Microstructural properties and local atomic structures of cobalt oxide nanoparticles synthesised by mechanical ball-milling process

In this study, facile preparation of pure and nano-sized cobalt oxides particles was achieved using low-cost mechanical ball-milling synthesis route. Microstructural and morphological properties of synthesised products were characterised by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. XRD results indicated that the fabricated samples composed of cubic pure phase CoO and Co₃O₄ nanocrystalline particles with an average crystallite size of 37.2 and 31.8 nm, respectively. TEM images showed that the resulting samples consisted of agglomerates of particles with average diameter of about 37.6 nm for CoO and 31.9 nm for Co₃O₄. Phase purity of the prepared samples was further investigated due to their promising technological applications. Local atomic structure properties of the prepared nanoparticles were probed using synchrotron radiation-based X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) including X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS). EXAFS data analysis further confirmed the formation of single-phase CoO and Co₃O₄ nanoparticles. In addition, structural properties of cobalt oxide nanoparticles were investigated by performing density functional theory calculations at B3LYP/TZVP level and Born–Oppenheimer molecular dynamics. Theoretical calculations for both prepared samples were found to be consistent with the experimental results derived from EXAFS analysis. Obtained results herein reveals that highly crystalline and pure phase CoO and Co₃O₄ nanoparticles can be synthesised using simple, inexpensive and eco-friendly ball-milling method for renewable energy applications involving fuel cells and water splitting devices.     

Spin‐polarized electron gas in Co2M Si/SrTiO3 (M = Ti,V, Cr,Mn, and Fe) heterostructures

Spin‐polarized density functional theory is used to study the TiO₂ terminated interfaces between the magnetic Heusler alloys Co₂Si (M = Ti, V, Cr, Mn, and Fe) and the non‐polar band insulator SrTiO₃. The structural relaxation at the interface turns out to depend systematically on the lattice mis‐ match. Charge transfer from the Heusler alloys (mainly the M 3d orbitals) to the Ti d_xy orbitals of the TiO₂ interface layer is found to gradually grow from M = Ti to Fe, resulting in an electron gas with increasing density of spin‐polarized charge carriers. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Infrared/laser multi-sensor fusion and tracking based on the multi-scale model

The state estimation problem of targets detected by infrared/laser composite detection system with different sampling rates was studied in this paper. An effective state estimation algorithm based on data fusion is presented. Because sampling rate of infrared detection system is much higher than that of the laser detection system, the theory of multi-scale analysis is used to establish multi-scale model in this algorithm. At the fine scale, angle information provided by infrared detection system is used to estimate the target state through the unscented Kalman filter. It makes full use of the high frequency characteristic of infrared detection system to improve target state estimation accuracy. At the coarse scale, due to the sampling ratio of infrared and laser detection systems is an integer multiple, the angle information can be fused directly with the distance information of laser detection system to determine the target location. The fused information is served as observation, while the converted measurement Kalman filter (CMKF) is used to estimate the target state, which greatly reduces the complexity of filtering process and gets the optimal fusion estimation. The simulation results of tracking a target in 3-D space by infrared and laser detection systems demonstrate that the proposed algorithm in this paper is efficient and can obtain better performance than traditional algorithm.     

Tuning the electronic properties of single-walled SiC nanotubes by external electric field

The electronic properties of SiC nanotubes (SiCNTs) under external transverse electric field were investigated using density functional theory. The pristine SiCNTs were semiconductors with band-gaps of 2.03, 2.17 and 2.25 eV for (6,6), (8,8) and (10,10) SiCNTs, respectively. It was found the band gaps was reduced with the external transverse electric filed applied. The (8,8) and (10,10) SiCNTs changed from semiconductor to metals as the intensity of electric field reached 0.7 and 0.5 V/Å. The results indicate that the electronic properties of SiCNTs can be tuned by the transvers electric field with integrality of the nanotubes.     

Multiple mobility edges in a 1D Aubry chain with Hubbard interaction in presence of electric field: Controlled electron transport

Electronic behavior of a 1D Aubry chain with Hubbard interaction is critically analyzed in presence of electric field. Multiple energy bands are generated as a result of Hubbard correlation and Aubry potential, and, within these bands localized states are developed under the application of electric field. Within a tight-binding framework we compute electronic transmission probability and average density of states using Green's function approach where the interaction parameter is treated under Hartree–Fock mean field scheme. From our analysis we find that selective transmission can be obtained by tuning injecting electron energy, and thus, the present model can be utilized as a controlled switching device.     

Nonlocal three-dimensional theory of elasticity with application to free vibration of functionally graded nanoplates on elastic foundations

In the present work, a three-dimensional (3D) elastic plate model capturing the small scale effects is developed for the free vibration of functionally graded (FG) nanoplates resting on elastic foundations. The theoretical model is formulated employing the nonlocal differential constitutive relations of Eringen in conjunction with the 3D equations of motion of elasticity.The material properties are assumed to vary continuously along the thickness of the nanoplate in accordance with the power law formulation. Through extending the generalized differential quadrature (GDQ) method to the three-dimensional case, the governing equations are simultaneously discretized in every three coordinate directions and are then recast to the standard form of an eigen value problem. Solving the acquired problem, the natural frequencies of the nanoplates with different boundary conditions are calculated. The convergence behavior of the numerical results is checked out and comparison studies are conducted to make sure of the accuracy and reliability of the present model. Finally, the dependence of the vibration behavior of the nanoplate on edge conditions, elastic coefficients of the foundation, scale coefficient, mode number, material and geometric parameters are discussed.     

Wave propagation in viscoelastic single-walled carbon nanotubes with surface effect under magnetic field based on nonlocal strain gradient theory

The governing equation of wave motion of viscoelastic SWCNTs (single-walled carbon nanotubes) with surface effect under magnetic field is formulated on the basis of the nonlocal strain gradient theory. Based on the formulated equation of wave motion, the closed-form dispersion relation between the wave frequency (or phase velocity) and the wave number is derived. It is found that the size-dependent effects on the phase velocity may be ignored at low wave numbers, however, is significant at high wave numbers. Phase velocity can increase by decreasing damping or increasing the intensity of magnetic field. The damping ratio considering surface effect is larger than that without considering surface effect. Damping ratio can increase by increasing damping, increasing wave number, or decreasing the intensity of magnetic field.     

Reprint of : Scattering theory approach to bosonization of non-equilibrium mesoscopic systems

Between many prominent contributions of Markus Büttiker to mesoscopic physics, the scattering theory approach to the electron transport and noise stands out for its elegance, simplicity, universality, and popularity between theorists working in this field. It offers an efficient way to theoretically investigate open electron systems far from equilibrium. However, this method is limited to situations where interactions between electrons can be ignored, or considered perturbatively. Fortunately, this is the case in a broad class of metallic systems, which are commonly described by the Fermi liquid theory. Yet, there exist another broad class of electron systems of reduced dimensionality, the so-called Tomonaga–Luttinger liquids, where interactions are effectively strong and cannot be neglected even at low energies. Nevertheless, strong interactions can be accounted exactly using the bosonization technique, which utilizes the free-bosonic character of collective excitations in these systems. In the present work, we use this fact in order to develop the scattering theory approach to the bosonization of open quasi-one dimensional electron systems far from equilibrium.     

Viscoelastic wave propagation in the viscoelastic single walled carbon nanotubes based on nonlocal strain gradient theory

In this paper, the viscoelastic wave propagation in an embedded viscoelastic single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) is studied based on the nonlocal strain gradient theory. The characteristic equation for the viscoelastic wave in SWCNTs is derived. The emphasis is placed on the influence of the tube diameter on the viscoelastic wave dispersion. A blocking diameter is observed, above which the wave could not propagate in SWCNTs. The results show that the blocking diameter is greatly dependent on the damping coefficient, the nonlocal and the strain gradient length scale parameters, as well as the Winkler modulus of the surrounding elastic medium. These findings may provide a prospective application of SWCNTs in nanodevices and nanocomposites.     

Non-linear scission/recombination kinetics of living polymerization

Living polymers are formed by reversible association of primary units (unimers). Generally the chain statistical weight involves a factor σ < 1 suppressing short chains in comparison with free unimers. Living polymerization is a sharp thermodynamic transition for σ ≪ 1 which is typically the case. We show that this sharpness has an important effect on the kinetics of living polymerization (one-dimensional association). The kinetic model involves i) the unimer activation step (a transition to an assembly-competent state); ii) the scission/recombination processes providing growth of polymer chains and relaxation of their length distribution. Analyzing the polymerization with no chains but unimers at t = 0 , with initial concentration of unimers M ≳ M ^* (M^* is the critical polymerization concentration), we determine the time evolution of the chain length distribution and find that: 1) for M ^* ≪ M ≪ M ^*/σ the kinetics is characterized by 5 distinct time stages demarcated by 4 characteristic times t₁, t₂, t₃ and t^*; 2) there are transient regimes (t ₁ ≲ t ≲ t ₃) when the molecular-weight distribution is strongly non-exponential; 3) the chain scissions are negligible at times shorter than t₂. The chain growth is auto-accelerated for t ₁ ≲ t ≲ t ₂ : the cut-off chain length (= polymerization degree 〈n〉_w N ₁ ∝ t ² in this regime. 4) For t ₂ < t < t ₃ the length distribution is characterized by essentially 2 non-linear modes; the shorter cut-off length N₁ is decreasing with time in this regime, while the length scale N₂ of the second mode is increasing. (5) The terminal relaxation time of the polymer length distribution, t^*, shows a sharp maximum in the vicinity of M^*; the effective exponent is as high as ∼ σ^-1/3 just above M^*.