Ultralow Catalytic Loading for Optimised Electrocatalytic Performance of AuPt Nanoparticles to Produce Hydrogen and Ammonia.

The hydrogen evolution and nitrite reduction reactions are key to producing green hydrogen and ammonia. Antenna-reactor nanoparticles hold promise to improve the performances of these transformations under visible-light excitation, by combining plasmonic and catalytic materials. However, current materials involve compromising either on the catalytic activity or the plasmonic enhancement and also lack control of reaction selectivity. Here, we demonstrate that ultralow loadings and non-uniform surface segregation of the catalytic component optimize catalytic activity and selectivity under visible-light irradiation. Taking Pt-Au as an example we find that fine-tuning the Pt content produces a 6-fold increase in the hydrogen evolution compared to commercial Pt/C as well as a 6.5-fold increase in the nitrite reduction and a 2.5-fold increase in the selectivity for producing ammonia under visible light excitation relative to dark conditions. Density functional theory suggests that the catalytic reactions are accelerated by the intimate contact between nanoscale Pt-rich and Au-rich regions at the surface, which facilitates the formation of electron-rich hot-carrier puddles associated with the Pt-based active sites. The results provide exciting opportunities to design new materials with improved photocatalytic performance for sustainable energy applications.

Monocyte Differentiation on Atomic Layer-Deposited (ALD) Hydroxyapatite Coating on Titanium Substrate.

Hydroxyapatite (HA; Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2) coating of bone implants has many beneficial properties as it improves osseointegration and eventually becomes degraded and replaced with new bone. We prepared HA coating on a titanium substrate with atomic layer deposition (ALD) and compared monocyte differentiation and material resorption between ALD-HA and bone. After stimulation with macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) and receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL), human peripheral blood monocytes differentiated into resorbing osteoclasts on bovine bone, but non-resorbing foreign body cells were observed on ALD-HA. The analysis of the topography of ALD-HA and bone showed no differences in wettability (water contact angle on ALD-HA 86.2° vs. 86.7° on the bone), but the surface roughness of ALD-HA (Ra 0.713 µm) was significantly lower compared to bone (Ra 2.30 µm). The cellular reaction observed on ALD-HA might be a consequence of the topographical properties of the coating. The absence of resorptive osteoclasts on ALD-HA might indicate inhibition of their differentiation or the need to modify the coating to induce osteoclast differentiation.

Silicon oxide-niobium oxide mixture films and nanolaminates grown by atomic layer deposition from niobium pentaethoxide and hexakis(ethylamino) disilane.

Amorphous SiO2-Nb2O5 nanolaminates and mixture films were grown by atomic layer deposition. The films were grown at 300 °C from Nb(OC2H5)5, Si2(NHC2H5)6, and O3 to thicknesses ranging from 13 to 130 nm. The niobium to silicon atomic ratio was varied in the range of 0.11-7.20. After optimizing the composition, resistive switching properties could be observed in the form of characteristic current-voltage behavior. Switching parameters in the conventional regime were well defined only in a SiO2:Nb2O5 mixture at certain, optimized, composition with Nb:Si atomic ratio of 0.13, whereas low-reading voltage measurements allowed recording memory effects in a wider composition range.

Fully Automated Online Dynamic In-Tube Extraction for Continuous Sampling of Volatile Organic Compounds in Air.

Comprehensive and time-dependent information (e.g., chemical composition, concentration) of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in atmospheric, indoor, and breath air is essential to understand the fundamental science of the atmosphere, air quality, and diseases diagnostic. Here, we introduced a fully automated online dynamic in-tube extraction (ITEX)-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) method for continuous and quantitative monitoring of VOCs in air. In this approach, modified Cycle Composer software and a PAL autosampler controlled and operated the ITEX preconditioning, internal standard (ISTD) addition, air sampling, and ITEX desorption sequentially to enable full automation. Air flow passed through the ITEX with the help of an external pump, instead of plunger up-down strokes, to allow larger sampling volumes, exhaustive extraction, and consequently lower detection limits. Further, in order to evaluate the ITEX system stability and to develop the corresponding quantitative ITEX method, two laboratory-made permeation systems (for standard VOCs and ISTD) were constructed. The stability and suitability of the developed system was validated with a consecutive 19 day atmospheric air campaign under automation. By using an electrospun polyacrylonitrile nanofibers packed ITEX, selective extraction of some VOCs and durability of over 1500 extraction and desorption cycles were achieved. Especially, the latter step is critically important for on-site long-term application at remote regions. This ITEX method provided 2-3 magnitudes lower quantitation limits than the headspace dynamic ITEX method and other needle trap methods. Our results proved the excellence of the fully automated online dynamic ITEX-GC/MS system for tracking VOCs in the atmospheric air.

Low-Temperature Wafer-Scale Deposition of Continuous 2D SnS2 Films.

Semiconducting 2D materials, such as SnS2 , hold immense potential for many applications ranging from electronics to catalysis. However, deposition of few-layer SnS2 films has remained a great challenge. Herein, continuous wafer-scale 2D SnS2 films with accurately controlled thickness (2 to 10 monolayers) are realized by combining a new atomic layer deposition process with low-temperature (250 °C) postdeposition annealing. Uniform coating of large-area and 3D substrates is demonstrated owing to the unique self-limiting growth mechanism of atomic layer deposition. Detailed characterization confirms the 1T-type crystal structure and composition, smoothness, and continuity of the SnS2 films. A two-stage deposition process is also introduced to improve the texture of the films. Successful deposition of continuous, high-quality SnS2 films at low temperatures constitutes a crucial step toward various applications of 2D semiconductors.

Metal oxide multilayer hard mask system for 3D nanofabrication.

We demonstrate the preparation and exploitation of multilayer metal oxide hard masks for lithography and 3D nanofabrication. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) and focused ion beam (FIB) technologies are applied for mask deposition and mask patterning, respectively. A combination of ALD and FIB was used and a patterning procedure was developed to avoid the ion beam defects commonly met when using FIB alone for microfabrication. ALD grown Al2O3/Ta2O5/Al2O3 thin film stacks were FIB milled with 30 keV gallium ions and chemically etched in 5% tetramethylammonium hydroxide at 50 °C. With metal evaporation, multilayers consisting of amorphous oxides Al2O3 and Ta2O5 can be tailored for use in 2D lift-off processing, in preparation of embedded sub-100 nm metal lines and for multilevel electrical contacts. Good pattern transfer was achieved by lift-off process from the 2D hard mask for micro- and nano-scaled fabrication. As a demonstration of the applicability of this method to 3D structures, self-supporting 3D Ta2O5 masks were made from a film stack on gold particles. Finally, thin film resistors were fabricated by utilizing controlled stiction of suspended Ta2O5 structures.

Adhesion and mechanical properties of nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite coating obtained by conversion of atomic layer-deposited calcium carbonate on titanium substrate.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the mechanical properties of nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite coating by tensile adhesion testing and scratch testing. The coating was manufactured on titanium substrate by converting atomic layer-deposited (ALD) calcium carbonate thin film in dilute phosphate solution. The tensile adhesion testing was performed with hydraulic testing device in accordance with ISO 4624 and ISO 16276-1. Scratch testing was done according to SFS-EN 13523-12 with spherical 10 µm scratching tip. Characterization of the samples was done with light and electron microscopy after which they were stained with alizarin red and the failure modes and loadings were analyzed. The highest obtained tensile adhesion value was 6.71 MPa produced with 4000 ALD cycles, converted to hydroxyapatite in alkaline solution, and annealed for 30 min in 700 °C. The annealing improved the adhesion values by approximately 0.8 MPa, but examining the samples with electron microscopy showed intact coating in both annealed and non-annealed samples. Samples produced with 4000 cycles performed better in testing than 2000 cycle samples, and better adhesion was also achieved with alkaline conversion solution compared to neutral solution.

Rhenium Metal and Rhenium Nitride Thin Films Grown by Atomic Layer Deposition.

Rhenium is both a refractory metal and a noble metal that has attractive properties for various applications. Still, synthesis and applications of rhenium thin films have been limited. We introduce herein the growth of both rhenium metal and rhenium nitride thin films by the technologically important atomic layer deposition (ALD) method over a wide deposition temperature range using fast, simple, and robust surface reactions between rhenium pentachloride and ammonia. Films are grown and characterized for compositions, surface morphologies and roughnesses, crystallinities, and resistivities. Conductive rhenium subnitride films of tunable composition are obtained at deposition temperatures between 275 and 375 °C, whereas pure rhenium metal films grow at 400 °C and above. Even a just 3 nm thick rhenium film is continuous and has a low resistivity of about 90 µΩ cm showing potential for applications for which also other noble metals and refractory metals have been considered.

TiO2 Photocatalysis-DESI-MS Rotating Array Platform for High-Throughput Investigation of Oxidation Reactions.

We present a new high-throughput platform for studying titanium dioxide (TiO2) photocatalytic oxidation reactions by performing reactions on a TiO2-coated surface, followed by direct analysis of oxidation products from the surface by desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (DESI-MS). For this purpose, we coated a round glass wafer with photocatalytically active anatase-phase TiO2 using atomic layer deposition. Approximately 70 aqueous 1 µL samples can be injected onto the rim of the TiO2-coated glass wafer, before the entire wafer is exposed to UV irradiation. After evaporation of water, the oxidation products can be directly analyzed from the sample spots by DESI-MS, using a commercial rotating sample platform. The method was shown to provide fast photocatalytic oxidation reactions and analysis with throughput of about four samples per minute. The feasibility of the method was examined for mimicking phase I metabolism reactions of amodiaquine, buspirone and verapamil. Their main photocatalytic reaction products were mostly similar to the products observed earlier in TiO2 photocatalysis and in in vitro phase I metabolism assays performed using human liver microsomes.

Nucleation and Conformality of Iridium and Iridium Oxide Thin Films Grown by Atomic Layer Deposition.

Nucleation and conformality are important issues, when depositing thin films for demanding applications. In this study, iridium and iridium dioxide (IrO2) films were deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD), using five different processes. Different reactants, namely, O2, air, consecutive O2 and H2 (O2 + H2), and consecutive O3 and H2 (O3 + H2) pulses were used with iridium acetylacetonate [Ir(acac)3] to deposit Ir, while IrO2 was deposited using Ir(acac)3 and O3. Nucleation was studied using a combination of methods for film thickness and morphology evaluation. In conformality studies, microscopic lateral high-aspect-ratio (LHAR) test structures, specifically designed for accurate and versatile conformality testing of ALD films, were used. The order of nucleation, from the fastest to the slowest, was O2 + H2 > air ≈ O2 > O3 > O3 + H2, whereas the order of conformality, from the best to the worst, was O3 + H2 > O2 + H2 > O2 > O3. In the O3 process, a change in film composition from IrO2 to metallic Ir was seen inside the LHAR structures. Compared to the previous reports on ALD of platinum-group metals, most of the studied processes showed good to excellent results.

High resolution double-sided diffractive optics for hard X-ray microscopy.

The fabrication of high aspect ratio metallic nanostructures is crucial for the production of efficient diffractive X-ray optics in the hard X-ray range. We present a novel method to increase their structure height via the double-sided patterning of the support membrane. In transmission, the two Fresnel zone plates on the two sides of the substrate will act as a single zone plate with added structure height. The presented double-sided zone plates with 30 nm smallest zone width offer up to 9.9% focusing efficiency at 9 keV, that results in a factor of two improvement over their previously demonstrated single-sided counterparts. The increase in efficiency paves the way to speed up X-ray microscopy measurements and allows the more efficient utilization of the flux in full-field X-ray microscopy.

Needleless electrospinning with twisted wire spinneret.

A needleless electrospinning setup named 'Needleless Twisted Wire Electrospinning' was developed. The polymer solution is electrospun from the surface of a twisted wire set to a high voltage and collected on a cylindrical collector around the wire. Multiple Taylor cones are simultaneously self-formed on the downward flowing solution. The system is robust and simple with no moving parts aside from the syringe pump used to transport the solution to the top of the wire. The structure and process parameters of the setup and the results on the preparation of polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), hydroxyapatite (HA) and bioglass fibers with the setup are presented. PVP fiber sheets with areas of 40 × 120 cm(2) and masses up to 1.15 g were prepared. High production rates of 5.23 g h(-1) and 1.40 g h(-1) were achieved for PVP and HA respectively. The major limiting factor of the setup is drying of the polymer solution on the wire during the electrospinning process which will eventually force to interrupt the process for cleaning of the wire. Possible solutions to this problem and other ways to develop the setup are discussed. The presented system provides a simple way to increase the production rate and area of fiber sheet as compared with the conventional needle electrospinning.

Selective etching of focused gallium ion beam implanted regions from silicon as a nanofabrication method.

A focused ion beam (FIB) is otherwise an efficient tool for nanofabrication of silicon structures but it suffers from the poor thermal stability of the milled surfaces caused by segregation of implanted gallium leading to severe surface roughening upon already slight annealing. In this paper we show that selective etching with KOH:H2O2 solutions removes the surface layer with high gallium concentration while blocking etching of the surrounding silicon and silicon below the implanted region. This remedies many of the issues associated with gallium FIB nanofabrication of silicon. After the gallium removal sub-nm surface roughness is retained even during annealing. As the etching step is self-limited to a depth of 25-30 nm for 30 keV ions, it is well suited for defining nanoscale features. In what is essentially a reversal of gallium resistless lithography, local implanted areas can be prepared and then subsequently etched away. Nanopore arrays and sub-100 nm trenches can be prepared this way. When protective oxide masks such as Al2O3 grown with atomic layer deposition are used together with FIB milling and KOH:H2O2 etching, ion-induced amorphization can be confined to sidewalls of milled trenches.

Inert ambient annealing effect on MANOS capacitor memory characteristics.

In this work we report on the influence of nitrogen ambient thermal effects on the performance of Pt/Al2O3/Si3N4/SiO2/Si memory capacitors. Two post deposition annealing (PDA) furnace steps were employed, at 850 and 1050 °C both for 15 min. The alumina films were deposited by atomic layer deposition using TMA/H2O at 250 °C. The structural characteristics of the stacks were evaluated by transmission electron microscopy and x-ray reflectivity measurements. The memory performance of the stacks was evaluated by write/erase and erase/write measurements, endurance and retention testing. It was found that in as-deposited state the Al2O3 layer is defective resulting in strong leakage currents, controlled by deep defects states. Thus, this behavior inhibits the memory functionality of the stacks. PDA crystallizes and condenses the Al2O3 transforming the layer from amorphous to polycrystalline. During this transformation the Al2O3 electrical quality improves greatly indicating that a significant number of these deep defects have been removed during annealing. Physical reasoning implies that the most plausible origin of these deep defects is hydrogen. However, the polycrystalline Al2O3 films showed inferior retention characteristics which are attributed to grain boundary related shallow defects. The findings of this work could pave the way for more efficient annealing schemes, in which an important factor is the time interval for hydrogen out-diffusion from the Al2O3 layer.

Atomic layer deposition and characterization of Bi2Te3 thin films.

Bi2Te3 thin films were deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) from BiCl3 and (Et3Si)2Te at 160-300 °C. The process was studied in detail, and growth properties typical of ALD were verified. Films were stoichiometric with low impurity content. The film thickness was easily controlled with the number of deposition cycles. Properties of the ALD Bi2Te3 thin films were found to be comparable to those reported in literature for Bi2Te3 films made by other methods. Films crystallized to a rhombohedral phase, and there was a preferred orientation to the growth. Electrical and thermoelectric properties were also determined to be comparable to literature values.

Atomic layer deposition, characterization, and growth mechanistic studies of TiO2 thin films.

Two heteroleptic titanium precursors were investigated for the atomic layer deposition (ALD) of titanium dioxide using ozone as the oxygen source. The precursors, titanium (N,N'-diisopropylacetamidinate)tris(isopropoxide) (Ti(O(i)Pr)3(N(i)Pr-Me-amd)) and titanium bis(dimethylamide)bis(isopropoxide) (Ti(NMe2)2(O(i)Pr)2), exhibit self-limiting growth behavior up to a maximum temperature of 325 °C. Ti(NMe2)2(O(i)Pr)2 displays an excellent growth rate of 0.9 Å/cycle at 325 °C while the growth rate of Ti(O(i)Pr)3(N(i)Pr-Me-amd) is 0.3 Å/cycle at the same temperature. In the temperature range of 275-325 °C, both precursors deposit titanium dioxide in the anatase phase. In the case of Ti(NMe2)2(O(i)Pr)2, high-temperature X-ray diffraction (HTXRD) studies reveal a thickness-dependent phase change from anatase to rutile at 875-975 °C. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicates that the films have high purity and are close to the stoichiometric composition. Reaction mechanisms taking place during the ALD process were studied in situ with quadrupole mass spectrometry (QMS) and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM).

Combining focused ion beam and atomic layer deposition in nanostructure fabrication.

Combining the strengths of atomic layer deposition (ALD) with focused ion beam (FIB) milling provides new opportunities for making 3D nanostructures with flexible choice of materials. Such structures are of interest in prototyping microelectronic and MEMS devices which utilize ALD grown thin films. As-milled silicon structures suffer from segregation and roughening upon heating, however. ALD processes are typically performed at 200-500 °C, which makes thermal stability of the milled structures a critical issue. In this work Si substrates were milled with different gallium ion beam incident angles and then annealed at 250 °C. The amount of implanted gallium was found to rapidly decrease with increasing incident angle with respect of surface normal, which therefore improves the thermal stability of the milled features. 60° incident angle was found as the best compromise with respect to thermal stability and ease of milling. ALD Al2O3 growth at 250 °C on the gallium FIB milled silicon was possible in all cases, even when segregation was taking place. ALD Al2O3 could be used both for creating a chemically uniform surface and for controlled narrowing of FIB milled trenches.

Atomic Layer Deposition of ScF3 and ScxAlyFz Thin Films.

In this paper, we present an ALD process for ScF3 using Sc(thd)3 and NH4F as precursors. This is the first material made by ALD that has a negative thermal expansion over a wide-temperature range. Crystalline films were obtained at the deposition temperatures of 250-375 °C, with a growth per cycle (GPC) increasing along the deposition temperature from 0.16 to 0.23 Å. Saturation of the GPC with respect to precursor pulses and purges was studied at 300 °C. Saturation was achieved with Sc(thd)3, whereas soft saturation was achieved with NH4F. The thickness of the films grows linearly with the number of applied ALD cycles. The F/Sc ratio is 2.9:3.1 as measured by ToF-ERDA. The main impurity is hydrogen with a maximum content of 3.0 at %. Also carbon and oxygen impurities were found in the films with maximum contents of 0.5 and 1.6 at %. The ScF3 process was also combined with an ALD AlF3 process to deposit ScxAlyFz films. In the AlF3 process, AlCl3 and NH4F were used as precursors. It was possible to modify the thermal expansion properties of ScF3 by Al3+ addition. The ScF3 films shrink upon annealing, whereas the ScxAlyFz films show thermal expansion, as measured with HTXRD. The thermal expansion becomes more pronounced as the Al content in the film is increased.

Au@AuPd Core-Alloyed Shell Nanoparticles for Enhanced Electrocatalytic Activity and Selectivity under Visible Light Excitation.

Plasmonic catalysis has been employed to enhance molecular transformations under visible light excitation, leveraging the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) in plasmonic nanoparticles. While plasmonic catalysis has been employed for accelerating reaction rates, achieving control over the reaction selectivity has remained a challenge. In addition, the incorporation of catalytic components into traditional plasmonic-catalytic antenna-reactor nanoparticles often leads to a decrease in optical absorption. To address these issues, this study focuses on the synthesis of bimetallic core@shell Au@AuPd nanoparticles (NPs) with ultralow loadings of palladium (Pd) into gold (Au) NPs. The goal is to achieve NPs with an Au core and a dilute alloyed shell containing both Au and Pd, with a low Pd content of around 10 atom %. By employing the (photo)electrocatalytic nitrite reduction reaction (NO2RR) as a model transformation, experimental and theoretical analyses show that this design enables enhanced catalytic activity and selectivity under visible light illumination. We found that the optimized Pd distribution in the alloyed shell allowed for stronger interaction with key adsorbed species, leading to improved catalytic activity and selectivity, both under no illumination and under visible light excitation conditions. The findings provide valuable insights for the rational design of antenna-reactor plasmonic-catalytic NPs with controlled activities and selectivity under visible light irradiation, addressing critical challenges to enable sustainable molecular transformations.

Programming nanostructured soft biological surfaces by atomic layer deposition.

Here, we present the first successful attempt to programme the surface properties of nanostructured soft biological tissues by atomic layer deposition (ALD). The nanopatterned surface of lotus leaf was tuned by 3-125 nm TiO2 thin films. The lotus/TiO2 composites were studied by SEM-EDX, XPS, Raman, TG-DTA, XRR, water contact angle and photocatalysis measurements. While we could preserve the superhydrophobic feature of lotus, we managed to add a new property, i.e. photocatalytic activity. We also explored how surface passivation treatments and various ALD precursors affect the stability of the sensitive soft biological tissues. As we were able to gradually change the number of nanopatterns of lotus, we gained new insight into how the hollow organic nanotubes on the surface of lotus influence its superhydrophobic feature.