An easy way to controllably synthesize one-dimensional Sm B_6 topological insulator nanostructures and exploration of their field emission applications

A convenient fabrication technique for samarium hexaboride（SmB6） nanostructures（nanowires and nanopencils） is developed, combining magnetron-sputtering and chemical vapor deposition. Both nanostructures are proven to be single crystals with cubic structure, and they both grow along the [001] direction. Formation of both nanostructures is attributed to the vapor-liquid-solid（VLS） mechanism, and the content of boron vapor is proposed to be the reason for their different morphologies at various evaporation distances. Field emission（FE） measurements show that the maximum current density of both the as-grown nanowires and nanopencils can be several hundred μA/cm^2, and their FN plots deviate only slightly from a straight line. Moreover, we prefer the generalized Schottky-Nordheim（SN） model to comprehend the difference in FE properties between the nanowires and nanopencils. The results reveal that the nonlinearity of FN plots is attributable to the effect of image potential on the FE process, which is almost independent of the morphology of the nanostructures.All the research results suggest that the SmB6 nanostructures would have a more promising future in the FE area if their surface oxide layer was eliminated in advance.

A sensitive and compact mercury analyzer by integrating dielectric barrier discharge induced cold vapor generation and optical emission spectrometry

An environmentally friendly,low power consuming,sensitive and compact mercury analyzer was developed for the determination of mercury in water samples by integrating a thin film dielectric barrier discharge induced cold vapor reactor and a dielectric barrier discharge optical emission spectrometer into a small polymethyl methacrylate plate（10.5 cm length×8.0 cm width×1.2 cm height）.Mercury cold vapor was generated when standard or sample solutions with or without formic acid were introduced to the reactor to form thin film liquid and exposed to microplasma irradiation and subsequently separated from the liquid phase for transport to the microplasma and detection of its atomic emission.Limits of detection of 0.20 μg L^-1 and 2.6 μg L^-1 were obtained for the proposed system using or not using formic acid,respectively.Compared to the conventional microplasma optical emission spectrometry used for mercury analysis,this system not only retains the good limit of detection amenable to the determination of mercury in real samples,but also reduces power consumption,eliminates the generation of hydrogen and avoids the use of toxic or unstable reductant.Method validation was demonstrated by analysis of a certified reference material of water sample and three real water samples with good spike recoveries（88-102%）.