Mössbauer investigation of amorphous-to-crystalline transformation of Fe62Ni16B14Si8 by isothermal annealing

Room temperature transmission Mössbauer spectra of Fe₆₂Ni₁₆B₁₄Si₈ ribbons, annealed in vacuum for time periods ranging from 5 to 60 minutes at the crystallization temperatureT _x=720 K, have been used to investigate the crystallization mechanism by isothermal annealing. Reorientation of the magnetic anisotropy almost normal to the ribbon plane was observed and correlated to the annealing time dependence of the mean hyperfine field (HF) of the amorphous component. Crystallization started at the surface before the bulk and was found to occur in two steps: a metastable equilibrium of the amorphous phase with (FeNi), (FeNi)Si and t-(FeNi)₃B, followed by the decomposition of t-(FeNi)₃B into t-(FeNi)₂B and (FeNi). The increase of the mean magnetic moment at the Fe sites as compared to related iron-based alloys was attributed to compositional small Ni additions.     

Enthalpies of mixing of binary and ternary mixtures containing diisopropylether,benzene and cyclohexane at 303.15 K

Enthalpies of mixing H have been measured for liquid binary mixtures of diisopropylether (DIPE)+benzene or cyclohexane and for liquid ternary mixtures diisopropylether+benzene+cyclohexane at 303.15 K and constant pressure using a C80 calorimeter. A Redlich-Kister type equation was used to correlate experimental results.     

Two-colour HgCdTe infrared detectors operating above 200 K

The performance of dual waveband HgCdTe photodiodes fabricated using metaloorganic chemical vapour deposition operated at high temperatures is presented. The effect of additional separating layer on the quantum efficiency and cross-talk of the photodiodes is analyzed. The photodiodes with cutoff wavelengths up to 6 μm, good R₀A product, and high quantum efficiency at 200 K have been demonstrated. The temperature dependence of the differential resistance is discussed. It is shown that the multilayer heterojunction P-n-N-n-P structure operating in a simultaneous mode has better performance than a structure operating in a sequential mode.     

Measurement and prediction of (solid + liquid) equilibrium for sulfur compounds with aliphatic hydrocarbons

(Solid + liquid) equilibrium (SLE) of thiophene or diethylsulfide with n-heptane, n-octane or n-dodecane mixtures was measured by a static method. All the systems under study are simple eutectic systems. The DISQUAC group contribution model is fairly successful in predicting SLE.     

Enzymatic electrodes nanostructured with functionalized carbon nanotubes for biofuel cell applications

Nanostructured bioelectrodes were designed and assembled into a biofuel cell with no separating membrane. The glassy carbon electrodes were modified with mediator-functionalized carbon nanotubes. Ferrocene (Fc) and 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) diammonium salt (ABTS) bound chemically to the carbon nanotubes were found useful as mediators of the enzyme catalyzed electrode processes. Glucose oxidase from Aspergillus niger AM-11 and laccase from Cerrena unicolor C-139 were incorporated in a liquid-crystalline matrix-monoolein cubic phase. The carbon nanotubes–nanostructured electrode surface was covered with the cubic phase film containing the enzyme and acted as the catalytic surface for the oxidation of glucose and reduction of oxygen. Thanks to the mediating role of derivatized nanotubes the catalysis was almost ten times more efficient than on the GCE electrodes: catalytic current of glucose oxidation was 1 mA cm⁻² and oxygen reduction current exceeded 0.6 mA cm⁻². The open circuit voltage of the biofuel cell was 0.43 V. Application of carbon nanotubes increased the maximum power output of the constructed biofuel cell to 100 μW cm⁻² without stirring of the solution which was ca. 100 times more efficient than using the same bioelectrodes without nanotubes on the electrode surface.     

Terahertz detectors and focal plane arrays

Terahertz (THz) technology is one of emerging technologies that will change our life. A lot of attractive applications in security, medicine, biology, astronomy, and non-destructive materials testing have been demonstrated already. However, the realization of THz emitters and receivers is a challenge because the frequencies are too high for conventional electronics and the photon energies are too small for classical optics. As a result, THz radiation is resistant to the techniques commonly employed in these well established neighbouring bands.     

Numerical analysis of three-colour HgCdTe detectors

The performance of three-colour HgCdTe photovoltaic heterostructure detector is examined theoretically. In comparison with two-colour detectors with two back-to-back junctions, three-colour structure contains an absorber of intermediate wavelength placed between two junctions and electronic barriers are used to isolate this intermediate region. This structure was first proposed by British workers. Three-detector structures with different localizations of separating barriers are analyzed. The calculation results are presented in the form of spatial distributions of bandgap energy and quantum efficiency. Enhanced original computer programs are applied to solve the system of non-linear continuity equations for carriers and Poisson equations. In addition, the numerical analysis includes the dependence of absorption coefficient on Burstein effect as well as interference effects in heterostructure with metallic electrical contacts. It is shown that the performance of the detector is critically dependent on the barrier’s doping level and position in relation to the junction. This behaviour is serious disadvantage of the considered three-colour detector. A small shift of the barrier location and doping level causes serious changes in spectral responsivity.     

Vapour—liquid equilibrium of the systems 1-propanol—2,2,4-trimethylpentane and 2-propanol-n-hexane

The vapour—liquid equilibrium data were measured for the binary systems 2-propanol—n-hexane at 328.21 K and 1-propanol—2,2,4-trimethylpentane at 328.37 K and 348.52 K by using the recirculation still proposed by Berro et al. (1975). The excess volumes for these systems were measured with an Anton Paar densimeter. The reduction of VLE data and analysis of experimental errors were performed. The NRTL temperature-dependence parameters were estimated. The measured VLE data and the activity coefficients were compared with the values predicted by the chemical-reticular group-contribution method (CRG) (Neau and Péneloux, 1979). For both systems satisfactory agreement was found. This proves that the CRG model can be used to predict the vapour—liquid equilibria of alcohol—alkane systems containing branched components.