Synthesis of nanocrystalline tetragonal zirconia by a polymeric organometallic method

A polymeric precursor method based on the Pechini process was successfully used to synthesize zirconia-12 mol% ceria ceramic powders, the influence of the main process variables (citric acid-ethylene glycol ratio, citric acid-total oxides ratio and calcination temperature) on phase formation and powder morphology (surface area and crystallite size) were investigated. The thermal decomposition behavior of the precursor is presented. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of powders revealed a crystalline tetragonal zirconia single-phase, with crystallite diameter ranging from 6 to 15 nm. The BET surface areas were relatively high, reaching 95 m(2) g(-1) Nitrogen adsorption/desorption on the powders suggested that nonaggregated powders could be attained, depending on the synthesis conditions. Copyright (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Nickel adsorption by soils in relation to pH, organic matter, and iron oxides

There is little information on nickel adsorption by Brazilian soils. The objective of this experiment was to determine the effect of pH, organic matter, and iron oxides on nickel adsorption by three soils: a clayey Anionic Rhodic Acrudox, a sandy clay loam Anionic Xanthic Acrudox, and a clayey Rhodic Hapludalf. Soil samples were collected from the 0-0.2 in layer and treated to eliminate organic matter and iron oxides. The nickel adsorption was evaluated in the original samples and in those treated to remove organic matter and to remove both, organic matter and iron oxides, using 2 g soil + 20 mL of 0.01 mol L-1 CaCl2 solution containing 5 mg L-1 Ni, pH varying from 3.5 to 7.5. The nickel adsorption decreased with the elimination of organic matter. For the samples without organic matter and iron oxides, adsorption decreased only in the Anionic Rhodic Acrudox. The pH was the main factor involved in nickel adsorption variation, and for soil samples without organic matter and iron oxides, the maximum adsorption occurred at higher pH values.

Columnar microstructure of nanocrystalline Ga1-xMnxN films deposited by reactive sputtering

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Resonant excitation of Mn local vibrational modes in the higher order Raman spectra of nanocrystalline Ga(1-x)Mn(x)N films

The effect of manganese on the vibrational properties of Ga(1-x)Mn(x)N (0 <= x <= 0.18) films has been investigated by Raman scattering using 488.0 and 632.8 nm photon excitations. The first-order transverse and longitudinal optical GaN vibrational bands were observed in the whole composition range using both excitations, while the corresponding overtones, as well as a prominent peak located in 1238 cm(-1) (153.5 meV) were only observed in the Mn-containing films under 488.0 nm excitation. We propose that the peak observed at 1238 cm(-1) is due to resonant Mn local vibrational modes, the excitation process being related to electronic transitions involving the Mn acceptor band.

Disorder effects produced by the Mn and H incorporations on the optical absorption edge of Ga1-xMnxAs:H nanocrystalline films

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

The optical absorption edge of nanocrystalline Ga(1-x)Mn(x)N films deposited by reactive sputtering

We have focused on the optical absorption edge of nanocrystalline Ga(1-x)Mn(x)N (0.00 <= x <= 0.18) films deposited by reactive RF magnetron sputtering. The films obtained are nanocrystalline with grain sizes of about 25 nm, having wurtzite structure and strong orientation texture in the c-axis direction. The optical characterizations of the absorption edges were obtained in the 190-2600 nm spectral range. The increase of the Mn content causes an increase of the absorption coefficient which can be clearly noticed at low energies, and a quasi-linear decrease of the optical gap. Broad absorption bands observed around similar to 1.3 and similar to 2.2 eV were associated with transitions between the Mn acceptor level and the valence and conduction bands, respectively. The observed changes in the optical properties due to the Mn incorporation observed in these nanocrystalline films are similar to those reported for ferromagnetic GaMnN single-crystal films.

Structural Characterization of Nanocrystalline Sb-Doped SnO2 Xerogels by Multiedge X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Oxygen diffusion in superconducting oxides

Since the discovery of high-temperature superconductivity of cuprate oxides, it has been clear that it is strongly affected by the oxygen content, which is also a crucial factor to determine other physical properties of high T-c superconductors. Non-stoichiometric (interstitial) oxygen strongly influences the physical properties of various superconducting oxides, in particular by creating conducting holes. It is now ascertained that the amount of holes injected depends not only on the content of interstitial oxygen, but also on its ordering. Rearrangement of the oxygen ordering may occur even below room temperature due to the unusual high mobility of these atoms. This way, mechanical spectroscopy is one of the most adequate techniques for the study of the mobility (diffusion) of oxygen atoms. This technique allows the determination of the jump frequency of an atomic species precisely, regardless of the model or the different possible types of jumps. In order to evaluate the mobility and the effect of oxygen content on these oxides, ceramic samples we prepared and submitted to several oxygen removal cycles alternately with mechanical relaxation measurements. As for SBCO, it was assumed that the peak was due to O(1)-O(5) jumps of oxygen atoms at the chain terminals or in chain fragments in the orthorhombic phase. In the case of BSCCO, the results showed complex anelastic relaxation structures, which were attributed to interstitial oxygen atom jumps between two adjacent CuO planes.

ZnO-TiO2 composite formed by mixed oxides via polyol

Among the researches on preparation and test of nanostructured materials, titanium dioxide and zinc oxide have been the most frequent studied oxides. In order to extend their properties, composites have been prepared using three different methods: Polyol Method, Sol-gel Process and a combination of the two processes (hybrid process). Recent research showed best properties in composite materials than in pure oxides. In this work is presented the preparation and the structural characterization of ZnO-TiO2 composite nanostructures to be tested for their performance in electrocatalysis and in further trial on photovoltaic cells.

Alloys and oxides on carbon-supported Pt-Sn electrocatalysts for ethanol oxidation

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

First order reversal curve analysis of nanocrystalline Pd80Co20 alloy films

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Platinum-coated nanostructured oxides for active catalytic electrodes

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Preparation and characterization of nanocrystalline h-BN films prepared by PECVD method

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Evaluation of rare earth oxides doping SnO2.(Co1/4,Mn3/4)O-based varistor system

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Nanocrystalline anatase thin films prepared from redispersible sol-gel powders

Transparent thin films of nanocrystalline anatase were obtained by dip-coating process using an ethanolic suspension of redispersed nanoparticles. This suspension was prepared by sol-gel route and their redispersability achieved by surface grafting of para-toluene-sulfonic acid and acetylacetone. The effects of the acetylacetone content on the powder redispersibility and on the structural evolution of films were determined by small angle X-ray scattering, X-ray reflectometry and X-ray diffraction for different firing temperatures. The results demonstrated that the porous structure of the studied films consist of agglomerates of primary particles with two levels of porosity. The control of the amount of capping ligand allows for a fine-tuning of the average pore size of the dried films. Upon increasing the firing temperature up to 500 degrees C, progressive increase in apparent density, average pore size of films and average crystallite size of powders were observed. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.