Effect of Co 2 + content on the magnetic properties of Co x Fe 3 − x O 4 /SiO 2 nanocomposites

Non-stoichiometric Co_xFe_3???xO₄/SiO₂ (x = 0.8, 0.9, 1.0, 1.1) nanocomposites have been prepared by sol-gel method. The structure, morphology and magnetic properties of the obtained samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometer and Mössbauer spectroscopy at room temperature. As the Co^2?+? content increases, the average particle size of the spherical Co_xFe_3???xO₄ in the samples decreases and the lattice constants increases. The hyperfine fields for both A- and B-site decrease, while the fraction of Co^2?+? occupying the A-site increases. Magnetization measurements show the saturation magnetization and coercivity of Co_xFe_3???xO₄/SiO₂ decrease with increasing Co^2?+? content. The decrease in magnetization results from the weakened A-B interactions between Fe^3?+?, and the change in coercivity can be related to the variation of Co^2?+? at B-site and the decreasing particle size.     

57Fe Mössbauer study of sol–gel synthesized Sn1 − x − y Fe x Sb y O2 − δ powders

Samples of SnO₂ doped with different amount of Fe (10–20%) and Sb (5–25%) were prepared by sol–gel method. Room temperature ferromagnetism was found to increase as a result of co-doping with Sb, as compared to SnO₂ doped only with Fe. ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectra of almost all samples exhibited two paramagnetic doublets and a small subspectrum referring to magnetic relaxation at room temperature. Only the samples Sn_0.65Fe_0.2Sb_0.15O_2???δ and Sn_0.85Fe_0.1Sb_0.05O_2???δ with 4 h long annealing time showed well developed sextets and larger magnetic coercivity compared to that of the other samples. The sextet observed was considered to be due to precipitates like Sn doped α-Fe₂O₃. The results suggest that the origin of the magnetic interactions is enhanced by the presence of magnetic defects, which can interact with the iron ions by free carrier electrons. For the sample with precipitates, the grain boundary defects may play an important role of enhanced ferromagnetism.     

An EIS study of La2 − x Sr x NiO4 + δ SOFC cathodes

La_2 − x Sr _x NiO_{4 +  δ} materials were investigated as cathodes for the electrochemical reduction of oxygen on a Ce_1.9Gd_0.1O_1.95 (CGO10) electrolyte using cone-shaped electrodes together with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The area-specific resistance (ASR) of the La_2 − x Sr _x NiO_{4 +  δ} nickelates towards the reduction of oxygen is equal to the ASR of perovskites; however, it is not as low as for the best Fe–Co-based perovskites. The lowest ASR is found for the compound La_1.75Sr_0.25NiO_{4 +  δ} with an ASR of 23.8 Ωcm² measured on a cone-shaped electrode in air at 600 °C. It is suggested that difference in oxide ionic conductivity of the nickelates is the main cause for the different activity of the nickelates towards the electrochemical reduction of oxygen.     

Characterisation of GaN–In x Ga1−x N quantum-well lasers

An efficient analytical model to calculate the optical gain of the quantum-well laser of the GaN–In _x Ga_1?x N material system is used in this paper. Based on the anisotropic effective mass theories, empirical formulas delineating the relations between optical gain, emission wavelength, well width and material compositions are obtained for such a quantum-well lasers.     

Structural characterization and magnetic properties of NiMg3x/2Cr0.9Fe1.1 − x O4

Magnesium-substituted nickel–chrome ferrites have been studied using X-ray diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy. A single cubic spinel phase was obtained in the range 0.0?≤?x?≤?0.4. The lattice parameter was found to decrease with the increase of Mg concentration. The Mössbauer spectra measured at 295 and 78 K of all samples showed magnetic patterns interpreted in term of the tetrahedral and octahedral sites occupancies. The magnetic hyperfine field of both sites decrease with the increase of the Mg concentration. The magnetic properties as a function of the Mg concentration have been explained on the basis of the cation distribution among the two crystallographic sites driven from the Mössbauer measurements.     

Structure and electrochemical performance of LiV x Mn2 − x O4 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.20) cathode materials for rechargeable lithium ion batteries

LiMn₂O₄ and vanadium-substituted LiV _x Mn_2???x O₄ (x?=?0.05, 0.10 0.15 and 0.20) cathode materials were synthesized by sol–gel method using aqueous solutions of metal nitrates and tartaric acid as chelating agent at 600 °C for 10 h. The structure and electrochemical properties of the synthesized materials were characterized by using X-ray diffraction, SEM, TEM and charge–discharge studies. X-ray powder diffraction analysis was changed in lattice parameters with increasing vanadium content suggesting the occupation of the substituent within LiMn₂O₄ interlayer spacing. TEM and SEM analyses show that LiV_0.15Mn_1.85O₄ has a smaller particle size and more regular morphological structure with narrow size distribution than LiMn₂O₄. It is concluded that the structural stability and cycle life improvement were due to many factors like better crystallinity, smaller particle size and uniform distribution compared to the LiMn₂O₄ cathode material. The LiV_0.15Mn_1.85O₄ cathode material has improved the structural stability and excellent electrochemical performances of the rechargeable lithium ion batteries.     

Synthesis and characterization of layered perovskite oxides La1 + x Sr2 − x MnCrO7 (x = 0.2, 0.5)

Intergrowth perovskite type complex oxides of composition La_1.2Sr_1.8MnCrO₇ and La_1.5Sr_1.5MnCrO₇ have been synthesized by ceramic method. Rietveld profile analysis shows that the phases crystallize with tetragonal unit cell in the space group I4/mmm. Both the phases behave as insulators in the high temperature region and the linearity of log ρ versus T ^?1/4 plot in the temperature range 150–300 K shows that the electronic conduction occurs by a 3D variable range hopping mechanism. The phases show insulator-metal transition at low temperature which could be due to the mixed valence state of Mn³⁺/Mn⁴⁺ by double exchange mechanism. The ferromagnetic interactions observed for the samples arises from double exchange interaction between Mn ³⁺ and Mn⁴⁺ and Cr³⁺ and Mn³⁺ ions.     

Mössbauer studies of GdFe2 − x Hf x alloys

GdFe_2???x Hf _x alloys, where x?=?0, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, and 0.30, are produced by arc-melting of pure elements. The samples are investigated by x-ray diffraction and Fe⁵⁷ Mössbauer spectroscopy at 78 K and 300 K. We find that the alloy system GdFe_2???x Hf _x have the single phase cubic Cu₂Mg type structure in the whole concentration range. Mössbauer spectroscopic results show that all the samples studied are magnetically ordered at 78 K, and at room temperature. The room temperature spectra are fitted with two magnetic components where the direction of magnetization is along the [111] while the spectra at 78 K are fitted with four magnetic subspectra indicating a complex direction of magnetization for all samples under investigation. The average magnetic hyperfine field and the average isomer shift are found to decrease almost linearly with increasing the Hf concentration at 78 K and 300 K due to the replacement of Fe by nonmagnetic Hf.     

Effect of Ni/Mn ratio on the performance of LiNi x Mn2 − x O4 cathode material for lithium-ion battery

Lithium nickel manganate is recognized as a type of promising cathode material for lithium-ion battery, due to its advantages such as high voltage, high power density, and relative lower cost. In this paper, a series of LiNi _x Mn_2???x O₄ cathode materials with various molar ratio of Ni/Mn have been prepared with a co-precipitation method, followed by a solid state reaction, and the effect of the molar ratio of Ni/Mn on the structure and properties of materials are intensively investigated by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and performance measurements, etc. It is revealed that all the samples with x from 0 to 0.5 have well-defined spinel structure and fit well to Fd-3 m space group. With the increase of the molar ratio of Ni/Mn, the diffraction peaks shift to higher angle slightly and the lattice parameter decreases gradually by the XRD results. Furthermore, it is found that the capacity at the 4.0 V plateau decreases while the capacity at 4.7 V plateau increases with the increase of the ratio of Ni/Mn, and the total discharge capacity shows growth trend with the increase of Ni content. It is important that all the samples with various molar ratio of Ni/Mn exhibit good cyclic stability. Based on the experimental results, we suggest that the Ni may incorporate into the lattice of LiMn₂O₄ substituting of Mn. The plateau at 4.7 V is related to the Ni ions and the plateau at 4.0 V is related to the Mn ions in the materials.     

Heat treatment effects on spinel phase of Zn x Ni1 − x Fe2O4 and MnFe2O4 nanoferrites

We report the effects of heat treatment on Zn _x Ni_1???x Fe₂O₄ (x?= 0, 0.5 and 1.0) and MnFe₂O₄ ferrite nanoparticles. The as-prepared compounds were sintered from 400°C to 1100°C. Pure ZnFe₂O₄ (x?= 1.0) and MnFe₂O₄ could be obtained under low reaction temperature of 200°C. NiFe₂O₄ (x?= 0) and Zn_0.5Ni_0.5Fe₂O₄ (x?= 0.5) nanoferrites crystallized with single phase cubic spinel structure after annealing at 600°C. The single phase cubic spinel structure of these compounds was destroyed after annealing at temperature above 700°C. The magnetization measurements indicate superparamagnetic behavior of the nanosized compounds produced.     

The preparation and electrochemical properties of the Li-excess cathode material Li1 + x (Mn0.7Fe0.3)1 − x O2 by coprecipitation method

The Fe-substituted Li₂MnO₃ cathode materials were synthesized by the coprecipitation method. The effects of the different precipitants of Na₂CO₃ and NaOH on the structure, morphology, and electrochemical performance were investigated by X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, dQ/dV plots, and charge–discharge tests. The results indicate that the materials prepared using both precipitants possess layered α-NaFeO₂ structure with R-3m space group. However, the material prepared using Na₂CO₃ shows smaller primary particle size as well as higher discharge capacity. The cycling test shows that the initial discharge capacity is 206 mAh g^?1 in the voltage range of 2.5–4.8 V under current density of 30 mA g^?1 at 30 °C and 231 mAh g^?1 in the voltage range of 2.0–4.8 V. Meanwhile, the discharge capacity fades to 191 mAh g^?1 after 20 cycles. The activated Mn⁴⁺ was confirmed to contribute to the high reversible capacities.     

Structural and optical properties of La and Gd substituted Bi4 − x M x V2O11 − δ (0.1 ≤ x ≤ 0.3)

Bi_4???x M _x V₂O_11???δ (M?=?La, Gd; 0.1?≤?x?≤?0.3) is synthesised by a solid state reaction method to study the effect of La³⁺ and Gd³⁺ substitution for Bi on the structural and optical properties. The as-prepared samples are characterised by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared analysis, UV–visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive spectroscopy. The refinement results confirmed that even substituted samples exhibit monoclinic structure with space group C2/m. The parameters like band gap energy; Urbach energy has been calculated from the UV–visible spectra. It has been observed that even substitution at the bismuth site by isovalent cations decreases the energy band gap. The lowest observed band gap is 1.86 eV for Bi_3.9La_0.1V₂O_11???δ . The grain size and defects were observed to increase with increasing substitution along with the amount of secondary phase.     

The chemical stability and conductivity improvement of protonic conductor BaCe0.8 − x Zr x Y0.2O3 − δ

A series of BaCe_0.8???x Zr _x Y_0.2O_3???δ (BCZYx) (x?=?0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8) powders were prepared by EDTA–citrate complexing sol–gel process in this paper. The electrical conducting behavior, as well as chemical stability, was investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results reveal that all samples are homogenous perovskite phases. Observed from XRD patterns and thermogravimetric curves, the samples with x?≥?0.4 survive in the pure CO₂, while samples with various Zr contents all present structurally stable against steam at 800 °C. The Zr-free sample of BaCe_0.8Y_0.2O_3???δ possesses the maximum bulk conductivity, 4.25?×?10^?2 S/cm, but decomposes into Ba(OH)₂ and Ce_0.8Y_0.2O_3???δ in steam. A negative influence of increasing Zr content on the conductivity of BCZYx can be observed by impedance tests. Considering the effect of temperature on the bulk conductivity, BCZY0.4 is preferred to be applied in SOFC as a protonic conductor, ranging from 1.52?×?10^?4 to 1.51?×?10^?3 S/cm (500–850 °C) with E _a?=?0.859 eV, which is proved to be a good protonic conductor with t _H+?≥?0.9.     

Electrochemical characteristics of Li4 − x Cu x Ti5O12 used as anode material for lithium-ion batteries

Cu-doped Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ (Li_4???x Cu _x Ti₅O₁₂) materials were synthesized by solid-state method. Cu-doping does not change the crystal structure of Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ material but increases its lattice constant. The particle size of Li_4???x Cu _x Ti₅O₁₂ powders decreases with increasing Cu-doping level. Cu-doping does not change the specific capacity at low current density, but can improve the cycling stability and the rate capability of Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ significantly. This is mainly attributed to the enhanced electronic and ionic conductivity and the decreased charge transfer resistance, caused by the increased specific surface area of active Li_4???x Cu _x Ti₅O₁₂ powders. The Li_3.8Cu_0.2Ti₅O₁₂ anode material exhibits the best cycling stability and rate capability.     

Negative differential conductance in nano-scale normal metal/superconductor/normal metal junctions featuring Fe1 + y Te1 − x Se x

Iron-based superconductors have been the subject of intensive study due to their high transition temperature and intriguing physical mechanisms. We describe a unique experimental approach to fabricate nano-scale normal metal/superconductor/normal metal junctions involving microcrystals of Fe₁ ?₊?_y Te₁ ?_??_x Se _x , for which we have observed a distinct phenomenon of negative differential conductance (NDC) dips along with multiple plateau features in differential conductance spectra. The evolution of the NDC dips and the plateau features is further explored as a function of both temperature and magnetic field, and their physical origin is discussed.     

Physicochemical properties of LiAl x Mn2 − x O4 and LiAl0.05Mn1.95O4 − y F y cathode material by the citric acid-assisted sol–gel method

LiAl _x Mn_2 − x O₄ and LiAl_0.05Mn_1.95O_4 − y F _y spinel have been successfully synthesized by citric acid-assisted sol–gel method. The structure and physicochemical properties of this as-prepared powder were investigated by electronic conductivity test, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and galvanostatic charge–discharge test in detail. The electronic conductivity decreases with increasing of the content of doped Al. XRD patterns show that the diffraction of LiAl_0.05Mn_1.95O_4 − y F _y samples is similar, with all the peaks indexable in the Fd3m space group, and a little impurity appears in the LiAl_0.05Mn_1.95O_3.8F_0.2 sample. SEM reveals that all LiAl_0.05Mn_1.95O_4 − y F _y powders have the uniform, nearly cubic structure morphology with narrow size distribution which is less than 500 nm. Galvanostatic charge–discharge test indicates that LiAl_0.05Mn_1.95O₄ has the highest discharge capacity and electrochemical performance among all LiAl _x Mn_2 − x O₄ samples after 50 cycles, and the initial discharge capacity of LiAl_0.05Mn_1.95O_4 − y F _y (y = 0, 0.02, 0.05, 0.1) is 123.9, 124.6, 124.9, and 125.0 mAh g⁻¹, respectively, and their capacity retention ratios are 94.2%, 94.9%, 91.7%, and 89.9% after 50 cycles, respectively. EIS indicates that LiAl_0.05Mn_1.95O_3.98F_0.02 have smaller charge transfer resistance than that of LiAl_0.05Mn_1.95O₄ corresponding to the extraction of Li⁺ ions.     

Spectroscopic analysis of Nd3+ doped (Lu x + Gd1−x )3Ga5O12 crystal

In this paper we report a complete optical investigation of Nd³⁺ doped (Lu _x  + Gd_1−x )₃Ga₅O₁₂ crystal including the absorption and emission spectroscopy at room temperature and 10 K, the excitation spectroscopy at 10 K clearly showing the multi-site feature, and the lifetime at temperatures from 10 K to 300 K. The Judd–Ofelt theory has been applied to calculate the spontaneous transition probabilities, the branching ratio, and the radiative lifetime of the ⁴F_3/2 multiplet; the calculated results are in good agreement with the experimental ones. Finally, we calculated the emission cross sections of the transitions concerned to evaluate the potential of the material in laser field application.     

A study of Ba x Mg1 − x F2 optical films

Ba _x Me_{1 ? x} F₂ binary fluoride films (“Me” denotes calcium or magnesium fluoride) are studied. A method of processing the reflection and transmission spectra is proposed to determine the optical constants. The dispersion dependences of the refractive indices and absorption coefficients of films in the range of 1.3–12 μm are found. Dispersion in films in the regions of additional absorption bands, which are absent in single crystals, is observed for the first time. It is shown that the films of binary fluorides have a higher packing density, a lower absorption, and better operating characteristics than do films of pure fluorides. The films are promising for application as optical interference coatings in the mid-IR spectral region.     

Dynamic shift of the phase-transition temperature in (Sn1−x In(2/3)x)2P2S6 crystals with incommensurate phase

The dielectric properties of ferroelectric (Sn_1?x In_(2/3)x )₂P₂S₆ crystals were studied in the region of incommensurate phase transitions occurring upon fast cooling and heating (0.2–11 K/min). The dynamic phase-transition shift observed in these materials was examined.     

Influence of Pr dopant on the dielectric properties and Curie temperatures of Ba1−3x Pr2x Ti0.95Sn0.05O3 (0.01≤x≤0.05) ceramics

Three perovskite-structured ceramic phases Ba_1?3x Pr_2x Ti_0.95Sn_0.05O₃ (BPTS-x) with x=0.01, 0.03, and 0.05 have been synthesized by solid-state reaction method. Obtained BPTS-x ceramics were investigated by X-ray diffraction and dielectric properties measurements. Analysis of all the ceramic samples using X-ray diffraction method at room temperature and its Rietveld refinement inferred rhombohedric structure with the space group $R\bar{3}c$ . The temperature variation of real permittivity gives evidence of the ferroelectric phase transition and of the relaxation behavior. With increasing Pr concentration, the degree of diffuse phase transition was enhanced, and a linear reduction in the transition temperature was produced. The conductivity spectra have been investigated by the Jonscher universal power law (σ(ω)=σ _dc+Aω ^s ) and attributed to hopping conduction mechanism.