National Institute Of Materials Physics - Romania

The local crystal/magnetic structures of the SrFe12-xInxO19 solid solutions (x = 0.1; 0.3; 0.6 and 1.2) were investigated using neutron powder diffraction. The measurements of the electric polarization for all investigated samples were carried out as a function of the external electric field. The presence of the ferroelectric and ferromagnetic ordering (dual ferroic ordering) in the SrFe12-xInxO19 hexaferrites at 300 K was found. This appearance contradicts to the conventional opinion describing their crystal structure (centrosymmetric space group P6(3)/mmc (No. 194)). The reason for the existence of a spontaneous polarization (nonzero dipole moment) in the SrFe12-xInxO19 hexaferrites continues controversial. The crystal structure of the hexaferrites was considered both the centrosymmetric P6(3)/mmc and non-centrosymmetric P6(3)mc space groups. This fact made it possible to find a connection between the emerging dipole moment and not equal distortions of the neighbor oxygen polyhedral. The nature description of the nonzero dipole moment formation in a quasi-centrosymmetrical system of the In-substituted SrFe12-xInxO19 hexaferrites was presented based on the neutron diffraction data. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Piezoelectric hard/soft effects of multivalence co-dopants (Sb and Mn) in correlation with their location in the lattice, were investigated in PZT ceramics, prepared by conventional ceramic technology, with the following compositions: Pb0.98Sr0.02 ((Ti0.49Zr0.51)(1-0.015-x)Mn0.015Sbx)O-3 with x = 0, 0.005, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, where antimony was initially assumed to substitute for Ti/Zr ions. The antimony valence state was found to be +3 in all samples by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy investigations. The Electron Paramagnetic Resonance spectra evidenced a steep enhancement of the Mn2+ concentration upon increasing antimony doping level, explained by a charge compensation mechanism, between the Sb3+ ions substituting Pb2+ at the A-sites and the Mn2+ ions, localized at the B-sites. The incorporation of Sb3+ at the A-site of the PZT lattice is also supported by the variation of the lattice parameters, determined by X-ray Diffraction, with the increasing Sb concentration. The investigation of the dielectric, electromechanical and ferroelectric properties evidenced a hard piezoelectric behavior, mainly attributed to the presence of large sized Mn2+ ions, localized at B-sites. Our results prove that the piezoelectric hard/soft response is decisively influenced by the interplay between multiple valence states and locations of the co-dopants, on one hand, and the charge compensation mechanisms, on the other hand. This provides indirect information about the location of some co-dopants which can substitute for both cationic sites in the PZT based ceramics.

Samarium doped hydroxyapatite (Ca10-xSmx(PO4)(6)(OH)(2), x(Sm) = 0.5, 50SmHAp) is a very promising candidate to be used for different coatings in various dental and orthopedic implants. We report, for the first time, the obtaining of 50SmHAp thin films by a cost-effective method, namely spin coating. Thin films of 50SmHAp on silicon substrate have been analyzed by various techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Metallographic microscopy and Glow Discharge Optical Emission Spectroscopy (GDOES). The stability of 50SmHAp suspension was evaluated by ultrasound measurements. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were also used to evaluate the 50SmHAp suspension. The antifungal activity of 50SmHAp suspension and coatings was assessed using Candida albicans ATCC 10231 fungal strain (C. albicans). The results of the antifungal assays depicted that both 50SmHAp suspensions and coatings were effective in inhibiting the development of C. albicans fungal cells, thus making them ideal candidates for the development of novel antifungal agents. The obtained results give new perspective for possible applications of 50SmHAp thin films in various medical applications due to their antifungal properties.

We investigated the optical and electrical properties of flexible single and bi-layer organic heterostructures prepared by vacuum evaporation with a p-type layer of arylenevinylene oligomers, based on carbazole, 3,3 ' bis(N hexylcarbazole)vinylbenzene = L13, or triphenylamine, 1,4 bis [4 (N,N' diphenylamino)phenylvinyl] benzene = L78, and an n-type layer of 5,10,15,20-tetra(4-pyrydil)21H,23H-porphyne = TPyP. Transparent conductor films of Al-doped ZnO (AZO) with high transparency, >90% for wavelengths > 400 nm, and low resistivity, between 6.9 x 10(-4) ohm center dot cm and 23 x 10(-4) ohm center dot cm, were deposited by pulsed laser deposition on flexible substrates of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The properties of the heterostructures based on oligomers and zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) were compared, emphasizing the effect of the surface morphology. The measurements revealed a good absorption in the visible range of the PET/AZO/arylenevinylene oligomer/TPyP heterostructures and a typical injection contact behavior with linear (ZnPc, L78) or non-linear (L13) J-V characteristics in the dark, at voltages < 0.4 V. The heterostructure PET/AZO/L78/TPyP/Al showed a current density of ~1 mA/cm(2) at a voltage of 0.3 V. The correlation between the roughness exponent, evaluated from the height-height correlation function, grain shape, and electrical behavior was analyzed. Consequently, the oligomer based on triphenylamine could be a promising replacement of donor ZnPc in flexible electronic applications.

In this study, we develop chitosan-hydroxyapatite (CS-HAp) composite layers that were deposited on Si substrates in radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering discharge in argon gas. The composition and structure of CS-HAp composite layers were investigated by analytical techniques, such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), metallographic microscopy (MM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). On the other hand, in the present study the second order derivative of FT-IR-ATR spectra, for compositional analyses of CS-HAp, were used. The SEM, MM, and AFM data have shown the formation of CS-HAp composite layers. The surface of CS-HAp composite layers showed uniform growth (at an Ar gas working pressure of p = 2 x 10(-3) mbar). The surface of the CS-HAp composites coatings became more nanostructured, becoming granular as the gas pressure increased from 5 x 10(-3) to 1.2 x 10(-2) mbar. However, our studies revealed that the surface morphology of the CS-HAp composite layers varies with the Ar gas working pressure. At the same time, optical properties are slightly influenced by Ar pressure. Their unique physicochemical properties make them suitable for various applications in the biomedical field, if we consider the already proven antimicrobial properties of chitosan. The antifungal properties and the capacity of the CS-HAp composite layers to inhibit the development of fungal biofilms were also demonstrated using the Candida albicans ATCC 10231 (C. albicans) fungal strain.

Hydroxyapatite (Ca-10(PO4)(6)(OH)(2), HAp), due to its high biocompatibility, is widely used as biomaterial. Doping with various ions of hydroxyapatite is performed to acquire properties as close as possible to the biological apatite present in bones and teeth. In this research the results of a study performed on thin films of hydroxyapatite co-doped with nitrogen and bromine (NBrHAp) are presented for the first time. The NBrHAp suspension was obtained by performing the adapted co-precipitation method using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). The thin layers of NBrHAp were obtained by spin-coating. The stability of the NBrHAp suspension was examined by ultrasound measurements. The thin layers obtained by the spin-coating method were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical microscopy (OM), and metallographic microscopy (MM). The presence of nitrogen and bromine were highlighted by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to highlight the chemical status of nitrogen and bromine. In addition, the powder obtained from the NBrHAp suspension was analyzed by XRD. Moreover, the in vitro antimicrobial activity of the NBrHAp suspensions and coatings was investigated using the reference microbial strains Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, and Candida albicans ATCC 10231. The results highlighted the successful obtainment of N and Br co-doped hydroxyapatite suspension for the first time by an adapted co-precipitation method. The obtained suspension was used to produce pure NBrHAp composite thin films with superior morphological properties. The NBrHAp suspensions and coatings exhibited in vitro antimicrobial activity against bacterial and fungal strains and revealed their good antimicrobial activity.

Nanoscale thermometers with high sensitivity are needed in domains which study quantum and classical effects at cryogenic temperatures. Here, we present a micrometer sized and nanometer thick chromium selenide cryogenic temperature sensor capable of measuring a large domain of cryogenic temperatures down to tenths of K. Hexagonal Cr-Se flakes were obtained by a simple physical vapor transport method and investigated using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements. The flakes were transferred onto Au contacts using a dry transfer method and resistivity measurements were performed in a temperature range from 7 K to 300 K. The collected data have been fitted by exponential functions. The excellent fit quality allowed for the further extrapolation of resistivity values down to tenths of K. It has been shown that the logarithmic sensitivity of the sensor computed over a large domain of cryogenic temperature is higher than the sensitivity of thermometers commonly used in industry and research. This study opens the way to produce Cr-Se sensors for classical and quantum cryogenic measurements.

In this work, new results concerning the potential of mixtures based on nitrogen doped titanium dioxide (TiO2:N) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as possible catalyst candidates for the rhodamine B (RhB) UV photodegradation are reported. The RhB photodegradation was evaluated by UV-VIS absorption spectroscopy using samples of TiO2:N and CNTs of the type of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), double-wall carbon nanotubes (DWNTs), multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs), and single-walled carbon nanotubes functionalized with carboxyl groups (SWNT-COOH) having various concentrations of CNTs. The best photocatalytic performance was obtained for sample containing TiO2:N and 2.5 wt.% SWNTs-COOH, when approx. 85% of dye removal was achieved after 300 min. of UV irradiation. The reaction kinetics of RhB aqueous solutions containing TiO2:N/CNT mixtures followed a complex first-order kinetic model. The TiO2:N/CNTs catalyst induced higher photodegradation efficiency of RhB than TiO2:N due to the presence of CNTs, which act as adsorbent and dispersing agent and capture the photogenerated electrons of TiO2:N hindering the electron-hole recombination.

Herein, the properties of the organic heterostructures with triple-layer ZnO/Ag/ZnO as a replacement for ITO and mixed layer containing arylenevinylene oligomer (based on triphenylamine or carbazole) donor and nonfullerene (perylene diimide) acceptor mixed in the ratio 1:2 and the effect of a buffer layer of PEDOT-PSS intercalated between triple layer and mixed organic layer are discussed. The UV-vis transmission and photoluminescence (PL) properties are investigated in correlation with the surface topography and reveal a good match between the absorption and emission domain, which can favor the generation of the charge carriers. The heterostructure with the mixed layer based on triphenylamine oligomer shows the widest absorption domain, and the PL spectra of the heterostructures realized with either triphenylamine or carbazole oligomer show peaks corresponding to the radiative decay of the donor and acceptor. The I-V characteristics in the dark indicate a slightly nonlinear behavior and the current is affected by the charge carriers recombination on the defects present in the thick mixed layer deposited by matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation. The effect of the PEDOT-PSS buffer layer on the electrical properties of the organic heterostructure with ZnO/Ag/ZnO electrode is also investigated.