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A two-stage ball milling process was used to synthesize amorphous Ni79.2Nb12.5Y8.3 and Ni74.2Co5Nb12.5Y8.3 nanoparticles from elemental powders. The two-stage ball milling process provides a scalable and industrially applicable method for producing non-metalloid amorphous nanoparticles. The amorphous nanoparticles displayed excellent catalytic performance toward the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in 1 M KOH, displaying lower overpotentials than IrO2 at 10 mA cm-2. The addition of Co in the amorphous alloy reduced the overpotential to 288 mV at 10 mA cm-2. The pairing of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy revealed that the improved OER activity of amorphous Ni74.2Co5Nb12.5Y8.3 was attributed to the catalytic synergy between Y and Co. The integration of Y supported proton-coupled electron-transfer processes that assisted with the electrostatic adsorption of OH- and formation of oxyhydroxide species, while Co sites enabled metal-oxo bonding to prevent Ni overcharging and the stabilization of β-NiOOH. The catalytic synergy between Y and Co reduces the amount of Co needed to enhance the OER activity of Ni-based alloys and lessens the dependence on Co, which is in high demand in many renewable energy and storage applications.

The structural investigation of the a-Si:H material, deposited at different pressures by PECVD process, has been carried out to analyze the signatures of diffused intermediate sort of crystalline phases within the amorphous silicon matrix. Raman characterization along with the Photoluminescence (PL) and spectroscopic ellipsometry studies were carried out to understand the microstructuree of these films. From Raman analysis the material was found to have indistinguishable crystalline phase, which can also be named as “intermediate amorphous phase” (a phase defined between amorphous and ultra nano-crystalline silicon) with crystalline volume fractions as 56 % and 62 % for 0.23 Torr and 0.53 Torr respectively. Here the contribution of ultra nano-crystallites results in higher crystalline fraction, which is not visibly revealed from the Raman spectra due to its sub nano-crystallite characteristics. For the film deposited at 0.53 Torr stable photo-conductance in conjunction with high photo-response under 10 hour light soaking has been observed, which is as expected due to high crystalline volume fraction. The presence of these phases might be the possible reason for the distinct device characteristics though having nearly the similar electrical properties (photo-response ~10 4 ). These studies will help to make improvement in the individual layer properties, other than the interface effect, in the fabrication of efficient p-i-n solar cells. Copyright © 2016 VBRI Press

The design of high performance structural materials is always pursuing combinations of excellent yet often mutually exclusive properties such as mechanical strength, ductility and thermal stability. Although crystal-glass composite alloys provide better ductility compared to fully amorphous alloys, their thermal stability is poor, due to heterogeneous nucleation at the crystal-glass interface. Here we present a new strategy to develop thermally stable, ultrastrong and deformable crystal-glass nanocomposites through a thermodynamically guided alloy design approach, which mimics the mutual stabilization principle known from symbiotic ecosystems. We realized this in form of a model Cr-Co-Ni (crystalline)/Ti-Zr-Nb-Hf-Cr-Co-Ni (amorphous) laminate composite alloy. The symbiotic alloy has an ultrahigh compressive yield strength of 3.6 GPa and large homogeneous deformation of ∼15% strain at ambient temperature, values which surpass those of conventional metallic glasses and nanolaminate alloys. Furthermore, the alloy exhibits ∼200 K higher crystallization temperature (TX > 973 K) compared to that of the original TiZrNbHf-based amorphous phase. The elemental partitioning among adjacent amorphous and crystalline phases leads to their mutual thermodynamic and mechanical stabilization, opening up a new symbiotic approach for stable, strong and ductile materials.

Amorphous aluminum oxide (alumina) thin films are of interest as inert chemical barriers for various applications. However, the existing literature on the aqueous stability of atomic layer deposited (ALD) amorphous alumina thin films remains incomplete and, in some cases, inconsistent. Because these films have a metastable amorphous structure─which is likely partially hydrated in the as-deposited state─hydration and degradation behavior likely deviate from what is expected for the equilibrium, crystalline Al2O3 phase. Deposition conditions and the aqueous solution composition (ion content) appear to influence the reactivity and stability of amorphous ALD alumina films, but a full understanding of why these alumina films hydrate, solvate, and/or dissolve in near-neutral pH = 7 conditions, for which crystalline Al2O3 is expected to be stable, remains unsolved. In this work, we conduct an extensive X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy investigation of the surface chemistry as a function of water immersion time to reveal the formation of oxyhydroxide (AlOOH), hydroxide (Al(OH)3), and possible carbonate species. We further show that brief postdeposition exposures of these ALD alumina films to an air plasma anneal can significantly enhance the film's stability in near-neutral pH aqueous conditions. The simplicity and effectiveness of this plasma treatment may provide a new alternative to thermal annealing and capping treatments typically used to promote aqueous stability of low-temperature ALD metal oxide barrier layers.

We report highly sensitive temperature sensing circuits using low temperature polysilicon oxide (LTPO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) on a glass substrate. The sensor has the LTPO operational amplifier (Op-Amp) made of dual gate (DG) amorphous InGaZnO (a-IGZO) and low temperature poly-Si (LTPS) TFTs by blue laser annealing process. The DG a-IGZO TFTs-based sensing circuit exhibits a sensitivity of 37.9±3 mV/°C and it can be further boosted to 223.33±8 mV/°C by incorporating LTPO Op-Amp for body temperature detection (35~40 °C). The DG a-IGZO TFT exhibits robust threshold voltage stability ( $\Delta {\rm V}_{Th}$ = −0.16 V) with temperature, which is essential for the practical development of the proposed LTPO differential temperature sensor (TS) to accurately measure the human body temperature.

We report the temperature-dependent operation of back-end-of-line (BEOL) compatible amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide ( ${a}$ -IGZO) ferroelectric thin-film transistors (FeTFTs) with a large memory window (MW) more than 3 V. Our ${a}$ -IGZO FeTFTs have a metal–ferroelectric–metal–insulator–semiconductor (MFMIS) stru- cture with Zr-doped HfO 2 (HZO) as the ferroelectric layer. Characteristics of ${a}$ -IGZO FeTFTs are investigated in the temperature range of −40 °C to 100 °C. We found that: Firstly, the remanent polarization ( ${P}_{\text {r}}$ ) of the HZO film increases with $2{P}_{\text {r}}$ from $\sim 35~ {\mu }\text{C}$ /cm 2 at −40 °C to $\sim 40~ {\mu }\text{C}$ /cm 2 at 100 °C. Secondly, enhancement in MWs at high temperatures is observed, achieving MWs larger than 3.5 V when the temperature is higher than 60 °C. Thirdly, for the threshold voltage ( ${V}_{\text {TH}}$ ) at high temperatures, there is a competition between the negative shift caused by higher carrier concentration in the ${a}$ -IGZO channel and positive shift due to the charge trapping at the floating gate in the MFMIS structure. This could be explored to realize good ${V}_{\text {TH}}$ stability.

Under a self-heating stress (SHS), amorphous InGaZnO (a-IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) would exhibit a severe hump in the transfer characteristics. A model based on state transformation of oxygen vacancies is proposed to explain this phenomenon. The channel region of TFT is considerably self-heated if a large current flows through due to the poor thermal conductivity of a-IGZO. The temperature in the channel region can be raised with the high-power SHS so high that the oxygen vacancies there perform a state transformation from deep-donors and/or traps to shallow-donors, making the carrier concentration increase remarkably in the a-IGZO channel layer. The temperature is highest in the center of channel region and thus the state transformation takes place there first, leading to the carrier concentration increasing there first. As a result, the TFT has a lower turn-on voltage in the central channel region than in the rest, bringing finally about the hump in the transfer curves. The model is well verified by annealing the a-IGZO, which shows that the carrier concentration surely increases greatly when the annealing temperature is over 300 °C.

Green fluorescent proteins (GFP) are commonly used as fluorescent tags and biosensors in cell biology and medicine. However, the propensity of GFP-like proteins to aggregate and the consequence of intermolecular interaction for their application have not been thoroughly examined. In this work, alternative aggregation pathways of superfolder green fluorescent protein (sfGFP) were demonstrated using a spectroscopic and microscopic study of the samples prepared by equilibrium microdialysis. Besides oligomerization of native monomers, we showed for the first time the condition-specific formation by sfGFP of either amyloid fibrils (at increased temperature or acidity) or amorphous aggregates (at physiological conditions). Both types of sfGFP aggregates had lost green fluorescence and were toxic to cells. Thus, when using GFP-like proteins as fluorescent tags, one should take into account their high ability to form aggregates with lost unique visible fluorescence in the cellular environment, which affects cell viability. Moreover, the results of this work cast doubt on the correctness of the data on the fibrillogenesis of various amyloidogenic proteins obtained using their fusion with GFP-like proteins.

The influence of oxidation on the microstructure and tensile strength of Cansas-II SiC fibers at 900–1500 ℃ in the air was investigated in depth. The growth of β-SiC grains ordering as well as the increase of the size of free carbon in the SiC core occurred due to the thermal exposure. The thickness of the amorphous SiO2 layer increases with the temperature, starting to transform to cristobalite at 1200 ℃. The activation energy in the ambient air is determined as 148KJ/mol, similar to that of Hi-Niaclon fibers (107∼151 KJ/mol). With the growth of the SiO2 layer, lots of bubbles appeared in the SiO2 layer due to the release of excess CO gas. Moreover, many cracks occurred on the fiber surface caused by the residual stress. The mean tensile strength decreased from initial 2.7 GPa to 0.3 GPa after the treatment at 1500 ℃, which could be mainly attributed to the SiO2 layer.

A novel class of nanocrystalline/amorphous Gd3Ni/Gd65Ni35 composite microwires were created directly from melt-extraction through controlled solidification. X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) confirmed the formation of a biphase nanocrystalline/amorphous structure in these wires. Magnetic and magnetocaloric experiments indicate a large magnetic entropy change (-ΔSM ~9.64 J/kg K), large refrigerant capacity (RC ~742.1 J/kg), and large maximum adiabatic temperature change ( Δ T a d max ~5 K) around the Curie temperature of ~120 K for a field change of 5 T. These values are ~1.5 times larger relative to its bulk counterpart and are superior to other candidate materials being considered for active magnetic refrigeration in the liquid nitrogen temperature range.

Metal antimony (Sb) is a promising anode material of potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) for its high theoretical capacity but limited by its inferior cycle stability due to the serious volume expansion during cycling. Herein, we design and construct a kind of low-crystalline Sb nanoparticles coated with amorphous Sb2O3 and dispersed into three-dimensional porous carbon via a strategy involving NaCl template-assisted in-situ pyrolysis and subsequent low-temperature heat-treated in air. Significantly, the crystallinity and ratio of Sb/Sb2O3 have been precisely tuned and controlled, and the optimized sample of HTSb@Sb2O3@C-4 displays a high reversible specific capacity of 543.9 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1, superior rate capability and excellent cycle stability (~273 mAh g−1 at 2 A g−1 after 2000 cycles) as an anode of PIBs. The outstanding potassium-ion storage performance can be ascribed to the appropriate crystallinity and the multiple-buffer-matrix structure comprising an interconnected porous conductive carbon to relieve the volume changes and suppress the aggregation of Sb, a Sb nanoparticle core to shorten the ion transport pathways and decrease the mechanical stress, and a low-crystalline Sb2O3 as the shell to consolidate the interface between Sb and carbon as well as facilitate the rapid electron transport. The dynamic analysis shows that the composite is mainly controlled by pseudocapacitance mechanism. This work provides a novel thought to design high-performance composite electrode in energy storage devices.

Tremendous attention has been paid on high efficiency, readily available and stability of electrocatalysts. Herein, we ingenious report a one-step reaction strategy synthesis of CoFe/CP grown on three-dimensional (3D) nanoarray carbon paper (CP) containing non-precious metals for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with low-cost and unique hierarchical porous structure. This amorphous CoFe/CP hybrid exhibits commendable electrocatalytic performance in the OER process, requiring only overpotential of 278 mV to achieve 10 mAcm−2 in 1.0 M KOH solution and a lower Tafel slope of 49.12 mVdec-1. In addition, this sample shows a long-term durability even at 200 mAcm−2 without obvious decay, which attributes to peculiar multistage graded nano structure and the change of composition at the interface of CP. Therefore, the remarkable OER activity can provide a new strategy to construct potential candidates, which will replace the state-of-the-art precious metals for OER in the future.

Big offset drift with the change of the temperature was found for the magnetic sensor with (Fe0.06Co0.94)72.5Si2.5B15 amorphous wire. To reduce the temperature coefficient of the magnetic sensor, a bias reversal technology was developed. Instead of the static dc bias current, a square wave current, which was switched between +IB and -IB, was used to bias the magnetic sensor with amorphous wire. The switching frequency of the square wave was about 1 kHz. Using the bias reversal technology, the temperature coefficient of the magnetic sensor was significantly reduced. This magnetic sensor with bias reversal technology will be suitable for wide temperature operation and longtime magnetic field measurement.

A series of Hafnium dioxide (HfO2) thin films with nominal thickness of 5–350 nm were reactively deposited on silicon（100）substrates at 200 °C using electron-beam evaporation. Based on the measurement and characterization techniques of spectroscopic ellipsometry, X ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, the effect of growth thickness on the refractive index and crystallization of HfO2 film grown under the same conditions was studied. The results indicate that the change of refractive index of HfO2 film is closely related to the change of microstructure i.e., grain size and crystallization which change obviously with the increasing growth thickness. The average refractive index at 633 nm decreases about from 1.97 to 1.84 with the increase of the average size about from 0.5 nm to 7~8 nm and the crystallinity from zero to 74% when the thickness of HfO2 film increases from 5 nm to 350 nm. Meanwhile, a critical growth thickness of HfO2 film, somewhere on order of 130 nm, is confirmed at which the film transforms from an amorphous to a polycrystalline monoclinic structure. The sharp change of microstructure near the critical thickness value of HfO2 film leads to the abrupt change of optical properties of HfO2 film, such as the turning behaviors of the refractive index curve. The correlation between phase transformation, size and orientation of crystallite, packing density and hence the refractive index is established. The possible interpretations are proposed to well understand the underlying mechanism of the evolution of optical properties in HfO2 film-forming process.

This study reports for the first time the use of amorphous mixed cobalt-cerium metal oxides (Co10-aCeaOx), obtained by photochemical metal-organic deposition, for 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) oxidation. The optimized Co8Ce2Ox exhibited a good electrocatalytic activity toward HMF oxidation with a current density of 2.8 mA cm-2 at 1.60 V, which is 1.4 times higher than that of pure CoOx. Operando Raman spectra reveal that the incorporation of Ce altered the electronic structure of the composite by facilitating the formation of CoOOH/CoO2, thus promoting catalytic activity. Notably, it is found that the oxidation of HMF proceeds dominantly via the oxidation of the alcohol group, followed by its subsequent oxidation in both alkaline and neutral media. Due to the stability of the aldehyde group in neutral media, high valuable 2,5-diformylfuran (DFF) with the selectivity of 60%-92% was obtained, thus open the new route for electrocatalytic DFF production.

In this paper, several experimental techniques [X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and broad-band dielectric spectroscopy] have been applied to characterize the structural and thermal properties, H-bonding pattern, and molecular dynamics of amorphous bosentan (BOS) obtained by vitrification and cryomilling of the monohydrate crystalline form of this drug. Samples prepared by these two methods were found to be similar with regard to their internal structure, H-bonding scheme, and structural (α) dynamics in the supercooled liquid state. However, based on the analysis of α-relaxation times (dielectric measurements) predicted for temperatures below the glass-transition temperature (Tg), as well as DSC thermograms, it was concluded that the cryoground sample is more aged (and probably more physically stable) compared to the vitrified one. Interestingly, such differences in physical properties turned out to be reflected in the lower intrinsic dissolution rate of BOS obtained by cryomilling (in the first 15 min of dissolution test) in comparison to the vitrified drug. Furthermore, we showed that cryogrinding of the crystalline BOS monohydrate leads to the formation of a nearly anhydrous amorphous sample. This finding, different from that reported by Megarry et al. [Carbohydr. Res.2011, 346, 1061−106421492830] for trehalose (TRE), was revealed on the basis of infrared and thermal measurements. Finally, two various hypotheses explaining water removal upon cryomilling have been discussed in the manuscript.

The effect of cavities on recrystallization growth of amorphous SiC induced by a high fluence He implantation was investigated. 300 keV He ions were used to implant the 6H-SiC (0001) wafer to a fluence of 4.4 × 1017/cm2 at room temperature. A buried amorphous layer with a width of approximately 468 nm was formed. Moreover, many spherical bubbles with diameters over 25 nm were observed by transmission electron microscopy. Recrystallization of the buried amorphous layer was visible after 900 °C annealing for 30 min. Some irregular cavities were found in the damaged layer. The recrystallization started from the amorphous/crystalline interface, and the formed cavities retarded the epitaxial growth. Nanocrystalline SiC was formed in the cavity layer. Extended defects were also characterized by transmission electron microscopy. The research results will give an insight into the recrystallization process in amorphous SiC.

The kinetics and the mechanism of oxidation of ceramics based on HfB2 and SiC, manufactured by elemental self-propagating high-temperature synthesis followed by hot pressing were investigated. The synthesis product contained HfC(x) and HfO2 as impurity phases. Depending on the ratio between the main components, the samples were characterized by high structural and chemical homogeneity, porosity of 3–6 vol%, hardness up to 29 GPa, bending strength of 500–600 MPa, fracture toughness of 5.6–8.9 MPa × m1/2, and thermal conductivity of 86.0–89.7 W/(m × K). The oxidation was performed under static conditions at 1650 °C and upon exposure to a high-enthalpy gas flow. A dense layer consisting of HfO2/HfSiO4 grains formed on the surface of the ceramics during both oxidation conditions; the space between the grains was filled with amorphous SiO2–B2O3. The best heat resistance was observed for the ceramics with 16 wt% SiC for static conditions and 8 wt% SiC for gas-dynamic conditions.

Tantalum oxide nano layers were deposition on glass substrate with different thicknesses (30, 60, 90 and 120 nm) in vertical deposition angle and high vacuum condition at room temperature by using electron gun evaporation method. There were no specific peaks in XRD patterns because of amorphous nature of these layers. AFM results show that surface roughness is reduced by increasing the thickness of the layers. FESEM images show nucleation, growth, accession and integration as interconnected islands in the lower thickness and re-nucleation at higher thicknesses (120 nm). We studied Raman spectra of the produced Ta2O5 amorphous layers. The calculated optical coefficients by using Kramers-Kronig relations show that with increasing film thickness, dielectric properties, absorption coefficient and band gap energy have increased.

In this research study, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) polymer was selected and irradiated with alpha particles at various times. The alterations in the structure, optical parameters, and electrical properties of PMMA polymer caused by alpha particles have been assessed using XRD, ultraviolet–visible (UV/Vis) spectrophotometry and dc electric circuit, respectively. The results showed halo peaks in the XRD patterns, which indicate the amorphous nature of this type of polymer. The UV/Vis spectra demonstrated that absorption increases while transmittance decreases with an increase in the exposure time. Use of PMMA polymer as alpha dosimeters using the UV/Vis spectroscopic technique was investigated. The optical energy-gap values decreased from 3.44 eV to 3.01 eV. Furthermore, the refractive index values of all studied samples increased. Increasing the alpha radiation time enhanced dc-conductivity as well.

P-doping is an effective way to modulate the electronic structure and improve the Na+ diffusion kinetics of TiO2, enabling enhanced electrochemical performance. However, it is a challenge to prepare TiO2 with a high P-doping concentration starting from TiO2 in a crystalline state. In this work, we design a novel two-step route for constructing a carbon-coated anatase P-doping TiO2 nanospheres (denote as (P-AnTSS)@NC) with high P-doping concentration, by utilizing amorphous TiO2 nanospheres with the ultra-high specific area as P-doping precursor firstly, and followed by carbon coating treatment. Experimental results demonstrate that P is successfully doped into the crystal lattice and carbon layer is well coated on the surface of TiO2, with P-doping and carbon-coating contents of ~ 13.5 wt% and 10.4 wt%, respectively, which results in the enhanced pseudocapacitive behavior as well as favorable Na+ and electron transferring kinetics. The (P-AnTSS)@NC sample shows excellent rate and cycle performance, exhibiting specific capacities of 177 and 115 mAh/g at 0.1 and 1.0 A/g after 150 and 2000 cycles, respectively

In this study structural and mechanical properties of a 1 μm thick Al2O3 coating, deposited on 316L stainless steel by Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD), subjected to high energy ion irradiation were assessed. Mechanical properties of pristine and ion-modified specimens were investigated using the nanoindentation technique. A comprehensive characterization combining Transmission Electron Microscopy and Grazing-Incidence X-ray Diffraction provided deep insight into the structure of the tested material at the nano- and micro-scale. Variation in the local atomic ordering of the irradiated zone at different doses was investigated using a reduced distribution function analysis obtained from electron diffraction data. Findings from nanoindentation measurements revealed a slight reduction in hardness of all irradiated layers. At the same time TEM examination indicated that the irradiated layer remained amorphous over the whole dpa range. No evidence of crystallization, void formation or element segregation was observed up to the highest implanted dose. Reported mechanical and structural findings were critically compared with each other pointing to the conclusion that under given irradiation conditions, over the whole range of doses used, alumina coatings exhibit excellent radiation resistance. Obtained data strongly suggest that investigated material may be considered as a promising candidate for next-generation nuclear reactors, especially LFR-type, where high corrosion protection is one of the highest prerogatives to be met.

Perovskite oxides have emerged as promising candidates for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalyst due to their flexible lattice structure, tunable electronic structure, superior stability, and cost-effectiveness. Recent research studies have mostly focused on the traditional methods to tune the OER performance, such as cation/anion doping, A-/B-site ordering, epitaxial strain, oxygen vacancy, and so forth, leading to reasonable yet still limited activity enhancement. Here, we report a novel strategy for promoting the OER activity for perovskite LaNiO3 by crystal phase engineering, which is realized by breaking long-range chemical bonding through amorphization. We provide the first and direct evidence that perovskite oxides with an amorphous structure can induce the self-adaptive process, which helps enhance the OER performance. This is evidenced by the fact that an amorphous LaNiO3 film on glassy carbon shows a 9-fold increase in the current density compared to that of an epitaxial LaNiO3 single crystalline film. The obtained current density of 1038 μΑ cm-2 (@ 1.6 vs RHE) is the largest value among the literature reported values. Our work thus offers a new protocol to boost the OER performance for perovskite oxides for future clean energy applications.

In this paper, α, γ and amorphous Al2O3 were deposited on mesoporous TiO2 by spin coating technique. Among the phases of alumina used for coating the TiO2 layer, photo anode electrode prepared by γ-Al2O3 showed better photovoltaic properties than those covered by α and amorph-Al2O3. The perovskite solar cells which constructed by surface passivated TiO2 films showed worse performance and stability than the unpassivated devices. Also, using the amorphous phase of alumina as substrate of perovskite in the structure of perovskite solar cells leads to lower solar cell stability (remain about 49% of efficiency after 70 days) compared to using α and γ-Al2O3 as substrate of perovskite (remain about 68% of efficiency after 70 days). Our findings provide vital understanding to improve the performance and stability of TiO2- and Al2O3-based perovskite solar cells.

We report high-performance amorphous Indium-Gallium-Zinc-Oxide nanowire field-effect transistors (α -IGZO NW-FETs) featuring an ultrascaled nanowire width ( $W_{NW}$ ) down to ~20 nm. The device with 100 nm channel length ( $L_{CH}$ ) and ~25 nm $W_{NW}$ achieves a decent subthreshold swing (SS) of 80 mV/dec as well as high peak extrinsic transconductance ( $G_{m,ext}$ ) of 612 μ S/μ m at a drain-source voltage ( $V_{DS}$ ) = 2 V (456 μ S/μ m at $V_{DS}$ = 1 V). The good electrical properties are enabled by using an ultrascaled 5 nm high-k HfO₂ as the gate dielectric, a water-free ozone-based atomic layer deposition (ALD) process, and a novel digital etch (DE) technique developed for indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (IGZO) material. By using low-power BCl₃-based plasma treatment and isopropyl alcohol (IPA) rinse in an alternating way, the DE process is able to realize a cycle-by-cycle etch with an etching rate of ~1.5 nm/cycle. The scaling effects on device performance have been analyzed as well. It shows that the downscaling of $W_{NW}$ improves the SS notably without sacrificing on-state performance, and the shrinking of $L_{CH}$ boosts the $G_{m,ext}$ . The ultrascaled α -IGZO NW-FETs could play an important role in applications where high performance and high density are highly desired.

The effect of thermal exposure on a mullite fiber was analyzed. This type of mullite fiber, consisting of γ-Al2O3 and amorphous SiO2, was developed for high-temperature applications. Heat treatments at temperatures ranging from 900 °C to 1500 °C for 1h were performed in air. Investigations showed that the tensile strength of the initial fiber was about 1.60 GPa. And the elastic modulus was about 133.51 GPa. The bundles’ strength decreased at 900 °C slightly after thermal treatment, then increased and got a maximum at 1100 °C with 1.65 GPa. At above 1100 °C, the strength degraded sharply due to the mullite phase transformation and the exaggerated grain growth. At 1300 °C, the phase reaction almost finished with a tensile strength of 0.86 GPa. And the strength retention was only 47.50%. When the heat-treated temperature got to 1500 °C, the density of surface defects in the fiber surged, making it too fragile and weak to go through the tensile tests.

Solid polymer electrolytes have been broadly studied due to their wide applications in various electrochemical devices. In the present work, the electrical properties of polyaniline and its composites with BaSO4 have been studied. The polymerization of aniline monomer via the ordinary chemical polymerization process showed an amorphous structure. Whereas, in the presence of BaSO4 as a seed, the aniline is polymerized in an orthorhombic crystalline structure on the BaSO4-surface. Two composite samples of PANI and BaSO4 with different amounts of BaSO4 (1.5 and 2.5 wt%) were prepared and analyzed using XRD, FT-IR, SEM, and XPS techniques. The ac- electrical studies on the composites showed an enhancement in the electrical conductivity of PANI due to the addition of BaSO4. Ac- conductivity at frequency 500 kHz, and 100 °C, showed values of 1.9 × 10−3, 5.4 × 10−4, 1.6 × 10−1, and 1.9 × 10−1 S/cm for PANI, BaSO4, BaSO4/PANI 1.5 wt%, and BaSO4/PANI 2.5 wt%, respectively.

Alkali aluminosilicates are potential materials for high temperature applications under alkali load. This study investigated the corrosion behaviour of potassium aluminosilicates of the nominal compositions of KAlSi2O6 and KAlSiO4 synthesized at different temperatures and dwell times and exposed to alkali load at 1100 °C. For understanding the corrosion behaviour depending on the synthesizing parameters, the produced materials and corroded samples were investigated by XRD and NMR spectroscopy (29Si, 27Al). The combination of both analytical techniques showed that characteristics of the synthesized materials on a structural level played an important role for the corrosion behaviour. It was shown that amorphous and disordered components in the samples occurred which were not registered by XRD. The application of 29Si and 27Al NMR spectroscopy yielded that materials having already after synthesis a structural arrangement similar to the equilibrium target phase of the batch showed a high structural stability under alkali load and gave positive results in the applied corrosion test. Materials with large structural rearrangements during alkali load exhibited volume changes and therefore failed the corrosion test. Based on these observations it should therefore be possible to design materials with high chemical and mechanical stability suitable as furnace linings and to evaluate end-of-life aluminosilicates for an application as alkali corrosion resistant recyclates.

In this study, two-channel thin-film transistors (TC TFTs) using sputtered-deposited amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide (a-IGZO) as a channel layer and atomic-layer-deposition Al₂O₃ as gate insulator (GI) are proposed for wearable and portable device application. Symmetric-TC (S-TC) TFT structure consisted of conventional bottom gate (BG) TFT stacked on top of top gate (TG) TFT. Asymmetric-TC (A-TC) TFT contained BG TFT with tandem structure on the TG TFT. It was shown that the TC TFTs exhibited excellent performance such as high field-effect mobility ( $μ_{FE}$ ) and on/off current ratio ( $I_{t{on/off}}$ ) at low voltages (

A new method of pre-cladding amorphous glass and glass-ceramic brazing was invented to obtain a high-reliability bonding of yttrium iron garnet ferrite (YIG) and magnesium titanate ceramic (MTC) at a relatively low temperature of 725oC. The amorphous glass cladding could alleviate the stress generated by thermal expansion difference between the glass ceramic and base materials. The microstructure shows that micron-scale and nanoscale CoFe2O4 phases were dispersed in the glass seam. The joint shear strength reached 117 ± 6.6 MPa due to the enhancement of CoFe2O4 phases, which was twice as that of the joint directly brazed by amorphous bismuth glass. Correspondingly, the joint weak area was transferred from the glass matrix to the vicinity of the interface and the base material, providing a direct evidence that the glass seam was strengthened by the glass ceramic. It is significant for improving high reliability of the microwave devices for long-term service.

The structure of Ni active sites supported on amorphous silica-alumina supports with different contents of Al2O3 loadings in relation to their activities in ethylene oligomerization were investigated. Two kinds of Ni sites were detected by in situ FTIR-CO and H2-TPR experiments, that are Ni2+ cations as grafted on weak acidic silanols and Ni2+ cations at ion-exchange positions. The ethylene oligomerization activities of these Ni/ASA catalysts were found an ascending tendency as the Al2O3 loading decreased, which could be attributed to the enriched concentration of Ni2+ species on acidic silanols with a weaker interaction with the amorphous silica-alumina support. These Ni2+ species were more easily to be evolved into Ni+ species, which has been identified to be the active sites of ethylene oligomerization. Thus, it seems reasonable to conclude that Ni2+ species grafted on acidic silanols were the precursors of active sites.

Rechargeable Li-CO2 batteries (LCBs) are considered as a promising candidate for the next generation energy storage system, but still be impeded by the lack of high-performance cathode catalyst and poor understanding for the complicated reaction mechanism. In the present work, we demonstrate that the catalytic capability of cathode catalyst of LCBs can be remarkably enhanced from the accelerated reaction kinetics using a p-type substrate as adsorption/desorption promoter for refined reaction route. A carbon-free atomic Ir-Te cathode catalyst with Ir atomic cluster is uniformly super-assembled on the surface of Te nanowires forming an amorphous surface layer (ca. 3 nm) to maximize the catalytic capability of active Ir sites and provide a refined reaction pathway due to synergistic effect of Ir active sites and Te substrate. The adsorption ability of Li2C2O4 during discharging and the desorption ability of CO2 species during charging of the p-type Te substrate could both promote the catalytic reaction kinetics and optimize the reaction pathways on Ir active sites. Finally, a large specific capacity of 13,247.1 mAh g−1 and an excellent high rate cyclability with stably over 350 and 200 cycles at the current density of 1000 and 2000 mA g−1 are achieved. This contribution provides a rational design strategy for high performance cathode catalyst, and intrinsic insight towards the understanding the reaction mechanisms of LCBs.

The shape impact of nanostructured ceria on the dispersion of Pd species was investigated by analyzing the atomic configuration and the bonding environment of Pd species over spherical and cubic ceria particles, using STEM and XPS. Amorphous Pd particles of about 2.0 nm, with a substantial amount of tiny Pd species, dispersed on spherical ceria, primarily due to the enriched surface oxygen vacancies that bonded the Pd species tightly. While faceted Pd particles of about 2.9 nm located on cubic ceria with distinct interfaces where Pd atoms embedded into the ceria lattice. The crystalline Pd particles on ceria cubes were highly active and stable for methane combustion that occurred on the metal surface via a facile PdO/Pd redox cycle; while the amorphous Pd particles on spherical ceria particles were featured by a significantly higher activity and stability towards CO oxidation, where the Pd-ceria interface served as the active sites.

In situ formation of composite micro-mesoporous dendritic fibrous nano-silica (DFNS) and Al-DFNS was prepared using a cetylpyridinium bromide (CPB) template synthetic system. Dealumination is induced by impregnation of zirconium with flux followed by a sulfuric acid treatment. This procedure results in a series of highly uniform nano-spheres, which exhibit stronger acid property than that of Al-MCM-41. In the selective alkylation of anthracene with tert‑amyl alcohol, SO42− modified Zr-contained dealuminated Al-DFNS (SZ-DeAl-DFNS) shows great catalytic activity and higher conversion (60.8%). The DFNS samples were characterized with XRD, SEM, TEM, NH3-TPD and other techniques. The results reveal that DFNSs consist of center-radial micro-mesopores and that the acid contribution of SZ-DeAl-DFNS is much broader, as compared with amorphous aluminosilicate

High-performance microwave absorption absorbers play important roles in the fields of radar stealth, electromagnetic protection, and antenna technology. In this work, high aspect-ratio Ag nanowires were decorated with magnetic CoNi nanoparticles via a PVP-induced solvothermal method, and then amorphous Sn(OH)2/SnO2 shells were introduced through an in-situ oxidative hydrolysis method, successfully preparing Ag-CoNi@Sn(OH)2/SnO2 composites. The morphology and ingredient of composites were ascertained by SEM, TEM, XRD, EDX, and XPS. As Ag-CoNi nanocomposites are coated by Sn(OH)2/SnO2 shells, the minimum reflection loss value is decreased from −31.7 dB (10.1 GHz) to −37.8 dB (6.4 GHz), and the maximum effective absorption bandwidth is extended from 3.9 GHz (10.3–14.2 GHz) to 5.8 GHz (10.7–16.5 GHz). Analyses of electromagnetic parameters reveal the possible mechanisms, involving surface plasma resonance, conductive loss, interfacial polarization, dipole polarization, exchange resonance, eddy current effect, multiple reflection and scattering. Thus, Ag nanowires modified with CoNi nanoparticles and amorphous Sn(OH)2/SnO2 shells can effectively balance the impedance matching and attenuation capability. It is a new strategy to achieve broadband microwave absorbers.

Background Easily separable and recyclable photocatalysts are highly desirable as they solve the problem of catalyst loss during its separation or reuse in wastewater treatment. Therefore, designing newer multifunctional semiconducting thin films using advanced physical deposition technique and chemical methodologies could be an effective way to fabricate an efficient, recyclable photocatalyst. Method Reusable and flexible NiO-MoS2@polyaniline (NiO-MoS2@Pani) conducting photocatalyst substrate was fabricated by chemical methodology to develop MoS2@Pani and later subjecting it to Direct Current (DC) sputtering to deposit NiO on it. The morphological analysis showed embedded MoS2 in Pani along with the surface covering by NiO. The XRD showed the amorphous nature of the composite, while the XPS confirmed the presence and coating of NiO over MoS2@Pani. Significant findings A synergistic effect of Pani, MoS2 and NiO in NiO@Pani-MoS2 exhibited 90% degradation of 2-chlorophenol (2-CP) under solar light irradiation. The high catalytic efficiency is ascribed to the increased separation of charge carriers and bandgap engineering due to the constituents' synergistic/additional effect. The formation of heterojunctions between NiO, Pani, and MoS2, i.e., MoS2│Pani, NiO│Pani, NiO│MoS2, and ternary heterojunction like NiO│MoS2│Pani and NiO│Pani│MoS2 are mainly responsible for the better decomposition of 2-CP. After five-time reuse, the NiO@Pani-MoS2 showed promising efficacy and stable morphology, confirming that NiO@Pani-MoS2 thin film is an efficient, easily separable, reusable, and stable photocatalyst.

In a study to provide ground truth data for mid infrared observations of the surface of Mercury with the MERTIS (Mercury Radiometer and Thermal Infrared Spectrometer) instrument onboard the ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission, we have studied 17 synthetic glasses. These samples have the chemical compositions of characteristic Hermean surface areas based on MESSENGER data. The samples have been characterized using optical microscopy, EMPA and Raman spectroscopy. Mid infrared spectra have been obtained from polished thin sections using Micro FTIR, and of powdered size fractions of bulk material (0-25, 25-63, 93-125 and 125-250 micron) in the 2.5 to 18 micron range. The synthetic glasses display mostly spectra typical for amorphous materials with a dominating, single Reststrahlen Band (RB) at 9.5 micron to 10.7 micron. RB Features of crystalline forsterite are found in some cases at 9.5 to 10.2 micron, 10.4 to 11.2 micron, and at 11.9 micron. Dendritic crystallization starts at a MgO content higher than 23 wt.% MgO. The Reststrahlen Bands, Christiansen Features (CF), and Transparency Features (TF) shift depending on the SiO2 and MgO contents. Also a shift of the Christiansen Feature of the glasses compared with the SCFM (SiO2/(SiO2+CaO+FeO+MgO)) index is observed. This shift could potentially help distinguish crystalline and amorphous material in remote sensing data. A comparison between the degree of polymerization of the glass and the width of the characteristic strong silicate feature shows a weak positive correlation. A comparison with a high-quality mid-IR spectrum of Mercury shows some moderate similarity to the results of this study, but does not explain all features.

We have analyzed 14 impact melt glass samples, covering the compositional range from highly felsic to mafic/basaltic, as part of our effort to provide mid-infrared spectra (7–14 µm) for MERTIS (Mercury Radiometer and Thermal Infrared Spectrometer), an instrument onboard of the ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission. Since Mercury was exposed to many impacts in its history, and impact glasses are also common on other bodies, powders of tektites (Irghizite, Libyan Desert Glass, Moldavite, Muong Nong, Thailandite) and impact glasses (from the Dellen, El'gygytgyn, Lonar, Mien, Mistastin, and Popigai impact structures) were analyzed in four size fractions of (0–25, 25–63, 93–125 and 125–250 µm) from 2.5 to 19 µm in bi-directional reflectance. The characteristic Christiansen Feature (CF) is identified between 7.3 µm (Libyan Desert Glass) and 8.2 µm (Dellen). Most samples show mid-infrared spectra typical of highly amorphous material, dominated by a strong Reststrahlen Band (RB) between 8.9 µm (Libyan Desert Glass) and 10.3 µm (Dellen). Even substantial amounts of mineral fragments hardly affect this general band shape. Comparisons of the SiO2 content representing the felsic/mafic composition of the samples with the CF shows felsic/intermediate glass and tektites forming a big group, and comparatively mafic samples a second one. An additional sign of a highly amorphous state is the lack of features at wavelengths longer than ∼15 µm. The tektites and two impact glasses, Irghizite and El'gygytgyn respectively, have much weaker water features than most of the other impact glasses. For the application in remote sensing, spectral features have to be correlated with compositional characteristics of the materials. The dominating RB in the 7–14 µm range correlates well with the SiO2 content, the Christiansen Feature shows similar dependencies. To distinguish between glass and crystalline phases of the same chemical composition, a comparison between CF the SCFM index (SiO2/(SiO2 + CaO + FeO + MgO)) ( Walter and Salisbury [1989 ] J. Geophys. Res., 94, 9203–9213) is useful, if chemical compositional data are also available.

Objective: The study was aimed to improve the dissolution and bioavailability of developed stable amorphous solid dispersions (SDs) of pioglitazone hydrochloride (PGH), a poorly water-soluble drug. Significance: Poor aqueous solubility of PGH was overcome by the design of SDs. Level A correlation demonstrated between in vitro release and bioavailability of PGH, suggest its biowaiver potential. Methods: The effects of semicrystalline copolymers (poloxamer 407 and gelucire 50/13) and methods of preparations on dissolution behavior, in vivo performance, and stability of PGH SDs were investigated. All the SDs were characterized by FTIR, TGA, DSC, XRD, and SEM. Results: FTIR and TGA showed the compatibility with the polymers. The significant change in melting pattern of the PGH observed in the DSC thermograms supported by XRD patterns & SEM indicated a change from a crystalline to an amorphous state. Gelucire 50/13 was observed to have greater ability to form SDs than poloxamer 407 in solvent evaporation method (SM). Prevention of recrystallization during storage suggested stability of the formulation. Gelucire 50/13 based SD, prepared by SM remarkably increased the dissolution within 15 min (87.27 ± 2.25%) and was supported by dissolution parameters (Q15, IDR, RDR, % DE, f1, f2). These SDs showed pH-dependent solubility. In vivo test showed significantly (p < .05) higher AUC0–t and Cmax, which were about 3.17 and 4.34 times that of the pure drug respectively. Conclusion: Gelucire 50/13 was found to be a suitable carrier for SM for preparation of SDs of PGH as evident from increased dissolution and bioavailability.

We present the creation of a unique nanostructured amorphous/crystalline hybrid silicon material that exhibits surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity. This nanomaterial is an interconnected network of amorphous/crystalline nanospheroids which form a nanoweb structure; to our knowledge this material has not been previously observed nor has it been applied for use as a SERS sensing material. This material is formed using a femtosecond synthesis technique which facilitates a laser plume ion condensation formation mechanism. By fine-tuning the laser plume temperature and ion interaction mechanisms within the plume, we are able to precisely program the relative proportion of crystalline Si to amorphous Si content in the nanospheroids as well as the size distribution of individual nanospheroids and the size of Raman hotspot nanogaps. With the use of Rhodamine 6G (R6G) and Crystal Violet (CV) chemical dyes, we have been able to observe a maximum enhancement factor of 5.38 × 106 and 3.72 × 106 respectively, for the hybrid nanomaterial compared to a bulk Si wafer substrate. With the creation of a silicon-based nanomaterial capable of SERS detection of analytes, this work demonstrates a redefinition of the role of nanostructured Si from an inactive to SERS active role in nano-Raman sensing applications.

Bulk isocubanite (CuFe2S3) was synthesized via a multistep high-temperature synthesis and was investigated as an anode material for sodium-ion batteries. CuFe2S3 exhibits an excellent electrochemical performance with a capacity retention of 422 mA h g-1 for more than 1000 cycles at a current rate of 0.5 A g-1 (0.85 C). The complex reaction mechanism of the first cycle was investigated via PXRD and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. At the early stages of Na uptake, CuFe2S3 is converted to form crystalline CuFeS2 and nanocrystalline NaFe1.5S2 simultaneously. By increasing the Na content, Cu+ is reduced to nanocrystalline Cu, followed by the reduction of Fe2+ to amorphous Fe0 while reflections of nanocrystalline Na2S appear. During charging up to -5 Na/f.u., the intermediate NaFe1.5S2 appears again, which transforms in the last step of charging to a new unknown phase. This unknown phase together with NaFe1.5S2 plays a key role in the mechanism for the following cycles, evidenced by the PXRD investigation of the second cycle. Even after 400 cycles, the occurrence of nanocrystalline phases made it possible to gain insights into the alteration of the mechanism, which shows that CuxS phases play an important role in the region of constant specific capacity.

Organic long-persistent-luminescent (OLPL) materials demonstrating hour-long photoluminescence have practical advantages in applications owing to their flexible design and easy processability. However, the energy absorbed in these materials is typically stored in an intermediate charge-separated state that is unstable when exposed to oxygen, thus preventing persistent luminescence in air unless oxygen penetration is suppressed through crystallization. Moreover, OLPL materials usually require ultraviolet excitation. Here we overcome such limitations and demonstrate amorphous OLPL systems that can be excited by radiation up to 600 nm and exhibit persistent luminescence in air. By adding cationic photoredox catalysts as electron-accepting dopants in a neutral electron-donor host, stable charge-separated states are generated by hole diffusion in these blends. Furthermore, the addition of hole-trapping molecules extends the photoluminescence lifetime. By using a p-type host less reactive to oxygen and tuning the donor–acceptor energy gap, our amorphous blends exhibit persistent luminescence stimulated by visible light even in air, expanding the applicability of OLPL materials. Organic blends based on cationic photoredox catalyst dopants in neutral donor hosts show p-type charge transport behaviour. This favours reduced reactivity to oxygen in organic long-persistent luminescence materials responsive to visible light.