Influence of Rinse on Self-Activated Luminescence in ZnS Nanocrystallite

The self-activated (SA) luminescence in ZnS nanoparticles was studied by comparing the UV-light irradiation induced spectral change, Raman spectra, and EPR spectra of the un-rinsed and rinsed samples. The results show that the SA centers prefer to occupy the sites near the surface and that the donor of SA emission may be related to organic functional groups such as - OH, - CH3, and - CO0. The EPR signals are enhanced remarkably in the rinsed nanoparticles comparing with that in the un-rinsed ones. It is believed that organic functional groups physically combine with the surface dangling bonds of ZnS nanoparticles, leading the nonradiauve transition channels to decrease, and thus the SA emission to increase     

Preparation and Luminescent Properties of GdMgB5O10 Doped with Ce^3＋ or／and Tb^3＋ by sol-Gel Method

Ce^3 or/and Tb^3 doped GdMgB5O10 phosphors were prepared by sol-gel technique. XRD, SEM and PL (photolumineseent) measurements were used to characterize the phosphor powders. The results of XRD reveal that phase pure GdMgB5O10 powders are formed at 800℃ and conform the good quality of the synthesized materials obtained by such a process. The luminescent properties of GdMgB5O10:Ce^3 and/or Tb^3 are presented. Their luminescent mechanism and host-to-activator energy transfer were discussed.     

Study on UV Excitation Properties of Eu^3＋ at S6 Site in Bulk and Nanocrystalline Cubic Y2O3

Increases of emission intensities for Eu^3 at the S6 site relative to that at the C2 site were observed as UV excitation wavelength decreases from 300 nm to 200 nm in both bulk and nanocrystalline cubic Y2O3:Eu^3 . Decomposition of excitation spectra shows that the charge transfer band of Eu^3 at the S6 site lies in the high-energy side of that at the C2 site, resulting in that the energy transfer from the host prefers to the S6 site. Detailed emission and excitation spectral characteristics were analyzed and discussed. In addition, spectral red-shift were found in both charge transfer bands in nanocrystalline Y2O3: Eu^3 compared to the bulk material. The number ratio of S6 sites to C2 sites is also smaller in nanocrystalline Y2O3:Eu^3 than that in the bulk one.     

Luminescence of EPDM rubber ultrafine fibers containing nanodispersed Eu-complexes

Polyvinylpyrrolidone/ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer (PVP/EPDM) sheath/core fibers, with the incorporation of Eu(TTA) 3 Phen (TTA=2-thenoyltrifluoroacetone, Phen=1,10-phenanthroline) complex (Eu-complex) in EPDM, were prepared by coaxial electrospinning. The composite fibers were further vulcanized by peroxide. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations showed that the composite fibers had an average diameter of about 200 nm and a smooth surface. The dispersion of Eu-complexes in the fibers was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The studies revealed that the Eu-complex was dispersed in the EPDM fibers in the form of molecular clusters and/or nanoparticles with a diameter smaller than 10 nm. Fluorescence spectra and Judd-Ofelt parameters analysis showed that the luminescent quantum efficiency of the composite fibers was greatly improved when the Eu-complex content was 15 wt.%, because the fine dispersion of Eu-complex in EPDM facilitated the increase of radiative transition rate of the composite fibers over that of the neat complex powder.     

Experimental and theoretical analysis on the charge transfer band of Y_2O_3:Eu nanocrystals

Nanocrystalline cubic Y2O3:Eu were prepared by combustion reaction.The crystal structure and morphology were analyzed by means of X-ray diffraction(XRD) and transmission electron microscopy(TEM).The luminescent properties of the powder were investigated.The charge transfer band position showed redshift from 241 to 251 nm,which was related to the change of the local surroundings of Eu3+ ions in nanocrystalline Y2O3:Eu.The ground-state electronic structure and charge transfer transition of both the bulk and nanocrystalline cubic Y2O3:Eu crystals were calculated by the ab initio self-consistent relativistic DV-Xα(discrete variational Xα) method.A complete 35-ion cluster was selected to simulate the local coordination surroundings of Eu doped in Y2O3 bulk crystals while five additional incomplete clusters were also selected to simulate the local surroundings of Eu ions in nanocrystals.It could be found that the charge transfer energies of the nanocrystalline Y2O3:Eu were less than that of the bulk counterpart,which was consistent with the redshift phenomenon of the CT band in the excitation spectrum of the nanocrystalline Y2O3:Eu.     

Kinetics of Glass Transition and Crystallization in Carbon Nanotube Reinforced Mg-Cu-Gd Bulk Metallic Glass

Mg65Cu25Gd10 bulk metallic glass and its carbon nanotube reinforced composite were prepared. Differential scanning calorimeter （DSC） was used to investigate the kinetics of glass transition and crystallization processes. The influence of CNTs addition to the glass matrix on the glass transition and crystallization kinetics was studied. It is shown that the kinetic effect on glass transition and crystallization are preserved for both the monothetic glass and its glass composite. Adding CNTs in to the glass matrix reduces the influence of the heating rate on the crystallization process. In addition, the CNTs increase the energetic barrier for the glass transition. This results in the decrease of GFA. The mechanism of the GFA decrease was also discussed.     

Mechanisms of Enhancement of Photocatalytic Properties and Activity of Nd^3＋ -Doped TiO2 for Methyl Orange Degradation

Nd^3 -doped TiO2 powders were prepared by the sol-gel method. Their crystal pattern and parameter, the specific surface area, the surface chemical state of Ti and the ratio of O/Ti were characterized. The results show that Nd impurity hinders the crystal transformation, and decreases the relative intensity of (101) peak. The crystallite sizes of Nd^3 -doped TiO2 powders decrease while their specific surface area increase owing to the Nd^3 doping. The XPS measurement shows that the content of Ti (Ⅲ) and ratio of O/Ti on their surfaces increase significantly with the increase of Nd^3 dosage. The adsorption and photodegradation experiments show that the optimum molar content of Nd^3 is 1.2%.     

Rate Dependence of Serrated Flow and Its Effect on Shear Stability of Bulk Metallic Glasses

The rate dependence of serrated flow and its effects on the stability of shear banding were systematically investigated in a prototypic bulk metallic glass.It was found that with the increase of external strain rate,the serra-ted flow is gradually suppressed and could completely disappear at a critical strain rate.The serration size,character-ized by the mean stress drop amplitude,decreases inversely with the strain rate,while the waiting time for serration decreases with the strain rate in a power-law manner.The rate dependence of the serrated flow has important effects on the dynamics and stability of shear banding process,and leads to an optimal plasticity achieved around the critical strain rate for the disappearance of serrated flow.These results are discussed and interpreted in terms of the mi-croscopic deformation theory and the stick-slip dynamics of shear banding for bulk metallic glasses.     

Sol-Gel Preparation and Luminescence Properties of BaMgAl10O17 ： Eu^2＋ Phosphors

The synthesis of BaMgAl10O17： Eu^2＋ （BAM） phosphors using the sol-gel method and their luminescence properties were reported. The blue-light emitting BAM was synthesized using citric acid and ethylene glycol as chelating materials. Emission of blue-light was obtained from these phosphors. The luminescent intensity increases as the temperature of heat treatment is increased, This study investigated the effects of the molar ratio of ethylene glycol to citric acid （Ф value）, with respect to the phase formation and luminescence properties of BAM. The variation of the Фvalue resulted in the change of the sol-gel reaction mechanism and the microstructures of the resultant powders. An increase in Фvalue leads to an increase in the rate of BAM phase formation. The photoluminescent intensity of the prepared phosphors increases with heating temperatures because of enhanced crystallization.     

Preparation and Characterization of Sol-Gel Derived Au Nanoparticle Dispersed Y2O3：Eu Films

Gold nanoparticles dispersed Y2O3 films were prepared through a sol-gel method by using yttrium acetate and Au nanoparticles colloid as precursors. The films were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM） and UV-VIS absorption spectra. XRD patterns and TEM images of Y2O3 ＋ Au films give the same resuits on structure and particle size as that of pure Y2O3 films. The surface plasma resonance （SPR） of Au nanoparticles in Y2O3 ＋ Au film was observed around 550 nm in the absorption spectrum and its position shifts to red with increasing annealing temperature is caused by the increase of dielectric constant of Y2O3 matrix and the size of Au nanoparticles. The second and third order nonlinear optical effects of Y2O3 ＋ Au films were also observed. The photoluminescent properties of Y2O3 ： Eu ＋ Au films were investigated and results indicate that there exist an energy transfer from Eu^3 ＋ to Au nanoparticles and this energy transfer decreases the emission of Eu^3 ＋ in Y2O3 ： Eu ＋ Au film.     

Luminescent Properties of BaMgAl10O17： Eu2＋ Phosphors Coated with Y2SiO5

BaMgAl10O17： Eu^2＋ phosphors was prepared by the solid-reaction method. Y2SiO5 was coated uniformly on the surface of phosphor by the surface-coated method, and the luminescent and deterioration properties were discussed. The XRD and SEM results show that Y2SiO5 film is produced on the surface of BAM phosphor. The emission spectrum analysis shows that the peak of the phosphor does not change after coating. The two phosphors were applied to lamps and the deterioration was tested at different ignited time. The keep ratio of luminous flux of the phosphor coated with Y2SiO5 is higher than that of the uncoated phosphor.     

Tribological Properties of a Dendrite-reinforced Ti-based Metallic Glass Matrix Composite under Different Conditions

The tribological properties of the in-situ dendrite-reinforced metallic glass matrix composite (Ti42 Zr22 V1 4-Cu5 Be1 7 )prepared by copper mould casting were analyzed at different normal loads under the dry condition and rain-water.The results showed that the average value of the frictional coefficients and micro-hardness ascended with in-creasing the normal load,while the wear rate showed a trend of decline under the dry condition.The electrochemical test results showed that the surface of samples was pitting corroded in the rainwater.The matrices were corroded first.Then the dendrites were exposed,leading to the damage of the surface.Both the frictional coefficients and wear rate of the composite in the rainwater were larger than those under the dry condition,primarily owing to the corro-sion of chloride ions on the worn surface.The wear mechanisms of composites were mainly adhesive wear,accompa-nied by the abrasive wear under the dry condition and corrosive wear in the rainwater.The composites have higher wear resistance both under the dry condition and rainwater due to the lower wear rate.     

Luminescence of Er^3＋ in Oxyfluoride Transparent Glass-Ceramics

Erbium doped silicate, germanate, and tellurium-germanate oxyfluoride glasses were prepared in a bulk form. Through appropriate heat treatment of the as-prepared glasses, transparent glass-ceramics (TGCs) were obtained with the formation of β-PbF2∶Er3 nanocrystals in the glass matrix were confirmed by X-ray diffraction. Well-defined diffraction peaks were observed in the samples after heat-treatment. The average crystal diameter of these precipitated crystals from full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of the diffraction peak was estimated to be between 8 and 13 nm. Optical absorption, photoluminescence, and upconversion luminescence were measured on as-prepared glass and glass-ceramics. Luminescence spectra in the TGC samples revealed well-resolved, sharp stark-splitting peaks, which indicates that a majority of Er3 ions has been incorporated into the crystalline phase of the nanocrystals. The intensity of the visible and near infrared luminescence mostly increases in TSG compared to that in the as-prepared glass. In 1.53 μm absorption and emission bands, the maximum absorption peak is blue-shifted from 1531 to 1507 nm, whereas the maximum emission peak is red-shifted from 1535 to 1543 nm in TGC, as compared with that in glass. The bandwidth at half-maximum (BWHM) of the emission band is significantly broader in TGC than in glass, which is beneficial to the erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA). Upconversion luminescence was measured using 800 nm near-infrared light excitation. Drastically increased upconversion luminescence was observed from the TGC as compared to that from their corresponding as-prepared glasses. In addition to a strong green emission centered at 545 nm because of 4S3/2→4I15/2 transition and a weaker red emission centered at 662 nm because of 4F9/2→4I15/2 transition, generally seen from the Er3 doped glasses, two violet emissions centered at 410 nm because of 2H9/2→4I15/2 transition and centered at 379 nm because of 4G11/2→4I15/2 transition were also observed from the TGC. The increased luminescence was attributed to the decreased effective phonon energy and the increased energy transfer between the excited ions when Er3 ions were incorporated into the precipitated β-PbF2 nanocrystals. The results indicated two attractive spectroscopic properties of the Er3 doped TGC samples, compared to glass samples, namely a reduced multiphonon decay rate and a reduced inhomogeneous broadening. In addition, these oxyfluoride TGC materials were robust, easy and flexibile to process, and possible to be fabricated in the fiber form for device applications.     

Researches on preparation and properties of polypropylene nonwovens containing rare earth luminous materials

Polypropylene composite nonwovens containing rare-earth strontium aluminates Sr Al2O4：Eu2＋,Dy3＋ and functional additives were fabricated by the spun-bonded technique.The optical properties, morphology and mechanical properties of the samples were characterized.Results from scanning electron microscopy photographs（SEM） indicated that the surface of the fiber was destroyed by the addition of rare earth luminescent materials lightly but the thickness of the fiber was uniform.Differential scanning calorimetry results showed that pure polypropylene has the double crystallization peak at 162.3 and 165.1 °C.Studies from X-ray diffraction showed that the nonwoven prepared with the luminescent materials contained the α-monoclinic crystal and β crystalline phase.Furthermore, the afterglow properties were tested, which showed that the afterglow curve of the luminous nonwoven was similar to that of strontium aluminate, and the intensity was more intensive than luminous nonwoven at the beginning.The nonwoven fabricated with the luminescent material did not affect the crystal lattice of the polymer making the materials have potential applications in fluorescent lamps and field emission displays（FEDs）.     

Properties of Local Structure Surrounding Eu3＋ Ion in Various Niobate-Silicate Glasses

A Series of niobate-silicate glasses doped with Eu3 ions were prepared. The emission, phonon-side band spectra, fluorescence line narrowing spectroscopy and fluorescence lifetimes in these glasses were studied. The intensity parameters and crystal field parameter of Eu3 were obtained. The results indicate that the intensity ratio of the electric-dipole to magnetic-dipole transition and the intensity parameter Ω2 increase with the increasing concentration of Nb2Os, indicating that the symmetry becomes lower, the Eu-O bonds become stronger and the covalency of Eu-O bond increases. The value of B20 decreases with the increasing concentration of Nb2O5, indicating that the distance between the Eu3 ion and oxygen decreases and the Eu-O bond becomes strong, corresponding to the results of the former. As the concentration of Nb2O5 increases, the electron-phonon coupling becomes stronger, thus the nonradiative transition rate of 5Do becomes larger and the lifetime of 5D0 becomes shorter.     

Synthesis of Long Afterglow Phosphor CaAl2Si2O8 ：Eu^2＋, Dy^3＋ via Sol-Gel Technique and Its Optical Properties

The long afterglow phosphor CaAl2Si2O8：Eu^2＋ , Dy^3＋ was prepared by a sol-gel method. The sol-gel process and the structure of the phosphor were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction analysis （XRD）. It is found that the single anorthite phase formed at about 1000 %, which is 300 % lower than that required for the conventional solid state reaction. The obtained phosphor powders are easier to grind than those of solid state method and the partical size of phosphor has a relative narrow distribution of 200 to 500 nm. The photoluminescence and afterglow properties of the phosphor were also characterized. An obvious blue shift occurs in the excitation and emission spectra of phosphors obtained by sol-gel and solid state reaction methods. The change of the fluorescence spectra can be attributed to the sharp decrease of the crystalline grain size of the phosphor resulted from the sol-gel technique.     

Hydrogen storage properties of mechanically milled La2Mg17-x wt.% Ni （x=0, 50, 100, 150 and 200） composites

Melting method was used to obtain La2Mg17 alloy,and then Ni powder was added by mechanical alloying method.The kinetics of hydriding process and electrochemical properties of La2Mg17-x wt.%Ni(x=0,50,100,150,200) composites were investigated.X-ray diffraction(XRD) and scanning electron microscopy(SEM) analyses showed that the crystal structure of composite alloy gradually transformed into amorphous phase by the effect of ball milling and Ni powders.The research of hydrogen absorption properties found that La2Mg 17-50 wt.%Ni reached the highest hydrogen absorption than other alloys with more addition of Ni content,reached to 5.796 wt.% at 3 MPa,and up to 5.229 wt.% merely in 2 min,which revealed that the amorphous phase reduced the H occupation of the lattice clearance,resulting in the decline of hydrogen absorption capacity.The electrochemical tests indicated that the maximum discharge capacity increased to 353.1 mAh/g at 30 oC,however,the cycle stability decreased considerably.A series of kinetic measurements demonstrated that the controlling steps of electrochemical process of La 2 Mg 17-x wt.%Ni alloys transferred from hydrogen diffusion on alloy bulk(x=50,100) to hydrogen diffusion on both alloy bulk and surface(x=150,200).     

Modeling of Cell/Dendrite Transition During Directional Solidification of Ti-AI Alloy Using Cellular Automaton Method

Solute diffusion controlled solidification model was used to simulate the initial stage cellular to dendrite transition of Ti44Al alloys during directional solidification at different velocities. The simulation results show that during this process, a mixed structure composed of cells and dendrites was observed, where secondary dendrites are absent at facing surface with parallel closely spaced dendrites, which agrees with the previous experimental observation. The dendrite spacings are larger than cellular spacings at a given rate, and the columnar grain spacing sharply increases to a maximum as solidification advance to coexistence zone. In addition, simulation also revealed that decreasing the numbers of the seed causes the trend of unstable dendrite transition to increase. Finally, the main influence factors affecting cell/dendrite transition were analyzed, which could be the change of growth rates resulting in slight fluctuations of liquid composition occurred at growth front. The simulation results are in reasonable agreement with the results of previous theoretical models and experimental observation at low cooling rates.     

Effect of TSL and PSL in Al^3＋-Doped BaFBr：Eu^2＋ at Difference Synthesis Conditions

Thermal stimulated luminescence (TSL) and photostimulated luminescence (PSL) were used to investigate the luminescent performance of Al^3 -doped BaFBr:Eu^2 in different synthetic conditions. Theory analysis shows that the decay of TSL spectra is different from that of PSL spectra. Theoretical calculation was used to investigate the effects of energy state in Al^3 -doped BaFBr:Eu^2 by different synthetic conditions. The relationship of color center‘s energy and different synthetic conditions is discussed.