Gediminas Niaura

Center for Physical Sciences and Technology | CPST · Organic Chemistry

Laser ablation of a bulk graphite target in water using femtosecond laser pulses (pulse width ≤ 190 fs) was performed to investigate the synthesis of polyynes and carbon-based nanomaterials and compare them with the well-studied cases of longer pulse (picosecond or nanosecond) ablations. The laser ablation products were characterized using UV-vis a...

Generation of hybrid gold-silver nanoparticles from different metal ratios by thermal heating thin metal films on a glass surface with a nanosecond pulsed laser is presented. The optical properties of obtained nanoparticles are dependent on localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), which can be tuned in the range of 400–530 nm by varying the rati...

Nitrogen-doped activated carbons with controlled micro- and mesoporosity were obtained from wood and wastes via chemical processing using pre-treatment (pyrolysis at 500 °C and hydrothermally carbonization at 250 °C) and evaluated as oxygen reduction catalysts for further application in fuel cells. The elemental and chemical composition, structure...

Magneto-plasmonic nanoparticles were fabricated using a 1064 nm picosecond-pulsed laser for ablation of Fe/Au and Fe/Au/Fe composite thin films in acetone. Nanoparticles were characterized by electron microscopy, ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) absorption, and Raman spectroscopy. Hybrid nanoparticles were arranged on an aluminum substrate by a magneti...

This study focuses on fabricating cobalt particles deposited on graphitic carbon nitride (Co/gCN) using annealing, microwave-assisted and hydrothermal syntheses, and their employment in hydrogen and oxygen evolution (HER and OER) reactions. Composition, surface morphology, and structure were examined using inductively coupled plasma optical emissio...

Tethered bilayer lipid membranes (tBLMs) are increasingly used in biosensor applications where electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is the method of choice for amplifying and recording the activity of membrane-damaging agents such as pore-forming toxins or disrupting peptides. While the activity of these biological agents may depend on the...

Water-assisted ultrashort laser pulse processing of semiconductor materials is a promising technique to diminish heat accumulation and improve process quality. In this study, we investigate femtosecond laser ablation of deep trenches in GaAs, an important optoelectronic material, using water and ambient air environments at different laser processin...

Providing a 3D environment that mimics the native extracellular matrix is becoming increasingly important for various applications such as cell function studies, regenerative medicine, and drug discovery. Among the most critical parameters to consider are the scaffold's complicated micro-scale geometry and material properties. Therefore, stereolith...

Tethered bilayer lipid membranes (tBLMs) are versatile platforms for the analysis of biochemical and biophysical processes at biological membranes. To control the stability and functional properties of these artificial constructions, molecular-level knowledge on the organization and structure is required. We used surface-enhanced infrared absorptio...

Raman spectroscopic study of poly(N-methylaniline) as a thin layer deposited at a electrode was performed in an electrochemical system. A broad range of Raman excitation wavelengths from UV (325 nm) through blue (442 nm) and red (633 nm) to NIR (785 nm) were used. Two limiting redox forms, a reduced (leucoemeraldine) and a fully oxidized one, were...

In this research, Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) particles were successfully fabricated via the molten salt approach from the copper, zinc and tin sulphides as raw precursors. SEM analysis revealed that CZTS particles are tetragonal-shaped with sharp edges, smooth flat plane morphology, and crystal size varying from 10.8 to 28.7 µm. The phase and crystalline str...

Herein, we present a synthesis route for high-efficiency nitrogen-doped carbon materials using kraft pulping residue, black liquor, and wood charcoal as carbon sources. The synthesized nitrogen-doped carbon materials, based on black liquor and its mixture with wood charcoal, exhibited high specific surface areas (SSAs) of 2481 and 2690 m2 g−1, resp...

Magnesium whitlockite (Mg-WH, Ca18Mg2(HPO4)2(PO4)12) is a promising candidate for biomedical application in bone regeneration; however, the fabrication of Mg-WH bioceramics by conventional methods is limited. Mg-WH is known to be...

Graphene-polypyrrole (GP) nanocomposites were synthesized by a wet-way protocol using a graphite bisulfate (GBS) precursor. Consequently, GBS, a type of graphite intercalation compound, was prepared in the presence of concentrated sulfuric acid in the presence of a potassium periodate oxidizer. Three different types of graphite precursor with parti...

To fabricate graphene-based high-frequency electronic and optoelectronic devices, there is a high demand for scalable low-contaminated graphene with high mobility. Graphene synthesized via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on copper foil appears promising for this purpose, but residues from the polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) layer, used for the wet t...

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a powerful tool for the investigation of low concentration analytes. To improve this method, magnetic nanoparticles were introduced to the system. Magnetic nanoparticles together with plasmonic silver or gold nanoparticles or shells not only enhance the SERS signal but also facilitate to focus the sampl...

The fabrication of nanostructured composite materials is an active field of materials chemistry. However, the ensembles of nanostructured titanium monoxide and suboxide species decorated with polyaniline (PANI) species have not been deeply investigated up to now. In this study, such composites were formed on both hydrothermally oxidized and anodize...

An essential amino acid, histidine, has a vital role in the secondary structure and catalytic activity of proteins because of the diverse interactions its side chain imidazole (Im) ring can take part in. Among these interactions, hydrogen donating and accepting bonding are often found to operate at the charged interfaces. However, despite the great...

The imidazole ring (Im) of histidine side chains plays a unique role in the function of proteins through covalent bonding with metal ions and hydrogen bonding interactions with adjusted biomolecules and water. At biological interfaces, these interactions are modified because of the presence of an electric field. Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) wit...

Improving the performance of kesterite solar cells requires high-quality, defect-free CZTS(Se) films with a reduced number of secondary phases and impurities. Post-annealing of the CZTS films at high temperatures in a sulfur or selenium atmosphere is commonly used to improve the quality of the absorbing material. However, annealing at high-temperat...

We present a detailed study of the structural and electrical changes occurring in two graphene oxide (GO) samples during thermal reduction in the presence of malonic acid (MA) (5 and 10 wt%) and P2O5 additives. The morphology and de-oxidation efficiency of reduced GO (rGO) samples are characterized by Fourier transform infrared, X-ray photoelectron...

We used vibrational sum-frequency generation (VSFG) spectroscopy to elucidate the possible effect of various levels of isotopic substitution (H/D) on the properties of the DPPC monolayer by probing DPPC/D2O interface. We found that deuteration of the choline group has a great impact on monolayer properties, while monolayers with deuterated alkyl ch...

Bismuth films with thicknesses between 6 and ∼30 nm were grown on Si (111) substrate by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Two main phases of bismuth — α-Bi and β-Bi — were identified from high-resolution X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. The crystal structure dependencies on the layer thicknesses of these films were analyzed. β-Bi layers were epita...

#SpecialIssue "New Vibrational Spectroscopy Developments of Material Characterization", edited by Dr. Gediminas Niaura (Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Lithuania) and Dr. Martynas Talaikis (Institute of Biochemistry, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Lithuania) is open to submissions! https://lnkd.in/gKfcDsFh Keywords #surface-...

Recently, great attention has been focused on biomass-derived electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). In the present study, the wood-derived nitrogen-doped carbon nanomaterials with graphene-like structures have been synthesized from wood biomass using a chemical activation method with NaOH to achieve a high specific surface area...

N-doped carbons are widely used in the energy storage and conversion field because of their excellent electrical conductivity, high specific surface area, and superb electrochemical stability. Herein, high-efficiency carbon material has been derived using the kraft pulping residues – black liquor as the carbon source. The carbon material was prepar...

In the present research, graphene was synthesized directly on a Si(100) substrate via combining direct microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition and protective enclosure. The graphene flake orientation was controlled using suitable synthesis conditions. We revealed that high processing temperatures and plasma powers promote vertical graph...

The synthesis of magnetic particles triggers the interest of many scientists due to their relevant properties and wide range of applications in the catalysis, nanomedicine, biosensing and magnetic separation fields. A fast synthesis of iron oxide magnetic particles using an eco-friendly and facile microwave-assisted solvothermal method is presented...

In this paper, two different reduced graphene oxide samples rGO_H and rGO_M derived, respectively, from the graphene oxide (GO) obtained using traditional and modified Hummers methods were synthesized. Thermal reduction of GO was performed in the presence of malonic acid (MA) and P2O5 additives. The prepared rGO samples were investigated as active...

Hafnium oxide (HfO 2 ) films on silicon have the potential for application in photovoltaic devices. However, very little is known about the photoelectrochemical and protective properties of HfO 2 films on Si. In this study, ultrathin films of HfO 2 in the range of 15–70 nm were deposited on p-Si and Au substrates by atomic layer deposition (ALD). G...

In this work, graphite intercalation compounds (GICs) were synthesized using three different oxidizers: (NH4)2S2O8, K2S2O8, and CrO3 with and without P2O5 as a water-binding agent. Furthermore, the samples obtained were heat-treated at 800 °C. Specimens were characterized by optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectro...

Vibrational spectroscopy provides the possibility for sensitive and precise detection of chemical changes in biomolecules due to development of cancers. In this work, label-free near-infrared surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) was applied for the differentiation between cancerous and normal human bladder tissues via analysis of the extracel...

A detailed study on Raman spectroelectrochemistry of poly(N-methylaniline) (PNMA) layer deposited at a gold electrode was performed. Raman spectra were excited by four different laser wavelengths: UV line at 325 nm, a blue line at 442 nm, a red line at 633 nm, and a NIR line at 785 nm in solutions of different pH ranging from 1 to 9, and at differe...

Graphene research and technology development requires to reveal adsorption processes and understand how the defects change the physicochemical properties of the graphene-based systems. In this study, shell-isolated nanoparticle-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SHINERS) and graphene-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (GERS) coupled with density functional theo...

The structural state and crystal structure of Lu(1−x)ScxFeO3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) compounds prepared by a chemical route based on a modified sol–gel method were investigated using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, as well as scanning electron microscopy. It was observed that chemical doping with Sc ions led to a structural phase transition from the ort...

The formation of kesterite (Cu2ZnSnS4) in a quartz tube furnace attached to a special separate chamber for evaporation of sulphur has been studied. Ar gas was used to transport the sulphur vapour to the reaction zone at the centre of tube furnace. A Cu-Zn-Sn (CZT) precursor on the Mo/glass substrate was formed by the electrochemical deposition of a...

Sm-doped BiFeO3 compacted powders with composition across the morphotropic phase boundary region were prepared by sol-gel method. Crystal structure, morphology and magnetic state of the compounds were analyzed as a function of dopant concentration, temperature and external pressure using synchrotron and laboratory X-ray diffraction, electron micros...

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates fabricated using a repeated laser treatment of thin gold films are demonstrated. The presented SERS substrates consist of the gold nanoparticles, whose density and size depend on the used film thickness and number of treated films. The larger number of the treated gold film layers increases the...

Two kinds of natural silicate garnets from the known origin countries were investigated: pyralspites – pyrope (Russia), almandine (India), rhodolite (India), spessartine (India), blue colour-change garnet (Sri Lanka), and ugrandites – andradite (Russia), demantoid (Russia), topazolite (Russia), rainbow garnet (Japan), grossular (Kenya-Tanzania), co...

Sm-doped BiFeO3 compacted powders with composition across the morphotropic phase boundary region were prepared by sol-gel method. Crystal structure, morphology and magnetic state of the compounds were analyzed as a function of dopant concentration, temperature and external pressure using synchrotron and laboratory X-ray diffraction, electron micros...

La:BaSnO3 has recently emerged as an outstanding perovskite oxide material due to its high electron mobility. To-date, lower electron mobility in thin films compared to the single-crystal are discussed in terms of the presence of dislocations, nearly neglecting the role of cation nonstoichiometry. However, by controlling Sn/Ba compositional ratio,...

In this work, lanthanum and manganese co-substitution effects on different properties of bismuth ferrite solid solutions Bi1-xLaxFe0.85Mn0.15O3 (x from 0 to 1) prepared by a sol-gel synthetic approach have been investigated. It was observed that the structural, morphological, and magnetic properties of obtained specimens are influenced by the amoun...

The goal of this study is development of ultra-sensitive and reproducible SERS platform based on novel magnetoplasmonic nanoparticles produced by laser ablation. The magnetic part of hybrid nanoparticles ensures manipulation of the nanoparticles by magnetic field by arranging them at biological surfaces in a special geometry resulting in high and r...

We developed an experimentally simple method for localized N-tert-butyloxycarbonyl amino group (N-Boc) deprotection on surface applicable to meso-scale on-demand patterning for further synthetic modifications. The chemical patterning is accomplished on heated self-assembled monolayers using micro-drop equipment and water as the sole chemical.

A comparative study of polyaniline (PANI) and poly(N-methylaniline) (PNMA) has been performed by means of Raman spectroelectrochemical technique at 633 nm and 785 nm laser line excitations. The excitation wavelengths used fall into a resonance with the blue colored semi- and full-oxidized forms of these conducting polymers. The dependence of Raman...

This study aims to characterize the irradiated RBMK-1500 nuclear graphite in terms of both structural and radiological properties. The experimental results of morphological and structural analysis of the irradiated graphite samples by using SEM, Raman spectroscopy as well as the theoretical evaluation of primary displacement damage are presented. M...

A systematic study of the GaN epitaxial lateral overgrowth (ELO) of the focused ion beam (FIB) patterned sapphire substrate is presented. The FIB technology with its atom at a time removal principle is a flexible and high-resolution maskless processing technique, unique to fabricate trenches of the highest quality without surface damage, debris, an...

In the present work, a series of powdered Y1-xGdxFeO3 solid solutions (x from 0 to 1) was prepared by an aqueous sol-gel method. Structural properties of the synthesized species were investigated using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman and Mössbauer spectroscopies. It was demonstrated that single-phase compounds can be obtained in the whole com...

In the present work, gadolinium substitution effects on the properties of yttrium manganite Y x Gd 1−x Mn 0.97 Fe 0.03 O 3 (x from 0 to 1 with a step of 0.2) synthesized by an aqueous sol–gel method have been investigated. Partial substitution of Mn ³⁺ by ⁵⁷ Fe ³⁺ in the manganite was also performed in order to investigate deeper the structural pro...

Thermal reduction of graphite oxide (GO) is considered as a prospective method for the preparation of high-performance graphene-based materials. However, this method has certain limitations, and the major is that this exothermic process is difficult to control. In this research, we focused on the kinetic studies of the reduction of graphite oxide u...

A novel and sustainable method was established to prepare nitrogen doped graphene‐like material from the renewable, secondary raw material with potential application in the catalysis of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Alder wood char was used as a precursor material for producing a sustainable graphene‐like carbon catalyst for the ORR. Alder wood...

Chemical vapour deposition (CVD) graphene is commonly recognized as promising 2D material for development of electronic devices. However, the long-term drift of electrical parameters still requires deeper understanding before the technological means can be selected for an individual type of the devices. In this work, the changes in the electrical r...

Multifunctional amide-containing self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) provide prospects for the construction of interfaces with required physicochemical properties and distinctive stability. In this study, we report the synthesis of amide-containing thiols with terminal phenylalanine (Phe) ring functionality (HS(CH2)7CONH(CH2)2C6H5) and the characteriz...

Single phase barium titanate-bismuth ferrite ((1-x)BaTi$_3$-(x)BiFe$_3$, BTO-BFO) solid solutions were prepared using citric acid and ethylene glycol assisted sol-gel synthesis method. Depending on the dopant content the samples are characterized by tetragonal, tetragonal-pseudocubic, pseudocubic and rhombohedral structure as confirmed by Raman spe...

Fuel cell (FC) is considered to be one of the most promising energy conversion devices that could possibly be a good alternative replacing the fossil-fuel based technologies in the future. One of the greatest shortcomings of the low-temperature FCs is the poor kinetics of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) happening at the cathode side. As it is w...

Samarium doped BiFeO3 compounds having nano-size crystallites were prepared by the ethylene glycol assisted sol-gel synthesis method. X-ray diffraction and SEM measurements as well as Raman spectroscopy and FTIR experiments were used to clarify the evolution of the crystal structure on microscopic and local scale levels in the compounds having form...

Evolution of the crystal structure and magnetic properties of Sm-doped BiFeO 3 ceramics across the phase boundary region, Ceramics International (2020), doi: https:// Abstract Samarium doped BiFeO 3 compounds having nano-size crystallites were prepared by the ethylene glycol assisted sol-gel synthesis method. X-ray diffraction and SEM measurements...

In this recent decade, great interest has risen to develop metal-free and cheap, biomass-derived electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Herein, we report a facile strategy to synthesize an electrochemically active nanocarbon material from the renewable and biological resource, wood biomass. The ORR activity of the catalyst material w...

In this article, we present a systematic investigation of the influence of CdS layer thickness on the structural and compositional properties of CZTSSe films and photovoltaic performance of superstrate solar cell devices. The selenization of the CZTS films results in Cd diffusion into the absorbing layer. This leads to a significant change in the l...