National Institute Of Materials Physics - Romania

This study presents an environmentally friendly approach for synthesis Ag-TiO2 composite using pulsed reverse current (PRC) electrodeposition from green electrolytes, specifically deep eutectic solvents (DESs). The combination of PRC and DESs offers better control over nanoparticle synthesis while eliminating the need for toxic or expensive precursors, representing a significant advancement in sustainable nanomaterial synthesis. Different electrochemical parameters were adjusted, and their influence on the structure and morphology of the composite was investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). TEM analysis revealed that silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) are attached to TiO2 nanopowder, with the coexistence of TiO2 and Ag further confirmed by XRD and XPS. The recorded UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS) displayed a broad peak in the range of 400 - 650 nm, associated with the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of Ag NPs on the semiconductor's surface. The photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanopowder and Ag-TiO2 composite was evaluated based on the degradation of methyl orange (MO) dye under UV and visible light illumination. Our findings clearly demonstrated that the incorporation of Ag improved the photocatalytic efficiency. The mechanism of MO dye degradation was explored by using various scavengers, revealing that superoxide radicals (center dot O-2(-)) play a dominant role. Furthermore, the incorporation of Ag NPs significantly enhanced the antimicrobial activity of the oxide against both Gram-positive (B. subtilis) and Gram-negative (E.coli) strains.

Synthetic bone graft substitutes, including calcium phosphates (CaP), bioactive glasses (BG), and their composites with biopolymer matrices are attracting interest for bone tissue repair and regeneration. A key challenge is accurately replicating the biological structure and functionality of natural bone and optimizing the porous structure to match trabecular bone. This has been addressed by doping CaPs with therapeutic ions and using scaffolding methods like polymeric sponge replication and different additive manufacturing techniques. Biomimetic approaches employing naturally occurring porous biominerals with pore sizes comparable to those of trabecular bone, offer promising alternatives. This work reviews the hydrothermal transformation of cuttlefish bone (CB) into CaP scaffolds, while preserving its original porous structure, producing hydroxyapatite (HA, Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2), tricalcium phosphate (TCP, Ca3(PO4)2), and biphasic CaPs, both undoped and therapeutic ion-doped, constructs. Coating such biomimetic scaffolds with sol-gel-derived BG and biopolymers produces multifunctional bone graft substitutes with enhanced mechanical and biological properties. Moreover, polymeric coatings can act as drug reservoirs, enabling controlled release of therapeutic agents. The review highlights that integrating biomimetic strategies with advanced coating solutions holds great promise for creating multifunctional scaffolds that mimic nature and improve therapeutic outcomes in bone tissue engineering.

MgB2 is a perspective superconductor for many power applications. How this potential refers also to microwave or radiofrequency applications is still to be determined. Although its ultimate surface resistance in zero field is not competitive with conventional metallic superconductors, its strong pinning properties can favor RF applications in a dc magnetic field. Nonetheless, the RF response in the vortex state has been relatively less studied, as well as the effect of artificial pinning centers on the microwave surface resistance in the mixed state. In this paper we study the surface resistance of spark-plasma-sintered MgB2, with and without Te and cubic-BN (cBN) addition, in a dc magnetic field up to 1.2 T. We summarize previous results on pure MgB2, and we present new data on Te-and cBN-added MgB2. We use a two-tone dielectric-loaded resonator to measure the field-dependent surface resistance at 16.5 and 26.7 GHz in the temperature range from 10 K to T. By exploiting the simultaneous measurements at two frequencies, we extract the flux-flow resistivity, the pinning constant kp and the depinning frequency fp. The two-band nature of MgB2 affects the field dependence of the flux-flow resistivity. The microscopic superconducting state is not affected by the addition of artificial pinning centers, indicating that Te and cBN do not affect interband or intraband scattering. Pinning shows a measurable trend towards an increase in the Te-and cBN-added samples at higher temperatures and fields. We finally compare the results to those obtained in bulk Nb3Sn, also in view of possible in-field RF applications such as microwave cavity-based haloscopes.

Commercial melamine sponges were modified with a functional covalent organic framework (COF), and they were evaluated as adsorbents of divalent copper cations from aqueous solutions. A phosphazene unit successfully covered the surface of the melamine sponge, and the organic framework was subsequently formed through the nucleophilic substitution with 4,4 ' bipyridine. The covalent organic framework functionalized on the melamine sponge can detect and effectively adsorb copper compounds in aqueous solutions. Its selectivity toward the adsorption of copper was demonstrated through the presence of different metal salts. Four competitive metal cations, i.e., copper, nickel, iron, and calcium, were selected to confirm the preferential binding of copper on the COF-functionalized sponge. The outcome was determined through the studies of X-Ray Fluorescence elemental analysis, X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance experiments. XRF reported a copper sorption capacity of 293 mu g cm-2, which is nearly nine times higher than the performance of the pristine sponge. Q-band EPR measurements demonstrated the presence of different coordination sites with different substituents for copper on the modified sponges, when the adsorption took place in an aqueous solution containing exclusively copper cations, while only one coordination, the favorable trigonal bipyramidal geometry, was obtained in the presence of additional metals.

Rhodium-doped SrTiO3 perovskite as a monophasic titanate-based catalyst (SrTi1-xRhxO3) showed photocatalytic activity for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) from water under solar light irradiation with an instant induction period, although Rh4+ in SrTiO3 introduces deep trap states thereby diminishing the efficiency of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Despite its potential, the exact crystal structure of Rh:SrTiO3 has not been yet completely investigated. Overcoming these challenges, here, we synthesized a monophasic SrTi0.95Rh0.05O3 (RSTO) perovskite oxide with a precisely determined crystal structure and highlighted an unconsidered pivotal role of the Rh iso-aliovalency reversibility that enables excellent photocatalytic water oxidation. With structural, morphological, optical, and electronic insights from XRD, FE-SEM, HR-TEM, XPS, and advanced XAS measurements in both total electron yield (TEY) and fluorescence yield (TFY), the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) process is attributed to the redox dynamics of Rh4+ <-> Rh3+ synergistic interplay.

A spin-coating technique was used to produce new thin films of fluoride-doped hydroxyapatite (HApF) and fluoride-doped hydroxyapatite in a dextran matrix (HApF-Dx) with the potential to be used as nanocoatings for various biomedical implants. The stability of the suspensions used in obtaining the thin films was confirmed by ultrasonic measurements with double-distilled water as a reference. The HApF and HApF-Dx thin films obtained by spin-coating showed diffraction patterns corresponding to hexagonal hydroxyapatite. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies confirmed the partial substitution of hydroxyl groups (-OH) by fluoride ions. The FTIR studies were conducted in order to highlight the presence of the functional group specific for the HAp in the samples and the influence of the dextran addition on the vibrational characteristics. The surface morphologies of the HApF and HApF-Dx thin films were explored using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and metallographic microscopy (MM). The surfaces of the HApF and HApF-Dx thin films were found to be smooth, homogenous, and nanostructured. The biocompatibility assays on HGF-1 cells confirmed that both coatings exhibited good cell viability for all the tested time intervals (24 and 48 h). The findings highlighted the potential of HApF and HApF-Dx coatings for biomedical applications. Additional information about the HGF-1 adherence and development on the surface of the HApF and HApF-Dx coatings was obtained using metallographic microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy techniques. This research demonstrates that the spin-coating method can be successfully used to fabricate HApF and HApF-Dx nanocoatings for potential biomedical 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.

In this study, we detailed the fabrication and characterization of photovoltaic structures based on PTB7:ICBA (1:1, wt.%) bulk-heterojunction on optical glass substrates by spin-coating. Some samples were deposited on a flat substrate, and others were placed on a patterned substrate obtained by nano-imprinting lithography; the induced effects were analyzed. We demonstrated that using a patterned substrate enhanced the maximum output power, primarily because the short-circuit current density increased. This can be considered a direct consequence of reduced optical reflection and improved optical absorption. The topological parameters evaluated by atomic force microscopy, namely, the root mean square, Skewness, and Kurtosis, had small values of around 2 nm and 1 nm, respectively. This proves that the mixture of a conductive polymer and a fullerene derivative creates a thin film network with a high flatness degree. The samples discussed in this paper were fabricated and characterized in air; we can admit that the results are encouraging, but further optimization is needed.

Over the past decades, extensive research has demonstrated and confirmed the antioxidant potency of polyphenols, which due to these properties, are now widely recognized for their ability to enhance cell viability. This study investigates the antioxidant capacity of seven green leafy vegetables on in vitro mouse (L929) and human (BJ) fibroblast cell lines, aiming to determine if polyphenols could aid the regeneration of connective tissue, which would be strongly beneficial in wound healing and tissue repair, a process where fibroblast thriving is essential. The antioxidant capacity of extracts was investigated using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and amperometry, with quercetin serving as a standard. The EC50 values for the extracts were equivalent to approximately 5 mu M quercetin, derived from a concentration range of 20 to 100 mg of fresh leaves per mL. In vitro investigations revealed that all extracts, except lovage, promoted high viability (over 80%) in both cell cultures, as shown by MTS assay results and fluorescence microscopy. Additionally, Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF)-alpha and Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were employed as reactive oxygen species (ROS) antagonists, and the Dichloro-dihydro-fluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) assay was used to demonstrate the extract's scavenging activity on fibroblasts in vitro. For some extracts, a reduction in oxidative stress compared to the cells basal metabolic conditions was observed.

The present research explores for the first time the intricate relationship between sulfurization temperature at unusual high temperatures (up to 700 degrees C) and the structural/optoelectronic properties of Cu-2(Zn,Cd)SnS4 (CZCTS) thin films, synthesized via a two-step sequential process involving the precursor film deposition using aprotic molecular ink followed by thermal treatment in sulfur atmosphere. X-ray diffraction patterns confirms the tetragonal structure. Scanning Electron Micrographs revealed significant grain growth, with grain sizes increasing from similar to 0.3 mu m at 620 degrees C to similar to 1.5 mu m at 680 degrees C, effectively reducing grain boundary recombination. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy demonstrated a Cu-poor and Zn-rich composition, with a consistent Cd incorporation of similar to 3.7 at%. Raman spectroscopy showcases the homogeneity and purity of the CZCTS crystalline structure. Precise control of the sulfurization temperature plays a crucial role in determining the photovoltaic characteristics of CZCTS-based solar cells. By increasing the grain size and preventing the thermal decomposition of the CZTS phase, the photovoltaic performance peaked at a sulfurization temperature of 680 degrees C, achieving a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 10.4%, with an open-circuit voltage of 0.701 V, a short-circuit current density of 24.3 mA/cm(2) and a fill factor of 60.8%. External quantum efficiency reached a maximum of 83.3% at 580 nm. The bandgap of the CZCTS absorber was determined to be 1.48 eV, optimal for photovoltaic applications. However, further increasing the sulfurization temperature to 700 degrees C resulted in a lower PCE of 8.5%, attributed to interface degradation and secondary phase formation. Temperature-dependent current-voltage measurements revealed a reduction in recombination losses, with an activation energy of 1.24 eV at the CZCTS/CdS interface, indicating effective defect passivation by Cd incorporation. The optimized films, sulfurized at 680 degrees C, displayed an absorber thickness of similar to 1.2 mu m after sulfurization, providing efficient light absorption and charge transport. The findings not only emphasize the critical role of sulfurization temperature in engineering CZCTS film and subsequently their functionality but also provide valuable insights for fine tuning their performance in the field of photovoltaic applications.