jeffrey; Mädler, Lutz; Holden, Patricia A; Nel, Andre; Godwin, Hilary

2015-01-20

Metal oxide nanoparticles (MOx NPs) are used for a host of applications, such as electronics, cosmetics, construction, and medicine, and as a result, the safety of these materials to humans and the environment is of considerable interest. A prior study of 24 MOx NPs in mammalian cells revealed that some of these materials show hazard potential. Here, we report the growth inhibitory effects of the same series of MOx NPs in the bacterium Escherichia coli and show that toxicity trends observed in E. coli parallel those seen previously in mammalian cells. Of the 24 materials studied, only ZnO, CuO, CoO, Mn2O3, Co3O4, Ni2O3, and Cr2O3 were found to exert significant growth inhibitory effects; these effects were found to relate to membrane damage and oxidative stress responses in minimal trophic media. A correlation of the toxicological data with physicochemical parameters of MOx NPs revealed that the probability of a MOx NP being toxic increases as the hydration enthalpy becomes less negative and as the conduction band energy approaches those of biological molecules. These observations are consistent with prior results observed in mammalian cells, revealing that mechanisms of toxicity of MOx NPs are consistent across two very different taxa. These results suggest that studying nanotoxicity in E. coli may help to predict toxicity patterns in higher organisms.

Barrier layer arrangement for conductive layers on silicon substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hung, L.S.; Agostinelli, J.A.

1990-01-01

This patent describes a circuit element comprised of a silicon substrate and a conductive layer located on the substrate. It is characterized in that the conductive layer consists essentially of a rare earth alkaline earth copper oxide and a barrier layer triad is interposed between the silicon substrate and the conductive layer comprised of a first triad layer located adjacent the silicon substrate consisting essentially of silica, a third triad layer remote from the silicon substrate consisting essentially of a least one Group 4 heavy metal oxide, and a second triad layer interposed between the first and third triad layers consisting essentially of a mixture of silica and at lease one Group 4 heavy metal oxide

Electrical conductivity of Ni–YSZ composites: Variants and redox cycling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pihlatie, Mikko; Kaiser, Andreas; Mogensen, Mogens Bjerg

2012-01-01

-term conductivity changes due to microstructural changes in both the standard and modified cermets with different Ni doping were compared by re-oxidation at 600°C and subsequent thermal excursions up to 1000°C by normalising the conductivity to a constant temperature. Modified cermets show reduced conductivity loss......Short-term changes in the electrical conductivity of different Ni–YSZ composites (cermets) were measured by an in-situ 4-point DC technique. The isothermal reduction was carried out in dry, humidified or wet hydrogen at temperatures from 600 to 850°C. The cermets reduced at 600°C showed a stable...... conductivity of about 1100S/cm, which increased to an enhanced ~2000S/cm upon re-oxidation and subsequent re-reduction cycling at the same temperature. At 850°C, a rapid initial conductivity loss was observed; upon re-reduction after the re-oxidation both the conductivity and its loss rate were largely...

Proton-conducting cerate ceramics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pederson, L.R.; Coffey, G.W.; Bates, J.L.; Weber, W.J. [Pacific Northwest National Lab., Richland, WA (United States)

1996-08-01

Single-cell solid oxide fuel cells were constructed using strontium cerate as the electrolyte and their performance tested. Like certain zirconates, hafnates, and tantalates, the cerate perovskites are among a class of solid electrolytes that conduct protons at elevated temperatures. Depending on the temperature and chemical environment, these ceramics also support electronic and oxygen ion currents. A maximum power output of {approx}100 mW per cm{sup 2} electrolyte surface area was obtained at 900{degrees}C using 4% hydrogen as the fuel and air as the oxidant. A series of rare earth/ceria/zirconia were prepared and their electrical properties characterized. Rare earth dopants included ytterbia, yttria, terbia, and europia. Ionic conductivities were highest for rare earth/ceria and rare earth zirconia compositions; a minimum in ionic conductivity for all series were found for equimolar mixtures of ceria and zirconia. Cerium oxysulfide is of interest in fossil energy applications because of its high chemical stability and refractory nature. An alternative synthesis route to preparing cerium oxysulfide powders has been developed using combustion techniques.

Effects of Surface Nitrification on Thermal Conductivity of Modified Aluminum Oxide Nanofibers-Reinforced Epoxy Matrix Nanocomposites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Byungjoo; Bae, Kyongmin; An, Kayhyeok; Park, Soojin

2012-01-01

Aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ) nanofibers were treated thermally under an ammonia (NH 3 ) gas stream balanced by nitrogen to form a thin aluminum nitride (AlN) layer on the nanofibers, resulting in the enhancement of thermal conductivity of Al 2 O 3 /epoxy nanocomposites. The micro-structural and morphological properties of the NH 3 -assisted thermally-treated Al 2 O 3 nanofibers were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AEM), respectively. The surface characteristics and pore structures were observed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Zeta-potential and N 2 /77 K isothermal adsorptions. From the results, the formation of AlN on Al 2 O 3 nanofibers was confirmed by XRD and XPS. The thermal conductivity (TC) of the modified Al 2 O 3 nanofibers/epoxy composites increased with increasing treated temperatures. On the other hand, the severely treated Al 2 O 3 /epoxy composites showed a decrease in TC, resulting from a decrease in the probability of heat-transfer networks between the filler and matrix in this system due to the aggregation of nanofiber fillers

Further optimization of barium cerate properties via co-doping strategy for potential application as proton-conducting solid oxide fuel cell electrolyte

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shuai; Shen, Jianxing; Zhu, Zhiwen; Wang, Zhihao; Cao, Yanxin; Guan, Xiaoli; Wang, Yueyue; Wei, Zhaoling; Chen, Meina

2018-05-01

Yttrium-doped BaCeO3 is one of the most promising electrolyte candidates for solid oxide fuel cells because of its high ionic conductivity. Nd and Y co-doped BaCeO3 strategy is adopted for the further optimization of Y-doped BaCeO3 electrolyte properties. X-ray diffraction results indicate that the structure of BaCe0.8Y0.2-xNdxO3-δ (x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15) with orthorhombic perovskite phase becomes more symmetric with increasing Nd concentration. The scanning electron microscope observation demonstrates that the densification and grain size of the sintered pellets significantly enhance with the increase of Nd doping level. Whether in dry and humid hydrogen or air, the increase of Nd dopant firstly increases the conductivities of BaCe0.8Y0.2-xNdxO3-δ (x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15) and then decrease them after reaching the peak value at x = 0.05. Electrochemical impedance spectra at 350 °C can distinguish clearly the contribution of grain and grain boundary to total conductivity and the highest conductivity of BaCe0.8Y0.15Nd0.05O3-δ ascribes to the decrease in bulk and grain boundary resistances due to the synergistic effect of Nd and Y doping. The anode-supported single cell with BaCe0.8Y0.15Nd0.05O3-δ electrolyte shows an encouraging peak power density of 660 mW cm-2 at 700 °C, suggesting that BaCe0.8Y0.15Nd0.05O3-δ is a potential electrolyte material for the highly-efficient proton-conducting solid oxide fuel cell.

Oxidation processes on conducting carbon additives for lithium-ion batteries

KAUST Repository

La Mantia, Fabio; Huggins, Robert A.; Cui, Yi

2012-01-01

The oxidation processes at the interface between different types of typical carbon additives for lithium-ion batteries and carbonates electrolyte above 5 V versus Li/Li+ were investigated. Depending on the nature and surface area of the carbon

Use of Synergistic Interactions to Fabricate Strong, Tough, and Conductive Artificial Nacre Based on Graphene Oxide and Chitosan.

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Sijie; Peng, Jingsong; Li, Yuchen; Hu, Han; Jiang, Lei; Cheng, Qunfeng

2015-10-27

Graphene is the strongest and stiffest material, leading to the development of promising applications in many fields. However, the assembly of graphene nanosheets into macrosized nanocomposites for practical applications remains a challenge. Nacre in its natural form sets the "gold standard" for toughness and strength, which serves as a guide to the assembly of graphene nanosheets into high-performance nanocomposites. Here we show the strong, tough, conductive artificial nacre based on graphene oxide through synergistic interactions of hydrogen and covalent bonding. Tensile strength and toughness was 4 and 10 times higher, respectively, than that of natural nacre. The exceptional integrated strong and tough artificial nacre has promising applications in aerospace, artificial muscle, and tissue engineering, especially for flexible supercapacitor electrodes due to its high electrical conductivity. The use of synergistic interactions is a strategy for the development of high-performance nanocomposites.

Thermal Conductivity of Wurtzite Zinc-Oxide from First-Principles Lattice Dynamics – a Comparative Study with Gallium Nitride

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Xufei; Lee, Jonghoon; Varshney, Vikas; Wohlwend, Jennifer L.; Roy, Ajit K.; Luo, Tengfei

2016-01-01

Wurtzite Zinc-Oxide (w-ZnO) is a wide bandgap semiconductor that holds promise in power electronics applications, where heat dissipation is of critical importance. However, large discrepancies exist in the literature on the thermal conductivity of w-ZnO. In this paper, we determine the thermal conductivity of w-ZnO using first-principles lattice dynamics and compare it to that of wurtzite Gallium-Nitride (w-GaN) – another important wide bandgap semiconductor with the same crystal structure and similar atomic masses as w-ZnO. However, the thermal conductivity values show large differences (400 W/mK of w-GaN vs. 50 W/mK of w-ZnO at room temperature). It is found that the much lower thermal conductivity of ZnO originates from the smaller phonon group velocities, larger three-phonon scattering phase space and larger anharmonicity. Compared to w-GaN, w-ZnO has a smaller frequency gap in phonon dispersion, which is responsible for the stronger anharmonic phonon scattering, and the weaker interatomic bonds in w-ZnO leads to smaller phonon group velocities. The thermal conductivity of w-ZnO also shows strong size effect with nano-sized grains or structures. The results from this work help identify the cause of large discrepancies in w-ZnO thermal conductivity and will provide in-depth understanding of phonon dynamics for the design of w-ZnO-based electronics. PMID:26928396

Influence of growth temperature of transparent conducting oxide layer on Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin-film solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Dae-Hyung; Chung, Yong-Duck; Lee, Kyu-Seok; Park, Nae-Man; Kim, Kyung-Hyun; Choi, Hae-Won; Kim, Jeha

2012-01-01

We have studied the influence of growth temperature (T G ) in the deposition of an indium tin oxide (ITO) transparent conducting oxide layer on Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) thin-film solar cells. The ITO films were deposited on i-ZnO/glass and i-ZnO/CdS/CIGS/Mo/glass substrates using radio-frequency magnetron sputtering at various T G up to 350 °C. Both the resistivity of ITO and the interface quality of CdS/CIGS strongly depend on T G . For a T G ≤ 200 °C, a reduction in the series resistance enhanced the solar cell performance, while the p–n interface of the device was found to become deteriorated severely at T G > 200 °C. CIGS solar cells with ITO deposited at T G = 200 °C showed the best performance in terms of efficiency.

Integrating high electrical conductivity and photocatalytic activity in cotton fabric by cationizing for enriched coating of negatively charged graphene oxide.

Science.gov (United States)

Sahito, Iftikhar Ali; Sun, Kyung Chul; Arbab, Alvira Ayoub; Qadir, Muhammad Bilal; Jeong, Sung Hoon

2015-10-05

Electroconductive textiles have attended tremendous focus recently and researchers are making efforts to increase conductivity of e-textiles, in order to increase the use of such flexible and low cost textile materials. In this study, surface conductivity and photo catalytic activity of standard cotton fabric (SCF) was enhanced by modifying its surface charge, from negative to positive, using Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) as a cationic agent, to convert it into cationised cotton fabric (CCF). Then, both types of fabrics were dip coated with a simple dip and dry technique for the adsorption of negatively charged graphene oxide (GO) sheets onto its surface. This resulted in 67.74% higher loading amount of GO on the CCF making self-assembly. Finally, this coating was chemically converted by vapor reduction using hydrazine hydrate to reduced graphene oxide (rGO) for restoration of a high electrical conductivity at the fabric surface. Our results revealed that with such high loading of GO, the surface resistance of CCF was only 40Ω/sq as compared to 510Ω/sq of the SCF and a 66% higher photo catalytic activity was also achieved through cationization for improved GO coating. Graphene coated SCF and CCF were characterized using FE-SEM, FTIR, Raman, UV-vis, WAXD, EDX and XPS spectroscopy to ascertain successful reduction of GO to rGO. The effect of BSA treatment on adsorption of cotton fabric was studied using drop shape analyzer to measure contact angle and for thermal and mechanical resistance, the fabric was tested for TGA and tensile strength, respectively. rGO coated fabric also showed slightly improved thermal stability yet a minor loss of strength was observed. The high flexibility, photocatalytic activity and excellent conductivity of this fabric suggests that it can be used as an electrode material for various applications. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pressure effect on ionic conductivity in yttrium-oxide-doped single-crystal zirconium oxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, E.T.; Park, J.H.

1998-06-01

In this study, the authors investigated the effect of pressure on the ionic conductivity of a 9.5 mol% yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) single crystal. The experiment was conducted in the elastic region, and the oxygen ion transport number was unity (t ion > 0.99999). A conventional four-probe DC method was used to measure the ionic conductivity of the rectangular-shaped sample under uniaxial pressures up to 600 atm at 750 C in air. Measured ionic conductivity decreased as applied pressure increased. Based on henry Eyring's absolute reaction rate theory, which states that the calculated activation volume has a positive value (ΔV 2 = 2.08 cm 3 /mol of O -2 ) for oxygen ion transport in the fluoride cubic lattice, they concluded that the results they obtained could be explained by an oxygen ion transport mechanism. This mechanism can explain the fact that the interionic distance increases during oxygen ion transport from one unit cell to neighboring unit cells

Oxidation Resistant Graphite Studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

W. Windes; R. Smith

2014-07-01

The Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) Graphite Research and Development Program is investigating doped nuclear graphite grades exhibiting oxidation resistance. During a oxygen ingress accident the oxidation rates of the high temperature graphite core region would be extremely high resulting in significant structural damage to the core. Reducing the oxidation rate of the graphite core material would reduce the structural effects and keep the core integrity intact during any air-ingress accident. Oxidation testing of graphite doped with oxidation resistant material is being conducted to determine the extent of oxidation rate reduction. Nuclear grade graphite doped with varying levels of Boron-Carbide (B4C) was oxidized in air at nominal 740°C at 10/90% (air/He) and 100% air. The oxidation rates of the boronated and unboronated graphite grade were compared. With increasing boron-carbide content (up to 6 vol%) the oxidation rate was observed to have a 20 fold reduction from unboronated graphite. Visual inspection and uniformity of oxidation across the surface of the specimens were conducted. Future work to determine the remaining mechanical strength as well as graphite grades with SiC doped material are discussed.

A recommendation for the thermal conductivity of oxide fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, K. H.; Ryu, H. J.; Song, K. C.; Yang, M. S.; Na, S. H.; Lee, Y. W.; Moon, H. S.; Kim, H. S.

2004-01-01

The thermal conductivity of nuclear fuel is one of the most important properties because it affects the fuel operating temperature. Therefore, it influences almost all the important processes occurred in nuclear fuel during irradiation, such as gas release, swelling and grain growth. The model of the thermal conductivity of nuclear fuel should be used in the codes to evaluate the performance of it analytically and be required in the nuclear fuel research and development. The thermal conductivity, k, of UO 2 depends on the deviation from stoichiometry, x, the burnup, b, and the fractional porosity, p, as well as the temperature, T: k = k(x, b, p, T), (1) Changes in thermal conductivity occur during irradiation because of fission-gas bubble formation, pores, cracks, fission product build-up and possible changes in the oxygen to uranium ratio (O/U). The dependence on temperature and porosity has been well studied and incorporated in computer codes used for the in-pile fuel behavior analysis. There are several studies on the effect of impurity on the thermal conductivity of UO 2 . In this paper, the variables affected on the thermal conductivity were studied. The available data of the thermal conductivity of UO 2 , UO 2+x , (U, Pu)O 2 , (U, Pu)O 2 and simulated fuel for irradiation fuel were reviewed and analyzed. The best models were recommended

Measuring the residual stress of transparent conductive oxide films on PET by the double-beam shadow Moiré interferometer

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Hsi-Chao; Huang, Kuo-Ting; Lo, Yen-Ming; Chiu, Hsuan-Yi; Chen, Guan-Jhen

2011-09-01

The purpose of this research was to construct a measurement system which can fast and accurately analyze the residual stress of the flexible electronics. The transparent conductive oxide (TCO) films, tin-doped indium oxide (ITO), were deposited by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering using corresponding oxide targets on PET substrate. As we know that the shadow Moiré interferometry is a useable way to measure the large deformation. So we set up a double beam shadow Moiré interferometer to measure and analyze the residual stress of TCO films on PET. The feature was to develop a mathematical model and combine the image processing software. By the LabVIEW graphical software, we could measure the distance which is between the left and right fringe on the pattern to solve the curvature of deformed surface. Hence, the residual stress could calculate by the Stoney correction formula for the flexible electronics. By combining phase shifting method with shadow Moiré, the measurement resolution and accuracy have been greatly improved. We also had done the error analysis for the system whose relative error could be about 2%. Therefore, shadow Moiré interferometer is a non-destructive, fast, and simple system for the residual stress on TCO/PET films.

Role of the tip induced local anodic oxidation in the conductive atomic force microscopy of mixed phase silicon thin films

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Vetushka, Aliaksi; Fejfar, Antonín; Ledinský, Martin; Rezek, Bohuslav; Stuchlík, Jiří; Kočka, Jan

2010-01-01

Roč. 7, 3-4 (2010), s. 728-731 ISSN 1862-6351 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LC06040; GA AV ČR KAN400100701; GA MŠk LC510; GA AV ČR(CZ) IAA100100902 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100521 Keywords : local anodic oxidation (LAO) * conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM) Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/123289759/abstract

Titanium Oxide/Platinum Catalysis: Charge Transfer from a Titanium Oxide Support Controls Activity and Selectivity in Methanol Oxidation on Platinum

KAUST Repository

Hervier, Antoine

2011-11-24

Platinum films of 1 nm thickness were deposited by electron beam evaporation onto 100 nm thick titanium oxide films (TiOx) with variable oxygen vacancy concentrations and fluorine (F) doping. Methanol oxidation on the platinum films produced formaldehyde, methyl formate, and carbon dioxide. F-doped samples demonstrated significantly higher activity for methanol oxidation when the TiOx was stoichiometric (TiO 2), but lower activity when it was nonstoichiometric (TiO 1.7 and TiO1.9). These results correlate with the chemical behavior of the same types of catalysts in CO oxidation. Fluorine doping of stoichiometric TiO2 also increased selectivity toward partial oxidation of methanol to formaldehyde and methyl formate, but had an opposite effect in the case of nonstoichiometric TiOx. Introduction of oxygen vacancies and fluorine doping both increased the conductivity of the TiO x film. For oxygen vacancies, this occurred by the formation of a conduction channel in the band gap, whereas in the case of fluorine doping, F acted as an n-type donor, forming a conduction channel at the bottom of the conduction band, about 0.5-1.0 eV higher in energy. The higher energy electrons in F-doped stoichiometric TiOx led to higher turnover rates and increased selectivity toward partial oxidation of methanol. This correlation between electronic structure and turnover rate and selectivity indicates that the ability of the support to transfer charges to surface species controls in part the activity and selectivity of the reaction. © 2011 American Chemical Society.

Corrosion Protection of Steels by Conducting Polymer Coating

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Toshiaki Ohtsuka

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The corrosion protection of steels by conducting polymer coating is reviewed. The conducting polymer such as polyaniline, polypyrrole, and polythiophen works as a strong oxidant to the steel, inducing the potential shift to the noble direction. The strongly oxidative conducting polymer facilitates the steel to be passivated. A bilayered PPy film was designed for the effective corrosion protection. It consisted of the inner layer in which phosphomolybdate ion, PMo12O3−40 (PMo, was doped and the outer layer in which dodecylsulfate ion (DoS was doped. The inner layer stabilized the passive oxide and the outer possessed anionic perm-selectivity to inhibit the aggressive anions such as chloride from penetrating through the PPy film to the substrate steel. By the bilayered PPy film, the steel was kept passive for about 200 h in 3.5% sodium chloride solution without formation of corrosion products.

Atom states and interatomic interactions in complex perovskite-like oxides. Communication XX. Origin of electron-ionic conductivity in lanthanum gallates doped with strontium and chromium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chezhina, N.V.; Zolotukhina, N.V.; Pijr, I.V.

2006-01-01

Magnetic susceptibilities and electric conductivities of solid solutions based on lanthanum gallate containing chromium and strontium atoms in the ratio of 10 : 2 were studied. It was shown that no partial oxidation of chromium to Cr(IV) occurs when lanthanum gallate is doped with chromium and strontium simultaneously, whereas the ionic conductivity is associated with the appearance of vacancies stabilized by chromium atoms in the oxygen sublattice [ru

ZnO transparent conductive oxide for thin film silicon solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Söderström, T.; Dominé, D.; Feltrin, A.; Despeisse, M.; Meillaud, F.; Bugnon, G.; Boccard, M.; Cuony, P.; Haug, F.-J.; Faÿ, S.; Nicolay, S.; Ballif, C.

2010-03-01

There is general agreement that the future production of electric energy has to be renewable and sustainable in the long term. Photovoltaic (PV) is booming with more than 7GW produced in 2008 and will therefore play an important role in the future electricity supply mix. Currently, crystalline silicon (c-Si) dominates the market with a share of about 90%. Reducing the cost per watt peak and energy pay back time of PV was the major concern of the last decade and remains the main challenge today. For that, thin film silicon solar cells has a strong potential because it allies the strength of c-Si (i.e. durability, abundancy, non toxicity) together with reduced material usage, lower temperature processes and monolithic interconnection. One of the technological key points is the transparent conductive oxide (TCO) used for front contact, barrier layer or intermediate reflector. In this paper, we report on the versatility of ZnO grown by low pressure chemical vapor deposition (ZnO LP-CVD) and its application in thin film silicon solar cells. In particular, we focus on the transparency, the morphology of the textured surface and its effects on the light in-coupling for micromorph tandem cells in both the substrate (n-i-p) and superstrate (p-i-n) configurations. The stabilized efficiencies achieved in Neuchâtel are 11.2% and 9.8% for p-i-n (without ARC) and n-i-p (plastic substrate), respectively.

Nanoscale current spreading analysis in solution-processed graphene oxide/silver nanowire transparent electrodes via conductive atomic force microscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shaw, Joseph E.; Perumal, Ajay; Bradley, Donal D. C.; Stavrinou, Paul N.; Anthopoulos, Thomas D., E-mail: t.anthopoulos@ic.ac.uk [Department of Physics and Centre for Plastic Electronics, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom)

2016-05-21

We use conductive atomic force microscopy (CAFM) to study the origin of long-range conductivity in model transparent conductive electrodes composed of networks of reduced graphene oxide (rGO{sub X}) and silver nanowires (AgNWs), with nanoscale spatial resolution. Pristine networks of rGO{sub X} (1–3 monolayers-thick) and AgNWs exhibit sheet resistances of ∼100–1000 kΩ/□ and 100–900 Ω/□, respectively. When the materials are deposited sequentially to form bilayer rGO{sub X}/AgNW electrodes and thermally annealed at 200 °C, the sheet resistance reduces by up to 36% as compared to pristine AgNW networks. CAFM was used to analyze the current spreading in both systems in order to identify the nanoscale phenomena responsible for this effect. For rGO{sub X} networks, the low intra-flake conductivity and the inter-flake contact resistance is found to dominate the macroscopic sheet resistance, while for AgNW networks the latter is determined by the density of the inter-AgNW junctions and their associated resistance. In the case of the bilayer rGO{sub X}/AgNWs' networks, rGO{sub X} flakes are found to form conductive “bridges” between AgNWs. We show that these additional nanoscopic electrical connections are responsible for the enhanced macroscopic conductivity of the bilayer rGO{sub X}/AgNW electrodes. Finally, the critical role of thermal annealing on the formation of these nanoscopic connections is discussed.

Yttrium and Nickel Co-Doped BaZrO3 as a Proton-Conducting Electrolyte for Intermediate Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

KAUST Repository

Shafi, S. P.

2015-07-17

High temperature proton conducting oxides, due to their lower activation energy for proton conduction, can achieve high conductivity at relatively low temperatures (500-700°C). Though BaZr0.8Y0.2O3-δ (BZY) perovskite exhibits good chemical stability and high bulk conductivity, high grain boundary resistance decreases its total conductivity. This work focuses on substitution of Zr4+ with Ni2+ in the perovskite B-site in a targeted fashion in order to promote the sinterability of BZY. Powder X-ray diffraction analysis showed the formation of single phases for Ba0.8-xY0.2NixO3-δ compositions up to x = 0.04. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image analysis demonstrated that densification is promoted by increasing the Ni-content, reaching a fully dense microstructure for Ba0.76Y0.2Ni0.04O3-δ (BZYNi04). An anode supported single cell based on BZYNi04 electrolyte showed superior power performance, achieving 240 and 428 mW cm-2 at 600 and 700°C, respectively. © The Electrochemical Society.

Yttrium and Nickel Co-Doped BaZrO3 as a Proton-Conducting Electrolyte for Intermediate Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

KAUST Repository

Shafi, S. P.; Bi, Lei; Boulfrad, S.; Traversa, Enrico

2015-01-01

High temperature proton conducting oxides, due to their lower activation energy for proton conduction, can achieve high conductivity at relatively low temperatures (500-700°C). Though BaZr0.8Y0.2O3-δ (BZY) perovskite exhibits good chemical stability and high bulk conductivity, high grain boundary resistance decreases its total conductivity. This work focuses on substitution of Zr4+ with Ni2+ in the perovskite B-site in a targeted fashion in order to promote the sinterability of BZY. Powder X-ray diffraction analysis showed the formation of single phases for Ba0.8-xY0.2NixO3-δ compositions up to x = 0.04. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image analysis demonstrated that densification is promoted by increasing the Ni-content, reaching a fully dense microstructure for Ba0.76Y0.2Ni0.04O3-δ (BZYNi04). An anode supported single cell based on BZYNi04 electrolyte showed superior power performance, achieving 240 and 428 mW cm-2 at 600 and 700°C, respectively. © The Electrochemical Society.

Novel Non-Stoichiometric Manganese – Cobalt – Nickel – Oxide Composite as Humidity Sensor Through Solid-State Electrical Conductivity Measurements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Sundaram

2006-08-01

Full Text Available Equimolar amounts of manganese(II chloride, cobalt(III nitrate and nickel(II chloride in aqueous solution were reacted with ammonia and the resulting precipitate of hydroxides was heated to 7500 C in 6h to yield a non stoichiometric oxides having a composition of Mn0.06Co0.6Ni0.6O2.5 as analyzed by atomic absorption spectroscopy to a pellet and sintered at 6000 C. Characterization of the material has been made with AAS, Far-IR, TG-DTA, XRD, SEM, VSM and electrical conductance measurement. The far-IR spectra indicated the presence of metal-oxygen bonds and the discrete nature of the oxide was established from power X-ray diffraction pattern recorded at room temperature. The thermogravimetric data indicated the successive loss and gain of fraction of oxygen atoms, a specific feature of non-stoichiometric metal oxides. It was subjected to solid-state DC electrical conductivity measurements at room temperature. The current increases linearly with applied field and exponentially with increase in temperature showing conformance to ohmic law and semiconducting nature. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM studies were carried out to study the surface and pores structure of the sensor materials. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET surface adsorption studies showed that the radiuses of the pore sizes were found to be distributed from 10-45A with the pore specific volume being 0.01 cm3 g-1. As the composites having micropores are preferred for humidity sensing properties, the material was subjected to water vapour of different humidity achieved by various water buffers at room temperature and the electrical conductivity was measured as a function of relative humidity (RH. The electrical resistivity drastically decreases with increase in humidity, proving the material to be a good water vapour sensor. The sensitivity factor (Sf was 55000 in the range 5–98% RH, meaning the resistivity falls by a factor of 5.5 x 104 when the atmospheric RH increases from 5

Improvement of corrosion resistance of transparent conductive multilayer coating consisting of silver layers and transparent metal oxide layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koike, Katsuhiko; Yamazaki, Fumiharu; Okamura, Tomoyuki; Fukuda, Shin

2007-01-01

An optical filter for plasma display panel (PDP) requires an electromagnetic shield with very high ability. The authors investigated a transparent conductive multilayer coating consisting of silver (Ag) layers and transparent metal oxide layers. The durability of the multilayer sputter coating, including the silver layer, is very sensitive to the surrounding atmosphere. For example, after an exposure test they found discolored points on the multilayer sputter coatings, possibly caused by migration of silver atoms in the silver layers. In their investigation, they modified the top surface of the multilayer sputter coatings with transition metals to improve the corrosion resistance of the multilayer coating. Specifically, they deposited transition metals 0.5-2 nm thick on the top surface of the multilayer coatings by sputtering. They chose indium tin oxide (ITO) as the transparent metal oxide. They applied the multilayer sputter coatings of seven layers to a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film substrate. A cross-sectional structure of the film with the multilayer coatings is PET film/ITO/Ag/ITO/Ag/ITO/Ag/ITO. They evaluated the corrosion resistance of the films by a salt-water immersion test. In the test, they immersed the film with multilayer coatings into salt water, and then evaluated the appearance, transmittance, and electrical resistance of the multilayer coatings. They investigated several transition metals as the modifying material, and found that titanium and tantalum drastically improved the resistance of the multilayer coatings to the salt-water exposure without a significant decline in transmittance. They also investigated the relation between elapsed time after deposition of the modifying materials and resistance to the salt water. Furthermore, they investigated the effects of a heat treatment and an oxide plasma treatment on resistance to the salt water

Enhanced Proton Conductivity and Methanol Permeability Reduction via Sodium Alginate Electrolyte-Sulfonated Graphene Oxide Bio-membrane

Science.gov (United States)

Shaari, N.; Kamarudin, S. K.; Basri, S.; Shyuan, L. K.; Masdar, M. S.; Nordin, D.

2018-03-01

The high methanol crossover and high cost of Nafion® membrane are the major challenges for direct methanol fuel cell application. With the aim of solving these problems, a non-Nafion polymer electrolyte membrane with low methanol permeability and high proton conductivity based on the sodium alginate (SA) polymer as the matrix and sulfonated graphene oxide (SGO) as an inorganic filler (0.02-0.2 wt%) was prepared by a simple solution casting technique. The strong electrostatic attraction between -SO3H of SGO and the sodium alginate polymer increased the mechanical stability, optimized the water absorption and thus inhibited the methanol crossover in the membrane. The optimum properties and performances were presented by the SA/SGO membrane with a loading of 0.2 wt% SGO, which gave a proton conductivity of 13.2 × 10-3 Scm-1, and the methanol permeability was 1.535 × 10-7 cm2 s-1 at 25 °C, far below that of Nafion (25.1 × 10-7 cm2 s-1) at 25 °C. The mechanical properties of the sodium alginate polymer in terms of tensile strength and elongation at break were improved by the addition of SGO.

In-situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements of zirconium alloy oxide conductivity: Relationship to hydrogen pickup

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Couet, Adrien; Motta, Arthur T.; Ambard, Antoine; Livigni, Didier

2017-01-01

Highlights: • In-situ electrochemistry on zirconium alloys in 360 °C pure water show oxide layer resistivity changes during corrosion. • A linear relationship is observed between oxide resistivity and instantaneous hydrogen pickup fraction. • The resistivity of the oxide layer formed on Zircaloy-4 (and thus its hydrogen pickup fraction) is higher than on Zr-2.5Nb. - Abstract: Hydrogen pickup during nuclear fuel cladding corrosion is a critical life-limiting degradation mechanism for nuclear fuel. Following a program dedicated to zirconium alloys, corrosion, it has been hypothesized that oxide electronic resistivity determines hydrogen pickup. In-situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy experiments were performed on Zircaloy-4 and Zr-2.5Nb alloys in 360 °C water. The oxide resistivity was measured as function of time. The results show that as the oxide resistivity increases so does the hydrogen pickup fraction. The resistivity of the oxide layer formed on Zircaloy-4 is higher than on Zr-2.5Nb, resulting in a higher hydrogen pickup fraction of Zircaloy-4, compared to Zr-2.5Nb.

A Novel Method of Fabricating Flexible Transparent Conductive Large Area Graphene Film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan Tian-Ju; Yuan Chun-Qiu; Tang Wei; Tong Song-Zhao; Huang Wei; Min Yong-Gang; Liu Yi-Dong; Epstein, Arthur J.

2015-01-01

We fabricate flexible conductive and transparent graphene films on position-emission-tomography substrates and prepare large area graphene films by graphite oxide sheets with the new technical process. The multi-layer graphene oxide sheets can be chemically reduced by HNO 3 and HI to form a highly conductive graphene film on a substrate at lower temperature. The reduced graphene oxide sheets show a high conductivity sheet with resistance of 476 Ω/sq and transmittance of 76% at 550 nm (6 layers). The technique used to produce the transparent conductive graphene thin film is facile, inexpensive, and can be tunable for a large area production applied for electronics or touch screens. (paper)

Steam Electrolysis by Proton-Conducting Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells (SOECs) with Chemically Stable BaZrO3-Based Electrolytes

KAUST Repository

Bi, Lei

2015-07-17

BaZrO3-based material was applied as the electrolyte for proton-conducting solid oxide fuel cells (SOECs). Compared with the instability of BaCeO3-based proton-conductors, BaZrO3-based material could be a more promising candidate for proton-conducting SOECs due to its excellent chemical stability under H2O conditions, but few reports on this aspect has been made due to the processing difficulty for BaZrO3. Our recent pioneering work has demonstrated the feasibility of using BaZrO3-based electrolyte for SOECs and the fabricated cell achieves relatively high cell performance, which is comparable or even higher than that for BaCeO3-based SOECs and offers better chemical stability. Cell performance can be further improved by tailoring the electrolyte and electrode. © The Electrochemical Society.

Experimental analysis of current conduction through thermally ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Electrical properties of SiO2 grown on the Si-face of the epitaxial 4H-SiC ... Thermal oxide reliability is one of the most critical concerns in the realization of ... material for high temperature, high power, high frequency, and nonvolatile .... conduction mechanism in MOSiC system with varying oxide thicknesses has been.

Materials space of solid-state electrolytes: unraveling chemical composition-structure-ionic conductivity relationships in garnet-type metal oxides using cheminformatics virtual screening approaches.

Science.gov (United States)

Kireeva, Natalia; Pervov, Vladislav S

2017-08-09

The organic electrolytes of most current commercial rechargeable Li-ion batteries (LiBs) are flammable, toxic, and have limited electrochemical energy windows. All-solid-state battery technology promises improved safety, cycling performance, electrochemical stability, and possibility of device miniaturization and enables a number of breakthrough technologies towards the development of new high power and energy density microbatteries for electronics with low processing cost, solid oxide fuel cells, electrochromic devices, etc. Currently, rational materials design is attracting significant attention, which has resulted in a strong demand for methodologies that can accelerate the design of materials with tailored properties; cheminformatics can be considered as an efficient tool in this respect. This study was focused on several aspects: (i) identification of the parameters responsible for high Li-ion conductivity in garnet structured oxides; (ii) development of quantitative models to elucidate composition-structure-Li ionic conductivity relationships, taking into account the experimental details of sample preparation; (iii) circumscription of the materials space of solid garnet-type electrolytes, which is attractive for virtual screening. Several candidate compounds have been recommended for synthesis as potential solid state electrolyte materials.

Nanoporous palladium anode for direct ethanol solid oxide fuel cells with nanoscale proton-conducting ceramic electrolyte

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yong; Wong, Lai Mun; Xie, Hanlin; Wang, Shijie; Su, Pei-Chen

2017-02-01

In this work, we demonstrate the operation of micro-solid oxide fuel cells (μ-SOFCs) with nanoscale proton-conducting Y-BaZrO3 (BZY) electrolyte to avoid the fuel crossover problem for direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs). The μ-SOFCs are operated with the direct utilisation of ethanol vapour as a fuel and Pd as anode at the temperature range of 300-400 °C. The nanoporous Pd anode is achieved by DC sputtering at high Ar pressure of 80 mTorr. The Pd-anode/BYZ-electrolyte/Pt-cathode cell show peak power densities of 72.4 mW/cm2 using hydrogen and 15.3 mW/cm2 using ethanol at 400 °C. No obvious carbon deposition is seen from XPS analysis after fuel cell test with ethanol fuel.

Shape-stabilized phase change materials with high thermal conductivity based on paraffin/graphene oxide composite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mehrali, Mohammad; Latibari, Sara Tahan; Mehrali, Mehdi; Metselaar, Hendrik Simon Cornelis; Silakhori, Mahyar

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► The composite PCM was prepared with impregnation method. ► Shapes stabilized phase change material made with paraffin and GO composite. ► Determine effects of GO composite on shape stabilized PCM properties. ► The composite PCM has good thermal stability and form-stability. ► The composite PCM has much higher thermal conductivity than that of paraffin. - Abstract: This paper mainly focuses on the preparation, characterization, thermal properties and thermal stability and reliability of new form-stable composite phase change materials (PCMs) prepared by vacuum impregnation of paraffin within graphene oxide (GO) sheets. SEM and FT-IR techniques and TGA and DSC analysis are used for characterization of material and thermal properties. The composite PCM contained 48.3 wt.% of paraffin without leakage of melted PCM and therefore this composite found to be a form-stable composite PCM. SEM results indicate that the paraffin bounded into the pores of GO. FT-IR analysis showed there was no chemical reaction between paraffin and GO. Temperatures of melting and freezing and latent heats of the composite were 53.57 and 44.59 °C and 63.76 and 64.89 kJ/kg, respectively. Thermal cycling tests were done by 2500 melting/freezing cycling for verification of the form-stable composite PCM in terms of thermal reliability and chemical stability. Thermal conductivity of the composite PCM was highly improved from 0.305 to 0.985 (W/mk). As a result, the prepared paraffin/GO composite is appropriate PCM for thermal energy storage applications because of their acceptable thermal properties, good thermal reliability, chemical stability and thermal conductivities

Multivalent ion conducting solids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Imanaka, N. [Osaka Univ., Suita, Osaka (Japan). Dept. of Applied Chemistry

2008-07-01

Solid electrolytes possess important characteristics for industrial applications. Only a single ionic species can macroscopically migrate in these solids. This paper described a the new NASICON (M-Zr-Nb-P-O) type system, exhibiting an exceptionally high level of trivalent M3+ ion conductivity on polycrystalline solids. The partial substitution of the smaller higher valent Nb5+ ion for Zr4+ stabilized the NASICON phase and realized the M3+ ion conduction in the NASICON structure. It was concluded that the conductivities of the series are comparable to those of the practically applied solid electrolytes of oxide anion conductors of YSZ and CSZ. 3 refs., 2 figs.

Ionic conductivity and fuel cell properties of apatite-type lanthanum silicates doped with Mg and containing excess oxide ions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoshioka, Hideki [Hyogo Prefectural Institute of Technology, 3-1-12 Yukihira-cho, Suma-ku, Kobe 654-0037 (Japan); Nojiri, Yoshihiro [Kyushu University, Department of Mechanical Engineering Science, Faculty of Engineering, Motooka 744, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0935 (Japan); Tanase, Shigeo [National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 1-8-31 Midorigaoka, Ikeda, Osaka 563-8577 (Japan)

2008-11-30

Enhancement of the ionic conductivity of lanthanum silicate-based apatites is examined with emphasis on optimizing the La composition and the Mg doping level at the same time. La{sub 10}Si{sub 5.8}Mg{sub 0.2}O{sub 26.8} and La{sub 9.8}Si{sub 5.7}Mg{sub 0.3}O{sub 26.4} show the highest level of the ionic conductivities among apatite silicates, 8.8 and 7.4 x 10{sup -} {sup 2} S cm{sup -} {sup 1} at 800 C, respectively, with a very low level of activation energy (0.42-0.43 eV). Their conductivities are higher than yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) below 900 C and even comparable to Sr and Mg doped lanthanum gallate (LSGM) below 550 C. A solid oxide fuel cell using La{sub 9.8}Si{sub 5.7}Mg{sub 0.3}O{sub 26.4} as an electrolyte with Ni-ceria cermet anode and Sr doped lanthanum cobaltite cathode exhibits a remarkable improvement in power generation compared to previous data using Pt electrodes. Structural investigation by the Rietveld analysis on the powder X-ray diffraction pattern shows significant enlargement of the bottleneck triangle sizes of the conduction channel with the Mg doping. (author)

The influence of reduced graphene oxide on electrical conductivity of LiFePO4-based composite as cathode material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arifin, Muhammad; Aimon, Akfiny Hasdi; Winata, Toto; Abdullah, Mikrajuddin; Iskandar, Ferry

2016-01-01

LiFePO 4 is fascinating cathode active materials for Li-ion batteries application because of their high electrochemical performance such as a stable voltage at 3.45 V and high specific capacity at 170 mAh.g −1 . However, their low intrinsic electronic conductivity and low ionic diffusion are still the hindrance for their further application on Li-ion batteries. Therefore, the efforts to improve their conductivity are very important to elevate their prospecting application as cathode materials. Herein, we reported preparation of additional of reduced Graphene Oxide (rGO) into LiFePO 4 -based composite via hydrothermal method and the influence of rGO on electrical conductivity of LiFePO 4 −based composite by varying mass of rGO in composition. Vibration of LiFePO 4 -based composite was detected on Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra, while single phase of LiFePO 4 nanocrystal was observed on X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) pattern, it furthermore, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images showed that rGO was distributed around LiFePO4-based composite. Finally, the 4-point probe measurement result confirmed that the optimum electrical conductivity is in additional 2 wt% rGO for range 1 to 2 wt% rGO

Double transparent conducting layers for Si photovoltaics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yun, Ju-Hyung [Department of Electrical Engineering, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260 (United States); Kim, Joondong, E-mail: joonkim@incheon.ac.kr [Department of Electrical Engineering, Incheon National University, Incheon, 406772 (Korea, Republic of); Park, Yun Chang [Measurement and Analysis Division, National Nanofab Center (NNFC), Daejeon 305806 (Korea, Republic of); Moon, Sang-Jin [Energy Materials Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Daejeon 305-600 (Korea, Republic of); Anderson, Wayne A. [Department of Electrical Engineering, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260 (United States)

2013-11-29

Double transparent conductive oxide (TCO) film-embedded Si heterojunction solar cells were fabricated. An intentional doping was not applied for heterojunction solar cells due to the spontaneous Schottky junction formation between TCO films and an n-type Si substrate. Three different TCO coatings were formed by sputtering method for an Al-doped ZnO (AZO) film, an indium-tin-oxide (ITO) film and double stacks of ITO/AZO films. An improved crystalline ITO film was grown on an AZO template upon hetero-epitaxial growth. This double TCO films-embedded Si (ITO/AZO/Si) heterojunction solar cell provided significantly enhanced efficiency of 9.23 % as compared to the single TCO/Si (ITO/Si or AZO/Si) devices due to the optical and the electrical benefits. The effective arrangement of TCO films (ITO/AZO) provides benefits of a lower front contact resistance and a smaller band offset to Si leading enhanced photovoltaic performances. This demonstrates a potential scheme for an effective TCO film-embedded heterojunction Si solar cell. - Highlights: • Double transparent conducting oxide films form a heterojunction to Si. • A quality indium-tin-oxide film was grown above an Al-doped zinc oxide template. • Heterojunction Si solar cell was made without an intentional doping process.

Double transparent conducting layers for Si photovoltaics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yun, Ju-Hyung; Kim, Joondong; Park, Yun Chang; Moon, Sang-Jin; Anderson, Wayne A.

2013-01-01

Double transparent conductive oxide (TCO) film-embedded Si heterojunction solar cells were fabricated. An intentional doping was not applied for heterojunction solar cells due to the spontaneous Schottky junction formation between TCO films and an n-type Si substrate. Three different TCO coatings were formed by sputtering method for an Al-doped ZnO (AZO) film, an indium-tin-oxide (ITO) film and double stacks of ITO/AZO films. An improved crystalline ITO film was grown on an AZO template upon hetero-epitaxial growth. This double TCO films-embedded Si (ITO/AZO/Si) heterojunction solar cell provided significantly enhanced efficiency of 9.23 % as compared to the single TCO/Si (ITO/Si or AZO/Si) devices due to the optical and the electrical benefits. The effective arrangement of TCO films (ITO/AZO) provides benefits of a lower front contact resistance and a smaller band offset to Si leading enhanced photovoltaic performances. This demonstrates a potential scheme for an effective TCO film-embedded heterojunction Si solar cell. - Highlights: • Double transparent conducting oxide films form a heterojunction to Si. • A quality indium-tin-oxide film was grown above an Al-doped zinc oxide template. • Heterojunction Si solar cell was made without an intentional doping process

Reversible post-breakdown conduction in aluminum oxide-polymer capacitors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chen, Qian; Gomes, H.L.; Rocha, P.R.F.; Leeuw, de D.M.; Meskers, S.C.J.

2013-01-01

Aluminum/Al2O3/polymer/metal capacitors submitted to a low-power constant current stress undergo dielectric breakdown. The post-breakdown conduction is metastable, and over time the capacitors recover their original insulating properties. The decay of the conduction with time follows a power law

A transparent conductive oxide electrode with highly enhanced flexibility achieved by controlled crystallinity by incorporating Ag nanoparticles on substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Triambulo, Ross E.; Cheong, Hahn-Gil [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Gun-Hwan [Advanced Thin Film Research Group, Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), Changwon (Korea, Republic of); Yi, In-Sook [R and D Center, InkTec Co., Ltd., Ansan (Korea, Republic of); Park, Jin-Woo, E-mail: jwpark09@yonsei.ac.kr [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2015-01-25

Highlights: • We developed a composite transparent electrode with Ag nanoparticles and indium-tin-oxide. • Transmittance of AgNPs was improved by formation of oxide layers by O{sub 2} plasma treatment. • Ag nanoparticles became crystalline seeds to grow strong ITO with a uniform growth orientation. • The hybrid electrode is highly more conductive and stable under bending than ITO. - Abstract: We report the synthesis of highly flexible indium tin oxide (ITO) on a polymer substrate whose surface was engineered by oxide-coated Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) smaller than 20 nm in diameter. Polyimide (PI) substrates were spin coated with Ag ion ink and were subsequently heat treated to form AgNP coatings. The Ag oxide was formed by O{sub 2} plasma treatment to reduce the light absorbance by AgNPs. ITO was dc magnetron sputter-deposited atop the AgNPs. The ITO on the AgNPs was crystalline grown primarily with (2 2 2) growth orientation. This contrasts to the typical microstructure of ITO grown on the polymer, which is that growing c-ITO nucleates are embedded in an amorphous ITO (a-ITO) matrix like a particulate composite. The surface roughness of ITO on AgNPs was as small as the ITO on PI without AgNPs. The crystalline nature of the ITO on the AgNP-coated polymer resulted in the decrease of electric resistivity (ρ) by 65% compared to that of ITO on the bare PI. Furthermore, an electric resistivity change (Δρ) of the ITO on the AgNPs was only 8% at a bending radius (r{sub b}) down to 4 mm, whereas the ITO on the non-coated polymer became almost insulating at an r{sub b} of 10 mm, owing to a drastic increase in the number of cracks. To validate the potential application in the displays, flexible organic light emitting diodes (f-OLEDs) were fabricated on the ITO on AgNPs and the performances was compared with the f-OLED on ITO on the bare PI.

A transparent conductive oxide electrode with highly enhanced flexibility achieved by controlled crystallinity by incorporating Ag nanoparticles on substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Triambulo, Ross E.; Cheong, Hahn-Gil; Lee, Gun-Hwan; Yi, In-Sook; Park, Jin-Woo

2015-01-01

Highlights: • We developed a composite transparent electrode with Ag nanoparticles and indium-tin-oxide. • Transmittance of AgNPs was improved by formation of oxide layers by O 2 plasma treatment. • Ag nanoparticles became crystalline seeds to grow strong ITO with a uniform growth orientation. • The hybrid electrode is highly more conductive and stable under bending than ITO. - Abstract: We report the synthesis of highly flexible indium tin oxide (ITO) on a polymer substrate whose surface was engineered by oxide-coated Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) smaller than 20 nm in diameter. Polyimide (PI) substrates were spin coated with Ag ion ink and were subsequently heat treated to form AgNP coatings. The Ag oxide was formed by O 2 plasma treatment to reduce the light absorbance by AgNPs. ITO was dc magnetron sputter-deposited atop the AgNPs. The ITO on the AgNPs was crystalline grown primarily with (2 2 2) growth orientation. This contrasts to the typical microstructure of ITO grown on the polymer, which is that growing c-ITO nucleates are embedded in an amorphous ITO (a-ITO) matrix like a particulate composite. The surface roughness of ITO on AgNPs was as small as the ITO on PI without AgNPs. The crystalline nature of the ITO on the AgNP-coated polymer resulted in the decrease of electric resistivity (ρ) by 65% compared to that of ITO on the bare PI. Furthermore, an electric resistivity change (Δρ) of the ITO on the AgNPs was only 8% at a bending radius (r b ) down to 4 mm, whereas the ITO on the non-coated polymer became almost insulating at an r b of 10 mm, owing to a drastic increase in the number of cracks. To validate the potential application in the displays, flexible organic light emitting diodes (f-OLEDs) were fabricated on the ITO on AgNPs and the performances was compared with the f-OLED on ITO on the bare PI

Application of hydrogen-doped In2O3 transparent conductive oxide to thin-film microcrystalline Si solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koida, Takashi; Sai, Hitoshi; Kondo, Michio

2010-01-01

Hydrogen-doped In 2 O 3 (IO:H) films with high electron mobility and improved near-infrared (NIR) transparency have been applied as a transparent conducting oxide (TCO) electrode in substrate-type hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) solar cells. The incorporation of IO:H, instead of conventional Sn-doped In 2 O 3 , improved the short-circuit current density (J sc ) and the resulting conversion efficiency. Optical analysis of the solar cells and TCO films revealed that the improvement in J sc is due to the improved spectral sensitivity in the visible and NIR wavelengths by reduction of absorption loss caused by free carriers in the TCO films.

Indium oxide co-doped with tin and zinc: A simple route to highly conducting high density targets for TCO thin-film fabrication

Science.gov (United States)

Saadeddin, I.; Hilal, H. S.; Decourt, R.; Campet, G.; Pecquenard, B.

2012-07-01

Indium oxide co-doped with tin and zinc (ITZO) ceramics have been successfully prepared by direct sintering of the powders mixture at 1300 °C. This allowed us to easily fabricate large highly dense target suitable for sputtering transparent conducting oxide (TCO) films, without using any cold or hot pressing techniques. Hence, the optimized ITZO ceramic reaches a high relative bulk density (˜ 92% of In2O3 theoretical density) and higher than the well-known indium oxide doped with tin (ITO) prepared under similar conditions. All X-ray diagrams obtained for ITZO ceramics confirms a bixbyte structure typical for In2O3 only. This indicates a higher solubility limit of Sn and Zn when they are co-doped into In2O3 forming a solid-solution. A very low value of electrical resistivity is obtained for [In2O3:Sn0.10]:Zn0.10 (1.7 × 10-3 Ω cm, lower than ITO counterpart) which could be fabricated to high dense ceramic target suing pressure-less sintering.

Investigation of thermal conductivity and oxidation behaviour of reaction bonded aluminum nitride (RBAN) ceramics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salahi, E; Moztarzadeh, F.; Margoosian, V.; Heinrich, J. G.

2003-01-01

AlN samples have been produced by reaction bonding process using AlN and aluminum powders as starting materials. Different aluminum nitride and aluminum powders ratios were mixed in ethanol media, dried, isostatically and nitrided in (N 2 )atmosphere. Results showed that conversion of to AlN depends strongly on the amount of aluminum starting powder and decreased with increasing after a maximum at 25 Al wt %. Changing the particle size and morphology of the aluminum starting powder leads to change in the conversion ratio and microstructure of RBAN ceramics. Typical scanning electron micrographs of RBAN sample indicating primary and secondary aluminum nitride morphology and pore structure. The oxidation behavior of RABN samples showed the weight gain depends on the average particle size, morphology and amount of Al in starting mixture and pore structure. Samples have been manufactured with equi-axed morphology of Al starting powder have thermal conductivity higher than the samples have been manufactured with flake-like morphology. These differences were directly related to the different microstructure of RBAN samples

Improved Laser Scribing of Transparent Conductive Oxide for Fabrication of Thin-Film Solar Module

Science.gov (United States)

Egorov, F. S.; Kukin, A. V.; Terukov, E. I.; Titov, A. S.

2018-04-01

Nonuniform thickness of the front transparent conductive oxide (TCO) used for fabrication of thin-film solar module (TFSM) based on micromorphic technology affects P1 laser scribing (P1 scribing on the TCO front layer). A method for improvement of the thickness uniformity of the front TCO using modification of the existing system for gas supply of the LPCVD (TCO1200) vacuum setup with the aid of gasdistributing tubes is proposed. The thickness nonuniformity of the deposition procedure is decreased from 15.2 to 11.4% to improve uniformity of the resistance of the front TCO and light-scattering factor of TFSM. In addition, the number of P1 laser scribes with inadmissible resistance of insulation (less than 2 MΩ) is decreased by a factor of 7. A decrease in the amount of melt at the P1 scribe edges leads to an increase in the TFSM shunting resistance by 56 Ω. The TFSM output power is increased by 0.4 W due to improvement of parameters of the front TCO related to application of gas-distributing tubes.

Growth of conductive HfO{sub 2-x} thin films by reactive molecular beam epitaxy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hildebrandt, Erwin; Kurian, Jose; Alff, Lambert [Institut fuer Materialwissenschaft, TU Darmstadt (Germany); Kleebe, Hans-Joachim [Institut fuer Angewandte Geowissenschaften, TU Darmstadt (Germany)

2009-07-01

Thin films of oxygen deficient hafnium oxide were grown on single crystal c-cut and r-cut sapphire substrates by reactive molecular beam epitaxy. The oxidation conditions during growth were varied within a wide range using RF-activated oxygen. Hafnium oxide thin films were characterized using X-ray diffraction, resistivity measurements ({rho}-T) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results show a dramatic increase in conductivity of the deposited oxygen deficient hafnium oxide thin films with decreasing oxidation conditions during growth. The electrical properties of deficient hafnium oxide thin films varied from insulating over semiconducting to conducting. X-ray diffraction data as well as TEM data rule out the possibility of conductivity due to metallic hafnium.

Mixed conducting materials for partial oxidation of hydrocarbons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frade, J. R.

2004-06-01

Full Text Available Thermodynamic calculations with additional conditions for the conservation of carbon and hydrogen were used to predict the gas composition obtained by partial oxidation of methane as a function of oxygen partial pressure and temperature; this was used to assess the stability and oxygen permeability requirements of mixed conducting membrane materials proposed for this purpose. A re-examination of known mixed conductors shows that most materials with highest permeability still fail to fulfil the requirements of stability under reducing conditions. Other materials possess sufficient stability but their oxygen permeability is insufficient. Different approaches were thus used to attempt to overcome those limitations, including changes in composition in the A and B site positions of ABO3 perovskites, and tests of materials with different structure types. Promising results were obtained mainly for some materials with perovskite or related K2NiF4-type structures. Limited stability of the most promising materials shows that one should rely mainly on kinetic limitations in the permeate side to protect the mixed conductor from severe reducing conditions.

Se han usado cálculos termodinámicos con condiciones adicionales para la conservación del carbono e hidrógeno para predecir la composición del gas obtenido mediante la oxidación parcial del metano en función de la presión parcial de oxígeno y de la temperatura; esto se ha usado para asegurar los requerimientos de estabilidad y permeabilidad al oxígeno de los materiales conductores mixtos empleados como membrana para este propósito. Un nuevo exámen de los conductores mixtos conocidos muestra que la mayoría de los materiales con la mayor permeabilidad todavía fallan en el cumplimiento de los requerimientos de estabilidad bajo condiciones reductoras. Otros materiales poseen suficiente estabilidad, pero su permeabilidad al oxígeno es insuficiente. Por ello se han empleado diferentes

Transparent Conductive Nanostructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2008-06-22

The objectives of this program between UT-Battelle, LLC (the ''Contractor'') and (Battelle Memorial Institute) (the "Participant") were directed towards achieving significant improvement: in the electrical conductivity and optical/infrared transmission of single-wall carbon nanotube (SWNT)-based composite materials. These materials will be used in coating applications that range from aircraft canopies to display applications. The goal of the project was to obtain supported mats of SWNTs with sheet conductivities approaching 10 ohms/square combined with high optical transmission (>85% transmission at 550 nm), thereby permitting their application as a replacement for indium tin oxide (ITO) in a variety of applications such as flexible displays.

Preparation of conductive membranes using poly pyrrole

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Madaeni, S.; Khavaran, B.

2003-01-01

Conductive membranes show many benefits including fouling reduction for feeds containing ionic species. These membranes may be prepared either by conductive polymers or coating of the surfaces of non-conductive membranes with conductive polymer. In this research, the commercial micro filtration GVHP membrane manufactured from PVDF was coated with poly pyrrole using two different techniques. The conductivity of the prepared membranes was measured. In this paper, effects of various factors including concentration of the solutions, oxidizing agents, time for leaving the support in the solutions, support type and temperature on membrane conductivity were investigated

Highly-wrinkled reduced graphene oxide-conductive polymer fibers for flexible fiber-shaped and interdigital-designed supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Bo; Cheng, Jianli; Wang, Zhuanpei; Li, Yinchuan; Ni, Wei; Wang, Bin

2018-02-01

Flexible supercapacitors have attracted great interest due to outstanding flexibility and light weight. Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) fibers have the great potential in using as electrodes for flexible supercapacitors due to the good flexibility. However, the reported conductivity and specific capacitance of these PEDOT: PSS fibers are not very high, which limit their electrochemical performances. In this work, composite fibers of reduced graphene oxide(rGO)-PEDOT: PSS with a highly-wrinkled structure on the surface and pores inside are prepared by wet spinning. The fibers with different ratios of graphene to PEDOT:PSS show a distinctly enhanced conductivity up to ca. 590 S·cm-1 and high strength up to ca. 18.4 MPa. Meanwhile, the composite fibers show an improved electrochemical performances, including a high specific areal capacitance of 131 mF cm-2 and high specific areal energy density of 4.55 μWh·cm-2. The flexible supercapacitors including fiber-shaped supercapacitors and interdigital designed supercapacitors not only could work in different bending states without obvious capacitance decay, but also have small leakage current. The interdigital design can further improve the performances of composite fibers with high capacitance and high utilization compared with traditional parallel connected structure.

Preparation and Property Evaluation of Conductive Hydrogel Using Poly (Vinyl Alcohol/Polyethylene Glycol/Graphene Oxide for Human Electrocardiogram Acquisition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xueliang Xiao

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Conductive hydrogel combined with Ag/AgCl electrode is widely used in the acquisition of bio-signals. However, the high adhesiveness of current commercial hydrogel causes human skin allergies and pruritus easily after wearing hydrogel for electrodes for a long time. In this paper, a novel conductive hydrogel with good mechanical and conductive performance was prepared using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA, polyethylene glycol (PEG, and graphene oxide (GO nanoparticles. A cyclic freezing–thawing method was employed under processing conditions of −40 °C (8 h and 20 °C (4 h separately for three cycles in sequence until a strong conductive hydrogel, namely, PVA/PEG/GO gel, was obtained. Characterization (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, scanning electron microscopy results indicated that the assembled hydrogel was successfully prepared with a three-dimensional network structure and, thereafter, the high strength and elasticity due to the complete polymeric net formed by dense hydrogen bonds in the freezing process. The as-made PVA/PEG/GO hydrogel was then composited with nonwoven fabric for electrocardiogram (ECG electrodes. The ECG acquisition data indicated that the prepared hydrogel has good electro-conductivity and can obtain stable ECG signals for humans in a static state and in motion (with a small amount of drift. A comparison of results indicated that the prepared PVA/PEG/GO gel obtained the same quality of ECG signals with commercial conductive gel with fewer cases of allergies and pruritus in volunteer after six hours of wear.

Transparent conducting oxide films of group V doped titania prepared by aqueous chemical solution deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elen, Ken; Capon, Boris; De Dobbelaere, Christopher; Dewulf, Daan; Peys, Nick; Detavernier, Christophe; Hardy, An; Van Bael, Marlies K.

2014-01-01

Transparent conducting oxide (TCO) films of titania doped with vanadium (V), niobium (Nb) and tantalum (Ta) are obtained by aqueous Chemical Solution Deposition (CSD). The effect of the dopant on the crystallization and microstructure of the resulting films is examined by means of X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy. During annealing of the thin films, in-situ characterization of the crystal structure and sheet resistance is carried out. Niobium doped anatase films, obtained after annealing in forming gas, show a resistivity of 0,28 Ohm cm, which is the lowest resistivity reported for a solution deposited anatase-based TCO so far. Here, we demonstrate that aqueous CSD may provide a strategy for scalable TCO production in the future. - Highlights: • Aqueous chemical solution deposition of doped titanium dioxide • Doping delays the phase transition from anatase to rutile • Lowest resistivity after doping with niobium and annealing in Forming Gas • Transparency higher than 80% in the visible range of optical spectrum

Transparent conducting oxide films of group V doped titania prepared by aqueous chemical solution deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elen, Ken [Inorganic and Physical Chemistry, Institute for Materials Research, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building D, B-3590 Diepenbeek (Belgium); IMEC vzw division IMOMEC, Agoralaan Building D, B-3590 Diepenbeek (Belgium); Strategisch Initiatief Materialen (SIM), SoPPoM Program (Belgium); Capon, Boris [Strategisch Initiatief Materialen (SIM), SoPPoM Programm (Belgium); Coating and Contacting of Nanostructures, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S1, B-9000 Ghent (Belgium); De Dobbelaere, Christopher [Inorganic and Physical Chemistry, Institute for Materials Research, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building D, B-3590 Diepenbeek (Belgium); Dewulf, Daan [Inorganic and Physical Chemistry, Institute for Materials Research, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building D, B-3590 Diepenbeek (Belgium); IMEC vzw division IMOMEC, Agoralaan Building D, B-3590 Diepenbeek (Belgium); Peys, Nick [Inorganic and Physical Chemistry, Institute for Materials Research, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building D, B-3590 Diepenbeek (Belgium); IMEC vzw, Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Heverlee (Belgium); Detavernier, Christophe [Coating and Contacting of Nanostructures, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S1, B-9000 Ghent (Belgium); Hardy, An [Inorganic and Physical Chemistry, Institute for Materials Research, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building D, B-3590 Diepenbeek (Belgium); IMEC vzw division IMOMEC, Agoralaan Building D, B-3590 Diepenbeek (Belgium); Van Bael, Marlies K., E-mail: marlies.vanbael@uhasselt.be [Inorganic and Physical Chemistry, Institute for Materials Research, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building D, B-3590 Diepenbeek (Belgium); IMEC vzw division IMOMEC, Agoralaan Building D, B-3590 Diepenbeek (Belgium)

2014-03-31

Transparent conducting oxide (TCO) films of titania doped with vanadium (V), niobium (Nb) and tantalum (Ta) are obtained by aqueous Chemical Solution Deposition (CSD). The effect of the dopant on the crystallization and microstructure of the resulting films is examined by means of X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy. During annealing of the thin films, in-situ characterization of the crystal structure and sheet resistance is carried out. Niobium doped anatase films, obtained after annealing in forming gas, show a resistivity of 0,28 Ohm cm, which is the lowest resistivity reported for a solution deposited anatase-based TCO so far. Here, we demonstrate that aqueous CSD may provide a strategy for scalable TCO production in the future. - Highlights: • Aqueous chemical solution deposition of doped titanium dioxide • Doping delays the phase transition from anatase to rutile • Lowest resistivity after doping with niobium and annealing in Forming Gas • Transparency higher than 80% in the visible range of optical spectrum.

Ac conductivity and dielectric spectroscopy studies on tin oxide thin films formed by spray deposition technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barış, Behzad, E-mail: behzadbaris@gmail.com

2014-04-01

Au/tin oxide/n-Si (1 0 0) structure has been created by forming a tin oxide (SnO{sub 2}) on n-type Si by using the spray deposition technique. The ac electrical conductivity (σ{sub ac}) and dielectric properties of the structure have been investigated between 30 kHz and 1 MHz at room temperature. The values of ε', ε″, tanδ, σ{sub ac}, M' and M″ were determined as 1.404, 0.357, 0.253, 1.99×10{sup −7} S/cm, 0.665 and 0.168 for 1 MHz and 6.377, 6.411, 1.005, 1.07×10{sup −7} S/cm, 0.077 and 0.078 for 30 kHz at zero bias, respectively. These changes were attributed to variation of the charge carriers from the interface traps located between semiconductor and metal in the band gap. It is concluded that the values of the ε', ε″ and tanδ increase with decreasing frequency while a decrease is seen in σ{sub ac} and the real (M') and imaginary (M″) components of the electrical modulus. The M″ parameter of the structure has a relaxation peak as a function of frequency for each examined voltage. The relaxation time of M″(τ{sub M″}) varies from 0.053 ns to 0.018 ns with increasing voltage. The variation of Cole–Cole plots of the sample shows that there is one relaxation.

Properties of TiO2-based transparent conducting oxide thin films on GaN(0001) surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasai, J.; Nakao, S.; Yamada, N.; Hitosugi, T.; Moriyama, M.; Goshonoo, K.; Hoang, N. L. H.; Hasegawa, T.

2010-01-01

Anatase Nb-doped TiO 2 transparent conducting oxide has been formed on GaN(0001) surfaces using a sputtering method. Amorphous films deposited at room temperature were annealed at a substrate temperature of 500 deg. C in vacuum to form single-phase anatase films. Films with a thickness of 170 nm exhibited a resistivity of 8x10 -4 Ω cm with absorptance less than 5% at a wavelength of 460 nm. Furthermore, the refractive index of the Nb-doped TiO 2 was well matched to that of GaN. These findings indicate that Nb-doped TiO 2 is a promising material for use as transparent electrodes in GaN-based light emitting diodes (LEDs), particularly since reflection at the electrode/GaN boundary can be suppressed, enhancing the external quantum efficiency of blue LEDs.

Versatile Coating of Lithium Conductive Li2TiF6 on Over-lithiated Layered Oxide in Lithium-Ion Batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Wonchang; Benayard, Anass; Park, Jin-Hwan; Park, Junho; Doo, Seok-Gwang; Mun, Junyoung

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Li 2 TiF 6 coating was designed to grow surface lithium conductivity and stability. • We conducted an easy and versatile Li 2 TiF 6 lithium conductive coating on cathode. • The coating was performed very simply by ambient-temperature co-precipitation. • After the coating, rate capability, cycleability and thermal stability improved. - Abstract: We demonstrate an easy and versatile approach to modify a cathode-surface with a highly lithium–ion conductive layer by coating it with Li 2 TiF 6 . The thin and homogeneous Li 2 TiF 6 coating is introduced onto an over-lithiated layered oxide (OLO, namely Li 1.17 Ni 0.17 Co 0.1 Mn 0.56 O 2 ) surface via simple co-precipitation at ambient temperature by using Li 2 CO 3 and H 2 TiF 6 aqueous solutions. The lithium–conductive fluoride coating is expected to effectively suppress the undesired electrochemical and thermal interfacial reactions involving the OLO, which is critical in improving cycle performance and thermal stability. After Li 2 TiF 6 surface modification, the coated OLO materials showed high rate capability as well as long cyclability and improved thermal stability. The crystalline structure and surface microstructure of the prepared OLOs were investigated by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Ultimately, the performances of the assembled lithium ion batteries were thoroughly investigated by electrochemical methods and thermal analysis

Nuts and oxidation: a systematic review

OpenAIRE

Mònica Bulló; Patricia López-Uriarte; Patricia Casas-Agustench; Nancy Babio; Jordi Salas-Salvadó

2009-01-01

Nuts and oxidation: a systematic review In recent years, nuts have received special attention because of their potential role in preventing cardiovascular disease. Because nuts are very rich in total fat that can potentially be oxidized and their skins contain several antioxidants, studies have been conducted to evaluate the potential effect of nut consumption on oxidative stress. This review evaluates the in vitro and in vivo studies conducted in animals or humans to analyze the effect of...

Mechanisms of electrical conductivity in olivine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schock, R.N.; Duba, A.G.; Shankland, T.J.

1984-01-01

Data on the electrical conductivity and the thermoelectric effect in single crystals indicate that the charge conduction mechanism in pure magnesium forsterite is electrons. The concentration of electrons can be varied by controlling the number of oxygen vacancies through manipulation of the oxygen pressure. For iron bearing olivine, the conduction mechanism is by electron holes localized on an iron ion. Since iron strongly affects the creep process as well, oxidation of iron is probably accompanied by the production of magnesium vacancies. 15 references

Porous ceramics out of oxides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bakunov, V.S.; Balkevich, V.L.; Vlasov, A.S.; Guzman, I.Ya.; Lukin, E.S.; Poluboyarinov, D.N.; Poliskij, R.Ya.

1977-01-01

A review is made of manufacturing procedures and properties of oxide ceramics intended for high-temperature thermal insulation and thermal protection applications. Presented are structural characteristics of porous oxide refractories and their properties. Strength and thermal conductivity was shown to depend upon porosity. Described is a procedure for manufacturing porous ceramic materials from aluminium oxide, zirconium dioxide, magnesium oxide, beryllium oxide. The thermal resistance of porous ceramics from BeO is considerably greater than that of other high-refractoriness oxides. Listed are areas of application for porous materials based on oxides

Thermal conductivity and viscosity of hybrid nanfluids prepared with magnetic nanodiamond-cobalt oxide (ND-Co3O4 nanocomposite

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Syam Sundar

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Synthesis of magnetic nanodiamond-cobalt oxide (ND-Co3O4 nanocomposite material; preparation of nanofluids and estimation of thermal properties such as thermal conductivity and viscosity has been explained experimentally in this paper. The nanocomposite material has been synthesized by using in-situ growth technique and chemical coprecipitation between cobalt chloride and sodium borohydrate. The various techniques such as XRD, TEM, XPS and VSM have been used to confirm the ND and Co3O4 phase of synthesized nanocomposite. The hybrid nanofluids have been prepared by dispersing synthesized ND-Co3O4 nanocomposite in water, ethylene glycol/water mixtures. The thermal properties such as thermal conductivity and viscosity have been measured experimentally at different weight concentrations and temperatures. The results reveal that the thermal conductivity enhancements are about 16%, 9%, 14%, 11% and 10% for water, EG, 20:80%, 40:60%, and 60:40% EG/W based nanofluids at 0.15 wt% concentrations and at 60 °C respectively. Similarly the viscosity enhancements are about 1.45-times, 1.46-times, 1.15-times, 1.19-times, and 1.51-times for water, EG, 20:80%, 40:60%, and 60:40% EG/W based nanofluids at 0.15 wt% concentrations and at 60 °C respectively. Based on the experimental data new correlations for thermal conductivity and viscosity have been developed.

High ionic conductivity in confined bismuth oxide-based heterostructures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simone Sanna

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Bismuth trioxide in the cubic fluorite phase (δ-Bi2O3 exhibits the highest oxygen ionic conductivity. In this study, we were able to stabilize the pure δ-Bi2O3 at low temperature with no addition of stabilizer but only by engineering the interface, using highly coherent heterostructures made of alternative layers of δ-Bi2O3 and Yttria Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ, deposited by pulsed laser deposition. The resulting [δ-Bi2O3/YSZ] heterostructures are found to be stable over a wide temperature range (500-750 °C and exhibits stable high ionic conductivity over a long time comparable to the value of the pure δ-Bi2O3, which is approximately two orders of magnitude higher than the conductivity of YSZ bulk.

High ionic conductivity in confined bismuth oxide-based heterostructures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sanna, Simone; Esposito, Vincenzo; Christensen, Mogens

2016-01-01

Bismuth trioxide in the cubic fluorite phase (δ-Bi2O3) exhibits the highest oxygen ionic conductivity. In this study, we were able to stabilize the pure -Bi2O3 at low temperature with no addition of stabilizer but only by engineering the interface, using highly coherent heterostructures made...... of alternative layers of δ-Bi2O3 and Yttria Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ), deposited by pulsed laser deposition. The resulting [δ-Bi2O3=YSZ] heterostructures are found to be stable over a wide temperature range (500-750 °C) and exhibits stable high ionic conductivity over a long time comparable to the value...... of the pure δ-Bi2O3, which is approximately two orders of magnitude higher than the conductivity of YSZ bulk....

Properties of Co-deposited indium tin oxide and zinc oxide films using a bipolar pulse power supply and a dual magnetron sputter source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Man-Soo; Seob Jeong, Heui; Kim, Won Mok; Seo, Yong Woon

2003-01-01

Multilayer coatings consisting of metal layers sandwiched between transparent conducting oxide layers are widely used for flat panel display electrodes and electromagnetic shield coatings for plasma displays, due to their high electrical conductivity and light transmittance. The electrical and optical properties of these multilayer films depend largely on the surface characteristics of the transparent conducting oxide thin films. A smoother surface on the transparent conducting oxide thin films makes it easier for the metal layer to form a continuous film, thus resulting in a higher conductivity and visible light transmittance. Indium tin oxide (ITO) and zinc oxide (ZnO) films were co-deposited using a dual magnetron sputter and a bipolar pulse power supply to decrease the surface roughness of the transparent conducting oxide films. The symmetric pulse mode of the power supply was used to simultaneously sputter an In 2 O 3 (90 wt %) : SnO 2 (10 wt %) target and a ZnO target. We varied the duty of the pulses to control the ratio of ITO : ZnO in the thin films. The electrical and optical properties of the films were studied, and special attention was paid to the surface roughness and the crystallinity of the films. By co-depositing ITO and ZnO at a pulse duty ratio of ITO:ZnO=45:45 using a dual magnetron sputter and a bipolar pulse power supply, we were able to obtain amorphous transparent conducting oxide films with a very smooth surface which had a Zn-rich buffer layer under a In-rich surface layer. All of the films exhibited typical electrical and optical properties of transparent conducting oxide films deposited at room temperature

Indium tin oxide films prepared by atmospheric plasma annealing and their semiconductor-metal conductivity transition around room temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Yali; Li Chunyang; He Deyan; Li Junshuai

2009-01-01

We report the synthesis of indium tin oxide (ITO) films using the atmospheric plasma annealing (APA) technique combined with the spin-coating method. The ITO film with a low resistivity of ∼4.6 x 10 -4 Ω cm and a high visible light transmittance, above 85%, was achieved. Hall measurement indicates that compared with the optimized ITO films deposited by magnetron sputtering, the above-mentioned ITO film has a higher carrier concentration of ∼1.21 x 10 21 cm -3 and a lower mobility of ∼11.4 cm 2 V -1 s -1 . More interestingly, these electrical characteristics result in the semiconductor-metal conductivity transition around room temperature for the ITO films prepared by APA.

Effect of aluminum oxide doping on the structural, electrical, and optical properties of zinc oxide (AOZO) nanofibers synthesized by electrospinning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lotus, A.F.; Kang, Y.C.; Walker, J.I.; Ramsier, R.D.; Chase, G.G.

2010-01-01

Zinc oxide nanofibers doped with aluminum oxide were prepared by sol-gel processing and electrospinning techniques using polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), zinc acetate and aluminum acetate as precursors. The resulting nanofibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-Vis spectroscopy, and current-voltage (I-V) properties. The nanofibers had diameters in the range of 60-150 nm. The incorporation of aluminum oxide resulted in a decrease in the crystallite sizes of the zinc oxide nanofibers. Aluminum oxide doped zinc oxide (AOZO) nanofibers exhibited lower bandgap energies compared to undoped zinc oxide nanofibers. However, as the aluminum content (Al/(Al + Zn) x 100%) was increased from 1.70 at.% to 3.20 at.% in the electrospinning solution, the bandgap energy increased resulting in lower conductivity. The electrical conductivity of the AOZO samples was found to depend on the amount of aluminum dopant in the matrix as reflected in the changes in oxidation state elucidated from XPS data. Electrospinning was found to be a productive, simple, and easy method for tuning the bandgap energy and conductivity of zinc oxide semiconducting nanofibers.

Conduction Mechanism of Valence Change Resistive Switching Memory: A Survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ee Wah Lim

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Resistive switching effect in transition metal oxide (TMO based material is often associated with the valence change mechanism (VCM. Typical modeling of valence change resistive switching memory consists of three closely related phenomena, i.e., conductive filament (CF geometry evolution, conduction mechanism and temperature dynamic evolution. It is widely agreed that the electrochemical reduction-oxidation (redox process and oxygen vacancies migration plays an essential role in the CF forming and rupture process. However, the conduction mechanism of resistive switching memory varies considerably depending on the material used in the dielectric layer and selection of electrodes. Among the popular observations are the Poole-Frenkel emission, Schottky emission, space-charge-limited conduction (SCLC, trap-assisted tunneling (TAT and hopping conduction. In this article, we will conduct a survey on several published valence change resistive switching memories with a particular interest in the I-V characteristic and the corresponding conduction mechanism.

Sodium conducting polymer electrolytes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Skaarup, S.; West, K. (eds.)

1989-04-01

This section deals with the aspects of ionic conduction in general as well as specific experimental results obtained for sodium systems. The conductivity as a function of temperature and oxygen/metal ratio are given for the systems NaI, NaCF/sub 3/SO/sub 3/ and NaClO/sub 4/ plus polyethylene oxide. Attempts have been made to produce mixed phase solid electrolytes analogous to the lithium systems that have worked well. These consist of mixtures of polymer and a solid electrolyte. The addition of both nasicon and sodium beta alumina unexpectedly decreases the ionic conductivity in contrast to the lithium systems. Addition of the nonconducting silica AEROSIL in order to increase the internal surface area has the effect of retarding the phase transition at 60 deg. C, but does not enhance the conductivity. (author) 23 refs.

Diffusion and ionic conduction in oxide glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mehrer, H; Imre, A W; Tanguep-Nijokep, E

2008-01-01

The ion transport properties of soda-lime silicate and alkali borate glasses have been studied with complimentary tracer diffusion and impedance spectroscopy techniques in order to investigate the ion dynamics and mixed-alkali effect (MAE). In soda-lime silicate glasses the tracer diffusivity of 22 Na alkali ions is more than six orders of magnitude faster than the diffusivity of earth alkali 45 Ca ions. This observation is attributed to a stronger binding of bivalent earth alkali ions to the glass network as compared to that of alkali ions. The conductivity of the investigated standard soda-lime silicate glasses is mostly due to the high mobility of sodium ions and a temperature independent Haven ratio of about 0.45 is obtained. For single alkali sodium-borate glasses, the Haven ratio is also temperature independent, however, it is decreases with decreasing temperature for rubidium-borate glass. The MAE was investigated for Na-Rb borate glasses and it was observed that the tracer diffusivities of 22 Na and 86 Rb ions cross, when plotted as function of the relative alkali content. This crossover occurs near the Na/(Na+Rb) ratio of the conductivity minimum due to MAE. The authors suggest that this crossover and the trend of diffusion coefficients is the key to an understanding of the MAE

Studies on high electronic energy deposition in transparent conducting indium tin oxide thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deshpande, N G [Thin Film and Nanotechnology Laboratory, Department of Physics, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad-431004 (MS) (India); Gudage, Y G [Thin Film and Nanotechnology Laboratory, Department of Physics, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad-431004 (MS) (India); Ghosh, A [Thin Film and Nanotechnology Laboratory, Department of Physics, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad-431004 (MS) (India); Vyas, J C [Technical and Prototype Engineering Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Center, Trombay, Mumbai (MS) (India); Singh, F [Inter-University Accelerator Center, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, Post Box 10502, New Delhi 110067 (India); Tripathi, A [Inter-University Accelerator Center, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, Post Box 10502, New Delhi 110067 (India); Sharma, Ramphal [Thin Film and Nanotechnology Laboratory, Department of Physics, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad-431004 (MS) (India)

2008-02-07

We have examined the effect of swift heavy ions using 100 MeV Au{sup 8+} ions on the electrical properties of transparent, conducting indium tin oxide polycrystalline films with resistivity of 0.58 x 10{sup -4} {omega} cm and optical transmission greater than 78% (pristine). We report on the modifications occurring after high electronic energy deposition. With the increase in fluency, x-ray line intensity of the peaks corresponding to the planes (1 1 0), (4 0 0), (4 4 1) increased, while (3 3 1) remained constant. Surface morphological studies showed a pomegranate structure of pristine samples, which was highly disturbed with a high dose of irradiation. For the high dose, there was a formation of small spherical domes uniformly distributed over the entire surface. The transmittance was seen to be decreasing with the increase in ion fluency. At higher doses, the resistivity and photoluminescence intensity was seen to be decreased. In addition, the carrier concentration was seen to be increased, which was in accordance with the decrease in resistivity. The observed modifications after high electronic energy deposition in these films may lead to fruitful device applications.

Studies on high electronic energy deposition in transparent conducting indium tin oxide thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deshpande, N G; Gudage, Y G; Ghosh, A; Vyas, J C; Singh, F; Tripathi, A; Sharma, Ramphal

2008-01-01

We have examined the effect of swift heavy ions using 100 MeV Au 8+ ions on the electrical properties of transparent, conducting indium tin oxide polycrystalline films with resistivity of 0.58 x 10 -4 Ω cm and optical transmission greater than 78% (pristine). We report on the modifications occurring after high electronic energy deposition. With the increase in fluency, x-ray line intensity of the peaks corresponding to the planes (1 1 0), (4 0 0), (4 4 1) increased, while (3 3 1) remained constant. Surface morphological studies showed a pomegranate structure of pristine samples, which was highly disturbed with a high dose of irradiation. For the high dose, there was a formation of small spherical domes uniformly distributed over the entire surface. The transmittance was seen to be decreasing with the increase in ion fluency. At higher doses, the resistivity and photoluminescence intensity was seen to be decreased. In addition, the carrier concentration was seen to be increased, which was in accordance with the decrease in resistivity. The observed modifications after high electronic energy deposition in these films may lead to fruitful device applications

Mesoporous silicon oxide films and their uses as templates in obtaining nanostructured conductive polymers

Science.gov (United States)

Salgado, R.; Arteaga, G. C.; Arias, J. M.

2018-04-01

Obtaining conductive polymers (CPs) for the manufacture of OLEDs, solar cells, electrochromic devices, sensors, etc., has been possible through the use of electrochemical techniques that allow obtaining films of controlled thickness with positive results in different applications. Current trends point towards the manufacture of nanomaterials, and therefore it is necessary to develop methods that allow obtaining CPs with nanostructured morphology. This is possible by using a porous template to allow the growth of the polymeric materials. However, prior and subsequent treatments are required to separate the material from the template so that it can be evaluated in the applications mentioned above. This is why mesoporous silicon oxide films (template) are essential for the synthesis of nanostructured polymers since both the template and the polymer are obtained on the electrode surface, and therefore it is not necessary to separate the material from the template. Thus, the material can be evaluated directly in the applications mentioned above. The dimensions of the resulting nanostructures will depend on the power, time and technique used for electropolymerization as well as the monomer and the surfactant of the mesoporous film.

Self-assembly of an electronically conductive network through microporous scaffolds.

Science.gov (United States)

Sebastian, H Bri; Bryant, Steven L

2017-06-15

Electron transfer spanning significant distances through a microporous structure was established via the self-assembly of an electronically conductive iridium oxide nanowire matrix enveloping the pore walls. Microporous formations were simulated using two scaffold materials of varying physical and chemical properties; paraffin wax beads, and agar gel. Following infiltration into the micropores, iridium nanoparticles self-assembled at the pore wall/ethanol interface. Subsequently, cyclic voltammetry was employed to electrochemically crosslink the metal, erecting an interconnected, and electronically conductive metal oxide nanowire matrix. Electrochemical and spectral characterization techniques confirmed the formation of oxide nanowire matrices encompassing lengths of at least 1.6mm, 400× distances previously achieved using iridium nanoparticles. Nanowire matrices were engaged as biofuel cell anodes, where electrons were donated to the nanowires by a glucose oxidizing enzyme. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Preparation of Zinc Oxide (ZnO) Thin Film as Transparent Conductive Oxide (TCO) from Zinc Complex Compound on Thin Film Solar Cells: A Study of O2 Effect on Annealing Process

Science.gov (United States)

Muslih, E. Y.; Kim, K. H.

2017-07-01

Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin film as a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) for thin film solar cell application was successfully prepared through two step preparations which consisted of deposition by spin coating at 2000 rpm for 10 second and followed by annealing at 500 °C for 2 hours under O2 and ambient atmosphere. Zinc acetate dehydrate was used as a precursor which dissolved in ethanol and acetone (1:1 mol) mixture in order to make a zinc complex compound. In this work, we reported the O2 effect, reaction mechanism, structure, morphology, optical and electrical properties. ZnO thin film in this work shows a single phase of wurtzite, with n-type semiconductor and has band gap, carrier concentration, mobility, and resistivity as 3.18 eV, 1.21 × 10-19cm3, 11 cm2/Vs, 2.35 × 10-3 Ωcm respectively which is suitable for TCO at thin film solar cell.

Low temperature solid oxide electrolytes (LT-SOE): A review

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, B.; Ghosh, S.; Aich, S.; Roy, B.

2017-01-01

Low temperature solid oxide fuel cell (LT-SOFC) can be a source of power for vehicles, online grid, and at the same time reduce system cost, offer high reliability, and fast start-up. A huge amount of research work, as evident from the literature has been conducted for the enhancement of the ionic conductivity of LT electrolytes in the last few years. The basic conduction mechanisms, advantages and disadvantages of different LT oxide ion conducting electrolytes {BIMEVOX systems, bilayer systems including doped cerium oxide/stabilised bismuth oxide and YSZ/DCO}, mixed ion conducting electrolytes {doped cerium oxides/alkali metal carbonate composites}, and proton conducting electrolytes {doped and undoped BaCeO3, BaZrO3, etc.} are discussed here based on the recent research articles. Effect of various material aspects (composition, doping, layer thickness, etc.), fabrication methods (to achieve different microstructures and particle size), design related strategies (interlayer, sintering aid etc.), characterization temperature & environment on the conductivity of the electrolytes and performance of the fuel cells made from these electrolytes are shown in tabular form and discussed. The conductivity of the electrolytes and performance of the corresponding fuel cells are compared. Other applications of the electrolytes are mentioned. A few considerations regarding the future prospects are pointed.

Speculations on the existence of hydride ions in proton conducting oxides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poulsen, F.W.

2001-01-01

The chemical and physical nature of the hydride ion is briefly treated. Several reactions of the hydride ion in oxides or oxygen atmosphere are given, A number of perovskites and inverse perovskites are listed. which contain the H- ion on the oxygen or B-anion sites in the archetype ABO(3) System...

Electrodeposition of silver nanoparticle arrays on transparent conductive oxides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Dezhong; Tang, Yang; Jiang, Fuguo; Han, Zhihua; Chen, Jie

2016-01-01

Highlights: • The sliver nanoparticles' size and the distance between nanoparticles are tunable. - Abstract: In this paper, we present a facile method for the preparation of silver nanoparticles on aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) via electrodeposition techniques at room temperature. The morphology and structure of silver nanoparticles are characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. Due to localized surface plasmon resonances, as-prepared silver nanoparticles on AZO glass exhibited different reflectivity in contrast with bare AZO glass. The weighted reflection of AZO substrate increased from 10.2% to 12.8%. The high reflection property of silver nanoparticle arrays on AZO substrate might be applicable for thin film solar cells and other optoelectronics applications.

Electrodeposition of silver nanoparticle arrays on transparent conductive oxides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Dezhong; Tang, Yang, E-mail: tangyang@nicenergy.com; Jiang, Fuguo; Han, Zhihua; Chen, Jie

2016-04-30

Highlights: • The sliver nanoparticles' size and the distance between nanoparticles are tunable. - Abstract: In this paper, we present a facile method for the preparation of silver nanoparticles on aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) via electrodeposition techniques at room temperature. The morphology and structure of silver nanoparticles are characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. Due to localized surface plasmon resonances, as-prepared silver nanoparticles on AZO glass exhibited different reflectivity in contrast with bare AZO glass. The weighted reflection of AZO substrate increased from 10.2% to 12.8%. The high reflection property of silver nanoparticle arrays on AZO substrate might be applicable for thin film solar cells and other optoelectronics applications.

One-Dimensional Assembly of Conductive and Capacitive Metal Oxide Electrodes for High-Performance Asymmetric Supercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Harilal, Midhun; Vidyadharan, Baiju; Misnon, Izan Izwan; Anilkumar, Gopinathan M; Lowe, Adrian; Ismail, Jamil; Yusoff, Mashitah M; Jose, Rajan

2017-03-29

A one-dimensional morphology comprising nanograins of two metal oxides, one with higher electrical conductivity (CuO) and the other with higher charge storability (Co 3 O 4 ), is developed by electrospinning technique. The CuO-Co 3 O 4 nanocomposite nanowires thus formed show high specific capacitance, high rate capability, and high cycling stability compared to their single-component nanowire counterparts when used as a supercapacitor electrode. Practical symmetric (SSCs) and asymmetric (ASCs) supercapacitors are fabricated using commercial activated carbon, CuO, Co 3 O 4 , and CuO-Co 3 O 4 composite nanowires, and their properties are compared. A high energy density of ∼44 Wh kg -1 at a power density of 14 kW kg -1 is achieved in CuO-Co 3 O 4 ASCs employing aqueous alkaline electrolytes, enabling them to store high energy at a faster rate. The current methodology of hybrid nanowires of various functional materials could be applied to extend the performance limit of diverse electrical and electrochemical devices.

Planar ceramic membrane assembly and oxidation reactor system

Science.gov (United States)

Carolan, Michael Francis; Dyer, legal representative, Kathryn Beverly; Wilson, Merrill Anderson; Ohm, Ted R.; Kneidel, Kurt E.; Peterson, David; Chen, Christopher M.; Rackers, Keith Gerard; Dyer, deceased, Paul Nigel

2007-10-09

Planar ceramic membrane assembly comprising a dense layer of mixed-conducting multi-component metal oxide material, wherein the dense layer has a first side and a second side, a porous layer of mixed-conducting multi-component metal oxide material in contact with the first side of the dense layer, and a ceramic channeled support layer in contact with the second side of the dense layer. The planar ceramic membrane assembly can be used in a ceramic wafer assembly comprising a planar ceramic channeled support layer having a first side and a second side; a first dense layer of mixed-conducting multi-component metal oxide material having an inner side and an outer side, wherein the inner side is in contact with the first side of the ceramic channeled support layer; a first outer support layer comprising porous mixed-conducting multi-component metal oxide material and having an inner side and an outer side, wherein the inner side is in contact with the outer side of the first dense layer; a second dense layer of mixed-conducting multi-component metal oxide material having an inner side and an outer side, wherein the inner side is in contact with the second side of the ceramic channeled layer; and a second outer support layer comprising porous mixed-conducting multi-component metal oxide material and having an inner side and an outer side, wherein the inner side is in contact with the outer side of the second dense layer.

A highly sensitive electrochemical biosensor for catechol using conducting polymer reduced graphene oxide-metal oxide enzyme modified electrode.

Science.gov (United States)

Sethuraman, V; Muthuraja, P; Anandha Raj, J; Manisankar, P

2016-10-15

The fabrication, characterization and analytical performances were investigated for a catechol biosensor, based on the PEDOT-rGO-Fe2O3-PPO composite modified glassy carbon (GC) electrode. The graphene oxide (GO) doped conducting polymer poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) was prepared through electrochemical polymerization by potential cycling. Reduction of PEDOT-GO was carried out by amperometric method. Fe2O3 nanoparticles were synthesized in ethanol by hydrothermal method. The mixture of Fe2O3, PPO and glutaraldehyde was casted on the PEDOT-rGO electrode. The surface morphology of the modified electrodes was studied by FE-SEM and AFM. Cyclic voltammetric studies of catechol on the enzyme modified electrode revealed higher reduction peak current. Determination of catechol was carried out successfully by Differential Pulse Voltammetry (DPV) technique. The fabricated biosensor investigated shows a maximum current response at pH 6.5. The catechol biosensor exhibited wide sensing linear range from 4×10(-8) to 6.20×10(-5)M, lower detection limit of 7×10(-9)M, current maxima (Imax) of 92.55µA and Michaelis-Menten (Km) constant of 30.48µM. The activation energy (Ea) of enzyme electrode is 35.93KJmol(-1) at 50°C. There is no interference from d-glucose and l-glutamic acid, ascorbic acid and o-nitrophenol. The PEDOT-rGO-Fe2O3-PPO biosensor was stable for at least 75 days when stored in a buffer at about 4°C. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Formation of conductive polymers using nitrosyl ion as an oxidizing agent

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, Kyoung-Shin; Jung, Yongju; Singh, Nikhilendra

2016-06-07

A method of forming a conductive polymer deposit on a substrate is disclosed. The method may include the steps of preparing a composition comprising monomers of the conductive polymer and a nitrosyl precursor, contacting the substrate with the composition so as to allow formation of nitrosyl ion on the exterior surface of the substrate, and allowing the monomer to polymerize into the conductive polymer, wherein the polymerization is initiated by the nitrosyl ion and the conductive polymer is deposited on the exterior surface of the substrate. The conductive polymer may be polypyrrole.

New transport phenomena probed by dielectric spectroscopy of oxidized and non-oxidized porous silicon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Urbach, B.; Axelrod, E.; Sa' ar, A. [Racah Institute of Physics and the Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904 (Israel)

2007-05-15

Dielectric spectroscopy accompanied by infrared (IR) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy have been utilized to reveal the correlation between transport, optical and structural properties of oxidized porous silicon (PS). Three relaxation processes at low-, mid- and high-temperatures were observed, including dc-conductivity at high-temperatures. Both the low-T relaxation and the dc conductivity were found to be thermally activated processes that involve tunneling and hopping in between the nanocrystals in oxidized PS. We have found that the dc-conductivity is limited by geometrical constrictions along the transport channels, which are not effected by the oxidation process and are characterized by activation energies of about {proportional_to}0.85 eV. The low-T relaxation process involves thermal activation followed by tunneling in between neighbor nanocrystals, with somewhat lower activation energies. (copyright 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Metal-insulator transition in tin doped indium oxide (ITO thin films: Quantum correction to the electrical conductivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deepak Kumar Kaushik

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Tin doped indium oxide (ITO thin films are being used extensively as transparent conductors in several applications. In the present communication, we report the electrical transport in DC magnetron sputtered ITO thin films (prepared at 300 K and subsequently annealed at 673 K in vacuum for 60 minutes in low temperatures (25-300 K. The low temperature Hall effect and resistivity measurements reveal that the ITO thin films are moderately dis-ordered (kFl∼1; kF is the Fermi wave vector and l is the electron mean free path and degenerate semiconductors. The transport of charge carriers (electrons in these disordered ITO thin films takes place via the de-localized states. The disorder effects lead to the well-known ‘metal-insulator transition’ (MIT which is observed at 110 K in these ITO thin films. The MIT in ITO thin films is explained by the quantum correction to the conductivity (QCC; this approach is based on the inclusion of quantum-mechanical interference effects in Boltzmann’s expression of the conductivity of the disordered systems. The insulating behaviour observed in ITO thin films below the MIT temperature is attributed to the combined effect of the weak localization and the electron-electron interactions.

Metal-insulator transition in tin doped indium oxide (ITO) thin films: Quantum correction to the electrical conductivity

Science.gov (United States)

Kaushik, Deepak Kumar; Kumar, K. Uday; Subrahmanyam, A.

2017-01-01

Tin doped indium oxide (ITO) thin films are being used extensively as transparent conductors in several applications. In the present communication, we report the electrical transport in DC magnetron sputtered ITO thin films (prepared at 300 K and subsequently annealed at 673 K in vacuum for 60 minutes) in low temperatures (25-300 K). The low temperature Hall effect and resistivity measurements reveal that the ITO thin films are moderately dis-ordered (kFl˜1; kF is the Fermi wave vector and l is the electron mean free path) and degenerate semiconductors. The transport of charge carriers (electrons) in these disordered ITO thin films takes place via the de-localized states. The disorder effects lead to the well-known `metal-insulator transition' (MIT) which is observed at 110 K in these ITO thin films. The MIT in ITO thin films is explained by the quantum correction to the conductivity (QCC); this approach is based on the inclusion of quantum-mechanical interference effects in Boltzmann's expression of the conductivity of the disordered systems. The insulating behaviour observed in ITO thin films below the MIT temperature is attributed to the combined effect of the weak localization and the electron-electron interactions.

Effect of Amine Adlayer on Electrochemical Uric Acid Sensor Conducted on Electrochemically Reduced Graphene Oxide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Sumi; Kim, Kyuwon [Incheon National University, Incheon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-03-15

The electrochemical biosensing efficiency of uric acid (UA) detection on an electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (ERGO)-decorated electrode surface was studied by using various amine linkers used to immobilize ERGO. The amine linkers aminoethylphenyldiazonium , 2,2'-(ethylenedioxy)bis(ethylamine), 3-aminopro-pyltriethoxysilane, and polyethyleneimine were coated on indium-tin-oxide electrode surfaces through chemical or electrochemical deposition methods. ERGO-decorated surfaces were prepared by the electrochemical reduction of graphene oxide (GO), which was immobilized on the amine-coated electrode surfaces through the electrostatic interaction between GO and the ammonium ion of the linker on the surface. We monitored the sensing results of electrochemical UA detection with differential pulse voltammetry. The ERGO-modified surface presented electrocatalytic oxidation of UA and ascorbic acid. Among the different amines tested, 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane provided the best biosensing performance in terms of sensitivity and reproducibility.

Effect of Amine Adlayer on Electrochemical Uric Acid Sensor Conducted on Electrochemically Reduced Graphene Oxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Sumi; Kim, Kyuwon

2016-01-01

The electrochemical biosensing efficiency of uric acid (UA) detection on an electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (ERGO)-decorated electrode surface was studied by using various amine linkers used to immobilize ERGO. The amine linkers aminoethylphenyldiazonium , 2,2'-(ethylenedioxy)bis(ethylamine), 3-aminopro-pyltriethoxysilane, and polyethyleneimine were coated on indium-tin-oxide electrode surfaces through chemical or electrochemical deposition methods. ERGO-decorated surfaces were prepared by the electrochemical reduction of graphene oxide (GO), which was immobilized on the amine-coated electrode surfaces through the electrostatic interaction between GO and the ammonium ion of the linker on the surface. We monitored the sensing results of electrochemical UA detection with differential pulse voltammetry. The ERGO-modified surface presented electrocatalytic oxidation of UA and ascorbic acid. Among the different amines tested, 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane provided the best biosensing performance in terms of sensitivity and reproducibility.

Evaluation of thermodynamic and kinetic stability of P-type transparent conducting oxide, SrCu2O2 under various oxygen partial pressures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sugimoto, Takayuki; Yanagawa, Atsumi; Hashimoto, Takuya

2012-01-01

Highlights: ▶ Thermodynamic and kinetic stabilities of SrCu 2 O 2 under various P(O 2 ) was estimated. ▶ The reaction rate for decomposition decreased with decreasing temperature and P(O 2 ). ▶ The activation energy for decomposition of SrCu 2 O 2 was estimated to be 66 kJ/mol. ▶ SrCu 2 O 2 showed less stability than those of other transparent p-type semiconductors. - Abstract: Kinetic stability of transparent p-type conducting oxide, SrCu 2 O 2 , has been evaluated by using X-ray diffraction measurement and thermogravimetry. It was revealed that SrCu 2 O 2 decomposed to mixture of CuO and Sr 14 Cu 24 O 41 in air at temperatures above 300 °C. The decomposition reaction rate can be successfully explained by kinetic model assuming first-order chemical reaction. The rate constant can be suppressed with decreasing temperature and oxygen partial pressure. The activation energy for decomposition reaction of SrCu 2 O 2 calculated from Arrhenius plot was 66 kJ/mol, which was lower than those of other transparent p-type semiconductors such as CuAlO 2 and CuGaO 2 . The low decomposition temperature and activation energy for decomposition indicate that chemical stability of SrCu 2 O 2 is far lower than those of other p-type conducting oxides.

Highly transparent and conductive double-layer oxide thin films as anodes for organic light-emitting diodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Yu; Wang Lian; Yan He; Jin Shu; Marks, Tobin J.; Li Shuyou

2006-01-01

Double-layer transparent conducting oxide thin film structures containing In-doped CdO (CIO) and Sn-doped In 2 O 3 (ITO) layers were grown on glass by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition and ion-assisted deposition (IAD), respectively, and used as anodes for polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs). These films have a very low overall In content of 16 at. %. For 180-nm-thick CIO/ITO films, the sheet resistance is 5.6 Ω/□, and the average optical transmittance is 87.1% in the 400-700 nm region. The overall figure of merit (Φ=T 10 /R sheet ) of the double-layer CIO/ITO films is significantly greater than that of single-layer CIO, IAD-ITO, and commercial ITO films. CIO/ITO-based PLEDs exhibit comparable or superior device performance versus ITO-based control devices. CIO/ITO materials have a much lower sheet resistance than ITO, rendering them promising low In content electrode materials for large-area optoelectronic devices

Relationship between electronic structure and electric conductivity of double rhodium oxides from X-ray spectral data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Firsov, M.N.; Nefedov, V.I.; Shaplygin, I.S.

1983-01-01

Quantum yield spectra of X-ray photoemission of O K - and Rh M 3 -bands of double rhodium oxides with Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Cd, V, Nb, Ta, Mo, W are obtained. Quantum yield spectra are analogous to absorption spectra and reflect vacant states in a crystal, in particular, the quantum yield spectrum of O K-band is associated with oxygen vacant states of p-symmetry while Rh M 3 -band spectrum with rhomium vacant states of d-symmetry. In all rhodium compounds investigated the first vacant band is formed by the rhodium 4d-states. The forbidden zone between the last occupied and first free states of rhodiUm has a small width (eV fractions), which explains the semiconductor character of electric conductivity of the investigated compounds. Electric resistance variation in investigated series of rhodium compounds is in agreement with peculiarities of their electronic structure and entirely depends on variation in the electron density on rhodium atoms

Manipulating Conduction in Metal Oxide Semiconductors: Mechanism Investigation and Conductance Tuning in Doped Fe2O3 Hematite and Metal/Ga2O3/Metal Heterostructure

Science.gov (United States)

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

Electrical conduction in composites containing copper core–copper ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

of Mott's small polaron hopping conduction model. ... sample exhibited a metallic conduction confirming the formation of a percolative chain of ..... value of εp. Also the oxide layer formation on the initially unoxidized copper particles will increase the resistivity level of the nanocomposite. This is borne out by results shown in ...

Probing the bulk ionic conductivity by thin film hetero-epitaxial engineering

KAUST Repository

Pergolesi, Daniele; Roddatis, Vladimir; Fabbri, Emiliana; Schneider, Christof W; Lippert, Thomas; Traversa, Enrico; Kilner, John A

2015-01-01

Highly textured thin films with small grain boundary regions can be used as model systems to directly measure the bulk conductivity of oxygen ion conducting oxides. Ionic conducting thin films and epitaxial heterostructures are also widely used

Engineering complex oxide interfaces for oxide electronics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Roy, Saurabh

2015-01-01

A complex interplay of physics and chemistry in transition metal oxides determines their electronic, magnetic, and ferroic properties enabling a wide range of applications of these materials. BiFeO_3, a canonical multiferroic system exhibits the interesting feature of enhanced conductivity on

Thermal conductivity evaluation of high burnup mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel pellet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amaya, Masaki; Nakamura, Jinichi; Nagase, Fumihisa; Fuketa, Toyoshi

2011-01-01

The thermal conductivity formula of fuel pellet which contains the effects of burnup and plutonium (Pu) addition was proposed based on the Klemens' theory and reported thermal conductivities of unirradiated (U, Pu) O 2 and irradiated UO 2 pellets. The thermal conductivity of high burnup MOX pellet was formulated by applying a summation rule between phonon scattering parameters which show the effects of plutonium addition and burnup. Temperature of high burnup MOX fuel was evaluated based on the thermal conductivity integral which was calculated from the above-mentioned thermal conductivity formula. Calculated fuel temperatures were plotted against the linear heat rates of the fuel rods, and were compared with the fuel temperatures measured in a test reactor. Since both values agreed well, it was confirmed that the proposed thermal conductivity formula of MOX pellets is adequate.

The influence of reduced graphene oxide on electrical conductivity of LiFePO{sub 4}-based composite as cathode material

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arifin, Muhammad; Aimon, Akfiny Hasdi; Winata, Toto; Abdullah, Mikrajuddin [Physics of Electronic Materials Research Division, Department of Physics, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Bandung 40132 Indonesia (Indonesia); Iskandar, Ferry, E-mail: ferry@fi.itb.ac.id [Physics of Electronic Materials Research Division, Department of Physics, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Bandung 40132 Indonesia (Indonesia); Research Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Institut Teknologi Bandung, Bandung 40132 Indonesia (Indonesia)

2016-02-08

LiFePO{sub 4} is fascinating cathode active materials for Li-ion batteries application because of their high electrochemical performance such as a stable voltage at 3.45 V and high specific capacity at 170 mAh.g{sup −1}. However, their low intrinsic electronic conductivity and low ionic diffusion are still the hindrance for their further application on Li-ion batteries. Therefore, the efforts to improve their conductivity are very important to elevate their prospecting application as cathode materials. Herein, we reported preparation of additional of reduced Graphene Oxide (rGO) into LiFePO{sub 4}-based composite via hydrothermal method and the influence of rGO on electrical conductivity of LiFePO{sub 4}−based composite by varying mass of rGO in composition. Vibration of LiFePO{sub 4}-based composite was detected on Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra, while single phase of LiFePO{sub 4} nanocrystal was observed on X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) pattern, it furthermore, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images showed that rGO was distributed around LiFePO4-based composite. Finally, the 4-point probe measurement result confirmed that the optimum electrical conductivity is in additional 2 wt% rGO for range 1 to 2 wt% rGO.

Influence of Conductive and Semi-Conductive Nanoparticles on the Dielectric Response of Natural Ester-Based Nanofluid Insulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Z. H. Makmud

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, studies of alternative liquid insulation in high voltage apparatus have become increasingly important due to higher concerns regarding safety, sustainable resources and environmentally friendly issues. To fulfil this demand, natural ester has been extensively studied and it can become a potential product to replace mineral oil in power transformers. In addition, the incorporation of nanoparticles has been remarkable in producing improved characteristics of insulating oil. Although much extensive research has been carried out, there is no general agreement on the influence on the dielectric response of base oil due to the addition of different amounts and conductivity types of nanoparticle concentrations. Therefore, in this work, a natural ester-based nanofluid was prepared by a two-step method using iron oxide (Fe2O3 and titanium dioxide (TiO2 as the conductive and semi-conductive nanoparticles, respectively. The concentration amount of each nanoparticle types was varied at 0.01, 0.1 and 1.0 g/L. The nanofluid samples were characterised by visual inspection, morphology and the dynamic light scattering (DLS method before the dielectric response measurement was carried out for frequency-dependent spectroscopy (FDS, current-voltage (I-V, and dielectric breakdown (BD strength. The results show that the dielectric spectra and I-V curves of nanofluid-based iron oxide increases with the increase of iron oxide nanoparticle loading, while for titanium dioxide, it exhibits a decreasing response. The dielectric BD strength is enhanced for both types of nanoparticles at 0.01 g/L concentration. However, the increasing amount of nanoparticles at 0.1 and 1.0 g/L led to a contrary dielectric BD response. Thus, the results indicate that the augmentation of conductive nanoparticles in the suspension can lead to overlapping mechanisms. Consequently, this reduces the BD strength compared to pristine materials during electron injection in high electric

Conduction and stability of holmium titanium oxide thin films grown by atomic layer deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Castán, H., E-mail: helena@ele.uva.es [Department of Electronic, University of Valladolid, 47011 Valladolid (Spain); García, H.; Dueñas, S.; Bailón, L. [Department of Electronic, University of Valladolid, 47011 Valladolid (Spain); Miranda, E. [Departament d' Enginyería Electrònica, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra (Spain); Kukli, K. [Department of Chemistry, University of Helsinki, FI-00014 Helsinki (Finland); Institute of Physics, University of Tartu, EE-50411,Tartu (Estonia); Kemell, M.; Ritala, M.; Leskelä, M. [Department of Chemistry, University of Helsinki, FI-00014 Helsinki (Finland)

2015-09-30

Holmium titanium oxide (HoTiO{sub x}) thin films of variable chemical composition grown by atomic layer deposition are studied in order to assess their suitability as dielectric materials in metal–insulator–metal electronic devices. The correlation between thermal and electrical stabilities as well as the potential usefulness of HoTiO{sub x} as a resistive switching oxide are also explored. It is shown that the layer thickness and the relative holmium content play important roles in the switching behavior of the devices. Cycled current–voltage measurements showed that the resistive switching is bipolar with a resistance window of up to five orders of magnitude. In addition, it is demonstrated that the post-breakdown current–voltage characteristics in HoTiO{sub x} are well described by a power-law model in a wide voltage and current range which extends from the soft to the hard breakdown regimes. - Highlights: • Gate and memory suitabilities of atomic layer deposited holmium titanium oxide. • Holmium titanium oxide exhibits resistive switching. • Layer thickness and holmium content influence the resistive switching. • Low and high resistance regimes follow a power-law model. • The power-law model can be extended to the hard breakdown regime.

Electrically Conductive and Protective Coating for Planar SOFC Stacks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, Jung-Pyung; Stevenson, Jeffry W.

2017-12-04

Ferritic stainless steels are preferred interconnect materials for intermediate temperature SOFCs because of their resistance to oxidation, high formability and low cost. However, their protective oxide layer produces Cr-containing volatile species at SOFC operating temperatures and conditions, which can cause cathode poisoning. Electrically conducting spinel coatings have been developed to prevent cathode poisoning and to maintain an electrically conductive pathway through SOFC stacks. However, this coating is not compatible with the formation of stable, hermetic seals between the interconnect frame component and the ceramic cell. Thus, a new aluminizing process has been developed by PNNL to enable durable sealing, prevent Cr evaporation, and maintain electrical insulation between stack repeat units. Hence, two different types of coating need to have stable operation of SOFC stacks. This paper will focus on the electrically conductive coating process. Moreover, an advanced coating process, compatible with a non-electrically conductive coating will be

Low-loss tunable 1D ITO-slot photonic crystal nanobeam cavity

Science.gov (United States)

Amin, Rubab; Tahersima, Mohammad H.; Ma, Zhizhen; Suer, Can; Liu, Ke; Dalir, Hamed; Sorger, Volker J.

2018-05-01

Tunable optical material properties enable novel applications in both versatile metamaterials and photonic components including optical sources and modulators. Transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) are able to highly tune their optical properties with applied bias via altering their free carrier concentration and hence plasma dispersion. The TCO material indium tin oxide (ITO) exhibits unity-strong index change and epsilon-near-zero behavior. However, with such tuning the corresponding high optical losses, originating from the fundamental Kramers–Kronig relations, result in low cavity finesse. However, achieving efficient tuning in ITO-cavities without using light–matter interaction enhancement techniques such as polaritonic modes, which are inherently lossy, is a challenge. Here we discuss a novel one-dimensional photonic crystal nanobeam cavity to deliver a cavity system offering a wide range of resonance tuning range, while preserving physical compact footprints. We show that a vertical silicon-slot waveguide incorporating an actively gated-ITO layer delivers ∼3.4 nm of tuning. By deploying distributed feedback, we are able to keep the Q-factor moderately high with tuning. Combining this with the sub-diffraction limited mode volume (0.1 (λ/2n)3) from the photonic (non-plasmonic) slot waveguide, facilitates a high Purcell factor exceeding 1000. This strong light–matter-interaction shows that reducing the mode volume of a cavity outweighs reducing the losses in diffraction limited modal cavities such as those from bulk Si3N4. These tunable cavities enable future modulators and optical sources such as tunable lasers.

Magnéli oxides as promising n-type thermoelectrics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gregor Kieslich

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The discovery of a large thermopower in cobalt oxides in 1997 lead to a surge of interest in oxides for thermoelectric application. Whereas conversion efficiencies of p-type oxides can compete with non-oxide materials, n-type oxides show significantly lower thermoelectric performances. In this context so-called Magnéli oxides have recently gained attention as promising n-type thermoelectrics. A combination of crystallographic shear and intrinsic disorder lead to relatively low thermal conductivities and metallic-like electrical conductivities in Magnéli oxides. Current peak-zT values of 0.3 around 1100 K for titanium and tungsten Magnéli oxides are encouraging for future research. Here, we put Magnéli oxides into context of n-type oxide thermoelectrics and give a perspective where future research can bring us.

Design and exploration of semiconductors from first principles: A review of recent advances