Recording X-ray Diffraction Patterns Research Articles

Cu doped ZnO nanoparticles: Correlations between tuneable optoelectronic, antioxidant and photocatalytic activities

Microstructural, optical and electronic properties of Cu doped ZnO nanoparticles with a general formula Zn1-xCuxO (x = 0.0, 0.1 and 0.2) prepared via wet chemical co-precipitation method were investigated thoroughly. Both the free radicals scavenging properties and photocatalytic activities of synthesized nanoparticles were explored. Formation of pure hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure of entire samples were identified by recorded x-ray diffraction patterns. For determining both the mean crystallite size and intrinsic microstrain of all the samples, several standard methods were utilized and a comparative study was introduced. Average size, morphology and shape regularity of synthesized samples were examined using HRTEM images. Optical direct band gap estimated from Tauc plots was noted to reduce with increasing Cu concentration in ZnO nanoparticles. Collected FTIR spectra at 300 K also validated the incorporation of Cu ions and their complete dissolution in the host ZnO crystal structure. It is also found that the hopping of electrons is the fundamental charge conduction process for all the samples in presence of ac electric field. FDTD simulation clearly predicts increase in electric field intensity with increased doping of Cu. There could be a plasmonic coupling between particles at the hotspot region that increases the electric field intensities. BET study revealed that the 10 % Cu doped ZnO sample has highest specific surface area which implies it contains more active sites for taking part in rapid photodegradation of toxic dyes compared to other samples. It was observed that the 10 % Cu doped ZnO nanoparticles were more efficient in degrading toxic dyes and the degradation pathway of all the samples obeyed first order rate kinetics model. Based on estimated bandgap of nanoparticles, a possible mechanism for the Rhodamine B (RhB) and Methylene blue (MB) dye degradation is suggested. All the prepared samples also exhibited notable antioxidant properties. Consequently, this study clearly shows that the Cu doped ZnO nanoparticles are the effective nanomaterial for photocatalytic and antioxidant applications.

The growth mechanism and intriguing optical and electronic properties of few-layered HfS2.

Due to electronic properties superior to group VIB (Mo and W) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), group IVB (Hf and Zr) TMDs have become intriguing materials in next-generation nanoelectronics. Therefore, the growth of few-layered hafnium disulfide (HfS2) on c-plane sapphire as well as on a SiO2/Si substrate has been demonstrated using chemical vapour deposition (CVD). The structural properties of HfS2 were investigated by recording X-ray diffraction patterns and Raman spectra. The XRD results reveal that the layers are well oriented along the (0001) direction and exhibit the high crystalline quality of HfS2. The Raman spectra confirm the in-plane and out-plane vibration of Hf and S atoms. Moreover, the HfS2 layers exhibit strong absorption in the UV to visible region. The HfS2 layer-based photodetector shows a photoresponsivity of ∼1.6, ∼0.38, and ∼0.21 μA W-1 corresponding to 9, 38, and 68 mW cm-2, respectively under green light illumination and is attributed to the generation of a large number of electron-hole pairs in the active region of the device. Besides, it also exhibits the highly crystalline structure of HfS2 at high deposition temperature. The PL spectrum shows a single peak at ∼1.8 eV and is consistent with the pristine indirect bandgap of HfS2 (∼2 eV). Furthermore, a few layered HfS2 back gate field-effect transistor (FET) is fabricated based on directly grown HfS2 on SiO2/Si, and the device exhibits p-type behaviour. Thus, the controllable and easy growth method opens the latest pathway to synthesize few layered HfS2 on different substrates for various electronic and optoelectronic devices.

Synthesis and characterization of a Eu3+ -activated Ba2-x V2 O7 :xEu3+ phosphor using a hydrothermal method: a potential material for near-UV-WLED applications.

Eu3+ -activated Ba2 V2 O7 (Ba2-x V2 O7 :xEu3+ ) phosphor materials were synthesized using a hydrothermal method and different concentrations of europium (x = 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, and 0.05%). Phase purity, structural, morphological, optical, and luminescence characteristics of the as-synthesized phosphors were studied using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), high resolution scanning electron microscopy, UV-visible spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectrometry. The recorded XRD patterns of the as-synthesized phosphors were indexed and predicted to be a triclinic structure. A cube-like morphology was obtained for the as-prepared samples. Broad absorption in the UV region from 200 nm to 380 nm was observed and the good transparency in the visible region at 400-800 nm originated from the [VO4 ]3- group charge transfer (CT) transition. The broad emission peak centred at 499 nm was due to the CT band of the [VO4 ]3- group. Also, a sharp peak observed at 613 nm was due to the electric dipole transition of 5 D0 →7 F2 of Eu3+ ions that occupied the lattice sites without inversion symmetry for all concentrations. The colour qualities of the as-prepared samples were calculated using Commission International de l'Eclairage coordinates. The colour-rending index (CRI) value was 86 for the Ba1.97 V2 O7 :0.03Eu3+ phosphor. Furthermore, a WLED with a high CRI value of 95 was achieved by coupling the 3 W 356 nm near-UV light-emitting diode (LED) chip with the Ba2-x V2 O7 :xEu3+ phosphor. These results suggested that the as-prepared phosphor materials are potential candidates for fabrication of near-UV chip excited WLEDs.

Synthesis and Characterization of Hetero-metallic Oxides-Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanocomposites for Photocatalytic Applications

A new AgO.CuO.WO3/rGO nanocomposite was designed for the investigation of the degradation ability of the hybrid material under visible light irradiation. The AgO, CuO, WO3 NPs, and AgO.CuO.WO3 hetero-metallic oxides were fabricated via the chemical co-precipitation method. The crystallite sizes and phase analyses were investigated by recording X-ray diffraction patterns. The crystallite sizes of three metal oxides in the AgO.CuO.WO3 hetero metal oxide were 16.7, 15.9, and 16.9 nm, respectively. The FESEM images at various magnifications were probed to study the morphology of synthesized materials. The micrographs of hetero-metallic oxides AgO.CuO.WO3 exposed that three metal oxides merged like small particles and gives a large bulbous appearance. EDX analyses confirmed the formation of required materials with high purity. FTIR data was in agreement with the literature which facilitated to ensure the purity of synthesized samples. The optical bandgap energy was calculated via the Tauc plot indicating that the blend of three metal oxides generated a new energy level in the electronic structure is suitable for photocatalysis in the presence of visible light. The bandgap energy of hetero metallic oxides was 1.25 eV which is less than individual metal oxides signifying the tuning of the bandgap. The incorporation of rGO in AgO.CuO.WO3 hetero-metallic oxides gives a new photocatalyst for optimum photodegradation of methylene blue in minimum time. The percentage degradation via AgO.CuO.WO3 was 87.20% in 70 min while the percentage degradation via AgO.CuO.WO3/rGO recorded by photocatalytic experiment was 95% in 40 min. The photocatalysis data revealed that AgO.CuO.WO3 hetero-metallic oxides-rGO nanocomposite ensured a strong potential to uptake organic dyes from water by promoting redox reactions during photocatalysis in the minimum time limit.

Crystal Structure and Magnetic Properties of (Co-Ag) co-doped SnO2 Compounds

Pure SnO2, Sn0.94Co0.06O2, Sn0.91Co0.06Ag0.03O2, and Sn0.88Co0.06Ag0.06O2 compounds were synthesized by the solid-state reaction method. The structural characterization of these compounds by recording X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD) and analyzing them using Rietveld refinement analysis shows that these materials are in single-phase tetragonal rutile structure with typical lattice constant of a = b = 4.7385 A and c = 3.1871 A for SnO2 compound. SEM images show the formation of homogenous nanometer range spherical particles. Temperature variation of magnetization (M-T) measurements show a typical diamagnetic behavior in parent compound, while ferromagnetic (FM) to paramagnetic transition is observed in Sn0.94Co0.06O2 compound with a Curie temperature of 232.5 K. The (Co-Ag) co-doped SnO2 compounds undergo double ferromagnetic transitions. These compounds exhibit first FM transition below 620 K and another FM transition at 1108 K and 1052 K, respectively for Sn0.91Co0.06Ag0.03O2 and Sn0.88Co0.06Ag0.06O2 compounds. The measurement of magnetic hysteresis (M-H) curves at room temperature indicates the increase in coercivity and saturation magnetization values with the increase of (Co-Ag) co-doping concentration. The observed ferromagnetism was discussed based on the exchange interaction between Co2+ and Co3+ ions via oxygen vacancies.

Influence of Size and Shape Anisotropy on Optical Properties of CdSe Quantum Dots.

We used low-temperature reactions to synthesize different-sized CdSe quantum dots (QDs) capped with fatty-acid and phosphine ligands. From the correlation of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses of the synthesized QDs, we observed size-dependent shape anisotropy. In addition, the recorded XRD patterns revealed mixed crystal facets with zinc blende and wurtzite structures in small-sized QDs. Furthermore, from differential absorption (DA) spectra, we extracted the electronic transition energies for different-sized QDs, which were found to be similar to the calculated values of the quantum size levels associated with band mixing of CdSe QDs with a moderate bandgap. We found that the excitonic absorption peaks are increasingly “hidden” with decreasing QD size because of the crystal structure and crystalline quality. The results show good agreement with the obtained diffraction patterns and the estimation errors obtained from the DA spectra.

The Influence of the Silicon Content on the Formation of Fe23B6 Metastable Phases in Fe65Co11\u2212xB20SixZr2Hf2 Bulk Amorphous Alloys

This study aims to determine the effect of addition of a small quantity of Si on the formation of nanocrystalline structure in rapidly cooled Fe-Co-B alloys. As part of the work, the following alloys were produced using a method involving the forcing of each respective liquid alloy into a copper mold: Fe65Co11−xB20SixZr2Hf2 (where: x = 0; 0.25; 0.5; 0.75; 1). Analysis of recorded X-ray diffraction patterns confirmed that a nanocrystalline structure was obtained in the alloys. The intensity of the diffraction reflections was found to change with changing Si content. The Fe23B6 crystalline phase was present in the volume of each alloy. This phase has soft magnetic properties. The presence of the Fe23B6 phase was confirmed by measurements of the magnetic polarization of saturation as a function of temperature.

Warm white emission of LaSr2F7:Dy3+/Eu3+ NPs with excellent thermal stability for indoor illumination

The novel single Dy3+-activated and Dy3+/Eu3+ co-activated LaSr2F7 NPs-based phosphors were successfully synthesized via a simple precipitation reaction method at room temperature. The phase formations and cell parameters of single Dy3+-activated and Dy3+/Eu3+ co-activated LaSr2F7 NPs were verified in detail by the Rietveld refinement technique based on the recorded X-ray diffraction patterns. The doping concentration of single Dy3+-activated LaSr2F7 NPs was optimized to be 0.1 mol with the concentration quenching dominated by the electric dipole-dipole interaction. Meanwhile, a variety of Eu3+-activated La0.9Sr2F7:0.1Dy3+ NPs exhibited tunable luminescent properties and emitted warm white light in close to standard warm white light under 363 nm excitation. The valid energy transfer (ET) efficiency from Dy3+ to Eu3+ ions was estimated to be about 86.02% based on the emission intensity while the electric dipole-quadrupole interaction dominated the concentration quenching mechanism in ET process. Eventually, the thermal quenching of the obtained samples was studied, showing the excellent thermal stability. All the results manifest that Eu3+-activated LaSr2F7:Dy3+ NPs could emit warm white light with excellent thermal stability for indoor illumination.

EPR and Optical Properties of Green Emitting Mn Activated Sr2ZnSi2O7 Phosphors Prepared by Sol–Gel Method

A series of Mn2+ activated Sr2ZnSi2O7 phosphors with variable Mn2+ ions concentration were prepared via citrate sol–gel method. The systematic analysis of structure and luminescent properties were carried out by recording x-ray diffraction patterns, scanning electron micrographs, excitation and emission spectra along with electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra. The optimization of Mn2+ ion concentration in the synthesized phosphors was done by analyzing emission spectra. The Mn2+ activated Sr2ZnSi2O7 phosphors exhibit green emission under 263 nm excitation. The EPR spectra exhibit sextet hyperfine lines with resonance at g ≈ 2.0 indicating tetrahedral symmetry and covalent bonding between Mn2+ ions and O2− ligand ions bound to it. All the aforesaid results support the suitability of Mn2+ activated Sr2ZnSi2O7 phosphors as visible green emitters in optoelectronic display devices.

The effect of the cobalt-content on the magnetic properties of iron-based amorphous alloys

Abstract This paper describes the results of studies carried out on bulk amorphous materials with the chemical compositions: Fe61+xCo10−xY8W1B20 (where x = 0, 1 or 2). The alloy samples were produced in the form of plates with the following dimensions: 10 mm × 5 mm × 0.5 mm. Massive amorphous glass structures were produced by two methods: injection and suction casting. On the basis of the recorded X-ray diffraction patterns, only the disordered phase was identified within the volume of each alloy. The only exception was the alloy with the chemical composition: Fe62Co9Y8W1B20, produced by the injection method, in the volume of which an (insignificant) trace quantity of the Fe5Y phase was registered. The presence of this phase explains the lower value of the coercive field compared to the other alloys. The investigations confirmed the effect of the cobalt content on the coercive field value, and the Curie temperature, of the amorphous alloys. However, the cobalt content was not found to have a significant influence on the saturation of magnetisation. Also, the method of producing the investigated amorphous materials does not seem to have a significant effect on the magnetic properties of the resulting alloys.

Preparation and Characterization of Na<sub>2</sub>O-Y<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>-P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>-SiO<sub>2</sub> Transparent Glass Ceramics

Transparent glass ceramics containing Na3.6Y1.8(PO4)3 crystals were successfully synthesized using high temperature melting quenching and subsequent heat treatment of the precursor glass with a composition 15Na2CO3-3Y2O3-45SiO2-31H3BO3- 5.4P2O5-0.6Sb2O3 (mol%). The impact of heat treatment is investigated in detail. The glass sample was tested by differential scanning calorimetry analysis to determine the heat treatment system. The ideal heat-treated condition is at 650°C for 2 h. The structure and morphology properties were systematically analyzed by recording X-ray diffraction patterns and scanning electron microscopy images, which indicate that Na3.6Y1.8(PO4)3 crystal were precipitated homogeneously among the glass matrix. The microstructural of precursor glass and glass ceramic were compared by analyzing FTIR spectra, indicating the formation of phosphate groups in glass ceramic. The refractive index of glass ceramics samples were measured. In the visible region, the transmittance of glass ceramics is up to 85%. Moreover, the relationship between the refractive index of the sample and the transmittance is discussed.

Application of X-ray Diffraction Methods to Studying Materials

X-ray diffraction analysis methods and their application in studying materials, including nanomaterials, are reviewed. The physical phenomena served as the basis for these methods, the designs of the experimental apparatuses to be used to record X-ray diffraction patterns, and the algorithms of their analysis are considered. The advantages and disadvantages of each method are described, and advanced methods for investigating nanomaterials are proposed.

Growth and characterization of n-AlGaN 1-D structures with varying Al composition using u-GaN seeds

Like all the ternary alloys in III-nitride materials family, aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN) has unique band gap tuning property which enables the alloy to be suitable for many opto-electronic applications. The direct band gap of AlGaN can be tuned from 3.4 to 6.2 eV by changing the composition. In this article, the growth of ternary n-AlGaN micro and nano structures on Si (1 1 1) substrate is demonstrated via 2-step growth method employing metal organic chemical vapor deposition. During the growth flow of Trimethygallium is varied to modulate the final Al/Ga ratio. After the growth, various morphological, crystalline and optical characterizations are carried out to probe in the properties of the grown structures. Recorded X-ray diffraction patterns reveal that the realized structures are wurtzite single crystalline n-AlGaN having a near homogeneous Al distribution and validated by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Low temperature cathodoluminescence spectra show band edge emission in deep UV region which enables the grown n-AlGaN structures to efficiently find opto-electronic applications in the aforementioned region. Finally, planar photoconductive devices are fabricated using the grown 1-D structures and photocurrent evolution is measured. Structure bearing highest Al content shows a manifold enhancement in photo activity compared to other grown samples. Absolute photoresponsivities of the grown samples are calculated to be 301.47, 116 and 38.13 mA/W which is in accord with the findings of low temperature cathodoluminescence investigation. Therefore, it can be concluded that the successful realization of n-AlGaN 1-D structures varying Al content facilitates the further developments of the field concerning nano- and opto-electronic devices.

Study of phase evolution and dielectric properties of Sn-doped barium titanate

The reaction of barium carbonate (BaCO3) with titanium dioxide (TiO2) was studied by simultaneous thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetric analysis up to 1000°C. Based on the results of thermal analysis, three compositions (x = 0·00, 0·05 and 0·15) of the BaTi1−x Sn x O3 system were synthesized by calcination at 1000 and 1100°C and sintering at 1350°C. The effect of calcination temperature on the phase formation of these samples was investigated by recording X-ray diffraction patterns. The single-phase tetragonal barium titanate (BaTiO3) was obtained at 1100°C. Analysis of the X-ray diffraction studies of samples x = 0·05 and 0·15 confirmed that the formation of single-phase solid solutions BaTi0·95Sn0·05O3 and BaTi0·85Sn0·15O3 takes place by way of formation of barium titanate and barium stannate (BaSnO3) phases and a reaction between them at temperature >1100°C. The percentage formation of single-phase solid solution and the lattice parameter increase with increasing calcination temperature. The phase purity of the obtained powders was also examined using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Morphological and compositional analyses of the samples were performed using scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, respectively. Dielectric constant and dissipation factor of the samples were measured in the temperature range of 100 to 200°C and frequency range of 50 Hz–2 MHz.

Thickness and optical constants calculation for chalcogenide-alkali metal Se80Te8(NaCl)12 thin film

Chalcogenide-alkali metal semiconducting thin films of four different thicknesses of Se80Te8(NaCl)12 are deposited from bulk by thermal evaporation technique. The crystallinity of the film improves with increasing of thickness as indicated by the recorded X-ray diffraction patterns. The transmission and reflection spectra are measured in the wavelength range of the incident photons from 250 to 2500nm. The thickness and optical constants of the films are calculated based on Swanepeol method using the interference patterns appeared in the transmission spectra. It is found that the films have absorption mechanism which is an indirect allowed transition. The effect of the film thickness on the refractive index and the high-frequency dielectric constant are studied. With increasing the film thickness, both the absorption coefficient and high-frequency dielectric constant increase while the single-oscillator energy, optical band gap and extinction coefficient decrease.

Yb3+/Tb3+ co-doped GdPO4 transparent magnetic glass-ceramics for spectral conversion

Tb3+ and Yb3+ ions co-doped transparent phosphate glass-ceramics containing monoclinic GdPO4 nanocrystals were successfully synthesized using a conventional high temperature melting quenching method in air atmosphere. The structure and morphology properties were systematically analyzed by recording X-ray diffraction patterns and transmission electron microscopy images, which indicate the GdPO4 glass-ceramics was well formed. The luminescent properties of the GdPO4: Yb3+, Tb3+ were investigated based on excitation, emission spectra and decay curves. All samples exhibited the emission of Tb3+ ions from 5D4 → 7FJ (J = 6, 5, 4 and 3) and 5D3 → 7FJ (J = 6, 5 and 4) under irradiation with ultraviolet and near infrared light. Specially, strong green up-conversion emission of Tb3+ at 543 nm (5D4 → 7F5) is observed. And the decay curves illustrate more efficient UC process in GdPO4 glass-ceramics rather than precursor glass. Energy transfer from Gd3+ to Tb3+ as well as cooperative energy transfer from Yb3+ pair to Tb3+ gives a dual mode luminescence. Laser power dependence of up-conversion shows that two-photon process is responsible for the green emission as expected. Additionally, the paramagnetic property of this material was discussed. The hysteresis plot (M−H) analysis results at room temperature indicate their good paramagnetic property. Based on the above results, the block GdPO4 glass-ceramics have potentials to serve as multifunctional materials applied in laser field materials.

Structural and biological evaluation of lignin addition to simple and silver-doped hydroxyapatite thin films synthesized by matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation.

We report on thin film deposition by matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation of simple hydroxyapatite (HA) or silver (Ag) doped HA combined with the natural biopolymer organosolv lignin (Lig) (Ag:HA-Lig). Solid cryogenic target of aqueous dispersions of Ag:HA-Lig composite and its counterpart without silver (HA-Lig) were prepared for evaporation using a KrF* excimer laser source. The expulsed material was assembled onto TiO2/Ti substrata or silicon wafers and subjected to physical-chemical investigations. Smooth, uniform films adherent to substratum were observed. The chemical analyses confirmed the presence of the HA components, but also evidenced traces of Ag and Lig. Deposited HA was Ca deficient, which is indicative of a film with increased solubility. Recorded X-ray Diffraction patterns were characteristic for amorphous films. Lig presence in thin films was undoubtedly proved by both X-ray Photoelectron and Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy analyses. The microbiological evaluation showed that the newly assembled surfaces exhibited an inhibitory activity both on the initial steps of biofilm forming, and on mature bacterial and fungal biofilm development. The intensity of the anti-biofilm activity was positively influenced by the presence of the Lig and/or Ag, in the case of Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida famata biofilms. The obtained surfaces exhibited a low cytotoxicity toward human mesenchymal stem cells, being therefore promising candidates for fabricating implantable biomaterials with increased biocompatibility and resistance to microbial colonization and further biofilm development.

Morphology and Physical Studies of Nanostructured Fe<sub>64</sub>Cr<sub>36</sub> Alloy Elaborated by Ball Milling

Nanostructured iron based alloy, elaborated from pure elemental powders by mechanical milling at high energy was studied. The materials obtained were characterized by several techniques, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), which allowed the dissolution of chromium in the iron phase as a function of milling time. The peaks indicate that the obtained solid solution has the body centred cubic (bcc) structure, for a speed of 250 rpm after 24 hours milling time. The Williamson - Hall analysis method was used to exploit the recorded XRD patterns. The crystallite size of about 14 nm and the microstrain of about 0.90% were obtained for 48 hours of milling. Scanning electron microscopes (SEM) and EDX analysis have confirmed the refining of milled particles as a function of milling time and the homogenization of our powders. The measurement of reflection coefficient has revealed an increase in the microwave absorption versus milling time and has confirmed the formation of our alloy during 24 hours of milling.

Magnetoelectric response and dielectric property of multiferroic Co0.65Zn0.35Fe2O4–PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 nanocomposites

The effect of nanometric grain size modulation on the behavior of different kinds of chemically synthesized multiferroic ferrite–ferroelectric nanocomposites with cobalt zinc ferrite (Co0.65Zn0.35Fe2O4) as a ferrimagnetic component and lead zirconate titanate (PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3) as a ferroelectric component have been investigated in detail. Formation of two distinct pure phases of as-prepared nanocomposites was confirmed from recorded X-ray diffraction patterns at room temperature. The backscattered mode of a field emission scanning electron microscope micrograph has been used to study the microstructure, average grain size, and distribution of the two individual phases in the composites. Magnetization vs. magnetic field measurements clearly show the room temperature good hysteretic ferrimagnetic behavior of the composites having coercivity of 83–124 Oe and spontaneous magnetization of 20–24 emu/g. The dielectric constant is found to increase with increasing grain size of the nanocomposites from 124 to 687 at a frequency of 1 kHz. Investigation of temperature-dependent dielectric constant behavior reveals that the paraelectric–ferroelectric transition temperature decreases from 364 to 351 °C with decreasing particle size. A complex impedance spectroscopy study was carried out in the frequency range of 50 Hz–1 MHz and in the temperature range of 27–400 °C. The contribution of both grains and grain boundaries in the electrical properties of the composites has been confirmed from the complex impedance spectroscopy data. The activation energies estimated from the complex impedance spectroscopy and the ac conductivity spectrum are found to be nearly the same for the nanocomposites. The polarization vs. electric field measurement exhibits a typical ferroelectric hysteresis loop at room temperature and provides conclusive evidence of the presence of spontaneous polarization in the composites, confirming the presence of excellent ferroelectricity in the nanocomposites. At room temperature the multiferroic behavior of the composites is also confirmed from detailed magnetoelectric (ME) response studies. The optimal ME response is observed to be 0.6 % for higher temperature sintered composites.

In-situ mechanical testing during X-ray diffraction

Deforming metals during recording X-ray diffraction patterns is a useful tool to get a deeper understanding of the coupling between microstructure and mechanical behaviour. With the advances in flux, detector speed and focussing techniques at synchrotron facilities, in-situ mechanical testing is now possible during powder diffraction and Laue diffraction. The basic principle is explained together with illustrative examples.