Abstract: We have grown epitaxial Cr-doped V2O3 thin films with Cr concentrations between 0% and 20% on (0001)-Al2O3 by oxygen-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. For the highly doped samples (>3%), a regular and monotonous increase of the resistance with decreasing temperature is measured. Strikingly, in the low doping samples (between 1% and 3%), a collapse of the insulating state is observed with a reduction of the low temperature resistivity by up to 5 orders of magnitude. A vacuum annealing at high temperature of the films recovers the low temperature insulating state for doping levels below 3% and increases the room temperature resistivity towards the values of Cr-doped V2O3 single crystals. It is well-know that oxygen excess stabilizes a metallic state in V2O3 single crystals. Hence, we propose that Cr doping promotes oxygen excess in our films during deposition, leading to the collapse of the low temperature insulating state at low Cr concentrations. These results suggest that slightly Cr-doped V2O3 films can be interesting candidates for field effect devices. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.

Abstract: An inductively coupled plasma, connected to a sampling cone of a mass spectrometer, is computationally investigated. The effects of the sampler orifice diameter (ranging from 1 to 2 mm) and distance of the sampler cone from the load coil (ranging from 7 to 17 mm) are studied. An increase in sampler orifice diameter leads to a higher central plasma temperature at the place of the sampler, as well as more efficient gas transfer through the sampler, by reducing the interaction of the plasma gas with the sampling cone. However, the flow velocity at the sampler position is found to be independent of the sampler orifice diameter. Moreover, by changing the sampler orifice diameter, we can control whether only the central gas or also the auxiliary gas can exit through the sampler. Finally, with the increasing distance of the sampler from the load coil, the plasma temperature at the place of the sampler decreases slightly, which might also have consequences for the ion generation and transport through the sampling cone.

Abstract: Sputtered nanocrystalline palladium thin films with nanoscale growth twins have been subjected to hydriding cycles. The evolution of the twin boundaries has been investigated using high resolution transmission electron microscopy. Surprisingly, the Sigma 3{112} incoherent twin boundaries dissociate after hydriding into two phase boundaries bounding a 9R phase. This phase which corresponds to single stacking faults located every three {111} planes in the fcc Pd structure was not expected because of the high stacking fault energy of Pd. This observation is connected to the influence of the Hydrogen on the stacking fault energy of palladium and the high compressive stresses building up during hydriding. (C) 2013 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4793512]

Abstract: An efficient procedure for the physical entrapment of proteins within a biocompatible matrix and their immobilization on electrode surfaces is of utmost importance in the fabrication of biosensors. In this work, the magnetic entrapment of hemoglobin (Hb) at the surface of a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE), through mixed hemi/ad-micelles (MHAM) array of positively charged surfactant supported iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (Mag-NPs), is reported. The Hb/MHAM@Mag-NPs biocomposite is captured at SPCE by a super magnet (Hb/MHAM@Mag-NPs/SPCE). To gain insight in the configuration of the mixed hemi/ad-micelles of CTAB at Mag-NPs, zeta-potential measurements were performed. The entrapment of Hb at MHAM@Mag-NPs was confirmed by cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Direct electron transfer of the Hb intercalated into the composite film showed a pair of well-defined quasi-reversible redox peak at formal potential of −0.255 V vs. Ag/AgCl corresponding to heme Fe(III)/Fe(II) redox couple. It shows that the MHAM@Mag-NPs composite could increase the adsorption ability for Hb, thus provides a facile direct electron transfer between the Hb and the substrate. The proposed biosensor showed excellent electrocatalytic activity to the H2O2 reduction in the wide concentration range from 5.0 to 300.0 µM obtained by amperometric measurement. The MichaelisMenten constant (Km) value of Hb at the modified electrode is 55.4 µM, showing its high affinity. Magnetic entrapment offers a promising design for fast, convenient and effective immobilization of protein within a few minutes for determination of the target molecule in low sample volume at disposable cost-effective SPCE.

Abstract: We investigate the ground and excited states of a bipolar artificial molecule composed of two vertically coupled quantum dots containing different type of carriers-electrons and holes-in equilibrium. The approach based on exact diagonalization is used and reveals an intricate pattern of ground-state angular momentum switching and a rearrangement of approximate single-particle levels as a function of the interdot coupling strength.

Abstract: The precipitation of Rh/Mg/Al and Rh/Al hydroxides on the surface of FeCrAlloy foams by a base electrogeneration method was investigated to improve the properties of the deposited film (homogeneity and composition) and therefore the performances of the structured catalysts, obtained by calcination, in the Catalytic Partial Oxidation of CH4 to syngas. The work focussed on decreasing current gradients within open-cell foam cylinders by increasing the number of electrical contacts from 1 to 3 points to promote a more homogeneous precipitation of the hydroxides. Electrochemical and catalytic tests as well as SEM/EDS and mu-XRFIXRD analyses allowed to correlate the effect of the number of electrical contact points with materials properties. Lastly, syntheses were performed on Pt plates to study the effect of the electrical behaviour and shape of the support on the composition of the film. A more homogeneous coating of the foam surface was achieved by adopting a configuration with 3 contact points since the reduction of nitrates and water molecules that generates the basic media in the vicinity of the support was enhanced. Layer thicknesses up to 5-15 mu m were deposited; however, the sequential precipitation of a film with composition closer to the expected one and a layer enriched in Al and Rh (outer layer) was not avoided. The improvement in the coating gave rise to enhanced performances for a sample prepared at -1.1 V for 3000 s. Contrarily, the low adherence of the outer layer in a sample prepared at -1.2 V for 2000 s during both calcination and catalytic tests may be responsible of the unexpected decrease in catalytic performances. The same sequential precipitation was observed by performing the syntheses on Pt plates, showing that the electrical nature the support did not play a key role on this phenomenon. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract: We study nonlinear flux dynamics in a current-carrying type-I superconductor. The stray magnetic field of the current induces the intermediate state, where nucleation of flux domains is discretized to a single fluxoid at a time, while their final shape (tubular or laminar), size, and nucleation rate depend on applied current and edge conditions. The current induces opposite flux domains on opposite sides of the sample, and subsequently drives them to annihilation-which is also discretized, as a sequence of vortex-antivortex pairs. The discretization of both nucleation and annihilation leaves measurable traces in the voltage across the sample and in locally probed magnetization. The reported dynamic phenomena thus provide an unambiguous proof of a flux quantum being the smallest building block of the intermediate state in type-I superconductors.

Abstract: Multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were exposed to a CF4 radio-frequency (rf) plasma. High-resolution photoelectron spectroscopy shows that the treatment effectively grafts fluorine atoms onto the MWCNTs, altering the valence electronic states. Fluorine surface concentration can be tuned by varying the exposure time. Evaporation of gold onto MWCNTs is used to mark active site formation. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy coupled with density functional theory (DFT) modelling is used to characterise the surface defects formed, indicating that the plasma treatment does not etch the tube surface. We suggest that this combination of theory and microscopy of thermally evaporated gold atoms onto the CNT surface may be a powerful approach to characterise both surface defect density as well as defect type.

Abstract: We studied the Fe K-edge X-ray absorption near edge (XANES) spectra of several Roman black glass fragments in order to determine the Fe3+/ΣFe ratio of these materials. The selected archaeological glass samples cover the period 1st5th century AD in nine different sites of the North Western provinces of the Roman Empire. The fragments belong to two different compositional groups demonstrating a diachronic evolution: early Roman HMG (High Magnesia Glass) and Roman Imperial LMG (Low Magnesia Glass). The first group contains natural Fe levels (below 2 wt% as Fe2O3), while the LMG has concentrations above 5 wt%. This difference is also reflected by Fe3+/ΣFe values. Low iron glass was produced under strongly reducing conditions in order to obtain the black colour, with average Fe3+/ΣFe values ≈ 0.17. LMG glass is somewhat more oxidised (Fe3+/ΣFe ≈ 0.40.5). While HMG glass required active control of the furnace environment, LMG was made under ambient atmosphere and its higher oxidation degree is mainly determined by the chemistry of the raw glass.

Abstract: The new compounds NaLaFeTaO6, NaLaFeNbO6, NaLaMnTaO6, and NaLaMnNbO6 have been synthesized and characterized with a combination of transmission electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), neutron powder diffraction (NPD), and magnetization measurements. Through electron microscopy study, a local layered order of the A-cations has been detected without the typical occurrence of rock salt order at the B-cation site. Satellite reflections in the electron diffraction related to the local layered order are not visible on the XRPD or NPD patterns. The occurrence of local layered order is supported by pair distribution function analysis, which also reveals the presence of uncorrelated displacements of the Nb and Ta cations. The octahedra are tilted according to the system a−b+a−, and the coordinates were refined from XRPD and NPD with a disordered cation distribution in the space group Pnma. The magnetic exchange interactions in NaLaFeTaO6 and NaLaFeNbO6 are antiferromagnetic, while they are ferromagnetic in NaLaMnTaO6 and NaLaMnNbO6. Long-range magnetic ordering is not observed down to 4 K for any of the compositions.

Abstract: For column structures, such as fee-based alloys viewed along the cube direction, the concept of electron channelling through the atom columns is more and more used to interpret the corresponding HREM images. In the case of(partially) disordered columns, the projected potential approach which is used in the channelling description must be questioned since the arrangement of the atoms along the beam direction might affect the exit wave of the electrons. In this paper, we critically inspect this top-bottom effect using multi-slice calculations. A modified channelling theory is introduced which turns out to be very appropriate for the interpretation of these results. For substitutionally disordered column structures, it is also discussed how to link the chemical composition of the material to statistical data of the HREM image. This results in a convenient tool to discern images taken at different thicknesses and focus values.