BTG2 interference ameliorates high glucose-caused oxidative stress, cell apoptosis, and lipid deposition in HK-2 cells

Objective:Diabetic nephropathy(DN)is a deleterious microangiopathy of diabetes,constituting a critical determinant of fatality in diabetic patients.This work is purposed to disclose the effects and modulatory mechanism of BTG anti-proliferation factor 2(BTG2)during the pathological process of DN.Methods:BTG2 expression in kidney tissues of diabetic mice and high glucose(HG)-exposed human proximal tubular cell line HK-2 was assessed with Western blot and RT-qPCR.The diabetic mice model was constructed by streptozotocin injection and confirmed by the blood glucose level beyond 16.7 mmol/L.Hematoxylin and eosin(H&E)staining and measurement of kidney function hallmarks were conducted to assess kidney injury.Cell counting kit(CCK)-8 method and TUNEL assay appraised cell activity and apoptosis.Oil red O staining assayed lipid accumulation.Relevant commercial kits were used to estimate oxidative stress-related factors.Co-immunoprecipitation(Co-IP)assay testified the binding relationship of BTG2 with protein arginine methyltransferase 1(PRMT1).Results:BTG2 expression was significantly raised in renal tissues of diabetic mice and HK-2 cells exposed to HG.BTG2 deficiency improved viability and extenuated the apoptosis,lipid deposition as well as oxidative stress in HK-2 cells following HG exposure.In addition,PRMT1 was also overexpressed in HK-2 cells exposed to HG.BTG2 interacted with PRMT1 and positively modulated PRMT1 expression.The effects of BTG2 interference on viability,apoptosis,lipid deposition,and oxidative stress in HG-challenged HK-2 cells were partially abrogated by PRMT1 overexpression.Conclusion:Altogether,BTG2 might aggravate HK-2 cell injury in response to HG by binding with PRMT1,providing a novel target for the therapeutic strategy of DN.

Atomic layer deposition for nanoscale oxide semiconductor thin film transistors:review and outlook

Since the first report of amorphous In–Ga–Zn–O based thin film transistors,interest in oxide semiconductors has grown.They offer high mobility,low off-current,low process temperature,and wide flexibility for compositions and processes.Unfortunately,depositing oxide semiconductors using conventional processes like physical vapor deposition leads to problematic issues,especially for high-resolution displays and highly integrated memory devices.Conventional approaches have limited process flexibility and poor conformality on structured surfaces.Atomic layer deposition(ALD)is an advanced technique which can provide conformal,thickness-controlled,and high-quality thin film deposition.Accordingly,studies on ALD based oxide semiconductors have dramatically increased recently.Even so,the relationships between the film properties of ALD-oxide semiconductors and the main variables associated with deposition are still poorly understood,as are many issues related to applications.In this review,to introduce ALD-oxide semiconductors,we provide:(a)a brief summary of the history and importance of ALD-based oxide semiconductors in industry,(b)a discussion of the benefits of ALD for oxide semiconductor deposition(in-situ composition control in vertical distribution/vertical structure engineering/chemical reaction and film properties/insulator and interface engineering),and(c)an explanation of the challenging issues of scaling oxide semiconductors and ALD for industrial applications.This review provides valuable perspectives for researchers who have interest in semiconductor materials and electronic device applications,and the reasons ALD is important to applications of oxide semiconductors.

Exceptional Performance of 3D Additive Manufactured NiFe Phosphite Oxyhydroxide Hollow Tubular Lattice Plastic Electrode for Large-Current-Density Water Oxidization

In this article,we report a 3D NiFe phosphite oxyhydroxide plastic electrode using high-resolution digital light processing(DLP)3D-printing technology via induced chemical deposition method.The as-prepared 3D plastic electrode exhibits no template requirement,freedom design,low-cost,robust,anticorrosion,lightweight,and micro-nano porous characteristics.It can be drawn to the conclusion that highly oriented open-porous 3D geometry structure will be beneficial for improving surface catalytic active area,wetting performance,and reaction–diffusion dynamics of plastic electrodes for oxygen evolution reaction(OER)catalysis process.Density functional theory(DFT)calculation interprets the origin of high activity of NiFe(PO_(3))O(OH)and demonstrates that the implantation of the–PO_(3)can effectively bind the 3d orbital of Ni in NiFe(PO_(3))O(OH),lead to the weak adsorption of intermediate,make electron more active to improve the conductivity,thereby lowing the transform free energy of*O to*OOH.The water oxidization performance of as-prepared 3D NiFe(PO_(3))O(OH)hollow tubular(HT)lattice plastic electrode has almost reached the state-of-the-art level compared with the as-reported large-current-density catalysts or 3D additive manufactured plastic/metal-based electrodes,especially for high current OER electrodes.This work breaks through the bottleneck that plagues the performance improvement of low-cost high-current electrodes.

Was the Panzhihua Large Fe-Ti Oxide Deposit,SW China,Formed by Silicate Immiscibility?

The Panzhihua mafic intrusion,which hosts a world-class Fe-Ti-V ore deposit,is in the western Emeishan region,SW China.The formation age(~260 Ma),and Sr and Nd isotopes indicate that the Panzhihua intrusion is part of the Emeishan large igneous province and has little crustal contamination.To assess ore genesis of the Panzhihua Fe-Ti-V ore deposit,two different models have been provided to explain the formation,namely silicate immiscibility and normal fractional crystallization.Silicate immiscibility occurring around 1,000℃at the late stage of basaltic magma evolution argues against the silicate immiscibility model.Apatite-hosted melt inclusion research indicates that silicate immiscibility occurred at the late stage of Panzhihua magma evolution,which may not have offered potential to form such large ore deposits as Panzhihua.Alternatively,continuous compositional variations of the Panzhihua intrusion and calculations using thermodynamic modelling software support the hypothesis that the Panzhihua deposit was formed by normal fractional crystallization.Reciprocal trace element patterns of the Panzhihua intrusion and nearby felsic rocks also coincide with the fractional crystallization model.Normal fractional crystallization of high-Ti basaltic magma played a key role in the formation of the Panzhihua Fe-Ti-V ore deposit.

Oxidative Molecular Layer Deposition Tailoring Eco-Mimetic Nanoarchitecture to Manipulate Electromagnetic Attenuation and Self-Powered Energy Conversion

Advanced electromagnetic devices,as the pillars of the intelligent age,are setting off a grand transformation,redefining the structure of society to present pluralism and diversity.However,the bombardment of electromagnetic radiation on society is also increasingly serious along with the growing popularity of"Big Data".Herein,drawing wisdom and inspiration from nature,an eco-mimetic nanoarchitecture is constructed for the first time,highly integrating the advantages of multiple components and structures to exhibit excellent electromagnetic response.Its electromagnetic properties and internal energy conversion can be flexibly regulated by tailoring microstructure with oxidative molecular layer deposition(oMLD),providing a new cognition to frequency-selective microwave absorption.The optimal reflection loss reaches≈−58 dB,and the absorption frequency can be shifted from high frequency to low frequency by increasing the number of oMLD cycles.Meanwhile,a novel electromagnetic absorption surface is designed to enable ultra-wideband absorption,covering almost the entire K and Ka bands.More importantly,an ingenious self-powered device is constructed using the eco-mimetic nanoarchitecture,which can convert electromagnetic radiation into electric energy for recycling.This work offers a new insight into electromagnetic protection and waste energy recycling,presenting a broad application prospect in radar stealth,information communication,aerospace engineering,etc.

Fabrication of Gd_(2)O_(3)-doped CeO_(2)thin films through DC reactive sputtering and their application in solid oxide fuel cells

Physical vapor deposition(PVD)can be used to produce high-quality Gd_(2)O_(3)-doped CeO2(GDC)films.Among various PVD methods,reactive sputtering provides unique benefits,such as high deposition rates and easy upscaling for industrial applications.GDC thin films were successfully fabricated through reactive sputtering using a Gd_(0.2)Ce_(0.8)(at%)metallic target,and their application in solid oxide fuel cells,such as buffer layers between yttria-stabilized zirconia(YSZ)/La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O_(3−δ)and as sublayers in the steel/coating system,was evaluated.First,the direct current(DC)reactive-sputtering behavior of the GdCe metallic target was determined.Then,the GDC films were deposited on NiO-YSZ/YSZ half-cells to investigate the influence of oxygen flow rate on the quality of annealed GDC films.The results demonstrated that reactive sputtering can be used to prepare thin and dense GDC buffer layers without high-temperature sintering.Furthermore,the cells with a sputtered GDC buffer layer showed better electrochemical performance than those with a screen-printed GDC buffer layer.In addition,the insertion of a GDC sublayer between the SUS441 interconnects and the Mn-Co spinel coatings contributed to the reduction of the oxidation rate for SUS441 at operating temperatures,according to the area-specific resistance tests.

A super wear-resistant coating for Mg alloys achieved by plasma electrolytic oxidation and discontinuous deposition

Magnesium alloys are lightweight materials with great potential,and plasma electrolytic oxidation(PEO)is effective surface treatment for necessary improvement of corrosion resistance of magnesium alloys.However,the∼14µm thick and rough PEO protection layer has inferior wear resistance,which limits magnesium alloys as sliding or reciprocating parts,where magnesium alloys have special advantages by their inherent damping and denoising properties and attractive light-weighting.Here a novel super wear-resistant coating for magnesium alloys was achieved,via the discontinuous sealing(DCS)of a 1.3µm thick polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE)polymer layer with an initial area fraction(A_(f))of 70%on the necessary PEO protection layer by selective spraying,and the wear resistance was exceptionally enhanced by∼5500 times in comparison with the base PEO coating.The initial surface roughness(Sa)under PEO+DCS(1.54µm)was imperfectly 59%higher than that under PEO and conventional continuous sealing(CS).Interestingly,DCS was surprisingly 20 times superior for enhancing wear resistance in contrast to CS.DCS induced nano-cracks that splitted DCS layer into multilayer nano-blocks,and DCS also provided extra space for the movement of nano-blocks,which resulted in rolling friction and nano lubrication.Further,DCS promoted mixed wear of the PTFE polymer layer and the PEO coating,and the PTFE layer(HV:6 Kg·mm^(−2),A_(f):92.2%)and the PEO coating(HV:310 Kg·mm^(−2),A_(f):7.8%)served as the soft matrix and the hard point,respectively.Moreover,the dynamic decrease of Sa by 29%during wear also contributed to the super wear resistance.The strategy of depositing a low-frictional discontinuous layer on a rough and hard layer or matrix also opens a window for achieving super wear-resistant coatings in other materials.

A Generalized Polymer Precursor Ink Design for 3D Printing of Functional Metal Oxides

Three-dimensional-structured metal oxides have myriad applications for optoelectronic devices.Comparing to conventional lithography-based manufacturing methods which face significant challenges for 3D device architectures,additive manufacturing approaches such as direct ink writing offer convenient,on-demand manufacturing of 3D oxides with high resolutions down to sub-micrometer scales.However,the lack of a universal ink design strategy greatly limits the choices of printable oxides.Here,a universal,facile synthetic strategy is developed for direct ink writable polymer precursor inks based on metal-polymer coordination effect.Specifically,polyethyleneimine functionalized by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid is employed as the polymer matrix for adsorbing targeted metal ions.Next,glucose is introduced as a crosslinker for endowing the polymer precursor inks with a thermosetting property required for 3D printing via the Maillard reaction.For demonstrations,binary(i.e.,ZnO,CuO,In_(2)O_(3),Ga_(2)O_(3),TiO_(2),and Y_(2)O_(3)) and ternary metal oxides(i.e.,BaTiO_(3) and SrTiO_(3)) are printed into 3D architectures with sub-micrometer resolution by extruding the inks through ultrafine nozzles.Upon thermal crosslinking and pyrolysis,the 3D microarchitectures with woodpile geometries exhibit strong light-matter coupling in the mid-infrared region.The design strategy for printable inks opens a new pathway toward 3D-printed optoelectronic devices based on functional oxides.

Mechanism of Capacity Fading Caused by Mn(Ⅱ)Deposition on Anodes for Spinel Lithium Manganese Oxide Cell

The capacity fade of spinel lithium manganese oxide in lithium-ion batteries is a bottleneck challenge for the large-scale application.The traditional opinion is that Mn（Ⅱ） ions in the anode are reduced to the metallic manganese that helps for catalyzing electrolyte decomposition.This could poison and damage the solid electrolyte interface（SEI） film,leading to the the capacity fade in Li-ion batteries.We propose a new mechanism that Mn（Ⅱ） deposites at the anode hinders and/or blocks the intercalation/de-intercalation of lithium ions,which leads to the capacity fade in Li-ion batteries.Based on the new mechanism assumption,a kind of new structure with core-shell characteristic is designed to inhabit manganese ion dissolution,thus improving electrochemical cycle performance of the cell.By the way,this mechanism hypothesis is also supported by the results of these experiments.The LiMn2-xTixO4 shell layer enhances cathode resistance to corrosion attack and effectively suppresses dissolution of Mn,then improves battery cycle performance with LiMn_2O_4 cathode,even at high rate and elevated temperature.

Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanostructures on Graphene/Glass Substrate via Electrochemical Deposition: Effects of Potassium Chloride and Hexamethylenetetramine as Supporting Reagents

The effects of the supporting reagents hexamethylenetetramine(HMTA)and potassium chloride(KCl)mixed in zinc nitrate hexahydrate(Zn(NO3)2 6H2O)on the morphological,structural,and optical properties of the resulting Zn O nanostructures electrodeposited on graphene/glass substrates were investigated.The supporting reagent HMTA does not increase the density of nanorods,but it does remarkably improve the smoothness of the top edge surfaces and the hexagonal shape of the nanorods even at a low temperature of 75°C.Hydroxyl(OH-)ions from the HMTA suppress the sidewall growth of non-polar planes and promote the growth of Zn O on the polar plane to produce vertically aligned nanorods along the c axis.By contrast,the highly electronegative chlorine(Cl-)ions from the supporting reagent KCl suppress the growth of Zn O on the polar plane and promote the growth on non-polar planes to produce vertical stacking nanowall structures.HMTA was found to be able to significantly improve the crystallinity of the grown Zn O structures,as indicated by the observation of much lower FWHM values and a higher intensity ratio of the emission in the UV region to the emission in the visible region.Equimolar mixtures of Zn(NO3)2 6H2O and the supporting reagents HMTA and KCl seem to provide the optimum ratio of concentrations for the growth of high-density,uniform Zn O nanostructures.The corresponding transmittances for such molar ranges are approximately 55–58%(HMTA)and 63–70%(KCl),which are acceptable for solar cell and optoelectronic devices.

Copper Oxide Ore Leaching Ability and Cementation Behavior, Mesgaran Deposit in IRAN

One of the Iranian copper deposits that is located east of Iran and also known as a primeval one in that area is Mesgaran Field. Old mining works have been clearly seen in the area. Iran is located on global copper belt and as a result it has numerous potential areas as copper deposits. The purpose of this study is identifying possible potentialities of copper mining in less developed regions of Iran with basic modern technologies. In this study, laboratory investigations of this field were done on samples via leaching and the cementation method. According to the study purposes, acid concentration, temperature, time and pulp density were selected as the main factors that were tested in leaching studies. Moreover, pH, temperature, time and the amount of iron powder were factors which were tested for copper cementation. Optimum conditions of leaching studies with 99.11% recovery rate were obtained after 120 grams per liter of H2SO4, 80 degrees Celsius, 2 hours and 100 grams per liter of solid to liquid. On the other hand, optimum conditions of cementation by iron powder were resulted at more than 95% with a pH of 3, 45 degrees Celsius, 1 hour and 1.5 times more than the stoichiometric equation of required iron powder amount to precipitate copper.

Free Oxide Distribution in Poorly and Well Drained Soils Developed on Calcareous Alluvial Deposits

A study on the distribution of free iron and manganese oxides was conducted in soils developed on calcareous alluvial deposits under subhumid climatic conditions, in Western Greece. Soil samples from two well drained soils and from two poorly drained soils, classified as Alfisols, were collected and used in this study. After certification of soil homogeneity the acid ammonium oxalate and dithionite-citrate-bicarbonate methods were used to extract free iron and manganese oxides from the samples. Iron oxides extracted by the dithionite-citrate-bicarbonate method (Fed) were significantly higher than the iron oxides extracted by the ammonium oxalate method (Feo), indicating that a considerable fraction is present in crystalline forms,independent of drainage status. A confirmation of free iron oxides and fine clay was detected. The ratios Feo/Fed and (Fed-Feo)/total Fe (Fet) could not be used to distinguish the well drained soils from the poorly drained soils. Manganese movement in a soluble form is independent of the fine clay.

Growth properties of gallium oxide on sapphire substrate by plasma-assisted pulsed laser deposition

Gallium oxide was deposited on a c-plane sapphire substrate by oxygen plasma-assisted pulsed laser deposition(PLD).An oxygen radical was generated by an inductive coupled plasma source and the effect of radio frequency(RF)power on growth rate was investigated.A film grown with plasma assistance showed 2.7 times faster growth rate.X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy analysis showedβ-Ga2 O3 films grown with plasma assistance at 500℃.The roughness of the films decreased when the RF power of plasma treatment increased.Transmittance of these films was at least 80%and showed sharp absorption edge at 250 nm which was consistent with data previously reported.

Pharmacodynamics of frigid zone plant Taxus cuspidata S.et Z.against skin melanin deposition,oxidation,inflammation and allergy

Background:Taxus cuspidata S.et Z.is a precious species of frigid zone plant belonging to the Taxaceae family,which possesses anticancer,anti-inflammatory,hypoglycemic,and antibacterial pharmacological properties.While taxane extracted from Taxus chinensis has been reported to elicit antioxidant activities,whether Taxus cuspidata S.et Z.has skin-protective actions against injuries remained unknown.This study aims to explore the pharmacological effects of three Taxus extracts on skin melanin deposition,oxidation,inflammation,and allergy so as to provide new ideas for the prevention and treatment of various diseases related to skin damage.Methods:Skin melanin deposition was evaluated by measuring melanin content in the skin of guinea pigs by alkali lysis method.Antioxidant capacity was evaluated by measuring superoxide dismutase(SOD)concentration and glutathione(GSH)content in skin tissue homogenates of Kunming mice by SOD assay kit and micro reduced GSH assay kit.The quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR)and western blotting were used to examine the levels of both SOD and recombinant glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4).Skin inflammation was evaluated by xylene-induced ear swelling test and egg-white-induced paw swelling test in mice.In a mouse model of skin allergy induced by 4-aminopyridine(4-AP),allergy was determined by licking body counts and histamine concentrations in tissue homogenates using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)kits.Two proinflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-αand interleukin(IL)-1βwere measured by qRT-PCR.Hematoxylin and eosin(HE)staining was conducted to assess the degree of skin lesion.Results:All three Taxus extracts including Taxus chinensis essential oil,Taxus chinensis extract and Taxus chinensis extract compound reduced the melanin deposits in the back skin relative to the non-treated control animals,of which Taxus chinensis essential oil produced the greatest effect.In contrast,the three Taxus extracts elevated SOD and GSH levels in the skin tissues,and the highest increase was seen with Taxus chinensis essential oil.Three Taxus extracts,especially Taxus chinensis essential oil,effectively reduce the rate of ear and paw swelling.All three Taxus extracts reduced the number of body licks,the levels of TNF-αand IL-1β,and the histamine content in tissue homogenates of mice and alleviated skin damage.Consistently,Taxus chinensis essential oil yielded the greatest magnitude of decreases.Conclusion:While all three Taxus extracts possessed the anti-skin melanin deposition,oxidation,and allergy properties,Taxus chinensis essential oil produced the superior effects.

Characterization and Saturable Absorption Property of Graphene Oxide on Optical Fiber by Optical Deposition

We prepared graphene oxide（GO） saturable absorber（SA） successfully through optical deposition method, which is a simple but effective approach to deposit various materials onto substrate under the effects of light, and investigated several factors that influence the optical deposition result of GO onto optical fiber end, including poly（methyl methacrylate）（PMMA） concentration, light intensity, light mode, and deposition time. The efficient optically deposited GO preserving its nonlinearity guaranteed by GO/PMMA composite formation was also demonstrated. The GO SA prepared by optical deposition shows superior saturable absorption property with modulation depth and nonsaturable loss of 6% and 40%, respectively.

Controlled Growth Morphology of Porous Nanocrystal Iron Oxide by Electrodeposition

Fe（Ⅱ） was deposited into the bottom of the mesopores of highly ordered large caged cubic mesoporous silica by electrodeposition. And the deposited Fe mesoporous silica thin film was treated by 1%---4% HF to remove the SiO2 template and then calcined. It was found that nanowire bundles, dendritic plates of porous iron oxide, dense parallel backbones of porous iron oxide were obtained at -1.4-- -1.6 V and 0.08--0.1 mol/L electrolyte concentration after calcinations; the dendritic pattern of porous iron oxide film templated by the SBA-16 film was obtained in macrostructure at a higher absolute value of cathode potential（-1.7-- -1.8 V） and a lower electrolyte concentration（0.02-0.05 mol/L）, the dendritic pattern of porous iron oxide film could copy the microstructure of SBA-16 film; Fe（II） nanowires grew and formed in one dimension（1D） and two-dimension（2D） electrocrystallization at a potential of-l.6-- -1.7 V and an electrolyte concentration of 0.05 mol/L, and the shape of the ID or 2D crystalline iron oxide nanowires calcined was similar to the original shape of the SBA-16 channels. The desired morphology and size of porous nanocrystal iron oxide can be obtained by adjusting the applied potential value and electrolyte concentration, and all kinds of morphologies of porous nanostructure crystal iron oxide can be prepared.

Metal Organic Chemical Vapour Deposited Thin Films of Cobalt Oxide Prepared via Cobalt Acetylacetonate

The single solid source precursor, cobalt （Ⅱ） acetylacetonate was prepared and characterized by infrared spectroscopy. Thin films of cobalt oxide were deposited on soda lime glass substrates through the pyrolysis （metal organic chemical vapour deposition （MOCVD）） of single solid source precursor, cobalt acetylacetonate, Co[C5H7O2]2 at a temperature of 420℃. The compositional characterization carried out by rutherford backscattering spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction （XRD）, showed that the films have a stoichiometry of Co2O3 and an average thickness of 227±0.2 nm. A direct energy gap of 2,15±0.01 eV was calculated by the data obtained by optical absorption spectroscopy. The morphology of the films obtained by scanning electron microscopy, showed that the grains were continuous and uniformly distributed at various magnifications, while the average grain size was less than i micron for the deposited thin films of cobalt oxide.

A critical review towards the causes of the iron-based catalysts deactivation mechanisms in the selective oxidation of hydrogen sulfide to elemental sulfur from biogas

Hydrogen sulfide(H_(2)S) not only presents significant environmental concerns but also induces severe corrosion in industrial equipment,even at low concentrations.Among various technologies,the selective oxidation of hydrogen sulfide(SOH_(2)S) to elemental sulfur(S) has emerged as a sustainable and environmentally friendly solution.Due to its unique properties,iron oxide has been extensively investigated as a catalyst for SOH_(2)S;however,rapid deactivation has remained a significant drawback.The causes of iron oxide-based catalysts deactivation mechanisms in SOH_(2)S,including sulfur or sulfate deposition,the transformation of iron species,sintering and excessive oxygen vacancy formation,and active site loss,are thoroughly examined in this review.By focusing on the deactivation mechanisms,this review aims to provide valuable insights into enhancing the stability and efficiency of iron-based catalysts for SOH_(2)S.

Effects of SiO_2 and TiO_2 on resistance stabilities of flexible indium-tin-oxide films prepared by ion assisted deposition

Inorganic buffer layers such as SiO2 or TiO2 and transparent conductive indium-tin-oxide （ITO） films were prepared on polyethylene terephthalate （PET） substrates by ion assisted deposition （IAD） at room temperature, and the effects of SiO2 and TiOzon the bending resistance performance of flexible ITO films were investigated. The results show that ITO films with SiO2 or TiO2 buffer layer have better resistance stabilities compared to ones without the buffer layer when the ITO films are inwards bent at a bending radius more than 1.2 cm and when the ITO films are outwards bent at a bending radius from 0.8 cm to 1.2 cm. 1TO films with SiO2 buffer layer have better resistance sta- bilities compared to ones with TiO2 buffer layer after the ITO fdms are bent several hundreds of cycles at the same bending radius, for the adhesion of SiO2 is stronger than that of TiO2. The compressive stress resulted from inward bending leads to the formation of more defects in the ITO films compared with the tensile stress arising from outward bending. SiO2 and TiO2 buffer layers can effectively improve the crystallinity of ITO films in （400）, （440） directions.

Effect of source temperature on phase and metal–insulator transition temperature of vanadium oxide films grown by atomic layer deposition

Vanadium oxide films were grown by atomic layer deposition using the tetrakis[ethylmethylamino] vanadium as the vanadium precursor and H2O as the oxide source. The effect of the source temperature on the quality of vanadium oxide films and valence state was investigated. The crystallinity, surface morphology, film thickness, and photoelectric properties of the films were characterized by x-ray diffraction, atomic force microscope, scanning electron microscope, I–V characteristics curves, and UV–visible spectrophotometer. By varying the source temperature, the content of V6O11, VO2, and V6O13 in the vanadium oxide film increased, that is, as the temperature increased, the average oxidation state generally decreased to a lower value, which is attributed to the rising of the vapor pressure and the change of the ionization degree for organometallics. Meanwhile, the root-mean-square roughness decreased and the metal–insulator transition temperature reduced. Our study is great significance for the fabrication of vanadium oxide films by atomic layer deposition.