Common Glass Substrate Research Articles

Growth and physical-chemical characterization of manganese oxide and graphene-manganese oxide films for potential applications in energy store devices

The need for progress in the development of energy supply devices such as batteries and large capacitors has led to the improvement and innovation of these devices so that they can store energy efficiently, and additionally, they must be small, light, with low production costs, and friendly to the environment. For these reasons, in this investigation results of the characterization of physical and chemical behaviors of graphene-manganese oxide and copper and manganese oxide-copper systems are studied. The graphene was synthesized through the electrochemical exfoliation technique and deposited as a film on common glass and silicon substrates via the spray technique, and over this film, Mn2O3 films were deposited through spin coating. The Raman results showed the presence of peaks D and G, located at 1534 and 1597 cm−1, respectively. XPS analysis demonstrated that the graphene is made up of three layers. TEM studies determined that the graphene is polycrystalline, and XRD established the manganese oxide coatings’ growth along the (222) and (440) planes of Mn2O3. The optical behavior indicated that the absorbance of the graphene-Mn2O3 system decreases the energy gap in 0.8 eV concerning Mn2O3 films. The voltage-current measurements suggest that the density current in the discharge process of the Mn2O3–Cu electrode system was improved approximately 3-fold with the graphene-Mn2O3–Cu electrode system. The obtained results conclude that the addition of graphene to manganese oxide coatings increases their electrochemical performance, so graphene-manganese oxide could be used in energy storage devices.

On the Effect of Thermal Processing on Sn Diffusion and Efficiency Enhancement in Hematite/FTO Photoanodes

The frequently underestimated effects of “in air” thermal treatment processing conditions such as temperature, duration, and heating and cooling rates in the design and efficiency of photoelectrodes fabricated for academic studies onto the most common commercial transparent conductive glass substrate i.e. fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) were investigated by XRD, XPS, SEM, conductive AFM, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) as well as direct current (DC) and photoelectrochemical (PEC) measurements. The PEC response of Hematite photoanode thin films consisting of short nanorods thermally treated at 400 °C and 800 °C upon fast or extended time conditions is inhibited by factors such as crystallinity, Sn diffusion, or substrate integrity. A “fast” thermal treatment in air at 750 °C provided the best synergy between charge transfer resistance, Sn-diffusion from the FTO substrate, nanorod dimensions, reduced recombination, improved charge separation and minimized substrate damage. This study does offer valuable fundamental and practical insights for a better understanding of the benefits and drawbacks of photoelectrode thermal processing, which is critical for the improvement of the PEC performance-reproducibility relationship for FTO-based solar water splitting systems and devices.

Dynamic, Spontaneous Blistering of Substrate-Supported Graphene in Acidic Solutions.

We report that for monolayer and few-layer graphene on common silicon and glass substrates, acidic solutions induce fast, spontaneous generation of solution-enclosing blisters/bubbles. Using interference reflection microscopy, we monitor the blister-generating process in situ and show that at pH < ∼2, nanoscale to micrometer-sized graphene blisters, up to ∼100 nm in height, are universally generated with high surface coverages on hydrophilic, but not hydrophobic, surfaces. The spontaneously generated blisters are highly dynamic, with growth, merging, and reconfiguration occurring at second-to-minute time scales. Moreover, we show that in this dynamic system, graphene behaves as a semipermeable membrane that allows the relatively free passing of water, impeded passing of the NaCl solute, and no passing of large dye molecules. Consequently, the blister volumes can be fast and reversibly modulated by the solution osmotic pressure.

Preparation, properties and formation mechanism of zirconium-Si hybrid high transmittance hydrophobic coating

A two-step synthesis method of a new hybrid coating was discussed. Zirconium silicate hybrid sol was prepared by in-situ hydrolysis polymerization of zirconium acetate (ZrAc) and Octyltrimethoxy silane (OTMS) in alcohol water system. FTIR characterization showed that ZrAc was hydrolyzed and polymerized in situ to form zirconium sol. Octyl trimethoxysilane (OTMS) was hydrolyzed and grafted onto zirconium sol to form octyl coated silicon zirconium hybrid micelles. The co-hydrolysis time of OTMS and ZrAc sol is an important factor affecting the octyl content in ZrAc-OTMS micelles, which affects the hydrophobicity, hardness and light transmittance of the coating. Once appropriately prolonging the co-hydrolysis time, the octyl content in ZrAc-OTMS micelles, hydrophobic angle and light transmittance of the composite coating will increase while the hardness will decrease. Too long co-hydrolysis time will lead to the opposite results. When the co-hydrolysis time is 50 min, the film is drawn on the common glass substrate by one step immersion method. The hydrophobic angle of the coating reaches 132.01°at room temperature. The hardness of pencil is higher than 3 H. The bonding force is Grade 0. The visible light transmittance is 95.30%, and the visible light transmittance of glass matrix is increased by 2.54%. XPS and SEM analysis results showed that the ZrAc-OTMS hybrid coating has a lamellar, micro porous structure with a diameter about 60–200 nm, and low surface energy modified by octyl hydrophobic groups on the micelles, which plays a lotus leaf effect and improves the hydrophobicity of the coating.

Solution processable graphene derivative used in a bilayer anode with conductive PEDOT:PSS on the non-fullerene PBDB-T:ITIC based organic solar cells

In this work, a semi-transparent, low-cost and easy processable graphene derivative and PH1000 (conductive PEDOT:PSS polymer) based bilayer anode, is presented as a sustainable potential alternative to ITO. The simple mechanical-synthesized graphene derivative was in aqueous-suspension processed (SPG) and drop-coated onto a common glass substrates. The SPG film presents a Raman intensity ratio (ID/IG) of 0.56 and a number of 7 sheets theoretically estimated. Modified PH1000 with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) was spin-coated onto SPG layer. The bilayer anode (SPG/PH1000) exhibits a transmittance, roughness and resistance of 82% (550 nm), 9 nm and 226 Ω/sq, respectively. The bilayer alternative electrode is used in the manufacture of organic solar cells (OSCs) based on the non-fullerene PBDB-T:ITIC active layer. Average power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 8.3% (best 8.6%) is attained for control devices (using ITO as anode) and 4.0% (best 4.2%) for devices with the alternative SPG/PH1000 bilayer anode. For OSCs fabrication, a vacuum free deposited top electrode Field’s metal (FM, an eutectic alloy of Bi 32.5%, In 51% and Sn 16.5%, with a melting point above 62°C) was used.

Synthesis of magnetron sputtered AgBiS2 thin films

AgBiS2 films were prepared by direct current magnetron sputtering method by depositing atom ratio 1:1 of silver bismuth metal precursor on a common sodium-calcium glass substrate by rapid annealing under sulfur and nitrogen atmosphere. The annealing process was obtained by changing the annealing temperature and time. The films were characterized by XRD, UV-Vis, SEM, AFM, XPS. AgBiS2 thin films were grown on the substrate through sulfide annealing. After annealing at 475[Formula: see text]C for 30 min, the surface of the film is smooth and the roughness is the smallest. The average grain size grows to the maximum of 1.2 [Formula: see text]m. The film has a strong absorption coefficient in the range of ultraviolet and visible light. The absorption limit is as high as 1400 nm, and the bandgap is 0.853 eV. Through the study of sputtered atomic layer deposition and sulfurized annealing, AgBiS2 film was prepared on the substrate by magnetron sputtering for the first time. It provides a feasible method for the preparation of AgBiS2 thin films. It has great potential in photovoltaic, photoelectric and other applications.

Improving Immunoassay Performance with Cleavable Blocking of Microarrays.

Among the key issues that are commonly associated with the development of microarray-based assays are nonspecific binding and diffusion constraints. Here we present a novel strategy addressing both of these challenges simultaneously. The essence of the method consists in blocking the microarray surface with a blocking agent containing a perfluoroalkyl chain and a disulfide linker. The resulting surface is hydrophobic, and no immiscible liquid layer remains on it upon cyclically draining and replenishing the sample solution, ensuring an efficient mass transfer of an analyte onto a microarray. Prior to the signal detection procedure, disulfide bonds are chemically cleaved, and the perfluoroalkyl chains are removed from the microarray surface along with nonspecifically adsorbed proteins, resulting in extremely low background. Using conventional fluorescent detection, we show a 30-fold increase in signal/background ratio compared to a common epoxy-modified glass substrate. The combination of this technique with magnetic beads detection results in a simple and ultrasensitive cholera toxin (CT) immunoassay. The limit of detection (LOD) is 1 fM, which is achieved with an analyte binding time of 1 h. Efficient mass transfer provides highly sensitive detection of whole virus particles despite their low diffusion coefficient. The achieved LOD for vaccinia virus is 104 particles in 1 mL of sample. Finally, we have performed for the first time the simultaneous detection of whole virus and CT protein biomarker in a single assay. The developed technique can be used for multiplex detection of trace amounts of pathogens of various natures.

TiO2 composite films on different substrates with enhanced visible light photocatalytic performance

For the sake of improving the photocatalytic performance of TiO2, we prepared the B/Ag/Fe tridoped TiO2 films on common glass and stone substrates by the sol–gel method. In this work, the optical absorption, recombination of photogenerated electrons (e−) and holes (h[Formula: see text]), crystal types, thermal stability, composition, specific surface area and photocatalytic activity of the modified TiO2 films were investigated. The results indicated that B/Ag/Fe tridoping not only enhanced the absorption of visible light by TiO2, but inhibited the recombination of electron–hole (e−/h[Formula: see text]) pairs. The tridoping also promoted the formation of anatase and prevented the transformation of anatase to rutile at high temperature. The composite TiO2 has a large specific surface area, about three times that of pure TiO2. The photocatalytic activity of the TiO2 films were evaluated by methyl green (MG) and formaldehyde degradation. In all samples, the B/Ag/Fe tridoped TiO2 film exhibited the highest degradation rate of MG under both ultraviolet and visible light irradiation. The improvement of photocatalytic performance of TiO2 films is due to the synergistic effect of the B/Ag/Fe tridoping, which enhances the absorption of visible light and prolongs the lifetime of e−/h[Formula: see text] pairs and facilitates transfer of interface charge.

Effects of Cu–K Co‐Doping on the Morphological, Optical, and Electrical Properties of NiO Films Deposited by Spin‐Coating Sol–Gel Method

Cu–K co‐doped NiO films (Ni1–2xCuxKxO and x = 0–0.05) are deposited on common glass substrates by the spin‐coating sol–gel method. The phase and the morphological, optical, and electrical properties of NiO films as a function of the Cu–K co‐doping concentration are explored by X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometer and Hall effect measurement systems, respectively. All the films are pure phases of the cubic rock‐salt structure. As the doping concentration increases, the preferred orientation of the Ni1–2xCuxKxO films changes from (200) to (111). Moreover, the surface morphologies of the films are obviously affected by the Cu–K co‐doping concentration. The absorption coefficients of the Cu–K co‐doped NiO films are relatively higher than that of the undoped film on the whole in the visible region except x = 0.02. With the increase in doping concentration, the resistivity of the films decreases on the whole. Finally, the figures of merit (FOM) of the films are considered, and the maximum FOM of the films is achieved at x = 0.02.

Influence of Si on the Structural, Electrical, and Optical Properties of (Al, Ti, Si)N Films Deposited Via Reactive DC Sputtering

Abstract The physical and chemical properties of multifunctional materials have been extensively studied in the last few years especially the mechanical and tribological applications and less attention has taken the electrical and optical properties. Therefore, in this work presents the growth of (Al, Ti, Si)N films deposited on common glass substrates with a maximum thickness of 1024 nm, via reactive DC magnetron sputtering, to analyze the influence of the silicon content on their crystallographic structure, optic and electric behavior. The microstructure of the films was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The films morphology was evaluated through scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). The optical measurements were carried out by means UV-vis spectroscopy, and the electrical properties were analyzed using a four-point probe. XRD analysis indicated that the films changed from a crystalline phase to an amorphous phase, and the electrical and optical response indicated that the films with higher Si content have l223.6 Ω.cm of resistivity with an energy gap of approximately 1.0 eV and an optical energy gap of 1.5 eV. This electrical property has not been previously reported in these films.

Evolution of polymorph and photoelectric properties of VO2 thin films with substrate temperature

For specific application, direct deposition of high quality VO2 films on common glass substrates is potentially promising and the work for controllable preparation of VO2 films with different polymorphs is desirable. This work reports controllable preparation of VO2 films with different polymorphs (B and M) optimizing physical and thermochromic properties of VO2 thin films on amorphous glass via controlling the substrate temperature. By adjusting the substrate temperature, B-VO2 films which can be formed at a relatively low temperature (400 °C) possesses a comfortable sheet resistance and the value of temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) is about 2.4%/K; M − VO2 thin films are successfully prepared when the substrate temperature is higher than 400 °C. It is found that the optimized VO2 (M) thin film grown at 500 °C has a favorable property such as ∼3 orders of magnitude change in sheet resistance during phase transition, high luminous transmittance of more than 62%, a solar switching efficiency of ∼7.5% and a Near-Infrared-Region switching efficiency of 52.4%. Our experimental results can provide technical supports for the practical application of VO2 thin films.

Transformation of crystalline structure and photoelectric properties in VO2/glass thin films by inserting TiO2 buffer layers

Vanadium dioxide (VO2) with reversible metal–insulator transition (MIT) is a promising energy-saving material for next-generation smart windows and infrared devices. However, the specific applications are largely limited by controllable preparation with different polymorphs on common glass substrates. Herein, VO2 thin films were prepared on transparent amorphous glass substrates by inserting TiO2 buffer layers using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. The results showed that B-VO2 film would be formed on the amorphous glass substrate at 400 °C. While after inserting TiO2 buffer layer, pure M-VO2 films with clear phase transition properties were obtained. Based on the analysis of X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS) characterization, the crystalline transformation was attributed to the template effect of TiO2 layer and Ti ions diffusion. The characteristics of VO2/TiO2/glass thin films were closely associated with the thickness of TiO2 buffer layer. With 60 nm TiO2 buffer layer, the VO2/TiO2/glass film showed the sharpest resistance change with more than 2.5-order of magnitude across the MIT, and the T-vis value is as high as 53% with the ΔTsol up to 5.2%. Our current results demonstrated the importance of TiO2 buffer layer to the formation of M-VO2 film on amorphous glass substrate, which was very meaningful for the production of energy efficient smart windows in the future.

Plasmonic-Enanced Remote Phosphor Layers for White LEDs

This work introduces a way of improving luminescent properties of a planar phosphor layer printed on a common glass substrate. The planar phosphor approach is a coming technology for a large-scale coverage with one-step printing process in the next generation white LED. The combination of wave-guiding ZnO nanorods with dispersed plasmonic Au nanoparticles induces a significant improvement in luminous efficacy. It is the very first report of applying the plasmonic nanostructure directly to the phosphor layer for high efficiency white LED. A nanostructure consisting of ZnO nanorods with dispersed Au nanoparticles was successfully demonstrated as a critical addition for enhancing significantly the luminescence characteristics of a planar silicate-based phosphor layer printed in micro-scale thickness. The optimal luminous efficacy of ~84.26 lm/W obtained with the controls of the length of nanorods and Au concentration corresponds to a ~18% improvement compared to the value for a flat structure. A longer length of nanorods with a sufficiently low Au concentration of 12.5 ppm was found to be beneficial in achieving the best performance. The results suggest that this plasmonic nanostructure can be extensively adjusted to improve luminescence properties for next generation planar light-emitting diodes.

A high-throughput QCM chip configuration for the study of living cells and cell-drug interactions.

In this study, we present a novel design of interference-free, negligible installation-induced stress, suitable for the fabrication of high-throughput quartz crystal microbalance (HQCM) chips. This novel HQCM chip configuration was fabricated using eight independent yet same-batch quartz crystal resonators within a common glass substrate with eight through-holes of diameter slightly larger than that of the quartz resonator. Each quartz resonator's rim was adhered to the inner part of the through-hole via silicone glue to form the rigid (quartz)-soft (silicone)-rigid (glass) structure (RSRS) which effectively eliminates the acoustic couplings among different resonators and largely alleviates the installation-induced stresses. The consistence of the eight resonators was verified by very similar equivalent circuit parametersand very close response slopes to liquid density and viscosity. The HQCM chip was then employed for real-time and continuous monitoring of H9C2 cardiomyoblast adhesions and viscoelastic changes induced by the treatments of two types of drugs: drugs that affect the cytoskeletons, including nocodazole, paclitaxel, and Y-27632, and drugs that affect the contractile properties of the cells: verapamil and different dosages of isoprenaline. Meanwhile, we compared the cytoskeleton affecting drug-induced viscoelastic changes of H9C2 with those of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The results described here provide the first solution to fabricate HQCM chips that are free from the limitation of resonator number, installation-induced stress, and acoustic interferences among resonators, which should find wide applications in areas of cell phenotype assay, cytotoxicity test, drug evaluation and screening, etc. Graphical abstract Schematic illustration of the principle and configuration of interference-free high-throughput QCM chip to evaluate and screen drugs based on cell viscoelasticity.

Integrated water quality monitoring system with pH, free chlorine, and temperature sensors

Accurate, efficient, inexpensive, and multi-parameter monitoring of water quality parameters is critical for continued water safety from developed urban regions to resource-limited or sparsely populated areas. This study describes an integrated sensing system with solution-processed pH, free chlorine, and temperature sensors on a common glass substrate. The pH and temperature sensors are fabricated by low-cost inkjet printing of palladium/palladium oxide and silver. The potentiometric pH sensor has a high sensitivity of 60.6mV/pH and a fast response of 15s. The Wheatstone-bridge-based temperature sensor shows an immediate response of 3.35mV/°C towards temperature change. The free chlorine sensor is based on an electrochemically modified pencil lead, which exhibits a stable and reproducible sensitivity of 342nA/ppm for hypochlorous acid. Such a free chlorine sensor is potentiostat-free and calibration-free, so it is easy-to-use. The three sensors are connected to a field-programmable gate array board for data collection, analysis and display, with real-time pH and temperature compensation for free chlorine sensing. The developed sensing system is user-friendly, cost-effective, and can monitor water samples in real-time with an accuracy of >82%. This platform enables water quality monitoring by nonprofessionals in a simple manner.

Preparation and luminescent performances of transparent screen-printed Ce3+: Y3Al5O12 phosphors-in-glass thick films for remote white LEDs

Ce3+: Y3Al5O12 (Ce-YAG) phosphors-in-glass (PiG), which serves as both luminescent convertor and encapsulating material in the remote white light-emitting diodes (LEDs), has become a promising research field. However, the challenges in processing and mechanical strength still remain due to its submillimeter thickness. Herein, a novel transparent Ce-YAG PiG thick film was coated on a common glass substrate through conventional screen printing process and subsequent heat treatment. The introduced commercial Ce-YAG phosphors almost kept intact in a lead-free glass matrix. The microstructures and luminescent properties of as-prepared samples were investigated systematically. White LED device was also fabricated via mounting the optimal sample on the InGaN blue-emitting chips, which yielded bright white light with considerable luminous efficiency and color quality. The resulting screen-printed Ce-YAG PiG thick film will be a promising candidate for applications in the high-power remote white LEDs.

Chemical characterization and optical properties of SiO&lt;I&gt;&lt;SUB&gt;x&lt;/SUB&gt;&lt;/I&gt;N&lt;I&gt;&lt;SUB&gt;y&lt;/SUB&gt;&lt;/I&gt; films deposited on common glass substrate

Chemical characterization and optical properties of SiO&lt;I&gt;&lt;SUB&gt;x&lt;/SUB&gt;&lt;/I&gt;N&lt;I&gt;&lt;SUB&gt;y&lt;/SUB&gt;&lt;/I&gt; films deposited on common glass substrate

Selective pattern of cancer cell accumulation and growth using UV modulating printing of hydrogels.

Fabrication of extracellular microenvironment for cancer cell growth in vitro is an indispensable technique to precisely control the cell spatial arrangement and proliferation for cell-behavior research. Current micropatterning methods usually require relatively complicated operations, which makes it difficult to investigate the effects of different cell growth patterns. This manuscript proposes a DMD-based projection technique to quickly pattern a poly(ethylene) glycol diacrylate (PEGDA)-based hydrogel on a common glass substrate. Using this method, we can effectively control the growth patterns of cells. Compared with these traditional methods which employ digital dynamic mask, polymerization of PEGDA solution can be used to create arbitrary shaped microstructures with high efficiency, flexibility and repeatability. The duration of UV exposure is less than 10s through controlling the projected illumination pattern. The ability of patterned PEGDA-coated film to hinder cell adhesion makes it possible to control area over which cells attach. In our experiments, we take advantage of the blank area to pattern cells, which allows cells to grow in various pre-designed shapes and sizes. And the patterning cells have a high viability after culturing for several days. Interestingly, we found that the restricted space could stiffen and strengthen the cells. These results indicate that cells and extracellular microenvironment can influence each other.

UV-curable silicate phosphor planar films printed on glass substrate for white light-emitting diodes.

We suggest a simple way of forming a nonconventional remote phosphor layer for white light-emitting diodes. A printing technology using a paste consisting of yellow (Ba,Sr,Ca)(2)SiO(4):Eu(2+) silicate phosphor and ultraviolet (UV)-curable polymer is applied to form solid planar films on a common soda lime silicate glass substrate through UV radiation. Relative content of the phosphor was adjusted for the best dispersion of the phosphor particles in the polymer matrix with better emission and luminescence performance. As a result, the 70 wt. % phosphor-embedded film has a luminous efficacy of ∼70.1 lm/W at 200 mA.

Influence of the electrical power applied to the target on the optical and structural properties of ZrON films produced via RF magnetron sputtering in a reactive atmosphere

The influence of the variation of electrical power applied to the target on the morphology and optical properties of zirconium oxynitride - zirconium oxide (ZrON) films deposited via RF magnetron sputtering on common glass substrates in a reactive atmosphere of N2/O2, with a flow ratio ΦN2/ΦO2 of 1.25 was investigated. The crystallographic structure of the films was established through X-ray diffraction (XRD), the morphology was evaluated through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), and the optical behavior was evaluated through transmittance measurements. The XRD analysis showed that the films grew with mixed crystalline structures: monoclinic (ZrO2) and body-centered cubic (Zr2ON2). SEM analysis showed that the films grew with a homogeneous morphology, and AFM results established that as the electrical power applied to the target increased, there were changes in the grain size and the roughness of the films. The thickness, refractive index, and absorption coefficient of the films were calculated using the values of the transmittance through the Swanepoel method. Additionally, the energy band gap was determined via analysis of the free interference region.