National Institute Of Materials Physics - Romania

We report for the first time on the antimicrobial activity of MgB2 powders produced via the Reactive Liquid Infiltration (RLI) process. Samples with MgB2 wt.% ranging from 2% to 99% were obtained and characterized, observing different levels of grain aggregation and of impurity phases. Their antimicrobial activity was tested against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC BAA 1026, Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, and Candida albicans ATCC 10231. A general correlation is observed between the antibacterial activity and the MgB2 wt.%, but the sample microstructure also appears to be very important. RLI-MgB2 powders show better performances compared to commercial powders against microbial strains in the planktonic form, and their activity against biofilms is also very similar.

In this paper, three deposition techniques are combined to create a window material with high average transmission at oblique angles of incidence. Spectrophotometry and ellipsometry measurements, respectively, yield the optical constants n and k. In contrast with other analyses on the subject, a high average transmission, higher than 91% in the 450-900 nm spectral range, is obtained at incident angles of 20-25 degrees. The refractive index and extinction coefficient are determined by the Swanepoel method. The iterative optimization performed using the OpenFilters software leads to an antireflection (AR) multilayer with low reflection and high transmission. The surface quality of the films was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), which revealed compact, continuous, and smooth films.

In this work, synthesis and optical properties of a new composite based on poly(o-phenylenediamine) (POPD) fiber like structures, poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) spheres and double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWNTs) are reported. As increasing the PVDF weight in the mixture of the chemical polymerization reaction of o-phenylenediamine, the presence of the PVDF spheres onto the POPD fibers surface is highlighted by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The down-shift of the Raman line from 1421 cm(-1) to 1415 cm(-1) proves the covalent functionalization of DWNTs with the POPD-PVDF blends. The changes in the absorbance of the IR bands peaked around 840, 881, 1240 and 1402 cm(-1) indicate hindrance steric effects induced of DWNTs to the POPD fiber like structures and the PVDF spheres, as a consequence of the functionalization process of carbon nanotubes with macromolecular compounds. The presence of the PVDF spheres onto the POPD fiber like structures surface induces a POPD photoluminescence (PL) quenching process. An additional PL quenching process of the POPD-PVDF blends is reported to be induced in the presence of DWNTs. The studies of anisotropic PL highlight a change of the angle of the binding of the PVDF spheres onto the POPD fiber like structures surface from 50.2 degrees to 38 degrees when the carbon nanotubes concentration increases in the POPD-PVDF/DWNTs composites mass up to 2 wt.%.

FeRAM memories constitute themselves as a robust counterpart to the mainstream NVRAM memories. Their unique properties, such as radiation resilience and low voltage operation, together with high speed writing and reading, high and long lasting remanence and very good endurance to cycling endorse them in the data storage domain. However price, poor scalability, the destructive way of reading and the necessary consequent re-writing represent technical drawbacks that diminish their practical value. This paper presents a new paradigm of completing previous efforts towards fast nondestructive reading of FeRAMs. An intermittent low intensity IR (infrared) laser diode generates a pyroelectric signal in the ferroelectric material. The amplitude and phase of this response depends on the state of polarisation of the ferroelectric. Comparing the phase of the electric response with the phase of the illuminating radiation (on/off), a decisive indication of the poling sense in the ferroelectric is given. Aiming to circumvent the notorious slowness of the pyroelectric response the array is continuously illuminated with the pulsating laser, which ensures a prompt answer from every bit of memory. The reading speed is, practically, limited by the electronics.

This paper prepared composites under the free membranes form that are based on thermoplastic polymers of the type of polyurethane (TPU) and polyolefin (TPO), which are blended in the weight ratio of 2:1, and ceramic nanoparticles (CNs) such as BaSrTiO3 and SrTiO3. The structural, optical, and conductive properties of these new composite materials are reported. The X-ray diffraction studies highlight a cubic crystalline structure of these CNs. The main variations in the vibrational properties of the TPU:TPO blend induced by CNs consist of the following: (i) the increase in the intensity of the Raman line of 1616 cm(-1); (ii) the down-shift of the IR band from 800 to 791 cm(-1); (iii) the change of the ratio between the absorbance of IR bands localized in the spectral range 950-1200 cm(-1); and (iv) the decrease in the absorbance of the IR band from 1221 cm(-1). All these variations were correlated with a preferential adsorption of thermoplastic polymers on the CNs surface. A photoluminescence (PL) quenching process of thermoplastic polymers is demonstrated to occur in the presence of CNs. The anisotropic PL measurements have highlighted a change in the angle of the binding of the TPU:TPO blend, which varies from 23.7 degrees to approximate to 49.3 degrees and approximate to 53.4 degrees, when the concentration of BaSrTiO3 and SrTiO3 CNs, respectively, is changed from 0 to 25 wt. %. Using dielectric spectroscopy, two mechanisms are invoked to take place in the case of the composites based on TPU:TPO blends and CNs, i.e., one regarding the type of the electrical conduction and another specifying the dielectric-dipolar relaxation processes.

Our study focuses on an advanced exploratory research based on the development of the new IT-SOFCs anode compositions in conjunction with surfactants as template to obtain mesoarchitectured catalysts. We designed NiO/Sr doped Ce0.85Pr0.10 Er0.05O2-o (2.5 and 5 mol.% Sr) mesoarchitectures with robust crystalline framework following a hydrothermal synthesis route. NiO was deposited by wet impregnation and calcined in air at 900.C, in order to assure a good interaction between Ni and mesoporous matrix. The obtained materials exhibit a cubic CeO2 fluorite phase with Pr2O3 and SrCeO3 as secondary phase traces and these were assessed as catalyst for the partial oxidation of CH4 over time and IT-SOFCs anode under reducing atmosphere. The electrochemical behavior as anode fed by wet H2 (2.5% vol. H2O) was investigated in the NiO/CPS/YSZ/GDC/Pt electrochemical cells. The compositional effect on the structural properties, surface chemistry, catalytic and electrochemical performance were highlighted. Sr incorporated in the lattice, proved by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, guarantees an excellent stability of the catalysts over time for 20h, during partial oxidation of CH4 with high CH4 conversion and CO selectivity (90% in the range 700-800.C) as well as a better performance as IT-SOFCs anode.

This work focuses on the temperature evolution of the martensitic phase epsilon (hexagonal close packed) induced by the severe plastic deformation via High Speed High Pressure Torsion method in Fe57Mn27Si11Cr5 (at %) alloy. The iron rich alloy crystalline structure, magnetic and transport properties were investigated on samples subjected to room temperature High Speed High Pressure Torsion incorporating 1.86 degree of deformation and also hot-compression. Thermo-resistivity as well as thermomagnetic measurements indicate an antiferromagnetic behavior with the Neel temperature (T-N) around 244 K, directly related to the austenitic gamma-phase. The sudden increase of the resistivity on cooling below the Neel temperature can be explained by an increased phonon-electron interaction. In-situ magnetic and electric transport measurements up to 900 K are equivalent to thermal treatments and lead to the appearance of the bcc-ferrite-like type phase, to the detriment of the epsilon(hcp) martensite and the gamma (fcc) austenite phases.

Polarization switching in ferroelectric films is exploited in many applications, such as non-volatile memories and negative capacitance field affect transistors. This can be inhomogeneous or homogeneous, depending on if ferroelectric domains are forming or not during the switching process. The relation between the polarization switching, the structural quality of the films and the negative capacitance was not studied in depth. Here, Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O-3 (PZT) layers were deposited by pulse laser deposition (PLD) and sol-gel (SG) on single crystal SrTiO3 (STO) and Si substrates, respectively. The structural quality was analyzed by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy, while the electric properties were investigated by performing hysteresis, dynamic dielectric measurements, and piezo-electric force microscopy analysis. It was found that the PZT layers grown by PLD on SRO/STO substrates are epitaxial while the layers deposited by SG on Pt/Si are polycrystalline. The polarization value decreases as the structure changes from epitaxial to polycrystalline, as well as the magnitude of the leakage current and of the differential negative capacitance, while the switching changes from homogeneous to inhomogeneous. The results are explained by the compensation rate of the depolarization field during the switching process, which is much faster in epitaxial films than in polycrystalline ones.

Porous silica-based materials are a promising alternative to graphite anodes for Li-ion batteries due to their high theoretical capacity, low discharge potential similar to pure silicon, superior cycling stability compared to silicon, abundance, and environmental friendliness. However, several challenges prevent the practical application of silica anodes, such as low coulombic efficiency and irreversible capacity losses during cycling. The main strategy to tackle the challenges of silica as an anode material has been developed to prepare carbon-coated SiO2 composites by carbonization in argon atmosphere. A facile and eco-friendly method of preparing carbon-coated SiO2 composites using sucrose is reported herein. The carbon-coated SiO2 composites were characterized using X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermogravimetry, transmission and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and charge-discharge cycling. A C/SiO2-0.085 M calendered electrode displays the best cycling stability, capacity of 714.3 mAh center dot g(-1), and coulombic efficiency as well as the lowest charge transfer resistance over 200 cycles without electrode degradation. The electrochemical performance improvement could be attributed to the positive effect of the carbon thin layer that can effectively diminish interfacial impedance.