When Eu(3+) ions occupy Ca(2+) sites of CaMoO(4), which has a body centered tetragonal structure with inversion symmetry, only the magnetic dipole transition ((5)D(0)→(7)F(1)) should be allowed according to Judd-Ofelt theory. Even if there are a few distortions in the Eu(3+) environment, its intensity should be more than that of the electric dipole transition ((5)D(0)→(7)F(2)). We report here the opposite effect experimentally and ascribe this to the polarizability effect of the MoO(4) tetrahedron, which is neighboring to EuO(8) (symmetric environment). The contribution of the energy transfer process from the Mo-O charge transfer band to Eu(3+) and the role of Eu(3+) over the surface of the particle could be distinguished when luminescence decay processes were measured at two different excitations (250 and 398 nm). Further, the luminescence intensities and lifetimes increase significantly with increasing heat-treatment temperature of the doped samples. This is attributed to the reduction of H(2)O from the surface of the particles and a non-radiative process after heat treatment.

A thermal decomposition route with different sintering temperatures was employed to prepare non-stoichiometric nickel oxide (Ni1−δO) from Ni(NO3)2·6H2O as a precursor.

This is the first report on the critical nature of nanolattice formability of different particle size (~4-10nm) of monodispersed nickel nanoparticles. They exhibit strikingly hexagonal close-packed (hcp) nanolattices without extra forces, whenever trioctylphosphine is (one of) the surfactant(s) . This clearly establishes the unique role of nanolattice formability of trioctylphosphine. The c/a ratios are interestingly identical to those of atomic lattices. An attempt has also been made to explain them based on the balanced attractive and repulsive forces of the surfactant-generated cation-anion pairs on the surface of the nanoparticles. The present findings therefore will provide a far-reaching vista to fabrication of varieties of natural nanolattices and their understanding on applications in a new paradigm. Notes and references

We report the first thermoelectric properties of CuAgS, x = 0-0.75 nanocomposites, synthesized by using a facile polyol method. Systematic characterizations using powder XRD, Rietveld refinement of XRD, EDAX, XPS and Raman spectroscopy confirmed their single phase, hexagonal crystal structure with the space group P6/mmc, nominal elemental composition, valence states of the constituent elements and stoichiometric nature. The TEM images showing the CuS formation of nearly perfect hexagonal disk-like particles of average thickness 26.7 nm and breadth ranging in a few hundreds of nanometers with nanorods stacked from these hexagonal nanodisks (NDs) elongated along the c axis corroborate the FESEM images. Attributed to structural phase transition, an anomaly at 55 K is clearly observed in both the thermopower and Hall resistivity data. By increasing x, a systematic reduction in thermal conductivity was observed near 300 K. Consequently, a 50% enhancement in figure of merit was observed for CuAgS as compared to pure CuS at 300 K. These results therefore are expected to provide a new direction in improving ZT near 300 K.