Yes / In this work DLS, NTA, SAXS and NMR were used to investigate populations, size distributions and structure of clusters in undersaturated aqueous solutions of glycine. Molecular and colloidal scale (mesoscale) clusters with radii around 0.3-0.5 nm and 100–150 nm, respectively, were observed using complementary experimental techniques. Molecular clusters are consistent with hydrated glycine dimers present in equilibrium with glycine monomers in aqueous solutions. Mesoscale clusters previously observed in supersaturated glycine solutions appear to be indefinitely stable, in mutual equilibrium within mesostructured undersaturated solutions across all glycine concentrations investigated here, down to as low as 1 mg/g of water. / Supported by EPSRC funding via the SynBIM project (Grant Reference EP/P0068X/1) and by the Synchrotron SOLEIL.

Transient Liquid phase bonding (TLP) has evolved as a viable method of joining difficult-to-weld superalloys with potential of producing joints with comparable mechanical properties to the base material. Although the high temperature properties of aerospace superalloys have been studied extensively, there is little information on the corrosion behaviour of these special class of materials that had been subjected to TLP bonding. In this work, electrochemical assessment of the corrosion behaviour of TLP bonded nickel-based superalloy was performed. Microstructural evaluation of the TLP bonded joint revealed the presence of a centreline eutectic when isothermal solidification was not completed and the corrosion resistance increased with a decrease in this eutectic width. The use of a composite interlayer produces TLP joints with smaller eutectic size and results in complete isothermal solidification in shorter processing time. Complete isothermal solidification, achieved with the composite interlayer, results in a uniform chromium distribution in the joint centre and produced a corrosion performance similar to the as-received cast base metal. It was found that aside from the mere presence of chromium, which is widely recognised as necessary for corrosion resistance, its uniform distribution within the joint region is imperative for achieving adequate corrosion resistance in TLP joints. / May 2016

No description available.

1-eicosanethiolate molecules form relatively weak bonds with the surface of InSb(100) limiting the order of the self-assembled monolayer despite the long length of the alkyl chain. Heating to only 225 °C in vacuum completely desorbed the eicosanethiolate layer from the surface based on x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Even after deposition times as long as 20 h in ethanol, the asymmetric methylene stretch was at 2925 cm-1 in the attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectrum, which is indicative of alkane chains that are incompletely ordered. Atomic force microscopy images combined with ellipsometry showed that the eicosanethiolate layer conformed to the rough InSb(100) starting surface (2.3±0.2 nm RMS). The reoxidation kinetics in air of InSb(100) and InSb(111)B covered with eicosanethiolate layers was the same despite the lower surface roughness of the latter (0.64±0.14 nm). The bond that the S head group makes with the substrate is the primary factor that determines the cohesiveness of the molecules on the surface. Although interactions between the alkane chains in the layer are sufficient to form a self-assembled layer, the fluidity of the molecules in the layer compromised the chemical passivation of the surface resulting in reoxidation in air after 20 minutes.

Molecules that contain linear alkane chains self-assemble on a variety of surfaces changing the degree of wetting, lubricity, and reactivity. We report on the reoxidation of GaAs(100) in air after adsorbing five alkanethiols (C$_n$H$_{2n+1}$-SH where $n=$ 3, 6, 12, 18, 20) and one alkanedithiol (HS-(CH$_2$)$_8$-SH) deposited from the liquid phase. The alignment of the alkane chains forms a self-assembled layer, however, air diffuses readily through the carbon layer and reaches the surface. The impact of alignment is to improve the bonding of sulfur with the surface atoms which reduces the oxidation rate based on fitting the data to a reaction-diffusion model. The layer thickness and molecular density scale linearly with the number of carbon atoms in the alkane chain. The thickness of the alkanethiolate (RS$^{-}$) layer grows by $0.87 \pm 0.06$ {\AA} for each C atom in the chain and the surface density by $0.13 \pm 0.03$ molecule per nm$^2$ per C atom up to a coverage of 5.0 molecules/nm$^2$ for $n=20$ or 0.8 monolayer. The surface coverage increases with length because interactions between methylene (CH$_2$) groups in neighboring chains reduce the tilt angle of the molecules with the surface normal. The tight packing yields areas per alkanethiolate as low as 20 \AA$^2$ for $n=20$. The amount of C in the layer divided by the chain length is approximately constant up to $n=12$ but increases sharply by a factor of 2-4$\times$ for $n=18$ and 20 based on the C 1s x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) peak. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy shows that the asymmetric methylene stretch shifts continuously to lower wavenumber and the relative peak area increases sharply with the length of the alkane chain. Fitting the data to a reaction-diffusion model shows that for times less than 30 min the surface oxide coverage does not depend on the thickness of the self-assembled layer nor the diffusivity of oxygen through the layer. Instead increasing the layer thickness makes more S available for bonding with the predominately As termination and reduces the rate coefficient for reaction of oxygen with the GaAs surface.

No description available.

Titanium oxide (TiO2) films have been actively investigated as many applications because of the mechanical and chemical durability, high refractive index and high transparency. In catalytic and electrochemical applications, it has been utilized as a stable semiconductor electrode for the conversion of solar energy into chemical or electrical energy. Uniform TiO2 films were deposited on conductive glass substrate (ITO/glass) by liquid phase deposition (LPD) with the aqueous solutions of ammonium hexafluoro-titanate and boric acid. Niobium oxide powder and Hydrofluoric acid which add deionized water were used to be Niobium doping solution. Undoped LPD-TiO2 has hydroxyl related defects and Li+ ions will be trapped to degrade the electrochromic durability. For niobium doping, the electrochromic characteristics were enhanced. Niobium doping in TiO2 can reduce hydroxyl related defects. The electrochromic durability was enhanced from 5¡Ñ103 to 1¡Ñ104 times. The transparency ratio was enhanced from 61 % to 70 % at the wavelength of 550 nm. In our experiment, TiO2 films morphology and thickness was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), structure was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and surface roughness was measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM), chemical properties was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), optical properties was characterized by spectrophotometer (MP-100), and electrochromic characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CHI627C).

In this study, we deposit titanium dioxide (TiO2) on the indium tin oxide (ITO/glass) substrate by a liquid phase deposition (LPD) method as a buffer layer and coat TiO¬2 particles on LPD-TiO2 films by spin-coating method as anode of dye-sensitize solar cell (DSSC). In order to adjust the optical absorption edge of titanium dioxide to the visible light, we co-dope fluorine and nitrogen into TiO2 by LPD method and Ammonium Fluoride (NH4F). In our experiment, the morphology and thickness was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), structure was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), chemical properties was characterized by electron spectroscope chemical analysis (ESCA), structural and spectral properties were characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) spectroscopy and current-voltage (I-V) characterization of solar cells was measured by B1500A. In our results, we enhance the performance of TiO2 as a DSSC`s anode, the open circuit voltage can reach to 0.71 V, the short circuit current can reach to 5.14 mA, the conversion efficiency can reach to 1.91 % and the fill factor can reach to 52.5 %.

No description available.

Silicon Germanium, SiGe, is an important emerging semiconductor material. In order to optimize growth techniques for SiGe production, such as Liquid Phase Diffusion, LPD, or Melt Replenishment Czochralski, a good understanding of the transport phenomena in the melt is required. In the context of the Liquid Phase Diffusion growth technique, the transport phenomena of silicon in a silicon-germanium melt has been explored. Experiments isolating the dissolution and transport of silicon into a germanium melt have been conducted under a variety of flow conditions. Preliminary modeling of these experiments has also been conducted and agreement with experiments has been shown. In addition, full LPD experiments have also been conducted under varying flow conditions. Altered flow conditions were achieved through the application of a variety of magnetic fields. Through the experimental and modeling work better understanding of the transport mechanisms at work in a silicon-germanium melt has been achieved. / Graduate