Search Results (43)

Pr³⁺-activated phosphors are promising for non-contact optical thermometry under blue-light excitation. In tantalate hosts, Pr³⁺-Ta⁵⁺ intervalence charge transfer (IVCT) states may introduce thermally activated nonradiative pathways involving the ³P₀ and ¹D₂ levels, thus affecting their thermal quenching behavior and thermometric performance. However, the concentration- and temperature-dependent luminescence of CaTa₂O₆:Pr³⁺ remains unexplored. In this study, CaTa₂O₆:Pr³⁺ phosphors were synthesized via the solid-state reaction method, and a phosphor-in-glass (PiG) composite was fabricated by co-sintering the mixture of the phosphor and the precursor glass (PG) powder. The structural characteristics and the luminescence properties of CaTa₂O₆:Pr³⁺ phosphors under 450 nm excitation were investigated. The IVCT band was confirmed in the excitation spectrum. Optimal Pr³⁺ concentrations were 2 mol% for ³P_J and 0.7 mol% for ¹D₂ emissions. With Pr³⁺/Zr⁴⁺ or Pr³⁺/Sn⁴⁺ co-doping, the emission intensity was enhanced by 1.34 and 1.31 times, respectively. The PiG exhibited similar spectral profiles. An FIR mode based on ³P₁→³H₅/³P₀→³F₂ transitions achieved maximum relative sensitivities of 1.09% K⁻¹ for the phosphor and 1.18% K⁻¹ for the PiG at 298 K. These findings suggest that CaTa₂O₆:Pr³⁺-based materials are potential candidates for luminescence thermometry. Full article

Titanium dioxide is attractive for energy storage due to its abundance, stability, non-toxicity, low cost, and favorable electronic/optical properties. Colossal permittivity (CP) in co-doped TiO₂ is mainly linked to defect structures rather than intrinsic bulk behavior. This work studies the dielectric properties of TiO₂ co-doped with niobium and magnesium, synthesized by solid-state reaction. Grain size effects were examined by varying ball milling parameters of (½Mg½Nb)_0.05Ti_0.95O₂ and then were correlated with structure, morphology, and dielectric response. X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and impedance spectroscopy (IS) (40 Hz–10⁶ Hz, 150–370 K) were employed for structural, morphological, and electrical characterization. XRD confirmed the rutile phase. For co-doped samples, larger grains yielded higher dielectric constants, reaching high permittivity (ε′ = 429, T = 300 K, f = 10 kHz at 500 rpm for 2 h). Lower loss tangent (tan δ = 0.11, T = 300 K, f = 10 kHz at 200 rpm for 2 h) is linked to Mg segregation at grain boundaries. The most conductive sample showed the highest dielectric constant, suggesting an IBLC polarization mechanism driven by grain boundary effects. XPS confirmed Nb and Mg incorporation, with Ti⁴⁺ dominant and minor Ti³⁺ from oxygen vacancies and surface hydroxylation/defects. Full article

We investigated the effects of chemical and physical changes on the interplay between the Néel and Brown superspin relaxation mechanisms in ferrofluids containing 18 nm-diameter Co_0.2Fe_2.8O₄ magnetic nanoparticles. We attempted to tune the ferrofluid’s magnetization dynamics via three methods: (i) changing the carrier fluid from Isopar M to kerosene (ii) doubling the Co-doping level from x = 0.2 to x = 0.4, and (iii) diluting the Co_0.2Fe_2.8O₄/Isopar M nanomagnetic fluid from δ = 1 mg/mL to δ = 0.1 mg/mL. We used temperature-resolved ac-susceptibility measurements at different frequencies, χ″ vs. T|_f, to gain insight into the thermally driven superspin dynamics of the nanoparticles within the ferrofluid. Our data demonstrates that both increasing x and using a different carrier fluid quantitatively alter the temperature dependence of the Néel and Brown relaxation frequency (f_N vs. T and f_B vs. T) by changing the nanoparticles’ magnetic moments and the fluid’s viscosity. Yet, the two mechanisms remain decoupled, as indicated by the presence of two magnetic events (peaks in the χ″ vs. T|_f datasets) one corresponding to the Néel and the other to Brown relaxation. On the other hand, diluting the ferrofluid leads to a qualitative change in the collective superspin dynamics behavior. Indeed, there is just one χ″-peak in the data from the δ = 0.1 mg/mL nanofluid, and its f vs. T dependence is well-described by a model that includes coupled contributions from both the Néel and Brown relaxation: $\mathrm{f}\left(\mathrm{T}\right)=\mathrm{p}·{\displaystyle \frac{T}{{\gamma }_0}}·\mathrm{e}\mathrm{x}\mathrm{p}\left[-{\displaystyle \frac{{\mathrm{E}}^{\prime }}{{\mathrm{k}}_{\mathrm{B}}\left(\mathrm{T}-{\mathrm{T}}_0^{\prime }\right)}}\right]+$ (1 − p) ${\mathrm{f}}_0\mathrm{e}\mathrm{x}\mathrm{p}\left[-{\displaystyle \frac{{\mathrm{E}}_{\mathrm{B}}}{{\mathrm{k}}_{\mathrm{B}}\left(\mathrm{T}-{\mathrm{T}}_0\right)}}\right]$. This is a remarkable behavior that demonstrates the ability to control a ferrofluids magnetization dynamics through simple chemical and physical changes. Full article

We use Co doping to alter the magnetic relaxation dynamics in superparamagnetic nanofluids made of 18 nm average diameter Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles immersed in Isopar M. Ac-susceptibility data recorded at different frequencies and temperatures, χ″vs. T|_f, reveals a major (~100 K) increase in the superspin blocking temperature of the Co_0.2Fe_2.8O₄-based fluid (CFO) compared to its Fe₃O₄ counterpart (FO). We ascribe this behavior to the strengthening of the interparticle magnetic dipole interactions upon Co doping, as demonstrated by the relative χ″-peak temperature variation per frequency decade $\mathsf{\Phi }={\displaystyle \frac{∆\mathrm{T}}{\mathrm{T}·∆\mathrm{l}\mathrm{o}\mathrm{g}\left(\mathrm{f}\right)}}$, which decreases from Φ~0.15 in FO to Φ~0.025 in CFO. In addition, χ″vs. T|_f datasets from the CFO fluid reveal two magnetic events at temperatures T_p1 = 240 K and T_p2 = 275 K, both above the fluid’s freezing point (T_F = 197 K). We demonstrate that the physical rotation of the nanoparticles within the fluid, the Brown mechanism, is entirely responsible for the collective superspin relaxation observed at T_p1, whereas the Néel mechanism, the superspin flip across an energy barrier within the particle, is dominant at T_p2. We confirm this finding through fits of models that describe the temperature dependence of the relaxation time via the two mechanisms: ${\mathsf{\tau }}_{\mathrm{B}}(\mathrm{T})={\displaystyle \frac{3{\mathsf{\eta }}_0{\mathrm{V}}_{\mathrm{H}}}{{\mathrm{k}}_{\mathrm{B}}\mathrm{T}}}\exp \left[{\displaystyle \frac{{\mathrm{E}}^{\prime }}{{\mathrm{k}}_{\mathrm{B}}\left(\mathrm{T}-{{\mathrm{T}}_0}^{\prime }\right)}}\right]$ and ${\mathsf{\tau }}_{\mathrm{N}}\left(\mathrm{T}\right)={\mathsf{\tau }}_0\exp \left[{\displaystyle \frac{{\mathrm{E}}_{\mathrm{B}}}{{\mathrm{k}}_{\mathrm{B}}\left(\mathrm{T}-{\mathrm{T}}_0\right)}}\right]$. The best fits yield ${\mathsf{\gamma }}_0={\displaystyle \frac{3{\mathsf{\eta }}_0{\mathrm{V}}_{\mathrm{H}}}{{\mathrm{k}}_{\mathrm{B}}}}$= 1.5 × 10⁻⁸ s·K, E′/k_B = 7 03 K, and T₀′ = 201 K for the Brown relaxation, and E_B/k_B = 2818 K and T₀ = 143 K for the Néel relaxation. Full article

Visible-light-driven photocatalytic hydrogen production is one of the ideal green technologies for solar-to-chemical energy conversion. Carbon nitride (C₃N₄, CN) has been attracting extensive attention for its suitable band structure and stability, but the efficiency of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution is low due to insufficient visible-light absorption and rapid charge recombination. Herein, we develop a novel (F, K)-co-doped CN (FKCN) catalyst via a facile thermal polymerization approach using KOH-modified melamine and NH₄F as the dopant precursors. The FKCN catalyst demonstrates broadened light absorption, significantly enhanced charge separation, and excellent cyclic stability. And the optimal F_(0.15)K₍₆₎CN catalyst achieves a hydrogen evolution rate of as high as 3101.5 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ (12-fold that of pristine CN) under visible-light irradiation (λ ≥ 420 nm), which is among the best element-doped CN photocatalysts. This work highlights the effectiveness of a multi-element doping strategy in designing CN-based photocatalysts for efficient hydrogen evolution. Full article

Hierarchical porous N-doped carbon spheres featuring a combination of micropores, mesopores and macropores as well as tuneable properties were synthesised using dopamine as a carbon precursor and triblock copolymers (F127, P123 and F127/P123 composites) as templates via direct polymerisation-induced self-assembly. The structures and textures of these materials were characterised using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, N₂ adsorption–desorption isotherm analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The sample synthesised at an F127:P123 molar ratio of 1:3 (NCS-FP3) exhibited the highest surface area (463 m²/g) and pore volume (0.27 cm³/g). The hydrophobic/hydrophilic molar ratios of the templates were adjusted to control the morphology of the corresponding micelles and hence the porous structures and morphologies of the carbon spheres, which exhibited high CO₂ capture capacities (2.90–3.46 mmol/g at 273 K and 760 mmHg) because of their developed microporous structures and N doping. Additionally, NCS-FP3 exhibited an outstanding electrochemical performance, achieving a high specific capacitance (328.3 F/g at a current density of 0.5 A/g) and outstanding cycling stability (99.2% capacitance retention after 10,000 cycles). These high CO₂ capture and electrochemical performances were ascribed to the beneficial effects of pore structures and surface chemistry features. Full article

In order to break through the limitations of the application of traditional temperature measurement technology, non-contact optical temperature sensing material with good sensitivity is one of the current research hotspots. Herein, a series of Dy³⁺ and Mn⁴⁺ co-doping Mg₃Ga₂SnO₈ fluorescent materials were prepared successfully, and the crystal structure, phase purity, and morphology of the synthesized phosphors were comprehensively investigated, as well as their photoluminescence properties, energy transfer, and high-temperature thermal stability. The two pairs of independent thermally coupled energy levels of Dy³⁺ ions and Mn⁴⁺ ions in Mg₃Ga₂SnO₈ are utilized to realize the dual-mode optical temperature detection with excellent performance. On the one hand, based on the different ionic energy level transitions of ⁴F_9/2→⁶H_13/2 and ²E_g→⁴A_2g responding differently to temperature, two emission bands of 577 nm and 668 nm were chosen to construct the fluorescence intensity ratio thermometry, and the maximum sensitivity of 1.82 %K⁻¹ was achieved at 473 K. On the other hand, based on the strong temperature dependence of the lifetime of Mn⁴⁺ in Mg₃Ga₂SnO₈:0.06Dy³⁺,0.009Mn⁴⁺, fluorescence lifetime thermometry was constructed and a maximum sensitivity of 2.75 %K⁻¹ was achieved at 473 K. Finally, the Mg₃Ga₂SnO₈: 0.06Dy³⁺,0.009Mn⁴⁺ sample realizes dual-mode optical temperature measurement with high sensitivity and a wide temperature detection range, indicating that the sample has promising applications in optical temperature measurement. Full article

F-doped PrBa_0.8Sr_0.2Co₂O_5+δ−xF_x (PBSCF_x, x = 0, 0.025, 0.05, 0.075, 0.1) cathode powder was synthesized by the sol–gel method. X-ray diffraction results showed that all the samples doped with F exhibited a typical tetragonal perovskite structure without a heterophase. F doping can effectively reduce the thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) of the cathode materials, which decreased from 25.3699 × 10⁻⁶ K⁻¹ of PBSC to 23.5295 × 10⁻⁶ K⁻¹ of PBSCF_0.1. The area-specific resistance (ASR) of PBSCF_0.05 was 0.0207 Ω·cm² at 800 °C, with a conductivity of 1637.27 S·cm⁻¹ and maximum power density of 856.08 mW·cm⁻². Its performance had slight decay after 100 h at 800 °C. F doping significantly improved the electrochemical performance of this cathode material for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Full article

Co_1−xMn_xFe₂O₄ nanoparticles (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) have been prepared via the hydrothermal method. The prepared samples were studied using X-ray diffraction measurements (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, and magnetic measurements. All studied samples were found to be single phases and to have a cubic Fd-3m structure. The average crystalline sizes are between 7.8 and 15 nm. EDS analysis confirmed the presence of cobalt, manganese, iron, and oxygen in all prepared samples. It was found by Raman spectroscopy that Fe³⁺ would be placed on octahedral sites while Fe²⁺ would, in turn, be displaced to tetrahedral sites while Mn ions will be placed on both sites. Both Mn²⁺ and Mn⁴⁺ are present in studied ferrites. The experimental saturation magnetizations for doped samples are much higher when compared with previous reports, reaching values between 3.71 and 6.7 μ_B/f.u. The doping with Mn in nanocrystalline cobalt ferrite enhanced the magnetic properties due to changes in the cation distribution between the two sublattices. The higher magnetic moments are explained by the presence of Mn⁴⁺ ions located preferentially on tetrahedral sites while Mn²⁺ prefer octahedral sites, and by the high quality and crystallinity of our samples the nanoparticles being almost monodomain. Large values of the coercive field were found at 4.2 K while the hysteresis is almost absent in all investigated samples at room temperature. Full article

A glass composition using TeO₂-K₂TeO₃-Nb₂O₅-BaF₂ co-doped with Er₂O₃/Ho₂O₃ and Er₂O₃/Yb₂O₃ was successfully fabricated. Its thermal stability and physical parameters were studied, and luminescence spectroscopy of the fabricated glasses was conducted. The optical band gap, E_opt, decreased from 2.689 to 2.663 eV following the substitution of Ho₂O₃ with Yb₂O₃. The values of the refractive index, third-order nonlinear optical susceptibility (χ⁽³⁾), and nonlinear refractive index (n₂) of the fabricated glasses were estimated. Furthermore, the Judd–Ofelt intensity parameters ${\Omega }_t (t=2,4,6)$, radiative properties such as transition probabilities (A_ed), magnetic dipole-type transition probabilities (A_md), branching ratios (β), and radiative lifetime (τ) of the fabricated glasses were evaluated. The emission cross-section and FWHM of the ⁴I_13/2→⁴I_15/2 transition around 1.54 μm of the glass were reported, and the emission intensity of the visible signal was studied under 980 nm laser excitation. The material might be a useful candidate for solid lasers and nonlinear amplifier devices, especially in the communications bands. Full article

Non-contact temperature sensors utilising the fluorescence intensity ratio and the unique up-conversion (UC) luminescence of rare-earth ions have numerous benefits; however, their operational temperature range has remained limited. In this study, NaLuF₄:Yb³⁺/Ho³⁺ samples were prepared by the hydrothermal method. The samples exhibited exceptional UC luminescence properties at low temperatures. The intensity of the green emission (with peak wavelengths of 540 and 546 nm) gradually decreased with increasing temperature, and the green emissions showed a unique change at low temperatures. In addition, we studied the dependence of the UC luminescence intensity on the excitation power and the variation in the decay lifetime with temperature. The experiments revealed excellent luminous performance and significantly enhanced sensitivity at low temperatures; the maximum absolute sensitivity S_a and relative sensitivity S_r of the 540 and 546 nm thermally coupled energy levels were 1.02% and 0.55% K⁻¹, respectively. The potential temperature sensing properties of Yb³⁺/Ho³⁺-co-doped NaLuF₄ makes it suitable for temperature sensing applications at temperatures as low as 30 K. This study offers a novel approach for the advancement of temperature sensing technology at low temperatures. Full article

YF₃: (Eu³⁺, Nd³⁺) nanoparticles (orthorhombic phase, D~130 nm) were synthesized via the co-precipitation method, with subsequent hydrothermal treatment and annealing. The Eu³⁺ τ_decay linearly descends with the increase of temperature in the 80–320 K range. The τ_decay (T) slope values of the annealed YF₃: Eu³⁺ (2.5 and 5.0 mol.%) nanoparticles were the highest (110·10⁻⁴ and 67·10⁻⁴, μs/K) in the whole 80–320 K range, respectively. Thus, these samples were chosen for further doping with Nd³⁺. The maximum S_a and S_r values based on the LIR (I_Eu/I_Nd) function were 0.067 K⁻¹ (at 80 K) and 0.86%·K⁻¹ (at 154 K), respectively. As mentioned above, the single-doped YF₃: Eu³⁺ (2.5%) nanoparticles showed the linearly decreasing τ_decay (T) function (⁵D₀–⁷F₁ emission). The main idea of Nd³⁺ co-doping was to increase this slope value (as well as the sensitivity) by increasing the rate of τ_decay (T) descent via the addition of one more temperature-dependent channel of ⁵D₀ excited state depopulation. Indeed, we managed to increase the slope (S_a) to 180·10⁻⁴ K⁻¹ at 80 K. This result is one of the highest compared to the world analogs. Full article

Energy storage systems (ESSs) are attracting increasing attention for the development of sustainable and renewable energy technologies owing to limited fossil fuels. Supercapacitors are gaining significant interest as energy storage devices owing to their high-power density and long-term cycle stability. The use of suitable electrode materials affects the performance of supercapacitors. In this study, we fabricated a carboxyl-doped graphene nanoplatelet (CGnP) via a mechanochemical reaction. Additionally, CGnP was activated by controlling parameters such as temperature, flow rate, and maintenance period and evaluated as an electrode material for supercapacitors. The effect of the specific surface area (SSA) and functional groups of the fabricated samples on the capacitance was confirmed by controlling the activation parameters. The activated CGnP with 300 mL/min of CO₂ at 1173 K for 4 h exhibited a high SSA of 1300 m²/g. The activated CGnP (180 F/g), with a high SSA, showed an increased capacitance of 46% compared to pristine CGnP (123 F/g). Additionally, activated CGnP1100 demonstrated good wettability and exhibited excellent stability with a low capacitance decrease of 6.1%, even after 10,000 cycles. Full article

Band-structure calculations were performed using the spin-polarized relativistic Korringa–Kohn–Rostoker (SPR-KKR) band-structure method, determining intrinsic magnetic properties, such as magnetic moments, magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy (MAE), and Curie temperatures, of Fe_5−x−yCo_xM_ySiB₂ (M = Re, W) alloys. The general gradient approximation (GGA) for the exchange–correlation potential and the atomic sphere approximation (ASA) were used in the calculations. Previous studies have shown that for Fe₅SiB₂, the easy magnetization direction is in-plane, but it turns axial for Co-doping in the range 1 < x ≤ 2.5 (y = 0). Furthermore, studies have shown that 5d-doping enhances the MAE by enabling the strong spin–orbit coupling of Fe–3d and M–5d states. The aim of the present theoretical calculations was to find the dependence of the anisotropy constant K₁ for combined Co- and M-doping, building a two-dimensional (2D) map of K₁ for 0 ≤ x ≤ 2 and 0 ≤ y ≤ 1. Similar theoretical 2D maps for magnetization and Curie temperature vs. Co and M content (M = W and Re) were built, allowing for the selection of alloy compositions with enhanced values of uniaxial anisotropy, magnetization, and Curie temperature. The magnetic properties of the Fe_4.1W_0.9SiB₂ alloy that meet the selection criteria for axial anisotropy K₁ > 0.2 meV/f.u., Curie temperature T_c > 800 K determined by the mean-field approach, and magnetization µ₀M_s > 1 T are discussed. Full article

Biomass-derived carbon materials have broad application prospects in energy storage, but still face problems such as complex synthesis paths and the massive use of corrosive activators. In this study, we proposed a mild and efficient pathway to prepare nitrogen-doped porous carbon material (N-YAC) using one-step pyrolysis with solid K₂CO₃, tobacco straw, and melamine. The optimized material (N-YAC_0.5) was not only enriched with nitrogen, but also exhibited a high specific surface area (2367 m²/g) and a reasonable pore size distribution (46.49% mesopores). When utilized in electrodes, N-YAC_0.5 exhibited an excellent capacitance performance (338 F/g at 1 A/g) in the three-electrode system, and benefitted from a high mesopore distribution that maintained a capacitance of 85.2% (288 F/g) at high current densities (20 A/g). Furthermore, the composed symmetric capacitor achieved an energy density of 14.78 Wh/kg at a power density of 400 W/kg. In summary, our work provides a novel and eco-friendly approach for converting biomass into high-performance energy-storage materials. Full article