Nanostructured molybdenum oxides from aluminium-based intermetallic compound: Synthesis and application in hydrogen evolution reaction

Characterized by a large surface area to volume ratio, nanostructured metal oxides possess unique chemical and physical properties with applications in electronics, catalysis, sensors, etc. In this study, Mo3Al8, an intermetallic compound, has been used as a precursor to obtain nanostructured molybdenum oxides. It was prepared into ribbons by arc-melting and melt-spinning techniques. Single and double-step free corrosion of the as-quenched material have been studied in 1 M KOH, 1 M HF and 1.25 M FeCl3 at room temperature. In both cases, nanostructured molybdenum oxides were obtained on a surface layer a few microns thick. Two of the as-prepared samples were tested for their electrocatalytic capability for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in 0.5 M H2SO4 giving low onset potential (−50 mV, −45 mV), small Tafel slopes (92 mV dec−1, 9 mV dec−1) and high exchange current densities (0.08 mA cm−2, 0.35 mA cm−2 respectively). The proposed nanostructured molybdenum oxides are cost-effective and sustainable due to the cheap and abundant starting material used and the simple synthetic route, paving the way for their possible application as HER electrocatalysts

Specific loss power of magnetic nanoparticles: A machine learning approach

A machine learning approach has been applied to the prediction of magnetic hysteresis properties (coercive field, magnetic remanence, and hysteresis loop area) of magnetic nanoparticles for hyperthermia applications. Trained on a dataset compiled from numerical simulations, a neural network and a random forest were used to predict power losses of nanoparticles as a function of their intrinsic properties (saturation, anisotropy, and size) and mutual magnetic interactions, as well as of application conditions (temperature, frequency, and applied field magnitude), for values of the parameters not represented in the database. The predictive ability of the studied machine learning approaches can provide a valuable tool toward the application of magnetic hyperthermia as a precision medicine therapy tailored to the patient's needs. (C) 2022 Author(s)

Thermally evaporated Cu-Co top spin valve with random exchange bias

A cobalt-copper top spin valve was prepared by thermal evaporation of a stack of ferromagnetic thin films separated by thin layers of the diamagnetic metal, with a cap layer containing an antiferromagnetic AFM exchange-biasing material. A nonconventional top AFM layer was used, in order to optimize the multilayer roughness and to avoid electrical interference with metallic layers; it consists of a composite material easily processed by means of optical lithography, basically a polymeric matrix composite with a dispersion of nickel oxide microparticles. Magnetization and magnetoresistance measurements were performed from 4 to 300 K. The measurements of both quantities indicate random pinning action of the top AFM layer, resulting in a small exchange-bias field and in asymmetric magnetization and magnetoresistance curves. A simple model explains the observed physical effect

Magnetization switching in high-density magnetic nanodots by a fine-tune sputtering process on a large-area diblock copolymer mask

partially_open10Ordered magnetic nanodot arrays with extremely high density provide unique properties to the growing field of nanotechnology. To overcome the size limitations of conventional lithography, a fine-tuned sputtering deposition process on mesoporous polymeric template fabricated by diblock copolymer self-assembly is herein proposed to fabricate uniform and densely spaced nanometer-scale magnetic dot arrays. This process was successfully exploited to pattern, over a large area, sputtered Ni80Fe20 and Co thin films with thicknesses of 10 and 13 nm, respectively. Carefully tuned sputter-etching at a suitable glancing angle was performed to selectively remove the magnetic material deposited on top of the polymeric template, producing nanodot arrays (dot diameter about 17 nm). A detailed study of magnetization reversal at room temperature as a function of sputter-etching time, together with morphology investigations, was performed to confirm the synthesis of long-range ordered arrays displaying functional magnetic properties. Magnetic hysteresis loops of the obtained nanodot arrays were measured at different temperatures and interpreted via micromagnetic simulations to explore the role of dipole-dipole magnetostatic interactions between dots and the effect of magnetocrystalline anisotropy. The agreement between measurements and numerical modelling results indicates the use of the proposed synthesis technique as an innovative process in the design of large-area nanoscale arrays of functional magnetic elements.openBarrera, G; Celegato, F; Coïsson, M; Manzin, A; Ferrarese Lupi, F; Seguini, G; Boarino, L; Aprile, G; Perego, M; Tiberto, PBarrera, Gabriele; Celegato, F; Coïsson, M; Manzin, A; Ferrarese Lupi, F; Seguini, G; Boarino, L; Aprile, G; Perego, M; Tiberto,