The kinetics of the solid-state reaction between nanolayers of polycrystalline copper and amorphous silicon (a-Si) has been studied in a Cu/a-Si thin-film system by the methods of electron diffraction and simultaneous thermal analysis (STA), including the methods of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetry (TG). It has been established that, in the solid-state reaction, two phases are formed in a sequence: Cu + Si → η″-Cu₃Si → γ-Cu₅Si. It has been shown that the estimated values of the kinetic parameters of the formation processes for the phases η″-Cu₃Si and γ-Cu₅Si, obtained using electron diffraction, are in good agreement with those obtained by DSC. The formation enthalpy of the phases η″-Cu₃Si and γ-Cu₅Si has been estimated to be: ΔH_η″-Cu3Si = −12.4 ± 0.2 kJ/mol; ΔH_γ-Cu5Si = −8.4 ± 0.4 kJ/mol. As a result of the model description of the thermo-analytical data, it has been found that the process of solid-state transformations in the Cu/a-Si thin-film system under study is best described by a four-stage kinetic model R3 → R3 → (Cn-X) → (Cn-X). The kinetic parameters of formation of the η″-Cu₃Si phase are the following: E_a = 199.9 kJ/mol, log(A, s⁻¹) = 20.5, n = 1.7; and for the γ-Cu₅Si phase: E_a = 149.7 kJ/mol, log(A, s⁻¹) = 10.4, n = 1.3, with the kinetic parameters of formation of the γ-Cu₅Si phase being determined for the first time.

The reduction of divalent nickel with hydrazine hydrate from alkaline ammonia solutions at elevated temperatures was studied. A procedure to synthesize finely divided nickel powders was proposed. The morphology of the objects obtained under various synthesis conditions was investigated by scanning electron microscopy; it was shown that both needle-like and spherical particles can form. The specific surface area of the synthesized metallic nickel powders was determined by low-temperature nitrogen adsorption to be within the range 5–20 m²/g, depending on the synthesis conditions (the concentration of the initial salt in the solution, the pH, and the temperature). X-ray powder diffraction analysis showed that all the powders are mixtures of two phases: nickel (to 99%) and nickel hydroxide. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrated that a particle of the powders consists of a nickel(0) core coated with several atomic layers of nickel hydroxide.

The effect of the aluminum layer on the kinetics and mechanism of aluminum-induced crystallization (AIC) of amorphous silicon (a-Si) in (Al/a-Si)_n multilayered films was studied using a complex of in situ methods (simultaneous thermal analysis, transmission electron microscopy, electron diffraction, and four-point probe resistance measurement) and ex situ methods (X-ray diffraction and optical microscopy). An increase in the thickness of the aluminum layer from 10 to 80 nm was found to result in a decrease in the value of the apparent activation energy E_a of silicon crystallization from 137 to 117 kJ/mol (as estimated by the Kissinger method) as well as an increase in the crystallization heat from 12.3 to 16.0 kJ/(mol Si). The detailed kinetic analysis showed that the change in the thickness of an individual Al layer could lead to a qualitative change in the mechanism of aluminum-induced silicon crystallization: with the thickness of Al ≤ 20 nm. The process followed two parallel routes described by the n-th order reaction equation with autocatalysis (Cn-X) and the Avrami–Erofeev equation (An): with an increase in the thickness of Al ≥ 40 nm, the process occurred in two consecutive steps. The first one can be described by the n-th order reaction equation with autocatalysis (Cn-X), and the second one can be described by the n-th order reaction equation (Fn). The change in the mechanism of amorphous silicon crystallization was assumed to be due to the influence of the degree of Al defects at the initial state on the kinetics of the crystallization process.

The behavior of palladium, rhodium, iridium, and platinum powders during their heating in an argon atmosphere was studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The DSC curves showed the exothermal peaks corresponding to the enlargement of the platinum group metal powders under study. Electron microscopy and XRD studies revealed that the particle size of highly disperse powders changed during the heating. Chemisorbed oxygen was removed from the powder surface above 800 K. During the heating of the mechanical mixture of highly disperse platinum and palladium powders, a solid solution formed with an exothermal effect.

Ultrafine Au-Pd and Au-Pt powders were synthesized under hydrothermal conditions, and their composition and structure were characterized.