Effect Of Cu Doping Research Articles

Effect of Cu-doping on the microstructure and magnetic properties of low-cost MM-Fe-B melt spun ribbons

In this paper, MM-Fe-B ribbons with different MM contents were prepared by melt spun technique at a fixed copper roll speed of 25 m/s. The maximum magnetic energy product of the MM15Fe78B7 ribbon is 9.22 MGOe and the coercivity is 6005 Oe. With the increase of MM contents, the coercivity of the magnet was increased, and the highest coercivity reached 9352 Oe in MM18Fe75B7. In addition, the microstructure and magnetic properties of Cu-doped MM15Fe78-xB7Cux (x = 0, 0.4, 0.6, 1 at.%) ribbons were systematically investigated. The results show that the introduction of Cu can suppress the formation of α-Fe soft magnetic phase in the melt spun ribbons. When the Cu content is 0.4 at.%, the grain size decreased from 61 nm to 44 nm, and the coercivity was improved from 6005 Oe to 8527 Oe, which is an increment of about 42 %, whereas the remanence and the magnetic energy product can remain basically unchanged. The addition of Cu element can not only refine the grain size, but also facilitate the enhancement of the homogeneity of the microstructure of the ribbons.

Enhanced Thermoelectric Performance of p-type AgSbTe2 via Cu Doping.

Recently, the p-type semiconductor AgSbTe2 has received a great deal of attention due to its promising thermoelectric performance in intermediate temperatures (300-700 K). However, its performance is limited by the suboptimal carrier concentration and the presence of Ag2Te impurities. Herein, we synthesized AgSb1-xCuxTe2 (x = 0, 0.02, 0.04, and 0.06) and investigated the effect of Cu doping on the thermoelectric properties of AgSbTe2. Our results indicate that Cu doping suppresses the Ag2Te impurities, raises the carrier concentration, and results in an improved power factor (PF). The calculation reveals that Cu doping downshifts the Fermi energy level, reduces the energy band gap and the difference among several valence band maximums, and thereby explains the improvement of PF. In addition, Cu doping reduces the thermal conductivity, possibly attributed to the inhibition of Ag2Te impurities and the phonon softening of the AgSb1-xCuxTe2. Overall, Cu doping improves the ZT of AgSb1-xCuxTe2. Among all samples, AgSb0.96Cu0.04Te2 has a maximum ZT of ∼1.45 at 498 K and an average ZT of ∼1.11 from 298 to 573 K.

Effect of Cu doping on morphology and properties of calcium ferrite and its application as oxygen carrier in chemical looping hydrogen production

Chemical looping hydrogen production with inherent CO2 capture has been widely recognized as a clean and efficient approach to high-purity hydrogen production because of the ultra-pure H2 product without any purification facilities. It is crucial to develop oxygen carriers with better performance to improve fuel conversion and hydrogen production efficiency. The potential of Ca2Fe2O5 in steam converting has been confirmed. However, its lower oxygen transfer capacity, that is, it tends to produce lower fuel conversion in fuel reactors, which will limit its practical application. Here, we report the development of Cu-doped Ca2Fe2O5-based oxygen carriers using sol-gel technology. The effects of B-site substitution of Cu element on the morphological properties and redox properties of Ca2Fe2-xCuxO5 (x = 0, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 1) oxygen carriers were evaluated based on experiments and density functional theory calculations. The results show that Cu doping not only elevated the surface oxygen content and enhanced the oxygen activity of the oxygen carriers, but also increased the Fe3+ at the B-site, thus enhanced their binding ability with oxygen molecules. Vacancy formation was a rate-determining step in the chemical looping hydrogen production (CLH), and Cu-doped Ca2Fe2O5 reduced the energy of oxygen vacancy formation. In the CLH process, the doping of Cu significantly improved the hydrogen productivity and fuel conversion rate. The fuel conversion rate was positively correlated with the doping amount of Cu. When x = 1, Ca2Fe2-xCuxO5 had the maximum fuel conversion rate, and its average conversion was 54.2% more than that of undoped Ca2Fe2O5. Ca2Fe2-xCuxO5 with x = 0.25 was the most suitable for CLH with the highest H2 yield, which was 20.3% more than that of Ca2Fe2O5. Moreover, its properties remained stable over multiple redox cycles with high activity and stability for CO-CLH.

Amorphous Strategy and Doping Copper on Metal-Organic Framework Surface for Enhanced Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction to C2H4.

Amorphous photocatalysts are characterized by numerous grain boundaries and abundant unsaturated sites, which enhance reaction efficiency from both kinetic and thermodynamic perspectives. However, amorphization strategies have rarely been used for photocatalytic CO2 reduction. Doping copper onto a metal-organic framework (MOF) surface can regulate the electronic structure of photocatalysts, promote electron transfer from the MOF to Cu, and improve the separation efficiency of electron-hole pairs. In this study, an amorphous photocatalyst MOFw-p/Cu containing highly dispersed Cu (0, I, II) sites was designed and synthesized by introducing a regulator and in situ copper species during the nucleation process of MOF (UiO-66-NH2). Various characterizations confirmed that the Cu species were anchored to the organometallic skeleton of the surface amorphization MOF structure. The synergistic effect of Cu doping and surface amorphization in MOFw-p/Cu can significantly enhance the CO and CH4 yields while promoting the formation of the multicarbon product C2H4. The approach holds promise for developing novel, highly efficient MOFs as photocatalysts for CO2 photoreduction, enabling the production of high-value-added C2 products.

First Principles Calculation of the Effect of Cu Doping on the Mechanical and Thermodynamic Properties of Au-2.0Ni Solder.

To meet the demands for high-temperature performance and lightweight materials in aerospace engineering, the Au-Ni solder is often utilized for joining dissimilar materials, such as Ti3Al-based alloys and Ni-based high-temperature alloys. However, the interaction between Ti and Ni can lead to the formation of brittle phases, like Ti2Ni, TiNi, and TiNi3, which diminish the mechanical properties of the joint and increase the risk of crack formation during the welding process. Cu doping has been shown to enhance the mechanical properties and high-temperature stability of the Au-Ni brazed joint's central area. Due to the difficulty in accurately controlling the solid solution content of Cu in the Au-Ni alloy, along with the high cost of Au, traditional experimental trial-and-error methods are insufficient for the development of Au-based solders. In this study, first principles calculations based on density functional theory were employed to analyze the effect of Cu content on the stability of the Au-2.0Ni-xCu (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 1.25 wt%) alloy phase structure. The thermal properties of the alloy were determined using Gibbs software fitting. The results indicate that the Au-2.0Ni-0.25Cu alloy exhibits the highest plastic toughness (B/G = 5.601, ν = 0.416, Cauchy pressure = 73.676 GPa) and a hardness of 1.17 GPa, which is 80% higher than that of Au-2.0Ni. This alloy balances excellent strength and plastic toughness, meeting the mechanical performance requirements of brazed joints. The constant pressure specific heat capacity (Cp) of the Au-2.0Ni-xCu alloy is higher than that of Au-2.0Ni and increases with Cu content. At 1000 K, the Cp of the Au-2.0Ni-0.25Cu alloy is 35.606 J·mol-1·K-1, which is 5.88% higher than that of Au-2.0Ni. The higher Cp contributes to enhanced high-temperature stability. Moreover, the linear expansion coefficient (CTE) of the Au-2.0Ni-0.25Cu alloy at 1000 K is 8.76 × 10-5·K-1, only 0.68% higher than Au-2.0Ni. The lower CTE helps to reduce the risk of solder damage caused by thermal stress. Therefore, the Au-2.0Ni-0.25Cu alloy is more suitable for brazing applications in high-temperature environments due to its excellent mechanical properties and thermal stability. This study provides a theoretical basis for the performance optimization and engineering application of the Au-2.0Ni-xCu alloy as a gold-based solder.

Mechanistic Insight into the Effect of Cu Doping on Thermoelectric Properties of Sintered Wet-Chemically Synthesized SnSe2 Nanosheets

Mechanistic Insight into the Effect of Cu Doping on Thermoelectric Properties of Sintered Wet-Chemically Synthesized SnSe₂ Nanosheets

Synthesis and characterization of Ag/Cu dual-metal-functionalized porous Bi2WO6 microsphere with enhanced N2 photofixation

Semiconductor photocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (PNRR) stands as a promising clean technique for ammonia synthesis, yet it confronts numerous challenges. In this study, Ag nanoparticle-modified Cu-doped Bi2WO6 (ACB) porous composite materials with varying mass percentages were successfully synthesized using a solvothermal reduction approach. The incorporation of transition metal Cu effectively modulates the energy band position of Bi2WO6. Furthermore, the introduction of Ag nanoparticles significantly suppresses the recombination of photogenerated carriers. Without adding sacrificial agent, the photocatalytic nitrogen fixation yield of ACB reaches an impressive 184.93 μmol·g−1·h−1, which is 5.44 times higher than that of pristine Bi2WO6. A comprehensive analysis of the experimental results reveals that the combined effect of Cu doping and Ag nanoparticle loading endows ACB with an increased exposure of active sites, thereby significantly enhancing its photocatalytic nitrogen fixation performance. This research offers a promising approach for the design of metal nanoparticle-supported catalysts for PNRR, holding significant implications for the advancement of other material systems.

Grain Manipulation by Annealing Treatment Realizes High-Performance N-Type Bi2Te2.4Se0.6 Thermoelectric Material and Device.

Bi2Te3-based materials play a crucial role in solid cooling and power generation, but the rapidly deteriorated ZT with rising temperatures above 450 K severely limits further applications. Here, this paper reports a novel preparation method of annealing treatment for molten ingot, which can enhance the thermoelectric performance of n-type Bi2Te2.4Se0.6 in a wide temperature range. Instead of conventional halides, copper is adopted to regulate the carrier concentration and grain size to optimal levels. During the process of annealing at 573 K for 4h, the number of twins significantly increases and the grains of Cu-doped samples become larger and more oriented. These optimizations lead to higher carrier mobility with similar carrier concentration compared with the sample without heat treatment. The synergistic effects of Cu doping and annealing treatment realize a high average ZT of 0.89 within 300-600 K in n-type Cu0.02Bi2Te2.4Se0.6. Combined with p-type (Bi,Sb)2Te3, the fabricated thermoelectric device exhibits a high conversion efficiency of 6.9% at a temperature difference of 300 K. This study suggests that annealing treatment is a simple and effective scheme to promote the applications of n-type Bi2(Te,Se)3 in a wide temperature range.

Effect of Cu doping on structure, morphology, and microwave absorption performance of MnO2

Effect of Cu doping on structure, morphology, and microwave absorption performance of MnO2

An environmentally-friendly approach to monovalent Cu-doped ZnS: Physicochemical characterization and photocatalytic activity

Certain semiconducting species suffer from the lack of optical activity in the visible region of electromagnetic spectrum, due to large band gap. The integration of various dopants has been widely used in order to generate additional electron transitions and subsequently lead to red-shifted absorption spectrum and enhanced photon harvesting in the visible-NIR region. Herein, a facile two-step environmentally-friendly approach was employed to integrate monovalent Cu species onto ZnS lattice. The study was set to assess the effect of Cu doping in Zinc Sulfide lattice on optical and photocatalytic properties. The theoretical weight fraction of the dopant ranged between 0% and 50%. The physicochemical characterization of either neat semiconductors (ZnS and Cu2O) or Cu-doped ZnS hybrids was performed by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray induced Auger electron spectroscopy (XAES) and Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). XPS provided some enhanced understanding about the chemical speciation of the hybrid materials. This information was strongly supported by Raman analysis. The optimized Cu-doped ZnS hybrid demonstrated enhanced photocatalytic activity towards the degradation of Orange G dye, under UV irradiation.

Tuning effect of Cu doping on martensitic transformation and magnetic and mechanical properties of Heusler alloy Mn50Ni40In10−xCux (x = 0–10) ribbons

Single-phase Mn50Ni40In10−xCux (x = 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10) Heusler alloys were synthesized by melt-spinning method. Martensitic transformation is retained within the whole composition range studied. The substitution of Cu for In leads to a drastic increase in the martensitic transformation temperature TM from below room temperature to above 750 K, and enhances the antiferromagnetic character of the martensite. The increase in TM is related to the increasing electron concentration e/a and decreasing cell volume V with Cu doping. The energy difference between martensite and austenite also increases with Cu doping, which tends to elevate the TM. Cu doping can enhance the metallic bonding character in NiMn-based magnetic shape memory alloys (MSMAs) and is a grain refining strategy of their ribbons. The oriented columnar grains in In-rich samples change to fine equiaxial grains in Cu-rich samples. All this has a positive effect on the strength and ductility. The tensile strength of the Mn50Ni40Cu10 ribbon is 3.6 times higher than that of Mn50Ni40In6Cu4. So, Mn–Ni–Cu can be a promising all-d-metal Heusler alloy platform for developing MSMAs with interesting properties.

Cu-doped NiO thin film's structural, optical, and electrical properties and its negative absorption behaviour in the Infra-Red region

NiO undoped and Cu-doped thin films on FTO-coated glass (fluorine-doped tin oxide) are prepared by employing the sol-gel spin coating method. The Cu-doping effect was observed in all the characterized reports such as absorption, transmittance, field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), Grazing Incidence X-ray Diffraction (GIXRD), photoluminescence (PL), Raman spectra, current-voltage measurement (IV), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Enhancement in electrical conductivity due to Cu doping and IR illumination has been found. Band gap can also be tuned by varying doping concentrations. One new phenomenon called negative absorption (NA) has been found while investigating the optical properties in the infrared (IR) region for both undoped and Cu-doped NiO on the FTO substrate, which opens a new door for advanced research. The multifarious properties of NiO thin films offer various applications in many different fields.

Influence of Cu doping on the functionality of spray coated SnS2 thin films and its photocatalytic degradation of dyes and antibacterial activity

Tin sulfide (SnS2) is a material known for its effective photocatalytic activity due to its affordability and wide light spectrum response. To enhance and optimize its optical and chemical characteristics, doping is a straightforward approach that can improve its photocatalytic efficiency. This work focuses on the effect of Cu doping on the structural, optical, and photocatalytic properties of the thin films prepared by the spray-coating approach. XRD confirms the hexagonal SnS2 structure. As the amount of Cu added increases, the crystallite size decreases while dislocation density rises. The XPS findings show that a low concentration of copper (2%) within the SnS2 thin films exhibits both high solubility and exclusively a monovalent state, in contrast to the 4% concentration. The effective band gap is in the range of 1.9–2.2 eV. SEM image reveals a variety of morphologies, and the porosity is reduced with increasing Cu doping. Furthermore, the FTIR study confirms the Sn-S bond present at 753 cm−1. EPR studies reveal the existence of sulfur vacancies in Cu-doped SnS2. Mechanical properties were also affected, with an observed decrease in microhardness as the dopant concentration increased. The photocatalytic activity of the samples is studied by photocatalytic degradation of malachite green and Congo red dyes under visible light irradiation. Additionally, their antibacterial effect against Escherichia coli was examined. This study shows that an optimal amount of Cu doping can significantly increase the photocatalytic performance of SnS2 for efficiently decomposing organic pollutants and enhancing antibacterial activities.

Largely Enhanced Thermoelectric Performance of Flexible Ag2Se Film by Cationic Doping and Dual-Phase Engineering.

Recent studies have shown that silver selenide is a promising thermoelectric material at room temperature. Herein, flexible films with a nominal composition of (Ag1-xCux)2Se are prepared by a simple and efficient one-pot method combined with vacuum-assisted filtration and hot pressing. The thermoelectric properties of the films are regulated by both cationic doping and a dual-phase strategy via a wet chemical method. As the x increases, not only Cu is doped into the Ag2Se, but different new phases (CuAgSe and/or CuSe2) also appear. The (Ag1-xCux)2Se film with x = 0.02 composed of Cu-doped Ag2Se and CuAgSe shows a high PF of ∼2540 μW m-1 K-2 (ZT ∼ 0.90) and outstanding flexibility at room temperature. The high thermoelectric properties of the film are due to the effect of Cu doping and the CuAgSe phase, including the increase in electrical conductivity caused by doping, the enhanced phonon scattering at the Ag2Se/CuAgSe interface, and the interaction between the energy filtering effect and the doping effect. In addition to the high output performance (PDmax = 28.08 W m-2, ΔT = 32.2 K), the flexible device assembled with the (Ag0.98Cu0.02)2Se film also has potential applications as a temperature sensor.

Cu-doping induced tuning of magnetic properties and phase transformation in MnBi alloys

This study investigates the effect of Cu doping on the magnetic properties of MnBi alloy at sub-ambient temperatures. The Curie temperatures (Tc) were observed at 175.2 and 161.6 K for Mn52Bi45Cu3 and Mn51Bi45Cu4 alloys, respectively. The Mn55Bi45 sample demonstrates a notable saturation magnetization (Ms) of 72 emu/g, reaching 90% of the theoretical value, indicating the successful synthesis of high-purity ferromagnetic low-temperature phase MnBi. Compared to Mn55Bi45, all Cu-doped samples exhibit higher coercivity (Hc) within the temperature range of 10–200 K. In particular, the sample with 4 at. % Cu exhibits an Hc of 7.4 kOe at 10 K, which is 37 times higher than that of the MnBi sample (0.2 kOe), and it remains significantly higher than that of the 0–3 at. % Cu-doped samples, even at 200 K. Further details of this investigation are presented in this paper.

Promotion effect of Cu doping on mercury removal properties of magnetic MnFe2O4 materials with high adsorption capacity

In this study, a simple method combining sol-gel and impregnation techniques was employed to synthesize magnetic Cu/MnFe2O4. The resulting material demonstrated outstanding efficiency in removing mercury, achieving over 90% at reaction temperatures ranging from 150 °C to 200 °C. Through Cu incorporation, the Hg0 removal performance of Cu0.15MnFe was significantly enhanced, leading to a high adsorption capacity of 70.1 mg/g. This surpasses the capabilities of many previously reported adsorbents and holds great potential for enhancing the stability of Hg recovery efficiency. Furthermore, the presence of O2, HCl, and NO further improved the Hg0 removal. Conversely, H2O had an mild inhibitory effect on Hg0 removal. Additionally, the introduction of Cu noticeably mitigated the inhibitory impact of SO2 on mercury removal characteristics and alleviated the issue of SO2 poisoning in adsorbents. The primary active sites responsible for the oxidation of elemental mercury are the redox reaction between Cu2+/Cu+ and Mn3+/Mn2+, and adsorbed oxygen species. Through the oxidation process, Hg0 is primarily converted into various compounds, including HgO, Hg(NO3)2, HgCl2, and HgSO4. As a result, the prepared magnetic recyclable adsorbent, with its high mercury adsorption capacity, exhibits promising prospects for industrial application in the low-temperature removal of Hg0 from coal-fired flue gas.

Exploring the various effects of Cu doping in hydroxyapatite nanoparticle

Adding foreign ions to hydroxyapatite (HAp) is a popular approach for improving its properties. This study focuses on the effects of calcium substitution with copper in HAp. Instead of calcium, copper ions were doped into the structure of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles at 1%, 3%, and 5% concentrations. XRD analysis showed that the amount of substituted copper was less than needed to generate a distinct phase, yet its lattice parameters and crystallinity slightly decreased. Further, the results of degradation tests revealed that copper doping in hydroxyapatite doubled calcium ion release in water. The incorporation of copper into the apatite structure also boosted the HAp zeta potential and FBS protein adsorption onto powders. According to antibacterial investigations, a concentration of 200 mg/ml of hydroxyapatite containing 5% copper was sufficient to effectively eradicate E. coli and S. aureus bacteria. Furthermore, copper improved hydroxyapatite biocompatibility. Alkaline phosphatase activity and alizarin red tests showed that copper in hydroxyapatite did not inhibit stem cell differentiation into osteoblasts. Also, the scratch test demonstrated that copper-containing hydroxyapatite extract increased HUVEC cell migration. Overall, our findings demonstrated the utility of incorporating copper into the structure of hydroxyapatite from several perspectives, including the induction of antibacterial characteristics, biocompatibility, and angiogenesis.

The 1/4 occupied O atoms induced ultra-flatband and the one-dimensional channels in the Pb10−xCux(PO4)6O4 (x = 0, 0.5) crystal

The search for room-temperature superconductors has been a long-standing goal in condensed matter physics. In this study, we investigate the electronic and geometric properties of lead apatite with and without Cu doping within the framework of the density functional theory. Based on our calculations, we found that without Cu doping, the lead apatite PPOO shows an insulator character with flatbands that straddle the Fermi level. Once we introduce O1 vacancies, the flatbands disappear. Furthermore, we analyze the effects of Cu doping on the crystal structure and the electronic band structure of the material PCPOO4. Our calculations reveal the presence of one-dimensional channels induced by fully occupied O1 atoms that are only 1/4 occupied in the literature, which may play a crucial role in the realization of room-temperature superconductivity. Based on our findings, we propose a possible solution to improve the quality of superconductivity by annealing the material in an oxygen atmosphere. These results contribute to a better understanding of the unusual properties of Cu-doped lead apatite PCPOO4 and will pave the way for further exploration of its potential as a room-temperature superconductor.

Inkjet-printed SnOx as an effective electron transport layer for planar perovskite solar cells and the effect of Cu doping.

Inkjet printing is a more sustainable and scalable fabrication method than spin coating for producing perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Although spin-coated SnO2 has been intensively studied as an effective electron transport layer (ETL) for PSCs, inkjet-printed SnO2 ETLs have not been widely reported. Here, we fabricated inkjet-printed, solution-processed SnOx ETLs for planar PSCs. A champion efficiency of 17.55% was achieved for the cell using a low-temperature processed SnOx ETL. The low-temperature SnOx exhibited an amorphous structure and outperformed high-temperature crystalline SnO2. The improved performance was attributed to enhanced charge extraction and transport and suppressed charge recombination at ETL/perovskite interfaces, which originated from enhanced electrical and optical properties of SnOx, improved perovskite film quality, and well-matched energy level alignment between the SnOx ETL and the perovskite layer. Furthermore, SnOx was doped with Cu. Cu doping increased surface oxygen defects and upshifted energy levels of SnOx, leading to reduced device performance. A tunable hysteresis was observed for PSCs with Cu-doped SnOx ETLs, decreasing at first and turning into inverted hysteresis afterwards with increasing Cu doping level. This tunable hysteresis was related to the interplay between charge/ion accumulation and recombination at ETL/perovskite interfaces in the case of electron extraction barriers.

Synergistic effect of Cu doping and Z-scheme heterojunction on ZnIn2S4/Cu-doped WO3·0.5H2O for boosting photocatalytic H2 evolution

The key to realizing efficient hydrogen production driven by sustainable solar is to develop high performance photocatalysts. Herein, a ZnIn2S4/Cu-doped WO3·0.5H2O (ZIS/Cu-WO) heterojunction was synthesized and the synergy between Cu doping and Z-scheme heterojunction in hydrogen production was explored. The synthesized (ZIS/Cu-WO) has a special octahedral structure. The doping of Cu ions can induce the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of WO3·0.5H2O, which extends the spectral response range and improves charge conduction. After growing ZnIn2S4 (ZIS), the optimal ZIS/Cu-WO photocatalyst shows a remarkable H2 production rate of 3084 μmolg-1h-1, which is 7.0 times than undoped ZnIn2S4/WO3·0.5H2O (ZIS/WO). The enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production performance is attributed to the synergistic effect of Cu doping and Z-scheme heterojunction, which further accelerated the separation of photogenerated electron holes. Moreover, the Z-scheme photogenerated charge transfer mechanism was confirmed, and the ZIS/Cu-WO heterojunction exhibits superior stability in 16 h cycle test. This study provides a valuable reference in designing metal ion-doped heterojunction photocatalysts.