Thick aluminium nitride films deposited by room-temperature sputtering for ultrasonic applications

Materials in film form for electromechanical transduction have a number of potential applications in ultrasound. They are presently under investigation in flexural transducers for air-coupled ultrasound and underwater sonar operating at frequencies up to a few megahertz. At higher frequencies, they have the potential to be integrated with electronics for applications of ultrasound requiring high spatial resolution. However, a number of fabrication difficulties have arisen in studies of such films. These include the high temperatures required in many thick and thin film deposition processes, making them incompatible with other stages in transducer fabrication, and difficulties maintaining film quality when thin film--typically sub-1 microm--processes are extended to higher thicknesses. In this paper, we first outline a process which has allowed us to deposit aluminium nitride (AlN) films capable of electromechanical transduction at thicknesses up to more than 5 microm without substrate heating. As an ultrasonic transduction material, AlN has functional disadvantages, particularly a high acoustic velocity and weak electromechanical transduction. However, it also has a number of advantages relating to practicality of fabrication and functionality. These include the ability to be deposited on a variety of amorphous substrates, a very high Curie temperature, low permittivity, and low electrical and mechanical losses. Here, we present experimental results highlighting the transduction capabilities of AlN deposited on aluminium electrodes on glass and lithium niobate. We compare the results with those from standard simulation processes, highlighting the reasons for discrepancies and discussing the implications for incorporation of AlN into standard ultrasonic transducer design processes.     

Optical emission spectroscopy of 50 Hz pulsed dc nitrogen–hydrogen plasma in the presence of active screen cage

The N₂-H₂ plasma gas mixture, generated in a 50?Hz pulsed dc discharge system with active screen cage, is characterized by optical emission spectroscopy (OES), as a function of gas pressure, the fractions of hydrogen and current density. The N₂ dissociation degree and N atomic density was measured with actinometery where argon gas is used as actinometer. It was shown that the increase in hydrogen fraction enhances the dissociation of N₂, until the maximum of 40%. The excitation temperature is determined from Ar-I emission line intensities by using the simple Boltzmann plot method. The dissociation fraction and excitation temperature is found to increase with hydrogen mixing in nitrogen plasma.     

Two new saponins from Zygophyllum atriplicoides

Phytochemicals investigation of the whole plant of Zygophyllum atriplicoides resulted in the isolation of two new triterpenoidal saponins together with a known compound. The structure of the new compounds atriplicosaponin A (1) and atriplicosaponin B (2) were established as 3-O-[alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta-D-xylopyranosyl]-hederagenin and 27 alpha-hydroxyurs-12-ene-3-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl(1-->4)(2-O-sulpho)-beta-D-quinovopyranoside] and known compound was identified as 3-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-beta-sitosterol. The structure elucidations of the compounds were based primarily on 1D and 2D-NMR analysis, including COSY, HMBC and HMQC correlations.     

Thermodynamic aspect: kinetics of the reduction of dicyanobis(phen)iron(III) by acetylferrocene and methylferrocenemethanol

Protonation plays an important role in the redox reactions. We observed this leading role during the reduction of [Fe^III(phen)₂(CN)₂]⁺ by FcCOMe and FcCHOHMe. The kinetic data showed that the reaction(s) followed a complex kinetics due to the formation of protonated acetylferrocene (FcC⁺OHMe), and or, protonated α-methylferrocenemethanol (FcCHO⁺H₂Me) in aqueous dioxane (80% v/v). Our results helped us to conclude that the reactions were completed in three phases. An overall zeroth order was observed in the first phase of the reactions. In the second phase, the kinetic data showed an overall second order reaction. The third phase was a complex phase where the rate of redox reactions and the insolubility of the neutral product ([Fe^II(phen)₂(CN)₂]) competed with each other. We studied the effect of different factors to identify the reacting entities, which take part in the rate-determining step of each reaction in the second phase. Consequently, we determined the effects of selected factors upon the observed pseudo-first order rate constant(s) (k′ _obs) of each reaction. The value of k′ _obs increased upon addition of protons in the reaction mixture in case of FcCOMe, and it decreased during the oxidation of FcCHOHMe. Meanwhile, upon enhancing the ionic strength, we observed an increase in k′ _obs for FcCOMe, and no change in the value of k′ _obs during the reaction of FcCHOHMe. However, a decrease in k′ _obs was noticed upon increasing the dielectric constant of the reaction mixture when the reductant was FcCOMe, and no effect was observed in case of FcCHOHMe. Together, these results suggested oxidation of FcC⁺OHMe and FcCHOHMe in the slow-step, and FcCOMe and FcCHO⁺H₂Me during the fast-step. We refined our results by estimating the thermodynamic parameters of activation. The low values of activation energy and enthalpy of activation confirmed that the reduction of [Fe^III(phen)₂(CN)₂]⁺ hardly depends upon temperature when the reducing agent is FcCOMe. The outcomes justified that the rate of reaction depends upon the unsaturated FcC⁺OHMe. This intermediate species contain a ‘carbonium ion’, which is very reactive and energetic. We obtained comparatively high values of the activation energy and enthalpy of activation for the reaction between [Fe^III(phen)₂(CN)₂]⁺ and FcCHOHMe. The results show that FcCHOHMe is a saturated and stable compound that leads the slow-step and controls the rate of reaction.     

A New Ketone and a Known Anticancer Triterpenoid from the Leaves of Onosma limitaneum

A new ketone, onosmone ( 1 ), and a known anticancer triterpenoid, bauerenone, besides β‐sitosterol glycoside were isolated for the first time from the CHCl₃ extract of the leaves of Onosma limitaneum. The structures of these compounds were established on the basis of spectral and chemical evidence.     

Femtosecond laser induced nanostructuring of zirconium in liquid confined environment

The surface, structural, and mechanical properties of zirconium after irradiation with Ti: sapphire laser(800 nm, 30 fs,1 k Hz) have been investigated. The zirconium targets were exposed for a varying number of laser pulses ranging from 500 to 2000 at a fixed fluence of 3.6 J/cm~2 corresponding to an intensity of 1.2×10~(14)W/cm~2 in ambient environments of deionized water and propanol. A scanning electron microscope(SEM) was employed to investigate the surface morphology of the irradiated zirconium. The SEM analysis shows the formation of various kinds of features including nanoscale laser induced periodic surface structures(LIPSS), sponge like surface structure, flakes, conical structures, droplets, pores, and cavities. The energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy(EDS) analysis exhibits the variation in chemical composition along with an enhanced diffusion of oxygen under both ambient conditions. The crystal structure and phase analyses of the exposed targets were explored by x-ray diffraction(XRD) and Raman spectroscopy techniques, respectively. The XRD analysis confirms the presence of various phases of zirconium hydride and zirconia after ablation in both de-ionized water and propanol. However, excessive hydrides are formed in the case of propanol. The Raman analysis supports the EDS and XRD results. It also reveals the presence of oxides(zirconia) after irradiation in both de-ionized water and propanol environments.The chemical reactivity of zirconium was significantly improved in the presence of liquids which were accountable for the growth of novel phases and modification in the chemical composition of the irradiated Zr. A nanohardness tester was employed to measure the nanohardness of the laser treated targets. The initial increase and then decrease in nanohardness was observed with an increase in the number of laser pulses in the de-ionized water environment. In the case of propanol,a continuous decrease in hardness was observed.     

Effect of fluence and ambient environment on the surface and structural modification of femtosecond laser irradiated Ti

Under certain conditions, ultrafast pulsed laser interaction with matter leads to the formation of self-organized conical as well as periodic surface structures(commonly reffered to as, laser induced periodic surface structures, LIPSS). The purpose of the present investigations is to explore the effect of fsec laser fluence and ambient environments(Vacuum O_2) on the formation of LIPSS and conical structures on the Ti surface. The surface morphology was investigated by scanning electron microscope(SEM). The ablation threshold with single and multiple(N = 100) shots and the existence of an incubation effect was demonstrated by SEM investigations for both the vacuum and the O_2 environment. The phase analysis and chemical composition of the exposed targets were performed by x-ray diffraction(XRD) and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy(EDS), respectively. SEM investigations reveal the formation of LIPSS(nano micro). FFT d-spacing calculations illustrate the dependence of periodicity on the fluence and ambient environment. The periodicity of nano-scale LIPSS is higher in the case of irradiation under vacuum conditions as compared to O_2. Furthermore, the O2 environment reduces the ablation threshold. XRD data reveal that for the O_2 environment, new phases(oxides of Ti) are formed. EDS analysis exhibits that after irradiation under vacuum conditions, the percentage of impurity element(Al) is reduced. The irradiation in the O_2 environment results in 15% atomic diffusion of oxygen.     

Synthesis and Computational Characterization of Organic UV-Dyes for Cosensitization of Transparent Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

The fabrication of colorless and see-through dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) requires the photosensitizers to have little or no absorption in the visible light region of the solar spectrum. However, a trade-off between transparency and power conversion efficiency (PCE) has to be tackled, since most transparent DSCs are showing low PCE when compared to colorful and opaque DSCs. One strategy to increase PCE is applying two cosensitizers with selective conversion of the UV and NIR radiation, therefore, the non-visible part only is absorbed. In this study, we report synthesis of novel five UV-selective absorbers, based on diimide and Schiff bases incorporating carboxyl and pyridyl anchoring groups. A systematic computational investigation using density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT approaches was employed to evaluate their prospect of application in transparent DSCs. Experimental UV/Vis absorption spectra showed that all dyes exhibit an absorption band covering the mid/near-UV region of solar spectrum, with a bathochromic shift and a hyperchromic shifts for Py-1 dye. Computational results showed that the studied dyes satisfied the basic photophysical and energetics requirements of operating DSC as well as the stability and thermodynamical spontaneity of adsorption onto surface of TiO₂. However, results revealed outperformance of the thienothiophene core-containing Py-1 UV-dye, owing to its advantageous structural attributes, improved conjugation, intense emission, large Stokes shift and maximum charge transferred to the anchor. Chemical compatibility of Py-1 dye was then theoretically investigated as a potential cosensitizer of a reference VG20-C2 NIR-dye. By the judicious selection of pyridyl anchor-based UV-absorber (Py-1) and carboxyl anchor-based NIR-absorber (VG20), the advantage of the optical complementarity and selectivity of different TiO₂-adsorption-site (Lewis- and Bronsted-acidic) can be achieved. An improved overall PCE is estimated accordingly.