An automated laboratory EXAFS spectrometer of Johansson type: indigenous development and testing

An automated linear laboratory EXAFS spectrometer of the Johansson type has been indigenously developed. Only two translational motions are required to achieve the necessary Rowland circle configuration for the (fixed) X-ray source, the dispersing and focusing bent crystal and the receiving slit. With the available crystals the spectral region from 5 to 25 keV can be scanned. The linear motions of the crystal and receiving slit including the detector assembly are achieved by employing software-controlled DC motors and utilizing optical encoders for position sensing. The appropriate rotation of the crystal is achieved by the geometry of the instrument. There is a facility to place the sample alternately in the path of the X-ray beam and out of the path to record both the incident X-ray intensityI ₀ and the transmitted intensityI employing the scintillation detector. An arrangement with a two-window proportional detector before the sample to measureI ₀ and the scintillation detector to recordI is also developed; in this case it is not necessary to oscillate the sample. Fast electronic circuits are employed to minimize counting errors. The instrument is user-friendly and it is operated through a menu-driven IBM compatible PC. EXAFS spectra of high resolution have been recorded using the spectrometer and employing the Si(111) reflecting planes; the X-ray source being a Rigaku 12 kW rotating anode with Cu target. We describe the spectrometer and discuss its performance with a few representative spectra.     

Electric field effect in diluted magnetic insulator anatase Co: TiO2

An external electric field induced reversible modulation of a room temperature magnetic moment and coercive field is achieved in an epitaxial and insulating thin film of dilutely cobalt-doped anatase TiO2. This first demonstration of an electric field effect in any oxide-based diluted ferromagnet is realized in a high quality epitaxial heterostructure of PbZr(0.2)Ti(0.8)O(3)/Co: TiO(2)/SrRuO(3) grown on (001) LaAlO3. The observed effect, which is about 15% in strength in a given heterostructure, can be modulated over several cycles. Possible mechanisms for electric field induced modulation of insulating ferromagnetism are discussed.     

Overtone spectroscopy of some benzaldehyde derivatives

Overtone spectrum of o, m and p-nitrobenzaldehydes and p-chlorobenzaldehyde has been studied in 2000–12000 cm⁻¹ region. Vibrational frequencies and anharmonicity constants for aryl as well as alkyl CH stretch vibrations have been determined. We have also determined the internuclear distances for the aryl CH bond in the different molecules. The small variation observed in these distances is an indication of the substitution effect. It is observed that in the case of p-disubstituted benzens, the shift in aryl CH bond is proportional to sum of the Hammet σ of the substituents. However in the case of o-disubstituted benzenes it is only 80% of the para-substituted shift.     

Maghemite (hematite) core (shell) nanorods via thermolysis of a molecular solid of Fe-complex

An Fe-metal complex with 2'-hydroxy chalcone (2'-HC) ligands [Fe(III) (2'-hydroxy chalcone)(3)] is synthesized by a chemical route and is subjected to different thermal treatments. Upon thermolysis in air at 450 °C for 3 h the complex yields maghemite (γ-Fe(2)O(3)) nanorods with a thin hematite (α-Fe(2)O(3)) shell. X-Ray diffraction (XRD), M?ssbauer spectroscopy, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-DRS), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) are used to characterize the samples. The stability of the ligand and the Fe-complex is further examined by using thermogravimmetric/differential thermal analysis (TGA/DTA). We suggest a residual ligand controlled mechanism for the formation of an anisotropic nanostructure in a crumbling molecular solid undergoing ligand decomposition. Since the band gap of iron oxide is in the visible range, we explored the use of our core shell nano-rod sample for photocatalytic activity for H(2) generation by H(2)S splitting under solar light. We observed high photocatalytic activity for hydrogen generation (75 ml h(-1)).     

Surface plasmon dispersion relation for two component plasma spheres

The surface plasmon dispersion relation for a two component degenerate plasma system is obtained in spherical geometry, using the hydrodynamical model. The general solution for arbitrary value of angular quantum number l has been shown to have two branches, one of higher frequency and another of lower frequency. The formalism is explicitly applied to the case of electron-hole droplets (EHD) in silicon and germanium, and the normal mode frequencies have been computed for l = O, 1 and 2 values     

Surface oxides produced during discharge in water ambient iron surface: A conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopic study

Oxide layers are produced on iron surface, under discharge in water ambient, applying both anodic and cathodic potentials to iron foil. Non-stoichiometric Fe_1−xO containing different ratios of Fe³⁺ and Fe²⁺ has been detected by using CEMS. Corrosion of these samples in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ shows that, cathodically discharge treated iron foil has higher corrosion resistance as compared to the anodically treated sample. This is attributed to the microstructural differences in the Fe_1−xO_x films formed during the discharge.     

Energy dependence of ion beam mixing at Fe-Al and Fe-Cu interface: A conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopic study

The energy dependence of ion beam mixing in the Fe-Al and Fe-Cu bilayer configuration on the energy of bombarding Kr⁺ ions has been investigated by using the technique of conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy. The ion energy has been varied over a range between 30 keV and 120 keV by keeping the dose value fixed at 10¹⁶ ions/cm². In both the cases the extent of mixing shows an interesting variation with increase in the value of ion energy. This behaviour is discussed in the light of the calculated energy deposition distributions for the case of the given bilayer systems. The variations in the microstructural details of the mixed region with change in the incident ion energy have also been brought out via determination of hyperfine interaction parameters.     

Efficient Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting from a Discrete Hybrid Bismuth Bromide Ferroelectric Templated by Phosphonium Cation

Bismuth containing hybrid molecular ferroelectrics are receiving tremendous attention in recent years owing to their stable and non-toxic composition. However, these perovskite-like structures are primarily limited to ammonium cations. Herein, we report a new phosphonium based discrete perovskite-like hybrid ferroelectric with a formula [Me(Ph)₃P]₃[Bi₂Br₉] ( MTPBB ) and its mechanical energy harvesting capability. The Polarization-Electric field (P-E) measurements resulted in a well-defined ferroelectric hysteresis loop with a remnant polarization value of 2.1 μC cm⁻². Piezoresponse force microscopy experiments enabled visualization of the ferroelectric domain structure and evaluation of the piezoelectric strain coefficient (d₃₃) for an MTPBB single crystal and thin film sample. Furthermore, flexible devices incorporating MTPBB in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix at various concentrations were fabricated and explored for their mechanical energy harvesting properties. The champion device with 20 wt % of MTPBB in PDMS rendered a maximum peak-to-peak open-circuit voltage of 22.9 V and a maximum power density of 7 μW cm⁻² at an optimal load of 4 MΩ. Moreover, the potential of MTPBB -based devices in low power electronics was demonstrated by storing the harvested energy in various electrolytic capacitors.