| 1. |
- Avdeev, M. V., et al.
(author)
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Comparative structure analysis of magnetic fluids at interface with silicon by neutron reflectometry
- 2015
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In: Applied Surface Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 0169-4332 .- 1873-5584. ; 352, s. 49-53
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The adsorption of surfactant coated magnetic nanoparticles from highly stable magnetic fluids on crystalline functionalized silicon is studied by neutron reflectometry. Two types of magnetic fluids based on nanomagnetite dispersed and stabilized in non-polar organic solvent (deuterated benzene) and strongly polar solvent (heavy water) are considered. In both cases the interface shows the formation of just one well-defined adsorption layer of nanoparticles, which is insensitive to the effect of the external magnetic field. Still, the particle concentration in the benzene-based fluid is higher in the vicinity to the silicon surface as compared to the bulk distribution. Despite the presence of an aggregate fraction in the water-based system the width of the adsorption layer is consistent with the size of separated particles, thus showing the preferable adsorption of non-aggregated particles.
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| 2. |
- Iakunkov, Artem, et al.
(author)
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Swelling of graphene oxide membranes in alcohols : effects of molecule size and air ageing
- 2019
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In: Journal of Materials Chemistry A. - : Royal Society of Chemistry. - 2050-7488 .- 2050-7496. ; 7, s. 11331-11337
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Swelling of Hummers graphene oxide (HGO) membranes in a set of progressively longer liquid alcohols (methanol to 1-nonanol) was studied using synchrotron radiation XRD after air ageing over prolonged periods of time. Both precursor graphite oxides and freshly prepared HGO membranes were found to swell in the whole set of nine liquid alcohols with an increase of interlayer spacing from ∼7 Å (solvent free) up to ∼26 Å (in 1-nonanol). A pronounced effect of ageing on swelling in alcohols was found for HGO membranes stored in air. The HGO membranes aged for 0.5–1.5 years show progressively slower swelling kinetics, a non-monotonic decrease of saturated swelling in some alcohols and complete disappearance of swelling for alcohol molecules larger than hexanol. Moreover, the HGO membranes stored under ambient conditions for 5 years showed a nearly complete absence of swelling in all alcohols but preserved swelling in water. In contrast, precursor graphite oxide powder showed unmodified swelling in alcohols even after 4 years of ageing. Since the swelling defines the size of permeation channels, the ageing effect is one of the important parameters which could explain the strong variation in reported filtration/separation properties of GO membranes. The time and conditions of air storage require standardization for better reproducibility of results related to performance of GO membranes in various applications. The ageing of GO membranes can be considered not only as a hindrance/degradation for certain applications, but also as a method to tune the swelling properties of HGO membranes for better selectivity in sorption of solvents and for achieving better selective permeability.
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| 3. |
- Iakunkov, Artem, et al.
(author)
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Swelling of graphene oxide membranes in alcohols : effects of molecule size and air ageing
- 2019
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In: Journal of Materials Chemistry A. - : ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY. - 2050-7488 .- 2050-7496. ; 7:18, s. 11331-11337
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Swelling of Hummers graphene oxide (HGO) membranes in a set of progressively longer liquid alcohols (methanol to 1-nonanol) was studied using synchrotron radiation XRD after air ageing over prolonged periods of time. Both precursor graphite oxides and freshly prepared HGO membranes were found to swell in the whole set of nine liquid alcohols with an increase of interlayer spacing from approximate to 7 angstrom (solvent free) up to approximate to 26 angstrom (in 1-nonanol). A pronounced effect of ageing on swelling in alcohols was found for HGO membranes stored in air. The HGO membranes aged for 0.5-1.5 years show progressively slower swelling kinetics, a non-monotonic decrease of saturated swelling in some alcohols and complete disappearance of swelling for alcohol molecules larger than hexanol. Moreover, the HGO membranes stored under ambient conditions for 5 years showed a nearly complete absence of swelling in all alcohols but preserved swelling in water. In contrast, precursor graphite oxide powder showed unmodified swelling in alcohols even after 4 years of ageing. Since the swelling defines the size of permeation channels, the ageing effect is one of the important parameters which could explain the strong variation in reported filtration/separation properties of GO membranes. The time and conditions of air storage require standardization for better reproducibility of results related to performance of GO membranes in various applications. The ageing of GO membranes can be considered not only as a hindrance/degradation for certain applications, but also as a method to tune the swelling properties of HGO membranes for better selectivity in sorption of solvents and for achieving better selective permeability.
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| 4. |
- Klechikov, Alexey, et al.
(author)
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Swelling of Thin Graphene Oxide Films Studied by in Situ Neutron Reflectivity
- 2018
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In: The Journal of Physical Chemistry C. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1932-7447 .- 1932-7455. ; 122:24, s. 13106-13116
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Permeation of multilayered graphene oxide (GO) membranes by polar solvents is known to correlate with their swelling properties and amount of sorbed solvent. However, quantitative estimation of sorption using standard (e.g., gravimetric) methods is technically challenging for few nanometers thick GO membranes/films exposed to solvent vapors. Neutron reflectivity (NR) was used here to evaluate the amount of solvents intercalated into the film which consists of only ∼31.5 layers of GO. Analysis of NR data recorded from the GO film exposed to vapors of polar solvents provides information about change of film thickness due to swelling, amount of intercalated solvent, and selectivity in sorption of solvents from binary mixtures. A quantitative study of GO film sorption was performed for D2O, d-methanol, ethanol, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), acetonitrile, dimethylformamide (DMF), and acetone. Using isotopic contrast, we estimated selectivity in sorption of ethanol/d-methanol mixtures by the GO film. Estimation of sorption selectivity was also performed for D2O/DMF, D2O/DMSO, and D2O/acetonitrile binary mixtures. Sorption of polar solvents was compared for the thin GO film, micrometer thick free standing GO membranes, and graphite oxide powders.
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| 5. |
- Nordenström, Andreas, et al.
(author)
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Intercalation of dyes in graphene oxide thin films and membranes
- 2021
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In: The Journal of Physical Chemistry C. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1932-7447 .- 1932-7455. ; 125:12, s. 6877-6885
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Intercalation of dyes into thin multilayered graphene oxide (GO) films was studied by neutron reflectivity and X-ray diffraction. Methylene blue (MB) penetrates the interlayer space of GO in ethanol solution and remains intercalated after the solvent evaporation, as revealed by the expansion of the interlayer lattice and change in chemical composition. The sorption of MB by thin GO films is found to be significantly stronger compared to the sorption of Crystal violet (CV) and Rose bengal (RB). This effect is attributed to the difference in the geometrical shape of planar MB and essentially nonflat CV and RB molecules. Graphite oxides and restacked GO films are found to exhibit different methylene blue (MB) sorptions. MB sorption by precursor graphite oxide and thin spin-coated films of GO is significantly stronger compared to freestanding micrometer-thick membranes prepared by vacuum filtration. Nevertheless, the sorption capacity of GO membranes is sufficient to remove a significant part of the MB from diluted solutions tested for permeation in several earlier studies. High sorption capacity results in strong modification of the GO structure, which is likely to affect permeation properties of GO membranes. Therefore, MB is not suitable for testing size exclusion effects in the permeation of GO membranes. It is not only hydration or solvation diameter but also the exact geometrical shape of molecules that needs to be taken into account considering size effects for penetration of molecules between GO layers in membrane applications.
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| 6. |
- Nordenström, Andreas, 1991-, et al.
(author)
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Neutron reflectivity for testing graphene oxide films sorption of EuCl3 in ethanol solution
- 2024
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In: Physica status solidi. B, Basic research. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0370-1972 .- 1521-3951. ; 261:6
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Neutron reflectivity (NR) was used to study the sorption of Eu(III) by graphene oxide (GO) films exposed to ethanol solution of EuCl3. Most of the earlier sorption studies have been performed using GO dispersed in solution. In contrast, layered structure of GO films imposes limitations for penetration of ions between individual sheets. The analysis of NR data recorded before and after sorption under vacuum demonstrates an increase of GO film thickness due to sorption by 35–40%. The characterization of chemical state of Eu(III) sorbed by GO films by X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) in high-energy resolution fluorescence detection (HERFD) method at the Eu L3 edge reveals that it remains the same as in anhydrous EuCl3. Analysis of all collected data including reference experiments with bulk GO samples allows to conclude that EuCl3 penetrates into GO interlayers with ethanol solution and remains trapped in interlayers after evaporation of ethanol. Sorption of EuCl3 results in nearly complete amorphization of film and likely formation of voids, thus making NR models based on specific volume of unit cell not valid for quantitative evaluation of Eu sorption. Limitations of NR method must be taken into account in future studies of sorption by thin films.
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| 7. |
- Qviller, A. J., et al.
(author)
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Thermal stability of photovoltaic a-Si:H determined by neutron reflectometry
- 2014
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In: Applied Physics Letters. - : AIP Publishing. - 0003-6951 .- 1077-3118. ; 105:23, s. 231909-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Neutron and X-ray reflectometry were used to determine the layer structure and hydrogen content of thin films of amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) deposited onto crystalline silicon (Si) wafers for surface passivation in solar cells. The combination of these two reflectometry techniques is well suited for non-destructive probing of the structure of a-Si:H due to being able to probe buried interfaces and having sub-nanometer resolution. Neutron reflectometry is also unique in its ability to allow determination of density gradients of light elements such as hydrogen (H). The neutron scattering contrast between Si and H is strong, making it possible to determine the H concentration in the deposited a-Si:H. In order to correlate the surface passivation properties supplied by the a-Si:H thin films, as quantified by obtainable effective minority carrier lifetime, photoconductance measurements were also performed. It is shown that the minority carrier lifetime falls sharply when H has been desorbed from a-Si:H by annealing. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.
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| 8. |
- Theis-Broehl, Katharina, et al.
(author)
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Self assembly of magnetic nanoparticles at silicon surfaces
- 2015
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In: Soft Matter. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 1744-683X .- 1744-6848. ; 11:23, s. 4695-4704
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Neutron reflectometry was used to study the assembly of magnetite nanoparticles in a water-based ferrofluid close to a silicon surface. Under three conditions, static, under shear and with a magnetic field, the depth profile is extracted. The particles have an average diameter of 11 nm and a volume density of 5% in a D2O-H2O mixture. They are surrounded by a 4 nm thick bilayer of carboxylic acid for steric repulsion. The reflectivity data were fitted to a model using a least square routine based on the Parratt formalism. From the scattering length density depth profiles the following behavior is concluded: the fits indicate that excess carboxylic acid covers the silicon surface and almost eliminates the water in the densely packed wetting layer that forms close to the silicon surface. Under constant shear the wetting layer persists but a depletion layer forms between the wetting layer and the moving ferrofluid. Once the flow is stopped, the wetting layer becomes more pronounced with dense packing and is accompanied by a looser packed second layer. In the case of an applied magnetic field the prolate particles experience a torque and align with their long axes along the silicon surface which leads to a higher particle density.
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| 9. |
- Ukleev, V., et al.
(author)
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Morphology and magnetic properties of nanocomposite magnetic multilayers [(Co(4)oFe(40)B(2)O)(34)(SiO2)(66)]/[C](47)
- 2016
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In: Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids. - : Elsevier BV. - 0022-3093 .- 1873-4812. ; 432, s. 499-504
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report on the investigation of morphology, magnetic and conductive properties of the mutilayered nanostructures [(Co40Fe40B20)(34)(SiO2)(66)]/[C](47) consisting of the contacting magnetic (Co Fe-40 (40) B (20)) (34)(SiO2)(66) nanocomposite and amorphous semiconductor carbon C layers. It is shown by Grazing-Incidence Small-Angle X-ray Scattering method that the ordering and the size of nanoparticles in the magnetic layers do not change profoundly with increasing of carbon layer thickness. Meanwhile, the electrical conductance and the magnetic properties are significantly varied: resistance of the samples changes by four orders of magnitude and superparamagnetic blocking temperature changes from 15 K to 7 K with the increment of carbon layer thickness h(c) from 0.4 nm to 1.8 nm. We assume that the formation of the homogeneous semiconductor interlayer leads to modification of the metal-insulator growth process that drives the changes in the magnetic and conductive properties.
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| 10. |
- Ukleev, V., et al.
(author)
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X-ray scattering characterization of iron oxide nanoparticles Langmuir film on water surface and on a solid substrate
- 2016
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In: Thin Solid Films. - : Elsevier BV. - 0040-6090 .- 1879-2731. ; 616, s. 43-47
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In the present study we compare a structure of a Langmuir film assembled from magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles on water surface and a structure of the same film after its transfer to a solid substrate by the Langmuir-Schaefer method. In contrast to most of related studies, where different techniques are used to characterize the films before and after the deposition, we use the same combination of X-ray reflectometry and Grazing Incidence Small-Angle X-ray scattering. In both cases - on a liquid and on a solid substrate - the film was identified as a well-ordered monolayer of the nanoparticles laterally organized in a two-dimensional hexagonal lattice. However parameters of the lattice were found to be slightly different depending on the type of the substrate. It is also demonstrated that Langmuir-Schaefer technique is the right way for deposition of such kind of the particles on a solid substrate.
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