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Silver-doped zinc oxide nanostructures (Ag/ZnO NSs) with Ag content of 0 wt%, 5 wt%, 10 wt%, and 20 wt% were synthesized using a hydrothermal technique. The prepared nanostructures were annealed at 500 °C for 2 h. The samples were characterized by using scanning electron microscopy, FTIR, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and electrical conductivity. FTIR spectra confirms the presence of hydrogen-related shallow donor defects in the Ag/ZnO NSs, which bind to the oxygen vacancy ($${\text{H}}_{\text{O}}$$ H O ) and consequently plays a significant role in the physicochemical properties of the metal oxide nanostructures. The $${\text{H}}_{\text{O}}$$ H O defects are blended to O- and Zn-polar Ag-doped ZnO NSs, depending on their polarity. XRD results verified that Ag/ZnO NSs have a polycrystalline hexagonal structure. Williamson–Hall methods were used to estimate the microstructural properties of polycrystalline nanostructures. The electrical conductivity increased from 0.60 to 1.10 µS/cm, and the bandgap energy decreased from 3.36 to 3.10 eV by increasing the Ag from 0 wt% up to 20 wt%.

The electrical conductivity (σ) and Seebeck coefficient (S) at temperatures from 40 ◦C to 100 ◦C of melt-processed polypropylene (PP) composites filled with 5 wt.% of industrial-grade carbon nanofibers (CNFs) is investigated. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) of the two Pyrograf® III CNFs (PR 19 LHT XT and PR 24 LHT XT), used in the fabrication of the PP/CNF composites (PP/CNF 19 and PP/CNF 24), reveals that CNFs PR 24 LHT XT show smaller diameters than CNFs PR 19 LHT XT. In addition, this grade (PR 24 LHT XT) presents higher levels of graphitization as deduced by Raman spectroscopy. Despite these structural differences, both Pyrograf® III grades present similar σ (T) and S (T) dependencies, whereby the S shows negative values (n-type character). However, the σ (T) and S (T) of their derivative PP/CNF19 and PP/CNF24 composites are not analogous. In particular, the PP/CNF24 composite shows higher σ at the same content of CNFs. Thus, with an additionally slightly more negative S value, the PP/CNF24 composites present a higher power factor (PF) and figure of merit (zT) than PP/CNF19 composites at 40 ◦C. Moreover, while the σ (T) and S (T) of CNFs PR 19 LHT XT clearly drive the σ (T) and S (T) of its corresponding PP/CNF19 composite, the S (T) of CNFs PR 24 LHT XT does not drive the S (T) observed in their corresponding PP/CNF24 composite. Thus, it is inferred in PP/CNF24 composites an unexpected electron donation (n-type doping) from the PP to the CNFs PR 24 LHT XT, which could be activated when PP/CNF24 composites are subjected to that increase in temperature from 40 ◦C to 100 ◦C. All these findings are supported by theoretical modeling of σ (T) and S (T) with the ultimate aim of understanding the role of this particular type of commercial CNFs on the thermoelectrical properties of their PP/CNF composites., A.J.P. gratefully acknowledges support from FCT-Foundation for Science and Technology by the project UID/CTM/00264/2021 of 2C2T under the COMPETE and FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC) co-financed by FEDER through the PT2020 program and “plurianual” 2020–2023 Project UIDB/00264/2020. C.J.T. acknowledges the funding from FCT/PIDDAC through the Strategic Funds project reference UIDB/04650/2020-2023. E.M. acknowledges support from Project ANID PIA Anillo ACT/192023.

Pure ZnO and ZnO–Bi2O3 nanocomposites with 5 wt% and 10 wt% of Bi2O3 content were synthesized using the co-precipitation method. Optical properties such as refractive index (n), extinction coefficient (k), bandgap (Eg), and Urbach energies, as well as the band structure, were determined by modeling the experimental transmittance and reflectance UV–Vis spectra. The deduced bandgap and Urbach energies for pure ZnO (3.758 eV) increase with the increase of the doping degree of Bi2O3 in ZnO–Bi2O3 nanocomposite films. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to study the structural and morphological properties of these nanocomposite films. Pure ZnO and nanocomposites with Bi2O3 exhibit crystalline domains with wurtzite hexagonal structures, and as the doping degree of Bi2O3 increases, the crystallite size decreases. Based on SEM micrographs, the ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) structure shows the presence of aggregation. Moreover, Bi2O3 NPs in the nanocomposite film led to the further aggregation in the form of large rods. The elemental and chemical properties of the nanocomposites were investigated using infrared and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The charge transfer process in the studied system is between ZnO and Bi2O3 conduction bands. Density-functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed for ZnO, Bi2O3, and ZnO-Bi2O3 compounds to investigate structural, optical, and electronic properties, being in agreement with the experimental results.

The dissipation of heat generation has been one of the largest obstacles in the design of semiconductor devices and reducing the thermal conductivity is vital for improving thermoelectric efficiency. This work focuses on the Bi doping effect on ZnO, and ZnO:Al thin films produced by magnetron sputtering with thickness varying between 500 and 900 nm. The approach introduces Bi ions, a higher mass element, into the ZnO metal-oxide matrix, to hinder phonon-mediated heat conduction and, consequently, reduce thermal conductivity. Atom probe tomography (APT) was employed to survey Bi doping distribution in ZnO:Al:Bi and ZnO:Bi thin films and to study the morphology of the grain boundaries. The thermal properties of the thin films were measured by frequency-domain thermoreflectance. Based on thermal conductivity results, it is concluded that the doping of ZnO films with Al has a significant effect on thermal conductivity, being reduced from 6.0 W m−1 K−1 in its undoped state to 3.3 W m−1 K−1 for ZnO with ∼3 at.% of Al, mainly due to alloy scattering of phonons in the wurtzite cell. Further doping with Bi contributes to a slight reduction in the thermal conductivity of ZnO:Al.Bi films (2.9 W m−1 K−1), due to grain boundary scattering by Bi/Bi2O3 phases. This result is understood as the confluence of two counteracting effects. On the one hand, the thermal conductivity of the film decreases because Bi, unlike Al, is segregated to grain boundaries and does not substitute Zn in the wurtzite crystal lattice, which is unequivocally demonstrated by APT results. On the other hand, the simultaneous presence of Al and Bi triggers a morphological change with the film's microstructure becoming more columnar. This change in microstructure from 3D island growth in ZnO:Al and ZnO:Bi to a more regular columnar structure in ZnO:Al,Bi limits further reduction in the thermal conductivity., Filipe Correia is grateful to the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) for the Ph.D. grant SFRH/BD/111720/2015. Joana Ribeiro is grateful to the FCT, Portugal, for the Ph.D. grant SFRH/BD/147221/2019. Funding is also gratefully acknowledged from FCT/PIDDAC through the Strategic Funds project reference UIDB/04650/2020–2023 and from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN) through grants SEV-2015-0496 (FUNMAT) and CEX2019-000917-S (FUNFUTURE) in the framework of the Spanish Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence program, and grant PID2020-119777 GB-I00 (THERM2MAIN). This work (proposal ID 2018-020-022469) was carried out with the support of the Karlsruhe Nano Micro Facility (KNMFi, www.knmf.kit.edu), a Helmholtz Research Infrastructure at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT, www.kit.edu)., With funding from the Spanish government through the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000917-S).

High-efficiency Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGSe) thin-film solar cells are typically fabricated by a multistage coevaporation process. The Cu-rich composition achieved during the second stage is known to favor the grain growth of the polycrystalline CIGSe film and has a beneficial effect on the solar cell performance. In this article, we analyze the effect of copper stoichiometry on the grain size of sputtered CIGSe absorbers and the efficiency of respective solar cells. CIGSe absorber layers were deposited on Mo-coated soda-lime glass substrates by pulsed hybrid reactive magnetron sputtering from Cu-poor and Cu-rich Cu-In-Ga targets and simultaneous Se evaporation. CIGSe films sputtered with the Cu-rich target show larger grain size and lead to better solar cell performance. Furthermore, we also introduce a two-stage process, which further increases the solar cell performance, consisting of an initial CIGSe layer deposited from the Cu-rich target followed by an indium-selenide postdeposition step. This two-stage process effectively eliminates the unwanted Cu2- x Se impurity phase and renders the otherwise required and toxic KCN etching unnecessary.

TiO

Antibiotics represent one increasingly harmful type of contaminant of emerging concern in treated and non-treated water. They cause the generation of antibiotic-multiresistant organisms, one of the major challenges in current medicine. Plasmonic-photocatalysis using solar energy represents a promising solution for their removal with low energy consumption. Its successful application requires the improvement of photocatalysts' efficiency under sunlight and the development of robust, durable, and efficient substrates for photocatalysts immobilisation. In this work, hybrid TiO

Polyethylene oxide (PEO) complexed with molecular iodine (I2) forming PEO/I2 complex composites stand‐free films were investigated using dielectric relaxation, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV–Vis spectrophotometry, structural and morphological techniques. Scanning electron microscopy was used to monitor the variation in the surface morphology and the related roughness. 2D Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) measurements enabled to observe the distribution of iodine on the film surface. High resolution XPS measurements were used to define the iodine anion types and the metallic iodine existence, as well as the relevant concentrations based on the binding energies. The dielectric relaxation measurements were carried out over the frequency range from 0.1 to 107 Hz and temperature range from 155 to 330 K. Dielectric loss (ε′′) curves were fitted to the Havriliak–Negami (HN) model for one and/or two relaxation peaks (α and β), with and without the electrical conductivity contribution term, in order to deduce the relaxation time (τ) and the dielectric strengths (Δε), in addition to the electrical conductivities (σ). The temperature-dependent data of β- and σ- relaxations follow the law of Arrhenius thermal activation indicating the presence of typical glass-forming polymers. Δε of α-relaxation obeys the curvature pattern of Vogel-Tammann-Fulcher (VTF) thermal activation law. The electrical conductivity of the system increases 6000 folds by doping PEO with 5 wt% of iodine at the same temperature (293 K)., The authors would like to thank Jordan University of Science and Technology; this research was supported by the Deanship of Scientific Research under Grant Number: 420/2019. The authors extend thanks to the Lehrstuhl Experimentelle Physik III, Technische Universitat Dortmund, Germany for offering the measurements via the broadband impedance spectroscopy and the full technical and experimental support.

Surface disinfection currently plays a decisive role in the epidemiological situation caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. However, most disinfection products available on the market have a high evaporation rate and only an immediate action and not continuous, creating the need for a high frequency of disinfection. To overcome this limitation, in the present work, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) microcapsules were developed with an active agent (hydrogen peroxide) encapsulated, which has the ability to inactivate/neutralize the SARS-CoV-2 virus. PMMA-H

Nanomaterials can be game-changers in the arena of sustainable energy production because they may enable highly efficient thermoelectric energy conversion and harvesting. For this purpose, doped thin film oxides have been proven to be promising systems for achieving high thermoelectric performances. In this work, the design, realization, and experimental investigation of the thermo electric properties exhibited by a set of five Al:ZnO thin films with thicknesses of 300 nm and Al doping levels ranging from 2 to 8 at.% are described. Using a multi-technique approach, the main structural and morphological features of the grown thin films are addressed, as well as the electrical and thermoelectrical transport properties. The results show that the samples exhibited a Seebeck coefficient absolute value in the range of 22–33 µV/K, assuming their maximum doping level was 8 at.%, while the samples’ resistivity was decreased below 2 × 10−3 Ohm·cm with a doping level of 3 at.%. The findings shine light on the perspectives of the applications of the metal ZnO thin film technology for thermoelectrics., This research was funded by MIUR-PON, scholarship PhD program “Physics and nano sciences”021/22.“Nanotecnologie per la termoelettricità e l’energy harvesting” (Azione IV.5 “Dottorati su tematiche green”) and by project QUANTEP, INFN CSN5. VB was supported by the project “Brosynano”MICINN-FEDER (PID2019-106820RB-C22). C.T. acknowledges the funding from FCT/PIDDAC through the Strategic Funds project reference UIDB/04650/2020-2023. A.M., G.P. acknowledge support by the Italian Ministry of University and Research through PRIN UTFROM N. 20178PZCB5. This work was also partially funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 04 Component 2 Investment 1.5 – NextGenerationEU, Call for tender n. 3277 dated 30/12/2021. Award Number: 0001052 dated 23/06/2022.

The determination of the optical band gap energy ( E g ) is important for optimization of the generation of electron/hole pairs in semiconductor materials under illumination. For this purpose, the classical theory proposed by Kubelka and Munk (K-M) has been largely employed for the study of amorphous and polycrystalline materials. In this paper, the authors demonstrate, step by step, how to use the K-M function and apply it thoroughly to the determination of the E g of TiO2 semiconductor powder (pressed at different thicknesses) from diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) measurements. For the sample thicknesses 1–4 mm, E g values of 3.12–3.14 eV were obtained. With this work it is envisaged a clarification to the procedure of determination of the E g from the K-M theory and DRS data, since some drawbacks, and misconceptions have been identified in the recent literature. In particular, the widely used practice of determining the E g of a material directly from the K-M function is found to be inadequate.

Synthesized PEO:I2 complex composite films with different I2 concentrations were deposited onto fused silica substrates using a dip-coating method. Incorporation of PEO films with I2 increases the electrical conductivity of the composite, reaching a maximum of 46 mS/cm for 7 wt% I2. The optical and optoelectronic properties of the complex composite films were studied using the transmittance and reflectance spectra in the UV-Vis region. The transmittance of PEO decreases with increasing I2 content. From this study, the optical bandgap energy decreases from 4.42 to 3.28 eV as I2 content increases from 0 to 7 wt%. In addition, the refractive index for PEO films are in the range of 1.66 and 2.00.1H NMR spectra of pure PEO film shows two major peaks at 3.224 ppm and 1.038 ppm, with different widths assigned to the mobile polymer chains in the amorphous phase, whereas the broad component is assigned to the more rigid molecules in the crystalline phase, respectively. By adding I2 to the PEO, both peaks (amorphous and crystal) are shifted to lower NMR frequencies indicating that I2 is acting as a Lewis acid, and PEO is acting as Lewis base. Hence, molecular iodine reacts favorably with PEO molecules through a charge transfer mechanism, and the formation of triiodide ($${\mathrm{I}}_{3}^{-}$$ I 3 - ), the iodite ($${\mathrm{IO}}_{2}^{-}$$ IO 2 - ) anion, $${\mathrm{I}}_{2} \cdot \cdot \cdot \mathrm{ PEO}$$ I 2 · · · PEO and $${\mathrm{I}}_{2}^{+} \cdot \cdot \cdot \mathrm{ PEO}$$ I 2 + · · · PEO complexes. PEO:I2 complex composite films are expected to be suitable for optical, electrical, and optoelectronic applications.

This work evaluated the photocatalytic activity of 3D-printed cementitious mortar specimens functionalized with TiO2 nanoparticles to obtain a multifunctional and smart concrete. This research aims to assess the influence of different parameters related to the functionalization process such as adsorption, coating time gaps, and coating rates on the degradation efficiency of the functionalized cementitious specimens. Each specimen was evaluated under the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) in an aqueous solution using a sun-light simulation. The obtained results showed a decrease in adsorption (under dark condition) with increasing the sample curing age. The highest photocatalytic efficiency was observed for coated samples aged 7 days. By increasing the coating rates, the photocatalytic efficiency is enhanced. Nonetheless, regardless of the coating rates, all the specimens showed an increase in photocatalytic efficiency for longer time periods of light exposition, i.e., after 8 h of irradiation, This work was partly financed by FCT/MCTES through national funds (PIDDAC) under the R&D Unit Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering (ISISE), under reference UIDB/04029/2020. The authors acknowledge the support of the DST group construction company for funding the project Chair dst/IB-S: Smart Systems for Construction. The first two authors would like to acknowledge the PhD grants SFRH/BD/143636/2019 and SFRH/BD/137421/2018 provided by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). Additionally, the authors would like to acknowledge FCT for the financing this research work by the project NanoAir PTDC/FIS-MAC/6606/2020 and the Strategic Fundings UIDB/04650/2020-2023 and UIDB/04029/2020

Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, X-ray photoelectron and X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopies were employed to analyse Bi incorporation into ZnO:Al and ZnO:Ga transparent and electrically conductive thin films deposited by d.c. magnetron sputtering, with thickness in the range of 300–400 nm. Sputtering was performed in an argon atmosphere from two targets in confocal geometry being one composed of either ZnO:Al2O3 or ZnO:Ga2O3 composites and the other a Bi metal target. The content of bismuth dopant in the ZnO matrix was controlled by the respective target current density (JBi) in order to attain a high optical transparency (>80%) in the visible region. For ZnO:Al,Bi films Bi content varied from 0.1 to a maximum of 1.5 at.% when varying JBi from 0.06 to 0.26 mA cm−2. However, for ZnO:Ga,Bi films, deposited in similar conditions, Bi reached a maximum overall layer content of 2.4 at.%, with a surface enrichment content that varied from 1.3 to 8.8 at.%. It was also observed that the Bi content in the topmost layers of the films is slightly depleted due to thermal evaporation upon thermal annealing in vacuum at 350 °C. It is envisaged applications for these films as transparent photoelectrodes and thermoelectric materials., Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal)/PIDDAC through the Strategic Funds project reference UID/FIS/04650/2013. Filipe Correia is grateful to the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia for the Ph.D. Grant SFRH/BD/111720/2015. Paulo Salvador is grateful to the Project WinPSC - POCI-01-0247-FEDER-017796, for the research grant, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), through the Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (COMPETE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement. Joana Ribeiro is grateful to University of Minho for the Grant UMINHO/BI/66/2017

Poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is a thermoplastic synthetic polymer, which displays superior characteristics such as transparency, good tensile strength, and processability. Its performance can be improved by surface engineering via the use of functionalized thin film coatings, resulting in its versatility across a host of applications including, energy harvesting, dielectric layers and water purification. Modification of the PMMA surface can be achieved by atomic layer deposition (ALD), a vapor-phase, chemical deposition technique, which permits atomic-level control. However, PMMA presents a challenge for ALD due to its lack of active surface sites, necessary for gas precursor reaction, nucleation, and subsequent growth. The purpose of this review is to discuss the research related to the employment of PMMA as either a substrate, support, or masking layer over a range of ALD thin film growth techniques, namely, thermal, plasma-enhanced, and area-selective atomic layer deposition. It also highlights applications in the selected fields of flexible electronics, biomaterials, sensing, and photocatalysis, and underscores relevant characterization techniques. Further, it concludes with a prospective view of the role of ALD in PMMA processing., e Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal)/PIDDAC through the Strategic Funds project reference UIDB/04650/2020-2023. This work was developed within the scope of the project CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, UIDB/50011/2020 and UIDP/50011/2020, financed by national funds through the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology/MCTES

Currently, the direct synthesis of faujasite-type (FAU) zeolites with Si/Al ratios greater than 3 depends on organic or inorganic additives. Here, we report the first additive-free synthesis of faujasite with Si/Al ratios greater than 3 using ultraviolet (UV) light assistance. The obtained zeolite shows excellent catalytic performance comparable to the commercial zeolite Y. published

This work reports the production and characterization of optically transparent Nb-doped TiO2 thin films with enhanced thermoelectric properties deposited on glass and Si by reactive d.c. magnetron sputtering in high vacuum. The purpose of these films is to harvest thermal energy from the environment and convert it to electrical energy. Several process parameters, such as reactive and working gas flow rate, deposition temperature, target current density and post-annealing conditions, directly affect the morphology and crystalline structure of the thin films. The optimization of these parameters results in thin films with thickness of 120–300 nm, maximum average optical transmittance in the visible range of 73%, n-type electrical resistivity of 0.05 Ω·cm, thermal conductivity around 1.5 W·m−1·K−1 and a maximum absolute Seebeck coefficient of 223 μV·K−1. The resulting maximum thermoelectric power factor is 60 μW·K−2·m−1 and the maximum thermoelectric figure of merit is 0.014. Hence, modifying the optical, electric, thermal and thermoelectric properties of the thin films enables their suitability for applications as transparent electrodes in photovoltaic systems and touch displays, amongst other devices., Joana Ribeiro is grateful to the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) for the Ph.D. grant SFRH/BD/147221/2019. Filipe Correia is grateful to the FCT, Portugal, for the Ph.D. grant SFRH/BD/111720/2015. Funding is also gratefully acknowledged from FCT/PIDDAC through the Strategic Funds project reference UIDB/04650/2020-2023 and from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN) through grants SEV-2015-0496 (FUNMAT) and CEX2019-000917-S (FUNFUTURE) in the framework of the Spanish Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence program, and grant PID2020-119777GB-I00 (THERM2MAIN).

CrossFit® training is one of the fastest-growing fitness activities in the world due to its varied functional movement and competition experience. The performance is present in almost every workout of the day (WOD), however, there is a lack of knowledge in the science that did not allow us to fully understand the performance determinants of CrossFit WOD’s like we do for other individual or team sports. The purpose of this study was to analyze the physical and physiological variables of recreational trained CrossFit athletes during one of the most famous WOD, FRAN, and to identify which variables best determine performance. Methods: Fifteen CrossFit practitioners performed, alone on separate days, 1RM and a maximum of repetitions of pull-ups test, 1RM and a maximum of repetitions of thrusters with 95 lb/43.2 kg, FRAN CrossFit WOD, and 2K Row test. Results: Blood lactate concentrate, HRmáx, HRav, and RPE achieved higher values for 2K Row and maximum repetitions of thrusters. Maximum repetition of thrusters and pull-ups, 1RM of thrusters, and 2K Row resulted in moderate to strong correlation with FRAN performance (r = −0.78, r = −0.58, r = −0.67, r = 0.63, respectively). Conclusions and practical applications: FRAN performance was strongly related to maximal and endurance strength training of thrusters, which should be prioritized.

The experiment at HASYLAB/DESY was performed within the project I-20180036 EC. The research leading to this result has been supported by the project CALIPSOplus under the Grant Agreement 730872 from the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation HORIZON 2020. Filipe Correia is grateful to the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) for the Ph.D. Grant SFRH/BD/111720/2015. Joana Ribeiro is grateful to the Project WinPSC - POCI-01-0247-FEDER-017796, for the research grant from the Agência Nacional de Inovação, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), through the Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (COMPETE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement. The authors acknowledge the funding from the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) / PIDDAC through the Strategic Funds project reference UIDB/04650/2020-2023. Part of this work was developed within the scope of the project i3N, UIDB/50025/2020, financed by national funds through the FCT/MEC. Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia as the Center of Excellence has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Framework Programme H2020- WIDESPREAD-01-2016-2017-TeamingPhase2 under grant agreement No. 739508, project CAMART2. The authors would like to thank the valuable help from Dr. Alec LaGrow and Dr. Dr. Alex Bondarchukat the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), in Braga, Portugal, for the STEM/HRTEM experiments, Transparent undoped ZnO and additionally doped with Ga and Bi thin films were produced by magnetron sputtering. The thin films were comprehensively characterized by X-ray absorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission and scanning transmission electron (TEM, STEM) microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. All undoped and doped films crystallise in a ZnO phase with the hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure. The local structure of the thin films was investigated by temperature-dependent X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the Zn and Ga K-edges, as well as at the Bi L3-edge. It was found that the doping of Ga3+ and Bi3+ ions in the ZnO wurtzite structure produces distinct effects on the thin film microstructure. The substitution of Zn2+ ions by smaller Ga3+ ions introduces a static disorder to the thin film structure, which is evidenced by an increase in the mean-square relative displacements σ2(Zn‒O) and σ2(Zn‒Zn). At the same time, large Bi3+ ions do not substitute zinc ions, but are likely located in the disordered environment at the ZnO grain boundaries. This conclusion was directly supported by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy combined with TEM and STEM observations as well as by resonant and non-resonant μ-Raman experiments at room temperature, where the ZnO and ZnO:Bi spectra are similar, suggesting a lack of structural disorder in the wurtzite cell. On the other hand, the Raman disorder-activated phonon is pronounced for Ga-doping of the ZnO lattice, confirming the compositional disorder. Both XRD and XPS ruled out Ga2O3 phase in Ga-doped ZnO; conversely, Bi2O3 and a small amount of Bi‒metal phases are clearly discerned by XPS experiments, further suggesting that Bi is not incorporated in the ZnO wurtzite cell, but segregated to grain boundaries.--//--This is the preprint version of the following article: Filipe C. Correia, Joana M. Ribeiro, Alexei Kuzmin, Inga Pudza, Aleksandr Kalinko, Edmund Welter, Adelio Mendes, Joana Rodrigues, Nabiha Ben Sedrine, Teresa Monteiro, Maria Rosário Correia, Carlos J. Tavares; The role of Ga and Bi doping on the local structure of transparent zinc oxide thin films, Journal of Alloys and Compounds: Volume 870, 25 July 2021, 159489, which has been published in final form at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0925838821008987?via%3Dihub#! This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Elsevier Terms and Conditions for Sharing and Self-Archiving. This work is licensed under a CC BY-NC-ND license., Project I-20180036 EC; CALIPSOplus under the Grant Agreement 730872; Ph.D. Grant SFRH/BD/111720/2015; Project WinPSC - POCI-01-0247-FEDER-017796 from the Agência Nacional de Inovação, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF); Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) / PIDDAC; i3N, UIDB/50025/2020, financed by national funds through the FCT/MEC; Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia as the Center of Excellence has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Framework Programme H2020-WIDESPREAD-01-2016-2017-TeamingPhase2 under grant agreement No. 739508, project CAMART2.

Bi2O3 nanocone films functionalized with an overlayer of TiO2 were deposited by d.c. reactive magnetron sputtering. The aforementioned nanocone structures were formed via a vapour-liquid-solid (VLS) growth, starting from a catalytic bismuth seed layer. The resultant nanocones exhibit an improved surface area, measured by atomic force microscopy, when compared to non-VLS deposition of the same metal oxide. X-ray diffraction texture analysis enabled the determination of the crystallographic β-phase of Bi2O3. A very thin TiO2 overlayer (6 nm thick), undoped and doped with nitrogen, was deposited onto the nanocones template, in order to functionalize these structures with a photocatalytic, self-cleaning, cap material. N-doped TiO2 overlayers increased the selective absorption of visible light due to nitrogen doping in the anatase cell, thus, resulting in a concomitant increase in the overall photocatalytic efficiency., The authors acknowledge the financial support of the project “NANOPURIFY—Development of photocatalytic panels for air treatment units, Vieira & Lopes Lda.”, with the reference 024121, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), through the Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (COMPETE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement. Filipe C. Correia acknowledges the financial support from the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) for the Ph.D grant SFRH/BD/111720/2015.

The focus of this work lies on the production of a multifunctional materials that allows the combination of photocatalysis and adsorption in a unique polymeric substrate. For this purpose, Au/TiO2 and Y2(CO3)3 nanoparticles were immobilised on a poly (vinylidene fluoride hexafluoropropylene), (PVDF-HFP), substrate, and the characterisation of these materials was performed, as well as the pollutant removal efficiency. An efficient TiO2 functionalisation with gold nanoparticles was achieved, endowing these particles with the ability to absorb visible radiation. Concerning the membranes, a favourable porous structure was obtained, with an average pore size of 4 µm, and the nanoparticles immobilisation did not alter the physical and chemical properties of the polymeric membrane. The produced hybrid materials, including both Au/TiO2 and Y2(CO3)3 nanoparticles presented an efficiency of 57% in the degradation of norfloxacin (5 mg/L) under ultraviolet radiation for 120 minutes, 80% under visible radiation for 300 minutes, and 58% in arsenic adsorption for 240 minutes. These membranes represent a new platform for the removal of several pollutants, which may allow their incorporation in more efficient and less energy-consuming water treatment processes and favour water treatment in developing countries with low energy resources., This work was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia - FCT) in the framework of the strategic project UID/QUI/0686/2020 and UID/FIS/04650/2020 by FEDER funds through the COMPETE 2020-Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI) with the reference project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006941, project PTDC/CTM-ENE/5387/2014, 2020–2023 multiannual funding to Centro de Química Estrutural (project UIDB/00100/2020) and Associate Laboratory for Green Chemistry – LAQV (UIDB/50006/2020 and UIDP/50006/2020). Bruno Santos, H. Salazar and P. Martins thanks FCT for the grants 2020.09630.BD, SFRH/BD/122373/2016, and 2020.02802. CEECIND contract. S.C. thanks FCT for Scientific Employment Stimulus - Institutional Call (CEECINST/00102/2018) contract. Finally, authors acknowledge funding from the Basque Government Industry Department under the ELKARTEK program. The authors also acknowledge the contribution of A. Fidalgo-Marijuan and Victor Sebastian for the TEM micrographs.

Dendritic growth of bismuth oxide nanostructured films was accomplished by reactive magnetron sputtering. The deposition of the Bi2O3 template layers was adapted to abide a vapour-liquid-solid mechanism in order to develop a 3D growth morphology with high surface area templates for photocatalytic applications. TiO2 photocatalytic thin films were deposited at a later stage onto Bi2O3 layers. The obtained heterostructured films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy. Additionally, the photocatalytic efficiency was assessed by conducting an assay using methylene blue dye as testing pollutant under a UV-A illumination. The photocatalytic tests revealed that the Bi2O3 layers functionalized with TiO2 thin films are more efficient at degrading the pollutant, by a factor of 6, when compared with the individual layered films., The authors acknowledge the funding from the Portuguese institution Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia, through the Strategic project reference UID/FIS/04650/2013, Ph.D grant SFRH/BD/111720/2015 for Filipe C. Correia and Ph.D grant SFRH/BD/112868/2015 Juliana Marques.

This work focuses on X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and combined Raman and photoluminescence experiments performed on ∼500 nm thick ZnO:Ga films deposited by magnetron sputtering. The substrate bias voltage applied during the deposition was varied between 0 V (grounded) and −120 V in order to study the effect of Ga-doping on the ZnO wurtzite structure of the films and its electrical properties, when using a fixed doped composition of Ga2O3 (4.5 wt.%) in the ZnO sputtering target. XPS analysis revealed that ZnO dominates in all samples, while the Ga amount is the highest (∼2.9 at.%) for a substrate bias polarization of −60 V, diminishing substantially for either decreasing or increasing substrate polarizations. This increase in Ga con centration is responsible for the enhancement of electronic transport properties, resulting in a minimum elec trical resistivity of ∼300 µΩ·cm. Moreover, the atomic layers closer to the surface are deficient in zinc for higher bias, due to the etching effect of Ar+ ions and subsequent Zn re-evaporation. From the Raman experiments, it was observed that the dynamics of the A1 and E1 phonons correlates with the decrease of the electrical resistivity. Photoluminescence studies revealed two broad bands, being one near the ZnO near-band-edge (3.4 eV) and another at higher energies (∼3.6 eV). The band centered at higher energies is more prominent for the case of the more electrically-conductive films, and is ascribed to electron transitions from the conduction band to single ionized oxygen vacancies. The lifetime of the polar-nature longitudinal optical phonons is in the range of 0.1–0.2 ps, which is quite small due to the Fröhlich interactions with gallium dopant atoms and other defects, The authors acknowledge the funding from the following Portuguese institutions Agência Nacional de Inovação (ANI), project reference POCI-01-0247-FEDER-017796 (WinPSC) co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), through the Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (COMPETE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, and from the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) / PIDDAC through the Strategic Funds project reference UID/FIS/04650/2013. Filipe C. Correia acknowledges the financial support from the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) through the Ph.D research grant SFRH/BD/111720/2015.

This paper reports the effect on the electrical and morphological properties of co-doping ZnO thin films with Bi and Al or Ga. To do so, a confocal sputtering geometry was used with a Bi target and two intrinsically doped ZnO:Ga and ZnO:Al targets. By depositing at an intentional heating of 200 °C and applying a post-deposition thermal treatment at 350 °C and 300 °C, for ZnO:Ga,Bi and ZnO:Al,Bi, respectively, electrical resistivity values of 1.3 × 10−3 Ω cm and 4.8 × 10−4 Ω cm were achieved, with an optical transmittance above 80%. The X-ray diffraction data shows that all doped ZnO films have a wurtzite hexagonal structure with preferential crystal growth perpendicular to the (002) plane. The Seebeck coefficient was measured for the ZnO:Al,Bi films, where a maximum value of −48 μV K−1 was registered. The optimized electrical properties were correlated with the preferential crystalline texture along [001] and the corresponding current density applied to the Bi dopant target, J(Bi). ZnO:Al,Bi films present out-of-plane compression stress, which concomitantly increases with J(Bi), due to higher compact volume of unit cell with lower lattice parameter c when compared with the undoped ZnO. By controlling the incorporation of Bi, the deposition temperature and the post-deposition thermal treatment temperature, improvements on the thermoelectric power factor of ZnO:Ga and ZnO:Al thin films can be achieved., ilipe Correia is grateful to the Fundaçao para a Ci ~ ^encia e a Tec nologia for the Ph.D. Grant SFRH/BD/111720/2015. Paulo Salvador is grateful to the Project WinPSC - POCI-01-0247-FEDER-017796, for the research grant, co-funded by the European Regional Develop ment Fund, through the Operational Programme for Competitive ness and Internationalisation (COMPETE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement. Joana Ribeiro is grateful to University of Minho for the Grant UMINHO/BI/66/2017

The substrate sheet resistance effect in a large area dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) device is still the main factor responsible for low energy conversion efficiencies. In this work, current collectors made of metal lines were applied by magnetron sputtering on a transparent conducting glass substrate. The introduction of these metal lines enabled a decrease in the sheet resistance from 7.26 Omega.square(-1) to 2.52 Omega.square(-1), by depositing an optimized 1.0 mu m tungsten thick layer on the top of 1.5 mu m thick molybdenum lines. These Mo/W lines withstanded long-term stability when in contact with iodide/triiodide redox couple. Large area dye-sensitized solar cells with 36 cm(2) of active area were assembled and the power conversion efficiency increased from 0.54% to 1.62% when ten metal lines were applied in both electrodes. As a final design, Mo/W lines were only applied onto the counter-electrode and protected with an indium-tin oxide layer; the resulting device showed a power conversion efficiency of 3.43%, compared with the reference efficiency of 2.38%., A. I. Pereira is grateful to Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) through the project SolarConcept (PTDC/EQU-EQU/120064/2010). A. Mendes and L. Andrade acknowledge the European Commission through the Seventh Framework Programme, the Specific Programme "Ideas" of the European Research Council for research and technological development as part of an Advanced Grant under grant agreement no. 321315 (BI-DSC).This work was also partially supported by the projects POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006939 (Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy - UID/EQU/00511/2013) funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), through COMPETE2020 - Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalizacao (POCI) and by national funds, through FCT and by NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000005-LEPABE-2-ECO-INNOVATION, supported by North Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the Portugal 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)., info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Two dicationic water soluble mixed triamine/diamine copper (II) complexes, of general formula [Cu(dien)NN]Br2(1–2) [dien = diethelenetriamine and NN is en = ethylenediamine or Me4en = N,N′,N,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine] were prepared under ultrasonic mode with a relatively high yield. These complexes were characterized by elemental microanalysis, UV visible IR spectroscopy, and thermal and electrochemical techniques. In addition, complex 2 structure was solved by X-ray single crystal and Hirshfeld surface analysis. The complex exhibits a distorted square pyramidal coordination environment around Cu(II) centre. The solvatochromism of the desired complexes was investigated in water and other suitable organic solvents. The results show that the Guttmann’s DN parameter values of the solvents have mainly contributed to the shift of the d–d absorption band towards the linear increase in the wavelength of the absorption maxima of the complexes. The complex 1 showed higher antibacterial activity against the studied microorganisms compared to complex 2. Both complexes revealed promising antibacterial activities., The authors would like to extend their sincere appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Saud University for its funding of this Research group NO (RG-0257-1435-1436).

The title compound is an organic-inorganic hybrid material of formula (C4H12N2)[FeCl3(H2O)3]Cl2. The single crystal X-ray diffraction investigation reveals that the studied compound crystallizes in the monoclinic system, space group P21/m with the following unit cell dimensions: a = 6.8890(16) A, b = 16.0298(38) A, c = 7.0524(17) A, β = 112.819(5)°, V = 717.8(3) A3 and Z = 4. The crystal structure, refined down to R = 0.05, is composed of [FeCl3(H2O)3] octahedra, piperazinediium cations and chloride anions. The structure cohesion is achieved by hydrogen bonds established between the different entities. The 0D structure can be described as an alternation between organic and inorganic pseudo layers along the crystallographic b-axis. Raman and infrared spectra of the title compound were recorded in the range of 50–4000 and 400–4000 cm-1, respectively. For more reliability, Density Functional Theory calculations were performed in order to check the molecular structure and the vibrational spectra of the investigated molecule in the ground state. Good agreement between calculated structural parameters and single crystal XRD data leading to an appropriate assignment of the IR and Raman observed vibrational modes. The thermal behavior of the compound, studied by TG, showed that the successive decomposition stages of precursor lead to the formation of intermediate phases during heating giving rise to the iron oxide as a final product at 900 °C. The magnetic measurements show that the title compound is predominantly paramagnetic with antiferromagnetic interactions.

The joining of alumina (Al2O3) to &gamma, TiAl and Ti6Al4V alloys, using Ag-Cu sputter-coated Ti brazing filler foil, was investigated. Brazing experiments were performed at 980 &deg, C for 30 min in vacuum. The microstructure and chemical composition of the brazed interfaces were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, respectively. A microstructural characterization of joints revealed that sound multilayered interfaces were produced using this novel brazing filler. Both interfaces are composed mainly of &alpha, Ti, along with Ti2(Ag,Cu) and TiAg intermetallics. In the case of the brazing of &gamma, TiAl alloys, &alpha, 2-Ti3Al and &gamma, TiAl intermetallics are also detected at the interface. Bonding to Al2O3 is promoted by the formation of a quite hard Ti-rich layer, which may reach a hardness up to 1872 HV 0.01 and is possibly composed of a mixture of &alpha, Ti and Ti oxides. Hardness distribution maps indicate that no segregation of either soft or brittle phases occurs at the central regions of the interfaces or near the base Ti alloys. In addition, a smooth hardness transition was established between the interface of Al2O3 to either &gamma, TiAl or Ti6Al4V alloys.

Nitrogen-doped TiO2 nanoparticles with high specific surface area and photocatalytic activity under visible light were successfully produced using a modified sol-gel method with urea introduced as the nitrogen source. Different synthesis approaches and parameters such as doping temperature and urea to TiO2 molar ratio were tested to examine the best outcome regarding photocatalytic activity for both UV-A and visible light irradiation. UV–vis diffuse reflectance characterization revealed a decrease in band gap from 3.24 to a minimum of 2.79 eV with the N-doping process. The photocatalytic Methylene Blue dye degradation assays suggests that the in troduction of nitrogen in the TiO2 lattice cell can provide a higher efficiency under both UV-A and visible irradiation. The maximum photocatalytic activity was achieved for the nitrogen-doped powders prepared with the lowest urea:TiO2 molar ratio (1.5) as it was the formulation that promoted an enhancement in N-doping and particle specific surface area to 182 m2 g−1 , despite the fact that the highest specific surface area was registered for undoped TiO2 nanoparticles (228 m2 g−1 ). A synthesis step variation was performed to enhance the specific surface area of nanoparticles and consequently the photocatalytic activity. This modification promoted an increase in specific surface area by a factor of ∼5. XPS spectra confirmed a successful introduction of nitrogen in the TiO2 lattice up to 1.5 at.% for optimized powders, which is strongly dependant of the type of synthesis and the amount of dopant species added during the doping process., The authors acknowledge the financial support of the project “NanoPlus Window”, with the reference POCI-01-0247-FEDER-018018, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), through the Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (COMPETE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement. J. Marques acknowledges the pH.D grant from FCT (reference SFRH/BD/112868/2015). This work was also developed within the scope of the project CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007679 (FCT Ref. UID /CTM /50011/2013), fi nanced by national funds through the FCT/MEC and when appropriate co-financed by FEDER under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement.

Under mode of ultrasonic vibration, the neutral octahedral mononuclear [trans-CuBr2(N ∩ N)2]·3H2O complex with N ∩ N = 2,2-dimethylpropane-1,3-diamine was obtained. The structure of the desired complex was characterized by UV–Vis. spectroscopy, FT-IR, EDX, MS, SEM, TG/DTA and CHN-analysis. The octahedral-structure of the desired Cu(II) complex was proven via XRD single-crystal diffraction and its molecular interactions were computed by Hirschfeld surface analysis. Alcohol (as solvent) and short ultrasonic vibration dose period played a critical role in sonochemistry synthesis of octahedral neutral trans-CuBr2(N ∩ N)2 complex instead of trigonal bi-pyramidal monocation [CuBr(N ∩ N)2]Br one. Due to the Jahn-Teller effect, the complex exhibited a trans bonds elongation along Br-Cu-Br axis originating a distorted-octahedral Cu(II), as revealed by the XRD measurements (Br-Cu = 3.04 A). Therefore, the Solvatochromic behavior of the complex was successfully performed since the trans di-bromide ions are loosely coordinated to Cu(II) center, the change in complex solutions colors by using different solvents which can be detected even by naked-eye supported atypical Jahn-Teller elongation effect formation. TG/DTA and Flynn Wall Ozawa (FWO) isoconversional kinetic methods were applied for the complex to figure out the thermal behavior, kinetic of the ligands de-structured and estimate its Ea/α relation. The complex binding mode to the CT-DNA was examined by UV–vis. spectroscopic, melting curve, CV and viscosity tests. The complex exhibited very strong DNA binding via an intercalation mode of coordination with Kb = 6.5 × 105 value.

[Excerpt] This special issue of Catalysis Today is a compilation of full articles from selected presentations made during the 4th Photocatalytic and Superhydrophilic Surfaces Workshop, PSS2017, which took place in Manchester, UK on the 7th/8th December 2017. There is increasing worldwide interest in (predominantly) titania-based photocatalytic and superhydrophilic surfaces for applications including self-cleaning windows and surfaces, water treatment, anti fogging lenses, antimicrobial surfaces, solar fuels and air purification. In applications such as these, titania requires UV light for activation. Consequently, new visible light activated materials are also subject to considerable industrial and academic R&D. However, there are a multitude of production and testing techniques currently in use, often resulting in conflicting results, hampering greater understanding of the photocatalytic process and the further development of new products. PSS2017 aimed to address issues relating to the production, development and testing of photocatalytic materials by bringing together product end users with academics, industrialists and related professionals from across this field. Subject areas represented included chemical and surface engineering, physics, physical chemistry, catalysis and materials science, clearly indicating the multidisciplinary nature of the field. [...]

The authors regret for the typographical error in the value of the Zn 2p binding energy in some parts of the document. The authors would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.

The experiment at HASYLAB/DESY was performed within the project I-20180036 EC. The research leading to this result has been supported by the project CALIPSOplus under the Grant Agreement 730872 from the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation HORIZON 2020. Filipe Correia is grateful to the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) for the Ph.D. Grant SFRH/BD/111720/2015 . Joana Ribeiro is grateful to the Project WinPSC - POCI-01-0247-FEDER-017796, for the research grant, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) , through the Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (COMPETE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement. The authors acknowledge the funding from the following institution Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) /PIDDAC through the Strategic Funds project reference UID/FIS/04650/2013. The Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Competitiveness through the “Severo Ochoa” Program for Centers of Excellence in R&D (SEV-2015-0496), projects No. MAT2017-90024-P (TANGENTS)-EI/FEDER and MAT2015-70850-P (HIBRI2), and the Generalitat de Catalunya through grant 2017-SGR-00488 . M. K. acknowledges the Ph.D. programme in Materials Science from Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona in which she is enrolled., Transparent n-type niobium-doped titanium dioxide thin films (TiO2:1.5 at.%Nb) with pronounced thermoelectric properties were produced from a composite Ti:Nb target by reactive magnetron sputtering. The thin films were comprehensively characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, optical spectroscopy, electrical conductivity, and thermoelectric measurement techniques. The local structure of the thin films was investigated in detail by X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the Ti and Nb K-edges. A set of radial distribution functions were extracted from the simultaneous analysis of EXAFS data at two absorption edges using the reverse Monte Carlo method. It was found that Nb dopant atoms modify the local environment of the films, but their average structure remains close to that of the anatase phase. This conclusion is also supported by the ab initio simulations of XANES. A very high absolute Seebeck coefficient (S = 155 μV/K) for n-type TiO2 was achieved with Nb doping, yielding a maximum power factor and thermoelectric figure of merit of 0.5 mW m−1 K−2 and 0.18 at a temperature of 300 K, respectively, for a 150 nm thick film. From frequency-domain thermoreflectance experiments, a thermal conductivity value of 1.3 W m−1 K−1 was obtained for the optimized TiO2:Nb film., Fundo Regional para a Ciência e Tecnologia POCI-01-0247-FEDER-017796; Generalitat de Catalunya 2017-SGR-00488; MAT2015-70850-P,HIBRI2; SEV-2015-0496,MAT2017-90024-P; UID/FIS/04650/2013; European Regional Development Fund; Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia as the Center of Excellence has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework Programme H2020-WIDESPREAD-01-2016-2017-TeamingPhase2 under grant agreement No. 739508, project CAMART²

Niobium doped dititanium trioxide (Ti2O3:Nb) films were deposited on glass substrates, through grid-assisted magnetron sputtering. The Ti2O3:Nb films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), electrical conductivity and optical properties. Film deposition was carried out in two different substrate bias modes: DC and unipolar pulsed. Results show that the negative-pulsed mode improves conductivity and crystallinity. The XRD results show peaks corresponding crystallographic planes of Ti2O3. No niobium oxide NbxOy peaks were observed, which indicates that niobium oxide if formed, is amorphous, and/or substituted Nb atoms remain in a solid solution within the Ti2O3 structure. It was observed that "as-deposited" Ti2O3:Nb films (without post annealing) are transparent and electrical conductive, with transmittance that reaches 60% in the visible light wavelength despite the considerable thickness of the film and a miminum resistivity of 2x10-2 Ω.cm which indicates that there is potential for application as Transparent Conductive Oxide (TCO)., This study was supported by the Government of the State of Santa Catarina through the FUMDES and FAPESC programs.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the potential use of titanium foil coated with sputtered silver and copper films as a novel brazing filler for joining TiAl alloys. For this purpose, a detailed microstructural characterization of the resulting brazing interfaces was carried out. The development of brazing fillers that allow the joining of TiAl alloys without compromising the service temperature is a fruitful prospect. Brazing experiments were performed in a vacuum at 900, 950, and 980 degrees C, with a dwell time of 30 min. Microstructural characterization reveals that brazing joints can be obtained successfully at 950 and 980 degrees C. The interface consists of a large central region of alpha-Ti with an amount of Al and Ti-Ag compound and thin layers, mainly composed of intermetallic compounds, formed close to the base material. A novel brazing filler consisting of Ti foil coated with sputtered Ag and Cu films inhibits the extensive formation of soft (Ag) zones or coarse brittle Ti-Al-(Cu,Ni) particles. Hence, the need for post-brazing heat treatments for the joining of TiAl alloys was avoided., This research is sponsored by FEDER funds through the program COMPETE-Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividadeand by national funds through FCT-Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia, under the project PEst-C/EME/UI0285/2013. The authors are grateful to CEMUP-Centro de Materiais da Universidade do Porto for expert assistance with SEM and EDS.