http://liu.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:303552/FULLTEXT01

The Mn+1AXn phases: Materials science and thin-film processing

The more than 60 ternary carbides and nitrides, with the general formula Mn+1AXn—where n = 1, 2, or 3; M is an early transition metal; A is an A-group element (a subset of groups 13–16); and X is C and/or N—represent a new class of layered solids, where Mn+1Xn layers are interleaved with pure A-group element layers. The growing interest in the Mn+1AXn phases lies in their unusual, and sometimes unique, set of properties that can be traced back to their layered nature and the fact that basal dislocations multiply and are mobile at room temperature. Because of their chemical and structural similarities, the MAX phases and their corresponding MX phases share many physical and chemical properties. In this paper we review our current understanding of the elastic and mechanical properties of bulk MAX phases where they differ significantly from their MX counterparts. Elastically the MAX phases are in general quite stiff and elastically isotropic. The MAX phases are relatively soft (2–8 GPa), are most readily machinable, and are damage tolerant. Some of them are also lightweight and resistant to thermal shock, oxidation, fatigue, and creep. In addition, they behave as nonlinear elastic solids, dissipating 25% of the mechanical energy during compressive cycling loading of up to 1 GPa at room temperature. At higher temperatures, they undergo a brittle-to-plastic transition, and their mechanical behavior is a strong function of deformation rate.

Elastic and Mechanical Properties of the MAX Phases

Electrochromics for smart windows: Oxide-based thin films and devices

Amorphous metal oxides are useful in optical, electronic and electrochemical devices. The bonding arrangement within these glasses largely determines their properties, yet it remains a challenge to manipulate their structures in a controlled manner. Recently, we developed synthetic protocols for incorporating nanocrystals that are covalently bonded into amorphous materials. This 'nanocrystal-in-glass' approach not only combines two functional components in one material, but also the covalent link enables us to manipulate the glass structure to change its properties. Here we illustrate the power of this approach by introducing tin-doped indium oxide nanocrystals into niobium oxide glass (NbOx), and realize a new amorphous structure as a consequence of linking it to the nanocrystals. The resulting material demonstrates a previously unrealized optical switching behaviour that will enable the dynamic control of solar radiation transmittance through windows. These transparent films can block near-infrared and visible light selectively and independently by varying the applied electrochemical voltage over a range of 2.5 volts. We also show that the reconstructed NbOx glass has superior properties-its optical contrast is enhanced fivefold and it has excellent electrochemical stability, with 96 per cent of charge capacity retained after 2,000 cycles.

https://www.pkusz.edu.cn/uploadfile/2013/0824/20130824114836947.pdf

Tunable near-infrared and visible-light transmittance in nanocrystal-in-glass composites

Beyond PEO-Alternative host materials for Li+-conducting solid polymer electrolytes

VO2-based films are thermochromic and show infrared reflectance above a “critical” temperature in the vicinity of room temperature. Implementations on energy efficient windows have been discussed for decades but have been severely curtailed since the luminous absorptance is undesirably large and the solar energy transmittance modulation is too small. Here we show by calculations based on effective medium theory that dilute composites with VO2 nanoparticles embedded in hosts with properties mimicking glass or polymer can yield significantly decreased luminous absorption jointly with much enhanced transmittance modulation of solar energy. These results demonstrate that VO2-based nanothermochromics opens new avenues toward energy efficient fenestration.

/pdf/nanothermochromics-calculations-for-vo2-nanoparticles-in-3sylq0ghgr.pdf

Nanothermochromics: Calculations for VO2 nanoparticles in dielectric hosts show much improved luminous transmittance and solar energy transmittance modulation

Thermochromic fenestration with VO2-based materials: Three challenges and how they can be met

Curium lies at the center of the actinide series and has a half-filled shell with seven 5f electrons spatially residing inside its radon core. As a function of pressure, curium exhibits five different crystallographic phases up to 100 gigapascals, of which all but one are also found in the preceding element, americium. We describe here a structure in curium, Cm III, with monoclinic symmetry, space group C2/c, found at intermediate pressures (between 37 and 56 gigapascals). Ab initio electronic structure calculations agree with the observed sequence of structures and establish that it is the spin polarization of curium's 5f electrons that stabilizes Cm III. The results reveal that curium is one of a few elements that has a lattice structure stabilized by magnetism.

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/309/5731/110.full.pdf

A High-Pressure Structure in Curium Linked to Magnetism

Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) solar cells typically include a CdS buffer layer in between the CZTS and ZnO front contact. For sulfide CZTS, with a bandgap around 1.5 eV, the band alignment between CZTS and CdS ...

/pdf/reduced-interface-recombination-in-cu2znsns4-solar-cells-5ersodrwce.pdf

Reduced interface recombination in Cu2ZnSnS4 solar cells with atomic layer deposition Zn1−xSnxOy buffer layers

Composites including VO2-based thermochromic nanoparticles are able to combine high luminous transmittance Tlum with a significant modulation of the solar energy transmittance ΔTsol at a “critical” temperature in the vicinity of room temperature. Thus nanothermochromics is of much interest for energy efficient fenestration and offers advantages over thermochromic VO2-based thin films. This paper presents calculations based on effective medium theory applied to dilute suspensions of core-shell nanoparticles and demonstrates that, in particular, moderately thin-walled hollow spherical VO2 nanoshells can give significantly higher values of ΔTsol than solid nanoparticles at the expense of a somewhat lowered Tlum. This paper is a sequel to a recent publication [S.-Y. Li, G. A. Niklasson, and C. G. Granqvist, J. Appl. Phys. 108, 063525 (2010)].

/pdf/nanothermochromics-with-vo2-based-core-shell-structures-5cgnxmlwe3.pdf

Shuyi Li

Papers

Nanothermochromics: Calculations for VO2 nanoparticles in dielectric hosts show much improved luminous transmittance and solar energy transmittance modulation

Thermochromic fenestration with VO2-based materials: Three challenges and how they can be met

A High-Pressure Structure in Curium Linked to Magnetism

Reduced interface recombination in Cu2ZnSnS4 solar cells with atomic layer deposition Zn1−xSnxOy buffer layers

Nanothermochromics with VO2-based core-shell structures: Calculated luminous and solar optical properties