bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Optimization of Light Emission from Silicon Nanocrystals Grown by PECVD
Authors: Ishikawa Satoshi , Cheng Szu-Lin , Gong Yiyang , Vuckovic Jelena , Nishi Yoshio 
Published: August 2010

AbstractLight emission from Si nanocrystals ( SiNCs ) embedded in Si oxide was studied in this work. SiNCs were fabricated by annealing a Si-rich oxide ( SRO ) deposited by a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition ( PECVD ) system. The gas flow ratio between SiH4 and N2O of a precursor gas was changed by varying a N2O gas flow rate and the annealing temperature was varied from 800 to 1100°C. The highest PL intensity was obtained with a N2O flow rate of 125sccm, a SiH4 flow rate of 1400sccm and annealing temperature of 900°C. The PL wavelength was also controlled by N2O gas flow rate and annealing temperature, with blue shifting to the visible wavelengths for increasing N2O flow rate and decreasing annealing temperature. In addition, forming gas ( 4% H2 ) anneal for 1 hour, which is a common method to passivate Si surface, at 500°C to SiNCs was used to further enhance the emission intensity. To approach emission at shorter wavelength, the Si oxide with SiNCs / SiO2 multi layer structure ( MLS ) was also fabricated by similar methods. The SiO2 layer was used as a diffusion barrier to extra Si on vertical direction during the annealing process. Such a barrier can effectively reduce the diameter of SiNCs and shift the emission peak to shorter wavelength. A blue shift from PL was clearly observed as the thickness of Si oxide layer with SiNCs in MLS reduces. Finally, the PIN light emitting diode which consisted of n-type poly-Si / Si oxide with SiNCs / p-type poly-Si structure was also fabricated to study the electroluminescence ( EL ) of SiNCs. The current under the forward bias was about 10 times higher than under the reverse bias. The carrier injection mechanism assumed that Poole-Frenkel type conduction or hopping conduction dominates under a low electric field and Fowler-Nordheim tunneling dominates under a high electric field. EL was obtained with a forward bias voltage of around 6V and EL emission efficiency was proportional to the current density.
Distance Controlled and Electrically Driven Photoluminescence Quench From Quantum Dot-Au Complexes
Authors: Kang Zhitao , Xu Jie , Andreasen Dinal , Wagner Brent Karl 
Published: August 2010

AbstractQuantum Dots (QDs) bound to gold nanoparticles have shown photoluminescence (PL) quenching dependent on distance between the two particles. The incident light from the QD couples to plasmon excitation of the metal when the frequencies of the light and the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) coincide, leading to a reduction in emitted PL in the system. The quenching effect of gold nanoparticles on QDs was used to study protein-protein interactions with the potential for drug screening applications. CdTe and CdHgTe QDs with emission wavelengths from 500˜900nm were synthesized and gold nanospheres and nanorods with controlled absorption in the visible and near-infrared (NIR) wavelength regions were prepared. The PL quenching of QD-Protein-Protein-Au complexes was studied as a function of Au concentration, QD size and protein type. A quenching efficiency of up to 90% was observed. The QD-Au complexes were also studied for electric potential sensing. The surface of the QDs was negatively charged due to thiol ligands capping. By applying a positive potential on the gold or gold nanoparticle attached substrate, the local electric field between the substrate and the statically charged QDs would pull the QDs closer to the gold surface and quench the QD PL. PL quenching of QD with Au was studied as a function of electric signal and QD type. In this methodology, electric signals were effectively converted to optical signals.
Silicon Quantum Dots Functionalized for siRNA Delivery
Authors: Stefanie Klein , Zolk Oliver , Schrödl Falk , Kryschi Carola 
Published: August 2010

AbstractBiocompatible, water-soluble, green luminescent silicon quantum dots (SiQDs) were developed as transfection tool for small interfering RNA (siRNA). The research goal was to down-regulate via the RNA interference (RNAi) mechanism the P-glycoprotein expression of the multidrug resistant gene 1 (MDR1) in a human colon carcinoma cell line (Caco-2). The internalization of 2-vinylpyridine terminated SiQDs (2-vipySiQDs) by Caco-2 cells as observed in confocal laser scanning microscopy imaging studies occurs via endocytosis. Experiments employing agarose gel electrophoresis revealed that 2-vipySiQD-siRNA complexes are formed through electrostatic interactions. The release of siRNA in the cytosol with subsequently RNAi induced down-regulation of the P-glycoprotein translation was verified by detecting a reduced ABCB1 mRNA level in transfected Caco-2 cells employing real-time PCR. Additional evidence for successful ABCB1 gene silencing was obtained by measuring a significant decrease of the P-glycoprotein transporter efficiency for the fluorescent substrate Rhodamine 123 (Rh123).
Multivalent Biomimetic Glyconanoparticle Platforms as QCM Amplifiers for Lectin-carbohydrate Interactions
Authors: Mahon Eugene , Aastrup Teodor , Barboiu Mihail 
Published: August 2010

AbstractThe Lectin-Carbohydrate interaction was investigated by combining the Quartz Crystal Microbalance-QCM technique with signal amplifying biomimetic nanoparticle-NP platforms. A library of glyconanoparticles was prepared and the avidity of these NPs for immobilised lectin layers was then evaluated by a QCM setup. Large responses were observed as a result of surface recognition by nanoparticles displaying the appropriate molecular functionality. Large affinity enhancements were also in evidence due to the biomimetic nature of the glyconanoparticle assemblies' carbohydrate presentation demonstrating evidence of the cluster glycoside effect.
Template-Assisted Growth of Tungsten Oxide Nanorods on Substrates and Their Electrochemical Properties
Authors: Park Sun Hwa , Song Jaeyong , Park Hyun Min , Yu Hyunung 
Published: August 2010

AbstractTungsten oxide nanorods (TONs) with the diameters of 40 nm and the length of 130 nm have been synthesized on substrates using two step electrochemical anodizing processes. The TONs were vertically well-ordered on the substrates with the average interdistance of 100 nm. The TONs had amorphous structure and was mainly composed of W, Al, and O elements, of which the contents varied gradually along the nanorod length from the top surface to the bottom. The cyclic voltammograms (CVs) and galvanostatic charge-discharge analyses showed that TONs had the typical electrochemical pseudocapacitive features of rectangular CV hysteresis and symmetric charge-discharge behaviors, respectively. When the TONs were heat-treated at 600℃ in vacuum, they showed the maximum specific capacitance of 660 ㎌/cm2, which was higher, by an order of magnitude, than that (68 ㎌/cm2) of the TONs annealed at 300 ℃ in ambient atmosphere.
Block Copolymer Templating for Formation of Quantum Dots and Lattice Mismatched Semiconductor Structures
Authors: Jha Smita , Liu Chi-Chun , Park Joo Hyung , Wiedmann Monika K. , Kuan T S , Babcock Susan E. , Mawst Luke J. , Nealey Paul , Kuech Thomas F. 
Published: August 2010

AbstractTemplated growth for the fabrication of semiconductor nanostructures such as quantum dots and lattice-mismatched structures has been employed in this study. Self assembly of block copolymers (BCP) has been exploited to create a regular array of nanoscale patterns on a substrate to generate the growth template. These patterned templates were used for the selective area growth of pseudomorphic quantum dots, allowing for precise control over the dot size and spatial distribution. Strain relaxation in lattice-mismatched structures grown past the pseudomorphic limit was also studied. Analysis of the grown structures suggests that this approach using block copolymer templating followed by selective growth can be used for defect reduction in lattice-mismatched materials.
Interfacial Energy Level Alignment at Acid Oxidized Carbon Nanotube - Triphenyldiamine Contacts
Authors: Tan Li Wei , Hatton Ross A. , Giusca Cristina E. , Silva Ravi 
Published: August 2010

AbstractWe report an ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy study of the energetics at the interface between acid oxidised carbon nanotubes and the archetypical molecular N,N'-diphenyl-N,N'-bis(3-methylphenyl)-1,1'biphenyl-4,4'diamine(TPD). Electrical equilibrium is achieved across both interfaces within the experiment time frame due to the formation of an interfacial dipole layer which abruptly shifts the vacuum level at the interface. To the authors knowledge this is the first reported measurement of the electronic structure of a carbon nanotube / organic semiconductor interface; a system in which the magnitude of the dipole layer formed at the interface upon contact formation is proportional to the difference in work function between the substrate and organic semiconductor overlayer.
Spatial Variations in the Mechanical Properties and Electrical Properties of Carbon Nanotube Turfs
Authors: Qiu Anqi , Lopez Melinda , Bellou Aikaterini , McClain Devon , Jiao Jun , Bahr David 
Published: August 2010

AbstractThe mechanical properties of arrays of nominally vertically aligned carbon nanotubes, often referred to as turfs, have been measured using nanoindentation and the electrical properties have been measured using electrical contact resistance (ECR) nanoindentation. The elastic properties do not vary significantly between the top and the bottom of the same carbon nanotube turf. Within a single turf the lateral spatial variation is less than 10% when volumes of μm's are probed with the indenter, indicating that each turf can be treated mechanically as continuum on this scale. The electrical properties vary significantly within a single turf on the same scale. This suggests that the use of average mechanical properties for a given vertically aligned turf should be suitable for design purposes without the need to account for spatial variation in structure, and variations in mechanical properties on the micrometer scale are not dependent on spatially distinct defects. However, local contact behavior appears to dominate the electrical behavior on this same length scale.
Characterization of an Ultra Thin Dense Hafnium Oxide Compact Layer with Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Application
Authors: Bills Braden , Shanmugam Mariyappan , Farrokh Baroughi Mahdi , Galipeau David 
Published: August 2010

AbstractThe performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) is limited by the back-reaction of photogenerated electrons from the photoelectrode back into the electrolyte solution. An atomic layer deposited (ALD) hafnium oxide (HfO2) ultra thin, a few nanometers, compact layer was grown on the surface of the transparent conducting oxide (TCO) and its effects on the performance of DSSCs were studied with dark and illuminated current-voltage and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements. Further, the theory of electron recombination at the TCO/electrolyte interface was developed and used to explain the improved DSSC performance with an ALD HfO2 compact layer.
Structural and optical characterization of Si quantumdots in a SiC matrix
Authors: Kuenle Matthias , Loeper Philipp , Rothfelder Marcel , Janz Stefan , Eibl Oliver , Nickel Klaus Georg 
Published: August 2010

AbstractAmorphous hydrogenated Si1-xCx/SiC multilayers consisting of alternating Si1-xCx and stoichiometric SiC layers were prepared using Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition (PECVD). Annealing at temperatures up to 1100°C was done targeting the size controlled crystallization of Si nanocrystals (NCs) in a SiC matrix. The influence of annealing temperature on the nanostructure of the multilayers was studied using Glancing Incidence X-ray Diffraction (GIXRD), Raman spectroscopy and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). GIXRD reveal the crystallization of Si and SiC, when annealing temperatures exceed 900°C. The crystallization of Si and SiC was confirmed by TEM bright-field imaging and electron diffraction. Annealing at 900°C, leads to the formation of Si NCs with a size of 3 nm, whereas the SiC NCs also have a size of 3 nm. However, a large amount of Si is still amorphous as shown by Raman spectroscopy. Annealing at temperatures exceeding 900°C reduces the amorphous phase and a further growth of Si NCs occurs.
Quaternary Ammonium Borohydride Adsorption in Mesoporous Silicate MCM-48
Authors: Wolverton Michael Joseph , Daemen Luc L. , Hartl Monika A. 
Published: August 2010

AbstractInorganic borohydrides have a high gravimetric hydrogen density but release H2 only under energetically unfavorable conditions. Surface chemistry may help in lowering thermodynamic barriers, but inclusion of inorganic borohydrides in porous silica materials has proved hitherto difficult or impossible. We show that borohydrides with a large organic cation are readily adsorbed inside mesoporous silicates, particularly after surface treatment. Thermal analysis reveals that the decomposition thermodynamics of tetraalkylammonium borohydrides are substantially affected by inclusion in MCM-48. Inelastic neutron scattering (INS) data show that the compounds adsorb on the silica surface. Evidence of pore loading is supplemented by DSC/TGA, XRD, FTIR, and BET isotherm measurements. Mass spectrometry shows significant hydrogen release at lower temperature from adsorbed borohydrides in comparison with the bulk borohydrides. INS data from partially decomposed samples indicates that the decomposition of the cation and anion is likely simultaneous. These data confirm the formation of Si-H bonds on the silica surface upon decomposition of adsorbed tetramethylammonium borohydride.
NaBX4-MgX2 Composites (X= D,H) Investigated by In situ Neutron Diffraction
Authors: Pottmaier Daphiny , Garroni Sebastiano , Brunelli Michela , Vaughan Gavin B. M. , Castellero Alberto , Menéndez Enric , Baró Maria Dolors , Baricco Marcello 
Published: August 2010

AbstractLight element complex hydrides (e.g. NaBH4) together with metal hydrides (e.g. MgH2) are considered two primary classes of solid state hydrogen storage materials. In spite of drawbacks such as unfavourable thermodynamics and poor kinetics, enhancements may occur in reactive hydride composites by nanostructuring of reactant phases and formation of more stable product phases (e.g. MgB2) which lower overall reaction enthalpy and allow reversibility. One potential system is based on mixing NaBH4 and MgH2 and subsequent ball milling, which in a 2:1 molar ratio can store considerable amounts of hydrogen by weight (up to 7.8 wt%). A study of the 2NaBX4 + MgX2 → MgB2 + 2NaX + 4X2 (X=D,H) reaction is assessed by means of in-situ neutron diffraction with different combinations of hydrogen and deuterium on the X position. The desorption is established to begin at temperatures as low as 250 °C, starting with decomposition of nanostructured MgX2 due to joint effects of nanostructured MgX2 and its reducing effect at NaBX4. Analyses of background profile, due to the high incoherent neutron scattering of hydrogen, as a function of temperature demonstrate direct correlation of H/D desorption reactions with relative phases amount.
Neutron Scattering to Characterize Cu/Mg(Li) Destabilized Hydrogen Storage Materials
Authors: Braga Maria Helena , Wolverton Michael Joseph , Lobet-Megias Anna , Daemen Luc L. 
Published: August 2010

AbstractCu-Li-Mg-(H,D) was studied as an example of destabilizer of the Ti-(H,D) system. A Cu-Li-Mg alloy was prepared resulting in the formation of a system with 60.5 at% of CuLi0.08Mg1.92, 23.9 at% of CuMg2 and 15.6 at% of Cu2Mg. Titanium was added to a fraction of this mixture so that 68.2 at% (47.3 wt%) of the final mixture was Ti. The mixture was ground and kept at 200 °C/473 K for 7h under H2 or 9h under D2 at P = 34 bar. Under those conditions, neutron powder diffraction shows the formation of TiD2, as well as of the deuteride of CuLi0.08Mg1.92. Similarly inelastic neutron scattering shows that at 10 K TiH2 is present in the sample, together with the hydride of CuLi0.08Mg1.92. Interestingly, at 10 K TiH2 is very clearly detected and at 300 K TiH2 is still clearly present as indicated by the neutron vibrational spectrum, but CuLi0.08Mg1.92-H is not detected anymore. These results indicate that Ti(H,D)2 is possibly formed by diffusion of hydrogen from the Cu-Li-Mg-(H,D) alloys. This is an intriguing result since TiH2 is normally synthesized from the metal at T > 400°C/673 K (and most commonly at T ˜ 700 °C/973 K). In the presence of CuLi0.08Mg1.92, TiH2 forms at a temperature that is 300 – 400 K lower than that needed to synthesize it just from the elements.
Nanostructured Metal Hydrides for Hydrogen Storage Studied by In Situ Synchrotron and Neutron Diffraction
Authors: Yartys Volodymyr , Denys Roman , Maehlen Jan Petter , Webb Colin J , Gray Evan MacA , Blach Tomas , Poletaev Andrey A. , Solberg Jan Ketil , Isnard Olivier 
Published: August 2010

AbstractThis work was focused on studies of the metal hydride materials having a potential in building hydrogen storage systems with high gravimetric and volumetric efficiencies of H storage and formed / decomposed with high rates of hydrogen exchange. In situ diffraction studies of the metal-hydrogen systems were explored as a valuable tool in probing both the mechanism of the phase-structural transformations and their kinetics. Two complementary techniques, namely Neutron Powder Diffraction (NPD) and Synchrotron X-ray diffraction (SR XRD) were utilised. High pressure in situ NPD studies were performed at D2 pressures reaching 1000 bar at the D1B diffractometer accommodated at Institute Laue Langevin, Grenoble. The data of the time resolved in situ SR XRD were collected at the Swiss Norwegian Beam Lines, ESRF, Grenoble in the pressure range up to 50 bar H2 at temperatures 20-400°C.The systems studied by NPD at high pressures included deuterated Al-modified Laves-type C15 ZrFe2-xAlx intermetallics with x = 0.02; 0.04 and 0.20 and the CeNi5-D2 system. D content, hysteresis of H uptake and release, unit cell expansion and stability of the hydrides systematically change with Al content.Deuteration exhibited a very fast kinetics; it resulted in increase of the unit cells volumes reaching 23.5 % for ZrFe1.98Al0.02D2.9(1) and associated with exclusive occupancy of the Zr2(Fe,Al)2 tetrahedra.For CeNi5 deuteration yielded a hexahydride CeNi5D6.2 (20°C, 776 bar D2) and was accompanied by a nearly isotropic volume expansion reaching 30.1% (∆a/a=10.0%; ∆c/c=7.5%). Deuterium atoms fill three different interstitial sites including Ce2Ni2, Ce2Ni3 and Ni4. Significant hysteresis was observed on the first absorption-desorption cycle. This hysteresis decreased on the absorption-desorption cycling.A different approach to the development of H storage systems is based on the hydrides of light elements, first of all the Mg-based ones. These systems were studied by SR XRD. Reactive ball milling in hydrogen (HRBM) allowed synthesis of the nanostructured Mg-based hydrides.The experimental parameters (PH2, T, energy of milling, ball / sample ratio and balls size), significantly influence rate of hydrogenation. The studies confirmed (a) a completeness of hydrogenation of Mg into MgH2; (b) indicated a partial transformation of the originally formed -MgH2 into a metastable -MgH2 (a ratio / was 3/1); (c) yielded the crystallite size for the main hydrogenation product, -MgH2, as close to 10 nm. Influence of the additives to Mg on the structure and hydrogen absorption/desorption properties and cycle behaviour of the composites was established and will be discussed in the paper.
Insights into Stress Corrosion Cracking Mechanisms from High-Resolution Measurements of Crack-tip Structures and Compositions
Authors: Bruemmer Stephen Michael , Thomas Larry 
Published: August 2010

AbstractResults are presented employing cross-sectional analytical transmission electron microscopy (ATEM) to examine intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) of austenitic stainless alloys in high-temperature water environments. Microstructural, chemical and crystallographic characterization of buried interfaces at near-atomic resolutions is used to investigate corrosion/oxidation reactions, composition changes and deformation events at crack tips. Information obtained by a wide variety of high-resolution imaging and analysis methods indicates the processes occurring during crack advance and provides insights into the mechanisms controlling SCC. Examples of crack tips produced in oxidizing and hydrogenated water are presented for both Fe-base stainless steels (SSs) and Ni-base stainless alloys. Cracks in SSs show similar characteristics in both environments, with oriented oxide films at crack walls and cracks ending in few-nm-wide tips. Many of these same features are seen for alloy 182 in oxidizing water suggesting a common mechanism, generally consistent with a slip oxidation process. A distinct difference is seen at alloy 600 and alloy 182 tips produced in hydrogenated water. Penetrative attack along grain boundaries without evidence for significant plastic deformation is believed to indicate a major role of active-path corrosion/oxidation in the SCC process.
Nanostructures from Hydrogen and Helium Implantation of Aluminum
Authors: Ong Markus D. , Yang Nancy , Depuit Ryan J. , McWatters Bruce R. , Causey Rion A. 
Published: August 2010

AbstractThis study investigates a pathway to nanoporous structures created by hydrogen and helium implantation in aluminum. Previous experiments for fusion applications have indicated that hydrogen and helium ion implantations are capable of producing bicontinuous nanoporous structures in a variety of metals. This study focuses specifically on implantations of hydrogen and helium ions at 25 keV in aluminum. The hydrogen and helium systems result in remarkably different nanostructures of aluminum at the surface. Scanning electron microscopy, focused ion beam, and transmission electron microscopy show that both implantations result in porosity that persists approximately 200 nm deep. However, hydrogen implantations tend to produce larger and more irregular voids that preferentially reside at defects. Implantations of helium at a fluence of 1018 cm-2 produce much smaller porosity on the order of 10 nm that is regular and creates a bicontinuous structure in the porous region. The primary difference driving the formation of the contrasting structures is likely the relatively high mobility of hydrogen and the ability of hydrogen to form alanes that are capable of desorbing and etching Al (111) faces.
Grain Boundary Analysis of HT9 Steel after Accelerated Creep Testing
Authors: Leng Zhe , Field David 
Published: August 2010

AbstractFerritic/martensitic steels are attractive materials for use as components in nuclear reactors because of their high strength and good swelling resistance. Grain boundary specific phenomena (such as segregation, voiding, cracking, etc) are prevalent in these materials so grain boundary character is of primary importance. Certain types of boundaries are more susceptible to thermal creep damage whereas others tend to resist damage. If more damage resistant boundaries can be introduced into the structures, this will result in steel that is more resistant to the processes of degradation that prevail in high-temperature environments. We have characterized the grain boundary structure in HT9 steel by electron backscatter diffraction to identify boundaries that are resistant to degradation and those that are more susceptible to damage in extreme environments. It is found that intergranular damage is mitigated by a high fraction of low energy boundaries, and certain kinds of grain boundaries are more favored by intergranular cracks.