Amorphous Vanadium Oxides with Dual ion Storage Mechanism for High-Performance Aqueous Zinc ion Batteries

Owing to the extremely limited structural deformation caused by the introduction of guest ions that their rigid structure can sustain, crystalline materials typically fail owing to structural collapse when utilized as electrode materials. Amorphous materials, conversely, are more resistant to volume expansion during dynamic ion transport and can introduce a lot of defects as active sites. Here, The amorphous polyaniline-coated/intercalated V2O5·nH2O (PVOH) nanowires are prepared by in situ chemical oxidation combined with self-assembly strategy, which exhibited impressive electrochemical properties because of its short-range ordered crystal structure, oxygen vacancy/defect-rich, improved electronic channels, and ionic channels. Through in situ techniques, the energy storage mechanism of its Zn2+/H+ co-storage is investigated and elucidated. Additionally, this work provides new insights and perspectives for the investigation and application of amorphous cathodes for aqueous zinc ion batteries.

Synthesis of Inexpensive Ternary Metal Oxides by a Co-Precipitation Method for Catalytic Oxidation of Carbon Monoxide

By using a simple co-precipitation method, new Fe2 O3 -based nanocatalysts (samples) were synthesized. The samples were composites of two or three transition metal oxides, MOx (M=Fe, Mn, Co, Ni, and Cu). The average size of CuO crystallites in the composites composed of two oxide components (CuO-Fe2 O3 ) was about 14.3 nm, while in those composed of three (CuO-MnOx -Fe2 O3 ), the composite's phase compositions were almost in the amorphous form when annealing the sample at 300 °C. The latter sample had a specific surface area higher than that of the former, 207.9 and 142.1 g/m2 , respectively, explaining its higher catalytic CO oxidation. The CO conversion over the CuO-MnOx -Fe2 O3 -300 catalyst (1 g of catalyst, 2600 ppm of CO concentration in air, and 1.0 L/min of gas flow rate) begins at about 40 °C; the temperature for 50 % CO conversion (t50 ) is near 82 °C; and CO removal is almost complete at t99 ≈110 °C. The activity of the optimal sample was tested in different catalytic conditions, thereby observing a high durability of 99-100 % CO conversion at 130 °C. The obtained results were derived from XRD, FTIR, BET, SEM, elemental analysis and mapping, as well as catalytic experiments.

A Nanocomposite Sol-Gel Film Based on PbS Quantum Dots Embedded into an Amorphous Host Inorganic Matrix

In this study, a sol-gel film based on lead sulfide (PbS) quantum dots incorporated into a host network was synthesized as a special nanostructured composite material with potential applications in temperature sensor systems. This work dealt with the optical, structural, and morphological properties of a representative PbS quantum dot (QD)-containing thin film belonging to the Al2O3-SiO2-P2O5 system. The film was prepared using the sol-gel method combined with the spin coating technique, starting from a precursor solution containing a suspension of PbS QDs in toluene with a narrow size distribution and coated on a glass substrate in a multilayer process, followed by annealing of each deposited layer. The size (approximately 10 nm) of the lead sulfide nanocrystallites was validated by XRD and by the quantum confinement effect based on the band gap value and by TEM results. The photoluminescence peak of 1505 nm was very close to that of the precursor PbS QD solution, which demonstrated that the synthesis route of the film preserved the optical emission characteristic of the PbS QDs. The photoluminescence of the lead sulfide QD-containing film in the near infrared domain demonstrates that this material is a promising candidate for future sensing applications in temperature monitoring.

Steering DNA Condensation on Engineered Nanointerfaces

DNA has received increasing attention in nanotechnology due to its ability to fold into prescribed structures. Different from the commonly adopted base-pairing strategy, an emerging class of amorphous DNA materials are formed by DNA's abiological interactions. Despite the great successes, a lack of nanoscale nucleation/growth control disables more advanced considerations. This work aims at harnessing the heterogeneous nucleation of metal-ion-glued DNA condensates on nanointerfaces. Upon unveiling key orthogonal factors including solution pH, ionic cross-linkers, and surface functionalities, chemically programmable DNA condensation on nanoparticle seeds is achieved, resembling a famous Stöber process for silica coating. The nucleation rules discovered on individual nanoseeds can be passed on to their dimeric assemblies, where broken spherical symmetry and the existence of interparticle gaps help a regiospecific DNA gelation. The steerable DNA condensation, and the multifunctions from DNA, metal ions, and nanocores, hold a great promise in noncanonical DNA nanotechnology toward novel applications.

2,7(3,6)-Diaryl(arylamino)-substituted Carbazoles as Components of OLEDs: A Review of the Last Decade

Organic light emitting diode (OLED) is a new, promising technology in the field of lighting and display applications due to the advantages offered by its organic electroactive derivatives over inorganic materials. OLEDs have prompted a great deal of investigations within academia as well as in industry because of their potential applications. The electroactive layers of OLEDs can be fabricated from low molecular weight derivatives by vapor deposition or from polymers by spin coating from their solution. Among the low-molar-mass compounds under investigation in this field, carbazole-based materials have been studied at length for their useful chemical and electronic characteristics. The carbazole is an electron-rich heterocyclic compound, whose structure can be easily modified by rather simple reactions in order to obtain 2,7(3,6)-diaryl(arylamino)-substituted carbazoles. The substituted derivatives are widely used for the formation of OLEDs due to their good charge carrier injection and transfer characteristics, electroluminescence, thermally activated delayed fluorescence, improved thermal and morphological stability as well as their thin film forming characteristics. On the other hand, relatively high triplet energies of some substituted carbazole-based compounds make them useful components as host materials even for wide bandgap triplet emitters. The present review focuses on 2,7(3,6)-diaryl(arylamino)-substituted carbazoles, which were described in the last decade and were applied as charge-transporting layers, fluorescent and phosphorescent emitters as well as host materials for OLED devices.

Atomic arrangements in an amorphous CoFeB ribbon extracted via an analysis of radial distribution functions

We discuss the atomic structure of amorphous ferromagnetic FeCoB alloys, which are used widely in spintronics applications. Specifically, we obtain the pair-distribution functions for various atomic pairs based on high-energy x-ray diffraction data taken from an amorphous Co₂₀Fe₆₁B₁₉specimen. We start our reverse Monte Carlo cycles to determine the disordered structure with a two-phase model in which a small amount of cobalt is mixed with Fe₂₃B₆as a second phase. The structure of the alloy is found to be heterogeneous, where the boron atoms drive disorder through the random occupation of the atomic network. Our analysis also indicates the presence of small cobalt clusters that are embedded in the iron matrix and percolating the latter throughout the structure. This morphology can explain the enhanced spin polarization observed in amorphous magnetic materials.

Effects of Injection Molding Process Parameters on the Chemical Foaming Behavior of Polypropylene and Polystyrene

In the present study, semi-crystalline polypropylene (PP) and amorphous polystyrene (PS) were adopted as matrix materials. After the exothermic foaming agent azodicarbonamide was added, injection molding was implemented to create samples. The mold flow analysis program Moldex3D was then applied to verify the short-shot results. Three process parameters were adopted, namely injection speed, melt temperature, and mold temperature; three levels were set for each factor in the one-factor-at-a-time experimental design. The macroscopic effects of the factors on the weight, specific weight, and expansion ratios of the samples were investigated to determine foaming efficiency, and their microscopic effects on cell density and diameter were examined using a scanning electron microscope. The process parameters for the exothermic foaming agent were optimized accordingly. Finally, the expansion ratios of the two matrix materials in the optimal process parameter settings were compared. After the experimental database was created, the foaming module of the chemical blowing agents was established by Moldex3D Company. The results indicated that semi-crystalline materials foamed less due to their crystallinity. PP exhibits the highest expansion ratio at low injection speed, a high melt temperature, and a low mold temperature, whereas PS exhibits the highest expansion ratio at high injection speed, a moderate melt temperature, and a low mold temperature.

A Practical Review of NMR Lineshapes for Spin-1/2 and Quadrupolar Nuclei in Disordered Materials

NMR is a powerful spectroscopic method that can provide information on the structural disorder in solids, complementing scattering and diffraction techniques. The structural disorder in solids can generate a dispersion of local magnetic and electric fields, resulting in a distribution of isotropic chemical shift δ_iso and quadrupolar coupling C_Q. For spin-1/2 nuclei, the NMR linewidth and shape under high-resolution magic-angle spinning (MAS) reflects the distributions of isotropic chemical shift, providing a rich source of disorder information. For quadrupolar nuclei, the second-order quadrupolar broadening remains present even under MAS. In addition to isotropic chemical shift, structural disorder can impact the electric field gradient (EFG) and consequently the quadrupolar NMR parameters. The distributions of quadrupolar coupling and isotropic chemical shift are superimposed with the second-order quadrupolar broadening, but can be potentially characterized by MQMAS (multiple-quantum magic-angle spinning) spectroscopy. We review analyses of NMR lineshapes in 2D DQ–SQ (double-quantum single-quantum) and MQMAS spectroscopies, to provide a guide for more general lineshape analysis. In addition, methods to enhance the spectral resolution and sensitivity for quadrupolar nuclei are discussed, including NMR pulse techniques and the application of high magnetic fields. The role of magnetic field strength and its impact on the strategy of determining optimum NMR methods for disorder characterization are also discussed.

Characterization of Magnesium Silicate Hydrate (MSH) Gel Formed by Reacting MgO and Silica Fume

Magnesium silicate hydrate (MSH) gel was formed by reacting magnesium oxide (MgO) with silica fume (SF) in distilled water. The MSH was prepared using a MgO/SF molar ratio of 1.0 (40:60 weight ratio). Samples were analyzed during hydration process up to 300 days at room temperature. The MSH characterization has been carried out using a range of analytical techniques. Quantitative analysis was achieved using thermogravimetric analysis (TG/DTG) with a de-convolution technology. The structure of MSH gel was characterized using solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (²⁹Si NMR) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to investigate MSH microstructure. Compared with natural magnesium silicate hydrate minerals, the structure of MSH gel is highly disordered and generates on the surface of particles, producing a shell structure with cavity. The molecular structure of MSH phase is layered. The results also show that the extent of polymerization of MSH gel is related to the solution pH during hydration.

Heterogeneity in the Small-Scale Deformation Behavior of Disordered Nanoparticle Packings

Atomic force microscopy-based nanoindentation is used to image and probe the local mechanical properties of thin disordered nanoparticle packings. The probed region is limited to the size of a few particles, and an individual particle can be loaded and displaced to a fraction of a single particle radius. The results demonstrate heterogeneous mechanical response that is location-dependent. The weak locations may be analogous to the "soft spots" previously predicted in glasses and other disordered packings.

Biological Activity of Mesoporous Dendrimer-Coated Titanium Dioxide: Insight on the Role of the Surface-Interface Composition and the Framework Crystallinity

Hitherto, the field of nanomedicine has been overwhelmingly dominated by the use of mesoporous organosilicas compared to their metal oxide congeners. Despite their remarkable reactivity, titanium oxide-based materials have been seldom evaluated and little knowledge has been gained with respect to their "structure-biological activity" relationship. Herein, a fruitful association of phosphorus dendrimers (both "ammonium-terminated" and "phosphonate-terminated") and titanium dioxide has been performed by means of the sol-gel process, resulting in mesoporous dendrimer-coated nanosized crystalline titanium dioxide. A similar organo-coating has been reproduced using single branch-mimicking dendrimers that allow isolation of an amorphous titanium dioxide. The impact of these materials on red blood cells was evaluated by studying cell hemolysis. Next, their cytotoxicity toward B14 Chinese fibroblasts and their antimicrobial activity were also investigated. Based on their variants (cationic versus anionic terminal groups and amorphous versus crystalline titanium dioxide phase), better understanding of the role of the surface-interface composition and the nature of the framework has been gained. No noticeable discrimination was observed for amorphous and crystalline material. In contrast, hemolysis and cytotoxicity were found to be sensitive to the nature of the interface composition, with the ammonium-terminated dendrimer-coated titanium dioxide being the most hemolytic and cytotoxic material. This surface-functionalization opens the door for creating a new synergistic machineries mechanism at the cellular level and seems promising for tailoring the biological activity of nanosized organic-inorganic hybrid materials.

Photonic crystals, amorphous materials, and quasicrystals

Photonic crystals consist of artificial periodic structures of dielectrics, which have attracted much attention because of their wide range of potential applications in the field of optics. We may also fabricate artificial amorphous or quasicrystalline structures of dielectrics, i.e. photonic amorphous materials or photonic quasicrystals. So far, both theoretical and experimental studies have been conducted to reveal the characteristic features of their optical properties, as compared with those of conventional photonic crystals. In this article, we review these studies and discuss various aspects of photonic amorphous materials and photonic quasicrystals, including photonic band gap formation, light propagation properties, and characteristic photonic states.