Nova nanosem 430

Scanning
electron microscope (SEM) images
were obtained with an FEI NovaNano SEM 430 at an accelerating voltage
of 10 kV. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared
(ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy was performed with a Thermo Scientific Nicolet
6700 FTIR spectrometer. Raman spectra were acquired using a Renishaw
inVia Raman microscope with a 100 mW 532 nm laser excitation source.
A 10% excitation power density was applied to avoid damage to the
surface. Fluorescence microscopy images were collected with a laser
scanning confocal microscope (Nikon Instrument TIRF with Ti-U system).

Deposited films of iron oxide nanoparticles on Au/Ti/Si substrates were prepared for cross sectional scanning electron microscopy (SEM), by first mounting each substrate onto a glass slide (25.4 × 25.4 mm) with double sided tape. A poly (vinyl) alcohol layer was then spin coated, with a G3P Spincoater (Speciality Coating Systems, Inc.), onto the films so the film would stay intact during cleaving for cross-sectional SEM. A 1 wt% PVA solution was prepared in water and dispensed onto the film, and was spin coated at 1,500 rpm. After spin-coating was complete, the substrates were removed from the glass slide and were cleaved and mounted on 45° stubs.
Cross-sectional SEM was performed on the deposited films with a FEI Nova NanoSEM 430 at an accelerating voltage of 5 keV. Each substrate was tilted to 45–50°. A total of 10 images were taken of each deposited film at different regions across the entire film. The acquired images were analyzed with ImageJ software, with 10 measurements of the cross-sectional thickness per image, resulting in 100 measurements per film. For each set of experimental conditions, three samples were made, resulting in 300 measurements for each experimental group.

The crystal
structures of the series of Ba_xLa_2–xCoMnO_6−δ (x = 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2) were studied by powder
X-ray diffraction (XRD, Rigaku) with Cu Kα radiation (l = 1.5406 Å) in a 2θ range of 10–90°.
The refinement of the XRD patterns was conducted with the Rietveld
refinement method using the EXPGUI interface and GSAS program. The
morphology and microstructure of the samples were characterized using
a field-emission high-resolution transmission electron microscope
(Tecnai G2 F30) and a high-resolution field-emission scanning electron
microscope (FEI Nova NanoSEM 430). High-resolution transmission electron
microscopy (HRTEM) was used to obtain high-resolution and high-angle
annular dark-field (HAADF) micrographs and corresponding energy-dispersive
spectroscopy (EDS) element mapping and also selected area electron
diffraction (SAED) patterns. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller
(BET) method within the relative pressure range P/P₀ = 0.06–0.30 was used to calculate
the specific areas. The chemical composition, nature of the perovskite
oxides, and work function measurements were studied using X-ray photoelectron
spectroscopy (XPS, PHI 5000 Versa Probe spectrometer) with Al Kα
radiation. All the peaks were calibrated with a standard C 1s spectrum
at 284.6 eV. For work function measurements, a previous approach was
applied.^{56 (link)}