Bonex W. Mwakikunga

Photoluminescence and Hydrogen Gas-Sensing Properties of Titanium Dioxide Nanostructures Synthesized by Hydrothermal Treatments

Titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) nanostructures were synthesized by microwave-assisted and conventionally heated hydrothermal treatment of TiO(2) powder. The tubular structures were converted to a rodlike shape by sintering the samples at various temperatures in air for 3 h. This was accompanied by phase transformation largely influenced by the method of synthesis and the mode of heating. The X-ray diffraction results are in agreement with the structural transformation indicating the gradual changes in the phase and crystallinity of the as prepared samples. The tubular structure is found to collapse at high temperature. UV-vis-IR spectroscopic results suggest that nanorods tend to absorb photons of higher energy (λ = 280 nm) than nanotubes (λ = 300 nm) but emit photons with lower energy than nanotubes. It was found that the nanotubes have a sharper photoluminance emission line at 340 nm that is absent in the nanorods. We also found that nanotubes have higher efficiency, lower threshold sensing temperature, longer response time, and shorter recovery time for hydrogen gas sensing than nanorods.

Progress in Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis for Condensed Matter Sciences Developed From Ultrasonic Nebulization Theories Since Michael Faraday

This review outlines, in great detail, the history of the phenomenon of ultrasonic nebulization of liquids since the discovery of such an effect by Michael Faraday and the explanation of the phenomenon by capillary wave mechanism and “cavitation” hypothesis. Capillary waves described by the Kelvin equation are confirmed by Langs experiment and more theoretical models by Peskin & Raco and Jokanovic. Cavitation bubbles have been elaborated by the Rayleigh-Plesset equation as well as the correlation equations between predicted and experimentally measured droplet diameter. Correlation equations such as one by Rajan & Pandit and Avvaru et al. have been considered. Ultrasonic spray pyrolysis for materials processing and the theories that predict the final particle size distribution are introduced. The popularity of the technique is shown by the rising number of research groups in the world processing various materials by this method due to its cost-effectiveness, purity of its products, and controllability of particle size as well as final properties.

Comparative study: the effect of annealing conditions on the properties of P3HT:PCBM blends

This paper presents a detailed study on the role of various annealing treatments on organic poly(3-hexylthiophene) and [6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester blends under different experimental conditions. A combination of analytical tools is used to study the alteration of the phase separation, structure and photovoltaic properties of the P3HT:PCBM blend during the annealing process. Results showed that the thermal annealing yields PCBM “needle-like” crystals and that prolonged heat treatment leads to extensive phase separation, as demonstrated by the growth in the size and quantity of PCBM crystals. The substrate annealing method demonstrated an optimal morphology by eradicating and suppressing the formation of fullerene clusters across the film, resulting in longer P3HT fibrils with smaller diameter. Improved optical constants, PL quenching and a decrease in the P3HT optical bad-gap were demonstrated for the substrate annealed films due to the limited diffusion of the PCBM molecules. An effective strategy for determining an optimized morphology through substrate annealing treatment is therefore revealed for improved device efficiency.

Effect of Accelerated Thermal Ageing on the Selective Solar Thermal Harvesting Properties of Multiwall Carbon Nanotube/Nickel Oxide Nanocomposite Coatings

Varying amounts of dispersed multiwalled carbon nanotubes in NiO have been used to develop composites that absorb the solar energy very well but lose very little through emission. Determination of absorptance, , and emissivity, , from such selective solar absorbers shows that the optimum efficiency of 71% can be attained when about 10 mg of MWCNTs are composited with NiO. One such absorber was subjected to thermal ageing tests. The performance criterion (PC) limit for passing the test when simulated for 25 years is . It was found that the typical absorber had a PC value of −0.01. This value is much better than the passing limit. Raman spectra of the typical absorber before and after the thermal ageing test showed a reduced intensity in the D and G bands of disordered and graphitic carbon, respectively but an enhancement of the NiO bands indicating loss of carbon atoms due to thermal ageing tests. Simple equations are derived determining the proportion of carbon atoms that are lost and the proportion of carbon atoms that remains in the absorber; both of these are in agreement with the original carbon composition before the thermal ageing test. It is reported that the typical absorber will retain 63% of the carbon after 25 years.

Effect of Carbon Modification on the Electrical, Structural, and Optical Properties of TiO2 Electrodes and Their Performance in Labscale Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Carbon-modified titanium dioxide nanoparticles (C:TiO2 NPs) have been synthesized by ultrasonic nebulizer spray pyrolysis (USP) and pneumatic spray pyrolysis (PSP) techniques. HRTEM on the NPs shows difference in lattice spacing in the NP structures prepared by the two methods—2.02 A for the USP NPs and an average of 3.74 A for the PSP NPs. The most probable particle sizes are 3.11 nm and 5.5 nm, respectively. Raman spectroscopy supported by FTIR confirms the TiO2 polymorph to be anatase with the intense phonon frequency at 153 cm−1 blue-shifted from 141 cm−1 ascribed to both carbon doping and particle size. A modified phonon confinement model for nanoparticles has been used to extract phonon dispersion and other parameters for anatase for the first time. Electronic measurements show “negative conductance” at some critical bias voltage, which is characteristic of n-type conductivity in the carbon-doped TiO2 NPs as confirmed by the calculated areas under the I-V curves, a property suited for solar cell applications. Practical solar cells built from carbon-doped TiO2 electrodes show up to 1.5 times improvement in efficiency compared to pure TiO2 electrodes of similar construction.

Epitaxial deposition of silver ultra-fine nano-clusters on defect-free surfaces of HOPG-derived few-layer graphene in a UHV multi-chamber by in situ STM, ex situ XPS, and ab initio calculations

The growth of three-dimensional ultra-fine spherical nano-particles of silver on few layers of graphene derived from highly oriented pyrolytic graphite in ultra-high vacuum were characterized using in situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) in conjunction with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The energetics of the Ag clusters was determined by DFT simulations. The Ag clusters appeared spherical with size distribution averaging approximately 2 nm in diameter. STM revealed the preferred site for the position of the Ag atom in the C-benzene ring of graphene. Of the three sites, the C-C bridge, the C-hexagon hollow, and the direct top of the C atom, Ag prefers to stay on top of the C atom, contrary to expectation of the hexagon-close packing. Ab initio calculations confirm the lowest potential energy between Ag and the graphene structure to be at the exact site determined from STM imaging.

Synthesis of tungsten oxide nanostructures by laser pyrolysis

Since the proposal to synthesise materials by laser assisted pyrolysis in the 1970s, and its practical realisation in 1982, a number of researchers have used this method in obtaining nano-powders from liquid droplets. This study revisits this technique by introducing a new aspect in that it considers obtaining thin films rather than powders. A full experimental arrangement, including laser optimisation, optical layout and materials processing procedures is described. Synthesis of WO3 nanostructures by this method is reported for the first time, with the mean diameter and length determined to be 51 nm and 6.8 µm, respectively. A possible mechanism for production of such nanostructures is proposed owing to the selective dissociation of the O-C bonds in the tungsten ethoxide precursor liquid which resonate with the 10.6 µm emission wavelength of the CO2 laser employed.

Formation of tungsten oxide nanostructures by laser pyrolysis: stars, fibres and spheres

In this letter, the production of multi-phase WO3 and WO3-x(where x could vary between 0.1 and 0.3) nanostructures synthesized by CO2-laser pyrolysis technique at varying laser wavelengths (9.22-10.82 mm) and power densities (17-110 W/cm2) is reported. The average spherical particle sizes for the wavelength variation samples ranged between 113 and 560 nm, and the average spherical particle sizes for power density variation samples ranged between 108 and 205 nm. Synthesis of W18O49 (= WO2.72) stars by this method is reported for the first time at a power density and wavelength of 2.2 kW/cm2 and 10.6 μm, respectively. It was found that more concentrated starting precursors result in the growth of hierarchical structures such as stars, whereas dilute starting precursors result in the growth of simpler structures such as wires.

Gas sensing study of hydrothermal reflux synthesized NiO/graphene foam electrode for CO sensing

Nickel oxide nanosheets have been successfully synthesized on the graphene foam (GF) using hydrothermal reflux process for their application as carbon monoxide (CO) gas sensor. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and gas sorption analysis were used to characterize the structure and morphology of the samples. The morphology (SEM), crystal structure (XRD and Raman), and elemental composition (EDS) analysis of NiO/GF composite confirmed the cubic crystal structure of NiO and elemental composition (i.e., Ni, O, and C) of NiO/GF composite. The results reveal that the incorporation of graphene into NiO nanosheets not only improved the surface area of NiO/GF composite, but also enhanced the performance of the composite on CO sensing by improving its conductivity. These results indicate that NiO/GF has potential as electrode material for CO gas sensor.

Towards an electronic nose based on nano-structured transition metal oxides activated by a tuneable UV light source

Traditional gas sensors involve heating the sensor material for gas selectivity. New gas approaches require activation by a broadband UV light source. We propose to employ a tuneable UV source in which this source is tuned for its many wavelengths via a grating and associated optics and transducers. The theory of UV activated gas sensing is presented and the first calculated sensitivity spectrum is discussed in term of the energy balance among the many channels of energy loss when the light interacts with the sensing nano-structures surface. Experiments to validate the calculations are on-going and some preliminary results are presented.