Xintong Zhang

SnO2 Nanostructures-TiO2 Nanofibers Heterostructures: Controlled Fabrication and High Photocatalytic Properties

Combining the versatility of the electrospinning technique and hydrothermal growth of nanostructures enabled the fabrication of hierarchical SnO(2)/TiO(2) composite nanostructures. The results revealed that not only were secondary SnO(2) nanostructures successfully grown on primary TiO(2) nanofiber substrates but also the SnO(2) nanostructures were uniformly distributed without aggregation on TiO(2) nanofibers. By adjusting fabrication parameters, the morphology as well as coverage density of secondary SnO(2) nanostructures could be further controlled, and then SnO(2)/TiO(2) heterostructures with SnO(2) nanoparticles or nanorods were facilely fabricated. The photocatalytic studies suggested that the SnO(2)/TiO(2) heterostructures showed enhanced photocatalytic efficiency of photodegradation of Rhodamine B (RB) compared with the bare TiO(2) nanofibers under UV light irradiation.

Superhydrophobic and Ultraviolet-Blocking Cotton Textiles

Cotton textile was coated with ZnO@SiO(2) nanorods in order to obtain superhydrophobic and ultraviolet (UV)-blocking properties. The coating process was conducted in mild conditions, which involved the low-temperature preparation of ZnO seeds, hydrothermal growth of ZnO nanorods, bioinspired layer-by-layer deposition of a SiO(2) shell on the surface of ZnO nanorods, and hydrophobic modification of ZnO@SiO(2) nanorods with octadecyltrimethoxysilane. Despite the highly curved morphology of cotton fibers, the ZnO@SiO(2) nanorods coated the textile densely and uniformly. The treated cotton textile was found to have a large UV protection factor (UPF = 101.51) together with UV-durable superhydrophobicity, as determined by contact-angle measurement under long-term UV irradiation. The good UV-blocking property can be ascribed to the high UV absorbance and scattering properties of ZnO nanorods, and the UV-durable superhydrophobicity is a result of suppression of the photoactivity of ZnO nanorods by a SiO(2) shell.

A single Eu2+-activated high-color-rendering oxychloride white-light phosphor for white-light-emitting diodes

Single-phased, high-color-rendering index (CRI) white-light phosphors are emerging as potential phosphor-converted white-light-emitting diodes (WLEDs) and as an alternative to blends of tricolor phosphors. However, it is a challenge to create a high CRI white light from a single-doped activator. Here, we present a high CRI (Ra = 91) white-light phosphor, Sr5(PO4)3-x(BO3)xCl:Eu2+, composed of Sr5(PO4)3Cl as the beginning member and Sr5(BO3)3Cl as the end member. This work utilized the solid-solution method, and tunable Eu2+ emission was achieved. Color-tunable Eu2+ emissions in response to structural variation were observed in Sr5(PO4)3-x(BO3)xCl solid solutions. This was further confirmed using X-ray Rietveld refinement, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, and in the photoluminescence spectra. The color-tunable emissions included the white light that originated from the combination of the blue emission of Sr5(PO4)3Cl:Eu2+ and an induced Eu2+ yellow emission at approximately 550 nm in the solid solution. Importantly, the white-light phosphors showed a greater R9 = 90.2 under excitation at 365 nm. This result has rarely been reported in the literature and is greater than that of (R9 = 14.3) commercial Y3Al5O12:Ce3+-based WLEDs. These findings demonstrate the great potential of Sr5(PO4)3-x(BO3)xCl:0.04Eu2+ as a white-light phosphor for near-UV phosphor-converted WLEDs. These results also provide a shortcut for developing a high CRI white-light phosphor from a single Eu2+-doped compound.

A Highly Efficient White Light (Sr3,Ca,Ba)(PO4)3Cl:Eu2+, Tb3+, Mn2+ Phosphor via Dual Energy Transfers for White Light-Emitting Diodes

A series of single-phased (Sr3-x,Ca1-y-z,Ba)(PO4)3Cl (SCBPO_Cl):xEu(2+), yTb(3+), zMn(2+) phosphors were synthesized by high-temperature solid-state reaction, and luminescent properties of these phosphors were investigated by means of photoluminescence and microcathode luminescence (μ-CL). Under UV excitation, white-light emission was obtained from triactivated SCBPO_Cl phosphors via combining three emission bands centered at 450, 543, and 570 nm contributed by Eu(2+), Tb(3+), and Mn(2+), respectively. White-light emission with the three emission bands is further demonstrated in the fluorescence microscope images, CL spectrum, and μ-CL mappings, which strongly confirm that the luminescence distribution of as-prepared SCBPO_Cl:xEu(2+), yTb(3+), zMn(2+) phosphors is very homogeneous. Both spectral overlapping and lifetime decay analyses suggest that dual energy transfers, that is, Eu(2+)→Tb(3+) and Eu(2+)→Mn(2+), play key roles in obtaining the white emission. The International Commission on Illumination value of white emission as well as luminescence quantum yield (51.2-81.4%) can be tuned by precisely controlling the content of Eu(2+), Tb(3+), and Mn(2+). These results suggest that this single-phased SCBPO_Cl:xEu(2+), yTb(3+), zMn(2+) phosphor may have a potential application as a near-UV convertible white-light emission phosphor for phosphor-converted white light-emitting diode.

Photo-assisted preparation and patterning of large-area reduced graphene oxide–TiO2 conductive thin film

A mild photo-assisted reduction method was developed to fabricate large-area, uniform reduced graphene oxide-TiO(2) films and micropatterns on various substrates in air at room temperature from a composite insulating film of graphene oxide sheets and TiO(2) nanoparticles, with a conductivity (0.5-2 Omega cm) comparable to chemically reduced graphene.

Flexible Resistive Switching Memory Device Based on Amorphous InGaZnO Film With Excellent Mechanical Endurance

Semitransparent flexible resistive-switching memory devices, using amorphous InGaZnO as the switching layer, are fabricated on plastic substrates at room temperature. The device shows high performance, excellent flexibility, and mechanical endurance in bending tests. No performance degradation occurs, and the stored information is not lost after bending the device to different angles and up to 105 times. Studies on the temperature-dependent electrical properties reveal that the conducting channels of the low-resistance state are composed of oxygen-deficient defects, and partial oxidation of these defects switches the device to the high-resistance state. The unique electronic structure and flexible mechanical properties of amorphous InGaZnO ensure stable device performance in flexible applications.

Electrically pumped near-ultraviolet lasing from ZnO/MgO core/shell nanowires

Electrically pumped near-ultraviolet lasing was achieved in a metal/insulator/semiconductor laser diode based on ZnO/MgO core/shell nanowires. The nanowire diode shows higher emission intensity at relatively low operating current density compared with the planar device. The improved efficiency is attributed to enhanced exciton oscillator strength and superior carrier transport properties of single-crystalline ZnO nanowires, and effective surface passivation by MgO coating. Random laser action was confirmed by the calculation of quality factor and the real-time changes of lasing spectra. The results reveal that the MgO coating serves as electron blocking, hole supplying and surface passivation layer for the nanowire heterostructure.

Color tuning of (K1−x,Nax)SrPO4:0.005Eu2+, yTb3+ blue-emitting phosphors via crystal field modulation and energy transfer

Two series of K1−xNaxSrPO4:0.005Eu2+ and K0.4Na0.6Sr0.995−yPO4:0.005Eu2+, yTb3+ phosphors are synthesized via a high-temperature solid-state reaction. Their emission color can be tuned from deep blue to blue–green by modulating the crystal field strength and energy transfer. Partial substitution of K+ with Na+ results in a contraction and distortion of the unit cell of the K1−xNaxSr0.995PO4:0.005Eu2+ host, tuning the emission from 426 to 498 nm. The red-shifted emission is attributed to an increased crystal field splitting for Eu2+ in a lowered symmetry crystal field. The tunable emission is further demonstrated in the cathodoluminescence spectra, which indicates that the luminescence distribution of the K1−xNaxSr0.995PO4:0.005Eu2+ phosphor is very homogenous. Additionally, utilizing the principle of energy transfer, the emission color can be further tuned by co-doping with Tb3+. The chromaticity coordinates for the co-doped phosphor, K0.4Na0.6Sr0.995−yPO4:0.005Eu2+, yTb3+, can be adjusted from (0.202, 0.406) for y = 0 to (0.232, 0.420) for y = 0.09. The energy transfer processes from the sensitizer (Eu2+) to the activator (Tb3+) are studied and demonstrated to have a resonance-type dipole–dipole interaction mechanism, with the critical distance of the energy transfer calculated to be 12.46 A using a concentration quenching method.

Resonant Raman scattering and photoluminescence from high-quality nanocrystalline ZnO thin films prepared by thermal oxidation of ZnS thin films

In this paper, we report photoluminescence (PL) from high-quality nanocrystalline ZnO thin films. The high-quality nanocrystalline ZnO thin films are prepared by thermal oxidation of ZnS films deposited by low-pressure metal organic chemical vapour deposition technique. X-ray diffraction indicates nanocrystalline ZnO thin films with a polycrystalline hexagonal wurtzite structure. The Raman spectrum shows a typical resonant multi-phonon process within the ZnO film. A strong ultraviolet emission peak at 380 nm is observed and the deep-level emission band is barely observable at room temperature. The strength (ΓLO) of the exciton-longitudinal-optical (LO)-phonon coupling is deduced from the temperature dependence of the full width at half maximum of the fundamental excitonic peak. ΓLO is largely reduced due to the quantum confinement effect. The origin of the luminescence is discussed with the help of PL spectra.

Performance improvement of resistive switching memory achieved by enhancing local-electric-field near electromigrated Ag-nanoclusters

By introducing Ag nanoclusters (NCs), ZnO-based resistive switching memory devices offer improved performance, including improved uniformity of switching parameters, and increased switching speed with excellent reliability. These Ag NCs are formed between the top-electrode (cathode) and the switching layer by an electromigration process in the initial several switching cycles. The electric field can be enhanced around Ag NCs due to their high surface curvature. The enhanced local-electric-field (LEF) results in (1) the localization of the switching site near Ag NCs, where oxygen-vacancy-based conducting filaments have a simple structure, and tend to connect Ag NCs along the LEF direction; (2) an increase in migration and recombination rates of oxygen ions and oxygen vacancies. These factors are responsible for the improvement in device performance.