Study of NdCl_3-FeCl_3-Graphite Intercalation Compounds by X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy

NdCl 3 FeCl 3 graphite intercalation compounds were synthesized by molten salt exchange method. The state of the intercalates and the relative contents of Nd, Fe, Cl, C in the product were determined by X ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS). From the XPS data, it is concluded that the binding energy of Fe2p electrons is about 711 20～710 3 eV, the binding energy of Nd3d electrons is about 983 08～983 20 eV, and Fe in the product has two valence states (Fe 3+ and Fe 2+ ).

Preparation and catalytic activity of CO-resistant catalyst core-shell Au@Pt/C for methanol oxidation

Au@Pt core-shell nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by a successive reduction method and then assembled on Vulcan XC-72 carbon surface. Furthermore, its composition, morphology, structure, and activity towards methanol oxidation were characterized by UV-vis spectrometry, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM (HRTEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Results reveal that Au@Pt/C catalyst has better activity towards methanol oxidation than the pure platinum prepared under the same conditions. When the atomic ratio of Au to Pt in the prepared Au@Pt/C catalyst is 1:2, this catalyst exhibits best electrocatalytic activity towards methanol oxidation in acidic media, and the peak current density on this catalyst is ~2.0 times higher than that on Pt/C catalyst. The better catalytic activity of Au@Pt/C results from its better resistance to toxic CO than Pt/C because the CO oxidation on Au@Pt/C is 60 mV more negative than the case on Pt/C. © The Nonferrous Metals Society of China and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012.

Highly efficient and stable electrooxidation of methanol and ethanol on 3D Pt catalyst by thermal decomposition of In2O3 nanoshells

In this paper In2O3nanoshells have been synthesized via a facile hydrothermal approach. The nanoshells can be completely cracked into pony-size nanocubes by annealing, which are then used as a support of Pt catalyst for methanol and ethanol electrocatalytic oxidation. The prepared In2O3and supported Pt catalysts (Pt/In2O3) were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field effect scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Cyclic voltammetry (CV), linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), chronoamperometry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were carried out, indicating the excellent catalytic performance for alcohol electrooxidation can be achieved on Pt/In2O3nanocatalysts due to the multiple active sites, high conductivity and a mass of microchannels and micropores for reactant diffusions arising from 3D frame structures compared with that on the Pt/C catalysts. © 2016 Science Press

Field Emission of SiCN Thin Films Bombarded by Ar^+ Ions

SiCN thin films were synthesized by a radio frequency chemical vapor deposition (RFCVD) system on P\|type Si (1 0 0) wafers using C 2 H 4 , SiH 4 and N 2 as raw materials. In order to get rid of the oxygen absorbed on the surface and improve the characteristics of electron field emission, Ar + ions of low energy were used to bombard the samples. The field emission characteristics of SiCN thin films before and after Ar + bombardment were studied in the super vacuum environment of 10 -6 Pa. It was showed that the turn\|on field (defined as the point where the current\|voltage curve shows a sharp increase in the current density) decreased from 38 V/μm before bombardment to 25 V/μm after bombardment. And the maximum emission current density increased from 159.2 to 267.4 μA/cm 2 . The composition before and after Ar + bombardment was compared using X\|ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Our results illustrated that the field emission characteristics were improved after the bombardment of Ar + .

Corrosion Resistivity of Albronze Treated by Surface Gas-phase RE Diffused Permeation

The effects of chemical gas-phase RE diffused permeation on the corrosion resistivity of albronze alloys were studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ion probe exfoliation corrosion analysis, and scanning electron microscopy, etc. The results show that small quantity of cerium has permeated and diffused into the surface of this alloy. The potential-time curves, alternating current impedance tests and weight loss tests proved that cerium permeation can improve the corrosion resistivity of the albronze surface.

The Preparation and Characterization of Amorphous SiCN Thin Films

Radio Frequency plasma enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (RF CVD) using N2, SiH4 and C2H4 as the reaction sources was used to prepare amorphous ternary Si x C y N z thin films. The chemical states of the C, Si and N atoms in the films were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The refractive indexn, extinction coefficientk and optical band gapE opt of the thin films were investigated by UV-visible spectrophotometer and spectroscopic ellipsometer. The results show that a complex chemical bonding network rather than a simple mixture of Si3N4, SiC, CN x and a-C etc., may exist in the ternary thin films. Then's of the films are within the range of 1. 90–2. 45, andE opt's of all samples are within the range of 2. 71–2. 86 eV.

Wool Surface Modification and Its Adhesion with Nano Finishing Agent

The launderability of wool fabrics treated by nano finoshing agent influences directly the functional endurance of he treated wool fabric. In order to investigate the effect of wool fibers surface modification on the functional erdurance of nano finishinp wool fibers, in this paper, for the first time wool fibers were chemically modified by using NaClO aqueous and KMnO4 aqueous, and then chemically modified wool fibers and native wool fibers were treated using nano ZnO finishing agent, respectively. The launderability of wool fibers treated by nano finishing agent was investigated. The experimental results show that the chemically modified wool fibers have a good launderaility after being treated by nano ZnO finishing agent treating. The surface morphologies of wool fibers were observed by using SEM. It is got that there is a strong adbesion between nano ZnO and wool surface through XPS analysis.

Effect of oxygen flow rate on the properties of SiO_x films deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering

SiOx （x = 0-2） films were deposited on BK-7 substrates by a low frequency reactive magnetron sputtering system with the oxygen flow rate （OFR） changing from 0 to 30 sccm. The samples were characterized by atomic force microscopy, spectrophotometer, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The extinction coefficient and refractive index decrease, while the optical transmittance increases with the increase of OFR from 0 to 17 sccm. The root mean square surface roughness has a maximum at 10 sccm OFR. The highest deposition rate is at 15 sccm OFR. Our results show that the films deposited at 20 sccm OFR are stoichiometric silica with relatively high deposition rate, low extinction coefficient, and low surface roughness. Therefore, a precise control of OFR is very important to obtain high quality films for optical applications.

Nanostructure and thermal-optical properties of vanadium dioxide thin films

A novel nanopolycrystalline structure of vanadium dioxide thin films is deposited on silicon or fused silica substrates by reactive ion sputtering and followed by an annealing. The characteristic analysis＇shows that the films have a columnar nanostructure with an average grain of 8 nm. The resistivities as a function of ambient temperatures tested by four-point probes for as-deposited films present that the transition temperature for nanostructure of vanadium dioxide films is near 35 ℃ which lowers about 33 ℃ in comparison with the transition temperature at 68 ℃ in its microstructure.

Tribological behavior and microstructural evolution of lubricating film of silver matrix self-lubricating nanocomposite

The aim of this study is to fabricate the nanocomposite with low friction and high wear resistance using binary solid lubricant particles.The microstructure and tribological performance of the nanocomposite are evaluated,and the composition and film thickness of the lubricating film are observed and analyzed by scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS).The nanocomposite exhibited improved tribological properties with a friction coefficient as low as 0.12 and a low wear rate of 2.17×10^(-6) mm^(3)/(N∙m)in high‐purity nitrogen atmosphere.Decreasing sliding speed can increase lubricating film thickness,and the thickest lubricating film is approximately 125 nm.As the film thickness of the lubricating film exceeded 90 nm,the friction coefficient curves became smooth.In compared with WS_(2),MoS_(2) can be more effective in forming the transfer layer on the worn surfaces at the initial stage of the tribological process.

Write-once medium with BiO_x thin films for blue laser recording

BiOx films are prepared by reactive direct current （DC） magnetron sputtering from a metallic bismuth target in Ar ＋O2 with different O2/Ar ratios. It is found that the optical property of BiOx films is sensitive to O2/Ar ratios and the films deposited at O2/Ar ratio of 0.5 have the best reflectivity contrast under the same conditions. The structure and optical characteristics of the films are studied by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS）, and spectrophotometer. As revealed by investigations, the phase transition is mainly responsible for the change of optical properties. The static test results indicate that the BiO~ films have good writing sensitivity for blue laser beams. A high reflectivity contrast of about 52% at a writing power of 11 mW and writing pulse width of 800 ns is obtained. In addition, the films demonstrate good stability after being read for 10000 times.

Alignment Mechanism of Liquid Crystal Molecules on the Fluorated Polyimide Surface

The generation of pretilt angles for nematic liquid crystal aligned on the rubbed polyimide surface containing trifluoromethyl moieties has been investigated. The characters of the rubbed polyimide films were studied by using X ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) and atomic force microscopy(AFM). The uneven distribution extent of fluorine content along the depth of the polyimide films could be reduced by rubbing, thus the interaction between liquid crystal molecules and polyimide molecules decreased. It is also showed that the aggregation state of polyimide molecules was changed and polyimide chains aligned along the rubbing direction, so the orientation direction of the liquid crystal molecules was the same as the rubbing direction. The orientation effect of the liquid crystal molecules on the rubbed polyimide surface can be attributed to the combined effects of the Van der Waals dispersion interaction between polyimide and liquid crystal molecules, and the alignment of the orientation direction of polyimide chains with the rubbing direction.