Dr. Monica ENCULESCU

When used as the active layers-either as a light absorber in photovoltaic devices or as an electroluminescent material in light-emitting devices-lead-free perovskites significantly impact the performance of optoelectronic devices. This study focuses on antimony-based perovskites, which are promising for lighting applications. These types of perovskites enable the formation of self-trapped excitons (STEs) with higher dissociation energy than lead-based perovskites, which generate excitons with lower dissociation energy. The (CH3NH3)3Sb2I9 crystals are synthesized using two methods, resulting in distinct spatial configurations - dimer and dimer/layered mixtures, each exhibiting unique structural and spectroscopic properties, as revealed by comprehensive multi-parametric complementary analyses. Their emissive properties underscore the efficiency of the STE photoluminescence, driven by electron-phonon interactions and influenced by Sb-Sb distances in (CH3NH3)3Sb2I9 powder, whether dispersed in polymethyl-methacrylate or solution. The phase transition from monoclinic to hexagonal (dimer) and trigonal (layered) structures enabled the tuning of the optical properties in direct correlation with the structural and electrical features. The photoluminescence behavior of the STEs, analyzed in conjunction with the Raman spectroscopy, elucidates the dynamic process of the electron-phonon coupling effects in the dimer (face-capping Sb-I octahedra) and layered (corner-sharing Sb-I octahedra) crystallographic structures.

Amyloid beta (A(3) peptide aggregates are well-established biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease, though the complete etiology of this disorder remains elusive. Developing biointerfaces to elucidate the physiological roles of these peptides is essential. This study investigates the aggregation, fibrillation, and interaction of A(3 peptides with conductive, biocompatible nanostructured materials designed for applications involving neuronal cells. Various conductive, rigid, and flexible surfaces, both functionalized and non-functionalized with A(340 fibrils, were fabricated. These included glass substrates and poly(methyl methacrylate) electrospun fiber networks coated with gold via magnetron sputtering. The substrates were also functionalized through physical adsorption with poly-L-lysine and collagen, known to support cell proliferation, as well as with the inverse-A(340 peptide and an Amyloid Protein Non-A(3 Component, and the results were compared. The scaffolds were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, contact angle and electrical measurements, while their biological interactions were assessed using MTS assays, fluorescence imaging, and scanning electron microscopy. Fibroblast L929 and neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell lines were used as models, with results indicating an elevated cell viability, comparable to the control. The developed nanostructured surfaces are highly promising for integration into advanced neuromorphic engineering devices, as they have proven capable of maintaining their structural integrity when exposed to proteases.

The rapid growth of the global population has increased the need for efficient fabrication methods and materials to purify polluted water. In this study, we report the fabrication and characterization of reusable and efficient three-dimensional (3D) polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) sponge composites designed for water treatment applications. By varying the ratios (10/90, 30/70, and 50/50) of large and small sacrificial templates' particles used in the fabrication method, we tailored the sponge's morphology and the interconnected pores' distribution. To achieve an enhanced photocatalytic activity, we incorporated titanium dioxide (TiO2) at different concentrations (1 % TiO2, 5 % TiO2, and 10 % TiO2 w/w) into the PDMS matrix. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to evaluate the structure of both 3D PDMS and TiO2@PDMS sponges, while energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the successful incorporation of TiO2 into the sponge framework. The photocatalytic performance of the 3D TiO2@PDMS composites was assessed by monitoring the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) under solar light irradiation, and the results were compared to those obtained using reference (TiO2-free) sponges under identical conditions. Very low Ti leaching effect have been evidenced by using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The reusability of the sponges was demonstrated through complete bleaching of the 554 nm RhB absorption band after four consecutive degradation cycles.

In the present work, an essential advance in the preparation of novel nanocomposites based on functionalized V2O5 nanostructures with reduced graphene oxide by hydrothermal method, which has great potential for use in photocatalytic processes related to environmental remediation. XRD analysis confirmed V2O5 in an orthorhombic structure. SEM images showed transparent RGO layers well anchored onto the surface of the V2O5 with a homogeneous distribution. Raman spectroscopy further explained the hybridization and interaction between the components. The photocatalytic activity of Rhodamine-B in aqueous solutions has been studied upon irradiation with visible light. A high RhB degradation was obtained using the V2O5/RGO photocatalyst (82 %), compared to the degradation obtained with only V2O5 (60 %). First-principles Density Functional Theory (DFT) simulations reveal a strong interaction between V2O5 molecules and graphene surfaces, with an adsorption energy of -1.673 eV and a significant charge transfer of 0.367 e- to RGO. This interaction modifies the electronic structure, creating semi-metallic behavior near the Fermi level and enhancing catalytic activity through improved charge carrier dynamics and active sites for photocatalytic applications.

The Ni49+xMn32-2xGa19+x (x = 0; 2) Heusler ferromagnetic shape memory alloys were prepared using spark plasma sintering using raw flake-type powders obtained by soft grinding melt-spun ribbons. Samples were characterized using x-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, thermal analysis, and bending tests. Although the properties of ribbons and corresponding powders show similar properties' tendencies, they are opposite in the bulk sintered alloys when compared with precursor powders. Namely, Ni49Mn32Ga19 bulk shows a higher enthalpy (5.8 J g-1), an increased martensitic transformation (MT) temperature (by 9 K), and a reduced hysteresis span (5 K). Conversely, for the Ni51Mn28Ga21 sintered sample, a lower enthalpy (2 J g-1), a significant decrease (by 40 K) in the MT starting temperature, and a broadening of the hysteresis range (26 K) were observed. This difference is analyzed versus specific features of the microstructure. Moreover, the activation energy and the pre-exponential factor of the MT, extracted through kinetic analysis within two non-isothermal models, Kissinger and Friedman, complement and sustain these findings. Fractography details of the sintered samples are discussed in relation to the stress-strain curves from the bending tests. The Ni49Mn32Ga19 bulk sample exhibits a higher bending strength (260 MPa) and a lower strain (0.55%) than the Ni51Mn28Ga21 sample (177 MPa and 0.61%). The observed dependence of functional characteristics on preparation enables the possibility of property control required for various applications and suggests that the proposed route is promising in this regard for further investigations.

The present study investigates the influence of strontium (Sr) content on the intrinsic properties of barium strontium titanate (Ba1-xSrxTiO3, BST) which was successfully prepared by the conventional solid-state reaction with different concentrations of strontium (x = 0, 0.3, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 1). The resulting samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, the dielectric properties being also investigated. Structural and vibrational analyses reveal a structural phase transition from tetragonal to cubic at x = 0.4, with a linear decline of the tetragonality ratio as well as a shrinkage in the unit cell volume that occur with increasing Sr content. The morphological study shows that the grain size decreases as the Sr content increases in the tetragonal phase. Yet, upon the phase transition from tetragonal to cubic, the grain size initially increases, followed by a subsequent decrease with further Sr addition. It has been found that the band gap shows a decrease as Sr content increases. The temperature dependence of the dielectric parameters reveals that the Curie temperature as well as the dielectric constant and the loss tangent are strongly affected by the addition of Sr. The activation energy derived from the dielectric response, was found to be in the range 0.685-1.065eV, suggesting the dominance of doubly ionized oxygen vacancy for conduction and relaxation mechanism. Ab initio calculations were done employing the Linear Combination of Atomic Orbitals (LCAO) method. The bandgap energy (Eg) and the structural parameters were calculated using various types of exchange-correlation functionals (PWGGA, PBE, B3LYP and PBE0). A good agreement with the experimental results is achieved using the PBE0 functional. This study contributes to a better understanding of the structure-property relationship in BaSrTiO3 and provides valuable insights for optimizing its performance in various technological applications.

In this study, we developed a ternary nanocomposite using graphene oxide (GO), multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), and tungsten trioxide (WO3), nanostructures, synthesized via a straightforward chemical process with ultrasound assistance. The initial composition was GO/MWCNT, later combined with WO3 to form the GO/ MWCNT: WO3 (25/25:50) structure. Characterization was performed using X-ray diffraction, which revealed the multiphase nature of the WO3 nanostructures. Scanning Electron Microscopy showed the one-dimensional CNTs interwoven with graphene oxide sheets decorated with densely populated WO3 nanopetals. Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopy confirmed the chemical composition of the system. The photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine-B in water under visible light irradiation was significantly enhanced using the GO/

Herein we present a comparative study among different spray-coated nanometric mesoporous electron transporting layers (ETLs) in perovskite solar cells (PSC), namely m-TiO2, 2 , m-SnO2 2 and m-SnO2 2 quantum dots (mSnO2QDs). 2 QDs). The solutions used for deposition were prepared from commercial pastes and colloidal suspensions for m-TiO2 2 and m-SnO2. 2 . For m-SnO2QDs 2 QDs in-house QDs solutions were prepared. The formamidiniummethylamonium-potassium (FAMA@10 K) has been used as light absorber material in the fabricated PSCs. The structural, compositional and morphological studies, correlated with the photovoltaic performance of PSCs, indicate that the m-SnO2 2 QDs layer is the best candidate among the three investigated mesoporous ETLs. Compared with the suspensions used for the other two ETLs, the in-house prepared SnO2 2 QDs solution presents smaller agglomerates of nanoparticles and results in the formation of a thinner, more uniform and compact mesoporous ETL. The FAMA@10 K perovskite deposited on m-SnO2 2 QDs ETL presents a lower roughness, better uniformity and a higher amount of PbI2. 2 . Our work unveils that the SnO2 2 QDs solution can be easily produced in laboratory and when is deposited as mesoporous scaffold in a PSC with FAMA@10 K perovskite, the power conversion efficiency increases up to 14.90 %, being with up to 27 % larger than in the PSCs with m-TiO2 2 and mSnO2 2 ETLs prepared from commercial solutions. By modeling the J-V dynamic hysteresis with more than 90 % match between the calculated and experimental J-V data, for all three types of mesoporous ETLs, the relevant parameters that explain the hysteresis magnitude and account for ionic-induced recombination processes in PSCs were determined.

The present study investigates the influence of strontium (Sr) content on the intrinsic properties of barium strontium titanate (Ba1-xSrxTiO3, BST) which was successfully prepared by the conventional solid-state reaction with different concentrations of strontium (x = 0, 0.3, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 1). The resulting samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, the dielectric properties being also investigated. Structural and vibrational analyses reveal a structural phase transition from tetragonal to cubic at x = 0.4, with a linear decline of the tetragonality ratio as well as a shrinkage in the unit cell volume that occur with increasing Sr content. The morphological study shows that the grain size decreases as the Sr content increases in the tetragonal phase. Yet, upon the phase transition from tetragonal to cubic, the grain size initially increases, followed by a subsequent decrease with further Sr addition. It has been found that the band gap shows a decrease as Sr content increases. The temperature dependence of the dielectric parameters reveals that the Curie temperature as well as the dielectric constant and the loss tangent are strongly affected by the addition of Sr. The activation energy derived from the dielectric response, was found to be in the range 0.685-1.065eV, suggesting the dominance of doubly ionized oxygen vacancy for conduction and relaxation mechanism. Ab initio calculations were done employing the Linear Combination of Atomic Orbitals (LCAO) method. The bandgap energy (Eg) and the structural parameters were calculated using various types of exchange-correlation functionals (PWGGA, PBE, B3LYP and PBE0). A good agreement with the experimental results is achieved using the PBE0 functional. This study contributes to a better understanding of the structure-property relationship in BaSrTiO3 and provides valuable insights for optimizing its performance in various technological applications.

Composite x-at.% Yb:Y2O3/y-at.% Yb:Y2O3 (x = 0, 3, 5; y = 3, 5, 8) transparent ceramics with a graded doping profile of Yb3+ ions were obtained by solid-state reaction and multi-step sintering method. The multilayer ceramic compositions, consisting of two- and three-layers, were prepared by direct dry pressing of the constituent powders. Phase identification revealed that all sintered ceramics are well crystallized with a cubic structure similar to pure Y2O3, without impurity phases. Microstructural investigations have shown that the composite ceramics have a uniform morphology, with an average grain size of approximately 20 mu m, indicating that increasing the concentration of Yb3+ ions in the corresponding layers has no visible effect on the microstructure of the Y2O3 ceramics. Yb cations diffusion across the contact boundaries was investigated by the Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy analysis. Laser emission at 1.03 mu m was obtained from all ceramic samples, using quasi-continuous pumping at 971 nm with a fiber-coupled diode laser. This technique can be used to obtain multilayer ceramic structures, which could ensure for high-power lasers a controlled profile of the power absorbed in the active medium, or an efficient transfer of the heat generated during laser emission.

We report the synthesis and characterization of folic acid (FA)-conjugated human serum albumin nanoparticles, (HSA-FA):Ru NPs, as targeted carriers for rutin (Ru), a flavonoid with known anticancer activity. Nanoparticles were fabricated via a desolvation method, and their surface was functionalized with folic acid to promote selective uptake by cancer cells overexpressing folate receptors. Morphological and dimensional analyses performed by atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and fluorescence microscopy confirmed that all nanoparticles were below 100 nm and exhibited good colloidal stability. Voltametric measurements confirmed the successful incorporation of both rutin and folic acid within the (HSA-FA):Ru nanoparticle formulation. Biological evaluation was conducted on healthy L929 fibroblasts and HT-29 colon adenocarcinoma cells. MTS colorimetric assays revealed that (HSA-FA):Ru NPs significantly reduced the viability of HT-29 cells, while maintaining higher compatibility with L929 cells. Fluorescence and electron microscopy further confirmed preferential nanoparticle uptake and surface accumulation in HT-29 cells, supporting the role of folic acid in enhancing targeted delivery. The study demonstrates that HSA-based nanoparticles functionalized with FA and loaded with Ru offer a biocompatible and efficient strategy for selective intracellular drug delivery in colorectal cancer. These findings support the use of albumin-based nanocarriers in the development of targeted therapeutic platforms for cancer treatment.

In the present work, we report the synthesis and investigations of La0.9K0.1MnO3 and La0.8K0.1Pb0.1MnO3 bulk samples which could be potential magnetocaloric materials for magnetic refrigeration close to room temperature. A flash combustion reaction and sintering at 1200 degrees C for 10 h are used to prepare the bulk materials. Both compounds crystallized into a rhombohedral structure with R3\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\overline{3 }$$\end{document}c space group confirmed by X-ray powder diffraction results. Scanning electron microscopy analysis, combined with XRD peak profiles is performed to estimate the particle/crystallite size of the samples. Moreover, the Curie temperature, TC, is found to be higher in lead-rich sample due to the enhancement of the grain size and the Mn3+-O-Mn4+ double exchange (DE) interaction. Therefore, the bulk sample La0.8K0.1Pb0.1MnO3 shows a room temperature phase transition of 289 K as well as a higher saturation magnetization. The La0.8K0.1Pb0.1MnO3 bulk compound exhibits a high and sharp peak in magnetic entropy change up to 5.5 Jkg-1 K-1 under 5 T at the magnetic transition temperature TC. To compare the magnetocaloric performances of the studied compounds, relative cooling power (RCP) was employed. The obtained experimental results revealed that the increase in particle size influences severely the magnetocaloric properties.

A novel scaffold for in situ electrochemical detection of cell biomarkers was developed using electrospun nanofibers and commercial adhesive polymeric membranes. The electrochemical sensing of cell biomarkers requires the cultivation of the cells on/near the (bio)sensor surface in a manner to preserve an appropriate electroactive available surface and to avoid the surface passivation and sensor damage. This can be achieved by employing biocompatible nanofiber meshes that allow the cells to have a normal behavior and do not alter the electrochemical detection. For a better mechanical stability and ease of handling, nylon 6/6 nanofibers were collected on commercial polymeric membranes, at an optimal fiber density, obtaining a double-layered platform. To demonstrate the functionality of the fabricated scaffold, the screening of cellular stress has been achieved integrating melanoma B16-F10 cells and the (bio)sensor components on the transducer whereas the melanin exocytosis was successfully quantified using a commercial electrode. Either directly on the surface of the (bio)sensor or spatially detached from it, the integration of cell cultures in biosensing platforms based on electrospun nanofibers represents a powerful bioanalytical tool able to provide real-time information about the biomarker release, enzyme activity or inhibition, and monitoring of various cellular events.

Electrospun nanofibres based on poly(styrene sulfonate) doped poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT:PSS) were fabricated using a straightforward procedure which combines electrospinning, sputtering deposition and electrochemical synthesis. In general, electrospun fibre meshes based on conducting polymers are prepared by mixing the conducting polymer with a carrier polymer or chemically coverage of the fibres. In contrast, freestanding nylon 6/6 nanofibre webs were prepared through electrospinning and were coated by sputtering with gold in order to make them conductive. Further, a PEDOT:PSS layer was electrochemically deposited onto the metalized nanofibre meshes and the synthesis parameters were chosen in such a way to preserve the high active area of the fibres. The prepared material was morphologically characterized and the formation of PEDOT:PSS was also demonstrated. The PEDOT:PSS coated nanofibres revealed remarkable electrical properties (sheet resistance of about 3.5 Omega cm(-2)), similar to those of metalized nanofibres (sheet resistance around 3 Omega cm2). The in vitro studies using L929 fibroblast mouse cells showed that the bioactive material has no cytotoxic effect and allows proliferation. Moreover, after 72 h of incubation, the fibroblasts shrunk their nuclei and spread suggesting that a differentiation in myofibroblast occurs without application of any kind of external stimuli. These results will be helpful for developing efficient materials for wound healing applications that work without energy consumption.

The bioavailability of the administered drugs that reach the systemic circulation is the first point in resolving the pathology of patients. Albumin-based nanoparticles represent an increasingly used strategy to deliver cancer drugs into cells that otherwise cannot overcome biological barriers. In this work, rutin (Ru), a flavonoid with anticancer and antioxidant potential, was incorporated into bovine serum albumin nanoparticles (BSA-Ru NPs), developed using the desolvation method, and the entire system was characterized and evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy. The results showed that BSA and BSA-Ru NPs are uniformly distributed, have relatively large sizes, and have a time stability of more than 60%. Furthermore, the effect of these nanohybrids on the thermal stability of liposomal membranes was evaluated by surface plasmon resonance (SPR), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The viability evaluation was assessed by the tetrazolium salt (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium) (MTS) protocol in the fibroblast L929 line and a high level of biocompatibility, confirmed by SEM results, was found.

This research targets the need for eco-friendly strategies in the synthesis of bioactive materials, addressing the importance of valorization of vegetal waste. This study focuses on developing biohybrids containing biomimetic lipid vesicles and phytosynthesized gold-silver chloride nanoparticles (AuAgCl NPs) derived from Achillea millefolium L. extract. By leveraging the natural antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of the plant, the research proposes a sustainable approach to creating materials with potential biomedical applications. The biomimetic membranes were loaded with chlorophyll a, a natural spectral marker. Three types of bioactive materials (biohybrids) were developed by varying the lipid vesicle/AuAgCl NP ratio. Optical (UV-Vis, fluorescence emission, FTIR), structural (XRD), elemental (EDX, XPS), and morphological (TEM) studies were performed to characterize the bio-developed materials. The hydrophobic/hydrophilic characteristics of the samples were investigated by measuring the water contact angle, and their size was estimated by DLS and TEM. Zeta potential measurements were used to evaluate the physical stability of phyto-developed particles. Antioxidant properties of phyto-particles were investigated through the chemiluminescence technique. The obtained biomaterials exhibited high antioxidant activity and antiproliferative activity against HT-29 and B-16 cancer cells. Therapeutic index values were calculated for each biohybrid. Additionally, the bio-prepared hybrids revealed biocidal action against Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis. The phyto-developed biomaterials are promising in biomedical applications, particularly as adjuvants in cancer therapy.

Structurally disordered Pr3+-doped Ca-3(Ta,Ga)(5)O-12 - Pr:CTGG single crystal was grown by the Czochralski technique for the first time and its spectroscopic properties were investigated. Modified Judd-Ofelt analysis was applied to determine spectroscopic and laser emission characteristics. Based on low-temperature absorption and emission spectra, the partial energy levels of Pr3+ ions have been obtained and a multicenter structure of the optical spectra was highlighted. The electron-phonon interactions were also observed in the emission spectra corresponding to the P-3(0) -> H-3(4) transition under different excitation wavelengths. The fluorescence decays of the P-3(0) and D-1(2) levels were measured. The emission cross-sections corresponding to the P-3(0) -> H-3(4) (486.5 nm) and P-3(0) -> F-3(2) (652.7 nm) transitions were found to be sigma(em) = 19 x 10(-20) cm(2) and crem = 15 x 10(-20) cm(2), respectively. The values for other parameters that may predict the possibility of achieving efficient laser emission, especially at 486.5 nm, such as quantum efficiency (eta = 50 %), gain bandwidth (sigma(em) x Iota lambda(eff), = 32.2 x 10(-26) cm(3)), and optical gain (sigma(em) x tau(meas) = 12.86 x 10(-25) cm(2) s) were determined. The obtained results indicate that the Pr:CTGG crystal has a high potential for obtaining efficient laser emission in the blue domain.

The purpose of the work is the synthesis and characterization of TiO2 nanoparticles. These were obtained by two different methods, precipitation and sol-gel, starting from titanium(IV) isopropoxide and calcining at 500 degrees C for 2 h. The compositional, structural, morphological and optical properties of the resulting powders were investigated by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, reflectance spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The thermally treated samples contain TiO2 as single phase with tetragonal structure, known as anatase. SEM analysis showed quasi-spherical particles with a diameter of few nanometres for the calcined samples, while the optical studies revealed band gap values of 3.04 and 3.17 eV, as a function of the preparation route.

In fusion reactors, such as ITER or DEMO, the plasma used to generate nuclear reactions will reach temperatures that are an order of magnitude higher than in the Sun's core. Although the plasma is not supposed to be in contact with the reactor walls, a large amount of heat generated by electromagnetic radiation, electrons and ions being expelled from the plasma will reach the plasma-facing surface of the reactor. Especially for the divertor part, high heat fluxes of up to 20 MW/m(2) are expected even in normal operating conditions. An improvement in the plasma-facing material (which is, in the case of ITER, pure Tungsten, W) is desired at least in terms of both a higher recrystallization temperature and a lower brittle-to-ductile transition temperature. In the present work, we discuss three microengineering routes based on inclusions of nanometric dispersions, which are proposed to improve the W properties, and present the microstructural and thermophysical properties of the resulting W-based composites with such dispersions. The materials' behavior after 6 MeV electron irradiation tests is also presented, and their further development is discussed.

Zinc substituted nickel-cobalt ferrites, i.e., ZnxNi0.8-xCo0.2Fe2O4 (x = 0.0, 0.05, 0.10 and 0.20) with average crystallite size 100 nm were synthesized by citrate-gel auto-combustion method to investigate effects of Zn2+ substitution on the structural and dielectric properties. Both X-ray diffraction (XRD) and IR spectroscopy studies confirms the formation of pure cubic spinel structure. Variation of lattice parameter infers Vegard's law linear dependence with the addition of Zn2+ concentration. The temperature-dependent behavior of dielectric and modulus spectra has been studied within the frequency range 100 Hz-100 kHz for different temperatures between 100 K and 400 K. It was concluded that the dielectric responses of ZnxNi0.8-xCo0.2Fe2O4 are found to be frequency dependent and thermally activated. Also, In the Zn doped ferrites variations of dielectric loss (tan d) and the imaginary part of electric modulus (M") show the presence of the non-Debye type of dielectric relaxation. Rise in Zinc concentration leads to a decrease in dielectric constant (e (r)) due to the declining of Fe3+-O-M2+ conducting network (M is Co or Ni). Here, we report a low loss tangent factor of the order of 8x10-3 0.6Zn(0.2)Co(0.2)Fe(2)O(4) make this composition suitable for high frequency-applications at room temperature. The activation energy is calculated from electric modulus formalism and DC electrical conductivity and found to increase with further substitution of Zn2+ concentration.

Photocatalysis is one of the approaches for solving environmental issues derived from extremely harmful pollution caused by industrial dyes, medicine, and heavy metals. Titanium dioxide is among the most promising photocatalytic semiconductors; thus, in this work, TiO2 powders were prepared by a hydrothermal synthesis using titanium tetrachloride TiCl4 as a Ti source. The effect of the hydrochloric acid (HCl) concentration on TiO2 formation was analyzed, in which a thorough morpho-structural analysis was performed employing different analysis methods like XRD, Raman spectroscopy, SEM/TEM, and N-2 physisorption. EPR spectroscopy was employed to characterize the paramagnetic defect centers and the photogeneration of reactive oxygen species. Photocatalytic properties were tested by photocatalytic degradation of the rhodamine B (RhB) dye under UV light irradiation and using a solar simulator. The pH value directly influenced the formation of the TiO2 phases; for less acidic conditions, the anatase phase of TiO2 crystallized, with a crystallite size of approximate to 9 nm. Promising results were observed for TiO2, which contained 76% rutile, showing a 96% degradation of RhB under the solar simulator and 91% under UV light after 90 min irradiation, and the best result showed that the sample with 67% of the anatase phase after 60 min irradiation under the solar simulator had a 99% degradation efficiency.

Bulk MgB2 discs were prepared by an in situ route from mixtures of magnesium and boron powders. The boron powders were produced by two methods. The first one consisted of a self-propagating high tem-perature magnesiothermic synthesis (SHS) process followed by acid and fluorine cleaning and a heat treatment in inert atmosphere. This approach produced boron with purities between 86 % and 97 %, where the main impurity was Mg. Depending on the final heat treatment, these boron powders were amorphous or crystalline. In the second route, high purity nano powders (99 %) of boron were obtained by a diborane pyrolysis process. Bulks of MgB2 were characterized by structural, microstructural, and magnetic mea-surements. Critical current density, pinning force aspects and levitation force (including guiding force) details were assessed. Amorphous lower purity boron (86-97 %) obtained by the first processing route was found to promote the largest levitation forces of the MgB2 bulks and, among these samples, the best le-vitation results were recorded when using boron with a purity of 95-97 %. Use of a lower purity boron that decreases the cost of MgB2 promotes large scale production at industrial level of bulk MgB2 super-conducting magnets for levitation applications and enhances the applicability potential of MgB2 super-conductor. The relationship between levitation force and specific features of the samples such as pinning force details are discussed.& COPY; 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

We present a breakthrough in the development of novel nanocomposites based on reduced graphene oxide (RGO)-functionalized zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods that hold exceptional promise for their use in white light emitting diodes (LEDs) and reliable UV photodetection. The nanorods had a pristine hexagonal wurtzite struc-ture, as confirmed by XRD analysis. SEM images revealed sandwich-like nanocomposites with ZnO nanorods coated in reduced graphene oxide and embedded between two layers of RGO. The study also confirmed the hybridization and interactions between the layers using Raman measurements. The resulting nanocomposites displayed a lower band gap energy than ZnO and exhibited unique photoluminescence spectra with a white PL light. The photodetector based on RGO/ZnO/RGO sandwich structures demonstrated exceptional photoresponse, with higher photocurrent under UV illumination, making it highly promising for a wide range of optoelectronic applications. Overall, this study offers a novel and powerful approach to create nanocomposite structures with enhanced optical characteristics.

Transparent conductive electrodes (TCE) obtained by the electrospinning method and gold covered were used as cathodes in the organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) to create double side-emission. The electro-active nanofibers of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) with diameters in the range of several hundreds of nanometers, were prepared through the electrospinning method. The nanofibers were coated with gold by sputtering deposition, maintaining optimal transparency and conductivity to increase the electroluminescence on both electrodes. Optical, structural, and electrical measurements of the as-prepared transparent electrodes have shown good transparency and higher electrical conductivity. In this study, two types of OLEDs consisting of indium tin oxide (ITO)/ poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT-PSS)/ Ir(III) complex (8-hydroxyquinolinat bis(2-phenylpyridyl) iridium-IrQ(ppy)(2) 20 wt% embedded in N, N '-Dicarbazolyl-4,4 '-biphenyl (CBP) sandwich structure and either gold-covered PMMA electrospun nanoweb (OLED with electrospun cathode) were fabricated together with a similar structure containing thin film gold cathodes (OLED with thin film cathode). The luminance-current-voltage characteristics, the capacitance-voltage, and the electroluminescence properties of these OLEDs were investigated.

High density samples (92-94.5 %) of MgB2 were prepared by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS). The on-off pulsed current patterns of SPS processing were 8-4, 12-2, 24-2, 99-1. Patterns with more on pulses favor formation of a higher amount of the secondary MgB4 phase through the decomposition of MgB2. They also promote enhancement of larger MgO crystallites without a strong increase in the amount of this phase. Densification rate and pressure in the SPS chamber show a similar behavior, but their amplitude varies and the temperatures defining different stages present some shifts. As-revealed differences induced by pulsed patterns impact superconducting properties in a complex manner. An attempt to assess correlations between the pattern and different superconducting parameters is presented.

In this study, a sol-gel film based on lead sulfide (PbS) quantum dots incorporated into a host network was synthesized as a special nanostructured composite material with potential applications in temperature sensor systems. This work dealt with the optical, structural, and morphological properties of a representative PbS quantum dot (QD)-containing thin film belonging to the Al2O3-SiO2-P2O5 system. The film was prepared using the sol-gel method combined with the spin coating technique, starting from a precursor solution containing a suspension of PbS QDs in toluene with a narrow size distribution and coated on a glass substrate in a multilayer process, followed by annealing of each deposited layer. The size (approximately 10 nm) of the lead sulfide nanocrystallites was validated by XRD and by the quantum confinement effect based on the band gap value and by TEM results. The photoluminescence peak of 1505 nm was very close to that of the precursor PbS QD solution, which demonstrated that the synthesis route of the film preserved the optical emission characteristic of the PbS QDs. The photoluminescence of the lead sulfide QD-containing film in the near infrared domain demonstrates that this material is a promising candidate for future sensing applications in temperature monitoring.

Green nanotechnology is a rapidly growing field linked to using the principles of green chemistry to design novel nanomaterials with great potential in environmental and health protection. In this work, metal and semiconducting particles (AuNPs, AgClNPs, ZnO, AuZnO, AgClZnO, and AuAgClZnO) were phytosynthesized through a "green" bottom-up approach, using burdock (Arctium lappa L.) aqueous extract. The morphological (SEM/TEM), structural (XRD, SAED), compositional (EDS), optical (UV-Vis absorption and FTIR spectroscopy), photocatalytic, and bio-properties of the prepared composites were analyzed. The particle size was determined by SEM/TEM and by DLS measurements. The phytoparticles presented high and moderate physical stability, evaluated by zeta potential measurements. The investigation of photocatalytic activity of these composites, using Rhodamine B solutions' degradation under solar light irradiation in the presence of prepared powders, showed different degradation efficiencies. Bioevaluation of the obtained composites revealed the antioxidant and antibacterial properties. The tricomponent system AuAgClZnO showed the best antioxidant activity for capturing ROS and ABTS center dot(+) radicals, and the best biocidal action against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The "green" developed composites can be considered potential adjuvants in biomedical (antioxidant or biocidal agents) or environmental (as antimicrobial agents and catalysts for degradation of water pollutants) applications.

In our work, the kinetics of martensitic transformations and the influence of thermal treatments on martensitic transformations, as well as the related magnetic properties of the Ni49Mn32Ga19 ferromagnetic shape memory melt-spun ribbons, have been investigated. Thermal treatments at 673 K for 1, 4 and 8 h can be considered an instrument for fine-tuning the performance parameters of alloys. One-hour thermal treatments promote an improvement in the crystallinity of these otherwise highly textured ribbons, reducing internal defects and stress induced by the melt-spinning technique. Longer thermal treatments induce an important magnetization rise concomitantly with a slight and continuous increase in martensitic temperatures and transformation enthalpy. The activation energy, evaluated from differential scanning calorimeter experimental data with a Friedman model, significantly increases after thermal treatments as a result of the multi-phase coexistence and stabilization of the non-modulated martensitic phase, which increases the reverse martensitic transformation hindrance.

Cu2NiSnS4 (CNTS) absorber layers are elaborated by electrodeposition at various applied potentials followed by sulfurization treatment at 450 degrees C under sulfur atmosphere. The microstructural investigations revealed the presence of Cu4SnS4 secondary phases which can be reduced using an applied potential of -1.15 V vs. Ag/AgCl. Using the corresponding cathodic potential for Ni2+, the competing detrimental hydrogen evolution regresses the morphology and composition. The film with the highest Ni concentration has a band gap of 1.44 eV as inferred from diffuse reflectance data. The Randles cell model is probed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.

The current study reports on the fabrication of composite scaffolds based on polycaprolactone (PCL) and cerium (Ce)-containing powders, followed by their characterization from compositional, structural, morphological, optical and biological points of view. First, CeO2, Ce-doped calcium phosphates and Ce-substituted bioglass were synthesized by wet-chemistry methods (precipitation/coprecipitation and sol-gel) and subsequently loaded on PCL fibres processed by electrospinning. The powders were proven to be nanometric or micrometric, while the investigation of their phase composition showed that Ce was present as a dopant within the crystal lattice of the obtained calcium phosphates or as crystalline domains inside the glassy matrix. The best bioactivity was attained in the case of Ce-containing bioglass, while the most pronounced antibacterial effect was visible for Ce-doped calcium phosphates calcined at a lower temperature. The scaffolds were composed of either dimensionally homogeneous fibres or mixtures of fibres with a wide size distribution and beads of different shapes. In most cases, the increase in polymer concentration in the precursor solution ensured the achievement of more ordered fibre mats. The immersion in SBF for 28 days triggered an incipient degradation of PCL, evidenced mostly through cracks and gaps. In terms of biological properties, the composite scaffolds displayed a very good biocompatibility when tested with human osteoblast cells, with a superior response for the samples consisting of the polymer and Ce-doped calcium phosphates.

Structure, composition, and transport properties of Mg2-xAgx(Si0.3Sn0.7)1-yGay (x = {0, 0.021, y = {0, 0.02, 0.04, 0.061) solid solutions produced by melting followed by spark plasma sintering are investigated. The preparation method is adjusted to control sample stoichiometry and phase composition. Doping with two types of dopants at different sites, while employing synthesis methods which generate a small amount of secondary phase, is an uncommon approach in this materials, expected to enhance their thermoelectric performance. An enhanced carrier concentration but diminished mobility is observed in the samples with higher amounts of dopant, which leads to the highest values of the power factor, for Mg1.98Ag0.02Si0.27Sn0.67Ga0.06 in a narrow temperature range (575-675 K) around the peak value, of 9.10-4 Wm-1 K-2 at 625 K. The two types of dopants have opposing effects on the thermal conductivity, with Ag promoting strong phonon scattering and decreasing its values while Ga increases them because of its en-hanced carrier concentration. The rather high thermal conductivity values of the double doped compounds produce low values of the ZT without exceeding 0.29 at 627 K for Mg1.98Ag0.02Si0.3Sn0.7 sample.(c) 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Due to the great significance of amino acids, a substantial number of research studies has been directed toward the development of effective and reliable platforms for their evaluation, detection, and identification. In order to support these studies, a new electrochemical platform based on PANI/ZnO nanowires' modified carbon inks screen-printed electrodes was developed for qualitative analysis of electroactive amino acids, with emphasis on tyrosine (Tyr) and tryptophan (Trp). A comparative investigation of the carbon ink before and after modification with the PANI/ZnO was performed by scanning electron microscopy and by Raman spectroscopy, confirming the presence of PANI and ZnO nanowires. Electrochemical investigations by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy have shown a higher charge-transfer rate constant, which is reflected into lower charge-transfer resistance and higher capacitance values for the PANI/ZnO modified ink when compared to the simple carbon screen-printed electrode. In order to demonstrate the electrochemical performances of the PANI/ZnO nanowires' modified carbon inks screen-printed electrodes for amino acids analysis, differential pulse voltammograms were obtained in individual and mixed solutions of electroactive amino acids. It has been shown that the PANI/ZnO nanowires' modified carbon inks screen-printed electrodes allowed for tyrosine and tryptophan a peak separation of more than 100 mV, enabling their screening and identification in mixed solutions, which is essential for the electrochemical analysis of proteins within the proteomics research field.

We report a novel approach in producing and characterizing enriched isotopic selenium-82 (82Se) thin films with trigonal hexagonal crystal structure (t-82Se), the most thermodynamically stable form of the element. The ob-tained t-82Se thin films are used as targets in accelerator based nuclear structure experiments. Several 82Se thin films with thicknesses around 5 mg/cm2 (10.4 & mu;m) were deposited on 5 mg/cm2 (3 & mu;m) tantalum (Ta) foils by vacuum evaporation-condensation method. The condensed 82Se films exhibit unstable amorphous structure (a-82Se), therefore were converted to t-82Se by means of an appropriate vacuum heat treatment developed in the target laboratory of IFIN-HH. After the thermal treatment, the microstructure, morphology and composition of the 82Se films were evaluated before and after the vacuum thermal treatment using Fourier Transform Raman Spectroscopy (FT-Raman), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Scanning Electron Mi-croscopy (SEM) and Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDX) techniques. Furthermore, an in-beam & gamma;-spectroscopy experiment performed at the 9-MV tandem accelerator of IFIN-HH confirmed that the ther-mally treated t-82Se films possess high durability and high purity with no detectable contamination and no mass loss.

ZnO nanostructures were electrochemically synthesized on Cu and on chemical vapor deposited (CVD)-graphene/Cu electrodes. The deposition was performed at different electrode potentials ranging from -0.8 to -1.2 V, employing a zinc nitrate bath, and using voltametric and chronoamperometric techniques. The effects of the electrode nature and of the working electrode potential on the structural, morphological, and optical properties of the ZnO structures were investigated. It was found that all the samples crystallize in hexagonal wurtzite structure with a preferential orientation along the c-axis. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images confirm that the presence of a graphene covered electrode led to the formation of ZnO nanowires with a smaller diameter compared with the deposition directly on copper surface. The photoluminescence (PL) measurements revealed that the ZnO nanowires grown on graphene/Cu exhibit stronger emission compared to the nanowires grown on Cu. The obtained results add another possibility of tailoring the properties of such nanostructured films according to the specific functionality required.

The low-energy electron irradiation improves the electrical properties of the Ti-doped chromium thin films obtained by Laser-assisted Thermionic Vacuum Arc (LTVA). The irradiation doses, between 0.6 C/m(2) and 326.4 C/m(2), operate as a nanozonal melting effect, decreasing the metallic alloy's roughness, and increasing the electrical conductivity at a depth up to 8 nm. Therefore, the grain sizes of the surface nanostructures are increased after irradiation, but the surface roughness is substantially improved. By tailoring the surface parameters like crystallinity and roughness of the metallic thin films used as electrodes in the OLED technologies, a reduction of the Schottky contacts between the metal and semiconductor contact is expected. This fact minimizes the contact resistance between the metallic and semiconductor thin films and increases the charge injection across the OLED sandwich structures.

A nanostructured samarium oxide electrode was constructed by electrodeposition onto the surface of a gold electrode on SiO2/Si wafer. The samarium oxides electrode's surface morphology was investigated by scanning electron microcopy showing a quasi-monodispersed nanoplatelets like structure. X-rays diffraction analysis demonstrated a mixture of monoclinic and hexagonal phases while the X-rays photoelectron spectroscopy indicated the co-existence of both Sm2+ and Sm3+ species in a 1:3 proportion. Cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were used to investigate the charge transfer processes at the surface of the samarium oxide electrode in the absence and in the presence of redox probes. A roughness factor of 2.5 was determined from the samarium oxide electrode while the charge transfer constant was almost double when compared to the planar gold electrode. Then, the samarium oxide electrode was used for the H2O2 detection by fixed potential amperometry at -0.20 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) with a linear region between 0.01 and 1.00 mM, a sensitivity of 153 mu A cm(-2) mM(-1) and a LoD = 2.70 mu M. Glucose oxidase was used as a model enzyme in order to test the capacity of the samarium oxides electrode for biosensing. The enzyme was immobilized by physical adsorption and the optimum conditions for glucose analysis investigated. The biosensor showed a linear range for glucose detection between 0.10 and 1.20 mM with a sensitivity of 8.40 mu A cm(-2) mM(-1) and a LoD = 8.00 mu M. Selectivity was tested toward common interfering species, and the results revealed the lack of biosensor response. The glucose biosensor on samarium oxides was tested for glucose detection in serum samples with a recovery factor of 90%, and the result validated with a commercial glucometer. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

This work reports the effect of the rapid solidification technique and thermal treatment on the martensitic transformation (MT), magnetic and magnetostrictive properties on the off-stoichiometric Ni49Mn31Ga20 and Ni51Mn28Ga21 ferromagnetic shape memory ribbons. The samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy, magnetic and magnetostrictive measurements. The temperature dependence of the X-ray phases analysis shows the presence of martensite structures, both tetragonal and monoclinic, at room temperature and allowed to study their evolution through MT. The thermal treatment induces changes in the microstructure with implications in MT and Curie temperatures evolution. The competition between the magnetization orientation and twin boundary motion within martensitic variants under magnetic field evidenced in the magnetic-strain curves was discussed and correlated with the magnetic data.

Cerium-doped Lutetium-Yttrium Oxyorthosilicate (LYSO:Ce) is one of the most widely used Cerium-doped Lutetium based scintillation crystals. Initially developed for medical detectors it rapidly became attractive for High Energy Particle Physics (HEP) applications, especially in the frame of high luminosity particle colliders. In this paper, a comprehensive and systematic study of LYSO:Ce ([Lu((1-x))Y-x](2)SiO5 : Ce) crystals is presented. It involves for the first time a large number of crystal samples (180) of the same size from a dozen of producers. The study consists of a comparative characterization of LYSO:Ce crystal products available on the market by mechanical, optical and scintillation measurements and aims specifically, to investigate key parameters of timing applications for HEP.

Sesquipedalian mud and burnt bricks (second to third century AD) were excavated from the Roman city of Romula located in the Lower Danube Region (Olt county, Romania). Along with local soils, bricks are investigated by petrographic analysis, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), electron microscopy (SEM/EDX), X-ray microtomography (XRT), thermal analysis (DTA-TG), M.ssbauer spectroscopy, magnetometry, colorimetry, and mechanical properties assessment. The results correlate well with each other, being useful for conservation/restoration purposes and as reference data for other ceramic materials. Remarkably, our analysis and comparison with literature data indicate possible control and wise optimization by the ancient brickmakers through the recipe, design (size, shape, and micro/ macrostructure), and technology of the desired physical-chemical-mechanical properties. We discuss the Roman bricks as materials that can adapt to external factors, similar, to some extent, to modern "smart" or "intelligent" materials. These features can explain their outstanding durability to changes of weather/climate and mechanical load.

Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells are within the emerging photovoltaic technologies. The combination of different halogen ions, in certain fill fractions, is one of the methods to improve the perovskite film properties. Herein, fabrication and characterization of perovskite cells in standard mesoscopic architecture using one-step deposition method has been done. The role of the halogen ions (Chlorine or Bromine) on crystal structure growth and photoelectric performance has been investigated. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and optical microscopy analysis were performed. The microstructure, composition and morphology of CH3NH3PbI1.8Br1.2 and CH3NH3PbI1.8Cl1.2 films are dissimilar, although identical fabrication method was used. Same holds for optical properties, band gap energies of 1.84 eV and 1.63 eV, respectively, being obtained. Integrated in solar cells, the maximum power conversion efficiency of the Br based devices is beyond 10%, while for those based on Cl, the efficiency drops around 5%.

In this work, thermoelectric properties of the nanocomposite materials produced via ball milling followed by spark plasma sintering from In0.2Yb0.2Co4Sb12 double filled skutterudite (SKT) with silicon and tungsten carbide inclusions are investigated. The nanocomposites with low volume ratios of beta-SiC and '-WC have a significantly increased power factor, while the lattice thermal conductivity is lowered only for beta-SiC composites. The power factor enhancement in '-WC/SKT composite compensates the increase of its thermal conductivity, and as a consequence, the maximum value of the figure of merit, 0.97, is attained for 0.33 v% 'WC at 450 degrees C, with 15% higher than that of the simple skutterudite sample. (c) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The performances of 3.5 at.% Nd:LGSB bifunctional laser and nonlinear optical (NLO) crystal were investigated. A high-quality single crystal with incongruent melting, having dimensions of about 12 mm in diameter and 35 mm in length, was grown along the c-axis by the Czochralski technique. The phase-matching curve for type I second harmonic generation (SHG) was determined. Efficient laser emission at 1062 nm, along the phase-matching direction for SHG of 1062 nm radiation, was obtained under the pump at 807 nm with a fiber-coupled laser diode. The Nd:LGSB laser operated with a high slope efficiency of eta(sa) = 0.56 (with respect to the absorbed pump power), delivering the highest output power of 2.1 W for 4.04 W of absorbed pump power. Preliminary SFD experiments resulted in achieving a maximum green output power of 48 mW at 3.94 W absorbed pump power.

High density (94-98% of the theoretical density) MgB2 samples added with C6H10Ge2O7 and cubic BN with compositions (MgB2)(1-x)(Ge2C6H10O7)(0.0028)(cBN)(x) (x = 0.003, 0.005, 0.007, 0.01) and (MgB2)(1-y)(Ge2C6H10O7)(y)(cBN)(0.005) (y = 0.0014, 0.0028, 0.005, 0.0075) were obtained by spark plasma sintering technique. For optimum doped samples with x = 0.005-0.007 and y = 0.0028-0.005, a weak enhancement of zero-field critical current density J(c0), irreversibility field H-irr, and volume pinning force F-p,F-max was determined. This behavior is very different from similar samples added with a single additive for which H-irr has a large enhancement. Consequently, it suggests the presence of opposite structural and microstructural effects induced by the additives. These effects, on the one hand, are discussed to decrease the sensitivity of MgB2 superconducting properties in the co-added samples comparative to samples added with C6H10Ge2O7, and, on the other hand, they contribute to anomalies that were found when assessing the pinning force-related parameters by the universal scaling law.

The influence of processing on the martensitic transformation and related magnetic properties of the Ni55Fe18Nd2Ga25 ferromagnetic shape memory alloy, as bulk and ribbons prepared by the melt spinning method and subjected to different thermal treatments, is investigated. Structural, calorimetric, and magnetic characterizations are performed. Thermal treatment at 1173 K induces a decrease in both the Curie and the martensitic transformation temperatures, while a treatment at 673 K produces the structural ordering of the ribbons, hence an increase in T-C. A maximum value of the magnetic entropy variation of -5.41 J/kgK was recorded at 310 K for the as quenched ribbons. The evaluation of the magnetoresistive effect shows a remarkable value of -13.5% at 275 K on the bulk sample, which is much higher than in the ribbons.

Azathioprine (AZA) is a pharmacologic immunosuppressive agent administrated in various conditions such as autoimmune disease or to prevent the rejection of organ transplantation. The mechanism of action is based on its biologically active metabolite 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP), which is converted, among others, into thioguanine nucleotides capable of incorporating into replicating DNA, which may act as a strong UV chromophore and trigger DNA oxidation. The interaction between azathioprine and DNA, before and after exposure to solar simulator radiation, was investigated using UV-vis spectrometry and differential pulse voltammetry at a glassy carbon electrode. The results indicated that the interaction of AZA with UV radiation was pH-dependent and occurred with the formation of several metabolites, which induced oxidative damage in DNA, and the formation of DNA-metabolite adducts. Moreover, the viability assays obtained for the L929 cell culture showed that both azathioprine and degraded azathioprine induced a decrease in cell proliferation.

Zr0.8Sn0.2TiO4 powders synthesized by solid state reaction route have been consolidated by conventional and spark plasma sintering methods. Single-phase ceramics with various microstructures and, consequently, different extrinsic absorption were investigated by terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. The results showed that the terahertz spectroscopy can be used for tailoring in the " synthesis - microstructure - properties" cycle.

Embedding electronic and optoelectronic devices in common, daily use objects is a fast developing field of research. New architectures are needed for migrating from the classic wafer- based substrates. Novel types of flexible PMMA/Au/Alq(3)/LiF/Al structures were obtained starting from electrospun polymer fibers. Thus, using an electrospinning process poly (methyl metacrylate) (PMMA) nanofibers were fabricated. A thin Au layer deposition rendered the fiber array conductive, this being further employed as the anode. The next steps consisted of the thermal evaporation of tris(8-hydroxyquinolinato) aluminum (Alq(3)) and aluminum deposition as the cathode. The Au covered PMMA nanofiber layer had a similar behavior with an indium tin oxide film i.e. low sheet resistance 10.6 omega/sq and high transparency. The low electrode resistivities allow an electron drift mobility of about 10(-6) cm(2) V-1 s(-1) at a low applied field, similar to the counterpart structures based on thin films. Concerning the relaxation processes in these structures, the Cole-Cole plots exhibit a slightly deformed semicircle, indicating a more complex equivalent circuit for the processes between metal electrodes and the active layer. This equivalent circuit includes reactance equivalent processes at the anode, cathode, in the active layer and most probably originates from the roughness of the metallic electrodes.

IV-VI semiconductor quantum dots embedded into an inorganic matrix represent nanostructured composite materials with potential application in temperature sensor systems. This study explores the optical, structural, and morphological properties of a novel PbS quantum dots (QDs)-doped inorganic thin film belonging to the Al2O3-SiO2-P2O5 system. The film was synthesized by the sol-gel method, spin coating technique, starting from a precursor solution deposited on a glass substrate in a multilayer process, followed by drying of each deposited layer. Crystalline PbS QDs embedded in the inorganic vitreous host matrix formed a nanocomposite material. Specific investigations such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical absorbance in the ultraviolet (UV)-visible (Vis)-near infrared (NIR) domain, NIR luminescence, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to obtain a comprehensive characterization of the deposited film. The dimensions of the PbS nanocrystallite phase were corroborated by XRD, SEM-EDX, and AFM results. The luminescence band from 1400 nm follows the luminescence peak of the precursor solution and that of the dopant solution. The emission of the PbS-doped film in the NIR domain is a premise for potential application in temperature sensing systems.

Zr0.8Sn0.2TiO3 (ZST) powders synthesized by solid-state reaction were subject to processing by spark plasma sintering (SPS). A single-phase ceramic with a high relative density of 95.7% and 99.6% was obtained for sintering temperatures of 1150 degrees C and 1200 degrees C, respectively, and for a dwell time of 3 min. In order to reduce the oxygen vacancies, as-sintered discs were annealed in air at 1000 degrees C. The dielectric loss of the annealed samples, expressed by the Q x f product, measured in the microwave (MW) domain, varied between 35 THz and 50 THz. The intrinsic losses (Q x f ~ 60 THz) were derived by using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS).

In this study, stannite, Cu2FeSnS4 (CFTS), absorber films were obtained by electrodeposition on Molybdenum-coated soda-lime substrates, followed by sulfurization treatment at certain temperatures in the 400-550 degrees C range. The purposes of this work were to control the manufacturing of CFTS films with good stoichiometry, high crystallinity and to study the annealing temperature impact on CFTS films properties. The X-ray diffraction and the Raman spectroscopy measurement distinguished the CFTS phase formation, with a presence of SnS2 secondary phase. The energy dispersive spectroscopy results reveal compositional differences between samples as well as the in-depth gradients. The photoluminescence emission band around 1.35-1.40 eV is slightly below the direct bandgap inferred from the conventional spectroscopy (diffuse reflectance). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results indicate clearly a high amount of Sn on the surface. The Conversion Electron Mossbauer unveiled the presence of Fe in the chalcogenide unit cell. The electrochemical characteristics of the synthesized films are also given. (c) 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In this work, the influence of the preparation route on the structural, morphological, and thermoelectric properties of the Mg2Si0.4Sn0.6 solid solutions is investigated. The synthesis based on melting the constituent elements in a closed graphite crucible followed by spark plasma sintering allows mixing elements with a large difference of their melting temperatures and a good control of sample stoichiometry. The optimized synthesis route is validated by the doped V and Sb samples, which yield good thermoelectric performance. The n-type doping leads to two orders of magnitude increase of the carrier concentration, and thus a subsequent increase of the electrical conductivity, which, in turn, augments greatly the power factor of the Mg1.98V0.02Si0.385Sn0.6Sb0.015 to 42.61 x10(-4) Wm(-1)K 2 at 650K. Although doping slightly enlarges the thermal conductivity, a peak value of the figure of merit ZT similar to 1.15 is obtained at 723K, which is 20 times higher than the ZT of un-doped material.

Phosphate and tellurite glasses can be used in optics, optoelectronics, magneto-optics, and nuclear and medical fields. Two series of phosphate-tellurite glasses, (50-x)ZnO-10Al(2)O(3)-40P(2)O(5)-xTeO(2) and (40-x)Li2O-10Al(2)O(3)-5TiO(2)-45P(2)O(5)-xTeO(2) (x = 5, 10), were synthesized by a non-conventional wet-route, and the mechanical properties as key performance measures for their application in optoelectronics were investigated. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) measurements revealed the vitreous nature of the investigated materials. Instrumented indentation tests allowed the calculation of hardness (H) and Young's modulus (E) using the Oliver and Pharr model. The influence of increasing the TeO2 content, as well as the substitution of ZnO by Li2O-TiO2, on the variation of hardness, Young's modulus, penetration depth (PD), and fracture toughness (FT) was evaluated in both series. As a general trend, there is a decrease in the hardness and Young's modulus with increasing penetration depth. The addition of Li2O and TiO2 instead of ZnO leads to improved hardness and elastic modulus values. Regarding the H/E ratio, it was found that the samples with lower TeO2 content should be significantly more crack-resistant compared to the higher TeO2 content samples. The H-3/E-2 ratio, being lower than 0.01, revealed a poor resistance of these glasses to plastic deformation. At the same time, a decrease of the fracture toughness with increasing TeO2 content was noticed for each glass series. Based on dilatometry measurements, the thermal expansion coefficient as well as the characteristic temperatures of the glasses were measured. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (FESEM-EDX) revealed a uniform distribution of the elements in the bulk samples. The mechanical properties of these vitreous materials are important in relation to their application as magneto-optical Faraday rotators in laser cavities.

Commercial nanopowders of MgB2 were characterized from the viewpoint of granulometric distribution, structure, microstructure, and pH behavior in water. The powders are very different: a higher amount of the MgB2 phase with a lower tendency for agglomeration determines a higher rate of pH-increase. A higher rate of pH-increase usually produces a stronger antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecium, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, and Candida parapsilosis reference strains. The variation of the pH-increase rate suggests the possibility of temporo-spatial control of MgB2 bioactivity, although the contribution of other factors should not be neglected. Remarkably, the efficiency of the MgB2 powders is higher against biofilms than on microbes in the planktonic state. Further, our experiments confirm the antimicrobial efficiency of MgB2 in the in vitro tests against 29 methicillin resistant clinical S. aureus isolates and 33 vancomycin resistant E. faecium/faecalis strains, but in this case the biofilms are more resistant than planktonic cells. The MgB2 treatment of infected mice led to a significant decrease of E. coli colonization in liver, spleen and peritoneal liquid and it also caused changes in the intestinal microbiota. The activity of powders on HeLa and HT-29 tumor cell lines was assessed by inverted microscopy, flow cytometry, and evaluation of the cellular cycle. MgB2 inhibits tumor cell growth influencing DNA synthesis (S-phase). The obtained results indicate that the tested powders could provide promising solutions for the development of large-spectrum multifunctional antimicrobial and anti-biofilm agents, and/or for anti-cancer therapies. (C) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Y2O3:Yb(3+)5 at% ceramics have been synthesized by the reactive sintering method using different commercial yttria powders (Alfa-Micro, Alfa-Nano, and ITO-V) as raw materials. It has been shown that all Y(2)O(3)starting powders consist from agglomerates up to 5-7 mu m in size which are formed from 25-60 nm primary particles. High-energy ball milling allows to significantly decreasing the median particle sizeD(50)below 500 nm regardless of the commercial powders used. Sintering experiments indicate that powder mixtures fabricated from Alfa-Nano yttria powders have the highest sintering activity, while (Y0.86La0.09Yb0.05)(2)O(3)ceramics sintered at 1750 degrees C for 10 h are characterized by the highest transmittance of about 45%. Y2O3:Yb(3+)ceramics have been obtained by the reactive sintering at 1750-1825 degrees C using Alfa-Nano Y(2)O(3)powders and La2O3+ZrO(2)as a complex sintering aid. The effects of the sintering temperature on densification processes, microstructure, and optical properties of Y2O3:Yb(3)(+)5 at% ceramics have been studied. It has been shown that Zr(4)(+)ions decrease the grain growth of Y2O3:Yb(3+)ceramics for sintering temperatures 1750-1775 degrees C. Further increasing the sintering temperature was accompanied by a sharp increase of the average grain size of ceramics referred to changes of structure and chemical composition of grain boundaries, as well as their mobility. It has been determined that the optimal sintering temperature to produce high-dense yttria ceramics with transmittance of 79%-83% and average grain size of 8 mu m is 1800 degrees C. Finally, laser emission at similar to 1030.7 nm with a slope efficiency of 10% was obtained with the most transparent Y2O3:Yb(3+)5 at% ceramics sintered.

Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) was employed for estimation of intrinsic dielectric loss of Zr0.8Sn0.2TiO4 (ZST) ceramics. Single-phase ZST dielectric resonators (DRs) with various synthesis parameters and, consequently, different extrinsic losses, were prepared by conventional ceramic technology. Even though the DRs exhibit a similar microstructure, their quality factor (Q is the inverse of dielectric loss tangent) measured in microwave (MW) domain at 6 GHz varies between 2500 and 8400. On the other hand, it was found that the THz dielectric loss is less sensitive to the sample preparation. The intrinsic losses (Q x f similar to 60 THz) of the ZST ceramics have been derived from THz data.

The influence of the rapid solidification technique and heat treatment on the martensitic transformation, magnetic properties, thermo- and magnetic induced strain and electrical resistivity is investigated for the Cu doped NiMnGa Heusler-based ferromagnetic shape memory ribbons. The martensitic transformation temperatures are unexpectedly low (below 90 K-which can be attributed to the disordered texture as well as to the uncertainty in the elements substituted by the Cu), preceded by a premartensitic transformation (starting at around 190 K). A thermal treatment slightly increases the transformation as well as the Curie temperatures. Additionally, the thermal treatment promotes a higher magnetization value of the austenite phase and a lower one in the martensite. The shift of the martensitic transformation temperatures induced by the applied magnetic field, quantified from thermo-magnetic and thermo-magnetic induced strain measurements, is measured to have a positive value of about 1 K/T, and is then used to calculate the transformation entropy of the ribbons. The magnetostriction measurements suggest a rotational mechanism in low fields for the thermal treated samples and a saturation tendency at higher magnetic fields, except for the temperatures close to the phase transition temperatures (saturation is not reached at 5 T), where a linear volume magnetostriction cannot be ruled out. Resistivity and magnetoresistance properties have also been measured for all the samples.

The influence of the partial substitution of Fe by Si and thermal treatments on the structural, magnetic and magnetostrictive properties of the Fe67.5Pd30.5Si2 rapidly solidified ribbons has been investigated. A remarkable decrease in the martensite transformation temperature, with similar to 65 K lower than that of the Fe-Pd archetype alloy, is observed in the as-prepared ribbons. The thermal treatments shift the martensite transformation temperatures upward, with approximately 13 K for the higher thermal treatment. Also, these induce an improvement in the crystallinity in these ribbons with high texture and an increase in the crystallite size as a result of reducing the internal defects and stress. The thermodynamic considerations discussed in the frame of the Clapeyron-Clausius relation by using the calorimetric and thermomagnetic measurements (up to 7 T) reveal a weak influence of the magnetic fields on the martensitic transformation temperatures (similar to 0.5 K/T). The magnetostriction decrease with temperature under small magnetic fields was discussed, beside an unusual behaviour in the technically saturated domain. This behaviour is based on the coexistence of the ordinary and forced magnetostrictions, the last one increasing faster with the temperature decreasing.

Web-like architectures of ZnO and TiO2 nanotubes were fabricated based on a three-step process of templating polymer nanofibers produced by electrospinning (step 1). The electrospun polymer nanofibers were covered by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering with thin layers of semiconducting materials (step 2), with FESEM observations proving uniform deposits over their entire surface. ZnO or TiO2 nanotubes were obtained by subsequent calcination (step 3). XRD measurements proved that the nanotubes were of a single crystalline phase (wurtzite for ZnO and anatase for TiO2) and that no other crystalline phases appeared. No other elements were present in the composition of the nanotubes, confirmed by EDX measurements. Reflectance spectra and Tauc plots of Kubelka-Munk functions revealed that the band gaps of the nanotubes were lower than those of the bulk materials (3.05 eV for ZnO and 3.16 eV for TiO2). Photocatalytic performances for the degradation of Rhodamine B showed a large degradation efficiency, even for small quantities of nanotubes (0.5 mg/10 mL dye solution): similar to 55% for ZnO, and similar to 95% for TiO2.

The equimolar oxide mixture beta-Ga2O3-alpha-Fe2O3 was subjected to high-energy ball milling (HEBM) with the aim to obtain the nanoscaled GaFeO3 ortho-ferrite. X-ray diffraction, Fe-57 Mossbauer spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were used to evidence the phase structure and evolution of the equimolar nano-system beta-Ga2O3-alpha-Fe2O3 under mechanochemical activation, either as-prepared or followed by subsequent calcination. The mechanical activation was performed for 2 h to 12 h in normal atmosphere. After 12 h of HEBM, only nanoscaled (similar to 20 nm) gallium-doped alpha-Fe2O3 was obtained. The GaFeO3 structure was obtained as single phase, merely after calcination at 950 degrees C for a couple of hours, of the sample being subjected to HEBM for 12 h. This temperature is 450 degrees C lower than used in the conventional solid phase reaction to obtain gallium orthoferrite. The optical and magnetic properties of representative nanoscaled samples, revealing their multifunctional character, were presented.

Cation-substituted hydroxyapatite (HA), standalone or as a composite (blended with polymers or metals), is currently regarded as a noteworthy candidate material for bone repair/regeneration either in the form of powders, porous scaffolds or coatings for endo-osseous dental and orthopaedic implants. As a response to the numerous contradictions reported in literature, this work presents, in one study, the physico-chemical properties and the cytocompatibility response of single cation-doped (Ce, Mg, Sr or Zn) HA nanopowders in a wide concentration range (0.5-5 at.%). The modification of composition, morphology, and structure was multiparametrically monitored via energy dispersive X-ray, X-ray photoelectron, Fourier-transform infrared and micro-Raman spectroscopy methods, as well as by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. From a compositional point of view, Ce and Sr were well-incorporated in HA, while slight and pronounced deviations were observed for Mg and Zn, respectively. The change of the lattice parameters, crystallite size, and substituting cation occupation factors either in the Ca(I) or Ca(II) sites were further determined. Sr produced the most important HA structural changes. The in vitro biological performance was evaluated by the (i) determination of leached therapeutic cations (by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) and (ii) assessment of cell behaviour by both conventional assays (e.g., proliferation-3-(4,5-dimethyl thiazol-2-yl) 5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium assay; cytotoxicity-lactate dehydrogenase release assay) and, for the first time, real-time cell analysis (RTCA). Three cell lines were employed: fibroblast, osteoblast, and endothelial. When monophasic, the substituted HA supported the cells' viability and proliferation without signs of toxicity. The RTCA results indicate the excellent adherence of cells. The study strived to offer a perspective on the behaviour of Ce-, Mg-, Sr-, or Zn-substituted HAs and to deliver a well-encompassing viewpoint on their effects. This can be highly important for the future development of such bioceramics, paving the road toward the identification of candidates with highly promising therapeutic effects.

Composites of magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles dispersed in a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix were prepared by a molding process. Two types of samples were obtained by free polymerization with randomly dispersed particles and by polymerization in an applied magnetic field. The magnetite nanoparticles were obtained from magnetic micrograins of acicular goethite (alpha-FeOOH) and spherical hematite (alpha-Fe2O3), as demonstrated by XRD measurements. The evaluation of morphological and compositional properties of the PDMS:Fe3O4 composites, performed by SEM and EDX, showed that the magnetic particles were uniformly distributed in the polymer matrix. Addition of magnetic dispersions promotes an increase of thermal conductivity compared with pristine PDMS, while further orienting the powders in a magnetic field during the polymerization process induces a decrease of the thermal conductivity compared with the un-oriented samples. The shape of the magnetic dispersions is an important factor, acicular dispersions providing a higher value for thermal conductivity compared with classic commercial powders with almost spherical shapes.

The electrochemical behavior and the interaction of the immunosuppressive drug azathioprine (AZA) with deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) were investigated using voltammetric techniques, mass spectrometry (MS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The redox mechanism of AZA on glassy carbon (GC) was investigated using cyclic and differential pulse (DP) voltammetry. It was proven that the electroactive center of AZA is the nitro group and its reduction mechanism is a diffusion-controlled process, which occurs in consecutive steps with formation of electroactive products and involves the transfer of electrons and protons. A redox mechanism was proposed and the interaction of AZA with DNA was also investigated. Morphological characterization of the DNA film on the electrode surface before and after interaction with AZA was performed using scanning electron microscopy. An electrochemical DNA biosensor was employed to study the interactions between AZA and DNA with different concentrations, incubation times, and applied potential values. It was shown that the reduction of AZA molecules bound to the DNA layer induces structural changes of the DNA double strands and oxidative damage, which were recognized through the occurrence of the 8-oxo-deoxyguanosine oxidation peak. Mass spectrometry investigation of the DNA film before and after interaction with AZA also demonstrated the formation of AZA adducts with purine bases.

Cu-Fe-Sn-S have been electrodeposited on indium tin oxide coated glass (ITO/glass) substrates, varying only the deposition time, followed by sulfurization in argon atmosphere at a temperature of 500 degrees C. X-ray diffraction patterns confirmed the formation of polycrystalline CFTS and other secondary phases. The Raman spectroscopy results confirm the formation of stannite phase, by the existence of the most intense peak at 330 cm(-1) corresponding to A-symmetry vibrational mode, while the SnS2 surface phase reduces upon increasing deposition time. The inferred bandgaps by specular transmission are in 1.4-1.7 eV range, influenced by the detected orthorhombic Cu4SnS4 and rhodostannite secondary phases. The electrical measurements confirm the p-type nature of the films, while density of free carriers is relatively high (similar to 10(19) cm(-3)), leading to extremely low resistivity in the Omega cm range.

Three commercial powders of MgB2 were tested in vitro by MTS and LDH cytotoxicity tests on the HS27 dermal cell line. Depending on powders, the toxicity concentrations were established in the range of 8.3-33.2 mu g/ml. The powder with the lowest toxicity limit was embedded into polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), a biocompatible and biodegradable polymer, for two different concentrations. The self-replenishing MgB2-PVP composite materials were coated on substrate materials (plastic foil of the reservoir and silicon tubes) composing a commercial urinary catheter. The influence of the PVP-reference and MgB2-PVP novel coatings on the bacterial growth of Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Enterococcus faecium DMS 13590, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, in planktonic and biofilm state was assessed in vitro at 6, 24, and 48 h of incubation time. The MgB2-PVP coatings are efficient both against planktonic microbes and microbial biofilms. Results open promising applications for the use of MgB2 in the design of anti-infective strategies for different biomedical devices and systems.

A composite material with applications in optoelectronics has been investigated. Pulsed laser deposition CdSe-doped glass film was prepared by the combinatorial deposition from two targets, namely pure CdSe and glass belonging to the 20Li(2)O-10Al(2)O(3)-7BaO-2La(2)O(3)-2ZnO-59P(2)O(5)system. Exciton peaks in the Vis domain, related to electron-hole pairs transitions from the valence band to the conduction band, were revealed in the optical absorption spectra of the CdSe-doped film. CdSe quantum dots (QDs) band gap energy depends on the CdSe quantum confinement effect. CdSe-doped film photoluminescence exhibits peaks in the red domain assigned to CdSe transitions from the excited state to the ground state. The size of CdSe nanoclusters, determined from x-ray diffraction is correlated with scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy results. Vibration modes specific both to CdSe QDs and to the vitreous network have been evidenced by Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopy.

Cu-Fe-Sn-S films were obtained on indium tin oxide / glass substrates by a low-cost electrodeposition using an aqueous solution of CuSO4, FeSO4, SnSO4, and Na2S2O3 at room temperature followed by high-temperature sulfurization (500 degrees C) in argon flow. A range of cathodic potentials have been used for electrodeposition, those being chosen after a preliminary cyclic voltammetry study. The coatings were characterized using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and conventional spectroscopy (diffuse reflectance and specular transmission). The results are discussed with respect to the used applied potential.

Behavior of some wool fabrics as such or functionalized with semiconductor nanoparticles against the photodegradation of Rhodamine B was investigated. The wool samples were commercially purchased, they were chosen to differ by the chemical nature of the yarns, by the size of the 2D texture elements and by the applied pretreatment. The samples were routinely characterized both in the original form and in the form coated with the oxide particles as well to consider the structure, the surface morphology and their changes due to dye deposition. Several techniques were routinely applied: optical microscopy, XRD, SEM, TGA, UV-Vis spectroscopy and FTIR-ATR. Data have shown that TiO2 layer has either an amorphous structure or is highly dispersed. Drops of Rhodamine B solution were deposited by sessile drop method. We have obtained optical images of the wet/colored spot during the radial wicking, collected with a usual camera. Image comparison was made by direct visualisation. The optical images of the spot on fabrics were taken immediately after the dye was applied, after the fabric was dried and afterwards, after the system illumination by UV-vis light as function of the time. The obtained final spots speak about the dye photodegradation in the studied cases.

In this work, ZnO-CdS composite powders synthesized by a simple chemical precipitation method were thoroughly characterized. The morphological, structural, compositional, photocatalytical, and biological properties of the prepared composites were investigated in comparison with those of the pristine components and correlated with the CdS concentration. ZnO-CdS composites contain flower-like structures, their size being tuned by the CdS amount added during the chemical synthesis. The photocatalytic activity of the composites was analyzed under UV irradiation using powders impregnated with methylene blue; the tests confirming that the presence of CdS along the ZnO in composites can improve the dye discoloration. The biological properties such as antioxidant capacity, antibacterial activity, and cytotoxicity of the ZnO, CdS, and ZnO-CdS composites were evaluated. Thus, the obtained composites presented medium antioxidant effect, biocidal activity against Escherichia coli, and no toxicity (at concentrations less than 0.05 mg/mL for composites with a low CdS amount) for human fibroblast cells. Based on these results, such composites can be used as photocatalytic and/or biocidal additives for photoactive coatings, paints, or epoxy floors, which in their turn can provide a cleaner and healthier environment.

Three-dimensional (3D) fibrous networks based on metal oxides were obtained by a bio-inspired approach: the replication of an ecological daily-waste, the eggshell membrane (ESM). The biomorphic process consists in the immersion of the ESM into aqueous solutions containing the metal salt precursors followed by the calcination of the metal ions impregnated ESM. Biomorphic ZnO, CuO and ZnO-CuO composite networks were obtained, their morphological, structural, compositional, optical, photocatalytical and electrical properties being evaluated. The scanning electron microscopy investigations proved that the hierarchical structure of the original organic template is perfectly replicated into inorganic architectures consisting of interconnected fibers containing metal oxide nanoparticles as building blocks. The photocatalytical properties of the metal oxide networks under solar simulator irradiation were tested through the degradation of methylene blue. Using Si/SiO2 patterned with interdigitated metallic electrodes as substrates during the calcination step, the electrical properties of the selfcontacted metal oxide networks were investigated. Thus, by replicating the unique architecture of the ESM, 3D metal oxide interwoven meshwork can be easily developed for various applications in fields such as photocatalysis, sensing, optoelectronic devices, etc.

In this work, the effects of graphene oxide (GO) concentrations (1.5 wt.%, 2.5 wt.%, and 5 wt.%) on the structural, morphological, optical, and luminescence properties of zinc oxide nanorods (ZnO NRs)/GO nanocomposites, synthesized by a facile hydrothermal process, were investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of NRs revealed the hexagonal wurtzite structure for all composites with an average coherence length of about 40-60 nm. A scanning electron microscopy (SEM) study confirmed the presence of transparent and wrinkled, dense GO nanosheets among flower-like ZnO nanorods, depending on the GO amounts used in preparation. Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorption spectroscopy, and photoluminescence (PL) measurements revealed the impact of GO concentration on the optical and luminescence properties of ZnO NRs/GO nanocomposites. The energy band gap of the ZnO nanorods was independent of GO concentration. Photoluminescence spectra of nanocomposites showed a significant decrease in the intensities in the visible light range and red shifted suggesting a charge transfer process. The nanocomposites' chromaticity coordinates for CIE 1931 color space were estimated to be (0.33, 0.34), close to pure white ones. The obtained results highlight the possibility of using these nanocomposites to achieve good performance and suitability for optoelectronic applications.

Core-double shell nylon-ZnO/polypyrrole electrospun nanofibers were fabricated by combining three straightforward methods (electrospinning, sol-gel synthesis and electrodeposition). The hybrid fibrous organic-inorganic nanocomposite was obtained starting from freestanding nylon 6/6 nanofibers obtained through electrospinning. Nylon meshes were functionalized with a very thin, continuous ZnO film by a sol-gel process and thermally treated in order to increase its crystallinity. Further, the ZnO coated networks were used as a working electrode for the electrochemical deposition of a very thin, homogenous polypyrrole layer. X-ray diffraction measurements were employed for characterizing the ZnO structures while spectroscopic techniques such as FTIR and Raman were employed for describing the polypyrrole layer. An elemental analysis was performed through X-ray microanalysis, confirming the expected double shell structure. A detailed micromorphological characterization through FESEM and TEM assays evidenced the deposition of both organic and inorganic layers. Highly transparent, flexible due to the presence of the polymer core and embedding a semiconducting heterojunction, such materials can be easily tailored and integrated in functional platforms with a wide range of applications.

This work reports the effect of the Mn substitution, rapid solidification technique and heat treatments on the martensitic transformation, magnetic and magnetostrictive properties on the Fe70-xPd30Mnx (x = 1, 3) ferromagnetic shape memory ribbons. The samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy, magnetic and magnetostrictive measurements. The thermal treatments induce significant changes in the microstructure and magnetocrystalline anisotropy of the martensitic phase, for Fe67Pd30Mn3 compared to Fe69Pd30Mn1. The competition between the magnetization orientation and twin boundary motion within martensitic variants under magnetic field evidenced in the magnetic-strain curves was discussed and correlated with the magnetic data.

The objective of the present study is the valorization of natural resources and the recycling of vegetal wastes by converting them into novel plasmonic bio-active hybrids. Thus, a "green" approach was used to design pectin-coated bio-nanosilver. Silver nanoparticles were generated from two common garden herbs (Mentha piperitaandAmaranthus retroflexus), and pectin was extracted from lemon peels. The samples were characterized by the following methods: Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorption spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), dynamic light scattering (DLS), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)-Energy-dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), and zeta potential measurements. Microscopic investigations revealed the spherical shape and the nano-scale size of the prepared biohybrids. Their bioperformances were checked in terms of antioxidant and antibacterial activity. The developed plasmonic materials exhibited a strong ability to scavenge short-life (96.1% divided by 98.7%) and long-life (39.1% divided by 91%) free radicals. Microbiological analyses demonstrated an impressive antibacterial effectiveness of pectin-based hybrids againstEscherichia coli. The results are promising, and the obtained biomaterials could be used in many bio-applications, especially as antioxidant and antimicrobial biocoatings.

In this work, the metal and semiconducting nanoparticles (AgNPs, ZnONPs and AgZnONPs) were phyto-synthesized using aqueous vegetal extracts from: Caryophyllus aromaticus L. (cloves) and Citrus reticulata L. (mandarin) peels. The morphological, structural, compositional, optical and biological properties (antibacterial activity, and cytotoxicity) of the prepared composites were investigated. The most effective sample proved to be AgZnONPs, derived from cloves, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 0.11 mg/mL and a minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) value of 2.68 mg/mL. All the other three composites inhibited bacterial growth at a concentration between 0.25 mg/mL and 0.37 mg/mL, with a bactericidal concentration between 3 mg/mL and 4 mg/mL. The obtained composites presented biocidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus, and biocompatibility (on human fibroblast BJ cells) and did not damage the human red blood cells. Additionally, an important result is that the presence of silver in composite materials improved the bactericidal action of these nanomaterials against the most common nosocomial pathogen, Staphylococcus aureus.

Spectroscopic characteristics of Pr3+ ions doped CNGG and CLNGG single crystals were investigated in order to assess their potential as laser materials for visible emission. The Judd-Ofelt intensity parameters for the f-f transitions of Pr3+ ions were used to determine spectroscopic and laser emission features. The temperature dependence of the absorption spectra for the H-3(4) -> P-3(0) transition was used to highlight the multicenter structure, different Stark levels, hot bands, and also the connection between the vibronic and electronic lines. The presence of electron-phonon interaction was also observed in the emission spectra corresponding to the P-3(0) -> H-3(4) transition under different excitation wavelengths. Based on low temperature absorption and emission spectra, partial energy level diagrams of Pr3+ ions doped in CNGG and CLNGG single crystals were obtained. The emission cross-sections for different transitions of Pr3+ ions were evaluated by the Fuchtbauer-Ladenburg formula. The fluorescence decay curve of the D-1(2) level was measured under selective excitation at different concentrations and temperatures. The concentration quenching process for the D-1(2) state was also studied. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In the case of DEMO fusion reactor, the divertor should be able to extract a steady heat flux of about 10 MW/m(2). A promising concept is the W-monoblock which should be connected to a CuCrZr or an advanced Cu ODS alloy pipe passing through the W component. Taking into account the optimum operating temperature windows for W and existing Cu-based alloys and the thermal expansion coefficients mismatch of these two materials, a "thermal barrier" interface material is inserted in between in order to mitigate the thermal stresses and to optimize the heat flow through divertor components. In this work we investigate the feasibility to realize such divertor components using materials produced by FAST (field assisted sintering technology). This powder metallurgy technique was used firstly to produce W or W-based composites and the thermal barriers in an almost final shape and then to join the materials in realistic divertor mock-ups. The thermal barrier materials are various Cu-based composites which are included both as single material or as functionally graded components. The interface quality between different materials is investigated by scanning electron microscopy and the heat flow through components is evaluated using simulations.

Laser melting deposition is a 3D printing method usually studied for the manufacturing of machine parts in the industry. However, for the medical sector, although feasible, applications and actual products taking advantage of this technique are only scarcely reported. Therefore, in this study, Ti6Al4V orthopedic implants in the form of plates were 3D printed by laser melting deposition. Tuning of the laser power, scanning speed and powder feed rate was conducted, in order to obtain a continuous deposition after a single laser pass and to diminish unwanted blown powder, stuck in the vicinity of the printed elements. The fabrication of bone plates is presented in detail, putting emphasis on the scanning direction, which had a decisive role in the 3D printing resolution. The printed material was investigated by optical microscopy and was found to be dense, with no visible pores or cracks. The metallographic investigations and X-ray diffraction data exposed an unusual biphasic alpha+beta structure. The energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy revealed a composition very similar to the one of the starting powder material. The mapping of the surface showed a uniform distribution of elements, with no segregations or areas with deficient elemental distribution. The in vitro tests performed on the 3D printed Ti6Al4V samples in osteoblast-like cell cultures up to 7 days showed that the material deposited by laser melting is cytocompatible.

The main objective of the tissue engineering field is to regenerate the damaged parts of the body by developing biological substitutes that maintain, restore, or improve original tissue function. In this context, by using the electrospinning technique, composite scaffolds based on polycaprolactone (PCL) and inorganic powders were successfully obtained, namely: zinc oxide (ZnO), titanium dioxide (TiO2) and hydroxyapatite (HAp). The novelty of this approach consists in the production of fibrous membranes based on a biodegradable polymer and loaded with different types of mineral powders, each of them having a particular function in the resulting composite. Subsequently, the precursor powders and the resulting composite materials were characterized by the structural and morphological point of view in order to determine their applicability in the field of bone regeneration. The biological assays demonstrated that the obtained scaffolds represent support that is accepted by the cell cultures. Through simulated body fluid immersion, the biodegradability of the composites was highlighted, with fiber fragmentation and surface degradation within the testing period.

W-laminates are multi layered composites realized from alternately stacked W and a second metal foils. Such materials are promising candidates for W-based structural materials for fusion reactors like DEMO or beyond concepts, due to the fact that cold-rolled ultrafine-grained thin W foils show exceptional properties in terms of ductility, toughness and ductile to brittle transition (DBT), in contrast to classic bulk W materials. Therefore, different routes to transfer the W foils properties to bulk materials have been investigated. In this work we present the results obtained for W-Cu laminates produced via a FAST (Field Assisted Sintering Technique) joining route. The main advantages of FAST resides in the short processing time, with subsequent lower recrystallization detrimental effects. Structural and thermophysical properties show that the best materials are obtained for about 100 mu m thick W foils and 50-100 mu m thick Cu foils, while tensile and Charpy impact tests results show that the FAST processed W-Cu laminates are similar to the W-Cu laminates obtained by diffusion bonding.

Polycrystalline In2S3 thin films have been grown on SnO2/glass substrates by chemical bath deposition technique and irradiated at different high gamma doses 3, 7, 15 and 40 kGy. X-ray diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), Spectrophotometer, Photoluminescence and Thermoluminescence were used to investigate physical properties of In2S3 thin films induced by gamma irradiation. After being irradiated, structural properties of In2S3 thin films have shown that preferred orientation has been moved from (4 0 0) plan at 2 theta(1)=33.42 degrees to a new created orientation at 2 theta(2)=38.06 degrees for 40 kGy gamma dose. EDS analysis has shown that atomic percentage (S/In) has been strongly varied for 40 kGy which indicate significant changes in stoichiometry. Thermoluminescence of irradiated In2S3 thin films has revealed a good sensitivity toward absorbed gamma dose. After irradiation, optical transmittance of In2S3 thin films has been increased from 50% to a maximum value of 70% in the visible range for 15 kGy dose. Band gap energy E-g has been slightly decreased. Other optical parameters such absorption and extinction coefficients, refractive index and permittivity have been determined. These experimental results show that gamma radiations can be used for tuning physical properties of In2S3 thin films for photovoltaic applications.

(Y0.87-xLa0.1Zr0.03Ybx)(2)O-3 (x = 0.02, 0.04, 0.05) transparent ceramics were obtained by solid-state reaction and combined sintering procedures with La2O3 and ZrO2 as sintering additives. A method based on two-step intermediate sintering in air followed by vacuum sintering was applied in order to control the densification and grain growth of the samples during the final sintering process. The results indicate that La2O3 and ZrO2 co-additives can improve the microstructure and optical properties of Yb:Y2O3 ceramics at relatively low sintering temperature. On the other hand, the addition of Zr4+ ions leads to the formation of dispersed scattering volumes in the ceramic bodies. Transmittance of 78.8% was measured for the 2.0 at% Yb:Y2O3 ceramic sample at the wavelength of 1100 nm. The spectroscopic properties of Yb:Y2O3 ceramics were investigated at room temperature. The obtained results show that the absorption cross-section at 978 nm is in the range of 2.08 x 10(-20) to 2.36 x 10(-20) cm(2), whereas the emission cross-section at 1032 nm is similar to 1.0 x 10(-20) cm(2).

This research work is dedicated to study structural, morphological, optical and photoluminescence properties of samarium doped calcium sulfate (CaSO4) thin films after exposure to high gamma radiations. Polycrystalline doped CaSO4 thin films have been grown on glass substrates by spray pyrolysis technique and irradiated at different high gamma doses 3, 7, 15 and 40 kGy. Physical characterization of irradiated thin films has been made by X-ray diffraction, Spectrophotometer, Scanning Electron Microscope, Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy, Fluorescence Spectrometer and Thermoluminescence. The most remarkable result, as shown by structural analysis, is the increase of grain size from 52 to a maximum value of 93 nm for 15 kGy gamma dose which indicates a clear enhancement in crystal structure by gamma irradiation. Moreover, the preferred orientation has been immediately changed from (102) plan to (100) just after the first 3 kGy gamma dose. SEM micrographs of irradiated thin layers show deep modifications in surface morphology. Optical transmission spectra have shown a sharp and intense peak at 350 nm wavelength. Band gap energy has been slightly decreased from 3.9 eV before irradiation to 3.6 eV for 40 kGy. A new and strong energy level noted E r , has been emerged and created due to high gamma irradiations in addition to the principal one relative to band gap energy. Other parameters like absorption and extinction coefficients and refractive index have been determined. Thermoluminescence data show a high sensibility to gamma radiations doses which offer opportunities for dosimetry applications. These experimental results suggest the use of irradiated samarium doped calcium sulfate as optical window for space photovoltaic devices where gamma rays are abundant. These results are also helpful for researchers using CaSO4 thin films near nuclear apparatus (nuclear reactors and particle accelerators) or those interested in studying interaction between radiations and condensed matter.

The present investigation deals with the development, characterization and application of nano-structured Pd doped Ni electrodes (Pd@Ni), which uses the electrochemical properties of Pd in synergy with the magnetic properties of Ni for biosensors development. The Pd@Ni electrodes have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It has been shown that palladium presented spherical assemblies ranging 150-200 nm medium diameter size that covers large areas of the electrode surface while metallic nickel, which confers magnetic properties, showed a uniform granular structure with sizes between 20 and 50 nm. Cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were performed to understand the electrochemical process at the Pd@Ni electrodes in neutral media. The Pd@Ni electrodes were applied for the electrochemical detection of H2O2. Finally, Ni nanoparticles (NiNP) functionalized with the model enzyme glucose oxidase (GOx-NiNP) have been attached to the Pd@Ni electrode solely through magnetic interactions, and the obtained GOx-NiNP/Pd@Ni biosensor applied for glucose determination in aqueous solutions by fixed potential amperometry at -0.05 V (vs Ag/AgCl) with reduced interferences. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electrospun sub-micrometer polymer fiber mats represent an interesting substrate which can be employed as a transparent conducting electrode. Functionalization by using nanostructures represents a convenient way of increasing the range of applications. The present paper describes an electrodeposition process which can be applied for preparing ZnO nanostructures covered fibers in a straightforward manner. Poly(methyl methacrylate) fiber mats were obtained by electrospinning using metal frame collectors. Subsequent metallization by DC sputtering was used, these microstructured electrodes being thermally transferred onto glass substrates and further employed as working electrodes for the electrochemical deposition of ZnO. The transparency of the metal covered webs, a function of fiber density, is comparable to that of conventional transparent conductive oxides electrodes such as ITO. The same enhanced control of the ZnO electrodeposition process was observed for the case of the web electrodes as for the classic case of deposition on transparent conducting oxides or on metallic substrates. Structural, optical, morphological and wetting properties were investigated and correlated with the electrodeposition conditions. The photocatalytic properties of ZnO covered fibers were tested through the decomposition of methylene blue thin films under UV irradiation.

Annealing temperature of green bodies has been shown to influence greatly the optical properties and laser characteristics of Y3Al5O12:Nd3+ (1 at%) ceramics. Increase the annealing temperature above some critical one (800 degrees C) results in appearance of submicron pores due to Y4Al2O9 phase formation accompanied by specific volume expansion. The energy changes associated with the chemical reaction can lead to the development of microstructures that possess lower sinterability. As a result, Y3Al5O12:Nd3+ ceramics prepared from unannealed green bodies and those annealed at 600 and 800 degrees C possess higher optical transmittance and enhanced slope efficiency (63-67%) compared with that obtained using green bodies annealed at 1000 degrees C (41%). Further investigations are necessary in order to explain this behavior.

The divertor of a fusion reactor like DEMO requires materials able to withstand high heat fluxes and neutron irradiation for several years. For the water cooling concept of this essential part of the reactor, the most likely plasma facing material will be W, while the heatsink material considered is CuCrZr or an improved version of such a Cu-based alloy. To realize W-Cu alloy joints able to withstand thousands of thermal cycles can be difficult due to the difference between the thermal expansion coefficients of these materials. In this work we investigate the possibility to realize such joints by using W-Cu functional gradient materials (FGMs) produced from nanometric and micrometric metallic powders mixtures and consolidated by spark plasma sintering at about 900 degrees C. Morphological and thermal properties investigations, performed for typical compositions, shows that the best results are obtained using powders with micrometric dimensions. A resulting 1 mm thick, 3 layers W-Cu FGM produced by this simple method shows a remarkable almost constant thermal conductivity value of 200 W m(-1) K-1, from room temperature up to 1000 degrees C.

Lighting and display technologies are evolving at tremendous rates nowadays; new device architectures based on new, microscopic building blocks are being developed. Besides high light-emission efficiencies, qualities including low cost, low environmental impact, flexibility, or lightweightness are sought for developing new types of devices. Electrospun polymer fibers represent an interesting type of such microscopic structures that can be employed in developing new functionalities. White-light-emitting fiber mats were prepared by the electrospinning of different dye-doped polymer solutions. Two approaches were used in order to obtain white-light emissions: the overlapping of single-dye-doped electrospun fiber mats, and the electrospinning of mixtures of different ratios of single-dye-doped polymer solutions. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to investigate the morphologies of the electrospun fibers with diameters ranging between 300 nm and 1 mu m. Optical absorption and photoluminescence (PL) were evaluated for single-dye-doped submicronic fiber mats, for overlapping mats, and for fiber mats obtained from different compositions of mixtures. Depending on the ratios of the mixtures of different dyes, the luminance was balanced between blue and red emissions. Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage (CIE) measurements depict this fine-tuning of the colors' intensities, and the right composition for white-light emission of the submicronic fiber mats was found.

Ce3+ and Tb3+-doped silico-phosphate films were obtained by using the sol-gel method, followed by the spin-coating deposition on silicon substrate. The homogeneity of the films was investigated by the conoscopy method. It was observed that the analysed films are isotropic but relatively inhomogeneous due to the specificity of the deposition technique. The morphology of the sol-gel films was investigated by Scanning Electron Microscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy. The elemental composition was determined by Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis. The magneto-optical investigations evidenced the capability of Ce and Tb-doped films of less than 2 mu m thickness to produce measurable Kerr rotations of 1 mdeg/T and 0.28 mdeg/T, respectively. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Spectroscopic investigation of Dy3+ doped Ca-3(Nb,Ga)(5)O-12 (CNGG) and Ca-3(Li,Nb,Ga)(5)O-12 (CLNGG) single crystals were performed in order to assess their potential as laser materials for yellow emission. Dy: CNGG and Dy: CLNGG single crystals were grown by the Czochralski method and investigated by high-resolution spectroscopic measurements for the first time. The Judd-Ofelt intensity parameters for the f-f transitions of Dy3+ in CNGG and CLNGG single crystals, were used to determine radiative transition rates A(r), branching ratios beta, and radiative lifetime tau(r) of the fluorescent Dy3+ levels. Based on low temperature absorption and emission spectra, partial energy levels diagram of Dy3+ doped CNGG and CLNGG single crystals were obtained. The emission cross-sections for the F-4(9/2) -> H-6(13/2) transition of special interest for laser application were determined. The room temperature decay curves were analyzed through the framework of Inokuti-Hirayama (I-H) model and the results shows that electric dipole-dipole interaction are responsible for the energy transfer processes between Dy3+ ions in CNGG and CLNGG single crystals. (c) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The present study is focused on the wet chemical synthesis and the characterization of ZnO-CdS composites. The X-ray diffraction shows that the composites contain ZnO in hexagonal wurtzite structure and CdS in cubic phase. The scanning/transmission electron microscopy images reveal flower-like structures with different sizes depending on the CdS content. The optical investigations on composites reveal that the reflectance spectra disclose two thresholds of similar to 370 nm and similar to 460 nm associated with the ZnO and CdS, respectively. The photocatalytic activity measurements evidenced that the degradation efficiency of RhB in the presence of composites is higher comparatively with pristine ZnO, depending on the catalyst morphology, which varies with CdS content and the pH value of RhB solution. The electron paramagnetic resonance revealed the presence of the paramagnetic point defects in the samples. Thus, the wet chemical approaches are suitable for a large scale production of such ZnO-CdS composites having enhanced photocatalytic activity.

Luminescent properties of Yb,Er:YAG transparent ceramics containing 5 at% Yb3+ and 0.5, 1 and 1.5 at%, respectively, Er3+ ions have been studied. It has been found that increasing of erbium ions concentration increases both efficiency of nonradiative energy transfer Yb3+ -> Er3+ (which reaches 72% for 1.5 at% Er3+) and the luminescence in the range of 650-700 nm associated with F-4(9/2), (11/2) -> I-4(15/2) transitions of Er3+ ions. It was also determined that the concentration quenching of sensitized luminescence of Er3+ ions at 1532 nm is associated with secondary excitation of metastable energy level of Er3+ followed by up conversion emission. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In this study, we compared the structural, morphological, and optical properties of a series of Zn1-xFexO (x = 0.00, 0.01, and 0.03) powders synthesized via a hydrothermal route with and without cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as a cationic surfactant. Our results highlighted the critical effects of the surfactant and the iron concentration on the structure, morphology, and optical properties of ZnO. X-ray diffraction, Mossbauer spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses indicated the presence of a single phase comprising ZnO with a hexagonal wurtzite structure in all samples and a single oxidation state (+3) for the iron (Fe3+) that replaced Zn2+ in the ZnO structure. Morphological investigations by scanning electron microscopy showed that the surfactant and Fe3+ dopant greatly affected the shape of the ZnO grains, which varied between sheets and rod-like flowers. We found that the morphological and photocatalytic properties of the two series of samples comprising iron-doped ZnO with and without the surfactant were in opposition. We propose a possible growth mechanism for the ZnO polycrystalline grains in the presence of the Fe dopant and/or surfactant. The photocatalytic properties increased for the samples prepared with surfactant as the iron content increased, which was confirmed by ultraviolet-visible reflection measurements. The photocatalytic activities of the samples prepared without surfactant decreased in both the ultraviolet and visible spectral regions as the iron content increased in the samples.

Four Ge-based organometallic (OM = C6H10 Ge2O7) polymers with similar chemical composition were used as additions for MgB2. MgB2 (OM) 0.0014 dense samples with a relative density higher than 97% were obtained by ex situ spark plasma sintering. The critical current density and the irreversibility magnetic field of the added samples are slightly improved at high magnetic fields by repagermanium (Alfa Aesar) addition when compared to the pristine reference sample. Addition of Ge-straight-chain polymer shows some improvement of the maximum volume pinning force, F-p (max). There is no significant Ge substitution in the crystal lattice of MgB2, while C substitutes for B. Pinning mechanism is mainly of a point pinning type, with the grain boundary pinning mechanism strengthening at lower temperatures and when additives are not used. A relatively high amount of carbon in the samples washes out the Ge effects on pinning-force-related parameters. The structure and morphology of the polymer additive play an important role in dispersion when mixing, impacting the quality of the superconducting properties. The nanosize dimension of the pristine MgB2 powder shows also some drawbacks in mixing and sintering.

DEMO fusion reactor divertor is expected to extract a heat flux of about 10 MW/m(2). One of the most promising concept design for it is the W-monoblock, which should be connected to a CuCrZr or an advanced Cu ODS alloy pipe passing through the W component. Since the optimum operating temperature windows for W and existing Cu alloys are far away from overlapping, a suited interface is needed to keep the adjacent materials as close as Possible to their respective temperature operating windows. The interface material should therefore have a low enough thermal conductivity to act as a thermal barrier and a thermal expansion coefficient suited to protect the W-pipe joint from stresses induced by the different thermo-mechanical properties of W and Cu-alloys. As interface materials we have considered Cu-ZrO2 composites produced by powder metallurgy route. Such materials can be realized in an unexpected large compositional range (up to at least 90% ZrO2 volume concentration) and be easily further joined to both W and Cu-alloys by an electrical field assisted technology. We analyse their microstructure and thermo-physical properties both as single materials and included in W-thermal barrier-CuCrZr 3-layers systems in comparison to those of previously produced Cu-ased composites and commercially available Cu foams.

Ceramic thin films belonging to SiO2-P2O5-CaO-MgO-ZnO-CaF2 system were obtained by combining the sol-gel approach with the spin coating technique. Titanium plates were employed as substrates. The deposited coatings were characterized in terms of composition, structure and morphology with the help of the following methods: X-ray diffraction, Fourier - transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy - dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. In order to assess the bioactivity of a potential metallic implant covered with such layers, the samples were immersed in simulated body fluid for 14 days and their surface was investigated. The results showed that the thin films calcined at a lower temperature have a better biological response due to the vitroceramic nature.

Si and Ge nanocrystals in oxides are of a large interest for photo-effect applications due to the fine-tuning of the optical bandgap by quantum confinement in nanocrystals. In this work, dense Ge nanocrystals suitable for enhanced photoconduction were fabricated from 60% Ge in TiO2 amorphous layers by low temperature rapid thermal annealing at 550 degrees C. An exponential increase of the photocurrent with the applied voltage was observed in coplanar structure of Ge nanocrystals composite films deposited on oxidized Si wafers. The behaviour was explained by field effect control of the Fermi level at the Ge nanocrystals-TiO2 layer/substrate interfaces. The blue-shift of the absorption gap from bulk Ge value to 1.14 eV was evidenced in both photocurrent spectra and optical reflection-transmission experiments, in good agreement with quantum confinement induced bandgap broadening in Ge nanocrystal with sizes of about 5 nm as found from HRTEM and XRD investigations. A nonmonotonic spectral dependence of the refractive index is associated to the Ge nanocrystals formation. The nanocrystal morphology is also in good agreement with the Coulomb gap hopping mechanism of T-1/2 -type explaining the temperature dependence of the dark conduction.

Zn1-x-yFexNdyO, x = 0.02 and y = 0.00-0.05 were successfully synthesized via a hydrothermal method at 200 degrees C. XRD and Mossbauer spectroscopy indicated that (Fe, Nd) codoped ZnO, calcined at 700 degrees C, 3 h in air, contains hexagonal ZnO phase as main phase and traces of ZnFe2O4; no phase containing neodymium was observed. In this study, a strong powder morphology dependence on Nd concentration and calcination temperature was evidenced by SEM. The photocatalytic properties were found to depend on the sample morphology and Nd content. Thermoluminescence signal is weak compared to the undoped ZnO and the curves shape was almost independent on the doping level and dependent on the calcination temperature and was related to the structural defects induced by the synthesis and calcination. Photoluminescence spectra showed that the green-yellow band due to the oxygen related defects, decreases by Fe and Nd-codoping. Thermo-magnetization curves measured in low applied fields and the magnetic hysteresis loops recorded in the temperature range 5-380 K, indicate two superimposed magnetic regimes, one predominant above 100 K the other below 100 K. The observed magnetic order is not directly related to the dopant Fe or Nd ions, but to different type of defects.

A novel class of quaternary intermetallic alloys based on CoPt is investigated in view of their interesting magnetic properties induced by the presence of hard magnetic L1(0) phase. A Co48Pt28Ag6B18 alloy has been prepared by rapid solidification from the melt and subjected to various isothermal annealing procedures. The structure and magnetism of both as-cast and annealed samples as well as the phase evolution with temperature are investigated by means of thermal analysis, X-ray, and selected area electron diffraction, scanning and high-resolution electron microscopy, and magnetic measurements. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis shows that both the as-cast alloy and the sample annealed at 400 degrees C (673 K) have a nanocrystalline structure where fcc CoPt phase predominates. Annealing at 473 degrees C promotes the formation of L1(0) phase triggered by the disorder-order phase transformation as documented in the differential scanning calorimetry results. The sample annealed at 670 degrees C (943 K) shows full formation of L1(0) CoPt as revealed by XRD. Magnetic measurements showed coercivity values ten times increased compared to the as-cast state. This confirms the full formation of L1(0) CoPt in the annealed samples. Moreover, detailed atomic resolution HREM images and SAED patterns show the occurrence of the rarely seen (003) superlattice peaks, which translated into a high ordering of the L1(0) CoPt superlattice. Such results spur more interest in finding novel classes of nanocomposite magnets based on L1(0) phase.

Co-doped CeO2 thin films were grown from a bulk target with starting composition Ce0.95Yb0.04Er0.01O2 by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) on a p(+)-n-n(+) single crystal silicon diode. The PLD laser fluence was varied between 1.7 J/cm(2) and 3.7 J/cm(2). The device with the film grown for a laser fluence of 2.3 J/cm(2) delivers the highest performance taking advantage of the up conversion (UC) effect provided by this film. Namely, the increase in the relative power conversion efficiency of the device is 12.1% and 39.2% for illumination under 1 and 2.1 sun, respectively, and its relative external quantum efficiency is 8.2% when illuminated with 980 nm light. The film grown for the optimum 2.3 J/cm(2) fluence shows good target-film composition transfer and a granular morphology with a low roughness. The UC mechanism consists of efficient energy transfer between spatially separated Yb3+ and Er3+ ions, i.e. the absorption of infrared light photons by the Yb3+ ions (F-2(7/2) -> F-2(5/2) transition) is followed by a two-step energy transfer process to neighboring Er3+ ions and by their characteristic luminescent emissions ((H-2(11/2), S-4(3/2)) -> I-4(15/2)) and (F-4(9/2) -> I-4(15/2)).

We report on the synthesis by PLD of simple and lithium-doped biological-origin hydroxyapatite (HA) films. The role of doping reagents (Li2CO3, Li3PO4) on the morphology, structure, chemical composition, bonding strength and cytocompatibility of the films was investigated. SEM investigations of the films evidenced a surface morphology consisting of particles with mean diameters of (5-7) mu m. GIXRD analyses demonstrated that the synthesized structures consisted of HA phase only, with different degrees of crystallinity, mainly influenced by the doping reagent type. After only three days of immersion in simulated body fluid, FTIR spectra showed a remarkable growth of a biomimetic apatitic film, indicative of a high biomineralization capacity of the coatings. EDS analyses revealed a quasi-stoichiometric target-to-substrate transfer, the values inferred for the Ca/P ratio corresponding to a biological apatite. All synthesized structures displayed a hydrophilic behavior, suitable for attachment of osteoblast cells. In vitro cell viability tests showed that the presence of Li2CO3 and Li3PO4 as doping reagents promoted the hMSC growth on film surfaces. Taking into consideration these enhanced characteristics, corroborated with a low fabrication cost generated by sustainable resources, one should consider the lithium-doped biological-derived materials as promising prospective solutions for a next generation of coated implants with rapid osteointegration. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Different amounts of TiO2 and ZnO particles were deposited upon wool fabrics, which are among the less studied textiles. The materials were get from industry or were home made. Model samples for these oxide deposition and properties were also considered. Either sputtering or chemical sol-gel/electro less technique was respectively applied. The coated samples were then characterized structurally and morphologically, by XRD, SEM and XPS and were checked for photocatalytic properties. Both UV and vis light beams were used for irradiation. The photocatalytic experiments were performed by photodegradation of methylene blue in the PCC2 checker apparatus. The fabrics were firstly impregnated with the dye solution and then dried: self cleaning of the wool fabric samples took in fact place. Reflectance data in the visible spectral range of highest absorption band served for direct analysis of MB degradation. The photocatalytic properties of the coated fabrics increased much in comparison with the raw materials. The photocatalytic decolorization of methylene blue follows up a simple apparently first order kinetic equation in many studied cases. Thus it was demonstrated that MB decolorization can serve as a test reaction at least for self cleaning of fabrics. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Samples of MgB2 with relative density above 95% were obtained by spark plasma sintering (SPS) at 1150 A degrees C for a heating time of 100 A degrees C/min and a maximum pressure of 95 MPa. Dwell time was of 1, 4, 7, 10, and 20 min. Samples show that dwell time has a low influence on superconducting characteristics. However, small differences were observed and they are discussed from the viewpoint of density, structural, microstructural, critical current density, irreversibility field, and pinning type. The dominant contribution for all investigated samples is given by point and delta T (c) pinning.

This work involves the synthesis and characterization of Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) layers. The films were prepared on ITO/glass substrate by ecofriendly and simple single-step electrodeposition method followed by sulfurization and annealing at 500 degrees C under Argon flow. By using two different complexing agents, the electrodeposition process can give better results. Therefore, the effect of combining the trisodium citrate - TC to multiple cornplexing agents (cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide - CTAB, ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid - EDTA, Boric Acid - BA, Glutamic Acid - GA and Tartaric Acid - TA) is investigated. The characterization of the absorber films was done by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, Raman spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Diffuse Reflectivity. The combination of TC and CTAB is suggested to be the best pair of complexing agents within the combinations used in this work.

Pristine and (SiC + Te)-added MgB2 powders, green and spark plasma sintered (SPS) compacts were investigated from the viewpoint of quasi-static and dynamic (Split-Hopkinson Pressure Bar, SHPB) compressive mechanical properties The amount of the additive (SiC + Te) was selected to be the optimum one for maximization of the superconducting functional parameters. Pristine and added MgB2 show very similar compressive parameters (tan delta, fracture strength, Vickers hardness, others) and fragment size in the SHPB test. However, for the bulk SPSed samples the ratio of intergranular to transgranular fracturing changes, the first one being stronger in the added sample. This is reflected in the quasi-static K-IC that is higher for the added sample. Despite this result, sintered samples are brittle and have roughly similar fragmentation behavior as for brittle engineering ceramics. In the fragmentation process, the composite nature of our samples should be considered with a special focus on MgB2 blocks (colonies) that show the major contribution to fracturing. The Glenn-Chudnovsky model of fracturing under dynamic load provides the closest values to our experimental fragment size data.

Sm3+ doped partially disordered calcium-niobium-gallium -garnet (CNGG) and calcium-lithium-niobium-gallium -garnet (CLNGG) single crystals were grown by the Czochralski method. Spectroscopic characteristics of Sm:CNGG and Sm:CLNGG single crystals were obtained by high-resolution absorption and emission spectra and emission dynamics measurements. Partial energy levels of Sm3+ doped CNGG and CLNGG were extracted from the measured spectra. The Judd-Ofelt theory has been applied to evaluate the Omega(t)(t=2,4, 6) intensity parameters, radiative transition rates A(r) branching ratios beta, and radiative lifetime tau(r), of the fluorescent Sm3+ (4)G(5/2) level. The emission cross-sections for the (4)G(5/2)-> H-6(J) (J=5/2, 7/2, 9/2) transitions of special interest for visible laser application were obtained by the Fucht-bauer - Ladenburg equation. The interaction between Sm3+ ions is dipole-dipole type and the C-DA, microparameter for both crystals was calculated based on Inokuti-Hirayama model. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

For DEMO fusion reactor an expected heat flux of about 10MW/m(2) should be extracted by the divertor which will have, most likely, an armour part made of W and a following heat sink part made of Cu, or ODS Cu alloy. Unfortunately, for these materials the optimum operating temperature windows do not overlap. Thermal barrier materials are interface materials included in such components, aiming to keep the temperatures of both armour and heat sink parts in the corresponding operating windows, and to mitigate the effects of their different thermomechanical properties. Here we propose a simple spark plasma sintering route to create Cu-based composites with a high content (10-40 vol%) of various dispersed materials (Al or Y oxides, C, SiC), allowing a fine tuning of the content and a large pool of predefined shapes and dimensions. The resulting specimens can be further joined to armour and heatsink components via a similar electrical field assisted technology. Micro-structural and thermal properties are investigated for these materials allowing to select the most suited materials in view of their thermal conductivity and thermal expansion coefficients. (C) 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.

In the present work we study the optical, struc-tural and morphological properties of CdS-doped glass films, deposited by Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) method. The glass target used for ablation was prepared by conventional melt-quenching technique and the semiconductor dopant, CdS powder, was embedded in the borosilicate melt glass host by continuous stirring. In order to improve the properties of the films, the laser wavelength was modified. Photoluminescence emission (PL) of CdSdoped glass films revealed a broad band located in the visible range. The structural analysis was carried out by micro-Raman spectroscopy, pointing out specific vibration modes for Si-O-Si bonds as well as for CdS dopant. The morphology and the chemical characterization of the films were investigated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM).

Wetting properties of wool textiles were studied either for the raw samples or for those functionalized via covering them at low temperature with nanoparticles of titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. Oxygen plasma pretreatment was performed before deposition. Characterization used optical examination, scanning electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetry, X-ray diffraction. Wetting properties were tested under static conditions by estimating the water contact angle. The sessile drop method was applied. The deposited matter represents 3 to 8 wt%, covering rather uniformly the fiber surface. Treated samples show mostly lower values of contact angle than the pristine ones. Cassie-Baxter model is discussed in relation to the equilibrium contact angle of the support.

The electrospinning technique was employed for the preparation of SnO2 fibers starting from a precursor solution consisting of a tin salt, polyvinylpyrrolidone as carrier polymer and N,N-dimethylformamide as dispersion medium. In order to achieve single-phase crystalline structures, the as-spun fibers were calcined at 500, 700 or 900 degrees C, with two different heating rates of 1 or 10 degrees C/min. The thermally treated samples were characterized in terms of structure, morphology and bandgap by employing X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and UV-Vis spectroscopy. A fine tuning of the bandgap width was attained through the selection of different values for the electrospinning and calcination parameters.

Commercial MgB2 powder was loaded into a Fe-tube, by plastic deformation a tape of similar to 0.5 mm in thickness and 6.9 mm in width was obtained. Short pieces were processed by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) at 950, 1050 and 1150 degrees C for 3 min. The optimum sintering temperature is 1050 degrees C. From magnetic/electrical measurements, the onset critical temperature and the irreversibility field at 5 K were 38.7 / 38.9 K and 6.2 / 13.5 T, respectively. The pinning-force-related parameters indicate that the dominant flux pinning mechanism is of point pinning type. Contribution of grain boundary pinning is stronger at lower temperatures.

High purity Zinc Selenide (ZnSe) crystals are produced starting from elemental Zn and Se to be used for the search of the neutrinoless double beta decay (0vDBD) of Se-82. In order to increase the number of emitting nuclides, enriched Se-82 is used. Dedicated production lines for the synthesis and conditioning of the (ZnSe)-Se-82 powder in order to make it suitable for crystal growth were assembled compliant with radiopurity constraints specific to rare event physics experiments. Besides routine check of impurities concentration, high sensitivity measurements are made for radio-isotope concentrations in raw materials, reactants, consumables, ancillaries and intermediary products used for ZnSe crystals production. Indications are given on the crystals perfection and how it is achieved. Since very expensive isotopically enriched material (Se-82) is used, a special attention is given for acquiring the maximum yield in the mass balance of all production stages. Production and certification protocols are presented and resulting ready-to-use (ZnSe)-Se-82 crystals are described. (C) 2017 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

We investigated the evolution of the DC magnetic hysteresis curves of Nb0.89Ti0.11 alloys thermo-mechanically processed by intermediate heat treatments at 900 degrees C in vacuum and cold rolling (similar to 50% thickness reduction). Starting with a rectangular piece (similar to 0.4 mm thick) cut from the as-grown alloy, after the first thermo-mechanical treatment, the specimen exhibits over a wide temperature T interval a peak effect not far from the DC irreversibility line. With a supplemental thermo-mechanical treatment, the peak effect disappears and is substituted by a second magnetization peak ( where the characteristic fields are significantly lower) induced by pinning enhancement. The second magnetization peak was clearly seen at high temperatures only, due to the occurrence of thermo-magnetic instabilities in the low-T domain. In both cases, analysis of magnetic relaxation evidences a crossover towards plastic vortex creep accompanying the maximum in the effective critical current density. These results suggest a common nature of the observed effects, related to the disordering of the vortex system induced by pinning.

In melt-spun FePtB-based ribbons, the addition of Ag has been proven to decrease the temperature of phase transformation from the A1 fcc FePt phase to the hard magnetic tetragonal L1(0) phase. Alloys with 6 and 9 at.% Ag added to the initial FePtB have been synthesized by rapid solidification from the melt. The samples have been laser irradiated and submitted to nitriding procedure. This procedure has been proven beneficial for inducing complete transformation of A1 to L1(0) phase and a strong (001) texturing. Ag segregation combined to mechanisms of creation of vacancies and diffusion of N give rise to the formation of an intergranular disordered region and due to an improved interfacial coupling between FePt grains, enhanced coercivity and two-phase magnetic behavior is obtained.

The double-perovskite Sr2FeMoO6 has been obtained by solid state method at low temperature (1060 degrees C) and a very short time of synthesis (up to 4h). Both, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed the formation of Sr2FeMoO6 oxide with grain sizes around 160 mm, and a small amount of SrMoO4 as an impurity. Mossbauer spectroscopy revealed a mixed site population with Fe and Mo ions generating a structure type with population inversion. This structure has a critical influence on the magnetic properties, as confirmed by the magnetization and TC values, i.e 3.56 mu(B)/f.u and 415 K, respectively. The Sr2FeMoO6 behavior was interpreted in terms of ferrimagnetic couplings generated by the various distributions of local interactions between Fe and Mo neighbors while comparing the ideal structure should show antiferromagnetic coupling between the two sublattices.

This article reports the synthesis and characterization of several types of organic-inorganic nanocomposites based on epoxy resin/monoglycidylether-terminated poly(dimethylsiloxane) reinforced with 2, 5, or 10 wt% polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) bearing one glycidyl (1GE-POSS) or eight glycidyl(8GE-POSS) groups. The morphological features of the studied samples were established through atomic force microscopy, contact angle measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and it was demonstrated that 8GE-POSS is well dispersed within the polymer matrix, while 1GE-POSS exhibits a high tendency to form aggregates. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier transform infrared resonance (FTIR) measurements are used to follow the curing behavior and to study the polymerization kinetics of epoxy groups. As evidenced by DSC and FTIR results, the inclusion of 8GE-POSS within the polymer matrix leads to a lower epoxy polymerization rate of the resulted nanocomposites than those reinforced with 1GE-POSS. The dynamic mechanical analysis results revealed that the thermomechanical properties are gradually improved with increasing of 8GE-POSS content due to the higher cross-linking density.

Implant-associated infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality. This study was performed using titanium,samples coated by anodization with a titanium dioxide (TiO2) shielded nanotube layer. TiO2/Ti surface was modified by simple immersion in torularhodin solution and by using a mussel-inspired method based on polydopamine as bio adhesive for torularhodin immobilization. SEM analysis revealed tubular microstructures of torularhodin and the PDA ability to function as a catchy anchor between torularhodin and TiO2 surface. Corrosion resistance was associated with TiO2 barrier oxide layer and nano-organized oxide layer and the torularhodin surface modification does not bring significant changes in resistance of the oxide layer. Our results demonstrated that the torularhodin modified TiO2/Ti surface could effectively prevent adhesion and proliferation of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Bacillus subtilis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The new modified titanium surface showed good biocompatibility and well-behaved haemocompatibility. This biomaterial with enhanced antimicrobial activity holds great potential for future biomedical applications. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Peierls transition of polycrystalline CuGeO3 samples was investigated by thermal and magnetic investigations. We find that spin disorder induced by chain breaking and grain boundaries has similar effects to doping but without suppressing the spin-Peierls transition temperature or the spin-Peierls gap.

Eu-doped CaF(2)nanocrystalline powders have been prepared by using co-precipitation technique. Structural and morphological modifications induced by annealing are followed by using Eu3+-ion probe. Theluminescence properties are changing gradually together with the morphology of doped CaF2 nanoparticles accompanied by anEu(3+)-> Eu2+ conversion. Cathodoluminescence measurements show uniform distribution of the europium dopant ions in the annealed samples accompanied by a strong increase of the integral photoluminescence signal. During annealing the cubic structure of CaF2 nanoparticles is altered going to the spherical morphology due to the Eu3+ ions incorporation. In the annealed samples Eu3+ ions are incorporated as Eu3+-O dimer centres with the coordination symmetry (C-2 nu); in the sintered samples there are two non-equivalent Eu3+ sites. The thermoluminescence peaks have been assigned to the recombination of the Eu3+ related traps in these sites.

Wettability properties of thin TiO2 amorphous layers obtained by sputtering or sol-gel onto polyester textile materials were investigated. Contact angle (CA) measurements by the sessile drop method were used to evaluate these properties. Comparison was performed with coated samples of related poly(lactic acid) material. The samples coated by sol gel have CAs a few degrees higher than those coated by sputtering. Wetting properties were conversely changed under alternate darkness/illumination conditions. Photoinduced hydrophilicity was observed even for these amorphous coating particles, being higher for sputtered samples than for sol gel ones.

Dye-doped polymer thin films were obtained by spin-coating of 8% polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) solutions (in ethanol). Ni or ZnO nanowires were incorporated in Rhodamine 6G doped polymer films (10(-4) M dye concentration). Optical and morphological properties of simple dye-doped polymer films and films containing metallic or semiconducting nanostructures were investigated. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to image the nanowires. The presence of Ni nanowires induces a small shift (2-3 nm) to longer wavelengths on the emission band of Rh 6G doped PVP film. The ZnO nanowires' presence was confirmed by X-ray diffraction measurements. An enhancement of the emission of the dye doped polymer is induced by the semiconducting structures. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electrochemical deposition allows the preparation of ZnO nanostructures with precisely controlled morphology and properties, by finely tuning the process parameters. ZnO nanowires were deposited onto gold substrates by electrodeposition from a low concentration zinc nitrate bath Photolithography was employed for patterning interdigitated electrode systems onto silicon/silicon dioxide substrates and ZnO electrodeposition lead to wires connected to each other by bridging neighboring interdigits allowing electronic transport characterization. Optical measurements, i.e. reflection and photoluminescence spectroscopy, were performed and the results were correlated to electronic transport data. We found that we deal with a system for which one can apply a model of space charge limited currents with different traps energy distribution as a consequence of electrodeposition rate. Current versus temperature measurements show different behavior for lower and higher range of temperatures. Such nanowires, fabricated and contacted in a straightforward way, allow a wide area of applications ranging from conductometric bio- or chemo-sensors to optoelectronic devices. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ex-situ spark plasma sintering (SPS) was used to obtain dense MgB2-based tapes in a Fe sheath with the starting composition (MgB2)(0.975) + (SiC)(0.025) + Te-0.01. Prior to the SPS procedure of tape formation, the samples were submitted to a series of cold working processes typical for the powder-in-tube technique. The tapes were compared with optimal doped bulk samples (having the same starting composition) and a pristine MgB2 tape. The morphology of the composite samples, the phase structure of both the core and the inner face of the metallic sheath shows the formation of a plethora of traces as a result of interaction between MgB2, additives, and the Fe sheath. Important critical parameters, like critical current density and the irreversibility field, show that there is a field and temperature range where the SiC and Te-added tapes display better critical parameters comparative to either pristine MgB2 tapes in the Fe sheath or SiC and Te doped MgB2 bulk samples.

Within this study a matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation technique was employed for deposition of CdS quantum dots onto TiO2 nanotubes. The number of laser pulses and laser fluence were varied to control the amount of CdS deposit. TiO2 nanotubes were obtained via anodization technique of sputtered Ti film on FTO glass. For CdS synthesis, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) was used as a matrix of the target which absorbs radiation of KrF* laser (lambda=248 nm), then evaporates enabling the deposition of CdS quantum dots dispersed into DMSO. This study showed that the size of the CdS nanoparticles synthetized in DMSO can be controlled with microwave treatment that causes the release of S2- ions from DMSO for creation of CdS nuclei and/or their further growth. The optimization of CdS synthesis is achieved by varying the duration of the microwave treatment and the microwave power. The obtained TiO2 photo anodes with different amounts of CdS were assembled with PbS cathodes and the polysulfide electrolyte was injected between. The influence of amount of CdS deposit and the microwave treatment of CdS on photovoltaic performance of the fabricated solar cells were analyzed under AM1.5. The results showed that microwave treatment produced a Cd(S)-DMSO complex onto CdS nanoparticles which led to a higher current density of the solar cells obtained using microwave treated CdS target. Also, the increase of CdS content by increasing the number of laser pulses provided the enhance of I-V characteristics of the solar cells. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.

High density (above 92%) superconducting bulks of MgB2 co-added with cubic BN (c-BN) and fullerenes (C-60) were obtained by the ex-situ spark plasma sintering (SPS). Compositions were (MgB2)((1-x))(C)(x)(c-BN)(0.01), x = 0.0125, 0.025, 0.05, 0.075. The co-added sample (MgB2)(0.975)(C)(0.025)(c-BN)(0.01) shows a marginally higher critical current density J(c) at intermediate magnetic fields and below 15 K than for optimum samples added with c-BN or C-60. For this sample, pinning is in the point pinning limit and the delta T-c mechanism is dominant. At high magnetic fields co-added samples are inferior to samples added with one additive, but are superior to pristine sample. Co-addition of c-BN and C-60 is not effective for vortex pinning when compared with individual addition. The result is discussed based on phase formation aspects, microstructural details and residual strain. It was found that in the presence of C-60, c-BN consumption with formation of MgNB9 is intensified with implications on different elements that influence pinning. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

ZnO complex microstructures were deposited onto interdigitated metallic electrodes by electrospraying. Simple methods, such as wet chemical precipitation and optical lithography, were used for the synthesis of flower-like and snowflake-like ZnO structures and for the preparation of interdigitated metallic electrodes, respectively. The electrosprayed ZnO particles preserve the structural, optical and morphological properties of the chemically synthesized ZnO powders. During the electrospraying process, the ZnO microstructures form bridges between the interdigitated metallic electrodes leading to electrical contacting. Changes in the electron transport through the ZnO microstructures are evidenced by their exposure to ammonia or their passivation with poly(methyl methacrylate). Merging such easy-scalable and low-cost techniques, devices based on electrosprayed complex ZnO structures can be designed.

Powder mixtures of MgB2 and B4C with composition ((MgB2) + (B4C) x, x = 0.005, 0.01, 0.03) were consolidated by Spark Plasma Sintering at 1150 degrees C for 3 min. The average particle size of B4C raw powder was relatively high of 4 mm. Despite this, it is shown that processing processes are fast and, as in the case of the in-situ routes, for our ex-situ method carbon substitutes for the boron in the crystal lattice of MgB2. Specifics of microstructure are discussed based on electron microscopy observations. Carbon substitution and microstructure contribute to enhancement of the critical current density J(c) at high magnetic fields and of the irreversibility field H-irr. Samples are shown to be in the point pinning limit with some tendency toward the grain boundary pinning depending on B4C doping amount and temperature. An optimum composition is found for x = 0.01: for this sample, at 20 K, a J(c) of 100 A/cm(2) is obtained at 5.35 T. This value is higher than for the pristine MgB2 sample and for an optimum ex-situ nano-SiC-doped sample obtained for the same SPS processing conditions. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Superconducting bulks of MgB2 were obtained by the Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) technique. Different heating rates of 20, 100, 235, 355, and 475 degrees C/min were used. Samples have high density, above 95%. The onset critical temperature T-c, is about 38.8 K. There is an optimum heating rate of similar to 100 degrees C/min to maximize the critical current density J(c0), the irreversibility field H-irr, the product (J(c0) x mu H-0(irr)), and to partially avoid formation of undesirable flux jumps at low temperatures. Significant microstructure differences were revealed for samples processed with low and high heating rates in respect to grain boundaries. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Although a great number of antibiotics are currently available, they are often rendered ineffective by the ability of microbial strains to develop genetic resistance and to grow in biofilms. Since many antimicrobial agents poorly penetrate biofilms, biofilm-associated infections often require high concentrations of antimicrobial agents for effective treatment. Among the various strategies that may be used to inhibit microbial biofilms, one strategy that has generated significant interest involves the use of bioactive surfaces that are resistant to microbial colonization. In this respect, we used matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) involving a pulsed KrF* excimer laser source (lambda = 248 nm, tau = 25 ns, nu = 10 Hz) to obtain thin composite biopolymeric films containing natural (flavonoid) or synthetic (antibiotic) compounds as bioactive substances. Chemical composition and film structures were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. Films morphology was studied by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The antimicrobial assay of the microbial biofilms formed on these films was assessed by the viable cell counts method. The flavonoid-containing thin films showed increased resistance to microbial colonization, highlighting their potential to be used for the design of anti-biofilm surfaces. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

TiO2 deposition by sputtering or sol-gel techniques was applied onto less thermal stable polyester textiles and onto a related poly(lactic acid) material. The temperature of deposition and of the further treatment was low enough as allowed by the support nature. Structural and spectroscopic characterization of the raw and coated samples has been performed. TiO2 coated particles are amorphous as indicated by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Sputtered layers consist in aggregates randomly distributed on the substrate while the sol gel layers show a uniform coverage of nanoparticles having a mosaic-like structure. The morphology of the sputtered layers depends on the deposition pressure as well. The loading degree estimated on the basis of the thermogravimetric data is rather low (ca. 2%), but the fabric properties are much influenced by the deposition. Photocatalytic activity also present on the coated surfaces was evaluated in the methylene blue degradation. TiO2 layer is quite adherent as checked by an ultra-sonication method.

ZnO nanofibers were obtained by electrospinning a solution of zinc acetate dihydrate and polyvinylpyrrolidone in N, N-dimethylformamide, followed by calcination at 500, 650 or 800 degrees C for 1 h. X-ray diffraction, selected area electron diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, reflectance spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy were used for the characterization of the resulting fibers. The thermally treated samples exhibit ZnO single phase with polycrystalline hexagonal structure. The morphological investigation revealed an accentuated contraction process during calcination, as well as the increase of the crystallite size and the appearance of a breaking tendency with the calcination temperature enhancement. Both UV and Visible emissions under excitation at 350 nm were showed by the optical studies, which also led to band gap values slightly lower than those reported for similar one-dimensional nanostructures. In order to assess the photocatalytic activity of ZnO fibers, the photodegradation of methylene blue in aqueous medium (10(-3) M) under UV irradiation (368 nm) was analyzed.

The purpose of the present study is to develop novel nanocomposites based on diglycidylether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) combined with diglycidylether-terminated polydimethylsiloxane (DG-PDMS), reinforced with 10 wt.% (mono-/octa) epoxy POSS nanocages (MEP or OEP-POSS). DG-PDMS and POSS compounds were covalently incorporated into DGEBA resin via copolymerization of epoxy groups. The effect of both DG-PDMS and POSS nanoparticles on the curing reaction, glass transition temperature (T-g), thermal stability, hardness and morphology of DGEBA/DG-PDMS +/- POSS nanocomposites were studied by DSC, FTIR, DMA, TGA, SEM/EDX, AFM and contact angle measurements. SEM/EDX and AFM results prove that OEP-POSS is well dispersed within DGEBA/DG-PDMS polymer matrix, while MEP-POSS forms large POSS aggregates. The thermo-mechanical properties of POSS based nanocomposites are also in good correlation with morphology features. MEP-POSS based nanocomposite with heterogeneous dispersion of FOSS aggregates exhibits lower T-g value and thermal stability in comparison with OEP-POSS nanocomposite which exhibits a nanoscale dispersion of the PUSS cages. The obtained T-g of OEP-POSS based nanocomposite increases with 31 degrees C in comparison with the unreinforced matrix. Moreover, this nanocomposite shows the highest storage modulus (E') and hardness. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spark plasma sintering (SPS) was applied for fabrication of dense (relative density > 97 %) bulk MgB2 samples added with Ge. Mixtures of MgB2 and Ge powders with starting compositions (MgB2) Ge (x) , x=0.005, 0.01, and 0.03 were used. Added samples show enhancement of the critical current density at high magnetic fields when compared to a pristine reference sample. The optimum composition is for x=0.005 and for this sample J (c)(20 K) =10(2)A/cm (2) is obtained at 5 T, while for the reference sample is obtained at 3.9 T. Ge does not substitute in the crystal lattice of MgB2 and T (c,onset) or T (c,midpoint) from magnetization measurements scatter within 0.15 or 0.3 K, respectively.

ZnO crystallites were grown by electroless deposition on poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) fiber mats prepared by an electrospinning technique. The electroless deposition involves three steps: sensitization, activation and deposition, which were performed by subsequently dipping the PMMA fiber mats in the appropriate solutions. After the deposition the PMMA fibers are uniformly coated with ZnO prisms which show hexagonal wurtzite structure and optical signatures (band-gap value and emission bands) typical for this semiconductor. By combining electroless deposition and electrospinning, different semiconductor coated polymer fibers can be obtained for a wide range of applications. Both methods are appropriate for large scale production, being scalable, cheap, efficient and suitable for large-area covering techniques. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An important parameter of deposited thin films is their adhesion to the substrate materials, we focused on the adhesion of TiO2 layer by sol-gel or sputtering onto textile substrate as checked by an ultra-sonication method. The characterization-made prior and after the tests have shown a good adherence of the nanoparticles, despite the low deposition temperature.

Bioactive glasses are currently considered the suitable candidates to stir the quest for a new generation of osseous implants with superior biological/functional performance. In congruence with this vision, this contribution aims to introduce a reliable technological recipe for coating fairly complex 3D-shaped implants (e.g. dental screws) with uniform and mechanical resistant bioactive glass films by the radio-frequency magnetron sputtering method. The mechanical reliability of the bioactive glass films applied to real Ti dental implant fixtures has been evaluated by a procedure comprised of "cold" implantation in pig mandibular bone from a dead animal, followed by immediate tension-free extraction tests. The effects of the complex mechanical strains occurring during implantation were analysed by scanning electron microscopy coupled with electron dispersive spectroscopy. Extensive biocompatibility assays (MTS, immunofluorescence, Western blot) revealed that the bioactive glass films stimulated strong cellular adhesion and proliferation of human dental pulp stem cells, without promoting their differentiation. The ability of the implant coatings to conserve a healthy stem cell pool is promising to further endorse the fabrication of new osseointegration implant designs with extended lifetime. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enhancement at low temperatures of the Raman scattering excited by laser light situated near the edge of the fundamental absorption band is often encountered when studying nanoscale structures. Theory devoted to this phenomenon has established that it originates in an exciton-phonon interaction process, known as the Frohlich interaction, Such a phenomenon was observed in PbI2. The experimental data conclude that the enhancement of the Raman emission results from: (i) an optical excitation near edge of fundamental absorption band; (ii) it is conditioned by the existence of excitonic PL; (iii) its occurrence is different over stokes and anti-stokes Raman branches as result of the different overlapping of the Raman spectral range and the excitonic PL band profile; and (iv) it appears more intense in micrometric powders or in bulk crystalline material. These data are interpreted as stimulated Raman effect resulting from the mixing of the pump laser light and the excitonic light. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

We report the fabrication of biofunctionalized magnetite core/sodium lauryl sulfate shell/antibiotic adsorption-shell nanoparticles assembled thin coatings by matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation for antibacterial drug-targeted delivery. Magnetite nanoparticles have been synthesized and subsequently characterized by transmission electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction. The obtained thin coatings have been investigated by FTIR and scanning electron microscope, and tested by in vitro biological assays, for their influence on in vitro bacterial biofilm development and cytotoxicity on human epidermoid carcinoma (HEp2) cells.

The effect of thermal treatments on the martensitic transformation in three representative Ni-Fe-Ga alloys with or without Co substitutions has been studied by calorimetry, X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy and magnetometry. The alloys were prepared as ribbons, by the melt spinning technique. The thermal treatments promote a reduction of the martensitic transformation temperature in all investigated samples, with the most pronounced decrease for the alloys with lower Ga content. Three different mechanisms induced by specific thermal treatments and responsible for the characteristic behaviour of the martensitic transformation, with respect to temperature and heat of transition, were observed and discussed in details. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In this paper we report a procedure of growing metallic particles at atmospheric pressure by using a radiofrequency plasma jet, operated in inert gaseous atmosphere (argon). Iron metallic particles are manufactured, with sizes in the range of hundreds of nm up to a few microns, having as metal source the electrodes of the plasma jet discharge. The obtained particles are characterized with respect to their shape, size, morphology and size distribution. An emphasis is put on the relationship between the particle size distribution and process parameters, namely the substrate to nozzle distance and applied radiofrequency power.

Low dimensional nanostructures represent a hot scientific field nowadays due mainly to the tremendous potential for applications. Low dimensions open the possibilities for both ultra-miniaturization and increase in functionality. Numerous procedures were developed for fabricating such nanostructures. Template replication represents a highly effective method in fabricating metallic nanowires and nanotubes. The approach is characterized by the excellent control in obtaining nano objects with the desired shape and dimensions. A large variety of templates are available ranging from viruses and proteins to nanoporous membranes fabricated by using swift heavy ion accelerators. In the following chapter the main steps involved in employing the method for fabricating metalic nanowires and nanotubes by replicating ion track nanoporous membranes were described. The steps include here membrane fabrication and replication and involve track etching and electrochemical metal deposition. The influence of the process parameters on the properties of the nanoobjects prepared by this approach was reviewed. It was found that simple experimental parameters can be chosen in such a way that the functionality of the nanowires or nanotubes can be finely tuned.

ZnO micro/nanostructures with complex morphology were synthesized by a simple chemical reaction between zinc nitrate and hexamethylenetetramine in the presence of polysaccharides. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that all obtained samples are of wurtzite structure. The reflectance and room temperature photoluminescence spectra have been used to investigate the optical properties of the ZnO structures. The scanning electron microscopy images reveal that the ZnO morphology (star, double-jellyfish, double-raspberry and edelweiss-flower) can be easily changed by varying the polysaccharides: sodium alginate, gum arabic and chitosan. The polysaccharide-assisted crystallization method could provide a facile approach to synthesize other desired compounds with controllable morphology. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High density (above 93%) superconducting bulks of MgB2 with addition of hexagonal BN (h-BN) and cubic BN (c-BN) with compositions ((MgB2) + (BN)(x), x = 0.01, 0.03, 0.05) were obtained by ex situ spark plasma sintering. All the investigated samples have the critical temperature T-c = 38.8 K. The variation of the critical current density J(c) with the external magnetic field H for h-BN added sample is almost overlapping the J(c)(H) dependence for the pristine MgB2 sample. On the other hand, J(c) for the samples added with c-BN is larger at high magnetic fields, while the decrease of J(c) at low H is very small. At T = 20 K, a J(c) of 10(2) A cm(-2) is determined for the sample with x(c-BN) = 0.005 at H = 58 kOe, and for the sample with x(c-BN) = 0.01 at 54 kOe. Magnetic relaxation measurements indicate a significant flux pinning enhancement in MgB2 samples added with c-BN. It is proposed that the disorder at the interface caused by the convenient lattice matching relationship between the lateral plane of the MgB2 crystal prism and the face of the c-BN crystal cube is responsible for the observed vortex pinning increase.

Two different types of Ho2O3 powders (showing a much different morphology) were added to MgB2 in the ex-situ Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS). In the 5-25 K range, the first Ho2O3 powder type does not significantly suppress the critical current density J(c) at low magnetic fields and the second one enhances it at high fields, while their mixture simultaneously controls J(c) at both small and high magnetic fields so that the decrease is small at low fields and there is a notable enhancement at high fields when compared to pristine sample. The control of J(c)(H) is discussed versus specific characteristics of the raw powders, the resulting microstructure of the added SPS-ed samples and pinning details from magnetic relaxation measurements. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

With the aim of synthesizing the mixed nanoparticle system xIn(2)O(3)-(1-x)SnO2 over all molar concentration range 0 <= x <= 1, Delta x = 0.1, we performed hydrothermal supercritical experiments on indium-tin hydrogel resulted from InCl3-SnCl4 water solution. Nanophases isostructural with InOOH and SnO2 were obtained by hydrothermal reaction at 400 degrees C, in the molar concentration range of 0.1 <= x <= 0.7; at x = 0.8 and x = 0.9 only one phase, isostructural with InOOH, was observed. Samples calcined at 500 degrees C with x in the range of 0.2 <= x <= 0.7 contain a nanoscaled phase isostructural with rhombohedral In2O3 and a second one isostructural with tetrahedral SnO2. At x = 0.8 and x = 0.9 only one phase isostructural with rhombohedral In2O3 appears: rhombohedral ITO phase. The determined band gap energies could recommend the rhombohedral ITO structure for visible light photocatalytic applications. The phase dynamics together with the concentration range for existence of the solid solutions in the InOOH-SnO2 and In2O3-SnO2 composite semiconducting nanoparticle systems have been evidenced and discussed. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Silicon substrates were irradiated at normal incidence with a femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser (Quatronix, 90 fs pulse duration, 1 kHz repetition rate, M-2 similar to 1.2, maximum energy peak 350 mJ) operating at a wavelength of 400 nm and focused via a microscope objective (Newport; UV Objective Model, 37x 0.11 N.A.). The laser scanning was assisted by liquids precursors media such as methanol and 1,1,2-trichlorotrifluoroethane. By altering the processing parameters, such as incident laser energy, scanning speed, and different irradiation media, various surface structures were produced on areas with 1 mm 2 dimensions. We analyzed the dependence of the surface morphology on laser pulse energy, scanning speed and irradiation media. Well ordered areas are developed without imposing any boundary conditions for the capillary waves that coarsens the ripple pattern. To assess biomaterial-driven cell adhesion response we investigated actin filaments organization and cell morphological changes following growth onto processed silicon substrates. Our study of bone cell progenitor interaction with laser nanoprocessed silicon lines has shown that cells anchor mainly to contact points along the nanostructured surface. Consequently, actin filaments are stretched towards the 15 mu m wide parallel lines increasing lateral cell spreading and changing the bipolar shape of mesenchymal stem cells.

Luminescent polymer fibers were obtained by electrospinning solutions of 8% (in ethanol) polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) doped with three different dyes (coumarin 6, rhodamine 6G and sulforhodamine 101). Using the same parameters for the electrospinning process, nanofibers with diameters between 200 and 800 nm and different sizes and distributions of the beads were obtained as proven by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). We assessed the dependence of their emissive properties (intensity and wavelength) on the type of dye using photoluminescence (PL) spectra for the same concentration of the dopand dye (10(-3)M). Moreover, employing 4 different concentrations for coumarin 6 and rhodamine 6G (from 10(-3) to 10(-6) M) we evaluated the dependence with the concentration of the dye on the emissive properties of the electrospun dye-doped PVP nanofibers.

ZnO structures were deposited using a simple chemical bath deposition technique onto interdigitated electrodes fabricated by a conventional photolithography method on SiO2/Si substrates. The X-ray diffraction studies show that the ZnO samples have a hexagonal wurtzite crystalline structure. The scanning electron microscopy observations prove that the substrates are uniformly covered by ZnO networks formed by monodisperse rods. The ZnO rod average diameter and length were tuned by controlling reactants' concentration and reaction time. Optical spectroscopy measurements demonstrate that all the samples display bandgap values and emission bands typical for ZnO. The electrical measurements reveal percolating networks which are highly sensitive when the samples are exposed to ammonia vapors, a variation in their resistance with the exposure time being evidenced. Other important characteristics are that the ZnO rod networks exhibit superhydrophobicity, with water contact angles exceeding 150 degrees and a high water droplet adhesion. Reproducible, easily scalable, and low-cost chemical bath deposition and photolithography techniques could provide a facile approach to fabricate such ZnO networks and devices based on them for a wide range of applications where multifunctionality, i.e., sensing and superhydrophobicity, properties are required.

Ge, GeO2 and Ge2C6H10O7 additions to MgB2 obtained by ex situ spark plasma sintering significantly enhance the critical current density J(c) in high magnetic fields. A J(c)(T = 20 K) of 102 A cm(-2) is obtained at 3.9 T in the pristine sample and at 5.8 T in the MgB2(Ge2C6H10O7)(0.0014) sample. The decrease in the critical temperature for added samples is less than 1 K and T-c(20 K, H = 0) shows a small decrease from 5.5 x 10(5) A cm(-2) in the pristine sample to 3.9 x 10(5) A cm(-2) in MgB2(Ge2C6H10O7)(0.0014) sample. Ge does not substitute into the MgB2 lattice. (C) 2014 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recently, ZnO and natural polysaccharides have received more and more attention as interesting components for designing complex functional nanomaterials, key elements being their high occurrence and low-cost. In this chapter are presented possibilities for tailoring the ZnO properties by using polysaccharides in the synthesis process as well as reports on the functionalization of cellulose-based natural fabrics with ZnO. In both cases, in the preparation step were used only simple and scalable wet chemical methods. The resulting materials with suitable characteristics, e.g. dependence of the ZnO nanostructures optical properties on their morphology or high-UV blocking and superhydrophobicity for ZnO-functionalized fabrics, can find applications in domains where such qualities are required.

Micropatterned ZnO was synthesized by an electroless deposition process using Au stripes as catalytic surfaces. The Au-patterned electrodes were prepared on SiO2/Si wafers using photolithography. The site-selective deposition of patterned ZnO hexagonal rod arrays is confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. The ZnO micropatterned surface revealed a conversion of wettability from hydrophilic to super-hydrophobic depending on the deposition reaction parameters. The electrical measurements carried out at room temperature before and after exposure to ammonia vapors of the patterned ZnO arrays show a resistance variation with exposure time. Highly reproducible, easy scalable and low-cost, photolithography and electroless deposition techniques could provide a facile approach to fabricate functionalized micropatterns, for a wide range of applications. (C) 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim

In this paper, we report on the structural, optical, and electrical properties of a wide compositional range of AlxIn1-xN thin layers deposited on glass and polyethylene terephthalate substrates. AlxIn1-xN layers of controlled composition were obtained by a simple reactive magnetron co-sputtering protocol, using a single aluminium target with indium insets, by varying the Al/In target surface area ratio, and the composition of the deposition atmosphere. The relevant physical properties were investigated and discussed. It is shown that the texture of the thin films is dependent on the cation ratio, while the bowing parameters of lattice constants and band gap values are larger than those of epitaxial layers. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.

Vacuum deposition at small angle was successfully applied in deposition of SiOx particles onto polyester textile materials; this deposition is here presented in comparison with that upon other materials made from poly(lactic acid), polyamide or hemp. Structural and spectroscopic characterization of deposited samples has been performed and compared with that of the raw materials. The deposited particles are amorphous. Contact angle measurement by the sessile drop method, was used to study the wettability behavior of the investigated composite systems. The hierarchical roughness structure generates hydrophylic properties onto polyester fabrics and the other functionalized samples after deposition. The deposition technique was proven to be highly reproducible, easy scalable and cheap, allowing a wide range of applications.

Dye-doped polymer micro- and nanofibers with tailored light emission properties have great potential for applications in optical, optoelectronic, or photonic devices. In this study, these types of structures were obtained by electrospinning rhodamine 6 G-doped polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) using a polymer solution of 10% (mass) concentration in ethanol. Polymer nanofibers with different morphologies (smooth and beaded) and diameters of about 500 nm were obtained using different electrospinning conditions with the same solutions. Fluorescence optical microscopy observations showed that the dye was distributed uniformly in the doped PVP nanofibers. Different shifts were observed when we compared the wavelength of the dye emission band peak of the smooth nanofibers (566 nm) and the wavelength of the dye emission band peak of the beaded fibers (561.5 nm) produced by electrospinning in different conditions with the wavelength of the emission band peak for transparent thin films produced by spin coating (558 nm) using the same polymer solution. This demonstrates that it is possible to tune the optical properties of electrospun dye-doped polymer nanofibers simply by modifying the morphology of the material, i.e., the parameters of the electrospinning process. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ex situ spark plasma sintering was used to obtain dense MgB2 co-doped with SiC and Te. The composition (MgB2) + (SiC)(0.025) + Te-0.01 shows critical current densities J(c)(20 K, 5 T) of 3.5 x 10(2) A cm(-2) and J(c)(5 K, 9 T) of 2 x 10(3) A cm(-2). These values are higher than for pristine samples or those separately doped with Te or SiC. They are also comparable at high fields and temperatures with the best reported values for the co-doped MgB2 bulks produced by conventional in situ methods. (C) 2012 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electrochemical deposition from a solution containing zinc and samarium ions, leads to a samarium oxide/zinc oxide sandwich-like structure with an intense, visible, broad luminescence peak centered at 550 nm. The successive deposition of the two materials is related to the bath composition and overpotential, taking place for values higher than a certain threshold. The zinc oxide film, first one to be deposited, presents typical hexagonal prism morphology while samaria coating films present a porous, nanowall like structure. The photoluminescence emission is at least 10 times more intense than in the case of typical electrodeposited ZnO films of similar thickness and does not appear in Sm2O3 films electrodeposited from solutions containing only Sm ions. Samples prepared in different conditions were characterized from the point of view of composition, structure, morphology and optical properties. The characteristics of the emission spectra of the films make them interesting for solid state lightning applications. (c) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

ZnO uniform films were deposited on polymer sphere arrays by an electroless technique. The low-dimensional ZnO particles were grown from an aqueous solution of zinc nitrate and dimethylamineborane. The X-ray diffraction studies demonstrate that the ZnO crystallites have a hexagonal wurtzite structure. The scanning electron microscopy images prove that ZnO hexagonal prisms are synthesized with a fairly uniform diameter of around 200 nm. From the contact angle measurements it was found that the electroless deposition on polymer sphere arrays of semiconductor hexagonal prisms leads to an improvement of ZnO hydrophobic properties.

A simple approach to fabricate periodic arrays of ring bumps, disk and convex bumps or holes on silicon and gallium arsenide substrates is reported. In the process, a mono or double layer of 700 nm diameter silica colloidal particles were self-assembled on the substrates and a single pulse from a 200 fs laser at 387 nm wavelength was applied. The surfaces were irradiated at normal incidence by immersing the substrates in a glass container filled with acetone, carbon tetrachloride and 1,1,2-trichlor-trifluorethan liquid precursors. The influence of the medium on the near-field interactions for both substrates is investigated. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

We report on thin film deposition by matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) of two polymer-drug composite thin film systems. A pulsed KrF* excimer laser source (lambda = 248 nm, tau = 25ns, nu = 10 Hz) was used to deposit composite thin films of poly(D,L-lactide) (PDLLA) containing several gentamicin concentrations. FTIR spectroscopy was used to demonstrate that MAPLE-transferred materials exhibited chemical structures similar to those of drop cast materials. Scanning electron microscopy data indicated that MAPLE may be used to fabricate thin films of good morphological quality. The activity of PDLLA-gentamicin composite thin films against Staphylococcus aureus bacteria was demonstrated using drop testing. The influence of drug concentration on microbial viability was also assessed. Our studies indicate that polymer-drug composite thin films prepared by MAPLE may be used to impart antimicrobial activity to implants, medical devices, and other contact surfaces. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Zinc oxide particles were synthesized by a simple wet chemical method. Using zinc nitrate and various precipitating agents, like KOH, NaOH and (CH2)(6)N-4, particles with different morphologies were obtained. Also, the addition of a structure-directing agent, like gum arabic - a highly branched biopolymer, leads to a decrease in the ZnO particles size (for KOH and NaOH) and to a dramatical change of the ZnO particle shape in the case of (CH2)(6)N-4. The X-ray diffraction analysis showed that all obtained samples are of wurtzite structure. The reflectance and photoluminescence spectra have been used to investigate the optical properties of the ZnO structures. The morphologies observed by scanning electron microscopy reveal snowflake-like, flower-like, star-like and double-raspberry-like structures. A possible formation mechanism for ZnO micro/nanostructures with different morphologies was proposed. The biopolymer-assisted crystallization method could provide a facile approach to synthesize other desired compounds with controllable morphology.

Bi2O3 and Bi-metal powders were mixed with MgB2 powder. Starting compositions were (MgB2)(Bi2O3) x, x = 0.0025, 0.005, 0.015, and (MgB2)(Bi)(y), y = 0.01. Mixtures were processed by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) technique. As obtained composite samples show high density, above 94 % of the theoretical density. Samples with Bi2O3 for x = 0.0025 and 0.005 show higher critical current densities, J(c), at high fields and at 20 K than for the pristine sample. Their irreversibility field, H-irr, is also higher. On the other hand, sample added with Bi-metal has lower J(c) and H-irr at any temperature than for the pristine sample.

Cotton fabrics were coated with arrays of ZnO hexagonal prisms using an electroless (catalytic/auto-catalytic) deposition process. A typical three step method, similar to those used for electroless deposition of metals on insulating substrates, consisting of pre-activation, activation and deposition steps was employed. The low-dimensional ZnO particles were grown from an aqueous solution containing zinc nitrate as source of zinc ions and dimethylamineborane as reducing agent. The as-obtained ZnO-coated cotton fabrics were characterized from the point of view of structure by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and morphology by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The XRD studies demonstrate that the ZnO particles have a hexagonal wurtzite crystalline structure. The SEM observations prove that the cotton fibers are homogeneously covered by hexagonal prisms which have uniform base size of approximately 500 nm and height of 1 mu m. Optical spectroscopy measurements show that the functionalization with ZnO strongly decreases the transmittance in the UV vis region of the cotton fabrics. An important characteristic is that the ZnO-functionalized cotton fabrics exhibit superhydrophobicity, with water contact angles exceeding 150 degrees. The technique described is highly reproducible, easy scalable and cheap, allowing a wide range of applications. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A simple approach to fabricate periodic arrays of conical bumps on silicon (Si) substrate is reported. In the process, a single pulse from a 200 fs laser at 387 nm wavelength was applied on a self-assembled monolayer of 700 nm and 390 nm diameter silica spheres on a n-doped Si (1 0 0) wafer. The surface was irradiated at normal incidence by immersing the silicon substrates in a glass container filled with 1, 1, 2 trichlor-trifluorethan liquid precursors. After laser irradiation, at laser fluences in the range from 1 to 40 J/cm(2), a regular array of conical Si bumps was fabricated. The density of the Si bumps can be varied by varying the particle size diameter. The influence of the medium on the near-field interactions for both sizes silica particles layer is investigated. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Different types of SiC-W composites have been realized by spark plasma sintering in a single step process starting with beta SiC nanometric powder, W nanometric and micrometric sized powders, and W foils. SEM, EDX, XRD and X-ray tomography have been used to analyze the sample morphology while the thermal properties of the resulting materials have been investigated up to 1000 degrees C using a LFA thermal analyzer. The results show the possibility to produce dense W-SiC composites, with enhanced thermal conductivity using a relatively simple route. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

We report on the fabrication of magnetite/salicylic acid/silica shell/antibiotics (Fe3O4/SA/SiO2/ATB) thin films by matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) to inert substrates. Fe3O4-based powder have been synthesized and investigated by XRD and TEM. All thin films were studied by FTIR, SEM and in vitro biological assays using Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa reference strains, as well as eukaryotic HEp-2 cells. The influence of the obtained nanosystems on the microbial biofilm development as well as their biocompatibility has been assessed. For optimum deposition conditions, we obtained uniform adherent films with the composition identical with the raw materials. Fe3O4/SA/SiO2/ATB thin films had an inhibitory activity on the ability of microbial strains to initiate and develop mature biofilms, in a strain-and antibiotic-dependent manner. These magnetite silica thin films are promising candidates for the development of novel materials designed for the inhibition of medical biofilms formed by different pathogenic agents on common substrates, frequently implicated in the etiology of chronic and hard to treat infections.

We synthesized by wet chemical route a novel europium-potassium phthalate complex Eu3+K+[(COO)(2)(C6H4)](2). The compound is a white powder insoluble in water. X-ray diffraction evaluation shows that we obtained a new crystalline compound with no traces of the starting materials (potassium hydrogen phthalate and europium chloride). Scanning electron microscopy reveals that the powder consists of fiber-shaped structures with sizes larger than 250 nm in diameter. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis proves that the compound has a 1:1 europium-potassium ratio. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirms the presence of the phthalate in the new compound. Photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence measurements show that the fiber-shaped structures are intensely luminescent with emission bands corresponding to the D-5(0) -> F-7(J) (J = 1-4) Eu (III) ion's transitions in the region between 580 nm and 700 nm, the most intense maximum being observed around 615 nm. Up-converted luminescence with a maximum at 315 nm was recorded. (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Styrene, methyl methacrylate and glycidyl methacrylate vinyl monomers were grafted onto chitosan by surfactant-free emulsion copolymerization using potassium persulfate as initiator. The grafted compounds were characterized by X-ray diffraction, FTIR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and zeta potential measurements. X-ray diffraction showed changes in the crystallinity pattern of chitosan after the copolymerization reaction. Evidence of grafting was confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. From zeta potential measurements it is found that the surfaces of graft copolymers latex particles have positive charges resulting from the cationic chitosan molecules. The morphology evaluated by SEM, TEM and AFM proves that in the absence of chitosan, latexes of vinyl homopolymers contain quasi-monodispersed spheres with average diameter of about 400 nm or 250 nm while the graft copolymers latexes are formed by clustered irregular beads with average diameter around 100 nm.

The article reports on the tilted growth of textured aluminium nitride thin films obtained by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering onto 50 mm diameter Si (111) wafers, in reactive atmosphere, in a planar sputtering system without tilting the substrate and with no additional sputtering geometry alterations. The films were investigated using, X-ray diffraction, spectroscopic ellipsometry and scanning electronic microscopy, done by local measurements on the wafer surface, at different distances from the centre. A progressive increase of the tilt angle when moving away from the sample centre has been found. The maximum tilt angle of the columnar AlN crystallites, obtained near the edges of the wafer, is about 7 degrees. The results showed also that tilting is associated with smaller thickness and larger dispersion of the c axis orientation. Synthesizing inclined c axis AlN films should allow the fabrication of surface acoustic wave devices based on shear waves for liquid sensor applications.

Large-scale microstructures were imprinted on the surface of silicon with dimensions of 1 mm x 1 mm by femtosecond laser line-by-line scanning irradiation. The scanning was made under air and under chlor/hydrogen based liquid layers. Scanning electron microscope investigations evidenced homogeneous surface microstructures, such as: ripples with sub-wavelengths dimensions, Si pillars and directional oriented bacilliform structures. The dependence of the surface morphology on laser energy, scanning speed and irradiation media was analyzed. In air, the microstructure changes from directional-arranged bacilliform structures to well-known ripple structures with a width of about 525 nm. When using the liquid media, we observe ripple structures with a width of about 370 nm and an overlapping of those that evolve in certain regions into Si pillars. The surfaces show interesting gradient topography behaviour which could be used as model scaffolds for the systematic exploration of the role of 3D micro/nano morphology on cell adhesion and growth. By using chlor and hydrogen based liquids we were able to explore the microstructuring of the silicon by line-by-line irradiation process using the femtosecond laser. (C) 2011 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

Embedding silver (Ag) into CaPs one could expect the enhancement of the antimicrobial performances of coatings for load bearing implants. The aim of this research was to evaluate whether the cellular morphology is influenced by the variation of Ag content, as well as by the solubility and morphological features of Ag-containing CaP coatings obtained by combinatorial pulsed laser deposition technique. In this view, we developed compositional libraries of either Ag and hydroxyapatite (HA) or Ag and beta-tricalcium phosphate (beta-TCP). The Ag content along the length of the combinatorial CaP coatings increased up to a maximum of similar to 1 at.%. SEM and AFM images evidenced the abundant presence of particulates typical for CaP coatings deposited by PLD. AFM histograms showed that the samples were rough with RMS values within 61-209 nm range. Ag content values up to 0.6 at. % into HA coatings were found nontoxic for mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) growth.

Sm3+-doped Sc2O3 translucent polycrystalline ceramics were fabricated by solid-state reaction method in order to evaluate its potential for visible emission. The optical spectra in the UV-IR range of Sm3+ in these samples, at different temperatures (10-300 K), were performed. A series of data on Sm: Sc2O3 system not investigated previously were obtained from the analysis of the absorption and visible emission spectra as well as the emission kinetics: an extended energy level scheme, absorption cross sections for different bands, lifetimes, etc. Additional spectroscopic parameters were evaluated in the frame of the Judd-Ofelt (J-O) theory: J-O intensity parameters, oscillator strengths, radiative transitions probabilities, radiative lifetimes, branching ratios, and the cross sections (by Fuchtbauer-Ladenburg) of the main three visible emissions: (4)G(5/2) -> H-6(5/2) (yellow), (4)G(5/2) -> H-6(7/2) (orange) and (4)G(5/2) -> H-6(9/2) (red). (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Superconducting bulks of MgB2 with addition of Sb2O3 and Sb with different stoichiometric compositions ((MgB2) + (Sb2O3) (x) , x = 0.0025, 0.005, 0.015, and (MgB2) + (Sb)(y), y = 0.01) were obtained by the Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) technique. All added samples have high density, above 95% and critical temperature, T (c), of 38.1-38.6 K. This result and XRD data suggest that Sb does not enter the lattice of MgB2. Impurity phases are Mg3Sb2, MgO, and MgB4. The optimum addition is Sb2O3 for x = 0.005. This sample shows the critical current density, J (c)(5 K, 0 T) = 4 x 10(5) A/cm(2) and J (c)(5 K, 7 T) = 6 x 10(2) A/cm(2), while the irreversibility field, H (irr) (5 K, 100 A/cm(2)) = 8.23 T. Indicated values of J (c) and H (irr) are higher than for the pristine sample. The mechanism of J (c) and H (irr) increase in the Sb2O3 added samples is complex and composed of opposite effects most probably involving morphology elements, the presence of nano metric MgB4 and the indirect influence of oxygen or oxygen and Sb. Crystallite size of MgB2 is decreasing when Sb-based additions are introduced and the effect is stronger for the Sb-metal addition. The sample with Sb-metal addition does not improve J (c) and H (irr) when compared with pristine sample.

ZnO films were electrodeposited from an aqueous nitrate bath on ITO/glass substrates. The process was performed not by the usual potentiostatic approach but by using potential ramps with different sweep rates. We tested these ramps in both directions i.e. either towards electronegative (direct) or electropositive (inverse) potential. As expected, the samples prepared in different deposition conditions show different morphology, different quality of crystalline structure and different optical properties. By employing inverse ramps we prepared films with high quality structural and optical properties. We assume that in these conditions the growth is followed by an etching process which preferentially removes the areas with high defect concentration and leads to the formation of hollow hexagonal prisms. (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

CdS micro- and nano-structures (micro/nanotubes and nanostructured films) were obtained by ammonia-free chemical bath deposition using polymer templates (ion track-etched polycarbonate membranes and poly(styrene-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) nanosphere arrays). The semiconductor structures were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical absorption, photoluminescence and electrical measurements. The diameters of CdS tubes are between 300 nm and few microns and the lengths are up to tens of micrometers. The SEM images prove that the CdS films are nanostructured due to the deposition on the polymer nanosphere arrays. For both CdS structures (tubes and films) the XRD patterns show a hexagonal phase. The optical studies reveal a band gap value of about 2.5 - 2.6 eV and a red luminescence at similar to 1.77 eV. A higher increase of conductivity is observed for illuminating the CdS nanostructured film when compared to the simple semiconductor film. This is a consequence of the periodic patterning induced by the polymer nanosphere array. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

This paper discusses the properties of two arylenevinylene oligomers thin films deposited by vacuum evaporation on different substrates. The morphology of the thin films was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, and the optical properties by UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy. The optical nonlinear phenomenon of two-photon absorption induced fluorescence has been evidenced in the thin films of these compounds. We have also investigated the electrical properties of semiconductor/insulator/semiconductor (ITO/oligomer/Si) heterostructures in correlation with the contact energetic barriers, morphological and structural properties of the layers. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Te metal or TeO2 were added to MgB2 ((MgB2) (A)(x), x = 0.005, 0.01, 0.03, A = addition). The mixtures were processed by spark plasma sintering. The critical current density J(c), of the samples containing the Te/TeO2 additions is enhanced at high fields and at temperatures up to 20K. The curve of J(c)(5 K, H) for the sample with optimum x(Te) = 0.01 shows no accelerated decrease up to 8 T (J(c)(5 K, 8 T) = 1.8 x 10(3) A cm(-2)). The irreversibility field of the samples containing the Te/TeO2 additions is also enhanced. (C) 2012 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Surfactant-free emulsion copolymerization was used to prepare methyl methacrylate-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (MMA-HEA) and methyl methacrylate-hydroxypropyl methacrylate (MMA-HPMA) latex particles. Also, glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) was grafted onto the surface of the preformed MMA-HPMA latex particles by seeded surfactant-free emulsion copolymerization. The copolymerization reactions were conducted at 75 A degrees C using a water-soluble initiator, potassium persulfate (KPS). The morphologies of copolymer latex particles were observed using Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The influence of different reactions parameters (the MMA saturation concentration (Sr), the KPS concentration and the aqueous solubility of the comonomers (HEA or HPMA)) on the particles average diameter and particles size dispersity was investigated. The experimental results showed that the increase of initiator concentration induces in all investigated cases the increase of particles average diameter, while the presence of HEA or HPMA as comonomers in the copolymerization reaction of MMA (1,000% Sr) lead to a decrease of particles average diameter. At small KPS concentration the latex is monodisperse, the increase of the initiator concentration leading to the formation of polydisperse latex. In the case of grafting reaction of GMA onto the monodisperse preformed MMA-HEA latex particles, although the average diameter of the final particles doubles the latex remains quasi-monodisperse.

The aim of this study is to investigate the micrometer and submicrometer scale structuring of silicon by liquid chlorine and fluorine precursors with 200 fs laser pulses working at both fundamental (775 nm) and frequency doubled (387 nm) wavelengths. The silicon surface was irradiated at normal incidence by immersing the Si (111) substrates in a glass container filled with liquid chlorine (CCl(4)) and fluorine (C(2)Cl(3)F(3)) precursors. We report that silicon surfaces develop an array of spikes with single step irradiation processes at 775 nm and equally at 387 nm. When irradiating the Si surface with 400 pulses at 330 mJ/cm(2) laser fluence and a 775 nm wavelength, the average height of the formed Si spikes in the case of fluorine precursors is 4.2 mu m, with a full width at half maximum of 890 nm. At the same irradiation wavelength chlorine precursors develop Si spikes 4 mu m in height and with a full width at half maximum of 2.3 mu m with irradiation of 700 pulses at 560 mJ/cm(2) laser fluence. Well ordered areas of submicrometer spikes with an average height of about 500 nm and a width of 300 nm have been created by irradiation at 387 nm by chlorine precursors, whereas the fluorine precursors fabricate spikes with an average height of 700 nm and a width of about 200 nm. Atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy of the surface show that the formation of the micrometer and sub-micrometer spikes involves a combination of capillary waves on the molten silicon surface and laser-induced etching of silicon, at both 775 nm and 387 nm wavelength irradiation. The energy-dispersive x-ray measurements indicate the presence of chlorine and fluorine precursors on the structured surface. The fluorine precursors create a more ordered area of Si spikes at both micrometer and sub-micrometer scales. The potential use of patterned Si substrates with gradient topography as model scaffolds for the systematic exploration of the role of 3D micro/nano morphology on cell adhesion and growth is envisaged. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3619856]

This work is focused on spectral investigations of Tm3+ doped Sc2O3 transparent ceramic as potential material for diode-pumped solid-state laser emitting around 2 mu m. In the context of the Judd-Ofelt J-O) theory a series of spectroscopic parameters such as J-O intensity parameters, oscillator strengths, radiative transitions probabilities, and radiative lifetimes as well as branching ratios are evaluated. The gain cross-sections which lead to an estimation of the probable operating laser wavelength for the F-3(4) -> H-3(6) Tm3+ laser transition were also calculated. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Luminescent nanorods of potassium acid phthalate (KAP) doped with rhodamine 6G (Rh 6G) dye molecules were grown by template assisted crystallization. Pores with diameters ranging from tens of nanometers to few micrometers were obtained in polycarbonate foils after heavy-ion irradiation and subsequent chemical etching of the damage trails along the ion trajectories. Crystallization from solution was employed for filling of the pores with the dye-doped KAP rods. These nanostructures were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, optical absorption spectroscopy and photoluminescence detection. X-ray diffraction was used for structural analysis. The luminescence of the dye-doped rods undergoes a redshift when the diameter of the structures decreases. This shift is probably caused by increasing dye concentration in the rods with decreasing pore diameter. The luminescence originating from the Rh 6G presence is up-converted due to the second-harmonic generation in KAP.

The paper presents the influence of pulsed laser deposition (PLD) parameters on the structural and optical properties of PZT thin films grown on platinum substrate. X-ray diffraction (XRD), spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) are used to determine the thin film properties. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) are employed to get additional information. By changing the distance between target and substrate, different crystalline orientations of PZT are obtained. The thin film thickness and its roughness, as well as the refractive index are also influenced by the chosen distance. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

PbS micro- and nanoparticles were synthesized by a simple precipitation reaction of lead nitrate with thioacetamide in hydrosoluble polymer water solutions. The effects of four water soluble polymers: polyacrylamide (PAM), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyethylene glycol (PEG) and poly-N-vinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) on the PbS crystallites morphology and structural properties were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). It was found that for the PbS particles obtained in the PVA. PEG and PVP, the (2 0 0) diffraction peak of the nanocrystals becomes dominant. The highest texture in the [2 0 0] direction was observed for the crystallites obtained in the presence of PVP. Polydisperse PbS particles with cubic morphology and size ranging from 100 nm to several microns are obtained in the case of PAM and PEG. Monodisperse cubic PbS crystallites with an average size of 200 nm are formed in the presence of PVA and PVP. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

We report an investigation of the temperature-dependence of the refractive index of potassium acid phthalate (KAP) crystal. Refractive index measurements are based on a refractometer setup operating in a temperature range from 25 degrees C to 200 degrees C and using five different laser wavelengths in the visible and near-infrared. Temperature-dependent dispersion relations are proposed, with an average fitting quality that exceeds experimental accuracy, and compared to previous room-temperature Sellmeier equations. Consequently, the new relations are employed for the calculation of various linear and nonlinear optical properties of KAP. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Poly(styrene-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) [P(ST-HEMA)] latex particles were prepared by surfactant-free emulsion copolymerization. As water-soluble initiator was used potassium persulfate (KPS). The influence of different reactions parameters, such as the reaction temperature, the both monomers (ST and HEMA) concentrations and the KPS concentration on the particles average diameter and particles size dispersion was investigated. Generally monodisperse spherical particles are synthesized, but we also obtained stable large three-dimensional colloidal aggregates. These are formed by the agglomeration of monodispersed spheres in certain polymerization conditions. The P(ST-HEMA) monodispersed spheres with 350 nm average diameter were assembled into colloidal crystals using dip-coating technique. Colloidal crystals with different thickness were obtained by modifying two experimental factors, the colloidal concentration and the substrate lifting speed. The morphologies of copolymer latex particles and colloidal crystals were observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The optical properties of colloidal crystals films were also investigated by transmission spectroscopy.

In this study the Matrix Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation (MAPLE) technique was used to prepare thin films from a low melting point (< 100 degrees C) organic compound (benzil). Optical properties of the films have been investigated by UV-VIS, FTIR and PL spectroscopy. Details about crystallinity were obtained by XRD measurements. FTIR spectra have confirmed the preservation of the chemical structure of the compound during the deposition process. SEM and AFM investigation have evidenced a topography of the MAPLE deposited films characterized by different grain size depending on the deposition conditions. Second harmonic generation measurements have revealed that the MAPLE deposited benzil films have preserved the optical nonliniar properties of the bulk crystalline benzil.

Rods of potassium acid phthalate (KAP) and potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) doped with rhodamine 6G (Rh 6G) were grown using the template approach. Pores of hundreds of nanometers in diameter were obtained in polycarbonate (PC) foils after heavy ions irradiation and subsequent chemical etching. Crystallization from solution was used for filling the pores and the nanostructures were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy studies. SEM images of micro- and nano-rods (300 nm and 2.5 mu m diameter) indicate a crystalline growth tendency. When exciting the PC foils containing rods of 100 nm diameter emission bands appear at 581 nm for Rh 6G doped KAP and at 602 nm for Rh 6G doped KDP. A shift of the emission bands towards red was observed when the luminescent properties of the rods with diameters of 100 nm were compared with the luminescent properties of the bulk crystals and of the micrometrical sized rods. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electrochemical replication of nanoporous membranes represents a facile approach towards the fabrication of nanostructures with tailored properties. By the template method we prepared multisegment nanowires with tailored structure. The first step of the process was the fabrication of the nanoporous template by swift heavy ion irradiation and subsequent selective etching of the ion track. The next step was to fill the pores with the desired combination of materials. In this manner, by sequential electrodeposition steps of metal and semiconductor we prepared Ni - CdTe and Ni - ZnO - Ni nanowires.

The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of the different media, e.g. air, water, CCl4 (carbon tetrachloride) and C2Cl3F3 (tricloro-trifluoro-ethane), when irradiating a Si (100) substrate, with a 200 femtosecond (fs) laser pulses of a Ti:sapphire laser operating at 775 nm. Various micro and nanomorphologies could be achieved by changing the media, the laser pulse energy and the number of pulses. It is shown that the resulting Si (100) surface presents a regulated morphology in air consisting of parallel ripples and the formation of regular arrays of submicrometer spikes on Si (100) in CCl4 and C2Cl2F3, respectively. Irradiation of a Si (100) substrate immersed in water creates a regularly structured surface but it doesn't facilitate the spikes formation. The potential use of the patterned Si substrates as model scaffolds for the systematic exploration of the role of 3D micro/nano morphology on cell adhesion and growth is envisaged.

Potassium hydrogen phthalate (KAP) crystals doped with rhodamine 6G (Rh 6G) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) were grown by solution evaporation technique. Nucleation occurred without the use of seeds and optically transparent crystals were obtained. The grown crystals were characterized by XRD measurements performed on crystals and their powders, optical transmission and photoluminescence measurements. The influence of the dopants on the structural, morphological and optical properties of the KAP crystals was analysed. Dopants do not change the structure of the single crystals while the addition of PVP changes the morphology of crystals from pseudo-hexagonal to rhomb. Three new XRD reflections are observed in all single-crystal and powder XRD spectra and are probably (0 3 0), (0 4 0) and (0 5 0) lines. The UV cut-off and transparency of the crystals are not changed by doping. Dye-doped KAP crystals exhibit a strong emission band centred at 550 nm excited with 480 nm wavelength. For the dye-doped crystals the up-conversion was investigated and its second harmonic origins are proved using photoluminescence measurements. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The synthesis of a new hybrid composite based on PUS nanoparticles and poly( methyl methacrylate-2acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid) [P(MMA-AMPSA)] copolymer is reported. The chemical synthesis consists in two steps: (i) a surfactant-free emulsion copolymerization between methyl methacrylate and 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid and (ii) the generation of PbS particles in the presence of the P( MMA-AMPSA) latex, from the reaction between lead nitrate and thiourea. The composite was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction, FTIR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. The microstructure observed using SEM proves that the PbS nanoparticles are well dispersed in the copolymer matrix. The X-ray diffraction measurements demonstrate that the PbS nanoparticles have a cubic rock salt structure. It was also found that the inorganic semiconductor nanoparticles improve the thermal stability of the copolymer matrix. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electrochemical deposition was performed in order to prepare CdS nanowires. The method employed for preparation of such high aspect ratio nanostructures was template replication. Ion track polycarbonate membranes were used as templates. The nanowires were studied by scanning electron microscopy (morphology characterization), energy dispersive X ray analysis (composition) and optical spectroscopy. Optical reflection spectroscopy was performed in order to determine the band gap value while photoluminescence spectroscopy was used for getting information regarding the point defects in the material.

Crystals of potassium acid phthalate (KAP) doped with rhodamine 6G (Rh 6G) were grown by slow evaporation method from aqueous solutions. Crystals of good optical quality suitable for optical applications were obtained. Different concentrations of rhodamine 6G (10(-5) M, 2x10(-5) M, 5x10(-5) M and 10(-4) M in the growth solutions) were used in order to tune the optical properties of the crystals. Depending of the dye concentration, the absorption spectra of the dye-doped crystals show several bands in the range between 360 nm and 526 nm. The photoluminescence of the KAP crystals induced by the dye-doping reveals two emission bands peaking at 540 nm and 560 nm.

Single-crystals of potassium hydrogen phthalate (KAP) doped with coumarin 6 (C6) were grown by solution evaporation technique. Powder X-ray diffraction. optical transmission and luminescence measurements were performed. The structure and morphology of the KAP crystals are not changed with the incorporation of the dye. Transparency of the dye-doped crystals is suited for non-linear optical (NLO) applications and UV cut-off is not changed when compared with the pure KAP crystals. The dye-doped crystals present an absorption band at 350 nm while the growth solution exhibits a peak at 400 nm. The doped crystals have a strong emission band at 450 nm that is excited at 350 nm and the second harmonic generating (SHG) properties are demonstrated using luminescence measurements. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

ZnO nanowires were electrodeposited by using a template approach. Ion track polycarbonate foils (30 mu m thick) were used as templates. Current-voltage (I-V) characteristics were recorded in the temperature range 40-300 K. I-V characteristics show a symmetric, non-linear shape, at temperatures greater than 240 K and voltages greater than 15 V. At lower temperatures, linear characteristics were recorded for the voltage range used. The temperature dependence of the electrical resistance is activated, with activation energy of 0.42 eV at temperatures greater than 240 K. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Micro and nanorods of potassium acid phthalate (KAP) with diameters ranging from a hundred nanometers to tens of microns were obtained by solution growth in polycarbonate (PC) ion track templates. The ion track templates were produced by swift heavy ion irradiation of PC foils (e.g. U with 11.4 MeV/nucleon specific energy) and subsequently etching. After the growth the host templates were partially dissolved in dichlormethane and imagined by scanning electron microscopy. The template approach allows the fabrication of arrays of uniform nanostructures with a controlled morphology.

Preparation of ZnO in different nano-morphological forms became a hot topic during the last few years. This tendency was motivated by the wide field of potential applications ranging from optics to electronics and spintronics. In the present work, we deal with the preparation of ZnO nanowires and nanostructured thin films using electrochemical deposition. ZnO nanowires were grown using the template approach, namely by replicating the nanopores of polycarbonate ion track membranes. The method yields uniform arrays of nanowires with the morphology controlled by the shape and size of the templates pores. Adding polyvinylpyrolidone as an additive in the growth bath became a necessity due to the fact that polycarbonate ion track membranes are usually hydrophobic and thus filling of the nanopores with the growth electrolyte is rather difficult. In order to better understand the influence of the additive on the electrochemical deposition of such nanostructures, similar experiments were performed for the deposition of ZnO thin films. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and optical spectroscopy measurements were performed for characterization of the deposited structures. Copyright (c) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The paper presents the effect of additives on nickel nanowires preparation by employing a template approach. The nanostructures were obtained by electrochemical deposition in ion track nanoporous membranes. The main goal was to find a wetting agent which increases the pores filling efficiency. Due to the fact that the polycarbonate nanoporous membranes used as templates are strongly hydrophobic problems appear when filling the nanopores with the aqueous electrochemical baths. We found that polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) added in the bath improves membrane wetting, thus increasing the deposition efficiency up to 80%. Electrochemical polarization and chronoamperometry were employed for identifying and studying the processes which take place in the case of cathodic deposition of nickel nanowires. Scanning electron microscopy was employed for nanostructure morphology characterization.

The paper presents the spectroscopic properties of electrolytic colored KCl:Tl and KCI:Tl+Ca crystals and the assignments of the new defects which are formed during electron injection process. The new formed defects Tl-0 and Tl-0+Ca2+ with the metal in the anionic sites, presents very high photoluminescence properties in the near infrared region. Together with those centers, the F-centers, their aggregates and the holes centers are formed during electrolytic coloring process. Their properties were studied by optical absorption (OA), photoluminescence (PL) and thermoluminescence (TL) measurements and compared with those obtained by ionizing irradiation in uncolored KCl:Tl crystals. The results suggest a more efficient Tl+-> Tl-0 process in the case of Ca2+ codoped samples due to the prolonged time of electrons injection, low temperature and high electric field.

Transparent colorless Ca1-xYbxF2+x (X = 0-0007-0.016) crystals were grown using the vertical Bridgman technique. In order to obtain efficient Yb3+-Yb2+ conversion in the as-grown crystals, a special procedure has been developed. Room temperature optical absorption spectra reveal the characteristic UV absorption bands of the Yb2+ ions in the as-grown crystals, with intensities more than 10 times higher than those reported by other authors using various conversion procedures. The influence of YbF3 content and of codoping with Pb2+ ions on the absorption and emission spectra has been studied. Room temperature emission bands in the near UV (not reported before) and in the visible spectral domain have been observed. The emission intensity depends on the dopant concentration. A comparison of our results with those obtained by other authors is also given. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A template method was used to obtain cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanowires. Polymer ion tracks foils (30 mu m tick) were used as templates, after etching with solutions containing NaOH and methanol. CdS nanowires were electrochemically grown in the resulting pores. The nanowires were contacted by sputtering a gold layer on top of the membrane, and the electrical properties were recorded in the temperature range 40-300K. An activated electrical resistance was observed, with activation energy of 0.27eV at temperatures larger than 180 K. I-V characteristics show a symmetric, non-linear shape, in the voltage range used in this experiment. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nickel nano- and micro- tubes were prepared by electroless deposition in ion track template membranes. By choosing the appropriate etching conditions membranes with cylindrical or conical pores were obtained allowing the preparation of cylindrical or conical tubules. The activation of the membranes was a two step process. The bath used for deposition was an acidic one. Typically for acidic bath deposition, by energy dispersive X ray analysis, a phosphorous content of up to 10 % was found in the deposit.

Metal nanoclusters of Ag and An were obtained in alkali halide crystals (NaCl, KBr and KCl). The fractal character of the structures is proved by the fractal dimensions calculated using a home made computer program. The self aggregation of the metallic structures is governed in both cases (Ag and Au) by the DLA mechanism. This is proved by the values of the fractal dimension calculated using two methods, sandbox and box-counting, which are between 1.7 and 1.8 for Ag and for Au between 1.7 and 1.9. (c) 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Metallic nanowires with magnetic properties were prepared by electrochemical deposition in nanoporous ion track membranes. Thus, we prepared Co-Cu alloy and Co/Cu multilayered nanowires. The technique allows the preparation of uniform arrays of parallel nanowires with desired properties. The process of electrochemical deposition of metals in nanoporous membranes was studied by means of cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy. The influences of deposition conditions such as bath composition, temperature and deposition potential on the morphological, structural and compositional properties of the nanowires were systematically studied.

The present paper deals with the preparation and study of optical properties of ZnO nanowires. Nanoporous ion track polycarbonate foils were used as templates for ZnO nanowires growth by electrochemical deposition. The growth was performed using an aqueous electrochemical bath at a temperature of 70 degrees C. SEM and TEM were employed to study the morphological properties of the nanowires. Electron diffraction was employed for structural characterization. Reflection and photoluminescence spectroscopy were used for optical characterization. A comparison between the properties of electrodeposited thin films and nanowires of ZnO was made from the point of view of photoluminescence properties. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Porous membranes containing cylindrical pores with diameters ranging from a few tens of nanometers to a few tens of micrometers were prepared by using the ion track technique. Swift heavy ions (e.g. Au with 11.4 MeV/nucleon specific energy) were used for creating the ion tracks in polycarbonate foils. Etching was performed using an aqueous solution of NaOH containing methanol. The growth of the alkali-halides micro- and nanorods was performed by evaporation from a saturated solution. The rods were imaged using scanning electron microscopy. The method opens up the possibility of growing nanostructures with applications as nanolaser media or nanoscintillators.

We used the template method to prepare CdTe wires with diameters ranging from 80 nm to 1 mu m. As templates we used polycarbonate and polyethilene tereplitalate ion track membranes and as the method of filling the pores of such membranes we employed electrochemical deposition. The conditions (i.e. bath composition and deposition potential) necessary to obtain the stoichiometric composition of the semiconductor were found. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy were employed for morphological characterization of the nano and microwires. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis was employed for determining the Cd/Te ratio. Selected area electron diffraction was employed for structural measurements. Reflection spectroscopy measurements were performed on nanowire arrays for determining the band gap of the deposited nanostructures. (C) 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

We intend to prepare periodic multilayered structures for photonic applications. With this goal we have performed a study of some characteristics of SiO (x) -P2O5 films deposited by the sol-gel method on glass and ITO (InSnO (x) )-coated glass. The as prepared films were annealed to different temperatures (150 and 200 degrees C). The chemical composition of the samples was determined by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The XPS results revealed the presence of P in the as-deposited films. The structural an optical properties were examined by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Spectroellipsometry (SE) and UV Transmission Spectroscopy. IR spectra of the deposited films attest the interaction of an amorphous SiO2 with the H3PO4 used as a P-precursor. Refractive indices for individual SiO (x) -P2O5 determined from SE measurements show a densification of the layer structure with the increasing temperature in the thermal treatment. The UV transmission spectra revealed a lower transmission for the sol-gel SiO (x) -P2O5 films as compared to ITO/glass substrate. AFM images proved the densification of the films with annealing in agreement with the ellipsometric results.

Tin nanoclusters were obtained in potassium chloride crystals following the electrolytic coloration of KCl:Sn2+ and KCl:Sn2++Ca2+ crystals and thermal annealing at various temperatures and times. Electrolytic coloration of KCl:Sn2+ crystals produces electronic centers inside of samples, presumably negative metal ions of tin. Optical absorption measurements were performed on as grown sample, colored and thermal annealed samples. The behavior of the samples with Sn colloids was compared with theoretical predictions according to Mie's theory. Tin nanoclusters in KCl exhibit an absorption band with a peak at 215 nm. The structure of the nanoclusters was studied by optical absorption and transmission electron microscopy means. (c) 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Nanostructures of gold embedded in potassium chloride matrices were obtained after the doped crystals growth, by electrolytical colouring, and by thermal treatment. When the TEM images of the nanostructures were analyzed using fractal geometry it means was proved that the self assembling of the metallic structures is governed by the diffusion limited aggregation (DLA) mechanism. The values of the fractal dimension, which were in all cases between 1.7 and 1.9, calculated using two methods, sandbox and box-counting, proved the DLA mechanism.

NaCl and KCI single crystals were irradiated with swift heavy ions (An, Ph, Bi and U) of energy between 560 and 2640 MeV. The damage induced by the ions was studied using optical absorption spectroscopy, chemical etching and small-angle X-ray scattering. The damage in the tracks is dominated by the creation of simple color centers (F and V-3 centers). Their concentration increases as a function of fluence, saturating when single tracks overlap. The F-center containingly track zone extends up to several tens of nanometers. In addition to this large track halo, there exists also a much smaller region (1-2 nm) close to the ion trajectory in which defect aggregates are formed. Indications for this track core are given by the preferential chemical etchability of ion tracks and also by the anisotropic pattern produced by small-angle X-ray scattering. This halo-core track structure is very similar as in LiF, however given by the higher mobility of the primary hole centers in NaCl and KCl, recombination with electrons is facilitated resulting in a lower efficiency for defect creation. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The effects produced by heavy ion irradiation in KBr:Ag and KCl:Ag crystals are investigated using optical spectroscopy. For KCl, the results are compared with the effects obtained in the pure crystals. After irradiation with heavy ions up to 11.2 MeV/u specific energy, the absorption bands suffer a series of changes, related to the structure of defects and also to their dimensions. In the high Ag concentrated samples, the Ag+ ions are changing their valence to Ag- while in the samples containing Ag nanoclusters the irradiation induces changes in the nanocluster size.

Dendritic structures were grown inside the quartz crystal by electrodiffusion of sodium ions from a NaCl layer at the anode. The electric field was applied along the optical axis Z and the structures were grown in the xy plane. An experimental arrangement using a pointed cathode and a graphite plate anode was employed. X ray diffraction analysis shows that the structures' chemical composition is a mixture of sodium silicates. To explain the structures' growth a model is proposed. The model is a bidimensional one. The transport of the particles along the Z axis structural channels by the electric field was taken into account by introducing a probability of generating the particles in the growth plane as a function of the distance to the cathode. The computer generated results and the experimental ones were compared and a good correlation was found.

We have succeeded in growing nanocrystals of Ag structured like fractals in several solid matrices (NaG, KBr and KCl). These are shown to be diffusion-limited aggregates when fractal dimensions were evaluated. Depending upon the crystal in which the fractal structures were obtained, the fractal dimensions of the Ag nanoclusters were found to be between 1.73 and 1.81. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

We studied by means of optical absorption and transmission electron microscopy the formation of Ag nanoclusters from Ag--ions in three different potassium halides (KCl, KI and KBr). By stepwise UV illumination at a suitable temperature, the electrons of Ag--ions were detached and the controlled formation and growth of Ag nanoclusters from Ago-atoms take place. At the same time, the detached electrons are captured by K+-ions, proved by the appearance of K-colloid bands. The kinetics of the conversion Ag- + hv + U --> Ag nanoclusters was followed by monitoring the Ag--ions and Ag nanoclusters absorption. The temperatures of illumination are different, depending on the matrix in which Ag nanoclusters are formed (220 degreesC for KCl, 160 degreesC for KBr and 140 degreesC for KI). By optical absorption and TEM we proved that the nanoclusters of Ag obtained by our method are separated, spherical and ovoidal, with average diameters between 7.5 and 50 nm. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

The line shapes of the absorption spectra of KCl: Ag- are calculated at several temperatures in the range 80-300 K and are compared with the experimental results. The complete 12 x 12 Hamiltonian matrix of the system, which includes the linear electron-lattice interaction, was diagonalized directly and the integration has been performed by the Gaussian quadrature method. The results explain most of the characteristic features experimentally observed. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

A composite material with applications in optoelectronics has been investigated. Pulsed laser deposition CdSe-doped glass film was prepared by the combinatorial deposition from two targets, namely pure CdSe and glass belonging to the 20Li(2)O-10Al(2)O(3)-7BaO-2La(2)O(3)-2ZnO-59P(2)O(5)system. Exciton peaks in the Vis domain, related to electron-hole pairs transitions from the valence band to the conduction band, were revealed in the optical absorption spectra of the CdSe-doped film. CdSe quantum dots (QDs) band gap energy depends on the CdSe quantum confinement effect. CdSe-doped film photoluminescence exhibits peaks in the red domain assigned to CdSe transitions from the excited state to the ground state. The size of CdSe nanoclusters, determined from x-ray diffraction is correlated with scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy results. Vibration modes specific both to CdSe QDs and to the vitreous network have been evidenced by Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopy.

This work reports the effect of the rapid solidification technique and thermal treatment on the martensitic transformation (MT), magnetic and magnetostrictive properties on the off-stoichiometric Ni49Mn31Ga20 and Ni51Mn28Ga21 ferromagnetic shape memory ribbons. The samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy, magnetic and magnetostrictive measurements. The temperature dependence of the X-ray phases analysis shows the presence of martensite structures, both tetragonal and monoclinic, at room temperature and allowed to study their evolution through MT. The thermal treatment induces changes in the microstructure with implications in MT and Curie temperatures evolution. The competition between the magnetization orientation and twin boundary motion within martensitic variants under magnetic field evidenced in the magnetic-strain curves was discussed and correlated with the magnetic data.

Y2O3:Yb(3+)5 at% ceramics have been synthesized by the reactive sintering method using different commercial yttria powders (Alfa-Micro, Alfa-Nano, and ITO-V) as raw materials. It has been shown that all Y(2)O(3)starting powders consist from agglomerates up to 5-7 mu m in size which are formed from 25-60 nm primary particles. High-energy ball milling allows to significantly decreasing the median particle sizeD(50)below 500 nm regardless of the commercial powders used. Sintering experiments indicate that powder mixtures fabricated from Alfa-Nano yttria powders have the highest sintering activity, while (Y0.86La0.09Yb0.05)(2)O(3)ceramics sintered at 1750 degrees C for 10 h are characterized by the highest transmittance of about 45%. Y2O3:Yb(3+)ceramics have been obtained by the reactive sintering at 1750-1825 degrees C using Alfa-Nano Y(2)O(3)powders and La2O3+ZrO(2)as a complex sintering aid. The effects of the sintering temperature on densification processes, microstructure, and optical properties of Y2O3:Yb(3)(+)5 at% ceramics have been studied. It has been shown that Zr(4)(+)ions decrease the grain growth of Y2O3:Yb(3+)ceramics for sintering temperatures 1750-1775 degrees C. Further increasing the sintering temperature was accompanied by a sharp increase of the average grain size of ceramics referred to changes of structure and chemical composition of grain boundaries, as well as their mobility. It has been determined that the optimal sintering temperature to produce high-dense yttria ceramics with transmittance of 79%-83% and average grain size of 8 mu m is 1800 degrees C. Finally, laser emission at similar to 1030.7 nm with a slope efficiency of 10% was obtained with the most transparent Y2O3:Yb(3+)5 at% ceramics sintered.