Significantly Improved High-Temperature Energy Storage Performance of BOPP Films by Coating Nanoscale Inorganic Layer

Biaxially oriented polypropylene(BOPP)is one of the most commonly used commercial capacitor films,but its upper operating temperature is below 105℃due to the sharply increased electrical conduction loss at high temperature.In this study,growing an inorganic nanoscale coating layer onto the BOPP film's surface is proposed to suppress electrical conduction loss at high temperature,as well as increase its upper operating temperature.Four kinds of inorganic coating layers that have different energy band structure and dielectric property are grown onto the both surface of BOPP films,respectively.The effect of inorganic coating layer on the high-temperature energy storage performance has been systematically investigated.The favorable coating layer materials and appropriate thickness enable the BOPP films to have a significant improvement in high-temperature energy storage performance.Specifically,when the aluminum nitride(AIN)acts as a coating layer,the AIN-BOPP-AIN sandwich-structured films possess a discharged energy density of 1.5 J cm^(-3)with an efficiency of 90%at 125℃,accompanying an outstandingly cyclic property.Both the discharged energy density and operation temperature are significantly enhanced,indicating that this efficient and facile method provides an important reference to improve the high-temperature energy storage performance of polymer-based dielectric films.

Ultrathin Limit on the Anisotropic Superconductivity of Single-Layered Cuprate Films

Exploring dimensionality effects on cuprates is important for understanding the nature of high-temperature superconductivity.By atomically layer-by-layer growth with oxide molecular beam epitaxy,we demonstrate that La_(2−x)Sr_(x)CuO_(4)(x=0.15)thin films remain superconducting down to 2 unit cells of thickness but quickly reach the maximum superconducting transition temperature at and above 4 unit cells.By fitting the critical magnetic field(μ0H_(c2)),we show that the anisotropy of the film’s superconductivity increases with decreasing film thickness,indicating that the superconductivity of the film gradually evolves from weak three-to two-dimensional character.These results are helpful to gain more insight into the nature of high-temperature superconductivity with dimensionality.

Using Electrodeposition of Carboxylated Chitosan for Green Preparation of Copper Nanoclusters and Nanocomposite Films

On the basis of coordinated electrodeposition of carboxylated chitosan(CCS),we presented a green method to prepare Cu NCs and Cu NCs/CCS nanocomposite films.The method shows a range of benefits,such as the convenient and eco-friendly process,mild conditions,and simple post-treatment.The experimental results reveal that a homogeneous deposited film(Cu NCs/CCS nanocomposite film)is generated on the Cu plate(the anode)after electrodeposition,which exhibits an obvious red florescence.The results from TEM observation suggest there are nanoparticles(with the average particle size of 2.3 nm)in the deposited film.Spectral analysis results both demonstrate the existence of Cu NCs in the deposited film.Moreover,the Cu NCs/CCS film modified electrode is directly created through electrodeposition of CCS,which enables promising application in the electrochemical sensing.By means of fluorescence properties of Cu NCs,the Cu NCs/CCS film also owns the potential in fluorescence detection.Therefore,this work builds a novel method for the green synthesis of Cu NCs,meanwhile it offers a convenient and new electrodeposition strategy to prepare polysaccharide-based Cu NCs nanocomposites for uses in functional nanocomposites and bioelectronic devices.

Enhanced ferroelectric and improved leakage of BFO-based thin films through increasing entropy strategy

BiFeO_(3)(BFO)has received considerable attention as a lead-free ferroelectric film due to its large theoretical remnant polariza-tion.However,BFO suffers from a large leakage current,resulting in poor ferroelectric properties.Herein,the sol-gel method was used to deposit a series of BFO-based thin films on fluorine-doped tin oxide substrates,and the effects of the substitution of the elements Co,Cu,Mn(B-site)and Sm,Eu,La(A-site)on the crystal structure,ferroelectricity,and leakage current of the BFO-based thin films were invest-igated.Results confirmed that lattice distortion by X-ray diffraction can be attributed to the substitution of individual elements in the BFO-based films.Sm and Eu substitutions contribute to the lattice distortion in a pseudo-cubic structure,while La is biased toward pseudo-tet-ragonal.Piezoelectric force microscopy confirmed that reversible switching of ferroelectric domains by nearly 180°can be realized through the prepared films.The ferroelectric hysteresis loops showed that the order for the polarization contribution is as follows:Cu>Co>Mn(B-site),Sm>La>Eu(A-site).The current density voltage curves indicated that the order for leakage contribution is as follows:Mn<Cu<Co(B-site),La<Eu<Sm(A-site).Scanning electron microscopy showed that the introduction of Cu elements facilitates the formation of dense grains,and the grain size distribution statistics proved that La element promotes the reduction of grain size,leading to the increase of grain boundaries and the reduction of leakage.Finally,a Bi_(0.985)Sm_(0.045)La_(0.03)Fe_(0.96)Co_(0.02)Cu_(0.02)O_(3)(SmLa-CoCu)thin film with a qualitative leap in the remnant polarization from 25.5(Bi_(0.985)Sm_(0.075)FeO_(3))to 98.8µC/cm^(2)(SmLa-CoCu)was prepared through the syner-gistic action of Sm,La,Co,and Cu elements.The leakage current is also drastically reduced from 160 to 8.4 mA/cm^(2)at a field strength of 150 kV/cm.Thus,based on the increasing entropy strategy of chemical engineering,this study focuses on enhancing ferroelectricity and decreasing leakage current,providing a promising path for the advancement of ferroelectric devices.

Local thermal conductivity of inhomogeneous nano-fluidic films:A density functional theory perspective

Combining the mean field Pozhar-Gubbins(PG)theory and the weighted density approximation,a novel method for local thermal conductivity of inhomogeneous fluids is proposed.The correlation effect that is beyond the mean field treatment is taken into account by the simulation-based empirical correlations.The application of this method to confined argon in slit pore shows that its prediction agrees well with the simulation results,and that it performs better than the original PG theory as well as the local averaged density model(LADM).In its further application to the nano-fluidic films,the influences of fluid parameters and pore parameters on the thermal conductivity are calculated and investigated.It is found that both the local thermal conductivity and the overall thermal conductivity can be significantly modulated by these parameters.Specifically,in the supercritical states,the thermal conductivity of the confined fluid shows positive correlation to the bulk density as well as the temperature.However,when the bulk density is small,the thermal conductivity exhibits a decrease-increase transition as the temperature is increased.This is also the case in which the temperature is low.In fact,the decrease-increase transition in both the small-bulk-density and low-temperature cases arises from the capillary condensation in the pore.Furthermore,smaller pore width and/or stronger adsorption potential can raise the critical temperature for condensation,and then are beneficial to the enhancement of the thermal conductivity.These modulation behaviors of the local thermal conductivity lead immediately to the significant difference of the overall thermal conductivity in different phase regions.

Chitosan/Sodium Alginate Multilayer pH-Sensitive Films Based on Layer-by-Layer Self-Assembly for Intelligent Packaging

The abuse of plastic food packaging has brought about severe white pollution issues around the world.Developing green and sustainable biomass packaging is an effective way to solve this problem.Hence,a chitosan/sodium alginate-based multilayer film is fabricated via a layer-by-layer(LBL)self-assembly method.With the help of superior interaction between the layers,the multilayer film possesses excellent mechanical properties(with a tensile strength of 50 MPa).Besides,the film displays outstanding water retention property(blocking moisture of 97.56%)and ultraviolet blocking property.Anthocyanin is introduced into the film to detect the food quality since it is one natural plant polyphenol that is sensitive to the pH changes ranging from 1 to 13 in food when spoilage occurs.It is noted that the film is also bacteriostatic which is desired for food packaging.This study describes a simple technique for the development of advanced multifunctional and fully biodegradable food packaging film and it is a sustainable alternative to plastic packaging.

Effects of gallium surfactant on AlN thin films by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition

In this work, AlN films were grown using gallium (Ga) as surfactant on 4° off-axis 4H-SiC substrates via microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD). We have found that AlN growth rate can be greatly improved due to the catalytic effect of trimethyl-gallium (TMGa), but AlN crystal structure and composition are not affected. When the proportion of TMGa in gas phase was low, crystal quality of AlN can be improved and three-dimensional growth mode of AlN was enhanced with the increase of Ga source. When the proportion of TMGa in gas phase was high, two-dimensional growth mode of AlN was presented, with the increase of Ga source results in the deterioration of AlN crystal quality. Finally, employing a two-step growth approach, involving the initial growth of Ga-free AlN nucleation layer followed by Ga-assisted AlN growth, high quality of AlN film with flat surface was obtained and the full width at half maximum (FWHM) values of 415 nm AlN (002) and (102) planes were 465 and 597 arcsec.

Surface Deposition of Ni(OH)_(2) and Lattice Distortion Induce the Electrochromic Performance Decay of NiO Films in Alkaline Electrolyte

NiO,an anodic electrochromic material,has applications in energy-saving windows,intelligent displays,and military camouflage.However,its electrochromic mechanism and reasons for its performance degradation in alkaline aqueous electrolytes are complex and poorly understood,making it challenging to improve NiO thin films.We studied the phases and electrochemical characteristics of NiO films in different states(initial,colored,bleached and after 8000 cycles)and identified three main reasons for performance degradation.First,Ni(OH)_(2)is generated during electrochromic cycling and deposited on the NiO film surface,gradually yielding a NiO@Ni(OH)_(2)core-shell structure,isolating the internal NiO film from the electrolyte,and preventing ion transfer.Second,the core-shell structure causes the mode of electrical conduction to change from first-to second-order conduction,reducing the efficiency of ion transfer to the surface Ni(OH)_(2)layer.Third,Ni(OH)_(2)and NiOOH,which have similar crystal structures but different b-axis lattice parameters,are formed during electrochromic cycling,and large volume changes in the unit cell reduce the structural stability of the thin film.Finally,we clarified the mechanism of electrochromic performance degradation of NiO films in alkaline aqueous electrolytes and provide a route to activation of NiO films,which will promote the development of electrochromic technology.

Versatile techniques based on the Thermionic Vacuum Arc(TVA)and laser-induced TVA methods for Mg/Mg:X thin films deposition-A review

Magnesium and magnesium thin alloy films were deposited using a thermionic vacuum arc(TVA),which has multiple applications in the field of metallic electrodes for diodes and batteries or active corrosion protection.An improved laser-induced TVA(LTVA)method favors the crystallization processes of the deposited magnesium-based films because the interaction between laser and plasma discharge changes the thermal energy during photonic processes due to the local temperature variation.Plasma diagnosis based on current discharge measurements suggests an inelastic collision between the laser beam and the atoms from the plasma discharge.The morphology and surface properties of the obtained thin films differ between these two methods.While the amorphous character is dominant for TVA thin films,enabling a smooth surface,the LTVA method produces rough surfaces with prominent crystallinity,less hydrophobic character and lower surface energy.The smooth surfaces obtained by the TVA methods produce metallic electrodes with good electrical contact,ensuring better diodes and battery charge transport.Both methods allow uniform magnesium alloys to be obtained,but the laser used in the LTVA on the discharge plasma controls the added metal or element ratio.

Generation of lossy mode resonances(LMR)using perovskite nanofilms

The results presented here show for the first time the experimental demonstration of the fabrication of lossy mode resonance(LMR) devices based on perovskite coatings deposited on planar waveguides. Perovskite thin films have been obtained by means of the spin coating technique and their presence was confirmed by ellipsometry, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction testing. The LMRs can be generated in a wide wavelength range and the experimental results agree with the theoretical simulations. Overall, this study highlights the potential of perovskite thin films for the development of novel LMR-based devices that can be used for environmental monitoring, industrial sensing, and gas detection, among other applications.

Reduced graphene oxide porous films containing SiC whiskers for constructing multilayer electromagnetic shields

Developing lightweight and flexible thin films for electromagnetic interference(EMI)shielding is of great importance.Porous thin films of reduced graphene oxide containing SiC whiskers(SiC@RGO)for EMI shielding were prepared by a two-step reduction of graphene oxide(GO),in which the two steps were chemical reduction by HI and the solid phase microwave irradiation.A significant increase of the film thickness from around 20 to 200μm was achieved due to the formation of a porous structure by gases released during the 3 s of solid phase microwave irradiation.The total shielding effectiveness(SET)and the reflective SE(SE_(R))of the SiC@RGO porous thin films depended on the GO/SiC mass ratio.The highest SET achieved was 35.6 dB while the SE_(R) was only 2.8 dB,when the GO/SiC mass ratio was 4∶1.The addition of SiC whiskers was critical for the multi-reflection,interfacial po-larization and dielectric attenuation of EM waves.A multilayer film with a gradient change of SE values was constructed using SiC@RGO porous films and multi-walled carbon nanotubes buckypapers.The highest SET of the multilayer films reached 75.1 dB with a SE_(R) of 2.7 dB for a film thickness of about 1.5 mm.These porous SiC@RGO thin films should find use in multilayer or sand-wich structures for EMI absorption in packaging or lining.

Fabrication of UV-Curing Linalool-Polysiloxane Hybrid Films with High Refractive Index and Transparency

In this article,a series of high refractive indices(1.50-1.53)thiol phenyl polysiloxane(TPS)were synthesized via hydrolytic sol-gel reaction.The Fourier transform infrared spectra(FT-IR)and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra(NMR)results showed that TPS conformed to the predicted structures.Natural terpene linalool was exploited as photocrosslinker to fabricate UV-curing linalool-polysiloxane hybrid films(LPH)with TPS via photoinitiated thiol-ene reaction.LPH rapidly cured under UV irradiation at the intensity of 80 mW/cm^(2) in 30 s,exhibiting good UV-curing properties.The optical transmittance of LPH in the wavelength of 300-800 nm was over 90%,exhibiting good optical transparency.The water contact angle and water vapor permeability results showed that the introduction of phenyl groups enhance the hydrophobicity and water vapor barrier properties of LPH.The results indicated the potential of LPHs in the applications of optical functional coatings.

Dual-phase coexistence enables to alleviate resistance drift in phase-change films

The amorphous phase-change materials with spontaneous structural relaxation leads to the resistance drift with the time for phase-change neuron synaptic devices. Here, we modify the phase change properties of the conventional Ge_2Sb_2Te_5(GST) material by introducing an SnS phase. It is found that the resistance drift coefficient of SnS-doped GST was decreased from 0.06 to 0.01. It can be proposed that the origin originates from the precipitation of GST nanocrystals accompanied by the precipitation of SnS crystals compared to single-phase GST compound systems. We also found that the decrease in resistance drift can be attributed to the narrowed bandgap from 0.65 to 0.43 eV after SnS-doping. Thus, this study reveals the quantitative relationship between the resistance drift and the band gap and proposes a new idea for alleviating the resistance drift by composition optimization, which is of great significance for finding a promising phase change material.

Resistive switching behavior and mechanism of HfO_(x) films with large on/off ratio by structure design

Different bilayer structures of HfO_(x)/Ti(TiO_(x)) are designed for hafnium-based memory to investigate the switching characteristics. The chemical states in the films and near the interface are characterized by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,and the oxygen vacancies are analyzed. Highly improved on/off ratio(~104) and much uniform switching parameters are observed for bilayer structures compared to single layer HfO_(x) sample, which can be attributed to the modulation of oxygen vacancies at the interface and better control of the growth of filaments. Furthermore, the reliability of the prepared samples is investigated. The carrier conduction behaviors of HfO_(x)-based samples can be attributed to the trapping and de-trapping process of oxygen vacancies and a filamentary model is proposed. In addition, the rupture of filaments during the reset process for the bilayer structures occur at the weak points near the interface by the recovery of oxygen vacancies accompanied by the variation of barrier height. The re-formation of fixed filaments due to the residual filaments as lightning rods results in the better switching performance of the bilayer structure.

Structure and electrical properties of polysilicon films doped with ammonium tetraborate tetrahydrate

Here,p-type polysilicon films are fabricated by ex-situ doping method with ammonium tetraborate tetrahydrate(ATT)as the boron source,named ATT-pPoly.The effects of ATT on the properties of polysilicon films are comprehensively analyzed.The Raman spectra reveal that the ATT-pPoly film is composed of grain boundary and crystalline regions.The preferred orientation is the(111)direction.The grain size increases from 16−23 nm to 21−47 nm,by~70%on average.Comparing with other reported films,Hall measurements reveal that the ATT-pPoly film has a higher carrier concentration(>10^(20)cm^(−3))and higher carrier mobility(>30 cm2/(V·s)).The superior properties of the ATT-pPoly film are attributed to the heavy doping and improved grain size.Heavy doping property is proved by the mean sheet resistance(Rsheet,m)and distribution profile.The R_(sheet,m)decreases by more than 30%,and it can be further decreased by 90%if the annealing temperature or duration is increased.The boron concentration of ATT-pPoly film annealed at 950℃ for 45 min is~3×10^(20)cm^(−3),and the distribution is nearly the same,except near the surface.Besides,the standard deviation coefficient(σ)of Rsheet,m is less than 5.0%,which verifies the excellent uniformity of ATT-pPoly film.

Numerical Analysis for High⁃Throughput Elastic Modulus Measurement of Substrate⁃Supported Thin Films

Micro/nano-thin films are widely used in the fields of micro/nano-electromechanical system(MEMS/NEMS)and flexible electronics,and their mechanical properties have an important impact on the stability and reliability of components.However,accurate characterization of the mechanical properties of thin films still faces challenges due to the complexity of film-substrate structure,and the characterization efficiency of traditional techniques is insufficient.In this paper,a high-throughput determination method of the elastic modulus of thin films is proposed based on the strain variance method,the feasibility of which is analyzed by the finite element method(FEM),and the specific tensile configuration with array-distributed thin films is designed and optimized.Based on the strain difference between the film-substrate region and the uncoated region,the elastic modulus of multiple films is obtained simultaneously,and the influences of film width,spacing,thickness,and distribution on the measurement of elastic modulus are elucidated.The results show that the change in film width has a more obvious effect on the elastic modulus determination than film spacing and thickness,i.e.,the larger the film width is,the closer the calculation results are to the theoretical value,and the change in calculation results tends to be stabilized when the film width increases to a certain length.Specifically,the simultaneous measurement of the elastic modulus of eight metal films on a polyimide(PI)substrate with a length of 110 mm and a width of 30 mm can be realized,and the testing throughput can be further increased with the extension of the substrate length.This study provides an efficient and low-cost method for measuring the elastic modulus of thin films,which is expected to accelerate the development of new thin film materials.

The Effect of Uncaria gambir on Optical Properties and Thermal Stability of CNF/PVA Biocomposite Films

Cellulose-based film has gained popularity as an alternative to synthetic polymers due to its outstanding properties.Among all types of cellulose materials available,cellulose nanofiber(CNF)has great potential to be utilized in a diverse range of applications,including as a film material.In this study,CNF biocomposite film was prepared by using polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)as a matrix and Uncaria gambir extract as a filler.This study aims to investigate the effect of Uncaria gambir extract on the optical properties and thermal stability of the produced film.The formation of the CNF biocomposite films was confirmed using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy,their transmittance characteristics were measured using UV-Vis spectroscopy and a transmittance meter,while their reflectance was determined using a reflectance meter.The results revealed that the addition of Uncaria gambir extract to the CNF biocomposite film improved its UV-shielding properties,as indicated by the lower percentage of transmittance in the visible region,10%–70%.In addition,its reflectance increased to 10.6%compared to the CNF film without the addition of Uncaria gambir extract.Furthermore,the thermal stability of the CNF biocomposite film with the addition of Uncaria gambir extract improved to around 400℃–500℃.In conclusion,the results showed that CNF biocomposite film prepared by adding Uncaria gambir extract can be a promising candidate for optical and thermal management materials.

Simulation of magnetization process and Faraday effect of magnetic bilayer films

We described ferromagnetic film and bilayer films composed of two ferromagnetic layers coupled through antiferromagnetic interfacial interaction by classical Heisenberg model and simulated their magnetization state,magnetic permeability,and Faraday effect at zero and finite temperature by using the Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert(LLG)equation.The results indicate that in a microwave field with positive circular polarization,the ferromagnetic film has one resonance peak while the bilayer film has two resonance peaks.However,the resonance peak disappears in ferromagnetic film,and only one resonance peak emerges in bilayer film in the negative circularly polarized microwave field.When the microwave field’s frequency exceeds the film’s resonance frequency,the Faraday rotation angle of the ferromagnetic film is the greatest,and it decreases when the thickness of the two halves of the bilayer is reduced.When the microwave field’s frequency remains constant,the Faraday rotation angle fluctuates with temperature in the same manner as spontaneous magnetization does.When a DC magnetic field is applied in the direction of the anisotropic axis of the film,the Faraday rotation angle varies with the DC magnetic field and shows a similar shape of the hysteresis loop.

Electrical and nonlinear optical properties of TGZO transparent conducting films deposited by magnetron sputtering

Thin transparent oxide conducting films(TCOFs)of titanium and gallium substituted zinc oxide(TGZO)were fabricated via radio frequency(RF)magnetron sputtering technique.The effects of RF power on electrical,linear and nonlinear optical characteristics were investigated by Hall tester,Ultraviolet(UV)-visible spectrophotometer and optical characterization method.The results indicate that RF power significantly influences the electrical and optical properties of the deposited films.As RF power raises,the resistivity and Urbach energy fall initially and then rise,while the figure of merit,mean visible transmittance and optical bandgap show the reverse variation trend.At RF power of 190 W,the TGZO sample exhibits the highest electro-optical properties,with the maximum figure of merit(1.14×10^(4)Ω^(-1)∙cm^(-1)),mean visible transmittance(86.9%)and optical bandgap(3.50 eV),the minimum resistivity(6.26×10^(-4)Ω∙cm)and Urbach energy(174.23 meV).In addition,the optical constants of the deposited films were determined by the optical spectrum fitting method,and the RF power dependence of nonlinear optical properties was studied.It is observed that all the thin films exhibit normal dispersion characteristics in the visible region,and the nonlinear optical parameters are greatly affected by the RF power in the ultraviolet region.

Preparation,Characterization and Photothermal Study of PVA/Ti_(2)O_(3) Composite Films

In this work,flexible photothermal PVA/Ti_(2)O_(3) composite films with different amount(0 wt%,5 wt%,10 wt%,15 wt%)of Ti_(2)O_(3) particles modified by steric acid were prepared by a simple solution casting method.The microstructures,XRD patterns,FTIR spectra,UV-Vis-NIR spectra thermo-conductivity,thermo-stability and photothermal effects of these composite films were all characterized.These results indicated that Ti_(2)O_(3) particles were well dispersed throughout the polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)matrix in the PVA/Ti_(2)O_(3) composite films.And Ti_(2)O_(3) particles could also effectively improve the photothermal properties of the composite films which exhibited high light absorption and generated a high temperature(about 57.4℃for film with 15 wt%Ti_(2)O_(3) amount)on the surface when it was irradiated by a simulated sunlight source(1 kW/m^(2)).