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Katalog Publikacji
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Superconductivity in CuxTiSe2
PublikacjaOdkryty został nowy związek nadprzewodzący o wzorze chemicznym CuxTiSe2. Jest to pierwszy znany przypadek związku z występującym CDW (fale gęstości ładunku), gdzie w wyniku domieszkowania chemicznego wzbudzany jest stan nadprzewodnictwa. Dyskutowany jest diagram fazowy dla całego zakresu domieszkowania miedzi: 0 < x < 0.10.
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New kagome prototype materials: discovery of KV3Sb5, RbV3Sb5, and CsV3Sb5
PublikacjaIn this work, we present our discovery and characterization of a new kagome prototype structure, KV3Sb5. We also present the discovery of the isostructural compounds RbV3Sb5 and CsV3Sb5. All materials exhibit a structurally perfect two-dimensional kagome net of vanadium. Density-functional theory calculations indicate that the materials are metallic, with the Fermi level in close proximity to several Dirac points. Powder and single-crystal...
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Tailoring Graphene to Achieve Negative Poisson's Ratio Properties
PublikacjaGraphene can be made auxetic through the introduction of vacancy defects. This results in the thinnest negative Poisson's ratio material at ambient conditions known so far, an effect achieved via a nanoscale de-wrinkling mechanism that mimics the behavior at the macroscale exhibited by a crumpled sheet of paper when stretched.
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Pressure-induced superconductivity in CaFe2As2
PublikacjaNowo odkryty związek CaFe2As2 pod wpływem zewnętrznego ciśnienia 0.69 GPa przechodzi w stan nadprzewodnictwa z temperaturą krytyczną powyżej 10K.
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Noncentrosymmetric superconductor with a bulk three-dimensional Dirac cone gapped by strong spin-orbit coupling
PublikacjaThe layered, noncentrosymmetric heavy element PbTaSe2 is found to be superconducting. We report its electronic properties accompanied by electronic-structure calculations. Specific heat, electrical resistivity, and magnetic-susceptibility measurements indicate that PbTaSe2 is a moderately coupled, type-IIBCSsuperconductor (Tc = 3.72 K, Ginzburg–Landau parameter κ = 17) with an electron-phonon coupling constant of λep = 0.74. Electronic-structure...
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Effect of electron count and chemical complexity in the Ta-Nb-Hf-Zr-Ti high-entropy alloy superconductor
PublikacjaHigh-entropy alloys are made from random mixtures of principal elements on simple lattices, stabilized by a high mixing entropy. The recently discovered body-centered cubic (BCC) Ta-Nb-Hf-Zr-Ti high-entropy alloy superconductor appears to display properties of both simple crystalline intermetallics and amorphous materials; e.g., it has a well-defined superconducting transition along with an exceptional robustness against disorder....
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Thermal and Chemical Expansion in Proton Ceramic Electrolytes and Compatible Electrodes
PublikacjaThis review paper focuses on the phenomenon of thermochemical expansion of two specific categories of conducting ceramics: Proton Conducting Ceramics (PCC) and Mixed Ionic-Electronic Conductors (MIEC). The theory of thermal expansion of ceramics is underlined from microscopic to macroscopic points of view while the chemical expansion is explained based on crystallography and defect chemistry. Modelling methods are used to predict...
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Ordered TiO2 nanotubes: the effect of preparation parameters on the photocatalytic activity in air purification process
PublikacjaVertically ordered TiO2 nanotube arrays were synthesized by anodic oxidation of titanium foil in glycerol, ethylene glycol and water-based electrolytes. The effect of electrolyte composition, anodization voltage, ultrasonic treatment and calcination time on the morphology of the resulting thin films, as well as on their photocatalytic activity in toluene removal, used as a model volatile organic compound, was investigated. Toluene,...
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Photocatalytic activity of nitrogen doped TiO2 nanotubes prepared by anodic oxidation: The effect of applied voltage, anodization time and amount of nitrogen dopant
PublikacjaNitrogen doped TiO2 nanotube arrays were prepared by anodizing Ti foils in an organic electrolyte containing specified amounts of urea as nitrogen precursor. The photocatalytic activity of the samples was evaluated by analyzing the degradation kinetics of phenol in water. The influence of tubes’ length, tubes’ surface morphology and amount of nitrogen in the TiO2 lattice on hydroxyl radical formation efficiency, photocatalytic...
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The ONETEP linear-scaling density functional theory program
PublikacjaWe present an overview of the ONETEP program for linear-scaling density functional theory (DFT) calculations with large basis set (planewave) accuracy on parallel computers. The DFT energy is computed from the density matrix, which is constructed from spatially localized orbitals we call Non-orthogonal Generalized Wannier Functions (NGWFs), expressed in terms of periodic sinc (psinc) functions. During the calculation, both the...
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Evaluation of porous 430L stainless steel for SOFC operation at intermediate temperatures
PublikacjaW pracy przedstawiono badania porowatej stali nierdzewnej typu 430L do zastosowań w tlenkowych ogniwach paliwowych jako podłoża. Podłoża były poddawane utlenianiu w powietrzu oraz w wodorze i analizowane z wykorzystaniem mikroskopu elektronowego, dyfrakcji rentgenowskiej i termograwimetrii cyklicznej.
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Enhanced photocatalytic properties of lanthanide-TiO2 nanotubes: An experimental and theoretical study
PublikacjaA series of Er-, Yb-, Ho-, Tb-, Gd-, Pr-TiO2 nanotubes (RE-NTs) was prepared via an electrochemical method. The as-prepared photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV–vis absorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and luminescent spectroscopy. The experiments demonstrated that toluene in the gas phase was successfully degraded under visible light (LEDs λmax = 465...
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Noble metal modified TiO2 microspheres: Surface properties and photocatalytic activity under UV-vis and visible light
PublikacjaComposite photocatalysts that consist of TiO2and noble metal nanostructures have been considered tobe the promising and pivotal material for accessible enhancement of the efficiency in the photocatalyticprocess carried out in the aqueous and gas phases. In this work we fabricated porous TiO2microspheresthrough a hydrothermal process followed by photochemical reduction of noble metal nanoparticles atthe TiO2surface. The morphology...
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Photocatalytically Active TiO2/Ag2O Nanotube Arrays Interlaced with Silver Nanoparticles Obtained from the One-Step Anodic Oxidation of Ti–Ag Alloys
PublikacjaThe development of a photocatalyst with remarkable activity to degrade pollutants in aqueous and gas phase requires visible lightresponsive stable materials, easily organized in the form of a thin layer (to exclude the highly expensive separation step). In this work, we present a one-step strategy for synthesizing material in the form of a self-organized TiO2/Ag2O nanotube (NT) array interlaced with silver nanoparticles (as in a...
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TaRh 2 B 2 and NbRh 2 B 2 : Superconductors with a chiral noncentrosymmetric crystal structure
PublikacjaIt is a fundamental truth in solid compounds that the physical properties follow the symmetry of the crystal structure. Nowhere is the effect of symmetry more pronounced than in the electronic and magnetic properties of materials—even the projection of the bulk crystal symmetry onto different crystal faces is known to have a substantial impact on the surface electronic states. The effect of bulk crystal symmetry on the properties...
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Boron-Enhanced Growth of Micron-Scale Carbon-Based Nanowalls: A Route toward High Rates of Electrochemical Biosensing
PublikacjaIn this study, we have demonstrated the fabrication of novel materials called boron-doped carbon nanowalls (B:CNWs), which are characterized by remarkable electrochemical properties such as high standard rate constant (k°), low peak-to-peak separation value (ΔE) for the oxidation and reduction processes of the [Fe(CN)6]3–/4– redox system, and low surface resistivity. The B:CNW samples were deposited by the microwave plasma-assisted...
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Urchin-like TiO2 structures decorated with lanthanide-doped Bi2S3 quantum dots to boost hydrogen photogeneration performance
PublikacjaThe formation of heterojunctions between wide- and narrow-bandgap photocatalysts is commonly employed to boost the efficiency of photocatalytic hydrogen generation. Herein, the photoactivity of urchin-like rutile particles is increased by decorating with pristine as well as Er- or Yb-doped Bi2S3 quantum dots (QDs) at varied QD loadings (1–20 wt%) and doping degrees (1–15 mol%), and the best hydrogen evolution performance is achieved at...
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Is the Solid Electrolyte Interphase an Extra-Charge Reservoir in Li-Ion Batteries?
PublikacjaAdvanced metal oxide electrodes in Li-ion batteries usually show reversible capacities exceeding the theoretically expected ones. Despite many studies and tentative interpretations, the origin of this extra-capacity is not assessed yet. Lithium storage can be increased through different chemical processes developing in the electrodes during charging cycles. The solid electrolyte interface (SEI), formed already during the first...
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Carnivorous plants used for green synthesis of silver nanoparticles with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity
PublikacjaIn this study, we exploit the anti-oxidative potential of four carnivorous plants to produce uniform and biologically active silver nanoparticles. The use of polyvinylpyrrolidone promoted syn-thesis of quasi-spherical nanoparticles characterized by stability and high uniformity. Their activity was tested against three human pathogens and three species of plant pathogenic bacteria. The study demonstrates the influence of synthesis...
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Advanced Potential Energy Surfaces for Molecular Simulation
PublikacjaAdvanced potential energy surfaces are defined as theoretical models that explicitly include many-body effects that transcend the standard fixed-charge, pairwise-additive paradigm typically used in molecular simulation. However, several factors relating to their software implementation have precluded their widespread use in condensed-phase simulations: the computational cost of the theoretical models, a paucity of approximate models...
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Thermodynamics of solid phases containing rare earth oxides
PublikacjaRare earth elements (RE) are incorporated into a large variety of complex oxide phases to provide tailored mechanical, electrical, optical, and magnetic properties. Thermodynamics control phase stability, materials compatibility in use, corrosion, and transformation. This review presents, in one compilation, the thermodynamic properties of a large number of such materials and discusses systematic trends in energetics and the factors...
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The effect of metal cluster deposition route on structure and photocatalytic activity of mono- and bimetallic nanoparticles supported on TiO2 by radiolytic method
PublikacjaTiO2 (P25) was modified with small and relatively monodisperse mono- and bimetallic clusters (Ag, Pd, Pt, Ag/Pd, Ag/Pt and Pd/Pt) induced by radiolysis to improve its photocatalytic activity. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), photoluminescence spectrometry (PL), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), X-ray powder diffractometry (XRD), scanning transition electron microscopy (STEM)...
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Enhanced photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic performance of iodine-doped titania nanotube arrays
PublikacjaThe paper discusses the synthesis and performance of iodine doped titania nanotube arrays exhibited under irradiation. The doping procedure was performed as an additional, electrochemical process carried out after formation of nanotube arrays via anodization of Ti substrate. The optical and structural properties were characterized using Raman, UV-vis, photoluminescence and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The surface morphology...
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Photoactivity of decahedral TiO2 loaded with bimetallic nanoparticles: Degradation pathway of phenol-1- 13 C and hydroxyl radical formation
PublikacjaDecahedral TiO2decorated with bimetallic nanoparticles were synthesized via radiolysis and photode-position method. The effect of bimetallic surface composition (Ag Pt, Ag Au, Au Pd, Au Pt) as well asdeposition technique (simultaneous or sequential) on the photocatalytic activity in phenol degradationand efficiency of hydroxyl radicals generation under UV–vis light irradiation were investigated. Modifiedand pristine decahedral...
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Optical and photocatalytic properties of rare earth metal-modified ZnO quantum dots
PublikacjaA series of novel ZnO quantum dots modified with rare earth metals was successfully prepared by a simple sol-gel approach. The effects of types (Eu, Er, Tb, Yb, Ho, La) and amounts (from 0.09 to 0.45 mmol) of lanthanides on the optical properties, structural characterization and photocatalytic activity of ZnO/RE QDs were systematically investigated. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform...
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UV-Vis-Induced Degradation of Phenol over Magnetic Photocatalysts Modified with Pt, Pd, Cu and Au Nanoparticles
PublikacjaThe combination of TiO2 photocatalyst and magnetic oxide nanoparticles enhances the separation and recoverable properties of nanosized TiO2 photocatalyst. Metal-modified (Me = Pd, Au, Pt, Cu) TiO2/SiO2@Fe3O4 nanocomposites were prepared by an ultrasonic-assisted sol-gel method. All prepared samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) analysis, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy...
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Evaluation of Barkhausen Noise and Magnetoacoustic Emission Signals Properties for Plastically Deformed Armco Iron
PublikacjaArtykuł prezentuje wyniki badania wpływu różnych rodzajów deformacji plastycznej na właściwości magnetoakustyczne żelaza Armco. Badane były dwie serie próbek - pierwsza składała się ze wstępnie wyżarzonych próbek, które następnie były walcowane na zimno, w skład drugiej wchodziły natomiast próbki wycięte z komercyjnie dostępnej blachy wykonanej z żelaza Armco a następnie poddane obciążeniom rozciągającym. Walcowanie na zimno prowadzi...
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Electrostatic interactions in finite systems treated with periodic boundary conditions: Application to linear-scaling density functional theory
PublikacjaWe present a comparison of methods for treating the electrostatic interactions of finite, isolated systems within periodic boundary conditions (PBCs), within density functional theory (DFT), with particular emphasis on linear-scaling (LS) DFT. Often, PBCs are not physically realistic but are an unavoidable consequence of the choice of basis set and the efficacy of using Fourier transforms to compute the Hartree potential. In such...
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Visible light activity of pulsed layer deposited BiVO4/MnO2 films decorated with gold nanoparticles: The evidence for hydroxyl radicals formation
PublikacjaThin films containing BiVO4 and MnO2 deposited on FTO and modified by Au nanoparticles were studied towards their photoelectrochemical and photocatalytical activities in an aqueous electrolyte. Electrodes were prepared by the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method. The surfactant-free ablation process was used for preparation of the gold nanoparticles (GNP) water suspension. Obtained layers of varied thicknesses (27–115 nm) were...
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Electrochemical glucose sensor based on the glucose oxidase entrapped in chitosan immobilized onto laser-processed Au-Ti electrode
PublikacjaThe study on novel electrode material composed of structured titanium foil with embedded Au nanoparticles and modified with chitosan with entrapped glucose oxidase is presented. To confirm the successful immobilization of glucose oxidase FT-IR analysis was performed. The response of electrodes were tested towards glucose in the presence of different interference compounds and biological fluids. The prepared material exhibits excellent...
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Status report on high temperature fuel cells in Poland – Recent advances and achievements
PublikacjaThe paper presents recent advances in Poland in the field of high temperature fuel cells. The achievements in the materials development, manufacturing of advanced cells, new fabrication techniques, modified electrodes and electrolytes and applications are presented. The work of the Polish teams active in the field of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) and molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) is presented and discussed. The review is oriented...
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Novel Class of Proton Conducting Materials—High Entropy Oxides
PublikacjaHere, for the first time, we present data on proton conductivity of high-entropy, single-phase perovskites. The BaZr0.2Sn0.2Ti0.2Hf0.2Ce0.2O3−δ, BaZr0.2Sn0.2Ti0.2Hf0.2Y0.2O3−δ, BaZr1/7Sn1/7Ti1/7Hf1/7Ce1/7Nb1/7Y1/7O3−δ, and BaZr0.15Sn0.15Ti0.15Hf0.15Ce0.15Nb0.15Y0.10O3−δ single-phase perovskites were synthesized. Before electrical measurements, materials were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy...
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Rigid polyurethane foams from a polyglycerol-based polyol
PublikacjaRigid polyurethane foams (rPUs) were synthesized by replacing 35 and 70 wt.% of petrochemical polyol with polyglycerol. Two types of polyglycerol with different molecular weights and hydroxyl numbers were used to obtain new ‘‘green’’ polyurethane–polyglycerol foams. The foams were prepared by a single step method for the ratio of NCO/OH groups equal to 2. rPUs synthesized with polyglycerol showed regular cellular structure, with...
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Tailoring properties of reduced graphene oxide by oxygen plasma treatment
PublikacjaWe report an easily controllable, eco-friendly method for tailoring the properties of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) by means of oxygen plasma. The effect of oxygen plasma treatment time (1, 5 and 10 minutes) on the surface properties of rGO was evaluated. Physicochemical characterization using microscopic, spectroscopic and thermal techniques was performed. The results revealed that different oxygen-containing groups (e.g. carboxyl,...
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A large family of filled skutterudites stabilized by electron count
PublikacjaThe Zintl concept is important in solid-state chemistry to explain how some compounds that combine electropositive and main group elements can be stable at formulas that at their simplest level do not make any sense. The electronegative elements in such compounds form a polyatomic electron-accepting molecule inside the solid, a ‘polyanion’, that fills its available energy states with electrons from the electropositive elements...
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Nitrogen dioxide sensing properties of PEDOT polymer films
PublikacjaThis work presents a simple and fully electrochemical route for the polymerization of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxytiophene) (PEDOT) films for fabricating a NO2 gas sensor prepared by electropolymerization of 3,4-Ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) monomer in lithium perchlorate/acetonitrile solution. The main aim of this study is to determine the sensing properties of conductive polymer at elevated temperatures. The effects of the humidity,...
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Design and Application of Magnetic Photocatalysts for Water Treatment. The Effect of Particle Charge on Surface
PublikacjaCore-interlayer-shell Fe3O4/SiO2/TiO2, CoFe2O4/SiO2/TiO2 and BaFe12O19/SiO2/TiO2 magnetic photocatalysts were obtained. A water-in-oil microemulsion system with suitable surfactants was used for functionalization of the magnetic core with silica interlayer and TiO2-based photocatalyst. Uncoated and coated particles were characterized by electrophoretic meaurements, X-ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM),...
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Recovery of silver metallization from damaged silicon cells
PublikacjaMetallization is one of the key process steps to fabricate solar cells with high performance in a cost-effective way. Majority of photovoltaic solar cell manufacturing uses thick film screen print metallization with Ag containing paste to produce solar cells. The average lifetime of PV modules can be expected to be more than 25 years. The disposal of PV systems will become a problem in view of the continually increasing production...
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TiO2 /SrTiO3 and SrTiO3 microspheres decorated with Rh, Ru or Pt nanoparticles: Highly UV–vis responsible photoactivity and mechanism
PublikacjaA series of TiO2/SrTiO3 and SrTiO3 microspheres decorated by Rh, Ru or Pt NPs were prepared by facile hydrothermal method. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with energy-dispersive Xray (EDX) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), photoluminescence spectrometry (PL), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and...
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Optical monitoring of electrochemical processes with ITO-based lossy-mode resonance optical fiber sensor applied as an electrode
PublikacjaIn this work we discuss the application of optical fiber sensors based on lossy-mode resonance (LMR) phenomenon for real-time optical monitoring of electrochemical processes. The sensors were obtained by a reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering of indium tin oxide (ITO) on a 2.5 cm-long core of polymer-clad silica fibers. The LMR effect made monitoring of changes in optical properties of both ITO and its surrounding medium...
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The effects of bifunctional linker and reflux time on the surface properties and photocatalytic activity of CdTe quantum dots decorated KTaO3 composite photocatalysts
PublikacjaNovel CdTe-KTaO3composite photocatalysts were successfully synthesized by using thioglycolic acid(TGA) or 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) as linker molecules which facilitated attachment of CdTequantum dots to the surface of KTaO3nanocubes. The as-prepared photocatalysts were characterizedby UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy(SEM), transmission electron microscopy...
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Effect of irradiation intensity and initial pollutant concentration on gas phase photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanotube arrays
PublikacjaWell-organized TiO2 nanotube arrays were fabricated via one-step anodization process. The as-prepared TiO2 nanotubes were characterized by X-ray powder diffractometry (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Photocatalytic activity of obtained photocatalyst was studied in reaction of toluene degradation in the gas phase using low powered and low...
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Influence of electropolymerization conditions on the morphological and electrical properties of PEDOT film
PublikacjaIn this work the effects of electropolymerization conditions on the morphological properties and conductivity of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) film have been studied. PEDOT films were electrochemically synthesized in a one step process from acetonitrile solution containing 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) and lithium perchlorate. Based on atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, cyclic voltammetry and...
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Silicon oxycarbide ceramics as anodes for lithium ion batteries: influence of carbon content on lithium storage capacity
PublikacjaWe report here on the synthesis and characterization of silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) in view of its application as a potential anode material for Li-ion batteries. SiOC ceramics are obtained by pyrolysis of various polysiloxanes synthesized by sol–gel methods. The polysiloxanes contain different organic groups attached to silicon, which influence the chemical composition and the microstructure of the final ceramic product. The structure...
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Barkhausen noise properties measured by different methods for deformed Armco samples
PublikacjaPorównano właściwości sygnału napięciowego efektu Barkhausena (BN) uzyskanego za pomocą 'sondy punktowej' (użytecznej dla badań przemysłowych) oraz cewki otaczającej badany materiał. W pierwszej metodzie mierzono trzy wielkości: V1 - napięcie skuteczne, Nc - liczba impulsów, V2 - napięcie kontrolne z cewki. W drugiej metodzie z napięcia indukowanego w cewce wyznaczano pętlę histerezy B(H), obwiednie z napięcia skutecznego a także...
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Effect of ground tire rubber on structural, mechanical and thermal properties of flexible polyurethane foams
PublikacjaFlexible polyurethane foams were modified with two kinds of ground tire rubber, untreated and thermo-mechanically reclaimed. A reclamation process was performed in auto-thermal conditions, which reduced the cost of the process and decreased the environmental impact of devulcanization (e.g., emission of gases). The reclamation process was carried out in a continuous manner using a co-rotating twin screw extruder. The foams were...
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TINKTEP: A fully self-consistent, mutually polarizable QM/MM approach based on the AMOEBA force field
PublikacjaWe present a novel quantum mechanical/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) approach in which a quantum subsystem is coupled to a classical subsystem described by the AMOEBA polarizable force field. Our approach permits mutual polarization between the QM and MM subsystems, effected through multipolar electrostatics. Self-consistency is achieved for both the QM and MM subsystems through a total energy minimization scheme. We provide an expression...
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A comprehensive evaluation of flexible FDM/FFF 3D printing filament as a potential material in medical application
PublikacjaThe use of FDM/FFF in 3D printing for medical sciences is becoming common. This is due to the high availability and decent price of both 3D printers and filaments useful for FDM/FFF. Currently, researchers' attention is focused mainly on the study of medical filaments based on PLA, PCL or their modifications. This contributes to insufficient diversity of medical-grade filaments on the market. Moreover, due to the lack of specified...
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Perovskite-type KTaO3–reduced graphene oxide hybrid with improved visible light photocatalytic activity
PublikacjaNovel rGO–KTaO3 composites with various graphene content were successfully synthesized using a facile solvothermal method which allowed both the reduction of graphene oxide and loading of KTaO3 nanocubes on the graphene sheets. The as-prepared photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), Fourier...
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Rare earth ions doped K 2 Ta 2 O 6 photocatalysts with enhanced UV–vis light activity
PublikacjaNew rare earth-doped K2Ta2O6 photocatalysts were successfully synthesized by hydrothermal method. The effect of dopant type (Y,Yb,Ho,Pr,Er) and amount of rare earth precursor (2,4,8 and 10 mol%) on the physicochemical and photocatalytic properties of RE-K2Ta2O6 have been investigated. All as-prepared materials were characterized by UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller specific surface area measurement,...