Artículos SCI

Pure A-La2Si2O7 powder has been synthesized through a spray pyrolysis method followed by calcination at 1100 degrees C for 15 h. The crystallographic structure, refined from the synchrotron powder diffraction pattern of the sample, showed tetragonal symmetry with space group P4(1), a = 6.83565(1) angstrom, and c = 24.84133(1) angstrom. The Si-29 and La-139 NMR spectra have been described here for the first time in the literature and could be simulated with four Si and four La resonances, respectively, in good agreement with the presence of four Si and four La crystallographic sites in the unit cell. The same synthesis method was 2 successful for the synthesis of Eu3+-doped A-La2Si2O7 (%Eu = 3-40). The analysis of the unit cell volumes indicated that Eu3+ replaces La3+ in the unit cell for all Eu3+ substitution levels investigated. However, anomalous diffraction data indicated that the La/Eu substitution mechanism was not homogeneous, but Eu much prefers to occupy the RE3 sites. The Eu-doped A-La2Si2O7 phosphors thus synthesized exhibited a strong orange-red luminescence after excitation at 393 nm. Lifetime measurements indicated that the optimum phosphor was that with an Eu3+ content of 20%, which showed a lifetime of 2.3 ms. The quantum yield of the latter was found to be 12% at 393 nm excitation. These experimental observations together with the high purity of the phase obtained by the proposed spray pyrolysis method make this material an excellent phosphor for optoelectronic applications.

WSex films with variable Se/W ratio were deposited by non-reactive r.f. magnetron sputtering from WSe2 target changing the applied d.c. pulsed bias conditions and substrate temperature. The structural and chemical properties were measured by cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy (X-SEM), energy dispersive analysis (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The tribological properties were measured in ambient air (RH = 30–40%) and dry nitrogen by means of a reciprocating ball-on-disk tribometer. A clear correlation was found between the Se/W ratio and the measured friction coefficient displaying values below 0.1 (in ambient air) and 0.03 (in dry N2) for ratios Se/W ≥ 0.6 as determined by electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). The results demonstrated that notable tribological results could be obtained even in ambient air (friction ≤ 0.07 and wear rate ≈10−7 mm3 Nm−1) by controlling the film microstructure and chemical composition. By incorporating carbon, wear and chemical resistance can be gained by formation of non-stoichiometric carbides and/or alloying into the defective WSex hexagonal structure. The existence of a WSe2 rich interfacial layer (either on the ball scar or embedded in the film track) was evidenced by Raman in low friction conditions. The improvement in tribological performance is therefore obtained by means of layered WSex, the formation of gradient composition from metallic W (hard) to WSe2 (lubricant) and carbon incorporation.