Concentric toroids as a wideband and efficient substrate for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy applications

Designing a structure having high local field enhancement, wideband resonance, and large hot spot area is the key element to obtain a large enhancement factor for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy applications. Here, the concentric toroid structures in dimer configuration is proposed, which shows a large local field intensity in a wide spectral range and the region that leads to a high-surface-enhanced Raman scattering signal intensity. Calculations show that the average surface-enhanced Raman scattering enhancement is up to 60 times more compared to the conventional dimer toroid structures with similar size.     

非理想化学计量比氧化铀的拉曼和红外光谱

测量了七种非理想化学计量比的UO₂+x(0＜x＜0.66)及UO₂和U₃O₇等理想化学计量比氧化铀的拉曼和红外光谱,并进行了对比分析,其中U₃O₇和U₃O₈之间UO₂+x的分子振动光谱为首次报道。拉曼光谱结果显示,随着UO₂+x中x值的增加,UO₂特征峰中的578和1 150 cm-1峰强度快速减弱,当x=0.19时,这两峰基本消失,可视为准完美萤石晶体结构UO₂的标志。445 cm-1峰强度在减弱的同时变宽并偏移,当x=0.32时,该峰已偏移至459 cm-1处,同时在～630 cm-1出现一弱肩峰,这与四方相U₃O₇的特征峰一致。当x≥0.39时,459 cm-1峰发生分裂,在235和754 cm-1处出现新峰并增强,其特征逐渐与正交相的α-U₃O₈接近。但直至x=0.60时,与α-U₃O₈相比其333,397,483和805 cm-1峰仍不突出。红外光谱结果显示,随着UO₂+x中x值的增加,UO₂位于400～570 cm-1区间的强吸收特征谱带逐渐分裂为～421和～515 cm-1两峰并增强,同时UO₂在～700 cm-1的弱吸收峰逐渐消失,～645 cm-1处的肩峰逐渐显现,出现的这三个峰正是U₃O₇的特征红外吸收峰。当x≥0.39时,在744 cm-1出现一强吸收峰并增强,该峰是α-U₃O₈的最强特征峰。但即使x=0.60时,～645 cm-1峰仍然存在,同时～515 cm-1峰也未明显分裂成485和535 cm-1峰,这表明UO_2.60仍处于四方相和正交相的过渡阶段。上述结果表明,随着x值的增加,UO₂+x的晶体结构发生变化,每次变化均在拉曼和红外光谱中得到体现。通过对比各特征峰相对强度和位置的变化情况,可很好区分和表征不同的氧化铀。     

Structural Transformations in a Bi2O3 Crystal and in Bi2O3‐Based Solid Solutions in the Temperature Interval 25–750°C

The Raman scattering spectra of isostructural Bi₂O₃ and Bi_1.8Tm_0.2O₃ in the course of heating have been investigated. It is shown that the sequences of structural changes with increase in temperature differ: and ^* , respectively. In the hightemperature region, the structure takes the form of a disordered cube irrespective of the previous history of specimens.     

Effects of rf power on surface-morphological, structural and electrical properties of aluminium-doped zinc oxide films by magnetron sputtering

Aluminium-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Al) films were prepared by magnetron sputtering at different radio-frequency powers (P_rf) of 50, 100, 150 and 200 W. The properties of the films were characterised by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Raman microscopy, and spectrophotometry with the emphasis on the evolution of compositional, surface-morphological, optical, electrical and microstructural properties. XPS spectra showed that within the detection limit the films are chemically identical to near-stoichiometric ZnO. AFM revealed that root-mean-square roughness of the films has almost linear increase with increasing P_rf. Optical band gap E_gopt of the films increases from 3.31 to 3.51 eV when P_rf increases from 50 to 200 W. A widening E_gopt of the ZnO:Al films compared to the band gap (∼3.29 eV) of undoped ZnO films is attributed to a net result of the competition between the Burstein-Moss effect and many-body effects. An electron concentration in the films was calculated in the range of 3.73 × 10¹⁹ to 2.12 × 10²⁰ cm⁻³. Raman spectroscopy analysis indicated that well-identified peaks appear at around 439 cm⁻¹ for all samples, corresponding to the band characteristics of the wurtzite phase. Raman peaks in the range 573-579 cm⁻¹ are also observed, corresponding to the A₁ (LO) mode of ZnO.     

The use of chromium minerals in the 4th–3rd century BC China? A preliminary study of a bronze Pan unearthed from Jiuliandun Graves,Hubei Province,central southern China

A bronze Pan (water vessel), dating back to the 4th–3rd century BC, was excavated at Jiuliandun in Hubei Province, central southern China, in 2002. The Pan attracts wide attention among the Chinese archaeologists and conservators for its uniqueness in style and color, which turns out to be due to a black‐brown film of about 1 mm thickness. In the present work, a combined use of X‐ray fluorescence (XRF), micro‐Raman, and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) was employed to determine both chemical and physical compositions of the Pan's film. The results are summarized as follows: (1) The film, as XRF analysis indicates, has high concentrations of chromium (Cr) and iron (Fe); (2) Both Raman and XRD analyses suggest that the element Cr probably exists in the film mainly in the form of chromium oxide (Cr₂O₃). Raman analysis also implies the presence of PbCrO₄·PbO in the film; (3) XRD analysis suggests that the element Fe exists in the film in the form of magnetite (Fe₃O₄). Based on these analytical results and Chinese historical records, we propose that, as early as in the 3rd century BC, people in central southern China might have discovered and intentionally used chromium minerals for bronze surface treatment (such as coating). The source of chromium minerals used in this period was likely Cr‐spinel minerals from meteorites. More work remains to be done to test the possibility of using Cr‐spinel minerals for bronze production and decoration. Other issues, such as the possibility of forming a chromium‐rich film during the underground burial, also need to be solved. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Microwave sol–gel derived NaCaGd(MoO4)3:Er3+/Yb3+ phosphors and their upconversion photoluminescence properties

Ternary molybdate NaCaGd_1−x(MoO₄)₃:Er³⁺/Yb³⁺ phosphors with the proper doping concentrations of Er³⁺ and Yb³⁺ (x = Er³⁺ + Yb³⁺, Er³⁺ = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2 and Yb³⁺ = 0, 0.2, 0.45) were successfully synthesized by microwave sol–gel method for the first time. Well-crystallized particles formed after heat-treatment at 900 °C for 16 h showed a fine and homogeneous morphology with particle sizes of 3–5 μm. The optical properties were examined comparatively using photoluminescence emission and Raman spectroscopy. Under excitation at 980 nm, the doped particles exhibited a strong 525-nm emission band, a weak 550-nm emission band in the green region, which correspond to the ²H_11/2 → ⁴I_15/2 and ⁴S_3/2 → ⁴I_15/2 transitions, and a very weak 655-nm emission band in the red region, which corresponds to the ⁴F_9/2 → ⁴I_15/2 transition. The optimal Yb³⁺:Er³⁺ ratio was obtained to be 9:1, as indicated by the composition-dependent quenching effect of Er³⁺ ions. The pump power dependence of upconversion emission intensity and Commission Internationale de L’Eclairage chromaticity coordinates of the phosphors were evaluated in detail.