Abstract: We have characterized theoretically the work-function modifications of the (111) surfaces of gold and silver upon deposition of self-assembled monolayers based on methanethiol and trifluoromethanethiol. A comparative analysis is made between the experimental results and those obtained from two widely used approaches based on density functional theory. The contributions to the total work-function modifications are estimated on the basis of two decomposition schemes of the thiol molecules that have been proposed in the literature. The contributions are found to differ significantly between the two approaches, as do the corresponding adsorption energies.

Abstract: Previous investigations about the darkening of chrome yellow pigments revealed that this form of alteration is attributable to a reduction of the original Cr(VI) to Cr(III), and that the presence of sulfur-containing compounds, most often sulfates, plays a key role during this process. We recently demonstrated that different crystal forms of chrome yellow pigments (PbCrO4 and PbCr1xSxO4) are present in paintings by Vincent van Gogh. In the present work, we show how both the chemical composition and the crystalline structure of lead chromate-based pigments influence their stability. For this purpose, oil model samples made with in-house synthesized powders of PbCrO4 and PbCr1xSxO4 were artificially aged and characterized. We observed a profound darkening only for those paint models made with PbCr1xSxO4, rich in SO42 (x ≥ 0.4), and orthorhombic phases (>30 wt %). Cr and S K-edge micro X-ray absorption near edge structure investigations revealed in an unequivocal manner the formation of up to about 60% of Cr(III)-species in the outer layer of the most altered samples; conversely, independent of the paint models chemical composition, no change in the S-oxidation state was observed. Analyses employing UVvisible diffuse reflectance and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were performed on unaged and aged model samples in order to obtain additional information on the physicochemical changes induced by the aging treatment.

Abstract: Endocrine disruptors (EDCs) are environmental pollutants that, once incorporated into an organism, affect the hormonal balance of humans and various species. Its presence in environment is of great importance in water quality related questions. The proposed method describes the development of an accurate, sensitive and selective sensor for the detection of bisphenol-A (BPA) and its treatment by green technology. A fullerene (C60) fabricated electrochemical sensor was developed for the ultrasensitive detection of BPA. The homemade sensor was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and chronocoulometry. The influence of measuring parameters such as pH and C60 loading on the analytical performance of the sensor was evaluated. Various kinetic parameters such as electron transfer number (n); charge transfer coefficient (α); electrode surface area (A) and diffusion coefficient (D) were also calculated. Under the optimal conditions, the oxidation peak current was linear over the concentration range of 74 nM to 0.23 μM with the detection limit (LOD) of 3.7 nM. The fabricated sensor was successfully applied to the determination of BPA in wastewater samples and it has promising analytical applications for the direct determination of BPA at trace level.

Abstract: We review methods and recent studies in which macroscopic to (sub)microscopic X-ray beams were used for nondestructive analysis and characterization of pigments, paint microsamples, and/or entire paintings. We discuss the use of portable laboratory- and synchrotron-based instrumentation and describe several variants of X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis used for elemental analysis and imaging and combined with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Macroscopic and microscopic (μ-)XRF variants of this method are suitable for visualizing the elemental distribution of key elements in paint multilayers. Technical innovations such as multielement, large-area XRF detectors have enabled such developments. The use of methods limited to elemental analysis or imaging usually is not sufficient to elucidate the chemical transformations that take place during natural pigment alteration processes. However, synchrotron-based combinations of μ-XRF, μ-XAS, and μ-XRD are suitable for such studies.

Abstract: Gold-silver alloy nanoparticles display surface plasmon resonance (SPR) over a broad range of the UV-vis spectrum. We propose a model to predict the SPR wavelength of gold-silver alloy colloids based on the combined effect of alloy composition and particle size. The SPR wavelength is derived from extinction spectra simulated using available experimental dielectric constant data and accounts for particle size by applying Mie theory. Comparison of calculated values with experimental data evidences the accuracy of the model. The new SPR wavelength estimation tool will be of particular interest for developing dedicated bimetallic plasmonic nanostructures.

Abstract: Lanthanumcerium oxide (LCO) films were deposited on Ni-5%W substrates by chemical solution deposition (CSD) from water-based precursors. LCO films containing different ratios of lanthanum and cerium ions (from CeO2 to La2Ce2O7) were prepared. The composition of the layers was optimized towards the formation of LCO buffer layers, lattice-matched with the superconducting YBa2Cu3Oy layer, useful for the development of coated conductors. Single, crack-free LCO layers with a thickness of up to 140 nm could be obtained in a single deposition step. The crystallinity and microstructure of these lattice-matched LCO layers were studied by X-ray diffraction techniques, RHEED and SEM. We find that only layers with thickness below 100 nm show a crystalline top surface although both thick and thin layers show good biaxial texture in XRD. On the most promising layers, AFM and (S)TEM were performed to further evaluate their morphology. The overall surface roughness varies between 3.9 and 7.5 nm, while the layers appear much more dense than the frequently used La2Zr2O7 (LZO) systems, showing much smaller nanovoids (12 nm) than the latter system. Their effective buffer layer action was studied using XPS. The thin LCO layers supported the growth of superconducting YBCO deposited using PLD methods.

Abstract: Using a combination of high-angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy and atomically resolved electron energy-loss spectroscopy at high energy resolution in an aberration-corrected electron microscope, we demonstrate the capability of coordination mapping in complex oxides. Brownmillerite compound Ca2FeCoO5, consisting of repetitive octahedral and tetrahedral coordination layers with Fe and Co in a fixed 3+ valency, is selected to demonstrate the principle of atomic resolution coordination mapping. Analysis of the Co-L2,3 and the Fe-L2,3 edges shows small variations in the fine structure that can be specifically attributed to Co/Fe in tetrahedral or in octahedral coordination. Using internal reference spectra, we show that the coordination of the Fe and Co atoms in the compound can be mapped at atomic resolution.

Abstract: The series Sr2MnO2Cu1.5(S1-xSex)(2) (0 <= x <= 1) contains mixed-valent Mn ions (Mn2+/Mn3+) in MnO2 sheets which are separated by copper-deficient antifluorite-type Cu(2-delta)Ch(2) layers with delta similar to 0.5. The compounds crystallize in the structure type first described for Sr2Mn3Sb2O2 and are described in the I4/mmm space group at ambient temperatures. Below about 250 K, ordering between Cu+ ions and tetrahedral vacancies occurs which is long-range and close to complete in the sulfide-containing end member of the series Sr2MnO2Cu1.5S2 but which occurs over shorter length scales as the selenide content increases. The superstructure is an orthorhombic 2 root 2a x root 2a x c expansion in Ibam of the room temperature cell. For x > 0.3 there are no superstructure reflections evident in the X-ray or neutron diffraction patterns, and the I4/mmm description is valid for the average structure at all temperatures. However, in the pure selenide end member, Sr2MnO2Cu1.5Se2, diffuse scattering in electron diffractograms and modulation in high resolution lattice image profiles may arise from short-range Cu/vacancy order. All members of the series exhibit long-range magnetic order. In the sulfide-rich end member and in compounds with x < 0.1 in the formula Sr2MnO2Cu1.5(S1-xSex)(2), which show well developed superstructures due to long-range Cu/vacancy order, the magnetic structure has a (1/4 1/4 0) propagation vector in which ferromagnetic zigzag chains of Mn moments in the MnO2 sheets are coupled antiferromagnetically in an arrangement described as the CE-type magnetic structure and found in many mixed-valent perovskite and Ruddlesden-Popper type oxide manganites. In these cases the magnetic cell is an a x 2b x c expansion of the low temperature Ibam structural cell. For x >= 0.2 in the formula Sr2MnO2Cu1.5(S1-xSex)(2) the magnetic structure has a (0 0 0) propagation vector and is similar to the A-type structure, also commonly adopted by some perovskite-related manganites, in which the Mn moments in the MnO2 sheets are coupled ferromagnetically and long-range antiferromagnetic order results from antiferromagnetic coupling between planes. In the region of the transition between the two different structural and magnetic long-range ordering schemes (0.1 < x < 0.2) the two magnetic structures coexist in the same sample. The evolution of the competition between magnetic ordering schemes and the length scale of the structural order with composition in Sr2MnO2Cu1.5(S1-xSex)(2) suggest that the changes in magnetic and structural order are related consequences of the introduction of chemical disorder.

Abstract: Porous solids with organized multiple porosity are of scientific and technological importance for broadening the application range from traditional areas of catalysis and adsorption/separation to drug release and biomedical imaging. Synthesis of crystalline porous materials offering a network of uniform micro- and mesopores remains a major scientific challenge. One strategy is based on variation of synthesis parameters of microporous networks, such as, for example, zeolites or metal organic frameworks (MOFs). Here, we show the rational development of an hierarchical variant of the microporous cubic Cu-3(BTC)(2) (BTC = 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate) HKUST-1 MOF having strictly repetitive S inn wide mesopores separated by uniform microporous walls in a single crystal structure. This new material coined COK-15 (COK = Centrum voor Oppervlaktechemie en Katalyse) was synthesized via a dual-templating approach. Stability was enhanced by Keggin type phosphotungstate (HPW) systematically occluded in the cavities constituting the walls between the mesopores.

Abstract: We demonstrate that precession electron diffraction at low-dose conditions can be successfully applied for structure analysis of extremely electron-beam-sensitive materials. Using LiBH4 as a test material, complete structural information, including the location of the H atoms, was obtained from submicrometer-sized crystallites. This demonstrates for the first time that, where conventional transmission electron microscopy techniques fail, quantitative precession electron diffraction can provide structural information from submicrometer particles of such extremely electron-beam-sensitive materials as complex lightweight hydrides. We expect the precession electron diffraction technique to be a useful tool for nanoscale investigations of thermally unstable lightweight hydrogen-storage materials.

Abstract: La3.2Ba0.8Mn3O10, a representative of the rare n = 3 members of the Ruddlesden-Popper manganites A(n+1)Mn(n)O(3n+1), was synthesized in an evacuated sealed silica tube. Its crystal structure was refined from a combination of powder X-ray diffraction (PXD) and precession electron diffraction (PED) data, with the rotations of the MnO6 octahedra described within the symmetry-adapted mode approach (space group Cccm, a = 29.068(1) angstrom, b = 5.5504(5) angstrom, c = 5.5412(5) angstrom; PXD RF = 0.053, RP = 0.026; PED RF = 0.248). The perovskite block in La3.2Ba0.8Mn3O10 features an octahedral tilting distortion with out-of-phase rotations of the Mn06 octahedra according to the (Phi,Phi,0)(Phi,Phi,0) mode, observed for the first time in the n = 3 Ruddlesden-Popper structures. The Mn06 octahedra demonstrate a noticeable deformation with the elongation of two apical Mn-O bonds due to the Jahn-Teller effect in the Mn3+ cations. The relationships between the octahedral tilting distortion, the ionic radii of the cations at the A- and B-positions, and the mismatch between the perovslcite and rock-salt blocks of the Ruddlesden-Popper structure are discussed. At low temperatures, La3.2Ba0.8Mn3O10 reveals a sizable remnant magnetization of about 1.3 mu(B)/Mn at 2K, and shows signatures of spin freezing below 150 K.

Abstract: Magnetoelectric multiferroics showing coupling between polarization and magnetic order are attracting much attention. For instance, they could be used in memory devices. Metal-transition oxides are provided several examples of inorganic magnetoelectric multiferroics. In the present short review, spinel and delafossite chromites are described. For the former, an electric polarization is evidenced in the ferrimagnetic state for ACr2O4 polycrystalline samples (A=Ni, Fe, Co). The presence of a JahnTeller cation such as Ni2+ at the A site is shown to yield larger polarization values. In the delafossites, substitution by V3+ at the Cr or Fe site in CuCrO2 (CuFeO2) suppresses the complex antiferromagnetic structure at the benefit of a spin glass state. The presence of cation disorder, probed by transmission electron microscopy, favors relaxor-like ferroelectricity. The results on the ferroelectricity of ferrimagnets and insulating spin glasses demonstrate that, in this research field, transition-metal oxides are worth to be studied.

Abstract: A series of perovskites Sr4−xLaxFe3ReO12 (x=0.0, 1.0, 2.0) has been prepared by wet chemistry methods. The structure analyses by powder X-ray and neutron diffraction and electron microscopy show that these compounds adopt simple perovskite structures without cation ordering over the B sites: tetragonal (I4/mcm) for x=0.0 and 1.0 and orthorhombic (Pbmn) for x=2.0. The oxidation states of the cations in the compound with x=0.0 appear to be Fe3+/4+ and Re7+ and decrease for both with La substitution as evidenced by X-ray absorption spectroscopy. All the compounds are antiferromagnetically ordered above room temperature, as demonstrated by Mössbauer spectroscopy and the magnetic structures, which were determined by powder neutron diffraction. The substitution of Sr by La strongly affects the magnetic properties with an increase of TN up to ∼750 K.

Abstract: In this paper, the splitting of CO2 in a pulsed plasma system, such as a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD), is evaluated from a chemical point of view by means of numerical modeling. For this purpose, a chemical reaction set of CO2 in an atmospheric pressure plasma is developed, including the vibrational states of CO2, O2, and CO. The simulated pulses are matched to the conditions of a filament (or microdischarge) and repeated with intervals of 1 μs. The influence of vibrationally excited CO2 as well as other neutral species, ions, and electrons on the CO2 splitting is discussed. Our calculations predict that the electrons have the largest contribution to the CO2 splitting at the conditions under study, by electron impact dissociation. The contribution of vibrationally excited CO2 levels in the splitting of CO2 is found be 6.4%, when only considering one microdischarge pulse and its afterglow, but it can be much higher for consecutive discharge pulses, as is typical for a filamentary DBD, when the interpulse time is short enough and accumulation effects in the vibrationally excited CO2 densities can occur.

Abstract: The structure of Bi0.81Pb0.19FeO2.905 was investigated on different length scales using a combination of electron diffraction, high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy, synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction, and Mössbauer spectroscopy. In the 80300 K temperature range, the average crystal structure of Bi0.81Pb0.19FeO2.905 is a cubic Pm3̅m perovskite with a = 3.95368(3) Å at T = 300 K. The (Pb2+, Bi3+) cations and O2 anions are randomly displaced along the 110 cubic directions, indicating the steric activity of the lone pair on the Pb2+ and Bi3+ cations and a tilting distortion of the perovskite framework. The charge imbalance induced by the heterovalent Bi3+ → Pb2+ substitution is compensated by the formation of oxygen vacancies preserving the trivalent state of the Fe cations. On a short scale, oxygen vacancies are located in anion-deficient (FeO1.25) layers that are approximately 6 perovskite unit cells apart and transform every sixth layer of the FeO6 octahedra into a layer with a 1:1 mixture of corner-sharing FeO4 tetrahedra and FeO5 tetragonal pyramids. The anion-deficient layers act as twin planes for the octahedral tilting pattern of adjacent perovskite blocks. They effectively randomize the octahedral tilting and prevent the cooperative distortion of the perovskite framework. The disorder in the anion sublattice impedes cooperative interactions of the local dipoles induced by the off-center displacements of the Pb and Bi cations. Magnetic susceptibility measurements evidence the antiferromagnetic ordering in Bi0.81Pb0.19FeO2.905 at low temperatures.