Development of Near Gold-Colored TixZr1-xN Nano Thin Films by Arc Ion Plating.

A gold plating technique with wet chemical solution is widely used to make different metallic colors for various industrial applications. However, it results in environmental pollution due to the generation of contaminated water, and it is also an expensive process. As an alternative approach, it is often desirable to use the Physical Vapor Deposition coating method that does not generate such pollution, and to use cheaper material to imitate gold colors. In this letter, target materials consisting of Ti-Zr alloy are employed to realize tens of nanometers thickness metallic thin film that can produce a metallic color that is close to that of natural gold. TiZrN thin films with a thickness ranging (2,000 to 4,000) nm are formed on a substrate using Arc Ion Plating. The results showed that the thin films exhibited an adhesion force of 50 N or more and a hardness of 1,500 Hv or more under a -100 V bias condition, and various gold colors could be realized by changing the ratio of Ti and Zr element of the alloy target.

Selective Hydrogenation of Acetylene to Ethylene Over Nanosized Gold and Palladium Supported Catalysts.

Ethylene, the main raw material for polyethylene production, is a by-product produced by thermally decomposing naphtha and it contains a small amount of acetylene. The acetylene reacts as a permanent catalyst poison for the ethylene polymerization catalyst. In this study, we wanted to improve the acetylene conversion and the ethylene selectivity by selective hydrogenation of acetylene for removing acetylene contained in ethylene. Catalyst was prepared by loading nanosized gold (Au) and palladium (Pd) particles on support (Al2O3, TiO2). Deposition order Au and Pd particles was changed. The activity of the catalyst was investigated using a flow-typed fixed bed reactor under atmospheric pressure. Au and Pd particles deposited on TiO2 were oxidized to Au2O3 and PdO due to strong metal support interaction (SMSI). It was considered that the Au/Pd/Al2O3 catalyst was more active than the Pd/Au/Al2O3 catalyst due to the formation of the interface between Au particles and Pd particles (or support). But Pd/Au/Al2O3 catalyst is considered to have poor activity because Pd particles cover part of the interface between Au and the support. Au/Pd/Al2O3 catalyst showed the best catalytic activity, and acetylene conversion and ethylene selectivity were 100% and about 80% at 40 °C, respectively.

A Study on the Deposition of Hydroxyapatite Nano Thin Films Fabricated by Radio-Frequency Magnetron Sputtering for Biomedical Applications.

We have developed a HA nano-coating technology suitable for dental and orthopedic implants using RF magnetron sputtering method which can achieve excellent adhesion to titanium compared with other various PVD coating technologies. As a result, the HA thin film prepared by RF magnetron sputtering has a thickness of about 1.6 [µm] and its adhesion force to base metal is about 11.93 [N] or more and Ca/P ratio is about 1.64, which is suitable for dental and orthopedic implants.

Preparation of Styrenated Phenol by Alkylation of Phenol with Styrene Over SO4²â» /ZrO2 Catalyst.

Styrenated phenols are usually synthesized by the reaction of styrene and phenol under acid catalysts. Styrenated phenol involving high content of di-styrenated phenol (DSP) was synthesized, which can be used to prepare styrenated phenol alkoxylate. The solid catalyst used in this study was prepared by impregnation method. SO4 2- on SO4 2-/ZrO2 catalyst was introduced from an aqueous 1M-H2SO4 solution. The catalysts were characterized by SEM images, XRD patterns, and FT-IR spectra. The catalytic activity was examined by measuring the conversion of phenol and styrene in a liquid-phase batch reactor. Almost 100% conversion of both phenol and styrene over 15-SO4 2-/ZrO2 catalyst were obtained at reaction temperature of 100 °C and reaction time of 6 hr. Amount of catalyst to the reactants was 15 wt%. At same reaction conditions, selectivity of MSP, DSP, and TSP were 23.6%, 52.1%, and 5.4%, respectively. It was known that the selectivity to DSP was increased as IR absorption peak of 1236 cm-1 corresponding to O­S­O bonds was increased.

Effect of Molar Concentration of NH4OH on Photocatalytic Activity in Preparation of Nanosized TiO2 Powder from Spent Titanium Chip by Sol-Gel Method.

The TiO2 powder was prepared from the spent titanium chips by applying the sol-gel method. The spent titanium chip was dissolved in HCl solution, and then NH4OH solution was added. The molar concentration of NH4OH solution was 2 M, 4 M, 8 M, and 10 M. Obtained TiO2 powders were calcined at 200 degrees C, 400 degrees C, and 600 degrees C. The prepared TiO2 powder was characterized using a particle size analysis, BET surface area, and XRD analysis. The crystal structure of the TiO2 powder was rutile type and anatase. The highest BET surface area of TiO2 powder was 432.8 m2/g. The photocatalytic property of the TiO2 powder was evaluated as decomposition rate of methylene blue(MB) by using a liquid phase stirred reactor. UV source was a UV-A, and concentration of MB in most experiments was 8 ppm. The concentration of MB was measured by absorbance at 664 nm using UV spectroscopy. Photocatalytic efficiency of prepared TiO2 powder depended highly on concentration of NH4OH solution. The TiO2 powder prepared with 8 M-NH4OH solution showed the highest efficiency, the decomposition efficiency at decomposition time of 2 hr and MB concentration of pH 8 was 98%.

Hybrid and Etch-Less Electrooptic Waveguide Modulator Based on Photo-Bleaching and Strain Induced Optical Waveguide Technique in Polymer.

A hybrid and etchless electrooptic (EO) polymer waveguide modulator based on both a photo-bleaching-induced optical waveguide (PBOW) and a strain-induced optical waveguide (SIOW) is described. The SIOW is defined by a metal strip line stressor deposited on top of the upper cladding that introduces the refractive index change within the core region. The PBOW technique is used to form an optical waveguide which is based on a photo-bleaching process, known as a photo-oxidation that is an irreversible decomposition of EO material, resulting in a permanent decrease in index of refraction. It is shown that this proposed fabrication idea combining two etchless techniques can be applicable to a wide range of polymer photonic integrated circuits. Preliminary results obtained from fabricated devices reveal that their half-wave voltage are ranging from 8 V to 10 V, their extinction ratio exhibits more than 15 dB, and the fiber-to-waveguide-to-lens loss is estimated to be ~9.5 dB for TM polarization at 1.55/m wavelength in the active interaction of ~1.5 cm long.

Catalytic Activity of Nanosized CuO-ZnO Supported on Titanium Chips in Hydrogenation of Carbon Dioxide to Methyl Alcohol.

In this study, titanium chips (TC) generated from industrial facilities was utilized as TiO2 support for hydrogenation of carbon dioxide (CO2) to methyl alcohol (CH3OH) over Cu-based catalysts. Nano-sized CuO and ZnO catalysts were deposited on TiO2 support using a co-precipitation (CP) method (CuO-ZnO/TiO2), where the thermal treatment of TC and the particle size of TiC2 are optimized on CO2 conversion under different reaction temperature and contact time. Direct hydrogenation of CO2 to CH3OH over CuO-ZnO/TiO2 catalysts was achieved and the maximum selectivity (22%) and yield (18.2%) of CH3OH were obtained in the range of reaction temperature 210-240 degrees C under the 30 bar. The selectivity was readily increased by increasing the flow rate, which does not affect much to the CO2 conversion and CH3OH yield.

Preparation of Nanosized TiO2 Powder from Spent Titanium Chip by Sol-Gel Method.

The TiO2 powder was prepared from the spent titanium chips by applying the sol-gel method with neutralization by NaOH solution. The prepared TiO2 powder was characterized using a particle size analysis, BET surface area, and XRD analysis. The crystal structure of the TiO2 powder was rutile type, and the powder was obtained to be nanosized. BET surface area of TiO2 powder was 118 m2/g, average particle size was 266.5 nm. The photocatalytic property of the TiO2 powder was evaluated as decomposition rate of methylene blue (MB) by using a liquid phase stirred reactor. Decomposition rate on TiO2 powder (P-25) was 1.5 times higher than that of the prepared TiO2 powder. Decomposition rate on the prepared TiO2 powder was linearly increased with increasing the amount of TiO2 powder, and approached to a specific value. MB concentration and decomposition rate was not correlated within the experimental range. The maximum value of decomposition rate at about pH 8 was 62%.

Nanosized CuO and ZnO Catalyst Supported on Honeycomb-Typed Monolith for Hydrogenation of Carbon Dioxide to Methyl Alcohol.

The greenhouse effect of carbon dioxide (CO2) has been recognized as one of the most serious problems in the world. Conversion of CO2 to methyl alcohol (CH3OH) was studied using catalytic chemical methods. Honeycomb-typed monolith used as catalyst support was 400 cell/inch2. Pretreatment of the monolith surface was carried out by thermal treatment and acid treatment. Monolith-supported nanosized CuO-ZnO catalysts were prepared by wash-coat method. The prepared catalysts were characterized by using SEM, TEM, and XRD. The catalytic activity for CO2 hydrogenation to CH3OH was investigated using a flow-type reactor with varying reaction temperature, reaction pressure and contact time. Conversion of CO2 was increased with increasing reaction temperature, but selectivity to CH3OH was decreased. Optimum reaction temperature was about 250 degrees C under 20 atm. Because of the reverse water gas shift reaction.

The Characteristics of an Antibacterial TiAgN Thin Film Coated by Physical Vapor Deposition Technique.

In this work, we found the characteristics of an antibacterial TiAgN thin film coated on the pure titanium specimen via the physical vapor deposition process (PVD). TiAgN thin films were coated using TiAg alloy targets by arc ion plating method. Changing the process parameters, the surface analysis of TiAgN thin film was observed by FE-SEM and the force of adhesion was measured with Scratch Tester. The proliferation of human gingival fibroblast (HGF) cells was examined by XTT test assay and the antibacterial properties were investigated by culturing Streptococus Mutans (KCTC 3065) using paper disk techniques. At the result of experiment, cytotoxic effects were not found and the antibacterial effects against Streptococus Mutans were appeared over 5 wt% TiAgN specimens.

Nanosized CuO and ZnO catalyst supported on titanium chip for conversion of carbon dioxide to methyl alcohol.

In order to reutilize spent metallic titanium chips (TC) as catalyst support or photocatalytic materials, the surface of the TC was modified by thermal treatment under air atmosphere. TC-supported nanosized CuO and ZnO catalysts were prepared by impregnation (IMP) and co-precipitation (CP) method, respectively. The catalytic activity for CO2 hydrogenation to CH3OH was investigated using a flow-typed reactor under various reaction pressures. The crystals of CuO and ZnO was well formed on TC. CO2 conversion, CH3OH selectivity, and CH3OH yield were obtained as a function of time on stream over CuO-ZnO/TC catalysts. Conversion of CO2 to CH3OH over CuO-ZnO/TC catalyst by CP method and CuO/ZnO/TC catalyst by IMP method were ca. 16% and ca. 12%, respectively. Conversion of CO2 over CuO-ZnO/TC catalyst by CP method was increased with increasing reaction temperature in the range of 15-30 atm. Maximum selectivity and yield to CH3OH over CuO-ZnO/TC at 250 degrees C were ca. 90% at 20 atm and ca. 18.2% at 30 atm, respectively.

Photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue over nanosized TiO2 particles prepared using the self-propagating high-temperature synthesis method.

In order to reutilize the spent metallic titanium chips, TiO2 photocatalysts were prepared using the self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) method, and were characterized by N2 gas adsorption, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscope, particle size distribution. Also, their photocatalytic activities were evaluated using methylene blue as a model organic compound. It was confirmed that the crystal structure of TiO2 prepared by SHS method was relatively homogeneous powder of rutile type. Optimum conditions for photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue under UV-C irradiation were methylene blue 9.5 ppm in solution and at amount of TiO2 added of 0.02 g/L. In addition, it was found that the photocatalytic activity for methylene blue degradation over the prepared TiO2 particles was positively related with BET specific surface area.

Antibacterial effect of visible light reactive TiO2/Ag nanocomposite thin film on the orthodontic appliances.

This study evaluated the antibacterial effect of a visible light reactive TiO2/Ag nanocomposite thin film on dental orthodontic wire (STS 304 wire). The growth of S. mutans and A. actinomycetemcomitans was suppressed on the specimens coated with TiO2/Ag compared to the uncoated specimens. The antibacterial effect of the TiO2/Ag nanocomposite thin film was improved under visible light irradiation.

Decomposition of MEK and toluene over nanolayered TiO2 photocatalyts prepared from metallic titanium chip.

The Nanolayered TiO2 photocatalysts were prepared by thermal treatment of metallic titanium chips. Photocatalytic activity for methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) and toluene was investigated using a closed circulating system. The photocatalysts were characterized by SEM and XRD. Surface of the Ti chips changed to be rough with increase of treatment temperature, and severe oxidation over 900 degrees C resulted in TiO2 powder. Uniform TiO2 nanolayer was formed as a rutile type on the metallic chip. Photocatalytic decomposition of MEK over the TiO2 photocatalysts occurred efficiently by UV-C irradiation. The maximum activity for MEK was obtained over Ti Chip treated at 700 degrees C. It was known that the prepared photocatalyts could be applied to remove various VOCs.

Visible light-responsive titanium dioxide thin film prepared by reactive sputtering.

TiO2 is a wide band-gap semiconductor (3.4 eV) and can only absorb about 5% of sun light in the ultraviolet light region, which largely limits its practical applications because of the lower utility of sun light and quantum yield. In order to move the absorption edge of TiO2 films to visible spectrum range, we have made the impurity level within a band-gap of TiO2 thin film by introduction of oxygen vacancy. Oxygen-defected TiO2 photo-catalyst have prepared by reactive sputtering with the partial pressure of Ar:O2 = 76.7:23.3 approximately 98.5:1.5 ratios. As a result, we could have the impurity level of about 2.75 eV on condition that oxygen partial pressure is 2.9%. And the photocatalytic activity was realized at 400 nm wavelength.

Preparation and characterization of nanosized gold catalysts supported on Co3O4 and their activities for CO oxidation.

Gold catalysts supported on Co3O4 were prepared by co-precipitation (CP), deposition-precipitation (DP), and impregnation (IMP) methods. The Au/Co3O4 catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and temperature programmed reduction (TPR) to understand the different activities for CO oxidation with different preparation methods. Gold particles below 5 nm supported on Co3O4 by DP method were found to be more exposed to the surface than those by CP and IMP methods, and this catalyst was highly active and stable in CO oxidation. Finally, catalytic activity of Au/Co3O4 catalyst for CO oxidation was strongly dependent on the gold particle size.

Photocatalytic activity of nanosized TiO2 thin film prepared by magnetron sputtering method.

Nanosized TiO2 thin film on the substrate such as stainless steel plate and slide glass film were prepared by magnetron sputtering method, and these TiO2 thin films were characterized by field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). Photocatalytic activity for Methyl-ethyl-ketone (MEK) and acetaldehyde were measured using a closed circulating reaction system through the various ultra violet (UV) sources. From the results of SEM images, nanosized TiO2 thin film was uniformly coated on slide glass, ranging from 360 nm to 370 nm. Photocatalytic activity of MEK over TiO2 thin film on stainless steel plate did not occur by UV-A irradiation, but was efficiently decomposed by UV-B and UV-C. Also, acetaldehyde could be decomposed than MEK. The effect of sputtering conditions on their structure and photocatalytic activities were investigated in detail.

Effect of pretreatment conditions on particle size of bimetallic pt-au catalysts supported on ZnO/Al2O3 and its activity for toluene oxidation.

Bimetallic Pt-Au catalysts supported on ZnO/Al2O3 were prepared by incipient wetness impregnation (IW-IMP) method with different pretreatment conditions such as flow velocity, calcination temperature, and heating rate under H2 during the calcination procedure, and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), CO chemisorption, and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) equipped energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Furthermore, catalytic activity for complete oxidation of toluene was measured using a flow reactor under atmospheric pressure. Finally, relationship between the particle sizes with pretreatment conditions and catalytic activity for toluene on the bimetallic Pt-Au catalysts was discussed. In these results, nanosized bimetallic Pt-Au particles on ZnO/Al2O3 could be prepared by IW-IMP method. Relationship between the Pt and Au particle size and activity for toluene oxidation was clearly observed.

Preparation of nanosized Pt-Au alloy catalyst and its activity in methanol oxidation.

The alloy catalyst has been widely used because it will be able to improve the activity and selectivity of the single metal catalyst in a given chemical reaction. In this study, the preparation and characteristics of nanosized Pt and Au particles on alumina and their catalytic activity were described. Nanosized Pt-Au catalysts were prepared by impregnation (IMP) method and deposition (DP) method using alumina or ZnO/Al2O3 as support. The size of Pt and Au particles were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive spectroscope (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Catalytic activity for oxidation of methanol was measured using a flow reactor. It could be seen that the Pt particle size and dispersion in the alloy catalysts was rarely influenced by preparation methods and Au particles coated by deposition method were well dispersed. TEM images showed that Au particles were well dispersed in the Pt/Au/ZnO/Al2O3 catalyst of which Au particles was supported by deposition method. The catalytic activity for methanol are given in the order of Pt-Au[IMP]/ZnO/Al2O3 > Pt[IMP]/Au[DP]/ZnO/Al2O3 > Au[DP]/Pt[IMP]/ZnO/Al2O3 > Pt-Au[DP]/ZnO/Al2O3. Therefore, Au particle size was doing not play an important role in increasing the oxidation activity, but the Au particles may promote the methanol oxidation.

Effect of nanosized gold particle addition to supported metal oxide catalyst in methanol oxidation.

Gold has rarely been utilized as a catalytic component because of its poor affinity to chemical species. It is however known that nanosized gold particles promote the dissociation of oxygen or hydrogen. In this study, alumina-supported metal oxide catalysts were prepared by impregnation method and applied to methanol oxidation. The dispersion form and size of the gold particles were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In the results, the maximum catalytic activity was obtained over the ZnO/Al2O3 catalyst, and the optimum loading was 4 wt%. Furthermore, nano-sized gold particles at various loadings were added to ZnO/Al2O3 catalyst by deposition method. The gold particles on Au/ZnO/Al2O3 catalyst were well dispersed and the catalyst activity was remarkably increased compared to ZnO/Al2O3 catalyst. The role of gold particles in the increased catalytic activity is discussed and a possible mechanism is presented.