Decrease In Refractive Index Research Articles

Dielectric and spectroscopic features of Li2O/Fe2O3/In2O3/P2O5 glass systems doped with Bi2O3

A comprehensive exploration of penta glass systems’ spectroscopic and dielectric characteristics was achieved, specifically for the glass series 20Li2O–15Fe2O3–5In2O3–xBi2O3–(60–x) P2O5(x = 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, and 12.5 mol %). Both average phosphorus-phosphorus separation and crystalline volume were found to decrease depending on Bi2O3 content. The optical band gap obtained from diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS) is found to be in the range of 1.58–1.81 eV with increasing bismuth oxide content. The optical band gap increases with bismuth content, which can be ascribed to structural changes and the reduction in non-bridging oxygen (NBO). A decrease in optical parameters, viz., refractive index (2.945–2.824), molar refractivity (32.45–29.12), and molar polarizability values (12.88–11.56), occurs with Bi2O3 content. The glasses have been designated as semiconductors due to an increase in the metallization criteria values (M lie between 0.2811 and 0.3008). The obtained results exhibit contraction in the bonds of the glass matrix and an increase in rigidity of the structure at a higher content of Bi2O3.The dc and ac conductivity of the studied glasses were affected by the O/P ratio, as they attained high values at O/P > 3.0. The asymmetrical shape of the Nyquist semicircle indicated that the glasses behavior deviated from Debye relaxation. The overall behavior of the electrical properties of the studied glasses revealed their semiconducting performance. The examined glasses could be good choices for photonic applications.

Fine Control of Optical Properties of Nb2O5 Film by Thermal Treatment.

Thermal treatment is a common method to improve the properties of optical thin films, but improper thermal treatment processing will result in the degradation of the optical properties of the optical thin film. The thermal stability of niobium oxide (Nb2O5) thin films prepared by magnetron sputtering was systematically studied by analyzing the roughness and morphology of the film under different thermal treatment processes. The results show that the amorphous stability of the Nb2O5 thin film can be maintained up to 400 °C. Before crystallization, with an increase in annealing temperature, the surface roughness of the film has no obvious change, the refractive index decreases, and the elastic modulus and hardness increase. The residual stress was measured by a laser interferometer. The results show that the residual compressive stress is present in the film, and the residual stress decreases with an increase in thermal treatment temperature. Considering the residual stress state, phase composition, mechanical properties, and optical properties of Nb2O5 films at different thermal treatment temperatures, we believe that the spectral position of the optical thin film device can be finely controlled within a 1.6% wavelength, and the thermal treatment temperature of Nb2O5 films prepared by magnetron sputtering should not exceed 400 °C.

Physicochemical and Antimicrobial Properties of Lactic Acid-Based Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents as a Function of Water Content

The interest in natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs) in green technology as an alternative to organic solvents has grown over the past decades. In this work, for the first time, the effect of dilution with water on the physicochemical and antimicrobial properties of lactic acid-based NADES with choline chloride (NADES1), sorbitol (NADES2), and glucose (NADES3) was systematically studied. According to FTIR data, after the dilution of NADESs with water, the strong hydrogen bonds weakened, however, were not destroyed after dilution of up to 40% water. The dilution of NADES with water resulted in a linear decrease in density and refractive index and in a linear increase in pH. The equations for the prediction of NADES density, pH, and refractive index as a function of water content were calculated. The viscosity decreased by half after adding approximately 10% water. The initial viscosity of NADES2 and NADES3 was significantly different. However, after adding 20% of the water, the viscosity was almost the same. The most pronounced decrease in surface tension (by 46.7%) was found for NADES1. The water activity was decreased in the following order: NADES3 > NADES1 > NADES2. The dilution of NADES with water caused a gradual increase in water activity. NADES1 showed the lowest minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) (7.8, 3.9, and 0.98 mg/mL) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) (15.6, 7.8, and 1.95 mg/mL) for Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. The antimicrobial activity was decreased by 2–8 times after the addition of 40% water. The water activity for all tested NADES together with low pH could explain the antimicrobial effect. The revealed regularity can be useful for the prediction of NADES properties and for the selection of green solvents on a laboratory and industrial scale.

Investigation of the optical and radiation shielding parameters of erbium-doped zinc sodium tungsten borate glass using MCNP5 simulations

Abstract This study explores the potential of (20Na2O+25ZnO+10WO3+(60-x)B2O3+xEr2O3 where x = 0.1, 0.5, 0.7, and 1 mol%) glass for optical and radiation shielding applications, fabricated using the melt quenching method. Optical, structural, and radiation shielding properties were analyzed using UV–visible spectroscopy, XRD, FTIR, MCNP5, and Phy-X/PSD software. Results show a 9.01% decrease in refractive index from 2.22 to 2.02 and a significant increase in band gap energy from 2.29 eV to 3.12 eV with increasing Er2O3 content. The addition of Er3+ ions convert BO3 units into BO4 units, creating a denser glass network. The linear attenuation coefficient ( LAC ) increased in BTEr1 glass to 0.676 cm−1, compared to 0.607 cm−1 for BTEr0.1 glass, reflecting an approximate rise of 11.5% in LAC . The BTEr1 glass shows enhanced radiation shielding, with a 10.25% reduction in the half-value layer (HVL) from 1.15 cm in BTEr0.1 to 1.03 cm in BTEr1 at 0.284 MeV, and a further reduction of 8.17% from 4.77 cm in BTEr0.1 to 4.42 cm in BTEr1 at 2.506 MeV for 0.1 and 1 mol% Er2O3 level in the BTEr glass. The BTEr glass enhances light transmission in the visible spectrum and increases glass stability with Er2O3 addition , making it suitable for advanced optical applications. Additionally, its improved photon radiation shielding properties make it a promising candidate for radiation protection.

Vertical Variability in morphology, chemistry and optical properties of the transported Saharan air layer measured from Cape Verde and the Caribbean.

The structural properties of the Saharan air layer (SAL) including chemical, morphological and optical properties were measured during the Saharan Aerosol Longrange TRansport and Aerosol Cloud interaction Experiment (SALTRACE- June/July 2013). Flight measurements were done from Cape Verde and the Caribbean. Changes happening with the chemical composition, mixing, shape and absorption of aerosol single particles (particle diameter range 0.5-3.0 µm) inside SAL during its transport are detailed. Dust-dominated SAL (relative number abundance >90%) and generally low mixing (<1% with sea-salt and sulphates) are observed at both locations. The change in shape (determined as aspect ratio (AR)) after transatlantic transport was statistically not significant. The iron oxide fraction, important for light absorption, contributed 6.0-6.8% to SAL dust. A lower amount of Fe oxides was observed in transported SAL, especially for the size range 0.5-1.5 µm. This reduction in Fe oxide content resulted in a 4% decrease (0.0046-0.0044) in dust imaginary refractive index and a 1% decrease in single scattering albedo (0.802-0.809) at 520 nm. Our work suggests including the size distribution of iron oxides and their particular behaviour in future experiment/model studies.

Effect of interlayer twisting angle on electronic and optical properties of graphene/MoS2 heterostructure

Abstract Based on the first-principles calculation, the electronic and optical properties of the graphene/MoS2 heterostructure at different twisting angles are studied. The interface contact type changes from N-Schottky contact to Ohmic contact with the interlayer twisting angle of 40.90°, which is accompanied by the interfacial charge transfer from graphene to MoS2, and the increase of the contribution of Mo–d xy , Mo–d x 2−y2 orbitals in the conduction band and S–p z , Mo–s, Mo–p z and Mo–d z 2 orbitals in the valence band. Interestingly, the absorption coefficient, reflectivity and refractive index are improved in the infrared region when the twisting angle is 40.90°. In the visible light range, the absorption coefficient increases, while the refractive index decreases, and the reflectivity at 2.8 eV increases. In the ultraviolet region, the absorption coefficient reaches 1.2 × 106 cm−1 at 11.6 eV with a twisting angle of 30°. The results provide an effective way to apply materials in the photoelectric field.

Core-shell nanomaterials based on La2FeCrO6 coated with metal oxides for optical applications

In this research work, the preparation of core/shell nanoparticles comprising La2FeCrO6 (LFCO) as the core was accompanied by the choice of ZnO and CuO as different shells. Structural and optical characteristics were investigated for the LFCO (core) relative to La2FeCrO6/ZnO and La2FeCrO6/CuO core/shell NPs. x-ray diffraction analyses reveal the conformation of core/shell structures within average crystallite sizes of 22.46 nm and 25.03 nm. Raman spectroscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were performed to provide fundamental information about the vibrational modes and the functional groups of core/shell NPs, respectively. x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) detects the electronic states of the constituent elements of the core/shell nanostructures, including lanthanum, iron, chromium, oxygen, zinc, and copper. Optical characteristics have been extensively analyzed using UV spectroscopy. The energy gap (Eg) was determined by utilizing both Tauc and Derivation of Absorbance Spectrum Fitting (DASF) methods. LFCO/ZnO and LFCO/CuO core/shell NPs exhibit a direct optical transition, similar to that of the core LFCO NPs, with a decrease in band gap value from 3.4 eV for the core to 3.3 eV and 3.18 eV for LFCO/ZnO and LFCO/CuO core/shell NPs respectively. The enhanced transparency of core/shell NPs, particularly at longer wavelengths, is evident from the decrease in refractive index (n) compared to that of the core (LFCO) NPs. This decrease is attributed to the encapsulation of LFCO with either ZnO or CuO NPs. The samples exhibit a decline in both linear and non-linear optical susceptibilities with respect to the square of photon energy. The LFCO/CuO sample shows excellent results in the photocatalytic degradation of aqueous organic dyes, considering it a promising candidate for wastewater treatment and the removal of organic pollutants.

Using femtosecond laser pulses to investigate the thickness-dependent nonlinear optical properties of nickel oxide thin films and their potential use as optical limiters

In this study, the Z-scan technique was used to investigate the nonlinear optical properties of nickel oxide (NiO) thin films of various thicknesses. Direct current (DC) sputtering was used to deposit single-phase NiO thin films with thicknesses of 280, 350, and 470 nm onto a soda-lime glass substrate. The film structure was measured using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while the linear optical properties were measured using a UV-Vis spectrophotometer. NiO thin films were irradiated with 100 fs laser pulses at various excitation wavelengths and excitation powers to determine the nonlinear absorption coefficient and nonlinear refractive index. The NiO films were found to have reverse saturable absorption and self-focusing behavior. As the thickness of the NiO film increases, both the nonlinear absorption coefficient and nonlinear refractive index decrease. Additionally, the investigation of the optical limitations of NiO thin films revealed a definite association with the thickness of the NiO thin film.

Study on physicochemical properties of hydroxyl-functionalized ionic liquids

A thorough understanding of the physicochemical properties of ionic liquids (ILs) is significant for the design and synthesis of the desired ILs. In this study, three hydroxyl-functionalized ILs were designed and synthesized, and their density, viscosity, surface tension and refractive index were measured in the temperature range of 293.15–333.15 K, and it was found that they all decreased with the increase of temperature. By using the measured physicochemical property data and the corresponding empirical equations, the molecular volumes of the three ILs were calculated and the contribution of one (CH2-) group to the molecular volume was found to be 0.0262 nm3. The viscous flow activation properties were discussed and ΔH≠ > ΔS≠T was found for the three ILs, indicating that enthalpy effect is the main source of viscous flow resistance. Surface energy and surface entropy were calculated, and it was found that surface entropy is the main factor determining surface properties. The free volume was calculated, and it was found to increase with temperature, which could provide more space for light to pass through the medium, leading to a decrease in refractive index with temperature. Simultaneously, the influence of cation and anion structures on the properties of the ILs was also discussed.

Physicochemical properties of binary mixtures of cation-fluorinated ionic liquids with their non-fluorinated analogues

This work reports an investigation of the physicochemical properties (density, viscosity, refractive index and thermal stability) of four binary mixtures having a common acetate ([OAc]¯), trifluoromethanesulfonate ([OTf]¯) or bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([NTf2]¯) anion with either cation-fluorinated and non-fluorinated methylimidazolium (MIm) or pyridinium (Py) cations respectively, at various temperatures. The mixing behaviour of the binary mixtures was analysed by 1H and 19F Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometry, and the excess properties of the mixtures were calculated from the physicochemical data. The binary mixtures of fluorinated ionic liquids (FILs) with their non-fluorinated or alkyl-substituted analogues (AILs) showed an increase in density and viscosity but a decrease in refractive index with an increase in mole fraction of the pure FILs. The thermal stability of the AILs was higher than the FILs, however, an increase in the mole fraction of the pure FILs in the binary mixtures made a negligible impact on the thermal stability of the binary mixtures. These binary mixtures were found to deviate from ideal behaviour for the different physicochemical properties tending to vary between the extremes of the pure components. The large differences in properties of FILs compared with their non-fluorinated analogues were shown to be associated with the size of the fluorine atoms in the fluoro-alkyl chain, the tendency of the fluoro-alkyl chain to form aggregates with fluorinated anions, and the hydrogen bond acceptor strength of the anions. The excess properties were fitted to the Redlich-Kister polynomial equation, and no significant deviation was obtained. This study shows that the physicochemical properties of the fluorinated ionic liquids can conveniently be adjusted for specific applications by simply varying the amount of the cation-fluorinated component in binary mixtures.

Effects of isotropic stress on the band structure elastic, optical, thermal, and x-ray diffraction properties of TiSnO3.

Cubic perovskite titanium stannous oxide (TiSnO3) is a promising material for various applications due to its functional properties. However, understanding how these properties change under external stress is crucial for its development and optimization. This study employed density functional theory calculations to investigate the structural, electronic, optical, thermal, and mechanical properties of TiSnO3 under varying degrees of external static isotropic stress (0-120 GPa). The study reveals a significant decrease in the bandgap of TiSnO3 with increasing stress due to lattice modifications and the formation of delocalized electrons. Partial density of states analysis indicates that Sn and O states play a key role in shaping the electronic band structure. TiSnO3 exhibits increased light absorption with stress, accompanied by a blue shift in absorption peaks, whereas, both polarizability and refractive index decrease with increasing stress. Mechanically, all elastic moduli (bulk, shear, and Young's) show an increase under stress, signifying a stiffening response of the material under stress. Similarly, the Pugh ratio suggests a transition from ductile to brittle behaviour at elevated stress levels. Phonon dispersion calculations indicate the instability of the cubic phase at 0 K. However, a phonon gap emerges at 30 GPa and widens with increasing stress. X-ray diffraction further supports these findings by demonstrating a shift in diffraction peaks towards higher angles with increasing stress, consistent with the applied stress. In conclusion, this computational study offers a thorough understanding of how external stress influences the properties of TiSnO3, providing valuable insights for potential applications in various fields.

The efficacy of the food-grade antimicrobial xanthorrhizol against Staphylococcus aureus is associated with McsL channel expression.

The emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains demonstrates the urgent need for new antimicrobials. Xanthorrhizol, a plant-derived sesquiterpenoid compound, has a rapid killing effect on methicillin-susceptible strains and methicillin-resistant strains of S. aureus achieving the complete killing of staphylococcal cells within 2 min using 64 μg/mL xanthorrhizol. However, the mechanism of its action is not yet fully understood. The S. aureus cells treated with xanthorrhizol were studied using optical diffraction tomography. Activity of xanthorrhizol against the wild-type and mscL null mutant of S. aureus ATCC 29213 strain was evaluated in the time-kill assay. Molecular docking was conducted to predict the binding of xanthorrhizol to the SaMscL protein. Xanthorrhizol treatment of S. aureus cells revealed a decrease in cell volume, dry weight, and refractive index (RI), indicating efflux of the cell cytoplasm, which is consistent with the spontaneous activation of the mechanosensitive MscL channel. S. aureus ATCC 29213ΔmscL was significantly more resistant to xanthorrhizol than was the wild-type strain. Xanthorrhizol had an enhanced inhibitory effect on the growth and viability of exponentially growing S. aureus ATCC 29213ΔmscL cells overexpressing the SaMscL protein and led to a noticeable decrease in their viability in the stationary growth phase. The amino acid residues F5, V14, M23, A79, and V84 were predicted to be the residues of the binding pocket for xanthorrhizol. We also showed that xanthorrhizol increased the efflux of solutes such as K+ and glutamate from S. aureus ATCC 29213ΔmscL cells overexpressing SaMscL. Xanthorrhizol enhanced the antibacterial activity of the antibiotic dihydrostreptomycin, which targets the MscL protein. Our findings indicate that xanthorrhizol targets the SaMscL protein in S. aureus cells and may have important implications for the development of a safe antimicrobial agent.

Identifying orientation-dependent optical properties of single-crystalline β-Ga2O3 films

We explore the effect of crystallographic anisotropy on the optical properties of high-quality β-Ga2O3 thin films by conducting experimental measurements and theoretical simulations. High resolution x-ray diffraction measurements confirm the high-quality and the single crystalline quality, ruling out the effect of defects for all films. Raman spectra reveal the presence of anisotropy, as evident from a stronger Bg(2) mode related to GaIO4 chain libration in (100) orientation. Conversely, a stronger Ag(10) mode corresponding to tetrahedral bonds is evident in the (010) orientation, while it is suppressed in the (100) orientation. Low-temperature photoluminescence spectra indicate the presence of intrinsic impurity-related emissions in the ultraviolet and blue regions for all films. An anisotropic bandgap is observed, wherein the lowest bandgap value is related to the (010) oriented sample. Spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements confirm different refractive indices and extinction coefficient values depending on crystallographic orientation, which are in good agreement with the theoretical values obtained by density functional theory, confirming the anisotropic characteristics. The theoretical calculations of charge density show that the strength of covalent bonding depends on the β-Ga2O3 orientation, while experimental findings demonstrate that as the covalent bonding character increases, the film bandgap and the refractive index decrease. The anisotropy of β-Ga2O3 with respect to the crystal orientation leads to variations in the extinction coefficient, refractive index, and bandgap energy.

The effect of hydrostatic pressure, temperature and impurity factor on linear and nonlinear optical properties of InxGa1-xAs tuned quantum dot with modified Gaussian potential under the action of a vertical magnetic field

This study presents a detailed theoretical analysis of the effects of hydrostatic pressure, temperature, impurity factors, and external electric fields on the optical properties of InxGa1-xAs tuned quantum dot. A uniform magnetic field, directed perpendicular to the quantum dot plane, is applied. The system is excited using a monochromatic electromagnetic field, considering electron intersubband transitions. Energy levels and wave functions are determined using the parabolic band approximation and effective mass approximation. The linear and nonlinear optical absorption coefficients and refractive index changes are computed using the compact-density matrix approach and the iterative method. Numerical results indicate that the peaks of the linear and nonlinear optical absorption coefficients and refractive index changes shift towards lower energies (red shift) and higher energies (blue shift) under varying hydrostatic pressure, temperature, and impurity factor strength. Additionally, the peak values of the absorption coefficients and refractive index changes increase or decrease based on these parameter variations. These results have significant implications for the design and optimization of quantum dot-based optoelectronic devices.

Suppressed terahertz dynamics of water confined in nanometer gaps.

Nanoconfined waters exhibit low static permittivity mainly due to interfacial effects that span about one nanometer. The characteristic length scale may be much longer in the terahertz (THz) regime where long-range collective dynamics occur; however, the THz dynamics have been largely unexplored because of the lack of a robust platform. Here, we use metallic loop nanogaps to sharply enhance light-matter interactions and precisely measure real and imaginary THz refractive indices of nanoconfined water at gap widths ranging from 2 to 20 nanometers, spanning mostly interfacial waters all the way to quasi-bulk waters. We find that, in addition to the well-known interfacial effect, the confinement effect also contributes substantially to the decrease in the complex refractive indices of the nanoconfined water by cutting off low-energy vibrational modes, even at gap widths as large as 10 nanometers. Our findings provide valuable insights into the collective dynamics of water molecules which is crucial to understanding water-mediated processes.

On‐Chip Optical Power Limiter for Quantum Communications

AbstractThis article presents an on‐chip optical power limiter that utilizes the thermo‐optical defocusing effect. A pair of input and output waveguides is designed to mimic emitting and receiving antennas. The waveguides are separated by a free‐space region filled with poly‐methyl‐meth‐acrylate (PMMA) material, which has a negative thermal‐optic coefficient that causes a decrease in refractive index with an increase in temperature. As the power in the input waveguide increases, the refractive index of the free‐space region decreases, which in turn increases the radiated beam's divergence angle with respect to input power. The empirical findings demonstrate that the non‐linear divergence angle can be written as , where θ0 represents the divergence angle of the equivalent Gaussian beam, k is a waveguide‐specific constant, and P is the input power. The edge of the receiving waveguide is tapered to adjust the coupling of the divergent beam to the output waveguide. The taper width is optimized to minimize insertion loss. The devices are two orders lengthwise smaller compared to the bulk demonstration, and they exhibit low loss ranging from 0.2 to 10 dB.

First-principles study of Cs/O deposited Na&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;KSb photocathode surface

Na&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;KSb photocathodes have many applications in vacuum optoelectronic devices, such as photomultiplier tubes, image intensifiers, and streak image tubes for high-speed detection and imaging in extremely weak light environments, due to their advantages of high temperature resistance, small dark current, low vacuum requirement, low fabrication cost and high fabrication flexibility. In addition, this type of photocathode has important application prospect in high brightness accelerator photoinjectors. To guide the fabrication of high-sensitivity Na&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;KSb photocathodes, Na&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;KSb surfaces with different surface orientations and atom terminations are investigated by the first-principles calculation method based on the density functional theory to obtain the most stable and most favorable surface for electron emission. From the perspectives of surface energy, adsorption energy, and work function before and after Cs adsorption, it is revealed that the Na&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;KSb (111) K surface exhibits superior surface stability and electron emission capability. Furthermore, the electronic structure and optical properties of Cs adsorption and Cs/O co-adsorption on the Na&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;KSb (111) K surface under different Cs coverages are analyzed, and the mechanism of Cs/O deposition on Na&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;KSb surface is studied. The adsorption energy of Cs in the Cs/O adsorption model is much larger than that in the single Cs adsorption model, indicating that the adsorption of O atoms on the Na&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;KSb surface can make the adsorption of Cs atoms on the surface stronger, and thus increasing the adhesion of Cs atoms on the surface. After adsorption of Cs on the Na&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;KSb (111)K surface, the surface work function only decreases by 0.02 eV, while the maximum work function decrease for the Cs/O adsorbed surface is 0.16 eV, with the Cs coverage of 2/4 ML and the O coverage of 1/4 ML. The adsorption of Cs/O atoms on the surface facilitates the charge transfer above the surface and results in charge accumulation, which can form the effective surface dipole moment. The magnitude of the surface dipole moment is directly related to the change of work function. Furthermore, through the analysis of the electronic band structure and density of states, it is found that the adsorbed Cs atoms have additional contribution to the band structure near the conduction band minimum. After the introduction of O atoms, the valence band moves up, also the bottom of the conduction band and the top of the valence band become flat. The Cs/O deposition is beneficial to increasing the absorption of near-infrared light on the Na&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;KSb surface, but it will reduce the absorption of ultraviolet light and visible light, and the refractive index will also decrease. This work has a certain reference significance for understanding the optimal emission surface of Na&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;KSb photocathode and the mechanism of surface Cs/O deposition.

ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЕ ГИДРОКРЕКИНГА ПРИ ПЕРЕРАБОТКЕ СВЕРХВЯЗКОЙ НЕФТИ АШАЛЬЧИНСКОГО МЕСТОРОЖДЕНИЯ

The high necessity of development of innovative technologies for heavy oil processing is caused by decreasing reserves and increasing volumes of conditioned oil and gas fields in the world. One of the alternatives to primary processing of heavy oils, implemented at the fields, can be technologies based on extraction processes to obtain deasphalted oil. The present study is aimed at studying the products of various stages of hydrotreating of heavy high-sulfur deasphalted oil from the Ashalchinskoye field (Tatarstan, Russia) in the presence of aluminocobaltmolybdenum and aluminoplatinum catalysts. Conversion of deasphalted heavy oil on aluminocobaltmolybdenum catalyst in the hydrocracking process led to changes in the properties and composition of distillate fractions. Decrease in the content of bicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, increase in the amount of monocycloaromatic and paraffin-naphthenic hydrocarbons, decrease in refractive indices, density and viscosity of distillate fractions were found. The revealed regularities in the composition of hydrotreating products testify to the hydrogenation reactions of polycyclic aromatic compounds, naphthene rings splitting, decomposition of long paraffin chains and their isomerization. It was shown that sulfur compounds contained in different fractions of deasphalted heavy oil differ in their stability to transformation reactions under conditions of catalytic hydrogenation on aluminocobalt-molybdenum catalyst. The second stage of hydrogenation on aluminoplatinum catalyst allowed to reduce the sulphur content in the final product to 0.035 % wt. The obtained data on the composition and technological properties of products of catalytic hydrotreating of heavy deasphalted oil from Ashalchinskoye field indicate the possibility of using widely available aluminocobaltmolybdenum catalysts in processing to obtain high quality hydrocarbon feedstock for petrochemical processes.

Rapid thermal annealing of chalcogenide thin films for mid-infrared sensing and nonlinear photonics

The influence of rapid thermal annealing (RTA) onto chalcogenide Ge-Sb-Se thin films is reported, focusing on changes in optical properties. These materials possess broad mid-infrared transparency covering the most critical absorption bands for (bio)chemical sensing and high third-order optical nonlinearities for potential applications in nonlinear photonics. The parameters of the RTA process within this study include the annealing temperature, heating rate, and the two sample processing methods – one by placing the sample inside the graphite susceptor and the other by simply laying the sample onto the silicon wafer. Selenide thin films were found to undergo a shift of the absorption edge upon the RTA, resulting in an optical bandgap energy increase (bleaching effect) and a notable refractive index decrease. As a result of structural relaxation, such changes show a great potential of RTA in fine-tuning of optical performance of chalcogenide thin films and planar chalcogenide waveguides. The authors acknowledge the IBAIA (101092723) Horizon Europe project, the ANR AQUAE (ANR-21-CE04-0011-04) project of the French National Research Agency (ANR), and project No. 22-05179S of the Czech Science Foundation (GAČR) for financial support.

Electrochemical synthesis of a novel hybrid nanocomposite based on Co3O4 nanoparticles embedded in PANI- camphor sulfonic Acid matrix for optoelectronic applications

In this study, we report on the preparation and characterization of Co3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) embedded in polyaniline-Camphor Sulfonic Acid (PANI-CSA) polymer matrix via electrochemical polymerization method. Developing conductive organic films with tunable optical properties are crucial for many novel optoelectronic applications. Thus, incorporation of metallic oxide nanoparticles (Co3O4 NPs) into polymer matrix (PANI-CSA) represents an alternative approach to address these desired features. As a result of careful optimization of several growth conditions, PANI-CSA/Co3O4 hybrid nanocomposites with high crystalline and homogeneous structures were successfully synthesized on ITO substrates. The impact of Co3O4 NPs concentrations on the structural and optical properties has been extensively investigated. A variety of structural and optical techniques, including FTIR, UV-VIS spectroscopy, and XRD, were employed to characterize the prepared hybrid nanocomposites. The initial findings and analysis reveal that the integration of Co3O4 NPs into PANI-CSA matrix have a trifunctional role in reducing π-polaron and Urbach energies (EU) whereas increasing π-π* band gaps. A further increase in NPs concentration up to 12 wt % results in continuous increase in the absorbance bands and absorption coefficients, indicating improved optical properties as compared to the control sample (PANI-CSA without NPs). The observed redshifts in absorbance band positions are attributed to narrowing of the optical band gap caused by interactions between PANI-CSA chains and Co3O4 NPs. FTIR spectra confirmed the exact chemical composition of PANI-CSA/Co3O4 nanocomposites, exhibiting broadened and less intense peaks compared to the control sample, indicating their interaction at the molecular levels. Additionally, XRD measurements indicate that no peaks of other phases were detected in all nanocomposites, demonstrating their purity and crystallinity. Finally, A single oscillator model by Wemple-DiDomenico (WDD) coupled with a Sellmeier dispersion relation based on one term has been utilized to model the typical electronic transition excitation energies, dispersion energies, optical conductivities, and many other optical desperation parameters for PANI-CSA and PANI-CSA/Co3O4 at various concentrations. For instance, in response to increased NPs content, linear optical susceptibility, third-order nonlinear optical susceptibility, and nonlinear refractive index decrease. In contrast, the ratio of free carriers to effective mass (N/m) increased from 4.73 × 1039 to 4.91 × 1039 m−3 kg−1 with increasing NPs concentration. Based on the observed results, these hybrid nanocomposites possess improved properties, indicating their potential use as active materials in a variety of novel optoelectronic applications.