Varying electrical and dielectric properties of Ni:SnO2 films by MWCNTs and GNPs coating

In this research, pure SnO2 and Ni-doped SnO2 (Ni:SnO2) nanocomposite films were produced by chemical bath deposition method and the latter were coated with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (Ni:SnO2/MWCNTs) or graphene nanoplatelets (Ni:SnO2/GNPs) by spin coating. All samples have tetragonal rutile SnO2 structure with the presence of carbon (002) peak in MWCNTs- or GNPs-coated films. Crystallite size of SnO2 films decreased remarkably with Ni doping followed by a slight decrease with MWCNTs coating and slight increase with GNPs coating. Scanning electron microscope images manifested a dispersed agglomerative nature of SnO2 nanoparticles which reduced especially with MWCNTs coating due to the porous surface provided by carbon nanotubes. From the photoluminescence measurements, oxygen defects-related peaks were spotted in the SnO2-based structures with different luminescence intensities. The most significant decrease in resistance was observed with the addition of GNPs into Ni-doped SnO2 nanocomposites compared to the other produced films mainly due to the synergetic effect that promotes excellent charge transfer between surfaces of Ni:SnO2 and graphene nanosheet. The huge increase in conductivity of GNPs-coated films led to a huge increase in dielectric losses and this followed by a drop down of dielectric constant of the GNPs-coated films.

Application of Ni-doped ZnO nanorods in surface acoustic wave ultraviolet photodetectors

A surface acoustic wave ultraviolet photodetector was fabricated on a ZnO thin film with pure and Ni-doped ZnO nanorods deposited on a Si substrate. Piezoelectric ZnO thin films were grown on Si through radio-frequency magnetron sputtering, and ZnO nanorods were synthesized on ZnO thin films by using the hydrothermal method. The crystalline structure, surface morphology, and luminescent characteristics of ZnO films and nanorods were examined using X-ray diffraction and photoluminescence spectrometers and scanning electron microscope. The performance of the surface acoustic wave photodetector was evaluated using the variations in surface capacitance, insertion loss, and phase shift. ZnO nanorods became shorter and thicker with an increase in the concentration of Ni doping; however, the variations in surface capacitance of Ni-doped ZnO nanorods were greater than those of pure ZnO nanorods obtained under ultraviolet irradiation. Devices with Ni-doped ZnO nanorods exhibited larger shifts in insertion loss and phase than those with pure ZnO nanorods did.

Effect of Ni Doping on the Embrittlement of Liquid Zinc at Σ5 Fe Austenite Grain Boundary

In this study, first-principles computational tensile tests have been performed for the Σ5 symmetrically tilted grain boundaries of the face-centered cubic (fcc) Fe to investigate the effects of Zn and Zn-Ni doping on the boundary energy and electronic structure. The obtained results indicate that the mismatch between the sizes of Zn and Fe atoms at the Zn-doped grain boundary causes its expansion, which increases the lengths of Fe-Fe bonds, leading to their weakening, and reduces the overall boundary strength. After the Zn doping of the Fe grain boundary, Zn atoms form covalent bonds with Fe atoms, that decreases the charge density of Fe-Fe bonds and their strength. Meanwhile, the strength of the newly formed Fe-Zn covalent bonds oriented at a certain angle with respect to the grain boundary direction is very low. The breakage of Fe-Fe bonds that occurs under tensile loading rapidly decreases the boundary strength. Finally, after the Zn-Ni co-doping of the Fe grain boundary, Ni atoms form metallic bonds with Fe atoms, thus increasing both the charge density of Fe-Fe bonds (as compared with that of the Fe-Fe bonds at the Zn-doped grain boundary).

INFLUENCE OF ALLOYING Ti, Mo AND W ON THE KINETIC AND STRENGTH CHARACTERISTICS OF MEMBRANE ALLOYS BASED ON Nb AND V

Проведен анализ влияния Ti, Mo и W на характер аморфной нано- и кристаллической структуры на прочностные и кинетические характеристики - диффузии D и проницаемости Ф водорода в мембранных сплавах, созданных на основе бинарных Ni - Nb и V - Ni. Легирование сплавов Ni - V титаном, молибденом и вольфрамом ведет к постепенному замещению ими ниобия и ванадия и способствует образованию нескольких второстепенных фаз хотя и действующих как барьеры для диффузии водорода, но способствующих снижению процессов гидридообразования. Выявлена строгая зависимость кинетики водорода не только от термодинамических параметров -температуры и давления, но и от наличия свободного объема в формируемых аморфных, нано-кристаллических и кристаллических сплавов. Установлено, что процессы селективности, динамика водорода - его поток J, определяемый произведением диффузии и проницаемости (J = D×Ф), зависят от базового состава, выбора легирующих элементов (Ti,Mo и W ), а также формируемых структур - аморфной, нанокристаллической и полифазной дуплексной кристаллической микроструктурой. Установлено, что тщательно подобранный состав определяет производительность селективного процесса и способствует выделению высокочистого водорода с последующими его приложениями для зеленой энергетики. An analysis was carried out of influence of Ti, Mo and W on the nature of the amorphous nano- and crystalline structures on the strength and kinetic characteristics - diffusion D and permeability Ф of hydrogen in membrane alloys based on binary Nb - Ni, V - Ni. Doping with Nb - V alloys, titanium, molybdenum and tungsten leads to the gradual replacement of niobium and vanadium, and promotes the formation of several minor phases while acting as barriers for hydrogen diffusion, but contributing hydride reduction processes. A close dependence of the hydrogen kinetics was revealed not only on thermodynamic parameters - temperature and pressure, but also on the presence of free volume in the formed amorphous, nanocrystalline and crystalline alloys. So, the processes of selectivity, the dynamics of hydrogen - its flux J determined by the product of diffusion D and permeability Ф, J = D×Ф depend on the basic composition and the choice of alloying elements (Ti,Mo and W ), as well as the formed structures - amorphous, nanocrystalline and duplex, represented by multiphase crystalline microstructures. It was found that a carefully selected composition determines the productivity of the selective process and promotes the release of high-purity hydrogen with its subsequent applications for green energy.