N. Yu. Tabachkova

Melt-spun thin ribbons of shape memory TiNiCu alloy for micromechanical applications

The development of micromechanical devices (MEMS and NEMS) on the basis of nanostructured shape memory alloys is reported. A Ti50Ni25Cu25 (at. %) alloy fabricated by the melt spinning technique in the form of a ribbon with a thickness around 40 μm and a width about 1.5 mm was chosen as a starting material. Technological parameters were optimized to produce the alloy in an amorphous state. The thickness of the ribbon was reduced to 5–14 μm by means of electrochemical polishing. A nanostructural state of the thin ribbons was obtained via the dynamic crystallization of the amorphous alloy by application of a single electric pulse with duration in the range of 300–900 μs. A microtweezers prototype with a composite cantilever of 0.8 μm thick and 8 μm long was developed and produced on the basis of the obtained nanostructured thin ribbons by means of the focused ion beam technique. Controlled deformation of the micromanipulator was achieved by heating using semiconductor laser radiation in a vacuum chamber of scanning ion-probe microscope.

Synthesis and morphology of anatase and η-TiO2 nanoparticles

Samples containing anatase and η-TiO2 nanoparticles have been prepared from titanyl sulfate solutions and characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and electron diffraction. Unit-cell parameters of η-TiO2 have been proposed that do not rule out a relationship between the anatase and η-TiO2 structures. The samples containing anatase and η-TiO2 differ in crystallite size and specific surface area and consist of agglomerates of particles of various sizes covered with an amorphous layer. We have studied the effect of synthesis conditions on the ability to prepare a particular titania polymorph with various functional characteristics.

Energy filtration of charge carriers in a nanostructured material based on bismuth telluride

The dependences of the electrical conductivity and thermopower on the size of grains in a nanocrystalline material based on Bi2Te3-Sb2Te3 solid solutions of the p type have been investigated theoretically and experimentally. The relaxation time in the case of hole scattering by nanograin boundaries in an isotropic polycrystal has been calculated taking into account the energy dependence of the probability of tunneling of charge carriers and the dependence of the scattering intensity on the nanograin size Ln. A decrease in the probability of boundary scattering with an increase in the energy of charge carriers leads to an increase in the thermopower. The dependences of the thermopower and electrical conductivity on the nanograin size, which have been obtained taking into account the boundary scattering and scattering by acoustic phonons, are in good agreement with experimental data. For the material under consideration, the thermopower coefficient increases by 10–20% compared to the initial solid solution at Ln = 20–30 nm. This can lead to an increase in the thermoelectric figure of merit by 20–40%, provided that the decrease in the electrical conductivity and the decrease in the lattice thermal conductivity compensate each other. Despite the absence of a complete compensation, it has been possible to increase the thermoelectric figure of merit for the samples under investigation to ZT = 1.10–1.12.

Nanostructure of optical fluoride ceramics

The real structure of samples of optical fluoride ceramics is studied by atomic force, scanning electron, and transmission electron microscopy. It is shown that the optical ceramic samples based on CaF2 have a lamellar structure, and the distance between lamellae is 25–50 nm. Most likely, lamellae have a twin nature. For BaF2 ceramic, lamellae are not typical, and they are concentrated near grain boundaries.

Structure and mechanical properties of crystals of partially stabilized zirconia after thermal treatment

The phase composition and morphology of the twin structure of the Y2O3-stabilized zirconia crystals (from 2.8 to 4.0 mol %) after the thermal treatment at 1600°C have been investigated by X-ray diffractometry and transmission electron microscopy. It is shown that as the concentration of the stabilizing Y2O3 impurity increases, the character of the twin structure changes, and the amount of the untransformed phase t′ increases. The dependence of the hardness and crack resistance of the crystals of partially stabilized zirconia on the Y2O3 concentration and the indenter orientation is investigated using the microindentation method. The sample with the lowest concentration of the stabilizing Y2O3 impurity turned out the most crack resistant. This can be explained by a high content of tetragonal phase t in it, which provides the transformation strengthening mechanism of the material, and by a more multilevel character of twinning.

Structure and phase composition studies of partially stabilized zirconia

Zirconia single crystals doped with 2.8, 3.2, 3.7, and 4.0 mol % of Y2O3 have been studied. The phase composition and structure have been studied by X-ray diffraction analysis and transmission electron microscopy. It has been established that all investigated samples has two ZrO2 tetragonal phases with tetragonality c/a = 1.006–1.007 and c/a = 1.014–1.015 independent of the stabilizing impurity content. The former phase is not transformed, whereas the latter is transformed into a monoclinic one. In all cases the samples have a developed twin structure. Twinning hierarchy is observed: there are first-, second-, third-order, etc., twins, each of them containing the next-order twins inside them. Elastic stress relaxation occurs by twinning rather than by generation of dislocations. The stabilizing impurity content affects the structure nonmonotonically; the minimum dimensions of the twin lamellas refer to the Y2O3 concentration of 3.2 mol %.

Effect of CO atmosphere on morphology and electrochemically active surface area in the synthesis of Pt/C and PtAg/C electrocatalysts

An effect of CO atmosphere on the microstructure of Pt/C, PtAg/C, and Ag@Pt/C electrocatalysts formed in the synthesis and on the electrochemically active surface area (ECAS) has been studied. Synthesis is carried out via the joint or sequential chemical reduction of silver and platinum precursors in a suspension of Vulcan XC-72 disperse carbon carrier. Adsorption of CO molecules on a surface of platinum and Pt-Ag is shown to hamper their growth and aggregation, leading to a considerable increase in ECAS of platinum, as well as Pt/C and PtAg/C materials to be synthesized. The impact of CO on the morphological characteristics of the Ag@Pt/C materials containing a significant proportion of bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) with an Ag-core/Pt-shell structure is less because of the weak adsorption of CO on the silver surface. ECAS values of platinum in the materials synthesized in the CO atmosphere were 152, 88, and 75 m2/g for Pt/C, PtAg/C, and Ag@Pt/C materials, respectively.

Influence of a carbon coating on the electrochemical properties of lithium-titanate-based nanosized materials

The influence of treatment temperature and a carbon precursor on the formation of a Li4Ti5O12-based anodic material and its electrochemical characteristics as part of a lithium-ion battery have been investigated. It is demonstrated that the variation of annealing temperature and the addition of saccharose prior to final annealing allow for the variation of Li4Ti5O12 particle sizes. At annealing temperatures of 400–600°C, lithium titanate forms as part of an anatase titanium oxide composite. Thermogravimetry, Raman spectroscopy, and electrochemical testing results show that a preannealing of the sample at temperatures of no less than 400°C and the addition of saccharose with subsequent annealing in an inert atmosphere are required for the formation of a conducting carbon coating. The formation of the carbon coating facilitates the inclusion of the anatase phase into the charging and discharging processes, which significantly increases the electrochemical capacity of samples obtained at low annealing temperature. The highest electrochemical capacity values (140 mA h/g) of anodic Li4Ti5O12 samples were obtained only after annealing at 800°C. We note the unexpected formation of carbon nanotubes in samples with a final annealing temperatures of 600°C.

Structure and properties of thermoelectric materials based on Bi2(SeTe)3 and (BiSb)2Te3 solid solutions prepared by equal-channel angular pressing

Using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, we have studied general aspects of defect structure formation in thermoelectric materials in different stages of plastic flow in the equal-channel angular pressing process with three channels. The results demonstrate that materials prepared using this deformation configuration have a fine-grained, homogeneous microstructure with a favorable texture, such that the cleavage planes of the grains are oriented along the extrusion axis. Studies of the structure and properties of the thermoelectric materials allowed us to optimize the equal-channel angular pressing temperature, which should be below the recrystallization onset temperature.

The relationship between activity and stability of deposited platinum-carbon electrocatalysts

The operation-mode stability and the catalytic activity in electrode reactions are the most important properties of electrocatalysts that determine the possibility of using them in fuel cells. The negative linear correlations between stability and catalytic activity of a series of Pt/C and Pt–Cu/C materials in the oxygen electroreduction reaction are revealed and studied. A method of selecting electrocatalysts with the optimal combination of activity and stability is proposed. The Cu@Pt/C catalysts containing bimetallic nanoparticles with the core–shell architecture which demonstrate the anomalously high combination of activity and stability are synthesized.