Effects of Doping Ratio of Cobalt and Iron on the Structure and Optical Properties of Bi3.25La0.75Fe(x)Co(1-x)Ti2O12 (X = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1).

The wide band gap of complex oxides is one of the major obstacles limiting their use in photovoltaic cells. To identify an effective route for tailoring the band gap of complex oxides, this study examined the effects of cobalt and iron doping on lanthanum-modified Bi4Ti3O2-based oxides synthesized using a solid reaction. The structural and optical properties were analyzed by X-ray diffraction and ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy. As a result, the optimal iron to cobalt doping ratio in bismuth titanate powder resulted in an ~1.8 eV decrease in the optical band gap. This new route to reduce the optical bandgap can be adapted to the synthesis of other complex oxides.

The Effect of Annealing Temperature on the Bandgap of Bi3.25La0.75FeTi2O12 Powders.

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the bandgap engineering of ferroelectric oxides to improve absorbance of the solar spectrum, which is governed by their band gap. To enhance the photovoltaic efficiency by tuning the optical bandgap of complex oxides, an attempt was recently made to reduce the optical band gap of iron doping of lanthanum-modified Bi4TiO12-based oxides (Fe-BLT) using oxygen vacancy doping. To study the tunability of the optical band gap from the generation of oxygen vacancies, the thermal treatment time and temperature were controlled during heat treatment under a vacuum environment. The structural, optical properties of the synthesized podwers were examined by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. Typically, an oxygen vacancy in a complex oxide can alter their structure very easily. On the other hand, the ultraviolet-visible absorption spectra of iron-doped bismuth titanate ceramics under optimal conditions (12 h, 800 °C) showed a decrease in optical bandgap. from 2.02 eV to 1.8 eV without a corresponding change in their crystallographic structure. This study suggests that optimal control of the thermal treatment time and temperature critically effects the optical band gap of complex oxides.

Design, synthesis, and evaluation of nonaqueous silylamines for efficient CO2 capture.

A series of silylated amines have been synthesized for use as reversible ionic liquids in the application of post-combustion carbon capture. We describe a molecular design process aimed at influencing industrially relevant carbon capture properties, such as viscosity, temperature of reversal, and enthalpy of regeneration, while maximizing the overall CO2 -capture capacity. A strong structure-property relationship among the silylamines is demonstrated in which minor structural modifications lead to significant changes in the bulk properties of the reversible ionic liquid formed from reaction with CO2 .

Regiochemical substituent switching of spin states in aryl(trifluoromethyl)carbenes.

Although aryl(trifluoromethyl)diazirines have achieved great popularity in photoaffinity labeling applications, the properties of the corresponding carbenes have not been as widely explored. Here, low-temperature matrix-isolation spectroscopy and reactivity studies indicate that in contrast to m-methoxyphenyl(trifluoromethyl)carbene and most known aryl(CF(3))carbenes, the para isomer is a ground-state singlet rather than triplet. DFT calculations support these results as well as the notion that the p-CH(3)O group stabilizes the singlet carbene via resonance. These results may have relevance to the wide range of substituted aryl(CF(3))diazirines in photoaffinity applications.