With ultraviolet sensitive photochemistry and photoelectric properties, TiO2 is attractive for applications like photocatalysis, photovoltaic devices, and sunscreen products, among others. By coating Ag on TiO2 surface, the sensitivity can be extended to visible light, endowing enhanced properties with potential new applications. In this work we inkjet print Ag-TiO2 films from particle suspensions, and investigate the structure, morphology, Ag distribution and the photoluminescence of the films It is found that Ag nanoparticles form bridges among TiO2 particles during the post-annealing. These metallic bridges can transport the excited electrons and suppress the recombination of electrons and holes with the photoluminescence of the film reduced by more than half. The work provides an industrial applicable, low-cost, environment friendly route of preparing Ag-TiO2 films for attractive photochemistry and photoelectric device applications.

ZnO is a wide-band gap semiconductor widely used in optical and electric devices, associating with ferromagnetism at low dimension endowing its possibility for functional applications with magneto-optical and magneto-electric properties. We prepared ZnO and Fe-doped ZnO thin films 'in-situ' on substrate by inkjet printing, and tuned the room temperature ferromagnetism (RTFM) of the film by Fe-doping concentration, film thickness and post annealing temperature. It was found that by Fe doping the saturation magnetization (M-s) of the film can be enhanced by more than 4 folds comparing with the un-doped film, i.e. from 0.9 emu g(-1) for the ZnO film to 3.8 emu g(-1) for the Fe-doped ZnO film with comparable thickness. The enhancement was attributed to the introduction of un-paired 3d electrons which formed long range ferromagnetic ordering, as well as the consequent structure changes with smaller grains which increased the interface induced magnetism. By changing the annealing temperature and the film thickness, the defect-induced ferromagnetism was investigated. The RTFM shows thickness dependence with peak saturation magnetization value of 4.44 emu g(-1) for the 45 nm thick film. The work provides an effective way of tuning magnetism in ZnO based films for functional device applications.

First-principles calculations are performed using density function theory to explore the effects of dopant Ca in ceria (Ce1-x CaxO2-delta). The impact of oxygen vacancy on band gap and density of states is examined in doped ceria using generalized gradient approximations. Vacancy association and vacancy formation energies of the doped ceria are calculated to reveal the effect of dopant on ion conduction. The experimental study of the sample Ce0.875Ca0.125O2-delta) was performed to compare with the theoretical results. The obtained results from theoretical calculation and experimental techniques show that oxygen vacancy increases the volume, lattice constant (5.47315 angstrom) but decrease the band gap (1.72 eV) and bulk modulus. The dopant radius (1.173 angstrom) and lattice constant (5.4718 angstrom) are also calculated by equations which is close to the DFT lattice parameter. The result shows that oxygen vacancy shifts the density of states to lower energy region. Band gap is decreased due to shifting of valence states to conduction band. Vacancy formation shows a significance increase in density of states near the Fermi level. Density of states at Fermi level is proportional to the conductivity, so an increase in density of states near the Fermi level increases the conductivity. The experimental measured ionic conductivity is found to 0.095 S cm(-1) at 600 degrees C. The microstructural studies is also reported in this work.

A heterogeneous catalyst, magnesium zirconate (Mg2Zr5O12) was synthesized by co-precipitation and was used for biodiesel production via transesterification. Kusum oil was used as a feedstock. Catalyst characterization was accomplished by TGA, XRD, ATR FTIR, SEM, and EDX. The parameters viz. particle size, zeta potential, BET surface area and basicity of the catalyst were also determined. Characterization of catalyst supports the formation of single phase Mg2Zr5O12 and the catalyst was able to catalyse the transesterification reaction for economically viable biodiesel production. Various reaction parameters such as molar ratio (methanol: oil), catalyst concentration and reaction time were optimized in presence of Mg2Zr5O12 by using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) based on Box-Behnken design. The catalyst was reusable up to seven runs with ∼75% conversion in the seventh run. Maximum conversion of 97.98% FAME was obtained at 18:1 M ratio (methanol: oil), 2.5 wt% of catalyst at 65 °C temperature for 150 min. Physicochemical properties of FAME were also studied as per ASTM standard method. 

We report the manufacturing of thin zinc oxide films by reactive magnetron sputtering at room temperature, and examine their structural and optical properties. We show that the partial oxygen pressure in DC mode can have dramatic effect on absorption and refractive index (RI) of the films in a broad spectral range. In particular, the change of the oxygen pressure from 7% to 5% can lead to either conventional crystalline ZnO films having low absorption and characteristic descending dependence of RI from 2.4-2.7 RIU in the visible to 1.8-2 RIU in the near-infrared (1600 nm) range, or to untypical films, composed of ZnO nano-crystals embedded into amorphous matrix, exhibiting unexpectedly high absorption in the visible-infrared region and ascending dependence of RI with values varying from 1.5 RIU in the visible to 4 RIU in the IR (1600 nm), respectively. Untypical optical characteristics in the second case are explained by defects in ZnO structure arising due to under-oxidation of ZnO crystals. We also show that the observed defect-related film structure remains stable even after annealing of films under relatively high temperatures (30 min under 450 degrees C). We assume that both types of films can be of importance for photovoltaic (as contact or active layers, respectively), as well as for chemical or biological sensing, optoelectronics etc.

Lead-free alkali niobates Na0.5K0.5NbO3 (NKN) ceramics, with significantly enhanced ferroelectric remanent polarization (Pr), were prepared using Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS). Three types of boundaries were observed in the ceramics, being grain boundaries between faceted grains, domain boundaries that separate ferroelectric domains inside individual grains, and nanoscale sub-grain boundaries that reveal the nano-scale mosaicity of individual grains. Part of the sub-grain boundaries were from initial powder particles. The other sub-grain boundaries were built by ordered coalescence of nano-crystals during rapid SPS process. It was worthwhile to emphasize that the ordered coalescence of nano-crystals in bulk ceramics during sintering takes place and completes within minutes. These sub-grain features would disappear at higher temperature by long time sintering. Rapid Spark Plasma Sintering allowed us to capture this transient microstructure. The significantly enhanced ferroelectric Pr of NKN was attributed to nanoscale sub-boundaries, which stimulated the dynamics of ferroelectric domain formation and switching.

Electron-beam-induced deposition of titanium oxide nanopatterns is described. The precursor is titanium tetra-isopropoxide, delivered to the deposition point through a needle and mixed with oxygen at the same point via a flow through a separate needle. The depositions are free of residual carbon and have an EDX determined stoichiometry of TiO2.2. High resolution transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy studies reveal an amorphous structure of the fabricated titanium oxide. Ellipsometric characterization of the deposited material reveals a refractive index of 2.2-2.4 RIU in the spectral range of 500-1700 nm and a very low extinction coefficient (lower than 10(-6) in the range of 400-1700 nm), which is consistent with high quality titanium oxide. The electrical resistivity of the titanium oxide patterned with this new process is in the range of 10-40 G Omega cm and the measured breakdown field is in the range of 10-70 V mu m(-1). The fabricated nanopatterns are important for a variety of applications, including field-effect transistors, memory devices, MEMS, waveguide structures, bio-and chemical sensors.

We report a systematic study of nonlinearity in the ferromagnetic resonance of a series of submicron Permalloy ellipses with varying aspect ratios. At high excitation powers, the resonances are found to shift to higher or lower applied field. We focus here on the sign of the shift and its dependence on the applied field and shape-induced anisotropy of the ellipses. Using ferromagnetic resonance force microscopy, we find that the measured nonlinear coefficient changes sign as a function of anisotropy field and applied field in qualitative agreement with a macrospin analysis. This macrospin analysis also points to origins of the nonlinearity in a combination of hard-axis in-plane anisotropy and precession ellipticity. In comparison of the macrospin predictions with both experimental and micromagnetic modeling results, we measure/model values of the nonlinear coefficient that are more positive than predicted by the macrospin model. The results are useful in understanding nonlinear physics in nanomagnets and applications of spin-torque oscillators.

We report an unusual robust ferromagnetic order above room temperature upon amorphization of perovskite [YCrO3] in pulsed laser deposited thin films. This is contrary to the usual expected formation of a spin glass magnetic state in the resulting disordered structure. To understand the underlying physics of this phenomenon, we combine advanced spectroscopic techniques and first-principles calculations. We find that the observed order-disorder transformation is accompanied by an insulator-metal transition arising from a wide distribution of Cr-O-Cr bond angles and the consequent metallization through free carriers. Similar results also found in YbCrO3-films suggest that the observed phenomenon is more general and should, in principle, apply to a wider range of oxide systems. The ability to tailor ferromagnetic order above room temperature in oxide materials opens up many possibilities for novel technological applications of this counter intuitive effect.

An oxygen-assisted electron-beam-induced deposition (EBID) process, in which an oxygen flow and the vapor phase of the precursor, tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), are both mixed and delivered through a single needle, is described. The optical properties of the SiO(2+delta) (-0.04 <= delta <= +0.28) are comparable to fused silica. The electrical resistivity of both single-needle and double-needle SiO(2+delta) are comparable (greater than 7 G Omega cm) and a measured breakdown field is greater than 400 V mu m(-1). Compared to the double-needle process the advantage of the single-needle technique is the ease of alignment and the proximity to the deposition location, which facilitates fabrication of complex 3D structures for nanophotonics, photovoltaics, micro- and nano-electronics applications.