Nanoscale mechanically induced structural and electrical changes in Ge 2Sb 2Te 5 films

We demonstrate that the microstructure and electrical properties of Ge2Sb2Te5 films can be changed by a nanoscale mechanical process. Nanoscratching is used to define modified areas onto an as-deposited crystalline Ge2Sb2Te5 film. Scanning tunneling microscopy measurements show that the modified areas have a very low electrical conductivity. Micro-Raman measurements indicate that the mechanically induced microstructural…

Collective osmotic shock in ordered materials

Osmotic shock in a vesicle or cell is the stress build-up and subsequent rupture of the phospholipid membrane that occurs when a relatively high concentration of salt is unable to cross the membrane and instead an inflow of water alleviates the salt concentration gradient. This is a well-known failure mechanism for cells and vesicles (for…

DRIFTS study of methanol adsorption on Mg-Al hydrotalcite catalysts for the transesterification of vegetable oils

Mg-Al hydrotalcites rehydrated after calcination are promising catalysts for the methanolysis of vegetable oils. To gain insight into the basis of their catalytic action, the adsorption of methanol over some commercial Mg-Al hydrotalcites was studied by diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS). Different species formed after methanol adsorption were identified, being the total quantity…

Analysis and application of the theories that rationalize the crystalline structures of fluorite-related rare earth oxides

The main current theories dealing with the crystalline structures of the fluorite related rare earth oxides, including those corresponding to reduced oxides, one based on the distribution of the coordination defect inside the fluorite structure, and the other which proposes the establishment of modular sequences constituted by modules with fluorite structure, are presented and comparatively…

Mechanism of complete n-hexane oxidation on silica supported cobalt and manganese catalysts

Mono- and bi-component cobalt and manganese samples were prepared by impregnation of silica with aqueous solutions of Co(NO3)2·6H2O and/or Mn(NO3)2·6H2O. The bi-component samples were obtained by a common solution of Co- and Mn nitrates (CoMn-MS) or by deposition of cobalt on calcined Mn sample (Co + Mn). The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron…