Vapor deposition of ultrathin hydrophilic polymer coatings enabling candle soot composite for highly sensitive humidity sensors

Candle soot (CS) is a desirable carbon nanomaterial for sensors owing to its highly porous nanostructure and large specific surface area. CS is advantageous in its low-cost and facile preparation compared to graphene and carbon nanotubes, but its pristine nanostructure is susceptible to collapse, hampering its application in electronic devices. This article reports conformal coating of nanoscale crosslinked hydrophilic polymer on CS film using initiated chemical vapor deposition, which well preserved the CS nanostructure and obtained nanoporous CS@polymer composites. Tuning coating thickness enabled composites with different morphologies and specific surface areas. Surprisingly, the humidity sensor made from composite with the lowest filling degree, thus largest specific surface area, showed relatively low sensitivity, which is likely due to its discontinuous structure, thus insufficient conductive channels. Composite sensor with optimum filling degree shows excellent sensing response of more than 10³ with the linearity of R² = 0.9400 within a broad relative humidity range from 11% to 96%. The composite sensor also exhibits outstanding sensing performance compared to literature with low hysteresis (3.00%), a satisfactory response time (28.69 s), and a fast recovery time (0.19 s). The composite sensor is fairly stable and durable even after 24 h soaking in water. Furthermore, embedding a humidity sensor into a face mask realizes real-time monitoring of human breath and cough, suggesting promising applications in respiratory monitoring.     

The Effect of Growth Parameters on Electrophysical and Memristive Properties of Vanadium Oxide Thin Films

We have experimentally studied the influence of pulsed laser deposition parameters on the morphological and electrophysical parameters of vanadium oxide films. It is shown that an increase in the number of laser pulses from 10,000 to 60,000 and an oxygen pressure from 3 × 10⁻⁴ Torr to 3 × 10⁻² Torr makes it possible to form vanadium oxide films with a thickness from 22.3 ± 4.4 nm to 131.7 ± 14.4 nm, a surface roughness from 7.8 ± 1.1 nm to 37.1 ± 11.2 nm, electron concentration from (0.32 ± 0.07) × 10¹⁷ cm⁻³ to (42.64 ± 4.46) × 10¹⁷ cm⁻³, electron mobility from 0.25 ± 0.03 cm²/(V·s) to 7.12 ± 1.32 cm²/(V·s), and resistivity from 6.32 ± 2.21 Ω·cm to 723.74 ± 89.21 Ω·cm. The regimes at which vanadium oxide films with a thickness of 22.3 ± 4.4 nm, a roughness of 7.8 ± 1.1 nm, and a resistivity of 6.32 ± 2.21 Ω·cm are obtained for their potential use in the fabrication of ReRAM neuromorphic systems. It is shown that a 22.3 ± 4.4 nm thick vanadium oxide film has the bipolar effect of resistive switching. The resistance in the high state was (89.42 ± 32.37) × 10⁶ Ω, the resistance in the low state was equal to (6.34 ± 2.34) × 10³ Ω, and the ratio R_HRS/R_LRS was about 14,104. The results can be used in the manufacture of a new generation of micro- and nanoelectronics elements to create ReRAM of neuromorphic systems based on vanadium oxide thin films.     

How to Obtain the Maximum Properties Flexibility of 3D Printed Ketoprofen Tablets Using Only One Drug-Loaded Filament?

The flexibility of dose and dosage forms makes 3D printing a very interesting tool for personalized medicine, with fused deposition modeling being the most promising and intensively developed method. In our research, we analyzed how various types of disintegrants and drug loading in poly(vinyl alcohol)-based filaments affect their mechanical properties and printability. We also assessed the effect of drug dosage and tablet spatial structure on the dissolution profiles. Given that the development of a method that allows the production of dosage forms with different properties from a single drug-loaded filament is desirable, we developed a method of printing ketoprofen tablets with different dose and dissolution profiles from a single feedstock filament. We optimized the filament preparation by hot-melt extrusion and characterized them. Then, we printed single, bi-, and tri-layer tablets varying with dose, infill density, internal structure, and composition. We analyzed the reproducibility of a spatial structure, phase, and degree of molecular order of ketoprofen in the tablets, and the dissolution profiles. We have printed tablets with immediate- and sustained-release characteristics using one drug-loaded filament, which demonstrates that a single filament can serve as a versatile source for the manufacturing of tablets exhibiting various release characteristics.     

Inclined Substrate Deposition of Nanostructured TiO2 Thin Films for DSSC Application

Nanostructured TiO₂ films were deposited onto Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) and glass substrates by dc reactive magnetron sputtering at different substrate inclination angles. The structural and optical properties of the deposited films were studied by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and UV–Vis spectrophotometer, respectively. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) were assembled using these TiO₂ films as photoelectrodes and the effect of the substrate inclination angle in the preparing process of TiO₂ films on the DSSC conversion efficiency was studied.     

Growth of Single-walled Carbon Nanotubes on Substrates Using Carbon Monoxide as Carbon Source

The growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes(SWCNTs) on substrates has attracted great interests because of the potential applications in various fields. Carbon monoxide(CO) was used as the carbon source for the growth of SWCNTs on silicon substrates. Random or oriented SWCNTs can be produced by varying the CO flow rate. When the flow rate of CO was as low as 20 sccm(sccm:standard cubic centimeter per minute), dense SWCNT networks with clean surface were produced. When the flow rate was above 50 sccm, vertically aligned SWCNT(VA-SWCNT) arrays were grown. Well-aligned VA-SWCNT arrays were obtained in the temperature range of 650-800℃ and the content of large-diameter(above 1.7 nm) tubes in the array increased with the temperature. The height of the array was affected by the growth temperature, the CO flow rate, and the growth time. These findings indicate CO can be used as an efficient carbon source for the growth of SWCNTs on substrates under low flow rates.     

Nickel and Tungsten Bimetallic Nanoparticles Modified Pencil Graphite Electrode: A High-performance Electrochemical Sensor for Detection of Endocrine Disruptor Bisphenol A

In this work, an economically viable, very low cost, indigenous, ubiquitously available electrochemical sensor based on bimetallic nickel and tungsten nanoparticles modified pencil graphite electrode (NiNP-WNP@PGE) was fabricated for the sensitive and selective detection of bisphenol A (BPA). The NiNP-WNP@PGE sensor was prepared by a facile electrochemical one step co-deposition method. The prepared nanocomposite was morphologically characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), electrochemically by cyclic voltammetry (CV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The proposed sensor displayed high electrocatalytic activity towards electro-oxidation of BPA with one irreversible peak. The fabricated sensor displayed a wide detection window between 0.025 μM and 250 μM with a limit of detection of 0.012 μM. PGE sensor was successfully engaged for the detection of BPA in bottled water, biological, and baby glass samples.     

Sn掺杂ZnO薄膜的室温气敏性能及其气敏机理

采用化学气相沉积方法在预制好电极的玻璃基底上制备出Sn掺杂ZnO薄膜和纯ZnO薄膜. 两种样品典型的形貌为四足状ZnO晶须, 其直径约为150-400 nm, 呈疏松状结构. 气敏测试结果显示Sn掺杂ZnO薄膜具有优良的室温气敏性, 并对乙醇具有良好的气敏选择性, 而纯ZnO薄膜在室温条件下对乙醇和丙酮均没有气敏响应. X射线衍射结果表明两种样品均为六方纤锌矿结构. Sn掺杂ZnO样品中没有出现Sn及其氧化物的衍射峰, 其衍射结果与纯ZnO样品对比, 衍射峰向小角度偏移. 光致发光结果表明, Sn掺杂ZnO薄膜与纯ZnO薄膜均出现紫外发光峰和缺陷发光峰, 但是Sn的掺杂使得ZnO的缺陷发光峰明显增强. 将Sn掺杂ZnO样品在空气中退火后, 其室温气敏性消失, 说明Sn掺杂ZnO样品的室温气敏性可能与其缺陷含量高有关. 采用自由电子散射模型解释了Sn掺杂ZnO薄膜的室温气敏机理.     

Novel microwave plasma‐assisted CVD reactor for diamond delta doping

We report on building a novel chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor for diamond delta‐doping. The main features of our reactor are: a) the use of rapid gas switching system, (b) the reactor design providing the laminar gas flow. These features provide the creation of ultra‐sharp interfaces between doped and undoped material and minimize the prolonged ”tails” formation in the doping profile. It is proved by optical emission spectroscopy that gas switching time is not more than 10 seconds. Using the novel reactor we have grown the nanometer‐thin layers of boron doped diamond. The FWHM of boron concentration profile is about 2 nm which is proved by SIMS. It is shown that the both single delta‐layer and multiple delta‐layers could be grown using the novel CVD reactor. In principle, the reactor could be used for diamond delta doping with other dopants, like nitrogen, phosphorus etc. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Improved growth of solution‐deposited thin films on polycrystalline Cu(In,Ga)Se2

CdS and Zn(O,S) grown by chemical bath deposition (CBD) are well established buffer materials for Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ (CIGS) solar cells. As recently reported, a non‐contiguous coverage of CBD buffers on CIGS grains with {112} surfaces can be detected, which was explained in terms of low surface energies of the {112} facets, leading to deteriorated wetting of the chemical solution on the CIGS surface. In the present contribution, we report on the effect of air annealing of CIGS thin films prior to the CBD of CdS and Zn(O,S) layers. In contrast to the growth on the as‐grown CIGS layers, these buffer lay‐ ers grow densely on the annealed CIGS layer, even on grains with {112} surfaces. We explain the different growth behavior by increased surface energies of CIGS grains due to the annealing step, i.e., due to oxidation of the CIGS surface. Reference solar cells were processed and completed by i‐ZnO/ZnO:Al layers for CdS and by (Zn,Mg)O/ZnO:Al for Zn(O,S) buffers. For solar cells with both, CdS and Zn(O,S) buffers, air‐annealed CIGS films with improved buffer coverage resulted in higher power‐conversion efficiencies, as compared with the devices containing as‐grown CIGS layers. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Electrical characterisation of phosphorus-doped ZnO thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition

Phosphorus-doped ZnO films were grown by pulsed laser deposition using a ZnO:P₂O₅-doped target as the phosphorus source with the aim of producing p-type ZnO material. ZnO:P layers (with phosphorus concentrations of between 0.01 to 1 wt%) were grown on a pure ZnO buffer layer. The electrical properties of the films were characterised from temperature dependent Hall-effect measurements. The samples typically showed weak n-type conduction in the dark, with a resistivity of 70 Ω cm, a Hall mobility of μ_n0.5 cm² V ⁻¹ s⁻¹ and a carrier concentration of n3×10¹⁷ cm⁻³ at room temperature. After exposure to an incandescent light source, the samples underwent a change in conduction from n- to p-type, with an increase in mobility and decrease in concentration for temperatures below 300 K.