Correlation between luminescent properties and structure organization in AlGaN/GaN superlattices annealed after erbium ion implantation

The evolution of the structure organization of MOCVD-grown AlGaN/GaN superlattices subjected to erbium ion implantation with an energy of 1 MeV and dose of 3 × 10¹⁵ cm^?2 and subsequent annealing is correlated with their photoluminescent properties. The structure organization is quantitatively estimated using parameter Δ (degree of violation of local symmetry), which is found via multifractal analysis of surface morphology patterns obtained with atomic force microscopy. It is shown that the implantation not only causes Ga segregation on the surface, but also changes the structure organization, which shows up in the finer grain structure compared with the starting one and disordering, as well as in an increase in Δ. As the annealing temperature rises from 700 to 800°C, Δ declines, indicating that the structure organization is improved, and the intensity of the dominating photoluminescence peak due to Er³⁺ ions (1.542 μm) grows. With a further increase in the annealing temperature to 1050°C, the structure organization degrades, domains get larger, voids 100–200 nm deep form, and the photoluminescence intensity drops. The formation of voids during high-temperature annealing is also substantiated by data for 230-keV proton scattering. It is thus established that the improvement of the superlattice structure organization activates erbium and causes the erbium-ion-related luminescence intensity to grow.     

Chiral separation of dansyl amino acids by capillary electrophoresis: Comparison of formamide andN-Methylformamide as background electrolytes

Summary Chiral separation of 12 dansyl amino acids has been achieved by capillary electrophoresis using -cyclodextrin dissolved inN-methylformamide or formamide. The viscosity and the dielectric constants of these two solvents are very different, giving them disimilar electrophoretic properties. Intense electroosmotic flow, high electrophoretic mobilities and high efficiency were achieved inN-methylformamide, but high chiral selector concentration was needed for sufficient resolution. In contrast, the separation of dansyl amino acids in formamide was characterized by longer analysis time and lower efficiency, but the resolution and selectivity of the separation were better and baseline separation could be achieved at lower -cyclodextrin concentrations.     

Pressurised hot water extraction-microporous membrane liquid-liquid extraction coupled on-line with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in the analysis of pesticides in grapes

Pressurised hot water extraction-microporous membrane liquid-liquid extraction was coupled on-line with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (PHWE-MMLLE-GC-MS) for the analysis of pesticides in grapes. MMLLE serves as a trapping step after PHWE. Water from PHWE is directed to the donor side of the membrane unit and the analytes are extracted to the acceptor solution on the other side. The role of MMLLE is to clean and concentrate the extract before on-line transfer to the GC via a sample loop and an on-column interface using partially concurrent solvent evaporation. The extraction conditions were investigated, and then the quantitative features such as linearity, limit of quantification (LOQ), extraction yield and enrichment factors. LOQs in the range 0.3-1.8 microg kg(-1) were achieved. Procymidone and tetradifon were found in the skins of the grapes. The results were in good agreement with those obtained by liquid-solid and ultrasonic extractions.     

Modification of the ultrasound induced activity by the presence of an electrode in a sonoreactor working at two low frequencies (20 and 40 kHz). Part I: Active zone visualization by laser tomography

Sonoelectrochemical experiments differ from sonochemical ones by the introduction of electrodes in the sonicated reaction vessel. The aim of the study is to characterize the changes of the ultrasonic activity induced by the presence of an electrode located in front of the transducer. The scope of our investigations concerns two low frequencies vibration modes: 20 and 40 kHz. For this purpose, two laser visualization techniques have been used. The first part of the study, described in the present paper (part I), deals with the laser tomography technique which provides an accurate picture of the reactor actives zones, related to numerous cavitation events. For each frequency, two parameters were studied: the electrical power supplied to the transducer and the electrode transducer distance. At both frequencies, without electrode, we can observe distinct zones corresponding to cavitation production and stationary waves establishment. When increasing the input power, bubble clouds tend to form a unique cloud near the transducer. In presence of the electrode, bubble cavitation clouds are largely influenced by the obstacle. The second part of the paper (part II) will describe the Particle Image Velocimetry (P.I.V.) technique which allows to measure the velocity vector field in the fluid portion between the horn and the electrode.     

Protonation and bromination of an osmabenzyne: reactions leading to the formation of new metallabenzynes

The reactivities of benzynes and metal-carbyne complexes are normally associated with the triple bond units. However, we have now found that electrophiles do not attack the formal osmium-carbon triple bond of osmabenzyne complex 1. Instead, 1 undergoes electrophilic substitution reactions-the typical reactions of aromatic systems.     

Production of amorphous tin oxide thin films and microstructural transformation induced by heat treatment

X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and high resolution transmission electron microscopy were used to study tin oxide thin films deposited on Si(100) substrates at room temperature using pulsed laser deposition techniques with a sintered cassiterite SnO₂ target and subsequently heat-treated. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy results demonstrated that the as-prepared thin films consisted of an amorphous matrix as well as plume-like features, which are shown many micropores. The thin films that were heat treated for 2 h at 150 °C had tetragonal rutile nanocrystalline SnO₂ structures. The microstructural evolution of the tin oxide thin films during the heat treatment is discussed in the paper. PACS 81.15.Fg; 73.61Jc; 81.05.Gc; 81.40.Ef     

Nucleation and growth of SnO2 nanocrystallites prepared by pulsed laser deposition

We report in detail the synthesis and microstructural characterization of SnO₂ nanocrystallites produced using a pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method. A detailed observation of the microstructural evolution of the as-prepared SnO₂ nanocrystallites has been carried out, and their grain sizes, shapes, crystallography characteristics, and morphologies have been also determined. The nucleation and growth processes of the SnO₂ nanocrystallites are discussed in more detail in order to examine how the PLD techniques and conditions affect the evolution of grain sizes, shapes, crystallography characteristics and morphologies. PACS 81.15.Fg; 81.07.Bc; 68.37.Lp     

Photoemission studies of clean and oxygen-covered Pt 6(111) × (100)

Employing the enhanced sensitivity obtained by using synchrotron radiation near the Cooper minimum for the 5d valence electrons, we have located the oxygen 2p and 2s levels for oxygen chemisorbed on a Pt 6(111) × (100) crystal. We find the oxygen 2p level located ?6 eV with a FWHM of 3 eV and the 2s at ?21.6 eV. A factor of four difference in saturation coverage is measured between temperatures of 300 and 120 K, but the position and width of the 2p level is independent of temperature. We observe also the 1b₁ orbital of weakly adsorbed H₂O molecules, which has pure O 2p parentage; from the intensity of this orbital, we are able to suggest why it is difficult to observe the oxygen 2p signal at low photon energies. In addition, we note a strong preferential attenuation in the Pt states near E_f for the adsorbed H₂O in spite of the weak nature of the bond.     

Surface segregation and surface electronic interactions in PtCu

Photoemission and Auger electron spectroscopy on Pt_0.98Cu_0.02 show that the (110) face has over twice as much Cu surface segregation as the (111) face. The Cu 3d-derived surface “density of states” differ strikingly in peak shape and in width (by 0.5 eV). The centroids, compared with bulk Cu d states, are shifted by more than 0.3 eV towards the Fermi level. This is the first experimental correlation between surface segregation and surface bonding.