Interaction between dye and zinc in the dye-dispersing ZnO films prepared by a wet process

Dye-dispersing ZnO precursor gel films were prepared on indium tin oxide electrodes from a zinc acetate solution containing eosin Y by dip-coating, steam treatment, and then heating at a low temperature. The electronic interaction between the dye and zinc in the dye-dispersing gel films were investigated by spectroscopic and electrochemical measurements. A photocurrent was observed in the dye-dispersing gel electrodes before the steam treatment. The photocurrent value increased by the steam treatment and heating due to crystallization of the gel and removal of organic impurities. The dye molecules existed between the interlayers of the layered zinc hydroxide coexisting with the ZnO. The photoexcited electron in the dye should be injected into the ZnO conduction band via the layered zinc hydroxide. The value increased with an increase in the dye content even though the ZnO crystallinity decreased. The dye-zinc interaction, i.e., the complex formation and photoinduced electron injection, played an important role in the electron transport and photoelectric conversion.ArticleRESEARCH ON CHEMICAL INTERMEDIATES. 41(9):6559-6574 (2015)journal articl

Formation of ZnO thin films by photocatalytic reaction

Zinc oxide and layered zinc hydroxides were deposited from an aqueous solution of zinc nitrate at 323–358 K on a substrate plate with a very thin titanium dioxide film by a photocatalytic reaction. The amorphous or low crystalline zinc hydroxide aggregates were deposited at a low temperature. The zinc oxide crystals with about 1–2 μm-sized hexagonal columns and 10 nm-sized spheres were formed at 338–358 K. Nitrate ions in the solution were reduced to nitrite ions, and water was transformed into hydroxide ions by a photocatalytic reaction on the titanium dioxide film. The pH value increased on the substrate surface with the titanium dioxide film, which caused the zinc hydroxide formation on the film. The zinc hydroxides were then dehydrated and transformed into zinc oxide. The average crystallite size of the zinc oxide decreased with an increase in the reaction temperature because the reaction rates of the formation and dehydration of the zinc hydroxides increased which resulted in an increase in the formation rate of the crystal zinc oxide nuclei.ArticleAPPLIED CATALYSIS B-ENVIRONMENTAL. 160:651-657 (2014)journal articl

Formation of ZnO thin films by photocatalytic reaction

Zinc oxide and layered zinc hydroxides were deposited from an aqueous solution of zinc nitrate at 323–358 K on a substrate plate with a very thin titanium dioxide film by a photocatalytic reaction. The amorphous or low crystalline zinc hydroxide aggregates were deposited at a low temperature. The zinc oxide crystals with about 1–2 μm-sized hexagonal columns and 10 nm-sized spheres were formed at 338–358 K. Nitrate ions in the solution were reduced to nitrite ions, and water was transformed into hydroxide ions by a photocatalytic reaction on the titanium dioxide film. The pH value increased on the substrate surface with the titanium dioxide film, which caused the zinc hydroxide formation on the film. The zinc hydroxides were then dehydrated and transformed into zinc oxide. The average crystallite size of the zinc oxide decreased with an increase in the reaction temperature because the reaction rates of the formation and dehydration of the zinc hydroxides increased which resulted in an increase in the formation rate of the crystal zinc oxide nuclei.ArticleAPPLIED CATALYSIS B-ENVIRONMENTAL. 160:651-657 (2014)journal articl

FRENDY: A new nuclear data processing system being developed at JAEA

JAEA has provided an evaluated nuclear data library JENDL and nuclear application codes such as MARBLE, SRAC, MVP and PHITS. These domestic codes have been widely used in many universities and industrial companies in Japan. However, we sometimes find problems in imported processing systems and need to revise them when the new JENDL is released. To overcome such problems and immediately process the nuclear data when it is released, JAEA started developing a new nuclear data processing system, FRENDY in 2013. This paper describes the outline of the development of FRENDY and both its capabilities and performances by the analyses of criticality experiments. The verification results indicate that FRENDY properly generates ACE files

FRENDY: A new nuclear data processing system being developed at JAEA

JAEA has provided an evaluated nuclear data library JENDL and nuclear application codes such as MARBLE, SRAC, MVP and PHITS. These domestic codes have been widely used in many universities and industrial companies in Japan. However, we sometimes find problems in imported processing systems and need to revise them when the new JENDL is released. To overcome such problems and immediately process the nuclear data when it is released, JAEA started developing a new nuclear data processing system, FRENDY in 2013. This paper describes the outline of the development of FRENDY and both its capabilities and performances by the analyses of criticality experiments. The verification results indicate that FRENDY properly generates ACE files