Simulation of the catalyst layer in PEMFC based on a novel two-phase lattice model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang Jiejing; Yang Wei; Xu Li [School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Membrane Science and Desalination Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China); Wang Yuxin, E-mail: yxwang@tju.edu.cn [School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Membrane Science and Desalination Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China)

2011-08-01

Highlights: > We propose a novel two phase lattice model of catalyst layer in PEMFC. > The model features a catalyst phase and a mixed ionomer and pores phase. > Transport and electrochemical reaction in the lattice are simulated. > The model enables more accurate results than pore-solid two phase model. > Profiles of oxygen level and reaction rate across catalyst layer vary with cell current. - Abstract: A lattice model of catalyst layer in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), consisting of randomly distributed catalyst phase (C phase) and mixed ionomer-pore phase (IP phase), was established by means of Monte Carlo method. Transport and electrochemical reactions in the model catalyst layer were calculated. The newly proposed C-IP model was compared with previously established pore-solid two phase model. The variation of oxygen level and reaction rate along the thickness of catalyst layer with cell current was discussed. The effect of ionomer distribution across catalyst layer was studied by comparing profiles of oxygen level, reaction rate and overpotential, as well as corresponding polarization curves.

A novel catalyst layer structure based surface-patterned Nafion® membrane for high-performance direct methanol fuel cell

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chen, Ming; Wang, Meng; Ding, Xianan

2018-01-01

.5% respectively, compared with the conventional catalyst layer. Performance improvement is attributed to the fact that the novel catalyst layer structure optimizes the electrolyte membrane/catalyst layer and gas diffusion layer/catalyst layer interfacial structure, which increases the electrochemical reaction......Conventional catalyst layer with a smooth surface exists the larger area of“catalytic dead zone” and reduces the utilization of catalyst. Based on this, a novel catalyst layer structure based surface-patterned Nafion® membrane was designed to achieve more efficient electrochemical reaction...... to prepare the novel catalyst layer, and the effect of pressure on the performance of MEA was investigated. The results suggested that the peak power density of DMFC with optimal novel catalyst layer structure increased by 28.84%, the charge transfer resistances of anode and cathode reduced by 28.8% and 26...

Pt-based Thin Films as Efficient and Stable Catalysts for Oxygen Electroreduction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zamburlini, Eleonora

at the cathode of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs). Herein the fabrication method, which consists of co-sputtering of thin films, is presented in detail, explaining the challenges one must face in order to fabricate oxygen-free Pt-lanthanides and Pt-early transition metals alloys......This thesis presents the fabrication and characterization of Pt-based thin film catalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR). Gadolinium and Yttrium have been used as alloying materials, in preparation for the replacement of the traditional but economically disadvantageous pure Pt catalysts......, and the proposed solutions. The characterization of the catalysts focused mainly on the electrochemical testing using a Rotating Ring Disk Electrode (RRDE) setup, and includes X-ray Diffraction (XRD), X-ray Photoemission Spectroscopy (XPS), Angle-Resolved X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (AR-XPS), Scanning...

Coking- and sintering-resistant palladium catalysts achieved through atomic layer deposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Junling; Fu, Baosong; Kung, Mayfair C; Xiao, Guomin; Elam, Jeffrey W; Kung, Harold H; Stair, Peter C

2012-03-09

We showed that alumina (Al(2)O(3)) overcoating of supported metal nanoparticles (NPs) effectively reduced deactivation by coking and sintering in high-temperature applications of heterogeneous catalysts. We overcoated palladium NPs with 45 layers of alumina through an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process that alternated exposures of the catalysts to trimethylaluminum and water at 200°C. When these catalysts were used for 1 hour in oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane to ethylene at 650°C, they were found by thermogravimetric analysis to contain less than 6% of the coke formed on the uncoated catalysts. Scanning transmission electron microscopy showed no visible morphology changes after reaction at 675°C for 28 hours. The yield of ethylene was improved on all ALD Al(2)O(3) overcoated Pd catalysts.

Corrosion of pure magnesium under thin electrolyte layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Tao; Chen Chongmu; Shao Yawei; Meng Guozhe; Wang Fuhui; Li Xiaogang; Dong Chaofang

2008-01-01

The corrosion behavior of pure magnesium was investigated by means of cathodic polarization curve, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and electrochemical noise (EN) under aerated and deaerated thin electrolyte layers (TEL) with various thicknesses. Based on shot noise theory and stochastic theory, the EN results were quantitatively analyzed by using the Weibull and Gumbel distribution function, respectively. The results show that the cathodic process of pure magnesium under thin electrolyte layer was dominated by hydrogen reduction. With the decreasing of thin electrolyte layer thickness, cathodic process was retarded slightly while the anodic process was inhibited significantly, which indicated that both the cathodic and anodic process were inhibited in the presence of oxygen. The absence of oxygen decreased the corrosion resistance of pure magnesium in case of thin electrolyte layer. The corrosion was more localized under thin electrolyte layer than that in bulk solution. The results also demonstrate that there exist two kinds of effects for thin electrolyte layer on the corrosion behavior of pure magnesium: (1) the rate of pit initiation was evidently retarded compared to that in bulk solution; (2) the probability of pit growth oppositely increased. The corrosion model of pure magnesium under thin electrolyte layer was suggested in the paper

Carbon nanotube forests growth using catalysts from atomic layer deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Bingan; Zhang, Can; Esconjauregui, Santiago; Xie, Rongsi; Zhong, Guofang; Robertson, John [Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0FA (United Kingdom); Bhardwaj, Sunil [Istituto Officina dei Materiali-CNR Laboratorio TASC, s.s. 14, km 163.4, I-34012 Trieste (Italy); Sincrotone Trieste S.C.p.A., s.s. 14, km 163.4, I-34149 Trieste (Italy); Cepek, Cinzia [Istituto Officina dei Materiali-CNR Laboratorio TASC, s.s. 14, km 163.4, I-34012 Trieste (Italy)

2014-04-14

We have grown carbon nanotubes using Fe and Ni catalyst films deposited by atomic layer deposition. Both metals lead to catalytically active nanoparticles for growing vertically aligned nanotube forests or carbon fibres, depending on the growth conditions and whether the substrate is alumina or silica. The resulting nanotubes have narrow diameter and wall number distributions that are as narrow as those grown from sputtered catalysts. The state of the catalyst is studied by in-situ and ex-situ X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. We demonstrate multi-directional nanotube growth on a porous alumina foam coated with Fe prepared by atomic layer deposition. This deposition technique can be useful for nanotube applications in microelectronics, filter technology, and energy storage.

Impact of anode catalyst layer porosity on the performance of a direct formic acid fuel cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bauskar, Akshay S.; Rice, Cynthia A.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Lithium carbonate is used as a pore-former to increase porosity of anode catalyst layer. ► Maximum power density increased by 25%. ► Onset potential for formic acid electro-oxidation reduced by 30 mV for anode catalyst layer with 17.5 wt% pore-former. ► Electrochemical impedance spectra confirm increased formic acid concentration inside the anode catalyst layer pores. - Abstract: Direct formic acid fuel cells (DFAFCs) have attracted much attention in the last few years for portable electronic devices, due to their potential of being high efficiency power sources. They have the potential to replace the state-of-the-art batteries in cell phones, PDAs, and laptop computers if their power density and durability can be improved. In the present investigation, the influence of increased anode catalyst layer porosity on DFAFC power density performance is studied. Lithium carbonate (Li 2 CO 3 ) was used as a pore-former in this study because of its facile and complete removal after catalyst layer fabrication. The anode catalyst layers presented herein contained unsupported Pt/Ru catalyst and Li 2 CO 3 (in the range of 0–50 wt%) bound with proton conducting ionomer. Higher DFAFC performance is obtained because of the increased porosity within the anode catalyst layer through enhanced reactant and product mass transport. The maximum power density of DFAFC increased by 25% when pore-former was added to the anode catalyst ink. The formic acid onset potential for the anode catalyst layer with 17.5 wt% pore-former was reduced by 30 mV. A constant phase element based equivalent-circuit model was used to investigate anode impedance spectra. Fitted values for the anode impedance spectra confirm the improvement in performance due to an increase in formic acid concentration inside the anode catalyst layer pores along with efficient transport of reactants and products.

Mixed phase Pt-Ru catalyst for direct methanol fuel cell anode by flame aerosol synthesis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chakraborty, Debasish; Bischoff, H.; Chorkendorff, Ib

2005-01-01

A spray-flame aerosol catalyzation technique was studied for producing Pt-Ru anode electrodes for the direct methanol fuel cell. Catalysts were produced as aerosol nanoparticles in a spray-flame reactor and deposited directly as a thin layer on the gas diffusion layer. The as-prepared catalyst wa......Ru1/Vulcan carbon. The kinetics of methanol oxidation on the mixed phase catalyst was also explored by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. (c) 2005 The Electrochemical Society.......A spray-flame aerosol catalyzation technique was studied for producing Pt-Ru anode electrodes for the direct methanol fuel cell. Catalysts were produced as aerosol nanoparticles in a spray-flame reactor and deposited directly as a thin layer on the gas diffusion layer. The as-prepared catalyst...... was found to be a mixture of nanocrystalline, mostly unalloyed Pt and an amorphous phase mostly of Ru and to a lesser extent of Pt oxides on top of the crystalline phase. The flame-produced Pt1Ru1 demonstrated similar onset potential but similar to 60% higher activity compared to commercially available Pt1...

Controlling thin film structure for the dewetting of catalyst nanoparticle arrays for subsequent carbon nanofiber growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Randolph, S J; Fowlkes, J D; Melechko, A V; Klein, K L; III, H M Meyer; Simpson, M L; Rack, P D

2007-01-01

Vertically aligned carbon nanofiber (CNF) growth is a catalytic chemical vapor deposition process in which structure and functionality is controlled by the plasma conditions and the properties of the catalyst nanoparticles that template the fiber growth. We have found that the resultant catalyst nanoparticle network that forms by the dewetting of a continuous catalyst thin film is dependent on the initial properties of the thin film. Here we report the ability to tailor the crystallographic texture and composition of the nickel catalyst film and subsequently the nanoparticle template by varying the rf magnetron sputter deposition conditions. After sputtering the Ni catalyst thin films, the films are heated and exposed to an ammonia dc plasma, to chemically reduce the native oxide on the films and induce dewetting of the film to form nanoparticles. Subsequent nanoparticle treatment in an acetylene plasma at high substrate temperature results in CNF growth. Evidence is presented that the texture and composition of the nickel thin film has a significant impact on the structure and composition of the formed nanoparticle, as well as the resultant CNF morphology. Nickel films with a preferred (111) or (100) texture were produced and conditions favoring interfacial silicidation reactions were identified and investigated. Both compositional and structural analysis of the films and nanoparticles indicate that the properties of the as-deposited Ni catalyst film influences the subsequent nanoparticle formation and ultimately the catalytic growth of the carbon nanofibers

Ion beam-based characterization of multicomponent oxide thin films and thin film layered structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krauss, A.R.; Rangaswamy, M.; Lin, Yuping; Gruen, D.M.; Schultz, J.A.; Schmidt, H.K.; Chang, R.P.H.

1992-01-01

Fabrication of thin film layered structures of multi-component materials such as high temperature superconductors, ferroelectric and electro-optic materials, and alloy semiconductors, and the development of hybrid materials requires understanding of film growth and interface properties. For High Temperature Superconductors, the superconducting coherence length is extremely short (5--15 Angstrom), and fabrication of reliable devices will require control of film properties at extremely sharp interfaces; it will be necessary to verify the integrity of thin layers and layered structure devices over thicknesses comparable to the atomic layer spacing. Analytical techniques which probe the first 1--2 atomic layers are therefore necessary for in-situ characterization of relevant thin film growth processes. However, most surface-analytical techniques are sensitive to a region within 10--40 Angstrom of the surface and are physically incompatible with thin film deposition and are typically restricted to ultra high vacuum conditions. A review of ion beam-based analytical methods for the characterization of thin film and multi-layered thin film structures incorporating layers of multicomponent oxides is presented. Particular attention will be paid to the use of time-of-flight techniques based on the use of 1- 15 key ion beams which show potential for use as nondestructive, real-time, in-situ surface diagnostics for the growth of multicomponent metal and metal oxide thin films

Delamination of Compressed Thin Layers at Corners

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Kim D.; Jensen, Henrik Myhre; Clausen, Johan

2008-01-01

An analysis of delamination for a thin elastic layer under compression, attached to a substrate at a corner is carried out. The analysis is performed by combining results from interface fracture mechanics and the theory of thin shells. In contrast with earlier results for delamination on a flat s...... layers, Fracture mechanics, Crack closure, Steady state crack propagation.......An analysis of delamination for a thin elastic layer under compression, attached to a substrate at a corner is carried out. The analysis is performed by combining results from interface fracture mechanics and the theory of thin shells. In contrast with earlier results for delamination on a flat...... results for the fracture mechanical properties have been obtained, and these are applied in a study of the effect of contacting crack faces. Special attention has been given to analyse conditions under which steady state propagation of buckling driven delamination takes place. Keywords: Delamination, Thin...

Layer-by-layer assembly of thin film oxygen barrier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jang, Woo-Sik; Rawson, Ian; Grunlan, Jaime C.

2008-01-01

Thin films of sodium montmorillonite clay and cationic polyacrylamide were grown on a polyethylene terephthalate film using layer-by-layer assembly. After 30 clay-polymer layers are deposited, with a thickness of 571 nm, the resulting transparent film has an oxygen transmission rate (OTR) below the detection limit of commercial instrumentation ( 2 /day/atm). This low OTR, which is unprecedented for a clay-filled polymer composite, is believed to be due to a brick wall nanostructure comprised of completely exfoliated clay in polymeric mortar. With an optical transparency greater than 90% and potential for microwaveability, this thin composite is a good candidate for foil replacement in food packaging and may also be useful for flexible electronics packaging

The catalyst layer and its dimensionality - A look into its ingredients and how to characterize their effects

Science.gov (United States)

Zamel, Nada

2016-03-01

Development of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells throughout the years is established through its component optimization. This is especially true of its catalyst layer, where structuring of the layer has led to many breakthroughs. The catalyst layer acts as the heart of the cell, where it controls the half-cell reactions and their products. The complex nature of various transport phenomena simultaneously taking place in the layer requires the layer to be heterogeneous in structure. Hence, a delicate balance of the layer's ingredients, coupled with the understanding of the ingredients' interaction, is required. State-of-the-art catalyst layers are composed of a catalyst, its support, a solvent and a binder. Changes in the morphology, structure or material of any of these components ultimately affects the layer's activity and durability. In this review paper, we provide an overview of the various works tailored to understand how each component in the catalyst's ink affects the stability and life-time of the layer.

Catalysts, Protection Layers, and Semiconductors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chorkendorff, Ib

2015-01-01

Hydrogen is the simplest solar fuel to produce and in this presentation we shall give a short overview of the pros and cons of various tandem devices [1]. The large band gap semiconductor needs to be in front, but apart from that we can chose to have either the anode in front or back using either...... acid or alkaline conditions. Since most relevant semiconductors are very prone to corrosion the advantage of using buried junctions and using protection layers offering shall be discussed [2-4]. Next we shall discuss the availability of various catalysts for being coupled to these protections layers...... and how their stability may be evaluated [5, 6]. Examples of half-cell reaction using protection layers for both cathode and anode will be discussed though some of recent examples under both alkaline and acidic conditions. Si is a very good low band gap semiconductor and by using TiO2 as a protection...

Conductive polymer layers to limit transfer of fuel reactants to catalysts of fuel cells to reduce reactant crossover

Science.gov (United States)

Stanis, Ronald J.; Lambert, Timothy N.

2016-12-06

An apparatus of an aspect includes a fuel cell catalyst layer. The fuel cell catalyst layer is operable to catalyze a reaction involving a fuel reactant. A fuel cell gas diffusion layer is coupled with the fuel cell catalyst layer. The fuel cell gas diffusion layer includes a porous electrically conductive material. The porous electrically conductive material is operable to allow the fuel reactant to transfer through the fuel cell gas diffusion layer to reach the fuel cell catalyst layer. The porous electrically conductive material is also operable to conduct electrons associated with the reaction through the fuel cell gas diffusion layer. An electrically conductive polymer material is coupled with the fuel cell gas diffusion layer. The electrically conductive polymer material is operable to limit transfer of the fuel reactant to the fuel cell catalyst layer.

Thin layer activation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schweickert, H.; Fehsenfeld, P.

1995-01-01

The reliability of industrial equip ment is substantially influenced by wear and corrosion; monitoring can prevent accidents and avoid down-time. One powerful tool is thin layer activation analysis (TLA) using accelerator systems. The information is used to improve mechanical design and material usage; the technology is used by many large companies, particularly in the automotive industry, e.g. Daimler Benz. A critical area of a machine component receives a thin layer of radioactivity by irradiation with charged particles from an accelerator - usually a cyclotron. The radioactivity can be made homogeneous by suitable selection of particle, beam energy and angle of incidence. Layer thickness can be varied from 20 microns to around 1 mm with different depth distributions; the position and size of the wear zone can be set to within 0.1 mm. The machine is then reassembled and operated so that wear can be measured. An example is a combustion engine comprising piston ring, cylinder wall, cooling water jacket and housing wall, where wear measurements on the cylinder wall are required in a critical zone around the dead-point of the piston ring. Proton beam bombardment creates a radioactive layer whose thickness is known accurately, and characteristic gamma radiation from this radioactive zone penetrates through the engine and is detected externally. Measurements can be made either of the activity removed from the surface, or of the (reduced) residual activity; wear measurement of the order of 10 -9 metres is possible

Modeling Low-Platinum-Loading Effects in Fuel-Cell Catalyst Layers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoon, Wonseok; Weber, Adam Z.

2011-01-01

The cathode catalyst layer within a proton-exchange-membrane fuel cell is the most complex and critical, yet least understood, layer within the cell. The exact method and equations for modeling this layer are still being revised and will be discussed in this paper, including a 0.8 reaction order, existence of Pt oxides, possible non-isopotential agglomerates, and the impact of a film resistance towards oxygen transport. While the former assumptions are relatively straightforward to understand and implement, the latter film resistance is shown to be critically important in explaining increased mass-transport limitations with low Pt-loading catalyst layers. Model results demonstrate agreement with experimental data that the increased oxygen flux and/or diffusion pathway through the film can substantially decrease performance. Also, some scale-up concepts from the agglomerate scale to the more macroscopic porous-electrode scale are discussed and the resulting optimization scenarios investigated.

Re-examination of the Pt Particle Size Effect on the Oxygen Reduction Reaction for Ultrathin Uniform Pt/C Catalyst Layers without Influence from Nafion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shinozaki, Kazuma; Morimoto, Yu; Pivovar, Bryan S.; Kocha, Shyam S.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Pt particle size effect on ORR was re-evaluated for Pt/C catalysts. • Nafion-free activity of Pt/C catalysts was evaluated using thin-film RDE methods. • Ultrathin-uniform catalyst layers were employed to obtain accurate activity values. • Specific activity increased steeply from 2 to 10 nm and less steeply at over 10 nm. • Re-evaluated effect agrees with a particle model assuming terrace active sites. - Abstract: The platinum ‘particle size effect’ on the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) has been re-evaluated using commercial Pt/C catalysts (2–10 nm Pt particle) and polycrystalline Pt (poly-Pt) in 0.1 M HClO 4 with a rotating disk electrode method. Nafion-free catalyst layers were employed to obtain specific activities (SA) that were not perturbed (suppressed) by sulfonate anion adsorption/blocking. By using ultrathin uniform catalyst layers, O 2 diffusion limitation was minimized as confirmed from the high SAs of our supported catalysts that were comparable to unsupported sputtered Pt having controlled sizes. The specific activity (SA) steeply increased for the particle sizes in the range ∼2–10 nm (0.8–1.8 mA/cm 2 Pt at 0.9 V vs. RHE) and plateaued over ∼10 nm to 2.7 mA/cm 2 Pt for bulk poly-Pt. On the basis of the activity trend for the range of particle sizes studied, it appears that the effect of carbon support on activity is negligible. The experimental results and the concomitant profile of SA vs. particle size was found to be in an agreement to a truncated octahedral particle model that assumes active terrace sites.

The Experimental Measurement of Local and Bulk Oxygen Transport Resistances in the Catalyst Layer of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chao; Cheng, Xiaojing; Lu, Jiabin; Shen, Shuiyun; Yan, Xiaohui; Yin, Jiewei; Wei, Guanghua; Zhang, Junliang

2017-12-07

Remarkable progress has been made in reducing the cathodic Pt loading of PEMFCs; however, a huge performance loss appears at high current densities, indicating the existence of a large oxygen transport resistance associated with the ultralow Pt loading catalyst layer. To reduce the Pt loading without sacrificing cell performance, it is essential to illuminate the oxygen transport mechanism in the catalyst layer. Toward this goal, an experimental approach to measure the oxygen transport resistance in catalyst layers is proposed and realized for the first time in this study. The measuring approach involves a dual-layer catalyst layer design, which consists of a dummy catalyst layer and a practical catalyst layer, followed by changing the thickness of dummy layer to respectively quantify the local and bulk resistances via limiting current measurements combined with linear extrapolation. The experimental results clearly reveal that the local resistance dominates the total resistance in the catalyst layer.

Growth and characterization of ternary Ni, Mg–Al and Ni–Al layered double hydroxides thin films deposited by pulsed laser deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Birjega, R. [National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 409 Atomistilor Str., Magurele, 76900 Bucharest (Romania); Vlad, A., E-mail: angela.vlad@gmail.com [National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 409 Atomistilor Str., Magurele, 76900 Bucharest (Romania); Matei, A.; Ion, V.; Luculescu, C.; Dinescu, M. [National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 409 Atomistilor Str., Magurele, 76900 Bucharest (Romania); Zavoianu, R. [University of Bucharest, Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Chemical Technology and Catalysis, 4-12 Regina Elisabeta Bd., Bucharest (Romania)

2016-09-01

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are a class of layered materials consisting of positively charged brucite-like layers and exchangeable interlayer anions. Layered double hydroxides containing a transition metal which undergoes a reversible redox reaction in the useful potential range have been proposed as electrode coating materials due to their properties of charge transport and redox catalysts in basic solutions. Ni–Al,(Ni,Mg)–Al and, as reference, non-electronically conductive Mg–Al double hydroxides thin films were obtained via pulsed laser deposition technique. The thin films were deposited on different substrates (Si, glass) by using a Nd:YAG laser (1064 nm) working at a repetition rate of 10 Hz. X-ray diffraction, Atomic Force Microscopy, Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy, Secondary Ions Mass Spectrometry, Impedance Analyzer and ellipsometry were the techniques used for the as deposited thin films investigation. The optical properties of Ni based LDH thin films and the effect of the Ni amount on the structural, morphological and optical response are evidenced. The optical band gap values, covering a domain between 3.84 eV and 4.38 eV, respond to the Ni overall concentration: the higher Ni amount the lower the band gap value. - Highlights: • Ternary Ni, Mg–Al and Ni–Al layered double hydroxides thin films were deposited. • The effect of the nickel is evidenced. • The possibility to tailor the materials accompanied by an optical response is shown.

A proposed agglomerate model for oxygen reduction in the catalyst layer of proton exchange membrane fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Xiaoxian; Gao, Yuan; Ostadi, Hossein; Jiang, Kyle; Chen, Rui

2014-01-01

Highlights: • We developed a new agglomerate model to describe oxygen reduction reaction. • We showed how to calculate the model parameters from catalyst layer structure. • We verified the agglomerate model. - Abstract: Oxygen diffusion and reduction in the catalyst layer of PEM fuel cell is an important process in fuel cell modelling, but models able to link the reduction rate to catalyst-layer structure are lack; this paper makes such an effort. We first link the average reduction rate over the agglomerate within a catalyst layer to a probability that an oxygen molecule, which is initially on the agglomerate surface, will enter and remain in the agglomerate at any time in the absence of any electrochemical reaction. We then propose a method to directly calculate distribution function of this probability and apply it to two catalyst layers with contrasting structures. A formula is proposed to describe these calculated distribution functions, from which the agglomerate model is derived. The model has two parameters and both can be independently calculated from catalyst layer structures. We verify the model by first showing that it is an improvement and able to reproduce what the spherical model describes, and then testing it against the average oxygen reductions directly calculated from pore-scale simulations of oxygen diffusion and reaction in the two catalyst layers. The proposed model is simple, but significant as it links the average oxygen reduction to catalyst layer structures, and its two parameters can be directly calculated rather than by calibration

Fuel cell testing of Pt–Ru catalysts supported on differently prepared and pretreated carbon nanotubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tokarz, Wojciech; Lota, Grzegorz; Frackowiak, Elzbieta; Czerwiński, Andrzej; Piela, Piotr

2013-01-01

Proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) testing of Pt–Ru catalysts supported on differently prepared multiwall carbon nanotube (MCNT) supports was performed to elucidate the influence of the different supports on the operating characteristics of the catalysts under real direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) anode and H 2 -PEMFC anode conditions. The MCNTs were either thin, entangled or thick, disentangled. Pretreatment of the MCNTs was also done and it was either high-temperature KOH etching or annealing (graphitization). The performance of the catalysts was compared against the performance of a commercial Pt–Ru catalyst supported on a high-surface-area carbon black. Among the different MCNT supports, the graphitized, entangled support offered the best performance in all tests, which was equal to the performance of the commercial catalyst, despite the MCNT catalyst layer was ca. 2.2 times thicker than the carbon black catalyst layer. Even for an MCNT catalyst layer, which was almost 7 times thicker than the carbon black catalyst layer, the transport limitations were not prohibitive. This confirmed the expected potential of nanotube supports for providing superior reactant transport properties of the PEMFC catalyst layers

Fabrication and characterization of anode catalyst layers with structural variations for DMFC

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Dazhi; Shi, Peng; Zhou, Peng; Mao, Qing; Liang, Junsheng; Wang, Suli; Li, Yang; Ren, Tongqun; Sun, Gongquan

2018-04-01

In this work, the electrohydrodynamic jet (E-Jet) Layer-by-Layer (LbL) deposition technique was employed to produce anode catalyst layer (CL) structure for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC). The CLs with different thickness and porosity were fabricated with the control of the E-Jet deposition parameters. Then, the deposited anode CLs with structural variations were assembled to membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs). The results showed that the anode CL with higher porosity contributed higher dispersed catalyst, which further induced greater electrochemical active surface area (ESA) and higher performance. At optimized working condition the anode CL with high-dispersed catalyst of was produced using the E-Jet LbL deposition technique. It was observed that the peak power density is 72.8 mW cm‑2 for the cell having a porosity of 0.63, which has an increase of about 33% after modification of the CL structure.

Growth of uniform thin-walled carbon nanotubes with spin-coated Fe catalyst and the correlation between the pre-growth catalyst size and the nanotube diameter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seah, Choon-Ming; Chai, Siang-Piao; Ichikawa, Satoshi; Mohamed, Abdul Rahman

2013-01-01

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and double-walled CNTs with a selectivity of 93 % were obtained by means of the novel homemade iron catalysts which were spin coated on silicon wafer. The average diameters of the iron particles prepared from the colloidal solutions containing 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70 mmol/L of iron nitrate were 8.2, 5.1, 20.8, 32.2, and 34.7 nm, respectively, and growing thin-walled CNTs with the average diameters of 4.1, 2.2, 9.2, 11.1, and 18.1 nm, respectively. The diameters of the CNTs were correlated with the geometric sizes of the pre-growth catalyst particles. Thin-walled CNTs were found to have a catalyst mean diameter-to-CNT average diameter ratio of 2.31. Iron carbide was formed after the growth of CNTs, and it is believed that during the growth of CNTs, carbon source decomposed and deposited on the surface of catalyst, followed by the diffusion of surface carbon into the iron catalyst particles, resulting in carbon supersaturation state before the growth of CNTs.

A mathematical model and optimization of the cathode catalyst layer structure in PEM fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Qianpu; Song Datong; Navessin, Titichai; Holdcroft, Steven; Liu Zhongsheng

2004-01-01

A spherical flooded-agglomerate model for the cathode catalyst layer of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell, which includes the kinetics of oxygen reduction, at the catalyst vertical bar electrolyte interface, proton transport through the polymer electrolyte network, the oxygen diffusion through gas pore, and the dissolved oxygen diffusion through electrolyte, is considered. Analytical and numerical solutions are obtained in various control regimes. These are the limits of (i) oxygen diffusion control (ii) proton conductivity control, and (iii) mixture control. The structure and material parameters, such as porosity, agglomerate size, catalyst layer thickness and proton conductivity, on the performance are investigated under these limits. The model could help to characterize the system properties and operation modes, and to optimize catalyst layer design

SEM and XPS study of layer-by-layer deposited polypyrrole thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Pigois-Landureau, E.; Nicolau, Y. F.; Delamar, M.

1996-01-01

Layer-by-layer deposition of thin films (a few nm) of polypyrrole was carried out on various substrates such as silver, platinum, electrochemically oxidized aluminum and pretreated glass. SEM micrographs showed that the deposited layers nucleate by an island-type mechanism on hydrated alumina and KOH-pretreated (hydrophilic) glass before forming a continuous film. However, continuous thin films are obtained on chromic acid pretreated (hydrophobic) glass and sputtered Ag or Pt on glass after only 3-4 deposition cycles. The mean deposition rate evaluated by XPS for the first deposition cycles on Ag and Pt is 3 and 4 nm/cycle, respectively, in agreement with previous gravimetric determinations on thicker films, proving the constancy of the deposition rate. The XPS study of the very thin films obtained by a few deposition cycles shows that the first polypyrrole layers are dedoped by hydroxydic (basic) substrate surfaces.

Layer-by-Layer Assembly of a pH-Responsive and Electrochromic Thin Film

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Daniel J.; Pridgen, Eric M.; Hammond, Paula T.; Love, J. Christopher

2010-01-01

This article summarizes an experiment on thin-film fabrication with layer-by-layer assembly that is appropriate for undergraduate laboratory courses. The purpose of this experiment is to teach students about self-assembly in the context of thin films and to expose students to the concepts of functional polymeric coatings. Students dip coat…

SEM and XPS study of layer-by-layer deposited polypyrrole thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pigois-Landureau, E.; Nicolau, Y.F.; Delamar, M.

1996-01-01

Layer-by-layer deposition of thin films (a few nm) of polypyrrole was carried out on various substrates such as silver, platinum, electrochemically oxidized aluminum and pretreated glass. SEM micrographs showed that the deposited layers nucleate by an island-type mechanism on hydrated alumina and KOH-pretreated (hydrophilic) glass before forming a continuous film. However, continuous thin films are obtained on chromic acid pretreated (hydrophobic) glass and sputtered Ag or Pt on glass after only 3 endash 4 deposition cycles. The mean deposition rate evaluated by XPS for the first deposition cycles on Ag and Pt is 3 and 4 nm/cycle, respectively, in agreement with previous gravimetric determinations on thicker films, proving the constancy of the deposition rate. The XPS study of the very thin films obtained by a few deposition cycles shows that the first polypyrrole layers are dedoped by hydroxydic (basic) substrate surfaces. copyright 1996 American Institute of Physics

MultiLayer solid electrolyte for lithium thin film batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Se -Hee; Tracy, C. Edwin; Pitts, John Roland; Liu, Ping

2015-07-28

A lithium metal thin-film battery composite structure is provided that includes a combination of a thin, stable, solid electrolyte layer [18] such as Lipon, designed in use to be in contact with a lithium metal anode layer; and a rapid-deposit solid electrolyte layer [16] such as LiAlF.sub.4 in contact with the thin, stable, solid electrolyte layer [18]. Batteries made up of or containing these structures are more efficient to produce than other lithium metal batteries that use only a single solid electrolyte. They are also more resistant to stress and strain than batteries made using layers of only the stable, solid electrolyte materials. Furthermore, lithium anode batteries as disclosed herein are useful as rechargeable batteries.

Copper diffusion in TaN-based thin layers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nazon, J. [Universite Montpellier II, Institut Charles Gerhardt, UMR 5253 CNRS-UM2-ENSCM-UM1, cc 1504, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 5 (France); Fraisse, B. [Laboratoire Structure, Proprietes et Modelisation des Solides (UMR 8580), Ecole Centrale de Paris, Grande Voie des Vignes, 92295 Chatenay-Malabry Cedex (France); Sarradin, J. [Universite Montpellier II, Institut Charles Gerhardt, UMR 5253 CNRS-UM2-ENSCM-UM1, cc 1504, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 5 (France); Fries, S.G. [SGF Scientific Consultancy, Arndt str.9, D-52064 Aachen (Germany); Tedenac, J.C. [Universite Montpellier II, Institut Charles Gerhardt, UMR 5253 CNRS-UM2-ENSCM-UM1, cc 1504, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 5 (France); Frety, N. [Universite Montpellier II, Institut Charles Gerhardt, UMR 5253 CNRS-UM2-ENSCM-UM1, cc 1504, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 5 (France)], E-mail: Nicole.Frety@univ-montp2.fr

2008-07-15

The diffusion of Cu through TaN-based thin layers into a Si substrate has been studied. The barrier efficiency of TaN/Ta/TaN multilayers of 150 nm in thickness has been investigated and is compared with that of TaN single layers. Thermal stabilities of these TaN-based thin layers against Cu diffusion were determined from in situ X-ray diffraction experiments, conducted in the temperature range of 773-973 K. The TaN/Ta/TaN barrier appeared to be more efficient in preventing Cu diffusion than the TaN single layer.

A durable PtRu/C catalyst with a thin protective layer for direct methanol fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Shimazaki, Yuzuru; Hayasaka, Sho; Koyama, Tsubasa; Nagao, Daisuke; Kobayashi, Yoshio; Konno, Mikio

2010-11-15

A methanol oxidation catalyst with improved durability in acidic environments is reported. The catalyst consists of PtRu alloy nanoparticles on a carbon support that were stabilized with a silane-coupling agent. The catalyst was prepared by reducing ions of Pt and Ru in the presence of a carbon support and the silane-coupling agent. The careful choice of preparatory conditions such as the concentration of the silane-coupling agent and solution pH resulted in the preparation of catalyst in which the PtRu nanoparticles were dispersively adsorbed onto the carbon support. The catalytic activity was similar to that of a commercial catalyst and was unchanged after immersion in sulfuric acid solution for 1000 h, suggesting the high durability of the PtRu catalyst for the anode of direct methanol fuel cells. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

XPS and STEM study of the interface formation between ultra-thin Ru and Ir OER catalyst layers and perylene red support whiskers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Atanasoska Ljiljana L.

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The interface formation between nano-structured perylene red (PR whiskers and oxygen evolution reaction (OER catalysts ruthenium and iridium has been studied systematically by XPS and STEM. The OER catalyst over-layers with thicknesses ranging from ~0.1 to ~50 nm were vapor deposited onto PR ex-situ. STEM images demonstrate that, with increasing thickness, Ru and Ir transform from amorphous clusters to crystalline nanoparticles, which agglomerate with increased over-layer thickness. XPS data show a strong interaction between Ru and PR. Ir also interacts with PR although not to the extent seen for Ru. At low coverages, the entire Ru deposit is in the reacted state while a small portion of the deposited Ir remains metallic. Ru and Ir bonding occur at the PR carbonyl sites as evidenced by the attenuation of carbonyl photoemission and the emergence of new peak assigned to C-O single bond. The curve fitting analysis and the derived stoichiometry indicates the formation of metallo-organic bonds. The co-existence of oxide bonds is also apparent.

Methods for producing thin film charge selective transport layers

Science.gov (United States)

Hammond, Scott Ryan; Olson, Dana C.; van Hest, Marinus Franciscus Antonius Maria

2018-01-02

Methods for producing thin film charge selective transport layers are provided. In one embodiment, a method for forming a thin film charge selective transport layer comprises: providing a precursor solution comprising a metal containing reactive precursor material dissolved into a complexing solvent; depositing the precursor solution onto a surface of a substrate to form a film; and forming a charge selective transport layer on the substrate by annealing the film.

Co-deposition of Pt and ceria anode catalyst in supercritical carbon dioxide for direct methanol fuel cell applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

You, Eunyoung; Guzmán-Blas, Rolando; Nicolau, Eduardo; Aulice Scibioh, M.; Karanikas, Christos F.; Watkins, James J.; Cabrera, Carlos R.

2012-01-01

Pt and mixed Pt-ceria catalysts were deposited onto gas diffusion layers using supercritical fluid deposition (SFD) to fabricate thin layer electrodes for direct methanol fuel cells. Dimethyl (1,5-cyclooctadiene) platinum (II) (CODPtMe 2 ) and tetrakis (2,2,6,6-tetramethyl 3,5-heptanedionato) cerium (IV) (Ce(tmhd) 4 ) were used as precursors. Hydrogen-assisted Pt deposition was performed in compressed carbon dioxide at 60 °C and 17.2 MPa to yield high purity Pt on carbon-black based gas diffusion layers. During the preparation of the mixed Pt-ceria catalyst, hydrogen reduction of CODPtMe 2 to yield Pt catalyzed the deposition of ceria from Ce(tmhd) 4 enabling co-deposition at 150 °C. The catalyst layers were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive spectral (SEM-EDS) analyses. Their electrochemical performance toward methanol oxidation was examined in half cell mode using a three electrode assembly as well as in fuel cell mode. The thin layer electrodes formed via SFD exhibited higher performance in fuel cell operations compared to those prepared by the conventional brush-paint method. Furthermore, the Pt-ceria catalyst with an optimized composition exhibited greater methanol oxidation activity than pure platinum.

Delamination of Compressed Thin Layers at Corners

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Kim D.; Jensen, Henrik Myhre; Clausen, Johan

2008-01-01

An analysis of delamination for a thin elastic layer under compression, attached to a substrate at a corner is carried out. The analysis is performed by combining results from interface fracture mechanics and the theory of thin shells. In contrast with earlier results for delamination on a flat...

An efficient fabrication of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes on flexible aluminum foils by catalyst-supported chemical vapor deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshikawa, Naoki; Kishi, Naoki; Sugai, Toshiki; Shinohara, Hisanori; Asari, Takuma; Hayashi, Shigeo

2008-01-01

An efficient and versatile growth of thin-layer carbon nanotubes on a flexible aluminum foil (for kitchen use) by catalyst-supported chemical vapor deposition is reported. The aluminum foil used in the present experiment is commercially available for kitchen use. The electron-beam vapor deposition and dip-coating have been used for preparing catalysts on the aluminum foil. Vertically aligned thin-layer CNTs with typical diameters of 2.5-6.0 nm and lengths up to 90 μm are obtained when ethanol is used in combination with Fe and Co catalyst particles at a growth temperature of around 650 deg. C under an Ar/H 2 gas flow. Thermo-gravimetric analyses together with HR-TEM observations indicate that the purity of the CNTs synthesized by the current technique is very high

Effect of the solvent in the catalyst ink preparation on the properties and performance of unsupported PtRu catalyst layers in direct methanol fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alcaide, Francisco; Álvarez, Garbiñe; Cabot, Pere L.; Genova-Koleva, Radostina; Grande, Hans-Jürgen; Miguel, Oscar

2017-01-01

The effect of the organic solvent polarity on the properties of unsupported PtRu catalyst inks and on the performance of the catalyst layers prepared with them for the methanol electrooxidation, has been studied. The light scattering results indicate that the PtRu-Nafion ® aggregates in the inks prepared with n-butyl acetate (NBA) are larger than those prepared with 2-propanol (IPA). The lower polarity of the former favours the aggregation of Nafion ® and nanoparticles. The electron microscopy images and porosimetry measurements of the catalyst layers show that the secondary pore volume between the agglomerates is larger for NBA. The linear sweep voltammetry and eis results for the methanol electrooxidation in the three-electrode cell denote the higher active surface area for NBA and comparable specific oxidation rates of the intermediates in both catalysts layers. The current densities for PtRu anode catalyst layers in single DMFC are higher when the solvent is NBA, the mass transport limitations being much more apparent with IPA. The adapted transmission line equivalent circuit to interpret the impedance results in single DMFC indicates that the proton resistance for NBA is significantly lower than for IPA, thus suggesting that the greater number of accessible active sites for methanol oxidation in the former are well connected to the Nafion ® ionomers and easier transported to the membrane.

On the Preparation and Testing of Fuel Cell Catalysts Using the Thin Film Rotating Disk Electrode Method.

Science.gov (United States)

Inaba, Masanori; Quinson, Jonathan; Bucher, Jan Rudolf; Arenz, Matthias

2018-03-16

We present a step-by-step tutorial to prepare proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) catalysts, consisting of Pt nanoparticles (NPs) supported on a high surface area carbon, and to test their performance in thin film rotating disk electrode (TF-RDE) measurements. The TF-RDE methodology is widely used for catalyst screening; nevertheless, the measured performance sometimes considerably differs among research groups. These uncertainties impede the advancement of new catalyst materials and, consequently, several authors discussed possible best practice methods and the importance of benchmarking. The visual tutorial highlights possible pitfalls in the TF-RDE testing of Pt/C catalysts. A synthesis and testing protocol to assess standard Pt/C catalysts is introduced that can be used together with polycrystalline Pt disks as benchmark catalysts. In particular, this study highlights how the properties of the catalyst film on the glassy carbon (GC) electrode influence the measured performance in TF-RDE testing. To obtain thin, homogeneous catalyst films, not only the catalyst preparation, but also the ink deposition and drying procedures are essential. It is demonstrated that an adjustment of the ink's pH might be necessary, and how simple control measurements can be used to check film quality. Once reproducible TF-RDE measurements are obtained, determining the Pt loading on the catalyst support (expressed as Pt wt%) and the electrochemical surface area is necessary to normalize the determined reaction rates to either surface area or Pt mass. For the surface area determination, so-called CO stripping, or the determination of the hydrogen underpotential deposition (Hupd) charge, are standard. For the determination of the Pt loading, a straightforward and cheap procedure using digestion in aqua regia with subsequent conversion of Pt(IV) to Pt(II) and UV-vis measurements is introduced.

Thin layer model for nonlinear evolution of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, K. G.; Wang, L. F.; Xue, C.; Ye, W. H.; Wu, J. F.; Ding, Y. K.; Zhang, W. Y.

2018-03-01

On the basis of the thin layer approximation [Ott, Phys. Rev. Lett. 29, 1429 (1972)], a revised thin layer model for incompressible Rayleigh-Taylor instability has been developed to describe the deformation and nonlinear evolution of the perturbed interface. The differential equations for motion are obtained by analyzing the forces (the gravity and pressure difference) of fluid elements (i.e., Newton's second law). The positions of the perturbed interface are obtained from the numerical solution of the motion equations. For the case of vacuum on both sides of the layer, the positions of the upper and lower interfaces obtained from the revised thin layer approximation agree with that from the weakly nonlinear (WN) model of a finite-thickness fluid layer [Wang et al., Phys. Plasmas 21, 122710 (2014)]. For the case considering the fluids on both sides of the layer, the bubble-spike amplitude from the revised thin layer model agrees with that from the WN model [Wang et al., Phys. Plasmas 17, 052305 (2010)] and the expanded Layzer's theory [Goncharov, Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 134502 (2002)] in the early nonlinear growth regime. Note that the revised thin layer model can be applied to investigate the perturbation growth at arbitrary Atwood numbers. In addition, the large deformation (the large perturbed amplitude and the arbitrary perturbed distributions) in the initial stage can also be described by the present model.

Cross-Field Current Instabilities in Thin Ionization Layers and the Enhanced Aurora

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, Jay R.; Okuda, Hideo

2008-01-01

Nearly half of the time, auroral displays exhibit thin, bright layers known as 'enhanced aurora'. There is a substantial body of evidence that connects these displays with thin, dense, heavy ion layers in the E-region. Based on the spectral characteristics of the enhanced layers, it is believed that they result when wave-particle interaction heats ambient electrons to energies at or just above the 17 eV ionization energy of N2. While there are several possible instabilities that could produce suprathermal electrons in thin layers, there has been no clear theoretical investigation which examines in detail how wave instabilities in the thin ionization layers could develop and produce the suprathermal electrons. We examine instabilities which would occur in thin, dense, heavy ion layers using extensive analytical analysis combined with particle simulations. We analyze a cross field current instability that is found to be strongly unstable in the heavy ion layers. Electrostatic simulations show that substantial heating of the ambient electrons occurs with energization at or above the N2 ionization energy.

Ion beam analysis of aluminium in thin layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Healy, M.J.F.; Pidduck, A.J.; Dollinger, G.; Gorgens, L.; Bergmaier, A.

2002-01-01

This work quantifies aluminium in thin surface and near surface layers. In one example, the layer overlies a thin gallium nitride layer on an aluminium oxide substrate and in a second example the aluminium exists just below the surface of an indium arsenide substrate. The technique of non-Rutherford elastic backscattering of protons was used for the samples where aluminum in the layer of interest needed to be resolved from aluminium in the sapphire substrate and the results were corroborated at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen using heavy ion elastic recoil detection analysis. In the second example, where it was unnecessary to isolate the signal of aluminium in the layer of interest (as the substrate contained no aluminium), then the 27 Al(d,p 01 ) 28 Al nuclear reaction was used. The elastic proton scattering cross section of aluminum was found to vary very rapidly over the energy range of interest

Application of thin-layer chromatography in radiochemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maki, Yasuyuki; Murakami, Yukio.

1976-01-01

In relation to the experimental procedures of thin-layer chromatography (TLC) in radiochemistry, the authors explained the preparation and development of radioactive test solutions, the methods of detection by autoradiography of isolated spots and by the calculation of measuring apparatus, and the identification of isolated spots. Next they outlined the carrier-free isolation and purification of nuclides, the quantification in combination with γ-ray spectrum, confirmation of the purity of RI-labeled medical supplies, their application to RI generator, thin-layer electrophoresis, in which electrophoresis and TLC were combined, and the application of this electrophoresis to isolation in recoil chemistry and to analysis and identification in carrier-free chemistry. (Kanao, K.)

Simulation of the Dynamics of Isothermal Growth of Single-Layer Graphene on a Copper Catalyst in the Process of Chemical Vapor Deposition of Hydrocarbons

Science.gov (United States)

Futko, S. I.; Shulitskii, B. G.; Labunov, V. A.; Ermolaeva, E. M.

2018-01-01

A new kinetic model of isothermal growth of single-layer graphene on a copper catalyst as a result of the chemical vapor deposition of hydrocarbons on it at a low pressure has been developed on the basis of in situ measurements of the growth of graphene in the process of its synthesis. This model defines the synthesis of graphene with regard for the chemisorption and catalytic decomposition of ethylene on the surface of a copper catalyst, the diffusion of carbon atoms in the radial direction to the nucleation centers within the thin melted near-surface copper layer, and the nucleation and autocatalytic growth of graphene domains. It is shown that the time dependence of the rate of growth of a graphene domain has a characteristic asymmetrical bell-like shape. The dependences of the surface area and size of a graphene domain and the rate of its growth on the time at different synthesis temperatures and ethylene concentrations have been obtained. Time characteristics of the growth of graphene domains depending on the parameters of their synthesis were calculated. The results obtained can be used for determining optimum regimes of synthesis of graphene in the process of chemical vapor deposition of hydrocarbons on different catalysts with a low solubility of carbon.

Silver-Copper Nanoalloy Catalyst Layer for Bifunctional Air Electrodes in Alkaline Media.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Xiaoqiang; Chen, Fuyi; Jin, Yachao; Zhang, Nan; Johnston, Roy L

2015-08-19

A carbon-free and binder-free catalyst layer composed of a Ag-Cu nanoalloy on Ni foam was used as the air cathode in a zinc-air battery for the first time. The Ag-Cu catalyst was prepared using pulsed laser deposition. The structures of the catalysts were found to consist of crystalline Ag-Cu nanoalloy particles with an average size of 2.58 nm embedded in amorphous Cu films. As observed in the X-ray photoelectron spectra, the Ag 3d core levels shifted to higher binding energies, whereas the Cu 2p core levels shifted to lower binding energies, indicating alloying of the silver and copper. Rotating disk electrode measurements indicated that the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) proceeded through a four-electron pathway on the Ag50Cu50 and Ag90Cu10 nanoalloy catalysts in alkaline solution. Moreover, the catalytic activity of Ag50Cu50 in the ORR is more efficient than that of Ag90Cu10. By performing charge and discharge cycling measurements, the Ag50Cu50 catalyst layer was confirmed to have a maximum power density of approximately 86.3 mW cm(-2) and an acceptable cell voltage at 0.863 V for current densities up to 100 mA cm(-2) in primary zinc-air batteries. In addition, a round-trip efficiency of approximately 50% at a current density of 20 mA cm(-2) was also obtained in the test.

Optical characterizations of silver nanoprisms embedded in polymer thin film layers

Science.gov (United States)

Carlberg, Miriam; Pourcin, Florent; Margeat, Olivier; Le Rouzo, Judikael; Berginc, Gerard; Sauvage, Rose-Marie; Ackermann, Jorg; Escoubas, Ludovic

2017-10-01

The precise control of light-matter interaction has a wide range of applications and is currently driven by the use of nanoparticles (NPs) by the recent advances in nanotechnology. Taking advantage of the material, size, shape, and surrounding media dependence of the optical properties of plasmonic NPs, thin film layers with tunable optical properties are achieved. The NPs are synthesized by wet chemistry and embedded in a polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) polymer thin film layer. Spectrophotometer and spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements are coupled to finite-difference time domain numerical modeling to optically characterize the heterogeneous thin film layers. Silver nanoprisms of 10 to 50 nm edge size exhibit high absorption through the visible wavelength range. A simple optical model composed of a Cauchy law and a Lorentz law, accounting for the optical properties of the nonabsorbing polymer and the absorbing property of the nanoprisms, fits the spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements. Knowing the complex optical indices of heterogeneous thin film layers let us design layers of any optical properties.

UV and plasma treatment of thin silver layers and glass surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hluschi, J.H. [University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Von-Ossietzky-Str. 99, D-37085 Goettingen (Germany); Helmke, A. [University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Von-Ossietzky-Str. 99, D-37085 Goettingen (Germany); Roth, P. [University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Von-Ossietzky-Str. 99, D-37085 Goettingen (Germany); Boewer, R. [Interpane Glasbeschichtungsgesellschaft mbH and Co KG, Sohnreystr. 21, D-37697 Lauenfoerde (Germany); Herlitze, L. [Interpane Glasbeschichtungsgesellschaft mbH and Co KG, Sohnreystr. 21, D-37697 Lauenfoerde (Germany); Vioel, W. [University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Von-Ossietzky-Str. 99, D-37085 Goettingen (Germany)]. E-mail: vioel@hawk-hhg.de

2006-11-10

Thin silver layers can be modified by treatment with UV radiation or a plasma discharge. UV treatment at a wavelength of {lambda}=308 -bar nm improves the layer properties, thus leading to an enhancement of the layers IR reflectivity. For the purpose of in situ-measurement the sheet resistance is recorded during the process. Due to the Hagen-Rubens-Relation [E. Hagen, H. Rubens, Ann. Phys. 11 (1903) 873]-bar the sheet resistance is linked to the IR reflectivity of thin metal-films. A pretreatment of uncoated glass using a dielectric barrier discharge activates and cleans its surface, thus leading to an increase in adhesion of thin layers.

UV and plasma treatment of thin silver layers and glass surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hluschi, J.H.; Helmke, A.; Roth, P.; Boewer, R.; Herlitze, L.; Vioel, W.

2006-01-01

Thin silver layers can be modified by treatment with UV radiation or a plasma discharge. UV treatment at a wavelength of λ=308 -bar nm improves the layer properties, thus leading to an enhancement of the layers IR reflectivity. For the purpose of in situ-measurement the sheet resistance is recorded during the process. Due to the Hagen-Rubens-Relation [E. Hagen, H. Rubens, Ann. Phys. 11 (1903) 873]-bar the sheet resistance is linked to the IR reflectivity of thin metal-films. A pretreatment of uncoated glass using a dielectric barrier discharge activates and cleans its surface, thus leading to an increase in adhesion of thin layers

Approximate reflection coefficients for a thin VTI layer

KAUST Repository

Hao, Qi; Stovas, Alexey

2017-01-01

We present an approximate method to derive simple expressions for the reflection coefficients of P- and SV-waves for a thin transversely isotropic layer with a vertical symmetry axis (VTI) embedded in a homogeneous VTI background. The layer

Effect of the prominent catalyst layer surface on reactant gas transport and cell performance at the cathodic side of a PEMFC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perng, Shiang-Wuu; Wu, Horng-Wen

2010-01-01

The cell performance enhancement of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) has been numerically investigated with the prominence-like form catalyst layer surface of the same composition at the cathodic half-cell of a PEMFC. The geometries of the prominence-like form catalyst layer surface are assigned as one prominence, three prominences, and five prominences catalyst layer surfaces with constant distance between two prominences in the same gas diffusion layer (GDL) for the purpose of investigating the cell performance. To confine the current investigation to two-dimensional incompressible flows, we assume that the fluid flow is laminar with a low Reynolds number 15. The results indicate that the prominence-like form catalyst layer surface can effectively enhance the local cell performance of a PEMFC.

Enhanced performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cell by introducing nitrogen-doped CNTs in both catalyst layer and gas diffusion layer

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Hou, S

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The performance of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is significantly improved through introducing nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (NCNTs) into the catalyst layer (CL) and microporous layer (MPL) of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA...

Fabrication of ATO/Graphene Multi-layered Transparent Conducting Thin Films

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Na; Chen, Fei; Shen, Qiang; Wang, Chuanbin; Zhang, Lianmeng

2013-03-01

A novel transparent conducting oxide based on the ATO/graphene multi-layered thin films has been developed to satisfy the application of transparent conductive electrode in solar cells. The ATO thin films are prepared by pulsed laser deposition method with high quality, namely the sheet resistance of 49.5 Ω/sq and average transmittance of 81.9 %. The prepared graphene sheet is well reduced and shows atomically thin, spotty distributed appearance on the top of the ATO thin films. The XRD and optical micrographs are used to confirm the successfully preparation of the ATO/graphene multi-layered thin films. The Hall measurements and UV-Vis spectrophotometer are conducted to evaluate the sheet resistance and optical transmittance of the innovative structure. It is found that graphene can improve the electrical properties of the ATO thin films with little influence on the optical transmittance.

Fabrication of ATO/Graphene Multi-layered Transparent Conducting Thin Films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Na; Chen Fei; Shen Qiang; Wang Chuanbin; Zhang Lianmeng

2013-01-01

A novel transparent conducting oxide based on the ATO/graphene multi-layered thin films has been developed to satisfy the application of transparent conductive electrode in solar cells. The ATO thin films are prepared by pulsed laser deposition method with high quality, namely the sheet resistance of 49.5 Ω/sq and average transmittance of 81.9 %. The prepared graphene sheet is well reduced and shows atomically thin, spotty distributed appearance on the top of the ATO thin films. The XRD and optical micrographs are used to confirm the successfully preparation of the ATO/graphene multi-layered thin films. The Hall measurements and UV-Vis spectrophotometer are conducted to evaluate the sheet resistance and optical transmittance of the innovative structure. It is found that graphene can improve the electrical properties of the ATO thin films with little influence on the optical transmittance.

A general analytical equation for phase diagrams of an N-layer ferroelectric thin film with two surface layers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lu, Z X; Teng, B H; Rong, Y H; Lu, X H; Yang, X [School of Physical Electronics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054 (China)], E-mail: phytbh@163.com

2010-03-15

Within the framework of effective-field theory with correlations, the phase diagrams of an N-layer ferroelectric thin film with two surface layers are studied by the differential operator technique based on the spin-1/2 transverse Ising model. A general analytical equation for the phase diagram of a ferroelectric thin film with arbitrary layer number as well as exchange interactions and transverse fields is derived, and then the effects of exchange interactions and transverse fields on phase diagrams are discussed for an arbitrary layer number N. Meanwhile, the crossover features, from the ferroelectric-dominant phase diagram (FPD) to the paraelectric-dominant phase diagram (PPD), for various parameters of an N-layer ferroelectric thin film with two surface layers are investigated. As a result, an N-independent common intersection point equation is obtained, and the three-dimensional curved surfaces for the crossover values are constructed. In comparison with the usual mean-field approximation, the differential operator technique with correlations reduces to some extent the ferroelectric features of a ferroelectric thin film.

Thin-layer voltammetry of soluble species on screen-printed electrodes: proof of concept.

Science.gov (United States)

Botasini, S; Martí, A C; Méndez, E

2016-10-17

Thin-layer diffusion conditions were accomplished on screen-printed electrodes by placing a controlled-weight onto the cast solution and allowing for its natural spreading. The restricted diffusive conditions were assessed by cyclic voltammetry at low voltage scan rates and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The relationship between the weight exerted over the drop and the thin-layer thickness achieved was determined, in such a way that the simple experimental set-up designed for this work could be developed into a commercial device with variable control of the thin-layer conditions. The experimental results obtained resemble those reported for the voltammetric features of electroactive soluble species employing electrodes modified with carbon nanotubes or graphene layers, suggesting that the attainment of the benefits reported for these nanomaterials could be done simply by forcing the solution to spread over the screen-printed electrodic system to form a thin layer solution. The advantages of thin-layer voltammetry in the kinetic characterization of quasi-reversible and irreversible processes are highlighted.

Studies of oxide-based thin-layered heterostructures by X-ray scattering methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Durand, O. [Thales Research and Technology France, Route Departementale 128, F-91767 Palaiseau Cedex (France)]. E-mail: olivier.durand@thalesgroup.com; Rogers, D. [Nanovation SARL, 103 bis rue de Versailles 91400 Orsay (France); Universite de Technologie de Troyes, 10-12 rue Marie Curie, 10010 (France); Teherani, F. Hosseini [Nanovation SARL, 103 bis rue de Versailles 91400 Orsay (France); Andrieux, M. [LEMHE, ICMMOCNRS-UMR 8182, Universite d' Orsay, Batiment 410, 91410 Orsay (France); Modreanu, M. [Tyndall National Institute, Lee Maltings, Prospect Row, Cork (Ireland)

2007-06-04

Some X-ray scattering methods (X-ray reflectometry and Diffractometry) dedicated to the study of thin-layered heterostructures are presented with a particular focus, for practical purposes, on the description of fast, accurate and robust techniques. The use of X-ray scattering metrology as a routinely working non-destructive testing method, particularly by using procedures simplifying the data-evaluation, is emphasized. The model-independent Fourier-inversion method applied to a reflectivity curve allows a fast determination of the individual layer thicknesses. We demonstrate the capability of this method by reporting X-ray reflectometry study on multilayered oxide structures, even when the number of the layers constitutive of the stack is not known a-priori. Fast Fourier transform-based procedure has also been employed successfully on high resolution X-ray diffraction profiles. A study of the reliability of the integral-breadth methods in diffraction line-broadening analysis applied to thin layers, in order to determine coherent domain sizes, is also reported. Examples from studies of oxides-based thin-layers heterostructures will illustrate these methods. In particular, X-ray scattering studies performed on high-k HfO{sub 2} and SrZrO{sub 3} thin-layers, a (GaAs/AlOx) waveguide, and a ZnO thin-layer are reported.

Crystallinity Improvement of Zn O Thin Film on Different Buffer Layers Grown by MBE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shao-Ying, T.; Che-Hao, L.; Wen-Ming, Ch.; Yang, C.C.; Po-Ju, Ch.; Hsiang-Chen, W.; Ya-Ping, H.

2012-01-01

The material and optical properties of Zn O thin film samples grown on different buffer layers on sapphire substrates through a two-step temperature variation growth by molecular beam epitaxy were investigated. The thin buffer layer between the Zn O layer and the sapphire substrate decreased the lattice mismatch to achieve higher quality Zn O thin film growth. A Ga N buffer layer slightly increased the quality of the Zn O thin film, but the threading dislocations still stretched along the c-axis of the Ga N layer. The use of Mg O as the buffer layer decreased the surface roughness of the Zn O thin film by 58.8% due to the suppression of surface cracks through strain transfer of the sample. From deep level emission and rocking curve measurements it was found that the threading dislocations play a more important role than oxygen vacancies for high-quality Zn O thin film growth.

Crystallinity Improvement of ZnO Thin Film on Different Buffer Layers Grown by MBE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shao-Ying Ting

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The material and optical properties of ZnO thin film samples grown on different buffer layers on sapphire substrates through a two-step temperature variation growth by molecular beam epitaxy were investigated. The thin buffer layer between the ZnO layer and the sapphire substrate decreased the lattice mismatch to achieve higher quality ZnO thin film growth. A GaN buffer layer slightly increased the quality of the ZnO thin film, but the threading dislocations still stretched along the c-axis of the GaN layer. The use of MgO as the buffer layer decreased the surface roughness of the ZnO thin film by 58.8% due to the suppression of surface cracks through strain transfer of the sample. From deep level emission and rocking curve measurements it was found that the threading dislocations play a more important role than oxygen vacancies for high-quality ZnO thin film growth.

Microstructure and mechanical behavior of a shape memory Ni-Ti bi-layer thin film

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mohri, Maryam [School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of Nanotechnology, 76021 Karlsruhe (Germany); Nili-Ahmadabadi, Mahmoud, E-mail: nili@ut.ac.ir [School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Center of Excellence for High Performance Materials, University of Tehran, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Ivanisenko, Julia [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of Nanotechnology, 76021 Karlsruhe (Germany); Schwaiger, Ruth [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Applied Materials, 76021 Karlsruhe (Germany); Hahn, Horst; Chakravadhanula, Venkata Sai Kiran [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of Nanotechnology, 76021 Karlsruhe (Germany)

2015-05-29

Two different single-layers and a bi-layer Ni-Ti thin films with chemical compositions of Ni{sub 45}Ti{sub 50}Cu{sub 5}, Ni{sub 50.8}Ti{sub 49.2} and Ni{sub 50.8}Ti{sub 49.2}/Ni{sub 45}Ti{sub 50}Cu{sub 5} (numbers indicate at.%) determined by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were deposited on Si (111) substrates using DC magnetron sputtering. The structures, surface morphology and transformation temperatures of annealed thin films at 500 °C for 15 min and 1 h were studied using grazing incidence X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), respectively. Nanoindentation was used to characterize the mechanical properties. The DSC and X-ray diffraction results indicated the austenitic structure of the Ni{sub 50.8}Ti{sub 49.2} and martensitic structure of the Ni{sub 45}Ti{sub 50}Cu{sub 5} thin films while the bi-layer was composed of austenitic and martensitic thin films. TEM study revealed that copper encourages crystallization in the bi-layer such that crystal structure containing nano-precipitates in the Ni{sub 45}Ti{sub 50}Cu{sub 5} layer was detected after 15 min annealing while the Ni{sub 50.8}Ti{sub 49.2} layer crystallized after 60 min at 500 °C. Furthermore, after annealing at 500 °C for 15 min, a precipitate free zone and thin layer amorphous were observed closely to the interface in the top layer. The bi-layer was completely crystallized at 500 °C for 1 h and the orientation of the Ni-rich precipitates indicated a stress gradient in the bi-layer. The bi-layer thin film showed different transformation temperatures and mechanical behavior from the single-layers. The developed bi-layer has different phase transformation temperatures, the higher temperatures of shape memory effect and lower temperature of pseudo-elastic behavior compared to the single-layers. Also, the bi-layer thin film exhibited a combined pseudo-elastic behavior and shape memory effect with a reduced

Thermally oxidized aluminum as catalyst-support layer for vertically aligned single-walled carbon nanotube growth using ethanol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Azam, Mohd Asyadi, E-mail: asyadi@jaist.ac.jp [School of Materials Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), 1-1 Asahidai, Nomi, Ishikawa 923-1292 (Japan); Fujiwara, Akihiko [Research and Utilization Division, Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI), 1-1-1, Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5198 (Japan); Shimoda, Tatsuya [School of Materials Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), 1-1 Asahidai, Nomi, Ishikawa 923-1292 (Japan)

2011-11-01

Characteristics and role of Al oxide (Al-O) films used as catalyst-support layer for vertical growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were studied. EB-deposited Al films (20 nm) were thermally oxidized at 400 deg. C (10 min, static air) to produce the most appropriate surface structure of Al-O. Al-O catalyst-support layers were characterized using various analytical measurements, i.e., atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and spectroscopy ellipsometry (SE). The thermally oxidized Al-O has a highly roughened surface, and also has the most suitable surface chemical states compared to other type of Al-O support layers. We suggest that the surface of thermally oxidized Al-O characterized in this work enhanced Co catalyst activity to promote the vertically aligned SWCNT growth.

Thin layer activation techniques in research and industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conlon, T.W.

1993-01-01

The following key application of thin layer activation technique (TLA) are discussed: ion-erosion in fusion tokamaks, bio-engineering technology, automobile industry. Future developments of the techniques, such as fission fragment TLA, multi-layer TLA and recoil implantation are discussed as well. 7 refs, 6 figs, 1 tab

Photoluminescence-based quality control for thin film absorber layers of photovoltaic devices

Science.gov (United States)

Repins, Ingrid L.; Kuciauskas, Darius

2015-07-07

A time-resolved photoluminescence-based system providing quality control during manufacture of thin film absorber layers for photovoltaic devices. The system includes a laser generating excitation beams and an optical fiber with an end used both for directing each excitation beam onto a thin film absorber layer and for collecting photoluminescence from the absorber layer. The system includes a processor determining a quality control parameter such as minority carrier lifetime of the thin film absorber layer based on the collected photoluminescence. In some implementations, the laser is a low power, pulsed diode laser having photon energy at least great enough to excite electron hole pairs in the thin film absorber layer. The scattered light may be filterable from the collected photoluminescence, and the system may include a dichroic beam splitter and a filter that transmit the photoluminescence and remove scattered laser light prior to delivery to a photodetector and a digital oscilloscope.

Mathematical modeling of thin layer drying of pistachio by using solar energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Midilli, A [University of Nigde (Turkey). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering; Kucuk, H [Karadeniz Technical Univ., Trabzon (Turkey). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

2003-05-01

This paper presents a mathematical modeling of thin layer forced and natural solar drying of shelled and unshelled pistachio samples. In order to estimate and select the suitable form of solar drying curves, eight different mathematical models, which are semi-theoretical and/or empirical, were applied to the experimental data and compared according to their coefficients of determination (r,{chi}{sup 2}), which were predicted by non-linear regression analysis using the Statistical Computer Program. It was deduced that the logarithmic model could sufficiently describe thin layer forced solar drying of shelled and unshelled pistachio, while the two term model could define thin layer natural solar drying of these products in evaluation by considering the coefficients of determination, r{sub sfsd}=0.9983, {chi}{sup 2}{sub sfsd}=2.697x10{sup -5}; r{sub ufsd}=0.9990, {chi}{sup 2}{sub ufsd}=1.639x10{sup -5} for thin layer forced solar drying and r{sub snsd}=0.9990, {chi}{sup 2}{sub snsd}=3.212x10{sup -6}; r{sub unsd}=0.9970, {chi}{sup 2}{sub unsd}=4.590x10{sup -5} for thin layer natural solar drying. (Author)

Optical characteristics of silicon nanowires grown from tin catalyst layers on silicon coated glass

KAUST Repository

Ball, Jeremy

2012-08-20

The optical characteristics of silicon nanowires grown on Si layers on glass have been modeled using the FDTD (Finite Difference Time Domain) technique and compared with experimental results. The wires were grown by the VLS (vapour-liquid-solid) method using Sn catalyst layers and exhibit a conical shape. The resulting measured and modeled absorption, reflectance and transmittance spectra have been investigated as a function of the thickness of the underlying Si layer and the initial catalyst layer, the latter having a strong influence on wire density. High levels of absorption (>90% in the visible wavelength range) and good agreement between the modeling and experiment have been observed when the nanowires have a relatively high density of ∼4 wires/μ m2. The experimental and modeled results diverge for samples with a lower density of wire growth. The results are discussed along with some implications for solar cell fabrication. © 2012 Optical Society of America.

Optical characteristics of silicon nanowires grown from tin catalyst layers on silicon coated glass

KAUST Repository

Ball, Jeremy; Centeno, Anthony; Mendis, Budhika G.; Reehal, H. S.; Alford, Neil

2012-01-01

The optical characteristics of silicon nanowires grown on Si layers on glass have been modeled using the FDTD (Finite Difference Time Domain) technique and compared with experimental results. The wires were grown by the VLS (vapour-liquid-solid) method using Sn catalyst layers and exhibit a conical shape. The resulting measured and modeled absorption, reflectance and transmittance spectra have been investigated as a function of the thickness of the underlying Si layer and the initial catalyst layer, the latter having a strong influence on wire density. High levels of absorption (>90% in the visible wavelength range) and good agreement between the modeling and experiment have been observed when the nanowires have a relatively high density of ∼4 wires/μ m2. The experimental and modeled results diverge for samples with a lower density of wire growth. The results are discussed along with some implications for solar cell fabrication. © 2012 Optical Society of America.

Effect of the thickness of the anode electrode catalyst layers on the performance in direct methanol fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Glass, Dean E.; Olah, George A.; Prakash, G. K. Surya

2017-06-01

For the large scale fuel cell manufacture, the catalyst loading and layer thickness are critical factors affecting the performance and cost of membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs). The influence of catalyst layer thicknesses at the anode of a PEM based direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) has been investigated. Catalysts were applied with the drawdown method with varied thicknesses ranging from 1 mil to 8 mils (1 mil = 25.4 μm) with a Pt/Ru anode loading of 0.25 mg cm-2 to 2.0 mg cm-2. The MEAs with the thicker individual layers (8 mils and 4 mils) performed better overall compared to the those with the thinner layers (1 mil and painted). The peak power densities for the different loading levels followed an exponential decrease of Pt/Ru utilization at the higher loading levels. The highest power density achieved was 49 mW cm-2 with the 4 mil layers at 2.0 mg cm-2 catalyst loading whereas the highest normalized power density was 116 mW mg-1 with the 8 mil layers at 0.25 mg cm-2 loading. The 8 mil drawdowns displayed a 50% and 23% increase in normalized power density compared to the 1 mil drawdowns at 0.25 mg cm-2 and 0.5 mg cm-2 loadings, respectively.

Adsorption properties of Mg-Al layered double hydroxides thin films grown by laser based techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matei, A., E-mail: andreeapurice@nipne.ro [National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 409 Atomistilor Str., 77125 Bucharest, Magurele (Romania); Birjega, R.; Vlad, A.; Filipescu, M.; Nedelcea, A.; Luculescu, C. [National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 409 Atomistilor Str., 77125 Bucharest, Magurele (Romania); Zavoianu, R.; Pavel, O.D. [University of Bucharest, Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Chemical Technology and Catalysis, 4-12 Regina Elisabeta Bd., Bucharest (Romania); Dinescu, M. [National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 409 Atomistilor Str., 77125 Bucharest, Magurele (Romania)

2012-09-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Laser techniques MAPLE and PLD can successfully be used to produce LDHs thin films. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Hydration treatments of the PLD and MAPLE deposited films lead to the LDH reconstruction effect. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The Ni retention from aqueous solution occurs in the films via a dissolution-reconstruction mechanism. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The films are suitable for applications in remediation of contaminated drinking water or waste waters. - Abstract: Powdered layered double hydroxides (LDHs) have been widely studied due to their applications as catalysts, anionic exchangers or host materials for inorganic and/or organic molecules. Assembling nano-sized LDHs onto flat solid substrates forming thin films is an expanding area of research due to the prospects of novel applications as sensors, corrosion-resistant coatings, components in optical and magnetic devices. Continuous and adherent thin films were grown by laser techniques (pulsed laser deposition - PLD and matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation - MAPLE) starting from targets of Mg-Al LDHs. The capacity of the grown thin films to retain a metal (Ni) from contaminated water has been also explored. The thin films were immersed in an Ni(NO{sub 3}){sub 2} aqueous solutions with Ni concentrations of 10{sup -3}% (w/w) (1 g/L) and 10{sup -4}% (w/w) (0.1 g/L), respectively. X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) combined with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) were the techniques used to characterize the prepared materials.

Critical Transitions in Thin Layer Turbulence

Science.gov (United States)

Benavides, Santiago; Alexakis, Alexandros

2017-11-01

We investigate a model of thin layer turbulence that follows the evolution of the two-dimensional motions u2 D (x , y) along the horizontal directions (x , y) coupled to a single Fourier mode along the vertical direction (z) of the form uq (x , y , z) = [vx (x , y) sin (qz) ,vy (x , y) sin (qz) ,vz (x , y) cos (qz) ] , reducing thus the system to two coupled, two-dimensional equations. Its reduced dimensionality allows a thorough investigation of the transition from a forward to an inverse cascade of energy as the thickness of the layer H = π / q is varied.Starting from a thick layer and reducing its thickness it is shown that two critical heights are met (i) one for which the forward unidirectional cascade (similar to three-dimensional turbulence) transitions to a bidirectional cascade transferring energy to both small and large scales and (ii) one for which the bidirectional cascade transitions to a unidirectional inverse cascade when the layer becomes very thin (similar to two-dimensional turbulence). The two critical heights are shown to have different properties close to criticality that we are able to analyze with numerical simulations for a wide range of Reynolds numbers and aspect ratios. This work was Granted access to the HPC resources of MesoPSL financed by the Region Ile de France and the project Equip@Meso (reference ANR-10-EQPX-29-01).

Ultra-thin Metal and Dielectric Layers for Nanophotonic Applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shkondin, Evgeniy; Leandro, Lorenzo; Malureanu, Radu

2015-01-01

In our talk we first give an overview of the various thin films used in the field of nanophotonics. Then we describe our own activity in fabrication and characterization of ultra-thin films of high quality. We particularly focus on uniform gold layers having thicknesses down to 6 nm fabricated by......-beam deposition on dielectric substrates and Al-oxides/Ti-oxides multilayers prepared by atomic layer deposition in high aspect ratio trenches. In the latter case we show more than 1:20 aspect ratio structures can be achieved....

Ion exchange of alkaline metals on the thin-layer zinc ferrocyanide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Betenekov, N.D.; Buklanov, G.V.; Ipatova, E.G.; Korotkin, Yu.S.

1991-01-01

Basic regularities of interphase distribution in the system of thin-layer sorbent on the basis of mixed zinc ferrocyanide (FZ)-alkaline metal solution (Na, K, Rb, Cs, Fr) in the column chromatography made are studied. It is established that interphase distribution of microgram amounts of alkaline metals in the systems thin-layer FZ-NH 4 NO 3 electrolyte solutions is of ion-exchange character and subjected to of law effective mass. It is shown that FZ thin-layer material is applicable for effective chromatographic separation of alkaline metal trace amounts. An approach to the choice of a conditions of separate elution of Na, K, Rb, Cs, Fr in the column chromatography mode

Effect of Various Catalysts on the Stability of Characteristics of Acetone Sensors Based on Thin Nanocrystalline SnO2 Films

Science.gov (United States)

Sevastyanov, E. Yu.; Maksimova, N. K.; Potekaev, A. I.; Khludkova, L. S.; Chernikov, E. V.; Davydova, T. A.

2018-02-01

The results of studies of electrical and gas sensitive characteristics of acetone sensors based on thin nanocrystalline SnO2 films with various catalysts deposited on the surface (Pt/Pd, Au) and introduced into the volume (Au, Ni, Co) are presented. Films containing impurities of gold and 3d-metals were obtained by the method of magnetron sputtering of mosaic targets. Particular attention was paid to the influence of the longterm tests and humidity level on the properties of sensors. It is shown that the sensors with the deposited dispersed gold layers with Au+Ni and, especially, Au+Co additives introduced into the volume are characterized by the increased stability in the process of testing under prolonged exposure to acetone and also under conditions of varying humidity.

Laser Ablation Increases PEM/Catalyst Interfacial Area

Science.gov (United States)

Whitacre, Jay; Yalisove, Steve

2009-01-01

An investigational method of improving the performance of a fuel cell that contains a polymer-electrolyte membrane (PEM) is based on the concept of roughening the surface of the PEM, prior to deposition of a thin layer of catalyst, in order to increase the PEM/catalyst interfacial area and thereby increase the degree of utilization of the catalyst. The roughening is done by means of laser ablation under carefully controlled conditions. Next, the roughened membrane surface is coated with the thin layer of catalyst (which is typically platinum), then sandwiched between two electrode/catalyst structures to form a membrane/ele c t - rode assembly. The feasibility of the roughening technique was demonstrated in experiments in which proton-conducting membranes made of a perfluorosulfonic acid-based hydrophilic, protonconducting polymer were ablated by use of femtosecond laser pulses. It was found that when proper combinations of the pulse intensity, pulse-repetition rate, and number of repetitions was chosen, the initially flat, smooth membrane surfaces became roughened to such an extent as to be converted to networks of nodules interconnected by filaments (see Figure 1). In further experiments, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was performed on a pristine (smooth) membrane and on two laser-roughened membranes after the membranes were coated with platinum on both sides. Some preliminary EIS data were interpreted as showing that notwithstanding the potential for laser-induced damage, the bulk conductivities of the membranes were not diminished in the roughening process. Other preliminary EIS data (see Figure 2) were interpreted as signifying that the surface areas of the laser-roughened membranes were significantly greater than those of the smooth membrane. Moreover, elemental analyses showed that the sulfur-containing molecular groups necessary for proton conduction remained intact, even near the laser-roughened surfaces. These preliminary results can be taken

Characterization of the porosity of silicon nitride thin layers by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barrès, T.; Tribollet, B.; Stephan, O.; Montigaud, H.; Boinet, M.; Cohin, Y.

2017-01-01

Silicon nitride thin films are widely used as diffusion barriers within stacks in the glass industry but turn out to be porous at the nanometric scale. EIS measurements were conducted on SiNx thin layers deposited on a gold layer. An electrochemical model was established to fit the EIS measurements making use of data from other complementary techniques. In particular, Transmission Electron Microscopy was performed on these thin layers to determine the diameter and the qualitative morphology of the pores. A quantitative determination of the through-porosity of the layer was deduced from the EIS model and was in good agreement with TEM measurements. Moreover, combining EIS with local observations enabled inhomogeneities in the layer to be probed by highlighting a specific region in the layer.

Studies of void growth in a thin ductile layer between ceramics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tvergaard, Viggo

1997-01-01

The growth of voids in a thin ductile layer between ceramics is analysed numerically, using an axisymmetric cell model to represent an array of uniformly distributed spherical voids at the central plane of the layer. The purpose is to determine the full traction-separation law relevant to crack...... growth by a ductile mechanism along the thin layer. Plastic flow in the layer is highly constrained by the ceramics, so that a high. level of triaxial tension develops, leading in some cases to cavitation instabilities. The computations are continued to a state near the occurrence of void coalescence....

Mechanisms and modeling development of water transport/phase change in catalyst layers of portion exchange membrane fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xiao, Yexiang [Dept. of Thermal Engineering, Tsinghua University Beijing (China)], email: Yexiang.Xiao@energy.lth.se; Yuan, Jinliang; Sunden, Bengt [Dept. of Energy Sciences, Faculty of Engineering, Lund University (Sweden)], email: Jinliang.yuan@energy.lth.se, email: bengt.sunden@energy.lth.se

2011-07-01

Research on proton exchange membrane fuel cells has shown that incorporation of nanosized catalysts can effectively increase active areas and catalyst activity and make a great contribution to development in performance and catalyst utilization. Multiphase transport processes are as significant and complicated as water generation/transfer processes which occur in nano-structured catalyst layers. A review project has been launched aimed at gaining a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of water generation or transport phenomena. It covers catalytic reactions and water-phase change within the catalyst layers. The review proceeds in three main stages: Firstly, it characterizes and reconstructs the nano/micro-structured pores and solid-phases; secondly, it emphasises the importance of sensitive and consistent analysis of various water-phase change and transport schemes; and thirdly, it recommends development of microscopic models for multi-phase transport processes in the pores and the solid phases.

Perovskite Thin Films via Atomic Layer Deposition

KAUST Repository

Sutherland, Brandon R.; Hoogland, Sjoerd; Adachi, Michael M.; Kanjanaboos, Pongsakorn; Wong, Chris T. O.; McDowell, Jeffrey J.; Xu, Jixian; Voznyy, Oleksandr; Ning, Zhijun; Houtepen, Arjan J.; Sargent, Edward H.

2014-01-01

© 2014 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA. (Graph Presented) A new method to deposit perovskite thin films that benefit from the thickness control and conformality of atomic layer deposition (ALD) is detailed. A seed layer of ALD PbS is place-exchanged with PbI2 and subsequently CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite. These films show promising optical properties, with gain coefficients of 3200 ± 830 cm-1.

Perovskite Thin Films via Atomic Layer Deposition

KAUST Repository

Sutherland, Brandon R.

2014-10-30

© 2014 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA. (Graph Presented) A new method to deposit perovskite thin films that benefit from the thickness control and conformality of atomic layer deposition (ALD) is detailed. A seed layer of ALD PbS is place-exchanged with PbI2 and subsequently CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite. These films show promising optical properties, with gain coefficients of 3200 ± 830 cm-1.

Polymer thin film as coating layer to prevent corrosion of metal/metal oxide film

Science.gov (United States)

Sarkar, Suman; Kundu, Sarathi

2018-04-01

Thin film of polymer is used as coating layer and the corrosion of metal/metal oxide layer is studied with the variation of the thickness of the coating layer. The thin layer of polystyrene is fabricated using spin coating method on copper oxide (CuO) film which is deposited on glass substrate using DC magnetron sputtering technique. Thickness of the polystyrene and the CuO layers are determined using X-ray reflectivity (XRR) technique. CuO thin films coated with the polystyrene layer are exposed to acetic acid (2.5 v/v% aqueous CH3COOH solution) environments and are subsequently analyzed using UV-Vis spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Surface morphology of the film before and after interaction with the acidic environment is determined using AFM. Results obtained from the XRR and UV-Vis spectroscopy confirm that the thin film of polystyrene acts as an anticorrosion coating layer and the strength of the coating depends upon the polymer layer thickness at a constant acid concentration.

Facile and large-scale synthesis of high quality few-layered graphene nano-platelets via methane decomposition over unsupported iron family catalysts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Awadallah, Ahmed E., E-mail: ahmedelsayed_epri@yahoo.com [Process Development Division, Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute, 11727 Cairo (Egypt); Aboul-Enein, Ateyya A. [Process Development Division, Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute, 11727 Cairo (Egypt); Kandil, Usama F. [Petroleum Application Department, Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute, 11727 Cairo (Egypt); Taha, Mahmoud Reda [Department of Civil Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131 (United States)

2017-04-15

High quality few-layered graphene nano-platelets (GNPs) were successfully prepared via catalytic chemical vapor deposition of methane under ambient pressure using substrate-free unsupported iron, cobalt, and nickel metallic sheets as catalysts. The bulk catalysts were prepared via combustion method using citric acid as a fuel. Various analytical techniques, including high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), temperature programmed reduction (TPR) and Raman spectroscopy were employed to characterize the fresh and reduced catalysts and to identify the morphological structure of the as-grown GNPs. TEM images of the reduced metal catalysts showed that polycrystalline metallic sheets were easily produced after complete reduction of unsupported metal oxides. The data demonstrated that the formation of zero-valent metallic sheets could effectively promote the growth of GNPs on their surfaces. The unsupported Ni catalyst exhibits higher catalytic growth activity in terms of GNPs yield (254 wt%) compared with all other catalysts. Raman spectra and TEM results established that a few layers of GNPs with high crystallinity and good graphitization were produced. TGA results further demonstrated that the as-grown GNPs exhibit significantly higher thermal stability in air atmosphere compared with other synthesis methods. - Highlights: • Few-layered graphene nanoplatelets were prepared via methane catalytic decomposition. • Metallic sheets of iron group metals were used as novel catalysts. • The surfaces of metallic sheets were found to be very effective for GNPs growth. • The number of layers is dependent on the morphological structure of the catalysts. • The unsupported metallic Ni catalyst exhibited higher catalytic growth activity.

Physicochemical, thin layer and gas-liquid chromatographic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

DELL

2012-05-22

May 22, 2012 ... PEG (3 m × 3 mm I. D.) was used for gas chromatography. Physicochemical analysis ... subjected to thin layer chromatography on plates (20 × 20 cm) having 0.25 mm thick silica gel ..... Headspace solid- phase microextraction ...

Amplitude various angles (AVA) phenomena in thin layer reservoir: Case study of various reservoirs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nurhandoko, Bagus Endar B., E-mail: bagusnur@bdg.centrin.net.id, E-mail: bagusnur@rock-fluid.com [Wave Inversion and Subsurface Fluid Imaging Research Laboratory (WISFIR), Basic Science Center A 4" t" hfloor, Physics Dept., FMIPA, Institut Teknologi Bandung (Indonesia); Rock Fluid Imaging Lab., Bandung (Indonesia); Susilowati, E-mail: bagusnur@bdg.centrin.net.id, E-mail: bagusnur@rock-fluid.com [Rock Fluid Imaging Lab., Bandung (Indonesia)

2015-04-16

Amplitude various offset is widely used in petroleum exploration as well as in petroleum development field. Generally, phenomenon of amplitude in various angles assumes reservoir’s layer is quite thick. It also means that the wave is assumed as a very high frequency. But, in natural condition, the seismic wave is band limited and has quite low frequency. Therefore, topic about amplitude various angles in thin layer reservoir as well as low frequency assumption is important to be considered. Thin layer reservoir means the thickness of reservoir is about or less than quarter of wavelength. In this paper, I studied about the reflection phenomena in elastic wave which considering interference from thin layer reservoir and transmission wave. I applied Zoeppritz equation for modeling reflected wave of top reservoir, reflected wave of bottom reservoir, and also transmission elastic wave of reservoir. Results show that the phenomena of AVA in thin layer reservoir are frequency dependent. Thin layer reservoir causes interference between reflected wave of top reservoir and reflected wave of bottom reservoir. These phenomena are frequently neglected, however, in real practices. Even though, the impact of inattention in interference phenomena caused by thin layer in AVA may cause inaccurate reservoir characterization. The relation between classes of AVA reservoir and reservoir’s character are different when effect of ones in thin reservoir and ones in thick reservoir are compared. In this paper, I present some AVA phenomena including its cross plot in various thin reservoir types based on some rock physics data of Indonesia.

Amplitude various angles (AVA) phenomena in thin layer reservoir: Case study of various reservoirs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

thfloor, Physics Dept., FMIPA, Institut Teknologi Bandung (Indonesia); Rock Fluid Imaging Lab., Bandung (Indonesia))" data-affiliation=" (Wave Inversion and Subsurface Fluid Imaging Research Laboratory (WISFIR), Basic Science Center A 4thfloor, Physics Dept., FMIPA, Institut Teknologi Bandung (Indonesia); Rock Fluid Imaging Lab., Bandung (Indonesia))" >Nurhandoko, Bagus Endar B.; Susilowati

2015-01-01

Amplitude various offset is widely used in petroleum exploration as well as in petroleum development field. Generally, phenomenon of amplitude in various angles assumes reservoir’s layer is quite thick. It also means that the wave is assumed as a very high frequency. But, in natural condition, the seismic wave is band limited and has quite low frequency. Therefore, topic about amplitude various angles in thin layer reservoir as well as low frequency assumption is important to be considered. Thin layer reservoir means the thickness of reservoir is about or less than quarter of wavelength. In this paper, I studied about the reflection phenomena in elastic wave which considering interference from thin layer reservoir and transmission wave. I applied Zoeppritz equation for modeling reflected wave of top reservoir, reflected wave of bottom reservoir, and also transmission elastic wave of reservoir. Results show that the phenomena of AVA in thin layer reservoir are frequency dependent. Thin layer reservoir causes interference between reflected wave of top reservoir and reflected wave of bottom reservoir. These phenomena are frequently neglected, however, in real practices. Even though, the impact of inattention in interference phenomena caused by thin layer in AVA may cause inaccurate reservoir characterization. The relation between classes of AVA reservoir and reservoir’s character are different when effect of ones in thin reservoir and ones in thick reservoir are compared. In this paper, I present some AVA phenomena including its cross plot in various thin reservoir types based on some rock physics data of Indonesia

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

Layer-by-layer deposition of nanostructured CsPbBr3 perovskite thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Reshetnikova, A. A.; Matyushkin, L. B.; Andronov, A. A.; Sokolov, V. S.; Aleksandrova, O. A.; Moshnikov, V. A.

2017-11-01

Layer-by-layer deposition of nanostructured perovskites cesium lead halide thin films is described. The method of deposition is based on alternate immersion of the substrate in the precursor solutions or colloidal solution of nanocrystals and methyl acetate/lead nitrate solution using the device for deposition of films by SILAR and dip-coating techniques. An example of obtaining a photosensitive structure based on nanostructures of ZnO nanowires and layers of CsBbBr3 nanocrystals is also shown.

Atomic layer deposition synthesis and evaluation of core–shell Pt-WC electrocatalysts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hsu, Irene J.; Chen, Jingguang G.; Jiang, Xiaoqiang; Willis, Brian G.

2015-01-01

Pt-WC core shell particles were produced using atomic layer deposition (ALD) to deposit Pt layers onto WC particle substrates. A range of Pt depositions were used to determine the growth mechanism for the Pt-WC powder system. TEM imaging and Cu stripping voltammetry found that Pt ALD growth on WC powder substrates was similar to that on WC thin films. However, excess free carbon was found to affect Pt ALD by blocking adsorption sites on WC. The Pt-WC samples were evaluated for the oxygen reduction reaction using a rotating disk electrode to obtain quantitative activity information. The mass and specific activities for the 30 and 50 ALD cycle samples were found to be comparable to a 10 wt. % Pt/C catalyst. However, higher overpotentials and lower limiting currents were observed with ALD Pt-WC compared to Pt/C catalysts, indicating that the oxygen reduction mechanism is not as efficient on Pt-WC as on bulk Pt. Additionally, these Pt-WC catalysts were used to demonstrate hydrogen evolution reaction activity and were found to perform as well as bulk Pt catalyst but with a fraction of the Pt loading, in agreement with the previous work on Pt-WC thin film catalysts

Radiolytic preparation of thin Au film directly on resin substrate using high-energy electron beam

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ohkubo, Yuji, E-mail: okubo@upst.eng.osaka-u.ac.jp [Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 (Japan); Seino, Satoshi; Nakagawa, Takashi; Kugai, Junichiro [Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 (Japan); Ueno, Koji [Japan Electron Beam Irradiation Service Ltd., 5-3 Ozushima, Izumiohtsu, Osaka 595-0074 (Japan); Yamamoto, Takao A. [Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 (Japan)

2016-04-01

A novel method for preparing thin Au films directly on resin substrates using an electron beam was developed. The thin Au films were prepared on a resin substrate by the reduction of Au ions in an aqueous solution via irradiation with a high-energy electron beam (4.8 MeV). This reduction method required 7 s of the irradiation time of the electron beam. Furthermore, no reductant or catalyst was needed. As the concentration of Au ions in the precursor solution was increased, the amount of Au deposited on the resin substrate increased, too, and the structure of the prepared Au film changed. As a result, the film color changed as well. Cross-sectional scanning electron microscope images of the thus-prepared Au film indicated that the Au films were consisted of two layers: a particle layer and a bottom bulk layer. There was strong adhesion between the Au films and the underlying resin substrates. This was confirmed by the tape-peeling test and through ultrasonic cleaning. After both processes, Au remained on the resin substrates, while most of the particle-like moieties were removed. This indicated that the thin Au films prepared via irradiation with a high-energy electron beam adhered strongly to the resin substrates. - Highlights: • A thin gold (Au) film was formed by EBIRM for the first time. • The irradiation time of the electron beam was less than 10 s. • Thin Au films were obtained without reductant or catalyst. • Au films were consisted of two layers: a particle layer and a bottom bulk layer. • There was strong adhesion between the bottom bulk layer and the underlying resin substrates.

Alkaline earth layered benzoates as reusable heterogeneous catalysts for the methyl esterification of benzoic acid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Swamy Arêa Maruyama

2012-01-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the synthesis and characterization of layered barium, calcium and strontium benzoates and evaluates the potential of these materials as catalysts in the synthesis of methyl benzoate. The methyl esterification of benzoic acid was investigated, where the effects of temperature, alcohol:acid molar ratio and amount of catalyst were evaluated. Ester conversions of 65 to 70% were achieved for all the catalysts under the best reaction conditions. The possibility of recycling these metallic benzoates was also demonstrated, evidenced by unaltered catalytic activity for three consecutive reaction cycles.

Diblock Copolymer/Layered Silicate Nanocomposite Thin Film Stability

Science.gov (United States)

Limary, Ratchana; Green, Peter

2000-03-01

The stability of thin film symmetric diblock copolymers blended with layered silicate nanocomposites were examined using a combination of optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Two cases were examined PS-b-PMMA (polystyrene-b-polymethylacrylate) blended with montmorillonite stoichiometrically loaded with alkyl ammonium ions, OLS(S), and PS-b-PMMA blended with montmorillonite loaded with excess alkyl ammonium ions, OLS(E). XRD spectra show an increase in the gallery spacing of the OLSs, indicating that the copolymer chains have intercalated the layered silicates. AFM images reveal a distinct difference between the two nanocomposite thin films: regions in the vicinity of OLS(S) aggregates were depleted of material, while in the vicinity of OLS(E) aggregates, dewetting of the substrate occurred. We show that the stability of the copolymer/OLS nanocomposite films is determined by the enthalpic driving force associated with intercalation of the copolymer chains into the galleries of the modified OLS layers and by the substrate/organic modifier interactions.

Layered Nanojunctions for Hydrogen-revolution Catalysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hou, Y.; Laursen, Anders B.; Zhang, J.

2013-01-01

The H2 production performance of mpg-CN under visible light is significantly improved by growing thin layers of MoS2 on mpg-CN. The 0.5 wt% MoS2/mpg-CN performs better than 0.5 wt% Pt/mpg-CN under identical reaction conditions. The geometric similarity in the layered structures of MoS2 and g...... dichalcogenides such as WS2 are also efficient promoters for hydrogen production over gCN. Herein we have presented not only an example of a catalyst made of abundant C, N, Mo and S elements for efficient H2 photosynthesis, but also a conceptual advance to rationally design and fabricate a thin, effective...

MgAl-Layered Double Hydroxide Solid Base Catalysts for Henry Reaction: A Green Protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Magda H. Abdellattif

2018-03-01

Full Text Available A series of MgAl-layered double hydroxide (MgAl-HT, the calcined form at 500 °C (MgAlOx, and the rehydrated one at 25 °C (MgAl-HT-RH were synthesized. Physicochemical properties of the catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD and scanning electron microscopy (SEM. Surface area of the as-synthesized, calcined, and rehydrated catalysts was determined by N2 physisorption at −196 °C. CO2 temperature-programmed desorption (CO2-TPD was applied to determine the basic sites of catalysts. The catalytic test reaction was carried out using benzaldehyde and their derivatives with nitromethane and their derivatives. The Henry products (1–15 were obtained in a very good yield using MgAl-HT-RH catalyst either by conventional method at 90 °C in liquid phase or under microwave irradiation method. The mesoporous structure and basic nature of the rehydrated solid catalyst were responsible for its superior catalytic efficiency. The robust nature was determined by using the same catalyst five times, where the product % yield was almost unchanged significantly.

Effect of Nafion ionometer content on proton conductivity in the catalyst layer of proton exchange fuel cell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ozalevlia, Cihan Cemil; Jian Xie; Xu, Fan [METU MS Mechanical Engineering (United States)], email: cihan.ozalevli@metu.edu.tr, email: jianxie@iupui.edu, email: fanxu@iupui.edu

2011-07-01

In the energy conversion sector, proton exchange fuel cells (PEFC's) are among the most promising technologies for the future. The Nafion ionometer is the most important part of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) which is the core technology of the system. The Nafion ionometer is both a proton conductor and a binder for the catalyst layer in the technology. The aim of this study is to assess the effect of the Nafion content in the cathode catalyst layer on the proton conductivity of the MEA. Two MEAs with different Nafion content were prepared following the LANL process and the proton conductivity of the catalyst layer was measured. Results showed a much higher performance of the 28wt. % Nafion MEA than the 10wt. %. This study demonstrated that when the Nafion ionometer content decreases, the performance of the fuel cell decreases; further investigations should be undertaken with Nafion ionometer amounts of 15wt. % to 20wt. %.

Co-P-B catalyst thin films prepared by electroless and pulsed laser deposition for hydrogen generation by hydrolysis of alkaline sodium borohydride: A comparison

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patel, N.; Fernandes, R.; Bazzanella, N.; Miotello, A.

2010-01-01

Co-P-B catalyst thin films have been synthesized on Ni-foam and glass substrate by using electroless deposition (ED) and pulsed laser deposition (PLD) respectively. The efficiency of these catalyst films was tested by catalytic hydrolysis of NaBH 4 for H 2 generation. While the chemically produced Co-P-B film on Ni-foam shows similar activity as that of their corresponding powder, the Co-P-B film deposited by PLD exhibits much superior H 2 generation rate as compared to Co-P-B powder. We attribute this increased efficiency to the special features of the Co-P-B films which are in the form of nanoparticle-assembled films, a peculiar characteristic of PLD films for appropriate choice of the pulse laser parameters. The surface nanoparticle-configuration increases the active surface area and also favors electronic exchange mechanisms to promote hydrolysis process for H 2 gas generation. The films deposited by using laser energy density of 3 J/cm 2 show the highest activity in connection to the best configuration of the ablated nanoparticles. Different numbers of Co-P-B layers were deposited on Ni-foam by ED and it was found that at least four layers are required for complete coverage of the foam to have the best activity.

Rambutan-like CNT-Al2O3 scaffolds for high-performance cathode catalyst layers of polymer electrolyte fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, KwangHyun; Cho, Seonghun; Lim, Eun Ja; Park, Seok-Hee; Yim, Sung-Dae

2018-03-01

Rambutan-like CNT-Al2O3 scaffolds are introduced as a potential candidate for CNT-based catalyst supports to overcome the CNT issues, such as the easy bundling in catalyst ink and the poor pore structure of the CNT-based catalyst layers, and to achieve high MEA performance in PEFCs. Non-porous α-phase Al2O3 balls are introduced to enable the growth of multiwalled CNTs, and Pt nanoparticles are loaded onto the CNT surfaces. In a half-cell, the Pt/CNT-Al2O3 catalyst shows much higher durability than those of a commercial Pt/C catalyst even though it shows lower oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity than Pt/C. After using the decal process for MEA formation, the Pt/CNT-Al2O3 shows comparable initial performance characteristics to Pt/C, overcoming the lower ORR activity, mainly due to the facile oxygen transport in the cathode catalyst layers fabricated with the CNT-Al2O3 scaffolds. The Pt/CNT-Al2O3 also exhibits much higher durability against carbon corrosion than Pt/C owing to the durable characteristics of CNTs. Systematic analysis of single cell performance for both initial and after degradation is provided to understand the origin of the high initial performance and durable behavior of Pt/CNT-Al2O3-based catalyst layers. This will provide insights into the design of electrocatalysts for high-performance MEAs in PEFCs.

High performance and durability of order-structured cathode catalyst layer based on TiO_2@PANI core-shell nanowire arrays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Ming; Wang, Meng; Yang, Zhaoyi; Wang, Xindong

2017-01-01

Highlights: • TiO_2@PANI core-shell nanowire arrays were prepared and applied as catalyst support. • As-prepared Pt-TiO_2@PANI core-shell nanowire arrays were applied as order-structured cathode catalyst layer. • The novel cathode catalyst structure without Nafion"® ionomer enhance the performance and durability of PEMFC. - Abstract: In this paper, an order-structured cathode catalyst layer consisting of Pt-TiO_2@PANI core-shell nanowire arrays that in situ grown on commercial gas diffusion layer (GDL) are prepared and applied to membrane electrode assembly (MEA) of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). In order to prepare the TiO_2@PANI core-shell nanowire arrays with suitable porosity and prominent conductivity, the morphologies of the TiO_2 nanoarray and electrochemical polymerization process of aniline are schematically investigated. The MEA with order-structured cathode catalyst layer is assembled in the single cell to evaluate the electrochemical performance and durability of PEMFC. As a result, the PEMFC with order-structured cathode catalyst layer shows higher peak power density (773.54 mW cm"−"2) than conventional PEMFC (699.30 mW cm"−"2). Electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) and charge transfer impedance (R_c_t) are measured before and after accelerated degradation test (ADT), and the corresponding experimental results indicate the novel cathode structure exhibits a better stability with respect to conventional cathode. The enhanced electrochemical performance and durability toward PEMFC can be ascribed to the order-structured cathode nanoarray structure with high specific surface area increases the utilization of catalyst and reduces the tortuosity of transport pathways, and the synergistic effect between TiO_2@PANI support and Pt nanoparticles promotes the high efficiency of electrochemical reaction and improves the stability of catalyst. This research provides a facile and controllable method to prepare order

Thin-layer electrochemistry of ferrocenylbenzene derivatives: Intramolecular electronic communication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Michael C.P.; Li Yunchao; Merbouh, Nabyl; Yu, Hua-Zhong

2008-01-01

Three arylferrocene derivatives, ferrocenylbenzene (MFcB), 1,3-diferrocenylbenzene (DFcB), and 1,3,5-triferrocenylbenzene (TFcB), were prepared and their redox properties systematically explored by thin-layer cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential-pulse voltammetry (DPV). In contrast to conventional CV measurements that produced only a single pair of redox waves for all three compounds, the thin-layer technique discriminated between the multistep electron-transfer processes of DFcB and TFcB. In particular, two and three pairs of symmetric peaks were observed, respectively, when CV curves were recorded at a graphite electrode coated with a DFcB-containing and a TFcB-containing thin film of nitrobenzene and immersed in aqueous sodium perchlorate solution. These results demonstrate that the ferrocenyl moieties attached to the meta-positions of a benzene ring communicate electronically with each other, as a result of their distinct face-to-face orientations

High Specific and Mass Activity for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction for Thin Film Catalysts of Sputtered Pt3Y

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lindahl, Niklas; Zamburlini, Eleonora; Feng, Ligang

2017-01-01

Fuel cells have the potential to play an important role in sustainable energy systems, provided that catalysts with higher activity and stability are developed. In this work, it is found that thin alloy films of single-target cosputtered platinum-yttrium exhibit up to seven times higher specific...... additional chemical or thermal treatment. The films show an improvement in stability over the same materials in nanoparticulate form. Physical characterization shows that the thin films form a platinum overlayer supported on an underlying alloy. The high activity is likely related to compressive strain...... in that overlayer. As sputtering can be used to mass-produce fuel cell electrodes, the results open new possibilities for the preparation of platinum-rare earth metal alloy catalysts in commercial devices....

Enhanced electrical properties of dual-layer channel ZnO thin film transistors prepared by atomic layer deposition

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Huijin; Han, Dedong; Dong, Junchen; Yu, Wen; Liang, Yi; Luo, Zhen; Zhang, Shengdong; Zhang, Xing; Wang, Yi

2018-05-01

The thin film transistors (TFTs) with a dual-layer channel structure combing ZnO thin layer grown at 200 °C and ZnO film grown at 120 °C by atomic layer deposition are fabricated. The dual-layer channel TFT exhibits a low leakage current of 2.8 × 10-13 A, Ion/Ioff ratio of 3.4 × 109, saturation mobility μsat of 12 cm2 V-1 s-1, subthreshold swing (SS) of 0.25 V/decade. The SS value decreases to 0.18 V/decade after the annealing treatment in O2 due to the reduction of the trap states at the channel/dielectric interface and in the bulk channel layer. The enhanced performance obtained from the dual-layer channel TFTs is due to the ability of maintaining high mobility and suppressing the increase in the off-current at the same time.

Process for forming epitaxial perovskite thin film layers using halide precursors

Science.gov (United States)

Clem, Paul G.; Rodriguez, Mark A.; Voigt, James A.; Ashley, Carol S.

2001-01-01

A process for forming an epitaxial perovskite-phase thin film on a substrate. This thin film can act as a buffer layer between a Ni substrate and a YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7-x superconductor layer. The process utilizes alkali or alkaline metal acetates dissolved in halogenated organic acid along with titanium isopropoxide to dip or spin-coat the substrate which is then heated to about 700.degree. C. in an inert gas atmosphere to form the epitaxial film on the substrate. The YBCO superconductor can then be deposited on the layer formed by this invention.

Outdoor open thin-layer microalgal photobioreactor: potential productivity

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Doucha, Jiří; Lívanský, Karel

2009-01-01

Roč. 21, č. 1 (2009), s. 111-117 ISSN 0921-8971 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50200510 Keywords : productivity * photobioreactor * thin layer Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology Impact factor: 1.018, year: 2009

Fabrication of Crack-Free Barium Titanate Thin Film with High Dielectric Constant Using Sub-Micrometric Scale Layer-by-Layer E-Jet Deposition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junsheng Liang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Dense and crack-free barium titanate (BaTiO3, BTO thin films with a thickness of less than 4 μm were prepared by using sub-micrometric scale, layer-by-layer electrohydrodynamic jet (E-jet deposition of the suspension ink which is composed of BTO nanopowder and BTO sol. Impacts of the jet height and line-to-line pitch of the deposition on the micro-structure of BTO thin films were investigated. Results show that crack-free BTO thin films can be prepared with 4 mm jet height and 300 μm line-to-line pitch in this work. Dielectric constant of the prepared BTO thin film was recorded as high as 2940 at 1 kHz at room temperature. Meanwhile, low dissipation factor of the BTO thin film of about 8.6% at 1 kHz was also obtained. The layer-by-layer E-jet deposition technique developed in this work has been proved to be a cost-effective, flexible and easy to control approach for the preparation of high-quality solid thin film.

Layer-by-layer thinning of MoSe_2 by soft and reactive plasma etching

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sha, Yunfei; Xiao, Shaoqing; Zhang, Xiumei; Qin, Fang; Gu, Xiaofeng

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Soft plasma etching technique using SF_6 + N_2 as precursors for layer-by-layer thinning of MoSe_2 was adopted in this work. • Optical microscopy, Raman, photoluminescence and atomic force microscopy measurements were used to confirm the thickness change. • Layer-dependent vibrational and photoluminescence spectra of the etched MoSe_2 were also demonstrated. • Equal numbers of MoSe_2 layers can be removed uniformly without affecting the underlying SiO_2 substrate and the remaining MoSe_2 layers. - Abstract: Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) like molybdenum diselenide (MoSe_2) have recently gained considerable interest since their properties are complementary to those of graphene. Unlike gapless graphene, the band structure of MoSe_2 can be changed from the indirect band gap to the direct band gap when MoSe_2 changed from bulk material to monolayer. This transition from multilayer to monolayer requires atomic-layer-precision thining of thick MoSe_2 layers without damaging the remaining layers. Here, we present atomic-layer-precision thinning of MoSe_2 nanaosheets down to monolayer by using SF_6 + N_2 plasmas, which has been demonstrated to be soft, selective and high-throughput. Optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy, Raman and photoluminescence spectra suggest that equal numbers of MoSe_2 layers can be removed uniformly regardless of their initial thickness, without affecting the underlying SiO_2 substrate and the remaining MoSe_2 layers. By adjusting the etching rates we can achieve complete MoSe_2 removal and any disired number of MoSe_2 layers including monolayer. This soft plasma etching method is highly reliable and compatible with the semiconductor manufacturing processes, thereby holding great promise for various 2D materials and TMD-based devices.

Non-destructive electrochemical graphene transfer from reusable thin-film catalysts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pizzocchero, Filippo; Jessen, Bjarke Sørensen; Whelan, Patrick Rebsdorf

2015-01-01

We demonstrate an electrochemical method - which we term oxidative decoupling transfer (ODT) - for transferring chemical vapor deposited graphene from physically deposited copper catalyst layers. This copper oxidation-based transfer technique is generally applicable to copper surfaces...... - up to 100 mm diameter films are demonstrated here - and exhibit a low Raman D:G peak ratio and a homogenous and continuous distribution of sheet conductance mapped by THz time-domain spectroscopy. By applying a fixed potential of -0.4 V vs. an Ag/AgCl reference electrode - significantly below...

Thin hybrid pixel assembly fabrication development with backside compensation layer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bates, R., E-mail: richard.bates@glasgow.ac.uk [Experimental Particle Physics Group, SUPA School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ (United Kingdom); Buttar, C.; McMullen, T.; Cunningham, L.; Ashby, J.; Doherty, F. [Experimental Particle Physics Group, SUPA School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ (United Kingdom); Pares, G.; Vignoud, L.; Kholti, B. [CEA Leti, MINATEC, 17 rue des Martyrs, F38054, Grenoble (France); Vahanen, S. [Advacam Oy, Tietotie 3, 02150 Espoo (Finland)

2017-02-11

The ATLAS and CMS experiments will both replace their entire tracking systems for operation at the HL-LHC in 2026. This will include a significantly larger pixel systems, for example, for ATLAS approximately 15 m{sup 2}. To keep the tracker material budget low it is crucial to minimize the mass of the pixel modules via thinning both the sensor and readout chip to about 150 μm each. The bump yield of thin module assemblies using solder based bump bonding can be problematic due to wafer bowing during solder reflow at high temperature. A new bump-bonding process using backside compensation on the readout chip to address the issue of low yield will be presented. The objective is to compensate dynamically the stress of the front side stack by adding a compensating layer to the backside of the wafer. A SiN and Al:Si stack has been chosen for the backside layer. The bow reducing effect of applying a backside compensation layer will be demonstrated using the FE-I4 wafer. The world's first results from assemblies produced from readout wafers thinned to 100 μm with a stress compensation layer are presented with bond yields close to 100% measured using the FE-I4 readout chip.

High performance and durability of order-structured cathode catalyst layer based on TiO{sub 2}@PANI core-shell nanowire arrays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Ming; Wang, Meng; Yang, Zhaoyi [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Metallurgy, University of Science and Technology Beijing, 30 College Road, Beijing 100083 (China); School of Metallurgical and Ecological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, 30 College Road, Beijing 100083 (China); Wang, Xindong, E-mail: echem@ustb.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Metallurgy, University of Science and Technology Beijing, 30 College Road, Beijing 100083 (China); School of Metallurgical and Ecological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, 30 College Road, Beijing 100083 (China)

2017-06-01

Highlights: • TiO{sub 2}@PANI core-shell nanowire arrays were prepared and applied as catalyst support. • As-prepared Pt-TiO{sub 2}@PANI core-shell nanowire arrays were applied as order-structured cathode catalyst layer. • The novel cathode catalyst structure without Nafion{sup ®} ionomer enhance the performance and durability of PEMFC. - Abstract: In this paper, an order-structured cathode catalyst layer consisting of Pt-TiO{sub 2}@PANI core-shell nanowire arrays that in situ grown on commercial gas diffusion layer (GDL) are prepared and applied to membrane electrode assembly (MEA) of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). In order to prepare the TiO{sub 2}@PANI core-shell nanowire arrays with suitable porosity and prominent conductivity, the morphologies of the TiO{sub 2} nanoarray and electrochemical polymerization process of aniline are schematically investigated. The MEA with order-structured cathode catalyst layer is assembled in the single cell to evaluate the electrochemical performance and durability of PEMFC. As a result, the PEMFC with order-structured cathode catalyst layer shows higher peak power density (773.54 mW cm{sup −2}) than conventional PEMFC (699.30 mW cm{sup −2}). Electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) and charge transfer impedance (R{sub ct}) are measured before and after accelerated degradation test (ADT), and the corresponding experimental results indicate the novel cathode structure exhibits a better stability with respect to conventional cathode. The enhanced electrochemical performance and durability toward PEMFC can be ascribed to the order-structured cathode nanoarray structure with high specific surface area increases the utilization of catalyst and reduces the tortuosity of transport pathways, and the synergistic effect between TiO{sub 2}@PANI support and Pt nanoparticles promotes the high efficiency of electrochemical reaction and improves the stability of catalyst. This research provides a facile and

The platinum catalyst layer in polymer-electrolyte fuel cells[Dissertation 17127]; Die Platinkatalysatorschicht in Polymerelektrolyt-Brennstoffzellen. Beitraege zum Verstaendnis und zur Optimierung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reiner, A.

2007-07-01

This illustrated, comprehensive dissertation by Dr. Andreas Reiner presents an in-depth analysis of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFC) and in particular, their platinum catalyst layer. First of all, the thermodynamics and kinetics involved are reviewed, along with components, their efficiencies and the catalyst layer. The methods used, including scanning electron microscope, x-ray and Rutherford spectroscopy are discussed. The structure and composition of co-sputtered catalyst layers and their production are described. Electro-chemical activation and the electro-chemical properties of the layers are discussed. The second part of the dissertation deals with the principle of hydrogen under-potential deposition. This method provides information about the electrochemically active platinum surface fraction. The results of investigations made are presented and discussed.

Thin-layer chromatography can resolve phosphotyrosine, phosphoserine, and phosphothreonine in a protein hydrolyzate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neufeld, E.; Goren, H.J.; Boland, D.

1989-01-01

A solution of propionic acid, 1 M ammonium hydroxide, and isopropyl alcohol (45/17.5/17.5, v/v) was the ascending solvent in the separation of phosphotyrosine, phosphothreonine, and phosphoserine by thin-layer chromatography. The immobile phase was cellulose. The relative migrations were 0.44, 0.38, and 0.2, respectively. A previously described thin-layer system consisting of isobutyric acid and 0.5 M ammonium hydroxide (50/30, v/v) gave very similar relative migrations. To determine the usefulness of thin-layer chromatography in phosphoamino acid analysis, the propionic acid/ammonium hydroxide/isopropyl alcohol solution was used to characterize phosphorylated residues in a plasma membrane protein which is a substrate for the insulin receptor kinase, in insulin receptor phosphorylated histone H2B, and in an in vivo phosphorylated 90000-Da protein from IM9 cells. 32 P-labeled proteins were separated by dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis, digested with trypsin, and then hydrolyzed with 6 N HCl, 2 h, 110 degrees C. Following thin-layer chromatography of the hydrolyzates and autoradiography, phosphotyrosine was detected in insulin receptor substrates, and phosphoserine and phosphothreonine were found in the in vivo-phosphorylated protein. This study supports previous reports about the practicality of thin-layer chromatography in phosphoamino acid analysis and it demonstrates that a propionic acid, ammonium hydroxide, isoprophyl alcohol solution may be a useful ascending solvent mixture for this purpose

(AJST) THIN- LAYER DRYING OF DICED CASSAVA ROOTS

African Journals Online (AJOL)

opiyo

effect of drying temperature on thin-layer drying was high, followed by initial moisture .... The moisture content was converted to moisture ratio (MR) using the non-exponential part .... The Potential of Cassava As a Cash. Crop For Small Holder ...

Thin layer activation and ultra thin layer activation: two complementary techniques for wear and corrosion studies in various fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sauvage, T.; Vincent, L.; Blondiaux, G.

2002-01-01

Thin layer activation (TLA) is widely used since more than 25 years to study surface wear or corrosion. This well known technique uses most of the time charged particles activation, which gives sensitivity in the range of the micrometer, except when the fluid mode of detection is utilized. In this case application of the method is limited to phenomena where we have transport of radioactive fragments to detection point. The main disadvantage of this procedure is the error due to trapping phenomena between the wear or corrosion point and detection setup. So the ultra thin layer activation (UTLA) has been developed to get nanometric sensitivity without using any fluid for radioactivity transportation, which is the main source of error of the TLA technique. In this paper we shall briefly describe the TLA technique and the most important fields of application. Then we shall emphasise on UTLA with a presentation of the principle of the method and actual running of application. The main problem concerning UTLA is calibration which requires the use of thin films (usually 10 to 100 nanometers) deposited on substrate. This process is time consuming and we shall demonstrate how running software developed in the lab can solve it. We shall finish the presentation by giving some potential application of the technique in various fields. (authors)

Advanced oxidation of rhodamine B with hydrogen peroxide over ZnCr layered double hydroxide catalysts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nguyen Tien Thao

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Zn/Cr layered zinc hydroxide materials with different molar ratios of Cr/Zn have been synthesized through the coprecipitation method at pH of 9.0–9.5. At high Cr/Zn molar ratios of 0.5/1–1/3, the materials possess some layered structure with carbonate anions between the interlayer galleries. The catalysts present uniform particle sizes and quite high surface area. An isomorphous substitution of Zn2+ by Cr3+ in the brucite-like sheets makes the layered Cr-doped zinc hydroxides potential catalysts for efficient oxidation of rhodamine B with H2O2 solution. The experimental results indicated that the intra-lattice Cr3+ ions are more active than Cr2O3 components in the oxidative removal of rhodamine B. The degradation efficiency is dependent on the intra lattice Cr3+ contents and reaction variables. The Cr/Zn LDH gave a high decolorization (99% of rhodamine B at near neutral pH and room temperature.

The effect of Cr buffer layer thickness on voltage generation of thin-film thermoelectric modules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mizoshiri, Mizue; Mikami, Masashi; Ozaki, Kimihiro

2013-01-01

The effect of Cr buffer layer thickness on the open-circuit voltage generated by thin-film thermoelectric modules of Bi 0.5 Sb 1.5 Te 3 (p-type) and Bi 2 Te 2.7 Se 0.3 (n-type) materials was investigated. A Cr buffer layer, whose thickness generally needs to be optimized to improve adhesion depending on the substrate surface condition, such as roughness, was deposited between thermoelectric thin films and glass substrates. When the Cr buffer layer was 1 nm thick, the Seebeck coefficients and electrical conductivity of 1 µm thermoelectric thin films with the buffer layers were approximately equal to those of the thermoelectric films without the buffer layers. When the thickness of the Cr buffer layer was 1 µm, the same as the thermoelectric films, the Seebeck coefficients of the bilayer films were reduced by an electrical current flowing inside the Cr buffer layer and the generation of Cr 2 Te 3 . The open-circuit voltage of the thin-film thermoelectric modules decreased with an increase in the thickness of the Cr buffer layer, which was primarily induced by the electrical current flow. The reduction caused by the Cr 2 Te 3 generation was less than 10% of the total voltage generation of the modules without the Cr buffer layers. The voltage generation of thin-film thermoelectric modules could be controlled by the Cr buffer layer thickness. (paper)

Isotope exchange in oxide-containing catalyst

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Kenneth G. (Inventor); Upchurch, Billy T. (Inventor); Hess, Robert V. (Inventor); Miller, Irvin M. (Inventor); Schryer, David R. (Inventor); Sidney, Barry D. (Inventor); Wood, George M. (Inventor); Hoyt, Ronald F. (Inventor)

1989-01-01

A method of exchanging rare-isotope oxygen for common-isotope oxygen in the top several layers of an oxide-containing catalyst is disclosed. A sample of an oxide-containing catalyst is exposed to a flowing stream of reducing gas in an inert carrier gas at a temperature suitable for the removal of the reactive common-isotope oxygen atoms from the surface layer or layers of the catalyst without damaging the catalyst structure. The reduction temperature must be higher than any at which the catalyst will subsequently operate. Sufficient reducing gas is used to allow removal of all the reactive common-isotope oxygen atoms in the top several layers of the catalyst. The catalyst is then reoxidized with the desired rare-isotope oxygen in sufficient quantity to replace all of the common-isotope oxygen that was removed.

Atomic layer deposition of superparamagnetic and ferrimagnetic magnetite thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Yijun; Liu, Ming; Ren, Wei; Zhang, Yuepeng; Chen, Xing; Ye, Zuo-Guang

2015-01-01

One of the key challenges in realizing superparamagnetism in magnetic thin films lies in finding a low-energy growth way to create sufficiently small grains and magnetic domains which allow the magnetization to randomly and rapidly reverse. In this work, well-defined superparamagnetic and ferrimagnetic Fe 3 O 4 thin films are successfully prepared using atomic layer deposition technique by finely controlling the growth condition and post-annealing process. As-grown Fe 3 O 4 thin films exhibit a conformal surface and poly-crystalline nature with an average grain size of 7 nm, resulting in a superparamagnetic behavior with a blocking temperature of 210 K. After post-annealing in H 2 /Ar at 400 °C, the as-grown α−Fe 2 O 3 sample is reduced to Fe 3 O 4 phase, exhibiting a ferrimagnetic ordering and distinct magnetic shape anisotropy. Atomic layer deposition of magnetite thin films with well-controlled morphology and magnetic properties provides great opportunities for integrating with other order parameters to realize magnetic nano-devices with potential applications in spintronics, electronics, and bio-applications

A simplified computing method of pile group to seismic loads using thin layer element

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Masao, T.; Hama, I.

1995-01-01

In the calculation of pile group, it is said that the results of response by thin layer method give the correct solution with the isotropic and homogeneous soil material in each layer, on the other hand this procedure spends huge computing time. Dynamic stiffness matrix of thin layer method is obtained from inversion of flexibility matrix between pile-i and pile-j. This flexibility matrix is full matrix and its size increase in proportion to the number of piles and thin layers. The greater part of run time is taken into the inversion of flexibility matrix against point loading. We propose the method of decreasing the run time for computing by reducing to banded matrix of flexibility matrix. (author)

Underpotential deposition-mediated layer-by-layer growth of thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jia Xu; Adzic, Radoslav R.

2015-05-19

A method of depositing contiguous, conformal submonolayer-to-multilayer thin films with atomic-level control is described. The process involves the use of underpotential deposition of a first element to mediate the growth of a second material by overpotential deposition. Deposition occurs between a potential positive to the bulk deposition potential for the mediating element where a full monolayer of mediating element forms, and a potential which is less than, or only slightly greater than, the bulk deposition potential of the material to be deposited. By cycling the applied voltage between the bulk deposition potential for the mediating element and the material to be deposited, repeated desorption/adsorption of the mediating element during each potential cycle can be used to precisely control film growth on a layer-by-layer basis. This process is especially suitable for the formation of a catalytically active layer on core-shell particles for use in energy conversion devices such as fuel cells.

Single-Step Electrophoretic Deposition of Non-noble Metal Catalyst Layer with Low Onset Voltage for Ethanol Electro-oxidation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmadi Daryakenari, Ahmad; Hosseini, Davood; Ho, Ya-Lun; Saito, Takumi; Apostoluk, Aleksandra; Müller, Christoph R; Delaunay, Jean-Jacques

2016-06-29

A single-step electrophoretic deposition (EPD) process is used to fabricate catalyst layers which consist of nickel oxide nanoparticles attached on the surface of nanographitic flakes. Magnesium ions present in the colloid charge positively the flake's surface as they attach on it and are also used to bind nanographitic flakes together. The fabricated catalyst layers showed a very low onset voltage (-0.2 V vs Ag/AgCl) in the electro-oxidation of ethanol. To clarify the occurring catalytic mechanism, we performed annealing treatment to produce samples having a different electrochemical behavior with a large onset voltage. Temperature dependence measurements of the layer conductivity pointed toward a charge transport mechanism based on hopping for the nonannealed layers, while the drift transport is observed in the annealed layers. The hopping charge transport is responsible for the appearance of the low onset voltage in ethanol electro-oxidation.

Mathematical modelling of thin layer drying of pear

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lutovska Monika

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In this study, a thin - layer drying of pear slices as a function of drying conditions were examined. The experimental data set of thin - layer drying kinetics at five drying air temperatures 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70°C, and three drying air velocities 1, 1.5 and 2 m s-1 were obtained on the experimental setup, designed to imitate industrial convective dryer. Five well known thin - layer drying models from scientific literature were used to approximate the experimental data in terms of moisture ratio. In order to find which model gives the best results, numerical experiments were made. For each model and data set, the statistical performance index, (φ, and chi-squared, (χ2, value were calculated and models were ranked afterwards. The performed statistical analysis shows that the model of Midilli gives the best statistical results. Because the effect of drying air temperature and drying air velocity on the empirical parameters was not included in the base Midilli model, in this study the generalized form of this model was developed. With this model, the drying kinetic data of pear slices can be approximated with high accuracy. The effective moisture diffusivity was determined by using Fick’s second laws. The obtained values of the effective moisture diffusivity, (Deff, during drying ranged between 6.49 x 10-9 and 3.29 x 10-8 m2 s-1, while the values of activation energy (E0 varied between 28.15 to 30.51 kJ mol-1.

Application of thin-layer Navier-Stokes equations near maximum lift

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, W. K.; Thomas, J. L.; Rumsey, C. L.

1984-01-01

The flowfield about a NACA 0012 airfoil at a Mach number of 0.3 and Reynolds number of 1 million is computed through an angle of attack range, up to 18 deg, corresponding to conditions up to and beyond the maximum lift coefficient. Results obtained using the compressible thin-layer Navier-Stokes equations are presented as well as results from the compressible Euler equations with and without a viscous coupling procedure. The applicability of each code is assessed and many thin-layer Navier-Stokes benchmark solutions are obtained which can be used for comparison with other codes intended for use at high angles of attack. Reasonable agreement of the Navier-Stokes code with experiment and the viscous-inviscid interaction code is obtained at moderate angles of attack. An unsteady solution is obtained with the thin-layer Navier-Stokes code at the highest angle of attack considered. The maximum lift coefficient is overpredicted, however, in comparison to experimental data, which is attributed to the presence of a laminar separation bubble near the leading edge not modeled in the computations. Two comparisons with experimental data are also presented at a higher Mach number.

Breakthrough to Non-Vacuum Deposition of Single-Crystal, Ultra-Thin, Homogeneous Nanoparticle Layers: A Better Alternative to Chemical Bath Deposition and Atomic Layer Deposition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu-Kuang Liao

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Most thin-film techniques require a multiple vacuum process, and cannot produce high-coverage continuous thin films with the thickness of a few nanometers on rough surfaces. We present a new ”paradigm shift” non-vacuum process to deposit high-quality, ultra-thin, single-crystal layers of coalesced sulfide nanoparticles (NPs with controllable thickness down to a few nanometers, based on thermal decomposition. This provides high-coverage, homogeneous thickness, and large-area deposition over a rough surface, with little material loss or liquid chemical waste, and deposition rates of 10 nm/min. This technique can potentially replace conventional thin-film deposition methods, such as atomic layer deposition (ALD and chemical bath deposition (CBD as used by the Cu(In,GaSe2 (CIGS thin-film solar cell industry for decades. We demonstrate 32% improvement of CIGS thin-film solar cell efficiency in comparison to reference devices prepared by conventional CBD deposition method by depositing the ZnS NPs buffer layer using the new process. The new ZnS NPs layer allows reduction of an intrinsic ZnO layer, which can lead to severe shunt leakage in case of a CBD buffer layer. This leads to a 65% relative efficiency increase.

Highway pavement performance test for colored thin anti-skidding layers

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Wei; Cui, Wei; Xu, Ming

2018-03-01

Based on the actual service condition of highway pavement colored thin anti-skidding layers, with materials of color quartz sand and two-component acrylic resin as basis, we designed such tests as the bond strength, shearing strength, tear strength, fatigue performance and aggregate polished value, and included the freeze-thaw cycle and de-icing salt and other factors in the experiment, connecting with the climate characteristics of circumpolar latitude and low altitude in Heilongjiang province. Through the pavement performance test, it is confirmed that the colored thin anti-skidding layers can adapt to cold and humid climate conditions, and its physical mechanical properties are good.

Sorption and movement of pesticides on thin layer plates of Brazilain soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lord, K.A.; Helene, C.G.; Andrea, M.M. de; Ruegg, E.F.

1979-01-01

The sorption from aqueous solution, and movement in water on thin layers plates of 7 soils of 3 organochlorine, 2 organophosphorus and 1 carbamate insecticide was determined in the laboratory. Generally, all substances were sorbed most and moved least on soils richest in organic matter. However, sorption was not a function of organic matter content alone. Aldrin and DDT were most strongly sorbed and did not move from the point of application on the thin layer plates of any soil. On all 7 soils, carbaryl was the least strongly sorbed insecticide. On 5 soils, lindane, parathion and malathion were increasingly strongly sorbed, but on the other 2 soils lindane was mostly strongly sorbed. The apparent greater mobility of 14 C-labelled malathion on thin layers of soils repeatedly leached could be explained by the formation of more polar substances. (author) [pt

Catalyst containing oxygen transport membrane

Science.gov (United States)

Christie, Gervase Maxwell; Wilson, Jamie Robyn; van Hassel, Bart Antonie

2012-12-04

A composite oxygen transport membrane having a dense layer, a porous support layer and an intermediate porous layer located between the dense layer and the porous support layer. Both the dense layer and the intermediate porous layer are formed from an ionic conductive material to conduct oxygen ions and an electrically conductive material to conduct electrons. The porous support layer has a high permeability, high porosity, and a high average pore diameter and the intermediate porous layer has a lower permeability and lower pore diameter than the porous support layer. Catalyst particles selected to promote oxidation of a combustible substance are located in the intermediate porous layer and in the porous support adjacent to the intermediate porous layer. The catalyst particles can be formed by wicking a solution of catalyst precursors through the porous support toward the intermediate porous layer.

Graphene layer encapsulated metal nanoparticles as a new type of non-precious metal catalysts for oxygen reduction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hu, Yang; Zhong, Lijie; Jensen, Jens Oluf

2016-01-01

Cheap and efficient non-precious metal catalysts for oxygen reduction have been a focus of research in the field of low-temperature fuel cells. This review is devoted to a brief summary of the recent work on a new type of catalysts, i.e., the graphene layer encapsulated metal nanoparticles....... The discussion is focused on the synthesis, structure, mechanism, performance, and further research....

Pulsed laser deposition of nanostructured Co-B-O thin films as efficient catalyst for hydrogen production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jadhav, H., E-mail: jadhav.hs2013@gmail.com [Laser and Plasma Technology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400085 (India); Singh, A.K. [Laser and Plasma Technology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400085 (India); Patel, N.; Fernandes, R.; Gupta, S.; Kothari, D.C. [Department of Physics and National Centre for Nanosciences & Nanotechnology, University of Mumbai, Vidyanagari, Santacruz (E), Mumbai 400098 (India); Miotello, A. [Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Trento, I-38123 Povo, Trento (Italy); Sinha, S. [Laser and Plasma Technology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400085 (India)

2016-11-30

Highlights: • Pulsed laser deposition was used to deposit Co-B-O film nanocatalyst. • Co-B-O NPs are well separated, stable and immobilized on film surface. • Catalytic H{sub 2} production was studied by hydrolysis of Sodium Borohydride. • Four times higher H{sub 2} production rate was recorded for Co-B-O film than Co-B-O powder. • High particle density, polycrystalline nature and good stability against agglomeration of Co NPs. - Abstract: Nanoparticles assembled Co-B-O thin film catalysts were synthesized by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique for hydrolysis of Sodium Borohydride (SBH). Surface morphology of the deposited films was investigated using SEM and TEM, while compositional analysis was studied using XPS. Structural properties of Co-B-O films were examined using XRD and HRTEM. Laser process is able to produce well separated and immobilized Co-B-O NPs on the film surface which act as active centers leading to superior catalytic activity producing hydrogen at a significantly higher rate as compared to bulk powder. Co-B-O thin film catalyst produces hydrogen at a maximum rate of ∼4400 ml min{sup −1} g{sup −1} of catalyst, which is four times higher than powder catalyst. PLD parameters such as laser fluence and substrate-target distance were varied during deposition in order to understand the role of size and density of the immobilized Co-B-O NPs in the catalytic process. Films deposited at 3–5 cm substrate-target distance showed better performance than that deposited at 6 cm, mainly on account of the higher density of active Co-B-O NPs on the films surface. Features such as high particle density, polycrystalline nature of Co NPs and good stability against agglomeration mainly contribute towards the superior catalytic activity of Co-B-O films deposited by PLD.

Surface composition of magnetron sputtered Pt-Co thin film catalyst for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vorokhta, Mykhailo, E-mail: vorohtam@gmail.com [Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Department of Surface and Plasma Science, V Holešovičkách 2, 18000 Prague (Czech Republic); Khalakhan, Ivan; Václavů, Michal [Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Department of Surface and Plasma Science, V Holešovičkách 2, 18000 Prague (Czech Republic); Kovács, Gábor; Kozlov, Sergey M. [Departament de Química Física and Institut de Química Teòrica i Computacional (IQTCUB), Universitat de Barcelona, c/ Martí i Franquès 1, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Kúš, Peter; Skála, Tomáš; Tsud, Natalia; Lavková, Jaroslava [Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Department of Surface and Plasma Science, V Holešovičkách 2, 18000 Prague (Czech Republic); Potin, Valerie [Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire Carnot de Bourgogne, UMR 6303 CNRS-Université Bourgogne, 9 Av. A. Savary, BP 47870, F-21078 Dijon Cedex (France); and others

2016-03-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Nanostructured Pt-Co thin catalyst films were grown on carbon by magnetron sputtering. • The surface composition of the nanostructured Pt-Co films was investigated by surface analysis techniques. • We carried out modeling of Pt-Co nanoalloys by computational methods. • Both experiment and modeling based on density functional theory showed that the surface of Pt-Co nanoparticles is almost exclusively composed of Pt atoms. - Abstract: Recently we have tested a magnetron sputtered Pt-Co catalyst in a hydrogen-fed proton exchange membrane fuel cell and showed its high catalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction. Here we present further investigation of the magnetron sputtered Pt-Co thin film catalyst by both experimental and theoretical methods. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy experiments confirmed the nanostructured character of the catalyst. The surface composition of as-deposited and annealed at 773 K Pt-Co films was investigated by surface analysis techniques, such as synchrotron radiation photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Modeling based on density functional theory showed that the surface of 6 nm large 1:1 Pt-Co nanoparticles is almost exclusively composed of Pt atoms (>90%) at typical operation conditions and the Co content does not exceed 20% at 773 K, in agreement with the experimental characterization of such films annealed in vacuum. According to experiment, the density of valence states of surface atoms in Pt-Co nanostructures is shifted by 0.3 eV to higher energies, which can be associated with their higher activity in the oxygen reduction reaction. The changes in electronic structure caused by alloying are also reflected in the measured Pt 4f, Co 3p and Co 2p photoelectron peak binding energies.

Thin-layer chromatography of radioactively labelled cholesterol and precursors from biological material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pill, J.; Aufenanger, J.; Stegmeier, K.; Schmidt, F.H.; Mueller, D.; Boehringer Mannheim G.m.b.H.

1987-01-01

The investigation methods of the action of xenobiotics on sterol biosynthesis from 14 C-acetate in rat hepatocyte cultures can be developed, with regard to extraction using Extrelut and the separation of the sterol pattern by thin-layer chromatography, in such a way that they are suitable for wider application, e.g., screening. Good visualisation and recognition of changes in the sterol pattern are possible using autoradiography of the thin-layer chromatogram. (orig.)

Electroresistance Effect in Gold Thin Film Induced by Ionic-Liquid-Gated Electric Double Layer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nakayama, Hiroyasu; Ye, Jianting; Ohtani, Takashi; Fujikawa, Yasunori; Ando, Kazuya; Iwasa, Yoshihiro; Saitoh, Eiji

Electroresistance effect was detected in a metallic thin film using ionic-liquid-gated electric-double-layer transistors (EDLTs). We observed reversible modulation of the electric resistance of a Au thin film. In this system, we found that an electric double layer works as a nanogap capacitor with

Nonequilibrium temperatures and second-sound propagation along nanowires and thin layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jou, D.; Cimmelli, V.A.; Sellitto, A.

2009-01-01

It is shown that the dispersion relation of heat waves along nanowires or thin layers could allow to compare two different definitions of nonequilibrium temperature, since thermal waves are predicted to propagate with different phase speed depending on the definition of nonequilibrium temperature being used. The difference is small, but it could be in principle measurable in nanosystems, as for instance nanowires and thin layers, in a given frequency range. Such an experiment could provide a deeper view on the problem of the definition of temperature in nonequilibrium situations.

Electrochemical Water Oxidation by a Catalyst-Modified Metal-Organic Framework Thin Film

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lin, Shaoyang; Pineda-Galvan, Yuliana; Maza, William A.; Epley, Charity C.; Zhu, Jie; Kessinger, Matthew C.; Pushkar, Yulia; Morris, Amanda J. (VP); (Purdue)

2016-12-15

Water oxidation, a key component in artificial photosynthesis, requires high overpotentials and exhibits slow reaction kinetics that necessitates the use of stable and efficient heterogeneous water-oxidation catalysts (WOCs). Here, we report the synthesis of UiO-67 metal–organic framework (MOF) thin films doped with [Ru(tpy)(dcbpy)OH2]2+ (tpy=2,2':6',2''-terpyridine, dcbpy=5,5'-dicarboxy-2,2'-bipyridine) on conducting surfaces and their propensity for electrochemical water oxidation. The electrocatalyst oxidized water with a turnover frequency (TOF) of (0.2±0.1) s-1 at 1.71 V versus the normal hydrogen electrode (NHE) in buffered solution (pH~7) and exhibited structural and electrochemical stability. The electroactive sites were distributed throughout the MOF thin film on the basis of scan-ratedependent voltammetry studies. This work demonstrates a promising way to immobilize large concentrations of electroactive WOCs into a highly robust MOF scaffold and paves the way for future photoelectrochemical water-splitting systems.

Evaluation of a thin-layer chromatographic technique for ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Methanol extracts of both fistula and bush samples were prepared and analysed by thin-layer chromatography. Chromatoplates, when visualised under ultraviolet light, revealed a number of fluorescent compounds, some of which were common in both the fistula and bush sample extracts. By comparing the presence of ...

Thin Cell Layer technology in ornamental plant micropropagation ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Thin cell layer (TCL) technology originated almost 30 years ago with the controlled development of flowers, roots, shoots and somatic embryos on tobacco pedicel longitudinal TCLs. Since then TCLs have been successfully used in the micropropagation of many ornamental plant species whose previous in vitro ...

Multi-Directional Growth of Aligned Carbon Nanotubes Over Catalyst Film Prepared by Atomic Layer Deposition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhou Kai

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract The structure of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs severely depends on the properties of pre-prepared catalyst films. Aiming for the preparation of precisely controlled catalyst film, atomic layer deposition (ALD was employed to deposit uniform Fe2O3 film for the growth of CNT arrays on planar substrate surfaces as well as the curved ones. Iron acetylacetonate and ozone were introduced into the reactor alternately as precursors to realize the formation of catalyst films. By varying the deposition cycles, uniform and smooth Fe2O3 catalyst films with different thicknesses were obtained on Si/SiO2 substrate, which supported the growth of highly oriented few-walled CNT arrays. Utilizing the advantage of ALD process in coating non-planar surfaces, uniform catalyst films can also be successfully deposited onto quartz fibers. Aligned few-walled CNTs can be grafted on the quartz fibers, and they self-organized into a leaf-shaped structure due to the curved surface morphology. The growth of aligned CNTs on non-planar surfaces holds promise in constructing hierarchical CNT architectures in future.

Search for Rayleigh-Taylor instability in laser irradiated layered thin foil targets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kilkenny, J.D.; Hares, J.D.; Rumsby, P.T.

1980-01-01

An experiment to measure the Rayleigh-Taylor instability at the vacuum-ablation surface of laser irradiated layered targets by time resolved x-ray spectroscopy is described. The time taken to burn through a layer of material is measured to be the same for massive targets as for thin foil accelerating targets. It is inferred that the thin foil targets might be Rayleigh-Taylor stable despite the values of γtauapproximately equal to15 calculated from classical theory. (author)

Layered double hydroxide catalyst for the conversion of crude vegetable oils to a sustainable biofuel

Science.gov (United States)

Mollaeian, Keyvan

Over the last two decades, the U.S. has developed the production of biodiesel, a mixture of fatty acid methyl esters, using chiefly vegetable oils as feedstocks. However, there is much concern about the availability of high-quality vegetable oils for longterm biodiesel production. Problems have also risen due to the production of glycerol, an unwanted byproduct, as well as the need for process wash water. Therefore, this study was initiated to produce not only fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) but also fatty acid glycerol carbonates (FAGCs) by replacing methanol with dimethyl carbonate (DMC). The process would have no unnecessary byproducts and would be a simplified process compared to traditional biodiesel. In addition, this altering of the methylating agent could convert triglycerides, free fatty acids, and phospholipids to a sustainable biofuel. In this project, Mg-Al Layered Double Hydroxide (LDH) was optimized by calcination in different temperature varied from 250°C to 450°C. The gallery between layers was increased by intercalating sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS). During catalyst preparation, the pH was controlled ~10. In our experiment, triazabicyclodecene (TBD) was attached with trimethoxysilane (3GPS) as a coupling agent, and N-cetyl-N,N,N-trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) was added to remove SDS from the catalyst. The catalyst was characterized by XRD, FTIR, and Raman spectroscopy. The effect of the heterogeneous catalyst on the conversion of canola oil, corn oil, and free fatty acids was investigated. To analyze the conversion of lipid oils to biofuel an in situ Raman spectroscopic method was developed. Catalyst synthesis methods and a proposed mechanism for converting triglycerides and free fatty acids to biofuel will be presented.

Electrocatalytic activity of atomic layer deposited Pt-Ru catalysts onto N-doped carbon nanotubes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Johansson, A.-C.; Larsen, J.V.; Verheijen, M.A.; Haugshøj, K.B.; Clausen, H.; Kessels, W.M.M.; Christensen, L.H.; Thomsen, E.V.

2014-01-01

Pt-Ru catalysts of various compositions, between 0 and 100 at.% of Ru, were deposited onto N-doped multi-walled carbon nanotubes (N-CNTs) by atomic layer deposition (ALD) at 250 C. The Pt and Ru precursors were trimethyl(methylcyclopentadienyl)platinum (MeCpPtMe3) and

Ultra-thin, single-layer polarization rotator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. V. Son

2016-08-01

Full Text Available We demonstrate light polarization control over a broad spectral range by a uniform layer of vanadium dioxide as it undergoes a phase transition from insulator to metal. Changes in refractive indices create unequal phase shifts on s- and p-polarization components of incident light, and rotation of linear polarization shows intensity modulation by a factor of 103 when transmitted through polarizers. This makes possible polarization rotation devices as thin as 50 nm that would be activated thermally, optically or electrically.

Wet catalyst-support films for production of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes.

Science.gov (United States)

Alvarez, Noe T; Hamilton, Christopher E; Pint, Cary L; Orbaek, Alvin; Yao, Jun; Frosinini, Aldo L; Barron, Andrew R; Tour, James M; Hauge, Robert H

2010-07-01

A procedure for vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VA-CNT) production has been developed through liquid-phase deposition of alumoxanes (aluminum oxide hydroxides, boehmite) as a catalyst support. Through a simple spin-coating of alumoxane nanoparticles, uniform centimer-square thin film surfaces were coated and used as supports for subsequent deposition of metal catalyst. Uniform VA-CNTs are observed to grow from this film following deposition of both conventional evaporated Fe catalyst, as well as premade Fe nanoparticles drop-dried from the liquid phase. The quality and uniformity of the VA-CNTs are comparable to growth from conventional evaporated layers of Al(2)O(3). The combined use of alumoxane and Fe nanoparticles to coat surfaces represents an inexpensive and scalable approach to large-scale VA-CNT production that makes chemical vapor deposition significantly more competitive when compared to other CNT production techniques.

Thin Layer Drying Kinetics of Pineapple: Effect of Blanching ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Four thin-layer drying models were fitted to the experimental drying data. The .... MATLAB software package (version 6.5). The correlation ... to evaluate the goodness of fit of the simulation ... during the oven-drying process of pineapple slices.

Transparent thin-film transistor exploratory development via sequential layer deposition and thermal annealing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, David; Chiang, Hai Q.; Presley, Rick E.; Dehuff, Nicole L.; Bender, Jeffrey P.; Park, Cheol-Hee; Wager, John F.; Keszler, Douglas A.

2006-01-01

A novel deposition methodology is employed for exploratory development of a class of high-performance transparent thin-film transistor (TTFT) channel materials involving oxides composed of heavy-metal cations with (n - 1)d 10 ns 0 (n ≥ 4) electronic configurations. The method involves sequential radio-frequency sputter deposition of thin, single cation oxide layers and subsequent post-deposition annealing in order to obtain a multi-component oxide thin film. The viability of this rapid materials development methodology is demonstrated through the realization of high-performance TTFTs with channel layers composed of zinc oxide/tin oxide, and tin oxide/indium oxide

Catalyst support structure, catalyst including the structure, reactor including a catalyst, and methods of forming same

Science.gov (United States)

Van Norman, Staci A.; Aston, Victoria J.; Weimer, Alan W.

2017-05-09

Structures, catalysts, and reactors suitable for use for a variety of applications, including gas-to-liquid and coal-to-liquid processes and methods of forming the structures, catalysts, and reactors are disclosed. The catalyst material can be deposited onto an inner wall of a microtubular reactor and/or onto porous tungsten support structures using atomic layer deposition techniques.

Mesoscale simulations of confined Nafion thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Vanya, P.; Sharman, J.; Elliott, J. A.

2017-12-01

The morphology and transport properties of thin films of the ionomer Nafion, with thicknesses on the order of the bulk cluster size, have been investigated as a model system to explain the anomalous behaviour of catalyst/electrode-polymer interfaces in membrane electrode assemblies. We have employed dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) to investigate the interaction of water and fluorocarbon chains, with carbon and quartz as confining materials, for a wide range of operational water contents and film thicknesses. We found confinement-induced clustering of water perpendicular to the thin film. Hydrophobic carbon forms a water depletion zone near the film interface, whereas hydrophilic quartz results in a zone with excess water. There are, on average, oscillating water-rich and fluorocarbon-rich regions, in agreement with experimental results from neutron reflectometry. Water diffusivity shows increasing directional anisotropy of up to 30% with decreasing film thickness, depending on the hydrophilicity of the confining material. A percolation analysis revealed significant differences in water clustering and connectivity with the confining material. These findings indicate the fundamentally different nature of ionomer thin films, compared to membranes, and suggest explanations for increased ionic resistances observed in the catalyst layer.

Loading Effects on Resolution in Thin Layer Chromatography and ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 10; Issue 11. Loading Effects on Resolution in Thin Layer Chromatography and Paper Chromatography. K Girigowda V H Mulimani. Classroom Volume 10 Issue 11 November 2005 pp 79-84 ...

Wear resistant PTFE thin film enabled by a polydopamine adhesive layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beckford, Samuel; Zou, Min

2014-01-01

The influence of a polydopamine (PDA) adhesive layer on the friction and wear resistance of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) thin films coated on stainless steel was investigated. The friction and wear tests were carried out using a ball on flat configuration under a normal load of 50 g, sliding speed of 2.5 mm/s, and stroke length of 15 mm. It is found that the PDA/PTFE film is able to withstand approximately 500 times more rubbing cycles than the PTFE film alone. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results show that a tenacious layer of PTFE remains adhered to the PDA layer, which enables the durability of the PDA/PTFE film. Because of the relatively low thickness of the film, PDA/PTFE shows great potential for use in applications where durable, thin films are desirable

Ultrafast atomic layer-by-layer oxygen vacancy-exchange diffusion in double-perovskite LnBaCo2O5.5+δ thin films.

Science.gov (United States)

Bao, Shanyong; Ma, Chunrui; Chen, Garry; Xu, Xing; Enriquez, Erik; Chen, Chonglin; Zhang, Yamei; Bettis, Jerry L; Whangbo, Myung-Hwan; Dong, Chuang; Zhang, Qingyu

2014-04-22

Surface exchange and oxygen vacancy diffusion dynamics were studied in double-perovskites LnBaCo2O5.5+δ (LnBCO) single-crystalline thin films (Ln = Er, Pr; -0.5 atoms in the LnBCO thin films is taking the layer by layer oxygen-vacancy-exchange mechanism. The first principles density functional theory calculations indicate that hydrogen atoms are present in LnBCO as bound to oxygen forming O-H bonds. This unprecedented oscillation phenomenon provides the first direct experimental evidence of the layer by layer oxygen vacancy exchange diffusion mechanism.

Perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction with thin CoFeB/Ta/Co/Pd/Co reference layer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gan, Huadong, E-mail: huadong@avalanche-technology.com; Malmhall, Roger; Wang, Zihui; Yen, Bing K; Zhang, Jing; Wang, Xiaobin; Zhou, Yuchen; Hao, Xiaojie; Jung, Dongha; Satoh, Kimihiro; Huai, Yiming [Avalanche Technology, 46600 Landing Parkway, Fremont, California 94538 (United States)

2014-11-10

Integration of high density spin transfer torque magnetoresistance random access memory requires a thin stack (less than 15 nm) of perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (p-MTJ). We propose an innovative approach to solve this challenging problem by reducing the thickness and/or moment of the reference layer. A thin reference layer structure of CoFeB/Ta/Co/Pd/Co has 60% magnetic moment of the conventional thick structure including [Co/Pd] multilayers. We demonstrate that the perpendicular magnetization of the CoFeB/Ta/Co/Pd/Co structure can be realized by anti-ferromagnetically coupling to a pinned layer with strong perpendicular anisotropy via Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida exchange interaction. The pMTJ with thin CoFeB/Ta/Co/Pd/Co reference layer has a comparable TMR ratio (near 80%) as that with thick reference layer after annealing at 280 °C. The pMTJ with thin reference layer has a total thickness less than 15 nm, thereby significantly increasing the etching margin required for integration of high density pMTJ array on wafers with form factor of 300 mm and beyond.

Enhancing the stability of copper chromite catalysts for the selective hydrogenation of furfural using ALD overcoating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Hongbo; Lei, Yu; Kropf, A. Jeremy; Zhang, Guanghui; Elam, Jeffrey W.; Miller, Jeffrey T.; Sollberger, Fred; Ribeiro, Fabio; Akatay, M. Cem; Stach, Eric A.; Dumesic, James A.; Marshall, Christopher L.

2014-08-01

The stability of a gas-phase furfural hydrogenation catalyst (CuCr2O4 center dot CuO) was enhanced by depositing a thin Al2O3 layer using atomic layer deposition (ALD). Based on temperature-programed reduction (TPR) measurements, the reduction temperature of Cu was raised significantly, and the activation energy for furfural reduction was decreased following the ALD treatment. Thinner ALD layers yielded higher furfural hydrogenation activities. X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy studies indicated that Cu1+/Cu-0 are the active species for furfural reduction.

Use of a wedge cuvette in thin layer photometry and its application to oximetry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spaan, J. A.; Garred, L. J.; van de Borne, P.

1977-01-01

A wedge cuvette was constructed by fixing 2 glass plates at a known angle with a spacer at one end. This resulted in a thin layer with thickness varying from 0 to 250 micrometer. By measuring the intensity of a beam of light through the thin layer as a function of distance along the wedge (and thus

A simple model for quantifying the degree of layer-by-layer growth in low energy ion deposition of thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huhtamaeki, T.; Jahma, M.O.; Koponen, I.T.

2007-01-01

Layer-by-layer growth of thin films can be promoted by using low energy ion deposition (LEID) techniques. The basic process affecting the growth are often quite diverse, but often the ion impact induced inter layer mass transfer processes due to adatom insertion to lower step edges or pile-ups to step edges above dominate. In this paper we propose a simple phenomenological model which describes the growth of thin films in LEID under these conditions. The model makes possible to distinguish the dominant growth, the detection of the transition from the 3D growth to 2D growth, and it can be used to quantify the degree of layer-by-layer growth. The model contains only two parameters, which can be phenomenologically related to the properties of the bombarding ion beam

Mechanical behaviour of PEM fuel cell catalyst layers during regular cell operation

OpenAIRE

Maher A.R. Sadiq Al-Baghdadi

2010-01-01

Damage mechanisms in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell are accelerated by mechanical stresses arising during fuel cell assembly (bolt assembling), and the stresses arise during fuel cell running, because it consists of the materials with different thermal expansion and swelling coefficients. Therefore, in order to acquire a complete understanding of the mechanical behaviour of the catalyst layers during regular cell operation, mechanical response under steady-state hygro-thermal stresses s...

Accretion disc boundary layers - geometrically and optically thin case

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Regev, Oded; Hougerat, A.A.

1988-01-01

The method of matched asymptotic expansions is applied to an optically and geometrically thin boundary layer between an accretion disc and the accreting star. Analytical solutions are presented for a particular viscosity prescription in the boundary layer. For a typical example we find that the disc closely resembles standard steady-disc theory. It is identical to it everywhere save a narrow boundary layer, where the temperature increases rapidly inward (by an order of magnitude), the angular velocity achieves maximum and decreases to its surface value and other variables also undergo rapid changes. This and previous work can now be used to calculate the emission from accretion discs including the boundary layers for a wide range of parameters. (author)

Preparation of Ferroelectric Thin Films of Bismuth Layer Structured Compounds

Science.gov (United States)

Watanabe, Hitoshi; Mihara, Takashi; Yoshimori, Hiroyuki; Araujo, Carlos

1995-09-01

Ferroelectric thin films of bismuth layer structured compounds, SrBi2Ta2O9, SrBi2Nb2O9, SrBi4Ti4O15 and their solid solutions, were formed onto a sputtered platinum layer on a silicon substrate using spin-on technique and metal-organic decomposition (MOD) method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and some electrical measurements were performed on the prepared thin films. XRD results of SrBi2(Ta1- x, Nb x)2O9 films (0≤x≤1) showed that niobium ions substitute for tantalum ions in an arbitrary ratio without any change of the layer structure and lattice constants. Furthermore, XRD results of SrBi2 xTa2O9 films (0≤x≤1.5) indicated that the formation of the bismuth layer structure does not always require an accurate bismuth content. The layer structure was formed above 50% of the stoichiometric bismuth content in the general formula. SrBi2(Ta1- x, Nb x)2O9 films with various Ta/Nb ratios have large enough remanent polarization for nonvolatile memory application and have shown high fatigue resistance against 1011 cycles of full switching of the remanent polarization. Mixture films of the three compounds were also investigated.

Layer-by-layer thinning of MoSe{sub 2} by soft and reactive plasma etching

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sha, Yunfei [Engineering Research Center of IoT Technology Applications (Ministry of Education), Department of Electronic Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122 (China); Xiao, Shaoqing, E-mail: larring0078@hotmail.com [Engineering Research Center of IoT Technology Applications (Ministry of Education), Department of Electronic Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122 (China); Zhang, Xiumei [Engineering Research Center of IoT Technology Applications (Ministry of Education), Department of Electronic Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122 (China); Qin, Fang [Analysis & Testing Center, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122 (China); Gu, Xiaofeng, E-mail: xfgu@jiangnan.edu.cn [Engineering Research Center of IoT Technology Applications (Ministry of Education), Department of Electronic Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122 (China)

2017-07-31

Highlights: • Soft plasma etching technique using SF{sub 6} + N{sub 2} as precursors for layer-by-layer thinning of MoSe{sub 2} was adopted in this work. • Optical microscopy, Raman, photoluminescence and atomic force microscopy measurements were used to confirm the thickness change. • Layer-dependent vibrational and photoluminescence spectra of the etched MoSe{sub 2} were also demonstrated. • Equal numbers of MoSe{sub 2} layers can be removed uniformly without affecting the underlying SiO{sub 2} substrate and the remaining MoSe{sub 2} layers. - Abstract: Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) like molybdenum diselenide (MoSe{sub 2}) have recently gained considerable interest since their properties are complementary to those of graphene. Unlike gapless graphene, the band structure of MoSe{sub 2} can be changed from the indirect band gap to the direct band gap when MoSe{sub 2} changed from bulk material to monolayer. This transition from multilayer to monolayer requires atomic-layer-precision thining of thick MoSe{sub 2} layers without damaging the remaining layers. Here, we present atomic-layer-precision thinning of MoSe{sub 2} nanaosheets down to monolayer by using SF{sub 6} + N{sub 2} plasmas, which has been demonstrated to be soft, selective and high-throughput. Optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy, Raman and photoluminescence spectra suggest that equal numbers of MoSe{sub 2} layers can be removed uniformly regardless of their initial thickness, without affecting the underlying SiO{sub 2} substrate and the remaining MoSe{sub 2} layers. By adjusting the etching rates we can achieve complete MoSe{sub 2} removal and any disired number of MoSe{sub 2} layers including monolayer. This soft plasma etching method is highly reliable and compatible with the semiconductor manufacturing processes, thereby holding great promise for various 2D materials and TMD-based devices.

Effect of p-layer properties on nanocrystalline absorber layer and thin film silicon solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chowdhury, Amartya; Adhikary, Koel; Mukhopadhyay, Sumita; Ray, Swati

2008-01-01

The influence of the p-layer on the crystallinity of the absorber layer and nanocrystalline silicon thin film solar cells has been studied. Boron doped Si : H p-layers of different crystallinities have been prepared under different power pressure conditions using the plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition method. The crystalline volume fraction of p-layers increases with the increase in deposition power. Optical absorption of the p-layer reduces as the crystalline volume fraction increases. Structural studies at the p/i interface have been done by Raman scattering studies. The crystalline volume fraction of the i-layer increases as that of the p-layer increases, the effect being more prominent near the p/i interface. Grain sizes of the absorber layer decrease from 9.2 to 7.2 nm and the density of crystallites increases as the crystalline volume fraction of the p-layer increases and its grain size decreases. With increasing crystalline volume fraction of the p-layer solar cell efficiency increases

Method for the manufacture of a thin-layer battery stack on a three-dimensional substrate

NARCIS (Netherlands)

2008-01-01

The invention relates to a method for the manufacture of a thin-layer battery stack on a three-dimensional substrate. The invention further relates to a thin-layer battery stack on a three-dimensional substrate obtainable by such a method. Moreover, the invention relates to a device comprising such

The fabrication of a carbon nanotube array using a catalyst-poisoning layer in the inverse nano-sphere lithography method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsai, Tsung-Yen; Chen, Tsung-Han; Tai, Nyan-Hwa; Chang, Shih-Chin; Hsu, Hui-Chen; Joseph Palathinkal, Thomas

2009-01-01

A new method for the fabrication of periodic CNT arrays was developed in this study, which involves the use of the inverse nano-sphere lithography (INSL) process. Mo of a honeycomb pattern, acting as a catalyst-poisoning layer, was produced by the nano-sphere lithography (NSL) process; the Mo poisoned the catalyst and prevented CNT growth where deposited, and as a result, a periodic CNT pattern was obtained. Using this method, the uniformity of the CNT array can be improved by preventing the negative effect of arrangement defects in self-assembled monolayers. The size and the period of the CNT array can be adjusted by careful selection of the polystyrene (PS) sphere diameter. X-ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS) analysis revealed that the Co catalyst was ineffective on the areas of Mo deposition due to the diffusion of Co into the Mo layer.

The fabrication of a carbon nanotube array using a catalyst-poisoning layer in the inverse nano-sphere lithography method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsai, Tsung-Yen; Chen, Tsung-Han; Tai, Nyan-Hwa; Chang, Shih-Chin; Hsu, Hui-Chen; Joseph Palathinkal, Thomas, E-mail: nhtai@mx.nthu.edu.t [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, 101, Section 2, Kuang-Fu Road, Hsinchu, 30013, Taiwan (China)

2009-07-29

A new method for the fabrication of periodic CNT arrays was developed in this study, which involves the use of the inverse nano-sphere lithography (INSL) process. Mo of a honeycomb pattern, acting as a catalyst-poisoning layer, was produced by the nano-sphere lithography (NSL) process; the Mo poisoned the catalyst and prevented CNT growth where deposited, and as a result, a periodic CNT pattern was obtained. Using this method, the uniformity of the CNT array can be improved by preventing the negative effect of arrangement defects in self-assembled monolayers. The size and the period of the CNT array can be adjusted by careful selection of the polystyrene (PS) sphere diameter. X-ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS) analysis revealed that the Co catalyst was ineffective on the areas of Mo deposition due to the diffusion of Co into the Mo layer.

Graphene crystal growth by thermal precipitation of focused ion beam induced deposition of carbon precursor via patterned-iron thin layers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rius Gemma

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Recently, relevant advances on graphene as a building block of integrated circuits (ICs have been demonstrated. Graphene growth and device fabrication related processing has been steadily and intensively powered due to commercial interest; however, there are many challenges associated with the incorporation of graphene into commercial applications which includes challenges associated with the synthesis of this material. Specifically, the controlled deposition of single layer large single crystal graphene on arbitrary supports, is particularly challenging. Previously, we have reported the first demonstration of the transformation of focused ion beam induced deposition of carbon (FIBID-C into patterned graphitic layers by metal-assisted thermal treatment (Ni foils. In this present work, we continue exploiting the FIBID-C approach as a route for graphene deposition. Here, thin patterned Fe layers are used for the catalysis of graphenization and graphitization. We demonstrate the formation of high quality single and few layer graphene, which evidences, the possibility of using Fe as a catalyst for graphene deposition. The mechanism is understood as the minute precipitation of atomic carbon after supersaturation of some iron carbides formed under a high temperature treatment. As a consequence of the complete wetting of FIBID-C and patterned Fe layers, which enable graphene growth, the as-deposited patterns do not preserve their original shape after the thermal treatment

Pyrolyzed thin film carbon

Science.gov (United States)

Tai, Yu-Chong (Inventor); Liger, Matthieu (Inventor); Harder, Theodore (Inventor); Konishi, Satoshi (Inventor); Miserendino, Scott (Inventor)

2010-01-01

A method of making carbon thin films comprises depositing a catalyst on a substrate, depositing a hydrocarbon in contact with the catalyst and pyrolyzing the hydrocarbon. A method of controlling a carbon thin film density comprises etching a cavity into a substrate, depositing a hydrocarbon into the cavity, and pyrolyzing the hydrocarbon while in the cavity to form a carbon thin film. Controlling a carbon thin film density is achieved by changing the volume of the cavity. Methods of making carbon containing patterned structures are also provided. Carbon thin films and carbon containing patterned structures can be used in NEMS, MEMS, liquid chromatography, and sensor devices.

Thin-Layer Solutions of the Helmholtz and Related Equations

KAUST Repository

Ockendon, J. R.

2012-01-01

This paper concerns a certain class of two-dimensional solutions to four generic partial differential equations-the Helmholtz, modified Helmholtz, and convection-diffusion equations, and the heat conduction equation in the frequency domain-and the connections between these equations for this particular class of solutions.S pecifically, we consider thin-layer solutions, valid in narrow regions across which there is rapid variation, in the singularly perturbed limit as the coefficient of the Laplacian tends to zero.F or the wellstudied Helmholtz equation, this is the high-frequency limit and the solutions in question underpin the conventional ray theory/WKB approach in that they provide descriptions valid in some of the regions where these classical techniques fail.E xamples are caustics, shadow boundaries, whispering gallery, and creeping waves and focusing and bouncing ball modes.It transpires that virtually all such thin-layer models reduce to a class of generalized parabolic wave equations, of which the heat conduction equation is a special case. Moreover, in most situations, we will find that the appropriate parabolic wave equation solutions can be derived as limits of exact solutions of the Helmholtz equation.W e also show how reasonably well-understood thin-layer phenomena associated with any one of the four generic equations may translate into less well-known effects associated with the others.In addition, our considerations also shed some light on the relationship between the methods of matched asymptotic, WKB, and multiple-scales expansions. © 2012 Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics.

Ultrahigh PEMFC performance of a thin-film, dual-electrode assembly with tailored electrode morphology.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Chi-Young; Kim, Tae-Hyun; Yi, Sung-Chul

2014-02-01

A dual-electrode membrane electrode assembly (MEA) for proton exchange membrane fuel cells with enhanced polarization under zero relative humidity (RH) is fabricated by introducing a phase-separated morphology in an agglomerated catalyst layer of Pt/C (platinum on carbon black) and Nafion. In the catalyst layer, a sufficient level of phase separation is achieved by dispersing the Pt catalyst and the Nafion dispersion in a mixed-solvent system (propane-1,2,3-triol/1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone).The high polymer chain mobility results in improved water uptake and regular pore-size distribution with small pore diameters. The electrochemical performance of the dual-film electrode assembly with different levels of phase separation is compared to conventional electrode assemblies. As a result, good performance at 0 % RH is obtained because self-humidification is dramatically improved by attaching this dense and phase-separated catalytic overlayer onto the conventional catalyst layer. A MEA prepared using the thin-film, dual-layered electrode exhibits 39-fold increased RH stability and 28-fold improved start-up recovery time during the on-off operation relative to the conventional device. We demonstrate the successful operation of the dual-layered electrode comprised of discriminatively phase-separated agglomerates with an ultrahigh zero RH fuel-cell performance reaching over 95 % performance of a fully humidified MEA. Copyright © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Comparison of two detection methods in thin layer chromatographic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

o-tolidine plus potassium iodide and photosynthesis inhibition detection methods were investigated for the analysis of three triazine herbicides (atrazine, ametryne, simazine) and two urea herbicides (diuron, metobromuron) in a coastal savanna soil using thin layer chromatography to compare the suitability of the two ...

Pre-staining thin layer chromatography method for amino acid ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Jane

2010-12-13

Dec 13, 2010 ... inexpensive and the results obtained were clean and reproducible. However, it is suitable for the high throughput screening of amino acid-producing strains. Key words: Thin layer chromatography, pre-staining, amino acid detection. INTRODUCTION. Several analytical techniques have been often used for.

Gradient Mn-La-Pt Catalysts with Three-layered Structure for Li-O2 battery

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Kedi; Yang, Rui; Lang, Xiaoshi; Zhang, Qingguo; Wang, Zhenhua; He, Tieshi

2016-01-01

Gradient Mn-La-Pt catalysts with three-layered structure of manganese dioxide (MnO2), lanthanum oxide (La2O3), and Platinum (Pt) for Li-O2 battery are prepared in this study. The mass ratio of the catalysts is respectively 5:2:3, 4:2:4, and 3:2:5 (MnO2: La2O3: Pt) which is start from the side of the electrolyte. The relationship between morphology structure and electrochemical performance of gradient catalyst is investigated by energy dispersive spectrometry and constant current charge/discharge test. The Li-O2 battery based on gradient Mn-La-Pt catalysts shows high discharge specific capacity (2707 mAh g−1), specific energy density (8400 Wh kg−1) and long cycle life (56 cycles). The improvement of the Li-O2 battery discharge capacity is attributed to the gradient distribution of MnO2 and Pt and the involvement of La2O3 that can improve the energy density of the battery. More important, this work will also provide new ideas and methods for the research of other metal-air battery. PMID:27731340

Thin layer activation: measuring wear and corrosion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delvigne, T.; Leyman, D.; Oxorn, K.

1995-01-01

The technique known as thin layer activation (TLA) is explained and assessed in this article. Widely used, in for example the automotive industry, TLA allows on-line monitoring of the loss of matter from a critical surface, by wear erosion and corrosion. The technique offers extremely high sensitivity thus leading to reduced test times. On-line wear phenomena can be assessed during operation of a mechanical process, even through thick engine walls. (UK)

Double-layer indium doped zinc oxide for silicon thin-film solar cell prepared by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiao Bao-Chen; Zhang Xiao-Dan; Wei Chang-Chun; Sun Jian; Ni Jian; Zhao Ying

2011-01-01

Indium doped zinc oxide (ZnO:In) thin films were prepared by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis on corning eagle 2000 glass substrate. 1 and 2 at.% indium doped single-layer ZnO:In thin films with different amounts of acetic acid added in the initial solution were fabricated. The 1 at.% indium doped single-layers have triangle grains. The 2 at.% indium doped single-layer with 0.18 acetic acid adding has the resistivity of 6.82×10 −3 Ω·cm and particle grains. The double-layers structure is designed to fabricate the ZnO:In thin film with low resistivity (2.58×10 −3 Ω·cm) and good surface morphology. It is found that the surface morphology of the double-layer ZnO:In film strongly depends on the substrate-layer, and the second-layer plays a large part in the resistivity of the double-layer ZnO:In thin film. Both total and direct transmittances of the double-layer ZnO:In film are above 80% in the visible light region. Single junction a-Si:H solar cell based on the double-layer ZnO:In as front electrode is also investigated. (condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)

Layered double hydroxides/polymer thin films grown by matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Birjega, R.; Matei, A.; Mitu, B.; Ionita, M.D.; Filipescu, M.; Stokker-Cheregi, F.; Luculescu, C.; Dinescu, M. [National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 409 Atomistilor Str., 77125 Bucharest–Magurele (Romania); Zavoianu, R.; Pavel, O.D. [University of Bucharest, Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Chemical Technology and Catalysis, 4-12 Regina Elisabeta Bd., Bucharest (Romania); Corobea, M.C. [National R. and S. Institute for Chemistry and Petrochemistry, ICECHIM, 202 Splaiul Independentei Str., CP-35-274, 060021, Bucharest (Romania)

2013-09-30

Due to their highly tunable properties, layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are an emerging class of the favorably layered crystals used for the preparation of multifunctional polymer/layered crystal nanocomposites. In contrast to cationic clay materials with negatively charge layers, LDHs are the only host lattices with positively charged layers (brucite-like), with interlayer exchangeable anions and intercalated water. In this work, the deposition of thin films of Mg and Al based LDH/polymers nanocomposites by laser techniques is reported. Matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation was the method used for thin films deposition. The Mg–Al LDHs capability to act as a host for polymers and to produce hybrid LDH/polymer films has been investigated. Polyethylene glycol with different molecular mass compositions and ethylene glycol were used as polymers. The structure and surface morphology of the deposited LDH/polymers films were examined by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. - Highlights: • Hybrid composites deposited by matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE). • Mg–Al layered double hydroxides (LDH) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) are used. • Mixtures of PEG1450 and LDH were deposited by MAPLE. • Deposited thin films preserve the properties of the starting material. • The film wettability can be controlled by the amount of PEG.

Comparison study of catalyst nanoparticle formation and carbon nanotube growth: Support effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Yunyu; Luo Zhiquan; Li Bin; Ho, Paul S.; Yao Zhen; Shi Li; Bryan, Eugene N.; Nemanich, Robert J.

2007-01-01

A comparison study has been conducted on the formation of catalyst nanoparticles on a high surface tension metal and low surface tension oxide for carbon nanotube (CNT) growth via catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CCVD). Silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) and tantalum have been deposited as supporting layers before deposition of a thin layer of iron catalyst. Iron nanoparticles were formed after thermal annealing. It was found that densities, size distributions, and morphologies of iron nanoparticles were distinctly different on the two supporting layers. In particular, iron nanoparticles revealed a Volmer-Weber growth mode on SiO 2 and a Stranski-Krastanov mode on tantalum. CCVD growth of CNTs was conducted on iron/tantalum and iron/SiO 2 . CNT growth on SiO 2 exhibited a tip growth mode with a slow growth rate of less than 100 nm/min. In contrast, the growth on tantalum followed a base growth mode with a fast growth rate exceeding 1 μm/min. For comparison, plasma enhanced CVD was also employed for CNT growth on SiO 2 and showed a base growth mode with a growth rate greater than 2 μm/min. The enhanced CNT growth rate on tantalum was attributed to the morphologies of iron nanoparticles in combination with the presence of an iron wetting layer. The CNT growth mode was affected by the adhesion between the catalyst and support as well as CVD process

Magnetic properties of amorphous Tb-Fe thin films with an artificially layered structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, N.

1986-01-01

An alternating terbium-iron (Tb-Fe) multilayer structure artificially made in amorphous Tb-Fe thin films gives rise to excellent magnetic properties of large perpendicular uniaxial anisotropy, large saturation magnetization, and large coercivity over a wide range of Tb composition in the films. The films are superior to amorphous Tb-Fe alloy thin films, especially when they are piled up with a monatomic layer of Tb and several atomic layers of Fe in an alternating fashion. Small-angle x-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the layering of monatomic layers of Tb and Fe, where the periodicity of the layers was found to be about 5.9 A. Direct evidence for an artificially layered structure was obtained by transmission electron microscopic and Auger electron spectroscopic observations. Together with magnetic measurements of hysteresis loops and torque curves, it has been concluded that the most important origin of the large magnetic uniaxial anisotropy can be attributed to the Tb-Fe pairs aligned perpendicular to the films

Layer-by-layer modification of thin-film metal-semiconductor multilayers with ultrashort laser pulses

Science.gov (United States)

Romashevskiy, S. A.; Tsygankov, P. A.; Ashitkov, S. I.; Agranat, M. B.

2018-05-01

The surface modifications in a multilayer thin-film structure (50-nm alternating layers of Si and Al) induced by a single Gaussian-shaped femtosecond laser pulse (350 fs, 1028 nm) in the air are investigated by means of atomic-force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and optical microscopy (OM). Depending on the laser fluence, various modifications of nanometer-scale metal and semiconductor layers, including localized formation of silicon/aluminum nanofoams and layer-by-layer removal, are found. While the nanofoams with cell sizes in the range of tens to hundreds of nanometers are produced only in the two top layers, layer-by-layer removal is observed for the four top layers under single pulse irradiation. The 50-nm films of the multilayer structure are found to be separated at their interfaces, resulting in a selective removal of several top layers (up to 4) in the form of step-like (concentric) craters. The observed phenomenon is associated with a thermo-mechanical ablation mechanism that results in splitting off at film-film interface, where the adhesion force is less than the bulk strength of the used materials, revealing linear dependence of threshold fluences on the film thickness.

Formation of hydrated layers in PMMA thin films in aqueous solution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Akers, Peter W. [School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland (New Zealand); Nelson, Andrew R.J. [The Bragg Institute, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Menai, NSW (Australia); Williams, David E. [School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland (New Zealand); MacDiarmid Institute of Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Wellington (New Zealand); McGillivray, Duncan J., E-mail: d.mcgillivray@auckland.ac.nz [School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland (New Zealand); MacDiarmid Institute of Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Wellington (New Zealand)

2015-10-30

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Homogeneous thin PMMA films prepared on Si/SiOx substrates and measured in air and water. • Reproducible formation of highly hydrated layer containing 50% water at the PMMA/SiOx interface. • When heated the films swell at 50 °C without loss of material. • Upon re-cooling to 25 °C the surface roughens and material is lost. - Abstract: Neutron reflectometry (NR) measurements have been made on thin (70–150 Å) poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) films on Si/SiOx substrates in aqueous conditions, and compared with parameters measured using ellipsometry and X-Ray reflectometry (XRR) on dry films. All techniques show that the thin films prepared using spin-coating techniques were uniform and had low roughness at both the silicon and subphase interfaces, and similar surface energetics to thicker PMMA films. In aqueous solution, NR measurements at 25 °C showed that PMMA forms a partially hydrated layer at the SiOx interface 10 Å under the film, while the bulk film remains intact and contains around 4% water. Both the PMMA film layer and the sublayer showed minimal swelling over a period of 24 h. At 50 °C, PMMA films in aqueous solution roughen and swell, without loss of PMMA material at the surface. After cooling back to 25 °C, swelling and roughening increases further, with loss of material from the PMMA layer.

Formation of hydrated layers in PMMA thin films in aqueous solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akers, Peter W.; Nelson, Andrew R.J.; Williams, David E.; McGillivray, Duncan J.

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Homogeneous thin PMMA films prepared on Si/SiOx substrates and measured in air and water. • Reproducible formation of highly hydrated layer containing 50% water at the PMMA/SiOx interface. • When heated the films swell at 50 °C without loss of material. • Upon re-cooling to 25 °C the surface roughens and material is lost. - Abstract: Neutron reflectometry (NR) measurements have been made on thin (70–150 Å) poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) films on Si/SiOx substrates in aqueous conditions, and compared with parameters measured using ellipsometry and X-Ray reflectometry (XRR) on dry films. All techniques show that the thin films prepared using spin-coating techniques were uniform and had low roughness at both the silicon and subphase interfaces, and similar surface energetics to thicker PMMA films. In aqueous solution, NR measurements at 25 °C showed that PMMA forms a partially hydrated layer at the SiOx interface 10 Å under the film, while the bulk film remains intact and contains around 4% water. Both the PMMA film layer and the sublayer showed minimal swelling over a period of 24 h. At 50 °C, PMMA films in aqueous solution roughen and swell, without loss of PMMA material at the surface. After cooling back to 25 °C, swelling and roughening increases further, with loss of material from the PMMA layer.

Note: Automatic layer-by-layer spraying system for functional thin film coatings

Science.gov (United States)

Seo, Seongmin; Lee, Sangmin; Park, Yong Tae

2016-03-01

In this study, we have constructed an automatic spray machine for producing polyelectrolyte multilayer films containing various functional materials on wide substrates via the layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly technique. The proposed machine exhibits advantages in terms of automation, process speed, and versatility. Furthermore, it has several features that allow a fully automated spraying operation, such as various two-dimensional spraying paths, control of the flow rate and operating speed, air-assist fan-shaped twin-fluid nozzles, and an optical display. The robot uniformly sprays aqueous mixtures containing complementary (e.g., oppositely charged, capable of hydrogen bonding, or capable of covalent bonding) species onto a large-area substrate. Between each deposition of opposite species, samples are spray-rinsed with deionized water and blow-dried with air. The spraying, rinsing, and drying areas and times are adjustable by a computer program. Twenty-bilayer flame-retardant thin films were prepared in order to compare the performance of the spray-assisted LbL assembly with a sample produced by conventional dipping. The spray-coated film exhibited a reduction of afterglow time in vertical flame tests, indicating that the spray-LbL technique is a simple method to produce functional thin film coatings.

Using thin metal layers on composite structures for shielding the electromagnetic pulse caused by nearby lightning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Blaj, M.A.; Buesink, Frederik Johannes Karel; Damstra, G.C.; Leferink, Frank Bernardus Johannes

2011-01-01

Electronic systems in composite structures could be vulnerable to the (dominant magnetic) field caused by a lightning strike, because only thin layers of metal can be used on composite structures. Thin layers result in a very low shielding effectiveness against magnetic fields. Many experiments

Voltammetric Thin-Layer Ionophore-Based Films: Part 2. Semi-Empirical Treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Dajing; Cuartero, Maria; Crespo, Gaston A; Bakker, Eric

2017-01-03

This work reports on a semiempirical treatment that allows one to rationalize and predict experimental conditions for thin-layer ionophore-based films with cation-exchange capacity read out with cyclic voltammetry. The transition between diffusional mass transport and thin-layer regime is described with a parameter (α), which depends on membrane composition, diffusion coefficient, scan rate, and electrode rotating speed. Once the thin-layer regime is fulfilled (α = 1), the membrane behaves in some analogy to a potentiometric sensor with a second discrimination variable (the applied potential) that allows one to operate such electrodes in a multianalyte detection mode owing to the variable applied ion-transfer potentials. The limit of detection of this regime is defined with a second parameter (β = 2) and is chosen in analogy to the definition of the detection limit for potentiometric sensors provided by the IUPAC. The analytical equations were validated through the simulation of the respective cyclic voltammograms under the same experimental conditions. While simulations of high complexity and better accuracy satisfactorily reproduced the experimental voltammograms during the forward and backward potential sweeps (companion paper 1), the semiempirical treatment here, while less accurate, is of low complexity and allows one to quite easily predict relevant experimental conditions for this emergent methodology.

Domain growth of carbon nanotubes assisted by dewetting of thin catalyst precursor films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Srivastava, Alok Kumar [Defence Materials and Stores R and D Establishment (DRDO), GT Road, Kanpur 208013 (India); Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur 208016 (India); Sachan, Priyanka; Samanta, Chandan [Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur 208016 (India); Mukhopadhyay, Kingsuk [Defence Materials and Stores R and D Establishment (DRDO), GT Road, Kanpur 208013 (India); Sharma, Ashutosh, E-mail: ashutos@iitk.ac.in [Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur 208016 (India)

2014-01-01

We explore self-organized dewetting of ultrathin films of a novel metal complex as a one step surface patterning method to create nanoislands of iron, using which spatially separated carbon nanostructures were synthesized. Dewetting of ultrathin metal complex films was induced by two different methods: liquid solvent exposure and thermal annealing to engender surface patterning. For thermal dewetting, thin films of the iron oleate complex were dewetted at high temperature. In the case of liquid solvent assisted dewetting, the metal complex, mixed with a sacrificial polymer (polystyrene) was spin coated as thin films (<40 nm) and then dewetted under an optimal solution mixture consisting of methyl ethyl ketone, acetone and water. The carrier polymer was then selectively removed to produce the iron metal islands. These metal islands were used for selective growth of discrete patches of multiwall CNTs and CNFs by a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. Solvent induced dewetting showed clear advantages over thermal dewetting owing to reduced size of catalyst domains formed by dewetting, an improved control over CNT growth as well as in its ability to immobilize the seed particles. The generic solution mediated dewetting and pattern generation in thin films of various catalytic precursors can thus be a powerful method for selective domain growth of a variety of functional nanomaterials.

Layered Cu-based electrode for high-dielectric constant oxide thin film-based devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan, W.; Saha, S.; Carlisle, J.A.; Auciello, O.; Chang, R.P.H.; Ramesh, R.

2003-01-01

Ti-Al/Cu/Ta multilayered electrodes were fabricated on SiO 2 /Si substrates by ion beam sputtering deposition, to overcome the problems of Cu diffusion and oxidation encountered during the high dielectric constant (κ) materials integration. The Cu and Ta layers remained intact through the annealing in oxygen environment up to 600 deg. C. The thin oxide layer, formed on the Ti-Al surface, effectively prevented the oxygen penetration toward underneath layers. Complex oxide (Ba x Sr 1-x )TiO 3 (BST) thin films were grown on the layered Ti-Al/Cu/Ta electrodes using rf magnetron sputtering. The deposited BST films exhibited relatively high permittivity (150), low dielectric loss (0.007) at zero bias, and low leakage current -8 A/cm 2 at 100 kV/cm

Layer-controllable graphene by plasma thinning and post-annealing

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Lufang; Feng, Shaopeng; Xiao, Shaoqing; Shen, Gang; Zhang, Xiumei; Nan, Haiyan; Gu, Xiaofeng; Ostrikov, Kostya (Ken)

2018-05-01

The electronic structure of graphene depends crucially on its layer number and therefore engineering the number of graphene's atomic stacking layers is of great importance for the preparation of graphene-based devices. In this paper, we demonstrated a relatively less invasive, high-throughput and uniform large-area plasma thinning of graphene based on direct bombardment effect of fast-moving ionic hydrogen or argon species. Any desired number of graphene layers including trilayer, bilayer and monolayer can be obtained. Structural changes of graphene layers are studied by optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. Post annealing is adopted to self-heal the lattice defects induced by the ion bombardment effect. This plasma etching technique is efficient and compatible with semiconductor manufacturing processes, and may find important applications for graphene-based device fabrication.

Enhanced electrical properties of oxide semiconductor thin-film transistors with high conductivity thin layer insertion for the channel region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nguyen, Cam Phu Thi; Raja, Jayapal; Kim, Sunbo; Jang, Kyungsoo; Le, Anh Huy Tuan; Lee, Youn-Jung; Yi, Junsin, E-mail: junsin@skku.edu

2017-02-28

Highlights: • The characteristics of thin film transistors using double active layers are examined. • Electrical characteristics have been improved for the double active layers devices. • The total trap density can be decreased by insert-ion of ultrathin ITO film. - Abstract: This study examined the performance and the stability of indium tin zinc oxide (ITZO) thin film transistors (TFTs) by inserting an ultra-thin indium tin oxide (ITO) layer at the active/insulator interface. The electrical properties of the double channel device (ITO thickness of 5 nm) were improved in comparison with the single channel ITZO or ITO devices. The TFT characteristics of the device with an ITO thickness of less than 5 nm were degraded due to the formation of an island-like morphology and the carriers scattering at the active/insulator interface. The 5 nm-thick ITO inserted ITZO TFTs (optimal condition) exhibited a superior field effect mobility (∼95 cm{sup 2}/V·s) compared with the ITZO-only TFTs (∼34 cm{sup 2}/V·s). The best characteristics of the TFT devices with double channel layer are due to the lowest surface roughness (0.14 nm) and contact angle (50.1°) that result in the highest hydrophicility, and the most effective adhesion at the surface. Furthermore, the threshold voltage shifts for the ITO/ITZO double layer device decreased to 0.80 and −2.39 V compared with 6.10 and −6.79 V (for the ITZO only device) under positive and negative bias stress, respectively. The falling rates of E{sub A} were 0.38 eV/V and 0.54 eV/V for the ITZO and ITO/ITZO bi-layer devices, respectively. The faster falling rate of the double channel devices suggests that the trap density, including interface trap and semiconductor bulk trap, can be decreased by the ion insertion of a very thin ITO film into the ITZO/SiO{sub 2} reference device. These results demonstrate that the double active layer TFT can potentially be applied to the flat panel display.

Modeling the influence of the seeding layer on the transition behavior of a ferroelectric thin film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oubelkacem, A.; Essaoudi, I.; Ainane, A.; Saber, M.; Dujardin, F.

2011-01-01

The transition properties of a ferroelectric thin film with seeding layers were studied using the effective field theory with a probability distribution technique that accounts for the self-spin correlation functions. The effect of interaction parameters for the seeding layer on the phase diagram was also examined. We calculated the critical temperature and the polarization of the ferroelectric thin film for different seeding layer structures. We found that the seeding layer can greatly increase the Curie temperature and the polarization.

Thin film photovoltaic devices with a minimally conductive buffer layer

Science.gov (United States)

Barnes, Teresa M.; Burst, James

2016-11-15

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

Low Energy Scanned Electron-Beam Dose Distribution in Thin Layers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McLaughlin, W. L.; Hjortenberg, P. E.; Pedersen, Walther Batsberg

1975-01-01

Thin radiochromic dye film dosimeters, calibrated by means of calorimetry, make possible the determination of absorbed-dose distributions due to low-energy scanned electron beam penetrations in moderately thin coatings and laminar media. For electrons of a few hundred keV, calibrated dosimeters...... of about 30–60 μm thickness may be used in stacks or interleaved between layers of materials of interest and supply a sufficient number of experimental data points throughout the depth of penetration of electrons to provide a depth-dose curve. Depth doses may be resolved in various polymer layers...... on different backings (wood, aluminum, and iron) for scanned electron beams (Emax = 400 keV) having a broad energy spectrum and diffuse incidence, such as those used in radiation curing of coatings, textiles, plastics, etc. Theoretical calculations of such distributions of energy depositions are relatively...

Catalytic Combustion of Low Concentration Methane over Catalysts Prepared from Co/Mg-Mn Layered Double Hydroxides

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hongfeng Liu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A series of Co/Mg-Mn mixed oxides were synthesized through thermal decomposition of layered double hydroxides (LDHs precursors. The resulted catalysts were then subjected for catalytic combustion of methane. Experimental results revealed that the Co4.5Mg1.5Mn2LDO catalyst possessed the best performance with the T90=485°C. After being analyzed via XRD, BET-BJH, SEM, H2-TPR, and XPS techniques, it was observed that the addition of cobalt had significantly improved the redox ability of the catalysts whilst certain amount of magnesium was essential to guarantee the catalytic activity. The presence of Mg was helpful to enhance the oxygen mobility and, meanwhile, improved the dispersion of Co and Mn oxides, preventing the surface area loss after calcination.

Estimation of optical constants of a bio-thin layer (onion epidermis), using SPR spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rehman, Saif-ur-; Hayashi, Shinji; Sekkat, Zouheir; Mumtaz, Huma; Shaukat, S F

2014-01-01

We estimate the optical constants of a biological thin layer (Allium cepa) by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy. For this study, the fresh inner thin epidermis of an onion bulb was used and stacked directly on gold (Au) and silver (Ag) film surfaces in order to identify the shift in SPR mode of each metal film at an operating wavelength of 632.8 nm. The thickness and dielectric constants of the biological thin layer were determined by matching the experimental SPR curves to theoretical ones. The thickness and roughness of bare Au and Ag thin films were also measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM); the results of which are in good agreement with those obtained through experiment. Due to the high surface roughness of the natural onion epidermis layer, AFM could not measure the exact thickness of an onion epidermis. It is estimated that the value of the real part of the dielectric constant of an onion epidermis is between the dielectric constants of water and air. (paper)

Sputter Deposited TiOx Thin-Films as Electron Transport Layers in Organic Solar Cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mirsafaei, Mina; Bomholt Jensen, Pia; Lakhotiya, Harish

transparency and favorable energy-level alignment with many commonly used electron-acceptor materials. There are several methods available for fabricating compact TiOx thin-films for use in organic solar cells, including sol-gel solution processing, spray pyrolysis and atomic-layer deposition; however...... of around 7%, by incorporating sputter deposited TiOx thin-films as electron-transport and exciton-blocking layers. In the work, we report on the effect of different TiOx deposition temperatures and thicknesses on the organic-solar-cell device performance. Besides optical characterization, AFM and XRD...... analyses are performed to characterize the morphology and crystal structure of the films, and external quantum efficiency measurements are employed to shed further light on the device performance. Our study presents a novel method for implementation of TiOx thin-films as electron-transport layer in organic...

Photo-EMF sensitivity of porous silicon thin layer-crystalline silicon heterojunction to ammonia adsorption.

Science.gov (United States)

Vashpanov, Yuriy; Jung, Jae Il; Kwack, Kae Dal

2011-01-01

A new method of using photo-electromotive force in detecting gas and controlling sensitivity is proposed. Photo-electromotive force on the heterojunction between porous silicon thin layer and crystalline silicon wafer depends on the concentration of ammonia in the measurement chamber. A porous silicon thin layer was formed by electrochemical etching on p-type silicon wafer. A gas and light transparent electrical contact was manufactured to this porous layer. Photo-EMF sensitivity corresponding to ammonia concentration in the range from 10 ppm to 1,000 ppm can be maximized by controlling the intensity of illumination light.

Atomic Layer Deposited Catalysts for Fuel Cell Applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johansson, Anne-Charlotte Elisabeth Birgitta

catalyst toward the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR). In the work described in this PhD dissertation, two series of Pt-Ru ALD catalysts supported on nitrogen-doped multi-walled carbon nanotubes (N-CNTs) have been evaluated toward the CO oxidation and MOR at room temperature in a three......The micro direct methanol fuel cell (µDMFC) has been proposed as a candidate to power portable applications. The device can operate at room temperature on inexpensive, energy-dense methanol fuel, and it can be easily "recharged" by fuel refilling. Microfabrication techniques could be one route......-electrode electrochemical cell. The first series was comprised of Pt-Ru ALD catalysts of various Ru compositions, between 0 and 100 at.%. For the compositions investigated, the best catalyst had a Ru composition of 29 at.%. In the second series Ru-decorated Pt catalysts of various Ru loadings, i.e., various Ru ALD cycles...

The Enhanced Catalytic Performance and Stability of Rh/γ-Al₂O₃ Catalyst Synthesized by Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) for Methane Dry Reforming.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yunlin; Jiang, Jing; Zhu, Chaosheng; Li, Lili; Li, Quanliang; Ding, Yongjie; Yang, Weijie

2018-01-22

Rh/γ-Al₂O₃ catalysts were synthesized by both incipient wetness impregnation (IWI) and atomic layer deposition (ALD). The TEM images of the two catalysts showed that the catalyst from ALD had smaller particle size, and narrower size distribution. The surface chemical states of both catalysts were investigated by both XPS and X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES), and the catalyst from IWI had higher concentration of Rh 3+ than that from ALD. The catalytic performance of both catalysts was tested in the dry reforming of methane reaction. The catalyst from ALD showed a higher conversion and selectivity than that from IWI. The stability testing results indicated that the catalyst from ALD showed similar stability to that from IWI at 500 °C, but higher stability at 800 °C.

Modified Back Contact Interface of CZTSe Thin Film Solar Cells: Elimination of Double Layer Distribution in Absorber Layer.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhaojing; Yao, Liyong; Zhang, Yi; Ao, Jianping; Bi, Jinlian; Gao, Shoushuai; Gao, Qing; Jeng, Ming-Jer; Sun, Guozhong; Zhou, Zhiqiang; He, Qing; Sun, Yun

2018-02-01

Double layer distribution exists in Cu 2 SnZnSe 4 (CZTSe) thin films prepared by selenizing the metallic precursors, which will degrade the back contact of Mo substrate to absorber layer and thus suppressing the performance of solar cell. In this work, the double-layer distribution of CZTSe film is eliminated entirely and the formation of MoSe 2 interfacial layer is inhibited successfully. CZTSe film is prepared by selenizing the precursor deposited by electrodeposition method under Se and SnSe x mixed atmosphere. It is found that the insufficient reaction between ZnSe and Cu-Sn-Se phases in the bottom of the film is the reason why the double layer distribution of CZTSe film is formed. By increasing Sn content in the metallic precursor, thus making up the loss of Sn because of the decomposition of CZTSe and facilitate the diffusion of liquid Cu 2 Se, the double layer distribution is eliminated entirely. The crystallization of the formed thin film is dense and the grains go through the entire film without voids. And there is no obvious MoSe 2 layer formed between CZTSe and Mo. As a consequence, the series resistance of the solar cell reduces significantly to 0.14 Ω cm 2 and a CZTSe solar cell with efficiency of 7.2% is fabricated.

A thin-layer liquid culture technique for the growth of Helicobacter pylori.

Science.gov (United States)

Joo, Jung-Soo; Park, Kyung-Chul; Song, Jae-Young; Kim, Dong-Hyun; Lee, Kyung-Ja; Kwon, Young-Cheol; Kim, Jung-Min; Kim, Kyung-Mi; Youn, Hee-Shang; Kang, Hyung-Lyun; Baik, Seung-Chul; Lee, Woo-Kon; Cho, Myung-Je; Rhee, Kwang-Ho

2010-08-01

Several attempts have been successful in liquid cultivation of Helicobaccter pylori. However, there is a need to improve the growth of H. pylori in liquid media in order to get affluent growth and a simple approach for examining bacterial properties. We introduce here a thin-layer liquid culture technique for the growth of H. pylori. A thin-layer liquid culture system was established by adding liquid media to a 90-mm diameter Petri dish. Optimal conditions for bacterial growth were investigated and then viability, growth curve, and released proteins were examined. Maximal growth of H. pylori was obtained by adding 3 mL of brucella broth supplemented with 10% horse to a Petri dish. H. pylori grew in both DMEM and RPMI-1640 supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum and 0.5% yeast extract. Serum-free RPMI-1640 supported the growth of H. pylori when supplemented with dimethyl-beta-cyclodextrin (200 microg/mL) and 1% yeast extract. Under optimal growth, H. pylori grew exponentially for 28 hours, reaching a density of 3.4 OD(600) with a generation time of 3.3 hours. After 24 hours, cultures at a cell density of 1.0 OD(600) contained 1.3 +/- 0.1 x 10(9 )CFU/mL. gamma-Glutamyl transpeptidase, nuclease, superoxide dismutase, and urease were not detected in culture supernatants at 24 hours in thin-layer liquid culture, but were present at 48 hours, whereas alcohol dehydrogenase, alkylhydroperoxide reductase, catalase, and vacuolating cytotoxin were detected at 24 hours. Thin-layer liquid culture technique is feasible, and can serve as a versatile liquid culture technique for investigating bacterial properties of H. pylori.

Hydroxide catalysts for lignin depolymerization

Science.gov (United States)

Beckham, Gregg T; Biddy, Mary J.; Kruger, Jacob S.; Chmely, Stephen C.; Sturgeon, Matthew

2017-10-17

Solid base catalysts and their use for the base-catalyzed depolymerization (BCD) of lignin to compounds such as aromatics are presented herein. Exemplary catalysts include layered double hydroxides (LDHs) as recyclable, heterogeneous catalysts for BCD of lignin.

Hydroxide catalysts for lignin depolymerization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beckham, Gregg T.; Biddy, Mary J.; Chmely, Stephen C.; Sturgeon, Matthew

2017-04-25

Solid base catalysts and their use for the base-catalyzed depolymerization (BCD) of lignin to compounds such as aromatics are presented herein. Exemplary catalysts include layered double hydroxides (LDHs) as recyclable, heterogeneous catalysts for BCD of lignin.

Controlling fuel crossover and hydration in ultrathin proton exchange membrane-based fuel cells using Pt-nanosheet catalysts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Rujie; Zhang, Wenjing (Angela); He, Gaohong

2014-01-01

and provided in situ hydration inside Nafion membranes to maintain their proton conductivity level. Furthermore, LDH nanosheets reinforced the Nafion membranes, with 181% improvement in tensile modulus and 166% improvement in yield strength. In a hydrogen fuel cell running with dry fuel, the membrane......An ultra-thin proton exchange membrane with Pt-nanosheet catalysts was designed for a self-humidifying fuel cell running on H2 and O2. In this design, an ultra-thin Nafion membrane was used to reduce ohmic resistance. Pt nanocatalysts were uniformly anchored on exfoliated, layered double hydroxide...

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.)

Ultra-smooth epitaxial Ge grown on Si(001) utilizing a thin C-doped Ge buffer layer

KAUST Repository

Mantey, J.

2013-01-01

Here, we present work on epitaxial Ge films grown on a thin buffer layer of C doped Ge (Ge:C). The growth rate of Ge:C is found to slow over time and is thus unsuitable for thick (>20 nm) layers. We demonstrate Ge films from 10 nm to >150 nm are possible by growing pure Ge on a thin Ge:C buffer. It is shown that this stack yields exceedingly low roughness levels (comparable to bulk Si wafers) and contains fewer defects and higher Hall mobility compared to traditional heteroepitaxial Ge. The addition of C at the interface helps reduce strain by its smaller atomic radius and its ability to pin defects within the thin buffer layer that do not thread to the top Ge layer. © 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.

Evidence of Plasmonic Induced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production on Pd/TiO2 Upon Deposition on Thin Films of Gold

KAUST Repository

Khan, M. A.

2017-02-28

H2-production from renewables using sunlight is probably the holy grail of modern science and technology. Among the many approaches for increasing reaction rates, by increasing light absorption, plasmonic materials are often invoked. Yet, most plasmonic metals on semiconductors are also good for Schottky barrier formation. In this work, we are presenting evidences of de-coupling the plasmonic from Schottky effects on photoreaction. To conduct this we have systematically changed the under-layer gold film thickness and associated particle size. On top of the thin film layer, we have deposited the exact amount of a prototypical Schottky-based photo-catalyst (Pd/TiO2). We found up to 4 times increase in the H2-production rate at a critical Au film thickness (8 nm-thick). Below this thickness, the plasmonic response is not too strong while above it, the PR decays in favor of the Drude absorption mode. The reaction requires the presence of both UV (to excite the semiconductor) and visible light (to excite Au particles) in order to obtain high hydrogen production, 800 µmol/gCatal.min (probably the highest direct hydrogen (not current) production rate reported on a performing catalyst). The enhancement origin is quantitatively traced to its computed electric field strength (EFS). Adding a dielectric (SiO2) in between the Au thin layer and the catalyst exponentially decreased the reaction rate and EFS, with increasing its thickness. This work indicates the possibility of making an active and stable photo-catalyst from fundamental concepts yet further progress on the structural (technological) front is needed to make a practical catalyst.Graphical abstract

Evidence for moving of threading dislocations during the VPE growth in GaN thin layers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuwano, Noriyuki [Art, Science and Technology Center for Cooperative Research, Kyushu University, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816-8580 (Japan); Department of Applied Science for Electronics and Materials, Kyushu University, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816-8580 (Japan); Miyake, Hideto; Hiramatsu, Kazumasa [Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Mie University, Tsu, Mie 514-8507 (Japan); Amano, Hiroshi [Graduate School of Engineering, Akasaki Research Center, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8603 (Japan); Akasaki, Isamu [Faculty of Science and Technology, Meijo University, 1-501 Shiogamaguchi, Tempaku, Nagoya 468-8502 (Japan)

2011-05-15

Cross-sectional transmission electron microscope (TEM) observation was performed in detail to analyze the morphology of threading dislocations (TDs) in GaN thin layers with various thicknesses. The GaN layers were overgrown on an Al{sub 0.28}Ga{sub 0.72}N layer by the metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy (MOVPE) method. In a GaN layer about 50 nm in thickness, TDs running up in the AlGaN layer pass into the GaN layer and most of them reach the top surface without bending. In thicker GaN layers, on the other hand, many of TDs form a hairpin-configuration on or above the interface of GaN and AlGaN to be annihilated. This difference in morphology of TDs indicates that the TDs have moved down inside the GaN layer. Since the formation of hairpins is attributed to a stress-relief, there should be an extra half-plane between the paired TDs. Therefore, the movement of TDs should be of ''climb motion''. Another example of possible TD movement inside a GaN layer is also described. It is emphasized that the possibility of TD-movements inside the thin film crystal during the growth should be taken into account in analysis of thin-layer growth through the behavior of TDs (copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Encaging palladium(0 in layered double hydroxide: A sustainable catalyst for solvent-free and ligand-free Heck reaction in a ball mill

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei Shi

2017-08-01

Full Text Available In this paper, the synthesis of a cheap, reusable and ligand-free Pd catalyst supported on MgAl layered double hydroxides (Pd/MgAl-LDHs by co-precipitation and reduction methods is described. The catalyst was used in Heck reactions under high-speed ball milling (HSBM conditions at room temperature. The effects of milling-ball size, milling-ball filling degree, reaction time, rotation speed and grinding auxiliary category, which would influence the yields of mechanochemical Heck reactions, were investigated in detail. The characterization results of XRD, ICP–MS and XPS suggest that Pd/MgAl-LDHs have excellent textural properties with zero-valence Pd on its layers. The reaction results indicate that the catalyst could be utilized in HSBM systems to afford a wide range of Heck coupling products in satisfactory yields. Furthermore, this catalyst could be easily recovered and reused for at least five times without significant loss of catalytic activity.

A thin layer fiber-coupled luminescence dosimeter based on Al2O3:C

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Klein, F.A.; Greilich, Steffen; Andersen, Claus Erik

2011-01-01

In this paper we present a fiber-coupled luminescent Al2O3:C dosimeter probe with high spatial resolution (0.1 mm). It is based on thin layers of Al2O3:C crystal powder and a UV-cured acrylate monomer composition. The fabrication of the thin layers is described in detail. No influence of the intr......In this paper we present a fiber-coupled luminescent Al2O3:C dosimeter probe with high spatial resolution (0.1 mm). It is based on thin layers of Al2O3:C crystal powder and a UV-cured acrylate monomer composition. The fabrication of the thin layers is described in detail. No influence...... of the introduced polymer host matrix on the dosimetric properties was observed. Depth-dose measurements with the new detectors in a 142.66 MeV proton and 270.55 MeV/u carbon ion beam are presented as example applications. We used an RL protocol with saturated crystals allowing for time-effective measurements...... without sensitivity corrections. For protons, a relative luminescence efficiency hHCP of 0.715 0.014 was found in the Bragg peak. For carbon ions, a value of 0.498 0.001 was found in the entrance channel, 0.205 0.015 in the Bragg peak, and a mean of 0.413 0.050 in the tail region. The mean range...

Carbon monoxide tolerant anodes for proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. 1. Catalyst development approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Holleck, G L; Pasquariello, D M; Clauson, S L

1998-07-01

PEM fuel cells are highly attractive for distributed power and cogeneration systems. They are efficient and function virtually without noise or pollution. To be competitive PEM fuel cells must operate on fuel mixtures obtained by reforming of widely available natural gas or liquid hydrocarbons. Reformed fuel gas mixtures invariably contain CO, a strong poison for Pt. Therefore CO tolerant anode catalysts are essential for wide spread PEMFC introduction. It is the objective to develop effective CO tolerant fuel cell catalysts based on multi-component platinum-transition metal alloys. Towards this goal the authors have developed a novel approach for the synthesis and performance evaluation of multifunctional ternary alloy fuel cell catalysts. The alloys are prepared as well-defined thin films on standard TFE-bonded carbon substrates via a dc magnetron sputtering technique. The anodes are laminated to Nafion membranes and the electrochemical performance is measured in a representative fuel cell configuration with H{sub 2} and H{sub 2}/CO gas mixtures. The multi-target sputtering technique permits one to reproducibly synthesize true alloy films of controlled composition. The deposit morphology and electrode structure are determined by the standardized TFE bonded carbon substrate. The thin catalyst layer is concentrated at the electrode ionomer interface where it can be fully utilized in a representative fuel cell configuration. Thus, a true comparative fuel cell catalyst evaluation is possible. The effectiveness of this approach will be demonstrated with Pt, Pt-Ru and Pt-Ru-X catalyzed anodes.

Thin and thick layers of resin-based sealer cement bonded to root dentine compared: Adhesive behaviour.

Science.gov (United States)

Pane, Epita S; Palamara, Joseph E A; Messer, Harold H

2015-12-01

This study aims to evaluate tensile and shear bond strengths of one epoxy (AH) and two methacrylate resin-based sealers (EZ and RS) in thin and thick layers bonded to root dentine. An alignment device was prepared for accurate positioning of 20 root dentine cylinders in a predefined gap of 0.1 or 1 mm. Sealer was placed in the interface. Bond strength tests were conducted. Mode of failures and representative surfaces were evaluated. Data were analysed using anova and post-hoc tests, with P thick layer of sealer produced higher bond strength, except for the shear bond strength of EZ. Significant differences between thin and thick layers were found only in tensile bond strengths of AH and RS. Mixed type of failure was constantly found with all sealers. Bond strengths of thick layers of resin-based sealers to root dentine tended to be higher than with thin layers. © 2015 Australian Society of Endodontology.

Thin layer fibres are a knotty problem

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1996-01-01

Concern that emergency core cooling system (ECCS) strainers can be blocked by insulation debris has been generated by an incident at the Swedish Barsebaeck-2 BWR in 1992 and two subsequent incidents at the Perry and Limerick BWR plants in the USA. Recent studies are reported which show that blockage of the small, passive suction type strainers common to these and many other BWRs can occur when only very small quantities of fibrous material present in the suppression pool combine with particulates such as corrosion products to form thin layers on the strainer surface. Layers only a few millimetres thick lead to extremely high head losses on the strainer surface and can cause cavitation in the ECCS pumps. It is concluded that the most practical reliable and cost effective solution is to replace the small strainers with larger ones. (UK)

Investigation of thin polymer layers for biosensor applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saftics, András; Agócs, Emil [Institute for Technical Physics and Materials Science, Research Centre for Natural Sciences–H-1121 Budapest (Hungary); Fodor, Bálint [Institute for Technical Physics and Materials Science, Research Centre for Natural Sciences–H-1121 Budapest (Hungary); Doctoral School of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Ifjúság útja 6 (Hungary); Patkó, Dániel; Petrik, Péter [Institute for Technical Physics and Materials Science, Research Centre for Natural Sciences–H-1121 Budapest (Hungary); Doctoral School of Molecular- and Nanotechnologies, Faculty of Information Technology, University of Pannonia, H-8200 Egyetem u.10, Veszprém (Hungary); Kolari, Kai; Aalto, Timo [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, PL 1000, Tietotie 3, 02044 Espoo (Finland); Fürjes, Péter [Institute for Technical Physics and Materials Science, Research Centre for Natural Sciences–H-1121 Budapest (Hungary); Horvath, Robert [Institute for Technical Physics and Materials Science, Research Centre for Natural Sciences–H-1121 Budapest (Hungary); Doctoral School of Molecular- and Nanotechnologies, Faculty of Information Technology, University of Pannonia, H-8200 Egyetem u.10, Veszprém (Hungary); Kurunczi, Sándor, E-mail: kurunczi.sandor@ttk.mta.hu [Institute for Technical Physics and Materials Science, Research Centre for Natural Sciences–H-1121 Budapest (Hungary); Doctoral School of Molecular- and Nanotechnologies, Faculty of Information Technology, University of Pannonia, H-8200 Egyetem u.10, Veszprém (Hungary)

2013-09-15

Novel biosensors made of polymers may offer advantages over conventional technology such as possibility of mass production and tunability of the material properties. With the ongoing work on the polymer photonic chip fabrication in our project, simple model samples were tested parallel for future immobilization and accessing conditions for applications in typical aqueous buffers. The model samples consist of a thin, high refractive index polyimide film on top of TEOS on Si wafer. These model samples were measured by in situ spectroscopic ellipsometry using different aqueous buffers. The experiments revealed a high drift in aqueous solutions; the drift in the ellipsometric parameters (delta, psi) can be evaluated and presented as changes in thickness and refractive index of the polyimide layer. The first molecular layer of immobilization is based on polyethyleneimine (PEI). The signal for the PEI adsorption was detected on a stable baseline, only after a long conditioning. The stability of polyimide films in aqueous buffer solutions should be improved toward the real biosensor application. Preliminary results are shown on the possibilities to protect the polyimide. Optical Waveguide Lightmode Spectroscopy (OWLS) has been used to demonstrate the shielding effect of the thin TiO{sub 2} adlayer in biosensor applications.

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%)

The thin layer technique and its application to electron microscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ranc, G.

1957-10-01

This work deals with the technique of thin layers obtained by evaporation under vacuum, in the thickness range extending from a few monoatomic layers to several hundred angstroms. The great theoretical and practical interest of these layers has, it is well known, given rise to many investigations from Faraday onwards. Within the necessarily restricted limits of this study, we shall approach the problem more particularly from the point of view of: - their production; - their use in electron microscopy. A critical appraisal is made, in the light of present-day knowledge, based on our personal experience and on an extensive bibliography which we have collected on the subject. (author) [fr

Growth of α-sexithiophene nanostructures on C60 thin film layers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Radziwon, Michal Jędrzej; Madsen, Morten; Balzer, Frank

2014-01-01

Organic molecular beam grown -sexithiophene (-6T) forms nanostructured thin films on buckminsterfullerene (C60) thin film layers. At substrate temperatures of 300K during growth a rough continuous film is observed, which develop to larger elongated islands and dendritic- as well as needle like ...... fluorescence polarimetry measurements the in-plane orientation of the crystalline sites within the needle like structures is determined. The polarimetry investigations strongly indicate that the needle like structures consist of lying molecules....

Determination of ferulic acid and related compounds by thin layer ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The analysis of certain phenolic compounds from plants, and their chemical transformation with microorganisms or isolated enzymes, has application in the food and pharmaceutical industry. The rapid quantitative estimation of ferulic acid by thin layer chromatography is described by measurement of the area of the ...

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

Science.gov (United States)

Ahn, Min-Ju; Cho, Won-Ju

2017-10-01

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

Characterization and obtainment of thin films based on N,N,N-trimethyl chitosan and heparin through the technical layer-by-layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martins, Alessandro F.; Follmann, Heveline D.M.; Rubira, Adley F.; Muniz, Edvani C.

2011-01-01

Thin films of Heparin (HP) and N,N,N-trimethyl chitosan (TMC) with a high degree of quaternization (DQ) were obtained at pH 7.4 through the layer-by-layer (LbL) technique. Polystyrene (PS) was oxidized with aqueous solution of sodium persulfate and subsequently employed as substrate. The characterization of TMC and the respective determination of DQ were performed through 1 H NMR spectroscopy. The thin films de TMC/HP were characterized by FTIR-ATR and AFM. Both techniques confirmed the adsorption of TMC and HP in surface of the PS. The increasing of the bilayers provides a decrease of the projections and/or roughness, further of minimizing the depressions at the surface of the films. Studies of thin films the base of TMC/HP prepared from the LbL technique has not been reported in the literature. It is expected that the thin films of TMC/HP present anti-adhesive and antimicrobial properties. (author)

Stepwise crystallization and the layered distribution in crystallization kinetics of ultra-thin poly(ethylene terephthalate) film

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zuo, Biao, E-mail: chemizuo@zstu.edu.cn, E-mail: wxinping@yahoo.com; Xu, Jianquan; Sun, Shuzheng; Liu, Yue; Yang, Juping; Zhang, Li; Wang, Xinping, E-mail: chemizuo@zstu.edu.cn, E-mail: wxinping@yahoo.com [Department of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Advanced Textile Materials and Manufacturing Technology of the Education Ministry, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018 (China)

2016-06-21

Crystallization is an important property of polymeric materials. In conventional viewpoint, the transformation of disordered chains into crystals is usually a spatially homogeneous process (i.e., it occurs simultaneously throughout the sample), that is, the crystallization rate at each local position within the sample is almost the same. Here, we show that crystallization of ultra-thin poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) films can occur in the heterogeneous way, exhibiting a stepwise crystallization process. We found that the layered distribution of glass transition dynamics of thin film modifies the corresponding crystallization behavior, giving rise to the layered distribution of the crystallization kinetics of PET films, with an 11-nm-thick surface layer having faster crystallization rate and the underlying layer showing bulk-like behavior. The layered distribution in crystallization kinetics results in a particular stepwise crystallization behavior during heating the sample, with the two cold-crystallization temperatures separated by up to 20 K. Meanwhile, interfacial interaction is crucial for the occurrence of the heterogeneous crystallization, as the thin film crystallizes simultaneously if the interfacial interaction is relatively strong. We anticipate that this mechanism of stepwise crystallization of thin polymeric films will allow new insight into the chain organization in confined environments and permit independent manipulation of localized properties of nanomaterials.

Characterisation by optical spectroscopy of a plasma of depositions of thins layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chouan, Yannick

1984-01-01

This research thesis reports a work which, by correlating emission and absorption spectroscopic measurements with properties of deposited thin layers, aimed at being a complement to works undertaken by a team in charge of the realisation of a flat screen. In a first part, the author reports the study of a cathodic pulverisation of a silicon target. He describes the experimental set-up, presents correlations obtained between plasma electric properties (target self-polarisation voltage), emission spectroscopic measurements (line profile and intensity) and absorption spectroscopic measurements (density of metastables), and the composition of deposited thin layers for two reactive pulverisation plasmas (Ar-H_2 and Ar-CH_4). The second part addresses the relationship between experimental conditions and spectroscopic characteristics (emission and absorption lines, excitation and rotation temperature) of a He-SiH_4 plasma. The author also determined the most adapted spectroscopic measurements to the 'control' of deposition, and which result in an optimisation of electronic properties and of the deposition rate for the hydrogenated amorphous silicon. The third part reports the characterisation of depositions. Electric and optic measurements are reported. Then, for both deposition techniques, the author relates the influence of experimental conditions to deposition properties and to spectroscopic diagnosis. The author finally presents static characteristics of a thin-layer-based transistor

Epitaxially influenced boundary layer model for size effect in thin metallic films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bazant, Zdenek P.; Guo Zaoyang; Espinosa, Horacio D.; Zhu Yong; Peng Bei

2005-01-01

It is shown that the size effect recently observed by Espinosa et al., [J. Mech. Phys. Solids51, 47 (2003)] in pure tension tests on free thin metallic films can be explained by the existence of a boundary layer of fixed thickness, located at the surface of the film that was attached onto the substrate during deposition. The boundary layer is influenced by the epitaxial effects of crystal growth on the dislocation density and texture (manifested by prevalent crystal plane orientations). This influence is assumed to cause significantly elevated yield strength. Furthermore, the observed gradual postpeak softening, along with its size independence, which is observed in short film strips subjected to pure tension, is explained by slip localization, originating at notch-like defects, and by damage, which can propagate in a stable manner when the film strip under pure tension is sufficiently thin and short. For general applications, the present epitaxially influenced boundary layer model may be combined with the classical strain-gradient plasticity proposed by Gao et al., [J. Mech. Phys. Solids 47, 1239 (1999)], and it is shown that this combination is necessary to fit the test data on both pure tension and bending of thin films by one and the same theory. To deal with films having different crystal grain sizes, the Hall-Petch relation for the yield strength dependence on the grain size needs to be incorporated into the combined theory. For very thin films, in which a flattened grain fills the whole film thickness, the Hall-Petch relation needs a cutoff, and the asymptotic increase of yield strength with diminishing film thickness is then described by the extension of Nix's model of misfit dislocations by Zhang and Zhou [J. Adv. Mater. 38, 51 (2002)]. The final result is a proposal of a general theory for strength, size effect, hardening, and softening of thin metallic films

Epitaxially influenced boundary layer model for size effect in thin metallic films

Science.gov (United States)

Bažant, Zdeněk P.; Guo, Zaoyang; Espinosa, Horacio D.; Zhu, Yong; Peng, Bei

2005-04-01

It is shown that the size effect recently observed by Espinosa et al., [J. Mech. Phys. Solids51, 47 (2003)] in pure tension tests on free thin metallic films can be explained by the existence of a boundary layer of fixed thickness, located at the surface of the film that was attached onto the substrate during deposition. The boundary layer is influenced by the epitaxial effects of crystal growth on the dislocation density and texture (manifested by prevalent crystal plane orientations). This influence is assumed to cause significantly elevated yield strength. Furthermore, the observed gradual postpeak softening, along with its size independence, which is observed in short film strips subjected to pure tension, is explained by slip localization, originating at notch-like defects, and by damage, which can propagate in a stable manner when the film strip under pure tension is sufficiently thin and short. For general applications, the present epitaxially influenced boundary layer model may be combined with the classical strain-gradient plasticity proposed by Gao et al., [J. Mech. Phys. Solids 47, 1239 (1999)], and it is shown that this combination is necessary to fit the test data on both pure tension and bending of thin films by one and the same theory. To deal with films having different crystal grain sizes, the Hall-Petch relation for the yield strength dependence on the grain size needs to be incorporated into the combined theory. For very thin films, in which a flattened grain fills the whole film thickness, the Hall-Petch relation needs a cutoff, and the asymptotic increase of yield strength with diminishing film thickness is then described by the extension of Nix's model of misfit dislocations by Zhang and Zhou [J. Adv. Mater. 38, 51 (2002)]. The final result is a proposal of a general theory for strength, size effect, hardening, and softening of thin metallic films.

Electron beam dosimetry for a thin-layer absorber irradiated by 300-keV electrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kijima, Toshiyuki; Nakase, Yoshiaki

1993-01-01

Depth-dose distributions in thin-layer absorbers were measured for 300-keV electrons from a scanning-type irradiation system, the electrons having penetrated through a Ti-window and an air gap. Irradiations of stacks of cellulose triacetate(CTA) film were carried out using either a conveyor (i.e. dynamic irradiation) or fixed (i.e. static) irradiation. The sample was irradiated using various angles of incidence of electrons, in order to examine the effect of obliqueness of electron incidence at low-energy representative of routine radiation curing of thin polymeric or resin layers. Dynamic irradiation gives broader and shallower depth-dose distributions than static irradiation. Greater obliqueness of incident electrons gives results that can be explained in terms of broader and shallower depth-dose distributions. The back-scattering of incident electrons by a metal(Sn) backing material enhances the absorbed dose in a polymeric layer and changes the overall distribution. It is suggested that any theoretical estimations of the absorbed dose in thin layers irradiated in electron beam curing must be accomplished and supported by experimental data such as that provided by this investigation. (Author)

Correlation between active layer thickness and ambient gas stability in IGZO thin-film transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, Xu; Mao, Bao-Hua; Wang, Sui-Dong; Lin, Meng-Fang; Shimizu, Maki; Mitoma, Nobuhiko; Kizu, Takio; Ou-Yang, Wei; Tsukagoshi, Kazuhito; Nabatame, Toshihide; Liu, Zhi

2017-01-01

Decreasing the active layer thickness has been recently reported as an alternative way to achieve fully depleted oxide thin-film transistors for the realization of low-voltage operations. However, the correlation between the active layer thickness and device resistivity to environmental changes is still unclear, which is important for the optimized design of oxide thin-film transistors. In this work, the ambient gas stability of IGZO thin-film transistors is found to be strongly correlated to the IGZO thickness. The TFT with the thinnest IGZO layer shows the highest intrinsic electron mobility in a vacuum, which is greatly reduced after exposure to O 2 /air. The device with a thick IGZO layer shows similar electron mobility in O 2 /air, whereas the mobility variation measured in the vacuum is absent. The thickness dependent ambient gas stability is attributed to a high-mobility region in the IGZO surface vicinity with less sputtering-induced damage, which will become electron depleted in O 2 /air due to the electron transfer to adsorbed gas molecules. The O 2 adsorption and deduced IGZO surface band bending is demonstrated by the ambient-pressure x-ray photoemission spectroscopy results. (paper)

Recent Advances in Gas Barrier Thin Films via Layer-by-Layer Assembly of Polymers and Platelets.

Science.gov (United States)

Priolo, Morgan A; Holder, Kevin M; Guin, Tyler; Grunlan, Jaime C

2015-05-01

Layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly has emerged as the leading non-vacuum technology for the fabrication of transparent, super gas barrier films. The super gas barrier performance of LbL deposited films has been demonstrated in numerous studies, with a variety of polyelectrolytes, to rival that of metal and metal oxide-based barrier films. This Feature Article is a mini-review of LbL-based multilayer thin films with a 'nanobrick wall' microstructure comprising polymeric mortar and nano-platelet bricks that impart high gas barrier to otherwise permeable polymer substrates. These transparent, water-based thin films exhibit oxygen transmission rates below 5 × 10(-3) cm(3) m(-2) day(-1) atm(-1) and lower permeability than any other barrier material reported. In an effort to put this technology in the proper context, incumbent technologies such as metallized plastics, metal oxides, and flake-filled polymers are briefly reviewed. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Enhanced stability of thin film transistors with double-stacked amorphous IWO/IWO:N channel layer

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Dong; Pi, Shubin; Yang, Jianwen; Tiwari, Nidhi; Ren, Jinhua; Zhang, Qun; Liu, Po-Tsun; Shieh, Han-Ping

2018-06-01

In this work, bottom-gate top-contact thin film transistors with double-stacked amorphous IWO/IWO:N channel layer were fabricated. Herein, amorphous IWO and N-doped IWO were deposited as front and back channel layers, respectively, by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering. The electrical characteristics of the bi-layer-channel thin film transistors (TFTs) were examined and compared with those of single-layer-channel (i.e., amorphous IWO or IWO:N) TFTs. It was demonstrated to exhibit a high mobility of 27.2 cm2 V‑1 s‑1 and an on/off current ratio of 107. Compared to the single peers, bi-layer a-IWO/IWO:N TFTs showed smaller hysteresis and higher stability under negative bias stress and negative bias temperature stress. The enhanced performance could be attributed to its unique double-stacked channel configuration, which successfully combined the merits of the TFTs with IWO and IWO:N channels. The underlying IWO thin film provided percolation paths for electron transport, meanwhile, the top IWO:N layer reduced the bulk trap densities. In addition, the IWO channel/gate insulator interface had reduced defects, and IWO:N back channel surface was insensitive to the ambient atmosphere. Overall, the proposed bi-layer a-IWO/IWO:N TFTs show potential for practical applications due to its possibly long-term serviceability.

ZIF-67-derived hollow nanocages with layered double oxides shell as high-Efficiency catalysts for CO oxidation

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, Wenpeng; Li, Jing; Chen, Yao; Ren, Yuqing; Guo, Yonghua; Niu, Shengli; Yang, Yanzhao

2018-04-01

Constructing non-precious hybrid metal oxides with specific morphology as cost-effective and highly efficient catalysts is a promising way for the automotive exhaust purification. In this work, we report a facile strategy for the fabrication of a unique hollow Co-Ni layered double oxides (HLDO) nanocages by using zeolitic imidazole frameworks (ZIFs) as template. The synthesis of intermediate core-shell and hollow Co-Ni layered double hydroxides (HLDH) nanoflakes as well as the corresponding Co-Ni oxides products were successfully controlled, and the formation process was also explained. Among ZIF-67-derived oxides, HLDO exhibits excellent catalytic activities (complete conversion of CO into CO2 at 118 °C) and long-term stability for CO oxidation. The remarkable catalytic activities of HLDO can be attributed to high surface area (258 m2 g-1) inherited from the HLDH, which could provide more active sites for CO oxidation. In addition, active oxygen species indicated by the O 1 s XPS spectrum and improved synergistic effect between NiO and Co3O4 reflected by H2-TPR, further explain the enhanced performance of the HLDO catalysts. The presented strategy for controlled design and synthesis of hollow multicomponent metal oxides will provide prospects in developing highly effective catalysts.

Approximate reflection coefficients for a thin VTI layer

KAUST Repository

Hao, Qi

2017-09-18

We present an approximate method to derive simple expressions for the reflection coefficients of P- and SV-waves for a thin transversely isotropic layer with a vertical symmetry axis (VTI) embedded in a homogeneous VTI background. The layer thickness is assumed to be much smaller than the wavelengths of P- and SV-waves inside. The exact reflection and transmission coefficients are derived by the propagator matrix method. In the case of normal incidence, the exact reflection and transmission coefficients are expressed in terms of the impedances of vertically propagating P- and S-waves. For subcritical incidence, the approximate reflection coefficients are expressed in terms of the contrast in the VTI parameters between the layer and the background. Numerical examples are designed to analyze the reflection coefficients at normal and oblique incidence, and investigate the influence of transverse isotropy on the reflection coefficients. Despite giving numerical errors, the approximate formulae are sufficiently simple to qualitatively analyze the variation of the reflection coefficients with the angle of incidence.

Sensitive Thin-Layer Chromatography Detection of Boronic Acids Using Alizarin

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Duval, F.L.; Beek, van T.A.; Zuilhof, H.

2012-01-01

A new method for the selective and sensitive detection of boronic acids on thin-layer chromatography plates is described. The plate is briefly dipped in an alizarin solution, allowed to dry in ambient air, and observed under 366 nm light. Alizarin emits a bright yellow fluorescence only in the

Chemical bath deposition of thin semiconductor films for use as buffer layers in CuInS2 thin film solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaufmann, C.A.

2002-01-01

A CulnS 2 thin film solar cell is a multilayered semiconductor device. The solar cells discussed have a layer sequence Mo/CulnS 2 /buffer/i-ZnO/ZnO:Ga, where a heterojunction establishes between the p-type absorber and the n-type front contact. Conventionally the buffer consists of CdS, deposited by chemical bath deposition (CBD). Apart from providing process oriented benefits the buffer layer functions as a tool for engineering the energy band line-up at the heterojunction interface. Motivated through environmental concern and EU legislation it is felt necessary to substitute this potentially toxic layer by an alternative, Cd-free component. This thesis investigates the suitability of various Zn- and In-compounds, in particular In(OH,O) x S y , as alternative buffer layer materials using CBD. Initial experiments were carried out depositing Zn-based compounds from aqueous solutions. Characterization of the layers, the solution and the processed solar cells was performed. This thesis focuses on the investigation of the CBD process chemistry for the deposition of In-compound thin films. A careful study of the morphology and composition of the deposited thin films was conducted using electron microscopy (SEM, HREM), elastic recoil detection analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and optical transmission spectroscopy. This allowed conclusions concerning the nucleation and film growth mechanism from the chemical bath. Connections between bath chemistry, different growth phases, layer morphology and solar cell performance were sought and an improved deposition process was developed. As a result, Cd-free CulnS 2 thin film solar cells with efficiencies of up to 10.6%) (total area) could be produced. Overall the substitution of CdS is shown to be possible by different alternative compounds, such as Zn(OH,O) x S y or In(OH,O) x S y . In the case of In(OH,O) x S y , an understanding of the CBD process and the effect of different growth phases on the resulting solar cell

Investigation of vanadium and nitride alloys thin layers deposited by PVD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nouveau C.

2012-06-01

Full Text Available In this work we present the technique of magnetron vapor deposition and the effect of several deposition parameters on the structural and morphological properties of prepared thin films. It was noted that the deposition time has an effect on the crystallinity, mechanical properties such as residual stress, roughness surface and the layer composition from target products. Studies were carried out on layers of vanadium (V and the nitride vanadium (VN.

Electroresistance effect in gold thin film induced by ionic-liquid-gated electric double layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakayama, Hiroyasu; Ohtani, Takashi; Fujikawa, Yasunori; Ando, Kazuya; Saitoh, Eiji; Ye, Jianting; Iwasa, Yoshihiro

2012-01-01

Electroresistance effect was detected in a metallic thin film using ionic-liquid-gated electric-double-layer transistors (EDLTs). We observed reversible modulation of the electric resistance of a Au thin film. In this system, we found that an electric double layer works as a nanogap capacitor with 27 (-25) MV cm -1 of electric field by applying only 1.7 V of positive (negative) gate voltage. The experimental results indicate that the ionic-liquid-gated EDLT technique can be used for controlling the surface electronic states on metallic systems. (author)

Tethered catalysts for the hydration of carbon dioxide

Science.gov (United States)

Valdez, Carlos A; Satcher, Jr., Joe H; Aines, Roger D; Wong, Sergio E; Baker, Sarah E; Lightstone, Felice C; Stolaroff, Joshuah K

2014-11-04

A system is provided that substantially increases the efficiency of CO.sub.2 capture and removal by positioning a catalyst within an optimal distance from the air-liquid interface. The catalyst is positioned within the layer determined to be the highest concentration of carbon dioxide. A hydrophobic tether is attached to the catalyst and the hydrophobic tether modulates the position of the catalyst within the liquid layer containing the highest concentration of carbon dioxide.

Successful implementation of the stepwise layer-by-layer growth of MOF thin films on confined surfaces: Mesoporous silica foam as a first case study

KAUST Repository

Shekhah, Osama; Fu, Lei; Sougrat, Rachid; Belmabkhout, Youssef; Cairns, Amy; Giannelis, Emmanuel P.; Eddaoudi, Mohamed

2012-01-01

Here we report the successful growth of highly crystalline homogeneous MOF thin films of HKUST-1 and ZIF-8 on mesoporous silica foam, by employing a layer-by-layer (LBL) method. The ability to control and direct the growth of MOF thin films on confined surfaces, using the stepwise LBL method, paves the way for new prospective applications of such hybrid systems. © 2012 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Multi-layer thin-film electrolytes for metal supported solid oxide fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Haydn, Markus; Ortner, Kai; Franco, Thomas; Uhlenbruck, Sven; Menzler, Norbert H.; Stöver, Detlev; Bräuer, Günter; Venskutonis, Andreas; Sigl, Lorenz S.; Buchkremer, Hans-Peter; Vaßen, Robert

2014-06-01

A key to the development of metal-supported solid oxide fuel cells (MSCs) is the manufacturing of gas-tight thin-film electrolytes, which separate the cathode from the anode. This paper focuses the electrolyte manufacturing on the basis of 8YSZ (8 mol.-% Y2O3 stabilized ZrO2). The electrolyte layers are applied by a physical vapor deposition (PVD) gas flow sputtering (GFS) process. The gas-tightness of the electrolyte is significantly improved when sequential oxidic and metallic thin-film multi-layers are deposited, which interrupt the columnar grain structure of single-layer electrolytes. Such electrolytes with two or eight oxide/metal layers and a total thickness of about 4 μm obtain leakage rates of less than 3 × 10-4 hPa dm3 s-1 cm-2 (Δp: 100 hPa) at room temperature and therefore fulfill the gas tightness requirements. They are also highly tolerant with respect to surface flaws and particulate impurities which can be present on the graded anode underground. MSC cell tests with double-layer and multilayer electrolytes feature high power densities more than 1.4 W cm-2 at 850 °C and underline the high potential of MSC cells.

Possible artefacts in thin layer chromatography of tritium-labelled hydrocortisone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sofronie, E.

1982-12-01

Artefacts appearing in thin layer chromatography of tritium labelled hydrocortisone are reported. Evidences are presented that these artefacts cause misleading results concerning radiocheemical purity determiniation. Finally, it is reported a rapid and efficient chromatographic technique allowing the elimination of these artefacts and obtaining of an accurate value for radiochemical purity. (author)

Preparation of Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4} thin films by sulfurizing stacked precursor thin films via successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Su Zhenghua; Yan Chang; Sun Kaiwen; Han Zili [School of Metallurgical Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083 (China); Liu Fangyang, E-mail: liufangyang@csu.edu.cn [School of Metallurgical Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083 (China); Liu Jin [School of Metallurgical Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083 (China); Lai Yanqing, E-mail: laiyanqingcsu@163.com [School of Metallurgical Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083 (China); Li Jie; Liu Yexiang [School of Metallurgical Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083 (China)

2012-07-15

Earth-abundant Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4} is a promising alternative photovoltaic material which has been examined as absorber layer of thin film solar cells. In this study, Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4} (CZTS) thin films have been successfully fabricated by sulfurizing stacked precursor thin films via successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method. The prepared CZTS thin films have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive spectrometer, Raman spectroscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy, Hall effect measurements and photoelectrochemical tests. Results reveal that the thin films have kesterite structured Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4} and the p-type conductivity with a carrier concentration in the order of 10{sup 18} cm{sup -3} and an optical band gap of 1.5 eV, which are suitable for applications in thin film solar cells.

Apparatus and Process for Controlled Nanomanufacturing Using Catalyst Retaining Structures

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Cattien (Inventor)

2013-01-01

An apparatus and method for the controlled fabrication of nanostructures using catalyst retaining structures is disclosed. The apparatus includes one or more modified force microscopes having a nanotube attached to the tip portion of the microscopes. An electric current is passed from the nanotube to a catalyst layer of a substrate, thereby causing a localized chemical reaction to occur in a resist layer adjacent the catalyst layer. The region of the resist layer where the chemical reaction occurred is etched, thereby exposing a catalyst particle or particles in the catalyst layer surrounded by a wall of unetched resist material. Subsequent chemical vapor deposition causes growth of a nanostructure to occur upward through the wall of unetched resist material having controlled characteristics of height and diameter and, for parallel systems, number density.

Effects of surface modification on the critical behaviour in multiple-surface-layer ferroelectric thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Z X

2013-01-01

Using the usual mean-field theory approximation, the critical behaviour (i.e. the Curie temperature T c and the critical surface transverse field Ω sc ) in a multiple-surface-layer ferroelectric thin film is studied on the basis of the spin- 1/2 transverse Ising model. The dependence of the Curie temperature T c on the surface transverse field Ω s and the surface layer number N s are discussed in detail. Meanwhile the dependence of the critical surface transverse field Ω sc on the surface layer number N s is also examined. The numerical results indicate that the critical behaviour of ferroelectric thin films is obviously affected by modifications of the surface transverse field Ω s and surface layer number N s .

Transient Response of Thin Wire above a Layered Half-Space Using TDIE/FDTD Hybrid Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bing Wei

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The TDIE/FDTD hybrid method is applied to calculate the transient responses of thin wire above a lossy layered half-space. The time-domain reflection of the layered half space is computed by one-dimensional modified FDTD method. Then, transient response of thin wire induced by two excitation sources (the incident wave and reflected wave is calculated by TDIE method. Finally numerical results are given to illustrate the feasibility and high efficiency of the presented scheme.

Thin-layer scanner with a dot printer recorder for radiolabelled compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kralova, M.; Kysela, F.; Hradil, Z.

1982-01-01

A scanner combined with a matrix printer is described for automatic evaluation of thin-layer radiochromatographs of soft beta emitters such as 3 H, 14 C, and 32 P. Details of the device including block schemes and electrical schemes are given

Bias of shear wave elasticity measurements in thin layer samples and a simple correction strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

Mo, Jianqiang; Xu, Hao; Qiang, Bo; Giambini, Hugo; Kinnick, Randall; An, Kai-Nan; Chen, Shigao; Luo, Zongping

2016-01-01

Shear wave elastography (SWE) is an emerging technique for measuring biological tissue stiffness. However, the application of SWE in thin layer tissues is limited by bias due to the influence of geometry on measured shear wave speed. In this study, we investigated the bias of Young's modulus measured by SWE in thin layer gelatin-agar phantoms, and compared the result with finite element method and Lamb wave model simulation. The result indicated that the Young's modulus measured by SWE decreased continuously when the sample thickness decreased, and this effect was more significant for smaller thickness. We proposed a new empirical formula which can conveniently correct the bias without the need of using complicated mathematical modeling. In summary, we confirmed the nonlinear relation between thickness and Young's modulus measured by SWE in thin layer samples, and offered a simple and practical correction strategy which is convenient for clinicians to use.

Nano-crystalline thin and nano-particulate thick TiO2 layer: Cost effective sequential deposition and study on dye sensitized solar cell characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Das, P.; Sengupta, D.; Kasinadhuni, U.; Mondal, B.; Mukherjee, K.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Thin TiO 2 layer is deposited on conducting substrate using sol–gel based dip coating. • TiO 2 nano-particles are synthesized using hydrothermal route. • Thick TiO 2 particulate layer is deposited on prepared thin layer. • Dye sensitized solar cells are made using thin and thick layer based photo-anode. • Introduction of thin layer in particulate photo-anode improves the cell efficiency. - Abstract: A compact thin TiO 2 passivation layer is introduced between the mesoporous TiO 2 nano-particulate layer and the conducting glass substrate to prepare photo-anode for dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). In order to understand the effect of passivation layer, other two DSSCs are also developed separately using TiO 2 nano-particulate and compact thin film based photo-anodes. Nano-particles are prepared using hydrothermal synthesis route and the compact passivation layer is prepared by simply dip coating the precursor sol prepared through wet chemical route. The TiO 2 compact layer and the nano-particles are characterised in terms of their micro-structural features and phase formation behavior. It is found that introduction of a compact TiO 2 layer in between the mesoporous TiO 2 nano-particulate layer and the conducting substrate improves the solar to electric conversion efficiency of the fabricated cell. The dense thin passivation layer is supposed to enhance the photo-excited electron transfer and prevent the recombination of photo-excited electrons

Vanadium oxide thin films deposited on silicon dioxide buffer layers by magnetron sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Sihai; Ma Hong; Wang Shuangbao; Shen Nan; Xiao Jing; Zhou Hao; Zhao Xiaomei; Li Yi; Yi Xinjian

2006-01-01

Thin films made by vanadium oxide have been obtained by direct current magnetron sputtering method on SiO 2 buffer layers. A detailed electrical and structural characterization has been performed on the deposited films by four-point probe method and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). At room temperature, the four-point probe measurement result presents the resistance of the film to be 25 kU/sheet. The temperature coefficient of resistance is - 2.0%/K. SEM image indicates that the vanadium oxide exhibits a submicrostructure with lamella size ranging from 60 nm to 300 nm. A 32 x 32-element test microbolometer was fabricated based on the deposited thin film. The infrared response testing showed that the response was 200 mV. The obtained results allow us to conclude that the vanadium oxide thin films on SiO 2 buffer layers is suitable for uncooled focal plane arrays applications

Resistivity scaling due to electron surface scattering in thin metal layers

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Tianji; Gall, Daniel

2018-04-01

The effect of electron surface scattering on the thickness-dependent electrical resistivity ρ of thin metal layers is investigated using nonequilibrium Green's function density functional transport simulations. Cu(001) thin films with thickness d =1 -2 nm are used as a model system, employing a random one-monolayer-high surface roughness and frozen phonons to cause surface and bulk scattering, respectively. The zero-temperature resistivity increases from 9.7 ±1.0 μ Ω cm at d =1.99 nm to 18.7 ±2.6 μ Ω cm at d =0.9 0 nm, contradicting the asymptotic T =0 prediction from the classical Fuchs-Sondheimer model. At T =9 00 K, ρ =5.8 ±0.1 μ Ω cm for bulk Cu and ρ =13.4 ±1.1 and 22.5 ±2.4 μ Ω cm for layers with d =1.99 and 0.90 nm, respectively, indicating an approximately additive phonon contribution which, however, is smaller than for bulk Cu or atomically smooth layers. The overall data indicate that the resistivity contribution from surface scattering is temperature-independent and proportional to 1 /d , suggesting that it can be described using a surface-scattering mean-free path λs for 2D transport which is channel-independent and proportional to d . Data fitting indicates λs=4 ×d for the particular simulated Cu(001) surfaces with a one-monolayer-high surface roughness. The 1 /d dependence deviates considerably from previous 1 /d2 predictions from quantum models, indicating that the small-roughness approximation in these models is not applicable to very thin (<2 nm) layers, where the surface roughness is a considerable fraction of d .

Electromagnetic shielding effectiveness of a thin silver layer deposited onto PET film via atmospheric pressure plasma reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Hyo-Jun; Dao, Van-Duong; Choi, Ho-Suk

2018-03-01

This study presents the first use of a plasma reduction reaction under atmospheric pressure to fabricate a thin silver layer on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film without the use of toxic chemicals, high voltages, or an expensive vacuum apparatus. The developed film is applied to electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. After repeatedly depositing a silver layer through a plasma reduction reaction on PET, we can successfully fabricate a uniformly deposited thin silver layer. It was found that both the particle size and film thickness of thin silver layers fabricated at different AgNO3 concentrations increase with an increase in the concentration of AgNO3. However, the roughness of the thin silver layer decreases when increasing the concentration of AgNO3 from 100 to 500 mM, and the roughness increases with a further increase in the concentration of AgNO3. The EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) of the film is measured in the frequency range of 0.045 to 1 GHz. As a result of optimizing the electrical conductivity by measuring sheet resistance of the thin silver layer, the film fabricated from 500 mM AgNO3 exhibits the highest EMI SE among all fabricated films. The maximum values of the EMI SE are 60.490 dB at 0.1 GHz and 54.721 dB at 1.0 GHz with minimum sheet resistance of 0.244 Ω/□. Given that the proposed strategy is simple and effective, it is promising for fabricating various low-cost metal films with high EMI SE.

Transparent conducting oxide layers for thin film silicon solar cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

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

2009-01-01

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

Low-Dimensional Nanomaterials as Active Layer Components in Thin-Film Photovoltaics

Science.gov (United States)

Shastry, Tejas Attreya

Thin-film photovoltaics offer the promise of cost-effective and scalable solar energy conversion, particularly for applications of semi-transparent solar cells where the poor absorption of commercially-available silicon is inadequate. Applications ranging from roof coatings that capture solar energy to semi-transparent windows that harvest the immense amount of incident sunlight on buildings could be realized with efficient and stable thin-film solar cells. However, the lifetime and efficiency of thin-film solar cells continue to trail their inorganic silicon counterparts. Low-dimensional nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes and two-dimensional metal dichalcogenides, have recently been explored as materials in thin-film solar cells due to their exceptional optoelectronic properties, solution-processability, and chemical inertness. Thus far, issues with the processing of these materials has held back their implementation in efficient photovoltaics. This dissertation reports processing advances that enable demonstrations of low-dimensional nanomaterials in thin-film solar cells. These low-dimensional photovoltaics show enhanced photovoltaic efficiency and environmental stability in comparison to previous devices, with a focus on semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes as an active layer component. The introduction summarizes recent advances in the processing of carbon nanotubes and their implementation through the thin-film photovoltaic architecture, as well as the use of two-dimensional metal dichalcogenides in photovoltaic applications and potential future directions for all-nanomaterial solar cells. The following chapter reports a study of the interaction between carbon nanotubes and surfactants that enables them to be sorted by electronic type via density gradient ultracentrifugation. These insights are utilized to construct of a broad distribution of carbon nanotubes that absorb throughout the solar spectrum. This polychiral distribution is then shown

Copper(II) Schiff base complexes and their mixed thin layers with ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Thin layer; ZnO nanoparticles; copper complexes; AFM; SEM; fluorescence. 1. Introduction ... ZnO nanopowders29,30 and ZnO nanoparticles doped by different metal ...... Roy S, Choubey S, Bhar K, Khan S, Mitra P and Ghosh. B K 2013 J. Mol ...

Organo-layered double hydroxides composite thin films deposited by laser techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Birjega, R. [National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 409 Atomistilor Str., 77125 Bucharest-Magurele (Romania); Vlad, A., E-mail: angela.vlad@gmail.com [National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 409 Atomistilor Str., 77125 Bucharest-Magurele (Romania); Matei, A.; Dumitru, M.; Stokker-Cheregi, F.; Dinescu, M. [National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 409 Atomistilor Str., 77125 Bucharest-Magurele (Romania); Zavoianu, R. [University of Bucharest, Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Chemical Technology and Catalysis, 4-12 Regina Elisabeta Bd., Bucharest 030018 (Romania); Raditoiu, V.; Corobea, M.C. [National R.& D. Institute for Chemistry and Petrochemistry, ICECHIM, 202 Splaiul Independentei Str., CP-35-274, 060021 Bucharest (Romania)

2016-06-30

Highlights: • PLD and MAPLE was successfully used to produce organo-layered double hydroxides. • The organic anions (dodecyl sulfate-DS) were intercalated in co-precipitation step. • Zn2.5Al-LDH (Zn/Al = 2.5) and Zn2.5Al-DS thin films obtained in this work could be suitable for further applications as hydrophobic surfaces. - Abstract: We used laser techniques to create hydrophobic thin films of layered double hydroxides (LDHs) and organo-modified LDHs. A LDH based on Zn-Al with Zn{sup 2+}/Al{sup 3+} ratio of 2.5 was used as host material, while dodecyl sulfate (DS), which is an organic surfactant, acted as guest material. Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) were employed for the growth of the films. The organic anions were intercalated in co-precipitation step. The powders were subsequently used either as materials for MAPLE, or they were pressed and used as targets for PLD. The surface topography of the thin films was investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM), the crystallographic structure of the powders and films was checked by X-ray diffraction. FTIR spectroscopy was used to evidence DS interlayer intercalation, both for powders and the derived films. Contact angle measurements were performed in order to establish the wettability properties of the as-prepared thin films, in view of functionalization applications as hydrophobic surfaces, owing to the effect of DS intercalation.

Thin-layer chromatography and colorimetric analysis of multi-component explosive mixtures

Science.gov (United States)

Pagoria, Philip F.; Mitchell, Alexander R.; Whipple, Richard E.; Carman, M. Leslie

2014-08-26

A thin-layer chromatography method for detection and identification of common military and peroxide explosives in samples includes the steps of provide a reverse-phase thin-layer chromatography plate; prepare the plate by marking spots on which to deposit the samples by touching the plate with a marker; spot one micro liter of a first standard onto one of the spots, spot one micro liter of a second standard onto another of the spots, and spot samples onto other of spots producing a spotted plate; add eluent to a developing chamber; add the spotted plate to the developing chamber; remove the spotted plate from the developing chamber producing a developed plate; place the developed plate in an ultraviolet light box; add a visualization agent to a dip tank; dip the developed plate in the dip tank and remove the developed plate quickly; and detect explosives by viewing said developed plate.

Determination of the thickness of chemically removed thin layers on GaAs VPE structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Somogyi, K.; Nemeth-Sallay, M.; Nemcsics, A. (Research Inst. for Technical Physics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest (Hungary))

1991-01-01

Thinning of epitaxial GaAs layers was studied during the surface etching, with a special attention to submicron epitaxial structures, like MESFET or varactor-type structures. Each chemical treatment influences the crystal surface during the device preparation processes, though the possible thinning of the active layer is small. Therefore a method allowing determination of thicknesses as small as at about 20 nm of the layer removed by chemical etching from GaAs VPE structures was applied. Using special multilayered structures and a continuous electrochemical carrier concentration depth profiling, the influence of the layer thickness inhomogeneity and of some measurement errors can be minimized. Some frequently used etchants and the influence of different - so called - non-etching processes were compared in different combinations. It was shown that besides the direct etching a change of the surface conditions occurs, which influences the etch rate in the succeeding etching procedure. (orig.).

Application of a mixed metal oxide catalyst to a metallic substrate

Science.gov (United States)

Sevener, Kathleen M. (Inventor); Lohner, Kevin A. (Inventor); Mays, Jeffrey A. (Inventor); Wisner, Daniel L. (Inventor)

2009-01-01

A method for applying a mixed metal oxide catalyst to a metallic substrate for the creation of a robust, high temperature catalyst system for use in decomposing propellants, particularly hydrogen peroxide propellants, for use in propulsion systems. The method begins by forming a prepared substrate material consisting of a metallic inner substrate and a bound layer of a noble metal intermediate. Alternatively, a bound ceramic coating, or frit, may be introduced between the metallic inner substrate and noble metal intermediate when the metallic substrate is oxidation resistant. A high-activity catalyst slurry is applied to the surface of the prepared substrate and dried to remove the organic solvent. The catalyst layer is then heat treated to bind the catalyst layer to the surface. The bound catalyst layer is then activated using an activation treatment and calcinations to form the high-activity catalyst system.

Modeling of thin layer drying of tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus L.)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

ArabHosseini, A.; Huisman, W.; Boxtel, van A.J.B.; Mueller, J.

2009-01-01

The drying behavior of tarragon leaves as well as chopped plants were evaluated at air temperatures ranging from 40 to 90 °C, at various air relative humidities and a constant air velocity of 0.6 m/s. The experimental data was fitted to a number of thin layer drying equations. The equations were

Graphitic Layer Encapsulated Iron Based Non‐precious Catalysts for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhong, Lijie

consisting of uniform metallic nanoparticles encapsulated in graphitic layers. The thesis work is conducted aiming at three major objectives: further optimization of the pyrolysis to achieve improved performance of catalysts, investigation of the complex Fe-containing components, and exploration...... of the nitrogen functionalities. Two anions in the electrolyte are used to probe the iron containing active sites towards the ORR, cyanide (CN-) in alkaline and thiocyanate (SCN-) in acidic medium, which seem supporting the above conclusions. These findings provide new insights to the encapsulation structure...

Automatic identification of single- and/or few-layer thin-film material

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2014-01-01

One or more digital representations of single- (101) and/or few-layer (102) thin- film material are automatically identified robustly and reliably in a digital image (100), the digital image (100) having a predetermined number of colour components, by - determining (304) a background colour...... component of the digital image (100) for each colour component, and - determining or estimating (306) a colour component of thin-film material to be identified in the digital image (100) for each colour component by obtaining a pre-determined contrast value (C R; C G; C B) for each colour component...

Effect of native oxide layers on copper thin-film tensile properties: A reactive molecular dynamics study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Skarlinski, Michael D., E-mail: michael.skarlinski@rochester.edu [Materials Science Program, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627 (United States); Quesnel, David J. [Materials Science Program, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627 (United States); Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627 (United States)

2015-12-21

Metal-oxide layers are likely to be present on metallic nano-structures due to either environmental exposure during use, or high temperature processing techniques such as annealing. It is well known that nano-structured metals have vastly different mechanical properties from bulk metals; however, difficulties in modeling the transition between metallic and ionic bonding have prevented the computational investigation of the effects of oxide surface layers. Newly developed charge-optimized many body [Liang et al., Mater. Sci. Eng., R 74, 255 (2013)] potentials are used to perform fully reactive molecular dynamics simulations which elucidate the effects that metal-oxide layers have on the mechanical properties of a copper thin-film. Simulated tensile tests are performed on thin-films while using different strain-rates, temperatures, and oxide thicknesses to evaluate changes in yield stress, modulus, and failure mechanisms. Findings indicate that copper-thin film mechanical properties are strongly affected by native oxide layers. The formed oxide layers have an amorphous structure with lower Cu-O bond-densities than bulk CuO, and a mixture of Cu{sub 2}O and CuO charge character. It is found that oxidation will cause modifications to the strain response of the elastic modulii, producing a stiffened modulii at low temperatures (<75 K) and low strain values (<5%), and a softened modulii at higher temperatures. While under strain, structural reorganization within the oxide layers facilitates brittle yielding through nucleation of defects across the oxide/metal interface. The oxide-free copper thin-film yielding mechanism is found to be a tensile-axis reorientation and grain creation. The oxide layers change the observed yielding mechanism, allowing for the inner copper thin-film to sustain an FCC-to-BCC transition during yielding. The mechanical properties are fit to a thermodynamic model based on classical nucleation theory. The fit implies that the oxidation of the

Mesoscopic layered structure in conducting polymer thin film fabricated by potential-programmed electropolymerization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fujitsuka, Mamoru (Div. of Molecular Engineering, Kyoto Univ. (Japan)); Nakahara, Reiko (Div. of Molecular Engineering, Kyoto Univ. (Japan)); Iyoda, Tomokazu (Div. of Molecular Engineering, Kyoto Univ. (Japan)); Shimidzu, Takeo (Div. of Molecular Engineering, Kyoto Univ. (Japan)); Tomita, Shigehisa (Toray Research Center Co., Ltd., Shiga (Japan)); Hatano, Yayoi (Toray Research Center Co., Ltd., Shiga (Japan)); Soeda, Fusami (Toray Research Center Co., Ltd., Shiga (Japan)); Ishitani, Akira (Toray Research Center Co., Ltd., Shiga (Japan)); Tsuchiya, Hajime (Nitto Technical Information Center Co., Ltd., Shimohozumi Ibaraki, Osaka (Japan)); Ohtani, Akira (Central Research Lab., Nitto Denko Co., Ltd., Shimohozumi Ibaraki, Osaka (Japan))

1992-11-01

Mesoscopic layered structures in conducting polymer thin films are fabricated by the potential-programmed electropolymerization method. High lateral quality in the layered structure is realized by the improvement of polymerization conditions, i.e., a mixture of pyrrole and bithiophene as monomers, a silicon single-crystal wafer as a working electrode and propylene carbonate as a solvent. SIMS depth profiling of the resulting layered films indicates a significant linear correlation between the electric charge passed and the thickness of the individual layers on a 100 A scale. (orig.)

Synthesis of Poly(3,4-Ethylenedioxy thiophene)-Poly(Styrene-4-Sulfonate) Composites for Support Fuel Cell Catalyst Layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eko Sulistiyono; Murni Handayani

2009-01-01

Synthesis of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxy thiophene)-poly(styrene-4-sulfonate) composites for support fuel cell catalyst layer are synthesis composites which become fuel cell catalyst support so that catalyst has optimal performance. Main function of composites is support platinum particle for application in fuel cell. This article explains the result of composites production process from ( 3,4 Ethylenedioxy thiophene) and Sodium poly( styrene - 4-sulfonate) using two methods Jingning Shan method (method 1) and Zhigang Qi and Peter G.Pickup method (method 2). Analysis of the synthesis results used Scanning Electron Microscopic –Electron Dispersive X – Ray Spectrophotometer (SEM-EDS ). The analysis result show that both methods produce polymer agglomerate into a sponge-like morphology. Composite from method 1 has morphology, pores and proton transport better than composite produced by method 2. (author)

Atomic Layer Control of Thin Film Growth Using Binary Reaction Sequence Chemistry

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

George, Steven

1997-01-01

Our research is focusing on the atomic layer control of thin film growth. Our goal is to deposit films with precise control of thickness and conformality on both flat and high aspect ratio structures...

The Enhanced Catalytic Performance and Stability of Rh/γ-Al2O3 Catalyst Synthesized by Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD for Methane Dry Reforming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yunlin Li

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Rh/γ-Al2O3 catalysts were synthesized by both incipient wetness impregnation (IWI and atomic layer deposition (ALD. The TEM images of the two catalysts showed that the catalyst from ALD had smaller particle size, and narrower size distribution. The surface chemical states of both catalysts were investigated by both XPS and X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES, and the catalyst from IWI had higher concentration of Rh3+ than that from ALD. The catalytic performance of both catalysts was tested in the dry reforming of methane reaction. The catalyst from ALD showed a higher conversion and selectivity than that from IWI. The stability testing results indicated that the catalyst from ALD showed similar stability to that from IWI at 500 °C, but higher stability at 800 °C.

Continuum-Scale Modeling of Liquid Redistribution in a Stack of Thin Hydrophilic Fibrous Layers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tavangarrad, A.H.; Mohebbi, Behzad; Hassanizadeh, S.M.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/074974424; Rosati, Rodrigo; Claussen, Jan; Blümich, Bernhard

Macroscale three-dimensional modeling of fluid flow in a thin porous layer under unsaturated conditions is a challenging task. One major issue is that such layers do not satisfy the representative elementary volume length-scale requirement. Recently, a new approach, called reduced continua model

Study on supported binary sulfide catalysts for secondary hydrogenation of coal-derived liquids; Sekitan ekikayu niji suisoka shokubai no kenkyu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shimada, H.; Matsubayashi, N.; Sato, T.; Imamura, M.; Yoshimura, Y.; Nishijima, A. [National Institute of Materials and Chemical Research, Tsukuba (Japan)

1995-07-28

To utilize the high performance of supported catalysts in coal liquefaction processes, one of the promising ways is to apply hydroprocessing sulfide catalysts to the secondary hydrogenation of coal-derived liquids which have undergone the solid separation unit. However, when the product yield from the first-stage liquefaction is maximized, the feed stocks in the secondary hydrogenation contain large amounts of residual fractions with preasphaltenes and metallic components. In this case, the development of a long-life catalyst is essential to establish the two-stage process as a practical one. From this viewpoint, the authors have investigated the deactivation causes of supported Ni-Mo sulfide catalysts through the analysis of the used catalysts in the secondary hydrogenation of coal-derived liquids for long periods. The major cause of the catalyst deactivation has been found to be metallic and carbonaceous deposition on the catalyst, which results thin layer which covers the catalyst particles. The catalysts located at the reactor inlet are more rapidly deactivated than those at the rector exit because of larger amounts of metallic foul ants and the above described shell-like layer. Hydrocracking active sites are much heavily deactivated compared with hydrogenation active sites. It is inferred that the basic or polar compounds contained in coal liquids are permanency adsorbed on the hydrocracking active sites. Spectroscopic analysis of the used catalysts clarified the destruction of the active phase of the binary sulfides, through the segregation and crystal growth. The structural changes of the catalysts are very likely caused by heteroatom compounds in the preasphaltenes. Thus, the primary cause of the catalyst deactivation is the preasphaltenes in the coal liquids. Hydroaromatic compounds in the coal liquids suppress the change of the deposited carbonaceous materials into inert coke which permanently deactivate the catalyst.

Light scattering of thin azobenzene side-chain polyester layers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kerekes, Á.; Lörincz, E.; Ramanujam, P.S.

2002-01-01

Light scattering properties of liquid crystalline and amorphous azobenzene side-chain polyester layers used for optical data storage were examined by means of transmissive scatterometry. Comparative experiments show that the amorphous polyester has significantly lower light scattering...... characteristics than the liquid crystalline polyester. The amorphous samples have negligible polarization part orthogonal to the incident beam. the liquid crystalline samples have relative high orthogonal polarization part in light scattering, The light scattering results can be used to give a lower limit...... for the domain size in thin liquid crystalline polyester layers being responsible for the dominant light scattering. The characteristic domain Sizes obtained from the Fourier transformation of polarization microscopic Pictures confirm these values....

Targets with thin ferromagnetic layers for transient field experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gallant, J.L.; Dmytrenko, P.

1982-01-01

Multilayer targets containing a central layer sufficiently thin so that all recoil nuclei can traverse it and subsequently stop in a suitable cubic environment have been prepared. Such targets are required in experiments making use of a magnetic field acting on an ion moving through a ferromagnetic material. The preparation and annealing of the ferromagnetic foils (iron and gadolinium) and the fabrication of the multilayer targets are described. (orig.)

Crystalline Molybdenum Oxide Thin-Films for Application as Interfacial Layers in Optoelectronic Devices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fernandes Cauduro, André Luis; dos Reis, Roberto; Chen, Gong

2017-01-01

The ability to control the interfacial properties in metal-oxide thin films through surface defect engineering is vital to fine-tune their optoelectronic properties and thus their integration in novel optoelectronic devices. This is exemplified in photovoltaic devices based on organic, inorganic...... or hybrid technologies, where precise control of the charge transport properties through the interfacial layer is highly important for improving device performance. In this work, we study the effects of in situ annealing in nearly stoichiometric MoOx (x ∼ 3.0) thin-films deposited by reactive sputtering. We...... with structural characterizations, this work addresses a novel method for tuning, and correlating, the optoelectronic properties and microstructure of device-relevant MoOx layers....

Low temperature plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition of thin vanadium nitride layers for copper diffusion barriers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rampelberg, Geert; Devloo-Casier, Kilian; Deduytsche, Davy; Detavernier, Christophe [Department of Solid State Sciences, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281/S1, B-9000 Ghent (Belgium); Schaekers, Marc [IMEC, Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Leuven (Belgium); Blasco, Nicolas [Air Liquide Electronics US, L.P., 46401 Landing Parkway, Fremont, California 94538 (United States)

2013-03-18

Thin vanadium nitride (VN) layers were grown by atomic layer deposition using tetrakis(ethylmethylamino)vanadium and NH{sub 3} plasma at deposition temperatures between 70 Degree-Sign C and 150 Degree-Sign C on silicon substrates and polymer foil. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed a composition close to stoichiometric VN, while x-ray diffraction showed the {delta}-VN crystal structure. The resistivity was as low as 200 {mu}{Omega} cm for the as deposited films and further reduced to 143 {mu}{Omega} cm and 93 {mu}{Omega} cm by annealing in N{sub 2} and H{sub 2}/He/N{sub 2}, respectively. A 5 nm VN layer proved to be effective as a diffusion barrier for copper up to a temperature of 720 Degree-Sign C.

On-line and precise measurement of iron wear using thin layer activation reactions by proton beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kosako, Toshiso; Nishimura, Kazuo.

1990-01-01

For the purpose of the on-line measurement of iron wear, thin layer activation (TLA) method or surface layer activation (SLA) method has been carried out since early 1970s. This method uses the irradiation of charged particle beam like protons from an accelerator onto a metal surface to produce a thin activated layer of several tens μm. The wear of this activated layer is measured by nondestructive on-line method with a radiation detector. There are two methods of the measurement. One is the activity loss measurement on the surface, and the other is the activity measurement of the metal debris collected in a filter. The former method is considered here. The purpose it to measure the wear of engine cam noses to help the development of good engine oil. Proton beam irradiation with a tandem van de Graaff accelerator, wear calibration using a gamma ray spectrometer, on-line wear measurement of cam noses of car engines by TLA method and so on are reported. The 7.00 MeV proton beam from a van de Graaff accelerator was used for activation, and Co-56, Co-57 and Co-58 were obtained in thin layers. (K.I.)

Enhancement of absorption in vertically-oriented graphene sheets growing on a thin copper layer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rozouvan, Tamara; Poperenko, Leonid [Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Department of Physics 4, Prospect Glushkova, Kyiv, 03187 (Ukraine); Kravets, Vasyl, E-mail: vasyl_kravets@yahoo.com [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL (United Kingdom); Shaykevich, Igor [Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Department of Physics 4, Prospect Glushkova, Kyiv, 03187 (Ukraine)

2017-02-28

Highlights: • The optical properties and surface structure of graphene films. • Chemical vapour deposition method. • Scanning tunneling microscopy revealed vertical crystal lattice structure of graphene layer. • We report a significant enhancement of the absorption band in the vertically-oriented graphene sheets. - Abstract: The optical properties and surface structure of graphene films grown on thin copper Cu (1 μm) layer using chemical vapour deposition method were investigated via spectroscopic ellipsometry and nanoscopic measurements. Angle variable ellipsometry measurements were performed to analyze the features of dispersion of the complex refractive index and optical conductivity. It was observed significant enhancement of the absorption band in the vertically-oriented graphene sheets layer with respect to the bulk graphite due to interaction between excited localized surface plasmon at surface of thin Cu layer and graphene’s electrons. Scanning tunneling microscopy measurements with atomic spatial resolution revealed vertical crystal lattice structure of the deposited graphene layer. The obtained results provide direct evidence of the strong influence of the growing condition and morphology of nanostructure on electronic and optical behaviours of graphene film.

On elastic waves in an thinly-layered laminated medium with stress couples under initial stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Pal Roy

1988-01-01

Full Text Available The present work is concerned with a simple transformation rule in finding out the composite elastic coefficients of a thinly layered laminated medium whose bulk properties are strongly anisotropic with a microelastic bending rigidity. These elastic coefficients which were not known completely for a layered laminated structure, are obtained suitably in terms of initial stress components and Lame's constants λi, μi of initially isotropic solids. The explicit solutions of the dynamical equations for a prestressed thinly layered laminated medium under horizontal compression in a gravity field are derived. The results are discussed specifying the effects of hydrostatic, deviatoric and couple stresses upon the characteristic propagation velocities of shear and compression wave modes.

Normal and Reversed-Phase Thin Layer Chromatography of Green Leaf Extracts

Science.gov (United States)

Sjursnes, Birte Johanne; Kvittingen, Lise; Schmid, Rudolf

2015-01-01

Introductory experiments of chromatography are often conducted by separating colored samples, such as inks, dyes, and plant extracts, using filter paper, chalk, or thin layer chromatography (TLC) plates with various solvent systems. Many simple experiments have been reported. The relationship between normal chromatography and reversed-phase…

Homogenization and dimension reduction of filtration combustion in heterogeneous thin layers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fatima, T.; Ijioma, E.R.; Ogawa, T.; Muntean, A.

2014-01-01

We study the homogenization of a reaction-diffusion-convection system posed in an e-periodic d-thin layer made of a two-component (solid-air) composite material. The microscopic system includes heat flow, diffusion and convection coupled with a nonlinear surface chemical reaction. We treat two

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

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

2013-09-02

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

Measurement of the oxygen binding properties of haemocyanin with the aid of a thin-layer optical cell

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W. J. van Aardt

1992-07-01

Full Text Available The merits of the thin-layer method of Dolman and Gill to study the oxygen binding of haemocyanin were experimentally tested with haemocyanin obtained from arthropods and molluscs. The results show that, spectrophotometrically, oxyhaemocyanin from both arthropods and molluscs has a prominent absorption peak between 335 and 345 nm. Haemocyanin is more stable in the thin- layer preparation when compared with haemoglobin. At 35 °C a decrease in the initial absorbance value of less than 2% was found after three hours. For haemoglobin the initial value decreases nearly 10% during the same period. For a high-affinity haemocyanin such as Marisa cornuarietis (P⁵⁰ = 1,07 mmHg the thin-layer method of Dolman and Gill (1978 shows better PO₂ resolution than other methods. The reason for this is that the dilution valve, which is absent in other thin-layer methods, intrinsically measures the resultant PO₂ values at very low tensions more accurately. In this study a step-by-step explanation of the technique is given. The calculations have been explained using real figures and examples. It is hoped that this detailed description will make this technique more readily available for use by respiratory physiologists.

Temperature dependence of magnetically dead layers in ferromagnetic thin-films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Tokaç

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Polarized neutron reflectometry has been used to study interface magnetism and magnetic dead layers in model amorphous CoFeB:Ta alloy thin-film multilayers with Curie temperatures tuned to be below room-temperature. This allows temperature dependent variations in the effective magnetic thickness of the film to be determined at temperatures that are a significant fraction of the Curie temperature, which cannot be achieved in the material systems used for spintronic devices. In addition to variation in the effective magnetic thickness due to compositional grading at the interface with the tantalum capping layer, the key finding is that at the interface between ferromagnetic film and GaAs(001 substrate local interfacial alloying creates an additional magnetic dead-layer. The thickness of this magnetic dead-layer is temperature dependent, which may have significant implications for elevated-temperature operation of hybrid ferromagnetic metal-semiconductor spintronic devices.

Application of Thin ZnO ALD Layers in Fiber-Optic Fabry-Pérot Sensing Interferometers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daria Majchrowicz

2016-03-01

Full Text Available In this paper we investigated the response of a fiber-optic Fabry-Pérot sensing interferometer with thin ZnO layers deposited on the end faces of the optical fibers forming the cavity. Standard telecommunication single-mode optical fiber (SMF-28 segments were used with the thin ZnO layers deposited by Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD. Measurements were performed with the interferometer illuminated by two broadband sources operating at 1300 nm and 1550 nm. Reflected interference signal was acquired by an optical spectrum analyzer while the length of the air cavity was varied. Thickness of the ZnO layers used in the experiments was 50 nm, 100 nm, and 200 nm. Uncoated SMF-28 fiber was also used as a reference. Based on the results of measurements, the thickness of the ZnO layers and the length of the cavity were selected in order to achieve good visibility. Following, the interferometer was used to determine the refractive index of selected liquids.

W-containing oxide layers obtained on aluminum and titanium by PEO as catalysts in thiophene oxidation

Science.gov (United States)

Rudnev, V. S.; Lukiyanchuk, I. V.; Vasilyeva, M. S.; Morozova, V. P.; Zelikman, V. M.; Tarkhanova, I. G.

2017-11-01

W-containing oxide layers fabricated on titanium and aluminum alloys by Plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) have been tested in the reaction of the peroxide oxidation of thiophene. Samples with two types of coatings have been investigated. Coatings I contained tungsten oxide in the matrix and on the surface of amorphous silica-titania or silica-alumina layers, while coatings II comprised crystalline WO3 and/or Al2(WO4)3. Aluminum-supported catalyst containing a smallest amount of transition metals in the form of tungsten oxides and manganese oxides in low oxidation levels showed high activity and stability.

Modeling to study the role of catalyst in the formation of graphitic shells during carbon nanofiber growth subjected to reactive plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Ravi; Gupta, Neha; Sharma, Suresh C.

2018-04-01

An analytical model to study the role of a metal catalyst nanofilm in the nucleation, growth, and resulting structure of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) in low-temperature hydrogen diluted acetylene plasma has been developed. The model incorporates the nanostructuring of thin catalyst films, growth of CNF, restructuring of catalyst nanoparticles during growth, and its repercussion on the resulting structure (alignment of rolled graphene sheets around catalyst nanoparticles) by taking into account the plasma sheath formalization, kinetics of neutrals and positively charged species in the reactive plasma, flux of plasma species onto the catalyst front surface, and numerous surface reactions for carbon generation. In order to examine the influence of the catalyst film on the growth of CNFs, the numerical solutions of the model equations have been obtained for experimentally determined initial conditions and glow discharge plasma parameters. From the solutions obtained, we found that nanostructuring of thin films leads to the formation of small nanoparticles with high surface number density. The CNF nucleates over these small-sized nanoparticles grow faster and attain early saturation because of the quick poisoning of small-sized catalyst particles, and contain only a few graphitic shells. However, thick nanofilms result in shorter CNFs with large diameters composed of many graphitic shells. Moreover, we found that the inclination of graphitic shells also depends on the extent up to which the catalyst can reconstruct itself during the growth. The small nanoparticles show much greater elongation along the growth axis and also show a very small difference between their tip and base diameter during the growth due to which graphitic shells align at very small angles as compared to the larger nanoparticles. The present study is useful to synthesize the thin and more extended CNFs/CNTs having a smaller opening angle (inclination angle of graphene layers) as the opening angle has a

Visible light dynamical diffraction in a 1-D photonic crystal-based interferometer with an extremely thin spacer layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prudnikov, I.R.

2016-01-01

Properties of light diffraction in a Fabry–Pérot-like interferometer composed of two 1-D photonic crystals and a nanometer-thick spacer layer are analytically investigated. It is shown that the resonant enhancement of light wave intensity in such a layer is possible because of light dynamical diffraction from the photonic crystals of the interferometer. Numerical simulations of (i) light reflectivity and transmittance curves of the interferometer having an ultra-thin spacer layer (its thickness changes from less than 1 nm to about 10 nm) and (ii) the resonant distribution of the light wave intensity in the vicinity of the layer are performed. Based on the numerical simulations, potentialities for the determination of the structural parameters (e.g., thicknesses and refraction indexes) of ultra-thin spacer films are discussed. A difference is found to appear in resonant intensity enhancements inside the ultra-thin spacer layers between s- and p-polarized light waves.

Improvement of performance in low temperature solid oxide fuel cells operated on ethanol and air mixtures using Cu-ZnO-Al2O3 catalyst layer

Science.gov (United States)

Morales, M.; Espiell, F.; Segarra, M.

2015-10-01

Anode-supported single-chamber solid oxide fuel cells with and without Cu-ZnO-Al2O3 catalyst layers deposited on the anode support have been operated on ethanol and air mixtures. The cells consist of gadolinia-doped ceria electrolyte, Ni-doped ceria anode, and La0.6Sr0.4CoO3-δ-doped ceria cathode. Catalyst layers with different Cu-ZnO-Al2O3 ratios are deposited and sintered at several temperatures. Since the performance of single-chamber fuel cells strongly depends on catalytic properties of electrodes for partial oxidation of ethanol, the cells are electrochemically characterized as a function of the temperature, ethanol-air molar ratio and gas flow rate. In addition, catalytic activities of supported anode, catalytic layer-supported anode and cathode for partial oxidation of ethanol are analysed. Afterwards, the effect of composition and sintering temperature of catalyst layer on the cell performance are determined. The results indicate that the cell performance can be significantly enhanced using catalyst layers of 30:35:35 and 40:30:30 wt.% Cu-ZnO-Al2O3 sintered at 1100 °C, achieving power densities above 50 mW cm-2 under 0.45 ethanol-air ratio at temperatures as low as 450 °C. After testing for 15 h, all cells present a gradual loss of power density, without carbon deposition, which is mainly attributed to the partial re-oxidation of Ni at the anode.

Prediction of transmittance spectra for transparent composite electrodes with ultra-thin metal layers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, Zhao; Alford, T. L., E-mail: TA@asu.edu [School for Engineering of Matter, Transport, and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287 (United States); Khorasani, Arash Elhami [ON Semiconductor Corp., Phoenix, Arizona 85005 (United States); Theodore, N. D. [CHD-Fab, Freescale Semiconductor Inc., Tempe, Arizona 85224 (United States); Dhar, A. [Intel Corp., 2501 NW 229th Ave, Hillsboro, Oregon 97124 (United States)

2015-11-28

Recent interest in indium-free transparent composite-electrodes (TCEs) has motivated theoretical and experimental efforts to better understand and enhance their electrical and optical properties. Various tools have been developed to calculate the optical transmittance of multilayer thin-film structures based on the transfer-matrix method. However, the factors that affect the accuracy of these calculations have not been investigated very much. In this study, two sets of TCEs, TiO{sub 2}/Au/TiO{sub 2} and TiO{sub 2}/Ag/TiO{sub 2}, were fabricated to study the factors that affect the accuracy of transmittance predictions. We found that the predicted transmittance can deviate significantly from measured transmittance for TCEs that have ultra-thin plasmonic metal layers. The ultrathin metal layer in the TCE is typically discontinuous. When light interacts with the metallic islands in this discontinuous layer, localized surface plasmons are generated. This causes extra light absorption, which then leads to the actual transmittance being lower than the predicted transmittance.

Nano-crystalline thin and nano-particulate thick TiO{sub 2} layer: Cost effective sequential deposition and study on dye sensitized solar cell characteristics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Das, P.; Sengupta, D. [Centre for Advanced Materials Processing, CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, Durgapur, 713209 West Bengal (India); CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Durgapur, 713209 West Bengal (India); Kasinadhuni, U. [Department of Engineering Physics, Bengal College of Engineering and Technology, Durgapur, West Bengal (India); Mondal, B. [Centre for Advanced Materials Processing, CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, Durgapur, 713209 West Bengal (India); Mukherjee, K., E-mail: kalisadhanm@yahoo.com [Centre for Advanced Materials Processing, CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, Durgapur, 713209 West Bengal (India)

2015-06-15

Highlights: • Thin TiO{sub 2} layer is deposited on conducting substrate using sol–gel based dip coating. • TiO{sub 2} nano-particles are synthesized using hydrothermal route. • Thick TiO{sub 2} particulate layer is deposited on prepared thin layer. • Dye sensitized solar cells are made using thin and thick layer based photo-anode. • Introduction of thin layer in particulate photo-anode improves the cell efficiency. - Abstract: A compact thin TiO{sub 2} passivation layer is introduced between the mesoporous TiO{sub 2} nano-particulate layer and the conducting glass substrate to prepare photo-anode for dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). In order to understand the effect of passivation layer, other two DSSCs are also developed separately using TiO{sub 2} nano-particulate and compact thin film based photo-anodes. Nano-particles are prepared using hydrothermal synthesis route and the compact passivation layer is prepared by simply dip coating the precursor sol prepared through wet chemical route. The TiO{sub 2} compact layer and the nano-particles are characterised in terms of their micro-structural features and phase formation behavior. It is found that introduction of a compact TiO{sub 2} layer in between the mesoporous TiO{sub 2} nano-particulate layer and the conducting substrate improves the solar to electric conversion efficiency of the fabricated cell. The dense thin passivation layer is supposed to enhance the photo-excited electron transfer and prevent the recombination of photo-excited electrons.

Superhydrophobic Thin Films Fabricated by Reactive Layer-by-Layer Assembly of Azlactone-Functionalized Polymers.

Science.gov (United States)

Buck, Maren E; Schwartz, Sarina C; Lynn, David M

2010-09-11

We report an approach to the fabrication of superhydrophobic thin films that is based on the 'reactive' layer-by-layer assembly of azlactone-containing polymer multilayers. We demonstrate that films fabricated from alternating layers of the azlactone functionalized polymer poly(2-vinyl-4,4-dimethylazlactone) (PVDMA) and poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) exhibit micro- and nanoscale surface features that result in water contact angles in excess of 150º. Our results reveal that the formation of these surface features is (i) dependent upon film thickness (i.e., the number of layers of PEI and PVDMA deposited) and (ii) that it is influenced strongly by the presence (or absence) of cyclic azlactone-functionalized oligomers that can form upon storage of the 2-vinyl-4,4-dimethylazlactone (VDMA) used to synthesize PVDMA. For example, films fabricated using polymers synthesized in the presence of these oligomers exhibited rough, textured surfaces and superhydrophobic behavior (i.e., advancing contact angles in excess of 150º). In contrast, films fabricated from PVDMA polymerized in the absence of this oligomer (e.g., using freshly distilled monomer) were smooth and only moderately hydrophobic (i.e., advancing contact angles of ~75º). The addition of authentic, independently synthesized oligomer to samples of distilled VDMA at specified and controlled concentrations permitted reproducible fabrication of superhydrophobic thin films on the surfaces of a variety of different substrates. The surfaces of these films were demonstrated to be superhydrophobic immediately after fabrication, but they became hydrophilic after exposure to water for six days. Additional experiments demonstrated that it was possible to stabilize and prolong the superhydrophobic properties of these films (e.g., advancing contact angles in excess of 150° even after complete submersion in water for at least six weeks) by exploiting the reactivity of residual azlactones to functionalize the surfaces of the films

Catalyst synthesis and evaluation using an integrated atomic layer deposition synthesis–catalysis testing tool

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Camacho-Bunquin, Jeffrey; Shou, Heng; Marshall, Christopher L.; Aich, Payoli; Beaulieu, David R.; Klotzsch, Helmut; Bachman, Stephen; Hock, Adam; Stair, Peter

2015-01-01

An integrated atomic layer deposition synthesis-catalysis (I-ALD-CAT) tool was developed. It combines an ALD manifold in-line with a plug-flow reactor system for the synthesis of supported catalytic materials by ALD and immediate evaluation of catalyst reactivity using gas-phase probe reactions. The I-ALD-CAT delivery system consists of 12 different metal ALD precursor channels, 4 oxidizing or reducing agents, and 4 catalytic reaction feeds to either of the two plug-flow reactors. The system can employ reactor pressures and temperatures in the range of 10 −3 to 1 bar and 300–1000 K, respectively. The instrument is also equipped with a gas chromatograph and a mass spectrometer unit for the detection and quantification of volatile species from ALD and catalytic reactions. In this report, we demonstrate the use of the I-ALD-CAT tool for the synthesis of platinum active sites and Al 2 O 3 overcoats, and evaluation of catalyst propylene hydrogenation activity

Catalyst synthesis and evaluation using an integrated atomic layer deposition synthesis–catalysis testing tool

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Camacho-Bunquin, Jeffrey; Shou, Heng; Marshall, Christopher L. [Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439 (United States); Aich, Payoli [Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439 (United States); Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607 (United States); Beaulieu, David R.; Klotzsch, Helmut; Bachman, Stephen [Arradiance Inc., Sudbury, Massachusetts 01776 (United States); Hock, Adam [Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439 (United States); Department of Chemistry, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois 60616 (United States); Stair, Peter [Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439 (United States); Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208 (United States)

2015-08-15

An integrated atomic layer deposition synthesis-catalysis (I-ALD-CAT) tool was developed. It combines an ALD manifold in-line with a plug-flow reactor system for the synthesis of supported catalytic materials by ALD and immediate evaluation of catalyst reactivity using gas-phase probe reactions. The I-ALD-CAT delivery system consists of 12 different metal ALD precursor channels, 4 oxidizing or reducing agents, and 4 catalytic reaction feeds to either of the two plug-flow reactors. The system can employ reactor pressures and temperatures in the range of 10{sup −3} to 1 bar and 300–1000 K, respectively. The instrument is also equipped with a gas chromatograph and a mass spectrometer unit for the detection and quantification of volatile species from ALD and catalytic reactions. In this report, we demonstrate the use of the I-ALD-CAT tool for the synthesis of platinum active sites and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} overcoats, and evaluation of catalyst propylene hydrogenation activity.

Magnetic properties of Cobalt thin films deposited on soft organic layers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bergenti, I. [ISMN-CNR via P. Gobetti 101, Bologna 40129 (Italy)]. E-mail: i.bergenti@bo.ismn.cnr.it; Riminucci, A. [ISMN-CNR via P. Gobetti 101, Bologna 40129 (Italy); Arisi, E. [ISMN-CNR via P. Gobetti 101, Bologna 40129 (Italy); Murgia, M. [ISMN-CNR via P. Gobetti 101, Bologna 40129 (Italy); Cavallini, M. [ISMN-CNR via P. Gobetti 101, Bologna 40129 (Italy); Solzi, M. [Dipartimento di Fisica dell' Universita di Parma and CNISM, Parco Area delle Scienze 7/A, Parma 43100 (Italy); Casoli, F. [IMEM-CNR Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, Parma 43100 (Italy); Dediu, V. [ISMN-CNR via P. Gobetti 101, Bologna 40129 (Italy)

2007-09-15

Magnetic and morphological properties of Cobalt thin films grown by RF sputtering on organic Alq3 layers were investigated by magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) technique and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The AFM images indicate a template growth of Co layers on top of Alq3, the magnetic film 'decorates' the surface of organic material. This peculiar morphology induces a strong uniaxial magnetic anisotropy in the Co films, as detected by MOKE measurements. Results are important for the operation of a new class of devices-vertical organic spin valves.

Reversed-phase thin-layer chromatography of the rare earth elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuroda, R.; Adachi, M.; Oguma, K.

1988-01-01

Partition chromatographic behaviour of the rare earth elements on C 18 bonded silica reversed-phase material has been investigated by thin-layer chromatography in methanol - lactate media. The rare earth lactato complexes are distributed and fractionated on bonded silica layers without ion-interaction reagents. The concentration and pH of lactate solution, methanol concentration and temperature have effects on the migration and resolution of the rare earth elements. The partition system is particularly suited to separate adjacent rare earths of middle atomic weight groups, allowing the separation of gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium and thulium to be achieved by development to 18 cm distance. (orig.)

Atomic layer deposition of absorbing thin films on nanostructured electrodes for short-wavelength infrared photosensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Jixian; Sutherland, Brandon R.; Hoogland, Sjoerd; Fan, Fengjia; Sargent, Edward H.; Kinge, Sachin

2015-01-01

Atomic layer deposition (ALD), prized for its high-quality thin-film formation in the absence of high temperature or high vacuum, has become an industry standard for the large-area deposition of a wide array of oxide materials. Recently, it has shown promise in the formation of nanocrystalline sulfide films. Here, we demonstrate the viability of ALD lead sulfide for photodetection. Leveraging the conformal capabilities of ALD, we enhance the absorption without compromising the extraction efficiency in the absorbing layer by utilizing a ZnO nanowire electrode. The nanowires are first coated with a thin shunt-preventing TiO 2 layer, followed by an infrared-active ALD PbS layer for photosensing. The ALD PbS photodetector exhibits a peak responsivity of 10 −2  A W −1 and a shot-derived specific detectivity of 3 × 10 9  Jones at 1530 nm wavelength

Titanium dioxide thin films by atomic layer deposition: a review

Science.gov (United States)

Niemelä, Janne-Petteri; Marin, Giovanni; Karppinen, Maarit

2017-09-01

Within its rich phase diagram titanium dioxide is a truly multifunctional material with a property palette that has been shown to span from dielectric to transparent-conducting characteristics, in addition to the well-known catalytic properties. At the same time down-scaling of microelectronic devices has led to an explosive growth in research on atomic layer deposition (ALD) of a wide variety of frontier thin-film materials, among which TiO2 is one of the most popular ones. In this topical review we summarize the advances in research of ALD of titanium dioxide starting from the chemistries of the over 50 different deposition routes developed for TiO2 and the resultant structural characteristics of the films. We then continue with the doped ALD-TiO2 thin films from the perspective of dielectric, transparent-conductor and photocatalytic applications. Moreover, in order to cover the latest trends in the research field, both the variously constructed TiO2 nanostructures enabled by ALD and the Ti-based hybrid inorganic-organic films grown by the emerging ALD/MLD (combined atomic/molecular layer deposition) technique are discussed.

Esterification of phenyl acetic acid with p-cresol using metal cation exchanged montmorillonite nanoclay catalysts.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhaskar, M; Surekha, M; Suma, N

2018-02-01

The liquid phase esterification of phenyl acetic acid with p -cresol over different metal cation exchanged montmorillonite nanoclays yields p -cresyl phenyl acetate. Different metal cation exchanged montmorillonite nanoclays (M n +  = Al 3+ , Zn 2+ , Mn 2+ , Fe 3+ , Cu 2+ ) were prepared and the catalytic activity was studied. The esterification reaction was conducted by varying molar ratio of the reactants, reaction time and catalyst amount on the yield of the ester. Among the different metal cation exchanged catalysts used, Al 3+ -montmorillonite nanoclay was found to be more active. The characterization of the material used was studied under different techniques, namely X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The product obtained, p -cresyl phenyl acetate, was identified by thin-layer chromotography and confirmed by Fourier transform infrared, 1 H NMR and 13 C NMR. The regeneration activity of used catalyst was also investigated up to fourth generation.

Performance of a Polymer Flood with Shear-Thinning Fluid in Heterogeneous Layered Systems with Crossflow

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kun Sang Lee

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Assessment of the potential of a polymer flood for mobility control requires an accurate model on the viscosities of displacement fluids involved in the process. Because most polymers used in EOR exhibit shear-thinning behavior, the effective viscosity of a polymer solution is a highly nonlinear function of shear rate. A reservoir simulator including the model for the shear-rate dependence of viscosity was used to investigate shear-thinning effects of polymer solution on the performance of the layered reservoir in a five-spot pattern operating under polymer flood followed by waterflood. The model can be used as a quantitative tool to evaluate the comparative studies of different polymer flooding scenarios with respect to shear-rate dependence of fluids’ viscosities. Results of cumulative oil recovery and water-oil ratio are presented for parameters of shear-rate dependencies, permeability heterogeneity, and crossflow. The results of this work have proven the importance of taking non-Newtonian behavior of polymer solution into account for the successful evaluation of polymer flood processes. Horizontal and vertical permeabilities of each layer are shown to impact the predicted performance substantially. In reservoirs with a severe permeability contrast between horizontal layers, decrease in oil recovery and sudden increase in WOR are obtained by the low sweep efficiency and early water breakthrough through highly permeable layer, especially for shear-thinning fluids. An increase in the degree of crossflow resulting from sufficient vertical permeability is responsible for the enhanced sweep of the low permeability layers, which results in increased oil recovery. It was observed that a thinning fluid coefficient would increase injectivity significantly from simulations with various injection rates. A thorough understanding of polymer rheology in the reservoir and accurate numerical modeling are of fundamental importance for the exact estimation

[Thin layer agar represents a cost-effective alternative for the rapid diagnosis of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis].

Science.gov (United States)

Hernández-Sarmiento, José M; Martínez-Negrete, Milton A; Castrillón-Velilla, Diana M; Mejía-Espinosa, Sergio A; Mejía-Mesa, Gloria I; Zapata-Fernández, Elsa M; Rojas-Jiménez, Sara; Marín-Castro, Andrés E; Robledo-Restrepo, Jaime A

2014-01-01

Using cost-benefit analysis for comparing the thin-layer agar culture method to the standard multiple proportion method used in diagnosing multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB). A cost-benefit evaluation of two diagnostic tests was made at the Corporación para Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB) in Medellín, Colombia. 100 patients were evaluated; 10.8% rifampicin resistance and 14.3% isoniazid resistance were found. A computer-based decision tree model was used for cost-effectiveness analysis (Treeage Pro); the thin-layer agar culture method was most cost-effective, having 100% sensitivity, specificity and predictive values for detecting rifampicin and isoniazid resistance. The multiple proportion method value was calculated as being US$ 71 having an average 49 day report time compared to US$ 18 and 14 days for the thin-layer agar culture method. New technologies have been developed for diagnosing tuberculosis which are apparently faster and more effective; their operating characteristics must be evaluated as must their effectiveness in terms of cost-benefit. The present study established that using thin-layer agar culture was cheaper, equally effective and could provide results more quickly than the traditional method. This implies that a patient could receive MDR TB treatment more quickly.

Lattice Boltzmann Pore-Scale Investigation of Coupled Physical-electrochemical Processes in C/Pt and Non-Precious Metal Cathode Catalyst Layers in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Li; Wu, Gang; Holby, Edward F; Zelenay, Piotr; Tao, Wen-Quan; Kang, Qinjun

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Nanoscale structures of catalyst layer are reconstructed. • Pore-scale simulation is performed to predict macroscopic transport properties. • Reactive transport in catalyst layer with non-precious metal and Pt catalysts is studied. • Mesopores rather than micropores are required to enhance mass transport. - Abstract: High-resolution porous structures of catalyst layers (CLs) including non-precious metal catalysts (NPMCs) or Pt for proton exchange membrane fuel cells are reconstructed using the quartet structure generation set. The nanoscale structures are analyzed in terms of pore size distribution, specific surface area, and phase connectivity. Pore-scale simulation methods based on the lattice Boltzmann method are developed to predict the macroscopic transport properties in CLs. The non-uniform distribution of ionomer in CL generates more tortuous pathways for reactant transport, greatly reducing the effective diffusivity. The tortuosity of CLs is much higher than that adopted by the Bruggeman equation. Knudsen diffusion plays a significant role in oxygen diffusion and significantly reduces the effective diffusivity. Reactive transport inside the CLs is also investigated. Although the reactive surface area of the non-precious metal catalyst (NPMC) CL is much higher than that of the Pt CL, the oxygen reaction rate is lower in the NPMC CL due to the much lower reaction rate coefficient. Although pores of a few nanometers in size can increase the number of reactive sites in NPMC CLs, they contribute little to enhance the mass transport. Mesopores, which are a few tens of nanometers or larger in size, are shown to be required in order to increase the mass transport rate

Purification of 3H-dihydroalprenolol by two dimensional thin layer chromatography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smisterova, J.; Soltes, L.; Kallay, Z.

1989-01-01

A two dimensional thin-layer chromatographic method was developed for the purification and analysis of (-)-[ 3 H]dihydroalprenolol by using an acidic mobile phase (butanol/water/acetic acid 25:10:4, v/v) in one direction and a basic eluent (chloroform/acetone/triethylamine 50:40:10, v/v) in another direction. (author)

Site-selective electroless nickel plating on patterned thin films of macromolecular metal complexes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kimura, Mutsumi; Yamagiwa, Hiroki; Asakawa, Daisuke; Noguchi, Makoto; Kurashina, Tadashi; Fukawa, Tadashi; Shirai, Hirofusa

2010-12-01

We demonstrate a simple route to depositing nickel layer patterns using photocross-linked polymer thin films containing palladium catalysts, which can be used as adhesive interlayers for fabrication of nickel patterns on glass and plastic substrates. Electroless nickel patterns can be obtained in three steps: (i) the pattern formation of partially quaterized poly(vinyl pyridine) by UV irradiation, (ii) the formation of macromolecular metal complex with palladium, and (iii) the nickel metallization using electroless plating bath. Metallization is site-selective and allows for a high resolution. And the resulting nickel layered structure shows good adhesion with glass and plastic substrates. The direct patterning of metallic layers onto insulating substrates indicates a great potential for fabricating micro/nano devices.

Effect of multi-layered bottom electrodes on the orientation of strontium-doped lead zirconate titanate thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bhaskaran, M. [Microelectronics and Materials Technology Centre, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, RMIT University, GPO Box 2476V, Melbourne, Victoria 3001 (Australia)], E-mail: madhu.bhaskaran@gmail.com; Sriram, S. [Microelectronics and Materials Technology Centre, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, RMIT University, GPO Box 2476V, Melbourne, Victoria 3001 (Australia); Mitchell, D.R.G.; Short, K.T. [Institute of Materials Engineering, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), PMB 1, Menai, New South Wales 2234 (Australia); Holland, A.S. [Microelectronics and Materials Technology Centre, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, RMIT University, GPO Box 2476V, Melbourne, Victoria 3001 (Australia)

2008-09-30

This article discusses the results from X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of piezoelectric strontium-doped lead zirconate titanate (PSZT) thin films deposited on multi-layer coatings on silicon. The films were deposited by RF magnetron sputtering on a metal coated substrate. The aim was to exploit the pronounced piezoelectric effect that is theoretically expected normal to the substrate. This work highlighted the influence that the bottom electrode architecture exerts on the final crystalline orientation of the deposited thin films. A number of bottom electrode architectures were used, with the uppermost metal layer on which PSZT was deposited being gold or platinum. The XRD analysis revealed that the unit cell of the PSZT thin films deposited on gold and on platinum were deformed, relative to expected unit cell dimensions. Experimental results have been used to estimate the unit cell parameters. The XRD results were then indexed based on these unit cell parameters. The choice and the thickness of the intermediate adhesion layers influenced the relative intensity, and in some cases, the presence of perovskite peaks. In some cases, undesirable reactions between the bottom electrode layers were observed, and layer architectures to overcome these reactions are also discussed.

Thin-layer effects in glaciological seismic amplitude-versus-angle (AVA analysis: implications for characterising a subglacial till unit, Russell Glacier, West Greenland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. D. Booth

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Seismic amplitude-versus-angle (AVA methods are a powerful means of quantifying the physical properties of subglacial material, but serious interpretative errors can arise when AVA is measured over a thinly-layered substrate. A substrate layer with a thickness less than 1/4 of the seismic wavelength, λ, is considered "thin", and reflections from its bounding interfaces superpose and appear in seismic data as a single reflection event. AVA interpretation of subglacial till can be vulnerable to such thin-layer effects, since a lodged (non-deforming till can be overlain by a thin (metre-scale cap of dilatant (deforming till. We assess the potential for misinterpretation by simulating seismic data for a stratified subglacial till unit, with an upper dilatant layer between 0.1–5.0 m thick (λ / 120 to > λ / 4, with λ = 12 m. For dilatant layers less than λ / 6 thick, conventional AVA analysis yields acoustic impedance and Poisson's ratio that indicate contradictory water saturation. A thin-layer interpretation strategy is proposed, that accurately characterises the model properties of the till unit. The method is applied to example seismic AVA data from Russell Glacier, West Greenland, in which characteristics of thin-layer responses are evident. A subglacial till deposit is interpreted, having lodged till (acoustic impedance = 4.26±0.59 × 10⁶ kg m⁻² s⁻¹ underlying a water-saturated dilatant till layer (thickness < 2 m, Poisson's ratio ~ 0.5. Since thin-layer considerations offer a greater degree of complexity in an AVA interpretation, and potentially avoid misinterpretations, they are a valuable aspect of quantitative seismic analysis, particularly for characterising till units.

Drag crisis moderation by thin air layers sustained on superhydrophobic spheres falling in water

KAUST Repository

Jetly, Aditya

2018-01-22

We investigate the effect of thin air layers naturally sustained on superhydrophobic surfaces on the terminal velocity and drag force of metallic spheres free falling in water. The surface of 20 mm to 60 mm steel or tungsten-carbide spheres is rendered superhydrophobic by a simple coating process that uses commercially available hydrophobic agent. By comparing the free fall of unmodified spheres and superhydrophobic spheres in a 2.5 meters tall water tank, It is demonstrated that even a very thin air layer (~ 1 – 2 μm) that covers the freshly dipped superhydrophobic sphere, can reduce the drag force on the spheres by up to 80 %, at Reynolds numbers 105 - 3×105 , owing to an early drag crisis transition. This study complements prior investigations on the drag reduction efficiency of model gas layers sustained on heated metal spheres falling in liquid by the Leidenfrost effect. The drag reduction effects are expected to have significant implication for the development of sustainable air-layer-based energy saving technologies.

Effect of a hard coat layer on buckle delamination of thin ITO layers on a compliant elasto-plastic substrate: an experimental–numerical approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sluis, van der O.; Abdallah, Amir; Bouten, P.C.P.; Timmermans, P.H.M.; Toonder, den J.M.J.; With, de G.

2011-01-01

Layer buckling and delamination is a common interfacial failure phenomenon in thin film multi-layer structures that are used in flexible display applications. Typically, the substrate is coated on both sides with a hybrid coating, calleda hard coat (HC), which acts as a gas barrier and also

Use of the water-soluble fluor sodium salicylate for fluorographic detection of tritium in thin-layer chromatograms and nitrocellulose blots

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lucher, L.A.; Lego, T.

1989-01-01

We have determined that sodium salicylate, a water-soluble fluor which we use routinely for fluorography with polyacrylamide gels, is also useful for fluorography with thin-layer media. Detection of 3 H-labeled material applied to thin-layer chromatography plates, or nitrocellulose membranes, can be enhanced up to 150-fold after treatment with an aqueous solution of 2 M sodium salicylate, while detection of 35 S-labeled material is enhanced only about 2-fold. We demonstrate the utility of sodium salicylate fluorography in detecting 3H-labeled palmitic acid following thin-layer chromatography and 3 H-labeled proteins following blotting to nitrocellulose

Characterization of Nanocrystalline SiGe Thin Film Solar Cell with Double Graded-Dead Absorption Layer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chao-Chun Wang

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The nanocrystalline silicon-germanium (nc-SiGe thin films were deposited by high-frequency (27.12 MHz plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (HF-PECVD. The films were used in a silicon-based thin film solar cell with graded-dead absorption layer. The characterization of the nc-SiGe films are analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, UV-visible spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared absorption spectroscopy. The band gap of SiGe alloy can be adjusted between 0.8 and 1.7 eV by varying the gas ratio. For thin film solar cell application, using double graded-dead i-SiGe layers mainly leads to an increase in short-circuit current and therefore cell conversion efficiency. An initial conversion efficiency of 5.06% and the stabilized efficiency of 4.63% for an nc-SiGe solar cell were achieved.

Influence of Magnetron Effect on Barium Hexaferrite Thin Layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hassane, H.; Chatelon, J.P.; Rousseau, J.J; Siblini, A.; Kriga, A.

2011-01-01

In this paper, we study the effects of a magnet, located in the cathode, on barium hexaferrite thin films deposited by RF magnetron sputtering technique. During the process, these effects can modify thickness, roughness and stress of coatings. The characteristics of the deposited layers depend on the substrate position that is located opposite of magnetron cathode. In the m agnetron area , one can observe that the high stress can produce cracks or detachment of layers and the increasing of both depositing rate and surface roughness. After sputtering elaboration, barium hexaferrite films are in a compressive stress mode. But, after the post-deposition heat treatment these films are in a tensile stress mode. To improve the quality of BaM films, the subsrtate has to be set outside the magnetron area. (author)

Effect of atmospheric-pressure plasma treatment on the adhesion properties of a thin adhesive layer in a selective transfer process

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Min-Ah; Kim, Chan; Hur, Min; Kang, Woo Seok; Kim, Jaegu; Kim, Jae-Hyun; Lee, Hak-Joo; Kim, Kwang-Seop

2018-01-01

The adhesion between a stamp and thin film devices is crucial for their transfer on a flexible substrate. In this paper, a thin adhesive silicone layer on the stamp was treated by atmospheric pressure plasma to locally control the adhesion strength for the selective transfer. The adhesion strength of the silicone layer was significantly reduced after the plasma treatment, while its surface energy was increased. To understand the inconsistency between the adhesion strength and surface energy changes, the surface properties of the silicone layer were characterized using nanoindentation and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. These techniques revealed that a thin, hard, silica-like layer had formed on the surface from plasma-enhanced oxidation. This layer played an important role in decreasing the contact area and increasing the interfacial slippage, resulting in decreased adhesion. As a practical application, the transfer process was demonstrated on GaN LEDs that had been previously delaminated by a laser lift-off (LLO) process. Although the LEDs were not transferred onto the treated adhesive layer due to the reduced adhesion, the untreated adhesive layer could readily pick up the LEDs. It is expected that this simple method of controlling the adhesion of a stamp with a thin adhesive layer would enable a continuous, selective and large-scale roll-to-roll selective transfer process and thereby advance the development of flexible, stretchable and wearable electronics.

Analysis of influence of buffer layers on microwave propagation through high-temperature superconducting thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ceremuga, J.; Barton, M.; Miranda, F.

1994-01-01

Methods of analysis of microwave propagation through superconducting thin films with buffer layers on dielectric substrates have been discussed. Expressions describing the transmission coefficient S 21 through the structure and the complex conductivity sigma of a superconductor in an analytical form have been derived. The derived equations are valid for microwave propagation in waveguides as well as in free space with relevant definition of impedances. Using the obtained solutions, the influences of buffer layers' parameters (thickness, relative permittivity and loss tangent) on the transmission coefficient has been investigated using MATLAB. Simulations have been performed for 10 GHz transmission through YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 films on sapphire with SrTiO 3 and CeO 2 buffer layers and on silicon with CaF 2 and YSZ buffer layers. To illustrate the simulations, measurements of the transmission through YBCO film on sapphire with SrTiO 3 buffer layer have been performed. It has been shown that even lossy buffer layers have very little impact (smaller than 1% in magnitude and 0.3% in phase) on the transmission coefficient through superconducting thin films, providing their thickness is below 10 mu m. (author)

Feasibility study of using thin aluminum nitride film as a buffer layer for dual metal gate process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Chang Seo; Cho, Byung Jin; Balasubramanian, N.; Kwong, Dim-Lee

2004-01-01

We evaluated the feasibility of using an ultra thin aluminum nitride (AlN) buffer layer for dual metal gates CMOS process. Since the buffer layer should not affect the thickness of gate dielectric, it should be removed or consumed during subsequent process. In this work, it was shown that a thin AlN dielectric layer would be reacted with initial gate metals and would be consumed during subsequent annealing, resulting in no increase of equivalent oxide thickness (EOT). The reaction of AlN layer with tantalum (Ta) and hafnium (Hf) during subsequent annealing, which was confirmed with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, shifted the flat-band voltage of AlN buffered MOS capacitors. No contribution to equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) was also an indication showing the full consumption of AIN, which was confirmed with TEM analysis. The work functions of gate metals were modulated through the reaction, suggesting that the consumption of AlN resulted in new thin metal alloys. Finally, it was found that the barrier heights of the new alloys were consistent with their work functions

Relating performance of thin-film composite forward osmosis membranes to support layer formation and structure

KAUST Repository

Tiraferri, Alberto

2011-02-01

Osmotically driven membrane processes have the potential to treat impaired water sources, desalinate sea/brackish waters, and sustainably produce energy. The development of a membrane tailored for these processes is essential to advance the technology to the point that it is commercially viable. Here, a systematic investigation of the influence of thin-film composite membrane support layer structure on forward osmosis performance is conducted. The membranes consist of a selective polyamide active layer formed by interfacial polymerization on top of a polysulfone support layer fabricated by phase separation. By systematically varying the conditions used during the casting of the polysulfone layer, an array of support layers with differing structures was produced. The role that solvent quality, dope polymer concentration, fabric layer wetting, and casting blade gate height play in the support layer structure formation was investigated. Using a 1M NaCl draw solution and a deionized water feed, water fluxes ranging from 4 to 25Lm-2h-1 with consistently high salt rejection (>95.5%) were produced. The relationship between membrane structure and performance was analyzed. This study confirms the hypothesis that the optimal forward osmosis membrane consists of a mixed-structure support layer, where a thin sponge-like layer sits on top of highly porous macrovoids. Both the active layer transport properties and the support layer structural characteristics need to be optimized in order to fabricate a high performance forward osmosis membrane. © 2010 Elsevier B.V.

Enhancing the performance of organic thin-film transistors using an organic-doped inorganic buffer layer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Su, Shui-Hsiang, E-mail: shsu@isu.edu.tw; Wu, Chung-Ming; Kung, Shu-Yi; Yokoyama, Meiso

2013-06-01

Organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) with various buffer layers between the active layer and source/drain electrodes were investigated. The structure was polyethylene terephthalate/indium-tin oxide/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/pentacene/buffer layer/Au (source/drain). V{sub 2}O{sub 5}, 4,4′,4″-tris{N,(3-methylpheny)-N-phenylamino}-triphenylamine (m-MTDATA) and m-MTDATA-doped V{sub 2}O{sub 5} films were utilized as buffer layers. The electrical performances of OTFTs in terms of drain current, threshold voltage, mobility and on/off current ratio have been determined. As a result, the saturation current of − 40 μA is achieved in OTFTs with a 10% m-MTDATA-doped V{sub 2}O{sub 5} buffer layer at a V{sub GS} of − 60 V. The on/off current ratio reaches 2 × 10{sup 5}, which is approximately double of the device without a buffer layer. The energy band diagrams of the electrode/buffer layer/pentacene were measured using ultra-violet photoelectron spectroscopy. The improvement in electrical characteristics of the OTFTs is attributable to the weakening of the interface dipole and the lowering of the barrier to enhance holes transportation from the source electrode to the active layer. - Highlights: • A buffer layer enhances the performance of organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs). • The buffer layer consists of organic-doped inorganic material. • Interface dipole is weakened at the active layer/electrodes interface of OTFTs.

Atomic layer deposition of absorbing thin films on nanostructured electrodes for short-wavelength infrared photosensing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Jixian; Sutherland, Brandon R.; Hoogland, Sjoerd; Fan, Fengjia; Sargent, Edward H., E-mail: ted.sargent@utoronto.ca [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, 10 King' s College Road, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G4 (Canada); Kinge, Sachin [Advanced Technology, Materials and Research, Research and Development, Hoge Wei 33- Toyota Technical Centre, B-1930 Zaventem (Belgium)

2015-10-12

Atomic layer deposition (ALD), prized for its high-quality thin-film formation in the absence of high temperature or high vacuum, has become an industry standard for the large-area deposition of a wide array of oxide materials. Recently, it has shown promise in the formation of nanocrystalline sulfide films. Here, we demonstrate the viability of ALD lead sulfide for photodetection. Leveraging the conformal capabilities of ALD, we enhance the absorption without compromising the extraction efficiency in the absorbing layer by utilizing a ZnO nanowire electrode. The nanowires are first coated with a thin shunt-preventing TiO{sub 2} layer, followed by an infrared-active ALD PbS layer for photosensing. The ALD PbS photodetector exhibits a peak responsivity of 10{sup −2} A W{sup −1} and a shot-derived specific detectivity of 3 × 10{sup 9} Jones at 1530 nm wavelength.

Ni-YSZ cermet substrate supported thin SDC and YSZ+SDC bi-layer SOFCs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, X.; Robertson, M.; Deces-Petit, C.; Xie, Y.; Hui, R.; Yick, S.; Styles, E.; Roller, J.; Kesler, O.; Qu, W.; Jankovic, J.; Tang, Z.; Perednis, D.; Maric, R.; Ghosh, D. [National Research Council of Canada, Vancouver, BC (Canada). Inst. for Fuel Cell Innovation

2005-07-01

One of the disadvantages of a ceria-based electrolyte is that it becomes a mixed conductor at anode conditions, which causes cell voltage loss and fuel efficiency loss due to internal shorting. Chemical and mechanical stability is another concern for long-term service. To lower manufacturing costs, efforts have been made to bring proven semiconductor manufacturing technology to Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs). This study employed Tape casting of cermet substrates, Screen-printing of functional layers and Co-firing of cell components (TSC) to fabricate nickel (Ni)-cermet supported cells with mainly ceria-based thin electrolytes. Ni-Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ) cermet supported cell with Samaria Doped Ceria (SDC) single layer electrolytes and YSZ+SDC bi-layer electrolytes were successfully developed for low-temperature performance characterization. The elemental distribution at the cell interface was mapped and the electrochemical performance of the cells was recorded. Many high-Zr-content micro-islands were found on the thin SDC surface. The influence of co-firing temperature and thin-film preparation methods on the Zr-islands' appearance was also investigated. Using in-situ sintered cathodes, high performance of the SDC cells was obtained. It was concluded that the bi-layer cells did show higher Open Circuit Voltage (OCV) values, with 1180 mW/cm{sup 2} at 650 degrees C, as well as good performance at 700-800 degrees C, with near OCV value. However, their performance was much lower than those of the SDC cells at low operating temperature. Zr-micro-islands formation on the SDC electrolyte was observed and investigated. 6 refs., 5 tabs., 7 figs.

High-permeance crosslinked PTMSP thin-film composite membranes as supports for CO2 selective layer formation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stepan D. Bazhenov

2016-10-01

Full Text Available In the development of the composite gas separation membranes for post-combustion CO2 capture, little attention is focused on the optimization of the membrane supports, which satisfy the conditions of this technology. The primary requirements to the membrane supports are concerned with their high CO2 permeance. In this work, the membrane supports with desired characteristics were developed as high-permeance gas separation thin film composite (TFC membranes with the thin defect-free layer from the crosslinked highly permeable polymer, poly[1-(trimethylsilyl-1-propyne] (PTMSP. This layer is insoluble in chloroform and can be used as a gutter layer for the further deposition of the СО2-selective materials from the organic solvents. Crosslinking of PTMSP was performed using polyethyleneimine (PEI and poly (ethyleneglycol diglycidyl ether (PEGDGE as crosslinking agents. Optimal concentrations of PEI in PTMSP and PEGDGE in methanol were selected in order to diminish the undesirable effect on the final membrane gas transport characteristics. The conditions of the kiss-coating technique for the deposition of the thin defect-free PTMSP-based layer, namely, composition of the casting solution and the speed of movement of the porous commercial microfiltration-grade support, were optimized. The procedure of post-treatment with alcohols and alcohol solutions was shown to be crucial for the improvement of gas permeance of the membranes with the crosslinked PTMSP layer having thickness ranging within 1–2.5 μm. The claimed membranes showed the following characteristics: CO2 permeance is equal to 50–54 m3(STP/(m2 h bar (18,500–20,000 GPU, ideal CO2/N2 selectivity is 3.6–3.7, and their selective layers are insoluble in chloroform. Thus, the developed high-permeance TFC membranes are considered as a promising supports for further modification by enhanced CO2 selective layer formation. Keywords: Thin-film composite membrane

Rosenzweig instability in a thin layer of a magnetic fluid

Science.gov (United States)

Korovin, V. M.

2013-12-01

A simple mathematical model of the initial stage of nonlinear evolution of the Rosenzweig instability in a thin layer of a nonlinearly magnetized viscous ferrofluid coating a horizontal nonmagnetizable plate is constructed on the basis of the system of equations and boundary conditions of ferrofluid dynamics. A dispersion relation is derived and analyzed using the linearized equations of this model. The critical magnetization of the initial layer with a flat free surface, the threshold wavenumber, and the characteristic time of evolution of the most rapidly growing mode are determined. The equation for the neutral stability curve, which is applicable for any physically admissible law of magnetization of a ferrofluid, is derived analytically.

Interaction between cholesterol and non-ionic surfactants studied by thin-layer chromatography

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Forgács, E.; Cserháti, T.; Farkas, O.; Eckhardt, Adam; Mikšík, Ivan; Deyl, Zdeněk

2004-01-01

Roč. 27, č. 13 (2004), s. 1981-1992 ISSN 1082-6076 Grant - others:CZ-HU(CZ) Cooperation program Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z5011922 Keywords : cholesterol * non-ionic surfactant * thin - layer chromatography Subject RIV: CB - Analytical Chemistry, Separation Impact factor: 0.836, year: 2004

Thin-Layer Chromatography/Desorption Atmospheric Pressure Photoionization Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry of Lipids

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Rejšek, Jan; Vrkoslav, Vladimír; Vaikkinen, A.; Haapala, M.; Kauppila, T. J.; Kostiainen, R.; Cvačka, Josef

2016-01-01

Roč. 88, č. 24 (2016), s. 12279-12286 ISSN 0003-2700 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP206/12/0750 Institutional support: RVO:61388963 Keywords : desorption atmospheric pressure photoionization * thin-layer chromatography * lipids Subject RIV: CB - Analytical Chemistry, Separation Impact factor: 6.320, year: 2016

Vanadium and molybdenum oxide thin films on Au(111). Growth and surface characterization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guimond, Sebastien

2009-06-04

The growth and the surface structure of well-ordered V{sub 2}O{sub 3}, V{sub 2}O{sub 5} and MoO{sub 3} thin films have been investigated in this work. These films are seen as model systems for the study of elementary reaction steps occurring on vanadia and molybdena-based selective oxidation catalysts. It is shown that well-ordered V{sub 2}O{sub 3}(0001) thin films can be prepared on Au(111). The films are terminated by vanadyl groups which are not part of the V{sub 2}O{sub 3} bulk structure. Electron irradiation specifically removes the oxygen atoms of the vanadyl groups, resulting in a V-terminated surface. The fraction of removed vanadyl groups is controlled by the electron dose. Such surfaces constitute interesting models to probe the relative role of both the vanadyl groups and the undercoordinated V ions at the surface of vanadia catalysts. The growth of well-ordered V{sub 2}O{sub 5}(001) and MoO{sub 3}(010) thin films containing few point defects is reported here for the first time. These films were grown on Au(111) by oxidation under 50 mbar O{sub 2} in a dedicated high pressure cell. Contrary to some of the results found in the literature, the films are not easily reduced by annealing in UHV. This evidences the contribution of radiation and surface contamination in some of the reported thermal reduction experiments. The growth of ultrathin V{sub 2}O{sub 5} and MoO{sub 3} layers on Au(111) results in formation of interface-specific monolayer structures. These layers are coincidence lattices and they do not correspond to any known oxide bulk structure. They are assumed to be stabilized by electronic interaction with Au(111). Their formation illustrates the polymorphic character and the ease of coordination units rearrangement which are characteristic of both oxides. The formation of a second layer apparently precedes the growth of bulk-like crystallites for both oxides. This observation is at odds with a common assumption that crystals nucleate as soon as a

Vanadium and molybdenum oxide thin films on Au(111). Growth and surface characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guimond, Sebastien

2009-01-01

The growth and the surface structure of well-ordered V 2 O 3 , V 2 O 5 and MoO 3 thin films have been investigated in this work. These films are seen as model systems for the study of elementary reaction steps occurring on vanadia and molybdena-based selective oxidation catalysts. It is shown that well-ordered V 2 O 3 (0001) thin films can be prepared on Au(111). The films are terminated by vanadyl groups which are not part of the V 2 O 3 bulk structure. Electron irradiation specifically removes the oxygen atoms of the vanadyl groups, resulting in a V-terminated surface. The fraction of removed vanadyl groups is controlled by the electron dose. Such surfaces constitute interesting models to probe the relative role of both the vanadyl groups and the undercoordinated V ions at the surface of vanadia catalysts. The growth of well-ordered V 2 O 5 (001) and MoO 3 (010) thin films containing few point defects is reported here for the first time. These films were grown on Au(111) by oxidation under 50 mbar O 2 in a dedicated high pressure cell. Contrary to some of the results found in the literature, the films are not easily reduced by annealing in UHV. This evidences the contribution of radiation and surface contamination in some of the reported thermal reduction experiments. The growth of ultrathin V 2 O 5 and MoO 3 layers on Au(111) results in formation of interface-specific monolayer structures. These layers are coincidence lattices and they do not correspond to any known oxide bulk structure. They are assumed to be stabilized by electronic interaction with Au(111). Their formation illustrates the polymorphic character and the ease of coordination units rearrangement which are characteristic of both oxides. The formation of a second layer apparently precedes the growth of bulk-like crystallites for both oxides. This observation is at odds with a common assumption that crystals nucleate as soon as a monolayer is formed dur-ing the preparation of supported vanadia

Recent Advances in Solid Catalysts Obtained by Metalloporphyrins Immobilization on Layered Anionic Exchangers: A Short Review and Some New Catalytic Results

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shirley Nakagaki

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Layered materials are a very interesting class of compounds obtained by stacking of two-dimensional layers along the basal axis. A remarkable property of these materials is their capacity to interact with a variety of chemical species, irrespective of their charge (neutral, cationic or anionic. These species can be grafted onto the surface of the layered materials or intercalated between the layers, to expand or contract the interlayer distance. Metalloporphyrins, which are typically soluble oxidation catalysts, are examples of molecules that can interact with layered materials. This work presents a short review of the studies involving metalloporphyrin immobilization on two different anionic exchangers, Layered Double Hydroxides (LDHs and Layered Hydroxide Salts (LHSs, published over the past year. After immobilization of anionic porphyrins, the resulting solids behave as reusable catalysts for heterogeneous oxidation processes. Although a large number of publications involving metalloporphyrin immobilization on LDHs exist, only a few papers have dealt with LHSs as supports, so metalloporphyrins immobilized on LHSs represent a new and promising research field. This work also describes new results on an anionic manganese porphyrin (MnP immobilized on Mg/Al-LDH solids with different nominal Mg/Al molar ratios (2:1, 3:1 and 4:1 and intercalated with different anions (CO32− or NO3−. The influence of the support composition on the MnP immobilization rates and the catalytic performance of the resulting solid in cyclooctene oxidation reactions will be reported.

Recent Advances in Solid Catalysts Obtained by Metalloporphyrins Immobilization on Layered Anionic Exchangers: A Short Review and Some New Catalytic Results.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakagaki, Shirley; Mantovani, Karen Mary; Machado, Guilherme Sippel; Castro, Kelly Aparecida Dias de Freitas; Wypych, Fernando

2016-02-29

Layered materials are a very interesting class of compounds obtained by stacking of two-dimensional layers along the basal axis. A remarkable property of these materials is their capacity to interact with a variety of chemical species, irrespective of their charge (neutral, cationic or anionic). These species can be grafted onto the surface of the layered materials or intercalated between the layers, to expand or contract the interlayer distance. Metalloporphyrins, which are typically soluble oxidation catalysts, are examples of molecules that can interact with layered materials. This work presents a short review of the studies involving metalloporphyrin immobilization on two different anionic exchangers, Layered Double Hydroxides (LDHs) and Layered Hydroxide Salts (LHSs), published over the past year. After immobilization of anionic porphyrins, the resulting solids behave as reusable catalysts for heterogeneous oxidation processes. Although a large number of publications involving metalloporphyrin immobilization on LDHs exist, only a few papers have dealt with LHSs as supports, so metalloporphyrins immobilized on LHSs represent a new and promising research field. This work also describes new results on an anionic manganese porphyrin (MnP) immobilized on Mg/Al-LDH solids with different nominal Mg/Al molar ratios (2:1, 3:1 and 4:1) and intercalated with different anions (CO₃(2-) or NO₃(-)). The influence of the support composition on the MnP immobilization rates and the catalytic performance of the resulting solid in cyclooctene oxidation reactions will be reported.

Deposition of yttrium oxysulfide thin films by atomic layer epitaxy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kukli, K.; University of Tartu, Tartu,; Johansson, L-S.; Nykaenen, E.; Peussa, M.; Ninistoe, L.

1998-01-01

Full text: Yttrium oxysulfide is a highly interesting material for optoelectronic applications. It is industrially exploited in the form of doped powder in catholuminescent phosphors, e.g. Y 2 O 2 S: Eu 3+ for colour TV. Attempts to grow thin films of Y 2 O 2 S have not been frequent and only partially successful due to the difficulties in obtaining crystalline films at a reasonable temperature. Furthermore, sputtering easily leads to a sulphur deficiency. Evaporation of the elements from a multi-source offers a better control of the stoichiometry resulting in hexagonal (0002) oriented films at 580 deg C. In this paper we present the first successful thin film growth experiments using a chemical process with molecular precursors. Atomic layer epitaxy (ALE) allows the use of a relatively low deposition temperature and thus compatibility with other technologies. Already at 425 deg C the reaction between H 2 S and Y(thd) 3 (thd = 2,2,6,6 - tetramethyl-heptane-3,5- dione) yields a crystalline Y 2 O 2 S thin film which was characterized by XRD, XRF and XPS

Properties of nanostructured undoped ZrO{sub 2} thin film electrolytes by plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition for thin film solid oxide fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cho, Gu Young; Noh, Seungtak; Lee, Yoon Ho; Cha, Suk Won, E-mail: ybkim@hanyang.ac.kr, E-mail: swcha@snu.ac.kr [Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-744 (Korea, Republic of); Ji, Sanghoon [Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Iui-dong, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon 443-270 (Korea, Republic of); Hong, Soon Wook; Koo, Bongjun; Kim, Young-Beom, E-mail: ybkim@hanyang.ac.kr, E-mail: swcha@snu.ac.kr [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of); An, Jihwan [Manufacturing Systems and Design Engineering Programme, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, 232 Gongneung-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul 139-743 (Korea, Republic of)

2016-01-15

Nanostructured ZrO{sub 2} thin films were prepared by thermal atomic layer deposition (ALD) and by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD). The effects of the deposition conditions of temperature, reactant, plasma power, and duration upon the physical and chemical properties of ZrO{sub 2} films were investigated. The ZrO{sub 2} films by PEALD were polycrystalline and had low contamination, rough surfaces, and relatively large grains. Increasing the plasma power and duration led to a clear polycrystalline structure with relatively large grains due to the additional energy imparted by the plasma. After characterization, the films were incorporated as electrolytes in thin film solid oxide fuel cells, and the performance was measured at 500 °C. Despite similar structure and cathode morphology of the cells studied, the thin film solid oxide fuel cell with the ZrO{sub 2} thin film electrolyte by the thermal ALD at 250 °C exhibited the highest power density (38 mW/cm{sup 2}) because of the lowest average grain size at cathode/electrolyte interface.

Direct dimethyl-ether (DME) synthesis by spatial patterned catalyst arrangement. A modeling and simulation study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McBride, K.; Turek, T.; Guettel, R. [Clausthal Univ. of Technology (Germany). Inst. of Chemical Process Engineering

2011-07-01

The effect of spatially patterned catalyst beds was investigated for direct DME synthesis from synthesis gas as an example. A layered arrangement of methanol synthesis and dehydration catalyst was chosen and studied by numerical simulation under typical operating conditions for single-step DME synthesis. It was revealed that catalyst layers significantly influence the DME productivity. With an increasing number of layers from 2 to 40, an increase in DME productivity was observed approaching the performance of a physical catalyst mixture for an infinite number of layers. The results prove that a physical mixture of methanol synthesis and dehydration catalyst achieves the highest DME productivity under operating conditions chosen in this study. This can be explained by the higher average methanol concentration for the layered catalyst arrangement and thus stronger equilibrium constraints for the methanol synthesis reaction. Essentially, the layered catalyst arrangement is comparable to a cascade model of the two-step process, which is less efficient in terms of DME yield than the single-step process. However, since a significant effect was found, the layered catalyst arrangement could be beneficial for other reaction systems. (orig.)

Study of wear in piston ring of the vehicle engine using thin layer activation technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, I.H.; Farooq, M.; Ghiyas-ud-Din; Gul, S.; Qureshi, R.M.; Jin Joon Ha; Wallace, G.

2004-01-01

Thin Layer Activation (TLA) technique was used to investigate piston ring wear of a six cylinders vehicle engine at various engine speeds and load conditions. The activated ring was installed in cylinder no.5 of the engine at middle position (compression ring). Monitoring was carried out on-line (extremely on the engine block) using 'Thin Layer Difference Method'. The calibration curve of the activity profile was prepared with the help of activation parameters determined at the time of ring activation in particle accelerator. The results show that the piston ring wear varies from 0.309 micron/hour to 0.404 micron/hour at given engine speed and load conditions. (author)

Thin plasma-polymerized layers of hexamethyldisiloxane for humidity sensor development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guermat, N.; Bellel, A.; Sahli, S.; Segui, Y.; Raynaud, P.

2009-01-01

The response of resistive-type sensors based on thin hexamethyldisiloxane layers to relative humidity (RH) was evaluated. Humidity sensitive layers were plasma polymerized at low frequency glow discharge using a capacitively coupled parallel plate reactor. The sensor design comprises the absorbing layer deposited on clean glass substrate with comb-shape aluminum electrodes (interdigitated structure). The change in electrical impedance of the sensing film was monitored as the device was exposed to humidity. The variation of the plasma-polymerization parameters resulted in different humidity sensing properties which could be correlated to the results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The deposited films exhibited a detectable response to RH ranging from 30 to 95% with low hysteresis, good reproducibility and stability in long-term use. Films with a greater thickness showed a significant decrease in the humidity sensing capability. FTIR analysis revealed the presence of SiH bonding groups, which are frequently linked to the film density. The increase in the plasma discharge power induced also a significant decrease in the diffusion process of water vapor inside the sensitive layer bulk.

Phytochemical analysis of ethanolic extract of Dichrostachys Cinerea W and Arn leaves by a thin layer chromatography, high performance thin layer chromatography and column chromatography

OpenAIRE

M Vijayalakshmi; K Periyanayagam; K Kavitha; K Akilandeshwari

2013-01-01

Background: The leaves of Dichrostachys cinerea are used as laxative, diuretic, painkiller. It is also used in the treatment of gonorrhoea, boils, oedema, gout, veneral diseases and nasopharyngeal affections, etc. Materials and Methods: The Phytochemical investigation of ethanolic extract of D. cinerea leaves were performed by standard chemical tests, thin layer chromatography (TLC) by using various solvent systems, and by high performance liquid chromatography (HPTLC). Two compounds were...

A Simple Thin Layer Chromatography Method for Separation of Selected Natural Steroid Hormones

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nowakowska, J.; Rudnicka-Litka, K.; Ciura, K.; Pikul, P.; Piotrowicz, J.

2015-01-01

Chromatographic properties of seven steroids: estrogens (β-estradiol and estrone), androgens (testosterone, methyltestosterone, trans-androsterone), progesterone and cholesterol have been studied by planar chromatography with usage of High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) and Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) plates. Normal, reversed and cyano-bonded silica stationary phases were tested with five binary mobile phases (acetonitrile-water, acetonitrile-DMSO, acetonitrile-methanol, acetone-petroleum ether, acetone-water) in which the concentration of organic modifier varied from 0 to 100 % (v/v). This study reports the optimization of steroid hormones separation. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) based on calculated molecular descriptors quantitatively differentiating solutes was performed in order to investigate the similarity and dissimilarity between tested compounds. The separation abilities of mobile and stationary phases were compared based on separation factor α. Chromatographic retention data and possible retention mechanisms also were discussed. (author)

Fatigue-resistant epitaxial Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 capacitors on Pt electrode with ultra-thin SrTiO3 template layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahara, Seiichi; Morimoto, Akiharu; Kawae, Takeshi; Kumeda, Minoru; Yamada, Satoru; Ohtsubo, Shigeru; Yonezawa, Yasuto

2008-01-01

Lead zirconate-titanate Pb(Zr,Ti)O 3 (PZT) capacitors with Pt bottom electrodes were prepared on MgO substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique employing SrTiO 3 (STO) template layer. Perovskite PZT thin films are prepared via stoichiometric target using the ultra-thin STO template layers while it is quite difficult to obtain the perovskite PZT on Pt electrode via stoichiometric target in PLD process. The PZT capacitor prepared with the STO template layer showed good hysteresis and leakage current characteristics, and it showed an excellent fatigue resistance. The ultra-thin STO template layers were characterized by angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurement. The effect of the STO template layer is discussed based on the viewpoint of the perovskite nucleation and diffusion of Pb and O atoms

Layered zeolite materials and methods related thereto

Science.gov (United States)

Tsapatsis, Michael; Maheshwari, Sudeep; Bates, Frank S; Koros, William J

2013-08-06

A novel oxide material (MIN-I) comprising YO.sub.2; and X.sub.2O.sub.3, wherein Y is a tetravalent element and X is a trivalent element, wherein X/Y=O or Y/X=30 to 100 is provided. Surprisingly, MIN-I can be reversibly deswollen. MIN-I can further be combined with a polymer to produce a nanocomposite, depolymerized to produce predominantly fully exfoliated layers (MIN-2), and pillared to produce a pillared oxide material (MIN-3), analogous to MCM-36. The materials are useful in a wide range of applications, such as catalysts, thin films, membranes, and coatings.

Suppression of photo-bias induced instability for amorphous indium tungsten oxide thin film transistors with bi-layer structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Po-Tsun, E-mail: ptliu@mail.nctu.edu.tw; Chang, Chih-Hsiang; Chang, Chih-Jui [Department of Photonics and Institute of Electro-Optical Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan (China)

2016-06-27

This study investigates the instability induced by bias temperature illumination stress (NBTIS) for an amorphous indium-tungsten-oxide thin film transistor (a-IWO TFT) with SiO{sub 2} backchannel passivation layer (BPL). It is found that this electrical degradation phenomenon can be attributed to the generation of defect states during the BPL process, which deteriorates the photo-bias stability of a-IWO TFTs. A method proposed by adding an oxygen-rich a-IWO thin film upon the a-IWO active channel layer could effectively suppress the plasma damage to channel layer during BPL deposition process. The bi-layer a-IWO TFT structure with an oxygen-rich back channel exhibits superior electrical reliability of device under NBTIS.

Crystallinity and superconductivity of as-grown MgB2 thin films with AlN buffer layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsujimoto, K.; Shimakage, H.; Wang, Z.; Kaya, N.

2005-01-01

The effects of aluminum nitride (AlN) buffer layers on the superconducting properties of MgB 2 thin film were investigated. The AlN buffer layers and as-grown MgB 2 thin films were deposited in situ using the multiple-target sputtering system. The best depositing condition for the AlN/MgB 2 bi-layer occurred when the AlN was deposited on c-cut sapphire substrates at 290 deg. C. The crystallinity of the AlN/MgB 2 bi-layer was studied using the XRD φ-scan and it showed that AlN and MgB 2 had the same in-plane alignment rotated at an angle of 30 deg. as compared to c-cut sapphire. The critical temperature of the MgB 2 film was 29.8 K and the resistivity was 50.0 μΩ cm at 40 K

Growth of light-emitting SiGe heterostructures on strained silicon-on-insulator substrates with a thin oxide layer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baidakova, N. A., E-mail: banatale@ipmras.ru [Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Physics of Microstructures (Russian Federation); Bobrov, A. I. [University of Nizhny Novgorod (Russian Federation); Drozdov, M. N.; Novikov, A. V. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Physics of Microstructures (Russian Federation); Pavlov, D. A. [University of Nizhny Novgorod (Russian Federation); Shaleev, M. V.; Yunin, P. A.; Yurasov, D. V.; Krasilnik, Z. F. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Physics of Microstructures (Russian Federation)

2015-08-15

The possibility of using substrates based on “strained silicon on insulator” structures with a thin (25 nm) buried oxide layer for the growth of light-emitting SiGe structures is studied. It is shown that, in contrast to “strained silicon on insulator” substrates with a thick (hundreds of nanometers) oxide layer, the temperature stability of substrates with a thin oxide is much lower. Methods for the chemical and thermal cleaning of the surface of such substrates, which make it possible to both retain the elastic stresses in the thin Si layer on the oxide and provide cleaning of the surface from contaminating impurities, are perfecte. It is demonstrated that it is possible to use the method of molecular-beam epitaxy to grow light-emitting SiGe structures of high crystalline quality on such substrates.

Deposition of thin layer (monoatomic layer) of barium on gold single crystal surfaces and studies of its oxidation employing X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmad, H.; Ahmad, R.; Khalid, M.; Alvi, R.A.

2007-01-01

Due to the high reactivity of barium with oxygen, some oxygen diffuse into the bulk to form bulk oxide and it is very difficult to differentiate the oxide over layer and the bulk oxide. To study the oxidation of barium surface layer, a thin layer (monolayer) of barium is developed over gold single crystal surface. Gold is selected as support because it is one of the least reactive metal in transition metal group and have very low probability of reaction with oxygen at room temperature (300K). Nitrous oxide (N/sub 2/O) was used as oxidant. Thin layer of barium was deposited on Au(100) surface. The barium coverage on gold surface was calculated that varied from 0.4 to 1.4 monolayer (ML). Photoelectron spectra for O(ls), N(ls), Ba (3d), and Au (4f) have been recorded on X-ray photoelectron spectrometer at different binding energy region specific for each element. The decomposition of nitrous oxide has been observed in all cases. It has found that nitrogen is evolved in the gaseous state and oxygen is adsorbed/chemisorbed on barium over layer. (author)

Low-temperature atomic layer deposition of MgO thin films on Si

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vangelista, S; Mantovan, R; Lamperti, A; Tallarida, G; Kutrzeba-Kotowska, B; Spiga, S; Fanciulli, M

2013-01-01

Magnesium oxide (MgO) films have been grown by atomic layer deposition in the wide deposition temperature window of 80–350 °C by using bis(cyclopentadienyl)magnesium and H 2 O precursors. MgO thin films are deposited on both HF-last Si(1 0 0) and SiO 2 /Si substrates at a constant growth rate of ∼0.12 nm cycle −1 . The structural, morphological and chemical properties of the synthesized MgO thin films are investigated by x-ray reflectivity, grazing incidence x-ray diffraction, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry and atomic force microscopy measurements. MgO layers are characterized by sharp interface with the substrate and limited surface roughness, besides good chemical uniformity and polycrystalline structure for thickness above 7 nm. C–V measurements performed on Al/MgO/Si MOS capacitors, with MgO in the 4.6–11 nm thickness range, allow determining a dielectric constant (κ) ∼ 11. Co layers are grown by chemical vapour deposition in direct contact with MgO without vacuum-break (base pressure 10 −5 –10 −6  Pa). The as-grown Co/MgO stacks show sharp interfaces and no elements interdiffusion among layers. C–V and I–V measurements have been conducted on Co/MgO/Si MOS capacitors. The dielectric properties of MgO are not influenced by the further process of Co deposition. (paper)

Bibliography of paper and thin-layer chromatography 1970-1973 and survey of applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macek, K.; Hais, I.M.; Kopecky, J.; Schwarz, V.; Gasparic, J.; Churacek, J.

1976-01-01

The present volume covers developments in both paper and thin-layer chromatography from 1970 to the middle of 1973 and is a continuation of the previous four volumes, published in 1960, 1962, 1968 and 1972. An author index is given

Selective deposition of catalyst nanoparticles using the gravitational force for carbon nanotubes interconnect

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Do-Yoon; Lee, Hyun-Chul; Lee, Jong-Hak; Park, Jae-Hong; Alegaonkar, Prashant S. [Center for Nanotubes and Nanostructured Composites, Sungkyunkwan University, 300 Chunchun-dong, Jangan-Gu, Suwon, 440-746 (Korea, Republic of); Yoo, Ji-Beom [Center for Nanotubes and Nanostructured Composites, Sungkyunkwan University, 300 Chunchun-dong, Jangan-Gu, Suwon, 440-746 (Korea, Republic of)], E-mail: jbyoo@skku.ac.kr; Han, In-Taek; Kim, Ha-Jin; Jin, Yong-Wan; Kim, Jong-Min [Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, Mt. 14-1, Nongseo-dong, Giheung-gu, Younggin-si Gyunggi-do, 449-712 (Korea, Republic of); Kwon, Kee-Won [Department of Semiconducting System, Sungkyunkwan University (Korea, Republic of)

2008-04-01

The photolithography process has generally been used for the making of catalyst layers used for the synthesis of CNTs due to its comparative ease. However, this method results in the formation of undesirable catalyst particles, which deteriorate the quality of the devices. Therefore, we tried to form a catalyst layer without using any lift-off or wet etching process, especially for the formation of carbon nanotube interconnects. After spin coating the samples, which were previously fabricated with several vias, with an iron-acetate solution, the catalyst layer was pulled down into the bottom of the holes through the force of gravity. We were able to remove the catalyst layer which was coated over undesirable areas, by TMAH (tetramethylammonium hydroxide, N(CH{sub 3}){sub 4}OH) treatment. After the catalyst deposition process, we synthesized CNTs and observed them by scanning electron microscopy (SEM)

Modification of thin-layer systems by swift heavy ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bolse, W.; Schattat, B.; Feyh, A.

2003-01-01

The electronic energy loss of swift heavy ions (MeV/amu) within a solid results in a highly excited cylindrical zone of some nm in diameter, within which all atoms may be in motion for some tens of ps (transient local melting). After cooling down, a defect-rich or even amorphous latent track is left in many cases, especially in insulating materials. The resulting property alterations (density, micro-structure, morphology, phase composition, etc.) have been investigated for many bulk materials, while only very few experiments have been carried out with thin-film systems. In the present paper, a summary will be given of our studies on the transport of matter in thin-film packages induced by irradiation with high-energy ions. These is, on the one hand, atomic mixing at the interfaces, which is especially pronounced in ceramic systems and which seems to occur by interdiffusion in the molten ion track. On the other hand, we have discovered a self-organisation phenomenon in swift-heavy-ion-irradiated NiO layers, which at low fluences first showed periodic cracking perpendicular to the projected beam direction. After application of high fluences, the NiO layer was reorganised in 100-nm-thick and 1-μm-high NiO lamellae of the same separation distance (1-3 μm) and orientation as found for the cracks. Both effects can be attributed to transient melting of the material surrounding the ion trajectory. (orig.)

Feasibility of X-ray analysis of multi-layer thin films at a single beam voltage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Statham, P J

2010-01-01

Multi-layer analysis using electron beam excitation and X-ray spectrometry is a powerful tool for characterising layers down to 1 nm thickness and with typically 1 μm lateral resolution but does not always work. Most published applications have used WDS with many measurements at different beam voltages and considerable experience has been needed to choose lines and voltages particularly for complex multi-layer problems. A new objective mathematical approach is described which demonstrates whether X-ray analysis can obtain reliable results for an arbitrary multi-layer problem. A new algorithm embodied in 'ThinFilmID' software produces a single plot that shows feasibility of achieving results with a single EDS spectrum and suggests the optimal beam voltage. Synthesis of EDS spectra allows the precision in results to be estimated and acquisition conditions modified before wasting valuable instrument time. Thus, practicality of multi-layer thin film analysis at a single beam voltage can now be established without the extensive experimentation that was previously required by a microanalysis expert. Examples are shown where the algorithm discovers viable single-voltage conditions for applications that experts previously thought could only be addressed using measurements at more than one beam voltage.

Complex boron redistribution kinetics in strongly doped polycrystalline-silicon/nitrogen-doped-silicon thin bi-layers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abadli, S. [Department of Electrical Engineering, University Aout 1955, Skikda, 21000 (Algeria); LEMEAMED, Department of Electronics, University Mentouri, Constantine, 25000 (Algeria); Mansour, F. [LEMEAMED, Department of Electronics, University Mentouri, Constantine, 25000 (Algeria); Pereira, E. Bedel [CNRS-LAAS, 7 avenue du colonel Roche, 31077 Toulouse (France)

2012-10-15

We have investigated the complex behaviour of boron (B) redistribution process via silicon thin bi-layers interface. It concerns the instantaneous kinetics of B transfer, trapping, clustering and segregation during the thermal B activation annealing. The used silicon bi-layers have been obtained by low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) method at 480 C, by using in-situ nitrogen-doped-silicon (NiDoS) layer and strongly B doped polycrystalline-silicon (P{sup +}) layer. To avoid long-range B redistributions, thermal annealing was carried out at relatively low-temperatures (600 C and 700 C) for various times ranging between 30 min and 2 h. To investigate the experimental secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) doping profiles, a redistribution model well adapted to the particular structure of two thin layers and to the effects of strong-concentrations has been established. The good adjustment of the simulated profiles with the experimental SIMS profiles allowed a fundamental understanding about the instantaneous physical phenomena giving and disturbing the complex B redistribution profiles-shoulders. The increasing kinetics of the B peak concentration near the bi-layers interface is well reproduced by the established model. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Redox process at solid-liquid interfaces: studies with thin layers of green rusts electrodeposited on inert substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peulon, S.; Taghdai, Y.; Mercier, F.; Barre, N.; Legrand, L.; Chauss, A.

2005-01-01

Full text of publication follows: The redox reactions which can occur between radioelements and natural phases in the environment are taken still little into account although their importance is established on natural sites; the consequences are significant since they can modify radically the behaviour of the species by increasing or decreasing their migration. The iron compounds are very implicated in these redox processes because iron is one of the most abundant element on earth; moreover, it is also present in the containers used for the storage of the nuclear waste. We exhibited in previous works that electrochemistry is a convenient way to generate the main iron oxidation compounds as thin layers on different inert substrates. The electrochemical behaviour of these deposits that are adherent, homogeneous and well crystallized [1-3], was investigated with the principle advantage that iron metal and its reactivity is eliminate. Moreover, they could be analysed directly by techniques like IRRAS, XRD, SEM, EDS and XPS without any preparation. In the present study, we develop an original way to investigate redox processes at solid-liquid interfaces based on the utilisation of these thin layers; the samples are more commonly powders and/or pieces of corroded steel in the literature. Results obtained with two different systems, chromate and uranyl ions, in interaction with thin layers of sulfated green rusts are presented. Green rusts is chosen because it is a mixed Fe(II-III) compound which could be formed in anoxic conditions like in the case of the storage of the nuclear waste. After various contact times with the solutions containing the reactive species, the thin layers are characterised by different ex-situ methods. The results show clearly the oxidation of the green rust into a Fe(III) compound and the formation of a new solid phase on the electrode due to the reduction and the precipitation of the reactive species present initially in solution. Because thin

Solution-processed In2S3 buffer layer for chalcopyrite thin film solar cells

OpenAIRE

Wang Lan; Lin Xianzhong; Ennaoui Ahmed; Wolf Christian; Lux-Steiner Martha Ch.; Klenk Reiner

2016-01-01

We report a route to deposit In2S3 thin films from air-stable, low-cost molecular precursor inks for Cd-free buffer layers in chalcopyrite-based thin film solar cells. Different precursor compositions and processing conditions were studied to define a reproducible and robust process. By adjusting the ink properties, this method can be applied in different printing and coating techniques. Here we report on two techniques, namely spin-coating ...

A reversed-phase compatible thin-layer chromatography autography for the detection of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramallo, I Ayelen; García, Paula; Furlan, Ricardo L E

2015-11-01

A dual readout autographic assay to detect acetylcholinesterase inhibitors present in complex matrices adsorbed on reversed-phase or normal-phase thin-layer chromatography plates is described. Enzyme gel entrapment with an amphiphilic copolymer was used for assay development. The effects of substrate and enzyme concentrations, pH, incubation time, and incubation temperature on the sensitivity and the detection limit of the assay were evaluated. Experimental design and response surface methodology were used to optimize conditions with a minimum number of experiments. The assay allowed the detection of 0.01% w/w of physostigmine in both a spiked Sonchus oleraceus L. extract chromatographed on normal phase and a spiked Pimenta racemosa (Mill.) J.W. Moore leaf essential oil chromatographed on reversed phase. Finally, the reversed-phase thin-layer chromatography assay was applied to reveal the presence of an inhibitor in the Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf essential oil. The developed assay is able to detect acetylcholinesterase inhibitors present in complex matrixes that were chromatographed in normal phase or reversed-phase thin-layer chromatography. The detection limit for physostigmine on both normal and reversed phase was of 1×10(-4) μg. The results can be read by a change in color and/or a change in fluorescence. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Electronic structure evolution in doping of fullerene (C{sub 60}) by ultra-thin layer molybdenum trioxide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Chenggong; Wang, Congcong; Kauppi, John [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627 (United States); Liu, Xiaoliang [Institute for Super-microstructure and Ultrafast Process in Advanced Materials (ISUPAM), Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083 (China); Gao, Yongli, E-mail: ygao@pas.rochester.edu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627 (United States); Institute for Super-microstructure and Ultrafast Process in Advanced Materials (ISUPAM), Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083 (China)

2015-08-28

Ultra-thin layer molybdenum oxide doping of fullerene has been investigated using ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy (UPS) and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS). The highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) can be observed directly with UPS. It is observed that the Fermi level position in fullerene is modified by ultra-thin-layer molybdenum oxide doping, and the HOMO onset is shifted to less than 1.3 eV below the Fermi level. The XPS results indicate that charge transfer was observed from the C{sub 60} to MoO{sub x} and Mo{sup 6+} oxides is the basis as hole dopants.

Thin-layer boilover in diesel-oil fires: Determining the increase of thermal hazards and safety distances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferrero, Fabio; Munoz, Miguel; Arnaldos, Josep

2007-01-01

A study of the effects of thin-layer boilover on large hydrocarbon fires was carried out. In the experiments, diesel-oil was burned in pools with diameters ranging from 1.5 to 6 m. Previous models used to predict emissive power during the stationary state were analysed and successively modified in order to accurately predict thermal hazard during the water ebullition phase. It was discovered that the increase in emissive power during thin-layer boilover is greater when the pool diameter is smaller. Furthermore, the required increases in safety distances in the case of accidents involving this dangerous phenomenon are provided

White emission from organic light-emitting diodes with a super-thin BCP layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hao Jingang; Deng Zhenbo; Yang Shengyi

2007-01-01

We report a method to achieve white emission from organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) in which a super-thin (3 nm) hole blocking layer, 2,9-dimethyl-4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (BCP), was inserted between electron-transport layer 8-hydroxyquinoline aluminum (Alq 3 ) and 4-(dicyanomethylene)-2-t-butyl-6(1,1,7,7-tetramethyljulolidyl-9-enyl) -4H-pyran (DCJTB) doped poly-vinlycarbazole (PVK) layer. The BCP layer can not only confine exciton in the emitting layer but also control energy transfer proportion from PVK to Alq 3 and then from Alq 3 to DCJTB through BCP layer. In this way, pure white emission with CIE coordinate of (0.32, 0.32) was obtained and it was voltage independent. The brightness reached 270 cd/m 2 at 18 V with an efficiency of 0.166 cd/A

Low-temperature atomic layer deposition of TiO2 thin layers for the processing of memristive devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Porro, Samuele; Conti, Daniele; Guastella, Salvatore; Ricciardi, Carlo; Jasmin, Alladin; Pirri, Candido F.; Bejtka, Katarzyna; Perrone, Denis; Chiolerio, Alessandro

2016-01-01

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) represents one of the most fundamental techniques capable of satisfying the strict technological requirements imposed by the rapidly evolving electronic components industry. The actual scaling trend is rapidly leading to the fabrication of nanoscaled devices able to overcome limits of the present microelectronic technology, of which the memristor is one of the principal candidates. Since their development in 2008, TiO 2 thin film memristors have been identified as the future technology for resistive random access memories because of their numerous advantages in producing dense, low power-consuming, three-dimensional memory stacks. The typical features of ALD, such as self-limiting and conformal deposition without line-of-sight requirements, are strong assets for fabricating these nanosized devices. This work focuses on the realization of memristors based on low-temperature ALD TiO 2 thin films. In this process, the oxide layer was directly grown on a polymeric photoresist, thus simplifying the fabrication procedure with a direct liftoff patterning instead of a complex dry etching process. The TiO 2 thin films deposited in a temperature range of 120–230 °C were characterized via Raman spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and electrical current–voltage measurements taken in voltage sweep mode were employed to confirm the existence of resistive switching behaviors typical of memristors. These measurements showed that these low-temperature devices exhibit an ON/OFF ratio comparable to that of a high-temperature memristor, thus exhibiting similar performances with respect to memory applications

Investigation of Processes and Factors Regulating the Generation, Maintenance and Breakdown of Bioluminescent Thin Layers

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Widder, Edith

2001-01-01

.... Katz's submersible holographic camera mounted on the upper work platform. Thin layers were located using real-time sensor feedback from intensified video recordings of stimulated bioluminescence...

Transesterification of edible, non-edible and used cooking oils for biodiesel production using calcined layered double hydroxides as reusable base catalysts.

Science.gov (United States)

Sankaranarayanan, Sivashunmugam; Antonyraj, Churchil A; Kannan, S

2012-04-01

Fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) were produced from edible, non-edible and used cooking oils with different fatty acid contents by transesterification with methanol using calcined layered double hydroxides (LDHs) as solid base catalysts. Among the catalysts, calcined CaAl2-LDH (hydrocalumite) showed the highest activity with >90% yield of FAME using low methanol:oil molar ratio (<6:1) at 65 °C in 5 h. The activity of the catalyst was attributed to its high basicity as supported by Hammett studies and CO(2)-TPD measurements. The catalyst was successfully reused in up to four cycles. Some of the properties such as density, viscosity, neutralization number and glycerol content of the obtained biodiesel matched well with the standard DIN values. It is concluded that a scalable heterogeneously catalyzed process for production of biodiesel in high yields from a wide variety of triglyceride oils including used oils is possible using optimized conditions. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Synthesis and characterization of Zn(O,OH)S and AgInS2 layers to be used in thin film solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Vallejo, W.; Arredondo, C. A.; Gordillo, G.

2010-11-01

In this paper AgInS2 and Zn(O,OH)S thin films were synthesized and characterized. AgInS2 layers were grown by co-evaporation from metal precursors in a two-step process, and, Zn(O,OH)S thin films were deposited from chemical bath containing thiourea, zinc acetate, sodium citrate and ammonia. X-ray diffraction measurements indicated that AgInS2 thin films grown with chalcopyrite structure, and the as-grown Zn(O,OH)S thin films were polycrystalline. It was also found that the AgInS2 films presented p-type conductivity, a high absorption coefficient (greater than 104 cm-1) and energy band-gap Eg of about 1.95 eV, Zn(O,OH),S thin films presented Eg of about 3.89 eV. Morphological analysis showed that under this synthesis conditions Zn(O,OH),S thin films coated uniformly the absorber layer. Additionally, the Zn(O,OH)S kinetic growth on AgInS2 layer was studied also. Finally, the results suggest that these layers possibly could be used in one-junction solar cells and/or as top cell in a tandem solar cell.

Electrocatalytic performance of fuel cell reactions at low catalyst loading and high mass transport.

Science.gov (United States)

Zalitis, Christopher M; Kramer, Denis; Kucernak, Anthony R

2013-03-28

An alternative approach to the rotating disk electrode (RDE) for characterising fuel cell electrocatalysts is presented. The approach combines high mass transport with a flat, uniform, and homogeneous catalyst deposition process, well suited for studying intrinsic catalyst properties at realistic operating conditions of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC). Uniform catalyst layers were produced with loadings as low as 0.16 μgPt cm(-2) and thicknesses as low as 200 nm. Such ultra thin catalyst layers are considered advantageous to minimize internal resistances and mass transport limitations. Geometric current densities as high as 5.7 A cm(-2)Geo were experimentally achieved at a loading of 10.15 μgPt cm(-2) for the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) at room temperature, which is three orders of magnitude higher than current densities achievable with the RDE. Modelling of the associated diffusion field suggests that such high performance is enabled by fast lateral diffusion within the electrode. The electrodes operate over a wide potential range with insignificant mass transport losses, allowing the study of the ORR at high overpotentials. Electrodes produced a specific current density of 31 ± 9 mA cm(-2)Spec at a potential of 0.65 V vs. RHE for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and 600 ± 60 mA cm(-2)Spec for the peak potential of the HOR. The mass activity of a commercial 60 wt% Pt/C catalyst towards the ORR was found to exceed a range of literature PEFC mass activities across the entire potential range. The HOR also revealed fine structure in the limiting current range and an asymptotic current decay for potentials above 0.36 V. These characteristics are not visible with techniques limited by mass transport in aqueous media such as the RDE.

Mathematical modelling of the thin layer solar drying of banana, mango and cassava

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koua, Kamenan Blaise; Fassinou, Wanignon Ferdinand; Toure, Siaka [Laboratoire d' Energie Solaire, Universite de Cocody- Abidjan, 22 BP 582 Abidjan 22 (Ivory Coast); Gbaha, Prosper [Laboratoire d' Energie Nouvelle et Renouvelable, Institut National Polytechnique, Felix HOUPHOUET - BOIGNY de Yamoussoukro (Ivory Coast)

2009-10-15

The main objectives of this paper are firstly to investigate the behaviour of the thin layer drying of plantain banana, mango and cassava experimentally in a direct solar dryer and secondly to perform mathematical modelling by using thin layer drying models encountered in literature. The variation of the moisture content of the products studied and principal drying parameters are analysed. Seven statistical models, which are empirical or semi-empirical, are tested to validate the experimental data. A non-linear regression analysis using a statistical computer program is used to evaluate the constants of the models. The Henderson and Pabis drying model is found to be the most suitable for describing the solar drying curves of plantain banana, mango and cassava. The drying data of these products have been analysed to obtain the values of the effective diffusivity during the falling drying rate phase. (author)

Impact of ultra-thin Al2O3-y layers on TiO2-x ReRAM switching characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Trapatseli, Maria; Cortese, Simone; Serb, Alexander; Khiat, Ali; Prodromakis, Themistoklis

2017-05-01

Transition metal-oxide resistive random access memory devices have demonstrated excellent performance in switching speed, versatility of switching and low-power operation. However, this technology still faces challenges like poor cycling endurance, degradation due to high electroforming (EF) switching voltages and low yields. Approaches such as engineering of the active layer by doping or addition of thin oxide buffer layers have been often adopted to tackle these problems. Here, we have followed a strategy that combines the two; we have used ultra-thin Al2O3-y buffer layers incorporated between TiO2-x thin films taking into account both 3+/4+ oxidation states of Al/Ti cations. Our devices were tested by DC and pulsed voltage sweeping and in both cases demonstrated improved switching voltages. We believe that the Al2O3-y layers act as reservoirs of oxygen vacancies which are injected during EF, facilitate a filamentary switching mechanism and provide enhanced filament stability, as shown by the cycling endurance measurements.

Adjustable threshold-voltage in all-inkjet-printed organic thin film transistor using double-layer dielectric structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Wen-Jong; Lee, Chang-Hung; Hsu, Chun-Hao; Yang, Shih-Hsien; Lin, Chih-Ting

2013-01-01

An all-inkjet-printed organic thin film transistor (OTFT) with a double-layer dielectric structure is proposed and implemented in this study. By using the double-layer structure with different dielectric materials (i.e., polyvinylphenol with poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene)), the threshold-voltage of OTFT can be adjusted. The threshold-voltage shift can be controlled by changing the composition of dielectric layers. That is, an enhancement-mode OTFT can be converted to a depletion-mode OTFT by selectively printing additional dielectric layers to form a high-k/low-k double-layer structure. The printed OTFT has a carrier mobility of 5.0 × 10 −3 cm 2 /V-s. The threshold-voltages of the OTFTs ranged between − 13 V and 10 V. This study demonstrates an additional design parameter for organic electronics manufactured using inkjet printing technology. - Highlights: • A double-layer dielectric organic thin film transistor, OTFT, is implemented. • The threshold voltage of OTFT can be configured by the double dielectric structure. • The composition of the dielectric determines the threshold voltage shift. • The characteristics of OTFTs can be adjusted by double dielectric structures

Multifunctional Organic-Semiconductor Interfacial Layers for Solution-Processed Oxide-Semiconductor Thin-Film Transistor.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Guhyun; Kim, Keetae; Choi, Byung Doo; Roh, Jeongkyun; Lee, Changhee; Noh, Yong-Young; Seo, SungYong; Kim, Myung-Gil; Kim, Choongik

2017-06-01

The stabilization and control of the electrical properties in solution-processed amorphous-oxide semiconductors (AOSs) is crucial for the realization of cost-effective, high-performance, large-area electronics. In particular, impurity diffusion, electrical instability, and the lack of a general substitutional doping strategy for the active layer hinder the industrial implementation of copper electrodes and the fine tuning of the electrical parameters of AOS-based thin-film transistors (TFTs). In this study, the authors employ a multifunctional organic-semiconductor (OSC) interlayer as a solution-processed thin-film passivation layer and a charge-transfer dopant. As an electrically active impurity blocking layer, the OSC interlayer enhances the electrical stability of AOS TFTs by suppressing the adsorption of environmental gas species and copper-ion diffusion. Moreover, charge transfer between the organic interlayer and the AOS allows the fine tuning of the electrical properties and the passivation of the electrical defects in the AOS TFTs. The development of a multifunctional solution-processed organic interlayer enables the production of low-cost, high-performance oxide semiconductor-based circuits. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Solution processed metal oxide thin film hole transport layers for high performance organic solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Steirer, K. Xerxes; Berry, Joseph J.; Chesin, Jordan P.; Lloyd, Matthew T.; Widjonarko, Nicodemus Edwin; Miedaner, Alexander; Curtis, Calvin J.; Ginley, David S.; Olson, Dana C.

2017-01-10

A method for the application of solution processed metal oxide hole transport layers in organic photovoltaic devices and related organic electronics devices is disclosed. The metal oxide may be derived from a metal-organic precursor enabling solution processing of an amorphous, p-type metal oxide. An organic photovoltaic device having solution processed, metal oxide, thin-film hole transport layer.

Auger electron spectroscopy study on interaction between aluminum thin layers and uranium substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Wei; Liu Kezhao; Yang Jiangrong; Xiao Hong; Jiang Chunli; Lu Lei

2005-01-01

Aluminum thin layers on uranium were prepared by sputter deposition at room temperature in ultra high vacuum analysis chamber. Interaction between U and Al, and growth mode were investigated by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). It is shown that Al thin film growth follows the volmer-weber (VW) mode. At room temperature, Al and U interact with each other, resulting in interdiffusion action and formation of U-Al alloys at U/Al interface. Annealing promotes interaction and interdiffusion between U and Al, and UAl x maybe formed at interface. (authors)

Interaction between depolarization effects, interface layer, and fatigue behavior in PZT thin film capacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Böttger, U.; Waser, R.

2017-07-01

The existence of non-ferroelectric regions in ferroelectric thin films evokes depolarization effects leading to a tilt of the P(E) hysteresis loop. The analysis of measured hysteresis of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin films is used to determine a depolarization factor which contains quantitative information about interfacial layers as well as ferroelectrically passive zones in the bulk. The derived interfacial capacitance is smaller than that estimated from conventional extrapolation techniques. In addition, the concept of depolarization is used for the investigation of fatigue behavior of PZT thin films indicating that the mechanism of seed inhibition, which is responsible for the effect, occurs in the entire film.

Pulsed EM Field Response of a Thin, High-Contrast, Finely Layered Structure With Dielectric and Conductive Properties

NARCIS (Netherlands)

De Hoop, A.T.; Jiang, L.

2009-01-01

The response of a thin, high-contrast, finely layered structure with dielectric and conductive properties to an incident, pulsed, electromagnetic field is investigated theoretically. The fine layering causes the standard spatial discretization techniques to solve Maxwell's equations numerically to

Characteristics of gravure printed InGaZnO thin films as an active channel layer in thin film transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Yuri; Kim, Gun Hee; Jeong, Woong Hee; Kim, Hyun Jae; Chin, Byung Doo; Yu, Jae-Woong

2010-01-01

Characteristics of oxide semiconductor thin film transistor prepared by gravure printing technique were studied. This device had inverted staggered structure of glass substrate/MoW/SiNx/ printed active layer. The active layer was printed with precursor of indium gallium zinc oxide solution and then annealed at 550 o C for 2 h. Influences of printing parameters (i.e. speed and force) were studied. As the gravure printing force was increased, the thickness of printed film was decreased and the refractive index of printed active layer was increased. The best printed result in our study was obtained with printing speed of 0.4 m/s, printing force of 400 N and the thickness of printed active layer was 45 nm. According to AFM image, surface of printed active layer was quite smooth and the root-mean square roughness was approximately 0.5 nm. Gravure printed active layer had a field-effect mobility of 0.81 cm 2 /Vs and an on-off current ratio was 1.36 x 10 6 .

A chip-type thin-layer electrochemical cell coupled with capillary electrophoresis for online separation of electrode reaction products

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

He, Jian-Bo, E-mail: jbhe@hfut.edu.cn; Cui, Ting; Zhang, Wen-Wen; Deng, Ning

2013-07-05

Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •A new coupling of thin-layer electrolysis with capillary electrophoresis (CE). •Rapid electrolysis, direct sampling followed by online CE separation. •At least 13 products of quercetin oxidation were separated. •Thermodynamic and kinetic parameters were determined from CE peak areas. -- Abstract: A coupling technique of thin-layer electrolysis with high-performance capillary electrophoresis/UV–vis technique(EC/HPCE/UV–vis) is developed for online separation and determination of electrode reaction products. A chip-type thin-layer electrolytic (CTE) cell was designed and fabricated, which contains a capillary channel and a background electrolyte reservoir, allowing rapid electrolysis, direct sampling and online electrophoretic separation. This chip-type setup was characterized based on an electrophoresis expression of Nernst equation that was applied to the redox equilibrium of o-tolidine at different potentials. The utility of the method was demonstrated by separating and determining the electro-oxidation products of quercetin in different pH media. Two main products were always found in the studied time, potential and pH ranges. The variety of products increased not only with increasing potential but also with increasing pH value, and in total, at least 13 products were observed in the electropherograms. This work illustrates a novel example of capillary electrophoresis used online with thin-layer electrolysis to separate and detect electrode reaction products.

A chip-type thin-layer electrochemical cell coupled with capillary electrophoresis for online separation of electrode reaction products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He, Jian-Bo; Cui, Ting; Zhang, Wen-Wen; Deng, Ning

2013-01-01

Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •A new coupling of thin-layer electrolysis with capillary electrophoresis (CE). •Rapid electrolysis, direct sampling followed by online CE separation. •At least 13 products of quercetin oxidation were separated. •Thermodynamic and kinetic parameters were determined from CE peak areas. -- Abstract: A coupling technique of thin-layer electrolysis with high-performance capillary electrophoresis/UV–vis technique(EC/HPCE/UV–vis) is developed for online separation and determination of electrode reaction products. A chip-type thin-layer electrolytic (CTE) cell was designed and fabricated, which contains a capillary channel and a background electrolyte reservoir, allowing rapid electrolysis, direct sampling and online electrophoretic separation. This chip-type setup was characterized based on an electrophoresis expression of Nernst equation that was applied to the redox equilibrium of o-tolidine at different potentials. The utility of the method was demonstrated by separating and determining the electro-oxidation products of quercetin in different pH media. Two main products were always found in the studied time, potential and pH ranges. The variety of products increased not only with increasing potential but also with increasing pH value, and in total, at least 13 products were observed in the electropherograms. This work illustrates a novel example of capillary electrophoresis used online with thin-layer electrolysis to separate and detect electrode reaction products

I. Hole-transporting dendrimers and their use in organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) and II. Novel layered catalysts containing bipyridinium and zero-valent metal species

Science.gov (United States)

Koene, Shannon Carol

A series of polyaromatic ether/ester dendrimers containing a hole transporting naphthylphenylbenzyl amine at the periphery and a variety of fluorescent dyes at the core has been studied in an effort to observe energy transfer in these species. The dyes incorporated in these dendrimers include 1,4-dihydroxyanthraquinone (quinizarin), Coumarin 343, and a benzopentathiophene. These dendrimers have been incorporated into both single layer and heterostructure organic light emitting devices (OLEDs). In the case of first generation dendrimer OLEDs, excimer/exciplex formation was predominant. In third generation dendrimers, complete energy transfer from the periphery to the dye at the core was observed both in photoluminescence spectra and electroluminescence in OLEDs. Dendrimers containing different dye cores can be combined to achieve color mixing/tuning. In addition, layered catalysts were prepared via both covalent and electrostatic means to achieve the catalytic production of hydrogen peroxide from hydrogen and oxygen. Covalent catalysts were prepared by first growing layers of zirconium and a bipyridinium containing bisphosphonate onto silica particles. Palladium and/or platinum was ion-exchanged into the structure and reduced to the zero valent metal by hydrogen gas. A second set of catalysts was prepared by electrostatically depositing polycations/polyanions onto carboxylate or amine functionalized polystyrene microspheres. Anionic colloidal particles were adsorbed to the polycationic surface. An octacationic viologen oligomer was used in an attempt to increase the affinity of adsorption of the Pd particles to the surface of the microspheres. Catalytic studies of both types of catalysts are herein reported.

Carbonized tantalum catalysts for catalytic chemical vapor deposition of silicon films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cheng Shimin [State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023 (China); Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, Dalian 116023 (China); Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Gao Huiping; Ren Tong; Ying Pinliang [State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023 (China); Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, Dalian 116023 (China); Li Can, E-mail: canli@dicp.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023 (China); Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, Dalian 116023 (China)

2012-06-01

Catalytic chemical vapor deposition (Cat-CVD) has been demonstrated as a promising way to prepare device-quality silicon films. However, catalyst ageing due to Si contamination is an urgency to be solved for the practical application of the technique. In this study, the effect of carbonization of tantalum catalyst on its structure and performance was investigated. The carbonized Ta catalyst has a TaC surface layer which is preserved over the temperature range between 1450 and 1750 Degree-Sign C and no Si contamination occurs on the catalyst after long-term use. Si film prepared using the carbonized Ta catalyst has a similar crystal structure to that prepared by uncarbonized Ta catalyst. Formation of the TaC surface layer can alleviate the ageing problem of the catalyst, which shows great potential as a stable catalyst for Cat-CVD of Si films. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Si films prepared by catalytic chemical vapor deposition. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Carbonized Ta with a TaC surface layer used as catalyst. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer TaC surface structure preserved after long-term use in a wide temperature range. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Help to solve the ageing problem of metal catalysts. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Si film obtained has a similar crystal structure to that prepared by Ta catalyst.

Influence of Ni Catalyst Layer and TiN Diffusion Barrier on Carbon Nanotube Growth Rate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mérel Philippe

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Dense, vertically aligned multiwall carbon nanotubes were synthesized on TiN electrode layers for infrared sensing applications. Microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition and Ni catalyst were used for the nanotubes synthesis. The resultant nanotubes were characterized by SEM, AFM, and TEM. Since the length of the nanotubes influences sensor characteristics, we study in details the effects of changing Ni and TiN thickness on the physical properties of the nanotubes. In this paper, we report the observation of a threshold Ni thickness of about 4 nm, when the average CNT growth rate switches from an increasing to a decreasing function of increasing Ni thickness, for a process temperature of 700°C. This behavior is likely related to a transition in the growth mode from a predominantly “base growth” to that of a “tip growth.” For Ni layer greater than 9 nm the growth rate, as well as the CNT diameter, variations become insignificant. We have also observed that a TiN barrier layer appears to favor the growth of thinner CNTs compared to a SiO2 layer.

White emission from organic light-emitting diodes with a super-thin BCP layer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hao Jingang [Key Laboratory of Luminescence and Optical Information, Ministry of Education, Institute of Optoelectronic Technology, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044 (China); Deng Zhenbo [Key Laboratory of Luminescence and Optical Information, Ministry of Education, Institute of Optoelectronic Technology, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044 (China)]. E-mail: zbdeng@center.njtu.edu.cn; Yang Shengyi [Key Laboratory of Luminescence and Optical Information, Ministry of Education, Institute of Optoelectronic Technology, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044 (China)

2007-01-15

We report a method to achieve white emission from organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) in which a super-thin (3 nm) hole blocking layer, 2,9-dimethyl-4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (BCP), was inserted between electron-transport layer 8-hydroxyquinoline aluminum (Alq{sub 3}) and 4-(dicyanomethylene)-2-t-butyl-6(1,1,7,7-tetramethyljulolidyl-9-enyl) -4H-pyran (DCJTB) doped poly-vinlycarbazole (PVK) layer. The BCP layer can not only confine exciton in the emitting layer but also control energy transfer proportion from PVK to Alq{sub 3} and then from Alq{sub 3} to DCJTB through BCP layer. In this way, pure white emission with CIE coordinate of (0.32, 0.32) was obtained and it was voltage independent. The brightness reached 270 cd/m{sup 2} at 18 V with an efficiency of 0.166 cd/A.

Characterization and obtainment of thin films based on N,N,N-trimethyl chitosan and heparin through the technical layer-by-layer; Caracterizacao e obtencao de filmes finos de N,N,N-trimetil quitosana e heparina atraves da tecnica layer-by-layer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2011-07-01

Thin films of Heparin (HP) and N,N,N-trimethyl chitosan (TMC) with a high degree of quaternization (DQ) were obtained at pH 7.4 through the layer-by-layer (LbL) technique. Polystyrene (PS) was oxidized with aqueous solution of sodium persulfate and subsequently employed as substrate. The characterization of TMC and the respective determination of DQ were performed through {sup 1}H NMR spectroscopy. The thin films de TMC/HP were characterized by FTIR-ATR and AFM. Both techniques confirmed the adsorption of TMC and HP in surface of the PS. The increasing of the bilayers provides a decrease of the projections and/or roughness, further of minimizing the depressions at the surface of the films. Studies of thin films the base of TMC/HP prepared from the LbL technique has not been reported in the literature. It is expected that the thin films of TMC/HP present anti-adhesive and antimicrobial properties. (author)

Inverted organic solar cells with solvothermal synthesized vanadium-doped TiO2 thin films as efficient electron transport layer

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Mehdi Ahmadi; Sajjad Rashidi Dafeh; Samaneh Ghazanfarpour; Mohammad Khanzadeh

2017-01-01

We investigated the effects of using different thicknesses of pure and vanadium-doped thin films of TiO2 as the electron transport layer in the inverted configuration of organic photovoltaic cells based on poly (3-hexylthiophene) P3HT:[6-6] phenyl-(6) butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM).1％ vanadium-doped TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized via the solvothermal method.Crystalline structure,morphology,and optical properties of pure and vanadium-doped TiO2 thin films were studied by different techniques such as x-ray diffraction,scanning electron microscopy,transmittance electron microscopy,and UV-visible transmission spectrum.The doctor blade method which is compatible with roll-2-roll printing was used for deposition of pure and vanadium-doped TiO2 thin films with thicknesses of 30 nm and 60 nm.The final results revealed that the best thickness of TiO2 thin films for our fabricated cells was 30 nm.The cell with vanadium-doped TiO2 thin film showed slightly higher power conversion efficiency and great Jsc of 10.7 mA/cm2 compared with its pure counterpart.In the cells using 60 nm pure and vanadium-doped TiO2 layers,the cell using the doped layer showed much higher efficiency.It is remarkable that the extemal quantum efficiency of vanadium-doped TiO2 thin film was better in all wavelengths.

Incorporation of layered double nanomaterials in thin film nanocomposite nanofiltration membrane for magnesium sulphate removal

Science.gov (United States)

Hanis Tajuddin, Muhammad; Yusof, Norhaniza; Salleh, Wan Norharyati Wan; Fauzi Ismail, Ahmad; Hanis Hayati Hairom, Nur; Misdan, Nurasyikin

2018-03-01

Thin film nanocomposite (TFN) membrane with copper-aluminium layered double hydroxides (LDH) incorporated into polyamide (PA) selective layer has been prepared for magnesium sulphate salt removal. 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2 wt% of LDH were dispersed in the trimesoyl chloride (TMC) in n-hexane as organic solution and embedded into PA layer during interfacial polymerization with piperazine. The fabricated membranes were further characterized to evaluate its morphological structure and membrane surface hydrophilicity. The TFN membranes performance were evaluated with divalent salt magnesium sulphate (MgSO4) removal and compared with thin film composite (TFC). The morphological structures of TFN membranes were altered and the surface hydrophilicity were enhanced with addition of LDH. Incorporation of LDH has improved the permeate water flux by 82.5% compared to that of TFC membrane with satisfactory rejection of MgSO4. This study has experimentally validated the potential of LDH to improve the divalent salt separation performance for TFN membranes.

Incorporation of layered double nanomaterials in thin film nanocomposite nanofiltration membrane for magnesium sulphate removal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tajuddin Muhammad Hanis

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Thin film nanocomposite (TFN membrane with copper-aluminium layered double hydroxides (LDH incorporated into polyamide (PA selective layer has been prepared for magnesium sulphate salt removal. 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2 wt% of LDH were dispersed in the trimesoyl chloride (TMC in n-hexane as organic solution and embedded into PA layer during interfacial polymerization with piperazine. The fabricated membranes were further characterized to evaluate its morphological structure and membrane surface hydrophilicity. The TFN membranes performance were evaluated with divalent salt magnesium sulphate (MgSO4 removal and compared with thin film composite (TFC. The morphological structures of TFN membranes were altered and the surface hydrophilicity were enhanced with addition of LDH. Incorporation of LDH has improved the permeate water flux by 82.5% compared to that of TFC membrane with satisfactory rejection of MgSO4. This study has experimentally validated the potential of LDH to improve the divalent salt separation performance for TFN membranes.

Atomic layer deposition of Al-doped ZnO thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tynell, Tommi; Yamauchi, Hisao; Karppinen, Maarit; Okazaki, Ryuji; Terasaki, Ichiro [Department of Chemistry, Aalto University, FI-00076 Aalto (Finland); Department of Physics, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8602 (Japan)

2013-01-15

Atomic layer deposition has been used to fabricate thin films of aluminum-doped ZnO by depositing interspersed layers of ZnO and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} on borosilicate glass substrates. The growth characteristics of the films have been investigated through x-ray diffraction, x-ray reflection, and x-ray fluorescence measurements, and the efficacy of the Al doping has been evaluated through optical reflectivity and Seebeck coefficient measurements. The Al doping is found to affect the carrier density of ZnO up to a nominal Al dopant content of 5 at. %. At nominal Al doping levels of 10 at. % and higher, the structure of the films is found to be strongly affected by the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} phase and no further carrier doping of ZnO is observed.

PEMFC catalyst layers: the role of micropores and mesopores on water sorption and fuel cell activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Soboleva, Tatyana; Malek, Kourosh; Xie, Zhong; Navessin, Titichai; Holdcroft, Steven

2011-06-01

The effects of carbon microstructure and ionomer loading on water vapor sorption and retention in catalyst layers (CLs) of PEM fuel cells are investigated using dynamic vapor sorption. Catalyst layers based on Ketjen Black and Vulcan XC-72 carbon blacks, which possess distinctly different surface areas, pore volumes, and microporosities, are studied. It is found that pores <20 nm diameter facilitate water uptake by capillary condensation in the intermediate range of relative humidities. A broad pore size distribution (PSD) is found to enhance water retention in Ketjen Black-based CLs whereas the narrower mesoporous PSD of Vulcan CLs is shown to have an enhanced water repelling action. Water vapor sorption and retention properties of CLs are correlated to electrochemical properties and fuel cell performance. Water sorption enhances electrochemical properties such as the electrochemically active surface area (ESA), double layer capacitance and proton conductivity, particularly when the ionomer content is very low. The hydrophilic properties of a CL on the anode and the cathode are adjusted by choosing the PSD of carbon and the ionomer content. It is shown that a reduction of ionomer content on either cathode or anode of an MEA does not necessarily have a significant detrimental effect on the MEA performance compared to the standard 30 wt % ionomer MEA. Under operation in air and high relative humidity, a cathode with a narrow pore size distribution and low ionomer content is shown to be beneficial due to its low water retention properties. In dry operating conditions, adequate ionomer content on the cathode is crucial, whereas it can be reduced on the anode without a significant impact on fuel cell performance. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Ultra-smooth epitaxial Ge grown on Si(001) utilizing a thin C-doped Ge buffer layer

KAUST Repository

Mantey, J.; Hsu, W.; James, J.; Onyegam, E. U.; Guchhait, S.; Banerjee, S. K.

2013-01-01

Here, we present work on epitaxial Ge films grown on a thin buffer layer of C doped Ge (Ge:C). The growth rate of Ge:C is found to slow over time and is thus unsuitable for thick (>20 nm) layers. We demonstrate Ge films from 10 nm to >150 nm

Fabrication of amorphous IGZO thin film transistor using self-aligned imprint lithography with a sacrificial layer

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Sung Jin; Kim, Hyung Tae; Choi, Jong Hoon; Chung, Ho Kyoon; Cho, Sung Min

2018-04-01

An amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (a-IGZO) thin film transistor (TFT) was fabricated by a self-aligned imprint lithography (SAIL) method with a sacrificial photoresist layer. The SAIL is a top-down method to fabricate a TFT using a three-dimensional multilayer etch mask having all pattern information for the TFT. The sacrificial layer was applied in the SAIL process for the purpose of removing the resin residues that were inevitably left when the etch mask was thinned by plasma etching. This work demonstrated that the a-IGZO TFT could be fabricated by the SAIL process with the sacrificial layer. Specifically, the simple fabrication process utilized in this study can be utilized for the TFT with a plasma-sensitive semiconductor such as the a-IGZO and further extended for the roll-to-roll TFT fabrication.

Electrochemical studies of iron/carbonates system applied to the formation of thin layers of siderite on inert substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ithurbide, A.; Peulon, S.; Mandin, Ph.; Beaucaire, C.; Chausse, A.

2007-01-01

In order to understand the complex mechanisms of the reactions occurring, a methodology is developed. It is based on the use of compounds electrodeposited under the form of thin layers and which are used then as electrodes to study their interactions with the toxic species. It is in this framework that is studied the electrodeposition of siderite on inert substrates. At first, have been studied iron electrochemical systems in carbonated solutions. These studies have been carried out with classical electrochemical methods (cyclic voltametry, amperometry) coupled to in-situ measurements: quartz microbalance, pH. Different compounds have been obtained under the form of homogeneous and adherent thin layers. The analyses of these depositions, by different ex-situ characterizations (XRD, IR, SEM, EDS..) have revealed particularly the presence of siderite. Then, the influence of several experimental parameters (substrate, potential, medium composition, temperature) on the characteristics of siderite thin layers has been studied. From these experimental results, models have been proposed. (O.M.)

High conductivity and transparent aluminum-based multi-layer source/drain electrodes for thin film transistors

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Rihui; Zhang, Hongke; Fang, Zhiqiang; Ning, Honglong; Zheng, Zeke; Li, Xiaoqing; Zhang, Xiaochen; Cai, Wei; Lu, Xubing; Peng, Junbiao

2018-02-01

In this study, high conductivity and transparent multi-layer (AZO/Al/AZO-/Al/AZO) source/drain (S/D) electrodes for thin film transistors were fabricated via conventional physical vapor deposition approaches, without toxic elements or further thermal annealing process. The 68 nm-thick multi-layer films with excellent optical properties (transparency: 82.64%), good electrical properties (resistivity: 6.64  ×  10-5 Ω m, work function: 3.95 eV), and superior surface roughness (R q   =  0.757 nm with scanning area of 5  ×  5 µm2) were fabricated as the S/D electrodes. Significantly, comprehensive performances of AZO films are enhanced by the insertion of ultra-thin Al layers. The optimal transparent TFT with this multi-layer S/D electrodes exhibited a decent electrical performance with a saturation mobility (µ sat) of 3.2 cm2 V-1 s-1, an I on/I off ratio of 1.59  ×  106, a subthreshold swing of 1.05 V/decade. The contact resistance of AZO/Al/AZO/Al/AZO multi-layer electrodes is as low as 0.29 MΩ. Moreover, the average visible light transmittance of the unpatterned multi-layers constituting a whole transparent TFT could reach 72.5%. The high conductivity and transparent multi-layer S/D electrodes for transparent TFTs possessed great potential for the applications of the green and transparent displays industry.

Some studies on successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) grown indium sulphide thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pathan, H.M.; Lokhande, C.D.; Kulkarni, S.S.; Amalnerkar, D.P.; Seth, T.; Han, Sung-Hwan

2005-01-01

Indium sulphide (In 2 S 3 ) thin films were grown on amorphous glass substrate by the successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method. X-ray diffraction, optical absorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Rutherford back scattering (RBS) were applied to study the structural, optical, surface morphological and compositional properties of the indium sulphide thin films. Utilization of triethanolamine and hydrazine hydrate complexed indium sulphate and sodium sulphide as precursors resulted in nanocrystalline In 2 S 3 thin film. The optical band gap was found to be 2.7 eV. The film appeared to be smooth and homogeneous from SEM study

Use of low volatility mobile phases in electroosmotic thin-layer chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Berezkin, V G; Balushkin, A O; Tyaglov, B V; Litvin, E F

2005-08-19

A variant of electroosmotic thin-layer chromatography is suggested with the use of low volatility compounds as mobile phases aimed at drastically decreasing the evaporation of the mobile phase and improving the reproducibility of the method. The linear movement velocity of zones of separated compounds is experimentally shown to increase 2-12-fold in electroosmotic chromatography (compared to similar values in traditional TLC). The separation efficiency is also considerably increased.

Magnetic domain observation of FeCo thin films fabricated by alternate monoatomic layer deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ohtsuki, T., E-mail: ohtsuki@spring8.or.jp; Kotsugi, M.; Ohkochi, T. [Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI), 1-1-1 Koto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo 679-5198 (Japan); Kojima, T.; Mizuguchi, M.; Takanashi, K. [Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577 (Japan)

2014-01-28

FeCo thin films are fabricated by alternate monoatomic layer deposition method on a Cu{sub 3}Au buffer layer, which in-plane lattice constant is very close to the predicted value to obtain a large magnetic anisotropy constant. The variation of the in-plane lattice constant during the deposition process is investigated by reflection high-energy electron diffraction. The magnetic domain images are also observed by a photoelectron emission microscope in order to microscopically understand the magnetic structure. As a result, element-specific magnetic domain images show that Fe and Co magnetic moments align parallel. A series of images obtained with various azimuth reveal that the FeCo thin films show fourfold in-plane magnetic anisotropy along 〈110〉 direction, and that the magnetic domain structure is composed only of 90∘ wall.

Multispectral surface plasmon resonance approach for ultra-thin silver layer characterization: Application to top-emitting OLED cathode

Science.gov (United States)

Taverne, S.; Caron, B.; Gétin, S.; Lartigue, O.; Lopez, C.; Meunier-Della-Gatta, S.; Gorge, V.; Reymermier, M.; Racine, B.; Maindron, T.; Quesnel, E.

2018-01-01

While dielectric/metal/dielectric (DMD) multilayer thin films have raised considerable interest as transparent and conductive electrodes in various optoelectronic devices, the knowledge of optical characteristics of thin metallic layers integrated in such structures is still rather approximate. The multispectral surface plasmon resonance characterization approach described in this work precisely aims at providing a rigorous methodology able to accurately determine the optical constants of ultra-thin metallic films. As a practical example, the refractive index and extinction dispersion curves of 8 to 25 nm-thick silver layers have been investigated. As a result, their extreme dependence on the layer thickness is highlighted, in particular in a thickness range close to the critical threshold value (˜10 nm) where the silver film becomes continuous and its electrical conductance/optical transmittance ratio particularly interesting. To check the validity of the revisited Ag layers constant dispersion curves deduced from this study, they were introduced into a commercial optical model software to simulate the behavior of various optoelectronic building blocks from the simplest ones (DMD electrodes) to much more complex structures [full organic light emitting device (OLED) stacks]. As a result, a much better prediction of the emission spectrum profile as well as the angular emission pattern of top-emitting OLEDs is obtained. On this basis, it is also shown how a redesign of the top encapsulation thin film of OLEDs is necessary to better take benefit from the advanced DMD electrode. These results should particularly interest the micro-OLED display field where bright and directive single color pixel emission is required.

Electroreduction of oxygen on carbon-supported gold catalysts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erikson, Heiki; Juermann, Gea; Sarapuu, Ave; Potter, Robert J.; Tammeveski, Kaido

2009-01-01

The electrochemical reduction of oxygen was studied on Au/C catalysts (20 and 30 wt%) in 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 and 0.1 M KOH solutions using the rotating disk electrode (RDE) method. The thickness of the Au/C-Nafion layers was varied between 1.5 and 10 μm. The specific activity of Au was independent of catalyst loading in both solutions, indicating that the transport of reactants through the catalyst layer does not limit the process of oxygen reduction under these conditions. The mass activity of 20 wt% Au/C catalysts was higher due to smaller particle size. The number of electrons involved in the reaction and the Tafel slopes were found; the values of these parameters are similar to that of bulk polycrystalline gold and indicate that the mechanism of O 2 reduction is not affected by carbon support or the catalyst configuration.

Relationship of Estimated SHIV Acquisition Time Points During the Menstrual Cycle and Thinning of Vaginal Epithelial Layers in Pigtail Macaques.

Science.gov (United States)

Kersh, Ellen N; Ritter, Jana; Butler, Katherine; Ostergaard, Sharon Dietz; Hanson, Debra; Ellis, Shanon; Zaki, Sherif; McNicholl, Janet M

2015-12-01

HIV acquisition in the female genital tract remains incompletely understood. Quantitative data on biological HIV risk factors, the influence of reproductive hormones, and infection risk are lacking. We evaluated vaginal epithelial thickness during the menstrual cycle in pigtail macaques (Macaca nemestrina). This model previously revealed increased susceptibility to vaginal infection during and after progesterone-dominated periods in the menstrual cycle. Nucleated and nonnucleated (superficial) epithelial layers were quantitated throughout the menstrual cycle of 16 macaques. We examined the relationship with previously estimated vaginal SHIVSF162P3 acquisition time points in the cycle of 43 different animals repeatedly exposed to low virus doses. In the luteal phase (days 17 to cycle end), the mean vaginal epithelium thinned to 66% of mean follicular thickness (days 1-16; P = 0.007, Mann-Whitney test). Analyzing 4-day segments, the epithelium was thickest on days 9 to 12 and thinned to 31% thereof on days 29 to 32, with reductions of nucleated and nonnucleated layers to 36% and 15% of their previous thickness, respectively. The proportion of animals with estimated SHIV acquisition in each cycle segment correlated with nonnucleated layer thinning (Pearson r = 0.7, P layer thinning (Pearson r = 0.6, P = 0.15). These data provide a detailed picture of dynamic cycle-related changes in the vaginal epithelium of pigtail macaques. Substantial thinning occurred in the superficial, nonnucleated layer, which maintains the vaginal microbiome. The findings support vaginal tissue architecture as susceptibility factor for infection and contribute to our understanding of innate resistance to SHIV infection.

Adsorption and electronic properties of pentacene on thin dielectric decoupling layers.

Science.gov (United States)

Koslowski, Sebastian; Rosenblatt, Daniel; Kabakchiev, Alexander; Kuhnke, Klaus; Kern, Klaus; Schlickum, Uta

2017-01-01

With the increasing use of thin dielectric decoupling layers to study the electronic properties of organic molecules on metal surfaces, comparative studies are needed in order to generalize findings and formulate practical rules. In this paper we study the adsorption and electronic properties of pentacene deposited onto h-BN/Rh(111) and compare them with those of pentacene deposited onto KCl on various metal surfaces. When deposited onto KCl, the HOMO and LUMO energies of the pentacene molecules scale with the work functions of the combined KCl/metal surface. The magnitude of the variation between the respective KCl/metal systems indicates the degree of interaction of the frontier orbitals with the underlying metal. The results confirm that the so-called IDIS model developed by Willenbockel et al. applies not only to molecular layers on bare metal surfaces, but also to individual molecules on thin electronically decoupling layers. Depositing pentacene onto h-BN/Rh(111) results in significantly different adsorption characteristics, due to the topographic corrugation of the surface as well as the lateral electric fields it presents. These properties are reflected in the divergence from the aforementioned trend for the orbital energies of pentacene deposited onto h-BN/Rh(111), as well as in the different adsorption geometry. Thus, the highly desirable capacity of h-BN to trap molecules comes at the price of enhanced metal-molecule interaction, which decreases the HOMO-LUMO gap of the molecules. In spite of the enhanced interaction, the molecular orbitals are evident in scanning tunnelling spectroscopy (STS) and their shapes can be resolved by spectroscopic mapping.

Formation of a highly doped ultra-thin amorphous carbon layer by ion bombardment of graphene

Science.gov (United States)

Piotr Michałowski, Paweł; Pasternak, Iwona; Ciepielewski, Paweł; Guinea, Francisco; Strupiński, Włodek

2018-07-01

Ion bombardment of graphene leads to the formation of defects which may be used to tune properties of the graphene based devices. In this work, however, we present that the presence of the graphene layer on a surface of a sample has a significant impact on the ion bombardment process: broken sp2 bonds react with the incoming ions and trap them close to the surface of the sample, preventing a standard ion implantation. For an ion bombardment with a low impact energy and significant dose (in the range of 1014 atoms cm‑2) an amorphization of the graphene layer is observed but at the same time, most of the incoming ions do not penetrate the sample but stop at the surface, thus forming a highly doped ultra-thin amorphous carbon layer. The effect may be used to create thin layers containing desired atoms if no other technique is available. This approach is particularly useful for secondary ion mass spectrometry where a high concentration of Cs at the surface of a sample significantly enhances the negative ionization probability, allowing it to reach better detection limits.

Preparation of thin layer materials with macroporous microstructure for SOFC applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marrero-Lopez, D.; Ruiz-Morales, J.C.; Pena-Martinez, J.; Canales-Vazquez, J.; Nunez, P.

2008-01-01

A facile and versatile method using polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) microspheres as pore formers has been developed to prepare thin layer oxide materials with controlled macroporous microstructure. Several mixed oxides with fluorite and perovskite-type structures, i.e. doped zirconia, ceria, ferrites, manganites, and NiO-YSZ composites have been prepared and characterised by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nitrogen adsorption and mercury porosimetry. The synthesised materials are nanocrystalline and present a homogeneous pore distribution and relatively high specific surface area, which makes them interesting for SOFC and catalysis applications in the intermediate temperature range. - Graphical abstract: Thin films materials of mixed oxides with potential application in SOFC devices have been prepared with macroporous microstructure using PMMA microspheres as pore formers. Display Omitted

Wafer scale integration of catalyst dots into nonplanar microsystems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gjerde, Kjetil; Kjelstrup-Hansen, Jakob; Gammelgaard, Lauge

2007-01-01

In order to successfully integrate bottom-up fabricated nanostructures such as carbon nanotubes or silicon, germanium, or III-V nanowires into microelectromechanical systems on a wafer scale, reliable ways of integrating catalyst dots are needed. Here, four methods for integrating sub-100-nm...... diameter nickel catalyst dots on a wafer scale are presented and compared. Three of the methods are based on a p-Si layer utilized as an in situ mask, an encapsulating layer, and a sacrificial window mask, respectively. All methods enable precise positioning of nickel catalyst dots at the end...

Performance improvement of organic thin film transistors by using active layer with sandwich structure

Science.gov (United States)

Ni, Yao; Zhou, Jianlin; Kuang, Peng; Lin, Hui; Gan, Ping; Hu, Shengdong; Lin, Zhi

2017-08-01

We report organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) with pentacene/fluorinated copper phthalo-cyanine (F16CuPc)/pentacene (PFP) sandwich configuration as active layers. The sandwich devices not only show hole mobility enhancement but also present a well control about threshold voltage and off-state current. By investigating various characteristics, including current-voltage hysteresis, organic film morphology, capacitance-voltage curve and resistance variation of active layers carefully, it has been found the performance improvement is mainly attributed to the low carrier traps and the higher conductivity of the sandwich active layer due to the additional induced carriers in F16CuPc/pentacene. Therefore, using proper multiple active layer is an effective way to gain high performance OTFTs.

Controlling the Performance of P-type Cu2O/SnO Bilayer Thin-Film Transistors by Adjusting the Thickness of the Copper Oxide Layer

KAUST Repository

Al-Jawhari, Hala A.

2014-11-11

The effect of copper oxide layer thickness on the performance of Cu2O/SnO bilayer thin-film transistors was investigated. By using sputtered Cu2O films produced at an oxygen partial pressure, Opp, of 10% as the upper layer and 3% Opp SnO films as the lower layer we built a matrix of bottom-gate Cu2O/SnO bilayer thin-film transistors of different thickness. We found that the thickness of the Cu2O layer is of major importance in oxidation of the SnO layer underneath. The thicker the Cu2O layer, the more the underlying SnO layer is oxidized, and, hence, the more transistor mobility is enhanced at a specific temperature. Both device performance and the annealing temperature required could be adjusted by controlling the thickness of each layer of Cu2O/SnO bilayer thin-film transistors.

Thin layer settling - a promising method for purifying industrial waste waters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perevalov, V G; Kolokhmatova, N M; Malkina, I I; Smyslov, A I

1979-01-01

Proposed for removing oil and suspended substances from waste waters is a thin layer, tubular settler, whose elements are made from polyethylene pipes. The operational effectiveness of the settler on the average is 90-95%, the duration of the purification is 10-11 min, which is 1/12 of that in the most common and contemporary oil traps. The volume of the settler structure with this productivity may be reduced by 12 times.

An RBS study of thin PLD and MOCVD strontium copper oxide layers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kantor, Z. [Institute of Physics, University of Pannonia, H-8200 Veszprem (Hungary); Papadopoulou, E.L.; Aperathitis, E. [Inst. Electronic Struture and Laser, Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas, P.O. Box 1527, Heraklion 71110 (Greece); Deschanvres, J.-L. [LMPG INP Grenoble-Minatec, BP 257, 38016 Grenoble Cedex 1 (France); Somogyi, K. [MicroVacuum Ltd., Kerekgyarto u.: 10, H-1147 Budapest (Hungary)], E-mail: karoly.somogyi@microvacuum.com; Szendro, I. [MicroVacuum Ltd., Kerekgyarto u.: 10, H-1147 Budapest (Hungary)

2008-09-30

Strontium copper oxide (SCO) has been studied as p-type transparent (VIS) conductive oxide material. Also theoretical studies suggested p-type conductivity of the SrCu{sub 2}O{sub 2} composition. SCO thin layers, with thicknesses of 30-2000 nm, were deposited on glass and silicon substrates both by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and by MOCVD method. The as-grown layers showed high electrical resistance. Due to an annealing process, the resistivity significantly decreased and the layers showed p-type conductivity. Optical transparency measured on samples grown on glass substrates was found about or above 80%, including also thickness dependence. RBS measurements were applied for the determination of the chemical composition profile of the layers. A comparison revealed some specific differences between as-grown and annealed PLD samples. Due to the annealing, the ratio of oxide phases was changed and a vertical inhomogeneity in chemical composition was observed. Our measurements revealed also the influence of the deposition technique and of the substrate.

Use of two-phase aqueous systems based on water-soluble polymers in thin-layer and extraction chromatography for recovery and separtion of actinides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Molochnikova, N.P.; Shkinev, V.M.; Myasoedov, B.F.

1995-01-01

The feasibility has been demonstrated of using two-phase aqueous systems based on water-soluble polymers, polyethylene glycol and dextran sulfate, in thin-layer and extraction chromatography for recovery and separation of actinides. A convenient method has been proposed for continuous recovery of 239 Np from 243 Am, originating from differences in sorption of tri- and pentavalent actinides from sulfate solutions containing potassium phosphotungstate by silica gel impregnated with polyethylene glycol. New plates for thin-layer chromatography using water-soluble polymers have been developed. These plates were used to study behavior of americium in various oxidation states in thin sorbent layers

TiO2 nanofiber solid-state dye sensitized solar cells with thin TiO2 hole blocking layer prepared by atomic layer deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Jinwei; Chen, Xi; Xu, Weihe; Nam, Chang-Yong; Shi, Yong

2013-01-01

We incorporated a thin but structurally dense TiO 2 layer prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD) as an efficient hole blocking layer in the TiO 2 nanofiber based solid-state dye sensitized solar cell (ss-DSSC). The nanofiber ss-DSSCs having ALD TiO 2 layers displayed increased open circuit voltage, short circuit current density, and power conversion efficiency compared to control devices with blocking layers prepared by spin-coating liquid TiO 2 precursor. We attribute the improved photovoltaic device performance to the structural integrity of ALD-coated TiO 2 layer and consequently enhanced hole blocking effect that results in reduced dark leakage current and increased charge carrier lifetime. - Highlights: • TiO 2 blocking locking layer prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD) method. • ALD-coated TiO 2 layer enhanced hole blocking effect. • ALD blocking layer improved the voltage, current and efficiency. • ALD blocking layer reduced dark leakage current and increased electron lifetime

Robotic thin layer chromatography instrument for synthetic chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corkan, L.A.; Haynes, E.; Kline, S.; Lindsey, J.S.

1991-01-01

We have constructed a second generation instrument for performing automated thin layer chromatography (TLC), The TLC instrument Consists of four dedicated stations for (1) plate dispensing, (2) sample application, (3) plate development, and (4) densitometry. A robot is used to move TLC plates among stations. The TLC instrument functions either as a stand-alone unit or as one analytical module in a robotic workstation for synthetic chemistry. An integrated hardware and software architecture enables automatic TLC analysis of samples produced concurrently from synthetic reactions in progress on the workstation. The combination of fixed automation and robotics gives a throughput of 12 TLC samples per hour. From these results a blueprint has emerged for an advanced automated TLC instrument with far greater throughput and analytical capabilities

Bearing Capacity of Footings on Thin Layer of Sand on Soft Cohesive Soil

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Philipsen, J.; Sørensen, Carsten S.

2004-01-01

This paper contains the results of some numerical calculations performed with the aim to determine the bearing capacities of footings placed on a thin layer of sand underlain by soft cohesive soil. During the last 30-35 years different analytical and empirical calculation methods for this situation...... prepared model tests made in laboratories....

High performance thin layer chromatography profile of Cassytha filiformis

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Mythili Sathiavelu; Sathiavelu Arunachalam

2012-01-01

Objective: To study the phenols, flavonoids, saponin profile of the medicinal plant Cassytha filiformis (C. filiformis) using high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC). Methods:The extracts were tested to determine the presence of various phytochmeicals like alkaloids, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, carbohydrates, glycosides, saponins, terpenoids, tannins, fixed oils, fats and protein and aminoacids (Harborne and Harborne, 1998). HPTLC studies were carried out by Harborne and Wagner et al method. Different compositions of the mobile phase for HPTLC analysis were tested in order to obtain high resolution and reproducible peaks. Results: The results of the preliminary phytochemical studies confirm the presence of phenols, alkaloids, carbohydrates, saponins, flavanoids, terpenoids and tannins in the methanolic extracts of C. filiformis. The methanolic extracts of C. filiformis displayed the presence of 13 types of phenolic substances with 13 different Rf values ranging from 0.01 to 0.96. The results illustrated the presence of 9 different types of flavonoides with 9 different Rf values ranging from 0.01 to 0.97. The results of HPTLC analysis of saponins demonstrated the presence of 11 different types of saponins with 11 different Rf values ranging from 0.04 to 0.92. Conclusions: In the present study we observed the phenols, flavonoids, saponin profile of the medicinal plant C. filiformis using high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC). Hence it was concluded that the phenolic compounds present in the methonolic extract could be responsible for antioxidant activities. Plant derived antioxidants, especially phenols and flavonoids, have been described to have various properties like anticancer, antiaging and prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Furthur, separation and characterization of the bioactive compound from the plant is to be evaluated and reported in near future.

Silver nanoparticle formation in thin oxide layer on silicon by silver-negative-ion implantation for Coulomb blockade at room temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsuji, Hiroshi; Arai, Nobutoshi; Matsumoto, Takuya; Ueno, Kazuya; Gotoh, Yasuhito; Adachi, Kouichiro; Kotaki, Hiroshi; Ishikawa, Junzo

2004-01-01

Formation of silver nanoparticles formed by silver negative-ion implantation in a thin SiO 2 layer and its I-V characteristics were investigated for development single electron devices. In order to obtain effective Coulomb blockade phenomenon at room temperature, the isolated metal nanoparticles should be in very small size and be formed in a thin insulator layer such as gate oxide on the silicon substrate. Therefore, conditions of a fine particles size, high particle density and narrow distribution should be controlled at their formation without any electrical breakdown of the thin insulator layer. We have used a negative-ion implantation technique with an advantage of 'charge-up free' for insulators, with which no breakdown of thin oxide layer on Si was obtained. In the I-V characteristics with Au electrode, the current steps were observed with a voltage interval of about 0.12 V. From the step voltage the corresponded capacitance was calculated to be 0.7 aF. In one nanoparticle system, this value of capacitance could be given by a nanoparticle of about 3 nm in diameter. This consideration is consistent to the measured particle size in the cross-sectional TEM observation. Therefore, the observed I-V characteristics with steps are considered to be Coulomb staircase by the Ag nanoparticles

Kinetic Evaluation of Lipid Oils Conversion to Biofuel Using Layered Double Hydroxide Doped with Triazabicyclodece Catalyst

Science.gov (United States)

Nato Lopez, Frank D.

Worldwide, there is an ever increasing need for sustainable, renewable fuels that will accommodate the rapidly increasing energy demand and provide independence from fossil fuels. The search for a sustainable alternative to petroleum based fuels has been a great challenge to the scientific community; therefore, great efforts are being made to overcome the fossil fuels dependence by exploring the prominent field of biofuels (bioethanol and biodiesel). Traditional biodiesel is produced from feedstocks such as vegetable oils and animal fats by converting the triglycerides with methanol in the presence of a homogeneous catalyst to produce fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs). However, drawbacks of this process are the undesired glycerol byproduct and post reaction processing, including separation from reaction mixture, that results in high costs factors. In the present work, the reaction kinetics of a glycerol-free biodiesel method is studied. This method consists of the transesterification of a vegetable oil (i.e. canola oil) using dimethyl carbonate (DMC) as an alternative methylating agent in presence of layered double hydroxides doped with triazabicyclodecene catalyst (a basic organocatalyst). Furthermore, is theorized that this heterogeneous catalyst (TBD/LDH) simultaneously converts both FFAs and triglycerides due to acid sites formed by Al3+ active sites of the LDH structure. Additionally, the versatility of the Raman in situ technique was used as quantitative analysis tool to monitor the reaction kinetics and collect real time data.

Porous nitrogen-enriched carbonaceous material from marine waste: chitosan-derived layered CNX catalyst for aerial oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Chitosan-derived, porous and layered nitrogen-enriched carbonaceous CNx catalyst (PLCNx) has been synthesized from marine waste and its use demonstrated in a...

The production of ultra-thin layers of ion-exchange resin and metallic silver by electrospraying

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wyllie, H.A.

1988-10-01

Highly efficient radioactive sources for use in radioisotope metrology have been prepared on ultra-thin layers of electrosprayed ion-exchange resin. The efficiency of these sources can be reduced for the purpose of radioactivity standardisation by coating them with conducting silver layers which are also produced by electrospraying. A description is given of improvements to the electrospraying methods, together with details of the rotating, oscillating source-mount turntable

Determination of the Mass Absorption Coefficient in Two-Layer Ti/V and V/Ti Thin Film Systems by the X-Ray Fluorescence Method

Science.gov (United States)

Mashin, N. I.; Chernyaeva, E. A.; Tumanova, A. N.; Gafarova, L. M.

2016-03-01

A new XRF procedure for the determination of the mass absorption coefficient in thin film Ti/V and V/Ti two-layer systems has been proposed. The procedure uses easy-to-make thin-film layers of sputtered titanium and vanadium on a polymer film substrate. Correction coefficients have been calculated that take into account attenuation of primary radiation of the X-ray tube, as well as attenuation of the spectral line of the bottom layer element in the top layer.

Granular and layered ferroelectric–ferromagnetic thin-film nanocomposites as promising materials with high magnetotransmission effect

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Akbashev, A.R. [Department of Materials Science, Moscow State University, 119992 Moscow (Russian Federation); Telegin, A.V., E-mail: telegin@imp.uran.ru [M.N. Miheev Institute of Metal Physics of Ural Branch of RAS, 620990 Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation); Kaul, A.R. [Department of Chemistry, Moscow State University, 119992 Moscow (Russian Federation); Sukhorukov, Yu.P. [M.N. Miheev Institute of Metal Physics of Ural Branch of RAS, 620990 Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation)

2015-06-15

Epitaxial thin films of granular and layered nanocomposites consisting of ferromagnetic perovskite Pr{sub 1–x}Sr{sub x}MnO{sub 3} and ferroelectric hexagonal LuMnO{sub 3} were grown on ZrO{sub 2}(Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}) substrates using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). A self-organized growth of the granular composite took place in situ as a result of phase separation of the Pr–Sr–Lu–Mn–O system into the perovskite and hexagonal phases. Optical transmission measurements revealed a large negative magnetotransmission effect in the layered nanocomposite over a wide spectral and temperature range. The granular nanocomposite unexpectedly showed an even larger, but positive, magnetotransmission effect at room temperature. - Highlights: • Thin-film ferromagnetic–ferroelectric nanocomposites have been prepared by MOCVD. • Giant change of optical transparency of nanocomposites in magnetic field was detected. • Positive magnetotransmission in the granular nanocomposite was discovered in the IR. • Negative magnetotransmission in the layered nanocomposite was revealed in the IR. • Ferroelectric–ferromangetic nanocomposite is a promising material for optoelectronics.

Granular and layered ferroelectric–ferromagnetic thin-film nanocomposites as promising materials with high magnetotransmission effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akbashev, A.R.; Telegin, A.V.; Kaul, A.R.; Sukhorukov, Yu.P.

2015-01-01

Epitaxial thin films of granular and layered nanocomposites consisting of ferromagnetic perovskite Pr 1–x Sr x MnO 3 and ferroelectric hexagonal LuMnO 3 were grown on ZrO 2 (Y 2 O 3 ) substrates using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). A self-organized growth of the granular composite took place in situ as a result of phase separation of the Pr–Sr–Lu–Mn–O system into the perovskite and hexagonal phases. Optical transmission measurements revealed a large negative magnetotransmission effect in the layered nanocomposite over a wide spectral and temperature range. The granular nanocomposite unexpectedly showed an even larger, but positive, magnetotransmission effect at room temperature. - Highlights: • Thin-film ferromagnetic–ferroelectric nanocomposites have been prepared by MOCVD. • Giant change of optical transparency of nanocomposites in magnetic field was detected. • Positive magnetotransmission in the granular nanocomposite was discovered in the IR. • Negative magnetotransmission in the layered nanocomposite was revealed in the IR. • Ferroelectric–ferromangetic nanocomposite is a promising material for optoelectronics

Preparation and recording characteristics of granular-type perpendicular magnetic recording media with thin intermediate layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shintaku, K.; Kiya, T.

2008-01-01

Granular-type media with thin Ru intermediate layer were prepared on a highly oriented high-B s FeCo soft underlayer (SUL). A CoPt-TiO 2 recording layer on a Ru intermediate layer of only 2 nm had high-crystal orientation, high H c of 6.5 kOe, and a high squareness ratio (SQ) of 0.99. The magnetic property of the SUL was also good. The recording performance was measured for the media with different Ru intermediate thicknesses by using a single-pole-type (SPT) head. The media had large reproduced output even for the Ru intermediate layer thickness of 2 nm

Preparation and recording characteristics of granular-type perpendicular magnetic recording media with thin intermediate layer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shintaku, K. [Akita Research Institute of Advanced Technology, Akita Prefectural R and D Center, 4-21 Sanuki, Araya, Akita 010-1623 (Japan)], E-mail: shintaku@ait.pref.akita.jp; Kiya, T. [Akita Research Institute of Advanced Technology, Akita Prefectural R and D Center, 4-21 Sanuki, Araya, Akita 010-1623 (Japan)

2008-11-15

Granular-type media with thin Ru intermediate layer were prepared on a highly oriented high-B{sub s} FeCo soft underlayer (SUL). A CoPt-TiO{sub 2} recording layer on a Ru intermediate layer of only 2 nm had high-crystal orientation, high H{sub c} of 6.5 kOe, and a high squareness ratio (SQ) of 0.99. The magnetic property of the SUL was also good. The recording performance was measured for the media with different Ru intermediate thicknesses by using a single-pole-type (SPT) head. The media had large reproduced output even for the Ru intermediate layer thickness of 2 nm.

Thin-film encapsulation of organic electronic devices based on vacuum evaporated lithium fluoride as protective buffer layer

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Yingquan; Ding, Sihan; Wen, Zhanwei; Xu, Sunan; Lv, Wenli; Xu, Ziqiang; Yang, Yuhuan; Wang, Ying; Wei, Yi; Tang, Ying

2017-03-01

Encapsulation is indispensable for organic thin-film electronic devices to ensure reliable operation and long-term stability. For thin-film encapsulating organic electronic devices, insulating polymers and inorganic metal oxides thin films are widely used. However, spin-coating of insulating polymers directly on organic electronic devices may destroy or introduce unwanted impurities in the underlying organic active layers. And also, sputtering of inorganic metal oxides may damage the underlying organic semiconductors. Here, we demonstrated that by utilizing vacuum evaporated lithium fluoride (LiF) as protective buffer layer, spin-coated insulating polymer polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and sputtered inorganic material Er2O3, can be successfully applied for thin film encapsulation of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc)-based organic diodes. By encapsulating with LiF/PVA/LiF trilayer and LiF/Er2O3 bilayer films, the device lifetime improvements of 10 and 15 times can be achieved. These methods should be applicable for thin-film encapsulation of all kinds of organic electronic devices. Moisture-induced hole trapping, and Al top electrode oxidation are suggest to be the origins of current decay for the LiF/PVA/LiF trilayer and LiF/Er2O3 bilayer films encapsulated devices, respectively.

Influence of the spacer layer on microstructure and magnetic properties of [NdFeB/(NbCu)]xn thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chiriac, H. [National Institute of R and D for Technical Physics, 47 Mangeron Blvd., 700050 Iasi (Romania); Grigoras, M. [National Institute of R and D for Technical Physics, 47 Mangeron Blvd., 700050 Iasi (Romania); Urse, M. [National Institute of R and D for Technical Physics, 47 Mangeron Blvd., 700050 Iasi (Romania)]. E-mail: urse@phys-iasi.ro

2007-09-15

Some results concerning the influence of the composition and thickness of NbCu spacer layer on the microstructure and magnetic properties of multilayer [NdFeB/(NbCu)]xn films, in view of their utilization for manufacturing the thin film permanent magnets are presented. A comparison between the microstructure and magnetic properties of NdFeB single layer and [NdFeB/(NbCu)]xn multilayer is also presented. The multilayer [NdFeB/(NbCu)]xn thin films with the thickness of the NdFeB layer of 180nm and the thickness of the NbCu spacer layer of 3nm, exhibit good hard magnetic characteristics such as coercive force H{sub c} of about 1510kA/m and the remanence ratio M{sub r}/M{sub s} of about 0.8.

Influence of the spacer layer on microstructure and magnetic properties of [NdFeB/(NbCu)]xn thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiriac, H.; Grigoras, M.; Urse, M.

2007-01-01

Some results concerning the influence of the composition and thickness of NbCu spacer layer on the microstructure and magnetic properties of multilayer [NdFeB/(NbCu)]xn films, in view of their utilization for manufacturing the thin film permanent magnets are presented. A comparison between the microstructure and magnetic properties of NdFeB single layer and [NdFeB/(NbCu)]xn multilayer is also presented. The multilayer [NdFeB/(NbCu)]xn thin films with the thickness of the NdFeB layer of 180nm and the thickness of the NbCu spacer layer of 3nm, exhibit good hard magnetic characteristics such as coercive force H c of about 1510kA/m and the remanence ratio M r /M s of about 0.8

A low-crystalline ruthenium nano-layer supported on praseodymium oxide as an active catalyst for ammonia synthesis.