Abstract: Carbon nitride nanospheres have been synthesized into copper by simultaneous high fluence (10(18) at. cm(-2)) implantations of C-12 and N-15 ions. The composition of the implanted region has been measured using C-12(d,p(0))C-13 and N-15(d,alpha(0))C-13 nuclear reactions induced by a 1.05 MeV deuteron beam. The C-12 and N-15 depth profiles are very close and the retained doses into copper are relatively high, which indicates that carbon and nitrogen diffusion processes are likely limited during implantation. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) observations and electron diffraction (ED) analyses have been carried out to determine the structure of the nanospheres formed during implantation. Some consist in small hollow amorphous nanocapsules with sizes ranging from 30 to 100 nm. Large gas bubbles with diameters up to 300 mn have also been observed in the copper matrix. Electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) measurements performed on the small nanocapsules indicate that their shells are composed of carbon and nitrogen. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract: Both an organically modified commercial clay of montmorillonite type (MMT) and its nanocomposites, based either on polyamide 6 (PA6) or an epoxy resin, as matrix polymer, have been characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Sample micrographs, taken at increasing exposure times (t(e)), have shown the gradual disappearance of clay layers, because of an amorphisation of the MMT crystalline structures caused by prolonged sample exposure to electron beam. Indeed, the above phenomenon, which is mostly evident in the case of intercalated nanocomposites, makes the detection of the layered silicate dispersion in the polymer matrix rather difficult and compels to perform TEM measurements using very short exposure times. Moreover, the microscopy accelerating voltage has turned out to affect sample stability; namely, when decreasing the above parameter, the disappearance of clay structure occurs at lower exposure times. (C) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract: Samples of transparent glass-ceramics in the ternary system Li2O-Al2O3-SiO2 (LAS), with Er2O3 as a luminescent dopant, are investigated. The initial glass is obtained by the classical melting technique. In order to induce ceramization of the glass, TiO2 and ZrO2 are added in small amount as nucleating agents. The thermal treatments at 730 and 770 degrees C are carried out to promote formation of titanium zirconate solid solution precipitates. The spatial distribution of the precipitates in the material, their morphology, and their composition are investigated with TEM, HRTEM, HAADF-STEM, EELS and EFTEM. The results demonstrate that with the glass-melting preparation technique it is possible to achieve small nanoparticles with uniform distribution and higher number density than with the sol-gel glass preparation.