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- ItemConversion of carbon dioxide into storable solar fuels using solar energy(London [u.a.] : Institute of Physics, 2019) Ennaceri, Houda; Abel, BerndNowadays, there are two main energy and environmental concerns, the first is the risk of running out of fossil fuels in the next few decades, and the second is the alarming increase in the carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere, causing global warming and rise of see levels. Therefore, solar-driven technologies represent a substantial solution to fossil fuels dependence, global warming and climate change. Unlike most scientific research, which aim to use solar energy to generate electricity, solar energy can also be harnessed by recycling the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere through high-tech artificial photosynthesis with the objective of producing storable and liquid solar fuels from CO2 and water. There are two types of solar fuels, the first being hydrogen, which can be produced by mean of water splitting processes. The combustion of hydrogen generates water, which is a completely clean option for the environment. The second type of solar fuels consists of carbon-based fuels, such as methane (CH4), carbon monoxide (CO), or alcohols such as methanol (CH3OH) and ethanol (C2H5OH). The production to liquid solar fuels liquid fuels is of great interest, since they can be used in the current industrial infrastructures such as the automobiles' sector, without substantial changes in the vehicles' internal combustion engines. Therefore, guaranteeing a smooth transition from fossil fuel energy to renewable energy without radical economic consequences. Also, and most importantly, when these solar fuels are burned, they will only release the exact amount of CO2 which was initially used, which represents an optimal process for sustainable transport.
- ItemLaser-induced surface modification of biopolymers - Micro/nanostructuring and functionalization(Bristol : IOP Publ., 2018) Stankova, N.E.; Atanasov, P.A.; Nedyalkov, N.N.; Tatchev, Dr.; Kolev, K.N.; Valova, E.I.; Armyanov, St.A.; Grochowska, K.; Śliwiński, G.; Fukata, N.; Hirsch, D.; Rauschenbach, B.The medical-grade polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer is a widely used biomaterial in medicine for preparation of high-tech devices because of its remarkable properties. In this paper, we present experimental results on surface modification of PDMS elastomer by using ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared ns-laser system and investigation of the chemical composition and the morphological structure inside the treated area in dependence on the processing parameters - wavelength, laser fluence and number of pulses. Remarkable chemical transformations and changes of the morphological structure were observed, resulting in the formation of a highly catalytically active surface, which was successfully functionalized via electroless Ni and Pt deposition by a sensitizing-activation free process. The results obtained are very promising in view of applying the methods of laser-induced micro- and nano-structuring and activation of biopolymers' surface and further electroless metal plating to the preparation of, e.g., multielectrode arrays (MEAs) devices in neural and muscular surface interfacing implantable systems.
- ItemPreparation and characterisation of carbon-free Cu(111) films on sapphire for graphene synthesis(Bristol : IOP Publ., 2018) Lehnert, J.; Spemann, D.; Surjuse, S.; Mensing, M.; Grüner, C.; With, P.; Schumacher, P.; Finzel, A.; Hirsch, D.; Rauschenbach, B.This work presents an investigation of carbon formed on polycrystalline Cu(111) thin films prepared by ion beam sputtering at room temperature on c-plane Al2O3 after thermal treatment in a temperature range between 300 and 1020°C. The crystallinity of the Cu films was studied by XRD and RBS/channeling and the surface was characterised by Raman spectroscopy, XPS and AFM for each annealing temperature. RBS measurements revealed the diffusion of the Cu into the Al2O3 substrate at high temperatures of > 700°C. Furthermore, a cleaning procedure using UV ozone treatment is presented to remove the carbon from the surface which yields essentially carbon-free Cu films that open the possibility to synthesize graphene of well-controlled thickness (layer number).
- ItemEvidence for Efficient Pathway to Produce Slow Electrons by Ground-state Dication in Clusters(Bristol : IOP Publ., 2017) You, Daehyun; Fukuzawa, Hironobu; Sakakibara, Yuta; Takanashi, Tsukasa; Ito, Yuta; Maliyar, Gianluigi G.; Motomura, Koji; Nagaya, Kiyonobu; Nishiyama, Toshiyuki; Asa, Kazuki; Sato, Yuhiro; Saito, Norio; Oura, Masaki; Schöffler, Markus; Kastirke, Gregor; Hergenhahn, Uwe; Stumpf, Vasili; Gohkberg, Kirill; Kuleff, Alexander I.; Cederbaum, Lorenz S.; Ueda, KiyoshiWe present an experimental evidence for a so-far unobserved, but potentially very important step relaxation cascades following inner-shell ionization of a composite system: Multiply charged ionic states created after Auger decay may be neutralized by electron transfer from a neighboring species, producing at the same time a low-energy free electron. This electron transfer-mediated decay (ETMD) called process is effective even after Auger decay into the dicationic ground state. Here, we report the ETMD of Ne2+ produced after Ne 1s photoionization in Ne-Kr mixed clusters.
- ItemSERS analysis of Ag nanostructures produced by ion-beam deposition(Bristol : IOP Publ., 2018) Atanasov, P.A.; Nedyalkov, N.N.; Nikov, Ru.G.; Grüner, Ch.; Rauschenbach, B.; Fukata, N.This study deals with the development of a novel technique for formation of advanced Ag nanostructures (NSs) to be applied to high-resolution analyses based on surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). It has direct bearing on human health and food quality, e.g., monitoring small amount or traces of pollutants or undesirable additives. Three types of nanostructured Ag samples were produced using ion-beam deposition at glancing angle (GLAD) on quartz. All fabricated structures were covered with BI-58 pesticide (dimethoate) or Rhodamine 6G (R6G) for testing their potential for use as substrates for (SERS).
- ItemLaser Patterning of CIGS thin Films with 1550 nm Nanosecond Laser Pulses(Amsterdam [u.a.] : Elsevier, 2016) Ehrhardt, Martin; Lorenz, Pierre; Bayer, Lukas; Zagoranskiy, Igor; Zimmer, KlausThe results of laser scribing experiments of CIGS thin films deposited on Mo-coated stainless steel sheets, using laser pulses with a wavelength of 1550 nm and a pulse duration of 6 ns, are presented in this study. It is shown that a removal of the CIGS from the Mo film is possible without edge melting of the CIGS or damaging of the Mo. The critical parameter for inducing the delamination lift-off process of the CIGS from the Mo was identified to be the scribing speed of the laser. In dependence on the laser parameters two different material removal processes were found. For a low pulse overlap the laser pulse penetrates the CIGS film and is absorbed in the interface between the CIGS and the Mo causing a lift-off process of the CIGS from the Mo back contact. For a high pulse overlap an ablation process starting from the top side of the CIGS film was found. The composition and morphology of the sample material after the laser patterning were analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and micro-Raman spectroscopy.
- ItemNanostructuring of Fused Silica Assisted by Laser-shaped Metal Triangles Using a Nanosecond Laser(Amsterdam [u.a.] : Elsevier, 2016) Lorenz, Pierre; Grüner, Christoph; Ehrhardt, Martin; Bayer, Lukas; Zimmer, KlausSelf-organized processes are of special interest for the laser-induced nanostructuring of surfaces. In this study we combined two self-organized processes: the microsphere lithography and the molten phase transformation for the nanostructuring of dielectrics. A fused silica substrate was covered with periodically ordered polystyrene (PS) spheres and the system was subsequently covered with 30 nm chromium. Afterwards the PS spheres were removed and the bare and resultant periodic Cr triangles were irradiated in two steps using a KrF excimer laser. First step: A low laser fluence treatment results in a melting and shape transformation of the triangles. Second step: A high laser fluence treatment of the pre-treated surface results in a nanostructuring of the dielectric surface (and removal of the metal). The surface topography was studied by scanning electron microscopy. Furthermore, the different steps were simulated and compared with the experimental results.
- ItemShock-wave-induced Thin-film Delamination (SWIFD): A Non-thermal Structuring Method of Functional Layers(Amsterdam [u.a.] : Elsevier, 2016) Lorenz, Pierre; Ehrhardt, Martin; Bayer, Lukas; Zimmer, KlausThe laser structuring of thermally sensitive functional layers is a challenge for laser methods. However, already ultrashort laser pulses can induce thermal modifications. The spatial separation of the laser pulse absorption from the functional layer removal process allows a non-thermal structuring process. Therefore, the rear side of the substrate is irradiated and the following laser ablation process induces a transverse shock wave through the substrate. Finally, the interaction of the shock wave with the substrate/functional layer interface results in a delamination of the functional layer. This shock-wave-induced thin-film delamination (SWIFD) method was tested on a layer system (1.5 μm thick epoxy-based negative photoresist SU 8, 250 nm–1 μm chromium layer) on a 25 μm polyimide flexible substrate where the influence of the systematic variation of the thickness of the metallic intermediate layer on the delamination process was studied. The resultant surface morphology was analyzed by optical microscopy as well as by white light interferometry (WLI).
- ItemAdvanced Electric Propulsion Diagnostic Tools at IOM(Amsterdam [u.a.] : Elsevier, 2017) Bundesmann, C.; Eichhorn, C.; Scholze, F.; Spemann, D.; Neumann, H.; Scortecci, F.; Leiter, H.J.; Holste, K.; Klar, P.J.; Bulit, A.; Dannenmayer, K.; Amo, J. Gonzalez delRecently, we have set up an Advanced Electric Propulsion Diagnostic (AEPD) platform [1], which allows for the in-situ measurement of a comprehensive set of thruster performance parameters. The platform utilizes a five-axis-movement system for precise positioning of the thruster with respect to the diagnostic heads. In the first setup (AEPD1) an energy-selective mass spectrometer (ESMS) and a miniaturized Faraday probe for ion beam characterization, a telemicroscope and a triangular laser head for measuring the erosion of mechanical parts, and a pyrometer for surface temperature measurements were integrated. The capabilities of the AEPD1 platform were demonstrated with two electric propulsion thrusters, a gridded ion thruster RIT 22 (Airbus Defence & Space, Germany, [13]) and a Hall effect thruster SPT 100D EM1 (EDB Fakel, Russia, [1], [4]), in two different vacuum facilities.
- ItemProperties of ns-laser processed polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)(Bristol : IOP Publ., 2016) Atanasov, P.A.; Stankova, N.E.; Nedyalkov, N.N.; Stoyanchov, T.R.; Nikov, R.G.; Fukata, N.; Gerlach, J.W.; Hirsch, D.; Rauschenbach, B.The medical-grade polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer is a widely used biomaterial in medicine and for preparation of high-tech devices because of its remarkable properties. In this work, we present the experimental results on drilling holes on the PDMS surface by using ultraviolet, visible or near-infrared ns-laser pulses and on studying the changes of the chemical composition and structure inside the processed areas. The material in the zone of the holes is studied by XRD, ?-Raman analyses and 3D laser microscopy in order to obtain information on the influence of different processing laser parameters, as wavelength, fluence and number of consecutive pulses on the material transformation and its modification.