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The Bi2O3–PbO–CdO–B2O3 glasses were shaped via the melt-quenching process. The XRD spectra reveal that the glasses are composed of amorphous material. Four distinct bands may be seen in the FTIR spectra at wavelengths between 400 and 600, 600–800, 800–1200, and 1200–1500 cm−1 range. This is due to a variety of bond stretching and vibration modes present in the system. A Monte Carlo simulation was used to verify the radiation shielding capabilities. The µ values grow as the amount of Bi2O3 in the manufactured glasses increases. The rise in µ values was coupled with a drop in the Δ0.5 values when the Bi2O3 concentration was increased. Additionally, the TF and RPE values were influenced by the enhancement in the µ values, with the RPE increasing from 34.61 to 44.42 percent and the TF values decreasing from 65.39 to 55.58 percent at 0.662 MeV when the Bi2O3 concentration was increased. The study showed that raising the Bi2O3 content improves the shielding capabilities. Thus, the produced glass samples, particularly BPCB25, exhibit excellent shielding capabilities, making them suitable for use in radiation shielding fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article titled "Improving the Structural, Optical and Photovoltaic Properties of Sb- and Bi-Co-Doped MAPbBr3 Perovskite Solar Cell" has been retracted by the Coatings Editorial Office due to concerns regarding the scientific accuracy of the data presented. An investigation conducted by the Editorial Office and the Editorial Board confirmed inconsistencies within the XRD data presented in Figure 1, and they were unable to verify the validity or integrity of the data. As a result, the publication has been retracted in accordance with the journal's retraction policy and the Committee on Publication Ethics retraction guidelines. One of the authors disagreed with this retraction, while the other authors did not provide a comment on the decision. [Extracted from the article]

Silicone rubbers are a good choice for shielding materials because of having elastic and attenuating properties as well as cost-effectiveness. Thus, the aim of this study was to prepare ground-breaking silicone rubber samples by adding WO3-nanoparticles and testing the performance of their radiation shielding ability against Cs-137, Co-60, and Am-241 gamma energy. Increasing the concentration of WO3 nanoparticles in silicone rubber (SR) led to decreasing the half-value layer (HVL) and mean free path (MFP) values determined for the samples tested. Furthermore, the values of MFP and HVL upsurged according to the enhancement of the photon energy. It is noteworthy that the prepared silicone rubber (SR) systems with 50 and 60 wt% concentrations of WO3-nanoparticles displayed lower HVL than the Bi2O3-containing silicone rubber (SR) systems. In the same way, studied silicone rubber SR-W60 represented the lowest HVL comprising iron ore containing silicone rubber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concentrations of heavy metal oxide i.e. Sb2O3 varying from 10 to 40 mol% (in increments of 10 mol%) were loaded into a 20Na2O–80B2O3 transparent glass system to study the efficacy of Sb2O3 nonlinear optical (NLO) and gamma radiation shielding features of glasses. The NLO characteristics were ascertained by a Z-scan technique with 532 nm pumping in nanosecond laser pulse regime. The role of non-bridging oxygens, Sb3+, and Sb5+ ions in the enhancement of optical nonlinearities was examined. The two-photon absorption coefficient increased from 0.42 to 1.36 cm/GW with the increasing Sb2O3 substitution for B2O3, and the magnitude of optical limiting threshold followed an opposite behavior from 1.5 × 109 to 0.8 × 109 J/cm2. The linear attenuation coefficients (LACs) values at 0.4111 MeV increased from 0.215 cm−1 at 2.28 g/cm3 to 0.379 cm−1 at 3.98 g/cm3. The half-value layers (HVLs) were at a minimum when the energy was at its lowest and at a maximum when the energy was at its highest. The reported HVL trend indicates that the glasses must be as much as thicker to attenuate the same number of photons at higher energy. The NLO and radiation shielding features suggest that the high-Sb2O3 glass can be used to fabricate laser and nuclear radiation protection glasses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lanthanum sodium borate glass of composition xSm2O3-yAgCl-(80-x-y)B2O3–15 Na2O-5La2O3 (where x = 0.5 and y = 0.1 mol %) was prepared and heat treated at a constant temperature of 450° C with different annealing schedules of 10, 20 and 30 h durations to enable the formation and growth of the Ag nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscope measurements revealed the existence of Ag nanoparticles in the examined glass specimen. The strong red emission was observed for 4G5/2 → 6H7/2 inherent transition of samarium ions in the titled glass samples. The robust emission and excitation intensities of Sm3+ ions are at 10 h annealing durations, and then decrease with increasing annealing durations due to the quenching effect. The transition and radiative properties of various excited levels of Sm3+ in the titled glass series were estimated, including the branching ratios, stimulated emission cross-section, radiative lifetime, and radiative transition probabilities. The improved luminescence results and better JO features for the 4G5/2 → 6H7/2 emission transition suggest the glass specimens routed with Ag nanoparticles are beneficial for optoelectronic and photonic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process of melt quenching is utilized in the preparation of the PbO-TeO2-MgO-Na2O-B2O3 glasses. The effect of PbO and B2O3 on the physical, structural, and radiation shielding properties of present glasses have been presented in this study. As the lead concentration rises, both the density and the molecular weight rise, climbing from 3.283 to 3.923 g/cm3 and from 105.638 to 128.675 g, respectively. The utilization of PbO as an alternative to B2O3 contributes to an increase in the overall number of at-oms, which in turn contributes to an increase in the molar volume. The XRD spectra show that the samples are amorphous. The different bending and stretching vibrations of the bonds present in the samples are shown by the FTIR spectra. The mass attenuation coefficient (MAC), linear attenuation coefficients (LAC), half-value layers (HVL), and effective atomic number (Zeff) were calculated using Phy-X software within the energy range 0.284–2.506 MeV. These obtained verdicts advocate that pre-pared Pb4 glass containing the highest concentration of PbO showed supreme shielding ability comparing the rest of the pre-pared glasses. According to these results, it can be said that PbO and B2O3 are the weighty additive composites for glass composition in the interest of radiation shielding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study carried out a comparison of the optical and gamma ray shielding features of TeO2 with and without ZnO modifier concentration. Incorporating ZnO into the TeO2 network reduces the indirect band gap from 3.515–3.481 eV. When ZnO is added, refractive indices, dielectric constants, and optical dielectric constants rise from 2.271–2.278, 5.156–5.191, and 4.156–4.191 accordingly. The transmission coefficient and reflection loss are in direct opposition to each other. With increasing ZnO concentration in the selected glasses, the values of molar refractivity and molar polarizability decrease from 18.767–15.018 cm3/mol and from 7.444 × 10−24–5.957 × 10−24 cm3, respectively, while the electronic polarizability rises from 8.244 × 1024–8.273 × 1024, correspondingly. As expected by the metallization values, the glass systems are non-metallic. The linear attenuation coefficients (LAC) of the studied glass samples ensue through enhancing the photon energy range 0.0395–0.3443 MeV. There is a very slow decrease in the LAC from an energy of 0.1218–0.3443 MeV, yet there is a sharp decrease from an energy of 0.0401–0.0459 MeV. According to the obtained values of numerous shielding parameters such as LAC, MAC, HVL, MFP, and Zeff sample, Zn30 has shown the best radiation shielding ability comprising other studied samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research is to identify the radiation shielding capability of ceramics adding CuO, CdO, and Bi2O3 with diverse wt (%). The chemical compositions of the raw ceramics were documented through Energy Dispersive X-ray "EDX" techniques. For aesthetic appeal and solidification, CuO has been chosen to be added to ceramic. Moreover, in the interest of increasing the radiation shielding ability, the high atomic number and density of both CdO and Bi2O3 were suggested for the raw ceramics. To obtain the morphological features of the prepared ceramic samples, a Scanning Electron Microscope, or SEM, was utilized. To verify the experimental results, the MCA value obtained from the Phy-X software was compared to the experimental value collected from the HPGe detector. At energies 0.06 MeV, 0.662 MeV, 1.173 MeV, and 1.333 MeV the linear and mass attenuation coefficients of the prepared ceramics have been measured using a high purity germanium "HPGe" detector as well as three different point sources. Moreover, the relationship between ln(I) and the thickness of the ceramics has been presented here, and the comparison between the LAC of the prepared ceramics with other materials has also been displayed. Bentonite ceramic containing CuO (15 mol %)-CdO (15 mol %)-Bi2O3 (20 mol %) with density 3.6 showed the lowest HVL, MFP, and TVL at all studied energies, yet pure Bentonite ceramic containing only CuO (50 mol %), having density 3.4, presented the greatest values. Hence, it can be concluded that the addition of CdO and Bi2O3 enhances the radiation shielding ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A competitive new technology, organic metallic halide perovskite solar cells feature a wide working area, low manufacturing costs, a long lifespan, and a significant amount of large efficacy of power conversion (PCE). The spin-coating technique was utilized for the fabrication of pure CH3NH3PbBr3 (MAPbBr3) thin films, and these films are implanted with 600 keV silver (Ag) ions at fluency rate of 6 × 1014 and 4 × 1014 ions/cm2. XRD analysis confirmed the cubic structure of MAPbBr3. A high grain size was observed at the fluency rate of 4 × 1014 ions/cm2. The UV-Vis spectroscopic technique was used to calculate the optical properties such as the bandgap energy (Eg), refractive index (n), extinction coefficients (k), and dielectric constant. A direct Eg of 2.44 eV was measured for the pristine film sample, whereas 2.32 and 2.36 eV were measured for Ag ion-implanted films with a 4 × 1014 and 6 × 1014 ions/cm2 fluence rate, respectively. The solar cells of these films were fabricated. The Jsc was 6.69 mA/cm2, FF was 0.80, Voc was 1.1 V, and the efficiency was 5.87% for the pristine MAPbBr3-based cell. All of these parameters were improved by Ag ion implantation. The maximum values were observed at a fluency rate of 4 × 1014 ions/cm2, where the Voc was 1.13 V, FF was 0.75, Jsc was 8.18 mA/cm2, and the efficiency was 7.01%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most amazing photovoltaic technologies for the future is the organic–inorganic lead halide perovskite solar cell, which exhibits excellent power conversion efficiency (PCE) and can be produced using a straightforward solution technique. Toxic lead in perovskite can be replaced by non-toxic alkaline earth metal cations because they keep the charge balance in the material and some of them match the Goldschmidt rule's tolerance factor. Therefore, thin films of MAPbI3, 1% Bi and 0%, 0.5%, 1% and 1.5% Sn co-doped MAPbI3 were deposited on FTO-glass substrates by sol-gel spin-coating technique. XRD confirmed the co-doping of Bi–Sn in MAPbI3. The 1% Bi and 1% Sn co-doped film had a large grain size. The optical properties were calculated by UV-Vis spectroscopy. The 1% Bi and 1% Sn co-doped film had small Eg, which make it a good material for perovskite solar cells. These films were made into perovskite solar cells. The pure MAPbI3 film-based solar cell had a current density (Jsc) of 9.71 MA-cm−2, its open-circuit voltage (Voc) was 1.18 V, its fill factor (FF) was 0.609 and its efficiency (η) was 6.98%. All of these parameters were improved by the co-doping of Bi–Sn. The cell made from a co-doped MAPbI3 film with 1% Bi and 1% Sn had a high efficiency (10.03%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uranium-238 (238U) and potassium-40 (40K) are important naturally occurring radionuclides. Gamma spectroscopy is a direct, non-destructive method used to determine radionuclide concentrations, but it suffers from the interference of gamma lines. 40K gamma spectroscopy is affected by background interference, which leads to a reduction in the minimum detectable activity. The energy dispersive X-ray analytical technique is quick, with fewer interference problems or background effects. However, it is an indirect method for calculating and deducing the concentrations of isotopes. The aim of the present study was to compare and evaluate both techniques so that they can be utilized efficiently. The results of 238U and 40K were measured by well-calibrated gamma spectroscopy and energy dispersive X-ray techniques. the results indicated that Halayeb White granite is the most environmentally safe compared to the other two types because it contains a very low concentration of uranium 238 and potassium 40. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficacy of silver nanoparticles concentration and annealing durations on optical limiting and optical nonlinearities of borate based glasses bearing the composition (79.5–x)B2O3–15Na2O–5La2O3–0.5Sm2O3–xAgCl (mol%) was assessed by Z-scan approach under the pumping of visible light (532 nm) in nanosecond regime. The dual photon absorption parameter (α2) was elevated from 0.576 × 10−11 to 1.201 × 10−11 m/W with AgCl content from 0 to 0.5 mol%. This α2 further raised to 1.964 × 10−11 m/W when the optimized glass host heat treated at 450° C for 25 h. Similarly, the index of nonlinear refraction (n2) was enhanced from 1.642 × 10−19 to 2.532 × 10−19 m2/W as the AgCl content increased from 0 to 0.5 mol%. This n2 value in turn monotonously increased to 2.963 × 10−19 m2/W when optimized glass system annealed at 450° C for 25 h. The optical limiting threshold magnitude followed reverse trend compared to α2 and n2. The enhancement in nonlinear optical features and optical limiting efficiencies were related to field stimulated by Ag0 nanoparticles when excited with high energy radiation. However, the non-uniform local field generated when the glass nanocomposites heated for longer duration resulted the switching of nonlinear absorption. The nonlinear optical and optical limiting results infer the 0.5 mol% AgCl encompassing glass sample annelaed at 450 °C for 25 h is benificail for construction of power optical limiters to operate in the visible range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]