Cover image provided courtesy of Jianguang Zhou, Research Center for Analytical Instrumentation, Institute of Cyber-Systems and Control, State Key Laboratory of Industrial Control Technology, Zhejiang University, China.

A critical analysis of the growth of sodium cadmium tetra chloride (SCTC) crystal proves that SCTC is an improperly characterized material. Use of X-ray powder data to check phase purity is demonstrated. Submission of CIF file to CSD or ICSD is suggested as an essential prerequisite for reporting new compounds.

In semitransparent crystals, mainly the absorption coefficient for radiation determines the temperature field. For a wide range of absorption values, NdScO₃ crystal growth using the Czochralski method is numerically simulated. The calculated and experimental deflection values of the crystal–melt phase boundary are compared and the thermoelastic stresses (scale in Pa) are calculated for all cases.

Al₂(SO₄)₃ and K₂SiO₃ impurities suppress the formation of nuclei by blocking the active sites on their surface. The purity of the K₂SO₄ crystals is insignificantly affected by these impurities, but the morphology and crystal size of K₂SO₄ crystals are influenced apparently by Al₂(SO₄)₃ impurities.

In this paper, large sized pure KCl and KCl:Ce³⁺ crystals are successfully grown and characterized by using the resistance heating Czochralski method. Ce ions doping the KCl crystal improve the hardness and luminescence intense, the luminescence decay time of KCl:Ce³⁺ crystal is found to be 35.14 ± 0.17 ns.

Cost-effective synthesis of vertically aligned two-dimensional (2D) molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) on silicon oxide has been demonstrated by a fast reduction of molybdenum trioxide (MoO₃) in a simple tubular furnace at ambient pressure. Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy have been used to confirm the best quality vertically aligned 2D MoS₂.

Surface passivation on oxygen rich WO₃ thin film using hydroxyl bonds at grain boundary defects through high temperature ageing is used to prevent water molecule interaction with WO₃ thin film. Also, the use of high temperature Nichrome mesh and absorbent filters are explored for reducing the cross sensitivity due to humidity.

The density functional theory in the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) is used to find the structural, electronic, and dynamic properties of the TiCuB and ZrCuB alloys. Electronic band structure graphics show that these alloys are semiconductor. The phonon distribution curves indicate that TiCuB and ZrCuB are dynamically stable alloys. These calculations are made for the first time in the literature.