Andrey I. Kukharenko

Surface characterisation of Ti–15Mo alloy modified by a PEO process in various suspensions

This paper reports on the surface modification of a Ti-15Mo alloy by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO). This process was carried out in solutions of 0.1M Ca(H2PO2)2 with various concentrations of tricalcium phosphate (Ca3(PO4)2), wollastonite (CaSiO3), or silica (SiO2) using voltages of up to 350V. The surface microstructure (SEM, cross-section of coating), roughness and chemical composition (energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, thin layer X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy) of the porous oxide layers were investigated. The concentration of powder added to the solution changed the chemical composition and morphology of PEO coatings on the Ti-15Mo alloy surface. Calcium and phosphorous compounds were detected in the coatings formed on the substrate by the PEO process at 300V.

Influence of electropolishing and anodic oxidation on morphology, chemical composition and corrosion resistance of niobium

The work presents results of the studies performed on electropolishing of pure niobium in a bath that contained: sulphuric acid, hydrofluoric acid, ethylene glycol and acetanilide. After the electropolishing, the specimens were subjected to anodic passivation in a 1moldm(-3) phosphoric acid solution at various voltages. The surface morphology, thickness, roughness and chemical composition of the resulting oxide layers were analysed. Thusly prepared niobium samples were additionally investigated in terms of their corrosion resistance in Ringers solution. The electropolished niobium surface was determined to be smooth and lustrous. The anodisation led to the growth of barrier-like oxide layers, which were enriched in phosphorus species.

The characterization of Co-nanoparticles supported on graphene

The results of density functional theory (DFT) calculations and measurements of X-ray photoelectron (XPS) and X-ray emission (XES) spectra of Co-nanoparticles dispersed on graphene/Cu composites are presented. It is found that for 0.02nm and 0.06nm Co coverage the Co atoms form islands which are strongly oxidized under exposure at the air. For Co (2nm) coverage the upper Co-layers is oxidized whereas the lower layers contacting with graphene is in metallic state. Therefore Co (2 nm) coverage induces the formation of protective oxide layer providing the ferromagnetic properties of Co nanoparticles which can be used as spin filters in spintronics devices.

Selective Area Band Engineering of Graphene using Cobalt-Mediated Oxidation.

This study reports a scalable and economical method to open a band gap in single layer graphene by deposition of cobalt metal on its surface using physical vapor deposition in high vacuum. At low cobalt thickness, clusters form at impurity sites on the graphene without etching or damaging the graphene. When exposed to oxygen at room temperature, oxygen functional groups form in proportion to the cobalt thickness that modify the graphene band structure. Cobalt/Graphene resulting from this treatment can support a band gap of 0.30 eV, while remaining largely undamaged to preserve its structural and electrical properties. A mechanism of cobalt-mediated band opening is proposed as a two-step process starting with charge transfer from metal to graphene, followed by formation of oxides where cobalt has been deposited. Contributions from the formation of both CoO and oxygen functional groups on graphene affect the electronic structure to open a band gap. This study demonstrates that cobalt-mediated oxidation is a viable method to introduce a band gap into graphene at room temperature that could be applicable in electronics applications.

Searching for pure iron in nature: the Chelyabinsk meteorite

Herein we aimed to use thermomagnetic analysis (TMA) to determine the nature of iron and nickel in the Chelyabinsk meteorite, and their effect on the meteorites magnetism. Our magnetic measurements show that 3% of the meteorite is metallic and consists of two ferromagnetic phases with Curie temperatures of TC1 = 1049 K and TC2 = 800 K. Using an Fe–Ni phase diagram, we show that the lower of the two temperatures is due to an Fe–Ni alloy with 51% Ni, while the higher Curie temperature phase is due to a pure or nearly pure (Ni-free) iron phase, for which we can be certain the Ni content is less than 1%. X-ray absorption (XAS) measurements show there are two clearly distinct iron oxidation environments: metallic and 2+, with the 2+ regions differing significantly from the standard FeO phase. We also demonstrate that beneath the immediate surface, iron exists virtually entirely in a metallic state. We are then able to estimate the surface composition using XPS, for which we found that 10% of iron on the surface is still surprisingly unoxidized. Finally, our theoretical calculations show how the density of states for both Fe and Ni atoms is affected for different nickel concentrations.

The appearance of Ti3+ states in solution-processed TiOx buffer layers in inverted organic photovoltaics

We study the low-temperature solution processed TiOx films and device structures using core level and valence X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electronic structure calculations. We are able to correlate the fraction of Ti3+ present as obtained from Ti 2p core level XPS with the intensity of the defect states that appear within the band gap as observed with our valence XPS. Constructing an operating inverted organic photovoltaic (OPV) using the TiOx film as an electron selective contact may increase the fraction of Ti3+ present. We provide evidence that the number of charge carriers in TiOx can be significantly varied and this might influence the performance of inverted OPVs.

ITO modification for efficient inverted organic solar cells

We demonstrate a facile approach to designing transparent electron-collecting electrodes by depositing thin layers of medium and low work function metals on top of transparent conductive metal oxides (TCOs) such as ITO and FTO. The modified electrodes were fairly stable for months under ambient conditions and maintained their electrical characteristics. XPS spectroscopy data strongly suggested integration of the deposited metal in the TCO structure resulting in additional doping of the conducting oxide at the interface. Kelvin probe microscopy measurements revealed a significant decrease in the ITO work function after modification. Organic solar cells based on three different conjugated polymers have demonstrated state of the art performances in inverted device geometry using Mg- or Yb-modified ITO as electron collecting electrode. The simplicity of the proposed approach and the excellent ambient stability of the modified ITO electrodes allows one to expect their wide utilization in research laboratories and electronic industry.

Atomic and electronic structure of graphene oxide/Cu interface

Abstract The results of X-ray photoemission (XPS) and valence bands spectroscopy, optically stimulated electron emission (OSEE) measurements and density functional theory based modeling of graphene oxide (GO) placed on Cu via an electrophoretic deposition (EPD) are reported. The comparison of XPS spectra of EPD prepared GO/Cu composites with those of as prepared GO, strongly reduced GO, pure and oxidized copper demonstrate the partial (until C/O ratio about two) removal of oxygen-containing functional groups from GO simultaneously with the formation of copper oxide-like layers over the metallic substrate. OSEE measurements evidence the presence of copper oxide phase in the systems simultaneously with the absence of contributions from GO with corresponding energy gap. All measurements demonstrate the similarity of the results for different thickness of GO cover of the copper surface. Theoretical modeling demonstrates favorability of migration of oxygen-containing functional groups from GO to the copper substrate only for the case of C/O ratio below two and formation of Cu-O-C bonds between substrate and GO simultaneously with the vanishing of the energy gap in GO layer. Basing on results of experimental measurements and theoretical calculations we suggest the model of atomic structure for Cu/GO interface as Cu/CuO/GO with C/O ratio in gapless GO about two.