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In this paper, α-CaSiO3/Al2O3-Li2CO3 was prepared by traditional solid-state method with Li2CO3 as low-temperature sintering aid added to α-CaSiO3/Al2O3 ceramics. The effects of different Li2CO3 content on the sintering properties, microstructure, and microwave dielectric properties of α-CaSiO3/Al2O3 ceramics were studied. The phase structure, micro-morphology, and microwave dielectric properties were characterized by X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscope, and network analyzer. The aim of this paper is to reduce the sintering temperature and improve the microwave dielectric properties of α-CaSiO3/Al2O3 ceramics by controlling the phase structure of ceramics. The results revealed that Li2CO3 additives can not only reduce the sintering temperature from 1375 to 975 °C, but also can transfer the major phase composition from α-CaSiO3 to β-CaSiO3. The density of the microwave dielectric ceramics with 3 wt% Li2CO3 additives sintered at 975 °C can reach the optimal microwave dielectric properties with er = 6.21, Q × f = 30,471 GHz, and τf = − 34.58 ppm/°C.

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo apresentar um breve estado da arte a respeito das técnicas de caracterização atualmente utilizadas para se avaliar efeitos de processos de fabricação sobre a estrutura de ferros fundidos cinzentos, assim como avaliar a efetividade da técnica de difração de raios-X (XRD) para identificar e quantificar as fases presentes em dois tipos de ferros fundidos cinzentos: um com baixo (0,02% em peso) e outro com alto teor de nióbio (0,21-0,24% em peso). Para ambas as amostras, as três fases principais foram identificadas: grafita-G, ferrita- Fe(α) e cementita- Fe3C. Porém, nem mesmo para a amostra com maior teor de nióbio, o carboneto de nióbio (NbC) foi identificado por essa técnica, fato justificado pelo limite de detecção do difratômetro convencional utilizado e da pequena fração deste carboneto nas amostras analisadas. A modificação na concentração de nióbio não foi suficiente para promover diferenças significativas nos difratogramas. A fluorescência do ferro excitado principalmente pela radiação Cu Kα resultou em alto nível de ruído nas medições e impossibilitou quantificar as fases por meio do refinamento de Rietveld. Dessa forma, para os teores de nióbio analisados conclui-se que a técnica de XRD com tubo de Cu não é eficaz para a quantificação de frações de fases e nem para a identificação de NbC em ferros fundidos cinzentos.

Vanadium doped Copper oxide (CO) thin films were prepared by the sol-gel dip-coating method. The properties of thin films were examined by X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD), UV–Visible-NIR spectrophotometry, and dielectric properties analyzer. The antibacterial and photocatalytic properties were also determined. XRD spectra revealed the dual-phase of copper oxide (cuprite and tenorite) for all percentages of V with no other impurity peak. Tauc's relation is used to probe the optical band gap which is reduced from 1.96 to 1.64 eV with an increase in vanadium doping percentage. The impurity band coalesces with the conduction band of copper oxide to decrease the band gap. Dielectric constant measurements reveal that the Ac conductivity of thin films increases with an increase in V doping percentage.

The current study proposes a novel method of preparing Ti–Al–V alloy by electrochemical co-deposition by adding Ti2O3 and V2O3 into the molten salt system. The influence of chlorination of Ti2O3 and V2O3 in KCl–LiCl–MgCl2–AlCl3 melt was studied by inductively-coupled plasma emission spectrometer (ICP-AES) and X-ray diffractometer (XRD). The results revealed that the optimal chlorination temperature ranged from 600 °C to 700 °C and the main chlorination products were TiCl3, VCl3, and Al2O3 byproduct. The electrochemical behavior of Ti3+, V3+ and Al3+ in a molten AlCl3-containing chloride salt was investigated by cyclic voltammetry. The stepwise reduction in the cathode could be given as: V3+→V2+, Ti3+→Ti2+, V2+→V, Ti2+→Ti, Ti2+/V2+/Al3+→Ti–Al–V alloy. The electrolytic products were also characterized by XRD and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The results demonstrated that, as metallic Al was used as an anode, a dendritic Al3Ti alloy and Al sheet were obtained after the addition of Ti2O3 into the KCl–LiCl–MgCl2–AlCl3 melt. However, the presence of both Ti2O3 and V2O3 resulted in fishbone-like Al3Ti, Al3Ti0.8V0.2 and Al3Ti0.666V0.333 alloys, as well as dense granules of metallic Al.

In this study, plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) on Ti–xNb–2Ag–2Pt alloys for nano- and micro-pore formation in electrolyte with Ca and P ions for dental implant use was studied using various experimental equipment. The Ti–xNb–2Ag–2Pt alloys were fabricated using a vacuum arc melting furnace, and micro-pores were created through PEO-treatment in an electrolyte containing Ca and P ions. The PEO-treated surface was observed by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The microstructure of Ti– xNb–2Ag–2Pt alloys showed the transformation of needle-like structure to equiaxed structure, as Nb content increased. Adding small amounts of Ag and Pt to Ti–xNb alloys, microstructure was not observed the significantly difference compared to Ti–xNb. The nano- and micro-pore sizes increased as the Nb content increased after PEO-treatment of Ti-xNb. In the case of Ti–50Nb–2Ag–2Pt, groove structure was observed, also the Ca/P ratio increased as the Nb content increased. The oxide layer thickness of Ti–xNb–2Ag–2Pt alloys was increased, as the Nb content increased.

The interaction between Gd2Zr2O7 and molten LiCl–Li2O (2 wt%) was studied for 24–52 h at 650–710 °C in an argon atmosphere. Gd2Zr2O7 is analyzed as a promising structural material for sensors used during pyrochemical reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel and for long-term storage or final disposal of high-level nuclear wastes. The chemical stability of Gd2Zr2O7 relative to the components of the LiCl–Li2O melt was thermodynamically evaluated. The surface morphology and structure of the samples before and after the experiment were analyzed using an X-ray diffractometer and scanning electron microscopy. The formation of a new Li+-doped phase based on Gd2Zr2O7 and the Gd2O3 evolution onto the material surface was revealed by the X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). Changes in the microstructure of the samples confirm the presence of large particles in the surface layer corresponding to the Gd2O3 phase, which is in good agreement with the XRD data. A profilometer was used to measure the roughness of the ceramics. Presumably, the thickness of the lithium-doped Gd2Zr2O7 film, which is inhomogeneously distributed over the surface of the samples, was 3 μm. Therefore, it was found that dense Gd2Zr2O7 (F) and Gd2Zr2O7 (P) ceramics can be used in LiCl–Li2O (2 wt %) as a structural material resistant to the high-temperature chemical attack.

In this paper, the synthesis of the copper matrix nanocomposite and the effect of adding TiB2 nanoparticles on the copper matrix was investigated. Three different amounts of TiB2 nanoparticles 5, 10, and 15 wt% were added and sintering was carried out at 900 oC for 4 hours under argon atmosphere. The phase formation of achieved nanocomposites was studied by X-ray diffractometer and the morphology of the synthesized samples was studied by field emission scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) at 3.5 wt% NaCl solution at room temperature was were carried out to evaluate the corrosion behavior of synthesized samples. Results show that adding the TiB2 nanoparticles decrease the corrosion resistance by the formation of galvanic couples, but the effect of amounts of porosities on the corrosion resistance is higher. It is revealed that the variation of the surface roughness is in direct relation to the value of polarization current density.

In this work, the sintering kinetics of Nd:YAG transparent ceramics under the vacuum environment were investigated by the high-temperature solid-state reaction. We focus on the influence of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) content on the densification process of Nd:YAG ceramics. Meanwhile, the crystal structure of Nd:YAG transparent ceramics doped with different contents of TEOS was studied by X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). The micrographs of ceramic samples were analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The green sample is heated to 1450–1650 °C for 0–2 h at a heating rate of 20 °C/min in a vacuum environment (PT ≤ 10−6 Pa), and the shrinkage of ceramic samples was analyzed in the vacuum atmosphere by the Johnson sintering model. The sintering activation energy of Nd:YAG transparent ceramics doped with different contents of TEOS was obtained. The results indicated that the addition of TEOS promoted the densification of ceramic samples. The grain size and relative density of ceramic samples increased, and the sintering activation energy decreased with the increase of TEOS content.

Scalable synthesis of aluminum fumarate (Al_FA) metal organic framework (MOF) in aqueous medium and the effect of drying on the crystallinity, apparent activation energy and thermal lifetime are presented. The oven dried (Al_FA_A) at 100 °C (760 mmHg) for 3 h is characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer, differential scanning calorimeter, thermogravimetric analyzer, X-ray diffractometer, particle size analyzer, scanning electron microscope (SEM-EDAX) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis. The BET surface area, micropore volume (Vpore) and mean pore diameter of Al_FA_A are 937 m2 g−1, 0.38 cm3 g−1 and 1.6 nm, respectively. The Al_FA_A MOF is thermally stable up to 400 °C when compared to aluminum fumarate dried in vacuum oven at 100 °C (25 mmHg) for 3 h (Al_FA_C) which is stable only up to 350 °C. The thermal degradation kinetics for Al_FA_A and Al_FA_C are reported for the first time using model-free approach. For the reaction extent α = 0.2–0.4, a progressive increase in the apparent activation energy for thermal degradation (Ea–D) for Al_FA_A is noted and found to be 205–220 kJ mol−1 and is constant after α = 0.4. The material Al_FA_C shows Ea–D from 160 to 173 kJ mol−1 for α values from 0.2 to 0.7. The difference in the Ea–D values between these materials is attributed to the structural changes and change in the crystalline nature of MOFs. During thermal degradation of Al_FA MOFs, gases like CO, CO2, H2O, CH2=CH2 and CH≡CH are evolved.

The solid-phase reaction method was adopted to prepare BaNi2V2O8 ceramic with high relative density. The influences of the sintering process on the densification, microstructure, microwave dielectric properties, growth of grains, and composition of crystalline phase were analyzed in this article. In particular, the microwave dielectric properties of BaNi2V2O8 ceramic should be first reported by us. The microstructures and crystalline phase of BaNi2V2O8 ceramic were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffractometer. BaNi2V2O8 with rhombohedral structure and space group of R-3 was observed as the only crystalline phase. The ceramic that achieved the best sintering densification was considered to be a sample sintered at 950 °C for 4 h as seen from the results of microstructure and relative density. The relative density was considered to be the key factor to determine the er and Q × f value. Variation of the sintering process had little effect on the τf values. The BaNi2V2O8 sample fired at 950 °C for 4 h showed a low er value of 11.71, an excellent Q × f value of 48,350 GHz, and a relatively negative τf value of − 49.2 ppm/°C.

Organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite materials have recently attracted extensive interest to develop next-generation high efficiency optoelectronic devices. However, in many of these devices, perovskite thin films are the key source of photogenerated electron and hole pairs. Therefore, a strategy for the preparation of high-quality perovskite thin films with a fewer number of traps at surfaces and grain boundaries is highly desired. In this work, sulfur-doped graphene quantum dots (S-GQDs) were synthesized and incorporated in the CH3NH3PbBr3 perovskite precursor to prepare S-GQDs incorporated perovskite thin films. The as-prepared thin films were systematically characterized using X-ray diffractometer, field emission scanning electron microscope, UV–Vis and fluorescence spectrophotometer to investigate the effect of different amounts of S-GQDs on their morphology, optical absorbance and electron transfer properties. The experimental findings revealed that multiple surface functional groups, quantum confinement and desirable electronic conductivity in S-GQDs help passivate the perovskite surface by reducing the surface and grain boundary traps. Interestingly, the incorporation of S-GQDs increased the light absorption of CH3NH3PbBr3 along with faster electron transfer across their interfaces. Hence, this strategy of S-GQDs incorporation presents a versatile and novel way to prepare highly efficient perovskite thin films for developing next-generation solar cells, light emitting diodes and other optoelectronic devices.

The storage stability of energetic materials is important for its application. Here, the storage stability of Al/CuO nanothermite, which was prepared by electrospray method and stored with different storage time, was systematically researched. The activation energy of Al/CuO nanothermite was calculated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The ignition temperature and the curve pressure history of Al/CuO nanothermite was measured using ignition temperature measuring device and constant-volume pressurization tests, respectively. Further, the thermites were characterized by X-ray Diffractometer (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results show that the morphology of the thermites did not change significantly. The activation energy was decreased from 254.1 kJ/mol to 181.8 kJ/mol after storage for 13 months. When stored for 0, 7 and 13 months, the peak pressures of Al/CuO nanothermite were 685.8 kPa, 626.3 kPa and 625.5 kPa, respectively. In addition to the ignition temperature, it was 775 °C, 739 °C and 754 °C, respectively. This result indicated that the ignition and combustion properties of Al/CuO nanothermite are obviously reduced when stored for a long time, at room temperature.

Al coated NdFeB magnets were prepared by plasma-assisted-physical-vapor-deposition (PA-PVD) method for enhancing the corrosion resistance. Morphologies and structures were characterized by an X-ray diffractometer and a scanning electron microscope. Corrosion behaviors of the samples with different bias voltages were studied by electrochemical methods and neutral salt spray test, respectively. The bias voltage during the deposition process was optimized according to the coating structures and corrosion resistances. The density and flatness of Al coating increase with increasing the bias voltage, and at the same time the thickness decreases. The coating density and thickness turn to be stable when bias voltage is 1800 V. Also, the corrosion behaviors of PA-PVD Al coatings in different media, such as NaOH, HNO3 and NaCl solutions, were studied. The self-corrosion potentials (Ecorr) of PA-PVD Al coatings almost keep constant in NaOH and HNO3 solutions with different concentrations. However, the self-corrosion current densities (Jcorr) decrease with the increasing concentrations. Ecorr shifts to negative potential and Jcorr decreases gradually when increasing the concentration of NaCl solution. The corrosion mechanisms of Al coatings are discussed based on the corrosion behaviors in different media.

The present work aimed at synthesizing gold nanoparticles in a biological method employing fruit peel waste dumped in the environment. The peels of Garcinia mangostana (Mangostan), were collected from the nearby tourist spot during the season. The collected fruit peels were washed, dried, powder and extracted by using boiling water and acetone. The precipitated extract was dried and powdered for further use. The dried and powdered peel extract was added to the gold solution and boiled to 80 °C and the color change is observed. The color change indicates the completion of the synthesis of gold nanoparticles. The effect of pH, gold ion concentration, peel extract powder concentration, and the temperature was tested by varying the parameters. The biosynthesized nanoparticles were characterized using the UV–Vis spectrophotometer to identify the surface plasmon resonance peaks corresponding to gold nanoparticles. The bio-moieties responsible for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles were identified using the Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy. The crystalline nature was detected by using an X-Ray Diffractometer. Atomic Force Microscope viewed the 3D surface image of the gold nanoparticle. The shape and morphology of the nanoparticle were identified by using a Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope. The active compounds for gold nanoparticle synthesis were identified using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. The gold nanoparticle was synthesized in various colors and used for dyeing cotton fabrics. The dyed cotton materials were exposed to various stress conditions to determine the color fastening.

The mechanical properties (hardness and biaxial flexural strength), optical properties (translucency and gloss), and low temperature degradation (LTD) of 3–6 mol% yttria stabilized zirconia have been investigated. The specimens were prepared by conventional solid-state sintering at 1400 °C. The mechanical and optical properties were evaluated for sintered and polished specimens. X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were used, respectively, for structural and microstructural investigation. LTD was determined by XRD analysis of the samples aged in a hydrothermal autoclave at 134 °C for 5–108 h. The mechanical and optical properties are found to be microstructure sensitive. The LTD, due to tetragonal to monoclinic phase transformation, decreases with increasing Y2O3 content. The mechanical strength, translucency, and LTD are the lowest for 6 mol% Y2O3 stabilized zirconia.

To explore the influence of CuO additive on the thermal kinetics and combustion performance of thermite, Al/MoO3 thermite composites with different mass fractions of CuO were prepared by ball milling. Field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) were used to test the samples. From the DSC results, Al/MoO3 thermite and Al/CuO thermite released 1066 J/g and 849 J/g heat, respectively. The peak temperature of the exothermic reaction was 560.22 °C and 609.43 °C. Interestingly, the Al/MoO3 thermite with 5% CuO released higher heat, about 1747 J/g. The temperature of the exothermic peak was also greatly advanced to 526 °C. Thermodynamic analysis results showed that the activation energy (Ea) of Al/MoO3/5% CuO thermite was merely 184.75 kJ mol−1, which was a decrease of 18.3% and 20.8% of the Al/MoO3 and Al/CuO thermite. The reaction mechanism function of Al/MoO3 thermite, Al/MoO3/5% CuO and Al/CuO thermite can be set as f ( α ) = 1 − α . The fast electric heating wire ignition experiment showed that the flame brightness of the Al/MoO3/5% CuO thermite was the brightest and the burning time was the longest. Surprisingly, when the mass fraction of CuO additives in Al/MoO3 thermite reached 10% and 20%, the thermal kinetics and combustion performance of the thermite were completely changed. There was a violent and sharp exothermic peak accompanied by a large amount of heat release of 2042 J/g and 2252 J/g, respectively. The reaction mechanism of Al/MoO3 thermite with 10% and 20% CuO addition can be set as f ( α ) = 3 / 2 ∗ ( 1 − α ) [ − ln ( 1 − α ) ] 1 / 3 . The burning speed became faster and the flame was bright with sparks. This work lays the foundation for the further study of the thermite mechanism.

The aim of the current work was to analyse the impact of salt bath nitriding on the behavior of the tribological characteristics and surface microstructures of AISI 316L stainless steels. Nitriding was carried out at 580°C for 10 h. The tribological, structural behavior of the AISI 316L before and after salt bath nitriding was compared. The surface microstructures, tribological characteristics, as well as its surface hardness, were investigated using optical microscopy (OM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), surface profilometer, pin-on-disk wear tester and microhardness tester. In the current work the experimental results showed that a great surface hardness could be achievable through salt bath nitriding technique because of the formation of the so-called expanded Austenite (S-phase), the nitrogen diffusion region. The surface hardness of AISI 316 stainless steel after nitriding process reached 1100 HV0.025 which was six times the untreated sample hardness. The S-phase is additionally expected to the improvement of wear resistance and decrease the friction coefficient.

Ni7S6 has been synthesised using solvo-thermal route, ethylene diamine (C2H4(NH2)2) and ethylene glycol ((CH2OH)2) were used as solvent. Structural and morphological properties of the prepared sample were studied by X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM).Crystallite size of the synthesised sample is 26 nm. Energy band gap of the Ni7S6 is 2.93 eV which was calculated from the ultraviolet–visible spectrometer technique. Electro-chemical properties of the synthesized Ni7S6 were studied by Nqyuist plot and cyclic Voltammetry technique. The measured parameters of the synthesized Ni7S6 indicates that Ni7S6 is the promising electrode material for energy conversion and storage devices.

Laboratory X-ray diffractometers play a crucial role in X-ray crystallography and materials science. Such instruments still vastly outnumber synchrotron facilities and are responsible for most of the X-ray characterization of materials around the world. The efforts to enhance the design and performance of in-house X-ray diffraction instruments benefit a broad research community. Here, the realization of a custom-built multipurpose four-circle diffractometer in the laboratory for X-ray crystallography of functional materials at Tel Aviv University, Israel, is reported. The instrument is equipped with a microfocus Cu-based X-ray source, collimating X-ray optics, four-bounce monochromator, four-circle goniometer, large (PILATUS3 R 1M) pixel area detector, analyser crystal and scintillating counter. It is suitable for a broad range of tasks in X-ray crystallography/structure analysis and materials science. All the relevant X-ray beam parameters (total flux, flux density, beam divergence, monochromaticity) are reported and several applications such as determination of the crystal orientation matrix and high-resolution reciprocal-space mapping are demonstrated. The diffractometer is suitable for measuring X-ray diffraction in situ under an external electric field, as demonstrated by the measurement of electric-field-dependent rocking curves of a quartz single crystal. The diffractometer can be used as an independent research instrument, but also as a training platform and for preparation for synchrotron experiments.

Strategies for efficient and reliable texture measurements have been explored using the Nanoscale Ordered Materials Diffractometer (NOMAD) at the Spallation Neutron Source located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). To test these strategies, the texture of an Al alloy was also investigated using another neutron diffraction instrument, a constant-wavelength neutron diffractometer (NRSF2) located at the High Flux Isotope Reactor, also at ORNL. Reasonable agreement was found across the two experimental methods, but differences in overall texture strength and the symmetry of some components were noted, depending on the data reduction and analysis method selected. On the basis of these results, potential improvements are identified which would enhance the texture measurement capability on NOMAD.

A hard X-ray engineering applications beamline (BL-02) was commissioned recently and started operation in March 2019 at the Indian synchrotron source, Indus-2. This bending-magnet-based beamline is capable of operating in various beam modes, viz. white, pink and monochromatic beam. The beamline utilizes the X-ray diffraction technique in energy-dispersive and angle-dispersive modes to carry out experiments mainly focused on engineering problems, viz. stress measurement, texture measurement and determination of elastic constants in a variety of bulk as well as thin-film samples. An open-cradle six-circle diffractometer with ∼12 kg load capacity allows accommodation of a wide variety of engineering samples and qualifies the beamline as a unique facility at Indus-2. The high-resolution mode of this beamline is suitably designed so as to carry out line profile analysis for characterization of micro- and nano-structures. In the present article the beamline is described starting from the beamline design, layout, optics involved, various operational modes and experimental stations. Experiments executed to validate the beamline design parameters and to demonstrate the capabilities of the beamline are also described. The future facilities to be incorporated to enhance the capabilities of the beamline are also discussed.

TiO2/ZnO nanocomposites with ratio of Ti/Zn of 1:0, 1:1, 2:1, 3:1 and 0:1 was synthesized by sol–gel and hydrothermal methods. The performance and the photocatalytic of the nanocomposities mechanism were studied by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Fourier transformed infrared (FT-IR), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method (BET), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscope (HRTEM) and UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectra (UV-Vis), respectively. The results showed that TiO2/ZnO nanocomposites successfully prepared at different Ti/Zn rations. HRTEM results clearly heterojunction structure, and it can reduce the band gap width of the composite and improve the optical absorption intensity. Besides, the degradation rate of methylene blue (MB) of TiO2/ZnO nanocomposites with a Ti/Zn ratio of 2:1 was close to 100% at 80 min, which was better than the other four samples. The photocatalytic degradation reaction confirmed to the first-order kinetic equation. The kinetic constant of TiO2/ZnO nanocomposites with a ratio of 2:1 is 0.03748 min−1, which is 2.8 times of pure ZnO and 4.8 times of pure TiO2, respectively. In addition, the major active species of the photocatalytic reaction are •OH and h+ through activity capture experiments. The improvement of the catalytic performance of TiO2/ZnO nanocomposites is mainly due to the ability to separate holes and electrons.

Recently, researchers have shown an increased interest in Cu-based shape memory alloys due to their special characteristics, which can be used in high-temperature applications. In this study, ternary shape memory alloys in the form of CuAlFe with different ratios of iron and quaternary CuAlFe alloys containing Ni, Mn, and Ti were produced by arc melting. Then the produced alloys were kept at 900 ℃ for 24 hours to make sure that all constituents in the alloys were homogeneously distributed. The change in the transformation temperatures for all samples was checked out by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). Also, the change in the crystal structure and microstructure were determined by x-ray diffractometer (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The aim of this study is to compare the thermal and microstructural properties of quaternary alloys formed by adding Ni, Mn, and Ti elements to CuAlFe-based shape memory alloy with different rates, which is not available in the literature. The result of this study; although the electron concentration value increased, a significant decrease was observed in the values of the transformation temperatures. Increasing Fe-element decreased the transformation temperature non-linearly. Ni and Mn contents added to CuAlFe shape memory alloys have reduced transformation temperatures, such as Af and Mf. The XRD and SEM-EDX measurements showed the martensite phase with some produced compound precipitated in the matrix phase.

In this work, we have successfully in-situ synthesized Na+ and Co2+ co-doped Li0.9Na0.1Mn1-xCoxPO4/C nanoparticles on the surface of Li2.7Na0.3PO4 self-sacrificing template by the co-precipitation process combined with the hydrothermal method. The crystal lattice structure, crystal appearance and electrochemical parameters are characterized by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), galvanostatic charge and discharge test, cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). SEM analysis indicates that Li0.9Na0.1Mn0.9Co0.1PO4/C composite shows uniform porous structure and nanosized grain particles. The electrochemical measurements show that the double ions co-doping routine plays a vital influence on the rate capability and electrochemical lithium storage property of LiMnPO4 material. The initial discharge specific capacity of Li0.9Na0.1Mn0.9Co0.1PO4/C reaches 164.3 mAh/g (0.05 C) and 148.0 mAh/g (1 C), respectively. The excellent rate capability is attributed to the synergetic doping effect of Na+ and Co2+ on improving the Li-ion diffusion rate and broadening the Li-ion diffusion channels.

Quaternary semiconductor Cu2ZnSnS4 absorber material was synthesized by the sol-gel method deposited by the dip-coating technique on ordinary glass substrates. In this study, we have investigated the effects of dip-coating cycle at different cycles: 2, 4 and 6, and annealing temperature at various temperatures: 300, 325 and 375 °C on the structural, morphological compositional, optical and electrical properties. The films have been characterized by different characterization techniques such as X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Raman scattering experiments, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), UV–visible spectrophotometer and four-point probe method. XRD patterns indicated kesterite CZTS with preferential orientation along (112) plane, Cu2-xS, SnS2 and SnS secondary phases were observed with CZTS phase in some samples. The pure CZTS phase was formed for the sample annealed at 375 °C and sample deposited at 2 cycles. Raman spectroscopy confirmed the presence of CZTS thin films in all samples using Raman characteristic peak at 332 cm−1. EDS analysis showed near-stoichiometric CZTS thin films. (SEM) images showed the uniform and dense surfaces morphologies. The gap energy is estimated from absorbance data by using absorption spectra fitting (ASF). The optical band gap decreases with the increasing of dip-coating cycle in the range of 1.33–1.44 ∓ 0.01 eV and also increases with the increasing of annealing temperature in the range of 1.38–1.47 ∓ 0.01 eV. The electrical sheet resistance increased from 2.60 ∓ 0.01 to 4.67 ∓ 0.01 × 103 (Ω/square) when the annealing temperature increased and decreased when the dip-coating cycle increased in range of 0.99 ∓ 0.01 and 1.19 ∓ 0.01 × 103 (Ω/square). These characteristics are suitable for solar cells applications.

Актуальность исследования обусловлены растущим потреблением карбида вольфрама в связи с его применением в различных сферах: обрабатывающая промышленность, катализ, металлургия и др. Соответственно поиск новых малозатратных методов переработки вольфрамсодержащих руд является актуальной задачей. Цель: определить параметры безвакуумного электродугового синтеза карбидов вольфрама в атмосферной плазме с использованием в качестве исходного сырья концентрата вольфрамсодержащей руды, которые обеспечивают эффект самопроизвольного экранирования реакционного объема от кислорода воздуха. Объекты: синтез карбида вольфрама в плазме дугового разряда постоянного тока из концентрата вольфрамсодержащей руды безвакуумным методом. Методы: безвакуумный электродуговой метод синтеза, рентгенофазовый анализ на рентгеновском дифрактометре Shimadzu XRD 7000s ([lambda]=1,54060 A), электронная микроскопия, совмещенная с рентгенофлуоресцентным энергодисперсионным анализом на базе микроскопа TESCAN VEGA 3 SBU с приставкой OXFORD X-Max 50 с Si/Li (TESCAN, Чехия). Результаты. Проведена серия экспериментов по синтезу карбидов вольфрама в дуговом разряде постоянного тока из вольфрамового концентрата руды, в результате рентгенофазового анализа полученных образцов, растровой электронной микроскопии, совмещенной с энергодисперсионным анализом химического состава полученных из рудного концентрата образцов, было установлено, что в продуктах электродуговой переработки можно идентифицировать фазы карбида вольфрама WC и W2C, при этом полная переработка исходного сырья наблюдается при длительности электродуговой обработки не менее 30 с (при энергии дуги не менее 95 кДж). Было установлено, что с увеличением времени синтеза доля W2C убывает, при этом доля карбида вольфрама WC возрастает. The relevance of the study is related to the growing world consumption of tungsten carbide based materials and its possible application in many various fields: cutting tools manufacturing, powder, metallurgy catalysis, etc. In this case the search for new energy effective lowcost methods for tungsten ores processing is a well-known important topic. The aim of the study is to carry out the research for finding out the operation parameters of vacuum-free arc plasma synthesis of tungsten carbides in atmospheric plasma using tungsten-containing ore concentrate as an initial material, which provide the spontaneous selfshielding effect of the reaction volume from atmospheric oxygen. Objects: synthesis of tungsten carbide in a DC arc discharge plasma from a tungsten-containing ore concentrate by a non-vacuum method. Methods: vacuum-free electric arc synthesis method, X-ray powder diffractometry on a Shimadzu XRD 7000s X-ray diffractometer ([lambda]=1,54060 A), scanning electron microscopy using a TESCAN VEGA 3 SBU microscope (TESCAN, Czech Republic) equipped with an attachment for energy dispersive analysis (EDS) ODS Max 50 with Si/Li crystal detector. Results. A series of experiments was carried out on the synthesis of tungsten carbides in a DC arc discharge from tungsten ore concentrate, as a result of X-ray diffraction data of several obtained samples, scanning electron microscopy and analysis, it was found that the phases of tungsten carbide WC and W2C can be identified in the products of electric arc processing of ore concentrate, while complete processing of the initial material is observed with the duration of electric arc processing not less than 30 s (with an arc energy of not less than 95 kJ). According to the obtained data with an increase in the synthesis time, the proportion of W2C decreases, while the proportion of tungsten carbide WC increases.

Quaternary nanorod-type BaInSbSe5 semiconductor combined graphene-based conducting polymer (PPy) (BaInSbSe5-G-PPy, BNSGP) nanocomposites were prepared using a facile hydrothermal method. BNSGP nanocomposites were used to make up gas sensors to detect H2O2 and H2S at standard temperature condition. Morphologies, shape, and structures of BNSGP were specified by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy-dispersive X-ray elemental analyzer (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM (HRTEM) technique, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). When examined with H2O2 and H2S concentrations as low as 10 ppb, the gas sensor using BNSGP nanocomposites showed a good reactivity and sensitivity of 1.25 V/K with real-time response/recovery effects of 234 and 76 s, respectively. It also showed a conspicuously high selectivity for H2O2 and H2S. However, it only showed insignificant response to any other reactance gases such as HCl, CH3OH, and C2H5OH. Its performance as a H2O2 and H2S sensor was estimated by CV meter (cyclic voltammeter). The fabricated sensor for H2O2 and H2S showed an extensive linear selectivity from 300 to 90 ppm with a low detection range of 300 ppm.

This work investigated the potential to achieve zinc oxide (ZnO) films for Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) solar cells window layer at controlled annealing conditions as a potential approach to address elemental inter-diffusion in CZTS solar cells. This involved rapid thermal annealing (RTA) of room-temperature oxygenated DC sputtered zinc thin films in an ambient of nitrogen gas at different temperatures. Structural, morphological, optical, and electrical properties of these films were determined by X-ray diffractometer, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Ultraviolet-visible-near infrared spectrophotometer, and Hall Effect measurement, respectively. ZnO phases were observed after annealing the films over 150 °C. The films’ grains sizes improved with increasing RTA temperature. An exponential decrease in these films’ resistivity was observed with increasing RTA temperature attaining the lowest value at 300 °C. The bandgap and average solar transmittance of the films increased with increasing RTA temperature achieving values that are potential for applications in CZTS solar cells window layer at RTA temperatures beyond 200 °C. Keywords: Sputtering; Rapid thermal annealing; Zinc oxide; Structural; Opt-electrical

The complexation of NiCl2 with 2,2'-Bipyridine was followed using quasielastic neutron scattering to observe reaction progress. Water adsorption in chabazite with time resolution was observed using strain induced in the aluminosilicate framework with a high-resolution engineering diffractometer. These reactions illustrate the recent progress and possibilities in using neutron probes to observe realistic catalytic reactions as they progress.

SANSControl instrument control and data acquisition software has been developed and implemented for the Yellow Submarine small-angle neutron scattering diffractometer at the Budapest Neutron Centre. After a brief description of the instrument main characteristics, the design and key features of SANSControl are presented, such as logic of the sequential operation, visualization interface and user-friendly operation modes. The design of the program allows its easy modification and adaptation for other instruments operating or being developed at large-scale neutron and synchrotron facilities.

The detonation modification of nanodiamonds with chromium (III) oxide (Cr2O3) was studied in this paper. The thermostability, surface properties, crystal structure, specific surface area, pore diameters, and particle diameters of the detonation-modified nanodiamonds were analyzed using thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometer, transmission electron microscopy, automatic physical adsorption, and laser particle size analysis. Cr2O3 and the surface functional groups of nanodiamonds were combined with C–Cr. We obtained a dispersed distribution of 0.1–0.5 μm. The thermal stability characteristics and the particle diameter of nanodiamonds increased because of Cr2O3. The technology involved in the detonation modification of nanodiamonds with Cr2O3 is simple and low-cost.

We perform X-ray diffractometry, electron-microscopic, and kinetic studies of the surface layers of UAM-50 and UAM-100 ultrafiltration membranes. The crystallinity of the membranes is studied by X-Ray diffraction in the region of large angles 2θ from 2° to 40°, using a DRON-3 diffractometer with modern methods of the computer processing of experimental data. Comparative analysis of the X-ray diffraction patterns reveal the coincidence of the diffraction angles for the working and air-dry samples of ultrafiltration membranes, while the membrane samples have three pronounced maxima located approximately in the angular range from 17.50° to 25.60°. The crystallinity for the air-dry samples is 68% for UAM-50 and 74% for UAM-100, and for the working samples, it is 32 and 41% for UAM-50 and UAM-100, respectively. Investigations of the surface of drainage layers of the UAM-50 and UAM-100 ultrafiltration membranes are carried out by scanning electron microscopy. The thickness of the active layer is 27 nm for the UAM-50 membrane and 15 nm for the UAM-100 membrane. Pores of different sizes are visible on the surface of the active layer of the membrane; the pore sizes range from 2.5 to 40 nm for UAM-50 and from 10 to 40 nm for UAM-100. Kinetic studies of the ultrafiltration membranes confirm that they have an asymmetric pore structure. Small pores in the membrane trap contaminant molecules, while large pores allow the permeate to pass quickly to a more open permeate carrier, that is, a purified solution. The water permeability of the working membrane increases with an increase in the transmembrane pressure due to an increase in the driving force of the process and rearrangement of the crystal structure (a decrease in the size of crystals in the working sample of the membrane) and a decrease in the crystallinity of the membranes.

Study of the preferred orientation of biological materials (bones, shells, etc.) is the use of crystallographic methods in biophysics to search for new possibilities in materials science. Much attention is paid to the texture of the bivalve mollusk shells. However, for a qualitative systematic investigation of the preferred crystallographic orientation of these shells, it is necessary to examine many representatives from different parts of the world. X-ray diffraction was used to study the preferential crystal orientation of adult shell of the species Sinanodonta woodiana collected from Czech freshwater streams. The texture of artificially grown young shells was also measured. The pole figure measurements of the Aragonite phase (planes (111), (102), (200), (121), (022) and (122)) were performed using a SmartLab Rigaku high-resolution X-ray diffractometer with a rotating Cu anode (Institute of Physic, Prague, Czech Republic).

We propose a technique for the refinement of unit cell parameters (UCPs) using a single crystal diffractometer equipped with a flat-panel area detector. The technique is based on choosing Kα1 components of X-ray radiation when processing diffraction reflections. The capabilities of the technique are demonstrated on [NiEn3]MoO4 single crystals. In two independent experiments, the difference between 2θexp and 2θcalc did not exceed 0.02° while the reproducibility of unit cell parameters was at least 0.008 A.

ZnAl2O4 doped with various concentration (x) of Fe3+ were prepared using the Pechini synthesis. In the first set of samples, Fe3+ substituted Al3+ to create a system of the form ZnAl(2−x)Fex3+O4 (x = 0–0.08). To study the effect of charge compensation, Fe3+ substituted Zn2+ to create Zn(1−x)Fex3+Al2O4 (x = 0.05) system. The structure and particle morphology of the phosphors were studied using X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and field emission scanning electron spectroscopy, respectively. From the XRD data, the oxygen parameter and the inversion degrees were estimated. The elemental composition and electronic states of the phosphors were analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). XPS results showed that part of the Fe3+ were reduced to Fe2+ in the doped samples. Both photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence properties of the phosphors were also studied. Luminescence excitations using a xenon lamp and X-ray showed two broad emission bands located around 470 and 730 nm, and were ascribed to Fe ions occupying the tetrahedral (tet) and the octahedral (oct) sites in ZnAl2O4, respectively. A change in the lifetime of these two emission bands upon Fe doping further confirmed the existence of Fe in the tet and oct sites in the ZnAl(2−x)Fex3+O4 matrix. Resumen: Se preparó ZnAl2O4 dopado con varias concentraciones (x) de Fe3+ usando la síntesis de Pechini. En el primer conjunto de muestras, Fe3+ sustituyó Al3+ para crear un sistema de la forma ZnAl(2−x)Fex3+O4 (x = 0 a 0,08). Para estudiar el efecto de la compensación de carga, Fe3+ sustituyó Zn2+ para crear el sistema Zn(1−x)Fex3+Al2O4 (x = 0,05). La estructura y la morfología de las partículas de los fósforos se estudiaron utilizando un difractómetro de rayos X (XRD) y espectroscopía electrónica de barrido de emisión de campo, respectivamente. A partir de los datos XRD se estimaron el parámetro de oxígeno y los grados de inversión. La composición elemental y los estados electrónicos de los fósforos se analizaron mediante espectroscopía de fotoelectrones de rayos X (XPS). Los resultados de XPS mostraron que parte de Fe3+ se redujo a Fe2+ en las muestras dopadas. También se estudiaron las propiedades de fotoluminiscencia y catodoluminiscencia de los fósforos. Las excitaciones de luminiscencia usando una lámpara de xenón y rayos X mostraron dos amplias bandas de emisión ubicadas alrededor de 470 y 730 nm, y se atribuyeron a iones Fe que ocupan los sitios tetraédricos (tet) y octaédrico (oct) en ZnAl2O4, respectivamente. Un cambio en la vida útil de estas dos bandas de emisión después del dopaje con Fe confirmó aún más la existencia de Fe en los sitios tet y oct en la matriz ZnAl(2−x)Fex3+O4.

In this research article, environmental waste country eggshells were effectively utilized to prepare eggshell powder—magnetic nano-adsorbent (EM) by ultrasonic-assisted co-precipitation method to delete Cr(VI) from its aqueous solutions. The surface, physiochemical, functional bond, and thermogravimetric weight loss, magnetic characteristics of prepared nano-adsorbent were investigated by using different analytical techniques: X-Ray diffractometer, field emission scanning electron microscope, thermogravimetric analyzer, Fourier-transform infrared spectrophotometer, and vibrating sample magnetometer. The effect of cluster trial working parameters, such as time, initial Cr(VI) concentration, pH, and co-existing anions was examined. The Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin adsorption isotherms were analyzed with the batch adsorption equilibrium data ensuring the multilayer adsorption of Cr(VI) onto the EM sites. Thermodynamic parameters were calculated for the batch adsorption process of Cr(VI) removal by EM adsorbent. The novel eggshell coated with magnetic nano-adsorbent (EM) has the more prominent adsorbing potential for Cr(VI) removal from its aquatic environment and the best suited for treating surface, underground and tannery wastewater with 48.5% reusability strength.

Mn-Zn ferrites are widely interested in the application as current-compensated chokes due to their astounding features. In this study, nanocrystalline Mn-Zn ferrite (Mn0.8Zn0.2Fe2O4) was synthesized using the coprecipitation method. The structures and magnetic properties of the resulting powder were assessed using X-ray diffractometer (XRD), transmission electron micrographs (TEM), magnetic properties at room temperature (AGFM) and Curie temperature measurement. XRD pattern confirmed the formation of nanocrystalline Mn-Zn ferrite with average crystallite sizes in 11.3 nm. The magnetic measurements revealed that they have superparamagnetic behavior. The electromagnetic properties of these cores including the output voltage versus input voltage, quality factor and impedance versus frequency at four sintered temperatures were assessed. The results demonstrated that the fabricated smart core sintered at low temperature (800 °C) could efficiently be appropriate for work in a test frequency of 15 MHz. This encouraging feature suggests that it is worthwhile for application in modern switch-mode power supply modules.

The paper discusses the fabrication of amorphous zinc oxide (a:ZnO)-top gate top contact (the gate is situated on the top and the contacts are taken from the top) thin-film transistor (TFT) using spin-spray pyrolysis (SSP) unit. The solutions of ZnO and poly-vinyl-alcohol (PVA) are synthesized separately by the sol–gel method. The ZnO and PVA solution are coated over glass substrate using the SSP unit and drop-cast technique, respectively. These films are characterized using an optical profilometer, X-ray diffractometer, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry and Keithley measurement system. The XRD and EDAX measurement confirm the amorphous nature and composition respectively. The thickness of the ZnO and PVA film are 460 nm and 600 nm, respectively. The resistance of ZnO film is 100 KΩ. Using the absorption spectrum, we calculate the bandgap of ZnO and PVA thin film samples which are 3.05 eV and 3.9 eV respectively. The metal–insulator–metal (MIM) structure is fabricated using fluorine-doped tin oxide, PVA and silver paste. The MIM structure is characterized for the electrical parameters such as capacitance and dielectric constant $$(\upvarepsilon r)$$ which is found to be 0.4 μF and 8 respectively at 40 Hz frequency. The TFT is fabricated by depositing the aluminium as electrode, ZnO as channel layer and and PVA as insulator layer of TFT with different W/L ratios. The TFT parameters such as threshold voltage (Vth), on/off current ratio (Ion/off) and mobility are studied and presented. The results confirm that Vth decreases with the shrinking of channel length. Current ratio Ion/off increases with the reduction of the channel length due to the increase in on-current value.

In this study, we have carried out an in-depth analysis on the role of high-pressure annealing (HPA) conditions on ferroelectricity as well as the interfacial property of Hf x Zr1– x O2 (HZO) capacitors in metal–ferroelectric–metal (MFM) structure. Unlike conventional 1:1 HZO films, HZO demonstrates the highest ferroelectricity at 1:3 Hf:Zr ratio in HPA and a significantly higher maximum remanent polarization ( ${P}_{\text {r}}$ ) of $31~\mu \text{C}$ /cm2 was achieved as compared to $19~\mu \text{C}$ /cm2 obtained in rapid thermal annealing (RTA) (HZO [1:1]). To understand the influence of HPA conditions, HZO [1:3] capacitors are annealed at various temperatures (300 °C, 400 °C, 500 °C, and 600 °C) and pressures (1, 50, and 200 atm). Ferroelectricity in HZO is found to enhance with increasing HPA temperature or pressure due to higher ferroelectric phase formation as revealed by grazing incidence X-ray diffractometer (GIXRD) analysis. Transient pulse switching measurement suggests the reduction in the effective thickness of the interfacial nonferroelectric film at a high HPA temperature or pressure which was also validated by impedance analysis. Further, impedance analysis reveals a reduction in the number of oxygen vacancy defects with increasing annealing temperature or pressure implying a phase transition from the tetragonal phase of nonferroelectric layer to the ferroelectric orthorhombic phase. In addition, excellent endurance property till 109 cycles with reduced wake-up effect was observed in HZO [1:3] capacitors with increasing the HPA temperature, while higher annealing pressure is found to increase ${P}_{r}$ without affecting its endurance property. The results obtained herein can be of significant scientific importance, especially to achieve enhanced ferroelectric property with reduced wake-up effect in Zr-rich HZO ferroelectrics.

A new sample stage for characterizing radioactive materials by X-ray powder diffraction was developed at the ATALANTE facility (CEA Marcoule, France) using a conventional (non-nuclearized) Bruker D8 goniometer mounted in Bragg–Brentano geometry. The setup consists of a removable, fully hermetic sample stage, with a 200 µm-thick beryllium window, that can be plugged onto a glove-box, allowing the sample to be introduced in an hermetic medium that also encapsulates the glove-box atmosphere throughout the analysis process. The whole setup is thus hermetically unplugged from the glove-box and positioned on the centre of the goniometer. No preliminary decontamination and/or decontainment of the sample is necessary. The device was developed to avoid an expensive and time-consuming nuclearization of the diffractometer while also keeping it easily accessible for maintenance. Ultimately, keeping the diffractometer out of a glove-box also limits the volume of the final nuclear wastes, and thus the removable sample stage is the only `active' part. X-ray diffraction results of two NIST standards LaB6 and α-Al2O3 as well as five actinide dioxides ThO2, UO2, NpO2, PuO2 and AmO2 are presented to show the efficiency of the setup.

Melt-quenching method used to fabricate SiO2-Li2O - CdO – Gd2O3 – Er2O3 glass system. The XRD diffractometer procedure is used to check the status of these samples. The density of LCGS sample increases with the addition of Er2O3. The mechanical characteristics are linked with Fourier-transform infrared spectra. Ultrasonic speeds and elastic moduli (experimental and theoretical) are increased, where the vL and vT were arranged between 5375 and 5490 m/s and 3105–3235 m/s respectively. This behaviour is correlated to the substitution of Er-O with Cd-O linkages. A widespread examination of γ ray (Ba133, Cs137 and Co60) interaction properties are done for prepared glass samples to discover its possible uses in securing against gamma radiations. The μm parameter found to be depend on concentration of Er2O3 in the glass, it increases from 10.215 to 10.593 (cm2/g) at energy 356 keV and from 5.249 to 5.396 (cm2/g) at energy 1332 keV. The HVL is decreased from 2.17 to 1. 86 cm at energy 356 keV and from 4.23 to 3.65 cm at energy 1332 keV and the mean free path λ also decreased from 3.14 to 2.68 cm and from 6.12 to 5.28 cm at energies 356 and 1332 keV respectively with the increase of erbium concentration from 0 to 2 mol%. Our findings show that a superior G5 glass sample for several photon interaction assets across the broad energy scale of γ ray.

We are reporting the preparation and characterization of polymer-dispersed liquid crystals (PDLCs) smart glass panel thin films using epoxy resin monomers/hardener/nematic liquid crystal (NLCs)/silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). In this system, we have been arranged polymerization-induced phase separation heat curing method. We have been prepared the silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by a solution method. After preparation of AgNPs, the detailed characteristics and morphology were analyzed by employing X-ray diffractometer used for crystal structure, average crystallite size, and microstrain analysis of AgNPs and observed the morphology of microstructure of the NPs under atomic force microscopy. The current study particularly focuses on the relationship of the three epoxy resins and AgNPs PDLC films system A, B and C based on feed and mol ratio. The prepared smart glass panel films were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and liquid crystal device parameters tester. The morphologies and liquid crystal device technique have been studied which strongly confirms the interaction of microstructures of the PDLC films system with (AgNPs). It is observed that increasing the feed ratio of AgNPs-doped PDLC films exhibited better optical and electro-optical (E-O) properties. In result, AgNPs-doped films possess low driving voltages and high CR. Moreover, the studies here provide a new approach to optimize the E-O properties of smart glass technology by introducing epoxy resins with AgNPs.

This study reports the effect of Ni substitution for Mn on structural, magnetic, and magnetocaloric properties of La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 manganite synthesized by sol–gel technique. The structural, morphological, and magnetic properties are investigated using x-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) systems. XRD results showed that all samples crystallize in rhombohedral structure. Thermomagnetic measurements showed that TC decreases with the addition of Ni from 363 K for x = 0.00 to 324 K for x = 0.06. ΔSM determined by Maxwell’s relations and Landau theory gave compatible results in the transition temperature and region above. ΔS max values were determined as 4.52, 4.51, 4.41, and 3.90 J kg−1 K−1 for x = 0.00, 0.02, 0.04, and 0.06 at 5T, respectively. The Arrott plots and the scaling analysis of ΔSM, which collapsed on a single curve, showed that magnetic transitions are of second order.

This report demonstrates nontoxic colloidal nitrate route CZTS (Cu2ZnSnS4) synthesis at room temperature, along with their band grading due to incorporation of Ge as cost of Sn (3%). The parent CZTS, CZGTS (Cu2ZnGeSnS4), and their polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solvent containing solutions doctor blade-coated thin film structural and optical properties are discussed. Their sulfurized thin films thickness have been achieved ±2 μ. It has noticed that addition of Ge in CZTS alloy affects the grain sizes, crystallographic structure, Raman spectral peak shift toward the higher wave number side. The addition of PVA and DMSO is also substantially contributed in their physical property modification by demonstrating the gradual improvement in grain sizes and compactness. Moreover, the gradual changes have also appeared in their X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and Raman spectroscopic results. The optical energy band gaps of the CZTS, CZGTS, and their PVA, DMSO mixed alloyed thin films are obtained in between 1.27 eV to 1.57 eV and 1.58 eV to 1.83 eV.

LiNixCoyMn1-x-yO2 (x ≥ 0.5) layered oxide materials are generally considered as one of the most prospective candidates for lithium-ion battery (LIBs) cathodes due to their high specific capacity and working voltage. However, surface impurity species substantially degrade the electrochemical performance of LIBs. Herein, surface reconstruction from layered structure to disordered layer and rock-salt coherent region together with a uniform Li2CO3-dominant coating layer is first in situ constructed on the single-crystal LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 (NCM) material by a simple water treatment procedure. The unique surface structure is elucidated by Ar-sputtering-assisted X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (spherical aberration-corrected-scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and TEM). Meanwhile, neutron powder diffraction (NPD) indicates that the antisite defect concentration is mitigated in the treated materials. The modified samples display superior cycle stability with a capacity retention of up to 87.5% at 1C after 300 cycles, a high rate capacity of 151 mAh g-1 at 5C, an elevated temperature (45 °C) cycling property with 80% capacity retention (4.5 V), and improved full-cell performance with 91% after 250 cycles at 1C. Importantly, postmortem examination on the cycled cathodes by time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectroscopy (TOF-SIMS), XPS, TEM, and X-ray diffractometer (XRD) pattern further demonstrate that these results are mainly attributed to the thin cathode electrolyte interface (CEI) film and low solubility of transition-metal ions. Therefore, this expedition provides an opportunity to construct an effective armor for the interface compatibility and stability of LIBs.

Nanocrystalline Mn substituted CuFe2O4 nanoparticles (MCFNPs) were synthesized using urea and egg white. The effects of heat treatment on crystal structure and magnetic properties have been studied using X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM). The single-phase cubic spinel structure of as synthesized MCFNPs was recognized from XRD profile. There are some impurity peaks in the annealed samples, which are the decomposition of the ferrites at higher annealing temperatures to the α-Fe2O3 phase. The crystallite size and Lattice parameter of the samples increases with annealing temperature. The crystallite sizes of the MCFNPs were found in the range ~10 to 55 nm. The morphology and particle size of the sample (annealed at 900 ℃) have been recorded through SEM and TEM. The secondary non-magnetic impurity phase influences the magnetic nature of the samples. The saturation magnetization (Ms) decreases at a temperature of 600 ℃ due to the presence of non-magnetic α-Fe2O3 phase. The surface / near-surface chemical states of the 900 °C annealed MCFNPs were analyzed using XPS within a range of 0-1000eV binding energies.

In the present work, the chemical bath deposition technique was used to synthesize CuO electrodes. Their electrochemical properties were examined for non-enzymatic glucose sensors. In order to analyse, the crystallinity of prepared electrodes X-ray diffractometer (XRD) was used whereas Field Emission Scanning Microscope (FE-SEM) was for morphological study. The synthesized bundles of CuO nanosheets exhibited the monoclinic phase. For the study of electrochemical properties of prepared CuO electrodes, cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry techniques have been adopted. The developed CuO electrodes are the best candidates for non-enzymatic glucose sensing, showing excellent response. It shows high sensitivity 1594 µAmM−1cm−2 with potential of + 0.6V, active time period of approximately 5 s, and linear range 3 μm to 3 mM. The CuO electrode’s selectivity toward interfering species such as ascorbic acid is also studied. The prepared electrode shows an excellent response to glucose compared to ascorbic acid.

In this work, the combustion method was adopted to compound Ca3Sr3(VO4)4: xDy3+ samples at 900 °C, and Eu3+ was co-doped into Ca3Sr3(VO4)4: Dy3+ samples to obtain better luminescent properties such as low correlation color temperature (CCT). The microstructure and photoluminescence characteristics of the prepared phosphors were explored with X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, respectively. The rhombohedral crystal structure was demonstrated by the results of XRD analysis, which were in agreement with the standard Ca3Sr3(VO4)4 phase. Under near-ultraviolet (NUV) excitation at 387 nm, the emission spectra of Ca3Sr3(VO4)4: xDy3+ samples consist of two characteristic emission peaks centered at 484 nm and 575 nm, corresponding to the magnetic dipole transition 4F9/2 → 6H15/2 (blue emission) and electron dipole transition 4F9/2 → 6H13/2 (yellow emission) of Dy3+ ions, respectively. In particular, the CCT values were lowered by the addition of Eu3+ ions. The above-mentioned conclusions demonstrate that Ca3Sr3(VO4)4: Dy3+, Eu3+ sample possesses a promising prospect for warm white light-emitting diodes (white LEDs) under NUV excitation.

Polycrystalline nano-magnetic pure and Ho3+-substituted Mg–Mn ferrite [Mg0.90Mn0.10Fe(2−x)HoxO4 (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3)] nanoparticles were synthesized by sol–gel combustion method. The physicochemical properties of samples were analyzed using various characterization techniques such X-ray diffractometer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Mossbaur spectroscopy, vibrating sample magnetometer, field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) to identify the crystalline phase, functional groups, surface morphology, and magnetic behavior. The structural studies revealed that all the compositions showed pure phase formation of ferrite nanoparticles without any secondary phases and exhibited a cubic crystalline structure with $$Fd\stackrel{-}{3}m$$ space group. FTIR spectra displayed the high-frequency peak observed at 554 cm−1 belonging to Fe–O bending, which confirmed the formation of pristine and Ho3+ modified spinel Mg–Mn ferrite nanoparticles. FESEM micrographs depicted the pseudo-spherical and granular morphology with agglomerated regions and energy dispersive X-ray spectra showed the elemental compositions present in the prepared nanoparticles confirming the high purity of the synthesized samples. EPR spectra illustrated the magnetic nature of pure and Ho3+-substituted Mg–Mn ferrite nanoparticles and displayed strong inter-dipolar interactions. Mossbauer spectra showed that the quadrupole shift increased with increasing Ho3+ content in the composition. All the compositions exhibited superparamagnetic behavior and it was observed that the value of saturation magnetization decreased with Ho3+ intrusion in the crystal framework of Mg–Mn ferrites as depicted by magnetic hysteresis loops. The observed results of the present study are significant and useful for their effective utilization in biosensing applications.