Metal-doped magnetite thin films.

This paper investigates magnetite (Fe3O4) thin film containing a small amount of a metal element. The films are prepared by rf sputtering with a composite target of ceramic iron oxide with metal chips. Low-temperature magnetization of magnetite containing 5.3%Ge reveals that the film contains some magnetically weak coupling grains. The metal element Mg reduces both hematite (alpha-Fe2O3) and magnetite, resulting in single-phase wüstite (Fe1-xO). In contrast, adding Ge selectively reduces hematite, while magnetite remains unreactive. According to the free energy of reaction, the element Ge is able to reduce hematite only, whereas the element Mg is capable of reducing both hematite and magnetite. This property is in good agreement with the experiment results.

The Formation Mechanism of Nanocrystals after Martensitic Transformation.

Understanding the ultrafine substructure in freshly formed Fe-C martensite is the key point to reveal the real martensitic transformation mechanism. As-quenched martensite, whose transformation temperature is close to room temperature, has been investigated in detail by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in this study. The observation results revealed that the freshly formed martensite after quenching is actually composed of ultrafine crystallites with a grain size of 1−2 nm. The present observation result matches well with the suggestion based on X-ray studies carried out one hundred years ago. Such nanocrystals are distributed throughout the entire martensite. The whole martensite shows a uniform contrast under both bright and dark field observation modes, irrespective of what observation directions are chosen. No defect contrast can be observed inside each nanocrystal. However, a body-centered cubic {112}<111>-type twinning relationship exists among the ultrafine α-Fe grains. Such ultrafine α-Fe grains or crystallites are the root cause of the fine microstructure formed in martensitic steels and high hardness after martensitic transformation. The formation mechanism of the ultrafine α-Fe grains in the freshly formed martensite will be discussed based on a new γ → α phase transformation mechanism.

Controlled photocatalytic growth of Ag nanocrystals on brookite and rutile and their SERS performance.

Ag nanocrystals (NCs) were photocatalytically grown on the surfaces of brookite and rutile nanocrystals, respectively, and their surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) performance was evaluated. The resultant Ag NCs exhibit different morphologies owing to the different photocatalytic capabilities of the two types of TiO2 under otherwise identical synthetic conditions. The effects of AgNO3 concentration, UV irradiation time, and UV light power on the morphology evolution and growth kinetics of the Ag NCs were systematically investigated. Moreover, PVP was found to serve as both a reductant and a capping agent in the photocatalytic reaction systems, and its presence allows morphological control of the Ag NCs. A proper amount of PVP was confirmed to favor Ag nanoplates of larger sizes and to produce SERS substrates of substantially better performance.