Interfacial distribution of Nafion ionomer thin films on nitrogen-modified carbon surfaces

吉宗 航*; Kikkawa, Nobuaki*; Yoneyama, Hiroaki*; Takahashi, Naoko*; Minami, Saori*; Akimoto, Yusuke*; Mitsuoka, Takuya*; Kawaura, Hiroyuki*; Harada, Masashi*; 山田 悟史*; et al.

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 14(48), p.53744 - 53754, 2022/11

https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.2c14574

Chemically modified carbon supports for the cathode catalyst layers of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) show considerable promise for boosting the oxygen reduction reaction. This study evaluated the ionomer distribution of Nafion ionomer thin films on nitrogen (N)-modified carbon surfaces along their depth direction. Neutron reflectivity (NR) measurements performed using the double-contrast technique with HO and DO revealed that the introduction of N functional groups to carbon thin films promoted ionomer adsorption onto the surface under wet conditions (22C, 85% relative humidity). Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations conducted to verify the origin of the robust contact between the ionomer and N-modified carbon surface revealed an ionomer adsorption mechanism on the N-modified carbon surfaces, which involved Coulomb interactions between the positively charged carbon surface and the ionomer side chains with negatively charged sulfonic acid groups. The positive surface charge, which was determined using the contents of the N functional groups estimated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, was found to be sufficient as an impetus for ionomer adsorption. This strategy involving NR measurements and MD simulations can provide insights into the solid-ionomer interfacial structures in a cathode catalyst layer and can therefore be extensively employed in studies on PEFCs.

Dynamics of radiocaesium within forests in Fukushima; Results and analysis of a model inter-comparison

橋本 昌司*; 田中 拓*; 小松 雅史*; Gonze, M.-A.*; 坂下 渉*; 操上 広志; 仁科 一哉*; 太田 雅和; 大橋 伸太*; Calmon, P.*; et al.

Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 238-239, p.106721_1 - 106721_10, 2021/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2021.106721

本研究は、福島の主に常緑針葉樹林内における放射性セシウムの移行について、複数の研究チームによるモデルを用いた解析を行い、比較を行うことで、モデルのパフォーマンスを分析したものである。また、落葉層の除去と樹木更新の2つの管理シナリオ、および落葉広葉樹林を対象とした補助シナリオについても比較、分析した。いずれのモデルも実測の放射性セシウム濃度の変化傾向などを再現できたが、事故から50年後の予測についてはばらつきが大きく、継続した調査、解析による評価が必要である。

Zeeman coupling and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction driven by electric current vorticity

藤本 純治*; 小椎八重 航*; 松尾 衛; 前川 禎通

Physical Review B, 103(22), p.L220402_1 - L220402_5, 2021/06

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.103.L220402

The Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, i.e., antisymmetric exchange interaction, combined with a Zeeman magnetic field gives rise to various magnetic states such as chiral, helical, and skyrmionic states. This interaction conventionally originates from spin-orbit coupling and thus needs somewhat heavy elements. In contrast, we here show a Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction which is driven by electric current vorticity. We also find that the vorticity acts on localized spins as a Zeeman field, which may explain a recent experiment on current-driven magnetic skyrmion creation and annihilation without an external magnetic field in a device with a notch structure in FeGe. The theory explains the control of skyrmion creation and annihilation by current direction and opens different possibilities for studies of magnetic textures by using structural settings.

Preparation, thermoelectric properties, and crystal structure of boron-doped MgSi single crystals

林 慶*; 齋藤 亘*; 杉本 和哉*; 大山 研司*; 林 好一*; 八方 直久*; 原田 正英; 及川 健一; 稲村 泰弘; 宮崎 譲*

AIP Advances (Internet), 10(3), p.035115_1 - 035115_7, 2020/03

https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5143839

MgSi is a potential thermoelectric (TE) material that can directly convert waste energy into electricity. In expectation of improving its TE performance by increasing electron carrier concentration, the element boron (B) is doped in MgSi single crystals (SCs). Their detailed crystal structures are definitely determined by using white neutron holography and single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SC-XRD) measurements. The white neutron holography measurement proves that the doped B atom successfully substitutes for the Mg site. The SC-XRD measurement confirms the B-doping site and also reveals the presence of the defect of Si vacancy (VSi) in the B-doped MgSi SCs. Regarding TE properties, the electrical conductivity, , and the Seebeck coefficient, S, decreases and increases, respectively, due to the decrease in the electron carrier concentration, contrary to the expectation. The power factor of the B-doped MgSi SCs evaluated from and S does not increase but rather decreases by the B-doping.

Performances of oscillating radial collimator for the Fermi chopper spectrometer 4SEASONS at J-PARC

中村 充孝; 神原 理*; 飯田 一樹*; 梶本 亮一; 蒲沢 和也*; 池内 和彦*; 石角 元志*; 青山 和弘*

Physica B; Condensed Matter, 551, p.480 - 483, 2018/12

BB2017-0466.pdf:0.78MB

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physb.2018.05.028

近年、磁場や圧力、高温といった特殊環境下での中性子非弾性散乱実験へのニーズが高まっており、質の高いデータを得るためには試料環境機器からの不要な散乱をできる限り低く抑える必要がある。そこで、我々はユーザーのニーズに応えるため、J-PARCのフェルミチョッパー分光器四季に特化した揺動型ラジアルコリメータを開発した。四季では比較的高い入射エネルギーを用いることから、コリメータのブレード素材に水素フリーの金属シートを採用した。このラジアルコリメータの制御システムでは、揺動スピードや揺動角等といった揺動パターンを柔軟に変更することが可能である。本稿では、新たに開発したラジアルコリメータの性能と残された課題について報告する。

Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility at the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex, 3; Neutron devices and computational and sample environments

坂佐井 馨; 佐藤 節夫*; 瀬谷 智洋*; 中村 龍也; 藤 健太郎; 山岸 秀志*; 曽山 和彦; 山崎 大; 丸山 龍治; 奥 隆之; et al.

Quantum Beam Science (Internet), 1(2), p.10_1 - 10_35, 2017/09

https://doi.org/10.3390/qubs1020010

J-PARC物質・生命科学実験施設では、中性子検出器、スーパーミラーやHeスピンフィルターなどの光学機器、及びチョッパー等の中性子デバイスが開発され、据え付けられている。また、計算環境として機器制御、データ取得、データ解析、及びデータベースの4つのコンポーネントが整備されている。また、物質・生命科学実験施設では実験に使用される様々な試料環境が利用可能である。本論文では、これらの現状について報告する。

Recent progress in the chopper spectrometer 4SEASONS at J-PARC

梶本 亮一; 中村 充孝; 稲村 泰弘; 蒲沢 和也*; 池内 和彦*; 飯田 一樹*; 石角 元志*; 中島 健次; 河村 聖子; 中谷 健; et al.

JAEA-Conf 2015-002, p.319 - 329, 2016/02

https://doi.org/10.11484/jaea-conf-2015-002

4SEASONS () is one of the three chopper spectrometers operating in MLF at J-PARC, and covers thermal neutron region ( - meV) with relaxed resolution and high flux. The repetition rate multiplication by the Fermi chopper on this short length (18 m between the source and the sample) spectrometer enables wide-band multiple-incident-energy (multi-) measurements, which proved to be useful in observing hierarchical structures in excitations over a large energy scale. On the other hand, the upgrading work of the spectrometer has been continued since the first inelastic scattering experiment in 2009. For examples, we took several measures to suppress background, installed new detectors recently, and are developing a new Fermi chopper now. In the presentation, we show examples of scientific outputs from the spectrometer which benefit from the multi- measurements, and recent or planned upgrades of the instrument.

Perturbation on hyperfine-enhanced Pr nuclear spin dynamics associated with antiferroquadrupolar order in PrVAl

伊藤 孝; 髭本 亘; 酒井 明人*; 中辻 知*; 辻本 真規*

Physical Review B, 92(12), p.125151_1 - 125151_5, 2015/09

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.92.125151

The nature of multipolar order and hyperfine-enhanced (HE) Pr nuclear spin dynamics in PrVAl was investigated using the muon spin relaxation technique. No explicit sign of time-reversal symmetry breaking was found below the multipolar order temperature K in a zero applied field as anticipated on the basis of the antiferroquadrupolar (AFQ) order picture proposed by Sakai and Nakatsuji [J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. , 063701 (2011)]. Further evidence of the nonmagnetic ground state was obtained from the observation of HE Pr nuclear spin fluctuations in the MHz scale. A marked increase in the muon spin-lattice relaxation rate (1/) was observed below 1K with decreasing temperature, which was attributed to the perturbation on the HE Pr nuclear spin dynamics associated with the development of AFQ correlations.

Feasibility demonstration of a new Fermi chopper with supermirror-coated slit package

中村 充孝; 神原 理; Krist, T.*; 篠原 武尚; 池内 和彦*; 新井 正敏; 梶本 亮一; 中島 健次; 田中 浩道; 鈴木 淳市*; et al.

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 737, p.142 - 147, 2014/02

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2013.11.019

チョッパー分光器における非弾性中性子散乱実験の効率は、複数の入射エネルギーを同時利用することで劇的に向上しうる。しかしながら、通常のチョッパーでは全ての入射エネルギーに対して実験条件を最適化することは絶対的に不可能である。我々は、この問題点を克服すべく中性子スーパーミラーを貼付したスリットパッケージを有する新型フェルミチョッパーを開発し、複数の入射エネルギーそれぞれに対して実験条件を最適化しうることを実験的に実証した。

Fabrication of poly(9,9'-dioctylfluorene)-based nano- and microstructures by proton beam writing

前吉 雄太*; 高野 勝昌*; 麻野 敦資*; 丸井 裕美*; 大道 正明*; 佐藤 隆博; 神谷 富裕; 石井 保行; 大久保 猛; 江夏 昌志; et al.

Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, 51(4R), p.045201_1 - 045201_4, 2012/04

https://doi.org/10.1143/JJAP.51.045201

A relation between the fluence and the beam-induced chemical reaction in poly(9,9'-dioctylfluorene), PFO, films has been investigated to fabricate PFO-based nano-micro structures using Proton Beam Writing, PBW. In this investigation, we observed that the cross-linking reaction in PFO occurred without a cross-linking agent using PBW. Furthermore, not only the surface morphology but also structure and shape on PFO films were changed from nano-meter to micro-meter size by controlling the fluence of proton beam irradiation on the basis of the investigation. Consequently, the structure of the arabic numbers was successful fabricated as three-dimensional PFO structures with the aspect ratio of 12 at the fluence of 3.5 10 ions/m by PBW.