Dr Vlad Stolojan

Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) provide a high theoretical specific energy up to 5 times higher than that of lithium-ion batteries (2600 vs. similar to 500 W h kg-1) but their commercialization is restricted by intrinsic problems such as polysulfide shutting and dendrite growth at the Li metal anode during cycling. A polar, non-ionic, free-standing, electrospun, predominantly beta-phase, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanofiber separator membrane has been designed and realised in order to mitigate the polysufide shuttling effect. The beta-PVDF sheet, with its inherent polarity, can chemically immobilize the polysulfides and suppress the formation of dendrites in LSBs. The fibrous separator obtained displays the combined advantages of being ultrathin (35 mu m thick) and lightweight (0.85 mg cm-2), with very high porosity (79.5%), high wettability (95%), and high electrolyte affinity. In cells that were chosen deliberately to use a commercial cathode and to differ only in the separator used, the nanofibrous polar PVDF film showed high effective ionic conductivity, when LSB-electrolyte impregnated, at nearly double that of the commercially available polypropylene (PP) separator. After 100 GDC cycles at 0.05C, LSBs with polar PVDF separator and the commerical cathode material showed charge storage capacities of approximately 800 mA h g-1, that being 200 mA h g-1 greater than with otherwise identical cells containing a current commercial polyolefin-based separator. A designer, polar and nanofibrous PVDF separator for lithium-sulfur battery cells mitigates the polysulfide-shuttling effect that currently limits their potential for commercialisation.

Aluminium-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films were deposited by remote plasma sputtering of a ZnO:Al2O3 98:2 wt.% ceramic target in a pulsed DC configuration. The target power was kept constant at 445 W and the RF plasma power was varied between 0.5 and 2.5 kW. The as-deposited AZO thin films exhibited an optimum resistivity of 6.35 x 10-4 .cm and optical transmittance of 92 % at a RF plasma power 1.5 kW. The thin film microstructure, chemical composition, and residual stress were investigated using SEM, RBS, XPS and XRD. Accurate determination of the chemical composition and correct interpretation of GIXRD data for AZO thin films are a particular focus of this work. The AZO layer thickness was 500 - 700 nm and Al content in the range of 2.3 - 3.0 at.%, determined by RBS. The AZO thin films exhibited a strong (002) preferential orientation and grain sizes between 70 and 110 nm. The (103) peak intensity enhancement in GIXRD is proven to be a result of the strong (002) preferential orientation and GIXRD geometrical configuration rather than a change in the crystallite orientation at the surface. XPS depth profiles show preferential sputtering of O and Al using a 500 eV Ar+ beam, which can be reduced, but not eradicated using an 8 keV Ar150+ beam. The preferential sputtering can be successfully modelled using the simulation software TRIDYN. A plasma power of 1.5 kW corresponds to a highly ionised plasma and various microstructural and compositional factors have all contributed to the optimum low resistivity occurring at this plasma power. The grain size exhibits a maximum in the 1.25 - 1.5 kW range and there is improved (002) orientation, minimising grain boundary scattering. The highest carrier concentration and mobility was observed at the plasma power of 1.5 kW which may be associated with the maximum in the aluminium doping concentration (3.0 at.%). The lowest residual stress is also observed at 1.5 kW.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have unique properties with promise to outperform the electrical characteristics of bulk copper, giving rise to its primary driver for use in electronic devices. The challenge still hindering their full exploitation stems from an inability to manufacture them to long lengths, resulting in a requirement to align and entwine them into a yarn or wire. There have been several methods presented in achieving this, however, the common disadvantage has been that they are only applicable to specific types and morphologies of CNTs. In the work reported here, using electrospinning as a universally applicable route for any CNT type, we re-engineer and optimise the various formulation, fabrication and processing steps required to manufacture CNT wires. Through a series of investigations using a materials agnostic approach, we experimentally probe the choice of solvent, surfactant and thermal treatment temperature of the CNT inks, demonstrating the CNT-type optimum using a range of commercially available single- double- and multiwalled CNTs. Finally, this allowed us to develop and probe an electrical conditioning process to further enhance the electrical performance, achieving the highest reported un-doped electrical conductivity of 36,000 S⋅m− 1 for electrospun CNT wires, or a specific conductivity of 0.2×106S·m−1/g·cm−3. [Display omitted]

Crystallised Co nanoparticles were synthesized by Co+ implantation onto thermally oxidised SiO2 layers on silicon substrate. The implantation energy was 50 keV and the doses ranged from 1 to 7times1016 Co+/cm2. The possibility of controlling the size and distribution of the nanoclusters by changing implantation conditions (e.g. dose and energy) is the main advantage of this technique. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (X-TEM) were used to characterize the nanoclusters. The staircase I-V curve also shows that the metallic quantum dots embedded in a thin SiO2 layer on silicon substrate has effective Coulomb blockade at room temperature

Washing synthetic textile fibers releases micro/nano plastics, endangering the environment. As new filters and associated regulations are developed to prevent fiber release from washing machines, there emerges a need to manage the collected waste, for which the only current options are combustion or landfill. Herein we show for the first time the application of a catalytic pyrolysis approach to upcycle textile derived fibrous micro/nano plastics waste, with the aim of keeping carbon in the solid phase and preventing its release as a greenhouse gas. Herein, we demonstrate the co-production of hydrogen and carbon nanomaterials from the two most prevalent global textile microfiber wastes: cotton and polyester. Our results pave a way forward to a realistic process design for upcycling mixed micro/nano fiber waste collected from laundering, drying, vacuuming, and environmental cleanup.

A variety of hydrogenated and non-hydrogenated amorphous carbon thin films have been characterised by means of grazing-incidence X-ray reflectivity (XRR) to give information about their density, thickness, surface roughness and layering. We used XRR to validate the density of ta-C, ta-C:H and a-C:H films derived from the valence plasmon in electron energy loss spectroscopy measurements, up to 3.26 and 2.39 g/cm3 for ta-C and ta-C:H, respectively. By comparing XRR and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) data, we have been able for the first time to fit a common electron effective mass of m∗/me=0.87 for all amorphous carbons and diamond, validating the ‘quasi-free’ electron approach to density from valence plasmon energy. While hydrogenated films are found to be substantially uniform in density across the film, ta-C films grown by the filtered cathodic vacuum arc (FCVA) show a multilayer structure. However, ta-C films grown with an S-bend filter show a high uniformity and only a slight dependence on the substrate bias of both sp3 and layering.

Fabrication techniques such as laser patterning offer excellent potential for low cost and large area device fabrication. Conductive polymers can be used to replace expensive metallic inks such as silver and gold nanoparticles for printing technology. Electrical conductivity of the polymers can be improved by blending with carbon nanotubes. In this work, formulations of acid functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (f-MWCNTs) and poly(ethylenedioxythiophene) [PEDOT]:polystyrene sulphonate [PSS] were processed, and thin films were prepared on plastic substrates. Conductivity of PEDOT:PSS increased almost four orders of magnitude after adding f-MWCNTs. Work function of PEDOT:PSS/f-MWCNTs films was ∼0.5 eV higher as compared to the work function of pure PEDOT:PSS films, determined by Kelvin probe method. Field-effect transistors source–drain electrodes were prepared on PET plastic substrates where PEDOT:PSS/f-MWCNTs were patterned using laser ablation at 44 mJ/pulse energy to define 36 μm electrode separation. Silicon nanowires were deposited using dielectrophoresis alignment technique to bridge laser patterned electrodes. Top-gated nanowire field effect transistors were completed by depositing parylene C as polymer gate dielectric and gold as the top-gate electrode. Transistor characteristics showed p-type conduction with excellent gate electrode coupling, with an ON/OFF ratio of ∼200. Thereby, we demonstrate the feasibility of using high workfunction, printable PEDOT:PSS/f-MWCNTs composite inks for laser patterned source/drain electrodes for nanowire transistors on flexible substrates.

Large-scale incorporation of nanomaterials into manufactured materials can only take place if they are suitably dispersed and mobile within the constituent components, typically within a solution/ink formulation so that the additive process can commence. Natural hydrophobicity of many nanomaterials must be overcome for their successful incorporation into any solution-based manufacturing process. To date, this has been typically achieved using polymers or surfactants, rather than chemical functionalization, to preserve the remarkable properties of the nanomaterials. Quantifying surfactant or dispersion technique efficacy has been challenging. Here we introduce a new methodology to quantify dispersions applicable to high-weight fraction suspensions of most nanomaterials. It’s based on centrifuging and weighing residue of undispersed material. This enables the determination of the efficacy of surfactants to disperse nanomaterials (e.g. ultrasonication power and duration) and leads to increased nanomaterial solution loading. To demonstrate this technique, we assessed carbon nanotube dispersions using popular surfactants: Benzalkonium chloride (ADBAC), Brij®52, Brij®58, Pluronic®F127, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS), Triton™ X-100, Triton™X-405 and Tween®80, evaluating the dispersion outcome when varying sonicator power and horn depth, as well as imaging sono-intensity within the solution with luminol. The methodology is shown to be applicable for high-weight fraction nanomaterial suspensions, enabling greater deployment.

Graphene is an ideal material for biosensors due to the large surface area for multiple bonding sites, the high electrical conductivity allowing for high sensitivity, and the high tensile strength providing durability in fabricated sensor devices. For graphene to be successful as a biosensing platform, selectivity must be achieved through functionalization with specific chemical groups. However, the device performance and sensor sensitivity must still be maintained after functionalization, which can be challenging. We compare phenyl amine and 1,5-diaminonaphthalene functionalization methods for chemical vapor deposition grown graphene, both used to obtain graphene modified with amine groups-which is required for surface attachment of highly selective antibody bio-receptors. Through atomic force microscopy (AFM), Raman spectroscopy, and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry imaging of co-located areas, the chemistry, thickness, and coverage of the functional groups bound to the graphene surface have been comprehensively analyzed. We demonstrate the modification of functionalized graphene using AFM, which unexpectedly suggests the removal of covalently bonded functional groups, resulting in a "recovered" graphene structure with reduced disorder, confirmed with Raman spectroscopy. This removal explains the decrease in the I /I ratio observed in Raman spectra from other studies on functionalized graphene after mechanical strain or a chemical reaction and reveals the possibility of reverting to the non-functionalized graphene structure. Through this study, preferred functionalization processes are recommended to maintain the performance properties of graphene as a biosensor.

Recent results in the use of Zinc Oxide (ZnO) nano/submicron crystals in fields as diverse as sensors, UV lasers, solar cells, piezoelectric nanogenerators and light emitting devices have reinvigorated the interest of the scientific community in this material. To fully exploit the wide range of properties offered by ZnO, a good understanding of the crystal growth mechanism and related defects chemistry is necessary. However, a full picture of the interrelation between defects, processing and properties has not yet been completed, especially for the ZnO nanostructures that are now being synthesized. Furthermore, achieving good control in the shape of the crystal is also a very desirable feature based on the strong correlation there is between shape and properties in nanoscale materials. In this paper, the synthesis of ZnO nanostructures via two alternative aqueous solution methods - sonochemical and hydrothermal - will be presented, together with the influence that the addition of citric anions or variations in the concentration of the initial reactants have on the ZnO crystals shape. Foreseen applications might be in the field of sensors, transparent conductors and large area electronics possibly via ink-jet printing techniques or self-assembly methods.

The growth of graphene on Ni using a photo-thermal chemical vapor deposition (PT-CVD) technique is reported. The non-thermal equilibrium nature of PT-CVD process resulted in a much shorter duration in both heating up and cooling down stages, thus allowing for a reduction in the overall growth time. Despite the reduced time for synthesis compared to standard thermal chemical vapor deposition (T-CVD), there was no decrease in the quality of the graphene film produced. Furthermore, the graphene formation under PT-CVD is much less sensitive to cooling rate than that observed for T-CVD process. Growth on Ni also allows for the alleviation of hydrogen blister damage that is commonly encountered during growth on Cu substrates and a lower processing temperature. To characterize the film’s electrical and optical properties, we further report the use of pristine PT-CVD grown graphene as the transparent electrode material in an organic photovoltaic device (OPV) with poly(3-hexyl)thiophene (P3HT)/phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) as the active layer where the power conversion efficiency of the OPV cell is found to be comparable to that reported using pristine graphene prepared by conventional CVD.

This work reports on solution processed Nd2O3 thin films that are deposited under ambient conditions at moderate temperatures of about 400 degrees C and their implementation as gate dielectrics in thin film transistors employing solution processed ZnO semiconducting channels is also demonstrated. The optical, dielectric, electric, structural, surface, and interface properties of Nd2O3 films are investigated using a wide range of characterization techniques that reveal smooth Nd2O3 films of cubic structure, wide bandgap (6 eV), high-k (11), and low leakage currents (

By electrospinning poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-blended sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) functionalized carbon nanotube (CNT) solutions, we engineered single- and double-walled nanotubes into highly aligned arrays. CNT alignment was measured using electron microscopy and polarised Raman spectroscopy. Mechanical tensile testing demonstrates that a CNT loading of 3.9wt% increases the ultimate tensile strength and ductility of our composites by over a factor of 3, and the Young's modulus by over a factor of 4, to ∼260MPa. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveals how the aligned nanotubes provide a solid structure, preventing polymer chains from slipping, as well as polymer crystallisation structures such as ‘shish-kebabs’ forming, which are responsible for the improved mechanical properties of the composite. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) reveals micellar and hexagonal columnar structures along the axis of the fibers, some of which are associated with the presence of the CNT, where these hexagonal structures are associated with the SDS functionalization on the CNT surfaces. This work demonstrates the benefits of CNT alignment within composites, revealing the effectiveness of the electrospinning technique, which enables significantly improved functionality, increasing the utility of the composites for use in many different technological areas.

Hydrogenated amorphous carbon nitride (a-C:N:H) has been synthesised using a high plasma density electron cyclotron wave resonance (ECWR) technique using N-2 and C2H2 as source gases, at different ratios and a fixed ion energy (80 eV). The composition, structure and bonding state of the films were investigated and related to their optical and electrical properties. The nitrogen content in the film rises rapidly until the N-2/C2H2 gas ratio reaches 2 and then increases more gradually, while the deposition rate decreases steeply, placing an upper limit for the nitrogen incorporation at 30 at%. For nitrogen contents above 20 at%, the band gap and sp(3)-bonded carbon fraction decrease from 1.7 to 1.1 eV and similar to 65 to 40%, respectively. The transition is due to the formation of polymeric drop C=N, -C drop N and drop NH groups, not an increase in CH bonds. Films with higher nitrogen content am less dense than the original hydrogenated tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C:H) film but, because they have a relatively high band gap(1.1 eV), high resistivity (10(9) Omega cm) and moderate sp(3)-bonded carbon fraction (40%), they should be classed as polymeric in nature. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.

Chemical vapor-synthesized carbon nanotubes are typically grown at temperatures around 600 degrees C. We report on the deployment of a titanium layer to help elevate the constraints on the substrate temperature during plasma-assisted growth. The growth is possible through the lowering of the hydrocarbon content used in the deposition, with the only source of heat provided by the plasma. The nanotubes synthesized have a small diameter distribution, which deviates from the usual trend that the diameter is determined by the thickness of the catalyst film. Simple thermodynamic simulations also show that the quantity of heat, that can be distributed, is determined by the thickness of the titanium layer. Despite the lower synthesis temperature, it is shown that this technique allows for high growth rates as well as better quality nanotubes.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can be used in many different applications. Field emission (FE) measurements were used together with Raman spectroscopy to show a correlation between the microstructure and field emission parameters. However, field emission characterization does not suffer from fluorescence noise present in Raman spectroscopy. In this study, Raman spectroscopy is used to characterize vertically aligned CNT forest samples based on their D/G band intensity ratio (ID/IG), and FE properties such as the threshold electric field, enhancement coefficient, and anode to CNT tip separation (ATS) at the outset of emission have been obtained. A relationship between ATS at first emission and the enhancement factor, and, subsequently, a relationship between ATS and the ID/IG are shown. Based on the findings, it is shown that a higher enhancement factor (3070) results when a lower ID/IG is present (0.45), with initial emissions at larger distances (47 lm). For the samples studied, the morphology of the CNT tips did not play an important role; therefore, the field enhancement factor (b) could be directly related to the carbon nanotube structural properties such as breaks in the lattice or amorphous carbon content. Thus, this work presents FE as a complementary tool to evaluate the quality of CNT samples, with the advantages of alarger probe size and an averaging over the whole nanotube length. Correspondingly, one can find the best field emitter CNT according to its ID/IG.

While there is great demand for effective, affordable radiation detectors in various applications, many commonly used scintillators have major drawbacks. Conventional inorganic scintillators have a fixed emission wavelength and require expensive, high-temperature synthesis; plastic scintillators, while fast, inexpensive, and robust, have low atomic numbers, limiting their X-ray stopping power. Formamidinium lead halide perovskite nanocrystals show promise as scintillators due to their high X-ray attenuation coefficient and bright luminescence. Here, we used a room-temperature, solution-growth method to produce mixed-halide FAPbX(3) (X = Cl, Br) nanocrystals with emission wavelengths that can be varied between 403 and 531 nm via adjustments to the halide ratio. The substitution of bromine for increasing amounts of chlorine resulted in violet emission with faster lifetimes, while larger proportions of bromine resulted in green emission with increased luminescence intensity. By loading FAPbBr(3) nanocrystals into a PVT-based plastic scintillator matrix, we produced 1 mm-thick nanocomposite scintillators, which have brighter luminescence than the PVT-based plastic scintillator alone. While nanocomposites such as these are often opaque due to optical scattering from aggregates of the nanoparticles, we used a surface modification technique to improve transmission through the composites. A composite of FAPbBr(3) nanocrystals encapsulated in inert PMMA produced even stronger luminescence, with intensity 3.8 x greater than a comparative FAPbBr(3)/plastic scintillator composite. However, the luminescence decay time of the FAPbBr(3)/PMMA composite was more than 3 x slower than that of the FAPbBr(3)/plastic scintillator composite. We also demonstrate the potential of these lead halide perovskite nanocomposite scintillators for low-cost X-ray imaging applications.

Silicon nanowires (Si NW) are ideal candidates for low-cost solution processed field effect transistors (FETs) due to the ability of nanowires to be dispersed in solvents, and demonstrated high charge carrier mobility. The interface between the nanowire and the dielectric plays a crucial role in the FET characteristics, and can be responsible for unwanted effects such as current hysteresis during device operation. Thus, optimal nanowire- dielectric interface is required for low-hysteresis FET performance. Here we show that NW FET hysteresis mostly depends on the nature of the dielectric material by directly comparing device characteristics of dual gate Si NW FETs with bottom SiO2 gate dielectric and top hydrophobic fluoropolymer gate dielectric. As the transistor semiconducting nanowire channel is identical in both tops and bottom operational regimes, the performance differences originate from the nature of the nanowire-dielectric interface. Thus, very high 30 volt hysteresis is observed for forward and reverse gate bias scans with SiO2 interface; however, hysteresis is significantly reduced to 6 volt for the fluoropolymer dielectric interface. The differences in hysteresis are ascribed to the polar OH- groups present at SiO2/Si nanowire interface, and mostly absent at fluoropolymer/Si nanowire interface. We further demonstrate that high density of charge traps for bottom gate SiO2 interface (1× 1013cm-2) is reduced by over an order of magnitude for top-fluoropolymer gate interface (7.5 × 1011 cm-2), therefore highlighting the advantage of hydrophobic polymer gate dielectrics for nanowire field-effect transistor applications.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have received extensive attention due to their one-dimensional structure and ability to demonstrate many novel physical and chemical phenomena in the quantum scale. However, the application of CNTs in electronics is hindered due to their higher growth temperatures which are usually in excess of 500 °C, which is not compatible with current semiconductor technology in industry. Low temperature growth is necessary for integrating CNTs into standard semiconductor devices such as CMOS and large-scale integrated circuits. To date, various techniques have been utilised to lower the CNT growth temperature by: 1. using various carbon sources with lower dissociation temperature; 2. exploring metal catalyst films of the low melting point or metal nanoparticles as catalysts; and, 3. introducing a plasma during deposition to increase the dissociation and ionization of feed gases. In this study, we report the low temperature growth of vertically aligned high-density CNTs by a DC plasma chemical vapour deposition method, using Ni nanoclusters as catalysts. The Ni nanoclusters are free from a high-temperature formation process compared to the film based catalysts and directly demonstrate catalytic growth of CNTs at substrate temperatures as low as 390 °C. The density of as-grown CNTs is up to 10 /cm , as shown in Figure 1. Transmission electron microscopy studies show the CNTs are made of crystalline graphene shells and have a uniform diameter distribution. The field electron emission properties of the samples are investigated.

Superlattices are periodic structures where the constituents alternate between low- and high-bandgap materials; the resulting quantum confinement tailors the resulting device properties and increases their operating speed. Amorphous carbon is an excellent candidate for both the well and barrier layers of the superlattices, leading to a fast and reliable device manufacturing process. We show theoretically and experimentally that, using low energy-loss spatially resolved spectroscopy, we can characterize the component layers of a superlattice. We measure quantum confinement of the electron wave function in the superlattice's wells and calculate the effective tunneling mass for amorphous carbon superlattices as m* =0.067 me. This effective mass makes diamondlike carbon films as feasible candidate for electronic devices. © 2006 American Institute of Physics.

By virtue of their unique electronic properties, nanometer-diameter sized single-walled carbon nanotubes represent ideal candidates to function as active parts of nanoelectronic memory storage devices. We show for the first time that GeTe, a phase change material, currently considered to be one of the most promising materials for data-storage applications, can efficiently be encapsulated within single-walled carbon nanontubes of 1.4 nm diameter. Structural investigations on the encapsulated GeTe nanowires have been carried out by high resolution transmission electron microscopy. The electronic interactions between the filling material and the host nanotube have been examined using ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy experiments and show that the electronic structure of the encapsulating nanotube and that of the encased filling are not perturbed by the presence of each of the other component. The newly formed hybrids offer potential to operate as active elements in non-volatile electronic memory storage devices.

High capacity electrode materials are the key for high energy density Li-ion batteries (LIB) to meet the requirement of the increased driving range of electric vehicles. Here we report the synthesis of a novel anode material, Bi2MoO6/palm-carbon composite, via a simple hydrothermal method. The composite shows higher reversible capacity and better cycling performance, compared to pure Bi2MoO6. In 0–3 V, a potential window of 100 mA/g current density, the LIB cells based on Bi2MoO6/palm-carbon composite show retention reversible capacity of 664 mAh·g−1 after 200 cycles. Electrochemical testing and ab initio density functional theory calculations are used to study the fundamental mechanism of Li ion incorporation into the materials. These studies confirm that Li ions incorporate into Bi2MoO6 via insertion to the interstitial sites in the MoO6-layer, and the presence of palm-carbon improves the electronic conductivity, and thus enhanced the performance of the composite materials.

Amorphous-carbon (a-C)-based quantum confined structures were synthesized by pulsed laser deposition. In these structures, electrons are confined in a few nanometer thick sp(2) rich a-C layer, which is bound by the vacuum barrier and a 3 nm thick sp(3) rich a-C base layer. In these structures anomalous field emission properties, including negative differential conductance and repeatable switching effects, are observed when compared to control samples. These properties will be discussed in terms of resonant tunneling and are of great interest in the generation and amplification of high-frequency signals for vacuum microelectronics and fast switching devices.

Three terminal measurements on a carbon nanotube field effect transistor (CNTFET) were carried out in high vacuum and the ambient, and its performance compared. The on-off current ratio, ION/IOFF, were 102 and 105 for devices operated in high vacuum and in ambient air, respectively. Here, we show that the conversion of p-type to ambipolar behavior may largely be attributed to the O2 in ambient doping the single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in the active channel which consists of bundles of SWCNTs. Switching behaviour of these devices, with respect to constituent types of SWCNTs in the bundles will be discussed.

Energy loss spectroscopic profiling is a way to acquire, in parallel, spectroscopic information across a linear feature of interest, using a Gatan imaging filter (GIF) fitted to a transmission electron microscope (TEM). This technique is capable of translating the high spatial resolution of a bright field image into a sampling of the spectral information with similar resolution. Here we evaluate the contributions of chromatic aberration and the various acquisition parameters to the spatial sampling resolution of the spectral information, and show that this can reach 0.5 nm, in a system not ordinarily capable of forming electron probes smaller than 2 nm. We use this high spatial sampling resolution to study the plasmon energy variation across amorphous carbon superlattices, in order to extract information about their structure and electronic properties. By modelling the interaction of the relativistic incident electrons with a dielectric layer sandwiched between outer layers, we show that, due to the screening of the interfaces and at increased collection angles, the plasmon energy in the sandwiched layer can still be identified for layer thicknesses down to 5 A. This allows us to measure the change in the well bandgap as a function of well width and to interpret it in terms of the changes in the sp2 -fractions due to the deposition method, as measured from the carbon K-edges, and in terms of quantum confinement of the well wavefunction by the adjacent barriers.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the form of interconnects have many potential applications, and their ability to perform at high temperatures gives them a unique capability. We show the development of a novel transfer process using CNTs and sintered silver that offers a unique high-temperature, high-conductivity, and potentially flexible interconnect solution. Arrays of vertically aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes of approximately 200 μm in length were grown on silicon substrates, using low-temperature photothermal chemical vapor deposition. Oxygen plasma treatment was used to introduce defects, in the form of hydroxyl, carbonyl, and carboxyl groups, on the walls of the carbon nanotubes so that they could bond to palladium (Pd). Nanoparticle silver was then used to bind the Pd-coated multiwalled CNTs to a copper substrate. The silver–CNT–silver interconnects were found to be ohmic conductors, with resistivity of 6.2 × 10–4 Ωm; the interconnects were heated to temperatures exceeding 300 °C (where common solders fail) and were found to maintain their electrical performance.

This paper proposes and demonstrates a new multiquantum well (MQW) laser structure with a temperature-insensitive threshold current and output power. Normally, the mechanisms that cause the threshold current (Ith) of semiconductor lasers to increase with increasing temperature T (thermal broadening of the gain spectrum, thermally activated carrier escape, Auger recombination, and intervalence band absorption) act together to cause Ith to increase as T increases. However, in the design presented here, carriers thermally released from some of the QWs are fed to the other QWs so that these mechanisms compensate rather than augment one another. The idea is in principle applicable to a range of materials systems, structures, and operating wavelengths. We have demonstrated the effect for the first time in 1.5 μm GaInAsP/InP Fabry-Perot cavity edge-emitting lasers. The results showed that it is possible to keep the threshold current constant over a temperature range of about 100 K and that the absolute temperature over which the plateau occurred could be adjusted easily by redesigning the quantum wells and the barriers between them. TEM studies of the structures combined with measurements of the electroluminescent intensities from the wells are presented and explain well the observed effects.

Pr doping of CeO2 up to 10at% (Ce0.9Pr0.1O2-δ) in Ni/CeO2 increases the oxygen vacancy population and reduces the Ni particle size, improving CO2 methanation activity and lowering the activation energy. [Display omitted] In this study, Ni catalysts supported on Pr-doped CeO2 are studied for the CO2 methanation reaction and the effect of Pr doping on the physicochemical properties and the catalytic performance is thoroughly evaluated. It is shown, that Pr3+ ions can substitute Ce4+ ones in the support lattice, thereby introducing a high population of oxygen vacancies, which act as active sites for CO2 chemisorption. Pr doping can also act to reduce the crystallite size of metallic Ni, thus promoting the active metal dispersion. Catalytic performance evaluation evidences the promoting effect of low Pr loadings (5 at% and 10 at%) towards a higher catalytic activity and lower CO2 activation energy. On the other hand, higher Pr contents negate the positive effects on the catalytic activity by decreasing the oxygen vacancy population, thereby creating a volcano-type trend towards an optimum amount of aliovalent substitution.

Excimer laser irradiation is used to crystallize hydrogenated amorphous silicon thin films. The resulting films show a stratified microstructure with a crystalline volume fraction of up to 90%. There is a range of excimer laser energy that can produce stratified nanocrystalline silicon with a Tauc gap as high as 2.2 eV. This value is greater than that of amorphous or crystalline silicon and is contrary to that predicted from the theoretical analysis of mixed-phase silicon thin films. The phenomenon is explained by employing transmission electron microscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry, and the observed bandgap enhancement is associated with quantum confinement effects within the nanocrystalline silicon layers, rather than an impurity variation.

The concentration of vacancy-type defects in a silicon-on-insulator substrate consisting of a 110 nm overlayer and a 200 nm buried oxide has been quantified using variable energy positron annihilation spectroscopy following 300 keV Si+ ion implantation to a dose of 1.5 x 10(15) cm(-2) and subsequent, annealing at temperatures ranging from 300 to 700 degrees C. The preferential creation of vacancies (relative to interstitials) in the silicon overlayer leads to a net vacancy-type defect concentration after annealing. Assuming that the defects have a structure close to that. of the divacancy we determine the concentration to range from 1.7 x 10(19) to 5 x 10(18) cm(-3) for annealing temperatures ranging from 300 to 700 degrees C. The measured defect concentration is in excellent agreement with that predicted via Monte Carlo simulation. The impact of this net vacancy population on the diffusion and activation of phosphorus introduced by a 2 keV implantation to a dose of 1 x 10(15) cm(-2) has been observed. For samples that combine both Si+ and P+ implantations, postimplantation phosphorus diffusion is markedly decreased relative to that for P+ implantation only. Further, a fourfold increase in the electrical activation of phosphorus after postimplantation annealing at 750 degrees C is observed when both implantations of Si+ and P+ are performed. We ascribe this affect to the reduction in phosphorus-interstitial clusters by the excess vacancy concentration beyond the amorphous/crystalline interface created by the P+ implantation. (C) 2009 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3262527]

Abstract The predicted 50 billion devices connected to the Internet of Things by 2020 has renewed interest in polysilicon technology for high performance new sensing and control circuits, in addition to traditional display usage. Yet, the polycrystalline nature of the material presents significant challenges when used in transistors with strongly scaled channel lengths due to non-uniformity in device performance. For these new applications to materialize as viable products, uniform electrical characteristics on large areas will be essential. Here, we report on the effect of deliberately engineered potential barrier at the source of polysilicon thin-film transistors, yielding highly-uniform on-current (

For practical deployment of carbon nanotubes, an understanding of their growth mechanism is required in order to obtain better control over their crystallinity, chirality and other structural properties. In this study, we focus on the influences of gas species on carbon nanotube synthesis using thermal chemical vapour deposition. The influence of methane, hydrogen, and helium gases was investigated from the viewpoint of gas chemistry in relation to the nanotube structural change, by varying the growth pressure, the gas-flow ratio and the growth temperature. Simple changes in the hydrogen gas concentration during different growth stages have been found to induce surprising changes to the nanotube formation. The structure of the tubular carbon growth changed from amorphous to graphitic as the growth temperature and the concentration of hydrogen in the initial periods of growth decreases. The excess hydrogen tends to give rise to poor crystalline carbon nanofibres but has the effect of increasing the yields. Hydrogen gas is typically used in reducing metal catalyst particles during the pre-treatment and the carbon nanotube growth periods. We show that while hydrogen species can improve yield, it can also result in the degradation of the nanotube's crystallinity. The use of hydrogen in the growth process is one of the key parameters for enhanced control of carbon nanotube/nanofibre growth and their resulting crystallinity.

We present a novel approach, which will potentially allow for low-temperature-substrate synthesis of carbon nanotubes using direct-current plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition. The approach utilizes top-down plasma heating rather than conventional heating from a conventional substrate heater under the electrode. In this work, a relatively thick titanium layer is used as a thermal barrier to create a temperature gradient between the Ni catalyst surface and the substrate. We describe the growth properties as a function of the bias voltage and the hydrocarbon concentrations. The heating during growth is provided solely by the plasma, which is dependent only on the process conditions, which dictate the power density and the cooling of the substrate, plus now the thermal properties of the "barrier layer". This novel approach of using plasma heating and thermal barrier allows for the synthesis of carbon nanotubes at low substrate temperature conditions to be attained with suitable cooling schemes.

The semiconductor zinc oxide (ZnO) is a promising material for applications in optoelectronics, photochemistry and chemical sensing. Furthermore, ZnO structures can be grown with a large variety of sizes and shapes. Devices with ZnO rods or wires as their core elements can be used in solar cells, gas sensors or biosensors. In this article, an easy approach for the non-aqueous wet chemical synthesis of ZnO structures is presented that employs the solvent trioctylamine (TOA) and the surfactant hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA). Using the thermal decomposition method, rod-shaped structures were grown that are suitable for the fabrication of electrical devices. A detailed study was carried out to investigate the effects of various reaction parameters on the growth process. Both the concentration of the surfactant HMTA and the zinc precursor zincacetylacetonate (Zn(acac)2) were found to show strong effects on the resulting morphology. In addition to structural characterisation using XRD, SEM and TEM, also optical properties of rod-shaped ZnO structures were measured. Rod-shaped structures were obtained for the following conditions: reaction time 4 h, reaction temperature 70 °C, 1 mmol of Zn(acac)2, 4 mmol of HMTA and 25 mL of the solvent TOA. Photoluminescence and photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy of samples grown under these conditions provided information on levels of defect states that could be critical for chemical sensing applications. Two narrow peaks around 254 and 264 nm were found that are well above the band gap of ZnO.

The present work focuses on nanowire (NW) applications as semiconducting elements in solution processable field-effect transistors (FETs) targeting large-area low-cost electronics. We address one of the main challenges related to NW deposition and alignment by using dielectrophoresis (DEP) to select multiple ZnO nanowires with the correct length, and to attract, orientate and position them in predefined substrate locations. High-performance top-gate ZnO NW FETs are demonstrated on glass substrates with organic gate dielectric layers and surround source-drain contacts. Such devices are hybrids, in which inorganic multiple single-crystal ZnO NWs and organic gate dielectric are synergic in a single system. Current-voltage (I-V) measurements of a representative hybrid device demonstrate excellent device performance with high on/off ratio of 10^7, steep subthreshold swing (s-s) of 400 mV/dec and high electron mobility of 35 cm2 V-1 s-1 in N2 ambient. Stable device operation is demonstrated after 3 months of air exposure, where similar device parameters are extracted including on/off ratio of 4x10^6, s-s 500 mV/dec and field-effect mobility of 28 cm2 V-1 s-1. These results demonstrate that DEP can be used to assemble multiples of NWs from solvent formulations to enable low-temperature hybrid transistor fabrication for large-area inexpensive electronics.

Piezoelectric materials can provide in situ electrical stimulation without external chemical or physical support, opening new frontiers for future bioelectric therapies. Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) possesses piezoelectricity and biocompatibility, making it an electroactive biomaterial capable of enhancing bioactivity through instantaneous electrical stimulation, which indicates significant potential in tissue engineering. In this study, we developed electroactive and biomimetic scaffolds made of electrospun PVDF and self-assembling peptides (SAPs) to enhance stem cell transplantation for spinal cord injury regeneration. We investigated the morphology and crystalline polymorphs of the electrospun scaffolds. Morphological studies demonstrated the benefit of using mixed sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and SAPs as additives to form thinner, uniform, and defect-free fibers. Regarding electroactive phases, beta and gamma phases-evidence of electroactivity-were predominant in aligned scaffolds and scaffolds modified with SDS and SAPs. In vitro studies showed that neural stem cells (NSCs) seeded on electrospun PVDF with additives exhibited desirable proliferation and differentiation compared to the gold standard. Furthermore, the orientation of the fibers influenced scaffold topography, resulting in a higher degree of cell orientation in fiber-aligned scaffolds compared to randomly oriented ones.Piezoelectric materials can provide in situ electrical stimulation without external chemical or physical support, opening new frontiers for future bioelectric therapies.

In this study, we investigate the effect of the inclusion of nitrogen in amorphous carbon thin films deposited by pulsed laser deposition, which results in stress induced modifications to the band structure and the concomitant changes to the electronic transport properties. The microstructural changes due to nitrogen incorporation were examined using electron energy-loss spectroscopy and Raman scattering. The band structure was investigated using spectroscopic ellipsometry data in the range of. 1.5-5 eV, which was fitted to the Tauc Lorentz model parametrization and optical transmittance measurements. The dielectric constant evaluated using optical techniques was compared to that obtained with electrical measurements, assuming a Poole-Frenkel type conduction process based on the best fits to data. The electrical conduction mechanism is discussed for both low and high electric fields, in the context of the shape of the band density of states. By relating a wide range of measurement techniques, a detailed relationship between the microstructure, and the optical and the electrical structures of a-CNx films is obtained. From these measurements, it was found that, primarily, the change in density of the film, with increasing nitrogen pressure, affects the band structure of the amorphous carbon nitride. This is due to the fact that the density affects the stress in the film, which also impacts the localized states in the band gap. These results are supported by density of states measurements using scanning tunneling spectroscopy.

For carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to be exploited in electronic applications, the growth of high quality material on conductive substrates at low temperatures (

Octopus-like carbon nanofibres with leg diameters as small as 9 nm are reported, with a high yield over large areas, using a unique photo-thermal chemical vapour deposition system. The branched nature of these nanostructures leads to geometries ideal for increasing the surface area of contacts for many electronic and electrochemical devices. The manufacture of these structures involves a combination of a polyacrylonitrile/polysiloxane film covering the surface of cupronickel catalysts, supported on silicon. Acetylene is used as the carbon feedstock. High-resolution electron microscopy revealed a relationship between the geometry of the nanoparticles and the catalytic growth process, which can be tuned to maximise geometries (and therefore the surface area) and was obtained with a catalyst size of 125 nm. The technique proposed for growing these carbon octopi nanostructures is ideal to facilitate a new in situ transfer film process to place high-density carbon structures on secondary surfaces to produce high capacitance all-carbon contacts.

The Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) is the ultimate tool to see and measure structures on the nanoscale and to probe their elemental composition and electronic structure with sub-nanometer spatial resolution. Recent technological breakthroughs have revolutionized our understanding of materials via use of the TEM, and it promises to become a significant tool in understanding biological and bio-molecular systems such as viruses and DNA molecules. This book is a practical guide for scientists who need to use the TEM as a tool to answer questions about physical and chemical phenomena on the nanoscale.

In this work, Co ions were implanted into thermally oxidised SiO2 layers on silicon substrates. The implantation energy was 50 keV and the doses were 1, 3, 5 and 7 x 10(16) Co+/cm2. The field emission (FE) properties of these layers were studied and correlated with results from atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy measurements. Other than that for the lowest dose sample, crystallised Co nanoclusters, with sizes ranging from 1.8 to 5.7 nm, are observed in these Co-implanted layers. The higher dose samples exhibit excellent FE properties and give an emission current of 1 nA at electric fields as low as 5 V/microm, for a dose of 5 x 10(16) Co+/cm2, compared with 120 V/microm for the lowest dose samples. We attribute the excellent FE properties of these layers to the formation of Co nanoclusters, with the electrical inhomogeneity giving rise to local field enhancement. Finally, repeatable staircase-like current-field (I-F) characteristics are observed in FE measurements of these higher dose samples as compared to conventional Fowler-Nordheim-type I-F characteristics in the lower dose sample. We believe this data may be a result of Coulomb blockade effects arising from the isolated low-capacitance metal quantum dots formed by controlled ion implantation.

A comprehensive study of the stress release and structural changes caused by postdeposition thermal annealing of tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) on Si has been carried out. Complete stress relief occurs at 600-700 degrees C and is accompanied by minimal structural modifications, as indicated by electron energy loss spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and optical gap measurements. Further annealing in vacuum converts sp(3) sites to sp(2) with a drastic change occurring after 1100 degrees C. The field emitting behavior is substantially retained up to the complete stress relief, confirming that ta-C is a robust emitting material. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(99)05910-1].

Superlattices are periodic structures where the constituents alternate between low- and high-bandgap materials; the resulting quantum confinement tailors the resulting device properties and increases their operating speed. Amorphous carbon is an excellent candidate for both the well and barrier layers of the superlattices, leading to a fast and reliable device manufacturing process. We show theoretically and experimentally that, using low energy-loss spatially resolved spectroscopy, we can characterize the component layers of a superlattice. We measure quantum confinement of the electron wave function in the superlattice's wells and calculate the effective tunneling mass for amorphous carbon superlattices as m(*)=0.067m(e). This effective mass makes diamondlike carbon films as feasible candidate for electronic devices.

Using electron beam irradiation in an electron microscope, researchers at the Advanced Technology Institute, University of Surrey, UK, obtained evidence for the relationship between catalyst and carbon in the growth of carbon nanotubes. By considering the effects of heating and irradiation, the group observed that the carbon atoms at the catalyst surface are easily removed followed by a rapid rearrangement of the nanotube's atoms around the catalyst. Furthermore, they discovered that changes in the nanotube's growth direction are linked to a sudden rotation of the catalyst.

Tungsten oxide nanowires are grown directly on tungsten wires and plates using thermal heating in an acetylene and nitrogen mixture. By heating the tungsten in nitrogen ambient, single crystal tungsten oxide nanowires can be synthesized via a self-assembly mechanism. It was found that the yield can be significantly increased with the addition of acetylene, which also results in thinner nanowires, as compared to nanowires synthesized in an oxidizing ambient. The tungsten oxide nanowires are 5 to 15 nm in diameter and hundreds of nanometers in length. In some cases, the use of acetylene and nitrogen process gas would result in tungsten oxide nanowires samples that appear visually,transparent. Comparison of the growth using the acetylene/nitrogen or then air/nitrogen mixtures is carried out. A possible synthesis mechanism, taking into account the effect of hydrocarbon addition is proposed.

Thermoelectrics are a promising solution to the recovery of some of the 60% of the worldwide energy wasted as heat. However, their conversion efficiency is low and the best performing materials are brittle, toxic, and made of expensive ceramics. The challenge in developing better performing materials is in disrupting the electrical vs thermal conductivity correlation, to achieve low thermal conductivity simultaneously with a high electrical conductivity. Carbon nanotubes allow for the decoupling of the electronic density of states from the phonon density of states and this paper shows that flexible, thin films of double-walled carbon nanotube (DWCNT) can form effective n- and p-doped semiconductors that can achieve a combined Seebeck coefficient of 157.6 mu V K-1, the highest reported for a single DWCNT device to date. This is achieved through selected surfactant doping, whose role is correlated with the length of the hydrocarbon chain of the hydrophobic tail group of the surfactant's molecules. CNTs functionalized with Triton X-405 show the highest output power consisting of a single junction of p- and n-type thermoelectric elements, reaching as high as 67 nW for a 45 K temperature gradient. Thus enabling flexible, cheaper, and more efficient thermoelectric generators through the use of functionalized CNTs.

Chemical vapor-synthesized carbon nanotubes are typically grown at temperatures around 600 °C. We report on the deployment of a titanium layer to help elevate the constraints on the substrate temperature during plasma-assisted growth. The growth is possible through the lowering of the hydrocarbon content used in the deposition, with the only source of heat provided by the plasma. The nanotubes synthesized have a small diameter distribution, which deviates from the usual trend that the diameter is determined by the thickness of the catalyst film. Simple thermodynamic simulations also show that the quantity of heat, that can be distributed, is determined by the thickness of the titanium layer. Despite the lower synthesis temperature, it is shown that this technique allows for high growth rates as well as better quality nanotubes. © 2005 American Institute of Physics.

As a technique, electrospinning has been increasingly utilised for polymer nanofibre production, which has a growing list of advanced applications to which they are being applied. However, commercially scaling the process is challenging, especially when the uniformity of the nanofibres across the bulk of the material is important for the required application. At present, most commercially-scalable systems tend to rely on a drum or cylindrical-style electrode, where a multitude of electrospinning jets are formed with no specific controlled distribution or uniformity over its surface. These electrospinning systems also have the drawback of possessing a varying electrostatic field across the length of the electrode, resulting in a range of spinning conditions which result in an inconsistency in the produced nanofibres. Due to the high centrifugal stresses exerted on the polymer during electrospinning, controlling the electrostatic field is crucial for consistent nanofibre production, which forms the basis for applications such as cellular scaffolds and smart materials. In the work reported here, we utilise computational simulation to explore a range of electrode designs to achieve a large area electrospinning system with a balanced electrostatic field across its entire active surface. We demonstrate the output by producing a high-throughput of nanofibres with comparable properties to that of a traditional single spinneret system, but at a processing rate two orders of magnitude faster.

CNTs can have the ability to act as compliant small-scale springs or as shock resistance micro-contactors. This work investigates the performance of vertically-aligned CNTs (VA-CNTs) as micro-contactors in electromechanical testing applications for testing at wafer-level chip-scale-packaging (WLCSP) and wafer-level-packaging (WLP). Fabricated on ohmic substrates, 500-μm-tall CNT-metal composite contact structures are electromechanically characterized. The probe design and architecture are scalable, allowing for the assembly of thousands of probes in short manufacturing times, with easy pitch control. We discuss the effects of the metallization morphology and thickness on the compliance and electromechanical response of the metal-CNT composite contacts. Pd-metallized CNT contactors show up to 25 μm of compliance, with contact resistance as low as 460 mΩ (3.6 kΩ/μm) and network resistivity of 1.8 × 10−5 Ω cm, after 2500 touchdowns, with 50 μm of over-travel; they form reproducible and repeatable contacts, with less than 5% contact resistance degradation. Failure mechanisms are studied in-situ and after cyclic testing and show that, for top-cap-and-side metallized contacts, the CNT-metal shell provides stiffness to the probe structure in the elastic region, whilst reducing the contact resistance. The stable low resistance achieved, the high repeatability and endurance of the manufactured probes make CNT micro-contacts a viable candidate for WLP and WLCSP testing.

The use of high quality semiconducting nanomaterials for advanced device applications has been hampered by the unavoidable growth variability of electrical properties of one-dimensional nanomaterials, such as nanowires and nanotubes, thus highlighting the need for the characterization of efficient semiconducting nanomaterials. In this study, we demonstrate a low-cost, industrially scalable dielectrophoretic (DEP) nanowire assembly method for the rapid analysis of the electrical properties of inorganic single crystalline nanowires, by identifying key features in the DEP frequency response spectrum from 1 kHz to 20 MHz in just 60 s. Nanowires dispersed in anisole were characterized using a three-dimensional DEP chip (3DEP), and the resultant spectrum demonstrated a sharp change in nanowire response to DEP signal in 1–20 MHz frequency range. The 3DEP analysis, directly confirmed by field-effect transistor data, indicates that nanowires of higher quality are collected at high DEP signal frequency range above 10 MHz, whereas lower quality nanowires, with two orders of magnitude lower current per nanowire, are collected at lower DEP signal frequencies. These results show that the 3DEP platform can be used as a very efficient characterization tool of the electrical properties of rod-shaped nanoparticles to enable dielectrophoretic selective deposition of nanomaterials with superior conductivity properties.

Metal oxide charge transport materials are preferable for realizing long-term stable and potentially low-cost perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, due to some technical difficulties (e.g., intricate fabrication protocols, high-temperature heating process, incompatible solvents, etc.), it is still challenging to achieve efficient and reliable all-metal-oxide-based devices. Here, we developed efficient inverted PSCs (IPSCs) based on solution-processed nickel oxide (NiOx) and tin oxide (SnO2) nanoparticles, working as hole and electron transport materials respectively, enabling a fast and balanced charge transfer for photogenerated charge carriers. Through further understanding and optimizing the perovskite/metal oxide interfaces, we have realized an outstanding power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 23.5% (the bandgap of the perovskite is 1.62 eV), which is the highest efficiency among IPSCs based on all-metal-oxide charge transport materials. Thanks to these stable metal oxides and improved interface properties, ambient stability (retaining 95% of initial PCE after 1 month), thermal stability (retaining 80% of initial PCE after 2 weeks) and light stability (retaining 90% of initial PCE after 1000 hours aging) of resultant devices are enhanced significantly. In addition, owing to the low-temperature fabrication procedures of the entire device, we have obtained a PCE of over 21% for flexible IPSCs with enhanced operational stability.

High quality multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) grown at high density using a low temperature growth method are used as an alternative material to polymer sizing and is utilised in a series of epoxy composites reinforced with carbon fibres to provide improved physical and electrical properties. We report improvements for sizing-sensitive mechanical and physical properties, such as the interfacial adhesion, shear properties and handling of the fibres, whilst retaining resin-infusion capability. Following fibre volume fraction normalisation, the carbon nanotube-modified carbon fibre composite offers improvements of 146% increase in Young's modulus; 20% increase in ultimate shear stress; 74% increase in shear chord modulus and an 83% improvement in the initial fracture toughness. The addition of CNTs imparts electrical functionalisation to the composite, enhancements in the surface direction are 400%, demonstrating a suitable route to sizing-free composites with enhanced mechanical and electrical functionality. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modern integrated devices and electrical circuits have often been designed with carbon nanostructures, such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene due to their high thermal and electrical transport properties. These transport properties are strongly correlated to their acoustic phonon and carrier dynamics. Thus, understanding the phonon and carrier dynamics of carbon nanostructures in extremely small regions will lead to their further practical applications. Here, we demonstrate ultrafast time-resolved electron diffraction and ultrafast transient spectroscopy to characterize the phonon and carrier dynamics at the boundary of quasi-one-dimensional CNTs before and after Joule annealing. The results from ultrafast time-resolved electron diffraction show that the CNTs after Joule annealing reach the phonon equilibrium state extremely fast with a timescale of 10 ps, which indicates that thermal transport in CNTs improves following Joule annealing. The methodology described in this study connects conventional macroscopic thermo- and electrodynamics to those at the nanometer scale. Realistic timescale kinetic simulations were performed to further elaborate on the phenomena that occur in CNTs during Joule annealing. The insights obtained in this study are expected to pave the way to parameterize the unexplored thermal and electrical properties of carbon materials at the nanometer scale. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Heat treatment of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) has provided a wide variety of functional carbons coordinated with metal compounds. In this study, two kinds of zinc-based MOF (ZMOF), C16H10O4Zn (ZMOF1) and C8H4O4Zn (ZMOF2), were prepared. ZMOF1 and ZMOF2 were carbonized at 1000 degrees C, forming CZMOF1 and CZMOF2, respectively. The specific surface area (S-BET) of CZMOF2 was similar to 2700 m(2) g(-1), much higher than that of CZMOF1 (similar to 1300 m(2) g(-1)). A supercapacitor electrode based on CZMOF2 achieved specific capacitances of 360, 278, and 221 F g(-1) at 50, 250, and 1000 mA g(-1) in an aqueous electrolyte (H2SO4), respectively, the highest values reported to date for ZMOF-derived electrodes under identical conditions. The practical applicability of the CZMOF-based supercapacitor was verified in non-aqueous electrolytes. The initial capacitance retention was 78% after 100 000 charge/discharge cycles at 10 A g(-1). Crucially, the high capacitance of CZMOF2 arises from pore generation during carbonization. Below 1000 degrees C, pore generation is dominated by the Zn/C ratio of ZMOFs, as carbon atoms reduce the zinc oxides formed during carbonization. Above 1000 degrees C, a high O/C ratio becomes essential for pore generation because the oxygen functional groups are pyrolyzed. These findings will provide insightful information for other metal-based MOF-derived multifunctional carbons.

A method to simultaneously synthesize carbon-encapsulated magnetic iron nanoparticles (Fe-NPs) and attach these particles to multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) is presented. Thermal decomposition of cyclopentadienyliron dicarbonyl dimer [(C5H5)(2)Fe-2(CO)(4)], over a range of temperatures from 250 degrees C to 1200 degrees C, results in the formation of Fe-NPs attached to MWCNT. At the same time, a protective carbon shell is produced and surrounds the Fe-NPs, covalently attaching the particles to the MWCNT and leading to resistance to acid dissolution. The carbon coating varies in degree of graphitisation, with higher synthesis temperatures leading to a higher degree of graphitisation. The growth model of the nanoparticles and subsequent mechanism of MWCNT attachment is discussed. Adsorption potential of the hybrid material towards organic dyes (Rhodamine B) has been displayed, an indication of potential uses as a material for water treatment. The material has also been electrospun into aligned nanocomposite fibres to produce a soft magnetic composite (SMC) with future applications in sensors and fast switching solenoids.

The tackling of carbon deposition during the dry reforming of biogas (BDR) necessitates research of the surface of spent catalysts in an effort to obtain a better understanding of the effect that different carbon allotropes have on the deactivation mechanism and correlation of their formation with catalytic properties. The work presented herein provides a comparative assessment of catalytic stability in relation to carbon deposition and metal particle sintering on un-promoted Ni/Al2O3, Ni/ZrO2 and Ni/SiO2 catalysts for different reaction temperatures. The spent catalysts were examined using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Raman spectroscopy, high angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM-HAADF) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results show that the formation and nature of carbonaceous deposits on catalytic surfaces (and thus catalytic stability) depend on the interplay of a number of crucial parameters such as metal support interaction, acidity/basicity characteristics, O2- lability and active phase particle size. When a catalytic system possesses only some of these beneficial characteristics, then competition with adverse effects may overshadow any potential benefits.

Recent interest in the fields of human motion monitoring, electronic skin, and human–machine interface technology demands strain sensors with high stretchability/compressibility (ε > 50%), high sensitivity (or gauge factor (GF > 100)), and long-lasting electromechanical compliance. However, current metal- and semiconductor-based strain sensors have very low (ε < 5%) stretchability or low sensitivity (GF < 2), typically sacrificing the stretchability for high sensitivity. Composite elastomer sensors are a solution where the challenge is to improve the sensitivity to GF > 100. We propose a simple, low-cost fabrication of mechanically compliant, physically robust metallic carbon nanotube (CNT)-polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) strain sensors. The process allows the alignment of CNTs within the PDMS elastomer, permitting directional sensing. Aligning CNTs horizontally (HA-CNTs) on the substrate before embedding in the PDMS reduces the number of CNT junctions and introduces scale-like features on the CNT film perpendicular to the tensile strain direction, resulting in improved sensitivity compared to vertically-aligned CNT-(VA-CNT)-PDMS strain sensors under tension. The CNT alignment and the scale-like features modulate the electron conduction pathway, affecting the electrical sensitivity. Resulting GF values are 594 at 15% and 65 at 50% strains for HA-CNT-PDMS and 326 at 25% and 52 at 50% strains for VA-CNT-PDMS sensors. Under compression, VA-CNT-PDMS sensors show more sensitivity to small-scale deformation than HA-CNT-PDMS sensors due to the CNT orientation and the continuous morphology of the film, demonstrating that the sensing ability can be improved by aligning the CNTs in certain directions. Furthermore, mechanical robustness and electromechanical durability are tested for over 6000 cycles up to 50% tensile and compressive strains, with good frequency responses with negligible hysteresis. Finally, both types of sensors are shown to detect small-scale human motions, successfully distinguishing various human motions with reaction and recovery times of as low as 130 ms and 0.5 s, respectively.

Steam treatment has been applied to our prefabricated highly aligned areas of electrospun carbon nanotube composite nano-fibres, leading to controlled and targeted removal of polymeric and amorphous carbon materials, resulting in areas of highly aligned, highly crystalline, pure nanotubes. Raman analysis shows how the ID to IG intensity ratio was reduced to 0.03, and the radial breathing mode peak intensity, used for nanotube diameter calculation, changes. Therefore, suggesting that some carbon nanotubes are more resistant to steam assisted oxidation, meaning that specific carbon nanotube diameters are preferentially oxidised. The remaining carbon nanotubes have displayed a significant improvement in both quality, with respect to defect density, and in crystallinity, resulting in an increased resistance to oxidation. These steam treated super resilient carbon nanotubes are shown to withstand temperatures of above 900 °C under ambient conditions. Applying this purification method to electrospun nano-fibres leads the way for the next generation of composite materials which can be used in high temperature extreme environments.

Self-organization of matter is essential for natural pattern formation, chemical synthesis, as well as modern material science. Here we show that isovolumetric reactions of a single organometallic precursor allow symmetry breaking events from iron nuclei to the creation of different symmetric carbon structures: microspheres, nanotubes, and mirrored spiraling microcones. A mathematical model, based on mass conservation and chemical composition, quantitatively explains the shape growth. The genesis of such could have significant implications for material design.

Carbon-based hybrid structures have attracted much attention due to their superior chemical, thermal, mechanical and electrical properties. A 3D sponge-like structure based on reduced graphene oxide/carbon nanotubes decorated with zinc sul fide synthetized by a hydrothermal micro-wave assisted synthesis (MHS) was produced and its chemical, structural, morphological and electrochemical properties evaluated as electrodes for supercapacitor devices. XRD con firmed the structure of the nano-composite, XPS was performed to examine the chemical state of the compounds. The morphology analysis realized by FESEM con firmed the success of the proposed methodology to produce the rGO/MWCNTf-ZnS nanocomposites revealing good homogeneity. The electrochemical properties were studied by cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and galvanostatic charge/discharge. It was observed that the increase of MWCNTf-ZnS content increased the specific capacitance and reduced the resistivity of the 3D hybrid structure, reaching 95 F g(-1) , thus, approaching the ideal electric double layer storage capacitor behavior in samples containing MWCNTf-ZnS. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The synthesis of high-quality nanomaterials depends on the efficiency of the catalyst and the growth temperature. To produce high-quality material, high-growth temperatures (often up to 1000 °C) are regularly required and this can limit possible applications, especially where temperature sensitive substrates or tight thermal budgets are present. In this study, we show that high-quality catalyzed nanomaterial growth at low substrate temperatures is possible by efficient coupling of energy directly into the catalyst particles by an optical method. We demonstrate that using this photothermal-based chemical vapor deposition method that rapid growth (under 4 min, which includes catalyst pretreatment time) of high-density carbon nanotubes can be grown at substrate temperatures as low as 415 °C with proper catalyst heat treatment. The growth process results in nanotubes that are high quality, as judged by a range of structural, Raman, and electrical characterization techniques, and are compatible with the requirements for interconnect technology.

We developed a facile and unique process for preparing boron-doped porous carbon by direct carbonization of a boron-based covalent organic framework (COF-5). Boron oxides, which are formed during the carbonization of COF-5, were readily removed through water treatment of the resulting carbon to obtain boron-doped porous carbon. Thus, boron atoms were successfully incorporated into the carbon matrix. Supercapacitor electrodes made of the fabricated boron-doped carbon exhibited a specific capacitance of 15.3 μF cm−2 at 40 mA g−1, which is twice that of the conventional activated carbon electrode (∼6.9 μF cm−2) at the same current density, owing to the presence of boron atoms in the carbon material. The supercapacitors based on boron-doped carbon demonstrated 72% capacitance retention after 10000 charge/discharge cycles. The boron-doped COF-derived carbon materials can serve as a new class of multifunctional carbon materials for energy storage devices. [Display omitted] •Porous B-doped carbon is produced from a B-based covalent organic framework (COF).•Water treatment eliminated B oxides by COF calcination.•B atoms are atomically distributed in the porous carbon.•B-doped porous carbon can serve as supercapacitor electrode material.•Achieved 15 μF cm−2 specific capacitance at 40 mA g−1 in organic electrolyte.

In this paper, we report clear evidence for the growth of carbon nanotubes and nanostructures at low substrate temperatures, using direct-current plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition. The catalyst particles are mounted on a titanium layer which acts as a thermal barrier, and allows for a larger temperature gradient between the Ni catalyst surface and the substrate. A simple thermodynamic simulation shows that the temperature differential between the substrate growth surface and the growth electrode is determined by the thickness of the titanium layer. This facilitates the growth of nanotubes, as opposed to nanofibres with herring-bone or amorphous structures. The growth properties are discussed as a function of the bias voltage and hydrocarbon concentration. The heating during growth provided solely by the plasma is below 400°C and is dependent on the process conditions and the electrode configuration in the growth chamber. These conditions need to be taken into account when comparing processes across different growth methods and instruments. The novel approach based on the use of a thermal barrier ensures the synthesis of carbon nanotubes at room temperature substrate conditions, which can be attained with a suitable cooling scheme. © 2006 Materials Research Society.

Titanium oxide (TiOx) thin films were deposited by remote plasma sputtering (RPS) with the use of rf substrate bias onto unheated and water-cooled glass, Si, and Kapton substrates. The rf remote plasma power was kept constant (2.0 kW) and the properties of the films were studied as a function of deposition rate and substrate bias voltage. Four different reactive processes at four different deposition rates were developed under zero bias conditions by altering the target bias voltage and the flow of oxygen to give highly transparent TiOx films. These processes were studied with varying substrate bias voltage and the film structural, optical, and surface properties were investigated by GI-XRD, SEM, transmission, and sessile drop measurements. The changes in film structure and properties observed were related to the plasma conditions of the RPS system, investigated by dc electrical probe and OES measurements, and compared with other observations for films deposited under energetic con-ditions in the literature. All films deposited under zero bias conditions exhibited amorphous structures in GI-XRD and SEM images. Sufficient application of substrate bias was seen to promote columnar growth in cross-sectional SEM images and to crystallise phase pure rutile with no detection of the anatase phase in GI-XRD. Rutile bearing films were noted for their change in optical properties. Further increase of the substrate bias voltage caused a change in the texture of the rutile films from a low-energy [110] preferred orientation to a high-energy [101] and [002] preferred orientation. Contact angles of water with deposited films were found to increase with increasing substrate bias voltage and decreasing deposition rate. Film stress was also found to be influenced mainly by the substrate bias voltage process parameter.

X-ray reflectivity (XRR) and Raman scattering are developed as non-destructive methods to find the density and sp 3 content of unhydrogenated and hydrogenated amorphous carbon films. An empirical relationship is found to derive the sp 3 fraction from visible Raman spectra, while ultraviolet (UV) Raman is able to directly detect sp 3 sites. The sp 3 fraction and density are linearly correlated in amorphous carbon (a-C) and hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H) films.

A dedicated scanning transmission electron microscope is ideally coupled with energy dispersive x-ray and electron energy loss spectroscopies to obtain information about the chemical composition, morphology and electronic structure on the nanoscale. With several signals being available simultaneously with the pass of a sub-nanometresized beam, this instrument can answer questions from a broad range of research areas, in a timely fashion. The user-friendliness of the instrument comes at almost no cost in performance, making it an ideal multi-tool in a teaching environment.

The feasibility of using self‐assembled InAs nanowire bottom‐gated field‐effect transistors as radio‐frequency and microwave switches by direct integration into a transmission line is demonstrated. This proof of concept is demonstrated as a coplanar waveguide (CPW) microwave transmission line, where the nanowires function as a tunable impedance in the CPW through gate biasing. The key to this switching capability is the high‐performance, low impedance InAs nanowire transistor behavior with field‐effect mobility of ≈300 cm2 V−1 s−1, on/off ratio of 103, and resistance modulation from only 50 Ω in the full accumulation mode, to ≈50 kΩ when the nanowires are depleted of charge carriers. The gate biasing of the nanowires within the CPW results in a switching behavior, exhibited by a ≈10 dB change in the transmission coefficient, S21, between the on/off switching states, over 5–33 GHz. This frequency range covers both the microwave and millimeter‐wave bands dedicated to Internet of things and 5G applications. Demonstration of these switches creates opportunities for a new class of devices for microwave applications based on solution‐processed semiconducting nanowires.

Ag-SiO2 nanocomposite layers were synthesised by Ag+ implantation into thermally oxidised SiO2 layers and demonstrated to have excellent field emission (FE) properties. These nanocomposite layers can give an emission current of 1 nA at electric fields less than 20 V/μm, compared to several thousand volts per micrometre of pure metal surfaces. Their fabrication processes are fully compatible with existing integrated circuit technology. By correlating the FE results with other characterisation techniques including atomic force microscopy, Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy, it is clearly demonstrated that there are two types of field enhancement mechanisms responsible for the excellent FE properties of these cathodes. Firstly, the electrically conductive Ag nano-clusters embedded in the insulating SiO2 matrix give rise to a local electric field enhancement due to an electrical inhomogeneity effect and secondly, the dense surface protrusions provide a geometric local electric field enhancement. The FE properties of these layers are critically dependent on the size and distribution of the Ag clusters, which can be controlled by the Ag dose and modified by the post-implantation pulse annealing with a high power KrF Excimer laser operating at 248 nm. © 2006 Materials Research Society.

Solution processed field-effect transistors based on single crystalline silicon nanowires (Si NWs) with metal Schottky contacts are demonstrated. The semiconducting layer was deposited from a nanowire ink formulation at room temperature. The devices with 230nm thick SiO2 gate insulating layers show excellent output current-voltage characteristics with early saturation voltages under 2 volts, constant saturation current and exceptionally low dependence of saturation voltage with the gate field. Operational principles of these devices are markedly different from traditional ohmic-contact field-effect transistors (FETs), and are explained using the source-gated transistor (SGT) concept in which the semiconductor under the reverse biased Schottky source barrier is depleted leading to low voltage pinch-off and saturation of drain current. Device parameters including activation energy are extracted at different temperatures and gate voltages to estimate the Schottky barrier height for different electrode materials to establish transistor performance - barrier height relationships. Numerical simulations are performed using 2D thin-film approximation of the device structures at various Schottky barrier heights. Without any adjustable parameters and only assuming low p-doping of the transistor channel, the modelled data show exceptionally good correlation with the measured data. From both experimental and simulation results, it is concluded that source-barrier controlled nanowire transistors have excellent potential advantages compared with a standard FET including mitigation of short-channel effects, insensitivity in device operating currents to device channel length variation, higher on/off ratios, higher gain, lower power consumption and higher operational speed for solution processable and printable nanowire electronics.

In this work, Ag-Si O2 nanocomposite layers were synthesized by introducing Ag nanoclusters into thermally oxidized Si O2 layers, using ion implantation. The field-emission (FE) properties of these layers were studied and correlated with the results from atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy measurements. These nanocomposites exhibit good FE properties and give an emission current of 1 nA at electric fields as low as 13 Vμm, for a dose of 5× 1016 Ag+ cm2, compared with 204 Vμm for "bare" Si O2 layers. It is clearly demonstrated that the good FE properties of these nanocomposites are attributed to two types of local-field enhancement: one due to the surface morphology and the other due to electrical inhomogeneity. The isolated conductive Ag nanoclusters embedded in the electrically insulating Si O2 matrix provide a field enhancement due to the electrical inhomogeneity effect. Moreover, the implanted Ag ions diffuse to the surface, during the implantation process, and create dense surface-protrusion structure which provides a geometric local-field enhancement. The local-field-enhancement mechanisms in these samples are critically dependent on the implantation dose of Ag. © 2006 American Vacuum Society.

Electrospinning is a versatile technique for fabricating nanofibrous scaffolds for tissue engineering applications. However, the direct formation of 3D sponges through electrospinning has previously not been reproducible. We used a Taguchi experimental design approach to optimise the electrospinning parameters for forming PCL and PCL/gelatine 3D sponges. The following parameters were investigated to improve sponge formation: solution concentration, humidity, and solution conductivity. Pure PCL sponges were achievable. However, a much fluffier sponge formed by increasing the solution conductivity with gelatine. The optimal conditions for sponge formation 24 / % 80:20 PCL:gelatine on aluminium foil at ≥70% humidity, 15 cm, 22 kV and 1500 µL/h. The resulting sponge had a highly porous structure with a fibre diameter of ~1 µm. They also supported significantly higher cell viability than 2D electrospun mats, dropcast films of the same material and even the TCP positive control. Our study demonstrates that the direct formation of PCL/gelatine 3D sponges through electrospinning is feasible and promising for tissue engineering applications. The sponges have a highly porous structure and support cell viability, which are essential properties for tissue engineering scaffolds. Further studies are needed to optimise the manufacturing process and evaluate the sponges' long-term performance in vivo.

Semiconducting nanowires (NWs) are becoming essential nano-building blocks for advanced devices from sensors to energy harvesters, however their full technology penetration requires large scale materials synthesis together with efficient NW assembly methods. We demonstrate a scalable one-step solution process for the direct selection, collection and ordered assembly of silicon NWs with desired electrical properties from a poly-disperse collection of NWs obtained from a Supercritical Fluid-Liquid-Solid growth process. Dielectrophoresis (DEP) combined with impedance spectroscopy provides a selection mechanism at high signal frequencies (>500 kHz) to isolate NWs with the highest conductivity and lowest defect density. The technique allows simultaneous control of five key parameters in NW assembly: selection of electrical properties, control of NW length, placement in pre-defined electrode areas, highly preferential orientation along the device channel and control of NWs deposition density from few to hundreds per device. Direct correlation between DEP signal frequency and deposited NWs conductivity is directly confirmed by field-effect transistor and conducting-AFM data. Fabricated NW transistor devices demonstrate excellent performance with up to 1.6 mA current, 106-107 on/off ratio and hole-mobility of 50 cm2 V-1 s-1.

The growth of carbon nanotubes from Ni catalysts is reversed and observed in real time in a transmission electron microscope, at room temperature. The Ni catalyst is found to be Ni3C and remains attached to the nanotube throughout the irradiation sequence, indicating that C most likely diffuses on the surface of the catalyst to form nanotubes. We calculate the energy barrier for saturating the Ni3C (2-13) surface with C to be 0.14 eV, thus providing a low-energy surface for the formation of graphene planes.

γ-Al2O3 is a well known catalyst support. The addition of Ce to γ-Al2O3 is known to beneficially retard the phase transformation of γ-Al2O3 to α-Al2O3 and stabilize the γ-pore structure. In this work, Ce-doped γ-Al2O3 nanowires have been prepared by a novel method employing an anodic aluminium oxide (AAO) template in a 0.01 M cerium nitrate solution, assisted by urea hydrolysis. Calcination at 500 °C for 6 h resulted in the crystallization of the Ce-doped AlOOH gel to form Ce-doped γ-Al2O3 nanowires. Ce3 + ions within the nanowires were present at a concentration of < 1 at.%. On the template surface, a nanocrystalline CeO2 thin film was deposited with a cubic fluorite structure and a crystallite size of 6–7 nm. Characterization of the nanowires and thin films was performed using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction. The nanowire formation mechanism and urea hydrolysis kinetics are discussed in terms of the pH evolution during the reaction. The Ce-doped γ-Al2O3 nanowires are likely to find useful applications in catalysis and this novel method can be exploited further for doping alumina nanowires with other rare earth elements.

Graphene is a highly desirable material for a variety of applications; in the case of nanocomposites, it can be functionalized and added as a nanofiller to alter the ultimate product properties, such as tensile strength. However, often the material properties of the functionalized graphene and the location of any chemical species, attached via different functionalization processes, are not known. Thus, it is not necessarily understood why improvements in product performance are achieved, which hinders the rate of product development. Here, a commercially available powder containing few-layer graphene (FLG) flakes is characterized before and after plasma or chemical functionalization with either nitrogen or oxygen species. A range of measurement techniques, including tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS), time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), and NanoSIMS, were used to examine the physical and chemical changes in the FLG material at both the micro- and nanoscale. This is the first reported TERS imaging of commercially available FLG flakes of submicron lateral size, revealing the location of the defects (edge versus basal plane) and variations in the level of functionalization. Graphene-polymer composites were then produced, and the dispersion of the graphitic material in the matrix was visualized using ToF-SIMS. Finally, mechanical testing of the composites demonstrated that the final product performance could be enhanced but differed depending on the properties of the original graphitic material.

The use of 2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl methacrylate (PFBMA) as a core-forming monomer in ethanolic RAFT dispersion polymerization formulations is presented. Poly[poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate] (pPEGMA) macromolecular chain transfer agents were chain extended with PFBMA leading to nanoparticle formation via polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA). pPEGMA-pPFBMA particles exhibited the full range of morphologies (spheres, worms, and vesicles) including pure and mixed phases. Worm phases formed gels that underwent a thermo-reversible degelation and morphological transition to spheres (or spheres and vesicles) upon heating. Post-synthesis, the pPFBMA cores were modified through thiol–para-fluoro substitution reactions in ethanol using 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU) as the base. For monothiols, conversions were 64% (1-octanethiol) and 94% (benzyl mercaptan). Spherical and worm-shaped nano-objects were core cross-linked using 1,8-octanedithiol, which prevented their dissociation in non-selective solvents. For a temperature-responsive worm sample, cross-linking additionally resulted in the loss of the temperature-triggered morphological transition. The use of the reactive monomer PFBMA in PISA formulations presents a simple method to prepare well-defined nano-objects similar to those produced with non-reactive monomers (e.g. benzyl methacrylate) and to retain morphologies independent of solvent and temperature.

A method of collecting composition data and examining structural features of pearlite lamellae and the parent austenite at the growth interface in a 13wt. % manganese steel has been demonstrated with the use of Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM). The combination of composition data and the structural features observed at the growth interface show that available theories of pearlite growth cannot explain all the observations.

Graphene is a desirable material for next generation technology. However, producing high yields of single-layer flakes with industrially applicable methods is currently limited. We introduce a combined process for the reduction of graphene oxide (GO) via vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and thermal annealing at temperatures of

One of the major problems limiting the applications of electric double-layer (EDLC) supercapacitor devices is their inability to maintain their cell voltage over a significant period. Self-discharge is a spontaneous decay in charged energy, often resulting in fully depleted devices in a matter of hours. Here, a new method for suppressing this self-discharge phenomenon is proposed by using directionally polarized piezoelectric electrospun nanofiber films as separator materials. Tailored engineering of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanofiber films containing a small concentration of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) results in a high proportion of polar beta phases, reaching 38 +/- 0.5% of the total material. Inducing polarity into the separator material provides a reverse-diode mechanism in the device, such that it drops from an initial voltage of 1.6 down to 1 V after 10 h, as opposed to 0.3 V with a nonpolarized, commercial separator material. Thus, the energy retained for the polarized separator is 37% and 4% for the nonpolarized separator, making supercapacitors a more attractive solution for long-term energy storage.

In this letter, we demonstrate a solution-based method for a one-step deposition and surface passivation of the as-grown silicon nanowires (Si NWs). Using N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) as a mild oxidizing agent, the NWs' surface traps density was reduced by over 2 orders of magnitude from 1×10(13) cm(-2) in pristine NWs to 3.7×10(10) cm(-2) in DMF-treated NWs, leading to a dramatic hysteresis reduction in NW field-effect transistors (FETs) from up to 32 V to a near-zero hysteresis. The change of the polyphenylsilane NW shell stoichiometric composition was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis showing a 35% increase in fully oxidized Si4+ species for DMF-treated NWs compared to dry NW powder. Additionally, a shell oxidation effect induced by DMF resulted is a more stable NW FET performance with steady transistor currents and only 1.5 V hysteresis after 1000 h of air exposure

Transparent, highly percolated networks of regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (rr-P3HT)-wrapped semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (s-SWNTs) are deposited, and the charge transfer processes of these nanohybrids are studied using spectroscopic and electrical measurements. The data disclose hole doping of s-SWNTs by the polymer, challenging the prevalent electron-doping hypothesis. Through controlled fabrication, high- to low-density nanohybrid networks are achieved, with low-density hybrid carbon nanotube networks tested as hole transport layers (HTLs) for bulk heterojunction (BHJ) organic photovoltaics (OPV). OPVs incorporating these rr-P3HT/s-SWNT networks as the HTL demonstrate the best large area (70 mm(2)) carbon nanotube incorporated organic solar cells to date with a power conversion efficiency of 7.6%. This signifies the strong capability of nanohybrids as an efficient hole extraction layer, and we believe that dense nanohybrid networks have the potential to replace expensive and material scarce inorganic transparent electrodes in large area electronics toward the realization of low-cost flexible electronics.

Graphene-based carbon sponges can be used in different applications in a large number of fields including microelectronics, energy harvesting and storage, antimicrobial activity and environmental remediation. The functionality and scope of their applications can be broadened considerably by the introduction of metallic nanoparticles into the carbon matrix during preparation or post-synthesis. Here, we report on the use of X-ray micro-computed tomography (CT) as a method of imaging graphene sponges after the uptake of metal (silver and iron) nanoparticles. The technique can be used to visualize the inner structure of the graphene sponge in 3D in a non-destructive fashion by providing information on the nanoparticles deposited on the sponge surfaces, both internal and external. Other deposited materials can be imaged in a similar manner providing they return a high enough contrast to the carbon microstructure, which is facilitated by the low atomic mass of carbon.

Research into carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has been a hot topic for almost 3 decades, and it is now that we are beginning to observe the impact of advanced applictions of this nanomaterial in areas such as electronics. Currently, in order to mass produce CNT devices, either large-scale synthesis, followed by numerous energy-intensive processing steps or photolithography processes, including several sputter-deposition steps, are required to pattern this material to fabricate functional devices. In the work reported here, through the utilization of a universal catalyst precursor (cyclopentadienyl iron dicarbonyl dimer) and the optimization of solution parameters, patterned high-quality vertically aligned arrays of single- and few-walled CNTs have been synthesized via various inexpensive, commercially scalable methods such as inkjet printing, stamp printing, spray painting, and even handwriting. The two-step process of precursor printing, followed immediately by CNT growth, results in CNTs with a Raman I-D/I-G ratio of 0.073, demonstrating very high-quality nanotubes. This process eliminates time-consuming and costly CNT post processing techniques or the deposition of numerous substrate barrier and catalyst layers to achieve device manufacturing. As a result, this method has the potential to provide a route for the large-scale synthesis of high-quality single- and few-walled CNTs that can be applied in industrial settings.

Carbon fibre reinforced polymers (CFRP) were introduced to the aerospace, automobile and civil engineering industries for their high strength and low weight. A key feature of CFRP is the polymer sizing - a coating applied to the surface of the carbon fibres to assist handling, improve the interfacial adhesion between fibre and polymer matrix and allow this matrix to wet-out the carbon fibres. In this paper, we introduce an alternative material to the polymer sizing, namely carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the carbon fibres, which in addition imparts electrical and thermal functionality. High quality CNTs are grown at a high density as a result of a 35 nm aluminium interlayer which has previously been shown to minimise diffusion of the catalyst in the carbon fibre substrate. A CNT modified-CFRP show 300%, 450% and 230% improvements in the electrical conductivity on the ‘surface’, ‘through-thickness’ and ‘volume’ directions, respectively. Furthermore, through-thickness thermal conductivity calculations reveal a 107% increase. These improvements suggest the potential of a direct replacement for lightning strike solutions and to enhance the efficiency of current de-icing solutions employed in the aerospace industry.

Pd/Co-based metal-filled carbon nanotubes (MF-CNTs) were synthesized by a microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition method using a bias-enhanced growth technique. Pd/Co-based MF-CNTs were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), and Raman spectroscopy. MF-CNTs were well-aligned and uniform in size on a Si substrate. Both multiwall nanotube carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and herringbone (or stacked cups structure) structures were observed. High-resolution TEM revealed that MF-CNTs were composed of highly ordered graphite layers, and the elemental maps of EELS indicate that both Co and Pd metals are present inside the nanotubes. TEM results clearly showed that both Pd and Co metals were successfully encapsulated into the CNTs. We observed a low value for the Raman intensity ratio between D (1355 cm(-1)) and G (1590 cm(-1)) bands with no shift of the G-peak position and no broadening of the G-peak, indicative of high-quality Pd/Co-based MF-CNTs. Based on TEM characterization, we propose a description for the encapsulating mechanisms.

The reactive ion etching of quartz and Pyrex substrates was carried out using CF4/Ar and CF4/O2 gas mixtures in a combined radio frequency (rf)/microwave (µw) plasma. It was observed that the etch rate and the surface morphology of the etched regions depended on the gas mixture (CF4/Ar or CF4/O2), the relative concentration of CF4 in the gas mixture, the rf power (and the associated self-induced bias) and microwave power. An etch rate of 95 nm/min for quartz was achieved. For samples covered with a thin metal layer, ex situ high resolution scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy imaging indicated that, during etching, surface roughness is produced on the surface beneath the thin metallic mask. Near vertical sidewalls with a taper angle greater than 80° and smooth etched surfaces at the nanometric scale were fabricated by carefully controlling the etching parameters and the masking technique. A simulation of the electrostatic field distribution was carried out to understand the etching process using these masks for the fabrication of high definition features.

The packing structure of bundled MoSI nanowires is investigated. Scanning and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy are used to determine both the nanowire structure and bundle superstructure. Shown is a high-resolution microscopy image of a small bundle. The image width is 8 nm. It is found that the nanowires pack in crystalline bundles defined by the P1 (#2) spacegroup.

The demand for high-density memory in tandem with limitations imposed by the minimum feature size of current storage devices has created a need for new materials that can store information in smaller volumes than currently possible. Successfully employed in commercial optical data storage products, phase-change materials, that can reversibly and rapidly change from an amorphous phase to a crystalline phase when subject to heating or cooling have been identified for the development of the next generation electronic memories. There are limitations to the miniaturization of these devices due to current synthesis and theoretical considerations that place a lower limit of 2 nm on the minimum bit size, below which the material does not transform in the structural phase. We show here that by using carbon nanotubes of less than 2 nm diameter as templates phase-change nanowires confined to their smallest conceivable scale are obtained. Contrary to previous experimental evidence and theoretical expectations, the nanowires are found to crystallize at this scale and display amorphous-to-crystalline phase changes, fulfilling an important prerequisite of a memory element. We show evidence for the smallest phase-change material, extending thus the size limit to explore phase-change memory devices at extreme scales.