Up to now, no consensus exists about the electronic nature of phosphorus (P) as donor for SiO2-embedded silicon nanocrystals (SiNCs). Here, we report on hybrid density functional theory (h-DFT) calculations of P in the SiNC/SiO2 system matching our experimental findings. Relevant P configurations within SiNCs, at SiNC surfaces, within the sub-oxide interface shell and in the SiO2 matrix were ev...

A highly ordered mesoporous Nafion membrane with a remarkable water retention ability was synthesized via a micelle templating method with self-assembled Pluronic F108 surfactants and its capability to operate under completely dry gas streams is demonstrated.

A nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon containing a network of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was produced for use as a catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). SiO2 nanoparticles were decorated with clusters of Fe atoms to act as catalyst seeds for CNT growth, after which the material was impregnated with aniline. After polymerization of the aniline, the material was pyrolysed and the SiO2 was r...

In previous work, we reported the growth of well-structured single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) by CO disproportionation on Co:Mo/SiO2 catalysts. We have proposed that high SWNT selectivity can only be obtained when most of the Co in the sample is interacting with Mo and forming a cobalt–molybdate surface layer. In this contribution, we report further evidence to the hypothesis by an investig...

An investigation of water transport across the membrane of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell is performed to gain further insight into water management issues and the overall behavior of a representative phenomenological model. The model accounts for water transport via electro-osmotic drag and diffusion and is solved using a finite volume method for a one-dimensional isothermal system. Tran...

Silicon was doped to hydroxyapatite by hydrothermal techniques for higher biocompatibility. Products contained tetra-ethyl-orthosilicate (TEOS) as a silicon source in the range of 0 to 15mass%. In order to evaluate bioactivity of silicon-doped hydroxyapatite, the samples were soaked in simulated body fluid (SBF). Silicon doped samples showed faster apatite forming ability than the undoped sampl...

*Correspondence: Murugesan Vijayakumar and Wei Wang, Energy and Environmental Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Blvd, P.O. Box 999, Richland, WA 99352, USA e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] Lack of comprehensive understanding about the interactions between Nafion membrane and battery electrolytes prevents the straightforward tailoring of optimal materials ...

Zinc oxide and Ga-doped ZnO nanowires and nanorods are synthesized on various substrate like Fluorine doped tin oxide glass plate, SiO2 coated Silicon substrate and aluminum nitride coated silicon substrates. The coating process carried out using zinc oxide sol-gel solution. The synthesized material was characterized using XRD (X-ray diffraction), FE-SEM (Field emission scanning electron micros...

Over the last decade, there has been a wealth of application for immobilized and stabilized enzymes including biocatalysis, biosensors, and biofuel cells. In most bioelectrochemical applications, enzymes or organelles are immobilized onto an electrode surface with the use of some type of polymer matrix. This polymer scaffold should keep the enzymes stable and allow for the facile diffusion of m...

Through harvesting of the increased Stokes shift of CdS QDs via Cu-doping, the concentration-quenching or aggregation-quenching of CdS QDs was largely alleviated. A dually-enriched strategy with both polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) twisting and SiO2 loading was developed for generating a highly luminescent doped-dots (d-dots) assembly for improved cell imaging.