Observation of DC field-evaporated ion species extracted from transition metal nitride thin film deposited on tungsten-tip

The ion species extracted from transition metal nitride thin films were investigated in order to understand the field evaporation mechanism of nitrogen in atom probe analysis. Nitrides of group IV transition metal, ie, titanium (Ti), zirconium (Zr), and hafnium (Hf) nitrides, were chosen for analysis, owing to their good electrical conductivities. The samples were prepared by sputtering deposition of nitride thin film on a tungsten needle. Measurements were performed at 3 different direct current voltages, and for each voltage, we observed different ion species. For TiN and ZrN, both atomic metal ions and molecular ions were detected and TiN and ZrN tended to evaporate in the form of triple-charged molecular ions. For ZrN, Zr²⁺, Zr³⁺, ZrN³⁺, and (ZrN)₂³⁺ were observed at lower direct current voltages. For a higher tip voltage, N⁺ ions were detected in addition to these ions. These results suggest that the evaporation field of nitrogen is higher than those of Zr³⁺ and (ZrN)₂³⁺. In the analysis of an HfN tip, no ions could be detected. These results can be explained in terms of the differences between evaporation fields that were roughly estimated from the work functions and the bond energies of the analyzed nitrides.     

Nanoplasmonic zirconium nitride photocatalyst for direct overall water splitting

The ability of plasmonic nanostructures to efficiently harvest light energy and generate energetic hot carriers makes them promising materials for utilization in photocatalytic water spitting.Apart from the traditional Au and Ag based plasmonic photocatalysts,more recently the noble-metal-free alternative plasmonic materials have attracted ever-increasing interest.Here we report the first use of plasmonic zirconium nitride（ZrN） nanoparticles as a promising photocatalyst for water splitting.Highl...     

Powder‐XRD and 14N magic angle‐spinning solid‐state NMR spectroscopy of some metal nitrides

Some metal nitrides (TiN, ZrN, InN, GaN, Ca₃N₂, Mg₃N₂, and Ge₃N₄) have been studied by powder X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and ¹⁴N magic angle‐spinning (MAS) solid‐state NMR spectroscopy. For Ca₃N₂, Mg₃N₂, and Ge₃N₄, no ¹⁴N NMR signal was observed. Low speed (ν_r = 2 kHz for TiN, ZrN, and GaN; ν_r = 1 kHz for InN) and ‘high speed’ (ν_r = 15 kHz for TiN; ν_r = 5 kHz for ZrN; ν_r = 10 kHz for InN and GaN) MAS NMR experiments were performed. For TiN, ZrN, InN, and GaN, powder‐XRD was used to identify the phases present in each sample. The number of peaks observed for each sample in their ¹⁴N MAS solid‐state NMR spectrum matches perfectly well with the number of nitrogen‐containing phases identified by powder‐XRD. The ¹⁴N MAS solid‐state NMR spectra are symmetric and dominated by the quadrupolar interaction. The envelopes of the spinning sidebands manifold are Lorentzian, and it is concluded that there is a distribution of the quadrupolar coupling constants Q_cc's arising from structural defects in the compounds studied. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of Early‐Transition‐Metal Carbide and Nitride Nanoparticles through the Urea Route and Their Use as Alkylation Catalysts

The use of urea as either a carbon or a nitrogen source enabled the synthesis of various early‐transition‐metal nitride and carbide nanoparticles (TiN, NbN, Mo₂N, W₂N, NbC_xN_1?x, Mo₂C and WC). The ability of these particles to promote alkylation reactions with alcohols was tested on benzyl alcohol and acetophenone at 150 °C for 20 h in xylene. Group IV and V ceramics proved to be able to catalyse the formation of 1,3‐diphenyl propenone, whereas group VI ceramics showed a tendency to promote the Friedel–Crafts‐type reaction of benzyl alcohol on xylene (the solvent). TiN featured the highest activity for the alkylation of ketones and was further tested for more difficult alkylations. Group VI ceramics were further investigated as catalysts for the Friedel–Crafts‐type alkylation of aromatics with activated alcohols. Interestingly, even hexanol could be effectively used for these reactions.     

Zur Mischkristallbildung in den quasibinären Systemen von UN und den Mononitriden der IV A-Gruppe TiN,ZrN und HfN

Zusammenfassung Röntgenographische Untersuchungen in den Systemen von UN mit den Nitriden der IV A-Übergangsmetalle: TiN, ZrN und HfN ergaben bei 2000° C vollkommene Mischbarkeit für die quasibinären Systeme UN–ZrN und UN–HfN sowie eine Löslichkeit von etwa 1 bis 4 Mol% TiN in UN bei 1700 bis 2400°C.

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X-Ray methods were used to investigate the systems UN with nitrides of the IV A-Group transition metals: TiN, ZrN and HfN. At 2000°C the quasibinary systems UN–ZrN and UN–HfN show complete solid solubility where as TiN is soluble in UN from about 1 Mol% at 1700°C to about 4 Mol% at 2400°C.

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Room‐Temperature and Aqueous‐Phase Synthesis of Plasmonic Molybdenum Oxide Nanoparticles for Visible‐Light‐Enhanced Hydrogen Generation

A straightforward aqueous synthesis of MoO_3?x nanoparticles at room temperature was developed by using (NH₄)₆Mo₇O₂₄?4 H₂O and MoCl₅ as precursors in the absence of reductants, inert gas, and organic solvents. SEM and TEM images indicate the as‐prepared products are nanoparticles with diameters of 90–180 nm. The diffuse reflectance UV‐visible‐near‐IR spectra of the samples indicate localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) properties generated by the introduction of oxygen vacancies. Owing to its strong plasmonic absorption in the visible‐light and near‐infrared region, such nanostructures exhibit an enhancement of activity toward visible‐light catalytic hydrogen generation. MoO_3?x nanoparticles synthesized with a molar ratio of Mo^VI/Mo^V 1:1 show the highest yield of H₂ evolution. The cycling catalytic performance has been investigated to indicate the structural and chemical stability of the as‐prepared plasmonic MoO_3?x nanoparticles, which reveals its potential application in visible‐light catalytic hydrogen production.     

Sol‐Gel‐Process in the Ammono‐System – a Novel Access to Silicon Based Nitrides

Controlled coammonolysis of elementalkylamides in aprotic organic solvents at low temperatures have been shown to result in the formation of polyazanes. The synthetic procedure developed may be addressed as “sol‐gel‐route in the ammono system”. Pyrolysis of these novel polymer precursors gave access to multinary nitrides. For the model systems Si(NHMe)₄/B(NMe₂)₃, Si(NHMe)₄/Ti(NMe₂)₄, and Si(NHMe)₄/Ta(NMe₂)₅ polymeric boro‐, titano and tantalosilazanes were obtained. Pyrolysis in ammonia at 1000 °C yielded amorphous silicon boron nitride, silicon titanium nitride and silicon tantalum nitride powders; further heating of the nitride powders at 1500 °C in nitrogen atmosphere led to the formation of partly crystalline composites of α‐Si₃N₄ and amorphous silicon boron nitride for the Si/B/N system, a composite of finely dispersed TiN and amorphous silicon titanium nitride for the Si/Ti/N system, and crystalline TaN and amorphous silicon nitride for the Si/Ta/N system. Furthermore, the structure and pyrolysis chemistry of the polymeric intermediates, as well as the morphology of the pyrolysis products, were studied by NMR, MAS‐NMR, FT‐IR, DTA‐TG‐MS, XRD, SEM, EDX and elemental analyses.     

First‐principles study of the TiN(111)/ZrN(111) interface

The TiN(111)/ZrN(111) interface was studied by first‐principles method to provide the theoretical basis for developing the TiN/ZrN coatings. Twelve geometry structures of TiN(111)/ZrN(111) interfaces were established. The calculated interfacial work of adhesion reveals that the N‐terminated TiN/N‐terminated ZrN interface with TL site shows the strongest stability. For this TiN(111)/ZrN(111) interface, the results of the partial density of state indicate that the chemical bonding at the interface appeals both ionic and covalent characteristic, which is same as that in the bulk materials. The partial density of states for Zr, Ti, and N atoms at the interface are very similar with those in the bulk, which reveals that the electronic structure transition at the interface is smooth. The results of charge density and charge density difference demonstrate that the lost charge of Ti atom is larger than that of Zr atom, indicating that TiN is more ionic than ZrN. Calculations of the work of fracture indicate that the mechanical failure of the ZrN(111)/TiN(111) interface will take place at the interface. Besides that, the calculation result of the TiN(111)/ZrN(111) interface implies that the TiZrN₂ phase might be formed at the interface because the contacting of the N―N bond is the most stable.     

Synthesis and Infrared Multi‐band Absorption Properties of Core‐shell NaYF4:Yb3+, Er3+@SiO2 Nanoparticles

Due to the unique size effects, nanomaterials in infrared absorption have attracted much attention for their strong absorption in the infrared region. To achieve the infrared multi‐band absorption, we propose to synthesize a core‐shell structure nanomaterial consisting of NaYF₄:Yb³⁺, Er³⁺ core and a layer of SiO₂ as shell. A series of NaYF₄:Yb³⁺, Er³⁺ nanocrystals were synthesized through hydrothermal method by adjusting the ratio of citric acid(CA)‐to‐NaOH, and the effects of CA concentration, and NaOH concentration were studied in detail. NaYF₄:Yb³⁺, Er³⁺@SiO₂ nanoparticles were synthesized by sol‐gel method using TEOS as silica source. The results show that the core‐shell NaYF₄:Yb³⁺, Er³⁺@SiO₂ nanoparticles were successfully synthesized. Up‐conversion spectra of these nanoparticles were recorded with 980 nm laser excitation under room temperature. There are no changes of the emission centers of nanoparticles before or after silica coating, but the emission intensities of nanoparticles after silica coating are weakened. Furthermore, the property of infrared multi‐band absorption was tested through ultraviolet‐visible‐near infrared spectrophotometer and infrared absorption spectra. The results illustrate that the multi‐band infrared absorption nanomaterial was successfully synthesized.     

Direct Synthesis of Hexagonal NaGdF4 Nanocrystals from a Single‐Source Precursor: Upconverting NaGdF4:Yb3+,Tm3+ and Its Composites with TiO2 for Near‐IR‐Driven Photocatalysis

A novel single‐source precursor NaGd(TFA)₄(diglyme) (TFA=trifluoroacetate) was synthesized, characterized thoroughly, and used to obtain the hexagonal phase of NaGdF₄ nanoparticles as an efficient matrix for lanthanide‐doped upconverting nanocrystals (NCs) that convert near‐infrared radiation into shorter‐wavelength UV/visible light. These NCs were then used to prepare well‐characterized TiO₂@NaGdF₄:Yb³⁺,Tm³⁺ nanocomposites to extend the absorption range of the TiO₂ photocatalyst from the UV to the IR region. While the visible/near IR part of the photoluminescent spectra remains almost unaffected by the presence of TiO₂, the UV part is strongly quenched due to the absorption of TiO₂ above its gap at approximately 380 nm by energy transfer or FRET. Preliminary results on the photocatalytic activity of the above obtained nanocomposites are presented.     

Hot‐Electron‐Transfer Enhancement for the Efficient Energy Conversion of Visible Light

Great strides have been made in enhancing solar energy conversion by utilizing plasmonic nanostructures in semiconductors. However, current generation with plasmonic nanostructures is still somewhat inefficient owing to the ultrafast decay of plasmon‐induced hot electrons. It is now shown that the ultrafast decay of hot electrons across Au nanoparticles can be significantly reduced by strong coupling with CdS quantum dots and by a Schottky junction with perovskite SrTiO₃ nanoparticles. The designed plasmonic nanostructure with three distinct components enables a hot‐electron‐assisted energy cascade for electron transfer, CdS→Au→SrTiO₃, as demonstrated by steady‐state and time‐resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy. Consequently, hot‐electron transfer enabled the efficient production of H₂ from water as well as significant electron harvesting under irradiation with visible light of various wavelengths. These findings provide a new approach for overcoming the low efficiency that is typically associated with plasmonic nanostructures.     

Nanostructured materials with localized surface plasmon resonance for photocatalysis

Localized surface plasmon resonance（LSPR） enhanced photocatalysis has fascinated much interest and considerable efforts have been devoted toward the development of plasmonic photocatalysts.In the past decades,noble metal nanoparticles（Au and Ag） with LSPR feature have found wide applications in solar energy conversion.Numerous metal-based photocatalysts have been proposed including metal/semiconductor heterostructures and plasmonic bimetallic or multimetallic nanostructures.However,high cost and...     

Facile preparation of Ag/Ag2WO4/g‐C3N4 ternary plasmonic photocatalyst and its visible‐light photocatalytic activity

Introducing plasmonic metals into semiconductor materials has been proven to be an attractive strategy for enhancing photocatalytic activity in the visible region. In this work, a novel and efficient Ag/Ag₂WO₄/g‐C₃N₄ (AACN) ternary plasmonic photocatalyst was successfully synthesized using a facile one‐step in situ hydrothermal method. The composition, structure, morphology and optical absorption properties of AACN were investigated using X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, respectively. Photocatalytic performance of AACN was evaluated via rhodamine B and tetracycline degradation. The results indicated that AACN had excellent photocatalytic performance for rhodamine B degradation with a rate constant of 0.0125 min^?1, which was higher than those of Ag₂WO₄ and Ag/Ag₂WO₄. Characterization and photocatalytic tests showed that the strong coupling effect between the Ag/Ag₂WO₄ nanoparticles and the exfoliated ultrathin g‐C₃N₄ nanosheets was superior for visible‐light responsivity and reduced the recombination rate of photogenerated electrons and holes. A proposed mechanism is also discussed according to the band energy structure and the experimental results.     

Scope of network polysilanes in the synthesis of fluorescent silver and gold nanoparticles/nanoclusters‐modulations of their optical properties in the presence of Hg(II) ions

The network polysilanes (polysilynes) [RMe₂SiCH₂CH₂Si]_n, [R=Ph ( 1 ), 2‐Furyl ( 2 )] have been synthesized by room temperature reaction of the corresponding organotrichlorosilane with Na dispersion in tetrahydrofuran (THF) medium. The method allows the formation of high molecular weight polymers [M_w/PDI = 10,504/2.2 ( 1 ), 9176/1.5 ( 2 )] in improved yields than those obtained from classical Wurtz coupling reaction (Na, toluene, 110 °C). These polymers act as reducing agents for Ag(I) and Au(III) ions to afford stable metal nanoparticles of 4–8 nm size domains in toluene medium. The corresponding polymer–silver nanocomposites, 1a and 2a , are fluorescent in the green light region (λ_max = ～ 530 nm) due to the formation of silver nanoclusters (AgNCs) along with the nanoparticles (AgNPs). A simple chemical approach has been developed to modulate the plasmonic and emission intensities of the nanocomposite 1a by reacting with varying concentrations (10^?12 to 10^?7M) of HgI₂ in toluene. The method allows enhancement of the fluorescence intensity associated with AgNCs. The results are explained by invoking coupling between the energies of surface plasmon resonance and the nanocluster electronic transition. The polymer–gold nanocomposites, 1b and 2b , are non‐fluorescent and the plasmonic resonance at 530 nm associated with AuNPs is found to be insensitive to Hg(II) ions. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Synthesis of Morphology Processable α‐AlPO4 Nanoparticles,Nanowires, and Multi‐strand Nano‐ropes

In this paper we present aluminum phosphate nanocrystals, prepared by a hydrothermal reaction, using amphiphilic triblock copolymer F127 [(EO)₁₀₆(PO)₇₀(EO)₁₀₆] as a morphology‐directing template. By verifying the pH from 10 to 12, the morphology progression of AlPO₄ nanocrystals from nanoparticles to nanoparticle‐aggregated nanowires, and finally to multi‐strand nano‐ropes, was successfully demonstrated. The most influential factors in the morphology process were the initial pH level, the participation of surfactant‐template F127, and the change in pH during the reaction. We proposed a pH‐dependent model to illustrate both the growth of AlPO₄ nanocrystals inside F127 amphiphilic domains and the chemical driving force that aggregated the nanoparticles into chain‐shaped nanowires. The incorporation of water molecules as H‐bonding linkers, to combine single nanowires into multi‐strand nano‐ropes, is also discussed in this model. Powder X‐ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of the nanoparticle‐aggregated nanowires and multi‐strand nano‐ropes were consistent with a mixed phase of berlinite and cristobalite structures, corresponding to the low‐temperature form (a‐form), while the AlPO₄ nanoparticles showed a pure berlinite phase only.     

Surface Plasmon Resonance‐Enhanced Visible‐NIR‐Driven Photocatalytic and Photothermal Catalytic Performance by Ag/Mesoporous Black TiO2 Nanotube Heterojunctions

Ag/mesoporous black TiO₂ nanotubes heterojunctions (Ag‐MBTHs) were fabricated through a surface hydrogenation, wet‐impregnation and photoreduction strategy. The as‐prepared Ag‐MBTHs possess a relatively high specific surface area of ≈85 m² g^?1 and an average pore size of ≈13.2 nm. The Ag‐MBTHs with a narrow band gap of ≈2.63 eV extend the photoresponse from UV to the visible‐light and near‐infrared (NIR) region. They exhibit excellent visible‐NIR‐driven photothermal catalytic and photocatalytic performance for complete conversion of nitro aromatic compounds (100 %) and mineralization of highly toxic phenol (100 %). The enhancement can be attributed to the mesoporous hollow structures increasing the light multi‐refraction, the Ti³⁺ in frameworks and the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect of plasmonic Ag nanoparticles favoring light‐harvesting and spatial separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs, which is confirmed by transient fluorescence. The fabrication of this SPR‐enhanced visible‐NIR‐driven Ag‐MBTHs catalyst may provide new insights for designing other high‐performance heterojunctions as photocatalytic and photothermal catalytic nanomaterials.     

Large‐Scale Synthesis of High‐Quality Metal Sulfide Semiconductor Quantum Dots with Tunable Surface‐Plasmon Resonance Frequencies

High‐quality CdS and Cu₇S₄ quantum dots (QDs) were synthesized with N,N‐dibutylthiourea (DBTU) as an organic sulfur source. In this method, nucleation and growth reactions were controlled simply by the heating rate of the reaction. The mild oxidation conditions gave monodisperse CdS QDs exhibiting pure band‐edge emission with relatively high photoluminescence quantum yield. During the synthesis of Cu₇S₄ QDs, the addition of dodecanethiol to the reaction system controlled the reaction rate to give monodisperse spherical or disk‐shaped QDs. A hundred‐gram scale of copper precursor could be used to generate the high‐quality Cu₇S₄ QDs, indicating that an industrial‐scale reaction is achievable with our method. As observed in anisotropic noble‐metal nanocrystals, larger disk‐shaped Cu₇S₄ QDs showed lower localized‐surface‐plasmon resonance energy in the near‐infrared region. The disk‐shaped Cu₇S₄ QDs could be used effectively as templates to form cation‐exchanged monodisperse disk‐shaped CdS QDs.     

Alloyed ZnS–CuInS2 Semiconductor Nanorods and Their Nanoscale Heterostructures for Visible‐Light‐Driven Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation

A promising photocatalytic system in the form of heterostructured nanocrystals (HNCs) is presented wherein alloyed ZnS–CuInS₂ (ZCIS) semiconductor nanorods are decorated with Pt and Pd₄S nanoparticles. This is apparently the first report on the colloidal preparation and photocatalytic behavior of ZCIS–Pt and ZCIS–Pd₄S nanoscale heterostructures. Incorporation of Pt and Pd₄S cocatalysts leads to considerable enhancement of the photocatalytic activity of ZCIS for visible‐light‐driven hydrogen production.     

Sodium‐Naphthalenide‐Driven Synthesis of Base‐Metal Nanoparticles and Follow‐up Reactions

Mo⁰, W⁰, Fe⁰, Ru⁰, Re⁰, and Zn⁰ nanoparticles—essentially base metals—are prepared as a general strategy by a sodium naphthalenide ([NaNaph])‐driven reduction of simple metal chlorides in ethers (1,2‐dimethoxyethane (DME), tetrahydrofuran (THF)). All the nanoparticles have diameters ≤10 nm, and they can be obtained either as powder samples or long‐term stable suspensions. Direct follow‐up reactions (e.g., Mo⁰+S₈, FeCl₃+AsCl₃, ReCl₅+MoCl₅), moreover, allow the preparation of MoS₂, FeAs₂, or Re₄Mo nanoparticles of similar size as the pristine metals (≤10 nm).