This contribution investigates the effect of the addition of the Hubbard U parameter on the electronic structural and mechanical properties of cubic (C-type) lanthanide sesquioxides (Ln2O3). Calculated Bader's charges confirm the ionic character of Lnsingle bondO bonds in the C-type Ln2O3. Estimated structural parameters (i.e., lattice constants) coincide with analogous experimental values. The calculated band gaps energies at the Ueff of 5 eV for these compounds exhibit a non-metallic character and Ueff of 6.5 eV reproduces the analogous experimental band gap of cerium sesquioxide Ce2O3. We have thoroughly investigated the effect of the O/Ce ratios and the effect of hafnium (Hf) and zirconium (Zr) dopants on the reduction energies of CeOx configurations. Our analysis for the reduction energy of CeO2, over a wide range of temperatures displays that, shuffling between the two +4 and +3 oxidation states of Ce exhibit a temperature-independent behaviour. Higher O/Ce ratios necessitate lower reduction energies. Our results on Cesingle bondHfsingle bondZrsingle bondO alloys are in reasonable agreements with analogous fitted values pertinent to lowering reduction energies and shrinkage in lattice parameters when contrasted with pure CeO2. Structural analysis reveals that Hf and Zr atoms in the solid solution are shifted towards the nearest vacancies upon reduction. It is hoped that values provided herein to shed an atomic-base insight into the reduction/oxidation thermodynamics of increasingly deployed catalysts for environmental applications.
In the present work, the ternary compound MgxZn7-x O7Wurtzoid with variable Zn and Mg contents was analyzed using density functional theory with B3LYP 6-311G**basis set. The electronic and vibrational properties of MgxZn7-xO7 wurtzoids, were investigated, including energy gaps, bond lengths, spectral properties, such like infrared spectra and Raman. IR and Raman spectra were compared with experimental longitudinal optical modes frequency results. The theoretical results agree well with experiments and previous data. It has been found that the energy gap is increasing with the increased Mg concentration, and that the longitudinal optical position exposes a UV shift movement with an increase in the concentration.
Hydrophobic silica aerogels were successfully preparation by an ambient pressure drying method from sodium silicate (Na2SiO3) with different pH values (5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10). In this study, acidic HCl (1M), a basic NH4OH (1M) were selected as a catalyst to perform the surface modification in a TMCS (trimethylchlorosilane) solution. The surface chemical modification of the aerogels was assured by the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic studies. Other physical properties, such as pore volume and pore size and specific surface area were determined by Brunauer-Emmett- Teller (BET) method. The effect of pH values on the bulk density of aerogel. The sol–gel parameter pH value in the sol, have marked effects on the physical proper
... Show MoreChemical bath deposition was used to synthesize ZnO nanorods (NRs) on glass and fluorine_doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates. X-ray diffraction was performed to examine the crystallinity of ZnO nanorod. Results showed that ZnO NRs had a wurtzite crystal structure. Field emission scanning electron microscopy images showed that glass sample had rod-like structure distribution with (50 nm) diameter and average length of approximately (700 nm), whereas the FTO-coated glass sample had 25 nm diameter and average length of approximately 950 nm. The direct optical transition band gaps of the glass and FTO_coated glass samples were( 4 and 4.43 eV), respectively. The structural and optical properties of the synthesized ZnO p
... Show MoreIn this study, condensation polymerization was used to synthesize a number of novel liquid crystal polymers with 1,3,4-oxadiazole rings based on melamine. The new synthesized polymers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1HNMR) spectroscopy. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and optical polarization microscopy (OPM) were used to investigate their liquid crystalline properties. The results demonstrated that throughout a wide temperature range, most of the polymers exhibited columnar (CohX) and nematic (N) liquid crystalline phases.
The effect of heat treatment on the optical properties of the bulk heterojunction blend nickel (II) phthalocyanine tetrasulfonic acid tetrasodium salt and Tris (8-hydroxyquinolinato) Aluminum (NiPcTs/Alq3) thin films which prepared by spin coating was described in this study. The films coated on a glass substrate with speed of 1500 rpm for 1.5 min and treated with different annealing temperature (373, 423 and 473) K. The samples characterized using UV-Vis, X ray diffraction and Fourier transform Infrared (FTIR) spectra, XRD patterns indicated the presence of amorphous and polycrystalline blend (NiPcTs/Alq3). The results of UV visible shows that the band gap increase with increasing the annealing temperature up to 373 K and decreases with
... Show MoreThe electrical properties of pure NiO and NiO:Au Films which are
deposited on glass substrate with various dopant concentrations
(1wt.%, 2wt%, 3wt.% and 4wt.%) at room temperature 450 Co
annealing temperature will be presented. The results of the hall effect
showed that all the films were p-type. The Hall mobility decreases
while both carrier concentration and conductivity increases with the
increasing of annealing temperatures and doping percentage, Thus,
indicating the behavior of semiconductor, and also the D.C
conductivity from which the activation energy decrease with the
doping concentration increase and transport mechanism of the charge
carriers can be estimated.