Thermal characterization and compatibility studies of perovskite-type Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3−δ (BSCF) oxide with Cr2O3 at high temperature

The chemical compatibility of perovskite-type Ba_0.5Sr_0.5Co_0.8Fe_0.2O_3?δ (BSCF) oxides with Cr₂O₃ has been examined between room temperature and 1,100 °C. Differential thermal analysis and thermogravimetric analysis were used to analyze the thermal behavior of BSCF–Cr₂O₃ binary mixtures in all composition ranges (0–100 mass% BSCF). The reaction products were identified by X-ray analysis after heating at 700–1,100 °C. As we expected, it was found that perovskite-type BSCF oxide had a poor chemical compatibility with the Cr₂O₃ oxide. In particular, the decomposition process of the BSCF–Cr₂O₃ binary mixture is quite complex and it starts at about 700–750 °C. The mixtures of BSCF and Cr₂O₃ oxides reacted forming mixed complex oxides based on (Ba/Sr)FeO₃, (Co/Fe)CrO₄, and (Ba/Sr)CrO₄ mixtures.     

Thermodynamic and Pseudo Binary Phase Diagram of REBa2Cu3O7-x-"Ba2Cu5O7" systems

In this work the effect of oxygen pressure on the primary crystallisation fields for REBa₂Cu₃O_7-x(RE=Nd, Sm, and Eu) has been studied. A DTA apparatus has been modified in order to carry out analyses under gas pressure, so the trend of temperatures of peritectic decomposition of the REBa₂Cu₃O_7-xphases and of the eutectic equilibrium involving REBa₂Cu₃O_7-x phases and flux mixture "Ba₂Cu₅O₇" have been studied at oxygen pressures of 0.21, 1, and 10 atm. This showed that primary crystallisation fields spread at the increase of the oxygen pressure and allowed us to calculate the enthalpies of reactions of REBa₂Cu₃O_7-xphases too. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Large single-crystal growth of RBa2Cu3O7−x by the flux method (R=Y and rare earths)

Il Nuovo Cimento D - In this work the thermal conditions required for single-crystal growth in RBa2Cu3O7−x systems (R=Y or rare earths apart from Ce and Tb) have been systematically revised...     

Facile growth of monolayer MoS<Subscript>2</Subscript> film areas on SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>

Areas of single-layer MoS₂ film can be prepared in a tube furnace without the need for temperature control. The films were characterized by means of Raman spectroscopy, photoluminescence, low-energy electron diffraction and microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and mapping. Transport measurements show n-doped material with a mobility of 0.26 cm² V^-1 s^-1.     

Acetylene on Cu(111): imaging a molecular surface arrangement with a constantly rearranging tip

Acetylene on Cu(111) is investigated by scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM); a surface pattern previously derived from diffraction measurements can be validated, if the variation of the STM image transfer function through absorption of an acetylene molecule onto the tip apex is taken into account. Density functional theory simulations point to a balance between short-range repulsive interactions of acetylene/Cu(111) associated with surface stress and longer range attractive interactions as the origin of the ordering.     

Thermoanalytical investigations on the solid-state synthesis of Sr-doped praseodymium alkaline-earth cobalt oxides

In this study, the formation and characteristics of Sr-doped praseodymium alkaline-earth cobalt oxide were studied as a function of the strontium content (x). PrBa_1?x Sr _x Co₂O_5+d ceramics with x?=?0.0, 1/16, 1/8, 1/4, and 1/2.5 were prepared by solid-state reaction method from Pr₆O₁₁, BaCO₃, SrCO₃, and Co₃O₄. The solid-state reaction mechanisms were analyzed by differential thermal analysis (DTA) and thermogravimetry (TG) techniques to characterize properly the distinct thermal events occurring during synthesis of layered perovskite-type PrBa_1?x Sr _x Co₂O_5+d oxides. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) results were used to assist the interpretation of DTA?CTG analyses. The TG, DTA, and XRD results for the mixtures showed that the solid-state reaction between precursors was completed in a temperature range between 800 and 1000?°C. The strong influence of strontium contents (x) on the solid-state reaction temperatures and PrBa_1?x Sr _x Co₂O_5+d structure was found.     

Effect of synthesis method on oxygen adsorption/desorption properties of La–Sr–Co–Fe–O perovskite-type oxide

There has been a growing interest in utilizing La–Sr–Co–Fe–O perovskite-type oxide for efficient high temperature oxygen adsorption applications and oxygen removal process. In this paper, we focus our attention on the analysis of the determinants of the synthesis methods of La_0.6Sr_0.4Co_0.2Fe_0.8O_3?δ (LSCF) powders for the oxygen adsorption/desorption applications. To this aim, LSCF powders were successfully synthesized by different synthesis routes using polymerized complex and citrate methods. The effects of synthesis methods on the structure, particle size, specific surface area, oxygen adsorption/desorption kinetics, and oxygen uptake capacities of LSCF perovskite-type oxides were investigated. The oxygen adsorption/desorption capacities and kinetics of the LSCF oxides increase with increasing (1) the temperature from 700 to 900 °C and (2) the surface area observed at a given temperature. Collectively, the experimental observations suggest that particle sizes may play an important role in oxygen uptake capacities and adsorption/desorption kinetics.     

New polyurethanes able to bind high amounts of heparin,suitable as biomedical compositions

The synthesis of new segmented polyurethanes containing different amounts of N,N-diethylaminoethyl-N′-2,2 hydroxymethylpropionamide, and able to bind, after suitable quaternization, high amounts of heparin, is described. The quaternization is carried out on organic solutions of the polymers. Polymers have been characterized by spectroscopic techniques (transmission and reflectance IR and ¹H and ¹³C NMR), molecular weight measurements and differential scanning calorimetry. The heparin content of the polymer films was determined by a colorimetric system, and its biological activity was evaluated in vitro by activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) measurements. The distribution of heparin on the surface and in bulk of the heparinized films was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) combined with X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy.