Spatially resolved imaging of inhomogeneous charge transfer behavior in polymorphous molybdenum oxide. II. Correlation of localized coloration/insertion properties using spectroelectrochemical microscopy

A newly developed spectroelectrochemical imaging approach for directly assessing lithium ion insertion energetics and kinetics in mixed-phase, polymorphous MoO3 is reported. Two variants of spectroelectrochemical microscopy were used to monitor insertion dynamics and to follow electrochemically induced phase transformations at specifically identified structural and compositional domains. Cyclovoltoabsorptometric (dOD/dE) measurements carried out in LiClO4/propylene carbonate solutions reveal that the lithium insertion is nonuniform and can be directly correlated with phase-segregated domains comprising alpha-MoO3, beta-MoO3, and intermixed alpha-/beta-MoO3. Lithium insertion is found to proceed by a staging process where each phase displays energetically distinct insertion behaviors. Chronoabsorptometric imaging measurements allow for the simultaneous estimation of lithium diffusion coefficients, ionic conductivities, and lithium capacities at isolated phases within the polymorphous material. The lithium diffusion coefficient and ionic conductivity is largest for domains comprising intermixed alpha-/beta-MoO3, whereas it is smallest at domains consisting of beta-MoO3. The higher diffusion coefficient observed for intermixed alpha-/beta-MoO3 domains is most likely due to larger thermodynamic enhancement factors for the mixed phase domains than for domains consisting of either alpha-MoO3 or beta-MoO3. Estimation of capacity values within each uniquely identified domain reveals that the lithium insertion capacity is about 4 times greater in alpha-MoO3 than in beta-MoO3. The discrepancies between the lithium insertion capacities can be rationalized in terms of lattice oxygen defects, which effectively reduce the number of available lithium insertion sites in beta-MoO3 as compared to alpha-MoO3.     

Cathodic electrodeposition of mixed molybdenum tungsten oxides from peroxo-polymolybdotungstate solutions

Mixed molybdenum tungsten trioxide films of varying stoichiometry (MoxW1 - xO3, 0 < x < 1) were prepared by cathodic electrodeposition on indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass substrates from aqueous peroxo-polymolybdotungstate solutions. Electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM), cyclic voltammetry, and chronocoulometry were used to gain insight into the electrodeposition mechanism. The compositional and structural properties were characterized for MoxW1 - xO3 films deposited at intermediate potentials (-0.35 V vs Ag/AgCl) and sintered at 250 degrees C using energy-dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. These studies reveal that films consist of homogeneously mixed MoxW1 - xO3, with an enriched Mo content ranging in composition from 0.4 < x < 0.7 depending upon the mol % Mo present in the deposition solution. Chronoamperometry and spectroelectrochemical measurements were conducted to estimate lithium ion diffusion coefficients and coloration efficiencies for the mixed metal oxide films in 1 M LiClO4/propylene carbonate. The subtle interplay between structural and compositional properties due to the uniform mixing of Mo and W oxide components shows that electrochromic and lithium ion transport properties are moderately enhanced relative to those of single-component WO3 and MoO3 and demonstrate improved structural stability over pure MoO3 polymorphs during electrochemical cycling.     

Spatially resolved measurement of inhomogeneous electrocoloration/insertion in polycrystalline molybdenum oxide thin films via chronoabsorptometric imaging

A new integrated electrochemical and transmission optical microscopy approach is presented which allows for elucidation of inhomogeneous ion/charge-transfer behavior in polycrystalline electrochromic/insertion materials. Spatially resolved Li+ diffusion coefficients and ionic conductivities are determined from the time-lapsed optical density imaging response monitored during electrochemical potential-step perturbation. Non-uniform coloration changes and dispersed insertion kinetics are observed and associated with domain specific reactivity of polymorphous materials comprising alpha-MoO3 and beta-MoO3.     

Comparison of GO and polymer microcapacitors prepared by ion beam writing

Carbon beam writing was employed as a method for maskless production of microscale capacitors in both insulating graphene oxide (GO) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) matrix. The GO and PMMA foils were irradiated using a 5-MeV C³⁺ beam with micrometer scale resolution. As follows, the shape of the created microstructures and compositional changes was studied using the scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy method (SEM/EDS). The structural and compositional progression was characterized by Raman spectroscopy, Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS), and elastic recoil detection analysis (ERDA) spectroscopy. The improvement of the prepared structures' electrical properties was also studied, and it can be concluded that carbon irradiation leads to the removal of oxygen and hydrogen and to growth of the carbon domains, which is connected with the conductivity increase of the irradiated parts and capacitance of the final products in the order of pF.     

Negative Charging of Au Nanoparticles during Methanol Synthesis from CO2/H2 on a Au/ZnO Catalyst: Insights from Operando IR and Near‐Ambient‐Pressure XPS and XAS Measurements

The electronic and structural properties of Au/ZnO under industrial and idealized methanol synthesis conditions have been investigated. This was achieved by kinetic measurements in combination with time‐resolved operando infrared (DRIFTS) as well as in situ near‐ambient pressure X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (NAP‐XPS) and X‐ray absorption near‐edge spectroscopy (XANES) measurements at the O K‐edge together with high‐resolution electron microscopy. The adsorption of CO during the reaction revealed the presence of negatively charged Au nanoparticles/Au sites during the initial phase of the reaction. Near‐ambient‐pressure XPS and XANES demonstrate the build‐up of O vacancies during the reaction, which goes along with a substantial increase in the rate of methanol formation. The results are discussed in comparison with previous findings for Cu/ZnO and Au/ZnO catalysts.     

固体电解质Ce_(0.9)Er_(0.1-x)Pr_xO_(1.95+δ)的微观结构及电性能

采用柠檬酸溶胶-凝胶法制备了固体电解质Ce0.9Er0.1-xPrxO1.95+δ(x=0.02~0.08),利用X射线粉末衍射(XRD)、原子力显微镜(AFM)、拉曼光谱(Raman)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)和交流阻抗谱研究了样品的微观结构和电性能.XRD结果表明,800℃煅烧的所有样品均形成了单相立方萤石结构;Raman光谱结果表明,Ce0.9Er0.05Pr0.05O1.95+δ具有氧缺位的立方萤石结构;XPS分析表明,Ce0.9Er0.05Pr0.05O1.95+δ存在氧缺位,Pr3+离子和Pr4+离子共存;AFM观测结果表明,1300℃下烧结的样品比1400℃下烧结的样品致密;交流阻抗谱结果表明,Pr掺杂量x=0.05时,Ce0.9Er0.05Pr0.05O1.95+δ的电导率最高(σ600℃=1.34×10-2S/cm,Ea=0.90 e V),比未掺杂Pr的Ce0.9Er0.1O1.95(σ600℃=8.81×10-3S/cm,Ea=0.92 e V)提高了52%,说明在Ce0.9Er0.1O1.95中适量掺杂Pr可提高材料的电导率,降低活化能.     

Magnetic, electronic, and structural characterization of nonstoichiometric iron oxides at the nanoscale

We have investigated the structural, magnetic, and electronic properties of nonstoichiometric iron oxide nanocrystals prepared by decomposition of iron(II) and iron(0) precursors in the presence of organic solvents and capping groups. The highly uniform, crystalline, and monodisperse nanocrystals that were produced enabled a full structural and compositional survey by electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The complex and metastable behavior of nonstoichiometric iron oxide (wüstite) at the nanoscale was studied by a combination of Mossbauer spectroscopy and magnetic characterization. Deposition from hydrocarbon solvents with subsequent self-assembly of iron oxide nanocrystals into superlattices allowed the preparation of continuous thin films suitable for electronic transport measurements.     

One‐step electrodeposition of amorphous carbon films containing WO3 with high conductivity and good wettability

Tungsten trioxide‐incorporated hydrogenated amorphous carbon (WO₃/a‐C:H) films have been fabricated on a single‐crystal silicon wafer by liquid phase electrodeposition using methanol as carbon source and tungsten carbonyl as incorporated reagent. The morphology, composition and structure of the films have been investigated by SEM, XPS, Raman scattering spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Transmission electron microscope (TEM), respectively. The effects of WO₃ incorporation on the electrical and wetting properties were studied in detail. The characterization results showed that tungsten trioxide nanocrystalline particles with diameters in the range of 10–20 nm were homogenously embedded in the amorphous carbon films. Also, the electrical conductivity and wetting ability of the films were strongly improved due to the contribution of the tungsten trioxide. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Doping properties of polydithienylmethine: a study on the correlation between polymer chain length, spectroscopy, and transport

(1S)-(+)-10-Camphorsulfonic acid-doped polydithienylmethine was prepared through an acid-catalyzed condensation reaction of alpha,alpha'-di-2-thienyl-(2,2'-bithiophene)-5,5'-dimethanol and was characterized by 1H NMR spectroscopy and size exclusion chromatography (SEC). The electronic and vibrational properties of the resulting polymer thin films vary with the loadings of the (1S)-(+)-10-camphorsulfonic acid. The dark conductivity and drift mobility, which is significantly high, of the polymer thin films were enhanced with increasing doping levels and reached maximum values of 8.0x10(-5) S.cm-1 and 3.5x10(-2) cm2.V-1.s-1, respectively, at a 7 mol % dopant loading. Higher doping levels (>7 mol %) result in nonuniform polymer thin films with degraded optical quality due to the formation of nanocrystalite and thus a decrease in conductivity and drift mobility was observed. The doped polydithienylmethine thin film also exhibited a photoconductivity response with an excitation at 457 nm and the highest photoconductivity (2x10(-4) S.cm-1) was again observed at the 7 mol % doping level. Spectroscopic investigation suggests that the enhanced transport properties can be attributed to polaronic species present. The electronic and vibrational changes which relate to such doping were characterized by electronic absorption spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and FTIR spectroscopy. The changes in transport values can be directly related to the changes we see in our spectroscopic investigations.     

Room-temperature preparation of nanocrystalline TiO2 films and the influence of surface properties on dye-sensitized solar energy conversion

An extremely easy method is presented for producing surfactant-free films of nanocrystalline TiO2 at room temperature with excellent mechanical stability when deposited on glass or plastic electrodes for dye-sensitized solar energy conversion. Prolonged magnetic stirring of commercial TiO2 nanoparticles (Degussa P25) in either ethanol or water results in highly homogeneous dispersions which are used to prepare TiO2 films with surface properties which depend on the solvent used for dispersing the particles, even after sintering. The optical and mechanical properties of films cast from ethanol and water dispersions are compared, and differences in the extent of surface defects and dye binding are observed. Optical absorption, photoluminescence, and resonance Raman spectra of TiO2 films sensitized with Ru(4,4'-dicarboxylic acid-2,2'-bipyridine)2(NCS)2 ("N3") reveal that the electronic coupling of the dye and semiconductor depends on the surface structure of the film which varies with film preparation. Current-voltage data for illuminated and dark dye-sensitized solar cells are obtained as a function of film preparation, and results are compared to spectroscopic data in order to interpret the microscopic basis for variations in solar cell performance, especially with regard to sintered versus unsintered TiO2 films. The results suggest that surface traps associated with oxygen vacancies play a critical role in determining the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar energy conversion through their influence on the binding and electronic coupling of the dye to the semiconductor.     

The effect of Sn dopant on crystal structure and photocatalytic behavior of nanostructured titania thin films

In this study, preparation of Sn doped (0–30 mol % Sn) TiO₂ dip-coated thin films on glazed porcelain substrates via sol–gel process have been investigated. The effects of Sn content on the structural, optical, and photo-catalytic properties of applied thin films have been studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), field emission SEM (FE-SEM), and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). Surface topography and surface chemical state of thin films were examined by atomic force microscope (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). XRD patterns showed an increase in peak intensities of the rutile crystalline phase by increasing the Sn dopant. The prepared Sn-doped TiO₂ photo-catalyst films showed optical absorption edge in the visible light area and exhibited excellent photo-catalytic ability for degradation of methylene blue solution under UV irradiation. The result shows that doping an appropriate amount of Sn can effectively improve the photo-catalytic activity of TiO₂ thin films, and the optimum dopant amount is found to be 15 mol%. The Sn⁴⁺ dopants substituted Ti⁴⁺ in the lattice of TiO₂ and increased surface oxygen vacancies and the surface hydroxyl groups. TEM results showed small increase in planar spacing (was detected by HR-TEM caused by Sn dopants in titania based crystals).     

Branched Hydrosilane Oligomers as Ideal Precursors for Liquid‐Based Silicon‐Film Deposition

Herein a convenient synthetic method to obtain 2,2,3,3‐tetrasilyltetrasilane 3 and 2,2,3,3,4,4‐hexasilylpentasilane 4 on a multigram scale is presented. Proton‐coupled ²⁹Si NMR spectroscopy and single‐crystal X‐ray crystallography enabled unequivocal structural assignment. Owing to their unique properties, which are reflected in their nonpyrophoric character on contact with air and their enhanced light absorption above 250 nm, 3 and 4 are valuable precursors for liquid‐phase deposition (LPD) and the processing of thin silicon films. Amorphous silicon (a‐Si:H) films of excellent quality were deposited starting from 3 and characterized by conductivity measurements, ellipsometry, optical microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy.     

Phase separation and crystallinity in proton conducting membranes of styrene grafted and sulfonated poly(vinylidene fluoride)

A series of proton exchange membranes have been prepared by the preirradiation grafting method. Styrene was grafted onto a matrix of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) after electron beam irradiation. Part of the samples was crosslinked with divinylbenzene (DVB) or bis(vinylphenyl)ethane (BVPE). Subsequent sulfonation gave membranes grafted with poly(styrene sulfonic acid) and marked PVDF‐g‐PSSA. It was found that the intrinsic crystallinity of the matrix decreased in both the grafting and the sulfonation reaction in all the membranes. The graft penetration and the ion conductivity are influenced strongly by the crosslinker. The ion conductivity is considerably lower in crosslinked membranes than in noncrosslinked ones. Generally, the mechanical strength decreases with crosslinking. The membranes show a regular phase separated structure in which the sulfonated grafts are incorporated in the amorphous parts of the matrix polymer. The phase separated domains are small, of the order of magnitude of 100–250 nm. These were resolved on transmission electron micrographs and on atomic force images but could not be resolved with microprobe Raman spectroscopy. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 1741–1753, 1999     

ZnO thin films prepared on titanium substrate by PLD technique at different substrate temperatures

ZnO thin films were grown by pulsed laser deposition on titanium substrates at different substrate temperatures ranging from 300 to 700 °C. X‐ray diffraction (XRD), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS),photoluminescence, and Raman spectroscopy are employed to investigate the change of properties. XRD, XPS, and Raman data showed that the films consisted of TiO₂ at high substrate temperature, which will deteriorate the crystallization quality of ZnO films. The optimum temperature for the growth of ZnO films on the Ti substrate is about 500 °C in this paper. The ZnO films grown on titanium substrate can be used in direct current, microwave, and medical applications. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of potassium permanganate on morphological,structural and electro-optical properties of graphene oxide thin films

This work investigated the effect of Potassium Permanganate (KMnO₄) on graphene oxide (GO) properties, especially on electrical properties. The GO thin films were deposited on a glass substrate using drop casting technique and were analysed by using various type of spectroscopy (e.g. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Ultra- Violet Visible (UV–VIS), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), optical band gap, Raman Spectroscopy). Furthermore, the electrical experiments were carried out by using current–voltage (I-V) characteristic. The GO thin film with 4.5 g of KMnO₄ resulted in higher conductivity which is 3.11 × 10^?4 S/cm while GO with 2.5 g and 3.5 g of KMnO₄ achieve 2.47 × 10^?9 S/cm and 1.07 × 10^?7 S/cm, respectively. This further affects the morphological (SEM), optical (band gap, UV–Vis, FTIR, and Raman), and crystalline structural (XRD) properties of the GO thin films. The morphological, elemental, optical, and structural data confirmed that the properties of GO is affected by different amount of KMnO₄ oxidizing agent, which revealed that GO can potentially be implemented for electrical and electronic devices.     

High-density amine-terminated monolayers formed on fluorinated CVD-grown graphene

There has been considerable interest in chemically functionalizing graphene films to control their electronic properties, to enhance their binding to other molecules for sensing, and to strengthen their interfaces with matrices in a composite material. Most reports to date have largely focused on noncovalent methods or the use of graphene oxide. Here, we present a method to activate CVD-grown graphene sheets using fluorination followed by reaction with ethylenediamine (EDA) to form covalent bonds. Reacted graphene was characterized via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), and Raman spectroscopy as well as measurements of electrical properties. The functionalization results in stable, densely packed layers, and the unbound amine of EDA was shown to be active toward subsequent chemical reactions.     

Combinatorial study of WInZnO films deposited by rf magnetron co-sputtering

The compositional dependence of co-sputtered tungsten indium zinc oxide (WInZnO) film properties was first investigated by means of a combinatorial technique. Indium zinc oxide (IZO) and WO₃ targets were used with different target power. W composition ratio [W/(In+Zn+W)] was varied between 3 and 30 at% and film thickness was reduced as the sample position moved toward WO₃ target. Furthermore, the optical bandgap energy increased gradually, which might be affected by the reduction in film thickness. All the WInZnO films showed an amorphous phase regardless of the W/(In+Zn+W) ratio. As the W/(In+Zn+W) ratio in WInZnO films increased, the carrier concentration was restricted, causing the increase in electrical resistivity. W cations worked as oxygen binders in determining the electronic properties, resulting in suppressing the formation of oxygen vacancies. Consequentially, W metal cations were effectively incorporated into the WInZnO films as a suppressor against the oxygen vacancies and the carrier generation by employing the combinatorial technique.     

Structural characterization and properties of an azopolymer arranged in Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett films

The fabrication of Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films of an acid-azopolymer (PAzCOOH) is reported. Several techniques were used in their characterization: surface pressure (pi) and surface potential (DeltaV) isotherms, UV-vis reflection spectroscopy, and Brewster angle microscopy (BAM) for the Langmuir films and contact angle measurements, UV-vis, fluorescence, IR and Raman spectroscopy and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) for the LB films. Our study reveals that lateral chains of the polymer situate preferentially onto the water surface with the acid group in contact with the water, where aggregates are scarcely formed. Therefore, the lateral chains of PAzCOOH can be treated as individual monomers to determine structural properties of the fabricated Langmuir and LB films. Monomeric treatment has been used to interpret UV-vis reflection spectroscopy, and a monomer model has been performed to represent lateral chains using density functional theory at B3LYP 6-31G(d,p) level of theory to assign the observed vibrational spectra.     

Surface characterization of 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane films on silicon-based substrates

Silane coupling agents are commonly used to activate surfaces for subsequent immobilization of biomolecules. The homogeneity and surface morphology of silane films is important for controlling the structural order of immobilized single-stranded DNA probes based on oligonucleotides. The surfaces of silicon wafers and glass slides with covalently attached 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GOPS) have been characterized by using angularly dependent X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry (ToF–SIMS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and monochromatic and spectroscopic ellipsometry. XPS and ToF–SIMS data provided evidence of complete surface coverage by GOPS. Data from angularly resolved XPS and ellipsometry methods suggested that the GOPS films were of monolayer thickness. AFM and SEM data indicated the presence of films that consisted of nodules approximately 50–100 nm in diameter. Modeling suggested that the nodules may lead to a nanoscale structural morphology that might influence the hybridization kinetics and thermodynamics of immobilized oligonucleotides.     

Assembly of Graphene Nanosheets and SiO2 Nanoparticles Towards Transparent,Antireflective, Conductive,and Superhydrophilic Multifunctional Hybrid Films

A new approach for the fabrication of transparent, antireflective, conductive and superhydrophilic multifunctional hybrid films through the layer‐by‐layer (LbL) assembly of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanosheets and SiO₂ nanoparticles is reported. The RGO nanosheets, SiO₂ nanoparticles and films were characterized by means of transmission electron microscopy, UV/Vis absorption spectrophotometry, Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, contact angle/interface system, and a four‐point probe. It was found that the graphene/SiO₂ hybrid films exhibited a significant increase in transmittance as compared with RGO films. The optical, electronic and wetting properties of hybrid films could be manipulated by rational design of the film structure and variation of the cycle number of the LbL assembly. The obtained transparent, conductive, and superhydrophilic graphene/SiO₂ hybrid films showed excellent antireflective, antistatic, and antifogging behaviors. The remarkable performance could be attributed to the combination of electrical conductivity of RGO nanosheets and superhydrophilic antireflective surface derived from SiO₂ nanoparticles.