The photoluminescence and optical constant of ZnSe/SiO2 thin films prepared by sol–gel process

In this paper, ZnSe/SiO₂ thin films were prepared by sol–gel process. X-ray diffraction results indicate that the phase structure of ZnSe particles embedded in SiO₂ thin films is sphalerite (cubic ZnS). The dependence of ellipsometric angle ψ on wavelength λ of ZnSe/SiO₂ thin films was investigated by spectroscopic ellipsometers. The optical constant, thickness, porosity and the concentration of ZnSe/SiO₂ composite thin films were fitted according to Maxwell–Garnett effective medium theory. The thickness of ZnSe/SiO₂ thin films was also measured by surface profile. The photoluminescence properties of ZnSe/SiO₂ thin films were investigated by fluorescence spectrometer. The photoluminescence results reveal that the emission peak at 487 nm (2.5 eV) excited by 395 nm corresponds to the band-to-band emission of sphalerite ZnSe crystal (2.58 eV). Strong free exciton emission and other emission peaks corresponding to ZnSe lattice defects are also observed.     

Failure analysis on the economisers of a biomass fuel boiler

The premature failure of the economiser in a biomass fuel boiler was studied. On the internal oxide surface, three morphologies of iron oxides – aggregate oxide (Fe₃O₄), flower oxide (Fe₃O₄) and spherical oxide (FeO) have been discovered using ESEM/EDS. The oxidation and pitting occurred on the internal surface was trivial in comparison to the erosion–corrosion rate at outer surface of the economiser. The dominant abrasive SiO₂ particles were partially cemented by the calcium compound particles in the biomass fly ash. The individual sharp abrasive SiO₂ particles had been revealed with filtergram by dissolved the calcium compound particles in acid solution. The average size of SiO₂ particles was approximately 100 μm. Some SiO₂ particles were up to 500 μm. Study on the external scale found different oxide morphologies and the compositions, the flower-like oxide (Fe₃O₄) at the top and “mud-crack” FeO oxide at the flat sides. The wastage profile of ‘V-shaped thickness thinning’ can be explained by the mechanism proposed in this paper; the oxidation acting simultaneously with two-body abrasive wear by fly ash particle impingement.     

Enhanced photocatalytic property of nanoporous TiO2/SiO2 micro-particles prepared by aerosol assisted co-assembly of nanoparticles

Nanoporous TiO₂/SiO₂ composite micro-particles were prepared by an aerosol assisted co-assembly (AACA) and their characteristics were investigated for photocatalytic application. The average diameter of resulting co-assembled TiO₂/SiO₂ particles was ranged 4–10 μm, and increased as the precursor concentration increased. The TiO₂/SiO₂ particles were spherical in shape and pores ranged 1–100 nm in diameter. Photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared nanoporous TiO₂/SiO₂ particles was evaluated by measuring the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) and NO_x. Furthermore, the photocatalytic activity of nanoporous TiO₂/SiO₂ particles was compared with those of commercial TiO₂ nanoparticles and nanoporous TiO₂ particles. The nanoporous TiO₂/SiO₂ particles exhibited the highest photodegradation of MB and NO_x among three samples, which was 80% after 3 h and 55% at 10 min, respectively.     

Co-electrospinning fabrication and photocatalytic performance of TiO2/SiO2 core/sheath nanofibers with tunable sheath thickness

In this paper, core/sheath TiO₂/SiO₂ nanofibers with tunable sheath thickness were directly fabricated via a facile co-electrospinning technique with subsequent calcination at 500 °C. The morphologies and structures of core/sheath TiO₂/SiO₂ nanofibers were characterized by TGA, FESEM, TEM, FTIR, XPS and BET. It was found that the 1D core/sheath nanofibers are made up of anatase–rutile TiO₂ core and amorphous SiO₂ sheath. The influences of SiO₂ sheath and its thickness on the photoreactivity were evaluated by observing photo-degradation of methylene blue aqueous solution under the irradiation of UV light. Compared with pure TiO₂ nanofibers, the core/sheath TiO₂/SiO₂ nanofibers performed a better catalytic performance. That was attributed to not only efficient separation of hole–electron pairs resulting from the formation of heterojunction but also larger surface area and surface silanol group which will be useful to provide higher capacity for oxygen adsorption to generate more hydroxyl radicals. And the optimized core/sheath TiO₂/SiO₂ nanofibers with a sheath thickness of 37 nm exhibited the best photocatalytic performance.     

Synthesis and functionalization of SiO2 coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles with amine groups based on self-assembly

The purpose of this research was to synthesize amino modified Fe₃O₄/SiO₂ nanoshells for biomedical applications. Magnetic iron-oxide nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared via co-precipitation. The NPs were then modified with a thin layer of amorphous silica. The particle surface was then terminated with amine groups. The results showed that smaller particles can be synthesized by decreasing the NaOH concentration, which in our case this corresponded to 35 nm using 0.9 M of NaOH at 750 rpm with a specific surface area of 41 m² g^? 1 for uncoated Fe₃O₄ NPs and it increased to about 208 m² g^?1 for 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTS) coated Fe₃O₄/SiO₂ NPs. The total thickness and the structure of core-shell was measured and studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). For uncoated Fe₃O₄ NPs, the results showed an octahedral geometry with saturation magnetization range of (80–100) emu g^?1 and coercivity of (80–120) Oe for particles between (35–96) nm, respectively. The Fe₃O₄/SiO₂ NPs with 50 nm as particle size, demonstrated a magnetization value of 30 emu g^?1. The stable magnetic fluid contained well-dispersed Fe₃O₄/SiO₂/APTS nanoshells which indicated monodispersity and fast magnetic response.     

Synthesis of micron-sized porous CeO2SiO2 composite particles for ultraviolet absorption

Micron-sized porous composite particles composed of CeO₂ and SiO₂ nanoparticles were prepared for a UV absorption application by an aerosol spray-drying process from as-prepared CeO₂ nanoparticles, commercial SiO₂, and a polystyrene latex template. The morphology, structure crystallinity and pore size distribution of the as-prepared porous CeO₂SiO₂ composite particles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) method, respectively. The porous CeO₂SiO₂ composite particles, with diameters of approximately 10 μm, showed a spherical morphology. As the contents of CeO₂ in the precursor was increased from 0.25 wt% to 1.5 wt%, we observed a change in the morphology of the composite particles from compactly packed porous particles to loosely packed porous particles. The as-prepared CeO₂SiO₂ composite particles were composed of meso- and macropores in the range of 3–200 nm. The effect of the CeO₂ content on the porous composite particles in terms of the UV absorption properties was also investigated by UV-visible spectroscopy. When the content of CeO₂ exceeded 0.75 wt% in the precursor, the particles showed higher UV absorption values compared to those of commercial TiO₂ nanoparticles. The as-prepared porous CeO₂SiO₂ composite particles can therefore be promising materials given their high UV absorption value.     

Brazing of SiO2f/SiO2 composite modified with few-layer graphene and Invar using AgCuTi alloy

Due to the poor wettability of the AgCuTi alloy on the SiO_2f/SiO₂ composite, direct brazing of the composite with an Invar alloy could hardly achieve a reliable joint. To overcome that, the SiO_2f/SiO₂ composite was decorated with few-layer graphene (FLG) by a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method. Sessile drop experiments indicate that the contact angle dropped from 123.8° to 50.7° after FLG was grown on the surface of the SiO_2f/SiO₂ composite. Afterwards, the effects of brazing temperature and Ti contents on the microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of joints (Invar/SiO_2f–SiO₂ modified with FLG) were investigated. The typical interface structure of the joint is SiO_2f–SiO₂/Ti₅Si₃ + TiO₂ + Cu_xTi_6 − xO(x = 2,3)/Ag(s,s) + Cu(s,s) + Cu–Ti blocks/wave-like Fe₂Ti + Ni₃Ti/Ag(s,s) + Cu(s,s) + Fe₂Ti + Ni₃Ti blocks/Invar. As the brazing temperature and Ti contents increase, the reaction layer on the SiO_2f/SiO₂ side becomes thicker and cracks gradually propagate. Meanwhile, a few dispersive Fe₂Ti + Ni₃Ti phases change into large-area wave-like compounds and more Cu–Ti compounds form with the increase of the Ti content. The microstructure evolution significantly affects the shear strength of the brazed joints. The highest shear strength is 26 MPa brazed at 860 °C for 10 min with 4.5 wt.% Ti content.     

Experimental investigation of the size effects of SiO2 nano-particles on the mechanical properties of binary blended concrete

In the current study, the size effects of SiO₂ nano-particles on compressive, flexural and tensile strength of binary blended concrete were investigated. SiO₂ nano-particles with two different sizes of 15 and 80 nm have been used as a partial cement replacement by 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 wt.%. It was concluded that concrete specimens containing SiO₂ particles with average diameter of 15 nm were harder than those containing 80 nm of SiO₂ particles at the initial days of curing. But this condition was altered at 90 days of curing. Also from the viewpoint of free energy, it can be concluded that the C–S–H gel formation around the particles with average diameter of 15 nm was more at the primary days of curing. This can be as a result of more nucleation sites that causes acceleration in early age strength. On the other hand, the growth probability of C–S–H gel around the 80 nm particles was more at 90 days of moist curing. This is due to the fact that the nucleus of strengthening gel could simply reach to the critical volume of nucleation that causes increase in the strength.     

Graphene-enhanced microwave absorption properties of Fe3O4/SiO2 nanorods

Fe₃O₄/SiO₂/graphene composite composed of Fe₃O₄/SiO₂ core–shell nanorods and graphene nanosheets were synthesized by a facile wet chemical method. Structure and morphology studies reveal that the Fe₃O₄/SiO₂ nanorods with porous structure and large aspect ratio are densely wrapped by the graphene nanosheets. By changing the graphene content, the electromagnetic properties of the Fe₃O₄/SiO₂/graphene composite can be well tuned. When the weight ratio of Fe₃O₄/SiO₂ to graphene reaches an appropriate value, excellent microwave absorption performance is achieved due to the large electromagnetic losses and good impedance matching. The Fe₃O₄/SiO₂/graphene composite with graphene content of 5 wt.% shows the minimum reflection loss of −27.1 dB at 12.2 GHz when the coating layer thickness is only 1.5 mm.     

Effect of silica coating thickness on the thermal conductivity of polyurethane/SiO2 coated multiwalled carbon nanotube composites

Silica coated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (SiO₂@MWCNTs) with different coating thicknesses of ∼4 nm, 30–50 nm, and 70–90 nm were synthesized by a sol–gel method and compounded with polyurethane (PU). The effects of SiO₂@MWCNTs on the electrical properties and thermal conductivity of the resulting PU/SiO₂@MWCNT composites were investigated. The SiO₂ coating maintained the high electrical resistivity of pure PU. Meanwhile, incorporating 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0 wt% SiO₂@MWCNT (70–90 nm) into PU, produced thermal conductivity values of 0.287, 0.289 and 0.310 W/mK, respectively, representing increases of 62.1%, 63.3% and 75.1%. The thermal conductivity of PU/SiO₂@MWCNT composites was also increased by increasing the thickness of the SiO₂ coating.     

Ti/SiO2 composite fabricated by powder metallurgy for orthopedic implant

Titanium/silica (Ti/SiO₂) composites are fabricated using powder metallurgy (P/M). Nanoscale biocompatible SiO₂ particles are selected as reinforcement for the Ti/SiO₂ composite to enhance its biocompatibility and strength, especially when with high porosity. Effects of the SiO₂ particle addition and sintering temperature on mechanical properties of the Ti/SiO₂ composites are investigated. The results indicate that the mechanical property of Ti/SiO₂ composites sintered at 1100 °C are better than those at 900 and 1000 °C. The strength of the Ti/SiO₂ composites is significantly higher than that of pure titanium. The composite with the SiO₂ content of 2 wt% sintered at 1100 °C for 4 h shows an appropriate mechanical property with a relative density of 96.5%, a compressive strength of 1566 MPa and good plasticity (an ultimate strain of 15.96%). In vitro results reveal that the Ti/SiO₂ composite possesses excellent biocompatibility and cell adhesion. Osteoblast-like cells grow and spread well on the surfaces of the Ti/SiO₂ composites. The Ti/SiO₂ composite is a promising material for great potential used as an orthopedic implant material.     

Sol–gel auto-combustion synthesis of PVP/CoFe2O4 nanocomposite and its magnetic characterization

Poly(vinyl pyrrolidone)/CoFe₂O₄ nanocomposite has been fabricated by a sol–gel auto-combustion method. Poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) was used as a reducing agent as well as a surface capping agent to prevent particle aggregation and stabilize the particles. The average crystallite size estimated from X-ray line profile fitting was found to be 20 ± 7 nm. The high field irreversibility and unsaturated magnetization behaviours indicate the presence of the core–shell structure in the sample. The exchange bias effect observed at 10 K suggests the existence of the magnetically aligned core surrounded by spin-disordered surface layer. The reduced remanent magnetization value of 0.6 at 10 K (higher than the theoretical value of 0.5) shows the PVP/CoFe₂O₄ nanocomposite to have cubic magnetocrystalline anisotropy according to the Stoner–Wohlfarth model.     

Amorphous InGaZnO thin film transistors with SiO2/HfO2 double-layer gate dielectric fabricated at low temperature

Amorphous InGaZnO (a-IGZO) thin film transistors (TFTs) with double-layer gate dielectric were fabricated at low temperature and characterized. A stacked 150 nm-thick SiO₂/50 nm-thick HfO₂ dielectric layer was employed to improve the capacitance and leakage characteristics of the gate oxide. The SiO₂/HfO₂ showed a higher capacitance of 35 nF/cm² and a lower leakage current density of 4.6 nA/cm² than 200 nm-thick SiO₂. The obtained saturation mobility (μ_sat), threshold voltage (V_th), and subthreshold swing (S) of the fabricated TFTs were 18.8 cm² V^?1 s^?1, 0.88 V, and 0.48 V/decade, respectively. Furthermore, it was found that oxygen pressure during the IGZO channel layer deposition had a great influence on the performance of the TFTs.     

Mechanical and magnetic properties of γ-Ni–xFe/Al2O3 composites

Ultra-fine grained γ-Ni–xFe (x = 20, 50, and 64 (nominal)) dispersed Al₂O₃-matrix composites were fabricated by a mechano-chemical process plus hot-pressing, and their mechanical and magnetic properties were explored. The results indicated that all composites incorporated with different γ-Ni–xFe alloys possessed high densities (relative density D ⩾ 98%) and sub-micrometer-sized matrix dispersed with γ-Ni–xFe particles of sizes below ∼500 nm. As compared to other two composite systems, γ-Ni–20Fe/Al₂O₃ had finer microstructures and displayed superior fracture toughness and strength. In high iron-contained γ-Ni–64Fe/Al₂O₃ composite undesired FeAl₂O₄ phase formed on the matrix grain boundaries, which is mainly responsible for its inferior mechanical properties. Although Young’s modulus and hardness of Ni–20Fe/Al₂O₃ composite system decreased, its fracture toughness increased monotonously with increasing the alloy content in the composition range investigated. Moreover, incorporation of ferromagnetic γ-Ni–xFe particles led all the composite systems to display ferromagnetism with their saturation magnetization increasing almost linearly with increasing alloy content. In addition, experiments showed that their ferromagnetism had high thermal stability (T_c = ∼580 °C), no obvious magnetism degradation and magnetic interactions of the alloys with the matrix being observed. The combination of good mechanical properties with excellent magnetic performance would make this material be very valuable in industry.     

Enhancement of photoluminescence properties of CaAl2Si2O8:Eu2+ by SiO2 addition

SiO₂ added phosphors, CaAl₂Si₂O₈:Eu²⁺ + xSiO₂ (x = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 13 mol) were synthesized by a novel liquid phase precursor (LPP) method. The photoluminescence properties of phosphor added by 5 mol of SiO₂ showed 110% enhancement in the emission intensity compared to the CaAl₂Si₂O₈:Eu²⁺ phosphor. A broad emission and excitation wavelength was observed approximately from 400 nm to 600 nm centered at 430 nm and from 280 nm to 400 nm centered at 365 nm, respectively. Photoluminescence intensity of the phosphors increased continuously by SiO₂ addition up to x = 5 mol and then it decreased with further addition of SiO₂. The observed photoluminescence properties of the phosphors were discussed related to their crystalline structure and morphology.     

Fabrication and characterization of a zirconia/multi-walled carbon nanotube mesoporous composite

A zirconia/multi-walled carbon nanotube (ZrO₂/MWCNT) mesoporous composite was fabricated via a simple method using a hydrothermal process with the aid of the cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N₂ adsorption–desorption, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques were used to characterize the as-made samples. The cubic ZrO₂ nanocrystallites were observed to overlay the surface of MWCNTs, which resulted in the formation of a novel mesoporous–nanotube composite. On the basis of a TEM analysis of the products from controlled experiment, the role of the acid-treated MWCNTs and CTAB was proposed to explain the formation of the mesoporous–nanotube structure. The as-made composite possessed novel properties, such as a high surface area (312 m² · g^? 1) and a bimodal mesoporous structure (3.18 nm and 12.4 nm). It was concluded that this composite has important application value due to its one-dimensional hollow structure, excellent electric conductivity and large surface area.     

Photocatalytic degradation of gaseous toluene over TiO2–SiO2 composite nanotubes synthesized by sol–gel with template technique

TiO₂–SiO₂ composite nanotubes were successfully synthesized by a facile sol–gel technique utilizing ZnO nanowires as template. The nanotubes were well characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, N₂ adsorption–desorption analysis and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The nanotubular TiO₂–SiO₂ composite photocatalysts showed diameter of 300–325 nm, fine mesoporous structure and high specific surface area. The results indicated that the degradation efficiency of gaseous toluene could get 65% after 4 h reaction using the TiO₂–SiO₂ composite as the photocatalyst under UV light illumination, which was higher than that of P25.     

Mechanical reinforcement while remaining electrical insulation of glass fibre/polymer composites using core–shell CNT@SiO2 hybrids as fillers

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been widely used as mechanical reinforcement agents of composites. However, their aggregations, weak interfacial interaction with polymer, as well as high electrical conductivity limit their use in some especial applications. In this paper, the silicon oxide (SiO₂)-coated (CNT@SiO₂) core–shell hybrids with different SiO₂ thickness were prepared and employed to reinforce glass fibre-reinforced bismaleimide–triazine (BT) resin (GFRBT) composites. The results indicated the mechanical properties, including tensile strength and Young’s modulus increased with the increase of SiO₂ thickness and CNT@SiO₂ loading. Such enhanced mechanical properties were mainly attributed to the intrinsically nature of CNTs, homogeneous dispersion of the hybrids, as well as improved interfacial interaction. Meanwhile, the composites remained high electrical insulation (9.63 × 10¹² Ω cm) due to the existence of SiO₂ layer on CNT surface. This study will guide the design of functionalized CNTs and the construction of high-performance composites.     

Low-temperature particle synthesis of titania/silica/natural rubber composites for antibacterial properties

Composite particles of titania/silica/natural rubber (TiO₂/SiO₂/NR) were prepared and evaluated for their potential antibacterial application. All processes were restricted to a low temperature or a small heating contact time to avoid degradation of the NR. The primary NR particles were synthesized by spray drying and then SiO₂ and TiO₂ were incorporated sequentially by chemical vapor deposition and liquid phase deposition, respectively. The physical and chemical properties were characterized by X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry, Fourier-infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analyses. The TiO₂/SiO₂/NR composite particles had a spherical shape with a diameter of about 10 μm, with titania on the outer layer, and showed an effective antibacterial activity of a 99.99% reduction in viable Escherichia. coli and Staphylococcus aureus within 20 min of exposure under fluorescent light. In addition, the particles could be reused with the same level of antibacterial activity for up to three cycles. The structural and antibacterial models of the composite particles are proposed in this work.     

Optical characterization of In2S3–SiO2 nanocomposite thin films synthesized by sol–gel technique

In₂S₃–SiO₂ nanocomposite films (with molar ratios of In₂S₃:SiO₂ = 15:85, 10:90 and 5:95) were prepared on quartz substrates by sol–gel method. Highly confined nanoparticles of In₂S₃ (radius ∼ 1.8–7 nm) were obtained in SiO₂ matrix, indicating SiO₂ to be a good capping agent for the nanoparticles. The films were annealed in air at different temperatures (473–623 K) and characterized by optical, microstructural and photoluminescence measurements. XRD studies showed that annealing in air upto 623 K leads to the formation of oxide free In₂S₃ nanoparticles. The broad Photoluminescence peak observed at ∼353 nm showed a marked blue shift associated with a decrease in intensity with increasing concentration of In₂S₃ in the matrix.