We report on experimental investigations of CexLa1-xF3 colloidal nanocrystals (CNCs) and their properties in function of Ce content. The CNCs were characterized by TEM, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), steady-state UV-VIS optical absorption and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, and by PL lifetime measurements. We also report on observations of scintillation from the cerium-doped lanthanum fluoride CNC material in experiments on radiation detection.

Metal induced growth (MIG) was used to form epitaxial thin films of microcrystalline Si (μc-Si). By substituting Al as the catalyst metal in place of the usual Ni, x-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed that μc-Si was successfully grown at temperatures between 350-525°C. At 525°C, a preferred orientation of (220) Si was observed with additional (111) and (311) Si orientations, while a temperature of 350°C resulted in a shift in preferred orientation to (111) Si. The lower limit for Al thickness was found to be between 10-20 nm with little crystallization and a smooth surface observed at 10 nm with XRD and SEM, respectively. Electrical measurements on Schottky diodes revealed space-charge limited conduction (SCLC) with an exponential distribution of trap levels due to diffusion of Al atoms into the Si, which was supported by analysis with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) near the film surface. By depositing a thin layer of Co on top of Al prior to sputtering, the films exhibited increased crystallinity and a more uniform surface likely due to increased confinement of Al atoms. Electrical measurements demonstrated a shift from SCLC to thermionic emission in resulting Schottky diodes.

Cell fate modification is a critical step in preparing cells and tissues for implantation therapeutics. Novel materials possessing physical, mechanical, and chemical properties similar to those found in vivo provide a potential platform in building artificial microenvironments for therapeutic applications and well-defined biointerfaces for examining differentiation potential in stem cell biology. Poly(glycerol sebacate) (PGS), a novel biocompatible and biodegradable elastomer is one such material. With tunable mechanical properties in the range of common soft tissue, the material provides an invaluable alternative platform for use in cell-to-substrate interaction studies. This paper describes the tunability of PGS mechanical properties based on variations in curing temperatures (130, 140, and 165 °C). We characterized the material by examining properties that include equilibrium Young's modulus (E), glass transition temperature (Tg), loss factor (tan δ), degree of crosslinking, cure kinetics, protein conformational changes, and molecular bonding compositions. Variations in PGS curing temperature provide differences in physical cues presented to the hMSCs, and work is underway to examine the cellular responses of these hMSCs to microstructured PGS. Ultimately, micro- and nanostructured PGS may be useful tools in the maintenance, differentiation, and control of signaling pathways in hMSCs.

Combined nano- and mesoscale simulation of chemical ordering kinetics in nano-layered L10 AB binary system was performed. In the nano- (atomistic) scale Monte Carlo (MC) technique with vacancy mechanism of atomic migration was implemented with diverse system models. The mesoscale microstructure evolution was, in turn, modeled by means of MC procedure simulating antiphase boundary (APB) motion as controlled by APB energies evaluated within the nano-scale simulations. The study addressed FePt thin layers considered as a material for ultra-high density magnetic storage media and revealed metastability of the L10 c-variant superstructure with monoatomic planes parallel to the (001) free surface and off-plane easy magnetization. The layers, initially perfectly ordered in the L10 c-variant, showed homogenous disordering running in parallel with a spontaneous re-orientation of the monoatomic planes into a mosaic-microstructure composed of L10 a- and b-variant domains with (100)- and (010)-type monoatomic planes, respectively. The domains nucleated heterogeneously on the Fe free surface of the layer, grew discontinuously inwards its volume and finally relaxed generating an equilibrium microstructure of the system. Two �atomistic-scale� processes: (i) homogenous disordering and (ii) nucleation of the L10 a- and b-variant domains showed characteristic time scales. The same was observed for the meso-scale processes: (i) heterogeneous L10 variant domain growth and (ii) domain microstructure relaxation. The above phenomena modelled within the present study by means of multiscale MC simulations have recently been observed experimentally in epitaxially deposited thin films of FePt.

Polyurethanes are interesting materials that can be used in biomedical applications for regeneration of bone tissue. In this work the synthesis and characterization of porous polyurethanes to act as scaffold is performed by a thermally induced phase separation technique. The appropriate parameters are determined in order to obtain a porous well interconnected material. Characterization by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is made in order to determine the thermal stability of the material. Chemical characterization is made by Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy with attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR). The morphology of the material is observed by a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and the mechanical properties are measured by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA).

High fluences of low energy Ge+ ions were implanted into Si matrix. We have also deposited Ge and SiO2 composite films by using the Atom beam sputtering (ABS). The as implanted/as-deposited films were irradiated by Swift Heavy Ions (SHI) with various energies and fluences. These pristine and irradiated samples were subsequently characterized by XRD and Raman to understand the crystallization behavior. Raman studies of the films indicate the formation of Ge crystallites as a result of SHI irradiation. Glancing angle X-ray diffraction results also confirm the presence of Ge crystallites in the irradiated samples. Moreover, the crystalline nature of Ge improves with an increase in fluence. Rutherford back scattering was used to quantify the concentration of Ge in SiO2 matrix and the film thickness. These detailed results have been discussed and compared with the ones available in literature. The basic mechanism for crystallization induced by SHI in these films will be presented.

Hydrogen vacancy effect on the activation energy for self-diffusion is investigated by NEB method. The path was calculated by moving a hydrogen atom from a nearby complex into the vacancy in another complex. Compared with the substitution enthalpy of hydrogen vacancy, the activation energy for self-diffusion is easier to achieve during the dehydrogenation process.

In order to apply P(VDF-TeFE) piezoelectric polymer to micro-generator as a membrane, the polymer is deposited on a substrate by spin-coating method. In this process, some changes of properties and quality of the film are caused by a solvent which was used to dissolve the polymer granule. Since a solvent affects the film properties and surface stability, we have carried out the thermal process at a temperature higher than melting point. However, this thermal process due to a temperature higher than Curie point of the polymer causes a falling-off in electrical properties. In this paper, we have studied a method to prevent a falling-off in electric properties of P(VDF-TeFE) film even though the film is annealed at a temperature higher than Curie point.

AlGaN/GaN pH sensitive devices were functionalized and passivated for the use as selective bio-sensors. For the passivation, a multilayer of SiO2 and SiNx is proposed, which stabilizes the pH-sensor, is biocompatible and has no negative impact on the following bio-functionalization. The functionalization of the GaN-surface was achieved by covalent bonding of 10-amino-dec-1-ene molecules by a photochemical process. After two different surface preparations islands of TFAAD are growing on the sensor surface by exposure with UV-light. In dependence on the surface pre-treatment and the illumination wavelength the first monolayer is completed after 3 h or 7 h exposure time dependent on the pre-treatment and illumination wavelength. Further exposure results in thicker films as a consequence of cross polymerization. The bonding to the sensor surface was analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, while the thickness of the functionalization was determined by atomic force microscopy scratching experiments. These functionalized devices based on the pH-sensitive AlGaN/GaN ISFET will establish a new family of adaptive, selective biomolecular sensors such as selective, reusable DNA sensors.

The visibility of the kinematical forbidden reflections due to glide planes, screw axes and Wyckoff positions is considered both on experimental and theoretical electron precession patterns as a function of the precession angle. The forbidden reflections due to glide planes and screw axes become very weak and disappear at large precession angle so that they can be distinguished from the allowed reflections and used to deduce the space groups. Contrarily, those due to Wyckoff positions remain visible and strong provided they are located on a major systematic row. This difference of behavior between the forbidden reflections is confirmed by observation of the corresponding dark-field LACBED patterns and is interpreted using the Ewald sphere and the Laue circles from the availability of double diffraction paths. This study also proves that dynamical interactions remain strong along the main systematic rows present on precession patterns.

We present transistors and inverters based on the MESFET principle. The channel consists of thin ZnO:Mg thin films on sapphire, deposited with pulsed laser deposition. The ohmic source and drain contacts are formed with sputtered gold. The Schottky gate electrode is formed by metal oxides providing high barrier height and a reliable contact. The voltage swing of our inverters is superior to any other reported oxide devices. Annealing studies show that our devices withstand temperatures up to 150°C, partly improving during annealing.

Magnetotactic bacteria are aquatic micro-organisms which have the specific capacity to navigate along the lines of the earth’s magnetic field. This property is related to the formation of chains of magnetic crystals called magnetosomes. All magnetotactic bacteria synthesize nano-sized intracellular magnetosomes that are surrounded by ultra-thin bio-membranes. The magnetosome chains serve as compass for navigation of the magnetotactic bacteria, and the cell flagella are considered as the mechanism for propelling the bacteria forward. This presentation describes various functions of the architectured structure of magnetotactic bacteria as well as their possible applications in biotechnology.

An experimental study on the effect of tensile deformation on recrystallized grain size has been carried out in order to establishing the optimal deformation needed to accelerate grain growth during final annealing of semi-processed non-oriented Si-Al, low C electrical steel sheets. The material is deformed in tension to strains from 3 to 20% and then air-annealed at temperatures between 700 and 900 °C. The results show that the critical deformation for recrystallization (8%) is independent of annealing temperature. However, the critical recrystallized grain size increases with annealing temperature from 160 to 240 μm. After that, the grain size decreases exponentially with increasing deformation. Abnormal grain growth is observed in samples annealed at 700 °C after strains in the range from 7 to 12%. This type of behavior is also observed in specimens annealed at 800 and 900 °C, however, in this case the pre-strain range is expanded to 3–12%. Normal grain growth is observed in samples pre-deformed to strains larger than 12%. In this case, the final grain size after 2 hour anneal is about 55 μm, also independent of annealing temperature. The possible implications of these results on the magnetic properties of these materials are discussed.

Polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs) show great promise of revolutionizing display technologies. The archetypical multilayer PLED heterostructure introduces numerous chemical and physical challenges to the develoment of efficient and robust devices. These layered structure are formed from solution based spin-casting or printing with subsequesnt removal of the solvent. However, solvent from the freshly deposited film may dissolve or partially dissolve the underlying layer resulting in loss of the desired structure and corresponding device functionality. Undesirable changes in the morphology and interfaces of the polymer films are another detrimental effect associated with solvent removal. Herein, we demonstrated that by embedding hole transporting materials (HTLs) in a cross-linked polymer matrix, the total luminance and external quantum efficiency were greatly improved over devices without this HTL layer.

Grain boundary character distribution-optimized (GBCD) Type 316 corresponding austenitic stainless steel and its cold-worked ones (GBCD+CW) are one of prospective nuclear materials to be considered for next generation energy systems. These steels were thermally-aged at 973 K for 1 and 100 h and were examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to evaluate microstructural stability during high temperature exposure. TEM results revealed that microstructures of both specimens prior to ageing contained step-wise boundaries which is composed of coincidence site lattice (CSL) and random grain boundaries and also that the GBCD+CW specimens had dislocation cells and networks as well as deformation twins whereas as the GBCD one possessed few dislocations. After thermal ageing, the precipitates formed on not only random grain boundaries but also dislocations, contributing to prevent significant microstructural change occurring such as recrystallization and dislocation recovery.

Biocompatible shape-memory polymers are of high significance for application in medical devices or instruments for minimally invasive surgery. To follow the medical device placement or changes in shape of the device in vivo by imaging methods like X-ray techniques, radiopacity of the polymer is required. In this work, we explored the shape-memory properties of radiopaque polymer composites prepared by incorporation of barium sulphate micro-particles in a biomedical grade polyether urethane (PEU) by co-extrusion technique. The filler content was varied from 5 wt% to 40 wt%, which was confirmed by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) measurements, while the particle distribution was visualized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The thermal and mechanical properties of the composites were investigated by means of dynamic mechanical analysis at varied temperature (DMTA) and tensile tests. The shape-memory properties of PEU composites were quantified in cyclic, thermomechanical experiments.A significant increase in Young’s modulus and a decrease in elongation at break were observed for PEU composites with increasing content of BaSO4, while the DMTA results were not affected by incorporation of the fillers. All samples exhibited excellent shape-memory properties with shape fixity rates (R f) above 98% and values for shape recovery rate (R r) in the range of 81% to 93%. The maximum stress (σmax) obtained under constant strain recovery conditions increased from 0.6 MPa to 1.4 MPa with raising amount of BaSO4, while the corresponding temperature (T σ,max) as well as the switching temperature (T sw) determined under stress-free conditions remained constant for all polymer composites.

Mineralogical changes of cement and bentonite accompanied with their interaction wereexperimentally studied by mixing granulated hardened cement paste and bentonite, and aging the mixture for91 days at 50° C. Mineralogical changes of cement and bentonite were identified by XRD. Hydratedcalcium-silicate phases (C-S-H), Ca(OH)2, ettringite and monosulfate were identified in the unalteredhardened cement. While Ca(OH)2 and monosulfate decreased with aging and disappeared after 91 days,calcite and katoite (Ca3Al2(SiO4)(OH)8) were formed concurrently. Montmorillonite, quartz (and/orchalcedony), clinoptilolite, plagioclase, calcite, analcime and pyrite were identified in the unaltered bentonite.The XRD pattern showed that diffraction intensities of these minerals decreased with aging. It seems thatthese primary minerals dissolved in the course of the alteration. C-S-H appeared in bentonite during the agingas secondary phases, indicating the participation of silicon dissolved from the bentonite and calcium from thecement formed the C-S-H. The formation of C-S-H that had been predicted by previous modeling studieswas confirmed by the present experiments.

In addition, diffusivity of tritiated water in mixed specimen with granulated hardened cement andbentonite was determined by a through-diffusion method. The effective diffusivity of tritiated water decreasedwith aging. The result suggests that the mass diffusivity in the interface of cement-bentonite system willdecrease with their interactions. The results of the diffusion experiments are qualitatively consistent with thediffusivity change in cement-bentonite systems predicted by some computational studies.

Elemental migration inside a glass was induced space-selectively and microscopically by high-repetition femtosecond(fs) laser irradiation. The tendency of the elemental migration depended on the strength of the bond between cations and oxygen ions:strongly bonded ions like Si or Al migrated to the center of the irradiated spot, whereas weekly bonded ions such as Ca migrated to the outside. Judged from analyzed temperature distribution, this phenomenon may be due to the thermomigration(Soret effect). The refractive index distribution was modified locally by controlling elemental distribution and optical waveguide was formed in phosphate and borate glasses.

We demonstrate the Kerr-effect induced by the electric field of single-cycle THz pulses in the relaxor ferroelectrics potassium-tantalum niobate KTa1-xNbxO3 (KTN) and K1-yLiyTa1-xNbxO3 (KLTN). We find a slow orientational relaxation with a time constant of 6 ps in KTN with x=1.8% at room temperature, that decreases upon approaching the transition temperature.

In this work we compare ZnS-based buffer layers prepared by atomic layer deposition, ALD, and chemical bath deposition, CBD. Both material and device properties are compared. CBD buffer layers are amorphous with a Zn(OH,S) composition while ALD buffer layers used in devices are crystalline with a Zn(O,OH,S) composition. Devices with ALD buffer layers are stable while for CBD, large lightsoaking effects are seen. Stable devices with CBD buffer layers are obtained by including an ALD-(Zn,Mg)O layer on top of the CBD layer.