Yunhan Ling

Micro-arc oxidization fabrication and ethanol sensing performance of Fe-doped TiO2 thin films

In-situ pure TiO2 and Fe-doped TiO2 thin films were synthesized on Ti plates via the micro-arc oxidation (MAO) technique. The as-fabricated anatase TiO2 thin film-based conductometric sensors were employed to measure the gas sensitivity to ethanol. The results showed that Fe ions could be easily introduced into the MAO-TiO2 thin films by adding precursor K4(FeCN)6·3H2O into the Na3PO4 electrolyte. The amount of doped Fe ions increased almost linearly with the concentration of K4(FeCN)6·3H2O increasing, eventually affecting the ethanol sensing performances of TiO2 thin films. It was found that the enhanced sensor signals obtained had an optimal concentration of Fe dopant (1.28at%), by which the maximal gas sensor signal to 1000 ppm ethanol was estimated to be 7.91 at 275°C. The response time was generally reduced by doped Fe ions, which could be ascribed to the increase of oxygen vacancies caused by Fe3+ substituting for Ti4+.

Microstructure and properties of hydrophobic films derived from Fe-W amorphous alloy

Amorphous metals are totally different from crystalline metals in regard to atom arrangement. Amorphous metals do not have grain boundaries and weak spots that crystalline materials contain, making them more resistant to wear and corrosion. In this study, amorphous Fe-W alloy films were first prepared by an electroplating method and were then made hydrophobic by modification with a water repellent (heptadecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetradecyl) trimethoxysilane. Hierarchical micro-nano structures can be obtained by slightly oxidizing the as-deposited alloy, accompanied by phase transformation from amorphous to crystalline during heat treatment. The micro-nano structures can trap air to form an extremely thin cushion of air between the water and the film, which is critical to producing hydrophobicity in the film. Results show that the average values of capacitance, roughness factor, and impedance for specific surface areas of a 600°C heat-treated sample are greater than those of a sample treated at 500°C. Importantly, the coating can be fabricated on various metal substrates to act as a corrosion retardant.