Search results for "Amorphous solid"
showing 10 items of 622 documents
Influence of the crystallization process on the photoelectrochemical behaviour of anodic TiO2 films
1997
On the basis of kinetic and photoelectrochemical studies we show that the formation of amorphous or strongly disordered TiO2 films on electropolished titanium rods can occur upon anodization in 0.5 M H2SO4 solution in a range of thickness which depends on the anodization rate. This finding is confirmed both by the changes in the shape of the photocurrent vs. potential curves with the energy of the incident photons, and by the impedance behaviour of the junction. Our data indicate that TiO2 films having different degree of disorder are formed depending on the anodization rate and oxide thickness. Crystalline films are formed at very low growth rates since very low thicknesses. Amorphous or s…
Photoelectrochemical characterization of amorphous anodic films on Ti-6at.%Si
2013
Abstract The solid state properties of anodic films grown galvanostatically on sputtering-deposited Ti–6at.%Si alloys were studied as a function of the formation voltage (5–40 V). From the photocurrent spectra a band gap of ∼3.4 eV was estimated for all the investigated thicknesses, which is almost coincident with the value measured for amorphous TiO 2 . The photocharacteristics allowed to estimate the flat band potential of the films, which resulted to be more anodic for thicker layers and allowed to evidence a change from n-type semiconducting material to insulator by increasing the formation voltage. A dielectric constant of ∼31 was estimated by differential capacitance measurements. The…
Physicochemical characterisation of thermally aged anodic films on magnetron sputtered niobium
2010
The influence of thermal aging, at intermediate temperature (1h at 250°C) and in different environments, on the electronic and solid-state properties of stabilized 160 nm thick amorphous anodic niobia, grown on magnetron sputtered niobium metal, has been studied. A detailed physicochemical characterisation of the a-Nb2O5/0.5M H2SO4 electrolyte junction has been carried out by means of photocurrent and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy as well by differential admittance measurements. A change in the optical band gap (3.45 eV) of niobia film has been observed after aging (3.30 eV) at 250°C in air for 1 hour. A cathodic shift (0.15-0.2 Volt) in the flat band potential of the junction has …
Photoelectrochemical characterization of photocatalysts
2021
Abstract This chapter aims to provide an overview of the photoelectrochemical characterization of semiconducting photocatalysts and, in particular, present Photocurrent Spectroscopy (PCS) as a useful tool in determining the band structure of semiconducting/insulating materials. Some fundamentals on PCS will be provided looking at the experimental setup and underlying its advantages and disadvantages. Then, the photoelectrochemical behavior of a semiconductor/electrolyte junction under irradiation will be presented, also taking into account its crystalline or amorphous nature, highlighting how it is possible to get information on the energetics of the junction. This will be exploited to show…
Photoelectrochemical study of passive films on stainless steel in neutral solutions
1991
Abstract Passive films formed on AISI 304 stainless steel in neutral solutions are studied using photoelectrochemical technique. Photocurrents were investigated as a function of the wavelength of the incident light, the electrode potential and the time. The results of the measurements together with capacity measurements indicate that the passive film on AISI 304 shows characteristics of a highly doped amorphous or highly disordered n-type semiconductor. The potential dependence of the optical gap values and of the photocurrent transients can be interpreted assuming that the passive film is an iron-chromium oxide solid solution.
ChemInform Abstract: A Photocurrent Spectroscopic Study of the Initial Stages of Anodic Oxide Film Formation on Niobium.
2010
Abstract An extensive electrochemical and photoelectrochemical investigation has been carried out with very thin anodic oxide layers grown on niobium metal in sulphuric acid solutions. From the experiments the presence of an initial suboxide layer on the metal surface was inferred. Upon anodic polarization a strongly non-stoichiometric pentoxide film is formed, which is subsequently oxidized to the normal amorphous pentoxide phase (a-Nb 2 O 5 ). The use of photocurrent spectroscopy (PCS) allowed this oxidation process to be followed at various potentials and polarization times. Moreover, from the experimental results we obtain information both on the composition and the solid-state structur…
ChemInform Abstract: Photoelectrochemical Characterization of Thin Anodic Oxide Films on Zirconium Metal.
2010
Abstract The effect of metal surface preparation on the properties of thin oxide films grown on zirconium in different electrolytes was investigated by photocurrent spectroscopy. Both passive layers grown by free corrosion of the samples in a solution and thin oxides grown anodically at a constant rate were investigated. The photoelectrochemical results give a complex picture of the interface, being influenced by the metal surface preparation, the solution pH and the electrode potential. A duplex structure of the films has been suggested on the basis of the photocurrent spectra, with an external hydrous layer (amorphous or strongly defective) having an optical gap ( E g 2 ~ 3 eV) lower resp…
Amorphous semiconductor-electrolyte junction
1987
Abstract The photoelectrochemical behaviour of amorphous anodic films on niobium (a-Nb 2 O 5 ) grown in a wide range of thicknesses (20 ⩽ d ox ⩽ 25 nm) is presented. The influence of the wavelength, light intensity and film thickness on the photocharacteristics of the a-Nb 2 O 5 /electrolyte junction is investigated. Expressions for the photocurrent curves under steady-state conditions are derived by assuming a variable efficiency of photocarrier generation and different distributions of the electrical potential inside the amorphous films. The influence of the light intensity on the photocharacteristics and the existence of a sub-band-gap photoresponse are explained by assuming a finite den…
Chemical surface ageing in ambient conditions of an Al–Fe–Cr approximant phase.
2007
International audience; The γ -Al65Cr27Fe8 phase is a complex metallic alloy with interesting electrochemical properties. Here we present a detailed study of the surface ageing of this alloy when exposed to ambient conditions for a long time. A combination of x-ray reflectivity, photoemission spectroscopy and secondary neutral mass spectroscopy measurements is used to provide a model of the modification of the surface structure and its composition as functions of ageing time. The near surface structure is described by the stacking of three layers. The first layer on top of the substrate corresponds to a mixed metal oxide and is amorphous. The intermediate layer consists of pure aluminum oxy…
Oxygen-excess amorphous SiO2 with 18O-labeled interstitial oxygen molecules
2011
Abstract Exchange between oxygen molecules embedded in amorphous SiO 2 (interstitial O 2 ) and oxygen atoms in the a -SiO 2 network is found to be remarkably slow at 500 °C. Thermal loading of 18 O 2 at this temperature yields a -SiO 2 containing 18 O-labeled interstitial O 2 whose 18 O fraction is as high as ~ 90%. The 18 O fraction of interstitial O 2 in this sample is quickly decreased by thermal annealing at or above 700 °C because of the oxygen exchange accompanied by the release of 16 O from the a -SiO 2 network. This finding indicates that the oxygen exchange starts at much lower temperatures than indicated by previous works, based on monitoring of the isotopic composition of oxygen …