Frequency aspects of the THz photomixer

In the paper methods of the terahertz photomixer operational frequency estimation are considered. Three methods are investigated — estimation of the frequency via direct measurements of the laser heterodyne compounds, via calculations from datasheets, and via calculations from raw collected data obtained from the photomixer system.     

Selective water sorbents for multiple applications, 8. sorption properties of CaCl2?SiO2 sol-gel composites

This paper presents sorption properties of CaCl₂/SiO₂ composites synthesized by a sol-gel approach. Desorption isobars measured at T=30–140°C and vapor pressure 12.8–81.0 mbar clearly show a correlation between the sorbents pore structure and their sorption properties. The sample adsorptivities are found to exceed 1.2 kg H₂O/kg adsorbent (or 20–25 mol H₂O/mol of the salt). That is markedly higher than any reported before for silica-based materials. This results in a high energy storage capacity reaching 3,400 kJ/kg of dry sorbent, as confirmed by direct calorimetric measurements. The isosteric desorption heat is found to decrease from 67±5 kJ/mol to 46±5 kJ/mol with increase in the surface coverage.     

Epitaxial graphene perfection vs. SiC substrate quality

Polytype instability of SiC epitaxial films was the main focus of attention in the experiment performed since this factor has a decisive influence on graphene growth, which was the second stage of the experiment. Layers deposited in various initial C/Si ratios were analyzed.     

Vibrational Properties of LaNb0.8M0.2O4-δ (M=As,Sb, V,and Ta)

LaNb_0.8M_0.2O_4-δ (where M=As, Sb, V, and Ta) oxides with pentavalent elements of different ionic sizes were synthesized by a solid-state reaction method. The vibrational properties of these oxides have been investigated. These studies revealed that the substituent element influences both Debye temperature value as well as the Raman active vibrational modes. Additionally, the low-temperature vibrational properties of LaNb_0.8Sb_0.2O_4-δ have been determined to show the phase transition occurrence at 260 K which is lower than previously reported.     

Barium‐deficient celsian,Ba1−xAl2−2xSi2+2xO8 (x = 0.20 or 0.06)

Barium‐deficient forms of celsian (barium aluminium silicate) with the formula Ba_1−xAl_2−2xSi_2+2xO₈ (x = 0.20 and 0.06) have been identified. In contrast with the celsian–orthoclase solid solutions which have been reported previously, these forms, refined in the space group C2/m, with Ba and one O atom in the 4i sites with m site symmetry, and a further O atom in a 4g site with twofold axial symmetry, suggest a slight solid solution with silica. The serendipitous preparation of the compounds represents a possible hazard associated with solid‐state synthesis.     

NHC-Rhodium-Catalyzed Synthesis of Novel Silsesquioxanes Containing S-Si and S-Ge Bonds and Their Application in Hydrosilylation Process

The efficient and straightforward NHC-rhodium-catalyzed thiol-silane and thiol-germanane coupling reactions, leading to new classes of functionalized SQ-based materials, are presented for the first time. The proposed strategies use commercially available reagents and show a broad functional groups tolerance, which opens a possibility of effective synthetic procedures of biologically active compounds.     

Influence of Polymer Solvents on the Properties of Halloysite-Modified Polyethersulfone Membranes Prepared by Wet Phase Inversion

Ultrafiltration polyethersulfone (PES) membranes were prepared by wet phase inversion. Commercial halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) in the quantities of 0.5 wt% vs. PES (15 wt%) were introduced into the casting solution containing the polymer and different solvents: N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA), or 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP). The type of solvent influenced the membranes’ morphology and topography, as well as permeability, separation characteristics, and antifouling and antibacterial properties. The membranes prepared using DMA exhibited the loosest cross-section structure with the thinnest skin and the roughest surface, while the densest and smoothest were the DMF-based membranes. The advanced contact angles were visibly lower in the case of the membranes prepared using DMF compared to the other solvents. The highest water permeability was observed for the DMA-based membranes, however, the most significant effect of the modification with HNTs was found for the NMP-based series. Regardless of the solvent, the introduction of HNTs resulted in an improvement of the separation properties of membranes. A noticeable enhancement of antifouling performance upon application of HNTs was found only in the case of DMF-based membranes. The study of the antibacterial properties showed that the increase in surface roughness had a positive effect on the inhibition of E. coli growth.     

Water uptake analysis of acceptor-doped lanthanum orthoniobates

In this work, lanthanum orthoniobates doped with either antimony, calcium, or both have been synthesized and studied. The water uptake of the investigated materials has been analyzed by means of thermogravimetric studies. The results show the difference between the thermodynamics of hydration between the lanthanum orthoniobate system and other proton conducting ceramics. The relation between the water uptake and effective acceptor doping for the investigated system has been found, and the energetics of the water uptake relation are discussed.