Preparation of Scratch-Resistant Nano-Porous Silica Films Derived by Sol-Gel Process and Their Anti-reflective Properties

Structural strengthening of the nano porous silica films has been reported. The films were prepared with a base/acid two-step catalyzed TEOS-based sol-gel processing and dip-coating, and then baked in the mixed gas of ammonia and water vapor. The silica films were characterized with TEM, AFM, FTIR, spectrophotometer, ellipsometer, and abrasion test, respectively. The experimental results have shown that the films have a nanostructure with a low refractive index and can form an excellent scratch-resistant broadband anti-reflectance. The two-step catalysis noticeably strengthens the films, and the mixed gas treatment further improves mechanical strength of the silica network. Finally the strengthening mechanism has been discussed.

Large-scale, adhesive-free and omnidirectional 3D nanocone anti-reflection films for high performance photovoltaics

An effective and low-cost front-side anti-reflection(AR) technique has long been sought to enhance the performance of highly efficient photovoltaic devices due to its capability of maximizing the light absorption in photovoltaic devices. In order to achieve high throughput fabrication of nanostructured flexible and anti-reflection films, large-scale, nano-engineered wafer molds were fabricated in this work. Additionally, to gain in-depth understanding of the optical and electrical performance enhancement with AR films on polycrystalline Si solar cells, both theoretical and experimental studies were performed. Intriguingly,the nanocone structures demonstrated an efficient light trapping effect which reduced the surface reflection of a solar cell by17.7% and therefore enhanced the overall electric output power of photovoltaic devices by 6% at normal light incidence. Notably, the output power improvement is even more significant at a larger light incident angle which is practically meaningful for daily operation of solar panels. The application of the developed AR films is not only limited to crystalline Si solar cells explored here, but also compatible with any types of photovoltaic technology for performance enhancement.

Microstructure Analysis and Properties of Anti-Reflection Thin Films for Spherical Silicon Solar Cells

Structure and properties of anti-reflection thin films of spherical silicon solar cells were investigated and discussed. Conversion efficiencies of spherical Si solar cells coated with F-doped SnO2 anti-reflection films were improved by annealing. Optical absorption and fluorescence of the solar cells increased after annealing. Lattice constants of F-doped SnO2 anti-reflection layers, which were investigated by X-ray diffraction, decreased after annealing. A mechanism of atomic diffusion of F in SnO2 was discussed. The present work indicated a guideline for spherical silicon solar cells with higher efficiencies.

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.

Flexible, Transparent and Conductive Metal Mesh Films with Ultra‑High FoM for Stretchable Heating and Electromagnetic Interference Shielding

Despite the growing demand for transparent conductive films in smart and wearable electronics for electromagnetic interference(EMI)shielding,achieving a flexible EMI shielding film,while maintaining a high transmittance remains a significant challenge.Herein,a flexible,transparent,and conductive copper(Cu)metal mesh film for EMI shielding is fabricated by self-forming crackle template method and electroplating technique.The Cu mesh film shows an ultra-low sheet resistance(0.18Ω□^(-1)),high transmittance(85.8%@550 nm),and ultra-high figure of merit(>13,000).It also has satisfactory stretchability and mechanical stability,with a resistance increases of only 1.3%after 1,000 bending cycles.As a stretchable heater(ε>30%),the saturation temperature of the film can reach over 110°C within 60 s at 1.00 V applied voltage.Moreover,the metal mesh film exhibits outstanding average EMI shielding effectiveness of 40.4 dB in the X-band at the thickness of 2.5μm.As a demonstration,it is used as a transparent window for shielding the wireless communication electromagnetic waves.Therefore,the flexible and transparent conductive Cu mesh film proposed in this work provides a promising candidate for the next-generation EMI shielding applications.

Suppression of Co(Ⅱ)ion deposition and hazards:Regulation of SEI film composition and structure

Despite the presence of Li F components in the solid electrolyte interphase(SEI)formed on the graphite anode surface by conventional electrolyte,these Li F components primarily exist in an amorphous state,rendering them incapable of effectively inhibiting the exchange reaction between lithium ions and transition metal ions in the electrolyte.Consequently,nearly all lithium ions within the SEI film are replaced by transition metal ions,resulting in an increase in interphacial impedance and a decrease in stability.Herein,we demonstrate that the SEI film,constructed by fluoroethylene carbonate(FEC)additive rich in crystalline Li F,effectively inhibits the undesired Li^(+)/Co^(2+)ion exchange reaction,thereby suppressing the deposition of cobalt compounds and metallic cobalt.Furthermore,the deposited cobalt compounds exhibit enhanced structural stability and reduced catalytic activity with minimal impact on the interphacial stability of the graphite anode.Our findings reveal the crucial influence of SEI film composition and structure on the deposition and hazards associated with transition metal ions,providing valuable guidance for designing next-generation electrolytes.

OptoGPT: A foundation model for inverse design in optical multilayer thin film structures

Optical multilayer thin film structures have been widely used in numerous photonic applications.However,existing inverse design methods have many drawbacks because they either fail to quickly adapt to different design targets,or are difficult to suit for different types of structures,e.g.,designing for different materials at each layer.These methods also cannot accommodate versatile design situations under different angles and polarizations.In addition,how to benefit practical fabrications and manufacturing has not been extensively considered yet.In this work,we introduce OptoGPT(Opto Generative Pretrained Transformer),a decoder-only transformer,to solve all these drawbacks and issues simultaneously.

Numerical and experimental study on the falling film flow characteristics with the effect of co-current gas flow in hydrogen liquefaction process

Liquid hydrogen storage and transportation is an effective method for large-scale transportation and utilization of hydrogen energy. Revealing the flow mechanism of cryogenic working fluid is the key to optimize heat exchanger structure and hydrogen liquefaction process(LH2). The methods of cryogenic visualization experiment, theoretical analysis and numerical simulation are conducted to study the falling film flow characteristics with the effect of co-current gas flow in LH2spiral wound heat exchanger.The results show that the flow rate of mixed refrigerant has a great influence on liquid film spreading process, falling film flow pattern and heat transfer performance. The liquid film of LH2mixed refrigerant with column flow pattern can not uniformly and completely cover the tube wall surface. As liquid flow rate increases, the falling film flow pattern evolves into sheet-column flow and sheet flow, and liquid film completely covers the surface of tube wall. With the increase of shear effect of gas-phase mixed refrigerant in the same direction, the liquid film gradually becomes unstable, and the flow pattern eventually evolves into a mist flow.

Highly Flexible Graphene-Film-Based Rectenna for Wireless Energy Harvesting

Herein,we report the design,fabrication,and performance of two wireless energy harvesting devices based on highly flexible graphene macroscopic films(FGMFs).We first demonstrate that benefiting from the high conductivity of up to 1×10^(6)S m^(-1)and good resistive stability of FGMFs even under extensive bending,the FGMFs-based rectifying circuit(GRC)exhibits good flexibility and RF-to-DC efficiency of 53%at 2.1 GHz.Moreover,we further expand the application of FGMFs to a flexible wideband monopole rectenna and a 2.45 GHz wearable rectenna for harvesting wireless energy.The wideband rectenna at various bending conditions produces a maximum conversion efficiency of 52%,46%,and 44%at the 5th Generation(5G)2.1 GHz,Industrial Long-Term Evolution(LTE)2.3 GHz,and Scientific Medical(ISM)2.45 GHz,respectively.A 2.45 GHz GRC is optimized and integrated with an AMC-backed wearable antenna.The proposed 2.45 GHz wearable rectenna shows a maximum conversion efficiency of 55.7%.All the results indicate that the highly flexible graphene-film-based rectennas have great potential as a wireless power supplier for smart Internet of Things(loT)applications.

Metal-Halide Perovskite Submicrometer-Thick Films for Ultra-Stable Self-Powered Direct X-Ray Detectors

Metal-halide perovskites are revolutionizing the world of X-ray detectors,due to the development of sensitive,fast,and cost-effective devices.Self-powered operation,ensuring portability and low power consumption,has also been recently demonstrated in both bulk materials and thin films.However,the signal stability and repeatability under continuous X-ray exposure has only been tested up to a few hours,often reporting degradation of the detection performance.Here it is shown that self-powered direct X-ray detectors,fabricated starting from a FAPbBr_(3)submicrometer-thick film deposition onto a mesoporous TiO_(2)scaffold,can withstand a 26-day uninterrupted X-ray exposure with negligible signal loss,demonstrating ultra-high operational stability and excellent repeatability.No structural modification is observed after irradiation with a total ionizing dose of almost 200 Gy,revealing an unexpectedly high radiation hardness for a metal-halide perovskite thin film.In addition,trap-assisted photoconductive gain enabled the device to achieve a record bulk sensitivity of 7.28 C Gy^(−1)cm^(−3)at 0 V,an unprecedented value in the field of thin-film-based photoconductors and photodiodes for“hard”X-rays.Finally,prototypal validation under the X-ray beam produced by a medical linear accelerator for cancer treatment is also introduced.

Multifunctional MXene/Carbon Nanotube Janus Film for Electromagnetic Shielding and Infrared Shielding/Detection in Harsh Environments

Multifunctional,flexible,and robust thin films capable of operating in demanding harsh temperature environments are crucial for various cutting-edge applications.This study presents a multifunctional Janus film integrating highly-crystalline Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x) MXene and mechanically-robust carbon nanotube(CNT)film through strong hydrogen bonding.The hybrid film not only exhibits high electrical conductivity(4250 S cm^(-1)),but also demonstrates robust mechanical strength and durability in both extremely low and high temperature environments,showing exceptional resistance to thermal shock.This hybrid Janus film of 15μm thickness reveals remarkable multifunctionality,including efficient electromagnetic shielding effectiveness of 72 dB in X band frequency range,excellent infrared(IR)shielding capability with an average emissivity of 0.09(a minimal value of 0.02),superior thermal camouflage performance over a wide temperature range(−1 to 300℃)achieving a notable reduction in the radiated temperature by 243℃ against a background temperature of 300℃,and outstanding IR detection capability characterized by a 44%increase in resistance when exposed to 250 W IR radiation.This multifunctional MXene/CNT Janus film offers a feasible solution for electromagnetic shielding and IR shielding/detection under challenging conditions.

Carboxylic Acids and Esters as Scaffold for Cavities in Porous Single Layer Anti-Reflective Coatings of Silica-Titania with Excellent Optical and Mechanical Properties

Anti-reflective (AR) single layer of silica-titania (SiO2-TiO2) coatings were obtained from sols containing pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) derivatives and Ti and Si precursors on glass substrate by dip-coating method. The coatings showed very high optical quality and the transmission was improved to up to 98.5%. Furthermore, the coatings also presented good mechanical stability.

Author Correction to “Enhanced Property of Thin Cuprous Oxide Film Prepared through Green Synthetic Route”

This correction adds some information to our publication[Chin.J.Chem.Phys.32,365–372(2019)]that we previously missed to include.Our previous work published in[Appl.Catal.B Env-iron.186,10(2016)]was based on the same sample series but with the focus of explaining the interplay between the catalytic behavior and properties of the cuprous thin films.A superior catalytic performance was demonstrated when water was added in the deposition process[1](see Ref.[47]in our publication corrected here).

Effects of Thickness and Anisotropic Strain on Polarization Switching Properties of Sub-10nm Epitaxial Hf_(0.5)Zr_(0.5)O_(2)Thin Films

Doped HfO_(2)-based ferroelectric(FE)films are emerging as leading contenders for next-generation FE nonvolatile memories due to their excellent compatibility with complementary metal oxide semiconductor processes and robust ferroelectricity at nanoscale dimensions.Despite the considerable attention paid to the FE properties of HfO_(2)-based films in recent years,enhancing their polarization switching speed remains a critical research challenge.We demonstrate the strong ferroelectricity of sub-10nm Hf_(0.5)Zr_(0.5)O_(2)(HZO)thin films and show that the polarization switching speed of these thin films can be significantly affected by HZO thickness and anisotropically strained La_(0.67)Sr_(0.33)MO_(3)-buffered layer.Our observations indicate that the HZO thin film thickness and anisotropically strained La_(0.67)Sr_(0.33)MO_(3)layer influence the nucleation of reverse domains by altering the phase composition of the HZO thin film,thereby reducing the polarization switching time.Although the increase in HZO thickness and anisotropic compressive strain hinder the formation of the FE phase,they can enable faster switching.Our findings suggest that FE HZO ultrathin films with polar orthorhombic structures have broad application prospects in microelectronic devices.These insights into novel methods for increasing polarization switching speed are poised to advance the development of high-performance FE devices.

Centimeter-Scale Above-Room-Temperature Ferromagnetic Fe_(3)GaTe_(2)Thin Films by Molecular Beam Epitaxy

Fe_(3)GaTe_(2),as a layered ferromagnetic material,has a Curie temperature(T_(c))higher than room temperature,making it the key material in next-generation spintronic devices.To be used in practical devices,large-sized high-quality Fe_(3)GaTe_(2)thin films need to be prepared.Here,the centimeter-scale thin film samples with high crystal quality and above-room-temperature ferromagnetism with strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy were prepared by molecular beam epitaxy technology.Furthermore,the Tc of the samples raises as the film thickness increases,and reaches 367K when the film thickness is 60 nm.This study provides material foundations for the new generation of van der Waals spintronic devices and paves the way for the commercial application of Fe_(3)GaTe_(2).

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.

Effect of drying methods on perovskite films and solar cells

The high efficiency,solution processibility,and flexibility of perovskite solar cells make them promising candidates for the photovoltaic industry[1−8].The deposition method is one of the most critical factors that affect the performance of perovskite films.Various deposition methods have been developed to make perovskite films,including spin-coating,slotdie coating.

Mechanical and magnetocaloric adjustable properties of Fe3O4/PET deformed nanoparticle film

The flexibility of nanoparticle films is a topic of rapidly growing interest in both scientific and engineering researches due to their numerous potential applications in a broad range of wearable electronics and biomedical devices.This article presents the elucidation of the properties of nanoparticle films.Here,a flexible film is fabricated based on polyethylene terephthalate(PET)and magnetic iron oxide at the nanoscale using layer-by-layer technology.The 2D thin flexible film material can be bent at different angles from 0°to 360°.With an increase in elastic deformation angles,the magnetocaloric effect of the film gradually increases in the alternating magnetic field.The test results from a vibrating sample magnetometer and a low-frequency impedance analyzer demonstrate that the film has a good magnetic response and anisotropy.The magnetocaloric effect and magnetic induction effect are controlled by deformation,providing a new idea for the application of elastic films.It combines the flexibility of the nanoparticle PET substrate and,in the future,it may be used for skin adhesion for administration and magnetic stimulation control.

Elastodynamic behaviors of steady moving straight dislocation within thin nano film

The elastodynamic dislocation behaviors are of great interest for understanding the performances of structural alloys under intense dynamic loading conditions.The formation,propagations,and interactions of dislocations(such as injected dislocation,accelerating dislocation,steady moving dislocation at high constant speed)are quite different from static dislocations.For steady-moving dislocation within the isotropic infinite medium,the effects of surface and interface on steady-moving dislocations within limited space are still known.In this paper,we investigate the elastodynamic image stress simulation of steady moving dislocation within film of limited thickness at constant speed using Eigenstrain theory,Lorentz transformation,and steady dynamic equilibrium equations.We propose an efficient solution method that involves complex Fourier series,transforming partial differential equations into ordinary differential equations,and ultimately into a set of algebraic equations in spectral space.The effects of dislocation speed and position near the free surface on the image stress of steady-moving climbing and gliding dislocations within the thin film are examined.The results show that relativistic effects are significant for certain dislocation configurations and stress components,whereas other stress components are less sensitive to relativistic effects near the transonic speed region.

Preparation of a zeolite-palladium composite membrane for hydrogen separation:Influence of zeolite film on membrane stability

With the development of hydrogen energy,palladium-based membranes have been widely used in hydrogen separation and purification.However,the poor chemical stability of palladium composite membranes limits their commercial applications.In this study,a zeolite-palladium composite membrane with a sandwich-like structure was obtained by using a TS-1 zeolite film grown on the surface of palladium membrane.The membrane microstructure was characterized by SEM and EDX.The effects of the TS-1 film on the hydrogen permeability and stability of palladium composite membrane were investigated in details.Benefited from the protection of the TS-1 zeolite film,the stability of palladium composite membrane was enhanced.The results indicate that the TS-1-Pd composite membrane was stable after eight cycles of the temperature exchange cycles between 773 K and 623 K.Especially,the loss of hydrogen permeance for TS-1-Pd composite membrane was much smaller than that of the pure palladium membrane when the membrane was tested in the presence of C3H6atmosphere.It indicated that the TS-1-Pd composite membrane had better chemical stability in comparison with pure palladium membrane,owing to its sandwich-like structure.This work provides an efficient way for the deposition of zeolite film on palladium membrane to enhance the membrane stability.