Photocatalytic degradation efficacy of Bi4Ti3O12 micro-scale platelets over methylene blue under visible light

〈001〉 textured Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ platelets with micro scale size were synthesized by a facile molten salt method. The photocatalytic activities of the as-prepared samples were measured with the photodegradation of methylene blue at room temperature under visible light irradiation. The Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ with the aspect ratio of 35 exhibited good absorption in the visible light region and the photodegradation against methylene blue was higher than that of anatase TiO₂ reference, showing that the high degree of preferred {001} facets on the plate surface benefits the electronic transmission. In addition, the layer-pervoskite structure facilitates the mobility of the photogenerated carriers and hampers their recombination. The above results indicated that the large specific surface area of the as-prepared samples could attribute to the presence of a number of oxygen vacancies and then lead to the good photo-electric property. This work proposed an alternative way to tailor the structure of micro-sized platelets to get excellent properties comparable to the nano materials.     

Nanoindentation analysis of the pop-in events on SiGe single layer

The growth of metastable silicon germanium (Si_0.8Ge_0.2) thin film on Si(1 0 0) by ultrahigh-vacuum chemical vapor deposition has been subjected to residual indentation studies. A nanoindentation system has been applied to analyze SiGe film after different annealing treatments. A number of phenomena have been found for the heteroepitaxial growth of SiGe film at the critical thickness of 350 nm, including single discontinuity (the so-called “pop-in” event) as well as the elastic/plastic contact translation. Atomic force microscopy is employed to investigate the surface impression. Pop-in events in the load-indentation depth curves of 400 and 500 °C and no nano-cracks in the vicinity regions are found. The values of H ranging from 13.13±0.9, 21.66±1.3, 18.52±1.1, 14.47±0.7 GPa and the values of E ranging from 221.8±5.3, 230.7±6.4, 223.5±4.6, 156.7±3.8 GPa, are obtained. The elastic/plastic contact translation of the SiGe film occurs at different annealing conditions, with h_f/h_max values in the range of 0.501, 0.392, 0.424, and 0.535 for samples are treated at RT, 400, 500, and 600 °C, respectively. The mechanism responsible for the pop-in event in such crystal structure is due to the interaction of the indenter tip with the pre-existing threading dislocations, since the release of the indentation load is bound to be reflected in the directly compressed volume.     

CaAlSiN_3∶Eu~(2+)荧光粉掺杂PC透光罩的制备及其在植物灯中的应用

为了实现传统白光LED光源与植物照明用光源之间的快速转换,采用高温熔融造粒的方式制备了不同质量分数CaAlSiN_3∶Eu~(2+)(CASN∶Eu~(2+))掺杂的荧光聚碳酸酯(PC)透光罩,并进行了结构和光学分析。制备了荧光PC透光罩配备的T8型LED灯管,测试了其EL光谱、相关光学性质以及对于生菜的种植效果。结果表明,CASN∶Eu~(2+)荧光粉在掺杂过程中性质稳定,该灯管随着配备的透光罩的荧光粉掺杂浓度的提高,相对应的WLED的色坐标从(0.3272,0.3467)变化到(0.3895,0.3824),色温从5757K下降到3807K,显色指数从70.3上升到77.6,但光效略有减弱。配备了荧光粉质量分数为4‰透光罩的T8型白光LED灯管的光质更适合生菜生长。     

低维Bi2Fe4O9晶体的控制生长及其光催化性能研究

Low-dimensional Bi₂Fe₄O₉ nanosheets and microrods have been selectively prepared by a solvothermal method, from which the growth of the Bi₂Fe₄O₉ crystals can be controlled by the variation of reaction conditions. Structure determination showed that the nanosheets are mainly exposed by {001} facets while the microrods are exposed by {110} facets. Ab- sorption spectra revealed that there are two bandgaps observed for both nanosheets (at 1.9 and 1.55 eV) and microrods (1.7 and 1.45 eV), and they both would be available for the sunlight photocatalysis e ciently due to the intensive absorption ability in a wide region. Photocatalytic investigation demonstrated that the overall photocatalytic performance of the microrods is prior to that of the nanosheets due to the variation of bandgaps and exposed facets. The present report provides a useful alternative strategy for the controlling growth of nanostructures and/or microcrystals besides the present demonstration of the Bi₂Fe₄O₉ crystals with diflerent bandgaps and facets that would be able to tune the corresponding photocatalytic ability selectively.     

Growth and decay of the Pd(1 1 1)-Pd5O4 surface oxide: Pressure-dependent kinetics and structural aspects

Growth and decomposition of the Pd₅O₄ surface oxide on Pd(1 1 1) were studied at sample temperatures between 573 and 683 K and O₂ gas pressures between 10⁻⁷ and 6 × 10⁻⁵ mbar, by means of an effusive O₂ beam from a capillary array doser, scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) and thermal desorption spectrometry (TDS). Exposures beyond the p(2 × 2)O adlayer (saturation coverage 0.25) at 683 K (near thermodynamic equilibrium with respect to Pd₅O₄ surface oxide formation) lead to incorporation of additional oxygen into the surface. To initiate the incorporation, a critical pressure beyond the thermodynamic stability limit of the surface oxide is required. This thermodynamic stability limit is near 8.9 × 10⁻⁶ mbar at 683 K, in good agreement with calculations by density functional theory. A controlled kinetic study was feasible by generating nuclei by only a short O₂ pressure pulse and then following further growth kinetics in the lower (10⁻⁶ mbar) pressure range.Growth of the surface oxide layer at a lower temperature (573 K) studied by STM is characterized by a high degree of heterogeneity. Among various metastable local structures, a seam of disordered oxide formed at the step edges is a common structural feature characteristic of initial oxide growth. Further oxide nucleation appears to be favoured along the interface between the p(2 × 2)O structure and these disordered seams. Among the intermediate phases one specifically stable phase was detected both during growth and decomposition of the Pd₅O₄ layer. It is hexagonal with a distance of about 0.62 nm between the protrusions. Its well-ordered form is a superstructure.Isothermal decay of the Pd₅O₄ oxide layer at 693 K involves at first a rearrangement into the structure, indicating its high-temperature stability. This structure can break up into small clusters of uniform size and leaves a free metal surface area covered by a p(2 × 2)O adlayer. The rate of desorption increases autocatalytically with increasing phase boundary metal-oxide. We propose that at close-to-equilibrium conditions (693 K) surface oxide growth and decay occur via this intermediate structure.     

para-Sexiphenyl thin film growth on Cu(1 1 0) and Cu(1 1 0)-(2 × 1)O surfaces

We present a reflectance difference spectroscopy (RDS) study of para-sexiphenyl (p-6P) thin film growth on Cu(1 1 0) and Cu(1 1 0)-(2 × 1)O substrates. The RDS spectra show pronounced anisotropies for p-6P films formed on both substrates at room temperature, demonstrating that the molecules are uniaxially aligned within the films. Based on the RD spectra and the evolution of the optical transitions with p-6P coverage the growth mode on both substrates could be identified. From the dominating RDS feature, assigned to the lowest energy HOMO-LUMO transition, the orientation of the molecular chain can be determined. On Cu(1 1 0), the p-6P molecular chains align in the direction, i.e., along the Cu atomic rows, whereas on the Cu(1 1 0)-(2 × 1)O surface, the molecules are oriented in the orthogonal [0 0 1] direction, i.e., along the “added” Cu-O rows of the Cu(1 1 0)-(2 × 1)O surface. The energetic position and line shape of the main RDS feature differs for the two substrates and varies with p-6P coverage. This fine structure is discussed in terms of different molecular conformations, adlayer structure and vibronic replicas.     

Non-monotonous dependence of surface roughness on factors influencing energy of adatoms during thin island film growth

Many experimental results show that surface roughness of thin films can increase, decrease, stay constant or pass through the minimum with the change in substrate temperature, energy of arriving atoms or assisted beam (electrons, photons, ions), depending on material and interval of variation of those parameters. The aim of this paper is to explain and analyze this non-monotonous behavior of surface roughness by proposed kinetic model. The model is based on rate equations and includes processes of surface diffusion of adatoms, nucleation, growth and coalescence of islands in the case of thin films growth in Volmer-Weber mode. It is shown by modeling that non-monotonous dependence of surface roughness on the factors influencing energy of adatoms (e.g. temperature, assisted beam irradiation, accelerating voltage) occurs as a result of interplay between diffusion length of adatoms and size of islands, because both parameters depend on energy of adatoms. Variation of island size and diffusion length results in atomic jumps from islands forming rougher or smoother surface. The functions of surface roughness, island size, island density on diffusion length of adatoms and on other parameters are calculated and analyzed in this work.     

Correlated and non-correlated growth kinetics of pentacene in the sub-monolayer regime

We present a study of the growth kinetics of pentacene monolayer islands on SiO₂ in the submonolayer regime by using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Two distinct growth modes, namely correlated growth (CG) and non-correlated growth (NCG), have been identified by Voronoi tesselation. These two modes are characterized by different island growth kinetics. In the case of correlated growth, the average island size 〈A〉 scales with deposition time t i.e. 〈A〉 ∝ t whereas for non-correlated growth, 〈A〉 ∝ t². The CG and NCG regimes are defined by the level of re-evaporation which determines the capture zones around the islands: Wigner-Seitz cells for CG and coronas of width λ_D (λ_D is the mean diffusion distance on SiO₂ before re-evaporation) for NCG. A simple model is proposed to reproduce the experimental growth kinetics in both modes.     

Monte Carlo simulation of grain growth in polycrystalline materials

Understanding the kinetics of grain growth, under the influence of second phase (such as impurities, voids and bubbles) is fundamental to advances in the control of microstructural evolution. As a precursor to this objective, we have investigated the grain growth kinetics in a polycrystalline material using a standard Q-state Potts’ model under Monte Carlo settings. Based on physical reasoning, new modifications are suggested to circumvent some of the disadvantages in the basic Potts model. The efficacy of these modifications vis-à-vis the basic model is verified. The influence of second phase particles on the impurity loaded grain boundaries is investigated for the study of grain growth kinetics.     

Excitation of plant growth in dormant temperature by steady magnetic field

Experimental results of applying a steady magnetic field (20 and 30 mT) on agricultural plants reveal that their growth is more than that of control plants. Considering that these plants have ferritin cells, and each ferritin cell has 4500 Fe atoms, it is obvious that they have an outstanding role in the plants’ growth. As the last spin magnetic moment (SMM) of the Fe atom posed to an external magnetic field (EMF), the composition of SMM and EMF create an oscillator in the system. Then we have a moment of force on ferritin cells. This oscillator exerts its energy, then damps and finally locates in the field direction. The relaxed energy increased the internal temperature (i.e., the effective temperature of the magnetic spin system of plant) so that it is situated in a proper temperature for growing. This phenomenon (temperature increasing) occurs in the initial minutes of applying the magnetic field. So it depends on the number of times of locating the plant in magnetic field in a day (n). If this number (n) passes the critical value, the plant reaches a burning temperature and growth is perturbed. In this paper, the plant growth rate and critical temperature in a steady magnetic field were investigated and formulated theoretically. An innovative result in this research is as follows: if a plant's environment was in the dormant temperature, we could increase the internal temperature of the plant by applying a magnetic field n times in a day (for growth).