Robust water repellent ZnO nanorod array by Swift Heavy Ion Irradiation: Effect of Electronic Excitation Induced Local Chemical State Modification.

Tailoring the surface properties by varying the chemistry and roughness could be of interest for self-cleaning applications. We demonstrate the transformation of hydrophobic ZnO Nano rod (NR) array into superhydrophobic nature by changing the local chemical state and without altering the surface roughness by swift heavy ion (SHI) irradiation. The aligned ZnO NR arrays were irradiated using 150 MeV Ag ions with different fluences from 5E10 to 3E12 ions/cm.

Correction: Charge transport mechanisms in sol-gel grown LaPbMnO/LaAlO manganite films.

Correction for 'Charge transport mechanisms in sol-gel grown LaPbMnO/LaAlO manganite films' by Eesh Vaghela et al., Phys. Chem.

Charge transport mechanisms in sol-gel grown LaPbMnO/LaAlO manganite films.

In this communication, structural, microstructural, transport and magnetotransport properties are reported for LaPbMnO/LaAlO (LPMO/LAO) manganite films having different thicknesses. All the films were irradiated with 200 MeV Ag swift heavy ions (SHI). Films were grown using the sol-gel method by employing the acetate precursor route.

Correlations of charge neutrality level with electronic structure and p-d hybridization.

The formation of charge neutrality level (CNL) in highly conducting Cadmium oxide (CdO) thin films is demonstarted by the observed variation in the band gap upon annealing and doping. It may be explained by the observation that Tin (Sn) doping breaks the perfect periodicity of CdO cubic crystal structure and creates virtual gap states (ViGS). The level of local CNL resides at the branch point of ViGS, making the energy at which native defect's character changes from predominantly donor-like below CNL to predominantly acceptor-like above the CNL and a schematic band diagram is developed to substantiate the same.

DNA ionogel: Structure and self-assembly.

DNA dissolved in ionic liquid (IL) solution (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride, [C2mim][Cl]) showed a transition to the gel phase ([DNA] ≥ 1% (w/v)). The gelation time was 400 s for the 1% [IL] sample which reduced to 260 s for 5% [IL] concentration. Gelation times, obtained from the viscosity and ergodicity breaking from the dynamic structure factor data, were remarkably identical to each other.

Self-healing gelatin ionogels.

We demonstrate room temperature (20°C) self-healing, and substantial recovery (68-96%) of gel rigidity of gelatin, a polypeptide, ionogels (made in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ionic liquid (IL) solutions via thermal treatment, IL≤5% (w/v)) after they were cut using a surgical blade. The recovery process did not require any stimuli, and the complete healing under ambient condition required about 10h.The self-healing owed its origin to the reformation of network structures via imidazolium ion mediated charge quenching of deprotonated residues, and hydrophobic interaction between neighbouring alkyl tails of IL molecules.

Gradient doping - a case study with Ti-FeO towards an improved photoelectrochemical response.

The present study investigates the effect of gradient doping on modifying the photoelectrochemical response of Ti-doped FeO photoanodes for their use in sunlight based water splitting for hydrogen evolution. The deposition of a thin film over the ITO (tin doped indium oxide) substrate was carried out using a spray pyrolysis method. The concentration of dopant was varied from 0.

Fabrication and characterization of carbon-backed thin Pb targets.

Thin carbon-backed isotopically enriched Pb targets were required for our experiment aimed to study the reaction dynamics for Ti + Pb system, populating the near super-heavy nucleus Rf, through mass-energy correlation of the fission fragments. Purity and thickness of the targets are of utmost importance in such studies as these factors have strong influence on the measurement accuracy of mass and energy distribution of fission fragments. Pb targets with thickness ranging from 60 μg/cm to 250 μg/cm have been fabricated in high vacuum environment using physical vapor deposition method.

Charge state distribution studies of pure and oxygen mixed krypton ECR plasma - signature of isotope anomaly and gas mixing effect.

We report the charge state distributions of the pure, 25% and 50% oxygen mixed krypton plasma to shed more light on the understanding of the gas mixing and the isotope anomaly [A. G. Drentje, Rev.

Effect of Grazing Angle Cross-Ion Irradiation on Ag Thin Films.

Apart from the spherical shape, control over other shapes is a technical challenge in synthesis approaches of nanostructures. Here, we studied the effect of grazing angle cross-irradiation Ag thin films for the nanostructures evolution from a top-down approach. Ag thin films of different thicknesses were deposited on Si (100) and glass substrates by electron beam evaporation system and subsequently irradiated at grazing angle ions by 80 keV Ar in two steps (to induce effectively a cross-ion irradiation).

Hierarchical Internal Structures in Gelatin-Bovine Serum Albumin/β-Lactoglobulin Gels and Coacervates.

Herein, we report the comparative study of gels and complex coacervates of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and beta-lactoglobulin (β-Lg) with gelatin close to their common pI. Surface patch binding produced a range of new soft matter phases (interpolymer complexes) such as opaque coacervates (charge neutralized complexes) and transparent gels (overcharged complexes). We emphasize on the comparative study of the microstructure of coacervates and gels formed at different mixing ratios using small angle scattering (SANS) data.

Mesoporous polyaniline nanofiber decorated graphene micro-flowers for enzyme-less cholesterol biosensors.

In the present work, we have studied a nanocomposite of polyaniline nanofiber-graphene microflowers (PANInf-GMF), prepared by an in situ rapid mixing polymerization method. The structural and morphological studies of the nanocomposite (PANInf-GMF) were carried out by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy. The mesoporous, nanofibrous and microflower structures were observed by scanning electron microscopy.

Topography evolution of 500 keV Ar(4+) ion beam irradiated InP(100) surfaces - formation of self-organized In-rich nano-dots and scaling laws.

We report the formation of self-organized nano-dots on the surface of InP(100) upon irradiating it with a 500 keV Ar(4+) ion beam. The irradiation was carried out at an angle of 25° with respect to the normal at the surface with 5 different fluences ranging from 1.0 × 10(15) to 1.

Formation of nanowires via single particle-triggered linear polymerization of solid-state aromatic molecules.

Nanowires occupy a prestigious place in nanoelectronics, nanomechanics, and biomimetics. Although there are notable methods to grow nanowires via self-assembly, there is a key drawback in the need to find out the specific conditions appropriate for each system. In this sense, universal techniques to fabricate such nanowires from various organic materials have been sought for the continued progress of the related research field.

Influence of Structure, Charge, and Concentration on the Pectin-Calcium-Surfactant Complexes.

Polymer-surfactant complex formation of pectin with different types of surfactants, cationic (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, CTAB and dodecyl trimethylammonium bromide, DTAB), anionic (sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS), and neutral (Triton X-100, TX-100), was investigated at room temperature in the presence and absence of cross-linker calcium chloride using light scattering, zeta potential, rheology, and UV-vis spectroscopic measurements where the surfactant concentration was maintained below their critical micellar concentration (CMC). Results indicated that the interaction of cationic surfactant with pectin in the presence and absence of calcium chloride was much stronger compared to anionic and neutral surfactants. The neutral surfactant showed identifiable interaction despite the absence of any charged headgroup, while anionic surfactant showed feeble or very weak interaction with the polymer.

Physicochemical, thermal and pasting characteristics of gamma irradiated rice starches.

Starches isolated from two recently released rice cultivars (PR 121 and PR 116) grown in sub-tropical climates of Punjab, India were subjected to gamma irradiation at 0, 2, and 10 kGy doses using a Co(60) irradiator source. Physicochemical, thermal, pasting, and morphological properties were studied. Irradiation resulted in a significant decrease in apparent amylose content, swelling power and pasting properties.

Comparison of thermoluminescence characteristics in γ-ray and C(5+) ion beam-irradiated LiCaAlF6 :Ce phosphor.

We compare the thermoluminescence (TL) behavior of Ce(3+) ion-activated LiCaAlF6 exposed to γ-rays and a carbon ion beam. The reported phosphor is synthesized using an in-house precipitation method with varying concentrations of activator ion and is characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and TL. Rietveld refinement is performed to study the structural statistics.

Electronic structure modification and Fermi level shifting in niobium-doped anatase titanium dioxide thin films: a comparative study of NEXAFS, work function and stiffening of phonons.

The electronic structure and tuning of work function (WF) by electronic excitations (EEs) induced by swift heavy ions (SHIs) in anatase niobium-doped titanium dioxide (NTO) thin films is reported. The densities of EEs were varied using 80 MeV O, 130 MeV Ni and 120 MeV Ag ions for irradiation. The EE-induced modifications in electronic structure were studied by O K-edge and Ti L3,2 edge absorption spectra using near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy.

Development of intelligent instruments with embedded HTTP servers for control and data acquisition in a cryogenic setup--The hardware, firmware, and software implementation.

The power of Ethernet for control and automation technology is being largely understood by the automation industry in recent times. Ethernet with HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is one of the most widely accepted communication standards today. Ethernet is best known for being able to control through internet from anywhere in the globe.

Optical and surface enhanced Raman scattering properties of Au nanoparticles embedded in and located on a carbonaceous matrix.

Au nanoparticles (NPs) on the surface and embedded in a matrix have been the subject of studies dealing with a variety of spectroscopic and sensing applications. Here, we report on low energy Ar ion induced evolution of the morphology of a thin Au film on a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate along with thermodynamic interpretations, and corresponding unique surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and photoluminescence (PL) properties. These properties are linked to the variation of surface nanostructures and the surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) effect of methyl orange (MO) dye molecules adsorbed on the surface.

Characterization of microstructure, viscoelasticity, heterogeneity and ergodicity in pectin-laponite-CTAB-calcium nanocomposite hydrogels.

In order to customize the viscoelastic properties of pectin gels, it is necessary to work on a composite platform. Herein, the gelation kinetics, and viscoelastic characterization of anionic polysaccharide pectin dispersion prepared in presence of nanoclay laponite are reported using dynamic light scattering and rheology measurements. The ratio Rg/Rh (Rg and Rh are radius of gyration and hydrodynamic radius respectively) determined from light scattering data revealed the presence of random coils of pectin chains inside the gel matrix.

Synthesis characterization and luminescence studies of gamma irradiated nanocrystalline yttrium oxide.

Nanocrystalline Y2O3 is synthesized by solution combustion technique using urea and glycine as fuels. X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of as prepared sample shows amorphous nature while annealed samples show cubic nature. The average crystallite size is calculated using Scherrer's formula and is found to be in the range 14-30 nm for samples synthesized using urea and 15-20 nm for samples synthesized using glycine respectively.

Density functional investigation and some optical experiments on dye-sensitized quantum dots.

Dye-sensitized quantum dots (QDs) are promising candidates for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Here, we report steady state (absorption and photoluminescence) optical measurements on several sizes of CdS QDs ligated with Coumarin 343 dye (C-343) and two different solvents, viz., chloroform and toluene.

Internal structure and thermo-viscoelastic properties of agar ionogels.

Ionic liquids (IL) can alter the physical properties of agar hydrogels. Rheology studies show that gels with wide range of storage moduli (gel strength) G0 values ranging from 1 to 20 KPa could be made in imidazolium based IL solutions where the IL concentration may not exceed 5% (w/v). Gelation and gel melting temperatures (tgel and Tm) could be altered by as much as ≈ 10 °C.

Phase evolution and electrical properties of Co-Sb alloys fabricated from Co/Sb bilayers by thermal annealing and ion beam mixing.

An investigation was carried out to understand the phase evolution and study the structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties of Co-Sb alloys fabricated by two different approaches: (a) thermal annealing and (b) ion-beam mixing followed by post annealing. The as-deposited and 100 MeV Ag ion beam irradiated Co/Sb bilayer thin films were subjected to thermal annealing from 200 to 400 °C for 1 hour. The Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) results showed partial mixing for the thermally annealed films and complete mixing for the irradiated and post annealed films at 400 °C.