Relationships between strain,microstructure and oxide growth at the nano‐ and microscale

In the present article, the relationships between oxidation processes, surface strains and the microstructure of duplex stainless steels were investigated. Specimens were oxidized at 500 °C under secondary vacuum for 1 h to form a thin oxide film (thickness in the range of 20–50 nm). Such specimens were considered as the model system for developing novel methods of analysis in understanding the behavior of passive films. The interfacial strain field after oxidation was measured experimentally at the microscale using the point grid method. On the other hand, the chemical composition of the oxide film was determined at the submicroscopic scale by means of local scanning Auger spectroscopy (with a spot diameter of 50 nm). Local variations of the chemical composition of the oxide film were analyzed according to the specimen microstructure and the strain field. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determination of Pb and Cu by Anodic Stripping Voltammetry Using Glassy Carbon Electrodes Modified with Mercury or Mercury-Nafion Films

 Two different approaches for the modification of glassy carbon electrodes using a mercury film and mercury-nafion are compared. The mixture of mercury(II) chloride solution with a nafion solution diluted in ethanol is used to coat the polished glassy carbon surface. The modified working electrodes are compared when measuring Pb and Cu in real seawater samples. An optimisation of the parameters during the formation of the films was done to obtain well-defined stripping peaks. The type of inert supporting electrolyte and the pH play an important role on the sensitivity of the measurement. Results for Pb and Cu determinations show the advantages of Hg-nafion modification as an alternative method. These advantages include a shorter modification time, the avoidance of Hg solutions during the formation of the Hg film and an improved sensitivity for Pb determination. Received March 16, 1999. Revision April 24, 2000.     

Influence of the capillarity on a creeping film flow down an inclined plane with an edge

Summary In creeping flows of thin films, the capillarity can play a dominant role. In this paper, the creeping film flow down an inclined plane with an edge is considered. The influence of the capillarity on the velocity and the film surface is studied analytically, numerically and experimentally. Received 12 April 1999; accepted for publication 9 May 1999     

Clean reconstructed InAs(1 1 1) A and B surfaces using chemical treatments and annealing

Well-ordered clean InAs(1 1 1) A and B surfaces have been prepared using HCl-isopropanol solutions and characterized using low-energy electron diffraction and photoemission spectroscopy. The as-treated surfaces are covered by a layer containing arsenic and small amounts of InCl_x. Annealing induces desorption of the overlayer and reveals (2 × 2) and (1 × 1) structures on the A and B surfaces, respectively. For both surfaces, the surface components of the In 4d and As 3d reveal a charge transfer from the electropositive surface indium to the electronegative surface arsenic. The major advantage of this preparation method over conventional thermal cleaning is a significant reduction in the annealing temperature (≈250 °C) thereby avoiding anion evaporation.     

Enhanced ferroelectric properties of Ce-substituted BiFeO<Subscript>3</Subscript> thin films prepared by sol–gel process

Ce-substituted BiFeO₃ film (BCFO film) have been prepared by sol–gel process on F doped SnO₂ (FTO)/glass substrates. The effects of Ce substitution on the structural and electrical properties have been reported. X-ray diffraction data confirmed the R3c structure with the elimination of all secondary phases. We observed an increase in the remnant polarization (Pr) with Ce substitution and obtained a maximum value of ∼84 μC/cm² in 5% Ce-substituted film. The dielectric constant of the films was increased from 280 to about 420 for the BiFeO₃ film and 5% Ce-substituted BCFO film, respectively and the films showed excellent dielectric loss behavior. Moreover, the leakage current was substantially reduced by the Ce substitution.     

Magnetic circular dichroism of [Co/Pd] and [CoB/Pd] multilayered films

Magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) and X-ray absorption spectra (XAS) at the Co L_2,3-edge of [Co/Pd]₂₀ and [CoB/Pd]₂₀ multilayered films, which were fabricated at 260 °C with different magnetic layer thicknesses (δ), have been measured. The lineshapes of XAS–MCD show that the electronic state of Co 3d of the films hardly changes even when sputtered at higher temperatures. The expectation values of orbital and spin angular momentum (〈L_z〉 and 〈S_z〉) are estimated using the sum rule, and it is found that 〈L_z〉/〈S_z〉 in δ<0.5 nm is larger than that in δ>0.5 nm.     

AACVD of WO3 thin films from W(O)(OPri)3[O(CH2)nNMe2] (n = 2, 3)

Monomeric tungsten oxo‐aminoalkoxides W(O)(OPrⁱ)₃(L) [L = O(CH₂)_nNMe₂; n = 2 (dmae, 1) and 3 (dmap, 2 )] were synthesized by alcohol exchange with [W(O)(OPrⁱ)₄]₂ and characterized spectroscopically. 1, 2 and [W(O)(OPrⁱ)₄]₂ were used as precursors for the aerosol‐assisted chemical vapour deposition of WO₃ thin films, which were characterized by glancing angle X‐ray diffraction, SEM and transmission‐reflectance measurements. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Highly Sensitive Differential Pulse Voltammetric Determination of Cd,Zn and Pb Ions in Water Samples Using Stable Carbon‐Based Mercury Thin‐Film Electrode

A new carbon‐based mercury thin‐film electrode consisting of screen‐printed carbon on a low temperature co‐fired ceramic substrate was made. Ex‐situ mercury deposition in a potassium thiocyanate solution was used. This approach an electrode with high long‐term stability (>500 measurement cycles) and reproducibility (≤2 %) for sensitive determination of ultra trace heavy metals, using differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry. The detection limits were 0.25, 0.08 and 5.5 ng mL^?1 for Cd(II), Pb(II), and Zn(II), respectively. The method was applied to the determination of the analytes in water, wastewater, lake water, and certified reference material samples with satisfactory results.     

Macroporous Morphology of the Titania Films Prepared by a Sol-Gel Dip-Coating Method from the System Containing Poly(Ethylene Glycol). III. Effect of Chemical Additives

The variation of macroporous morphology has been studied for the titania (TIO₂) films prepared by a sol-gel dip-coating method from the system containing poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) under the addition of various types of organic solvents. The influence of externally-added solvent is interpreted by considering the compatibility between PEG and the solvent mixture, the volatility of the solvent mixture, and the polycondensation rate of titania oligomers. The macroscopic domain formation is remarkable when the compatibility between the solvent mixture and PEG is relatively poor and the boiling point of external solvent is relatively low.