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Nanomaterials
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Applied Physics and Nanomaterials
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Applied Physics and Nanomaterials

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2023) | Viewed by 8171

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Rodica Vlǎdoiu

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Guest Editor
Department of Physics and Electronics, Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, Ovidius University of Constanta, Mamaia Av. no 124, 900524 Constanta, Romania
Interests: thin films coatings; materials characterization; vacuum arc deposition technologies for nanostructures
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Milan Tichy

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Guest Editor
Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, Ke Karlovu 3, 12116 Praha 2, Czech Republic
Interests: plasma physics; plasma chemistry; plasma diagnostics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Silviu Polosan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Multifunctional Materials and Structures Laboratory, National Institute of Materials Physics, Atomistilor 405 A, 077125 Magurele, Romania
Interests: organometallics; glass and glass-ceramic; materials science; organic semiconductors; photonics, optoelectronics, and optical communications
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, entitled Applied Physics and Nanomaterials, is focused on contributions devoted to the most current applied physics research. This Special Issue touches on technological advances within the topic of materials, such as the development of processing–structure–property–performance relationships, the design of multifunctional and nanocomposite coatings for specific applications, and size effects. Additional emphasis is given to improving practical investigations, such as experimental plasma and laser technologies, nuclear physics and experimental particle physics for extreme environments, along with advances in instrumentation and measurement techniques. This Special Issue will also be devoted to contributions on various research and developments on biophysics and biotechnology, thereby providing an insight into the current developments in these fields. Among advanced technologies, a special topic is devoted to efficient materials for energy generating and storing elements to support the European Green deal and Sustainable Development Goals. This topic includes solid-state batteries, ultra-capacitors, composite-based graphene for energy-storage devices, as well as energy converters, including organic photovoltaics (OPV) and low-power-consumption (green) light emitters.  

This Special Issue is associated with the “The 20th International Balkan Workshop on Applied Physics and Materials Science”. It focuses on Applied Physics and Nanomaterials. Submissions from participants to the conference and non-participants are equally encouraged, as long as they fall within the scope of this Special Issue. We hope that this Special Issue will be of great interest to the leading researchers, engineers, and scientists from around the world.

Prof. Dr. Rodica Vlǎdoiu
Prof. Dr. Milan Tichy
Prof. Dr. Silviu Polosan
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nanomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • advanced materials physics and engineering
  • surfaces, interfaces, and thin films
  • semiconductors, dielectrics, polymers, and organic materials
  • plasma physics, technology, and applications
  • optoelectronics and photonics
  • laser physics and applications
  • biophysics and biotechnology
  • imagining, microscopy, spectroscopy, and their applications
  • nuclear and sub-nuclear physics and applications
  • energy-related materials and devices
  • physics of energy transfer, conversion, and storage

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 11740 KiB  
Article
Microengineering Design for Advanced W-Based Bulk Materials with Improved Properties
by Magdalena Galatanu, Monica Enculescu, Andrei Galatanu, Dorina Ticos, Marius Dumitru and Catalin Ticos
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(6), 1012; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13061012 - 11 Mar 2023
Viewed by 1052
Abstract
In fusion reactors, such as ITER or DEMO, the plasma used to generate nuclear reactions will reach temperatures that are an order of magnitude higher than in the Sun’s core. Although the plasma is not supposed to be in contact with the reactor [...] Read more.
In fusion reactors, such as ITER or DEMO, the plasma used to generate nuclear reactions will reach temperatures that are an order of magnitude higher than in the Sun’s core. Although the plasma is not supposed to be in contact with the reactor walls, a large amount of heat generated by electromagnetic radiation, electrons and ions being expelled from the plasma will reach the plasma-facing surface of the reactor. Especially for the divertor part, high heat fluxes of up to 20 MW/m2 are expected even in normal operating conditions. An improvement in the plasma-facing material (which is, in the case of ITER, pure Tungsten, W) is desired at least in terms of both a higher recrystallization temperature and a lower brittle-to-ductile transition temperature. In the present work, we discuss three microengineering routes based on inclusions of nanometric dispersions, which are proposed to improve the W properties, and present the microstructural and thermophysical properties of the resulting W-based composites with such dispersions. The materials’ behavior after 6 MeV electron irradiation tests is also presented, and their further development is discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Physics and Nanomaterials)
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12 pages, 2743 KiB  
Article
Synthesis of Cobalt–Nickel Aluminate Spinels Using the Laser-Induced Thermionic Vacuum Arc Method and Thermal Annealing Processes
by Rodica Vladoiu, Aurelia Mandes, Virginia Dinca, Elena Matei and Silviu Polosan
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(21), 3895; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12213895 - 04 Nov 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1136
Abstract
To obtain highly homogeneous cobalt–nickel aluminate spinels with small crystallite sizes, CoNiAl alloy thin films were primarily deposited using Laser-induced Thermionic Vacuum Arc (LTVA) as a versatile method for performing processing of multiple materials, such as alloy/composite thin films, at a nanometric scale. [...] Read more.
To obtain highly homogeneous cobalt–nickel aluminate spinels with small crystallite sizes, CoNiAl alloy thin films were primarily deposited using Laser-induced Thermionic Vacuum Arc (LTVA) as a versatile method for performing processing of multiple materials, such as alloy/composite thin films, at a nanometric scale. Following thermal annealing in air, the CoNiAl metallic thin films were transformed into ceramic oxidic (Co,Ni)Al2O4 with controlled composition and crystallinity suitable for thermal stability and chemical resistance devices. Structural analysis revealed the formation of (Co,Ni)Al2O4 from the amorphous CoNiAl alloys. The mean crystallite size of the spinels was around 15 nm. Thermal annealing induces a densification process, increasing the film thickness together with the migration process of the aluminum toward the surface of the samples. The sheet resistance changed drastically from 200–240 Ω/sq to more than 106 Ω/sq, revealing a step-by-step conversion of the metallic character of the thin film to a dielectric oxidic structure. These cermet materials can be used as inert anodes for the solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), which require not only high stability with respect to oxidizing gases such as oxygen, but also good electrical conductivity. These combination metal–ceramics are known as bi-layer anodes. By controlling the crystallite size and the interplay between the oxide/metal composite, a balance between stability and electrical conductivity can be achieved. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Physics and Nanomaterials)
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11 pages, 10475 KiB  
Article
Electric-Field Control in Phosphorene-Based Heterostructures
by Calin-Andrei Pantis-Simut, Amanda Teodora Preda, Nicolae Filipoiu, Alaa Allosh and George Alexandru Nemnes
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(20), 3650; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12203650 - 18 Oct 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1625
Abstract
Phosphorene is a graphene-like material with an intermediate band gap, in contrast to zero-gap graphene and large-gap dichalcogenides or hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), which makes it more suitable for nanoelectronic devices. However, inducing band-gap modulation in freestanding phosphorene nanoribbons (PNRs) is problematic, as [...] Read more.
Phosphorene is a graphene-like material with an intermediate band gap, in contrast to zero-gap graphene and large-gap dichalcogenides or hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), which makes it more suitable for nanoelectronic devices. However, inducing band-gap modulation in freestanding phosphorene nanoribbons (PNRs) is problematic, as high in-plane electric fields are necessary to close the gap. We perform here a detailed investigation concerning the substrate influence on the electric-field control exerted by an external gate, using the density functional theory–non-equilibrium Green’s functions (DFT-NEGF) framework. It is established that the interaction with a hexagonal boron nitride supporting layer significantly enhances the gap modulation. Furthermore, we address the issue of contacting the PNRs, by using conducting graphene nanoribbons embedded in the support hBN layer. Within this setup, a measurable spin polarization is achieved owing to the anti-ferromagnetic coupling between the edges of the graphene nanoribbons. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Physics and Nanomaterials)
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11 pages, 2147 KiB  
Article
Development and Evaluation of Copper Based Transparent Heat Reflectors Obtained by Magnetron Sputtering
by Iulian Pana, Anca C. Parau, Mihaela Dinu, Adrian E. Kiss, Lidia R. Constantin and Catalin Vitelaru
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(19), 3544; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12193544 - 10 Oct 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1513
Abstract
Within the next few years climate change is likely to become a major concern for mankind. In addition, the current electronic components shortage crisis has led to an urgent need for alternative solutions in the main industry sectors (the raw materials, manufacturing, and [...] Read more.
Within the next few years climate change is likely to become a major concern for mankind. In addition, the current electronic components shortage crisis has led to an urgent need for alternative solutions in the main industry sectors (the raw materials, manufacturing, and construction industries). The current trends of research are focused on developing smart materials with functional properties, using abundant raw materials. The energy saving efforts are sustained in the glazing industries by several approaches based on dielectric-metal-dielectric multilayer structures. The use of silver to achieve a high reflectivity in near-infrared spectral range has been proposed and is already adopted as a commercially available solution. This work is focused on developing a transparent heat reflector (THR) with prefigured optical properties, using copper as a reflective layer, a material that is more abundant and cheaper than silver. The conductive copper layers obtained by the High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HiPIMS) method were interposed between two silicon nitride layers deposited by the Radio-Frequency Magnetron Sputtering (RFMS) technique. The structural, optical, and elemental composition of monolayers was investigated, qualifying each individual material for use in the multilayer structure. The time stability of films deposited on microscope glass substrates was also investigated, as an important criterion for the selection of monolayers. The obtained results revealed that the SiNx/Cu/SiNx with the Cu layer deposited by using a negative substrate bias of −100 V showed the most stable behavior over time. Optical modeling was performed to design a THR multilayer structure, which was successfully obtained experimentally. A maximum optical transparency as high as 75% in the visible range and a reflectivity of ~ 85% in near infrared spectral interval was confirmed for the experimentally obtained multilayer structures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Physics and Nanomaterials)
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14 pages, 7104 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Ultrasonically ZnO Loading Effect on Photocatalytic Self-Cleaning, UV Protection and Antibacterial Activity of Plasma/Citric Acid-Activated Cotton Fabric
by Muhammad Irfan, Humaira Hussain, Bisma Saleem, Muhammad Saleem, Shazia Shukrullah, Stanislaw Legutko, Jana Petrů, Muhammad Yasin Naz, Marek Pagáč, Saifur Rahman and Rehan Khan
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(12), 2122; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12122122 - 20 Jun 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1732
Abstract
Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were loaded over non-thermal plasma (P1) and citric acid (P2)-functionalized cotton fabrics using a room temperature sonification process. The cotton samples were pretreated with dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma and citric acid to introduce some reactive moieties on the [...] Read more.
Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were loaded over non-thermal plasma (P1) and citric acid (P2)-functionalized cotton fabrics using a room temperature sonification process. The cotton samples were pretreated with dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma and citric acid to introduce some reactive moieties on the fabric to enhance the adhesion power of ZnO nanoparticles with an average particle size of 41 nm. The nanoparticles were dispersed homogeneously on the surface of the P1 sample, which enhanced the antibacterial, UV protection and photocatalytic self-cleaning characteristics of ZnO-loaded fabric. The self-cleaning efficiency of P1 and P2 samples was measured to be about 77% and 63%, respectively. The inhibition zones of 5.5 mm and 5.4 mm were produced by sample P1 against E. coli and S. aureusbacteria, respectively, which were slightly higher than the inhibition zones produced by sample P2. The inhibition zone of the samples roughly decreased by 17% after performing 10 wash cycles. The unloaded cotton fabric had a UPF value of 70.02 units and blocking percentage of 70.92% and 76.54% for UVA and UVB radiations, respectively. The UVA-blocking capacity of samples P1 and P2 was 95.27% and 91.22, respectively. Similarly, the UVB blocking capacity was 94.11% and 92.65%, respectively. The pre-coating plasma treatment was found to be helpful in improving the UV-blocking ability of ZnO-loaded cotton fabric. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Physics and Nanomaterials)
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