Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
M. Vadivel, R. Ramesh Babu, M. Sridharan
Summary: This study reports the characteristics of Cr3+- and Zn2+-substituted CoFe2O4 thin films prepared by solution-based spray pyrolysis method. The results show that the substitution of transition metal ions significantly affects the surface topography and gas-sensing behavior of the films. Cr3+-substituted CoFe2O4 thin films exhibit excellent sensing behavior towards NH3 gas at room temperature.
APPLIED PHYSICS A-MATERIALS SCIENCE & PROCESSING
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Moustafa Ahmed, Yas M. Al-Hadeethi, Arwa T. Kutbee, Essam R. Shaaban
Summary: Thin films of semiconductor Se80Ge20-xAgx (x=0, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 at.%) were deposited by thermal evaporation technology, and the influence of Ag ratio on their photoelectric parameters was studied. The results showed that annealing transformed the films into polycrystalline state, and the crystallization temperature and kinetics were analyzed. Additionally, bandgap energy of the films could be controlled by altering the annealing conditions.
CERAMICS INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Olivier Thomas, Stephane Labat, Thomas Cornelius, Marie-Ingrid Richard
Summary: X-ray imaging of strains has made impressive progress recently, with improved resolution and optical elements. Development of new detectors has revolutionized measurement strategies. The introduction of a new accelerator ring concept has significantly increased brightness and coherent flux. In the next decade, fast three-dimensional imaging methods will emerge to track the evolution of strains in materials.
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Shrutidhara Sarma, Surinder Singh, A. Garg
Summary: An Ag-Carbon nanotube (CNT) nanocomposite film was developed as the sensing element of a thin film sensor (TFS) in this study, showing better sensitivity compared to pure Ag TFS. Static calibration revealed a better temperature coefficient for the nanocomposite TFS, indicating improved sensitivity.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Maksym Yermakov, Roman Pshenychnyi, Anatoliy Opanasyuk, Yuriy Gnatenko, Oleksii Klymov, Maria del Carmen Martinez-Tomas, Vicente Munoz-Sanjose
Summary: This paper investigates the influence of the Mg/Zn molar concentration ratio in the precursor on the structural, optical, and chemical properties of Cu2MgxZn1-xSnS4 films. The results show that replacing zinc with magnesium improves the quality of the solid solution and reduces the band gap in the concentration range of y < 0.3. Successful incorporation of Mg in thin layers is confirmed.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2023)
Article
Physics, Applied
M. Vadivel, R. Ramesh Babu, M. Sridharan
Summary: This study reports the NH3 gas-sensing properties of homemade spray deposited CoFe2O4 thin films substituted with La3+ and Sm3+ ions. The results show that the substitution significantly enhances the gas-sensing characteristics of the films, making them potential materials for room temperature NH3 gas sensors even at low ppm concentrations.
JOURNAL OF SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND NOVEL MAGNETISM
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Lei Cheng, Zhou Liu, Shunde Li, Yufeng Zhai, Xiao Wang, Zhi Qiao, Qiaofei Xu, Ke Meng, Zhiyuan Zhu, Gang Chen
Summary: A new type of MA-free FA-based low-dimensional perovskites shows superior photovoltaic performance and thermal stability compared to MA-containing 2D perovskites.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
M. Sh. Abdel-Wahab, Ahmed H. Hammad, Asim Jilani, A. Alshahrie, Ammar A. Melaibari
Summary: Copper oxide thin films doped with silicon were prepared using sputtering technique. The thickness of the films decreased as the silicon dopant content increased, causing changes in the chemical states of copper and silicon, and improving the film morphology while affecting the optical properties.
OPTICAL AND QUANTUM ELECTRONICS
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
G. De Luca, J. Spring, U. Bashir, M. Campanini, R. Totani, C. Dominguez, A. Zakharova, M. Dobeli, T. Greber, M. D. Rossell, C. Piamonteze, M. Gibert
Summary: The study shows that LNMO thin films maintain insulating behavior and a stable Curie temperature, regardless of the epitaxial strain conditions. This suggests that this material could be used in multi-layer device architectures that require a high-temperature ferromagnetic insulating state.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Nouredine Oueldna, Alain Portavoce, Maxime Bertoglio, Andrea Campos, Abelkhalek Kammouni, Khalid Hoummada
Summary: This study investigates the phase transitions in Mg-Ag-Sb thin films produced by magnetron sputtering. The results show that using a single alloyed target or co-sputtering three elements cannot produce homogeneous alpha-MgAgSb films. It is also found that the composition of the phases alpha-MgAgSb and gamma-MgAgSb vary during annealing, contrary to previous beliefs.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Nikolaus Weinberger, Tim Kodalle, Tobias Bertram, Rene Gunder, Andreas Saxer, Roman Lackner, Georg N. Strauss, Christian A. Kaufmann
Summary: In this study, Rb, In, and Se were deposited at various substrate temperatures, with RbInSe2 crystal phase detectable at 350 degrees C. Crystallization of monoclinic RbInSe2 was observed at 215 degrees C on the sample grown at the lowest temperature. The morphology of the layers and the preferred crystal orientation of the RISe layer changed with increasing substrate temperature.
SCRIPTA MATERIALIA
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
J. Chakraborty, T. Oellers, R. Raghavan, A. Ludwig, G. Dehm
Summary: The microstructure evolution and stress development in Cu-Zr alloy thin films were studied using GIXRD and STEM, revealing the generation of dislocations and planar faults with increasing Zr composition, leading to tensile stresses and stress gradients.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Debashrita Mahana, Amit Kumar Mauraya, Prabir Pal, Preetam Singh, Senthil Kumar Muthusamy
Summary: CuO thin films were synthesized by thermal oxidation of Cu films deposited using vacuum evaporation and sputtering processes. The sputtered CuO film showed higher sensing response towards CO gas compared to the evaporated film, which can be attributed to smaller crystallite size, finer granular surface morphology, and higher surface presence of Cu2+ ions.
MATERIALS RESEARCH BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Roman G. Burkovsky, Georgiy A. Lityagin, Alexander E. Ganzha, Alexander F. Vakulenko, Ran Gao, Arvind Dasgupta, Bin Xu, Alexey Filimonov, Lane W. Martin
Summary: Research on epitaxial antiferroelectric materials show that PbZrO3/SrRuO3/SrTiO3 heterostructures exhibit an unusual structural response to electric fields lower than the switching threshold, gradually forming a ferroelectric-like structure. The field-induced structure is similar to the parent antiferroelectric phase in octahedral-tilt pattern but differs in lead-ion displacement. The findings suggest a potential mechanism for smearing of polarization-field loops in such heterostructures.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Swathi M. Gowdru, Jou-Chun Lin, Szu-Tan Wang, Yi-Chia Chen, Kuan-Chang Wu, Cheng-Nan Jiang, Yu-Dian Chen, Shao-Sian Li, Yuan Jay Chang, Di-Yan Wang
Summary: Lewis base urea was used as an effective additive to facilitate the formation of 2D RP perovskite thin films with larger grain size and high crystallinity.
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Hadjer Hakkoum, Abderrahim Moumen, Mebrouk Ghougali, Nouredine Sengouga, Elisabetta Comini
Summary: Material properties are crucial for the efficiency and performance of optoelectronic devices like photodetectors, and we focused on fabricating a NiO/ZnO heterojunction with improved structural properties. By varying the spray solution volume, we investigated the influence of NiO and ZnO thickness on the structural and morphological properties using spray pyrolysis. Thicker NiO and ZnO films were found to be optimal for fabricating the desired heterostructure. Raman and XRD results confirmed the formation of the NiO/ZnO heterostructure, which exhibited smooth morphology without any pinholes. Further simulations allowed for studying the impact of structural properties on the photodetector performance.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE-MATERIALS IN ELECTRONICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Navpreet Kaur, Mandeep Singh, Andrea Casotto, Luigi Sangaletti, Elisabetta Comini
Summary: Researches have developed a novel strategy to enhance the sensing performance of p-type NiO by utilizing the unique functional properties of self-assembled monolayers. By modulating the hole concentration near the surface of NiO nanowires using terminal epoxy groups, the electron transfer from reducing gases to the nanowires' surface is increased. As a result, the SAM-functionalized sensors exhibit a 9-fold higher response at low temperatures compared to bare NiO nanowires.
CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Marwa Ben Arbia, Ilkay Demir, Navpreet Kaur, Faouzi Saidi, Dario Zappa, Elisabetta Comini, Ismail Altuntas, Hassen Maaref
Summary: In this study, the structural dependences of InGaAs ternary compound were investigated using XRD, SEM-EDX, Raman, UV-vis, and PL techniques. The results showed successful growth of InGaAs as an active layer on InP substrate with good crystallinity and high indium concentration. The formation of an interfacial layer and the non-uniform distribution of indium were observed. The luminescence behavior of InGaAs was found to be influenced by the indium distribution, and a numerical simulation was developed to explain this anomaly.
MATERIALS SCIENCE IN SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSING
(2023)
Article
Physics, Applied
Navpreet Kaur, Mandeep Singh, Andrea Casotto, Hashitha M. M. Munasinghe Arachchige, Luigi Sangaletti, Elisabetta Comini
Summary: Surface defects in graphene oxide control charge-carrier transport and provide an opportunity to synthesize hybrid materials with novel properties. A novel room-temperature ethanol sensor based on SiO2@GO-NH is proposed, realized through sol-gel chemistry. The charge transport in the NH material is dominated by field-driven hopping mechanism and interaction with ethanol and chemisorbed oxygen ions.
APPLIED PHYSICS REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Vardan Galstyan, Nicola Poli, Viacheslav Golovanov, Annalisa D'Arco, Salvatore Macis, Stefano Lupi, Eleonora Bolli, Saulius Kaciulis, Alessio Mezzi, Elisabetta Comini
Summary: There is a growing demand for nanocomposite materials with new functionalities in chemical gas sensors and catalytic devices. Green synthesis methods are widely used to reduce the hazardous effects on human health and the environment. This study reports the fabrication of a nanocomposite material based on WO3 and TiO2 with unique electronic band alignment and gas sensing properties.
ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Andrea Tognazzi, Paolo Franceschini, Davide Rocco, Luca Carletti, Andrea Locatelli, Marco Gandolfi, Dario Zappa, Alfonso Carmelo Cino, Elisabetta Comini, Giuseppe Leo, Costantino De Angelis
Summary: We investigate the generation of second harmonic in dielectric nanocylinders, considering the incident field wavelength and geometrical dimensions. We find that, surprisingly, the second harmonic efficiency is not reduced by the increase of the imaginary part of the complex dielectric refractive index. The presence of higher order multipoles supported by the resonators at the fundamental wavelength can boost the generated second harmonic signal even in the dielectric absorption spectral region, achieving similar nonlinear efficiency as the lossless case.
IEEE PHOTONICS TECHNOLOGY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Mandeep Singh, Navpreet Kaur, Andrea Casotto, Luigi Sangaletti, Elisabetta Comini
Summary: We propose a novel active sensing surface based on mixed-SAMs functionalized ZnO nanowires for selective detection of acetone. Mixed-SAMs not only enhance the sensing performance of bare ZnO nanowires, but also show superior selectivity when suitable mixing ratios are chosen. The molecular interaction between the acetone CO group and terminal-CH3 and -NH2 groups of SAMs leads to a high response value of 256 +/- 36 (50 ppm) for the mixed-SAMs functionalized NWs. The effect of the mixing ratio on the sensing performance is systematically discussed, highlighting the key role played by the variation in charge distribution and modification in molecular interactions.
SENSORS AND ACTUATORS B-CHEMICAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Ruonan Tian, Zeyuan Gao, Gang Chen, Hongtao Guan, Chengjun Dong, Elisabetta Comini
Summary: In this study, a sol-gel method followed by a thermal treatment was used to control the phases formation of mesoporous iron oxide. It was found that mixed alpha/gamma-Fe2O3 phases showed enhanced sensing performances towards acetone. Additionally, coupling alpha/gamma-Fe2O3 with 2D materials of MXene prevented agglomeration of Fe2O3 nano-particles and increased the number of active sites for chemical absorption. Furthermore, the p-n heterojunctions resulted in an enhanced response towards acetone.
SENSORS AND ACTUATORS B-CHEMICAL
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Abderrahim Moumen, Rajashree Konar, Dario Zappa, Eti Teblum, Gilbert Daniel Nessim, Elisabetta Comini
Summary: In this study, two-dimensional heterojunction chemical sensors were successfully synthesized using ambient pressure chemical vapor deposition. The sensors showed enhanced response, stability, and selectivity. The liquid-phase exfoliation method was used to disperse bulk tungsten sulfide and tungsten selenide, and smaller tungsten selenide nanosheets were decorated on large flakes of tungsten sulfide through chemical vapor deposition. The resulting p-p heterojunction-based nanocomposite exhibited high stability, independent of humidity effects, and high selectivity towards NO2 gas.
ACS APPLIED NANO MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Orhan Sisman, Dario Zappa, Valentin-Adrian Maraloiu, Elisabetta Comini
Summary: The study proposes an inverse design by depositing n-type ZnO shell layers on the surface of p-type CuO core-shell nanowires to understand their conductometric gas-sensing kinetics. The surface morphologies of bare and core-shell nanowires were investigated using FE-SEM. The ZnO shell layer was observed using EDX and HRTEM techniques. The deposition of ZnO shell layers switched the intrinsic p-type sensing behavior of CuO nanowires towards hydrogen to n-type.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Gayan W. C. Kumarage, Dario Zappa, Catalina G. G. Mihalcea, Valentin-Adrian Maraloiu, Mariana Stefan, Elisabetta Comini
Summary: This study presents conductometric sensors based on Co3O4 nanowires for hydrogen detection at ppb levels. The nanowires exhibit diameters between 6-50 nm and lengths of 1-5 & mu;m, primarily growing along the (311) direction of spinal Co3O4. Raman investigation reveals characteristic peaks corresponding to symmetric phonon modes of crystalline Co3O4. The sensors show abnormal n-type semiconducting behavior above 300 & DEG;C due to lattice oxygen's involvement in the hydrogen sensing mechanism. Operating at 450 & DEG;C in dry air, the sensor shows a higher response to 100 ppm H-2 compared to other gases and maintains a consistent conductance baseline even under high humidity for 25 days.
ADVANCED ENERGY AND SUSTAINABILITY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Gianluca D'Olimpio, Vardan Galstyan, Corneliu Ghica, Mykhailo Vorokhta, Marian Cosmin Istrate, Chia-Nung Kuo, Chin Shan Lue, Danil W. W. Boukhvalov, Elisabetta Comini, Antonio Politano
Summary: In this work, solution-processed In2Se3 nanosheets are shown to have exceptional selectivity and sensitivity to NO2 gas, making them a promising candidate for gas detection systems. The unique surface properties of In2Se3 nanosheets prevent oxidation and CO-poisoning, while enabling stable adsorption of NO2 molecules. This makes In2Se3 an ideal material for gas sensing applications in humid and harsh environments.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ruonan Tian, Zeyuan Gao, Ruifeng Lang, Na Li, Huilin Gu, Gang Chen, Hongtao Guan, Elisabetta Comini, Chengjun Dong
Summary: This study presented a novel synthesis method of iron-glycerate and explored the effects of different thermal treatments on its properties. It was found that the dual phases of alpha/gamma-Fe2O3 exhibited better sensing performance for acetone detection. Additionally, the sensor performance was further improved by doping with nickel and functionalizing with ruthenium nanoparticles.
JOURNAL OF NANOSTRUCTURE IN CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Mandeep Singh, Dario Zappa, Elisabetta Comini
Summary: This study proposes a novel method for growing NiO-GDC nanowire anode and confirms its potential application value through detailed characterization analysis and electrical performance testing.
MATERIALS ADVANCES
(2022)
