Electrical switching properties of nanostructured multilayer superlattice Ge–Si…Cu…Si–Ge prepared by electron beam evaporation on glass

In this study, the fabrication of nanostructured multilayer superlattice Ge–Si…Cu…Si–Ge using electron beam evaporation on glass substrates at a temperature of 200 °C has been reported. The structural, optical and electrical characteristics of such films were then studied by means of DC polarization, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), Rutherford backscattering (RBS) and UV–visible spectroscopic techniques. The XRD pattern obtained showed an amorphous state along with some reflected XRD signals from the Ge planes while there were no reflected signals from the Si and Cu layers. The average estimated grain size diameter (_Dav.)$\left(D_{av.}\right)$ is 30.13 nm as found from the XRD experiment using the Debye–Scherrer equation. The grain size as estimated from the AFM images was found to be within 28–31 nm, which is in good agreement with the XRD average value. RBS analysis confirmed the multilayer structure of the superlattice. The optical allowed indirect band gap of the superlattice obtained from the Tauc plot was found to be 1.19 eV, which is greater than that of bulk Ge semiconductor (0.66 eV). This fact indicates that the incorporation of a Cu layer instead of the Ge layer enables us to change the indirect to direct transitions in Ge/Si devices. Current density–voltage (J$J$–V$V$) characteristics of the nanodevice showed an electrical switching effect (VCNR) with the largest ON/OFF current ratio of the order of 10 ⁶ at 15 V.     

Liquid‐phase microextraction by solidification of floating organic microdrop and GC‐MS detection of trihalomethanes in drinking water

A simple and sensitive methodology based on liquid‐phase microextraction (LPME) followed by GC‐MS, was developed for the determination of trihalomethanes (THMs) in drinking water. A microdrop of organic solvent was floated on the surface of the aqueous sample and it was agitated for a desired time. Then, the sample vial was cooled by inserting it into an ice bath for 4 min. The solidified solvent was transferred into a suitable vial and immediately melted. The extract was directly injected into the GC. Microextraction efficiency factors were investigated and optimized: 7 μL 1‐undecanol microdrop exposed for 15 min floated on the surface of a 10.0 mL aqueous sample with the temperature of 60°C containing 3 M of NaCl and stirred at 750 rpm. Under the selected conditions, enrichment factors (EFs) up to 482‐fold, LOD of 0.03–0.08 μg/L (S/N = 3) and dynamic linear ranges of 0.10–100 μg/L were obtained. A reasonable repeatability (RSD < 8.6%, n = 8) with satisfactory linearity (r² ? 0.9947) of results illustrated a good performance of the present method. The protocol proved to be rapid, cost‐effective, and is a green procedure for the screening purposes.     

On the solution of time-fractional dynamical model of Brusselator reaction-diffusion system arising in chemical reactions

Fractional Brusselator reaction-diffusion system (BRDS) is used for modeling of specific chemical reaction-diffusion processes. It may be noted that numerous models in nonlinear science are defined by fractional differential equations (FDEs) in which an unknown function appears under the operation of a fractional-order derivative. Even though many researchers have studied the applicability and practicality of this model, the analytical approach of this model is rarely found in the literature. In this investigation, a novel semi-analytical technique called fractional reduced differential transform method (FRDTM) has been applied to solve the present model, which is characterized by the time-fractional derivative (FD). Obtained outcomes are compared with the solution of other existing methods for a particular case. Also, the convergence analysis of this model has been studied here.     

A two-stage approach for bi-objective integer linear programming

We present a new exact approach for solving bi-objective integer linear programs. The new approach employs two of the existing exact algorithms in the literature, including the balanced box and the $?$-constraint methods, in two stages. A computationally study shows that the new approach has three desirable characteristics. (1) It solves less single-objective integer linear programs. (2) Its solution time is significantly smaller. (3) It is competitive with the two-stage algorithm proposed by Leitner et al. (2016).     

In-Situ Full-Field Strain Measurement at the Sub-grain Scale Using the Scanning Electron Microscope Grid Method

Experimental Techniques - Full-field measurement techniques are invaluable tools for investigating material behavior across length-scales. In the current work, a full-field measurement technique,...     

Crystal Structures of a New Polymorph of N-tert-butyl-2-thioimidazole,and Its 1,4-Diiodotetrafluorobenzene,Tetraiodoethylene, and Iodine Cocrystals

Journal of Chemical Crystallography - A new polymorph of N-tert-butyl-2-thioimidazole (1), along with its cocrystals with 1,4-diiodotetrafluorobenzene (2), tetraiodoethylene (3), and molecular...     

An Adaptive Hydrogen-Bonded Organic Framework for the Exclusive Recognition of p-Xylene

Separation of xylene isomers is one of the most important but most challenging and energy-intensive separation processes in the petrochemical industry. Here, we report an adaptive hydrogen-bonded organic framework (HOF-29) constructed from a porphyrin based organic building block 4,4′,4′′,4′′′-(porphyrin-5,10,15,20-tetrayl) tetrabenzonitrile (PTTBN), exhibiting the exclusive molecular recognition of p-xylene (pX) over its isomers of o-xylene (oX) and m-xylene (mX), as clearly demonstrated in the single crystal structure transformation and ¹H NMR studies. Single crystal structure studies show that single-crystal-to-single-crystal transformation from the as-synthesized HOF-29 to the pX exclusively included HOF-29⊃pX is triggered by the encapsulation of pX molecules, accompanied by sliding of the 2D layers and local distortion of the ligand, which provides multiple C−H⋅⋅⋅π interactions.     

Design of the novel calix[n]BODIPY molecules (n = 4–8): TDDFT and AIM study

Journal of Inclusion Phenomena and Macrocyclic Chemistry - In this study, based on BODIPY molecule, new calix-like structures with significant electrical and optical properties were designed. These...     

Ferric (III) complex supported on superparamagnetic Fe3O4@SiO2 as a reusable Lewis acid catalyst: a new highly efficient protocol for the synthesis of acridinedione and spiroquinazolin-4(3H)-one derivatives

Research on Chemical Intermediates - Nano-Fe3O4@SiO2-3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde/barbituric acid/phthalhydrazide-FeCl3 (nano-Fe3O4@SiO2-HBP-FeCl3) was prepared and authenticated by usual analytical...