Nanostructure-induced performance degradation of WO₃·nH₂O for energy conversion and storage devices

• Zhenyin Hai,
• Mohammad Karbalaei Akbari,
• Zihan Wei,
• Danfeng Cui,
• Chenyang Xue,
• Hongyan Xu,
• Philippe M. Heynderickx,
• Francis Verpoort and
• Serge Zhuiykov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2845–2854, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.265

• in 1.0 M H2SO4 aqueous solution. The as-prepared sample, a Pt wire and a Ag/AgCl electrode acted as working, counter and reference electrode, respectively. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) was conducted in the potential range from −0.8 V to +0.8 V (vs Ag/AgCl). Results and Discussion The crystal structure of

• supports the dehydration tendency of WO3·H2O. When the samples were grown at 180 °C, only monoclinic WO3 (JCPDS no. 43-1035) with its dominant (002) facet existed in the sample. The crystal structure of monoclinic WO3 presented in Figure 1d displays 3D covalent bonding structures compared to the stacked 2D

• long and ca. 1.5 μm thick, while the hexagonal plates were 0.5 μm thick with diagonal length of ca. 2.9 μm. Figure 3d,e shows the square sheets with opened layers, indicating the layered crystal structure of the as-grown material. The magnified image of the opened layers in Figure 3f clearly

Near-infrared light harvesting of upconverting NaYF₄:Yb³⁺/Er³⁺-based amorphous silicon solar cells investigated by an optical filter

• Daiming Liu,
• Qingkang Wang and
• Qing Wang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2788–2793, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.260

• -NaYF4 phase (JCPDS-16-0334) increase in intensity, while the reflections belonging to the cubic β-NaYF4 phase (JCPDS-77-2042) weaken. We can infer that the nanoparticles have a cubic crystal structure, while the nanorods are hexagonal. XRD patterns agree well with FE-SEM results. The cubic-to-hexagonal

Magnetic and luminescent coordination networks based on imidazolium salts and lanthanides for sensitive ratiometric thermometry

• Pierre Farger,
• Cédric Leuvrey,
• Mathieu Gallart,
• Pierre Gilliot,
• Guillaume Rogez,
• João Rocha,
• Duarte Ananias,
• Pierre Rabu and
• Emilie Delahaye

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2775–2787, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.259

• ·xH2O with the 1,3-bis(carboxymethyl)imidazolium [HL] ligand and oxalic acid (H2ox) in a water/ethanol solution. The crystal structure of these compounds has been solved on single crystals and the magnetic and luminescent properties have been investigated relying on intrinsic properties of the

• Figure S2 (Supporting Information File 1), the experimental powder patterns fit well with the patterns calculated from the single crystal structure and show no additional phases. In order to investigate the thermal stability, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was realized under air stream from 25 to 900

• of the 7F1,2 levels into three and five Stark components, respectively; ii) and the predominance of the 5D0→7F2 transition relatively to the 5D0→7F1 one, witnessing the presence of a single low-symmetry Eu3+ environment, in accordance with the crystal structure. Additionally, the room-temperature Eu3

Optimization of Mo/Cr bilayer back contacts for thin-film solar cells

• Nima Khoshsirat,
• Fawad Ali,
• Vincent Tiing Tiong,
• Mojtaba Amjadipour,
• Hongxia Wang,
• Mahnaz Shafiei and
• Nunzio Motta

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2700–2707, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.252

• -sonication of the samples at 50 °C in the presence of sodium hydroxide solution (2 wt % in deionized water) for 10 min. The crystal structure of Mo films has been analyzed using a Rigaku SmartLab X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectrometer with monochromatic Cu Kα (40 kV, 40 mA, λ = 0.154 nm) as an excitation

Two-dimensional semiconductors pave the way towards dopant-based quantum computing

• José Carlos Abadillo-Uriel,
• Belita Koiller and
• María José Calderón

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2668–2673, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.249

• states in single dopants and the coupling between pairs of donors in a 2D semiconductor host using an effective mass approach (EMA). We consider single donors and donor pairs in 2D. Within EMA, the discrete crystal structure of the device is described by a continuum characterized by the effective mass

• under study have a graphene-like crystal structure (two sublattices represented by blue and violet dots). Here we explore, within an effective mass approach, the possibility of using these donors to implement spin-qubits. Some of those 2D structures may present advantages over bulk (3D) semiconductor

Improved catalytic combustion of methane using CuO nanobelts with predominantly (001) surfaces

• Qingquan Kong,
• Yichun Yin,
• Bing Xue,
• Yonggang Jin,
• Wei Feng,
• Zhi-Gang Chen,
• Shi Su and
• Chenghua Sun

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2526–2532, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.235

• the performance tests, the crystal structure of the collected samples was further examined by X-ray diffraction with commercial CuO nanoparticles (NPs, Aldrich 450812) as a reference for comparison. The NP, NW and NB samples show the similar profiles, confirming that they have the same phase (CuO

Nanocellulose: Recent advances and its prospects in environmental remediation

• Katrina Pui Yee Shak,
• Yean Ling Pang and
• Shee Keat Mah

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2479–2498, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.232

• et al. [59] has synthesized a highly efficient filter membrane for oil/water separation by combining super hydrophilic tunicate cellulose nanocrystal and cholesteric liquid crystal structure. The tunicate cellulose was derived from Halocynthia roretzi drasche, also known as the sea pineapple. In

High-temperature magnetism and microstructure of a semiconducting ferromagnetic (GaSb)_1−x(MnSb)_x alloy

• Leonid N. Oveshnikov,
• Elena I. Nekhaeva,
• Alexey V. Kochura,
• Alexander B. Davydov,
• Mikhail A. Shakhov,
• Sergey F. Marenkin,
• Oleg A. Novodvorskii,
• Alexander P. Kuzmenko,
• Alexander L. Vasiliev,
• Boris A. Aronzon and
• Erkki Lahderanta

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2457–2465, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.230

• that inclusions can emerge with two types of crystal structure. The magnetic properties of MnAs inclusions with zinc blende type and hexagonal lattices are substantially different. The actual application of GaAs:MnAs materials is restricted by this fact. A second recently studied nanocomposite system

• studied areas unambiguously indicates that the structure of the film is cubic and corresponds to the GaSb crystal structure (space group ). Moreover, the images clearly show twins and stacking faults, which are typcal for cubic GaSb crystals. At the same time, the electron diffraction data obtained for

Metal–dielectric hybrid nanoantennas for efficient frequency conversion at the anapole mode

• Valerio F. Gili,
• Lavinia Ghirardini,
• Davide Rocco,
• Giuseppe Marino,
• Ivan Favero,
• Iännis Roland,
• Giovanni Pellegrini,
• Lamberto Duò,
• Marco Finazzi,
• Luca Carletti,
• Andrea Locatelli,
• Aristide Lemaître,
• Dragomir Neshev,
• Costantino De Angelis,
• Giuseppe Leo and
• Michele Celebrano

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2306–2314, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.215

• realization of coherent light sources [2], SHG is a fundamental tool for the analysis and characterization of the crystal structure of solid materials [3][4][5]. The background-free character of SHG makes it an attractive tool for imaging biological tissues [6] and investigating structural and conformational

Hierarchical heterostructures of Bi₂MoO₆ microflowers decorated with Ag₂CO₃ nanoparticles for efficient visible-light-driven photocatalytic removal of toxic pollutants

• Shijie Li,
• Wei Jiang,
• Shiwei Hu,
• Yu Liu,
• Yanping Liu,
• Kaibing Xu and
• Jianshe Liu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2297–2305, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.214

• -10, ACO/BMO-20, ACO/BMO-30, and ACO/BMO-50, respectively. The crystal structure of Bi2MoO6, Ag2CO3, and Ag2CO3/Bi2MoO6 heterostructures were determined by XRD technique (Figure 1). The diffraction peaks of Ag2CO3 and Bi2MoO6 were indexed as orthorhombic Bi2MoO6 (JCPDS 76-2388) and monoclinic Ag2CO3

• -4800 scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a JEM-2010F transmission electron microscope (TEM). The corresponding chemical compositions were detected by energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy equipped on the SEM. The crystal structure of catalysts was identified by X-ray diffractometry (XRD, Bruker

Surface energy of nanoparticles – influence of particle size and structure

• Dieter Vollath,
• Franz Dieter Fischer and
• David Holec

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2265–2276, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.211

• thermodynamic quantities [18][19][20][21][22]. Similar estimations, using the number of broken bonds at the surface, were performed by Lu and Jiang [23]. The result of counting broken bonds or applying relative coordination numbers depends on the crystal structure and on the crystallographic plane. Therefore

Lead-free hybrid perovskites for photovoltaics

• Oleksandr Stroyuk

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2209–2235, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.207

• % and 0.89% for 2D- and 0D-form, respectively [89]. This finding, along with a higher stability of 2D-HP-based devices, suggests that the layered form of Cs3Sb2I9 is preferable for photovoltaic applications. The incorporation of other halide ions allows the crystal structure and optoelectronic

• photovoltaic materials. Additionally, the cell fitted with an encapsulating protective layer showed a remarkable stability with the PCE unchanged in a more than 2500 h test trial (Figure 3d) [69]. Manganese(II) ions were found to substitute Pb(II) in MA-Pb-Cl-Br HPs, the perovskite preserving the crystal

• structure up to 90% Mn [99]. Up to 46% Pb2+ ions can be exchanged with Mn2+ in CsPbCl3 NCs produced by hot-injection, resulting in a highly increased photoluminescence (PL) efficiency [100]. Mixed MAPbxMn1−xI1+2xCl2−2x (x = 0.1–1.0) synthesized by a solid-state reaction displayed an unprecedentedly high

Light–Matter interactions on the nanoscale

• Mohsen Rahmani and
• Chennupati Jagadish

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2125–2127, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.201

• , such as transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) or hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) [10] have also emerged as interesting platforms for nanophotonics. TMDCs, with their intrinsically broken inversion symmetry in crystal structure, have shown many advanced optical properties with potential applications

Phosphorus monolayer doping (MLD) of silicon on insulator (SOI) substrates

• Noel Kennedy,
• Ray Duffy,
• Luke Eaton,
• Dan O’Connell,
• Scott Monaghan,
• Shane Garvey,
• James Connolly,
• Chris Hatem,
• Justin D. Holmes and
• Brenda Long

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2106–2113, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.199

• them in the crystal structure. By contrast, Ye et al. have recently proposed a monolayer contact doping (MLCD) process without the need for a capping layer [13]. This paper will examine the application of phosphorus MLD to silicon on insulator (SOI) substrates with nanoscale dimensions (sub-66 nm

Recent highlights in nanoscale and mesoscale friction

• Andrea Vanossi,
• Dirk Dietzel,
• Andre Schirmeisen,
• Ernst Meyer,
• Rémy Pawlak,
• Thilo Glatzel,
• Marcin Kisiel,
• Shigeki Kawai and
• Nicola Manini

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1995–2014, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.190

• direct information on the crystal structure itself. Particularly when the FFM tip is subject to stick–slip advancement, this mode becomes especially efficient for resolving structural features. By mapping the power dissipated by these lateral forces, FFM can even detect such elusive structures as moiré

Synthesis of a MnO₂/Fe₃O₄/diatomite nanocomposite as an efficient heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst for methylene blue degradation

• Zishun Li,
• Xuekun Tang,
• Kun Liu,
• Jing Huang,
• Yueyang Xu,
• Qian Peng and
• Minlin Ao

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1940–1950, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.185

• seen in the magnified image (Figure 4c), a flower-like or urchin-like structure of the outer MnO2 shell can be easily observed. The crystal structure of the outer shell is analyzed by using HRTEM, as shown in Figure 4d. As a whole, the chaotic and unclear lattice fringes in the image illustrate the

A differential Hall effect measurement method with sub-nanometre resolution for active dopant concentration profiling in ultrathin doped Si_1−xGe_x and Si layers

• Richard Daubriac,
• Emmanuel Scheid,
• Hiba Rizk,
• Richard Monflier,
• Sylvain Joblot,
• Rémi Beneyton,
• Pablo Acosta Alba,
• Sébastien Kerdilès and
• Filadelfo Cristiano

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1926–1939, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.184

• continuous amorphous layer. Then, we compare electrical parameters measured by conventional Hall effect with the evolution of the crystal structure imaged by TEM as functions of the laser energy densities. The TEM analysis (Figure S11, Supporting Information File 1) shows that for energies of 0.74 and 0.76 J

Synthesis of hafnium nanoparticles and hafnium nanoparticle films by gas condensation and energetic deposition

• Irini Michelakaki,
• Nikos Boukos,
• Dimitrios A. Dragatogiannis,
• Spyros Stathopoulos,
• Costas A. Charitidis and
• Dimitris Tsoukalas

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1868–1880, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.179

• study the fabrication and characterization of hafnium nanoparticles and hafnium nanoparticle thin films. Hafnium nanoparticles were grown in vacuum by magnetron-sputtering inert-gas condensation. The as deposited nanoparticles have a hexagonal close-packed crystal structure, they possess truncated

• Hf NPs have been missing and the crystal structure has been only theoretically investigated [37]. In this study, Hf NPs were fabricated by inert-gas condensation (IGC) at room temperature. IGC is a single-step NP synthesis method in a high-vacuum environment. The method allows for a high degree of

• nanoindentation measurements, were utilized for their characterization. Hf nanoparticles were fabricated by magnetron sputtering inert-gas condensation. They exhibit a hexagonal close-packed crystal structure and the shape of truncated hexagonal biprisms, and form core–shell structures upon exposure to ambient

Nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes coated with zinc oxide nanoparticles as sulfur encapsulator for high-performance lithium/sulfur batteries

• Yan Zhao,
• Zhengjun Liu,
• Liancheng Sun,
• Yongguang Zhang,
• Yuting Feng,
• Xin Wang,
• Indira Kurmanbayeva and
• Zhumabay Bakenov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1677–1685, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.159

• characterization Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD, SmartLab, Rigaku Corporation) with Cu Ka radiation was used to analyze the crystal structure of the S/ZnO@NCNT sample. The chemical status and elemental compositions of the sample were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, Shimadzu Axis Ultra

Light extraction efficiency enhancement of flip-chip blue light-emitting diodes by anodic aluminum oxide

• Yi-Ru Huang,
• Yao-Ching Chiu,
• Kuan-Chieh Huang,
• Shao-Ying Ting,
• Po-Jui Chiang,
• Chih-Ming Lai,
• Chun-Ping Jen,
• Snow H. Tseng and
• Hsiang-Chen Wang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1602–1612, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.152

• enhance the LEE of short-wavelength purple and ultraviolet LEDs by 1.4–2.5 times that of a traditional LED [14]. Ryu et al. adopted anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) to produce a photonic crystal structure at the n-GaN layer of LEDs, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images showed that screw

Sheet-on-belt branched TiO₂(B)/rGO powders with enhanced photocatalytic activity

• Huan Xing,
• Wei Wen and
• Jin-Ming Wu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1550–1557, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.146

• common but still draws much attention. Many types of TiO2(B) nanostructures have been synthesized, such as nanowires [9][10], nanotubes [11], nanobelts [12][13][14], nanofibers [15] and nanosheets [16]. TiO2(B) is mostly used in lithium-ion batteries due to its relatively open crystal structure, superior

Robust topological phase in proximitized core–shell nanowires coupled to multiple superconductors

• Tudor D. Stanescu,
• Anna Sitek and
• Andrei Manolescu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1512–1526, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.142

• the crystal structure [27]. The finite cross section of the wires used in the experiments may generate additional phenomena, which are not captured by ideal 1D models. In particular, the orbital effects of the magnetic field, which is oriented parallel to the nanowire, may reduce or even destroy the

Cr(VI) remediation from aqueous environment through modified-TiO₂-mediated photocatalytic reduction

• Rashmi Acharya,
• Brundabana Naik and
• Kulamani Parida

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1448–1470, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.137

Computational exploration of two-dimensional silicon diarsenide and germanium arsenide for photovoltaic applications

• Sri Kasi Matta,
• Chunmei Zhang,
• Yalong Jiao,
• Anthony O'Mullane and
• Aijun Du

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1247–1253, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.116

• various electronic applications. Crystal structure side view of (a) SiAs2 bulk (3 × 2 super cells) and (b) GeAs2 bulk (red: silicon, blue: germanium, green: arsenic). Phonon band structure of a monolayer of (a) SiAs2 and (b) GeAs2 along the high-symmetry points in the 1st Brillouin zone. (c) Energy of

Understanding the performance and mechanism of Mg-containing oxides as support catalysts in the thermal dry reforming of methane

• Nor Fazila Khairudin,
• Mohd Farid Fahmi Sukri,
• Mehrnoush Khavarian and
• Abdul Rahman Mohamed

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1162–1183, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.108

• minimized with an increase in MgO concentration in the catalyst because MgO exhibits alkaline characteristics. Its high basicity and similar crystal structure with NiO render MgO as highly suitable for Ni-based catalyst supports. Strong metal–support interaction between MgO and NiO formed a basic solid