Analytical TEM investigations of high-temperature superconductors

Electron diffraction and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy as analytical transmission electron microscopic methods have been applied to Y-Ba-Cu-O superconductors. The evaluation of diffraction patterns by means of the MS-WINDOWS program ELDISCA is demonstrated. The course of X-ray linescan signals in the transition range between YBa₂Cu₃O_7– matrix and Y₂BaCuO₅ inclusions is explained by calculations based on a mathematical model which is described. Errors of quantiative X-ray spectroscopic results and their reasons are shown.Dedicated to Professor Dr. rer. nat. Dr. h.c. Hubertus Nickel on the occasion of his 65th birthday     

Cross-section TEM for examinations of selective tungsten CVD for via hole filling

The reaction between tungsten layers [deposited by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) as well as by physical vapor deposition (PVD)] and an aluminium alloy (AlSi) has been investigated. For CVD tungsten layers deposited on AlSi by silane reduction of WF₆ the formation of an aluminium fluoride interlayer has been established by cross-section transmission electron microscopy (XTEM). At the interface between PVD-W and AlSi, an intermetallic compound may be formed depending on the thermal treatment. A crystalline intermediate layer has been found after annealing at 400°C (twice for 30 min), whereas an interface between as deposited double layers showed no interlayer. For all samples investigated, diffusion of aluminium into the tungsten layer was observed. The diffusion depth depends on the heat treatment and the tungsten morphology. Intermediate layers — if they exist — limit the diffusion but do not act as a diffusion barrier.     

Cure behavior of an epoxy-phenolic magnetic recording ink

The curing behavior of an epoxy-phenolic coating containing a thermoplastic additive and iron oxide is described. Cure response was measured on a DuPont 981 Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer (DMA) and a Perkin-Elmer TGS-2 Thermogravimetric Analyzer (TGA). Samples coated onto a glass fiber ribbon were cured isothermally in the DMA, allowed to cool, and then scanned to measure the glass transition and related phenomena. During cure the thermoplastic additive was observed to phase separate, as evidenced by a secondary damping peak near its glass transition temperature. Above 200° oxidative reactions made a major contribution to the crosslink density. Isothermal TG in air and nitrogen showed evidence for oxygen uptake and an oxidative weight loss at temperatures >200°. Iron oxide, oxygen content of the purge gas, and flow rate of the purge gas were observed to affect cure behavior.

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Zusammenfassung Das Aushärtungsverhalten von ein thermoplastisches Additiv enthaltenden epoxy-phenolischen Überzügen wird beschrieben. Die Aushärtung wurde mit einem DuPont 981 Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer (DMA) und einem Perkin-Elmer-TGS-2 Thermogravimetric Analyzer (TGA) gemessen. Auf Glasband aufgebrachte Proben wurden isotherm im DMA ausgehärtet und nach dem Abkühlen aufgeheizt, um die Glastransformation und damit zusammenhängende Phenomäne zu messen. Während des Aufheízens wurde eíne Phasentrennung unter Ausscheidung des thermoplastischen Additivs beobachtet, was durch einen sekundären Dämpfungspeak nahe der Glastransformationstemperatur angezeigt wird. Oberhalb 200° tragen oxydative Reaktionen im größeren Umfang zur Vernetzungsdichte bei. Die isotherme TG in Luft und Stickstoff liefert Beweise für eine Sauerstoffaufnahme und einen oxydativen Gewichtsverlust bei Temperaturen über 200°. Eisenoxid sowie Sauerstoffgehalt und Strömungsgeschwindigkeit des Spülgases beeinflussen das Aushärtungsverhalten.

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Presented at 13th NATAS Conference, Philadelphia, PA, September 1984.     

Fluorimetric properties of a 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin: 9-methyl-benzo[a]phenothiazine inclusion complex in aqueous media. Analytical usefulness

The formation of an inclusion complex between 9-methyl-12H-benzo[a]phenothiazine (MeBPHT) and 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) was investigated in aqueous medium. A 12-fold fluorescence emission intensity enhancement was found for the complexed relative to the free analyte. MeBPHT forms a 1:1 stoichiometry complex with HP-β-CD. A formation constant of 460 (±100) M⁻¹ was calculated using the Benesi-Hildebrand method and fluorimetric data. The limit of detection was 7 ng ml⁻¹ for MeBPHT in the presence of HP-β-CD instead of 60 ng ml⁻¹ in the absence of HP-β-CD.     

Determination of the perpendicular magnetic parameters for Cu(II) EPR spectra from angular anomalies

A method is outlined to obtain accurate values of g_? and A_? in EPR spectra of Cu(II) compounds, provided that an extra absorption peak due to an angular anomaly can easily be recognized. This method turns out to be useful especially in the case of low resolution and in the presence of a superhyperfine pattern due to the ligands.     

Gelation of covalently edge-modified laponites in aqueous media. 1. rheology and nuclear magnetic resonance

We describe the covalent modification of the edges of laponite with organic groups and the influence of this modification on gelation behavior. We compare three materials: an unmodified laponite, a laponite edge modified with a trimethyl moiety (MLap), and an octyldimethyl moiety (OLap). Gelation is investigated using rheology and NMR T1 relaxation measurements and nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy (NOESY). MLap and OLap show qualitatively different gelation. Gelation of MLap is very similar to laponite: MLap gels over the same time scale as laponite and has about the same solid modulus, and the MLap gel is almost as transparent as laponite. In contrast, OLap gels rapidly relative to laponite and forms a weak, turbid gel. We believe that gelation in laponite and MLap results from the formation of a network of well-dispersed platelets (or a few platelets), while in OLap, gelation results from a network of stacks of several platelets. NMR relaxation measurements indicate that gelation does not affect the average relaxation of water protons. However, T1 increases marginally for the protons in the organic moieties in MLap and decreases for protons in the organic moieties in OLap. Relaxation measurements, analyses of line width, and NOESY taken together suggest that, in OLap, gelation is a consequence of association of the organic moieties on the laponite edges, and that this association strengthens with time. Thus, the time-dependent changes in NMR suggest a structural origin for the time-dependent changes in the rheological behavior.     

TEM investigation of nanophase aluminum powder.

Nanophase aluminum powder was characterized in a field-emission-gun transmission electron microscope (TEM). Different techniques were used to investigate the structure of the particles, including conventional bright-field and dark-field imaging, scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), high-resolution lattice imaging, diffraction studies, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis and mapping, and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) analysis and mapping. It has been established that the particle cores consist of aluminum single crystals that sometimes contain crystal lattice defects. The core is covered by a passivating layer of aluminum oxide a few nanometers thick. The alumina is mostly amorphous, but evidences of partial crystallinity of the oxide were also found. The thickness of this layer was measured using different techniques, and the results are in good agreement with each other. The particles are agglomerated in two distinct ways. Some particles were apparently bonded together during processing before oxidation. These mostly form dumbbells covered by a joint oxide layer. Also, oxidized particles are loosely assembled into relatively large clusters.     

Destabilizing effect of time-dependent oblique magnetic field on magnetic fluids streaming in porous media

The present work studies Kelvin-Helmholtz waves propagating between two magnetic fluids. The system is composed of two semi-infinite magnetic fluids streaming throughout porous media. The system is influenced by an oblique magnetic field. The solution of the linearized equations of motion under the boundary conditions leads to deriving the Mathieu equation governing the interfacial displacement and having complex coefficients. The stability criteria are discussed theoretically and numerically, from which stability diagrams are obtained. Regions of stability and instability are identified for the magnetic fields versus the wavenumber. It is found that the increase of the fluid density ratio, the fluid velocity ratio, the upper viscosity, and the lower porous permeability play a stabilizing role in the stability behavior in the presence of an oscillating vertical magnetic field or in the presence of an oscillating tangential magnetic field. The increase of the fluid viscosity plays a stabilizing role and can be used to retard the destabilizing influence for the vertical magnetic field. Dual roles are observed for the fluid velocity in the stability criteria. It is found that the field frequency plays against the constant part for the magnetic field.     

Photosensitivity of holographic recording media based on films of polymer compositions with cadmium sulfide nanoparticles

The effect of doping with CdS nanoparticles of recording medium films for the thermoplastic holographic recording process, which are based on photosemiconductors (oligomers and cooligomers of glycidylcarbazole) and a dielectric (a styrene copolymer with octyl methacrylate) containing a photoconductivity sensitizer, on their photosensitivity was studied. The enhancement of photosensitivity of films by doping with nanoparticles is associated with the appearance of an additional channel for transport of electrons generated from sensitizer molecules. A difference in informational properties between the oligomer and the polymer films was revealed.     

In situ TEM studies of metal-carbon reactions.

The reactions which occur between amorphous carbon and a number of first transition metals (Ti, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, and Cu) have been studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The materials are in thin-film form with the metal layer sandwiched between thicker carbon layers. In four cases, the predominant reaction is the graphitization of the amorphous carbon, at temperatures well below 800 degrees C. This is brought about by the elements themselves in the case of Co and Ni, and by metastable carbides in the case of Fe (Fe3C) and Cr (Cr3C2-x). The Ti-C and Cu-C systems do not exhibit graphitization. For the former, only TiC is produced up to 1000 degrees C, while the carbon does not react at all with copper. In situ TEM studies show the mechanism to be of the dissolution-precipitation type, which is equivalent to the metal-mediated crystallization process for amorphous silicon and germanium. The heat of graphitization is found to be 18-19 kcal/mol-C by differential scanning calorimetry.     

Analytical and preparative separation of PEGylated lysozyme for the characterization of chromatography media

The effect of PEGylation on cation exchange chromatography was studied with poly(ethylene glycol) of different chain lengths (5 kDa, 10 kDa and 30 kDa) using lysozyme as a model system. A stable binding via reduction of a Schiff base was formed during random PEGylation on lysine residues with methoxy-PEG-aldehyde. A purification method for PEGylated proteins using cation exchange chromatography was developed, and different isoforms of mono-PEGylated lysozyme were isolated. TSKgel SP-5PW and Toyopearl GigaCap S-650M showed the best performance of all tested cation exchange resins, and the separation of PEGylated lysozyme could be also scaled up to semi-preparative level. Size-exclusion chromatography, SDS-PAGE and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry were used for analysis. Separated mono-PEGylated lysozyme of different sizes was used to determine dynamic binding capacities (DBC) and selectivity of cation exchange chromatography resins. An optimization of binding conditions resulted in a more than 20-fold increase of DBC for Toyopearl GigaCap S-650M with 30 kDa mono-PEGylated lysozyme.     

Analytical properties of 2-oximinodimedone dithiosemicarbazone

The synthesis and analytical properties of 2-oximinodimedone dithiosemicarbazone are described.     

TEM Study on the Formation Process of TiO2 Nanotubes

The process,that the polycrystalline TiO2 powders were converted into TiO2 nanotubes,was observed with transmission electron microscope.The results obtained indicated that in concentrated NaOH aqueous solution,anisotroplc swelling appears on the polycrystalline TiO2 granula at first,and then the nanotubes are formed.     

In-situ TEM investigation of MoS_2 upon alkali metal intercalation

Phase transition in two dimensional molybdenum disulfide (MoS_2) can be induced by several methods and has been investigated for decades. Alkali metal insertion of MoS_2 had been proved an effective method to cause phase transition early in 1970s, and has been gaining renewed interest recently, due to the possible application of MoS_2 in energy storage. The alkali metal intercalation of MoS_2 has been studied by various techniques, among which in-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) provides unique capability of real time resolving the structural evolution of the materials at high spatial resolutions. Here by in-situ TEM technique we investigated the structural evolution of MoS_2 upon lithium and sodium intercalation, along with transformation of the nanosheet and variation of the electron diffraction patterns. The intercalation process is accompanied by emergence of superstructures, which exist in several forms. The ion intercalation results in phase transition of MoS_2 from 2H to 1T, and the driving mechanism of the phase transition are discussed. The work provides a more comprehensive understanding of ion intercalation induced phase transition of MoS_2.     

Facile preparation of recyclable biocatalyst-decorated magnetic nanobeads in aqueous media

A facile process was developed to manufacture biocatalyst-conjugated magnetic nanobeads, which afford no loss of the intrinsic activity and enantioselectivity of biocatalysts. Up to 90% of their activities remained after six-time recycling in aqueous media.     

Colloidal synthesis of wurtzite Cu2ZnSnS4 nanorods and their perpendicular assembly

The quaternary copper chalcogenide Cu(2)ZnSnS(4) is an important emerging material for the development of low-cost and sustainable solar cells. Here we report a facile solution synthesis of stoichiometric Cu(2)ZnSnS(4) in size-controlled nanorod form (11 nm × 35 nm). The monodisperse nanorods have a band gap of 1.43 eV and can be assembled into perpendicularly aligned arrays by controlled evaporation from solution.     

Characterization of the interfacial structure and perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in CoFeB‐MgO structures with different buffer layers

In this study, we describe the deposition of Hf and Mo metal layers individually on Ta to compose new buffer layers, ie, Ta/Hf and Ta/Mo, where CoFeB/MgO stacks are deposited using magnetron sputtering. The synthesised Ta/Hf buffer has higher surface roughness, while the Ta/Mo buffer has lower surface roughness as compared with the Ta buffer. The surface roughness of the buffer appears to influence the interface of the subsequently deposited layers, resulting in rougher or smoother CoFeB/MgO interfaces. Additionally, we present a report on the magnetic properties of Ta, Ta/Hf, and Ta/Mo buffer samples. As the annealing temperature is below 200 °C, the saturation magnetisation (Ms) values for all buffer layers increase at similar rates, whereas the effective magnetic anisotropy energy (K_eff) values increase at varying rates. After annealing at 350 °C, K_eff reaches its maximum value for Ta/Hf and Ta/Mo buffer layers, whereas the CoFeB/MgO interface width decreases to a minimum value. The width increases as the annealing temperature is increased over 350 °C, and K_eff gradually decreases with increase in the annealing temperature. The CoFeB/MgO interface width is primarily dependent on the buffer/CoFeB interface width, which is a critical parameter to obtain high perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) and high‐quality films. This work provides perspectives for understanding and controlling PMA from the viewpoint of interfacial structure.     

Nuclear magnetic resonance and optosensing properties of di-2-thienyl ketone p-nitrophenylhydrazone (DSKNPH) in non-aqueous media

The compound di-2-thienyl ketone p-nitrophenylhydrazone (DSKNPH) melting point 168-170 °C was isolated in good yield from the reaction between di-2-thienyl ketone (DSK) and p-nitrophenylhydrazine in refluxing ethanol containing a few drop of concentrated HCl. Nuclear magnetic resonance studies on DSKNPH in non-aqueous solvents revealed strong solvent and temperature dependence due to solvent-solute interactions. Optical measurements on DSKNPH in DMSO in the presence and absence of KPF₆ gave extinction coefficients of 83,300±2000 and 25,600±2000 M⁻¹ cm⁻¹ at 612 and 427 nm at 295 K. In CH₂Cl₂, extinction coefficient of 34,000±2000 M⁻¹ cm⁻¹ was calculated at 422 nm. When DMSO solutions of DSKNPH were allowed to interact with DMSO solutions of NaBH₄ the low energy electronic state becomes favorable and when DMSO solutions of DSPKNPH where allowed to interact with DMSO solutions of KPF₆ or NaBF₄, the high energy electronic state becomes favorable. The reversible BH₄⁻/BF₄⁻ interconversion points to physical interactions between these species and DSKNPH and hints to the possible use of DSKNPH as a spectrophotometric sensor for a variety of physical and chemical stimuli. Thermo-optical measurements on DSKNPH in DMSO confirmed the reversible interconversion between the high and low energy electronic states of DSKNPH and allowed for the calculations of the thermodynamic activation parameters of DSKNPH. Changes in enthalpy (ΔH^∅) of +57.67±4.20; 27.15±0.90 kJ mol⁻¹, entropy (ΔS^∅) of +160±12.88; 83±2.91 J mol⁻¹ and free energy (ΔG^∅) of −8.52±0.40; 2.66±0.25 kJ mol⁻¹ were calculated at 295 K in the absence and presence of NaBH₄, respectively. Manipulation of the equilibrium distribution of the high and low energy electronic states of DSKNPH allowed for the use of these systems (DSKNPH and surrounding solvent molecules) as molecular sensors for group I and II metal ions. Group I and II metal ions in concentrations as low as 1.00×10⁻⁵ M can be detected and determined using DSKNPH in DMSO.