National Institute Of Materials Physics - Romania

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860 articles found

571. TRANSPORT MECHANISMS IN SiO2 FILMS WITH EMBEDDED GERMANIUM NANOPARTICLES

Authors: Palade, C; Lepadatu, AM; Stavarache, I; Maraloiu, AV; Teodorescu, VS; Ciurea, ML

Published: 2012, 2012 INTERNATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR CONFERENCE (CAS), VOLS 1 AND 2, 2, 94, DOI:

This paper reports on the conduction mechanisms in amorphous SiO2 films with embedded Ge nanoparticles. For this, measurements of current-temperature and current-voltage were employed and correlated with the microstructure results obtained from transmission electron microscopy (TEM). TEM images reveal that our films contain big Ge nanoparticles with low density and small Ge nanoparticles with high density, the last ones being the only responsible for the electrical transport. Two transport mechanisms were found at low and high temperature respectively, namely hopping on localized states in a band near Fermi level and charge excitation to the extended states at mobility edge.

572. ELECTRICAL BEHAVIOUR RELATED TO STRUCTURE OF NANOSTRUCTURED GeSi FILMS ANNEALED AT 700 degrees C

Authors: Lepadatu, AM; Stavarache, I; Maraloiu, A; Palade, C; Teodorescu, VS; Ciurea, ML

Published: 2012, 2012 INTERNATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR CONFERENCE (CAS), VOLS 1 AND 2, 2, 112, DOI:

In this paper we continue the previous investigations on nanostructured GexSi1-x films. The films were deposited by magnetron sputtering and annealed in N-2 atmosphere at 700 degrees C. Their structure was investigated and correlated with the electrical behavior. For this, conventional and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy together with selected area electron diffraction was used. Electrical measurements of current-voltage and current-temperature curves were made. The majority of crystallites that forms the films have the composition Ge50Si50 and 15 - 30 nm size. The I - T characteristics have Arrhenius dependence, with two activation energies interpreted as transitions between quantum confinement levels.

573. Electrochemical analysis of solid oxide electrolytes for intermediate temperature fuel cell

Authors: Ionascu, AM; Raikova, G; Mladenova, E; Mercioniu, I

Published: 2012, BULGARIAN CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS, 44, 398, DOI:

In this paper the electrochemical analysis of new materials, designed to be used as solid electrolytes for intermediate temperature fuel cells (IT-SOFC) was made. The materials are two different composites based on ceria 10YDC + (10%) 150ppm YA and 10ScDC + (10%) 150ppm YA, obtained by sol-gel method and sintered at temperature of 1500 degrees C. The electrochemical investigation was performed by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy technique. According of these analyses the composite 10YDC + (10%) 150ppm YA presents better conductivity than 10ScDC + (10%) 150ppm YA. These results were related with morphological investigation, realized by SEM.

574. IMPROVEMENTS OF HYDROGEN DESORPTION OF LITHIUM BOROHYDRIDE BY IMPREGNATION ONTO MSU-H CARBON REPLICA

Authors: Palade, P; Comanescu, C; Mercioniu, I

Published: NOV-DEC 2012, JOURNAL OF OVONIC RESEARCH, 8, 160, DOI:

The hydrogen storage material lithium borohydride was infiltrated from solvent solution into the pores of the carbon replica of MSU-H mesoporous silica by the incipient wetness method. Different amounts of lithium borohydride up to 40 % from the weight of the high surface area carbonic material were used. By this method was achieved a good dispersion of the hydride into the carbonaceous support. The hydrogen desorption starts at temperatures as low as 150 degrees C for the sample with 8 wt% LiBH4 dispersed onto the MSU-H carbon replica while pure LiBH4 does not release hydrogen below 300 degrees C. After rehydrogenation, a lower amount of hydrogen is desorbed due to the fact that increasing temperature up to 400 degrees C a part of hydride segregates outside the pores of the carbonaceous support.

575. Spin dynamics in 57Fe-doped TiO2 anatase nanoparticles

Authors: Grecu, MN; Constantinescu, S; Tarabasanu-Mihaila, D; Ghica, D; Bibicu, I

Published: DEC 2011, PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI B-BASIC SOLID STATE PHYSICS, 248, 2931, DOI: 10.1002/pssb.201147124

In this paper we present electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and Mossbauer (transmission method, TMS and measurements in the scattering method, CEMS) experiments on Fe-57 (0.11at.%) doped nanocrystalline anatase-type TiO2, synthesized by a hydrothermal method. Different Fe3+ and Fe2+ ions positions, with various hyperfine interactions evidenced in Mossbauer spectra (MS), confirm a partial magnetic ordering at room temperature. The magnetic hyperfine fields in the TMS spectra, better resolved at lower temperatures, do not change essentially with temperature. The first CEMS measurements, carried out on iron-doped TiO2 nanoparticles, reveal a larger disorder in the surface particles layer. The temperature dependence of the double integral EPR spectral intensity, proportional with the sample susceptibility, shows an anomalous behaviour. It suggests the bound magnetic polaron (BMP) mechanism for the magnetic ordering.

576. Crystallization of Disordered Nanosized ZnO Formed by Thermal Decomposition of Nanocrystalline Hydrozincite

Authors: Nistor, SV; Nistor, LC; Stefan, M; Ghica, D; Aldica, G; Barascu, JN

Published: NOV 2011, CRYSTAL GROWTH & DESIGN, 11, 5038, DOI: 10.1021/cg2009286

The formation and crystallization of disordered nanosized ZnO resulting from the thermal decomposition of nanocrystalline hydrozincite [Zn-5(CO3)(2)(OH)(6)] has been Observed and investigated during pulse annealing experiments Up to 625 degrees C in air or vacuum by electron paramagnetic resonance of trace amounts of substitutional Mn2+ impurity ions, in correlation with X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy measurements. The mesoporous structure of the disordered ZnO, which initially forms in air and vacuum at 225 and 175 degrees C, respectively, further transforms into nanocrystalline ZnO of increasing particle size and improved lattice quality at higher annealing temperatures. The crystallization process, which does not affect the concentration of the substitutional impurity ions, as well as the simultaneous presence of both disordered and crystalline phases, should be considered in further applications of the resulting nanosized ZnO.

577. Local Structure at Mn2+ Ions in Vacuum Annealed Small Cubic ZnS Nanocrystals Self-Assembled Into a Mesoporous Structure

Authors: Nistor, SV; Ghica, D; Nistor, LC; Stefan, M; Mateescu, CD

Published: OCT 2011, JOURNAL OF NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY, 11, 9303, DOI: 10.1166/jnn.2011.4306

A mesoporous structure of self-assembled nanocrystals of cubic ZnS doped with Mn2+ ions with a homogeneous distribution of pores of similar size was synthesized at room temperature by a surfactant-assisted liquid-liquid reaction. The component nanocrystals exhibit a high crystallinity and a tight size distribution centered at 2 nm, as well as the narrowest Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPA) spectra linewidth and the best resolution reported so-far, effects attributed to self-assembling. The observed EPA spectra consist of lines from the substitutional Mn2+(I) and surface Mn2+(II) and Mn2+(III) centers. Here we show that, in contrast with previous reports, our EPA spectra are highly sensitive to structural changes during pulse annealing in vacuum up to 500 degrees C. The changes are related to the transformation of the surface Mn2+ centers in new Mn2+ centers, attributed to an oxidation process in which the thermal decomposition of the Tween 20 additive, also observed by EPA, seems to be involved. We have also been able to observe, for the first time by EPR spectroscopy, the formation of the ZnO phase and the nanocrystals size increase, which occur during annealing up to 500 degrees C, structural changes confirmed by XRD and TEM observations on the samples previously investigated by EPR.

578. Structural phase transformations in annealed cubic ZnS nanocrystals

Authors: Ghica, D; Nistor, SV; Nistor, LC; Stefan, M; Mateescu, CD

Published: SEP 2011, JOURNAL OF NANOPARTICLE RESEARCH, 13, 4335, DOI: 10.1007/s11051-011-0379-y

The structural changes of cubic ZnS (cZnS) nanocrystals (NCs) doped with 0.2 at.% Mn2+ pulse annealed in vacuum and in air, up to 500 A degrees C, were investigated by multifrequency electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The samples, prepared by a surfactant (Tween20)-assisted liquid-liquid reaction at pH = 6, consist of NCs with a tight size distribution around 3 nm and high crystallinity self-assembled into a stable mesoporous structure. The EPR spectra of the as prepared samples contain only the characteristic lines of the substitutional Mn2+(I) centers. No spectra from Mn2+ ions localized in (hydro)oxidized regions of the NCs surface were observed. The absence of such a surface layer could explain the stability of the cubic (sphalerite) structure observed by XRD and TEM in the investigated cZnS:Mn NCs annealed in vacuum up to 500 A degrees C. The observation of the cubic-hexagonal transformation for the same NCs annealed in air supports the role of such layer in promoting this structural transformation. The narrowing of the EPR spectral lines above 200 A degrees C with the increase in the average size of the cZnS:Mn crystallites was observed. The effect was more pronounced for the sample annealed in air. EPR also revealed the formation of minute amounts of substitutional Mn2+-type centers in a hexagonal ZnO structure at T similar to 300 A degrees C, corresponding to the early stages of the thermally induced oxidation of the cZnS:Mn NCs.

579. Chemically Modified (Nano)Silica as Sensitive Material for Arginine and Lysine

Authors: Tudose, M; Culita, D; Marinescu, G; Ghica, C; Ionita, P

Published: SEP 2011, JOURNAL OF INORGANIC AND ORGANOMETALLIC POLYMERS AND MATERIALS, 21, 497, DOI: 10.1007/s10904-011-9470-1

Silica has been derivatized with aminopropyl groups which subsequently have been chemically modified with N-methoxy-2,6-dinitroaniline derivatives to yield a solid which changes its color in the presence of arginine or lysine, from yellow to blue. Other amino-acids (such as glycine, valine, cysteine, cystine, alanine, phenylalanine, histidine) do not showed this behavior. The same procedure may be applied to silica nanoparticles. The new materials were characterized by UV-Vis, IR, and TEM.

580. Rare-earth doped sol-gel derived oxyfluoride glass-ceramics: Structural and optical characterization

Authors: Secu, CE; Secu, M; Ghica, C; Mihut, L

Published: SEP 2011, OPTICAL MATERIALS, 33, 1774, DOI: 10.1016/j.optmat.2011.06.004

Glass-ceramics containing RE3+-doped BaF2 nanocrystals (RE = Eu, Sm, Dy, Ho and Pr) with the size below 10 nm size have been made by using the controlled crystallization at higher temperatures of the RE3+-doped SiO2-BaF2 xerogels. Photoluminescence measurements have indicated the incorporation of the RE3+ ions in both silica network and in the BaF2 nanocrystals. Thermoluminescence measurements have shown a peak whose position depends on the nature of RE3+-dopant as it follows: 140 degrees C (for Ho3+, Dy3+), 340 degrees C (for Sm3+) and 370 degrees C (for Eu3+); in Eu3+-doped SiO2 glass the TL peak is shifted to 383 degrees C. The peaks in glass-ceramics were assigned to the recombination of the electrons thermal released from the RE3+-electron traps located in both glass-matrix and BaF2 nanocrystals. Within the series the trivalent lanthanide ions act as increasingly deeper electron trapping centres. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.