Spin-Polarized Tunnelling Magnetoresistance Effects in La0.833K0.167MnO3／SrTiO3 Polycrystalline Perovskite Manganites

A sample of La0.833K0.167MnO3-SrTiO3 (LKMO/STO) is fabricated by the sol-gel method. The microstructure,magnetic and transportation properties have been studied. X-ray diffraction patterns indicate that the structure of LKMO/STO is a homogeneous solid solution phase. The resistivity of LKMO/STO shows the insulator behaviour, which is different from La0.833K0.167MnO3 (LKMO) whose resistivity shows metal-insulator transition with decreasing temperature. The low-field (moH = 0.02 T) magnetoresistance decreases from 11% to 0.2% with the increasing temperature from 4 K‘to 220K for the LKMO/STO sample. The magnitude of magnetoresistance in a strong field (μoH = 5.5 T) almost increases linearly with decreasing temperature and reaches the maximum of 65% at the low temperature of 4.2K, which is much higher than that oE LKMO (40%). The enhanced low-field magnetoresistance effects are quantitatively explained by the spin-polarized tunnelling at grain boundaries.     

Novel Gel—like Process for Synthesizing Submicron LiaNi0.8Co0.2O2 Powders Used in Lithium Ion Batteries

A novel gel-like process has been developed for synthesizing LiaNi0.8Co0.2O2 powders,using citric acid as a chelating agent. This process improves the homogeneity of constituent cation and enhances their reactivity in the obtained precursor. The results of electrochemical test demonstrated that these materials exhibited excellent electrochemical properties. Its initial capacity reached 181.6 mAh/g and reversible efficiency at the first cycle is about 88.6%.     

Diffusion of Acetic Acid Across Oil/Water Interface in Emulsification-Internal Gelation Process for Preparation of Alginate Gel Beads

Alginate has been widely used in cell microencapsulation and drug delivery systems in the form of gel beads or microcapsules.Although an alternative novel emulsification-internal gelation technology has been established and both the properties and the potential applications of the beads in drug delivery systems have been studied,the mechanism has not been well understood compared with the traditional droplet method(external gelation technology).On the basis of our previous knowledge that the novel technology is composed of complicatedly consecutive processes with multistep diffusion and reaction,and the diffusion of acetic acid across oil/water interface being the prerequisite that determines the occurrence and rate for the reactions and the structures and properties of final produced gel beads,a special emphasis was placed on the diffusion process.With the aid of diffusion modeling and simple experimental design,the diffusion rate constant and diffusion coefficient of acetic acid across oil/water interface were determined to be in the orders of magnitude of 10-6 and 10-16,respectively.This knowledge will be of particular importance in understanding and interpreting the formation,structure of the gel beads and the relationship between the structure and properties and guiding the preparation and quality control of the gel beads.     

CARBON NANOTUBES VIA METHANE DECOMPOSITION ON AN ALUMINA SUPPORTED COBALT AEROGEL CATALYST

An alumina-supported cobalt aerogel catalyst prepared from a sol-gel and a supercritical drying method was used in the catalytic decomposition of methane.The physical-chemical properties of the catalyst were characterized and its activity for methane decomposition was investigated.The effects of calcination and reaction temperatures on the activity of the catalyst and the morphology of the carbon nanotubes produced were discussed.A COAl2O4 spinel structure formed in the calcined catalyst.The quantity of the nanotubes produced in the reaction increases with the amount of cobalt in the reduced catalyst.A higher reaction temperature leads to a higher reaction rate,though faster deactivation of the catalyst occurs with the change.The carbon nanotubes grown on the catalyst have smooth walls and uniform diameter distribution.     

CHEMICAL MODIFICATION OF THE SURFACE OF CALCIUM ALGINATE GEL BEADS

The chemical modification of the surface of calcium alginate gel beads (CAGB) via grafting copolymerization with vinyl acetate (VAc) was studied. The optimum reaction conditions with activation and graft copolymerization two steps were explored. First, 5 grams CAGB with 2.5 mm initial diameter was initiated with 0.0493 mol/L K2S208 at 51℃ for 30 min in 15 mL 1% PVA/H2O. Then 4.34 mol/L VAc was added dropwise and the reaction was allowed to proce at 48℃ for 3 h. The grafting efficiency could come up to 30%. It was found the stability of modified CAGB in the air and in electrolyte solutions was greatly improved.     

Dielectric Properties of Nanocrystalline TiO2 Prepared by the Stearic Acid Gel Method

Nanocrystalline TiO2 was prepared by means of a stearic acid gel method. The product was investigated by differential thermal analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray powder diffraction and transmission electronic microscopy (TEM ). The results of the dielectric properties tested indicate that the dielectric constant of anatase-form nanocrystalline TiO2 is much higher than that of the coarse crystal. The dielectric constant of the nanocrystalline material is not related with the amplitude of an external AC field in a certain range.     

PHASE STRUCTURE OF W-DOPED NANO-TiO2 PRODUCED BY SOL-GEL METHOD

With Ti（OBu）4 as precursor, and HAc as complexing agent, pure and W-doped TiO2 gelatins were prepared by a sol-gel method. During the process of gel formation, metal ions were dispersed in the porous TiO2 matrix. Then, powders of nano-TiO2 and W-doped nano-TiO2 were prepared by drying, grinding and heat treatment at different temperatures. The grain size and structure of the samples, pure TiO2 and W-doped, and treated at different temperatures were studied by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, Beckman Coulter Sorption Analysis and TEM. Results showed that, with increasing temperature, the TiO2 transformed from anatase to rutile and the grain size increased. This transformation and grain growth of TiO2 could be retarded by doping with W.     

三维墨水

许多看上去很像三维的图画,大家都知道,它实际上是画在一张二维的纸上,它的立体感是利用了眼睛视线的一种错觉.但现在美国伊利诺依大学的Lewis R博士与他的同事们正在研制一种真正的三维墨水.他们用金属、陶瓷、塑料或其他材料的微粒来取代传统的颜料,并将这些微粒存储在一种类似于打印机所使用的墨盒中,这就是一种新型的三维墨水.三维墨水与过去的墨水不同,它是一种凝胶体,因此当它喷射到纸上时,可以一层一层地堆积起来,真正形成一副立体的图像.这种凝胶体要求特别稠,有点像我们常用的牙膏.当把它挤到纸张上时,它可以展布在所需的空间,同…     

The Effect of Potassium Citrate on Simultaneous Growth of Calcium Oxalate Mono-, Di-, and Trihydrate in Synthetic Urine

Kidney stone disease, which occurs in about 10% of the U.S. population, causes substantial suffering and occasional renal failure, yet the disease mechanism is poorly understood1. Kidney stones mostly contain microcrystals of calcium oxalate monohydrate (…     

Comparison of Properties of Pt/PZT/Pt and Ru/PZT/Pt Ferroelectric Capacitors

Pb（Zr0.4Ti0.6）O3 film prepared by sol-gel spin coating on a Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrate is applied to ferroelectric capacitors with Pt or Ru as the top electrode. For the Pt/PZT/Pt and Ru/PZT/Pt ferroelectric capacitors, although with the same ferroelectric film, different top electrode materials incur different properties of PZT capacitors, such as fatigue, leakage, remanent and saturated polarization, except the similar crystal orientations of the PZT film. After 10^10 switch cycles, the remanent polarizations of the Ru/PZT/Pt and Pt/PZT/Pt capacitors decrease to 70% and 84%, respectively. The leakage current density of the latter increases obviously at positive bias after 108 switch cycles, compared with the former. Different materials for the top electrode bring different conditions at the PZT/top electrode interface. The influence of oxygen-vacancy concentration at the PZT/electrode interface and the influence of oxides of the electrode material at the PZT/electrode interface to charge injection can explain the difference of properties of the PZT capacitors with Pt or Ru as the top electrodes.