Topotactic Transformations in an Icosahedral Nanocrystal to Form Efficient Water‐Splitting Catalysts

Designing high‐performance, precious‐metal‐based, and economic electrocatalysts remains an important challenge in proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzers. Here, a highly active and durable bifunctional electrocatalyst for PEM electrolyzers based on a rattle‐like catalyst comprising a Ni/Ru‐doped Pt core and a Pt/Ni‐doped RuO₂ frame shell, which is topotactically transformed from an icosahedral Pt/Ni/Ru nanocrystal, is reported. The RuO₂‐based frame shell with its highly reactive surfaces leads to a very high activity for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in acidic media, reaching a current density of 10 mA cm^?2 at an overpotential of 239 mV, which surpasses those of previously reported catalysts. The Pt dopant in the RuO₂ shell enables a sustained OER activity even after a 2000 cycles of an accelerated durability test. The Pt‐based core catalyzes the hydrogen evolution reaction with an excellent mass activity. A two‐electrode cell employing Pt/RuO₂ as the electrode catalyst demonstrates very high activity and durability, outperforming the previously reported cell performances.     

Electrical properties of CIGS/Mo junctions as a function of MoSe2 orientation and Na doping

The electrical properties of Cu(In,Ga)Se₂/Mo junctions were characterized with respect of MoSe₂ orientation and Na doping level using an inverse transmission line method, in which the Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ (CIGS)/Mo contact resistance could be measured separately from the CIGS film sheet resistance. The MoSe₂ orientation was controlled by varying the Mo surface density, with the c‐axis parallel and normal orientations favored on Mo surfaces of lower and higher density, respectively. The effect of Na doping was compared by using samples with and without a SiO_x film on sodalime glass. The conversion of the MoSe₂ orientation from c‐axis normal to parallel produced a twofold reduction in CIGS/Mo contact resistance. Measurements of the contact resistances as a function of temperature showed that the difference in CIGS/Mo contact resistance between the samples with different MoSe₂ orientations was due to different barrier heights at the back contact. Comparison between Na‐doped and Na‐reduced samples revealed that the contact resistance for the Na‐reduced system was four times of that of the doped sample, which showed more pronounced Schottky‐junction behavior at lower temperature, indicating that Na doping effectively reduced the barrier height at the back contact. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

In-situ synchrotron X-ray scattering study of thin film growth by atomic layer deposition

We report an atomic layer deposition chamber for in-situ synchrotron X-ray scattering study of thin film growth. The chamber was designed for combined synchrotron X-ray reflectivity and two-dimensional grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction measurement to do a in-situ monitoring of ALD growth. We demonstrate ruthenium thermal ALD growth for the performance of the chamber. 10, 20, 30, 50, 70, 100, 150 and 250-cycled states are measured by X-ray scattering methods during ALD growth process. Growth rate is calculated from thickness values and the surface roughness of each state is estimated by X-ray reflectivity analysis. The crystal structure of initial growth state is observed by Grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction. These results indicate that in-situ X-ray scattering method is a promising analysis technique to investigate the initial physical morphology of ALD films.     

Nanoscale bit formation in highly (111)-oriented ferroelectric thin films deposited on glass substrates for high-density storage media

PbTiO(3) (PTO) ferroelectric films on Pt(111) bottom electrode layers covering Ta/glass were prepared using pulsed laser deposition. X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that the PTO films were preferentially (111)-oriented. The films were highly crystalline and had a smooth surface with root mean square (RMS) roughness of 1.5 nm. Ferroelectric properties of the PTO films were characterized using piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM). PFM techniques achieved ferroelectric polarization bits with a minimum width of 22 nm, which corresponds to a potential recording density of 1.3 Tbit/in(2) in ferroelectric storage devices.     

Transmission electron microscopy analysis of octanethiol-coated Cu powders

In this study, microstructures of Cu powders coated with octanethiol were analyzed using (scanning) transmission electron microscopy. Moreover, aging process of the octanethiol-coated layer as time passes by was analyzed using the electron energy loss spectroscopy technique. The octanethiol layer coated on the surface of Cu powders was kept until it was exposed to air for around 30 days. As days passes by, the coating layer had been decomposed and then a Cu(2)O layer was formed on the surface of powders.     

Pretreatments for the Efficient Extraction of Bioactive Compounds from Plant-Based Biomaterials

The extraction of medicinal or functional compounds from herbal plants is an important unit operation in food and bio-industries. The target compounds are generally present inter- or intra-cellularly in an intricate microstructure formed by cells, intercellular spaces, capillaries, and pores. The major resistance of molecular diffusion in materials of plant origin always comes from the intact cell walls and adhering membranes. Therefore, increasing the permeability of cell walls and membranes plays a very important role to increase extraction yield and/or extraction rate.

Important pretreatment methods to modify the cellular structures and increase the permeability of cell walls or membranes are discussed in this paper. They include physical, biologic, and chemical treatments. In physical methods, mechanical disruption, high-pressure (HP) process, pulsed electric field (PEF) application, ultrasonic treatment, and freeze–thaw, and so on were applied. In biologic methods, different cell wall-degrading enzymes were applied to break-down cell walls or membranes and to diminish the overall internal resistance for transporting bioactive compounds from internal matrix to the external solution. In chemical methods, various chemicals for increasing the inner- or outer-membrane permeabilization were introduced. The principles of the technologies, examples of improvements, and advantages and disadvantages of the pretreatment methods are critically reviewed in this paper.     

Carbon nanotube based pressure sensor for flexible electronics

A pressure sensor was developed based on an arrangement of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) supported by a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix. The VACNTs embedded in the PDMS matrix were structurally flexible and provided repeated sensing operation due to the high elasticities of both the polymer and the carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The conductance increased in the presence of a loading pressure, which compressed the material and induced contact between neighboring CNTs, thereby producing a dense current path and better CNT/metal contacts. To achieve flexible functional electronics, VACNTs based pressure sensor was integrated with field-effect transistor, which is fabricated using sprayed semiconducting carbon nanotubes on plastic substrate.     

Application of ultra high pressure (UHP) in starch chemistry

Ultra high pressure (UHP) processing is an attractive non-thermal technique for food treatment and preservation at room temperature, with the potential to achieve interesting functional effects. The majority of UHP process applications in food systems have focused on shelf-life extension associated with non-thermal sterilization and a reduction or increase in enzymatic activity. Only a few studies have investigated modifications of structural characteristics and/or protein functionalities. Despite the rapid expansion of UHP applications in food systems, limited information is available on the effects of UHP on the structural and physicochemical properties of starch and/or its chemical derivatives included in most processed foods as major ingredients or minor additives. Starch and its chemical derivatives are responsible for textural and physical properties of food systems, impacting their end-use quality and/or shelf-life. This article reviews UHP processes for native (unmodified) starch granules and their effects on the physicochemical properties of UHP-treated starch. Furthermore, functional roles of UHP in acid-hydrolysis, hydroxypropylation, acetylation, and cross-linking reactions of starch granules, as well as the physicochemical properties of UHP-assisted starch chemical derivatives, are discussed.     

Methanation of carbon dioxide over mesoporous Ni–Fe–Al2O3 catalysts prepared by a coprecipitation method: Effect of precipitation agent

Mesoporous nickel (30 wt%)–iron (5 wt%)–alumina (denoted as NiFeAl–X) catalysts were prepared by a coprecipitation method with a variation of precipitation agent (X = (NH₄)₂CO₃, Na₂CO₃, NH₄OH, and NaOH), and they were applied to the methane production from CO₂ and H₂. Metal particle size of reduced NiFeAl–X catalysts decreased in the order of NiFeAl–NaOH > NiFeAl–NH₄OH > NiFeAl–Na₂CO₃ > NiFeAl–(NH₄)₂CO₃. In the methanation of CO₂, yield for CH₄ increased in the order of NiFeAl–NaOH < NiFeAl–NH₄OH < NiFeAl–Na₂CO₃ < NiFeAl–(NH₄)₂CO₃. This indicates that the catalytic performance in the methanation of CO₂ was strongly influenced by the identity of precipitation agent.     

Quantitative Evaluation of Glass-Forming Impurities in Alumina: Equivalent Silica Concentration (ESC)

Equivalent silica concentration (ESC) is proposed as a quantitative measure of the total impurity concentration that contributes to intergranular glass formation in nominally pure alumina. The method involves, in its determination, the processing and sintering of the alumina under contamination-free conditions, as well as measuremet of the average grain size at the moment that abnormal grains first appear. This latter value can be converted to an ESC value from the inverse relationship between grain size and silica concentration, which can be established via an identical method using ultrapure alumina. The ESC values for four different commercial alumina powders of varying purity have been measured and compared with their chemical-analysis data.