Nanofibers of Semiconductor Oxides as Sensitive Materials for Detection of Gaseous Products Formed in Low-Temperature Pyrolysis of Polyvinyl Chloride

Nanofibers of semiconducting oxides SnO₂, ZnO, WO₃, produced by the electrospinning method, were tested as sensitive materials for detection of products formed in pyrolysis of polyvinyl chloride in conditions simulating the smoldering of electrically insulating materials upon occurrence of a short-circuit failure in electrical circuits. The method of thermal analysis with mass-spectroscopic determination of gaseous products demonstrated that, in pyrolysis of polyvinyl chloride in the temperature range 200–400°C corresponding to the invisible-smoke stage, the main component of the gas mixture being formed is HCl. It was shown that the materials synthesized can be used to develop gas sensors for early fire warning.     

Structure of zirconium dioxide based porous glasses

This study is devoted to investigation of the micro- and mesostructure (including fractal properties) of porous zirconia glasses synthesized by precipitation from zirconium n-propoxide solutions in the presence of different hydrolyzing-agent (H₂O) quantities at different temperatures. Analysis of small-angle neutron, ultra-small-angle neutron and X-ray scattering, scanning electron microscopy allows concluding that the synthesized glasses are complex systems with a three-level hierarchical fractal structure. It is revealed that both the temperature of synthesis and the H₂O concentration in the initial solution significantly affect the structural characteristics of the glasses.     

Hierarchical structure of SERS substrates possessing the silver ring morphology

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Preparation of aqueous sols of Ce1 − x Gd x O2-δ, Y0.9Eu0.1VO4 and nanocomposites Ce1 − x Gd x O2-δ/Y0.9Eu0.1VO4 stabilized by polyacrylic acid

A method for the synthesis of stable aqueous sols of nanocrystalline solid solutions Ce_1?x Gd _x O_2-δ (x = 0.10, 0.15, 0.20) and Y_0.9Eu_0.1VO₄ and nanocomposites Ce_{1 ? x} Gd _x O_2-δ/Y_0.9Eu_0.1VO₄ stabilized by biocompatible low-molecular-weight polyacrylic acid was proposed. Polyacrylic acid was shown to be a promising matrix for the preparation of polyfunctional composite materials.     

WO3 thermodynamic properties at 80–1256 K revisited

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - Thermodynamic properties (heat capacity Cp, entropy S°, enthalpy change ΔH° and reduced Gibbs energy ΔΦ°) of crystalline...     

Selective precipitation of rare earth orthophosphates with hydrogen peroxide from phosphoric acid solutions

It has been shown for the first time that the use of hydrogen peroxide allows precipitation of rare earth orthophosphates (La–Tb) from phosphoric acid solutions at temperatures below 100°C. Either anhydrous or hydrated orthophosphates with monazite or rhabdophane structure, respectively, can be obtained depending on rare earth element position in lanthanide series and precipitation conditions (orthophosphoric acid and hydrogen peroxide concentration). Hydrated orthophosphates with rhabdophane structure can be prepared by precipitation with hydrogen peroxide for all studied rare earth elements.     

Hydrothermal synthesis of efficient TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>-based photocatalysts

We carried out a thorough study of the micromorphology, physicochemical properties, and photocatalytic activity of nanocrystalline anatase powders formed during the hydrothermal treatment of titanyl sulfate solutions of various compositions. A new procedure is proposed for the hydrothermal synthesis of nanocrystalline anatase having specific surface areas of ∼50 m²/g and photocatalytic activities exceeding the activity of the commercially available Degussa P25 formulation.     

Specifics of pyrohydrolytic and solid-phase syntheses of solid solutions in the (MgGa2O4)x(MgFe2O4)1 ? x system

This work demonstrates the possibility of preparing solid solutions in the (MgGa₂O₄) _x (MgFe₂O₄)_{1 − x} system by pyrohydrolytic and solid-phase methods. It is shown that the products obtained have different specific surface areas depending on the ratio between metal nitrates and citric acid. The composition dependence of the unit cell parameter deviates considerably from the Vegard’s rule. The compounds obtained are found to be stable up to 300°C, which makes them candidate materials for electronics.     

Crystallization of hydrous zirconia and hafnia during hydrothermal treatment

The products of microwave-hydrothermal (MW-HT) treatment of amorphous hydrous zirconia and hafnia xerogels were studied by powder X-ray diffraction and thermal analysis. Decreasing gel precipitation pH leads to an increase in ZrO₂ and HfO₂ crystallization rates and enhances the formation of stable monoclinic ZrO₂.