Electronic Structure and Room Temperature Ferromagnetism in Gd-doped Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles for Hydrogen Generation via Photocatalytic Water Splitting.

Enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity of Gd-doped CeO nanoparticles (NPs) is experimentally demonstrated, whereas there are very few reports on this mechanism with rare earth doping. All-pure and Gd-doped CeO NPs are synthesized using a coprecipitation method and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), absorption spectroscopy, surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). The effect of Gd-doping on properties of CeO is discussed along with defects and oxygen vacancies generation.

Polarization-dependent XANES study of Bi2Sr2Ca(1-x)Pr(x)Cu2O8-delta insulating single crystal.

Pr doping has been extensively studied in cuprate superconductors to understand the mechanism of quenching of superconductivity in cuprate perovskites. Experience has revealed that it acts differently in different cuprate perovskites. We have made high resolution polarization XANES measurements on a Pr-doped single crystal within the ab-plane on the Cu K and Pr L III absorption edges to ascertain the valence state of Pr cation and thereby try learning how it is quenching superconductivity in the present case.

Simultaneous measurement of XANES in halide-intercalated BSCCO(2212) using electron and fluorescence yield to compare their performance.

Total Yield with an escape depth of approximately 100-200 A is known to be rather surface sensitive. Fluorescence Yield, on the other hand, with an escape depth of approximately 1000-2000 A is relatively less prone to surface effects but necessitates some corrections to obtain the true signal. Both have their plus and minus points and, if used with care, yield reliable data.

O K and Cu LIII edge study of itinerant holes in I2-, Hgl2- and HgBr2- intercalated BSCCO(2212) single crystals.

Intercalation effect on BSCCO (2212) system, although it increases the interlayer distance and the c-axis remarkably, produces only a small change in the transition temperature. Thus, amongst other things, intercalation provides an effective method to investigate the influence of the interblock coupling. Electrons are transferred from the host Cu-O2 layers to the guest molecules I2, HgBr2, HgI2 leading to evolution of the Tc.