Multilayered Cu–Ti deposition on silicon substrates for chemiresistor applications

Abstract

On the perspective to develop CuO–TiO₂ MOS, multilayered Cu and Ti thin layers were alternatively deposited on silicon wafers using 25?keV Ar?+?ion beam sputtering and, subsequently, oxidized by thermal annealing in air at 400?°C for 24?h. The deposited films have variable ratios of the Cu and Ti % at. One of the main goal is to obtain such multilayers avoiding the presence of Cu–Ti–O compounds. The samples were characterized in terms of composition (by RBS and SIMS analyses) and morphology (by AFM and SEM investigations). In particular, SIMS maps allows to observe the spatial distribution and thickness of each phase of the Cu/Ti multilayers, and further to observe Cu diffusion and mixing with Ti, as well as phase separation of CuO and TiO₂ in the samples. The reasons of this effect represent an open issue that has to investigated, in order to improve the MOS fabrication.     

Molecular modeling study of the differential ligand–receptor interaction at the μ, δ and κ opioid receptors

3D models of the opioid receptors , and were constructed using BUNDLE, an in-house program to build de novo models of G-protein coupled receptors at the atomic level. Once the three opioid receptors were constructed and before any energy refinement, models were assessed for their compatibility with the results available from point-site mutations carried out on these receptors. In a subsequent step, three selective antagonists to each of three receptors (naltrindole, naltrexone and nor-binaltorphamine) were docked onto each of the three receptors and subsequently energy minimized. The nine resulting complexes were checked for their ability to explain known results of structure-activity studies. Once the models were validated, analysis of the distances between different residues of the receptors and the ligands were computed. This analysis permitted us to identify key residues tentatively involved in direct interaction with the ligand.     

Excess enthalpies of aqueous ternary solutions of urea and polyols at 25°C

The heats of dilution of nine ternary solutions of urea and polyols have been determined at 25°C. Excess enthalpies and their virial coefficients h _xy have been evaluated and compared with the data reported in the literature for mono- and polyfunctional alcohols and other oxygenated nonelectrolytes. The group additivity approach of Savage and Wood was applied and the contributions to the enthalpy coefficients, due to the water mediated interactions between urea and the functional groups –CH₂–, –OH, and –O– were determined. On the other hand, by using empirical combination rules among the cross- and self-enthalpic interaction coefficients it is possible to emphasize the large differences in the behavior (even in the presence of urea) of the polyols (and in particular of cyclitols) and of saccharides.     

Importance of the Debye interaction in organic solutions: Henry's law constants for polar liquids in nonpolar solvents and vice versa

Henry's law constants have been determined for -butyrolactone (BL), ethyl acetate (EA), and 2-methyl-3-pentanol (MEP) in mixtures of iso-octane (ISO) and toluene (TOL), for BL, EA, TOL, and ISO in cinnamaldehyde (CIN) and for TOL and ISO in each other and in BL. From these data and published vapor pressures, the activity coefficients at infinite dilution and the standard molar Gibbs free energy of transfer, G ₂ ⁰ of the solutes from dilute solution in ISO to dilute solution in each solvent medium have been calculated. The different behavior patterns of BL and EA are attributed to differences in their abilities to exist in different conformations possessing different dipole moments. For polar solutes, G ₂ ⁰ decreases with increasing polarizability of the solvent and with increasing dipole moment of the solute, suggesting increased contributions from dipole-induced dipole (Debye) interactions. The sigmoidal plot of G ₂ ⁰ against the change in pair potential energy calculated from the classical expressions suggests that G ₂ ⁰ seriously underestimates the strength of the Debye interactions in comparison with the London interactions.     

Surface solid-state interactions in copper-nickel-cement catalysts for hydrogenation of oxygen

The surface phase composition of alumocalcium cement-supported CuO and CuO-NiO catalysts prepared by chemical mixing has been studied using the method of thermo-vacuum curves of electric conductivity. The deactivation of these catalysts due to overheating to 800 °C under conditions of hydrogenation of oxygen is rationalized by the partial extraction of CuO (and NiO) from the stabilizing structure of the support solid solutions and by sintering of the extracted oxides and the reduced metallic phase. Complete regeneration of the CuO-NiO-talum catalysts can be achieved if a considerable amount (20%) of copper hydroxocarbonate is added.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 9, pp. 1559–1562, September, 1994.     

The Inclusion Mode of tert-Butylbenzene in the 1-D Channel of Microporous β-Bis(1,1,1-trifluoro-5, 5-dimethyl-5-methoxy-acetylacetonato) copper(II)

Inclusion of tert-butylbenzeneinto the l-D channel of the titlehost matrix results in a-[CuL₂]1/3(tert-butylbenzene)inclusion compound(trigonal, space groupR =3;a = 24.495(3),c = 10.510(2) Å,V = 5461(1) ų,Z = 9;R = 0.049). The observed guest–host mole ratio of 1/3 was confirmed by X-ray diffraction and arises from the stoichiometric filling of the larger wide segments of the channel. This contrasts with the benzene inclusion compound studied previously, where both the larger and smaller wide segments were occupied to give a 2/3 guest–host stoichiometry. A comparison of these two structures explains the experimental fact that the guest–host mole ratios for inclusions of the title host lie between values of 1/3 and 2/3for 20 different benzene derivatives.     

Synthesis, crystal structure and magnetic properties of a novel complex [Cu(NIT2Py)(PDA)(H2O)]·(CH3OH)(H2O)

A novel complex [Cu(NIT2Py)(PDA)(H₂O)]·(CH₃OH)(H₂O) has been synthesized and structurally characterized by X-ray diffraction methods. It crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/c. The structure consists of [Cu(NIT2Py)(PDA)(H₂O)] moiety, one solvent methanol molecule and one water molecule. The copper(II) ion is in a distorted octahedral environment: one nitrogen atom and one oxygen atom from the NIT2Py, one nitrogen atom from the PDA (2,6-pyridine dicarboxylic acid) and one oxygen atom from the aqueous in the basal plane; two oxygen atoms from the PDA in the axial position. The units of [Cu(NIT2Py)(PDA)(H₂O)] were connected as one dimension chain by the intermolecular hydrogen bonds. The complex exhibits intramolecular antiferromagnetic interactions between the Cu(II) ion and the NIT2Py.     

Diffusion current on a nonuniform electrode: Calculation with integral equations

Identity of mathematical problems concerning calculation of the distribution of reactants’ concentrations and the current near the surface of a nonuniform (strip) electrode and distribution of displacements and forces in the case of an elastic layer “antiplane” deformation caused by the punch action. Formulas for calculating the current at a strip electrode are derived for various ratios between the electrode width and the diffusion layer thickness by means of asymptotic methods designed for calculating problems of mechanical contact interactions. It is noted that calculations of the diffusion current for involved activity distributions at the electrode surface may benefit from asymptotic methods of mechanics of contact interactions.