Preparation and characterization of electrodeposited Ni-Ru alloys: morphological and catalytic study

Nickel-ruthenium alloys with various compositions have been deposited by electrodeposition for the first time. Cyclic voltammetry and linear stripping voltammetry measurements show that codeposition of nickel with ruthenium is possible below the potential value of nickel reduction. High-quality alloys containing nickel and ruthenium can be plated at cathodic potentials ranging from − 0.5 to − 1.0 V vs SCE. Deposited coatings were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The diffractograms obtained show that an increase of nickel concentration in alloy will lead to a change in the phase composition and formation of NiRu (100) and (101) phases which is observed to be 78 mas.% Ni. SEM studies confirm the surface homogeneity and presence of small, regular grains. AFM observation allows the estimation of the real surface area of obtained alloys which increase with more negative electrodeposition potentials. Ni-Ru alloys were found to be highly electroactive in the water splitting process, which can be connected with the presence of the NiRu phase and a well-developed electroactive area.

Electrochemical deposition of Ni-Ru alloys with various composition and their catalytic activity in water splitting process

     

Formation of Si-nanoparticles in a microwave reactor: Comparison between experiments and modelling

The formation and growth of silicon-nanoparticles from silane in a microwave reactor was investigated. Experiments were performed for the following conditions: precursor concentration 380–2530 ppm, pressures of 20–30 mbar, microwave powers 120–300 W. The formed particles were examined in-situ with a particle mass spectrometer. Additionally, particles were collected on grids and analyzed by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and by determining the specific surface area by BET. The particle size was found to be in the range of 5–8 nm in diameter. A simple model was used to simulate the particle formation processes taking place inside the reactor. The microwave energy coupled into the reactor flow was treated as a spatially distributed energy source resulting in a local temperature increase. The particles were assumed to have a monodisperse size distribution. To allow an approximation of their shape they were characterized by their volume and surface area. The model takes nucleation, convection, coagulation, and coalescence into account. The fluid flow inside the microwave reactor was simulated with the commercial CFD-code Fluent.     

The free energy of hard dimer solids revisited

Free energies of a few crystalline structures of hard, homonuclear dimers have been calculated using the Einstein-crystal method for various sample sizes and extrapolated to the thermodynamic limit. In contrast to the two-dimensional case, large free energy differences between some structures have been found. This can explain the large difference in free energy between a typical aperiodic solid structure representing the dimers’ thermodynamically stable solid phase, known as the degenerate crystal (DC), and some crystalline structures of the dimers studied earlier. The obtained results indicate that structures with orthogonally directed neighboring dimers have much higher free energy than those with parallel neighboring dimers. It is also shown that, in the thermodynamic limit, the free energy difference per particle between structures built of hexagonal layers of parallel dimers differing only in arrangement of atoms at close packing in the fcc and hcp lattice is the same as that between hard sphere fcc and hcp crystals (within experimental error).     

Ultra-thin layers of phosphorylated cellulose derivatives on metal surfaces

Cellulose as natural and non-toxic material is very interesting for biological applications. Its poor solubility in organic solvents can be improved by introduction of long alkyl chains. Phosphate-substituted cellulose derivatives form ultra-thin layers on several metal surfaces [1, 2]. The layers were applied on the surfaces via dip coating from dilute solutions and characterised by contact angle measurements. Initial corrosion tests were performed. These polymers were applied as adhesion promoters for steel-, titanium- and hydroxy apatite surfaces. Medical implants were pre-treated by UV irradiation, coated with the cellulose derivatives and activated by hot water treatment. The adhesion of the implants surpassed that of conventionally used PMMA systems.     

Kinoform sampling filter

We present a new phase element which has the same optical properties as those of the amplitude sampling filter but it can use theoretically all the incident light for multiple image formation. The paper discusses a design method of the element and a diffraction efficiency of its structure obtained in a lithographic process. Then the quality and imaging ability of a phase element, fabricated according to the described design, are verified in an optical set-up.     

Resonant photoemission study of Eu1−xGdxTe layers

Resonant photoemission study of electronic structure of molecular beam epitaxy grown Eu_1−xGd_xTe layers without and with cover protected layer of Te were performed using synchrotron radiation. The analysis of the valence band and shallow core levels spectra of the clean surface of Eu_1−xGd_xTe obtained in situ under UHV conditions showed the existence of Eu²⁺ and Eu³⁺ ions in the layers. The trivalent europium ions mostly are located at the surface and its amount strongly depends on sample surface preparation conditions. The prolonged annealing of Eu_1−xGd_xTe layers covered with protected layer of Te leads to formation of clean surface of the sample not changing the stoichiometry of it and without the accumulation of Eu³⁺ ions at the surface region.     

Corneal topography measurement by means of radial shearing interference: Part III – measurement errors

This work contains results of computer simulation researches, which define requirements for measurement conditions, which should be fulfilled so that measurement results ensure allowable errors. They define: allowable measurement errors (interferogram's scanning) and conditions, which should fulfill computer programs, so that errors introduced by mathematical operations and computer are the smallest.