A Lightweight Flexible Solar Cell Based on a Heteroepitaxial InGaP/GaAs Structure

Technical Physics - Problems arising in fabrication of lightweight flexible solar cells based on heteroepitaxial AIIIBV structures with substrate etching are discussed. Possible solutions are...     

An investigation of influencing of Sb and Bi contents on surface tensions associated with Pb-free Sn-Zn-Sb-Bi quaternary and sub-quaternary solder alloys

The surface tensions of ternary and quaternary systems of Sn-based Pb-free solder alloys have been calculated using geometric models, such as Muggianu, Kohler, Chou’s general solution model (GSM), Toop, Guggenheim, ideal Butler and Butler models. It is observed from the calculation carried out in the present work that Sb and Bi contents decrease the surface tension of the solder alloys Sn-Zn-Sb-Bi. It is inferred from the statistical analysis that the best agreement between the experimental results and the corresponding calculated values of the surface tensions is generally observed in GSM and Muggianu models among the geometric models. Whereas Muggianu model is the most appropriate. Relatively good agreements have been observed between models considered in this study and experimental data.     

Ionic and electronic conductivity of nitrogen-doped YSZ single crystals

The ionic and electronic charge transport was studied for single crystals of 9.5 mol% yttria-stabilized zirconia with additional nitrogen doping (YSZ:N) of up to 7.5 at.% (referred to the anion sublattice and formula unit Zr_0.83Y_0.17O_1.91) as a function of temperature and nitrogen content. The total conductivity being almost equivalent to the oxygen ion conductivity has been measured by AC impedance spectroscopy under vacuum conditions in order to prevent re-oxidation and loss of nitrogen. The electronic conductivity has been determined by Hebb–Wagner polarization using ion-blocking Pt microelectrodes in N₂ atmosphere. The ionic conductivity of YSZ:N decreases in the presence of nitrogen at intermediate temperatures up to 1000 °C. The mean activation energy of ionic conduction strongly increases with increasing nitrogen content, from 1.0 eV for nitrogen-free YSZ up to 1.9 eV for YSZ containing 7.3 at.% N. Compared to nitrogen-free YSZ, the electronic conductivity first decreases at nitrogen contents of 2.17 and 5.80 at.%, but then increases again for a sample with 7.53 at.%. At temperatures of 850 °C and above, the presence of the N^3? dopant fixes the electrode potential and thus the oxygen partial pressure at the Pt electrode to very low values. This corresponds to a pinning of the Fermi level at a relatively high energy in the upper half of the band gap. At 7.53 at.% N and 950 °C, the oxygen partial pressure in YSZ:N corresponds to p_O2 = 3 × 10^? 18 bar. At temperatures above 850 °C, even in the presence of a very small oxygen concentration in the surrounding gas phase, the nitrogen ion dopant becomes highly mobile and thus diffuses to the surface where it is oxidized to gaseous N₂. The results are discussed in terms of the ionic and electronic defect structures and the defect mobilities in YSZ:N.     

The Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation for the defect-deformation instability of a surface-stressed nanolayer

It is demonstrated that the evolution of the surface relief of the stressed elastic nanolayer that interacts with mobile point defects can be described using a nonlinear equation similar to the Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation. The solution to the equation describes the threshold (with respect to the defect concentration or the mechanical stress) transition to the periodic spatially bent state of the layer with the simultaneous generation of spatially periodic defect clusters at the extrema of the spontaneously emerging surface relief. In this case, the layer deformation corresponds to the displacements in the static bending Lamb wave. The self-organizing periodic cellular deformation-defect surface structure can serve as a universal seed for the subsequent growth of nanoparticles in the processes of laser, ion, or electrochemical etching and in molecular beam epitaxy of nanostructures. Original Text ? Astro, Ltd., 2009.     

Synthesis of α -SiC nanocrystals by carbothermal reduction of spherical nanoparticles of amorphous silicon dioxide

The method for carbothermal reduction of spherical particles of amorphous silicon dioxide is developed, and hexagonal α-SiC polytype nanocrystals are synthesized. The prepared samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and electron microscopy. The silicon carbide nanocrystals prepared have sizes in the range 5–50 nm depending on the diameter of initial silicon dioxide particles. A detailed analysis of the positions of the lines in the Raman spectra, their broadening, and shift makes it possible to reliably establish that the samples under investigation predominantly contain the 6H and 4H silicon carbide polytypes and insignificant amounts of the 2H and 3C phases. The 15R and 21R polytypes in the samples are absent. It is noted that the samples are characterized by a substantial size effect: the luminescence intensity of small silicon carbide nanocrystals is more than three times higher than that of large SiC nanocrystals.     

The energy and geometric characteristics of the transition state in reactions of RO<Stack><Subscript>2</Subscript><Superscript>•</Superscript></Stack> with carbonyl compound C-H bonds

The energy and geometry of the transition state in reactions of the ethyl peroxyl radical with ethane, ethanol (its α and β C-H bonds), acetone, butanone-2, and acetaldehyde were calculated by the density functional theory method. In all these reactions (except EtO_2/? + ethanol α C-H bond), the C…H…O reaction center has an almost linear configuration (φ = 176° ± 2°); polar interaction only influences the r ^≠ (C…O) interatomic bond. In the reaction of EtO_2/? with the ethanol α C-H bond, it is the O-H…O H-bond formed in the transition state that determines the configuration of the reaction center with the angle φ(C…H…O) = 160°. The results were used to estimate the r ^≠ (C…H) and r ^≠ (O…H) interatomic bonds in the transition state by the method of intersecting parabolas and the contribution of polar interaction to the activation energy of reactions between peroxyl radicals and aldehydes and ketones.     

The thermodynamic properties of alkylated γ-lactones

The enthalpies of formation of γ-pentanolactone (I), γ-hexanolactone (II), and γ-nonanolactone (III) were determined by combustion calorimetry. The enthalpies of vaporization of these lactones were measured by the transfer method. Conformational analysis was performed and equilibrium structures, sets of fundamental vibrations, moments of inertia, and total energies of the stablest conformers of I, II, and III were calculated by the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p), G3MP2, and CBS-QB3 methods. The experimental IR spectra and calculated vibrational frequencies were used to obtain sets of fundamental vibrations of the stablest conformations. The thermodynamic properties of I–III in the ideal gas state were determined over the temperature range 0–1500 K. Additive and quantum-chemical methods were applied to estimate the Δ_f H ^o(g) values of a number of γ-lactones. Composite quantum-chemical methods were used to obtain the energies of monomethyl γ-butyrolactones and estimate their relative stability depending on the position of the methyl substituent in the ring.     

The thermodynamic properties of DL- and L-lactides

The enthalpies of formation of DL-lactide and L-lactide, cyclic esters of lactic acid, were determined by combustion calorimetry. The transfer method was used to measure their vapor pressures and obtain the enthalpies of sublimation. A conformational analysis of lactides was performed, and the most stable conformations were determined. The equilibrium structures of lactides, sets of fundamental vibrations, moments of inertia, and total energies of the most stable conformers were calculated quantum-chemically at the B3LYP/6-311++G(3df,3pd) level. The G3MP2 composite method was used to estimate the enthalpies of formation of lactides in the gas phase. The thermodynamic properties of lactides in the ideal gas state were calculated over the temperature range 100–1500 K.     

Formation of nitrosothiols by the reaction of different forms of hemoglobin with (tetranitrosyl)bis(pyrimidin-2-ylthio)diiron

The reaction of hemoglobin (Hb), oxyhemoglobin (HbO₂), and methemoglobin (metHb) with the tetranitrosyl iron complex of the fu₂-S type [Fe₂(SC₄H₃N₂)₂(NO)₄] (1) was studied. The reaction results in the nitrosylation of the free SH group of 93-β-cysteine in these forms of hemoglobin. The change in the Hb, HbO₂, and metHb concentrations was monitored by spectrophotometry, recording the difference absorption spectra of the experimental systems with these forms of hemoglobin and the buffer containing complex 1 in the same concentration. The absorption spectra were processed to obtain the components using the MATHCAD method. The nitrosothiol concentration was determined by the Saville reaction. In a protic medium containing 3.3% DMSO, complex 1 spontaneously generates NO due to hydrolysis (k = 3.7 · 10^-4 s^-1). Oxyhemoglobin reacts with evolved NO to form metHb. Complex 1 reduces metHb with a high rate to yield Hb (k = 6.7 · 10^-3 s^-1) followed by the formation of HbNO (k = 6.5 · 10^-3 s^-1). Oxidized complex 1 yields NO with a higher rate than the starting complex does. The reaction of HbO₂ and metHb (0.02 mmo1 L^-1) with complex 1 affords nitrosothiols in micromolar concentration during 5 min, and no nitrosothiol is formed in the case of Hb.