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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 325 records · Page 18
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2011

The influence of diffusion temperature on the structural, optical and magnetic properties of manganese-doped zinc oxysulfide thin films

We investigated the structural, optical and magnetic properties of Mn-doped zinc oxysulfide films. Zn(O,S) films were deposited by a spray pyrolysis method on glass substrate. A thin Mn layer evaporated on these films served as the source for the diffusion doping. The XRD pattern of undoped films revealed the presence of two wurtzite phases corresponding to ZnS and ZnO with a strong preferred orientation along the ZnS (0 0 2) hexagonal plane direction. SEM showed a similar surface morphology for the undoped and Mn-doped films, displaying regular arrays of hexagonal micro-rods perpendicular to the substrate. The optical transmission measurements showed that both undoped and Mn diffusion-doped films had a low average transmittance less than about 10%. The gap energy is decreased from 3.42 to 3.33 eV upon annealing at 400 deg. C. Photoluminescence studies at 300 K show that the incorporation of manganese leads to a decrease of deep level band intensity compared to undoped sample. Clear ferromagnetic loops were observed for the Mn-doped Zn(O,S) films, which might be due to the presence of point defects. - Graphical abstract: M-H variation of Mn diffusion-doped Zn(O,S) thin films measured at 300 K. Highlights: > Zinc oxysulfide thin films fabricated by spray pyrolysis and doped with Mn. > Regular arrays of hexagonal micro-rods perpendicular to the substrate. > Optical transmission measurements showed that both undoped and Mn diffusion-doped films had a low average transmittance less than about 10%. > Magnetic measurements show that Mn-doped zinc oxysulfide thin films exhibit a ferromagnetism behavior at room temperature.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2011

Preparation of Pt deposited nanotubular TiO{sub 2} as cathodes for enhanced photoelectrochemical hydrogen production using seawater electrolytes

The purpose of this study was to develop effective cathodes to increase the production of hydrogen and use the seawater, an abundant resource in the earth as the electrolyte in photoelectrochemical systems. In order to fabricate the Pt/TiO{sub 2} cathodes, various contents of the Pt precursor (0-0.4 wt%) deposited by the electrodeposition method were used. On the basis of the hydrogen evolution rate, 0.2 wt% Pt/TiO{sub 2} was observed to exhibit the best performance among the various Pt/TiO{sub 2} cathodes with the natural seawater and two concentrated seawater electrolytes obtained from single (nanofiltration) and combined membrane (nanofiltration and reverse osmosis) processes. The surface characterizations exhibited that crystal structures and morphological properties of Pt and TiO{sub 2} found the results of XRD pattern and SEM/TEM images, respectively. - Graphical abstract: On the basis of photoelectrochemical hydrogen production, 0.2 wt% Pt/TiO{sub 2} was observed to exhibit the best performance among the various Pt/TIO{sub 2} cathodes with natural seawater. In comparison of hydrogen evolution rate with various seawater electrolytes, 0.2 wt% Pt/TiO{sub 2} was found to show the better performance as cathode with the concentrated seawater electrolytes obtained from membrane. Highlights: > Pt deposited TiO{sub 2} electrodes are used as cathode in PEC H{sub 2} production. > Natural and concentrated seawater by membranes are used as electrolytes in PEC. > Pt/TiO{sub 2} shows a good performance as cathode with seawater electrolytes. > H{sub 2} evolution rate increases with more concentrated seawater electrolyte. > Highly saline seawater is useful resource for H{sub 2} production.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2011

Atomic site sensitivity of the energy loss magnetic chiral dichroic spectra of complex oxides

The quantitative analysis of magnetic oxide core level spectra can become complicated when the magnetic atoms are located at several nonequivalent atomic sites in the crystal. This is, for instance, the case for Fe atoms in magnetite, which are located in tetrahedral and octahedral atomic sites; in this case, the x-ray magnetic circular dichroic (XMCD) spectra recorded at the L{sub 2,3} edge of Fe contain contributions from the different nonequivalent atomic sites, which unfortunately cannot be separated. Energy loss magnetic chiral dichroic (EMCD) spectra are the transmission electron microscope analogies of the XMCD spectra. One of the important differences between these two techniques of magnetic analysis is that EMCD uses a fast electron beam instead of polarized light. The fast electrons behave like Bloch states in the sample, and the fine structure of the EMCD spectra is strongly influenced by channeling and dynamical diffraction effects. These effects can be adjusted by changing the experimental configuration. We use theoretical calculations, which include dynamical diffraction effects and in which electronic transitions are treated in the atomic multiplet formalism, to show that the relative weight of the Fe atoms in different nonequivalent atomic sites can be changed by a proper choice of the position of the detector and of the magnetite sample orientation and thickness. We conclude that EMCD spectra could be used to isolate the magnetic contribution of atoms in each of the nonequivalent atomic sites, which would not be possible with XMCD techniques.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2011

Epitaxial high saturation magnetization FeN thin films on Fe(001) seeded GaAs(001) single crystal wafer using facing target sputterings

It was demonstrated that Fe-N martensite ({alpha}') films were grown epitaxially on Fe(001) seeded GaAs(001) single crystal wafer by using a facing target sputtering method. X-ray diffraction pattern implies an increasing c lattice constant as the N concentration increases in the films. Partially ordered Fe{sub 16}N{sub 2} films were synthesized after in situ post-annealing the as-sputtered samples with pure Fe{sub 8}N phase. Multiple characterization techniques including XRD, XRR, TEM, and AES were used to determine the sample structure. The saturation magnetization of films with pure Fe{sub 8}N phase measured by VSM was evaluated in the range of 2.0-2.2 T. The post annealed films show systematic and dramatic increase on the saturation magnetization, which possess an average value of 2.6 T. These observations support the existence of giant saturation magnetization in {alpha}''-Fe{sub 16}N{sub 2} phase that is consistent with a recent proposed cluster-atom model and the first principles calculation [N. Ji, X. Q. Liu, and J. P. Wang, New J. Phys. 12 063032 (2010)].

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2011

Highly Emissive Transition Metal Ion Doped Semiconducting Nanocrystals

Doped semiconductor nanocrystals (d-dots), specifically ones not containing heavy metal ions, have the potential to become a class of mainstream emissive materials. Mn- and Cu-doped ZnSe or ZnS d-dots can cover an emission window similar to that of the current workhorse of intrinsic quantum dot (q-dots) emitters, CdSe nanocrystals. We synthesized high quality stable Cu doped ZnSe in nonpolar as well as polar solvent. The emission intensity of these doped nanocrystals is found stable for months under UV irradiation, after different multifunctional ligand which is important for any biological detection. We have also synthesized the stable Mn doped ZnS in nonpolar solvent more than 50% QY.. The doped nanocrystals are characterized by TEM, XRD, EPR and ICP analysis.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2011

Characterization of Structural and Pigmentary Colors in Common Emigrant (Catopsilia Pomona) Butterfly

Study of structural colors in case of insects and butterflies is important for their biomimic and biophotonics applications. Structural color is the color which is produced by physical structures and their interaction with light while pigmentary color is produced by absorption of light by pigments. Common Emigrant butterfly is widely distributed in India. It is of moderate size with wing span of about 60-80 mm. The wings are broadly white with yellow or sulphur yellow coloration at places as well as few dark black patches. It belongs to family Pieridae. A study of structural color in case of Common Emigrant butterfly has been carried out in the present work. The characterization of wing color was performed using absorption spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopic study of the wings of Common Emigrant butterfly showed that three different types of scales are present on the wing surface dorsally. Diffracting structures are present in certain parts of the surfaces of the various scales. Bead like structures are embedded in the intricate structures of the scales. Absorption spectra revealed that a strong absorption peak is seen in the UV-range. Crystalline structure of beads was confirmed by the X-ray diffraction analysis.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2011

Intrinsic ferromagnetic properties in Cr-doped ZnO diluted magnetic semiconductors

The Cr-doped zinc oxide (Zn{sub 1-x}Cr{sub x}O, 0{<=}x{<=}0.08) diluted magnetic semiconductors have been synthesized successfully by the sol-gel method. Investigations on magnetic, optical and structural properties of the produced samples have been done. Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) shows the existence of Cr ion in the Cr-doped ZnO. The results of X-ray diffraction (XRD), the transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) indicate that the Cr ions are at least partially substitutionally incorporated into the crystal lattice of ZnO. The produced samples show good high-T{sub c} (Curie temperature) ferromagnetism (FM) in Cr-doped ZnO nanoparticles with Cr concentration of less than 5 at%. The results of photoluminescence (PL) further testify that FM is an intrinsic property of the Cr-doped ZnO nanoparticles. And the occurrence of FM should mainly contribute to the Cr doping. -- Graphical Abstract: As can be seen from the magnetic hysteresis loops of Zn{sub 1-x}Cr{sub x}O (x=0.01, 0.03, 0.05, and 0.08) at room temperature under 10 KOe, the samples show good high-T{sub c} ferromagnetism with Cr concentration of less than 5 at%. Display Omitted Highlights: {yields} Zn{sub 1-x}Cr{sub x}O(0{<=}x{<=}0.08) nanoparticles are successfully synthesized by sol-gel method. {yields} The Cr ions are substitutionally incorporated into the crystal lattice of ZnO. {yields} The Cr-doped ZnO nanoparticles show good high-T{sub c} ferromagnetism. {yields} The ferromagnetism is an intrinsic property of the Cr-doped ZnO nanoparticles.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

Pulsed laser deposition growth of heteroepitaxial YBa2Cu3O7/La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 superlattices on NdGaO3 and Sr0.7La0.3Al0.65Ta0.35O3 substrates

Heteroepitaxial superlattices of [YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7}(n)/La{sub 0.67}Ca{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3}(m)]{sub x} (YBCO/LCMO), where n and m are the number of YBCO and LCMO monolayers and x the number of bilayer repetitions, have been grown with pulsed laser deposition on NdGaO{sub 3} (110) and Sr{sub 0.7}La{sub 0.3}Al{sub 0.65}Ta{sub 0.35}O{sub 3} (001). These substrates are well lattice matched with YBCO and LCMO and, unlike the commonly used SrTiO{sub 3}, they do not give rise to complex and uncontrolled strain effects at low temperature. The growth dynamics and the structure have been studied in situ with reflection high-energy electron diffraction and ex situ with scanning transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and neutron reflectometry. The individual layers are found to be flat and continuous over long lateral distances with sharp and coherent interfaces and with a well-defined thickness of the individual layer. The only visible defects are antiphase boundaries in the YBCO layers that originate from perovskite unit-cell height steps at the interfaces with the LCMO layers. We also find that the first YBCO monolayer at the interface with LCMO has an unusual growth dynamics and is lacking the CuO chain layer, while the subsequent YBCO layers have the regular Y-123 structure. Accordingly, the CuO{sub 2} bilayers at both the LCMO/YBCO and the YBCO/LCMO interfaces are lacking one of their neighboring CuO chain layers and, thus, half of their hole-doping reservoir. Nevertheless, from electric transport measurements on a superlattice with n = 2 we obtain evidence that the interfacial CuO{sub 2} bilayers remain conducting and even exhibit the onset of a superconducting transition at very low temperature. Finally, we show from dc magnetization and neutron reflectometry measurements that the LCMO layers are strongly ferromagnetic.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2011

Template Synthesis Of Copper Nanowires Via Electrodeposition Technique And Their Characterization

Copper nanowires have been synthesized successfully using template assisted electrodeposition technique. Commercial polycarbonate membrane (Whatman, Japan) having pore diameter 100 nm, thickness 10 {mu}m and pore density 10{sup 7} pores/cm{sup 2} was used as template. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques were used to characterize the synthesized copper nanowires. XRD and SEM results reveal that polycrystalline copper nanowires were obtained with fcc lattice structure having diameter equal to the diameter of the template used.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Molecular beam epitaxy of InAlN lattice-matched to GaN with homogeneous composition using ammonia as nitrogen source

InAlN lattice-matched to GaN was grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) using ammonia as the nitrogen source. The alloy composition, growth conditions, and strain coherence of the InAlN were verified by high resolution x-ray diffraction {omega}-2{theta} scans and reciprocal space maps. Scanning transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy of the InAlN revealed the absence of lateral composition modulation that was observed in the films grown by plasma-assisted MBE. InAlN/AlN/GaN high electron mobility transistors with smooth surfaces were fabricated with electron mobilities exceeding 1600 cm{sup 2}/Vs and sheet resistances below 244 {Omega}/sq.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2011

Efficient E-Beam Lithography Exposure Strategies for Diffractive X-ray Optics

Exposure of structures with rotational symmetry by means of electron beam lithography is not trivial, because the e-beam writers are usually designed to deal with the data defined in Cartesian coordinates. Fabrication of circular nanostructures like Fresnel zone plates (FZPs) for x-ray microscopy applications requires exposures with resolution well below 1 nm. Therefore, special attention has to be paid to the efficient exposure data preparation, which will guarantee required precision and allow keeping the exposure time low. In this article, we describe in detail an optimized strategy that was applied for exposure of FZPs by the Vistec EBPG5000Plus e-beam lithography tool. Direct programming of exposure files allowed us to use fully the capabilities of this e-beam writer to expose efficiently and reproducibly FZPs with desired characteristics in both positive and negative tone resists.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Microfluidic sorting of protein nanocrystals by size for X-ray free-electron laser diffraction

The advent and application of the X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) has uncovered the structures of proteins that could not previously be solved using traditional crystallography. While this new technology is powerful, optimization of the process is still needed to improve data quality and analysis efficiency. One area is sample heterogeneity, where variations in crystal size (among other factors) lead to the requirement of large data sets (and thus 10–100 mg of protein) for determining accurate structure factors. To decrease sample dispersity, we developed a high-throughput microfluidic sorter operating on the principle of dielectrophoresis, whereby polydisperse particles can be transported into various fluid streams for size fractionation. Using this microsorter, we isolated several milliliters of photosystem I nanocrystal fractions ranging from 200 to 600 nm in size as characterized by dynamic light scattering, nanoparticle tracking, and electron microscopy. Sorted nanocrystals were delivered in a liquid jet via the gas dynamic virtual nozzle into the path of the XFEL at the Linac Coherent Light Source. We obtained diffraction to ∼4 Å resolution, indicating that the small crystals were not damaged by the sorting process. We also observed the shape transforms of photosystem I nanocrystals, demonstrating that our device can optimize data collection for the shape transform-based phasing method. Using simulations, we show that narrow crystal size distributions can significantly improve merged data quality in serial crystallography. From this proof-of-concept work, we expect that the automated size-sorting of protein crystals will become an important step for sample production by reducing the amount of protein needed for a high quality final structure and the development of novel phasing methods that exploit inter-Bragg reflection intensities or use variations in beam intensity for radiation damage-induced phasing. This method will also permit an analysis of the dependence of crystal quality on crystal size.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Impact load-induced micro-structural damage and micro-structure associated mechanical response of concrete made with different surface roughness and porosity aggregates

The relationship between the nature of micro damage under impact loading and changes in mechanical behavior associated with different microstructures is studied for concretes made with two different coarse aggregates having significant differences mainly in roughness and porosity - sintered fly ash and uncrushed gravel. A range of techniques including X-ray diffraction, digital image analysis, mercury porosimetry, X-ray computed tomography, laser surface profilometry and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize the aggregates and micro-structures. The concrete prepared with lightweight aggregates was stronger in compression than the gravel aggregate concrete due to enhanced hydration as a result of internal curing. In the lightweight concrete, it was deduced that an inhomogeneous micro-structure led to strain incompatibilities and consequent localized stress concentrations in the mix, leading to accelerated failure. The pore structure, compressibility, and surface texture of the aggregates are of paramount importance for the micro-cracking growth.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2011

Stepwise synthesis, characterization, and electrochemical properties of ordered mesoporous carbons containing well-dispersed Pt nanoparticles using a functionalized template route

A stepwise method is described for the accurately controlled growth of Pt nanoparticles supported on ordered mesoporous carbons (Pt-OMC) by the nanocasting of carbon and metal precursors in the pore channels of mesoporous silicas functionalized with Si-H groups. Results obtained from N{sub 2} adsorption/desorption isotherms and transmission electron microscopy showed well-dispersed Pt nanoparticles (2-3 nm) on Pt-OMC with high surface area (837 m{sup 2} g{sup -1}) and regular pore channels (2.9 nm), which facilitate reactant/product diffusion. X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicated that Pt nanoparticles in the Pt-OMC sample were mostly present in the metallic form of a face-centered cubic (fcc) crystalline structure. The Pt-OMC catalyst was found to have superior electrocatalytic properties during oxygen reduction reaction as compared to typical commercial electrocatalysts. - Graphical abstract: A novel procedure has been developed to synthesize ordered carbon mesoporous carbons (OMC) containing well-dispersed and highly electrocatalytic Pt nanoparticles (Pt-OMC) for oxygen reduction reaction. Highlights: > A novel method to incorporate nanosized Pt particles on nanostructure carbons. > Functionalized silica templates were used to control size and distribution of Pt nanoparticles. > Electrochemical measurements of oxygen reduction demonstrated high catalytic activity compared to common commercial catalysts.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2011

High Cubic-Phase Purity InN on MgO (001) Using Cubic-Phase GaN as a Buffer Layer

High cubic-phase purity InN films were grown on MgO (001) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy with a cubic-phase GaN buffer layer. The cubic phase purity of the InN grown layers has been analyzed by high resolution X-ray diffraction, {mu}-Raman scattering and transmission electron microscopy. It is evidenced that the hexagonal-phase content in the InN overlayer much depends on hexagonal-phase content in the cubic-phase GaN buffer layer and increases with increasing the hexagonal-phase GaN content. From Raman scattering measurements, in addition, the InN layer with lowest hexagonal component (6%), only Raman characteristics of cubic TO{sub InN} and LO{sub InN} modes were observed, indicating a formation of a small amount of stacking faults, which does not affect on vibrational property.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2011

CdTe-Cu(OH){sub 2} nanocomposite: Aqueous synthesis and characterization

CdTe-Cu(OH){sub 2} nanocomposites were synthesized in aqueous solution by a seed-mediated growth approach. The effect of refluxing time and the concentration of Cu{sup 2+} on the preparation of these samples were measured using UV-visible absorption and photoluminescence analysis. The emission peak of the synthesized nanocomposites (CdTe-Cu(OH){sub 2}) was shifted from 605 (CdTe seed) to 621 nm. The size of CdTe nanoparticles were averaged about 3.22 nm, and the CdTe-Cu(OH){sub 2} nanocomposites were averaged as 5.19 nm. The synthesized CdTe-Cu(OH){sub 2} nanocomposite were characterized with XRD, EDAX, TEM, FT-IR, EPR, and thermal analysis (TG/DTG curves). The results indicate that as-prepared nanoparticles with core/shell structure exhibit interesting optical properties. -- Graphical Abstract: Schematic of aqueous synthesis route for CdTe-Cu(OH){sub 2} nanocomposite and The Stokes shift of CdTe nanocrystals and CdTe-Cu(OH){sub 2} Nanocomposites, (CdTe: emission at 605 nm, CdTe-Cu(OH){sub 2}: emission at 621 nm). Display Omitted Highlights: {yields} CdTe-Cu(OH){sub 2} nanocomposites were synthesized by a seed-mediated growth approach. {yields} The synthetic procedure is simple, and can be easily scaled up. {yields} The effect of refluxing time on the preparation of these samples was measured. {yields} The Cu(OH){sub 2} shell thickness was controlled by the amount of Cu in the solution. {yields} TEM images demonstrated homogeneous size distribution for these nanocomposites.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2010

Carbon-doped single-crystalline SiGe/Si thermistor with high temperature coefficient of resistance and low noise level

SiGe (C)/Si(C) multiquantum wells have been studied as a thermistor material for future bolometers. A thermistor material for uncooled Si-based thermal detectors with thermal coefficient of resistance of 4.5%/K for 100x100 {mu}m{sup 2} pixel sizes and low noise constant (K{sub 1/f}) value of 4.4x10{sup -15} is presented. The outstanding performance of the devices is due to Ni-silicide contacts, smooth interfaces, and high quality multiquantum wells containing high Ge content.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2011

Effect of Magnesium Doping on Structural and Optical Properties of ZnO Nanoparticles Synthesized by Mechanochemical Processing

This paper presents the structural and optical properties of magnesium doped zinc oxide nanoparticles synthesized by mechanochemical processing. ZnO nanoparticles of different crystallite size were synthesized by milling the precursor materials for 5 h in a high energy planetary ball mill in Zr{sub 2}O{sub 3} media. NaCl was added as diluent to control the reaction rate in order to avoid the growth of nanoparticles. The milled powders were heat treated at 600 deg. C and then NaCl was leached out using distilled water. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) technique was employed for the phase and crystallite size analysis of the nanoparticles. Crystallite sizes were calculated from the XRD peak broadening using the Sherrer's formula. Scanning Electron Microscope was employed to analyze the particle morphology and size distribution of the Mg doped ZnO nanoparticles. Ultraviolet-Visible (Uv-Vis) spectroscope also was employed to analyze the optical absorption of the ZnO nano particles. Tauc plots were used to determine the energy gap of the nanoparticles samples.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗