Stability of boron-doped graphene/copper interface: DFT, XPS and OSEE studies

Two different types of boron-doped graphene/copper interfaces synthesized using two different flow rates of Ar through the bubbler containing the boron source were studied. X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) and optically stimulated electron emission (OSEE) measurements have demonstrated that boron-doped graphene coating provides a high corrosion resistivity of Cu-substrate with the light traces of the oxidation of carbon cover. The density functional theory calculations suggest that for the case of substitutional (graphitic) boron-defect only the oxidation near boron impurity is energetically favorable and creation of the vacancies that can induce the oxidation of copper substrate is energetically unfavorable. In the case of non-graphitic boron defects oxidation of the area, a nearby impurity is metastable that not only prevent oxidation but makes boron-doped graphene. Modeling of oxygen reduction reaction demonstrates high catalytic performance of these materials.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figures, to appear in Appl. Surf. Sc

Atomic and electronic structure of a copper/graphene interface as prepared and 1.5 years after

We report the results of X-ray spectroscopy and Raman measurements of as-prepared graphene on a high quality copper surface and the same materials after 1.5 years under different conditions (ambient and low humidity). The obtained results were compared with density functional theory calculations of the formation energies and electronic structures of various structural defects in graphene/Cu interfaces. For evaluation of the stability of the carbon cover, we propose a two-step model. The first step is oxidation of the graphene, and the second is perforation of graphene with the removal of carbon atoms as part of the carbon dioxide molecule. Results of the modeling and experimental measurements provide evidence that graphene grown on high-quality copper substrate becomes robust and stable in time (1.5 years). However, the stability of this interface depends on the quality of the graphene and the number of native defects in the graphene and substrate. The effect of the presence of a metallic substrate with defects on the stability and electronic structure of graphene is also discussed.Comment: 18 pages, 6 figures, accepted to Appl. Surf. Sc

Synthesis of Nanocomposite TiSiCN Coatings by Titanium Evaporation and Organosilicon Compound Activation in Hollow Cathode Arc Discharge

TiSiCN coatings have been obtained by anode evaporation of titanium and the decomposi-tion of hexamethyldisilazane in an arc discharge, using a self-heated hollow cathode, at the pressure rate of 1 mTorr of the Ar+N2 gas mixture. The proposed method makes it possible to independently and widely change the amount of metal and precursor vapor flows, the pressure and composition of the vapor-gas mixture and the degree of ionic interaction on the surface of the growing coating within a single discharge system. The paper presents the method and the results of the effect of a current discharge (10–50 A), and the flux of precursor vapours (0–1 g/h), on deposition rates, compositions, and properties of TiSiCN coatings deposited by an advanced combined PVD+PECVD method. Dense homogeneous TiSiCN coatings up to 6 µm thick and up to 27.5 GPa in hardness were obtained at 7.5 µm/h. The composition of the obtained coatings has been studied by X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and it has been shown that the presented methods can form nanocomposite coatings with nanocrystallites TiC, TiN, and TiCxN1−x 3–10 nm in the amorphous matrix based on SiCN. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.Russian Science Foundation, RSF: 20-79-10059Funding: This research was funded by Russian Science Fund, grant number 20-79-10059

Optical transparency and local electronic structure of Yb-doped Y 2 O 3 ceramics with tetravalent additives

The results of optical transmission and X-ray core-level spectra measurements of Yb:Y 2 O 3 ceramics with different tetravalent sintering additives (ZrO 2 , CeO 2 and HfO 2 ) fabricated from nanopowders (produced by the laser ablation method) and then annealed at 1400 °C in air for 2 h are presented. It is found that the transmission values for ZrO 2 - and HfO 2 -doped ceramics at the lasing wavelengths are higher than those of CeO 2 -doped samples. The X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) O 1s spectra show that the relative intensity of oxygen defect peak detected for 3Yb:Y 2 O 3 + 5CeO 2 ceramics decreases substantially and consistently compared to that of 5Yb:Y 2 O 3 + 5HfO 2 and 3Yb:Y 2 O 3 + 5ZrO 2 samples. This can be attributed to a more complete filling of oxygen vacancies due to annealing-induced oxygen diffusion into the highly defective sintered ceramics. The measurements of XPS Ce 3d spectra showed that the insufficiently complete filling of the oxygen vacancies in the 3Yb:Y 2 O 3 + 5CeO 2 compound is due to the appreciable presence of trivalent cerium ions. © 2019 by the authors.Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, Minobrnauka: 3.7270.2017/8.9This study was supported by FASO (Theme "Electron" No. AAAA-A18-118020190098-5). The XPS measurements were supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation (Project No. 3.7270.2017/8.9) and the Government of the Russian Federation (Act 211, agreement No. 02.A03.21.0006). Fabrication of ceramic samples was performed in the framework of the state task of IEP UB RAS

CuO-CeO2 nanocomposite catalysts produced by mechanochemical synthesis

Mechanochemical synthesis based on ball-milling of individual oxides was applied as a one-step preparation technique for CuO-CeO2 catalyst for preferential CO oxidation in H2 excess. The mechanical energy dose transferred to the original powder mixture determines both the catalyst composition and activity. It is found that after 90 min of milling (corresponding to a dose of 372 kJ mol-1), a mixture of 10 wt.% CuO-CeO2 powder exhibits a CO conversion of 97% at 423 K. Four active oxygen states, which are not observed in case of pure CeO2, were detected in the nanocomposite lattice and attributed to the presence of Cu in surface sites as well as in subsurface bulk sites of CeO2, in nearest neighbor and next nearest neighbor positions. Correspondingly, oxidation of CO to CO2 was found to occur in a two-stage process with Tmax = 395/460 K, and oxidation of H2 to H2O likewise in a four-stage process with Tmax = 426/448/468/516 K. The milled powder consists of CeO2 crystallites sized 8-10 nm agglomerated to somewhat larger aggregates, with CuO dispersed on the surface of the CeO2 crystallites, and to a lesser extent present as Cu2O. © 2019 Author(s).This work was partially supported by Russian Foundation for Basic Research [Projects n.n. 16-03-00330a and 16-03-00178a] in theoretical studies and part of experimental research and by FASO [program no. AAAA-A18-118012390374-3]. XPS measurements were supported by FASO (Theme “Electron”). The Alexander von Humboldt foundation is gratefully acknowledged for funding. We also would like to thank N. Berezkina for SEM measurements. We acknowledge support by the Open Access Publication Funds of the Göttingen University. Declarations of interest: none

СТЕНД ДЛЯ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЯ ДИНАМИКИ ИЗМЕНЕНИЯ ТЕПЛОВЫХ ПОЛЕЙ В ИНФОРМАЦИОННО-КОММУНИКАЦИОННОЙ АППАРАТУРЕ ПРИ ОЦЕНКЕ ЗАЩИЩЕННОСТИ ИНФОРМАЦИИ

В работе представлена схема и принцип работы стенда, предназначенного для исследования динамики изменения тепловых полей в информационно-коммуникационной аппаратуре при оценке защищенности информации от утечек по физическим каналам связи. Предоставлены результаты апробации стенда при исследовании нагрева электронных компонентов на тестовой печатной плате, также показан результат воздействия провоцирующего электромагнитного сигнала на модуль с каналом связи IEEE 802.11g (Wi-Fi). Определены численные границы обнаружения нагрева электронных компонентов, представленные в виде минимальной подводимой мощности нагрева. Предложены мероприятия по снижению влияния на термографическое изображение рассеивающих свойств поверхностей проверяемых объектов, дрейфа температуры окружающей среды, высоких шумов изображения, а также инерционности тепловых процессов

Low-Temperature Luminescence of Lead Silicate Glass

The temperature quenching of intrinsic luminescence of a lead silicate glass of the 20PbO · 80SiO2 composition has been investigated in the temperature range 7-200 K. It has been found that the temperature behavior of the intensity of intrinsic luminescence does not obey the well-known Mott's law for intracenter quenching of luminescence but is adequately described by the empirical Street's formula. It has been dem-onstrated that, with allowance made for the disorder of the atomic structure, the experimental temperature dependence of the luminescence intensity of the glass can be represented as a superposition of Mott's depen-dences for an ensemble of local luminescence centers. The obtained distribution of luminescence centers over the activation energies of quenching has an asymmetric form with prevailing low-energy states. It has been assumed that this feature has a general character and, at low temperatures, determines the specificity of the processes of nonradiative relaxation of the electronic subsystem for many oxide glasses. © Pleiades Publishing, Ltd., 2010.This study was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project nos. 09-02-00493 and 08-02-01072)