Existence region, structure, and properties of YBa(Cu1? x Fe x )2O5+δ and (Y1? y Ba y )2 CuFeO5+δ solid solutions

We study the effect of Y³⁺ ↔ Ba²⁺ and Cu²⁺ ↔ Fe³⁺ substitutions on the structure, thermal expansion, electrical conductivity, and thermal e.m.f. of layered ferrocuprate YBaCuFeO_{5 + δ} · YBa(Cu_1−x Fe _x )₂O_{5 + δ} solid solutions with 0.45≤x≤0.55 are formed. The unit cell parameters, thermal expansivity, and oxygen nonstoichiometry index of the YBaCuFeO_{5 +δ} phase (δ) are almost independent of variations in the cationic composition of this phase. The electrical conductivity of layered yttrium barium ferrocuprate increases, whereas the activation energy of conductivity decreases in response to Ba²⁺ → Y³⁺ and Cu²⁺ → Fe³⁺ substitutions (with increasing copper(III) proportion in samples). The thermal e.m.f. of ceramics decreases when composition deviates from the cationic stoichiometry (YBaCuFeO_{5 +δ}). Original Russian Text ? A.I. Klyndyuk, E.A. Chizhova, V.M. Kononovich, 2008, published in Zhurnal Neorganicheskoi Khimii, 2008, Vol. 53, No. 10, pp. 1672–1676.     

Solid state reaction synthesis of filled skutterudite compounds (Ce or Y)yFexCo4-xSb12 and the effect of filling atoms Ce or Y on lattice thermal conductivity

The synthesis of filled skutterudite compounds (Ce or Y)yFexCo₄-xSb12, through a solid state reaction using chloride of Ce or Y, high purity powder of Co, Fe, and Sb as starting materials, was investigated. (Ce or Y)yFexCo₄-xSb12 (x = 0 1.0,y = 0 0.15) compounds were obtained at 850 1 123 K. The results of Rietveld analysis demonstrate that (Ce or Y)yFexCo₄-xSb12 synthesized by a solid state reaction possesses a filled skutterudite structure. The filling fraction of Ce or Y obtained by Rietveld analysis agrees well with the composition obtained by chemical analysis. The lattice constant of CeyFexCo₄-xSb12 increases with increasing substitution of Fe at Co sites, and with an increasing Ce filling fraction in the Sb-dodecahedron voids. The lattice thermal conductivity of (Ce or Y)yFexCo₄-xSb12 decreases significantly with an increasing Ce or Y filling fraction in the voids and with substitution of Fe at Co sites.     

Mössbauer studies of thiospinels. V. The systems Cu1−xFexMe2S4 (Me = Cr, Rh) and Cu1−xFexCr2(S0.7Se0.3)4

With the exception of FeRh₂S₄, powder samples of all systems studied have been obtained as spinel phase without essential impurities. The lattice constants follow Vegard's law. From the Seebeck coefficients and the Mössbauer spectra the valence distribution Cu¹⁺_1−xFe²⁺_2x−1Fe³⁺_1−x[Me³⁺₂]X²⁻₄ is derived for 0.5 x 1, while there is only Fe³⁺ present for 0 < x 0.5. Samples with the overall composition FeRh₂S₄ contain mostly Rh₂S₃ and iron sulfide phases, but less than 20% of a spinel phase.     

Chemischer Transport und einige Eigenschaften von Kobalteisensulfid CoyFe1−ySx

Chemical Transport and Some Physical Properties of Cobalt Iron Sulphide Co_yFe_1?yS_x The chemical transport behaviour of the ternary phase Co_yFe_1?yS_x is explicable on the base of a thermodynamic model. Theory and experiments show that using Gel₂ as transport agent the phase Co_yFe_1?yS_x with low contents of sulphur and cobalt (x ≈ 1, y < 0.4) will be transported under deminishing the content of Co and under enrichment of Fe and S whereas by use of HI(NH₄I) as transport agent the transport occurs under enrichment of Co and deminishing the Fe and S contents, respectively. The substitution by Co influences on unit-cell dimensions, on the temperature and heat of the phase transition (2C → 1C) as well as on the resistivity jump and hysteresis in connection with this phase transition.     

Highly Conducting Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Copper Sulfides CuxC6S6 (x=4 or 5.5): Ligand-Based Oxidation-Induced Chemical and Electronic Structure Modulation

Conductive coordination polymers (CPs) have potential in a wide range of applications because of their inherent structural and functional diversity. Three electrically conductive CPs (Cu_xC₆S₆, x=3, 4 or 5.5) derived from the same organic linker (benzenehexathiol) and metal node (copper(I)) were synthesized and studied. Cu_xC₆S₆ materials are organic–inorganic hybrid copper sulfides comprising a π-π stacking structure and cooper sulfur networks. Charge-transport pathways within the network facilitate conductivity and offer control of the Fermi level through modulation of the oxidation level of the non-innocent redox-active ligand. Two Cu_xC₆S₆ (x=4 or 5.5) CPs display high electrical conductivity and they feature a tunable structural topology and electronic structure. Cu₄C₆S₆ and Cu_5.5C₆S₆ act as degenerate semiconductors. Moreover, Cu_5.5C₆S₆ is a p-type thermoelectric material with a ZT value of 0.12 at 390 K, which is a record-breaking performance for p-type CPs.     

Transport Properties of Bi2−xInxSe3 Single Crystals

The paper reports on the temperature dependence of the electrical and thermal conductivity, Hall constant, and Seebeck coefficient of Bi_2−xIn_xSe₃ (x=0, 0.2, 0.4) single crystals measured over the temperature range from 2 to 300 K. One single-valley conduction band model is used to interpret relations among transport coefficients. The data analysis relies on the use of a mixed carrier scattering mechanism consisting of acoustic scattering and scattering on ionized impurities. The effect of In incorporation into the Bi₂Se₃ crystal lattice on the individual components of thermal conductivity is evaluated and discussed.     

黄铜矿及其复合材料在电化学储能领域的研究进展

黄铜矿(CuFeS₂)是一种具有特殊金色光泽的天然矿物,具有四方结构,其中Fe、Cu离子与晶格中的硫形成四面体配位,相较于其他硫化物和其相对应的氧化物,CuFeS₂具有较高的电导率和优异的电化学性能,且拥有成本低廉、存在天然矿物且自然储量丰富、无毒等优势,使其具有应用于电化学储能体系电极材料的潜能。本文详细介绍了CuFeS₂的物理化学性质、几种简单的不同形貌的合成方法以及其作为电化学储能电极材料方面的研究,并对CuFeS₂材料未来的研究方向进行了展望。     

Light‐Induced Chiral Iron Copper Selenide Nanoparticles Prevent β‐Amyloidopathy In Vivo

The accumulation and deposition of β‐amyloid (Aβ) plaques in the brain is considered a potential pathogenic mechanism underlying Alzheimer's disease (AD). Chiral l/d ‐Fe_xCu_ySe nanoparticles (NPs) were fabricated that interfer with the self‐assembly of Aβ42 monomers and trigger the Aβ42 fibrils in dense structures to become looser monomers under 808 nm near‐infrared (NIR) illumination. d ‐Fe_xCu_ySe NPs have a much higher affinity for Aβ42 fibrils than l ‐Fe_xCu_ySe NPs and chiral Cu_2?xSe NPs. The chiral Fe_xCu_ySe NPs also generate more reactive oxygen species (ROS) than chiral Cu_2?xSe NPs under NIR‐light irradiation. In living MN9D cells, d ‐NPs attenuate the adhesion of Aβ42 to membranes and neuron loss after NIR treatment within 10 min without the photothermal effect. In‐vivo experiments showed that d ‐Fe_xCu_ySe NPs provide an efficient protection against neuronal damage induced by the deposition of Aβ42 and alleviate symptoms in a mouse model of AD, leading to the recovery of cognitive competence.     

Oxygen-ion and electron conductivity in Sr2(Fe1−xGax)2O5

High-temperature electrical conductivity measurements, structural data from powder X-ray diffraction and ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy were combined to study the interrelationship of oxygen ion transport and p- and n-type transport in Sr₂(Fe_1−xGa_x)₂O₅, where x=0, 0.1 and 0.2. Although gallium substitution generally decreases the total ion-electron transport, the transition of the orthorhombic brownmillerite structure to a cubic phase on heating results in the recurrence of the conductivity to the same high level as in the parent ferrite (x=0). The changes of the partial contributions to the total conductivity as a function of x are shown to reflect a complicated interplay of the disordering processes that develop in the oxygen sublattice on heating in response to replacement of iron with gallium.     

Concerted Rattling in CsAg5Te3 Leading to Ultralow Thermal Conductivity and High Thermoelectric Performance

Thermoelectric (TE) materials convert heat energy directly into electricity, and introducing new materials with high conversion efficiency is a great challenge because of the rare combination of interdependent electrical and thermal transport properties required to be present in a single material. The TE efficiency is defined by the figure of merit ZT=(S²σ) T/κ, where S is the Seebeck coefficient, σ is the electrical conductivity, κ is the total thermal conductivity, and T is the absolute temperature. A new p‐type thermoelectric material, CsAg₅Te₃, is presented that exhibits ultralow lattice thermal conductivity (ca. 0.18 Wm^?1 K^?1) and a high figure of merit of about 1.5 at 727 K. The lattice thermal conductivity is the lowest among state‐of‐the‐art thermoelectrics; it is attributed to a previously unrecognized phonon scattering mechanism that involves the concerted rattling of a group of Ag ions that strongly raises the Grüneisen parameters of the material.     

Cu-doping effect on structural, optical and photoluminescence properties of Zn0.96−xFe0.04CuxO (x = 0, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08 and 0.1) nanopowders by sol–gel method

Zn_0.96?xFe_0.04Cu_xO (x = 0, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08, 0.10) nanopowders have been synthesized by sol–gel method. The synthesized samples have been characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectra, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV–visible spectrophotometer and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The XRD measurement reveals that the prepared nanopowders have different microstructure without changing a hexagonal wurtzite structure. The calculated average crystalline size increases from 20.9 to 22.1 nm for x = 0 to 0.02 then gradually decreases to 18.2 nm for x = 0.10 which were confirmed by SEM and TEM micrographs. The change in lattice parameters, micro-strain, and shift of X-ray diffraction peaks towards lower angles and increase of energy gap reveal the substitution of Cu²⁺ ions into Zn–Fe–O matrix. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study described the increase of oxygen vacancies with increase of Cu concentrations, which was found to enhance the green emission. The presence of functional groups and the chemical bonding is confirmed by FTIR spectra. Photoluminescence spectra of Zn_0.96?xFe_0.04Cu_xO system shows that the blue shift in NBE ultraviolet emission from 389 to 369 nm and the same blue shift in green band emission from 552 to 535 nm with enhancing intensity confirms the substitution of Cu into the Zn–Fe–O lattice. Cu-doped Zn_0.96?xFe_0.04Cu_xO system is appreciable for the fabrication of nano-optoelectronic devices like tunable light emitting diode in the near future.     

Calorimetric studies of Ag–Sn–Cu dental amalgam alloy powders and their amalgams

The methods of directed crystallization and thermal analysis were used to construct the section Cu_0.19Fe_0.33S_0.48–Cu_0.31Fe_0.23S_0.46 of the liquid–solid diagram of the Cu–Fe–S system. Pyrrhotite solid solution (Fe, Cu)S_1±δ (Poss) and nonstoichiometric isocubanite Cu_1.1Fe_2.0S_3.0 (Icb*) form from melt (L) successively. Isocubanite forms at 970 °C by peritectic reaction L + Poss → Icb*. At 930 °C, peritectic reaction L + Icb* → Iss proceeds with formation of intermediate solid solution with average composition Cu_1.0Fe_1.2S_2.0 (Iss). On the basis of the results from this paper and earlier published works, we built a fragment of liquidus surface for the Cu–Fe–S system in the crystallization field of nonstoichiometric isocubanite and stoichiometric isocubanite CuFe₂S₃ (Icb).     

Thermal conductivity of the ferrites Ni0.65Zn0.35CuxFe2−xO4

A series of samples of the type Ni_0.65Zn_0.35Cu_xFe_2?xO₄ (x=0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5) were prepared by a ceramic technique. The existence of a single phase was confirmed by X-ray studies. The thermal conductivity and specific heat were measured at 53°C. The thermal conductivity had a minimum value atx=0.3, due to the maximum porosity at this composition. The phonon frequency was estimated to have an optimum value at x=0.3, due to the increase in phonon scattering.     

Synthesis and evaluation of lead telluride/bismuth antimony telluride nanocomposites for thermoelectric applications

Heterogeneous nanocomposites of p-type bismuth antimony telluride (Bi_2−xSb_xTe₃) with lead telluride (PbTe) nanoinclusions have been prepared by an incipient wetness impregnation approach. The Seebeck coefficient, electrical resistivity, thermal conductivity and Hall coefficient were measured from 80 to 380 K in order to investigate the influence of PbTe nanoparticles on the thermoelectric performance of nanocomposites. The Seebeck coefficients and electrical resistivities of nanocomposites decrease with increasing PbTe nanoparticle concentration due to an increased hole concentration. The lattice thermal conductivity decreases with the addition of PbTe nanoparticles but the total thermal conductivity increases due to the increased electronic thermal conductivity. We conclude that the presence of nanosized PbTe in the bulk Bi_2−xSb_xTe₃ matrix results in a collateral doping effect, which dominates transport properties. This study underscores the need for immiscible systems to achieve the decreased thermal transport properties possible from nanostructuring without compromising the electronic properties.     

Heat capacity measurement and DSC study of hafnium hydrides

Heat capacities, electrical conductivities and phase transition temperature of hafnium hydrides, HfH_x (0.99≤x≤1.83), were studied using a direct heating pulse calorimeter and a differential scanning calorimeter from room temperature to above 500 K. The heat capacity of HfH_1.83 was larger than that of pure hafnium and showed no anomaly of heat capacity. In contrast, there were λ-type peaks for the heat capacity and DSC curves for HfH_x (1.1≤x≤1.6) near 385 and 356 K. The anomalies of heat capacity and electrical conductivity of HfH_x (1.1≤x≤1.6) were considered the result of phase transition and order-disorder phase transition for hydrogen in the hafnium hydride lattice for HfH_x (1.1≤x≤1.3).     

Structure and thermal conductivity of Na1−xGe3+z

Structural analyses as well as low temperature thermal conductivity is reported for the binary phase Na_1−xGe_3+z. Specimens were characterized by thermal analysis, conventional and synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction, neutron powder diffraction, ²³Na nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and electrical and thermal transport measurements. With structural characteristics qualitatively analogous to some aluminum-silicate zeolites, the crystal structure of this phase exhibits an unconventional covalently bonded tunnel-like Ge framework, accommodating Na in channels of two different sizes. Observed to be non-stochiometric, Na_1−xGe_3+z concurrently exhibits substantial structural disorder in the large channels and a low lattice thermal conductivity, of interest in the context of identifying novel low thermal conductivity intermetallics for thermoelectric applications.     

Fused Perovskite Tunnel Structures in Ba5Fe6+xS4+xO8 (0.44≤x≤0.55) with x‐Dependent Two‐Stage Magnetizations

Ba₅Fe_6+xS_4+xO₈ was synthesized through a solid‐state reaction, and pure powders of nominal compositions x=0.44–0.55 were obtained after being rinsed with water. The crystal structures (P4/mmm, a=10.13, c=4.03 Å) and sample purities were investigated by powder synchrotron X‐ray diffraction and were found to be composed of a tunnel lattice (Ba₅Fe₆S₄O₈), built from fused perovskite units and the tunnel filling (Fe_xS_x). The variable composition, that is, the tunnel filling (x), causes partially occupied sites as well as crystallographic split positions. Ba₅Fe_6+xS_4+xO₈ (x=0.525) is semiconducting and all investigated compositions exhibit magnetic ground states that could be described as either semi‐spin‐glass‐like (x>0.5) or canted antiferromagnetic (x<0.5). The spin‐glass in x=0.525 exhibits magnetic relaxations that are affected by ageing.     

Dopant effects on the structural, low temperature Raman scattering and electrical transport properties in SrTi1?xFexO3 nanoparticles synthesized by sol-gel method

We investigate effects of Fe dopant concentration on the structure, as well as low temperature Raman scattering and electrical transport properties in SrTi_1−x Fe _x O₃ (x = 0.00, 0.10, 0.20, 0.30, 0.40) nanoparticles prepared by sol-gel method. The results show an average particle size of powder is about 30 nm, and the lattice parameters decrease as increasing the Fe content. In the Raman spectra, a broad structure in the region 200–500 cm⁻¹ is almost absent and the peaks in the region 600–800 cm⁻¹ show different weights with respect to SrTiO₃, relating to structural changes with increasing dopant concentration in conjunction with increasing grain boundary contribution to the impedance. The abrupt change in Raman peak position as function of temperature suggests a phase transition in our samples in the range of 110–150 K. These results indicate that the Fe ion has replaced the site of Ti in unit cell. These results also demonstrate the feasibility of synthesizing the compound with low annealing temperature.     

Preparation and Mo¨ssbauer studies of (FeyNb1−y)1+xS2 compounds

The phase relations for iron niobium sulfides (Fe_yNb_1?y)_1+xS₂ have been examined by varying the partial pressure of sulfur at 950°C. While niobium is difficult to dissolve in iron sulfide, iron dissolves in niobium sulfide up to about 35% of the total metal sites. Iron niobium sulfide has the layered hexagonal type structure (2s-Nb_1+xS₂) with change in the lattice parameters depending on both the value of x and the amount of the iron dissolved. The Mo¨ssbauer spectra of sulfides with three different Fe/Nb ratios, 1/9(y =1/10), 1/4(y =1/5), and 1/2(y =1/3) were taken at 77 and 295 K. Each spectrum is composed of a quadrupole doublet which can be attributed to the Fe²⁺ ions in high spin state. The quadrupole splitting at 295 K decreases markedly with decrease in x which is related to change of the lattice parameters. Fe atoms cannot enter at random into all metal sites, and prefer to intercalate in the sites of partially filled layers. Possible models for the cation distribution in each metal layer are discussed.     

Thermoelectric properties of Cu-doped n-type (Bi2Te3)0.9–(Bi2−xCuxSe3)0.1(x=0–0.2) alloys

n-Type (Bi₂Te₃)_0.9–(Bi_2−xCu_xSe₃)_0.1 (x=0–0.2) alloys with Cu substitution for Bi were prepared by spark plasma-sintering technique and their structural and thermoelectric properties were evaluated. Rietveld analysis reveals that approximate 9.0% of Bi atomic sites are occupied by Cu atoms and less than 4.0 wt% second phase Cu_2.86Te₂ precipitated in the Cu-doped parent alloys. Measurements show that an introduction of a small amount of Cu (x0.1) can reduce the lattice thermal conductivity (κ_L), and improve the electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient. An optimal dimensionless figure of merit (ZT) value of 0.98 is obtained for x=0.1 at 417 K, which is obviously higher than those of Cu-free Bi₂Se_0.3Te_2.7 (ZT=0.66) and Ag-doped alloys (ZT=0.86) prepared by the same technologies.