Paper & Patents

The grain-refinement mechanisms involved during the deposition of diamond films by direct-current plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition (DC-PACVD) were investigated as a function of the inter-electrode electric field (IEEF). As IEEF was increased from 260 to 940 V cm À1 , the local electron temperatures near the growth front increased strongly; as a result, a strong grain refinement occurred ultimately yielding ultrananocrys-talline diamond films (UNCD). Such observations were attributed to novel features of the DC-PACVD, including the electron-stimulated desorption (ESD) of the hydro-gen-terminated moieties located at the surface, and the consequently enhanced generation of bi-radical sites at the growing diamond surface.

A close encounter with reality on core-shell catalysts for fuel cells: the outstanding significance of the work is (i) suggestion of a computational methodology to design a specific combination of core and shell materials in terms of both the activity and the durability, (ii) development of a novel facile synthesis of core-shell/C electrocatalysts, and (iii) experimental validation of the design and synthesis of the core-shell/C catalysts and their performance as well as long-term stability.