Sol–Gel Processed Functional Nanosized TiO2 and SiO2-Based Films for Photocatalysts and Other Applications

Titania and silica-based porous coatings have been produced via sol–gel route in the presence of pore-creating agents PEG and viscous solvent -terpineol, or template agents CTAB, as well as triblock copolimer Pluronic P123. Porous titania films were characterised by HR TEM, UV-Vis, XRD, ellipsometry, ARS methods. The dispersion of the refractive index, the porosity (32–39%) and the thickness of the samples were estimated by integrating sphere transmission and reflection spectra with 3D angular resolved light scattering. The catalytic activity of mesoporous TiO₂ and TiO₂/ZrO₂ as well as SiO₂-benzophenone films in the process of Cr^VI to Cr^III and Ag⁺ to Ag⁰ photoreduction have been studied.     

Investigation of Inhomogeneites in Epitaxial AlxGa1−xN Layers Grown on Sapphire

 Procedures for the preparation of bevels and the determination of their geometrical parameters have been developed. Using these procedures study of compositional and optical spatially resolved inhomogeneities of Al_xGa_1−xN layers grown on (0001) sapphire have been studied by EPMA and cathodolu-minescence. It has been found that the nonuniform distribution in depth of Al in epitaxial layers grown under constant conditions is connected with presence of stresses in the layer.     

具有中孔结构的SO4^2—／Zr—HMS型固体超强酸的合成和结构表征

用TEOS－Zr-HAD-H2O-Etheanol体系合成了Zr-HAD的中孔分子筛，脱除模板剂后用0．5mol/L硫酸处理和550℃高温焙烧3h，制得一种中孔SO4^2－／Zr-HAD超强酸催化剂，采用XRD对其结构进行表征，用指示剂法，TG和NH3－TPD对其酸性进行了表征。结果表明，经过一系列处理后制得的SO4^2-／Zr-HAD催化剂具备HMS中孔分子筛的结构特征，其酸强度可达H0＝－13．75，在锆及SO4^2-含量远远低于SO4^2-／ZrO2的条件下，SO4^2-／Zr-HAD催化剂对于苯酐和正丁醇酯化反应的活性仍高于SO4^2-／ZrO2催化剂。     

Hydrogen reactivity on highly-hydroxylated TiO2(110) surfaces prepared via carboxylic acid adsorption and photolysis

Combined scanning tunneling microscopy, temperature programmed desorption, photo stimulated desorption, and density functional theory studies have probed the formation and reactivity of highly-hydroxylated rutile TiO(2)(110) surfaces, which were prepared via a novel, photochemical route using trimethyl acetic acid (TMAA) dissociative adsorption and subsequent photolysis at 300 K. Deprotonation of TMAA molecules upon adsorption produces both surface bridging hydroxyls (OH(b)) and bidentate trimethyl acetate (TMA) species with a saturation coverage of nearly 0.5 monolayers (ML). Ultra-violet light irradiation selectively removes TMA species, producing a highly-hydroxylated surface with up to ~0.5 ML OH(b) coverage. At high coverages, the OH(b) species typically occupy second-nearest neighbor sites along the bridging oxygen row locally forming linear (2 × 1) structures of different lengths, although the surface is less ordered on a long scale. The annealing of the highly-hydroxylated surface leads to hydroxyl recombination and H(2)O desorption with ~100% yield, thus ruling out the diffusion of H into the bulk that has been suggested in the literature. In agreement with experimental data, theoretical results show that the recombinative H(2)O desorption is preferred over both H bulk diffusion and H(2) desorption processes.     

Effect of electron correlations on the electronic structure and magnetic properties of the perovskite-like high-pressure phase ErCu3V4O12

The electronic structure and magnetic properties of double perovskite ErCu₃V₄O₁₂ have been investigated in the framework of the projector augmented-wave method. It has been shown that the electron correlations play an important role: the calculations in the one-electron approximation predict that the ground state of ErCu₃V₄O₁₂ is a magnetic metallic state, while with the inclusion of electron-electron correlations, it is a ferrimagnetic semimetallic state. It has been found that the magnetic Cu-Cu and V-V couplings are ferromagnetic and that the Cu-V magnetic coupling is antiferromagnetic.     

Si nanocrystals in silicon nitride: An ellipsometric study using parametric semiconductor models

Low-pressure chemical vapour deposited Si₃N₄/nc-Si/Si₃N₄ layers prepared on Si substrates were characterized by spectroscopic ellipsometry. Model Dielectric Function (MDF) was applied to obtain the thickness and the dielectric spectra of the middle nc-Si layer. Sensitive effect of the deposition time was obtained on the MDF parameters. A comparison is presented between the studied samples and reference materials.     

Labeling of a bifunctional monophosphinic acid DOTA analogue with <Superscript>111</Superscript>In: Radiochemical aspects and preclinical results

The complex formation of the bifunctional monophosphinic acid DOTA analogue DO3AP^ABn (1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-4,7,10-triacetic-1-{methyl[(4-aminophenyl)methyl] phosphinic acid}) with ¹¹¹In at a tracer level was analyzed. Formation of a complex between ¹¹¹In and DO3AP^ABn was very rapid even at room temperature and high radiolabeling yields were achieved. As introducing the methylphosphinic acid arm to the DOTA structure generated a chiral centre, more than one peak (probably corresponding to various diastereoisomers) of ¹¹¹In-DO3AP^ABn were separated on HPLC. Four peaks were separated by HPLC, they probably correspond to four diastereoisomers of ¹¹¹In-DO3AP^ABn originating from combination of chirality of complexes of DOTA-like ligands with chirality of coordinated phosphorus atom. Studies in rats showed rapid elimination of radioactivity from the blood and other organs and tissues. The results indicate that DO3AP^ABn represents a promising ligand for radiolabeling of target-specific biomolecules with radiometals.     

Optical and X-ray characterization of ferroelectric strontium-bismuth-tantalate (SBT) thin films

Metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) made layers of strontium-bismuth-tantalate (SBT) were characterized by spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) using the Adachi model [S. Adachi, Phys. Rev. B 35 (1987) 7454-7463]. The evaluated optical parameters were correlated with the physical and chemical behavior examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD).As a result, it was possible to fit the measured spectra with the Adachi model in a wide range covering the region of the band gap. The Adachi model provides electronic layer parameters like the transition energy E₀ and broadening Γ. Our investigations established a correlation between XRD-determined average grain size and the electronic layer parameters.