With the discovery of high-TC superconducting materials like Yttrium Barium Cupric Oxide, Bismuth Strontium Calcium Copper Oxide and Thallium Calcium Barium Copper Oxide, tremendous interest has developed over the past two years in understanding these materials as well as utilizing them in a variety of applications. The thin films of these materials are expected to play an important role in the area of microelectronics, especially for interconnects in integrated circuits, Josephson junctions, magnetic field sensors and optical detectors. Here, the authors designed a new nanocrystalline ceramic type II high-TC superconductor, Gadolinium Barium Copper Oxide (GdBaCuO/GBCO). The GBCO perovskite phase structure was prepared by the conventional solid state thermochemical reaction technique involving mixing, milling, calcination and sintering. In GBCO system, the method for controlling microstructure and superconducting state is related to oxygen content consideration because small changes in oxygen concentration can often lead to huge change in Tc. In order to show the viability of the proposed method, super-conducting powder was prepared in special furnace. The sample was analyzed by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), an indispensible non-destructive tool for structural materials characterization and quality control which makes use of the Debye-Scherrer method. The comparison of XRD results with JCPDS files confirmed the orthorhombic structure of the sample. Micro-structural features are studied using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) which revealed that its particle size is in the nanometer range. It also confirmed the calculated value of particle size from Debye Scherrer's formula. EDX plot shows the presence of all the constituents. X-ray instrumental peak broadening analysis was used to evaluate the size and lattice strain by the Williamson-Hall Plot method. * Corresponding author. V. S. Vinila et al.169

X-ray crystallography is concerned with discovering and describing the crystal structure. Hightemperature superconductivity in ceramic oxides is a new technology in which advances are occurring at a rapid pace. Here, the author describes some properties of a new nano crystalline ceramic type II superconductor, PbBaTiO. Type II superconductors are usually made of metal alloys or complex oxide ceramics. The PBT perovskite phase structure was prepared by the conventional solid state reaction technique. The sample was analyzed by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Particle size determination, SEM and EDX. The comparison of XRD results with JCPDS files confirmed the tetragonal structure of the sample with a = b ≠ c and α = β = γ = 90˚. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies revealed that its particle size was in the nanometer range. It also confirmed the calculated value of particle size from Debye Scherrer's formula. EDX spectrum shows the elements of the sample. X-ray instrumental peak broadening analysis was used to evaluate the size and lattice strain by the Williamson-Hall Plot method.

Poly(o-phenylenediamine) (PoPD) hollow spheres have been successfully synthesized by facile monomer droplet template method. The structure, morphology and electrochemical properties of the resultant PoPD hollow spheres were characterized by UV-visible, Fourier transform infra-red (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and Electrochemical impedance spectroscopic studies. The FESEM image shows the average size of the PoPD hollow spheres is nearly 950± 0.5nm. Furthermore, palladium nanoparticles (PdNs) supported on PoPD hollow spheres can be prepared, and these nanoparticles are loaded on the PoPD matrix. The resulted PdNs supported PoPD nanocomposites are immobilized on the surface of the GCE electrode. This PoPD/Pd nanocomposite modified showed a well defined anodic peak at 450mV. The oxidation of peak current was proportional to the concentration of ascorbic acid over the range of 9.9x10 -5 to 1x10 -3 M with a sensitivity of about 0.75PA.mM -1 was observed.

The high temperature superconductors are ceramic materials with layers of Copper-oxide spaced by layers containing Barium and other atoms. The Yttrium compound is somewhat unique in that it has a regular crystal structure while the Lanthanum version is classified as a solid solution. The Yttrium compound is often called the 1-2-3 superconductor because of the ratios of its constituents. Lanthanum Zirconium Yttrium Barium Calcium Copper Oxide (LaZrYBaCaCuO) was prepared by the usual solid state reaction method. In order to show the viability of the proposed method, super-conducting powder was prepared in special furnace. The sample was analyzed by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Particle size determination, SEM and EDX. The comparison of XRD results with JCPDS files confirmed the orthorhombic structure of the sample with a ≠ b ≠ c and α = β = γ = 90˚. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) studies revealed that its particle size is in the nanometer range. It also confirmed the calculated value of particle size from Debye Scherrer's formula. EDX spectrum shows the elements of the sample. X-ray instrumental peak broadening analysis was used to evaluate the size and lattice strain by the Williamson-Hall Plot method.

Crystalline Ceramic Lanthanum Zirconium Yttrium barium Calcium Copper oxide(L0.1ZY0.9BCCO)  was prepared by a high-energy ball milling process through mechanically assisted synthesis at a high temperature to acquire the desired homogeneity and phase formation. Inorder to study the optical properties like reflectivity, absorptivity, refractive index, the UV-VIS analysis of the above nonstochiometric sample was carried out. The dispersion of refractive index was analyzed by the Wemple-DiDomenico single-oscillator model.The band gap energy of the sample was elucidated from the Tauc plot. The refractive index n was calculated and  the results obtained are plotted  with the wavelength.