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Bismuth telluride nanoparticles (NPs) have been synthesized using a low-temperature wet-chemical approach from bismuth(III) oleate and tri-n-octylphosphine telluride. The size and shape of the NPs can be controlled by adjusting the temperature, reaction time, and nature of the surfactants and solvents. Aromatic hydrocarbons (toluene, xylenes) and ethers (phenyl- and benzyl-ether) favor the formation of stoichiometric Bi2Te3 NPs of platelike morphology, whereas the presence of oleylamine and 1-dodecanethiol yields Bi-rich Bi2Te3 spherical NPs. XRD, IR, SEM, TEM, and SAED techniques have been used to characterize the obtained products. We show that the surfactants can be efficiently removed from the surface of the NPs using a two-step process employing nitrosonium tetrafluoroborate and hydrazine hydrate. The surfactant-free NPs were further consolidated into high density pellets using cold-pressing and field-assisted sintering techniques. The sintered surfactant-free Bi2Te3 showed electrical and thermal properties comparable to Bi2Te3 materials processed through conventional solid state techniques, and greatly improved over other nanostructured Bi2Te3 materials synthesized by wet-chemical approaches.

Palladium and its alloys have high-value applications as materials for high-performance hydrogen storage, chromatographic separation of hydrogen isotopes, electrocatalysis and catalysis. These materials can be formed by chemical or electrochemical reduction in a lyotropic liquid crystalline template that constrains their growth on the nanometer scale. This approach works for a variety of metals, but Pd presents special challenges due to the autocatalytic nature of its growth, which can disrupt the template structure, resulting in disordered pores. Presented herein is a scaleable synthesis that overcomes these challenges, yielding mesoporous Pd powder having pore diameters of 7 or 13 nm. Pore size control is effected by varying the size of the molecular template, polystyrene-block-polyethylene oxide. We have used heated-stage TEM for in situ observation of the materials in vacuum and in the presence of H 2 gas, demonstrating that both pore diameter and the chemical state of the surface play important roles in determining thermal stability. Improved stability compared to previously reported examples facilitates preparation of scalable quantities of regularly mesoporous Pd that retains porosity at the elevated temperatures required for applications in hydrogen charge/discharge and catalysis.

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Effects of low-fluence swift iodine ion bombardment on the crystallization of ion-beam-synthesized silicon carbide Structural, electrical, and optical analysis of ion implanted semi-insulating InP