Synthesis, Characterization, and Applications of Functional Materials – Thin Films and Nanostructures: Volume 1675 Symposium Held April 21-25, 2014, San Francisco, California, USA

Symposium K, 'Nanostructures, Thin Films and Bulk Oxides - Synthesis, Characterization and Applications' and Symposium RR, 'Solution Synthesis of Inorganic Functional Materials' were held April 21-25 at the 2014 MRS Spring Meeting in San Francisco, California. Oxide materials from bulk down to nanostructures are used for applications in microelectronics, communications, sensing, energy, catalysis, nanophotonics and optoelectronics. As the characteristic dimensions of oxide systems shrink into the nanometer range, there are increased technological challenges for synthesis, processing and characterization to ensure high uniformity, reproducibility and cost reduction. This symposium proceedings volume represents the recent advances in various areas of deposition, processing, characterization and integration of functional oxide materials, with particular emphasis on the relationship among the structure, composition, stability and functional properties. The papers are divided into three sections: (1) ZnO Thin Films and Nanostructures, (2) Multiferroics, Magnetism and Magnetic Materials and (3) Oxide Thin Films and Nanostructures.

Part I. ZnO Thin Films and Nanostructures: 1. Optimization of annealing conditions for ZnO-based thin films grown using MOCVD; 2. ZnO nanostructures on electrospun nanofibers by atomic layer deposition/hydrothermal growth and their photocatalytic activity; 3. Electrosynthesized polystyrene sulphonate-capped zinc oxide nanoparticles as electrode modifiers for sensing devices; 4. Effects of annealing on structural and optical properties of ZnO nanowires; 5. Electrodeposited Cu2O/ZnO heterostructures with high built-in voltages for photovoltaic applications; 6. Antibody immobilization for ZnO nanowire based biosensor application; 7. Thermal stability of post-growth-annealed Ga-doped MgZnO films grown by the RF sputtering method; 8. Emission diversity of ZnO nanocrystals with different growth temperatures; 9. Synthesis and electrical characterization of ZnO and TiO2 thin films and their use as sensitive layer of pH field effect transistor sensors; 10. Comparative study of the antimicrobial effect of different antibiotics mixed with CuO, MgO and ZnO nanoparticles in Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli cultures; 11. Effect of dopant oxidation state and annealing atmosphere on the functional properties of zinc oxide-based nanocrystalline powder and thin films; 12. The effect of oxygen defects on activity of Au/ZnO catalyst in low temperature oxidation of benzyl alcohol; 13. Synthesis of ZnxMg1-xO nanocrystals and the assessment of their antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli; Part II. Multiferroics, Magnetism, and Magnetic Materials: 14. Persistent photoconductivity in bulk strontium titanate; 15. Epitaxial growth of ferroelectric Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 layers on GaAs; 16. Multilayer BiFeO3/PbTiO3 multiferroic ceramic composites prepared by tape casting; 17. Effect of Ca and Ag doping on the functional properties of BiFeO3 nanocrystalline powders and films; 18. Magnetic and optical properties of Mn-doped SnO2 films; 19. Effect of Gd-substitution at Y-site on the structural, magnetic and dielectric properties of Y1-xGdxMnO3 (x=0, 0.05) nanoparticles; 20. Influence of substrate temperature and post annealing on morphology and magnetic properties of pulsed laser deposited Fe50-Ni50 films; Part III. Oxide Thin Films and Nanostructures: 21. Photoactivated metal-oxide gas sensing nanomesh by using nanosphere lithography; 22. Synthesis and characterization of NaNbO3 mesostructure by a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method; 23. High transmission and low resistivity cadmium tin oxide thin films deposited by sol-gel; 24. Facile one-pot synthesis of rhenium nanoparticles; 25. One-step microwave-assisted aqueous synthesis of silver-based nanoparticles functionalized by glutathione; 26. Temperature dependent electrical and dielectrics properties of metal-insulator-metal capacitors with alumina-silicone nanolaminate films; 27. Soft lithographic printing of titanium dioxide and the resulting silica contamination layer; 28. Electronic structures and optical properties of cuprous oxide and hydroxide; 29. Cobalt oxide-tungsten oxide nanowire heterostructures: fabrication and characterization; 30. Electrical properties at grain boundaries influenced by Cr3+ diffusion in SnO2.ZnO.Nb2O5-films varistor prepared by electrophoresis deposition; 31. Sol-gel synthesis of nanocrystalline Ni-ferrite and Co-ferrite redox materials for thermochemical production of solar fuels; 32. Synthesis of imprinted polysiloxanes for immobilization of metal ions; 33. Chemical solution based MoS2 thin film deposition based on dimensional reduction; 34. Organometallic synthesis of water-soluble ruthenium nanoparticles in the presence of sulfonated diphosphines and cyclodextrins.