Research Publications

Terrace agriculture in a mountainous arid environment – A study of soil quality and regolith provenance: Jabal Akhdar (Oman) Daniel Moraetis, Sumaya Salim Al Kindi, SaraKalifah Al Saadi, Ahmed Abdul Raoof Ali Al Shaibani, Kosmas Pavlopoulos, Andreas Scharf, Frank Mattern, Michael J.Harrowere Bernhard Pracejus Frontiers in microbiology, April 2020 Abstract: In the Sultanate of Oman remnants of deteriorating terrace agricultural systems offer important insights into long-term human adaptation in the arid tropics. Irrigation and terrace agriculture in the mountainous Jabal Akhdar region reveal historic agricultural practices in a rugged, high elevation context....click here to read complete article
The Role of Microbial Mats in the Removal of Hexavalent Chromium and Associated Shifts in Their Bacterial Community Composition Raeid M. M. Abed, Mary Shanti1, Thirumahal Muthukrishnan, Zayana Al-Riyami, Bernhard Pracejus and Daniel Moraetis Construction and Building Materials-Elsevier, April 2020 Abstract: Microbial mats are rarely reported for chromium-polluted ecosystems, hence information on their bacterial diversity and role in chromium removal are very scarce. We investigated the role of nine microbial mats, collected from three quarry sumps of chromium mining sites, in the removal....click here to read complete article
Role of electrostatic potential energy in carbon nanotube augmented cement paste matrix MuhammadAzeem, MuhammadAzhar Saleem Construction and Building Materials-Elsevier, April 2020 Abstract: The empirical data in conjunction with the quantum mechanical calculations show that the strength enhancement in the cement-carbon nanotubes (CNTs) composites is the courtesy of electrostatic potential energy. This is contrary to the general belief that the CNTs form bridges between the adjacent....click here to read complete article
Enhancement of photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical properties of TiO2 nanotubes sensitized by SILAR - Deposited PbS nanoparticles A.Hajjaji, S.Jemaiaf, A.Rebhi, K.Trabelsi, M.Gaidi, A.N.Alhazaa, M.A.Al-Gawati, M.A.El Khakani, B.Bessaisa Science Direct, December 2019 Abstract: The aim of this work is to improve the photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical properties of TiO2 nanotubes (TiO2-NTAs) by sensitizing them with PbS nanoparticles (NPs) prepared by the Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction method (SILAR). The Microstructure, surface morphology, phase composition and optical properties of the prepared structure were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy....click here to read complete article
Detecting and Mapping Slag Heaps at Ancient Copper Production Sites in Oman Alexander J. Sivitskis 1, JosephW. Lehner 2 , Michael J. Harrower 3,* , Ioana A. Dumitru 3,Paige E. Paulsen 3, Smiti Nathan 4 , Daniel R. Viete 5, Suleiman Al-Jabri 6, Barbara Helwing 2 ,FrancesWiig 7 , Daniel Moraetis 8 and Bernhard Pracejus 9 MDPI, December 2019 Abstract: This study presents a new approach for detection and mapping of ancient slag heaps using 16-band multispectral satellite imagery. Understanding the distribution of slag (a byproduct of metal production) is of great importance for understanding how metallurgy shaped long-term economic and political change across the ancient....click here to read complete article
Microstructure and electrical transport mechanisms of the Ca-doped LaMnO3 films grown on MgO substrate K. Daoudi, S. El-Helali, Z. Othmen, B.M. Suleiman, T. Tsuchiya Journal of Materiomics, November 2019 Abstract: La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 (LCMO) thin films have been grown on MgO substrate using the metal organic deposition process. The lattice mismatch between LCMO and MgO is relatively large around 8.14% imposing large inplane- tensile strain and out-of-plane-compressive strain on the film. Hence the structural, microstructural....click here to read complete article
Pulsed-laser-deposited lead sulfide nanoparticles based decoration of porous silicon layer as an effective passivation treatment for multicrystalline silicon A.Hajjaji, A.Rebhi, I.Ka, K.Trabelsi, M.Gaidi, B.Bessais, M.A.El Khakani Science Direct, November 2019 Abstract: We report on the use of pulsed laser deposition (PLD) of PbS nanoparticles (PbS-NPs) on porous silicon layers in order to passivate multicrystalline silicon (mc-Si) substrates intended for solar cells applications. The porous silicon (PS) layer was first obtained through the electrochemical anodization of the mc-Si substrate....click here to read complete article
Study of TiO2 nanotubes decorated with PbS nanoparticles elaborated by pulsed laser deposition: microstructural, optoelectronic and photoelectrochemical properties A. Hajjaji, S. JemaiK. Trabelsi, A. Kouki, I. Ben Assaker, I. Ka, M. Gaidi,* B. Bessais, M. A. El Khakani* Springer Link, November 2019 Abstract: Titanium dioxide nanotube arrays (TiO2 NTAs) have been synthesized using the electrochemical anodization procedure. Lead sulfide nanoparticles (PbS NPs) were deposited on TiO2 NTAs (PbS NPs/TiO2 NTAs) using the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method. The prepared samples (PbS NPs/TiO2 NTAs) were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray....click here to read complete article
Evaluation of microplastics in beach sediments along the coast of dubai, UAE Huda Aslam, Tarig Ali, Md Maruf Mortula, Atta G. Attaelmanan Elsevier, November 2019 Abstract: Microplastic contamination in beach sediments along coast of Dubai is un-documented. In this study, microplastic contamination in beach sediments collected from the wrack lines of 16 beaches in Dubai was evaluated. Five samples were collected from each beach along a 100 m stretch using a 0.5 m by 0.5 m....click here to read complete article
Manipulating entanglement sudden death in two coupled two-level atoms interacting off-resonance with a radiation field: an exact treatment Gehad Sadiek, Wiam Al-Drees, and M. Sebaweh Abdallah Optics Express, November 2019 Abstract: We study a model of two coupled two-level atoms (qubits) interacting off-resonance (at non-zero detuning) with a single mode radiation field. This system is of special interest in the field of quantum information processing (QIP) and can be realized in electron spin states in quantum dots or Rydberg atoms in optical cavities and superconducting qubits....click here to read complete article
Phase transition in thermochromic VO2 coatings grown by ac dual magnetron cathode sputtering Mohammed Soltani, Souleymane Toubou Bah, Rachid Karmouch, Mounir Gaidi* & Réal Vallée* Springer Link, November 2019 Abstract: High quality of thermochromic VO2 coatings were grown onto ITO-coated quartz by thermal oxidation of ac magnetron sputtered vanadium oxide films. The thermochromic properties of VO2 coatings were investigated by means of IR transmittance and Raman scattering measurements as a function of temperature (up to 100 °C). It is observed....click here to read complete article
Synthesis and Characterization of SnO2-TiO2 Nanocomposites Photocatalysts Charfeddine Messaadi, Taher Ghrib, Jalila Jalali, Mondher Ghrib, Alanood Abdullah Alyami, Mounir Gaidi, Miguel Manso Silvan, Hatem Ezzaouia.* Current Nanoscience, October 2019 Abstract: Background: The photocatalytic activity of SnO2-TiO2 nanocomposites was successfully assessed after synthesis by Sol-Gel method, deposition on porous silicon material and annealing at 400, 600 and 800oC temperatures, with surface grain size in the range between 5 and 12 nm. The photocatalyst was characterized....click here to read complete article
Rényi and Tsallis Entropies of the Aharonov–Bohm Ring in Uniform Magnetic Fields Oleg. Olendski Entropy-MDPI, October 2019 Abstract: One-parameter functionals of the Rényi Rr,g(a) and Tsallis Tr,g(a) types are calculated both in the position (subscript r) and momentum (g) spaces for the azimuthally symmetric 2D nanoring that is placed into the combination of the transverse uniform magnetic field B and the Aharonov–Bohm (AB) flux fAB and whose potential....click here to read complete article
Postobductional Kinematic Evolution and Geomorphology of a Major Regional Structure—The Semail Gap Fault Zone (Oman Mountains) A. Scharf F. Mattern D. Moraetis* I. Callegari C. Weidle* AGU-Tectonics, October 2019 Abstract: The Semail Gap/Semail Gap Fault Zone is one of the most prominent tectonic features in the Oman Mountains and is located between the Jabal Akhdar Dome in the west and the Saih Hatat Dome to the east. The two domes were uplifted during the Late Eocene to Early Miocene. Uplift led to monoclinal bending with a “fold axis” parallel to....click here to read complete article
On the wind accretion model of GX 301-2 Ali Taani, Shigeyuki Karino, Liming Song, Mohammad Mardini, Mashhoor Al-Wardat, Ahmad Abushattal, Awni Khasawneh and Hamid Al-Naimiy IOP Science, July 2019 Abstract: We illustrate the evolution of the peculiar behavior of the high mass X-ray binary GX 301-2, through the wind accretion model. We found that the donor of this system has 43 M⨀ and clearly it experienced of a mass exchange. As a result, the low terminal velocity of the wind from donor (1200 km/s), slow rotation and the relatively low luminosity (3.1×1035erg/s), can easily fed the neutron star via the stellar wind with enough accretion matter. This will lead....click here to read complete article
Extrasolar Planets in Binary Systems (Statistical Analysis) A. A. Abushattal, M. A. Al-Wardat, A.A. Taani, A. M. Khassawneh and H. M. Al-Naimiy IOP-Science, July 2019 Abstract: During the last decades, searching for extrasolar planets was growing rapidly, and about 3869 exoplanets were discovered using various detection methods. In this work, we present a statistical analysis for these known exoplanets up to date provided by NASA Exoplanet Archive. In addition, we classify them depending on the type of the host stars' type; single...click here to read complete article
The Nucleosynthesis and Reaction Rates of Fluorine 19 (19F) in the Sun Mohammad K. Mardini, Nidal Ershiadat, Mashhoor A. Al-Wardat, Ali A. Taani, Sergen Ozdemir, Hamid Al-Naimiy, Awni Khasawneh Astrophysics of Galaxies, April 2019 Abstract: We investigate the abundance of 19F in the Sun through the nucleosynthesis scenario. In addition, we calculate the rate equations and reaction rates of the nucleosynthesis of 19F at different temperature scale. Other important functions of this nucleosynthesis (nuclear partition function and statistical equilibrium conditions) are also obtained.....click here to read complete article
Quantitative measure of nitrogen vacancy related effects in SmN and EuN Muhammad Azeem IOP-Science, January 2019 Abstract: Density of charge carriers, introduced due to nitrogen vacancies, is estimated for SmN and EuN thin films. SmN is found to be weakly doped by nitrogen vacancies with an estimated carrier density of the order of 1024−1025 m−3 whereas the EuN thin film is heavily....click here to read complete article
On the optical energy gap of SmN Muhammad Azeem Elsevier, October 2018 Abstract: The fundamental absorption edge of SmN is measured by the optical reflection and the transmission technique using a FTIR spectrometer. The MgF2 passivated thin films of SmN were grown by thermal evaporation. The optical spectra was collated in the energy range of 0.5 to 5.0 eV, and the optical energy gap is measured....click here to read complete article
Effect of Ni nickel coated porous Si buffers layer on the structural and opto-electronic properties of silicon thin films Sonia BenSlama, MondherGhrib, BilelKhalfallah, Messaoud Hajji, Mounir Gaidi, HatemEzzaouia Elsevier, October 2018 Abstract: In this paper we present an extensive investigation of the effect of Ni metallization on the structural and opto-electronic properties of a dual porous silicon layers elaborated by electrochemical etching. Amorphous silicon thin films were deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition on the metalized porous layer,....click here to read complete article
Nanostructured SnO2 thin films: effects of porosity and catalytic metals on gas-sensing sensitivity Mounir Gaidi Applied Physics A: Materials Science and Processing, October 2018 Abstract: In this paper, an overview of structural and sensing properties of undoped and Pt/Pd-doped tin oxide (SnO2) thin films obtained by the aerosol pyrolysis (pyrosol process) is provided. The detection mechanism and the role of the small metal nanoparticles (NPs) in the sensing processes have been discussed in detail....click here to read complete article
Photoelectrochemical and optical properties tuning of graphene-ZnO nanocomposites M.Salem, S.Akir, I.Massoudi, Y.Litaiem, M.Gaidi, K.Khirouni Elsevier, October 2018 Abstract: Graphene-ZnO (G-ZnO) nanocomposites were synthesized by simple and low cost co-precipitation and spin-coating technique. The graphene concentration has been tuned from 3 to 10 at. %. The microstructure and morphology of the synthesized nanocomposite was studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman....click here to read complete article
ZnO and carbon nanocomposites for enhanced photoelectrochemical sensing activity: influence of the carbon content M. Gaidi, M. Salem, S. Akir, I. Massoudi, T. Ghrib, Y. Litaiem & K. Khirouni Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry, August 2018 Abstract: In this work, carbon and zinc oxide (ZnO:C) nanocomposites were obtained by a hydrothermal reaction process. ZnO nanoparticles were first prepared by a homogeneous coprecipitation method. Nanocomposites with atomic concentrations of carbon ranging from 39.4 to 69.7 wt.% were then attained. The microstructure and morphology of...click here to read complete article
Free carrier density effects on DyN optical spectra Muhammad Azeem MedCrave, July 2018 Abstract: The optical energy gap is a parameter of fundamental importance in semiconductors. However, concentration of free carriers may conceal the true absorption edge. In this paper, we show that the density of the free carriers can affect the onset of the direct absorption. The optical reflectance and transmittance spectra were obtained in the photon energy range of 0.5–5.0 eV thin films of the nitride compound of Dy metal. The films with the greater number....click here to read complete article

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Research Publications

​Terrace agriculture in a mountainous arid environment – A study of soil quality and regolith provenance: Jabal Akhdar (Oman)

​The Role of Microbial Mats in the Removal of Hexavalent Chromium and Associated Shifts in Their Bacterial Community Composition

​Enhancement of photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical properties of TiO2 nanotubes sensitized by SILAR - Deposited PbS nanoparticles

​Detecting and Mapping Slag Heaps at Ancient Copper Production Sites in Oman

​Microstructure and electrical transport mechanisms of the Ca-doped LaMnO3 films grown on MgO substrate

Pulsed-laser-deposited lead sulfide nanoparticles based decoration of porous silicon layer as an effective passivation treatment for multicrystalline silicon

Study of TiO2 nanotubes decorated with PbS nanoparticles elaborated by pulsed laser deposition: microstructural, optoelectronic and photoelectrochemical properties

​Evaluation of microplastics in beach sediments along the coast of dubai, UAE

Manipulating entanglement sudden death in two coupled two-level atoms interacting off-resonance with a radiation field: an exact treatment

​Synthesis and Characterization of SnO2-TiO2 Nanocomposites Photocatalysts

​Postobductional Kinematic Evolution and Geomorphology of a Major Regional Structure—The Semail Gap Fault Zone (Oman Mountains)

​Extrasolar Planets in Binary Systems (Statistical Analysis)

​The Nucleosynthesis and Reaction Rates of Fluorine 19 (19F) in the Sun

​Quantitative measure of nitrogen vacancy related effects in SmN and EuN

​On the optical energy gap of SmN

​Effect of Ni nickel coated porous Si buffers layer on the structural and opto-electronic properties of silicon thin films

​Nanostructured SnO2 thin films: effects of porosity and catalytic metals on gas-sensing sensitivity

​Free carrier density effects on DyN optical spectra

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Terrace agriculture in a mountainous arid environment – A study of soil quality and regolith provenance: Jabal Akhdar (Oman)

The Role of Microbial Mats in the Removal of Hexavalent Chromium and Associated Shifts in Their Bacterial Community Composition

Enhancement of photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical properties of TiO2 nanotubes sensitized by SILAR - Deposited PbS nanoparticles

Detecting and Mapping Slag Heaps at Ancient Copper Production Sites in Oman

Microstructure and electrical transport mechanisms of the Ca-doped LaMnO3 films grown on MgO substrate

Evaluation of microplastics in beach sediments along the coast of dubai, UAE

Synthesis and Characterization of SnO2-TiO2 Nanocomposites Photocatalysts

Postobductional Kinematic Evolution and Geomorphology of a Major Regional Structure—The Semail Gap Fault Zone (Oman Mountains)

Extrasolar Planets in Binary Systems (Statistical Analysis)

The Nucleosynthesis and Reaction Rates of Fluorine 19 (19F) in the Sun

Quantitative measure of nitrogen vacancy related effects in SmN and EuN

On the optical energy gap of SmN

Effect of Ni nickel coated porous Si buffers layer on the structural and opto-electronic properties of silicon thin films

Nanostructured SnO2 thin films: effects of porosity and catalytic metals on gas-sensing sensitivity

Free carrier density effects on DyN optical spectra