Consequence of doping mediated strain and the activation energy on the structural and optical properties of ZnO:Cr nanoparticles

We report on the sol-gel synthesis of Zn_1−xCr_xO (x=0.0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15 and 0.20) nanoparticles. These nanoparticles were characterized by using thermogravimetry/differential scanning calorimetry (TG/DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman and Photoluminescence (PL). Electronegativity of Cr ions (Cr³⁺) reduces the final decomposition temperature by 40 °C and activation energy of the reaction when Cr is doped into ZnO. Doping of higher Cr concentration (x≥0.10) into ZnO shows formation of secondary spinel (ZnCr₂O₄) phase along with the hexagonal (ZnO) and is revealed by XRD. Formation of secondary phase changes the activation energy of the reaction and thus the strain in ZnO lattice. In Raman spectra, additional Raman modes have been observed for Zn_1−xCr_xO nanoparticles, which can be assigned to the modes generated due to Cr doping. The Cr doping into ZnO is also supported by PL, in which vacancies are formed with Cr ion incorporation and emission band shifts towards higher wavelength.     

Quality profile of litchi (Litchi chinensis) cultivars from India and effect of radiation processing

Litchi (Litchi chinensis) is a non-climacteric tropical fruit. The fruit has a short shelf-life making its marketing difficult. Physical, biochemical, microbiological, and organoleptic properties of two major commercially grown Indian cultivars of litchi, ‘Shahi’ and ‘China’ were studied. The effect of gamma radiation processing and low temperature storage on the above parameters was evaluated to standardize the optimal process parameters for shelf-life extension of litchi. Physical and biochemical parameters analyzed included weight, moisture, pH, titratable acidity, texture, color, total and reducing sugar, total soluble solids, vitamin C, and flavonoid content. Weight, moisture content, and pH in the fresh fruit ranged between 21–26 g, 74–77%, and 3.7–4.4, respectively, whereas, total and reducing sugar ranged 10–15, and 10–13 g%, respectively. In ‘Shahi’ vitamin C content was found to be around 17–19 mg%, whereas, in ‘China’ it was 22–28 mg%. Flavonoid content was in the range of 26–34 μg catechin equivalents/g of fresh fruit. Total surface and internal bacterial load was around 4 and 3 log cfu/g, respectively. Surface yeast-mold count (YMC) was ～3 log cfu/g whereas internal YMC was ～2 log cfu/g. Radiation treatment reduced microbial load in a dose dependent manner. Treatment at 0.5 kGy did not significantly affect the quality parameters of the fruit. Treated fruits retained the “good” organoleptic rating during storage. Thus, radiation treatment (0.5 kGy) in combination with low temperature (4 °C) storage achieved a shelf-life of 28 days for litchi fruit.     

Novel thin film nanocomposite membranes incorporated with polyoxovanadate nanocluster for high water flux and antibacterial properties

Using interfacial polymerization (IP) of m-phenylenediamine aqueous solution containing polyoxovanadate nanoclusters (POV) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC) in organic solution, we fabricated a novel polyamide (PA)- polyoxovanadate nanocluster (POV) nanocomposite membranes (PA-POV TFN). The chemical structures and morphologies of the synthesized membranes were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, atomic force microscope (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and water contact angle measurements. Experimental results showed that the performances of PA-POV TFN membranes are remarkably dependent on POV incorporation in the membranes, which could be controlled by using different amounts of POV particles. Moreover, the PA-POV TFN membranes illustrated outstanding antibacterial properties against Gram-negative E. coli. On the other hand, the incorporation of various amounts of POV in the membranes improved the membrane separation performances (water flux and salt rejection) as well as the antibacterial activity in FO process as compared to the original thin-film composite (TFC) polyamide membrane.     

Thermodynamics of binary mixtures of non-electrolytes containing a salt

Molar excess volume V ^E and enthalpy H ^E data have been measured at 25°C for pyridine A saturated with anhydrous cupric chloride (S) [A(S)]+ B [where B is aniline or o-toluidine (OT) or formamide (FD) or N, N-dimethylformamide (NND)] mixtures on the assumption that while the standard state of B is that of pure components B, the standard state of A(S) is that of A saturated with the salt S. The excess volume or enthalpy data for an equimolar mixture at a given temperature have been utilized to evaluate the interactional parameter X₁₂ of the Sanchez and Lacombe theory of fluid mixtures at that temperature, and the same has been combined with V ^E (x _A ) data for a good prediction not only of the coresponding H ^E (x _A ) data for the mixture but also the extent of unlike interactions between the A(S) and B components of these A(S)+B mixtures.     

Detection of gravitational waves using a network of detectors

We formulate the data analysis problem for the detection of the Newtonian coalescing-binary signal by a network of laser interferometric gravitational wave detectors that have arbitrary orientations, but are located at the same site. We use the maximum likelihood method for optimizing the detection problem. We show that for networks comprising of up to three detectors, the optimal statistic is just the matched network-filter. Alternatively, it is simply a linear combination of the signal-to-noise ratios of the individual detectors. This statistic, therefore, can be interpreted as the signal-to-noise ratio of the network. The overall sensitivity of the network is shown to increase roughly as the square-root of the number of detectors in the network. We further show that these results continue to hold even for the restricted post-Newtonian filters. Finally, our formalism is general enough to be extended, in a straightforward way, to address the problem of detection of such waves from other sources by some other types of detectors, eg., bars or spheres, or even by networks of spatially well-separated detectors.     

Experimental analysis of current conduction through thermally grown SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> on thick epitaxial 4H-SiC employing Poole-Frenkel mechanism

Electrical properties of SiO₂ grown on the Si-face of the epitaxial 4H-SiC substrate by wet thermal oxidation technique have been experimentally investigated in metal oxide-silicon carbide (MOSiC) structure with varying oxide thicknesses employing Poole-Frenkel (P-F) conduction mechanism. The quality of SiO₂ with increasing thickness in MOSiC structure has been analysed on the basis of variation in multiple oxide traps due to effective P-F conduction range. Validity of Poole-Frenkel conduction is established quantitatively employing electric field and the oxide thickness using forward I–V characteristics across MOSiC structures. From P-F conduction plot (ln(J/E) vs. E ^1/2), it is revealed that Poole-Frenkel conduction retains its validation after a fixed electric field range. The experimental methodology adopted is useful for the characterization of oxide films grown on 4H-SiC substrate.     

Insulator-metal phase diagram of the optimally doped manganites from the disordered Holstein-double exchange model

We study the Holstein-double exchange model in three dimensions in the presence of substitutional disorder. Using a new Monte Carlo technique we establish the phase diagram of the clean model and then focus on the effect of varying electron-phonon coupling and disorder at fixed electron density. We demonstrate how extrinsic disorder controls the interplay of lattice polaron effects and spin fluctuations and leads to widely varying regimes in transport. Our results on the disorder dependence of the ferromagnetic T(C) and metal-insulator transitions bear direct comparison to data on the "optimally doped," x = 0.3-0.4, manganites. We highlight disorder induced polaron formation as a key effect in these materials, organize a wide variety of data into a simple "global phase diagram," and make several experimental predictions.