Pure BiFeO₃ (BFO) and doped Bi_0.9La_0.1FeO₃ (BLFO) thin films were prepared on Pt/TiO₂/SiO₂/Si substrates by a modified sol–gel technique using a separate hydrolysis procedure. The effects of final crystallization temperature and La doping on the phase structure, film morphology, and nanoscale piezoelectric properties were investigated. La doping and higher crystallization temperature lead to an increase in the grain size and preferred (102) texture of the films. Simultaneously, a decrease in the average effective piezoelectric coefficient (about 2 times in La-doped films) and an increase in the area of surface non-polar phase (up to 60%) are observed. Phase separation on the films’ surface is attributed to either a second phase or to a non-polar perovskite phase at the surface. As compared with undoped BFO, La-doping leads to an increase in the average grain size and self-polarization that is important for future piezoelectric applications. It is shown that piezoelectric activity is directly related to the films’ microstructructure, thus emphasizing the role of annealing conditions and La-doping that is frequently used to decrease the leakage current in BFO-based materials.

Herein we report on the synthesis and the effects of gradual loading of TiO₂ nanotube array layers with ZnO upon surface wettability. Two-step preparation was chosen, where TiO₂ nanotube layers, grown in a first instance by anodization of a Ti foil, were gradually loaded with controlled amounts of ZnO using the reactive RF magnetron sputtering. After crystallization annealing, the formerly amorphous TiO₂ nanotubes were converted to predominantly anatase crystalline phase, as detected by XRD measurements. The as-prepared nanotubes exhibited a well-aligned columnar structure, 1.6 μm long and 88 nm in diameter, and a small concentration of oxygen vacancies. Ti²⁺ and Ti³⁺ occur along with the Ti⁴⁺ state upon sputter-cleaning the layer surfaces from contaminants. The Ti²⁺ and Ti³⁺ signals diminish with gradual ZnO loading. As demonstrated by the VB-XPS data, the ZnO loading is accompanied by a slight narrowing of the band gap of the materials. A combined effect of material modification and surface roughness was taken into consideration to explain the evolution of surface super-hydrophilicity of the materials under UV irradiation. The loading process resulted in increasing surface wettability with approx. 33%, and in a drastic extension of activation decay, which clearly points out to the effect of ZnO-TiO₂ heterojunctions.

The spectroscopic behavior of Sm3+ ions is investigated in monoactivated and coactivated (with cerium) glasses obtained by the direct sol-gel-glass transition. It is shown that the majority of the Sm3

The current paper uses neural network modeling and a genetic algorithm to determine the values of technological parameters that ensure effective laser cleaving of quartz glass when exposed to a laser beam with a wavelength equal to 10.6 µm and a refrigerant. Multi-criteria optimization of laser cleaving of quartz plates was performed according to the criteria of maximum tensile stresses and maximum processing speed.

The iconographic heritage is one of the treasures of Byzantine art that have enriched the south of Italy, and Sicily in particular, since the early 16th century. In this work, the investigations of a Sicilian Icon of Greek-Byzantine origin, the Madonna dell’Elemosina, is reported for the first time. The study was carried out using mainly non-invasive imaging techniques (photography in reflectance and grazing visible light, UV fluorescence, infrared reflectography, radiography, and computed tomography) and spectroscopic techniques (X-ray fluorescence and infrared spectroscopy). The identification of the constituent materials provides a decisive contribution to the correct historical and artistic placement of the Icon, a treasure of the Eastern European historical community in Sicily. Some hidden details have also been highlighted. Most importantly, the information obtained enables us to define its conservation state, the presence of foreign materials, and to direct its protection and restoration.