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We report on the correlated investigation between piezoelectric properties and crystalline structure of PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 (PZT) films under different oxygen pressures in the process of pulsed laser ...

The polarization hysteresis loops and the dynamics of domain switching in ferroelectric Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 (PZT), antiferroelectric PbZrO3 (PZ) and relaxor-ferroelectric Pb0.9La0.1(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 (PLZT) thin films deposited on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates were investigated under various bipolar electric fields during repetitive switching cycles. Fatigue behavior was observed in PZT thin films and was accelerated at higher bipolar electric fields. Degradation of energy storage performance observed in PZ thin films corresponds to the appearance of a ferroelectric state just under a high bipolar electric field, which could be related to the nonuniform strain buildup in some regions within bulk PZ. Meanwhile, PLZT thin films demonstrated fatigue-free in both polarization and energy storage performance and independent bipolar electric fields, which are probably related to the highly dynamic polar nanodomains. More importantly, PLZT thin films also exhibited excellent recoverable energy-storage density and energy efficiency, extracted from the polarization hysteresis loops, making them promising dielectric capacitors for energy-storage applications.

The microstructure, ferroelectric, electric-field breakdown strength, and energy-storage properties of relaxor Pb0.9La0.1(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 (PLZT) thin films grown on flexible Ti foils using pulsed laser deposition were systematically investigated. Low temperature deposited PLZT thin films showed very slim polarization hysteresis loops with a high difference between maximum and remanent polarizations and low remanent polarization through modulating the film structure with a small columnar-grain size. An ultrahigh recoverable energy density (Ureco) of 40.9 J/cm3, excellent energy efficiency (η) of 80.2% and large breakdown strength (EBD) of 3000 kV/cm were achieved in a PLZT film deposited at the low temperature of 480 °C. More importantly, this film shows excellent charge-discharge cycling endurance with a small variation of both Ureco and η values (less than 3%) after 1010 cycles and good thermal stability under a wide operating temperature range from room temperature to 200 °C. These results indicate that the relaxor PLZT films deposited on thin Ti foils, even at low temperature, are a promising strategy to enhance energy-storage performance for pulse-power energy-storage systems with broad temperature range applications, especially in applications where the device weight is critical (lightweight) due to the thin and low density of Ti foils.

Relaxor-ferroelectric Pb0.9La0.1(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 (PLZT) films with a thickness of 1.2 μm were deposited on LaNiO3-buffered Ca2Nb3O10-nanosheet/Si. It was revealed how structural modification of a PLZT film, fabricated using pulsed laser deposition under various ablation rates, can be used to tune its energy-storage performance and piezoelectric-strain. A highest unipolar piezoelectric-strain of 0.71% with extremely low strain-hysteresis of 1.9% and corresponding normalized-strain of 142 pm/V under an electric field of 500 kV/cm were observed in the film deposited at an ablation rate of 50 Hz, and such film consists of vertical columnar-structure. Whereas, the film deposited at a low ablation rate of 10 Hz with dense-structure had the higher recoverable energy-storage density (50.2 J/cm3) and energy-storage efficiency (82.2%) due to the larger electric-breakdown strength (3150 kV/cm). The strongly improved performance by choosing an appropriate film structure is important for practical applications in pulse-power energy-storage as well as for the development of piezo-driven microelectromechanical-systems.

Functional oxides on silicon have been the subject of in-depth research for more than 20 years. Much of this research has been focused on the quality of the integration of materials due to their intrinsic thermodynamic incompatibility, which has hindered the flourishing of the field of research. Nevertheless, growth of epitaxial transition metal oxides on silicon with a sharp interface has been achieved by elaborated kinetically controlled sequential deposition while the crystalline quality of different functional oxides has been considerably improved. In this Research Update, we focus on three applications in which epitaxial ferroelectric oxides on silicon are at the forefront, and in each of these applications, other aspects of the integration of materials play an important role. These are the fields of piezoelectric microelectromechanical system devices, electro-optical components, and catalysis. The overview is supported by a brief analysis of the synthesis processes that enable epitaxial growth of oxides on silicon. This Research Update concludes with a theoretical description of the interfaces and the possibility of manipulating their electronic structure to achieve the desired coupling between (ferroelectric) oxides and semiconductors, which opens up a remarkable perspective for many advanced applications. © 2021 Author(s).

Polarization fatigue, i.e., the loss of polarization of ferroelectric capacitors upon field cycling, has been widely discussed as an interface related effect. However, mechanism(s) behind the development of fatigue have not been fully identified. Here, we study the fatigue mechanisms in Pt/PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3/SrRuO3 (Pt/PZT/SRO) capacitors in which all layers are fabricated by pulsed laser deposition without breaking the vacuum. With scanning transmission electron microscopy, we observed that in the fatigued capacitor, the Pt/PZT interface becomes structurally degraded, forming a 5 nm–10 nm thick non-ferroelectric layer of crystalline ZrO2 and diffused Pt grains. We then found that the fatigued capacitors can regain the full initial polarization switching if the externally applied field is increased to at least 10 times the switching field of the pristine capacitor. These findings suggest that polarization fatigue is driven by a two-step mechanism. First, the transient depolarization field that repeatedly appears during the domain switching under field cycling causes decomposition of the metal/ferroelectric interface, resulting in a non-ferroelectric degraded layer. Second, this interfacial non-ferroelectric layer screens the external applied field causing an increase in the coercive field beyond the usually applied maximum field and consequently suppresses the polarization switching in the cycled capacitor. Our work clearly confirms the key role of the electrode/ferroelectric interface in the endurance of ferroelectric-based devices.

Additional co-authors: Fabiano R de MELO, P Fan, Cyril C Grueter, Diana C Guzman-Caro, Eckhard W Heymann, Ilka Herbinger, Minh D Hoang, Robert H Horwich, Tatyana Humle, Rachel A Ikemeh, Inaoyom S Imong, Leandro Jerusalinsky, Steig E Johnson, Peter M Kappeler, Maria Cecilia M Kierulff, Inza Kone, Rebecca Kormos, Khac Q LE, Baoguo Li, Andrew J Marshall, Erik Meijaard, Russel A Mittermeier, Yasuyuki Muroyama, Eleonora Neugebauer, Lisa Orth, Erwin Palacios, Sarah K Papworth, Andrew J Plumptre, Ben M Rawson, Johannes Refisch, Jonah Ratsimbazafy, Christian Roos, Joanna M Setchell, Rebecca K Smith, Tene Sop, Christoph Schwitzer, Kathy Slater, Shirley C Strum, William J Sutherland, Mauricio Talebi, Janette Wallis, Serge Wich, Roman M Wittig, Hjalmar S Kuhl

Threats to biodiversity are well documented. However, to effectively conserve species and their habitats, we need to know which conservation interventions do (or do not) work. Evidence-based conservation evaluates interventions within a scientific framework. The Conservation Evidence project has summarized thousands of studies testing conservation interventions and compiled these as synopses for various habitats and taxa. In the present article, we analyzed the interventions assessed in the primate synopsis and compared these with other taxa. We found that despite intensive efforts to study primates and the extensive threats they face, less than 1% of primate studies evaluated conservation effectiveness. The studies often lacked quantitative data, failed to undertake postimplementation monitoring of populations or individuals, or implemented several interventions at once. Furthermore, the studies were biased toward specific taxa, geographic regions, and interventions. We describe barriers for testing primate conservation interventions and propose actions to improve the conservation evidence base to protect this endangered and globally important taxon.

Panax vietnamensis (PV), a wild Panax species discovered in Vietnam in 1973, has been increasingly overexploited due to its economic value and therapeutic uses. This resulted in the development of PV cultivation to meet the market demand. There is little information on the accumulation of saponins in PV during cultivation, but this information could serve as an indication of the appropriate harvest time. In this study we developed an HPLC-UV/ELSD method to simultaneously determine the content of 10 characteristic saponins in PV from 2&ndash, 7 years old, including G-Rb1, G-Rd, G-Rg1, G-Re, N-R1, M-R1, M-R2, V-R2, V-R11, and p-RT4. The result indicated that from 2 to 5 years, the content of saponins in PV rhizome and radix increase 3.02 and 4.2 times, respectively, whereas from 5 to 7 years, no significant changes were observed. Hence, our study suggests that after 5 years of growth could be considered as an appropriate time for PV to be harvested. Among the analyzed saponins, G-Rg1, G-Rb1, G-Rd, and especially M-R2 were the major saponins that contributed to the change of PV&rsquo, s saponin content through the years. In addition, the developed and validated HPLC method was proven to be reliable and effective for quality control of PV.

Thin PbZrO3 (PZO) antiferroelectric films with (001)-preferred orientation were deposited on SrRuO3/Ca2Nb3O10-nanosheet/Si substrates using pulsed laser deposition. Variation of the deposition temperature was found to play a key role in the control of the microstructure and strongly influence the energy storage performance of the thin film. The critical phase switching field, where the aligned antiferroelectric (AFE) domains start to transform into the ferroelectric (FE) state, decreased with increasing temperature. On the other hand, the content of the FE phase in the AFE PZO thin films increased with increasing deposition temperature. A large recoverable energy-storage density of 16.8 J/cm3 and high energy-storage efficiency of 69.2% under an electric field of 1000 kV/cm were achieved in the films deposited at 525 °C. This performance was due to the high forward switching field and backward switching field values and the low difference between these two fields. Moreover, the PZO thin films showed great charge-discharge cycling life with fatigue-free performance up to 1010 cycles and good thermal stability from room temperature to 100 °C.

Millions of people in the United States regularly acquire information from weather forecasts for a wide variety of reasons. The rapid growth in mobile device technology has created a convenient means for people to retrieve this data, and in recent years, mobile weather applications (MWAs) have quickly gained popularity. Research on weather sources, however, has been unable to sufficiently capture the importance of this form of information gathering. As use of these apps continues to grow, it is important to gain insight on the usefulness of MWAs to consumers. To better examine MWA preferences and behaviors relating to acquired weather information, a survey of 308 undergraduate students from three different universities throughout the southeast United States was undertaken. Analyses of the survey showed that smartphone MWAs are the primary weather forecast source among college students. Additionally, MWA users tend to seek short-term forecast information, like the hourly forecast, from their apps. Results also provide insight into daily MWA use by college students as well as perceptions of and preferential choices for specific MWA features and designs. The information gathered from this study will allow other researchers to better evaluate and understand the changing landscape of weather information acquisition and how this relates to the uses, perceptions, and values people garner from forecasts. Organizations that provide weather forecasts have an ever-growing arsenal of resources to disseminate information, making research of this topic extremely valuable for future development of weather communication technology.

We report the energy-storage performance and electric breakdown field of antiferroelectric PbZrO3 (PZ) and relaxor ferroelectric Pb0.9La0.1(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 (PLZT) single films, as well as PLZT/PZ and PZ/PLZT heterolayered films grown on SrRuO3/Ca2Nb3O10–nanosheet/Si substrates using pulsed laser deposition. These films show the highly textured (001) orientation. The ‘square’ hysteresis loop with very sharp electric field–induced antiferroelectric–ferroelectric (AFE–FE) phase transition is observed for the PZ/Si film, meanwhile the heterolayerd PLZT/PZ/Si and PZ/PLZT/Si films show the ‘slanted’ hysteresis loops with gradual phase transition. Moreover, the electric field-induced AFE-FE phase transition in the hererolayered films is occurred at lower applied electric fields (~275 kV/cm) than that in the PZ/Si (~425 kV/cm), due to the presence of the PLZT layers in the heterolayered films. Owing to the dense structure in PLZT layer, the large electric breakdown strength of 2000 and 1825 kV/cm, and then the high recoverable energy-storage density of 28.8 and 23.8 J/cm3, respectively, are obtained for the PLZT/Si and PZ/PLZT/Si films.

Thin relaxor-ferroelectric Pb0.9La0.1(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 (PLZT) films were deposited on Si substrates using Ca2Nb3O10 (CNOns) and Ti0.87O2 (TiOns) nanosheets as the growth template layer and SrRuO3 (SRO) as the base electrode layer, using pulsed laser deposition. XRD and cross-sectional SEM results show that the structure of the PLZT layers changes from very dense with (001)-orientation to columnar with (110)-orientation for CNOns and TiOns, respectively. The recoverable energy-storage density (Ureco) is nearly proportional to the critical electric breakdown field (EBD), which increases with PLZT film thickness. A very high Ureco value of 58.4 J cm-3 and energy-storage efficiency (η) of 81.2% were obtained at an EBD of 3400 kV cm-1 for the 1000 nm thick PLZT film on CNOns/Si, significantly higher than for the film on TiOns/Si (Ureco = 44.0 J cm-3 and η = 59.6% for EBD = 2800 kV cm-1). This excellent energy storage performance in the PLZT/SRO/CNOns/Si is due to the dense film structure and nearly hysteresis-free relaxor behavior. These results are important for improving the performance of relaxor-ferroelectric thin films for high-power capacitor applications.

Dissipative particle dynamics computations were used to study the interaction between two carbon nanotubes (CNTs) stabilized with a polymer in an aqueous solution. The calculated interaction forces quantitatively described the steric effects of the adsorbed polymer on CNT agglomeration. It was found that the repulsive peak depended on the orientation of the CNTs relative to each other. A general equation describing the forces between polymer-stabilized CNTs was established, and its parameters were evaluated based on the results of the simulations. The procedure can be extended to other adsorbed molecules, like surfactants or biomolecules.

Carbon nanotube suspensions in water can be stabilized with the use of surfactants. However, when a suspension is exposed to harsh conditions, the surfactants might detach from the carbon nanotube (CNT) surface leading to CNT agglomeration and precipitation. In order to explore temperature effects on the suspension, the surfactant adsorption isotherms of an ionic surfactant (alkylpropoxy sulfate, alfoterra 123-8s) and a nonionic surfactant (secondary alcohol ethoxylate, tergitol 15-s-40) on a CNT are obtained at various temperatures using dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulations. The effects of shear stresses, such as those experienced by the CNT–surfactant suspension when it passes through pumps, are also explored by applying different levels of constant shear on the suspension. It is seen that there is good agreement between the DPD results and the Langmuir model for the adsorption of both alfoterra and tergitol on CNTs. The detachment of the surfactant from the nanotubes occurs with the detachme...

The ocotillol (OCT)-type saponins have been known as a tetracyclic triterpenoid, possessing five- or six-membered epoxy ring in the side chain. Interestingly, this type saponin was mostly found in Panax vietnamensis Ha et Grushv., Araliaceae (VG), hence making VG unique from the other Panax spp. Five OCT-type saponins, majonoside R2, vina-ginsenoside R2, majonoside R1, pseudoginsenoside RT4, vina-ginsenoside R11, together with three protopanaxadiol (PPD)-type saponins and four protopanaxatriol (PPT)-type saponins from VG were evaluated for their antimelanogenic activity. All of isolates were found to be active. More importantly, the five OCT-type saponins inhibited melanin production in B16-F10 mouse melanoma cells, without showing any cytotoxicity. Besides ginsenoside Rd and ginsenoside Rg3 in PPD and notoginsenoside R1 in PPT-type saponins, majonoside R2 was the most potent melanogenesis inhibitory activity in OCT-type saponins. In this article, we highlighted antimelanogenic activity of OCT-type saponins and potential structure-activity relationship (SAR) of ginsenosides. Our results suggested that OCT-type saponins could be used as a depigmentation agent.

Epitaxial (PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3)2/3-(PbTiO3)1/3 (PMN-PT) films with different out-of-plane orientations were prepared using a CeO2/yttria stabilized ZrO2 bilayer buffer and symmetric SrRuO3 electrodes on silicon substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The orientation of the SrRuO3 bottom electrode, either (110) or (001), was controlled by the deposition conditions and the subsequent PMN-PT layer followed the orientation of the bottom electrode. The ferroelectric, dielectric and piezoelectric properties of the (SrRuO3/PMN-PT/SrRuO3) ferroelectric capacitors exhibit orientation dependence. The properties of the films are explained in terms of a model based on polarization rotation. At low applied fields domain switching dominates the polarization change. The model indicates that polarization rotation is easier in the (110) film, which is ascribed to a smaller effect of the clamping on the shearing of the pseudo-cubic unit cell compared to the (001) case.

Normal-ferroelectric Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 (PZT) and relaxor-ferroelectric Pb0.9La0.1(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 (PLZT) thin-films are deposited on SrRuO3-covered SrTiO3/Si substrates. An ultrahigh recoverable energy-storage density (Ureco) of 68.2 J/cm3 and energy efficiency (η) of 80.4% are achieved in the PLZT thin-films under a large breakdown strength (EBD) of 3600 kV/cm. These values are much lower in the PZT thin-films (Ureco of 10.3 J/cm3 and η of 62.4% at EBD of 1000 kV/cm). In addition, the remanent polarization (Pr) and dielectric-constant are also investigated to evaluate the breakdown strength in thin-films. Polar nano-regions (PNRs) are created in the PLZT thin-films to enable relaxor behavior and lead to slim polarization loops along with very small Pr. The excellent operating temperature of energy-storage performance and also the breakdown strength obtained in the PLZT thin-films are mainly ascribed to the presence of PNRs. Moreover, both PZT and PLZT thin-films exhibit superior performance up to 1010 times of charge-discharge cycling.

BiVO4 is a promising light harvester for the construction of photoanode for solar-driven water splitting, but it suffers from low charge mobility and slow oxygen evolution reaction kinetics. Herein, we report on a novel strategy using AgOx (e.g. Ag2O and AgO) nanoparticles as hole collectors to boost the BiVO4 photoanode to its best photocatalytic performance. AgOx helps to boost the charge transfer efficiency at the BiVO4/electrolyte interface up to 93%, being much higher than 40% achieved for a bare BiVO4 photoanode. AgOx also contributes to improving the photostability of BiVO4 by offering an efficient quenching of the photogenerated holes, which are harmful to the BiVO4, e.g. causing an oxidative dissolution of V. In a pH 7 phosphate buffer electrolyte and under 1 sun illumination, the best BiVO4/AgOx photoanode generates a photocatalytic current density of 4.65 mA/cm2 at 1.23 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode. It represents a 2.3-fold improvement of activity in comparison to a bare BiVO4 without AgOx decoration. The current BiVO4/AgOx can be placed among the top-tier photoanodes for solar water splitting made of BiVO4 light harvester.

Relaxor ferroelectric Pb0.9La0.1(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 (PLZT) thin films have been epitaxially grown via pulsed laser deposition on SrRuO3/SrTiO3 single crystal with different orientations. The high recoverable energy-storage density and energy-storage efficiency in the epitaxial PLZT thin films are mainly caused by the coexistence of relaxor and antiferroelectric-like behaviors. The recoverable energy-storage density of 12.03, 12.51 and 12.74 J/cm3 and energy-storage efficiency of 86.50, 88.14 and 88.44%, respectively, for the PLZT(001), PLZT(011) and PLZT(111) thin films measured at 1000 kV/cm. The high energy density and high efficiency indicate that the relaxor epitaxial PLZT(111) thin film is a promising candidate for high pulsed power capacitors.

Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 (PZT) films with (001) orientation were deposited on Pt(111)/Ti/SiO2/Si(100) substrates using pulsed laser deposition. Variation of the laser pulse rate during the deposition of the PZT films was found to play a key role in the control of the microstructure and to change strongly the piezoelectric response of the thin film. The film deposited at low pulse rate has a denser columnar microstructure, which improves the transverse piezoelectric coefficient (d31f) and ferroelectric remanent polarization (Pr), whereas the less densely packed columnar grains in the film deposited at high pulse rates give rise to a significantly higher longitudinal piezoelectric coefficient (d33f) value. The effect of film thickness on the ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of the PZT films was also investigated. With increasing film thickness, the grain column diameter gradually increases, and also the average Pr and d33f values become larger. The largest piezoelectric coefficient of d33f = 408 pm V–1 was found for a 4-μm film thickness. From a series of films in the thickness range 0.5–5 μm, the z-position dependence of the piezoelectric coefficient could be deduced. A local maximum value of 600 pm V–1 was deduced in the 3.5–4.5 μm section of the thickest films. The dependence of the film properties on film thickness is attributed to the decreasing effect of the clamping constraint imposed by the substrate and the increasing spatial separation between the grains with increasing film thickness.

Dissipative Particle Dynamics (DPD) simulations were used to investigate the conformation of polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) grafted on carbon nanotubes (CNT) and the physical adsorption of the PVP under shear flow. The behavior of PVP on the surface of CNTs was illustrated after the physical adsorption of PVP on the CNT reached equilibrium in an aqueous medium. It was found that PVP molecules prefer to adsorb on the CNT surface and to occupy an “island” area. To examine the structure of CNT-PVP under shear flow, equilibrium CNT-PVP particles were released into Couette and Poiseuille flows. Depending on the shear rate, the polymer could be in one of three configurations: adsorbed, shear-affected and separated. Additionally, the conformation of the polymer was influenced. Average values of the end-to-end distance and the radius of gyration were found to increase when the shear force increases.

We report on the correlated investigation between crystal structures, field-induced phase transition, and energy storage properties of both polycrystalline and epitaxial antiferroelectric PbZrO3 (PZO) films grown by pulsed laser deposition on Si and SrTiO3 substrates. The structural characterization revealed the polycrystalline structure of the PZO films on Pt/Si and the epitaxial relationship between the films and the SrTiO3/Si and SrTiO3 substrates. Different to normal ferroelectric fi lms, the polycrystalline PZO films show similar polarization loops but with a higher maximum polarization, resulting in a larger energy storage density under the same conditions. Due to the larger electric breakdown strength (2800 kV/cm), however, the epitaxial PZO films grown on SrTiO3/Si have a higher recoverable energy storage density (24.9 J/cm3) than those on Pt/Si (23.4 J/cm3 at 2500 kV/cm) and on SrTiO3 (22.0 J/cm3 at 2550 kV/cm). Additionally, the introduction of SrRuO3 oxide-electrode improves the endurance performance of energy storage properties of the films on STO/Si by suppressing the formation of the dead layer between the film and the electrode. In this way, applications based on PZO films would be more easily integrated on Si and open the way to develop high-power commercial energy storage systems.

Relaxor ferroelectric thin films show excellent energy-storage performance for pulse-power applications. In this study, La-doped Ba1-xLax(Zr0.25Ti0.75)O3 (BLZT, x = 0–8%) thin films were grown on LaNiO3 buffered Ca2Nb3O10-nanosheet/Si substrates. BLZT thin films indicate prominently increasing relaxor behavior with increasing La-doping concentration, which is conducive to obtaining a very slim polarization hysteresis loop with a low remanent polarization and a high breakdown strength. As a result, BLZT thin films with 5 mol.% La-doping simultaneously exhibit a great 72.2 J/cm3 recoverable energy-storage density and a large 78.6% energy-storage efficiency under a high 3.8 MV/cm breakdown strength. These results present a promising environmentally friendly candidate for the next generation of advanced energy-storage capacitor applications.

Background Current point-of-care tests (POCT) for syphilis, based on the detection of Treponema pallidum (TP) total antibodies, have limited capacity in distinguishing between active and past/treated syphilis. We report the development and early evaluation of a new prototype POCT based on the detection of TP-IgA antibodies, a novel biomarker for active syphilis. Methods The TP-IgA POCT (index test) was developed in response to the World Health Organisation (WHO) target product profile (TPP) for a POCT for confirmatory syphilis testing. Two sub-studies were conducted consecutively using 458 pre-characterised stored plasma samples in China (sub-study one, addressing the criteria for the WHO TPP), and 503 venous blood samples collected from pregnant/postpartum women in South Africa (sub-study two, addressing potential clinical utility). Performance of the index test was assessed against standard laboratory-based serology using a combination of treponemal (TPHA) and non-treponemal (rapid plasma reagin [RPR]) tests. Findings In sub-study one, the index test demonstrated 96·1% (95%CI=91·7%-98·5%) sensitivity and 84·7% (95%CI=80·15–88·6%) specificity for identification of active syphilis (TPHA positive, RPR positive). It correctly identified 71% (107/150) samples of past-treated syphilis (TPHA positive, RPR negative). In sub-study two, the index test achieved 100% (95%CI=59%-100%) sensitivity for active syphilis and correctly identified all nine women with past syphilis. Interpretation The TP-IgA POCT has met the WHO TPP for a POCT for diagnosis of active syphilis and demonstrated its potential utility in a clinical setting. Future studies are warranted to evaluate field performance of the final manufactured test. Funding Saving Lives at Birth: Grand Challenge for Development, Thrasher Research Fund, and the Victorian Government Operational Infrastructure Scheme.

Visible-light-induced generation of dithianyl and dioxolanyl radicals via selective hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) has been achieved. This radical relay tactic enables remote C(sp(3))—H functionalization to permit rapid access to polyol and spiroketal segments, and in turn has been exploited as a key synthetic construct in the total synthesis of the danshenspiroketallactones. The conformational stability of the danshenspiroketallactones has also been defined via experiments and DFT calculations.

Lead-free Bi0.5(Na0.8K0.2)0.5TiO3 (abbreviated as BNKT) films have been synthesized via a sol-gel technique on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates, and the dependence of the physical properties in BNKT films were investigated as a function of the crystallization temperature. The BNKT films were annealed at different temperatures (600, 650, 700, and 750°C) for 60 min in the air. The results of this study showed that the optimal crystallization temperature is 700°C. At this, the BNKT films exhibited a single perovskite phase structure and high-dense surface. Besides, the remanent (Pr) and maximum (Pm) polarization reached their highest values of 9.2 µC/cm2 and 30.6 µC/cm2, respectively. All the films showed a weak ferromagnetic behavior with the maximum saturated magnetization (Ms) of 2.1 emu/cm3. These values are equivalent to the highest Pr and Pm values in previous reports on lead-free films.

Thin film capacitors of the lead-free (K0.5Na0.5)NbO3 (KNN) with (100) orientation were grown on Pt/Ti/SiO2/SOI (silicon-on-insulator) substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The films are pure phases and do not show other crystal orientations. The remnant polarization Pr, saturation polarization Psat, longitudinal d33,f and transverse (d31,f and e31,f) piezoelectric coefficients of the KNN films were determined (Pr=12.6 µC/cm2, Psat=25.0 µC/cm2, d33,f=58 pm/V, d31,f=−42 pm/V and e31,f=−5.6 C/m2). These values are well comparable with the highest values reported for lead-free films of different compositions and therefore these KNN films form a potential alternative to PZT films in lead-free MEMS applications.

Phylogenetic and metabolomic approaches have long been employed to study evolutionary relationships among plants. Nonetheless, few studies have examined the difference in metabolites within a clade and between clades of the phylogenetic tree. We attempted to relate phylogenetic studies to metabolomics using stepwise partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) for the genus Panax. Samples were analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOFMS) to obtain metabolite profiles. Initially, conventional principal component analysis was subsequently applied to the metabolomic data to show the limitations in relating the expression of metabolites to divisions in the phylogenetic tree. Thereafter, we introduced stepwise PLS-DA with optimized scaling methods, which were properly applied according to the branches of the phylogenetic tree of the four species. Our approach highlighted metabolites of interest by elucidating the directions and degrees of metabolic alterations in each clade of the phylogenetic tree. The results revealed the relationship between metabolic changes in the genus Panax and its species' evolutionary adaptations to different climates. We believe our method will be useful to help understand the metabolite-evolution relationship.

Flow of water past an array of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) is simulated in this work to determine the interaction parameters of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and water using Dissipative Particle Dynamics (DPD). For this flow configuration, results from molecular dynamics simulations by Walther et al. are available and can be used for validation (Phys. Rev. E, 2004, 062201). The hydrodynamic properties for SWNT (32, 0) with diameter of 2.5 nm were determined in different Reynolds number flows. A set of appropriate DPD parameters was found so that the drag coefficients of the CNT agreed well with the Stokes–Oseen analytical solution and the fluid slip length on the CNT wall was comparable with the Walther et al. results. It was also found that it is feasible to apply these parameters in longer length and time scales by increasing the number of water molecules grouped into each DPD bead and still maintain the hydrodynamic properties of CNTs as well as their hydrophobic surface character.

The relaxor ferroelectric Pb 0.9 La 0.1 (Zr 0.52 Ti 0.48 )O 3 (PLZT) thin films were deposited using pulsed laser deposition, and their microstructures, break-down field strengths and energy storage performances were investigated as a function of the buffer layer and electrode. A large recoverable energy-storage density ( U reco ) of 23.2 J/cm 3 and high energy-storage efficiency ( η ) of 91.6% obtained in the epitaxial PLZT film grown on SrRuO 3 /SrTiO 3 /Si are much higher than those in the textured PLZT film ( U reco = 21.9 J/cm 3 , η = 87.8%) on SrRuO 3 /Ca 2 Nb 3 O 10 -nanosheet/Si and the polycrystalline PLZT film ( U reco = 17.6 J/cm 3 , η = 82.6%) on Pt/Ti/SiO 2 /Si, under the same condition of 1500 kV/cm and 1 kHz, due to the slim polarization loop and significant antiferroelectric-like behavior. Owing to the high break-down strength (BDS) of 2500 kV/cm, a giant U reco value of 40.2 J/cm 3 was obtained for the epitaxial PLZT film, in which U reco values of 28.4 J/cm 3 (at BDS of 2000 kV/cm) and 20.2 J/cm 3 (at BDS of 1700 kV/cm), respectively, were obtained in the textured and polycrystalline PLZT films. The excellent fatigue-free properties and high thermal stability were also observed in these films.

Due to its physical properties gallium-nitride (GaN) is gaining a lot of attention as an emerging semiconductor material in the field of high-power and high-frequency electronics applications. Therefore, the improvement in the performance and/or perhaps even extension in functionality of GaN based devices would be highly desirable. The integration of ferroelectric materials such as lead-zirconate-titanate (PbZrxTi1-xO3) with GaN has a strong potential to offer such an improvement. However, the large lattice mismatch between PZT and GaN makes the epitaxial growth of Pb(Zr1-xTix)O-3 on GaN a formidable challenge. This work discusses a novel strain relaxation mechanism observed when MgO is used as a buffer layer, with thicknesses down to a single unit cell, inducing epitaxial growth of high crystallinity Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O-3 (PZT) thin films. The epitaxial PZT films exhibit good ferroelectric properties, showing great promise for future GaN device applications.

Piezoelectric lead-zirconate-Titanate (PZT) thin films were deposited on 4-inch (111)Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si(001) wafers using large-Area pulsed laser deposition (PLD). This study was focused on the homogeneity in film thickness, microstructure, ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of PZT thin films. The results indicated that the highly textured (001)-oriented PZT thin films with wafer-scale thickness homogeneity (990 nm ± 0.8%) were obtained. The films were fabricated into piezoelectric cantilevers through a MEMS microfabrication process. The measured longitudinal piezoelectric coefficient (d 33f = 210 pm/V ± 1.6%) and piezoelectric transverse coefficient (e 31f = -18.8 C/m2 ± 2.8%) were high and homogeneity across wafers. The high piezoelectric properties on Si wafers will extend industrial application of PZT thin films and further development of piezoMEMS.

This paper treats processing sequence induced changes on PZT. Two kinds of metal-PZT-metal capacitors are compared. The top surface and sidewall of PZT in one kind of capacitor is directly bombarded by energetic particles during ion milling process, whereas PZT in the other kind of capacitor is not. The polarity of plasma charging may depend on the ion milling parameters and influence the self-poling of virgin PZT capacitors. Direct ion bombardment induces a significant decrease of PZT permittivity. The PZT reliability (both RVS and TDDB) at positive voltage worsens because of bombardments of energetic particles; whereas the PZT reliability at negative voltage is not influenced. It indicates that the process induced positively charged defects present in the upper part of the capacitor structure initiate the dielectric breakdown.

Antiferroelectric PbZrO3 (PZO) thin-films were fabricated by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and sol-gel techniques to investigate the effect of antiferroelectric-ferroelectric (AFE-FE) phase transition on the energy storage performance. The (100)-oriented PLD thin-films have a square-double polarization-electric field (P-E) hysteresis loop with a sharp-phase transition and the (111)-oriented sol-gel thin-films have a slanted P-E loop with a diffused-phase transition. The difference in the phase transition fields between PLD and sol-gel thin-films could be attributed to their difference in crystalline orientations. In this case, the antipolar AFE phase is along the [110]-direction of the original tetragonal-cell under zero electric-field, while the antipolar AFE phase switches into the polar FE phase under a strong enough electric-field and the tetragonal-cell becomes rhombohedral with the polar direction of [111]. Due to the larger maximum polarization and slimmer P-E loop, the higher recoverable energy-storage (Ureco) of 19.4 J/cm3 and larger energy-efficiency (η) of 70.8%, are achieved in sol-gel thin-films. More importantly, this film shows excellent charge-discharge cycling endurance of both Ureco and η values after 1010 cycles and good thermal-stability under a wide operating temperature. From the viewpoint of applications, the sol-gel method is considered to be a promising approach towards producing low-cost PZO thin-films for high-efficiency energy-storage devices over a broad temperature range.

The energy-storage performance and piezoelectric properties were determined for epitaxial antiferroelectric (AFE) PbZrO3 (PZ), ferroelectric (FE) PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 (PZT), and relaxor ferroelectric (RFE) Pb0.9La0.1Zr0.52Ti0.48O3 (PLZT) thin films that were deposited on to SrTiO3 buffered Si substrates. The films were investigated by directly measuring the polarization hysteresis loops and piezoelectric strain curves. The square polarization loop with a high remanent polarization and a large piezoelectric coefficient obtained in PZT thin films allow them to be useful for various applications in ferroelectric field effect transistors and/or in MEMS actuators. Meanwhile, there is a jump of about 0.9% in the strain curve of PZ thin films around the field-induced AFE-FE phase transition, which is useful in digital displacement transducers due to a good ON/OFF strain state. The large recoverable energy-storage density, excellent energy-storage efficiency, and low strain hysteresis due to a slim hysteresis loop combine to make PLZT thin films as a potential candidate for a broad range of applications from energy storage to nano-positioning precision systems.

Two novel cadinane-type sesquiterpenoids, named as malacinones A (1) and B (2), with an unprecedented tricyclic 6/6/5 ring system have been isolated from the agarwood of Aquilaria malaccensis. Their structures were elucidated by the various spectroscopic data (IR, MS, 1D, and 2D NMR) analysis and the absolute configurations were determined by the electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectroscopic data analysis. A plausible biosynthetic pathway of malacinones A and B was proposed.

Ca2Nb3O10 (CNOns) and Ti0.87O2 (TiOns) metal oxide nanosheets (ns) are used as a buffer layer for epitaxial growth of piezoelectric capacitor stacks on Si and Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si (Pt/Si) substrates. Highly (001)- and (110)-oriented Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 (PZT) films are achieved by utilizing CNOns and TiOns, respectively. The piezoelectric capacitors are characterized by polarization and piezoelectric hysteresis loops and by fatigue measurements. The devices fabricated with SrRuO3 top and bottom electrodes directly on nanosheets/Si have ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties well comparable with devices that use more conventional oxide buffer layers (stacks) such as YSZ, CeO2/YSZ, or SrTiO3 on Si. The devices grown on nanosheets/Pt/Si with Pt top electrodes show significantly improved polarization fatigue properties over those of similar devices grown directly on Pt/Si. The differences in properties are ascribed to differences in the crystalline structures and the density of the films. These results show a route toward the fabrication of single crystal piezoelectric thin films and devices with high quality, long-lifetime piezoelectric capacitor structures on nonperovskite and even noncrystalline substrates such as glass or polished metal surfaces.

We investigated the residual stress and Young's modulus of Pb(ZrxTi1 - x)O3 (PZT) thin films with a (110) preferred orientation and a composition x ranging from 0.2 to 0.8. The films are grown by pulsed laser deposition on silicon cantilevers aligned along the and silicon crystal directions. Changes in resonance frequency and static bending of the cantilevers are used to determine the Young's modulus and residual stress respectively. The Young's modulus was found to be in the range of 100-200 GPa. The residual stress is tensile and shows a sharp increase from about 50 to 250 MPa at a composition of x = 0.2 to 0.4. These mechanical parameters clearly depend on the cantilever orientation with respect to the silicon crystal, which we suspect to be linked to the epitaxial growth of the films. The variation in stress with composition can be explained by the difference in thermal expansion between silicon and PZT, if we assume an intrinsic stress of 200-300 MPa to be already present immediately after deposition. Strain calculated from X-ray diffraction data leads to unreasonably high residual stress values, at least one order of magnitude higher than measured by cantilever bending. © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulations were utilized to investigate the ability of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) to adsorb inside a single-walled, arm-chair carbon nanotube (SWCNT), as well as the effect of surfactant on the properties of water inside the SWCNT. The diameter of the SWCNT varied from 1 to 5 nm. The radial and axial density profiles of water inside the SWCNTs were computed and compared with published molecular dynamics results. The average residence time and diffusivity were also calculated to show the size effect on mobility of water inside the SWCNT. It was found that nanotubes with diameter smaller than 3 nm do not allow SDS molecules to enter the SWCNT space. For larger SWCNT diameter, SDS adsorbed inside and outside the nanotube. When SDS was adsorbed in the hollow part of the SWCNT, the behavior of water inside the nanotube was found to be significantly changed. Both radial and axial density profiles of water inside the SWCNT fluctuated strongly and were different from those in bulk phase. In addition, SDS molecules increased the retention of water beads inside SWCNT (d ≥ 3nm) while water diffusivity was decreased.

The pulsed laser deposition process of 300nm thick films of Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3)0.67-(PbTiO3)0.33 on (001)-oriented SrTiO3 was studied by varying deposition pressure, substrate deposition temperature, laser fluence on the target and target-substrate distance. Perovskite phase pure, (001)-oriented, epitaxial smooth films were obtained in a narrow range of deposition parameters. The ferroelectric and dielectric properties of films fabricated within this parameter range still vary significantly. This shows the sensitivity of the system for growth conditions. The best film has a polarization value close to that expected for a (001) poled, stress free single crystal film. All films show deposition conditions dependent variations in the self-bias field. The self-bias is very stable during long cycling for films made at optimum deposition conditions. The piezoelectric coefficients of the films are strongly reduced with respect to bulk single crystal values due to the film clamping. The properties variations are ascribed to changes in the grain boundary properties in which film defects are expected to accumulate. Notably slight off-stoichiometry may cause localized screening charges, affecting specifically the polarization and dielectric constant.

In this study, we investigated physical and electronic properties of possible two-dimensional structures formed by Si (silicon) and Ir (iridium). To this end, different plausible structures were modeled by using density functional theory and the cohesive energies calculated for the geometry of optimized structures, with the lowest equilibrium lattice constants. Among several candidate structures, we identified three mechanically (via elastic constants and Young's modulus), dynamically (via phonon calculations), and thermodynamically stable iridium silicide monolayer structures. The lowest energy structure has a chemical formula of Ir2Si4 (called r-IrSi2), with a rectangular lattice (Pmmn space group). Its cohesive energy was calculated to be −0.248 eV (per IrSi2 unit) with respect to bulk Ir and bulk Si. The band structure indicates that the Ir2Si4 monolayer exhibits metallic properties. Other stable structures have hexagonal (P-3m1) and tetragonal (P4/nmm) cell structures with 0.12 and 0.20 eV/f.u. highe...

All-oxide free-standing cantilevers were fabricated with epitaxial (001)-oriented Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 (PZT) and Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)0.99Nb0.01O3 (PNZT) as piezoelectric layers and SrRuO3 electrodes. The ferroelectric and piezoelectric hysteresis loops were measured. From the zero-bias values, the figure-of-merits (FOMs) for piezoelectric energy harvesting systems were calculated. For the PNZT cantilever, an extremely large value FOM = 55 GPa was obtained. This very high value is due to the large shifts of the hysteresis loops such that the zero-bias piezoelectric coefficient e31f is maximum and the zero-bias dielectric constant is strongly reduced compared to the value in the undoped PZT device. The results show that by engineering the self-bias field the energy-harvesting properties of piezoelectric systems can be increased significantly.

The southern yellow-cheeked crested gibbon (Nomascus gabriellae), an endangered species native to Vietnam and Cambodia, lives exclusively in undisturbed tropical forests and depends primarily on ripe fruit for food. Although this species is highly threatened, its ecology and conservation status remain relatively unknown. In order to understand how this heavily frugivorous primate adapts to the seasonal fluctuation of fruit resources in the forest, we collected feeding behavior and ranging activity data on one group of southern yellow-cheeked crested gibbons in Cat Tien National Park, Vietnam, over 1-year period. We compared these data to information on phenological patterns at the site gleaned during a prior study. We found that the gibbons gathered most of their food from 69 different plant species and also consumed insects and bird eggs. Fruits were the main dietary item (43.3%), followed by leaves (38.4%), flowers (11.6%), and other plant parts (6.0%). A significant seasonal shift in diet was observed; fruit generally dominated the diet in the rainy season and leaves in the dry season. The gibbons often started daily activities very early (05:10 am) in the morning and also ended quite early (16:45 pm) in the afternoon. Socializing was concentrated in the early morning, feeding had a bimodal pattern of high activity levels in mid-morning and mid-afternoon, and resting was most intense at the earliest and latest hours of the day and at midday, with proportionally less time used for traveling at these times. Averaged over the annual cycle, the gibbons spent 45% of their time feeding, 31.9% resting, 14.1% traveling, and 9.0% socializing. The percentage of time allocated to different activities varied significantly across months and between the dry and rainy seasons. Monthly variation in the activity budget was strongly related to changes in diet. In the rainy season, when the gibbons ate a higher percentage of fruit, they decreased their feeding time, while increasing traveling time in search of food; conversely, in the dry season, when they fed on a higher percentage of leaves, they decreased traveling time. Overall, our results show that the activity budget and diet of the southern yellow-cheeked crested gibbon are associated with seasonal shifts in climate. This study provides information relevant to the conservation and management of this endangered species by identifying important habitat conditions for reintroducing captive animals into the wild and providing insight into dietary needs, which may be relevant to the maintenance of animals in rescue centers.

Piezoelectric thin films of PbZr0.45Ti0.55O3 were grown on Si substrates in four different ways, resulting in different crystalline structures, as determined by x-ray analysis. The crystalline structures were different in the spread in tilt angle and the in-plane alignment of the crystal planes between different grains. It is found that the deviations of the ferroelectric polarization loop from that of the ideal rectangular loop (reduction of the remanent polarization with respect to the saturation polarization, dielectric constant of the film, slanting of the loop, coercive field value) all scale with the average tilt angle. A model is derived based on the assumption that the tilted grain boundaries between grains affect the film properties locally. This model describes the observed trends. The effective piezoelectric coefficient d33,eff shows also a weak dependence on the average tilt angle for films grown in a single layer, whereas it is strongly reduced for the films deposited in multiple layers. The least affected properties are obtained for the most epitaxial films, i.e. grown on a SrTiO3 epitaxial seed layer, by pulsed laser deposition. These films are intrinsically stable and do not require poling to acquire these stable properties.

Pb 0.9La0.1(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 (PLZT) relaxor-ferroelectric thin films were grown on SrRuO3/SrTiO3/Si substrates by pulsed laser deposition. A large recoverable storage density (U reco) of 13.7 J/cm3 together with a high energy efficiency (η) of 88.2% under an applied electric field of 1000 kV/cm and at 1 kHz frequency was obtained in 300-nm-thick epitaxial PLZT thin films. These high values are due to the slim and asymmetric hysteresis loop when compared to the values in the reference undoped epitaxial lead zirconate titanate Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 ferroelectric thin films (U reco = 9.2 J/cm3 and η = 56.4%) which have a high remanent polarization and a small shift in the hysteresis loop, under the same electric field.

The effects of shear and particle shape on the physical adsorption of a polymer (polyvinyl pyrrolidone, PVP) on carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) were studied with dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) methods. It was found that the conformation of the polymer during adsorption and desorption from the nanoparticle can be classified into three possible types, i.e. adsorbed, shear-affected and separated, depending on the magnitude of the shear rate in the flow. Spherical and graphene sheet-shaped particles with adsorbed PVP were manipulated in a Couette flow to determine the threshold shear rates leading to changes in the polymer adsorption state. It was found that the polymer was stably adsorbed under higher shear conditions for graphene sheets. In addition, the end-to-end distance and the radius of gyration of the polymer adsorbate was clearly related to the adsorption state, as the polymer underwent a transition from adsorbed to the separated state when the shear rate increased. The critical shear rate at which the polymer desorbed from the surface could be useful in applications where nanoparticles can be used as a molecular delivery system. The physical adsorption and desorption of the same polymer molecules on a flat surface were also investigated. The desorption of the polymer from the flat surface occurred when the shearing force was stronger than the attraction between the PVP and the surface.

The morphology of surfactants physically adsorbed on the surface of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has a significant impact on the dispersion of CNTs in the solution. The adsorption of the surfactants alfoterra 123-8s (AF) and tergitol 15-s-40 (TG) on CNTs was investigated with dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulations, as well as the behavior of the binary surfactant system with CNTs. Properties of surfactants (i.e., critical micelle concentration, aggregation number, shape and size of micelle, and diffusivity) in water were determined to validate the simulation model. Results indicated that the assembly of surfactants (AF and TG) on CNTs depends on the interaction of the surfactant tail and the CNT surface, where surfactants formed mainly hemimicellar structures. For surfactants in solution, most micelles had spherical shape. The particles formed by the CNT and the adsorbed surfactant became hydrophilic, due to the outward orientation of the head groups of the surfactants that formed monolayer adsorption. In the binary surfactant system, the presence of TG on the CNT surface provided a considerable hydrophilic steric effect, due to the EO groups of TG molecules. It was also seen that the adsorption of AF was more favorable than TG on the CNT surface. Diffusion coefficients for the surfactants in the bulk and surface diffusion on the CNT were calculated. These results are applicable, in a qualitative sense, to the more general case of adsorption of surfactants on the hydrophobic surface of cylindrically shaped nanoscale objects.

At the end of a rush lasting over half a century, in which CMOS technology has been experiencing a constant and breathtaking increase of device speed and density, Moore’s law is approaching the insurmountable barrier given by the ultimate atomic nature of matter. A major challenge for 21st century scientists is finding novel strategies, concepts and materials for replacing silicon-based CMOS semiconductor technologies and guaranteeing a continued and steady technological progress in next decades. Among the materials classes candidate to contribute to this momentous challenge, oxide films and heterostructures are a particularly appealing hunting ground. The vastity, intended in pure chemical terms, of this class of compounds, the complexity of their correlated behaviour, and the wealth of functional properties they display, has already made these systems the subject of choice, worldwide, of a strongly networked, dynamic and interdisciplinary research community. Oxide science and technology has been the target of a wide four-year project, named Towards Oxide-Based Electronics (TO-BE), that has been recently running in Europe and has involved as participants several hundred scientists from 29 EU countries. In this review and perspective paper, published as a final deliverable of the TO-BE Action, the opportunities of oxides as future electronic materials for Information and Communication Technologies ICT and Energy are discussed. The paper is organized as a set of contributions, all selected and ordered as individual building blocks of a wider general scheme. After a brief preface by the editors and an introductory contribution, two sections follow. The first is mainly devoted to providing a perspective on the latest theoretical and experimental methods that are employed to investigate oxides and to produce oxide-based films, heterostructures and devices. In the second, all contributions are dedicated to different specific fields of applications of oxide thin films and heterostructures, in sectors as data storage and computing, optics and plasmonics, magnonics, energy conversion and harvesting, and power electronics., The authors acknowledge financial support from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO). We acknowledge fruitful interactions with our many collaborators in the realm of artificial quantum materials, especially the groups of J.C. Séamus Davis, Craig J. Fennie, Eun-Ah Kim, Lena F. Kourkoutis, and David A. Muller. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation (Platform for the Accelerated Realization, Analysis, and Discovery of Interface Materials (PARADIM)) under Cooperative Agreement No. DMR-1539918. Financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (SEV-2015-0496, MAT2014-56063-C2-1-R, and MAT2017-85232-R), from Generalitat de Catalunya (2014 SGR 734), and from Slovenian Research Agency (P2-0091 and J2-6759) is acknowledged. The authors acknowledge funding from the EPSRC grant EP/ P027032/1. Prof. O. Nilsen is acknowledged for valuable discussions on the current status of ALD perovskites. Author thanks fruitful discussions with Dr. J. Santiso. Financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the ''Severo Ochoa" Programme for Centres of Excellence in R&D (SEV-2015-0496), and projects MAT2015-71664-R and MAT2015- 67593-P is acknowledged. This work was supported by PARADIM, a National Science Foundation Materials Innovation Platform (Grant DMR-1539918), and by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (Award number FA 9550-16-1-0305). Funding from the DFG (German Science Foundation) within the collaborative research center SFB 917 'Nanoswitches' and the W2/ W3 program of the Helmholtz association is gratefully acknowledged. We furthermore acknowledge funding by the ToBE CoST action (MP1308). We acknowledge financial support from the ERC Consolidator grant ‘‘MINT” (contract number n° 615759) and the ANR project ‘‘FERROMON”. This publication has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research innovation programme under grant agreement 732642 (ULPEC project). This work is supported by a public grant overseen by the French National Research Agency (ANR) as part of the ‘‘Investissements d’Avenir” program (Labex NanoSaclay, reference: ANR-10-LABX-0035). This work was supported in part by the EFRE fund of the European Commission, by the Free State of Saxony (Germany), and by funding of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG project: Inferox). This work was supported in parts by the Deutsche Forschungsge-meinschaft (DFG) under Grant SFB 917 ''Nanoswitches" and the COST Action MP1308 ''TO-BE (Towards Oxide-Based Electronics)". This publication has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research innovation programme under grant agree-ment 732642 (ULPEC project). We thank M. Belmoubarik and J. Uzuhashi for their technical assistance for Fig. 36. We acknowledge support from the ImPACT Program of Council for Science, Technology and Innovation, Japan. Gervasi Herranz acknowledges financial support from MAT2014-56063-C2-1-R and Severo Ochoa SEV-2015-0496 Projects, and the Generalitat de Catalunya (2014 SGR 734Project). Pablo Sanchis acknowledges financial support from TEC2016-76849 and FP7-ICT-2013-11-619456 SITOGA. We thank the financial support from the SNSF NRP70 ‘‘Energy Turnaround” and GRAPHENE project supported by the European Commission Seventh Framework Programme under contract 604391 is gratefully acknowledged. To the Spanish MINECO through the Severo Ochoa Centers of Excellence Program under Grant SEV-2013-0295; for the grant ENE2016-79282-C5-2-R and the OrgEnergy Excelence NetworkCTQ2016-81911-REDT. To the Agència de Gestió d’Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca for the support to the consolidated Catalonia research group 2014SGR-1212 and the Xarxa de Referència en Materials Avançats per a l’Energia (Xarmae). To the CERCA Pro-gramme/Generalitat de Catalunya and to the European COST Action StableNextSol project MP1307. The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support from ACCIO-Generalitat de Catalunya and the European Union for the 3D-PHOTOXIDES ERA-NET MANUNET II and from IV Fondo de Emprendedores of Fundación Repsol for the SOLAR OXIDES project. The authors would also thank Mr. Andrés Gómez from Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB) for the pc-AFM measure-ments and Mr. Alex Hernández from Institut de Recerca en Energia de Catalunya (IREC) for the sputtering and valuable guidance. We would like to acknowledge the financial support granted by the Spanish Government [Projects MAT2014-56063-C2-1-R, MAT2015-73839-JIN, MAT2014-51778-C2-1-R and MAT2014-57960-C3-1-R, and associated FEDER], I.F. acknowledges Ramon y Cajal contract RYC-2017-22531, the Generalitat de Catalunya (2014-SGR-734). ICMAB-CSIC authors acknowledge financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, through the ‘‘Severo Ochoa” Program for Centers of Excellence in R&D (SEV-2015-0496). C.P. and B.D. acknowledge a public grant overseen by the French National Research Agency (ANR) as part of the ‘‘Investissements d’Avenir” program (Grant No. ANR-10-LABX-0035, Labex NanoSaclay). The authors would like to acknowledge L. Pereira and P. Bar-quinha for fruitful discussions during the manuscript preparation. We acknowledge the funding from Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, Reference UID/CTM/50025/2013 and FEDER funds through the COMPETE 2020 Programme under the project number POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007688. Part of this work is partially financed from European Community H2020 program under grant agreements No. 665046 (project Symbiotic) and No. 644631 (project Roll-Out). Several of the recent advances in electrochromic and ther-mochromic materials, reported above, were reached with financial support received from the European Research Council under the European Community’s Seventh Framework Program (FP2007– 2013)/ERC Grant Agreement No. 267234 (‘‘GRINDOOR”).