Luminescent hydroxylapatite nanoparticles by surface functionalization

Hydroxylapatite (HA) nanoparticles were functionalized by depositing rare-earth-doped Y2O3Y2O3 nanoparticles on the surface, and the structural evolutions of both HA and Y2O3Y2O3 phases at different annealing temperatures were investigated by x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Laser spectroscopy indicated that the surface functionalized HA nanoparticles exhibited strong visible emissions. No visible emissions were observed from rare-earth-doped Y2O3Y2O3 without any substrate, suggesting a doping-induced environmental change of optically active rare-earth elements in the functionalized HA nanoparticles. The luminescent hydroxylapatite nanoparticles may find important applications as a biodegradable substrate for biomarking and drug delivery.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/87791/2/183106_1.pd

Disorder in Mn+1AXn phases at the atomic scale.

Atomic disordering in materials alters their physical and chemical properties and can subsequently affect their performance. In complex ceramic materials, it is a challenge to understand the nature of structural disordering, due to the difficulty of direct, atomic-scale experimental observations. Here we report the direct imaging of ion irradiation-induced antisite defects in Mn+1AXn phases using double CS-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy and provide compelling evidence of order-to-disorder phase transformations, overturning the conventional view that irradiation causes phase decomposition to binary fcc-structured Mn+1Xn. With the formation of uniformly distributed cation antisite defects and the rearrangement of X anions, disordered solid solution γ-(Mn+1A)Xn phases are formed at low ion fluences, followed by gradual transitions to solid solution fcc-structured (Mn+1A)Xn phases. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the order-to-disorder transformations in Mn+1AXn phases and proposes a method for the synthesis of new solid solution (Mn+1A)Xn phases by tailoring the disorder

Self-organized chains of nanodots induced by an off-normal incident beam

We propose a model to show that under off-normal bombardment of an incident ion beam, a solid surface may spontaneously form nanoscale dots lining up into chains perpendicular to the incident beam direction. These dots demonstrate a highly ordered hexagonal pattern. We attribute the self-organization behavior to surface instability under concurrent surface kinetics and to a shadow effect that causes the self-alignment of dots. The fundamental mechanism may be applicable to diverse systems, suggesting an effective approach for nanofabrication

Numerical Simulation of Radiation-Induced Chemical Segregation and Phase Transformation in a Binary System

We present the development of a hybrid Monte Carlo-phase field model that is able to simulate radiation induced chemical segregation and the corresponding phase transformation and nano-structure evolution. Under irradiation by a lowenergy ion beam, defects (vacancies) are created and accumulate. In a binary crystalline material, AB, studied in this work, these defects are of the two types A and B and diffuse at different rates. These differential diffusivities are sufficient driving mechanisms for the formation of chemically distinct regions with accompany changes in phases and nano-structure. In this work, we present a model that can simulate these changes by treating the differential diffusion of the vacancies of the two components

Comparison of Ion-Beam Irradiation Effects in X2YO4 Compounds

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/65948/1/j.1151-2916.1999.tb02246.x.pd

The status change of culture and education in the traditional Chinese city landscape after the Song and Yuan Dynasty

After the Song and Yuan dynasties, the development of the imperial examination system was witnessed by the spread of the Neo-Confucianism of the Song and Ming dynasties. This was accompanied by the position of culture and education buildings in the local urban landscape system that was greatly improved, some even dominating the performance of the urban landscape. The resulted structure of the urban landscape before the Song Dynasty is described as the so-called status change of the "The Status Change of Culture and Education." Studies have shown that "The Status Change" during the Ming and Qing Dynasties could be found here and there. This work took the City of Yangzhou Prefecture in the Ming and Qing Dynasties as the research object. Starting from the background of the development of culture and education, this paper expounds the process and characteristics of such a status change during this period

Ion irradiation-induced bimodal surface morphology changes in InSb

High-energy ion irradiation of InSb results in the formation of bimodal surface structures, namely microscale hillock-like structures fully composed of nanoscale fibers. Analysis of the surface structures by a wide range of electron microscopy techniques reveals correlations between the irradiation conditions, such as the ion energy and fluence, and changes in the surface morphology. Sputtering effects play a key role in the integrity of the surface layer with increasing ion fluence. Possible mechanisms responsible for the morphological transformation are discussed, including both irradiation-induced and mechanical effects.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/85399/1/nano10_32_325602.pd

In situ observation of microstructure evolution in 4H–SiC under 3.5 keV He+ irradiation

4H-SiC was irradiated with 3.5 keV He+ ions using the MIAMI facility at University of Huddersfield. The evolution of microstructure and gas bubbles during the irradiation at 700°C, 800°C and 900°C was observed by in situ transmission electron microscopy. Under irradiation, isolated bubbles and bubble discs formed in the SiC matrix. Bubble discs lying on {0001} and {10-10} crystal planes were beginning to form at ion fluence above 2.3×1020 He+ /m2 at 700°C. The density of bubble discs increased with increasing irradiation fluence. However, growth rates were different at different of the implantation periods and temperature holding periods. The nucleation and growth of the bubble discs were attributed to be coalescence of the adjacent He vacancies and combination of loop punching and trap mutation, respectively