Atomic configuration,electronic structure,and work of adhesion of TiN(111)//B2-NiTi(110) and TiN(111)//B19′-NiTi(010) interfaces: Insights from first-principles simulations

In this paper, the atomic configuration, electronic structure, and work of adhesion for TiN(111)//B2-NiTi(110) and TiN(111)//B19′-NiTi(010) interfaces were investigated by first-principles calculations based on density functional theory (DFT), which aim to provide a theoretical guidance for analyzing the service reliability of TiN films modified NiTi alloy devices. The results of this paper indicated that a hollow-site stacking structure was formed on the interface when Ti and N were the terminal atoms on two sides. Such interfaces demonstrated a stronger bonding performance and a more stable structure than that with Ni and Ti as the terminal atoms. The work of adhesion of the TiN(111)//B19′-NiTi(010) interface was 17.47 J/m², which is greater than the work of fracture of TiN(111) (6.73 J/m²), whereas the work of adhesion of the TiN(111)//B2-NiTi(110) interface was found to reach 5.49 J/m², which is lower than the work of fracture of TiN(111). The models of the work of adhesion between the two interfaces indicate that there are significant bond strength changes in the TiN/NiTi interface, when the NiTi substrate undergoes martensitic transformation. The results of this paper contribute significantly to the service reliability analysis of TiN films coated on NiTi alloy devices.     

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.     

The stability of titania‐silica interface

Silica is very often the catalyst support of choice for transition metal oxides such as titania, and specially anatase. Titania is an excellent absorber and photocatalyst for many organic molecules degradation. In order to understand the chemical nature of the interaction between titania and silica, we have performed a theoretical study using density functional theory aiming to elucidate the role on the stability of the interface of the specific type of interactions, H‐bonding, covalent bonding of the pristine surfaces, and covalent bonding after silicon and titanium ions interdiffusion. The calculations were carried out for hydrogen and oxygen terminated surface, comparing the bonding types and the forces acting along the interface. The interface dynamics was studied for interfaces under applied stress in order to elucidate their stability and failure limits. The shearing forces and the mechanisms of interface failure were determined. Interfaces with interdiffused Si and Ti ions were studied to improve the interface stabilization. The results demonstrate that high‐temperature treatment leading to formation of Si O Ti bonds at the interface is responsible for the formation of strong and flexible binding interaction between both oxides. At high strains, the Si O Ti interface failure is observed due to lattice mismatch between the SiO₂ and TiO₂. The failure is a result of forces acting orthogonal to the interface shearing. In case of hydrogen terminated surface, the interface binding is a result of hydrogen bond network. Such interface is fragile at moderate shearing forces along the applied strain. The hydrogen bond network decreases the elastic properties and flexibility of the interface. The SiO₂/TiO₂ interface is further stabilized by Si/Ti ion interdiffusion. The ionic interdiffusion process also increases the interface flexibility. Thus, in order to obtain more stable anatase photocatalyst supported on silica, the synthetic routes should favor silicon and titanium ions interdiffusion along the interface.     

Bonding structure and mechanical properties of carbon nitride bilayer films with Ti and TiN interlayer

Carbon nitride (CN_x) bilayer films with Ti and TiN interlayer were synthesized by cathode arc technique at various nitrogen pressures (P_N2). The dependences of microstructure and bonding composition of the films on the P_N2 and interlayer were analyzed by Raman spectroscopy and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Microstructure evolution consisting of the ordering and size of Csp² clusters, the faction of N–sp³/N–sp² bonds and graphite‐like/pyridine‐like configurations was dominated by P_N2, interlayer and annealing. The results showed that Ti and TiN interlayer decrease the atomic ratio of N/C and increase clustering Csp². High P_N2 induces the formation of C ≡ N and C ? N bonds, the increase of sp²‐bonding content and the growth of Csp² clusters. A large part of nitrogen atoms are coordinated with sp²‐hybridized carbon (minimum 71% for annealed CN_x monolayer). TiN/CN_x bilayer had a higher content of pyridine‐like configuration. Morphological characteristics of CN_x monolayer and bilayer mainly depend on the surface character (roughness and surface energy) of the sublayer. The internal stress in the as‐deposited Ti/CN_x bilayer is smaller, but it after annealing is higher than that of CN_x monolayer and TiN/CN_x bilayer. These results may be of interest for studying the CN_x films with controlled bonding composition and expected engineering properties. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Interface analysis of Ti/Al/Ti/Au ohmic contacts with regrown n+‐GaN layers using molecular beam epitaxy

The regrowth technique of highly doped n‐type GaN layers is reliable and effective for lowering the ohmic contact resistance. The interface between metal contacts with Ti/Al/Ti/Au and regrown n⁺‐GaN/GaN layers were analyzed in detail with transmission electron microscopy. During the annealing process, Ti metals and N atoms diffusing from GaN layers formed TiN epitaxial layers between metal alloys and n⁺‐GaN layers. The orientational relationship between GaN and TiN was [1 0 0]_GaN//[?1 1 0]_TiN verified by nano‐beam diffraction. Al atoms diffused through the GaN layers and formed thin AlGaN phase. Al content was confirmed as 60% by high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy images. Electron energy loss spectroscopy showed that Si dopants were confined within n⁺‐GaN layers. These results show that in regrowth technique both TiN layers and Si dopants affect the contact properties because the formation of TiN layers can induce nitrogen vacancies from GaN, while Si‐doped GaN layers can enhance the tunneling effect through the metal contacts resulting in reduced contact resistance. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Interfacial bonding mechanism and bonding strength of AlTiCrN coating by cathodic arc ion plating

AlTiCrN coating was prepared on the surface of YT14 tungsten carbide cutting tools by cathodic arc ion plating with Ti, Al and Cr as targets. The surface morphologies, interface energy spectrum, phase and elements' binding energy of the coatings were observed with SEM, EDS, XRD and XPS, respectively, and bonding strength of the coating interface was measured with scratch tester. The results show that the phases of AlTiCrN coating are mainly composed of AlN, CrN and TiN, the crystal plane of (111) has a strong preferred orientation. The concentrations of Al, Ti, Cr, N in the coating are higher than those in the substrate, showing the gradient diffusion distribution at the bonding interface, while C atoms of the substrate have diffused into the lattices of TiN, AlN and CrN to form an obvious interdiffusion layer, and the average bonding strength of coating interface is 57.65 N. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

多弧离子镀TiN与不同金属基材间的接触界面与表面特性

用多弧离子镀技术在不同金属基材上进行TiN镀膜实验,制备了TiN/Fe、 TiN/Cu和TiN/Cr/Cu复合膜.借助扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、 X射线衍射仪(XRD)和光电子能谱(XPS),研究了TiN与Fe、 Cu和Cr/Cu三种不同衬底接触界面的形貌、结构及其表面特性.SEM观察发现,在一定离子镀膜条件下, TiN涂层可与Fe、 Cu和Cr/Cu金属基材形成均匀平整的接触界面,在铜基上TiN界面清晰,在Fe与Cr/Cu界面有明显的层状晶界微结晶分布.XRD分析显示, Fe、 Cu和Cr/Cu表面生成的薄膜都包含TiN、 Ti2N等多晶相,在Cr/Cu界面还包含Ti-Cr的金属间化合物.XPS结果表明,表面除了TiN膜外,还生成TiO2和TiOxNy等氧化膜.Ar+刻蚀5 min后, TiO2消失, TiOxNy减少, TiN则呈增加趋势.TiN与Cr/Cu界面形成明显的Ti-Cr和Cr-Ni互扩散层,这有助于增强薄膜附着力,形成较牢固的TiN涂层.     

Adhesion,atomic structure,and bonding variation at TiN/VN interface by chemical segregation

Introduction of alloying elements often alters properties of materials. In the technologically significant multilayered superlattice coatings, interfaces are known to play a key role in the deformation mechanisms, especially in the phenomenon of interface‐induced superhardness at nanoscale. Here, we elucidate, by first‐principles calculations, atomic structure of TiN/VN interface and its relationship to adhesion upon introducing Cr, Mo, Ta, Y, Al, Nb, Zr, and Sc, the very commonly occurring alloying elements in the coating. We find that the elements Cr, Mo, Ta, Y weaken substantially interfacial adhesion, whereas the others modify adhesion only slightly. The bond length, charge transfer, and interactions between atoms at interface are found to be the key factors to understanding the origin of shift in properties in the coatings with the chemical alloying. Using several methods of analysis, we have clarified electronic mechanism behind the variation induced by alloying elements and determined the interfacial bonding nature to be mainly ionic with a certain degree of covalency. The theoretical calculations presented provide insight into the complex electronic properties of the TiN/VN interfaces with alloying elements. Our findings help enhance performances of the multilayered coatings for wide‐ranging applications. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Surface‐interface microstructures and binding strength of cathodic arc ion plated TiCN coatings on YT14 cutting tools

A titanium carbonitride (TiCN) coating was deposited on YT14 cutting tool by using a CAIP (cathodic arc ion plating). The surface‐interface morphologies, chemical compositions, and phases of TiCN coatings were observed by using a FESEM (field emission scanning electron microscopy), EDS (energy dispersive spectroscopy), XRD (X‐ray diffraction), respectively, and the bonding energy, surface roughness, and bonding strength were characterized with an XPS (X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy), AFM (atomic force microscope), and scratch test, respectively. The results show that the phases of the TiCN coating are primarily composed of TiN, TiC, and amorphous C, of which the TiC and TiN increases the coating hardness, and the amorphous C atom improves friction and lubrication properties of the coating. The effect of CAIP on the topography of the TiCN coating is at nano‐scale, the Ti and N atoms are enriched in the coating at the bonding interface, and the part of chemical elements are diffused in the gradual transformation layer. The bonding form of the TiCN coating interface is primarily composed of mechanical combination, accompanying with slight metallurgical combination, and the bonding strength is characterized with 60.85 N by scratch test. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Photovoltaic activity of Ti/MCM‐41

Ti/MCM‐41 is a well‐known heterogeneous catalyst for alkene epoxidation with organic peroxides. This titanosilicate contains isolated titanium atoms forming part of a framework of mesoporous silica whose structure is formed by parallel hexagonal channels 3.2 nm in diameter. The surface area and porosity of Ti/MCM‐41 are about 880 m² g^?1 and 0.70 cm³ g^?1, respectively. These values are among the highest for any material. Herein, we show that Ti/MCM‐41 exhibits photovoltaic activity. Dye‐sensitized solar cells using mesoporous Ti/MCM‐41 (2.8–5.7 % Ti content) as active layer, black dye N3 as photosensitizer and I₃^?/I^? in methoxyacetonitrile as electrolyte exhibit a V_OC, J_SC and FF of 0.44 V, 0.045 mA cm^?2 and 0.33, respectively. These values compare well against 0.75 V, 4.1 mA cm^?2 and 0.64, respectively, measured for analogous solar cells using conventional P‐25 TiO₂. However, the specific current density (J_SC/Ti atom) for the Ti/MCM‐41 is very similar to that of P25 TiO₂.     

Compositing Amorphous TiO2 with N‐Doped Carbon as High‐Rate Anode Materials for Lithium‐Ion Batteries

Compositing amorphous TiO₂ with nitrogen‐doped carbon through Ti? N bonding to form an amorphous TiO₂/N‐doped carbon hybrid (denoted a‐TiO₂/C? N) has been achieved by a two‐step hydrothermal–calcining method with hydrazine hydrate as an inhibitor and nitrogen source. The resultant a‐TiO₂/C? N hybrid has a surface area as high as 108 m² g^?1 and, when used as an anode material, exhibits a capacity as high as 290.0 mA h g^?1 at a current rate of 1 C and a reversible capacity over 156 mA h g^?1 at a current rate of 10 C after 100 cycles; these results are better than those found in most reports on crystalline TiO₂. This superior electrochemical performance could be ascribed to a combined effect of several factors, including the amorphous nature, porous structure, high surface area, and N‐doped carbon.     

Bilayer Molecular Assembly at a Solid/Liquid Interface as Triggered by a Mild Electric Field

The construction of a spatially defined assembly of molecular building blocks, especially in the vertical direction, presents a great challenge for surface molecular engineering. Herein, we demonstrate that an electric field applied between an STM tip and a substrate triggered the formation of a bilayer structure at the solid–liquid interface. In contrast to the typical high electric‐field strength (10⁹ V m^?1) used to induce structural transitions in supramolecular assemblies, a mild electric field (10⁵ V m^?1) triggered the formation of a bilayer structure of a polar molecule on top of a nanoporous network of trimesic acid on graphite. The bilayer structure was transformed into a monolayer kagome structure by changing the polarity of the electric field. This tailored formation and large‐scale phase transformation of a molecular assembly in the perpendicular dimension by a mild electric field opens perspectives for the manipulation of surface molecular nanoarchitectures.     

Intractable high‐Tg thermoplastics processed with epoxy resin: Interfacial adhesion and mechanical properties of the cured blends

The intractable, high‐temperature‐resistant thermoplastics (TPs) polyphenylenether (PPE) and polyetherimide (PEI) were processed by dissolution into epoxy–amine precursors and a subsequent reaction of the precursors. Because the TP concentration was higher than the critical concentration, the phase separation produced a dispersion of crosslinked thermoset (TS) particles into a TP matrix. The morphology of the blends was examined with transmission electron microscopy and dynamic mechanical thermal spectroscopy, which showed completion of the phase separation. The interfacial adhesion at the TP‐matrix/TS‐particle interface was estimated on TP/TS bilayers to be 10 J/m² in PEI blends, whereas it was 70 J/m² in PPE blends, where there is strong evidence for in situ grafting between PPE phenolic chain ends and glycidyl functions of the reactive TS. Yielding in the compressive mode occurred at an intermediate yield stress between the components' values, and the anelastic deformation was separated from the plastic deformation. Fractures in the tensile mode occurred through debonding at the matrix/particle interfaces and coalescence of these defects, which led to microcrack formation and brittle failure. Mode I fracture toughness was, therefore, higher for PPE blends than for PEI blends, a result of the higher interfacial adhesion. However, a decrease from pure TP was observed. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 39: 363–373, 2001     

Ga+ Basicity and Affinity Scales Based on High‐Level Ab Initio Calculations

The structure, relative stability and bonding of complexes formed by the interaction between Ga⁺ and a large set of compounds, including hydrocarbons, aromatic systems, and oxygen‐, nitrogen‐, fluorine and sulfur‐containing Lewis bases have been investigated through the use of the high‐level composite ab initio Gaussian‐4 theory. This allowed us to establish rather accurate Ga⁺ cation affinity (GaCA) and Ga⁺ cation basicity (GaCB) scales. The bonding analysis of the complexes under scrutiny shows that, even though one of the main ingredients of the Ga⁺‐base interaction is electrostatic, it exhibits a non‐negligible covalent character triggered by the presence of the low‐lying empty 4p orbital of Ga⁺, which favors a charge donation from occupied orbitals of the base to the metal ion. This partial covalent character, also observed in AlCA scales, is behind the dissimilarities observed when GaCA are compared with Li⁺ cation affinities, where these covalent contributions are practically nonexistent. Quite unexpectedly, there are some dissimilarities between several Ga⁺‐complexes and the corresponding Al⁺‐analogues, mainly affecting the relative stability of π‐complexes involving aromatic compounds.     

Small cluster models of the surface electronic structure and bonding properties of titanium carbide, vanadium carbide, and titanium nitride

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations on stoichiometric, high-symmetry clusters have been performed to model the (100) and (111) surface electronic structure and bonding properties of titanium carbide (TiC), vanadium carbide (VC), and titanium nitride (TiN). The interactions of ideal surface sites on these clusters with three adsorbates, carbon monoxide, ammonia, and the oxygen atom, have been pursued theoretically to compare with experimental studies. New experimental results using valence band photoemission of the interaction of O(2) with TiC and VC are presented, and comparisons to previously published experimental studies of CO and NH(3) chemistry are provided. In general, we find that the electronic structure of the bare clusters is entirely consistent with published valence band photoemission work and with straightforward molecular orbital theory. Specifically, V(9)C(9) and Ti(9)N(9) clusters used to model the nonpolar (100) surface possess nine electrons in virtually pure metal 3d orbitals, while Ti(9)C(9) has no occupation of similar orbitals. The covalent mixing of the valence bonding levels for both VC and TiC is very high, containing virtually 50% carbon and 50% metal character. As expected, the predicted mixing for the Ti(9)N(9) cluster is somewhat less. The Ti(8)C(8) and Ti(13)C(13) clusters used to model the TiC(111) surface accurately predict the presence of Ti 3d-based surface states in the region of the highest occupied levels. The bonding of the adsorbate species depends critically on the unique electronic structure features present in the three different materials. CO bonds more strongly with the V(9)C(9) and Ti(9)N(9) clusters than with Ti(9)C(9) as the added metal electron density enables an important pi-back-bonding interaction, as has been observed experimentally. NH(3) bonding with Ti(9)N(9) is predicted to be somewhat enhanced relative to VC and TiC due to greater Coulombic interactions on the nitride. Finally, the interaction with oxygen is predicted to be stronger with the carbon atom of Ti(9)C(9) and with the metal atom for both V(9)C(9) and Ti(9)N(9). In sum, these results are consistent with labeling TiC(100) as effectively having a d(0) electron configuration, while VC- and TiN(100) can be considered to be d(1) species to explain surface chemical properties.     

Thin and surface adhesive ferroelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride) films with β phase‐inducing amino modified porous silica nanofillers

We report an efficient route for ferroelectric polar β phase generation in poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) through incorporation of amine functionalized, porous silica (MCM‐41 and fumed silica) based nanofillers. These porous highly functionalized surfaces exhibit the efficient secondary interaction with polymer chain via hydrogen bonding. Structural analysis through FTIR, XRD, and TEM confirm high degree of ferroelectric polar β phase generation of PVDF through incorporation of amino modified porous silica nanofillers. Optimized loading (5 wt %) of amine functionalized, porous silica in PVDF matrix enhances relative intensity of β phase up to 75%. Disappearance of spherulite structure of PVDF with amino modified porous silica nanofillers, as confirmed through POM, TEM, SEM and AFM studies also supports the above conclusion. The P‐E hysteresis loop at sweep voltage of ±50 V of a thin PVDF‐amino modified porous nanofiller film shows excellent ferroelectric property with nearly saturated high remnant polarization 2.8 µC.cm^?2 owing to its large proportion of β PVDF, whereas, a nonpolar pure PVDF thin film shows unsaturated hysteresis loop with 0.6 µC.cm^?2 remnant polarization. PVDF films with the nanofillers exhibit strong adhesive strength over different metallic substrates making them have edge over PVDF in various thin film applications. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016 , 54, 2401–2411     

High thermal conductivity EP adhesive based on the GO/EP interface optimized by TDI

Graphene oxide (GO) was used as the filler to modify the epoxy resin (EP) adhesive, and the GO/EP interface was optimized by toluene diisocyanate (TDI) in order to improve the thermal conductivity and T peel strength performance of the adhesive. Through the characterization of the GO product, which was modified by TDI, TDI was grafted onto the surface of GO, and there were NCO groups remaining; thus the chemical bonds were built onto the interface which was non‐wetting between GO and EP. The results of the properties characterization of the adhesive indicated that the bonding properties were significantly enhanced, especially the T peel strength, which was up to 9.62 N/mm, which was contributed by the optimized GO/EP interface. The thermal conductivity of the adhesive increased to 0.624 W m^?1 K^?1, as the interface thermal resistance was reduced after the interface between GO/EP was optimized by TDI. The insulation performance of the adhesive was also improved, since the well‐dispersed GO formed a micro‐capacitance model in EP, and the surface of GO was covered by the EP so that the electronic paths were blocked by the formed chemical bonds.     

Effect of dicarboxy terminated polystyrene on strengthening immiscible polystyrene/poly(methyl methacrylate) interface

The fracture toughness between polystyrene (PS)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) reinforced with reactive polymers, poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) and dicarboxy or monocarboxy terminated PS (dcPS and mcPS), was measured by the asymmetric fracture test. Molecular weight effect of mcPS, although the molecular weight distribution is rather polydisperse, on the maximum achievable fracture toughness, G_max qualitatively agreed with the results of the monodisperse case^4,5). In the case of dcPS with M_w ≅ 142 K, G_max reached ca. 170 J/m² which is nearly 8 times higher than that of mcPS of molecular weight of about 150K. From the mechanical point of view, dcPS with a degree of polymerization (N) greater than the ratio of chain breaking force to monomeric friction force (f_b/f_mono) is more effective in enhancing the interfacial adhesion than mcPS since it provides two stitches to the interface. It was also shown by Monte Carlo simulation on reactive polymer system that the di‐endfunctional polymers are more effective than mono‐endfunctional polymers in reinforcing the week interface between immiscible polymers.     

Synthesis of hydrophilic sorbents from N‐vinylimidazole/divinylbenzene and the evaluation of their sorption properties in the solid‐phase extraction of polar compounds

This article reports the synthesis of N‐vinylimidazole/divinylbenzene resins by suspension polymerization. Several polymerization conditions were tested to achieve a quantitative incorporation of the N‐vinylimidazole monomer into the final polymer while a high specific surface area was maintained. The retention properties of several copolymers with different nitrogen contents were evaluated with the solid‐phase extraction of polar compounds from water samples, and the best results were obtained for a polymer containing 6.3% N with a surface area of 627 m² g^?1. The sorption properties of the resins were compared to those of styrene–divinylbenzene and other copolymers containing nitrogen, and the results were best for the new sorbents with N‐vinylimidazole as the polar monomer. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 2019–2025, 2004     

Electrochemical characteristics and interfacial contact resistance of Ni-P/TiN/PTFE coatings on Ti bipolar plates

The Ni-P/TiN/PTFE (poly tetra fluoroethylene) composite coatings were prepared by electroless plating method on Ti plate, which was used as bipolar plates of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). The morphology, crystallographic texture, electrochemical corrosion, contact resistance, and hydrophobic property of the Ti bipolar plates with coatings were investigated. The results revealed that Ni-P/TiN/PTFE coating had a dense surface morphology, uniform distribution of composite particles. Ti with coating showed 0.48 μA cm² of corrosion current in the simulated solution of PEMFCs and 6 mΩ cm² of interfacial contact resistance (ICR). The hydrophobicity test showed that the coating interface was flat and the wetting angle was 112.4°. In conclusion, The Ni-P/TiN/PTFE composite coatings exhibit superior improvement in corrosion resistance, interface hydrophobicity, and conductivity to Ni-P, Ni-P/TiN, and Ni-P/PTFE coatings. The Ni-P/TiN/PTFE coating was suited for bipolar plate surface modification of bipolar plates.