New ambient temperature liquid calcium alkoxides, [Ca(O(CH 2 CH 2 O) 3 CH 3 ) 2 ] (1) and(3), were synthesised by reaction of ammonia-activated calcium with the appropriate alcohol. Their potentiality as stone consolidant products was investigated and compared with those of other alkoxides: [Ca(OCH 2 CH 3 ) 2 (CH 3 CH 2 OH) 4 ] (4), [Ca(OCH 3 ) 2 ] (5), [{Ca(OCH 2 CH 2 OCH 3 ) 2 } 9 ] (6), already described in the literature. Reaction of 1-3 with the atmosphere was studied, final products analysed and kinetic pathways investigated. The reaction produces CaCO 3 and the vaterite/calcite ratios observed in the coatings generated from isopropyl alcohol solutions of 1-6 were found to considerably vary with the alkoxide precursor, which has a strong influence also on the morphology of the produced films. Furthermore, their efficiency as stone consolidants was tested by ultrasound measurements.

Some new volatile bis-cyclopentadienyl zirconium alkoxides of the type Cp2Zr(OR)(OtBu) (R = iPr, Et, Me) is synthesized by the reaction of the corresponding KOR with the intermediate Cp2ZrCl(OtBu). Moreover, an alternative and convenient synthesis of Cp2Zr(OtBu)2, based on the reaction of Cp2ZrCl2 with an excess of tert-butanol and triethylamine, is reported. The obtained compds. are identified by chem. analyses, thermogravimetric measurements, IR (IR), NMR (NMR) spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry (MS). Furthermore, a crystallog. study of Cp2ZrCl(OtBu) is also reported. Cp2Zr(OtBu)2 and Cp2Zr(OiPr)(OtBu) are then used for depositing zirconia thin films of high quality and purity on Si(100) and stainless steel AISI 316 substrates by metal-organic (MO)CVD. The microstructure and compn. of the deposits are investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), while their hardness and elastic recovery on the AISI 316 substrate are measured using load-depth nano-indentation tests.The outcomes are consistent with a significant increase in the Berkovich hardness of the coated samples compared to that of bulk AISI 316

The present work was devoted to the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) investigation of the principal core levels of a Fe2O3-TiO2 system. The sample was synthesized on a glass substrate at 430°C in N2/O2 atmospheres by low-pressure metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) co-evaporating the precursors titanium(IV)isopropoxide [Ti(OiPr)4] and bis-(methylcyclopentadienyl)Fe(II) [Fe(MeCp)2] through independent sources. Beside the wide scan spectrum, detailed spectra for O 1s, Fe 2p and Ti 2p regions and related data are presented and discussed. XPS analysis revealed the presence of iron(III) and titanium(IV) oxides as the main phases, with a possible Fe2O3 segregation on the specimen surface

The coupling of zinc oxide tetrapods (t-ZnO) with anatase TiO 2 in the form of CVD coatings on ZnO nanotetrapods was investigated. t-ZnO/TiO 2 core-shell structures, consisting of uniformly and completely TiO 2 covered ZnO nanotetrapods, were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and UV-Vis spectra. Photocatalytic activity, determined by degradation of a sodium methyl red solution, was found to be comparable to pure t-ZnO, while improved separation easiness was verified that makes the presented powders promising for wastewater treatment.

Tin oxide (SnO 2 ) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures are widely studied because of their peculiar physical and chemical properties and the large number of possible application fields. Surface functionalization of these materials is a very important topic because it is a powerful tool for modifying or tuning their properties, in order to better match the device requests. For example, palladium/palladium oxide (Pd/PdO) nanoparticles are often used to enhance selectivity of chemoresistive gas sensing properties of metal-oxide nanostructures. SnO 2 nanowires and ZnO nanotetrapods have been grown on large areas by a combination of metal evaporation and controlled oxidation, while a MOCVD (Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition) process has been chosen in order to deposit Pd/PdO nanoparticles on the surface of the obtained oxide nanostructures. Samples morphology, structure and composition have been studied by means of SEM and TEM microscopy, EDS microanalysis and X-Ray diffraction. The different results, obtained as a function of the synthesis and annealing parameters, are discussed focusing the attention to the experimental conditions that allowed the authors to obtain an optimal "spotted" coverage of oxide nanostructures, which is often required for gas sensing application.