Maciej Wiesner

Atomic layer deposition of HfO2 on graphene from HfCl4 and H2O

Atomic layer deposition of HfO2 on unmodified graphene from HfCl4 and H2O was investigated. Surface RMS roughness down to 0.5 nm was obtained for amorphous, 30 nm thick hafnia film grown at 180°C. HfO2 was also deposited in a two-step temperature process where the initial growth of about 1 nm at 170°C was continued up to 10–30 nm at 300°C. This process yielded uniform, monoclinic HfO2 films with RMS roughness of 1.7 nm for 10–12 nm thick films and 2.5 nm for 30 nm thick films. Raman spectroscopy studies revealed that the deposition process caused compressive biaxial strain in graphene, whereas no extra defects were generated. An 11 nm thick HfO2 film deposited onto bilayer graphene reduced the electron mobility by less than 10% at the Dirac point and by 30–40% far away from it.

Self-heating and nonlinear current-voltage characteristics in bilayer graphene

Faculty of Physics, Adam Mickiewicz University, 61-614 Poznan, Poland(Dated: February 4, 2011)We demonstrate by experiments and numerical simulations that the low-temperature current-voltage characteristics in di usive bilayer graphene (BLG) exhibit a strong superlinearity at nitebias voltages. The superlinearity is weakly dependent on doping and on the length of the graphenesample. This e ect can be understood as a result of Joule heating. It is stronger in BLG than inmonolayer graphene (MLG), since the conductivity of BLG is more sensitive to temperature due tothe higher density of electronic states at the Dirac point.

Synthesis and characterization of magnetite/silver/antibiotic nanocomposites for targeted antimicrobial therapy

The article is devoted to preparation and characterization of magnetite/silver/antibiotic nanocomposites for targeted antimicrobial therapy. Magnetite nanopowder was produced by thermochemical technique; silver was deposited on the magnetite nanoparticles in the form of silver clusters. Magnetite/silver nanocomposite was investigated by XRD, SEM, TEM, AFM, XPS, EDX techniques. Adsorptivity of magnetite/silver nanocomposite towards seven antibiotics from five different groups was investigated. It was shown that rifampicin, doxycycline, ceftriaxone, cefotaxime and doxycycline may be attached by physical adsorption to magnetite/silver nanocomposite. Electrostatic surfaces of antibiotics were modeled and possible mechanism of antibiotic attachment is considered in this article. Raman spectra of magnetite, magnetite/silver and magnetite/silver/antibiotic were collected. It was found that it is difficult to detect the bands related to antibiotics in the magnetite/silver/antibiotic nanocomposite spectra due to their overlap by the broad carbon bands of magnetite nanopowder. Magnetic measurements revealed that magnetic saturation of the magnetite/silver/antibiotic nanocomposites decreased on 6-19 % in comparison with initial magnetite nanopowder. Pilot study of antimicrobial properties of the magnetite/silver/antibiotic nanocomposites were performed towards Bacillus pumilus.

Low-Temperature Phase Transition in K3Na(SO4)2 CRYSTAL

Raman, Brillouin and dielectric measurements have been undertaken to confirm the theoretically predicted low-temperature phase transition in the K3Na(SO4)2 crystal. As follows from our results this phase transition takes place at about 70 K.

Green synthesis of rifampicin-loaded copper nanoparticles with enhanced antimicrobial activity

The antimicrobial properties of copper and rifampicin-loaded copper nanoparticles were investigated using four strains: Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus pumilis and Pseudomonas fluorescens. Spherical-shaped copper nanoparticles were synthesized via green reduction method from the peppermint extract. It was found that adsorption of rifampicin on the copper nanosurface enhances its biological activity and prevents the development of resistance. The interactions between rifampicin-copper nanoparticles and bacteria cells were monitored using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). It was proven that loaded with rifampicin copper nanoparticles were able to damage the S. aureus cell membrane and facilitate the bacteria biofilm matrix disintegration. Moreover, the DNA decomposition of S. aureus treated with copper and rifampicin-copper nanoparticles was confirmed by agarose gel electrophoresis. The results obtained indicate that adsorption of rifampicin on the copper nanoparticles surface might provide the reduction of antibiotic dosage and prevent its adverse side effects.Graphical Abstract

Incommensurable and glassy behaviour of Cd2-Nb2-O7 oxide pyrochlore single crystals

Abstract Low-frequency studies of the complex dielectric permittivity of Cd2Nb2O7 single crystals in the temperature range of 4–80 K are reported. Above Tcom ≃ 46 K an anomalous thermal hysteresis of ∊′ over the frequency range of 10 kHz-2 MHz as well as dielectric relaxation may be related to the existence of discommensurations and their dynamics. In the vicinity of Tf ≃ 18 K the temperature and frequency behavior of ∊∗ is typical of orientational glasses. Two relaxation process fitted with the Vogel-Fulcher law and the Arrhenius law take place near Tf. The first process is related to frustration in displacements of the “;seventh”; oxygens relative to Cd2+ ions and is characterized by freezing in of Cd-0(7) orientations below T0 ≃ 7 K. The Arrhenius-type process is related to relaxation of ferroelastic and ferroelectric domain walls.

To attach or not to attach? The effect of carrier surface morphology and topography on attachment of phoretic deutonymphs of Uropoda orbicularis (Acari)

Previous studies on preferences of phoretic deutonymphs of Uropodina for attachment sites have shown that they frequently select smooth and hydrophobic surfaces. The aim of our study was to provide the detailed morphological and topographical characteristics of beetle body surfaces to which deutonymphs frequently attach and to verify how the presence of setae and surface sculpture affects deutonymph attachment. The study was conducted on Uropoda orbicularis (Müller, 1776) and its common beetle carriers: Aphodius prodromus (Brahm, 1790), Aphodius fimetarius (Linnaeus, 1758), Onthophagus nuchicornis (Linnaeus, 1758) and Margarinotus carbonarius (Hoffmann, 1803). Morphology and topography of elytra, femora, propygidia and pygidia of beetles were analysed mainly using SEM methods supported with CLSM and AFM techniques. The hypothesis that deutonymphs may attach to surfaces covered with setae, if seta density is low enough not to disturb mite movement, was tested. The study revealed that deutonymphs attach to surfaces of various types as follows: (i) smooth, (ii) hairy, i.e., covered with setae, (iii) flat and (iv) sculptured. Smooth body parts and body parts covered with setae of low density were most frequently and intensively occupied with deutonymphs. Surfaces of high seta density were avoided by mites. Within elytra of Aphodius beetles, deutonymphs definitely preferred flat surfaces of elytral intervals. On the contrary, densely punctuated propygidium and pygidium in M. carbonarius were heavily infested with deutonymphs. We conclude that carrier surface morphology and topography are important for Uropodina deutonymph attachment, but these two factors cannot fully explain the observed relation.

Ferroelastic crystals and their nonlinear elastic properties observed in frequency range from gigahertz to milihertz

The experiments reported in this article have been performed to unify the results of earlier and recent determinations of parameters describing the elastic properties of Rb4LiH3(SO4)4, LiCsSO4 (LCS) and KH2PO4 crystals measured by different experimental methods. The above crystals undergo a second-order phase transition, incommensurate phase transition (PT) and a first-order but close to second-order phase transition, respectively. To investigate the elastic properties of the crystals in the frequency range from 10−1 to 1010 Hz, five experimental methods were applied: dynamic mechanical analysis, piezoelectric resonance, composite oscillator bar, ultrasonic wave propagation and Brillouin light scattering. The results of the experiments allowed identification of the processes contributing to the elastic response of the crystals investigated. Moreover, for the LCS crystal a model of the incommensurate PT was presented.

Graphene material prepared by thermal reduction of the electrochemically synthesized graphite oxide

In the present work we demonstrate a simple and effective way to produce bulk quantities of graphene material. For the first time, graphite oxide (GO), synthesized by electrochemical treatment of natural graphite in HClO4 aqueous solution, was used to obtain thermally exfoliated-reduced graphite oxide (TRGO). Herein, GO was thermally exfoliated and reduced at 500 °C in air, giving the final product of TRGO. Due to shock treatment, the volume of the synthesized TRGO drastically increased compared to the starting GO. Furthermore, the exfoliation process resulted in a significant decrease in the concentration of oxygen functionalities. The choice of GO exfoliation temperature was preceded by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). TRGO was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis.

One-dimensional modulation of the stripe in a surface phononic lattice: The effect on propagation of surface waves

Brillouin light scattering was applied for the investigation of surface waves propagation in phononic materials made of a silicon substrate loaded with a permalloy layer and a modulated nanostructure of aluminum stripes. The results revealed the impact of one-dimensional modulation of the surface phononic crystal on the propagation of surface acoustic waves along the modulated aluminum stripes. The dispersion relation was experimentally and theoretically investigated. The new modes propagating in the investigated structure are localized in the stripes and are defined.