Cooling dynamics of self‐assembled monolayer coating for integrated gold nanocrystals on a glass substrate

Picosecond time‐resolved X‐ray diffraction has been used to study the nanoscale thermal transportation dynamics of bare gold nanocrystals and thiol‐based self‐assembled monolayer (SAM)‐coated integrated gold nanocrystals on a SiO₂ glass substrate. A temporal lattice expansion of 0.30–0.33% was observed in the bare and SAM‐coated nanocrystals on the glass substrate; the thermal energy inside the gold nanocrystals was transported to the contacted substrate through the gold–SiO₂ interface. The interfacial thermal conductivity between the single‐layered gold nanocrystal film and the SiO₂ substrate is estimated to be 45 MW m^?2 K^?1 from the decay of the Au 111 peak shift, which was linearly dependent on the transient temperature. For the SAM‐coated gold nanocrystals, the thermal dissipation was faster than that of the bare gold nanocrystal film. The thermal flow from the nanocrystals to the SAM‐coated molecules promotes heat dissipation from the laser‐heated SAM‐coated gold nanocrystals. The thermal transportation of the laser‐heated SAM‐coated gold nanocrystal film was analyzed using the bidirectional thermal dissipation model.     

In vitro degradation of AZ31 magnesium alloy coated with nano TiO2 film by sol-gel method

A nano TiO₂ film was coated on AZ31 alloy substrate by sol-gel method. The TiO₂ film was characterized by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry-thermogravimetric analysis (DSC-TG), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and energy dispersion spectroscopy (EDS). The degradation of the nano-TiO₂ coated alloy was evaluated by immersion test and electrochemical measurement. An attempt was made to relate corrosion of coated alloys with the annealing treatment and resultant structural evolution.     

Comparison of self-cleaning properties of three titania coatings on float glass

This work compares the self-cleaning properties of experimental TiO₂ and TiO₂-Ag coatings on float glass with a commercial self-cleaning glass. In the experimental surfaces, TiO₂ coating was applied to float glass via the sol-gel route, while TiO₂-Ag coating was applied by the liquid flame spray method, which deposits TiO₂-Ag composite nanoparticles on the surface. The effect of the coatings on the surface wettability and the activation time for achieving hydrophilicity was studied through water contact angle as a function of exposure time to UV light. The surface morphology was investigated by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal optical microscopy. The photocatalytic activity of the coatings was examined with methylene blue and stearic acid degradation tests. Finally, the soil attachment to the surfaces was tested with a sebum-based model soil. The sol-gel TiO₂ coating became superhydrophilic within a few hours, while the activation time needed for the commercial titania coated glass was several days. The surface with the TiO₂-Ag nanoparticles did not show any marked changes in the water contact angle. The commercial titania coated and the sol-gel TiO₂ surfaces showed self-cleaning properties and clearly lower attachment of soil than the uncoated and TiO₂-Ag coated surfaces. The difference in the interaction of the surfaces with the organic contaminants was assumed to depend mainly on differences in the thickness of the coatings.     

Structural and magnetic properties of bulk and thin films of Mg0.95Mn0.05Fe2O4

We present here a comparative study on structural and magnetic properties of bulk and thin films of Mg_0.95Mn_0.05Fe₂O₄ ferrite deposited on two different substrates using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and dc magnetization measurements. XRD pattern indicates that the bulk sample and their thin films exhibit a polycrystalline single phase cubic spinel structure. It is found that the film deposited on indium tin oxide coated glass (ITO) substrate has smaller grain size than the film deposited on platinum coated silicon (Pt–Si) substrate. Study of magnetization hysteresis loop measurements infer that the bulk sample of Mg_0.95Mn_0.05Fe₂O₄ and its thin film deposited on Pt–Si substrate shows a well-defined hysteresis loop at room temperature, which reflects its ferrimagnetic behavior. However, the film deposited on ITO does not show any hysteresis, which reflects its superparamagnetic behavior at room temperature.     

Wastewater treatment by sonophotocatalysis using PEG modified TiO2 film in a circular Photocatalytic-Ultrasonic system

TiO₂ photocatalyst film recently has been utilized as the potential candidate for the wastewater treatment, due to its high stability and low toxicity. In order to further increase the photocatalytic ability and stability, different molecular weight of polyethylene glycol (PEG) were used to modify TiO₂ structure to synthesize porous thin film used in the developed Photocatalytic-Ultrasonic system in this work. The results showed that PEG2000 modified TiO₂ calcinated under 450 °C for 2 h exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity, attributed to the smallest crystallite size and optimal particle size. Over 95.0% of rhodamine B (Rh B) was photocatalytically degraded by optimized PEG₂₀₀₀-TiO₂ film after 60 min of UV irradiation, while only about 50.8% of Rh B was decolored over pure TiO₂ film. Furthermore, optimized PEG₂₀₀₀-TiO₂ film was used in a circular Photocatalytic-Ultrasonic system, and the obtained synergy (0.6519) of sonophotocatalysis indicated its extremely high efficiency for Rh B degradation. In this Photocatalytic-Ultrasonic system, larger amount of PEG₂₀₀₀-TiO₂ coated glass beads, stronger ultrasonic power and longer experimental time could result to higher degradation efficiency of Rh B. In addition, repetitive experiments showed that about 97.2% of Rh B were still degraded in the fifth experiment by sonophotocatalysis using PEG₂₀₀₀-TiO₂ film. Therefore, PEG₂₀₀₀-TiO₂ film used in Photocatalytic-Ultrasonic system has promising potential for wastewater treatment, due to its excellent photocatalytic activity and high stability.     

Measuring the optical parameters of thin films by p-polarized laser beams

The refractive index n_f, extinction coefficient k_f and thickness d_f of a dip coated film are measured by using p-polarized laser beams. A sample is oblique illuminated with a p-polarized laser beam, and then two reflected beams, from the front and back surfaces, are received with a detector. After measuring their intensity ratio versus the angle of incidence, it is convenient to obtain the parameters of the film by means of data fitting. The films of polymethyltriethoxy silane (PMTES), which were made on a BK-7 glass substrate by dip coating, were measured. The method is non-contact, non-destructive and has the advantages of simplicity of both equipment and understanding. It is also shown that the values measured by this method are coincident with those measured by ellipsometry.     

玻璃表面层对薄膜光学参数测量的影响

利用p偏振光在镀膜平板玻璃前后表面反射光强比γ与膜层光学参数之间的密切关系,给出了玻璃表面层的光学参数分布。对典型的薄膜系统-单面镀膜与双面镀膜两种情况,理论分析了玻璃表面层对薄膜光学参数测量的影响。实验上对PMTES和SnO₂薄膜参数进行了测量,仅当计及玻璃表面层作用时,反射光强比γ的角度调制曲线才与理论拟合结果相吻合.     

Characterization of iron(III) oxide films used for photoelectrode by means of cems

Thin iron oxides deposited on semi-conductive glass by a spray pyrolysis technique were analysed by Conversion Electron Mössbauer Spectrometry (CEMS). Iron oxide deposited on SnO₂ coated glass was composed of a large grained particles of crystalline α?Fe₂O₃, which showed sextet. The doublet and sextet appeared in CEM spectra of iron oxides deposited on In₂O₃ and WO₃ coated glasses. The sextet was due to α?Fe₂O₃ and the doublet was attributted to the superparamagnetic microcrystalline α?Fe₂O₃ (≈15nm) rather than to spinel compounds of iron. The iron oxide deposited on ZnO coated glass gave a doublet in CEM spectra. It was supporsed to be due to very fine particle of α?Fe₂O₃ (<100nm). It was found that iron oxide films obtained by spray pyrolysis were dependent on the kinds and the temperature of the semi-conductive materials coated on glass.     

Zn incorporation and (CuIn)1−xZn2xSe2 thin film formation during the selenization of evaporated Cu and In precursors on Al:ZnO coated glass substrates

CuInSe₂ thin films with typical 1.0 eV gap energy and tetragonal chalcopyrite structure have been obtained on soda–lime glass substrates by the reaction of sequentially evaporated Cu and In layers with elemental selenium vapor, at 500 °C in flowing Ar. When analogous deposition and reaction processes were performed on Al:ZnO coated glasses, some increment in the band gap energy and diminution in the crystalline interplanar spacings have been detected for the resulting films with an extent that depends on the Cu/In atomic ratio of the evaporated precursor layers. This fact has been related to Zn incorporation into the selenized film, with quaternary (CuIn)_1−xZn_2xSe₂ compound formation that is influenced by the presence of copper selenide phases during the reaction process. Such deductions are supported by the optical, structural and compositional characterizations that have been performed comparatively on samples prepared by selenization of evaporated metallic precursors with two different Cu/In ratios (0.9 and 1.1) on bare and Al:ZnO coated glass substrates.     

Electroless plating of copper on surface-modified glass substrate

This work focuses on developing a novel convenient method for electroless copper deposition on glass material. This method is relied on the formation of amino (NH₂)-terminated film on the surface of glass substrate, by coating polyethylenimine (PEI) on glass matrix and using epichlorohydrin (ECH) as cross-linking agent. The introduced amino groups can effectively adsorb the palladium, the catalysts which could initiate the subsequent Cu electroless plating, onto the glass substrate surface. Finally, a copper film is formed on the palladium-activated glass substrate through copper electroless plating and the surface-coppered glass material is therefore acquired. X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscope (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images combined with energy diffraction X-ray (EDX) analysis demonstrate the successful copper deposition on the surface of glass substrate.     

Characterization of SnO2/Pb2CrO5 thin film/metal photovoltaic device

The photovoltaic behavior in a design of SnO₂/Pb₂CrO₅ thin film/metal (Au or Al) is described as functions of light intensity and wavelength for two different illumination directions. The Pb₂CrO₅ thin film in each device is formed over the SnO₂ coated glass substrate by an electron-beam evaporation technique. When illuminated from the metal side, the device with Au or Al shows the positive or the negative photovoltage, respectively. For the illumination from the SnO₂ side, the device with Au has the negative photovoltage at the short wavelength, and the positive one at the longer, while the device with Al has the negative photovoltage at both wavelength regions. These photovoltaic devices have two junctions at both sides of the Pb₂CrO₅ thin film. The band model of each device is also discussed.     

Energy storage properties of antiferroelectric 0.92NaNbO3-0.08SrZrO3 film on (001)SrTiO3 substrate

The present study demonstrates the fabrication of an antiferroelectric 0.92NaNbO₃-0.08SrZrO₃ film deposited on a SrRuO₃ coated (001)SrTiO₃ single crystal substrate by pulsed laser deposition. In the 0.92NaNbO₃-0.08SrZrO₃ film, the domain with its c-axis aligned with the out-of-plane direction contributed to the stabilization of an antiferroelectric phase under the high electric field. The film had an energy storage density of 2.9 J cm⁻³ and storage efficiency of 67% at room temperature, which kept at 2.5 J cm⁻³ and 50% at high temperature of 150 °C.     

Effects of Sb doping on the structure and properties of SnO2 films

Transparent heat-insulating SnO₂ films were prepared on the glass substrate with sol-gel. The effects of Sb doping on the structure and photoelectric properties of the films were investigated. The films were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Ultraviolet–Visible-Near Infrared Spectrometer (UV-VIS-NIR) and Hall Effect tester. The results show that the doping of Sb did not change the basic crystal structure of the SnO₂ film, but reduced the crystallinity of the film. With the increase of Sb doping, the grain size decreases first and then maintains basically invariable. The sheet resistance of the film decreases first and then increases. The transmittance of the substrate glass coated with this film (hereinafter referred to as the film's transmittance) in the near-infrared region (780–2500 nm) decreases from 92.55% to 60.48%, and increases a little when the doping amount exceeded 11 mol%. And its transmittance of visible light (380–780 nm) fluctuated slightly between about 81% and 86%.     

Studies on electrodeposited As2S3 thin films by double exposure holographic interferometry technique

Arsenic trisulphide (As₂S₃) thin films have been deposited onto stainless steel and fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass substrates by electrodeposition technique using arsenic trioxide (As₂O₃) and sodium thiosulphate (Na₂S₂O₃) as precursors and ethylene diamine tetracetic acid (EDTA) as a complexing agent. Double exposure holographic interferometry (DEHI) technique was used to determine the thickness and stress of As₂S₃ thin films. It was observed that the thickness of the thin film increases whereas film stress to the substrate decreases with an increase in the deposition time. X-ray diffraction and water contact angle measurements showed polycrystalline and hydrophilic surface respectively. The bandgap energy increases from 1.82 to 2.45 eV with decrease in the film thickness from 2.2148 to 0.9492 μm.     

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).     

Characterisation of porous doped ZnO thin films deposited by spray pyrolysis technique

Al or Sn doped ZnO films were deposited by spray pyrolysis using aqueous solutions. The films were deposited on either indium tin oxide coated or bare glass substrates. ZnCl₂, AlCl₃ and SnCl₂ were used as precursors. The effect of ZnCl₂ molar concentration (0.1-0.3 M) and doping percentage (2-4% AlCl₃ or SnCl₂) have been investigated. The main goal of this work being to grow porous ZnO thin films, small temperature substrates (200-300 °C) have been used during the spray pyrolysis deposition. It is shown that, if the X-ray diffraction patterns correspond to ZnO, the films deposited onto bare glass substrate are only partly crystallized while those deposited onto ITO coated glass substrate exhibit better crystallization. The homogeneity of the films decreases when the molar concentration of the precursor increases, while the grain size and the porosity decrease when the Al doping increases. The optical study shows that band tails are present in the absorption spectrum of the films deposited onto bare glass substrate, which is typical of disordered materials. Even after annealing 4 h at 400 °C, the longitudinal resistivity of the films is quite high. This result is attributed to the grain boundary effect and the porosity of the films. Effectively, the presence of an important reflection in the IR region in samples annealed testifies of a high free-carriers density in the ZnO crystallites. Finally it is shown that when deposited in the same electrochemical conditions, the transmission of a polymer film onto the rough sprayed ZnO is smaller than that onto smooth sputtered ZnO.     

Self-discharge performance of Ni-MH battery by using electrodes with hydrophilic/hydrophobic surface

The polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) film is separately coated on the surface of the metal hydride (MH) and Ni(OH)₂ electrodes to obtain the electrodes with hydrophobic or hydrophilic surface. The effects of the surface treatment on the oxygen and hydrogen evolution from the electrodes are studied by using cyclic voltammetry tests. Although the positive and negative active materials of the Ni-MH batteries show a lower self-decomposition rate after the CMC treatment, the self-discharge rate of the batteries show little change. On the contrary, the self-discharge rate of the batteries decreases from 35.9% to 27.1% by using the PTFE-treated Ni(OH)₂ electrodes, which might be related to the suppression of the reaction between NiOOH and H₂ by the hydrophobic film.     

Formation of self-assembled quantum dots of iron oxide thin films by spray pyrolysis from non-aqueous medium

Quantum dots (QDs) of iron oxide have been deposited onto ITO coated glass substrates by spray pyrolysis technique, using ferric chloride (FeCl₃·7H₂O) in non-aqueous medium as a starting material. The non-aqueous solvents namely methanol, ethanol, propanol, butanol and pentanol were used as solvents. The effect of solvents on the film structure and morphology was studied. The structural, morphological, compositional and optical properties were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDAX), and optical absorption measurement techniques.     

Transparent titania nanotubes of micrometer length prepared by anodization of titanium thin film deposited on ITO

Transparent TiO₂ nanotube arrays of micrometer lengths were prepared by anodization of titanium thin film RF sputtered on indium tin oxide (ITO) which was coated on glass substrate. The sputtering process took place at elevated temperature of 500 °C. The structures of the films were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) while the optical properties of the films were investigated using UV-visible spectroscopy. Two types of electrolytes were used in this work: an aqueous mixture of acetic acid and HF solution and a mixture of NH₄F and water dissolved in ethylene glycol. The concentration of NH₄F, voltage and the thickness of the sputtered titanium film were varied to study their effect on the formation of TiO₂ nanotube arrays. It is demonstrated in this work that the nanoporous layer is formed on top of the ordered array of TiO₂ nanotubes. Furthermore, the optical transmittance of TiO₂ nanotubes annealed at 450 °C is much lower than the non annealed TiO₂ nanotubes in the visible wavelength region.     

Self-cleaning performance of polycarbonate surfaces coated with titania nanoparticles

The effect of NaOH-etching and UVC-irradiation on the mechanical stability of TiO₂ nanoparticles on polycarbonate (PC) slides was investigated. TiO₂ nanoparticles were found to adhere more strongly on UVC-treated PC than NaOH-etched PC, caused by the increase in the hydroxyl and carboxyl groups on the UVC-treated PC. Although a mechanically strong TiO₂ film was developed on UVC-treated PC, the sheet-like wetting effect and antifogging behaviour were only observed with the film coated on NaOH-etched PC. It was also detected that the film coated onto NaOH-etched PC exhibited a more superior performance in degrading methylene blue than that in the UVC-treated PC system. Evidences from the FTIR and AFM analyses indicated that the performance of TiO₂ films was strongly depended on the leaching rate of PEG.