Rapid spontaneous alloying between Pd nanocubes and spherical or triangular Ag nanoparticles was studied in an aqueous solution at ambient temperature using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), TEM-energy-dispersed X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), XRD, and UV-Vis spectroscopy of product particles. The results show that alloying occurs between Ag particles and Pd cubes and finishes within a few seco...

Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion (MIC), otherwise coined as biocorrosion, is the influence of microorganisms on the kinetics of corrosion processes of metals, minerals and synthetic materials caused by their adhesion and growth. A closer observation of the MIC failure case analyses of engineering components showed that MIC occurs at or near welds. Preferential bacterial attack on the aust...

Spin relaxation of conduction electrons in metals is significantly influenced by the Fermi surface topology. Electrons near Brillouin zone boundaries, special symmetry points, or accidental degeneracy lines have spin flip rates much higher than an average electron. A realistic calculation and analytical estimates show that these regions dominate the spin relaxation, explaining why polyvalent me...

Ni-20 wt pct Cr wires, as individual wires or within 3D woven structures, are alloyed with Mo, Al, and Ti by gas-phase surface deposition and volume interdiffusion. Mo deposition creates Mo-rich coating and Kirkendall pores. Al+Ti co-deposition creates uniform triple-layered coating. The resulting homogenized and aged Ni-(17.4-19.6)Cr-(1.6-1.8)Al-(2.5-3.6)Ti-(1.54.5)Mo(wt pct) wires exhibit c+ ...

By means of density functional theory based calculations, we study the role of spin-orbit coupling in the new family of ABC hyperferroelectrics [Garrity, Rabe, and Vanderbilt Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 127601 (2014)]. We unveil an extremely rich physics strongly linked to ferroelectric properties, ranging from the electric control of bulk Rashba effect to the existence of a three-dimensional topolog...

This paper presents a direct quantitative comparison of the effectiveness of boron diffusion, phosphorus diffusion, and aluminum alloying in removing interstitial iron in crystalline silicon in the context of silicon solar cells. Phosphorus diffusion gettering was effective in removing more than 90% of the interstitial iron across a range of diffusion temperatures, sheet resistances, and iron d...

Recent in situ polarized neutron-reflectometry and magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements have displayed a few magnetically dead Fe layers deposited on V~110!. We have performed ab initio density-functional theory calculations in order to explain the a priori unexpected results. An ideal layer-by-layer growth of Fe on the V~110! surface leads to the ferromagnetic solution for every Fe thickne...

In recent year’s aluminum and aluminum alloys are widely used in automotive industries. These are light weight (density of about 2.7g/cc),having good malleability and formability, high corrosion resistance and high electrical and thermal conductivity. High machinability and workability of aluminum alloys are prone to porosity due to gases dissolved during melting processes. However, in the engi...

In this study, a very thin Ni/Au bilayer metal film was prepared by electron beam evaporation and thermal alloying to form ohmic contact on p-type GaN film. After thermal alloying, the current– voltage (I – V) characteristic of Ni/Au contact on p-type GaN film exhibited ohmic behavior. The Ni/Au contacts showed a specific contact resistance of 1.7310 V cm at an alloying temperature of 450 °C. I...

A series of palladium-based catalysts of metal alloying (Sn, Pb) and/or (N-doped) graphene support with regular enhanced electrocatalytic activity were investigated. The peak current density (118.05 mA cm(-2)) of PdSn/NG is higher than the sum current density (45.63 + 47.59 mA cm(-2)) of Pd/NG and PdSn/G. It reveals a synergistic electrocatalytic oxidation effect in PdSn/N-doped graphene Nanoco...