| 1. |
- Abbasi, Mazhar Ali, et al.
(author)
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Decoration of ZnO nanorods with coral reefs like NiO nanostructures by the hydrothermal growth method and their luminescence study
- 2014
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In: Materials. - : MDPI. - 1996-1944 .- 1996-1944. ; 7:1, s. 430-440
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Composite nanostructures of coral reefs like p-type NiO on n-type ZnO nanorods have been decorate on fluorine-doped tin oxide glass substrates by the hydrothermal growth. Structural characterization was performed by field emission scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques. This investigation has shown that the adopted synthesis has led to high crystalline quality nanostructures. Morphological study shows that the coral reefs like nanostructures are densely packed on the ZnO nanorods. Cathodoluminescence (CL) spectra for the synthesized composite nanostructures were dominated by a near band gap emission at 380 nm and by a broad interstitial defect related luminescence centered at ~630 nm. Spatially resolved CL images reveal that the luminescence originates mainly from the ZnO nanorods.
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| 2. |
- Alnoor, Hatim, et al.
(author)
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Exploring MXenes and their MAX phase precursors by electron microscopy
- 2021
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In: Materials Today Advances. - : Elsevier. - 2590-0498. ; 9
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This review celebrates the width and depth of electron microscopy methods and how these have enabled massive research efforts on MXenes. MXenes constitute a powerful recent addition to 2-dimensional materials, derived from their parent family of nanolaminated materials known as MAX phases. Owing to their rich chemistry, MXenes exhibit properties that have revolutionized ranges of applications, including energy storage, electromagnetic interference shielding, water filtering, sensors, and catalysis. Few other methods have been more essential in MXene research and development of corresponding applications, compared with electron microscopy, which enables structural and chemical identification at the atomic scale. In the following, the electron microscopy methods that have been applied to MXene and MAX phase precursor research are presented together with research examples and are discussed with respect to advantages and challenges.
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| 3. |
- Anasori, Babak, et al.
(author)
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A Tungsten-Based Nanolaminated Ternary Carbide: (W,Ti)(4)C4-x
- 2019
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In: Inorganic Chemistry. - : AMER CHEMICAL SOC. - 0020-1669 .- 1520-510X. ; 58:2, s. 1100-1106
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Nanolamellar transition metal carbides are gaining increasing interests because of the recent developments of their twodimensional (2D) derivatives and promising performance for a variety of applications from energy storage, catalysis to transparent conductive coatings, and medicine. To develop more novel 2D materials, new nanolaminated structures are needed. Here we report on a tungsten based nanolaminated ternary phase, (W,Ti)(4)C4-x, synthesized by an Al catalyzed reaction of W, Ti, and C powders at 1600 degrees C for 4 h, under flowing argon. X-ray and neutron diffraction, along with Z-contrast scanning transmission electron microscopy, were used to determine the atomic structure, ordering, and occupancies. This phase has a layered hexagonal structure (P6(3)/mmc) with lattice parameters, a = 3.00880(7) angstrom, and c = 19.5633(6) angstrom and a nominal chemistry of (W,Ti)(4)C4-x (actual chemistry, W2.1(1)Ti1.6(1)C2.6(1)). The structure is comprised of layers of pure W that are also twin planes with two adjacent atomic layers of mixed W and Ti, on either side. The use of Al as a catalyst for synthesizing otherwise difficult to make phases, could in turn lead to the discovery of a large family of nonstoichiometric ternary transition metal carbides, synthesized at relatively low temperatures and shorter times.
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| 4. |
- Anasori, Babak, et al.
(author)
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Experimental and theoretical characterization of ordered MAX phases Mo2TiAlC2 and Mo2Ti2AlC3
- 2015
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In: Journal of Applied Physics. - : AMER INST PHYSICS. - 0021-8979 .- 1089-7550. ; 118:9, s. 094304-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Herein, we report on the phase stabilities and crystal structures of two newly discovered ordered, quaternary MAX phases-Mo2TiAlC2 and Mo2Ti2AlC3-synthesized by mixing and heating different elemental powder mixtures of mMo:(3-m) Ti:1.1Al:2C with 1.5 less than= m less than= 2.2 and 2Mo: 2Ti:1.1Al:2.7C to 1600 degrees C for 4 h under Ar flow. In general, for m greater than= 2 an ordered 312 phase, (Mo2Ti) AlC2, was the majority phase; for mless than 2, an ordered 413 phase (Mo2Ti2)AlC3, was the major product. The actual chemistries determined from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) are Mo2TiAlC1.7 and Mo2Ti1.9Al0.9C2.5, respectively. High resolution scanning transmission microscopy, XPS and Rietveld analysis of powder X-ray diffraction confirmed the general ordered stacking sequence to be Mo-Ti-Mo-Al-Mo-Ti-Mo for Mo2TiAlC2 and Mo-Ti-Ti-Mo-Al-Mo-Ti-Ti-Mo for Mo2Ti2AlC3, with the carbon atoms occupying the octahedral sites between the transition metal layers. Consistent with the experimental results, the theoretical calculations clearly show that M layer ordering is mostly driven by the high penalty paid in energy by having the Mo atoms surrounded by C in a face-centered configuration, i.e., in the center of the Mn+1Xn blocks. At 331 GPa and 367 GPa, respectively, the Youngs moduli of the ordered Mo2TiAlC2 and Mo2Ti2AlC3 are predicted to be higher than those calculated for their ternary end members. Like most other MAX phases, because of the high density of states at the Fermi level, the resistivity measurement over 300 to 10K for both phases showed metallic behavior. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.
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| 5. |
- Anasori, Babak, et al.
(author)
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Mo2TiAlC2: A new ordered layered ternary carbide
- 2015
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In: Scripta Materialia. - : Elsevier. - 1359-6462 .- 1872-8456. ; 101, s. 5-7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Herein we report on the synthesis of a new layered ternary carbide, Mo2TiAlC2, that was synthesized by heating an elemental mixture at 1600 degrees C for 4 h under an Ar flow. Its hexagonal, a and c lattice parameters were calculated via Rietveld analysis of powder X-ray diffraction patterns to be, respectively, 2.997 angstrom and 18.661 angstrom. High-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy showed that this phase is ordered, with Ti layers sandwiched between two Mo layers in a M(3)AX(2) type ternary carbide structure. (C) 2015 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 6. |
- Anasori, Babak, et al.
(author)
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Two-Dimensional, Ordered, Double Transition Metals Carbides (MXenes)
- 2015
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In: ACS Nano. - : AMER CHEMICAL SOC. - 1936-0851 .- 1936-086X. ; 9:10, s. 9507-9516
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The higher the chemical diversity and structural complexity of two-dimensional (2D) materials, the higher the likelihood they possess unique and useful properties. Herein, density functional theory (DFT) is used to predict the existence of two new families of 2D ordered, carbides (MXenes), MM-2 C-2 and MM-2 C-2(3), where M and M are two different early transition metals. In these solids, M layers sandwich M" carbide layers. By synthesizing Mo2TiC2Tx, Mo2Ti2C3Tx, and Cr2TiC2Tx (where T is a surface termination), we validated the DFT predictions. Since the Mo and Cr atoms are on the outside, they control the 2D flakes chemical and electrochemical properties. The latter was proven by showing quite different electrochemical behavior of Mo2TiC2Tx and Ti3C2Tx. This work further expands the family of 2D materials, offering additional choices of structures, chemistries, and ultimately useful properties.
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| 7. |
- Asif, Muhammad H., et al.
(author)
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Growth and Structure of ZnO Nanorods on a Sub-Micrometer Glass Pipette and Their Application as Intracellular Potentiometric Selective Ion Sensors
- 2010
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In: Materials. - : MDPI AG. - 1996-1944. ; 3, s. 4657-4667
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper presents the growth and structure of ZnO nanorods on a sub-micrometer glass pipette and their application as an intracellular selective ion sensor. Highly oriented, vertical and aligned ZnO nanorods were grown on the tip of a borosilicate glass capillary (0.7 μm in diameter) by the low temperature aqueous chemical growth (ACG) technique. The relatively large surface-to-volume ratio of ZnO nanorods makes them attractive for electrochemical sensing. Transmission electron microscopy studies show that ZnO nanorods are single crystals and grow along the crystal’s c-axis. The ZnO nanorods were functionalized with a polymeric membrane for selective intracellular measurements of Na +. The membrane-coated ZnO nanorods exhibited a Na+-dependent electrochemical potential difference versus an Ag/AgCl reference micro-electrode within a wide concentration range from 0.5 mM to 100 mM. The fabrication of functionalized ZnO nanorods paves the way to sense a wide range of biochemical species at the intracellular level.
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| 8. |
- Bakhit, Babak, 1983-, et al.
(author)
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Dense Ti0.67Hf0.33B1.7 thin films grown by hybrid HfB2-HiPIMS/TiB2-DCMS co-sputtering without external heating
- 2021
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In: Vacuum. - : Elsevier. - 0042-207X .- 1879-2715. ; 186
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- There is a need for developing synthesis techniques that allow the growth of high-quality functional films at low substrate temperatures to minimize energy consumption and enable coating temperature-sensitive substrates. A typical shortcoming of conventional low-temperature growth strategies is insufficient atomic mobility, which leads to porous microstructures with impurity incorporation due to atmosphere exposure, and, in turn, poor mechanical properties. Here, we report the synthesis of dense Ti0.67Hf0.33B1.7 thin films with a hardness of ∼41.0 GPa grown without external heating (substrate temperature below ∼100 °C) by hybrid high-power impulse and dc magnetron co-sputtering (HfB2-HiPIMS/TiB2-DCMS) in pure Ar on Al2O3(0001) substrates. A substrate bias potential of −300 V is synchronized to the target-ion-rich portion of each HiPIMS pulse. The limited atomic mobility inherent to such desired low-temperature deposition is compensated for by heavy-mass ion (Hf+) irradiation promoting the growth of dense Ti0.67Hf0.33B1.7.
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| 9. |
- Bakhit, Babak, 1983-, et al.
(author)
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Multifunctional ZrB2-rich Zr1-xCrxBy thin films with enhanced mechanical, oxidation, and corrosion properties
- 2021
-
In: Vacuum. - : Elsevier BV. - 0042-207X .- 1879-2715. ; 185
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Refractory transition-metal (TM) diborides have high melting points, excellent hardness, and good chemical stability. However, these properties are not sufficient for applications involving extreme environments that require high mechanical strength as well as oxidation and corrosion resistance. Here, we study the effect of Cr addition on the properties of ZrB2-rich Zr1-xCrxBy thin films grown by hybrid high-power impulse and dc magnetron co-sputtering (Cr-HiPIMS/ZrB2-DCMS) with a 100-V Cr-metal-ion synchronized potential. Cr metal fraction, x = Cr/(Zr+Cr), is increased from 0.23 to 0.44 by decreasing the power Pzrb2 applied to the DCMS ZrB2 target from 4000 to 2000 W, while the average power, pulse width, and frequency applied to the HiPIMS Cr target are maintained constant. In addition, y decreases from 2.18 to 1.11 as a function of Pzrb2, as a result of supplying Cr to the growing film and preferential B resputtering caused by the pulsed Cr-ion flux. ZrB2.18, Zr0.77Cr0.23B1.52, Zr0.71Cr0.29B1.42, and Zr0.68Cr0.32B1.38 2 films have hexagonal AlB2 crystal structure with a columnar nanostructure, while Zr0.64Cr0.36B1.30 and Zr0.56Cr0.44B1.11 are amorphous. All films show hardness above 30 GPa. Zr0.56Cr0.44B1.11 alloys exhibit much better toughness, wear, oxidation, and corrosion resistance than ZrB2.18. This combination of properties makes Zr0.56Cr0.44B1.11 ideal candidates for numerous strategic applications.
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| 10. |
- Bakhit, Babak, et al.
(author)
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Strategy for simultaneously increasing both hardness and toughness in ZrB2-rich Zr1-xTaxBy thin films
- 2019
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In: Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology. A. Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films. - : A V S AMER INST PHYSICS. - 0734-2101 .- 1520-8559. ; 37:3
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Refractory transition-metal diborides exhibit inherent hardness. However, this is not always sufficient to prevent failure in applications involving high mechanical and thermal stress, since hardness is typically accompanied by brittleness leading to crack formation and propagation. Toughness, the combination of hardness and ductility, is required to avoid brittle fracture. Here, the authors demonstrate a strategy for simultaneously enhancing both hardness and ductility of ZrB2-rich thin films grown in pure Ar on Al2O3(0001) and Si(001) substrates at 475 degrees C. ZrB2.4 layers are deposited by dc magnetron sputtering (DCMS) from a ZrB2 target, while Zr1-xTaxBy alloy films are grown, thus varying the B/metal ratio as a function of x, by adding pulsed high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) from a Ta target to deposit Zr1-xTaxBy alloy films using hybrid Ta-HiPIMS/ZrB2-DCMS sputtering with a substrate bias synchronized to the metal-rich portion of each HiPIMS pulse. The average power P-Ta (and pulse frequency) applied to the HiPIMS Ta target is varied from 0 to 1800W (0 to 300 Hz) in increments of 600W (100 Hz). The resulting boron-to-metal ratio, y = B/(Zr+Ta), in as-deposited Zr1-xTaxBy films decreases from 2.4 to 1.5 as P-Ta is increased from 0 to 1800W, while x increases from 0 to 0.3. A combination of x-ray diffraction (XRD), glancing-angle XRD, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), analytical Z-contrast scanning TEM, electron energy-loss spectroscopy, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and atom-probe tomography reveals that all films have the hexagonal AlB2 crystal structure with a columnar nanostructure, in which the column boundaries of layers with 0 amp;lt;= x amp;lt; 0.2 are B-rich, whereas those with x amp;gt;= 0.2 are Ta-rich. The nanostructural transition, combined with changes in average column widths, results in an similar to 20% increase in hardness, from 35 to 42 GPa, with a simultaneous increase of similar to 30% in nanoindentation toughness, from 4.0 to 5.2MPa root m. Published by the AVS.
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