New photocatalytic materials based on alumina with reduced band gap: A DFT approach to study the band structure and optical properties

In this study, first-principles calculations using Density Functional Theory (DFT) have been conducted, which were carried out using the Vienna Ab initio Simulation Package (VASP) to examine the effect of Tl insertion on electronic and optical properties of the α-Al2O3. Alumina materials are abundant and the main shortcoming of alumina for photocatalyst applications is their large energy band gap and little absorption in the visible region of electromagnetic (EM) radiation. Insertion of transition metals (TM) into semiconductor or insulating materials is a hot approach to improve the absorption behavior of these materials using DFT assessment. In the current work an analysis of the band structure (BS) and the density of states (DOS); comprising both the total density of states (TDOS) as well as the partial density of states (PDOS) were carried out. The BS diagram revealed that various concentrations of Tl insertion into the α-Al2O3 reduced the band gap to 2.38 eV. In the density of state diagram, the band gap energy shifted to lower photon energies with increasing Tl concentrations which supports the BS results. The band gap obtained from the first peak in the imaginary part of dielectric function is close enough to those established from the BS diagram. Distinguished shifting of absorption coefficient to lower photon energy (2.27 eV) reveals the suitability of the doped α-Al2O3 for various applications. The increase of refractive index (n) with increasing of Tl into the α-Al2O3 structure is evidence for the increase of charge, which is a source for polarization and attenuates the velocity of light in a medium. The increase of optical conductivity with photon energy started after band gap values. The reflectance, absorbance and transmittance results indicate that the doped α-Al2O3 is responsive to the visible region of EM radiation while in pure state almost transparent.

Atomistic Investigation of Grain Boundary Fracture in Alumina

Grain boundary (GB) fracture is a major mechanism of material failure in polycrystalline ceramics. However, the intricate atomic arrangements of GBs have impeded our understanding of the atomistic mechanisms of these processes. In this study, we investigated the atomic-scale crack propagation behavior of an α-Al2O3 ∑13 grain boundary, using a combination of in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning TEM. The atomic-scale fracture path along the GB core was directly determined by the observation of the atomic structures of the fractured surfaces, which is consistent with density functional theory calculations. We found that the GB fracture can be attributed to the weaker local bonds and a smaller number of bonds along the fracture path. Our findings provide atomistic insights into the mechanisms of crack propagation along GBs, offering significant implications for GB engineering and the toughening of ceramics.

Shell-Driven Localized Oxide Nanoparticles Determine the Thermal Stability of Microencapsulated Phase Change Material

Not all encapsulation techniques are universally apt for every type of phase change material (PCM), highlighting the imperative for methodological precision. This study addresses the challenges of microencapsulated PCM (MEPCM) arising from the immiscible pairing of α-Al2O3 nanoparticles with Sn microparticles. The high-speed impact blending (HIB) dry synthesis technique is employed, facilitating large-volume production of Sn@α-Al2O3 MEPCMs. The resulting MEPCMs not only seamlessly endure 100 cycles of melting-solidification but also, with the strategic incorporation of a glass frit, exhibit remarkable thermal durability, withstanding up to 1000 melting-solidification cycles. Even under ultrafast thermal fluctuations, the α-Al2O3 shell remained resilient through 100 cycles. A marked reduction in supercooling is observed, which is attributed to the formation of SnO and SnO2 nanoparticles within the α-Al2O3 crystal lattice. The atomically resolved interface dynamics between SnO2 and α-Al2O3 play a pivotal role, lowering the energy barrier for Sn nuclei formation during solidification. This affects the accelerated Sn nucleation rate, effectively suppressing supercooling. Such insights offer a deeper understanding of the interplay between nanoscale crystal lattice imperfections and their implications for energy storage applications.

Deposition of Aluminide Coatings onto AISI 304L Steel for High Temperature Applications

The nickel aluminides are commonly employed as a bond coat material in thermal barrier coating systems for the components of aeroengines operated at very high temperatures. However, their lifetime is limited due to several factors, such as outward diffusion of substrate elements, surface roughness at high temperatures, morphological changes of the oxide layer, etc. For this reason, inter-diffusion migrations were studied in the presence and absence of nickel coating. In addition, a hot corrosion study was also carried out. Thus, on one set of substrates, nickel electrodeposition was carried out, followed by a high activity pack aluminizing process, while another set of substrates were directly aluminized. The microstructural, mechanical, and oxidation properties were examined using different characterization techniques, such as SEM-EDS, optical microscopy, XRD, optical emission spectroscopy, surface roughness (Ra), and adhesion tests. In addition, the variable oxidation temperatures were employed to better understand their influence on the roughness, degree of spallation (DoS), and morphology. The results show that AISI 304L substrates do not respond to aluminizing treatment, i.e., no aluminide coating was formed; rather, a nearly pure aluminum (or alloy) was observed on the substrate. On the contrary, successful formation of an aluminide coating was observed on the nickel-electrodeposited substrates. In particular, a minimum amount of migrations were noted, which is attributed to nickel coating. Moreover, the scratch test at 10 N load revealed neither cracking nor peeling off, thereby indicating good adhesion of the aluminide coating before oxidation. The as-aluminized samples were oxidized between 700 °C to 1100 °C in air for 8 h each. The degree of spallation showed an incremental trend as temperatures increased. Likewise, oxide morphologies showed temperature dependence. On the other hand, average surface roughness (from Ra = 2.3 µm to 5.8 µm) was also increased as temperatures rose. Likewise, the mass gain showed linearity as temperatures increased during oxidation. The hot corrosion responses of electrodeposited-aluminized samples were superior among all specimens. An extensive discussion is presented based on the observations noted above.

Reinforced 3D Composite Structures of γ-, α-Al2O3 with Carbon Nanotubes and Reduced GO Ribbons Printed from Boehmite Gels

The ability of boehmite to form printable inks has sparked interest in the manufacturing of 3D alumina (Al₂O₃) and composite structures by enabling direct ink writing methods while avoiding the use of printing additives. These materials may exhibit high porosity due to the printing and sintering procedures, depending on the intended application. The 3D-printed porous composite structures of γ-Al₂O₃ and α-Al₂O₃ containing 2 wt.% of carbon nanotubes or reduced graphene oxide ribbons were fabricated from boehmite gels, followed by different heat treatments. The reinforcing effect of these carbon nanostructures was evidenced by compression tests carried out on the different alumina structures. A maximum relative increase of 50% in compressive strength was achieved for the γ-Al₂O₃ composite structure reinforced with reduced graphene oxide ribbons, which was also accompanied by an increase in the specific surface area.

Crystal face dependent intrinsic wettability of metal oxide surfaces

Knowledge of intrinsic wettability at solid/liquid interfaces at the molecular level perspective is significant in understanding crucial progress in some fields, such as electrochemistry, molecular biology and earth science. It is generally believed that surface wettability is determined by the surface chemical component and surface topography. However, when taking molecular structures and interactions into consideration, many intriguing phenomena would enrich or even redress our understanding of surface wettability. From the perspective of interfacial water molecule structures, here, we discovered that the intrinsic wettability of crystal metal oxide is not only dependent on the chemical components but also critically dependent on the crystal faces. For example, the [Formula: see text] crystal face of α-Al2O3 is intrinsically hydrophobic with a water contact angle near 90°, while another three crystal faces are intrinsically hydrophilic with water contact angles <65°. Based on surface energy analysis, it is found that the total surface energy, polar component and Lewis base portion of the hydrophobic crystal face are all smaller than the other three hydrophilic crystal faces indicating that they have different surface states. DFT simulation further revealed that the adsorbed interfacial water molecules on each crystal face hold various orientations. Herein, the third crucial factor for surface wettability from the perspective of the molecular level is presented, that is the orientations of adsorbed interfacial water molecules apart from the macro-level chemical component and surface topography. This study may serve as a source of inspiration for improving wetting theoretical models and designing controllable wettability at the molecular/atomic level.

Direct Measurement of Electronic Band Structures at Oxide Grain Boundaries

Grain boundaries (GBs) modulate the macroscopic properties in polycrystalline materials because they have different atomic and electronic structures from the bulk. Despite the progress on the understanding of GB atomic structures, knowledge of the localized electronic band structures is still lacking. Here, we experimentally characterized the atomic structures and the band gaps of four typical GBs in α-Al₂O₃ by scanning transmission electron microscopy and valence electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS). It was found that the band gaps of the GBs are narrowed by 0.5-2.1 eV compared with that of 8.8 eV in the bulk. By combing core-loss EELS with first-principles calculations, we elucidated that the band gap reductions directly correlate with the decrease of the coordination numbers of Al and O ions at the GBs. These results provide in-depth understanding between the local atomic and electronic band structures for GBs and demonstrate a novel electronic-structure analysis for crystalline defects.

Study on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of WC-10Ni3Al Cemented Carbide Prepared by Different Ball-Milling Suspension

In this paper, WC-10Ni₃Al cemented carbides were prepared by the powder metallurgy method, and the effects of ball-milling powders with two different organic solvents on the microstructure and mechanical properties of cemented carbides were studied. We show that the oxygen in the organic solvent can be absorbed into the mixed powders by ball-milling when ethanol (CH₃CH₂OH) is used as a ball-milling suspension. This oxygen leads to the formation of α-Al₂O₃ during sintering, which improves the fracture toughness, due to crack deflection and bridging, while the formation of η-phase (Ni₃W₃C) inhibits the grain growth and increases the hardness. Alternatively, samples milled using cyclohexane (C₆H₁₂) showed grain growth during processing, which led to a decrease in hardness. Therefore, the increase of oxygen content from using organic solvents during milling improves the properties of WC-Ni₃Al composites. The growth of WC grains can be inhibited and the hardness can be improved without loss of toughness by self-generating α-Al₂O₃ and η-phase (Ni₃W₃C).

Te Monolayer-Driven Spontaneous van der Waals Epitaxy of Two-dimensional Pnictogen Chalcogenide Film on Sapphire

Demands on high-quality layer structured two-dimensional (2D) thin films such as pnictogen chalcogenides and transition metal dichalcogenides are growing due to the findings of exotic physical properties and potentials for device applications. However, the difficulties in controlling epitaxial growth and the unclear understanding of van der Waals epitaxy (vdWE) for a 2D chalcogenide film on a three-dimensional (3D) substrate have been major obstacles for the further advances of 2D materials. Here, we exploit the spontaneous vdWE of a high-quality 2D chalcogenide (Bi_0.5Sb_1.5Te₃) film by the chalcogen-driven surface reconstruction of a conventional 3D sapphire substrate. It is verified that the in situ formation of a pseudomorphic Te atomic monolayer on the surface of sapphire, which results in a dangling bond-free surface, allows the spontaneous vdWE of 2D chalcogenide film. Since this route uses the natural surface reconstruction of sapphire with chalcogen under vacuum condition, it can be scalable and easily utilized for the developments of various 2D chalcogenide vdWE films through conventional thin-film fabrication technologies.

Fabrication and Characterization of Single Phase α-Alumina Membranes with Tunable Pore Diameters

Nanoporous and single phase α-alumina membranes with pore diameters tunable over a wide range of approximately 60-350 nm were successfully fabricated by optimizing the conditions for anodizing, subsequent detachment, and heat treatment. The pore diameter increased and the cell diameter shrunk upon crystallization to α-alumina by approximately 20% and 3%, respectively, in accordance with the 23% volume shrinkage resulting from the change in density associated with the transformation from the amorphous state to α-alumina. Nevertheless, flat α-alumina membranes, each with a diameter of 25 mm and a thickness of 50 μm, were obtained without thermal deformation. The α-alumina membranes exhibited high chemical resistance in various concentrated acidic and alkaline solutions as well as when exposed to high temperature steam under pressure. The Young's modulus and hardness of the single phase α-alumina membranes formed by heat treatment at 1250 °C were notably decreased compared to the corresponding amorphous membranes, presumably because of the nodular crystallite structure of the cell walls and the substantial increase in porosity. Furthermore, when used for filtration, the α-alumina membrane exhibited a level of flux higher than that of the commercial ceramic membrane.