Electrical properties vs. microstructure of nanocrystallized V2O5-P2O5 glasses — An extended temperature range study

An electronically conducting nanomaterial was synthesized by nanocrystallization of a 90V₂O₅·10P₂O₅ glass and its electrical properties were studied in an extended temperature range from − 170 to + 400 °C. The conductivity of the prepared nanomaterial reaches 2 ? 10^− 1 S cm^− 1 at 400 °C and 2 ? 10^− 3 S cm^− 1 at room temperature. It is higher than that of the original glass by a factor of 25 at room temperature and more than 100 below − 80 °C. A key role in the conductivity enhancement was ascribed to the material's microstructure, and in particular to the presence of the large number of small (ca. 20 nm) grains of crystalline V₂O₅. The observed conductivity dependencies are discussed in terms of the Mott's theory of the electronic hopping transport in disordered systems. Since V₂O₅ is known for its ability to intercalate lithium, the presented results might be helpful in the development of cathode materials for Li-ion batteries.     

Effects of electron beam current density and temperature on peak height ratios Dj/D0 for cathodoluminescence of Ln2O2S:Eu

The change in the initial and steady state (∼0 and 5 s after initiation of electron beam irradiation) peak heights from the ⁵D₂⇒⁷F₃, ⁵D₁⇒⁷F₃ and ⁵D₀⇒⁷F₂ cathodoluminescent transitions from Eu³⁺ have been studied for Ln₂O₂S:Eu³⁺ (Ln=La, Gd) phosphors. Specifically, the intensity ratio of these transitions, designated as ⁵D₁/⁵D₀, increased and then decreased for both La₂O₂S:Eu³⁺ (0.1 mole%) and Gd₂O₂S:Eu³⁺ (0.4 mole%), as the current density was changed from 10 towards a 1000 μA/cm². These effects were shown to be consistent with feeding from the higher ⁵D₂ excited state to the lower energy ⁵D₁ excited state, resulting in an increase of the ⁵D₁/⁵D₀ ratio at low current densities. At higher current densities, energy was funneled from the ⁵D₁-⁵D₀ states, resulting in a decrease of the ⁵D₁/⁵D₀ ratio. These effects of feeding versus funneling were dependent on both the Eu³⁺ concentration and current density, and changed with time (i.e., approached a steady state after ∼5 s) due to increased activator interactions from induced internal electric fields. The magnitude of thermal quenching versus interaction quenching was investigated using changes of the peak height ratios of ⁵D₂/⁵D₀ and ⁵D₁/⁵D₀.     

High heat generation ability in AC magnetic field for nano-sized magnetic Y3Fe5O12 powder prepared by bead milling

Nano-sized magnetic Y₃Fe₅O₁₂ ferrite having a high heat generation ability in an AC magnetic field was prepared by bead milling. A commercial powder sample (non-milled sample) of ca. 2.9 μm in particle size did not show any temperature enhancement in the AC magnetic field. The heat generation ability in the AC magnetic field improved with a decrease in the average crystallite size for the bead-milled Y₃Fe₅O₁₂ ferrites. The highest heat ability in the AC magnetic field was for the fine Y₃Fe₅O₁₂ powder with a 15-nm crystallite size (the samples were milled for 4 h using 0.1 mm? beads). The heat generation ability of the excessively milled Y₃Fe₅O₁₂ samples decreased. The main reason for the high heat generation property of the milled samples was ascribed to an increase in the Néel relaxation of the superparamagnetic material. The heat generation ability was not influenced by the concentration of the ferrite powder. For the samples milled for 4 h using 0.1 mm? beads, the heat generation ability (W g⁻¹) was estimated using a 3.58×10⁻⁴ fH² frequency (f/kHz) and the magnetic field (H/kA m⁻¹), which is the highest reported value of superparamagnetic materials.     

Influence of the sample orientation in Sn<Subscript>2</Subscript>P<Subscript>2</Subscript>S<Subscript>6</Subscript> crystals on the hydrostatic piezoelectric coefficients

The influence of the sample orientation on the effective value of the hydrostatic piezoelectric coefficients d _h ⁽ⁱ⁾ of Sn₂P₂S₆ crystals has been studied. The hydrostatic piezoelectric coefficients d _h ⁽¹⁾ and d′ _h ⁽³⁾ , were measured, d _h ⁽¹⁾ =(244±3) pC/N and d′ _h ⁽³⁾ =(92±1) pC/N. The hydrostatic piezoelectric coefficient d _h ⁽³⁾ for orthogonal axis system was calculated to be d _h ⁽³⁾ =(87±2) pC/N. The, optimal orientation of the sample has been found as (Xy l)−20°-cut. Maximal value of the effective hydrostatic piezoelectric coefficient d _h ⁽¹⁾ equals 260 pC/N. Double rotated samples were also studied. The orientation of the samples insensitive to the pressure has been found. The theoretical mean value of hydrostatic piezoelectric coefficient (d _h ) _mean corresponding to randomly oriented Sn₂P₂S₆ grains in a poled composite has been calculated to be (d _h ) _mean =136 pC/N.     

Influence of calcining temperature on photoluminescence and thermal quenching in europium-doped Y2SiO5 using the MOD process

The crystalline Eu_0.25Y_1.75SiO₅ (EYSO) fine powders were prepared using metallorganic decomposition process, in which the pure X₁- and X₂-Y₂SiO₅ phases were obtained by calcining at temperatures from 850°C to 1600°C. The influence of calcining temperature on photoluminescence (PL) and thermal quenching were systematically investigated from room temperature to 573 K for the first time. As a consequence, the X₂-EYSO was higher in light emission intensities than the X₁-EYSO, but the X₁-EYSO possessed better temperature dependence of PL. The phase structure had a significant effect on the light emission intensity and energy as well as its temperature characteristics in the EYSO.     

Millimeter-wave spectroscopy of rare isotopomers of HC5N and DC5N: determination of a mixed experimental-theoretical equilibrium structure for cyanobutadiyne

Cyanobutadiyne has been produced by gas phase copyrolysis of pyridine and phosphorus trichloride in a flow reactor. The yield of the reaction is sufficiently good to allow the detection of rotational transitions of the ¹³C and ¹⁵N containing species in natural abundance. Normal pyridine and its fully deuterated variant have been used as precursors, making it possible to study the ground-state rotational spectra of 14 isotopomers in the millimeter wave region. Very accurate values of the rotational and quartic centrifugal distortion constants have been obtained for all the isotopic species investigated, and in addition the sextic distortion constant has been precisely determined for the most abundant variants H¹²C₅¹⁴N and D¹²C₅¹⁴N, for which the measurements have been extended up to 460 GHz. A mixed experimental-theoretical equilibrium structure has been evaluated for cyanobutadiyne combining experimental ground-state rotational constants with theoretically computed zero-point contributions. The r_e geometry is compared with operationally defined purely experimental structures, namely r₀, r_s, and r_m⁽¹⁾ molecular structures.     

Characterization and electrochemical performance of the spinel LiMn2O4 prepared from -MnO2

The preparation and characterization of the spinel LiMn₂O₄ obtained by solid state reaction from quasi-amorphous -MnO₂ is reported. A well-defined highly pure spinel was characterized from X-ray diffractograms. The average manganese valence of -MnO₂ and spinel samples was found to be 3.89±0.01 and 3.59±0.01, respectively. The electrochemical performance of the spinel was evaluated through cyclic voltammetry and chronopotentiometry. The voltammetric profiles obtained at 1 mV/s for the LiMn₂O₄ electrode in 1 M LiClO₄ dissolved in a 2:1 mixture of ethylene carbonate and dimethyl carbonate showed typical peaks for the lithium insertion/extraction reactions. The charge capacity of this electrode was found to be 110 mA h g⁻¹ for the first charge/discharge cycles.     

Magnetic characterization of Mn5SiB2 and Mn5Si3 phases

In this work the Mn₅Si₃ and Mn₅SiB₂ phases were produced via arc melting and heat treatment at 1000 °C for 50 h under argon. A detailed microstructure characterization indicated the formation of single-phase Mn₅Si₃ and near single-phase Mn₅SiB₂ microstructures. The magnetic behavior of the Mn₅Si₃ phase was investigated and the results are in agreement with previous data from the literature, which indicates the existence of two anti-ferromagnetic structures for temperatures below 98 K. The Mn₅SiB₂ phase shows a ferromagnetic behavior presenting a saturation magnetization M_s of about 5.35×10⁵ A/m (0.67 T) at room temperature and an estimated Curie temperature between 470 and 490 K. In addition, AC susceptibility data indicates no evidence of any other magnetic ordering in 4-300 K temperature range. The magnetization values are smaller than that calculated using the magnetic moment from previous literature NMR results. This result suggests a probable ferrimagnetic arrangement of the Mn moments.     

(Li3N)n(n=1—5)团簇结构与性质的密度泛函研究

用密度泛函理论(DFT)的杂化密度泛函B3LYP方法在6-31G*基组水平上对(Li₃N)_n(n=1—5)团簇各种可能的构型进行几何结构优化,预测了各团簇的最稳定结构. 并对最稳定结构的振动特性、成键特性、电荷特性等进行了理论研究. 结果表明,(Li₃N)_n(n=1—5)团簇中N原子的配位数以4,5较多见,Li—Li键长为0.210—0.259nm,Li原子在桥位时Li—N键长为0.185—0.204nm,Li原子在端位时Li—N键长为0.172—0.178nm;团簇中N原子的平均自然电荷为-2.01e,Li原子的平均自然电荷为+0.67e;Li₃N,(Li₃N)₅团簇有相对较高的动力学稳定性. 关键词： 3N)_n(n=1—5)团簇')" href="#">(Li₃N)_n(n=1—5)团簇 密度泛函理论 结构与性质 储氢材料     

Theoretical investigation of EPR and optical spectra of Mo(V) in [Mo6O19][N(C4H9)4]3 salt

The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectral data (the g factors and hyperfine structure constants) and d–d transition spectra for the tetragonal Mo⁵⁺ centre in [Mo₆O₁₉][N(C₄H₉)₄]₃ salt are theoretically investigated from the complete diagonalization method (CDM) for a 4d¹ ion in tetragonally compressed octahedron. The theoretical results are in good agreement with the experimental data. The dependency of the g factors of the ground state on the R_∥(MoO bond length) has been studied. It is shown that the g factors varied with the R_∥ approximately in a linear way.     

Electrochemical behaviour of sputtered c-V2O5 and LiCoO2 thin films for solid state lithium microbatteries

Here are reported for the first time electrochemical data on all-solid-state lithium microbatteries using crystalline sputtered V₂O₅ thin films as cathode materials and LiPON as solid electrolyte. The stable specific capacity of 30 µAh/cm² found with a 2.4 µm thick film competes very well with the best values obtained for solid state microbatteries using amorphous films. With the challenge of decreasing the temperature of heat treatment for sputtered LiCoO₂ thin films, we show that a temperature of 500 °C combined with an optimized bias sputtering (-50 V) allows to get highly crystalline deposits, to minimize the presence of Co₃O₄ and to suppress any trace of the cubic phase. At the same time the theoretical specific capacity is reached in the 4.2 V-3 V range and a good cycling behaviour is achieved with a high capacity of 50 µAh/cm²/µm after 140 cycles at 10 µA.cm².     

Synthesis and Characterization of Monodispersed SiO2@Y3Al5O12:Er3+ Core-Shell Particles

Submicron core-shell structure particles SiO₂@Y₃Al₅O₁₂:Er³⁺, which silica spherical particles was coated with an yttrium aluminum garnet (Y₃Al₅O₁₂) layer doped with Er³⁺, were prepared by the modified Pechini-Type sol-gel method for the first time. The structure and morphology of samples were detected by the X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) measurement, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. The results indicate that well-crystallized garnet nanocrystallines were formed on the surface of the silica particles. The luminescent spectra in near infrared and visible region of the core-shell structured SiO₂@Y₃Al₅O₁₂:Er³⁺ powders were also investigated and compared with those of the pure Y₃Al₅O₁₂:Er³⁺ and the Er³⁺ doped silicate glass. The results show that mono-dispersed SiO₂@Y₃Al₅O₁₂:Er³⁺ core-shell spherical particles with the near infrared, red and green luminescent emissions under the excitation of 980 nm laser diode have been successfully synthesized.     

Perturbed angular correlation studies of Ta hyperfine interactions in Hf-Ni and Zr-Ni compounds

The hyperfine interaction experienced by ¹⁸¹Ta nuclei in the intermetallic compounds ZrNi₅, HfNi₅, and Hf₂Ni₇ has been investigated by perturbed angular correlation (PAC) spectroscopy. At temperatures T≥15 K the ¹⁸¹Ta angular correlation of appropriately annealed ZrNi₅ and HfNi₅ is unperturbed, indicating the absence of a magnetic hyperfine interaction. This observation rules out the possibility of spontaneous magnetic order of ZrNi₅ and HfNi₅ recently proposed in the literature. The temperature dependence of the electric quadrupole interaction of ¹⁸¹Ta in Hf₂Ni₇ suggests the existence of a reversible phase transformation at T≥500 K.     

Comparison of optical properties between Wurtzite and zinc-blende Ga0.75Al0.25N

In order to compare optical properties of Wurtzite and zinc-blende Ga_0.75Al_0.25N and lay a foundation for preparation of Ga_0.75Al_0.25N photocathodes, absorption coefficient, complex refractive index, dielectric function, reflectivity and loss function of Ga_0.75Al_0.25N in two forms are calculated using first principle based on density functional theory. Results show that zinc-blende Ga_0.75Al_0.25N owns smaller band gap than Wurtzite Ga_0.75Al_0.25N, and its conduction band is more broad. The optical properties differences of two structures mainly occur at the range of 8.6–26.0 eV. The peaks of imaginary dielectric function and absorption curves are at higher energy point for zinc-blende Ga_0.75Al_0.25N. The highest absorption of Wurtzite Ga_0.75Al_0.25N is 351386.171/cm at 11.05 eV, which is smaller than zinc-blende of 437809.895/cm at 13.84 eV. The average reflectivity of Wurtzite Ga_0.75Al_0.25N is lower than that of zinc-blende Ga_0.75Al_0.25N. The results are conductive for designing component structures of Ga_0.75Al_0.25N photocathodes.     

Magnitudes and Orientations of the N Chemical Shift Tensor of [1-N]-2′-Deoxyguanosine Determined on a Polycrystalline Sample by Two-Dimensional Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy

The magnitudes and orientations of the ¹⁵N chemical shift tensor of [1-¹⁵N]-2′-deoxyguanosine were determined from a polycrystalline sample using the two-dimensional PISEMA experiment. The magnitudes of the principal values of the ¹⁵N chemical shift tensor of the N1 nitrogen of [1-¹⁵N]-2′-deoxyguanosine were found to be ς₁₁ = 54 ppm, ς₂₂ = 148 ppm, and ς₃₃ = 201 ppm with respect to (¹⁵NH₄)₂SO₄ in aqueous solution. Comparisons of experimental and simulated two-dimensional powder pattern spectra show that ς_33N is approximately collinear with the N–H bond. The tensor orientation of ς_33N for N1 of [1-¹⁵N]-2′-deoxyguanosine is similar to the values obtained for the side chain residues of ¹⁵N_ε1-tryptophan and ¹⁵N_π-histidine even though the magnitudes differ significantly.     

The low temperature synthesis of Euand Dy activated Sr3Al2O6 nanophosphors by microwave method

The Eu²⁺and Dy³⁺ activated Sr₃Al₂O₆ (S3A2O-ED) nanophosphors were synthesized by a new microwave method. The S3A2O-ED sample calcined in microwave oven at around 650 °C for 20 min possesses a cubic Sr₃Al₂O₆ single phase. The sample showed small size (80–100 nm) and spherical shape. The excitation and emission spectra indicated that excitation broad band chiefly sited in visible range and the nanophosphors emitted strong light at 611 nm under around 473 nm excitation. Comparing with conventional method, the microwave synthesis of S3A2O-ED greatly decreased the calcining temperature and time. However, the brightness of S3A2O-ED nanophosphors was reduced. The change of luminescent intensity in S3A2O-ED nanophosphors could be attributed to the effect of surface energy.     

Effects of vanadium doping on structure and electrical properties of SrBi4Ti4O15 thin films

The effects of vanadium(V) doping into SrBi₄Ti₄O₁₅ (SBTi) thin films on the structure, ferroelectric, leakage current, dielectric, and fatigue properties have been studied. X-ray diffraction result showed that the crystal structure of the SBTi thin films with and without vanadium is the same. Enhanced ferroelectricity was observed in the V-doped SrBi₄Ti₄O₁₅ (SrBi_4−x/3Ti_4−xV_xO₁₅, SBTiV-x (x = 0.03, 0.06, and 0.09)) thin films compared to the pure SrBi₄Ti₄O₁₅ thin film. The values of remnant polarization (2P_r) and coercive field (2E_c) of the SBTiV-0.09 thin film capacitor were 40.9 μC/cm² and 105.6 kV/cm at an applied electric field of 187.5 kV/cm, respectively. The 2P_r value is over five times larger than that of the pure SBTi thin film capacitor. At 100 kHz, the values of dielectric constant and dielectric loss were 449 and 0.04, and 214 and 0.06 for the SBTiV-0.09 and the pure SBTi thin film capacitors, respectively. The leakage current density of the SBTiV-0.09 thin film capacitor measured at 100 kV/cm was 6.8 × 10⁻⁹ A/cm², which is more than two and a half orders of magnitude lower than that of the pure SBTi thin film capacitor. Furthermore, the SBTiV-0.09 thin film exhibited good fatigue endurance up to 10¹⁰ switching cycles. The improved electrical properties may be related to the reduction of internal defects such as bismuth and oxygen vacancies with changes in the grain size by doping of vanadium into SBTi.     

Ferroelectric properties of bilayer structured Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3/SrBi2Ta2O9 (PZT/SBT) thin films on Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Si substrates

Pb(Zr_0.52Ti_0.48)O₃ (PZT) thin films with large remanent polarization and SrBi₂Ta₂O₉ (SBT) thin films with excellent fatigue-resisting characteristic have been widely studied for non-volatile random access memories, respectively. To combine these two advantages_, bilayered Pb(Zr_0.52Ti_0.48)O₃/SrBi₂Ta₂O₉ (PZT/SBT) thin films were fabricated on Pt/TiO₂/SiO₂/Si substrates by chemical solution deposition method. X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that the diffraction peaks of PZT/SBT thin films were completely composed of PZT and SBT, and no other secondary phase was observed. The electrical properties of the bilayered structure PZT/SBT films have been investigated in comparison with pure PZT and SBT films. PZT/SBT bilayered thin films showed larger remanent polarization (2P_r) of 18.37 μC/cm² than pure SBT and less polarization fatigue up to 1 × 10⁹ switching cycles than pure PZT. These results indicated that this bilayered structure of PZT/SBT is a promising material combination for ferroelectric memory applications.     

Impedance spectroscopy studies of poly (methyl methacrylate)-lithium salts polymer electrolyte systems

In the present work, five systems of samples have been prepared by the solution casting technique. These are the plasticized poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA-EC) system, the LiCF₃SO₃ salted-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA-LiCF₃SO₃) system, the LiBF₄ salted-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA-LiBF₄) system, the LiCF₃SO₃ salted-poly(methyl methacrylate) containing a fixed amount of plasticizer ([PMMA-EC]-LiCF₃SO₃) system, and the LiBF₄ salted-poly(methyl methacrylate) containing a fixed amount of plasticizer ([PMMA-EC]-LiBF₄) system. The conductivities of the films from each system are characterized by impedance spectroscopy. The room temperature conductivity in the pure PMMA sample and (PMMA-EC) system is 8.57 × 10⁻¹³ and 2.71 × 10⁻¹¹ S cm⁻¹, respectively. The room conductivity for the highest conducting sample in the (PMMA-LiCF₃SO₃), (PMMA-LiBF₄), ([PMMA-EC]-LiCF₃SO₃), and ([PMMA-EC]-LiBF₄) systems is 3.97 × 10⁻⁶, 3.66 × 10⁻⁷, 3.40 × 10⁻⁵, and 4.07 × 10⁻⁷ S cm⁻¹, respectively. The increase in conductivity is due to the increase in number of mobile ions, and decrease in conductivity is attributed to ion association. The increase and decrease in the number of ions can be implied from the dielectric constant, ɛ_r-frequency plots. The conductivity–temperature studies are carried out in the temperature range between 303 and 373 K. The results show that the conductivity is increased when the temperature is increased and obeys Arrhenius rule. The plots of loss tangent against temperature at a fixed frequency have showed a peak at 333 K for the ([PMMA-EC]-LiBF₄) system and a peak at 363 K for the ([PMM-EC]-LiCF₃SO₃) system. This peak could be attributed to β-relaxation, as the measurements were not carried out up to glass transition temperature, T _g. It may be inferred that the plasticizer EC has dissociated more LiCF₃SO₃ than LiBF₄ and shifted the loss tangent peak to a higher temperature. Paper presented at the Third International Conference on Ionic Devices (ICID 2006), Chennai, Tamilnadu, India, Dec. 7–9, 2006     

Solid-state NMR investigations of Si-29 and N-15 enriched silicon nitride

We compare ²⁹Si magic-angle spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra from the two modifications of silicon nitride, α-Si₃N₄ and β-Si₃N₄, with that of a fully (²⁹Si, ¹⁵N)-enriched sample ²⁹Si₃¹⁵N₄, as well as ¹⁵N NMR spectra of Si₃¹⁵N₄ (having ²⁹Si at natural abundance) and ²⁹Si₃¹⁵N₄. We show that the ¹⁵N NMR peak-widths from the latter are dominated by J(²⁹Si–¹⁵N) through-bond interactions, leading to significantly broader NMR signals compared to those of Si₃¹⁵N₄. By fitting calculated ²⁹Si NMR spectra to experimental ones, we obtained an estimated coupling constant J(²⁹Si–¹⁵N) of 20 Hz. We provide ²⁹Si spin-lattice (T₁) relaxation data for the ²⁹Si₃¹⁵N₄ sample and chemical shift anisotropy results for the ²⁹Si site of β-Si₃N₄. Various factors potentially contributing to the ²⁹Si and ¹⁵N NMR peak-widths of the various silicon nitride specimens are discussed. We also provide powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and mass spectrometry data of the samples.