Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics最新文献

Research in material science constantly strive to look for new materials or improve properties in the existing materials, which can lead to evolution in the devices. Compounds with double perovskite structures are some of the most studied materials for potential technological applications, primarily due to their exceptional flexibility in structure and composition. Among them, Y₂CoMnO₆ stands out due to its potential applicability in the devices as it exhibits multiferroic behavior in the vicinity of liquid nitrogen temperature. However, many conflicting reports in literature pertaining to variation in magnetic and other physical properties have been observed. These variations are majorly caused by choice of initial precursors, synthesis methods and annealing conditions. Here in this report, we emphasized synthesizing the title compound in phase pure form by optimizing synthesis parameters in solid state reaction method. The prepared compound in polycrystalline form was subjected to thorough x-ray and neutron diffraction investigation to ascertain phase purity. Which were further corroborated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and Raman study. Detailed magnetization study on this phase pure Y₂CoMnO₆ compound was carried out. The combined results from temperature dependent bulk magnetization and neutron diffraction study clearly indicate that Y₂CoMnO₆ undergoes ferromagnetic ordering occurring near 80 K. The isothermal magnetization measured below transition temperature depicts existence of significant magneto crystalline anisotropy, evident from the large coercive field ~ 16.5 kOe at 3 K. Anisotropy power-law analysis suggest the value of exponent n ≈ 2.7, which further suggests that anisotropy is uniaxial in nature, which has not been reported earlier for title compound. In addition, Co/Mn antisite disorder (~ 10–12%) was also observed which collectively define the unique magnetic characteristics of Y₂CoMnO₆. The title compound was further characterized for temperature dependent evolution of microscopic parameters viz. bond distances and bond angles, obtained from comprehensive x-ray, neutron diffraction. In this study, optimized synthesis parameters were achieved for obtaining phase pure compound which was thoroughly investigated from perspective of tuning physical and structural properties.

Traditional metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) methane sensors rely on high-temperature thermal excitation to drive reactions, leading to safety hazards and poor device stability. Replacing thermal excitation with ultraviolet (UV) light excitation has been proposed as an effective strategy to mitigate these issues. However, current research on UV light excitation primarily focuses on the UVA–UVC bands, with limited studies on higher-energy vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) excitation. To address this research gap, this study innovatively employs 116.5 nm VUV light as the excitation source and constructs a room-temperature methane sensor using a Pt–ZnSnO₃–rGO (reduced graphene oxide) ternary composite material as the sensing layer. The performance of the resulting sensor was systematically evaluated, along with an in-depth elucidation of its sensing mechanism. The experimental results indicate that the fabricated sensor exhibits excellent performance at room temperature, with a response value of 58.1% toward 5000 ppm methane, a response time of 101 s, and a recovery time of 104 s. Additionally, it demonstrates satisfactory repeatability and excellent selectivity. Through material characterization and mechanism analysis, a novel synergistic catalytic mechanism under VUV illumination is revealed: the VUV light directly activates CH₄ and excites the semiconductor material; Pt catalyzes the reaction efficiently with the aid of VUV light; and rGO facilitates charge separation and gas diffusion. The synergistic interaction among these three components establishes an effective low-temperature methane catalytic pathway, significantly lowering the reaction energy barrier. This work provides a new direction for the development of room-temperature methane detection.

Supercapacitors have emerged as promising next-generation energy storage systems owing to their ability to deliver high specific capacitance, improved energy density without sacrificing power density, rapid charge–discharge capability, excellent cycling stability, and cost-effectiveness. To address the ongoing demand for efficient electrode materials, a novel ZnZr₂O₄ electrode material was synthesized via a conventional sol–gel method. The prepared ZnZr₂O₄ was characterized by various techniques such as X-ray diffraction with Rietveld refinement, FTIR, FESEM, EDX, and BET surface area analysis. XRD confirmed the formation of a single orthorhombic spinel phase, while FTIR spectra revealed Zn–O and Zr-O-Zr vibrational modes, indicating successful spinel formation. Morphological studies showed nano to microscale lumpy grains with an average particle size of 27 nm, and EDX mapping confirmed uniform distribution of Zn, Zr, and O elements. Electrochemical investigations revealed predominantly diffusion-controlled charge storage, and ZnZr₂O₄ exhibited a specific capacitance of 144 F g⁻¹ at 0.7 A g⁻¹ in a three-electrode setup (1 M KOH). Furthermore, an asymmetric supercapacitor device was assembled using ZnZr₂O₄ (positive electrode), Carbon C72 (negative electrode), and PVA-KOH gel electrolyte. The device operated efficiently within a 2.1 V potential window, delivering a specific capacitance of 57.14 F/g at 0.35 A/g, a maximum energy density of 35 Wh/kg at 525 W/kg, and a peak power density of 1350 W/kg. In addition, long-term cycling stability demonstrated 76% capacitance retention after 5000 cycles with 99% coulombic efficiency, confirming ZnZr₂O₄ as a promising electrode material for high-performance supercapacitor applications. This study can serve as a useful reference for developing efficient and cost-effective energy storage devices with strong potential for commercial applications.

The incorporation of molybdenum and niobium into V₂O₅ thin films was investigated to enhance their suitability for transparent oxide structures in optoelectronic applications. The films were deposited at different dopant concentrations (0.01 - 0.02 mol.L⁻¹) from a simple solution growth process, employing two-electrode electrochemical deposition technique. Morphological and structural analyses using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction confirmed polycrystalline growth, dopant-induced refinement, and redistribution of grains. The doped films exhibited tunable optical constants which include refractive index, extinction coefficient, and optical conductivity, depending on dopant type and concentration. These optical characteristics demonstrate that controlled Mo and Nb incorporation can influence photon absorption and light–matter interaction in V₂O₅ thin films, indicating their potential use in next-generation optoelectronic devices.

This study examined the photocatalytic effectiveness of Vanadium-doped  zinc oxide (V-ZnO) nanorods in decomposing chlorobenzene (CB), a persistent hazardous pollutant derived from organochlorine insecticides. The nanorods were rationally designed and fabricated through a hydrothermal process. Zinc nitrate hexahydrate [Zn(NO₃)₂·6H₂O] and ammonium metavanadate (NH₄VO₃) acted as precursors for Zn²⁺ and V⁵⁺, respectively, enabling controlled doping throughout the growth of nanorods. The presence of vanadium was confirmed through surface morphology analysis carried out with SEM and elemental mapping using EDX, which also confirmed the successful fabrication of nanorod structures. CB shows the maximum photocatalytic degradation at optimum pH 5 within 2 h irradiation under UV and visible spectrum. Moreover, the composite containing 10% V-doped ZnO demonstrates the ability to address the issues related to degradation efficiency and photodegradation within the visible spectrum. The enhanced performance results from the synergistic effects of vanadium doping, which alters the band structure, facilitates efficient charge separation, and enhances visible light absorption. This study emphasizes the enormous potential of dopant-engineered ZnO nanostructures for developing efficient photocatalytic systems for environmental remediation.

Metal oxide-based electrochemical sensors have gained significant attention in recent advancements due to their simplicity, cost-effectiveness, portability, and exceptional performance. Their sensitivity, repeatability, stability, and reproducibility make the sensor highly effective for the accurate detection of specific analytes in food safety applications. In this study, a mentha leaf extract-manganese-doped bismuth oxide (M-Mn-doped Bi₂O₃)-modified graphite electrode (GE)-based electrochemical sensor was developed as a sensitive sunset yellow (SY) sensor for food colorant detection. The hydrothermal method was employed to prepare M-Mn-doped Bi₂O₃ nanoparticles. The chemical bonding, crystal structure, elemental content, and morphology of M-Mn-doped Bi₂O₃ nanoparticles were validated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), respectively. A sensing study using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) revealed a linear relation between anodic peak current and SY concentrations from 1 to 5 µM. The maximum current response was achieved within the optimal potential range of − 500 mV to 600 mV at pH 10. The electrochemical sensor exhibited a strong linear relationship between SY concentration and current, with a detection limit (LOD) of 0.72 µM and a quantification limit (LOQ) of 2.41 µM. The correlation coefficient R² is 0.98, and the sensing probe sensitivity is 0.245 μA/μM/cm². The selectivity and real sample analysis were experimented. The real sample analysis for artificial colorants, soft drinks, and candies achieved the recovery percentage between 97.5 and 104%. As a result, the experimental investigation of the M-Mn-doped Bi₂O₃ nanoparticles sensor revealed that it is a promising material for detecting sunset yellow in food safety.

In this study, DyCrO₃ orthochromite was synthesized via the sol–gel method and its structural and optical properties were examined. Rietveld refinement of X-ray diffraction confirmed an orthorhombic structure with the Pbnm space group. UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy revealed a direct optical band gap of about 3.3 eV, together with estimates of the Urbach energy and refractive index. The observed absorption features were further interpreted using crystal field theory to assign the Cr³⁺ electronic transitions. These findings highlight the promising potential of DyCrO₃ as a wide-bandgap perovskite oxide for future optoelectronic applications.

This study presents a novel co-sensitization strategy utilizing carbon dots derived from Alstonia venenata in combination with the N719 dye to enhance the light-harvesting efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The carbon dots were synthesized via a hydrothermal process using an aqueous extract of Alstonia venenata leaves, resulting in a material with broad absorption characteristics. These synthesized carbon dots were then drop-cast onto an N719-sensitized photoanode, leading to improved carrier generation and enhanced device performance. The selection of Alstonia venenata as a precursor is based on its rich phytochemical composition, which contains alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids and phenolic compounds that act as efficient carbon precursors and surface passivation agents. Upon carbonisation, these biomolecules yield functionally active carbon dots that can improve electron transport, minimise charge recombination and enhance dye anchoring at the TiO₂ surface. Carbon dots have demonstrated significant potential as co-sensitizers, offering a highly effective approach to increasing DSSC efficiency. Their strong binding affinity further facilitates efficient photoinduced electron transfer to the photoanode, contributing to improved device functionality. In this research, TiO₂ was employed as the photoanode, while N719 dye and carbon-dot-modified N719 served as sensitizers. Iodolyte HI-30 acted as the electrolyte, and Platisol T/sp functioned as the counter electrode. The unmodified DSSC exhibited a power conversion efficiency of 5.2%, which was enhanced to 6.0% with the incorporation of carbon dots as co-sensitizers. The significant efficiency improvement achieved through this co-sensitization strategy underscores the unique capabilities of carbon dots derived from Alstonia venenata, making this approach a promising advancement toward the development of cost-effective and high-performance DSSCs.

In this study, we fabricated novel silver nanowire/ZnO/MXene (AZM) composite films. Through the synergistic effect of ZnO nanoparticles and MXene, the as-prepared AZM structures exhibited outstanding optoelectronic properties combined with ultralow haze. Benefiting from the synergistic effect of ZnO nanoparticles and MXene, the resistance of the silver nanowires (Ag NWs) was not only effectively reduced but also became more uniform, thus enhancing the optoelectronic figure of merit (FoM). Remarkably, at a wavelength of 550 nm, the AZM films with a single ZnO nanoparticles layer achieved an ultralow haze of only 4.1%, an average transmittance as high as 87.57% in the 400–800 nm range, a sheet resistance of 10.32 Ω/sq, and an impressive FoM of 294.18. Compared with the pristine Ag NWs films, the AZM composite films demonstrates significantly enhanced overall optoelectronic performance, highlighting its great potential for high-performance optoelectronic device applications.

During the reflow soldering process of system-level packing, the soldering temperature must be carefully regulated. This can effectively control the phase composition, interfacial reaction, and shear properties of In–15Pb–5Ag/Au/Ni solder joints. This study aims to explore the influence of soldering temperature on the microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of In–15Pb–5Ag/Au/Ni solder joints. The findings show that as the soldering temperature rises, AgIn₂ inside the solder joint transforms into a mixture with Ag₉In₄. At the same time, Au₃In, Au₇In₃, and Au₃In₂ interfacial phases are formed at the interface with the average grain size and total thickness gradually increases. At 170 ℃, the crystal direction of all phases is concentrated in the highest shear modulus, and the average particle size and thickness of the interfacial phases are 0.9 μm and 1.248 μm, respectively. The shear strength of the solder joint reaches the highest of 19.67 MPa. The fracture pattern of the solder joint changes from interfacial phases/solder composite fracture to internal solder fracture when the soldering temperature rises from 160 to 170 to 180 ℃. The findings about In–15Pb–5Ag solder joints could pave the way for optimizing system-level packing processes and quality, as well as for advancing system-level packing toward high performance.