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Functional Amorphous Materials
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Functional Amorphous Materials

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Porous Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2021) | Viewed by 22241

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Maria Cristina Mascolo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, University of Cassino and Southern Latium, G. Di Biasio 43 Street, 03043 Cassino (FR), Italy
Interests: mesoporous materials for photocatalytic and photovoltaic applications; drug carriers based on magnetite and layered double hydroxides (LDH); crystallization of amorphous materials by thermal and hydrothermal treatments

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The development of amorphous materials with high performances has led to increasing research activity, both theoretical and experimental. The main categories of these materials include metals, thin films, organic and inorganic nonmetallic disordered structures. Their peculiar characteristics, in terms of electric, magnetic, optical and mechanical isotropy, allow their utilization in numerous and advanced applications, such as electro-photography, thin film electronics, solar cells, battery materials, photo-catalysts, optical fibers and many other areas. In relation to the category of the amorphous materials, different methods of synthesis are required, such as chemical precipitation from solution, sol-gel, fast quenching of structurally disordered liquid, gas phase reactions, subliming the gas, usually on a cold substrate, sputtering by bombardment with inert gas ions, implantation of ions into a matrix of the same element, and so on. Each method of preparation determines materials with different properties. In fact, there are no techniques able to measure, at a long range, the intricate details of the structures of amorphous materials. Moreover, theoretical studies furnish sizes of models that are too small to expect bulk properties. A less or more stability of amorphous materials can be determined by their tendency to crystallization adopting different methods such as thermal or hydrothermal treatments, implantation of ions, interaction with radiant energy and so on. To this end, it is my pleasure to invite you to submit a manuscript for this Special Issue. Full papers, communications, and reviews are all welcome.

Dr. Maria Cristina Mascolo
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Metallic Glasses
  • Polymers
  • Thin films
  • Inorganic non metallic amorphous materials
  • Electric, magnetic, optical and catalytic properties.

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 5775 KiB  
Article
New Approaches in Flexible Organic Field-Effect Transistors (FETs) Using InClPc
by María Elena Sánchez-Vergara, Leon Hamui and Sergio González Habib
Materials 2019, 12(10), 1712; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma12101712 - 27 May 2019
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3221
Abstract
Organic semiconductor materials have been the center of attention because they are scalable, low-cost for device fabrication, and they have good optical properties and mechanical flexibility, which encourages their research. Organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) have potential applications, specifically in flexible and low-cost electronics [...] Read more.
Organic semiconductor materials have been the center of attention because they are scalable, low-cost for device fabrication, and they have good optical properties and mechanical flexibility, which encourages their research. Organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) have potential applications, specifically in flexible and low-cost electronics such as portable and wearable technologies. In this work we report the fabrication of an InClPc base flexible bottom-gate/top-contact OFET sandwich, configured by the high-evaporation vacuum technique. The gate substrate consisted of a bilayer poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and indium–tin oxide (ITO) with nylon 11/Al2O3. The device was characterized by different techniques to determine chemical stability, absorbance, transmittance, bandgap, optical properties, and electrical characteristics in order to determine its structure and operational properties. IR spectroscopy verified that the thin films that integrated the device did not suffer degradation during the deposition process, and there were no impurities that affected the charge mobility in the OFET. Also, the InClPc semiconductor IR fingerprint was present on the deposited device. Surface analysis showed evidence of a nonhomogeneous film and also a cluster deposition process of the InClPc. Using the Tauc model, the device calculated indirect bandgap transitions of approximately 1.67 eV. The device’s field effect mobility had a value of 36.2 cm2 V−1 s−1, which was superior to mobility values obtained for commonly manufactured OFETs and increased its potential to be used in flexible organic electronics. Also, a subthreshold swing of 80.64 mV/dec was achieved and was adequate for this kind of organic-based semiconductor device. Therefore, semiconductor functionality is maintained at different gate voltages and is transferred accurately to the film, which makes these flexible OFETs a good candidate for electronic applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Amorphous Materials)
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16 pages, 6018 KiB  
Article
Controlled Coprecipitation of Amorphous Cerium-Based Carbonates with Suitable Morphology as Precursors of Ceramic Electrolytes for IT-SOFCs
by Grazia Accardo, Gianfranco Dell’Agli, Maria Cristina Mascolo, Luca Spiridigliozzi and Sung Pil Yoon
Materials 2019, 12(5), 702; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma12050702 - 27 Feb 2019
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2680
Abstract
To be suitable as electrolytes in intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell (IT-SOFC), ceramic precursors have to be characterized by high sintering aptitude for producing fully densified products which are needed for this kind of application. Therefore, synthesis processes able to prepare highly [...] Read more.
To be suitable as electrolytes in intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell (IT-SOFC), ceramic precursors have to be characterized by high sintering aptitude for producing fully densified products which are needed for this kind of application. Therefore, synthesis processes able to prepare highly reactive powders with low costs are noteworthy to be highlighted. It has been shown that amorphous coprecipitates based on cerium doped (and codoped) hydrated hydroxycarbonates can lead to synthesized ceramics with such desired characteristics. These materials can be prepared by adopting a simple coprecipitation technique using ammonium carbonate as precipitating agent. As a function of both the molar ratio between carbonate anions and total metallic cations, and the adopted mixing speed, the coprecipitate can be either amorphous, owning a very good morphology, or crystalline, owning worse morphology, packing aptitude, and sinterability. The amorphous powders, upon a mild calcination step, gave rise to the formation of stable solid solutions of fluorite-structured ceria maintaining the same morphology of the starting powders. Such calcined powders are excellent precursors for sintering ceramic electrolytes at low temperatures and with very high electrical conductivity in the intermediate temperature range (i.e., 500–700 °C). Therefore, irrespective of the actual composition of ceria-based systems, by providing an accurate control of both chemical conditions and physical parameters, the coprecipitation in the presence of ammonium carbonate can be considered as one of the most promising synthesis route in terms of cost/effectiveness to prepare excellent ceramic precursors for the next generation of IT-SOFC solid electrolytes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Amorphous Materials)
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18 pages, 2990 KiB  
Article
Porous Waste Glass for Lead Removal in Packed Bed Columns and Reuse in Cement Conglomerates
by Andrea Petrella, Danilo Spasiano, Marco Race, Vito Rizzi, Pinalysa Cosma, Stefania Liuzzi and Nicoletta De Vietro
Materials 2019, 12(1), 94; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma12010094 - 28 Dec 2018
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3242
Abstract
A porous waste glass (RWPG = recycled waste porous glass) was used in wastewater treatments for the removal of lead ions from single, binary, and ternary metal solutions (with cadmium and nickel ions). Experiments were performed in columns (30 cm3, 10 [...] Read more.
A porous waste glass (RWPG = recycled waste porous glass) was used in wastewater treatments for the removal of lead ions from single, binary, and ternary metal solutions (with cadmium and nickel ions). Experiments were performed in columns (30 cm3, 10 g) filled with 0.5–1 mm beads till complete glass exhaustion (breakthrough). In the case of single and binary solutions, the columns were percolated at 0.2 Lh−1 (2 mg Me+2 L−1); in the case of ternary solutions, the columns were percolated at 0.15–0.4 Lh−1 (2 mg Me2+ L−1) and with 2–5 mg Me2+ L−1 influent concentration (0.2 Lh−1). Lead ions were removed mainly by ion exchange and also by adsorption. From a kinetic point of view, the rate controlling step of the process was the interdiffusion of the lead ions in the Nernst stationary liquid film around the sorbent. The uptake of the metals and the glass selectivity were confirmed by Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis. After lead retention process, glass beads were reused as lightweight aggregates for thermal insulating and environmental safe mortars. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Amorphous Materials)
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13 pages, 13836 KiB  
Article
Hybrid Zeolite SAPO-34 Fibres Made by Electrospinning
by Angela Malara, Patrizia Frontera, Lucio Bonaccorsi and Pier Luigi Antonucci
Materials 2018, 11(12), 2555; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma11122555 - 15 Dec 2018
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 2645
Abstract
A new generation of compressor-free heat pumps based on adsorption technology and driven by solar energy is available. Performance and costs are, however, the main obstacles to their commercial diffusion, and more material and system developments are required. In this work, a new [...] Read more.
A new generation of compressor-free heat pumps based on adsorption technology and driven by solar energy is available. Performance and costs are, however, the main obstacles to their commercial diffusion, and more material and system developments are required. In this work, a new coating made of microfibres produced by the electrospinning of polymer/zeolite mixtures is presented. Three different polymer carriers, polyvinyl acetate, polyethylene oxide and polystyrene, have been used together with zeolite SAPO-34 as an adsorbing material. Electrospun microfibres showed a mean diameter ranging from 0.75 μm to 2.16 μm depending on the polymer carrier, with a zeolite content from 60 wt.% to 87 wt.%. Thermal analysis (TGA-DSC) results showed that water desorption from microfibres at T = 150 °C was close to 17 wt.%, a value in agreement with the adsorption capacity of pure SAPO-34. The morphology characterization of coatings demonstrated that the microfibre layers are highly porous and have an elevated surface area. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Amorphous Materials)
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9 pages, 3317 KiB  
Article
High-Performance Thin Film Transistor with an Neodymium-Doped Indium Zinc Oxide/Al2O3 Nanolaminate Structure Processed at Room Temperature
by Rihui Yao, Xiaoqing Li, Zeke Zheng, Xiaochen Zhang, Mei Xiong, Song Xiao, Honglong Ning, Xiaofeng Wang, Yuxiang Wu and Junbiao Peng
Materials 2018, 11(10), 1871; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma11101871 - 01 Oct 2018
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3473
Abstract
In this work, a high-performance thin film transistor with an neodymium-doped indium zinc oxide (Nd:IZO) semiconductor via a room temperature approach and adopting the Nd:IZO/Al2O3 nanolaminate structure was investigated. The effects of the ultrathin Al2O3 layer and [...] Read more.
In this work, a high-performance thin film transistor with an neodymium-doped indium zinc oxide (Nd:IZO) semiconductor via a room temperature approach and adopting the Nd:IZO/Al2O3 nanolaminate structure was investigated. The effects of the ultrathin Al2O3 layer and the thickness of Nd:IZO layer in the nanolaminate structure on the improvement of electrical performance and stability of thin film transistors (TFTs) were systematically studied. Besides the carrier movement confined along the near-channel region, driven by the Al2O3 layer under an electrical field, the high performance of the TFT is also attributed to the high quality of the 8-nm-thick Nd:IZO layer and the corresponding optimal Nd:IZO/Al2O3 interface, which reduce the scattering effect and charge trapping with strong M–O bonds in bulk and the back-channel surface of Nd:IZO, according to the X-ray reflectivity (XRR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and micro-wave photo conductivity decay (μ-PCD) results. As a result, the Nd:IZO/Al2O3 TFT exhibits an outstanding performance, with a high μsat of 32.7 cm2·V−1·s−1, an Ion/Ioff of 1.9 × 108, and a low subthreshold swing (SS) value of 0.33 V·dec−1, which shows great potential for the room temperature fabrication of TFTs in high-resolution or high-frame-rate displays by a scalable, simple, and feasible approach. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Amorphous Materials)
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8 pages, 1417 KiB  
Article
Electrical Performance and Reliability Improvement of Amorphous-Indium-Gallium-Zinc-Oxide Thin-Film Transistors with HfO2 Gate Dielectrics by CF4 Plasma Treatment
by Ching-Lin Fan, Fan-Ping Tseng and Chiao-Yuan Tseng
Materials 2018, 11(5), 824; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma11050824 - 17 May 2018
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 6027
Abstract
In this work, amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide thin-film transistors (a-IGZO TFTs) with a HfO2 gate insulator and CF4 plasma treatment was demonstrated for the first time. Through the plasma treatment, both the electrical performance and reliability of the a-IGZO TFT with HfO [...] Read more.
In this work, amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide thin-film transistors (a-IGZO TFTs) with a HfO2 gate insulator and CF4 plasma treatment was demonstrated for the first time. Through the plasma treatment, both the electrical performance and reliability of the a-IGZO TFT with HfO2 gate dielectric were improved. The carrier mobility significantly increased by 80.8%, from 30.2 cm2/V∙s (without treatment) to 54.6 cm2/V∙s (with CF4 plasma treatment), which is due to the incorporated fluorine not only providing an extra electron to the IGZO, but also passivating the interface trap density. In addition, the reliability of the a-IGZO TFT with HfO2 gate dielectric has also been improved by the CF4 plasma treatment. By applying the CF4 plasma treatment to the a-IGZO TFT, the hysteresis effect of the device has been improved and the device’s immunity against moisture from the ambient atmosphere has been enhanced. It is believed that the CF4 plasma treatment not only significantly improves the electrical performance of a-IGZO TFT with HfO2 gate dielectric, but also enhances the device’s reliability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Amorphous Materials)
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