Synthesis of Si nanocones using rf microplasma at atmospheric pressure

We report the synthesis of silicon nanocones using the rf microplasma discharge at atmospheric pressure. The products formed underneath the tube electrode on Fe-coated crystalline silicon were constituted mainly of silicon and silicon oxide despite the use of a methane-argon mixture. Carbon nanotubes and silicon nanowires were also formed around the silicon nanocones. The number density and average size of silicon nanocones increased with the plasma exposure time accompanied by the enlargement of their surface distribution. The growth mechanism of silicon nanocones is discussed in terms of the catalytic growth via diffusion of silicon through FeSi_x nanoclusters with nanocrystalline Si particle, and Si oxidation due to the plasma heating.     

Nickel nanocones as efficient and stable catalyst for electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction

In this work, nickel nanocones (NNCs) were fabricated by single-step electrodeposition method. The NNCs were used as hydrogen evolution electrode and their electrocatalytic activity was compared with pure nickel film. Linear Sweep Voltammetry (LSV), Tafel polarization, Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) and chronopotentiometry in 1 M KOH were used for study of the electrocatalytic activity for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The active surface area was increased by formation of NNCs and hence, the electrocatalytic activity of nickel electrode was improved. Results indicate that the current density corresponding to the amount of evolved hydrogen of NNCs is five times more than pure nickel film formed in the Watts bath.     

Parallel Fabrication of Plasmonic Nanocone Sensing Arrays

A fully parallel approach for the fabrication of arrays of metallic nanocones and triangular nanopyramids is presented. Different processes utilizing nanosphere lithography for the creation of etch masks are developed. Monolayers of spheres are reduced in size and directly used as masks, or mono‐ and double layers are employed as templates for the deposition of aluminum oxide masks. The masks are transferred into an underlying gold or silver layer by argon ion milling, which leads to nanocones or nanopyramids with very sharp tips. Near the tips the enhancement of an external electromagnetic field is particularly strong. This fact is confirmed by numerical simulations and by luminescence imaging in a confocal microscope. Such localized strong fields can amongst others be utilized for high‐resolution, high‐sensitivity spectroscopy and sensing of molecules near the tip. Arrays of such plasmonic nanostructures thus constitute controllable platforms for surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy. A thin film of pentacene molecules is evaporated onto both nanocone and nanopyramid substrates, and the observed Raman enhancement is evaluated.     

Vertically aligned one-dimensional AlN nanostructures on conductive substrates: Synthesis and field emission

Herein we report the synthesis of vertically aligned AlN nanostructures on conductive substrates through the chemical reaction between AlCl₃ and NH₃ in the temperature range of 650-850 °C. The morphologies of the AlN nanostructures could be controllably modulated from cone-like to rod-like geometries by increasing the reaction temperature. The formation mechanism of the AlN nanostructures on the nitrified Ti substrates has been discussed based on the analysis of the intermediate products. The field emission (FE) property of AlN nanocones grown on the nitrified Ti substrate is better than that for AlN nanocones on Si substrate. The improvement of FE property can be attributed to the lower resistance between AlN nanocones and the nitrified Ti substrate because the conductive titanium nitride film can directly contact with AlN emitters while a high-resistive silica layer would easily form between Si substrate and AlN nanocones. These results indicate that the deposition of nanoscale filed emitters on conductive substrates is an effective way to improve the FE behavior, and may find potential applications in FE devices.     

三维亲锂Cu@Sn纳米锥集流体用于无枝晶锂金属负极

锂在集流体上的不均匀沉积将导致严重的枝晶生长和体积膨胀等问题,传统的商业化泡沫铜集流体由于具有较大的体积和质量会降低电池的能量密度.本文通过简单的电沉积方法制备了体积小、重量轻,具有亲锂性的3D Cu@Sn纳米锥集流体.从成核与沉积的角度出发,纳米锥结构与亲锂的锡纳米颗粒的协同作用促进了锂的均匀沉积,可有效地抑制锂枝晶的生长.组装的半电池在1 mA cm^-2下经过100次循环后,库仑效率高达97.6%,锂对称电池在1 mA cm^-2下可以稳定循环600 h.将沉积金属锂后的Cu@Sn/Li复合负极与LiFePO₄组装的液态全电池在1 C倍率下, 550个循环之后,容量保持率为95.1%.此外, Cu@Sn纳米锥集流体在固态电池Li/Cu@Sn|PVDF–HFP–5 wt%Si O₂|LFP中也表现出优异的电化学性能,在1 C倍率下, 500个循环之后,放电容量未发生衰减.     

电磁场辅助HFCVD制备高场发射性能薄膜

目的提高碳素薄膜的场发射性能。方法在热丝化学气相沉积(HFCVD)技术的基础上,针对不同的甲烷浓度(体积分数,全文同)1%和5%,通过施加外场(电场、磁场以及电磁耦合场)分别调控出不同组织结构的薄膜。采用SEM观察薄膜的表面形貌,用Raman检测薄膜的成分,用场发射测试装置来表征薄膜的场发射性能。结果外场作为革新传统工艺的手段,可以影响HFCVD沉积过程。磁场的主要作用是降低晶粒尺寸,电场能够有效促进sp~3相向sp~2相转变,电磁耦合场在此基础上,还可以有效调控出高长径比的表面形貌。甲烷浓度为1%时,制备了金刚石薄膜,开启电场为11.2 V/μm,加入电场或电磁耦合场后,薄膜表面被刻蚀,发生金刚石向石墨的转变,开启电场降低到6.75 V/μm,场发射性能提高。甲烷浓度为5%时,加入磁场、电场制备的薄膜,开启电场由12.75 V/μm依次下降为11.5、9 V/μm,电磁耦合场的刻蚀作用可以获得尖锥状的形貌,且石墨相含量高,开启电场最低(5.65 V/μm),场发射性能最好。结论采用外场(电场、磁场以及电磁耦合场)辅助HFCVD的方式可以制备出多种薄膜,电磁耦合场在较高甲烷浓度时,不但可以提高石墨相含量,还可以获得高长径比的表面形貌,可有效提高薄膜的场发射性能。