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In the present work, structural, optical, and electrical properties of lithium-doped (0-6 at.%) copper oxide thin films were investigated. The films were obtained by the spray pyrolysis method on glass substrates at 450°C. The X-ray diffraction method, UV-visible spectroscopy, and the four-point probe technique were used to analyze the films. Based on the X-ray diffraction investigations, it was found that the polycrystalline films have monoclinic phases with preferred (111) and (111) crystallographic planes. The incorporation of lithium doping into the copper oxide thin film yielded crystallite sizes of approximately 2 nm. The estimated optical band gap values are decreased from 1.88 to 1.64 eV with increasing lithium concentration. Four-point probe studies revealed that the resistivity of the films decreased from 339 to 186 Kcm with increasing lithium concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, transparent thin films of un-doped and Co-doped nickel oxide were deposited onto microscopic glass substrates using the successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method. The effect of cobalt doping on structural, morphological and optical properties was investigated. XRD studies reveal that all the films are polycrystalline with cubic structure and exhibit (1 1 1) and (2 2 2) preferential orientations. Co is well incorporated in the host lattice without altering the structure. All films retain high transparency throughout the visible spectral regime. No significant shift in Raman spectra was observed due to the Co doping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanostructured cadmium hydroxide (Cd(OH)2) thin films have been fabricated on glass substrates by the chemical bath deposition method and converted into cadmium oxide (CdO) films by heat treatments. Some of the films were studied as-grown and the others were annealed in air at 150, 300 and 450 °C. The effects of various annealing processes on the structural, morphological and optical properties of the Cd(OH)2and CdO films were studied. The band gaps of the films vary from 2.74 eV to 2.32 eV for different annealing temperatures. It was observed that there is a direct dependence of the structural, morphological and optical properties on the annealing temperature of the films. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements showed that as-grown and annealed film at 150 °C fully consist of Cd(OH)2and the annealed films at 300 and 450 °C consist of CdO nanoparticles. The size of the nanoparticles, which were calculated from the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) figures by using a pixels program, was found to lie between 460 and 600 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Each year, unwanted plant pests and diseases, such as Hendel or potato soft rot, cause damage to crops and ecosystems all over the world. To continue to feed the growing population and protect the global ecosystems, the surveillance and management of the spread of these pests and diseases are crucial. Traditional methods of detection are often expensive, bulky and require expertise and training. Therefore, inexpensive, portable, and user-friendly methods are required. These include the use of different gas-sensing technologies to exploit volatile organic compounds released by plants under stress. These methods often meet these requirements, although they come with their own set of advantages and disadvantages, including the sheer number of variables that affect the profile of volatile organic compounds released, such as sensitivity to environmental factors and availability of soil nutrients or water, and sensor drift. Furthermore, most of these methods lack research on their use under field conditions. More research is needed to overcome these disadvantages and further understand the feasibility of the use of these methods under field conditions. This paper focuses on applications of different gas-sensing technologies from over the past decade to detect plant pests and diseases more efficiently.