The synthesis of zeolites from three samples of fly ash was carried out through a low-temperature (25-60°C) hydrothermal process with a NaOH pre-fusion treatment preceded by sonication. The results were compared with those of conventional hydrothermal syntheses. XRD and SEM investigations demonstrate that the application of ultrasonic treatment facilitates the formation of zeolites at a lower-temperature (25°C) than syntheses not preceded by sonication. No significant difference in type, temperature of crystallization, or amount of zeolites synthesized was noted between the three different samples of fly ash, implying that the chemical composition of fly ash had little influence on the zeolite product within the compositional range of these fly ash precursors. Although there appears to be a correlation between the SiO(2)/Al(2)O(3) ratio of the fly ash and the temperature of zeolite formation by conventional synthesis, no correlation was apparent when ultrasonic pre-treatment was used at low-temperatures.

A laser-induced periodic surface structure (LIPSS) has been fabricated on polycrystalline diamond by an ultrashort Ti:Sapphire pulsed laser source (λ = 800 nm, P = 3 mJ, 100 fs) in a high vacuum chamber (<10⁻⁷ mbar) in order to increase diamond absorption in the visible and infrared wavelength ranges. A horizontally polarized laser beam had been focussed perpendicularly to the diamond surface and diamond target had been moved by an automated X–Y translational stage along the two directions orthogonal to the optical axis. Scanning electron microscopy of samples reveals an LIPSS with a ripple period of about 170 nm, shorter than the laser wavelength. Raman spectra of processed sample do not point out any evident sp ² content, and diamond peak presents a right shift, indicating a compressive stress. The investigation of optical properties of fs-laser surface textured diamond is reported. Spectral photometry in the range 200/2,000 nm wavelength shows a significant increase of visible and infrared absorption (more than 80 %) compared to untreated specimens (less than 40 %). The analysis of optical characterization data highlights a close relationship between fabricated LIPSS and absorption properties, confirming the optical effectiveness of such a treatment as a light-trapping structure for diamond: these properties, reported for the first time, open the path for new applications of CVD diamond.