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At least 685 records · Page 38

A facile one-step synthesis of Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles-decorated TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays as high performance electrode for supercapacitors

Via a facile one-step chemical bath deposition route, homogeneously dispersed Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles have been successfully deposited onto the inner surface of TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays (TNAs). The content and size of Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4} can be controlled by changing the deposition time. Field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy analysis reveal the morphologies structures of Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4}/TNAs composites. The crystal-line structures are characterized by the X-ray diffraction patterns and Raman spectra. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy further confirms the valence states of the sample elements. The electrochemical properties of Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4}/TNAs electrodes are systematically investigated by the combine use of cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The resulting Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4}/TNAs electrode prepared by deposition time of 3 h shows the highest specific capacitance of 570 F g{sup −1} at a current density of 1 A g{sup −1}. And it also shows an excellent long-term cycling stability at a current density of 5 A g{sup −1}, which remaining 91.8% of the initial capacitance after 2000 cycles. Thus this kind of Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles decorated TNAs may be considered as an alternative promising candidate for high performance supercapacitor electrodes. - Graphical abstract: Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles have been uniformly deposited onto the inner surfaces of TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays through a facile one-step chemical bath deposition method. As electrodes for supercapacitors, they exhibit a relatively high specific capacity and excellent cycling stability. - Highlights: • Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles have been deposited onto TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays by chemical bath deposition. • The Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4}/TNAs exhibits a highest specific capacitance of 570 F g{sup –1} at a current density of 1 A g{sup –1}. • The Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4}/TNAs electrode shows an excellent cycling stability of 91.8% after 2000 cycles.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Facile synthesis of {alpha}-MnO{sub 2} one-dimensional (1D) nanostructure and energy storage ability studies

The dense manganese oxide nanorods with an extremely narrow distribution are synthesized at a low temperature using first cathodic electrodeposition subsequently heat treatment. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images show that the nanorods have bar shapes, and their average diameter is less than 50 nm. The Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) study, the selected area electron diffraction (SAED) pattern in TEM images and the X-ray diffraction (XRD) result show that the nanorods are {alpha}-MnO{sub 2} single crystal. The results of N{sub 2} adsorption-desorption analysis indicate that the BET surface area of the {alpha}-MnO{sub 2} nanorods is 93 m{sup 2} g{sup -1}. By recording the potential-time curve during the electrodeposition process, it is revealed that water reduction reaction has a major role in the electrogeneration of base at the cathode surface under the applied electrochemical conditions. Finally, based on the H{sub 2} bubbling on the cathode surface, the mechanism of the formation and the growth of {alpha}-MnO{sub 2} nanorods are proposed and discussed. For the electrochemical supercapacitor application, electrochemically prepared {alpha}-MnO{sub 2} is found to be stable for a large number of cycles with high specific capacitance, 338 F g{sup -1} at a scan rate of 10 mV s{sup -1}. Finally, the charge-discharge mechanism is discussed. - Graphical abstract: Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer New nanostructures of MnO{sub 2} is synthesized by simple method of cathodicelectrodeposition. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The product has unique one-dimensional morphology with average diameter size of 50 nm. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The experiment conditions (temperature, current density) has not been reported. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The one-nanostructures obtained without using of hard template or surfactant.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Enhanced electron field emission from plasma-nitrogenated carbon nanotips

Nitrogenated carbon nanotips (NCNTPs) are synthesized by plasma-enhanced hot filament chemical vapor deposition from the hydrogen, methane, and nitrogen gas mixtures with different flow rate ratios of hydrogen to nitrogen. The morphological, structural, compositional, and electron field emission (EFE) properties of the NCNTPs were investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, x ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and EFE high-vacuum system. It is shown that the NCNTPs deposited at an intermediate flow rate ratio of hydrogen to nitrogen feature the best size/shape and pattern uniformity, the highest nanotip density, the highest nitrogen concentration, as well as the best electron field emission performance. Several factors that come into play along with the nitrogen incorporation, such as the combined effect of the plasma sputtering and etching, the transition of sp{sup 3} carbon clusters to sp{sup 2} carbon clusters, the increase of the size of the sp{sup 2} clusters, as well as the reduction of the work function, have been examined to interpret these experimental findings. Our results are highly relevant to the development of the next generation electron field emitters, flat panel displays, atomic force microscope probes, and several other advanced applications.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

A Comparative Study of Physical Properties of Er and Yb Nanophase Ferrite for Industrial Application

Nano ferrites CuCr{sub 0.3}Er{sub 0.03}Fe{sub 1.67}O{sub 4} and CuCr{sub 0.3}Yb{sub 0.03}Fe{sub 1.67}O{sub 4} were synthesized using standard ceramic technique. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns confirmed that the samples had cubic spinel structures. The average crystallite sizes of Er and Yb samples were in the range of 104.2–100 nm. The morphology analyses using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) confirmed that the samples were in the nanoscale range. The compositional analyses using energy-dispersive x-ray (EDX) showed the atomic percentage (at.%) and weight percentage (wt%) of the investigated samples. The magnetic properties were carried out at room (300 K) and at low (100 K) temperatures magnetic hysteresis loop. The data showed that Er sample had higher saturation magnetization (M{sub s}) and lower coercivity (H{sub c}) than that of Yb sample suggesting that Er sample can be applied in magnetic applications. Moreover, Er sample had higher dielectric constant (ε’), dielectric loss (ε”) and dielectric loss tangent (tan δ) than that of Yb sample. However, Yb sample had higher resistivity than that of Er sample suggesting that Yb sample can be applied in electrical applications.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Enhancing Network Visibility and Security through Tensor Analysis

The increasing size, variety, rate of growth and change, and complexity of network data has warranted advanced network analysis and services. Tools that provide automated analysis through traditional or advanced signature-based systems or machine learning classifiers suffer from practical difficulties. These tools fail to provide comprehensive and contextual insights into the network when put to practical use in operational cyber security. In this paper, we present an effective tool for network security and traffic analysis that uses high-performance data analytics based on a class of unsupervised learning algorithms called tensor decompositions. The tool aims to provide a scalable analysis of the network traffic data and also reduce the cognitive load of network analysts and be network-expert-friendly by presenting clear and actionable insights into the network. With this being said, In this paper, we demonstrate the successful use of the tool in two completely diverse operational cyber security environments, namely, (1) security operations center (SOC) for the SCinet network at the SuperComputing (SC) Conference in 2016 and 2017 and (2) Reservoir Labs’ Local Area Network (LAN). In each of these environments, we produce actionable results for cyber security specialists including (but not limited to) (1) finding malicious network traffic involving internal and external attackers using port scans, SSH brute forcing, and NTP amplification attacks, (2) uncovering obfuscated network threats such as data exfiltration using DNS port and using ICMP traffic, and (3) finding network misconfiguration and performance degradation patterns.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Iodosodalite synthesis with hot isostatic pressing of precursors produced from aqueous and hydrothermal processes

Iodosodalite powders were synthesized using aqueous and hydrothermal methods, with or without sodium borosilicate glass binders, and then hot isostatically pressed (HIP) at 900 ? and 175 MPa for 3 h to convert into waste forms. After HIPing, the structures, compositions, morphologies, porosities, and leach rates of the aqueous and hydrothermally produced iodosodalite samples were compared. X-ray diffraction patterns of HIPed samples showed that iodosodalite remained as the dominant phase. However, the fraction of the iodosodalite phase decreased after HIPing, indicating decomposition of the iodosodalite structure during the HIP process. Scanning electron microscopy and chemical imaging on the cross sections of HIPed samples showed homogeneous elemental distribution for aqueous-grown iodosodalite, whereas hydrothermally grown iodosodalite samples had more heterogeneity and porosity. The densities of HIPed samples with more glass binder were generally higher than sampled HIPed without binder. The leach tests on samples containing 20 mass% glass binder showed that the iodine dissolution rate of HIPed hydrothermally grown iodosodalite was about 4 times higher than iodosodalite by aqueous method. This study provides alternative techniques for immobilizing iodine-streams in iodosodalite waste forms.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗

Anisotropic topological surface states in thin-film monoclinic Ag 2 Se

Silver chalcogenide systems have recently attracted significant attention due to their promising topological insulating properties. Here we conducted systematic low-temperature local scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy and first-principles studies on the surface states of monoclinic Ag 2 Se thin films grown using molecular beam epitaxy. Through the use of quasi-particle interference patterns, we have observed evidence for topological surface states on the selenium-terminated surfaces with different types of defect densities. The results of ab initio calculations confirm the existence of nontrivial topological surface states in the monoclinic Ag 2 Se structure, for which such properties have not been previously reported. The energy dispersion determined using voltage-dependent standing wave patterns suggests that these topological states have an anisotropic Dirac cone structure. In conclusion, this discovery may lead to new applications for monoclinic Ag 2 Se in the rapidly growing fields of nanoelectronics and spintronics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

High-energy synchrotron X-ray diffraction measurements of simple bending of pseudoelastic NiTi shape memory alloy wires

Many technological applications of austenitic shape memory alloys (SMAs) involve cyclical mechanical loading and unloading in order to take advantage of pseudoelasticity. In this paper, we investigated the effect of mechanical bending of pseudoelastic NiTi SMA wires using high-energy synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction (SR-XRD). Differential scanning calorimetry was performed to identify the phase transformation temperatures. Scanning electron microscopy images show that micro-cracks in compressive regions of the wire propagate with increasing bend angle, while tensile regions tend not to exhibit crack propagation. SR-XRD patterns were analyzed to study the phase transformation and investigate micromechanical properties. By observing the various diffraction peaks such as the austenite (200) and the martensite ( ${\bar 1}12$ ), ( ${\bar 1}03$ ), ( ${\bar 1}11$ ), and (101) planes, intensities and residual strain values exhibit strong anisotropy, depending upon whether the sample is in compression or tension during bending.

Zhang, Baozhuo↗

Atomic-scale observation of structural and electronic orders in the layered compound α-RuCl 3

A pseudospin-1/2 Mott phase on a honeycomb lattice is proposed to host the celebrated two-dimensional Kitaev model which has an elusive quantum spin liquid ground state, and fascinating physics relevant to the development of future templates towards topological quantum bits. Here we report a comprehensive, atomically resolved real-space study by scanning transmission electron and scanning tunnelling microscopies on a novel layered material displaying Kitaev physics, -RuCl3. Our local crystallography analysis reveals considerable variations in the geometry of the ligand sublattice in thin films of -RuCl3 that opens a way to realization of a spatially inhomogeneous magnetic ground state at the nanometre length scale. Using scanning tunnelling techniques, we observe the electronic energy gap of 0.25 eV and intra-unit cell symmetry breaking of charge distribution in individual -RuCl3 surface layer. The corresponding charge-ordered pattern has a fine structure associated with two different types of charge disproportionation at Cl-terminated surface.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Development of a cost effective surface-patterned transparent conductive coating as top-contact of light emitting diodes

Sol-gel process has been used to form indium zinc oxide films using an optimized combination of zinc to indium concentration in the precursor solutions. Different structures, like one (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) gratings and diffractive optical elements (DOEs) in the form of Fresnel lens are fabricated on the film surface of proposed top metal contact of LED by imprint soft lithography technique. These structures can enhance the LED's light extraction efficiency (LEE) or can shape the output beam pattern, respectively. Several characterizations are done to analyze the material and structural properties of the films. The presence of 1D and 2D gratings as well as DOEs is confirmed from field emission scanning electron and atomic force microscopes analyses. Although, X-ray diffraction shows amorphous nature of the film, but transmission electron microscopy study shows that it is nano crystalline in nature having fine particles (∼8 nm) of hexagonal ZnO. Shrinkage behaviour of gratings as a function of curing temperature is explained by Fourier transform infra-red spectra and thermo gravimetric-differential thermal analysis. The visible transmission and sheet resistance of the sample are found comparable to tin doped indium oxide (ITO). Therefore, the film can compete as low cost substitute of ITO as top metal contact of LEDs.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

ARM West Antarctic Radiation Experiment (AWARE) Fourier Transform Infrared Filter Sampling Systems Field Campaign Report

West Antarctica is one of the most rapidly warming regions in the world (Bromwich et al. 2013; Steig et al. 2009) and the warming can directly cause sea level rise (King et al. 2012). In situ measurements are needed to examine and quantify the meteorological conditions in order to precisely understand the effect of warm air and clouds on the West Antarctic Ice Shelf (WAIS). The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) West Antarctic Radiation Experiment (AWARE) is designed to collect measurements with advanced cloud and aerosol instrumentation at West Antarctica. The Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) filter sampling systems were deployed as part of the ARM West Antarctic Radiation Experiment (AWARE) campaign to measure organic aerosol characteristics at McMurdo Station. As a coastal station at the southern end of Ross Island, McMurdo Station has a meteorological relationship with the WAIS via circulation patterns in the Ross and Amundsen Seas. Thirteen months of continuous observations of aerosol particle composition extended from December 2016 to January 2017. Filter samples were collected at McMurdo on pre-scanned Teflon filters (Teflon, Pall Inc., 37mm diameter) behind PM1 sharp-cut cyclones (SCC2.229 PM1, BGI Inc). Samples were collected each week with approximately 50-90 m3 air filtered per sample. Samples were frozen and transported below 0°C to the Scripps laboratory for FTIR spectroscopy analysis. A Bruker Tensor 27 FTIR spectrometer with a deuterated triglycine sulfate (DTGS) detector (Bruker, Waltham, MA) was used to scan the filters both before and after sampling. An automated algorithm (Takahama et al. 2013) was applied to quantify the mass of the organic functional groups. Four groups (alkane, amine, alcohol, and carboxylic acid) had absorption peaks above the limits of quantification, and the sum of the mass of the four functional groups is the quantified organic mass (OM). Absorption peaks for other groups (organosulfate, organonitrate, aromatic, and alkene group) were identified and fit but they were below the limit of quantification for more than 90% of the samples and are excluded. Similar FTIR measurements has been conducted in dozens of field campaigns around the world, including arctic regions (Russell et al. 2011). Local particle emissions from airports, diesel generators, and local transportation affected all aerosol measurements at various times during this project. The ARM Aerosol Measurement Science Group is aware of the issue and is working to develop algorithms to flag the data. This influence is evident in the FTIR measurements as it is associated with specific chemical signatures. DOE and the National Science Foundation, which manages the U.S. Antarctic Program, supported this collaboration for AWARE.

ARM West Antarctic Radiation Experiment, Fourier T↗

SU-E-T-562: Scanned Percent Depth Dose Curve Discrepancy for Photon Beams with Physical Wedge in Place (Varian IX) Using Different Sensitive Volume Ion Chambers

Purpose: To investigate and report the discrepancy of scanned percent depth dose (PDD) for photon beams with physical wedge in place when using ion chambers with different sensitive volumes. Methods/Materials: PDD curves of open fields and physical wedged fields (15, 30, 45, and 60 degree wedge) were scanned for photon beams (6MV and 10MV, Varian iX) with field size of 5x5 and 10x10 cm using three common scanning chambers with different sensitive volumes - PTW30013 (0.6cm3), PTW23323 (0.1cm3) and Exradin A16 (0.007cm3). The scanning system software used was OmniPro version 6.2, and the scanning water tank was the Scanditronix Wellhoffer RFA 300.The PDD curves from the three chambers were compared. Results: Scanned PDD curves of the same energy beams for open fields were almost identical between three chambers, but the wedged fields showed non-trivial differences. The largest differences were observed between chamber PTW30013 and Exradin A16. The differences increased as physical wedge angle increased. The differences also increased with depth, and were more pronounced for 6MV beam. Similar patterns were shown for both 5x5 and 10x10 cm field sizes. For open fields, all PDD values agreed with each other within 1% at 10cm depth and within 1.62% at 20 cm depth. For wedged fields, the difference of PDD values between PTW30013 and A16 reached 4.09% at 10cm depth, and 5.97% at 20 cm depth for 6MV with 60 degree physical wedge. Conclusion: We observed a significant difference in scanned PDD curves of photon beams with physical wedge in place obtained when using different sensitive volume ion chambers. The PDD curves scanned with the smallest sensitive volume ion chamber showed significant difference from larger chamber results, beyond 10cm depth. We believe this to be caused by varying response to beam hardening by the wedges.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗

Nanofabrication on unconventional substrates using transferred hard masks

Here, a major challenge in nanofabrication is to pattern unconventional substrates that cannot be processed for a variety of reasons, such as incompatibility with spin coating, electron beam lithography, optical lithography, or wet chemical steps. Here, we present a versatile nanofabrication method based on re-usable silicon membrane hard masks, patterned using standard lithography and mature silicon processing technology. These masks, transferred precisely onto targeted regions, can be in the millimetre scale. They allow for fabrication on a wide range of substrates, including rough, soft, and non-conductive materials, enabling feature linewidths down to 10 nm. Plasma etching, lift-off, and ion implantation are realized without the need for scanning electron/ion beam processing, UV exposure, or wet etching on target substrates.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Investigations of γ′, γ″ and δ precipitates in heat-treated Inconel 718 alloy fabricated by selective laser melting

Highlights: • The γ austenite matrix shows a fine cellular substructure. • γ′ and three variants of γ″ precipitates around 10–50 nm develop within cellular γ. • Coarser acicular γ″ and plate-like δ occur at grain boundaries and intragranular γ. • The orientation relationships of γ″ with γ, and of δ with γ are observed. - Abstract: Inconel 718 alloy samples were fabricated by selective laser melting (SLM). Microstructure and precipitation in solution-heat-treated- and double-aging-SLM-made Inconel 718 were studied by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Electron microscope observations showed that disc-shaped and cuboidal γ″, and circular γ′ precipitates with an average size of 10–50 nm developed within cellular γ austenite matrix. The simulated, experimentally observed electron diffraction patterns, and dark-field imaging further revealed that the precipitation of three variants of γ″ in the γ matrix occurred. The coarser acicular γ″, and globular as well as plate-like δ phases precipitated at grain boundaries and also within the interior of austenite matrix. The morphology, distribution and crystallography of these precipitates and their formation mechanisms were analyzed and discussed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Electron Microscopy Transfer System to Protect Atmosphere‐Sensitive Materials for Scanning Electron Microscopy Characterization

Atmosphere- and/or moisture-sensitive materials can be challenging to characterize using electron microscopy techniques due to sample preparation workflows that generally require exposure to ambient conditions. Here, we describe a novel preparation method that uses aluminum foil in combination with a commercial cryo-EM transfer system to circumvent undesired exposure to the atmosphere. First, hygroscopic MgCl 2 was used as a model material, and prepared samples (both protected and unprotected) were placed in a controlled-humidity environment (> 80% relative humidity) for various exposure lengths (circa seconds to hours). Following this, the effectiveness of the sample preparation method was determined by comparing qualitative photos and quantitative X-ray diffraction patterns between the two sample subsets. The combined results of these experiments suggest that the outlined preparation method effectively protects MgCl 2 from atmospheric contamination compared to MgCl 2 samples that had no protective measures taken. Finally, the preparation method was utilized to protect a highly hygroscopic crystalline BaO thin film for characterization via scanning electron microscopy, thereby demonstrating a functional application of the outlined preparation technique and an additional use for the commercial cryo-EM transfer system beyond its intended application.

atmosphere-sensitive materials↗

Compact CH 4 sensor system based on a continuous-wave, low power consumption, room temperature interband cascade laser

A tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy-based methane sensor, employing a dense-pattern multi-pass gas cell and a 3.3 µm, CW, DFB, room temperature interband cascade laser (ICL), is reported. The optical integration based on an advanced folded optical path design and an efficient ICL control system with appropriate electrical power management resulted in a CH 4 sensor with a small footprint (32 x 20 x 17 cm 3 ) and low-power consumption (6 W). Polynomial and least-squares fit algorithms are employed to remove the baseline of the spectral scan and retrieve CH 4 concentrations, respectively. An Allan-Werle deviation analysis shows that the measurement precision can reach 1.4 ppb for a 60 s averaging time. Continuous measurements covering a seven-day period were performed to demonstrate the stability and robustness of the reported CH 4 sensor system.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Microstructure detection of Mg-Zi-Ti-Si amorphous composite coating prepared by SMAT

Highlights: • The Mg-Zn-Ti-Si amorphous composite coating was prepared on Mg alloy via SMAT. • Except for amorphous portion, the phases of coating include Zn, Mg{sub 7}Zn{sub 3}, and Si. • The coating was thick and rough but it was well combined with the matrix. • During SMAT, the matrix surface was also strengthened because of solid-solution and grain refinement. - Abstract: The Mg-Zn-Ti-Si coating was prepared on Mg alloy through surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT) which was simple and low-cost. The microstructure and phase composition of coating were detected through a scanning electron microscope (SEM), an X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and a high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM). The results demonstrated that the layer thickness, which depended on the rotation speed, was 20–80 μm. Although the coating was rough, it was well combined with the matrix. The XRD pattern and HRTEM image analysis demonstrated that the coating contained both amorphous and crystalline phases (Zn, Mg{sub 7}Zn{sub 3} and Si). The process also led to matrix surface strengthening; the mechanisms are solid solution and grain refinement.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Effect of the mitral valve on diastolic flow patterns

The leaflets of the mitral valve interact with the mitral jet and significantly impact diastolic flow patterns, but the effect of mitral valve morphology and kinematics on diastolic flow and its implications for left ventricular function have not been clearly delineated. In the present study, we employ computational hemodynamic simulations to understand the effect of mitral valve leaflets on diastolic flow. A computational model of the left ventricle is constructed based on a high-resolution contrast computed-tomography scan, and a physiological inspired model of the mitral valve leaflets is synthesized from morphological and echocardiographic data. Simulations are performed with a diode type valve model as well as the physiological mitral valve model in order to delineate the effect of mitral-valve leaflets on the intraventricular flow. The study suggests that a normal physiological mitral valve promotes the formation of a circulatory (or “looped”) flow pattern in the ventricle. The mitral valve leaflets also increase the strength of the apical flow, thereby enhancing apical washout and mixing of ventricular blood. The implications of these findings on ventricular function as well as ventricular flow models are discussed.

42 ENGINEERING↗