Influences of Sr2+ Doping on Microstructure,Giant Dielectric Behavior,and Non-Ohmic Properties of CaCu3Ti4O12/CaTiO3 Ceramic Composites

The microstructure, dielectric response, and nonlinear current-voltage properties of Sr²⁺-doped CaCu₃Ti₄O₁₂/CaTiO₃ (CCTO/CTO) ceramic composites, which were prepared by a solid-state reaction method using a single step from the starting nominal composition of CCTO/CTO/xSrO, were investigated. The CCTO and CTO phases were detected in the X-ray diffraction patterns. The lattice parameter increased with increasing Sr²⁺ doping concentration. The phase compositions of CCTO and CTO were confirmed by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy with elemental mapping in the sintered ceramics. It can be confirmed that most of the Sr²⁺ ions substituted into the CTO phase, while some minor portion substituted into the CCTO phase. Furthermore, small segregation of Cu-rich was observed along the grain boundaries. The dielectric permittivity of the CCTO/CTO composite slightly decreased by doping with Sr²⁺, while the loss tangent was greatly reduced. Furthermore, the dielectric properties in a high-temperature range of the Sr²⁺-doped CCTO/CTO ceramic composites can be improved. Interestingly, the nonlinear electrical properties of the Sr²⁺-doped CCTO/CTO ceramic composites were significantly enhanced. The improved dielectric and nonlinear electrical properties of the Sr²⁺-doped CCTO/CTO ceramic composites were explained by the enhancement of the electrical properties of the internal interfaces.     

Strong convergence of a general viscosity explicit rule for the sum of two monotone operators in Hilbert spaces

In this paper, we study a general viscosity explicit rule for approximating the solutions of the variational inclusion problem for the sum of two monotone operators. We then prove its strong convergence under some new conditions on the parameters in the framework of Hilbert spaces. As applications, we apply our main result to the split feasibility problem and the LASSO problem. We also give some numerical examples to support our main result. The results presented in this paper extend and improve the corresponding results in the literature.     

An iterative method for equilibrium problems and a finite family of relatively nonexpansive mappings in a Banach space

In this paper, we introduce a new iterative method for finding a common element of the set of fixed points of a finite family of relatively nonexpansive mappings and the set of solutions of an equilibrium problem in uniformly convex and uniformly smooth Banach spaces. Then we prove a strong convergence theorem by using the generalized projection.     

Development of polyelectrolyte multilayer-coated electrospun cellulose acetate fiber mat as composite membranes

Electrostatic multilayers of chitosan (CHI)/sodium alginate (SA) and CHI/poly(styrene sulfonate) sodium salt (PSS) were alternatively coated on electrospun cellulose acetate (CA) fiber mat. Morphologies of the composite membranes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The morphology of the CHI/SA-coated membrane was denser than the CHI/PSS-coated one. The top layers consisted of carboxyl and sulfonic functional groups for SA and PSS layers, respectively. Amino groups of CHI were only presented in slight quantity. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed the deposition of the amino groups of CHI on the multilayer membrane surface. These composite membranes were characterized for its water permeability where the water flux decreased with an increase in the number of the bilayers. The water flux was in the range of 60 and 40 L m⁻² h⁻¹ for 15 and 25 bilayered membranes, respectively. The sodium chloride (NaCl) solution flux was lower than the pure water flux due to the effect of osmotic pressure, and it decreased with an increase in the NaCl concentration. The rejection of NaCl increased substantially with the number of the bilayers of the polyelectrolytes multilayers. The level of NaCl rejection from this work was in the range of 6% and 15% for 15 and 25 bilayered membranes, respectively.     

In vitro biocompatibility of electrospun hexanoyl chitosan fibrous scaffolds towards human keratinocytes and fibroblasts

With the ability to form a submicron-sized fibrous structure with interconnected pores mimicking the extracellular matrix (ECM) for tissue formation, electrospinning was used to fabricate ultra-fine fiber mats of hexanoyl chitosan (H-chitosan) for potential use as skin tissue scaffolds. In the present communication, the in vitro biocompatibility of the electrospun fiber mats was evaluated. Indirect cytotoxicity evaluation of the fiber mats with mouse fibroblasts (L929) revealed that the materials were non-toxic and did not release substances harmful to living cells. The potential for use of the fiber mats as skin tissue scaffolds was further assessed in terms of the attachment and the proliferation of human keratinocytes (HaCaT) and human foreskin fibroblasts (HFF) that were seeded or cultured on the scaffolds at different times. The results showed that the electrospun fibrous scaffolds could support the attachment and the proliferation of both types of cells, especially for HaCaT. In addition, the cells cultured on the fibrous scaffolds exhibited normal cell shapes and integrated well with surrounding fibers. The obtained results confirmed the potential for use of the electrospun H-chitosan fiber mats as scaffolds for skin tissue engineering.     

An implicit iteration process for solving a fixed point problem of a finite family of multi-valued mappings in Banach spaces

This work is concerned with the strong convergence of an approximating common fixed point sequence of a finite family of multi-valued mappings in a uniformly convex and smooth Banach space using an implicit iteration scheme introduced by Xu and Ori [H.K. Xu, R.G. Ori, An implicit iteration process for nonexpansive mappings, Numer. Funct. Anal. Optim. 22 (2001) 767–773].     

Improved Thermoelectric Properties of SrTiO3 via (La,Dy and N) Co-Doping: DFT Approach

This work considers the enhancement of the thermoelectric figure of merit, ZT, of SrTiO₃ (STO) semiconductors by (La, Dy and N) co-doping. We have focused on SrTiO₃ because it is a semiconductor with a high Seebeck coefficient compared to that of metals. It is expected that SrTiO₃ can provide a high power factor, because the capability of converting heat into electricity is proportional to the Seebeck coefficient squared. This research aims to improve the thermoelectric performance of SrTiO₃ by replacing host atoms by La, Dy and N atoms based on a theoretical approach performed with the Vienna Ab Initio Simulation Package (VASP) code. Here, undoped SrTiO₃, Sr_0.875La_0.125TiO₃, Sr_0.875Dy_0.125TiO₃, SrTiO_2.958N_0.042, Sr_0.750La_0.125Dy_0.125TiO₃ and Sr_0.875La_0.125TiO_2.958N_0.042 are studied to investigate the influence of La, Dy and N doping on the thermoelectric properties of the SrTiO₃ semiconductor. The undoped and La-, Dy- and N-doped STO structures are optimized. Next, the density of states (DOS), band structures, Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity per relaxation time, thermal conductivity per relaxation time and figure of merit (ZT) of all the doped systems are studied. From first-principles calculations, STO exhibits a high Seebeck coefficient and high figure of merit. However, metal and nonmetal doping, i.e., (La, N) co-doping, can generate a figure of merit higher than that of undoped STO. Interestingly, La, Dy and N doping can significantly shift the Fermi level and change the DOS of SrTiO₃ around the Fermi level, leading to very different thermoelectric properties than those of undoped SrTiO₃. All doped systems considered here show greater electrical conductivity per relaxation time than undoped STO. In particular, (La, N) co-doped STO exhibits the highest ZT of 0.79 at 300 K, and still a high value of 0.77 at 1000 K, as well as high electrical conductivity per relaxation time. This renders it a viable candidate for high-temperature applications.     

Preparation and characterization of novel bone scaffolds based on electrospun polycaprolactone fibers filled with nanoparticles

Novel bone-scaffolding materials were successfully fabricated by electrospinning from polycaprolactone (PCL) solutions containing nanoparticles of calcium carbonate (CaCO(3)) or hydroxyapatite (HA). The diameters of the as-spun fibers were found to increase with the addition and increasing amounts of the nanoparticles. The observed increase in the diameters of the as-spun fibers with the addition and increasing amounts of the nanoparticulate fillers was responsible for the observed increase in the tensile strength of the obtained fiber mats. An increase in the concentration of the base PCL solution caused the average diameter of the as-spun PCL/HA composite fibers to increase. Increasing applied electrical potential also resulted in an increase in the diameters of the obtained PCL/HA composite fibers. Lastly, indirect cytotoxicity evaluation of the electrospun mats of PCL, PCL/CaCO(3), and PCL/HA fibers based on human osteoblasts (SaOS2) and mouse fibroblasts (L929) revealed that these as-spun mats posed no threat to the cells, a result that implied their potential for utilization as bone-scaffolding materials.     

An inertial forward–backward splitting method for solving inclusion problems in Hilbert spaces

In this work, our interest is in investigating the monotone inclusion problems in the framework of real Hilbert spaces. For solving this problem, we propose an inertial forward–backward splitting algorithm involving an extrapolation factor. We then prove its strong convergence under some mild conditions. Finally, we provide some applications including the numerical experiments for supporting our main theorem.     

Dielectric Responses of (Zn0.33Nb0.67)xTi1−xO2 Ceramics Prepared by Chemical Combustion Process: DFT and Experimental Approaches

The (Zn, Nb)-codoped TiO₂ (called ZNTO) nanopowder was successfully synthesized by a simple combustion process and then the ceramic from it was sintered with a highly dense microstructure. The doped atoms were consistently distributed, and the existence of oxygen vacancies was verified by a Raman spectrum. It was found that the ZNTO ceramic was a result of thermally activated giant dielectric relaxation, and the outer surface layer had a slight effect on the dielectric properties. The theoretical calculation by using the density functional theory (DFT) revealed that the Zn atoms are energy preferable to place close to the oxygen vacancy (Vo) position to create a triangle shape (called the ZnVoTi defect). This defect cluster was also opposite to the diamond shape (called the 2Nb2Ti defect). However, these two types of defects were not correlated together. Therefore, it theoretically confirms that the electron-pinned defect-dipoles (EPDD) cannot be created in the ZNTO structure. Instead, the giant dielectric property of the (Zn_0.33Nb_0.67)_xTi_1−xO₂ ceramics could be caused by the interfacial polarization combined with electron hopping between the Zn²⁺/Zn³⁺ and Ti³⁺/Ti⁴⁺ ions, rather than due to the EPDD effect. Additionally, it was also proved that the surface barrier-layer capacitor (SBLC) had a slight influence on the giant dielectric properties of the ZNTO ceramics. The annealing process can cause improved dielectric properties, which are properties with a huge advantage to practical applications and devices.