Effects of Disorder State and Interfacial Layer on Thermal Transport in Copper/Diamond System

The characterization of Cu/diamond interface thermal conductance (hc) along with an improved understanding of factors affecting it are becoming increasingly important, as Cu-diamond composites are being considered for electronic packaging applications. In this study, ∼90 nm thick Cu layers weredeposited on synthetic and natural single crystal diamond substrates. In several specimens, a Ti-interface layer of thickness ≤3.5 nm was sputtered between the diamond substrate and the Cu top layer. The hc across Cu/diamond interfaces for specimens with and without a Ti-interface layer was determined usingtime-domain thermoreflectance. The hc is ∼2× higher for similar interfacial layers on synthetic versus natural diamond substrate. The nitrogen concentration of synthetic diamond substrate is four orders of magnitude lower than natural diamond. The difference in nitrogen concentration can lead to variations in disorder state, with a higher nitrogen content resulting in a higher level of disorder. This difference in disorder state potentially can explain the variations in hc. Furthermore, hc was observed to increase with an increase of Ti-interface layer thickness. This was attributed to an increased adhesion of Cu top layer with increasing Ti-interface layer thickness, as observed qualitatively in the current study

Comparison of Post-Detonation Combustion in Explosives Incorporating Aluminum Nanoparticles: Influence of the Passivation Layer

Aluminum nanoparticles and explosive formulations that incorporate them have been a subject of ongoing interest due to the potential of aluminum particles to dramatically increase energy content relative to conventional organic explosives. We have used time-resolved atomic and molecular emission spectroscopy to monitor the combustion of aluminum nanoparticles within the overall chemical dynamicsof post-detonation fireballs. We have studied the energy release dynamics of hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) charges incorporating three types of aluminum nanoparticles: commercial oxide-passivated nanoparticles, oleic acid-capped aluminum nanoparticles (AlOA), and nanoparticles in which the oxide shell of the particle has been functionalized with an acrylic monomer and copolymerized into a fluorinated acrylic matrix (AlFA). The results indicate that the commercial nanoparticles and the AlFAnanoparticles are oxidized at a similar rate, while the AlOA nanoparticles combust more quickly. This is most likely due to the fact that the commercial nano-Al and the AlFA particles are both oxide-passivated, while the AlOA particles are protected by an organic shell that is more easily compromised than an oxide layer. The peak fireball temperatures for RDX charges containing 20 wt. % of commercial nano-Al, AlFA, or AlOA were ∼3900 K, ∼3400 K, and ∼4500 K, respectively

Biologically Tunable Reactivity of Energetic Nanomaterials Using Protein Cages

The performance of aluminum nanomaterial based energetic formulations is dependent on the mass transport, diffusion distance, and stability of reactive components. Here we use a biologically inspired approach to direct the assembly of oxidizer loaded protein cages onto the surface of aluminum nanoparticles to improve reaction kinetics by reducing the diffusion distance between the reactants. Ferritin protein cages were loaded with ammonium perchlorate (AP) or iron oxide and assembled with nAl to create an oxidation–reduction based energetic reaction and the first demonstration of a nanoscale biobased thermite material. Both materials showed enhanced exothermic behavior in comparison to nanothermite mixtures of bulk free AP or synthesized iron oxide nanopowders prepared without the use of ferritin. In addition, by utilizing a layer-by-layer (LbL) process to build multiple layers of protein cages containing iron oxide and iron oxide/AP on nAl, stoichiometric conditions and energetic performance can be optimized

Multispectroscopic (FTIR, XPS, and TOFMS−TPD) Investigation of the Core−Shell Bonding in Sonochemically Prepared Aluminum Nanoparticles Capped with Oleic Acid

Organically capped metal nanoparticles are an attractive alternative to more conventional oxide-passivated materials, due to the lower reaction temperatures and the possibility of tuning the organic coating. Sonochemical methods have been used to produce small (∼5 nm average size) air-stable aluminum nanoparticles capped with oleic acid. In order to understand the nature of the metal−organic bonding in the nanoparticles, we have used FTIR, XPS, and TOFMS−TPD techniques to study the organic passivation layer and its desorption at elevated temperatures. In the present case we find that the organic layer appears to be attached via Al−O−C bonds with the C atom formerly involved in the carboxylic acid functional group