Abstract: Barium titanate powder was processed by slip casting in a rotating strong magnetic field of 9.4 T. The orientation factor of the sintered compact was analyzed by the X-ray diffraction technique and the microstructure (grain-size) was analyzed by scanning electron microscope. The hydrothermally prepared barium titanate was used as matrix material and the molten-salt synthesized barium titanate, with a larger particle-size, was used as template for the templated grain-growth process. Addition of large template particles was observed to increase the orientation factor of the sintered cast (5 vol% loading). Template particles acted as starting grains for the abnormal grain-growth process and the average grain-size was increased after sintering. Increasing the solid loading (15 vol%) resulted in a similar orientation factor with a decrease of the average grain size by more than half. However, addition of templates to the 15 vol% cast had a negative effect on the orientation factor. The impingement of growing particles was stated as the primary cause of particle misorientation resulting in a low orientation factor after sintering. Different heating conditions were tested and it was determined that a slow heating rate gave the highest orientation factor, the smallest average grain-size and the highest relative density. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.

Abstract: Gold nanocluster properties exhibit unique size-dependence. In this contribution, we employ reactive molecular dynamics simulations to calculate the size- and temperature-dependent surface energies, strain energies and atomic displacements for icosahedral, cuboctahedral, truncated octahedral and decahedral Au-nanoclusters. The calculations demonstrate that the surface energy decreases with increasing cluster size at 0 K but increases with size at higher temperatures. The calculated melting curves as a function of cluster size demonstrate the Gibbs-Thomson effect. Atomic displacements and strain are found to strongly depend on the cluster size and both are found to increase with increasing cluster size. These results are of importance for understanding the size-and temperature-dependent surface processes on gold nanoclusters.

Abstract: Hydrogen plays an essential role during the in situ assembly of tailored catalytic materials, and serves as key ingredient in multifarious chemical reactions promoted by these catalysts. Despite intensive debate for several decades, the existence and nature of hydrogen-involved mechanisms – such as hydrogen-spillover, surface migration – have not been unambiguously proven and elucidated up to date. Here, Pt-Ga alloy formation is used as a probe reaction to study the behavior and atomic transport of H and Ga, starting from Pt nanoparticles on hydrotalcite-derived Mg(Ga)(Al)Ox supports. In situ XANES spectroscopy, time-resolved TAP kinetic experiments, HAADF-STEM imaging and EDX mapping are combined to probe Pt, Ga and H in a series of H2 reduction experiments up to 650 degrees C. Mg(Ga)(Al)Ox by itself dissociates hydrogen, but these dissociated hydrogen species do not induce significant reduction of Ga3+ cations in the support. Only in the presence of Pt, partial reduction of Ga3+ into Gadelta+ is observed, suggesting that different reaction mechanisms dominate for Pt- and Mg(Ga)(Al)Ox-dissociated hydrogen species. This partial reduction of Ga3+ is made possible by Pt-dissociated H species which spillover onto non-reducible Mg(Al)Ox or partially reducible Mg(Ga)(Al)Ox and undergo long-range transport over the support surface. Moderately mobile Gadelta+Ox migrates towards Pt clusters, where Gadelta+ is only fully reduced to Ga0 on condition of immediate stabilization inside Pt-Ga alloyed nanoparticles.

Abstract: We report on the observation of complex superlattices at the surface of the topological insulator Bi2Te3. Scanning tunneling microscopy reveals the existence of two different periodic structures in addition to the Bi2Te3 atomic lattice, which is found to strongly affect the local electronic structure. These three different periodicities are interpreted to result from a single small in-plane rotation of the topmost quintuple layer only. Density functional theory calculations support the observed increase in the DOS near the Fermi level, and exclude the possibility that strain is at the origin of the observed Moire pattern. Exploration of Moire superlattices formed by the quintuple layers of topological insulators holds great potential for further tuning of the properties of topological insulators.

Abstract: This study reports on the possible effects of OH radical impact on the transmembrane domain 6 of P-glycoprotein, TM6, which plays a crucial role in drug binding in human cells. For the first time, we employ molecular dynamics (MD) simulations based on the self-consistent charge density functional tight binding (SCC-DFTB) method to elucidate the potential sites of fragmentation and mutation in this domain upon impact of OH radicals, and to obtain fundamental information about the underlying reaction mechanisms. Furthermore, we apply non-reactive MD simulations to investigate the long-term effect of this mutation, with possible implications for drug binding. Our simulations indicate that the interaction of OH radicals with TM6 might lead to the breaking of C-C and C-N peptide bonds, which eventually cause fragmentation of TM6. Moreover, according to our simulations, the OH radicals can yield mutation in the aromatic ring of phenylalanine in TM6, which in turn affects its structure. As TM6 plays an important role in the binding of a range of cytotoxic drugs with P-glycoprotein, any changes in its structure are likely to affect the response of the tumor cell in chemotherapy. This is crucial for cancer therapies based on reactive oxygen species, such as plasma treatment.

Abstract: The effect of an electron-hole puddle on the electrical transport when governed by snake states in a bipolar graphene structure is investigated. Using numerical simulations we show that information on the size and position of the electron-hole puddle can be obtained using the dependence of the conductance on magnetic field and electron density of the gated region. The presence of the scatterer disrupts snake state transport which alters the conduction pattern. We obtain a simple analytical formula that connects the position of the electron-hole puddle with features observed in the conductance. The size of the electron-hole puddle is estimated from the magnetic field and gate potential that maximizes the effect of the puddle on the electrical transport.

Abstract: One primary goal of self-assembly in nanoscale regime is to implement multifunctional binary nanoparticle superlattices into practical use. In the last decade, considerable effort has been put into the fabrication of binary nanoparticle superlattices with controllable structure and stoichiometry. However, limited effort has been made in order to improve the stability of these binary nanoparticle superlattices, which is a prerequisite for their potential application. In this work, we demonstrate that the carbon deposition from specimen contamination can play an auxiliary role during the heat treatment of binary nanoparticle superlattices. With the in-situ carbon matrix formation, the thermal stability of CoAu 13 binary nanoparticle superlattices is unambiguously enhanced.

Abstract: The present work reports on the application and the evaluation of a multitude of crosslinking approaches including high-energy irradiation, redox-initiating systems and conventional carbodiimide-coupling chemistry for frozen and/or freeze-dried porous gelatin scaffolds. The latter is particularly relevant for a plethora of biomedical applications such as tissue engineering supports, wound dressings, adhesive and absorbent pads for surgery, etc. Moreover, the results obtained for gelatin can be considered a proof-of-concept to be extrapolated to other polymer systems containing double bonds and/or amines and carboxylic acids to also realize scaffold crosslinking in dry or frozen state. The results showed that high-energy irradiation at -5 A degrees C enabled sufficient segmental mobility to induce chemical crosslinking after performing a cryogenic treatment of methacrylamide-modified gelatin scaffolds. Alternatively, although several redox-initiating systems were unable to chemically crosslink functionalized gelatin, the combination of ammonium persulphate and TEMED resulted in the formation of scaffolds with a reasonable gel fraction. Interestingly, carbodiimide-coupling was found suitable to crosslink freeze-dried gelatin matrices.

Abstract: We investigated the deposition of MoS2 multilayers on large area substrates. The pre-deposition of metal or metal oxide with subsequent sulfurization is a promising technique to achieve layered films. We distinguish a different reaction behavior in metal oxide and metallic films and investigate the effect of the temperature, the H2S/H-2 gas mixture composition, and the role of the underlying substrate on the material quality. The results of the experiments suggest a MoS2 growth mechanism consisting of two subsequent process steps. At first, the reaction of the sulfur precursor with the metal or metal oxide occurs, requiring higher temperatures in the case of metallic film compared to metal oxide. At this stage, the basal planes assemble towards the diffusion direction of the reaction educts and products. After the sulfurization reaction, the material recrystallizes and the basal planes rearrange parallel to the substrate to minimize the surface energy. Therefore, substrates with low roughness show basal plane assembly parallel to the substrate. These results indicate that the substrate character has a significant impact on the assembly of low dimensional MoS2 films.

Abstract: This work examines the properties of a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor, built for CO2 decomposition, by means of electrical characterization, optical emission spectroscopy and gas chromatography. The discharge, formed in an electronegative gas (such as CO2, but also O2), exhibits clearly different electrical characteristics, depending on the surface conductivity of the reactor walls. An asymmetric current waveform is observed in the metaldielectric (MD) configuration, with sparse high-current pulses in the positive half-cycle (HC) and a more uniform regime in the negative HC. This indicates that the discharge is operating in two alternating regimes with rather different properties. At high CO2 conversion regimes, a conductive coating is deposited on the dielectric. This so-called coated MD configuration yields a symmetric current waveform, with current peaks in both the positive and negative HCs. In a double-dielectric (DD) configuration, the current waveform is also symmetric, but without current peaks in both the positive and negative HC. Finally, the DD configuration with conductive coating on the inner surface of the outer dielectric, i.e. so-called coated DD, yields again an asymmetric current waveform, with current peaks in the negative HC. These different electrical characteristics are related to the presence of the conductive coating on the dielectric wall of the reactor and can be explained by an increase of the local barrier capacitance available for charge transfer. The different discharge regimes affect the CO2 conversion, more specifically, the CO2 conversion is lowest in the clean DD configuration. It is somewhat higher in the coated DD configuration, and still higher in the MD configuration. The clean and coated MD configuration, however, gave similar CO2 conversion. These results indicate that the conductivity of the dielectric reactor walls can highly promote the development of the high-amplitude discharge current pulses and subsequently the CO2 conversion.

Abstract: A controllable ferroelastic switching in ferroelectric/multiferroic oxides is highly desirable due to the non-volatile strain and possible coupling between lattice and other order parameter in heterostructures. However, a substrate clamping usually inhibits their elastic deformation in thin films without micro/nano-patterned structure so that the integration of the non-volatile strain with thin film devices is challenging. Here, we report that reversible in-plane elastic switching with a non-volatile strain of approximately 0.4% can be achieved in layered-perovskite Bi2WO6 thin films, where the ferroelectric polarization rotates by 90 degrees within four in-plane preferred orientations. Phase-field simulation indicates that the energy barrier of ferroelastic switching in orthorhombic Bi2WO6 film is ten times lower than the one in PbTiO3 films, revealing the origin of the switching with negligible substrate constraint. The reversible control of the in-plane strain in this layered-perovskite thin film demonstrates a new pathway to integrate mechanical deformation with nanoscale electronic and/or magnetoelectronic applications.

Abstract: Highly active photocatalysts were obtained by impregnation of nanocrystalline rutile TiO2 powders with small amounts of Cu(II) and Fe(III) ions, resulting in the enhancement of initial rates of photocatalytic degradation of 4-chlorophenol in water by factors of 7 and 4, compared to pristine rutile, respectively. Detailed structural analysis by EPR and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (EXAFS) revealed that Cu(II) and Fe(III) are present as single species on the rutile surface. The mechanism of the photoactivity enhancement was elucidated by a combination of DFT calculations and detailed experimental mechanistic studies including photoluminescence measurements, photocatalytic experiments using scavengers, OH radical detection, and photopotential transient measurements. The results demonstrate that the single Cu(II) and Fe(III) ions act as effective cocatalytic sites, enhancing the charge separation, catalyzing “dark” redox reactions at the interface, thus improving the normally very low quantum yields of UV light-activated TiO2 photocatalysts. The exact mechanism of the photoactivity enhancement differs depending on the nature of the cocatalyst. Cu(II)-decorated samples exhibit fast transfer of photogenerated electrons to Cu(II/I) sites, followed by enhanced catalysis of dioxygen reduction, resulting in improved charge separation and higher photocatalytic degradation rates. At Fe(III)-modified rutile the rate of dioxygen reduction is not improved and the photocatalytic enhancement is attributed to higher production of highly oxidizing hydroxyl radicals produced by alternative oxygen reduction pathways opened by the presence of catalytic Fe(III/II) sites. Importantly, it was demonstrated that excessive heat treatment (at 450 degrees C) of photocatalysts leads to loss of activity due to migration of Cu(II) and Fe(III) ions from TiO2 surface to the bulk, accompanied by formation of oxygen vacancies. The demonstrated variety of mechanisms of photoactivity enhancement at single site catalyst-modified photocatalysts holds promise for developing further tailored photocatalysts for various applications.

Abstract: We investigate how the interplay of quantum confinement and level broadening caused by disorder affects superconducting correlations in ultra-small metallic grains. We use the electron-phonon interaction-induced electron mass renormalization and the reduced static-path approximation of the BCS formalism to calculate the critical temperature as a function of the grain size. We show how the strong electron-impurity scattering additionally smears the peak structure in the electronic density of states of a metallic grain and imposes additional limits on the critical temperature under strong quantum confinement.

Abstract: The electrochemical properties and phase transformations during (de)insertion of Li+ in LiFePO4, LiFe0.9Mn0.1PO4 and LiFe0.5Mn0.5PO4 are studied by means of galvanostatic cycling, potential intermittent titration technique (PITT) and in situ X-ray powder diffraction. Different modes of switching between the solid solution and two-phase regimes are revealed which are influenced by the Mn content in Li1-xFe1-yMnyPO4. Additionally, an increase in electrochemical capacity with the Mn content is observed at high rates of galvanostatic cycling (10C, 20C), which is in good agreement with the numerically estimated contribution of the solid solution mechanism determined from PITT data. The observed asymmetric behavior of the phase transformations in Li1-xFe0.5Mn0.5PO4 during charge and discharge is discussed. For the first time, the crystal structures of electrochemically deintercalated Li1-xFe0.5Mn0.5PO4 with different Li content – LiFe0.5Mn0.5PO4, Li0.5Fe0.5Mn0.5PO4 and Li0.1Fe0.5Mn0.5PO4 – are refined, including the occupancy factors of the Li position. This refinement is done using electron diffraction tomography data. The crystallographic analyses of Li1-xFe0.5Mn0.5PO4 reveal that at x = 0.5 and 0.9 the structure retains the Pnma symmetry and the main motif of the pristine x = 0 structure without noticeable short range order effects.