<p>This paper presents reliable synthesis of germanium nanowires by the vapor-liquid-solid method using copper as an alternative catalyst to gold, the most commonly used metal. The morphological study showed long range single-crystalline germanium nanowires with diamond structure and diameters ranging from 20 nm to 80 nm and lengths in tenths of a micrometer, which was much larger than the cross-section. In an investigation of electronic properties, devices built from a thin film of nanowires were studied and the semiconductor behavior of the samples confirmed, with variable range hopping identified as the main transport mechanism. Additionally, metal-nanowire contact behavior - ohmic or with Schottky barrier - was found to depend on the metal used in the device. Therefore, the possibility of controlling current-voltage behavior combined with the good crystalline quality of the nanowires renders these nanostructures an attractive option for future electronic and optoelectronic applications.</p>

In the present study, TiO2 nanopowder was partially coated with Y2O3 precursors generated by a sol-gel modified route. The system of nanocoated particles formed an ultra thin structure on the TiO2 surfaces. The modified nanoparticles were characterized by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, Zeta potential and surface area through N2 fisisorption measurements. Bioethanol dehydration was used as a probe reaction to investigate the modifications on the nanoparticles surface. The process led to the obtainment of nanoparticles with important surface characteristics and catalytic behavior in the bioethanol dehydration reaction, with improved activity and particular selectivity in comparison to their non-coated analogs. The ethylene production was disfavored and selectivity toward acetaldehyde, hydrogen and ethane increased over modified nanoparticles.

This work focuses in optimizing setup for obtaining TiO2 thin films by polymeric precursor route due to its advantages on stoichiometric and morphological control. Precursor stoichiometry, synthesis pH, solids concentration and rotation speed at deposition were optimized evaluating thin films morphology and thickness. Thermogravimetry and RMN were applied for precursor's characterization and AFM, XRD and ellipsometry for thin films evaluation. Results showed successful attainment of homogeneous nanocrystalline anatase TiO2 thin films with outstanding control over morphological characteristics, mean grain size of 17 nm, packing densities between 57 and 75%, estimated surface areas of 90 m²/g and monolayers thickness within 20 and 128 nm.

The effect of post-polymerization treatments (MW-microwave irradiation and WB-water-bath) on the degree of conversion (DC) of three reline resins (Ufi Gel hard-U, Kooliner-K, and Tokuso Rebase Fast-T) and one denture base resin (Lucitone 550-L), submitted to two polymerization cycles (LS-short and LL-long), was evaluated by using FT-Raman spectroscopy (n = 5). The molecular weight (Mw) of the powder of all materials and of K polymerized specimens (control; MW; and WB; n = 3) was analyzed using GPC. DC data were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis test (a = .05). For control specimens, there were no significant differences between U (68%) and LL (77%) and among LL, K (81%), and T (84%). LS (92%) had the highest DC (P < 0.05). Only material K exhibited an increased DC after WB (P < 0.05). All powders had Mw from 4.0 x 10(5) to 6.5 x 10(5) and narrow Mw distributions (2.1 to 3.6). Polymerization and post-polymerization produced K specimens with Mw similar to that of K powder.

Este estudo avaliou a influência de sistemas de fotoativação no grau de conversão (GC) de sistemas adesivos por meio da análise infravermelha transformada de Fourier (FTIR). Os sistemas adesivos Single Bond (SB) e Clearfil SE Bond (CF) foram aplicados em pastilhas de brometo de potássio e fotoativados com luz halógena (XL 3000 - 630 mw/cm²) (QTH) e LED (Elipar Freelight 1 - 400 mw/cm²) por 10 s (n=8). Foram obtidos espectros de FTIR antes e imediatamente após a fotoativação, e tambem após 1 semana de armazenamento em água destilada. Calculou-se o GC comparando-se a razão entre os picos das bandas dos espectros, antes e após a fotoativação. Os resultados de GC foram submetidos à ANOVA e ao teste de Tukey (p<0,05). Para ambos os sistemas adesivos, o GC (%) obtido imediatamente após a fotoativação com LED foi inferior ao obtido utilizando-se QTH (SB/QTH: 18,7 ± 3,9; SB/LED: 13,5 ± 3,3; CF/QTH: 13,6 ± 1,9; CF/LED: 6,1 ± 1,0). Após uma semana foi observado um aumento significativo no GC de todos os grupos, porém os valores dos grupos fotoativados com LED mantiveram-se inferiores aos obtidos com QTH (SB/QTH: 51,3 ± 6,6; SB/LED: 50,3 ± 4,8; CF/QTH: 56,5 ± 2,9; CF/LED: 49,2 ± 4,9). O GC dos adesivos fotoativados com LED foi inferior ao observado após fotoativação com QTH, imediatamente após fotoativação como após 1 semana de armazenamento em água.

This study evaluated the effect of blue light emitting diode (LED) and quartz tungsten halogen (QTH) on the degree of conversion (DC) of an etch-and-rinse Single Bond adhesive system (SB) and a mixture composed of primer solution and resin bond from Clearfil SE Bond self-etching adhesive system (CB) using Fourier transform infrared analysis (FTIR). Adhesives were applied to potassium bromide pellet surfaces and FTIR analyses were performed before and after photo-activation for 10 s with either LED (Freelight 1 - 400 mw/cm²) or QTH (XL 3000 - 630 mw/cm²) light-curing units (n=8). Additional FTIR spectra were obtained from photo-activated samples stored in distilled water for 1 week. The DC was calculated by comparing the spectra obtained from adhesive resins before and after photo-activation. The results were analyzed by two-way split-plot ANOVA and Tukey's test (p<0.05). Both adhesive systems exhibited low DC (%) immediately after photo-activation (SB/QTH: 18.7 ± 3.9; SB/LED: 13.5 ± 3.3; CF/QTH: 13.6 ± 1.9; CF/LED: 6.1 ± 1.0). The DC of samples light-cured with LED was lower than DC of those light-cured with QTH, immediately after light curing and after 1 week (SB/QTH: 51.3 ± 6.6; SB/LED: 50.3 ± 4.8; CF/QTH: 56.5 ± 2.9; CF/LED: 49.2 ± 4.9). The LED curing unit used to photo-activate the adhesive resins promoted lower DC than the QTH curing unit both immediately after light curing and 1 week after storage in water.

The present paper describes the nonohmic behavior of the SnO2.MnO-based system and analyzes the influence of the sintering time and the Nb2O5 concentration on this system's electrical properties. A nonlinear coefficient of ~7 was obtained for a 0.2 mol%-doped Nb2O5 composition, which is comparable to other values reported in the literature for the ternary SnO2-based systems. A recent barrier formation model proposed in the literature to explain the nonlinear electrical behavior of SnO2-based systems is used to clarify the role of the MnO constituent in the formation of the barrier, taking into account the influence of segregated atoms, precipitated phase and oxygen species in the grain boundary region.