InP quantum dots (QDs) have attracted researchers’ interest due to their applicability in quantum dot light-emitting displays (QLED) or biomarkers for detecting cancers or viruses. The surface or interface control of InP QD core/ shell has substantially increased quantum efficiency, with a quantum yield of 100% reached by introducing HF to inhibit oxide generation. In this study, we focused on the control of bandgap energy of quantum dots by changing the Zn/(In+Zn) ratio in the In(Zn)P core. Zinc incorporation can change the photoluminescent light colors of green, yellow, orange, and red. Diluting a solution of as-synthesized QDs by more than 100 times did not show any quenching effects by the Förster resonance energy transfer phenomenon between neighboring QDs.

Amorphous In-Ga-Zn-O (a-IGZO) thin film transistors (TFTs) with a coplanar structure were fabricated to investigate the feasibility of their potential application in large size organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). Drain currents, used as functions of the gate voltages for the TFTs, showed the output currents had slight differences in the saturation region, just as the output currents of the etch stopper TFTs did. The maximum difference in the threshold voltages of the In-Ga-Zn-O (a-IGZO) TFTs was as small as approximately 0.57 V. After the application of a positive bias voltage stress for 50,000 s, the values of the threshold voltage of the coplanar structure TFTs were only slightly shifted, by 0.18 V, indicative of their stability. The coplanar structure TFTs were embedded in OLEDs and exhibited a maximum luminance as large as 500 nits, and their color gamut satisfied 99 % of the digital cinema initiatives, confirming their suitability for large size and high resolution OLEDs. Further, the image density of large-size OLEDs embedded with the coplanar structure TFTs was significantly enhanced compared with OLEDs embedded with conventional TFTs.

Lead-free perovskite ceramics, which have excellent energy storage capabilities, are attracting attention owing to their high power density and rapid charge-discharge speed. Given that the energy-storage properties of perovskite ceramic capacitors are significantly improved by doping with various elements, modifying their chemical compositions is a fundamental strategy. This study investigated the effect of Zn doping on the microstructure and energy storage performance of potassium sodium niobate (KNN)-based ceramics. Two types of powders and their corresponding ceramics with compositions of (1-x)(K,Na)NbO3-xBi(Ni2/3Ta1/3)O3 (KNN-BNT) and (1-x)(K,Na)NbO3-xBi(Ni1/3Zn1/3Ta1/3) O3 (KNN-BNZT) were prepared via solid-state reactions. The results indicate that Zn doping retards grain growth, resulting in smaller grain sizes in Zn-doped KNN-BNZT than in KNN-BNT ceramics. Moreover, the Zn-doped KNNBNZT ceramics exhibited superior energy storage density and efficiency across all x values. Notably, 0.9KNN-0.1BNZT ceramics demonstrate an energy storage density and efficiency of 0.24 J/cm3 and 96%, respectively. These ceramics also exhibited excellent temperature and frequency stability. This study provides valuable insights into the design of KNNbased ceramic capacitors with enhanced energy storage capabilities through doping strategies.

The effects of annealing on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Al–Zn–Mg–Cu–Si alloys fabricated by high-energy ball milling (HEBM) and spark plasma sintering (SPS) were investigated. The HEBM-free sintered alloy primarily contained Mg2Si, Q-AlCuMgSi, and Si phases. Meanwhile, the HEBM-sintered alloy contains Mg-free Si and θ-Al2Cu phases due to the formation of MgO, which causes Mg depletion in the Al matrix. Annealing without and with HEBM at 500oC causes partial dissolution and coarsening of the Q-AlCuMgSi and Mg2Si phases in the alloy and dissolution of the θ-Al2Cu phase in the alloy, respectively. In both alloys, a thermally stable α-AlFeSi phase was formed after long-term heat treatment. The grain size of the sintered alloys with and without HEBM increased from 0.5 to 1.0 μm and from 2.9 to 6.3 μm, respectively. The hardness of the sintered alloy increases after annealing for 1 h but decreases significantly after 24 h of annealing. Extending the annealing time to 168 h improved the hardness of the alloy without HEBM but had little effect on the alloy with HEBM. The relationship between the microstructural factors and the hardness of the sintered and annealed alloys is discussed.

본 연구는 해양산업시설에서 배출되는 위험·유해물질(Hazardous and Noxious Substances) 중 아연을 대상으로 국내 서식종을 기반 으로 한 독성시험을 수행하고, 그 결과를 활용하여 국내 실정에 맞는 아연의 해양 수질 준거치(Marine Water Quality Criteria)를 제안하였다. 시험생물은 국내 연근해에 분포하고 산업적으로 유용하며, 표준 시험방법이 존재하는 종을 우선으로 5개의 분류군(Algae, Rotifer, Crustacean, Mollusc, Fish)의 총 10종을 선정하여 독성시험을 수행하였으며, 급·만성비(Acute-Chronic Ratio) 산출을 위하여 무척추동물, 어류 분류군에 대한 만성독성시험을 수행하였다. 국내종 독성시험에서 산출된 독성값을 활용한 수질준거치는 US EPA의 CCC (Criterion Continuous Concentration) 산출 기준으로 9.56 ㎍/L, 호주/뉴질랜드의 산출 기준으로 15.50 ㎍/L 로 나타나 호주/뉴질랜드에서 권고하는 기준인 14.40 ㎍/L 와 유사하였다. US EPA 및 호주/뉴질랜드는 자국의 생태독성 데이터베이스(US EPA Ecotox Database, Australasian Ecotoxicology Database)를 보유하고, 신뢰도 높은 독성값들을 생성하여 수질 기준 및 산출 기준을 갱신하고 있다. 한편, 국내에서는 국내종 기반 급성 독 성값을 적용하고 있지만, 중요한 산출 지표인 급·만성비는 US EPA 또는 유럽의 결과값을 활용하여 해양 수질 준거치를 산출하고 있으며, 국내의 생태독성 자료 또한 제한적인 실정이다. 따라서, 국내 해양 서식종을 기반으로 한 지속적인 독성시험과 준거치 설정 체계를 확보하 여 국내 해양생물과 생태계를 보호할 수 있는 해양 수질 준거치 도출이 필요할 것으로 판단된다.

중금속은 생체 내에서 분해되지 않고 장기간에 걸쳐 축적되는 특성으로 도시의 생물 다양성을 위협하는 위험한 오염물질 중 하나이다. 도시지역의 대기 중 중금속오염을 평가하기 위해 중금속 노출 정도에 따라 생물 체내의 축적농도 를 비교하는 생물학적 모니터링의 필요성이 요구되고 있다. 본 연구는 중금속 모니터링 시료로서 둥지 재료의 활용 가능성을 검토하고 중금속이 박새과 조류에 미치는 영향을 파악하기 위해 수행되었다. 연구지역은 충청남도 천안시 소재 대학교 캠퍼스 내 녹지공간(14개), 도시산림(11개), 도시공원(29개)으로 총 54개의 인공새집이 설치되었다. 조류 이용률은 도시공원 6/29개(20.68%), 캠퍼스 내 녹지공간 11/14개(78.57%), 도시산림 8/11개(72.72%)로 나타났다. 수거한 둥지로부터 이끼 재료를 채취하였고 중금속 분석을 통하여 도시녹지 유형별 중금속축적특성과 중금속이 박새과 조류의 이소 성공 여부에 미치는 영향을 비교하였다. 분석결과 아연의 평균 농도는 228.08±209.62㎍/dry g, 납의 평균 농도는 17.67±6.72㎍/dry g로 나타났다. 도시녹지 유형별 아연농도는 유의한 차이를 나타내지 않았으나(Kruskal- Wallis test, p-value=0.28) 납 농도는 유의한 차이를 보였다(Kruskal-Wallis test, p<0.05*). 중금속 분석을 진행한 21개 의 박새과 조류 둥지 중 11개(52.38%)의 둥지에서 조류의 이소가 관찰되었다. 각 도시녹지 유형에서 관찰된 조류의 이소는 캠퍼스 내 녹지공간 7개(77.78%), 도시산림 6개(85.71%), 도시공원 1개(20%)로 주로 도시산림과 캠퍼스 내 녹지공간에서 이소가 확인되었다. 박새과 조류의 이소 성공 여부에 중금속 축적특성이 미치는 영향을 확인하기 위해 중금속 농도를 비교하였으나 통계적으로 유의한 차이는 나타나지 않았다(Zn : W=44, p-value=0.74, Pb : t=0.64676, df =7.2422, p-value =0.54). 본 연구는 박새과 둥지 재료를 중금속 모니터링 시료로 사용한 기초 연구로 비침습적인 생물학적 모니터링의 기초자료로 활용될 수 있을 것으로 판단된다.

The Cu2ZnSn(SxSe1-x)4 (CZTSSe) absorbers are promising thin film solar cells (TFSCs) materials, to replace existing Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) and CdTe photovoltaic technology. However, the best reported efficiency for a CZTSSe device, of 13.6 %, is still too low for commercial use. Recently, partially replacing the Zn2+ element with a Cd2+element has attracting attention as one of the promising strategies for improving the photovoltaic characteristics of the CZTSSe TFSCs. Cd2+ elements are known to improve the grain size of the CZTSSe absorber thin films and improve optoelectronic properties by suppressing potential defects, causing short-circuit current (Jsc) loss. In this study, the structural, compositional, and morphological characteristics of CZTSSe and CZCTSSe thin films were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF), and Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), respectively. The FE-SEM images revealed that the grain size improved with increasing Cd2+ alloying in the CZTSSe thin films. Moreover, there was a slight decrease in small grain distribution as well as voids near the CZTSSe/Mo interface after Cd2+ alloying. The solar cells prepared using the most promising CZTSSe absorber thin films with Cd2+ alloying (8 min. 30 sec.) exhibited a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 9.33 %, Jsc of 34.0 mA/cm2, and fill factor (FF) of 62.7 %, respectively.

리튬-이온 전지 기술의 발전과 함께 다량의 리튬 사용에 따라 리튬-이온 전지에 대한 수요와 공급의 균형이 무너지고 있으며, 따라서 리튬을 대체할 수 있는 차세대 이차 전지의 개발이 필요해지고 있다. 최근 친환경적이며, 값싸며 안전 하고, 다가의 전자를 활용할 수 있는 아연 이온을 활용하는 수계 아연-이온 전지가 주목받고 있다. 그럼에도 불구하 고 아연-이온 전지에 사용될 수 있는 전류 집전체에 대한 개발 연구는 거의 없으며, 특히 현재 사용되고 있는 금속 기반의 전류 집전체는 그 무게가 무거워 실용적으로 사용되기 힘들다. 본 연구에서는 접착 특성이 매우 우수한 키틴 바인더를 사용하여 집전체 없이 지탱이 가능한 전극을 개발하였으며 아연-이온 전지에서의 그 특성을 평가하였다. 전 극 제조는 전통적인 코팅법과 스핀 코팅법을 사용하여 비교하였으며, 스핀 코팅이 더 균일한 전극 형성과 함께 더 우 수한 배터리 성능을 나타냄을 확인하였다.

One of the promising supercapacitors for next-generation energy storage is zinc-ion hybrid supercapacitors. For the anode materials of the hybrid supercapacitors, three-dimensional (3D) graphene frameworks are promising electrode materials for electrochemical capacitors due to their intrinsic interconnectivity, excellent electrical conductivity, and high specific surface area. However, the traditional route by which 3D graphene frameworks are synthesized is energy- and time-intensive and difficult to apply on a large scale due to environmental risks. Here, we describe a simple, economical, and scalable method of fabricating grafoil (GF) directly into a graphite–graphene architecture. Both synthesizing of a porous structure and functionalization with interconnected graphene sheets can be simultaneously achieved using electrochemically modified graphite. The resultant graphite electrode provides a high capacitance of 140 mF/cm2 at 1 mA/cm2, 3.5 times higher than that of pristine grafoil, keeping 60.1% of its capacitance when the current density increases from 1 to 10 mA/cm2. Thus, the method to produce 3D graphene-based electrodes introduced in the current study is promising for the applications of energy storage devices.

Magnesium-antimonide is a well-known zintl phase thermoelectric material with low band gap energy, earthabundance and characteristic electron-crystal phonon-glass properties. The nominal composition Mg3.8-xZnxSb2 (0.00 ≤ x ≤ 0.02) was synthesized by controlled melting and subsequent vacuum hot pressing method. To investigate phase development and surface morphology during the process, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were carried out. It should be noted that an additional 16 at. % Mg must be added to the system to compensate for Mg loss during the melting process. This study evaluated the thermoelectric properties of the material in terms of Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity from the low to high temperature regime. The results demonstrated that substituting Zn at Mg sites increased electrical conductivity without significantly affecting the Seebeck coefficient. The maximal dimensionless figure of merit achieved was 0.30 for x = 0.01 at 855 K which is 30% greater than the intrinsic value. Electronic flow properties were also evaluated and discussed to explain the carrier transport mechanism involved in the thermoelectric properties of this alloy system.

ZnO nanosheets have been used for many devices and antibacterial materials with wide bandgap and high crystallinity. Among the many methods for synthesizing ZnO nanostructures, we report the synthesis of ZnO/Zn(OH)2 nanosheets using the ionic layer epitaxy method, which is a newly-developed bottom-up technique that allows the shape and thickness of ZnO/Zn(OH)2 nanosheets to be controlled by temperature and time of synthesis. Results were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The physical and chemical information and structural characteristics of ZnO/ Zn(OH)2 nanosheets were compared by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction patterns after various posttreatment processes. The crystallinity of the ZnO/Zn(OH)2 nanosheets was confirmed using scanning transmission electron microscopy. This study presents details of the control of the size and thickness of synthesized ZnO/Zn(OH)2 nanosheets with atomic layers.

In the flux used in the batch galvanizing process, the effect of the component ratio of NH₄Cl to ZnCl₂ on the microstructure, coating adhesion, and corrosion resistance of Zn-Mg-Al ternary alloy-coated steel is evaluated. Many defects such as cracks and bare spots are formed inside the Zn-Mg-Al coating layer during treatment with the flux composition generally used for Zn coating. Deterioration of the coating property is due to the formation of AlClx mixture generated by the reaction of Al element and chloride in the flux. The coatability of the Zn-Mg-Al alloy coating is improved by increasing the content of ZnCl2 in the flux to reduce the amount of chlorine reacting with Al while maintaining the flux effect and the coating adhesion is improved as the component ratio of NH4Cl to ZnCl2 decreases. Zn-Mg-Al alloy-coated steel products treated with the optimized flux composition of NH₄Cl•3ZnCl₂ show superior corrosion resistance compared to Zn-coated steel products, even with a coating weight of 60 %.

The Mn-Zn ferrite powders were prepared by high energy ball milling, then compacted and sintered at various temperatures to assess their sintering behavior and magnetic properties. The initial ferrite powders were spherical in shape with the size of approximately 70 m. After 3 h of ball milling at 300 rpm, aggregated powders ~230 nm in size and composed of ~15 nm nanoparticles were formed. The milled powders had a density of ~70 % when compacted at 490 MPa for 3 min. In the samples subsequently sintered at 1,273 K ~ 1,673 K for 3 h, the MnZnFe2O4 phase was detected. The density of the sintered samples had a tendency to increase with increasing sintering temperature up to 1,473 K, which produced the highest density of 98 %. On the other hand, the sample sintered at 1,373 K had the highest micro-hardness of approximately 610 Hv, which is due to much finer grains.

본 연구에서는 방사성동위원소 추적자 실험을 통해서 산화아연 또는 두 종류의 은나노물질로 오염시킨 토양에서 지렁이 (Eisenia fetida)의 금속축적과 제거율을 비교하였고, 이들을 이온상의 Ag와 Zn으로 처리한 대조구와 비교하였다. 추가적으로 토양의 금속을 다단계추출법 (sequential extraction method)을 이용하여 금속의 결합 형태로부터 생물이용도 (bioavailability)를 예측하고 실제 생물축적 (BAF, bioaccumulation factor)과 비교하였다. ZnO 처리구의 BAF (0.06)는 아연이온 처리구 BAF (1.86)보다 31배 낮았는데, 이는 토양에서 ZnO의 생물전이가 매우 낮음을 제시해 준다. 한편, 은의 BAF는 금속의 오염 형태에에 무관 하게 0.11~0.17의 범위를 보였다. 다단계추출법을 통해서 아연이온 처리구의 아연은 토양에 비교적 약한 결합을 하 는 형태 (mobile fraction)에 35% 분포하여 아연이온처리구 값 (<20%)보다 높았고, 이는 전자의 더 높은 BAF와 일치 한다. 하지만, ZnO 처리구의 다단계추출은 생물이용도나 BAF를 잘 예측하지 못했으며 이는 ZnO가 토양에서 아연 이온과 지화학적으로 다른 거동을 하기 때문으로 추정된다. 지렁이 체내에 축적된 은의 제거율 (3.2~3.8% d-1)은 아연의 제거율 (1.2~1.7% d-1)보다 2~3배 더 높았다

In the recent years, thin film solar cells (TFSCs) have emerged as a viable replacement for crystalline silicon solar cells and offer a variety of choices, particularly in terms of synthesis processes and substrates (rigid or flexible, metal or insulator). Among the thin-film absorber materials, SnS has great potential for the manufacturing of low-cost TFSCs due to its suitable optical and electrical properties, non-toxic nature, and earth abundancy. However, the efficiency of SnS-based solar cells is found to be in the range of 1 ~ 4 % and remains far below those of CdTe-, CIGS-, and CZTSSe-based TFSCs. Aside from the improvement in the physical properties of absorber layer, enormous efforts have been focused on the development of suitable buffer layer for SnS-based solar cells. Herein, we investigate the device performance of SnS-based TFSCs by introducing double buffer layers, in which CdS is applied as first buffer layer and ZnMgO films is employed as second buffer layer. The effect of the composition ratio (Mg/(Mg+Zn)) of RF sputtered ZnMgO films on the device performance is studied. The structural and optical properties of ZnMgO films with various Mg/(Mg+Zn) ratios are also analyzed systemically. The fabricated SnS-based TFSCs with device structure of SLG/Mo/SnS/CdS/ZnMgO/AZO/Al exhibit a highest cell efficiency of 1.84 % along with open-circuit voltage of 0.302 V, short-circuit current density of 13.55 mA cm−2, and fill factor of 0.45 with an optimum Mg/(Mg + Zn) ratio of 0.02.

Effects of Sc addition on microstructure, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity and mechanical properties of the as-cast and as-extruded Al-2Zn-1Cu-0.3Mg-xSc (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5 wt%) alloys are investigated. The average grain size of the as-cast Al-2Zn-1Cu-0.3Mg alloy is 2,334 μm; however, this value drops to 914 and 529 μm with addition of Sc element at 0.25 wt% and 0.5 wt%, respectively. This grain refinement is due to primary Al3Sc phase forming during solidification. The as-extruded Al-2Zn-1Cu-0.3Mg alloy has a recrystallization structure consisting of almost equiaxed grains. However, the asextruded Sc-containing alloys consist of grains that are extremely elongated in the extrusion direction. In addition, it is found that the proportion of low-angle grain boundaries below 15 degree is dominant. This is because the addition of Sc results in the formation of coherent and nano-scale Al3Sc phases during hot extrusion, inhibiting the process of recrystallization and improving the strength by pinning of dislocations and the formation of subgrain boundaries. The maximum values of the yield and tensile strength are 126 MPa and 215 MPa for the as-extruded Al-2Zn-1Cu-0.3Mg-0.25Sc alloy, respectively. The increase in strength is probably due to the existence of nano-scale Al3Sc precipitates and dense Al2Cu phases. Thermal conductivity of the as-cast Al-2Zn-1Cu-0.3Mg-xSc alloy is reduced to 204, 187 and 183 W/MK by additions of elemental Sc of 0, 0.25 and 0.5 wt%, respectively. On the other hand, the thermal conductivity of the as-extruded Al-2Zn-1Cu-0.3Mg-xSc alloy is about 200 W/Mk regardless of the content of Sc. This is because of the formation of coherent Al3Sc phase, which decreases Sc content and causes extremely high electrical resistivity.