Cs2NaGdCl6:Tb3+─A Highly Luminescent Rare-Earth Double Perovskite Scintillator for Low-Dose X-ray Detection and Imaging.

Rare-earth-based double perovskite (DP) X-ray scintillators have gained significant importance with low detection limits in medical imaging and radiation detection owing to their high light yield (LY) and remarkable spatial resolution. Herein, we report the synthesis of 3D double perovskite (DP) crystals, namely, Cs2NaGdCl6 and Tb3+-Cs2NaGdCl6 using hydrothermal reaction. Cs2NaGdCl6 DP single crystals exhibited a blue self-trapped exciton (STE) emission at 470 nm under ultraviolet (265 nm) excitation with a photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 8.4%. Introducing Tb3+ ions into Cs2NaGdCl6 has resulted in quenching of STE emission and enhancing green emission at 549 nm attributed to the 5D4 → 7F5 transition of Tb3+, suggesting efficient energy transfer (ET) from STE to Tb3+. This ET process is evidenced by the appearance of Tb3+ bands in the excitation spectra of the host, the shortening of the STE lifetimes in the presence of Tb3+ ions, and the enhancement of PLQY (72.6%). Furthermore, Cs2NaGdCl6:5%Tb3+ films of various thicknesses (0.1-0.6 mm) were synthesized and their X-ray scintillating performance has been examined. The Cs2NaGdCl6:5%Tb3+ film with 0.4 mm thickness has exhibited an excellent linear response to the X-ray dose rate with a low detection limit of 41.32 nGyair s-1, an LY of 39,100 photons MeV-1, and excellent radiation stability. Benefiting from the strong X-ray excited luminescence (XEL) of Cs2NaGdCl6:5%Tb3+, we developed a Cs2NaGdCl6:5%Tb3+ X-ray scintillator screen with a least thickness (0.1 mm), exhibiting remarkable imaging ability with a spatial resolution of 10.75 lp mm-1. These results suggest that Cs2NaGdCl6:Tb3+ can be a potential candidate for low-dose and X-ray imaging applications.

A phase field model combined with a genetic algorithm for polycrystalline hafnium zirconium oxide ferroelectrics.

Ferroelectric hafnium zirconium oxide (HZO) thin films show significant promise for applications in ferroelectric random-access memory devices, ferroelectric field-effect transistors, and ferroelectric tunneling junctions. However, there are shortcomings in understanding ferroelectric switching, which is crucial in the operation of these devices. Here a computational model based on the phase field method is developed to simulate the switching behavior of polycrystalline HZO thin films. Furthermore, we introduce a novel approach to optimize the effective Landau coefficients describing the free energy of HZO by combining the phase field model with a genetic algorithm. We validate the model by accurately simulating switching curves for HZO thin films with different ferroelectric phase fractions. The simulated domain dynamics during switching also shows amazing similarity to the available experimental observations. The present work also provides fundamental insights into enhancing the ferroelectricity in HZO thin films by controlling the grain morphology and crystalline texture. It can potentially be extended to improve the ferroelectric properties of other hafnia based thin films.

A Comprehensive Study on the Effect of TiN Top and Bottom Electrodes on Atomic Layer Deposited Ferroelectric Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 Thin Films.

The discovery of ferroelectricity in HfO2-based materials in 2011 provided new research directions and opportunities. In particular, for atomic layer deposited Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 (HZO) films, it is possible to obtain homogenous thin films with satisfactory ferroelectric properties at a low thermal budget process. Based on experiment demonstrations over the past 10 years, it is well known that HZO films show excellent ferroelectricity when sandwiched between TiN top and bottom electrodes. This work reports a comprehensive study on the effect of TiN top and bottom electrodes on the ferroelectric properties of HZO thin films (10 nm). Investigations showed that during HZO crystallization, the TiN bottom electrode promoted ferroelectric phase formation (by oxygen scavenging) and the TiN top electrode inhibited non-ferroelectric phase formation (by stress-induced crystallization). In addition, it was confirmed that the TiN top and bottom electrodes acted as a barrier layer to hydrogen diffusion into the HZO thin film during annealing in a hydrogen-containing atmosphere. These features make the TiN electrodes a useful strategy for improving and preserving the ferroelectric properties of HZO thin films for next-generation memory applications.

Tailoring H2O2 generation kinetics with magnesium alloys for efficient disinfection on titanium surface.

A new antibacterial strategy for Ti has been developed without the use of any external antibacterial agents and surface treatments. By combining Mg alloys with Ti, H2O2, which is an oxidizing agent that kills bacteria, was spontaneously generated near the surface of Ti. Importantly, the H2O2 formation kinetics can be precisely controlled by tailoring the degradation rates of Mg alloys connected to Ti. Through microstructural and electrochemical modification of Mg with alloying elements (Ca, Zn), the degradation rates of Mg alloys were controlled, and the H2O2 release kinetics was accelerated when the degradation rate of Mg alloys increased. With the introduction of an in vivo assessment platform comprised of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and transgenic zebrafish embryos, we are able to design optimized antibacterial systems (Ti-Mg and Ti-Mg-3wt% Zn) that can selectively eradicate E. coli while not harming the survival rate, development, and biological functions of zebrafish embryos. We envision that our antibacterial strategy based on utilization of sacrificial Mg alloys could broaden the current palette of antibacterial platforms for metals.

Effect of Material and Process Variables on Characteristics of Nitridation-Induced Self-Formed Aluminum Matrix Composites-Part 2: Effect of Nitrogen Flow Rates and Processing Temperatures.

The nitridation-induced self-formed aluminum matrix composite (NISFAC) process is based on the nitridation reaction, which can be significantly influenced by the characteristics of the starting materials (e.g., the chemical composition of the aluminum powder and the type, size, and volume fraction of the ceramic reinforcement) and the processing variables (e.g., process temperature and time, and flow rate of nitrogen gas). Since these variables do not independently affect the nitridation behavior, a systematic study is necessary to examine the combined effect of these variables upon nitridation. In this second part of our two-part report, we examine the effect of nitrogen flow rates and processing temperatures upon the degree of nitridation which, in turn, determines the amount of exothermic reaction and the amount of molten Al in the nitridation-induced self-formed aluminum matrix composite (NISFAC) process. When either the nitrogen flow rate or the set temperature was too low, high-quality composites were not obtained because the level of nitridation was insufficient to fill the powder voids with molten Al. Hence, since the filling of the voids in the powder bed by molten Al is essential to the NISFAC process, the conditions should be optimized by manipulating the nitrogen flow rate and processing temperature.

Effect of Material and Process Variables on Characteristics of Nitridation-Induced Self-Formed Aluminum Matrix Composites-Part 1: Effect of Reinforcement Volume Fraction, Size, and Processing Temperatures.

This paper investigates the effect of the size and volume fraction of SiC, along with that of the processing temperature, upon the nitridation behavior of aluminum powder during the nitridation-induced self-formed aluminum composite (NISFAC) process. In this new composite manufacturing process, aluminum powder and ceramic reinforcement mixtures are heated in nitrogen gas, thus allowing the exothermic nitridation reaction to partially melt the aluminum powder in order to assist the composite densification and improve the wetting between the aluminum and the ceramic. The formation of a sufficient amount of molten aluminum is key to producing sound, pore-free aluminum matrix composites (AMCs); hence, the degree of nitridation is a key factor. It was demonstrated that the degree of nitridation increases with decreasing SiC particle size and increasing SiC volume fraction, thus suggesting that the SiC surface may act as an effective pathway for nitrogen gas diffusion. Furthermore, it was found that effective nitridation occurs only at an optimal processing temperature. When the degree of nitridation is insufficient, molten Al is unable to fill the voids in the powder bed, leading to the formation of low-quality composites with high porosities. However, excessive nitridation is found to rapidly consume the nitrogen gas, leading to a rapid drop in the pressure in the crucible and exposing the remaining aluminum powder in the upper part of the powder bed. The nitridation behavior is not affected by these variables acting independently; therefore, a systematic study is needed in order to examine the concerted effect of these variables so as to determine the optimal conditions to produce AMCs with desirable properties for target applications.

Aluminum Matrix Composites Manufactured using Nitridation-Induced Self-Forming Process.

Conventional manufacturing processes for aluminum matrix composites (AMCs) involve complex procedures that require unique equipment and skills at each stage. This increases the process costs and limits the scope of potential applications. In this study, a simple and facile route for AMC manufacturing is developed, a mixture of Al powder and the ceramic reinforcement is simply heated under nitrogen atmosphere to produce the composite. During heating under nitrogen atmosphere, the surface modification of both Al and the reinforcement is induced by nitridation. When the oxide layer covering Al powder surface is transformed to nitrides, temperature in the local region increases rapidly, resulting in a partial melt of Al powder. The molten Al infiltrates into the empty space among Al powder and reinforcement, thereby enabling consolidation of powders without external forces. It is possible to fabricate AMCs with various types, sizes, volume fractions, and morphologies of the reinforcement. Furthermore, the manufacturing temperature can be lowered below the melting point of Al (or the solidus temperature for alloys) because of the exothermic nature of the nitridation, which prevents formation of un-wanted reactants. The relative simplicity of this process will not only provide sufficient price competitiveness for the final products but also contribute to the expansion of the application scope of AMCs.

A new corrosion-inhibiting strategy for biodegradable magnesium: reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH).

Utilization of biodegradable metals in biomedical fields is emerging because it avoids high-risk and uneconomic secondary surgeries for removing implantable devices. Mg and its alloys are considered optimum materials for biodegradable implantable devices because of their high biocompatibility; however, their excessive and uncontrollable biodegradation is a difficult challenge to overcome. Here, we present a novel method of inhibiting Mg biodegradation by utilizing reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), an endogenous cofactor present in all living cells. Incorporating NADH significantly increases Mg corrosion resistance by promoting the formation of thick and dense protective layers. The unique mechanism by which NADH enables corrosion inhibition was discovered by combined microscopic and spectroscopic analyses. NADH is initially self-adsorbed onto the surface of Mg oxide layers, preventing Cl- ions from dissolving Mg oxides, and later recruits Ca2+ ions to form stable Ca-P protective layers. Furthermore, stability of NADH as a corrosion inhibitor of Mg under physiological conditions were confirmed using cell tests. Moreover, excellent cell adhesion and viability to Mg treated with NADH shows the feasibility of introduction of NADH to Mg-based implantable system. Our strategy using NADH suggests an interesting new way of delaying the degradation of Mg and demonstrates potential roles for biomolecules in the engineering the biodegradability of metals.

Dislocation driven spiral and non-spiral growth in layered chalcogenides.

Two-dimensional materials have shown great promise for implementation in next-generation devices. However, controlling the film thickness during epitaxial growth remains elusive and must be fully understood before wide scale industrial application. Currently, uncontrolled multilayer growth is frequently observed, and not only does this growth mode contradict theoretical expectations, but it also breaks the inversion symmetry of the bulk crystal. In this work, a multiscale theoretical investigation aided by experimental evidence is carried out to identify the mechanism of such an unconventional, yet widely observed multilayer growth in the epitaxy of layered materials. This work reveals the subtle mechanistic similarities between multilayer concentric growth and spiral growth. Using the combination of experimental demonstration and simulations, this work presents an extended analysis of the driving forces behind this non-ideal growth mode, and the conditions that promote the formation of these defects. Our study shows that multilayer growth can be a result of both chalcogen deficiency and chalcogen excess: the former causes metal clustering as nucleation defects, and the latter generates in-domain step edges facilitating multilayer growth. Based on this fundamental understanding, our findings provide guidelines for the narrow window of growth conditions which enables large-area, layer-by-layer growth.

Enhanced Endurance Organolead Halide Perovskite Resistive Switching Memories Operable under an Extremely Low Bending Radius.

It was demonstrated that organolead halide perovskites (OHPs) show a resistive switching behavior with an ultralow electric field of a few kilovolts per centimeter. However, a slow switching time and relatively short endurance remain major obstacles for the realization of the next-generation memory. Here, we report a performance-enhanced OHP resistive switching device. To fabricate topologically and electronically improved OHP thin films, we added hydroiodic acid solution (for an additive) in the precursor solution of the OHP. With drastically improved morphology such as small grain size, low peak-to-valley depth, and precise thickness, the OHP thin films showed an excellent performance as insulating layers in Ag/CH3NH3PbI3/Pt cells, with an endurance of over 103 cycles, a high on/off ratio of 106, and an operation speed of 640 µs and without electroforming. We suggest plausible resistive switching and conduction mechanisms with current-voltage characteristics measured at various temperatures and with different top electrodes and device structures. Beyond the extended endurance, highly flexible resistive switching devices with a minimum bending radius of 5 mm create opportunities for use in flexible and wearable electronic devices.

A kinetic Monte Carlo simulation method of van der Waals epitaxy for atomistic nucleation-growth processes of transition metal dichalcogenides.

Controlled growth of crystalline solids is critical for device applications, and atomistic modeling methods have been developed for bulk crystalline solids. Kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) simulation method provides detailed atomic scale processes during a solid growth over realistic time scales, but its application to the growth modeling of van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures has not yet been developed. Specifically, the growth of single-layered transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) is currently facing tremendous challenges, and a detailed understanding based on KMC simulations would provide critical guidance to enable controlled growth of vdW heterostructures. In this work, a KMC simulation method is developed for the growth modeling on the vdW epitaxy of TMDs. The KMC method has introduced full material parameters for TMDs in bottom-up synthesis: metal and chalcogen adsorption/desorption/diffusion on substrate and grown TMD surface, TMD stacking sequence, chalcogen/metal ratio, flake edge diffusion and vacancy diffusion. The KMC processes result in multiple kinetic behaviors associated with various growth behaviors observed in experiments. Different phenomena observed during vdW epitaxy process are analysed in terms of complex competitions among multiple kinetic processes. The KMC method is used in the investigation and prediction of growth mechanisms, which provide qualitative suggestions to guide experimental study.

Erratum: Direct and accurate measurement of size dependent wetting behaviors for sessile water droplets.

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1038/srep18150.

Long-term clinical study and multiscale analysis of in vivo biodegradation mechanism of Mg alloy.

There has been a tremendous amount of research in the past decade to optimize the mechanical properties and degradation behavior of the biodegradable Mg alloy for orthopedic implant. Despite the feasibility of degrading implant, the lack of fundamental understanding about biocompatibility and underlying bone formation mechanism is currently limiting the use in clinical applications. Herein, we report the result of long-term clinical study and systematic investigation of bone formation mechanism of the biodegradable Mg-5wt%Ca-1wt%Zn alloy implant through simultaneous observation of changes in element composition and crystallinity within degrading interface at hierarchical levels. Controlled degradation of Mg-5wt%Ca-1wt%Zn alloy results in the formation of biomimicking calcification matrix at the degrading interface to initiate the bone formation process. This process facilitates early bone healing and allows the complete replacement of biodegradable Mg implant by the new bone within 1 y of implantation, as demonstrated in 53 cases of successful long-term clinical study.

Direct and accurate measurement of size dependent wetting behaviors for sessile water droplets.

The size-dependent wettability of sessile water droplets is an important matter in wetting science. Although extensive studies have explored this problem, it has been difficult to obtain empirical data for microscale sessile droplets at a wide range of diameters because of the flaws resulting from evaporation and insufficient imaging resolution. Herein, we present the size-dependent quantitative change of wettability by directly visualizing the three phase interfaces of droplets using a cryogenic-focused ion beam milling and SEM-imaging technique. With the fundamental understanding of the formation pathway, evaporation, freezing, and contact angle hysteresis for sessile droplets, microdroplets with diameters spanning more than three orders of magnitude on various metal substrates were examined. Wetting nature can gradually change from hydrophobic at the hundreds-of-microns scale to super-hydrophobic at the sub-µm scale, and a nonlinear relationship between the cosine of the contact angle and contact line curvature in microscale water droplets was demonstrated. We also showed that the wettability could be further tuned in a size-dependent manner by introducing regular heterogeneities to the substrate.

Catalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction on platinum-based core-shell nanoparticles: all-electron density functional theory.

Pt nanoparticles (NPs) in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell as a catalyst for an oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) fairly overbind oxygen and/or hydroxyl to their surfaces, causing a large overpotential and thus low catalytic activity. Realizing Pt-based core-shell NPs (CSNPs) is perhaps a workaround for the weak binding of oxygen and/or hydroxyl without a shortage of sufficient oxygen molecule dissociation on the surface. Towards the end, we theoretically examined the catalytic activity of NPs using density functional theory; each NP consists of one of 12 different 3d-5d transition metal cores (groups 8-11) and a Pt shell. The calculation results evidently suggest the enhancement of catalytic activity of CSNPs in particular when 3d transition metal cores are in use. The revealed trends in activity change upon the core metal were discussed with respect to the thermodynamic and electronic structural aspects of the NPs in comparison with the general d-band model. The disparity between the CSNP and the corresponding bilayer catalyst, which is the so-called size effect, was remarkable; therefore, it perhaps opens up the possibility of size-determined catalytic activity. Finally, the overpotential for all CSNPs was evaluated in an attempt to choose promising combinations of CSNP materials.

Biodegradability engineering of biodegradable Mg alloys: tailoring the electrochemical properties and microstructure of constituent phases.

Crystalline Mg-based alloys with a distinct reduction in hydrogen evolution were prepared through both electrochemical and microstructural engineering of the constituent phases. The addition of Zn to Mg-Ca alloy modified the corrosion potentials of two constituent phases (Mg + Mg2Ca), which prevented the formation of a galvanic circuit and achieved a comparable corrosion rate to high purity Mg. Furthermore, effective grain refinement induced by the extrusion allowed the achievement of much lower corrosion rate than high purity Mg. Animal studies confirmed the large reduction in hydrogen evolution and revealed good tissue compatibility with increased bone deposition around the newly developed Mg alloy implants. Thus, high strength Mg-Ca-Zn alloys with medically acceptable corrosion rate were developed and showed great potential for use in a new generation of biodegradable implants.

Rapid in vitro corrosion induced by crack-like pathway in biodegradable Mg-10% Ca alloy.

The in vitro corrosion mechanism of the biodegradable cast Mg-10% Ca binary alloy in Hanks' solution was evaluated through transmission electron microscopy observations. The corrosion behavior depends strongly on the microstructural peculiarity of Mg2Ca phase surrounding the island-like primary Mg phase and the fast corrosion induced by the interdiffusion of O and Ca via the Mg2Ca phase of lamellar structure. At the corrosion front, we found that a nanosized crack-like pathway was formed along the interface between the Mg2Ca phase and the primary Mg phase. Through the crack-like pathway, O and Ca are atomically exchanged each other and then the corroded Mg2Ca phase was transformed to Mg oxides. The in vitro corrosion by the exchange of Ca and O at the nanosized pathway led to the rapid bulk corrosion in the Mg-Ca alloys.

The modification of microstructure to improve the biodegradation and mechanical properties of a biodegradable Mg alloy.

The effect of microstructural modification on the degradation behavior and mechanical properties of Mg-5wt%Ca alloy was investigated to tailor the load bearing orthopedic biodegradable implant material. The eutectic Mg/Mg2Ca phase precipitated in the as-cast Mg-5wt%Ca alloy generated a well-connected network of Mg2Ca, which caused drastic corrosion due to a micro galvanic cell formed by its low corrosion potential. Breaking the network structure using an extrusion process remarkably retarded the degradation rate of the extruded Mg-5wt%Ca alloy, which demonstrates that the biocompatibility and mechanical properties of Mg alloys can be enhanced through modification of their microstructure. The results from the in vitro and in vivo study suggest that the tailored microstructure by extrusion impede the deterioration in strength that arises due to the dynamic degradation behavior in body solution.

Size effects on the stabilization and growth of tetragonal ZrO2 crystallites in a nanotubular structure.

The size effects on the stabilization of ZrO2 polymorphs in nanoscale and the growth behavior of their crystallites in 1-D nanotubular structures were investigated. Polycrystalline nanotubular structures of ZrO2 with tetragonal nanocrystallites were fabricated using nanoporous polycarbonate (PC) templates and atomic layer deposition (ALD). The as-prepared ZrO2 nanotubes showed polycrystalline structures of stabilized tetragonal polymorphs at room temperature. The wall thickness of the ZrO2 nanotubes was well controlled by the number of ALD cycles. Faster growth of the tetragonal nanocrystallites was observed in the nanotubes with a 50 nm outer diameter, than those of 200 nm. The Gibbs-Thompson relation can be used to explain the observed nanosize effects on the growth of the tetragonal ZrO2 nanocrystallites.

In vivo corrosion mechanism by elemental interdiffusion of biodegradable Mg-Ca alloy.

We elucidated the in vivo corrosion mechanism of the biodegradable alloy Mg-10 wt % Ca in rat femoral condyle through transmission electron microscope observations assisted by focused ion beam technique. The alloy consists of a primary Mg phase and a three-dimensional lamellar network of Mg and Mg(2)Ca. We found that the Mg(2)Ca is rapidly corroded by interdiffusion of Ca and O, leading to a structural change from lamellar network to nanocrystalline MgO. In contrast to the fast corrosion rate of the lamellar structure, the primary Mg phase slowly changes into nanocrystalline MgO through surface corrosion by O supplied along the lamellar networks. The rapid interdiffusion induces an inhomogeneous Ca distribution and interestingly leads to the formation of a transient CaO phase, which acts as a selective leaching path for Ca. In addition, the outgoing Ca with P from body fluids forms needle-type calcium phosphates similar to hydroxyl apatite at interior and surface of the implant, providing an active biological environment for bone mineralization.