Photonic Band Gap Engineering by Varying the Inverse Opal Wall Thickness.

We demonstrate the band gap programming of inverse opals by fabrication of different wall thickness by atomic layer deposition (ALD). The opal templates were synthesized using polystyrene and carbon nanospheres by the vertical deposition method. The structure and properties of the TiO inverse opal samples were investigated using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Focused Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscopy (FIB-SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) simulations.

NiO Nano- and Microparticles Prepared by Solvothermal Method-Amazing Catalysts for CO Methanation.

Nickel oxide (NiO) is one of the most popular hydrogenation catalysts. In heterogeneous catalysis, nickel oxide is used, for example, as a suitable methanation catalyst in the Fischer-Tropsch reaction not only for CO hydrogenation but also in the modified Fischer-Tropsch reaction with CO. However, CH selectivity and CO conversion strongly depend on NiO micro- (MPs) and nanoparticles' (NPs) shape, size, and surface area.

Bio-Based Polyurethane Networks Containing Sunflower Oil Based Polyols.

This work focused on the preparation and investigation of polyurethane (SO-PU)-containing sunflower oil glycerides. By transesterification of sunflower oil with glycerol, we synthesized a glyceride mixture with an equilibrium composition, which was used as a new diol component in polyurethanes in addition to poly(ε-caprolactone)diol (PCLD2000). The structure of the glyceride mixture was characterized by physicochemical methods, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), and size exclusion chromatography (SEC) measurements.

Growth and Characterization of Graphene Layers on Different Kinds of Copper Surfaces.

Graphene films were grown by chemical vapor deposition on Cu foil. The obtained samples were characterized by Raman spectroscopy, ellipsometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electron back-scatter diffraction. We discuss the time-dependent changes in the samples, estimate the thickness of emerging CuO beneath the graphene and check the orientation-dependent affinity to oxidation of distinct Cu grains, which also governs the manner in which the initial strong Cu-graphene coupling and strain in the graphene lattice is released.

Interface induced diffusion.

Interface induced diffusion had been identified in a thin film system damaged by electron bombardment. This new phenomenon was observed in AlO (some nm thick)/Si substrate system, which was subjected to low energy (5 keV) electron bombardment producing defects in the AlO layer. The defects produced partially relaxed.