National Institute Of Materials Physics - Romania

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.

The phosphate KCoCr-(PO4)(2) and iron-substitutedvariants KCoCr1-x Fe x (PO4)(2) (x =0.25, 0.5, and 0.75) were synthesized by a solid-state reaction route,while a high substitution level of Fe was achieved. Their structureswere refined using powder X-ray diffraction and indexed in a monoclinicsystem with a P2(1)/n spacegroup. A 3D framework with six-sided tunnels parallel to the [101]direction was formed in which the K atoms are located. Mo''ssbauerspectroscopy confirms the exclusive presence of octahedral paramagneticFe(3+) ions, with isomer shifts increasing slightly with x substitution. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopyconfirmed the presence of paramagnetic Cr3+ ions. The activationenergy, determined by dielectric measurements, shows that the iron-containingsamples present higher ionic activity. Relative to the electrochemicalactivity of K, these materials could be good candidates for positiveand/or negative electrode materials for energy storage applications. The synthesized phosphate KCoCr-(PO4)(2) and Fe-substituted variants KCoCr1-x Fe x (PO4)(2) (x = 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75) present a 3D frameworkwith six-sided tunnels in which the K atoms are located. The activationenergy, determined by dielectric measurements, shows that the iron-containingsamples present improved ionic activity, making these materials goodcandidates for positive and/or negative electrode materials for energystorage applications.

This work evaluates the effects of manganese (Mn) doping on the morpho-structural features, mechanical performance, and in vitro biological response of beta-tricalcium phosphate (beta-TCP) derived bioceramics for bone tissue engineering applications. Five different Mn doping levels (i.e., 0.01%, 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.5%, and 1 wt.%) were investigated, with the beta-TCP-based bioceramics being sintered at four temperatures (i.e., 1000, 1100, 1200, and 1300 degrees C). A densification improvement was induced when using Mn in excess of 0.05 wt.%; the densification remained stationary in the sintering temperature range of 1200 - 1300 degrees C. The structural analyses evidenced that all samples sintered at 1000 and 1100 degrees C were composed of beta-TCP as major phase and hydroxyapatite (HA) as a minor constituent (similar to 4-6 wt.%). At the higher temperatures (1200 and 1300 degrees C), the formation of alpha-TCP was signalled at the expense of both beta-TCP and HA. The Mn doping was evidenced by lattice parameters changes. The evolution of the phase weights is linked to a complex inter-play between the capacity of the compounds to incorporate Mn and the thermal decomposition kinetics. The Mn doping induced a reduction in the mechanical performance (in terms of compressive strength, Vickers hardness and elastic modulus) of the beta-TCP-based ceramics. The metabolic activity and viability of osteoblastic cells (MC3T3-E1) for the ceramics were studied in both powder and compacted pellet form. Ceramics with Mn doping levels lower than 0.1 wt.% yielded a more favorable microenvironment for the osteoblast cells with respect to the undoped beta-TCP. No cytotoxic effects were recorded up to 21 days. The Mn-doped beta-TCPs showed a significant increase (p < 0.01) in alkaline phosphatase activity with respect to pure beta-TCP.

Sub-stochiometric nickel oxide (NiOx) films were investigated as a hole selective contact option in silicon (Si) heterojunction solar cells. Numerical simulations were carried out to evaluate the impacts of the NiOx electronic properties variations and the NiOx/Si interface defect density (D-it) on device performance. Simulation data suggest that the best performance is achievable for wide bandgaps (E-g) and corresponding high valence band edge (E-VB) positions in the NiOx films. Overall, in simulations, the performance remains practically unchanged for the nickel vacancy concentrations [V-Ni] = 10(17)-10(21 )cm(-3), assuming high E-VB and low D-it. The experimental data measured using NiOx films prepared by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering reveal that the increase in [V-Ni] lifts the conductivity, concurrently decreasing E-g and E-VB. As a result, we concluded that the performance of the fabricated sputtered NiOx/Si heterojunction solar cell is limited by high D-it as well as narrow E-g and low E-VB.

The attraction towards Ti and its alloys reside in their superior mechanical and tribological features, as compared to CaPs, which are renowned for their compositional and structural features similar to those of natural bones. However, Ti-based materials suffer from limited biocompatibility and inertness when implanted for extended periods. As such, surface modification with ceramic coatings is required in order to achieve proper biomedical features and enhance their overall behavior in the human body. Hence, this study outlined for the first time the prospect of coating several Ti6Al4V substrates (disks) with bovine-bone derived hydroxyapatite (HA) by laser cladding technique with pre-placed slurry. During laser processing the input materials merge depending on the heating rate/temperature and clad materials. The proposed sample preparation set-up, followed for the first time in this study, involved the concomitant modulation of two parameters: the natural HA ratio (100 wt%, and 50 wt % HA + 50 wt% Ti blends) and laser beam power (500-1000 W range). The laser beam was applied after the ceramic slurries (prepared HA/HA-based blends mixed with polyvinyl alcohol) were placed inside the priorly machined channels on the metallic Ti disks. Partially overlapped cladding tracks (similar to 30% overlapping ratio) resulted and the investigations were further performed in cross-section view. The structural analyses confirmed the formation of calcium titanate as main phase for all samples and the arrest of HA only for those prepared with 100% HA ratio at low to medium laser powers. In addition, the morpho-compositional evaluation revealed the formation of a fully ceramic coating only for the latter sample sets. Further, the surface wettability (contact angle and surface free energy) and Vickers micro-hardness results led to the selection of the optimal technological parameters for the development of ceramic cladded layers with prospect compatibility with regenerative med-icine applications.

The scope of this study consists of setting up of an integrated cost-effective sampling & laboratory analyses procedure which delineates sampling, sub-sampling and analytical uncertainties in case of fine-grained extractive waste deposits. This procedure is designed to support the decision makers towards fine-grained waste deposits upcycling and land reclamation. This procedure consists of a balanced replicated sampling design (BRSD) coupled with a three split levels ANOVA data processing. The paper provides the readership with the mathematical backgrounds of the three split level ANOVA analysis (3L-ANOVA) and an Excel algorithm for its implementation. Also, the paper presents an example of implementation of the developed methods in the case of a Romanian iron ore tailings (IOT) old pond. The findings of the paper consist of: a) argues, based on OM, SEM-EDS, XRFS and XRD observations, that classical TOS is ineffective for fine-grained waste deposits; b) BRSD in conjunction with 3L-ANOVA analysis is the only approach fit for reliable characterization of the fine-grained stockpiles; c) sampling uncertainty is the critical factor of the uncertainty budget of the analyte concentration; d) Lilliefors approach is adequate for the hypothesis testing where or not the measurand is normal distributed; e) The outcomes of the BRDSD&3L-ANOVA investigations carried on Teliuc tailings, estimated at circa 5.5* 106 m3, consist mainly of mineral quantification at lot level i.e. quartz-54% (+/- 7%), hematite-15% (+/- 3%), calcite-11% (+/- 3%), MgO 3% (+/- 1%), Al2O3 9% (+/- 2%). The concentrations of some CRMs like Ti, V, Ba, Y, W were found at ACE limits and their associated relative expanded uncertainties overpass 50%. Thus, the expanded uncertainties clearly depict the reliability of acquired data for the decision makers regarding waste valorization. f) The IOT into Teliuc can be upcycled as minerals for cement and ceramic industries as well as for geopolymer manufacture. Also, IOT can be downcycles as filler in road construction and mine closure. Finally, the Teliuc yard can be rehabilitated with zero-waste left behind. The data exactness provided by this procedure can be increased to any desirable level through increasing the number of collected items, but the cost of sampling and analyses increases proportionally. In such circumstances, the posted approach can be tailored at the stakeholder request as to safely underpin the decision to turn fine-grained by-products into valuable secondary resources, facilitating a greater circularity of the mining industry.

The diffusion of iodide defects has been considered the most important degradation mechanism of methylammonium lead iodide (MAPI) in solar cells. The present study demonstrates the importance of the pressure inside this material on the dynamics of iodide defects, using molecular dynamics simulations. It is known that the diffusion coefficient of an iodide vacancy is an order of magnitude higher than that of interstitial iodide. We show that this difference systematically increases with increased tensile strain and that both diffusion coefficients tend to zero when a compressive strain is applied. This result suggests that compression of the MAPI can be a good solution to reduce its degradation rate. Besides, the statistical aspect of deriving the diffusion coefficient from the mean squared displacement (MSD) is discussed in terms of the initial conditions (positions and velocities) of the atoms and the simulation time, considering different seeds of the pseudorandom number generator used in the simulations performed with the LAMMPS software.

Novel biomaterials with promising bone regeneration potential, derived from rich, renewable, and cheap sources, are reported. Thus, thin films were synthesized from marine-derived (i.e., from fish bones and seashells) hydroxyapatite (MdHA) by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. Besides the physical-chemical and mechanical investigations, the deposited thin films were also evaluated in vitro using dedicated cytocompatibility and antimicrobial assays. The morphological examination of MdHA films revealed the fabrication of rough surfaces, which were shown to favor good cell adhesion, and furthermore could foster the in-situ anchorage of implants. The strong hydrophilic behavior of the thin films was evidenced by contact angle (CA) measurements, with values in the range of 15-18 degrees. The inferred bonding strength adherence values were superior (i.e., similar to 49 MPa) to the threshold established by ISO regulation for high-load implant coatings. After immersion in biological fluids, the growth of an apatite-based layer was noted, which indicated the good mineralization capacity of the MdHA films. All PLD films exhibited low cytotoxicity on osteoblast, fibroblast, and epithelial cells. Moreover, a persistent protective effect against bacterial and fungal colonization (i.e., 1- to 3-log reduction of E. coli, E. faecalis, and C. albicans growth) was demonstrated after 48 h of incubation, with respect to the Ti control. The good cytocompatibility and effective antimicrobial activity, along with the reduced fabrication costs from sustainable sources (available in large quantities), should, therefore, recommend the MdHA materials proposed herein as innovative and viable solutions for the development of novel coatings for metallic dental implants.

Replacing lead atoms in halide perovskite materials is of significant importance for the development of environmentally friendly perovskite solar cells. In this paper, we investigated the effect of doping the MAPbI(2.6)Cl(0.4) hybrid perovskite (MA-methyl ammonium) with non-toxic elements, such as alkaline earth metal ions (Mg2+) and transition metal ions (Zn2+). The structural, morphological, and optical properties of the prepared samples were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and UV-Vis. spectroscopy. Finally, the doped films were used as photoactive layers in solar devices in order to evaluate their photovoltaic performance. Zn proved to be more appropriate to replace partially Pb and films with higher quality were obtained. As a result, the MAPb1(-x)Zn(x)I(2.6)Cl(0.4) based solar cells have demonstrated a slight improvement of the photovoltaic performances, resulting in a uniform and narrower PCEs (power conversion efficiency) range, compared to pristine MAPbI(2.6)Cl(0.4) based devices.

Replacing lead atoms in halide perovskite materials is of significant importance for the development of environmentally friendly perovskite solar cells. In this paper, we investigated the effect of doping the MAPbI(2.6)Cl(0.4) hybrid perovskite (MA-methyl ammonium) with non-toxic elements, such as alkaline earth metal ions (Mg2+) and transition metal ions (Zn2+). The structural, morphological, and optical properties of the prepared samples were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and UV-Vis. spectroscopy. Finally, the doped films were used as photoactive layers in solar devices in order to evaluate their photovoltaic performance. Zn proved to be more appropriate to replace partially Pb and films with higher quality were obtained. As a result, the MAPb1(-x)Zn(x)I(2.6)Cl(0.4) based solar cells have demonstrated a slight improvement of the photovoltaic performances, resulting in a uniform and narrower PCEs (power conversion efficiency) range, compared to pristine MAPbI(2.6)Cl(0.4) based devices.