Fractal growth mechanism of sp3-bonded 5H-BN microcones by plasma-assisted pulsed-laser chemical vapor deposition

Here we propose a repetitive photochemical reaction and diffusion model for the fractal pattern formation of sp(3)-bonded 5H-BN microcones in laser-assisted plasma chemical vapor deposition, which was observed experimentally and reported previously. This model describing the behavior of the surface density of precursor species gave explanations to (1) the "line-drawing" nature of the patterns, (2) the origin of the scale-invariant self-similarity (fractality) of the pattern, and (3) the temperature-dependent uniform to fractal transition. The results have implications for controlling the self-organized arrangements of electron-emitter cones at the micro-and nanoscale by adjusting macroscopically the boundary condition (L(X),L(Y)) for the deposition, which will be very effective in improving the electron field emission properties.     

Superconducting Double Perovskite Bismuth Oxide Prepared by a Low‐Temperature Hydrothermal Reaction

Perovskite‐type structures (ABO₃) have received significant attention because of their crystallographic aspects and physical properties, but there has been no clear evidence of a superconductor with a double‐perovskite‐type structure, whose different elements occupy A and/or B sites in ordered ways. In this report, hydrothermal synthesis at 220 °C produced a new superconductor with an A‐site‐ordered double perovskite structure, (Na_0.25K_0.45)(Ba_1.00)₃(Bi_1.00)₄O₁₂, with a maximum T_c  of about 27 K.     

Degradation of bisphenol A by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus pumilus</Emphasis> isolated from kimchi,a traditionally fermented food

Novel bisphenol A (BPA)-degrading bacterial strains, designated as BP-2CK, BP-21DK, and BP-22DK, were isolated from kimchi, a traditionally fermented food. These isolates were identified as Bacillus pumilus and efficiently degraded BPA in a medium supplemented with nutrients such as peptone, beef extract, and yeast extract. Strains BP-2CK, BP-21DK, and BP-22DK successfully degraded 25, 25, and 50 ppm of BPA, respectively, and all strains exhibited BPA-degrading activity in the presence of 10% NaCl. Accumulation of the metabolites including 4-hydroxyacetophenone, one of the intermediates produced by the other BPA-degrading bacteria, was not observed in BPA degradation by the isolated strains. These results indicate that the isolated food-derived bacteria are applicable for the construction of efficient and safer systems for the removal of BPA.     

Eta Cocycles, Relative Pairings and the Godbillon–Vey Index Theorem

We prove a Godbillon?CVey index formula for longitudinal Dirac operators on a foliated bundle with boundary ${(X,\mathcal{F})}$ ; in particular, we define a Godbillon?CVey eta invariant on ${(\partial X,\mathcal{F}_{\partial}),}$ that is, a secondary invariant for longitudinal Dirac operators on type III foliations. Moreover, employing the Godbillon?CVey index as a pivotal example, we explain a new approach to higher index theory on geometric structures with boundary. This is heavily based on the interplay between the absolute and relative pairings of K-theory and cyclic cohomology for an exact sequence of Banach algebras, which in the present context takes the form ${0 \to \mathbf{\mathfrak{J}} \to \mathbf{\mathfrak{A}} \to \mathbf{\mathfrak{B}} \to 0}$ with ${ \mathbf{\mathfrak{J}}}$ dense and holomorphically closed in ${C^* (X,\mathcal{F})}$ and ${ \mathbf{\mathfrak{B}}}$ depending only on boundary data. Of particular importance is the definition of a relative cyclic cocycle ${(\tau_{GV}^r,\sigma_{GV})}$ for the pair ${\mathbf{\mathfrak{A}} \to \mathbf{\mathfrak{B}}}$ ; ${\tau_{GV}^r}$ is a cyclic cochain on ${\mathbf{\mathfrak{A}}}$ defined through a regularization à la Melrose of the usual Godbillon?CVey cyclic cocycle ?? _GV ; ?? _GV is a cyclic cocycle on ${\mathbf{\mathfrak{B}}}$ , obtained through a suspension procedure involving ?? _GV and a specific 1-cyclic cocycle (Roe??s 1-cocycle). We call ?? _GV the eta cocycle associated to ?? _GV . The Atiyah?CPatodi?CSinger formula is obtained by defining a relative index class ${{\rm Ind} (D,D^\partial) \in K_* (\mathbf{\mathfrak{A}}, \mathbf{\mathfrak{B}})}$ and establishing the equality ${\langle {\rm Ind} (D), [\tau_{GV}] \rangle\,=\,\langle {\rm Ind} (D,D^\partial), [(\tau^r_{GV}, \sigma_{GV})] \rangle}$ . The Godbillon?CVey eta invariant ?? _GV is obtained through the eta cocycle ?? _GV .     

Wavelength-sensitive photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange in aqueous suspension over iron(III)-doped TiO2 nanopowders under UV and visible light irradiation

Well-crystallized iron(III)-doped TiO2 nanopowders with controlled Fe3+ doping concentration and uniform dopant distribution, have been synthesized with plasma oxidative pyrolysis. The photocatalytic reactivity of the synthesized TiO2 nanopowders with a mean particle size of 50-70 nm was quantified in terms of the degradation rates of methyl orange (MO) in aqueous TiO2 suspension under UV (mainly 365 and 316 nm) and visible light irradiation (mainly 405 and 436 nm). The photodecomposition of MO over TiO2 nanopowders followed a distinct two-stage pseudo first order kinetics. Interestingly, the photocatalytic reactivity depends not only on the iron doping concentration but also on the wavelength of the irradiating light. Under UV irradiation, nominally undoped TiO2 had much higher reactivity than Fe3+ -doped TiO2, suggesting that Fe3+ doping (> 0.05 at. %) in TiO2 with a mean particle size of approximately 60 nm was detrimental to the photocatalytic decomposition of methyl orange. Whereas, under visible light irradiation, the Fe3+ -doped TiO2 with an intermediate iron doping concentration of approximately 1 at. % had the highest photocatalytic reactivity due to the narrowing of band gap so that it could effectively absorb the light with longer wavelength. A strategy for improving the photocatalytic reactivity of Fe3+ -doped TiO2 used in the visible light region is also proposed.     

Electrochemical and structural study on LiMn0.8Fe0.2PO4 and Mn0.8Fe0.2PO4 battery cathodes: diffusion limited lithium transport

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - Electrochemical reactions in the particulate crystal of olivine cathodes topotactically proceed in the lithiated and delithiated phases....     

Defective [Bi2O2]2+ Layers Exhibiting Ultrabroad Near-Infrared Luminescence

Aurivillius phases have been routinely known as excellent ferroelectrics and have rarely been deemed as materials that luminesce in the near-infrared (NIR) region. Herein, it is shown that the Aurivillius phases can demonstrate broadband NIR luminescence that covers telecommunication and biological optical windows. Experimental characterization of the model system Bi_2.14Sr_0.75Ta₂O_9−x, combined with theoretical calculations, help to establish that the NIR luminescence originates from defective [Bi₂O₂]²⁺ layers. Importantly, the generality of this finding is validated based on observations of a rich bank of NIR luminescence characteristics in other Aurivillius phases. This work highlights that incorporating defects into infinitely repeating [Bi₂O₂]²⁺ layers can be used as a powerful tool to space-selectively impart unusual luminescence emitters to Aurivillius-phase ferroelectrics, which not only offers an optical probe for the examination of defect states in ferroelectrics, but also provides possibilities for coupling of the ferroelectric property with NIR luminescence.     

Pyrogenic iron(III)-doped TiO2 nanopowders synthesized in RF thermal plasma: phase formation, defect structure, band gap, and magnetic properties

Iron(III)-doped TiO(2) nanopowders, with controlled iron to titanium atomic ratios (R(Fe/Ti)) ranging from nominal 0 to 20%, were synthesized using oxidative pyrolysis of liquid-feed metallorganic precursors in a radiation-frequency (RF) thermal plasma. The valence of iron doped in the TiO(2), phase formation, defect structures, band gaps, and magnetic properties of the resultant nanopowders were systematically investigated using M?ssbauer spectroscopy, XRD, Raman spectroscopy, TEM/HRTEM, UV-vis spectroscopy, and measurements of magnetic properties. The iron doped in TiO(2) was trivalent (3+) in a high-spin state as determined by the isomer shift and quadrupole splitting from the M?ssbauer spectra. No other phases except anatase and rutile TiO(2) were identified in the resultant nanopowders. Interestingly, thermodynamically metastable anatase predominated in the undoped TiO(2) nanopowders, which can be explained from a kinetic point of view based on classical homogeneous nucleation theory. With iron doping, the formation of rutile was strongly promoted because rutile is more tolerant than anatase to the defects such as oxygen vacancies resulting from the substitution of Fe(3+) for Ti(4+) in TiO(2). The concentration of oxygen vacancies reached a maximum at R(Fe/Ti) = 2% above which excessive oxygen vacancies tended to concentrate. As a result of this concentration, an extended defect like crystallographic shear (CS) structure was established. With iron doping, red shift of the absorption edges occurred in addition to the d-d electron transition of iron in the visible light region. The as-prepared iron-doped TiO(2) nanopowders were paramagnetic in nature at room temperature.