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Sample records for pt coated zno

  1. Facing-target sputtering deposition of ZnO films with Pt ultra-thin layers for gas-phase photocatalytic application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Zhonghai; Hossain, Md. Faruk.; Arakawa, Takuya; Takahashi, Takakazu

    2010-01-01

    In this paper, various zinc oxide (ZnO) films are deposited by a versatile and effective dc-reactive facing-target sputtering method. The ratios of Ar to O 2 in the mixture gas are varied from 8:2 to 6:4 at a fixed sputtering pressure of 1.0 Pa. X-ray diffraction, spectrophotometer and scanning electron microscope are used to study the crystal structure, optical property and surface morphology of the as-deposited films. The Pt ultra-thin layer, ∼2 nm thick, is deposited on the surface of ZnO film by dc diode sputtering with a mesh mask controlling the coated area. The photocatalytic activity of ZnO films and Pt-ZnO films is evaluated by decomposition of methanol under UV-vis light irradiation. The variation of photocatalytic activity depends on the ratios of Ar to O 2 , which is mainly attributed to the different grain size and carrier mobility. Though the pure ZnO film normally shows a low gas-phase photocatalytic activity, its activity is significantly enhanced by depositing Pt ultra-thin layer.

  2. Surface potential driven dissolution phenomena of [0 0 0 1]-oriented ZnO nanorods grown from ZnO and Pt seed layers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seo, Youngmi; Kim, Jung Hyeun

    2011-06-01

    Highly oriented ZnO nanorods are synthesized hydrothermally on ZnO and Pt seed layers, and they are dissolved in KOH solution. The rods grown on ZnO seed layer show uniform dissolution, but those grown on Pt seed layer are rod-selectively dissolved. The ZnO nanorods from both seed layers show the same crystalline structure through XRD and Raman spectrometer data. However, the surface potential analysis reveals big difference for ZnO and Pt seed cases. The surface potential distribution is very uniform for the ZnO seed case, but it is much fluctuated on the Pt seed case. It suggests that the rod-selective dissolution phenomena on Pt seed case are likely due to the surface energy difference.

  3. Reducing ZnO nanoparticles toxicity through silica coating

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sing Ling Chia

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available ZnO NPs have good antimicrobial activity that can be utilized as agents to prevent harmful microorganism growth in food. However, the use of ZnO NPs as food additive is limited by the perceived high toxicity of ZnO NPs in many earlier toxicity studies. In this study, surface modification by silica coating was used to reduce the toxicity of ZnO NPs by significantly reducing the dissolution of the core ZnO NPs. To more accurately recapitulate the scenario of ingested ZnO NPs, we tested our as synthesized ZnO NPs in ingestion fluids (synthetic saliva and synthetic gastric juice to determine the possible forms of ZnO NPs in digestive system before exposing the products to colorectal cell lines. The results showed that silica coating is highly effective in reducing toxicity of ZnO NPs through prevention of the dissociation of ZnO NPs to zinc ions in both neutral and acidic condition. The silica coating however did not alter the desired antimicrobial activity of ZnO NPs to E. coli and S. aureus. Thus, silica coating offered a potential solution to improve the biocompatibility of ZnO NPs for applications such as antimicrobial agent in foods or food related products like food packaging. Nevertheless, caution remains that high concentration of silica coated ZnO NPs can still induce undesirable cytotoxicity to mammalian gut cells. This study indicated that upstream safer-by-design philosophy in nanotechnology can be very helpful in a product development.

  4. Structure and photoluminescence properties of Ag-coated ZnO nano-needles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li Xiaozhu, E-mail: Lixiaozhu1019@21cn.com [Department of Physics, Shaoguan University, Shaoguan, Guangdong 512005 (China) and Department of Physics and Key Laboratory of Acoustic and Photonic Materials and Devices of Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072 (China); Wang Yongqian [Engineering Research Center of Nano-Geomaterials of Ministry of Education (China University of Geosciences), Wuhan, Hubei 430074 (China)

    2011-05-12

    Highlights: > ZnO nano-needles were synthesized by thermal oxidation. > Their surfaces were coated with Ag by pulse electro-deposition technique. > The uncoated and coated ZnO nano-needles were characterized. > The results showed that the prepared ZnO nano-needles have been coated with Ag successfully. > The photoluminescence spectrums of ZnO nano-needles with Ag-coated and uncoated were analyzed, finding that the Ag-coated ZnO nano-needles can increase the absorption of UV light. - Abstract: A large number of zinc oxide (ZnO) nano-needles were synthesized by thermal oxidation of pure zinc. The surfaces of ZnO nano-needles were coated with a layer of Ag by pulse electro-deposition technique. The uncoated and coated ZnO nano-needles were characterized by using the X-ray diffraction and the scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results showed that the uncoated samples were close-packed hexagonal structure, which showed needle-like morphology. Their average diameter is about 40 nm, lengths up to 5 {mu}m. At the same time we observed that the prepared ZnO nano-needles have been coated with Ag successfully. The photoluminescence spectrums of ZnO nano-needles with Ag-coated and uncoated were analyzed, finding that the uncoated ZnO nano-needles have two fluorescence peaks at 388 nm and 470.8 nm, respectively, the relative intensity of 143.4 and 93.61; and the Ag-coated ZnO nano-needles showed a pair of strong peaks at 387.4 nm and 405.2 nm, the relative intensity of 1366 and 1305, respectively, indicating that the Ag-coated ZnO nano-needles can increase the absorption of UV light.

  5. Microwave-assisted silica coating and photocatalytic activities of ZnO nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Siddiquey, Iqbal Ahmed; Furusawa, Takeshi; Sato, Masahide; Suzuki, Noboru

    2008-01-01

    A new and rapid method for silica coating of ZnO nanoparticles by the simple microwave irradiation technique is reported. Silica-coated ZnO nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), CHN elemental analysis and zeta potential measurements. The FT-IR spectra and XPS clearly confirmed the silica coating on ZnO nanoparticles. The results of XPS analysis showed that the elements in the coating at the surface of the ZnO nanoparticles were Zn, O and Si. HR-TEM micrographs revealed a continuous and uniform dense silica coating layer of about 3 nm in thickness on the surface of ZnO nanoparticles. In addition, the silica coating on the ZnO nanoparticles was confirmed by the agreement in the zeta potential of the silica-coated ZnO nanoparticles with that of SiO 2 . The results of the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) in aqueous solution showed that silica coating effectively reduced the photocatalytic activity of ZnO nanoparticles. Silica-coated ZnO nanoparticles showed excellent UV shielding ability and visible light transparency

  6. Hydrogen peroxide treatment on ZnO substrates to investigate the characteristics of Pt and Pt oxide Schottky contacts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsai, Chia-Hung; Hung, Chen-I; Yang, Cheng-Fu; Houng, Mau-Phon

    2010-01-01

    We utilize hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) treatment on (0 0 0 1) ZnO substrates to investigate the characteristics of Pt and Pt oxide Schottky contacts (SCs). X-ray rocking curves show the mosaicity structure becomes larger after H 2 O 2 treatment. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra show the yellow-orange emission peaking at ∼576-580 nm with respect to deep level of oxygen interstitials introduced by H 2 O 2 treatment. The threshold formation of ZnO 2 resistive layer on H 2 O 2 -treated ZnO for 45 min is observed from grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction. The better electrical characteristic is performed by Pt oxide SC with the larger barrier height (1.09 eV) and the lower leakage current (9.52 x 10 -11 A/cm 2 at -2 V) than Pt SC on the H 2 O 2 -treated ZnO for 60 min. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and secondary ion mass spectrometer (SIMS) examinations indicate the promoted interface oxide bonding and Zn outdiffusion for Pt oxide contact, different from Pt contact. Based on current-voltage, capacitance-voltage, X-ray diffraction, PL spectra, XPS, and SIMS results, the possible mechanism for effective rectifying characteristic and enhanced Schottky fbehavior is given.

  7. Structure and photoluminescence properties of Ag-coated ZnO nano-needles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Xiaozhu; Wang Yongqian

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → ZnO nano-needles were synthesized by thermal oxidation. → Their surfaces were coated with Ag by pulse electro-deposition technique. → The uncoated and coated ZnO nano-needles were characterized. → The results showed that the prepared ZnO nano-needles have been coated with Ag successfully. → The photoluminescence spectrums of ZnO nano-needles with Ag-coated and uncoated were analyzed, finding that the Ag-coated ZnO nano-needles can increase the absorption of UV light. - Abstract: A large number of zinc oxide (ZnO) nano-needles were synthesized by thermal oxidation of pure zinc. The surfaces of ZnO nano-needles were coated with a layer of Ag by pulse electro-deposition technique. The uncoated and coated ZnO nano-needles were characterized by using the X-ray diffraction and the scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results showed that the uncoated samples were close-packed hexagonal structure, which showed needle-like morphology. Their average diameter is about 40 nm, lengths up to 5 μm. At the same time we observed that the prepared ZnO nano-needles have been coated with Ag successfully. The photoluminescence spectrums of ZnO nano-needles with Ag-coated and uncoated were analyzed, finding that the uncoated ZnO nano-needles have two fluorescence peaks at 388 nm and 470.8 nm, respectively, the relative intensity of 143.4 and 93.61; and the Ag-coated ZnO nano-needles showed a pair of strong peaks at 387.4 nm and 405.2 nm, the relative intensity of 1366 and 1305, respectively, indicating that the Ag-coated ZnO nano-needles can increase the absorption of UV light.

  8. Improved Pt/Au and W/Pt/Au Schottky contacts on n-type ZnO using ozone cleaning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ip, K.; Gila, B.P.; Onstine, A.H.; Lambers, E.S.; Heo, Y.W.; Baik, K.H.; Norton, D.P.; Pearton, S.J.; Kim, S.; LaRoche, J.R; Ren, F.

    2004-01-01

    UV-ozone cleaning prior to metal deposition of either e-beam Pt contacts or sputtered W contacts on n-type single-crystal ZnO is found to significantly improve their rectifying characteristics. Pt contacts deposited directly on the as-received ZnO surface are Ohmic but show rectifying behavior with ozone cleaning. The Schottky barrier height of these Pt contacts was 0.70 eV, with ideality factor of 1.5 and a saturation current density of 6.2x10 -6 A cm -2 . In contrast, the as-deposited W contacts are Ohmic, independent of the use of ozone cleaning. Postdeposition annealing at 700 deg. C produces rectifying behavior with Schottky barrier heights of 0.45 eV for control samples and 0.49 eV for those cleaned with ozone exposure. The improvement in rectifying properties of both the Pt and W contacts is related to removal of surface carbon contamination from the ZnO

  9. Facile synthesis of flower like FePt@ZnO core–shell structure and its bifunctional properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Majeed, Jerina [Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400085 (India); Jayakumar, O.D., E-mail: ddjaya@barc.gov.in [Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400085 (India); Mandal, B.P. [Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400085 (India); Salunke, H.G. [Technical Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400085 (India); Naik, R. [Department of Physics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202 (United States); Tyagi, A.K., E-mail: aktyagi@barc.gov.in [Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400085 (India)

    2014-06-01

    Graphical abstract: Flower shaped FePt and ZnO coated FePt with core–shell nanostructures are synthesized by a facile solvothermal procedure. Shell thickness of ZnO over FePt core was tuned by varying FePt concentration with respect to ZnO. Hybrid structure with lower FePt concentration exhibited bifunctionality such as near room temperature ferromagnetism and photoluminescence. Pristine FePt crystallize in the fct (L1{sub 0}) phase whereas it converts into fcc phase in presence of ZnO. - Highlights: • FePt@ZnO hybrid core–shell particles, with unique flower shape morphology have been prepared by solvothermal method. • Phase transition of fct-FePt to fcc-FePt has been found in presence of ZnO nanoparticles. • Plausible mechanism for growth of flowershaped nanoparticle is in accordance with energy minimization principle. • The core shell structure (FePt@ZnO) exhibits bi-functional properties. - Abstract: Flower shaped FePt and ZnO coated FePt (FePt@ZnO) core–shell nanostructures are synthesized by a facile solvothermal procedure. Two different compositions (molar ratio) of FePt and ZnO (FePt:ZnO = 1:3 and FePt:ZnO = 1:6) core–shells with different thicknesses of ZnO shells were synthesized. Hybrid FePt@ZnO core–shell flower structure with lower FePt concentration (FePt:ZnO = 1:6) exhibited bifunctionality including near room temperature ferromagnetism and photoluminescence at ambient conditions. X-ray diffraction patterns of pristine FePt showed partially ordered face centred tetragonal (fct) L1{sub 0} phase whereas ZnO coated FePt (FePt@ZnO) nanostructures showed hexagonal ZnO and disordered phase of FePt with fcc structure. The phase transition of fct FePt to fcc phase occurring in presence of ZnO is further confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and magnetic measurement studies. The formation of the nanoflowers was possibly due to growth along the [0 1 1] or [0 0 1] direction, keeping the core nearly spherical in accordance with the

  10. Solution precursor plasma deposition of nanostructured ZnO coatings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tummala, Raghavender; Guduru, Ramesh K.; Mohanty, Pravansu S.

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → The solution precursor route employed is an inexpensive process with capability to produce large scale coatings at fast rates on mass scale production. → It is highly capable of developing tailorable nanostructures. → This technique can be employed to spray the coatings on any kind of substrates including polymers. → The ZnO coatings developed via solution precursor plasma spray process have good electrical conductivity and reflectivity properties in spite of possessing large amount of particulate boundaries, porosity and nanostructured grains. -- Abstract: Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a wide band gap semiconducting material that has various applications including optical, electronic, biomedical and corrosion protection. It is usually synthesized via processing routes, such as vapor deposition techniques, sol-gel, spray pyrolysis and thermal spray of pre-synthesized ZnO powders. Cheaper and faster synthesis techniques are of technological importance due to increased demand in alternative energy applications. Here, we report synthesis of nanostructured ZnO coatings directly from a solution precursor in a single step using plasma spray technique. Nanostructured ZnO coatings were deposited from the solution precursor prepared using zinc acetate and water/isopropanol. An axial liquid atomizer was employed in a DC plasma spray torch to create fine droplets of precursor for faster thermal treatment in the plasma plume to form ZnO. Microstructures of coatings revealed ultrafine particulate agglomerates. X-ray diffraction confirmed polycrystalline nature and hexagonal Wurtzite crystal structure of the coatings. Transmission electron microscopy studies showed fine grains in the range of 10-40 nm. Observed optical transmittance (∼65-80%) and reflectivity (∼65-70%) in the visible spectrum, and electrical resistivity (48.5-50.1 mΩ cm) of ZnO coatings are attributed to ultrafine particulate morphology of the coatings.

  11. Solution precursor plasma deposition of nanostructured ZnO coatings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tummala, Raghavender [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan - Dearborn, MI 48128 (United States); Guduru, Ramesh K., E-mail: rkguduru@umich.edu [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan - Dearborn, MI 48128 (United States); Mohanty, Pravansu S. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan - Dearborn, MI 48128 (United States)

    2011-08-15

    Highlights: {yields} The solution precursor route employed is an inexpensive process with capability to produce large scale coatings at fast rates on mass scale production. {yields} It is highly capable of developing tailorable nanostructures. {yields} This technique can be employed to spray the coatings on any kind of substrates including polymers. {yields} The ZnO coatings developed via solution precursor plasma spray process have good electrical conductivity and reflectivity properties in spite of possessing large amount of particulate boundaries, porosity and nanostructured grains. -- Abstract: Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a wide band gap semiconducting material that has various applications including optical, electronic, biomedical and corrosion protection. It is usually synthesized via processing routes, such as vapor deposition techniques, sol-gel, spray pyrolysis and thermal spray of pre-synthesized ZnO powders. Cheaper and faster synthesis techniques are of technological importance due to increased demand in alternative energy applications. Here, we report synthesis of nanostructured ZnO coatings directly from a solution precursor in a single step using plasma spray technique. Nanostructured ZnO coatings were deposited from the solution precursor prepared using zinc acetate and water/isopropanol. An axial liquid atomizer was employed in a DC plasma spray torch to create fine droplets of precursor for faster thermal treatment in the plasma plume to form ZnO. Microstructures of coatings revealed ultrafine particulate agglomerates. X-ray diffraction confirmed polycrystalline nature and hexagonal Wurtzite crystal structure of the coatings. Transmission electron microscopy studies showed fine grains in the range of 10-40 nm. Observed optical transmittance ({approx}65-80%) and reflectivity ({approx}65-70%) in the visible spectrum, and electrical resistivity (48.5-50.1 m{Omega} cm) of ZnO coatings are attributed to ultrafine particulate morphology of the coatings.

  12. Efficient detection of total cholesterol using (ChEt–ChOx/ZnO/Pt/Si) bioelectrode based on ZnO matrix

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Batra, Neha; Sharma, Anjali; Tomar, Monika; Gupta, Vinay

    2014-01-01

    Present study highlights the importance of ZnO matrix prepared by vapour phase transport technique on platinum coated Si platform (ZnO/Pt/Si) as a potential matrix for the realization of highly sensitive and selective bioelectrode for detection of total cholesterol. Bienzymes cholesterol esterase (ChEt) and cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) have been immobilized onto the surface of ZnO thin film matrix by physical adsorption technique. The prepared bioelectrode (ChEt–ChOx/ZnO/Pt/Si) is utilized for detection of total cholesterol using the cyclic voltammetry technique. The bioelectrode (ChEt–ChOx/ZnO/Pt/Si) is found to exhibit efficient sensing response characteristics with high sensitivity of 190 μA mM −1 cm −2 ; good linearity in the range of 0.5–12 mM total cholesterol concentration, and a very low Michaelis–Menten constant of 0.68 mM which indicates high affinity of bienzymes immobilized on ZnO towards the analyte (total cholesterol). The enhanced response is attributed to the development of ZnO thin film based matrix having good electron transport property and nanoporous morphology for effective loading of enzymes with favourable orientation. - Highlights: • Fabrication of a ZnO nanostructured thin film based efficient matrix • Utilizing prepared matrix for detection of total cholesterol (free + esterified) • Cholesterol oxidase and cholesterol esterase are the corresponding selective enzymes. • Vapour phase transport technique, for the fabrication of nanostructured ZnO matrix • The bioelectrode exhibits enhanced response characteristics towards total cholesterol detection

  13. Efficient detection of total cholesterol using (ChEt–ChOx/ZnO/Pt/Si) bioelectrode based on ZnO matrix

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Batra, Neha; Sharma, Anjali [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007 (India); Tomar, Monika [Department of Physics, Miranda House, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007 (India); Gupta, Vinay, E-mail: drguptavinay@gmail.com [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007 (India)

    2014-07-01

    Present study highlights the importance of ZnO matrix prepared by vapour phase transport technique on platinum coated Si platform (ZnO/Pt/Si) as a potential matrix for the realization of highly sensitive and selective bioelectrode for detection of total cholesterol. Bienzymes cholesterol esterase (ChEt) and cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) have been immobilized onto the surface of ZnO thin film matrix by physical adsorption technique. The prepared bioelectrode (ChEt–ChOx/ZnO/Pt/Si) is utilized for detection of total cholesterol using the cyclic voltammetry technique. The bioelectrode (ChEt–ChOx/ZnO/Pt/Si) is found to exhibit efficient sensing response characteristics with high sensitivity of 190 μA mM{sup −1} cm{sup −2}; good linearity in the range of 0.5–12 mM total cholesterol concentration, and a very low Michaelis–Menten constant of 0.68 mM which indicates high affinity of bienzymes immobilized on ZnO towards the analyte (total cholesterol). The enhanced response is attributed to the development of ZnO thin film based matrix having good electron transport property and nanoporous morphology for effective loading of enzymes with favourable orientation. - Highlights: • Fabrication of a ZnO nanostructured thin film based efficient matrix • Utilizing prepared matrix for detection of total cholesterol (free + esterified) • Cholesterol oxidase and cholesterol esterase are the corresponding selective enzymes. • Vapour phase transport technique, for the fabrication of nanostructured ZnO matrix • The bioelectrode exhibits enhanced response characteristics towards total cholesterol detection.

  14. Quenching of the surface-state-related photoluminescence in Ni-coated ZnO nanowires

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tang Yang [Key Laboratory of Excited State Processes, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 East Nan-Hu Road, Open Economic Zone, Changchun 130033 (China); Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (China); Zhao Dongxu, E-mail: dxzhao2000@yahoo.com.c [Key Laboratory of Excited State Processes, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 East Nan-Hu Road, Open Economic Zone, Changchun 130033 (China); Zhang Jiying; Shen Dezhen [Key Laboratory of Excited State Processes, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 East Nan-Hu Road, Open Economic Zone, Changchun 130033 (China)

    2010-11-01

    Nickel-coated ZnO nanowires (NWs) were fabricated by electrodepositing Ni particles on ZnO NW arrays. The morphological, magnetic, and photoluminescent properties of the Ni-coated ZnO NWs were investigated. The Ni particles were deposited on the ZnO NWs' surface along its length to form a Ni/ZnO shell-core structure. The Ni-coated ZnO NWs exhibited more isotropic characteristic than the electrodeposited Ni films owing to the isotropic sphere structure of the Ni particles. A strong ultraviolet emission can be obtained from the Ni-coated ZnO NWs, while the green emission related to surface states was quenched by the passivated layer.

  15. Quenching of the surface-state-related photoluminescence in Ni-coated ZnO nanowires

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tang Yang; Zhao Dongxu; Zhang Jiying; Shen Dezhen

    2010-01-01

    Nickel-coated ZnO nanowires (NWs) were fabricated by electrodepositing Ni particles on ZnO NW arrays. The morphological, magnetic, and photoluminescent properties of the Ni-coated ZnO NWs were investigated. The Ni particles were deposited on the ZnO NWs' surface along its length to form a Ni/ZnO shell-core structure. The Ni-coated ZnO NWs exhibited more isotropic characteristic than the electrodeposited Ni films owing to the isotropic sphere structure of the Ni particles. A strong ultraviolet emission can be obtained from the Ni-coated ZnO NWs, while the green emission related to surface states was quenched by the passivated layer.

  16. Water-repellent coatings prepared by modification of ZnO nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chakradhar, R. P. S.; Dinesh Kumar, V.

    Superhydrophobic coatings with a static water contact angle (WCA) > 150° were prepared by modifying ZnO nanoparticles with stearic acid (ZnO@SA). ZnO nanoparticles of size ˜14 nm were prepared by solution combustion method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies reveal that as prepared ZnO has hexagonal wurtzite structure whereas the modified coatings convert to zinc stearate. Field emission scanning electron micrographs (FE-SEM) show the dual morphology of the coatings exhibiting both particles and flakes. The flakes are highly fluffy in nature with voids and nanopores. Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectrum shows the stearate ion co-ordinates with Zn2+ in the bidentate form. The surface properties such as surface free energy (γp) and work of adhesion (W) of the unmodified and modified ZnO coatings have been evaluated. The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy reveals that surface defects play a major role in the wetting behavior.

  17. The effects of carbon coating on the electrochemical performances of ZnO in Ni–Zn secondary batteries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Long, Wei; Yang, Zhanhong; Fan, Xinming; Yang, Bin; Zhao, Zhiyuan; Jing, Jing

    2013-01-01

    The ZnO samples coated with carbon are successfully synthesized by using a high energy ball milling method. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) spectra of the carbon-coated ZnO and pure ZnO show that the carbon-coated ZnO (carbon source: glucose, citric acid) samples and the untreated ZnO sample have similar particle size and crystal form. The particles have prismatic microstructure whose sizes are about 100–200 nm. However, the carbon-coated ZnO (carbon source: sucrose) sample has become agglomeration after calcination whose size has been increased to 2–6 μm. The uncoated ZnO powders have more complete crystal shape and they are glazed quadrangular materials, while the carbon coated ZnO particles has a rough surface, which resulted from the growth of carbon coating on ZnO particles. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of the carbon-coated ZnO and the pure ZnO show carbon formed on the surface of ZnO is amorphous. Tafel plot, cyclic voltammetry (CV), AC impedance spectroscopy and galvanostatic charge–discharge measurement are utilized to examine the electrochemical performances of the carbon-coated ZnO. The carbon-coated ZnO (carbon source: glucose) have the most positive steady-state potential and lowest corrosion current density in the zinc electrodes which indicates that it has a good anticorrosion ability. A lower charge platform and a higher discharge platform of carbon-coated ZnO indicate that it have a better charge/discharge performance as anodic material for Ni/Zn cells. A smaller ohmic resistance and charge-transfer resistance imply that the carbon film upon ZnO could greatly decrease the impedance of the reaction process. Meanwhile, the carbon-coated ZnO also showed more excellent cycling performance than pure ZnO. The reason of improvement about electrochemical performance can be ascribed as the unique structure of amorphous carbon layer

  18. Enhanced Response Speed of ZnO Nanowire Photodetector by Coating with Photoresist

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xing Yang

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Spin-coating photoresist film on ZnO nanowire (NW was introduced into the fabrication procedure to improve photoresponse and recovery speed of a ZnO NW ultraviolet photoelectric detector. A ZnO NW was first assembled on prefabricated electrodes by dielectrophoresis. Then, photoresist was spin-coated on the nanowire. Finally, a metal layer was electrodeposited on the nanowire-electrode contacts. The response properties and I-V characteristics of ZnO NW photodetector were investigated by measuring the electrical current under different conditions. Measurement results demonstrated that the detector has an enhanced photoresponse and recovery speed after coating the nanowire with photoresist. The photoresponse and recovery characteristics of detectors with and without spin-coating were compared to demonstrate the effects of photoresist and the enhancement of response and recovery speed of the photodetector is ascribed to the reduced surface absorbed oxygen molecules and binding effect on the residual oxygen molecules after photoresist spin-coating. The results demonstrated that surface coating may be an effective and simple way to improve the response speed of the photoelectric device.

  19. Ultraviolet photosensors fabricated with Ag nanowires coated with ZnO nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shen, Guan-Hung [Department of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (China); Hong, Franklin Chau-Nan, E-mail: hong@mail.ncku.edu.tw [Department of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (China); Advanced Optoelectronic Technology Center, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (China); Center for Micro/Nano Science and Technology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (China); NCKU Research Center for Energy Technology and Strategy, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (China)

    2014-11-03

    We have developed a simple low temperature process to coat zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) on Ag nanowires (NWs) with well-controlled morphology. Triethanolamine (TEA) was employed to react with zinc acetate (Zn(CH{sub 3}COO){sub 2}) forming ZnO NPs. TEA was also found to enhance the nucleation and binding of ZnO NPs on the Ag nanowire surfaces facilitating a complete coverage of Ag nanowire surfaces with ZnO NPs. The effects of the process parameters including reaction time and reaction temperature were studied. The surfaces of 60 nm diameter Ag NWs could be completely covered with ZnO NPs with the final diameters of Ag-NWs@ZnO (core–shell NWs) turning into the range from 100 nm to 450 nm. The Ag-NWs@ZnO was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray mapping analysis, X-ray diffraction, and photoluminescence spectra. Finally, ultraviolet (UV) photosensors were fabricated using Ag-NWs@ZnO. They were found to improve photosensitivity with greatly enhanced fast response by reducing the recovery time by 2 orders, in comparison with the UV-sensors using single-crystalline ZnO NWs. - Highlights: • Solution process to coat ZnO nanoparticles on Ag nanowires has been developed. • Ultraviolet photosensing of ZnO nanoparticles coated on the Ag nanowires was found. • High defect concentration of ZnO nanoparticles enhanced the photosensing properties.

  20. ZnO nanorod array solid phase micro-extraction fiber coating: fabrication and extraction capability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Dan; Zhang Zhuomin; Li Tiemei; Zhang Lan; Chen Guonan; Luo Lin

    2009-01-01

    In this paper, a ZnO nanorod array has been introduced as a coating to the headspace solid phase micro-extraction (HSSPME) field. The coating shows good extraction capability for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by use of BTEX as a standard and can be considered suitable for sampling trace and small molecular VOC targets. In comparison with the randomly oriented ZnO nanorod HSSPME coating, ZnO nanorod array HSSPME fiber coating shows better extraction capability, which is attributed to the nanorod array structure of the coating. Also, this novel nanorod array coating shows good extraction selectivity to 1-propanethiol.

  1. Nanostructured ‘Anastacia’ flowers for Zn coating by electrodepositing ZnO at room temperature

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alves, Marta M., E-mail: martamalves@tecnico.ulisboa.pt [ICEMS Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais 1049-001, Lisboa (Portugal); Santos, Catarina F.; Carmezim, Maria J. [ICEMS Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais 1049-001, Lisboa (Portugal); EST Setúbal, DEM, Instituto Politécnico de Setúbal, Campus IPS, 2910 Setúbal (Portugal); Montemor, Maria F. [ICEMS Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais 1049-001, Lisboa (Portugal)

    2015-03-30

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Functional coating of Zn with ZnO ‘Anastacia’ flowers. • Flowers are composed by nano-hexagonal units of single-crystal wurtzite ZnO. • The growth mechanism of these flowers is discussed. • Room temperature yield cost-effective electrodeposited ZnO ‘Anastacia’ flowers. - Abstract: Functional coatings composed of ZnO, a new flowered structured denominated as ‘Anastacia’ flowers, were successfully obtained through a facile and green one-step electrodeposition approach on Zn substrate. Electrodeposition was performed at constant cathodic potential, in Zn(NO{sub 3}){sub 2} aqueous solution, at pH 6 and at room temperature. The resulting ZnO thin uniform layer, with an average thickness of 300 nm, bearing top 3D hierarchical nanostructures that compose ‘Anastacia’ flowers, was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Raman. The results reveal a nano-architecture structure composed by nano-hexagonal units of single-crystal wurtzite ZnO structure with a [0 0 0 1] growth direction along the longitudinal particles axis. Other morphological features, sphere-like, rod-like and random distributed hexagons were also obtained by varying the electrodeposition time as observed by SEM. The Raman spectroscopy revealed the typical peak of ZnO wurtzite for all the obtained morphologies. Coatings wettability was studied and the different morphologies display distinct water contact angles with the ‘Anastacia’ flowers coating showing a wettability of 110°. These results pave the way for simple and low-cost routes for the production of novel functionalized coatings of ZnO over Zn, with potential for biomedical devices.

  2. Nanostructured ‘Anastacia’ flowers for Zn coating by electrodepositing ZnO at room temperature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alves, Marta M.; Santos, Catarina F.; Carmezim, Maria J.; Montemor, Maria F.

    2015-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Functional coating of Zn with ZnO ‘Anastacia’ flowers. • Flowers are composed by nano-hexagonal units of single-crystal wurtzite ZnO. • The growth mechanism of these flowers is discussed. • Room temperature yield cost-effective electrodeposited ZnO ‘Anastacia’ flowers. - Abstract: Functional coatings composed of ZnO, a new flowered structured denominated as ‘Anastacia’ flowers, were successfully obtained through a facile and green one-step electrodeposition approach on Zn substrate. Electrodeposition was performed at constant cathodic potential, in Zn(NO 3 ) 2 aqueous solution, at pH 6 and at room temperature. The resulting ZnO thin uniform layer, with an average thickness of 300 nm, bearing top 3D hierarchical nanostructures that compose ‘Anastacia’ flowers, was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Raman. The results reveal a nano-architecture structure composed by nano-hexagonal units of single-crystal wurtzite ZnO structure with a [0 0 0 1] growth direction along the longitudinal particles axis. Other morphological features, sphere-like, rod-like and random distributed hexagons were also obtained by varying the electrodeposition time as observed by SEM. The Raman spectroscopy revealed the typical peak of ZnO wurtzite for all the obtained morphologies. Coatings wettability was studied and the different morphologies display distinct water contact angles with the ‘Anastacia’ flowers coating showing a wettability of 110°. These results pave the way for simple and low-cost routes for the production of novel functionalized coatings of ZnO over Zn, with potential for biomedical devices

  3. Carbon-coated NiPt, CoPt nanoalloys: size control and magnetic properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    El-Gendy, A.A. [Kirchhoff Institute for Physics, University of Heidelberg, D-69120 Heidelberg (Germany); Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research (IFW) Dresden (Germany); Hampel, S.; Leonhardt, A.; Khavrus, V.; Buechner, B. [Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research (IFW) Dresden (Germany); Klingeler, R. [Kirchhoff Institute for Physics, University of Heidelberg, D-69120 Heidelberg (Germany)

    2011-07-01

    Controlled synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles with well-defined size and composition is always a challenge in material-based nanoscience. Here, we apply the high pressure chemical vapour deposition technique (HPCVD) to obtain carbon-shielded magnetic alloy nanoparticles under control of the particle size. Carbon encapsulated NiPt, CoPt (NiPt rate at C, CoPt rate at C) nanoalloys were synthesized by means of HPCVD starting from sublimating appropriate metal-organic precursors. Structural characterization by means of high resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis and X-ray diffraction indicated the formation of coated bimetallic Ni{sub x}Pt{sub 100-x} and CoxPt{sub 100-x} nanoparticles. Adjusting the sublimation temperature of the different precursors allowed tuning the core sizes with small size distribution. In addition, detailed studies of the magnetic properties are presented. AC magnetic heating studies imply the potential of the coated nanoalloys for hyperthermia therapy.

  4. Tunable field emission characteristics of ZnO nanowires coated with varied thickness of lanthanum boride thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao, C.X.; Li, Y.F.; Chen, Jun; Deng, S.Z.; Xu, N.S.

    2013-01-01

    Lanthanum boride (LaB x ) thin films with various thicknesses were deposited on ZnO nanowire arrays by electron beam evaporation. Field emission characteristics of ZnO nanowires show close dependence on LaB x coating thickness. The turn-on field increases with increasing LaB x coating thickness from 10 nm to 50 nm. The observed phenomena were explained by a model that the tunneling at ZnO/LaB x interface dominates the emission process. - Highlights: ► Coating thickness dependence of field emission characteristics of ZnO nanowires was observed from LaB x coated ZnO nanowires. ► More stable field emission was observed from ZnO nanowires with LaB x coating. ► A model was proposed that the tunneling at ZnO/LaB x interface dominates the emission process

  5. ZnO nanowire-based nano-floating gate memory with Pt nanocrystals embedded in Al2O3 gate oxides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yeom, Donghyuk; Kang, Jeongmin; Lee, Myoungwon; Jang, Jaewon; Yun, Junggwon; Jeong, Dong-Young; Yoon, Changjoon; Koo, Jamin; Kim, Sangsig

    2008-01-01

    The memory characteristics of ZnO nanowire-based nano-floating gate memory (NFGM) with Pt nanocrystals acting as the floating gate nodes were investigated in this work. Pt nanocrystals were embedded between Al 2 O 3 tunneling and control oxide layers deposited on ZnO nanowire channels. For a representative ZnO nanowire-based NFGM with embedded Pt nanocrystals, a threshold voltage shift of 3.8 V was observed in its drain current versus gate voltage (I DS -V GS ) measurements for a double sweep of the gate voltage, revealing that the deep effective potential wells built into the nanocrystals provide our NFGM with a large charge storage capacity. Details of the charge storage effect observed in this memory device are discussed in this paper

  6. Pt skin coated hollow Ag-Pt bimetallic nanoparticles with high catalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Tao; Huang, Jianxing; Lai, Shaobo; Zhang, Size; Fang, Jun; Zhao, Jinbao

    2017-10-01

    The catalytic activity and stability of electrocatalyst is critical for the commercialization of fuel cells, and recent reports reveal the great potential of the hollow structures with Pt skin coat for developing high-powered electrocatalysts due to their highly efficient utilization of the Pt atoms. Here, we provide a novel strategy to prepare the Pt skin coated hollow Ag-Pt structure (Ag-Pt@Pt) of ∼8 nm size at room temperature. As loaded on the graphene, the Ag-Pt@Pt exhibits a remarkable mass activity of 0.864 A/mgPt (at 0.9 V, vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE)) towards oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), which is 5.30 times of the commercial Pt/C catalyst, and the Ag-Pt@Pt also shows a better stability during the ORR catalytic process. The mechanism of this significant enhancement can be attributed to the higher Pt utilization and the unique Pt on Ag-Pt surface structure, which is confirmed by the density functional theory (DFT) calculations and other characterization methods. In conclusion, this original work offers a low-cost and environment-friendly method to prepare a high active electrocatalyst with cheaper price, and this work also discloses the correlation between surface structures and ORR catalytic activity for the hollow structures with Pt skin coat, which can be instructive for designing novel advanced electrocatalysts for fuel cells.

  7. Synthesis and Characterization of Antireflective ZnO Nanoparticles Coatings Used for Energy Improving Efficiency of Silicone Solar Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pîslaru-Dǎnescu, Lucian; Chitanu, Elena; El-Leathey, Lucia-Andreea; Marinescu, Virgil; Marin, Dorian; Sbârcea, Beatrice-Gabriela

    2018-03-01

    The paper proposes a new and complex process for the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles for antireflective coating corresponding to silicone solar cells applications. The process consists of two major steps: preparation of seed layer and hydrothermal growth of ZnO nanoparticles. Due to the fact that the seed layer morphology influences the ZnO nanoparticles proprieties, the process optimization of the seed layer preparation is necessary. Following the hydrothermal growth of the ZnO nanoparticles, antireflective coating of silicone solar cells is achieved. After determining the functional parameters of the solar cells provided either with glass or with ZnO, it is concluded that all the parameters values are superior in the case of solar cells with ZnO antireflection coating and are increasing along with the solar irradiance.

  8. Enhancement of ZnO nanorod arrays-based inverted type hybrid organic solar cell using spin-coated Eosin-Y

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lim, Eng Liang; Yap, Chi Chin; Yahaya, Muhammad; Salleh, Muhamad Mat

    2013-01-01

    This paper reports the effect of Eosin-Y coating concentration on the performance of inverted type hybrid organic solar cell based on ZnO nanorod arrays and poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT). The Eosin-Y solution with concentrations of 0.05, 0.2, 2.0 and 5.0 mM was spin-coated onto the ZnO nanorod arrays grown on the fluorine-doped tin oxide glass substrate. The P3HT film was then spin-coated onto Eosin-Y-coated ZnO nanorod arrays, followed by deposition of silver (Ag) as anode using magnetron sputtering technique. The short circuit current density increased with the Eosin-Y coating concentration up to 0.2 mM, after which it started to decrease, mainly due to the aggregation of Eosin-Y which reduced the charge extraction from P3HT to ZnO. Meanwhile, the open circuit voltage increased with the Eosin-Y coating concentration, indicating reduced back charge recombination of electron on the ZnO and hole on the P3HT, as well as reduced leakage current through the direct contact between the ZnO nanorods and the Ag metal contact. The power conversion efficiency of the device with the optimum coating concentration was approximately eight times higher than that without Eosin-Y modification. (paper)

  9. Enhancement of ZnO nanorod arrays-based inverted type hybrid organic solar cell using spin-coated Eosin-Y

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Eng Liang; Yap, Chi Chin; Yahaya, Muhammad; Mat Salleh, Muhamad

    2013-04-01

    This paper reports the effect of Eosin-Y coating concentration on the performance of inverted type hybrid organic solar cell based on ZnO nanorod arrays and poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT). The Eosin-Y solution with concentrations of 0.05, 0.2, 2.0 and 5.0 mM was spin-coated onto the ZnO nanorod arrays grown on the fluorine-doped tin oxide glass substrate. The P3HT film was then spin-coated onto Eosin-Y-coated ZnO nanorod arrays, followed by deposition of silver (Ag) as anode using magnetron sputtering technique. The short circuit current density increased with the Eosin-Y coating concentration up to 0.2 mM, after which it started to decrease, mainly due to the aggregation of Eosin-Y which reduced the charge extraction from P3HT to ZnO. Meanwhile, the open circuit voltage increased with the Eosin-Y coating concentration, indicating reduced back charge recombination of electron on the ZnO and hole on the P3HT, as well as reduced leakage current through the direct contact between the ZnO nanorods and the Ag metal contact. The power conversion efficiency of the device with the optimum coating concentration was approximately eight times higher than that without Eosin-Y modification.

  10. ZnO nanowire-based nano-floating gate memory with Pt nanocrystals embedded in Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} gate oxides

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yeom, Donghyuk; Kang, Jeongmin; Lee, Myoungwon; Jang, Jaewon; Yun, Junggwon; Jeong, Dong-Young; Yoon, Changjoon; Koo, Jamin; Kim, Sangsig [Department of Electrical Engineering and Institute for Nano Science, Korea University, Seoul 136-701 (Korea, Republic of)], E-mail: sangsig@korea.ac.kr

    2008-10-01

    The memory characteristics of ZnO nanowire-based nano-floating gate memory (NFGM) with Pt nanocrystals acting as the floating gate nodes were investigated in this work. Pt nanocrystals were embedded between Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} tunneling and control oxide layers deposited on ZnO nanowire channels. For a representative ZnO nanowire-based NFGM with embedded Pt nanocrystals, a threshold voltage shift of 3.8 V was observed in its drain current versus gate voltage (I{sub DS}-V{sub GS}) measurements for a double sweep of the gate voltage, revealing that the deep effective potential wells built into the nanocrystals provide our NFGM with a large charge storage capacity. Details of the charge storage effect observed in this memory device are discussed in this paper.

  11. Synthesis and characterization of ZnO nanostructures on noble-metal coated substrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dikovska, A.Og. [Institute of Electronics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 72 Tsarigradsko Chaussee, Sofia 1784 (Bulgaria); Atanasova, G.B. [Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev str., bl. 11, 1113 Sofia (Bulgaria); Avdeev, G.V. [Rostislaw Kaischew Institute of Physical Chemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev str., bl. 11, 1113 Sofia (Bulgaria); Nedyalkov, N.N. [Institute of Electronics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 72 Tsarigradsko Chaussee, Sofia 1784 (Bulgaria)

    2016-06-30

    Highlights: • ZnO nanostructures were fabricated on Au–Ag alloy coated silicon substrates by applying pulsed laser deposition. • Morphology of the ZnO nanostructures was related to the Au–Ag alloy content in the catalyst layer. • Increasing the Ag content in Au–Ag catalyst layer changes the morphology of the ZnO nanostructures from nanorods to nanobelts. - Abstract: In this work, ZnO nanostructures were fabricated on noble-metal (Au, Ag and Au–Ag alloys) coated silicon substrates by applying pulsed laser deposition. The samples were prepared at a substrate temperature of 550 °C, an oxygen pressure of 5 Pa, and a laser fluence of 2 J cm{sup −2} – process parameters usually used for deposition of smooth and dense thin films. The metal layer's role is substantial for the preparation of nanostructures. Heating of the substrate changed the morphology of the metal layer and, subsequently, nanoparticles were formed. The use of different metal particles resulted in different morphologies and properties of the ZnO nanostructures synthesized. The morphology of the ZnO nanostructures was related to the Au–Ag alloy's content of the catalyst layer. It was found that the morphology of the ZnO nanostructures evolved from nanorods to nanobelts as the ratio of Au/Ag in the alloy catalyst was varied. The use of a small quantity of Ag in the Au–Ag catalyst (Au{sub 3}Ag) layer resulted predominantly in the deposition of ZnO nanorods. A higher Ag content in the catalyst alloy (AuAg{sub 2}) layer resulted in the growth of a dense structure of ZnO nanobelts.

  12. Active Layer Spin Coating Speed Dependence of Inverted Organic Solar Cell Based on Eosin-Y-Coated ZnO Nanorod Arrays

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ginting, R. T.; Yap, C. C.; Yahaya, M.; Fauzia, V.; Salleh, M. M.

    2013-04-01

    The active layer spin coating speed dependence of the performance of inverted organic solar cells (OSCs) based on Eosin-Y-coated ZnOnanorods has been investigated. An active layer consisted of poly(2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethyl)-hexyloxy-p-phenylenevinylene) (MEH-PPV) as donor and phenyl-c61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) as acceptor was employed, whereas ZnO nanorods were utilized as electron transporting layer. The active layer was deposited on top of Eosin-Y-coated ZnO nanorods with various spin coating speeds (1000-4000 rpm). Inverted OSCs with a structure of FTO/Eosin-Y-coated ZnO nanorods/MEH-PPV:PCBM /Ag were characterized through the current density-voltage (J-V) measurement under illumination intensity of 100 mW/cm2. Based on the investigation, the short circuit current density (Jsc) and the power conversion efficiency (PCE) enhanced significantly, where as fill factor slightly increased with spin coating speed. The two-diode equivalent model was found to fit the experimental J-V curves very well. The optimum PCE of 1.18 ± 0.07% was achieved at the highest spin coating speed of 4000 rpm, as a result of the decrement of diffusion current density (Jdiff), recombination current density (Jrec), and ideality factor, thus further confirms the strong built-in electric field in thinner photoactive layer.

  13. The formation of tungsten doped Al_2O_3/ZnO coatings on aluminum by plasma electrolytic oxidation and their application in photocatalysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Tungsten doped Al_2O_3/ZnO coatings are formed by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO). • Coatings are mainly composed of alpha alumina, ZnO and metallic tungsten. • Photocatalytic activity of doped Al_2O_3/ZnO coatings is higher than of undoped ones. • The increase of photoluminescence corresponds to decrease of photocatalytic activity. • Tungsten acts as a charge trap to reduce the recombination rate of electron/hole pairs. - Abstract: Tungsten doped Al_2O_3/ZnO coatings are formed by plasma electrolytic oxidation of aluminum substrate in supporting electrolyte (0.1 M boric acid + 0.05 M borax + 2 g/L ZnO) with addition of different concentrations of Na_2WO_4·2H_2O. The morphology, crystal structure, chemical composition, and light absorption characteristics of formed surface coatings are investigated. The X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results indicate that formed surface coatings consist of alpha and gamma phase of Al_2O_3, ZnO, metallic tungsten and WO_3. Obtained results showed that incorporated tungsten does not have any influence on the absorption spectra of Al_2O_3/ZnO coatings, which showed invariable band edge at about 385 nm. The photocatalytic activity of undoped and tungsten doped Al_2O_3/ZnO coatings is estimated by the photodegradation of methyl orange. The photocatalytic activity of tungsten doped Al_2O_3/ZnO coatings is higher thanof undoped Al_2O_3/ZnO coatings; the best photocatalytic activity is ascribed to coatings formed in supporting electrolyte with addition of 0.3 g/L Na_2WO_4·2H_2O. Tungsten in Al_2O_3/ZnO coatings acts as a charge trap, thus reducing the recombination rate of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. The results of PL measurements are in agreement with photocatalytic activity. Declining PL intensity corresponds to increasing photocatalytic activity of the coatings, indicating slower recombination of electron-hole pairs.

  14. Electrodeposition of CdSe coatings on ZnO nanowire arrays for extremely thin absorber solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Majidi, Hasti [Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (United States); Baxter, Jason B., E-mail: jbaxter@drexel.ed [Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (United States)

    2011-02-15

    We report on electrodeposition of CdSe coatings onto ZnO nanowire arrays and determine the effect of processing conditions on material properties such as morphology and microstructure. CdSe-coated ZnO nanowire arrays have potential use in extremely thin absorber (ETA) solar cells, where CdSe absorbs visible light and injects photoexcited electrons into the ZnO nanowires. We show that room-temperature electrodeposition enables growth of CdSe coatings that are highly crystalline, uniform, and conformal with precise control over thickness and microstructure. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy show nanocrystalline CdSe in both hexagonal and cubic phases with grain size {approx}5 nm. Coating morphology depends on electrodeposition current density. Uniform and conformal coatings were achieved using moderate current densities of {approx}2 mA cm{sup -2} for nanowires with roughness factor of {approx}10, while lower current densities resulted in sparse nucleation and growth of larger, isolated islands. Electrodeposition charge density controls the thickness of the CdSe coating, which was exploited to investigate the evolution of the morphology at early stages of nucleation and growth. UV-vis transmission spectroscopy and photoelectrochemical solar cell measurements demonstrate that CdSe effectively sensitizes ZnO nanowires to visible light.

  15. Electrodeposition of CdSe coatings on ZnO nanowire arrays for extremely thin absorber solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Majidi, Hasti; Baxter, Jason B.

    2011-01-01

    We report on electrodeposition of CdSe coatings onto ZnO nanowire arrays and determine the effect of processing conditions on material properties such as morphology and microstructure. CdSe-coated ZnO nanowire arrays have potential use in extremely thin absorber (ETA) solar cells, where CdSe absorbs visible light and injects photoexcited electrons into the ZnO nanowires. We show that room-temperature electrodeposition enables growth of CdSe coatings that are highly crystalline, uniform, and conformal with precise control over thickness and microstructure. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy show nanocrystalline CdSe in both hexagonal and cubic phases with grain size ∼5 nm. Coating morphology depends on electrodeposition current density. Uniform and conformal coatings were achieved using moderate current densities of ∼2 mA cm -2 for nanowires with roughness factor of ∼10, while lower current densities resulted in sparse nucleation and growth of larger, isolated islands. Electrodeposition charge density controls the thickness of the CdSe coating, which was exploited to investigate the evolution of the morphology at early stages of nucleation and growth. UV-vis transmission spectroscopy and photoelectrochemical solar cell measurements demonstrate that CdSe effectively sensitizes ZnO nanowires to visible light.

  16. A comparison study between ZnO nanorods coated with graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ding, Jijun; Wang, Minqiang; Deng, Jianping; Gao, Weiyin; Yang, Zhi; Ran, Chenxin; Zhang, Xiangyu

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Optical properties between ZnO-GO and ZnO-RGO composites were compared. • Photoluminescence quenching was observed in ZnO-GO composites. • We obtained enhanced photoluminescence in ZnO-RGO composites. -- Abstract: ZnO nanorods (ZnO NRs) coated with graphene oxide (ZnO-GO) and reduced graphene oxide sheets (ZnO-RGO) were prepared on indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates. The crystal structures, morphology and optical properties were analyzed by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images, absorption spectra and photoluminescence (PL) spectra, respectively. A comparison between PL properties from ZnO-GO and ZnO-RGO were studied. Results indicated that the peak at 442 nm and a broad band at 450–600 nm of ZnO NRs show PL quenching after coating with GO sheets. As coating with RGO sheets, the extent of PL quenching increases. It is interesting to note that as ZnO NRs coated with RGO sheets, the intensity of PL peak at 390 nm significantly increased. The enhanced PL emission research in ZnO-RGO is directed toward development of the “nextgeneration” optoelectronics devices related with graphene materials

  17. Superhydrophobic and anti-reflective ZnO nanorod-coated FTO transparent conductive thin films prepared by a three-step method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Bao-jia, E-mail: li_bjia@126.com [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013 (China); Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Center for Photon Manufacturing Science and Technology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013 (China); Huang, Li-jing; Ren, Nai-fei [Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Center for Photon Manufacturing Science and Technology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013 (China); School of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013 (China); Kong, Xia; Cai, Yun-long; Zhang, Jie-lu [Jiangsu Tailong Reduction Box Co. Ltd., Taixing, 225400 (China)

    2016-07-25

    A ZnO nanorod-coated FTO film was prepared by sputtering an AZO layer on FTO glass, thermal annealing of the AZO/FTO film, and hydrothermal growth of ZnO nanorods at 70 °C on the annealed AZO/FTO film using zinc foils as zinc source. Two other ZnO nanorod-coated FTO films were also prepared by hydrothermal growths of ZnO nanorods on the FTO glass and the unannealed AZO/FTO film respectively for comparison purpose. The results were observed in detail using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, water contact/sliding angle measurement, spectrophotometry and four-point probe measurement. The ZnO nanorods on the annealed AZO/FTO film were found to exhibit denser distribution and better orientation than those on the FTO glass and the unannealed AZO/FTO film. As a result, the ZnO nanorod-coated annealed AZO/FTO film demonstrated superhydrophobicity, high transparency and low reflectance in the visible range. Also this film had the lowest sheet resistance of 4.0 Ω/sq, implying its good electrical conductivity. This investigation provides a valuable reference for developing multifunctional transparent conductive films. - Highlights: • ZnO nanorod-coated annealed AZO/FTO film was obtained by a three-step method. • FTO and unannealed AZO/FTO films were also used as substrates for comparison. • ZnO nanorods on the annealed AZO/FTO film were denser and more vertically-oriented. • The ZnO nanorod-coated annealed AZO/FTO film (Z/TA-FTO) had superhydrophobicity. • The Z/TA-FTO exhibited high transparency, low reflectance and good conductivity.

  18. Facile fabrication of core-shell Pr6O11-ZnO modified silane coatings for anti-corrosion applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeeva Jothi, K.; Palanivelu, K.

    2014-01-01

    In this work, we have developed a facile and inexpensive method to fabricate anti-corrosive and hydrophobic surface with hierarchical micro and nano structures. We demonstrate for the first time the use of praseodymium oxide doped zinc oxide (Pr6O11-ZnO) nanocomposites loaded in a hybrid sol-gel (SiOx/ZrOx) layer, to effectively protect the underlying steel substrate from corrosion attack. The influence of Pr6O11-ZnO gives the surprising aspects based on active anti-corrosion and hydrophobic coatings. The spherical SiO2 particles have been successfully coated with Pr6O11-ZnO layer through sol-gel process. The resulted SiO2@Pr6O11-ZnO core-shell was characterized by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The barrier properties of the intact coatings were assessed by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). The fabrication of SiO2@Pr6O11-ZnO shows dual properties of hydrophobic and anti-corrosion micro/nanostructured sol-gel coatings follows a single/simple step coating procedure. This study has led to a better understanding factor influencing the anti-corrosion performance with embedded nanocomposites. These developments are particularly for silane network@ Pr6O11-ZnO for self-healing and self-cleaning behavior which can be designed for new protective coating system.

  19. Shape-dependent plasma-catalytic activity of ZnO nanomaterials coated on porous ceramic membrane for oxidation of butane.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanjeeva Gandhi, M; Mok, Young Sun

    2014-12-01

    In order to explore the effects of the shape of ZnO nanomaterials on the plasma-catalytic decomposition of butane and the distribution of byproducts, three types of ZnO nanomaterials (nanoparticles (NPs), nanorods (NRs) and nanowires (NWs)) were prepared and coated on multi-channel porous alumina ceramic membrane. The structures and morphologies of the nanomaterials were confirmed by X-ray diffraction method and scanning electron microscopy. The observed catalytic activity of ZnO in the oxidative decomposition of butane was strongly shape-dependent. It was found that the ZnO NWs exhibited higher catalytic activity than the other nanomaterials and could completely oxidize butane into carbon oxides (COx). When using the bare or ZnO NPs-coated ceramic membrane, several unwanted partial oxidation and decomposition products like acetaldehyde, acetylene, methane and propane were identified during the decomposition of butane. When the ZnO NWs- or ZnO NRs-coated membrane was used, however, the formation of such unwanted byproducts except methane was completely avoided, and full conversion into COx was achieved. Better carbon balance and COx selectivity were obtained with the ZnO NWs and NRs than with the NPs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Assessment on the Effects of ZnO and Coated ZnO Particles on iPP and PLA Properties for Application in Food Packaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonella Marra

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available This paper compares the properties of iPP based composites and PLA based biocomposites using 5% of ZnO particles or ZnO particles coated with stearic acid as filler. In particular, the effect of coating on the UV stability, thermostability, mechanical, barrier, and antibacterial properties of the polymer matrix were compared and related to the dispersion and distribution of the loads in the polymer matrix and the strength of the adhesion between the matrix and the particles. This survey demonstrated that, among the reported systems, iPP/5%ZnOc and PLA/5%ZnO films are the most suitable active materials for potential application in the active food packaging field.

  1. Characterization and photocatalytic properties of cotton fibers modified with ZnO nanoparticles using sol–gel spin coating technique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamed Shaban

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs were prepared using the sol–gel method. Cotton fibers were loaded with ZnO nanoparticles using sol–gel spin coating technique. The prepared ZnO NPs and ZnO-coated cotton were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX. The self-cleaning property of ZnO-coated cotton and the photocatalytic removal of methyl orange dye from the contaminated water and cotton fibers were studied by measuring the optical absorbance after exposure to sunlight and Philips 200W lamp illumination. The results showed that the cotton loaded with ZnO nanoparticles could efficiently decompose 73% of methyl orange dye in the sunlight and 30.7% in the lamp illumination after 12 hours. ZnO nanoparticles decomposed methyl orange dye by 92.7% in the sunlight and 26.4% in the lamp illumination after 7 hours.

  2. AFM characterization of nonwoven material functionalized by ZnO sputter coating

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deng Bingyao; Yan Xiong; Wei Qufu; Gao Weidong

    2007-01-01

    Sputter coatings provide new approaches to the surface functionalization of textile materials. In this study, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) nonwoven material was used as a substrate for creating functional nanostructures on the fiber surfaces. A magnetron sputter coating was used to deposit functional zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures onto the nonwoven substrate. The evolution of the surface morphology of the fibers in the nonwoven web was examined using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The AFM observations revealed a significant difference in the morphology of the fibers before and after the sputter coating. The AFM images also indicated the effect of the sputtering conditions on the surface morphology of the fibers. The increase in the sputtering time led to the growth of the ZnO grains on the fiber surfaces. The higher pressure in the sputtering chamber could cause the formation of larger grains on the fiber surfaces. The higher power used also generated larger grains on the fiber surfaces

  3. Enhancement of the corrosion protection of electroless Ni–P coating by deposition of sonosynthesized ZnO nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sharifalhoseini, Zahra [Sonochemical Research Center, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, 91779 Mashhad (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Entezari, Mohammad H., E-mail: entezari@um.ac.ir [Sonochemical Research Center, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, 91779 Mashhad (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Environmental Chemistry Research Center, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, 91779 Mashhad (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2015-10-01

    Graphical abstract: Enhancement of the corrosion protection of electroless Ni–P layer by ZnO nanoparticles deposition and the comparison with the classical and sonochemical Ni–P coatings. - Highlights: • Unique effects of ultrasound were investigated on the anticorrosive performance of electroless Ni–P coating. • Sonoynthesis of ZnO NPs and its deposition were performed on the surface of Ni–P coating. • ZnO as an anticorrosive has a critical role in the multifunctional surfaces. • Electrochemical properties of all fabricated samples were compared with each other. - Abstract: Ni–P coatings were deposited through electroless nickel plating in the presence and absence of ultrasound. The simultaneous synthesis of ZnO nanoparticle and its deposition under ultrasound were also carried out on the surface of Ni–P layer prepared by the classical method. The morphology of the surfaces and the chemical composition were determined by scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), respectively. Electrochemical techniques were applied for the corrosion behavior studies. The Ni–P layer deposited by ultrasound showed a higher anticorrosive property than the layer deposited by the classical method. The ZnO nanoparticles deposited on the surface of Ni–P layer significantly improved the corrosion resistance.

  4. ZnO nanorod array polydimethylsiloxane composite solid phase micro-extraction fiber coating: fabrication and extraction capability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Dan; Wang, Qingtang; Zhang, Zhuomin; Chen, Guonan

    2012-01-21

    ZnO nanorod array coating is a novel kind of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber coating which shows good extraction capability due to the nanostructure. To prepare the composite coating is a good way to improve the extraction capability. In this paper, the ZnO nanorod array polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composite SPME fiber coating has been prepared and its extraction capability for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) has been studied by headspace sampling the typical volatile mixed standard solution of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX). Improved detection limit and good linear ranges have been achieved for this composite SPME fiber coating. Also, it is found that the composite SPME fiber coating shows good extraction selectivity to the VOCs with alkane radicals.

  5. Nanostructured ZnO thin films prepared by sol–gel spin-coating

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Heredia, E., E-mail: heredia.edu@gmail.com [UNIDEF (CONICET-MINDEF), J.B. de La Salle 4397, 1603 Villa Martelli, Pcia. de Buenos Aires (Argentina); Bojorge, C.; Casanova, J.; Cánepa, H. [UNIDEF (CONICET-MINDEF), J.B. de La Salle 4397, 1603 Villa Martelli, Pcia. de Buenos Aires (Argentina); Craievich, A. [Instituto de Física, Universidade de São Paulo, Cidade Universitária, 66318 São Paulo, SP (Brazil); Kellermann, G. [Universidade Federal do Paraná, 19044 Paraná (Brazil)

    2014-10-30

    Highlights: • ZnO films synthesized by sol–gel were deposited by spin-coating on flat substrates. • Structural features of ZnO films with several thicknesses were characterized by means of different techniques. • The thicknesses of different ZnO thin films were determined by means of FESEM and AFM. • The nanoporous structures of ZnO thin films were characterized by GISAXS using IsGISAXS software. • The average densities of ZnO thin films were derived from (i) the critical angle in 1D XR patterns, (ii) the angle of Yoneda peak in 2D GISAXS images, (iii) minimization of chi2 using IsGISAXS best fitting procedure. - Abstract: ZnO thin films deposited on silica flat plates were prepared by spin-coating and studied by applying several techniques for structural characterization. The films were prepared by depositing different numbers of layers, each deposition being followed by a thermal treatment at 200 °C to dry and consolidate the successive layers. After depositing all layers, a final thermal treatment at 450 °C during 3 h was also applied in order to eliminate organic components and to promote the crystallization of the thin films. The total thickness of the multilayered films – ranging from 40 nm up to 150 nm – was determined by AFM and FESEM. The analysis by GIXD showed that the thin films are composed of ZnO crystallites with an average diameter of 25 nm circa. XR results demonstrated that the thin films also exhibit a large volume fraction of nanoporosity, typically 30–40 vol.% in thin films having thicknesses larger than ∼70 nm. GISAXS measurements showed that the experimental scattering intensity is well described by a structural model composed of nanopores with shape of oblate spheroids, height/diameter aspect ratio within the 0.8–0.9 range and average diameter along the sample surface plane in the 5–7 nm range.

  6. Structural and optical properties of ZnO nanostructures electrochemically synthesized on AZO/Ag/AZO-multilayer-film-coated polyethersulfone substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oh, Dohyun; Yoo, Chanho; No, Youngsoo; Kim, Suyoun; Kim, Taewhan; Cho, Woonjo; Kim, Jinyoung

    2012-01-01

    ZnO nanostructures were formed on Al-doped ZnO (AZO)/Ag/AZO-multilayer-film-coated flexible polyethersulfone (PES) substrates at low temperature by using an electrochemical deposition method. The resistivity of the AZO/Ag/AZO multilayer films decreased with increasing thickness of the Ag film. X-ray diffraction patterns for the ZnO nanostructures showed that the crystal structure of the ZnO was hexagonal wurtzite and that the orientation was along the c-axis perpendicular to the substrate. Scanning electron microscopy images showed that the ZnO nanostructures grown at current densities of - 1.0 and - 1.5 mA/cm 2 were ZnO nanorods with diameters of 150 nm and ZnO nanoflowers with a planar dimension, respectively. Photoluminescence spectra showed that the band-edge emission peak of the ZnO nanostructures dominantly appeared in the ultraviolet region. These results showed that ZnO nanorods and nanoflowers with high quality were synthesized on AZO/Ag/AZO-multilayer-film-coated PES substrates.

  7. Comparison of Antibacterial Effects of ZnO and CuO Nanoparticles Coated Brackets against Streptococcus Mutans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramazanzadeh, Baratali; Jahanbin, Arezoo; Yaghoubi, Masoud; Shahtahmassbi, Nasser; Ghazvini, Kiarash; Shakeri, Mohammadtaghi; Shafaee, Hooman

    2015-09-01

    During the orthodontic treatment, microbial plaques may accumulate around the brackets and cause caries, especially in high-risk patients. Finding ways to eliminate this microbial plaque seems to be essential. The aim of this study was to compare the antibacterial effects of nano copper oxide (CuO) and nano zinc oxide (ZnO) coated brackets against Streptococcus mutans (S.mutans) in order to decrease the risk of caries around the orthodontic brackets during the treatment. Sixty brackets were coated with nanoparticles of ZnO (n=20), CuO (n=20) and CuO-ZnO (n=20). Twelve uncoated brackets constituted the control group. The brackets were bonded to the crowns of extracted premolars, sterilized and prepared for antimicrobial tests (S.mutans ATCC35668). The samples taken after 0, 2, 4, 6 and 24 hours were cultured on agar plates. Colonies were counted 24 hours after incubation. One-way ANOVA and Tukey tests were used for statistical analysis. In CuO and CuO-ZnO coated brackets, no colony growth was seen after two hours. Between 0-6 hours, the mean colony counts were not significantly different between the ZnO and the control group (p>0.05). During 6-24 hours, the growth of S.mutans was significantly reduced by ZnO nanoparticles in comparison with the control group (pbrackets have better antimicrobial effect on S.mutans than ZnO coated brackets.

  8. The formation of tungsten doped Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/ZnO coatings on aluminum by plasma electrolytic oxidation and their application in photocatalysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stojadinović, Stevan, E-mail: sstevan@ff.bg.ac.rs [University of Belgrade, Faculty of Physics, Studentski trg 12-16, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia); Vasilić, Rastko [University of Belgrade, Faculty of Physics, Studentski trg 12-16, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia); Radić, Nenad [University of Belgrade, Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy, Department of Catalysis and Chemical Engineering, Njegoševa 12, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia); Tadić, Nenad [University of Belgrade, Faculty of Physics, Studentski trg 12-16, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia); Stefanov, Plamen [Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Block 11, 1113 Sofia (Bulgaria); Grbić, Boško [University of Belgrade, Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy, Department of Catalysis and Chemical Engineering, Njegoševa 12, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia)

    2016-07-30

    Highlights: • Tungsten doped Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/ZnO coatings are formed by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO). • Coatings are mainly composed of alpha alumina, ZnO and metallic tungsten. • Photocatalytic activity of doped Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/ZnO coatings is higher than of undoped ones. • The increase of photoluminescence corresponds to decrease of photocatalytic activity. • Tungsten acts as a charge trap to reduce the recombination rate of electron/hole pairs. - Abstract: Tungsten doped Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/ZnO coatings are formed by plasma electrolytic oxidation of aluminum substrate in supporting electrolyte (0.1 M boric acid + 0.05 M borax + 2 g/L ZnO) with addition of different concentrations of Na{sub 2}WO{sub 4}·2H{sub 2}O. The morphology, crystal structure, chemical composition, and light absorption characteristics of formed surface coatings are investigated. The X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results indicate that formed surface coatings consist of alpha and gamma phase of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, ZnO, metallic tungsten and WO{sub 3}. Obtained results showed that incorporated tungsten does not have any influence on the absorption spectra of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/ZnO coatings, which showed invariable band edge at about 385 nm. The photocatalytic activity of undoped and tungsten doped Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/ZnO coatings is estimated by the photodegradation of methyl orange. The photocatalytic activity of tungsten doped Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/ZnO coatings is higher thanof undoped Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/ZnO coatings; the best photocatalytic activity is ascribed to coatings formed in supporting electrolyte with addition of 0.3 g/L Na{sub 2}WO{sub 4}·2H{sub 2}O. Tungsten in Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/ZnO coatings acts as a charge trap, thus reducing the recombination rate of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. The results of PL measurements are in agreement with photocatalytic activity. Declining PL intensity corresponds to increasing photocatalytic activity of the

  9. An approach to fabricating chemical sensors based on ZnO nanorod arrays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Jae Young; Song, Dong Eon; Kim, Sang Sub

    2008-01-01

    Vertically and laterally aligned ZnO nanorod arrays were synthesized on Pt-coated Si substrates by catalyst-free metal organic chemical vapor deposition. An approach to fabricating chemical sensors based on the nanorod arrays using a coating-and-etching process with a photo-resist is reported. Tests of the devices as oxygen gas sensors have been performed. Our results demonstrate that the approach holds promise for the realization of sensitive and reliable nanorod array chemical sensors

  10. Failure characteristics and mechanisms of EB-PVD TBCs with Pt-modified NiAl bond coats

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhou, Le; Mukherjee, Sriparna; Huang, Ke; Park, Young Whan; Sohn, Yongho, E-mail: Yongho.Sohn@ucf.edu

    2015-06-18

    Microstructural evolution and failure characteristics/mechanisms were investigated for thermal barrier coatings that consist of electron beam physical vapor deposited ZrO{sub 2}−8 wt% Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} (YSZ) topcoat, Pt-modified nickel aluminide, (Ni,Pt)Al bond coat, and CMSX-4 superalloy substrate with furnace cycling at 1100 °C with 1-h dwell. Photo stimulated luminescence spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy equipped with X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy were employed to examine the residual stress of the thermally grown oxide (TGO) and microstructural changes. For comparison, (Ni,Pt)Al bond coat on CMSX-4 without the YSZ topcoat was also characterized. The TGO grew faster for the YSZ-coated (Ni,Pt)Al bond coat than the (Ni,Pt)Al coating without the YSZ topcoat. Correspondingly, the β-to-γ′/martensite formation in the (Ni,Pt)Al bond coat occurred faster on the YSZ-coated (Ni,Pt)Al bond coat. However the rumpling occurred much faster and with larger amplitude on the (Ni,Pt)Al coating without the YSZ topcoat. Still, the rumpling at the TGO/bond coat interface caused crack initiation as early as 10 thermal cycles, decohesion at the YSZ/TGO interface, and eventual spallation failure primarily through the TGO/bond coat interface. The magnitude of compressive residual stress in the TGO showed an initial increase up to 3−4 GPa followed by a gradual decrease. The rate of stress relaxation was much quicker for the TGO scale without the YSZ topcoat with distinctive relief corresponding to the cracking at the top of geometrical ridges associated with the (Ni,Pt)Al bond coat. The maximum elastic energy for the TGO scale was estimated at 90 J/m{sup 2} at 50% of its lifetime (N{sub f}=545 cycles). The YSZ presence/adhesion to the TGO scale is emphasized to minimize the undulation of the TGO/bond coat interface, i.e., decohesion at the YSZ/TGO scale accelerates the rumpling and crack-coalescence at the TGO/bond coat

  11. Electrochemical characteristics of coated steel with poly(N-methyl pyrrole) synthesized in presence of ZnO nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mahmoudian, M.R., E-mail: M_R_mahmoudian@yahoo.com [Department of Chemistry, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603 (Malaysia); Department of Chemistry, Masjed-Soleiman Branch, Islamic Azad University, Masjed-Soleiman (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Basirun, W.J.; Alias, Y. [Department of Chemistry, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603 (Malaysia); Khorsand Zak, A. [Low Dimensional Materials Research Center, Department of Physics, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

    2011-10-31

    Poly(N-methyl pyrrole) (PMPy) coating was electrodeposited on steel substrates in mixed electrolytes of dodecyl benzene sulphonic acid with oxalic acid in the absence and the presence of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs). The morphology and compositions were characterized by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Electrode/coating/electrolyte system was studied by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy. The comparison between the pore resistance (R{sub po}) of synthesized PMPy in the absence and presence of ZnO NPs indicated that the existence of ZnO increased the R{sub po} of the coating. The FESEM micrographs indicated that the size of micro-spherical grains in the morphology of PMPy is significantly reduced and the surface area of PMPy is increased with the presence of ZnO NPs. The increase of the ability to interact with the ions liberated during the corrosion reaction of steel and the increase of the rate probability for the occurrence of cathodic reduction of oxygen on the PMPy with the increase of the surface area can be considered as reasons for improvement of protective properties of synthesized PMPy in the presence of ZnO NPs.

  12. Minimizing resputtering of Pt-coated microspheres in a batch magnetron sputtering process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Plake, A.L.

    1981-01-01

    Preventing DT loss from glass microspheres being smoothly coated with PT is needed during fabrication of laser fusion targets. Evidence indicates that the increase of substrate temperature due to resputtering will cause DT loss. Resputtering will prevent a smooth and uniform coating on these glass microspheres (140 μm in diameter). This paper reviews the method that was developed to find a set of coating conditions to minimize the DT loss, and still be able to produce thick smooth Pt coated glass microspheres

  13. The effect of ZnO nanoparticle coating on the frictional resistance between orthodontic wires and ceramic brackets

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmad

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Background. Any decrease in friction between orthodontic wire and bracket can accelerate tooth movement in the sliding technique and result in better control of anchorage. This study was carried out to evaluate frictional forces by coating orthodontic wires and porcelain brackets with zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO. Methods. In this in vitro study, we evaluated a combination of 120 samples of 0.019×0.025 stainless steel (SS orthodontic wires and 22 mil system edgewise porcelain brackets with and without spherical zinc oxide nanoparticles. Spherical ZnO nanoparticles were deposited on wires and brackets by immersing them in ethanol solution and SEM (scanning electron microscope evaluation confirmed the presence of the ZnO coating. The frictional forces were calculated between the wires and brackets in four groups: group ZZ (coated wire and bracket, group OO (uncoated wire and bracket, group ZO (coated wire and uncoated bracket and group OZ (uncoated wire and coated bracket. Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used for data analysis. Results. The frictional force in ZZ (3.07±0.4 N was the highest (P <0.05, and OZ (2.18±0.5 N had the lowest amount of friction (P <0.05 among the groups. There was no significant difference in frictional forces between the ZO and OO groups (2.65±0.2 and 2.70±0.2 N, respectively. Conclusion. Coating of porcelain bracket surfaces with ZnO nanoparticles can decrease friction in the sliding technique, and wire coating combined with bracket coating is not recommended due to its effect on friction.

  14. Pt coating on flame-generated carbon particles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, In Dae; Lee, Dong Geun

    2008-01-01

    Carbon black, activated carbon and carbon nanotube have been used as supporting materials for precious metal catalysts used in fuel cell electrodes. One-step flame synthesis method is used to coat 2-5nm Pt dots on flame-generated carbon particles. By adjusting flame temperature, gas flow rates and resident time of particles in flame, we can obtain Pt/C nano catalyst-support composite particles. Additional injection of hydrogen gas facilitates pyrolysis of Pt precursor in flame. The size of as-incepted Pt dots increases along the flame due to longer resident time and sintering in high temperature flame. Surface coverage and dispersion of the Pt dots is varied at different sampling heights and confirmed by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Energy Dispersive Spectra (EDS) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). Crystallinity and surface bonding groups of carbon are investigated through X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscoy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy

  15. Growth of ZnS-coated ZnO nanorod arrays on (1 0 0) silicon substrate by two-step chemical synthesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumarakuru, Haridas; Urgessa, Zelalem N.; Olivier, Ezra J.; Botha, Johannes R.; Venter, Andre; Neethling, Johannes H.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • ZnS coated ZnO nanorods were synthesized using a simple two-step chemical method. • The uniform ZnS coating exhibits a polycrystalline face centered cubic structure. • Initial ZnS deposit exhibits a partial epitaxial relationship with ZnO. • An ion-exchange reaction was deduced for this sulphidation process. • Detailed microscopy results are complemented by room temperature photoluminescence. - Abstract: In this study, ZnS coated ZnO nanorods were synthesized using a simple, cost effective two-step chemical method. A continuous coating of ZnS on a ZnO nanorod, having a uniform thickness, is demonstrated using high resolution transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy and selected area diffraction (SAD). These core–shell structures can be produced at relatively low temperatures (75 °C) and within relatively short times (3 h). The ZnS coating exhibits a polycrystalline structure with a lattice parameter of 5.35 Å, which is 1.1% smaller than the unstrained cubic zinc-blende structure. The SAD pattern taken at the ZnO–ZnS interface exhibits a partial epitaxial relationship, where (1 0 –1 0) ZnO//(1 1 1) ZnS. Our detailed analysis shows that the ZnS shell comprises two different regions: a ZnS rich inner shell region is produced via the first sulphidation process, followed by a mixture of ZnO and ZnS in the outer shell region during the second treatment. From the detailed microscopy results a growth mechanism is proposed for each step of the sulphidation process. The results are complemented by room temperature photoluminescence spectroscopy. Strong emission from free excitons in ZnO is observed at 3.27 eV before ZnS coating, while a composite band peaking at 2.9 eV is measured after sulphidation. The origin of the latter will be discussed

  16. Growth of ZnS-coated ZnO nanorod arrays on (1 0 0) silicon substrate by two-step chemical synthesis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kumarakuru, Haridas, E-mail: haridas.kumarakuru@nmmu.ac.za [Centre for High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (CHRTEM), Department of Physics, P.O.Box 77000, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU), Port Elizabeth 6031 (South Africa); Urgessa, Zelalem N. [Department of Physics, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU), P.O. Box 77000, Port Elizabeth 6031 (South Africa); Olivier, Ezra J. [Centre for High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (CHRTEM), Department of Physics, P.O.Box 77000, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU), Port Elizabeth 6031 (South Africa); Botha, Johannes R.; Venter, Andre [Department of Physics, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU), P.O. Box 77000, Port Elizabeth 6031 (South Africa); Neethling, Johannes H. [Centre for High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (CHRTEM), Department of Physics, P.O.Box 77000, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU), Port Elizabeth 6031 (South Africa); Department of Physics, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU), P.O. Box 77000, Port Elizabeth 6031 (South Africa)

    2014-11-05

    Highlights: • ZnS coated ZnO nanorods were synthesized using a simple two-step chemical method. • The uniform ZnS coating exhibits a polycrystalline face centered cubic structure. • Initial ZnS deposit exhibits a partial epitaxial relationship with ZnO. • An ion-exchange reaction was deduced for this sulphidation process. • Detailed microscopy results are complemented by room temperature photoluminescence. - Abstract: In this study, ZnS coated ZnO nanorods were synthesized using a simple, cost effective two-step chemical method. A continuous coating of ZnS on a ZnO nanorod, having a uniform thickness, is demonstrated using high resolution transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy and selected area diffraction (SAD). These core–shell structures can be produced at relatively low temperatures (75 °C) and within relatively short times (3 h). The ZnS coating exhibits a polycrystalline structure with a lattice parameter of 5.35 Å, which is 1.1% smaller than the unstrained cubic zinc-blende structure. The SAD pattern taken at the ZnO–ZnS interface exhibits a partial epitaxial relationship, where (1 0 –1 0) ZnO//(1 1 1) ZnS. Our detailed analysis shows that the ZnS shell comprises two different regions: a ZnS rich inner shell region is produced via the first sulphidation process, followed by a mixture of ZnO and ZnS in the outer shell region during the second treatment. From the detailed microscopy results a growth mechanism is proposed for each step of the sulphidation process. The results are complemented by room temperature photoluminescence spectroscopy. Strong emission from free excitons in ZnO is observed at 3.27 eV before ZnS coating, while a composite band peaking at 2.9 eV is measured after sulphidation. The origin of the latter will be discussed.

  17. Pt/XC-72 catalysts coated with nitrogen-doped carbon (Pt/XC-72@C–N) for methanol electro-oxidation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cao, Jun; Chu, Yuanyuan; Tan, Xiaoyao, E-mail: cestanxy@aliyun.com

    2014-03-01

    Pt/XC-72 catalysts coated with N-doped carbon (denoted as Pt/XC-72@C–N) for the electro-oxidation of methanol are prepared through a combined microwave-assisted polyol with in-situ carbonization of N-doped carbon coating process using polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), 1-vinyl-3-ethylimidazolium nitrate (VEIN) or 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide (EMID) ionic liquid as the N-doped carbon precursor. X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive of X-ray, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, cyclic voltammograms and accelerated aging test techniques are applied to characterize the structure and the electro-catalytic activity of the catalysts. The results show that the Pt particles with the average size of around 2.5 nm are highly dispersed in face-centered cubic crystal structure in the carbon support. The structure of the N-doped carbon coating precursor has considerable influence on the electro-catalytic performance of the catalysts. The resultant catalyst with EMID ionic liquid as the N-doped carbon source exhibits 115.9 m{sup 2} g{sup −1}Pt electrochemical surface area (ESA) and 0.66 A mg{sup −1}Pt catalytic activity towards the electro-oxidation of methanol, which are 1.37 times the ESA and 1.35 times the catalytic activity of the PVP-derived catalyst, and 2.02 times the electrochemical surface area and 1.94 times the catalytic activity of the VEIN-derived catalyst. The appropriate amount of the EMID ionic liquid used in the catalyst synthesis process is around 10 uL for 100 mg XC-72 support so as to obtain the highest electro-catalytic activity. - Highlights: • N-doped carbon coated Pt/C catalyst is prepared for methanol electro-oxidation. • Pt/XC-72@C–N exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity over uncoated catalysts. • Ionic liquid with anionic cyano groups is most suitable as N-doped carbon precursor. • The appropriate amount of ionic liquid for coating is around 10 μL for 100 mg carbon.

  18. Ag nanodots decorated SiO2 coated ZnO core-shell nanostructure with enhanced luminescence property as potential imaging agent

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Jagriti; Barick, K. C.; Hassan, P. A.; Bahadur, Dhirendra

    2018-04-01

    Ag decorated silica coated ZnO nanocomposite (Ag@SiO2@ZnO NCs) has been synthesized by soft chemical approach. The physico-chemical properties of Ag@SiO2@ZnO NCs are investigated by various sophisticated characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction, Transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV-visible absorption and photoluminescent spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction confirms the phase formation of ZnO and Ag in nanocomposite. TEM micrograph clearly shows that Ag nanodots are well decorated over silica coated ZnO NCs. The photoluminescent study reveals the enhancement in the photoluminance property when the Ag nanodots are decorated over silica coated ZnO nanocomposite due to an electromagnetic coupling between excitons and plasmons. Furthermore, the photoluminescent property is an important tool for bio-imaging application, reveal that NCs give green and red emission after excitation with 488 and 535 nm. Therefore, low cytotoxicity and excellent fluorescence stability in vitro makes it a more suitable material for both cellular imaging and therapy for biomedical applications.

  19. Preparation and enhanced oxidation performance of a Hf-doped single-phase Pt-modified aluminide coating

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Y.F.; Jiang, C.Y.; Yao, H.R.; Bao, Z.B.; Zhu, S.L.; Wang, F.H.

    2016-01-01

    Graphical abstract: Tiny Hf particles were successfully incorporated into Pt plating via simple electro-plating method. The hafnium particles were either nipped at Pt grain boundaries or wrapped inside Pt grains, and most of them were below 3 μm in size, showing a uniform distribution within the Pt plating. - Highlights: • A Hf-rich belt formed between outer (Ni,Pt)Al and IDZ after aluminisation. • Hf-doped coating showed much decreased mass gain and oxidation rate constant k_p. • Hf-rich belt acted as diffusion barrier by restraining diffusions of Al and W. • Degradation of β was effectively postponed by the unique Hf addition. • Hf-doped coating exhibited lighter oxide scale rumpling tendency. - Abstract: A Hf-doped β-(Ni,Pt)Al coating was prepared by co-deposition of a Pt-Hf composite plating and successive aluminisation. Then, a distinct Hf-rich belt was formed internally between the outer additive (Ni,Pt)Al coating and interdiffusion zone. An isothermal oxidation test at 1100 °C revealed a relatively lower oxidation rate constant and decreased oxide scale rumpling tendency for the Hf-doped coating during which the Hf-rich belt partly acted as an effective diffusion barrier. The unique addition of Hf into a β-(Ni,Pt)Al coating can delay the transitional oxidation period from transient alumina to stable one and postpone the degradation from β to γ'.

  20. A PMMA coated PMN–PT single crystal resonator for sensing chemical agents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frank, Michael; Kassegne, Sam; Moon, Kee S

    2010-01-01

    A highly sensitive lead magnesium niobate–lead titanate (PMN–PT) single crystal resonator coated with a thin film of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) useful for detecting chemical agents such as acetone, methanol, and isopropyl alcohol is presented. Swelling of the cured PMMA polymer layer in the presence of acetone, methanol, and isopropyl alcohol vapors is sensed as a mass change transduced to an electrical signal by the PMN–PT thickness shear mode sensor. Frequency change in the PMN–PT sensor is demonstrated to vary according to the concentration of the chemical vapor present within the sensing chamber. For acetone, the results indicate a frequency change more than 6000 times greater than that which would be expected from a quartz crystal microbalance coated with PMMA. This study is the first of its kind to demonstrate vapor loading of adsorbed chemical agents onto a polymer coated PMN–PT resonator

  1. Sorption, dissolution and pH determine the long-term equilibration and toxicity of coated and uncoated ZnO nanoparticles in soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waalewijn-Kool, Pauline L; Diez Ortiz, Maria; van Straalen, Nico M; van Gestel, Cornelis A M

    2013-07-01

    To assess the effect of long-term dissolution on bioavailability and toxicity, triethoxyoctylsilane coated and uncoated zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NP), non-nano ZnO and ZnCl2 were equilibrated in natural soil for up to twelve months. Zn concentrations in pore water increased with time for all ZnO forms but peaked at intermediate concentrations of ZnO-NP and non-nano ZnO, while for coated ZnO-NP such a clear peak only was seen after 12 months. Dose-related increases in soil pH may explain decreased soluble Zn levels due to fixation of Zn released from ZnO at higher soil concentrations. At T = 0 uncoated ZnO-NP and non-nano ZnO were equally toxic to the springtail Folsomia candida, but not as toxic as coated ZnO-NP, and ZnCl2 being most toxic. After three months equilibration toxicity to F. candida was already reduced for all Zn forms, except for coated ZnO-NP which showed reduced toxicity only after 12 months equilibration. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Efficient light extraction from GaN LEDs using gold-coated ZnO nanoparticles

    KAUST Repository

    Alhadidi, A.

    2015-11-01

    We experimentally demonstrate the effect of depositing gold-coated ZnO nanoparticles on the surface of GaN multi-quantum well LED structures. We show that this method can significantly increase the amount of extracted light.

  3. Acoustoelectric Effect on the Responses of SAW Sensors Coated with Electrospun ZnO Nanostructured Thin Film

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zafer Ziya Ozturk

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available In this study, zinc oxide (ZnO was a very good candidate for improving the sensitivity of gas sensor technology. The preparation of an electrospun ZnO nanostructured thin film on a 433 MHz Rayleigh wave based Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW sensor and the investigation of the acoustoelectric effect on the responses of the SAW sensor are reported. We prepared an electrospun ZnO nanostructured thin film on the SAW devices by using an electrospray technique. To investigate the dependency of the sensor response on the structure and the number of the ZnO nanoparticles, SAW sensors were prepared with different coating loads. The coating frequency shifts were adjusted to fall between 100 kHz and 2.4 MHz. The sensor measurements were performed against VOCs such as acetone, trichloroethylene, chloroform, ethanol, n-propanol and methanol vapor. The sensor responses of n-propanol have opposite characteristics to the other VOCs, and we attributed these characteristics to the elastic effect/acoustoelectric effect.

  4. Annealing Heat Treatment of ZnO Nanoparticles Grown on Porous Si Substrate Using Spin-Coating Method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. A. Eswar

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available ZnO nanoparticles were successfully deposited on porous silicon (PSi substrate using spin-coating method. In order to prepare PSi, electrochemical etching was employed to modify the Si surface. Zinc acetate dihydrate was used as a starting material in ZnO sol-gel solution preparation. The postannealing treatments were investigated on morphologies and photoluminescence (PL properties of the ZnO thin films. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM results indicate that the thin films composed by ZnO nanoparticles were distributed uniformly on PSi. The average sizes of ZnO nanoparticle increase with increasing annealing temperature. Atomic force microscopic (AFM analysis reveals that ZnO thin films annealed at 500°C had the smoothest surface. PL spectra show two peaks that completely correspond to nanostructured ZnO and PSi. These findings indicate that the ZnO nanostructures grown on PSi are promising for application as light emitting devices.

  5. Characterization of ZnO coated polyester fabrics for UV protection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Broasca, G.; Borcia, G.; Dumitrascu, N.; Vrinceanu, N.

    2013-01-01

    The textile industry aims to develop fabrics adapted to environmental conditions, in particular to UV radiation. Taking into account the demand for such materials, we prepare an inorganic–organic material, based on ZnO microparticles impregnation of polyester textiles, to perform combined UV-protection properties and high hydrophobicity. Scanning electron microscopy, UV reflectance, Impedance Spectroscopy, contact angle, air permeability, resistance to vapor transfer and tensile strength measurement are used for analysis of the surface and volume properties, related to the performance of the material under environmental conditions, as UV radiation, water and water vapors. The impregnation method ensures a good homogeneity and dispersion of ZnO microparticles into the textile polymeric matrix. The optimum level of impregnation of the fabrics is established to 3–5% ZnO, yielding stable properties, without overloading the fabric. The response of the coated polymer indicates better absorbing the UV radiation and dissipating the surface charge, time stability against UV and higher hydrophobic character, without modification of the mechanical properties, offering enhanced performance and comfort under environmental conditions.

  6. ZnO Coatings with Controlled Pore Size, Crystallinity and Electrical Conductivity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roman SCHMACK

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Zinc oxide is a wide bandgap semiconductor with unique optical, electrical and catalytic properties. Many of its practical applications rely on the materials pore structure, crystallinity and electrical conductivity. We report a synthesis method for ZnO films with ordered mesopore structure and tuneable crystallinity and electrical conductivity. The synthesis relies on dip-coating of solutions containing micelles of an amphiphilic block copolymer and complexes of Zn2+ ions with aliphatic ligands. A subsequent calcination at 400°C removes the template and induces crystallization of the pore walls. The pore structure is controlled by the template polymer, whereas the aliphatic ligands control the crystallinity of the pore walls. Complexes with a higher thermal stability result in ZnO films with a higher content of residual carbon, smaller ZnO crystals and therefore lower electrical conductivity. The paper discusses the ability of different types of ligands to assist in the synthesis of mesoporous ZnO and relates the structure and thermal stability of the precursor complexes to the crystallinity and electrical conductivity of the zinc oxide.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.22.1.8634

  7. Carbon-coated ZnO mat passivation by atomic-layer-deposited HfO2 as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Mi-Hee

    2017-11-01

    ZnO has had little consideration as an anode material in lithium-ion batteries compared with other transition-metal oxides due to its inherent poor electrical conductivity and large volume expansion upon cycling and pulverization of ZnO-based electrodes. A logical design and facile synthesis of ZnO with well-controlled particle sizes and a specific morphology is essential to improving the performance of ZnO in lithium-ion batteries. In this paper, a simple approach is reported that uses a cation surfactant and a chelating agent to synthesize three-dimensional hierarchical nanostructured carbon-coated ZnO mats, in which the ZnO mats are composed of stacked individual ZnO nanowires and form well-defined nanoporous structures with high surface areas. In order to improve the performance of lithium-ion batteries, HfO 2 is deposited on the carbon-coated ZnO mat electrode via atomic layer deposition. Lithium-ion battery devices based on the carbon-coated ZnO mat passivation by atomic layer deposited HfO 2 exhibit an excellent initial discharge and charge capacities of 2684.01 and 963.21mAhg -1 , respectively, at a current density of 100mAg -1 in the voltage range of 0.01-3V. They also exhibit cycle stability after 125 cycles with a capacity of 740mAhg -1 and a remarkable rate capability. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. The effect of ZnO nanoparticle coating on the frictional resistance between orthodontic wires and ceramic brackets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Behroozian, Ahmad; Kachoei, Mojgan; Khatamian, Masumeh; Divband, Baharak

    2016-01-01

    Background. Any decrease in friction between orthodontic wire and bracket can accelerate tooth movement in the sliding technique and result in better control of anchorage. This study was carried out to evaluate frictional forces by coating orthodontic wires and porcelain brackets with zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO). Methods. In this in vitro study, we evaluated a combination of 120 samples of 0.019×0.025 stainless steel (SS) orthodonticwires and 22 mil system edgewise porcelain brackets with and without spherical zinc oxide nanoparticles. Spherical ZnOnanoparticles were deposited on wires and brackets by immersing them in ethanol solution and SEM (scanning electronmicroscope) evaluation confirmed the presence of the ZnO coating. The frictional forces were calculated between the wiresand brackets in four groups: group ZZ (coated wire and bracket), group OO (uncoated wire and bracket), group ZO (coatedwire and uncoated bracket) and group OZ (uncoated wire and coated bracket). Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Mann-Whitney andKruskal-Wallis tests were used for data analysis. Results. The frictional force in ZZ (3.07±0.4 N) was the highest (P <0.05), and OZ (2.18±0.5 N) had the lowest amount of friction (P <0.05) among the groups. There was no significant difference in frictional forces between the ZO and OO groups (2.65±0.2 and 2.70±0.2 N, respectively). Conclusion. Coating of porcelain bracket surfaces with ZnO nanoparticles can decrease friction in the sliding technique,and wire coating combined with bracket coating is not recommended due to its effect on friction. PMID:27429727

  9. Selective tuning of enhancement in near band edge emission in hydrothermally grown ZnO nanorods coated with gold

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dixit, Tejendra, E-mail: phd12110211@iiti.ac.in [Molecular and Nanoelectronics Research Group (MNRG), Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Indore, Indore, Madhya Pradesh (India); Palani, I.A., E-mail: palaniia@iiti.ac.in [Mechatronics and Instrumentation Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Indore, Indore, Madhya Pradesh (India); Centre of Material Science and Engineering, IIT Indore, Indore, Madhya Pradesh (India); Singh, Vipul, E-mail: vipul@iiti.ac.in [Molecular and Nanoelectronics Research Group (MNRG), Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Indore, Indore, Madhya Pradesh (India); Centre of Material Science and Engineering, IIT Indore, Indore, Madhya Pradesh (India)

    2016-02-15

    The room-temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectra of hydrothermally grown ZnO nanorods (NRs) coated with Au using dc sputtering and thermal evaporation were systematically investigated. Au coated (via dc sputtering) ZnO NRs were found to exhibit very large near band edge emission enhancement, on the contrary Au coated (via thermal evaporation) ZnO NRs showed suppression in the near band edge emission peak. These observed results were further confirmed by excitation intensity (EI) dependent PL spectra of different samples. Further using Raman spectra it has been observed that the longitudinal optical (LO) phonons exhibit an enhancement and a weakening by the Au coatings, using dc sputtering and thermal evaporation respectively. Finally by controlling the concentration of KMnO{sub 4} as an additive during the hydrothermal growth, selective tuning in the defect density was carried out, which was later utilized to probe the effect of defect density of the Au–ZnO plasmonic coupling. Moreover, our results strongly suggest that the EI dependent PL has a strong dependence on the metal coating technique. The findings presented in this article clearly indicate the dependence of Au–ZnO plasmonic coupling on the overall defect density and the process of Au deposition.

  10. Improved electron injection in spin coated Alq3 incorporated ZnO thin film in the device for solution processed OLEDs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dasi, Gnyaneshwar; Ramarajan, R.; Thangaraju, Kuppusamy

    2018-04-01

    We deposit tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum (Alq3) incorporated zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films by spin coating method under the normal ambient. It showed the higher transmittance (90% at 550 nm) when compared to that (80% at 550 nm) of spin coated pure ZnO film. SEM studies show that the Alq3 incorporation in ZnO film also enhances the formation of small sized particles arranged in the network of wrinkles on the surface. XRD reveals the improved crystalline properties upon Alq3 inclusion. We fabricate the electron-only devices (EODs) with the structure of ITO/spin coated ZnO:Alq3 as ETL/Alq3 interlayer/LiF/Al. The device showed the higher electron current density of 2.75 mA/cm2 at 12V when compared to that (0.82 mA/cm2 at 12V) of the device using pure ZnO ETL. The device results show that it will be useful to fabricate the low-cost solution processed OLEDs for future lighting and display applications.

  11. Effects of Post Heat Treatments on ZnO Thin-Films Grown on Zn-coated Teflon Substrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Ikhyun; Nam, Giwoong; Lee, Cheoleon; Kim, Dongwhan; Choi, Hyonkwang; Kim, Yangsoo; Leem, Jae-Young [Inje University, Gimhae (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jin Soo [Chonbuk National University, Jeonju (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jong Su [Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan (Korea, Republic of); Son, Jeong-Sik [Kyungwoon University, Gumi (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-06-15

    ZnO thin films were first grown on Zn-coated Teflon substrates using a spin-coating method, with various post-heating temperatures. The structural and optical properties of the ZnO thin films were then investigated using field-effect scanning-electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The surface morphology of these ZnO thin films exhibited dendritic structures. With increasing post-heating temperature, all samples preferentially exhibited preferential c-axis orientation and increased residual tensile stress. All of the films exhibited preferential c-axis orientation, and the residual tensile stress of those increased with increasing post-heating temperature. The near-band-edge emission (NBE) peaks were red-shifted after post-heating treatment at 400 ℃. The intensity of the deep-level emission (DLE) peaks gradually decreased with increasing post- heating temperature. Moreover, the narrowest ‘full width at half maximum’ (FWHM) and the highest intensity ratio of the NBE to the DLE for thin films, were observed after post-heating at 400 ℃. The ZnO thin films fabricated with the 400 ℃ post-heating process provided the highest crystallinity and optical properties.

  12. Characterizations of multilayer ZnO thin films deposited by sol-gel spin coating technique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M.I. Khan

    Full Text Available In this work, zinc oxide (ZnO multilayer thin films are deposited on glass substrate using sol-gel spin coating technique and the effect of these multilayer films on optical, electrical and structural properties are investigated. It is observed that these multilayer films have great impact on the properties of ZnO. X-ray Diffraction (XRD confirms that ZnO has hexagonal wurtzite structure. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM showed the crack-free films which have uniformly distributed grains structures. Both micro and nano particles of ZnO are present on thin films. Four point probe measured the electrical properties showed the decreasing trend between the average resistivity and the number of layers. The optical absorption spectra measured using UV–Vis. showed the average transmittance in the visible region of all films is 80% which is good for solar spectra. The performance of the multilayer as transparent conducting material is better than the single layer of ZnO. This work provides a low cost, environment friendly and well abandoned material for solar cells applications. Keywords: Multilayer films, Semiconductor, ZnO, XRD, SEM, Optoelectronic properties

  13. Fabrication of Well-Aligned ZnO Nanorods Using a Composite Seed Layer of ZnO Nanoparticles and Chitosan Polymer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khun, Kimleang; Ibupoto, Zafar Hussain; AlSalhi, Mohamad S; Atif, Muhammad; Ansari, Anees A; Willander, Magnus

    2013-09-30

    In this study, by taking the advantage of both inorganic ZnO nanoparticles and the organic material chitosan as a composite seed layer, we have fabricated well-aligned ZnO nanorods on a gold-coated glass substrate using the hydrothermal growth method. The ZnO nanoparticles were characterized by the Raman spectroscopic techniques, which showed the nanocrystalline phase of the ZnO nanoparticles. Different composites of ZnO nanoparticles and chitosan were prepared and used as a seed layer for the fabrication of well-aligned ZnO nanorods. Field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and infrared reflection absorption spectroscopic techniques were utilized for the structural characterization of the ZnO nanoparticles/chitosan seed layer-coated ZnO nanorods on a gold-coated glass substrate. This study has shown that the ZnO nanorods are well-aligned, uniform, and dense, exhibit the wurtzite hexagonal structure, and are perpendicularly oriented to the substrate. Moreover, the ZnO nanorods are only composed of Zn and O atoms. An optical study was also carried out for the ZnO nanoparticles/chitosan seed layer-coated ZnO nanorods, and the obtained results have shown that the fabricated ZnO nanorods exhibit good crystal quality. This study has provided a cheap fabrication method for the controlled morphology and good alignment of ZnO nanorods, which is of high demand for enhancing the working performance of optoelectronic devices.

  14. Fabrication of Well-Aligned ZnO Nanorods Using a Composite Seed Layer of ZnO Nanoparticles and Chitosan Polymer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anees A. Ansari

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available In this study, by taking the advantage of both inorganic ZnO nanoparticles and the organic material chitosan as a composite seed layer, we have fabricated well-aligned ZnO nanorods on a gold-coated glass substrate using the hydrothermal growth method. The ZnO nanoparticles were characterized by the Raman spectroscopic techniques, which showed the nanocrystalline phase of the ZnO nanoparticles. Different composites of ZnO nanoparticles and chitosan were prepared and used as a seed layer for the fabrication of well-aligned ZnO nanorods. Field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and infrared reflection absorption spectroscopic techniques were utilized for the structural characterization of the ZnO nanoparticles/chitosan seed layer-coated ZnO nanorods on a gold-coated glass substrate. This study has shown that the ZnO nanorods are well-aligned, uniform, and dense, exhibit the wurtzite hexagonal structure, and are perpendicularly oriented to the substrate. Moreover, the ZnO nanorods are only composed of Zn and O atoms. An optical study was also carried out for the ZnO nanoparticles/chitosan seed layer-coated ZnO nanorods, and the obtained results have shown that the fabricated ZnO nanorods exhibit good crystal quality. This study has provided a cheap fabrication method for the controlled morphology and good alignment of ZnO nanorods, which is of high demand for enhancing the working performance of optoelectronic devices.

  15. Ultraviolet Stimulated Emission from Sol-Gel Spin Coated ZnO Thin Films

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmed S. Razeen

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Low cost ultraviolet stimulated emission has been generated using optical excitation of ZnO thin films deposited by sol-gel spin coating on n+ As-doped 100 Si-substrate. The number of deposited layers and the heat treatment have been investigated to obtain a film that can generate stimulated emission under optical excitation. The optimum condition for preparation of the film has been presented. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope have been used for structural and morphological investigations. Input-output intensity dependence and spectral width, peak emission wavelength, and the quantum efficiency versus the pump intensity have been presented. A quantum efficiency of about 24.2% has been reported, a power exponent higher than 8 has been obtained in input-output intensity dependence, and a threshold of about 23 Mw/cm2 has been evaluated for the samples. The mechanism by which stimulated emission occurs has been discussed. The results show that sol-gel spin coating is a promising method for generating ultraviolet stimulated emission from ZnO thin films.

  16. Au-coated ZnO nanorods on stainless steel fiber for self-cleaning solid phase microextraction-surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Bo; Shi, Yu-e; Cui, Jingcheng; Liu, Zhen; Zhang, Xiaoli; Zhan, Jinhua, E-mail: jhzhan@sdu.edu.cn

    2016-06-07

    Solid phase microextraction-surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SPME–SERS), combining the pretreatment and determination functions, has been successfully used in environmental analysis. In this work, Au-coated ZnO nanorods were fabricated on stainless steel fiber as a self-cleaning SERS-active SPME fiber. The ZnO nanorods grown on stainless steel fiber were prepared via a simple hydrothermal approach. Then the obtained nanostructures were decorated with Au nanoparticles through ion-sputtering at room temperature. The obtained SERS-active SPME fiber is a reproducible sensitivity sensor. Taking p-aminothiophenol as the probe molecule, the RSD value of the SERS-active SPME fiber was 8.9%, indicating the fiber owned good uniformity. The qualitative and quantitative detection of crystal violet and malachite green was also achieved. The log–log plot of SERS intensity to crystal violet and malachite green concentration showed a good linear relationship. Meanwhile, this SERS-active SPME fiber can achieve self-cleaning owning to the excellent photocatalytic performance of ZnO nanorods. Crystal violet was still successfully detected even after five cycles, which indicated the high reproducibility of this SERS-active SPME fiber. - Graphical abstract: Au-coated ZnO NRs on stainless steel fiber were used as SERS-active SPME fiber with good extraction effect, high SERS sensitivity. Self-cleaning function of the fiber was achieved based on the photocatalytic degradation property of ZnO nanorods by UV irradiation. - Highlights: • Au-coated ZnO nanorods on stainless steel fiber as a SERS-active SPME fiber was fabricated. • The SERS-active SPME fiber can directly extract and detect the crystal violet and malachite green. • The SERS-active SPME fiber owns good extraction effect, and high SERS sensitivity. • Self-cleaning property of the fiber were achieved based on the photocatalytic degradation property of ZnO.

  17. Au-coated ZnO nanorods on stainless steel fiber for self-cleaning solid phase microextraction-surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Bo; Shi, Yu-e; Cui, Jingcheng; Liu, Zhen; Zhang, Xiaoli; Zhan, Jinhua

    2016-01-01

    Solid phase microextraction-surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SPME–SERS), combining the pretreatment and determination functions, has been successfully used in environmental analysis. In this work, Au-coated ZnO nanorods were fabricated on stainless steel fiber as a self-cleaning SERS-active SPME fiber. The ZnO nanorods grown on stainless steel fiber were prepared via a simple hydrothermal approach. Then the obtained nanostructures were decorated with Au nanoparticles through ion-sputtering at room temperature. The obtained SERS-active SPME fiber is a reproducible sensitivity sensor. Taking p-aminothiophenol as the probe molecule, the RSD value of the SERS-active SPME fiber was 8.9%, indicating the fiber owned good uniformity. The qualitative and quantitative detection of crystal violet and malachite green was also achieved. The log–log plot of SERS intensity to crystal violet and malachite green concentration showed a good linear relationship. Meanwhile, this SERS-active SPME fiber can achieve self-cleaning owning to the excellent photocatalytic performance of ZnO nanorods. Crystal violet was still successfully detected even after five cycles, which indicated the high reproducibility of this SERS-active SPME fiber. - Graphical abstract: Au-coated ZnO NRs on stainless steel fiber were used as SERS-active SPME fiber with good extraction effect, high SERS sensitivity. Self-cleaning function of the fiber was achieved based on the photocatalytic degradation property of ZnO nanorods by UV irradiation. - Highlights: • Au-coated ZnO nanorods on stainless steel fiber as a SERS-active SPME fiber was fabricated. • The SERS-active SPME fiber can directly extract and detect the crystal violet and malachite green. • The SERS-active SPME fiber owns good extraction effect, and high SERS sensitivity. • Self-cleaning property of the fiber were achieved based on the photocatalytic degradation property of ZnO.

  18. Composite structure of ZnO films coated with reduced graphene oxide: structural, electrical and electrochemical properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shuai, Weiqiang; Hu, Yuehui; Chen, Yichuan; Hu, Keyan; Zhang, Xiaohua; Zhu, Wenjun; Tong, Fan; Lao, Zixuan

    2018-02-01

    ZnO films coated with reduced graphene oxide (RGO-ZnO) were prepared by a simple chemical approach. The graphene oxide (GO) films transferred onto ZnO films by spin coating were reduced to RGO films by two steps (exposed to hydrazine vapor for 12 h and annealed at 600 °C). The crystal structures, electrical and photoluminescence properties of RGO-ZnO films on quartz substrates were systematically studied. The SEM images illustrated that RGO layers have successfully been coated on the ZnO films very tightly. The PL properties of RGO-ZnO were studied. PL spectra show two sharp peaks at 390 nm and a broad visible emission around 490 nm. The resistivity of RGO-ZnO films was measured by a Hall measurement system, RGO as nanofiller considerably decrease the resistivity of ZnO films. An electrode was fabricated, using RGO-ZnO films deposited on Si substrate as active materials, for super capacitor application. By comparison of different results, we conclude that the RGO-ZnO composite material couples possess the properties of super capacitor. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 61464005, 51562015), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangxi Province (Nos. 20143ACB21004, 20151BAB212008, 20171BAB216015), the Jiangxi Province Foreign Cooperation Projects, China (No. 20151BDH80031), the Leader Training Object Project of Major Disciplines Academic and Technical of Jiangxi Province (No. 20123BCB22002), and the Key Technology R & D Program of the Jiangxi Provine of Science and Technology (No. 20171BBE50053).

  19. Piezoelectricity and charge trapping in ZnO and Co-doped ZnO thin films

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Domenico D’Agostino

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Piezoelectricity and charge storage of undoped and Co-doped ZnO thin films were investigated by means of PiezoResponse Force Microscopy and Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy. We found that Co-doped ZnO exhibits a large piezoelectric response, with the mean value of piezoelectric matrix element d33 slightly lower than in the undoped sample. Moreover, we demonstrate that Co-doping affects the homogeneity of the piezoelectric response, probably as a consequence of the lower crystalline degree exhibited by the doped samples. We also investigate the nature of the interface between a metal electrode, made up of the PtIr AFM tip, and the films as well as the phenomenon of charge storage. We find Schottky contacts in both cases, with a barrier value higher in PtIr/ZnO than in PtIr/Co-doped ZnO, indicating an increase in the work function due to Co-doping.

  20. Highly transparent and UV-resistant superhydrophobic SiO2-coated ZnO nanorod arrays

    KAUST Repository

    Gao, Yangqin; Gereige, Issam; El Labban, Abdulrahman; Cha, Dong Kyu; Isimjan, Tayirjan T.; Beaujuge, Pierre

    2014-01-01

    Highly transparent and UV-resistant superhydrophobic arrays of SiO 2-coated ZnO nanorods are prepared in a sequence of low-temperature (<150 C) steps on both glass and thin sheets of PET (2 × 2 in. 2), and the superhydrophobic nanocomposite

  1. Degradation of zinc oxide thin films in aqueous environment. Pt. II. Coated films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rosa, L. de; Mitton, D.B.; Monetta, T.; Bellucci, F. [Naples Univ. (Italy). Dept. of Materials and Production Engineering; Springer, J. [Zentrum fuer Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Wuerttemberg (ZSW), Stuttgart (Germany)

    2001-12-01

    cn Part I of this research, the degradation mechanism of two different bare ZnO thin films was assessed. Degradation of the electrical properties of ZnO as well as changes in morphology were observed for both films. In the current paper, the degradation of zinc oxide thin films coated with protective acrylic paint is addressed during exposure to (i) an aqueous 3.5% NaCl solution at 85 C and (ii) a standard damp heat test at 85% R.H. and 85 C. Electrical and electrochemical techniques were employed to monitor zinc oxide degradation during exposure to the test environments. Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy was employed to investigate the delamination phenomena at the ZnO/coating interface and a simple equivalent circuit was developed to quantitatively measure the delamination ratio. The effect of different silane based adhesion promoters (glycidil-oxypropyl-trimethoxy-silane and aminopropyl-trimethoxy-silane) was also investigated. (orig.)

  2. Pt catalysts on PANI coated WC/C nanocomposites for methanol electro-oxidation and oxygen electro-reduction in DMFC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yaldagard, Maryam; Jahanshahi, Mohsen; Seghatoleslami, Naser

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • In this work nanosized WC/C were successfully coated by PANI. • Pt particles (10.56 nm) were uniformly dispersed on the surface of PANI/WC/C support. • The Pt/PANI/WC/C exhibited higher MOR activity and CO tolerance than Pt/C. • The Pt/PANI/WC/C exhibited higher activity for ORR than Pt/C in RDE experiments. • Pt/PANI/WC/C showed good stability than that of Pt/C in the presence of methanol. - Abstract: In the present study a Pt/PANI/WC/C electrocatalyst was developed to increase the methanol electro-oxidation and oxygen electro-reduction activity and stability of commercial Pt/C electrocatalyst. WC/C was coated with protonated polyaniline (PANI) in situ during the polymerization of aniline. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) results illustrate the presence of PANI in the composite. The conductivity of PANI coated – WC/C has been compared with the conductivity of the corresponding mixtures of WC/C and Vulcan XC-72. X-ray diffraction results showed that Pt particles were dispersed on the support with mean particle size of about 10.56 nm. Transition electron microscopy images showed that the nanosized WC/C were successfully coated by PANI. Based on the electrochemical properties characterized by cyclic voltammetry, CO stripping and rotating disk electrode measurements it was found that the as prepared Pt/PANI/WC/C electrocatalyst exhibited a comparable activity for methanol oxidation reaction and oxygen reduction reaction with respect to the commercial one. A significant reduction in the potential of CO electro-oxidation peak from 0.75 V for Pt/C to 0.52 V for Pt/PANI/WC/C electrocatalyst indicates that an increase in the activity for CO electro-oxidation is achieved by replacing the carbon support by PANI coated WC/C. Chronoamerometry results also showed, in the presence of methanol the Pt/PANI/WC/C electrocatalyst still maintains a higher current density than Pt/WC/C and Pt/C

  3. Pt catalysts on PANI coated WC/C nanocomposites for methanol electro-oxidation and oxygen electro-reduction in DMFC

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yaldagard, Maryam, E-mail: m_yaldagard@yahoo.com [Department of Chemical Engineering, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, P.O. Box 91775-1111 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Nanotechnology Research Institute, School of Chemical Engineering, Babol University of Technology (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Jahanshahi, Mohsen, E-mail: mjahan@nit.um.ac.ir [Nanotechnology Research Institute, School of Chemical Engineering, Babol University of Technology (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Seghatoleslami, Naser, E-mail: Slami@um.ac.ir [Department of Chemical Engineering, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, P.O. Box 91775-1111 (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2014-10-30

    Highlights: • In this work nanosized WC/C were successfully coated by PANI. • Pt particles (10.56 nm) were uniformly dispersed on the surface of PANI/WC/C support. • The Pt/PANI/WC/C exhibited higher MOR activity and CO tolerance than Pt/C. • The Pt/PANI/WC/C exhibited higher activity for ORR than Pt/C in RDE experiments. • Pt/PANI/WC/C showed good stability than that of Pt/C in the presence of methanol. - Abstract: In the present study a Pt/PANI/WC/C electrocatalyst was developed to increase the methanol electro-oxidation and oxygen electro-reduction activity and stability of commercial Pt/C electrocatalyst. WC/C was coated with protonated polyaniline (PANI) in situ during the polymerization of aniline. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) results illustrate the presence of PANI in the composite. The conductivity of PANI coated – WC/C has been compared with the conductivity of the corresponding mixtures of WC/C and Vulcan XC-72. X-ray diffraction results showed that Pt particles were dispersed on the support with mean particle size of about 10.56 nm. Transition electron microscopy images showed that the nanosized WC/C were successfully coated by PANI. Based on the electrochemical properties characterized by cyclic voltammetry, CO stripping and rotating disk electrode measurements it was found that the as prepared Pt/PANI/WC/C electrocatalyst exhibited a comparable activity for methanol oxidation reaction and oxygen reduction reaction with respect to the commercial one. A significant reduction in the potential of CO electro-oxidation peak from 0.75 V for Pt/C to 0.52 V for Pt/PANI/WC/C electrocatalyst indicates that an increase in the activity for CO electro-oxidation is achieved by replacing the carbon support by PANI coated WC/C. Chronoamerometry results also showed, in the presence of methanol the Pt/PANI/WC/C electrocatalyst still maintains a higher current density than Pt/WC/C and Pt/C.

  4. An integrated optic ethanol vapor sensor based on a silicon-on-insulator microring resonator coated with a porous ZnO film.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yebo, Nebiyu A; Lommens, Petra; Hens, Zeger; Baets, Roel

    2010-05-24

    Optical structures fabricated on silicon-on-insulator technology provide a convenient platform for the implementation of highly compact, versatile and low cost devices. In this work, we demonstrate the promise of this technology for integrated low power and low cost optical gas sensing. A room temperature ethanol vapor sensor is demonstrated using a ZnO nanoparticle film as a coating on an SOI micro-ring resonator of 5 microm in radius. The local coating on the ring resonators is prepared from colloidal suspensions of ZnO nanoparticles of around 3 nm diameter. The porous nature of the coating provides a large surface area for gas adsorption. The ZnO refractive index change upon vapor adsorption shifts the microring resonance through evanescent field interaction. Ethanol vapor concentrations down to 100 ppm are detected with this sensing configuration and a detection limit below 25 ppm is estimated.

  5. Effect of Hf Additions to Pt Aluminide Bond Coats on EB-PVD TBC Life

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nesbitt, James; Nagaraj, Ben; Williams, Jeffrey

    2000-01-01

    Small Hf additions were incorporated into a Pt aluminide coating during chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on single crystal RENE N5 substrates. Standard yttria-stabilized zirconia top coats were subsequently deposited onto the coated substrates by electron beam-physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD). The coated substrates underwent accelerated thermal cycle testing in a furnace at a temperature in excess of 1121 C (2050 F) (45 minute hot exposure, 15 minute cool to approximately 121 C (250 F)) until the thermal barrier coating (TBC) failed by spallation. Incorporating Hf in the bond coat increased the TBC life by slightly more than three times that of a baseline coating without added Hf. Scanning electron microscopy of the spalled surfaces indicated that the presence of the Hf increased the adherence of the thermally grown alumina to the Pt aluminide bond coat. The presence of oxide pegs growing into the coating from the thermally grown alumina may also partially account for the improved TBC life by creating a near-surface layer with a graded coefficient of thermal expansion.

  6. Amperometric biosensor based on carbon nanotubes coated with polyaniline/dendrimer-encapsulated Pt nanoparticles for glucose detection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu Lihuan; Zhu Yihua; Yang Xiaoling; Li Chunzhong

    2009-01-01

    A novel amperometric glucose biosensor based on the nanocomposites of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (CNT) coated with polyaniline (PANI) and dendrimer-encapsulated Pt nanoparticles (Pt-DENs) is prepared. CNT coated with protonated PANI is in situ synthesized and Pt-DENs is absorbed on PANI/CNT composite surface by self-assembly method. Then Glucose oxidase (GOx) is crosslink-immobilizated onto Pt-DENs/PANI/CNT composite film. The results show that the fabricated GOx/Pt-DENs/PANI/CNT electrode exhibits excellent response performance to glucose, such as low detection limit (0.5 μM), wide linear range (1 μM-12 mM), short response time (about 5 s), high sensitivity (42.0 μA mM -1 cm -2 ) and stability (83% remains after 3 weeks).

  7. Initial transport and retention behaviors of ZnO nanoparticles in quartz sand porous media coated with Escherichia coli biofilm

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jiang, Xujia; Wang, Xueting; Tong, Meiping; Kim, Hyunjung

    2013-01-01

    The significance of biofilm on the transport and deposition behaviors of ZnO nanoparticles were examined under a series of environmentally relevant ionic strength at two fluid velocities of 4 m-d −1 and 8 m-d −1 . Biofilm enhanced nanoparticles retention in porous media under all examined conditions. The greater deposition was also observed in extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) coated surfaces by employment of quartz microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) system. Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek (DLVO) failed to interpret more ZnO nanoparticles deposition on biofilm (EPS) coated silica surfaces. Chemical interaction and physical morphology of biofilm contributed to this greater deposition (retention). Biofilm affected the spacial distribution of retained ZnO nanoparticles as well. Relatively steeper slope of retained profiles were observed in the presence of biofilm, corresponding to the greater deviation from colloid filtration theory (CFT). Pore space constriction via biofilm induced more nanoparticle trapped in the column inlet, leading to greater deviations (σln k f ) from the CFT. Highlights: ► Biofilm reduced the mobility of ZnO nanoparticles in column. ► DLVO and non-DLVO interactions contributed the more nanoparticles deposition. ► Biofilm also affected the spacial distribution of ZnO nanoparticles in column. ► Greater deviation from classic filtration theory was observed with biofilm. ► Physical structure of biofilm induced greater deviation from log-linear prediction. -- Biofilm enhanced ZnO nanoparticle deposition and altered spacial distribution in porous media

  8. Effect of near atmospheric pressure nitrogen plasma treatment on Pt/ZnO interface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nagata, Takahiro; Haemori, Masamitsu; Chikyow, Toyohiro; Yamashita, Yoshiyuki; Yoshikawa, Hideki; Kobayashi, Keisuke; Uehara, Tsuyoshi

    2012-01-01

    The effect of near atmospheric pressure nitrogen plasma (NAP) treatment of platinum (Pt)/zinc oxide (ZnO) interface was investigated. NAP can nitride the ZnO surface at even room temperature. Hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that NAP treatment reduced the surface electron accumulation at the ZnO surface and inhibited the Zn diffusion into the Pt electrode, which are critical issues affecting the Schottky barrier height and the ideality factor of the Pt/ZnO structure. After NAP treatment, the Pt Schottky contact indicated an improvement of electrical properties. NAP treatment is effective for the surface passivation and the Schottky contact formation of ZnO.

  9. Bioavailability of coated and uncoated ZnO nanoparticles to cucumber in soil with or without organic matter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moghaddasi, Sahar; Fotovat, Amir; Khoshgoftarmanesh, Amir Hossein; Karimzadeh, F; Khazaei, Hamid Reza; Khorassani, Reza

    2017-10-01

    There is a gap of knowledge for the fate, effects and bioavailability of coated and uncoated ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) in soil. Moreover, little is known about the effects of soil properties on effects of NPs on plants. In this study, the availability ZnO NPs in two soils with different organic matter content (one treated with cow manure (CM) and the other as untreated) was compared with their bulk particles. Results showed that coated and uncoated ZnO NPs can be more bioaccessible than their bulk counterpart and despite their more positive effects at low concentration (soil untreated with CM. The concentration of 1000mgkg -1 of ZnO NPs, decreased shoot dry biomass (52%) in the soil untreated with CM but increased shoot dry biomass (35%) in CM-treated soil compared to their bulk counterpart. In general, plants in the CM-treated soil showed higher Zn concentration in their tissues compared with those in untreated soil. The difference in shoot Zn concentration between CM-treated and untreated soil for NPs treatments was more than bulk particles treatment. This different percentage at 100mgkg -1 of bulk particles was 20.6% and for coated and uncoated NPs were 37% and 32%, respectively. Generally, the distribution of ZnO among Zn fractions in soil (exchangeable, the metal bound to carbonates, Fe-Mn oxides, organic matter and silicate minerals and the residual fraction) changed based on applied Zn concentration, Zn source and soil organic matter content. The root tip deformation under high concentration of NPs (1000mgkg -1 treatment ) was observed by light microscopy in plants at the soil untreated with CM. It seems that root tip deformation is one of the specific effects of NPs which in turn inhibits plant growth and nutrients uptake by root. The transmission electron microcopy image showed the aggregation of NPs inside the plant cytoplasm and their accumulation adjacent to the cell membrane. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  10. Development of Antibacterial Composite Films Based on Isotactic Polypropylene and Coated ZnO Particles for Active Food Packaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Clara Silvestre

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This study was aimed at developing new films based on isotactic polypropylene (iPP for food packaging applications using zinc oxide (ZnO with submicron dimension particles obtained by spray pyrolysis. To improve compatibility with iPP, the ZnO particles were coated with stearic acid (ZnOc. Composites based on iPP with 2 wt % and 5 wt % of ZnOc were prepared in a twin-screw extruder and then filmed by a calender. The effect of ZnOc on the properties of iPP were assessed and compared with those obtained in previous study on iPP/ZnO and iPP/iPPgMA/ZnO. For all composites, a homogeneous distribution and dispersion of ZnOc was obtained indicating that the coating with stearic acid of the ZnO particles reduces the surface polarity mismatch between iPP and ZnO. The iPP/ZnOc composite films have relevant zinc oxide with respect to E. coli, higher thermal stability and improved mechanical and impact properties than the pure polymer and the composites iPP/ZnO and iPP/iPPgMA/ZnO. This study demonstrated that iPP/ZnOc films are suitable materials for potential application in the active packaging field.

  11. Electrochemical investigation of the properties of Co doped ZnO nanoparticle as a corrosion inhibitive pigment for modifying corrosion resistance of the epoxy coating

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rostami, M.; Rasouli, S.; Ramezanzadeh, B.; Askari, A.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Corrosion inhibitive pigment based on ZnOCo was synthesized through combustion method. • Doping ZnO nanoparticle with Co enhanced its inhibition properties considerably. • ZnOCo nanoparticle could enhance corrosion protective performance of epoxy coating. • Co doped ZnO nanoparticles behaved as efficient barrier and inhibitive pigment. - Abstract: Co doped ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized by combustion method. Then, the epoxy nanocomposites were prepared using various amounts of nanoparticles. Salt spray and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were used in order to investigate the corrosion inhibition effects of nanoparticles on the steel substrate. The morphology and composition of the films precipitated on the steel surface were investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy. Results revealed that the corrosion inhibition properties of ZnO nanoparticle were significantly enhanced after doping with Co. Moreover, Co doped ZnO nanoparticles enhanced the corrosion resistance of the epoxy coating effectively

  12. Effects of Doping Concentration on the Structural and Optical Properties of Spin-Coated In-doped ZnO Thin Films Grown on Thermally Oxidized ZnO Film/ZnO Buffer Layer/Mica Substrate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Byunggu; Leem, Jae-Young [Inje University, Gimhae (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-01-15

    ZnO buffer layers were deposited on mica substrates using a sol-gel spin coating method. Then, a thin film of metallic Zn was deposited onto the ZnO buffer layer/mica substrate using a thermal evaporator, and the deposited Zn thin films were then thermally oxidized in a furnace at 500 ℃ for 2 h in air. Finally, In-doped ZnO (IZO) thin films with different In concentrations were grown on the oxidized ZnO film/ZnO buffer layer/mica substrates using the sol-gel spin-coating method. All the IZO films showed ZnO peaks with similar intensities. The full width at half maximum values of the ZnO (002) peak for the IZO thin films decreased with an increase in the In concentration to 1 at%, because the crystallinity of the films was enhanced. However, a further increase in the In concentration caused the crystal quality to degrade. This might be attributed to the fact that the higher In doping resulted in an increase in the number of ionized impurities. The Urbach energy (EU) values of the IZO thin film decreased with an increase in the In concentration to 1 at % because of the enhanced crystal quality of the films. The EU values for the IZO thin films increased with the In concentration from 1 at%to 3 at%, reflecting the broadening of localized band tail state near the conduction band edge of the films.

  13. Effects of Doping Concentration on the Structural and Optical Properties of Spin-Coated In-doped ZnO Thin Films Grown on Thermally Oxidized ZnO Film/ZnO Buffer Layer/Mica Substrate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Byunggu; Leem, Jae-Young

    2017-01-01

    ZnO buffer layers were deposited on mica substrates using a sol-gel spin coating method. Then, a thin film of metallic Zn was deposited onto the ZnO buffer layer/mica substrate using a thermal evaporator, and the deposited Zn thin films were then thermally oxidized in a furnace at 500 ℃ for 2 h in air. Finally, In-doped ZnO (IZO) thin films with different In concentrations were grown on the oxidized ZnO film/ZnO buffer layer/mica substrates using the sol-gel spin-coating method. All the IZO films showed ZnO peaks with similar intensities. The full width at half maximum values of the ZnO (002) peak for the IZO thin films decreased with an increase in the In concentration to 1 at%, because the crystallinity of the films was enhanced. However, a further increase in the In concentration caused the crystal quality to degrade. This might be attributed to the fact that the higher In doping resulted in an increase in the number of ionized impurities. The Urbach energy (EU) values of the IZO thin film decreased with an increase in the In concentration to 1 at % because of the enhanced crystal quality of the films. The EU values for the IZO thin films increased with the In concentration from 1 at%to 3 at%, reflecting the broadening of localized band tail state near the conduction band edge of the films.

  14. Nucleation, Growth Mechanism, and Controlled Coating of ZnO ALD onto Vertically Aligned N-Doped CNTs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silva, R M; Ferro, M C; Araujo, J R; Achete, C A; Clavel, G; Silva, R F; Pinna, N

    2016-07-19

    Zinc oxide thin films were deposited on vertically aligned nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (N-CNTs) by atomic layer deposition (ALD) from diethylzinc and water. The study demonstrates that doping CNTs with nitrogen is an effective approach for the "activation" of the CNTs surface for the ALD of metal oxides. Conformal ZnO coatings are already obtained after 50 ALD cycles, whereas at lower ALD cycles an island growth mode is observed. Moreover, the process allows for a uniform growth from the top to the bottom of the vertically aligned N-CNT arrays. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrates that ZnO nucleation takes place at the N-containing species on the surface of the CNTs by the formation of the Zn-N bonds at the interface between the CNTs and the ZnO film.

  15. ZnO nanowire/TiO2 nanoparticle photoanodes prepared by the ultrasonic irradiation assisted dip-coating method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gan Xiaoyan; Li Xiaomin; Gao Xiangdong; Zhuge Fuwei; Yu Weidong

    2010-01-01

    Hybrid ZnO/TiO 2 photoanodes for dye-sensitized solar cells were prepared by combining ZnO nanowire (NW) arrays and TiO 2 nanoparticles (NPs) with the assistance of the ultrasonic irradiation assisted dip-coating method. Results show that the ultrasonic irradiation was an efficient way to promote the gap filling of TiO 2 NPs in the interstices of ZnO NWs. Hybrid ZnO NW/TiO 2 NP electrodes prepared with ultrasonic treatment exhibited better gap filling efficiency and higher visible absorptance. The overall conversion efficiency of the hybrid electrode was 0.79%, representing 35% improvement compared with that of the traditional one (0.58%). The enlarged surface area and improved attachments of TiO 2 NPs onto the walls of ZnO NWs induced by the application of ultrasonic irradiation may be the underlying reason. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements indicated that hybrid electrodes combined the advantages of improved electron transport along the ZnO NWs and increased surface area provided by infiltrated TiO 2 NPs, both of which are responsible for the improved cell efficiency.

  16. Preparation of TiO2 Nanocrystallite Powders Coated with 9 mol% ZnO for Cosmetic Applications in Sunscreens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Moo-Chin Wang

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available The preparation of TiO2 nanocrystallite powders coated with and without 9 mol% ZnO has been studied for cosmetic applications in sunscreens by a co-precipitation process using TiCl4 and Zn(NO32·6H2O as starting materials. XRD results show that the phases of anatase TiO2 and rutile TiO2 coexist for precursor powders without added ZnO (T-0Z and calcined at 523 to 973 K for 2 h. When the T-0Z precursor powders are calcined at 1273 K for 2 h, only the rutile TiO2 appears. In addition, when the TiO2 precursor powders contain 9 mol% ZnO (T-9Z are calcined at 873 to 973 K for 2 h, the crystallized samples are composed of the major phase of rutile TiO2 and the minor phases of anatase TiO2 and Zn2Ti3O8. The analyses of UV/VIS/NIR spectra reveal that the absorption of the T-9Z precursor powders after being calcined has a red-shift effect in the UV range with increasing calcination temperature. Therefore, the TiO2 nanocrystallite powders coated with 9 mol% ZnO can be used as the attenuate agent in the UV-A region for cosmetic applications in sunscreens.

  17. The Improvement of Electrical Characteristics of Pt/Ti Ohmic Contacts to Ga-Doped ZnO by Homogenized KrF Pulsed Excimer Laser Treatment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oh, Min-Suk

    2018-04-01

    We investigated the effect of KrF excimer laser surface treatment on Pt/Ti ohmic contacts to Ga-doped n-ZnO ( N d = 4.3 × 1017 cm-3). The treatment of the n-ZnO surfaces by laser irradiation greatly improved the electrical characteristics of the metal contacts. The Pt/Ti ohmic layer on the laser-irradiated n-ZnO showed specific contact resistances of 2.5 × 10-4 ˜ 4.8 × 10-4 Ω cm2 depending on the laser energy density and gas ambient, which were about two orders of magnitude lower than that of the as-grown sample, 8.4 × 10-2 Ω cm2. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and photoluminescence measurements showed that the KrF excimer laser treatments increased the electron concentration near the surface region of the Ga-doped n-ZnO due to the preferential evaporation of oxygen atoms from the ZnO surface by the laser-induced dissociation of Zn-O bonds.

  18. Preparation of Platinum (Pt) Counter Electrode Coated by Electrochemical Technique at High Temperature for Dye-sensitized Solar Cell (DSSC) Application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ponken, Tanachai; Tagsin, Kamonlapron; Suwannakhun, Chuleerat; Luecha, Jakkrit; Choawunklang, Wijit

    2017-09-01

    Pt counter electrode was coated by electrochemical method. Electrolyte solution was synthesized by platinum (IV) choloride (PtCl4) powder dissolved in hydrochloric acid solution. Pt films were deposited on the FTO substrate. Deposition time of 10, 30 and 60 minutes, the coating current of 5, 10, 15 and 20 mA and electrolyte solution temperatures for Pt layer synthesis of 25, 30 and 40°C were varied. Surface morphology and optical properties was analyzed by digital microscopic and UV-vis spectrophotometer. Pt films exhibit uniform surface area highly for all the conditions of coating current in the deposition time of 30 and 40 minutes at 40°C. Transmittance values of Pt films deposited on FTO substrate has approximately of 5 to 50 % show that occur high reflection corresponding to dye molecule absorption increases. DSSC device was fabricated from the TiO2 standard and immersed in dye N719 for 24 hours. Efficiency was measured by solar simulator. Efficiency value obtains as high as 5.91 % for the coating current, deposition time and solution temperature of 15 mA, 30 minutes and 40°C. Summary, influence of temperature effects efficiency increasing. Pt counter electrode can be prepared easily and the suitable usefully for DSSC.

  19. Performance improvement for solution-processed high-mobility ZnO thin-film transistors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Chensha; Loutfy, Rafik O; Li Yuning; Wu Yiliang; Ong, Beng S

    2008-01-01

    The fabrication technology of stable, non-toxic, transparent, high performance zinc oxide (ZnO) thin-film semiconductors via the solution process was investigated. Two methods, which were, respectively, annealing a spin-coated precursor solution and annealing a drop-coated precursor solution, were compared. The prepared ZnO thin-film semiconductor transistors have well-controlled, preferential crystal orientation and exhibit superior field-effect performance characteristics. But the ZnO thin-film transistor (TFT) fabricated by annealing a drop-coated precursor solution has a distinctly elevated linear mobility, which further approaches the saturated mobility, compared with that fabricated by annealing a spin-coated precursor solution. The performance of the solution-processed ZnO TFT was further improved when substituting the spin-coating process by the drop-coating process

  20. Performance improvement for solution-processed high-mobility ZnO thin-film transistors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li Chensha; Loutfy, Rafik O [Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L7 (Canada); Li Yuning; Wu Yiliang; Ong, Beng S [Materials Design and Integration Laboratory, Xerox Research Centre of Canada, 2660 Speakman Drive, Mississauga, Ontario L5K 2L1 (Canada)], E-mail: lichnsa@163.com

    2008-06-21

    The fabrication technology of stable, non-toxic, transparent, high performance zinc oxide (ZnO) thin-film semiconductors via the solution process was investigated. Two methods, which were, respectively, annealing a spin-coated precursor solution and annealing a drop-coated precursor solution, were compared. The prepared ZnO thin-film semiconductor transistors have well-controlled, preferential crystal orientation and exhibit superior field-effect performance characteristics. But the ZnO thin-film transistor (TFT) fabricated by annealing a drop-coated precursor solution has a distinctly elevated linear mobility, which further approaches the saturated mobility, compared with that fabricated by annealing a spin-coated precursor solution. The performance of the solution-processed ZnO TFT was further improved when substituting the spin-coating process by the drop-coating process.

  1. Synthesis of ZnO coated multi-walled carbon nanotubes and their antibacterial activities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sui, Minghao, E-mail: suiminghao.sui@gmail.com; Zhang, Lingdian, E-mail: 970864427@qq.com; Sheng, Li, E-mail: shengli1971@gmail.com; Huang, Shuhang, E-mail: hsh880813@qq.com; She, Lei, E-mail: selery1989@163.com

    2013-05-01

    ZnO coated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (ZnO/MWCNTs) were prepared and evaluated for their application potentials as an antimicrobial material for simultaneous concentrating and inactivating pathogenic bacteria. X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) were used to characterize the ZnO/MWCNTs. Escherichia coli (E. coli) was employed as the target bacterium. Comparing with the raw and the purified MWCNTs (r-MWCNTs and p-MWCNTs), which have been reported to possess antibacterial activity towards E. coli, ZnO/MWCNTs exhibited stronger antibacterial ability. The deposited ZnO was suggested to play an important role in the bactericidal action of ZnO/MWCNTs, while, the r-MWCNTs and p-MWCNTs served as more like adsorbing materials for E. coli. - Highlights: ► ZnO/MWCNTs were prepared and characterized. ► ZnO/MWCNTs were evaluated for the application potential as disinfection material. ► ZnO/MWCNTs exhibited strong antibacterial ability towards E. coli. ► ZnO seems to play an important role in the bactericidal action of ZnO/MWCNTs. ► MWCNTs served as more like adsorbing materials for E. coli.

  2. Understanding Pt-ZnO:In Schottky nanocontacts by conductive atomic force microscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chirakkara, Saraswathi; Choudhury, Palash Roy; Nanda, K. K.; Krupanidhi, S. B.

    2016-04-01

    Undoped and In doped ZnO (IZO) thin films are grown on Pt coated silicon substrates Pt/Si by pulsed laser deposition to fabricate Pt/ZnO:In Schottky diodes. The Schottky diodes were investigated by conventional two-probe current-voltage (I-V) measurements and by the I-V spectroscopy tool of conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM). The large deviation of the ideality factor from unity and the temperature dependent Schottky barrier heights (SBHs) obtained from the conventional method imply the presence of inhomogeneous interfaces. The inhomogeneity of SBHs is confirmed by C-AFM. Interestingly, the I-V curves at different points are found to be different, and the SBHs deduced from the point diodes reveal inhomogeneity at the nanoscale at the metal-semiconductor interface. A reduction in SBH and turn-on voltage along with enhancement in forward current are observed with increasing indium concentration.

  3. Monte Carlo Simulation of Quantitative Electron Probe Microanalysis of the PWR Spent Fuel with a Pt Coating

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kwon, Hyoung Mun; Lee, Hyung Kwon; Son, Young Zoon; Chun, Yong Bum

    2012-01-01

    The PWR spent fuel sample should be coated with conducting material in order to provide a path for electrons and to prevent charging. Generally, the ZAF method has been used for quantitative electron probe microanalysis of conducting samples. However, the coated samples are not applicable for the ZAF method. Probe current, primary electron energy and x-ray produced by the primary beam are attenuated within the coating films. The electron and X-ray depth distributions for a quantitative electron probe micro analysis were simulated by the CASINO Monte Carlo program [2] to evaluate the x-ray attenuation within the Pt coating films. The target samples are the PWR spent fuels with 50 GWd/tU of burnup , 6 years of cooling time and a Pt coating film (3, 5, 7, 10 and 15 nm thickness)

  4. Monte Carlo Simulation of Quantitative Electron Probe Microanalysis of the PWR Spent Fuel with a Pt Coating

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kwon, Hyoung Mun; Lee, Hyung Kwon; Son, Young Zoon; Chun, Yong Bum [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2012-05-15

    The PWR spent fuel sample should be coated with conducting material in order to provide a path for electrons and to prevent charging. Generally, the ZAF method has been used for quantitative electron probe microanalysis of conducting samples. However, the coated samples are not applicable for the ZAF method. Probe current, primary electron energy and x-ray produced by the primary beam are attenuated within the coating films. The electron and X-ray depth distributions for a quantitative electron probe micro analysis were simulated by the CASINO Monte Carlo program [2] to evaluate the x-ray attenuation within the Pt coating films. The target samples are the PWR spent fuels with 50 GWd/tU of burnup , 6 years of cooling time and a Pt coating film (3, 5, 7, 10 and 15 nm thickness)

  5. Generation of an electromotive force by hydrogen-to-water oxidation with Pt-coated oxidized titanium foils

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schierbaum, Klaus; El Achhab, Mhamed [Department of Materials Science, Institute for Experimental Condensed Matter Physics, Heinrich-Heine University, 40225 Duesseldorf, Universitaetsstrasse 1 (Germany)

    2011-12-15

    We show that chemically induced current densities up to 20 mA cm{sup -2} and an electromotive force (EMF) up to 465 mV are generated during the hydrogen-to-water-oxidation over Pt/TiO{sub 2}/Ti devices. We prepare the samples by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) of titanium foils and deposition of Pt contact paste. This process yields porous structures and, depending on the anodization voltage, Schottky diode-type current-voltage curves of various ideality parameters. Our experiments demonstrate that Pt coated anodized titanium can also be utilized as hydrogen sensor; the system offers a number of advantages such as a wide temperature range of operation from -40 to 80 C, quick response and decay times of signals, and good electrical stability. Idealized sketch of the Pt coated anodized Ti foil and application as hydrogen sensor and electric generator. (Copyright copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  6. Preparation and Characterization of Zirconia-Coated Nanodiamonds as a Pt Catalyst Support for Methanol Electro-Oxidation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jing Lu

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Zirconia-coated nanodiamond (ZrO2/ND electrode material was successfully prepared by one-step isothermal hydrolyzing from ND-dispersed ZrOCl2·8H2O aqueous solution. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy reveals that a highly conformal and uniform ZrO2 shell was deposited on NDs by this simple method. The coating obtained at 90 °C without further calcination was mainly composed of monoclinic nanocrystalline ZrO2 rather than common amorphous Zr(OH4 clusters. The ZrO2/NDs and pristine ND powder were decorated with platinum (Pt nanoparticles by electrodeposition from 5 mM chloroplatinic acid solution. The electrochemical studies indicate that Pt/ZrO2/ND catalysts have higher electrocatalytic activity and better stability for methanol oxidation than Pt/ND catalysts in acid.

  7. Electromagnetic and Microwave Absorption Properties of Carbonyl Tetrapod-Shaped Zno Nanostructures Composite Coatings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Haibo; Qin, Hui; Huang, Yunhua

    2012-08-01

    CIP/T-ZnO/EP composite coatings with carbonyl iron powders (CIP) and tetrapodshaped ZnO (T-ZnO) nanostructures as absorbers, and epoxy resin (EP) as matrix were prepared. The complex permittivity, permeability and microwave absorption properties of the coatings were investigated in the frequency range of 2-18 GHz. The effects of the weight ratio (CIP/T-ZnO/EP), the thickness and the solidification temperature on microwave absorption properties were discussed. When the weight ratio (CIP/TZnO/ EP), the thickness and the solidification temperature is 28:2:22, 1.8 mm, and 10°C, respectively, the optimal wave absorption with the minimum reflection loss (RL) value of -22.38 dB at 15.67 GHz and the bandwidth (RLcoatings may have a promising application in Ku-band (12-18 GHz).

  8. Characterization of azo dyes on Pt and Pt/polyaniline/dispersed Pt electrodes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Molina, J.; Fernandez, J.; Rio, A.I. del; Bonastre, J. [Departamento de Ingenieria Textil y Papelera, EPS de Alcoy, Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Plaza Ferrandiz y Carbonell s/n, 03801 Alcoy (Spain); Cases, F., E-mail: fjcases@txp.upv.es [Departamento de Ingenieria Textil y Papelera, EPS de Alcoy, Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Plaza Ferrandiz y Carbonell s/n, 03801 Alcoy (Spain)

    2012-06-15

    The electrochemical characterization of two organic dyes (amaranth and procion orange MX-2R) has been performed on Pt electrodes and Pt electrodes coated with polyaniline and dispersed Pt. Electrodes with different Pt loads have been synthesized and characterized obtaining that a load of 300 {mu}g cm{sup -2} was the optimum one. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) was employed to observe the distribution and morphology of the Pt nanoparticles. The electroactivity of the electrodes has also been characterized by means of scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). The chemical characterization of Pt dispersed Pani coated Pt electrodes (Pt-Pani-Pt) was performed by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The electrochemical characterization of the dyes has been performed by means of cyclic voltammetry. Voltammograms have shown that the presence of the dyes diminishes characteristic Pt oxidation and reduction peaks. However, redox processes due to the dyes, appeared in the voltammograms. The different species responsible of these redox processes were generated in the vicinity of the electrode and were not adsorbed on the electrode surface since after stirring, the different redox processes disappeared. Characterization with different scan rates showed that redox processes of both dyes were controlled by diffusion.

  9. Uniform Fe3O4 coating on flower-like ZnO nanostructures by atomic layer deposition for electromagnetic wave absorption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wan, Gengping; Wang, Guizhen; Huang, Xianqin; Zhao, Haonan; Li, Xinyue; Wang, Kan; Yu, Lei; Peng, Xiange; Qin, Yong

    2015-11-21

    An elegant atomic layer deposition (ALD) method has been employed for controllable preparation of a uniform Fe3O4-coated ZnO (ZnO@Fe3O4) core-shell flower-like nanostructure. The Fe3O4 coating thickness of the ZnO@Fe3O4 nanostructure can be tuned by varying the cycle number of ALD Fe2O3. When serving as additives for microwave absorption, the ZnO@Fe3O4-paraffin composites exhibit a higher absorption capacity than the ZnO-paraffin composites. For ZnO@500-Fe3O4, the effective absorption bandwidth below -10 dB can reach 5.2 GHz and the RL values below -20 dB also cover a wide frequency range of 11.6-14.2 GHz when the coating thickness is 2.3 mm, suggesting its potential application in the treatment of the electromagnetic pollution problem. On the basis of experimental observations, a mechanism has been proposed to understand the enhanced microwave absorption properties of the ZnO@Fe3O4 composites.

  10. Effects of thermal annealing on the performance of Al/ZnO nanorods/Pt structure ultraviolet photodetector

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou Hai; Fang Guojia; Liu Nishuang; Zhao Xingzhong

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → Schottky barrier ultraviolet photodetectors were obtained by sputtering Pt electrode and evaporating Al electrode on the top of ZnO nanorod arrays with thermal treatment. When annealing temperature was up to 300 deg. C, the performance of the PDs was improved with the great decrease of response and recovery times. → For annealing temperature at 300 deg. C and above, the responsivity decreases with increasing annealing temperature. → The ratio of detectivity (D254* to D546*) was calculated as high as 103 for all PDs annealed at 300 deg. C and above. - Abstract: ZnO nanorod arrays were fabricated on ZnO coated glass substrate by hydrothermal method. Schottky barrier ultraviolet photodetectors (PDs) were obtained by sputtering Pt electrode and evaporating Al electrode on the top of ZnO nanorod arrays with thermal treatment. It is illustrated that Schottky contacts at the electrode/ZnO NRs interface were formed at the annealing temperature of 300 deg. C and above. When annealing temperature was up to 300 o C, the performance of the PDs was improved with the great decrease of response and recovery times. At the forward bias of 2 V, the Schottky contact PDs showed the biggest responsivity and the best detectivity at the annealing temperature of 300 deg. C. For annealing temperature at 300 deg. C and above, the responsivity decreases with increasing annealing temperature and the ratio of detectivity (D 254 * to D 546 *) was calculated as high as 10 3 for all PDs annealed at 300 deg. C and above.

  11. Morphological, structural and optical properties of ZnO thin films deposited by dip coating method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marouf, Sara; Beniaiche, Abdelkrim; Guessas, Hocine, E-mail: aziziamor@yahoo.fr [Laboratoire des Systemes Photoniques et Optiques Non Lineaires, Institut d' Optique et Mecanique de Precision, Universite Ferhat Abbas-Setif 1, Setif (Algeria); Azizi, Amor [Laboratoire de Chimie, Ingenierie Moleculaire et Nanostructures, Universite Ferhat Abbas-Setif 1, Setif (Algeria)

    2017-01-15

    Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films were deposited on glass substrate by dip coating technique. The effects of sol aging time on the deposition of ZnO films was studied by using the field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and optical transmission techniques. The morphology of the films strongly depends on preparation route and deposition technique. It is noteworthy that films deposited from the freshly prepared solution feature indistinct characteristics; had relatively poor crystalline quality and low optical transmittance in the visible region. The increase in sol aging time resulted in a gradual improvement in crystallinity (in terms of peak sharpness and peak intensity) of the hexagonal phase for all diffraction peaks. Effect of sol aging on optical transparency is quite obvious through increased transmission with prolonged sol aging time. Interestingly, 72-168 h sol aging time was found to be optimal to achieve smooth surface morphology, good crystallinity and high optical transmittance which were attributed to an ideal stability of solution. These findings present a better-defined and more versatile procedure for production of clean ZnO sols of readily adjustable nanocrystalline size. (author)

  12. Synthesis of ZnO thin film by sol-gel spin coating technique for H2S gas sensing application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nimbalkar, Amol R.; Patil, Maruti G.

    2017-12-01

    In this present work, zinc oxide (ZnO) thin film synthesized by a simple sol-gel spin coating technique. The structural, morphology, compositional, microstructural, optical, electrical and gas sensing properties of the film were studied by using XRD, FESEM, EDS, XPS, HRTEM, Raman, FTIR and UV-vis techniques. The ZnO thin film shows hexagonal wurtzite structure with a porous structured morphology. Gas sensing performance of synthesized ZnO thin film was tested initially for H2S gas at different operating temperatures as well as concentrations. The maximum gas response is achieved towards H2S gas at 300 °C operating temperature, at 100 ppm gas concentration as compared to other gases like CH3OH, Cl2, NH3, LPG, CH3COCH3, and C2H5OH with a good stability.

  13. Highly transparent and UV-resistant superhydrophobic SiO2-coated ZnO nanorod arrays

    KAUST Repository

    Gao, Yangqin

    2014-02-26

    Highly transparent and UV-resistant superhydrophobic arrays of SiO 2-coated ZnO nanorods are prepared in a sequence of low-temperature (<150 C) steps on both glass and thin sheets of PET (2 × 2 in. 2), and the superhydrophobic nanocomposite is shown to have minimal impact on solar cell device performance under AM1.5G illumination. Flexible plastics can serve as front cell and backing materials in the manufacture of flexible displays and solar cells. © 2014 American Chemical Society.

  14. Adhesive and tribocorrosive behavior of TiAlPtN/TiAlN/TiAl multilayers sputtered coatings over CoCrMo

    Science.gov (United States)

    Canto, C. E.; Andrade, E.; Rocha, M. F.; Alemón, B.; Flores, M.

    2017-09-01

    The tribocorrosion resistance and adherence of multilayer coatings of TiAlPtN/TiAlN/TiAl synthesized by PVD reactive magnetron sputtering over a CoCrMo alloy substrate in 10 periods of 30 min each were analyzed and compared to those of the substrate alone and to that of a TiAlPtN single layer coating of the same thickness. The objective of the present work was to create multilayers with different amounts of Pt in order to enhance the tribocorrosion resistance of a biomedical alloy of CoCrMo. Tribocorrosion tests were performed using Simulated Body Fluid (SBF) at typical body temperature with a tribometer in a pin on disk test. The elemental composition and thickness of the coating which behave better at the tribocorrosion tests were evaluated by means of RBS (Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy) IBA (Ion Beam Analysis) technique, using an alpha particles beam of 1.8 MeV, before and after the reciprocating motion in the tribocorrosion test. In order to simulate the elemental profile of the samples, the SIMNRA simulation computer code was used. Measurements of the adhesion of the coatings to the substrate were carried on by means of a scratch test using a tribometer. By taking micrographs of the produced tracks, the critical loads at which the coatings are fully separated from the substrate were determined. From these tests it was observed that a coating with 10 min of TiAlPtN in a TiAlPtN/TiAl period of 30 min in multilayers of 10 periods and with an average thickness of 145 nm for the TiAlPtN nanolayers had the best tribocorrosion resistance behavior, compared to that of the CoCrMo alloy. The RBS experiments showed a reduction of the thickness of the films along with some loss of the multilayer structure after the reciprocating motion. The adhesion tests indicated that the multilayer with the average TiAlPtN thickness of 145 nm displayed the highest critical load. These results indicate a high correlation between the adherence and the tribocorrosion behavior.

  15. Postannealing Effect at Various Gas Ambients on Ohmic Contacts of Pt/ZnO Nanobilayers toward Ultraviolet Photodetectors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chung-Hua Chao

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes a fabrication and characterization of ultraviolet (UV photodetectors based on Ohmic contacts using Pt electrode onto the epitaxial ZnO (0002 thin film. Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD system was employed to deposit ZnO (0002 thin films onto silicon substrates, and radio-frequency (RF magnetron sputtering was used to deposit Pt top electrode onto the ZnO thin films. The as-deposited Pt/ZnO nanobilayer samples were then annealed at 450∘C in two different ambients (argon and nitrogen to obtain optimal Ohmic contacts. The crystal structure, surface morphology, optical properties, and wettability of ZnO thin films were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM, atomic force microscopy (AFM, photoluminescence (PL, UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometer, and contact angle meter, respectively. Moreover, the photoconductivity of the Pt/ZnO nanobilayers was also investigated for UV photodetector application. The above results showed that the optimum ZnO sample was synthesized with gas flow rate ratio of 1 : 3 diethylzinc [DEZn, Zn(C2H52] to carbon dioxide (CO2 and then combined with Pt electrode annealed at 450∘C in argon ambient, exhibiting good crystallinity as well as UV photo responsibility.

  16. High Temperature Oxidation Behavior of gamma-Ni+gamma'-Ni3Al Alloys and Coatings Modified with Pt and Reactive Elements

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mu, Nan [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

    2007-12-01

    Materials for high-pressure turbine blades must be able to operate in the high-temperature gases (above 1000 C) emerging from the combustion chamber. Accordingly, the development of nickel-based superalloys has been constantly motivated by the need to have improved engine efficiency, reliability and service lifetime under the harsh conditions imposed by the turbine environment. However, the melting point of nickel (1455 C) provides a natural ceiling for the temperature capability of nickel-based superalloys. Thus, surface-engineered turbine components with modified diffusion coatings and overlay coatings are used. Theses coatings are capable of forming a compact and adherent oxide scale, which greatly impedes the further transport of reactants between the high-temperature gases and the underlying metal and thus reducing attack by the atmosphere. Typically, these coatings contain β-NiAl as a principal constituent phase in order to have sufficient aluminum content to form an Al2O3 scale at elevated temperatures. The drawbacks to the currently-used {beta}-based coatings, such as phase instabilities, associated stresses induced by such phase instabilities, and extensive coating/substrate interdiffusion, are major motivations in this study to seek next-generation coatings. The high-temperature oxidation resistance of novel Pt + Hf-modified γ-Ni + γ-Ni3Al-based alloys and coatings were investigated in this study. Both early-stage and 4-days isothermal oxidation behavior of single-phase γ-Ni and γ'-Ni3Al alloys were assessed by examining the weight changes, oxide-scale structures, and elemental concentration profiles through the scales and subsurface alloy regions. It was found that Pt promotes Al2O3 formation by suppressing the NiO growth on both γ-Ni and γ'Ni3Al single-phase alloys. This effect increases with increasing Pt content. Moreover, Pt exhibits this effect even at

  17. Hydrothermal Growth and Application of ZnO Nanowire Films with ZnO and TiO2Buffer Layers in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiang Chunhua

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract This paper reports the effects of the seed layers prepared by spin-coating and dip-coating methods on the morphology and density of ZnO nanowire arrays, thus on the performance of ZnO nanowire-based dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs. The nanowire films with the thick ZnO buffer layer (~0.8–1 μm thick can improve the open circuit voltage of the DSSCs through suppressing carrier recombination, however, and cause the decrease of dye loading absorbed on ZnO nanowires. In order to further investigate the effect of TiO2buffer layer on the performance of ZnO nanowire-based DSSCs, compared with the ZnO nanowire-based DSSCs without a compact TiO2buffer layer, the photovoltaic conversion efficiency and open circuit voltage of the ZnO DSSCs with the compact TiO2layer (~50 nm thick were improved by 3.9–12.5 and 2.4–41.7%, respectively. This can be attributed to the introduction of the compact TiO2layer prepared by sputtering method, which effectively suppressed carrier recombination occurring across both the film–electrolyte interface and the substrate–electrolyte interface.

  18. A Comparative Study on Structural and Optical Properties of ZnO Micro-Nanorod Arrays Grown on Seed Layers Using Chemical Bath Deposition and Spin Coating Methods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sibel MORKOÇ KARADENİZ

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available In this study, Zinc Oxide (ZnO seed layers were prepared on Indium Tin Oxide (ITO substrates by using Chemical Bath Deposition (CBD method and Sol-gel Spin Coating (SC method. ZnO micro-nanorod arrays were grown on ZnO seed layers by using Hydrothermal Synthesis method. Seed layer effects of structural and optical properties of ZnO arrays were characterized. X-ray diffractometer (XRD, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM and Ultraviolet Visible (UV-Vis Spectrometer were used for analyses. ZnO micro-nanorod arrays consisted of a single crystalline wurtzite ZnO structure for each seed layer. Besides, ZnO rod arrays were grown smoothly and vertically on SC seed layer, while ZnO rod arrays were grown randomly and flower like structures on CBD seed layer. The optical absorbance peaks found at 422 nm wavelength in the visible region for both ZnO arrays. Optical bandgap values were determined by using UV-Vis measurements at 3.12 and 3.15 eV for ZnO micro-nanorod arrays on CBD seed layer and for ZnO micro-nanorod arrays on SC-seed layer respectively.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.22.4.13443

  19. ZnO crystal growth on microelectrode by electrochemical deposition method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kondo, Y; Ashida, A; Nouzu, N; Fujimura, N

    2011-01-01

    Zinc Oxide crystals were grown by constant potential electrochemical deposition method on the substrate with the Pt working electrode which consists of Pt film with large area and μm-sized line and space structured area. In case of depositions with cathodic potential of -0.3V, ZnO crystal is not observed on the micro electrode, but observed on the electrode with large area (0.2 cm 2 ). By using electrolyte with higher pH, ZnO crystal grows on both areas. In case of lower pH, ZnO crystal does not grow on either. From these results, the pH range for growth of ZnO on the microelectrode seems to be higher than that on the electrode with large area. And, it is expected that the pH just on the surface of μm-sized electrode is lower than that in the bulk of electrolyte. Based on these results, it can be concluded that control of the pH in vicinity of the surface is very important to ECD method for micro- and nano-scaled devices.

  20. Effect of different sol concentrations on the properties of nanocrystalline ZnO thin films grown on FTO substrates by sol-gel spin-coating

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Ikhyun; Kim, Younggyu; Nam, Giwoong; Kim, Dongwan; Park, Minju; Kim, Haeun; Lee, Wookbin; Leem, Jaeyoung; Kim, Jongsu; Kim, Jin Soo

    2014-01-01

    Nanocrystalline ZnO thin films grown on fluorine-doped tinoxide (FTO) substrates were fabricated using the spin-coating method. The structural and the optical properties of the ZnO thin films prepared using different sol concentrations were investigated by using field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), photoluminescence (PL) measurements, and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectrometry. The surface morphology of the ZnO thin films, as observed in the SEM images, exhibited a mountain-chain structure. XRD results indicated that the thin films were preferentially orientated along the direction of the c-axis and that the grain size of the ZnO thin films increased with increasing sol concentration. The PL spectra showed a strong ultraviolet emission peak at 3.22 eV and a broad orange emission peak at 2.0 eV. The intensities of deep-level emission (DLE) gradually increased with increasing sol concentration from 0.4 to 1.0 M. The transmittance spectra of the ZnO thin films showed that the ZnO thin films were transparent (∼85%) in the visible region and exhibited sharp absorption edges at 375 nm. Thus, The Urbach energy of ZnO thin films decreased with increasing sol concentration.

  1. Hybrid electroluminescent device based on MEH-PPV and ZnO

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hewidy, Dina; Gadallah, A.-S.; Fattah, G. Abdel

    2017-02-15

    Hybrid organic/inorganic electroluminescent device based on the structure of glass/ITO/PEDOT:PSS/MEH-PPV/ZnO/ZnO submicrorods/Al has been manufactured. Spin coating has been used to deposit both PEDOT:PSS and MEH-PPV. Two-step process has been used to synthesis ZnO submicrorods, namely, spin coating and chemical bath deposition. Changing the dimensions of the ZnO submicrorods in this layer structure has been investigated to improve the performance of the organic/inorganic electroluminescence device. Such layer structure provides electroluminescence with narrow emission bands due to a high gain with this structure. X-ray diffraction patterns and scanning electron microscope images show that ZnO submicrorods have hexagon structure. Current-voltage curve for the structure has been reported. Electroluminescence curves (electroluminescence intensity versus wavelength) at different bias voltages have been presented and these results show narrowing in full width at half maximum in the spectra at high current density compared to photoluminescence excitation. The narrowing in the spectrum has been explained. - Highlights: • Manufacturing of MEH-PPV and ZnO electroluminescent device has been reported. • Spin coating and chemical bath deposition have been used for preparation of ZnO. • SEM images and X-ray diffraction of ZnO have been presented. • Current-voltage curves and electroluminescent measurements have been reported.

  2. Reducing ZnO nanoparticle cytotoxicity by surface modification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Mingdeng; Shen, Cenchao; Feltis, Bryce N; Martin, Lisandra L; Hughes, Anthony E; Wright, Paul F A; Turney, Terence W

    2014-06-07

    Nanoparticulate zinc oxide (ZnO) is one of the most widely used engineered nanomaterials and its toxicology has gained considerable recent attention. A key aspect for controlling biological interactions at the nanoscale is understanding the relevant nanoparticle surface chemistry. In this study, we have determined the disposition of ZnO nanoparticles within human immune cells by measurement of total Zn, as well as the proportions of extra- and intracellular dissolved Zn as a function of dose and surface coating. From this mass balance, the intracellular soluble Zn levels showed little difference in regard to dose above a certain minimal level or to different surface coatings. PEGylation of ZnO NPs reduced their cytotoxicity as a result of decreased cellular uptake arising from a minimal protein corona. We conclude that the key role of the surface properties of ZnO NPs in controlling cytotoxicity is to regulate cellular nanoparticle uptake rather than altering either intracellular or extracellular Zn dissolution.

  3. Influence Al doped ZnO nanostructure on structural and optical properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ramelan, Ari Handono; Wahyuningsih, Sayekti; Chasanah, Uswatul; Munawaroh, Hanik

    2016-01-01

    The preparation of Al-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films prepared by the spin-coating method was reported. Preparation of AZO was conducted by annealing treatment at a temperature of 700°C. While the spin-coating process of AZO thin films were done at 2000 and 3000 rpm respectively. The structural properties of ZnO were determined by X- ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. ZnOnanostructure was formed after annealed at atemperature of 400°C.The morphology of ZnO was determined by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) showed the irregular morphology about 30-50µm in size. Al doped on ZnO influenced the optical properties of those material. Increasing Al contain on ZnO cause of shifting to the lower wavelength. The optical properties of the ZnO as well as AZO films showed that higher reflectance on the ultraviolet region so those materials were used as anti-reflecting agent.Al addition significantly enhance the optical transparency and induce the blue-shift in optical bandgap of ZnO films.

  4. Influence of thickness and coatings morphology in the antimicrobial performance of zinc oxide coatings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Carvalho, P. [Department of Physics, University of Minho, Campus de Azurém, 4800-058 Guimaraes (Portugal); Sampaio, P. [CBMA, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4700 Braga (Portugal); Azevedo, S. [Department of Physics, University of Minho, Campus de Azurém, 4800-058 Guimaraes (Portugal); Vaz, C. [CBMA, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4700 Braga (Portugal); Espinós, J.P. [Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Sevilla, CSIC-University of Sevilla, Avda. Américo Vespucio 49, 41092 Sevilla (Spain); Teixeira, V., E-mail: vasco@fisica.uminho.pt [Department of Physics, University of Minho, Campus de Azurém, 4800-058 Guimaraes (Portugal); Carneiro, J.O., E-mail: carneiro@fisica.uminho.pt [Department of Physics, University of Minho, Campus de Azurém, 4800-058 Guimaraes (Portugal)

    2014-07-01

    In this research work, the production of undoped and silver (Ag) doped zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films for food-packaging applications were developed. The main goal was to determine the influence of coatings morphology and thickness on the antimicrobial performance of the produced samples. The ZnO based thin films were deposited on PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) substrates by means of DC reactive magnetron sputtering. The thin films were characterized by optical spectroscopy, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The antimicrobial performance of the undoped and Ag-doped ZnO thin films was also evaluated. The results attained have shown that all the deposited zinc oxide and Ag-doped ZnO coatings present columnar morphology with V-shaped columns. The increase of ZnO coatings thickness until 200 nm increases the active surface area of the columns. The thinner samples (50 and 100 nm) present a less pronounced antibacterial activity than the thickest ones (200–600 nm). Regarding Ag-doped ZnO thin films, it was verified that increasing the silver content decreases the growth rate of Escherichia coli and decreases the amount of bacteria cells present at the end of the experiment.

  5. Nano zinc phosphate coatings for enhanced corrosion resistance of mild steel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tamilselvi, M.; Kamaraj, P.; Arthanareeswari, M.; Devikala, S.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Nano zinc phosphate coating on mild steel was developed. • Nano zinc phosphate coatings on mild steel showed enhanced corrosion resistance. • The nano ZnO increases the number of nucleating sites for phosphating. • Faster attainment of steady state during nano zinc phosphating. - Abstract: Nano crystalline zinc phosphate coatings were developed on mild steel surface using nano zinc oxide particles. The chemical composition and morphology of the coatings were analyzed by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The particles size of the nano zinc phosphate coating developed was also characterized by TEM analysis. Potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance studies were carried out in 3.5% NaCl solution. Significant variations in the coating weight, morphology and corrosion resistance were observed as nano ZnO concentrations were varied from 0.25 to 2 g/L in the phosphating baths. The results showed that nano ZnO particles in the phosphating solution yielded phosphate coatings of higher coating weight, greater surface coverage and enhanced corrosion resistance than the normal zinc phosphate coatings (developed using normal ZnO particles in the phosphating baths). Better corrosion resistance was observed for coatings derived from phosphating bath containing 1.5 g/L nano ZnO. The activation effect brought about by the nano ZnO reduces the amount of accelerator (NaNO 2 ) required for phosphating

  6. Enhanced luminescence properties of hybrid Alq{sub 3}/ZnO (organic/inorganic) composite films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cuba, M.; Muralidharan, G., E-mail: muraligru@gmail.com

    2014-12-15

    Pristine tris-(8-hydroxyquionoline)aluminum(Alq{sub 3}) and (Alq{sub 3}/ZnO hybrid) composites containing different weight percentages (5 wt%, 10 wt%, 20 wt%, 30 wt%, 40 wt% and 50 wt%) of ZnO in Alq{sub 3} were synthesized and coated on to a glass substrate using the dip coating method. The optimum concentration of ZnO in Alq{sub 3} films to get the best luminescence yield has been identified. XRD pattern reveals the amorphous nature of pure Alq{sub 3} film. The Alq{sub 3} films containing different weight percentages of ZnO show the presence of crystalline ZnO in Alq{sub 3}/ZnO composite films. The FTIR spectrum confirms the formation of quinoline with absorption in the region 600−800 cm{sup −1}. The hybrid Alq{sub 3}/ZnO composite films indicate the presence of Zn−O vibration band along with the corresponding Alq{sub 3} band. The band gap (HOMO–LUMO) of Alq{sub 3} film was calculated using absorption spectra and it is 2.87 eV for pristine films while it is 3.26 eV, 3.21 eV, 3.14 eV, 3.10 eV, 3.13 eV and 3.20 eV for the composite films containing 5–50 wt% of ZnO. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra of Alq{sub 3} films show a maximum PL intensity at 514 nm when excited at 390 nm. The ZnO incorporated composite films (Alq{sub 3}/ZnO) exhibit an emission in 485 nm and 514 nm. The composite films containing 30 wt% of ZnO exhibit maximum luminescence yield. - Highlights: • The pure Alq{sub 3} and Alq{sub 3}/ZnO composite were synthesized and coated on to a glass substrate using dip coating method. • Alq{sub 3}/ZnO composite film containing 30 wt% of ZnO exhibits two fold increases in luminescence intensity. • The shielding effect of ZnO on the Alq{sub 3} material suppresses the interactions among the host molecules in the excited state. • This leads to enhance the luminescence intensity in composite films.

  7. Evolution of interfacial toughness of a thermal barrier system with a Pt-diffused {gamma}/{gamma}' bond coat

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhao, X.; Liu, J. [School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M1 7HS (United Kingdom); Rickerby, D.S.; Jones, R.J. [Rolls-Royce Plc., PO Box 31, Derby DE24 8BJ (United Kingdom); Xiao, P., E-mail: ping.xiao@manchester.ac.uk [School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M1 7HS (United Kingdom)

    2011-09-15

    A strain-to-fail method has been employed to examine the interfacial adhesion of electron beam-physical vapor deposited thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) with a Pt-diffused {gamma}/{gamma}' bond coat. Based on a previously established model, the estimated interfacial toughness decreases with oxidation time of TBCs. Furthermore, the interfacial toughness value varies considerably with the use of different Young's moduli in the model. It is believed that the modulus obtained from beam bending represents the columnar structure of the TBC. In this case, the mode I interfacial toughness was found to vary from 10 J m{sup -2} for as-deposited TBCs to 0.79 J m{sup -2} for the 60 h oxidized TBCs. The degradation of adhesion could be attributed to the defect formation and impurity segregation at the TGO/bond coat interface, which is associated with the diffusion of Pt.

  8. Structural, optical, and LED characteristics of ZnO and Al doped ZnO thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sandeep, K. M.; Bhat, Shreesha; Dharmaprakash, S. M.

    2017-05-01

    ZnO (pristine) and Al doped ZnO (AZO) films were prepared using sol-gel spin coating method. The XRD analysis showed the enhanced compressive stress in AZO film. The presence of extended states below the conduction band edge in AZO accounts for the redshift in optical bandgap. The PL spectra of AZO showed significant blue emission due to the carrier recombination from defect states. The TRPL curves showed the dominant DAP recombination in ZnO film, whereas defect related recombination in Al doped ZnO film. Color parameters viz: the dominant wavelength, color coordinates (x,y), color purity, luminous efficiency and correlated color temperature (CCT) of ZnO and AZO films are calculated using 1931 (CIE) diagram. Further, a strong blue emission with color purity more than 96% is observed in both the films. The enhanced blue emission in AZO significantly increased the luminous efficiency (22.8%) compared to ZnO film (10.8%). The prepared films may be used as blue phosphors in white light generation.

  9. Effect of immobilization technique on performance ZnO nanorods based enzymatic electrochemical glucose biosensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shukla, Mayoorika; Pramila; Palani, I. A.; Singh, Vipul

    2017-11-01

    In this paper, ZnO Nanorods (ZNR) have been synthesized over Platinum (Pt) coated glass substrate with in-situ addition KMnO4 during hydrothermal growth process. Significant variation in ZnO nanostructures was observed by KMnO4 addition during the growth. Glucose oxidase was later immobilized over ZNRs. The as-prepared ZNRs were further utilized for glucose detection by employing amperometric electrochemical transduction method. In order to optimize the performance of the prepared biosensor two different immobilization techniques i.e. physical adsorption and cross linking have been employed and compared. Further investigations suggest that immobilization via cross linking method resulted in the improvement of the biosensor performance, thereby significantly affecting the sensitivity and linear range of the fabricated biosensor. Among the two types of biosensors fabricated using ZNR, the best performance was shown by cross linked electrodes. The sensitivity for the same was found to be 17.7 mA-cm-2-M-1, along with a wide linear range of 0.5-8.5 mM.

  10. Studies on nonvolatile resistance memory switching in ZnO thin films

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Six decades of research on ZnO has recently sprouted a new branch in the domain of resistive random access memories. Highly resistive and c-axis oriented ZnO thin films were grown by us using d.c. discharge assisted pulsed laser deposition on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates at room temperature. The resistive switching ...

  11. Comprehensive Study of All-Solid-State Z-Scheme Photocatalytic Systems of ZnO/Pt/CdZnS

    KAUST Repository

    Isimjan, Tayirjan Taylor

    2017-08-22

    We have investigated a Z-scheme based on a ZnO/Pt/CdZnS photocatalyst, active in the presence of a complex medium composed of acetic acid and benzyl alcohol, the effects of which on the catalyst stability and performance are studied. Transmission electron microscopy images showed uniformly dispersed sub-nanometer Pt particles. Inductively coupled plasma and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses suggested that Pt is sandwiched between ZnO and CdZnS. An apparent quantum yield (AQY) of 34% was obtained over the [ZnO]4/1 wt %Pt/CdZnS system at 360 nm, 2.5-fold higher than that of 1%Pt/CdZnS (14%). Furthermore, an AQY of 16% was observed using [ZnO]4/1 wt %Pt/CdZnS, which was comparable to that of 1 wt %Pt/CdZnS (10%) at 460 nm. On the basis of these results, we proposed a charge transfer mechanism, which was confirmed through femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. Finally, we identified the two main factors that affected the stability of the catalyst, which were the sacrificial reagent and the acidic pH.

  12. Synthesis of Colloidal ZnO Nanoparticles and Deposit of Thin Films by Spin Coating Technique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jose Alberto Alvarado

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available ZnO colloidal nanoparticles were synthesized, the average size of these nanoparticles is around 25 nm with hexagonal form. It was noted that stabilization depends directly on the purifying process; in this work we do not change the nature of the solution as a difference from Meulekamp's method, and we do not use any alkanes to remove the byproducts; only a centrifuge to remove those ones was used, thereby the stabilization increases up to 24 days. It is observed from the results that only three times of washing is enough to prevent the rapid aging process. The effect of annealing process on the composition, size, and geometrical shape of ZnO nanoparticles was studied in order to know whether the annealing process affects the crystallization and growth of the nanoparticles. After the synthesis, the colloidal nanoparticles were deposited by spin coating technique showing that the formed nanoparticles have no uniformly deposition pattern. But is possible to deposit those ones in glass substrates. A possible deposition process of the nanoparticles is proposed.

  13. Perencanaan Enterprise Architecture Pada Perusahaan Manufaktur PT. Z

    OpenAIRE

    Hartedja, Odwin Viator; Santoso, Leo Willyanto; Rostianingsih, Silvia

    2015-01-01

    PT.Z is a well-known producer and manufacturer of paint in Indonesia with years of experience in paint industry which produce many varieties of paint such as Decorative Coating (water and solvent based), automotive coating, Industrial Coating and Heavy Duty Coating. PT.Z has several subsidiaries all over Indonesia to elevate its product distribution. In the business process, PT.Z applies Information System to support and enhance the overall business. But, the current Information System applie...

  14. The characterization of an oxide interfacial coating for ceramic matrix composites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Coons, Timothy P.; Reutenauer, Justin W.; Mercado, Andrew; Kmetz, Michael A.; Suib, Steven L.

    2013-01-01

    This work focused on the use of metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) to deposit a zinc oxide (ZnO) coating on ceramic fibers as an interfacial system for continuous fiber reinforced ceramic matrix composites (CFR-CMCs). ZnO coatings were deposited on ceramic grade (CG) Nicalon ™ , Hi-Nicalon ™ , and Hi-Nicalon ™ Type S fabric by the thermal decomposition of zinc acetate dihydrate in a low pressure hot wall CVD reactor. A duplex SiO 2 coating was also deposited in order to protect the ZnO layer from the reducing conditions during composite fabrication. Tow testing was used to evaluate the effect of the ZnO coating on the strength retention of the ceramic fabrics. Single strand unidirectional mini composites were fabricated by infiltrating SiC into the ZnO/SiO 2 duplex coated tows in order to understand the interfacial properties of the ZnO coating. The mini composite utilizing Hi-Nicalon ™ Type S produced the highest ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 330 MPa. The coated fabrics and the mini composites were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning Auger microscopy (SAM)

  15. Excellent performance of Pt-C/TiO2 for methanol oxidation: Contribution of mesopores and partially coated carbon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Xinbing; Zhuang, Wei; Lu, Linghong; Li, Licheng; Zhu, Jiahua; Mu, Liwen; Li, Wei; Zhu, Yudan; Lu, Xiaohua

    2017-12-01

    Partial deposition of carbon onto mesoporous TiO2 (C/TiO2) were prepared as supporting substrate for Pt catalyst development. Carbon deposition is achieved by in-situ carbonization of furfuryl alcohol. The hybrid catalysts were characterized by XRD, Raman, SEM and TEM and exhibited outstanding catalytic activity and stability in methanol oxidation reaction. The heterogeneous carbon coated on mesoporous TiO2 fibers provided excellent electrical conductivity and strong interfacial interaction between TiO2 support and Pt metal nanoparticles. Methanol oxidation reaction results showed that the activity of Pt-C/TiO2 is 3.0 and 1.5 times higher than that of Pt-TiO2 and Pt-C, respectively. In addition, the Pt-C/TiO2 exhibited a 6.7 times enhanced stability compared with Pt-C after 2000 cycles. The synergistic effect of C/TiO2 is responsible for the enhanced activity of Pt-C/TiO2, and its excellent durability could be ascribed to the strong interfacial interaction between Pt nanoparticles and C/TiO2 support.

  16. Influence of lithium doping on the structural and electrical characteristics of ZnO thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Johny, T. Anto [Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (C-MET), (Department of Information Technology, Scientific Society, Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Govt. of India), Athani - PO, Thrissur, 680 581 Kerala (India); Kumar, Viswanathan, E-mail: vkumar10@yahoo.com [Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (C-MET), (Department of Information Technology, Scientific Society, Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Govt. of India), Athani - PO, Thrissur, 680 581 Kerala (India); Imai, Hideyuki; Kanno, Isaku [Micro Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501 (Japan)

    2012-06-30

    Thin films of undoped and lithium-doped Zinc oxide, (Zn{sub 1-x}Li{sub x})O; x = 0, 0.05, 0.10 and 0.20 were prepared by sol-gel method using spin-coating technique on silicon substrates [(111)Pt/Ti/SiO{sub 2}/Si)]. The influence of lithium doping on the structural, electrical and microstructural characteristics have been investigated by means of X-ray diffraction, leakage current, piezoelectric measurements and scanning electron microscopy. The resistivity of the ZnO film is found to increase markedly with low levels (x {<=} 0.05) of lithium doping thereby enhancing their piezoelectric applications. The transverse piezoelectric coefficient, e{sub 31}{sup Low-Asterisk} has been determined for the thin films having the composition (Zn{sub 0.95}Li{sub 0.05})O, to study their suitability for piezoelectric applications. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Preferentially c-axis oriented (Zn{sub 1-x}Li{sub x})O films were spin-coated on glass. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer (Zn{sub 1-x}Li{sub x})O thin films exhibit dense columnar microstructure. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Low levels of lithium doping, increases the electrical resistivity of ZnO thin films. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer (Zn{sub 1-x}Li{sub x})O thin films show high values of transverse piezoelectric coefficient, e{sup Low-Asterisk }{sub 31}.

  17. Random laser based on Rhodamine 6G (Rh6G doped poly(methyl methacrylate (PMMA films coating on ZnO nanorods synthesized by hydrothermal oxidation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hua Zhang

    Full Text Available Random laser based on Rh6G doped PMMA thin films coating on ZnO nanorods synthesized by a simple hydrothermal oxidation method has been demonstrated. This kind of random laser medium is based on waveguide structure consisting of ZnO nanorods, Rh6G doped PMMA film and air. By controlling the time of hydrothermal oxidation reaction, wheat-like and hexagonal prism ZnO nanorods have been successfully fabricated. The emission spectra of these gain mediums based on different ZnO nanorods are different. The one based on wheat-like ZnO nanorods mainly exhibits amplified spontaneous emission, and the other one based on hexagonal prism ZnO nanorods shows random laser emission. The threshold of the random laser medium is about 73.8 μJ/pulse, and the full width at half maximum (FWHM is around 2.1 nm. The emission spectra measured at different detecting angles reveal that the output direction is strongly confined in ±30° by the waveguide effect. Our experiments demonstrate a promising method to achieve organic random laser medium. Keywords: Random laser, ZnO nanorods, Hydrothermal oxidation, Rhodamine 6G (Rh6G, Poly(methyl methacrylate (PMMA

  18. MEH-PPV and PCBM Solution Concentration Dependence of Inverted-Type Organic Solar Cells Based on Eosin-Y-Coated ZnO Nanorod Arrays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Riski Titian Ginting

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The influence of polymer solution concentration on the performance of chlorobenzene- (CB- and chloroform- (CF- based inverted-type organic solar cells has been investigated. The organic photoactive layers consisted of poly(2-methoxy-5-(2-ethyl hexyloxy-1,4-phenylenevinylene (MEH-PPV and (6,6-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM were spin coated from CF with concentrations of 4, 6, and 8 mg/mL and from CB with concentrations of 6, 8, and 10 mg/mL onto Eosin-Y-coated ZnO nanorod arrays (NRAs. Fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO and silver (Ag were used as electron collecting electrode and hole collecting electrode, respectively. Experimental results showed that the short circuit current density and power conversion efficiency increased with decrease of solution concentration for both CB and CF devices, which could be attributed to reducing charge recombination in thinner photoactive layer and larger contact area between the rougher photoactive layer and Ag contact. However, the open circuit voltage decreased with decreasing solution concentration due to increase of leakage current from ZnO NRAs to Ag as the ZnO NRAs were not fully covered by the polymer blend. The highest power conversion efficiencies of 0.54 ± 0.10% and 0.87 ± 0.15% were achieved at the respective lowest solution concentrations of CB and CF.

  19. Blue-emitting photoluminescence of rod-like and needle-like ZnO nanostructures formed by hot-water treatment of sol–gel derived coatings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tan, Wai Kian, E-mail: tanwaikian@cie.ignite.tut.ac.jp [Center for International Education, Toyohashi University of Technology, Aichi, Toyohashi 441-8580 (Japan); Kawamura, Go; Muto, Hiroyuki [Department of Electrical and Electronic Information Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology, Aichi, Toyohashi 441-8580 (Japan); Abdul Razak, Khairunisak; Lockman, Zainovia [School of Materials and Mineral Resources, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Engineering Campus, Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang 14300 Malaysia (Malaysia); Matsuda, Atsunori, E-mail: matsuda@tut.ee.ac.jp [Center for International Education, Toyohashi University of Technology, Aichi, Toyohashi 441-8580 (Japan); Department of Electrical and Electronic Information Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology, Aichi, Toyohashi 441-8580 (Japan)

    2015-02-15

    The morphological evolution of the zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures generated by hot-water treatment (HWT) of sol–gel derived coatings as a function of temperature from 30 to 90 °C was investigated. With increasing HWT temperature, the ZnO crystals evolved from nanoparticles to rod-like and needle-like nanostructures. High-resolution transmission electron microscope observations of rod-like and needle-like nanostructures generated at 60 and 90 °C indicated single crystal ZnO wurtzite structure was obtained. All the hot-water treated samples exhibited blue emission at approximately 440 nm in room temperature. The intensity of blue emission increased with higher HWT temperatures. The unique photoluminescence emission characteristic remained even after heat-treatment at 400 °C for 1 h. As the emission peak obtained in our work is approximately 440 nm (2.82 eV), the emission peak is corresponding to the electron transition from the interstitial Zn to the top of valence band. This facile formation of blue-emitting ZnO nanostructures at low-temperature can be utilized on substrate with low thermal stability for optoelectronic applications such as light emitting devices and biological fluorescence labeling. - Highlights: • Facile and novel formation of ZnO nanostructures by low temperature hot-water treatment. • No catalyst or inhibitor is used. • Evolution of ZnO nanostructures formation as a function of temperature is reported. • Dominant blue emissions are observed from the as-formed and annealed ZnO films. • Ultraviolet and visible emissions are observed for hot-water treated films.

  20. ZnO and ZnTiO3 nanopowders for antimicrobial stone coating

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruffolo, S. A.; La Russa, M. F.; Malagodi, M.; Oliviero Rossi, C.; Palermo, A. M.; Crisci, G. M.

    2010-09-01

    In the past a great variety of biocidal compounds and persistent organic pesticides were applied on a large scale for preventive measures aimed at the long-term preservation of our cultural heritage. Only recently, public and expert attention has started to focus increasingly on the risks resulting from these treatments on human health, works of art and environment in general. The work done in this field demonstrated that the most effective way for inactivation can be achieved by using highly efficient photocatalysts with the illumination of UV radiation. Following this direction our group focused its attention on well-known photocatalysts, ZnO and ZnTiO3, in the degradation and complete mineralisation of environmental pollutants. This explorative work deals with an experimental investigation on biocidal efficient of ZnO and ZnTiO3. In particular micro-quantities of the two nanopowdered photocatalysts were spread on plated dishes. They were filled by the MEA (Malt Extract Agar) medium containing given quantities of Aspergillus Niger (a chromogen filamentous fungus involved in biodeterioration). At the same time the two oxides were dispersed in different polymeric matrices, acrylic and fluorinated, in order to obtain a new coating technology, with hydrophobic, consolidant and biocidal properties for the restoration of building stone material. The mixtures obtained were applied on marble samples and capillary water absorption, simulated solar ageing, colourimetric measurements and contact angle measurements have been performed to evaluate its properties.

  1. The characterization of an oxide interfacial coating for ceramic matrix composites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Coons, Timothy P., E-mail: tpcoons@gmail.com [Department of Chemistry, Unit 3060, University of Connecticut, 55 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, CT 06269-3060 (United States); Reutenauer, Justin W.; Mercado, Andrew [Department of Chemistry, Unit 3060, University of Connecticut, 55 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, CT 06269-3060 (United States); Kmetz, Michael A. [Pratt and Whitney, 400 Main Street M/S 114-43, East Hartford, CT 06108 (United States); Suib, Steven L. [Department of Chemistry, Unit 3060, University of Connecticut, 55 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, CT 06269-3060 (United States)

    2013-06-20

    This work focused on the use of metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) to deposit a zinc oxide (ZnO) coating on ceramic fibers as an interfacial system for continuous fiber reinforced ceramic matrix composites (CFR-CMCs). ZnO coatings were deposited on ceramic grade (CG) Nicalon{sup ™}, Hi-Nicalon{sup ™}, and Hi-Nicalon{sup ™} Type S fabric by the thermal decomposition of zinc acetate dihydrate in a low pressure hot wall CVD reactor. A duplex SiO{sub 2} coating was also deposited in order to protect the ZnO layer from the reducing conditions during composite fabrication. Tow testing was used to evaluate the effect of the ZnO coating on the strength retention of the ceramic fabrics. Single strand unidirectional mini composites were fabricated by infiltrating SiC into the ZnO/SiO{sub 2} duplex coated tows in order to understand the interfacial properties of the ZnO coating. The mini composite utilizing Hi-Nicalon{sup ™} Type S produced the highest ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 330 MPa. The coated fabrics and the mini composites were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning Auger microscopy (SAM)

  2. Hydrothermal Growth of Vertically Aligned ZnO Nanorods Using a Biocomposite Seed Layer of ZnO Nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ibupoto, Zafar Hussain; Khun, Kimleang; Eriksson, Martin; AlSalhi, Mohammad; Atif, Muhammad; Ansari, Anees; Willander, Magnus

    2013-08-19

    Well aligned ZnO nanorods have been prepared by a low temperature aqueous chemical growth method, using a biocomposite seed layer of ZnO nanoparticles prepared in starch and cellulose bio polymers. The effect of different concentrations of biocomposite seed layer on the alignment of ZnO nanorods has been investigated. ZnO nanorods grown on a gold-coated glass substrate have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) techniques. These techniques have shown that the ZnO nanorods are well aligned and perpendicular to the substrate, and grown with a high density and uniformity on the substrate. Moreover, ZnO nanorods can be grown with an orientation along the c -axis of the substrate and exhibit a wurtzite crystal structure with a dominant (002) peak in an XRD spectrum and possessed a high crystal quality. A photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy study of the ZnO nanorods has revealed a conventional near band edge ultraviolet emission, along with emission in the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum due to defect emission. This study provides an alternative method for the fabrication of well aligned ZnO nanorods. This method can be helpful in improving the performance of devices where alignment plays a significant role.

  3. Hydrothermal Growth of Vertically Aligned ZnO Nanorods Using a Biocomposite Seed Layer of ZnO Nanoparticles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zafar Hussain Ibupoto

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Well aligned ZnO nanorods have been prepared by a low temperature aqueous chemical growth method, using a biocomposite seed layer of ZnO nanoparticles prepared in starch and cellulose bio polymers. The effect of different concentrations of biocomposite seed layer on the alignment of ZnO nanorods has been investigated. ZnO nanorods grown on a gold-coated glass substrate have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM techniques. These techniques have shown that the ZnO nanorods are well aligned and perpendicular to the substrate, and grown with a high density and uniformity on the substrate. Moreover, ZnO nanorods can be grown with an orientation along the c-axis of the substrate and exhibit a wurtzite crystal structure with a dominant (002 peak in an XRD spectrum and possessed a high crystal quality. A photoluminescence (PL spectroscopy study of the ZnO nanorods has revealed a conventional near band edge ultraviolet emission, along with emission in the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum due to defect emission. This study provides an alternative method for the fabrication of well aligned ZnO nanorods. This method can be helpful in improving the performance of devices where alignment plays a significant role.

  4. Improving ultraviolet photodetection of ZnO nanorods by Cr doped ZnO encapsulation process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Safa, S.; Mokhtari, S.; Khayatian, A.; Azimirad, R.

    2018-04-01

    Encapsulated ZnO nanorods (NRs) with different Cr concentration (0-4.5 at.%) were prepared in two different steps. First, ZnO NRs were grown by hydrothermal method. Then, they were encapsulated by dip coating method. The prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy, and ultraviolet (UV)-visible spectrophotometer analyses. XRD analysis proved that Cr incorporated into the ZnO structure successfully. Based on optical analysis, band gap changes in the range of 2.74-3.84 eV. Finally, UV responses of all samples were deeply investigated. It revealed 0.5 at.% Cr doped sample had the most photocurrent (0.75 mA) and photoresponsivity (0.8 A/W) of all which were about three times greater than photocurrent and photoresponsivity of the undoped sample.

  5. Precursor-controlled synthesis of hierarchical ZnO nanostructures, using oligoaniline-coated Au nanoparticle seeds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krishnan, Deepti; Pradeep, T.

    2009-07-01

    Shape-selected synthesis of a large number of zinc oxide (ZnO) nano- and microstructures was achieved by the seed-mediated growth of oligoaniline-coated gold nanoparticle precursors. Distinctive ZnO structures such as nanoplates, nanospheres, microstars, microflowers, microthorns and micromultipods were synthesized by this method. Slightly different shapes were obtained in the absence of the seed solution. This is a fast, low temperature (60 °C) and biomimetic route to make a wide variety of structures. The structure and morphology of the nanostructures were studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. Raman spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were utilized for the characterization of the nanostructures. A growth mechanism for these nanostructures was proposed based on these results. The concentrations of the reacting species were the main parameter causing the changes in the morphologies. The variation in morphologies of these structures is believed to be due to the ability of the seed solution as well as polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) to selectively suppress/depress the growth of certain planes, allowing growth to occur only in certain specific directions. Changes in the amount of growth nuclei with varying sodium hydroxide (NaOH) concentration is also seen to affect the morphology of these structures.

  6. Improved luminescence intensity and stability of thermal annealed ZnO incorporated Alq3 composite films.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cuba, M; Muralidharan, G

    2015-11-01

    The 30 wt% of ZnO (weight percentage of ZnO has been optimised) incorporated tris- (8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum (Alq3) has been synthesised and coated on to glass substrates using dip coating method. The structural and optical properties of the Alq3/ZnO composite film after thermal annealing from 50 to 300 °C insteps 50° has been studied and reported. XRD pattern reveals the presence of crystalline ZnO in all the annealed films. The films annealed above 150 °C reveal the presence of crystalline Alq3 along with crystalline ZnO. The FTIR spectra confirm the presence of hydroxyquinoline and ZnO vibration in all the annealed composite films. The composite films annealed above 150 °C show a partial sublimation and degradation of hydroxyquinoline compounds. The ZnO incorporated composite films (Alq3/ZnO) exhibit two emission peaks, one corresponding to ZnO at 487 nm and another at 513 nm due to Alq3. The films annealed at 200 °C exhibit maximum photoluminescence (PL) intensity than pristine film at 513 nm when excited at 390 nm.

  7. Preparation and characterization of Ce-doped ZnO nanofibers by an electrospinning method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jong-Pil Kim

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available ZnO and Ce-doped ZnO Nanofibers on (111 Pt/SiO2/Si substrates were produced using an electrospinning technique. The as-prepared composite fibres were subjected to high-temperature calcination to produce inorganic fibers. After calcining at a temperature of 500 °C, the average diameter of the ZnO and Ce-doped ZnO nanofibers were determined to be 170 nm and 225 nm, respectively. The average grain size of the ZnO and Ce-doped ZnO nanofibers were about 50 nm and 57 nm, respectively. The microstructure, chemical bonding state and photoluminescence of the produced ZnO and Ce-doped ZnO nanofibers were investigated. The Ce-doped ZnO nanofiber can be assigned to the presence of Ce ions on substitutional sites of Zn ions and the Ce3+ state from X-ray photoelectron spectra. Compared with PL spectra of ZnO nanofibers, the peak position of the UV emission of the Ce-doped ZnO nanofibers is sharply suppressed while the green emission band is highly enhanced.

  8. Growth and microstructure of columnar Y-doped SrZrO{sub 3} films deposited on Pt-coated MgO by pulsed laser deposition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Luo, Sijun, E-mail: sluo1@tulane.edu; Riggs, Brian C.; Shipman, Joshua T.; Adireddy, Shiva; Sklare, Samuel C.; Chrisey, Douglas B., E-mail: dchrisey@tulane.edu [Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118 (United States); Zhang, Xiaodong; Koplitz, Brent [Department of Chemistry, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118 (United States)

    2015-07-21

    Direct integration of proton conductor films on Pt-coated substrates opens the way to film-based proton transport devices. Columnar SrZr{sub 0.95}Y{sub 0.05}O{sub 3−δ} (SZY) films with dense microstructure were deposited on Pt-coated MgO(100) substrates at 830 °C by pulsed laser deposition. The optimal window of ambient O{sub 2} pressure for good crystallinity of SZY films is from 400 to 600 mTorr. The ambient O{sub 2} compresses the plasma plume of SZY and increases the deposition rate. The 10 nm thick Ti adhesion layer on MgO(100) greatly affects the orientation of the sputtered Pt layers. Pt deposited directly on MgO shows a highly (111)-preferred orientation and leads to preferentially oriented SZY films while the addition of a Ti adhesion layer makes Pt show a less preferential orientation that leads to randomly oriented SZY films. The RMS surface roughness of preferentially oriented SZY films is larger than that of randomly oriented SZY films deposited under the same ambient O{sub 2} pressure. As the O{sub 2} pressure increased, the RMS surface roughness of preferentially oriented SZY films increased, reaching 45.7 nm (2.61% of film thickness) at 600 mTorr. This study revealed the ambient O{sub 2} pressure and orientation dependent surface roughness of SZY films grown on Pt-coated MgO substrates, which provides the potential to control the surface microstructure of SZY films for electrochemical applications in film-based hydrogen devices.

  9. Preparation of Organic-Inorganic Multifunctional Nanocomposite Coating via Sol-Gel Routes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Haoying; Chen Yunfa; Ruan Chengxiang; Gao Weimin; Xie Yusheng

    2001-01-01

    The inorganic-organic nanocomposite coatings are prepared on poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) substrate by the spinning technique which involves incorporating homogeneously nanosized ZnO particle into the molecular inorganic-organic hybrid matrices. The hybrid matrices are derived from tetraethoxyasilane (TEOS) and 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxyailane (GLYMO). To avoid the destruction of the polymer structure caused by ZnO and modify the interface between nanoparticles and organic groups, ZnO was first surface-coated with SiO 2 from hydrolyzed TEOS using ammonia water as catalyst. The coatings thus obtained are dense, flexible, abrasion resistant and UV absorbent

  10. The immunomodulatory effects of Zn-incorporated micro/nanostructured coating in inducing osteogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Ranran; Liu, Xujie; Xiong, Zhiyuan; Huang, Qianli; Yang, Xing; Yan, Hao; Ma, Jing; Feng, Qingling; Shen, Zhijian

    2018-03-08

    Micro/nanostructured TiO 2 /ZnO coating has been shown to possess multiple functions, including antibacterial activity and bioactivity. Osteoblast-like SaOS-2 cells were employed for evaluating the in vitro osteogenic capacity of this coating and positive results were obtained. However, traditional principles of osseointegration focus only on the osteogenic differentiation alone. The effects of immunomodulation on the osteogenic activity have been largely ignored. In this study, the inflammatory responses of macrophages on the micro/nanostructured TiO 2 /ZnO coating were investigated. The extract media of macrophage cell line RAW264.7 cultured on the TiO 2 /ZnO coating were collected as indirect co-culture conditioned media. The osteogenic activity of SaOS-2 cells in the conditioned media was investigated. Adhesion, ALP activity and extracellular mineralization of cells grown in the conditioned media extracted from the micro/nanostructured TiO 2 /ZnO coating were found to be enhanced, compared to those grown in the conditioned media extracted from the macroporous TiO 2 coating. The immune microenvironment produced by the micro/nanostructured TiO 2 /ZnO coating showed excellent capacity to promote osteogenesis, indicating that this coating could be a promising candidate for implant surface modification in orthopaedic and dental applications. Furthermore, this work could help us understand the interplay between the host immune system and the osteoimmunomodulatory properties of the biomaterials, and optimize the design for coating biomaterials.

  11. Octadecyltrimethoxysilane functionalized ZnO nanorods as a novel coating for solid-phase microextraction with strong hydrophobic surface.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Jingbin; Liu, Haihong; Chen, Jinmei; Huang, Jianli; Yu, Jianfeng; Wang, Yiru; Chen, Xi

    2012-09-21

    In this paper, we have, for the first time, proposed an approach by combining self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) and nanomaterials (NMs) for the preparation of novel solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coatings. The self-assembly of octadecyltrimethoxysilane (OTMS) on the surface of ZnO nanorods (ZNRs) was selected as a model system to demonstrate the feasibility of this approach. The functionalization of OTMS on the surface of ZNRs was characterized and confirmed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The OTMS-ZNRs coated fiber exhibited stronger hydrophobicity after functionalization, and its extraction efficiency for non-polar benzene homologues was increased by a factor of 1.5-3.6 when compared to a ZNRs fiber with almost identical thickness and façade. In contrast, the extraction efficiency of the OTMS-ZNRs coated fiber for polar aldehydes was 1.6-4.0-fold lower than that of the ZNRs coated fiber, further indicating its enhanced surface hydrophobicity. The OTMS-ZNRs coated fiber revealed a much higher capacity upon increasing the OTMS layer thickness to 5 μm, leading to a factor of 12.0-13.4 and 1.8-2.5 increase in extraction efficiency for the benzene homologues relative to a ZNRs coated fiber and a commercial PDMS fiber, respectively. The developed HS-SPME-GC method using the OTMS-ZNRs coated fiber was successfully applied to the determination of the benzene homologues in limnetic water samples with recovery ranging from 83 to 113% and relative standard deviations (RSDs) of less than 8%.

  12. Solar Photocatalytic Removal of Chemical and Bacterial Pollutants from Water Using Pt/TiO2-Coated Ceramic Tiles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. P. Devipriya

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Semiconductor photocatalysis has become an increasingly promising technology in environmental wastewater treatment. The present work reports a simple technique for the preparation of platinum-deposited TiO2 catalysts and its immobilization on ordinary ceramic tiles. The Pt/TiO2 is characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD, scanning electron microscopy (SEM, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS. Deposition of Pt on TiO2 extends the optical absorption of the latter to the visible region which makes it attractive for solar energy application. Optimum loading of Pt on TiO2 was found to be 0.5%. The Pt/TiO2 is coated on ceramic tiles and immobilized. This catalyst was found effective for the solar photocatalytic removal of chemical and bacterial pollutants from water. Once the parameters are optimized, the Pt/TiO2/tile can find application in swimming pools, hospitals, water theme parks, and even industries for the decontamination of water.

  13. Accumulation patterns of proper point defects in thermo-regulating coatings based on ZnO for space vehicles under electron irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mikhajlov, M.M.; Sharafutdinova, V.V.

    1998-01-01

    The expansion of the band of the induced absorption of zinc oxide powders and thermo-regulating coatings based on ZnO for space vehicles is carried out after the 30 keV electron irradiation. Singularities of the growth of the intensity of individual components as a function of the accelerated electron flow are studied. It is found that power and exponential dependences with one or two components are characteristic for different color centers and different thermo-regulating coatings. The kinetics of the accumulation of free electrons is characterized by the maximum value of the electron flows at which the generation of color centers on pre-radiation defects is realized by the radiolysis of the pigment lattice

  14. Studies on acetone sensing characteristics of ZnO thin film prepared by sol–gel dip coating

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Muthukrishnan, Karthika; Vanaraja, Manoj [School of Electrical & Electronics Engineering, SASTRA University, Thanjavur, 613401 (India); Boomadevi, Shanmugam [Department of Physics, National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli, 620015 (India); Karn, Rakesh Kumar [School of Electrical & Electronics Engineering, SASTRA University, Thanjavur, 613401 (India); Singh, Vijay [Department of Chemical Engineering, Konkuk University, Seoul, 143-701 (Korea, Republic of); Singh, Pramod K. [Solar Energy Institute, Ege University, Bornova, 35100, Izmir (Turkey); Material Research Laboratory, School of Basic Sciences and Research, Sharda University, Greater Noida, 201310, U. P. (India); Pandiyan, Krishnamoorthy, E-mail: krishpandiyan@ece.sastra.edu [School of Electrical & Electronics Engineering, SASTRA University, Thanjavur, 613401 (India)

    2016-07-15

    Acetone sensing characteristics of Zinc Oxide thin films prepared by dip coating method are discussed in this paper. The sol for dip coating was synthesized using Zinc nitrate hexahydrate (Zn (NO{sub 3}){sub 2}. 6H{sub 2}O) and organic polymer sodium carboxy methyl cellulose (Na-CMC) as a starting material. Crystallinity and crystallite size of the prepared thin film was characterised by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Morphology was studied using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The gas sensing characteristics was studied using chemiresistive method, by exposing the film to various concentrations of acetone at room temperature. Further, for comparative study ethanol and acetaldehyde has also been tested. Gas sensing parameters such us response, selectivity, lowest detection limit, response/recovery time of the thin film towards acetone were also reported. - Highlights: • ZnO has successfully synthesized using cheap and ease method. • Detail characterization have carried out and explained. • Sensing behaviour has been studied. • Acetone sensor has been fabricated.

  15. ZnO thin films on single carbon fibres fabricated by Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Krämer, André; Engel, Sebastian [Otto Schott Institute of Materials Research (OSIM), Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Löbdergraben 32, 07743 Jena (Germany); Sangiorgi, Nicola [Institute of Science and Technology for Ceramics – National Research Council of Italy (CNR-ISTEC), via Granarolo 64, 48018 Faenza, RA (Italy); Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome Tor Vergata, via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Rome (Italy); Sanson, Alessandra [Institute of Science and Technology for Ceramics – National Research Council of Italy (CNR-ISTEC), via Granarolo 64, 48018 Faenza, RA (Italy); Bartolomé, Jose F. [Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), C/Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3, 28049 Madrid (Spain); Gräf, Stephan, E-mail: stephan.graef@uni-jena.de [Otto Schott Institute of Materials Research (OSIM), Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Löbdergraben 32, 07743 Jena (Germany); Müller, Frank A. [Otto Schott Institute of Materials Research (OSIM), Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Löbdergraben 32, 07743 Jena (Germany); Center for Energy and Environmental Chemistry Jena (CEEC Jena), Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Philosophenweg 7a, 07743 Jena (Germany)

    2017-03-31

    Highlights: • Carbon fibres were entirely coated with thin films consisting of aligned ZnO crystals. • A Q-switched CO2 laser was utilised as radiation source. • Suitability of ZnO thin films on carbon fibres as photo anodes for DSSC was studied. - Abstract: Single carbon fibres were 360° coated with zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films by pulsed laser deposition using a Q-switched CO{sub 2} laser with a pulse duration τ ≈ 300 ns, a wavelength λ = 10.59 μm, a repetition frequency f{sub rep} = 800 Hz and a peak power P{sub peak} = 15 kW in combination with a 3-step-deposition technique. In a first set of experiments, the deposition process was optimised by investigating the crystallinity of ZnO films on silicon and polished stainless steel substrates. Here, the influence of the substrate temperature and of the oxygen partial pressure of the background gas were characterised by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses. ZnO coated carbon fibres and conductive glass sheets were used to prepare photo anodes for dye-sensitised solar cells in order to investigate their suitability for energy conversion devices. To obtain a deeper insight of the electronic behaviour at the interface between ZnO and substrate I–V measurements were performed.

  16. ZnO and ZnTiO{sub 3} nanopowders for antimicrobial stone coating

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ruffolo, S.A.; La Russa, M.F.; Malagodi, M.; Crisci, G.M. [Calabria University, Earth Science Department, Arcavacata di Rende, Cosenza (Italy); Oliviero Rossi, C. [Calabria University, Department of Chemistry, Arcavacata di Rende, Cosenza (Italy); Palermo, A.M. [Calabria University, Department of Ecology, Arcavacata di Rende, Cosenza (Italy)

    2010-09-15

    In the past a great variety of biocidal compounds and persistent organic pesticides were applied on a large scale for preventive measures aimed at the long-term preservation of our cultural heritage. Only recently, public and expert attention has started to focus increasingly on the risks resulting from these treatments on human health, works of art and environment in general. The work done in this field demonstrated that the most effective way for inactivation can be achieved by using highly efficient photocatalysts with the illumination of UV radiation. Following this direction our group focused its attention on well-known photocatalysts, ZnO and ZnTiO{sub 3}, in the degradation and complete mineralisation of environmental pollutants. This explorative work deals with an experimental investigation on biocidal efficient of ZnO and ZnTiO{sub 3}. In particular micro-quantities of the two nanopowdered photocatalysts were spread on plated dishes. They were filled by the MEA (Malt Extract Agar) medium containing given quantities of Aspergillus Niger (a chromogen filamentous fungus involved in biodeterioration). At the same time the two oxides were dispersed in different polymeric matrices, acrylic and fluorinated, in order to obtain a new coating technology, with hydrophobic, consolidant and biocidal properties for the restoration of building stone material. The mixtures obtained were applied on marble samples and capillary water absorption, simulated solar ageing, colourimetric measurements and contact angle measurements have been performed to evaluate its properties. (orig.)

  17. Specifications of ZnO growth for heterostructure solar cell and PC1D based simulations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Babar Hussain

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available This data article is related to our recently published article (Hussain et al., in press [1] where we have proposed a new solar cell model based on n-ZnO as front layer and p-Si as rear region. The ZnO layer will act as an active n-layer as well as antireflection (AR coating saving considerable processing cost. There are several reports presenting use of ZnO as window/antireflection coating in solar cells (Mansoor et al., 2015; Haq et al., 2014; Hussain et al., 2014; Matsui et al., 2014; Ding et al., 2014 [2–6] but, here, we provide data specifically related to simultaneous use of ZnO as n-layer and AR coating. Apart from the information we already published, we provide additional data related to growth of ZnO (with and without Ga incorporation layers using MOCVD. The data related to PC1D based simulation of internal and external quantum efficiencies with and without antireflection effects of ZnO as well as the effects of doping level in p-Si on current–voltage characteristics have been provided.

  18. Zinc oxide nanoparticle-coated films: fabrication, characterization, and antibacterial properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jiang, Yunhong, E-mail: y.jiang@leeds.ac.uk [University of Leeds, Institute of Particle Science and Engineering (United Kingdom); O’Neill, Alex J. [University of Leeds, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology (United Kingdom); Ding, Yulong [University of Leeds, Institute of Particle Science and Engineering (United Kingdom)

    2015-04-15

    In this article, novel antibacterial PVC-based films coated with ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) were fabricated, characterized, and studied for their antibacterial properties. It was shown that the ZnO NPs were coated on the surface of the PVC films uniformly and that the coating process did not affect the size and shape of the NPs on the surface of PVC films. Films coated with concentrations of either 0.2 or 0.075 g/L of ZnO NPs exhibited antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria, but exhibited no antifungal activity against Aspergillus flavus and Penicillium citrinum. Smaller particles (100 nm) exhibited more potent antibacterial activity than larger particles (1000 nm). All ZnO-coated films maintained antibacterial activity after 30 days in water.

  19. Growth of high-density ZnO nanorods on wood with enhanced photostability, flame retardancy and water repellency

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kong, Lizhuo; Tu, Kunkun; Guan, Hao [Research Institute of Wood Industry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091 (China); Wang, Xiaoqing, E-mail: wangxq@caf.ac.cn [Research Institute of Forestry New Technology, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091 (China); Research Institute of Wood Industry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091 (China)

    2017-06-15

    Highlights: • ZnO nanorod arrays were deposited on the wood surface via a hydrothermal process. • The assembled ZnO nanorod arrays greatly enhanced the photostability of wood. • The treated wood can sustain direct exposure to flame with only minor smoldering. • The ZnO-coated wood modified with stearic acid showed a superhydrophobic surface. - Abstract: Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorod arrays were successfully assembled on the wood surface in situ via a two-step process consisting of formation of ZnO seeds and subsequent crystal growth under hydrothermal conditions at a low temperature. The morphology and crystalline structure of the formed ZnO nanorods were studied by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Highly dense and uniform arrays of ZnO nanorods with well-defined hexagonal facets were generated on the wood surface by tuning the concentration of the ZnO growth solution during the hydrothermal treatment. Accelerated weathering tests indicated that the assembled ZnO nanorod arrays were highly protective against UV radiation and greatly enhanced the photostability of the coated wood. Meanwhile, the ZnO nanorod-coated wood can withstand continuous exposure to flame with only minor smoldering in contrast with the pristine wood catching fire easily and burning rapidly. Moreover, when further modified with low-surface-energy stearic acid, the ZnO nanorod decorated wood surface can be transformed into a superhydrophobic surface, with a water contact angle (CA) of ∼154°. Such ZnO nanorod-modified woods with enhanced photostability, flame retardancy and water repellency offer an interesting alternative to conventional wood preservation strategies, highlighting their potential applications in some novel wood products.

  20. Growth of high-density ZnO nanorods on wood with enhanced photostability, flame retardancy and water repellency

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kong, Lizhuo; Tu, Kunkun; Guan, Hao; Wang, Xiaoqing

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • ZnO nanorod arrays were deposited on the wood surface via a hydrothermal process. • The assembled ZnO nanorod arrays greatly enhanced the photostability of wood. • The treated wood can sustain direct exposure to flame with only minor smoldering. • The ZnO-coated wood modified with stearic acid showed a superhydrophobic surface. - Abstract: Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorod arrays were successfully assembled on the wood surface in situ via a two-step process consisting of formation of ZnO seeds and subsequent crystal growth under hydrothermal conditions at a low temperature. The morphology and crystalline structure of the formed ZnO nanorods were studied by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Highly dense and uniform arrays of ZnO nanorods with well-defined hexagonal facets were generated on the wood surface by tuning the concentration of the ZnO growth solution during the hydrothermal treatment. Accelerated weathering tests indicated that the assembled ZnO nanorod arrays were highly protective against UV radiation and greatly enhanced the photostability of the coated wood. Meanwhile, the ZnO nanorod-coated wood can withstand continuous exposure to flame with only minor smoldering in contrast with the pristine wood catching fire easily and burning rapidly. Moreover, when further modified with low-surface-energy stearic acid, the ZnO nanorod decorated wood surface can be transformed into a superhydrophobic surface, with a water contact angle (CA) of ∼154°. Such ZnO nanorod-modified woods with enhanced photostability, flame retardancy and water repellency offer an interesting alternative to conventional wood preservation strategies, highlighting their potential applications in some novel wood products.

  1. Effects of seed layers on controlling of the morphology of ZnO nanostructures and superhydrophobicity of ZnO nanostructure/stearic acid composite films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Jing; Liu, Zhihua, E-mail: sdwfliu@163.com; Liu, Junqi; E, Lei; Liu, Zhifeng, E-mail: tjulzf@163.com

    2016-11-01

    Hydrophobic ZnO self-cleaning thin films with the nanobundles and nanocarpets structures fabricated on indium tin oxides (ITO) glass substrate are reported. The water contact angle of ZnO nanobundles and nanocarpets structures (79° and 67° respectively) is higher than that of unmodified ZnO nanorods. A subsequent chemical treatment with stearic acid (SA) contributed to a superhydrophobic surface with a water contact angle of 159°. Its superhydrophobic property is originated from the nanobundles or nanocarpets structures and surface energy of SA/ZnO nanobundles and SA/ZnO nanocarpets composite nanostructures. Moreover, this promising ZnO nanostructured materials show an important application in self-cleaning smart coatings. - Highlights: • PEG and CTAB are firstly introduced to modify the morphology of ZnO seed layers. • ZnO nanobundles and nanocarpets obtained from different seed layers. • Superhydrophobic surfaces obtained by chemcial treatment using SA.

  2. Ultraviolet photodetection of flexible ZnO nanowire sheets in polydimethylsiloxane polymer

    OpenAIRE

    Jinzhang Liu; Nunzio Motta; Soonil Lee

    2012-01-01

    Summary ZnO nanowires are normally exposed to an oxygen atmosphere to achieve high performance in UV photodetection. In this work we present results on a UV photodetector fabricated using a flexible ZnO nanowire sheet embedded in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a gas-permeable polymer, showing reproducible UV photoresponse and enhanced photoconduction. PDMS coating results in a reduced response speed compared to that of a ZnO nanowire film in air. The rising speed is slightly reduced, while the ...

  3. Performance of ceramic disk filter coated with nano ZnO for removing Escherichia coli from water in small rural and remote communities of developing regions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Jing; Huang, Guohe; An, Chunjiang; He, Yuan; Yao, Yao; Zhang, Peng; Shen, Jian

    2018-03-12

    Global water safety is facing great challenges due to increased population and demand. There is an urgent need to develop suitable water treatment strategy for small rural and remote communities in low-income developing countries. In order to find a low-cost solution, the reduction of E. coli using ceramic water disk coated with nano ZnO was investigated in this study. The performance of modified ceramic disk filters was influenced by several factors in the filter production process. Based on the factorial analysis, the pore size of the disk filters was the most significant factor for influencing E. coli removal efficiency and the clay content was the most significant one for influencing flow rate of modified disk filters. The coating of nano ZnO led to the change of disk filter surface and porosity. The reduction of E. coli could be attributed to both filter retention and photocatalytic antibacterial activity of nano ZnO. The effects of filter operation factors including initial E. coli concentration, illumination time and lamp power on E. coli removal effectiveness were also revealed. The results can help find a safe and cost-effective approach to solve drinking water problems in small rural and remote communities of developing regions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Photovoltaic Properties of Co-doped ZnO Thin Film on Glass Substrate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sabia Aye; Zin Ma Ma; May Nwe Oo; Than Than Win; Yin Maung Maung; Ko Ko Kyaw Soe

    2011-12-01

    Cobalt (Co) 0.4 mol doped zinc oxide (ZnO) fine powder was prepared by solid state mixed oxide route. Phase formation and crystal structure of Co-doped ZnO (CZO) powder were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the micro structure of Co doped ZnO powder. Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescent (EDXRF) technique gave the elemental content of cobalt and zinc. Co-doped ZnO film was formed on glass substrate by spin coating technique. Photovoltaic properties of CZO/glass cell were measured.

  5. Preparation of Pt Nanocatalyst on Carbon Materials via a Reduction Reaction of a Pt Precursor in a Drying Process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Jae-Young; Lee, Woo-Kum; Rim, Hyung-Ryul; Joung, Gyu-Bum; Weidner, John W; Lee, Hong-Ki

    2016-06-01

    Platinum (Pt) nanocatalyst for a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) was prepared on a carbon black particle or a graphite particle coated with a nafion polymer via a reduction of platinum(II) bis(acetylacetonate) denoted as Pt(acac)2 as a Pt precursor in a drying process. Sublimed Pt(acac)2 adsorbed on the nafion-coated carbon materials was reduced to Pt nanoparticles in a glass reactor at 180 degrees C of N2 atmosphere. The morphology of Pt nanoparticles on carbon materials was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the distribution of Pt nanoparticles was done by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The particle size was estimated by analyzing the TEM image using an image analyzer. It was found that nano-sized Pt particles were deposited on the surface of carbon materials, and the number density and the average particle size increased with increasing reduction time.

  6. UV protective zinc oxide coating for biaxially oriented polypropylene packaging film by atomic layer deposition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lahtinen, Kimmo, E-mail: kimmo.lahtinen@lut.fi [ASTRaL, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Sammonkatu 12, FI-50130 Mikkeli (Finland); Kääriäinen, Tommi, E-mail: tommi.kaariainen@colorado.edu [ASTRaL, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Sammonkatu 12, FI-50130 Mikkeli (Finland); Johansson, Petri, E-mail: petri.johansson@tut.fi [Paper Converting and Packaging Technology, Tampere University of Technology, P.O.Box 589, FI-33101 Tampere (Finland); Kotkamo, Sami, E-mail: sami.kotkamo@tut.fi [Paper Converting and Packaging Technology, Tampere University of Technology, P.O.Box 589, FI-33101 Tampere (Finland); Maydannik, Philipp, E-mail: philipp.maydannik@lut.fi [ASTRaL, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Sammonkatu 12, FI-50130 Mikkeli (Finland); Seppänen, Tarja, E-mail: tarja.seppanen@lut.fi [ASTRaL, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Sammonkatu 12, FI-50130 Mikkeli (Finland); Kuusipalo, Jurkka, E-mail: jurkka.kuusipalo@tut.fi [Paper Converting and Packaging Technology, Tampere University of Technology, P.O.Box 589, FI-33101 Tampere (Finland); Cameron, David C., E-mail: david.cameron@miktech.fi [ASTRaL, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Sammonkatu 12, FI-50130 Mikkeli (Finland)

    2014-11-03

    Biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) packaging film was coated with zinc oxide (ZnO) coatings by atomic layer deposition (ALD) in order to protect the film from UV degradation. The coatings were made at a process temperature of 100 °C using diethylzinc and water as zinc and oxygen precursors, respectively. The UV protective properties of the coatings were tested by using UV–VIS and infrared spectrometry, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and a mechanical strength tester, which characterised the tensile and elastic properties of the film. The results obtained with 36 and 67 nm ZnO coatings showed that the ZnO UV protective layer is able to provide a significant decrease in photodegradation of the BOPP film under UV exposure. While the uncoated BOPP film suffered a complete degradation after a 4-week UV exposure, the 67 nm ZnO coated BOPP film was able to preserve half of its original tensile strength and 1/3 of its elongation at break after a 6-week exposure period. The infrared analysis and DSC measurements further proved the UV protection of the ZnO coatings. The results show that a nanometre scale ZnO coating deposited by ALD is a promising option when a transparent UV protection layer is sought for polymer substrates. - Highlights: • Atomic layer deposited zinc oxide coatings were used as UV protection layers. • Biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) film was well protected against UV light. • Formation of UV degradation products in BOPP was significantly reduced. • Mechanical properties of the UV exposed BOPP film were significantly improved.

  7. Photoelectrochemical properties of the TiO2-ZnO nanorod hierarchical structure prepared by hydrothermal process

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bao SUN

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available In order to increase the transport channels of the photogenerated electrons and enhance the photosensitizer loading ability of the electrode, a new TiO2-ZnO nanorod hierarchical structure is prepared through two-step hydrothermal process. First, TiO2 nanorod array is grown on the FTO conductive glass substrate by hydrothermal proess. Then, ZnO sol is coated onto the TiO2 nanorods through dip-coating method and inverted to ZnO seed layer by sintering. Finally, the secondary ZnO nanorods are grown onto the TiO2 nanorods by the sencond hydrothermal method to form the designed TiO2-ZnO nanorod hierarchical structure. A spin-coating assisted successive ionic layer reaction method (SC-SILR is used to deposit the CdS nanocrystals into the TiO2 nanorod array and the TiO2-ZnO nanorod hierarchical structure is used to form the CdS/TiO2 and CdS/TiO2-ZnO nanocomposite films. Different methods, such as SEM, TEM, XRD, UV-Vis and transient photocurrent, are employed to characterize and measure the morphologies, structures, light absorption and photoelectric conversion performance of all the samples, respectively. The results indicate that, compared with the pure TiO2 nanorod array, the TiO2-ZnO nanorod hierarchical structure can load more CdS photosensitizer. The light absorption properties and transient photocurrent performance of the CdS/TiO2-ZnO nanorod hierarchical structure composite film are evidently superior to that of the CdS/TiO2 nanocomposite films. The excellent photoelctrochemical performance of theTiO2-ZnO hierarchical structure reveales its application prospect in photoanode material of the solar cells.

  8. Characterization and antibacterial performance of bioactive Ti–Zn–O coatings deposited on titanium implants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsai, Ming-Tzu; Chang, Yin-Yu; Huang, Heng-Li; Hsu, Jui-Ting; Chen, Ya-Chi; Wu, Aaron Yu-Jen

    2013-01-01

    Titanium (Ti)-based materials have been used for dental and orthopedic implants because of their excellent biological compatibility, superior mechanical strength, and high corrosion resistance. The hypothesis of this present study was to manufacture the Zn-doped TiO 2 layer possessing the biocompatibility and antibacterial ability on the surface of Ti specimens. TiO 2 , ZnO, and Ti(Zn)O 2 coatings were deposited on polished pure Ti substrates using a cathodic arc deposition system. Murine osteoblasts (MC3T3-E1) and human Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) were cultured onto the surface with different deposited coatings, respectively. The biocompatibility was examined by cell viability and osteogenic gene expression. The antibacterial ability was determined by SYTO9 nucleic acid staining. A porous Zn-doped TiO 2 coating was successfully produced. The ZnO exhibited a fibrous structure with nanorods showing a hydrophobic feature (contact angle approximately 89°). These material properties affected the following biological performance. The antibacterial testing found no apparent difference between the uncoated Ti plate and the TiO 2 coating. However, significantly lower numbers of S. aureus were observed on ZnO and Ti(Zn)O 2 coatings compared to that on the uncoated Ti. The biocompatible testing exhibited that TiO 2 and Ti(Zn)O 2 coatings enhanced greater cell viability and proliferation than the uncoated Ti plate and ZnO coating. The osteogenic gene expression of Dlx-5 and osterix also improved for the TiO 2 and Ti(Zn)O 2 coatings. However, a significant inhibition of cell viability was found for the ZnO coating. These findings suggested that the composite Ti(Zn)O 2 coating with a lower content of Zn (7.6 ± 1.3 at.%) not only improved antibacterial activity, but also maintained the biocompatibility to bone cells. - Highlights: ► TiO 2 , Ti(Zn)O 2 and ZnO coatings were deposited by cathodic arc evaporation. ► Zn may incorporated with Ti to form Zn-doped TiO 2 .

  9. Characterization and antibacterial performance of bioactive Ti–Zn–O coatings deposited on titanium implants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tsai, Ming-Tzu [Department of Biomedical Engineering, Hungkuang University, Taichung 433, Taiwan (China); Chang, Yin-Yu, E-mail: yinyu@nfu.edu.tw [Department of Mechanical and Computer-Aided Engineering, National Formosa University, Yunlin 632, Taiwan (China); Huang, Heng-Li; Hsu, Jui-Ting [School of Dentistry, College of Medicine China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan (China); Chen, Ya-Chi [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Mingdao University, Changhua 523, Taiwan (China); Wu, Aaron Yu-Jen [Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan (China)

    2013-01-01

    Titanium (Ti)-based materials have been used for dental and orthopedic implants because of their excellent biological compatibility, superior mechanical strength, and high corrosion resistance. The hypothesis of this present study was to manufacture the Zn-doped TiO{sub 2} layer possessing the biocompatibility and antibacterial ability on the surface of Ti specimens. TiO{sub 2}, ZnO, and Ti(Zn)O{sub 2} coatings were deposited on polished pure Ti substrates using a cathodic arc deposition system. Murine osteoblasts (MC3T3-E1) and human Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) were cultured onto the surface with different deposited coatings, respectively. The biocompatibility was examined by cell viability and osteogenic gene expression. The antibacterial ability was determined by SYTO9 nucleic acid staining. A porous Zn-doped TiO{sub 2} coating was successfully produced. The ZnO exhibited a fibrous structure with nanorods showing a hydrophobic feature (contact angle approximately 89°). These material properties affected the following biological performance. The antibacterial testing found no apparent difference between the uncoated Ti plate and the TiO{sub 2} coating. However, significantly lower numbers of S. aureus were observed on ZnO and Ti(Zn)O{sub 2} coatings compared to that on the uncoated Ti. The biocompatible testing exhibited that TiO{sub 2} and Ti(Zn)O{sub 2} coatings enhanced greater cell viability and proliferation than the uncoated Ti plate and ZnO coating. The osteogenic gene expression of Dlx-5 and osterix also improved for the TiO{sub 2} and Ti(Zn)O{sub 2} coatings. However, a significant inhibition of cell viability was found for the ZnO coating. These findings suggested that the composite Ti(Zn)O{sub 2} coating with a lower content of Zn (7.6 ± 1.3 at.%) not only improved antibacterial activity, but also maintained the biocompatibility to bone cells. - Highlights: ► TiO{sub 2}, Ti(Zn)O{sub 2} and ZnO coatings were deposited by cathodic arc

  10. The Effect of SiO2 Shell on the Suppression of Photocatalytic Activity of TiO2 and ZnO Nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Min Hee; Lee, Choon Soo; Patil, Umakant Mahadev; Kochuveedu, Saji Thomas

    2012-01-01

    In this study, we investigate the potential use of TiO 2 SiO 2 and ZnO SiO 2 core/shell nanoparticles (NPs) as effective UV shielding agent. In the typical synthesis, SiO 2 was coated over different types of TiO 2 (anatase and rutile) and ZnO by sol-gel method. The synthesized TiO 2 SiO 2 and ZnO SiO 2 Nps were characterized by UV-Vis, XRD, Sem and TEM. The UV-vis absorbance and transmittance spectra of core shell NPs showed an efficient blocking effect in the UV region and more than 90% transmittance in the visible region. XRD and SAED studies confirmed the formation of amorphous SiO 2 coated over the TiO 2 and ZnO NPs. The FESEM and TEM images shows that coating of SiO 2 over the surface of anatase, rutile TiO 2 and ZnO NPs resulted in the increase in particle size by ∼30 nm. In order to study the UV light shielding capability of the samples, photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue dye on TiO 2 SiO 2 and ZnO SiO 2 NPs was performed. Photocatalytic activity for both types of TiO 2 NPs was partially suppressed. In comparison, the photocatalytic activity of ZnO almost vanished after the SiO 2 coating

  11. Flexible, transparent and exceptionally high power output nanogenerators based on ultrathin ZnO nanoflakes

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Ngoc, Huynh; Kang, Dae Joon

    2016-02-01

    devices, implantable telemetric energy receivers, electronic emergency equipment, and other self-powered nano/micro devices. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: FE-SEM images of ZnO NFs grown on textile and FTO/glass substrates, XRD patterns of synthesized ZnO NFs, nitrogen adsorption isotherms for ZnO NWs and ZnO NFs, effect of different coating layers on ZnO NFNGs, P(VDF-TrFE) coating on ZnO NFs, output open-circuit voltages of a textile electrostatic NG based on P(VDF-TrFE) coated on ZnO NFs and a textile ZnO NFNG without an insulating layer generated by a sonic wave, NG-based triboelectric effects and PDMS-coated ZnO NF-based NGs grown on an ITO/PET substrate. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr08324a

  12. Optimization of CVD parameters for long ZnO NWs grown on ITO

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    The optimization of chemical vapour deposition (CVD) parameters for long and vertically aligned (VA) ZnO nanowires (NWs) were investigated. Typical ZnO NWs as a single crystal grown on indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass substrate were successfully synthesized. First, the conducted side of ITO–glass substrate was ...

  13. Suppression of interfacial reactions between Li4Ti5O12 electrode and electrolyte solution via zinc oxide coating

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Han, Cuiping; He, Yan-Bing; Li, Hongfei; Li, Baohua; Du, Hongda; Qin, Xianying; Kang, Feiyu

    2015-01-01

    Graphical abstract: The Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 (LTO) based batteries have severe gassing behavior due to the strong interfacial reactions between LTO and the electrolyte solution, which hampers the practical application of LTO in high power LIBs. The ZnO coating on LTO particles as a barrier layer can effectively suppress the interfacial reactions between LTO and the electrolyte solution. Simultaneously, the ZnO coating significantly reduces the charge-transfer resistance and increases the lithium ion diffusion coefficient, which leads to great improvement of rate and cyclic performance of LTO electrode. - Highlights: • A ZnO coating layer was constructed on the LTO particles by a chemical process as a barrier layer between LTO and surrounding electrolyte solution. • The ZnO coating can effectively stabilize the electrode/electrolyte interface and suppress interfacial reactions between LTO and electrolyte solution. • The ZnO coating can improve the electronic conductivity and lithium ion diffusion coefficient, which contributes to a great improvement in cyclic and high rate capabilities of LTO electrode. • The ZnO coating on LTO may be an effective method to solve the gassing behavior of LTO based battery and promote its wide application in lithium ion power battery. - Abstract: Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 (LTO) based batteries have severe gassing behavior during charge/discharge and storage process. The interfacial reactions between LTO and electrolyte solution may be the main reason. In this work, the LTO spinel particles are modified with ZnO coating using a chemical process to reduce the surface reactivity of LTO particles. Results show that the ZnO coating can effectively stabilize the electrode/electrolyte interface and suppress the formation of a solid electrolyte interface (SEI) film. Simultaneously, this ZnO modification can improve the electronic conductivity and lithium ion diffusion coefficient, which contributes to a great improvement in cyclic and high rate

  14. Surface functionalization of carbon nanofibers by sol-gel coating of zinc oxide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shao Dongfeng [Key Laboratory of Eco-textiles, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122 (China); Changzhou Textile Garment Institute, Changzhou 213164 (China); Wei Qufu [Key Laboratory of Eco-textiles, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122 (China)], E-mail: qfwei@jiangnan.edu.cn; Zhang Liwei; Cai Yibing; Jiang Shudong [Key Laboratory of Eco-textiles, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122 (China)

    2008-08-15

    In this paper the functional carbon nanofibers were prepared by the carbonization of ZnO coated PAN nanofibers to expand the potential applications of carbon nanofibers. Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers were obtained by electrospinning. The electrospun PAN nanofibers were then used as substrates for depositing the functional layer of zinc oxide (ZnO) on the PAN nanofiber surfaces by sol-gel technique. The effects of coating, pre-oxidation and carbonization on the surface morphology and structures of the nanofibers were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The results of SEM showed a significant increase of the size of ZnO nanograins on the surface of nanofibers after the treatments of coating, pre-oxidation and carbonization. The observations by SEM also revealed that ZnO nanoclusters were firmly and clearly distributed on the surface of the carbon nanofibers. FTIR examination also confirmed the deposition of ZnO on the surface of carbon nanofibers. The XRD analysis indicated that the crystal structure of ZnO nanograins on the surface of carbon nanofibers.

  15. Simple Preparation of ZnO Nano-layer by Sol-Gel Method as Active Electrode in P3HT/ZnO Heterojunction Solar Cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aprilia, Annisa; Herman, Hidayat, Rahmat

    2010-10-01

    Highly transparent undoped ZnO thin films have been prepared on glass and indium tin oxide substrates with simple process by sol-gel route and dip-coating deposition. Gel precursor of ZnO was prepared from zinc acetat dehydrate solution in methanol with the addition of trietylamine as stabilizing agent. Thin layer of gel precursor was prepared by dip coating and then followed by calcination at 400° C for 5 minute in air atmosphere. The thickness of the resulted ZnO thin film produced by ten times coating is about 150 nm. The films shows high transmittance larger than 98% in the visible region (400-800 nm). Absorption is observed in the UV region with absorption onset at about 390 nm indicating varying band gap between 3.18 eV until 3.23 eV depending on the number of coating layer. The AFM image shows that the films seems to be constructed from random stacking of nano-sized ZnO particle in the order of 50 nm. Among the prepared samples, the lowest resistivity is about 1.8×107 Ωm observed in the five-layer coating film. In order to fabricate solar cell structure, P3HT was deposited onto the ZnO thin film layer by spin casting technique and then followed by metal (Au) layer deposition by thermal evaporation. The formed solar cell has the inverted type solar cell with ITO/ZnO/P3HT/Au configuration. By the insertion ZnO layer, the photocurrent was improved by more than ten orders of magnitude in comparison to that of without ZnO layer. The measured photocurrent decreases at large number of coating layer which is supposed to be related with the current limitation by the effective carrier path length in ZnO layer.

  16. Electro-oxidation of methanol and ethanol using PtRu/C, PtSn/C and PtSnRu/C electrocatalysts prepared by an alcohol-reduction process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neto, Almir Oliveira; Dias, Ricardo R.; Tusi, Marcelo M.; Linardi, Marcelo; Spinacé, Estevam V.

    PtRu/C, PtSn/C and PtSnRu/C electrocatalysts were prepared by the alcohol reduction process using ethylene glycol as the solvent and reduction agent and Vulcan Carbon XC72 as the support. The electrocatalysts were characterized by EDX, XRD and cyclic voltammetry. The electrochemical oxidation of methanol and ethanol were studied by chronoamperometry using a thin porous coating technique. The PtSn/C electrocatalyst prepared by this methodology showed superior performance compared to the PtRu/C and PtSnRu/C electrocatalysts for methanol and ethanol oxidation at room temperature.

  17. Sequential coating upconversion NaYF{sub 4}:Yb,Tm nanocrystals with SiO{sub 2} and ZnO layers for NIR-driven photocatalytic and antibacterial applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tou, Meijie; Luo, Zhenguo; Bai, Song; Liu, Fangying; Chai, Qunxia; Li, Sheng; Li, Zhengquan, E-mail: zqli@zjnu.edu.cn

    2017-01-01

    ZnO is one of the most promising materials for both photocatalytic and antibacterial applications, but its wide bandgap requires the excitation of UV light which limits their applications under visible and NIR bands. Herein, we demonstrate a facile approach to synthesize core-shell-shell hybrid nanoparticles consisting of hexagonal NaYF{sub 4}:Yb,Tm, amorphous SiO{sub 2} and wurtzite ZnO. The upconversion nanocrystals are used as the core seeds and sequentially coated with an insulting shell and a semiconductor layer. Such hybrid nanoparticles can efficiently utilize the NIR light through the upconverting process, and display notable photocatalytic performance and antibacterial activity under NIR irradiation. The developed NaYF{sub 4}:Yb,Tm@SiO{sub 2}@ZnO nanoparticles are characterized with TEM, XRD, EDS, XPS and PL spectra, and their working mechanism is also elucidated. - Highlights: • Core-shell NaYF{sub 4}:Yb,Tm@SiO{sub 2}@TiO{sub 2} NPs were synthesized via a sequential coating method. • Hybrid NaYF{sub 4}:Yb,Tm@SiO{sub 2}@TiO{sub 2} NPs show NIR-light enhanced photocatalytic activity. • NIR-driven antibacterial performance has been realized with NaYF{sub 4}:Yb,Tm@SiO{sub 2}@TiO{sub 2} NPs. • Working mechanism of the hybrid photocatalysts as antibacterial agents was proposed.

  18. Coating of glass with ZnO via ultrasonic irradiation and a study of its antibacterial properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Applerot, Guy; Perkas, Nina; Amirian, Galina; Girshevitz, Olga; Gedanken, Aharon

    2009-01-01

    Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were synthesized and deposited on the surface of glass slides using ultrasound irradiation. The structure and morphology of the nanoparticles were studied as a function of the synthesis time. The deposited film was analyzed using characterization methods such as XRD, SEM, AFM, and optical spectroscopy. Zinc oxide submicron crystals with an average diameter of ∼300 nm strongly adhered to the glass surface. This method is fast, simple, convenient, economical, and environmentally friendly. The antibacterial activities of the ZnO-glass composites were tested against Escherichia coli (Gram negative) and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram positive) cultures. A significant bactericidal effect, even in a 0.13% coated glass (wt.%), was demonstrated.

  19. On the interfacial degradation mechanisms of thermal barrier coating systems: Effects of bond coat composition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu, R.T., E-mail: WU.Rudder@nims.go.jp [International Center for Young Scientists, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki (Japan); Wang, X.; Atkinson, A. [Department of Materials, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BP (United Kingdom)

    2010-10-15

    Thermal barrier coating (TBC) systems based on an electron beam physical vapour deposited, yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) top coat and a substrate material of CMSX-4 superalloy were identically prepared to systematically study the behaviour of different bond coats. The three bond coat systems investigated included two {beta}-structured Pt-Al types and a {gamma}-{gamma}' type produced by Pt diffusion without aluminizing. Progressive evolution of stress in the thermally grown aluminium oxide (TGO) upon thermal cycling, and its relief by plastic deformation and fracture, were studied using luminescence spectroscopy. The TBCs with the LT Pt-Al bond coat failed by a rumpling mechanism that generated isolated cracks at the interface between the TGO and the YSZ. This reduced adhesion at this interface and the TBC delaminated when it could no longer resist the release of the stored elastic energy of the YSZ, which stiffened with time due to sintering. In contrast, the TBCs with Pt diffusion bond coats did not rumple, and the adhesion of interfaces in the coating did not obviously degrade. It is shown that the different failure mechanisms are strongly associated with differences in the high-temperature mechanical properties of the bond coats.

  20. Structural, optical and magnetic properties of nanocrystalline Co-doped ZnO thin films grown by sol-gel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kayani, Zohra Nazir; Shah, Iqra; Zulfiqar, Bareera; Sabah, Aneeqa [Lahore College for Women Univ., Lahore (Pakistan); Riaz, Saira; Naseem, Shahzad [Univ. of the Punjab, Lahore (Pakistan). Centre of Excellence in Solid State Physics

    2018-04-01

    Cobalt-doped ZnO thin films have been deposited using a sol-gel route by changing the number of coats on the substrate from 6 to 18. This project deals with various film thicknesses by increasing the number of deposited coats. The effect of thickness on structural, magnetic, surface morphology and optical properties of Co-doped ZnO thin film was studied. The crystal structure of the Co-doped ZnO films was investigated by X-ray diffraction. The films have polycrystalline wurtzite hexagonal structures. A Co{sup 2+} ion takes the place of a Zn{sup 2+} ion in the lattice without creating any distortion in its hexagonal wurtzite structure. An examination of the optical transmission spectra showed that the energy band gap of the Co-doped ZnO films increased from 3.87 to 3.97 eV with an increase in the number of coatings on the substrate. Ferromagnetic behaviour was confirmed by measurements using a vibrating sample magnetometer. The surface morphology of thin films was assessed by scanning electron microscope. The grain size on the surface of thin films increased with an increase in the number of coats.

  1. Synthesis and characterization of ZnO nanostructures with varying ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    2017-05-13

    May 13, 2017 ... Composition of the reactant solution, pH and temperature ... due to the broad spectrum of UV radiation absorption, supe- ... In addition, ZnO is very useful to cure various other skin ... be used as promising candidate for coating of orthopedic ... tape and then coated with gold for 40 s in an auto-fine coater.

  2. Growth of ZnO nanostructures on Au-coated Si: Influence of growth temperature on growth mechanism and morphology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kumar, Rajendra; McGlynn, E.; Biswas, M.

    2008-01-01

    ZnO nanostructures were grown on Au-catalyzed Si silicon substrates using vapor phase transport at growth temperatures from 800 to 1150 degrees C. The sample location ensured a low Zn vapor supersaturation during growth. Nanostructures grown at 800 and 850 degrees C showed a faceted rodlike...... growth tended to dominate resulting in the formation of a porous, nanostructured morphology. In all cases growth was seen only on the Au-coated region. Our results show that the majority of the nanostructures grow via a vapor-solid mechanism at low growth temperatures with no evidence of Au nanoparticles...

  3. Study on the electrical and optical properties of Ag/Al-doped ZnO coatings deposited by electron beam evaporation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sahu, D.R.; Lin, S.-Y.; Huang, J.-L.

    2007-01-01

    A layer of silver was deposited onto the surface of glass substrates, coated with AZO (Al-doped ZnO), to form Ag/AZO film structures, using e-beam evaporation techniques. The electrical and optical properties of AZO, Ag and Ag/AZO film structures were studied. The deposition of Ag layer on the surface of AZO films resulted in lowering the effective electrical resistivity with a slight reduction of their optical transmittance. Ag (11 nm)/AZO (25 nm) film structure, with an accuracy of ±0.5 nm for the thickness shows a sheet resistance as low as 5.6 ± 0.5 Ω/sq and a transmittance of about 66 ± 2%. A coating consisting of AZO (25 nm)/Ag (11 nm)/AZO (25 nm) trilayer structure, exhibits a resistance of 7.7 ± 0.5 Ω/sq and a high transmittance of 85 ± 2%. The coatings have satisfactory properties of low resistance, high transmittance and highest figure of merit for application in optoelectronics devices including flat displays, thin films transistors and solar cells as transparent conductive electrodes

  4. 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

  5. Room temperature H{sub 2}S gas sensing characteristics of platinum (Pt) coated porous alumina (PoAl) thick films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    More, P.S., E-mail: p_smore@yahoo.co.in [Department of Physics, Institute of Science, Mumbai 400 032 (India); Raut, R.W. [Department of Botany, Institute of Science, Mumbai 400 032 (India); Ghuge, C.S. [Department of Physics, Institute of Science, Mumbai 400 032 (India)

    2014-02-14

    The study reports H{sub 2}S gas sensing characteristics of platinum (Pt) coated porous alumina (PoAl) films. The porous alumina (PoAl) thick layers were formed in the dark on aluminum substrates using an electrochemical anodization method. Thin semitransparent platinum (Pt) films were deposited on PoAl samples using chemical bath deposition (CBD) method. The films were characterized using energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The thicknesses of coated and bare films were measured using ellipsometry. The sensing properties such as sensitivity factor (S.F.), response time, recovery time and repeatability were measured using a static gas sensing system for H{sub 2}S gas. The EDAX studies confirmed the purity of Pt–PoAl film and indicated the formation of pure platinum (Pt) phase. The ellipsometry studies revealed the thickness of PoAl layer of about 15–17 μm on aluminum substrates. The SEM studies demonstrated uniform distribution of spherical pores with a size between 0.250 and 0.500 μm for PoAl film and nearly spherical platinum particles with average particle size ∼100 nm for Pt–PoAl film. The gas-sensing properties of these samples were studied in a home-built static gas characterization system. The H{sub 2}S gas sensing properties of Pt–PoAl at 1000 ppm of H{sub 2}S gave maximum sensitivity factor (S.F.) = 1200. The response time and recovery time were found to be 2–3 min and ∼1 min respectively. Further, the measurement of H{sub 2}S gas sensing properties clearly indicated the repeatability of gas sensing response of Pt–PoAl film. The present study indicated the significant potential of Pt coated PoAl films for H{sub 2}S gas sensing applications in diverse areas. - Highlights: • Electrochemical anodization, cheap and effective method for fabrication of PoAl. • Chemical bath deposition, a simple and effective method for deposition of Pt on PoAl. • A nano-composite film sensor with high sensitivity

  6. Synthesis and characterization of FePt/Au core-shell nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Presa, P. de la; Multigner, M.; Morales, M.P.; Rueda, T.; Fernandez-Pinel, E.; Hernando, A.

    2007-01-01

    In this work, the structural and magnetic properties of the gold-coated FePt nanoparticles synthesized from high-temperature solution phase are presented. The amount of gold was optimized to obtain most of the FePt particles coated. The particle diameter increases from 4 to 10 nm as observed by TEM. The magnetic properties are largely affected by the coating. At low temperature, the coercive field Hc of the coated nanoparticles decreases about three times respect to the uncoated and the blocking temperature reduces to the half. The changes of the magnetic behavior are discussed in terms of the effect of the gold atoms at the FePt core surface

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2013-01-01

    This report presents the results of spectroscopic measurements of colloidal ZnO nanoparticles synthesized in various alcohols. Luminescence of colloidal ZnO was monitored under different reaction conditions to elucidate the mechanism of the visible emission. We performed the process in different alcohols, temperatures and reaction times for two different reactants: water and NaOH. Based on the presented and previously published results it is apparent that the luminescence of the nanoparticles is influenced by several competing phenomena: the formation of new nucleation centers, the growth of the nanoparticles and surface passivation. Superimposed on the above effects is a size dependent luminescence alteration resulting from the quantum confinement. The study contributes to our understanding of the origin of ZnO nanoparticles’ green emission which is important in a rational design of fluorescent probes for nontoxic biological applications. The ZnO nanoparticles were coated with a magnesium oxide layer and introduced into a HeLa cancer cell. (paper)

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2013-05-15

    This report presents the results of spectroscopic measurements of colloidal ZnO nanoparticles synthesized in various alcohols. Luminescence of colloidal ZnO was monitored under different reaction conditions to elucidate the mechanism of the visible emission. We performed the process in different alcohols, temperatures and reaction times for two different reactants: water and NaOH. Based on the presented and previously published results it is apparent that the luminescence of the nanoparticles is influenced by several competing phenomena: the formation of new nucleation centers, the growth of the nanoparticles and surface passivation. Superimposed on the above effects is a size dependent luminescence alteration resulting from the quantum confinement. The study contributes to our understanding of the origin of ZnO nanoparticles' green emission which is important in a rational design of fluorescent probes for nontoxic biological applications. The ZnO nanoparticles were coated with a magnesium oxide layer and introduced into a HeLa cancer cell.

  9. A high speed PE-ALD ZnO Schottky diode rectifier with low interface-state density

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, Jidong; Zhang, Jiawei; Shaw, Andrew; Kudina, Valeriya N.; Mitrovic, Ivona Z.; Wrench, Jacqueline S.; Chalker, Paul R.; Balocco, Claudio; Song, Aimin; Hall, Steve

    2018-02-01

    Zinc oxide (ZnO) has recently attracted attention for its potential application to high speed electronics. In this work, a high speed Schottky diode rectifier was fabricated based on a ZnO thin film deposited by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition and a PtOx Schottky contact deposited by reactive radio-frequency sputtering. The rectifier shows an ideality factor of 1.31, an effective barrier height of 0.79 eV, a rectification ratio of 1.17  ×  107, and cut-off frequency as high as 550 MHz. Low frequency noise measurements reveal that the rectifier has a low interface-state density of 5.13  ×  1012 cm-2 eV-1, and the noise is dominated by the mechanism of a random walk of electrons at the PtO x /ZnO interface. The work shows that the rectifier can be used for both noise sensitive and high frequency electronics applications.

  10. Effect of TiO{sub 2} thickness on nanocomposited aligned ZnO nanorod/TiO{sub 2} for dye-sensitized solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saurdi, I., E-mail: saurdy788@gmail.com; Ishak, A. [NANO-ElecTronic Centre (NET), Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM),40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); UiTM Sarawak Kampus Kota Samarahan Jalan Meranek, Sarawak (Malaysia); Shafura, A. K.; Azhar, N. E. A.; Mamat, M. H. [NANO-ElecTronic Centre (NET), Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM),40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); Malek, M. F.; Rusop, M. [NANO-ElecTronic Centre (NET), Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM),40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); NANO-SciTech Centre (NST), (Centre for Nano-Science and Nano-Technology), Institute of Science - IOS, Universiti Teknologi MARA - UiTM, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); Alrokayan, A. H. Salman; Khan, Haseeb A. [Department of Biochemistry, College of Science, Bldg. 5, King Saud University (KSU) P.O: 2455 Riyadh 1145 (Saudi Arabia)

    2016-07-06

    The TiO{sub 2} films were deposited on glass substrate at different thicknesses with different deposition frequencies (1, 2, 3 and 4 times) using spin coating technique and their structural properties were investigated. Subsequently, the nanocomposited aligned ZnO nanorods and TiO{sub 2} were formed by deposited the TiO{sub 2} on top of aligned ZnO Nanorod on ITO-coated glass at different thicknesses using the same method of TiO{sub 2} deposited on glass substrate. The nanocomposited aligned ZnO nanorod/TiO{sub 2} were coated with different thicknesses of 900µm, 1815µm, 2710µm, 3620µm and ZnO without TiO{sub 2}. The dye-sensitized solar cells were fabricated from the nanocomposited aligned ZnO nanorod/TiO{sub 2} with thickness of 900µm, 1815µm, 2710µm and 3620µm and ZnO without TiO{sub 2} and their photovoltaic properties of the DSSCs were investigated. From the solar simulator measurement the solar energy conversion efficiency (η) of 2.543% under AM 1.5 was obtained for the ZnO nanorod/TiO{sub 2} photoanode-2710µm Dye-Sensitized solar cell.

  11. Antibacterial effect of novel synthesized sulfated β-cyclodextrin crosslinked cotton fabric and its improved antibacterial activities with ZnO, TiO2 and Ag nanoparticles coating.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Selvam, S; Rajiv Gandhi, R; Suresh, J; Gowri, S; Ravikumar, S; Sundrarajan, M

    2012-09-15

    Sulfated β-cyclodextrin was synthesized from sulfonation of β-cyclodextrin and sulfated polymer was crosslinked with cotton fabric using ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid as crosslinker. ZnO, TiO(2) and Ag nanoparticles were prepared and characterized by XRD, UV, DLS, SEM and PSA. The prepared nanoparticles were coated on crosslinked cotton fabric. The crosslinking and nanoparticles coating effects of cotton fabrics were studied by FTIR and SEM analysis. The antibacterial test was done against gram positive Staphylococcus aureus and gram negative Escherichia coli bacterium. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Electro-oxidation of methanol and ethanol using PtRu/C, PtSn/C and PtSnRu/C electrocatalysts prepared by an alcohol-reduction process

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Neto, Almir Oliveira; Dias, Ricardo R.; Tusi, Marcelo M.; Linardi, Marcelo; Spinace, Estevam V. [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares, IPEN-CNEN/SP, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 2242, Cidade Universitaria, CEP 05508-900 Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

    2007-03-30

    PtRu/C, PtSn/C and PtSnRu/C electrocatalysts were prepared by the alcohol reduction process using ethylene glycol as the solvent and reduction agent and Vulcan Carbon XC72 as the support. The electrocatalysts were characterized by EDX, XRD and cyclic voltammetry. The electrochemical oxidation of methanol and ethanol were studied by chronoamperometry using a thin porous coating technique. The PtSn/C electrocatalyst prepared by this methodology showed superior performance compared to the PtRu/C and PtSnRu/C electrocatalysts for methanol and ethanol oxidation at room temperature. (author)

  13. Investigations on photoelectrochemical performance of boron doped ZnO nanorods synthesized by facile hydrothermal technique

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Akash; Chakraborty, Mohua; Thangavel, R.

    2018-05-01

    Undoped and 10% Boron (B)-doped Zinc Oxide nanorods (ZnO NRs) on Tin doped Indium Oxide (ITO) coated glass substrates were synthesized using facile sol-gel, spin coating and hydrothermal method. The impact of adding Boron on the structural, optical properties, surface morphology and photoelectrochemical (PEC) performances of the ZnO NRs have been investigated. The XRD pattern confirmed the formation of pure hexagonal phase with space group P63mc (186). The same can also be clearly observed form the FESEM images. The UV-Vis study shows the narrowing in band gap from 3.22 eV to 3.19 eV with incorporation of Boron in ZnO matrix. The B-doped ZnO NRs sample shows an enhanced photocurrent density of 1.31 mA/cm2 at 0.5 V (vs. Ag/AgCl), which is more than 171% enhancement compared to bare ZnO NRs (0.483 mA/cm2) in 0.1 M Na2SO4 aqueous solution. The results clearly indicates that the boron doped ZnO NRs can be used as an efficient photoelectrode material for photoelectrochemical cell.

  14. Effect of Co doping concentration on structural properties and optical parameters of Co-doped ZnO thin films by sol-gel dip-coating method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nam, Giwoong; Yoon, Hyunsik; Kim, Byunggu; Lee, Dong-Yul; Kim, Jong Su; Leem, Jae-Young

    2014-11-01

    The structural and optical properties of Co-doped ZnO thin films prepared by a sol-gel dip-coating method were investigated. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the thin films were grown with a c-axis preferred orientation. The position of the (002) peak was almost the same in all samples, irrespective of the Co concentration. It is thus clear that Co doping had little effect on the position of the (002) peak. To confirm that Co2+ was substituted for Zn2+ in the wurtzite structure, optical measurements were conducted at room temperature by a UV-visible spectrometer. Three absorption peaks are apparent in the Co-doped ZnO thin films that do not appear for the undoped ZnO thin film. As the Co concentration was increased, absorption related to characteristic Co2+ transitions increased because three absorption band intensities and the area underneath the absorption wells between 500 and 700 nm increased with increasing Co concentration. The optical band gap and static dielectric constant decreased and the Urbach energy and extinction coefficient increased with increasing Co concentration.

  15. Characterization of Zinc Oxide (ZnO) piezoelectric properties for Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) device

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosydi Zakaria, Mohd; Johari, Shazlina; Hafiz Ismail, Mohd; Hashim, Uda

    2017-11-01

    In fabricating Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) biosensors device, the substrate is one of important factors that affected to performance device. there are many types of piezoelectric substrate in the markets and the cheapest is zinc Oxide substrate. Zinc Oxide (ZnO) with its unique properties can be used as piezoelectric substrate along with SAW devices for detection of DNA in this research. In this project, ZnO thin film is deposited onto silicon oxide substrate using electron beam evaporation (E-beam) and Sol-Gel technique. Different material structure is used to compare the roughness and best piezoelectric substrate of ZnO thin film. Two different structures of ZnO target which are pellet and granular are used for e-beam deposition and one sol-gel liquid were synthesize and compared. Parameter for thickness of ZnO e-beam deposition is fixed to a 0.1kÅ for both materials structure and sol-gel was coat using spin coat technique. After the process is done, samples are annealed at temperature of 500°C for 2 hours. The structural properties of effect of post annealing using different material structure of ZnO are studied using Atomic Force Microscopic (AFM) for surface morphology and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) for phase structure.

  16. Sparking deposited ZnO nanoparticles as double-layered photoelectrode in ZnO dye-sensitized solar cell

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hongsith, Kritsada [Department of Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Thailand Center of Excellence in Physics (ThEP center), CHE, Bangkok 10400 (Thailand); Hongsith, Niyom [Thailand Center of Excellence in Physics (ThEP center), CHE, Bangkok 10400 (Thailand); School of Science, University of Phayao, Phayao 56000 (Thailand); Wongratanaphisan, Duangmanee; Gardchareon, Atcharawon; Phadungdhitidhada, Surachet [Department of Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Thailand Center of Excellence in Physics (ThEP center), CHE, Bangkok 10400 (Thailand); Singjai, Pisith [Department of Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Choopun, Supab, E-mail: supab99@gmail.com [Department of Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Thailand Center of Excellence in Physics (ThEP center), CHE, Bangkok 10400 (Thailand)

    2013-07-31

    The semiconducting layers of ZnO nanoparticles (ZN), ZnO powder (ZP) and ZnO nanopowder (ZNP) were designed and fabricated for double-layered semiconducting photoelectrode in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The under-layer was ZN, which was prepared by simple and cost-effective sparking technique onto F-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass substrate and its thickness was controlled by number of sparking cycles for 0, 10, 25, 50 and 100 rounds under atmospheric pressure. Then, ZP or ZNP was screened on to ZN to form double-layered photoelectrode. Here, the DSSC structures were FTO/double-layered ZnO/Eosin Y/electrolyte/Pt counterelectrode. The best results of DSSCs were observed with J{sub sc} of 4.71 mA/cm{sup 2} and 5.56 mA/cm{sup 2} and photoconversion efficiency of 1.11% and 1.14% at 50 sparking cycles for ZP and ZNP over-layers, respectively. The efficiency enhancement can be explained by combination effects of electron and light scattering. Moreover, the modified equation of short circuit current density was developed and effectively used to explain the efficiency enhancement. - Highlights: • Effect of under-layer thickness is investigated. • Simple and cost-effective sparking technique is used for ZnO nanoparticles. • Efficiency enhancement can be explained by both electron and light scattering. • Modified equation of short circuit current density was developed for enhancement.

  17. Sparking deposited ZnO nanoparticles as double-layered photoelectrode in ZnO dye-sensitized solar cell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hongsith, Kritsada; Hongsith, Niyom; Wongratanaphisan, Duangmanee; Gardchareon, Atcharawon; Phadungdhitidhada, Surachet; Singjai, Pisith; Choopun, Supab

    2013-01-01

    The semiconducting layers of ZnO nanoparticles (ZN), ZnO powder (ZP) and ZnO nanopowder (ZNP) were designed and fabricated for double-layered semiconducting photoelectrode in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The under-layer was ZN, which was prepared by simple and cost-effective sparking technique onto F-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass substrate and its thickness was controlled by number of sparking cycles for 0, 10, 25, 50 and 100 rounds under atmospheric pressure. Then, ZP or ZNP was screened on to ZN to form double-layered photoelectrode. Here, the DSSC structures were FTO/double-layered ZnO/Eosin Y/electrolyte/Pt counterelectrode. The best results of DSSCs were observed with J sc of 4.71 mA/cm 2 and 5.56 mA/cm 2 and photoconversion efficiency of 1.11% and 1.14% at 50 sparking cycles for ZP and ZNP over-layers, respectively. The efficiency enhancement can be explained by combination effects of electron and light scattering. Moreover, the modified equation of short circuit current density was developed and effectively used to explain the efficiency enhancement. - Highlights: • Effect of under-layer thickness is investigated. • Simple and cost-effective sparking technique is used for ZnO nanoparticles. • Efficiency enhancement can be explained by both electron and light scattering. • Modified equation of short circuit current density was developed for enhancement

  18. Effect of growth temperature on photoluminescence and piezoelectric characteristics of ZnO nanowires

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Water, Walter [Institute of Electro-Optical and Materials Science, National Formosa University, Yunlin 632, Taiwan (China); Fang, T.-H. [Institute of Electro-Optical and Materials Science, National Formosa University, Yunlin 632, Taiwan (China); Institute of Mechanical and Electromechanical Engineering, National Formosa University, Yunlin 632, Taiwan (China)], E-mail: fang.tehua@msa.hinet.net; Ji, L.-W.; Lee, C.-C. [Institute of Electro-Optical and Materials Science, National Formosa University, Yunlin 632, Taiwan (China)

    2009-02-25

    ZnO nanowire arrays were synthesized on Au-coated silicon (1 0 0) substrates by using vapour-liquid-solid process in this work. The effect of growth temperatures on the crystal structure and the surface morphology of ZnO nanowires were investigated by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope. The absorption and optical characteristics of the nanowires were examined by Ultraviolet/Visible spectroscopy, and photoluminescence, respectively. The photoluminescence results exhibited ZnO nanowires had an ultraviolet and blue emission at 383 and 492 nm. Then a nanogenerator with ZnO nanowire arrays was fabricated and demonstrated Schottky-like current-voltage characteristics.

  19. SILAR controlled CdSe nanoparticles sensitized ZnO nanorods photoanode for solar cell application: Electrolyte effect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nikam, Pratibha R; Baviskar, Prashant K; Majumder, Sutripto; Sali, Jaydeep V; Sankapal, Babasaheb R

    2018-08-15

    Controlled growth of different sizes of cadmium selenide (CdSe) nanoparticles over well aligned ZnO nanorods have been performed using successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) technique at room temperature (27 °C) in order to form nano heterostructure solar cells. Deposition of compact layer of zinc oxide (ZnO) by SILAR technique on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass substrate followed by growth of vertically aligned ZnO nanorods array using chemical bath deposition (CBD) at low temperature (SILAR cycles for CdSe and with use of different electrolytes have been recorded as J-V characteristics and the maximum conversion efficiency of 0.63% have been attained with ferro/ferri cyanide electrolyte for 12 cycles CdSe coating over 1-D ZnO nanorods. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Enhancing the numerical aperture of lenses using ZnO nanostructure-based turbid media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khokhra, Richa; Barman, Partha Bir; Kumar, Rajesh; Kumar, Manoj; Rawat, Nitin; Jang, Hwanchol; Lee, Heung-No

    2013-01-01

    Nanosheets, nanoparticles, and microstructures of ZnO were synthesized via a wet chemical method. ZnO films with a thickness of 44–46 μm were fabricated by spray coating, and these have been investigated for their potential use in turbid lens applications. A morphology-dependent comparative study of the transmittance of ZnO turbid films was conducted. Furthermore, these ZnO turbid films were used to enhance the numerical aperture (NA) of a Nikon objective lens. The variation in NA with different morphologies was explained using size-dependent scattering by the fabricated films. A maximum NA of around 1.971 of the objective lens with a turbid film of ZnO nanosheets was achieved. (paper)

  1. Electrical characteristics of ZnO nanorods reinforced polymer nanocomposite thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bhattacharjee, Snigdha; Roy, Asim, E-mail: 28.asim@gmail.com [Department of Physics National Institute Technology Silchar Silchar-788010, Assam (India)

    2015-05-15

    ZnO nanorods have been prepared by simple chemical method, which is used to fabricate organic bistable devices (OBDs). OBDs are fabricated by incorporating different weight percent (wt %) of chemically synthesized Zinc Oxide (ZnO) nanorods into polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). Current-voltage (I-V) measurements of the spin coated ZnO+PMMA nanocomopsite thin film on indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass substrate showed current hysteresis behaviour, which is an indication of memory effect. The samples exhibit two distinct resistance states, ON and OFF states, characterised by relatively low and high resistance of the OBDs, respectively. It is also observed that with change in ZnO dopant concentration the value of ON/OFF current changes. Higher ON/OFF current ratio is desired for practical applications. Current conduction mechanism of the devices has been explained invoking various existing models, and it has been found that the trapped-charge-limited conduction mechanism was dominant in our samples.

  2. Growth of high-density ZnO nanorods on wood with enhanced photostability, flame retardancy and water repellency

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kong, Lizhuo; Tu, Kunkun; Guan, Hao; Wang, Xiaoqing

    2017-06-01

    Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorod arrays were successfully assembled on the wood surface in situ via a two-step process consisting of formation of ZnO seeds and subsequent crystal growth under hydrothermal conditions at a low temperature. The morphology and crystalline structure of the formed ZnO nanorods were studied by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Highly dense and uniform arrays of ZnO nanorods with well-defined hexagonal facets were generated on the wood surface by tuning the concentration of the ZnO growth solution during the hydrothermal treatment. Accelerated weathering tests indicated that the assembled ZnO nanorod arrays were highly protective against UV radiation and greatly enhanced the photostability of the coated wood. Meanwhile, the ZnO nanorod-coated wood can withstand continuous exposure to flame with only minor smoldering in contrast with the pristine wood catching fire easily and burning rapidly. Moreover, when further modified with low-surface-energy stearic acid, the ZnO nanorod decorated wood surface can be transformed into a superhydrophobic surface, with a water contact angle (CA) of ∼154°. Such ZnO nanorod-modified woods with enhanced photostability, flame retardancy and water repellency offer an interesting alternative to conventional wood preservation strategies, highlighting their potential applications in some novel wood products.

  3. Nano-assemblies consisting of Pd/Pt nanodendrites and poly (diallyldimethylammonium chloride)-coated reduced graphene oxide on glassy carbon electrode for hydrogen peroxide sensors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Yanyan; Zhang, Cong; Zhang, Di; Ma, Min; Wang, Weizhen; Chen, Qiang, E-mail: qiangchen@nankai.edu.cn

    2016-01-01

    Non-enzymatic hydrogen peroxide (H{sub 2}O{sub 2}) sensors were fabricated on the basis of glassy carbon (GC) electrode modified with palladium (Pd) core-platinum (Pt) nanodendrites (Pt-NDs) and poly (diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA)-coated reduced graphene oxide (rGO). A facile wet-chemical method was developed for preparing Pd core-Pt nanodendrites. In this approach, the growth of Pt NDs was directed by Pd nanocrystal which could be regarded as seed. The PDDA-coated rGO could form uniform film on the surface of GC electrode, which provided a support for Pd core- Pt NDs adsorption by self-assembly. The morphologies of the nanocomposites were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (spectrum). Electrocatalytic ability of the nanocomposites was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometric methods. The sensor fabricated by Pd core-Pt NDs/PDDA-rGO/GCE exhibited high sensitivity (672.753 μA mM{sup −1} cm{sup −2}), low detection limit (0.027 μM), wider linear range (0.005–0.5 mM) and rapid response time (within 5 s). Besides, it also exhibited superior reproducibility, excellent anti-interference performance and long-term stability. The present work could afford a viable method and efficient platform for fabricating all kinds of amperometric sensors and biosensors. - Highlights: • A facial wet-chemical method was developed for preparing Pd core-Pt nanodendrites. • The morphologies of graphene and Pd core-Pt nanodendrites were characterized. • A novel H{sub 2}O{sub 2} sensor was fabricated by nano-assembly. • The performance of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} sensor was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometric methods.

  4. Nano-Ceramic Coated Plastics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, Junghyun

    2013-01-01

    Plastic products, due to their durability, safety, and low manufacturing cost, are now rapidly replacing cookware items traditionally made of glass and ceramics. Despite this trend, some still prefer relatively expensive and more fragile ceramic/glassware because plastics can deteriorate over time after exposure to foods, which can generate odors, bad appearance, and/or color change. Nano-ceramic coatings can eliminate these drawbacks while still retaining the advantages of the plastic, since the coating only alters the surface of the plastic. The surface coating adds functionality to the plastics such as self-cleaning and disinfectant capabilities that result from a photocatalytic effect of certain ceramic systems. These ceramic coatings can also provide non-stick surfaces and higher temperature capabilities for the base plastics without resorting to ceramic or glass materials. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) are the candidates for a nano-ceramic coating to deposit on the plastics or plastic films used in cookware and kitchenware. Both are wide-bandgap semiconductors (3.0 to 3.2 eV for TiO2 and 3.2 to 3.3 eV for ZnO), so they exhibit a photocatalytic property under ultraviolet (UV) light. This will lead to decomposition of organic compounds. Decomposed products can be easily washed off by water, so the use of detergents will be minimal. High-crystalline film with large surface area for the reaction is essential to guarantee good photocatalytic performance of these oxides. Low-temperature processing (nano-ceramic coatings (TiO2, ZnO) on plastic materials (silicone, Teflon, PET, etc.) that can possess both photocatalytic oxide properties and flexible plastic properties. Processing cost is low and it does not require any expensive equipment investment. Processing can be scalable to current manufacturing infrastructure.

  5. Enhanced ultraviolet photo-response in Dy doped ZnO thin film

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Pawan; Singh, Ranveer; Pandey, Praveen C.

    2018-02-01

    In the present work, a Dy doped ZnO thin film deposited by the spin coating method has been studied for its potential application in a ZnO based UV detector. The investigations on the structural property and surface morphology of the thin film ensure that the prepared samples are crystalline and exhibit a hexagonal crystal structure of ZnO. A small change in crystallite size has been observed due to Dy doping in ZnO. AFM analysis ascertains the grain growth and smooth surface of the thin films. The Dy doped ZnO thin film exhibits a significant enhancement in UV region absorption as compared to the pure ZnO thin film, which suggests that Dy doped ZnO can be used as a UV detector. Under UV irradiation of wavelength 325 nm, the photocurrent value of Dy doped ZnO is 105.54 μA at 4.5 V, which is 31 times greater than that of the un-doped ZnO thin film (3.39 μA). The calculated value of responsivity is found to increase significantly due to the incorporation of Dy in the ZnO lattice. The observed higher value of photocurrent and responsivity could be attributed to the substitution of Dy in the ZnO lattice, which enhances the conductivity, electron mobility, and defects in ZnO and benefits the UV sensing property.

  6. Fabrication and characterization of ZnO-coated multi-walled carbon nanotubes with enhanced photocatalytic activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jiang Linqin; Gao Lian

    2005-01-01

    Through noncovalent modification of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) with the dispersant of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), ZnO nanocrystals-coated MWNTs composite was fabricated. The electrostatic interaction mechanism is used to illustrate the formation of ZnO/MWNTs nanocomposite. The ZnO-coated MWNTs composite shows a small blue-shift absorption compared with pure ZnO nanomaterial and preserves the electronic energy states of MWNTs. The photocatalytic experiments exhibit that this composite has a higher photocatalytic activity than ZnO bulk material or the mechanical mixture of MWNTs and ZnO

  7. Preparation and characterization of ZnO transparent semiconductor thin films by sol-gel method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsay, Chien-Yie; Fan, Kai-Shiung; Chen, Sih-Han; Tsai, Chia-Hao

    2010-01-01

    Transparent semiconductor thin films of zinc oxide (ZnO) were deposited onto alkali-free glass substrates by the sol-gel method and spin-coating technique. In this study, authors investigate the influence of the heating rate of the preheating process (4 or 10 o C/min) on the crystallization, surface morphology, and optical properties of sol-gel derived ZnO thin films. The ZnO sol was synthesized by dissolving zinc acetate dehydrate in ethanol, and then adding monoethanolamine. The as-coated films were preheated at 300 o C for 10 min and annealed at 500 o C for 1 h in air ambiance. Experimental results indicate that the heating rate of the preheating process strongly affected the surface morphology and transparency of ZnO thin film. Specifically, a heating rate of 10 o C/min for the preheating process produces a preferred orientation along the (0 0 2) plane and a high transmittance of 92% at a wavelength of 550 nm. Furthermore, this study reports the fabrication of thin-film transistors (TFTs) with a transparent ZnO active channel layer and evaluates their electrical performance.

  8. ZnO based potentiometric and amperometric nanosensors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Willander, Magnus; Khun, Kimleang; Ibupoto, Zafar Hussain

    2014-09-01

    The existence of nanomaterials provides the solid platform for sensing applications due to owing of high sensitivity and a low concentration limit of detection. More likely used nanomaterials for sensing applications includes gold nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, magnetic nanoparticles such as Fe3O4, quantum dots and metal oxides etc. Recently nanomaterial and biological detection becomes an interdisciplinary field and is very much focussed by the researchers. Among metal oxides ZnO is largely considered due to its less toxic nature, biocompatible, cheap and easy to synthesis. ZnO nanomaterial is highly used for the chemical sensing, especially electrochemical sensing due to its fascinating properties such as high surface to volume ratio, atoxic, biosafe and biocompatible. Moreover, ZnO nanostructures exhibit unique features which could expose a suitable nanoenviroment for the immobilization of proteineous material such as enzymes, DNA, antibodies, etc. and in doing so it retains the biological efficiency of the immobilized bio sensitive material. The following review describes the two different coatings (i.e., ionophore and enzyme) on the surface of ZnO nanorods for the chemical sensing of zinc ion detection, thallium (I) ion detection, and L-lactic acid and the measurement of galactose molecules. ZnO nanorods provide the excellent transducing properties in the generation of strong electrical signals. Moreover, this review is very much focused on the applications of ZnO nanostructures in the sensing field.

  9. Ultraviolet photodetection of flexible ZnO nanowire sheets in polydimethylsiloxane polymer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jinzhang; Motta, Nunzio; Lee, Soonil

    2012-01-01

    ZnO nanowires are normally exposed to an oxygen atmosphere to achieve high performance in UV photodetection. In this work we present results on a UV photodetector fabricated using a flexible ZnO nanowire sheet embedded in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a gas-permeable polymer, showing reproducible UV photoresponse and enhanced photoconduction. PDMS coating results in a reduced response speed compared to that of a ZnO nanowire film in air. The rising speed is slightly reduced, while the decay time is prolonged by about a factor of four. We conclude that oxygen molecules diffusing in PDMS are responsible for the UV photoresponse.

  10. A facile method for synthesis of graphene-coated hexagonal ZnO photocatalyst with enhanced photodegradation activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yunlong; Zhang, Yuzhi

    2017-12-01

    A kind of hexagonal ZnO (HZO) was synthesized in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP)/H2O mixed solvent for a high exposure of polar ±(0001) facets to get a high-efficiency photocatalyst. The amine-functionalized HZO particles were coated with graphene oxide (GO) by electrostatic force-induced self-assemby and thermal reduction to form HZO@Gr core/shell structure. The as-prepared HZO and HZO@Gr were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy and UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis/DRS). The results indicate that the graphene on HZO@Gr remains high quality and the optical properties of the composite change a lot with sunlight absorption improving, bandgap and photoluminescence (PL) intensity decreasing. The obtained HZO photocatalyst shows good photocatalytic activity for methylene blue (MB) under UV-visible irradiation. Furthermore, the HZO@Gr photocatalyst exhibits the best photodegradation rate of MB reaching up to 98.2% within 50 minutes. The graphene-coated HZO structure could offer new directions which would further extend the scope for synthesis of various ZnO/graphene composites with improved properties useful for various applications.

  11. Ultraviolet sensing properties of polyvinyl alcohol-coated aluminium ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Undoped and aluminium (Al)-doped zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods have been synthesized by electrochemical route. The synthesized materials have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, UV–visible spectrometer and scanning electron microscope. The Al-doped ZnO nanorods have been coated with polyvinyl alcohol.

  12. Aqueous chemical growth and application of ZnO nanorods

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Postels, Bianca; Kasprzak, Anna; Mofor, Augustine C.; Wehmann, Hergo-Heinrich; Bakin, Andrey; Waag, Andreas [Institute of Semiconductor Technology, Technical University Braunschweig, Hans-Sommer-Str. 66, 38106 Braunschweig (Germany)

    2007-07-01

    A very promising fabrication process for ZnO nanostructures is the aqueous chemical growth (ACG), since it is a cost efficient and low temperature approach. Using this growth technique we generated wafer-scale ZnO nanorod arrays on Si, sapphire, ITO coated glass and even on flexible polymer substrates. ACG is found to be only weakly influenced by the substrate material and we are also able to control the dimensions of the ZnO nanorods. Another benefit of ACG is the ability to fabricate patterned arrays of ZnO nanorods by a selective growth process on structured metallised surfaces. Results of structural analysis with SEM and XRD are reported. Additionally, optical properties were investigated by PL measurements. First attempts on the preparation of dye sensitised solar cells (DSSCs) are also reported. Here, the traditional sintered TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles are replaced by a densely packed and vertically aligned array of ACG ZnO nanorods. The size and morphology of the ZnO nanorods can be controlled. The influence of the length of the nanorods on the cell properties is investigated. A vapour phase transport technique was also used as alternative growth method.

  13. A carbon nanotube-based transparent conductive substrate for flexible ZnO dye-sensitized solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Du, Juan; Bittner, Florian [Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, Leibniz University Hannover, Callinstr. 3a, 30167 Hannover (Germany); Hecht, David S.; Ladous, Corinne [Unidym, 1244 Reamwood Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA (United States); Ellinger, Jan [Tesa SE, Quickbornstr. 24, 20253 Hamburg (Germany); Oekermann, Torsten, E-mail: torstensan@t-online.de [Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, Leibniz University Hannover, Callinstr. 3a, 30167 Hannover (Germany); Wark, Michael, E-mail: michael.wark@techem.ruhr-uni-bochum.de [Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, Leibniz University Hannover, Callinstr. 3a, 30167 Hannover (Germany); Laboratory of Industrial Chemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitaetsstr. 150, 44801 Bochum (Germany)

    2013-03-01

    A transparent carbon nanotube (CNT)-coated polyethylenterephthalat film was used as conducting substrate for the photoanode of a flexible ZnO-based dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). The porous ZnO films were fabricated by an electrochemical deposition method at low temperature. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy revealed that the CNT/ZnO interface adds to the overall impedance of the cell, leading to a higher series resistance compared to DSSCs based on substrates employing a transparent conducting oxide. Nevertheless, an overall conversion efficiency of 2.5% was obtained with porous ZnO films electrodeposited on the CNT substrate for 60 min. Thicker films led to an increased loss by recombination, which could not be compensated by faster electron transport due to the decrease of the light intensity inside the ZnO film with increasing distance from the back contact. - Highlights: ► ZnO was electrochemically deposited on carbon nanotube (CNT) coated polymer. ► Highly porous ZnO was obtained at temperatures not exceeding 70 °C. ► The porous ZnO was tested as photoanode in dye-sensitized solar cells. ► Conversion efficiency of 2.5% was found on the high resistance CNT substrates. ► Barriers formed at the CNT–ZnO interface are determined by impedance spectroscopy.

  14. A carbon nanotube-based transparent conductive substrate for flexible ZnO dye-sensitized solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Du, Juan; Bittner, Florian; Hecht, David S.; Ladous, Corinne; Ellinger, Jan; Oekermann, Torsten; Wark, Michael

    2013-01-01

    A transparent carbon nanotube (CNT)-coated polyethylenterephthalat film was used as conducting substrate for the photoanode of a flexible ZnO-based dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). The porous ZnO films were fabricated by an electrochemical deposition method at low temperature. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy revealed that the CNT/ZnO interface adds to the overall impedance of the cell, leading to a higher series resistance compared to DSSCs based on substrates employing a transparent conducting oxide. Nevertheless, an overall conversion efficiency of 2.5% was obtained with porous ZnO films electrodeposited on the CNT substrate for 60 min. Thicker films led to an increased loss by recombination, which could not be compensated by faster electron transport due to the decrease of the light intensity inside the ZnO film with increasing distance from the back contact. - Highlights: ► ZnO was electrochemically deposited on carbon nanotube (CNT) coated polymer. ► Highly porous ZnO was obtained at temperatures not exceeding 70 °C. ► The porous ZnO was tested as photoanode in dye-sensitized solar cells. ► Conversion efficiency of 2.5% was found on the high resistance CNT substrates. ► Barriers formed at the CNT–ZnO interface are determined by impedance spectroscopy

  15. Plasma-Sprayed ZnO/TiO2 Coatings with Enhanced Biological Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Xiaobing; Peng, Chao; You, Jing

    2017-08-01

    Surface chemical composition and topography are two key factors in the biological performance of implants. The aim of this work is to deposit ZnO/TiO2 composite coatings on the surface of titanium substrates by plasma spraying technique. The effects of the amount of ZnO doping on the microstructure, surface roughness, corrosion resistance, and biological performance of the TiO2 coatings were investigated. The results indicated that the phase composition of the as-sprayed TiO2 coating was mainly rutile. Addition of 10% ZnO into TiO2 coating led to a slight shift of the diffraction peaks to lower angle. Anatase phase and Zn2TiO4 were formed in 20%ZnO/TiO2 and 30%ZnO/TiO2 coatings, respectively. Doping with ZnO changed the topography of the TiO2 coatings, which may be beneficial to enhance their biological performance. All coatings exhibited microsized surface roughness, and the corrosion resistance of ZnO/TiO2 coatings was improved compared with pure TiO2 coating. The ZnO/TiO2 coatings could induce apatite formation on their surface and inhibit growth of Staphylococcus aureus, but these effects were dose dependent. The 20%ZnO/TiO2 coating showed better biological performance than the other coatings, suggesting potential application for bone implants.

  16. Effect of annealing on electrical properties of plasmatron deposited ZnO films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Joa, Sang Beom; Penkov, Oteksiy V.; Plaksin, Vadim Yu; Mansur, Rakib; Kim, Ji Hun; Lee, Heon Ju

    2009-01-01

    Transparent conductive zinc oxide (ZnO) has been extensively studied in recent several years because they have very interesting properties. Besides this, zinc oxide is non-poisonous, abundant and cheap material. ZnO films are employed in different applications like transparent conductive layers in solar cells, protective coatings and so on. Wide industrial application of the ZnO films requires of development of cheap, effective and scalable technology. Typically used technology like RF sputtering, pyrolysis and metal-organic CVD don't completely satisfy the industrial requirements. In our previous publications the new perspective ZnO deposition technology based DC Arc Plasmatron was described. This technology has several advantages (low cost, high deposition rate, low substrate temperature). Currently, films deposited using this technology has can be used only as protective or insulation coatings because of very high resistance. Applying of plasmatron technology in the microelectronics or solar cell production requires the improvement of electrical properties of the films. This can be achieved by optimization of deposition parameters, using of doping, or by post-deposition treatment such as annealing, or by combination of mentioned. It was shown that proposed technology can be used for the deposition of pure ZnO film with good electrical and optical properties. Proposed technology has several disadvantages which can be overcome in the near-term outlook

  17. Dynamic recovery and optical properties changes in He-implanted ZnO nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, J.-K.; Harriman, T.A.; Lucca, D.A.; Jung, H.S.; Ryan, D.B.; Nastasi, M.

    2007-01-01

    A study of the effects of ion-implanted He + on the photoluminescence (PL) of ZnO nanoparticles is presented. This investigation is motivated by the need to further understand the effects of damage resulting from the implantation process on the luminescence response of the nanoparticles. ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized by reacting zinc acetate with lithium hydroxide. The nanoparticle suspension was then dip coated on SiO 2 substrates producing thin films of ZnO nanoparticles, which were then implanted with He + ions at either room temperature or 400 deg. C. Following implantation, the PL spectrum of the ZnO nanoparticles was investigated and compared to that obtained from He-implanted bulk ZnO. Change in the overall luminescence efficiency was found to depend on both the size of the nanoparticles and the implantation temperature, and is attributed to the dynamic recovery of collision cascades in the ZnO nanoparticles. In addition, a comparison of He + -implanted ZnO nanoparticles with He + -implanted ZnO single crystals indicates that the origin of the green luminescence occurring from the ZnO nanoparticles is near-surface complex defects

  18. Thermally-treated Pt-coated silicon AFM tips for wear resistance in ferroelectric data storage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bhushan, Bharat; Palacio, Manuel; Kwak, Kwang Joo

    2008-01-01

    In ferroelectric data storage, a conductive atomic force microscopy (AFM) probe with a noble metal coating is placed in contact with a lead zirconate titanate (PZT) film. The understanding and improvement of probe tip wear, particularly at high velocities, is needed for high data rate recording. A commercial Pt-coated silicon AFM probe was thermally treated in order to form platinum silicide at the near-surface. Nanoindentation, nanoscratch and wear experiments were performed to evaluate the mechanical properties and wear performance at high velocities. The thermally treated tip exhibited lower wear than the untreated tip. The tip wear mechanism is adhesive and abrasive wear with some evidence of impact wear. The enhancement in mechanical properties and wear resistance in the thermally treated film is attributed to silicide formation in the near-surface. Auger electron spectroscopy and electrical resistivity measurements confirm the formation of platinum silicide. This study advances the understanding of thin film nanoscale surface interactions

  19. Fate of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Coated onto Macronutrient Fertilizers in an Alkaline Calcareous Soil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milani, Narges; Hettiarachchi, Ganga M.; Kirby, Jason K.; Beak, Douglas G.; Stacey, Samuel P.; McLaughlin, Mike J.

    2015-01-01

    Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles may provide a more soluble and plant available source of Zn in Zn fertilizers due to their greater reactivity compared to equivalent micron- or millimetre-sized (bulk) particles. However, the effect of soil on solubility, spatial distribution and speciation of ZnO nanoparticles has not yet been investigated. In this study, we examined the diffusion and solid phase speciation of Zn in an alkaline calcareous soil following application of nanoparticulate and bulk ZnO coated fertilizer products (monoammonium phosphate (MAP) and urea) using laboratory-based x-ray techniques and synchrotron-based μ-x-ray fluorescence (μ–XRF) mapping and absorption fine structure spectroscopy (μ–XAFS). Mapping of the soil-fertilizer reaction zones revealed that most of the applied Zn for all treatments remained on the coated fertilizer granule or close to the point of application after five weeks of incubation in soil. Zinc precipitated mainly as scholzite (CaZn2(PO4)2.2H2O) and zinc ammonium phosphate (Zn(NH4)PO4) species at the surface of MAP granules. These reactions reduced dissolution and diffusion of Zn from the MAP granules. Although Zn remained as zincite (ZnO) at the surface of urea granules, limited diffusion of Zn from ZnO-coated urea granules was also observed for both bulk and nanoparticulate ZnO treatments. This might be due to either the high pH of urea granules, which reduced solubility of Zn, or aggregation (due to high ionic strength) of released ZnO nanoparticles around the granule/point of application. The relative proportion of Zn(OH)2 and ZnCO3 species increased for all Zn treatments with increasing distance from coated MAP and urea granules in the calcareous soil. When coated on macronutrient fertilizers, Zn from ZnO nanoparticles (without surface modifiers) was not more mobile or diffusible compared to bulk forms of ZnO. The results also suggest that risk associated with the presence of ZnO NPs in calcareous soils would be the

  20. Phytotoxicity of ZnO nanoparticles and the released Zn(II) ion to corn (Zea mays L.) and cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) during germination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Ruichang; Zhang, Haibo; Tu, Chen; Hu, Xuefeng; Li, Lianzhen; Luo, Yongming; Christie, Peter

    2015-07-01

    Toxicity of engineered nanoparticles on organisms is of concern worldwide due to their extensive use and unique properties. The impacts of ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) on seed germination and root elongation of corn (Zea mays L.) and cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) were investigated in this study. The role of seed coats of corn in the mitigation toxicity of nanoparticles was also evaluated. ZnO NPs (1,000 mg L(-1)) reduced root length of corn and cucumber by 17 % (p < 0.05) and 51 % (p < 0.05), respectively, but exhibited no effects on germination. In comparison with Zn(2+), toxicity of ZnO NPs on the root elongation of corn could be attributed to the nanoparticulate ZnO, while released Zn ion from ZnO could solely contribute to the inhibition of root elongation of cucumber. Zn uptake in corn exposed to ZnO NPs during germination was much higher than that in corn exposed to Zn(2+), whereas Zn uptake in cucumber was significantly correlated with soluble Zn in suspension. It could be inferred that Zn was taken up by corn and cucumber mainly in the form of ZnO NPs and soluble Zn, respectively. Transmission electron microscope confirmed the uptake of ZnO NPs into root of corn. Although isolation of the seed coats might not be the principal factor that achieved avoidance from toxicity on germination, seed coats of corn were found to mitigate the toxicity of ZnO NPs on root elongation and prevent approximately half of the Zn from entering into root and endosperm.

  1. Effects of Chromium Dopant on Ultraviolet Photoresponsivity of ZnO Nanorods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mokhtari, S.; Safa, S.; Khayatian, A.; Azimirad, R.

    2017-07-01

    Structural and optical properties of bare ZnO nanorods, ZnO-encapsulated ZnO nanorods, and Cr-doped ZnO-encapsulated ZnO nanorods have been investigated. Encapsulated ZnO nanorods were grown using a simple two-stage method in which ZnO nanorods were first grown on a glass substrate directly from a hydrothermal bath, then encapsulated with a thin layer of Cr-doped ZnO by dip coating. Comparative study of x-ray diffraction patterns showed that Cr was successfully incorporated into the shell layer of ZnO nanorods. Moreover, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy confirmed presence of Cr in this sample. It was observed that the thickness of the shell layer around the core of the ZnO nanorods was at least about 20 nm. Transmission electron microscopy of bare ZnO nanorods revealed single-crystalline structure. Based on optical results, both the encapsulation process and addition of Cr dopant decreased the optical bandgap of the samples. Indeed, the optical bandgap values of Cr-doped ZnO-encapsulated ZnO nanorods, ZnO-encapsulated ZnO nanorods, and bare ZnO nanorods were 2.89 eV, 3.15 eV, and 3.34 eV, respectively. The ultraviolet (UV) parameters demonstrated that incorporation of Cr dopant into the shell layer of ZnO nanorods considerably facilitated formation and transportation of photogenerated carriers, optimizing their performance as a practical UV detector. As a result, the photocurrent of the Cr-doped ZnO-encapsulated ZnO nanorods was the highest (0.6 mA), compared with ZnO-encapsulated ZnO nanorods and bare ZnO nanorods (0.21 mA and 0.06 mA, respectively).

  2. Thermal barrier coatings with a double-layer bond coat on Ni{sub 3}Al based single-crystal superalloy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhou, Xin [State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Materials, Department 5, P.O. Box 81-5, Beijing 100095 (China); Xu, Zhenhua; Mu, Rende [Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Materials, Department 5, P.O. Box 81-5, Beijing 100095 (China); He, Limin, E-mail: he_limin@yahoo.com [Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Materials, Department 5, P.O. Box 81-5, Beijing 100095 (China); Huang, Guanghong [Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Materials, Department 5, P.O. Box 81-5, Beijing 100095 (China); Cao, Xueqiang, E-mail: xcao@ciac.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022 (China)

    2014-04-05

    Highlights: • Thermal barrier coatings with a double-layer bond coat of (Ni,Pt)Al and NiCrAlYSi. • Good adherence at all interfaces within TBC system. • The underlying (Ni,Pt)Al layer can supply abundant Al content for the upper NiCrAlYSi layer. • Crack nucleation, propagation and coalescence lead to the failure of coating. -- Abstract: Electron-beam physical vapor deposited thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) with a double-layer bond coat of (Ni,Pt)Al and NiCrAlYSi were prepared on a Ni{sub 3}Al based single-crystal superalloy. Phase and cross-sectional microstructure of the developed coatings were studied by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM), respectively. The experimental results show good adherence at all interfaces within this system. Furthermore, oxidation resistance and elements interdiffusion behavior of the double-layer bond coat were also investigated. The double-layer bond coat system exhibits a better scale adherence than the single layer bond coat systems since the underlying (Ni,Pt)Al layer can supply abundant Al for the upper NiCrAlYSi layer. Finally, thermal cycling behavior of the double-layer bond coat TBC was evaluated and the failure mechanism was discussed. Crack nucleation, propagation and coalescence caused by TGO growth stress and the thermal expansion mismatch stress between TGO and bond coat can be mainly responsible for the spallation of this coating.

  3. Pt/ZnO nanoarray nanogenerator as self-powered active gas sensor with linear ethanol sensing at room temperature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Yayu; Lai, Xuan; Deng, Ping; Nie, Yuxin; Zhang, Yan; Xing, Lili; Xue, Xinyu

    2014-03-21

    A self-powered gas sensor that can actively detect ethanol at room temperature has been realized from a Pt/ZnO nanoarray nanogenerator. Pt nanoparticles are uniformly distributed on the whole surface of ZnO nanowires. The piezoelectric output of Pt/ZnO nanoarrays can act not only as a power source, but also as a response signal to ethanol at room temperature. Upon exposure to dry air and 1500 ppm ethanol at room temperature, the piezoelectric output of the device under the same compressive strain is 0.672 and 0.419 V, respectively. Moreover, a linear dependence of the sensitivity on the ethanol concentration is observed. Such a linear ethanol sensing at room temperature can be attributed to the atmosphere-dependent variety of the screen effect on the piezoelectric output of ZnO nanowires, the catalytic properties of Pt nanoparticles, and the Schottky barriers at Pt/ZnO interfaces. The present results can stimulate research in the direction of designing new material systems for self-powered room-temperature gas sensing.

  4. PFE: ZnO hybrid nanocomposites for OLED applications: Fabrication and photophysical properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Belhaj, M. [Université de Monastir, Faculté des sciences de Monastir, Département de physique, Laboratoire des Interfaces et des Matériaux Avancés, 5019 Monastir (Tunisia); Dridi, C., E-mail: cherif.Dridi@issatso.rnu.tn [Université de Monastir, Faculté des sciences de Monastir, Département de physique, Laboratoire des Interfaces et des Matériaux Avancés, 5019 Monastir (Tunisia); Université de Sousse, Institut Supérieur des Sciences Appliquées et de Technologie de Sousse, Cité Ettafala, 4003 Ibn Khaldoun Sousse (Tunisia); Elhouichet, H. [Centre National de Recherches en Sciences des Matériaux, Laboratoire de physico-Chimie des Matériaux Minéreaux et leurs applications, B.P. 95 Hammam-Lif 2050 (Tunisia)

    2015-01-15

    In this work, ZnO nanoparticles (n-ZnO) and poly (9, 9-dioctyl-fluorenyl-2, 7-yleneethynylene) (PFE): n-ZnO based thin films were spin-coated onto glass substrates. Structural, morphological and optical properties of ZnO, PFE and the PFE: n-ZnO hybrid films with different n-ZnO mass ratios were investigated. n-ZnO films obtained by sol–gel technique are polycrystalline with a hexagonal wurtzite structure. They are also homogenous with an average grain size of about 35 nm. For polymer nanocomposite, the optical properties are closely related to the ZnO content in the mixture. Among the tested active layers, the best performance is observed for that containing 2 wt% of ZnO nanoparticles. - Highlights: • We have analyzed the optical properties of PFE: ZnO nanocomposites . • We have optimized the best PFE: ZnO nanocomposite for the OLED application. • We have demonstrated the feasibility of white OLED devices.

  5. PFE: ZnO hybrid nanocomposites for OLED applications: Fabrication and photophysical properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Belhaj, M.; Dridi, C.; Elhouichet, H.

    2015-01-01

    In this work, ZnO nanoparticles (n-ZnO) and poly (9, 9-dioctyl-fluorenyl-2, 7-yleneethynylene) (PFE): n-ZnO based thin films were spin-coated onto glass substrates. Structural, morphological and optical properties of ZnO, PFE and the PFE: n-ZnO hybrid films with different n-ZnO mass ratios were investigated. n-ZnO films obtained by sol–gel technique are polycrystalline with a hexagonal wurtzite structure. They are also homogenous with an average grain size of about 35 nm. For polymer nanocomposite, the optical properties are closely related to the ZnO content in the mixture. Among the tested active layers, the best performance is observed for that containing 2 wt% of ZnO nanoparticles. - Highlights: • We have analyzed the optical properties of PFE: ZnO nanocomposites . • We have optimized the best PFE: ZnO nanocomposite for the OLED application. • We have demonstrated the feasibility of white OLED devices

  6. Ultraviolet photodetection of flexible ZnO nanowire sheets in polydimethylsiloxane polymer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jinzhang Liu

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available ZnO nanowires are normally exposed to an oxygen atmosphere to achieve high performance in UV photodetection. In this work we present results on a UV photodetector fabricated using a flexible ZnO nanowire sheet embedded in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS, a gas-permeable polymer, showing reproducible UV photoresponse and enhanced photoconduction. PDMS coating results in a reduced response speed compared to that of a ZnO nanowire film in air. The rising speed is slightly reduced, while the decay time is prolonged by about a factor of four. We conclude that oxygen molecules diffusing in PDMS are responsible for the UV photoresponse.

  7. PDMS-based triboelectric and transparent nanogenerators with ZnO nanorod arrays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ko, Yeong Hwan; Nagaraju, Goli; Lee, Soo Hyun; Yu, Jae Su

    2014-05-14

    Vertically-grown ZnO nanorod arrays (NRAs) on indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated polyethylene terephthalate (PET), as a top electrode of nanogenerators, were investigated for the antireflective property as well as an efficient contact surface in bare polydimethysiloxane (PDMS)-based triboelectric nanogenerators. Compared to conventional ITO-coated PET (i.e., ITO/PET), the ZnO NRAs considerably suppressed the reflectance from 20 to 9.7% at wavelengths of 300-1100 nm, creating a highly transparent top electrode, as demonstrated by theoretical analysis. Also, the interval time between the peaks of generated output voltage under external pushing forces was significantly decreased from 1.84 to 0.19 s because the reduced contact area of the PDMS by discrete surfaces of the ZnO NRAs on ITO/PET causes a rapid sequence for triboelectric charge generation process including rubbing and separating. Therefore, the use of this top electrode enabled to operate the transparent PDMS-based triboelectric nanogenerator at high frequency of external pushing force. Under different external forces of 0.3-10 kgf, the output voltage and current were also characterized.

  8. Selective growth of ZnO thin film nanostructures: Structure, morphology and tunable optical properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Krishnakanth, Katturi Naga; Sunandana, C. S. [School of Physics, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad-50046 (India); Rajesh, Desapogu, E-mail: rajesh.esapogu@gmail.com, E-mail: mperd@nus.edu.sg [School of Physics, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad-50046 (India); Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore (Singapore)

    2016-05-23

    The ZnO nanostructures (spherical, rod shape) have been successfully fabricated via a thermal evaporation followed by dip coating method. The pure, doped ZnO thin films were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and UV-Vis spectroscopy, respectively. A possible growth mechanism of the spherical, rod shape ZnO nanostructures are discussed. XRD patterns revealed that all films consist of pure ZnO phase and were well crystallized with preferential orientation towards (002) direction. Doping by PVA, PVA+Cu has effective role in the enhancement of the crystalline quality and increases in the band gap.

  9. Controlling the electrical properties of ZnO films by forming zinc and oxide bridges by a plasma and electron-assisted process

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Norihiro Shimoi

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available A new method to produce electrically steady ZnO films without any heating process has been developed by using plasma and electron beams to facilitate bonding between the metallic component and the oxygen on coated ZnO films. Both plasma atmosphere and electron beams can function as sources of nonequilibrium bonding energy, forming bridges between the zinc present in the zinc complex and the oxygen in the ZnO particles to construct a zinc-oxide thin film. Our results confirm that it is possible to achieve low conductive characteristics by controlling the acceleration voltage of electrons used to irradiate the ZnO coating. The electrically steady films fabricated have various potential applications, being particularly well-suited to electrical devices on a plastic medium.

  10. Controlling the electrical properties of ZnO films by forming zinc and oxide bridges by a plasma and electron-assisted process

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shimoi, Norihiro; Tanaka, Yasumitsu [Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku University, 6-6-20 Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8579 (Japan); Harada, Takamitsu [Sendai Technology Center, Consumer-Professional and Devices Group, Sony Corporation, 3-4-1 Sakuragi, Tagajo 985-0842 (Japan); Tanaka, Shun-ichiro [Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577 (Japan)

    2012-06-15

    A new method to produce electrically steady ZnO films without any heating process has been developed by using plasma and electron beams to facilitate bonding between the metallic component and the oxygen on coated ZnO films. Both plasma atmosphere and electron beams can function as sources of nonequilibrium bonding energy, forming bridges between the zinc present in the zinc complex and the oxygen in the ZnO particles to construct a zinc-oxide thin film. Our results confirm that it is possible to achieve low conductive characteristics by controlling the acceleration voltage of electrons used to irradiate the ZnO coating. The electrically steady films fabricated have various potential applications, being particularly well-suited to electrical devices on a plastic medium.

  11. Carrier transport mechanisms of hybrid ZnO nanorod-polymer LEDs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cho, Sungjae; Lee, Kyuseung; Son, Dongick; Oh, Youngjei; Choi, Wonkook; Angadi, Basavaraj

    2014-01-01

    A hybrid polymer-nanorod (NR) light-emitting diode (LED), consisting of a hole-conducting polymer poly (9-vinyl carbazole) (PVK) and ZnO nanorod (NR) composite, with the device structure of glass/indium-tin-oxide (ITO)/PEDOT:PSS/(PVK + ZnO nanorods)/Al is fabricated through a simple spin coating technique. TEM images shows inhomogeneous deposition and the agglomeration of ZnO NRs, which is explained through their low probability of adsorption on PVK due to two-dimensional structural property. In the current-voltage characteristics, negative differential resistance (NDR) phenomenon is observed corresponding to device structure without ZnO NRs. The carrier transport behavior in the LED device is well described by both ohmic and space-charge-limited-current (SCLC) mechanisms. Broad blue electroluminescence (EL) consisting of two sub peaks, are centered at 441 nm and the other at 495 nm, is observed, which indicates that the ZnO nanorod play a role as a recombination center for excitons. The red shift in the position of the EL compared to that photoluminescence is well explained through band offsets at the heterojunction between the PVK and ZnO NRs.

  12. Photoelectrochemical properties of hierarchical ZnO micro-nanostructure sensitized with Sb2S3 nanoparticles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhimin GUO

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available By using electrochemical deposition method, and assisted with additions of PEG-400 and EDA, well-aligned ZnO nanorods and hierarchical ZnO micro-nanostructure are fabricated directly on indium doped tin oxide coated conducting glass (ITO substrate. The shell-core Sb2S3/ZnO nanorod structure and the shell-core hierarchical Sb2S3/ZnO micro-nanostructure are prepared by chemical bath deposition method. SEM, XRD, UV-Vis and photocurrent test are used to characterize the morphology, nanostructures and their photoelectrochemical properties. The studies show that the photocurrent on the array membranes with shell-core hierarchical Sb2S3/ZnO micro-nanostructure is apparently higher than that with shell-core Sb2S3/ZnO nanorods array.

  13. Room temperature inorganic polycondensation of oxide (Cu2O and ZnO) nanoparticles and thin films preparation by the dip-coating technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salek, G.; Tenailleau, C.; Dufour, P.; Guillemet-Fritsch, S.

    2015-01-01

    Oxide thin solid films were prepared by dip-coating into colloidal dispersions of oxide nanoparticles stabilized at room temperature without the use of chelating or complex organic dispersing agents. Crystalline oxide nanoparticles were obtained by inorganic polycondensation and characterized by X-ray diffraction and field emission gun scanning electron microscopy. Water and ethanol synthesis and solution stabilization of oxide nanoparticle method was optimized to prepare two different structural and compositional materials, namely Cu 2 O and ZnO. The influence of hydrodynamic parameters over the particle shape and size is discussed. Spherical and rod shape nanoparticles were formed for Cu 2 O and ZnO, respectively. Isoelectric point values of 7.5 and 8.2 were determined for cuprous and zinc oxides, respectively, after zeta potential measurements. A shear thinning and thixotropic behavior was observed in both colloidal sols after peptization at pH ~ 6 with dilute nitric acid. Every colloidal dispersion stabilized in a low cost and environmentally friendly azeotrope solution composed of 96 vol.% of ethanol with water was used for the thin film preparation by the dip-coating technique. Optical properties of the light absorber cuprous oxide and transparent zinc oxide thin solid films were characterized by means of transmittance and reflectance measurements (300–1100 nm). - Highlights: • Room temperature inorganic polycondensation of crystalline oxides • Water and ethanol synthesis and solution stabilization of oxide nanoparticles • Low cost method for thin solid film preparation

  14. Characterization and device applications of ZnO films deposited by high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Partridge, J. G.; Mayes, E. L. H.; McDougall, N. L.; Bilek, M. M. M.; McCulloch, D. G.

    2013-04-01

    ZnO films have been reactively deposited on sapphire substrates at 300 °C using a high impulse power magnetron sputtering deposition system and characterized structurally, optically and electronically. The unintentionally doped n-type ZnO films exhibit high transparency, moderate carrier concentration (˜5 × 1018 cm-3) and a Hall mobility of 8.0 cm2 V-1 s-1, making them suitable for electronic device applications. Pt/ZnO Schottky diodes formed on the HiPIMS deposited ZnO exhibited rectification ratios up to 104 at ±2 V and sensitivity to UV light.

  15. Preparation and characterization of PtRu/C, PtBi/C, PtRuBi/C electrocatalysts for direct electro-oxidation of ethanol in PEM fuels cells using the method of reduction by sodium borohydride

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brandalise, Michele

    2010-01-01

    Pt/C, PtBi/C, PtRu/C and PtRuBi/C electrocatalysts were prepared by a borohydride reduction methodology and tested for ethanol oxidation. This methodology consists in mix a solution with sodium hydroxide and sodium borohydride to a mixture containing water/isopropyl alcohol, metallic precursors and the Vulcan XC 72 carbon support. It was studied the addition method of borohydride (drop by drop addition or rapid addition). The obtained electrocatalysts were characterized by energy dispersive X ray spectroscopy (EDX), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and cyclic voltammetry. The ethanol electro-oxidation was studied by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry using the thin porous coating technique. The electrocatalysts were tested in real conditions of operation by unit cell tests. The stability of PtRuBi/C electrocatalysts was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry using the ultra-thin porous coating technique and ring-disk electrode. The PtRuBi/C electro catalyst apparently presented a good performance for ethanol electro-oxidation but experimental evidences showed accentuated bismuth dissolution. (author)

  16. Solid-state dewetting of continuous thin platinum coatings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hanief, N. [University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch 7701 (South Africa); Topić, M.; Pineda-Vargas, C. [iThemba LABS, National Research Foundation, P.O. Box 722, Somerset West (South Africa)

    2015-11-15

    Thermal stability of coatings is of crucial importance for reliability of electronic devices operating at high temperature. Thus, we investigated the Cr–Pt system where a thin platinum coating of 0.1 μm was deposited on chromium substrate and annealed at 1000 °C for 8 h. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed that a continuous and uniformly deposited Pt coating experienced the formation of “islands” after annealing. The grain-boundary grooving, dewetting and agglomeration were the main mechanisms of degradation of thermally annealed coatings. Results by μ-PIXE (particle-induced X-ray emission) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) showed the presence of Cr{sub 3}Pt phase in “islands” and the coating thickness was approximately 0.5 μm. The surrounding regions were left uncovered due to coating agglomeration at the expense of initially deposited coating.

  17. Effects of preannealing temperature of ZnO thin films on the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kao, M.C.; Chen, H.Z.; Young, S.L. [Hsiuping Institute of Technology, Department of Electronic Engineering, Taichung (China)

    2010-03-15

    The preferred (002) orientation zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocrystalline thin films have been deposited on FTO-coated glass substrates by sol-gel spin-coating technology and rapid thermal annealing for use in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC). The effects of preannealing temperature (100 and 300 C) on the microstructure, morphology and optical properties of ZnO thin films were studied. The ZnO thin films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopic (SEM) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis. The photoelectric performance of DSSC was studied by I-V curve and the incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE), respectively. From the results, the intensities of (002) peaks of ZnO thin films increases with increasing preannealing temperature from 100 C to 300 C. The increase in pore size and surface area of ZnO films crystallized at the increased preannealing temperature contributed to the improvement on the absorption of N3 dye onto the films, the short-circuit photocurrent (J{sub sc}) and open-circuit voltage (V{sub oc}) of DSSC. The higher efficiency ({eta}) of 2.5% with J{sub sc} and V{sub oc} of 8.2 mA/cm{sup 2} and 0.64 V, respectively, was obtained by the ZnO film preannealed at 300 C. (orig.)

  18. ZnO based nanowires grown by chemical vapour deposition for selective hydrogenation of acetylene alcohols

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Protasova, L.N.; Rebrov, E.; Choy, K.L.; Pung, S.Y.; Engels, V.; Cabaj, M.; Wheatley, A.E.H.; Schouten, J.C.

    2011-01-01

    Vertically aligned ZnO nanowires (NWs) with a length of 1.5–10 µm and a mean diameter of ca. 150 nm were grown by chemical vapour deposition onto a c-oriented ZnO seed layer which was deposited by atomic layer deposition on Si substrates. The substrates were then spin-coated with an ethanol solution

  19. Microstructural changes in CdSe-coated ZnO nanowires evaluated by in situ annealing in transmission electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Majidi, Hasti; Baxter, Jason B; Winkler, Christopher R; Taheri, Mitra L

    2012-01-01

    We report on the crystallite growth and phase change of electrodeposited CdSe coatings on ZnO nanowires during annealing. Both in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) reveal that the nanocrystal size increases from ∼3 to ∼10 nm upon annealing at 350 °C for 1 h and then to more than 30 nm during another 1 h at 400 °C, exhibiting two distinct growth regimes. Nanocrystal growth occurs together with a structural change from zinc blende to wurtzite. The structural transition begins at 350 °C, which results in the formation of stacking faults. Increased crystallite size, comparable to the coating thickness, can improve charge separation in extremely thin absorber solar cells. We demonstrate a nearly two-fold improvement in power conversion efficiency upon annealing. (paper)

  20. Microstructural changes in CdSe-coated ZnO nanowires evaluated by in situ annealing in transmission electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Majidi, Hasti; Winkler, Christopher R.; Taheri, Mitra L.; Baxter, Jason B.

    2012-07-01

    We report on the crystallite growth and phase change of electrodeposited CdSe coatings on ZnO nanowires during annealing. Both in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) reveal that the nanocrystal size increases from ˜3 to ˜10 nm upon annealing at 350 °C for 1 h and then to more than 30 nm during another 1 h at 400 °C, exhibiting two distinct growth regimes. Nanocrystal growth occurs together with a structural change from zinc blende to wurtzite. The structural transition begins at 350 °C, which results in the formation of stacking faults. Increased crystallite size, comparable to the coating thickness, can improve charge separation in extremely thin absorber solar cells. We demonstrate a nearly two-fold improvement in power conversion efficiency upon annealing.

  1. CdS/CdSe quantum dot shell decorated vertical ZnO nanowire arrays by spin-coating-based SILAR for photoelectrochemical cells and quantum-dot-sensitized solar cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Ran; Luo, Qiu-Ping; Chen, Hong-Yan; Yu, Xiao-Yun; Kuang, Dai-Bin; Su, Cheng-Yong

    2012-04-23

    A CdS/CdSe composite shell is assembled onto the surface of ZnO nanowire arrays with a simple spin-coating-based successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction method. The as-prepared photoelectrode exhibit a high photocurrent density in photoelectrochemical cells and also generates good power conversion efficiency in quantum-dot-sensitized solar cells. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  2. Superior environment resistance of quartz crystal microbalance with anatase TiO2/ZnO nanorod composite films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qiang, Wei; Wei, Li; Shaodan, Wang; Yu, Bai

    2015-01-01

    Graphical abstract: ZnO nanorod array being prepared by an in situ method on the QCM coated with Au film via hydrothermal process and surface modification with coated TiO 2 by sol–gel methods to form a superhydrophobic TiO 2 /ZnO composite film the anatase TiO 2 /ZnO nanorod composite film with a sharp, pencil-like structure exhibiting excellent superhydrophobicity (water contact angle of 155°), non-sticking water properties, and an autonomous cleaning property under UV irradiation. The anatase TiO 2 /ZnO nanorod composite film facilitates the precise measurement and extended lifetime of the QCM for the detection of organic gas molecules. - Highlights: • This work combines, for the first time, the advantage of the TiO 2 /ZnO composite film on photocatalysis and reversible super-hydrophobic and super-hydrophilic transition, and puts forward a solution to satisfy weatherability of quartz crystal microbalance in long-term application. • The anatase TiO 2 /ZnO nanorod composite film with pencil structure exhibit excellent super-hydrophobicity (water contact angle can reach 155°), no-sticking water properties and self-cleaning property under UV irradiation. • The photocatalysis and reversible super-hydrophobic and super-hydrophilic transition of the TiO 2 /ZnO nanorod composite film is stable in long-term application. - Abstract: The precise measurement of quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) in the detection and weighing of organic gas molecules is achieved due to excellent superhydrophobicity of a deposited film composite. Photocatalysis is utilized as a method for the self-cleaning of organic molecules on the QCM for extended long-term stability in the precision of the instrument. In this paper, ZnO nanorod array is prepared via in situ methods on the QCM coated with Au film via hydrothermal process. Subsequently, a TiO 2 /ZnO composite film is synthesized by surface modification with TiO 2 via sol–gel methods. Results show the anatase TiO 2 /ZnO nanorod

  3. Rapid thermal melted TiO2 nano-particles into ZnO nano-rod and its application for dye sensitized solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chao, Ching-Hsun; Chang, Chi-Lung; Chan, Chien-Hung; Lien, Shui-Yang; Weng, Ko-Wei; Yao, Kuo-Shan

    2010-01-01

    TiO 2 nano-particles with an anchored ZnO nano-rod structure were synthesized using the hydrothermal method to grow ZnO nano-rods and coated TiO 2 nano-particles on ZnO nano-rods using the rapid thermal annealing method on ITO conducting glass pre-coated with nano porous TiO 2 film. The XRD study showed that there was little difference in crystal composition for various types of TiO 2 nano-particles anchored to ZnO nano-rods. The as-prepared architecture was characterized using field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). Films with TiO 2 nano-particles anchored to ZnO nano-rods were used as electrode materials to fabricate dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The best solar energy conversion efficiency of 2.397% was obtained by modified electrode material, under AM 1.5 illumination, achieved up to J sc = 15.382 mA/cm 2 , V oc = 0.479 V and fill factor = 32.8%.

  4. Influence of aspect ratio and surface defect density on hydrothermally grown ZnO nanorods towards amperometric glucose biosensing applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shukla, Mayoorika; Pramila; Dixit, Tejendra; Prakash, Rajiv; Palani, I. A.; Singh, Vipul

    2017-11-01

    In this work, hydrothermally grown ZnO Nanorods Array (ZNA) has been synthesized over Platinum (Pt) coated glass substrate, for biosensing applications. In-situ addition of strong oxidizing agent viz KMnO4 during hydrothermal growth was found to have profound effect on the physical properties of ZNA. Glucose oxidase (GOx) was later immobilized over ZNA by means of physical adsorption process. Further influence of varying aspect ratio, enzyme loading and surface defects on amperometric glucose biosensor has been analyzed. Significant variation in biosensor performance was observed by varying the amount of KMnO4 addition during the growth. Moreover, investigations revealed that the suppression of surface defects and aspect ratio variation of the ZNA played key role towards the observed improvement in the biosensor performance, thereby significantly affecting the sensitivity and response time of the fabricated biosensor. Among different biosensors fabricated having varied aspect ratio and surface defect density of ZNA, the best electrode resulted into sensitivity and response time to be 18.7 mA cm-2 M-1 and <5 s respectively. The observed results revealed that apart from high aspect ratio nanostructures and the extent of enzyme loading, surface defect density also hold a key towards ZnO nanostructures based bio-sensing applications.

  5. Significant improvement in performances of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 through surface modification with high ordered Al-doped ZnO electro-conductive layer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun, Hongdan; Xia, Bingbo; Liu, Weiwei; Fang, Guoqing; Wu, Jingjing; Wang, Haibo; Zhang, Ruixue; Kaneko, Shingo; Zheng, Junwei; Wang, Hongyu; Li, Decheng

    2015-01-01

    Graphical abstract: Al-doped ZnO (AZO)-coated LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 O 4 (LNMO) was prepared by sol–gel method. AZO-coated LNMO electrode shows excellent rate capability and a remarkable improvement in the cyclic performance at a high rate at elevated temperature. - Highlights: • Al-doped ZnO (AZO)-coated LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 O 4 (LNMO) was prepared by a traditional sol–gel method. • Al-doped ZnO (AZO) layer grown on the surface of LNMO is high ordered. • At a high rate of 10 C, the discharge capacity of the AZO-coated LNMO electrode can reach 114 mAh g −1 . • Al-doped ZnO (AZO) modification improved cyclic performance of LNMO at high temperatures. - Abstract: Al-doped ZnO (AZO)-coated LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 O 4 (LNMO) was prepared by sol–gel method. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis indicates that AZO layer grown on the surface of LNMO is high ordered. The results of electrochemical performance measurements reveal that the AZO-coated LNMO electrode displays the best rate capability compared with the bare LNMO and ZnO-coated LNMO, even at a high rate of 10 C. The discharge capacity of the AZO-coated LNMO electrode can still reach 114.3 mAh g −1 , about 89% of its discharge capacity at 0.1 C. Moreover, AZO-coated LNMO electrode shows a remarkable improvement in the cyclic performance at a high rate at elevated temperature due to the protective effect of AZO coating layer. The electrode delivers a capacity of 120.3 mAh g −1 with the capacity retention of 95% at 5 C in 50 cycles at 50 °C. The analysis of electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS) indicates that AZO-coated LNMO possesses the lowest charge transfer resistance compared to the bare LNMO and ZnO-coated LNMO, which may be responsible for improved rate capability

  6. Biofunctionalization of carbon nanotubes/chitosan hybrids on Ti implants by atom layer deposited ZnO nanostructures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhu, Yizhou; Liu, Xiangmei [Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Organic Chemical Materials, Ministry-of-Education Key Laboratory for the Green Preparation and Application of Functional Materials, Hubei Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials, School of Materials Science & Engineering, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062 (China); Yeung, Kelvin W.K. [Division of Spine Surgery, Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong (China); Chu, Paul K. [Department of Physics & Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong (China); Wu, Shuilin, E-mail: shuilin.wu@gmail.com [Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Organic Chemical Materials, Ministry-of-Education Key Laboratory for the Green Preparation and Application of Functional Materials, Hubei Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials, School of Materials Science & Engineering, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062 (China)

    2017-04-01

    Highlights: • Carbon naonotubes/chitosan/ZnO coating was first constructed on Ti implants. • This system endowed Ti implants with excellent self-antibacterial activity. • The amount of Zn could be precisely controlled by atom layer deposition. • This system could regulate cell behaviors on metallic implants. - Abstract: One-dimensional (1D) nanostructures of ZnO using atomic layer deposition (ALD) on chitosan (CS) modified carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were first introduced onto the surfaces of biomedical implants. When the content of ZnO is not sufficient, CNTs can strengthen the antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus by 8% and 39%, respectively. CS can improve the cytocompatibility of CNTs and ZnO. The amount of Zn content can be controlled by changing the cycling numbers of ALD processes. This hybrid coating can not only endow medical implants with high self-antibacterial efficacy against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) of over 73% and 98%, respectively, but also regulate the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of osteoblasts by controlling the amount of ZnO.

  7. Biofunctionalization of carbon nanotubes/chitosan hybrids on Ti implants by atom layer deposited ZnO nanostructures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhu, Yizhou; Liu, Xiangmei; Yeung, Kelvin W.K.; Chu, Paul K.; Wu, Shuilin

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Carbon naonotubes/chitosan/ZnO coating was first constructed on Ti implants. • This system endowed Ti implants with excellent self-antibacterial activity. • The amount of Zn could be precisely controlled by atom layer deposition. • This system could regulate cell behaviors on metallic implants. - Abstract: One-dimensional (1D) nanostructures of ZnO using atomic layer deposition (ALD) on chitosan (CS) modified carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were first introduced onto the surfaces of biomedical implants. When the content of ZnO is not sufficient, CNTs can strengthen the antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus by 8% and 39%, respectively. CS can improve the cytocompatibility of CNTs and ZnO. The amount of Zn content can be controlled by changing the cycling numbers of ALD processes. This hybrid coating can not only endow medical implants with high self-antibacterial efficacy against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) of over 73% and 98%, respectively, but also regulate the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of osteoblasts by controlling the amount of ZnO.

  8. Superhydrophobic ZnAl double hydroxide nanostructures and ZnO films on Al and glass substrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    De, Debasis, E-mail: debasis.de@bcrec.ac.in [Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering Department, Dr. B C Roy Engineering College, Durgapur, West Bengal 713206 (India); Sarkar, D.K. [Centre Universitaire de Recherche sur l' Aluminium (CURAL), L' Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, 555 Blvd. Université, Chicoutimi, Saguenay, Québec G7H 2B1 (Canada)

    2017-01-01

    Superhydrophobic nanostructured ZnAl: layered double hydroxides (LDHs) and ZnO films have been fabricated on Al and glass substrates, respectively, by a simple and cost effective chemical bath deposition technique. Randomly oriented hexagonal patterned of ZnAl: LDHs thin nanoplates are clearly observed on Al-substrate in the scanning electron microscopic images. The average size of these hexagonal plates is ∼4 μm side and ∼30 nm of thickness. While on the glass substrate, a oriented hexagonal patterned ZnO nanorods (height ∼5 μm and 1 μm diameter) are observed and each rod is further decorated throughout the top few nanometers with several nanosteps. At the top of the nanorod, a perfectly hexagonal patterned ZnO surface with ∼250 nm sides is observed. The tendency to form hexagonal morphological features is due to the hexagonal crystal structure of ZnO confirmed from X-ray diffraction patterns and transmission electron microscopy image. The ZnAl: LDHs and/or ZnO coated substrates have been passivated by using stearic acid (SA) molecules. Infrared spectra of passivated ZnAl: LDHs coated substrates confirm the presence of SA. X-ray diffraction pattern also corroborates the results of infrared spectrum. The contact angle of the as prepared samples is zero. The superhydrophobicity is achieved by observing contact angle of ∼161° with a hysteresis of ∼4° for Al-substrate. On the glass substrate, a higher contact angle of ∼168° with a lower hysteresis of ∼3° is observed. A lower surface roughness of ∼4.93 μm is measured on ZnAl: LDHs surface layer on the Al substrate as compare to a higher surface roughness of 6.87 μm measured on ZnO layer on glass substrate. The superhydrophobicity of passivated nanostructured films on two different substrates is observed due to high surface roughness and low surface energy. - Highlights: • ZnAl: layered double hydroxides (LDHs) nanoplates are fabricated on Al substrate. • ZnO nanorods are fabricated on

  9. Room temperature inorganic polycondensation of oxide (Cu{sub 2}O and ZnO) nanoparticles and thin films preparation by the dip-coating technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Salek, G.; Tenailleau, C., E-mail: tenailleau@chimie.ups-tlse.fr; Dufour, P.; Guillemet-Fritsch, S.

    2015-08-31

    Oxide thin solid films were prepared by dip-coating into colloidal dispersions of oxide nanoparticles stabilized at room temperature without the use of chelating or complex organic dispersing agents. Crystalline oxide nanoparticles were obtained by inorganic polycondensation and characterized by X-ray diffraction and field emission gun scanning electron microscopy. Water and ethanol synthesis and solution stabilization of oxide nanoparticle method was optimized to prepare two different structural and compositional materials, namely Cu{sub 2}O and ZnO. The influence of hydrodynamic parameters over the particle shape and size is discussed. Spherical and rod shape nanoparticles were formed for Cu{sub 2}O and ZnO, respectively. Isoelectric point values of 7.5 and 8.2 were determined for cuprous and zinc oxides, respectively, after zeta potential measurements. A shear thinning and thixotropic behavior was observed in both colloidal sols after peptization at pH ~ 6 with dilute nitric acid. Every colloidal dispersion stabilized in a low cost and environmentally friendly azeotrope solution composed of 96 vol.% of ethanol with water was used for the thin film preparation by the dip-coating technique. Optical properties of the light absorber cuprous oxide and transparent zinc oxide thin solid films were characterized by means of transmittance and reflectance measurements (300–1100 nm). - Highlights: • Room temperature inorganic polycondensation of crystalline oxides • Water and ethanol synthesis and solution stabilization of oxide nanoparticles • Low cost method for thin solid film preparation.

  10. ZnO/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} coatings for the photoprotection of polycarbonate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moustaghfir, A. [Laboratoire des Materiaux Inorganiques, UMR CNRS 6002, Universite Blaise Pascal (Clermont-Fd), 63177 Aubiere Cedex (France); Tomasella, E. [Laboratoire des Materiaux Inorganiques, UMR CNRS 6002, Universite Blaise Pascal (Clermont-Fd), 63177 Aubiere Cedex (France); Jacquet, M. [Laboratoire des Materiaux Inorganiques, UMR CNRS 6002, Universite Blaise Pascal (Clermont-Fd), 63177 Aubiere Cedex (France)]. E-mail: jacquet@chimie.univ-bpclermont.fr; Rivaton, A. [Laboratoire de Photochimie Moleculaire et Macromoleculaire, UMR CNRS 6505, Universite Blaise Pascal (Clermont-Fd), 63177 Aubiere Cedex (France); Mailhot, B. [Laboratoire de Photochimie Moleculaire et Macromoleculaire, UMR CNRS 6505, Universite Blaise Pascal (Clermont-Fd), 63177 Aubiere Cedex (France); Gardette, J.L. [Laboratoire de Photochimie Moleculaire et Macromoleculaire, UMR CNRS 6505, Universite Blaise Pascal (Clermont-Fd), 63177 Aubiere Cedex (France); Beche, E. [PROMES, Odeillo, 66125 Font-Romeu Cedex (France)

    2006-10-25

    ZnO and ZnO/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin films were deposited by r.f. magnetron sputtering on polycarbonate (PC) films in order to protect this polymer against photodegradation. The composition, structure and optical properties of the ceramic coatings were characterised. CO{sub 2}-plasma treatments were applied to PC in order to improve the coating adhesion. The PC surface energy was characterised by wettability measurements and the chemical bonds were analysed by XPS. It was found that ZnO coatings improve the stability of PC to UV radiations and that an intermediate alumina coating inhibits the photocatalytic oxidation of PC at the PC/ZnO interface. Additionally an external alumina coating brings a high hardness to the coating.

  11. Synthesis of ZnO nanorod–nanosheet composite via facile hydrothermal method and their photocatalytic activities under visible-light irradiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tan, Wai Kian [Department of Electrical and Electronic Information Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology, Toyohashi, Aichi 441-8580 (Japan); Abdul Razak, Khairunisak; Lockman, Zainovia [School of Materials and Mineral Resources, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Engineering Campus, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang (Malaysia); Kawamura, Go; Muto, Hiroyuki [Department of Electrical and Electronic Information Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology, Toyohashi, Aichi 441-8580 (Japan); Matsuda, Atsunori, E-mail: matsuda@ee.tut.ac.jp [Department of Electrical and Electronic Information Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology, Toyohashi, Aichi 441-8580 (Japan)

    2014-03-15

    ZnO composite films consisting of ZnO nanorods and nanosheets were prepared by low-temperature hydrothermal processing at 80 °C on seeded glass substrates. The seed layer was coated on glass substrates by sol–gel dip-coating and pre-heated at 300 °C for 10 min prior to hydrothermal growth. The size of the grain formed after pre-heat treatment was ∼40 nm. A preferred orientation seed layer at the c-axis was obtained, which promoted vertical growth of the ZnO nanorod arrays and formation of the ZnO nanosheets. X-ray diffraction patterns and high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM) images confirmed that the ZnO nanorods and nanosheets consist of single crystalline and polycrystalline structures, respectively. Room temperature photoluminescence spectra of the ZnO nanorod–nanosheet composite films exhibited band-edge ultraviolet (UV) and visible emission (blue and green) indicating the formation of ZnO crystals with good crystallinity and are supported by Raman scattering results. The formation of one-dimensional (1D) ZnO nanorod arrays and two-dimensional (2D) ZnO nanosheet films using seeded substrates in a single low-temperature hydrothermal step would be beneficial for realization of device applications that utilize substrates with limited temperature stability. The ZnO nanorods and nanosheets composite structure demonstrated higher photocatalytic activity during degradation of aqueous methylene blue under visible-light irradiation. -- Graphical abstract: Schematic illustration of ZnO nanorod–nanosheet composite structure formation by hydrothermal at low-temperature of 80 °C against time. Highlights: • Novel simultaneous formation of ZnO nanorods and nanosheets composite structure. • Facile single hydrothermal step formation at low-temperature. • Photoluminescence showed ultraviolet and visible emission. • Feasible application on substrates with low temperature stability. • Improved photocatalytic activity under visible

  12. Facile approach in fabricating superhydrophobic ZnO/polystyrene nanocomposite coating

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qing, Yongquan; Zheng, Yansheng; Hu, Chuanbo; Wang, Yong; He, Yi; Gong, Yong; Mo, Qian

    2013-11-01

    In this paper, we report a simple and inexpensive method for fabricating modified-ZnO/polystyrene superhydrophobic surface on the cotton textiles. The surface wettability and topology of coating were characterized by contact angle measurement, Scanning electron microscope and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry. The results showed that the hydrophobic CH3 and CF2 group was introduced into ZnO particles via modification, the ZnO nanoparticles were modified from hydrophilic to hydrophobic. When the weight ratio of modified-ZnO to polystyrene was 7:3, the ZnO/polystyrene composite coating contact angle was 158°, coating surface with hierarchical micro/nano structures. Furthermore, the superhydrophobic cotton texiles have a very extensive application prospect in water-oil separation.

  13. Comparative study of ZnO nanorods and thin films for chemical and biosensing applications and the development of ZnO nanorods based potentiometric strontium ion sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khun, K.; Ibupoto, Z. H.; Chey, C. O.; Lu, Jun.; Nur, O.; Willander, M.

    2013-03-01

    In this study, the comparative study of ZnO nanorods and ZnO thin films were performed regarding the chemical and biosensing properties and also ZnO nanorods based strontium ion sensor is proposed. ZnO nanorods were grown on gold coated glass substrates by the hydrothermal growth method and the ZnO thin films were deposited by electro deposition technique. ZnO nanorods and thin films were characterised by field emission electron microscopy [FESEM] and X-ray diffraction [XRD] techniques and this study has shown that the grown nanostructures are highly dense, uniform and exhibited good crystal quality. Moreover, transmission electron microscopy [TEM] was used to investigate the quality of ZnO thin film and we observed that ZnO thin film was comprised of nano clusters. ZnO nanorods and thin films were functionalised with selective strontium ionophore salicylaldehyde thiosemicarbazone [ST] membrane, galactose oxidase, and lactate oxidase for the detection of strontium ion, galactose and L-lactic acid, respectively. The electrochemical response of both ZnO nanorods and thin films sensor devices was measured by using the potentiometric method. The strontium ion sensor has exhibited good characteristics with a sensitivity of 28.65 ± 0.52 mV/decade, for a wide range of concentrations from 1.00 × 10-6 to 5.00 × 10-2 M, selectivity, reproducibility, stability and fast response time of 10.00 s. The proposed strontium ion sensor was used as indicator electrode in the potentiometric titration of strontium ion versus ethylenediamine tetra acetic acid [EDTA]. This comparative study has shown that ZnO nanorods possessed better performance with high sensitivity and low limit of detection due to high surface area to volume ratio as compared to the flat surface of ZnO thin films.

  14. Structural and photoluminescence characterization of vertically aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes coated with ZnO by magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ouldhamadouche, N. [Institut des Materiaux Jean Rouxel, Universite de Nantes, CNRS, 2 rue de la Houssiniere BP 32229 44322 Nantes cedex 3 (France); Laboratoire de Physique des Materiaux, Universite des Sciences et de la Technologie Houari Boumediene, BP 32 El Alla. 16111, Bab Ezzouaur (Algeria); Achour, A., E-mail: a_aminph@yahoo.fr [Institut des Materiaux Jean Rouxel, Universite de Nantes, CNRS, 2 rue de la Houssiniere BP 32229 44322 Nantes cedex 3 (France); Musa, I.; Ait Aissa, K.; Massuyeau, F.; Jouan, P.Y. [Institut des Materiaux Jean Rouxel, Universite de Nantes, CNRS, 2 rue de la Houssiniere BP 32229 44322 Nantes cedex 3 (France); Kechouane, M. [Laboratoire de Physique des Materiaux, Universite des Sciences et de la Technologie Houari Boumediene, BP 32 El Alla. 16111, Bab Ezzouaur (Algeria); Le Brizoual, L.; Faulques, E.; Barreau, N.; Djouadi, M.A. [Institut des Materiaux Jean Rouxel, Universite de Nantes, CNRS, 2 rue de la Houssiniere BP 32229 44322 Nantes cedex 3 (France)

    2012-05-01

    Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures are very attractive in various optoelectronic applications such as light emitting devices. A fabrication process of these ZnO nanostructures which gives a good crystalline quality and being compatible with that of micro-fabrication has significant importance for practical application. In this work ZnO films with different thicknesses were deposited by RF-sputtering on vertically aligned multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNTs) template in order to obtain ZnO nanorods. The obtained hybrid structures (ZnO/MWCNTs) were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and time resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). Results show that the ZnO/MWCNTs have a nanorod structure like morphology with a good crystalline quality of the deposited ZnO on the MWCNTs. PL measurements reveal an enhancement of the band edge signal of ZnO/MWCNTs which is three times of magnitude higher compared to the ZnO film deposited on silicon. Moreover, the intensity enhancement varies as function of the ZnO thickness. Such hybrid structures are promising for optoelectronic application, such as blue-violet sources.

  15. Fabrication of nanostructured Al-doped ZnO thin film for methane sensing applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shafura, A. K., E-mail: shafura@ymail.com; Azhar, N. E. I.; Uzer, M.; Mamat, M. H. [NANO-ElecTronic Centre (NET), Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); Sin, N. D. Md. [NANO-ElecTronic Centre (NET), Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Johor, Kampus Pasir Gudang, 81750 Masai, Johor (Malaysia); Saurdi, I. [NANO-ElecTronic Centre (NET), Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA Sarawak, Kampus Kota Samarahan Jalan Meranek, Sarawak (Malaysia); Shuhaimi, A. [Dimensional Materials Research Centre (LDMRC), Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University ofMalaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Alrokayan, Salman A. H.; Khan, Haseeb A. [Research Chair of Targeting and Treatment Cancer Using Nanoparticles, Department Of Biochemistry, College Of Science, King Saud University, P.O: 2454 Riyadh 11451 (Saudi Arabia); Rusop, M., E-mail: nanouitm@gmail.com [NANO-ElecTronic Centre (NET), Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); NANO-SciTech Centre (NST), Institute of Science, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia)

    2016-07-06

    CH{sub 4} gas sensor was fabricated using spin-coating method of the nanostructured ZnO thin film. Effect of annealing temperature on the electrical and structural properties of the film was investigated. Dense nanostructured ZnO film are obtained at higher annealing temperature. The optimal condition of annealing temperature is 500°C which has conductivity and sensitivity value of 3.3 × 10{sup −3} S/cm and 11.5%, respectively.

  16. A study of Eu incorporated ZnO thin films: An application of Al/ZnO:Eu/p-Si heterojunction diode

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Turgut, G. [Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Science, Erzurum Technical University, Erzurum, 25240 (Turkey); Duman, S., E-mail: sduman@atauni.edu.tr [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Ataturk University, Erzurum, 25240 (Turkey); Sonmez, E. [Department of Physics, Faculty of K.K. Education, Ataturk University, Erzurum, 25240 (Turkey); Ozcelik, F.S. [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Ataturk University, Erzurum, 25240 (Turkey)

    2016-04-15

    Highlights: • Eu incorporated ZnO thin films were grown by sol–gel spin coating. • The influence of Eu contribution on features of ZnO was investigated. • Al/ZnO:Eu/p-Si heterojunction diodes were also fabricated. • The diode parameters were calculated from I–V measurements. - Abstract: In present work, the pure and europium (Eu) incorporated zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films were deposited with sol-gel spin coating by using zinc acetate dehydrate and Eu (III) chloride salts. The coated films were examined by means of XRD, AFM and UV/VIS spectrophotometer. The ZnO hexagonal wurtzite nanoparticles with (002) preferential direction were observed for all films. The values of crystallite size, micro-strain and surface roughness continuously increased from 21 nm, 1.10 × 10{sup −3} and 2.43 nm to the values of 35.56 nm, 1.98 × 10{sup −3} and 28.99 nm with Eu doping, respectively. The optical band gap value of the pure ZnO initially increased from 3.296 eV to 3.328 eV with Eu doping up to 2 at.% doping level, then it started to decrease with more Eu content. The electrical features of Al/n-ZnO:Eu/p-Si heterojunction diodes were inquired by current-voltage (I–V) measurements at the room temperature.

  17. Use of ZnO as antireflective, protective, antibacterial, and biocompatible multifunction nanolayer of thermochromic VO2 nanofilm for intelligent windows

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou, Huaijuan; Li, Jinhua; Bao, Shanhu; Li, Jian; Liu, Xuanyong; Jin, Ping

    2016-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • A multifunctional VO 2 /ZnO bilayer film is designed and deposited by magnetron sputtering apparatus. • The ZnO top layer can enhance the antireflective, antioxidative and anti-corrosion functions of the VO 2 film. • The ZnO top layer can endow VO 2 film with excellent antibacterial performance. • The ZnO top layer can attenuate the cytotoxicity of VO 2 thin film. - Abstract: A multifunctional VO 2 /ZnO bilayer film is designed and deposited by magnetron sputtering apparatus. The integration of the antireflective, antioxidative and anti-corrosion functions, and antibacterial performance makes the heterostructure film a promising candidate in the energy-saving smart window. The ZnO thin film as the antireflection layer can markedly boost the solar regulation efficiency (ΔT sol ) from 7.7% to 12.2% and possesses excellent luminous transmittance (T lum-L = 50.3%) in the low-temperature semiconductor phase. The ZnO layer as the protection barrier can not only protect VO 2 thin film from oxidation to much toxic V 2 O 5 , but also decrease the release of V ions. Besides, the synergistic effect of releasing killing by Zn 2+ ions and contact killing by ZnO NPs makes ZnO thin film an outstanding antibacterial coating. In terms of the biological safety, ZnO coating with appropriate film thickness can effectively attenuate the cytotoxicity of VO 2 on human HIBEpiC cells. We hope this work can provide new insights for better designing of novel multifunctional VO 2 -based intelligent energy-saving windows.

  18. Photoluminescence and lasing properties of ZnO nanorods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Geon Joon; Lee, Young Pak; Min, Sun Ki; Han, Sung Hwan; Lim, Hwan Hong; Cha, Myoung Sik; Kim, Sung Soo; Cheong, Hyeon Sik

    2010-01-01

    In this study, we investigated the structures, photoluminescence (PL), and lasing characteristics of the ZnO nanorods prepared by using chemical bath deposition. The continuous-wave HeCd laser excited PL spectra of the ZnO nanorods exhibited two emission bands, one in the UV region and the other in the visible region. The UV emission band has its peak at 3.25 eV with a bandwidth of 160 meV. However, the PL spectra under 355-nm, 35-ps pulse excitation exhibited a spectrally-narrowed UV emission band with a peak at 3.20 eV and a spectral width of 35 meV. The lasing phenomena were ascribed to the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) caused by coupling of the microcavity effect of ZnO nanorods and the high-intensity excitation. Above the lasing threshold, the ASE peak intensity exhibited a superlinear dependence on the excitation intensity. For an excitation pulse energy of 3 mJ, the ASE peak intensity was increased by enlarging the length of the ZnO nanorods from 1 μm to 4 μm. In addition, the PL spectrum under 800-nm femtosecond pulse excitation exhibited second harmonic generation, as well as the multiphoton absorption-induced UV emission band. In this research, ZnO nanorods were grown on seed layers by using chemical bath deposition in an aqueous solution of Zn(NO 3 ) 2 and hexamethyltetramine. The seed layers were prepared on conducting glass substrates by dip coating in an aqueous colloidal dispersion containing 50% 70-nm ZnO nanoparticles. Scanning electron microscopy clearly revealed that ZnO nanorods were successfully grown on the seed layers.

  19. Research on the properties of ZnO films by 1/f noise measurement

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Leroy, G.; Gest, J.; Yang, L.; Vandamme, L.K.J.

    2013-01-01

    ZnO films were deposited by de sputtering technique on glass and Pt/Si substrates. The effect of growth parameters is investigated on sheet resistance and noise. The 1/f noise normalized for bias, frequency and unit area, Cus is proportional with the sheet resistance Rsh. We found that the noise

  20. Field emission properties of ZnO nanosheet arrays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Naik, Kusha Kumar; Rout, Chandra Sekhar; Khare, Ruchita; More, Mahendra A.; Chakravarty, Disha; Late, Dattatray J.; Thapa, Ranjit

    2014-01-01

    Electron emission properties of electrodeposited ZnO nanosheet arrays grown on Indium tin oxide coated glass substrates have been studied. Influence of oxygen vacancies on electronic structures and field emission properties of ZnO nanosheets are investigated using density functional theory. The oxygen vacancies produce unshared d electrons which form an impurity energy state; this causes shifting of Fermi level towards the vacuum, and so the barrier energy for electron extraction reduces. The ZnO nanosheet arrays exhibit a low turn-on field of 2.4 V/μm at 0.1 μA/cm 2 and current density of 50.1 μA/cm 2 at an applied field of 6.4 V/μm with field enhancement factor, β = 5812 and good field emission current stability. The nanosheet arrays grown by a facile electrodeposition process have great potential as robust high performance vertical structure electron emitters for future flat panel displays and vacuum electronic device applications

  1. Analysis of electrochemical noise data in both time and frequency domains to evaluate the effect of ZnO nanopowder addition on the corrosion protection performance of epoxy coatings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Ashassi-Sorkhabi

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Epoxy–ZnO nanocomposite coatings have been developed for corrosion protection of steel. Structural characterization of the prepared nanocomposites was performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM. The anti-corrosive properties of the coatings were evaluated by electrochemical noise (EN. On the basis of the EN results in both time and frequency domains, the nanocomposite material with low ZnO concentration (0.1% wt.% was found to be much superior in corrosion protection when tested in aqueous NaCl electrolyte. Finally, EIS measurements were carried out and the data fitted with suitable equivalent circuit. Resistance parameters obtained by both techniques were found to be in relatively good agreement.

  2. ZnO Nano-Rod Devices for Intradermal Delivery and Immunization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nayak, Tapas R; Wang, Hao; Pant, Aakansha; Zheng, Minrui; Junginger, Hans; Goh, Wei Jiang; Lee, Choon Keong; Zou, Shui; Alonso, Sylvie; Czarny, Bertrand; Storm, Gert; Sow, Chorng Haur; Lee, Chengkuo; Pastorin, Giorgia

    2017-06-15

    Intradermal delivery of antigens for vaccination is a very attractive approach since the skin provides a rich network of antigen presenting cells, which aid in stimulating an immune response. Numerous intradermal techniques have been developed to enhance penetration across the skin. However, these methods are invasive and/or affect the skin integrity. Hence, our group has devised zinc oxide (ZnO) nano-rods for non-destructive drug delivery. Chemical vapour deposition was used to fabricate aligned nano-rods on ZnO pre-coated silicon chips. The nano-rods' length and diameter were found to depend on the temperature, time, quality of sputtered silicon chips, etc. Vertically aligned ZnO nano-rods with lengths of 30-35 µm and diameters of 200-300 nm were selected for in vitro human skin permeation studies using Franz cells with Albumin-fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) absorbed on the nano-rods. Fluorescence and confocal studies on the skin samples showed FITC penetration through the skin along the channels formed by the nano-rods. Bradford protein assay on the collected fluid samples indicated a significant quantity of Albumin-FITC in the first 12 h. Low antibody titres were observed with immunisation on Balb/c mice with ovalbumin (OVA) antigen coated on the nano-rod chips. Nonetheless, due to the reduced dimensions of the nano-rods, our device offers the additional advantage of excluding the simultaneous entrance of microbial pathogens. Taken together, these results showed that ZnO nano-rods hold the potential for a safe, non-invasive, and painless intradermal drug delivery.

  3. ZnO Nano-Rod Devices for Intradermal Delivery and Immunization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tapas R. Nayak

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Intradermal delivery of antigens for vaccination is a very attractive approach since the skin provides a rich network of antigen presenting cells, which aid in stimulating an immune response. Numerous intradermal techniques have been developed to enhance penetration across the skin. However, these methods are invasive and/or affect the skin integrity. Hence, our group has devised zinc oxide (ZnO nano-rods for non-destructive drug delivery. Chemical vapour deposition was used to fabricate aligned nano-rods on ZnO pre-coated silicon chips. The nano-rods’ length and diameter were found to depend on the temperature, time, quality of sputtered silicon chips, etc. Vertically aligned ZnO nano-rods with lengths of 30–35 µm and diameters of 200–300 nm were selected for in vitro human skin permeation studies using Franz cells with Albumin-fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC absorbed on the nano-rods. Fluorescence and confocal studies on the skin samples showed FITC penetration through the skin along the channels formed by the nano-rods. Bradford protein assay on the collected fluid samples indicated a significant quantity of Albumin-FITC in the first 12 h. Low antibody titres were observed with immunisation on Balb/c mice with ovalbumin (OVA antigen coated on the nano-rod chips. Nonetheless, due to the reduced dimensions of the nano-rods, our device offers the additional advantage of excluding the simultaneous entrance of microbial pathogens. Taken together, these results showed that ZnO nano-rods hold the potential for a safe, non-invasive, and painless intradermal drug delivery.

  4. Characteristics of TiO_2/ZnO bilayer film towards pH sensitivity prepared by different spin coating deposition process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rahman, Rohanieza Abdul; Zulkefle, Muhammad Al Hadi; Abdullah, Wan Fazlida Hanim; Rusop, M.; Herman, Sukreen Hana

    2016-01-01

    In this study, titanium dioxide (TiO_2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) bilayer film for pH sensing application will be presented. TiO_2/ZnO bilayer film with different speed of spin-coating process was deposited on Indium Tin Oxide (ITO), prepared by sol-gel method. This fabricated bilayer film was used as sensing membrane for Extended Gate Field-Effect Transistor (EGFET) for pH sensing application. Experimental results indicated that the sensor is able to detect the sensitivity towards pH buffer solution. In order to obtained the result, sensitivity measurement was done by using the EGFET setup equipment with constant-current (100 µA) and constant-voltage (0.3 V) biasing interfacing circuit. TiO_2/ZnO bilayer film which the working electrode, act as the pH-sensitive membrane was connected to a commercial metal-oxide semiconductor FET (MOSFET). This MOSFET then was connected to the interfacing circuit. The sensitivity of the TiO2 thin film towards pH buffer solution was measured by dipping the sensing membrane in pH4, pH7 and pH10 buffer solution. These thin films were characterized by using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) to obtain the surface morphology of the composite bilayer films. In addition, I-V measurement was done in order to determine the electrical properties of the bilayer films. According to the result obtained in this experiment, bilayer film that spin at 4000 rpm, gave highest sensitivity which is 52.1 mV/pH. Relating the I-V characteristic of the thin films and sensitivity, the sensing membrane with higher conductivity gave better sensitivity.

  5. Wafer-Scale High-Throughput Ordered Growth of Vertically Aligned ZnO Nanowire Arrays

    KAUST Repository

    Wei, Yaguang

    2010-09-08

    This article presents an effective approach for patterned growth of vertically aligned ZnO nanowire (NW) arrays with high throughput and low cost at wafer scale without using cleanroom technology. Periodic hole patterns are generated using laser interference lithography on substrates coated with the photoresist SU-8. ZnO NWs are selectively grown through the holes via a low-temperature hydrothermal method without using a catalyst and with a superior control over orientation, location/density, and as-synthesized morphology. The development of textured ZnO seed layers for replacing single crystalline GaN and ZnO substrates extends the large-scale fabrication of vertically aligned ZnO NW arrays on substrates of other materials, such as polymers, Si, and glass. This combined approach demonstrates a novel method of manufacturing large-scale patterned one-dimensional nanostructures on various substrates for applications in energy harvesting, sensing, optoelectronics, and electronic devices. © 2010 American Chemical Society.

  6. UV-durable superhydrophobic textiles with UV-shielding properties by coating fibers with ZnO/SiO2 core/shell particles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xue, Chao-Hua; Yin, Wei; Jia, Shun-Tian; Ma, Jian-Zhong

    2011-10-01

    ZnO/SiO2 core/shell particles were fabricated by successive coating of multilayer polyelectrolytes and then a SiO2 shell onto ZnO particles. The as-prepared ZnO/SiO2 core/shell particles were coated on poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) textiles, followed by hydrophobization with hexadecyltrimethoxysilane, to fabricate superhydrophobic surfaces with UV-shielding properties. Transmission electron microscopy and ζ potential analysis were employed to evidence the fabrication of ZnO/SiO2 core/shell particles. Scanning electron microscopy and thermal gravimetric analysis were conducted to investigate the surface morphologies of the textile and the coating of the fibers. Ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry and contact angle measurement indicated that the incorporation of ZnO onto fibers imparted UV-blocking properties to the textile surface, while the coating of SiO2 shell on ZnO prohibited the photocatalytic degradation of hexadecyltrimethoxysilane by ZnO, making the as-treated PET textile surface show stable superhydrophobicity with good UV-shielding properties.

  7. Multifunctional ZnO interfaces with hierarchical micro- and nanostructures: bio-inspiration from the compound eyes of butterflies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Sha; Yang, Yefeng; Jin, Yizheng; Huang, Jingyun; Zhao, Binghui; Ye, Zhizhen [Zhejiang University, State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Hangzhou (China)

    2010-07-15

    Multifunctional zinc oxide (ZnO) interfaces were fabricated by utilizing the technique of low-temperature metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The ZnO interfacial material exhibit antiwetting, antireflectance, and photonic properties derived from the unique hierarchical micro- and nanostructures of the compound eye of the butterflies. We demonstrate that the fabrication of the multifunctional interfaces by using biotemplates can be applied to other materials, such as Pt. Our study provides an excellent example to obtain multifunctional interfaces by learning from nature. (orig.)

  8. Nanocystalline ZnO films prepared via polymeric precursor method (Pechini)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sanchez, C.; Doria, J.; Paucar, C.; Hernandez, M. [Laboratorio de Materiales Ceramicos y Vitreos, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Medellin, A.A. 568, Medellin (Colombia); Mosquera, A.; Rodriguez, J.E. [Grupo CYTEMAC, Universidad del Cauca, Calle 5 No 4-70, Popayan (Colombia); Gomez, A. [Departamento de Ingenieria de Materiales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, sede Medellin, A.A. 568, Medellin (Colombia); Baca, E. [Grupo de Ingenieria de Nuevos Materiales, Universidad del Valle, A.A. 25360 Cali (Colombia); Moran, O., E-mail: omoranc@unal.edu.c [Laboratorio de Materiales Ceramicos y Vitreos, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Medellin, A.A. 568, Medellin (Colombia)

    2010-09-01

    The polymeric precursor method (Pechini) was employed to prepare high-quality nanocrystalline zinc oxide (ZnO) films. Briefly, the process started off with the preparation of a coating solution by the Pechini process followed by a coating of the glass substrates by a dip-coating technique and subsequent heat-treatment of the as-deposited films up to 550 {sup o}C for 30 min. The Rietveld profile analysis of the X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra revealed the wuerzite structure as expected for ZnO with a P6{sub 3}mc symmetry. No additional peaks were observed that would correspond to any secondary crystalline phase. The average crystallites size was 20 nm as calculated by Sherrer's equation. UV-vis spectroscopy showed sharp ultraviolet absorption edges at {approx}380 nm. The absorption edge analysis yielded optical band gap energy of 3.24 eV with electronic transition of the direct transition type. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis showed asymmetric and symmetric stretching modes of the carboxyl group (C=O). Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis revealed a crack-free surface morphology indicating that coating of the amorphous glass substrates was homogeneous on large surface areas. The temperature dependent conductivity featured a typical semiconducting-like behavior with resistivity approaching 3x10{sup -1} {Omega} cm at 220 K.

  9. Significant improvement in performances of LiNi{sub 0.5}Mn{sub 1.5}O{sub 4} through surface modification with high ordered Al-doped ZnO electro-conductive layer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sun, Hongdan; Xia, Bingbo [College of Physics, Optoelectronics and Energy & Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006 (China); Key Laboratory of Lithium Ion Battery Materials of Jiangsu Province, Institute of Chemical Power Sources, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006 (China); Liu, Weiwei [Changzhou Institute of Energy Storage Materials & Devices, Changzhou 213000 (China); Fang, Guoqing; Wu, Jingjing; Wang, Haibo; Zhang, Ruixue [College of Physics, Optoelectronics and Energy & Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006 (China); Key Laboratory of Lithium Ion Battery Materials of Jiangsu Province, Institute of Chemical Power Sources, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006 (China); Kaneko, Shingo [Key Laboratory of Lithium Ion Battery Materials of Jiangsu Province, Institute of Chemical Power Sources, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006 (China); Zheng, Junwei [College of Physics, Optoelectronics and Energy & Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006 (China); Key Laboratory of Lithium Ion Battery Materials of Jiangsu Province, Institute of Chemical Power Sources, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006 (China); Wang, Hongyu [Changzhou Institute of Energy Storage Materials & Devices, Changzhou 213000 (China); Li, Decheng, E-mail: lidecheng@suda.edu.cn [College of Physics, Optoelectronics and Energy & Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006 (China); Key Laboratory of Lithium Ion Battery Materials of Jiangsu Province, Institute of Chemical Power Sources, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006 (China)

    2015-03-15

    Graphical abstract: Al-doped ZnO (AZO)-coated LiNi{sub 0.5}Mn{sub 1.5}O{sub 4} (LNMO) was prepared by sol–gel method. AZO-coated LNMO electrode shows excellent rate capability and a remarkable improvement in the cyclic performance at a high rate at elevated temperature. - Highlights: • Al-doped ZnO (AZO)-coated LiNi{sub 0.5}Mn{sub 1.5}O{sub 4} (LNMO) was prepared by a traditional sol–gel method. • Al-doped ZnO (AZO) layer grown on the surface of LNMO is high ordered. • At a high rate of 10 C, the discharge capacity of the AZO-coated LNMO electrode can reach 114 mAh g{sup −1}. • Al-doped ZnO (AZO) modification improved cyclic performance of LNMO at high temperatures. - Abstract: Al-doped ZnO (AZO)-coated LiNi{sub 0.5}Mn{sub 1.5}O{sub 4} (LNMO) was prepared by sol–gel method. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis indicates that AZO layer grown on the surface of LNMO is high ordered. The results of electrochemical performance measurements reveal that the AZO-coated LNMO electrode displays the best rate capability compared with the bare LNMO and ZnO-coated LNMO, even at a high rate of 10 C. The discharge capacity of the AZO-coated LNMO electrode can still reach 114.3 mAh g{sup −1}, about 89% of its discharge capacity at 0.1 C. Moreover, AZO-coated LNMO electrode shows a remarkable improvement in the cyclic performance at a high rate at elevated temperature due to the protective effect of AZO coating layer. The electrode delivers a capacity of 120.3 mAh g{sup −1} with the capacity retention of 95% at 5 C in 50 cycles at 50 °C. The analysis of electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS) indicates that AZO-coated LNMO possesses the lowest charge transfer resistance compared to the bare LNMO and ZnO-coated LNMO, which may be responsible for improved rate capability.

  10. Vertically aligned ZnO nanorods via self-assembled spray pyrolyzed nanoparticles for dye-sensitized solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dwivedi, Charu; Dutta, V

    2012-01-01

    Well-aligned zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods are fabricated on indium-tin-oxide (ITO) coated glass substrates via self-assembly of ZnO nanoparticles created using continuous spray pyrolysis (CoSP) technique. The method involves pre-treatment by dip-coating the substrate with a solution comprising of zinc salt for creating a seed layer, and then spray-pyrolyzed ZnO nanoparticles self-assemble on the pre-treated substrate. The effect of the substrate pre-treatment and the deposition time (t dep ) of nanoparticles is investigated. The results show that the substrate pre-treatment influences the growth of ZnO nanorods which are absent without the pre-treatment. Nanoparticle collection and nanorod growth on different substrates are done simultaneously. The thin films of as-grown nanorods are used as photoelectrode materials to fabricate dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and the effect of nanorods grown for different times has been studied. The best performance with this cell structure is found for the layer with t dep =15 min, which showed a conversion efficiency of 1.77% for the cell area of 0.25 cm 2

  11. Far-infrared properties of sol-gel derived PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 thin films on Pt-coated substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kafadaryan, E A; Hovsepyan, R K; Khachaturova, A A; Aghamalyan, N R; Shirinyan, G O; Manukyan, A L; Vardanyan, R S; Hayrapetyan, A G; Grigoryan, S G; Vardanyan, E S

    2003-01-01

    Polycrystalline tetragonal PbZr 0.52 Ti 0.48 O 3 (PZT) thin films have been deposited on the nickel and (111) platinum coated (110) sapphire substrates by the sol-gel method. Optical properties of the PZT thin films were studied using far-infrared reflectivity spectroscopy in the 200-10 000 cm -1 frequency range at 300 K. The frequency dependence of the optical characteristics (σ, ε, -Im ε -1 ) of the films were calculated by the Kramers-Kronig transformation of the reflectivity spectra and analysed by the Drude-Lorentz model. The frequency dependence of the optical conductivity, σ(ω), of the PZT films deposited on platinum coated sapphire is well described by the free-carrier term and an overdamped mid-infrared component. Sapphire/Pt/PZT structures reveal semiconductor properties (effective carrier concentration N/m* is up to 10 20 cm -3 , plasma minimum is located near 3000 cm -1 ). This effect can be related to the favourable influence of the platinum electrode on the charge carrier density at Pt/PZT contact and formation of the interfacial conductive layer

  12. ZnO nanowires coated stainless steel meshes as hierarchical photocatalysts for catalytic photodegradation of four kinds of organic pollutants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ko, Fu-Hsiang; Lo, Wei-Ju [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, 30010, Taiwan (China); Chang, Yu-Cheng, E-mail: ychang0127@gmail.com [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Feng Chia University, Taichung, 40724, Taiwan (China); Guo, Jin-You; Chen, Chien-Ming [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Feng Chia University, Taichung, 40724, Taiwan (China)

    2016-09-05

    ZnO nanostructures were grown on the stainless steel mesh substrates using an aqueous chemical growth method. The different additives (such as 1,3-diaminopropane and polyethyleneimine) can be used to control the morphology of ZnO nanostructures. ZnO nanowires exhibit very prominent green emission and week UV emission from defect and band gap in the cathodoluminescence spectrum, respectively. The different morphology of ZnO nanostructures on the stainless steel mesh substrates can be used to irradiate UV light for the photocatalytic degradation of four kinds of organic pollutants, such as methylene blue, rhodamine 6G, methyl orange, and 4-nitrophenol. The ZnO nanowires can provide a higher surface-to-volume ratio and stronger defect emission, resulting in their highest photocatalytic performance in 10 W UV light irradiation. The ZnO nanowire arrays on the stainless steel mesh substrates provide a large-scale, facile, low-cost, high surface area, and high photocatalytic efficiency, which shall be of significant value for practical applications of the decomposition of environment pollutants and reusing of wastewater treatment. - Highlights: • ZnO NWs were grown on the stainless steel mesh by aqueous chemical growth method. • Longer ZnO NW arrays have been grown at short reaction time (2 h). • ZnO NWs revealed green emission from surface defect in the CL spectrum. • The different morphologies of ZnO were evaluated organic pollutant degradation. • ZnO NWs were also exhibited great photocatalytic activity and reusability.

  13. High-resolution TEM characterization of ZnO core-shell nanowires for dye-sensitized solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Divitini, G; Ducati, C [Department of Materials Science, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ (United Kingdom); Plank, N O V; Welland, M E [Nanoscience Centre, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, CB3 0FF (United Kingdom); Snaith, H J, E-mail: gd322@cam.ac.u [Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, OX1 3PU (United Kingdom)

    2010-07-01

    Recently ZnO nanowire films have been used in very promising and inexpensive dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC). It was found that the performance of the devices can be enhanced by functionalising the nanowires with a thin metal oxide coating. This nm-scale shell is believed to tailor the electronic structure of the nanowire, and help the absorption of the dye. Core-shell ZnO nanowire structures are synthesised at low temperature (below 120{sup 0}C) by consecutive hydrothermal growth steps. Different materials are investigated for the coating, including Mg, Al, Cs and Zr oxides. High resolution TEM is used to characterise the quality of both the nanowire core and the shell, and to monitor the thickness and the degree of crystallisation of the oxide coating. The interface between the nanowire core and the outer shell is investigated in order to understand the adhesion of the coating, and give valuable feedback for the synthesis process. Nanowire films are packaged into dye-sensitised solar cell prototypes; samples coated with ZrO{sub 2} and MgO show the largest enhancement in the photocurrent and open-circuit voltage and look very promising for further improvement.

  14. Soft-solution route to ZnO nanowall array with low threshold power density

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jang, Eue-Soon; Chen, Xiaoyuan; Won, Jung-Hee; Chung, Jae-Hun; Jang, Du-Jeon; Kim, Young-Woon; Choy, Jin-Ho

    2010-07-01

    ZnO nanowall array (ZNWA) has been directionally grown on the buffer layer of ZnO nanoparticles dip-coated on Si-wafer under a soft solution process. Nanowalls on substrate are in most suitable shape and orientation not only as an optical trap but also as an optical waveguide due to their unique growth habit, V[011¯0]≫V[0001]≈V[0001¯]. Consequently, the stimulated emission at 384 nm through nanowalls is generated by the threshold power density of only 25 kW/cm2. Such UV lasing properties are superior to those of previously reported ZnO nanorod arrays. Moreover, there is no green (defect) emission due to the mild procedure to synthesize ZNWA.

  15. ZIF-8 Membranes with Improved Reproducibility Fabricated from Sputter-Coated ZnO/Alumina Supports

    KAUST Repository

    Yu, Jian

    2015-11-10

    Zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) membrane has shown great potential for propylene/propane separation based on molecular sieving mechanism. Although diverse synthesis strategies were applied to prepare ZIF-8 membranes, it is still a challenge for reproducible fabrication of high-quality membranes. In this study, high-quality ZIF-8 membranes were prepared through hydrothermal synthesis under the partial self-conversion of sputter-coated ZnO layer on porous α-alumina supports. The reproducibility was significantly improved, compared with that from sol-gel coated ZnO layer, due to the highly controllable sputtering deposition of ZnO precursor. The relationship between the quality of as-synthesized membrane and amount of deposited ZnO was also determined. The effect of pressure drop in C3H6/C3H8 separation on separating performance was also examined.

  16. Influence of surface defects in ZnO thin films on its biosensing response characteristic

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saha, Shibu; Gupta, Vinay [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 (India)

    2011-09-15

    Highly c-axis oriented zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films deposited by rf magnetron sputtering under varying processing pressure (20-50 mT) in a reactive gas mixture of argon and oxygen were studied for biosensing application. The as-deposited ZnO thin films were in a state of compressive stress having defects related to interstitial Zn and antisite oxygen. Glucose oxidase has been chosen as the model enzyme in the present study and was immobilized on the surface of ZnO thin films deposited on indium tin oxide coated Corning Glass substrate. The studies reveal a correlation between the biosensing characteristic and the presence of defects in the ZnO films. The ZnO films deposited under high pressure (50 mT) are found to be more sensitive for biosensing application due to availability of more surface area for effective immobilization of biomolecules and exhibits a suitable microenvironment with good electron transfer characteristic. The obtained results highlight the importance of desired microstate besides availability of suitable native defects in the ZnO thin film for exhibiting enhanced biosensing response.

  17. Influence of surface defects in ZnO thin films on its biosensing response characteristic

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saha, Shibu; Gupta, Vinay

    2011-01-01

    Highly c-axis oriented zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films deposited by rf magnetron sputtering under varying processing pressure (20-50 mT) in a reactive gas mixture of argon and oxygen were studied for biosensing application. The as-deposited ZnO thin films were in a state of compressive stress having defects related to interstitial Zn and antisite oxygen. Glucose oxidase has been chosen as the model enzyme in the present study and was immobilized on the surface of ZnO thin films deposited on indium tin oxide coated Corning Glass substrate. The studies reveal a correlation between the biosensing characteristic and the presence of defects in the ZnO films. The ZnO films deposited under high pressure (50 mT) are found to be more sensitive for biosensing application due to availability of more surface area for effective immobilization of biomolecules and exhibits a suitable microenvironment with good electron transfer characteristic. The obtained results highlight the importance of desired microstate besides availability of suitable native defects in the ZnO thin film for exhibiting enhanced biosensing response.

  18. Current-voltage characterization of Au contact on sol-gel ZnO films with and without conducting polymer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lin, Yow-Jon; Jheng, Mei-Jyuan; Zeng, Jian-Jhou

    2010-01-01

    This study investigates the current density-voltage (J-V) characteristics of Au/n-type ZnO and Au/polyaniline (PANI)/n-type ZnO devices. ZnO films were prepared by the sol-gel method. For Au/n-type ZnO devices, native defects and impurities resident within the ZnO depletion region contribute to barrier thinning of, carrier hopping across, and tunneling through the Schottky barrier. This leads to the formation of nonalloyed ohmic contacts. However, rectifying junctions were formed on n-type ZnO by employing the simple technique of spin-coating PANI to act as the electron-blocking layer. Our present results suggest that the ZnO depletion region at the PANI/n-type ZnO interface is not the origin of the rectifying behavior of Au/PANI/n-type ZnO contact. In addition, the presence of the built-in potential of Au/PANI/n-type ZnO devices could result in the shift of the J-V curve toward negative voltage. Excellent agreement between simulated and measured data was obtained when the built-in potential was taken into account in the J-V relationship.

  19. Dye-sensitized solar cells with ZnO nanoparticles fabricated at low temperature

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cho, Sungjae; Moon, Byungjoon; Son, Dongick [Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Wanju (Korea, Republic of); Kwon, Byoungwook; Choi, Wonkook [Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-11-15

    The authors investigated the microstructural and the electrical properties of ZnO based dyesensitized solar cells (DSSCs) fabricated using a low-temperature-processed(200 .deg. C) dye-sensitized ZnO-nanoparticle thin film and a Pt catalyst deposited on ITO/glass by using RF magnetron sputtering. A hydropolymer containing PEG (poly(ethylene glycol)) and PEO (poly ethylene oxide) was used to make uniformly-distributed ZnO nanoparticle layer that form a nano-porous ZnO network after heat treatment and was then dye sensitized and sandwiched between two electrodes in an electrolyte to make a DSSC device. The highest measured parameters, the short circuit current density (J{sub sc}), the open circuit potential(V{sub oc}), the fill factor(FF), and the power conversion efficiency (η), of the DSSC fabricated under optimized conditions were observed to be 4.93 mA/cm{sup 2}, 0.56 V, 0.40, and 1.12%, respectively.

  20. Characteristics of TiO{sub 2}/ZnO bilayer film towards pH sensitivity prepared by different spin coating deposition process

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rahman, Rohanieza Abdul, E-mail: rohanieza.abdrahman@gmail.com; Zulkefle, Muhammad Al Hadi, E-mail: alhadizulkefle@gmail.com [NANO-Electronic Centre, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); Abdullah, Wan Fazlida Hanim, E-mail: wanfaz@salam.uitm.edu.my [Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Shah Alam, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); Rusop, M., E-mail: rusop@salam.uitm.com [NANO-Electronic Centre, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); NANO-Science Technology Centre (NST), Institute of Science (IOS), Faculty of Applied Science, Universiti Teknologi MARA - UiTM, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); Herman, Sukreen Hana, E-mail: hana1617@salam.uitm.edu.my [NANO-Electronic Centre, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); CoRe of Frontier Materials & Industry Applications, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia)

    2016-07-06

    In this study, titanium dioxide (TiO{sub 2}) and zinc oxide (ZnO) bilayer film for pH sensing application will be presented. TiO{sub 2}/ZnO bilayer film with different speed of spin-coating process was deposited on Indium Tin Oxide (ITO), prepared by sol-gel method. This fabricated bilayer film was used as sensing membrane for Extended Gate Field-Effect Transistor (EGFET) for pH sensing application. Experimental results indicated that the sensor is able to detect the sensitivity towards pH buffer solution. In order to obtained the result, sensitivity measurement was done by using the EGFET setup equipment with constant-current (100 µA) and constant-voltage (0.3 V) biasing interfacing circuit. TiO{sub 2}/ZnO bilayer film which the working electrode, act as the pH-sensitive membrane was connected to a commercial metal-oxide semiconductor FET (MOSFET). This MOSFET then was connected to the interfacing circuit. The sensitivity of the TiO2 thin film towards pH buffer solution was measured by dipping the sensing membrane in pH4, pH7 and pH10 buffer solution. These thin films were characterized by using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) to obtain the surface morphology of the composite bilayer films. In addition, I-V measurement was done in order to determine the electrical properties of the bilayer films. According to the result obtained in this experiment, bilayer film that spin at 4000 rpm, gave highest sensitivity which is 52.1 mV/pH. Relating the I-V characteristic of the thin films and sensitivity, the sensing membrane with higher conductivity gave better sensitivity.

  1. Improve the open-circuit voltage of ZnO solar cells with inserting ZnS layers by two ways

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun, Yunfei; Yang, Jinghai; Yang, Lili; Cao, Jian; Gao, Ming; Zhang, Zhiqiang; Wang, Zhe; Song, Hang

    2013-01-01

    ZnS NPs layers were deposited on ZnO NRs by two different ways. One is spin coating; the other is successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method. The ZnO NRs/ZnS NPs composites were verified by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and UV–visible spectrophotometer; their morphologies and thicknesses were examined by scanning electron microscopic and transmission electron microscopic images. The CdS quantum dot sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) were constructed using ZnO NRs/ZnS NPs composites as photoanode and their photovoltaic characteristic was studied by J–V curves. The results indicated that the way of SILAR is more beneficial for retarding the back transfer of electrons to CdS and electrolyte than spin coating method. The open-circuit voltage increased to 0.59 V by introducing a ZnS layer through SILAR method. When ZnS NPs layer was deposited for 10 times on ZnO NRs, the conversion efficiency of QDSSC shows ∼3.3 folds increments of as-synthesized ZnO solar cell. - Graphical abstract: When ZnO nanorods were deposited by ZnS for 10 times, the conversion efficiency of QDSSC shows ∼3.3 folds increments of as-synthesized ZnO solar cell. Highlights: ► ZnS layers were deposited with two different ways. ► The way of SILAR is more beneficial for retarding the back transfer of electrons. ► The open-circuit voltage increased to 0.59 V by introducing a ZnS layer through SILAR method

  2. Improve the open-circuit voltage of ZnO solar cells with inserting ZnS layers by two ways

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sun, Yunfei [State Key Laboratory of Luminescence and Applications, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130033 (China); Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Yang, Jinghai, E-mail: jhyang1@jlnu.edu.cn [Institute of Condensed State Physics, Jilin Normal University, Siping 136000 (China); Yang, Lili; Cao, Jian [Institute of Condensed State Physics, Jilin Normal University, Siping 136000 (China); Gao, Ming [State Key Laboratory of Luminescence and Applications, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130033 (China); Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Institute of Condensed State Physics, Jilin Normal University, Siping 136000 (China); Zhang, Zhiqiang; Wang, Zhe [Institute of Condensed State Physics, Jilin Normal University, Siping 136000 (China); Song, Hang [State Key Laboratory of Luminescence and Applications, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130033 (China)

    2013-04-15

    ZnS NPs layers were deposited on ZnO NRs by two different ways. One is spin coating; the other is successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method. The ZnO NRs/ZnS NPs composites were verified by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and UV–visible spectrophotometer; their morphologies and thicknesses were examined by scanning electron microscopic and transmission electron microscopic images. The CdS quantum dot sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) were constructed using ZnO NRs/ZnS NPs composites as photoanode and their photovoltaic characteristic was studied by J–V curves. The results indicated that the way of SILAR is more beneficial for retarding the back transfer of electrons to CdS and electrolyte than spin coating method. The open-circuit voltage increased to 0.59 V by introducing a ZnS layer through SILAR method. When ZnS NPs layer was deposited for 10 times on ZnO NRs, the conversion efficiency of QDSSC shows ∼3.3 folds increments of as-synthesized ZnO solar cell. - Graphical abstract: When ZnO nanorods were deposited by ZnS for 10 times, the conversion efficiency of QDSSC shows ∼3.3 folds increments of as-synthesized ZnO solar cell. Highlights: ► ZnS layers were deposited with two different ways. ► The way of SILAR is more beneficial for retarding the back transfer of electrons. ► The open-circuit voltage increased to 0.59 V by introducing a ZnS layer through SILAR method.

  3. Modulation-Doped In2O3/ZnO Heterojunction Transistors Processed from Solution

    KAUST Repository

    Khim, Dongyoon

    2017-03-15

    This paper reports the controlled growth of atomically sharp In2 O3 /ZnO and In2 O3 /Li-doped ZnO (In2 O3 /Li-ZnO) heterojunctions via spin-coating at 200 °C and assesses their application in n-channel thin-film transistors (TFTs). It is shown that addition of Li in ZnO leads to n-type doping and allows for the accurate tuning of its Fermi energy. In the case of In2 O3 /ZnO heterojunctions, presence of the n-doped ZnO layer results in an increased amount of electrons being transferred from its conduction band minimum to that of In2 O3 over the interface, in a process similar to modulation doping. Electrical characterization reveals the profound impact of the presence of the n-doped ZnO layer on the charge transport properties of the isotype In2 O3 /Li-ZnO heterojunctions as well as on the operating characteristics of the resulting TFTs. By judicious optimization of the In2 O3 /Li-ZnO interface microstructure, and Li concentration, significant enhancement in both the electron mobility and TFT bias stability is demonstrated.

  4. Modulation-Doped In2O3/ZnO Heterojunction Transistors Processed from Solution

    KAUST Repository

    Khim, Dongyoon; Lin, Yen-Hung; Nam, Sungho; Faber, Hendrik; Tetzner, Kornelius; Li, Ruipeng; Zhang, Qiang; Li, Jun; Zhang, Xixiang; Anthopoulos, Thomas D.

    2017-01-01

    This paper reports the controlled growth of atomically sharp In2 O3 /ZnO and In2 O3 /Li-doped ZnO (In2 O3 /Li-ZnO) heterojunctions via spin-coating at 200 °C and assesses their application in n-channel thin-film transistors (TFTs). It is shown that addition of Li in ZnO leads to n-type doping and allows for the accurate tuning of its Fermi energy. In the case of In2 O3 /ZnO heterojunctions, presence of the n-doped ZnO layer results in an increased amount of electrons being transferred from its conduction band minimum to that of In2 O3 over the interface, in a process similar to modulation doping. Electrical characterization reveals the profound impact of the presence of the n-doped ZnO layer on the charge transport properties of the isotype In2 O3 /Li-ZnO heterojunctions as well as on the operating characteristics of the resulting TFTs. By judicious optimization of the In2 O3 /Li-ZnO interface microstructure, and Li concentration, significant enhancement in both the electron mobility and TFT bias stability is demonstrated.

  5. Growth and characterization of ZnO thin films prepared by electrodeposition technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fahoume, M.; Maghfoul, O.; Aggour, M. [L.P.M.C., Faculte des Sciences, Universite Ibn Tofail, BP. 133-14000 Kenitra (Morocco); Hartiti, B. [L.P.M.A.E.R., Faculte des Sciences et Techniques, B.P. 146 Mohammedia (Morocco); Chraibi, F.; Ennaoui, A. [L.P.M., Faculte des Sciences, Universite Mohammed V, BP.1014 Rabat (Morocco)

    2006-06-15

    ZnO thin films were deposited on either indium tin oxide-coated glass or copper substrate by the electrodeposition process, using zinc chloride and flowing air as precursors. The effect of pH on the structural and morphological ZnO films was studied and the optimum deposition conditions have been outlined. The kinetics of the growth of the films have been investigated. We note that the rate of deposition of ZnO in an acidic solution was larger than in a basic solution. The structure of the films was studied using X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The surface morphology and thickness of the films were determined using scanning electron microscopy. The X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the films are polycrystalline with hexagonal crystal structure (zincite) at pH 4. The optical transmittance of ZnO decreases with varying film thickness. The optical energy bandgap was found to be 3.26eV. (author)

  6. New tests to detect antiphospholipid antibodies: antiprothrombin (aPT) and anti-phosphatidylserine/prothrombin (aPS/PT) antibodies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sciascia, Savino; Khamashta, Munther A; Bertolaccini, Maria Laura

    2014-05-01

    Antiprothrombin antibodies have been proposed as potential new biomarkers for thrombosis and/or pregnancy morbidity in the setting of the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). Antiprothrombin antibodies are commonly detected by ELISA, using prothrombin coated onto irradiated plates (aPT), or prothrombin in complex with phosphatidylserine (aPS/PT), as antigen. Although these antibodies can co-exist in the same patient, aPT and aPS/PT seem to belong to different populations of autoantibodies. Early research explored the role of antibodies to prothrombin as potential antigenic targets for the lupus anticoagulant (LA). To date their clinical significance is being investigated and their potential role in identifying patients at higher risk of developing thrombotic events or pregnancy morbidity is being probed.

  7. Hierarchical ZnO Nanowires-loaded Sb-doped SnO2-ZnO Micrograting Pattern via Direct Imprinting-assisted Hydrothermal Growth and Its Selective Detection of Acetone Molecules

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Hak-Jong; Choi, Seon-Jin; Choo, Soyoung; Kim, Il-Doo; Lee, Heon

    2016-01-01

    We propose a novel synthetic route by combining imprinting transfer of a Sb-doped SnO2 (ATO)-ZnO composite micrograting pattern (MP), i.e., microstrip lines, on a sensor substrate and subsequent hydrothermal growth of ZnO nanowires (NWs) for producing a hierarchical ZnO NW-loaded ATO-ZnO MP as an improved chemo-resistive sensing layer. Here, ATO-ZnO MP structure with 3-μm line width, 9-μm pitch, and 6-μm height was fabricated by direct transfer of mixed ATO and ZnO nanoparticle (NP)-dispersed resists, which are pre-patterned on a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) mold. ZnO NWs with an average diameter of less than 50 nm and a height of 250 nm were quasi-vertically grown on the ATO-ZnO MP, leading to markedly enhanced surface area and heterojunction composites between each ATO NP, ZnO NP, and ZnO NW. A ZnO NW-loaded MP sensor with a relative ratio of 1:9 between ATO and ZnO (1:9 ATO-ZnO), exhibited highly sensitive and selective acetone sensing performance with 2.84-fold higher response (Rair/Rgas = 12.8) compared to that (Rair/Rgas = 4.5) of pristine 1:9 ATO-ZnO MP sensor at 5 ppm. Our results demonstrate the processing advantages of direct imprinting-assisted hydrothermal growth for large-scale homogeneous coating of hierarchical oxide layers, particularly for applications in highly sensitive and selective chemical sensors.

  8. Study of the electrical and nanosecond third order nonlinear optical properties of ZnO films doped with Au and Pt nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Trejo-Valdez, Martin, E-mail: martin.trejo@laposte.net [ESIQIE, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México, D.F. 07738, México (Mexico); Sobral, Hugo [Centro de Ciencias Aplicadas y Desarrollo Tecnológico, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 70-186, México, D.F. 04510, México (Mexico); Martínez-Gutiérrez, Hugo [Centro de Nanociencias y Micro y Nanotecnologías del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México, D.F. 07738, México (Mexico); Torres-Torres, Carlos [Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, ESIME ZAC, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México, D.F. 07738, México (Mexico)

    2016-04-30

    Zinc oxide films doped with platinum and gold nanoparticles were deposited by the spray pyrolysis technique on glass substrates. A titanium dioxide sol–gel solution containing gold and platinum aqueous ions was employed for synthesizing the nanoparticles by ultraviolet-light irradiation. The conductive properties of the samples were characterized by the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy technique. Our results showed that the impedance of zinc oxide films doped with metallic nanoparticles was, by far, lower than typical measurements in zinc oxide films. A strong enhancement in the nanosecond nonlinear optical response was also obtained in the studied metallic doped films. A vectorial two-mixing experiment performed at 532 nm and 4 ns allowed us to evaluate the sample with a third order optical nonlinearity described by approximately | χ{sub 1111}{sup (3)}| = 2.6 × 10{sup −8} esu. - Highlights: • ZnO films doped with Pt and Au nanoparticles were synthetized. • The inclusion of metallic nanoparticles in the film improves optical nonlinearities. • Conductivity of the films was enhanced by the contribution of the nanoparticles.

  9. Optical and structural properties of thin films of ZnO at elevated temperature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kayani, Zohra N.; Afzal, Tosif; Riaz, Saira; Naseem, Shahzad

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Thin films of ZnO are prepared on glass substrates using dip-coating. • The X-ray diffraction showed that films are crystalline. • Optical measurements show that the film possesses high transmittance in visible region. • The transmission decreased with increased withdrawal speed. • The films has direct band gap in range 3.78-3.48 eV. - Abstract: Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films were prepared on glass substrate by sol–gel dip-coating method. The paper presents the properties of zinc oxide thin films deposited on soda-lime-glass substrate via dip-coating technique, using zinc acetate dehydrate and ethanol as raw materials. The effect of withdrawal speed on the crystalline structure, surface morphology and optical properties of the thin films has been investigated using XRD, SEM and UV–Vis spectrophotometer. X-ray diffraction study shows that all the films have hexagonal wurtzite structure with preferred orientation in (0 0 2) direction and transmission spectra showed highly transparent films with band gap ranging from 3.78 to 3.48 eV

  10. Preparation of ZnO Nanoparticles and Photocatalytic H2 Production Activity from Different Sacrificial Reagent Solutions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Tian-you; Lv, Hong-jin; Zeng, Peng; Zhang, Xiao-hu

    2011-08-01

    ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized via a direct precipitation method followed by a heterogeneous azeotropic distillation and calcination processes, and then characterized by X-ray power diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and nitrogen adsorption-desorption measurement. The effects of Pt-loading amount, calcination temperature, and sacrificial reagents on the photocatalytic H2 evolution efficiency from the present ZnO suspension were investigated. The experimental results indicate that ZnO nanoparticles calcined at 400 °C exhibit the best photoactivity for the H2 production in comparison with the samples calcined at 300 and 500 °C, and the photocatalytic H2 production efficiency from a methanol solution is much higher than that from a triethanolamine solution. It can be ascribed to the oxidization of methanol also contributes to the H2 production during the photochemical reaction process. Moreover, the photocatalytic mechanism for the H2 production from the present ZnO suspension system containing methanol solution is also discussed in detail.

  11. Enhancement in the structure quality of ZnO nanorods by diluted Co dopants: Analyses via optical second harmonic generation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Chung-Wei; Hsiao, Chih-Hung; Chang, Shoou-Jinn; Brahma, Sanjaya; Chang, Feng Ming; Wang, Peng Han; Lo, Kuang-Yao

    2015-01-01

    We report a systematic study about the effect of cobalt concentration in the growth solution over the crystallization, growth, and optical properties of hydrothermally synthesized Zn 1−x Co x O [0 ≤ x ≤ 0.40, x is the weight (wt.) % of Co in the growth solution] nanorods. Dilute Co concentration of 1 wt. % in the growth solution enhances the bulk crystal quality of ZnO nanorods, and high wt. % leads to distortion in the ZnO lattice that depresses the crystallization, growth as well as the surface structure quality of ZnO. Although, Co concentration in the growth solution varies from 1 to 40 wt. %, the real doping concentration is limited to 0.28 at. % that is due to the low growth temperature of 80 °C. The enhancement in the crystal quality of ZnO nanorods at dilute Co concentration in the solution is due to the strain relaxation that is significantly higher for ZnO nanorods prepared without, and with high wt. % of Co in the growth solution. Second harmonic generation is used to investigate the net dipole distribution from these coatings, which provides detailed information about bulk and surface structure quality of ZnO nanorods at the same time. High quality ZnO nanorods are fabricated by a low-temperature (80 °C) hydrothermal synthesis method, and no post synthesis treatment is needed for further crystallization. Therefore, this method is advantageous for the growth of high quality ZnO coatings on plastic substrates that may lead toward its application in flexible electronics

  12. Microwave Synthesized ZnO Nanorod Arrays for UV Sensors: A Seed Layer Annealing Temperature Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pimentel, Ana; Ferreira, Sofia Henriques; Nunes, Daniela; Calmeiro, Tomas; Martins, Rodrigo; Fortunato, Elvira

    2016-04-20

    The present work reports the influence of zinc oxide (ZnO) seed layer annealing temperature on structural, optical and electrical properties of ZnO nanorod arrays, synthesized by hydrothermal method assisted by microwave radiation, to be used as UV sensors. The ZnO seed layer was produced using the spin-coating method and several annealing temperatures, ranging from 100 to 500 °C, have been tested. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and spectrophotometry measurements have been used to investigate the structure, morphology, and optical properties variations of the produced ZnO nanorod arrays regarding the seed layer annealing temperatures employed. After the growth of ZnO nanorod arrays, the whole structure was tested as UV sensors, showing an increase in the sensitivity with the increase of seed layer annealing temperature. The UV sensor response of ZnO nanorod arrays produced with the seed layer annealed temperature of 500 °C was 50 times superior to the ones produced with a seed layer annealed at 100 °C.

  13. In situ formation deposited ZnO nanoparticles on silk fabrics under ultrasound irradiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khanjani, Somayeh; Morsali, Ali; Joo, Sang W

    2013-03-01

    Deposition of zinc(II) oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles on the surface of silk fabrics was prepared by sequential dipping steps in alternating bath of potassium hydroxide and zinc nitrate under ultrasound irradiation. This coating involves in situ generation and deposition of ZnO in a one step. The effects of ultrasound irradiation, concentration and sequential dipping steps on growth of the ZnO nanoparticles have been studied. Results show a decrease in the particles size as increasing power of ultrasound irradiation. Also, increasing of the concentration and sequential dipping steps increase particle size. The physicochemical properties of the nanoparticles were determined by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and wavelength dispersive X-ray (WDX). Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Microstructure and oxidation performance of a γ–γ′ Pt-aluminide ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Microstructure and oxidation performance of a –' Pt-aluminide bond coat on directionally solidified superalloy CM-247LC ... Keywords. Platinum aluminide bond coat; coating; cyclic oxidation; superalloy; microstructure. ... Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory, Kanchanbagh, Hyderabad 500 058, India ...

  15. On-chip surface modified nanostructured ZnO as functional pH sensors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Qing; Liu, Wenpeng; Sun, Chongling; Zhang, Hao; Pang, Wei; Zhang, Daihua; Duan, Xuexin

    2015-01-01

    Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures are promising candidates as electronic components for biological and chemical applications. In this study, ZnO ultra-fine nanowire (NW) and nanoflake (NF) hybrid structures have been prepared by Au-assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD) under ambient pressure. Their surface morphology, lattice structures, and crystal orientation were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Two types of ZnO nanostructures were successfully integrated as gate electrodes in extended-gate field-effect transistors (EGFETs). Due to the amphoteric properties of ZnO, such devices function as pH sensors. We found that the ultra-fine NWs, which were more than 50 μm in length and less than 100 nm in diameter, performed better in the pH sensing process than NW–NF hybrid structures because of their higher surface-to-volume ratio, considering the Nernst equation and the Gouy–Chapman–Stern model. Furthermore, the surface coating of (3-Aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) protects ZnO nanostructures in both acidic and alkaline environments, thus enhancing the device stability and extending its pH sensing dynamic range. (paper)

  16. The oxidation of aluminide diffusion coatings containing platinum used for the protection of IN738 superalloy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hanna, M.D.; Haworth, C.W.

    1993-01-01

    Aluminide coatings, as used for the protection against oxidation of most nickel-base superalloy components in modern jet engines, have been formed by a diffusion process on IN738 to give a coating that is essentially NiAl containing Al-rich precipitates. Aluminide coatings containing platinum have also been produced by initially depositing a thin layer (several microns thick) of Pt on the superalloy prior to the aluminisation process. Depending upon the details of the processing (such as the thickness of the Pt or the Al flux during the diffusion process) the structure of the coating on being formed was essentially either PtAl/sub 2/, PtAl or NiAl, or a mixture of these phases, but after some hours heat treatment at a high temperature (equivalent to service) was converted to either NiAl (containing Pt), or PtAl (containing Ni) or a mixture of PtAl and NiAl. The oxidation rate of these coatings at different temperatures between 800 and 1000 deg. C was studied using an automatic recording micro-balance and compared with the oxidation rate of a simple aluminide coating and of uncoated IN738. Further longer-term oxidation tests, including cyclic tests, were also undertaken. The Pt containing coatings gave approximately the same performance, and some were slightly better than the simple aluminide coatings, (and much better than the uncoated IN738). Both sections through the oxidised surface of the Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ scale formed on the coatings were examined using optical microscopy and the SEM. The coating/scale interface on the platinum aluminide was seen to be slightly convoluted. It was more adherent and showed less tendency to spall than that formed on the simple aluminide coating. (author)

  17. All-solid, flexible solar textiles based on dye-sensitized solar cells with ZnO nanorod arrays on stainless steel wires

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chae, Youngjin [Department of Clothing and Textiles, Yonsei University, 262 Seongsanno, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of); Park, Jung Tae; Koh, Jong Kwan [Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Yonsei University, 262 Seongsanno, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jong Hak, E-mail: jonghak@yonsei.ac.kr [Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Yonsei University, 262 Seongsanno, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Eunae, E-mail: eakim@yonsei.ac.kr [Department of Clothing and Textiles, Yonsei University, 262 Seongsanno, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of)

    2013-10-01

    Highlights: • All-solid, flexible solar textile fabricated with DSSCs is demonstrated. • DSSCs woven into a satin structure and transparent PET film are used. • Solar textile showed a high efficiency of 2.57%. -- Abstract: An all-solid, flexible solar textile fabricated with dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) woven into a satin structure and transparent poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) film was demonstrated. A ZnO nanorod (NR) vertically grown from fiber-type conductive stainless steel (SS) wire was utilized as a photoelectrode, and a Pt-coated SS wire was used as a counter electrode. A graft copolymer, i.e. poly(vinyl chloride)-graft-poly(oxyethylene methacrylate) (PVC-g-POEM) was synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and used as a solid electrolyte. The conditions for the growth of ZnO NR and sufficient dye loading were investigated to improve cell performance. The adhesion of PET films to DSSCs resulted in physical stability improvements without cell performance loss. The solar textile with 10 × 10 wires exhibited an energy conversion efficiency of 2.57% with a short circuit current density of 20.2 mA/cm{sup 2} at 100 mW/cm{sup 2} illumination, which is the greatest account of an all-solid, ZnO-based flexible solar textile. DSSC textiles with woven structures are applicable to large-area, roll-to-roll processes.

  18. Novel green synthetic strategy to prepare ZnO nanocrystals using rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) peel extract and its antibacterial applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuvakkumar, R; Suresh, J; Nathanael, A Joseph; Sundrarajan, M; Hong, S I

    2014-08-01

    In the present investigation, we report a sustainable novel green synthetic strategy to synthesis zinc oxide nanocrystals. This is the first report on sustainable biosynthesis of zinc oxide nanocrystals employing Nephelium lappaceum L., peel extract as a natural ligation agent. Green synthesis of zinc oxide nanocrystals was carried out via zinc-ellagate complex formation using rambutan peel wastes. The successful formation of zinc oxide nanocrystals was confirmed employing standard characterisation studies. A possible mechanism for the formation of ZnO nanocrystals with rambutan peel extract was also proposed. The prepared ZnO nanocrystals were coated on the cotton fabric and their antibacterial activity were analyzed. ZnO nanocrystals coated cotton showed good antibacterial activity towards Escherichia coli (E. coli), gram negative bacteria and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), gram positive bacteria. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Crystallinity improvement of ZnO nanorods by optimization of low-cost electrodeposition technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Özdal, Teoman, E-mail: teomanozdal@hotmail.com; Taktakoğlu, Renna; Özdamar, Havva; Esen, Mehmet; Takçı, Deniz Kadir; Kavak, Hamide

    2015-10-01

    Extremely low-cost electrodeposition technique was developed to deposit ZnO nanorods. The growth process was performed using standard DC power supply, milliammeter and two-electrode electrochemical cell. The deposition was carried out on indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass substrates by changing deposition parameters such as cathodic deposition current and time, solution molarity and temperature. The parameters varied to obtain optimum transparent semiconductor material for optoelectronic applications. Structural characterizations by X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicate the formation of polycrystalline phase ZnO with strong c-axis orientation and were sensitive to deposition temperatures and molarity as well. Average optical transmittance for the best two ZnO nanorod series was around 60% and 42%, respectively. The optical energy band gap of the ZnO nanorods decreased from 3.24 eV to 3.21 eV as the deposition time increased. All the nanorods were n-type with a high carrier concentration of 1 × 10{sup 20} cm{sup −3} and low 1–2 × 10{sup −3} Ωcm resistivity. - Highlights: • n-Type ZnO nanorods were electrochemically deposited employing standard DC power supply and milliammeter. • ZnO nanorods show very good polycrystalline and electrical properties consistent with the literature. • ZnO nanorod structures are hexagonal wurtzite and highly oriented along the c-axis perpendicular to the substrates. • Produced ZnO nanorod structures show good transparent conductive oxide properties.

  20. Electrical conduction and NO{sub 2} gas sensing properties of ZnO nanorods

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Şahin, Yasin [Council of Forensic Medicine, Bahçelievler, 34196 Istanbul (Turkey); Öztürk, Sadullah, E-mail: sadullahozturk@gyte.edu.tr [Gebze Institute of Technology, Science Faculty, Department of Physics, 41400 Gebze, Kocaeli (Turkey); Kılınç, Necmettin [Gebze Institute of Technology, Science Faculty, Department of Physics, 41400 Gebze, Kocaeli (Turkey); Koc University, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Sariyer, 34450 Istanbul (Turkey); Kösemen, Arif [Gebze Institute of Technology, Science Faculty, Department of Physics, 41400 Gebze, Kocaeli (Turkey); Mus Alparslan University, Department of Physics, 49100 Mus (Turkey); Erkovan, Mustafa [SAKARYA University, Engineering Faculty, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Esentepe Campus, 54187 Sakarya (Turkey); Öztürk, Zafer Ziya [Gebze Institute of Technology, Science Faculty, Department of Physics, 41400 Gebze, Kocaeli (Turkey); TÜBİTAK-Marmara Research Center, Materials Institute, 41470 Gebze, Kocaeli (Turkey)

    2014-06-01

    Thermally stimulated current (TSC), photoresponse and gas sensing properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods were investigated depending on heating rates, illumination and dark aging times with using sandwich type electrode system. Vertically aligned ZnO nanorods were grown on indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass substrate by hydrothermal process. TSC measurements were performed at different heating rates under constant potential. Photoresponse and gas sensing properties were investigated in dry air ambient at 200 °C. For gas sensing measurements, ZnO nanorods were exposed to NO{sub 2} (100 ppb to 1 ppm) in dark and illuminated conditions and the resulting resistance transient was recorded. It was found from dark electrical measurements that the dependence of the dc conductivity on temperature followed Mott's variable range hopping (VRH) model. In addition, response time and recovery times of ZnO nanorods to NO{sub 2} gas decreased by exposing to white light.

  1. Properties of SrBi2Nb2O9 thin films on Pt-coated Si

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Avila, R.E.; Navarro, P.O.; Martin, V. del C.; Fernandez, L.M.; Sylvester, G.; Retuert, P.J.; Gramsch, E.

    2002-01-01

    SrBi 2 Nb 2 O 9 powders and thin films, on Pt-coated Si, were synthesised by the sol-gel method. Three-layer thin films appear homogeneous down to the 100 nm scale, polycrystalline in the tetragonal Aurivillius phase, at a average thickness of 40 nm per layer. The index of refraction at the center of the visible range increases with the sintering temperature from roughly 2.1 (at 400 Centigrade) to 2.5 (at 700 Centigrade). The expression n 2 -1 increases linearly with the relative density of the thin films, in similar fashion as previous studies in PbTiO 3 thin films. The dielectric constant in quasistatic and high frequency (1 MHz) modes, is between 160 and 230. (Author)

  2. Ultrasonic vibration imposed on nanoparticle-based ZnO film improves the performance of the ensuing perovskite solar cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miao, Yihe; Du, Peng; Wang, Zhiyu; Chen, Qianli; Eslamian, Morteza

    2018-02-01

    This work focuses on the development of nearly annealing-free ZnO-based perovskite solar cells (PSCs), suitable for low-cost manufacturing of PSCs on flexible substrates. To this end, thin film of ZnO nanoparticles is employed as the electron transporting layer (ETL), because of its low-temperature solution-processability and high electron mobility. In order to remove the structural and surface defects, ultrasonic vibration is imposed on the substrate of the as-spun wet ZnO films for a short duration of 3 min. It is shown that the ultrasonic excitation bridges the ZnO nanoparticles (cold sintering), and brings about significant improvement in the ZnO film nanostructure and functionality. In addition, ethyl acetate (EA), as an emerging volatile anti-solvent, is employed to deposit the methylammonium (MA) lead halide perovskite thin film atop the ZnO ETL, in order to prepare perovskite layers that only need an annealing time of 30 s. The ZnO-based PSCs, with a simple structure and free of additional treatments, except for the ultrasonic vibration, exhibit a promising performance with a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of over 11%, 40% higher than that of the control device. The ultrasonic vibration treatment is facile, low-cost, environmentally friendly, and compatible with the scalable coating and printing techniques, such as spray and blade coating.

  3. Atomic Layer Deposition of ZnO on Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes and Its Use for Synthesis of CNT–ZnO Heterostructures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li C

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract In this article, direct coating of ZnO on PECVD-grown multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs is achieved using atomic layer deposition (ALD. Transmission electron microscopy investigation shows that the deposited ZnO shell is continuous and uniform, in contrast to the previously reported particle morphology. The ZnO layer has a good crystalline quality as indicated by Raman and photoluminescence (PL measurements. We also show that such ZnO layer can be used as seed layer for subsequent hydrothermal growth of ZnO nanorods, resulting in branched CNT–inorganic hybrid nanostructures. Potentially, this method can also apply to the fabrication of ZnO-based hybrid nanostructures on other carbon nanomaterials.

  4. Structural and optical properties of Na-doped ZnO films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akcan, D.; Gungor, A.; Arda, L.

    2018-06-01

    Zn1-xNaxO (x = 0.0-0.05) solutions have been synthesized by the sol-gel technique using Zinc acetate dihydrate and Sodium acetate which were dissolved into solvent and chelating agent. Na-doped ZnO nanoparticles were obtained from solutions to find phase and crystal structure. Na-doped ZnO films have been deposited onto glass substrate by using sol-gel dip coating system. The effects of dopant concentration on the structure, morphology, and optical properties of Na-doped ZnO thin films deposited on glass substrate are investigated. Characterization of Zn1-xNaxO nanoparticles and thin films are examined using differential thermal analysis (DTA)/thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-Ray diffractometer (XRD). Optical properties of Zn1-xNaxO thin films were obtained by using PG Instruments UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometer in 190-1100 nm range. The structure, morphology, and optical properties of thin films are presented.

  5. Can visible light impact litter decomposition under pollution of ZnO nanoparticles?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Du, Jingjing; Zhang, Yuyan; Liu, Lina; Qv, Mingxiang; Lv, Yanna; Yin, Yifei; Zhou, Yinfei; Cui, Minghui; Zhu, Yanfeng; Zhang, Hongzhong

    2017-11-01

    ZnO nanoparticles is one of the most used materials in a wide range including antibacterial coating, electronic device, and personal care products. With the development of nanotechnology, ecotoxicology of ZnO nanoparticles has been received increasing attention. To assess the phototoxicity of ZnO nanoparticles in aquatic ecosystem, microcosm experiments were conducted on Populus nigra L. leaf litter decomposition under combined effect of ZnO nanoparticles and visible light radiation. Litter decomposition rate, pH value, extracellular enzyme activity, as well as the relative contributions of fungal community to litter decomposition were studied. Results showed that long-term exposure to ZnO nanoparticles and visible light led to a significant decrease in litter decomposition rate (0.26 m -1 vs 0.45 m -1 ), and visible light would increase the inhibitory effect (0.24 m -1 ), which caused significant decrease in pH value of litter cultures, fungal sporulation rate, as well as most extracellular enzyme activities. The phototoxicity of ZnO nanoparticles also showed impacts on fungal community composition, especially on the genus of Varicosporium, whose abundance was significantly and positively related to decomposition rate. In conclusion, our study provides the evidence for negatively effects of ZnO NPs photocatalysis on ecological process of litter decomposition and highlights the contribution of visible light radiation to nanoparticles toxicity in freshwater ecosystems. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Preparation of PtRu/Carbon hybrid materials by hydrothermal carbonization: A study of the Pt:Ru atomic ratio

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tusi, Marcelo Marques; Brandalise, Michele; Correa, Olandir Vercino; Oliveira Neto, Almir; Linardi, Marcelo; Spinace, Estevam Vitorio; Villalba, Juan Carlo

    2009-01-01

    PtRu/Carbon materials with different Pt:Ru atomic ratios (30:70, 50:50, 60:40, 80:20 and 90:10) and 5 wt% of nominal metal load were prepared by hydrothermal carbonization using H 2 PtCl 6.6 H 2 O and RuCl 3. xH 2 O as metals sources and catalysts of the carbonization process and starch as carbon source and reducing agent. The obtained materials were treated at 900 deg C under argon and characterized by EDX, XRD and cyclic voltammetry. The electro-oxidation of methanol was studied by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry using thin porous coating technique. The PtRu/Carbon materials showed Pt:Ru atomic ratios obtained by EDX similar to the nominal ones. XRD analysis showed that Pt face-cubic centered (FCC) and Ru hexagonal close-packed (HCP) phases coexist in the obtained materials. The average crystallite sizes of the Pt (FCC) phase were in the range of 8-12 nm. The material prepared with Pt:Ru atomic ratio of 50:50 showed the best performance for methanol electro-oxidation. (author)

  7. Observation of high coercive fields in chemically synthesized coated Fe-Pt nanostructures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dalavi, Shankar B.; Panda, Rabi N., E-mail: rnp@goa.bits-pilani.ac.in

    2017-04-15

    Nanocrystalline Fe-Pt alloys have been synthesized via chemical reduction route using various capping agents; such as: oleic acid/oleylamine (route-1) and oleic acid/CTAB (route-2). We could able to synthesize Fe50Pt and Fe54Pt alloys via route 1 and 2, respectively. As-prepared Fe-Pt alloys crystallize in disordered fcc phase with crystallite sizes of 2.3 nm and 6 nm for route-1 and route-2, respectively. Disordered Fe-Pt alloys were transformed to ordered fct phase after annealing at 600 °C. SEM studies confirm the spherical shape morphologies of annealed Fe-Pt nanoparticles with SEM particle sizes of 24.4 nm and 21.2 nm for route-1 and route-2, respectively. TEM study confirms the presence of 4.6 nm particles for annealed Fe50Pt alloys with several agglomerating clusters of bigger size and appropriately agrees well with the XRD study. Room temperature magnetization studies of as-prepared Fe-Pt alloys (fcc) show ferromagnetism with negligible coercivities. Average magnetic moments per particle for as-prepared Fe-Pt alloys were estimated to be 753 μ{sub B} and 814 μ{sub B}, for route 1 and 2, respectively. Ordered fct Fe-Pt alloys show high values of coercivities of 10,000 Oe and 10,792 Oe for route-1 and route-2, respectively. Observed magnetic properties of the fct Fe-Pt alloys nps were interpreted with the basis of order parameters, size, surface, and composition effects. - Highlights: • Synthesis of capped nanocrystalline Fe-Pt alloys via chemical routes. • Ordered fct phase were obtained at 600 °C. • Microstructural studies were carried out using SEM and TEM. • Investigation on evolution of magnetic properties from fcc to fct state. • Maximum values of coercivities up to 10,792 Oe were observed.

  8. Self-assembly and optical properties of patterned ZnO nanodot arrays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Song Yijian; Zheng Maojun; Ma Li

    2007-01-01

    Patterned ZnO nanodot (ND) arrays and a ND-cavity microstructure were realized on an anodic alumina membrane (AAM) surface through a spin-coating sol-gel process, which benefits from the morphology and localized negative charge surface of AAM as well as the optimized sol concentration. The growth mechanism is believed to be a self-assembly process. This provides a simple approach to fabricate semiconductor quantum dot (QD) arrays and a QD-cavity system with its advantage in low cost and mass production. Strong ultra-violet emission, a multi-phonon process, and its special structure-related properties were observed in the patterned ZnO ND arrays

  9. Influence of PANI Additions on Methanol Sensing Properties of ZnO Thin Films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mohammad Hafizuddin Jumali; Norhashimah Ramli; Izura Izzuddin; Muhammad Yahaya; Muhamad Mat Salleh

    2011-01-01

    The influence of PANI additions on methanol sensing properties of ZnO thin films at room temperature had been investigated. Commercial poly aniline powder (PANI) was mixed into 3 mL ZnO solution in five different weight percentages namely 1.25, 2.50, 3.75, 5.00 and 6.25 % to obtain ZnO/ PANI composite solutions. These solutions were spin coated onto glass substrate to form thin films. Microstructural studies by FESEM indicated that ZnO/ PANI films showed porous structures with nano size grains. The thickness of the film increased from 55 to 256 nm, proportionate to increment of PANI. The presence of 2 adsorption peaks at ∼310 nm and ∼610 nm in UV-Vis spectrum proved that addition of PANI has modified the adsorption peak of ZnO film. Methanol vapour detection showed that addition of PANI into ZnO dramatically improved the sensing properties of the sensor. The sensors also exhibited good repeatability and reversibility. Sensor with the amount of PANI of 3.75 wt % exhibited the highest sensitivity with response and recovery time was about 10 and 80 s, respectively. The possible sensing mechanism of the sensor was also discussed in this article. (author)

  10. Significant enhancement of room temperature ferromagnetism in surfactant coated polycrystalline Mn doped ZnO particles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jayakumar, O.D. [Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085 (India); Gopalakrishnan, I.K. [Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085 (India)]. E-mail: ikgopal@barc.gov.in; Sudakar, C. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201 (United States); Kadam, R.M. [Radiochemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085 (India); Kulshreshtha, S.K. [Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085 (India)

    2007-07-12

    We report a surfactant assisted synthesis of Mn doped ZnO polycrystalline samples showing robust room temperature ferromagnetism as characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis, transmission electron microscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance and DC magnetization measurements. This surfactant assisted synthesis method, developed by us, is found to be highly reproducible. Further, it can also be extended to the synthesis of other transition metal doped ZnO.

  11. Replacement of traditional seawater-soluble pigments by starch and hydrolytic enzymes in polishing antifouling coatings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olsen, Søren Martin; Pedersen, L. T.; Dam-Johansen, Kim

    2010-01-01

    The use of starch and hydrolytic enzymes as replacement for traditional polishing pigments (e.g., Cu2O and ZnO) in antifouling coatings has been investigated. The enzymes facilitate a slow conversion of water-insoluble starch into water-soluble glucose, and dissolution of glucose causes the devel......The use of starch and hydrolytic enzymes as replacement for traditional polishing pigments (e.g., Cu2O and ZnO) in antifouling coatings has been investigated. The enzymes facilitate a slow conversion of water-insoluble starch into water-soluble glucose, and dissolution of glucose causes...... the development of a leached (porous) layer in the wetted, outermost part of the coating. Subsequent water-binder interaction at the pore walls gives rise to polishing, in a manner similar to that of conventional antifouling coatings. Different starch types have been evaluated and classified as potential coating...

  12. Energy scavenging based on a single-crystal PMN-PT nanobelt

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Fan; Cai, Wei; Yeh, Yao-Wen; Xu, Shiyou; Yao, Nan

    2016-03-01

    Self-powered nanodevices scavenging mechanical energy require piezoelectric nanostructures with high piezoelectric coefficients. Here we report the fabrication of a single-crystal (1 - x)Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 - xPbTiO3 (PMN-PT) nanobelt with a superior piezoelectric constant (d33 = ~550 pm/V), which is approximately ~150%, 430%, and 2100% of the largest reported values for previous PMN-PT, PZT and ZnO nanostructures, respectively. The high d33 of the single-crystalline PMN-PT nanobelt results from the precise orientation control during its fabrication. As a demonstration of its application in energy scavenging, a piezoelectric nanogenerator (PNG) is built on the single PMN-PT nanobelt, generating a maximum output voltage of ~1.2 V. This value is ~4 times higher than that of a single-CdTe PNG, ~13 times higher than that of a single-ZnSnO3 PNG, and ~26 times higher than that of a single-ZnO PNG. The profoundly increased output voltage of a lateral PNG built on a single PMN-PT nanobelt demonstrates the potential application of PMN-PT nanostructures in energy harvesting, thus enriching the material choices for PNGs.

  13. Effect of Er3+ doping on structural, morphological and photocatalytical properties of ZnO thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bouhouche, S.; Bensouici, F.; Toubane, M.; Azizi, A.; Otmani, A.; Chebout, K.; Kezzoula, F.; Tala-Ighil, R.; Bououdina, M.

    2018-05-01

    In this research work, structure, microstructure, optical and photocatalytic properties of undoped and Erbium doped nanostructured ZnO thin films prepared by sol-gel dip-coating are investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis indicates that the deposited films crystallize within the hexagonal wurtzite-type structure with a preferential growth orientation along (002) plane. Morphological observations using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) reveal important influence of Er concentration; displaying homogeneous and dense aspect for undoped to 0.3% then grid-like morphology for 0.4 and 0.5%. UV/vis/NIR transmittance spectroscopy spectra display a transmittance over 70%, and small variation in the energy gap energy 3.263–3.278 eV. Wettability test of ZnO thin films surface ranges from hydrophilic aspect for pure ZnO to hydrophobic one for Er doped ZnO, and the contact angle is found to increase from 58.7° for pure ZnO up to 98.4° for 0.4% Er doped ZnO. The photocatalytic activity measurements evaluated using the degradation of methylene blue (MB) under UV light irradiation demonstrate that undoped ZnO film shows higher photocatalytic activity compared to Er doped ZnO films, which may be attributed to the deterioration of films’crystallinity resulting in lower transmittance.

  14. Controllable synthesis of ZnO nanograss with different morphologies and enhanced performance in dye-sensitized solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhu Shibu; Chen Xiangnan; Zuo Feibiao; Jiang Man [Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials (Ministry of Education), School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China); Zhou Zuowan, E-mail: zwzhou@at-c.net [Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials (Ministry of Education), School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China); Hui, David [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA 70148 (United States)

    2013-01-15

    A series of ZnO nanograss films grown on fluorine-doped tin oxide coated glass substrates were synthesized via hydrothermal method by using polyethyleneimine (PEI) as adjusting agent. The films were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). It was found that the PEI not only affected the aspect ratios of ZnO nanograss but also changed the geometrical shape of ZnO nanograss. A possible mechanism based on PEI adsorbed on the non-polar facets of ZnO that governed the growth rate of different directions were proposed to elucidate the effect of PEI on morphology of ZnO. The ZnO nanograss films were applied to dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The results showed that the photocurrent density significantly enhanced, and the power conversion efficiency increased by 55% based on ZnO nanograss synthesized in a growth solution containing 7 mmol/L PEI, resulting from the dye loading properties related to the different morphologies. - Graphical abstract: Effect of PEI on ZnO nanograss: controlling the aspect ratio and morphology of ZnO and enhancing their photovoltaic performance. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer ZnO nanograss with different aspect ratios were synthesized by adjusting PEI content. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer PEI affects both on the aspect ratios and geometrical shapes of ZnO nanograss. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer ZnO nanograss with high aspect ratio and needle-like tip was advantageous for improved photovoltaic conversion performance.

  15. Maple leaf (Acer sp.) extract mediated green process for the functionalization of ZnO powders with silver nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vivekanandhan, Singaravelu; Schreiber, Makoto; Mason, Cynthia; Mohanty, Amar Kumar; Misra, Manjusri

    2014-01-01

    The functionalization of ZnO powders with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) through a novel maple leaf extract mediated biological process was demonstrated. Maple leaf extract was found to be a very effective bioreduction agent for the reduction of silver ions. The reduction rate of Ag(+) into Ag(0) was found to be much faster than other previously reported bioreduction rates and was comparable to the reduction rates obtained through chemical means. The functionalization of ZnO particles with silver nanoparticles through maple leaf extract mediated bioreduction of silver was investigated through UV-visible spectrophotometry, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffraction analysis. It was found that the ZnO particles were coated with silver nanoparticles 5-20 nm in diameter. The photocatalytic ability of the ZnO particles functionalized with silver nanoparticles was found to be significantly improved compared to the photocatalytic ability of the neat ZnO particles. The silver functionalized ZnO particles reached 90% degradation of the dye an hour before the neat ZnO particles. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Effect of Nb-doped TiO{sub 2} on nanocomposited aligned ZnO nanorod/TiO{sub 2}:Nb for dye-sensitized solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saurdi, I., E-mail: saurdy788@gmail.com; Ishak, A. [NANO-ElecTronic Centre (NET), Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM),40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); UiTM Sarawak Kampus Kota Samarahan Jalan Meranek, Sarawak (Malaysia); Shafura, A. K.; Azhar, N. E. A.; Mamat, M. H. [NANO-ElecTronic Centre (NET), Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM),40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); Malek, M. F.; Rusop, M. [NANO-ElecTronic Centre (NET), Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM),40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); NANO-SciTech Centre (NST), (Centre for Nano-Science and Nano-Technology), Institute of Science, Universiti Teknologi MARA - UiTM, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); Alrokayan, A. H. Salman; Khan, Haseeb A. [Department of Biochemistry, College of Science, Bldg. 5, King Saud University (KSU) P.O: 2455 Riyadh 1145 (Saudi Arabia)

    2016-07-06

    The Nb-doped TiO{sub 2} films were deposited on glass substrate at different Nb concentrations of 0 at.%, 1 at.%, 3 at.%, 5 at.% and 7 at.%, respectively and their electrical and structural properties were investigated. Subsequently, the Nb-doped TiO{sub 2} films were deposited on top of aligned ZnO Nanorod on ITO glass substrates using spin coating technique. The nanocomposited aligned ZnO nanorod/Nb-doped TiO{sub 2} (TiO{sub 2}:Nb) were coated with different Nb concentrations of 0 at.%, 1 at.%, 3 at.%, 5 at.% and 7 at.%, respectively. The Dye-sensitized solar cells were fabricated from the nanocomposited aligned ZnO nanorod/TiO{sub 2}:Nb photoanodes and their effects on the performance of the DSSCs were investigated. From the solar simulator measurement of DSSC the solar energy conversion efficiency (η) of 5.376% under AM 1.5 was obtained for the ZnO nanorod/TiO{sub 2}:Nb-5at.%.

  17. Effect of thermal treatment on electrical properties and varistors degradation of ZnO

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leite, E.R.; Cerri, J.A.; Longo, E.; Catao, P.S.P.; Varela, J.A.

    1990-01-01

    ZnO varistors obstained by conventional processing was heat treated and their electrical properties and degradation was analyzed. Infra-red spectroscopy, X-Ray diffraction and current-voltage curves were used to analize the properties with type of thermal cycle. The results showed that heat treatment promote stabilization against degradation and that exist a linear dependence of leakage current with square root of time. (author) [pt

  18. A Regrowth Method for the Fabrication of High-Quality ZnO Films and Their Application in Fast-Response UV Sensors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nam, Giwoong; Kim, Sungsu; Jo, Euije; Kim, Gyeongjae; Leem, Jae-Young [Inje University, Gimhae (Korea, Republic of); Son, Jeong-Sik [Kyungwoon University, Gumi (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Sung-O [Kansas State University, Manhattan (United States)

    2017-07-15

    In this study, we fabricated high-quality ZnO films using hydrothermally grown ZnO nanorods and a spin-coated Al-doped ZnO film by using regrowth method. The photoluminescence (PL) intensity ratios of the near-band-edge (NBE) to deep-level (DL) emission peaks (I{sub NBE}/I{sub DL}) for ZnO nanorods (samples 1) and ZnO film (sample 2) were 2.13 and 24.3, respectively. The redshift from 3.288 (sample 2) to 3.278 eV (sample 1) and low I{sub NBE}/I{sub DL} ratio in PL spectra were attributed to large mismatch between ZnO and Si substrate, resulting in a residual stress and the low optical properties. In case of sample 2, the photocurrent was sharply increased without the exponential rise because of enhanced optical properties of ZnO film by regrowth. The regrowth method is expected to represent a possible route for fast-response ultraviolet sensors.

  19. Zn2+ in-situ substitution behavior during the formation of BaTiO3 coatings from plasma-sprayed powders collected in liquid nitrogen

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Zhe; Xing, Zhiguo; Wang, Haidou; Xue, Zifan; Chen, Shuying; Cui, Xiufang; Jin, Guo

    2018-04-01

    The dielectric performance of BaTiO3 ceramic coatings is enhanced significantly by the addition of ZnO. In this study, the maximum relative permittivity value (εr ≈ 923) was measured in BaTiO3 coatings with ZnO added at 6 wt%. The Curie temperature (Tc) was in the range of 111 °C-121 °C for all of the ZnO-modified BaTiO3 coatings. Tc shifted to low temperatures as the ZnO content increased. Detailed analyses were performed to determine the phase composition and optical band gaps of powders collected in liquid nitrogen, which showed that the Zn2+ ions were incorporated into the BaTiO3 lattice where they substituted into the Ti4+ sites, and the composite powders (BaTiO3 + 6 wt% ZnO) tolerated high temperatures in the plasma beam. In addition, some residual Zn accumulated in the grain boundary in the form of ZnO. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy showed that the substitution led to changes in the compositional and structural properties. The red shift in the optical band gap of BaTiO3 indicated that the ZnTi'' defects caused by the dopants acted as carriers in the doped BaTiO3 coatings.

  20. Atomic layer epitaxy of ZnO for applications in molecular beam epitaxy growth of GaN and InGaN

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Godlewski, M.; Szczerbakow, A.; Ivanov, V. Yu.; Barski, A.; Goldys, E.M.

    2000-01-01

    We report the successful atomic layer epitaxy growth of thin ZnO films and their use for GaN and InGaN epitaxy. The properties of ZnO epilayers, obtained by four different procedures, are analysed, as well as of GaN and InGaN films grown on ZnO-coated Si and GaAs by MBE. (author)

  1. Nanoscaled Electrocatalytic Optically Modulated ZnO Nanoparticles through Green Process of Punica granatum L. and Their Antibacterial Activities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xolile Fuku

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Most recently, green synthesis of metal oxide nanoparticles has become an interesting subject of the nanoscience and nanotechnology. The use of plant systems has been deemed a green route and a dependable method for nanoparticle biosynthesis, owing to its environmental friendly nature. The present work demonstrates the bioreductive green synthesis of nanosized zinc oxide (ZnO using peel extracts of pomegranate. Highly crystalline ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NPs which are 5 nm in particle size were characterised by HRTEM and XRD. FT-IR spectra confirmed the presence of the biomolecules and formation of plant protein-coated ZnO NPs and also the pure ZnO NPs. Electrochemical investigation revealed the redox properties and the conductivity of the as-prepared ZnO nanoparticles. The optical band gap of ZnO NPs was calculated to be 3.48 eV which indicates that ZnO NPs can be used in metal oxide semiconductor-based devices. Further, the nanomaterials were also found to be good inhibitors of bacterial strains at both low and high concentrations of 5–10 mg mL−1.

  2. Optical and structural properties of ZnO nanorods grown on graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide film by hydrothermal method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alver, U., E-mail: alver@ksu.edu.tr [Department of Physics, Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University, K. Maras 46100 (Turkey); Zhou, W.; Belay, A.B. [Nanoscience and Technology Center, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816 (United States); Florida Solar Energy Center, Cocoa, FL 32922 (United States); Krueger, R. [Nanoscience and Technology Center, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816 (United States); Davis, K.O.; Hickman, N.S. [Nanoscience and Technology Center, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816 (United States); Florida Solar Energy Center, Cocoa, FL 32922 (United States)

    2012-01-15

    ZnO nanorods were grown on graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (RGO) films with seed layers by using simple hydrothermal method. The GO films were deposited by spray coating and then annealed at 400 Degree-Sign C in argon atmosphere to obtain RGO films. The optical and structural properties of the ZnO nanorods were systematically studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. The XRD patterns and SEM images show that without a seed layer, no ZnO nanorod deposition occurs on GO or RGO films. Transmittance of ZnO nanorods grown on RGO films was measured to be approximately 83% at 550 nm. Furthermore, while transmittance of RGO films increases with ZnO nanorod deposition, transmittance of GO decreases.

  3. Growth of ZnO nanoparticles from nanowhisker precursor with a simple solvothermal route

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Chunlei; Wang Enbo; Shen Enhong; Gao Lei; Kang Zhenhui; Tian Chungui; Zhang Chao; Lan Yang

    2006-01-01

    Methods of preparing nanoparticles have long been a topic experiencing extensive investigation. Among those methods developed, using template or polymer and surfactant as capping reagents were often effective. However, obtaining nanoparticles in high amounts and high purity still remains an unresolved challenge. Here, a simple two-step solvothermal method without using any surfactant or coating reactant to prepare ZnO nanoparticles with high purity in large scale was developed. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to characterize the as-prepared ZnO nanoparticles, and the formation process of the nanoparticles was discussed finally

  4. Effect of ZnO decoration on the photovoltaic performance of TiO{sub 2} based dye sensitized solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, Long; Zhai, Bao-gai [School of Mathematics and Physics, Changzhou University, Jiangsu 213164 (China); Ma, Qing-lan [School of Electronics and Information, Nantong University, Jiangsu 226019 (China); Huang, Yuan Ming, E-mail: dongshanisland@126.com [School of Electronics and Information, Nantong University, Jiangsu 226019 (China)

    2014-08-25

    Highlights: • Various ZnO morphologies coated TiO{sub 2} photoanodes are formed and applied to DSSCs. • The effect of photoanode morphology on performance of DSSCs was studied. • ZnO NRs@TiO{sub 2} electrode provides more dye absorption and fast transfer pathway. • The η of DSSC with ZnO NRs@TiO{sub 2} is increased over fourfold than other DSSCs. - Abstract: ZnO nanoparticles and one-dimensional vertically aligned ZnO nanorods were grown on the TiO{sub 2} layers in the photoanodes via the hydrothermal method at 60 and 90 °C, respectively. The effect of ZnO decoration on the photovoltaic performance of TiO{sub 2} based dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) was investigated. The morphologies, crystalline structures and optical properties of the synthesized ZnO nanoparticles and ZnO nanorods were characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffractometer and photoluminescence spectroscopy, respectively. The photocurrent–voltage curves of the fabricated DSSCs showed that the ZnO nanorods decorated DSSCs exhibited better photovoltaic performance than the ZnO nanoparticles decorated DSSCs. The improved performance of the ZnO nanorods decorated DSSCs can be ascribed to the fact that the vertically aligned ZnO nanorods provide high specific surface area for dye adsorption and the efficient pathway for electron transportation.

  5. Positron annihilation in corrosion protective polymeric coatings. Pt. 2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Szeles, C.; Vertes, A.; White, M.L.; Leidheiser, H. Jr.; Lehigh Univ., Bethlehem, PA

    1988-01-01

    Positron annihilation was studied in four commercial polymeric coatings on iron. Positron lifetime measurements were performed before and after exposure of the coatings to boiling water for 1 h. A correlation was observed between the effect of water exposure on the lifetime spectra and the protective properties of the coatings when exposed to 0.1M sulfuric acid at 60 0 C for 1010 h. The coatings that provided good corrosion protection in the acid showed minor changes in the positron lifetime spectra upon exposure to water. The spectra of coatings that showed poor corrosion protection in the acid showed minor changes in the positron lifetime spectra upon exposure to water. The spectra of coatings that showed poor corrosion protection, on the other hand, exhibited considerable changes in the positron lifetime spectra upon exposure to water. (orig.)

  6. Temperature dependent optical properties of ZnO thin film using ellipsometry and photoluminescence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bouzourâa, M.-B.; Battie, Y.; Dalmasso, S.; Zaïbi, M.-A.; Oueslati, M.; En Naciri, A.

    2018-05-01

    We report the temperature dependence of the dielectric function, the exciton binding energy and the electronic transitions of crystallized ZnO thin film using spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) and photoluminescence (PL). ZnO layers were prepared by sol-gel method and deposited on crystalline silicon (Si) by spin coating technique. The ZnO optical properties were determined between 300 K and 620 K. Rigorous study of optical responses was achieved in order to demonstrate the quenching exciton of ZnO as a function of temperature. Numerical technique named constrained cubic splines approximation (CCS), Tauc-Lorentz (TL) and Tanguy dispersion models were selected for the ellipsometry data modeling in order to obtain the dielectric function of ZnO. The results reveals that the exciton bound becomes widely flattening at 470 K on the one hand, and on the other that the Tanguy dispersion law is more appropriate for determining the optical responses of ZnO thin film in the temperature range of 300 K-420 K. The Tauc-Lorentz, for its part, reproduces correctly the ZnO dielectric function in 470 K-620 K temperature range. The temperature dependence of the electronic transition given by SE and PL shows that the exciton quenching was observed in 420 K-∼520 K temperature range. This quenching effect can be explained by the equilibrium between the Coulomb force of exciton and its kinetic energy in the film. The kinetic energy was found to induce three degrees of freedom of the exciton.

  7. Calculation of DSSC parameters based on ZnO nanorod/TiO2 mesoporous photoanode

    Science.gov (United States)

    Safriani, L.; Nurrida, A.; Mulyana, C.; Susilawati, T.; Bahtiar, A.; Aprilia, A.

    2017-07-01

    Photoanode of dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) plays an important role as electron transport media to accept photogenerated electron from excited state of dye. There are several physical properties that are required from photoanode of DSSC. It should be highly transparent, have large surface area, has a conduction band lower than LUMO of dye molecule, has high charge carrier mobility and finally has a good stability in redox electrolyte process. In this work, DSSC with structure FTO/ZnO nanorod/TiO2 mesoporous/Ru-dye/gel electrolyte/ Pt/FTO has been fabricated. In order to modified the structures of photoanode, ZnO nanorod was grown on aluminium doped ZnO seed layer by variation concentration of Al (0 wt%, 0.5 wt% and 1.0 wt%). Zinc nitrate hexahydrate and hexamethylenetetramine used as raw materials for ZnO nanorod growth solution and deposited by self-assembly methods on FTO/Al doped ZnO seed layer. It is then followed by deposition of titania (TiO2) paste by screen printing methods. DSSC parameters i.e. ideally factor (n), series resistance (RS ), and shunt resistance (RSH ) was derived from current density-voltage (I-V) curve using the simplify equation of ideal diode model. The influences of ZnO photoanode structures to the solar cell performance will be completely discussed.

  8. Improved ITO thin films for photovoltaic applications with a thin ZnO layer by sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herrero, J.; Guillen, C.

    2004-01-01

    The improvement of the optical and electrical characteristics of indium tin oxide (ITO) layers is pursued to achieve a higher efficiency in its application as frontal electrical contacts in thin film photovoltaic devices. In order to take advantage of the polycrystalline structure of ZnO films as growth support, the properties of ITO layers prepared at room temperature by sputtering onto bare and ZnO-coated substrates have been analyzed using X-ray diffraction, optical and electrical measurements. It has been found that by inserting a thin ZnO layer, the ITO film resistivity can be reduced as compared to that of a single ITO film with similar optical transmittance. The electrical quality improvement is related to ITO grain growth enhancement onto the polycrystalline ZnO underlayer

  9. Effect of co-doping process on topography, optical and electrical properties of ZnO nanostructured

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohamed, R.; Mamat, M. H.; Malek, M. F.; Ismail, A. S.; Yusoff, M. M.; Syamsir, S. A.; Khusaimi, Z.; Rusop, M.

    2018-05-01

    We investigated of Undoped ZnO and Magnesium (Mg)-Aluminium (Al) co-doped Zinc Oxide (MAZO) nanostructured films were prepared by sol gel spin coating technique. The surface topography was analyzed using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Based on the AFM results, Root Mean Square (RMS) of MAZO films have rougher surface compared to pure ZnO films. The optical and electrical properties of thin film samples were characterized using Uv-Vis spectroscopy and two point probes, current-voltage (I-V) measurements. The transmittance spectra for both thin samples was above 80% in the visible wavelength. The MAZO film shows the highest conductivity compared to pure ZnO films. This result indicates that the improvement of carrier mobility throughout doping process and possibly contribute by extra ion charge.

  10. Functionalized tetrapod-like ZnO nanostructures for plasmid DNA purification, polymerase chain reaction and delivery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nie Leng; Gao Lizeng; Yan Xiyun; Wang Taihong

    2007-01-01

    Functionalized tetrapodal ZnO nanostructures are tested in plasmid DNA experiments (1) as a solid-phase adsorbent for plasmid DNA purification (2) as improving reagents in a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and (3) as novel carriers for gene delivery. The amino-modification, the tetrapod-like shape of the nanostructure and its high biocompatibility all contribute to measurements showing promise for applications. A sol-gel method is used for silica coating and amino-modification. Plasmid DNA is purified through reversible conjugations of amino-modified ZnO tetrapods with DNA. Also, as additional reagents, functionalized tetrapods are shown to improve the amount of PCR product. For transfection, ZnO tetrapods provide some protection against deoxyribonuclease cleavage of plasmid DNA and deliver plasmid DNA into cells with little cytotoxicity

  11. Mechanistic studies of formic acid oxidation at polycarbazole supported Pt nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moghaddam, Reza B.; Pickup, Peter G.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: •A polycarbazole support decreases the accumulation of adsorbed intermediates on Pt during formic acid oxidation. •Polycarbazole causes a bilayer of Cu to form on Pt nanoparticles during Cu underpotential deposition. •XPS suggests that both of these effects are due to electron donation from the metal (Pt or Cu) into the polymer π-system. -- Abstract: Mechanistic aspects of the promotion of formic acid oxidation at Pt nanoparticles supported on a thin layer of polycarbazole (PCZ) have been investigated by voltammetry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The Pt nanoparticles were drop coated onto a glassy carbon (GC) electrode coated with a ca. 9 nm layer of electrochemically deposited polycarbazole. After 500 s of formic acid oxidation at 0 V vs. SCE, the current at a GC/PCZ/Pt electrode was 25 times higher than at a GC/Pt electrode. Voltammetry in formic acid free H 2 SO 4 following potentiostatic oxidation of formic acid revealed that there was less accumulation of adsorbed intermediates for the polycarbazole supported Pt nanoparticles than for those deposited directly onto the glassy carbon with, 50% more Pt sites remaining available for the GC/PCZ/Pt electrode relative to the GC/Pt electrode. Independent CO stripping experiments revealed only slight differences, while Cu underpotential deposition surprisingly resulted in the deposition of a ca. two-fold excess of Cu on the polycarbazole supported particles. This observation was supported by XPS which also revealed a second Cu signal at a higher binding energy, suggesting electron donation into the conjugated π system of the polymer. Such an interaction of Pt with the polycarbazole may be responsible for its higher activity for formic acid oxidation

  12. Electrical properties of solution-deposited ZnO thin-film transistors by low-temperature annealing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Chul; Oh, Ji Young; Koo, Jae Bon; Park, Chan Woo; Jung, Soon-Won; Na, Bock Soon; Chu, Hye Yong

    2014-11-01

    Flexible oxide thin-film transistors (Oxide-TFTs) have emerged as next generation transistors because of their applicability in electronic device. In particular, the major driving force behind solution-processed zinc oxide film research is its prospective use in printing for electronics. A low-temperature process to improve the performance of solution-processed n-channel ZnO thin-film transistors (TFTs) fabricated via spin-coating and inkjet-printing is introduced here. ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized using a facile sonochemical method that was slightly modified based on a previously reported method. The influence of the annealing atmosphere on both nanoparticle-based TFT devices fabricated via spin-coating and those created via inkjet printing was investigated. For the inkjet-printed TFTs, the characteristics were improved significantly at an annealing temperature of 150 degrees C. The field effect mobility, V(th), and the on/off current ratios were 3.03 cm2/Vs, -3.3 V, and 10(4), respectively. These results indicate that annealing at 150 degrees C 1 h is sufficient to obtain a mobility (μ(sat)) as high as 3.03 cm2/Vs. Also, the active layer of the solution-based ZnO nanoparticles allowed the production of high-performance TFTs for low-cost, large-area electronics and flexible devices.

  13. Blood plasma separation in ZnO nanoflowers-supported paper based microfluidic for glucose sensing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muhimmah, Luthviyah Choirotul; Roekmono, Hadi, Harsono; Yuwono, Rio Akbar; Wahyuono, Ruri Agung

    2018-04-01

    Blood plasma separation is essential to analyze and quantify the bio-substances in the human blood and hence, allows for diagnosing various diseases. This paper presents the two layer paper-based microfluidic analytical devices coated with ZnO nanoflowers (ZnO NF-µPAD) for a rapid blood plasma separation and glucose sensing. Plasma separation in ZnO NF-µPAD was evaluated experimentally and numerically using computational fluid dynamics package for a flow over porous networks. Glucose detection was carried out using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) measurements. The glucose concentrations in the red blood samples investigated here vary in the range of 150 - 310 mg.dl-1. The plasma separation process on ZnO NF-μPAD requires 240 ± 93 s. The spectroscopic data reveals that the IR absorptions and Raman signals at the typical vibrational frequencies of glucose are increasing at higher glucose concentration. After subtraction from absorption background arising from ZnO NF and the paper, linearly increasing IR absorption (913 and 1349 cm-1) and Raman signals (1346 and 1461 cm-1) are observable with a relatively good sensitivity.

  14. Direct growth of CdSe nanorods on ITO substrates by co-anchoring of ZnO nanoparticles and ethylenediamine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pan Shangke; Xu Tingting; Venkatesan, Swaminathan; Qiao Qiquan

    2012-01-01

    To grow CdSe nanorods directly onto indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates, a ZnO buffer layer composed of nanoparticles with diameter of ∼30–40 nm was prepared by spin coating ZnO sol–gel solution onto the ITO substrates. CdSe nanorods were then successfully in situ grown onto ITO substrates with diameter of ∼30–40 nm and length of ∼120–160 nm using solvothermal method in which CdSe·0.5en (en = ethylenediamine) acted as solution precursor. The in situ synthesized CdSe nanorods were conformed and characterized by atomic force microscope and electron microscopy. The mechanism of such in situ CdSe growth was understood as ZnO nanoparticles anchored en onto ITO substrates, while en linked CdSe with ZnO.

  15. Low-temperature-fabricated ZnO, AZO, and SnO{sub 2} nanoparticle-based dye-sensitized solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Hong Hee; Park, Cheolmin; Choi, Wonkook; Cho, Sungjae; Moon, Byungjoon; Son, Dongick [Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Yonsei University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-11-15

    The authors investigated the microstructural and the electrical properties of ZnO, AZO, and SnO{sub 2} based dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) fabricated using a low-temperature-processed (200 .deg. C) dyesensitized ZnO, AZO, and SnO{sub 2} nanoparticle thin film and a Pt catalyst deposited on ITO/glass by RF magnetron sputtering. A hydropolymer containing PEG (poly ethylene glycol) and PEO (poly ethylene oxide) is used to make uniformly-distributed ZnO, AZO, and SnO{sub 2} nanoparticle layer which forms a nano porous ZnO, AZO, and SnO{sub 2} network after heat treatment. The layer is then dye sensitized and sandwiched between two electrodes in an electrolyte to make a DSSC device. The highest measured parameters, the short-circuit current density (J{sub sc}), the open circuit potential (V{sub oc}), the fill factor (FF), and power conversion efficiency (η), of the DSSC fabricated wander optimized conditions were observed to be 5.10 mA/cm{sup 2}, 0.61 V, 0.46, and 1.43%, respectively.

  16. (0 0 2-oriented growth and morphologies of ZnO thin films prepared by sol-gel method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guo Dongyun

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Zinc acetate was used as a starting material to prepare Zn-solutions from solvents and ligands with different boiling temperature. The ZnO thin films were prepared on Si(1 0 0 substrates by spin-coating method. The effect of baking temperature and boiling temperature of the solvents and ligands on their morphologies and orientation was investigated. The solvents and ligands with high boiling temperature were favorable for relaxation of mechanical stress to form the smooth ZnO thin films. As the solvents and ligands with low boiling temperature were used to prepare Zn-solutions, the prepared ZnO thin films showed (0 0 2 preferred orientation. As n-propanol, 2-methoxyethanol, 2-(methylaminoethanol and monoethanolamine were used to prepare Zn-solutions, highly (0 0 2-oriented ZnO thin films were formed by adjusting the baking temperature.

  17. Anti-microbial surfaces: An approach for deposition of ZnO nanoparticles on PVA-Gelatin composite film by screen printing technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Meshram, J.V.; Koli, V.B.; Phadatare, M.R.; Pawar, S.H., E-mail: shpawar1946@gmail.com

    2017-04-01

    Initially micro-organisms get exposed to the surfaces, this demands development of anti-microbial surfaces to inhibit their proliferation. Therefore, herein, we attempt screen printing technique for development of PVA-GE/ZnO nanocomposite (PG/ZnO) films. The synthesis of PG/ZnO nanocomposite includes two steps as: (i) Coating of Zinc Oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) by poly ethylene glycol in order to be compatible with organic counterparts. (ii) Deposition of coated nanoparticles on the PG film surface. The results suggest the enhancement in anti-microbial activity of PG/ZnO nanocomposite over pure ZnO NPs against both Gram positive Bacillus subtilis and Gram negative Escherichia coli from zone of inhibition. The uniformity in deposition is further confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images. The phase identification of ZnO NPs and formation of PG/ZnO nanocomposite has been confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and UV–vis spectroscopy (UV–vis). The Attenuated total reflection Spectroscopy (ATR) analysis indicates the ester bond between PVA and gelatin molecules. The thermal stability of nanocomposite is studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealing increase in crystallinity due to ZnO NPs which could be utilized to inhibit the growth of micro-organisms. The tensile strength is found to be higher and percent elongation is double of PG/ZnO nanocomposite than PG composite film. - Highlights: • Synthesis of PG/ZnO nanocomposite by screen printing technique • Antimicrobial activity is due presence of ZnO nanoparticles on PG composite. • Improved tensile strength due to ZnO nanoparticles.

  18. Synthesis of Highly Concentrated ZnO Nanorod Sol by Sol-gel Method and their Applications for Inverted Organic Solar Cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Solee; Kim, Young Chai; Oh, Seong-Geun

    2015-01-01

    The effects of the zinc oxide (ZnO) preparing process on the performance of inverted organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs) were explored. The morphology and size of ZnO nanoparticles were controlled, leading to more efficient charge collection from device and higher electron mobility compared with nanospheres. Nanosized ZnO particles were synthesized by using zinc acetate dihydrate and potassium hydroxide in methanol. Also, water was added into the reaction medium to control the morphology of ZnO nanocrystals from spherical particles to rods, and NH 4 OH was used to prevent the gelation of dispersion. Solution-processed ZnO thin films were deposited onto the ITO/glass substrate by using spin coating process and then ZnO films were used as an electron transport layer in inverted organic photovoltaic cells. The analyses were carried out by using TEM, FE-SEM, AFM, DLS, UV-Vis spectroscopy, current density-voltage characteristics and solar simulator

  19. Morphology engineering of ZnO nanostructures for high performance supercapacitors: enhanced electrochemistry of ZnO nanocones compared to ZnO nanowires

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Xiaoli; Yoo, Joung Eun; Lee, Min Ho; Bae, Joonho

    2017-06-01

    In this work, the morphology of ZnO nanostructures is engineered to demonstrate enhanced supercapacitor characteristics of ZnO nanocones (NCs) compared to ZnO nanowires (NWs). ZnO NCs are obtained by chemically etching ZnO NWs. Electrochemical characteristics of ZnO NCs and NWs are extensively investigated to demonstrate morphology dependent capacitive performance of one dimensional ZnO nanostructures. Cyclic voltammetry measurements on these two kinds of electrodes in a three-electrode cell confirms that ZnO NCs exhibit a high specific capacitance of 378.5 F g-1 at a scan rate of 20 mV s-1, which is almost twice that of ZnO NWs (191.5 F g-1). The charge-discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements also clearly result in enhanced capacitive performance of NCs as evidenced by higher specific capacitances and lower internal resistance. Asymmetric supercapacitors are fabricated using activated carbon (AC) as the negative electrode and ZnO NWs and NCs as positive electrodes. The ZnO NC⫽AC can deliver a maximum specific capacitance of 126 F g-1 at a current density of 1.33 A g-1 with an energy density of 25.2 W h kg-1 at the power density of 896.44 W kg-1. In contrast, ZnO NW⫽AC displays 63% of the capacitance obtained from the ZnO NC⫽AC supercapacitor. The enhanced performance of NCs is attributed to the higher surface area of ZnO nanostructures after the morphology is altered from NWs to NCs.

  20. Characterization of ZnO thin films grown on different p-Si substrate elaborated by solgel spin-coating method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chebil, W., E-mail: Chbil.widad@live.fr [Laboratoire Physico-chimie des Matériaux, Unité de Service Commun de Recherche “High resolution X-ray diffractometer”, Département de Physique, Université de Monastir, Faculté des Sciences de Monastir, Avenue de l’Environnement, 5019 Monastir (Tunisia); Fouzri, A. [Laboratoire Physico-chimie des Matériaux, Unité de Service Commun de Recherche “High resolution X-ray diffractometer”, Département de Physique, Université de Monastir, Faculté des Sciences de Monastir, Avenue de l’Environnement, 5019 Monastir (Tunisia); Institut Supérieur des Sciences Appliquées et de Technologie de Sousse, Université de Sousse (Tunisia); Fargi, A. [Laboratoire de Microélectronique et Instrumentation, Faculté des Sciences de Monastir, Université de Monastir, Avenue de l’environnement, 5019 Monastir (Tunisia); Azeza, B.; Zaaboub, Z. [Laboratoire Micro-Optoélectroniques et Nanostructures, Faculté des Sciences de Monastir, Université de Monastir, Avenue de l' environnement, 5019 Monastir (Tunisia); and others

    2015-10-15

    Highlights: • High quality ZnO thin films grown on different p-Si substrates were successful obtained by sol–gel process. • PL measurement revealed that ZnO thin film grown on porous Si has the better optical quality. • I–V characteristics for all heterojunctions exhibit successful diode formation. • The diode ZnO/PSi shows a better photovoltaic effect under illumination with a maximum {sub Voc} of 0.2 V. - Abstract: In this study, ZnO thin films are deposited by sol–gel technique on p-type crystalline silicon (Si) with [100] orientation, etched silicon and porous silicon. The structural analyses showed that the obtained thin films were polycrystalline with a hexagonal wurtzite structure and preferentially oriented along the c-axis direction. Morphological study revealed the presence of rounded and facetted grains irregularly distributed on the surface of all samples. PL spectra at room temperature revealed that ZnO thin film grown on porous Si has a strong UV emission with low defects in the visible region comparing with ZnO grown on plat Si and etched Si surface. The heterojunction parameters were evaluated from the (I–V) under dark and illumination at room temperature. The ideality factor, barrier height and series resistance of heterojunction grown on different p-Si substrates are determined by using different methods. Best electrical properties are obtained for ZnO layer deposited on porous silicon.

  1. Synthesis of reduced graphene oxide/ZnO nanorods composites on graphene coated PET flexible substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Lei; Guo, Guilue; Liu, Yang; Chang, Quanhong; Shi, Wangzhou

    2013-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • ZnO nanorods synthesized on CVD-graphene and rGO surfaces, respectively. • ZnO/CVD-graphene and ZnO/rGO form a distinctive porous 3D structure. • rGO/ZnO nanostructures possibility in energy storage devices. - Abstract: In this work, reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/ZnO nanorods composites were synthesized on graphene coated PET flexible substrates. Both chemical vapor deposition (CVD) graphene and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) films were prepared following by hydrothermal growth of vertical aligned ZnO nanorods. Reduced graphene sheets were then spun coated on the ZnO materials to form a three dimensional (3D) porous nanostructure. The morphologies of the ZnO/CVD graphene and ZnO/rGO were investigated by SEM, which shows that the ZnO nanorods grown on rGO are larger in diameters and have lower density compared with those grown on CVD graphene substrate. As a result of fact, the rough surface of nano-scale ZnO on rGO film allows rGO droplets to seep into the large voids of ZnO nanorods, then to form the rGO/ZnO hierarchical structure. By comparison of the different results, we conclude that rGO/ZnO 3D nanostructure is more desirable for the application of energy storage devices

  2. Synthesis and characterization of ZnO thin film by low cost modified SILAR technique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haridas D. Dhaygude

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The ZnO thin film is prepared on Fluorine Tin Oxide (FTO coated glass substrate by using SILAR deposition technique containing ZnSO4.7H2O and NaOH as precursor solution with 150 deeping cycles at 70 °C temperature. Nanocrystalline diamond like ZnO thin film is characterized by different characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD, Fourier transform (FT Raman spectrometer, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM with Energy dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDAX, optical absorption, surface wettability and photoelectrochemical cell performance measurement. The X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the ZnO thin film is polycrystalline in nature having hexagonal crystal structure. The FT-Raman scattering exhibits a sharp and strong mode at 383 cm−1 which confirms hexagonal ZnO nanostructure. The surface morphology study reveals that deposited ZnO film consists of nanocrystalline diamond like morphology all over the substrate. The synthesized thin film exhibited absorption wavelength around 309 nm. Optical study predicted the direct band gap and band gap energy of this film is found to be 3.66 eV. The photoelectrochemical cell (PEC parameter measurement study shows that ZnO sample confirmed the highest values of, short circuit current (Isc - 629 mAcm−2, open circuit voltage (Voc - 878 mV, fill factor (FF - 0.48, and maximum efficiency (η - 0.89%, respectively.

  3. Effect of thermally grown oxide (TGO) microstructure on the durability of TBCs with PtNiAl diffusion bond coats

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Spitsberg, Irene [Materials and Process Engineering Department, GE Aircraft Engines, Evendale, OH (United States)]. E-mail: irene.spitsberg@kennametal.com; More, Karren [Metals and Ceramics Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

    2006-02-15

    The role of pre-oxidation surface treatments on the oxide microstructure and the failure mechanism of multi-layer thermal barrier systems based on Pt-modified NiAl bond coats and electron beam deposited thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) have been studied. The primary pre-oxidation experimental variable was the partial pressure of oxygen in the pre-oxidizing atmosphere at constant temperature and bond coat composition. The durability of TBCs deposited on surfaces following different pre-oxidation treatments were measured and compared using furnace cycling tests. The oxide layers corresponding to different levels of TBC performance were characterized microstructurally, chemically, and compositionally using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. TBC performance was enhanced by the formation of a surface oxide having a coarse-grained columnar structure during the pre-oxidation process. Increased TBC durability was consistent with a slower oxide growth rate during exposure of the TBC to high-temperature, cyclic conditions, as was observed for this particular pre-oxidation condition. An oxide microstructure having fewer through-thickness transport pathways (grain boundaries) should also result in slower lateral oxide growth rates, consistent with a slowed rate of ratcheting as was observed in the pre-oxidized samples that had the best TBC performance. The desired surface oxide grain structure was achieved by pre-oxidizing the bond coat prior to TBC deposition at an intermediate partial pressure of oxygen.

  4. Transparent nanocrystalline ZnO films prepared by spin coating

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Berber, M. [SusTech GmbH and Co. KG, Petersenstr. 20, 64287 Darmstadt, Hessen (Germany)]. E-mail: mete.berber@sustech.de; Bulto, V. [SusTech GmbH and Co. KG, Petersenstr. 20, 64287 Darmstadt, Hessen (Germany); Kliss, R. [SusTech GmbH and Co. KG, Petersenstr. 20, 64287 Darmstadt, Hessen (Germany); Hahn, H. [SusTech GmbH and Co. KG, Petersenstr. 20, 64287 Darmstadt, Hessen (Germany); Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Institute for Nanotechnology, Postfach 3640, 76021 Karlsruhe (Germany); Joint Research Laboratory Nanomaterials, TU Darmstadt, Institute of Materials Science, Petersenstr. 23, 64287 Darmstadt (Germany)

    2005-09-15

    Dispersions of zinc oxide nanoparticles synthesized by the electrochemical deposition under oxidizing conditions process with organic surfactants, were spin coated on glass substrates. After sintering, the microstructure, surface morphology, and electro-optical properties of the transparent nanocrystalline zinc oxide films have been investigated for different coating thicknesses and organic solvents.

  5. Transparent nanocrystalline ZnO films prepared by spin coating

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berber, M.; Bulto, V.; Kliss, R.; Hahn, H.

    2005-01-01

    Dispersions of zinc oxide nanoparticles synthesized by the electrochemical deposition under oxidizing conditions process with organic surfactants, were spin coated on glass substrates. After sintering, the microstructure, surface morphology, and electro-optical properties of the transparent nanocrystalline zinc oxide films have been investigated for different coating thicknesses and organic solvents

  6. A template-free sol-gel technique for controlled growth of ZnO nanorod arrays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, N.; Zhu, M.W.; Gao, L.J.; Gong, J.; Sun, C.; Jiang, X.

    2011-01-01

    The growth of ZnO nanorod arrays via a template-free sol-gel process was investigated. The nanorod is single-crystalline wurtzite structure with [0 0 0 1] growth direction determined by the transmission electron microscope. The aligned ZnO arrays were obtained directly on the glass substrates by adjusting the temperatures and the withdrawal speeds, without seed-layer or template assistant. A thicker oriented ZnO nanorod arrays was obtained at proper experimental conditions by adding dip-coating layers. Room temperature photoluminescence spectrum exhibits an intensive UV emission with a weak broad green emission as well as a blue double-peak emission located at 451 and 468 nm, respectively. Further investigation results show that the difference in the alignment of nanorods ascribes to the different orientations of the nanoparticles-packed film formed prior to nanorods on the substrate. Well ordered ZnO nanorods are formed from this film with good c-axis orientation. Our study is expected to pave a way for direct growth of oriented nanorods by low-cost solution approaches.

  7. A facile method to prepare superhydrophobic fluorinated polysiloxane/ZnO nanocomposite coatings with corrosion resistance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qing, Yongquan; Yang, Chuanning; Hu, Chuanbo; Zheng, Yansheng; Liu, Changsheng

    2015-01-01

    In this paper, we report a simple and inexpensive method for fabricating fluorinated polysiloxane/ZnO nanocomposite coatings on the steel substrates. The surface wettability and topology of coating were characterized by contact angle measurement, scanning electron microscope and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry. The results showed that the hydrophobic sbnd CH3 and sbnd CH2sbnd groups were introduced into ZnO particles via modification, the ZnO nanoparticles were modified from hydrophilic to hydrophobic. When the weight ratio of modified-ZnO to fluorinated polysiloxane was 13:7, the contact angle of nanocomposite coating was 166°, and a sliding angle of 4°, coating surface with hierarchical micro/nano-structures. In addition, the as-prepared superhydrophobic surface has excellent durability and corrosion resistance. It is believed that the facile and low-cost method offer an effective strategy and promising industrial applications for fabricating superhydrophobic surfaces on steel materials.

  8. Microstructures and Photovoltaic Properties of Zn(AlO/Cu2O-Based Solar Cells Prepared by Spin-Coating and Electrodeposition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takeo Oku

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Copper oxide (Cu2O-based heterojunction solar cells were fabricated by spin-coating and electrodeposition methods, and photovoltaic properties and microstructures were investigated. Zinc oxide (ZnO and Cu2O were used as n- and p-type semiconductors, respectively, to fabricate photovoltaic devices based on In-doped tin oxide/ZnO/Cu2O/Au heterojunction structures. Short-circuit current and fill factor increased by aluminum (Al doping in the ZnO layer, which resulted in the increase of the conversion efficiency. The efficiency was improved further by growing ZnO and Cu2O layers with larger crystallite sizes, and by optimizing the Al-doping by spin coating.

  9. Polyaniline hybridized surface defective ZnO nanorods with long-term stable photoelectrochemical activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bera, Susanta; Khan, Hasmat; Biswas, Indranil; Jana, Sunirmal

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Polyaniline (PANI) hybridized ZnO nanorods was synthesized by solution method. • Surface defects were found in the nanorods. • The hybrid material exhibited an enhancement in visible light absorption. • A long-term stable photoelectrochemical activity of the material was found. • Advancement in the properties would be PANI hybridization and surface defects. - Abstract: We report surfactant/template free precursor solution based synthesis of polyaniline (PANI) hybridized surface defective ZnO nanorods by a two-step process. Initially, ZnO nanorods have been prepared at 95 °C, followed by hybridization (coating) of PANI onto the ZnO via in situ polymerization of aniline monomer, forming ZnO-PANI nanohybrid (ZP). The structural properties of ZP have been analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopic (TEM) studies. The presence of surface defects especially the oxygen vacancies in ZnO has been characterized by photoluminescence emission, high resolution TEM, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and micro-Raman spectral measurements. The chemical interaction of PANI with ZnO has been examined by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and XPS analyses. A significant enhancement in visible absorption of ZP sample is found as evidenced from UV–vis diffused reflectance spectral study. BET nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm shows an improved textural property (pore size, pore volume) of ZP. Moreover, a long-term stable photoelectrochemical activity (PEC) of ZP is found compare to pristine ZnO. The synergic effect of PANI hybridization and the presence of surface defects in ZnO NRs can enhance the PEC by prolonging the recombination rate of photogenerated charge carriers. The effect can also provide large number of active sites to make electrolyte diffusion and mass transportation easier in the nanohybrid. This simple synthesis strategy can be adopted for PANI hybridization with different metal oxide semiconductors

  10. Polyaniline hybridized surface defective ZnO nanorods with long-term stable photoelectrochemical activity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bera, Susanta; Khan, Hasmat [Sol-Gel Division, CSIR-Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute (CSIR-CGCRI), 196 Raja S.C. Mullick Road, P.O. Jadavpur University, Kolkata 700 032, West Bengal (India); Biswas, Indranil [Materials Characterization and Instrumentation Division, CSIR-Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute (CSIR-CGCRI), 196 Raja S.C. Mullick Road, P.O. Jadavpur University, Kolkata 700 032, West Bengal (India); Jana, Sunirmal, E-mail: sjana@cgcri.res.in [Sol-Gel Division, CSIR-Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute (CSIR-CGCRI), 196 Raja S.C. Mullick Road, P.O. Jadavpur University, Kolkata 700 032, West Bengal (India)

    2016-10-15

    Highlights: • Polyaniline (PANI) hybridized ZnO nanorods was synthesized by solution method. • Surface defects were found in the nanorods. • The hybrid material exhibited an enhancement in visible light absorption. • A long-term stable photoelectrochemical activity of the material was found. • Advancement in the properties would be PANI hybridization and surface defects. - Abstract: We report surfactant/template free precursor solution based synthesis of polyaniline (PANI) hybridized surface defective ZnO nanorods by a two-step process. Initially, ZnO nanorods have been prepared at 95 °C, followed by hybridization (coating) of PANI onto the ZnO via in situ polymerization of aniline monomer, forming ZnO-PANI nanohybrid (ZP). The structural properties of ZP have been analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopic (TEM) studies. The presence of surface defects especially the oxygen vacancies in ZnO has been characterized by photoluminescence emission, high resolution TEM, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and micro-Raman spectral measurements. The chemical interaction of PANI with ZnO has been examined by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and XPS analyses. A significant enhancement in visible absorption of ZP sample is found as evidenced from UV–vis diffused reflectance spectral study. BET nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm shows an improved textural property (pore size, pore volume) of ZP. Moreover, a long-term stable photoelectrochemical activity (PEC) of ZP is found compare to pristine ZnO. The synergic effect of PANI hybridization and the presence of surface defects in ZnO NRs can enhance the PEC by prolonging the recombination rate of photogenerated charge carriers. The effect can also provide large number of active sites to make electrolyte diffusion and mass transportation easier in the nanohybrid. This simple synthesis strategy can be adopted for PANI hybridization with different metal oxide semiconductors

  11. Efficiency of Nb-Doped ZnO Nanoparticles Electrode for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anuntahirunrat, Jirapat; Sung, Youl-Moon; Pooyodying, Pattarapon

    2017-09-01

    The technological of Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) had been improved for several years. Due to its simplicity and low cost materials with belonging to the part of thin films solar cells. DSSCs have numerous advantages and benefits among the other types of solar cells. Many of the DSSC devices had use organic chemical that produce by specific method to use as thin film electrodes. The organic chemical that widely use to establish thin film electrodes are Zinc Oxide (ZnO), Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) and many other chemical substances. Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles had been used in DSSCs applications as thin film electrodes. Nanoparticles are a part of nanomaterials that are defined as a single particles 1-100 nm in diameter. From a few year ZnO widely used in DSSC applications because of its optical, electrical and many others properties. In particular, the unique properties and utility of ZnO structure. However the efficiency of ZnO nanoparticles based solar cells can be improved by doped various foreign impurity to change the structures and properties. Niobium (Nb) had been use as a dopant of metal oxide thin films. Using specification method to doped the ZnO nanoparticles thin film can improved the efficiencies of DSSCs. The efficiencies of Nb-doped ZnO can be compared by doping 0 at wt% to 5 at wt% in ZnO nanoparticles thin films that prepared by the spin coating method. The thin film electrodes doped with 3 at wt% represent a maximum efficiencies with the lowest resistivity of 8.95×10-4 Ω·cm.

  12. Toward hydrogen detection at room temperature with printed ZnO nanoceramics films activated with halogen lighting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Van Son; Jubera, Véronique; Garcia, Alain; Debéda, Hélène

    2015-12-01

    Though semiconducting properties of ZnO have been extensively investigated under hazardous gases, research is still necessary for low-cost sensors working at room temperature. Study of printed ZnO nanopowders-based sensors has been undertaken for hydrogen detection. A ZnO paste made with commercial nanopowders is deposited onto interdigitated Pt electrodes and sintered at 400 °C. The ZnO layer structure and morphology are first examined by XRD, SEM, AFM and emission/excitation spectra prior to the study of the effect of UV-light on the electrical conduction of the semiconductor oxide. The response to hydrogen exposure is subsequently examined, showing that low UV-light provided by halogen lighting enhances the gas response and allows detection at room temperature with gas responses similar to those obtained in dark conditions at 150 °C. A gas response of 44% (relative change in current) under 300 ppm is obtained at room temperature. Moreover, it is demonstrated that very low UV-light power (15 μW/mm2) provided by the halogen lamp is sufficient to give sensitivities as high as those for much higher powers obtained with a UV LED (7.7 mW/mm2). These results are comparable to those obtained by others for 1D or 2D ZnO nanostructures working at room temperature or at temperatures up to 250 °C.

  13. Physico-chemical changes of ZnO nanoparticles with different size and surface chemistry under physiological pH conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gwak, Gyeong-Hyeon; Lee, Won-Jae; Paek, Seung-Min; Oh, Jae-Min

    2015-03-01

    We studied the physico-chemical properties of ZnO nanoparticles under physiological pH conditions (gastric, intestinal and plasma) as functions of their size (20 and 70 nm) and surface chemistry (pristine, L-serine, or citrate coating). ZnO nanoparticles were dispersed in phosphate buffered saline under physiological pH conditions and aliquots were collected at specific time points (0.5, 1, 4, 10 and 24 h) for further characterization. The pH values of the aqueous ZnO colloids at each condition were in the neutral to slightly basic range and showed different patterns depending on the original size and surface chemistry of the ZnO nanoparticles. The gastric pH condition was found to significantly dissolve ZnO nanoparticles up to 18-30 wt%, while the intestinal or plasma pH conditions resulted in much lower dissolution amounts than expected. Based on the X-ray diffraction patterns and X-ray absorption spectra, we identified partial phase transition of the ZnO nanoparticles from wurtzite to Zn(OH)2 under the intestinal and plasma pH conditions. Using scanning electron microscopy, we verified that the overall particle size and morphology of all ZnO nanoparticles were maintained regardless of the pH. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. In situ glass antifouling using Pt nanoparticle coating for periodic electrolysis of seawater

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xue, Yuxi; Zhao, Jin; Qiu, Ri; Zheng, Jiyong; Lin, Cunguo; Ma, Bojiang; Wang, Peng

    2015-12-01

    In situ electrochemical chlorination is a promising way to prohibit the biofouling on glass used for optical devices in seawater. To make this approach practical, a conductive glass should have low overpotential to generate Cl2, so that the electrical energy consumption, a critical issue for field application, will be low. Moreover, a long sustainability should also be taken into consideration from the application perspective. Following these criteria, we propose Pt/ITO surface to electrochemically generate Cl2, which immunizes biofouling for glass substrate. In this report, firstly, Pt nanoparticle/ITO is prepared via an electrodeposition approach. Secondly, electrocatalysis capability of Pt/ITO is elucidated, which shows the catalysis for Cl2 generation from NaCl solution and seawater has been sparked with Pt on the surface. Also, Pt/ITO is more sustainable and efficient than the bare ITO in natural seawater. Thirdly, the antifouling property is evaluated taking diatom as the target organism. Electrochemical chlorination on Pt/ITO can efficiently prevent the glass from fouling.

  15. ZnO Thin Film Electronics for More than Displays

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramirez, Jose Israel

    Zinc oxide thin film transistors (TFTs) are investigated in this work for large-area electronic applications outside of display technology. A constant pressure, constant flow, showerhead, plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) process has been developed to fabricate high mobility TFTs and circuits on rigid and flexible substrates at 200 °C. ZnO films and resulting devices prepared by PEALD and pulsed laser deposition (PLD) have been compared. Both PEALD and PLD ZnO films result in densely packed, polycrystalline ZnO thin films that were used to make high performance devices. PEALD ZnO TFTs deposited at 300 °C have a field-effect mobility of ˜ 40 cm2/V-s (and > 20 cm2/V-S deposited at 200 °C). PLD ZnO TFTs, annealed at 400 °C, have a field-effect mobility of > 60 cm2/V-s (and up to 100 cm2/V-s). Devices, prepared by either technique, show high gamma-ray radiation tolerance of up to 100 Mrad(SiO2) with only a small radiation-induced threshold voltage shift (VT ˜ -1.5 V). Electrical biasing during irradiation showed no enhanced radiation-induced effects. The study of the radiation effects as a function of material stack thicknesses revealed the majority of the radiation-induced charge collection happens at the semiconductor-passivation interface. A simple sheet-charge model at that interface can describe the radiation-induced charge in ZnO TFTs. By taking advantage of the substrate-agnostic process provided by PEALD, due to its low-temperature and excellent conformal coatings, ZnO electronics were monolithically integrated with thin-film complex oxides. Application-based examples where ZnO electronics provide added functionality to complex oxide-based devices are presented. In particular, the integration of arrayed lead zirconate titanate (Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 or PZT) thin films with ZnO electronics for microelectromechanical systems (MEMs) and deformable mirrors is demonstrated. ZnO switches can provide voltage to PZT capacitors with fast charging and slow

  16. Effects of nanoscale coatings on reliability of MEMS ohmic contact switches

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tremper, Amber Leigh

    This thesis examines how the electrical and mechanical behavior of Au thin films is altered by the presence of ultra-thin metallic coatings. To examine the mechanical behavior, nanoindentation, nano-scratch, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) testing was performed. The electrical behavior was evaluated through Kelvin probe contact resistance measurements. This thesis shows that ultra-thin, hard, ductile coatings on a softer, ductile underlying layer (such as Ru or Pt on Au) had a significant effect on mechanical behavior of the system, and can be tailored to control the deformation resistance of the thin film system. Despite Ru and Pt having a higher hardness and plane strain modulus than Au, the Ru and Pt coatings decreased both the hardness and plane strain modulus of the layered system when the indentation depth was on the order of the coating thickness. Alternately, when the indentation depth was several times the coating thickness, the ductile, plastically hard, elastically stiff layer significantly hardened the contact response. These results correlate well with membrane stress theoretical predictions, and demonstrate that membrane theory can be applied even when the ratio of indentation depth, h, to coating thickness, t, is very large ( h/telectrical behavior of the Ru-coated Au films was examined, it was found that all the measured resistances of the Au-only film and Ru-coated systems were several orders of magnitude larger than those predicted by Holm's law, but were still in good agreement with previously reported values in the literature. Previous studies attributed the high contact resistances to a variety of causes, including the buildup of an insulating contamination layer. This thesis determined the cause of the deviations to be large sheet resistance contributions to the total measured resistance. Further, studies on aged samples (with thicker contamination layers) conclusively showed that, while contamination increases the contact resistance, it

  17. Solvent-assisted microstructural evolution and enhanced performance of porous ZnO films for plastic dye-sensitized solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohashi, Hitomi; Hagiwara, Manabu; Fujihara, Shinobu

    2017-02-01

    A low-temperature process for fabricating porous ZnO films on plastic, indium tin oxide-coated polyethylene naphthalate substrates is developed for their use in dye-sensitized solar cells. A special attention is paid to modification of microscopic morphologies for enhancing interparticle connection. ZnO films having two kinds of macroscopic morphologies (flower-like particles and densely packed nanoparticles) are fabricated at temperatures below the heatproof temperature of the substrate, and subsequently immersed in mixed solvents composed of water and ethanol at 90 °C. The immersion leads to the growth of constituting ZnO particles and also the evolution of interparticle connection, depending on solvent compositions. The cell performance is largely improved especially in a short-circuit current density and a power conversion efficiency. The immersion effect is more remarkable for the cell using the densely packed ZnO film, with a 62% increase in the current density and an 84% increase in the conversion efficiency. In consequence, our plastic N719-sensitized ZnO cell shows the conversion efficiency as high as 4.1%.

  18. Investigation of the correlation between dielectric function, thickness and morphology of nano-granular ZnO very thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gilliot, Mickaël, E-mail: mickael.gilliot@univ-reims.fr [Laboratoire d' Ingénierie et Sciences des Matériaux, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne (France); Hadjadj, Aomar [Laboratoire d' Ingénierie et Sciences des Matériaux, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne (France); Martin, Jérôme [Laboratoire de Nanotechnologie et d' Instrumentation Optique, Université de Technologie de Troyes (France)

    2015-12-31

    Thin nano-granular ZnO layers were prepared using a sol–gel synthesis and spin-coating deposition process with a thickness ranging between 20 and 120 nm. The complex dielectric function (ϵ) of the ZnO film was determined from spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements. Up to a critical thickness close to 60 nm, the magnitude of both the real and the imaginary parts of ϵ rapidly increases and then slowly tends to values closer to the bulk ZnO material. This trend suggests a drastic change in the film porosity at both sides of this critical thickness, due to the pre-heating and post-crystallization processes, as confirmed by additional characterization of the structure and the morphology of the ZnO films. - Highlights: • c-Axis oriented ZnO thin films were grown with different morphological states. • The morphology and structures are controlled by controlling the thickness. • The optical properties are correlated to morphological evolution. • Two growth behaviors and property evolutions are identified around a critical thickness.

  19. Effect of precursor concentration on the structural and optical properties of ZnO nanorods prepared by hydrothermal method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lestari, Amie; Iwan, S.; Djuhana, Dede; Imawan, Cuk; Harmoko, Adhi; Fauzia, Vivi

    2016-01-01

    Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods has attractive properties for nanoscale optoelectronic applications, such as optical sensors, ultraviolet laser diodes, and photodetectors. ZnO nanorods, can be fabricated by simple and low cost chemical approach, such as hydrothermal method. In this method, the morphology, microstructure, optical and electrical properties of ZnO nanorods are highly determined by process parameters such as solvent, deposition time, deposition temperature as well as annealing condition. In this paper we report the fabrication of ZnO nanorods that were grown on transparent conducting indium tin oxide coated glass substrates. Initially, ZnO seed layers were deposited on heated substrates with temperature of 450 °C using ultrasonic spray pyrolysis method with frequency of 1.7 MHz and then grown by hydrothermal method with three different precursor concentrations, namely 0.02 M, 0.06 M, and 0.1 M. The surface morphology and structure were investigated by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD), while the optical properties were observed by photoluminescence (PL) and and UV VIS reflectance spectroscopy.

  20. Selective Thallium (I Ion Sensor Based on Functionalised ZnO Nanorods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Z. H. Ibupoto

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Well controlled in length and highly aligned ZnO nanorods were grown on the gold-coated glass substrate by hydrothermal growth method. ZnO nanorods were functionalised with selective thallium (I ion ionophore dibenzyldiaza-18-crown-6 (DBzDA18C6. The thallium ion sensor showed wide linear potentiometric response to thallium (I ion concentrations ( M to  M with high sensitivity of 36.87 ± 1.49 mV/decade. Moreover, thallium (I ion demonstrated fast response time of less than 5 s, high selectivity, reproducibility, storage stability, and negligible response to common interferents. The proposed thallium (I ion-sensor electrode was also used as an indicator electrode in the potentiometric titration, and it has shown good stoichiometric response for the determination of thallium (I ion.

  1. Structural, Optical Constants and Photoluminescence of ZnO Thin Films Grown by Sol-Gel Spin Coating

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdel-Sattar Gadallah

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available We report manufacturing and characterization of low cost ZnO thin films grown on glass substrates by sol-gel spin coating method. For structural properties, X-ray diffraction measurements have been utilized for evaluating the dominant orientation of the thin films. For optical properties, reflectance and transmittance spectrophotometric measurements have been done in the spectral range from 350 nm to 2000 nm. The transmittance of the prepared thin films is 92.4% and 88.4%. Determination of the optical constants such as refractive index, absorption coefficient, and dielectric constant in this wavelength range has been evaluated. Further, normal dispersion of the refractive index has been analyzed in terms of single oscillator model of free carrier absorption to estimate the dispersion and oscillation energy. The lattice dielectric constant and the ratio of free carrier concentration to free carrier effective mass have been determined. Moreover, photoluminescence measurements of the thin films in the spectral range from 350 nm to 900 nm have been presented. Electrical measurements for resistivity evaluation of the films have been done. An analysis in terms of order-disorder of the material has been presented to provide more consistency in the results.

  2. An innovative zinc oxide-coated zeolite adsorbent for removal of humic acid

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Lingling, E-mail: lasier_wang@hotmail.com [College of Chemical Engineering and Materials, Quanzhou Normal University, Quanzhou 362000, Fujian (China); Environmental Engineering and Science Program, 705 Engineering Research Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0012 (United States); Han, Changseok [ORISE Post-doctoral Fellow, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ORD, NRMRL, STD, CPB, 26 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268 (United States); Nadagouda, Mallikarjuna N. [The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ORD, NRMRL, WSWRD, WQMB, 26 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268 (United States); Dionysiou, Dionysios D., E-mail: dionysios.d.dionysiou@uc.edu [Environmental Engineering and Science Program, 705 Engineering Research Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0012 (United States); Nireas-International Water Research Centre, School of Engineering, University of Cyprus, PO Box 20537, 1678, Nicosia (Cyprus)

    2016-08-05

    Highlights: • An innovative adsorbent was successfully synthesized to remove humic acid. • The adsorbent possessed high adsorption capacity for humic acid. • The adsorption capacity remarkably increased after an acid modification. • The adsorption capacity was proportional to the amount of ZnO coated on zeolite. • Electrostatic interactions are a major factor at the first stage of the process. - Abstract: Zinc oxide (ZnO)-coated zeolite adsorbents were developed by both nitric acid modification and Zn(NO{sub 3}){sub 2}·6H{sub 2}O functionalization of zeolite 4A. The developed adsorbents were used for the removal of humic acid (HA) from aqueous solutions. The synthesized materials were characterized by porosimetry analysis, scanning electron microscopy, X-Ray diffraction analysis, and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. The maximum adsorption capacity of the adsorbents at 21 ± 1 °C was about 60 mgC g{sup −1}. The results showed that the positive charge density of ZnO-coated zeolite adsorbents was proportional to the amount of ZnO coated on zeolite and thus, ZnO-coated zeolite adsorbents exhibited a greater affinity for negatively charged ions. Furthermore, the adsorption capacity of ZnO-coated zeolite adsorbents increased markedly after acid modification. Adsorption experiments demonstrated ZnO-coated zeolite adsorbents possessed high adsorption capacity to remove HA from aqueous solutions mainly due to strong electrostatic interactions between negative functional groups of HA and the positive charges of ZnO-coated zeolite adsorbents.

  3. An innovative zinc oxide-coated zeolite adsorbent for removal of humic acid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Lingling; Han, Changseok; Nadagouda, Mallikarjuna N.; Dionysiou, Dionysios D.

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • An innovative adsorbent was successfully synthesized to remove humic acid. • The adsorbent possessed high adsorption capacity for humic acid. • The adsorption capacity remarkably increased after an acid modification. • The adsorption capacity was proportional to the amount of ZnO coated on zeolite. • Electrostatic interactions are a major factor at the first stage of the process. - Abstract: Zinc oxide (ZnO)-coated zeolite adsorbents were developed by both nitric acid modification and Zn(NO_3)_2·6H_2O functionalization of zeolite 4A. The developed adsorbents were used for the removal of humic acid (HA) from aqueous solutions. The synthesized materials were characterized by porosimetry analysis, scanning electron microscopy, X-Ray diffraction analysis, and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. The maximum adsorption capacity of the adsorbents at 21 ± 1 °C was about 60 mgC g"−"1. The results showed that the positive charge density of ZnO-coated zeolite adsorbents was proportional to the amount of ZnO coated on zeolite and thus, ZnO-coated zeolite adsorbents exhibited a greater affinity for negatively charged ions. Furthermore, the adsorption capacity of ZnO-coated zeolite adsorbents increased markedly after acid modification. Adsorption experiments demonstrated ZnO-coated zeolite adsorbents possessed high adsorption capacity to remove HA from aqueous solutions mainly due to strong electrostatic interactions between negative functional groups of HA and the positive charges of ZnO-coated zeolite adsorbents.

  4. Thermal shock behavior of platinum aluminide bond coat/electron beam-physical vapor deposited thermal barrier coatings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu, Zhenhua, E-mail: zhxuciac@163.com [Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Materials, Department 5, P.O. Box 81-5, Beijing 100095 (China); Dai, Jianwei [Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Materials, Department 5, P.O. Box 81-5, Beijing 100095 (China); Niu, Jing [Shenyang Liming Aero-engine (Group) Corporation Ltd., Institute of Metallurgical Technology, Technical Center, Shengyang 110043 (China); Li, Na; Huang, Guanghong; He, Limin [Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Materials, Department 5, P.O. Box 81-5, Beijing 100095 (China)

    2014-12-25

    Highlights: • TBCs of (Ni, Pt)Al bond coat with grit blasting process and YSZ ceramic coating. • Grain boundary ridges are the sites for spallation damage initiation in TBCs. • Ridges removed, cavities formation appeared and the damage initiation deteriorated. • Damage initiation and progression at interface lead to a buckling failure. - Abstract: Thermal barrier coating systems (TBCs) including of chemical vapor deposited (Ni, Pt)Al bond coat with grit blasting process and electron beam physical vapor deposited Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}-stabilized-ZrO{sub 2} (YSZ) ceramic coating were investigated. The phase structures, surface and cross-sectional morphologies, thermal shock behaviors and residual stresses of the coatings were studied in detail. Grain boundary ridges still remain on the surface of bond coat prior to the deposition of the ceramic coating, which are shown to be the major sites for spallation damage initiation in TBCs. When these ridges are mostly removed, they appear some of cavities formation and then the damage initiation mode is deteriorated. Damage initiation and progression occurs at the bond coat to thermally grown oxide (TGO) interface leading to a buckling failure behavior. A buckle failure once started may be arrested when it runs into a region of high bond coat to TGO interface toughness. Thus, complete failure requires further loss in toughness of the bond coat to TGO interface during cooling. The suppressed cavities formation, the removed ridges at the grain boundaries, the relative high TGO to bond coat interface toughness, the uniform growth behavior of TGO thickening and the lower of the residual stress are the primary factors for prolonging the lifetime of TBCs.

  5. Investigation of the electrochemical behaviour of thermally prepared Pt-IrO2 electrodes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Konan Honoré Kondro

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available Different IrO2 electrodes in which the molar percentage of platinum (Pt varies from 0 %mol Pt to 100 %mol Pt were prepared on titanium (Ti substrate by thermal decomposition techniques. The electrodes were characterized physically (SEM, XPS and electrochemically and then applied to methanol oxidation. The SEM micrographs indicated that the electrodes present different morphologies depending on the amount of platinum in the deposit and the cracks observed on the 0 %mol Pt electrode diminish in size tending to a compact and rough surface for 70 %mol Pt electrode. XPS results indicate good quality of the coating layer deposited on the titanium substrate. The voltammetric investigations in the supporting electrolyte indicate that the electrodes with low amount of platinum (less than 10 %mol Pt behave as pure IrO2. But in the case of electrodes containing more than 40 %mol Pt, the voltammograms are like that of platinum. Electrocatalytic activity towards methanol oxidation was observed with the electrodes containing high amount of platinum. Its oxidation begins at a potential of about 210 mV lower on such electrodes than the pure platinum electrode (100 %mol Pt. But for electrode containing low quantity of Pt, the surface of the coating is essentially composed of IrO2 and methanol oxidation occurs in the domain of water decomposition solely. The increase of the electrocatalytic behaviour of the electrodes containing high amount of Pt towards methanol oxidation is due to the bifunctional behaviour of the electrodes.

  6. The role of ion irradiation in activating silent Raman modes via tuning in plasmonic behaviour and surface disorder of Au/ZnO/Pt NFG system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Udai B.; Gautam, Subodh K.; Kumar, Sunil; Ojha, Sunil; Ghosh, Santanu; Singh, Fouran

    2017-09-01

    The perceptible progression of Raman modes of zinc oxide (ZnO) is studied in nanostructures film gap (Au (10 nm)/ZnO (70 nm)/Pt (50 nm)) system with 1.2 MeV Xe ion irradiation. Unattainable silent Raman modes of ZnO turn out to be strongly visible after ion irradiation. The creation of ion-beam-induced lattice disorder, defects, and impurities in a ZnO layer leads to breakdown the translational crystal symmetry that results in the origin of silent modes. The formation of hot-spots in the ZnO layer of the NFG system also supports the enhancement of the intensity of Raman modes. Overall results are attributed to combined effects of lattice disorder, defects, and impurities along with plasmonic effect and explained in the framework of elastic-thermal-spike formation.

  7. Friction and wear behavior of nitrogen-doped ZnO thin films deposited via MOCVD under dry contact

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    U.S. Mbamara

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Most researches on doped ZnO thin films are tilted toward their applications in optoelectronics and semiconductor devices. Research on their tribological properties is still unfolding. In this work, nitrogen-doped ZnO thin films were deposited on 304 L stainless steel substrate from a combination of zinc acetate and ammonium acetate precursor by MOCVD technique. Compositional and structural studies of the films were done using Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy (RBS and X-ray Diffraction (XRD. The frictional behavior of the thin film coatings was evaluated using a ball-on-flat configuration in reciprocating sliding under dry contact condition. After friction test, the flat and ball counter-face surfaces were examined to assess the wear dimension and failure mechanism. Both friction behavior and wear (in the ball counter-face were observed to be dependent on the crystallinity and thickness of the thin film coatings.

  8. Bipolar resistive switching characteristics of low temperature grown ZnO thin films by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Jian; Yang Hui; Zhang Qilong; Dong Shurong; Luo, J. K.

    2013-01-01

    ZnO films deposited by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) have been used to investigate resistive memory behavior. The bipolar resistance switching properties were observed in the Al/PEALD-ZnO/Pt devices. The resistance ratio for the high and low resistance states (HRS/LRS) is more than 10 3 , better than ZnO devices deposited by other methods. The dominant conduction mechanisms of HRS and LRS are trap-controlled space charge limited current and Ohmic behavior, respectively. The resistive switching behavior is induced upon the formation/disruption of conducting filaments. This study demonstrated that the PEALD-ZnO films have better properties for the application in 3D resistance random access memory.

  9. Characterization of pigment-leached antifouling coatings using BET surface area measurements and mercury porosimetry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kiil, Søren; Dam-Johansen, Kim

    2007-01-01

    of antifouling coating behaviour because the active binder surface area and porosity of the leached layer are substantially increased. A similar effect was not observed for a coating with a mixture of ZnO and TiO2 pigments. The two experimental methods are expected to be useful for practical analysis of leaching...

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2015-01-01

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

  11. A Grazing-Incidence Small-Angle X-Ray Scattering View of Vertically Aligned ZnO Nano wires

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lavcevic, M.L.; Silovic, L.; Dubcek, P.; Pavlovic, M.; Bernstorff, S.

    2013-01-01

    We report a grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering study of ZnO films with vertically aligned and randomly distributed nano wires, grown through a hydrothermal growth process on nano structured ZnO seeding coatings and deposited by electron beam evaporation on silicon and glass, respectively. The comparison of the scattering patterns of seeding coatings and nano wires showed that the scattering of vertically aligned nano wires exhibited a specific feature: the dominant characteristic of their scattering patterns is the appearance of fine structure effects around the specular peak. These effects were clarified by the combined reflection and scattering phenomena, suggested for the aligned nano wires-substrate system. Furthermore, they enabled the calculation of the average gyration radius of nano wires in horizontal direction. The calculated value was in good agreement with the radii of nano wires estimated by surface electron microscopy. Therefore, the observed feature in the scattering pattern can serve as evidence of the aligned growth of nano wires.

  12. Novel ferrocene-anchored ZnO nanoparticle/carbon nanotube assembly for glucose oxidase wiring: application to a glucose/air fuel cell.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haddad, Raoudha; Mattei, Jean-Gabriel; Thery, Jessica; Auger, Aurélien

    2015-06-28

    Glucose oxidase (GOx) is immobilized on ZnO nanoparticle-modified electrodes. The immobilized glucose oxidase shows efficient mediated electron transfer with ZnO nanoparticles to which the ferrocenyl moiety is π-stacked into a supramolecular architecture. The constructed ZnO-Fc/CNT modified electrode exhibits high ferrocene surface coverage, preventing any leakage of the π-stacked ferrocene from the newly described ZnO hybrid nanoparticles. The use of the new architecture of ZnO supported electron mediators to shuttle electrons from the redox centre of the enzyme to the surface of the working electrode can effectively bring about successful glucose oxidation. These modified electrodes evaluated as a highly efficient architecture provide a catalytic current for glucose oxidation and are integrated in a specially designed glucose/air fuel cell prototype using a conventional platinum-carbon (Pt/C) cathode at physiological pH (7.0). The obtained architecture leads to a peak power density of 53 μW cm(-2) at 300 mV for the Nafion® based biofuel cell under "air breathing" conditions at room temperature.

  13. Structural, morphological and electroluminescence studies of Zno:Co nanophosphor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Anju; Vishwakarma, H. L.

    2016-09-01

    The nanoparticles of zinc oxide (ZnO) doped with various concentrations of cobalt (Co) were synthesized by chemical precipitation method in the presence of capping agent polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). The effect of doping concentration on structural and morphological properties has been studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Cell volume, bond length, texture coefficient, lattice constants and dislocation density are also studied. Here, we also compared the interplaner spacing and relative peak intensities from their standard values with different angles. Crystallite sizes have been calculated by Debye-Scherrer's formula whose values are decreasing with increase in cobalt content up to 3 %. It has been seen that the growth orientation of the prepared ZnO nanorods was (101). The XRD analysis also ensures that ZnO has a hexagonal (wurtzite) crystal structure. The electroluminescence (EL) cells were prepared by placing pure and cobalt-doped ZnO nanoparticles between ITO-coated conducting glass plate and aluminium foil. Alternating voltage of various frequencies was applied, and EL brightness at different voltages was measured and corresponding current was also recorded. The voltage dependence of electroluminescence (EL) brightness of the ZnO:Co shows exponential increase. The linear voltage-current characteristic indicates ohmic nature. The EL brightness at a particular voltage is found to increase by increasing Co doping, but for higher percentage of Co the EL brightness is reduced. It is also seen that Co does not influence the threshold voltage. The brightness is also affected by increasing the frequency of AC signal.

  14. Assessing the anti-fungal efficiency of filters coated with zinc oxide nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Decelis, Stephen; Sardella, Davide; Triganza, Thomas; Brincat, Jean-Pierre; Gatt, Ruben; Valdramidis, Vasilis P.

    2017-05-01

    Air filters support fungal growth, leading to generation of conidia and volatile organic compounds, causing allergies, infections and food spoilage. Filters that inhibit fungi are therefore necessary. Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles have anti-fungal properties and therefore are good candidates for inhibiting growth. Two concentrations (0.012 M and 0.12 M) were used to coat two types of filters (melt-blown and needle-punched) for three different periods (0.5, 5 and 50 min). Rhizopus stolonifer and Penicillium expansum isolated from spoiled pears were used as test organisms. Conidial suspensions of 105 to 103 spores ml-1 were prepared in Sabouraud dextrose agar at 50°C, and a modified slide-culture technique was used to test the anti-fungal properties of the filters. Penicillium expansum was the more sensitive organism, with inhibition at 0.012 M at only 0.5 min coating time on the needle-punched filter. The longer the coating time, the more effective inhibition was for both organisms. Furthermore, it was also determined that the coating process had only a slight effect on the Young's Moduli of the needle-punched filters, while the Young's Moduli of the melt-blown filters is more susceptible to the coating method. This work contributes to the assessment of the efficacy of filter coating with ZnO nanopaticles aimed at inhibiting fungal growth.

  15. Facile template-directed synthesis of carbon-coated SnO2 nanotubes with enhanced Li-storage capabilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhu, Xiaoshu; Zhu, Jingyi; Yao, Yinan; Zhou, Yiming; Tang, Yawen; Wu, Ping

    2015-01-01

    Herein, a novel type of carbon-coated SnO 2 nanotubes has been designed and synthesized through a facile two-step hydrothermal approach by using ZnO nanorods as templates. During the synthetic route, SnO 2 nanocrystals and carbon layer have been uniformly deposited on the rod-like templates in sequence, meanwhile ZnO nanorods could be in situ dissolved owing to the generated alkaline and acidic environments during hydrothermal coating of SnO 2 nanocrystals and hydrothermal carbonization of glucose, respectively. When utilized as an anode material in lithium-ion batteries, the carbon-coated SnO 2 nanotubes manifests markedly enhanced Li-storage capabilities in terms of specific capacity and cycling stability in comparison with bare SnO 2 nanocrystals. - Graphical abstract: Display Omitted - Highlights: • C-coated SnO 2 nanotubes prepared via facile ZnO-nanorod-templated hydrothermal route. • Unique morphological and structural features toward lithium storage. • Enhanced Li-storage performance in terms of specific capacity and cycling stability

  16. FTIR and Raman spectroscopy of carbon nanoparticles in SiO2, ZnO and NiO matrices

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Katumba, G

    2008-11-01

    Full Text Available Coatings of carbon nanoparticles dispersed in SiO2, ZnO and NiO matrices on aluminium substrates have been fabricated by a sol–gel technique. Spectrophotometry was used to determine the solar absorptance and the thermal emittance of the composite...

  17. Electrochemical L-Lactic Acid Sensor Based on Immobilized ZnO Nanorods with Lactate Oxidase

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kimleang Khun

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available In this work, fabrication of gold coated glass substrate, growth of ZnO nanorods and potentiometric response of lactic acid are explained. The biosensor was developed by immobilizing the lactate oxidase on the ZnO nanorods in combination with glutaraldehyde as a cross linker for lactate oxidase enzyme. The potentiometric technique was applied for the measuring the output (EMF response of L-lactic acid biosensor. We noticed that the present biosensor has wide linear detection range of concentration from 1 × 10−4–1 × 100 mM with acceptable sensitivity about 41.33 ± 1.58 mV/decade. In addition, the proposed biosensor showed fast response time less than 10 s, a good selectivity towards L-lactic acid in presence of common interfering substances such as ascorbic acid, urea, glucose, galactose, magnesium ions and calcium ions. The present biosensor based on immobilized ZnO nanorods with lactate oxidase sustained its stability for more than three weeks.

  18. Electrochemical L-lactic acid sensor based on immobilized ZnO nanorods with lactate oxidase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ibupoto, Zafar Hussain; Shah, Syed Muhammad Usman Ali; Khun, Kimleang; Willander, Magnus

    2012-01-01

    In this work, fabrication of gold coated glass substrate, growth of ZnO nanorods and potentiometric response of lactic acid are explained. The biosensor was developed by immobilizing the lactate oxidase on the ZnO nanorods in combination with glutaraldehyde as a cross linker for lactate oxidase enzyme. The potentiometric technique was applied for the measuring the output (EMF) response of l-lactic acid biosensor. We noticed that the present biosensor has wide linear detection range of concentration from 1 × 10(-4)-1 × 10(0) mM with acceptable sensitivity about 41.33 ± 1.58 mV/decade. In addition, the proposed biosensor showed fast response time less than 10 s, a good selectivity towards l-lactic acid in presence of common interfering substances such as ascorbic acid, urea, glucose, galactose, magnesium ions and calcium ions. The present biosensor based on immobilized ZnO nanorods with lactate oxidase sustained its stability for more than three weeks.

  19. Effect of indium dopant on surface and mechanical characteristics of ZnO : In nanostructured films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fang, T.-H.; Kang, S.-H. [Institute of Mechanical and Electromechanical Engineering, National Formosa University, No 64, Wenhua Rd., Huwei, Yunlin 632, Taiwan (China)], E-mail: fang.tehua@msa.hinet.net

    2008-12-21

    Epitaxial ZnO : In nanorod films were grown on SiO{sub 2} substrates using a chemical solution method with a pre-coated ZnO sputtered seed layer. Structural and surface characterizations of the ZnO : In nanostructured films were achieved by means of x-ray diffraction, a scanning electron microscope, an atomic force microscope and contact angle measurements. The hardness and Young's modulus of the nanostructured films were investigated by nanoindentation measurements. The results showed that when the indium dopant was increased, the hardness and Young's modulus of the films also rose. The films exhibited hydrophobic behaviour with contact angles of about 128-138 deg., and a decrease in the hardness and Young's modulus with decreasing loads or indentation depths. Buckling behaviour took place during the indentation process, and the fracture strength of the films was also discussed.

  20. Atomic diffusion induced degradation in bimetallic layer coated cemented tungsten carbide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peng, Zirong; Rohwerder, Michael; Choi, Pyuck-Pa; Gault, Baptiste; Meiners, Thorsten; Friedrichs, Marcel; Kreilkamp, Holger; Klocke, Fritz; Raabe, Dierk

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • We study the temporal degradation of PtIr/Cr/WC and PtIr/Ni/WC systems. • Short cut diffusion, segregation, oxidation and interdiffusion reactions occurred. • Outward diffusion of Cr (Ni) via PtIr grain boundaries triggered the degradation. • The microstructure of the PtIr layer controlled the systems stability. • We propose an atomic diffusion induced degradation mechanism. - Abstract: We investigated the temporal degradation of glass moulding dies, made of cemented tungsten carbide coated with PtIr on an adhesive Cr or Ni interlayer, by electron microscopy and atom probe tomography. During the exposure treatments at 630 °C under an oxygen partial pressure of 1.12 × 10"−"2"3 bar, Cr (Ni) was found to diffuse outwards via grain boundaries in the PtIr, altering the surface morphology. Upon dissolution of the interlayer, the WC substrate also started degrading. Extensive interdiffusion processes involving PtIr, Cr (Ni) and WC took place, leading to the formation of intermetallic phases and voids, deteriorating the adhesion of the coating.

  1. Preparation of PtRu/C and PtSn/C electrocatalysts using electron beam irradiation for direct and ethanol fuel cell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Silva, Dionisio Furtunato da

    2009-01-01

    PtRu/C and PtSn/C electrocatalysts were prepared using electron beam irradiation. The metal ions were dissolved in water/2-propanol and water/ethylene glycol solutions and the carbon support was added. The resulting mixtures were irradiated under stirring. The effect of water/ethylene glycol and water/2-propanol (v/v) ratio, Pt:Ru and Pt:Sn atomic ratios, the irradiation time and dose rate were studied. The obtained materials were characterized by Energy dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and Moessbauer spectroscopy. The electro-oxidation of methanol and ethanol were studied by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry using the thin porous coating technique. The electrocatalysts were also tested on the Direct Methanol and Ethanol Fuel Cells. PtRu/C electrocatalysts prepared in water/ethylene glycol showed Pt:Ru atomic ratios different from the nominal ones. The results suggested that part of the Ru(III) ions were not reduced. The obtained materials showed the face-centered cubic (fcc) structure of Pt and Pt alloys with crystallite sizes of 2-3 nm. PtRu/C electrocatalysts prepared in water/2-propanol showed Pt:Ru atomic ratios similar to the nominal ones. The obtained materials also showed the fcc structure of platinum and platinum alloys with crystallite sizes of 3-4 nm. PtSn/C electrocatalysts prepared in water/ethylene glycol and water/2-propanol showed Pt:Sn atomic ratios similar to the nominal ones. The obtained materials showed the platinum (fcc) phase with crystallite sizes in the range of 2 - 4 nm and a SnO 2 (cassiterite) phase. The obtained PtRu/C and PtSn/C electrocatalysts showed similar or superior performance for methanol and ethanol electro-oxidation compared to commercial PtRu/C (E-TEK) and PtSn/C (BASF) electrocatalysts. (author)

  2. Preparation of PtSnCu/C and PtSn/C electrocatalysts and activation by dealloying processes for ethanol electrooxidation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Crisafulli, Rudy

    2013-01-01

    PtSnCu/C (with different Pt:Sn:Cu atomic ratios) and PtSn/C (50:50) electrocatalysts were prepared by borohydride (BR) and alcohol-reduction (AR) processes using H 2 PtCl 6 .6H 2 O, SnCl 2 .2H 2 O and CuCl 2 .2H 2 O as metal sources, NaBH 4 and ethylene glycol as reducing agents, 2-propanol and ethylene glycol/water as solvents and carbon black as support. In a further step, these electrocatalysts were activated by chemical (CD) and electrochemical (ED) dealloying processes through acid treatment and thin porous coating technique, respectively. These materials were characterized by energy dispersive X-ray, Xray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, line scan energy dispersive Xray and cyclic voltammetry. Electrochemical studies for ethanol electro-oxidation were performed by cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry and in single Direct Ethanol Fuel Cell using Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA). The anodic effluents were analysed by gas chromatography. The X-ray diffractograms of the as-synthesized electrocatalysts showed the typical face-centered cubic structure (FCC) of platinum and its alloys. After dealloying, the X-ray diffractograms showed that the Pt FCC structure was preserved. The crystallite sizes of the assynthesized electrocatalysts were in the range of PtSnCu/C (50:40:10) AR/ED > PtSnCu/C (50:10:40) BR/CD. PtSn/C (50:50) BR/CD, PtSnCu/C (50:10:40) BR/CD, PtSnCu/C (50:40:10) AR/CD electrocatalysts and Pt/C BASF, PtSn/C (75:25) BASF commercial electrocatalysts were tested in single Direct Ethanol Fuel Cell. The results showed the following performance for ethanol electro-oxidation: PtSn/C (50:50) BR/CD > PtSnCu/C (50:40:10) AR/CD > PtSnCu/C > PtSn/C (75:25) BASF > PtSnCu/C (50:10:40) BR/CD > Pt/C BASF. (author)

  3. Synthesis of Pt nanoparticles on electrochemically reduced graphene oxide by potentiostatic and alternate current methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Molina, J.; Fernández, J.; Río, A.I. del; Bonastre, J.; Cases, F.

    2014-01-01

    Reduced graphene oxide (RGO) has been synthesized on Pt wires by means of a potentiodynamic method between + 0.6 V and − 1.4 V for 20 scans. Cyclic voltammetry characterization of the coatings showed the typical capacitative behavior of graphene. Pt nanoparticles were synthesized on Pt–RGO electrodes by means of potentiostatic methods and a comparison between different synthesis potentials (− 0.16, 0, + 0.2 and + 0.4 V) for the same synthesis charge (mC·cm −2 ) was established. The electrodes obtained were characterized in 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 solution to observe the characteristic oxidation and reduction processes of the Pt surface. A 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 /0.5 M CH 3 OH solution was used to measure the catalytic properties of the deposits against methanol oxidation. The most appropriate potential to perform the synthesis was 0 V followed by − 0.16 V and + 0.2 V. The morphology of the coatings varied depending on the potential applied as observed by scanning electron microscopy. Alternate current methods were also used to synthesize Pt nanoparticles and compare the results with the traditional potentiostatic method. Different frequencies were used: 0.1, 1, 10, 100, 1000 and 10 000 Hz. Alternate current synthesis is more efficient than traditional potentiostatic methods, obtaining more electroactive coatings with less effective synthesis time. - Highlights: • Reduced graphene oxide has been obtained by electrochemical reduction on Pt wires. • Pt nanoparticles have been obtained potentiostatically at different potentials. • Pt nanoparticles have been obtained by ac methods with different frequencies. • ac synthesis is a better synthesis method than potentiostatic synthesis

  4. Influence of Pt-aluminide coating on the oxidation and thermo-mechanical fatigue behaviour of the single crystal superalloy CMSX-4

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jargelius-Pettersson, R F.A.; Andersson, H C.M.; Lille, C; Haenstroem, S; Liu, L [Swedish Institute for Metals Research, Stockholm (Sweden)

    2001-10-01

    Oxidation and thermo-mechanical fatigue studies have been performed on a single crystal nickel base superalloy, CMSX-4, with and without an MDC150L Pt-modified diffusional aluminide coating. Oxidation for up to 500 hours at 900, 1050 and 1150 deg C revealed formation of mixed nickel-aluminium oxides, with a pronounced spalling tendency, on the base material, but parabolic growth of aluminium oxide on the coated material. The effect of water vapour and SO{sub 2} on the oxidation rate has also been investigated, and attempts have been made to apply thermodynamic and kinetic modelling to microstructural evolution in the interdiffusion zone between coating and substrate. Thermo-mechanical fatigue testing was performed on both coated and uncoated specimens. The temperature was cycled between 400 and 1050 deg C and mechanical strain ranges between 0.7 and 2.0% were used. Some specimens were cycled from a raised lower temperature estimated to be above the brittle transition temperature of the coat. Both in-phase and out-of-phase test conditions were used. No significant difference in fatigue life was detected between coated specimens cycled in-phase and out-of-phase. An improvement in fatigue life was observed with uncoated specimens tested out-of-phase. Coated specimens cycled above the transition temperature exhibited the longest fatigue life of all tested specimens. In the uncoated specimens the cracks started at the surface of the specimens. Initial cracks in the coated specimens may have started in the bond interface between the coat and the substrate or on the surface of the coat. The damage mechanism in all specimens is characterised by an initial strain hardening followed by crack initiation and crack propagation until final collapse. The load versus number of cycles curve features a maximum followed by a slow load drop and then a fast final load drop. The maxima is associated with crack initiation and the final fast load drop with plastic collapse of the specimen

  5. Influence of Nanosized Silicon Oxide on the Luminescent Properties of ZnO Nanoparticles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vitaliy Shvalagin

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available For practical use of nanosized zinc oxide as the phosphor its luminescence quantum yields should be maximized. The aim of this work was to enhance luminescent properties of ZnO nanoparticles and obtain high-luminescent ZnO/SiO2 composites using simpler approaches to colloidal synthesis. The luminescence intensity of zinc oxide nanoparticles was increased about 3 times by addition of silica nanocrystals to the source solutions during the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles. Then the quantum yield of luminescence of the obtained ZnO/SiO2 composites is more than 30%. Such an impact of silica is suggested to be caused by the distribution of ZnO nanocrystals on the surface of silica, which reduces the probability of separation of photogenerated charges between the zinc oxide nanoparticles of different sizes, and as a consequence, there is a significant increase of the luminescence intensity of ZnO nanoparticles. This way of increasing nano-ZnO luminescence intensity facilitates its use in a variety of devices, including optical ultraviolet and visible screens, luminescent markers, antibacterial coatings, luminescent solar concentrators, luminescent inks for security printing, and food packaging with abilities of informing consumers about the quality and safety of the packaged product.

  6. Conformal ZnO nanocomposite coatings on micro-patterned surfaces for superhydrophobicity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Steele, Adam; Bayer, Ilker; Moran, Stephen; Cannon, Andrew; King, William P.; Loth, Eric

    2010-01-01

    A conformal coating process is presented to transform surfaces with inherent micro-morphology into superhydrophobic surfaces with hierarchical surface structure using wet chemical spray casting. Nanocomposite coatings composed of zinc oxide nanoparticles and organosilane quaternary nitrogen compound are dispersed in solution for application. The coating is applied to a micro-patterned polydimethylsiloxane substrate with a regular array of cylindrical microposts as well as a surface with random micro-structure for the purpose of demonstrating improved non-wettability and a superhydrophobic state for water droplets. Coating surface morphology is investigated with an environmental scanning electron microscope and surface wettability performance is characterized by static and dynamic contact angle measurements.

  7. A Comparison of the Effects of Packaging Containing Nano ZnO or Polylysine on the Microbial Purity and Texture of Cod (Gadus morhua) Fillets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mizielińska, Małgorzata; Kowalska, Urszula; Jarosz, Michał; Sumińska, Patrycja

    2018-01-01

    Portions of fresh Baltic cod fillets were packed into cellulose boxes (control samples), which were covered with Methyl Hydroxypropyl Celluloses (MHPC) coating with 2% polylysine. The cellulose boxes had square PE films and were enclosed in MHPC coating containing ZnO nanoparticles. The cod fillets were stored at 5 °C and examined after 72 h and 144 h storage times. Results obtained in this study showed that the textural parameters of the cod fillets increased, with both Springiness and Cohesiveness found greater after 144 h of storage for all analysed packaging materials. The Gumminess of fillets increased after storage, but the lowest increase was noted in cod samples that were stored in boxes containing PE films with ZnO nanoparticles. It was found that water loss from the cod fillets in these boxes was also lowest. The Adhesiveness of the fish samples stored in boxes devoid of active coatings also increased. In contrast to the packaging material devoid of active coatings, the storage of fillets in active coating boxes resulted in a decrease of adhesiveness. Microbial analysis showed that packaging material containing nano-ZnO was found to be more active against mesophilic and psychotropic bacterial cells than the coatings with polylysine after 72 h and 144 h of storage. PMID:29534544

  8. A Comparison of the Effects of Packaging Containing Nano ZnO or Polylysine on the Microbial Purity and Texture of Cod (Gadus morhua Fillets

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Małgorzata Mizielińska

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Portions of fresh Baltic cod fillets were packed into cellulose boxes (control samples, which were covered with Methyl Hydroxypropyl Celluloses (MHPC coating with 2% polylysine. The cellulose boxes had square PE films and were enclosed in MHPC coating containing ZnO nanoparticles. The cod fillets were stored at 5 °C and examined after 72 h and 144 h storage times. Results obtained in this study showed that the textural parameters of the cod fillets increased, with both Springiness and Cohesiveness found greater after 144 h of storage for all analysed packaging materials. The Gumminess of fillets increased after storage, but the lowest increase was noted in cod samples that were stored in boxes containing PE films with ZnO nanoparticles. It was found that water loss from the cod fillets in these boxes was also lowest. The Adhesiveness of the fish samples stored in boxes devoid of active coatings also increased. In contrast to the packaging material devoid of active coatings, the storage of fillets in active coating boxes resulted in a decrease of adhesiveness. Microbial analysis showed that packaging material containing nano-ZnO was found to be more active against mesophilic and psychotropic bacterial cells than the coatings with polylysine after 72 h and 144 h of storage.

  9. Tin-oxide-coated single-walled carbon nanotube bundles supporting platinum electrocatalysts for direct ethanol fuel cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hsu, Ryan S; Higgins, Drew; Chen Zhongwei

    2010-01-01

    Novel tin-oxide (SnO 2 )-coated single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) bundles supporting platinum (Pt) electrocatalysts for ethanol oxidation were developed for direct ethanol fuel cells. SnO 2 -coated SWNT (SnO 2 -SWNT) bundles were synthesized by a simple chemical-solution route. SnO 2 -SWNT bundles supporting Pt (Pt/SnO 2 -SWNTs) electrocatalysts and SWNT-supported Pt (Pt/SWNT) electrocatalysts were prepared by an ethylene glycol reduction method. The catalysts were physically characterized using TGA, XRD and TEM and electrochemically evaluated through cyclic voltammetry experiments. The Pt/SnO 2 -SWNTs showed greatly enhanced electrocatalytic activity for ethanol oxidation in acid medium, compared to the Pt/SWNT. The optimal SnO 2 loading of Pt/SnO 2 -SWNT catalysts with respect to specific catalytic activity for ethanol oxidation was also investigated.

  10. Tin-oxide-coated single-walled carbon nanotube bundles supporting platinum electrocatalysts for direct ethanol fuel cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsu, Ryan S; Higgins, Drew; Chen, Zhongwei

    2010-04-23

    Novel tin-oxide (SnO(2))-coated single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) bundles supporting platinum (Pt) electrocatalysts for ethanol oxidation were developed for direct ethanol fuel cells. SnO(2)-coated SWNT (SnO(2)-SWNT) bundles were synthesized by a simple chemical-solution route. SnO(2)-SWNT bundles supporting Pt (Pt/SnO(2)-SWNTs) electrocatalysts and SWNT-supported Pt (Pt/SWNT) electrocatalysts were prepared by an ethylene glycol reduction method. The catalysts were physically characterized using TGA, XRD and TEM and electrochemically evaluated through cyclic voltammetry experiments. The Pt/SnO(2)-SWNTs showed greatly enhanced electrocatalytic activity for ethanol oxidation in acid medium, compared to the Pt/SWNT. The optimal SnO(2) loading of Pt/SnO(2)-SWNT catalysts with respect to specific catalytic activity for ethanol oxidation was also investigated.

  11. Effect of nickel doping on the photocatalytic activity of ZnO thin films under UV and visible light

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaneva, Nina V.; Dimitrov, Dimitre T.; Dushkin, Ceco D.

    2011-01-01

    Nanostructured ZnO thin films with different concentrations of Ni 2+ doping (0, 1, 5, 10 and 15 wt.%) are prepared by the sol-gel method for the first time. The thin films are prepared from zinc acetate, 2-methoxyethanol and monoethanolamine on glass substrates by using dip coating method. The films comprise of ZnO nanocrystallites with hexagonal crystal structure, as revealed by X-ray diffraction. The film surface is with characteristic ganglia-like structure as observed by Scanning Electron Microscopy. Furthermore, the Ni-doped films are tested with respect to the photocatalysis in aqueous solutions of malachite green upon UV-light illumination, visible light and in darkness. The initial concentration of malachite green and the amount of catalyst are varied during the experiments. It is found that increasing of the amount of Ni 2+ ions with respect to ZnO generally lowers the photocatalytic activity in comparison with the pure ZnO films. Nevertheless, all films exhibit a substantial activity under both, UV and visible light and in darkness as well, which is promising for the development of new ZnO photocatalysts by the sol-gel method.

  12. Effect of Ag doping on the properties of ZnO thin films for UV stimulated emission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Razeen, Ahmed S.; Gadallah, A.-S.; El-Nahass, M. M.

    2018-06-01

    Ag doped ZnO thin films have been prepared using sol-gel spin coating method, with different doping concentrations. Structural and morphological properties of the films have been investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. Thin films have been optically pumped and stimulated emission has been observed with strong peaks in the UV region. The UV stimulated emission is found to be due to exciton-exciton scattering, and Ag doping promoted this process by increasing the excitons concentrations in the ZnO lattice. Output-input intensity relation and peak emission, FWHM, and quantum efficiency relations with pump intensity have been reported. The threshold for which stimulated emission started has been evaluated to be about 18 MW/cm2 with quantum efficiency of about 58.7%. Mechanisms explaining the role of Ag in enhancement of stimulated emission from ZnO thin films have been proposed.

  13. Flexible organic/inorganic hybrid solar cells based on conjugated polymer and ZnO nanorod array

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tong, Fei; Kim, Kyusang; Martinez, Daniel; Thapa, Resham; Ahyi, Ayayi; Williams, John; Park, Minseo; Kim, Dong-Joo; Lee, Sungkoo; Lim, Eunhee; Lee, Kyeong K

    2012-01-01

    We report on the photovoltaic characteristics of organic/inorganic hybrid solar cells fabricated on ‘flexible’ transparent substrates. The solar cell device is composed of ZnO nanorod array and the bulk heterojunction structured organic layer which is the blend of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and (6,6)-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). The ZnO nanorod array was grown on indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates via a low-temperature (85 °C) aqueous solution process. The blend solution consisting of conjugated polymer P3HT and fullerene PCBM was spin coated at a low spinning rate of 400 rpm on top of the ZnO nanorod array structure and then the photoactive layer was slow dried at room temperature in air to promote its infiltration into the nanorod network. As a top electrode, silver was sputtered on top of the photoactive layer. The flexible solar cell with the structure of PET/ITO/ZnO thin film/ZnO nanorods/P3HT:PCBM/Ag exhibited a photovoltaic performance with an open circuit voltage (V OC ) of 0.52 V, a short circuit current density (J SC ) of 9.82 mA cm −2 , a fill factor (FF) of 35% and a power conversion efficiency (η) of 1.78%. All the measurements were performed under 100 mW cm −2 of illumination with an air mass 1.5 G filter. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first presentation of investigation into the fabrication and characterization of organic/inorganic hybrid solar cells based on bulk heterojunction structured conjugated polymer/fullerene photoactive layer and ZnO nanorod array constructed on flexible transparent substrates. (paper)

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2018-05-07

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

  15. Growth of vertically aligned ZnO nanorods using textured ZnO films

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meléndrez Manuel

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract A hydrothermal method to grow vertical-aligned ZnO nanorod arrays on ZnO films obtained by atomic layer deposition (ALD is presented. The growth of ZnO nanorods is studied as function of the crystallographic orientation of the ZnO films deposited on silicon (100 substrates. Different thicknesses of ZnO films around 40 to 180 nm were obtained and characterized before carrying out the growth process by hydrothermal methods. A textured ZnO layer with preferential direction in the normal c-axes is formed on substrates by the decomposition of diethylzinc to provide nucleation sites for vertical nanorod growth. Crystallographic orientation of the ZnO nanorods and ZnO-ALD films was determined by X-ray diffraction analysis. Composition, morphologies, length, size, and diameter of the nanorods were studied using a scanning electron microscope and energy dispersed x-ray spectroscopy analyses. In this work, it is demonstrated that crystallinity of the ZnO-ALD films plays an important role in the vertical-aligned ZnO nanorod growth. The nanorod arrays synthesized in solution had a diameter, length, density, and orientation desirable for a potential application as photosensitive materials in the manufacture of semiconductor-polymer solar cells. PACS 61.46.Hk, Nanocrystals; 61.46.Km, Structure of nanowires and nanorods; 81.07.Gf, Nanowires; 81.15.Gh, Chemical vapor deposition (including plasma-enhanced CVD, MOCVD, ALD, etc.

  16. Effects of Post- Heat Treatment of Nanocrystalline ZnO Thin Films deposited on Zn-Deposited FTO Substrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Ikhyun; Kim, Younggyu; Nam, Giwoong; Leem, Jae-Young [Inje University, Gimhae (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-10-15

    The effects of heat-treatment temperature on the structural and optical properties of ZnO thin films were investigated with field-effect scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction analysis, and photoluminescence (PL) measurements. The ZnO thin films were grown on Zn-deposited fluorine-doped tin oxide substrates by sol-gel spin coating. The SEM images of the samples showed that their surfaces had a mountain-chain-like structure. The film annealed at 400 ℃ had the highest degree of alignment along the c-axis, and its residual stress was close to zero. The PL spectra of the ZnO thin films consisted of sharp near-band-edge emissions (NBE) and broad deep-level emissions (DLE) in the visible range. The DLE peaks exhibited a green-to-red shift with an increase in the temperature. The highest INBE/IDLE ratio was observed in the film annealed at 400 ℃. Thus, the optimal temperature for growing high-quality ZnO thin films on Zn-deposited FTO substrates is 400 ℃.

  17. Effect of doping concentration on the conductivity and optical properties of p-type ZnO thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pathak, Trilok Kumar [Semiconductor Research Lab, Department of Physics, Gurukula Kangri University, Haridwar (India); Kumar, Vinod, E-mail: vinod.phy@gmail.com [Department of Physics, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein (South Africa); Swart, H.C., E-mail: swarthc@ufs.ac.za [Department of Physics, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein (South Africa); Purohit, L.P., E-mail: proflppurohitphys@gmail.com [Semiconductor Research Lab, Department of Physics, Gurukula Kangri University, Haridwar (India)

    2016-01-01

    Nitrogen doped ZnO (NZO) thin films were synthesized on glass substrates by the sol–gel and spin coating method. Zinc acetate dihydrates and ammonium acetate were used as precursors for zinc and nitrogen, respectively. X-ray diffraction study showed that the thin films have a hexagonal wurtzite structure corresponding (002) peak for undoped and doped ZnO thin films. The transmittance of the films was above 80% and the band gap of the film varies from 3.21±0.03 eV for undoped and doped ZnO. The minimum resistivity of NZO thin films was obtained as 0.473 Ω cm for the 4 at% of nitrogen (N) doping with a mobility of 1.995 cm{sup 2}/V s. The NZO thin films showed p-type conductivity at 2 and 3 at% of N doping. The AC conductivity measurements that were carried out in the frequency range 10 kHz to 0.1 MHz showed localized conduction in the NZO thin films. These highly transparent ZnO films can be used as a possible window layer in solar cells.

  18. Pressurized polyol synthesis of Al-doped ZnO nanoclusters with high electrical conductivity and low near-infrared transmittance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Ho-Nyun; Shin, Chi-Ho [Surface Technology R& BD Group, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH), Incheon 406-840 (Korea, Republic of); Hwang, Duck Kun [Department of Corporate Diagnosis, Small and Medium Business Corporation, Seoul 150-718 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Haekyoung [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 712-749 (Korea, Republic of); Oh, Kyeongseok [Department of Chemical and Environmental Technology, Inha Technical College, Incheon 402-752 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Hyun-Jong, E-mail: hjkim23@kitech.re.kr [Surface Technology R& BD Group, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH), Incheon 406-840 (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-09-25

    Highlights: • Low-temperature pressurized polyol method synthesized Al-doped ZnO nanoclusters. • Reaction time affected the doping efficiency, resistivity, and NIR transmittance. • The near-IR blocking efficiency of Al-doped ZnO (AZO) nanoclusters reached 85%. • AZO nanocluster coatings could be used for heat reflectors or artificial glasses. - Abstract: In this study, a novel pressurized polyol method is proposed to synthesize aluminum-doped ZnO (AZO) nanoclusters without utilizing additional thermal treatment to avoid the merging of nanoclusters. The size of the AZO nanoclusters range from 100 to 150 nm with a resistivity of 204 Ω cm. The AZO nanoclusters primarily consist of approximately 10-nm nanocrystals that form a spherically clustered morphology. A two-stage growth model has been proposed based on the results of scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy images, nanocluster sizes, and X-ray diffraction patterns. The primary AZO nanocrystals first nucleate under pressurized conditions and then spontaneously aggregate into larger nanoclusters. Optically, the AZO nanoclusters exhibit a significant decrease in the near-infrared (NIR) transmittance compared to pure ZnO nanoparticles. The NIR blocking efficiency of AZO nanoclusters reached 85%. Moreover, the doping efficiency, resistivity, and NIR transmittance of AZO nanoclusters are influenced by the reaction time in the pressurized polyol solution. On the other hand, the reaction time has no effect on the particle size and crystallinity. An optically transparent coating for the AZO nanoclusters, which consisted of iso-propanol solvent and ultraviolet-curable acrylic binder, was also demonstrated.

  19. Natural Biowaste-Cocoon-Derived Granular Activated Carbon-Coated ZnO Nanorods: A Simple Route To Synthesizing a Core-Shell Structure and Its Highly Enhanced UV and Hydrogen Sensing Properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saravanan, Adhimoorthy; Huang, Bohr-Ran; Kathiravan, Deepa; Prasannan, Adhimoorthy

    2017-11-15

    Granular activated carbon (GAC) materials were prepared via simple gas activation of silkworm cocoons and were coated on ZnO nanorods (ZNRs) by the facile hydrothermal method. The present combination of GAC and ZNRs shows a core-shell structure (where the GAC is coated on the surface of ZNRs) and is exposed by systematic material analysis. The as-prepared samples were then fabricated as dual-functional sensors and, most fascinatingly, the as-fabricated core-shell structure exhibits better UV and H 2 sensing properties than those of as-fabricated ZNRs and GAC. Thus, the present core-shell structure-based H 2 sensor exhibits fast responses of 11% (10 ppm) and 23.2% (200 ppm) with ultrafast response and recovery. However, the UV sensor offers an ultrahigh photoresponsivity of 57.9 A W -1 , which is superior to that of as-grown ZNRs (0.6 A W -1 ). Besides this, switching photoresponse of GAC/ZNR core-shell structures exhibits a higher switching ratio (between dark and photocurrent) of 1585, with ultrafast response and recovery, than that of as-grown ZNRs (40). Because of the fast adsorption ability of GAC, it was observed that the finest distribution of GAC on ZNRs results in rapid electron transportation between the conduction bands of GAC and ZNRs while sensing H 2 and UV. Furthermore, the present core-shell structure-based UV and H 2 sensors also well-retained excellent sensitivity, repeatability, and long-term stability. Thus, the salient feature of this combination is that it provides a dual-functional sensor with biowaste cocoon and ZnO, which is ecological and inexpensive.

  20. Development of textured ZnO-coated low-cost glass substrate with very high haze ratio for silicon-based thin film solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hongsingthong, Aswin, E-mail: aswin.hongsingthong@nectec.or.th [Solar Energy Technology Laboratory, National Electronics and Computer Technology Center, 112 Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Road, Khlong 1, Khlong Luang, Pathumthani 12120 (Thailand); Krajangsang, Taweewat; Limmanee, Amornrat; Sriprapha, Kobsak; Sritharathikhun, Jaran [Solar Energy Technology Laboratory, National Electronics and Computer Technology Center, 112 Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Road, Khlong 1, Khlong Luang, Pathumthani 12120 (Thailand); Konagai, Makoto [Department of Physical Electronics, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1, NE-15, O-okayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8552 (Japan)

    2013-06-30

    Zinc oxide (ZnO) films with a very high haze ratio and low resistivity were developed on soda–lime glass substrate by using reactive ion etching (RIE) treatment with carbon tetrafluoride (CF{sub 4}) to modify the substrate surface morphology before the deposition of ZnO films. We found that the surface morphology of the ZnO films deposited by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) technique could be modified by varying the glass treatment conditions and the gas pressure was a key parameter. With increasing glass-etching pressure, the surface morphology of the ZnO films changed from conventional pyramid-like single texture to greater cauliflower-like double texture, leading to significant increases in root mean square roughness and haze ratio of the films. By employing the developed high-haze ZnO films as a front transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer in microcrystalline silicon solar cells, an enhancement in the quantum efficiency in the long-wavelength region has been achieved. Experimental results have verified that our unique and original glass etching treatment is a simple and effective technique to improve the light-scattering properties of the ZnO films while preserving their good transparency and electrical properties. Thus, the ZnO films deposited on etched soda–lime glass have a high potential for the use as a front TCO layer in thin-film Si solar cells. - Highlights: • High-haze zinc oxide (ZnO) grown on low cost soda–lime glass has been developed. • Surface of the ZnO can be modified by varying glass-substrate etching conditions. • Glass-etching pressure is a key to increase haze ratio of the ZnO films. • Higher cell efficiency has been achieved from cell using etched glass. • High-haze ZnO coated glass is a promising transparent conductive oxide coated glass.

  1. Development of textured ZnO-coated low-cost glass substrate with very high haze ratio for silicon-based thin film solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hongsingthong, Aswin; Krajangsang, Taweewat; Limmanee, Amornrat; Sriprapha, Kobsak; Sritharathikhun, Jaran; Konagai, Makoto

    2013-01-01

    Zinc oxide (ZnO) films with a very high haze ratio and low resistivity were developed on soda–lime glass substrate by using reactive ion etching (RIE) treatment with carbon tetrafluoride (CF 4 ) to modify the substrate surface morphology before the deposition of ZnO films. We found that the surface morphology of the ZnO films deposited by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) technique could be modified by varying the glass treatment conditions and the gas pressure was a key parameter. With increasing glass-etching pressure, the surface morphology of the ZnO films changed from conventional pyramid-like single texture to greater cauliflower-like double texture, leading to significant increases in root mean square roughness and haze ratio of the films. By employing the developed high-haze ZnO films as a front transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer in microcrystalline silicon solar cells, an enhancement in the quantum efficiency in the long-wavelength region has been achieved. Experimental results have verified that our unique and original glass etching treatment is a simple and effective technique to improve the light-scattering properties of the ZnO films while preserving their good transparency and electrical properties. Thus, the ZnO films deposited on etched soda–lime glass have a high potential for the use as a front TCO layer in thin-film Si solar cells. - Highlights: • High-haze zinc oxide (ZnO) grown on low cost soda–lime glass has been developed. • Surface of the ZnO can be modified by varying glass-substrate etching conditions. • Glass-etching pressure is a key to increase haze ratio of the ZnO films. • Higher cell efficiency has been achieved from cell using etched glass. • High-haze ZnO coated glass is a promising transparent conductive oxide coated glass

  2. Preparation of ZnO nanorods on conductive PET-ITO-Ag fibers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Yiwen; Ji, Shuai; Chen, Yuanyu; Zhang, Hong; Gong, Yumei, E-mail: ymgong@dlpu.edu.cn; Guo, Jing, E-mail: guojing8161@163.com

    2016-12-01

    Highlights: • Polymeric PET fibers were conductive modified by ITO and the subsequent Ag coating. The conductive PET-ITO-Ag fiber has the surface resistivity as low as 0.23 mΩ cm. The PET-ITO-Ag fiber was used as a basal material to plant vertical ZnO nanorods. - Abstract: We studied the vertical ZnO nanorods grown on conductive conventional polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers which are prepared by electroless silver depositing on tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) coated PET fibers through an efficient and low-cost green approach. The PET fibers were firstly functionalized with a layer of ITO gel synthesized through a sol–gel process at rather low temperature, simply by immersing the fibers into ITO sol for several minutes followed by gelation at 120 °C. Once the ITO gel layer surface was activated by SnCl{sub 2}, a continuous, uniform, and compact layer of silver was carried out on the surface of the PET-ITO fibers through electroless plating operation at room temperature. The as-prepared PET-ITO-Ag fibers had good electrical conductivity, with surface resistivity as low as 0.23 mΩ cm. The overall procedure is simple, efficient, nontoxic, and controllable. The conductive PET-ITO-Ag fiber was used successfully as a flexible basal material to plant vertical ZnO nanorods through controlling the seeding and growth processes. The morphology of the PET-ITO, PET-ITO-Ag, and PET-ITO-Ag-ZnO fibers were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Undergone the whole process, although the tensile strength of the fiber decreased slightly, they may still exert their applications in flexible electronic such as photovoltaic and piezoelectric devices.

  3. Preparation of ZnO nanorods on conductive PET-ITO-Ag fibers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Yiwen; Ji, Shuai; Chen, Yuanyu; Zhang, Hong; Gong, Yumei; Guo, Jing

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Polymeric PET fibers were conductive modified by ITO and the subsequent Ag coating. The conductive PET-ITO-Ag fiber has the surface resistivity as low as 0.23 mΩ cm. The PET-ITO-Ag fiber was used as a basal material to plant vertical ZnO nanorods. - Abstract: We studied the vertical ZnO nanorods grown on conductive conventional polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers which are prepared by electroless silver depositing on tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) coated PET fibers through an efficient and low-cost green approach. The PET fibers were firstly functionalized with a layer of ITO gel synthesized through a sol–gel process at rather low temperature, simply by immersing the fibers into ITO sol for several minutes followed by gelation at 120 °C. Once the ITO gel layer surface was activated by SnCl 2 , a continuous, uniform, and compact layer of silver was carried out on the surface of the PET-ITO fibers through electroless plating operation at room temperature. The as-prepared PET-ITO-Ag fibers had good electrical conductivity, with surface resistivity as low as 0.23 mΩ cm. The overall procedure is simple, efficient, nontoxic, and controllable. The conductive PET-ITO-Ag fiber was used successfully as a flexible basal material to plant vertical ZnO nanorods through controlling the seeding and growth processes. The morphology of the PET-ITO, PET-ITO-Ag, and PET-ITO-Ag-ZnO fibers were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Undergone the whole process, although the tensile strength of the fiber decreased slightly, they may still exert their applications in flexible electronic such as photovoltaic and piezoelectric devices.

  4. Influence of Nafion film on oxygen reduction reaction and hydrogen peroxide formation on Pt electrode for proton exchange membrane fuel cell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohma, Atsushi; Fushinobu, Kazuyoshi; Okazaki, Ken

    2010-01-01

    The influence of Nafion film on ORR kinetics and H 2 O 2 formation on a Pt electrode was investigated using RRDE in 0.1 M HClO 4 . It was found that the Nafion-coated Pt system showed lower apparent ORR activity and more H 2 O 2 production than the bare Pt electrode system. From the temperature sensitivity, it was revealed that the apparent activation energies of ORR in the Nafion-coated Pt system were lower than the bare Pt electrode system, and the H 2 O 2 formation was suppressed with the increase of the temperature. In order to analyze the results furthermore, other systems (0.1/1.0 M, HClO 4 /CF 3 SO 3 H) with the bare Pt electrodes were also examined as references. It was exhibited that the ORR kinetic current, the H 2 O 2 formation, and the apparent activation energies of 1.0 M CF 3 SO 3 H system were close to those of the Nafion-coated Pt system. We concluded that the orientation of anion species of Nafion and CF 3 SO 3 H to the Pt surface via water molecules, as well as a fluorocarbon polymer network of Nafion, might block O 2 adsorption, resulting in the smaller effective surface area of the Pt electrode for ORR, the smaller ORR kinetic current, and the more H 2 O 2 production.

  5. Sputtering ultra-small Pt on nanographitic flakes deposited by electrophoresis for ethanol electro oxidation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daryakenari, Ahmad Ahmadi; Daryakenari, Mohammad Ahmadi; Omidvar, Hamid

    2018-01-01

    To acquire highly efficient and cost-effective fuel cells, numerous research works have been carried out to the development low cost and excellent performance of electrocatalysts. In this paper, a solution-based electrophoretic deposition (EPD) technique for fabrication of Pt-based catalyst layers is studied. Nanographitic flake coatings used as catalyst support for sputtered platinium (Pt) were fabricated via the electrophoretic deposition (EPD) of dispersed nanographitic flakes in isopropyl alcohol. Magnesium nitrate hexahydrate (MNH) was used as an additive binder in the EPD process. Subsequently, the platinium particles were deposited by a direct sputtering on the fabricated nanographitic flake coatings.

  6. Properties of SrBi sub 2 Nb sub 2 O sub 9 thin films on Pt-coated Si

    CERN Document Server

    Avila, R E; Martin, V D C; Fernandez, L M; Sylvester, G S; Retuert, P J; Gramsch, E

    2002-01-01

    SrBi sub 2 Nb sub 2 O sub 9 powders and thin films, on Pt-coated Si, were synthesised by the sol-gel method. Three-layer thin films appear homogeneous down to the 100 nm scale, polycrystalline in the tetragonal Aurivillius phase, at a average thickness of 40 nm per layer. The index of refraction at the center of the visible range increases with the sintering temperature from roughly 2.1 (at 400 Centigrade) to 2.5 (at 700 Centigrade). The expression n sup 2 -1 increases linearly with the relative density of the thin films, in similar fashion as previous studies in PbTiO sub 3 thin films. The dielectric constant in quasistatic and high frequency (1 MHz) modes, is between 160 and 230. (Author)

  7. Synthesis of Pt nanoparticles on electrochemically reduced graphene oxide by potentiostatic and alternate current methods

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Molina, J.; Fernández, J.; Río, A.I. del; Bonastre, J.; Cases, F., E-mail: fjcases@txp.upv.es

    2014-03-01

    Reduced graphene oxide (RGO) has been synthesized on Pt wires by means of a potentiodynamic method between + 0.6 V and − 1.4 V for 20 scans. Cyclic voltammetry characterization of the coatings showed the typical capacitative behavior of graphene. Pt nanoparticles were synthesized on Pt–RGO electrodes by means of potentiostatic methods and a comparison between different synthesis potentials (− 0.16, 0, + 0.2 and + 0.4 V) for the same synthesis charge (mC·cm{sup −2}) was established. The electrodes obtained were characterized in 0.5 M H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} solution to observe the characteristic oxidation and reduction processes of the Pt surface. A 0.5 M H{sub 2}SO{sub 4}/0.5 M CH{sub 3}OH solution was used to measure the catalytic properties of the deposits against methanol oxidation. The most appropriate potential to perform the synthesis was 0 V followed by − 0.16 V and + 0.2 V. The morphology of the coatings varied depending on the potential applied as observed by scanning electron microscopy. Alternate current methods were also used to synthesize Pt nanoparticles and compare the results with the traditional potentiostatic method. Different frequencies were used: 0.1, 1, 10, 100, 1000 and 10 000 Hz. Alternate current synthesis is more efficient than traditional potentiostatic methods, obtaining more electroactive coatings with less effective synthesis time. - Highlights: • Reduced graphene oxide has been obtained by electrochemical reduction on Pt wires. • Pt nanoparticles have been obtained potentiostatically at different potentials. • Pt nanoparticles have been obtained by ac methods with different frequencies. • ac synthesis is a better synthesis method than potentiostatic synthesis.

  8. Anti-prothrombin (aPT) and anti-phosphatidylserine/prothrombin (aPS/PT) antibodies and the risk of thrombosis in the antiphospholipid syndrome. A systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sciascia, Savino; Sanna, Giovanni; Murru, Veronica; Roccatello, Dario; Khamashta, Munther A; Bertolaccini, Maria Laura

    2014-02-01

    Antibodies to prothrombin are detected by directly coating prothrombin on irradiated ELISA plates (aPT) or by using the phosphatidylserine/prothrombin complex as antigen (aPS/PT). Although these antibodies have both been associated with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and a correlation between the two assays have been reported, it seems that aPT and aPS/PT belong to different populations of autoantibodies. It was our objective to systematically review the available evidence on aPT and aPS/PT antibodies and the risk of thrombosis in APS. Medline-reports published between 1988 and 2013 investigating aPT and aPS/PT as a risk factor for thrombosis were included. Whenever possible, antibody isotype(s) and site of thrombosis were analysed. This systematic review is based on available data from more than 7,000 patients and controls from 38 studies analysing aPT and 10 aPS/PT. Antibodies to prothrombin (both aPT and aPS/PT) increased the risk of thrombosis (odds ratio [OR] 2.3; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.72-3.5). aPS/PT seemed to represent a stronger risk factor for thrombosis, both arterial and/or venous than aPT (OR 5.11; 95%CI 4.2-6.3 and OR 1.82; 95%CI 1.44-2.75, respectively). In conclusion, routine measurement of aPS/PT (but not aPT) might be useful in establishing the thrombotic risk of patients with previous thrombosis and/or systemic lupus erythematosus. Their inclusion as laboratory criteria for the APS should be indisputably further explored.

  9. Method to produce catalytically active nanocomposite coatings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erdemir, Ali; Eryilmaz, Osman Levent; Urgen, Mustafa; Kazmanli, Kursat

    2016-02-09

    A nanocomposite coating and method of making and using the coating. The nanocomposite coating is disposed on a base material, such as a metal or ceramic; and the nanocomposite consists essentially of a matrix of an alloy selected from the group of Cu, Ni, Pd, Pt and Re which are catalytically active for cracking of carbon bonds in oils and greases and a grain structure selected from the group of borides, carbides and nitrides.

  10. Method to produce catalytically active nanocomposite coatings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Erdemir, Ali; Eryilmaz, Osman Levent; Urgen, Mustafa; Kazmanli, Kursat

    2017-12-19

    A nanocomposite coating and method of making and using the coating. The nanocomposite coating is disposed on a base material, such as a metal or ceramic; and the nanocomposite consists essentially of a matrix of an alloy selected from the group of Cu, Ni, Pd, Pt and Re which are catalytically active for cracking of carbon bonds in oils and greases and a grain structure selected from the group of borides, carbides and nitrides.

  11. Influence of EDC/NHS coupling chemistry on stability and cytotoxicity of ZnO nanoparticles modified with proteins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keleştemur, Seda; Altunbek, Mine; Culha, Mustafa

    2017-05-01

    The toxicity of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) is a growing concern due to its increasing use in several products including sunscreens, paints, pigments and ceramics for its antibacterial, antifungal, anti-corrosive and UV filtering properties. The toxicity of ZnO NPs is mostly attributed to the Zn2+ release causing an increase in the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level. The surface modification with a biocompatible ligand or a polymer can be a good strategy to reduce dissolution based toxicity. In two previous studies, the conflicting results with EDC/NHS coupling chemistry for ZnO NPs were reported. In this study, the same surface modification strategy with an emphasis on the stability of ZnO NPs is clarified. First, the density of -OH groups on the ZnO NPs is increased with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) treatment, and then a silica coating on the ZnO NPs (Si-ZnO) surface is performed. Finally, a covalent attachment of bovine serum albumin (BSA) on three different concentrations of ZnO-Si is carried out by EDC/NHS coupling chemistry. ZnO NPs have a very high dissolution rate under acidic conditions of EDC/NHS coupling chemistry as determined from the ICP-MS analysis. In addition, the amount of ZnO NPs in coupling reaction has an important effect on the dissolution rate of Zn2+ and dependently BSA attached on the ZnO NP surfaces. Finally, the cytotoxicity of the BSA modified Si-ZnO NPs on human lung cancer (A549) and human skin fibroblast (HSF) is evaluated. Although an increased association of BSA modified ZnO NPs with cells was observed, the modification significantly decreased their cytotoxicity. This can be explained with the decreased active surface area of ZnO NPs with the surface modification. However, an increase in the mitochondrial depolarization and ROS production was observed depending on the amount of BSA coverage.

  12. Effect of the top coat on the phase transformation of thermally grown oxide in thermal barrier coatings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhao, X. [Materials Science Centre, School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M1 7HS (United Kingdom); Hashimoto, T. [Materials Science Centre, School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M1 7HS (United Kingdom); Xiao, P. [Materials Science Centre, School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M1 7HS (United Kingdom)]. E-mail: ping.xiao@manchester.ac.uk

    2006-12-15

    The phase transformation of the thermally grown oxide (TGO) formed on a Pt enriched {gamma} + {gamma}' bond coat in electron beam physical vapour deposited thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) was studied by photo-stimulaluminescence spectroscopy. The presence of the TBC retards the {theta} to {alpha} transformation of the TGO and leads to a higher oxidation rate. The reasons for these phenomena are discussed.

  13. Antibacterial Composite Layers on Ti: Role of ZnO Nanoparticles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roguska A.

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Problem of Post-operative infections of implant materials caused by bacterial adhesion to their surfaces is very serious. Enhancement of antibacterial properties is potentially beneficial for biomaterials value. Therefore, the metallic and metallic oxide nanoparticles attract particular attention as antimicrobial factors. The aim of this work was to create nanotubular (NT oxide layers on Ti with the addition of ZnO nanoparticles, designed for antibacterial biomedical coatings. Antimicrobial activities of titanium, TiO2 NT and ZnO/TiO2 NT surfaces were evaluated against bacterial strain typical for orthopaedic infections: S. epidermidis. TiO2 NT alone killed the free bacterial cells significantly but promoted their adhesion to the surfaces. The presence of moderate amount of ZnO nanoparticles significantly reduced the S. epidermidis cells adhesion and viability of bacterial cells in contact with modified surfaces. However, higher amount of loaded nanoZnO showed the reduced antimicrobial properties than the medium amount, suggesting the overdose effect.

  14. Excimer laser processing of ZnO thin films prepared by the sol-gel process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Winfield, R.J.; Koh, L.H.K.; O'Brien, Shane; Crean, Gabriel M.

    2007-01-01

    ZnO thin films were prepared on soda-lime glass from a single spin-coating deposition of a sol-gel prepared with anhydrous zinc acetate [Zn(C 2 H 3 O 2 ) 2 ], monoethanolamine [H 2 NC 2 H 4 OH] and isopropanol. The deposited films were dried at 50 and 300 deg. C. X-ray analysis showed that the films were amorphous. Laser annealing was performed using an excimer laser. The laser pulse repetition rate was 25 Hz with a pulse energy of 5.9 mJ, giving a fluence of 225 mJ cm -2 on the ZnO film. Typically, five laser pulses per unit area of the film were used. After laser processing, the hexagonal wurtzite phase of zinc oxide was observed from X-ray diffraction pattern analysis. The thin films had a transparency of greater than 70% in the visible region. The optical band-gap energy was 3.454 eV. Scanning electron microscopy and profilometry analysis highlighted the change in morphology that occurred as a result of laser processing. This comparative study shows that our sol-gel processing route differs significantly from ZnO sol-gel films prepared by conventional furnace annealing which requires temperatures above 450 deg. C for the formation of crystalline ZnO

  15. Coatings for the NuSTAR mission

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Finn Erland; Jakobsen, Anders Clemen; Brejnholt, Nicolai

    2011-01-01

    The NuSTAR mission will be the first mission to carry a hard X-ray(5-80 keV) focusing telescope to orbit. The optics are based on the use of multilayer coated thin slumped glass. Two different material combinations were used for the flight optics, namely W/Si and Pt/C. In this paper we describe...... the entire coating effort including the final coating design that was used for the two flight optics. We also present data on the performance verification of the coatings both on Si witness samples as well as on individual flight mirrors....

  16. A selective iodide ion sensor electrode based on functionalized ZnO nanotubes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ibupoto, Zafar Hussain; Khun, Kimleang; Willander, Magnus

    2013-02-04

    In this research work, ZnO nanotubes were fabricated on a gold coated glass substrate through chemical etching by the aqueous chemical growth method. For the first time a nanostructure-based iodide ion selective electrode was developed. The ZnO nanotubes were functionalized with miconazole ion exchanger and the electromotive force (EMF) was measured by the potentiometric method. The iodide ion sensor exhibited a linear response over a wide range of concentrations (1 × 10-6 to 1 × 10-1 M) and excellent sensitivity of -62 ± 1 mV/decade. The detection limit of the proposed sensor was found to be 5 × 10-7 M. The effects of pH, temperature, additive, plasticizer and stabilizer on the potential response of iodide ion selective electrode were also studied. The proposed iodide ion sensor demonstrated a fast response time of less than 5 s and high selectivity against common organic and the inorganic anions. All the obtained results revealed that the iodide ion sensor based on functionalized ZnO nanotubes may be used for the detection of iodide ion in environmental water samples, pharmaceutical products and other real samples.

  17. A Selective Iodide Ion Sensor Electrode Based on Functionalized ZnO Nanotubes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Magnus Willander

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available In this research work, ZnO nanotubes were fabricated on a gold coated glass substrate through chemical etching by the aqueous chemical growth method. For the first time a nanostructure-based iodide ion selective electrode was developed. The ZnO nanotubes were functionalized with miconazole ion exchanger and the electromotive force (EMF was measured by the potentiometric method. The iodide ion sensor exhibited a linear response over a wide range of concentrations (1 × 10−6 to 1 × 10−1 M and excellent sensitivity of –62 ± 1 mV/decade. The detection limit of the proposed sensor was found to be 5 × 10−7 M. The effects of pH, temperature, additive, plasticizer and stabilizer on the potential response of iodide ion selective electrode were also studied. The proposed iodide ion sensor demonstrated a fast response time of less than 5 s and high selectivity against common organic and the inorganic anions. All the obtained results revealed that the iodide ion sensor based on functionalized ZnO nanotubes may be used for the detection of iodide ion in environmental water samples, pharmaceutical products and other real samples.

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

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Raghu, P., E-mail: dpr3270@gmail.com; Naveen, C. S.; Shailaja, J.; Mahesh, H. M., E-mail: hm-mahesh@rediffmail.com [Thin Film and Solar Cell Laboratory, Department of Electronic Science, Bangalore University, Jnanabharathi, Bangalore -560056 (India)

    2016-05-06

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

  19. Effect of Suspension Plasma-Sprayed YSZ Columnar Microstructure and Bond Coat Surface Preparation on Thermal Barrier Coating Properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernard, Benjamin; Quet, Aurélie; Bianchi, Luc; Schick, Vincent; Joulia, Aurélien; Malié, André; Rémy, Benjamin

    2017-08-01

    Suspension plasma spraying (SPS) is identified as promising for the enhancement of thermal barrier coating (TBC) systems used in gas turbines. Particularly, the emerging columnar microstructure enabled by the SPS process is likely to bring about an interesting TBC lifetime. At the same time, the SPS process opens the way to a decrease in thermal conductivity, one of the main issues for the next generation of gas turbines, compared to the state-of-the-art deposition technique, so-called electron beam physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD). In this paper, yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) coatings presenting columnar structures, performed using both SPS and EB-PVD processes, were studied. Depending on the columnar microstructure readily adaptable in the SPS process, low thermal conductivities can be obtained. At 1100 °C, a decrease from 1.3 W m-1 K-1 for EB-PVD YSZ coatings to about 0.7 W m-1 K-1 for SPS coatings was shown. The higher content of porosity in the case of SPS coatings increases the thermal resistance through the thickness and decreases thermal conductivity. The lifetime of SPS YSZ coatings was studied by isothermal cyclic tests, showing equivalent or even higher performances compared to EB-PVD ones. Tests were performed using classical bond coats used for EB-PVD TBC coatings. Thermal cyclic fatigue performance of the best SPS coating reached 1000 cycles to failure on AM1 substrates with a β-(Ni,Pt)Al bond coat. Tests were also performed on AM1 substrates with a Pt-diffused γ-Ni/γ'-Ni3Al bond coat for which more than 2000 cycles to failure were observed for columnar SPS YSZ coatings. The high thermal compliance offered by both the columnar structure and the porosity allowed the reaching of a high lifetime, promising for a TBC application.

  20. Biofabricated zinc oxide nanoparticles coated with phycomolecules as novel micronutrient catalysts for stimulating plant growth of cotton

    Science.gov (United States)

    Priyanka, N.; Venkatachalam, P.

    2016-12-01

    This study describes the bioengineering of phycomolecule-coated zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) as a novel type of plant-growth-enhancing micronutrient catalyst aimed at increasing crop productivity. The impact of natural engineered phycomolecule-loaded ZnO NPs on plant growth characteristics and biochemical changes in Gossypium hirsutum L. plants was investigated after 21 days of exposure to a wide range of concentrations (0, 25, 50, 75, 100, and 200 mg l-l). ZnO NP exposure significantly enhanced growth and biomass by 125.4% and 132.8%, respectively, in the treated plants compared to the untreated control. Interestingly, photosynthetic pigments, namely, chlorophyll a (134.7%), chlorophyll b (132.6%), carotenoids (160.1%), and total soluble protein contents (165.4%) increased significantly, but the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) content (73.8%) decreased in the ZnO-NP-exposed plants compared to the control. The results showed that there were significant increases in superoxide dismutase (SOD, 267.8%) and peroxidase (POX, 174.5%) enzyme activity, whereas decreased catalase (CAT, 83.2%) activity was recorded in the NP-treated plants compared to the control. ZnO NP treatment did not show distinct alterations (the presence or absence of DNA) in a random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) banding pattern. These results suggest that bioengineered ZnO NPs coated with natural phycochemicals display different biochemical effects associated with enhanced growth and biomass in G. hirsutum. Our results imply that ZnO NPs have tremendous potential in their use as an effective plant-growth-promoting micronutrient catalyst in agriculture.

  1. Efficiency Enhancement of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells’ Performance with ZnO Nanorods Grown by Low-Temperature Hydrothermal Reaction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fang-I Lai

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available In this study, aligned zinc oxide (ZnO nanorods (NRs with various lengths (1.5–5 µm were deposited on ZnO:Al (AZO-coated glass substrates by using a solution phase deposition method; these NRs were prepared for application as working electrodes to increase the photovoltaic conversion efficiency of solar cells. The results were observed in detail by using X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, UV-visible spectrophotometry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, incident photo-to-current conversion efficiency, and solar simulation. The results indicated that when the lengths of the ZnO NRs increased, the adsorption of D-719 dyes through the ZnO NRs increased along with enhancing the short-circuit photocurrent and open-circuit voltage of the cell. An optimal power conversion efficiency of 0.64% was obtained in a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC containing the ZnO NR with a length of 5 µm. The objective of this study was to facilitate the development of a ZnO-based DSSC.

  2. Hydrophilic nano-silica coating agents with platinum and diamond nanoparticles for denture base materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshizaki, Taro; Akiba, Norihisa; Inokoshi, Masanao; Shimada, Masayuki; Minakuchi, Shunsuke

    2017-05-31

    Preventing microorganisms from adhering to the denture surface is important for ensuring the systemic health of elderly denture wearers. Silica coating agents provide high hydrophilicity but lack durability. This study investigated solutions to improve the durability of the coating layer, determine an appropriate solid content concentration of SiO 2 in the silica coating agent, and evaluate the effect of adding platinum (Pt) and diamond nanoparticles (ND) to the agent. Five coating agents were prepared with different SiO 2 concentrations with/without Pt and ND additives. The contact angle was measured, and the brush-wear test was performed. Scanning electron microscopy was used to investigate the silica coating layer. The appropriate concentration of SiO 2 was found to be 0.5-0.75 wt%. The coating agents with additives showed significantly high hydrophilicity immediately after coating and after the brush-wear test. The coating agents with/without additives formed a durable coating layer even after the brush-wear test.

  3. Al-doped ZnO seed layer-dependent crystallographic control of ZnO nanorods by using electrochemical deposition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Son, Hyo-Soo; Choi, Nak-Jung [Department of Nano-Optical Engineering, Korea Polytechnic University, Siheung 429-793 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Kyoung-Bo [Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Inha Technical College, Incheon 402-752 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Moojin [Department of Renewable Energy, Jungwon University, Goesan-gun, Chungbuk 367-805 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Sung-Nam, E-mail: snlee@kpu.ac.kr [Department of Nano-Optical Engineering, Korea Polytechnic University, Siheung 429-793 (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-10-15

    Highlights: • Polar and semipolar ZnO NRs were successfully achieved by hydrothermal synthesis. • Semipolar and polar ZnO NRs were grown on ZnO and AZO/m-sapphire, respectively. • Al % of AZO/m-sapphire enhanced the lateral growth rate of polar ZnO NRs. - Abstract: We investigated the effect of an Al-doped ZnO film on the crystallographic direction of ZnO nanorods (NRs) using electrochemical deposition. From high-solution X-ray diffraction measurements, the crystallographic plane of ZnO NRs grown on (1 0 0) ZnO/m-plane sapphire was (1 0 1). The surface grain size of the (100) Al-doped ZnO (AZO) film decreased with increasing Al content in the ZnO seed layer, implying that the Al dopant accelerated the three-dimensional (3D) growth of the AZO film. In addition, it was found that with increasing Al doping concentration of the AZO seed layer, the crystal orientation of the ZnO NRs grown on the AZO seed layer changed from [1 0 1] to [0 0 1]. With increasing Al content of the nonpolar (1 0 0) AZO seed layer, the small surface grains with a few crystallographic planes of the AZO film changed from semipolar (1 0 1) ZnO NRs to polar (0 0 1) ZnO NRs due to the increase of the vertical [0 0 1] growth rate of the ZnO NRs owing to excellent electrical properties.

  4. Great improvement on tetracycline removal using ZnO rod-activated carbon fiber composite prepared with a facile microwave method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tran Thi, Viet Ha; Lee, Byeong-Kyu, E-mail: bklee@ulsan.ac.kr

    2017-02-15

    Highlights: • ZnO rod-ACF was prepared by a method involving a microwave within only 3 min. • ZnO rods (average diameter of 0.3–0.5 μm, length of 1.0–1.5 μm) were grown on ACF. • 99% of tetracycline was degraded and 90.7% TOC was removed within 1 h under UV light. • ZnO rod-ACF achieved high performances even after three cycles of uses. - Abstract: New composite materials of activated carbon fiber (ACF) coated with zinc oxide (ZnO) were obtained by applying a green, cost-effective and rapid synthetic route using a commercial microwave oven. ZnO rods with a uniform and stable structure and an average diameter of 0.3–0.5 μm and length of 1.0–1.5 μm were achieved after only 3-min microwave treatment. The properties of ZnO were efficiently transferred to ACF, such that the resulting material, termed ZnO rod-ACF, demonstrated a promising potential as an efficient photocatalyst and simultaneously as an adsorbent. Pharmaceutical tetracycline at a concentration of 40 mg/L was used to evaluate the organic pollutant removal capacity of the synthesized materials. At pH 8, ZnO rod-ACF exhibited excellent removal capacity (over 99%) and mineralization (90.7%) of tetracycline in aqueous solution within 1 h under UV irradiation. The stability of ZnO rod-ACF was maintained and the mineralization of tetracycline was also maintained at 81.35% after multiple usage cycles. The photodegradation pathways of tetracycline were proposed based on the identified reaction intermediates.

  5. Non-vacuum, single-step conductive transparent ZnO patterning by ultra-short pulsed laser annealing of solution-deposited nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Daeho; Pan, Heng; Kim, Eunpa; Grigoropoulos, Costas P. [University of California, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Berkeley, CA (United States); Ko, Seung Hwan [Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Department of Mechanical Engineering, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Park, Hee K. [AppliFlex LLC, Sunnyvale, CA (United States)

    2012-04-15

    A solution-processable, high-concentration transparent ZnO nanoparticle (NP) solution was successfully synthesized in a new process. A highly transparent ZnO thin film was fabricated by spin coating without vacuum deposition. Subsequent ultra-short-pulsed laser annealing at room temperature was performed to change the film properties without using a blanket high temperature heating process. Although the as-deposited NP thin film was not electrically conductive, laser annealing imparted a large conductivity increase and furthermore enabled selective annealing to write conductive patterns directly on the NP thin film without a photolithographic process. Conductivity enhancement could be obtained by altering the laser annealing parameters. Parametric studies including the sheet resistance and optical transmittance of the annealed ZnO NP thin film were conducted for various laser powers, scanning speeds and background gas conditions. The lowest resistivity from laser-annealed ZnO thin film was about 4.75 x 10{sup -2} {omega} cm, exhibiting a factor of 10{sup 5} higher conductivity than the previously reported furnace-annealed ZnO NP film and is even comparable to that of vacuum-deposited, impurity-doped ZnO films within a factor of 10. The process developed in this work was applied to the fabrication of a thin film transistor (TFT) device that showed enhanced performance compared with furnace-annealed devices. A ZnO TFT performance test revealed that by just changing the laser parameters, the solution-deposited ZnO thin film can also perform as a semiconductor, demonstrating that laser annealing offers tunability of ZnO thin film properties for both transparent conductors and semiconductors. (orig.)

  6. Facilitation of trace metal uptake in cells by inulin coating of metallic nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santillán-Urquiza, Esmeralda; Arteaga-Cardona, Fernando; Torres-Duarte, Cristina; Cole, Bryan; Wu, Bing; Méndez-Rojas, Miguel A.; Cherr, Gary N.

    2017-09-01

    Trace elements such as zinc and iron are essential for the proper function of biochemical processes, and their uptake and bioavailability are dependent on their chemical form. Supplementation of trace metals through nanostructured materials is a new field, but its application raises concerns regarding their toxicity. Here, we compared the intracellular zinc uptake of different sources of zinc: zinc sulfate, and ZnO and core-shell α-Fe2O3@ZnO nanoparticles, coated or uncoated with inulin, an edible and biocompatible polysaccharide. Using mussel haemocytes, a well-known model system to assess nanomaterial toxicity, we simultaneously assessed zinc accumulation and multiple cellular response endpoints. We found that intracellular zinc uptake was strongly enhanced by inulin coating, in comparison to the uncoated nanoparticles, while no significant effects on cell death, cell viability, mitochondrial membrane integrity, production of reactive oxygen species or lysosome abundance were observed at concentrations up to 20 ppm. Since no significant increments in toxicity were observed, the coated nanomaterials may be useful to increase in vivo zinc uptake for nutritional applications.

  7. High temperature oxidation behavior of gamma-nickel+gamma'-nickel aluminum alloys and coatings modified with platinum and reactive elements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mu, Nan

    Materials for high-pressure turbine blades must be able to operate in the high-temperature gases (above 1000°C) emerging from the combustion chamber. Accordingly, the development of nickel-based superalloys has been constantly motivated by the need to have improved engine efficiency, reliability and service lifetime under the harsh conditions imposed by the turbine environment. However, the melting point of nickel (1455°C) provides a natural ceiling for the temperature capability of nickel-based superalloys. Thus, surface-engineered turbine components with modified diffusion coatings and overlay coatings are used. Theses coatings are capable of forming a compact and adherent oxide scale, which greatly impedes the further transport of reactants between the high-temperature gases and the underlying metal and thus reducing attack by the atmosphere. Typically, these coatings contain beta-NiAl as a principal constituent phase in order to have sufficient aluminum content to form an Al2O3 scale at elevated temperatures. The drawbacks to the currently-used beta-based coatings, such as phase instabilities, associated stresses induced by such phase instabilities, and extensive coating/substrate interdiffusion, are major motivations in this study to seek next-generation coatings. The high-temperature oxidation resistance of novel Pt+Hf-modified gamma-Ni+gamma'-Ni 3Al-based alloys and coatings were investigated in this study. Both early-stage and 4-days isothermal oxidation behavior of single-phase gamma-Ni and gamma'-Ni3Al alloys were assessed by examining the weight changes, oxide-scale structures, and elemental concentration profiles through the scales and subsurface alloy regions. It was found that Pt promotes Al 2O3 formation by suppressing the NiO growth on both gamma-Ni and gamma'-Ni3Al single-phase alloys. This effect increases with increasing Pt content. Moreover, Pt exhibits this effect even at lower temperatures (˜970°C) in the very early stage of oxidation. It

  8. Enhanced photoelectric performance in self-powered UV detectors based on ZnO nanowires with plasmonic Au nanoparticles scattered electrolyte

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Yiyu; Ye, Zhizhen; Lu, Bin; Dai, Wei; Pan, Xinhua

    2016-04-01

    Vertically aligned ZnO nanowires (NWs) were grown on a fluorine-doped tin-oxide-coated glass substrate by a hydrothermal method. Au nanoparticles were well dispersed in the mixed solution of ethanol and deionized water. A simple self-powered ultraviolet detector based on solid-liquid heterojunction was fabricated, utilizing ZnO NWs as active photoanode and such prepared mixed solution as electrolyte. The introduction of Au nanoparticles results in considerable improvements in the responsivity and sensitivity of the device compared with the one using deionized water as electrolyte, which is attributed to the enhanced light harvesting by Au nanoparticles.

  9. ZnO quantum dots–decorated ZnO nanowires for the enhancement of antibacterial and photocatalytic performances

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, Jyh Ming; Tsay, Li-Yi

    2015-01-01

    We demonstrate highly antibacterial activities for killing off Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli using ZnO nanowires decorated with ZnO quantum dots (so-called ZnO QDs/NWs) under visible-light irradiation and dark conditions. The average size of the ZnO QDs is in the range of 3–5 nm; these were uniformly dispersed on the ZnO nanowires’ surface to form the ZnO QDs/NWs. A significant blue-shift effect was observed using photoluminescence (PL) spectra. The size of the ZnO QDs is strongly dependent on the material’s synthesis time. The ZnO QDs/NWs exhibited an excellent photocatalytic activity under visible-light irradiation. The ZnO QDs’ active sites (i.e. the O–H bond and Zn"2"+) accelerate the photogenerated-carrier migration from the QDs to the NWs. As a consequence, the electrons reacted with the dissolved oxygen to form oxygen ions and produced hydroperoxyl radicals to enhance photocatalytic activity. The antibacterial activities (as indicated by R-factor-inhibiting activity) of the ZnO QDs/NWs for killing off Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli is around 4.9 and 5.5 under visible-light irradiation and dark conditions, respectively. The hydroxyl radicals served as an efficient oxidized agent for decomposing the organic dye and microorganism species. The antibacterial activities of the ZnO QDs/NWs in the dark may be attributed to the Zn"2"+ ions that were released from the ZnO QDs and infused into the microbial solution against the growth of bacteria thus disrupting the microorganism. The highly antibacterial and photocatalytic activity of the ZnO QDs/NWs can be well implanted on a screen window, thus offering a promising solution to inhibit the spread of germs under visible-light and dark conditions. (paper)

  10. Superhydrophobic surface based on a coral-like hierarchical structure of ZnO.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jun Wu

    2010-12-01

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

  11. Photocatalytic Active Coatings for Lignin Degradation in a Continuous Packed Bed Reactor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Colin Awungacha Lekelefac

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The synthesis of immobilized catalyst on porous glass support material via the sol-gel route is reported. TiO2-P25-SiO2 + Pt, TiO2-P25-SiO2, TiOSO4_30.6 wt%, and ZnO + TiO2-P25-SiO2 catalysts were synthesized and a comparative study is done regarding morphology of coatings, degradation rates, reaction rates, dissolved carbon (DC, formation of peaks, and fluorescence of products formed from the photocatalytic degradation of lignin sulfonate obtained from a local paper plant. Through simultaneous reaction-extraction pathways applying dialysis filtration and highly porous polystyrene divinylbenzene adsorbent resin (HR-P for solid phase extraction (SPE, an attempt has been made to isolate smaller molecules produced from photocatalytic degradation. Moreover relatively high lignin sulfonate (0.5 g/L concentrations are used in the reactions. UV-Vis spectroscopy revealed a faster reduction in the concentration values for the aliphatic moiety compared to the aromatic moiety. Peaks were observed by both fluorescence spectroscopy and HPLC suggesting the production of new substances and fluorophores.

  12. High quality aluminide and thermal barrier coatings deposition for new and service exposed parts by CVD techniques

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pedraza, F.; Tuohy, C.; Whelan, L.; Kennedy, A.D. [SIFCO Turbine Components, Carrigtwohill, Cork (Ireland)

    2004-07-01

    In this work, the performance of CVD aluminide coatings is compared to that of coatings deposited by the classical pack cementation technique using standard SIFCO procedures. The CVD coatings always seem to behave better upon exposure to isothermal and cyclic oxidation conditions. This is explained by a longer term stability of CVD coatings, with higher Al amounts in the diffusion zone and less refractory element precipitation in the additive layer. The qualities of Pt/Al coatings by out-of-pack and CVD are also compared as a previous step for further thermal barrier coating deposition. As an example, YSZ thermal barrier coatings are deposited by MO-CVD on Pt/Al CVD bond coats rendering adherent and thick coatings around the surface of turbine blades. This process under development does not require complex manipulation of the component to be coated. (orig.)

  13. Pt-Ni/WC Alloy Nanorods Arrays as ORR Catalyst for PEM Fuel Cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Begum, Mahbuba; Yurukcu, Mesut; Yurtsever, Fatma; Ergul, Busra; Kariuki, Nancy; Myers, Deborah J.; Karabacak, Tansel

    2017-08-24

    Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) among the other types of fuel cell technology are attractive power sources, especially for electric vehicle applications. While significant progress and plausible prospects of PEMFCs have been achieved, there are still some challenges related to the performance, durability, and cost that need to be overcome to make them economically viable for widespread commercialization. Our strategy is to develop thin films of high-active and stable catalyst coated on vertically aligned nanorod arrays of conductive and stable support. In this work, we fabricated tungsten carbide (WC) nanorods as support and coated them with a platinum-nickel (Pt-Ni) alloy shell denoted as Pt-Ni/WC catalysts. The Pt- Ni/WC nanorods were deposited on glassy carbon disks as well as on silicon substrates for evaluation of their electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity and physical properties. Cyclic voltammetry experiments using rotating disk electrode were performed in perchloric acid (0.1 M HClO4) electrolyte at room temperature to characterize the ORR activity and stability of Pt-Ni/WC nanorods catalysts. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques were utilized to study the morphology and crystallographic properties, respectively.

  14. Evolution of ZnO architecture on a nanoporous TiO{sub 2} film by a hydrothermal method and the photoelectrochemical performance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jiang Yinhua; Wu Xiaoli; Zhang Wenli; Ni Liang [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013 (China); Sun Yueming, E-mail: yms418@126.com [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189 (China)

    2011-03-15

    The synthesis of ZnO architecture on a fluorine-doped SnO{sub 2} (FTO) conducting glass pre-coated with nanoporous TiO{sub 2} film has been achieved by a one-step hydrothermal method at a temperature of 70 deg. C. The effect of the reaction time on the morphology of the ZnO architecture has been investigated, and a possible growth mechanism for the formation of the ZnO architecture is discussed in detail. The morphology and phase structures of the as-obtained composite films have been investigated by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results show that the growth time greatly affects the morphology of the obtained ZnO architecture. The photoelectrochemical performances of as-prepared composite films are measured by assembling them into dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The DSSC based on the as-prepared composite film (2 h) has obtained the best power conversion efficiency of 1.845%. (semiconductor materials)

  15. Enzymatic glucose sensor based on Au nanoparticle and plant-like ZnO film modified electrode

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tian, Kun [Nanostructured Materials Research Laboratory, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 (United States); Alex, Saji [Nanostructured Materials Research Laboratory, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 (United States); Department of Chemistry, Government College for Women, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695014 (India); Siegel, Gene [Nanostructured Materials Research Laboratory, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 (United States); Tiwari, Ashutosh, E-mail: tiwari@eng.utah.edu [Nanostructured Materials Research Laboratory, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 (United States)

    2015-01-01

    A novel electrochemical glucose sensor was developed by employing a composite film of plant-like Zinc oxide (ZnO) and chitosan stabilized spherical gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on which Glucose oxidaze (GOx) was immobilized. The ZnO was deposited on an indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass and the AuNPs of average diameter of 23 nm were loaded on ZnO as the second layer. The prepared ITO/ZnO/AuNPs/GOx bioelectrode exhibited a low value of Michaelis–Menten constant of 1.70 mM indicating a good bio-matrix for GOx. The studies of electrochemical properties of the electrode using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) showed that, the presence of AuNPs provides significant enhancement of the electron transfer rate during redox reactions. The linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) shows that the ITO/ZnO/AuNPs/GOx based sensor has a high sensitivity of 3.12 μA·mM{sup −1}·cm{sup −2} in the range of 50 mg/dL to 400 mg/dL glucose concentration. The results show promising application of the gold nanoparticle modified plant-like ZnO composite bioelectrode for electrochemical sensing of glucose.

  16. Non-Enzymatic Glucose Sensor Composed of Carbon-Coated Nano-Zinc Oxide

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ren-Jei Chung

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Nowadays glucose detection is of great importance in the fields of biological, environmental, and clinical analyzes. In this research, we report a zinc oxide (ZnO nanorod powder surface-coated with carbon material for non-enzymatic glucose sensor applications through a hydrothermal process and chemical vapor deposition method. A series of tests, including crystallinity analysis, microstructure observation, and electrochemical property investigations were carried out. For the cyclic voltammetric (CV glucose detection, the low detection limit of 1 mM with a linear range from 0.1 mM to 10 mM was attained. The sensitivity was 2.97 μA/cm2mM, which is the most optimized ever reported. With such good analytical performance from a simple process, it is believed that the nanocomposites composed of ZnO nanorod powder surface-coated with carbon material are promising for the development of cost-effective non-enzymatic electrochemical glucose biosensors with high sensitivity.

  17. Interfacial passivation of CdS layer to CdSe quantum dots-sensitized electrodeposited ZnO nanowire thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Jingbo; Sun, Chuanzhen; Bai, Shouli; Luo, Ruixian; Chen, Aifan; Sun, Lina; Lin, Yuan

    2013-01-01

    ZnO porous thin films with nanowire structure were deposited by the one-step electrochemical deposition method. And a CdS layer was coated on the as-deposited ZnO nanowire thin films by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method to passivate surface states. Then the films were further sensitized by CdSe quantum dots (QDs) to serve as a photoanode for fabricating quantum dots-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs). The effect of the CdS interfacial passivation layer on the performance of the QDSSCs was systematically investigated by varying the SILAR cycle number and heating the passivation layer. The amorphous CdS layer with an optimized thickness can effectively suppress the recombination of the injected electrons with holes on QDs and the redox electrolyte. The newly formed CdS layer on the surface of the ZnO nanowire thin film obviously prolongs the electron lifetime in the passivated ZnO nanoporous thin film because of the lower surface trap density in the ZnO nanowires after CdS deposition, which is favorable to the higher short-circuit photocurrent density (J sc ). For the CdSe QDs-sensitized ZnO nanoporous thin film with the interfacial passivation layer, the J sc and conversion efficiency can reach a maximum of 8.36 mA cm −2 and 2.36%, respectively. The conversion efficiency was improved by 83.47% compared with that of the cell based on the CdSe QDs-sensitized ZnO nanoporous thin film without CdS interfacial passivation (0.39%)

  18. The result of synthesis analysis of the powder TiO{sub 2}/ZnO as a layer of electrodes for dye sensitized solar cell applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Retnaningsih, Lilis, E-mail: lilisretna@gmail.com; Muliani, Lia [Research Center for Electronics and Telecommunications Indonesian Institute of Sciences (PPET-LIPI) Kampus LIPI, Jl. Sangkuriang, Bandung 40135 (Indonesia)

    2016-04-19

    This study has been conducted synthesis of TiO{sub 2} nanoparticle powders and ZnO nanoparticle powder into a paste to be in this research, dye-sensitive solar cells (DSSC) was produced by TiO{sub 2} nanopowder and ZnO nanopowder synthesis to make paste that is applied as electrode. This electrode works based on photon absorbed by dye and transferred to different composition of TiO{sub 2}/ ZnO particle. Properties of DSSC are affected by fabrication method, parameter and dimension of TiO{sub 2} / ZnO nanoparticles, technique and composition of TiO{sub 2} / ZnO paste preparation is important to get the higher performance of DSSC. Doctor blade is a method for electrode coating on glass substrate. The electrode was immersed into dye solution of Z907 and ethanol. From the experiment, the effect of TiO{sub 2} and ZnO nanopowder mixture for electrode was investigated. XRD characterization show anatase and rutile phase, which sintered TiO{sub 2}/ZnO has intensity more than 11,000. SEM characterization shows the composition of 20% TiO{sub 2} / 80% ZnO has better porosity. Higher efficiency that is investigated by I-V measurement using Sun Simulator.

  19. Experimental evaluation of optimization method for developing ultraviolet barrier coatings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonome, Hiroki; Okajima, Junnosuke; Komiya, Atsuki; Maruyama, Shigenao

    2014-01-01

    Ultraviolet (UV) barrier coatings can be used to protect many industrial products from UV attack. This study introduces a method of optimizing UV barrier coatings using pigment particles. The radiative properties of the pigment particles were evaluated theoretically, and the optimum particle size was decided from the absorption efficiency and the back-scattering efficiency. UV barrier coatings were prepared with zinc oxide (ZnO) and titanium dioxide (TiO2). The transmittance of the UV barrier coating was calculated theoretically. The radiative transfer in the UV barrier coating was modeled using the radiation element method by ray emission model (REM2). In order to validate the calculated results, the transmittances of these coatings were measured by a spectrophotometer. A UV barrier coating with a low UV transmittance and high VIS transmittance could be achieved. The calculated transmittance showed a similar spectral tendency with the measured one. The use of appropriate particles with optimum size, coating thickness and volume fraction will result in effective UV barrier coatings. UV barrier coatings can be achieved by the application of optical engineering.

  20. Multi function Finishing and Pigment Printing of UV Cured Cotton/Polyester Fabrics Coated with Plasticized Epoxy Resin/ZnO Formulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hassan, M.S.; Mousaa, I.M.; Ali, N.M.

    2015-01-01

    Cotton/ Polyester fabrics were coated with epoxy acrylate (EA) formulations plasticized by castor oil (CO), in the presence of benzophenone as initiator, ZnO (antibacterial agent) and pigment printing. Ultra violet (UV) irradiation was used as a curing system. The effect of UV irradiation time and CO percentage on the mechanical and crease recovery properties were investigated. The effect of the coating process on the cross-section feature by using scanning electron microscope (SEM), the antibacterial properties, water retardance, colour difference and the durability for washing of the coated fabrics were also investigated. From the results, it was found that the crease recovery and antibacterial properties were enhanced. Also, the colour durability against multiple washing cycles gave adequate results after application of the investigated coating formulation. The most fitting castor oil per cent was found to be 45%, while the 3% ZnO recorded the best antibacterial and mechanical properties. The pigment per cent that gave the highest durability and adequate colour strength was 0.6%.

  1. Atomic layer deposition of ruthenium surface-coating on porous platinum catalysts for high-performance direct ethanol solid oxide fuel cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeong, Heon Jae; Kim, Jun Woo; Jang, Dong Young; Shim, Joon Hyung

    2015-09-01

    Pt-Ru bi-metallic catalysts are synthesized by atomic layer deposition (ALD) of Ru surface-coating on sputtered Pt mesh. The catalysts are evaluated in direct ethanol solid oxide fuel cells (DESOFCs) in the temperature range of 300-500 °C. Island-growth of the ALD Ru coating is confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses. The performance of the DESOFCs is evaluated based on the current-voltage output and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Genuine reduction of the polarization impedance, and enhanced power output with improved surface kinetics are achieved with the optimized ALD Ru surface-coating compared to bare Pt. The chemical composition of the Pt/ALD Ru electrode surface after fuel cell operation is analyzed via XPS. Enhanced cell performance is clearly achieved, attributed to the effective Pt/ALD Ru bi-metallic catalysis, including oxidation of Cdbnd O by Ru, and de-protonation of ethanol and cleavage of C-C bonds by Pt, as supported by surface morphology analysis which confirms formation of a large amount of carbon on bare Pt after the ethanol-fuel-cell test.

  2. Enhanced electrochemical performance of CoAl-layered double hydroxide nanosheet arrays coated by platinum films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cheng, J.P.; Fang, J.H.; Li, M.; Zhang, W.F.; Liu, F.; Zhang, X.B.

    2013-01-01

    Graphical abstract: Schematic illustration for the electron transport between the current collector and the active CoAl LDH arrays, where the yellow arrows indicate the high resistance of CoAl LDH, while the green arrows present the high conductivity of Pt films on LDH. -- Highlights: •CoAl layered double hydroxide nanosheet arrays are synthesized by hydrothermal method. •Pt films coated on surface of CoAl nanosheets facilitate fast electron transport. •CoAl LDH nanosheets coated with Pt film for 5 min have an excellent performance. -- Abstract: Three-dimensional network of cobalt and aluminum layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanosheets was synthesized on nickel foam by a simple hydrothermal method. The CoAl-LDH nonosheets were subsequently coated by ion sputtering with thin layers of Pt films to facilitate fast electron transport between current collector and the CoAl-LDH active materials. The optimal thickness of the Pt film acquiring the best performance was identified by applying various sputtering time in controlled experiments. The supercapacitor built by the CoAl-LDH nanosheets coated with Pt film sputtered for 5 min has a high specific capacitance (734.4 F g −1 at 3 A g −1 ), excellent rate capability as well as cycling stability. Moreover, it showed a long life of 77% retention after 6000 cycles and its general morphology was preserved after the test. The synergetic affect of conductive layer of Pt films and CoAl-LDH on the improvement of electrochemical properties was discussed and this would provide a useful clue in designing novel and effective electrode materials for supercapacitors

  3. Controlled synthesis of ZnO branched nanorod arrays by hierarchical solution growth and application in dye-sensitized solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fang Xiaoming; Peng Lihua; Shang Xiaoying; Zhang Zhengguo

    2011-01-01

    We demonstrate the controlled synthesis of ZnO branched nanorod arrays on fluorine-doped SnO 2 -coated glass substrates by the hierarchical solution growth method. In the secondary growth, the concentration of Zn(NO 3 ) 2 /hexamethylenetetramine plays an important role in controlling the morphology of the branched nanorod arrays, besides that of diaminopropane used as a structure-directing agent to induce the growth of branches. The population density and morphology of the branched nanorod arrays depend on those of the nanorod arrays obtained from the primary growth, which can be modulated though the concentration of Zn(NO 3 ) 2 /hexamethylenetetramine in the primary growth solution. The dye-sensitized ZnO branched nanorod arrays exhibit much stronger optical absorption as compared with its corresponding primary nanorod arrays, suggesting that the addition of the branches improves light harvesting. The dye-sensitized solar cell based on the optimized ZnO branched nanorod array reaches a conversion efficiency of 1.66% under the light radiation of 1000 W/m 2 . The branched nanorod arrays can also be applied in other application fields of ZnO.

  4. ZnO Nanorods Based Enzymatic Biosensor for Selective Determination of Penicillin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Magnus Willander

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available In this study, we have successfully demonstrated the fabrication of a biosensor based on well aligned single-crystal zinc oxide (ZnO nanorods which were grown on gold coated glass substrate using a low temperature aqueous chemical growth (ACG method. The ZnO nanorods were immobilized with penicillinase enzyme using the physical adsorption approach in combination with N-5-azido-2-nitrobenzoyloxysuccinimide (ANB-NOS as cross linking molecules. The potentiometric response of the sensor configuration revealed good linearity over a large logarithmic concentration range from 100 µM to 100 mM. During the investigations, the proposed sensor showed a good stability with high sensitivity of ~121 mV/decade for sensing of penicillin. A quick electrochemical response of less than 5 s with a good selectivity, repeatability, reproducibility and a negligible response to common interferents such as Na1+, K1+, d-glucose, l-glucose, ascorbic acid, uric acid, urea, sucrose, lactose, glycine, penicilloic acid and cephalosporins, was observed.

  5. ZnO Nanorods Based Enzymatic Biosensor for Selective Determination of Penicillin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ibupoto, Zafar Hussain; Ali, Syed Muhammad Usman; Khun, Kimleang; Chey, Chan Oeurn; Nur, Omer; Willander, Magnus

    2011-10-27

    In this study, we have successfully demonstrated the fabrication of a biosensor based on well aligned single-crystal zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods which were grown on gold coated glass substrate using a low temperature aqueous chemical growth (ACG) method. The ZnO nanorods were immobilized with penicillinase enzyme using the physical adsorption approach in combination with N-5-azido-2-nitrobenzoyloxysuccinimide (ANB-NOS) as cross linking molecules. The potentiometric response of the sensor configuration revealed good linearity over a large logarithmic concentration range from 100 µM to 100 mM. During the investigations, the proposed sensor showed a good stability with high sensitivity of ~121 mV/decade for sensing of penicillin. A quick electrochemical response of less than 5 s with a good selectivity, repeatability, reproducibility and a negligible response to common interferents such as Na1+, K1+, d-glucose, l-glucose, ascorbic acid, uric acid, urea, sucrose, lactose, glycine, penicilloic acid and cephalosporins, was observed.

  6. Fabrication and characterization of solution processed vertically aligned ZnO microrods

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gadallah, A.-S., E-mail: agadallah@niles.edu.eg [Laboratoire de Nanotechnologie et d’Instrumentation Optique, Institut Charles Delaunay, CNRS UMR 6279, Université de Technologie de Troyes, 12 rue Marie Curie, BP 2060, 10010 Troyes Cedex (France); Department of Laser Sciences and Interactions, National Institute of Laser Enhanced Sciences, Cairo University, 12613 Giza (Egypt)

    2014-08-30

    Simple and effective cost high quality vertically aligned densely packed ZnO microrods have been prepared using solution processed two-step deposition process, specifically sol–gel spin coating combined with chemical bath deposition. X-ray diffraction pattern and scanning electron microscope show that there has been preferential crystal orientation along c-axis and the growth of the microrods has occurred normal to the glass substrate and the facets of the these microrods are hexagons. Photoluminescence measurements showed an emission band in the UV region and another weak band in the visible region with the emission intensity of UV band grows superlinearly with the excitation intensity. The film shows an electrical resistivity of 136 Ω cm as evaluated from four-point probe method. The fabricated film has been used as UV detector through Au/SiO{sub 2}/ZnO structure on glass substrate as the structure shows higher current under illumination compared to without illumination.

  7. Effect of growth time to the properties of Al-doped ZnO nanorod arrays

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ismail, A. S.; Mamat, M. H.; Malek, M. F.; Saidi, S. A.; Yusoff, M. M.; Mohamed, R.; Sin, N. D. Md; Suriani, A. B.; Rusop, M.

    2018-05-01

    Aluminum (Al)-doped zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorod array films were successfully deposited at different growth time on zinc oxide (ZnO) seed layer coated glass substrate using sol-gel immersion method. The morphology images of the films showed that the thicknesses of the films were increased parallel with the increment of growth period. The surface topology of the films displayed an increment of roughness as the growth period increased. Optical properties of the samples exposed that the percentage of transmittances reduced at higher growth time. Besides, the Urbach energy of the films slightly increased as the immersion time increased. The current-voltage (I-V) measurement indicated that the resistance increased as the immersion time increased owing to the appearance of intrinsic layer on top of the nanorods.

  8. Falling Leaves Inspired ZnO Nanorods-Nanoslices Hierarchical Structure for Implant Surface Modification with Two Stage Releasing Features.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liao, Hang; Miao, Xinxin; Ye, Jing; Wu, Tianlong; Deng, Zhongbo; Li, Chen; Jia, Jingyu; Cheng, Xigao; Wang, Xiaolei

    2017-04-19

    Inspired from falling leaves, ZnO nanorods-nanoslices hierarchical structure (NHS) was constructed to modify the surfaces of two widely used implant materials: titanium (Ti) and tantalum (Ta), respectively. By which means, two-stage release of antibacterial active substances were realized to address the clinical importance of long-term broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. At early stages (within 48 h), the NHS exhibited a rapid releasing to kill the bacteria around the implant immediately. At a second stage (over 2 weeks), the NHS exhibited a slow releasing to realize long-term inhibition. The excellent antibacterial activity of ZnO NHS was confirmed once again by animal test in vivo. According to the subsequent experiments, the ZnO NHS coating exhibited the great advantage of high efficiency, low toxicity, and long-term durability, which could be a feasible manner to prevent the abuse of antibiotics on implant-related surgery.

  9. Fabrication and characterization of ZnO nanowires array electrodes with high photocurrent densities: Effects of the seed layer calcination time

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lu, Yi-Jing; Liu, Ching-Fang; Hu, Chi-Chang, E-mail: cchu@che.nthu.edu.tw; Kuo, Jen-Hou; Boddula, Rajender

    2017-03-01

    In this work, we demonstrate that vertically grown ZnO nanowire (NW) arrays of the wurzite phase were successfully fabricated on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates via a hydrothermal method. The coating of a seed layer onto the FTO substrates was found to favor the growth of a uniform ZnO NWs array which shows saturation in the photocurrent density with a relatively low potential bias. Furthermore, prolonging the calcination time of the seed layer makes the ZnO NWs behave the better charge separation and improve the photo-electrochemical performance. Under the irradiation at a 75 mW cm{sup −2} from a simulated sunlight source, the ZnO NWs array electrode prepared from the seed layer with calcination at 350 °C for 5 h shows a saturated photocurrent density of 514 μA cm{sup −2} and a maximum half-cell solar-to-hydrogen (HC-STH) efficiency of 0.26% was obtained at 0.6 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) in neutral electrolyte. - Highlights: • The seed layer annealing time strongly influences the textural and photo-activity of ZnO NWs. • The average diameter and density of ZnO NWs were controlled to 47–70 nm and 46–70 NWs μm{sup −2}, respectively. • ZnO NWs show promising application potential in solar-electrocatalytic water splitting under potential bias. • The ZnO NWs with SL annealing time = 5 h achieve the highest HC-STH efficiency of 0.26% at 0.6 V.

  10. Graphene Coatings: Probing the Limits of the One Atom Thick Protection Layer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nilsson, Louis; Andersen, Mie; Balog, Richard

    2012-01-01

    The limitations of graphene as an effective corrosion-inhibiting coating on metal surfaces, here exemplified by the hex-reconstructed Pt(100) surface, are probed by scanning tunneling microscopy measurements and density functional theory calculations. While exposure of small molecules directly onto...... against CO is observed at CO pressures below 106 mbar. However, at higher pressures CO is observed to intercalate under the graphene coating layer, thus lifting the reconstruction. The limitations of the coating effect are further tested by exposure to hot atomic hydrogen. While the coating can withstand...... these extreme conditions for a limited amount of time, after substantial exposure, the Pt(100) reconstruction is lifted. Annealing experiments and density functional theory calculations demonstrate that the basal plane of the graphene stays intact and point to a graphene-mediated mechanism for the H...

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2017-12-01

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

  12. Study of the effect of ZnO film on some properties of clear and color window glass

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamead, Alaa A. Abdul; Ahmed, Sura S.; Khdheer, Mena F.

    2018-05-01

    In the current research, a samples of transparent color and colorless window glass were prepared, (includes metal transition oxides) for construction applications. A nano-film layer of zinc oxide ZnO was deposited by spray pyrolysis technique for use in sustainability applications prepared. Structural properties (x-ray diffraction XRD, scanning electron microscopy SEM and atomic force microscopy AFM), and thermal properties, as well as optical properties and the effect of weathering conditions on applied film on clear and colored glass were examined. The results showed that the deposition film had a thickness of less than 90nm and that it was crystallized with high optical transparently, that was not significantly affected after deposited the ZnO nano film. While thermal insulation decreased significantly after deposition, and the effect of the weather conditions was very low as the ZnO coating was not affected, as the thermal insulation did not change after exposure to accelerated air conditions. Make it suitable in glass applications for buildings in vertical construction.

  13. A potentiometric biosensor for the detection of notch 3 using functionalized ZnO nanorods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ibupoto, Z H; Khun, K; Liu, X; Willander, M

    2014-09-01

    The notch signalling plays a vital and radical role for the activity of cellular proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. In this study, for the first time a particular biosensor is developed for the detection of notch 3. ZnO nanorods were fabricated on the gold coated glass substrate by hydrothermal method and afterwards were decorated with the gold nanoparticles by electrodepositing technique. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has shown the perpendicular to the substrate growth pattern of ZnO nanorods. X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies showed the c-axis oriented growth direction with wurtzite crystal structure of ZnO nanorods. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) techniques have shown the presence of Zn, O and Au atoms in the prepared functional material. Furthermore, the anti-notch 3 was physically adsorbed on the gold nanoparticles functionalized ZnO nanorods. The developed potentiometric immunosensor has shown response to the wide range of notch 3 molecules. The detected range included 1.00 x 10(-5)-1.50 x 10(0 ) μg/mL with a sensitivity of 23.15 ± 0.31 mV/decade. The analytical parameters including reproducibility, stability, and selectivity were also investigated and the observed results indicate the acceptable performance of the notch 3 biosensor. Moreover, the proposed notch 3 biosensor exhibited a fast response time of 10 s.

  14. Electrocatalytic reduction of H2O2 by Pt nanoparticles covalently bonded to thiolated carbon nanostructures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    You, Jung-Min; Kim, Daekun; Jeon, Seungwon

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Novel thiolated carbon nanostructures – platinum nanoparticles [t-GO-C(O)-pt and t-MWCNT-C(O)-S-pt] have been synthesized, and [t-GO-C(O)-pt and t-MWCNT-C(O)-S-pt] denotes as t-GO-pt and t-MWCNT-Pt in manuscript, respectively. ► The modified electrode denoted as PDDA/t-GO-pt/GCE was used for the electrochemical determination of H 2 O 2 for the first time. ► The results show that PDDA/t-GO-pt nanoparticles have the promising potential as the basic unit of the electrochemical biosensors for the detection of H 2 O 2 . ► The proposed H 2 O 2 biosensors exhibited wide linear ranges and low detection limits, giving fast responses within 10 s. - Abstract: Glassy carbon electrodes were coated with thiolated carbon nanostructures – multi-walled carbon nanotubes and graphene oxide. The subsequent covalent addition of platinum nanoparticles and coating with poly(diallydimethylammonium chloride) resulted in biosensors that detected hydrogen peroxide through its electrocatalytic reduction. The sensors were easily and quickly prepared and showed improved sensitivity to the electrocatalytic reduction of H 2 O 2 . The Pt nanoparticles covalently bonded to the thiolated carbon nanostructures were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Cyclic voltammetry and amperometry were used to characterize the biosensors’ performances. The sensors exhibited wide linear ranges and low detection limits, giving fast responses within 10 s, thus demonstrating their potential for use in H 2 O 2 analysis.

  15. An ultrasonic technology for production of antibacterial nanomaterials and their coating on textiles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna V. Abramova

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available A method for the production of antibacterial ZnO nanoparticles has been developed. The technique combines passing an electric current with simultaneous application of ultrasonic waves. By using high-power ultrasound a cavitation zone is created between two zinc electrodes. This leads to the possibility to create a spatial electrical discharge in water. Creation of such discharge leads to the depletion of the electrodes and the formation of ZnO nanoparticles, which demonstrate antibacterial properties. At the end of this reaction the suspension of ZnO nanoparticles is transported to a specially developed ultrasonic reactor, in which the nanoparticles are deposited on the textile. The nanoparticles are embedded into the fibres by the cavitation jets, which are formed by asymmetrically collapsing bubbles in the presence of a solid surface and are directed towards the surface of textile at very high velocities. Fabrics coated with ZnO nanoparticles by using the developed method showed good antibacterial activity against E. coli.

  16. ZIF-8 Membranes with Improved Reproducibility Fabricated from Sputter-Coated ZnO/Alumina Supports

    KAUST Repository

    Yu, Jian; Pan, Yichang; Wang, Chongqing; Lai, Zhiping

    2015-01-01

    for reproducible fabrication of high-quality membranes. In this study, high-quality ZIF-8 membranes were prepared through hydrothermal synthesis under the partial self-conversion of sputter-coated ZnO layer on porous α-alumina supports. The reproducibility

  17. Enhancement in photo-electrochemical efficiency by reducing recombination rate in branched TiO2 nanotube array on functionalizing with ZnO micro crystals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boda, Muzaffar Ahmad; Ashraf Shah, Mohammad

    2018-06-01

    In this study, branched TiO2 nanotube array were fabricated through electrochemical anodization process at constant voltage using third generation electrolyte. On account of morphological advantage, these nanotubes shows significant enhancement in photo-electrochemical property than compact or conventional titania nanotube array. However, their photo-electrochemical efficiency intensifies on coating with ZnO micro-crystals. ZnO coated branched TiO2 nanotube array shows a photocurrent density of 27.8 mA cm‑2 which is 1.55 times the photocurrent density (17.2 mA cm‑2) shown by bare branched titania nanotubes. The significant enhancement in photocurrent density shown by the resulting ZnO/TiO2 hybrid structure is attributed to suppression in electron–hole recombination phenomenon by offering smooth pathway to photo generated excitons on account of staggered band edge positions in individual semiconductors.

  18. Aqueous chemical growth of free standing vertical ZnO nanoprisms, nanorods and nanodiskettes with improved texture co-efficient and tunable size uniformity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ram, S.D.G. [Bharath Niketan Engineering College, Department of Physics, Aundipatti (India); Ravi, G.; Mahalingam, T. [Alagappa University, Department of Physics, Karaikudi (India); Athimoolam, A. [Fatima Michael College of Engineering and Technology, Department of Physics, Madurai (India); Kulandainathan, M.A. [Central Electro Chemical Research Institute, Karaikudi (India)

    2011-12-15

    Tuning the morphology, size and aspect ratio of free standing ZnO nanostructured arrays by a simple hydrothermal method is reported. Pre-coated ZnO seed layers of two different thicknesses ({approx}350 nm or 550 nm) were used as substrates to grow ZnO nanostructures for the study. Various parameters such as chemical ambience, pH of the solution, strength of the Zn{sup 2+} atoms and thickness of seed bed are varied to analyze their effects on the resultant ZnO nanostructures. Vertically oriented hexagonal nanorods, multi-angular nanorods, hexagonal diskette and popcorn-like nanostructures are obtained by altering the experimental parameters. All the produced nanostructures were analysed by X-ray powder diffraction analysis and found to be grown in the (002) orientation of wurtzite ZnO. The texture co-efficient of ZnO layer was improved by combining a thick seed layer with higher cationic strength. Surface morphological studies reveal various nanostructures such as nanorods, diskettes and popcorn-like structures based on various preparation conditions. The optical property of the closest packed nanorods array was recorded by UV-VIS spectrometry, and the band gap value simulated from the results reflect the near characteristic band gap of ZnO. The surface roughness profile taken from the Atomic Force Microscopy reveals a roughness of less than 320 nm. (orig.)

  19. OLED-based biosensing platform with ZnO nanoparticles for enzyme immobilization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Yuankun; Shinar, Ruth; Shinar, Joseph

    2009-08-01

    Organic light-emitting diode (OLED)-based sensing platforms are attractive for photoluminescence (PL)-based monitoring of a variety of analytes. Among the promising OLED attributes for sensing applications is the thin and flexible size and design of the OLED pixel array that is used for PL excitation. To generate a compact, fielddeployable sensor, other major sensor components, such as the sensing probe and the photodetector, in addition to the thin excitation source, should be compact. To this end, the OLED-based sensing platform was tested with composite thin biosensing films, where oxidase enzymes were immobilized on ZnO nanoparticles, rather than dissolved in solution, to generate a more compact device. The analytes tested, glucose, cholesterol, and lactate, were monitored by following their oxidation reactions in the presence of oxygen and their respective oxidase enzymes. During such reactions, oxygen is consumed and its residual concentration, which is determined by the initial concentration of the above-mentioned analytes, is monitored. The sensors utilized the oxygen-sensitive dye Pt octaethylporphyrin, embedded in polystyrene. The enzymes were sandwiched between two thin ZnO layers, an approach that was found to improve the stability of the sensing probes.

  20. Carbon doped ZnO: Synthesis, characterization and interpretation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mishra, D.K.; Mohapatra, J.; Sharma, M.K.; Chattarjee, R.; Singh, S.K.; Varma, Shikha; Behera, S.N.; Nayak, Sanjeev K.; Entel, P.

    2013-01-01

    A novel thermal plasma in-flight technique has been adopted to synthesize nanocrystalline ZnO and carbon doped nanocrystalline ZnO matrix. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies on these samples show the average particle sizes to be around 32 nm for ZnO and for carbon doped ZnO. An enhancement of saturation magnetization in nanosized carbon doped ZnO matrix by a factor of 3.8 has been found in comparison to ZnO nanoparticles at room temperature. Raman measurement clearly indicates the presence of Zn–C complexes surrounded by ZnO matrix in carbon doped ZnO. This indicates that the ferromagnetic signature in carbon doped ZnO arises from the creation of defects or the development of oxy-carbon clusters, in the carbon doped ZnO system. Theoretical studies based on density functional theory also support the experimental analyses. - Highlights: ► Synthesis of nanocrystalline ZnO and carbon doped ZnO matrix by inflight thermal plasma reactor. ► Enhancement of ferromagnetism in nanosized carbon doped ZnO in comparison to ZnO nanoparticles. ► Raman measurement indicates the presence of Zn–C complexes surrounded by ZnO matrix. ► Ferromagnetic signature in carbon doped ZnO arises from the development of oxy-carbon clusters. ► DFT supports experimental evidence of ferromagnetism in C doped ZnO nanoparticles.

  1. Studies of surface morphology and optical properties of ZnO nanostructures grown on different molarities of TiO_2 seed layer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Asib, N. A. M.; Afaah, A. N.; Aadila, A.; Khusaimi, Z.; Rusop, M.

    2016-01-01

    Titanium dioxide (TiO_2) seed layer was prepared by using sol-gel spin-coating technique, followed by growth of 0.01 M of Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures by solution-immersion. The molarities of TiO_2 seed layer were varied from 1.1 M to 0.100 M on glass substrates. The nanostructures thin films were characterized by Field Emission Scanning Electrons Microscope (FESEM), Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. FESEM images demonstrate that needle-like ZnO nanostructures are formed on all TiO_2 seed layer. The smallest diameter of needle-like ZnO nanostructures (90.3 nm) were deposited on TiO_2 seed layer of 0.100 M. PL spectra of the TiO_2: ZnO nanostructures thin films show the blue shifted emissions in the UV regions compared to the ZnO thin film. Meanwhile, UV-vis spectra of films display high absorption in the UV region and high trasparency in the visible region. The highest absorbance at UV region was recorded for sample which has 0.100 M of TiO_2 seed layer.

  2. A comparative study of the physical and chemical properties of nano-sized ZnO particles from multiple batches of three commercial products

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yin, Hong; Coleman, Victoria A.; Casey, Phil S.; Angel, Brad; Catchpoole, Heather J.; Waddington, Lynne; McCall, Maxine J.

    2015-02-01

    Given the broad commercial applications for ZnO nanomaterials, accurate attribution of physicochemical characteristics that induce toxic effects is particularly important. We report on the physicochemical properties of three commercial nano-ZnO products: Z-COTE and Z-COTE HP1 from BASF, and Nanosun from Micronisers, and, for reference, "bulk" ZnO from Sigma-Aldrich. Z-COTE, Nanosun and "bulk" consist of uncoated particles with different sizes, while Z-COTE HP1 consists of nanoparticles with a hydrophobic coating. Specific batches of these ZnO products were included in the OECD Sponsorship Programme to test manufactured nanomaterials. In order to identify properties potentially susceptible to variations between production runs, three additional batches of Z-COTE and Nanosun and two additional batches of Z-COTE HP1 were also investigated here. In general, all products showed little variation between batches for properties measured from powdered samples, but batch variations in the amount of surface coating were evident for the coated Z-COTE HP1. Properties measured with samples dispersed in liquids (agglomeration, photocatalytic activity, dissolution) were highly dependent on dispersion protocols, and this made it difficult to differentiate between differences due to dispersion and due to batches. However, batch-sensitive properties did appear to be present in Z-COTE and Z-COTE HP1 (photocatalytic activity), and Nanosun (dissolution). Intra-batch time and/or storage-dependent changes in the applied surface coating, noted specifically for the OECD batch of Z-COTE HP1, highlight the need for best practice when storing and accessing stocks of nano products. Awareness of inter-batch and intra-batch variability is essential for commercial applications and for nanotoxicological studies aimed at identifying links between physicochemical properties and any adverse effects in biological systems.

  3. Aberration corrected and 3D cryo-tomography HAADF-STEM surface studies of ZnO tetrapods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ward, M R; Gai, P L; Boyes, E D; Sugiura, H; Tanaka, N; Yoshida, K

    2012-01-01

    We present a morphology study of ZnO tetrapods using aberration corrected TEM, HAADF-STEM and 3D HAADF-STEM cryotomography as an alternative to more conventional TEM and SEM techniques. We use 3D IMOD reconstructions to show that the {11-bar 0} facets dominate the total surface area of uniform hexagonal prism tetrapods. Using HRTEM we show that the small tetrapods have a zincblende phase core from which the four legs extend. The facets and the edges of these legs were found to be atomically clean and flat with the potential for ZnO tetrapods as model substrates. We deposited ultrafine Pt/Pd nanoparticles onto the tetrapods and investigated the resulting morphologies. We found using HAADF-STEM cryotomography and reconstruction techniques that the nanoparticle coverage gave separate nanoparticles and overall uniform coverage. We believe these techniques and the results from them could be useful for the development of nanoparticle-ZnO tetrapod composite systems with applications in optoelectronics, gas sensing and catalysis.

  4. Thermally induced atomic diffusion at the interface between release agent coating and mould substrate in a glass moulding press

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Masuda, Jun; Fukase, Yasushi [Toshiba Machine Co., Ltd, Ooka 2068-3, Numazu-Shi, Shizuoka-Ken, 410-8510 (Japan); Yan Jiwang; Zhou Tianfeng; Kuriyagawa, Tsunemoto, E-mail: yanjw@pm.mech.tohoku.ac.jp [Department of Mechanical Systems and Design, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Aoba 6-6-01, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8579 (Japan)

    2011-06-01

    In a glass moulding press (GMP) for refractive/diffractive hybrid lenses, to improve the service life of nickel-phosphorus (Ni-P) plated moulds, it is necessary to control the diffusion of constituent elements from the mould into the release agent coating. In this study, diffusion phenomena of constituents of Ni-P plating are investigated for two types of release agent coatings, iridium-platinum (Ir-Pt) and iridium-rhenium (Ir-Re), by cross-sectional observation, compositional analysis and stress measurements. The results show that Ni atoms in the plating layer flow from regions of compressive stress to regions of tensile stress. In the case of the Ir-Pt coated mould, the diffusion of Ni is promoted from the grain boundaries between the Ni and Ni{sub 3}P phases in the plating towards the surface of the Ir-Pt coating. However, in the Ir-Re coated mould, the diffusion of Ni is suppressed because the diffusion coefficient of Ni in the Ir-Re alloy is smaller than that in the Ir-Pt alloy, although the stress state is similar in both cases. By controlling the diffusion of Ni atoms, the use of Ir-Re alloy as a release agent coating for Ni-P plated moulds is expected to lead to a high degree of durability.

  5. Efficiency enhancement of dye-sensitized solar cells by optimization of electrospun ZnO nanowire/nanoparticle hybrid photoanode and combined modification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Song, Lixin; Du, Pingfan; Xiong, Jie; Ko, Frank; Cui, Can

    2015-01-01

    ZnO nanoparticles (ZNPs) and ZnO nanowires (ZNWs) were fabricated via electrospinning and calcination. The ZNPs and ZNWs were blended with different mass ratio by varying ZNWs from 0% to 100% and serviced as photoanodic film of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) via spin coating. The efficiency of these DSSCs reached a maximum of 2.6% at 20 wt% ZNWs. In order to improve the photovoltaic properties of ZNWs/ZNPs hybrid photoanodic film, the ZNWs/ZNPs hybrid film was modified by the incorporation of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) into ZnO matrix including both ZNPs and ZNWs combined with TiCl 4 post-treatment. As a result, the efficiency of DSSCs increased from 2.6% to 3.8%, which is mainly attributed to the increased dye loading, faster electron transport, and less electron loss

  6. Polymeric carbon nitride/mesoporous silica composites as catalyst support for Au and Pt nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Ping; Zhao, Yanxi; Wang, Tao; Zhan, Yingying; Wang, Huihu; Li, Jinlin; Thomas, Arne; Zhu, Junjiang

    2014-03-03

    Small and homogeneously dispersed Au and Pt nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared on polymeric carbon nitride (CNx )/mesoporous silica (SBA-15) composites, which were synthesized by thermal polycondensation of dicyandiamide-impregnated preformed SBA-15. By changing the condensation temperature, the degree of condensation and the loading of CNx can be controlled to give adjustable particle sizes of the Pt and Au NPs subsequently formed on the composites. In contrast to the pure SBA-15 support, coating of SBA-15 with polymeric CNx resulted in much smaller and better-dispersed metal NPs. Furthermore, under catalytic conditions the CNx coating helps to stabilize the metal NPs. However, metal NPs on CNx /SBA-15 can show very different catalytic behaviors in, for example, the CO oxidation reaction. Whereas the Pt NPs already show full CO conversion at 160 °C, the catalytic activity of Au NPs seems to be inhibited by the CNx support. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  7. Graphene-supported zinc oxide solid-phase microextraction coating with enhanced selectivity and sensitivity for the determination of sulfur volatiles in Allium species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Suling; Du, Zhuo; Li, Gongke

    2012-10-19

    A graphene-supported zinc oxide (ZnO) solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber was prepared via a sol-gel approach. Graphite oxide (GO), with rich oxygen-containing groups, was selected as the starting material to anchor ZnO on its nucleation center. After being deoxidized by hydrazine, the Zn(OH)2/GO coating was dehydrated at high temperature to give the ZnO/graphene coating. Sol-gel technology could efficiently incorporate ZnO/graphene composites into the sol-gel network and provided strong chemical bonding between sol-gel polymeric SPME coating and silica fiber surface, which enhanced the durability of the fiber and allowed more than 200 replicate extractions. Results indicated that pure ZnO coated fiber did not show adsorption selectivity toward sulfur compounds, which might because the ZnO nanoparticles were enwrapped in the sol-gel network, and the strong coordination action between Zn ion and S ion was therefore blocked. The incorporation of graphene into ZnO based sol-gel network greatly enlarged the BET surface area from 1.2 m2/g to 169.4 m2/g and further increased the adsorption sites. Combining the superior properties of extraordinary surface area of graphene and the strong coordination action of ZnO to sulfur compounds, the ZnO/graphene SPME fiber showed much higher adsorption affinity to 1-octanethiol (enrichment factor, EF, 1087) than other aliphatic compounds without sulfur-containing groups (EFsPDMS) and polydimethylsiloxane/divinylbenzene (PDMS/DVB) SPME fibers. Several most abundant sulfur volatiles in Chinese chive and garlic sprout were analyzed using the ZnO/graphene SPME fiber in combination with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Their limits of detection were 0.1-0.7 μg/L. The relative standard deviation (RSD) using one fiber ranged from 3.6% to 9.1%. The fiber-to-fiber reproducibility for three parallel prepared fibers was 4.8-10.8%. The contents were in the range of 1.0-46.4 μg/g with recoveries of 80.1-91.6% for four main

  8. Pt thermal atomic layer deposition for silicon x-ray micropore optics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takeuchi, Kazuma; Ezoe, Yuichiro; Ishikawa, Kumi; Numazawa, Masaki; Terada, Masaru; Ishi, Daiki; Fujitani, Maiko; Sowa, Mark J; Ohashi, Takaya; Mitsuda, Kazuhisa

    2018-04-20

    We fabricated a silicon micropore optic using deep reactive ion etching and coated by Pt with atomic layer deposition (ALD). We confirmed that a metal/metal oxide bilayer of Al 2 O 3 ∼10  nm and Pt ∼20  nm was successfully deposited on the micropores whose width and depth are 20 μm and 300 μm, respectively. An increase of surface roughness of sidewalls of the micropores was observed with a transmission electron microscope and an atomic force microscope. X-ray reflectivity with an Al Kα line at 1.49 keV before and after the deposition was measured and compared to ray-tracing simulations. The surface roughness of the sidewalls was estimated to increase from 1.6±0.2  nm rms to 2.2±0.2  nm rms. This result is consistent with the microscope measurements. Post annealing of the Pt-coated optic at 1000°C for 2 h showed a sign of reduced surface roughness and better angular resolution. To reduce the surface roughness, possible methods such as the annealing after deposition and a plasma-enhanced ALD are discussed.

  9. Synthesis and In Vitro Performance of Polypyrrole-Coated Iron-Platinum Nanoparticles for Photothermal Therapy and Photoacoustic Imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phan, Thi Tuong Vy; Bui, Nhat Quang; Moorthy, Madhappan Santha; Lee, Kang Dae; Oh, Junghwan

    2017-10-01

    Multifunctional nano-platform for the combination of photo-based therapy and photoacoustic imaging (PAI) for cancer treatment has recently attracted much attention to nanotechnology development. In this study, we developed iron-platinum nanoparticles (FePt NPs) with the polypyrrole (PPy) coating as novel agents for combined photothermal therapy (PTT) and PAI. The obtained PPy-coated FePt NPs (FePt@PPy NPs) showed excellent biocompatibility, photothermal stability, and high near-infrared (NIR) absorbance for the combination of PTT and PAI. In vitro investigation experimentally demonstrated the effectiveness of FePt@PPy NPs in killing cancer cells with NIR laser irradiation. Moreover, the phantom test of PAI used in conjunction with FePt@PPy NPs showed a strong photoacoustic signal. Thus, the novel FePt@PPy NPs could be considered as promising multifunctional nanoparticles for further applications of photo-based diagnosis and treatment.

  10. Simultaneous tuning of electric field intensity and structural properties of ZnO: Graphene nanostructures for FOSPR based nicotine sensor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tabassum, Rana; Gupta, Banshi D

    2017-05-15

    We report theoretical and experimental realization of a SPR based fiber optic nicotine sensor having coatings of silver and graphene doped ZnO nanostructure onto the unclad core of the optical fiber. The volume fraction (f) of graphene in ZnO was optimized using simulation of electric field intensity. Four types of graphene doped ZnO nanostructures viz. nanocomposites, nanoflowers, nanotubes and nanofibers were prepared using optimized value of f. The morphology, photoluminescence (PL) spectra and UV-vis spectra of these nanostructures were studied. The peak PL intensity was found to be highest for ZnO: graphene nanofibers. The optimized value of f in ZnO: graphene nanofiber was reconfirmed using UV-vis spectroscopy. The experiments were performed on the fiber optic probe fabricated with Ag/ZnO: graphene layer and optimized parameters for in-situ detection of nicotine. The interaction of nicotine with ZnO: graphene nanostructures alters the dielectric function of ZnO: graphene nanostructure which is manifested in terms of shift in resonance wavelength. From the sensing signal, the performance parameters were measured including sensitivity, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), stability, repeatability and selectivity. The real sample prepared using cigarette tobacco leaves and analyzed using the fabricated sensor makes it suitable for practical applications. The achieved values of LOD and LOQ are found to be unrivalled in comparison to the reported ones. The sensor possesses additional advantages such as, immunity to electromagnetic interference, low cost, capability of online monitoring, remote sensing. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Exploration of Al-Doped ZnO in Photovoltaic Thin Films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ciccarino, Christopher; Sahiner, M. Alper

    The electrical properties of Al doped ZnO-based thin films represent a potential advancement in the push for increasing solar cell efficiency. Doping with Aluminum will theoretically decrease resistivity of the film and therefore achieve this potential as a viable option in the P-N junction phase of photovoltaic cells. The n-type semi-conductive characteristics of the ZnO layer will theoretically be optimized with the addition of Aluminum carriers. In this study, Aluminum doping concentrations ranging from 1-3% by mass were produced, analyzed, and compared. Films were developed onto ITO coated glass using the Pulsed Laser Deposition technique. Target thickness was 250 nm and ellipsometry measurements showed uniformity and accuracy in this regard. Active dopant concentrations were determined using Hall Effect measurements. Efficiency measurements showed possible applications of this doped compound, with upwards of 7% efficiency measured, using a Keithley 2602 SourceMeter set-up. XRD scans showed highly crystalline structures, with effective Al intertwining of the hexagonal wurtzile ZnO molecular structure. This alone indicates a promising future of collaboration between these two materials.

  12. Corrosion Prevention of Aluminum Nanoparticles by a Polyurethane Coating.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nishimura, Toshiyasu; Raman, Vedarajan

    2014-06-19

    In order to prevent corrosion, aluminum nanoparticles were coated with a polyurethane polymer. The coverage of the polyurethane polymer was controlled from 0 to 100%, which changed the corrosion rate of the nanoparticles quantitatively. The surface of the polymer coating was investigated by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), and the corrosion resistance of the nanoparticles was estimated by a wet/dry corrosion test on a Pt plate with a NaCl solution. From a TEM with EDAX analysis, the 10 mass% polymer coated Al particles in the synthesis were almost 100% covered on the surface by a polymer film of 10 nm thick. On the other hand, the 3 mass% polymer coated Al was almost 40% covered by a film. In the AFM, the potential around the Al particles had a relatively low value with the polymer coating, which indicated that the conductivity of the Al was isolated from the Pt plate by the polymer. Both the corrosion and H₂ evolution reaction rates were quantitatively reduced by the mass% of polymer coating. In the case of the 10 mass% coated sample, there was no corrosion of Al nanoparticles. This fact suggested that the electrochemical reaction was suppressed by the polymer coating. Moreover, the reaction rate of Al nanoparticles was suppressed in proportion to the coverage percentage of the coating. Thus, to conclude, it was found that the corrosion rate of Al nanoparticles could be quantitatively suppressed by the coverage percentage of the polymer coating.

  13. Catalyst growth of single crystal aligned ZnO nanorods on ZnO thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhao, Dongxu; Andreazza, Caroline; Andreazza, Pascal [Centre de Recherche sur la Matiere Divisee, CNRS-Universite d' Orleans, 1b rue de la Ferollerie, 45071 Orleans cedex 2 (France)

    2005-02-01

    One dimensional ZnO nanorods were successfully fabricated on Si substrates via a simple physical vapor-phase transport method at 950 C. A ZnO shell covered Au/Zn alloy is assumed as the nucleation site, then ZnO nanorods grow following a vapor-solid (VS) process. In order to guide the nanorod growth a c-axis oriented ZnO thin film and Au catalyst were first deposited on Si (100) surface. SEM images show nanorods grown on this substrate are vertical to the substrate surface. (copyright 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  14. Synthesis and characterizations of Pt nanorods on electrospun polyamide-6 nanofibers templates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nirmala, R.; Navamathavan, R.; Won, Jeong Jin; Jeon, Kyung Soo; Yousef, Ayman; Kim, Hak Yong

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Electrospun polyamide-6 nanofibers were used as the templates for synthesis Pt nanorods. ► Polyamide-6 nanofibers surfaces were plasma treated to coat Pt. ► High quality Pt nanorods were obtained by calcinations process. ► Pt nanorods with a diameter of few hundred nanometers were obtained. ► Polyamide-6 nanofibers template based Pt nanorods synthesis are a feasible method. - Abstract: We report on the synthesis of platinum (Pt) nanorods by using ultrafine polyamide-6 nanofibers templates produced via electrospinning technique. These ultrafine polyamide-6 nanofibers can be utilized as the templates for growing Pt nanorods after modifying them optimally by plasma passivations. The morphological, structural, optical and electrical properties of the template assisted Pt nanorods were studied by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence (PL) and current–voltage (I–V) characteristics. The ability to fabricate the ultrafine size controlled Pt nanorods on polyamide-6 templates with optimized growth parameters in real time can be utilized for the variety of technological applications. Therefore, it is possible to obtain high quality with size control Pt nanorods. Once obtaining the high quality metal nanorods on polymer templates, the same can be adapted for the electronic device fabrication.

  15. Comparing Two Antibacterial Treatments for Bioceramic Coatings at Short Culture Times

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melero, H.; Madrid, C.; Fernández, J.; Guilemany, J. M.

    2014-04-01

    Plasma-sprayed hydroxyapatite coatings were employed industrially for decades to improve osteointegration of articular implants, but many studies have warned about the problems inherent to this procedure (mechanical properties, harmful phases). Consequently, a combination of hydroxyapatite with TiO2 sprayed by high velocity oxy-fuel spray was considered in this study. As infection after joint replacement surgery is one of the most critical concerns when considering implant performance, it is necessary to study possible ways to reduce or eliminate it. Two coating treatments were chosen for this study: addition of a percentage of ZnO and immersion in gentamicin for 24 h. Furthermore, three bacteria were considered: Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus. The evolution of bacteria viability in solution was measured at 0, 2, and 4 h; and plate assays were performed to study antibacterial effects by diffusion. The results show an important antibacterial effect of the as-sprayed coating, attributed to the presence of -OH radicals on the surface. The presence of ZnO did not have any additional influence on bacteria viability, but gentamicin-treated samples showed an improvement in antibacterial behavior for Gram-negative bacteria in solution, as well as a bactericidal effect in diffusion conditions.

  16. Tuning of Ag doped core−shell ZnO NWs/Cu2O grown by electrochemical deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Makhlouf, Houssin; Messaoudi, Olfa; Souissi, Ahmed; Ben Assaker, Ibtissem; Oueslati, Mihrez; Bechelany, Mikhael; Chtourou, Radhouane

    2015-01-01

    ZnO nanowires (NWs)/Cu 2 O–Ag core–shell nanostructures (NSs) have been synthesized by electrochemical deposition method on ITO-coated glass substrates in order to improve the efficiency of the type-II transition of core–shell ZnO NWs/Cu 2 O–Ag NSs. The morphologies of the obtained NSs were studied by scanning electron microscopy confirming the presence of core–shell NSs. The crystalline proprieties were analyzed by x-ray diffraction and micro-Raman measurement: wurtzite ZnO and cuprit Cu 2 O phase were founded. The presence of Ag content in core–shell NS was detected by EDX. Optical measurement reveals an additional contribution δE at about 1.72 eV attributed to the type-II interfacial transition between the valance band of cuprit−Cu 2 O and the conduction band of W−ZnO. The effect of the Ag doping into the type-II transition was investigated. A red shift of the type-II transition was detected according to the Ag concentration. These materials could have potential applications in photocatalytic and photovoltaic fields. (paper)

  17. Surfactant-free carnauba wax dispersion and its use for layer-by-layer assembled protective surface coatings on wood

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lozhechnikova, Alina; Bellanger, Hervé; Michen, Benjamin; Burgert, Ingo; Österberg, Monika

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • A facile sonication route to produce aqueous wax dispersions is developed. • The wax dispersion is naturally stable and free of surfactants or stabilizers. • Wax and ZnO particles are coated onto wood using layer-by-layer assembly. • The coating brings superhydrophobicity while preserving moisture buffering. • ZnO improves the color stability of wood to UV light. - Abstract: Protection from liquid water and UV radiation are equally important, and a sophisticated approach is needed when developing surface coatings that preserve the natural and well-appreciated aesthetic appearance of wood. In order to prevent degradation and prolong the service life of timber, a protective coating was assembled using carnauba wax particles and zinc oxide nanoparticles via layer-by-layer deposition in water. For this purpose, a facile sonication route was developed to produce aqueous wax dispersion without any surfactants or stabilizers. The suspension was stable above pH 4 due to the electrostatic repulsion between the negatively charged wax particles. The particle size could be controlled by the initial wax concentration with average particle sizes ranging from 260 to 360 nm for 1 and 10 g/L, respectively. The deposition of wax particles onto the surface of spruce wood introduced additional roughness to the wood surface at micron level, while zinc oxide provided nano roughness and UV-absorbing properties. In addition to making wood superhydrophobic, this novel multilayer coating enhanced the natural moisture buffering capability of spruce. Moreover, wood surfaces prepared in this fashion showed a significant reduction in color change after exposure to UV light. A degradation of the wax through photocatalytic activity of the ZnO particles was measured by FTIR, indicating that further studies are required to achieve long-term stability. Nevertheless, the developed coating showed a unique combination of superhydrophobicity and excellent moisture buffering

  18. Surfactant-free carnauba wax dispersion and its use for layer-by-layer assembled protective surface coatings on wood

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lozhechnikova, Alina [Department of Forest Products Technology, School of Chemical Technology, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16300, FI-00076, Aalto (Finland); Bellanger, Hervé; Michen, Benjamin; Burgert, Ingo [Institute for Building Materials (IfB), Wood Materials Science, ETH Zürich, Stefano-Franscini-Platz 3, 8093 Zürich (Switzerland); Applied Wood Materials Laboratory, Empa − Swiss Federal Laboratories for Material Testing and Research, 8600 Dübendorf (Switzerland); Österberg, Monika, E-mail: monika.osterberg@aalto.fi [Department of Forest Products Technology, School of Chemical Technology, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16300, FI-00076, Aalto (Finland)

    2017-02-28

    Highlights: • A facile sonication route to produce aqueous wax dispersions is developed. • The wax dispersion is naturally stable and free of surfactants or stabilizers. • Wax and ZnO particles are coated onto wood using layer-by-layer assembly. • The coating brings superhydrophobicity while preserving moisture buffering. • ZnO improves the color stability of wood to UV light. - Abstract: Protection from liquid water and UV radiation are equally important, and a sophisticated approach is needed when developing surface coatings that preserve the natural and well-appreciated aesthetic appearance of wood. In order to prevent degradation and prolong the service life of timber, a protective coating was assembled using carnauba wax particles and zinc oxide nanoparticles via layer-by-layer deposition in water. For this purpose, a facile sonication route was developed to produce aqueous wax dispersion without any surfactants or stabilizers. The suspension was stable above pH 4 due to the electrostatic repulsion between the negatively charged wax particles. The particle size could be controlled by the initial wax concentration with average particle sizes ranging from 260 to 360 nm for 1 and 10 g/L, respectively. The deposition of wax particles onto the surface of spruce wood introduced additional roughness to the wood surface at micron level, while zinc oxide provided nano roughness and UV-absorbing properties. In addition to making wood superhydrophobic, this novel multilayer coating enhanced the natural moisture buffering capability of spruce. Moreover, wood surfaces prepared in this fashion showed a significant reduction in color change after exposure to UV light. A degradation of the wax through photocatalytic activity of the ZnO particles was measured by FTIR, indicating that further studies are required to achieve long-term stability. Nevertheless, the developed coating showed a unique combination of superhydrophobicity and excellent moisture buffering

  19. A selective potentiometric copper (II) ion sensor based on the functionalized ZnO nanorods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khun, K; Ibupoto, Z H; Liu, X; Nur, O; Willander, M; Danielsson, B

    2014-09-01

    In this work, ZnO nanorods were hydrothermally grown on the gold-coated glass substrate and characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The ZnO nanorods were functionalized by two different approaches and performance of the sensor electrode was monitored. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was carried out for the confirmation of interaction between the ionophore molecules and ZnO nanorods. In addition to this, the surface of the electrode was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) showing the chemical and electronic state of the ionophore and ZnO nanorod components. The ionophore solution was prepared in the stabilizer, poly vinyl chloride (PVC) and additives, and then functionalized on the ZnO nanorods that have shown the Nernstian response with the slope of 31 mV/decade. However, the Cu2+ ion sensor was fabricated only by immobilizing the selective copper ion ionophore membrane without the use of PVC, plasticizers, additives and stabilizers and the sensor electrode showed a linear potentiometric response with a slope of 56.4 mV/decade within a large dynamic concentration range (from 1.0 x 10(-6) to 1.0 x 10(-1) M) of copper (II) nitrate solutions. The sensor showed excellent repeatability and reproducibility with response time of less than 10 s. The negligible response to potentially interfering metal ions such as calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+), potassium (K+), iron (Fe3+), zinc (Zn2+), and sodium (Na+) allows this sensor to be used in biological studies. It may also be used as an indicator electrode in the potentiometric titration.

  20. Limits of ZnO Electrodeposition in Mesoporous Tin Doped Indium Oxide Films in View of Application in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christian Dunkel

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Well-ordered 3D mesoporous indium tin oxide (ITO films obtained by a templated sol-gel route are discussed as conductive porous current collectors. This paper explores the use of such films modified by electrochemical deposition of zinc oxide (ZnO on the pore walls to improve the electron transport in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs. Mesoporous ITO film were dip-coated with pore sizes of 20–25 nm and 40–45 nm employing novel poly(isobutylene-b-poly(ethylene oxide block copolymers as structure-directors. After electrochemical deposition of ZnO and sensitization with the indoline dye D149 the films were tested as photoanodes in DSSCs. Short ZnO deposition times led to strong back reaction of photogenerated electrons from non-covered ITO to the electrolyte. ITO films with larger pores enabled longer ZnO deposition times before pore blocking occurred, resulting in higher efficiencies, which could be further increased by using thicker ITO films consisting of five layers, but were still lower compared to nanoporous ZnO films electrodeposited on flat ITO. The major factors that currently limit the application are the still low thickness of the mesoporous ITO films, too small pore sizes and non-ideal geometries that do not allow obtaining full coverage of the ITO surface with ZnO before pore blocking occurs.

  1. Limits of ZnO Electrodeposition in Mesoporous Tin Doped Indium Oxide Films in View of Application in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunkel, Christian; von Graberg, Till; Smarsly, Bernd M.; Oekermann, Torsten; Wark, Michael

    2014-01-01

    Well-ordered 3D mesoporous indium tin oxide (ITO) films obtained by a templated sol-gel route are discussed as conductive porous current collectors. This paper explores the use of such films modified by electrochemical deposition of zinc oxide (ZnO) on the pore walls to improve the electron transport in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Mesoporous ITO film were dip-coated with pore sizes of 20–25 nm and 40–45 nm employing novel poly(isobutylene)-b-poly(ethylene oxide) block copolymers as structure-directors. After electrochemical deposition of ZnO and sensitization with the indoline dye D149 the films were tested as photoanodes in DSSCs. Short ZnO deposition times led to strong back reaction of photogenerated electrons from non-covered ITO to the electrolyte. ITO films with larger pores enabled longer ZnO deposition times before pore blocking occurred, resulting in higher efficiencies, which could be further increased by using thicker ITO films consisting of five layers, but were still lower compared to nanoporous ZnO films electrodeposited on flat ITO. The major factors that currently limit the application are the still low thickness of the mesoporous ITO films, too small pore sizes and non-ideal geometries that do not allow obtaining full coverage of the ITO surface with ZnO before pore blocking occurs. PMID:28788618

  2. Advanced Coating Technology for Enhanced Performance of Microchannel Plates for UV Detectors, Phase I

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — In this NASA SBIR Phase I proposal we propose to apply a highly conformal coating of ZnO and AlN or a double layer of GaN to the surface and internal pore walls of...

  3. Preparation of PtSnCu/C and PtSn/C electrocatalysts and activation by dealloying processes for ethanol electrooxidation; Preparacao de eletrocatalisadores PtSnCu/C e PtSn/C e ativacao por processos de dealloying para aplicacao na oxidacao eletroquuimica do etanol

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Crisafulli, Rudy

    2013-06-01

    PtSnCu/C (with different Pt:Sn:Cu atomic ratios) and PtSn/C (50:50) electrocatalysts were prepared by borohydride (BR) and alcohol-reduction (AR) processes using H{sub 2}PtCl{sub 6}.6H{sub 2}O, SnCl{sub 2}.2H{sub 2}O and CuCl{sub 2}.2H{sub 2}O as metal sources, NaBH{sub 4} and ethylene glycol as reducing agents, 2-propanol and ethylene glycol/water as solvents and carbon black as support. In a further step, these electrocatalysts were activated by chemical (CD) and electrochemical (ED) dealloying processes through acid treatment and thin porous coating technique, respectively. These materials were characterized by energy dispersive X-ray, Xray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, line scan energy dispersive Xray and cyclic voltammetry. Electrochemical studies for ethanol electro-oxidation were performed by cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry and in single Direct Ethanol Fuel Cell using Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA). The anodic effluents were analysed by gas chromatography. The X-ray diffractograms of the as-synthesized electrocatalysts showed the typical face-centered cubic structure (FCC) of platinum and its alloys. After dealloying, the X-ray diffractograms showed that the Pt FCC structure was preserved. The crystallite sizes of the assynthesized electrocatalysts were in the range of <=2 nm to 3 nm and after dealloying there were no significant variations in sizes. The energy dispersive Xray analysis of the as-synthesized electrocatalysts showed a Pt:Sn and Pt:Sn:Cu atomic ratios similar to the nominal values. After chemical and electrochemical dealloying of the electrocatalysts the ranged Pt:Sn and Pt:Sn:Cu atomic ratios showed that Cu and Sn atoms were removed. However, chemical dealloying process proved to be more efficient for removing Cu and electrochemical dealloying for removing Sn. The line scan energy dispersive X-ray analysis showed that acid and electrochemical treatments were efficient to dealloying Cu and/or Sn superficial atoms of

  4. Title: Using Alignment and 2D Network Simulations to Study Charge Transport Through Doped ZnO Nanowire Thin Film Electrodes

    KAUST Repository

    Phadke, Sujay

    2011-09-30

    Factors affecting charge transport through ZnO nanowire mat films were studied by aligning ZnO nanowires on substrates and coupling experimental measurements with 2D nanowire network simulations. Gallium doped ZnO nanowires were aligned on thermally oxidized silicon wafer by shearing a nanowire dispersion in ethanol. Sheet resistances of nanowire thin films that had current flowing parallel to nanowire alignment direction were compared to thin films that had current flowing perpendicular to nanowire alignment direction. Perpendicular devices showed ∼5 fold greater sheet resistance than parallel devices supporting the hypothesis that aligning nanowires would increase conductivity of ZnO nanowire electrodes. 2-D nanowire network simulations of thin films showed that the device sheet resistance was dominated by inter-wire contact resistance. For a given resistivity of ZnO nanowires, the thin film electrodes would have the lowest possible sheet resistance if the inter-wire contact resistance was one order of magnitude lower than the single nanowire resistance. Simulations suggest that the conductivity of such thin film devices could be further enhanced by using longer nanowires. Solution processed Gallium doped ZnO nanowires are aligned on substrates using an innovative shear coating technique. Nanowire alignment has shown improvement in ZnO nanowire transparent electrode conductivity. 2D network simulations in conjunction with electrical measurements have revealed different regimes of operation of nanowire thin films and provided a guideline for improving electrical performance of nanowire electrodes. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  5. Pt Catalyst Supported within TiO2 Mesoporous Films for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Dekang; Zhang, Bingyan; Bai, Jie; Zhang, Yibo; Wittstock, Gunther; Wang, Mingkui; Shen, Yan

    2014-01-01

    In this study, dispersed Pt nanoparticles into mesoporous TiO 2 thin films are fabricated by a facile electrochemical deposition method as electro-catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction. The mesoporous TiO 2 thin films coated on the fluorine-doped tin oxide glass by screen printing allow a facile transport of reactants and products. The structural properties of the resulted Pt/TiO 2 electrode are evaluated by field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Cyclic voltammetry measurements are performed to study the electrochemical properties of the Pt/TiO 2 electrode. Further study demonstrates the stability of the Pt catalyst supported within TiO 2 mesoporous films for the oxygen reduction reaction

  6. Fast Response and High Sensitivity of ZnO Nanowires-Cobalt Phthalocyanine Heterojunction Based H2S Sensor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Ashwini; Samanta, Soumen; Singh, Ajay; Roy, Mainak; Singh, Surendra; Basu, Saibal; Chehimi, Mohmad M; Roy, Kallol; Ramgir, Niranjan; Navaneethan, M; Hayakawa, Y; Debnath, Anil K; Aswal, Dinesh K; Gupta, Shiv K

    2015-08-19

    The room temperature chemiresistive response of n-type ZnO nanowire (ZnO NWs) films modified with different thicknesses of p-type cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc) has been studied. With increasing thickness of CoPc (>15 nm), heterojunction films exhibit a transition from n- to p-type conduction due to uniform coating of CoPc on ZnO. The heterojunction films prepared with a 25 nm thick CoPc layer exhibit the highest response (268% at 10 ppm of H2S) and the fastest response (26 s) among all samples. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and work function measurements reveal that electron transfer takes place from ZnO to CoPc, resulting in formation of a p-n junction with a barrier height of 0.4 eV and a depletion layer width of ∼8.9 nm. The detailed XPS analysis suggests that these heterojunction films with 25 nm thick CoPc exhibit the least content of chemisorbed oxygen, enabling the direct interaction of H2S with the CoPc molecule, and therefore exhibit the fastest response. The improved response is attributed to the high susceptibility of the p-n junctions to the H2S gas, which manipulates the depletion layer width and controls the charge transport.

  7. H2O2 sensing using HRP modified catalyst-free ZnO nanorods synthesized by RF sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Srivastava, Amit; Kumar, Naresh; Singh, Priti; Singh, Sunil Kumar

    2017-06-01

    Catalyst-free ( 00 l) oriented ZnO nanorods (NRs) -based biosensor for the H2O2 sensing has been reported. The (002) oriented ZnO NRs as confirmed by X-ray diffraction were successfully grown on indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass substrate by radio frequency (RF) sputtering technique without using any catalyst. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) enzyme was immobilized on ZnO NRs by physical adsorption technique to prepare the biosensor. In this HRP/ZnO NR/ITO bioelectrode, nafion solution was added to form a tight membrane on surface. The prepared bioelectrode has been used for biosensing measurements by electrochemical analyzer. The electrochemical studies reveal that the prepared HRP/ZnO NR/ITO biosensor is highly sensitive to the detection of H2O2 over a linear range of 0.250-10 μM. The ZnO NR-based biosensor showed lower value of detection limit (0.125 μM) and higher sensitivity (13.40 µA/µM cm2) towards H2O2. The observed value of higher sensitivity attributed to larger surface area of ZnO nanostructure for effective loading of HRP besides its high electron communication capability. In addition, the biosensor also shows lower value of enzyme's kinetic parameter (Michaelis-Menten constant, K m) of 0.262 μM which indicates enhanced enzyme affinity of HRP to H2O2. The reported biosensor may be useful for various applications in biosensing, clinical, food, and beverage industry.

  8. Antibacterial activity of zinc oxide-coated nanoporous alumina

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Skoog, S.A. [Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina and North Carolina State University, Box 7115, Raleigh, NC 27695-7115 (United States); Bayati, M.R. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, Box 7907, Raleigh, NC 27695-7907 (United States); Petrochenko, P.E. [Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina and North Carolina State University, Box 7115, Raleigh, NC 27695-7115 (United States); Division of Biology, Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD 20993 (United States); Stafslien, S.; Daniels, J.; Cilz, N. [Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering, North Dakota State University, 1805 Research Park Drive, Fargo, ND 58102 (United States); Comstock, D.J.; Elam, J.W. [Energy Systems Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439 (United States); Narayan, R.J., E-mail: roger_narayan@msn.com [Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina and North Carolina State University, Box 7115, Raleigh, NC 27695-7115 (United States); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, Box 7907, Raleigh, NC 27695-7907 (United States)

    2012-07-25

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Atomic layer deposition was used to deposit ZnO on nanoporous alumina membranes. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Scanning electron microscopy showed continuous coatings of zinc oxide nanocrystals. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Activity against B. subtilis, E. coli, S. aureus, and S. epidermidis was shown. - Abstract: Nanoporous alumina membranes, also known as anodized aluminum oxide membranes, are being investigated for use in treatment of burn injuries and other skin wounds. In this study, atomic layer deposition was used for coating the surfaces of nanoporous alumina membranes with zinc oxide. Agar diffusion assays were used to show activity of zinc oxide-coated nanoporous alumina membranes against several bacteria found on the skin surface, including Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus epidermidis. On the other hand, zinc oxide-coated nanoporous alumina membranes did not show activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecalis, and Candida albicans. These results suggest that zinc oxide-coated nanoporous alumina membranes have activity against some Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria that are associated with skin colonization and skin infection.

  9. Sulfur and Nitrogen co-doped graphene quantum dot decorated ZnO nanorod/polymer hybrid flexible device for photosensing applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hmar, Jehova Jire L.; Majumder, Tanmoy; Dhar, Saurab; Mondal, Suvra Prakash, E-mail: suvraphy@gmail.com

    2016-08-01

    S and N co-doped graphene quantum dots (S,N-GQDs) have been synthesized by a hydrothermal process. S,N-GQDs are made up of 1–5 monolayer of graphene with average diameter 13.3 nm. The absorption peaks at 336 and 621 nm, are attributed to n → Π{sup ⁎} transitions of electrons in C=O and S=O bonds, respectively. S,N-GQDs are highly luminescent and showed excitation dependent emission behaviors. Hybrid photosensing device has been fabricated with S,N-GQD sensitized ZnO nanorods and a conjugated polymer poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT). S,N-GQD decorated ZnO nanorod demonstrated higher photoresponse compared to pristine ZnO nanorod based device. S,N-GQD/ZnO nanorod hybrid device showed superior incident photon to electron conversion efficiency (IPCE), photoresponsivity and detectivity compared to the control samples. The flexibility study of the samples has been monitored by measuring current-voltage characteristics at different bending angles. - Highlights: • S and N co-doped graphene quantum dots (S,N-GQDs) were synthesized. • ZnO nanorods were grown on ITO coated flexible PET substrates. • S,N-GQDs were attached with ZnO nanorods and used as a green sensitizer. • Photosensing properties of S,N-GQD/ZnO and P3HT polymer hybrid device was studied.

  10. Effects of subtoxic concentrations of TiO2 and ZnO nanoparticles on human lymphocytes, dendritic cells and exosome production

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andersson-Willman, Britta; Gehrmann, Ulf; Cansu, Zekiye; Buerki-Thurnherr, Tina; Krug, Harald F.; Gabrielsson, Susanne; Scheynius, Annika

    2012-01-01

    Metal oxide nanoparticles are widely used in the paint and coating industry as well as in cosmetics, but the knowledge of their possible interactions with the immune system is very limited. Our aims were to investigate if commercially available TiO 2 and ZnO nanoparticles may affect different human immune cells and their production of exosomes, nano-sized vesicles that have a role in cell to cell communication. We found that the TiO 2 or ZnO nanoparticles at concentrations from 1 to 100 μg/mL did not affect the viability of primary human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). In contrast, monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MDDC) reacted with a dose dependent increase in cell death and caspase activity to ZnO but not to TiO 2 nanoparticles. Non-toxic exposure, 10 μg/mL, to TiO 2 and ZnO nanoparticles did not significantly alter the phenotype of MDDC. Interestingly, ZnO but not TiO 2 nanoparticles induced a down regulation of FcγRIII (CD16) expression on NK-cells in the PBMC population, suggesting that subtoxic concentrations of ZnO nanoparticles might have an effect on FcγR-mediated immune responses. The phenotype and size of exosomes produced by PBMC or MDDC exposed to the nanoparticles were similar to that of exosomes harvested from control cultures. TiO 2 or ZnO nanoparticles could not be detected within or associated to exosomes as analyzed with TEM. We conclude that TiO 2 and ZnO nanoparticles differently affect immune cells and that evaluations of nanoparticles should be performed even at subtoxic concentrations on different primary human immune cells when investigating potential effects on immune functions. -- Highlights: ► ZnO nanoparticles induce cell death of MDDC but not of PBMC. ► ZnO nanoparticles induce caspase activation and DNA fragmentation in MDDC. ► TiO 2 nanoparticles are taken up by MDDC but have no effect on their phenotype. ► ZnO nanoparticles induce a significant reduction of CD16 expression on NK cells. ► ZnO and TiO 2

  11. Enhancement of UV photodetector properties of ZnO nanorods/PEDOT:PSS Schottky junction by NGQD sensitization along with conductivity improvement of PEDOT:PSS by DMSO additive

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dhar, Saurab; Majumder, Tanmoy; Chakraborty, Pinak; Mondal, Suvra Prakash

    2018-04-01

    Schottky junction ultraviolet (UV) photodetector was fabricated by spin coating a hole conducting polymer, poly 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene: polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) on hydrothermally grown zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorod arrays. The UV detector performance was significantly improved two step process. Firstly, ZnO nanorods were modified by sensitizing N doped grapheme quantum dots (NGQDs) for better photoresponce behavior. Afterwards, the junction properties as well as photoresponse was enhanced by modifying electrical conductivity of PEDOT:PSS layer with organic solvent (DMSO). Our NGQD decorated ZnO NRs/DMSO-PEDOT:PSS Schottky junction device demonstrated superior external quantum efficiency (EQE ˜ 90063 %) and responsivity (Rλ˜247 A/W) at 340 nm wavelength and -1V external bias. The response and recovery times of the final photodetector device was very fast compared to GQD as well as NGQD modified and pristine ZnO nanorod based detectors.

  12. Effect of Different Seed Solutions on the Morphology and Electrooptical Properties of ZnO Nanorods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Kashif

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The morphology and electrooptical properties of ZnO nanorods synthesized on monoethanolamine-based seed layer and KOH-based seed layer were compared. The seed solutions were prepared in monoethanolamine in 2-methoxyethanol and potassium hydroxide in methanol, respectively. Zinc acetate dihydrate was as a common precursor in both solutions. The nanorod-ZnOs were synthesized via the spin coating of two different seed solutions on silicon substrates followed by their hydrothermal growth. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM, X-ray diffraction (XRD, photoluminescence (PL, and Raman studies revealed that the ZnO nanorods obtained from monoethanolamine-based seed layer had fewer defects, better crystals, and better alignment than those realized via KOH-based seed layer. However, the current-voltage (I-V characteristics demonstrated better conductivity of the ZnO nanorods obtained via KOH-based seed layer. The current measured in forward bias was 4 mA and 40 μA for ZnO-nanorods grown on KOH-based seed layer and monoethanolamine-based with the turn on voltage of approximately 1.5 V and 2.5 V, respectively, showing the feasibility of using both structures in optoelectric devices.

  13. Role of substrate and annealing temperature on the structure of ZnO and Al{sub x}Zn{sub 1−x}O thin films for solar cell applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nambala, Fred Joe [Department of Physics, University of Pretoria, Private bag X20, Hatfield 0028 (South Africa); Department of Physics, University of Zambia, PO Box 32379, Great East Road Campus, Lusaka (Zambia); Nel, Jacqueline M.; Machatine, Augusto G.J. [Department of Physics, University of Pretoria, Private bag X20, Hatfield 0028 (South Africa); Mwakikunga, Bonex W. [DST/CSIR National Centre for Nano-Structured Materials, PO Box 395, Pretoria (South Africa); Njoroge, Eric G. [Department of Physics, University of Pretoria, Private bag X20, Hatfield 0028 (South Africa); Maabong, Kelebogile [Department of Physics, University of Pretoria, Private bag X20, Hatfield 0028 (South Africa); Physics Department, University of Botswana, Private Bag 0022, Gaborone (Botswana); Das, Arran G.M. [Monash University, Private Bag X60, Roodepoort 1725 (South Africa); Diale, Mmantsae, E-mail: mmantsae.diale@up.ac.za [Department of Physics, University of Pretoria, Private bag X20, Hatfield 0028 (South Africa)

    2016-01-01

    This paper reports on the deposition of pure and 5 at% Al doped ZnO (AZO) prepared by sol–gel and applied to the substrates by spin-coating, and the role of annealing temperature on the crystallinity of these layers. It is found that both ZnO and AZO are largely amorphous when coated on glass compared to n-Si(111), as substrates. On both substrates, X-ray diffraction (XRD) shows that the crystallinity improves as annealing temperature is raised from 200 to 600 °C with better crystallinity on Si substrates. The thickness of the films on substrates was determined as 120 nm by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS). Specular ultra-violet visible (UV–vis) gives the direct transition optical band gaps (E{sub g}) for AZO as-deposited films are 2.60 and 3.35 eV while that of 600 °C annealed films are 3.00 and 3.60 eV. The E{sub g} calculated from diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) UV–vis are more diverse in ZnO- and AZO-Si than the ZnO- and AZO-glass samples, although in both sets the E{sub g} tend to converge after annealing 600 °C. The Raman spectra of samples show multiphonon processes of higher order from the AZO and substrates. It is found that residual stresses are related to E{sub 2} Raman mode.

  14. Controllable Fabrication of Fe3O4/ZnO Core–Shell Nanocomposites and Their Electromagnetic Wave Absorption Performance in the 2–18 GHz Frequency Range

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaodong Sun

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available In this study, Fe3O4/ZnO core–shell nanocomposites were synthesized through a chemical method of coating the magnetic core (Fe3O4 with ZnO by co-precipitation of Fe3O4 with zinc acetate in a basic medium of ammonium hydroxide. The phase structure, morphology and electromagnetic parameters of the Fe3O4/ZnO core–shell nanocomposites were investigated. The results indicated that the concentration of the solvent was responsible for controlling the morphology of the composites, which further influenced their impedance matching and microwave absorption properties. Moreover, Fe3O4/ZnO nanocomposites exhibited an enhanced absorption capacity in comparison with the naked Fe3O4 nanospheres. Specifically, the minimum reflection loss value reached −50.79 dB at 4.38 GHz when the thickness was 4.5 mm. It is expected that the Fe3O4/ZnO core–shell structured nanocomposites could be a promising candidate as high-performance microwave absorbers.

  15. In-situ studies of the TGO growth stresses and the martensitic transformation in the B2 phase in commercial Pt-modified NiAl and NiCoCrAlY bond coat alloys

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hovis, D.; Hu, L.; Reddy, A.; Heuer, A.H. [Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve Univ., Cleveland, OH (United States); Paulikas, A.P.; Veal, B.W. [Materials Science Div., Argonne National Lab., Argonne, IL (United States)

    2007-12-15

    Oxide growth stresses were measured in situ at 1100 C on commercial Pt-modified NiAl and NiCoCrAlY bond coat alloys using synchrotron X-rays. Measurements were taken on samples that had no preoxidation, as well as on samples that had experienced 24 one-hour thermal exposures at 1150 C, a condition known to induce rumpling in the Pt-modified NiAl alloy, but not in the NiCoCrAlY alloy. The NiCoCrAlY alloy showed continuous stress relaxation under all conditions, whereas the Pt-modified NiAl alloys would typically stabilize at a fixed (often non-zero) stress suggesting a higher creep strength in the 'Thermally Grown Oxide' on the latter alloy, though the precise behavior was dependent on initial surface preparation. The formation of martensite in the Pt-modified NiAl alloys was also observed upon cooling and occurred at temperatures below 200 C for all of the samples observed. Based on existing models, this M{sub s} temperature is too low to account for the rumpling observed in these alloys. (orig.)

  16. Effect of Different Seed Solutions on the Morphology and Electrooptical Properties of ZnO Nanorods

    OpenAIRE

    Kashif, M.; Hashim, U.; Ali, M. E.; Usman Ali, Syed M.; Rusop, M.; Ibupoto, Zafar Hussain; Willander, Magnus

    2012-01-01

    The morphology and electrooptical properties of ZnO nanorods synthesized on monoethanolamine-based seed layer and KOH-based seed layer were compared. The seed solutions were prepared in monoethanolamine in 2-methoxyethanol and potassium hydroxide in methanol, respectively. Zinc acetate dihydrate was as a common precursor in both solutions. The nanorod-ZnOs were synthesized via the spin coating of two different seed solutions on silicon substrates followed by their hydrothermal growth. The sca...

  17. Anti-Adhesion Elastomer Seal Coatings for Ultraviolet and Atomic Oxygen Protection

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Groh, Henry C., III; Puleo, Bernadette J.; Waters, Deborah L.; Miller, Sharon K.

    2015-01-01

    Radiation blocking sunscreen coatings have been developed for the protection of elastomer seals used in low-Earth-orbit (LEO). The coatings protect the seals from ultraviolet (UV) radiation and atomic oxygen (AO) damage. The coatings were developed for use on NASA docking seals. Docking seal damage from the UV and AO present in LEO can constrain mission time-line, flight mode options, and increases risk. A low level of adhesion is also required for docking seals so undocking push-off forces can be low. The coatings presented also mitigate this unwanted adhesion. Greases with low collected volatile condensable materials (CVCM) and low total mass loss (TML) were mixed with slippery and/or UV blocking powders to create the protective coatings. Coatings were applied at rates up to 2 milligrams per square centimeter. Coated seals were exposed to AO and UV in the NUV (near-UV) and UV-C wavelength ranges (300 to 400 nanometers and 254 nanometers, respectively). Ground based ashers were used to simulate the AO of space. The Sun's UV energy was mimicked assuming a nose forward flight mode, resulting in an exposure rate of 2.5 megajoules per square meter per day. Exposures between 0 and 147 megajoules per square meter (UV-C) and 245 megajoules per square meter (NUV) were accomplished. The protective coatings were durable, providing protection from UV after a simulated docking and undocking cycle. The level of protection begins to decline at coverage rates less than 0.9 milligrams per square centimeter. The leakage of seals coated with Braycote plus 20 percent Z-cote ZnO sunscreen increased by a factor of 40 after moderate AO exposure; indicating that this coating might not be suitable due to AO intolerance. Seals coated with DC-7-16.4 percent Z-cote ZnO sunscreen were not significantly affected by combined doses of 2 x 10 (sup 21) atoms per square AO with 73 megajoules per square meter UV-C. Unprotected seals were significantly damaged at UV-C exposures of 0.3 megajoules per

  18. Evolution of photo-stimulated luminescence of EB-PVD/(Ni, Pt)Al thermal barrier coatings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wen Mei; Jordan, Eric H.; Gell, Maurice

    2005-01-01

    Experiments are described which were designed to assess the suitability of photo-stimulated luminescence piezo-spectroscopy (PLPS) measurements as a basis for non-destructive inspection (NDI) and determination of life remaining of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs). Thermal cyclic tests were conducted on 7 wt.% Y 2 O 3 stabilized ZrO 2 (YSZ) electron beam physical vapor deposited (EB-PVD)/(Ni, Pt)Al/CMSX-4 TBCs at two temperatures 1151 and 1121 deg. C. The evolution of PLPS spectral characteristics (peak frequency shift, peak width and area ratio of peaks) was studied as a function of thermal cycles. It was observed that the average thermally grown oxide (TGO) stress and its standard deviation, and the area ratio of peaks show systematic change with thermal cycling, indicating that these characteristics can be used for NDI and determination of life remaining. The average TGO stress increases initially and then decreases monotonically with thermal cycling. The rate of change in the stress can be related to specimen life: the shallower the slope, the higher the life. The peak area ratio also decreases monotonically with cycling. The average TGO stress changes in a systematic manner versus remaining life fraction independent of temperature. Remaining life predictions were made based on average stress versus life fraction, which resulted in life assessments within ±13% of actual values excluding one specimen with abnormal behavior

  19. Effects of subtoxic concentrations of TiO2 and ZnO nanoparticles on human lymphocytes, dendritic cells and exosome production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andersson-Willman, Britta; Gehrmann, Ulf; Cansu, Zekiye; Buerki-Thurnherr, Tina; Krug, Harald F; Gabrielsson, Susanne; Scheynius, Annika

    2012-10-01

    Metal oxide nanoparticles are widely used in the paint and coating industry as well as in cosmetics, but the knowledge of their possible interactions with the immune system is very limited. Our aims were to investigate if commercially available TiO(2) and ZnO nanoparticles may affect different human immune cells and their production of exosomes, nano-sized vesicles that have a role in cell to cell communication. We found that the TiO(2) or ZnO nanoparticles at concentrations from 1 to 100μg/mL did not affect the viability of primary human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). In contrast, monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MDDC) reacted with a dose dependent increase in cell death and caspase activity to ZnO but not to TiO(2) nanoparticles. Non-toxic exposure, 10μg/mL, to TiO(2) and ZnO nanoparticles did not significantly alter the phenotype of MDDC. Interestingly, ZnO but not TiO(2) nanoparticles induced a down regulation of FcγRIII (CD16) expression on NK-cells in the PBMC population, suggesting that subtoxic concentrations of ZnO nanoparticles might have an effect on FcγR-mediated immune responses. The phenotype and size of exosomes produced by PBMC or MDDC exposed to the nanoparticles were similar to that of exosomes harvested from control cultures. TiO(2) or ZnO nanoparticles could not be detected within or associated to exosomes as analyzed with TEM. We conclude that TiO(2) and ZnO nanoparticles differently affect immune cells and that evaluations of nanoparticles should be performed even at subtoxic concentrations on different primary human immune cells when investigating potential effects on immune functions. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Microwave absorption behaviors of tetra-needle-like ZnO whiskers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou Zuowan; Chu Longsheng; Hu Shuchun

    2006-01-01

    A novel type of microwave absorption coating was prepared using tetra-needle-like zinc oxide whiskers as the main functional agent. The results of the experiments show that the composite coatings containing ZnO whisker appear to have good efficiency of microwave absorption, and the effect is influenced by the aspect ratio (length to diameter, L/D), the content of the T-ZnO whiskers and the resistivity of the whiskers. Microwave-heat transformation of this kind of whisker and its composite was investigated, and the results indicated that the apparent density affected the efficiency of the heat generating. The suitable value of the apparent density is 0.16-0.18 g/cm 3 . The mechanism of microwave absorption and microwave-heat transformation was explained by the semiconductive networks formed by the tetra-needle shape, diffuse reflections results from quasi-antenna, multipoles due to charge concentration and the multi-interfaces in the composites