On the valence instability in CeAl2

This paper reports the observation of an isostructural electronic phase transition in CeAl₂ near 77 Kbar pressure at ambient temperature. The present volume compression data obtained under truly hydrostatic pressure conditions gives a clear indication of the first order nature of this phase transformation.     

Atomically flat single terminated oxide substrate surfaces

Scientific interest in atomically controlled layer-by-layer fabrication of transition metal oxide thin films and heterostructures has increased intensely in recent decades for basic physics reasons as well as for technological applications. This trend has to do, in part, with the coming post-Moore era, and functional oxide electronics could be regarded as a viable alternative for the current semiconductor electronics. Furthermore, the interface of transition metal oxides is exposing many new emergent phenomena and is increasingly becoming a playground for testing new ideas in condensed matter physics. To achieve high quality epitaxial thin films and heterostructures of transition metal oxides with atomically controlled interfaces, one critical requirement is the use of atomically flat single terminated oxide substrates since the atomic arrangements and the reaction chemistry of the topmost surface layer of substrates determine the growth and consequent properties of the overlying films. Achieving the atomically flat and chemically single terminated surface state of commercially available substrates, however, requires judicious efforts because the surface of as-received substrates is of chemically mixed nature and also often polar. In this review, we summarize the surface treatment procedures to accomplish atomically flat surfaces with single terminating layer for various metal oxide substrates. We particularly focus on the substrates with lattice constant ranging from 4.00 Å to 3.70 Å, as the lattice constant of most perovskite materials falls into this range. For materials outside the range, one can utilize the substrates to induce compressive or tensile strain on the films and explore new states not available in bulk. The substrates covered in this review, which have been chosen with commercial availability and, most importantly, experimental practicality as a criterion, are KTaO₃, REScO₃ (RE = Rare-earth elements), SrTiO₃, La_0.18Sr_0.82Al_0.59Ta_0.41O₃ (LSAT), NdGaO₃, LaAlO₃, SrLaAlO₄, and YAlO₃. Analyzing all the established procedures, we conclude that atomically flat surfaces with selective A- or B-site single termination would be obtained for most commercially available oxide substrates. We further note that this topmost surface layer selectivity would provide an additional degree of freedom in searching for unforeseen emergent phenomena and functional applications in epitaxial oxide thin films and heterostructures with atomically controlled interfaces.     

An efficient sonochemical oxidation of benzyl alcohols into benzaldehydes by FeCl3/HNO3 in acetone

Sonochemical oxidation of benzyl alcohols into corresponding aldehydes by FeCl(3)/HNO(3) in acetone at room temperature has been reported. All substrates give good yield of the products within 10-25 min. The reaction of selected substrates were also studied under reflux and at the room temperature. Further, various Lewis acids were used to evaluate their catalytic efficacy.     

Refractive index, birefringence, third-order non-linearity and piezoelectric resonance studies of L-lysine monohydrochloride dihydrate single crystals

The principal refractive indices of L-lysine monohydrochloride dihydrate (L-LMHCl) single crystal for different wavelengths were measured by minimum deviation method at room temperature. The experimental values of refractive indices fit well with the theoretical Cauchy's equations. The birefringence and the crossing angle between the optical axes were calculated. The parameters of Sellmeier's single term dispersion equation were determined by least square method. A simple interferometric technique was used to observe the interference patterns along the optic plane and to qualitatively analyze the optical homogeneity of the grown crystal. The nonlinear refractive index (n₂) and nonlinear absorption coefficient (β) were also determined using Z-scan technique. The piezoelectric resonance in dielectric dispersions was observed at room temperature.     

Thermo and photoluminescence properties of Eu activated hexagonal, monoclinic and cubic gadolinium oxide nanorods

Different phases of Eu³⁺ activated gadolinium oxide (Gd (OH)₃, GdOOH and Gd₂O₃) nanorods have been prepared by the hydrothermal method with and without cityl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) surfactant. Cubic Gd₂O₃:Eu (8 mol%) red phosphor has been prepared by the dehydration of corresponding hydroxide Gd(OH)₃:Eu after calcinations at 350 and 600 °C for 3 h, respectively. When Eu³⁺ ions were introduced into Gd(OH)₃, lattice sites which replace the original Gd³⁺ ions, a strong red emission centered at 613 nm has been observed upon UV illumination, due to the intrinsic Eu³⁺ transition between ⁵D₀ and ⁷F configurations. Thermoluminescence glow curves of Gd (OH)₃: Eu and Gd₂O₃:Eu phosphors have been recorded by irradiating with gamma source (⁶⁰CO) in the dose range 10-60 Gy at a heating rate of 6.7 °C sec⁻¹. Well resolved glow peaks in the range 42-45, 67-76, 95-103 and 102-125 °C were observed. When γ-irradiation dose increased to 40 Gy, the glow peaks were reduced and with increase in γ-dose (50 and 60 Gy) results the shift in first two glow peak temperatures at about 20 °C and a new shouldered peak at 86 °C was observed. It is observed that there is a shift in glow peak temperatures and variation in intensity, which is mainly attributed to different phases of gadolinium oxide. The trapping parameters namely activation energy (E), order of kinetics (b) and frequency factor were calculated using peak shape and the results are discussed.     

Effect of dibutyl phthalate as plasticizer on high-molecular weight poly(vinyl chloride)–lithium tetraborate-based solid polymer electrolytes

A series of different composition of polymer electrolytes-based on poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) as host polymer, lithium tetraborate (Li₂B₄O₇) as dopant salt, and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) as plasticizer were prepared by solution casting method. The interaction between the PVC, Li₂B₄O₇, and DBP were studied by Fourier transform infrared. The shifting, broadening, and splitting of transmission peaks were the evidences of complexation. The highest ionic conductivity polymer electrolyte of 2.83 × 10⁻⁶ S/cm was achieved at ambient temperature upon addition of 30 wt.% of DBP. In addition, the temperature-dependent conductivity, frequency-dependent conductivity, dielectric permittivity, and modulus studies were performed. The temperature-dependent conductivity of the polymer electrolytes was found to obey the Arrhenius behavior. The thermal stability of polymer electrolytes was verified by thermogravimetric analysis. The lower in glass transition temperature was proven in differential scanning calorimetry, whereas the higher amorphous region within the polymer matrix was demonstrated in X-ray diffraction.     

Investigation of dibutyl phthalate as plasticizer on poly(methyl methacrylate)–lithium tetraborate based polymer electrolytes

Polymer electrolyte membranes, comprising of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), lithium tetraborate (Li₂B₄O₇) as salt and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) as plasticizer were prepared using a solution casting method. The incorporation of DBP enhanced the ionic conductivity of the polymer electrolyte. The polymer electrolyte containing 70 wt.% of poly(methyl methacrylate)–lithium tetraborate and 30 wt.% of DBP presents the highest ionic conductivity of 1.58 × 10⁻⁷ S/cm. The temperature dependence of ionic conductivity study showed that these polymer electrolytes obey Vogel–Tamman–Fulcher (VTF) type behaviour. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was employed to analyse the thermal stability of the polymer electrolytes. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) studies confirmed the complexation between poly(methyl methacrylate), lithium tetraborate and DBP.     

Optical and hydrophobic properties of co-sputtered chromium and titanium oxynitride films

The chromium and titanium oxynitride films on glass substrate were deposited by using reactive RF magnetron sputtering in the present work. The structural and optical properties of the chromium and titanium oxynitride films as a function of power variations are investigated. The chromium oxynitride films are crystalline even at low power of Cr target (≥60 W) but the titanium oxynitride films are amorphous at low target power of Ti target (≤90 W) as observed from glancing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) patterns. The residual stress and strain of the chromium oxynitride films are calculated by sin² ψ method, as the average crystallite size decreases with the increase in sputtering power of the Cr target, higher stress and strain values are observed. The chromium oxynitride films changes from hydrophilic to hydrophobic with the increase of contact angle value from 86.4° to 94.1°, but the deposited titanium oxynitride films are hydrophilic as observed from contact angle measurements. The changes in surface energy were calculated using contact angle measurements to substantiate the hydrophobic properties of the films. UV-vis and NIR spectrophotometer were used to obtain the transmission and absorption spectra, and the later was used for determining band gap values of the films, respectively. The refractive index of chromium and titanium oxynitride films increases with film packing density due to formation of crystalline chromium and titanium oxynitride films with the gradual rise in deposition rate as a result of increase in target powers.     

A generalization of set-valued Prešić–Reich type contractions in ultrametric spaces with applications

In this paper, we study the existence and uniqueness of coincidence and common fixed point of a set-valued and a single-valued mapping satisfying generalized set-valued Pre?i?–Reich type contractive condition in ultrametric spaces without the property of completeness. As an application, the well-posedness of a common fixed point problem is proved. An example is given to illustrate our results. Our results generalize and extend the results of Pre?i?–Reich in the context of ultrametric spaces.