Chemical solution deposition of la-substituted BiFe0.5Sc0.5O3 perovskite thin films on different substrates

In the present work, polycrystalline Bi0.67La0.33Fe0.5Sc0.5O3 thin films were synthesized using a simple and cost‐effective chemical solution deposition process employing the spin coating tech‐ nique. In order to check the feasibility of the fabrication of thin films on various types of substrates, the films were deposited on Pt‐coated silicon, silicon, sapphire, corundum, fused silica and glass. Based on the results of thermogravimetric analysis of precursor and thermal stability study, it was determined that the optimal annealing temperature for the formation of perovskite structure is 600 °C. It was observed that the relative intensity of the pseudocubic peaks (001)p and (011)p in the XRD patterns is influenced by the nature of substrates, suggesting that the formed crystallites have some preferred orientation. Roughness of the films was determined to be dependent on the nature of the substrate.publishe

Synthesis of β-Ca2P2O7 as an Adsorbent for the Removal of Heavy Metals from Water

In the present work, beta-calcium pyrophosphate (β-Ca2P2O7) was investigated as a potential adsorbent for the removal of heavy metal ions from water. Single-phase β-Ca2P2O7 powders were synthesized by a simple, scalable and cost-effective wet precipitation method followed by annealing at 800 °C, which was employed for the conversion of as-precipitated brushite (CaHPO4∙2H2O) to β-Ca2P2O7. Physicochemical properties of the sorbent were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermal analysis (TGA/DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and low temperature adsorption–desorption of nitrogen (BET method). The synthesized powders consisted of porous plate-like particles with micrometer dimensions. Specific surface area calculated by the BET method was found to be 7 m2 g−1. For the estimation of sorption properties, the aqueous model solutions containing different metal ions (Al3+, Cd2+, Co2+, Cu2+, Fe2+, Mn2+, Ni2+, Pb2+, Sn2+, Sr2+ and Zn2+) were used. The adsorption test revealed that β-Ca2P2O7 demonstrates the highest adsorption capacity for Pb2+ and Sn2+ ions, while the lowest capacity was observed towards Sr2+, Ni2+ and Co2+ ions. The optimal pH value for the removal of Pb2+ ions was determined to be 2, which is also related to the low solubility of β-Ca2P2O7 at this pH. The adsorption capacity towards Pb2+ ions was calculated as high as 120 mg g−1

Synthesis, structural and luminescent properties of Mn-doped calcium pyrophosphate (Ca2P2O7) polymorphs

The study was partially funded by the Swedish Research Council FORMAS project “Utilization of solid inorganic waste from the aquaculture industry as wood reinforcement material for flame retardancy” (grant no. 2018-01198). Vilnius University is highly acknowledged for financial support from the Science Promotion Foundation (MSF-JM-5/2021). This project has also received funding from European Social Fund (project No 09.3.3-LMT-K-712-19-0069) under grant agreement with the Research Council of Lithuania (LMTLT). The authors acknowledge the Center of Spectroscopic Characterization of Materials and Electronic/Molecular Processes ("SPECTROVERSUM" www.spectroversum.ff.vu.lt ) at the Lithuanian National Center for Physical Sciences and Technology for the use of spectroscopic equipment. Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia, Latvia as the Center of Excellence has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Framework Programme H2020-WIDESPREAD-01-2016-2017-TeamingPhase2 under grant agreement No. 739508, project CAMART2.In the present work, three different Mn2+-doped calcium pyrophosphate (CPP, Ca2P2O7) polymorphs were synthesized by wet co-precipitation method followed by annealing at different temperatures. The crystal structure and purity were studied by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SS-NMR), and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopies. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to investigate the morphological features of the synthesized products. Optical properties were investigated using photoluminescence measurements. Excitation spectra, emission spectra, and photoluminescence decay curves of the samples were studied. All Mn-doped polymorphs exhibited a broadband emission ranging from approximately 500 to 730 nm. The emission maximum was host-dependent and centered at around 580, 570, and 595 nm for γ-, β-, and α-CPP, respectively. © 2022, The Author(s).Swedish Research Council FORMAS grant no. 2018-01198; Vilnius University Science Promotion Foundation MSF-JM-5/2021; ESF project No 09.3.3-LMT-K-712-19-0069; Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia, Latvia as the Center of Excellence has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Framework Programme H2020-WIDESPREAD-01-2016-2017-TeamingPhase2 under grant agreement No. 739508, project CAMART2