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A unique functionality was reported for a thin-film soft magnetic strip with a certain angle of inclined magnetic anisotropy. It can switch magnetic domain by applying a surface normal field with a certain distribution on the element. The domain switches between a single domain and a multi-domain. Our previous study shows that this phenomenon appears even in the case of the adjacent configuration of multiple narrow strips. It was also reported that the magnetic permeability for the alternating current (AC) magnetic field changes drastically in the frequency range from 10 kHz to 10 MHz as a function of the strength of the distributed magnetic field. In this paper, the correspondence of AC permeability and the magnetic domain as a function of the intensity of the distributed field is investigated. It was confirmed that the extension of the area of the Landau–Lifshitz-like multi-domain on the clustered narrow strips was observed as a function of the intensity of the distributed magnetic field, and this domain extension was matched with the permeability variation. The result leads to the application of this phenomenon to a tunable inductor, electromagnetic shielding, or a sensor for detecting and memorizing the existence of a distributed magnetic field generated by a magnetic nanoparticle in the vicinity of the sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new medium entropy alloy with nominal composition of Gd33Co33Al34 was designed and fabricated into microfibers by a melt-extraction method. The microstructure, thermophysical parameters, and magnetocaloric properties of the obtained fibers were systematically analyzed. The results showed that the as-cast fibers show an amorphous matrix with embedded in situ nano crystals. The fibers show a good magnetocaloric effect with the maximum magnetic entropy change of ~6 J/kg·K for a field change of 5 T. Notably, the fibers show excellent cooling efficiencies with an RCP and RC of ~611.72 and ~487.38 J/kg, respectively. Though the as-cast fibers possess an amorphous/nanocrystal bi-phase structure, they still exhibit a second-order transition near a Curie temperature of ~96 K. Our findings provide a promising pathway towards developing new magnetocaloric materials with good magnetocaloric performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is dealing with the dissolution mechanism of crystalline sulindac into amorphous Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) upon heating and annealing at high temperatures. Special attention is paid on the diffusion mechanism of drug molecules in the polymer which leads to a homogeneous amorphous solid dispersion of the two components. The results show that isothermal dissolution proceeds through the growth of polymer zones saturated by the drug, and not by a progressive increase in the uniform drug concentration in the whole polymer matrix. The investigations also show the exceptional ability of temperature Modulated Differential Scanning Calorimetry (MDSC) to identify the equilibrium and out of equilibrium stages of dissolution corresponding to the trajectory of the mixture into its state diagram. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to design an energy-efficient motor, it is necessary to clarify the magnetic property of Fe-based amorphous alloys under stress. However, it is difficult to measure the magnetic property of amorphous alloys under stress because a single amorphous ribbon buckles easily under compressive stress. In this paper, we describe our measurement device equipped with a stress loading mechanism of thin ribbon and laminated bulk and compare the measurement results. Our results confirm that when the stress less than −10 MPa is applied, the deviation of maximum magnetic field’s strength at 0.5, 1, and 1.3 T increases almost linearly by compressive stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the widespread use of magneto-sensitive elements, magnetic shields are an important part of electronic equipment, ultra-sensitive atomic sensors, and in basic physics experiments. Particularly in Spin-exchange relaxation-free (SERF) co-magnetometers, the magnetic shield is an important component for maintaining the SERF state. However, the inherent noise of magnetic shield materials is an important factor limiting the measurement sensitivity and accuracy of SERF co-magnetometers. In this paper, both amorphous and nanocrystalline materials were designed and applied as the innermost magnetic shield of an SERF co-magnetometer. Magnetic noise characteristics of different amorphous and nanocrystalline materials used as the internal magnetic shielding layer of the magnetic shielding system were analyzed. In addition, the effects on magnetic noise due to adding aluminum to amorphous and nanocrystalline materials were studied. The experimental results show that compared with an amorphous material, a nanocrystalline material as the inner magnetic shield layer can effectively reduce the magnetic noise and improve the sensitivity and precision of the rotation measurement. Nanocrystalline material is very promising for inner shield composition in SERF co-magnetometers. Furthermore, its ultra-thin structure and low cost have significant application value in the miniaturization of SERF co-magnetometers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cr 3 AlB 4 is one of the attractive compounds for high-temperature constrictive ceramics due to its combination of properties typical for ceramics or metals. In this study, the formation mechanism of Cr 3 AlB 4 , presented in the literature, was confirmed by means of the following analyses: XRD, DSC and SEM. According to them the synthesis of Cr 3 AlB 4 occurs is multi-step process with CrB 2 being formed first, followed by Cr 3 B 4 , which is intercalated by aluminium to form Cr 3 AlB 4. Furthermore, most scientific papers do not consider the possibility of synthesising MAB phase from the powders containing amorphous phase. In presented work, possibility of synthesis of Cr 3 AlB 4 from the powders containing the amorphous phase and influence of this kind of raw powders on synthesis process is shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differential scanning calorimetry belongs to a group of rather unique study methods, which makes it possible to investigate in situ the regularities of structural and phase transitions in metallic alloys within a broad range of temperatures (from –100 to 1600°C) at a sufficiently high precision of registering the heat effects of phase transitions. Our paper reviews the results of DSC studies for the alloys based on metals with polymorphism, the thermoelastic martensitic transitions, the decomposition and formation of solid solutions, and the crystallization of amorphous metallic metal-metal alloys. This review puts particular emphasis on considering phase transitions in hydrogen-containing alloys, both crystalline and amorphous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bark of Terminilia Arjuna is known for its numerous health benefits in traditional system of medicine. Nanotechnology based delivery system have added advantages of action at targeted location and improved cellular uptake. In the present paper, polymeric nanoparticles of methanolic extract of Terminilia Arjuna (Arjun ki chhal) were synthesized by using solvent evaporation method. The synthesized polymeric nanoparticles were further characterized using SEM, TEM, XRD, FTIR followed by evaluation of antimicrobial activity. The SEM images showed spherical shaped nanoparticles. Further TEM images revealed that particles of size as small as 50-75 nm are formed. PLGA encapsulated nanoparticles shows entrapment efficiency as high as 96.8% and percentage yield comes out to be 45.3. Antimicrobial study using cupplate method was carried out using two strains of gram (+) bacteria S. aureus and B. pumilus and two strains of gram (?) bacteria E. Coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa which shows MIC at 2000 ppm for gram (+) bacteria (both S. aureus and B. pumilus) and 5000 ppm (E. coli) and 6000 ppm (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) for gram (?) bacteria. From the results obtained it is proposed that polymeric nanoparticles were successfully formed which will enhance the efficacy of active components in the bark of Terminilia Arjuna and also demonstrates promising use in various pharmaceutical formulations as they show considerable results in the inhibition of bacterial growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the impacts of post-rapid thermal anneal (RTA) and thickness of ZrO2 on the polarization P and electrical characteristics of TaN/ZrO2/Ge capacitors and FeFETs, respectively. After the RTA ranging from 350 to 500 °C, TaN/ZrO2/Ge capacitors with 2.5 and 4 nm-thick amorphous ZrO2 film exhibit the stable P. It is proposed that the ferroelectric behavior originates from the migration of the voltage-driven dipoles formed by the oxygen vacancies and negative charges. FeFETs with 2.5 nm, 4 nm, and 9 nm ZrO2 demonstrate the decent memory window (MW) with 100 ns program/erase pulses. A 4-nm-thick ZrO2 FeFET has significantly improved fatigue and retention characteristics compared to devices with 2.5 nm and 9 nm ZrO2. The retention performance of the ZrO2 FeFET can be improved with the increase of the RTA temperature. An MW of ~ 0.46 V is extrapolated to be maintained over 10 years for the device with 4 nm ZrO2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inorganic polymer binders (IPBs) are synthesized by the activation of aluminosilicate precursors with an alkaline solution such as sodium hydroxide. This paper studies the relationship between the composition, structure, and solubility of sodium aluminosilicate hydrates (N–A–S–(H)), the primary binding phase in IPBs. It was found that changing the aqueous Si/Al ratio had little effect on N–A–S–(H) Si/Al ratio, but small changes in the aqueous Si/Na ratio led to substantial changes in N–A–S–(H) Si/Al ratio. Early N–A–S–(H) products were found to be X‐ray amorphous, but a rapid transition to the crystalline phase faujasite occurred after several weeks of aging. The transition of the solid amorphous phase to faujasite was accompanied by a rapid drop in aqueous Si(IV) and Al(III) concentrations. Solubility products were determined, temporally, for the N–A–S–(H) before and after the transition to faujasite and represent new contributions to the literature, particularly for the amorphous state. The results presented here provide fundamental insights that are needed for the development of kinetic and thermodynamic models that can establish phase balances and evolutions of IPBs across a range of precursor compositions and synthesis conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aceclofenac (ACF), a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, was obtained in its amorphous state by cooling from melt. The glass transition was investigated using dielectric and calorimetric techniques, namely, dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS), thermally stimulated depolarization currents (TSDC), and conventional and temperature-modulated differential scanning calorimetry (DSC and TM-DSC). The dynamic behavior in both the glassy and supercooled liquid states revealed multiple relaxation processes. Well below the glass transition, DRS was able to resolve two secondary relaxations, γ and β, the latter of which was also detectable by TSDC. The kinetic parameters indicated that both processes are associated with localized motions within the molecule. The main (α) relaxation was clearly observed by DRS and TSDC, and results from both techniques confirmed a non-Arrhenian temperature dependence of the relaxation times. However, the glass transition temperature (Tg) extrapolated from DRS data significantly differed from that obtained via TSDC, which in turn showed reasonable agreement with the calorimetric Tg (Tg-DSC = 9.2 °C). The values of the fragility index calculated by the three experimental techniques converged in attributing the character of a moderately fragile glass former to ACF. Above the α relaxation, TSDC showed a well-defined peak. In DRS, after "removing" the high-conductivity contribution using ε' derivative analysis, a peak with shape parameters αHN = βHN = 1 was also detected. The origin of these peaks, found in the full supercooled liquid state, has been discussed in the context of structural and dynamic heterogeneity. This is supported by significant differences observed between the FTIR spectra of the amorphous and crystalline samples, which are likely related to aggregation differences resulting from variations in the hydrogen bonds between the two phases. Additionally, the pronounced decoupling between translational and relaxational motions, as deduced from the low value of the fractional exponent x = 0.72, derived from the fractional Debye–Stokes–Einstein (FDSE) relationship, further supports this interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The catalyst is the pivotal component in CO2 electroreduction systems for converting CO2 into valuable products. Carbon-based single-atom materials (CSAMs) have emerged as promising catalyst candidates due to their low cost and high atomic utilization efficiency. The rational design of the morphology and microstructure of such materials is desirable but poses a challenge. Here, we employed different Mg(OH)2 templates to guide the fabrication of two kinds of amorphous nitrogen-doped carbon nanosheet-supported Fe single atoms (FeSNC) with rough and flat surface structures. In comparison to flat FeSNC with saturated FeN4 sites, the rough FeSNC (R-FeSNC) exhibited unsaturated FeN4−x sites and contracted Fe-N bond length. The featured structure endowed R-FeSNC with superior capacity of catalyzing CO2 reduction reaction, achieving an exceptional CO selectivity with Faradaic efficiency of 93% at a potential of −0.66 V vs. RHE. This study offers valuable insights into the design of CSAMs and provides a perspective for gaining a deeper understanding of their activity origins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper reports on steady state and transient photoconductivity measurements in amorphous thin films of SeTe. The paper also reports the effect of crystallization on the photoconductive behaviour. The photosensitivity (I /I) reduces by a factor of 5 and the decay of photocurrent becomes much slower in the films annealed above the crystallization temperature (state B) as compared to the films annealed below the crystallization temperature (state A). A detailed analysis of the photoconductive decay in the state B shows that the recombination within localized states may be the predominant recombination mechanism in this state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ceramic particle-reinforced Fe-based amorphous coatings have received extensive attention due to their excellent strength and wear resistance. In this paper, TiN x /TiO y -enhanced Fe-based amorphous coatings were prepared by reactive plasma spraying technology, and the effect of eggshell-like TiN x /TiO y on the comprehensive mechanical properties of Fe-based amorphous coatings was systematically studied. The results showed that the hardness of the composite coating was significantly higher than that of the amorphous single-phase coating. Moreover, indentation experiments showed that TiN x /TiO y effectively confined crack growth in the amorphous phase. Though the bonding strength of the composite coating was lower than that of the pure amorphous coating, but still maintained a high bonding force of 20.68 MPa. Through the wear experiment, it was found that the wear scar of the composite coatings appeared plastic deformation, the friction coefficient and wear mass loss were both greatly reduced, and the optimal wear performance appeared in the composite coating with 15% Ti addition. In addition, SEM, EDS analysis, and the first-principles simulation results demonstrated the good bonding between Ti-containing compounds and Fe-based alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The dielectric constant (\kappa) , leakage current density (J_{L}) , and equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) of 12-nm-thick {\rm Y}_{2}{\rm O}_{3}{-}{\rm TiO}_{2} and N2 -doped Y2O3{-}TiO2 (YON–TiON) libraries were successfully mapped using a combinatorial sputtering system. N2 was determined to enhance these properties dramatically. In addition, the YON–TiON library exhibited excellent stability after four months of exposure to air. A highly promising composition range (60 at%–68 at% of Ti O2 ), which exhibited amorphousness, \kappa>30 , J_{L}<10^{-5}~{\rm A}/{\rm cm}^{2} , and an {\rm EOT}\leq 1~{\rm nm}$ , on the YON–TiON library for highly advanced gate-stacks was efficiently screened. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid solidification process (RSP) has been widely used to fabricate Fe-based nanocrystalline alloys. To obtain amorphous structure after RSP, the number of Fe elements in the nanocrystalline alloys is limited by the amount of amorphous forming elements. Recently, strong demand for high energy efficiency electronic devices has pushed researchers to make Fe-based alloys with high magnetic flux density. However, this high Fe concentration for high magnetic flux density deteriorates the thermal stability of the amorphous structure. This means that an annealing process after RSP is critical to obtain excellent alloy magnetic properties. In this paper, to enhance the soft magnetic properties of amorphous Fe–B–Cu–C ribbons, changes in the microstructure during annealing have been investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anticorrosion deposits were prepared on Al alloy substrate surface by a hydrolysis process. In this paper, a hydrolysis reaction technique was applied to prepare TiO2 deposit on Al alloy surface by formation of Al2O3 particles at home temperature. The prepared deposits were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The amorphous TiO2 was characterized by potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) methods and the anticorrosion performance in 0.1 M NaCl solution was evaluated by electrochemical measurements. The value of the Ecorr can positive shift from − 685 to − 539 mV in 0.1 M NaCl. The results indicated that the TiO2 layer provided good barrier on Al alloy surface with Al2O3 particles, and the amorphous TiO2 deposit decreased Al alloy corrosion rate by self-sacrifice. This amorphous deposit can be applied as a protection layer at the Al alloy surface by simple hydrolysis reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Amorphization, phase transformation, and dilation cracking are 3 major deformation/failure mechanisms of monocrystalline 6H‐SiC. This paper studies their critical formation conditions and mechanisms under hydrostatic pressure and uniaxial compression and tension with the aid of large‐scale molecular dynamics simulations. It was found that under hydrostatic pressure the major deformation mechanism is amorphization, that under uniaxial compression the major mechanism turns to phase transformation at low temperature and amorphization at high temperature, and that under uniaxial tension the dominating mechanism becomes dilation cracking. Increasing the temperature reduces the thresholds significantly and brings about a heterogeneous deformation mode. The study further concluded that these deformation mechanisms and their thresholds can be predicted theoretically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of natural fibres in fibre-reinforced composites comes with drawbacks. They are highly hydrophilic, leading to high moisture absorption and poor interfacial adhesion in matrix-reinforcement bonds. This affects the fibres' thermal stability as well as mechanical properties, hence limiting their wider application. This paper reviewed different ways in which natural fibres have been treated to improve hydrophobicity, reinforcement-matrix interfacial adhesion and thermal stability. It will investigate. among others, treatments like alkali, acetylation, bleaching, silane, benzoylation and plasma, which have been found to improve fibre hydrophobicity. The literature reviewed showed that these methods work to improve mechanical, chemical, and morphological properties of natural fibres by removing the amorphous surface, thus allowing for more efficient load transfer on the fibrematrix surface. Studies in the literature found alkali treatment to be the most common surface modification treatment due to its simplicity and effectiveness. However, plasma treatment has emerged due to its lower processing time and chemical consumption. A comparative analysis of other improved properties was also investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indomethacin (INDO) is a synthetic non-steroidal antipyretic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory drug that commonly exists in both amorphous and crystalline states. Its amorphous state (A-INDO) is utilized by pharmaceutical companies as an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) in the production of INDO drugs due to its higher apparent solubility and bioavailability. The crystal state also encompasses various crystal forms such as the α-crystal form (α-INDO) and γ-crystal form (γ-INDO), with the highly crystalline and insoluble γ-INDO being commercially available. A-INDO, existing in a thermodynamically high-energy state, is susceptible to several factors during the preparation, storage, and transportation of API leading to its conversion into γ-INDO, thus impacting the bioavailability and efficacy of INDO drugs. Therefore, quantitative analysis of the A-INDO/γ-INDO content in INDO API becomes essential for controlling the production quality of INDO. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the feasibility of NIR for the quantitative analysis of A-INDO in INDO API, and to further elucidate its quantitative analysis mechanism. The NIR spectral data were collected for A-INDO and γ-INDO binary mixture samples with different resolutions, and these spectra were then selected and reconstructed using the interval partial least square (iPLS) method. Different pretreatment methods were employed to enhance the reconstructed spectra by highlighting relevant eigen information while eliminating invalid information caused by environmental factors or physical characteristics of samples. The most suitable PLSR model for quantitative analysis of A-INDO within the range of 0.0000–100.0000% w/w% was established, screened, and validated. From various perspectives, including distribution of spectral effective information, impact of resolution on PLSR model performance, variance contribution/cumulative variance contribution of PLSR model principal components (PCs), PCI loadings, relationship between spectral scores, and A-INDO content, feasibility assessment was conducted for the quantitative analysis of A-INDO in INDO using NIR spectroscopy. Additionally, a detailed investigation on the quantitative analysis mechanism of the optimal PLSR model was undertaken including the correlation between the characteristic peaks of spectra and information regarding hydrogen groups or hydrogen bonds in A-INDO or γ-INDO molecules. This study aims to provide theoretical support for the quantitative analysis of A-INDO in INDO API as well as serve as a reliable reference method for API quantification and quality control in similar drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Until now, crystalline NiCo2S4 and its composites have demonstrated improved performance in supercapacitor applications compared to their oxide analogues due to their relatively higher electrical conductivity and multifaceted redox reaction. However, amorphous phase materials have recently shown promise in electrochemical energy storage systems. This work reports on amorphous NiCo2S4 with the help of urea via the hydrothermal method. It was noted that urea not only aided the amorphous formation but also served as a nitrogen precursor. In comparison, amorphous NiCo2S4 demonstrated a higher nitrogen atom% of 5.9 compared to 4.49 for crystalline NiCo2S4. Furthermore, the amorphous NiCo2S4 electrode exhibited superior electrochemical performance, with a specific capacitance of ~3506 F g−1, which was higher than the cNCS electrode's specific capacitance of ~2185 F g−1 at 2 A g−1. Additionally, aNCS in a two-electrode asymmetric supercapacitor exhibited a specific capacitance and an energy density of ~196 F g−1 and 56 Wh kg−1, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amorphous Fe-P-B particles with submicron sizes were synthesized by chemical precipitation in aqueous solutions. The particles having a spherical shape exhibit good magnetic softness and high saturation magnetization. When they are precipitated in a magnetic field, they are connected to each other to form a chain shape. The high aspect ratio of the chains reduces appreciably the demagnetization field associated with isolated particles, resulting in significant improvement of high permeability performance. In this paper, investigations on the external and internal structures of the chains, uniaxial anisotropy caused by aligning the chains in an external magnetic field, frequency dispersion of permeability, and thermal change of the high permeability feature are presented. Finally, comparison of permeability for particles with various sizes is made with the present chain samples. In addition to the superior high permeability feature compared to other magnetically soft particles, the chains exhibit low loss characteristics at high frequencies up to a few GHz. It is also demonstrated that permeability is improved by annealing at 150\,\,^\circ\ C in vacuum. These results suggest that the particle chains have a high potential for high-frequency applications such as inductor cores and electromagnetic noise absorbers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel experimental setup dedicated to the study of liquid and amorphous materials, on the white beam station of the PSICHE' beamline at SOLEIL, is described. The Beer-Lambert absorption method has been developed using a broad-spectrum (white) incident beam for in situ density measurements at extreme conditions of pressure and temperature. This technique has been combined with other existing X-ray techniques (radiographic imaging, tomography and combined angle energy dispersive X-ray diffraction). Such a multi-technical approach offers new possibilities for the characterization of liquid and amorphous materials at high pressure and high temperature. The strength of this approach is illustrated by density measurements of liquid gallium at pressures up to 4 GPa, combining the three independent X-ray techniques (the Beer-Lambert absorption method, tomography and X-ray diffraction). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metallic biomaterials have been widely used in the field of medical implants for replacement purposes and/or for regeneration of tissue. Metals such as stainless steel (316 L), cobalt-chromium alloys and titanium alloys (Ti-6Al-4 V) are widely used as metallic implants today. However, they often exhibit unsatisfactory results such as stress shielding, the release of toxic ions and are often permanent and invasive – where a second surgery is required to remove the implant once the bone is fully healed. Magnesium as a biomaterial have attracted much attention recently due to its excellent biocompatibility, similar mechanical properties to bone and biodegradability. Unlike other metals and bio ceramics, the ability for magnesium alloys to undergo biodegradation eliminates the requirement for a second surgery to remove the implant. Additionally, the degradation of magnesium releases Mg2+ ions, which stimulates metabolism as they are a cofactor in numerous numbers of enzymes. Despite the advantages of magnesium alloys, the rapid degradation of magnesium proved to be challenging as the implant is unable to retain its structural integrity sufficiently enough to act as an implant. To improve the corrosion resistance of magnesium alloys, researchers have been working on the synthesis and characterization of Mg-based bulk metallic glasses, which can significantly improve the corrosion resistance of Mg-based alloys. This paper is a comprehensive review that compiles, analyzes and critically discusses the recent literature on the latest understanding of the processing, mechanical and biological characteristics of Mg-based bulk metallic glasses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetostrictive amorphous FeSiB and FeGaSiB thin films thickness 50 nm have been grown by the co-sputtering-evaporation technique with a range of Ar pressure (4– 8~\mu bar) to control the Ga percentage within the films and study their effect on the magnetic, structural, and magnetostriction properties. By X-ray diffraction, it was found that all the films had an amorphous structure and the only peaks were present for Si substrate. Using a magneto-optical Kerr effect magnetometer, it was found that, for the FeSiB films, the anisotropy field (H_{k} ) increased slowly as the pressure increased, while for the FeGaSiB films, the saturation field (H_{s}) \approx 4000 A/m for all pressures. For both the film sets, the coercive field (Hc) was less than 800 A/m. The magnetostriction constants (\lambda s) of the FeSiB thin films increased with increasing pressure. While for the FeGaSiB films, the magnetostriction constant decreased with increasing the sputtering gas pressure, with the maximum \lambda s = 11.4 ppm, at the lowest pressure $4~\mu $ bar. Thus, it was determined that the addition of Ga atoms reduced the intrinsic stress within the films, while maintaining the amorphous morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The University of Wisconsin-Madison June Land O'Lakes Conference on Research and Development is held every year and is recognized worldwide as a premier teaching conference for pharmaceutical scientists. The conference held in June 2016 was a tribute to the ground-breaking work of Emeritus Professor and Dean George Zografi of School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison. This paper provides a summary of the wide range of topics in the areas of amorphous drugs, amorphous solid dispersions, mesophases, mesoporous supports, cocrystals, and related themes that were covered at this conference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the application of honeycomb-patterned PLA as a reinforcement in concrete structures. The research focused on identifying the optimal 3D printing layout for this reinforcement and examining how the orientation of 3D-printed PLA affects the mechanical properties of the concrete. The study compares the performance of concrete reinforced with 3D-printed PLA to both unreinforced concrete and concrete reinforced with recycled amorphous aggregate from printing waste. The results demonstrate how printing orientation influences concrete strength and the potential for using recycled PLA to enhance sustainability in construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report on a new path of ZnWO 4 phase formation, synthesized by the polymerizable complex (PC) method. At 550 °C, we obtained a single phase of the ZnWO 4 complex oxide. To explain the phase transformation processes, we propose a mechanism based on the coexistence of more than one amorphous phase after the pre-pyrolysis process. These amorphous metastable phases indicate a different phase formation path, which has not yet been described in the literature for multi-component oxides processed by the PC method. The formation path proposed here shows the relevance of the metastable phases in the reaction processes of complex oxides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface and subsurface damage are still persistent technical challenges for the abrasive machining hot pressed-silicon carbide (HP-SiC) ceramics. Therefore, an investigation of the material behavior and critical depth of ductile to brittle transition (DBT) is essential for improving high precision and quality grinding HP-SiC ceramics. In this paper, single-grit grinding experiments with different scratch speed were conducted to study strain rate effect on the critical depth of DBT. The nanoindentations were performed to test the hardness and Young's modulus changes of DBT position under different scratch speeds. The material removal mechanism and phase changes underneath the scratch groove were investigated using Raman tests. Based on the specific energies consumed in ductile and brittle modes of machining, a theoretical model of the critical depth of DBT was developed. The experimental results suggest that high scratch speeds generate high nanohardness, high Young's modulus and high critical depth of DBT of HP-SiC ceramics. The measured critical depth of DBT shows a good agreement with the predicted value calculated by the developed model. The subsurface damage depth reduced with high strain rate. Furthermore, the Raman results revealed that dislocations and amorphous transformation dominated the ductile removal mechanism of HP-SiC grinding. The fracture chips and subsurface damage depth was determined by the lateral crack and median crack, respectively. This paper's results provide a fundamental understanding of the effect of grinding speed on the material removal mode of HP-SiC ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: Pt–Ni bonded Pt single-atom (SA) catalyst, rather than classic Pt–O bonded SA catalyst, was successfully constructed. The electronic states of Pt SA catalyst were deeply regulated and negatively charged Ptδ− was realized. Pt–Ni bonded Pt SA catalyst-enhanced absorbability for activated hydrogen atoms and promoted hydrogen absorption. Single-atom (SA) catalysts with nearly 100% atom utilization have been widely employed in electrolysis for decades, due to the outperforming catalytic activity and selectivity. However, most of the reported SA catalysts are fixed through the strong bonding between the dispersed single metallic atoms with nonmetallic atoms of the substrates, which greatly limits the controllable regulation of electrocatalytic activity of SA catalysts. In this work, Pt–Ni bonded Pt SA catalyst with adjustable electronic states was successfully constructed through a controllable electrochemical reduction on the coordination unsaturated amorphous Ni(OH)2 nanosheet arrays. Based on the X-ray absorption fine structure analysis and first-principles calculations, Pt SA was bonded with Ni sites of amorphous Ni(OH)2, rather than conventional O sites, resulting in negatively charged Ptδ−. In situ Raman spectroscopy revealed that the changed configuration and electronic states greatly enhanced absorbability for activated hydrogen atoms, which were the essential intermediate for alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction. The hydrogen spillover process was revealed from amorphous Ni(OH)2 that effectively cleave the H–O–H bond of H2O and produce H atom to the Pt SA sites, leading to a low overpotential of 48 mV in alkaline electrolyte at −1000 mA cm−2 mg−1Pt, evidently better than commercial Pt/C catalysts. This work provided new strategy for the controllable modulation of the local structure of SA catalysts and the systematic regulation of the electronic states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pure silicon oxide was produced in this study utilizing a sodium silicate solution made from Kankara clay as a precursor. The Kankara clay that was obtained from Nigeria was first beneficiated to produce pure dried powder clay. After that, the dried powdered clay was treated with heat activation and acid leaching, respectively. In a 500 mL Erlenmeyer flask, appropriate amounts of each clay (raw, thermally treated clay, and leached clay) were reacted with 3M NaOH solution. The flask was heated to 200°C and stirred continuously for 3 hours on a magnetic stirring hot plate connected to a reflux condenser. The solution was filtered to yield sodium silicate solution, which was then precipitated with 3M HCl while constantly stirring to produce a gelly-like white substance. The gel was aged for 18 hours, then washed with de-ionized water several times before being dried at 80°C for 12 hours to get pure white silica particles, which were subsequently described. The XRD analysis revealed that the silicon oxide synthesized is amorphous, but the microstructure evaluation revealed particles aggregation, which is usual in sol-gel synthesized powder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymer nanomaterials are an emanating area of research incited by the wide range of applications in solar cells, catalysis, sensors, drug delivery, electronics, bioimaging, etc., due to their outstanding mechanical, optical and electronic properties. Small dimensions in the nanometre range and a high surface-to-volume ratio of polymer nanomaterials possess distinctive features compared to bulk counterparts. In this work, doped polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanostructures were prepared by a one-step hydrothermal synthesis method and studied the morphological, structural and optical properties. The attained nanomaterials exhibit a spherical shape, and their average size was calculated as 3.98 nm by HR-TEM analysis. The obtained nanomaterials are dissolved in N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) solvent and can be employed for optoelectronic devices due to their amorphous structure and direct bandgap. Green luminescence was observed under UV light, and non-biocidal activity showed against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas fluorescens, E. coli DH5α, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC) is a wide-bandgap semiconductor with high robustness and biocompatibility, making it a promising material for applications in biomedical device passivation. a-SiC thin film deposition has been a subject of research for several decades with a variety of approaches investigated to achieve optimal properties for multiple applications, with an emphasis on properties relevant to biomedical devices in the past decade. This review summarizes the results of many optimization studies, identifying strategies that have been used to achieve desirable film properties and discussing the proposed physical interpretations. In addition, divergent results from studies are contrasted, with attempts to reconcile the results, while areas of uncertainty are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Nickel tungsten (Ni-W) alloy was electrodeposited on stainless steel (SS) substrate using potentiostatic mode at room temperature. Potentiostatic electrodeposition was carried out by varying the deposition time. The physicochemical properties of Ni-W alloys were studied using X-Ray diffraction (XRD), Electron Microscopy and micro-Raman spectroscopy. Recorded XRD spectra was compared with standard JCPDS card and the presence of Ni was confirmed, no such peaks for W were observed. Further study was extended for micro-Raman analysis. From Raman spectroscopy study the appearance of Ni-O and W6+=O bonds confirms that the Ni-W present in amorphous phase. Several cracks were observed in SEM images along with nanoparticles distributed over the electrode surface. The appearance of cracks may be correlated with the in-plane tensile stresses, lattice strains and stacking faults and maybe related to the substrate confinements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]