Fabrication and characterization of In2O3 nanowires

In₂O₃ nanowires were successfully fabricated through a simple gas-reaction route in argon atmosphere. These nanowires have diameters ranging from 20 nm to 50 nm and lengths up to tens of micrometers. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy observations and the electron-diffraction (ED) pattern reveal that the In₂O₃ nanowires are formed by the stacking of (2) planes along the [1] direction, which is parallel to the wire axis. A strong and wide ultraviolet (UV) emission band centered at around 392 nm is observed for the first time in the room-temperature photoluminescence measurement in addition to the usual blue emission (468 nm). Moreover, five discrete fine peaks (372 nm, 383 nm, 406 nm, 392 nm and 413 nm) are further identified in this broad UV band. Received: 10 April 2002 / Accepted: 12 April 2002 / Published online: 19 July 2002     

Preparation of Cu2O nanowires by thermal oxidation-plasma reduction method

Facial synthesis of cuprous oxide (Cu₂O) nanowires by directly heating copper substrates is difficult; however, in this study, it was successfully done by thermal oxidation followed by a plasma reduction process. The preparation of CuO nanowires with an average diameter of 76.2?nm supported on the surface of copper substrate was conducted first in air at 500?°C for 3?hrs, and then the CuO nanowires were reduced into Cu₂O in 15?min using either radio frequency (RF) N₂ plasma or microwave (MW) N₂ plasma. The characteristics of CuO and Cu₂O nanowires were analyzed using XRD, FE-SEM, and TEM. The results showed that Cu₂O nanowires can be successfully reduced from CuO nanowires by a simple, promising, and fast nitrogen plasma process. Moreover, in RF plasma, narrower and longer Cu₂O nanowires can be produced as compared to MW plasma, because energetic N-containing species can reduce the nanowires at a relatively lower temperature.     

EPIR effect of Cu2O films by electrochemical deposition

Cuprous oxide (Cu₂O) films and Cu/Cu₂O/Cu/FTO sandwich structures were prepared by electrochemical deposition on conductive FTO substrates with different pH value conditions but constant deposition potential. The phase composition, crystal structure and microstructure of the Cu₂O films were characterized by XRD, SEM and EDS as well as by Electric–Pulse–Induced–Resistance (EPIR) perturbation. In particular, the switching effects of the Cu/Cu₂O/Cu/FTO device are examined in this work. The result shows that the EPIR-effect is large for the Cu/Cu₂O/Cu/FTO device at room temperature and strongly related to the pH value of the solution. In both acidic and neutral conditions, for example at pH = 5, 6 and 7, the EPIR effect is significant and decreases with increasing pH value. It disappears when the pH value goes further into the alkaline regime, i.e. pH = 8, 9 and 10. Space charge barriers at the interface of electrode and Cu₂O are used to explain the I–V characteristic of the layer structure and the EPIR-effect.     

Pulsed-laser deposition and characterization of ZnO nanowires with regular lateral arrangement

We report on the high-pressure pulsed-laser deposition growth of periodic arrays of free-standing single zinc oxide nanowires with uniform hexagonal arrangement and cross-section with thickness of less than 100 nm. In order to achieve the wire alignment, we prepared an ordered array of catalytic gold seed particles by a nanosphere lithography mask transfer technique using monodisperse spherical polystyrol nanoparticles. These templates were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy prior to nanowire growth. X-ray diffraction revealed the epitaxial relationships between the nanostructures and the a-plane sapphire substrate and excellent crystal quality. The optical properties of the ZnO nanowire arrays were measured by cathodoluminescence. PACS 61.82.Rx; 81.05.-t; 81.05.Dz; 81.10.-h     

Synthesis and characterization of the SnS nanowires via chemical vapor deposition

Single-crystal SnS nanowires have been successfully synthesized by catalysis-assistant chemical vapor deposition. Applying Au nanoparticles which were applied on the ITO surface as the catalysator, using SnS powder and S powder as precursors and the Ar+H₂ mixed atmosphere as the shielding and carrier gas, the SnS nanowires were obtained. X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy were employed to characterize the as-synthesized SnS nanostructures. The room-temperature photoluminescence properties of these as-prepared SnS nanowires were presented.     

柔性ITO衬底电化学沉积制备Cu/Cu2O薄膜

研究了使用电化学沉积法于碱性条件下在柔性ITO衬底上制备Cu/Cu₂O薄膜的方法。循环伏安曲线表明Cu₂O与Cu的阴极峰分别位于-500 mV(vs Ag/AgCl)和-800 mV(vs Ag/AgCl)附近。利用循环伏安法考察了生长温度和电解液pH值等对Cu₂O与Cu阴极峰电位的影响,阴极峰随生长温度的升高以及pH值的降低而略向阳极移动,沉积电流也随之相应增大。与弱酸性条件相比,上述两个阴极峰随pH值升高而移动的程度明显减小,这可能与碱性条件下C₃H₆O电离程度增大以及C₃H₆O根作为配体的过量程度有关。通过X射线衍射光谱和扫描电子显微镜的表征证实,在所研究的生长温度区间和pH值内可利用电化学沉积法在柔性ITO衬底上制备Cu/Cu₂O纳米混晶薄膜。在相同的生长温度和pH条件下,电化学沉积电位对样品表面形貌和晶体性质具有较大影响。     

Fabrication and characterization of polycrystalline silicon nanowires with silver-assistance by electroless deposition

Single crystal silicon wafers are widely used as the precursors to prepare silicon nanowires by employing a silver-assisted chemical etching process. In this work, we prepared polycrystalline silicon nanowire arrays by using solar-grade multicrystalline silicon wafers. The chemical composition and bonding on the surface of silicon nanowire arrays were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscope, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscope. The photoluminescence spectra of silicon nanowires show red light emissions centered around 700 nm. Due to the passivation effect of Si dangling bonds by concentrated HNO₃ aqueous solution, the photoluminescence intensities are improved by 2 times. The influences of surface chemical states on the wettability of silicon nanowire arrays were also studied. We obtained a superhydrophobic surface on the as-etched silicon nanowire arrays without surface modification with any organic low-surface-energy materials, and realized the evolution from superhydrophobicity to superhydrophilicity via surface modifications with HNO₃ solutions.     

Electrochemical characterization of core@shell CoFe2O4/Au composite

Quantum dots (QDs) have received considerable attention due to their unique optical and electrical properties. Although substantial research has focused on the potential applications and toxicological impacts of QDs, far less effort has been directed toward understanding their fate and transport in the environment. In this work, the effect of four coatings, polyethylene glycol functionalized polymer (PEGP), carboxyl derivatized polymer (COOHP), linoleic acid (LA), and polyacrylic acid-octylamine (PAA-OA), on the transport and retention of QDs in porous media were evaluated under environmentally relevant conditions. Aqueous QD suspensions (ca. 10 nM) were introduced into water-saturated columns packed with 40–50 mesh Ottawa sand at a pore-water velocity of 7.6 m/day. At an ionic strength (IS) of 3 mM and pH of 7, PEGP-coated QDs were completely retained within the column, while more than 60 % of COOHP-coated QDs were transported through a column run under identical conditions. When PAA-OA and LA were used as coatings, effluent QD recoveries increased to more than 65 and 89 % of the injected mass, respectively. Additionally, a decrease in pH from 9.5 to 5.0, or an increase of IS from 0 to 30 mM reduced the eluted mass of PAA-OA-coated QDs by more than 2 and 15 times, respectively. The relative mobility of coated QDs (LA > PAA-OA > COOHP > PEGP) was consistent with total interaction energy profiles between QDs and sand surfaces calculated based on Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek (DLVO) theory. At an IS of 3 mM (NaCl) and pH 7, a linear correlation was obtained between the fraction of eluted QDs and the magnitude of the primary interaction energy barrier. These findings demonstrate the strong dependence of QD transport on coating type and indicate that interaction energies based on DLVO theory can be used to predict the relative mobility of QDs in porous media.     

Electrochemical properties and structures of the mixed-valence lithium cuprates Li3Cu2O4 and Li2NaCu2O4

The electrochemical performances of Li₃Cu₂O₄ and Li₂NaCu₂O₄ as cathode materials in lithium coin type batteries have been studied. In Li₃Cu₂O₄, the copper was oxidised to the III level when cycling. The replacement of the lithium by the sodium ions in the octahedral sites in Li₂NaCu₂O₄ might have an effect on the pathway of the lithium ions during the (de)intercalations. Paper presented at the 7th Euroconference on Ionics, Calcatoggio, Corsica, France, Oct. 1–7, 2000.     

Microstructure characterization of Al2O3 nanowires with networked rectangular nanostructure

L-shaped and U-shaped Al₂O₃ nanowires were synthesized using a vapor phase deposition method. The as-grown nanowires are single crystalline and structurally uniform at the junction of the branches. Detailed TEM analysis revealed that the growth direction of the nanowires is parallel to the a- or b-axis directions, and switched growth from one direction to another forms the rectangular morphology of the peculiar L-shaped or U-shaped nanowires. Possible growth mechanism of the Al₂O₃ nanowires was explained. Our results can provide evidence to understand the growth mechanism of the complicated nanostructure.     

Synthesis and characterization of GaN nanowires by a catalyst assisted chemical vapor deposition

GaN nanowires have been fabricated on Si(1 1 1) substrates by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method with NiCl₂ as catalyst and their compositions, microstructures, morphologies and light emitting properties were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), FT-IR spectrophotometer (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), Raman spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL). The results demonstrate that the nanowires are single-crystal GaN with hexagonal wurtzite structure and high crystalline quality, having the size of 20-50 nm in diameter and several tens of microns in length with some nano-droplets on their tips, which reveals that the growth mechanism of GaN nanowires agrees with vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) process. Five first-order Raman active phonon bands move to low shift and A₁(TO), E₁(TO), and E₂ (high) bands are overlapped and broaden, which is caused by uncertainty in the phonon wave vector. Five non-first-order active Raman phonons also appear, which is caused by the small dimension and high surface disorder degree. A blue-shift of the band-gap emission occurs due to quantum confinement effect.     

Pulsed laser deposition and thermal characterization of Ni-doped La5Ca9Cu24O41 thin films

Highly b-axis oriented polycrystalline Ni-doped La₅Ca₉Cu₂₄O₄₁ thin films have been grown on (0 0 1) SrTiO₃ substrates using the pulsed laser deposition technique. EDX measurements have revealed nearly stoichiometric target-to-film transfer of Ni concentration up to 6.6 at.%. The 3ω method has been employed to carry out thermal conductivity measurements in the range 90-300 K. The results indicate that the out-of-plane thermal conductivity (κ_b) decreases with increasing Ni doping level. The temperature dependence of κ_b observed in pristine and Ni-doped films is similar to that observed in polycrystalline pellets indicating that the grain boundaries play a significant role in the heat transport.     

Artificially nanostructured Cu:Al2O3 films produced by pulsed laser deposition

The processes leading to the formation of Cu:Al₂O₃ composite films on Si (001) with a well defined nanostructure by alternate pulsed laser deposition (a-PLD) in vacuum are investigated. Alternately amorphous Al₂O₃ layers and Cu nanocrystals nucleated on the Al₂O₃ surface are formed, according to the PLD sequence. The Al₂O₃ deposited on the Cu nanocrystals fills in the space between them until they are completely buried, and subsequently, a continuous dense layer with a very flat surface (within 1 nm) is developed. The nucleation process of the nanocrystals and their resulting oblate ellipsoidal shape are discussed in terms of the role of the energetic species involved in the PLD process and the metal–oxide interface energy. Received: 4 July 2000 / Accepted: 5 July 2000 / Published online: 13 September 2000     

Cu nuclear spin-spin relaxation in YBa2Cu3O6.98 and YBa2Cu4O8

We have measured the temperature (T) dependence of the transverse relaxation rate (T _G ^–1 ) of the Cu(1) nuclear spin in YBa₂Cu₃O_6.98 (T _c=92 K) and YBa₂Cu₄O₈ (T _c=82 K). From the scaling ratio ofT _G ^–2 (Cu1) toT _G ^–2 (Cu2), we have estimated the strength of a covalent bonding between the CuO₂ plane and the CuO chain to be B0.38×A _zz. The experimentalT _G ^–1 (Cu1) in YBa₂Cu₄O₈ was of the same order of magnitude as the estimated one fromT _G ^–1 (Cu2). These results appear to indicate that the electrons in the CuO₂ plane fairly spread out of the plane in both compounds.     

Large-scale synthesis of In2O3 nanowires

In₂O₃ nanowires have been successfully fabricated on a large scale from indium particles by thermal evaporation at 1030 °C. The as-synthesized products were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). SEM and TEM images show that these nanowires are uniform with diameters of about 60–120 nm and lengths of about 15–25 μm. XRD and selected-area electron diffraction analysis together indicate that these In₂O₃ nanowires crystallize in a cubic structure of the bixbyite Mn₂O₃ (I) type (also called the C-type rare-earth oxide structure). The growth mechanism of these nanowires is also discussed. Received: 29 June 2001 / Accepted: 28 September 2001 / Published online: 20 December 2001     

Shape of the Cu(2) NQR spectra in YBa2Cu3O7, TmBa2Cu3O7 and TmBa2Cu4O8

We present a study of shape of the Cu(2) NQR spectra in YBa₂Cu₃O₇, TmBa₂Cum₃O₇, and TmBa₂Cu₄O₈ compounds at temperatures of 4.2–300 K. The results of the quantitative analysis lead us to conclude that the shape of the Cu(2) NQR spectra in all the samples studied can be described in the framework of the “motional narrowing” model, which implies that the Cu(2) nucleus possesses two different NQR frequencies between which it can rapidly jump. The difference in frequencies seems to be related to the charge-stripe correlations in CuO₂ planes resulting in a dynamical modulation of the electric field gradients at the Cu(2) nuclei. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 66, No. 9, 594–598 (10 November 1997)     

Vibrational properties of Cu nanowires

We have calculated local vibrational density of states (LDOS) of a center atom (CA) of a rectangular Cu nanowire with the axial orientation of 〈100〉, using a real space Green’s function approach with force constants extracted from interaction potentials based on the embedded atom method. The LDOS of a center atom of a strained nanowire is found to exhibit quite distinctive characteristics as compared to that of a strain-free nanowire, the most striking feature of which is the existence of high frequency modes above the bulk band even for small strain of 2.5%. We further find that these high frequency modes are shifted to even higher frequencies when the nanowire is exposed to an increasing axial strain.     

Electrochemical deposition and characterization of cadmium indium telluride thin films for photovoltaic application

Cd–In–Te films were electro-deposited potentiostatically over SnO₂:F coated glass substrates from aqueous acidic solutions containing CdSO₄, InCl₃ and TeO₂ at 85 °C. Cyclic voltammetric studies were carried out to study the growth process and the potential range for ternary Cd–In–Te thin film deposition. Crystalline structure and surface morphological studies were carried out and correlated with the deposition potential. The deposited film showed cubic structure having a high degree of (1 1 1) orientation. Optical transmission studies showed a direct band structure and the band gap of the deposited film change with the deposition potential. A typical decrease from 1.2 to 1.1 eV in the optical band gap was observed on increasing the cathodic deposition potential from −0.5 to −0.54 V (SCE).     

Electronic transport in underdoped YBa2Cu3O7-delta nanowires: evidence for fluctuating domain structures

We have measured the transport properties of a series of underdoped YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7-delta) nanowires fabricated with widths of 100-250 nm. We observe large telegraphlike fluctuations in the resistance between the pseudogap temperature T* and the superconducting transition temperature T(c), consistent with the formation and dynamics of a domain structure. We also find anomalous hysteretic steps in the current-voltage characteristics well below T(c).