Rare Earth Ions Research Articles

Rare-earth ions induced pre-excitation of intercalation-conversion anode to achieve fast potassium-ion storage

K-ions storage system play an important role in the up-coming clean-energy era. However, its performance is severely restricted by the difficulties in the insertion and diffusion of large-sized K-ions. In this work, a rare-earth ion induced pre-excitation strategy is proposed to significantly improve the K-ion storage performance of MoSe2-based anode materials. A series of rare-earth ions (Re = Lu3+, Tm3+, Y3+, Gd3+, Sm3+, Nd3+, and La3+) are introduced into the Se-Mo-Se basal plane (labeled as Re-MoSe2-x@C), resulting in the abundance of fracture surfaces with active sites (Se-vacancy) up to 14.2 % and increased interlayer spacing. Interestingly, such structure with sufficient active Se-vacancy defects enable K-ions to be preferentially adsorbed onto the fractured Se-Mo-Se basal plane. Subsequently, these adsorbed K-ions cross the layered plane through the defect sites, rather than the edge sides, to complete the subsequent facilitated intercalation and conversion reaction. Thanks to this well-integrated mechanism, the assembled K-ion capacitor delivers an outstanding energy/power characteristic (form 146 Wh kg−1/500 W kg−1 to 86 Wh kg−1/10 kW kg−1) and cycling stability (nearly 100 % retention after 10,000 cycles), demonstrating its promising prospects in practical applications.

Modulation of photoluminescence properties by poling and quenching strategy in rare earth ions doped Na1/2Bi1/2TiO3-based ceramics

With the continuous development of the society, optical ceramics are more and more widely used in daily life. In this work, the photochromic (PC) and photoluminescence (PL) properties of Na1/2Bi1/2TiO3 (NBT)-based ceramics doped with different rare-earth elements (Er, Eu, and Ho) are investigated. It is found that NBT-Er\\Eu and NBT-Er\\Ho ceramics have good up-conversion PL properties under 980 nm laser excitation. After poling and quenching treatments, the PL intensity of NBT-Er\\Eu ceramics increases by 1.5 and 11.7 times, respectively, and the NBT-Er\\Ho ceramics increases by 5.1 and 3.6 times, respectively. Besides, the rare-earth ions doped NBT-based ceramics exhibit fast PC response and self-bleaching behavior. In addition, multicolor luminescence behavior (from bright green to orange-yellow) is obtained in NBT-Er\\Eu ceramics, suggesting the potential application of this material in the field of optical information storage and optical anti-counterfeiting. Therefore, this work not only provides a new PC material exhibiting fast PC response and self-bleaching behavior, but also develops new universal strategies to modulate PL properties without changing the composition.

Investigation of Ca2Al2SiO7: Pr3+/Gd3+ UVB upconverting phosphor and its optical thermometric properties

On basis of fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) over certain narrow coupled levels of rare-earth ions, up-conversion of RE-doped materials perform excellent temperature-sensing abilities for thermometry applications. A series of Pr3+/Gd3+ co-doped Ca2Al2SiO7 phosphors (Ca2Al2SiO7:Pr3+/Gd3+) were prepared by a conventional high-temperature solid-state reaction. Under excitation of blue ∼445 nm, the Ca2Al2SiO7:Pr3+/Gd3+ phosphor yields intense photoluminescence (PL) bands around 489, 528, 537, 580, 604, 613, and 646 nm due to electronic transition of 3P0 → 3H4, 3P0 → 3H5, 3P1 → 3H5, 3P1 → 3H6, 1D2 → 3H4, 3P0 → 3H6, and 3P0 → 3F2 of Pr3+, respectively. Their relative intensities are sensitively determined by Pr3+ contents, which, from 0.1 % to 5 %, tune the emission color from pink to warm white under excitation of 445 nm. It is of great interest that intense irradiation using a blue ∼445 laser does make efficient ultraviolet B (UVB) up-conversion at about 297, 306, and 313 nm, just stemming from the 6P3/2 → 8S7/2, 6P5/2 → 8S7/2, and 6P7/2 → 8S7/2 of Gd3+, respectively. A typical two-photon absorption process was proved to account for the UVB up-conversion, i.e. successive absorption of two blue ∼445 nm photons populating Pr3+ 4f5d excited state, which further efficiently transfer its energy to the 6IJ/6PJ states of Gd3+ neighbor for UVB emission. Moreover, the thermally coupled levels (TCLs) of Gd3+: 6P3/2-6P7/2, and Gd3+: 6P5/2-6P7/2 were thoroughly investigated for temperature sensing in 298–598 K. Maximum relative sensitivity of the 6P3/2-6P7/2 TCLs, i.e. Sr(I306/I313), is proved to be 0.96 % K−1 at 298 K, and that of the 6P5/2-6P7/2 TCLs, i.e. Sr(I297/I313), is 1 % K−1 at 373 K. The relevant thermal stabilities of the Ca2Al2SiO7:Pr3+/Gd3+ thermometric candidate was well validated with 10 cycles of heating and cooling processes in 298–598 K. Such continuous explorations of Pr3+/Gd3+ co-doping system will significantly promote the development of robust UVB up-converting phosphors as well as their practical applications in the field of high-resolution optical thermometry.

An insight into the co-doping effect of d-d transitions of transition metal ions and hypersensitivity of rare-earth ions in multicomponent glass-system

A multicomponent glass system with composition (70B2O3-22.5Bi2O3-5SeO2-2CuO-0.5Sm2O3) was synthesized via the conventional melt-quench technique. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the amorphous nature of this glass. The co-doping of transition and rare-earth metal ions results in the gradual decrease in glass transition temperature and improvement in thermal stability as observed from differential scanning calorimetry. The addition of CuO has increased non-bridging oxygens in multicomponent glass system. The increase in non-bridging oxygens results in a decrease in the optical band gap energy of the glass. Various results reveal that the hypersensitive nature of rare-earth ions has been suppressed by the d-d transition. A decrease in the energy band gap upon co-doping of transition and rare earth ions, suggests its applications in the fields of optoelectronics.

Effects of rare earth codoping on the optical and scintillation properties of Cs3Cu2I5:Tl single crystals

In this work, the effects of rare earth ion codoping on the optical and scintillation performance of Cs3Cu2I5:Tl single crystals were studied. Cs3Cu2I5:Tl single crystals codoped with different concentrations of Sc3+, Y3+, and La3+ ions were grown by the Bridgman method. It was found that rare earth ion codoping reduces the optical transmittance of the as-grown crystals, in particular the coloring caused by Sc3+codoping. The luminescence mechanism associated with self-trapped exciton (STE) and Tl-related emissions has not been affected by the introduction of rare earth ion. The gamma scintillation yield and energy resolution are degraded after rare earth ion codoping.

Medium-Entropy Monosilicates Deliver High Corrosion Resistance to Calcium-Magnesium Aluminosilicate Molten Salt.

For decreasing the global cost of corrosion, it is essential to understand the intricate mechanisms of corrosion and enhance the corrosion resistance of materials. However, the ambiguity surrounding the dominant mechanism of calcium-magnesium aluminosilicate (CMAS) molten salt corrosion in extreme environments hinders the mix-and-matching of the key rare earth elements for increasing the resistance of monosilicates against corrosion of CMAS. Herein, an approach based on correlated electron microscopy techniques combined with density functional theory calculations is presented to elucidate the complex interplay of competing mechanisms that control the corrosion of CMAS of monosilicates. These findings reveal a competition between thermodynamics and kinetics that relies on the temperatures and corrosion processes. Innovative medium-entropy monosilicates with exceptional corrosion resistance even at 1500°C are developed. This is achieved by precisely modulating the radii of rare earth ions in monosilicates to strike a delicate balance between the competition in thermodynamics and kinetics. After 50 and 100h of corrosion, the thinnest reactive layers are measured to be only 28.8 and 35.4µm, respectively.

Ultrafast photoluminescence and multiscale light amplification in nanoplasmonic cavity glass.

Interactions between plasmons and exciton nanoemitters in plexcitonic systems lead to fast and intense luminescence, desirable in optoelectonic devices, ultrafast optical switches and quantum information science. While luminescence enhancement through exciton-plasmon coupling has thus far been mostly demonstrated in micro- and nanoscale structures, analogous demonstrations in bulk materials have been largely neglected. Here we present a bulk nanocomposite glass doped with cadmium telluride quantum dots (CdTe QDs) and silver nanoparticles, nAg, which act as exciton and plasmon sources, respectively. This glass exhibits ultranarrow, FWHM = 13 nm, and ultrafast, 90 ps, amplified photoluminescence (PL), λem≅503 nm, at room temperature under continuous-wave excitation, λexc = 405 nm. Numerical simulations confirm that the observed improvement in emission is a result of a multiscale light enhancement owing to the ensemble of QD-populated plasmonic nanocavities in the material. Power-dependent measurements indicate that >100 mW coherent light amplification occurs. These types of bulk plasmon-exciton composites could be designed comprising a plethora of components/functionalities, including emitters (QDs, rare earth and transition metal ions) and nanoplasmonic elements (Ag/Au/TCO, spherical/anisotropic/miscellaneous), to achieve targeted applications.

A novel bidentate diamide ligand DODQ for the separation of uranium and rare earth ions in nitric acid medium

High efficiency extractants play a necessary role in the selective removal of uranium from rare earth minerals. In this paper, a novel cyclic bidentate diamine extractant, 1, 4-dioctyl-1, 4-dihydroquinoxaline-2, 3-dione (DODQ), was synthesized, and the complexation and extraction of UO22+ in nitric acid medium were systematically studied. The results indicate that DODQ exhibits a unique combination of properties in removing UO22+, with an extraction capacity 132 times higher than that of DODPhOA (acyclic structure). Extraction isotherm experiments and slope analyses illustrate the formation of a 1:1 DODQ/UO22+ regime during the extraction process. Electrospray mass spectrometry, fluorescence spectroscopy, and X-ray crystal diffraction analyses further corroborated its stoichiometric properties. In addition, DODQ can remove UO22+ from rare earth solutions containing UO22+ with high selectivity. This study provides an alternative method to separate uranium from the leaching solution of rare earth ore and has a new understanding of the coordination and complexing behavior of UO22+ with bidentate oxygen-containing ligands.

Mononuclear Rare-Earth Metalloligands Exploiting a Divergent Ligand.

Rare-earth tris-diketonato [RE(dike)3pyterpy] metalloligands can be prepared reacting at room temperature [RE(dike)3dme] (dme = 1,2-dimethoxyethane; dike = tta with Htta = 2-thenoyltrifluoroacetone and RE = La, 1; Y, 2; Eu, 3; Dy, 4; or dike = hfac with Hhfac hexafluoroacetylacetone, and RE = Eu, 5; Tb, 6; Yb 7) with 4'-(4‴-pyridil)-2,2':6',2″-terpyridine (pyterpy). The molecular structures of 1, 5, 6, and 7 have been studied through single-crystal X-ray diffraction showing mononuclear neutral complexes with the rare-earth ion in coordination number nine and with a muffin-like coordination geometry. [RE(tta)3pyterpy] promptly reacts with [M(tta)2dme] with formation of [Mpyterpy2][RE(tta)4]2 (M = Zn, RE = Y, 8; M = Co, RE = Dy, 9). Consistently, [Zn(hfac)2dme] reacts at room temperature with 2 equiv of pyterpy yielding [Znpyterpy2][hfac]2 10 that easily can be transformed by reaction with 2 equiv of [Eu(hfac)3] in [Znpyterpy2][Eu(hfac)4]2 11 that has been structurally characterized. Finally, 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7 metalloligands react at room temperature in few minutes with [PtCl(μ-Cl)PPh3]2 yielding the heterometallic molecular complexes [RE(dike)3pyterpyPtCl2PPh3] (dike = tta, RE = La, 12; Y, 13; Eu; 14; dike = hfac, RE = Eu, 15; Yb, 16).

Enhanced white light emission and quantum efficacy of borate-zinc–lithium-aluminium glasses doped with Dy2O3 for potential white light emission applications

The pursuit of efficient and enhanced white light emission in glasses doped with rare earth ions is a noble endeavour, one that has the potential to revolutionise many industries and benefit countless individuals. In view of this, we have prepared the Dy3+ ions doped Borate-Zinc–Lithium-Aluminium glasses via melt-quenching methods and their properties were meticulously studied using XRD, Raman, FTIR, DSC, Luminescence and time decay kinetic studies. To evaluate the influence of Dy2O3 doping, various physical parameters were analysed. The integration of Dy2O3 into the host glass matrix causes significant changes in the numerous physical parameters due to the geometrical structural change, resulting in the formation of non-bridging oxygens (NBOs), resulting in the increased compactness, thus the density and refractive index of the glasses. The DSC profile analysis reveals the thermal stability of the glasses. The UV–visible–NIR absorption spectra reveal the presence of a pronounced peak, owing to a hyperfine transition and other transitions dependent on the host. Furthermore, the Judd-Ofelt theory was applied to support the experimental results and evaluate the radiative parameters and efficiency. It was discovered that the JO parameters are in the following order: Ω2> Ω6> Ω4. The luminescence emission enhancement was observed with Dy2O3, up to 0.75 mol%; beyond that, the concentration quenching effect was observed. The glasses were proficiently fitted to the Inokuti-Hirayama model. Colorimetric parameters such as CIE coordinates, correlated colour temperature, and yellow-to-blue intensity ratios were estimated. It was discovered that, the sample containing 0.75 mol% of Dy2O3 doped glass is capable of white light emission with 72 % efficiency under excitation of 349 nm. Overall, present studies demonstrate that the thermal stability of glasses with phonon energy of 1330 cm−1, when stimulated at 349 nm and capable of producing white light, offers considerable benefits in relevant applications in the field of wLEDs.

Metal-Assisted Injection Spinning of Ultra Strong Fibers from Megamolecular LC Polysaccharides.

The molecular orientation of liquid crystalline (LC) hydrogels has the potential to induce a range of functionalities that can deliver great mechanical strength. Sacran is a supergiant LC polysaccharide isolated from the cyanobacterium Aphanothece sacrum with a high amount of anionic functional groups such as sulfates and carboxylates. In this article, ultra-strong sacran hydrogels and their dried fibers were produced by cross-linking under injection flow with trivalent metal ions such as Al3+, Cr3+, Fe3+, In3+, and rare-earth metal ions such Er3+ and Sr3+. Crossed-polarizing microscopy and X-ray diffraction imaging revealed a uniaxial molecular orientation in the LC gel fiber, resulting in outstanding mechanical characteristics.

Synergistic effect of Li, La co-doping on photocatalytic activity of BaTiO3 ferroelectric material for effective degradation of toxic NOx for environmental remediation

We investigated the synergistic effects of Li, La-doping and co-doping on the A-site of perovskite BaTiO3 microstructure as a catalyst for the removal of toxic NOx for environmental remediation. The Rietveld refinement of XRD and Raman analysis confirmed that at room temperature, the ceramic samples possessed a pure-tetragonal perovskite structure, with P4mm space group. SEM images revealed a denser microstructure with reduced grain size on Li, La doping in BaTiO3. XPS results confirmed the coexistence of Li and La as doping elements into BaTiO3 lattice. EPR and PL spectra demonstrate the presence of Ti and Ba vacancies as well as defects. According to the DRS results, the absorption edge of the co-doped sample was blue-shifted. In frequency-dependent dielectrics, the co-doped sample exhibits the greatest rise in dielectric permittivity. Impedance measurement demonstrates the fastest rate of charge transport in Ba0.98Li0.01La0.01TiO3. Similarly, Li and La incorporation into BaTiO3 significantly reduced the recombination extent of charge carriers as evidenced by the PL. Under UV light, the photocatalytic NOx degradation with Ba0.98Li0.01La0.01TiO3 achieved a remarkable 44 % efficiency during 60 min. This enhancement is associated with improved charge carrier separation at the interface between the ferroelectric surfaces. Only a marginal decrease in photocatalytic activity occurred after four consecutive runs. A reasonable photocatalytic mechanism for the degradation of NOx over Ba0.98Li0.01La0.01TiO3 is proposed. This study's findings can inspire the design and synthesis of rare earth and alkali metal ion co-doped photocatalysts with built-in electric fields of a ferroelectric material for efficient NOx removal from the environment.

Lanthanide furoate complexes as promising systems with double effects – From suppression of mycobacteria to potential bioimaging

Several ternary complexes of rare earth ions (Gd3+, Eu3+, Sm3+) with 3-furoic (H3fur) / 5-nitro-2-furoic (Hnfur) acids and 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) have been synthesized. According to the X-ray data the resulting complexes can be divided into two groups − heterocarboxylate [Ln2(3fur)4(OAc)2(phen)2]·L and homocarboxylate complexes [Ln2(nfur)6(phen)2]·L (LnIII = Gd (1, 2), Eu (3, 4), Sm (5, 6, 7); L = 4EtOH (1–4), 4MeOH (5), H2O (7)). The stability of the complexes 1–6 in solutions was studied by recording electronic absorption spectra for two days. Optical properties of the complexes 1–6 were studied by recording absorption, excitation and luminescence spectra. The study of antibacterial properties 1–7 showed high activity of complexes in vitro against non-pathogenic Mycolicibacterium smegmatis. For the most active 3, antibacterial activity against the reference strain Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv was determined (minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) up to 12.5 μg/mL)..

The Role of Rare Earths on Steel and Rare Earth Steel Corrosion Mechanism of Research Progress

Corrosion has always been an important factor affecting the life of steel, which causes huge economic losses every year. How to improve the corrosion resistance of steel has always been a research focus. Adding rare earth elements into steel is an important method to improve the corrosion resistance of steel. In this paper, the effects of rare earth elements on steel are summarized, including the purification of molten steel, modification and modification of inclusions, improvement of grain boundaries by solid solution strengthening, the influence of phase transformation and the refinement of microstructure, and reduction in C and N desolubilization. On this basis, the progress of research on the corrosion resistance mechanisms of rare earth steel is summarized, focusing on rare earth-modified inclusions. This includes the changes in composition and sizes of inclusions by rare earth addition, promoting the transformation of MnS and Al2O3 in rare earth inclusions with regular shapes, smaller sizes and better performance, or composite rare earth inclusions. The corrosion pits that form in the early stages of corrosion are shallow in depth, fewer in number and light in corrosion degree. The effects of rare earth materials on the rust layer include: rare earth promotes the formation of a more stable corrosion product α-FeOOH, and rare earth promotes the formation of a dense rust layer, which covers the surface of the matrix and hinders the transmission of corrosion ions. The protective effect of the rare earth atomic layer on the substrate and the corrosion inhibition effect of rare earth ions are formed by the segregation of rare earth at the interface. In the end, the existing problems in the research into rare earth steel and future research directions are briefly put forward, including improving the addition process of rare earth steel, theoretical guidance on enhancing the corrosion resistance mechanism of rare earth steel, and extending the research from La, Ce, and Y steel to more rare earth steels.

Research status of rare-earth-ion-doped infrared laser

Infrared lasers have an extensive range of applications in sensing, detection, communication, medicine, and other fields. The principle of directly pumping solid-state lasers is simple, and it can easily achieve high-power and high-efficiency laser output, which is one of the important means to obtain infrared lasers. Incorporating rare earth ions into the substrate as the gain medium for directly pumping solid-state lasers can alter their optical performance and further enhance the performance of the laser. Lasers based on rare earth ion doping have a small volume, high conversion efficiency, good beam quality, wide tuning range, and multiple operating modes. Therefore, the proportion of rare earth ions doped as the gain medium for activating ions is currently very large. In this review, Ho3+, Tm3+, and Er3+ are selected as the representative rare earth ions, and their optical properties, such as luminous power and fluorescence lifetime, when doped in different substrates, such as crystals, ceramics, and fibers, are introduced, respectively, to illustrate their feasibility as infrared laser gain media. In addition, we show the different optical properties when doped with two ions, three ions, and four ions, demonstrating their great potential as infrared laser gain media.

Fabrication of oxygen-vacancy-adjustable Yb3+/Er3+ co-doped BiOBr 3D flowerlike hierarchical architectures with enhanced photocatalytic activity under broad spectrum (UV/vis/NIR) excitation

A novel Yb3+/Er3+ co-doped BiOBr photocatalyst with 3D flowerlike hierarchical architectures were successfully fabricated through self-assembled process without any templates under hydrothermal conditions, and the structure and properties of the photocatalysts were characterized. The results indicate that Yb3+ ions and Er3+ ions are successfully doped into the lattice of BiOBr, and the as-obtained photocatalyst can respond the NIR light and emit red and green light due to the up-conversion effect of the rare-earth ions. Meanwhile, with co-doped Yb3+/Er3+ ions content increasing, oxygen vacancy concentration in the photocatalyst rises. The oxygen vacancy will form the intermediate energy band, which can decrease the photon energy required for electronical transition, and thus help to utilize the luminous energy generated by up-conversion luminescence. Moreover, the appropriate introduction of defects (oxygen vacancy defect and impurity atom) can further promote the transfer and separation efficiency of photo-generated carriers. Hence, Yb3+/Er3+ co-doped BiOBr photocatalyst exhibits enhanced photocatalytic properties under broad spectrum (UV/vis/NIR) excitation, which is about 4 times as high as that of pure BiOBr.

Multifunctional Optical Sensing with Lanthanide-Doped Upconverting Nanomaterials: Improving Detection Performance of Temperature and Pressure in the Visible and NIR Ranges.

Temperature and pressure are fundamental physical parameters in the field of materials science, making their monitoring of utmost significance for scientists and engineers. Here, the NaSrY(MoO4)3:0.02Er3+/0.01Tm3+/0.15Yb3+ nanophosphor is developed as an optical sensor material. Under 975 nm laser excitation, the upconversion characteristics and optical detection performance of the multifunctional sensing platform of temperature and pressure (vacuum) are investigated. We have successfully developed a novel detection platform that enables optical detection of pressure (vacuum) and temperature. This platform utilizes thermally coupled levels (TCLs) and non-TCLs of Er3+ and Tm3+ to achieve ratiometric detection. The multimodal optical temperature and pressure detection based on TCLs and non-TCLs is successfully realized by using different emission bands of double emission centers, which makes it possible for self-referencing optical temperature and pressure measurement modes. These results indicate that the developed nanophosphor is a promising candidate for optical sensors, and our findings suggest potential strategies for modulating the sensor properties of luminescent materials doped with rare-earth ions.

Optical and dielectric properties of divalent copper based double perovskite compound, Gd2CuTiO6

In this work, we have investigated high temperature dielectric properties and room temperature optical properties on rare earth ion based orthorhombic Gd2CuTiO6 (GCTO). Optical properties like reflectance and band gap were determined from ultra-violet visible (UV–Vis) diffuse reflectance spectroscopy technique and photoluminescence (PL) spectrum. The compound exhibited substantial optical absorption and emission in the visible region. Our findings reveal the presence of an intermediate band, as evidenced by the difference between the band gap values obtained from the Tauc plot using the diffuse reflectance spectrum (3.07 eV) and the PL spectrum (2.4 eV). Furthermore, thermogravimetric analysis demonstrated high thermal stability with <0.4% change in mass over a wide temperature range of 30 °C–1200 °C in air environment. Moreover, lead-halide free compound, GCTO is highly thermally stable oxide double perovskite with wide band gap and absorption in the UV–Vis range are highly suitable for optical applications In addition, dielectric properties of the compound have been examined using impedance spectroscopy as a function of frequency ranging from 500 Hz to 1 MHz and temperature between 300 K and 550 K. Compounds with relaxor behaviour at high temperatures and high thermal stability are desired for several applications. Because of the cation disorders present in this compound, GCTO displays dielectric relaxor behaviour indicative of a distribution of relaxation times. Furthermore, the frequency-dependent modulus illustrated a thermally activated conduction mechanism. Cole–Cole plots of electrical modulus suggest prominent grain contribution above 350 K.

Template-free efficacious morphology of electrosynthesized polyaniline/β-cyclodextrin host-guest complex on Au/rGO modified electrode for removal and recovery of rare-earth and heavy elements from seawater

Global water pollution and scarcity of water resources are turning increasingly into serious threats to the survival of all living organisms on Earth. This study offers an influent strategy for the electrosynthesis of reduced graphene oxide/polyaniline/β-cyclodextrin (rGO/PAni/βCD) nanocomposite and its application to the removal/recovery of heavy elements (HEs) and rare-earth elements (REEs). Besides physicochemical and electrochemical studies, the surface morphological and statistical properties of fabricated nanocomposite electrode were examined. The textural and morphological characteristics of nanocomposite electrode were investigated via AFM data based on statistical, stereometric, and fractal theory. The cohesive, porous, and well-developed morphology of fabricated nanocomposite electrode has enabled the electrodeposition technique to achieve significant simultaneous removal/recovery efficiency of HE and REE ions such as Pb(II), Cu(II), Cd(II), Hg(II), Ce(IV), and Nb(V). Therefore, using rGO/PAni/βCD, considerable removal of HEs and REEs was achieved under optimized pH, 0.1 M KNO3, and 35 mg L−1 metal ion initial concentration during 20 min. Removal capacity of the nanocomposite electrode is preserved subsequent to 10 cycles of electrodeposition/desorption, according to the desorption investigation through eluted adsorbent at time intervals in deionized water and adjusted acidic pH values. Then, using rGO/PAni/CD nanocomposite, simulated seawater remediation was accomplished successfully. This interdisciplinary approach reveals that the removal/recovery efficiency enhance linearly along with the improvement of well-developed morphology for electrosynthesized composites. Thus, these results suggest how the morphological features of the polymer composites could improve remediation of water resources.

Rare-earth doped yttrium silicate (Y2SiO5) thin films grown by chemical vapour deposition for quantum technologies

Yttrium orthosilicate (Y2SiO5 - YSO) is one of the most promising crystals to host rare-earth (RE) ions for quantum technologies applications. In this matrix, they indeed exhibit narrow optical and spin linewidths that can be exploited to develop quantum memories or quantum information processing capabilities. In this paper, we propose a new method to grow RE doped silicate thin films on silicon wafers based on direct liquid injection chemical vapour deposition (DLI-CVD). We optimize the deposition and annealing conditions to achieve formation of the high temperature X2-YSO phase. The phase purity and crystalline quality of the films are assessed by evaluating the optical properties of Eu3+ ions embedded in this oxide matrix. In view of the results, we discuss the possible phase formation mechanisms, and the potential of this new wafer-compatible form of YSO for quantum technologies applications.