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Ruthenium (Ru) doped antimony tungstate microflowers, prepared through hydrothermal process, have been investigated for simultaneous adsorption and photocatalysis. The pattern of evolution of microflower structures, however, can be tailored by the synthesis period. This change is observed from the field effect scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope images. A possible mechanism behind this morphological change has been developed. An argument based on the zeta potential may be responsible for this distinct morphology due to the strong electrostatic interactions. The variation of a particular x-ray diffraction peak corresponding to the plane { 012 } with variation of Ru doping percentage shows the decrease in crystallinity along the perpendicular direction to this plane. Besides, the optimum Ru doping percentage is evaluated on the basis of photocatalytic efficiency towards methylene blue (MB) degradation under visible light. The highest dye removal efficiency is observed for 2% Ru doped Sb2WO6 (SWO) adsorbing 97% of the MB dye followed by photocatalytic degradation of almost 64% of the remaining dye in 80 min. Furthermore, using different dyes, it is concluded that Ru–SWO showcases high adsorption toward the cationic dyes while it neither adsorbs the anionic dye nor displays photocatalytic degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current investigation, zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles and Fe-doped ZnO nanoparticles were sustainably synthesized utilizing an extract derived from the Rumex dentatus plant through a green synthesis approach. The Scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Ultra-violet visible spectroscopy (UV–vis) spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) techniques were used to examine the compositional, morphological, optical, and thermal properties of both samples. The doping of iron into ZnO NPs has significantly influenced their properties. The analysis firmly established that both ZnO NPs and Fe-doped ZnO NPs have hexagonal wurtzite structures and spherical shapes by XRD and SEM. The EDX analysis suggests that iron atoms have been successfully integrated into the ZnO lattice. The change in color observed during the reaction indicated the formation of nanoparticles. The UV–vis peaks at 364 nm and 314 nm confirmed the presence of ZnO NPs and Fe-doped ZnO NPs, respectively. The band gap of ZnO NPs by Fe dopant displayed a narrowing effect. This indicates that adding iron ions to ZnO NPs offers a control band gap. The thermal study TGA revealed that Fe-doped ZnO NPs remain stable when heated up to 600 °C. The antibacterial efficacy of ZnO NPs and Fe-doped ZnO NPs was evaluated against several bacterial strains. The evaluation is based on the zone of inhibition (ZOI). Both samples exhibited excellent antibacterial properties as compared to conventional pharmaceutical agents. These results suggest that synthesizing nanoparticles through plant-based methods is a promising approach to creating versatile and environmentally friendly biomedical products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-enzymatic screen-printed chemiresistive interdigitated electrodes (SPCIE) were designed and fabricated using a low-cost screen-printing method for detection of the glucose. The interdigitated electrodes (IDE) pattern was printed using conductive graphene ink on the glossy surface of the photo paper. The proposed glossy photo paper-based SPCIE are functionalized with multi-walled carbon nanotubes-zinc oxide (MWCNTs-ZnO) nanofibers to create the chemiresistive matrix. Further, to bind these nanofibers with the graphene electrode surface, we have used the green synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with banana flower stem fluid (BFSF) as a binder solution. AgNPs with BFSF form the conductive porous natural binder layer (CPNBL). It does not allow to increase the resistivity of the deposited material on graphene electrodes and also keeps the nanofibers intact with paper-based SPCIE. The synthesized material of MWCNT-ZnO nanofibers and green synthesized AgNPs with BFSF as a binder were characterized by Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV–vis), scanning electron microscope (SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The amperometric measurements were performed on the proposed SPCIE sensor to detect the glucose sample directly. The innovative paper-based SPCIE glucose sensor exhibits a linear corelation between current measurements and glucose concentration in the range between 45.22 μ m and 20 mm, with a regression coefficient (R 2) of 0.9902 and a lower limit of detection (LoD) of 45.22 μ m (n = 5). The sensitivity of the developed SPCIE sensor was 2178.57 μ AmM−1cm−2, and the sensor's response time determined was approximately equal to 18 s. The proposed sensor was also tested for real blood serum sample, and relative standard deviation (RSD) was found equal to 2.95%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic-mode cantilever sensors are based on the principle of a one-side clamped beam being excited to oscillate at or close to its resonance frequency. An external interaction on the cantilever alters its oscillatory state, and this change can be detected and used for quantification of the external influence (e.g. a force or mass load). A very promising approach to significantly improve sensitivity without modifying the established laser-based oscillation transduction is the co-resonant coupling of a micro- and a nanocantilever. Thereby, each resonator is optimized for a specific purpose, i.e. the microcantilever for reliable oscillation detection and the nanocantilever for highest sensitivity through low rigidity and mass. To achieve the co-resonant state, the eigenfrequencies of micro- and nanocantilever need to be adjusted so that they differ by less than approximately 20%. This can either be realized by mass deposition or trimming of the nanocantilever, or by choice of dimensions. While the former is a manual and error-prone process, the latter would enable reproducible batch fabrication of coupled systems with predefined eigenfrequency matching states and therefore sensor properties. However, the approach is very challenging as it requires a precisely controlled fabrication process. Here, for the first time, such a process for batch fabrication of inherently geometrically eigenfrequency matched co-resonant cantilever structures is presented and characterized. It is based on conventional microfabrication techniques and the structures are made from 1 µ m thick low-stress silicon nitride. They comprise the microcantilever and high aspect ratio nanocantilever (width 2 µ m, thickness about 100 nm, lengths up to 80 µ m) which are successfully realized with only minimal bending. An average yield of > 80 % of intact complete sensor structures per wafer is achieved. Desired geometric dimensions can be realized within ±1% variation for length and width of the microcantilever and nanocantilever length, ±10% and ±20% for the nanocantilever width and thickness, respectively, resulting in an average variation of its eigenfrequency by 11%. Furthermore, the dynamic oscillation properties are verified by vibration experiments in a scanning electron microscope. The developed process allows for the first time the batch fabrication of co-resonantly coupled systems with predefined properties and controlled matching states. This is an important step and crucial foundation for a broader applicability of the co-resonant approach for sensitivity enhancement of dynamic-mode cantilever sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the sintering mechanisms of magnesium diborides using spark plasma sintering and optimize the sintering process conditions. Three different precursor materials were used: (i) commercial powder MgB2, (ii) mixtures of magnesium and nano boron powder (Mg + 2B), and (iii) mixtures of Mg and MgB4 powder for an ' in-situ ' reactive synthesis. The density of the obtained bulks exceeds 90% of the theoretical density of the material. The structure and microstructure of the samples were analyzed using x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope, which were correlated with their superconducting properties. The critical current density (J c), pinning force (f p), and electrical resistivity (ρ) of the samples were also investigated. The results show that the in-situ reactive synthesis of MgB2 using magnesium and nano boron powder was the most effective method for producing high-quality samples with improved superconducting properties. The findings could lead to the development of more efficient methods for producing high-performance of MgB2 bulks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Znic-based metal–organic framework materials (ZIF-8) show great potential and excellent performance in the fields of sensing and catalysis. However, powdered metal–organic framework makes it easy to lose in the process of application. Herein, we use a simple blending electrostatic spinning method to combine ZIF-8 particles with polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers. ZIF-8/PAN composite nanofiber membrane. The ZIF-8/PAN nanofiber membrane is characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and N2 adsorption–desorption. The results show that the ZIF-8/PAN nanofiber membrane has the characteristic peaks of XRD and FTIR, which are consistent with those of simulated ZIF-8. The specific surface area of ZIF-8/PAN nanofiber membrane increases from 13.5371 to 711.4171 m2 g−1 due to the introduction of ZIF-8 particles. The sensor using the nanofiber membrane as the gas sensing layer shows good response and linear correlation to different concentrations of acetone gas. The minimum detection limit of the sensor for acetone is 51.9 ppm. The blank control shows that the response of the sensor to acetone is mainly due to the introduction of ZIF-8 particles. In addition, the sensor also shows a good cyclic response to acetone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible electrodes using nanowires (NWs) suffer from challenges of long-term stability and high junction resistance which limit their fields of applications. Welding via thermal annealing is a common strategy to enhance the conductivity of percolated NW networks, however, it affects the structural and mechanical integrity of the NWs. In this study we show that the decoration of NWs with an ultrathin metal oxide is a potential alternative procedure which not only enhances the thermal and chemical stability but, moreover, provides a totally different mechanism to reduce the junction resistance upon heat treatment. Here, we analyze the effect of SnO x decoration on the conductance of silver NWs and NW junctions by using a four-probe measurement setup inside a scanning electron microscope. Dedicated transmission electron microscopy analysis in plan-view and cross-section geometry are carried out to characterize the nanowires and the microstructure of the junctions. Upon heat treatment the junction resistance of both plain silver NWs and SnO x -decorated NWs is reduced by around 80%. While plain silver NWs show characteristic junction welding during annealing, the SnO x -decoration reduces junction resistance by a solder-like process which does not affect the mechanical integrity of the NW junction and is therefore expected to be superior for applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, wave-pattern with particles on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surface was induced by laser with the assistant of pre-strain. By analyzing the laser treated surface with an energy dispersive spectrometer, Raman spectra, scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscope, it is found that no chemical modification occurs, but the young's modulus of the treated surface shifts dramatically to 43.4 MPa. This Young's modulus change, together with the existence of pre-train, causes buckling phenomenon that forms the wave-pattern with particles when the pre-strain is unloaded. As the laser fluence varies from 7.9 mJ cm−2 to 14.3 mJ cm−2, the wave-pattern with particles only appeared with the pre-strain at 30% and 45%. The laser fluence contributes positively to the length and the amplitude of the wave-pattern, while increased elongation on PDMS results in shorter wavelengths but higher amplitudes. HELA cells were seeded on the treated surface to verify the effect of the wave-pattern with particles on cell alignment. The experimental results show that the wave-pattern with particles improves the cell attachment. It was found that 96.2% of cells align at 0°–15° when the gap between two neighboring treated zones is shorter than the cell length. However, the cell alignment changes its direction to 75°–90° when the treated zone is narrowed and the gap is enlarged. This paper provides a simple method for forming a wave-pattern with particles and utilizes the pattern to regulate cell behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of Nd doping on the microstructures and magnetic properties of Sm1– x Nd x (Co0.695Fe0.2Cu0.08Zr0.025)7.2 (x = 0, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 1.0) permanent magnets are studied. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis of the solid solution states of the magnets shows that with the increase of Nd content, the distribution of elements becomes inhomogeneous and miscellaneous phase will be generated. Positive temperature coefficient of coercivity (β) appears in each of the samples with x = 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7. The corresponding positive β temperatures are in ranges of about 70 K–170 K, 60 K–260 K, 182 K–490 K for the samples with x = 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7, respectively. Thermomagnetic analysis shows that spin-reorientation-transition (SRT) of the cell boundary phase is responsible for this phenomenon. On the basis of this discovery, the Sm0.7Nd0.3 (Co0.695Fe0.2Cu0.08Zr0.025)7.2 magnet possessing thermal stability with β ≈ –0.002 %/K at the temperature in a range of 150 K–200 K is obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atomic layer deposited (ALD) Al2O3 coatings were applied on black silicon (b-Si) structures. The coated nanostructures were investigated regarding their reflective and transmissive behaviour. For a systematic study of the influence of the Al2O3 coating, ALD coatings with a varying layer thickness were deposited on three b-Si structures with different morphologies. With a scanning electron microscope the morphological evolution of the coating process on the structures was examined. The optical characteristics of the different structures were investigated by spectral transmission and reflection measurements. The usability of the structures for highly efficient absorbers and antireflection (AR) functionalities in the different spectral regions is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atomic layer deposited (ALD) Al2O3 coatings were applied on black silicon (b-Si) structures. The coated nanostructures were investigated regarding their reflective and transmissive behaviour. For a systematic study of the influence of the Al2O3 coating, ALD coatings with a varying layer thickness were deposited on three b-Si structures with different morphologies. With a scanning electron microscope the morphological evolution of the coating process on the structures was examined. The optical characteristics of the different structures were investigated by spectral transmission and reflection measurements. The usability of the structures for highly efficient absorbers and antireflection (AR) functionalities in the different spectral regions is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The morphologies of dislocation etch pits and dislocation deflections of on-axis 4H-SiC substrate etched by molten KOH were observed with the help of a microscope. Based on experimental observation and etch mechanism, a method for the identification of threading edge dislocations, threading screw dislocations (TSDs) and threading mixed dislocations was proposed. The details about the inner micro-structure of threading edge dislocations and TSDs were observed by laser scanning confocal microscope and scanning electron microscopy. The morphologies and the cross-sectional views of the basal plane dislocation formed by threading edge dislocation were observed and two models were formed to explain it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anodic electrodeposition process of iridium oxide on Ti, Pt, Au, and glassy carbon was investigated from cyclic voltammetry (CV), linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), chronoamperometry (CA), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The electrocrystallization process of iridium oxide electrodeposition based on different substrates behaved consistent with the diffusioncontrolled three-dimensional nucleation process, and a nucleation mode capable of expressing the process was established. Depending on the nucleation model parameters, the iridium oxide electrodeposition on Ti with the highest nucleation rate and active nucleation sites showed excellent nucleation performance, while the kOER value of the electrodeposition on Au is the largest, indicating that Au-base electrodeposited iridium oxide can support more favorable kinetics for OER. Furthermore, the morphology and chemical composition of the electrodeposited IrOx electrodes based on different substrates were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron microscopy (XPS), and then measured through a series of electrochemical characterization experiments. Although the SEM image of IrOx layer electrodeposited on Ti is relatively uniform and have higher IrO2 content compared to other substrates, its electrocatalytic activity is poor, while the IrOx-Au electrode exhibits the best OER performance with a current density of 10 mA cm−2 and an overpotential of 0.2 V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fe-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are promising drug delivery materials due to their large surface area, high stability, and biocompatibility. However, their drug loading capacity is constrained by their small pore size, and a further improvement in their drug capacity is needed. In this work, we report an effective and green structural modification strategy to improve drug loading capacity for Fe-based MOFs. Our strategy is to grow MIL-100 (Fe) on carboxylate-terminated polystyrene (PS-COOH) via a sustainable route, which creates a large inner cavity as well as exposure to more functional groups that benefit drug loading capacity. We employ the scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope to confirm the hollow structure of MIL-100 (Fe). Up to 30% of drug loading capacity has been demonstrated in our study. We also conduct cell viability tests to investigate its therapeutic effects on breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231). Confocal laser scanning microscopy imaging confirms cellular uptake and mitochondrial targeting function of doxorubicin-loaded H-M (DOX@H-M) nanoparticles. JC-1 staining of cancer cells reveals a significant change in the mitochondrial membrane potential, indicating the mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis of tumor cells. Our study paves the way for the facile synthesis of hollow structural MOFs and demonstrates the potential of applying Fe-based MOFs in breast cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chip-scale red, green and blue (RGB) light emission on an InGaN/GaN multi-quantum well wafer adopting a top-down fabrication approach is demonstrated in this study, facilitated by shadow-masked nanosphere lithography for precise site-controlled nano-patterning. Exploiting the strain relaxation mechanism by fabricating arrays of nanosphere-defined nanopillars of two different dimensions utilizing a sequential shadow-masked nanosphere coating approach into the blue and green light-emitting pixel regions on a red-light emitting InGaN/GaN wafer, RGB light emission from a monolithic chip is demonstrated. The micro-sized RGB light-emitting pixels emit at 645 nmâ€"680 nm, 510 nmâ€"521 nm and 475 nmâ€"498 nm respectively, achieving a maximum color gamut of 60% NTSC and 72% sRGB. Dimensional fluctuations of the nanopillars of 73% and 71% for the green and blue light-emitting pixels, respectively, are estimated from scanning electron microscope images of the fabricated device, corresponding to fluctuations in spectral blue-shifts of 5.4 nm and 21.2 nm as estimated by strain-coupled k · p Schrödinger calculations, consistent with observations from micro-photoluminescence (ÎĽ -PL) mapping which shows deviations of emission wavelengths for the RGB light-emitting pixels to be 8.9 nm, 14.9 nm and 23.7 nm, respectively. The RGB pixels are also configured in a matrix-addressable configuration to form an RGB microdisplay, demonstrating the feasibility of the approach towards chip-scale color displays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we developed a flexible and transparent silver/polystyrene/polydimethylsiloxane (Ag/PS/PDMS) substrate with both high density of hot spots and satisfactory uniformity using a cost-effective approach. Via template-guided self-assembly, PS beads were arranged regularly in nanobowls of a square array on PDMS, whose surface structure was transferred from a commercial complementary metal oxide semiconductor chip. Roughness was introduced onto the PS bead surface by nitrogen plasma treatment, followed by sputtering of Ag which generated many hot spots. Differential roughness on the PS bead surface greatly influenced the morphology of the Ag/PS/PDMS substrate. A meat-ball like surface structure was formed with a plasma etching time of 5 min, whose growth mechanism was proposed based on the scanning electron microscope analysis. The high sensitivity and desirable uniformity of the meat-ball like Ag/PS/PDMS substrate were demonstrated by using crystal violet as a Raman reporter, exhibiting an enhancement factor of 2.7Â Ă—Â 107 and a relative standard deviation of 5.04%. Thiram of a lower concentration than the maximum residue limit on the cucumber surface could easily be detected in situ by the proposed substrate, demonstrating its great potential for in-situ food safety analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to understand the effect of well-known water-washing process on Ni-rich LiNi0.885Co0.100Al0.015O2 (NCA) cathode material, which reduces the amount of residual lithium compounds in NCA to improve lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) characteristics. X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) analysis revealed that the oxidation state of the surface nickel in washed NCA particles was reduced. The fact was consistent with the increase in charge transfer resistance (Rct) measured by the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) method. From X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) analyses, it was found that the residual lithium compounds were washed away not only from the surface of NCA particles but also from grain boundaries or voids in between primary particles of NCA, by water-washing process. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements suggested that an increase in specific surface area of NCA particles by water-washing was attributed a rapid heat release from the charged cathode material during heating to. On the other hand, cross-sectional scanning electron microscope (SEM) images showed that the crack formation inside washed NCA particles were suppressed after charge/discharge cycling. As a result, the capacity retention of washed NCA electrode at 60 °C cycling was improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The line width (often synonymously used for critical dimension, CD) is a crucial parameter in integrated circuits. To accurately control CD values in manufacturing, a reasonable CD reference material is required to calibrate the corresponding instruments. We develop a new reference material with nominal CDs of 160 nm, 80 nm, and 40 nm. The line features are investigated based on the metrological scanning electron microscope which is developed by the National Institute of Metrology (NIM) in China. Also, we propose a new characterization method for the precise measurement of CD values. After filtering and leveling the intensity profiles, the line features are characterized by the combination model of the Gaussian and Lorentz functions. The left and right edges of CD are automatically extracted with the profile decomposition and k -means algorithm. Then the width of the two edges at the half intensity position is regarded as the standard CD value. Finally, the measurement results are evaluated in terms of the sample, instrument, algorithm, and repeatability. The experiments indicate efficiency of the proposed method which can be easily applied in practice to accurately characterize CDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrodeposition of aluminum from the ionic liquids (ILs) obtained from complexation of aluminum chloride with a neutral ligand, 4-ethylpyridine (AlCl3/4-EP), was assessed using voltammetry, chronoamperometry, and constant potential electrolysis. It is found that reduction current of the AlCl3/4-EP with a molar ratio of 1.3/1 is higher than that with a molar ratio of 1.1/1, suggesting that the reduction of [AlCl2(4-EP)]+ is thermodynamically easier than [AlCl2(4-EP)2]+. While the Al(III)/Al redox is chemically reversible, the reaction is not diffusion limited but kinetically limited resulted from the slow bond-breaking of the bulky 4-EP ligands in the [AlCl2(4-EP)]+ complex cations as well as the adsorption of un-complexed 4-EP molecules on the electrode surface. The kinetic limitation was also observed in the chronoamperometric study of nucleation process. Electrodeposition of Al was conducted on copper foils at 310 K and characterized with scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The SEM images reveal that the morphologies of the aluminum deposits are dependent on the composition of the IL and the deposition potential whereas the XRD analysis confirms that all the deposits have same crystal texture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have constructed a new nanomanipulator (NM) in a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) to fabricate carbon nanotube (CNT) tip to precisely adjust the length and attachment angle of CNT onto the mother atomic force microscope (AFM) tip. The new NM is composed of 2 modules, each of which has the degree of freedom of three-dimensional rectilinear motion x, y and z and one-dimensional rotational motion θ. The NM is mounted on the stage of a FE-SEM. With the system of 14 axes in total which includes 5 axes of FE-SEM and 9 axes of nano-actuators, it was possible to see CNT tip from both rear and side view about the mother tip. With the help of new NM, the attachment angle error could be reduced down to 0° as seen from both the side and the rear view, as well as, the length of the CNT could be adjusted with the precision using electron beam induced etching. For the proper attachment of CNT on the mother tip surface, the side of the mother tip was milled with focused ion beam. In addition, electron beam induced deposition was used to strengthen the adhesion between CNT and the mother tip. In order to check the structural integrity of fabricated CNT, transmission electron microscope image was taken which showed the fine cutting of CNT and the clean surface as well. Finally, the performance of the fabricated CNT tip was demonstrated by imaging 1-D grating and DNA samples with atomic force microscope in tapping mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental protocol is developed to measure the shear strength of NMC811 single crystals within the cathode of a lithium-ion cell. The cathode is placed upon a set of thick metallic substrates that possess a wide range of indentation hardness. For each choice of substrate, the top surface of the cathode is indented by a Vickers indenter to a sufficient depth that the cathode layer is subjected to an approximately spatially uniform compressive normal traction equal to the hardness of the substrate. The sensitivity of plastic flow and fracture of the single crystals to substrate hardness is determined by observation of the particles in the indented top surface of the cathode using a scanning electron microscope. It is found that the shear strength of fully lithiated NMC811 single crystals along their basal plane is 86 ± 12 MPa, and decreases to 39 ± 5 MPa upon cell charging (delithiation of the cathode). This implies that particle slip and fracture will occur under mild mechanical loading, for example by calendering during manufacture and by electrical cycling of the compacted cathode. The indentation protocol developed here has application to a wide range of single crystal cathode materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hematite (α-Fe2O3) films were prepared by cathodic polarization in an aqueous solution containing iron (Ⅱ) sulfate hydrate, potassium hydroxide, dimethylamine-borane (DMAB), and L-ascorbic acid and their structural and magnetic characteristics were investigated with X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope observation, optical absorption measurement, and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), in addition to electrochemical characterizations for the electrodeposition before and after heating in ambient atmosphere and vacuum. The hematite films prepared at −1.0 and −1.1 V possessed characteristic hexagonal lattice and bandgap energy around 2.2 eV, and some amount of Fe2+ was contained in the hematite film, with increased Fe2+ content at −1.0 V. The films prepared at −0.8 and −0.9 V showed characteristic hematite bandgap energies with a decreased absorption but did not show any structural characteristics from the XRD and Raman spectra. The hematite films prepared at −1.0 V, and −1.1 V showed ferromagnetic features with 11 A·m² ·kg−1 and 2.3 A·m² ·kg−1 in saturation mass magnetization and 29.5, and 25 mT in coercivity, respectively. The hematite film was thermally transformed to magnetite (Fe3O4) possessing characteristic cubic lattice by heating at 673 K in vacuum, and the saturation mass magnetization increased to 89.2 A·m² ·kg−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the characteristics of ion-sensitive field-effect transistors (ISFETs) with silicon wire array channels and sensing membrane stacks of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES)/SiO2 were investigated. Si wires were fabricated by nanoimprint lithography and Si anisotropic/isotropic reactive-ion etching processes. The Si wires, with a line width of ~200 nm, were undercut and nearly suspended, which formed an O-shape cross-section. The aspects of wires were investigated using an optical microscope, an atomic force microscope, a scanning electron microscope, and a transmission electron microscope. The sensitivity, hysteresis, and drift of ISFETs were investigated. The above sensing properties were all significantly improved with the proposed channels and the sensing membrane stacks. As such, high-performance ISFETs can be realized for future biochemical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of new electromagnetic interference materials has attracted much attention in the information warfare. Herein, a novel KPA@ Fe 3 O 4 composite particle was synthesized via a microcrystalline co-precipitation method. X-ray diffractions, scanning electron microscopes and vibrating sample magnetometer measurements were used to characterize the products. The results indicated that the surface of the potassium picrate (KPA) crystals was covered by magnetic Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles, and composite particles exhibited excellent magnetic properties. Furthermore, the thermal behavior of the composite particles was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, which showed that the composite particles inherited the energetic property of pure KPA crystals when the mass fraction of magnetic component was 50%, or 65%. As for the composite particles with 75% magnetic component, the thermal stability of was poor. In addition, the magnetic directional aggregation performance of composite particles was analyzed by dynamic simulation, which moved toward the magnetic source. For the composite particles with 50% magnetic component, the maximum concentration was about 63 times of the initial concentration, and the peak velocity was 0.63 m sâˆ'1. With the mass fraction of magnetic component increasing to 65%, the concentration and velocity of the composite particles generally increased at the corresponding moment. As the mass fraction of magnetic component increased to 75%, the change of them was not obvious. Therefore, the composite particles with Fe 3 O 4 /KPA mass ratios of 65/35 had the best comprehensive properties. The excellent energetic and magnetic directional aggregation properties can allow the composites to be used in many potential applications in the information warfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, a cross-linked high-temperature proton exchange membrane based on poly [2, 2'-(p-oxydiphenylene)-5, 50-benzimidazole] (OPBI), imidazole (Im) and hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene (HCCP) was prepared and characterized, aiming at their future application in fuel cell devices. The composite membranes were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results show that the PBI are successfully cross-linked by the cross-linking agent, and the membranes are uniform and compact, with excellent thermal stability. Phosphoric acid (PA) doped crosslinked membranes have excellent mechanical properties and proton conductivities. The tensile strength of PA-doped PBI-ImCCP-20% at room temperature is 20 MPa, and the proton conductivity reaches 53 mS cm-1 at 160 °C without humidification. H2/O2 fuel cell assembled with PA-doped PBI-ImCCP-20% membrane delivered a peak power density of 749 mW cm-2 at 160 °C under anhydrous conditions. The excellent performance of PBI-ImCCP series cross-linked membranes makes them potential candidate for HT-PEMFC applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The controlled fabrication of vertical, tapered, and high-aspect ratio GaN nanowires via a two-step top-down process consisting of an inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etch followed by a hot, 85% H3PO4 crystallographic wet etch is explored. The vertical nanowires are oriented in the [ 0001 ] direction and are bound by sidewalls comprising of { 33 6 ÂŻ 2 } semipolar planes which are at a 12° angle from the [0001] axis. High temperature H3PO4 etching between 60 °C and 95 °C result in smooth semipolar faceting with no visible micro-faceting, whereas a 50 °C etch reveals a micro-faceted etch evolution. High-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy imaging confirms nanowire tip dimensions down to 8â€"12 nanometers. The activation energy associated with the etch process is 0.90 ± 0.09 eV, which is consistent with a reaction-rate limited dissolution process. The exposure of the { 33 6 ÂŻ 2 } type planes is consistent with etching barrier index calculations. The field emission properties of the nanowires were investigated via a nanoprobe in a scanning electron microscope as well as by a vacuum field emission electron microscope. The measurements show a gap size dependent turn-on voltage, with a maximum current of 33 nA and turn-on field of 1.92 V nmâˆ'1 for a 50 nm gap, and uniform emission across the array. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanotweezers based on the shape memory effect have been developed and tested. In combination with a commercial nanomanipulator, they allow 3D nanoscale operation controlled in a scanning electron microscope. Here we apply the tweezers for the fabrication of nanostructures based on whiskers of NbS3, a quasi one-dimensional compound with room-temperature charge density wave (CDW). The nanowhiskers were separated without damage from the growth batch, an entangled array, and safely transferred to a substrate with a preliminary deposited Au film. The contacts were fabricated with Pt sputtering on top of the whisker and the film. The high degree of synchronization of the sliding CDW under a RF field with a frequency up to 600 MHz confirms the high quality of the contacts and of the sample structure after the manipulations. The proposed technique paves the way to novel type micro- and nanostructures fabrication and their various applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the wide applications of three-dimensional graphene (3DG) foam in bio-sensors, stretchable electronics, and conductive polymer composites, predicting its mechanical behavior is of paramount importance. In this paper, a novel multiscale finite element model is proposed to predict the compressive modulus of 3DG foams with various densities. It considers the effects of pore size and structure and the thickness of graphene walls on 3DG foams' overall behavior. According to the scanning electron microscope images, a unit cell is selected in the microscale step to represent the incidental arrangement of graphene sheets in 3DG foams. After derivation of equivalent elastic constants of the unit cell by six individual load cases, the whole unit cell is considered an equivalent element. The macroscale model is prepared by defining a representative volume element (RVE), containing a sufficient number of the equivalent elements. Assigning a stochastic local coordinate system for each equivalent element in the macro RVE provides a model that could be utilized for elastic modulus estimation of 3DG foams in macroscale. To investigate the correspondence between the theoretical results and experimental data, 3DG foams were synthesized with four densities, and their compressive behavior were evaluated. The mass densities of the prepared foams were 5.36, 8.50, 9.37, and 11.5 mg cm−3, and the corresponding measured elastic modulus for each were 6.4, 10.7, 16.9, and 29.1 kPa, respectively. The predicted modulus by the proposed model for the synthesized foams were 6.1, 13.1, 15.6 and 21.7 kPa, respectively. The results show that the maximum divergence between estimated values and experimental data is less than 25%, confirming the high capability of the model in the estimation of 3DG foams' properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignocellulosic residues are an important biomass source in Mexico, which can be considered as starting materials for obtaining carbon materials. In this work, carbon materials were produced by pyrolysis of agave fiber (AF). The results obtained revealed that the hydrothermal process was successfully used for the synthesis of carbon fibers and subsequently potentiate the production of graphite sheets and graphene oxide (GO), after determining and optimizing the reaction conditions. The formation of graphite and GO was indicated by XRD, Raman spectroscopy and TGA thermal analysis, the latter evaluated the carbon oxidation range. Scanning electron microscope showed the samples morphology and microstructure of the AF Tequilana Weber and the synthesized products (Graphite-600 °C, GO-800 °C and GO-1000 °C), being all of them carbon allotropes, they presented size and variable thickness, with potential surface characteristics useful in various industrial applications. The hydrothermal and thermal processes were considered an economic and environmental way of obtaining materials under inert conditions, especially to produce GO, which is a material that has many useful properties and a plethora of new applications, like a more affordable support for catalysts, absorbent, semiconductor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We are the first to report Bi–Co co-doped zinc oxide nanowires (ZnO NWs) to investigate theoretically and experimentally the alignment of relative spin and the location of Bi3+ and Co2+ as the primary cause of magnetism. In the present study, we carefully performed theoretical and experimental studies of ZnO NWs prepared by the hydrothermal method and obtained exciting outcomes. The x-ray diffraction findings show that the NWs have a wurtzite crystal structure and high intensity at the (002) peak, indicating that most of the reflection comes from the hexagonal surface of the NWs. This means that the extended NWs are mainly aligned along the c-axis. The field-emission scanning electron microscope results show that, due to its anisotropic crystal existence, the grown NWs have a preferred path along the c-axis in the (001) direction. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies established the presence of both Bi and Co in all the Bi–Co co-doped samples. They also showed that OH− groups exist on the surface of ZnO NWs, and increasing Co content tends to increase the O-deficient region in the ZnO matrix. UV–vis analysis showed a decreased optical band gap upon doping, which is probably due to the sp-d exchange interaction between localized d-electron bands of dopants. Optical studies also suggested that the doping induced an increase in electron concentration. The Raman results indicate that the ZnO NWs contain crystallization with few defects after Bi–Co-doping. From the magnetic studies, it was observed that the ferromagnetism probably originates from the defect-rich regions, i.e. NW surface and Bi and Co sit at ZnO's substitutional site. In contrast, the core of the NWs remains under the other magnetic state. Our density functional theory studies are in line with the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corrosion rates of ideal Mg alloys used for sealing tools in petroleum industry should be able to be altered to adapt to different downhole environments, and corresponding mechanisms of modified corrosion rates need to be clarified. In this study, annealing treatments were carried out at 400 or 450 °C for 2 h to tune the microstructures and corrosion rates of Mg-2Gd-xCu (x = 0, 0.5 and 1 wt.%). Microstructures were characterized by scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffractometer and electron backscatter diffraction while corrosion behaviors were investigated by immersion and electrochemical tests. The results showed that after annealing, the growth in the average second phase size and the average grain size, the weakened basal texture and the eliminated residual stress contributed to reduced corrosion rates. As a result, corrosion rates of Mg-2Gd-0.5Cu and Mg-2Gd-1Cu decreased obviously but were still higher than 30 mm·y-1 after annealing, the recommended minimum corrosion rates. It proved that a gradient of corrosion rates of Mg-Gd-Cu can be achieved through annealing treatment, which were beneficial to further application of Mg-Gd-Cu in the field of oil and gas exploitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The damage effect characteristics of GaAs pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistor (pHEMT) under the irradiation of C band high-power microwave (HPM) is investigated in this paper. Based on the theoretical analysis, the thermoelectric coupling model is established, and the key damage parameters of the device under typical pulse conditions are predicted, including the damage location, damage power, etc. By the injection effect test and device microanatomy analysis through using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), it is concluded that the gate metal in the first stage of the device is the vulnerable to HPM damage, especially the side below the gate near the source. The damage power in the injection test is about 40 dBm and in good agreement with the simulation result. This work has a certain reference value for microwave damage assessment of pHEMT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low-temperature magnetic order behaviors of perovskite oxide CaCu3Ti4O12 (CCTO) ceramics prepared by different methods are discussed. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and direct current (DC) magnetization are used to characterize the structures, microscopic morphologies, valence states, and magnetic properties of the samples. The results show that the magnetic behaviors of CCTO ceramics are very sensitive to the preparation process. The quenched CCTO ceramic and CCTO powders grown in a molten salt crystal, which contain much more oxygen vacancies and Ti3+, show the coexistence of weak ferromagnetic order and antiferromagnetic order below the Neel temperature. It suggests that the bound magnetopolaron formed by oxygen vacancies and Ti3+ ion composite defects are responsible for the weak ferromagnetic order at low temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We reported an ultrabroadband mid-infrared (MIR) emission in the range of 1800 nm–3100 nm at room temperature (RT) from a Cr2+:ZnSe-doped chalcogenide glasses (ChGs) and studied the emission-dependent properties on the doping methods. A series of Cr2+:ZnSe/As40S57Se3 (in unit wt.%) glass-ceramics were prepared by hot uniaxial pressing (HUP) and melt-quenching methods, respectively. The glass-ceramics with MIR emission bands greater than 1000 nm were successfully prepared by both methods. The effects of matrix glass composition and grain doping concentration on the optical properties of the samples were studied. The occurrence state, morphology of the grains, and the microscopic elemental distributions were characterized using x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, pure and zinc (Zn) doped tin oxide (SnO2) thin films were grown by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction method on the soda lime glass slides at 293 K. The prepared samples were examined to observe the impact of Zn doping on structural, morphological, electrical, and optical properties of SnO2 crystal lattice. The x-ray diffractometer (XRD), ultraviolet–visible spectrometer, energy dispersive x-ray analysis (EDAX), scanning electron microscope (SEM), Raman, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and photoluminescence (PL) spectra measurements were conducted. And, two probe detection method was applied to find the shift in resistance values corresponding to varying temperatures. The XRD results depicted that the prepared thin films have the tetragonal rutile structure. The surface morphologies were observed to be affected by the changing concentrations of Zn doping. The EDAX evaluation exposed the existence of Zn ions in the prepared samples in addition to Sn and O. Resistivity vs temperature (r–t) measurements exhibited that all the samples possess the common 'r–t' characteristics of semiconductors. The XPS results uncovered the fact that the binding energy of SnO2 nanostructures was decreased by 0.9 eV due to the existence of Zn ions. It was also found out that the band gaps, calculated by using the absorption measurements, can be tuned from 2.02 eV to 2.50 eV by the different rates of Zn dopants in the SnO2 nanostructures. The Raman spectras of pure SnO2 and Zn doped SnO2 (Zn:SnO2) samples gave three peaks that were in the range of 490 cm−1, 580 cm−1 and 620 cm−1 for each peak separately. The PL spectra displayed that the emission intensity decreased with the introduction of impurities into the SnO2 lattice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low-temperature magnetic order behaviors of perovskite oxide CaCu3Ti4O12 (CCTO) ceramics prepared by different methods are discussed. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and direct current (DC) magnetization are used to characterize the structures, microscopic morphologies, valence states, and magnetic properties of the samples. The results show that the magnetic behaviors of CCTO ceramics are very sensitive to the preparation process. The quenched CCTO ceramic and CCTO powders grown in a molten salt crystal, which contain much more oxygen vacancies and Ti3+, show the coexistence of weak ferromagnetic order and antiferromagnetic order below the Neel temperature. It suggests that the bound magnetopolaron formed by oxygen vacancies and Ti3+ ion composite defects are responsible for the weak ferromagnetic order at low temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AlGaN/GaN heterojunction-based high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) have significant advantages of high carrier concentration, high electron mobility, and large breakdown voltage, and show promising potential as power devices. Being widely used in semiconductor manufacturing, dry etching process is capable of fabricating microstructures and thinning substrate from backside, which is good for developing flexible devices. Here, we investigate the effect of backside dry etching of Si substrate on the physical and electrical properties of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs. The physical properties were characterized by scanning electron microscope, Raman spectra, and x-ray diffraction (XRD). After the dry etching process, the peak red-shift of GaN E2 mode indicates an increase of tensile stress, and the XRD rocking curve of GaN film shows to a certain extent decreased dislocation density. Furthermore, the maximum saturation current density and maximum transconductance of the HEMTs are improved by 21.1% and 25.5%, respectively. The approach of backside dry etching for thinning Si substrate would contribute to the optimization of GaN heterojunction-based devices, and also provide inspirations for the development of flexible and robust power devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solution-processed organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) are regarded as the promising candidates for low-cost gas sensors due to their advantages of high throughput, large-area and sensitive to various gas analytes. Microstructure control of organic active layers in OTFTs is an effective route to improve the sensing performance. In this work, we report a simple method to modify the morphology of 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)pentacene (TIPS-pentacene) thin films via doping gold nanorods (Au NRs) for enhancing the performance of the corresponding OTFT sensors for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) detection. With the optimized doping ratio of Au nanorods, the TIPS-pentacene OTFT snesors not only exhibit a 3-fold increase in mobility, but also obtain a high sensitivity of 70% to 18 ppm NO2 with a detection limit of 270 ppb. The microstructures and morphologies of the modified TIPS-pentacene thin film characterized by atomic force microscopy and field scanning electron microscope. The experimental results indicate that the proper addition of Au NRs could effectively regulate the grain size of TIPS-pentacene, and therein control the density of grain boundaries during the crystallization, which is essential for the high-performance gas sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The micro-sized hole is highly required in biomedical, electronics, optical, aerospace components that are not feasible by the traditional machining process. This study highlights the precise micromachining on the polymer nanocomposites modified by graphene nanoplatelet (GNP) and carbon fiber. The electric discharge machining (EDM) of polymeric composites is too complicated due to its lower conductivity and abrasive nature. The little concentration of GNP in the epoxy matrix expands the machinability aspect of the polymers. The reinforcing conductive particle is used for the micro EDM (μEDM) of the laminate nanocomposites with a rotating tool electrode. The Taguchi concept-based orthogonal array was used to execute the machining test. The material removal rate (MRR) during the μEDM of the developed laminate nanocomposites was estimated using the sine cosine algorithm. The tests were conducted at three levels of process constraints: voltages, length of the pulses, and weight % of the GNP. The higher value of MRR is obtained at the optimal condition of voltage at three level, length of pulse two level, and weight % of GNP three level. The quality of the machined hole and the surface damages during the machining test were investigated by a field electron scanning electron microscope. The microscopy findings reveal that GNP addition significantly influences the nanocomposite micromachining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molten salt electrochemistry is cited as one of the most efficient ways to convert stable but unwanted CO2 into value-added chemical fuels and functional materials, in particular carbon nanotubes (CNTs). In this work, we report the high yield and scalable CO2-deriving CNTs by adding ZnO to molten carbonate electrolyte. The physicochemical properties such as crystal structure, morphology and element composition of the carbon products were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and Raman spectrometer (Raman). It is demonstrated that an appropriate amount of ZnO additives can greatly increase the content of CNTs in carbon products. However, the micromorphology and microstructure of the carbon products are found to be significantly changed when the ZnO content is insufficient or excessive. Compared with molten salt electrolyte without ZnO, ZnO-included electrolyte endows CNTs with a higher degree of graphitization and crystallinity. This work demonstrates the feasibility of improving CNTs content in carbon products and lowering required energy for CNTs production by adding ZnO as a promoter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The specific interaction between sugar and lectin plays a key role in various human diseases and projects remarkable significance to the development of a lectin biosensor for diagnosis and drug discovery. An inorganic nano MoS2 field-effect transistor (FET)-based D-Mannose biosensor was developed in this paper using a simple assembly process. First, gold nanoparticles were functionalized on the surface of MoS2. Then, the β-mercaptoethylamine was self-assembled on the gold surface via Au–S bonds to derivatize amino groups. Finally, the probe molecules D-Mannose for biological protein were immobilized on the FET via the Schiff base reaction. Results from scanning electron microscope and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis confirmed the entire assembly procedure and the feasible interaction of the FET sensor with Concanavalin A (ConA). The fabricated FET biosensors can reliably detect the target ConA with a detection limit below 105 nm. The current study shows the potential of MoS2 FET biosensors for ConA specific detection and clarifies the design of biosensors for the early diagnosis of glycomics and drug screening in medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary challenge for the widespread application of two-dimensional (2D) electronics is to achieve satisfactory electrical contacts because, during the traditional metal integration process, difficulties arise due to inevitable physical damage and selective doping. Two-dimensional metal–semiconductor junctions have attracted attention for the potential application to achieve reliable electrical contacts in future atomically thin electronics. Here we demonstrate the van der Waals epitaxial growth of 2D NiTe2-MoS2 metal–semiconductor vertical junctions where the upper NiTe2 selectively nucleates at the edge of the underlying MoS2. Optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) studies confirmed that NiTe2-MoS2 metal–semiconductor vertical junctions had been successfully synthesized. The electrical properties of the NiTe2-contacted MoS2 field-effect transistors (FETs) showed higher field-effect mobilities (μFE) than those with deposited Cr/Au contacts. This study demonstrates an effective pathway to improved MoS2 transistor performance with metal–semiconductor junctions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on high resolution analysis of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) to detect and assess defects in sub-surface layers. We employ a focussed ion beam scanning electron microscope (FIB-SEM) to sputter and image successive cross sections (slice and view technique) in order to produce a 3D reconstruction of the oxide aperture region. High resolution images and measurements of the multilayers and oxide apertures of VCSEL devices were obtained. The process took ∼2.5 h and produced over 270 slice SEM images for a device volume of approximately 13.2 × 16.0 × 13.8 μm3, with a voxel size of 50 nm. On-wafer, single mode VCSEL devices with high and low output powers were analysed to compare their oxide apertures and distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) layer structures. It was found that the low output power VCSEL had DBR layer defects and a 41.8% reduction of effective oxide aperture area, explaining the lower power obtained. The results provide evidence that oxide aperture area and structural defects are major factors that affect the optical output power of VCSEL devices. Outcomes in this work show FIB-SEM slice and view is a valuable method for 3D reconstruction of VCSEL devices, which enables top view, cross-sectional view and angled view of the whole device region as well as designated structures such as oxide aperture or structural defects in various layers. This work demonstrates a promising technique with high resolution (50 nm) 3D imaging for analysis of complex semiconductor devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ITO nanocrystal-embedded WO3 electrodes (ITO@WO3) have been successfully fabricated with a facile solution process, and the structure and electrochromic properties were studied by transmission electron microscope, scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction and electrochemical methods. The results show that moderate embedding of ITO nanocrystals (NCs) effectively improves the electrochromic performance that the optical modulation and coloration efficiency are increased from about 20.86% and 30.18 cm2 C-1 to about 29.37% and 33.49 cm2 C-1, respectively. Further analysis of the cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry indicate that the diffusion-controlled reactions associating with the electrochromic of the electrodes are enhanced with the increasing ITO NCs at the low content, while the excessive ITO NCs inhibit them. On the other hand, the capacitive contribution to the total insertion/extraction charges keep steady with various ITO NCs contents in the considering range of the present work, suggesting that ITO NCs affect little on the capacitive nature of the WO3 matrix. These results provide a better understanding of the electrochemical kinetics of the nanocrystal embedded electrodes and are helpful to design more efficient electrochromic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The development of dental caries is associated with various microorganisms and secondary caries formation is the main cause of restorations failure. The advice for restorative dental materials that have antimicrobial properties has stimulated the introduction of materials containing different antibacterial agents. Objectives. The present study has been designed to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and incorporate AgNPs and amoxicillin into glass ionomer cement (GIC) to synergize its effect on oral microbes. The effect of the added antimicrobial agents on compressive strength (CS) of GIC was also evaluated. Material and methods. Biosynthesis of AgNPs was done using Cupressus macrocarpa extract and AgNPs were characterized. A total of 120 disc-shaped specimens were prepared and classified into 4 main groups where Group A includes conventional GIC, Groups B and C include GIC with AgNPs or amoxicillin, respectively, while Group D included GIC with both AgNPs and amoxicillin. Each group was tested for the antimicrobial activity against both Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). The distribution of biofilm was examined via a scanning electron microscope. The CS of the tested material was measured using a Material Test System. Results. The UV−visible spectrum showed a peak of 429 nm. Transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction pattern and Fourier transform infrared analysis confirmed the formation of AgNPs with spherical to oblong polydispersed particles of diameter in the range of 13.5–25.8 nm. The maximum inhibitory zone was recorded for group D against both tested bacteria with a mean of 29 mm at first 24 h period to 15 mm at three weeks and showed antimicrobial rate 92.2% and 92.56%, against both strains, respectively. Additionally, group D disintegrated the structure of S. aureus biofilm and even kill bacteria in the biofilms. The addition of AgNPs and amoxicillin caused an insignificant effect on CS of GIC. Conclusion. TheAgNPs showed a synergistic effect in combination with amoxicillin and GIC dental restorative material against studied microorganisms. The agents can be safely added with minimal effect on the mechanical properties of the original cement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of heterostructures is a new approach in gas sensing due to their easy and quick transport of charges. Herein, facile hydrothermal and solid-state techniques are employed to synthesize an α-Fe2O3/Nb2O5 heterostructure. The morphology, microstructure, crystallinity and surface composition of the synthesized heterostructures are investigated by scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analyses. The successful fabrication of the heterostructures was achieved via the mutual incorporation of α-Fe2O3 nanorods with Nb2O5 interconnected nanoparticles (INPs). A sensor based on the α-Fe2O3(0.09)/Nb2O5 heterostructure with a high surface area exhibited enhanced gas-sensing features, maintaining high selectivity and sensitivity, and a considerable recovery percentage towards ethanol gas. The sensing response of the α-Fe2O3(0.09)/Nb2O5 heterostructure at lower operating temperature (160 °C) is around nine times higher than a pure Nb2O5 (INP) sensor at 180 °C with the flow of 100 ppm ethanol gas. The sensors also show excellent selectivity, good long-term stability and a rapid response/recovery time (8s/2s, respectively) to ethanol. The superior electronic conductivity and upgraded sensitivity performance of gas sensors based on the α-Fe2O3(0.09)/Nb2O5 heterostructure are attributed due to its unique structural features, high specific surface area and the synergic effect of the n–n heterojunction. The promising results demonstrate the potential application of the α-Fe2O3(0.09)/Nb2O5 heterostructure as a good sensing material for the fabrication of ethanol sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, semiconductor devices are manufactured in a technology node of several nanometers. Electron microscopy is mainly used in semiconductor inspection in manufacturing stages since accelerated electrons have wavelengths of nanometers or less, and a high spatial resolution can be expected. Among various electron microscopes since the scanning electron microscope (SEM) can observe the sample as it is without processing the sample, the SEM-based inspection instrument is mainly used at each stage of manufacturing the semiconductor device. The paper presents a review of SEM-based electron microscopy in semiconductor inspection. First, an overview of electron microscopy is described to understand the electron-sample interaction, the characteristics of electrons emitted from an irradiated specimen, charging, noise, and so on. Next, application areas such as mask inspection are introduced. Finally, future challenges are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diesel soot (DS) collected directly from the exhaust tailpipe of the diesel-powered vehicle was explored for its performance as an electrochemical supercapacitor electrode material. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy evidenced the existence of graphite carbon form in DS along with low amount of defects in the form of disordered graphite, amorphous carbon, ionic, and polyene impurities. The carbon (C, ~94 at.%) and oxygen (O, ~5 at.%) elements were identified using the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy technique on the DS surface. The morphology of DS powder consisted of nanoparticles with nearly spherical-shaped morphology as observed under the scanning electron microscope. Further, the transmission electron microscope showed the chain type interconnectivity of DS nanoparticles. The average surface area, average pore radius, and total pore volume of DS were measured to be 88 m² g-1, 1.62 nm, and 0.17 cc g-1, respectively. Cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge studies were performed to explore the electrochemical behavior of DS slurry-coated electrode. The supercapacitor behavior of DS was studied using various aqueous and organic electrolytes. Higher values of specific capacitance (Csp) were achieved for DS in the case of aqueous electrolytes in comparison to organic electrolytes. The observed highest specific capacitance (Csp) value was 36.77 F g-1 for DS at the current density value of 0.25 A g-1 using 0.5 M H2SO4 electrolyte. DS retains nearly 78.10% of its initial capacitance even after the execution of 5000 cycles, clearly indicating the excellent durability and stability of the material. Thus, DS could be a promising supercapacitor electrode material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The qualitative evaluation of the dispersion of prefluorosulfonic ionomer (PFSI) with different ionomer/carbon mixing ratios (I/C) using electron microscopy was carried out without the use of a stain treatment. Both low acceleration voltage transmission electron microscopy (LAV-TEM) and ultralow acceleration voltage scanning electron microscopy with a retarding method (ULV-SEM) use a characteristically low acceleration voltage, which allows the selective examination of the sensitive ionomer morphology. The high-performance charge-coupled device enables one to obtain high contrast ionomer images without the use of lead or cesium staining, which could otherwise result in morphological changes during these pre-treatments. The electrochemically active surface area of the polymer electrolyte fuel cell using Pt/GCB increased with increasing PFSI content and saturated at an ionomer/carbon weight ratio (I/C) of 1.2, where full coverage of the ionomer was detected by LAV-TEM. The ULV-SEM images showed the obvious occlusion of the primary and secondary pores of the Pt/GCB catalyst layers above I/C = 1.2. The nitrogen gas adsorption measurement, carried out by use of quenched solid-density-functional theory analysis, also supported the occlusion of the primary and secondary pores of the Pt/GCB catalyst layers above I/C = 1.2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focused electron beam induced deposition of pure materials from aqueous solutions has been of interest in recent years. However, controlling the liquid film in partial vacuum is challenging. Here we modify the substrate to increase control over the liquid layer in order to conduct a parametric study of copper deposition in an environmental scanning electron microscope. We identified the transition from electron to mass-transport limited deposition as well as two additional regimes characterized by aggregated and high-aspect ratio deposits. We observe a high deposition efficiency of 1–10 copper atoms per primary electron that is consistent with a radiation chemical model of the deposition process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]