Measurements were taken at 20 °C using a quartz cell with a 1 mm path length.
The Ni deposition rate was ≈0.3 nm min−1, as determined using a quartz microbalance.
In this study, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was performed using an S-Probe spectrometer (Surface Science Instruments, Mountain View, CA, USA) equipped with an aluminum anode (10 kV, 22 mA) and a quartz monochromator.
In addition to surface free energy, the amount of adsorbed material in SCFs was estimated from their dehydrated film thicknesses using an X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (S-Probe spectrometer; Surface Science Instruments, Mountain View, CA, USA) equipped with an aluminium anode (10 kV, 22 mA) and a quartz monochromator.
Jordan and Seen (2005) used a quartz front – quartz back up filter combination and observed 4% of the mass of the front filter at the back up filter.
X-ray diffraction (XRD) was performed at room temperature with a D4 Endeavor diffractometer (Bruker AXS) using quartz monochromator Cu Kα1 radiation source (λ = 0.1541 nm) and Sol-X energy dispersive detector.
The PL signal was detected using a grating monochromator (MS750, SOLAR TII, Moscow, Russia) equipped with a CCD array.
The excitation wavelength was selected using a Life Technologies monochromator (Omega Optical Inc, Brattleboro, VT, USA) and the emission wavelength using a filter wheel (Sutter Instruments, Novato, CA, USA).
The programs are then used to design a beam line using a toroidally bent monochromator crystal and open collimator geometry.
Radiation of the samples was recorded using a monochromator MDR-2 and a photomultiplier FEP-106.
