Abstract: In recent years, the potential use of hydrogen as a clean energy source has gained considerable attention. Especially H2 formation by Ni-catalyzed reforming of methane at elevated temperatures is an attractive process. However, a more fundamental knowledge at the atomic level is needed for a full comprehension of the reactions at the catalyst surface. In this contribution, we therefore investigate the H2 formation after CHx impacts on a Ni(1 1 1) surface in the temperature range 4001600 K, by means of reactive molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using the ReaxFF potential. While some H2 formation is already observed at the lower temperatures, substantial H2 formation is only obtained at elevated temperatures of 1400 K and above. At 1600 K, the H2 molecules are even the most frequently formed species. In direct correlation with the increasing dehydrogenation at elevated temperatures, an increased surface-to-subsurface C-diffusivity is observed as well. This study highlights the major importance of the temperature on the H2 formation.

Abstract: We have investigated the role of the electroforming process in the establishment of resistive switching behaviour for Pt/Ti/Pr0.5Ca0.5MnO3/SrRuO3 layered heterostructures (Pt/Ti/PCMO/SRO) acting as non-volatile Resistance Random Access Memories (RRAMs). Electron spectroscopy measurements demonstrate that the higher resistance state resulting from electroforming of as-prepared devices is strictly correlated with the oxidation of the top electrode Ti layer through field-induced electromigration of oxygen ions. Conversely, PCMO exhibits oxygen depletion and downward change of the chemical potential for both resistive states. Impedance spectroscopy analysis, supported by the detailed knowledge of these effects, provides an accurate model description of the device resistive behaviour. The main contributions to the change of resistance from the as-prepared (low resistance) to the electroformed (high resistance) states are respectively due to reduced PCMO at the boundary with the Ti electrode and to the formation of an anisotropic np junction between the Ti and the PCMO layers.

Abstract: The unique plasma-specific features and physical phenomena in the organization of nanoscale soild-state systems in a broad range of elemental composition, structure, and dimensionality are critically reviewed. These effects lead to the possibility to localize and control energy and matter at nanoscales and to produce self-organized nano-solids with highly unusual and superior properties. A unifying conceptual framework based on the control of production, transport, and self-organization of precursor species is introduced and a variety of plasma-specific non-equilibrium and kinetics-driven phenomena across the many temporal and spatial scales is explained. When the plasma is localized to micrometer and nanometer dimensions, new emergent phenomena arise. The examples range from semiconducting quantum dots and nanowires, chirality control of single-walled carbon nanotubes, ultra-fine manipulation of graphenes, nano-diamond, and organic matter to nano-plasma effects and nano-plasmas of different states of matter.

Abstract: Amorphous titanium dioxide was introduced into the pores of mesoporous silica thin films with 75% porosity and 12 nm average pore diameter via Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) using alternating pulses of tetrakis(dimethylamino)titanium and water. Calcination provoked fragmentation of the deposited amorphous TiO2 phase and its crystallization into anatase nanoparticles inside the nanoporous film. The narrow particle size distribution of 4 ± 2 nm and the uniform dispersion of the particles over the mesoporous silica support were uniquely revealed using electron tomography. These anatase nanoparticle bearing films showed photocatalytic activity in methylene blue degradation. This new synthesis procedure of the anatase nanophase in mesoporous silica films using ALD is a convenient fabrication method of photocatalytic coatings amenable to application on very small as well as very large surfaces

Abstract: The mitigation of pollution released to the environment originating fromthe industrial sector has been the aimof all policy-makers and its importance is evident if the adverse health effects on the world population are considered. Although this concern is controversial, petroleum refinery has been linked to some adverse health effects for people living nearby. Apart from home, school is the most important indoor environment for children and there is increasing concern about the school environment and its impact on health, also in developing countries where the prevalence of pollution is higher. As most of the children spend more than 40% of their time in schools, it is critical to evaluate the pollution level in such environment. In the metropolitan region of Curitiba, South Brazil, five schools nearby industries and highways with high density traffic, were selected to characterize the aerosol and gaseous compounds indoor and outdoor of the classrooms, during 20092011. Size segregated aerosol samples were collected for analyses of bulk and single particle elemental profiles. They were analyzed by electron probe X-ray micro-analysis (EPXMA), and by energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF), to investigate the elemental composition of individual particles and bulk samples. The concentrations of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX); NO2; SO2; acetic acid; and formic acid were assessed indoor and outdoor using passive diffusion tubes. BTEX were analyzed by GCMS and other collected gasses by ion chromatography. Individual exposition of BTEX was assessed by personal passive diffusion tubes. Results are interpreted separately and as a whole with the specific aim of identifying compounds that could affect the health of the scholars. In view of the chemical composition and size distribution of the aerosol particles, local deposition efficiencies in the children's respiratory systems were calculated, revealing the deposition of particles at extrathoracic, tracheobronchial and pulmonary levels.

Abstract: The electronic tunneling properties of the two stable forms of trilayer graphene (TLG), rhombohedral ABC and Bernal ABA, are examined for p-n and p-n-p junctions as realized by using a single gate (SG) or a double gate (DG). For the rhombohedral form, due to the chirality of the electrons, the Klein paradox is found at normal incidence for SG devices, while at high-energy interband scattering between additional propagation modes can occur. The electrons in Bernal ABA TLG can have a monolayer- or bilayer-like character when incident on a SG device. Using a DG, however, both propagation modes will couple by breaking the mirror symmetry of the system, which induces intermode scattering and resonances that depend on the width of the DG p-n-p junction. For ABC TLG the DG opens up a band gap which suppresses Klein tunneling. The DG induces also an unexpected asymmetry in the tunneling angle for single-valley electrons.

Abstract: The conductance, the transmission, and the reflection probabilities through rectangular potential barriers and p-n junctions are obtained for bilayer graphene taking into account the four bands of the energy spectrum. We have evaluated the importance of the skew hopping parameters gamma(3) and gamma(4) to these properties and show that for energies E > gamma(1)/100 their effect is negligible. For high energies two modes of propagation exist and we investigate scattering between these modes. For perpendicular incidence both propagation modes are decoupled, and scattering between them is forbidden. This extends the concept of pseudospin as defined within the two-band approximation to a four-band model and corresponds to the (anti) symmetry of the wave functions under in-plane mirroring. New transmission resonances are found that appear as sharp peaks in the conductance which are absent in the two-band approximation. The application of an interlayer bias to the system (1) breaks the pseudospin structure, (2) opens a band gap that results in a distinct feature of suppressed transmission in the conductance, and (3) breaks the angular symmetry with respect to normal incidence in the transmission and reflection.

Abstract: Using atomistic simulations we investigate the thermodynamical properties of a single atomic layer of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN). The thermal induced ripples, heat capacity, and thermal lattice expansion of large scale h-BN sheets are determined and compared to those found for graphene (GE) for temperatures up to 1000 K. By analyzing the mean-square height fluctuations < h(2)> and the height-height correlation function H(q) we found that the h-BN sheet is a less stiff material as compared to graphene. The bending rigidity of h-BN (i) is about 16% smaller than the one of GE at room temperature (300 K), and (ii) increases with temperature as in GE. The difference in stiffness between h-BN and GE results in unequal responses to external uniaxial and shear stress and different buckling transitions. In contrast to a GE sheet, the buckling transition of a h-BN sheet depends strongly on the direction of the applied compression. The molar heat capacity, thermal-expansion coefficient, and Gruneisen parameter are estimated to be 25.2 J mol(-1) K-1, 7.2 x 10(-6) K-1, and 0.89, respectively.

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: A first germanium-based cationic clathrate of type-III, Ge129.3P42.7Te21.53, was synthesized and structurally characterized (space group P42/mnm, a = 19.948(3) Å, c = 10.440(2) Å, Z = 1). In its crystal structure, germanium and phosphorus atoms form three types of polyhedral cages centered with Te atoms. The polyhedra share pentagonal and hexagonal faces to form a 3D framework. Despite the complexity of the crystal structure, the Ge129.3P42.7Te21.53 composition corresponds to the Zintl counting scheme with a good accuracy. Ge129.3P42.7Te21.53 demonstrates semiconducting/insulating behavior of electric resistivity, high positive Seebeck coefficient (500 μV K1 at 300 K), and low thermal conductivity (<0.92 W m1 K1) within the measured temperature range.

Abstract: A figure of merit I60 is proposed for sub-60 mV/decade devices as the highest current where the input characteristics exhibit a transition from sub- to super-60 mV/decade behavior. For sub-60 mV/decade devices to be competitive with metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect devices, I60 has to be in the 1-10 μA/μm range. The best experimental tunnel field-effect transistors (TFETs) in the literature only have an I60 of 6×10-3 μA/μm but using theoretical simulations, we show that an I60 of up to 10 μA/μm should be attainable. It is proven that the Schottky barrier FET (SBFET) has a 60 mV/decade subthreshold swing limit while combining a SBFET and a TFET does improve performance.

Abstract: The influence of the deposition rate on the formation of growth twins in nanocrystalline Pd films deposited by electron beam evaporation is investigated using transmission electron microscopy. Statistical measurements prove that twin boundary (TB) density and volume fraction of grains containing twins increase with increasing deposition rate. A clear increase of the dislocation density was observed for the highest deposition rate of 5 Å/s, caused by the increase of the internal stress building up during deposition. Based on crystallographic orientation indexation using transmission electron microscopy, it can be concluded that a {111} crystallographic texture increases with increasing deposition rate even though the {101} crystallographic texture remains dominant. Most of the TBs are fully coherent without any residual dislocations. However, for the highest deposition rate (5 Å/s), the coherency of the TBs decreases significantly as a result of the interaction of lattice dislocations emitted during deposition with the growth TBs. The analysis of the grain boundary character of different Pd films shows that an increasing fraction of high angle grain boundaries with misorientation angles around 5565° leads to a higher potential for twin formation.

Abstract: A model for a new electron-vortex beam production method is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The technique calls on the controlled manipulation of the degrees of freedom of the lens aberrations to achieve a helical phase front. These degrees of freedom are accessible by using the corrector lenses of a transmission electron microscope. The vortex beam is produced through a particular alignment of these lenses into a specifically designed astigmatic state and applying an annular aperture in the condenser plane. Experimental results are found to be in good agreement with simulations.

Abstract: With the help of first-principles calculations, we investigate graphane/fluorographene heterostructures with special attention for graphane and fluorographene-based quantum dots. Graphane and fluorographene have large electronic band gaps, and we show that their band structures exhibit a strong type-II alignment. In this way, it is possible to obtain confined electron states in fluorographene nanostructures by embedding them in a graphane crystal. Bound hole states can be created in graphane domains embedded in a fluorographene environment. For circular graphane/fluorographene quantum dots, localized states can be observed in the band gap if the size of the radii is larger than approximately 4 to 5 Å.

Abstract: We present a theoretical study of the electrical generation of acoustic-phonon emission from graphene at room temperature. The drift velocity (v(x)) and temperature of electrons driven by dc electric field (F-x) are determined by solving self-consistently the momentum-and energy-balance equations derived from the Boltzmann equation. We find that in the presence of impurity, acoustic-and optic-phonon scattering, v(x) can be much larger than the longitudinal (v(l)) and transverse (v(t)) sound velocities in graphene even within the linear response regime. As a result, although the acoustic Cerenkov effect cannot be obviously seen in the analytical formulas, the enhanced acoustic-phonon emission can be observed with increasing F-x when v(x) > v(l) and v > v(t). The frequency of acoustic-phonon emission from graphene can be above 10 THz, which is much higher than that generated from conventional semiconductor systems. This study is pertinent to the application of graphene as hypersonic devices such as terahertz sound sources. (C) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.