Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Michelle Salgado-Meza, Guillermo Martinez-Rodriguez, Pablo Tirado-Cantu, Eliel Eduardo Montijo-Valenzuela, Rafael Garcia-Gutierrez
Summary: The research investigates the impact of total pressure and microwave power on the electrical conductivity of N-UNCD films. Results show that inserting nitrogen atoms into the grain boundaries significantly enhances the electrical conductivity. Through X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy, it was found that the N-UNCD films produced do not contain graphite phase but only crystalline nanodiamond grains. XPS analysis confirmed the presence of nitrogen and high conductivity in the N-UNCD films.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
X. Song, M. Lu, H. Wang, X. C. Wang, F. H. Sun
Summary: This study observed and compared the fracture behavior of different diamond films and investigated their fracture mechanics. The study found that factors such as diamond crystal structure, intrinsic stress, and surface roughness have an impact on the performance of diamond films.
CERAMICS INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jerome A. Cuenca, Thomas Brien, Soumen Mandal, Scott Manifold, Simon Doyle, Adrian Porch, Georgina M. Klemencic, Oliver A. Williams
Summary: This study presents a coplanar waveguide resonator (CPR) for measuring kinetic inductance (L-k) and penetration depth (lambda(L)) of superconducting boron doped nanocrystalline diamond (B-NCD) at microwave frequencies. The results show that thin granular B-NCD films on Si have a large penetration depth and high kinetic inductance. These values are much larger than those typically obtained for films on single crystal diamond. The calculated surface resistance in the 0.4-1.2 GHz range at temperatures below 2 K demonstrates the potential of granular B-NCD for high quality factor superconducting microwave resonators and highly sensitive kinetic inductance detectors.
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Daniel Araujo, Mariko Suzuki, Fernando Lloret, Gonzalo Alba, Pilar Villar
Summary: Diamond, as a wide bandgap material, shows promising characteristics in power electronic devices but faces challenges in device technology due to its high hardness and small substrate size. Despite its superior Baliga's figure of merit compared to other WBG materials, diamond is not yet widely recognized as a reference material in power electronic devices.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Xin Song, Hua Wang, Xinchang Wang, Fanghong Sun
Summary: This study demonstrates the coupling effects of methane/hydrogen ratio and nitrogen flow rate on the morphologies, mechanical properties, and tribology behaviors of diamond films. Increasing nitrogen flow rate at lower methane ratios changes the diamond film orientation, while further increases in methane and nitrogen lead to the formation of nanocrystalline diamond.
DIAMOND AND RELATED MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yizhuo Zhang, Shengwang Yu, Jie Gao, Yong Ma, Zhiyong He, Hongjun Hei, Ke Zheng
Summary: A novel MPCVD reactor with a three-cylinder cavity and excellent tuning capability was proposed in this study. The electric field and plasma characteristics were simulated and optimized. Experimental results confirmed the accuracy of the simulation and demonstrated the excellent performance of the new reactor.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Tao Wang, Jian Wang, Yansong Liu, Xiaoshan He, Zhibing He
Summary: This paper investigates the synthesis and physical properties of high-quality hollow diamond shells, including microstructure, chemical bonding, sphericity, wall thickness uniformity, and mass density. The results indicate that the diamond shells consist of a large amount of sp(3) bonded carbon, are compact and free of cracks, with a sphericity of about 93% and a wall thickness uniformity of about 95%. The mass density of the diamond shell exceeds 3.2 g/cm³ with the introduction of 1% CH4. At lower CH4 concentrations, secondary nucleation sites appear at the grain boundaries and on the faceted crystal plane of micron-sized grains.
DIAMOND AND RELATED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yicun Li, Bing Dai, V. G. Ralchenko, Jilei Lyu, Xiaobin Hao, Jiwen Zhao, Sen Zhang, Kang Liu, Jiecai Han, A. P. Bolshakov, Jiaqi Zhu
Summary: In this study, single-crystal diamond was synthesized using a microwave plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition system with periodical injection of gas. By refreshing the gas based on monitoring carbonaceous species in the plasma, the utilization of the precursors was increased significantly, resulting in faster growth rates and smoother surfaces of the diamond films.
Article
Crystallography
Wenxiao Hu, Xinxin Yu, Tao Tao, Kai Chen, Yucong Ye, Jianjun Zhou, Zili Xie, Yu Yan, Bin Liu, Rong Zhang
Summary: In this paper, high quality diamond film with atomically flat surface was grown by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition. A high growth rate of 7 μm/h was achieved without nitrogen doping, and the surface roughness was reduced from 0.92 nm to 0.18 nm by pre-etched process. H-terminated diamond MOSFETs fabricated on a high-quality epitaxial diamond layer showed enhanced saturated current density, reduced hysteresis of the transfer curve, and reduced shift of the threshold voltage.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yanyan Zhang, Dongliang Zhang, Libin Zhang, Bo Yang, Shengnan Shen, Zhiyin Gan
Summary: This research investigates the effect of surface roughness of diamond seeds on crystal growth quality. The results indicate that the surface roughness of the diamond seeds does not affect the surface roughness of the grown diamonds. A certain level of roughness can improve the internal stress of diamonds, but slightly reduce the crystalline quality. However, the surface roughness has almost no impact on the optical properties of the diamonds. Therefore, using diamond seeds with low roughness after cutting for direct growth can significantly reduce the cost of producing gem-quality diamonds.
APPLIED PHYSICS A-MATERIALS SCIENCE & PROCESSING
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Lijun Xiong, Yingjie Hu, Yong Yang, Qinghua Deng, Zheng Tang, Panjie Li, Jinyou Shen, Xiaoyue Zhang, Tianyu Wang, Xiaoyong Xu, Nan Yin, Yong Zhou, Wei Dong, Zhigang Zou
Summary: Boosting the replacement of traditional NH3 production with photocatalytic technology is significant for energy and environment remediation. In this study, electron pump strengthened facet engineering with organic half metallic C(CN)(3) on WO3 nanosheets and nanowires was proposed. Experimental and computational results demonstrated the superior performance of C(CN)(3) in photocatalytic N2 fixation.
APPLIED CATALYSIS B-ENVIRONMENTAL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
William G. S. Leigh, Jerome A. Cuenca, Evan L. H. Thomas, Soumen Mandal, Oliver A. Williams
Summary: This study demonstrates an in-situ method of mapping substrate temperature under MPECVD growth conditions, and compares the temperature maps with simulated plasma electron densities. The results show an increase in temperature and simulated plasma density towards the center of the substrate holder. Properties of nanocrystalline diamond films, measured using ex-situ Raman spectroscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry, also demonstrate the impact of substrate temperature inhomogeneity during growth.
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Weikang Zhao, Yan Teng, Kun Tang, Shunming Zhu, Kai Yang, Jingjing Duan, Yingmeng Huang, Ziang Chen, Jiandong Ye, Shulin Gu
Summary: This study proposed to change the structure of the sample susceptor in the microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) reaction chamber by introducing a small hole in the center. The effects of this change on the incorporation of residual nitrogen in the MPCVD diamond film were studied using COMSOL multiphysics software simulation. The results showed that the introduction of a small hole in the center of the susceptor led to significant changes in the electron state and the concentration of nitrogen in the plasma.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Ting Zhi, Tao Tao, Bin Liu, Xiwei Wang, Wenxiao Hu, Kai Chen, Zili Xie, Rong Zhang
Summary: The study found that using nano-sized patterned diamond seeds can improve the surface morphology and crystal quality of CVD diamond layers, providing a promising method for diamond-based device fabrication.
DIAMOND AND RELATED MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Oliver Roman Opaluch, Nimba Oshnik, Richard Nelz, Elke Neu
Summary: The study introduces a planar, omega-shaped microwave antenna based on stripline for spin control of NV color centers in diamond. An optimal antenna design was found through finite integral simulations, and antennas were successfully fabricated on a glass substrate, creating highly uniform microwave fields.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Bohdan Kulyk, Beatriz F. R. Silva, Alexandre F. Carvalho, Sara Silvestre, Antonio J. S. Fernandes, Rodrigo Martins, Elvira Fortunato, Florinda M. Costa
Summary: This study presents strain and bending sensors fabricated by irradiating regular filter paper with a CO2 laser, and systematically investigates the influence of different process parameters on the conversion of cellulose fibers into LIG. The material obtained exhibits porous electrically conductive weblike structures with sheet resistances as low as 32 Omega sq(-1). The functionality of both strain and bending sensors is demonstrated for different sensing configurations, highlighting the versatility and potential of this material for low-cost mechanical sensing applications.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Review
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Bohdan Kulyk, Maria A. Freitas, Nuno F. Santos, Farzin Mohseni, Alexandre F. Carvalho, Kiryl Yasakau, Antonio J. S. Fernandes, Adriana Bernardes, Bruno Figueiredo, Rui Silva, Joao Tedim, Florinda M. Costa
Summary: The potential applications of graphene and graphene-based materials in corrosion protection have attracted increased interest in the past decade. With advancements in production techniques, graphene materials with various properties are now available, highlighting the importance of matching the production method with the desired application.
CRITICAL REVIEWS IN SOLID STATE AND MATERIALS SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Nuno F. Santos, Sonia O. Pereira, Ana Moreira, Ana V. Girao, Alexandre F. Carvalho, Antonio J. S. Fernandes, Florinda M. Costa
Summary: Laser-induced graphene (LIG) shows excellent electrochemical performance with high sensitivity to dopamine at physiologically relevant concentrations, and good selectivity. UV-induced LIG has advantages in sensor miniaturization.
ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Julia Zanoni, Jorge P. Moura, Nuno F. Santos, Alexandre F. Carvalho, Antonio J. S. Fernandes, Teresa Monteiro, Florinda M. Costa, Sonia O. Pereira, Joana Rodrigues
Summary: Zinc oxide/laser-induced graphene composites combine excellent optical properties and enhanced electron transfer kinetics, showing great potential in the field of biosensors.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Alexandre F. Carvalho, Bohdan Kulyk, Antonio J. S. Fernandes, Elvira Fortunato, Florinda M. Costa
Summary: As the paradigm of the Internet of Things continues to evolve, there is a growing need for the development of low-cost, environmentally friendly, and sensitive sensors. Mechanical sensors and their applications have been widely studied, with a focus on innovative ways of mechanical actuation for human-machine interaction. Graphene, with its potential scalability and outstanding properties, has been thoroughly researched in the field of mechanical transduction.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Sonia O. Pereira, Nuno F. Santos, Alexandre F. Carvalho, Antonio J. S. Fernandes, Florinda M. Costa
Summary: Carbon-based electrodes show great promise in biosensor development, with laser-induced graphene (LIG) emerging as a strong candidate due to its superior characteristics. This study focuses on the electrochemistry of glucose oxidase (GOx) on LIG electrodes, revealing a new redox pair related to the LIG/GOx interaction. The reaction involving two protons and two electrons is sensitive to glucose concentration, indicating electron transfer from FAD in GOx to the electrode.
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Maria Simone Soares, Miguel Vidal, Nuno F. Santos, Florinda M. Costa, Carlos Marques, Sonia O. Pereira, Catia Leitao
Summary: The evolution of optical fiber technology has revolutionized various fields, especially in the field of biosensing. Different optical fiber configurations and biofunctionalization strategies affect the manufacturing complexity, cost, and performance of optical fiber immunosensors. Current research trends mainly focus on the application of technologies such as EW, SPR, LSPR, as well as the research and optimization of optical fiber configurations.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Maria S. Batista, Joana Rodrigues, Maria S. Relvas, Julia Zanoni, Ana V. Girao, Ana Pimentel, Florinda M. Costa, Sonia O. Pereira, Teresa Monteiro
Summary: In this study, a new persistent phosphor material containing 0.5% chromium was synthesized. The material exhibited multiple optically active Cr3+ centers and showed persistent luminescence behavior.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Bohdan Kulyk, Beatriz F. R. Silva, Alexandre F. Carvalho, Paula Barbosa, Ana Girao, Jonas Deuermeier, Antonio J. S. Fernandes, Filipe M. L. Figueiredo, Elvira Fortunato, Florinda M. Costa
Summary: This article presents a method for fabricating paper-LIG humidity and temperature sensors by irradiating common filter paper with a pulsed UV laser. The sensors show good linearity, reproducibility, and response time, and demonstrate the potential of paper-LIG for low-cost, sustainable, and environmentally friendly sensing.
ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Joana Rodrigues, Sonia O. Pereira, Julia Zanoni, Carolina Rodrigues, Mariana Bras, Florinda M. Costa, Teresa Monteiro
Summary: This paper reviews the use of ZnO nanostructures as transducer elements in PL-based biosensors for the detection of analytes relevant for health and environment. The remarkable photoluminescence of ZnO provides high sensitivity and selectivity to the sensors, making it an attractive alternative transduction approach. The paper also discusses possible physical mechanisms and warns about the effect of buffer solutions on sensing experiments.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Mariana Bras, Julia Zanoni, Bruno P. Falcao, Joaquim P. Leitao, Florinda M. Costa, Teresa Monteiro, Sonia O. Pereira, Joana Rodrigues
Summary: Antibiotic pollution is a global concern, so it is important to develop cost-effective and reliable devices for detecting these contaminants. In this study, zinc oxide nanostructures were used as transducers in a fluorescent immunosensor to detect tetracycline. The nanostructures had a high surface area and could interact with antibodies and tetracycline molecules, providing a sensing mechanism. The sensor could quantitatively detect tetracycline in the range of 0.001 to 1 μg/L with a low limit of detection, indicating its advanced performance in this field.
ACS APPLIED NANO MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Miguel Vidal, Maria Simone Soares, Mederic Loyez, Florinda M. Costa, Christophe Caucheteur, Carlos Marques, Sonia O. Pereira, Catia Leitao
Summary: Optical fiber technology has provided valuable benefits for biosensing. This study investigates the impact of different analysis methods on the detection of a heart failure biomarker using spectral variations of tilted fiber Bragg gratings (TFBGs). The results show that different analysis methods influence the outcome, highlighting the need for careful comparison of biosensor performance.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Joana C. Prata, Ana L. Patricio Silva, Joao P. da Costa, Patricia Dias-Pereira, Alexandre Carvalho, Antonio Jose Silva Fernandes, Florinda Mendes da Costa, Armando C. Duarte, Teresa Rocha-Santos
Summary: This study conducted a preliminary assessment of microplastics in postmortem samples of companion animals' internal tissues. Suspected microplastics were found in both cats and dogs, with a majority of particles sized 1-10 μm. However, the number of particles found was very low, indicating the need for improved analytical methods. The study suggests that microplastics can be internalized and distributed in the internal tissues of terrestrial vertebrates.
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Catia Leitao, Sonia O. Pereira, Nelia Alberto, Maxime Lobry, Mederic Loyez, Florinda M. Costa, Joao L. Pinto, Christophe Caucheteur, Carlos Marques
Summary: A new immunosensor based on TFBG has been developed for rapid and ultrasensitive cortisol detection, achieving a sensitivity higher than usually reported TFBG plasmonic immunosensors. The sensor provides a rapid, highly sensitive, label-free, low-volume consumption method for cortisol detection.
IEEE SENSORS JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Ping Zhang, Xiujie Yue, Yeran Gao, Zhenyong Lin, Shunxiang Wang, Songting Zhang
Summary: This paper investigates the strengthening mechanism of highspeed cutting and solid particle-entrained waterjet peening (HSC-WJP) composite reinforcement on 7075-T6 aluminum alloy. The research results show that composite reinforcement can improve surface quality, reduce surface pits and roughness, and decrease the size of precipitation-free zone (PFZ) at grain boundaries.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Sangyoon Lee, Hwi Yoon, Sanghun Lee, Seung-min Chung, Hyungjun Kim
Summary: The wettability of metal oxides, particularly HfO2 thin films deposited via atomic layer deposition, and its correlation with surface free energy have been studied. It was found that surface oxygen species significantly affect the intrinsic hydrophilicity of HfO2 thin films, and the crystalline orientations also evolve with film thickness.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Changdong Yin, Yiwen Wu, Zhou Xu, Dongdong Ye, Jun Yao, Jianjun Chen, Qiang Liu, Xin Ge, Meiling Ding
Summary: This study proposed a new strategy to indirectly estimate the hydrogen diffusivity of metallic materials under tensile stress by combining the electrochemical hydrogen permeation test (EHPT), the hydrogen diffusion descriptive equation based on Fick's law, and hydrogen pre-charged tensile test. The results showed that the hydrogen permeation curve obtained was highly approximate to the theoretical trend. The hydrogen embrittlement (HE) susceptibility of the specimens increased with increasing stress.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Huan Luo, Wei-yi Wang, Xin Yu, Xian-jun Lei, Lang Liu, Guo-zheng Zha, Wen-long Jiang, Bin Yang, Bao-qiang Xu
Summary: Separating selenium and tellurium is a general challenge in material and non-ferrous metallurgical industries. This paper proposes a novel method that achieved efficient separation of selenium and tellurium using gas-liquid equilibrium phase diagram and valence regulation-vacuum gasification technique.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Fan Zhang, Rong Xin Wang, Aiqin Tian, Fangzhi Li, Jianping Liu, Hui Yang
Summary: Deposition of Pd/Pt/Au three-layer films on p-GaN under high and ultra-high vacuum conditions was studied to investigate the electrical contact properties. Linear I-V curves were observed in samples deposited under ultra-high vacuum conditions, while nonlinear I-V characteristics were obtained in samples deposited under high vacuum conditions. The study also found that the samples deposited under high vacuum conditions had higher amounts of oxygen and Pd oxide. The oxide layer had an additional influence on the electrical characteristics of the Pd/Pt/Au/p-GaN contact.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Hongli Liu, Chengzhe Liu, Ying Sui, Zhongxian Liu, Tiangang Zhang, Zhiqiang Zhang, Shuang Sun, Jianwei Jia
Summary: This study utilized polysiloxane and hafnium carbide to produce Si-N-C-O-Hf hybridized ceramic fibers, and obtained ceramic fibers with hemispherical particles on the surface through electrostatic spinning and pyrolysis. The ceramic fibers exhibited excellent thermal stability, oxidation resistance, and high temperature insulation.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
M. Abaker, Nazar Elamin Ahmed, A. Saad, H. F. Khalil, E. M. M. Ibrahim, A. M. Adam
Summary: This paper systematically studied the internal structure and thermoelectric properties of In1-xGaxSb alloys prepared by melting synthesis at 1123 K. The results showed that doping with Ga in the In sites led to a significant increase in the Seebeck coefficient and power factor, while reducing the thermal conductivity. The maximum dimensionless figure of merit was observed at 403 K.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Fucheng Yu, Jinlong Ren, Jielin Zhang, Haiyang Chen, Xin Tian, Chenchen Feng, Cuixia Li, Jianbin Zhang, Xianxi Tang, Xiaogang Hou
Summary: An environmentally friendly ZnO@BiVO4 composite photocatalyst was prepared using in-situ self-assembly and solvothermal methods, demonstrating good photocatalytic performance. The mass ratio of BiVO4 and NCZ was found to influence the photocatalytic performance of the composite.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yaoming Shao, Pingping Zheng, Tianhao Dong, Lianghuan Wei, Haifei Wu, Jianxiao Si
Summary: In this paper, Mg3Bi2 films were prepared on glass substrate using magnetron sputtering, and the phase composition and thermoelectric properties of the films were investigated with different atomic ratios. The films displayed a metastable cubic phase and high conductivity when the atomic ratio exceeded stoichiometry.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
I. V. Uimanov, D. L. Shmelev, S. A. Barengolts
Summary: A two-dimensional axisymmetric model has been developed to study the prebreakdown processes in a cathode microprotrusion under an external electric field. The simulation results show that electrohydrodynamic instability leads to the formation of a nanometer-sized conical protrusion on the microprotrusion tip, significantly accelerating the heating process.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Weilun Zhang, Di Yang, Feng Gong, Yongjun Chen, Tian Chen, Zhiwen Xie, Sirui Yang
Summary: A novel Pt doping method was designed to improve the thermal stability of CrWN coating. The doping of Pt atoms effectively blocks the coherent growth of the grains and creates a significant mixing effect, resulting in a smooth surface with uniform element distribution.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Xiaoye Wang, Xiaoguang Yang, Wenna Du, Tao Yang
Summary: In this study, the effects of multiple growth parameters on self-catalyzed growth of InAs/GaSb axial heterostructured nanowires on Si substrate by MOCVD were investigated. It was found that the growth temperature and switching time have significant influences on the nanowire growth.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Weizhong Cui, Yan Zhao, Can Cui, Xing Liu, Beili Pang, Jianguang Feng, Hongzhou Dong, Liyan Yu, Lifeng Dong
Summary: This study introduces Co2+ cations into Cs2AgBiBr6 film to improve its quality, grain size, and conductivity, resulting in enhanced solar cell efficiency.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Jian Wang, Ke Yang, Xianming Cheng, Yalin Lu, Ganghui Wu, Yang Zhang, Yun Kan
Summary: The corrosion behavior and microstructural evolution of Sc microalloyed Al-3.2Cu-1.5Li alloys were investigated in detail. The microstructural results showed higher levels of dislocations density in the Sc microalloyed sample, which resulted in significantly refined grains and T1 precipitates. Microalloying with Sc changed the corrosion mode of the alloy and localized corrosion was found to occur preferentially at the subgrain within unrecrystallized grains with high grain stored energy.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Weifeng Liu, Na Liu, Kaiqiang Song, Meiqin Zeng, Zhongchen Lu
Summary: Monoclinic WO3 prepared through plasma milling exhibits higher photocatalytic activity due to its higher surface area, increased oxygen vacancies, and defects.
