Exploring the role of oxygen vacancies on the magnetic and electromagnetic absorption properties of La3+-modified M-type hexaferrite with Al3+doping.

The demand for effective microwave-absorbing materials has recently surged due to rapid advancements in electromagnetic (EM) devices. Recently, engineering oxygen vacancies has also become one of the effective ways to develop efficient microwave-absorbing materials. So, understanding the EM absorption mechanism of these materials has become crucial for better engineering of such materials. This article investigates the magnetic properties along with the EM absorption mechanism of M-type hexaferrite, with optimal incorporation of rare-earth element La3+and doping of transition metal Al3+cation. The presence of La3+ions at an optimal level promotes the reduction of Fe3+to Fe2+cations and creating oxygen vacancies to offset the electrical charge imbalance. This phenomenon impacts both the magnetic and EM characteristics of the materials. The presence of Fe2+cations enhanced the spin-orbital interaction, resulting in a strong magnetic anisotropy field along thec-axis. The lowest reflection loss of -36.37 dB at 14.19 GHz, is observed with a bandwidth of 3.61 GHz below -10 dB forx= 0.6. These microwave absorption properties can be attributed to the adequate compensation between dielectric and magnetic losses, which arise from phenomena like dielectric relaxation, magnetic resonance, and conduction loss due to electron hopping between Fe3+and Fe2+with proper incorporation of the attenuating constant and excellent impedance matching, along with microstructure of the materials. Furthermore, the material's exceptional absorption properties are also influenced by the rapid movement of oxygen vacancies from its interior to its surface when exposed to high frequencies, thereby impacting its conductivity. Therefore, it is believed that the regulation of oxygen vacancies can serve as a versatile strategy for developing materials with efficient microwave-absorbing capabilities.

Exploring Multifunctional Response of Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2-K0.5Na0.5NbO3 Ceramic Composite for Biomedical Applications.

This study focuses on investigating the intriguing properties of Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2 (HAP)-K0.5Na0.5NbO3 (KNN) bioceramic composites, seeking to elucidate the relationship between their structural, electrical, biological, and optical behavior. The article begins with a close inspection of the O 1s spectra of the specimens obtained from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The spectra reveal the peak related to lattice oxygen, O vacancy and the surface adsorbed O. The formed O vacancy strongly influences the changes in lattice parameters as observed from the X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns. The frequency variation of the dielectric response for the composites in the radio frequency (RF) regime has electrical polarization effective for biomedical applications. Nyquist plots along with equivalent RC circuits further confirm that those electrical responses are mainly contributed from the grain boundaries. Adsorption dynamics of protein on the ceramic surface are investigated using bovine serum albumin (BSA), which established the major role of electrostatic interaction. Surface charge and O vacancies are modeled to understand the adsorption of protein and a linear correlation is reported. The role of O vacancies in modulating adsorption dynamics adds a new dimension to this study. The conformational change of BSA has also been considered by constructing the secondary structure following the protein-ceramic interaction. Excitingly, the composites are also found to be fluorescent active, a courtesy of the defects and vacancies leading to electron-hole recombination in the forbidden region. These promising properties envision an exciting future for HAP-KNN composites, especially in the domain of bioimaging and bone-tissue engineering.

Microstructural, electrical and biological activity in [Formula: see text] ceramic composites designed for tissue engineering applications.

The article investigates electrically active ceramic composite of [Formula: see text] (HAP) and [Formula: see text] (BST) for biomedical applications. The study is a systematic blend of the materials science aspect of composites with a special focus on the dielectric and biological properties and their relationships. The article emphasized primarily extracting the dielectric constant ([Formula: see text] of the specimens (that lay in the range of 3-65) and related them to microstructural properties like the grain size and at.% of BST. A broad outlook on the importance of [Formula: see text] in determining the suitability of bioceramics for clinical applications is presented. Bioactivity analysis of the specimens led to probing the surface charges (that were negative), and it was found crucial to the growth of dense apatite layers. Furthermore, the cytocompatibility of the specimens displayed cell viability above 100% for Day 1, which increased substantially for Day 3. To reveal other biological properties of the composites, protein adsorption studies using bovine serum albumin (BSA) and fetal bovine serum (FBS) was carried out. Electrostatic interactions govern the adsorption, and the mathematical dependence on surface charges is linear. The protein adsorption is also linearly correlated with the [Formula: see text], intrinsic to the biomaterials. We delve deeper into protein-biomaterials interactions by considering the evolution of the secondary structure of BSA adsorbed into the specimens. Based on the investigations, 20 at.% HAP-80 at.% BST (20H-80B) was established as a suitable composite comprising the desired features of HAP and BST. Such explorations of electrical and biological properties are interesting for modulating the behavior of bioceramic composites. The results project the suitability of 20H-80B for designing electrically active smart scaffolds for the proposed biomedical applications and are expected to incite further clinical trials.

Variable Range Hopping in SrTiO3-Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2 Bio-Ceramic Composites.

We investigate the electrical properties in ceramics, focusing primarily on the conductivity mechanisms crucial to bio-electrets' service life. A biocompatible ceramic composite of varying concentrations of SrTiO3 (ST) and Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2 (HAP) is developed. By X-ray diffraction, we establish the microstructural and phase evolution of the bio-composites. The crystallite sizes are found to increase with the increasing concentration of ST in the composites. The composites' micrograph reveals the presence of pores, and the grain sizes calculated from it are found to follow a trend similar to the crystallite size. The conduction mechanisms in the composites are studied to explore the composites' electrical properties from the perspective of biological applications. The conductivity is very low (≃10-8 S/cm), and the porous structure of the composites revealed from the micrographs is one of the factors for such low conductivity. From a plethora of conduction mechanisms, Motts' variable range hopping (VRH) conduction is projected as the most appropriate mechanism that appropriately describes the conduction process in the composites. Motts' VRH is also related to the polarization mechanism associated with the development of electrets. Our study points toward the practical potential of applying the designed bio-composites in generating bio-electrets or understanding the electrical properties that are at the forefront of research in designing electro-active smart scaffolds for bone tissue engineering applications.

Impedance Spectroscopy and ac Conductivity in Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3-Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2 Ceramic Composites: An Electrical Approach to Unveil Biocomposites.

We report bioceramic composites of varying concentrations of Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 (BST) and Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2 (HAP) for the analysis of electrical properties. The motivation is to predict the suitability of the composites for bio-electrets or the practical possibility in designing electro-active scaffolds. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) are used to analyze the microstructural evolution of the composites. A systematic variation in the grain and crystallite sizes is noticed from the FESEM and XRD, along with the presence of Sr5(PO4)3(OH) (SAP). The temperature and frequency variations of the dielectric properties of the composites are studied. Modeling of the dielectric properties with the microstructural properties and at. % of the monolith BST is presented. Cole-Cole formalism is adopted to model the electrical behavior of the synthesized composites. Furthermore, the ac conductivity analysis reveals that Mott's variable range hopping (VRH) conduction is the most appropriate formalism that successfully describes the conduction process. The established Mott's VRH is also related to the polarization mechanisms active in the specimens. Our study projects a correlation between the electrical and biological properties by predicting the protein adsorption behavior from the perspective of impedance spectroscopy.