Liquid crystal alignment properties on surface-reformed solution-derived lanthanum-doped zinc oxide films

Liquid crystal (LC) alignment characteristics were investigated using a solution-derived lanthanum-doped zinc oxide (La:ZnO) film that was exposed to various intensities of ion-beam (IB) irradiation. At an IB intensity of 1700 eV, uniform and homogeneous LC alignment was achieved, as revealed by cross-polarized optical microscopy and pre-tilt angle measurement. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to verify that the IB irradiation induced physical and chemical surface reformation of the La:ZnO film that relate to LC alignment. FE-SEM and AFM revealed that the IB irradiation reformed the existing surface structure into a new structure with an altered surface roughness. The XPS results showed that the van der Waals force with anchoring energy increased as the IB intensity increased, and this profoundly affected the state of LC alignment. The capacitance-voltage (C-V) hysteresis curve was measured as a function of IB intensity to characterize the accumulated charge as a residual DC. Nearly zero C-V hysteresis was achieved at an IB intensity of 1700 eV. Therefore, a solution-derived La:ZnO film with an IB intensity of 1700 eV has great potential for high-quality LC applications.     

Effect of gallium oxide dopants on electrophysical and sorption properties of zinc oxide

The effect of gallium oxide dopants (0.1–0.3 at.% Ga) on the electrophysical and sorption properties of ZnO was studied in the temperature range from 19 to 350 °C. The introduction of the dopant increasing the conductivity of ZnO is accompanied by a change in the amounts of SO₂ and Cl₂ sorbed and the reactivity of zinc oxide. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 2, pp. 266–270, February, 1999.     

Effect of lithium oxide dopants on electrophysical and sorption properties of zinc oxide

The effects of lithium oxide dopants (0.5–0.8 at. % Li) on the electrophysical and sorption properties of ZnO were studied in the temperature range from 150 °C to 410 °C. The introduction of lithium increases the activation energy of the conductivity of ZnO, decreases its conductivity, and increases the amount of S0₂ sorbed. Two forms of chemisorbed SO₂ (donor and acceptor) are observed on the surface.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 5, pp. 1096–1100, May, 1996.     

Preparation and properties of polymer/zinc oxide nanocomposites using functionalized zinc oxide quantum dots

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/zinc oxide (ZnO) or carbazole polymer (PCEM)/ZnO nanocomposites, which are composed of high molecular weight PMMA or PCEM with narrow molecular weight distributions and ZnO nanoparticles, were successfully prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiated by 2-bromo-2-methylpropionyl (BMP) group (ZnBM) introduced onto the ZnO nanoparticle surfaces. Introduction of the BMP group onto the ZnO surfaces was achieved by esterification of OH group of the ZnO surfaces. The chemically attached OH group-having ZnO nanoparticles (ZnHM) were fabricated by sol-gel reaction from zinc acetate dihydrate, followed by treatment of the ZnO nanoparticles with 2-hydroxypropionic acid (HPA). The ZnHM nanoparticles showed one UV absorption and two emission bands: UV emission peak and broad visible emission band, while the ZnBM exhibited broad UV absorption and no emission spectra. The PMMA/ZnO nanocomposites displayed UV absorption and photoluminescent (PL) band with blue emission on the basis of the ZnHM nanoparticles, where the ZnO nanoparticles dispersed homogeneously in the PMMA matrix. The PCEM/ZnO nanocomposites depicted UV emission peak due to the carbazole unit in the UV range, but no visible emission. Thermal properties of the PMMA/ZnO nanocomposites were improved by dispersion of the ZnO nanoparticles into the PMMA, but the PCEM/ZnO nanocomposites showed no improvement of the thermal properties.     

Preparation of high-surface-area zinc oxide with ordered porosity, different pore sizes, and nanocrystalline walls

Transition-metal-oxide materials possessing ordered mesoporosity have recently attracted significant research interest due to their numerous potential applications. Among them, ordered mesoporous zinc oxide (ZnO) is a very tempting material because of the importance of ZnO in heterogeneous catalysis. Here, first results of the preparation of ordered mesoporous ZnO materials by using different templates are reported. Porous materials with high surface area, different pore sizes, and nanocrystalline ZnO walls were obtained. Furthermore, we compare the two fundamental templating techniques, involving liquid crystals or ordered mesoporous carbon materials as templates. Regarding the formation of mesoporous ZnO, it was evident that the hard-matter carbon template is superior.     

从氧化锌矿制备高纯超细ZnO粉体

超细ＺｎＯ具有表面效应、体积效应、久保效应以及优良的光活性、电活性、烧结活性和催化活性 ,可用来制造气体传感器、荧光体、紫外线遮蔽材料、变阻器、图像记录材料、压电材料、压敏电阻、高效催化剂、磁性材料、陶瓷材料、化妆品及医药材料。在橡胶工业、染料油墨等领域也有应用前景[1～ 5] 。目前 ,国内外对制备超细ＺｎＯ粉体的研究文章较多 ,但以氧化锌矿为原料直接研制的文章还很少。湿化学法是近二十年来超细ＺｎＯ产品应用开发的主要活跃点之一 ,直接沉淀法是制备超细ＺｎＯ的一种重要湿化学方法 ,它是在含有一种或多种粒子的可溶…     

Nanostructural properties of zinc oxide thin films grown on non‐planar substrates

The crystallographic structure of zinc oxide thin films grown on optical fibres using single source chemical vapour deposition (SSCVD) was analysed using near edge X‐ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS). Zinc diethyl carbamate was used as a precursor for the growth of highly conformal films in a one‐step deposition process without substrate rotation and at substrate temperatures of 400–575 °C. It was found that the growth temperatures greatly affected the crystallographic structure of the film with no preferred crystallographic orientation and negligible crystallinity at low temperatures and very high crystallinity with pure c‐axis orientation at high temperatures. Cross‐sectional analysis of the films by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed the presence of a film at all points around the fibre. These films generally consisted of densely packed columns that bore a strong resemblance to c‐axis‐oriented films grown on planar substrates. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An iron (II) guanidinate compound: Synthesis,characterization, thermal properties and its application as a CVD precursor for iron oxide film

An iron compound containing guanidinate ligand [Fe((SiMe₃)₂NC(ⁱPrN)₂)₂] was synthesized using a conventional lithium‐salt‐elimination reaction, and its chemical structure was characterized through elemental analysis, ¹H‐NMR and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction, respectively. The thermal properties of the compound were examined through thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and the TGA results demonstrated that the compound possessed sufficient volatility and suitable thermal stability for the CVD process. Moreover, the deposition experiments were conducted using the synthesized compound as a precursor and O₂ as an oxygen source to confirm its applicability as a CVD precursor, and α‐Fe₂O₃ films were successfully deposited at a relatively low deposition temperature (300°C).     

Study of thermal and dielectric behavior of low-density polyethylene composites reinforced with zinc oxide whisker

Different scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical analysis are used to study the thermal behavior of composites by melt-mixing low-density polyethylene (LDPE) matrix and zinc oxide whisker (ZnO_w) fillers. Micrographs of the composites illustrate that needle or wedge shaped ZnO_w are distributed uniformly in the LDPE matrix. Dielectric properties of the composites are measured in a frequency range of 1-10 MHZ. The results show that the addition of ZnO_w does not affect the melting behavior of LDPE, but has an important effect on the heat of fusion, dynamic mechanical behavior, and dielectric behavior of the composites. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effect of pentaerythritol and organic tin with calcium/zinc stearates on the stabilization of poly(vinyl chloride)

The stabilization effect of calcium and zinc stearates (CaSt₂/ZnSt₂) combined with pentaerythritol (PeE) and organic tin on poly(vinyl chloride) was investigated. The results show that the addition of calcium/zinc stearates combined with PeE and organic tin can improve thermal and colour stability of poly(vinyl chloride) in both static and dynamic tests. Mechanisms for improving stability of PVC are also discussed. The increase of stabilizing effectiveness of calcium/zinc stearates is ascribed to the synergistic effect between CaSt₂/ZnSt₂ and PeE and the interaction between organic tin and double bonds formed during the degradation of PVC. There is no synergistic action between organic tin and PeE or organic tin and calcium/zinc stearates.     

Scanning Kelvin probe study of photolabile silane surface modification of indium tin oxide

The scanning Kelvin nanoprobe (SKN) is an exquisitely sensitive device capable of detecting subtle changes in work function associated with alteration of surface chemistry and interfacial dipole. This instrument is highly versatile and has notably been recently used for (i) the investigation of biological interactions occurring at the interface of multiplexed microarrayed platforms and (ii) the characterization of high work function materials for application in molecular optoelectronics. Herein, we further implement the SKN to characterize, along with angle‐resolved X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and contact angle goniometry, the surface modification of indium tin oxide substrates with photopatternable silane adlayers. These molecular films are constructed in a straightforward and economical manner from alkyltrichlorosilane surface‐modifying molecules that possess a distal, UV‐photolabile o‐nitrobenzyl moiety. Employing a photomask, we were able to selectively pattern regions of the photoreactive silane adlayer and confirm the corresponding changes in surface potential through contact potential difference measurements. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and characterization of a new tin(IV) complex for fabrication of an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) and photoluminescence properties of the tin oxide core

A new tin(IV) complex, (C₁₃H₁₀NO)[SnCl₄(C₉H₆NO)]·2CH₃OH, was prepared in a facile process and characterized by ¹H, ¹³C, and ¹¹⁹Sn NMR, IR, and UV spectroscopy in addition to single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Current–voltage (I–V) characteristics, photoluminescence (PL), and electroluminescence (EL) properties of the complex have been investigated and an application of the prepared complex in fabrication of an organic light-emitting diode has been demonstrated. The EL of the compound exhibits blue–green emission at 494?nm. Tin(IV) oxide core that resulted from direct thermal decomposition of the complex at 450?°C in air was characterized by X-ray powder diffraction and scanning electron microscopy; then, the PL property was investigated and compared with the PL of the complex. The tin(IV) oxide core showed a band gap of ～3.81?eV determined from the UV/visible absorption spectrum. The tin oxide core showed stable PL with one emission peak centered at 581?nm.     

Synthesis and structure analysis of aluminum doped zinc oxide powders

Hexagonal Al-doped zinc oxide (ZnO) powders with a nominal composition of Zn1-xAlxO (0≤x≤0.028) were synthesized by the co-precipitation method. The contents of the Al element in the samples were measured by the inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) technique. The structures of the Zn1-xAlxO (0≤x≤0.028) compounds calcined at 1000 and 1200℃ have been deter- mined using the Rietveld full-profile analysis method. Rietveld refinements of the diffraction data indi- cated that the addition of Al initially has a considerably positive effect on the decreasing of the lattice parameters a and c of Zn1-xAlxO, but the effect becomes very slight and even negative with the further increase of the Al content. The solid solubility limit of Al in ZnO (mole fraction y) is 2.2l%, resulting in Zn0.978Al0.22O. It seems that when the Al content is excessive, Al prefers to form a ZnAl2O4 compound with ZnO, but not to incorporate into the ZnO lattice to occupy the Zn2 cites. Two phases, [ZnO] (or Al-doped ZnO) and [ZnAl2O4], are obviously segregated in Zn1-xAlxO while the value of x is larger than 0.024. The UV-Vis absorption spectra show that the Al-doped ZnO exhibits a red-shift in the absorption edge without reduced transmission compared with pure ZnO, which also confirms that Al ions enter the ZnO lattice and form a Zn1-xAlxO solid solution.     

Superhydrophobic and oleophobic coatings from flower-like zinc oxide and fluorinated epoxy with good comprehensive property

Nowadays, most superhydrophobic surfaces will lose their superhydrophobic performance once they encounter oil, and adhesive strength of superhydrophobic coating is low. Therefore, the superhydrophobic coating with good oleophobicity and high adhesive strength is popular with people. A superhydrophobic and oleophobic coating is characteristic of antifouling and self-cleaning, due to the appearance of special structures, such as overhang and re-entrant. In this work, flower-like zinc oxide (ZnO) particles free of fluorine and fluorine-containing epoxy were used to establish the coating with a similar re-entrant structure. Flower-like ZnO particles were prepared by a chemical precipitation method, and the water contact angle of flower-like ZnO is up to 149 ± 1°. For the coating, flower-like ZnO particles were almost covered by fluorine-containing epoxy synthesized through click reaction so that the adhesive strength between the coating and the matrix is high, superior to some coatings in the references. The surfaces made of flower-like ZnO and fluorinated epoxy possess superhydrophobic and oleophobic properties. The contact angle of the coating for water, diiodomethane, glycerol, and glycol is 154 ± 0.7°, 138 ± 0.6°, 156 ± 0.7°, and 150 ± 0.7°, respectively. After withstanding 70 cycles under the pressure of 1 kPa, the coating is still superhydrophobic. Also, the coating possesses a good self-cleaning and anti-icing property.     

光催化降解染料ZnO催化剂的性能

光催化法是20世纪70年代发展起来的新型水处理技术，即以某些半导体材料为催化剂，利用光催化法来降解环境污染物。该方法工艺简单，成本较低，在常温下能使大多数不能或难于生物降解的有毒有机物彻底氧化分解。近年来研究最多的是TiO2，由于其带隙较宽(3．2eV)，只能吸收波长λ≤387nm的紫外光，因此研制新型光催化剂仍是重要课题。     

Preparation and characterization of octadecylsilane monolayers on indium–tin oxide (ITO) surfaces

The preparation and characterization of octadecylsilane, C₁₈, monolayers on indium–tin oxide (ITO) have been studied carefully. A reproducible procedure was developed for the formation of C₁₈/ITO employing octadecyltrimethoxysilane (OTMS) as a monomer. The films were studied by means of electrochemistry, wettability, infrared and atomic force microscopy. All these measurements provide evidence for the formation of a disorganized, ‘brush-type’ monolayer with a maximum surface fractional coverage of 0.90±0.04. The surface coverage can be controlled through the silanization time. The applications and implications of such disorganized monolayers in electroanalytical chemistry are discussed.     

The addition of functionalized graphene oxide to polyetherimide to improve its thermal conductivity and mechanical properties

The thermal and electrical conductivity and mechanical properties of polyetherimide (PEI) containing either alkyl‐aminated (enGO) or phenyl‐aminated graphene (pnGO) oxides were studied. A solution casting method was used to prepare functionalized graphene oxide/PEI composites with different filler contents. The introduction of functionalized graphene oxide to the PEI matrix improved the thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, and mechanical properties. The thermal conductivities of the enGO 3 wt%/PEI and pnGO 3 wt%/PEI composites were 0.324 W/mK and 0.329 W/mK, respectively, due to the high thermal conductivity of the graphene‐based materials and the strong interface adhesion due to the filler surface treatment between the fillers and the matrix. The electrical conductivities of the functionalized graphene oxide/PEI composites were larger than that of PEI, but the electrical conductivity values were generally low, which is consistent with the magnitude of the insulator. The strong interfacial adhesion between the fillers and the matrix led to improved mechanical properties. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Organic–inorganic nanocomposites of (2‐hydroxypropyl)cellulose as a precursor of nanocrystalline zinc oxide layers

The sol–gel method of synthesis of the hybrid nanocomposite films of ZnO/(2‐hydroxypropyl) cellulose (HPC) on silica glass is presented. The sol phases were prepared for different weight ratios of zinc acetate dihydrate to HPC in the presence of triethylamine (TEA). Raman spectrum of the mixture of ZnAc and HPC indicates coordinating interaction between zinc ion and HPC. The generation of ZnO nanoparticles in the HPC matrix proceeds in situ through the annealing of the gel phase at a temperature of 160°C. Identification of ZnO nanoparticles in the HPC matrix is done by using photoluminescence (PL), UV–Vis, and Raman spectroscopy. The films of ZnO/HPC nanocomposite are transparent in the visible light and show a higher energy value of absorption edge compared with ZnO in the bulk. Nanocrystalline films of ZnO were obtained by the calcination of ZnO/HPC nanocomposite at 500°C. ZnO films possess a good transparency for the visible light and high absorbance for UV light. Nanocrystallite sizes of ZnO particles were estimated from the X‐ ray lines broadening. The properties of ZnO layers were studied by the evaluation of PL, X‐ray investigation and atom force microscope (AFM) scanning, and the optical absorption edge. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of precursor sol pH on microstructural, optical and photocatalytic properties of vacuum annealed zinc tin oxide thin films on glass

Dip coated vacuum annealed zinc tin oxide thin films on soda lime silica glass have been deposited from the precursor sols containing zinc acetate dihydrate and tin (IV) chloride pentahydrate (Zn:Sn = 67:33, atomic ratio in percentage) in 2-methoxy ethanol by varying sol pH (0.85–5.5). Crystallinity, morphology, optical and photocatalytic properties of the films strongly depend on sol pH. Measurement of grazing incidence X-ray diffraction confirms the presence of hexagonal nano ZnO in the films derived from the sols of pH < 5.5. Film crystallinity deteriorates on increasing sol pH and the film deposited from the sol of pH 5.5 shows XRD amorphous but the selected area diffraction pattern and HRTEM image evidence the presence of nano Zn₂SnO₄ (size, 5–6 nm). Direct band gap energy of films increases on increasing sol pH. To visualize the film surface microstructure, FESEM study has been done and a rod-like surface feature is revealed in the film deposited from the sol of pH 2.85. A dependence of precursor sol pH on the photocatalytic activity of films towards degradation of Rhodamine 6G dye under UV (254 nm) irradiation is found and the highest decomposition rate constant, ‘k’ value is obtained from the film prepared from the sol of pH 5.5. The presence of zinc deficient nano Zn₂SnO₄ in the film may consider for generating the highest ‘k’ value. We also measure gelling time, viscosity of sols as well as UV and FTIR studies on the films and propose chemical reactions.     

Separation of organic acid compounds from biological samples by zinc oxide nanoparticles–chitosan using genetic algorithm based on response surface methodology and artificial neural network

In this study, zinc oxide nanoparticles–chitosan based on solid phase extraction and high performance liquid chromatography was developed for the separation of organic compounds including citric, tartaric and oxalic acids from biological samples. For simulation and optimization of this method, the hybrids of genetic algorithm with response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN) have been used. The predictive capability and generalization of both predictive models (RSM and ANN) were compared by unseen data. The results have shown the superiority of ANN compared with RSM. At the optimum conditions, the limits of detections of 2.2–2.9 µg L⁻¹ were obtained for the analytes. The developed procedure was then applied to the extraction and determination of organic acid compounds from biological samples. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.