Tuning of Photonic band gap via combined effect of electric and optical fields in a blue phase liquid crystal composite

ABSTRACT

Blue phase liquid crystals are soft 3D photonic crystals in which the liquid crystal molecules self-assemble to form a cubic structure with lattice spacing of a few hundred nanometers resulting in selective reflection of colours in the visible spectrum. The corresponding wavelength or the ‘photonic band gap’ can be tuned using various external stimuli such as thermal, electric, magnetic and optical fields. Here, we report efficient tuning of photonic band gap by utilising the combination of electric and optical fields in a blue phase liquid crystalline system. The studies indicate that the chirality of the medium has a direct bearing on the direction of the wavelength shift and the extent of the photonic band gap tunability. More importantly, the synergistic effect of the two fields helps in reversible tuning of the band gap.     

Enhanced electronic and nonlinear optical responses of C24N24 cavernous nitride fullerene by decoration with first row transition metals; A computational investigation

The electronic (energy gap and work function) as well as electrical properties (dipole moment, polarizability, and first hyperpolarizabilities) of the first-row transition metals decorated C₂₄N₂₄ cavernous nitride fullerene were explored using DFT calculations. The transition metals are decorated at N4 cavity of C₂₄N₂₄ fullerene. According to our spin polarized computations, the most stable spin state monotonically increases to sextet for Mn@C₂₄N₂₄ and thereafter dropped off gradually to singlet state for Zn@C₂₄N₂₄ system. The findings demonstrate that transition metals can remarkably decrease the HOMO-LUMO energy gap and work function values up to 63% and 21% of bare C₂₄N₂₄, respectively. As can be seen, when the Sc and Ti metals are located above the N4 cavity of fullerene, systems of enhanced static hyperpolarizabilities (β₀) are delivered. These findings might provide an effective strategy to design high performance eletcro-optical materials based on carbon- nitride fullerene.     

Structural and luminescence characteristics of CuAlxIn1−xSe2 (0 < x ≤ 0.30) chalcopyrite solid solutions

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Novel titanate nanotubes-cyanocobalamin materials: Synthesis and enhanced photocatalytic properties for pollutants removal

New hybrid nanomaterials, with improved photocatalytic performance in pollutants removal, were obtained through the modification of titanate nanotubes (TNT) with a cobalt porphyrin, the cyanocobalamin, also knowing as vitamin B12 (B12). The nanocrystalline TNT were produced by hydrothermal treatment and after treated with cobalamin to produce B12-TNT materials. The characterization of the new hybrid material was performed by XRD, FTIR, TEM-EDS, DRS, XPS and ICP. The results show that the immobilization of the cobalt containing specie is dependent on the point of zero charge of the TNT and no modifications on the structure and morphology were observed. No significant changes in the optical band gap were observed after B12 incorporation, but an increasing in the visible light absorption, which arises from charge transfer and d–d transitions of the cobalt, was visualized. The samples photocatalytic performance was studied for the hydroxyl radical production and the highest catalytic ability was achieved by the B12-HTNT sample. The catalytic ability of these new hybrid nanomaterials for two model pollutants photodegradation, phenol and rhodamine B (RhB) was investigated. For both pollutants, the best results were achieved using B12-HTNT with a removal of 94% of a 10 ppm RhB and 87% of a 20 ppm phenol solution in 90 min of irradiation (150 mL, 0.2 g catalyst/L).     

高校招投标采购的特点

随着高校向现代化教育技术的发展,购买仪器采购数量的增多,尤其是进口设备的采购,对现有的采购程序提出了新的挑战。文中从高校设备购置的特点出发,讨论了市场与竞争、如何选择采购方式、验收的重要意义以及在全过程的监督机制等问题。通过在实际中遇到的各种问题,提出了应该加强政府采购制度建设,改善市场竞争环境,强化设备采购前期调研工作,合理选择设备采购方式等。总结了高校仪器设备招标采购的经验,探讨了高校仪器设备招标采购的规律。     

Influence of Cu2+ dopant in optical property of CdTe quantum dots and photoelectrochemical performance of CdTe:Cu2+/TiO2 nanotube arrays

A novel one-step synthesis process was used to prepare CdTe:Cu²⁺/TiO₂ nanotube arrays (TNTAs). X-ray powder diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy analyses confirmed that the obtained CdTe:Cu²⁺ quantum dots (QDs) possess cubic structures, which are approximately spherical, and a small particle size (2.95 nm). The photoluminescent and UV–visible absorption spectra of CdTe:Cu²⁺ QDs also display an obvious redshift, which was attributed to the replacement of Cd²⁺ with Cu²⁺. Compared with that of the TNTAs and CdTe/TNTAs, the photoelectric conversion efficiency of CdTe:5% Cu²⁺/TNTAs increased by 785.7% and 103.3%, respectively. The incident photo-to-current conversion efficiency of CdTe:5% Cu²⁺/TNTAs was 50.6%, which indicated the potential use of QDs in photochemical solar cells.     

Approaching compositional limits of perovskite – type oxides and oxynitrides by synthesis of Mg0.25Ca0.65Y0.1Ti(O,N)3, Ca1–xYxZr(O,N)3 (0.1 ≤ x ≤ 0.4), and Sr1–xLaxZr(O,N)3 (0.1 ≤ x ≤ 0.4)

Partial substitution of cations and anions in perovskite-type materials is a powerful way to tune the desired properties. The systematic variation of the cations size, the partial exchange of O²⁻ for N³⁻ and their effect on the size of the optical band gap and the thermal stability was investigated here. The anionic substitution resulted in the formation of the orthorhombic perovskite-type oxynitrides Mg_0.25Ca_0.65Y_0.1Ti(O,N)₃, Ca_1-xY_xZr(O,N)₃, and Sr_1–xLa_xZr(O,N)₃. A two-step synthesis protocol was applied: i) (nano-crystalline) oxide precursors were synthesized by a Pechini method followed by ii) ammonolysis in flowing NH₃ at T = 773 K (Ti) and T = 1273 K (Zr), respectively. High-temperature synthesis of such oxide precursors by solid–state reaction generally resulted in phase separation of the different A-site cations. Changes of the crystal structures were investigated by Rietveld refinements of the powder XRD data, thermal stability by DSC/TG measurements in oxygen atmosphere, oxygen and nitrogen contents by O/N analysis using hot gas extraction technique, and optical band gaps by photoluminescence spectroscopy. By moving from Mg_0.25Ca_0.65Y_0.1Ti(O,N)₃ via Ca_1–xY_xZr(O,N)₃ to Sr_1–xLa_xZr(O,N)₃, the degree of tilting of the octahedral network is reduced, as observed by an increase in the B–X–B angles caused by the simultaneously increasing effective ionic radius of the A-site cation(s). In general, increasing substitution levels on the A-site (Y³⁺ and La³⁺) are accompanied by an enhanced replacement of O²⁻ by N³⁻. In all three systems, this anionic substitution resulted in a reduction of the optical band gap by approximately 1 eV (Ti) and up to 2.1 eV (Zr) compared to the respective oxides. For Mg_0.25Ca_0.65Y_0.1Ti(O,N)₃ an optical band gap of 2.2 eV was observed, appropriate for a solar water splitting photocatalyst. The Zr-based oxynitrides required a by a factor of 2 higher nitrogen contents to significantly reduce the optical band gap and the measured values of 2.9 eV–3.2 eV are larger compared to the Ti-based oxynitride. Bulk thermal stability was revealed up to T = 881 K. In general, the thermal stability decreased with increasing substitution levels due to an increasing deviation from the ideal anionic composition as demonstrated by O/N analysis.     

Photocatalytic and optical properties of titanium dioxide thin films prepared by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

Titanium dioxide thin films have been deposited by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) over sodalime glass substrates at substrate temperatures ranging from 250 °C to 450 °C. The effect of deposition temperature on the structure and microstructure of the obtained films has been studied by x-rays diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. Diffraction patterns show the existence of a pure anatase phase beside a texture change with the increase of deposition temperature. Micrographs show grain fragmentation with the increase in deposition temperature. UV–Vis. spectra have been recorded by spectrophotometery. The optical energy gap has been calculated for the deposited films from the spectrophotometrical data. Photocatalytic experiments have been carried out. The photocatalytic activity has been found to decrease with the increase in deposition temperature.