Boost the Crystal Installation and Magnetic Features of Cobalt Ferrite/M-Type Strontium Ferrite Nanocomposites Double Substituted by La3+ and Sm3+ Ions (2CoFe2O4/SrFe12−2xSmxLaxO19)

Spinel cobalt ferrite/hexagonal strontium hexaferrite (2CoFe2O4/SrFe12−2xSmxLaxO19; x = 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5) nanocomposites were fabricated using the tartaric acid precursor pathway, and the effects of La3+–Sm3+ double substitution on the formation, structure, and magnetic properties of CoFe2O4/SrFe12−2xSmxLaxO19 nanocomposite at different annealing temperatures were assayed through X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometry. A pure 2CoFe2O4/SrFe12O19 nanocomposite was obtained from the tartrate precursor complex annealed at 1100 °C for 2 h. The substitution of Fe3+ ion by Sm3–+La3+ions promoted the formation of pure 2CoFe2O4/SrFe12O19 nanocomposite at 1100 °C. The positions and intensities of the strongest peaks of hexagonal ferrite changed after Sm3+–La3+ substitution at ≤1100 °C. In addition, samples with an Sm3+–La3+ ratio of ≥1.0 annealed at 1200 °C for 2 h showed diffraction peaks for lanthanum cobalt oxide (La3Co3O8; dominant phase) and samarium ferrite (SmFeO3). The crystallite size range at all constituent phases was in the nanocrystalline range, from 39.4 nm to 122.4 nm. The average crystallite size of SrFe12O19 phase increased with the number of Sm3+–La3+ substitutions, whereas that of CoFe2O4 phase decreased with an x of up to 0.5. La–Sm co-doped ion substitution increased the saturation magnetization (Ms) value and the subrogated ratio to 0.2, and the Ms value decreased with the increasing number of double substitutions. A high saturation magnetization value (Ms = 69.6 emu/g) was obtained using a La3+–Sm3+ co-doped ratio of 0.2 at 1200 for 2 h, and a high coercive force value (Hc = 1192.0 Oe) was acquired using the same ratio at 1000 °C.

Mechanical and Biological Properties of Magnesium- and Silicon-Substituted Hydroxyapatite Scaffolds

Magnesium (Mg)- and silicon (Si)-substituted hydroxyapatite (HA) scaffolds were synthesized using the sponge replica method. The influence of Mg2+ and SiO44− ion substitution on the microstructural, mechanical and biological properties of HA scaffolds was evaluated. All synthesized scaffolds exhibited porosity >92%, with interconnected pores and pore sizes ranging between 200 and 800 μm. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that β-TCP was formed in the case of Mg substitution. X-ray fluorescence mapping showed a homogeneous distribution of Mg and Si ions in the respective scaffolds. Compared to the pure HA scaffold, a reduced grain size was observed in the Mg- and Si-substituted scaffolds, which greatly influenced the mechanical properties of the scaffolds. Mechanical tests revealed better performance in HA-Mg (0.44 ± 0.05 MPa), HA-Si (0.64 ± 0.02 MPa) and HA-MgSi (0.53 ± 0.01 MPa) samples compared to pure HA (0.2 ± 0.01 MPa). During biodegradability tests in Tris-HCl, slight weight loss and a substantial reduction in mechanical performances of the scaffolds were observed. Cell proliferation determined by the MTT assay using hBMSC showed that all scaffolds were biocompatible, and the HA-MgSi scaffold seemed the most effective for cell adhesion and proliferation. Furthermore, ALP activity and osteogenic marker expression analysis revealed the ability of HA-Si and HA-MgSi scaffolds to promote osteoblast differentiation.

Ion-size effects on cuprate High Temperature Superconductors

<p>The cuprates are a family of strongly electronically-correlated materials which exhibit high-temperature superconductivity. There has been a vast amount of research into the cuprates since their discovery in 1986, yet despite this research effort, the origins of their electronic phases are not completely understood. In this thesis we focus on a little known paradox to progress our understanding of the physics of these materials. There are two general ways to compress the cuprates, by external pressure or by internal pressure as induced by isovalent-ion substitution. Paradoxically, they have the opposite effect on the superconducting transition temperature. This thesis seeks to understand the salient difference between these two pressures. We study three families of cuprates where the ion size can be systematically altered; Bi₂(Sr₁.₆₋xAx)Ln₀.₄CuO₆₊δ, ACuO₂ and LnBa₂−xSrxCu₃O₇₋δ where Ln is a Lanthenide or Y and A={Mg,Ca,Sr,Ba}. We utilise a variety of techniques to explore different aspects of our paradox, for example; Raman spectroscopy to measure the antiferromagnetic superexchange energy and energy gaps, Density Functional Theory to calculate the density of states, Muon Spin Relaxation to measure the superfluid density as well as a variety of more conventional techniques to synthesize and characterise our samples. Our Raman studies show that an energy scale for spin fluctuations cannot resolve the different effect of the two pressures. Similarly the density of states close to the Fermi-energy, while an important property, does not clearly resolve the paradox. From our superfluid density measurements we have shown that the disorder resulting from isovalent-ion substitution is secondary in importance for the superconducting transition temperature. Instead, we find that the polarisability is a key property of the cuprates with regard to superconductivity. This understanding resolves the paradox! It implies that electron pairing in the cuprates results from either (i) a short-range interaction where the polarisability screens repulsive longer-range interactions and/or (ii) the relatively unexplored idea of the exchange of quantized, coherent polarisation waves in an analogous fashion to phonons in the conventional theory of superconductivity. More generally, we have also demonstrated the utility of studying ion-size effects to further our collective understanding of the cuprates.</p>

Ion-size effects on cuprate High Temperature Superconductors

<p>The cuprates are a family of strongly electronically-correlated materials which exhibit high-temperature superconductivity. There has been a vast amount of research into the cuprates since their discovery in 1986, yet despite this research effort, the origins of their electronic phases are not completely understood. In this thesis we focus on a little known paradox to progress our understanding of the physics of these materials. There are two general ways to compress the cuprates, by external pressure or by internal pressure as induced by isovalent-ion substitution. Paradoxically, they have the opposite effect on the superconducting transition temperature. This thesis seeks to understand the salient difference between these two pressures. We study three families of cuprates where the ion size can be systematically altered; Bi₂(Sr₁.₆₋xAx)Ln₀.₄CuO₆₊δ, ACuO₂ and LnBa₂−xSrxCu₃O₇₋δ where Ln is a Lanthenide or Y and A={Mg,Ca,Sr,Ba}. We utilise a variety of techniques to explore different aspects of our paradox, for example; Raman spectroscopy to measure the antiferromagnetic superexchange energy and energy gaps, Density Functional Theory to calculate the density of states, Muon Spin Relaxation to measure the superfluid density as well as a variety of more conventional techniques to synthesize and characterise our samples. Our Raman studies show that an energy scale for spin fluctuations cannot resolve the different effect of the two pressures. Similarly the density of states close to the Fermi-energy, while an important property, does not clearly resolve the paradox. From our superfluid density measurements we have shown that the disorder resulting from isovalent-ion substitution is secondary in importance for the superconducting transition temperature. Instead, we find that the polarisability is a key property of the cuprates with regard to superconductivity. This understanding resolves the paradox! It implies that electron pairing in the cuprates results from either (i) a short-range interaction where the polarisability screens repulsive longer-range interactions and/or (ii) the relatively unexplored idea of the exchange of quantized, coherent polarisation waves in an analogous fashion to phonons in the conventional theory of superconductivity. More generally, we have also demonstrated the utility of studying ion-size effects to further our collective understanding of the cuprates.</p>