Nanodiamond Influence on the Nucleation and Growth of YBCO Superconducting Film Deposited by Metal-Organic Decomposition.

It was recently shown that the introduction of nanodiamond (ND) into a superconducting metal-organic deposited YBaCuO (YBCO) film produces an increase in critical current density in self-field conditions ( = 0 T). Such improvement appears to be due to the formation of denser and smoother films than the samples deposited without ND. This paper presents the work done to understand the role of ND during YBCO nucleation and growth.

Etching Kinetics of Nanodiamond Seeds in the Early Stages of CVD Diamond Growth.

We present an experimental study on the etching of detonation nanodiamond (DND) seeds during typical microwave chemical vapor deposition (MWCVD) conditions leading to ultra-thin diamond film formation, which is fundamental for many technological applications. The temporal evolution of the surface density of seeds on the Si(100) substrate has been assessed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The resulting kinetics have been explained in the framework of a model based on the effect of the particle size, according to the Young-Laplace equation, on both chemical potential of carbon atoms in DND and activation energy of the reaction with atomic hydrogen.

Adsorption and Dissociation of -Methyl -Tolyl Sulfoxide on Au(111).

Sulfur-based molecules producing self-assembled monolayers on gold surfaces have long since become relevant functional molecular materials with many applications in biosensing, electronics, and nanotechnology. Among the various sulfur-containing molecules, the possibility to anchor a chiral sulfoxide to a metal surface has been scarcely investigated, despite this class of molecules being of great importance as ligands and catalysts. In this work, ()-(+)-methyl -tolyl sulfoxide was deposited on Au(111) and investigated by means of photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations.

High quality epitaxial graphene on 4H-SiC by face-to-face growth in ultra-high vacuum.

Epitaxial graphene on SiC is the most promising substrate for the next generation 2D electronics, due to the possibility to fabricate 2D heterostructures directly on it, opening the door to the use of all technological processes developed for silicon electronics. To obtain a suitable material for large scale applications, it is essential to achieve perfect control of size, quality, growth rate and thickness. Here we show that this control on epitaxial graphene can be achieved by exploiting the face-to-face annealing of SiC in ultra-high vacuum.

Formation of a two-dimensional oxide oxidation of a layered material.

We investigate the oxidation mechanism of the layered model system GeAs. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy experiments performed by irradiating an individual flake with synchrotron radiation in the presence of oxygen show that while As leaves the GeAs surface upon oxidation, a Ge-rich ultrathin oxide film is being formed in the topmost layer of the flake. We develop a theoretical model that supports the layer-by-layer oxidation of GeAs, with a logarithmic kinetics.

Identification of Topotactic Surface-Confined Ullmann-Polymerization.

On-surface Ullmann coupling is an established method for the synthesis of 1D and 2D organic structures. A key limitation to obtaining ordered polymers is the uncertainty in the final structure for coupling via random diffusion of reactants over the substrate, which leads to polymorphism and defects. Here, a topotactic polymerization on Cu(110) in a series of differently-halogenated para-phenylenes is identified, where the self-assembled organometallic (OM) reactants of diiodobenzene couple directly into a single, deterministic product, whereas the other precursors follow a diffusion driven reaction.

Single-Crystal Pt-Decorated WO Ultrathin Films: A Platform for Sub-ppm Hydrogen Sensing at Room Temperature.

Hydrogen-related technologies are rapidly developing, driven by the necessity of efficient and high-density energy storage. This poses new challenges to the detection of dangerous gases, in particular the realization of cheap, sensitive, and fast hydrogen sensors. Several materials are being studied for this application, but most present critical bottlenecks, such as high operational temperature, low sensitivity, slow response time, and/or complex fabrication procedures.

Mechanistic Picture and Kinetic Analysis of Surface-Confined Ullmann Polymerization.

Surface-confined polymerization via Ullmann coupling is a promising route to create one- and two-dimensional covalent π-conjugated structures, including the bottom-up growth of graphene nanoribbons. Understanding the mechanism of the Ullmann reaction is necessary to provide a platform for rationally controlling the formation of these materials. We use fast X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) in kinetic measurements of epitaxial surface polymerization of 1,4-dibromobenzene on Cu(110) and devise a kinetic model based on mean field rate equations, involving a transient state.

Hydrogen Adsorption Properties of Carbon Nanotubes and Platinum Nanoparticles from a New Ammonium-Ethylimidazolium Chloroplatinate Salt.

Self-supporting membranes built entirely of carbon nanotubes have been prepared by wet methods and characterized by Raman spectroscopy. The membranes are used as supports for the electrodeposition of Pt nanoparticles without the use of additional additives and/or stabilizers. The Pt precursor is an ad hoc synthesized ammonium-ethylimidazolium chloroplatinate(IV) salt, [NH3 (CH2 )2 MIM)][PtCl6 ].

Comparative study of approaches based on the differential critical region and correlation functions in modeling phase-transformation kinetics.

The statistical methods exploiting the "Correlation-Functions" or the "Differential-Critical-Region" are both suitable for describing phase transformation kinetics ruled by nucleation and growth. We present a critical analysis of these two approaches, with particular emphasis to transformations ruled by diffusional growth which cannot be described by the Kolmogorov-Johnson-Mehl-Avrami (KJMA) theory. In order to bridge the gap between these two methods, the conditional probability functions entering the "Differential-Critical-Region" approach are determined in terms of correlation functions.

High temperature stability of onion-like carbon vs highly oriented pyrolytic graphite.

The thermodynamic stability of onion-like carbon (OLC) nanostructures with respect to highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) was determined in the interval 765-1030 K by the electromotive force (emf) measurements of solid electrolyte galvanic cell: (Low) Pt|Cr3C2,CrF2,OLC|CaF2s.c.|Cr3C2,CrF2,HOPG|Pt (High).

Stochastic transformation of points in polygons according to the Voronoi tessellation: microstructural description.

Starting from a stochastic two-dimensional process we studied the transformation of points in disks and squares following a protocol according to which at any step the island size increases proportionally to the corresponding Voronoi tessera. Two interaction mechanisms among islands have been dealt with: coalescence and impingement. We studied the evolution of the island density and of the island size distribution functions, in dependence on island collision mechanisms for both Poissonian and correlated spatial distributions of points.