Cuprous oxide nanoparticles (Cu 2 O-NPs) were fabricated by a simple solution-phase reduction route with a one-step reduction method. The used original chemicals were the copper sulfate and the sodium sulfite. The physicochemical properties of Cu 2 O-NPs were investigated by different methods such as XRD, Raman, SEM, and UV-Vis spectra. The results show that the molar ratio of precursors ([CuSO 4 ]/[Na 2 SO 3 ]) not only affects crystal structure and morphology but also affects the crystallinity of crystals and optical characteristics of Cu 2 O-NPs samples. The photocatalytic activity of Cu 2 O-NPs was evaluated by the removal of methylene blue (MB) aqueous solution under visible light irradiation. The result shows that good photocatalytic activity with the MB degradation is higher than 98% under visible light irradiation for 40 minutes and the rate constant of 0.11281 min ¹1 .

The NiTiO3 ceramic was synthesized in nanostructured form by citrate gel method. The phase structure, microstructure and magnetic properties of synthesized compounds were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope and vibrating sample magnetometer. Williamson–Hall plot was used to calculate the crystallite size and microstrain of sample. The XRD analysis showed the formation of rhombohedral crystal structure of synthesized powders. The crystallite size is about 35[Formula: see text]nm and microstrain is [Formula: see text]. The optical band gap was estimated from UV-Visible spectrum with value of 2.43[Formula: see text]eV. The NiTiO3 samples showed coexistence of ferroelectric and antiferromagnetic properties at room temperature.

In-Situ composite materials of graphene (Gr) and ZnO microspindle with different Gr contents (1, 2 and 5 wt.%) were prepared via a facile one-step hydrothermal route with the assistance of hexamethylenetetramine. Graphene does not affect the hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure of composite materials but strongly affects the morphological, structural, optical and photocatalytic properties of composite materials. In detail, Gr causes a decrease in both the dimensions of ZnO microspindle and photoluminescence efficiency. The average crystalline size and microstrain first increase from 28.9 nm and 0.00394 to 49.5 nm and 0.00524 when Gr content increases from 0 to 1 wt.%, respectively; then decrease to 39.6 nm and 0.00404 when Gr content increase from 1 to 5 wt.%, respectively. Both pristine and composite materials show high photocatalytic activity with high methylene blue degradation efficiency?more than 90%-just after 40 min under UV irradiation. Composite material having a Gr content of 5 wt.% shows the highest degradation efficiency of 96.5% which confirms the role of Gr in enhancing the photocatalytic activity of ZnO.

Abstract. ZnS:Mn nanoparticles were synthesized by co-precipitation method from the precursors solutions of 0.1M Zn(CH 3 COO) 2 , Na 2 S and Mn(CH 3 COO) 2 then were capped with polyvinyl pyrrolidone. The XRD patterns showed that the ZnS:Mn nanoparticles possessed the T 2 d − F43m cubic structure with the average crystallite size of several nanometers. At 300 K, the obtained photoluminescence spectra showed only a wide yellow-orange band centered at 603 nm, which should be attributed to the radiation transition of [ 4 T 1 ( 4 G)→ 6 A 1 ( 6 S)] of Mn 2+ (3d 5 ) cations in the ZnS matrix. The excitation spectra recorded at 300 K on the other hand featured a strong photoluminescence band around 344 nm, which were assigned to the near band-edge absorption transition of ZnS host lattice, in addition with three weaker bands relating to the absorption transitions of468 nm, and [ 6 A 1 ( 6 S) → 4 T 2 ( 4 G)]: 492 nm of Mn 2+ (3d 5 ) cations. It was shown that the capping affected only the intensities of emissions bands.

In this paper, we present a detailed study of the influence of the thermal treatments, doped lithium on the crystal structure of perovskite lithium-ion conductor LixCa1−xTiO3 (x = 0-0.15), ionic conductivity and vibration behavior. These samples characterized by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Raman scattering, X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and Complex impedance Spectroscopy (CIS). The results of Raman scattering have showed that Li + ion was entering into the crystal lattice. A study of ionic conductivity by CIS implied that the conductivity of LixCa1−xTiO3 increased with the increase of substituted Li + ions and reached a maximum value of about 3.8×10 −6 S/cm at x = 0.1, and then decreased for x > 0.1.