Electronic Structure and Magnetic Anisotropy of Single-Layer Rare-Earth Oxybromide

Two-dimensional half-metallicity and fully spin-polarized topological fermions in monolayer EuOBr

Two-dimensional (2D) half-metal and topological states have been the current research focus in condensed matter physics. Herein, we report a novel 2D material named EuOBr monolayer, which can simultaneously show 2D half-metal and topological fermions. This material shows a metallic state in the spin-up channel but a large insulating gap of 4.38 eV in the spin-down channel. In the conducting spin channel, the EuOBr monolayer shows the coexistence of Weyl points and nodal-lines near the Fermi level. These nodal-lines are classified by type-I, hybrid, closed, and open nodal-lines. The symmetry analysis suggests these nodal-lines are protected by the mirror symmetry, which cannot be broken even spin-orbit coupling is included because the ground magnetization direction in the material is out-of-plane [001]. The topological fermions in the EuOBr monolayer are fully spin-polarized, which can be meaningful for future applications in topological spintronic nano-devices.

Zn3Sb4O6F6 and KI-Doped Zn3Sb4O6F6: A Metal Oxyfluoride System for Photocatalytic Activity, Knoevenagel Condensation, and Bacterial Disinfection

Zn₃Sb₄O₆F₆ crystallites were synthesized by a pH-regulated hydrothermal synthetic approach, while doping on Zn₃Sb₄O₆F₆ by KI was performed by the "incipient wetness impregnation technique." The effect of KI in Zn₃Sb₄O₆F₆ is found with the changes in morphology in the doped compound, i.e., needle-shaped particles with respect to the irregular cuboid and granular shaped in the pure compound. Closer inspection of the powder diffraction pattern of doped compounds also reveals the shifting of Braggs' peaks toward a lower angle and the difference in cell parameters compared to the pure compound. Both metal oxyfluoride comprising lone pair elements and their doped compounds have been successfully applied as photocatalysts for methylene blue dye degradation. Knoevenagel condensation reactions were performed using Zn₃Sb₄O₆F₆ as the catalyst and confirmed 99% yield even at 60 °C temperature under solvent-free conditions. Both pure and KI-doped compounds were tested against several standard bacterial strains, i.e., Enterobacter sp., Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus sp., Salmonella sp., Bacillus sp., Proteous sp., Pseudomonas sp., and Klebsiella sp. by the "disk diffusion method" and their antimicrobial activities were confirmed.

Characterization of the Fe-6.5wt%Si Strip with Rapid Cooling Coupling Deep Supercooled Solidification

The phase transition law between ordered and disordered phases, second phase reinforcement, microstructure, and mechanical properties were systematically studied in the rapid cooling coupling deep supercooled solidification process through an arc melting furnace, electromagnetic induction heating, and high-speed cooling single-roll technology. The results show that uniform nucleation and grain refinement are promoted under rapid cooling coupling deep supercooled solidification, and the phase transition from the disordered phase (A2) to the ordered phase (B2 and DO₃) is also effectively suppressed. The decreased crystalline grain size and optimized microstructure morphology improved the plasticity and magnetic property. The Fe-6.5wt%Si steel strip at 42 m/s has a good phase composition of Fe (predominant), Fe₂Si, and SiC. The sample showed an equiaxed ferrite crystal structure, and the saturation magnetizations were 302.5 and 356.6 emu/g in the parallel magnetic direction and the vertical magnetic direction, respectively. This phase transition behavior contributed to the exceptional magnetic property of the Fe-6.5wt%Si steel.

Nonoxidative Microwave Radiation Roasting of Bastnasite Concentrate and Kinetics of Hydrochloric Acid Leaching Process

Herein, a new clean extraction technology for the decomposition of bastnasite concentrate by utilizing the microwave radiation is proposed, which prevented Ce(III) from being oxidized to its tetravalent form. The process includes microwave radiation roasting to nonoxidatively decompose the bastnasite concentrate, mechanism analysis of Ce(III) not being oxidized to Ce(IV), hydrochloric acid leaching of the nonoxidative roasted ore, and kinetics analysis of the leaching process. The experiments were carried out concentrating on the effect of roasting temperature and holding time on the decomposition rate of the bastnasite concentrate and the oxidation rate of cerium and the effect of acidity, liquid-solid ratio, leaching temperature, and stirring rate on the leaching kinetics of the nonoxidative roasting ore. When the roasting temperature is 1100 °C, the holding time is 20 min, and the m(C)/m(REFCO₃) ratio is 0.2, the results show that the leaching efficiency of rare earths can reach 85.45% under the conditions 3 mol/L HCl, 90 °C, 60 min, 9 mL/g liquid-solid ratio, and 300 rpm stirring rate. The X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy analyses of the samples before and after acid leaching show that the rare earth oxides were completely leached and Ce(III) was not oxidized to its tetravalent form. The apparent activation energies of leaching rare earths were calculated as 14.326 kJ/mol, and the HCl leaching process can be described by a new variant of the shrinking-core model, in which both the interfacial transfer and the diffusion through the product layer influenced the reaction rate. Furthermore, a semiempirical rate equation was created to describe the leaching process of the nonoxidative roasted ore.