Facile electrochemical surface-alloying and etching of Au wires to enable high-performance substrates for surface enhanced Raman scattering

Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy(SERS)is a nondestructive technique for rapid detection of analytes even at the single-molecule level.However,highly sensitive and reliable SERS substrates are mostly fabricated with complex nanofabrication techniques,greatly restricting their practical applications.A convenient electrochemical method for transforming the surface of commercial gold wires/foils into silver-alloyed nanostructures is demonstrated in this report.Au substrates are treated with repetitive anodic and cathodic bias in an electrolyte of thiourea,in a one-pot one-step manner.X-rays absorption fine structure(XAFS)spectroscopy confirms that the AuAg alloy is induced at the surface.The unique AuAg alloyed surface nanostructures are particularly advantageous when served as SERS substrates,enabling a remarkably sensitive detection of Rhodamine B(a detection limit of 10^(-14)M,and uniform strong response throughout the substrates at 10^(-12)M).

A Pore-Forming Strategy Toward Porous Carbon-Based Substrates for High Performance Flexible Lithium Metal Full Batteries

Self-standing carbon-based substrates with satisfied structural stability and property adjustability have promising applications in flexible lithium(Li)metal batteries(FLMBs).Current strategies for modifying carbon materials are normally carried out on powder carbon,and very few of them are suitable for self-standing carbon substrates.Herein,a pore-forming strategy based on the redox chemistry of metallic oxide nanodots is developed to prepare two porous carbon substrates for anode and cathode.Starting with cotton cloth,the resulting hollow carbon fibers substrate with nanopores effectively prevents from Li dendrites formation and large volume change in lithium metal anode(LMA).Simulations indicate that the porous structure leads to homogeneous ion flux,Li-ion concentration,and electric field during Li deposition.Li symmetrical cell based on this substrate remains stable for 8300 h with an ultralow voltage hysteresis of 9 mV.Via a similar route,porous carbon cloth substrate is obtained for subsequently seeding V_(2)O_(5)nanowires to prepare the cathode.The assembled FLMBs pouch cell delivers a capacity of 8.2 mAh with a high capacity retention of~100%even under dramatic deformation.The demonstrated strategy has far-reaching potential in preparing free-standing porous carbon-based materials for flexible energy storage devices.

Performance of Two Food Substrates in the Mass Rearing of Bactrocera dorsalis Hendel (Diptera: Tephritidae)

The fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis Hendel is a major constraint to mango production in Burkina Faso. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of two types of food substrates in optimizing the mass rearing of B. dorsalis larvae. For this purpose, 200 eggs of B. dorsalis were divided into four batches of 50 eggs and incubated in Petri dishes containing the different food substrates (Diet 1 and Diet 2). This method was used to evaluate the rate and duration of egg hatching, as well as the development time of the different larval stages. In addition, 1200 pupae divided into four batches of 300 pupae, contained in PVC tubes, were placed inside the rearing cages to monitor the emergence of B. dorsalis. Ten pairs of B. dorsalis were placed in rearing cages and fed with Enzymatic Yeast Hydrolysate and sugar to evaluate the fecundity of female flies and the survival of both sexes. The developmental cycle length in Diet 1 and Diet 2 was 23.03 days and 23.24 days, respectively. Fecundity duration ranged from 57.75 ± 2.29 to 109.81 ± 3.81 days for females from Diet 1 and Diet 2, respectively. The pupal hatching rate varied significantly (P B. dorsalis, but the spawning index was 4 times higher with Diet 1. Most of the components of Diet 1 are available on the local market and are cheaper. Thus, we recommend the use of Diet 1 for B. dorsalis larvae mass rearing.

Evaluation of Different Substrates Compositions for Acclimatization of Tissue Culture Taro Plantlets in a Propagator

Taro is cultivated in most Regions of Cameroon and it is affected by taro leaf blight disease since 2010 which has decreased its production. Lack of disease-free planting materials has been a main problem to farmers. This study was carried out at International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Yaounde and Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD) Bambui to assess different substrates for acclimatization of tissue culture taro plantlets in apropagator. No information is available on acclimatization of Cameroonian taro plantlets in different substrates. Taro plantlets from tissue culture were acclimatised in a propagator for six weeks under different substrates, the first substrate consisted of sterile three parts of soil and one part of river sand mixed together (3:1), the second substrate consisted of sterile two parts of soil and two parts of river sand mixed together (2:2), the third substrate consisted of sterile two parts of soil, one part of rice husk and one part of river sand mixed together (2:1:1) and the fourth substrate consisted of sterile one part of soil and three parts of river sand mixed together (1:3). After acclimatisation of the different taroplantlets (Dark green petiole with small leaves (L1), Red petiole with small leaves (L2), Light green petiole with large leaves (L3) and Light green petiole with small leaves (L4) in these four substrates, it was observed that the best growth rate of plant was recorded on substrate sand + soil (1:3). The other substrates showed moderate growth of plants. Substrate sand + soil (1:3) can be recommended for acclimatization of Cameroonian taro plantlets.

High-temperature annealing of(201)β-Ga_(2)O_(3) substrates for reducing structural defects after diamond sawing

A commercial epi-ready(201)β-Ga_(2)O_(3) wafer was investigated upon diamond sawing into pieces measuring 2.5×3 mm^(2).The defect structure and crystallinity in the cut samples has been studied by X-ray diffraction and a selective wet etching technique.The density of defects was estimated from the average value of etch pits calculated,including near-edge regions,and was obtained close to 109 cm^(-2).Blocks with lattice orientation deviated by angles of 1-3 arcmin,as well as non-stoichiometric fractions with a relative strain about(1.0-1.5)×10^(-4)in the[201]direction,were found.Crystal perfection was shown to decrease significantly towards the cutting lines of the samples.To reduce the number of structural defects and increase the crystal perfection of the samples via increasing defect motion mobility,the thermal annealing was employed.Polygonization and formation of a mosaic structure coupled with dislocation wall appearance upon 3 h of annealing at 1100℃ was observed.The fractions characterized by non-stoichiometry phases and the block deviation disappeared.The annealing for 11 h improved the homogeneity and perfection in the crystals.The average density of the etch pits dropped down significantly to 8×10^(6) cm^(-2).

Evolution of microstructure, stress and dislocation of AlN thick film on nanopatterned sapphire substrates by hydride vapor phase epitaxy

A crack-free AlN film with 4.5 μm thickness was grown on a 2-inch hole-type nano-patterned sapphire substrates(NPSSs) by hydride vapor phase epitaxy(HVPE). The coalescence, stress evolution, and dislocation annihilation mechanisms in the AlN layer have been investigated. The large voids located on the pattern region were caused by the undesirable parasitic crystallites grown on the sidewalls of the nano-pattern in the early growth stage. The coalescence of the c-plane AlN was hindered by these three-fold crystallites and the special triangle void appeared. The cross-sectional Raman line scan was used to characterize the change of stress with film thickness, which corresponds to the characteristics of different growth stages of AlN. Threading dislocations(TDs) mainly originate from the boundary between misaligned crystallites and the c-plane AlN and the coalescence of two adjacent c-plane AlN crystals, rather than the interface between sapphire and AlN.

Effects of Scarification and Substrates on Seed Germination Quality for Domestication of Stereospermum kunthianum(Bignoniaceae)

The demand for medicinal plants at the origin of phyto-drugs,like all ethnobotanical plants,threatens their existence today.The aim of this work was to determine suitable methods for optimizing the possibilities of regenerating Stereospermum kunthianum.To achieve this objective,3 levels of mechanical scarification(light scarification,medium scarification and deep scarification)were applied to the seeds of this species using a rough instrument,and 5 days after germination,the seedlings were transplanted into 5 types of substrate to study their effects on seedling growth.The length of the seedlings was measured using a graduated ruler.The results obtained showed that the best latency time was 2 days for average seed scarifications.The highest germination half-time was 4.00±0.06 days observed for average seed scarification,the highest germination speed was 22.50±1.00 and the highest germination rate was 100.00%±0.00%for average scarification.The homogeneous substrate mixes black earth/woodsilk and Fine sand/woodsilk were more effective for seedling growth(1.9 cm/day in the juvenile state)and development.Medium seed scarification is the most effective method for regenerating Stereospermum kunthianum,and the black earth/wood shavings substrate mix is the best for its cultivation.

Structure of Cu-Phthalocyanine Vacuum Deposited on Inclined Glass Substrates

Cu-phthalocyanine is widely studied as a hole-transport layer in organic electronic devices. Since Cu-phthalocyanine is a molecular solid, the crystal structure depends on a circumstance to a great extent. Vacuum deposited layers were known to consist of two consecutive layers. In this article, Cu-phthalocyanine was deposited on the glass substrate inclined at several angles. The thickness of the first layer was found to be dependent on the substrate angle.

Influence of different substrates on the formation and characteristics of aerobic granules in sequencing batch reactors

The effects of different substrates on the aerobic granulation process were studied using laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactors （SBRs）. Four parallel granules sequencing batch reactors （GSBR）： R1, R2, R3, and R4 were fed with acetate, glucose, peptone and fecula, respectively. Stable aerobic granules were successfully cultivated in R1, R2, R4, and smaller granules less than 500 μm were formed in R3. Morphology and the physic-chemical characteristics of aerobic granules fed with different carbon substrates were investigated by the four reactors operated under the same pressure. The aerobic granules in the four reactors were observed and found that peptone was the most stable one due to its good settleability even after a sludge age as short as 10 d. A strong correlation was testified between the characteristics of aerobic granules and the properties of carbon substrates. The stability of aerobic granules was affected by extracellular polymer substances （EPS） derived from microorganism growth during feast time fed with different carbon substrates, and the influence of the property of storage substance was greater than that of its quantity. Optimal carbon substrates, which are helpful in the cultivation and retention of well-settling granules and in the enhancement of the overall ability of the aerobic granules reactors, were found.

Effect of heat treatment of titanium substrates on the properties of IrO_2-Ta_2O_5 coated anodes

The Ti substrates of IrO 2 -Ta 2 O 5 coated anodes were treated by solid-solution and aging, stress relieving annealing, and recrystallization annealing, and the coatings were prepared by thermal decomposition of a mixture of H 2 IrCl 6 ·6H 2 O dissolved in hydrochloric acid and TaCl 5 dissolved in alcohol. Scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, cyclic voltammetry （CV）, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy （EIS）, and accelerated life test （ALT） were employed to study the microstructure and electrochemical properties of the anodes. Compared with the anode without heat treatment, the anodes with heat treatment are of higher electrochemical activity and longer accelerated life; especially, the anode with recrystallization annealing treatment has the best electrochemical properties and the longest accelerated life.

Fabrication of Superhydrophobic Micro Post Array on Aluminum Substrates Using Mask Electrochemical Machining

Surfaces with controllable micro structures are significant in fundamental development of superhydrophobicity. However,preparation of superhydrophobic surfaces with array structures on metal substrates is not effective using existing methods. A new method was presented to fabricate super-hydrophobic post arrays on aluminum(Al) substrates using mask electrochemical machining and fluoridation. Electrochemical etching was first applied on Al plates with pre-prepared photoresist arrays to make the post array structures. Surface modification was subsequently applied to reduce the surface energy, followed by interaction with water to realize superhydrophobicity. Simulation and experimental verification were conducted to investigate how machining parameters affect the array structures. Analysis of the water contact angle was implemented to explore the relationship between wettability and micro structures.The results indicate that superhydrophobic surfaces with controllable post structures can be fabricated through this proposed method, producing surfaces with high water static contact angles.

Substrates and interlayer coupling effects on Mo1-xWxSe2 alloys

Two-dimensional(2D) transition metal dichalcogenides alloys are potential materials in the application of photodetectors over a wide spectral range due to their composition-dependent bandgaps. The study of bandgap engineering is important for the application of 2D materials in devices. Here, we grow the Mo1-xWxSe2 alloys on mica, sapphire and SiO2/Si substrates by chemical vapor deposition(CVD) method. Mo1-x Wx Se2 alloys are grown on the mica substrates by CVD method for the first time. Photoluminescence(PL) spectroscopy is used to investigate the effects of substrates and interlayer coupling force on the optical bandgaps of as-grown Mo1-xWxSe2 alloys. We find that the substrates used in this work have an ignorable effect on the optical bandgaps of as-grown Mo1-xWxSe2. The interlayer coupling effect on the optical bandgaps of as-grown Mo1-xWxSe2 is larger than the substrates effect. These findings provide a new way for the future study of the growth and physical properties of 2D alloy materials.

Growth and characterization ofβ-Ga_(2)O_(3)thin films grown on off-angled Al_(2)O_(3)substrates by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition

Beta-gallium oxide(β-Ga_(2)O_(3))thin films were deposited on c-plane(0001)sapphire substrates with different mis-cut angles along<>by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition(MOCVD).The structural properties and surface morphology of as-grownβ-Ga_(2)O_(3)thin films were investigated in detail.It was found that by using thin buffer layer and mis-cut substrate technology,the full width at half maximum(FWHM)of the()diffraction peak of theβ-Ga_(2)O_(3)film is decreased from 2°on c-plane(0001)Al_(2)O_(3)substrate to 0.64°on an 8°off-angled c-plane(0001)Al_(2)O_(3)substrate.The surface root-mean-square(RMS)roughness can also be improved greatly and the value is 1.27 nm for 8°off-angled c-plane(0001)Al_(2)O_(3)substrate.Room temper-ature photoluminescence(PL)was observed,which was attributed to the self-trapped excitons formed by oxygen and gallium vacancies in the film.The ultraviolet-blue PL intensity related with oxygen and gallium vacancies is decreased with the increas-ing mis-cut angle,which is in agreement with the improved crystal quality measured by high resolution X-ray diffraction(HR-XRD).The present results provide a route for growing high qualityβ-Ga_(2)O_(3)film on Al_(2)O_(3)substrate.

Physical understanding of axonal growth patterns on grooved substrates:groove ridge crossing versus longitudinal alignment

Surface topographies such as micrometric edges and grooves have been widely used to improve neuron outgrowth.However,finding the mechanism of neuron–surface interactions on grooved substrates remains a challenge.In this work,PC12 cells and chick forebrain neurons(CFNs)were cultured on grooved and smooth polyacrylonitrile substrates.It was found that CFNs showed a tendency of growing across groove ridges;while PC12 cells were only observed to grow in the longitudinal direction of grooves.To further investigate these observations,a 3D physical model of axonal outgrowth was developed.In this model,axon shafts are simulated as elastic 3D beams,accounting for the axon outgrowth as well as the focal contacts between axons and substrates.Moreover,the bending direction of axon tips during groove ridge crossing is governed by the energy minimization principle.Our physical model predicts that axonal groove ridge crossing is contributed by the bending compliance of axons,caused by lower Young’s modulus and smaller diameters.This work will aid the understanding of the mechanisms involved in axonal alignment and elongation of neurons guided by grooved substrates,and the obtained insights can be used to enhance the design of instructive scaffolds for nerve tissue engineering and regeneration applications.

Influence of Surface Structures on Quality of CdTe(100) Thin Films Grown on GaAs(100) Substrates

We report the epitaxial growth of single-crystalline Cd Te（100） thin films on Ga As（100） substrates using molecular beam epitaxy. By controlling the substrate pre-heated temperature with adjustable Te flux, three different reconstructed surfaces are realized, and their influence on the subsequent Cd Te growth is investigated. More importantly, we find that both the presence of a thin native oxide layer and the formation of Ga-As-Te bonds at the interface enable the growth along the（100） orientation and help to reduce the threading dislocations and other defects. Our results provide new opportunities for compound semiconductor heterogeneous growth via interfacial engineering.

Surface Acoustic Wave Humidity Sensors Based on(1120) ZnO Piezoelectric Films Sputtered on R-Sapphire Substrates

ZnO films on R-sapphire substrates are prepared and characterized by x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, which indicate that the thin films are well crystallized with （1120） texture. Love wave and Rayleigh wave are used for fabrications of humidity sensors, which are excited in [1100] and [0001] directions of the （1120） ZnO piezoelectric films, respectively. The experimental results show that both kinds of sensors have good humidity response and repeatability, and the performances of the Love wave sensors are better than those of the Rayleigh wave sensors at room temperature. Moreover, the theoretical calculations of the mass sensitivity of the sensors are a/so carried out and the calculated results are in good agreement with the experimental measurements.

Designer substrates and devices for mechanobiology study

Both biological and engineering approaches have contributed significantly to the recent advance in the field of mechanobiology.Collaborating with biologists,bio-engineers and materials scientists have employed the techniques stemming from the conventional semiconductor industry to rebuild cellular milieus that mimic critical aspects of in vivo conditions and elicit cell/tissue responses in vitro.Such reductionist approaches have help to unveil important mechanosensing mechanism in both cellular and tissue level,including stem cell differentiation and proliferation,tissue expansion,wound healing,and cancer metastasis.In this mini-review,we discuss various microfabrication methods that have been applied to generate specific properties and functions of designer substrates/devices,which disclose cell-microenvironment interactions and the underlying biological mechanisms.In brief,we emphasize on the studies of cell/tissue mechanical responses to substrate adhesiveness,stiffness,topography,and shear flow.Moreover,we comment on the new concepts of measurement and paradigms for investigations of biological mechanotransductions that are yet to emerge due to on-going interdisciplinary efforts in the fields of mechanobiology and microengineering.

Ⅲ–Ⅴ ternary nanowires on Si substrates: growth, characterization and device applications

Over the past decades, the progress in the growth of materials which can be applied to cutting-edge technologies in the field of electronics, optoelectronics and energy harvesting has been remarkable. Among the various materials, group Ⅲ–Ⅴ semiconductors are of particular interest and have been widely investigated due to their excellent optical properties and high carrier mobility. However, the integration of Ⅲ–Ⅴ structures as light sources and numerous other optical components on Si,which is the foundation for most optoelectronic and electronic integrated circuits, has been hindered by the large lattice mismatch between these compounds. This mismatch results in substantial amounts of strain and degradation of the performance of the devices. Nanowires(NWs) are unique nanostructures that induce elastic strain relaxation, allowing for the monolithic integration of Ⅲ–Ⅴ semiconductors on the cheap and mature Si platform. A technique that ensures flexibility and freedom in the design of NW structures is the growth of ternary Ⅲ–Ⅴ NWs, which offer a tuneable frame of optical characteristics, merely by adjusting their nominal composition. In this review, we will focus on the recent progress in the growth of ternary Ⅲ–Ⅴ NWs on Si substrates. After analysing the growth mechanisms that are being employed and describing the effect of strain in the NW growth, we will thoroughly inspect the available literature and present the growth methods, characterization and optical measurements of each of the Ⅲ–Ⅴ ternary alloys that have been demonstrated. The different properties and special treatments required for each of these material platforms are also discussed. Moreover, we will present the results from the works on device fabrication, including lasers, solar cells, water splitting devices, photodetectors and FETs, where ternary Ⅲ–Ⅴ NWs were used as building blocks. Through the current paper, we exhibit the up-to-date state in this field of research and summarize the important accomplishments of the past few years.

Theoretical Investigation of Influence of Mechanical Stress on Magnetic Properties of Ferromagnetic/Antiferromagnetic Bilayers Deposited on Flexible Substrates

Effect of mechanical stress on magnetic properties of an exchange-biased ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic bilayer deposited on a flexible substrate is investigated. The hysteresis loops with different magnitudes and orientations of the stress can be classified into three types. The corresponding physical conditions for each type of the loop are deduced based on the principle of minimal energy. The equation of the critical stress is derived, which can judge whether the loops show hysteresis or not. Numerical calculations suggest that except for the magnitude of the mechanical stress, the relative orientation of the stress is also an important factor to tune the exchange bias effect.