Effects of Nb2O5 Replacement by Er2O3 on elastic and structural properties of 75TeO2-(10 − x)Nb2O5-15ZnO-(x)Er2O3 glass

Tellurite 75TeO₂-(10 − x)Nb₂O₅-15ZnO-(x)Er₂O₃; (x = 0.0-2.5 mol%) glass system with concurrent reduction of Nb₂O₅ and Er₂O₃ addition have been prepared by melt-quenching method. Elastic properties together with structural properties of the glasses were investigated by measuring both longitudinal and shear velocities using the pulse-echo-overlap technique at 5 MHz and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, respectively. Shear velocity, shear modulus, Young's modulus and Debye temperature were observed to initially decrease at x = 0.5 mol% but remained constant between x = 1.0 mol% to x = 2.0 mol%, before increasing back with Er₂O₃ addition at x = 2.5 mol%. The initial drop in shear velocity and related elastic moduli observed at x = 0.5 mol% were suggested to be due to weakening of glass network rigidity as a result of increase in non-bridging oxygen (NBO) ions as a consequence of Nb₂O₅ reduction. The near constant values of shear velocity, elastic moduli, Debye temperature, hardness and Poisson's ratio between x = 0.5 mol% to x = 2.0 mol% were suggested to be due to competition between bridging oxygen (BO) and NBO ions in the glass network as Er₂O₃ gradually compensated for Nb₂O₅. Further addition of Er₂O₃ (x > 2.0 mol%) seems to further reduce NBO leading to improved rigidity of the glass network causing a large increase of ultrasonic velocity (v_L and v_S) and related elastic moduli at x = 2.5 mol%. FTIR analysis on NbO₆ octahedral, TeO₄ trigonal bipyramid (tbp) and TeO₃ trigonal pyramid (tp) absorption peaks confirmed the initial formation of NBO ions at x = 0.5 mol% followed by NBO/BO competition at x = 0.5-2.0 mol%. Appearance of ZnO₄ tetrahedra and increase in intensity of TeO₄ tbp absorption peaks at x = 2.0 mol% and x = 2.5 mol% indicate increase in formation of BO.     

Non-isothermal crystallization kinetics of La2CaB10O19 from glass

The non-isothermal crystallization kinetics of La₂CaB₁₀O₁₉ (LCB) from a La₂O₃-CaO-B₂O₃ glass was studied. Differential thermal analysis methods were performed on three glass powders to obtain the kinetic parameters of LCB crystallization mechanism. The activation energies for overall crystallization (E), obtained by the methods of Kissinger and Ozawa, were in the range of 479-569 kJ/mol. Multiple (five) analysis methods were used to estimate the Avrami exponent (n), which could consequently be reduced into the single value of n = 3.1 ± 0.3. The growth morphology index (m) of LCB was corroborated by microscopy (optical and electron) images, which revealed a three dimensional growth. Energy dispersive spectroscopy confirmed that LCB is the crystallizing phase from the glass by an interface controlled mechanism. The parameters of the Johnson-Mehl-Avrami kinetic model for the analysis of LCB crystallization from glass were found to be n = m = 3.     

Structure and growth morphology of Gd2O3-doped CeO2 thin films

Gd₂O₃-doped CeO₂ (Gd_0.1Ce_0.9O_1.95, GDC) thin films were synthesized on (1 0 0) Si single crystal substrates by a reactive radio frequency magnetron sputtering technique. Structures and surface morphologies were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and one-dimensional power spectral density (1DPSD) analysis. The XRD patterns indicated that, in the temperature range of 200–700 °C, f.c.c. structured GDC thin films were formed with growth orientations varying with temperature—random growth at 200 °C, (2 2 0) textures at 300–600 °C and (1 1 1) texture at 700 °C. GDC film synthesized at 200 °C had the smoothest surface with roughness of R_rms=0.973 nm. Its 1DPSD plot was characterized with a constant part at the low frequencies and a part at the high frequencies that could be fitted by the f^−2.4 power law decay. Such surface feature and scaling behavior were probably caused by the high deposition rate and random growth in the GDC film at this temperature. At higher temperatures (300–700 °C), however, an intermediate frequency slope (−γ₂≈−2) appeared in the 1DPSD plots between the low frequency constant part and the high frequency part fitted by f⁻⁴ power law decay, which indicated a roughing mechanism dominated by crystallographic orientation growth that caused much rougher surfaces in GDC films (R_rms>4 nm).     

YAl3(BO3)4: Crystal growth and characterization

The growth and characterization of YAl₃(BO₃)₄ (YAB), a potential nonlinear optical crystal for the fourth harmonic generation of Nd:YAG laser, was reported. Using top-seeded solution growth method, a YAB crystal with the dimensions of 16×16×18 mm³ was obtained from B₂O₃–Li₂O flux system. The advantages of this flux system and the growth process were discussed in detail. The as-grown YAB crystal was verified by powder X-ray diffraction. The transparency spectra indicated that the cut-off edge of the as-grown YAB was 170 nm. The fourth harmonic generation of a frequency doubled Nd:YAG laser, from 532 to 266 nm, was carried out with a YAB crystal doubler for the first time. Output pulse power obtained was 2.4 mW at 266 nm and the conversion efficiency from 532 to 266 nm was about 15.6%.     

UV-visible and infrared absorption spectra of gamma irradiated V2O5-doped in sodium phosphate, lead phosphate, zinc phosphate glasses: A comparative study

Radiation-induced defects generated by successive gamma irradiation have been investigated in V₂O₅-doped phosphate glasses of three basic compositions, namely, sodium metaphosphate, lead metaphosphate and zinc metaphosphate. Glasses were prepared from chemically pure materials. Melting was carried at 900°-1100 °C for 1 h and with several stirrings of the melt to achieve homogeneity. The glassy samples were annealed at 200°-250 °C and left to cool to room temperature at a rate of 20 °C/h. Polished samples from undoped and V-doped samples of equal thickness. ~ 2 mm were measured in a double beam UV-visible spectrophotometer at 200-1000 nm before and after gamma irradiation. Induced defects were analyzed for these three phosphate glass systems. Infrared absorption spectra were measured for the prepared undoped and V-doped samples by the KBr technique before irradiation and after being subjected to a high dose of 7 M Rads (7 × 10⁴ Gy). The cumulative effects of gamma irradiation on the UV-visible spectra are correlated with the intrinsic and extrinsic defects within the various three glasses. Some shielding behavior for the various glasses towards successive gamma irradiation are observed and realized in relation to the different partner anions studied. The effect of gamma irradiation on IR spectra indicates the persistence of the main characteristic bands due to phosphate network and the minor changes are correlated with the possible changes in the bond lengths and/or bond angles of the building units during the irradiation process. The effect of V₂O₅ on the IR spectra is correlated with the depolymerization effect of the glass network.     

Growth of polar axis oriented tetragonal Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 films on CaF2 substrates with transparent (La0.07Sr0.93)SnO3

Epitaxial (La_0.07Sr_0.93)SnO₃ [LSSO] films were deposited on CaF₂ substrates by pulse laser deposition. The (1 0 0)_c orientation of LSSO films was observed only on (1 1 0)CaF₂, whereas (1 1 0)_c orientation was found on (1 1 1)CaF₂ and (1 0 0)CaF₂. (0 0 1) polar axis oriented tetragonal Pb(Zr_0.35Ti_0.65)O₃ films were grown on the fabricated (1 0 0)_cLSSO∥(1 1 0)CaF₂ by pulsed metal organic chemical vapor deposition. The (0 0 1)Pb(Zr_0.35Ti_0.65)O₃∥(1 0 0)cLSSO∥(1 1 0)CaF₂ stack structure exhibited about 70% transparency with an adsorption edge of approximately 330 nm.     

Electrical properties of Bi3.15Nd0.85Ti2.8-xZr0.2MnxO12 thin films with different Mn content synthesized by chemical solution deposition (CSD)

Bi_3.15Nd_0.85Ti_2.8-xZr_0.2Mn_xO₁₂ (BNTZM) thin films with various Mn content (x = 0, 0.005, 0.01, 0.03, and 0.05) have been prepared on Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si (100) substrates by a chemical solution deposition (CSD) technique. The crystal structures of BNTZM thin film have been analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The dependence of Mn contents on the ferroelectric, dielectric properties, and leakage current of these BNTZM films have been thoroughly investigated. The XRD analysis demonstrated that all the BNTZM thin films were of typical bismuth-layer-structured ferroelectrics (BLSF) polycrystalline structure and exhibited a highly preferred (117) orientation. Among these BNTZM films, the BNTZM thin film with Mn content equal to 0.01 exhibits the maximum remnant polarization (2P_r) of 48μC/cm² and a low coercive field (2E_c) of 177 kV/cm. In addition, the BNTZM thin film with x = 0.01 (Mn) showed a fatigue-free behavior up to 1 × 10¹⁰ read/write cycles.     

Synthesis,characterization and growing mechanism of monodisperse Fe3O4 microspheres

Monodisperse Fe₃O₄ microspheres assembled by a number of nanosize tetrahedron subunits have been selectively synthesized through the hydrothermal process. The synthesized Fe₃O₄ microspheres have good dispersibility. The subunits made up of microspheres were uniform in size and like-tetrahedron in shape. The average diameter of each Fe₃O₄ microsphere is about 50–55 μm. The length of each edge of tetrahedron is about 100 nm. A series of experiments had been carried out to investigate the effect of reductant, precipitator and reaction time on the formation of Fe₃O₄ microsphere and tetrahedron subunits. The results show that ascorbic acid as reductant and urea as precipitator supplied a relatively steady environment during the synthesis process and led to the formations of Fe₃O₄ tetrahedron subunit and monodisperse Fe₃O₄ microspheres. As the reaction time increased from 3 to 24 h, the Fe₃O₄ microspheres tended towards dispersion and becoming large in size from 10–20 to 50–55 μm, and the subunits formed Fe₃O₄ microspheres that varied from spheroid to tetrahedron and from a small nanoparticle (20–30 nm) to a large one (90–110 nm). A reasonable explanation for the formations of the Fe₃O₄ microsphere and the tetrahedron subunit was proposed through Ostwald ripening and the attachment growth mechanism, respectively.     

Flux growth and morphology analysis of Na3VO2B6O11 crystals

Colorless and transparent Na₃VO₂B₆O₁₁ (NVB) crystal has been grown by the top seeded solution growth method using NaVO₃ as the flux at cooling rates of 0.8–1.5 °C/day, in the temperature range 610–650 °C. A well-developed morphology of the crystals was observed and analyzed. The grown crystals were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), infrared spectroscopy and second harmonic generation (SHG) test.     

Electrical and corrosion properties of the Ti5Si3 thin films coated on glass substrate by APCVD method

Ti₅Si₃ thin films were coated on glass substrate by atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition method at different temperatures. Electrical and corrosion properties of the thin films were investigated. The results show that the electrical resistivity of the thin films decreases initially with the increase in deposition temperature. However, it increases with the further increase of the temperature. The lowest electrical resistivity of 107 μΩ⋅cm is obtained at 710 °C. The least corrosion rates of the thin films at 95 °C of 0.10 nm/min and 0.13 nm/min in 1 N and 10 N acid solution and of 0.33 nm/min and 6.55 nm/min in 1 N and 10 N alkali solution, respectively, are obtained by weight-loss measurement method. The corrosion mechanisms of the thin films were also discussed in detail.     

Optical properties of nanocomposites with iron core-iron oxide shell structure

Iron nanoparticles of diameter ∼5 nm were produced within a gel-derived silica glass by reducing a suitable gel composition. By heating these composites in the temperature range 573-973 K, Fe₃O₄ shells of a few nanometer thickness were grown around the iron nanoparticles. Three peaks were observed in the optical absorption spectra of the nanocomposites when they were dispersed in ethyl alcohol. The first one around 300 nm was caused by plasma resonance absorption of unoxidized iron particles; the second was shown to be due to the core-shell structure with different permittivities of the two regions and the third one was ascribed to a d-d transition. Detailed analyses of the second peak showed that the extracted values of electrical conductivity were below Mott’s minimum metallic conductivity for iron in the case of particles with diameters below ∼2.5 nm.     

Structure and thermal stability of (Zr0.6Al0.4)O1.8 thin film on strained SiGe layer

Zr_0.6Al_0.4O_1.8 dielectric films were deposited directly on strained SiGe substrates at room temperature by ultra-high vacuum electron-beam evaporation (UHV-EBE) and then annealed in N₂ under various temperatures. X-ray diffraction (XRD) reveals that the onset crystallization temperature of the Zr_0.6Al_0.4O_1.8 film is about 900 °C, 400 °C higher than that of pure ZrO₂. The amorphous Zr_0.6Al_0.4O_1.8 film with a physical thickness of ∼12 nm and an amorphous interfacial layer (IL) with a physical thickness of ∼3 nm have been observed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). In addition, it is demonstrated there is no undesirable amorphous phase separation during annealing at temperatures below and equal to 800 °C in the Zr_0.6Al_0.4O_1.8 film. The chemical composition of the Zr_0.6Al_0.4O_1.8 film has been studied using secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS).     

Thermal, chemical, optical properties and structure of Er-doped and Er/Yb-codoped P2O5-Al2O3-ZnO glasses

This study was explored in series of the optical, thermal, and structure properties based on 60P₂O₅-10Al₂O₃-30ZnO (PAZ) glasses system that doped with varied rare-earth (RE) elements Yb₂O₃/Er₂O₃. The glass transition temperature, softening temperature and chemical durability were increased with RE-doping concentrations increasing, whereas thermal expansion coefficient was decreased. In the optical properties, the absorption and emission intensities also increase with RE-doping concentrations increasing, When Er₂O₃ and Yb₂O₃ concentrations are over than 3 mol% in the Er³⁺-doped PAZ system and Yb³⁺-doped concentration is over than 3 mol% for Er³⁺/Yb³⁺-codoped PAZ system, the emission intensity significantly decreases presumably due to concentration quenching, formation of the ions clustering, and OH⁻ groups in the glasses network. It is suggested that the maximum emission cross-section (σ_e) is 7.64 × 10^− 21 cm² at 1535 nm is observed for 3 mol% Er³⁺-doped PAZ glasses. Moreover, the maximum σ_e × full-width-at-half-maximum is 327.8 for 5 mol% Er³⁺-doped PAZ glasses.     

Structural and electrical properties of vapour phase grown Cd1 − xFexTe single crystals

Cd_1 − xFe_xTe single crystals were prepared by vapour phase growth method in the composition range of 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.03. Chemical analysis, surface morphology, structural investigations and electrical properties were carried out by EDAX, SEM, XRD, TEM and transport technique, respectively. Microscopic variations between the target and actual compositions were noticed. Morphology studies revealed that dislocation aided growth is active in the present crystals. TEM and XRD studies confirmed that the samples of all compositions crystallized in zinc blende structure, and the lattice parameters varied almost linearly decreases with Fe content. At room temperature, the resistivity of the Cd_1 − xFe_xTe crystals of all compositions (x = 0.01, 0.015, 0.02, 0.025 and 0.03) lies in the range of 3.5-6.5 M Ω, the activation energies lie in the range of 63-133 meV, and the samples were show the ‘p’ type conductivity.     

Electric conductivity of glasses in the system Na2O/CaO/SiO2/Fe2O3

The addition of polyvalent transition metal ions to the usually insulating traditional soda-lime-silica glasses can lead to semiconducting properties. We report on synthesis of glasses and glass-ceramics in a soda-lime-silicate based system containing Fe₂O₃ in the concentration range from 5 to 30 mol%. Two sub-systems were considered, in one of them the ratio [Na₂O]/[Fe₂O₃] was varied while in the other one, the ratio [SiO₂]/[Fe₂O₃] was changed. The phase composition of the synthesized products was characterized by X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive X-ray analysis, while the electrical properties were studied by impedance spectroscopy. Partially crystallized non-reduced samples are semiconducting even at room temperature while the glassy samples (both reduced and non-reduced) exhibit semiconducting properties at temperatures equal or larger than 100 °C. An attempt is done to predict the physical approximation explaining the conduction process in the glasses.     

Electron spin resonance and magnetic studies on CaO-SiO2-P2O5-Na2O-Fe2O3 glasses

Room temperature electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra and temperature dependent magnetic susceptibility measurements have been performed to investigate the effect of iron ions in 41CaO · (52 − x)SiO₂ · 4P₂O₅ · xFe₂O₃ · 3Na₂O (2 ? x ? 10 mol%) glasses. The ESR spectra of the glass exhibited the absorptions centered at g ≈ 2.1 and g ≈ 4.3. The variation of the intensity and linewidth of these absorption lines with composition has been interpreted in terms of variation in the concentration of the Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ in the glass and the interaction between the iron ions. The magnetic susceptibility data were used to obtain information on the relative concentration and interaction between the iron ions in the glass.     

Synthesis of Nb2O5·nH2O nanoparticles by water-in-oil microemulsion

Hydrous niobium oxide (Nb₂O₅·nH₂O) nanoparticles had been successfully prepared by water-in-oil microemulsion. They were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal analysis (TG/DTG), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), BET surface area measurement, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The results showed that the nanoparticle was exactly Nb₂O₅·nH₂O with spherical shape. Their BET surface area was 60 m² g⁻¹. XRD results showed that Nb₂O₅·nH₂O nanoparticles with crystallite size in nanometer scale were formed. The crystallinity and crystallity size increased with increasing annealing temperature. TT-phase of Nb₂O₅ was obtained when the sample is annealed at 550 °C.     

Physical properties of lead iron phosphate glasses containing Cr2O3

The influence of Cr₂O₃ on glass forming characteristics and physical properties of PbO-Fe₂O₃-P₂O₅ glasses has been investigated by Raman and Mössbauer spectroscopies, X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and impedance spectroscopy. Glasses of the general composition xCr₂O₃-(28.3-x)PbO-28.7Fe₂O₃-43.0P₂O₅, 0 ≤ × ≤ 10, (mol%) were prepared by conventional melt-quenching technique. The compositions containing up to 4 mol% Cr₂O₃ formed fully amorphous samples and their Raman spectra show systematic increase in the fraction of orthophosphate Q⁰ units with increasing Cr₂O₃ content and O/P ratio.On the other hand, compositions containing 8 and 10 mol% Cr₂O₃ partially crystallized during cooling and annealing to Fe₇(PO₄)₆, Fe₂Pb₃(PO₄)₄ and Cr₂Pb₃(PO₄)₄. A high tendency for crystallization of these melts is related to the high O/P (> 4) and Fe²⁺/Fe_tot (≈ 0.60) ratios.Electrical conductivity of xCr₂O₃-(28.3-x)PbO-28.7Fe₂O₃-43.0P₂O₅, 0 ≤ × ≤ 10, (mol%) compositions is independent of Cr₂O₃ and controlled entirely by the polaron transfer between Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ ions.     

The preparation and structural characterization of ambient-dried porous methylsilicone matrix doped with SiO2 powder

Porous methylsilicone monoliths doped with SiO₂ powder were prepared by dispersion of SiO₂ nanoparticles in methylsilicone oligomer solution followed by ammonia-catalyzed gelation and ambient drying. The microstructure of the porous composite monoliths was investigated by FTIR, SEM, and N₂ adsorption. The results indicated that SiO₂ evenly dispersed in methylsilicone matrix. The thermal stability of SiO₂-doped methylsilicone monoliths had been enhanced. The structure stability and hydrophobic property of the composite monoliths were maintained until 400 °C.     

Influence of Fe2O3 Doping on TiO2 Electrode for Enhancement Photovoltaic Efficiency of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

In this work, we report for the first time the improvement of the photovoltaic characteristics of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) by doping TiO₂ with Fe₂O₃. DSSCs were fabricated using various percentages of Fe₂O₃-doped TiO₂ composite nanoparticles. The Fe₂O₃-doped DSSCs exhibited a maximum conversion efficiency of 5.76% because of the effective electron transport. DSSCs based on Fe₂O₃-doped TiO₂ films showed better photovoltaic performance than cells fabricated with only TiO₂ nanoparticles. This result was attributed to the prevention of recombination between electrons in the TiO₂ conduction band with the dye or electrolytes. A mechanism was suggested based on impedance results, which indicated improved electron transport at the interface of the TiO₂/dye/electrolyte.