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At least 217 records · Page 12

Solvothermal synthesis of carbon-coated tin nanorods for superior reversible lithium ion storage

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Large-scale synthesis of Sn-C core-shell nanorods. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Facile template-engaged solvothermal approach. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The combination of tin with high specific capacity and carbon with good cycle life. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Relatively higher initial Coulombic efficiency and lithium storage capacities. -- Abstract: This paper reports the large-scale synthesis of carbon-coated tin (Sn-C) nanorods through a facile solvothermal carbonization approach by using Sn nanorods as templates and ethanol as a solvent. The as-synthesized Sn-C nanorods have been applied as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. The Sn-C anode, which exhibits relatively higher initial Coulombic efficiency and lithium storage capacities, is more attractive than the previously reported tin oxide or sulfide anodes. The superior performance of the Sn-C nanorods makes it a promising anode material in high-energy density batteries.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Synthesis of silicon nanowires using tin catalyst by hot wire chemical vapor processing

Highlights: ► Silicon nanowires are grown by hot wire chemical vapor processing at 400 °C using Sn as catalyst material via VLS. ► For nanowire synthesis Sn nanotemplates are formed with hot wire generated atomic hydrogen. ► The TEM image reveals the crystalline nature of nanowire. - Abstract: Silicon nanowires (SiNWs) have been synthesized at temperatures in the range 300–400 °C by the hot wire chemical vapor processing (HWCVP) using tin nanotemplate. The tin nano-template is formed by hot wire atomic hydrogen treatment of thermally evaporated Sn films (∼300 nm thick) on glass substrates. Silicon nanowires are then grown using hot wire induced dissociation of SiH{sub 4} gas over the nanotemplate. Growth conditions like growth time and temperature were varied to study their effect on the tin nanoparticle size and on the silicon nanowire dimensions thereafter. From the observations, it is clear that the nanowire diameters and lengths depend on the size of nanoparticles and the growth time respectively. Though SiNWs were observed to grow at temperatures as low as 300 °C, nanowires with a narrow diameter distribution were achieved at 400 °C. Raman spectra and transmission electron microscope (TEM) reveal the crystalline nature of the silicon nanowires.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Influence of Fluorine incorporation on the photocatalytic activity of Tin Oxide thin films

Highlights: • Fluorine doped SnO{sub 2} thin films prepared by a facile homemade jet nebulizer spray pyrolysis technique. • XRD, XPS, PL, FESEM, AFM studies support the discussions. • The photocatalytic activities of the prepared tin oxide (TO) and FTO thin films for the degradation of MB aqueous solution were tested. . - Abstract: This work reports the photocatalytic activity of undoped tin oxide (TO) and F doped tin oxide (FTO) thin films for MB dye degradation under visible light irradiation. A facile homemade jet nebulizer spray pyrolysis technique was employed to prepare these samples. The results indicate that FTO film exhibits superior photocatalytic activity compared to TO film. Dye degradation of nearly 95% is achieved using FTO film at 90 min whereas TO film degrades only 78% of dye molecules in the same time interval. This enhancement for FTO films might be due to the generation of large number of free electrons caused by the fluorine incorporation. The mechanism behind the enhancement of photocatalytic activity of FTO films is discussed elaborately with the aid of optical and PL studies. The structure, composition and morphology of the samples were analyzed using XRD, XPS, FTIR, FESEM and AFM. The incorporation of F into SnO{sub 2} lattice is confirmed through FTIR analysis.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Leaching studies for tin recovery from waste e-scrap

Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are the most essential components of all electrical and electronic equipments, which contain noteworthy quantity of metals, some of which are toxic to life and all of which are valuable resources. Therefore, recycling of PCBs is necessary for the safe disposal/utilization of these metals. Present paper is a part of developing Indo-Korean recycling technique consists of organic swelling pre-treatment technique for the liberation of thin layer of metallic sheet and the treatment of epoxy resin to remove/recover toxic soldering material. To optimize the parameters required for recovery of tin from waste PCBs, initially the bench scale studies were carried out using fresh solder (containing 52.6% Sn and 47.3% Pb) varying the acid concentration, temperature, mixing time and pulp density. The experimental data indicate that 95.79% of tin was leached out from solder material using 5.5 M HCl at fixed pulp density 50 g/L and temperature 90 Degree-Sign C in mixing time 165 min. Kinetic studies followed the chemical reaction controlled dense constant size cylindrical particles with activation energy of 117.68 kJ/mol. However, 97.79% of tin was found to be leached out from solder materials of liberated swelled epoxy resin using 4.5 M HCl at 90 Degree-Sign C, mixing time 60 min and pulp density 50 g/L. From the leach liquor of solder materials of epoxy resin, the precipitate of sodium stannate as value added product was obtained at pH 1.9. The Pb from the leach residue was removed by using 0.1 M nitric acid at 90 Degree-Sign C in mixing time 45 min and pulp density 10 g/L. The metal free epoxy resin could be disposed-of safely/used as filling material without affecting the environment.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Shifting Defect Self-Regulation via Disordered Vacancies in Hollow Tin Perovskites

Tin(II)-based hybrid halide perovskites typically suffer from severe self-doping behavior as a result of facile oxidation of Sn(II) to Sn(IV), leading to high carrier densities (holes) and metallic-like conductivities that limit their applications. In this contribution, we describe how substituting the large ethylenediammonium cation for methylammonium in the intentionally defective “hollow” perovskite family, MA 1−x en x Sn 1−0.7x I 3−0.4x (MA = methylammonium, en = ethylenediammonium), where 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.38, effectively minimizes the intrinsic self-doping behavior. The use of a solvent-free, mechanochemical synthesis route further circumvents oxidative side reactions typical in solution processing, enabling more precise control and understanding of both composition and defect chemistry. Dark and time-resolved microwave conductivity measurements of these materials as a function of “x” reveal two regimes of conductivity suppression: at low x incorporation (x ≤ 0.15), the carrier density decreases by an order of magnitude via defect-mediated charge compensation, while higher substitution (0.15 < x ≤ 0.38) greatly reduces the carrier mobility. At these lower substitution levels, the observations suggest that intrinsic equilibrium tin vacancies are compensated instead by ionic defects in lieu of mobile holes. For the higher substitution levels, the less mobile carriers exhibit long recombination lifetimes, consistent with polaron-mediated transport. These findings establish a strategy for relatively low iodine chemical potential synthesis and defect-driven control of the carrier concentration in tin halide perovskites, advancing the rational discovery of dopable hybrid semiconductors.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Electrochemical Corrosion and Catalysis Dynamics of Tin Oxide during Water Oxidation

Metal oxide corrosion severely limits anodic electrocatalysis, particularly at high potentials in acidic environments, where degradation pathways remain poorly defined. This study establishes explicit connections between corrosion and electrocatalysis on tin oxide during water oxidation by examining the roles of lattice defects, reactive oxygen species, interfacial pH variations, and speciation of corroded tin in acid. We first demonstrate the presence of structural defects such as oxygen vacancies and substoichiometric Sn(II) species by integrating electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, and Mott–Schottky analysis. Kohn–Sham density functional theory calculations reveal that explicit water structures thermodynamically stabilize reaction intermediates and lower reaction overpotentials. Moreover, we propose that water dissociation leads to hydrogen-bonding networks formed by H* and OH* intermediates, which may span the entire catalyst surface and decrease the interfacial pH to drive corrosion. In contrast, the electrochemical generation of reactive oxygen species is shown to play a minor role in catalyst corrosion during water oxidation using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry coupled with selective chemical scavengers. Square-wave voltammetry combined with rotating ring-disk electrodes is used to reveal that under open-circuit conditions, only Sn(IV) cations chemically dissolve from tin oxide, while both Sn(IV) and Sn(II) species electrochemically corrode during water oxidation. Our results unveil a dynamic and complicated interplay between corrosive and catalytic pathways on metal oxide electrocatalysts: a decrease in interfacial pH due to water oxidation exacerbates Sn(II)/Sn(IV) corrosion. Subsequently, the electrochemical corrosion of Sn(II)/Sn(IV) facilitates product formation from lattice oxygen, while the redeposition of corroded Sn(II) as Sn(IV) can enable oxygen exchange with water. By elucidating the roles of defects and interfacial chemistry, this work provides a roadmap for engineering improved electrocatalysts that balance activity and stability, a critical step toward scalable and durable energy technologies.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Disordered surface structure of an ultra-thin tin oxide film on Rh(100)

The composition and structure of an ultra-thin tin oxide film on Rh(100), prepared by the deposition of a submonolayer of tin followed by annealing in an O{sub 2} atmosphere, were examined by a combination of low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), Auger electron spectroscopy, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), and ab initio calculations based on density functional theory (DFT). Although the LEED pattern exhibited c(2 x 8) spots clearly, a uniform periodicity of the c(2 x 8) unit cell was not observed in the STM images. The bright dots that were observed periodically in the STM image were similar to those of the ultra-thin Sn{sub 2}O{sub 3} film on Rh(111) and formed a zigzag arrangement with the numerous point and line defects. The XPS study revealed that the Sn 3d{sub 5/2} peak of the tin oxide film on Rh(100) showed a metallic state as well as an oxide state that was between the SnO{sub 2} and SnO states. The structural models, which were based on the Sn{sub 2}O{sub 3} structure on Rh(111), were determined using DFT total energy calculations. The simulated STM images of the two slightly different honeycomb-chain models well reproduced the zigzag arrangement in the STM image. The STM image and XPS spectrum were interpreted using a combination of the two models.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Electrochemical fabrication and optical properties of porous tin oxide films with structural colors

Photonic crystals with porous features not only provide the capability to control light but also enable structural colors that are environmentally sensitive. Here, we report a novel kind of tin oxide-based photonic crystal featuring periodically arranged air pores fabricated by the periodic anodization of tin foil. The existence of a photonic band gap in the fabricated structure is verified by its vivid color, and its reflective spectra which are responsive to environmental stimuli. Furthermore, the sample colors (i.e., the photonic band gap positions) can be easily adjusted by manipulating the anodization parameters. The theoretical modeling results of these tin oxide photonic crystals agree well with the reported experimental ones.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Modification of opto-electronic properties of ZnO by incorporating metallic tin for buffer layer in thin film solar cells

In this report, the effect of incorporation of metallic tin (Sn) on opto-electronic properties of ZnO thin films is presented. ZnO thin films were deposited through ‘automated chemical spray pyrolysis’ (CSP) technique; later different quantities of ‘Sn’ were evaporated on it and subsequently annealed. Vacuum annealing showed a positive effect on crystallinity of films. Creation of sub band gap levels due to ‘Sn’ diffusion was evident from the absorption and PL spectra. The tin incorporated films showed good photo response in visible region. Tin incorporated ZnO thin films seem to satisfy the desirable criteria for buffer layer in thin film solar cells.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Angular distribution of ions and extreme ultraviolet emission in laser-produced tin droplet plasma

Angular-resolved ion time-of-flight spectra as well as extreme ultraviolet radiation in laser-produced tin droplet plasma are investigated experimentally and theoretically. Tin droplets with a diameter of 150 μm are irradiated by a pulsed Nd:YAG laser. The ion time-of-flight spectra measured from the plasma formed by laser irradiation of the tin droplets are interpreted in terms of a theoretical elliptical Druyvesteyn distribution to deduce ion density distributions including kinetic temperatures of the plasma. The opacity of the plasma for extreme ultraviolet radiation is calculated based on the deduced ion densities and temperatures, and the angular distribution of extreme ultraviolet radiation is expressed as a function of the opacity using the Beer–Lambert law. Our results show that the calculated angular distribution of extreme ultraviolet radiation is in satisfactory agreement with the experimental data.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Enhanced thermal stability by introducing TiN diffusion barrier layer between W and SiC

The combination of W and SiC has many applications such as a hot cell of a thermionic energy converter, nuclear material, and high temperature microelectronics. In this study, a 2 µm thick TiN film is introduced as a diffusion barrier between SiC and W to avoid the inter-diffusion reaction at high temperature. Additionally, the effect of annealing temperature on the surface morphology and microstructure of the TiN film is studied to explore its high temperature stability. Then 500 nm W film is sputtered on the TiN film to characterize the inter-diffusion and stability of the W/TiN/SiC multilayer at 1100°C by XRD, Raman spectroscopy and cross-sectional EDS mapping techniques. The results indicate that the W/TiN/SiC multilayer is very stable even when heated at 1100°C for 25 hours.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Effect of conductive TiN buffer layer on the growth of stoichiometric VO{sub 2} films and the out-of-plane insulator–metal transition properties

A TiN buffer film is used with a conductive interfacial layer for stoichiometric vanadium dioxide (VO{sub 2}) film growth, creating a layered device with a VO{sub 2} insulator–metal transition. Low-temperature growth (<250 °C) of the VO{sub 2} film on a Ti layer on a Si substrate is achieved using inductively coupled plasma-assisted sputtering. It is found that Ti diffusion and oxidation degrades the VO{sub 2} film quality at higher temperatures, but the introduction of a TiN buffer layer suppresses the degradation and enables growth of a stoichiometric VO{sub 2} film even at 400 °C. The high resistance of the VO{sub 2} film grown on the TiN layer suggests the benefit of using the intrinsic insulator–metal transition of VO{sub 2}. The voltage-triggered switching properties of the layered devices are examined, and the cause of the high out-of-plane resistance in this layered structure is discussed based upon the dependence of the initial resistance as a function the electrode area.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Valence-band offsets in strained SiGeSn/Si layers with different tin contents

Admittance spectroscopy is used to study hole states in Si{sub 0.7–y}Ge{sub 0.3}Sn{sub y}/Si quantum wells in the tin content range y = 0.04–0.1. It is found that the hole binding energy increases with tin content. The hole size-quantization energies in structures containing a pseudomorphic Si{sub 0.7–y}Ge{sub 0.3}Sn{sub y} layer in the Si matrix are determined using the 6-band kp method. The valence-band offset at the Si{sub 0.7–y}Ge{sub 0.3}Sn{sub y} heterointerface is determined by combining the numerical calculation results and experimental data. It is found that the dependence of the experimental values of the valence-band offsets between pseudomorphic Si{sub 0.7–y}Ge{sub 0.3}Sn{sub y} layers and Si on the tin content is described by the expression ΔE{sub V}{sup exp} = (0.21 ± 0.01) + (3.35 ± 7.8 × 10{sup –4})y eV.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

An Internal Tin Tube Nb 3 Sn Conductor with Sn-B Core for Improved Non-Copper Critical Current Density

This STI product describes work performed under a Department of Energy Small Business Innovation Research Phase I award. The project was intended to further the development of the Internal Tin Tube (ITT) process for the fabrication of Nb 3 Sn conductor by utilizing a Sn-B powder core in the ITT filament instead of the conventional high-tin Cu-Sn core. The Sn-B core was to minimize the dissolution of the tubular niobium filament during heat treatment of the conductor and to simultaneously inhibit the growth of large-grained Nb 3 Sn at the interface of the core with the inner wall of the filament, effects that commonly occur in ITT conductors having high-tin cores. Both niobium wall dissolution and the formation of large-grained Nb 3 Sn are detrimental to the critical current density performance of ITT conductors. Wire fabrication problems were encountered due to the presence of large, hard Cu-Ti particles in the powder cores. However, it was found that thick (20-30 microns) layers of relatively fine grain Nb 3 Sn could be produced. A significant finding was the observation of fine precipitates on the Nb 3 Sn grain boundaries in reacted samples. Such precipitates could contribute to improved Nb 3 Sn conductor performance due to enhanced grain boundary flux pinning and restriction of grain growth.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Calibration and validation of the foundation for a multiphase strength model for tin

In this work, the Common Model of Multi-phase Strength and Equation of State (CMMP) model was applied to tin. Specifically, calibrations of the strength-specific elements of the CMMP foundation were developed with a combination of experiments and theory, and then the model was validated experimentally. The first element of the foundation is a 10 multi-phase analytic treatment of the melt temperature and the shear modulus for the solid phases. These models were parameterized for each phase based on ab initio calculations using the software VASP (Vienna Ab initio Simulations Package) based on density functional theory (DFT). The shear modulus model for the ambient β phase was validated with ultrasonic sound speed measurements as a function of pressure and temperature. The second element of the foundation is a viscoplastic strength model for the β phase, upon which strength for inaccessible higher-pressure phases can be scaled as necessary. The stress-strain response of tin was measured at strain rates of 10 -3 to 3 x 10 3 s -1 and temperatures ranging from 87 to 373 K. The Preston-Tonks-Wallace (PTW) strength model was fit to that data using Bayesian model calibration. For validation, six forward and two reverse Taylor impact experiments were performed at different velocities to measure large plastic deformation of tin at strain rates up to 10 5 s -1 . The PTW model accurately predicted the deformed shapes of the cylinders, with modest discrepancies attributed to the inability 20 of PTW to capture the effects of twinning and dynamic recrystallization. Some material in the simulations of higher velocity Taylor cylinders reached the melting temperature, thus testing the multiphase model because of the presence of a second phase, the liquid. In simulations using a traditional modeling approach, the abrupt reduction of strength upon melt resulted in poor predictions of the deformed shape and non-physical temperatures. With CMMP, the most deformed material points evolved gradually to a mixed solid-liquid but never fully liquid state, never fully lost strength, 25 stayed at the melt temperature as the latent heat of fusion was absorbed, and predicted the deformed shape well.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Fabrication of hybrid tin oxide‐cellulose nanocomposite as the flexible and thin supercapacitor

Abstract Microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) with reinforcing effects is a useful building block in the fabrication of flexible and thin supercapacitors. Herein, a hybrid tin oxide‐cellulose nanocomposite was hydrothermally produced and coated on MFC thin films to form a supercapacitor. The hybrid tin oxide‐cellulose thin films were structurally analyzed using scanning electrode microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and x‐ray diffraction. The cellulose thin film with the highest loading of hybrid tin oxide‐cellulose nanocomposite exhibited a specific capacitance of 225.88 F g −1 at 100 mV s −1 and 486.38 F g −1 at 20 mV s −1 in the three‐electrode electrochemical system. In addition, it revealed good cyclic stability up to 40 cycles run continuously with 95% cyclic retention. The high specific capacitance and superior cyclic stability could be related to the enhanced charge mobility and ion diffusion between the solid and electrolyte interface. The cellulose thin film coated with flower‐like hybrid nanocomposite showed great potential in energy storage.

Letchumanan, Iswary↗

Generalized Ellipsometry Measurements of Crystalline Thin Film and Bulk Tin Oxide

Here, several bulk and thin-film crystals of SnO2 are grown and examined using generalized ellipsometry techniques. The bulk samples are grown using the chemical vapor transport technique and thin films of SnO2 are grown using the pulsed laser deposition technique. The bulk samples are examined using the two-modulator generalized ellipsometry microscope (2-MGEM) at normal incidence and the spectroscopic two-modulator generalized ellipsometer (2-MGE). The spectroscopic optical functions of tin oxide are then obtained using the 2-MGE from 1.46 to 6.2 eV. The material is highly birefringent, and the ordinary bandgap is less than the extraordinary band edge. 2-MGE measurements are also made on thin-film samples of crystalline tin oxide grown on sapphire and rutile, showing no cross polarization. Because of the complicated morphology of the tin oxide films grown on sapphire, the ellipsometry data are simulated using the Tauc–Lorentz model. Films grown on rutile had the optic axis perpendicular to the sample surface, but the film is strained, resulting in a more complicated ellipsometric spectrum. These films are modeled using the air/surface roughness/tin oxide/interface/rutile model, where the roughness and interface are modeled using the incomplete Beta function.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

TiN‐Au/HfO 2 ‐Au Multilayer Thin Films with Tunable Hyperbolic Optical Response

Abstract Hyperbolic metamaterials (HMM) possess significant anisotropic physical properties and tunability and thus find many applications in integrated photonic devices. HMMs consisting of metal and dielectric phases in either multilayer or vertically aligned nanocomposites (VAN) form are demonstrated with different hyperbolic properties. Herein, self‐assembled HfO 2 ‐Au/TiN‐Au multilayer thin films, combining both the multilayer and VAN designs, are demonstrated. Specifically, Au nanopillars embedded in HfO 2 and TiN layers forming the alternative layers of HfO 2 ‐Au VAN and TiN‐Au VAN. The HfO 2 and TiN layer thickness is carefully controlled by varying laser pulses during pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Interestingly, tunable anisotropic physical properties can be achieved by adjusting the bi‐layer thickness and the number of the bi‐layers. Type II optical hyperbolic dispersion can be obtained from high layer thickness structure (e.g., 20 nm), while it can be transformed into Type I optical hyperbolic dispersion by reducing the thickness to a proper value (e.g., 4 nm). This new nanoscale hybrid metamaterial structure with the three‐phase VAN design shows great potential for tailorable optical components in future integrated devices.

Chemistry↗