Cu-Sn shape-memory microwires were fabricated by a glass-coated melt spinning method. Effects of Sn content on the microstructure and mechanical property of microwires were investigated. The phase transforms from martensite to austenite with Sn content increasing from 14.0 atomic percent (at.%) to 16.5 at.%, and highly ordered intermetallic phase, δ, formed with higher Sn content. The fracture stress, σf, and the critical stress for martensitic transformation, σMs, increases with Sn content increasing. The mechanical property as well as superelasticity were improved greatly by high cooling rate of the glass-coated melt spinning method.

We have determined Hf isotopic compositions of 12 samples associated with the giant El Teniente Cu-Mo deposit, Chile. The samples range in age from ≥8.9 to 2.3 Ma and provide information about the temporal evolution of their magmatic sources from the Late Miocene to Pliocene. Together with previously published data, the new analysis indicate a temporal decrease of 10 εHf(t) units, from +11.6 down to +1.6, in the 12.7 m.y. from 15 to 2.3 Ma. These variations imply increasing incorporation of continental crust through time in the magmas that formed these rocks. The fact that the samples include mantle-derived olivine basalts and olivine lamprophyres suggests that these continental components were incorporated into their mantle source, and not by intra-crustal contamination (MASH). We attribute the increase, between the Middle Miocene and Pliocene, of crustal components in the subarc mantle source below El Teniente to be due to increased subduction erosion and transport of crust into the mantle. The deposit formed above a large, long-lived, vertically zoned magma chamber that developed due to compressive deformation and persisted between the period ~7 to 4.6 Ma. Progressively more hydrous mantle-derived mafic magmas feed this chamber from below, providing heat, H₂O, S and metals, but no unique “fertile” Cu-rich magma was involved in the formation of the deposit. As the volume of these mantle-derived magmas decreased from the Late Miocene into the Pliocene, the chamber crystallized and solidified, producing felsic plutons and large metal-rich magmatic-hydrothermal breccias that emplaced Cu and S into the older (≥8.9 Ma) mafic host rocks of this megabreccia deposit.

Porphyry copper-molybdenum deposits (PCDs) are the world’s most important source of copper, molybdenum and rhenium. Previous studies have reported that some PCDs can have sub-economic to economic grades of critical metals, i.e., those elements that are both essential for modern societies and subject to the risk of supply restriction (e.g., platinum group elements (PGE), rare earth elements (REE), In, Co, Te, Ge, Ga, among others). Even though some studies have reported measured concentrations of Pd and Pt in PCDs, their occurrence and mineralogical form remain poorly constrained. Furthermore, these reconnaissance studies have focused predominantly on porphyry Cu-Au deposits, but very limited information is available for porphyry Cu-Mo systems. In this contribution, we report the occurrence of critical metal (Pd, Pt, Au, Ag, and Te) inclusions in copper sulfides from the world’s largest PCD, the supergiant Río Blanco-Los Bronces deposit in central Chile. Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) observations of chalcopyrite and bornite from the potassic alteration zone reveal the presence of micro- to nano-sized particles (<1-10 μm) of noble metals, most notably Pd, Au, and Ag. The high-resolution data show that these inclusions are mostly tellurides, such as merenskyite [PdTe2], Pd-rich hessite [Ag2Te], sylvanite [(Ag, Au)Te2] and petzite [Ag3AuTe2]. The data point to Pd (and probably Pt) partitioning in copper sulfides during the high-temperature potassic alteration stage, opening new avenues of research aimed at investigating not only the mobility of PGE during mineralization and partitioning into sulfides, but also at evaluating the potential of porphyry Cu-Mo deposits as a source for noble metals.

In this study the formation of thin-film barrier coatings based on a highly-conducting Bi1.60Er0.4O3 (EDB) solid electrolyte on supporting Ce0.8Sm0.2O1.9 (SDC) electrolyte substrates is implemented for the first time using electrophoretic deposition (EPD). Electrokinetic properties of EDB-based suspensions in a non-aqueous dispersion medium of isopropanol modified with small additions of polyethyleneimine (PEI, 0.26 g/L) and acetylacetone (0.15 g/L), as well as in a mixed isopropanol/acetylacetone (70/30 vol.%) medium are studied. The dependences of the thickness of EDB coatings on voltage and deposition time are obtained using deposition on a model Ni-foil electrode. Preliminary synthesis of a conductive polypyrrole (PPy) polymer film is used to create surface conductivity of non-conductive SDC substrates. The efficiency of using a modified dispersion medium based on isopropanol to obtain a continuous EDB coating 12 μm thick, sintered at a temperature of 850 °C for 5 h, is shown. The microstructure and morphology of the surface of the EDB coating are studied. Pt/SDC/EDB/Pt cell is used to characterize the coating conductivity. The EPD method is shown to be promising for the formation of barrier coatings based on doped bismuth oxide. The developed method can be used for creating cathode barrier layers in SOFC technology.

Concern over potential antimony mediated toxicity from mining and smelting activities has instigated novel concepts toward removing aqueous antimony ions. The iron based adsorbent Fe3O4/HCO was found to be efficient for treating antimony-containing wastewater However, ineffective methodology for preparation limited its effective adsorption capacity and thus wider application. In this study, a new type of HCO-doped-(Fe3O4)x adsorbent was prepared by co-precipitation method for doping Fe3O4 into HCO sludge (HCO), thereby improving adsorption performance for Sb(III) and Sb(V) ions, with the maximum adsorbing capacity being 44.46 mg/g and 47.91 mg/g, respectively. According to the results of BET, SEM-EDS, XRD and XPS, it were confirmed that the FeOOH and X≡Fe-OH were formed during the preparation process, bring about the increased the surface area, thus resulting in further increase of surface area, hydroxyl groups and the net negative ionic charge. Moreover, the adsorption kinetics followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model which indicated that adsorption process of Sb(III)/Sb(V) by HCO-doped-(Fe3O4)x adsorbent was controlled by chemical reaction. The main adsorption mechanism is that antimony ion and amorphous iron oxide X≡Fe-OH undergo coordination exchange reaction and complexation reaction with CeO2 or Ce2O3. Furthermore, HCO-doped-(Fe3O4)x could adapt to wide pH and had stable adsorption ability after regeneration. The good adsorption performance of HCO-doped-(Fe3O4)x makes it a potential applications of adsorbent for removal of antimony.

Danyore Valley area is a new prospect of copper-gold mineralization in the Gilgit-Baltistan province, Kohistan terrane, northern Pakistan. The mineralization is Cu-Au vein-type, localized within quartz veins and controlled by a fracture system mainly trending NW and NE. The host units belong to the Ladakh-Kohistan arc terrane, which covers northern Pakistan and north-western India and mainly comprises Precambrian basement units, Paleozoic to Cenozoic magmatic rocks, and sedimentary strata. The mineralized wall rocks consist of Mesozoic gabbro and diorite, which have undergone an intensive hydrothermal alteration. The study area, Danyore Valley, has yet to be explored. The geological background and mineralization type in literature are scarce. Moreover, the tectonic setting, petrogenesis, age, and magmatic evolution of the gabbro-diorite hosting unit still need to be better understood. Furthermore, the sources of metals and mineralized fluids and the types of mineralization and alteration are also unexplored. This research's contribution presents the field investigation, microscopic observations, whole rock geochemistry (major, trace, and REE), mineral analysis (EPMA), in situ LA–ICP–MS zircon U–Pb age dating, and zircon trace elements data for Danyore Valley Cu-Au prospect of Kohistan Batholith. The current research work's objectives are to (a) constrain the emplacement ages of the Danyore Valley host rocks, (b) determine the petrogenesis and tectonic environment of the gabbro-diorite wall rocks, and (c) identify the mineralization style and alteration patterns of Cu-Au occurrences. The U-Pb isotopic data of studied zircons from Danyore Valley diorite specimens yielded concordia ages from 111.60 ± 0.90 Ma to 112.18 ± 0.74 Ma. Correspondingly, the gabbro rock sample displayed a concordia age of 110.21 ± 0.99 Ma, indicating the crystallization time of the host bodies is mainly the early cretaceous period (∼110 Ma). The findings of this study reveal that the calc-alkaline affinity and arc-like geochemical characteristics of the gabbro and diorite rocks have been characterized by a significant enrichment in large-ion lithophile elements and an apparent depletion in high-field strength elements. The parent magma probably originated from a partial melting process of mantle depletion, and geochemical traits are characteristic of magmas associated with subduction zones. The Danyore Valley area of Kohistan terrane is defined by the existence of several mineralized quartz veins, which are mainly sulfide assemblages. The sulfide ore is mainly comprised of chalcopyrite, pyrite, and bornite, with a smaller amount of covellite and sphalerite and significant traces of gold, which are distributed mainly in sulfides. Copper and gold mineralization of Danyore Valley is associated with phyllic, propylitic, and carbonatization alteration assemblages. Metal-rich quartz veins exhibit a spatial correlation with diorite and gabbro rocks. The discovery of several surface Cu-Au vein-type mineralized areas accompanying outcrops of copper supergene enrichment at the Danyore Valley prospect is significant evidence (predictor patterns) of porphyry-style deposits in the Gilgit district, Kohistan terrane, northern Pakistan. This work also advocates the importance of the Danyore Valley prospect and Kohistan Batholith region for further detailed geological studies.

Aluminium bronzes possess a unique combination of high strength and wear and corrosion resistance in aggressive environments; thus, these alloys find wide application in marine, shipbuilding, aviation, railway, offshore platform applications and other fields. Iron-aluminium bronzes (IABs) are the cheapest and most widely used. When the aluminium content is above 9.4 wt%, IAB is biphasic (i.e. it undergoes -transformation) and can be subjected to all heat-treatment types depending on the desired operating behaviour of the bronze component. This article presents correlations (mathematical models) between the primary mechanical characteristics (yield limit, tensile strength, elongation, hardness and impact toughness) and the ageing temperature and time of quench at 920°C in water Cu-11Al-6Fe bronze, obtained using the centrifugal casting method. The microstructure evolution was evaluated depending on the ageing temperature and time changes. Overall, the research was conducted in three successive inter-related stages: a one-factor-at-a-time study, planned experiment, and optimisations. Four optimisation tasks, which have the greatest importance for practice, were formulated and solved. The defined multiobjective optimisation tasks were solved by searching for the Pareto-optimal solution approach. The decisions were made through a nondominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) using QstatLab. The optimisation results were verified experimentally. Additional samples were made for this purpose, quenched at 920°C in water and subjected to subsequent ageing with the optimal values of the governing factors (ageing temperature and time) for the corresponding optimisation task. The comparison of the results for the mechanical characteristics with the theoretical optimisation results presents good agreement.

In laser joining of copper (Cu) and aluminum (Al) sheets, the Al sheet is widely chosen as the top surface for laser irradiation because of increased absorption of laser beam and lower melting temperature of Al in contrast to Cu. This research focus on welding from Cu side to Al sheet. The main objective of irradiating the laser beam from the copper side (Cu on top) is to exploit higher solubility of Al in Cu. A significantly lower laser power can be used with 515 nm laser in comparison to 1030 nm. In addition to low laser power, a stable welding is obtained with 515 nm. Because of this advantage, 515 nm is selected for the current research. By fusion of Cu and Al the two sheet metals are welded, with presence of beneficial Cu solid solution phase and Al+Al2Cu in the joint with the brittle phases intermixed between the ductile phase. Therefore the mixed composition strengthens the joint. However excessive mixing leads to formation of more detrimental phases and less ductile phases. Therefore optimum mixing must be maintained. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis indicate that large amount of beneficial Cu solid solution and Al rich phases is formed in the strong joint. From the tensile shear test for a strong joint, fracture is obtained on the heat-affected zone (HAZ) of Al. Therefore the key for welding from copper side is to have optimum melt with beneficial phases like Cu and Al+ Al2Cu and the detrimental phases intermixed between the ductile phases

To enhance the mechanical properties (i.e. strength and elongation) of the face-centered cubic (fcc) α-phase in the Au-Cu-Al system, this study focused on the introduction of the martensite phase (doubled B19 (DB19) crystal structure of Au2CuAl) via the manipulation of alloy compositions. Fundamental evaluations, such as microstructure observations, phase identifications, thermal analysis, tensile behavior examinations, and reflectance analysis have been conducted. The presence of fcc annealing twins was both observed in the optical microscope (OM) and the scanning electron microscope (SEM) images. Both the strength and elongation of the alloys were greatly promoted while the DB19 martensite phase was introduced into the alloys. Amongst all the prepared specimens, the 47Au41Cu12Al and the 44Au44Cu12Al alloys performed the optimized mechanical properties. The enhancement of strength and ductility in these 2 alloys was achieved while the stress plateau was observed during the tensile deformation. A plot of the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) against fracture strain was constructed to illustrate the effects of the introduction of the DB19 martensite phase on the mechanical properties of the alloys. Regardless of the manipulation of the alloy compositions and the introduction of the DB19 martensite phase, the reflectance stayed almost identical to pure Au.

The development of platinum group metal-free (PGM-free) electrocatalysts derived from cheap and environmentally friendly biomasses for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is a topic of relevant interest, particularly from the point of view of sustainability. Fe-nitrogen-doped carbon materials (Fe-N-C) have attracted particular interest as alternative to Pt-based materials, due to the high activity and selectivity of Fe-Nx active sites, the high availability and good tolerance to poisoning. Recently, many studies focused on developing synthetic strategies, which could transform N-containing biomasses into N-doped carbons. In this paper chitosan was employed as a suitable N-containing biomass for preparing Fe-N-C catalyst in virtue of its high N content (7.1%) and unique chemical structure. Moreover, the major application of chitosan is based on its ability to strongly coordinate metal ions, a precondition for the formation of Fe-Nx active sites. The synthesis of Fe-N-C consists in a double step thermochemical conversion of a dried chitosan hydrogel. In acidic aqueous solution, the preparation of physical cross-linked hydrogel allows to obtain sophisticated organization, which assure an optimal mesoporosity before and after the pyrolysis. After the second thermal treatment at 900 °C, a highly graphitized material was obtained, which has been fully characterized in term of textural, morphological and chemical properties. RRDE technique was used for understanding the activity and the selectivity of the material versus the ORR in 0.5 M H2SO4 electrolyte. Special attention was put in the determination of the active site density according to nitrite electrochemical reduction measurements. It was clearly established that the catalytic activity expressed as half wave potential linearly scales with the number of Fe-Nx sites. It was also established that the addition of the iron precursor after the first pyrolysis step leads to an increased activity because of both an increased number of active sites and of a hierarchical structure, which improves the access to active sites. At the same time, the increased graphitization degree, and a reduced density of pyrrolic nitrogen groups are helpful to increase the selectivity toward the 4e- ORR pathway.

The activity and cyclability of Cu-MOF-74 as catalyst was studied for the ligand-free C-O cross-coupling reaction of 4-nitrobenzaldehyde (NB) with phenol (Ph) to form 4-formyldiphenyl ether (FDE). Cu-MOF-74 is characterized by unsaturated copper sites in a highly porous metal-organic framework. The influence of solvent, reaction temperature, NB/Ph ratio, catalyst concentration and basic agent (type and concentration) were evaluated. High conversions were achieved at 120°C, 5 mol% of catalyst, NB/Ph ratio of 1:2, DMF as solvent and 1 equivalent of K2CO3 base. The activity of Cu-MOF-74 material was higher than other ligand-free copper catalytic systems tested in this study. This catalyst was easily separated and reused in five successive runs, achieving a remarkable performance without significant porous framework degradation. The leaching of copper species in the reaction medium was negligible. The O-arylation between NB and Ph took place only in the presence of Cu-MOF-74 material, being negligible without the solid catalyst.

Graphene materials synthesized using direct laser writing (laser-induced graphene; LIG) are fa-vorable sensor materials because of their large surface area, ease of fabrication, and cost effec-tiveness. In particular, LIG decorated with metal nanoparticles (NPs) has been used in various sensors, including chemical sensors and electronic and electrochemical biosensors. However, the effect of metal decoration on LIG sensors remains controversial; hypotheses based on computa-tional simulations do not always match experimental results, and even experimental results re-ported by different researchers have not been consistent. In the present study, we explored the effects of metal decorations on LIG gas sensors, with NO2 and NH3 gases as representative oxi-dizing and reducing agents, respectively. To eliminate unwanted side effects arising from metal salt residues, metal NPs were directly deposited by vacuum evaporation. Although the gas sen-sitivities of the sensors deteriorate upon metal decoration irrespective of the metal work function in the case of NO2 gas, they improve upon metal decoration in the case of NH3 exposure. A careful investigation of the chemical structure and morphology of the metal NPs in the LIG sensors shows that the spontaneous oxidation of metal NPs with a low work function changes the be-havior of the LIG gas sensors and that the sensor behaviors under NO2 and NH3 gases follow different principles.

In recent years, genetic research has been developing rapidly and taking on a larger role in research and medicine. The synthesis of any particle that can be used in this research can pave the way for new developments in this field. This research aims to develop a chemical method to produce nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots - economical and bio-sourced substances that bind to genomic DNA. Carbon quantum dots are produced by the green synthesis hydrothermal method from radish, which is abundant in nature, and economically affordable. Nitrogen is added to increase the fluorescence properties of the produced carbon quantum dots and to improve their binding to DNA. The synthesized nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots (N-CQDs) were tested through chromosome imaging subsequently. It was shown that N-CQDs can bind to the chromosomes, and N-CQDs reflected green light better than DAPI under the FITC filter, a potential advantage of using N-CQDs over DAPI in chromosome imaging.

The electrical and optical properties of sol-gel derived aluminum-doped0 zinc oxide thin films containing 2 at.% Al were investigated considering the modifying effects of 1) increasing the sol H₂O content; and 2) thermal treatment procedure with high-temperature approach followed by an additional heat-treatment step under a reducing atmosphere. According to the results obtained via the TG-DTA analysis, FT-IR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction technique and four-point probe resistivity measurement, it is argued that the sol hydrolysis, decomposition of the deposited gel and crystallization of grains result in grains of larger crystallite size and stronger c-axis preferred orientation with slightly less microstrain in the modified sample. The consequent morphology and grain-boundary characteristics turn out as improved conductivity, implying higher values of concentration and mobility of charge carriers. A detailed investigation on samples optical properties, in terms of analyzing their absorption and dispersion behaviors through the UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy, support our reasoning for the increase of the mobility, and to a lesser extent, the concentration of charge carriers, while causing only a slight degradation of optical transmission. Hence, an enhanced performance as a transparent conducting film is claimed for the modified sample by comparing the figure-of-merit values.

We hereby describe an efficient method for the preparation of a series of new 1-substituted 1,2,3-triazole-based acetaminophen derivatives through a clean, good-yielding, simple, and expeditious procedure based on the O-propargylation reaction of the acetaminophen (APAP) obtained from expired commercial tablets and the CuBr(PPh3)3-catalyzed Huisgen reaction be-tween O-propargylated APAP and diverse organoazides prepared from commercially available anilines as available starting reagents. An interesting nitric oxide-releasing 1,2,3-triazole hybrid of APAP was also obtained easily using the developed method. The structures of the designed hybrid compounds, which are expected to be pharmacologically active, were fully characterized by FT-IR, 1H- and 13C-NMR and are reported for the first time. According to the in-silico studies performed in this work and literature analysis, these hybrids are interesting models in search of new pharmacological nontoxic agents endowed with anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties.

In this study, we considered the structural stability, electronic properties, and phonon dispersion of the cubic (c-ZrO₂), tetragonal (t-ZrO₂), and monoclinic (m-ZrO₂) phases of ZrO₂. We found that the monoclinic phase of zirconium dioxide is the most stable among the three phases in terms of total energy, lowest enthalpy, highest entropy, and other thermodynamic properties. The smallest negative modes were found for m-ZrO₂. Our analysis of the electronic properties showed that during the m–t phase transformation of ZrO₂, the Fermi level first shifts by 0.125 eV toward higher energies and then decreases by 0.08 eV in the t–c cross-section. The band gaps for c-ZrO₂, t-ZrO₂, and m-ZrO₂ are 5.140 eV, 5.898 eV, and 5.288 eV, respectively. Calculations based on the analysis of the influence of doping 3.23, 6.67, 10.35, and 16.15 mol. %Y₂O₃ onto the m-ZrO₂ structure showed that the enthalpy of m-YSZ decreases linearly, which accompanies further stabilization of monoclinic ZrO₂ and an increase in its defectiveness. A doping-induced and concentration-dependent phase transition in ZrO₂ under the influence of Y₂O₃ was discovered, due to which the position of the Fermi level changes and the energy gap decreases. It has been established that, not only for pure systems but including those doped with Y₂O₃, the main contribution to the formation of the conduction band is made by the p-states of electrons. The t-ZrO₂ (101) and t-YSZ (101) surface models were selected as optimal surfaces for water adsorption based on a comparison of their surface energies. An analysis of the mechanism of water adsorption on the surface of t-ZrO₂ (101) and t-YSZ (101) showed that H₂O on unstabilized t-ZrO₂ (101) is adsorbed dissociatively with an energy of -1.22 eV, as well as by the method of molecular chemisorption with an energy of - 0.69 eV and the formation of a hydrogen bond with a bond length of 1.01 Å. In the case of t-YSZ (101), water is molecularly adsorbed onto the surface with an energy of -1.84 eV. Dissociative adsorption of water occurs at an energy of -1.23 eV, near the yttrium atom. The results show that ab initio approaches are able to describe the mechanism of doping-induced phase transitions in (ZrO₂+Y₂O₃)-like systems, based on which it can be assumed that DFT calculations can also flawlessly evaluate other physical and chemical properties of YSZ, which have not yet been studied quantum chemical research. The obtained results complement the database of research works carried out in the field of the application of biocompatible zirconium dioxide crystals and ceramics in green energy generation and can be used in designing humidity-to-electricity converters and creating solid oxide fuel cells based on ZrO₂.

In this study, we considered the structural stability, electronic properties, and phonon dispersion of the cubic (c-ZrO₂), tetragonal (t-ZrO₂), and monoclinic (m-ZrO₂) phases of ZrO₂. We found that the monoclinic phase of zirconium dioxide is the most stable among the three phases in terms of total energy, lowest enthalpy, highest entropy, and other thermodynamic properties. The smallest negative modes were found for m-ZrO₂. Our analysis of the electronic properties showed that during the m–t phase transformation of ZrO₂, the Fermi level first shifts by 0.125 eV toward higher energies and then decreases by 0.08 eV in the t–c cross-section. The band gaps for c-ZrO₂, t-ZrO₂, and m-ZrO₂ are 5.140 eV, 5.898 eV, and 5.288 eV, respectively. Calculations based on the analysis of the influence of doping 3.23, 6.67, 10.35, and 16.15 mol. %Y₂O₃ onto the m-ZrO₂ structure showed that the enthalpy of m-YSZ decreases linearly, which accompanies further stabilization of monoclinic ZrO₂ and an increase in its defectiveness. In this case, the position of the Fermi level changes abruptly, and the energy gap decreases. It has been established that, not only for pure systems but including those doped with Y₂O₃, the main contribution to the formation of the conduction band is made by the p-states of electrons. The t-ZrO₂ (101) and t-YSZ (101) surface models were selected as optimal surfaces for water adsorption based on a comparison of their surface energies. An analysis of the mechanism of water adsorption on the surface of t-ZrO₂ (101) and t-YSZ (101) showed that H₂O on unstabilized t-ZrO₂ (101) is adsorbed dissociatively with an energy of -1.22 eV, as well as by the method of molecular chemisorption with an energy of - 0.69 eV and the formation of a hydrogen bond with a bond length of 1.01 Å. In the case of t-YSZ (101), water is molecularly adsorbed onto the surface with an energy of -1.84 eV. Dissociative adsorption of water occurs at an energy of -1.23 eV, near the yttrium atom. The obtained results complement the database of research works carried out in the field of the application of biocompatible zirconium dioxide crystals and ceramics in green energy generation and can be used in designing humidity-to-electricity converters and creating solid oxide fuel cells based on ZrO₂.

Thin twin-roll cast strips from a model Al-Cu-Mg-Li-Zr alloy with a small addition of Sc were prepared. A combination of a fast solidification rate and a favorable effect of Sc microalloying impacts the size and distribution of primary phase particles and the dimension of eutectic cells. Small interdendritic spacing in the range of 10-15 um enables substitution of the initial long-term homogenization annealing by a two-step annealing at 300 and 450 °C and a short solution treatment at 530 °C before quenching and the final age-hardening procedure. A dense dispersion of small Al3(Sc,Zr) precipitates intensively inhibiting recrystallization forms during this treatment. Further refining and fragmentation of the structure were performed using constrained groove pressing before the solution treatment. Small pre-straining of quenched specimens and subsequent age-hardening simulating T8 temper were used to promote the formation of a homogeneous distribution of strengthening particles and to suppress preferential heterogeneous precipitation on subgrain and grain boundaries. Microstructural features and microhardness evolution during annealing were critically examined and confronted with microstructural characteristics observed on reference mold cast alloy or alloys without Sc alloying. The proposed treatment represents a model near net shape procedure for manufacturing thicker sheets for the aerospace industry.

One method of creating a brass coating is through electrodeposition, which is most often completed in cyanide galvanic baths. Because of the toxicity of cyanides, many are working on the development of cyanide-free baths, which are promising but not satisfactory to replace the classic methods. The purpose of the study was to explore a new generation of non-aqueous cyanide-free baths based on 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ionic liquids. The study involved the formation of copper, zinc, and brass coatings. The influence of the bath composition, cathodic current density, and temperature was determined. The obtained coatings were characterized by their morphology, chemical composition, roughness, and corrosion resistance. It was found that the structure of the obtained coatings is strongly dependent on the process parameters. The three main structures observed were fine-grained, porous, and olive-like. To the best knowledge of the authors, it is the first time the olive-like structure was observed in the case of an electrodeposited coating. The Cu-Zn coatings consisted of 19–96 at.% copper and exhibited relatively strong corrosion resistance. High improvement of corrosion properties was found in the case of copper and brass coatings with an olive-like structure.

In order to study the petrogenesis and tectonic setting of Permian A-type granites and their relationships with hydrothermal mineralization along the Hegenshan-Heihe suture zone (HHSZ) in northeastern China, we select the newly discovered Hongyan Cu-polymetallic deposit in the northeastern part of the HHSZ that develops three stages of mineralization associated with the Shanshenfu alkali-feldspar granite (SAFG). The zircon U-Pb dating and whole rock geochemistry suggest that the SAFG is a typical A-type granite formed in the Early Permian. The zircon Hf isotopes and trace elements suggest that the SAFG has high Ti-in-zircon temperature (721–990℃), high magmatic oxygen fugacity and largely positive εHf(t) (+6.0 to +9.9). Therefore, we propose that the SAFG was derived from the crustal assimilation and fractional crystallization of the charnockitized juvenile crust. The high oxygen fugacity favors the chalcophile elements (e.g., Cu, Au, Ag) of the source region enriched in the fluid phases after magmatic fractional crystallization, consequently facilitating subsequent hydrothermal mineralization, which is also consistent with the characteristics of ore-forming fluids that changed from the initial high temperature, high salinity, high fO2 and CO2-rich magmatic-hydrothermal fluids of stage I to CO2-poor, dilute, and cooling meteoric fluids of stage III. Combined with regional geological background, the Permian A2-type granites along the HHSZ can be formed in post-collisional slab break-off process. In subsequent exploration for hydrothermal deposits along the HHSZ, the Permian A-type granites with arc-related juvenile crustal source and high fO2 have great potential and need more attention.

This review focuses on Cu/TiO2 sequentially and Cu-TiO2 co-sputtered catalytic/photocatalytic surfaces leading to bacterial inactivation discussing their stability, synthesis, adhesion and antibacterial kinetics. The intervention of TiO2, Cu and the synergic effect of Cu and TiO2 on films prepared by a colloidal approach and other techniques is also reviewed leading to bacterial inactivation. Processes in aerobic media and anaerobic media leading to bacterial loss of viability on multidrug resistant (MDR) pathogens, Gram-negative (-) and Gram-positive(+) bacteria are described. Insight is provided for the interfacial charge transfer mechanism under solar irradiation occurring between TiO2 and Cu. surface properties of 2D TiO2/Cu and TiO2-Cu films are correlated with the bacterial inactivation kinetics observed in the dark and under light. The intervention of these antibacterial sputtered surfaces in health-care facilities leading to MRSA-isolates is described in the dark and under the actinic light. The synergic intervention of the Cu and TiO2 films leading to bacterial inactivation prepared by direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS), pulsed direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMSP) and highly ionized pulse plasma magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS) is reported in a detailed way.

This work presents first time successfully fabricated silica few-mode microstructured optical fiber (MOF) with hollow GeO2-doped ring core and strongly induced twisting up to 790 revolutions per meter. Some technological issues for manufacturing of GeO2-doped supporting elements for large hollow cores as well as described above complicated spun MOFs are discussed. We introduce some results of tests, performed for pilot samples of designed and manufactured described above untwisted and twisted MOFs with outer diameter 65 µm and hollow ring core inner diameter 30.5 µm under wall thickness 1.7 µm and refractive index difference n=0.030, including their geometrical parameters, basic transmission characteristics and measurements of far-field laser beam profile patterns.

A two-fold integrated research study was conducted; firstly, to understand effects of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) on the growth and oxidative stress in Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus; secondly, to study the beneficial effects of the duckweed Lemna minor L. as a heavy metal remover from wastewater. Experiments were conducted in mesocosms with and without duckweed. Tilapia fingerlings were exposed to Cu (0.004 and 0.02 mg/L) and Zn (0.5 and 1.5 mg/L) and fish fed for four weeks. We evaluated the fish growth performance, the hepatic DNA structure using comet assay, the expression of antioxidative genes (superoxide dismutase, SOD; catalase, CAT; glutathione peroxidase, GPx and glutathione-S-transferase, GST) and GPx and GST enzymatic activity. The results showed that Zn exhibited more pronounced toxic effects than Cu. Low dose of Cu did not influence the growth whereas higher doses of Cu and Zn significantly reduced the growth rate of tilapia compared to control, but addition of duckweed prevented weight loss. Further, in the presence of a high dose of Cu and Zn, DNA damage decreased, antioxidant gene expressions and enzymatic activities increased. In conclusion, results suggest that duckweed and Nile tilapia can be suitable candidates in metal remediation wastewater assessment programs.

In this study, we considered the structural stability, electronic properties, and phonon dispersion of the cubic (c-ZrO₂), tetragonal (t-ZrO₂), and monoclinic (m-ZrO₂) phases of ZrO₂. We found that the monoclinic phase of zirconium dioxide is the most stable among the three phases in terms of total energy, lowest enthalpy, highest entropy, and other thermodynamic properties. The smallest negative modes were found for m-ZrO₂. Our analysis of the electronic properties showed that during the m–t phase transformation of ZrO₂, the Fermi level first shifts by 0.125 eV toward higher energies and then decreases by 0.08 eV in the t–c cross-section. The band gaps for c-ZrO₂, t-ZrO₂, and m-ZrO₂ are 5.140 eV, 5.898 eV, and 5.288 eV, respectively. Calculations based on the analysis of the influence of doping 3.23, 6.67, 10.35, and 16.15 mol. %Y₂O₃ onto the m-ZrO₂ structure showed that the enthalpy of m-YSZ decreases linearly, which accompanies further stabilization of monoclinic ZrO₂ and an increase in its defectiveness. The doping-induced and concentration-dependent phase transition of zirconium dioxide under the influence of yttrium oxide was studied, after which the position of the Fermi level changes and the energy gap decreases. It has been established that, not only for pure systems but including those doped with Y₂O₃, the main contribution to the formation of the conduction band is made by the p-states of electrons. The t-ZrO₂ (101) and t-YSZ (101) surface models were selected as optimal surfaces for water adsorption based on a comparison of their surface energies. An analysis of the mechanism of water adsorption on the surface of t-ZrO₂ (101) and t-YSZ (101) showed that H₂O on unstabilized t-ZrO₂ (101) is adsorbed dissociatively with an energy of -1.22 eV, as well as by the method of molecular chemisorption with an energy of -0.69 eV and the formation of a hydrogen bond with a bond length of 1.01 Å. In the case of t-YSZ (101), water is molecularly adsorbed onto the surface with an energy of -1.84 eV. Dissociative adsorption of water occurs at an energy of -1.23 eV, near the yttrium atom. The calculations showed that ab initio research methods are capable of describing the mechanism of phase transitions of materials under the influence of alloying. That is, by optimizing the parameters of DFT calculations, it is possible to observe the effects of doping on other physical and chemical properties of materials, which are still beyond the scope of quantum chemical modeling. The obtained results complement the database of research works carried out in the field of the application of biocompatible zirconium dioxide crystals and ceramics in green energy generation and can be used in designing humidity-to-electricity converters and creating solid oxide fuel cells based on ZrO₂.

Sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS) such as swales are designed to collect, store and infiltrate a large amount of surface runoff water during heavy rainfall. Stormwater is known to transport pollutants, such as particle-bound Potential Toxic Elements (PTE), which are known to often accumulate in the topsoil. A portable XRF instrument (pXRF) is used to provide in situ spatial characterization of soil pollutants, specifically lead (Pb), zink (Zn) and copper (Cu). The method uses pXRF measurements of PTE along profiles with set intervals (1 meter) to cover the swale with cross-sections, across the inlet, the deepest point and the outlet. Soil samples are collected, and the In-Situ measurements are verified by the results from laboratory analyses. Stormwater is here shown to be the transporting media for the pollutants, so it is of importance to investigate areas most prone to flooding and infiltration. This quick scan method is time and cost-efficient, easy to execute and the results are comparable to any known (inter)national threshold criteria for polluted soils. The results are of great importance for all stakeholders in cities that are involved in climate adaptation and implementing green infrastructure in urban areas. However, too little is still known about the long-term functioning of the soil-based SuDS facilities.

In this paper, the overall performance of Cu-(In,Ga)-Se₂ (CIGSe) solar cells was improved in the ultraviolet (UV)–visible wavelength region by two-segment process. In which, adjusting DC sputtering powers (20–40 W) for absorbers (segment I), and metal-alloy compositions (CdS, ZnO/CdS, ZnMgO/CdS and ZnMgO) for buffers (segment II) were explored and characterized. Upon choosing the optimal-30-W CIGSe-absorber (with 0.95-CGI ratio) sputtered by the segment-I process, the Cu-rich film can distinctly boost grain growth, thus reducing the trap state density. After segment-II process as the toxic-CdS alternative, the optimal Zn_0.9Mg_0.1O-alloy buffer can reach the best conversion efficiency (η = 8.70%) was attained for the environmental protection. Meanwhile, and the overall internal/external quantum efficiencies (IQE/EQE) were improved by 13.15%, respectively for the 2.48–3.62-eV bandgap (short wavelength) range. The developed photovoltaic (PV) module (with 9 optimum-CIGSe cells) exhibits acceptable stability with a variance within ±5% over the 60-day experiment. This discovery in PV-device research contributes to a new scientific understanding of renewable energy. Furthermore, this study undeniably enhances the progress of practical applications for PV-modules in alignment with sustainable development goals. It also actively supports the development of eco-friendly communities.

High average power narrow-linewidth tunable solid-state lasers in the wavelength region between 2 to 3 μm are attractive light sources for many applications. This paper reports a narrow-linewidth widely-tunable laser system based on the polycrystalline Cr2+:ZnSe elements pumped by the repetitively-pulsed 2.1 µm Ho3+:YAG laser operating at the tens of kilohertz pulse rate. An advanced procedure of ZnSe-element doping and surface improvement was applied to increase the laser-induced damage threshold, which resulted in an increase of the output power of the Cr2+:ZnSe laser system. The high-average-power laser system comprised double master-oscillators and power amplifiers: Ho3+:YAG and Cr2+:ZnSe laser oscillators, and Ho3+:YAG and Cr2+:ZnSe power amplifiers. The output wavelength was widely tuned within 2.3-2.7 µm by an acousto-optical tunable filter inside the Cr2+:ZnSe master oscillator cavity. The narrow-linewidth operation at the pulse repetition rate of 20-40 kHz in a high-quality beam with the average output power up to 9.7 W was demonstrated.

Traditional photodynamic therapy (PDT), a clinical cancer therapeutic approach using light in killing cancer cells, is often limited by insufficient light penetration, inefficient photosensitizer energy transfer, and inadequate oxygen in hypoxic tumors. Employing X-ray to activate photosensitizer in PDT can potentially overcome these limitations. Here, we compared protocols to synthesize a novel nano-photosensitizer composed of a europium-doped yttrium oxide core with a silica shell (Y₂O₃:Eu@SiO₂) which can be utilized in such therapeutic method, i.e., X-ray activated PDT (XPDT). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dihydroethidium (DHE) were utilized to evaluate the effects of various synthesis conditions on the characteristics of Y₂O₃:Eu@SiO₂ and their ability to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS). The in vivo tumor suppression effects of the Y₂O₃:Eu@SiO₂ were assessed by ¹⁸F-fluorothymidine position emission tomography (¹⁸F-FLT PET) in human ovarian cancer xenografts using radiation sensitive CAOV3 and radiation resistant SKOV3 cell lines. Our data revealed a positive correlation between nanoparticle condensation time and core size as well as a negative correlation between urea concentrations and core size. Addition of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) during core synthesis enhanced particle dispersion. Two silica coating conditions showed the greatest efficiency in the enhancement of ROS generation. Furthermore, our in vivo study revealed suppression of tumor growth by Y₂O₃:Eu@SiO₂ administration when compared to non-treated control. Silica shell provides flexibility to conjugate moieties that specifically target to cancers. This nano-photosensitizer demonstrates the significant promise for overcoming limitations of conventional PDT and combating various cancers in clinical applications.