Characterisation of microstructure and evaluation of optical and EPR properties of superhydrophobic copper dodecanoate films

Copper dodecanoate films prepared by emulsion method exhibit superhydrophobic property with water contact angle of 155° and sliding angle of <2°. The films have been characterised by using X‐ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy techniques. Surface microstructure of copper dodecanoate consists of numerous microscale papillas of about 6–12 µm in length with a diameter in the range of 360–700 nm. The superhydrophobicity of the films is due to their dual micronano surface morphology. The wetting behaviour of the film surface was studied by a simple water immersion test. The results show that copper dodecanoate film retained superhydrophobic property even after immersing in water for about 140 h. The optical absorption spectrum exhibits two broadbands centred at 388 and 630 nm that have been assigned to ²B_1g → ²E_g and ²B_1g → ²B_2g transitions of Cu²⁺ ions, respectively. The electron paramagnetic resonance spectrum exhibits two resonance signals with effective g values at g_|| ≈ 2.308 and g_⊥ ≈ 2.071, which suggests that the unpaired electron occupies d_x2–y2 orbital in the ground state. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

EPR and photoluminescence studies of ZnO:Mn nanophosphors prepared by solution combustion route

Nanocrystalline ZnO:Mn (0.1 mol%) phosphors have been successfully prepared by self propagating, gas producing solution combustion method. The powder X-ray diffraction of as-formed ZnO:Mn sample shows, hexagonal wurtzite phase with particle size of ～40 nm. For Mn doped ZnO, the lattice parameters and volume of unit cell (a=3.23065 ?, c=5.27563 ? and V=47.684 (?)(3)) are found to be greater than that of undoped ZnO (a=3.19993 ?, c=5.22546 ? and V=46.336 (?)(3)). The SEM micrographs reveal that besides the spherical crystals, the powders also contained several voids and pores. The TEM photograph also shows the particles are approximately spherical in nature. The FTIR spectrum shows two peaks at ～3428 and 1598 cm(-1) which are attributed to O-H stretching and H-O-H bending vibration. The PL spectra of ZnO:Mn indicate a strong green emission peak at 526 nm and a weak red emission at 636 nm corresponding to (4)T(1)→(6)A(1) transition of Mn(2+) ions. The EPR spectrum exhibits fine structure transition which will be split into six hyperfine components due to (55)Mn hyperfine coupling giving rise to all 30 allowed transitions. From EPR spectra the spin-Hamiltonian parameters have been evaluated and discussed. The magnitude of the hyperfine splitting (A) constant indicates that there exists a moderately covalent bonding between the Mn(2+) ions and the surrounding ligands. The number of spins participating in resonance (N), its paramagnetic susceptibility (χ) have been evaluated.     

The effects of local thermal nonequilibrium and MFD viscosity on the onset of Brinkman ferroconvection

The simultaneous effect of local thermal nonequilibrium (LTNE) and magnetic field dependent (MFD) viscosity on thermal convective instability in a horizontal ferrofluid saturated Brinkman porous layer in the presence of a uniform vertical magnetic field is studied analytically. The results indicate that the onset of Brinkman ferroconvection is delayed with increasing MFD viscosity parameter but the critical wave number is found to be independent of this parameter. When compared to the simultaneous presence of buoyancy and magnetic forces, it is observed that the onset of Brinkman ferroconvection is delayed more when the magnetic forces alone are present. Asymptotic solutions for both small and large values of scaled inter-phase heat transfer coefficient H _t are compared with those computed numerically and good agreement is found between them. Besides, the influence of magnetic and LTNE parameters on the stability characteristics of the system is also discussed. The available results in the literature are recovered as particular cases from the present study.     

Synthesis of BaSO4 nanoparticles by precipitation method using sodium hexa metaphosphate as a stabilizer

We describe the synthesis and structure of Barium sulfate nanoparticles by precipitation method in the presence of water soluble inorganic stabilizing agent, sodium hexametaphosphate, (NaPO₃)₆. The structural parameters were refined by the Rietveld refinement method using powder X-ray diffraction data. Barium sulfate nanoparticles were crystallized in the orthorhombic structure with space group Pbnm (No. 62) having the lattice parameters a=7.215(1) (Å), b=8.949(1) (Å) and c=5.501(1) (Å) respectively. Transmission electron microscopy study reveals that the nanoparticles are size range, 30–50 nm. Fourier transform infrared spectra showed distinct absorption due to the SO₄^2? moiety at 1115 and 1084 cm^?1 indicating formation of barium sulfate nanoparticles free from the phosphate group from the stabilizer used in the synthesis.     

Low temperature synthesis of layered NaxCoO2 and KxCoO2 from NaOH/KOH fluxes and their ion exchange properties

We report a low temperature synthesis of layered Na_0.20Co0₂ and K_0.44CoO₂ phases from NaOH and KOH fluxes at 400°C. These layered oxides are employed to prepare hexagonal HCoO₂, Li_xCoO₂and Delafossite AgCoO₂ phases by ion exchange method. The resulting oxides were characterised by powder X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, SEM and EDX analysis. Final compositions of all these oxides are obtained from chemical analysis of elements present. Na_0.20Co0₂ oxide exhibits insulating to metal like behaviour, whereas AgCoO₂ is semiconducting. Dedicated to Professor C N R Rao on his 70th birthday     

Non-Darcian Effects on the Onset of Convection in a Porous Layer with Throughflow

The Brinkman extended Darcy model including Lapwood and Forchheimer inertia terms with fluid viscosity being different from effective viscosity is employed to investigate the effect of vertical throughflow on thermal convective instabilities in a porous layer. Three different types of boundary conditions (free–free, rigid–rigid and rigid–free) are considered which are either conducting or insulating to temperature perturbations. The Galerkin method is used to calculate the critical Rayleigh numbers for conducting boundaries, while closed form solutions are achieved for insulating boundaries. The relative importance of inertial resistance on convective instabilities is investigated in detail. In the case of rigid–free boundaries, it is found that throughflow is destabilizing depending on the choice of physical parameters and the model used. Further, it is noted that an increase in viscosity ratio delays the onset of convection. Standard results are also obtained as particular cases from the general model presented here.     

Layered double hydroxide-CdSe quantum dot composites through colloidal processing: effect of host matrix-nanoparticle interaction on optical behavior

Layered double hydroxide (LDH)-monodispersed 4-nm CdSe nanoparticle composites were prepared through restacking of layers of colloidally dispersed delaminated LDH in the presence of CdSe nanoparticles in 1-butanol. The composites exhibit a blue shift for CdSe absorption, which increases with a decrease in nanoparticle content. The observed blue shift is due to the interaction of the quantum dots with the LDH layers, which leads to surface modification of the nanoparticles.     

Weakly nonlinear stability analysis of triple diffusive convection in a Maxwell fluid saturated porous layer

The weakly nonlinear stability of the triple diffusive convection in a Maxwell fluid saturated porous layer is investigated. In some cases, disconnected oscillatory neutral curves are found to exist, indicating that three critical thermal Darcy-Rayleigh numbers are required to specify the linear instability criteria. However, another distinguishing feature predicted from that of Newtonian fluids is the impossibility of quasi-periodic bifurcation from the rest state. Besides, the co-dimensional two bifurcation points are located in the Darcy-Prandtl number and the stress relaxation parameter plane. It is observed that the value of the stress relaxation parameter defining the crossover between stationary and oscillatory bifurcations decreases when the Darcy-Prandtl number increases. A cubic Landau equation is derived based on the weakly nonlinear stability analysis. It is found that the bifurcating oscillatory solution is either supercritical or subcritical, depending on the choice of the physical parameters. Heat and mass transfers are estimated in terms of time and area-averaged Nusselt numbers.     

Stability of triple diffusive convection in a viscoelastic fluid-saturated porous layer

The triple diffusive convection in an Oldroyd-B fluid-saturated porous layer is investigated by performing linear and weakly nonlinear stability analyses. The condition for the onset of stationary and oscillatory is derived analytically. Contrary to the observed phenomenon in Newtonian fluids, the presence of viscoelasticity of the fluid is to degenerate the quasiperiodic bifurcation from the steady quiescent state. Under certain conditions, it is found that disconnected closed convex oscillatory neutral curves occur, indicating the requirement of three critical values of the thermal Darcy-Rayleigh number to identify the linear instability criteria instead of the usual single value, which is a novel result enunciated from the present study for an Oldroyd-B fluid saturating a porous medium. The similarities and differences of linear instability characteristics of Oldroyd-B, Maxwell, and Newtonian fluids are also highlighted. The stability of oscillatory finite amplitude convection is discussed by deriving a cubic Landau equation, and the convective heat and mass transfer are analyzed for different values of physical parameters.     

Graphite oxide-intercalated anionic clay and its decomposition to graphene-inorganic material nanocomposites

A graphite oxide-intercalated anionic clay (nickel zinc hydroxysalt) has been prepared using the aqueous colloidal dispersions of negatively charged graphite oxide sheets and aminobenzoate-intercalated anionic clay layers as precursors. When the two colloidal dispersions are reacted, the interlayer aminobenzoate ions are displaced from the anionic clay and the negatively charged graphite oxide sheets are intercalated between the positively charged layers of the anionic clay. The thermal decomposition of the intercalated solid at different temperatures yields graphene-metal oxide/metal nanocomposites. Electron microscopic analysis of the composites indicates that the nanoparticles are intercalated between the layers of graphite in many regions of these solids although the graphite layers are largely exfoliated and not stacked well together.