129 I and 119 Sn Mössbauer spectroscopy , reversibility window and nanoscale phase separation in binary Ge x Se 1 x glasses
The molecular structure of the prototypical chalcogenide glass system—GexSe1 x in the 0oxo3 range, has received much scrutiny over the years. These glasses have been probed by modulated DSC, Raman scattering, Sn absorption and I emission Mössbauer spectroscopy, and neutron scattering. The I measurements utilize Te parent as a dopant in glasses, and reveal a bimodal (A, B) distribution of sites, with the site intensity ratio, IB/IA (x), tracking changes in glass structure as a function of x. At low x (o0.15) Senchains are stochastically cross-linked by Ge additive, and IB/IA (x) sharply declines with x. But at x40:15, rigid regions nucleate at the expense of floppy ones, and the ratio IB/IA (x) reverses slope to display a global maximum in the 0:20oxo0:25 range. The latter coincides with the reversibility window usually taken as signature of self-organization of these networks. At x40:26, these glasses enter a stressed-rigid elastic phase and in the 0:31oxo1 3 range nanoscale phase separate into Se-rich and Ge-rich regions. The signature of the latter is saturation of IB/IA (x) at a high value of 1.5 at x 1⁄4 13. Sn Mossbauer spectroscopy measurements independently support the picture of broken chemical order of the stoichiometric glass inferred from the I Mössbauer experiments. These observations using local probes are well correlated to Raman scattering, modulated differential scanning calorimetric and diffraction measurements. r 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. PACS: 61.40.Fs; 63.50.+x; 78.30.Ly; 76.80.+y
Intermediate phases, boson and floppy modes, and demixing of network structures of binary As-S and As-Se glasses
Binary AsxS1-x glasses are studied in modulated-DSC, Raman scattering, IR reflectance and molar volume experiments over a wide range (8% < x < 41%) of compositions. Calorimetric experiments reveal a reversibility window, which permits fixing the three elastic phases; flexible at x < 22.5%, intermediate in the 22.5% < x < 29.5% range, and stressed-rigid at x > 29.5%. Raman vibrational density of states supported by first principles cluster calculations show features of both pyramidal (PYR) [As(S1/2)3] and quasi-tetrahedral (QT) [S=As(S1/2)3] local structures. The QT unit concentrations maximize in the intermediate phase (IP) and both PYR and QT local structures contribute to the width of the IP. The IP centroid in the sulfides is shifted to lower As content x than in corresponding selenides, a feature identified with excess chalcogen partially segregating from the backbone in the sulfides, but forming part of the backbone in selenides. These ideas are corroborated by the proportionately larger free volumes of sulfides than selenides, and the absence of chemical bond strength scaling of Tg’s between As-sulfides and As-selenides. Low-frequency Raman modes (Boson modes) increase in scattering strength linearly as As content decreases from x = 20% to 8%, with a slope that is close to the floppy mode fraction in flexible glasses predicted by rigidity theory, showing that floppy modes contribute to the excess vibrations observed at low frequency, the Boson modes. Long term aging, extending from months to several years, is studied on several families of chalcogenide glasses including the Ge-Se, As-Se, Ge-P-Se and Ge-As-Se systems. Our results show all samples display sub-Tg endotherms typically 10°C to 70°C below Tg in glassy networks possessing a mean coordination number r in the 2.25 < r < 2.45 range. Special attention is given to the As-Se binary and XRD, m-DSC and Raman scattering experiments are undertaken. Two
An Ultrasensitive Analytical Method Based on Chemiluminescence Sensing Electrochemical Parallel Catalytic Reaction Event
An ultrasensitive electrochemiluminescence (ECL) method on the combination of electrochemical parallel catalytic reaction and chemiluminesence signal sensing was proposed for improving ECL analytical characteristics using vanadate(V) as a representative. Vanadate(V) could be electrochemically reduced to generate vanadate(II) which could be chemically oxidized by potassium periodate to regenerate vanadate(V) and give parallel catalytic wave effect. Then, the reduced product of potassium periodate could react with butyl-rhodamine B to emit a sensitive chemiluminescence signal. The chemiluminescence intensity was correlative with vanadate(V) concentration. The investigation on the electrochemical reaction rate constant (k0) confirmed that the speed of electrochemical reaction was faster than that of the subsequent chemiluminescence reaction. The possibility of the combination of electrochemical parallel catalytic reaction with chemiluminescence signal sensing was proved. The similar ECL behaviors could be observed at zirconia nanowires-Nafion modified electrode. Because of the separation and enrichment effect of the modified electrode on vanadate(V), the selectivity and sensitivity was further improved greatly. Based on these findings, a new concept on the combination of electrochemical parallel catalytic reaction and chemiluminesence signal sensing was proposed and an ultrasensitive ECL method for the determination of vanadate(V) was developed at zirconia nanowires-Nafion modified electrode. Under the optimum experimental conditions, the ECL intensity was linear with the concentration of vanadate(V) in the range of 2.0×10−12 mol/L–2.0×10−10 mol/L. The detection limit was 8.0×10−13 mol/L, which was more than 6 orders of magnitude lower than that observed by electrochemical current transduction for electrochemical parallel catalytic reaction at zirconia nanowires-Nafion modified electrode.