Non-ideal Behavior Research Articles

Digitally Controllable Multifrequency Impedance Emulator for Bioimpedance Hardware Validation

ABSTRACTThe accurate emulation of the electrical impedance of biological tissues is crucial for the development and validation of bioimpedance measurement devices and algorithms. This paper describes a digitally controllable impedance emulator capable of reproducing values representative of tissue bioimpedance in user‐specified resistance, reactance, and frequency ranges up to 1 MHz. The presented solution uses a 2R‐1C impedance model to emulate the impedance characteristics of a biological tissue. Specific selection of each element value in this model is achieved using analog multiplexers with low resistance. A MATLAB algorithm was developed for value estimation using target impedance requirements. An example design to emulate impedance from 1 kHz to 1 MHz with 10 to 400 resistance and maximum reactance is provided. The nonideal behavior of this design was evaluated and compared against experimentally collected impedance measurements. Deviations of <1% were observed between experimental and theoretical resistances for values up to 100 kHz (with approximately 5% deviations up to 1 MHz) and reactance deviations were also <1% up to 10 kHz. High frequency deviations are attributed to the parasitic capacitance in the realization of the design. The experimental results validate the design approach and realization for low frequencies. Overall, the innovation of the proposed approach is the control of both resistance and reactance for emulating electrical impedance representative of biological tissues.

High-Performance Dual-Gate Transistors Based on Aligned Carbon Nanotubes.

Aligned carbon nanotubes (A-CNTs), with atomic-scale thickness and ultrahigh carrier mobility, hold promise for constructing future sub-1 nm node integrated circuits (ICs) with higher speed and lower power consumption. However, the fabricated A-CNT transistors often suffer from the disorder of high-density CNT, which degrade the off-characteristic deviating significantly from theoretical values. Introducing a dual-gate (DG) configuration can provide higher gate control efficiency compared to conventional single-gate (SG) transistors and is expected to enhance the overall performance of A-CNT transistors. However, the reported A-CNT dual-gate field-effect transistors (DG-FETs) still exhibit nonideal switching behavior, and systematic exploration and optimizations for constructing high-performance A-CNT DG structures have been lacking so far. In this work, we conducted a detailed study on the matching issues between the top-gate (TG) and bottom-gate (BG) stacks. By optimizing the gate metal materials and dielectric layer thickness, we enabled 20 nm channel A-CNT DG-FETs to achieve leading switching characteristics, including an on-state current density (Ion) of up to 1.47 mA/μm, a peak transconductance (Gm) of 2 mS/μm, a subthreshold slope (SS) as low as 83 mV/decade, and a current on/off ratio of 106. This study provides critical experimental guidance for constructing outstanding A-CNT DG-FETs at advanced technology nodes to compete with cutting-edge silicon-based chips and is also valid for two-dimensional channels.

Kinetic and mechanistic studies on the synthesis of dimethyl carbonate reaction using deep eutectic solvents as catalysts

Dimethyl carbonate (DMC) is extensively utilized in various industries due to its exceptional physical and chemical properties, functioning as an additive in gasoline and an electrolyte solvent in lithium batteries. Among several production methods, the transesterification of propylene carbonate (PC) with methanol (MeOH) is the most efficient and environmentally friendly. This study synthesized various deep eutectic solvents (DESs) using choline chloride (ChCl) as the hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) and monoethanolamine (MEA) as the hydrogen bond donor (HBD) in molar ratios of 1: n (n = 5, 6, 7, 8). The DESs’ structures were analyzed using Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and their melting points were determined via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The density, viscosity, and surface tension of the DESs were measured over a temperature range from 318.15 K to 358.15 K. The catalytic effects of four different DESs on PC transesterification with MeOH were investigated, revealing that ChCl-6MEA was the most effective catalyst, prompting its selection for further experiments. Subsequent investigations examined the effects of temperature, MeOH quantity, and catalyst dosage on PC conversion and DMC yield. Additionally, this study explored chemical equilibrium and reaction kinetics through experimental and theoretical approaches. Activity-based chemical equilibrium constants, derived from experimental data, and the van’t Hoff equation elucidated their temperature dependency. A pseudo-homogeneous (PH) model characterized the non-ideal thermodynamic behavior of the liquid phase in reaction kinetics analysis. The Arrhenius equation was employed to delineate the impact of temperature variations on reaction rate constants. Finally, the proposed reaction mechanism for ChCl-6MEA catalyzed transesterification was elucidated and verified through quantum chemistry (QC) calculations.

Vapor-liquid equilibria of the ternary system of methane + n-decane + n-octacosane at high pressures

Alkane mixture phase equilibria is required for a range of industrial applications, most particularly for the petroleum industries. Mixtures containing light and heavy normal alkanes are of even further significance due to their non-ideal thermodynamic behavior. In this work, for the first time, the ternary system of C1 + C10 + C28 was investigated experimentally to obtain bubble point pressures at various concentrations and temperatures ranging from 373 up to 445 K. The synthetic method of phase equilibrium measurements was utilized, which is known to have high accuracy. The resulting bubble points for the mixtures ranged in pressure from about 3 MPa up to 6 MPa. The data indicated that methane concentrations had the greatest impact, not only on the magnitude of the bubble point pressure, but also on the slope of its temperature trend. The relative concentrations of n-decane and n-octacosane had far less impact on the bubble point curves. The results were also modelled using the Peng–Robinson equation of state, and it was found that this equation has the capability to predict the data with an AARD% of 5.1 %. When temperature-independent binary interaction parameters were optimized to the data, the AARD% reduced to 2.4 %. Although the components vary greatly in size, perhaps the success of the Peng–Robinson equation of state for this mixture could be attributed to the fact that it was developed for hydrocarbon mixtures, and so, a reason for its popularity in the petroleum industries, alongside its simplicity and ease of use.

A Novel Sinusoidal Oscillator Using Single Voltage Differencing Buffered Amplifier

In this paper, a voltage differencing buffered amplifier (VDBA)-based second-order sinusoidal oscillator (SO) configuration, which provides voltage output at low impedance, is proposed. The circuit employs single VDBA, three resistors and two grounded capacitors, which presume its easy monolithic integration with preferred circuit simplicity. The nonidealities of VDBA due to parasitic and tracking errors are taken into consideration to study the nonideal behavior of proposed SO. Mathematical modeling of phase noise is computed in the paper. Active and passive sensitivities are calculated for the proposed configuration and are found to be less than unity rendering circuit insensitive to component variations followed by phase noise study. The functionality of the proposed topology is validated through cadence virtuoso ADE spectre tool at 180-nm technology node. Experimental verification is executed through commercially available ICs AD844 by good results. The total harmonic distortion (THD) is found to be below 3.5%. The observed frequency of oscillation is found to be in close agreement with the theoretical values. The PVT and Monte Carlo statistical analyses are also carried out to confirm the sensitivity of the proposed SO.

Growth mechanism of Ge2Sb2Te5 thin films by atomic layer deposition supercycles of GeTe and SbTe

The film with a composition close to Ge2Sb2Te5 was fabricated by the supercycle atomic layer deposition (ALD) of GeTe and SbTe, followed by tellurization annealing. Supercycle processes are widely used for thin film deposition of multicomponent materials and often exhibit non-ideal growth behavior. Since only in situ analysis can reveal the substrate-dependent growth behavior, we used in situ quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) to study the growth mechanism during ALD supercycle processes at 85 °C. GeTe grown on SbTe was more Te-deficient than continuously grown GeTe film. As a result, more Te-deficient Ge-Sb-Te films were formed than expected. By annealing in a Te ambient at 250 °C, the Te-deficient Ge-Sb-Te film was converted to the Ge0.23Sb0.23Te0.54 close to Ge2Sb2Te5 film, which had a high density equivalent to 95 % of the FCC structure of Ge2Sb2Te5. The film showed excellent conformality and uniform composition in a trench pattern, suggesting a uniform crystallization temperature of 118 °C at all locations.

Electrical resistivity imaging of crude oil contaminant in coastal soils – A laboratory sandbox study

Characterizing the subsurface distribution of crude oil after a spill in a coastal environment is challenging due to variations in the soil and fluid properties. In situ sampling is limited in capturing the lateral and vertical migration of the crude oil within the vadose and saturated zones. This study presents a laboratory sandbox framework used to assess the effectiveness of electrical resistivity imaging for investigating the spatiotemporal distribution of crude oil in coastal sandy soils. A sandbox with dimensions L = 240 cm, W = 60 cm, and H = 60 cm was constructed using a 10 mm plexiglass and filled to a 40 cm height with 2 mm medium to fine-grained sand. At each stage of the experiment, 20 kg of sand was mixed with 1 l of water to create moist sand, after which the mixture was flushed over 12 h to remove suspended fine particles. Both saturated and unsaturated conditions were simulated by setting the water table at 10 cm and draining a fully saturated system overnight. Two liters of crude oil were spilled and monitored for 30 h. A surface array of 98 electrodes, with a unit electrode spacing of 2 cm, was installed along two transects 12 cm apart. Resistivity measurements were collected using a dipole-dipole array before, during, and after the simulated crude oil spill. The time-lapse electrical resistivity results revealed an initial gravity-induced vertical migration under both saturated and unsaturated conditions; over time, lateral migration of crude oil became apparent. In the saturated zone, there was a noticeable reduction in the percentage difference in resistivity from 700 % to 400 % after 24 h, depicting a spatial and temporal redistribution of the crude oil attributed to variation in pore geometry. This highlights the sensitivity of electrical resistivity measurements to subtle but measurable anisotropy in the distribution of soil pores. Overall, electrical resistivity proved successful in imaging the non-ideal behavior of crude oil pollutants and the associated spatial changes in the pore-size distribution of subsurface sediments.

Impact of Pd2+ and Sn4+ co-doping ZnO nanoflakes toward high-performing Schottky diode based on the generation of intermediate bands within the energy gap

Pd:Sn/ZnO nanohybrid was prepared by chemical co-precipitation route and identified using XRD, EDX, SEM, and TEM techniques. The microstructure analysis emphasized the polycrystalline nature in which Pd and Sn ions were substituted inside ZnO framework to form the nanocomposite. The surface morphology was appeared in 2D nanoflakes with large specific surface area. The optical parameters including Eg, n, and k were deduced from T% and R% spectra through wavelength range 300–1400 nm. The thin film showed strong optical absorption inside the UV region with a value of Eg = 3.10 eV. The Ag/Pd:Sn/ZnO/p-Si/Al Schottky diode was fabricated by thermal evaporation technique, and its electronic and photodetector properties were investigated from I–V and C–V measurements. The fabricated device exhibited non-ideal behavior with high rectification ratio RR = 935 and a relatively small Rs lies between 2365 and 2755 Ω. Under illumination impacts, the photodiode exhibited high photosensitivity and responsivity attributed to the large photo-induced charge carriers.

Investigating Li-Ion Depletion during Fast Charging with Operando FTIR

Lithium-ion concentration polarization and slow ionic transport in the electrolyte phase hinder fast charging of electric vehicle batteries and can cause cell degradation. Although pseudo-2D (P2D) models capture concentration polarization phenomena during fast charging, experimental measurements of Li-ion concentration in the electrolyte phase have been limited. In this research, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and attenuated total reflection (ATR) were used to collect operando optical measurements of Li-ion concentration in a high-loading graphite/NMC811 full cell with 1.2M LiPF6 in 3/7 (wt./wt.) ethylene carbonate (EC)/ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC). For this research, an optically accessible operando battery was developed that enables real-time measurements of Li-ion concentration at the back of the graphite anode near the current collector. Significant Li-ion concentration changes up to 0.5M were observed during charging at 1C, 2C, and 3C, as well as discharging at C/2, and compared with a P2D model. Both the model and the experiments showed Li-ion depletion and sinuous fluctuations at the graphite/current collector interface that indicate non-ideal behavior. These gradients likely develop due to insufficient electrolyte transport properties. This research enables novel Li-ion concentration measurements with FTIR. This research also validates P2D model physics for measuring and analyzing Li-ion concentration polarization at fast charging rates.

A novel scale-bridging method for MSMA linking continuum thermodynamics constitutive formulations to lumped system-level models

This work introduces a novel scale-bridging method between a continuum thermodynamics constitutive model and a lumped system-level model for magnetic shape memory alloys (MSMA). With this method, system models for real-time operations are generated based on virtual experiments using the constitutive model. The proposed method addresses the fact that, while constitutive models for MSMA typically only require small sets of parameters as input, their evaluation is still computationally expensive. System models for control engineering, however, require extensive experimental parameterization, while their evaluation is highly time-efficient. The proposed scale-bridging method has the potential to combine a small parameterization effort and a low computational cost of the real-time system model. Additionally, the constitutive model is utilized to investigate whether it can determine the individual behavior of MSMA samples. This is important since the inherent model parameters, while valid for ideal single crystals, deviate for non-ideal MSMA sample behavior. To this end, the MSMA constitutive model, based on a global variational principle originally proposed by Kiefer et al is supplemented by various extensions, including a more robust algorithmic treatment. A parameter identification procedure is introduced to optimize the constitutive model parameters based on an outer hysteresis curve for a particular load case. By conducting virtual experiments with the constitutive model, data sets are generated to parameterize Preisach hysteresis models as numerical approximations of the constitutive models. The resulting hysteresis models are compared with physical experiments using an MSMA test bench for different load cases. It is shown that the proposed scale-bridging method successfully generates hysteresis models derived from constitutive models. While maintaining accuracy comparable to strictly phenomenological models across various load cases (as validated through physical MSMA test bench experiments), these models require significantly less parameterization effort than classical system models. This translates to faster model creation and broader applicability.

Scale-up of plug-flow reactors in anaerobic treatment of agro-industrial wastes

This study is aiming to evaluate the optimization potential of anaerobic digestion systems for the treatment of complex agro-industrial wastes at an industrial scale. In previous work, the performance of a 20 L pilot-scale Plug Flow Reactor (PFR) that was able to operate at Organic Loading Rates (OLRs) of up to 25 kg Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) m−3 d−1, was demonstrated. This concept was then successfully transferred in a semi-industrial scale PFR of a volume equal to 50 m3, and the optimal operational parameters were evaluated. The construction of a full industrial scale facility followed, utilizing initially a 380 m3 PFR. Since PFR systems in practice do not behave ideally, due to short Length to Diameter ratio (L/D) and/or higher axial dispersion, the ideal PFR behavior was compared with real data of the non-ideal industrial-scale system; a performance reduction of 25–30 % was detected. However, the disadvantage of the non-ideal behavior of PFRs can be overcome by the cascaded arrangement of two such reactors (2 × 380 m3 PFRs), leading to a total volume reduction of 35 %, as depicted by experimentation on the industrial scale cascaded PFRs. The optimal design parameters for the PFRs are provided.

A Hybrid Energy System Based on Externally Fired Micro Gas Turbines, Waste Heat Recovery and Gasification Systems: An Energetic and Exergetic Performance Analysis

The opportunities related to the adoption of synthetic gaseous fuels derived from solid biomass are limited by the issues caused by the peculiarities of the syngas. The aim of this paper is to analyze several possible layouts of hybrid energy systems, in which the main thermal source is the organic fraction of municipal solid wastes. The case of a small community of about 1000 persons is analyzed in this paper. The examined layouts coupled an externally fired micro gas turbine with a waste heat recovery system based on both an Organic Rankine Cycle and supercritical CO2 gas turbines. A thermodynamic analysis has been carried out through the use of the commercial software Thermoflex 31, considering the losses of each component and the non-ideal behavior of the fluids. The results of the numerical analysis highlight that the introduction of a waste heat recovery system leads to an increase of at least 16% in the available net power, while a cascade hybrid energy grid can lead to a power enhancement of about 29%, with a considerable increase also in the energetic and exergetic global efficiencies.

Origins of non-ideal behaviour in voltammetric analysis of redox-active monolayers.

Disorder in redox-active monolayers convolutes electrochemical characterization. This disorder can come from pinhole defects, loose packing, heterogeneous distribution of redox-active headgroups, and lateral interactions between immobilized redox-active molecules. Identifying the source of non-ideal behaviour in cyclic voltammograms can be challenging as different types of disorder often cause similar non-ideal cyclic voltammetry behaviour such as peak broadening, large peak-to-peak separation, peak asymmetry and multiple peaks for single redox processes. This Review provides an overview of ideal voltammetric behaviour for redox-active monolayers, common manifestations of disorder on voltammetric responses, common experimental parameters that can be varied to interrogate sources of disorder, and finally, examples of different types of disorder and how they impact electrochemical responses.

Scaling study of miniaturised continuous stirred tank reactors via residence time distribution analysis and application in the production of iron oxide nanoparticles

Magnetically agitated miniaturised continuous stirred tank reactors (mCSTRs) are an attractive platform for the intensification of chemical reactions involving solids by combining active stirring and intensified heat and mass transfer due to their small dimensions. This work investigated the operation of mCSTRs at flowrates up to 60 ml/min (space time of 3 s per tank) as a means of increasing the throughput of fast reactions. Investigation of the residence time distribution under varying operational (flowrate, stirrer rotational speed) and reactor geometrical (stirred volume, stir bar size) parameters, showed deviation from the ideal CSTR behaviour at increasing flowrates, which could be mitigated by keeping the stir bar length close to the tank diameter, increasing stirrer rotational speed, and using larger tank sizes. Assembling mCSTRs into cascades did not amplify non-ideal behaviour and allowed narrowing the residence time distribution at high throughput. Various configurations of mCSTR cascades were evaluated for the synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) via iron chloride co-precipitation with NaOH, demonstrating the importance of residence time distribution (RTD) control when increasing the throughput of nanoparticle production. Using a 5 × 3 ml mCSTR cascade for the core formation followed by a 5 × 3 ml mCSTR cascade for deagglomeration/stabilisation, the IONP flow synthesis was scaled successfully, producing high quality nanoparticles (7.3 ± 2 nm) at 60.5 ml/min (l/h scale).

Synergistic effects of an amphiphilic drug(propranolol hydrochloride) with cationic surfactants in an aqueous medium: A physicochemical study

The interactions of amphiphilic drug(propranolol hydrochloride, PPL) with cationic surfactants, such as dodecyltrimethylammoniumbromide(DTAB), tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (TTAB), trimethyltetradecylammonium chloride(TTAC) and tetyltrimethylammonium bromide(CTAB), in an aqueous medium were evaluated. The surface tension measurement was used to examine the mixed micellization behavior and surface properties of drug-surfactant mixtures. The nonideal or synergistic behaviors of the mixed systems were explored by using several physical models, such as Clint, Rubingh, Rosen, and Motomura models, based on regular solution theory and pseudophase approximation. In addition, the synergism between PPL and cationic surfactants was also confirmed using ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy. The stoichiometric ratios, binding constants, and free energy changes of the drug–surfactant mixtures were computed using Benesi–Hildebrand (B–H) theory.

Confined Ionic Environments Tailoring the Reactivity of Molecules in the Micropores of BEA-Type Zeolite.

In the presence of water, hydronium ions formed within the micropores of zeolite H-BEA significantly influence the surrounding environment and the reactivity of organic substrates. The positive charge of these ions, coupled with the zeolite's negatively charged framework, results in an ionic environment that causes a strongly nonideal solvation behavior of cyclohexanol. This leads to a significantly higher excess chemical potential in the initial state and stabilizes at the same time the charged transition state in the dehydration of cyclohexanol. As a result, the free-energy barrier of the reaction is lowered, leading to a marked increase in the reaction rates. Nonetheless, there is a limit to the reaction rate enhancement by the hydronium ion concentration. Experiments conducted with low concentrations of reactants show that beyond an optimal concentration, the required spatial rearrangement between hydronium ions and cyclohexanols inhibits further increases in the reaction rate, leading to a peak in the intrinsic activity of hydronium ions. The quantification of excess chemical potential in both initial and transition states for zeolites H-BEA, along with findings from HMFI, provides a basis to generalize and predict rates for hydronium-ion-catalyzed dehydration reactions in Brønsted zeolites.

Determining kinetics of fast exothermic reactions using a flow calorimeter

Continuous flow calorimeters are considered an emerging technique due to their ability to reduce safety issues associated with highly exothermic rapid reactions. In this study, a custom-made isoperibolic flow calorimeter was constructed, which uses a pyroelectric IR Sensor for temperature profile recording. The objective of this study is to validate the reactor concept for the determination kinetic parameters. Residence time distribution (RTD) analysis was conducted to assess the mixing performance of the packed-bed reactor employed in the calorimeter. This calorimeter was connected to a custom-made conductivity flow cell (CFC), to measure the in-line conductivity of the outlet stream. An axially dispersed plug flow reactor model (AD-PFR) is required to be able to incorporate the non-ideal behaviour of the flow. The experimental apparatus design and methodology was validated by conducting the hydrolysis of acetic anhydride. The activation energy, EA and the pre-exponential factor, ln(k0) for the hydrolysis of acetic anhydride were found to be 52.05 kJ mol−1 and 12.26 (s−1), respectively, which falls within the range of reported values. The new flow calorimeter proved to be effective, and accurate.

Physico-chemical analysis in ternary organic mixtures at various temperatures with an acoustical approach

Thermo-dynamical analyses of organic mixtures are essential across industries. Ultrasonic sound velocity (U) measurements in the ternary organic mixtures of Toluene, Chloroform, and Cyclohexane have been conducted between 303.15, 308.15 and 313.15 K. The experimental/derived data were utilised to compute deviations for their excess values such as adiabatic compressibility (βE), free length (LfE), free volume (VfE), impedance (ZE), internal pressure (πiE) and enthalpy (HE) to investigate and confirm the types of interactions. Using these derived parameters, excess parameters were calculated to further reaffirm the type, strength, magnitude, and potential interactions such as complex formation, dipole-dipole, and dispersive types. Moreover, both ideal and non-ideal behaviours were analysed. The ultrasonic velocity data were validated against some contemporary and well-known models like Namoto’s relation (NR), Ideal mixture relation (IMR), Impedance dependence relation (IDR), Collision factor theory (CFT) and Nutch-Kunkies (NK) theorem. From the IMR and IDR are gives well approach to experimental one. And a comparative study of these models was conducted to ascertain the possible types of interactions within the mixtures through their molecular interaction parameter, percentage deviation, standard percentage error deviation.

Effect of mixed carbon phase state on detonation parameters and reaction zone of explosives under extreme condition

A precise description of the thermodynamic states of gaseous and solid detonation products is essential when using thermodynamic calculations to determine the detonation performance and destructive power of explosives. For high oxygen-lean explosives (the oxygen contained in explosives is insufficient to completely oxidize combustible elements and excess solid carbon will be generated in the detonation products), the phase state of solid carbon product affects the Chapman–Jouguet (CJ) detonation performance parameters, reaction zone, and energy release process. However, the recovery of detonation products demonstrates that the actual detonation carbon product is primarily a mixed state of diamond/graphite stack, as opposed to the existing thermodynamic codes, which essentially treat detonation carbon as single-phase carbon. To understand the thermodynamic effect of the mixed carbon phase state on the non-ideal detonation behavior, in this work, the matching relationship among the VINET equation of state parameters, thermodynamic potential parameters of the solid products of the equivalent system and the phase mixed system was constructed by using the nonlinear fitting method. The relationship between the carbon phase composition at the CJ point and the explosive composition structure was researched. Investigations were conducted into how the mixed carbon phase affected the volume and content of gas products as well as the composition at CJ points. Diamond formation in products is good for enhancing explosive's working capacity. Based on mixed-state potential parameters, the correlation mechanism between the mixed carbon phase and the chemical reaction zone was investigated, and it was found that intramolecular carbon/intermolecular carbon and more detonation graphite/diamond products all would lead to the extension of the reaction zone.

CuO nanoflowers: Multifaceted implications of various precipitating agents on rectification behaviour

In order to achieve the best possible use of traditional energy resources for the preservation of the environment, semiconductor-based optoelectronic devices are one of the most intriguing methods for converting light energy into electrical energy. CuO has been extensively explored as a material for energy conversion and the development of photo-detectors due to its notable characteristics among other metals, especially its non-toxicity, abundance, high efficiency, electrochemical stability and low cost/promising photodiode. However, some drawbacks limit its practical application in white light and photo-detector, including the rapid recombination rate of photo-generated electron-hole pairs and destitute response to visible light. As a result, several strategies have been developed from an optoelectronics perspective to eradicate these deficiencies and make an effort to enhance CuO photodiode activities. In this research work, the electrical characteristics and rectification behaviour of CuO with various precipitating agents have been examined. The CuO nanoparticles can be synthesized by co-precipitation technique prepared with different precipitants. Through this research, several parameters, such as the structural, functional, morphological, optical and electrical characteristics, were investigated by changing the precipitants. The functional group formation of pure CuO phase was confirmed by FT-IR studies. UV–Vis absorption measurements indicate that the band gap of the CuO nanoparticles was ranging from 2.40 to 2.85 eV. As a diode, CuO/p-Si exhibits a non-ideal behaviour and under light conditions with Na2CO3 precipitant, the better ideality factor is about 2.35. The barrier height is determined by the thermionic emission theory to be 0.77 and 0.79 eV in the dark and light conditions respectively.