Crystallographic and optical properties of wide bandgap photovoltaic semiconductor system, Cu(Al,In)Se2

We characterized the optical and electronic properties of chalcopyrite-type Cu(Al,In)Se2, which is a candidate for wide-bandgap solar cell materials. The bandgap energy was determined from diffuse reflectance spectra. The band gap energy increased from 1.00 eV for CuInSe2 to 2.61 eV for CuAlSe2 with an increase in the Al content. The ionization energy corresponding to the energy levels of the valence band maximum (VBM) was determined using photoemission yield spectroscopy (PYS). The VBM level of the Cu(Al,In)Se2 system stayed relatively constant, but the conduction band minimum (CBM) level increased with increasing Al content. To analyze the local structures of Cu and In atoms in Cu(Al,In)Se2, Cu and In K-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectra were measured at SPring-8. We discuss the crystallographic characteristics of Cu(Al,In)Se2 based on the results of the XAFS analyses and a comparison of the phase diagrams of the Cu2Se-Al2Se3, Cu2Se-In2Se3, and Cu2Se-Ga2Se3 systems.

K(Na,K)Na2[Cu2(SO4)4]: a new highly porous anhydrous sulfate and evaluation of possible ion migration pathways

Alkali copper sulfates form a rapidly developing family of inorganics. Herein, we report synthesis and crystal structure, and evaluate possible ion migration pathways for a novel Na-K-Cu anhydrous sulfate, K(Na,K)Na2[Cu2(SO4)4]. The CuO7 and SO4 polyhedra share common vertices and edges to form [Cu2(SO4)4]4− wide ribbons, which link to each other via common oxygen atoms forming the host part of the structure. Four guest alkali sites are occupied by solely K+, mixture of K+ and Na+, and solely Na+, which agrees well with the size of the cavities. The crystal structure of K(Na,K)Na2[Cu2(SO4)4] contains two symmetry-independent Cu sites with [4+1+(2)] coordination environments. The overall coordination polyhedra of Cu2+ can be considered as `octahedra with one split vertex'. A similar coordination mode was observed also in some other multinary copper sulfates, mostly of the mineral world. These coordination modes were reviewed and five types of CuO7 polyhedra are identified. CuO7 polyhedra are almost restricted to copper sulfates and phosphates. It was found that a larger amount of the smaller SO4 2− and PO4 3− anions can cluster around a single Cu2+ cation; in addition, for such relatively small anions, both mono (κ1) and bidentate (κ2) coordination modes to the Cu2+ are possible. The correlation between crystallographic characteristics and bond valence energies showed that the new copper sulfate framework, [Cu2(SO4)4]4−, contains one interconnected path suitable for Na+ mobility at tolerable activation energies and that K(Na,K)Na2[Cu2(SO4)4] can be considered as a potential candidate for novel Na-ion conductors.

Elastic Moduli of Avian Eggshell

We analyze 700 freshly-laid eggs from 58 species (22 families and 13 orders) across three orders of magnitude in egg mass. We study the elastic moduli using three metrics: (i) effective Young’s modulus, EFEM, by a combined experimental and numerical method; (ii) elastic modulus, Enano, by nanoindentation, and (iii) theoretical Young’s modulus, Etheory. We measure the mineral content by acid-base titration, and crystallographic characteristics by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), on representative species. We find that the mineral content ranges between 83.1% (Zebra finch) and 96.5% (ostrich) and is positively correlated with EFEM—23.28 GPa (Zebra finch) and 47.76 GPa (ostrich). The EBSD shows that eggshell is anisotropic and non-homogeneous, and different species have different degrees of crystal orientation and texture. Ostrich eggshell exhibits strong texture in the thickness direction, whereas chicken eggshell has little. Such anisotropy and inhomogeneity are consistent with the nanoindentation tests. However, the crystal characteristics do not appear to correlate with EFEM, as EFEM represents an overall “average” elasticity of the entire shell. The experimental results are consistent with the theoretical prediction of linear elasticity. Our comprehensive investigation into the elastic moduli of avian eggshell over broad taxonomic scales provides a useful dataset for those who work on avian reproduction.

The New Complexes of Tris(2-Methoxy-5-Bromophenyl)Stibine with Silver Nitrate

By mixing solutions of tris(2-methoxy-5-bromophenyl)antimony and silver nitrate in a methanol : acetonitrile mixture (1:1 vol.), nitrato-O,O'-(acetonitrile)[tris(2-methoxy-5-bromophenyl)antimony]silver complex with the general formula [(C6H3ОMe-2-Br-5)3SbAg(μ2-NO3)(Ме3CN)]2•2[(C6H3ОMe-2-Br-5)3SbAgNO3(Ме3CN)] (1) has been obtained. An addition of silver nitrate solution in the methanol : acetonitrile mixture to the tris(2-methoxy-5-bromophenyl)antimony dioxane solution has led to the formation of a small amount of dark crystals of the ionic complex [(2-MeО-5-Br-C6H3)3SbAg(H2O)Sb(C6H3Br-5-OMe-2)3]+[(2-MeО-5-Br-C6H3)3SbAg(m-NO3)3 AgSb(C6H3Br-5-OMe-2)3]-×3C4H8O2 (2). Complexes 1 and 2 have been characterized by IR spectroscopy, and their structures have been determined by X-ray diffraction analysis. The IR spectra of complexes 1 and 2 contain the bands characterizing the Sb-O, Sb-C, С≡N-, and NO3-group band vibrations. X-ray diffraction analysis of the complexes has been carried out on an automatic four-circle D8 Quest Bruker diffractometer (МоКα radiation, λ = 0.71073 Å, graphite monochromator) at 293 K. Crystallographic characteristics of 1: triclinic, P-1 space group, a = 9.32(3), b = 17.50(7), c = 17.97(5) Å, a = 97.56(14), β = 92.90(19), g = 99.45(19) grad., V = 2859(16) Å3, Z = 2, rcalc = 2.069 g/cm3, 2: monoclinic, С2/с space group, a = 17.417(14), b = 21.041(15), c = 32.01(2) Å, a = 90, β = 97.79(3), g = 90 grad., V = 11624(15) Å3, Z = 4, rcalc = 2.006 g/cm3. In the monomeric and dimeric molecules of crystal 1, nitrate ligands are chelating and bridging, respectively. In the cation of complex 2, the silver atom is bonded to two antimony ligands, the third coordination site is occupied by a water molecule. In the dimeric anion there are one antimony ligand and three bridging nitrate groups surrounding each silver atom.

Three-Dimensional Characterization of Morphology and Crystallography of a Gold Nanoisland Film

The morphological and crystallographic characteristics of noble metal nanoisland films play an important role in determining their properties, performance, and reliability. In this work we have applied a rapid three-dimensional orientation mapping technique in the transmission electron microscope (3D-OMiTEM) in the characterization of a gold nanoisland film. A volume of 200×1024×1024 nm3 has been analyzed, generating a 3D orientation map composed of more than 500 nanoislands and 7000 grains constituting the islands. The 3D shapes and sizes of individual islands and grains have been analyzed, revealing their true 3D morphological features and the correlation between the number of grains within individual islands and the size of the islands. The crystallographic orientations of the grains and the misorientations across the grain boundaries have been quantified, revealing a weak texture but a preferential presence of Σ3 and Σ9 grain boundaries in the gold nanoisland film.