Beaklike SnO2 nanorods with strong photoluminescent and field-emission properties

Beaklike SnO2 nanorods were synthesized by a vapor-liquid-solid approach using Au as a catalyst. The nanorods grow along the [10 1] direction and the beak is formed by switching the growth direction to [1 12] through controlling the growth conditions at the end of the synthesis. The photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of the nanorods exhibits visible light emission with a peak at 602 nm. The field-emission (FE) properties of the nanorods have been measured to exhibit a turn-on field of 5.8 V microm(-1). A comparative study of FE measurements between SnO2 nanorods with uniform diameters and these beaklike nanorods suggests that the shape and curved tips are important factors in determining the FE properties.     

Field-emission triode of low-temperature synthesized ZnO nanowires

A field-emission triode based on the low-temperature (75/spl deg/C) and hydrothermally synthesized single-crystalline zinc-oxide nanowires (ZnO NWs) grown on Si substrate with a silicon dioxide (SiO/sub 2/) insulator was fabricated for the controllable field-emission device application. Field-emission measurement reveals that the ZnO NWs fabricated on the Si substrate exhibit a good emission property with the turn-on electric field and threshold electric field (current density of 1 mA/cm/sup 2/) of 1.6 and 2.1 V//spl mu/m, respectively, with a field enhancement factor /spl beta/ of 3340. The field-emission properties of the ZnO NW-based triode exhibit the controllable characteristics. The well-controlled field-emission characteristics can be divided into three parts: gate leakage region, linear region, and saturation region. Therefore, this study provides a low-temperature field-emission triode fabrication process that is compatible with the Si-based microelectronic integration, and the field-emission measurements also reveal that the emission behavior can be well controlled by adopting the triode structure.     

Degradation of 4-chlorophenol in TiO2, WO3, SnO2, TiO2/WO3 and TiO2/SnO2 systems

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the degradation performance of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) using TiO2/WO3 and TiO2/SnO2 systems. A BET surface area analyzer, UV-vis spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA) were employed to characterize the photocatalyst. The band edge wavelength increased to 475 nm and gap energy decreased to 2.61 eV in the TiO2/WO3 system as compare to the single TiO2. Although the specific surfaces area of TiO2/WO3 decreases due to its larger size as compared to either TiO2 or WO3, the 4-CP degradation efficiency significantly increased as compared to single TiO2 or WO3 system at 435 nm wavelength. The TiO2/WO3 degradation of 4-CP at 369 nm was in fact inhibited. For TiO2/SnO2, the degradation efficiency also suffered at 369 nm, and only slightly increased compared to otherwise hardly 4-CP degraded in single TiO2 or SnO2 system. Since there is a significant accumulation of byproducts, the buildup of these intermediates on the catalyst surface may be responsible for their poor performance.     

Enhancement of field emission and photoluminescence properties of graphene-SnO2 composite nanostructures

In this study, the SnO(2) nanostructures and graphene-SnO(2) (G-SnO(2)) composite nanostructures were prepared on n-Si (100) substrates by electrophoretic deposition and magnetron sputtering techniques. The field emission of SnO(2) nanostructures is improved largely by depositing graphene buffer layer, and the field emission of G-SnO(2) composite nanostructures can also further be improved by decreasing sputtering time of Sn nanoparticles to 5 min. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra of the SnO(2) nanostructures revealed multipeaks, which are consistent with previous reports except for a new peak at 422 nm. Intensity of six emission peaks increased after depositing graphene buffer layer. Our results indicated that graphene can also be used as buffer layer acting as interface modification to simultaneity improve the field emission and PL properties of SnO(2) nanostructures effectively.     

A metal/insulator/metal field-emission cannon

A barrel-shaped metal/insulator/metal (MIM) field-emission cathode, also referred to as a field-emission cannon, is constructed using conventional SU-8 UV lithography combined with sputtering and lift-off processes. An array of these field-emission cannons has demonstrated uniform field emission in a luminescent pixel array. The field-emission test proves that the unique geometry of the field-emission cannon significantly improves field-emission efficiency and electron beam focus. Detailed data analysis has revealed that both conventional sharp edge field emission and MIM field emission contribute to the total emission current. The field emission starts from an edge emission at gate voltages (Vg) below 8 V. When Vg increases above 8 V, electrons tunnel into the cannon through the thin SiO2 layer and inner metal layer (i.e., the gate electrode). Thus, the MIM field emission starts to dominate.     

Photoluminescence and field-emission characteristics of ZnO nanowires synthesized by two-step method

ZnO nanowires with excellent photoluminescence (PL) and field-emission properties were synthesized by a two-step method, and the ZnO nanowires grew along (0 0 2) direction. PL measurements showed that the ZnO nanowires have stronger ultraviolet emission properties at 376 nm and there is 3 nm blue shift after the nanowires were immersed in thiourea (TU) solution compared with those of without immersion. The immersed-ZnO nanowires show a turn-on field of 2.3 V/μm at a current density of 0.1 μA/cm and emission current density up to 1 mA/cm² at an applied field of 6.8 V/μm, which demonstrate that the immersed-ZnO nanowires posses efficient field-emission properties in contrast with those not immersed. The ZnO nanowires may be ideal candidates for making luminescent devices and field-emission displays.     

新型SnO2/WO3双层薄膜NO2敏感性能研究

采用射频磁控反应溅射锡(Sn)靶和钨(W)靶的方法制备了SnO2/WO3双层薄膜材料,通过XRD和XPS实验研究了双层薄膜的物相结构和组份,结果表明,SnO2/WO3双层薄膜经过热处理后形成了SnWO4化合物.在此基础之上,制作了相应的NO2气体敏感薄膜传感器,研究了双层薄膜传感器的制备工艺参数及工作条件对传感器性能的影响,研究了传感器的敏感特性,包括灵敏度、选择性、响应恢复等特性.结果表明,传感器对NO2气体有较好的敏感性,对其他干扰气体不敏感.     

SnO2/WO3 core-shell nanorods and their high reversible capacity as lithium-ion battery anodes

WO(3) nanorods are uniformly coated with SnO(2) nanoparticles via a facile wet-chemical route. The reversible capacity of SnO(2)/WO(3) core-shell nanorods is 845.9 mA h g(-1), higher than that of bare WO(3) nanorods, SnO(2) nanostructures, and traditional theoretical results. Such behavior can be attributed to a novel mechanism by which nanostructured metallic tungsten makes extra Li(2)O (from SnO(2)) reversibly convert to Li(+). This mechanism is confirmed by x-ray diffraction results. Our results open a way for enhancing the reversible capacity of alloy-type metal oxide anode materials.     

Development of a detection sensor for lethal H2S gas

The gas which may be lethal to human body with short-term exposure in common industrial fields or workplaces in LAB may paralyze the olfactory sense and impose severe damages to central nervous system and lung. This study is concerned with the gas sensor which allows individuals to avoid the toxic gas that may be generated in the space with residues of organic wastes under 50 degrees C or above. This study investigates response and selectivity of the sensor to hydrogen sulfide gas with operating temperatures and catalysts. The thick-film semiconductor sensor for hydrogen sulfide gas detection was fabricated WO3/SnO2 prepared by sol-gel and precipitation methods. The nanosized SnO2 powder mixed with the various metal oxides (WO3, TiO2, and ZnO) and doped with transition metals (Au, Ru, Pd Ag and In). Particle sizes, specific surface areas and phases of sensor materials were investigated by SEM, BET and XRD analyses. The metal-WO3/SnO2 thick films were prepared by screen-printing method. The measured response to hydrogen sulfide gas is defined as the ratio (Ra/R,) of the resistance of WO3ISnO2 film in air to the resistance of WO3/SnO2 film in a hydrogen sulfide gas. It was shown that the highest response and selectivity of the sensor for hydrogen sulfide by doping with 1 wt% Ru and 10 wt% WO3 to SnO2 at the optimum operating temperature of 200 degrees C.     

Nanostructured CaWO4, CaWO4:Eu3+ and CaWO4:Tb3+ particles: sonochemical synthesis and luminescent properties

Nanostructured CaWO4, CaWO4:Eu3+, and CaWO4:Tb3+ phosphor particles were synthesized via a facile sonochemical route. X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, photoluminescence, low voltage cathodoluminescence spectra, and photoluminescence lifetimes were used to characterize the as-obtained samples. The X-ray diffraction results indicate that the samples are well crystallized with the scheelite structure of CaWO4. The transmission electron microscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy images illustrate that the powders consist of spherical particles with sizes from 120 to 160 nm, which are the aggregates of even smaller nanoparticles ranging from 10 to 20 nm. Under UV light or electron beam excitation, the CaWO4 powder exhibited a blue emission band with a maximum at 430 nm originating from the WO4/2- groups, while the CaWO4:Eu3+ powder showed red emission dominated by 613 nm ascribed to the 5D0 --> 7F2 of Eu3+, and the CaWO4:Tb3+ powders showed emission at 544 nm, ascribed to the 5D4 --> 7F5 transition of Tb3+. The PL excitation and emission spectra suggest that the energy is transferred from WO4/2- to Eu3+ CaWO4:Eu3+ and to Tb3+ in CaWO4:Tb3+. Moreover, the energy transfer from WO4/2- to Tb3+ in CaWO4:Tb3+ is more efficient than that from WO4/2- to EU3+ in CaWO4:Eu3+. This novel and efficient pathway could open new opportunities for further investigating the novel properties of tungstate materials.     

碳纳米管/聚四氟乙烯复合材料场发射特性研究

通过催化热解法制备了碳纳米管,采用机械共混法制作了碳纳米管/聚四氟乙烯复合材料场发射阴极,研究了不同碳纳米管质量分数对复合材料阴极场发射特性的影响,通过制作的封装结构,对比研究了真空环境下碳纳米管/聚四氟乙烯与碳纳米管/环氧树脂复合材料的场发射特性,证明碳纳米管/聚四氟乙烯复合材料更适用于场发射阴极的真空环境中,可以满足场发射显示器件的要求.     

Enhanced field-emission from a mixture of carbon nanotubes, ZnO tetrapods and conductive particles

We report the enhancement of field-emission current from a mixture of carbon nanotubes, ZnO tetrapod-like nano structures, and conductive particles. Carbon nanotubes are deposited on the electrode as the field emitters. A MgO layer is printed around the cathode electrode, and ZnO tetrapod-like nano structures are deposited on this layer for the generation of secondary emission electrons. A few conductive particles are also distributed on the MgO layer by spraying or screen-printing. These conductive particles enhance the transverse electric field around the cathode electrode. Consequently, more primary electrons emitted from the carbon nanotubes bombard on the ZnO tetrapods, and secondary emission electrons and scattered electrons are yielded. Finally, the field-emission current is enhanced obviously. As experimental results shown, a high field-emission current about 32 mA in a direct current emission mode has been obtained from a 0.5 cm2 emission site when an electric field of 9 V/microm is applied between cathode and anode. Compared with a conventional carbon nanotube cathode, the field-emission current has been improved about 80%.     

Electrical failure behaviors of semiconductor oxide nanowires

Electrical failure studies on semiconductor oxide nanowires (NWs) were performed in situ inside a transmission electron microscope (TEM). A high driven current leads to a sudden fracture of the SnO(2) NW and creates ultra-sharp and high aspect ratio tips at the broken ends, which provides a simple and reliable way for in situ nanoprobe fabrication. As a comparison, the TiO(2) NW fails due to Joule-heating-induced melting and retracts back into a nanosphere. The distinct behaviors are rooted in the different bonding nature. The strong ionic bonding between titanium and oxygen ions preserves the stoichiometry, while the covalently bonded SnO(2) NW decomposes before melting. The decomposition process is observed by resistively heating an SnO(2)/TiO(2) core-shell structure. It has been demonstrated that the needle-like geometry greatly enhanced field emission properties of SnO(2) NWs.     

Single-crystal SnO(2) nanoshuttles: shape-controlled synthesis, perfect flexibility and high-performance field emission

Vertically aligned single-crystal SnO(2) nanoshuttle arrays with uniform morphology and a relatively high aspect ratio were synthesized by a simple hot-wall chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. It was found that regulating the growth temperature gradient could change the shape of the SnO(2) nanostructure from nanoshuttles to nanochisels and nanoneedles, and a self-catalyzing growth process was responsible for tunable morphologies of SnO(2) nanostructures. The as-synthesized SnO(2) nanoshuttles showed ultrahigh flexibility and strong toughness with a large elastic strain of ～ 6.2, which is much higher than reported for Si and ZnO nanowire as well as most crystalline metallic materials. The field emitter fabricated using SnO(2) nanoshuttle arrays has a low turn-on electric field of around 0.6 V μm(-1), and a high field emission current density of above 10 mA cm(-2), which is comparable with the highest emission current density of carbon nanotube and nanowire field emitters.     

Rutile structured SnO2 nanowires synthesized with metal catalyst by thermal evaporation method

One-dimensional (1-D) nanostructures such as tubes, rods, wires, and belts have attracted considerable research activities owing to their strong application potential as components for nanosize electronic or optoelectronic devices utilizing superior optical and electrical properties. Characterizing the mechanical properties of nanostructure is of great importance for their applications in electronics, optoelectronics, sensors, actuators. Wide-bandgap SnO2 semiconducting material (Eg = 3.6 eV at room temperature) is one of the attractive candidates for optoelectronic devices operating at room temperature, gas sensors, and transparent conducting electrodes. The synthesis and gas sensing properties of semiconducting SnO2 nanomaterials have became one of important research issues since the first synthesis of SnO2 nanobelts. Considering the important application of SnO2 in sensors, these structures are not only ideal systems for fundamental understanding at the nanoscale level, but they also have potential applications as nanoscale sensors, resonator, and transducers. The structured SnO2 nanorods have been grown on silicon substrates with Au catalytic layer by thermal evporation process over 800 degrees C. The resulting sample is characterized and analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The morphology and structural properties of SnO2 nanowires were measured by scanning electron microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The mean diameter of the SnO2 nanorods grown on Au coated silicon (100) substrate is approximately 80 nm. In addition, X-ray diffraction measurements show that SnO2 nanorods have a rutile structure. The formation of SnO2 nanowires has been attributed to the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth mechanisms depending on the processing conditions. We investigated the growth behavior of the SnO2 nanowires by variation of the growth conditions such as gas partial pressure and temperature.     

Carbon nanotube electron sources and applications

In this review we give an overview of the present status of research on carbon nanotube (CNT) field emitters and their applications. Several different construction principles of field-emission devices with CNTs are summarized. The emission mechanism is introduced and a detailed overview is given of the measured emission properties and related topics of CNT electron sources. We give also several examples of field-emission devices with CNT electron emitters that are presently being investigated in the academic world as well as in industry. Carbon nanotube electron sources clearly have interesting properties, such as low voltage operation, good stability, long lifetime and high brightness. The most promising applications are the field-emission display and high-resolution electron-beam instruments. But several hurdles remain, such as the manufacture of an electron source or an array of electron sources with exactly the desired properties in a reproducible manner.     

复合电沉积制备SnO2/TiO2薄膜及其光电催化性能

为了寻求廉价、高效和稳定的光催化剂,用复合电沉积技术在紫铜片上制备了Sn/TiO2薄膜,经300℃热氧化使之形成SnO2/TiO2复合电极.利用SEM,XRD对薄膜进行了表征,以甲基橙为模型化合物,对复合电极的光催化和光电催化性能进行了测定.研究表明:该薄膜由0.3~1μm的颗粒构成,每个颗粒又由纳米晶粒形成;电极具有多孔结构,膜中的SnO2以两种不同的晶体结构存在;在薄膜质量相等的情况下,SnO2/TiO2薄膜的光催化活性是纯TiO2粒子膜的2.87倍;外加一定偏压下,其催化性能大幅度提高.     

Room temperature mass production of carbon nanotube field emission micro-cathode arrays using electroplating of a CNT/Ni composite followed by micro-machining

A room temperature fabrication method for the mass production of carbon nanotube (CNT) field emission micro-cathode arrays is reported. The technique combines electroplating of a CNT/Ni composite and micro-machining. This method combines the advantages of direct growth and screen printing conventionally used to fabricate such structures and avoids their disadvantages. Due to its integration and room temperature processing, the technique is proven to be advantageous in mass production and low cost. Results of field emission testing show that the CNT micro-cathodes have excellent field-emission properties, such as high current density (15.7 mA/cm²), field enhancement factor (2.4 × 10⁶/cm), and good stability (109 h for 10% degradation of current density from 400 μA/cm²).     

Self-assembled peanut-like Ln3+ (Ln = Tb, Sm, Eu) doped NaLa(WO4)2: phase control and its relevance to luminescence modification

Ln3+ (Ln = Tb, Sm, Eu) doped NaLa(WO4)2 peanuts were successfully self-assembled by a facile EDTA assisted hydrothermal treatment. EDTA played critical roles in the phase and morphology control, which regulated the phase transformation from monoclinic La2(WO4)3 flowers to tetrahedral NaLa(WO4)2 peanuts. La2(WO4)3:Tb3+ exhibited two broad excitation bands at 280 and 340 nm, which are related to the normal and perturb sites of WO4(2-). However, the excitation band for NaLa(WO4)2:Tb3+ shifted to near ultraviolet region and showed only one broad excitation band originating from perturb sites. Under ultraviolet excitation, La2(WO4)3:Tb3+ displayed green light and NaLa(WO4)2:Tb3+ showed blue-green light consisting of WO4(2-) self-activated blue emission and the characteristic Tb3+ emission. It can be clearly seen that the blue emission of WO4(2-) was not sufficiently quenched in NaLa(WO4)2 as that in La2(WO4)3, because the distortions of crystalline lattice for NaLa(WO4)2 may alter the energy migration processes. When doping with Sm3+ and Eu3+, NaLa(WO4)2 peanuts exhibited white color emission which may find practical applications in solid state lighting devices.     

Effects of calcination temperatures on photocatalytic activity of SnO2/TiO2 composite films prepared by an EPD method

SnO2/TiO2 composite films were fabricated on transparent electro-conductive glass substrates (F-doped SnO2-coated glass:FTO glass) via an electrophoretic deposition (EPD) method using Degussa P25 as raw materials, and were further characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra and Photoluminescence spectra (PL). XRD and XPS results confirmed that the films were composed of TiO2 and SnO2. FESEM images indicated that the as-prepared TiO2 films had roughness surfaces, which consisted of nano-sized particles. The effects of calcination temperatures on the surface morphology, microstructures and photocatalytic activity of SnO2/TiO2 composite films were further investigated. All the prepared SnO2/TiO2 composite films exhibited high photocatalytic activities for photocatalytic decolorization of Rhodamine-B aqueous solution. At 400 degrees C, the SnO2/TiO2 composite films showed the highest photocatalytic activity due to synergetic effects of low sodium content, good crystallization, appropriate phase composition and slower recombination rate of photogenerated charge carriers.