Enhanced human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell functions on cathodic arc plasma-treated titanium.

PubMed

Zhu, Wei; Teel, George; O'Brien, Christopher M; Zhuang, Taisen; Keidar, Michael; Zhang, Lijie Grace

2015-01-01

Surface modification of titanium for use in orthopedics has been explored for years; however, an ideal method of integrating titanium with native bone is still required to this day. Since human bone cells directly interact with nanostructured extracellular matrices, one of the most promising methods of improving titanium's osseointegration involves inducing bio-mimetic nanotopography to enhance cell-implant interaction. In this regard, we explored an approach to functionalize the surface of titanium by depositing a thin film of textured titanium nanoparticles via a cathodic arc discharge plasma. The aim is to improve human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) attachment and differentiation and to reduce deleterious effects of more complex surface modification methods. Surface functionalization was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, contact angle testing, and specific protein adsorption. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy examination demonstrate the deposition of titanium nanoparticles and the surface roughness change after coating. The specific fibronectin adsorption was enhanced on the modified titanium surface that associates with the improved hydrophilicity. MSC adhesion and proliferation were significantly promoted on the nanocoated surface. More importantly, compared to bare titanium, greater production of total protein, deposition of calcium mineral, and synthesis of alkaline phosphatase were observed from MSCs on nanocoated titanium after 21 days. The method described herein presents a promising alternative method for inducing more cell favorable nanosurface for improved orthopedic applications.

Surface decoration of polyimide fiber with carbon nanotubes and its application for mechanical enhancement of phosphoric acid-based geopolymers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Tao; Han, Enlin; Wang, Xiaodong; Wu, Dezhen

2017-09-01

A new methodology to decorate the surface of polyimide (PI) fiber with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has been developed in this study. This surface decoration was carried out through a surface alkali treatment, a carboxylation modification, surface functionalization with acyl chloride groups and then with amino groups, and a surface graft of CNTs onto PI fiber. Fourier-transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic characterizations confirmed that CNTs were chemically grafted onto the surface of PI fiber, and scanning electron microscopic observation demonstrated the fiber surface was uniformly and densely covered with CNTs. The surface energy and wettability of PI fiber were improved in the presence of CNTs on the fiber surface, which made a contribution to enhance the interfacial adhesion of PI fiber with other inorganic matrices when used as a reinforcing fiber. The application of CNTs-decorated PI fiber for the reinforcement of phosphoric acid-based geopolymers was investigated, and the results indicated that the geopolymeric composites gained a noticeable reinforcement. Compared to unreinforced geopolymer, the geopolymeric composites achieved a remarkable increase in compressive strength by 120% and in flexural strength by 283%. Fractography investigation demonstrated that the interaction adhesion between the fibers and matrix was enhanced due to the surface decoration of PI fiber with CNTs, which contributed to an improvement in fracture-energy dissipation by fiber pullout and fiber debonding from the matrix. As a result, a significant reinforcement effect on geopolymeric composites was achieved through a fiber-bridging mechanism. This study provided an effective methodology to improve the interracial bonding force for PI fiber and also proves a highly efficient application of CNTs-decorated PI fiber for the mechanical enhancement of geopolymeric composites.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy of half-mustard agent.

PubMed

Stuart, Douglas A; Biggs, Kevin B; Van Duyne, Richard P

2006-04-01

The detection and identification of chemical warfare agents is an important analytical goal. Herein, it is demonstrated that 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (half-mustard, CEES) can be successfully analysed using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). A critical component in this detection system is the fabrication of a robust, yet highly enhancing, sensor surface. Recent advances in substrate fabrication and in the fundamental understanding of the SERS phenomenon enable the development of improved substrates for practical SERS applications.

Effects of Mg-doped AlN/AlGaN superlattices on properties of p-GaN contact layer and performance of deep ultraviolet light emitting diodes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Al tahtamouni, T. M., E-mail: talal@yu.edu.jo; Lin, J. Y.; Jiang, H. X.

2014-04-15

Mg-doped AlN/AlGaN superlattice (Mg-SL) and Mg-doped AlGaN epilayers have been investigated in the 284 nm deep ultraviolet (DUV) light emitting diodes (LEDs) as electron blocking layers. It was found that the use of Mg-SL improved the material quality of the p-GaN contact layer, as evidenced in the decreased density of surface pits and improved surface morphology and crystalline quality. The performance of the DUV LEDs fabricated using Mg-SL was significantly improved, as manifested by enhanced light intensity and output power, and reduced turn-on voltage. The improved performance is attributed to the enhanced blocking of electron overflow, and enhanced hole injection.

Local surface plasmon enhanced polarization and internal quantum efficiency of deep ultraviolet emissions from AlGaN-based quantum wells.

PubMed

Zhang, Cai; Tang, Ning; Shang, Liangliang; Fu, Lei; Wang, Weiying; Xu, Fujun; Wang, Xinqiang; Ge, Weikun; Shen, Bo

2017-05-24

We report the enhancement of the polarization and internal quantum efficiency (IQE) of deep-UV LEDs by evaporating Al nanoparticles on the device surface to induce localized surface plasmons (LSPs). The deep-UV LEDs polarization is improved due to part of TM emission turns into TE emission through LSPs coupling. The significantly enhanced IQE is attributed to LSPs coupling, which suppress the participation of delocalized and dissociated excitons to non-radiative recombination process.

Influences of Au ion radiation on microstructure and surface-enhanced Raman scattering of nanoporous copper

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jing; Hu, Zhaoyi; Li, Rui; Liu, Xiongjun; Xu, Chuan; Wang, Hui; Wu, Yuan; Fu, Engang; Lu, Zhaoping

2018-05-01

In this work, effects of Au ion irradiation on microstructure and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) performance of nanoporous copper (NPC) were investigated. It is found that the microstructure of NPC could be tailored by the ion irradiation dose, i.e., the pore size decreases while the ligament size significantly coarsens with the increase of the irradiation dose. In addition, the SERS enhancement for rhodamine 6G molecules was improved by Au ions irradiation at an appropriate dose. The underlying mechanism of the increase of SERS enhancement resulted from ion irradiation was discussed. Our findings could provide a new way to tune nanoporosity of nanoporous metals and improve their SERS performance.

Influences of Au ion radiation on microstructure and surface-enhanced Raman scattering of nanoporous copper.

PubMed

Wang, Jing; Hu, Zhaoyi; Li, Rui; Liu, Xiongjun; Xu, Chuan; Wang, Hui; Wu, Yuan; Fu, Engang; Lu, Zhaoping

2018-05-04

In this work, effects of Au ion irradiation on microstructure and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) performance of nanoporous copper (NPC) were investigated. It is found that the microstructure of NPC could be tailored by the ion irradiation dose, i.e., the pore size decreases while the ligament size significantly coarsens with the increase of the irradiation dose. In addition, the SERS enhancement for rhodamine 6G molecules was improved by Au ions irradiation at an appropriate dose. The underlying mechanism of the increase of SERS enhancement resulted from ion irradiation was discussed. Our findings could provide a new way to tune nanoporosity of nanoporous metals and improve their SERS performance.

Electron beam irradiation impact on surface structure and wettability of ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El-Saftawy, A. A.; Ragheb, M. S.; Zakhary, S. G.

2018-06-01

In the present study, electron beam (EB) is utilized to tailor the surface structure and wetting behavior of ethylene-vinyl alcohol (EVOH) copolymer. The structural deformation is examined by x-ray diffractometer (XRD). The recorded patterns reveal the formation of disordered systems on the irradiated surface. Also, the surface crystallinity degree, crystallite size, and micro-strain are studied. The microstructure induced modifications of the irradiated samples are investigated by 1-dimensional proton nuclear magnetic resonance 1H NMR spectroscopic analysis. The recorded spectra showed that the hydroxyl group (O-H) absorption intensity, enhanced compared to that of methylene (-CH2) and methine (>C-H) groups. Likewise, the changes of the polymer surface chemistry are studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and showed that the surface polarity improved after irradiation. The contact angle method is used to prove the surface wettability improvements after irradiation. Additionally, the fucoidan-coated samples exhibit great enhancements in surface wettability and have a reduced recovery effect compared to the uncoated samples. The surface free energy and bonding adhesion are studied as well. The fucoidan-coated samples are found to have a larger adhesion strength than that of the EVOH samples (pristine and irradiated). Finally, surface morphology and roughness are traced by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The improvements in surface wettability and adhesion are attributed to the modified surface roughness and the increased surface polarity. To sum up, combining EB irradiation and fucoidan enhance the surface wettability of EVOH in a controlled way keeping the bulk properties unaffected.

Surface modification of medical implant materials with hydrophilic polymers for enhanced biocompatibility and delivery of therapeutic agents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Urbaniak, Daniel J.

2004-11-01

In the research reported here, the surface modification of medical grade poly(dimethyl siloxane), polyetherurethane, and stainless steel through gamma-radiation grafting of hydrophilic polymers was investigated. Emphasis was placed on developing improved and simplified surface modification methods that produce more stable and more bioacceptible hydrophilic graft surfaces. As a result of this research, new surface modification techniques were developed that yield significantly improved surface stability unachievable using previous surface modification techniques. The surface modification of poly(dimethyl siloxane) with hydrophilic polymers was carried out using gamma radiation initiated graft polymerization. The addition of alkali metal hydroxides afforded a unique way to enhance the grafting of N-vinyl-2 pyrrolidone, dimethylacryamide, 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphoryl choline, N,N-dimethyl-N-(methacryloyloxyethyl)-N-(3-sulfopropyl)-ammonium-betaine, N,N-dimethyl-N-(methacrylamidopropyl)-N-(3-sulfopropyl)-ammonium-betaine, and copolymers thereof to silicones. Ethanolamine was found to further enhance the grafting of some hydrophilic polymers to silicone. The resulting hydrophilic surface grafts were resistant to hydrophobic surface rearrangement. This process overcomes previous problems inherent in silicone surface modification. The technique was also found to moderately enhance the grafting of hydrophilic monomers to polyetherurethane and to 316-L stainless steel. The surface modification of 316-L stainless steel was further enhanced by treating the substrates with a chromium III methacrylate bonding agent prior to irradiation. The coatings were evaluated for their potential use as depots for delivering therapeutic agents. The release of ofloxacin from surface-modified poly(dimethyl siloxane) and dexamethasone from surface-modified 316-L stainless steel was evaluated by in-vitro experiments. Therapeutic levels of drugs were released from surface-modified specimens via a burst effect. Improved surface characterization methods were another aspect of this research. New nanomechanical testing techniques were developed and used to evaluate the viscoelastic surface mechanical properties of low modulus surface-modified specimens. Dynamic nanoindentation characterization techniques were designed to measure the storage modulus and loss modulus of compliant viscoelastic substrate surfaces. The results of these experiments were compared with modulus data obtained by conventional dynamic mechanical spectroscopy. Nanoscratch testing methods were also developed that qualitatively compared the abrasion resistance of surface-modified substrates. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Reduced chemical warfare agent sorption in polyurethane-painted surfaces via plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of perfluoroalkanes.

PubMed

Gordon, Wesley O; Peterson, Gregory W; Durke, Erin M

2015-04-01

Perfluoralkalation via plasma chemical vapor deposition has been used to improve hydrophobicity of surfaces. We have investigated this technique to improve the resistance of commercial polyurethane coatings to chemicals, such as chemical warfare agents. The reported results indicate the surface treatment minimizes the spread of agent droplets and the sorption of agent into the coating. The improvement in resistance is likely due to reduction of the coating's surface free energy via fluorine incorporation, but may also have contributing effects from surface morphology changes. The data indicates that plasma-based surface modifications may have utility in improving chemical resistance of commercial coatings.

Broadband plasmonic-enhanced forward and backward multiplex coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Baoshan; Jiang, Lan; Hua, Yanhong; Li, Xin; Cui, Tianhong; Lu, Yongfeng

2018-03-01

Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy is an attractive technique for label-free biochemical-specific characterization of biological specimens. However, it has very low sensitivity in monitoring and imaging molecules present in extremely low concentrations or at fast speeds. To improve this sensitivity, especially for multiplex CARS, the intensity of the pump beam and broadband Stokes beam should be enhanced simultaneously. Therefore, the gold shell particle and gold surface are demonstrated to enhance the forward and backward CARS, respectively. Results show that a signal enhancement factor of ˜25,000 can be achieved for the gold surface and an even higher enhancement factor can be achieved for the gold shell particles. Thus, we can obtain an enhanced CARS signal in a broad spectral range, which will substantially improve the detection sensitivity of hyperspectral CARS spectroscopy and imaging.

Improving surface-enhanced Raman scattering effect using gold-coated hierarchical polystyrene bead substrates modified with postgrowth microwave treatment.

PubMed

Yuen, Clement; Zheng, Wei; Huang, Zhiwei

2008-01-01

We report a novel postgrowth microwave heating implementation by selectively modifying hierarchical polystyrene (PS) bead substrates coated with gold (Au) films to effectively improve the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) effect on the analytes. The SERS signal of probe molecule rhodamine 6G (Rh 6G) on the microwave-treated Au-PS substrates can be improved by 10-fold, while the detection limit of Rh 6G in concentration can be enhanced by two orders of magnitude compared to the as-growth substrates. The high-quality SERS spectrum of saliva can also be acquired using the modified substrates, demonstrating the potential for the realization of the high-performance SERS substrates for biomedical applications.

Noah-MP-Crop: Enhancing cropland representation in the community land surface modeling system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, X.; Chen, F.; Barlage, M. J.; Zhou, G.; Niyogi, D.

2015-12-01

Croplands are important in land-atmosphere interactions and in modifying local and regional weather and climate. Despite their importance, croplands are poorly represented in the current version of the coupled Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF)/ Noah land-surface modeling system, resulting in significant surface temperature and humidity biases across agriculture- dominated regions of the United States. This study aims to improve the WRF weather forecasting and regional climate simulations during the crop growing season by enhancing the representation of cropland in the Noah-MP land model. We introduced dynamic crop growth parameterization into Noah-MP and evaluated the enhanced model (Noah-MP-Crop) at both the field and regional scales with multiple crop biomass datasets, surface fluxes and soil moisture/temperature observations. We also integrated a detailed cropland cover map into WRF, enabling the model to simulate corn and soybean field across the U.S. Great Plains. Results show marked improvement in the Noah-MP-Crop performance in simulating leaf area index (LAI), crop biomass, soil temperature, and surface fluxes. Enhanced cropland representation is not only crucial for improving weather forecasting but can also help assess potential impacts of weather variability on regional hydrometeorology and crop yields. In addition to its applications to WRF, Noah-MP-Crop can be applied in high-spatial-resolution regional crop yield modeling and drought assessments

Nanostructured Surfaces and Detection Instrumentation for Photonic Crystal Enhanced Fluorescence

PubMed Central

Chaudhery, Vikram; George, Sherine; Lu, Meng; Pokhriyal, Anusha; Cunningham, Brian T.

2013-01-01

Photonic crystal (PC) surfaces have been demonstrated as a compelling platform for improving the sensitivity of surface-based fluorescent assays used in disease diagnostics and life science research. PCs can be engineered to support optical resonances at specific wavelengths at which strong electromagnetic fields are utilized to enhance the intensity of surface-bound fluorophore excitation. Meanwhile, the leaky resonant modes of PCs can be used to direct emitted photons within a narrow range of angles for more efficient collection by a fluorescence detection system. The multiplicative effects of enhanced excitation combined with enhanced photon extraction combine to provide improved signal-to-noise ratios for detection of fluorescent emitters, which in turn can be used to reduce the limits of detection of low concentration analytes, such as disease biomarker proteins. Fabrication of PCs using inexpensive manufacturing methods and materials that include replica molding on plastic, nano-imprint lithography on quartz substrates result in devices that are practical for single-use disposable applications. In this review, we will describe the motivation for implementing high-sensitivity fluorescence detection in the context of molecular diagnosis and gene expression analysis though the use of PC surfaces. Recent efforts to improve the design and fabrication of PCs and their associated detection instrumentation are summarized, including the use of PCs coupled with Fabry-Perot cavities and external cavity lasers. PMID:23624689

Improved Method Being Developed for Surface Enhancement of Metallic Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gabb, Timothy P.; Telesman, Jack; Kantzos, Peter T.

2001-01-01

Surface enhancement methods induce a layer of beneficial residual compressive stress to improve the impact (FOD) resistance and fatigue life of metallic materials. A traditional method of surface enhancement often used is shot peening, in which small steel spheres are repeatedly impinged on metallic surfaces. Shot peening is inexpensive and widely used, but the plastic deformation of 20 to 40 percent imparted by the impacts can be harmful. This plastic deformation can damage the microstructure, severely limiting the ductility and durability of the material near the surface. It has also been shown to promote accelerated relaxation of the beneficial compressive residual stresses at elevated temperatures. Low-plasticity burnishing (LPB) is being developed as an improved method for the surface enhancement of metallic materials. LPB is being investigated as a rapid, inexpensive surface enhancement method under NASA Small Business Innovation Research contracts NAS3-98034 and NAS3-99116, with supporting characterization work at NASA. Previously, roller burnishing had been employed to refine surface finish. This concept was adopted and then optimized as a means of producing a layer of compressive stress of high magnitude and depth, with minimal plastic deformation (ref. 1). A simplified diagram of the developed process is given in the following figure. A single pass of a smooth, free-rolling spherical ball under a normal force deforms the surface of the material in tension, creating a compressive layer of residual stress. The ball is supported in a fluid with sufficient pressure to lift the ball off the surface of the retaining spherical socket. The ball is only in mechanical contact with the surface of the material being burnished and is free to roll on the surface. This apparatus is designed to be mounted in the conventional lathes and vertical mills currently used to machine parts. The process has been successfully applied to nickel-base superalloys by a team from the NASA Glenn Research Center, Lambda Research, and METCUT Research, as supported by the NASA Small Business Innovation Research Phase I and II programs, the Ultra Safe program, and the Ultra- Efficient Engine Technology (UEET) Program.

Enhanced flashover strength in polyethylene nanodielectrics by secondary electron emission modification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Weiwang; Li, Shengtao; Min, Daomin

2016-04-01

This work studies the correlation between secondary electron emission (SEE) characteristics and impulse surface flashover in polyethylene nanodielectrics both theoretically and experimentally, and illustrates the enhancement of flashover voltage in low-density polyethylene (LDPE) through incorporating Al2O3 nanoparticles. SEE characteristics play key roles in surface charging and gas desorption during surface flashover. This work demonstrates that the presence of Al2O3 nanoparticles decreases the SEE coefficient of LDPE and enhances the impact energy at the equilibrium state of surface charging. These changes can be explained by the increase of surface roughness and of surface ionization energy, and the strong interaction between nanoparticles and the polymer dielectric matrix. The surface charge and flashover voltage are calculated according to the secondary electron emission avalanche (SEEA) model, which reveals that the positive surface charges are reduced near the cathode triple point, while the presence of more nanoparticles in high loading samples enhances the gas desorption. Consequently, the surface flashover performance of LDPE/Al2O3 nanodielectrics is improved.

Nano-patterned superconducting surface for high quantum efficiency cathode

DOEpatents

Hannon, Fay; Musumeci, Pietro

2017-03-07

A method for providing a superconducting surface on a laser-driven niobium cathode in order to increase the effective quantum efficiency. The enhanced surface increases the effective quantum efficiency by improving the laser absorption of the surface and enhancing the local electric field. The surface preparation method makes feasible the construction of superconducting radio frequency injectors with niobium as the photocathode. An array of nano-structures are provided on a flat surface of niobium. The nano-structures are dimensionally tailored to interact with a laser of specific wavelength to thereby increase the electron yield of the surface.

Improvement of the recombination and infrared light losses by rear surface chemical polishing in silicon heterojunction solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xueliang; Zhang, Yi; Li, Feng; Sun, Yun

2017-06-01

Rear surface chemical polishing (RSCP) was investigated for the improvement of the internal reflection and surface passivation of heterojunction solar cells with intrinsic thin layers (HIT). The HIT solar cells without or with RSCP treatment were prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition and physical vapor deposition techniques. Scanning electron microscopy results showed that rounding of the spires and V-groove bottom of the pyramid as well as smoothing of incline surface of the pyramid were achieved. These effects would decrease the loss of infrared light transmittance and interface recombination at the rear surface of the cells. To experimentally corroborate these two points, two special geometries, ITO/c-Si/hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H)/ITO and a-Si:H/c-Si/a-Si:H, were introduced as a test of the reflectance/transmittance spectra and the minority carrier lifetime. Weakened transmittance and enhanced lifetime were observed for the sample with RSCP, which are responsible for the improvement of J sc and V oc, respectively. Therefore, RSCP is a promising candidate for improving the performance of HIT solar cells.

Enhancement of Electrical Properties of Nanostructured Polysilicon Layers Through Hydrogen Passivation.

PubMed

Zhou, D; Xu, T; Lambert, Y; Cristini-Robbe; Stiévenard, D

2015-12-01

The light absorption of polysilicon planar junctions can be improved using nanostructured top surfaces due to their enhanced light harvesting properties. Nevertheless, associated with the higher surface, the roughness caused by plasma etching and defects located at the grain boundary in polysilicon, the concentration of the recombination centers increases, leading to electrical performance deterioration. In this work, we demonstrate that wet oxidation combined with hydrogen passivation using SiN(x):H are the key technological processes to significantly decrease the surface recombination and improve the electrical properties of nanostructured n(+)-i-p junctions. Nanostructured surface is fabricated by nanosphere lithography in a low-cost and controllable approach. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that the successive annealing of silicon nitride films has significant effect on the passivation quality, resulting in some improvements on the efficiency of the Si nanostructure-based solar cell device.

Tailoring of TiO2 films by H2SO4 treatment and UV irradiation to improve anticoagulant ability and endothelial cell compatibility.

PubMed

Liao, Yuzhen; Li, Linhua; Chen, Jiang; Yang, Ping; Zhao, Ansha; Sun, Hong; Huang, Nan

2017-07-01

Surfaces with dual functions that simultaneously exhibit good anticoagulant ability and endothelial cell (EC) compatibility are desirable for blood contact materials. However, these dual functions have rarely been achieved by inorganic materials. In this study, titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) films were treated by sulphuric acid (H 2 SO 4 ) and ultraviolet (UV) irradiation successively (TiO 2 H 2 SO 4 -UV), resulting in good anticoagulant ability and EC compatibility simultaneously. We found that UV irradiation improved the anticoagulant ability of TiO 2 films significantly while enhancing EC compatibility, though not significantly. The enhanced anticoagulant ability could be related to the oxidation of surface-adsorbed hydrocarbons and increased hydrophilicity. The H 2 SO 4 treatment improved the anticoagulant ability of TiO 2 films slightly, while UV irradiation improved the anticoagulant ability strongly. The enhanced EC compatibility could be related to the increased surface roughness and positive charges on the surface of the TiO 2 films. Furthermore, the time-dependent degradation of the enhanced EC compatibility and anticoagulant ability of TiO 2 H 2 SO 4 -UV was observed. In summary, TiO 2 H 2 SO 4 -UV expressed both excellent anticoagulant ability and good EC compatibility at the same time, which could be desirable for blood contact materials. However, the compatibility of TiO 2 H 2 SO 4 -UV with smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and macrophages was also improved. More effort is still needed to selectively improve EC compatibility on TiO 2 films for better re-endothelialization. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Wavelength modulated surface enhanced (resonance) Raman scattering for background-free detection.

PubMed

Praveen, Bavishna B; Steuwe, Christian; Mazilu, Michael; Dholakia, Kishan; Mahajan, Sumeet

2013-05-21

Spectra in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) are always accompanied by a continuum emission called the 'background' which complicates analysis and is especially problematic for quantification and automation. Here, we implement a wavelength modulation technique to eliminate the background in SERS and its resonant version, surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS). This is demonstrated on various nanostructured substrates used for SER(R)S. An enhancement in the signal to noise ratio for the Raman bands of the probe molecules is also observed. This technique helps to improve the analytical ability of SERS by alleviating the problem due to the accompanying background and thus making observations substrate independent.

Bone surface enhancement in ultrasound images using a new Doppler-based acquisition/processing method.

PubMed

Yang, Xu; Tang, Songyuan; Tasciotti, Ennio; Righetti, Raffaella

2018-01-17

Ultrasound (US) imaging has long been considered as a potential aid in orthopedic surgeries. US technologies are safe, portable and do not use radiations. This would make them a desirable tool for real-time assessment of fractures and to monitor fracture healing. However, image quality of US imaging methods in bone applications is limited by speckle, attenuation, shadow, multiple reflections and other imaging artifacts. While bone surfaces typically appear in US images as somewhat 'brighter' than soft tissue, they are often not easily distinguishable from the surrounding tissue. Therefore, US imaging methods aimed at segmenting bone surfaces need enhancement in image contrast prior to segmentation to improve the quality of the detected bone surface. In this paper, we present a novel acquisition/processing technique for bone surface enhancement in US images. Inspired by elastography and Doppler imaging methods, this technique takes advantage of the difference between the mechanical and acoustic properties of bones and those of soft tissues to make the bone surface more easily distinguishable in US images. The objective of this technique is to facilitate US-based bone segmentation methods and improve the accuracy of their outcomes. The newly proposed technique is tested both in in vitro and in vivo experiments. The results of these preliminary experiments suggest that the use of the proposed technique has the potential to significantly enhance the detectability of bone surfaces in noisy ultrasound images.

Photonic crystal enhanced fluorescence using a quartz substrate to reduce limits of detection

PubMed Central

Pokhriyal, Anusha; Lu, Meng; Chaudhery, Vikram; Huang, Cheng-Sheng; Schulz, Stephen; Cunningham, Brian T.

2010-01-01

A Photonic Crystal (PC) surface fabricated upon a quartz substrate using nanoimprint lithography has been demonstrated to enhance light emission from fluorescent molecules in close proximity to the PC surface. Quartz was selected for its low autofluorescence characteristics compared to polymer-based PCs, improving the detection sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of PC Enhanced Fluorescence (PCEF). Nanoimprint lithography enables economical fabrication of the subwavelength PCEF surface structure over entire 1x3 in2 quartz slides. The demonstrated PCEF surface supports a transverse magnetic (TM) resonant mode at a wavelength of λ = 632.8 nm and an incident angle of θ = 11°, which amplifies the electric field magnitude experienced by surface-bound fluorophores. Meanwhile, another TM mode at a wavelength of λ = 690 nm and incident angle of θ = 0° efficiently directs the fluorescent emission toward the detection optics. An enhancement factor as high as 7500 × was achieved for the detection of LD-700 dye spin-coated upon the PC, compared to detecting the same material on an unpatterned glass surface. The detection of spotted Alexa-647 labeled polypeptide on the PC exhibits a 330 × SNR improvement. Using dose-response characterization of deposited fluorophore-tagged protein spots, the PCEF surface demonstrated a 140 × lower limit of detection compared to a conventional glass substrate. PMID:21164826

Bone surface enhancement in ultrasound images using a new Doppler-based acquisition/processing method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xu; Tang, Songyuan; Tasciotti, Ennio; Righetti, Raffaella

2018-01-01

Ultrasound (US) imaging has long been considered as a potential aid in orthopedic surgeries. US technologies are safe, portable and do not use radiations. This would make them a desirable tool for real-time assessment of fractures and to monitor fracture healing. However, image quality of US imaging methods in bone applications is limited by speckle, attenuation, shadow, multiple reflections and other imaging artifacts. While bone surfaces typically appear in US images as somewhat ‘brighter’ than soft tissue, they are often not easily distinguishable from the surrounding tissue. Therefore, US imaging methods aimed at segmenting bone surfaces need enhancement in image contrast prior to segmentation to improve the quality of the detected bone surface. In this paper, we present a novel acquisition/processing technique for bone surface enhancement in US images. Inspired by elastography and Doppler imaging methods, this technique takes advantage of the difference between the mechanical and acoustic properties of bones and those of soft tissues to make the bone surface more easily distinguishable in US images. The objective of this technique is to facilitate US-based bone segmentation methods and improve the accuracy of their outcomes. The newly proposed technique is tested both in in vitro and in vivo experiments. The results of these preliminary experiments suggest that the use of the proposed technique has the potential to significantly enhance the detectability of bone surfaces in noisy ultrasound images.

Nano-immunoassay with improved performance for detection of cancer biomarkers

DOE PAGES

Krasnoslobodtsev, Alexey V.; Torres, Maria P.; Kaur, Sukhwinder; ...

2015-01-01

Nano-immunoassay utilizing surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) effect is a promising analytical technique for the early detection of cancer. In its current standing the assay is capable of discriminating samples of healthy individuals from samples of pancreatic cancer patients. Further improvements in sensitivity and reproducibility will extend practical applications of the SERS-based detection platforms to wider range of problems. In this report, we discuss several strategies designed to improve performance of the SERS-based detection system. We demonstrate that reproducibility of the platform is enhanced by using atomically smooth mica surface as a template for preparation of capture surface in SERS sandwichmore » immunoassay. Furthermore, the assay's stability and sensitivity can be further improved by using either polymer or graphene monolayer as a thin protective layer applied on top of the assay addresses. The protective layer renders the signal to be more stable against photo-induced damage and carbonaceous contamination.« less

Enhancing Efficiency of Perovskite Solar Cells via Surface Passivation with Graphene Oxide Interlayer.

PubMed

Li, Hao; Tao, Leiming; Huang, Feihong; Sun, Qiang; Zhao, Xiaojuan; Han, Junbo; Shen, Yan; Wang, Mingkui

2017-11-08

Perovskite solar cells have been demonstrated as promising low-cost and highly efficient next-generation solar cells. Enhancing V OC by minimization the interfacial recombination kinetics can further improve device performance. In this work, we for the first time reported on surface passivation of perovskite layers with chemical modified graphene oxides, which act as efficient interlayer to reduce interfacial recombination and enhance hole extraction as well. Our modeling points out that the passivation effect mainly comes from the interaction between functional group (4-fluorophenyl) and under-coordinated Pb ions. The resulting perovskite solar cells achieved high efficient power conversion efficiency of 18.75% with enhanced high open circuit V OC of 1.11 V. Ultrafast spectroscopy, photovoltage/photocurrent transient decay, and electronic impedance spectroscopy characterizations reveal the effective passivation effect and the energy loss mechanism. This work sheds light on the importance of interfacial engineering on the surface of perovskite layers and provides possible ways to improve device efficiency.

Interface enhancement of glass fiber reinforced vinyl ester composites with flame-synthesized carbon nanotubes and its enhancing mechanism.

PubMed

Liao, Lingmin; Wang, Xiao; Fang, Pengfei; Liew, Kim Meow; Pan, Chunxu

2011-02-01

Interface enhancement with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) provides a promising approach for improving shock strength and toughness of glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP) composites. The effects of incorporating flame-synthesized CNTs (F-CNTs) into GFRP were studied, including on hand lay-up preparation, microstructural characterization, mechanical properties, fracture morphologies, and theoretical calculation. The experimental results showed that: (1) the impact strength of the GFRP modified by F-CNTs increased by more than 15% over that of the GFRP modified by CNTs from chemical vapor deposition; and (2) with the F-CNT enhancement, no interfacial debonding was observed at the interface between the fiber and resin matrix on the GFRP fracture surface, which indicated strong adhesive strength between them. The theoretical calculation revealed that the intrinsic characteristics of the F-CNTs, including lower crystallinity with a large number of defects and chemical functional groups on the surface, promoted their surface activity and dispersibility at the interface, which improved the interfacial bond strength of GFRP.

Numerical analysis of mixing enhancement for micro-electroosmotic flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, G. H.; He, Y. L.; Tao, W. Q.

2010-05-01

Micro-electroosmotic flow is usually slow with negligible inertial effects and diffusion-based mixing can be problematic. To gain an improved understanding of electroosmotic mixing in microchannels, a numerical study has been carried out for channels patterned with wall blocks, and channels patterned with heterogeneous surfaces. The lattice Boltzmann method has been employed to obtain the external electric field, electric potential distribution in the electrolyte, the flow field, and the species concentration distribution within the same framework. The simulation results show that wall blocks and heterogeneous surfaces can significantly disturb the streamlines by fluid folding and stretching leading to apparently substantial improvements in mixing. However, the results show that the introduction of such features can substantially reduce the mass flow rate and thus effectively prolongs the available mixing time when the flow passes through the channel. This is a non-negligible factor on the effectiveness of the observed improvements in mixing efficiency. Compared with the heterogeneous surface distribution, the wall block cases can achieve more effective enhancement in the same mixing time. In addition, the field synergy theory is extended to analyze the mixing enhancement in electroosmotic flow. The distribution of the local synergy angle in the channel aids to evaluate the effectiveness of enhancement method.

The thermal visualisation of latent fingermarks on metallic surfaces.

PubMed

Wightman, G; O'Connor, D

2011-01-30

Recent published research has lead to improved techniques for recovering latent fingermarks from metallic surfaces. The present study corroborates and extends some of the work carried out by Bond [1-3], but an alternative mechanism is proposed for the thermal visualisation of fingermarks based on differential oxidation and the production of interference colours that improve contrast. Fingermarks treated at low temperature could be reheated to enhance recovery, but an upper temperature limit occurs beyond which the mark degrades. The mechanism of enhancement is discussed. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Graphene coating on the surface of CoCrMo alloy enhances the adhesion and proliferation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.

PubMed

Zhang, Qi; Li, Kewen; Yan, Jinhong; Wang, Zhuo; Wu, Qi; Bi, Long; Yang, Min; Han, Yisheng

2018-03-18

The objective was to investigate whether a graphene coating could improve the surface bioactivity of a cobalt-chromium-molybdenum-based alloy (CoCrMo). Graphene was produced by chemical vapor deposition and transferred to the surface of the CoCrMo alloy using an improved wet transfer approach. The morphology of the samples was observed, and the adhesion force and stabilization of graphene coating were analyzed by a nanoscratch test and ultrasonication test. In an in vitro study, the adhesion and proliferation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) cultured on the samples were quantified via an Alamar Blue assay and cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. The results showed that it is feasible to apply graphene to modify the surface of a CoCrMo alloy, and the enhancement of the adhesion and proliferation of BMSCs was also shown in the present study. In conclusion, graphene exhibits considerable potential for enhancing the surface bioactivity of CoCrMo alloy. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Improved adhesion of Ni films on X-ray damaged polytetrafluoroethylene

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wheeler, D. R.; Pepper, S. V.

1981-01-01

The considered investigation shows that the adhesion of evaporated Ni on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is enhanced by irradiating the PTFE surface prior to evaporation. Evidence obtained with the aid of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is presented concerning the association of the enhanced adhesion with an interfacial chemical reaction. Evaporated Ni clearly adheres better to the X-ray damaged PTFE surface than to the undamaged surface. There is evidence that the improved adhesion is not related to the Ni-C bond, but rather to the NiF2. A possible mechanism which may be consistent with the data is the formation of a F-Ni-C complex, where C is a member of the polymer chain.

Lattice Boltzmann Simulation of Electroosmotic Micromixing by Heterogeneous Surface Charge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, G. H.; Wang, F. F.; Tao, W. Q.

Microelectroosmotic flow is usually restricted to low Reynolds number regime, and mixing in these microfluidic systems becomes problematic due to the negligible inertial effects. To gain an improved understanding of mixing enhancement in microchannels patterned with heterogeneous surface charge, the lattice Boltzmann method has been employed to obtain the electric potential distribution in the electrolyte, the flow field, and the species concentration distribution, respectively. The simulation results show that heterogeneous surfaces can significantly disturb the streamlines leading to apparently substantial improvements in mixing. However, the introduction of such a feature can reduce the mass flow rate in the channel. The reduction in flow rate effectively prolongs the available mixing time when the flow passes through the channel and the observed mixing enhancement by heterogeneous surfaces partly results from longer mixing time.

Enhanced flashover strength in polyethylene nanodielectrics by secondary electron emission modification

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Weiwang; Li, Shengtao, E-mail: sli@xjtu.edu.cn; Min, Daomin

2016-04-15

This work studies the correlation between secondary electron emission (SEE) characteristics and impulse surface flashover in polyethylene nanodielectrics both theoretically and experimentally, and illustrates the enhancement of flashover voltage in low-density polyethylene (LDPE) through incorporating Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanoparticles. SEE characteristics play key roles in surface charging and gas desorption during surface flashover. This work demonstrates that the presence of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanoparticles decreases the SEE coefficient of LDPE and enhances the impact energy at the equilibrium state of surface charging. These changes can be explained by the increase of surface roughness and of surface ionization energy, and themore » strong interaction between nanoparticles and the polymer dielectric matrix. The surface charge and flashover voltage are calculated according to the secondary electron emission avalanche (SEEA) model, which reveals that the positive surface charges are reduced near the cathode triple point, while the presence of more nanoparticles in high loading samples enhances the gas desorption. Consequently, the surface flashover performance of LDPE/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanodielectrics is improved.« less

Laser Nitriding of the Newly Developed Ti-20Nb-13Zr at.% Biomaterial Alloy to Enhance Its Mechanical and Corrosion Properties in Simulated Body Fluid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hussein, M. A.; Kumar, A. Madhan; Yilbas, Bekir S.; Al-Aqeeli, N.

2017-11-01

Despite the widespread application of Ti alloy in the biomedical field, surface treatments are typically applied to improve its resistance to corrosion and wear. A newly developed biomedical Ti-20Nb-13Zr at.% alloy (TNZ) was laser-treated in nitrogen environment to improve its surface characteristics with corrosion protection performance. Surface modification of the alloy by laser was performed through a Nd:YAG laser. The structural and surface morphological alterations in the laser nitrided layer were investigated by XRD and a FE-SEM. The mechanical properties have been evaluated using nanoindentation for laser nitride and as-received samples. The corrosion protection behavior was estimated using electrochemical corrosion analysis in a physiological medium (SBF). The obtained results revealed the production of a dense and compact film of TiN fine grains (micro-/nanosize) with 9.1 µm below the surface. The mechanical assessment results indicated an improvement in the modulus of elasticity, hardness, and resistance of the formed TiN layer to plastic deformation. The electrochemical analysis exhibited that the surface protection performance of the laser nitrided TNZ substrates in the SBF could be considerably enhanced compared to that of the as-received alloy due to the presence of fine grains in the TiN layer resulting from laser nitriding. Furthermore, the untreated and treated Ti-20Nb-13Zr alloy exhibited higher corrosion resistance than the CpTi and Ti6Al4V commercial alloys. The improvements in the surface hardness and corrosion properties of Ti alloy in a simulated body obtained using laser nitriding make this approach a suitable candidate for enhancing the properties of biomaterials.

Adhesion enhancement of Al coatings on carbon/epoxy composite surfaces by atmospheric plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coulon, J. F.; Tournerie, N.; Maillard, H.

2013-10-01

Adhesion strengths between aluminium thin film coatings and manufactured carbon/epoxy composite surfaces were measured by assessing fracture tensile strengths using pull-off tests. The effect of the substrate roughness (nm to μm) of these composite surfaces on adhesion was studied by examining the surface free energies and adhesion strengths. The adhesion strengths of the coatings varied significantly. To improve the coating adhesion, each composite surface was treated with atmospheric plasma prior to deposition, which resulted in an increase in the surface free energy from approximately 40 mJ/m2 to 70 mJ/m2 because the plasma pretreatment led to the formation of hydrophilic Csbnd O and Cdbnd O bonds on the composite surfaces, as demonstrated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses. The adhesion strengths of the coatings were enhanced for all surface roughnesses studied. In our study, the effect of mechanical adhesion due to roughness was separated from the effect of modifying the chemical bonds with plasma activation. The adhesion ability of the pure resin was relatively weak. Increasing the surface roughness largely improved the adhesion of the resin surface. Plasma treatment of the pure resin also increased the surface adhesion. Our study shows that plasma activation effectively enhances the adhesion of manufactured composites, even when the surface roughness is on the order of microns. The ageing of the surface activation was also investigated, and the results demonstrate that atmospheric plasma has potential for use in the pretreatment of composite materials.

Achieving Very Low Levels of Detection: An Improved Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Experiment for the Physical Chemistry Teaching Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMillan, Brian G.

2016-01-01

This experiment was designed and successfully introduced to complement the nanochemistry taught to undergraduate students in a useful and interesting way. Colloidal Ag nanoparticles were synthesized by a simple, room-temperature method, and the resulting suspension was then used to study the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of methylene…

Flexible shrink-induced high surface area electrodes for electrochemiluminescent sensing.

PubMed

Pegan, Jonathan D; Ho, Adrienne Y; Bachman, Mark; Khine, Michelle

2013-11-07

Photolithographically defined metallic thin film on commodity shrink-wrap is leveraged to create robust electrodes. By thermally shrinking the film, electrodes are reduced by 20× in footprint for improved resolution and conductivity with >600% enhancements in electrochemically active surface area; as electrochemiluminescent sensors, they demonstrate improved limits of detection.

ULTRASOUND PRETREATMENT OF ELEMENTAL IRON: KINETIC STUDIES OF DEHALOGENATION REACTION ENHANCEMENT AND SURFACE EFFECTS. (R828598C743)

EPA Science Inventory

This work presents data showing the kinetic improvement afforded by ultrasound pretreatment and illustrates the physical and chemical changes that take place at the iron surface. First-order rate constants improved as much as 78% with 2 h of ultrasound pretreatment. Scann...

Surface modification of epoxy resin using He/CF4 atmospheric pressure plasma jet for flashover withstanding characteristics improvement in vacuum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Sile; Wang, Shuai; Wang, Yibo; Guo, Baohong; Li, Guoqiang; Chang, Zhengshi; Zhang, Guan-Jun

2017-08-01

For enhancing the surface electric withstanding strength of insulating materials, epoxy resin (EP) samples are treated by atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) with different time interval from 0 to 300s. Helium (He) and tetrafluoromethane (CF4) mixtures are used as working gases with the concentration of CF4 ranging 0%-5%, and when CF4 is ∼3%, the APPJ exhibits an optimal steady state. The flashover withstanding characteristics of modified EP in vacuum are greatly improved under appropriate APPJ treatment conditions. The surface properties of EP samples are evaluated by surface roughness, scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and water contact angle. It is considered that both physical and chemical effects lead to the enhancement of flashover strength. The physical effect is reflected in the increase of surface roughness, while the chemical effect is reflected in the graft of fluorine groups.

Synthesis and enhanced humidity detection response of nanoscale Au-particle-decorated ZnS spheres

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

We successfully prepared Au-nanoparticle-decorated ZnS (ZnS-Au) spheres by sputtering Au ultrathin films on surfaces of hydrothermally synthesized ZnS spheres and subsequently postannealed the samples in a high-vacuum atmosphere. The Au nanoparticles were distributed on ZnS surfaces without substantial aggregation. The Au nanoparticle diameter range was 5 to 10 nm. Structural information showed that the surface of the annealed ZnS-Au spheres became more irregular and rough. A humidity sensor constructed using the Au-nanoparticle-decorated ZnS spheres demonstrated a substantially improved response to the cyclic change in humidity from 11% relative humidity (RH) to 33% to 95% RH at room temperature. The improved response was associated with the enhanced efficiency of water molecule adsorption onto the surfaces of the ZnS because of the surface modification of the ZnS spheres through noble-metal nanoparticle decoration. PMID:25520595

Improvement of the Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy method sensitivity by the usage of combination of Ag-nanoparticles and vacuum conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sládková, Lucia; Prochazka, David; Pořízka, Pavel; Škarková, Pavlína; Remešová, Michaela; Hrdlička, Aleš; Novotný, Karel; Čelko, Ladislav; Kaiser, Jozef

2017-01-01

In this work we studied the effect of vacuum (low pressure) conditions on the behavior of laser-induced plasma (LIP) created on a sample surface covered with silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs), i.e. Nanoparticles-Enhanced Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (NELIBS) experiment in a vacuum. The focus was put on the step by step optimization of the measurement parameters, such as energy of the laser pulse, temporally resolved detection, ambient pressure, and different content of Ag-NPs applied on the sample surface. The measurement parameters were optimized in order to achieve the greatest enhancement represented as the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of NELIBS signal to the SNR of LIBS signal. The presence of NPs involved in the ablation process enhances LIP intensity; hence the improvement in the analytical sensitivity was yielded. A leaded brass standard was analyzed with the emphasis on the signal enhancement of Pb traces. We gained enhancement by a factor of four. Although the low pressure had no significant influence on the LIP signal enhancement compared to that under ambient conditions, the SNR values were noticeably improved with the implementation of the NPs.

Improved Balance Confidence and Stability for Elderly After 6 Weeks of a Multimodal Self-Administered Balance-Enhancing Exercise Program

PubMed Central

Hafström, Anna; Malmström, Eva-Maj; Terdèn, Josefine; Fransson, Per-Anders; Magnusson, Måns

2016-01-01

Objective: To develop and assess the efficacy of a multimodal balance-enhancing exercise program (BEEP) designed to be regularly self-administered by community-dwelling elderly. The program aims to promote sensory reweighting, facilitate motor control, improve gaze stabilization, and stimulate continuous improvement by being constantly challenging. Method: Forty participants aged 60 to 80 years performed 6 weeks of BEEP training, on average for 16 min four times weekly, in a randomized one-arm crossover design. Results: One-leg standing time improved 32% with eyes open (EO), 206% with eyes closed (EC) on solid surface, and 54% EO on compliant surface (p < .001). Posturography confirmed balance improvements when perturbed on solid and compliant surfaces with EO and EC (p ≤ .033). Walking, step stool, and Timed Up and Go speeds increased (p ≤ .001), as did scores in Berg Balance and balance confidence scales (p ≤ .018). Discussion: Multimodal balance exercises offer an efficient, cost-effective way to improve balance control and confidence in elderly. PMID:28138495

Surface Texture-Induced Enhancement of Optical and Photoelectrochemical Activity of Cu2ZnSnS4 Photocathodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarswat, Prashant K.; Deka, Nipon; Jagan Mohan Rao, S.; Free, Michael L.; Kumar, Gagan

2017-08-01

The objective of this work is to understand and improve the photocatalytic activity of Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) through postgrowth modification techniques to create surface textures. This objective can be achieved using a combination of solvents, etching agents, and anodization techniques. One of the most effective surface treatments for enhancing the surface properties of photovoltaic materials is formation of nanoscale flakes, although other surface modifications were also evaluated. The superior performance of textured films can be attributed to enhanced surface area of absorber material exposed to electrolyte, ZnS deficiency, and high catalytic activity due to reduced charge-transfer resistance. Fine-tuning of ion flux and electrolyte stoichiometry can be used to create a controlled growth algorithm for CZTS thin films. The resulting information can be utilized to optimize film properties. The utility of nanostructured or engineered surfaces was evaluated using photoelectrochemical measurements. Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD)-assisted simulations were conducted for selected texturing, revealing enhanced surface area of absorbing medium that ultimately resulted in greater power loss of light in the medium.

Surface modification of polyester fabrics by atmospheric-pressure air/He plasma for color strength and adhesion enhancement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Chunming; Zhao, Meihua; Wang, Libing; Qu, Lijun; Men, Yajing

2017-04-01

Surface properties of water-based pigmented inks for ink-jet printed polyester fabrics were modified with atmospheric-pressure air/He plasma to improve the color strength and pigment adhesion of the treated surfaces. The influence of various parameters, including the surface morphology, chemical compositions, surface energy and dynamic contact angles of the control and plasma treated samples was studied. Color strength and edge definition were used to evaluate the ink-jet printing performance of fabrics. The change in pigment adhesion to polyester fibers was analyzed by SEM (scanning electron microscopy). AFM (Atomic force microscope) and XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) analyses indicated the increase in surface roughness and the oxygen-containing polar groups(Cdbnd O, Csbnd OH and COOH) reinforced the fixation of pigments on the fiber surface. The result from this study suggested that the improved pigment color yield was clearly affected by alteration of pigment adhesion enhanced by plasma surface modification. Polyester fabrics exhibited better surface property and ink-jet printing performance after the air/He mixture plasma treatment comparing with those after air plasma treatment.

Self-enhanced plasma discharge effect in the deposition of diamond-like carbon films on the inner surface of slender tube

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Yi; Li, Liuhe; Luo, Sida; Lu, Qiuyuan; Gu, Jiabin; Lei, Ning; Huo, Chunqin

2017-01-01

Enhanced glow discharge plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition (EGD-PIII&D) have been proved to be highly effective for depositing diamond-like carbon (DLC) films on the inner surface of the slender quartz tube with a deposition rate of 1.3 μm/min. Such a high-efficiency DLC films deposition was explained previously as the short electrons mean free path to cause large collision frequency between electrons and neutral particles. However, in this paper, we found that the inner surface material of the tube itself play a vital role on the films deposition. To disclose the mechanism of this phenomenon, the effect of different inner surface materials on plasma discharge was experimentally and theoretically investigated. Then a self-enhancing plasma discharge is discovered. It is found that secondary electrons emitted from the inner surface material, whatever it is the tube inner surface or deposited DLC films, can dramatically enhance the plasma discharge to improve the DLC films deposition rate.

Performance Improvement of Polymer Solar Cells by Surface-Energy-Induced Dual Plasmon Resonance.

PubMed

Yao, Mengnan; Shen, Ping; Liu, Yan; Chen, Boyuan; Guo, Wenbin; Ruan, Shengping; Shen, Liang

2016-03-09

The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect of metal nanoparticles (MNPs) is effectively applied on polymer solar cells (PSCs) to improve power conversion efficiency (PCE). However, universality of the reported results mainly focused on utilizing single type of MNPs to enhance light absorption only in specific narrow wavelength range. Herein, a surface-energy-induced dual MNP plasmon resonance by thermally evaporating method was presented to achieve the absorption enhancement in wider range. The differences of surface energy between silver (Ag), gold (Au), and tungsten trioxide (WO3) compared by contact angle images enable Ag and Au prefer to respectively aggregate into isolated islands rather than films at the initial stage of the evaporation process, which was clearly demonstrated in the atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurement. The sum of plasmon-enhanced wavelength range induced by both Ag NPs (350-450 nm) and Au NPs (450-600 nm) almost cover the whole absorption spectra of active layers, which compatibly contribute a significant efficiency improvement from 4.57 ± 0.16 to 6.55 ± 0.12% compared to the one without MNPs. Besides, steady state photoluminescence (PL) measurements provide strong evidence that the SPR induced by the Ag-Au NPs increase the intensity of light absorption. Finally, ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) reveals that doping Au and Ag causes upper shift of both the work function and valence band of WO3, which is directly related to hole collection ability. We believe the surface-energy-induced dual plasmon resonance enhancement by simple thermally evaporating technique might pave the way toward higher-efficiency PSCs.

Combination of inverted pyramidal nanovoid with silver nanoparticles to obtain further enhancement and its detection for ricin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Meng; Wang, Bin; Wu, Shixuan; Guo, Tingke; Li, Haoyu; Guo, Zhaoqing; Wu, Junhua; Jia, Peiyuan; Wang, Yuxia; Xu, Xiaoxuan; Wang, Yufang; Zhang, Cunzhou

2015-02-01

We have obtained the surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrate by depositing silver nanoparticles on the surface of the inverted pyramidal nanovoid in order to improve the enhance effects. Experimental results showed that the combined substrate exhibited greater enhancement than the nanovoid substrate or nanoparticles. In order to test the SERS activity of the combined substrates, Rh6G and ricin toxin were used as Raman probes. Finite element method was employed to simulate electric field and induced charge distribution of the substrates, which have been used to explore the interaction between nanoparticles and nanovoid as well as mechanism of the great enhancement.

A New Approach for Detection Improvement of the Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disorder through a Specific Surface Chemistry Applied onto Titration Well

PubMed Central

Mille, Caroline; Debarnot, Dominique; Zorzi, Willy; Moualij, Benaissa El; Quadrio, Isabelle; Perret-Liaudet, Armand; Coudreuse, Arnaud; Legeay, Gilbert; Poncin-Epaillard, Fabienne

2012-01-01

This work illustrates the enhancement of the sensitivity of the ELISA titration for recombinant human and native prion proteins, while reducing other non-specific adsorptions that could increase the background signal and lead to a low sensitivity and false positives. It is achieved thanks to the association of plasma chemistry and coating with different amphiphilic molecules bearing either ionic charges and/or long hydrocarbon chains. The treated support by 3-butenylamine hydrochloride improves the signal detection of recombinant protein, while surface modification with the 3,7-dimethylocta-2,6-dien-1-diamine (geranylamine) enhances the sensitivity of the native protein. Beside the surface chemistry effect, these different results are associated with protein conformation. PMID:25586034

Cellulose nanomaterials emulsion coatings for controlling physiological activity, modifying surface morphology, and enhancing storability of postharvest bananas (Musa acuminate).

PubMed

Deng, Zilong; Jung, Jooyeoun; Simonsen, John; Zhao, Yanyun

2017-10-01

Cellulose nanomaterials (CNs)-incorporated emulsion coatings with improved moisture barrier, wettability and surface adhesion onto fruit surfaces were developed for controlling postharvest physiological activity and enhancing storability of bananas during ambient storage. Cellulose nanofiber (CNF)-based emulsion coating (CNFC: 0.3% CNF/1% oleic acid/1% sucrose ester fatty acid (w/w wet base)) had low contact angle, high spread coefficient onto banana surfaces, and lower surface tension (ST, 25.4mN/m) than the critical ST (35.2mN/m) of banana peels, and exhibited good wettability onto banana surfaces. CNFC coating delayed the ethylene biosynthesis pathway and reduced ethylene and CO 2 production, thus delaying fruit ripening. As the result, CNFC coating minimized chlorophyll degradation, weight loss, and firmness of bananas while ensuring the properly fruit ripening during 10d of ambient storage. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of CNF based emulsion coatings for improving the storability of postharvest bananas. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Synthesis and improved SERS performance of silver nanoparticles-decorated surface mesoporous silica microspheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Tao; Wang, Xiaolong; Zhang, Li; Zhou, Jun; Zhao, Ziqi

2016-08-01

This study reported the improved Raman enhancement ability of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) decorated on surface mesoporous silica microspheres (MSiO2@Ag) than that of Ag NPs on solid silica microspheres (SSiO2@Ag). These two kinds of hybrid structures were prepared by a facile single-step hydrothermal reaction with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) serves as both a reductant and stabilizer. The as-synthesized MSiO2@Ag microspheres show more significant surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity for 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4MBA) than SSiO2@Ag microspheres with enhancement factors as 9.20 × 106 and 4.39 × 106, respectively. The proposed reason for the higher SERS activity is estimated to be the contribution of more Raman probe molecules at the mesoporous channels where an enhanced electromagnetic field exists. Such a field was identified by theoretical calculation result. The MSiO2@Ag microspheres were eventually demonstrated for the SERS detection of a typical chemical toxin namely methyl parathion with a detection limit as low as 1 × 10-3 ppm, showing its promising potential in biosensor application.

Au and Pt selectively deposited on {0 0 1}-faceted TiO2 toward SPR enhanced photocatalytic Cr(VI) reduction: The influence of excitation wavelength

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Wei; Lai, Min; Fang, Jiaojiao; Lu, Chunhua

2018-05-01

Anatase TiO2 nanosheets with {0 0 1}-{1 0 1} surface heterojunction is employed as the typical photocatalyst to study surface plasmon resonance (SPR) enhanced photocatalytic Cr(VI) reduction with the help of selectively deposited Au and Pt nanoparticles. By employing an UV LED with central wavelength of 365 nm and a green LED with central wavelength of 530 nm as the light sources, results indicate the single green LED has little positive effect on driving the photocatalytic Cr(VI) reduction. In contrast, Au SPR can significantly improve the photocatalytic Cr(VI) reduction efficiency when both the UV LED and green LED are simultaneously irradiated. The {0 0 1}-{1 0 1} surface heterojunction and Pt nanoparticles can further improve the Cr(VI) reduction efficiency because of the facilitated hot electrons' transfer. Our findings suggest that the synergistic effect among {0 0 1}-{1 0 1} surface heterojunction, Au/Pt selective deposition, and excitation wavelength is important for SPR enhanced photocatalytic Cr(VI) reduction activity.

SSE Transition to POWER

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2018-06-13

... web portal at https://power.larc.nasa.gov with improved solar and meteorology data and greatly enhanced capabilities to facilitate ... Agroclimatology communities.    The surface solar energy parameters have been customized and validated from NASA/GEWEX Surface ...

The effect of substrate on electric field enhancement of Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bahreini, Maryam

2018-01-01

The characterization of materials down to a few-molecule level is a key challenge in nanotechnology. Raman spectroscopy is a powerful method that provides chemical information via nondestructive vibrational fingerprinting. Unfortunately, this method suffers from signal weakness which prevents the study of small quantities. Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) which combines the chemical sensitivity of Raman spectroscopy (RS) with high spatial resolution of scanning probe microscopy (SPM), provides chemical images of surfaces at the nanometer scale. In this method, irradiation of an SPM tip by a focused laser beam results in enhancement of local electric field via two reasons of localized surface plasmon resonance and lightning rod effect. This enhancement leads to the enhancement in Raman intensity from the sample surface in the vicinity of tip. In all TERS measurements, samples should be located on a substrate. In this paper, the dependence of the electric field enhancement to the substrate has been investigated. In simulations, three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain (3D-FDTD) method is used for numerical solution of Maxwell's equations. Our results show that the electric field enhancement is weak for the tip alone case. Introducing a substrate provides further electric field enhancement via near field electromagnetic dipole-dipole coupling between the tip and substrate. Since the side-illumination geometry is used for laser irradiation, the vertical component of the incident field plays a dominant role in the electric field enhancement. Therefore, the coupling effect between the tip and the substrate is the key contribution to the enhancement. For the case of silicon tip and the gold substrate, the electric field enhancement is improved considerably. There is an optimal tip size for TERS because of the competing effects of the radiation damping and the surface scattering of the tip. The results show the substrate as an effective tool for the improvement of the TERS detection sensitivity.

Improved polymeric surface for adhesion through electron stimulated chemical modification of polymeric surface

DOEpatents

Kelber, J.A.

1987-04-08

Treating polymer surfaces, e.g., Teflon, particularly very thin surfaces, e.g., 50-10,000 A, with low energy electron radiation, e.g., 100-1000 eV, in a high vacuum environment, e.g., less than 10 /sup /minus/6/ Torr, to enhance the ability of the surface to be adhered to a variety of substrates.

A phase field crystal model simulation of morphology evolution and misfit dislocation generation in nanoheteroepitaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, J.; Chen, Z.; Cheng, C.; Wang, Y. X.

2017-10-01

A phase field crystal (PFC) model is employed to study morphology evolution of nanoheteroepitaxy and misfit dislocation generation when applied with enhanced supercooling, lattice mismatch and substrate vicinal angle conditions. Misfit strain that rises due to lattice mismatch causes rough surfaces or misfit dislocations, deteriorates film properties, hence, efforts taken to reveal their microscopic mechanism are significant for film quality improvement. Uniform islands, instead of misfit dislocations, are developed in subcritical thickness film, serving as a way of strain relief by surface mechanism. Misfit dislocations generate when strain relief by surface mechanism is deficient in higher supercooling, multilayers of misfit dislocations dominate, but the number of layers reduces gradually when the supercooling is further enhanced. Rough surfaces like islands or cuspate pits are developed which is ascribed to lattice mismatch, multilayers of misfit dislocations generate to further enhance lattice mismatch. Layers of misfit dislocations generate at a thickening position at enhanced substrate vicinal angle, this further enhancing the angle leading to sporadic generation of misfit dislocations.

Surface Plasmon-Coupled Directional Enhanced Raman Scattering by Means of the Reverse Kretschmann Configuration.

PubMed

Huo, Si-Xin; Liu, Qian; Cao, Shuo-Hui; Cai, Wei-Peng; Meng, Ling-Yan; Xie, Kai-Xin; Zhai, Yan-Yun; Zong, Cheng; Yang, Zhi-Lin; Ren, Bin; Li, Yao-Qun

2015-06-04

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a unique analytical technique that provides fingerprint spectra, yet facing the obstacle of low collection efficiency. In this study, we demonstrated a simple approach to measure surface plasmon-coupled directional enhanced Raman scattering by means of the reverse Kretschmann configuration (RK-SPCR). Highly directional and p-polarized Raman scattering of 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP) was observed on a nanoparticle-on-film substrate at 46° through the prism coupler with a sharp angle distribution (full width at half-maximum of ∼3.3°). Because of the improved collection efficiency, the Raman scattering signal was enhanced 30-fold over the conventional SERS mode; this was consistent with finite-difference time-domain simulations. The effect of nanoparticles on the coupling efficiency of propagated surface plasmons was investigated. Possessing straightforward implementation and directional enhancement of Raman scattering, RK-SPCR is anticipated to simplify SERS instruments and to be broadly applicable to biochemical assays.

Enhancement of electroluminescence from embedded Si quantum dots/SiO2multilayers film by localized-surface-plasmon and surface roughening.

PubMed

Li, Wei; Wang, Shaolei; Hu, Mingyue; He, Sufeng; Ge, Pengpeng; Wang, Jing; Guo, Yan Yan; Zhaowei, Liu

2015-07-03

In this paper, we prepared a novel structure to enhance the electroluminescence intensity from Si quantum dots/SiO2multilayers. An amorphous Si/SiO2 multilayer film was fabricated by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition on a Pt nanoparticle (NP)-coated Si nanopillar array substrate. By thermal annealing, an embedded Si quantum dot (QDs)/SiO2 multilayer film was obtained. The result shows that electroluminescence intensity was significantly enhanced. And, the turn-on voltage of the luminescent device was reduced to 3 V. The enhancement of the light emission is due to the resonance coupling between the localized-surface-plasmon (LSP) of Pt NPs and the band-gap emission of Si QDs/SiO2 multilayers. The other factors were the improved absorption of excitation light and the increase of light extraction ratio by surface roughening structures. These excellent characteristics are promising for silicon-based light-emitting applications.

Enhancement of electroluminescence from embedded Si quantum dots/SiO2multilayers film by localized-surface-plasmon and surface roughening

PubMed Central

Li, Wei; Wang, Shaolei; Hu, Mingyue; He, Sufeng; Ge, Pengpeng; Wang, Jing; Guo, Yan Yan; Zhaowei, Liu

2015-01-01

In this paper, we prepared a novel structure to enhance the electroluminescence intensity from Si quantum dots/SiO2multilayers. An amorphous Si/SiO2 multilayer film was fabricated by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition on a Pt nanoparticle (NP)-coated Si nanopillar array substrate. By thermal annealing, an embedded Si quantum dot (QDs)/SiO2 multilayer film was obtained. The result shows that electroluminescence intensity was significantly enhanced. And, the turn-on voltage of the luminescent device was reduced to 3 V. The enhancement of the light emission is due to the resonance coupling between the localized-surface-plasmon (LSP) of Pt NPs and the band-gap emission of Si QDs/SiO2 multilayers. The other factors were the improved absorption of excitation light and the increase of light extraction ratio by surface roughening structures. These excellent characteristics are promising for silicon-based light-emitting applications. PMID:26138830

Effect of Electropulsing-Assisted Ultrasonic Nanocrystalline Surface Modification on the Surface Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of Ti-6Al-4V Alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Yongda; Wang, Haibo; Tang, Guoyi; Song, Guolin

2018-05-01

The effect of electropulsing-assisted ultrasonic nanocrystalline surface modification (EP-UNSM) on surface mechanical properties and microstructure of Ti-6Al-4V alloy is investigated. Compared to conventional ultrasonic nanocrystalline surface modification (UNSM), EP-UNSM can effectively facilitate surface roughness and morphology, leading to excellent surface roughness (reduced from Ra 0.918 to Ra 0.028 μm by UNSM and Ra 0.019 μm by EP-UNSM) and smoother morphology with less cracks and defects. Surface friction coefficients are enhanced, resulting in lower and smoother friction coefficients. In addition, the surface-strengthened layer and ultra-refined grains are significantly enhanced with more severe plastic deformation and a greater surface hardness (a maximum hardness value of 407 HV and an effective depth of 550 μm, in comparison with the maximum hardness value of 364 HV and effective depth of 300 μm obtained by conventional UNSM). Remarkable enhancement of surface mechanical properties can be attributed to the refined gradient microstructure and the enhanced severe plastic deformation layer induced by coupling the effects of UNSM and electropulsing. The accelerated dislocation mobility and atom diffusion caused by the thermal and athermal effects of electropulsing treatment may be the primary intrinsic reasons for these improvements.

Polarization and Color Filtering Applied to Enhance Photogrammetric Measurements of Reflective Surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wells, Jeffrey M.; Jones, Thomas W.; Danehy, Paul M.

2005-01-01

Techniques for enhancing photogrammetric measurement of reflective surfaces by reducing noise were developed utilizing principles of light polarization. Signal selectivity with polarized light was also compared to signal selectivity using chromatic filters. Combining principles of linear cross polarization and color selectivity enhanced signal-to-noise ratios by as much as 800 fold. More typical improvements with combining polarization and color selectivity were about 100 fold. We review polarization-based techniques and present experimental results comparing the performance of traditional retroreflective targeting materials, cornercube targets returning depolarized light, and color selectivity.

Solid-state NMR on bacterial cells: selective cell wall signal enhancement and resolution improvement using dynamic nuclear polarization.

PubMed

Takahashi, Hiroki; Ayala, Isabel; Bardet, Michel; De Paëpe, Gaël; Simorre, Jean-Pierre; Hediger, Sabine

2013-04-03

Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) enhanced solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has recently emerged as a powerful technique for the study of material surfaces. In this study, we demonstrate its potential to investigate cell surface in intact cells. Using Bacillus subtilis bacterial cells as an example, it is shown that the polarizing agent 1-(TEMPO-4-oxy)-3-(TEMPO-4-amino)propan-2-ol (TOTAPOL) has a strong binding affinity to cell wall polymers (peptidoglycan). This particular interaction is thoroughly investigated with a systematic study on extracted cell wall materials, disrupted cells, and entire cells, which proved that TOTAPOL is mainly accumulating in the cell wall. This property is used on one hand to selectively enhance or suppress cell wall signals by controlling radical concentrations and on the other hand to improve spectral resolution by means of a difference spectrum. Comparing DNP-enhanced and conventional solid-state NMR, an absolute sensitivity ratio of 24 was obtained on the entire cell sample. This important increase in sensitivity together with the possibility of enhancing specifically cell wall signals and improving resolution really opens new avenues for the use of DNP-enhanced solid-state NMR as an on-cell investigation tool.

Modification of polymeric surface for improved adhesion via electron beam exposure

DOEpatents

Kelber, Jeffry A.

1989-01-01

Treating polymer surfaces, e.g., Teflon, particularly very thin surfaces, e.g., 50-10,000 .ANG. with low energy electron radiation, e.g., 100-1000 eV, in a high vacuum environment, e.g., less than 10.sup.-6 Torr, to enhance the ability of the surface to be adhered to a variety of substrates.

Enhancement of perfluoropolyether boundary lubrication performance: I. Preliminary results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, W. R., Jr.; Ajayi, O. O.; Goodell, A. J.; Wedeven, L. D.; Devine, E.; Premore, R. E.

1995-01-01

A ball bearing simulator operating under starved conditions was used to evaluate the boundary lubrication performance of a perfluoropolyether (PFPE) Krytox 143 AB. Several approaches to enhance boundary lubrication were studied. These included: (1) soluble boundary additives, (2) bearing surface modifications, (3) 'run-in' surface films, and (4) ceramic bearing components. In addition, results were compared with two non-perfluorinated liquid lubricant formulations. Based on these preliminary tests, the following tentative conclusions can be made: (1) substantial improvements in boundary lubrication performance were observed with a beta-diketone boundary additive and a tricresyl phosphate (TCP) liquid surface pretreatment; (2) the use of rough Si3N4 balls (Ra = 40 micro-in) also provided substantial improvement but with concomitant abrasive wear; (3) marginal improvements were seen with two boundary additives (a phosphine and a phosphatriazine) and a neat (100%) fluid (a carboxylic acid terminated PFPE); and surface pretreatments with a synthetic hydrocarbon, a PTFE coating, and TiC coated 440C and smooth Si3N4 balls (R(sub a) less than 1 micro-in); and (4) two non-PFPE lubricant formulations (a PAO and a synthetic hydrocarbon) yielded substantial improvements.

Enhancement of Perfluoropolyether Boundary Lubrication Performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, W. R., Jr.; Ajayi, O. O.; Wedeven, L. D.

1996-01-01

A ball bearing simulator operating under starved conditions was used to perform screening tests to evaluate the boundary lubrication performance of a branched perfluoropolyether (PFPE), K-143 AB. Several approaches to enhance boundary lubrication were studied. These included: (1) soluble boundary additives, (2) bearing surface modifications, (3) 'run-in' surface films, and (4) ceramic bearing components. In addition, results were compared with two non-perfluorinated liquid lubricant formulations. Based on these tests, the following tentative conclusions can be made: (1) Substantial improvements in boundary lubrication performance were observed with a beta-diketone boundary additive and a tricresyl phosphate (TCP) liquid surface pretreatment, (2) the use of rough Si3N4 balls (R(sub a) = 40 micro-inch) also provided increases in test duration, but with concomitant abrasive wear, (3) moderate improvements were seen with two boundary additives (a phosphine and a phosphatriazine) and a neat (100%) fluid (a carboxylic acid terminated PFPE); and small improvements with surface pretreatments with synthetic hydrocarbons, a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) coating, and TiC coated 440 C and smooth Si3N4 balls (R(sub a) = 1 micro-inch), and (4) two non-PFPE lubricant formulations (a polyalphaolefin (PAO) and synthetic hydrocarbon) yielded substantial improvements.

Multifunctional Nano-engineered Polymer Surfaces with Enhanced Mechanical Resistance and Superhydrophobicity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernández, Jaime J.; Monclús, Miguel A.; Navarro-Baena, Iván; Viela, Felipe; Molina-Aldareguia, Jon M.; Rodríguez, Isabel

2017-03-01

This paper presents a multifunctional polymer surface that provides superhydrophobicity and self-cleaning functions together with an enhancement in mechanical and electrical performance. These functionalities are produced by nanoimprinting high aspect ratio pillar arrays on polymeric matrix incorporating functional reinforcing elements. Two distinct matrix-filler systems are investigated specifically, Carbon Nanotube reinforced Polystyrene (CNT-PS) and Reduced Graphene Oxide reinforced Polyvinylidene Difluoride (RGO-PVDF). Mechanical characterization of the topographies by quantitative nanoindentation and nanoscratch tests are performed to evidence a considerable increase in stiffness, Young’s modulus and critical failure load with respect to the pristine polymers. The improvement on the mechanical properties is rationalized in terms of effective dispersion and penetration of the fillers into the imprinted structures as determined by confocal Raman and SEM studies. In addition, an increase in the degree of crystallization for the PVDF-RGO imprinted nanocomposite possibly accounts for the larger enhancement observed. Improvement of the mechanical ruggedness of functional textured surfaces with appropriate fillers will enable the implementation of multifunctional nanotextured materials in real applications.

Whole article corrigendum: "Surface-plasmon-enhanced GaN-LED based on the multilayered rectangular nano-grating" [Optics Communications 322 (2014) 66-72

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Jun; Zhang, Haosu; Zhu, Zhendong; Li, Qunqing; Jin, Guofan

2017-02-01

This article proposes a surface-plasmon-enhanced GaN-LED based on the multilayered rectangular nano-grating. This structure contains a SiO2 film, an Ag film and a HfO2 film sequentially coated on the rectangularly-patterned p-GaN layer. The Ag film is used to enhance the internal quantum efficiency. The HfO2 cover-layer symmetrizes the distribution of refractive index besides the Ag film to improve the light extraction efficiency and surface-plasmon (SP) extraction efficiency. The inserted SiO2 layer is utilized to further improve the SP extraction efficiency. The properties of SP modes and Purcell effect in this structure are investigated. The photoluminescence experiments demonstrate that its peak intensity of top-emission is about 2.5 times greater than that from the reference structure covered by a single-layer Ag film on the rectangularly-patterned p-GaN layer.

Ultra-sensitive molecular detection using surface-enhanced Raman scattering on periodic metal-dielectric nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nien, Chun; Li, Yi-Hsuan; Su, Vin-Cent; Kuan, Chieh-Hsiung

2017-02-01

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a powerful technique for trace chemical analysis and single molecule detection in the application of biochemical monitoring and food safety due to its ability to enhance the Raman scattering of molecules near the metallic surface or nanostructures. Here, we present a comprehensive study of the SERS enhancement by the periodically nanostructured surface, where the thin film of silver is deposited onto the surface, except the sidewall of posts, of 1-D lamellar gratings with varying pitch to forming metal-dielectric composite nanostructures. By enhancing the localized and surface-propagating mode in the vicinity of the concaves, the SERS signal can be improved by amplifying the intensity of electric field and increasing the optical path length of the incident light. Experimental investigations show that the enhancement factor can be manipulated by varying the polarization of incident light and the pitch size of gratings. To demonstrate the SERS effects of the proposed structures, thin layers of benzoic acid, which is commonly used as a food preservative, are deposited on the SERS substrates by spin-coating a solution of benzoic acid and dried at room temperature. A Confocal Raman microscope with a 532 nm laser source is used to illuminate light and measure the Raman spectrum of benzoic acid. We demonstrate the Raman signal of benzoic acid can be enhanced on the order of 102 on the SERS substrates.

Hierarchical Micro/Nano-Porous Acupuncture Needles Offering Enhanced Therapeutic Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

in, Su-Ll; Gwak, Young S.; Kim, Hye Rim; Razzaq, Abdul; Lee, Kyeong-Seok; Kim, Hee Young; Chang, Suchan; Lee, Bong Hyo; Grimes, Craig A.; Yang, Chae Ha

2016-10-01

Acupuncture as a therapeutic intervention has been widely used for treatment of many pathophysiological disorders. For achieving improved therapeutic effects, relatively thick acupuncture needles have been frequently used in clinical practice with, in turn, enhanced stimulation intensity. However due to the discomforting nature of the larger-diameter acupuncture needles there is considerable interest in developing advanced acupuncture therapeutical techniques that provide more comfort with improved efficacy. So motivated, we have developed a new class of acupuncture needles, porous acupuncture needles (PANs) with hierarchical micro/nano-scale conical pores upon the surface, fabricated via a simple and well known electrochemical process, with surface area approximately 20 times greater than conventional acupuncture needles. The performance of these high-surface-area PANs is evaluated by monitoring the electrophysiological and behavioral responses from the in vivo stimulation of Shenmen (HT7) points in Wistar rats, showing PANs to be more effective in controlling electrophysiological and behavioral responses than conventional acupuncture needles. Comparative analysis of cocaine induced locomotor activity using PANs and thick acupuncture needles shows enhanced performance of PANs with significantly less pain sensation. Our work offers a unique pathway for achieving a comfortable and improved acupuncture therapeutic effect.

Hierarchical Micro/Nano-Porous Acupuncture Needles Offering Enhanced Therapeutic Properties

PubMed Central

In, Su-ll; Gwak, Young S.; Kim, Hye Rim; Razzaq, Abdul; Lee, Kyeong-Seok; Kim, Hee Young; Chang, SuChan; Lee, Bong Hyo; Grimes, Craig A.; Yang, Chae Ha

2016-01-01

Acupuncture as a therapeutic intervention has been widely used for treatment of many pathophysiological disorders. For achieving improved therapeutic effects, relatively thick acupuncture needles have been frequently used in clinical practice with, in turn, enhanced stimulation intensity. However due to the discomforting nature of the larger-diameter acupuncture needles there is considerable interest in developing advanced acupuncture therapeutical techniques that provide more comfort with improved efficacy. So motivated, we have developed a new class of acupuncture needles, porous acupuncture needles (PANs) with hierarchical micro/nano-scale conical pores upon the surface, fabricated via a simple and well known electrochemical process, with surface area approximately 20 times greater than conventional acupuncture needles. The performance of these high-surface-area PANs is evaluated by monitoring the electrophysiological and behavioral responses from the in vivo stimulation of Shenmen (HT7) points in Wistar rats, showing PANs to be more effective in controlling electrophysiological and behavioral responses than conventional acupuncture needles. Comparative analysis of cocaine induced locomotor activity using PANs and thick acupuncture needles shows enhanced performance of PANs with significantly less pain sensation. Our work offers a unique pathway for achieving a comfortable and improved acupuncture therapeutic effect. PMID:27713547

Conductivity enhancement of carbon aerogel by modified gelation using self additive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Ashish; Kohli, D. K.; Bhartiya, Sushmita; Singh, Rashmi; Rajak, Gaurav; Singh, M. K.; Karnal, A. K.

2018-04-01

Carbon aerogels having high surface area and open pore structure are being studied for many electrochemical applications such as fuel cells and super capacitors. Moderate electrical conductivity of resorcinol - formaldehyde (R-F) derived carbon aerogel limits its utility in these applications. The current manuscript briefs about the synthesis of composite carbon aerogel using carbon aerogel itself as additive during gelation of water based carbon aerogel and study the effect on its conductivity and surface properties. The additive carbon aerogel was synthesized and pre-treated at higher temperature to achieve enhancement in conductivity. The composite carbon aerogel (CCA) samples were characterized for surface area properties, morphology, electrical conductivity and specific capacitance. The surface area properties of CCA showed improvement and specific surface area of ˜1798 m2/g with total pore volume of 1.7 cm3/g. was obtained. The electrical conductivity of the composite carbon aerogel with 5 wt % additive showed improvement over the plain carbon aerogel with respective values of 144 S/m and 128 S/m. The specific capacitance evaluated for CA and CCA are 102 and 118 F/g at scan rate of 10mV/s with improvement of ˜16%.

Improving polymer/nanocrystal hybrid solar cell performance via tuning ligand orientation at CdSe quantum dot surface.

PubMed

Fu, Weifei; Wang, Ling; Zhang, Yanfang; Ma, Ruisong; Zuo, Lijian; Mai, Jiangquan; Lau, Tsz-Ki; Du, Shixuan; Lu, Xinhui; Shi, Minmin; Li, Hanying; Chen, Hongzheng

2014-11-12

Achieving superior solar cell performance based on the colloidal nanocrystals remains challenging due to their complex surface composition. Much attention has been devoted to the development of effective surface modification strategies to enhance electronic coupling between the nanocrystals to promote charge carrier transport. Herein, we aim to attach benzenedithiol ligands onto the surface of CdSe nanocrystals in the "face-on" geometry to minimize the nanocrystal-nanocrystal or polymer-nanocrystal distance. Furthermore, the "electroactive" π-orbitals of the benzenedithiol are expected to further enhance the electronic coupling, which facilitates charge carrier dissociation and transport. The electron mobility of CdSe QD films was improved 20 times by tuning the ligand orientation, and high performance poly[2,6-(4,4-bis(2-ethylhexyl)-4H-cyclopenta[2,1-b;3,4-b']-dithiophene)-alt-4,7-(2,1,3-benzothiadiazole)] (PCPDTBT):CdSe nanocrystal hybrid solar cells were also achieved, showing a highest power conversion efficiency of 4.18%. This research could open up a new pathway to improve further the performance of colloidal nanocrystal based solar cells.

Nanoporous metallic surface: Facile fabrication and enhancement of boiling heat transfer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Yong; Tang, Biao; Qing, Jianbo; Li, Qing; Lu, Longsheng

2012-09-01

The paper reports a flexible and low-cost approach, hot-dip galvanizing and dealloying, for the fabrication of enhanced nanoporous metallic surfaces. A Cu-Zn alloy layer mainly composed of γ-Cu5Zn8 and β'-CuZn was formed during the hot-dipping process. The multiple oxidation peaks recorded in the anodic liner sweep voltammetry measurements indicate different dezincification preferences of the alloy phases. A nanoporous copper surface with approximately 50-200 nm in pore size was obtained after a free corrosion process. The nanoporous structure improves the surface wettability and shows dramatic reduction of wall superheat compared to that of the plain surface in the pool-boiling experiments.

Enhanced cell adhesion on severe peened-plasma nitrided 316L stainless steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jayalakshmi, M.; Bhat, Badekai Ramachandra; Bhat, K. Udaya

2018-04-01

Plasma nitriding is an effective technique to enhance the wear resistance of austenitic stainless steels. Recently, severe surface deformation techniques are extensively used prior to nitriding to enhance diffusion kinetics. In the present study, AISI 316L austenitic stainless steel is subjected to peening-nitriding duplex treatment and biocompatibility of treated surfaces is assessed through adhesion of the fibroblast cells. Three-fold increase in the surface microhardness is observed from the un-peened sample to the peened-nitrided sample; with severe peened sample showing intermediate hardness. Similar trend is observed in the number of the fibroblast cells attached to the sample surface. Spreading of some of the fibroblast cells is observed on the sample subjected to duplex treatment; while the other two samples showed only the spindle shaped fibroblasts. Combined influence of surface nanocrystallization and presence of nitride layer is responsible for the improved biocompatibility.

Microwave modification of surface hydroxyl density for g-C3N4 with enhanced photocatalytic activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

An, Na; Zhao, Yang; Mao, Zhiyong; Agrawal, Dinesh Kumar; Wang, Dajian

2018-03-01

Microwave modification was performed on graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) photocatalysts to tail the surface hydroxyl content for enhanced photocatalytic activity in this work. The influence of microwave heating on the surface hydroxyl density was investigated by a suite of characterization methods. The microwave treated g-C3N4 (MT-g-C3N4) delivered a higher photocatalytic activity in degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light irradiation than pristine g-C3N4 due to its improved separation efficiency of photogenerated charge carries and promoted absorption capacity of RhB reactants on surface, which resulted from the increased surface hydroxyl density induced by microwave treatment. This study provides a simple and convenient method to modify g-C3N4 materials with enhanced photocatalytic activity for the potential application in photocatalytic elimination of environmental pollutants.

Electrical resistance behavior of oxyfluorinated graphene under oxidizing and reducing gas exposure.

PubMed

Im, Ji Sun; Bae, Tae-Sung; Shin, Eunjeong; Lee, Young-Seak

2014-03-01

The electrical resistance behavior of graphene was studied under oxidizing and reducing gas exposure. The graphene surface was modified via oxyfluorination to obtain a specific surface area and oxygen functional groups. Fluorine radicals provided improved pore structure and introduction of an oxygen functional group. A high-performance gas sensor was obtained based on enlarged target gas adsorption sites and an enhanced electron charge transfer between the target gas and carbon surface via improved pore structure and the introduction of oxygen functional groups, respectively.

Surface modification and endothelialization of biomaterials as potential scaffolds for vascular tissue engineering applications.

PubMed

Ren, Xiangkui; Feng, Yakai; Guo, Jintang; Wang, Haixia; Li, Qian; Yang, Jing; Hao, Xuefang; Lv, Juan; Ma, Nan; Li, Wenzhong

2015-08-07

Surface modification and endothelialization of vascular biomaterials are common approaches that are used to both resist the nonspecific adhesion of proteins and improve the hemocompatibility and long-term patency of artificial vascular grafts. Surface modification of vascular grafts using hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol), zwitterionic polymers, heparin or other bioactive molecules can efficiently enhance hemocompatibility, and consequently prevent thrombosis on artificial vascular grafts. However, these modified surfaces may be excessively hydrophilic, which limits initial vascular endothelial cell adhesion and formation of a confluent endothelial lining. Therefore, the improvement of endothelialization on these grafts by chemical modification with specific peptides and genes is now arousing more and more interest. Several active peptides, such as RGD, CAG, REDV and YIGSR, can be specifically recognized by endothelial cells. Consequently, graft surfaces that are modified by these peptides can exhibit targeting selectivity for the adhesion of endothelial cells, and genes can be delivered by targeting carriers to specific tissues to enhance the promotion and regeneration of blood vessels. These methods could effectively accelerate selective endothelial cell recruitment and functional endothelialization. In this review, recent developments in the surface modification and endothelialization of biomaterials in vascular tissue engineering are summarized. Both gene engineering and targeting ligand immobilization are promising methods to improve the clinical outcome of artificial vascular grafts.

Laser-induced periodic structures for light extraction efficiency enhancement of GaN-based light emitting diodes.

PubMed

Chen, Jiun-Ting; Lai, Wei-Chih; Kao, Yu-Jui; Yang, Ya-Yu; Sheu, Jinn-Kong

2012-02-27

The laser-induced periodic surface structure technique was used to form simultaneously dual-scale rough structures (DSRS) with spiral-shaped nanoscale structure inside semi-spherical microscale holes on p-GaN surface to improve the light-extraction efficiency of light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The light output power of DSRS-LEDs was 30% higher than that of conventional LEDs at an injection current of 20 mA. The enhancement in the light output power could be attributed to the increase in the probability of photons to escape from the increased surface area of textured p-GaN surface.

Efficiency enhancement of silicon nanowire solar cells by using UV/Ozone treatments and micro-grid electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Junyi; Subramani, Thiyagu; Sun, Yonglie; Jevasuwan, Wipakorn; Fukata, Naoki

2018-05-01

Silicon nanowire solar cells were fabricated by metal catalyzed electroless etching (MCEE) followed by thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD). In this study, we investigated two effects, a UV/ozone treatment and the use of a micro-grid electrodes, to enhance light absorption and reduce the optic losses in the solar cell device. The UV/ozone treatment successfully improved the conversion efficiency. The micro-grid electrodes were then applied in solar cell devices subjected to a back surface field (BSF) treatment and rapid thermal annealing (RTA). These effects improved the conversion efficiency from 9.4% to 10.9%. Moreover, to reduce surface recombination and improve the continuity of front electrodes, we optimized the etching time of the MCEE process, giving a high efficiency of 12.3%.

Enhanced Hydrogen Transport over Palladium Ultrathin Films through Surface Nanostructure Engineering.

PubMed

Abate, Salvatore; Giorgianni, Gianfranco; Gentiluomo, Serena; Centi, Gabriele; Perathoner, Siglinda

2015-11-01

Palladium ultrathin films (around 2 μm) with different surface nanostructures are characterized by TEM, SEM, AFM, and temperature programmed reduction (TPR), and evaluated in terms of H2 permeability and H2-N2 separation. A change in the characteristics of Pd seeds by controlled oxidation-reduction treatments produces films with the same thickness, but different surface and bulk nanostructure. In particular, the films have finer and more homogeneous Pd grains, which results in lower surface roughness. Although all samples show high permeo-selectivity to H2 , the samples with finer grains exhibit enhanced permeance and lower activation energy for H2 transport. The analysis of the data suggests that grain boundaries between the Pd grains at the surface favor H2 transfer from surface to subsurface. Thus, the surface nanostructure plays a relevant role in enhancing the transport of H2 over the Pd ultrathin film, which is an important aspect to develop improved membranes that function at low temperatures and toward new integrated process architectures in H2 and syngas production with enhanced sustainability. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Microwave and plasma-assisted modification of composite fiber surface topography

DOEpatents

Paulauskas, Felix L [Knoxville, TN; White, Terry L [Knoxville, TN; Bigelow, Timothy S [Knoxville, TN

2003-02-04

The present invention introduces a novel method for producing an undulated surface on composite fibers using plasma technology and microwave radiation. The undulated surface improves the mechanical interlocking of the fibers to composite resins and enhances the mechanical strength and interfacial sheer strength of the composites in which they are introduced.

Surface modification of polyethylene/graphene composite using corona discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Popelka, Anton; Noorunnisa Khanam, P.; AlMaadeed, Mariam Ali

2018-03-01

Polyethylene/graphene composites are suitable for electromagnetic interference shielding applications and are often fabricated as sandwich structures. However, the hydrophobic character of these composites can lead to delamination. Corona treatment was used to enhance the surface hydrophilicity of composites prepared from linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) with different content (2, 4, 6, and 8 wt.%). This enhancement of wettability also led to good adhesion properties. The presence of GNPs in LLDPE had a positive effect on the surface properties after corona treatment. The surface free energy of the LLDPE/GNP composites increased by almost 64.6% for 2 wt.% of GNPs in the LLDPE/GNP composite, while the surface free energy of neat LLDPE increased by only 38.1%. The best improvement in adhesion properties after corona treatment was observed for 2 wt.% of GNPs in the LLDPE/GNP composite, while peel resistance increased by 137.9%. Various analytical techniques and methods proved that the changes in the surface morphology and chemical composition of the LLDPE/GNP composite after this treatment resulted in an improvement of adhesion.

Interfacial enhancement of carbon fiber/nylon 12 composites by grafting nylon 6 to the surface of carbon fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hui, Chen; Qingyu, Cai; Jing, Wu; Xiaohong, Xia; Hongbo, Liu; Zhanjun, Luo

2018-05-01

Nylon 6 (PA6) grafted onto carbon fiber (CF) after chemical oxidation treatment was in an attempt to reinforce the mechanical properties of carbon fiber composites. Scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared analysis (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS) and thermogravimetric analysis (TG) were selected to characterize carbon fibers with different surface treated. Experimental results showed that PA6 was grafted uniformly on the fiber surface through the anionic polymerization. A large number of functional groups were introduced to the fiber surface and the surface roughness was increased. After grafting PA6 on the oxidized carbon fibers, it played an important role on improving the interfacial adhesion between the fibers and the matrix by improving PA12 wettability, increasing chemical bonding and mechanical interlocking. Compared with the desized CF composites, the tensile strength of PA6-CF/PA12 composites was increased by 30.8% from 53.9 MPa to 70.2 MPa. All results indicated that grafting PA6 onto carbon fiber surface was an effective method to enhance the mechanical strength of carbon fiber/nylon 12 composites.

The Effects of Cryogenic Treatment on Cutting Tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Satish; Khedkar, Nitin K.; Jagtap, Bhushan; Singh, T. P.

2017-08-01

Enhancing the cutting tool life is important and economic factor to reduce the tooling as well as manufacturing cost. The tool life is improved considerably by 92 % after cryogenic treatment. The cryogenic treatment is a one-time permanent, sub-zero heat treatment that entirely changes cross-section of cutting tool. The cryogenic treatment is carried out with deep freezing of cutting tool materials to enhance physical and mechanical properties. The cryogenic treatment improves mechanical such as hardness, toughness and tribological properties such as wear resistance, coefficient of friction, surface finish, dimensional stability and stress relief. The deep cryogenic treatment is the most beneficial treatment applied on cutting tools. The cryogenic treatment is the most advanced heat treatment and popular to improve performance of the cutting tool. The optimization of cryogenic treatment variables is necessary to improve tool life. This study reviews the effects of cryogenic treatment on microstructure, tribological properties of tool steels and machining applications of cutting tool by investigating the surface and performing the surface characterization test like SEM. The economy of cutting tool can be achieved by deep cryogenic treatment.

Treatment with solubilized Silk-Derived Protein (SDP) enhances rabbit corneal epithelial wound healing.

PubMed

Abdel-Naby, Waleed; Cole, Brigette; Liu, Aihong; Liu, Jingbo; Wan, Pengxia; Schreiner, Ryan; Infanger, David W; Paulson, Nicholas B; Lawrence, Brian D; Rosenblatt, Mark I

2017-01-01

There is a significant clinical need to improve current therapeutic approaches to treat ocular surface injuries and disease, which affect hundreds of millions of people annually worldwide. The work presented here demonstrates that the presence of Silk-Derived Protein (SDP) on the healing rabbit corneal surface, administered in an eye drop formulation, corresponds with an enhanced epithelial wound healing profile. Rabbit corneas were denuded of their epithelial surface, and then treated for 72-hours with either PBS or PBS containing 5 or 20 mg/mL SDP in solution four times per day. Post-injury treatment with SDP formulations was found to accelerate the acute healing phase of the injured rabbit corneal epithelium. In addition, the use of SDP corresponded with an enhanced tissue healing profile through the formation of a multi-layered epithelial surface with increased tight junction formation. Additional biological effects were also revealed that included increased epithelial proliferation, and increased focal adhesion formation with a corresponding reduction in the presence of MMP-9 enzyme. These in vivo findings demonstrate for the first time that the presence of SDP on the injured ocular surface may aid to improve various steps of rabbit corneal wound healing, and provides evidence that SDP may have applicability as an ingredient in therapeutic ophthalmic formulations.

Label-Enhanced Surface Plasmon Resonance: A New Concept for Improved Performance in Optical Biosensor Analysis

PubMed Central

Granqvist, Niko; Hanning, Anders; Eng, Lars; Tuppurainen, Jussi; Viitala, Tapani

2013-01-01

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) is a well-established optical biosensor technology with many proven applications in the study of molecular interactions as well as in surface and material science. SPR is usually applied in the label-free mode which may be advantageous in cases where the presence of a label may potentially interfere with the studied interactions per se. However, the fundamental challenges of label-free SPR in terms of limited sensitivity and specificity are well known. Here we present a new concept called label-enhanced SPR, which is based on utilizing strongly absorbing dye molecules in combination with the evaluation of the full shape of the SPR curve, whereby the sensitivity as well as the specificity of SPR is significantly improved. The performance of the new label-enhanced SPR method was demonstrated by two simple model assays: a small molecule assay and a DNA hybridization assay. The small molecule assay was used to demonstrate the sensitivity enhancement of the method, and how competitive assays can be used for relative affinity determination. The DNA assay was used to demonstrate the selectivity of the assay, and the capabilities in eliminating noise from bulk liquid composition variations. PMID:24217357

Enhanced pH sensitivity of AlGaN/GaN ion-sensitive field effect transistor with Al2O3 synthesized by atomic layer deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Lei; Li, Liuan; Zhang, Tong; Liu, Xinke; Ao, Jin-Ping

2018-01-01

In this study, we evaluated the pH sensitivity enhancement of AlGaN/GaN ion-sensitive field-effect transistor (ISFET) coated by Al2O3 film on the sensing area utilizing atomic layer deposition (ALD). The presence of the Al2O3 film leads to an obvious reduction of surface state density as well as leakage current in the solution, which is beneficial for improving the stability of the ISFET. Furthermore, the sensitivity of the ISFET was improved to 57.8 mV/pH, which is very close to the Nernstian limit at room temperature. The pH sensitivity enhancement can be explained by the higher density of sensing site as well as better surface hydrophilicity.

Surface-Enhanced Raman Optical Data Storage system

DOEpatents

Vo-Dinh, T.

1994-06-28

An improved Surface-Enhanced Raman Optical Data Storage System (SERODS) is disclosed. In the improved system, entities capable of existing in multiple reversible states are present on the storage device. Such entities result in changed Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) when localized state changes are effected in less than all of the entities. Therefore, by changing the state of entities in localized regions of a storage device, the SERS emissions in such regions will be changed. When a write-on device is controlled by a data signal, such a localized regions of changed SERS emissions will correspond to the data written on the device. The data may be read by illuminating the surface of the storage device with electromagnetic radiation of an appropriate frequency and detecting the corresponding SERS emissions. Data may be deleted by reversing the state changes of entities in regions where the data was initially written. In application, entities may be individual molecules which allows for the writing of data at the molecular level. A read/write/delete head utilizing near-field quantum techniques can provide for a write/read/delete device capable of effecting state changes in individual molecules, thus providing for the effective storage of data at the molecular level. 18 figures.

Surface-enhanced raman optical data storage system

DOEpatents

Vo-Dinh, Tuan

1994-01-01

An improved Surface-Enhanced Raman Optical Data Storage System (SERODS) is disclosed. In the improved system, entities capable of existing in multiple reversible states are present on the storage device. Such entities result in changed Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) when localized state changes are effected in less than all of the entities. Therefore, by changing the state of entities in localized regions of a storage device, the SERS emissions in such regions will be changed. When a write-on device is controlled by a data signal, such a localized regions of changed SERS emissions will correspond to the data written on the device. The data may be read by illuminating the surface of the storage device with electromagnetic radiation of an appropriate frequency and detecting the corresponding SERS emissions. Data may be deleted by reversing the state changes of entities in regions where the data was initially written. In application, entities may be individual molecules which allows for the writing of data at the molecular level. A read/write/delete head utilizing near-field quantum techniques can provide for a write/read/delete device capable of effecting state changes in individual molecules, thus providing for the effective storage of data at the molecular level.

Specific Biomimetic Hydroxyapatite Nanotopographies Enhance Osteoblastic Differentiation and Bone Graft Osteointegration

PubMed Central

Loiselle, Alayna E.; Wei, Lai; Faryad, Muhammad; Paul, Emmanuel M.; Lewis, Gregory S.; Gao, Jun; Lakhtakia, Akhlesh

2013-01-01

Impaired healing of cortical bone grafts represents a significant clinical problem. Cadaveric bone grafts undergo extensive chemical processing to decrease the risk of disease transmission; however, these processing techniques alter the bone surface and decrease the osteogenic potential of cells at the healing site. Extensive work has been done to optimize the surface of bone grafts, and hydroxyapatite (HAP) and nanotopography both increase osteoblastic differentiation. HAP is the main mineral component of bone and can enhance osteoblastic differentiation and bone implant healing in vivo, while nanotopography can enhance osteoblastic differentiation, adhesion, and proliferation. This is the first study to test the combined effects of HAP and nanotopographies on bone graft healing. With the goal of identifying the optimized surface features to improve bone graft healing, we tested the hypothesis that HAP-based nanotopographic resurfacing of bone grafts improves integration of cortical bone grafts by enhancing osteoblastic differentiation. Here we show that osteoblastic cells cultured on processed bones coated with specific-scale (50–60 nm) HAP nanotopographies display increased osteoblastic differentiation compared to cells on uncoated bone, bones coated with poly-l-lactic acid nanotopographies, or other HAP nanotopographies. Further, bone grafts coated with 50–60-nm HAP exhibited increased formation of new bone and improved healing, with mechanical properties equivalent to live autografts. These data indicate the potential for specific HAP nanotopographies to not only increase osteoblastic differentiation but also improve bone graft incorporation, which could significantly increase patient quality of life after traumatic bone injuries or resection of an osteosarcoma. PMID:23510012

Enhanced Condensation Heat Transfer On Patterned Surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alizadeh-Birjandi, Elaheh; Kavehpour, H. Pirouz

2017-11-01

Transition from film to drop wise condensation can improve the efficiency of thermal management applications and result in considerable savings in investments and operating costs by millions of dollars every year. The current methods available are either hydrophobic coating or nanostructured surfaces. The former has little adhesion to the structure which tends to detach easily under working conditions, the fabrication techniques of the latter are neither cost-effective nor scalable, and both are made with low thermal conductivity materials that would negate the heat transfer enhancement by drop wise condensation. Therefore, the existing technologies have limitations in enhancing vapor-to-liquid condensation. This work focuses on development of surfaces with wettability contrast to boost drop wise condensation, which its overall heat transfer efficiency is 2-3 times film wise condensation, while maintaining high conduction rate through the surface at low manufacturing costs. The variation in interfacial energy is achieved through crafting hydrophobic patterns to the surface of the metal via scalable fabrication techniques. The results of experimental and surface optimization studies are also presented.

Enhanced photothermal lens using a photonic crystal surface

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhao, Yunfei; Liu, Longju; Zhao, Xiangwei

2016-08-15

A photonic crystal (PC)-enhanced photothermal lens (PTL) is demonstrated for the detection of optically thin light absorption materials. The PC-enhanced PTL system is based on a pump-probe scheme consisting of a PC surface, pump laser beam, and probe laser beam. Heated by the pump beam, light absorption materials on the PC surface generate the PTL and cause a substantial change to the guided-mode resonance supported by the PC structure. The change of the PC resonance is detected using the probe laser beam by measuring its reflectivity from the PC surface. When applied to analyze dye molecules deposited on the PCmore » substrate, the developed system is capable of enhancing the PTL signal by 10-fold and reducing the lowest distinguishable concentration by 8-fold, in comparison to measuring without utilizing the PC resonance. The PC-enhanced PTL was also used to detect gold nanoparticles on the PC surface and exhibited a 20-fold improvement of the lowest distinguishable concentration. The PC-enhanced PTL technology offers a potential tool to obtain the absorption signatures of thin films in a broad spectral range with high sensitivity and inexpensive instrumentation. As a result, this technology will enable a broad range of applications of photothermal spectroscopy in chemical analysis and biomolecule sensing.« less

Memory color of natural familiar objects: effects of surface texture and 3-D shape.

PubMed

Vurro, Milena; Ling, Yazhu; Hurlbert, Anya C

2013-06-28

Natural objects typically possess characteristic contours, chromatic surface textures, and three-dimensional shapes. These diagnostic features aid object recognition, as does memory color, the color most associated in memory with a particular object. Here we aim to determine whether polychromatic surface texture, 3-D shape, and contour diagnosticity improve memory color for familiar objects, separately and in combination. We use solid three-dimensional familiar objects rendered with their natural texture, which participants adjust in real time to match their memory color for the object. We analyze mean, accuracy, and precision of the memory color settings relative to the natural color of the objects under the same conditions. We find that in all conditions, memory colors deviate slightly but significantly in the same direction from the natural color. Surface polychromaticity, shape diagnosticity, and three dimensionality each improve memory color accuracy, relative to uniformly colored, generic, or two-dimensional shapes, respectively. Shape diagnosticity improves the precision of memory color also, and there is a trend for polychromaticity to do so as well. Differently from other studies, we find that the object contour alone also improves memory color. Thus, enhancing the naturalness of the stimulus, in terms of either surface or shape properties, enhances the accuracy and precision of memory color. The results support the hypothesis that memory color representations are polychromatic and are synergistically linked with diagnostic shape representations.

Powder-in-tube and thick-film methods of fabricating high temperature superconductors having enhanced biaxial texture

DOEpatents

Goyal, Amit; Kroeger, Donald M.

2003-11-11

A method for forming an electronically active biaxially textured article includes the steps of providing a substrate having a single crystal metal or metal alloy surface, deforming the substrate to form an elongated substrate surface having biaxial texture and depositing an epitaxial electronically active layer on the biaxially textured surface. The method can include at least one annealing step after the deforming step to produce the biaxially textured substrate surface. The invention can be used to form improved biaxially textured articles, such as superconducting wire and tape articles having improved J.sub.c values.

Performance and durability of high emittance heat receiver surfaces for solar dynamic power systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Degroh, Kim K.; Roig, David M.; Burke, Christopher A.; Shah, Dilipkumar R.

1994-01-01

Haynes 188, a cobalt-based superalloy, will be used to make thermal energy storage (TES) containment canisters for a 2 kW solar dynamic ground test demonstrator (SD GTD). Haynes 188 containment canisters with a high thermal emittance (epsilon) are desired for radiating heat away from local hot spots, improving the heating distribution, which will in turn improve canister service life. In addition to needing a high emittance, the surface needs to be durable in an elevated temperature, high vacuum environment for an extended time period. Thirty-five Haynes 188 samples were exposed to 14 different types of surface modification techniques for emittance and vacuum heat treatment (VHT) durability enhancement evaluation. Optical properties were obtained for the modified surfaces. Emittance enhanced samples were exposed to VHT for up to 2692 hours at 827 C and less than or equal to 10(exp -6) torr with integral thermal cycling. Optical properties were taken intermittently during exposure, and after final VHT exposure. The various surface modification treatments increased the emittance of pristine Haynes 188 from 0.11 up to 0.86. Seven different surface modification techniques were found to provide surfaces which met the SD GTD receiver VHT durability requirement. Of the 7 surface treatments, 2 were found to display excellent VHT durability: an alumina based (AB) coating and a zirconia based coating. The alumina based coating was chosen for the epsilon enhancement surface modification technique for the SD GTD receiver. Details of the performance and vacuum heat treatment durability of this coating and other Haynes 188 emittance surface modification techniques are discussed. Technology from this program will lead to successful demonstration of solar dynamic power for space applications, and has potential for application in other systems requiring high emittance surfaces.

Enhanced light trapping by focused ion beam (FIB) induced self-organized nanoripples on germanium (100) surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamaliya, Bhaveshkumar; Mote, Rakesh G.; Aslam, Mohammed; Fu, Jing

2018-03-01

In this paper, we demonstrate enhanced light trapping by self-organized nanoripples on the germanium surface. The enhanced light trapping leading to high absorption of light is confirmed by the experimental studies as well as the numerical simulations using the finite-difference time-domain method. We used gallium ion (Ga+) focused ion beam to enable the formation of the self-organized nanoripples on the germanium (100) surface. During the fabrication, the overlap of the scanning beam is varied from zero to negative value and found to influence the orientation of the nanoripples. Evolution of nanostructures with the variation of beam overlap is investigated. Parallel, perpendicular, and randomly aligned nanoripples with respect to the scanning direction are obtained via manipulation of the scanning beam overlap. 95% broadband absorptance is measured in the visible electromagnetic region for the nanorippled germanium surface. The reported light absorption enhancement can significantly improve the efficiency of germanium-silicon based photovoltaic systems.

Fabrication of anticoagulation layer on titanium surface by sequential immobilization of poly (ethylene glycol) and albumin.

PubMed

Pan, Chang-Jiang; Hou, Yan-Hua; Zhang, Bin-Bin; Zhang, Lin-Cai

2014-01-01

This paper presents a simple method to sequentially immobilize poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) and albumin on titanium surface to enhance the blood compatibility. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) analysis indicated that PEG and albumin were successfully immobilized on the titanium surface. Water contact angle results showed a better hydrophilic surface after the immobilization. The immobilized PEG or albumin can not only obviously prevent platelet adhesion and activation but also prolong activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), leading to the improved anticoagulation. Moreover, immobilization of albumin on PEG-modified surface can further improve the anticoagulation. The approach in the present study provides an effective and efficient method to improve the anticoagulation of blood-contact biomedical devices such as coronary stents.

[Current views on surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy in microbiology].

PubMed

Jia, Xiaoxiao; Li, Jing; Qin, Tian; Deng, Aihua; Liu, Wenjun

2015-05-01

Raman spectroscopy has generated many branches during the development for more than 90 years. Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) improves SNR by using the interaction between tested materials and the surface of rough metal, as to quickly get higher sensitivity and precision spectroscopy without sample pretreatment. This article describes the characteristic and classification of SERS, and updates the theory and clinical application of SERS. It also summarizes the present status and progress of SERS in various disciplines and illustrates the necessity and urgency of its research, which provides rationale for the application for SERS in microbiology.

Development and Marketing of Low-Cost, High-Performance Steels for Infrastructure Applications

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-10-15

This project addressed the goal of National Strategy for Surface Transportation Research : to improve highway structures by enhanced materials, in particular by design and : implementation of new, drastically improved steels with respect to strength,...

Enhanced Cyanate Ester Nanocomposites through Improved Nanoparticle Surface Interactions

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-05-01

and a chemically active 3- aminopropyl surface. The cure behavior and thermal properties of the cyanate ester/modified silica nanocomposites were...area of 150 m 2 /g. Nanoparticles with a chemically active 3- aminopropyl surface were prepared by treating Aerosil 200 particles with 3...however, was visibly observed to severely undercure the nanocomposites with octyl and 3- aminopropyl surface moieties, providing a good initial

Preparation of superhydrophobic glass fiber and interfacially reinforced glass fiber/epoxy composites by grafting polysiloxane nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lv, Junwei; Wang, Bin; Ma, Qi; Li, Mengyao; Wang, Wenjing; Lu, Gaotaihang; Li, Hui; Zhao, Chunxia

2018-04-01

Ethyltrichlorosilane used as precursor reacted with glass fiber (GF) surface. Then polysiloxane was functionalized onto GF surface to improve GF’s hydrophobicity and interfacial properties of GF reinforced composites. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the successful grafting of polysiloxane onto GF’s surface. Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) characterized the variation of chemical composition of GF surface. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed that the polysiloxane was grafted onto GF’s surface uniformly and the surface roughness of GF was enhanced obviously. Static contact angle analysis (SCA) revealed the significant improvement of surface hydrophobicity. Compared with the original GF composites, the interfacial shear strength (IFSS) increased by 36.52%. Meanwhile, we discovered a facile way to accomplish the experiment.

Biofunctionalization of a titanium surface with a nano-sawtooth structure regulates the behavior of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells

PubMed Central

Zhang, Wenjie; Li, Zihui; Liu, Yan; Ye, Dongxia; Li, Jinhua; Xu, Lianyi; Wei, Bin; Zhang, Xiuli; Liu, Xuanyong; Jiang, Xinquan

2012-01-01

Background: The topography of an implant surface can serve as a powerful signaling cue for attached cells and can enhance the quality of osseointegration. A series of improved implant surfaces functionalized with nanoscale structures have been fabricated using various methods. Methods: In this study, using an H2O2 process, we fabricated two size-controllable sawtooth-like nanostructures with different dimensions on a titanium surface. The effects of the two nano-sawtooth structures on rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) were evaluated without the addition of osteoinductive chemical factors. Results: These new surface modifications did not adversely affect cell viability, and rat BMMSCs demonstrated a greater increase in proliferation ability on the surfaces of the nano-sawtooth structures than on a control plate. Furthermore, upregulated expression of osteogenic-related genes and proteins indicated that the nano-sawtooth structures promote osteoblastic differentiation of rat BMMSCs. Importantly, the large nano-sawtooth structure resulted in the greatest cell responses, including increased adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. Conclusion: The enhanced adhesion, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation abilities of rat BMMSCs on the nano-sawtooth structures suggest the potential to induce improvements in bone-titanium integration in vivo. Our study reveals the key role played by the nano-sawtooth structures on a titanium surface for the fate of rat BMMSCs and provides insights into the study of stem cell-nanostructure relationships and the related design of improved biomedical implant surfaces. PMID:22927760

Thermoelectric Properties of Topological Crystalline Insulator Nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Enzhi

Bulk lead telluride (PbTe) and its alloy compounds are well-known thermoelectric materials for electric power generation. Tin telluride (SnTe) which has the same rock-salt crystalline structure as PbTe has recently been demonstrated to host unique topological surface states that may favor improved thermoelectric properties. In this thesis work, we studied the thermoelectric properties of single-crystalline nanowires of the SnTe family compounds, i.e. undoped SnTe, PbTe, (Sn,Pb)Te alloy, and In-doped SnTe, all of which were grown by a vapor transport approach. We measured the thermopower S, electrical conductivity sigma and thermal conductivity kappa on each individual nanowire over a temperature range of 25 - 300 K, from which the thermoelectric figures of merit ZTs were determined. In comparison to PbTe nanowires, SnTe and (Sn,Pb)Te has lower thermopower but significantly higher electrical conductivity. Both SnTe and (Sn,Pb)Te nanowires showed enhanced thermopower and suppressed thermal conductivity, compared to their bulk counterparts. The enhancement of thermopower may result from the existence of topological surface states, while the suppression of thermal conductivity may relate to the increased phonon-surface scattering in nanowires. Moreover, indium doping suppresses both electrical and thermal conductivities but enhances thermopower, yielding an improved figure of merit ZT. Our results highlight nanostructuring in combination with alloying or doping as an important approach to enhancing thermoelectric properties. In spite of excellent thermoelectric properties and robust topological surface states, we found that the nanowire surface is subject to fast oxidation. In particular, we demonstrated that exposure of In-doped SnTe nanowires to air leads to surface oxidation within only one minute. Transmission electron microscopy characterization suggests the amorphous nature of the surface, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies identify the oxide species on nanowire surface. We further developed an effective approach to removing surface oxides by means of argon ion sputtering.

Multifunctional Textured Surfaces with Enhanced Friction and Hydrophobic Behaviors Produced by Fiber Debonding and Pullout.

PubMed

Rizvi, Reza; Anwer, Ali; Fernie, Geoff; Dutta, Tilak; Naguib, Hani

2016-11-02

Fiber debonding and pullout are well-understood processes that occur during damage and failure events in composite materials. In this study, we show how these mechanisms, under controlled conditions, can be used to produce multifunctional textured surfaces. A two-step process consisting of (1) achieving longitudinal fiber alignment followed by (2) cutting, rearranging, and joining is used to produce the textured surfaces. This process employs common composite manufacturing techniques and uses no reactive chemicals or wet handling, making it suitable for scalability. This uniform textured surface is due to the fiber debonding and pullout occurring during the cutting process. Using well-established fracture mechanics principles for composite materials, we demonstrate how different material parameters such as fiber geometry, fiber and matrix stiffness and strength, and interface behavior can be used to achieve multifunctional textured surfaces. The resulting textured surfaces show very high friction coefficients on wet ice (9× improvement), indicating their promising potential as materials for ice traction/tribology. Furthermore, the texturing enhances the surface's hydrophobicity as indicated by an increase in the contact angle of water by 30%. The substantial improvements to surface tribology and hydrophobicity make fiber debonding and pullout an effective, simple, and scalable method of producing multifunctional textured surfaces.

Enhanced Raman scattering in porous silicon grating.

PubMed

Wang, Jiajia; Jia, Zhenhong; Lv, Changwu

2018-03-19

The enhancement of Raman signal on monocrystalline silicon gratings with varying groove depths and on porous silicon grating were studied for a highly sensitive surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) response. In the experiment conducted, porous silicon gratings were fabricated. Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were then deposited on the porous silicon grating to enhance the Raman signal of the detective objects. Results show that the enhancement of Raman signal on silicon grating improved when groove depth increased. The enhanced performance of Raman signal on porous silicon grating was also further improved. The Rhodamine SERS response based on Ag NPs/ porous silicon grating substrates was enhanced relative to the SERS response on Ag NPs/ porous silicon substrates. Ag NPs / porous silicon grating SERS substrate system achieved a highly sensitive SERS response due to the coupling of various Raman enhancement factors.

Far-side geometrical enhancement in surface-enhanced Raman scattering with Ag plasmonic films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perera, M. Nilusha M. N.; Gibbs, W. E. Keith; Juodkazis, Saulius; Stoddart, Paul R.

2018-01-01

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a surface sensitive technique where the large increase in scattering has primarily been attributed to electromagnetic and chemical enhancements. While smaller geometrical enhancements due to thin film interference and cavity resonances have also been reported, an additional enhancement in the SERS signal, referred to as the `far-side geometrical enhancement', occurs when the SERS substrate is excited through an underlying transparent dielectric substrate. Here the far-side geometrically-enhanced SERS signal has been explored experimentally in more detail. Thermally evaporated Ag plasmonic films functionalised with thiophenol were used to study the dependence of the geometrically-enhanced SERS signal on the excitation wavelength, supporting substrate material and excitation angle of incidence. The results were interpreted using a `geometrical enhancement factor' (GEF), defined as the ratio of far-side to near-side SERS signal intensity. The experimental results confirmed that the highest GEFs of 3.2-3.5× are seen closer to the localized surface plasmon resonance peak of the Ag metallic nanostructures. Interestingly, the GEF for Ag plasmonic films deposited on glass and sapphire were the same within the measurement errors, whereas increasing angle of incidence showed a decrease in the GEF. Given this improved understanding of the far-side geometrical SERS enhancement, the potential for further signal amplification and optimisation for practical sensing applications can now be considered, especially for SERS detection modes at the farend of optical fibre probes and through process windows.

Noninvasive noble metal nanoparticle arrays for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy of proteins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inya-Agha, Obianuju; Forster, Robert J.; Keyes, Tia E.

2007-02-01

Noble metal nanoparticles arrays are well established substrates for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Their ability to enhance optical fields is based on the interaction of their surface valence electrons with incident electromagnetic radiation. In the array configuration, noble metal nanoparticles have been used to produce SER spectral enhancements of up to 10 8 orders of magnitude, making them useful for the trace analysis of physiologically relevant analytes such as proteins and peptides. Electrostatic interactions between proteins and metal surfaces result in the preferential adsorption of positively charged protein domains onto metal surfaces. This preferential interaction has the effect of disrupting the native conformation of the protein fold, with a concomitant loss of protein function. A major historic advantage of Raman microspectroscopy has been is its non-invasive nature; protein denaturation on the metal surfaces required for SER spectroscopy renders it a much more invasive technique. Further, part of the analytical power of Raman spectroscopy lies in its use as a secondary conformation probe. The protein structural loss which occurs on the metal surface results in secondary conformation readings which are not true to the actual native state of the analyte. This work presents a method for chemical fabrication of noble metal SERS arrays with surface immobilized layers which can protect protein native conformation without excessively mitigating the electromagnetic enhancements of spectra. Peptide analytes are used as model systems for proteins. Raman spectra of alpha lactalbumin on surfaces and when immobilized on these novel arrays are compared. We discuss the ability of the surface layer to protect protein structure whilst improving signal intensity.

Evaluation of WRF Simulations With Different Selections of Subgrid Orographic Drag Over the Tibetan Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, X.; Beljaars, A.; Wang, Y.; Huang, B.; Lin, C.; Chen, Y.; Wu, H.

2017-09-01

Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) simulations with different selections of subgrid orographic drag over the Tibetan Plateau have been evaluated with observation and ERA-Interim reanalysis. Results show that the subgrid orographic drag schemes, especially the turbulent orographic form drag (TOFD) scheme, efficiently reduce the 10 m wind speed bias and RMS error with respect to station measurements. With the combination of gravity wave, flow blocking and TOFD schemes, wind speed is simulated more realistically than with the individual schemes only. Improvements are also seen in the 2 m air temperature and surface pressure. The gravity wave drag, flow blocking drag, and TOFD schemes combined have the smallest station mean bias (-2.05°C in 2 m air temperature and 1.27 hPa in surface pressure) and RMS error (3.59°C in 2 m air temperature and 2.37 hPa in surface pressure). Meanwhile, the TOFD scheme contributes more to the improvements than the gravity wave drag and flow blocking schemes. The improvements are more pronounced at low levels of the atmosphere than at high levels due to the stronger drag enhancement on the low-level flow. The reduced near-surface cold bias and high-pressure bias over the Tibetan Plateau are the result of changes in the low-level wind components associated with the geostrophic balance. The enhanced drag directly leads to weakened westerlies but also enhances the a-geostrophic flow in this case reducing (enhancing) the northerlies (southerlies), which bring more warm air across the Himalaya Mountain ranges from South Asia (bring less cold air from the north) to the interior Tibetan Plateau.

Surface plasmon dispersion in a mid-infrared Ge/Si quantum dot photodetector coupled with a perforated gold metasurface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yakimov, A. I.; Kirienko, V. V.; Armbrister, V. A.; Bloshkin, A. A.; Dvurechenskii, A. V.

2018-04-01

The photodetection improvement previously observed in mid-infrared (IR) quantum dot photodetectors (QDIPs) coupled with periodic metal metasurfaces is usually attributed to the surface light trapping and confinement due to generation of surface plasmon waves (SPWs). In the present work, a Ge/Si QDIP integrated with a metal plasmonic structure is fabricated to experimentally measure the photoresponse enhancement and verify that this enhancement is caused by the excitation of the mid-IR surface plasmons. A 50 nm-thick gold film perforated with a 1.2 μm-period two-dimensional square array of subwavelength holes is employed as a plasmonic coupler to convert the incident electromagnetic IR radiation into SPWs. Measurements of the polarization and angular dependencies of the photoresponse allow us to determine the dispersion of plasmon modes. We find that experimental dispersion relations agree well with that derived from a computer simulation for fundamental plasmon resonance, which indicates that the photodetection improvement in the mid-IR spectral region is actually caused by the excitations of surface plasmon Bloch waves.

Enhanced sulfidation xanthate flotation of malachite using ammonium ions as activator.

PubMed

Wu, Dandan; Ma, Wenhui; Mao, Yingbo; Deng, Jiushuai; Wen, Shuming

2017-05-18

In this study, ammonium ion was used to enhance the sulfidation flotation of malachite. The effect of ammonium ion on the sulfidation flotation of malachite was investigated using microflotation test, inductively coupled plasma (ICP) analysis, zeta potential measurements, and scanning electron microscope analysis (SEM). The results of microflotation test show that the addition of sodium sulfide and ammonium sulfate resulted in better sulfidation than the addition of sodium sulfide alone. The results of ICP analysis indicate that the dissolution of enhanced sulfurized malachite surface is significantly decreased. Zeta potential measurements indicate that a smaller isoelectric point value and a large number of copper-sulfide films formed on the malachite surface by enhancing sulfidation resulted in a large amount of sodium butyl xanthate absorbed onto the enhanced sulfurized malachite surface. EDS semi-quantitative analysis and XPS analysis show that malachite was easily sulfurized by sodium sulfide with ammonium ion. These results show that the addition of ammonium ion plays a significant role in the sulfidation of malachite and results in improved flotation performance.

Effect of incorporating graphene oxide and surface imprinting on polysulfone membranes on flux, hydrophilicity and rejection of salt and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kibechu, Rose Waithiegeni; Ndinteh, Derek Tantoh; Msagati, Titus Alfred Makudali; Mamba, Bhekie Briliance; Sampath, S.

2017-08-01

We report a significant enhancement of hydrophillity of polysulfone (Psf) membranes after modification with graphene oxide (GO) as a filler followed by surface imprinting on the surface of GO/Psf composite imprinted membranes (CIMs). The surface imprinting on the GO-Psf membrane was employed in order to enhance its selectivity towards polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in water. The CIMs were prepared through a process of phase inversion of a mixture of graphene oxide and polysulfone (Psf) in N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP). Fourier-transform spectroscopy (FT-IR) of the imprinted showed new peaks at 935 cm-1 and 1638 cm-1 indicating success in surface imprinting on the GO-Psf membrane. The CIM also showed improvement in flux from 8.56 LM-2 h-1 of unmodified polysulfone membrane to 15.3 LM-2 h-1 in the CIM, salt rejection increased from 57.2 ± 4.2% of polysulfone membrane to 76 ± 4.5%. The results obtained from the contact angle measurements showed a decrease with increase in GO content from 72 ± 2.7% of neat polysulfone membrane to 62.3 ± 2.1% of CIM indicating an improvement in surface hydrophilicity. The results from this study shows that, it is possible to improve the hydrophilicity of the membranes without affecting the performance of the membranes.

Electrochemical surface modification of carbon mesh anode to improve the performance of air-cathode microbial fuel cells.

PubMed

Luo, Jianmei; Chi, Meiling; Wang, Hongyu; He, Huanhuan; Zhou, Minghua

2013-12-01

A convenient and promising alternative to surface modification of carbon mesh anode was fulfilled by electrochemical oxidation in the electrolyte of nitric acid or ammonium nitrate at ambient temperature. It was confirmed that such an anode modification method was low cost and effective not only in improving the efficiency of power generation in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) for synthetic wastewater treatment, but also helping to reduce the period for MFCs start-up. The MFCs with anode modification in electrolyte of nitric acid performed the best, achieving a Coulombic efficiency enhancement of 71 %. As characterized, the electrochemical modification resulted in the decrease of the anode potential and internal resistance but the increase of current response and nitrogen-containing and oxygen-containing functional groups on the carbon surface, which might contribute to the enhancement on the performances of MFCs.

Application of smart materials for improved flight performance of military aircraft

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kudva, J.; Appa, K.; Martin, C.

1995-12-31

This paper discusses on-going work under an ARPA/WL contract to Northrop Grumman entitled {open_quotes}Smart Structures and Materials Development - Smart Wing.{close_quotes} The contract addresses the application of smart materials and smart Structures concepts to enhance the aerodynamic and maneuver performance of military aircraft. Various concepts for adaptive wing and control surfaces are being studied. Specifically, (a) wing span-wise twist control using built-in shape- memory alloy torquing mechanism and (b) cambered leading edge and trailing edge control surfaces using hybrid piezoelectric and SMA actuation, are being evaluated for a 20% model of a modem day fighter aircraft. The potential benefits ofmore » the designs include increased lift for short take-offs, improved high-speed maneuverability, and enhanced control surface effectiveness. These benefits will be quantified by testing the sub-scale model in a transonic wind tunnel next year.« less

Multi-scale enhancement of climate prediction over land by improving the model sensitivity to vegetation variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alessandri, A.; Catalano, F.; De Felice, M.; Hurk, B. V. D.; Doblas-Reyes, F. J.; Boussetta, S.; Balsamo, G.; Miller, P. A.

2017-12-01

Here we demonstrate, for the first time, that the implementation of a realistic representation of vegetation in Earth System Models (ESMs) can significantly improve climate simulation and prediction across multiple time-scales. The effective sub-grid vegetation fractional coverage vary seasonally and at interannual time-scales in response to leaf-canopy growth, phenology and senescence. Therefore it affects biophysical parameters such as the surface resistance to evapotranspiration, albedo, roughness lenght, and soil field capacity. To adequately represent this effect in the EC-Earth ESM, we included an exponential dependence of the vegetation cover on the Leaf Area Index.By comparing two sets of simulations performed with and without the new variable fractional-coverage parameterization, spanning from centennial (20th Century) simulations and retrospective predictions to the decadal (5-years), seasonal (2-4 months) and weather (4 days) time-scales, we show for the first time a significant multi-scale enhancement of vegetation impacts in climate simulation and prediction over land. Particularly large effects at multiple time scales are shown over boreal winter middle-to-high latitudes over Canada, West US, Eastern Europe, Russia and eastern Siberia due to the implemented time-varying shadowing effect by tree-vegetation on snow surfaces. Over Northern Hemisphere boreal forest regions the improved representation of vegetation-cover consistently correct the winter warm biases, improves the climate change sensitivity, the decadal potential predictability as well as the skill of forecasts at seasonal and weather time-scales. Significant improvements of the prediction of 2m temperature and rainfall are also shown over transitional land surface hot spots. Both the potential predictability at decadal time-scale and seasonal-forecasts skill are enhanced over Sahel, North American Great Plains, Nordeste Brazil and South East Asia, mainly related to improved performance in the surface evapotranspiration.Above results are discussed in a peer-review paper just being accepted for publication on Climate Dynamics (Alessandri et al., 2017; doi:10.1007/s00382-017-3766-y).

Improvement and mechanism of interfacial adhesion in PBO fiber/bismaleimide composite by oxygen plasma treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Dong; Chen, Ping; Mu, Jujie; Yu, Qi; Lu, Chun

2011-05-01

The improved interfacial adhesion of PBO fiber-reinforced bismaleimide composite by oxygen plasma processing was investigated in this paper. After treatment, the maximum value of interlaminar shear strength was 57.5 MPa, with an increase of 28.9%. The oxygen concentration of the fiber surface increased, as did the surface roughness, resulting in improvement of the surface wettability. The cleavage and rearrangement of surface bonds created new functional groups O dbnd C sbnd O, N sbnd C dbnd O and N sbnd O, thereby activating the fiber surface. And long-time treatment increased the reaction degree of surface groups while destroyed the newly-created physical structures. The enhancement of adhesion relied primarily on the strengthening of chemical bonding and mechanical interlocking between the fiber and the matrix. The composite rupture planes indicated that the fracture failure shifted from the interface to the matrix or the fiber.

Low-leakage and low-instability labyrinth seal

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rhode, David L. (Inventor)

1997-01-01

Improved labyrinth seal designs are disclosed. The present invention relates to labyrinth seal systems with selected sealing surfaces and seal geometry to optimize flow deflection and produce maximum turbulent action. Optimum seal performance is generally accomplished by providing sealing surfaces and fluid cavities formed to dissipate fluid energy as a function of the geometry of the sealing surfaces along with the position and size of the fluid cavities formed between members of the labyrinth seal system. Improved convex surfaces, annular flow reversal grooves, flow deflection blocks and rough, machined surfaces cooperate to enhance the performance of the labyrinth seal systems. For some labyrinth seal systems a mid-cavity throttle and either rigid teeth or flexible spring teeth may be included.

Improved acoustic levitation apparatus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berge, L. H.; Johnson, J. L.; Oran, W. A.; Reiss, D. A.

1980-01-01

Concave driver and reflector enhance and shape levitation forces in acoustic resonance system. Single-mode standing-wave pattern is focused by ring element situated between driver and reflector. Concave surfaces increase levitating forces up to factor of 6 as opposed to conventional flat surfaces, making it possible to suspend heavier objects.

On blockage effects for a marine hydrokinetic turbine in free surface proximity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banerjee, A.; Kolekar, N.

2016-12-01

Experimental investigation was carried out with a three-bladed, constant chord marine hydrokinetic turbine to understand the influence of free surface proximity on blockage effects and near wake flow field. The turbine was placed at various depths of immersion as rotational speeds and flow speeds were varied; thrust and torque data was acquired through a submerged thrust torque sensor positioned in-line with the turbine axis. Blockage effects were quantified in terms of changes in power coefficient and were found to be dependent on flow velocity, rotational speed and blade-tip clearence (from free-surface). Flow acceleration near turbine rotation plane was attributed to blockage offered by the rotor, wake, and free surface deformation; the resulting performance improvements were calculated based on the measured thrust values. In addition, stereoscopic particle imaging velocimetry was carried out in the near-wake region using time-averaged and phase-averaged techniques to understand the mechanism responsible for variation of torque (and power coefficient) with rotational speed and free-surface proximity. Flow vizualisation revealed slower wake propagation for higher rotational velocities and increased assymetry in the wake with increasing free surface proximity. Improved performance at high rotational speed was attributed to enhanced wake blockage; performance enhancements with free-surface proximity was attributed to additional blockage effects caused by free surface deformation.

Pore channel surface modification for enhancing anti-fouling membrane distillation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiu, Haoran; Peng, Yuelian; Ge, Lei; Villacorta Hernandez, Byron; Zhu, Zhonghua

2018-06-01

Membrane surface modification by forming a functional layer is an effective way to improve the anti-fouling properties of membranes; however, the additional layer and the potential blockage of bulk pores may increase the mass transfer resistance and reduce the permeability. In this study, we applied a novel method of preparing anti-fouling membranes for membrane distillation by dispersing graphene oxide (GO) on the channel surface of polyvinylidene fluoride membranes. The surface morphology and properties were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscope, and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry. Compared to the membrane surface modification by nanoparticles (e.g. SiO2), GO was mainly located on the pore surface of the membrane bulk, rather than being formed as an individual layer onto the membrane surface. The performance was evaluated via a direct-contact membrane distillation process with anionic and cationic surfactants as the foulants, separately. Compared to the pristine PVDF membrane, the anti-fouling behavior and distillate flux of the GO-modified membranes were improved, especially when using the anionic surfactant as the foulant. The enhanced anti-fouling performance can be attributed to the oxygen containing functional groups in GO and the healing of the membrane pore defects. This method may provide an effective route to manipulate membrane pore surface properties for anti-fouling separation without increasing mass transfer resistance.

Enhanced human osteoblast cell adhesion and proliferation on 316 LS stainless steel by means of CO2 laser surface treatment.

PubMed

Hao, L; Lawrence, J; Phua, Y F; Chian, K S; Lim, G C; Zheng, H Y

2005-04-01

An effective and novel technique for improving the biocompatibility of a biograde 316 LS stainless steel through the application of CO(2) laser treatment to modify the surface properties of the material is described herein. Different surface properties, such as surface roughness, surface oxygen content, and surface energy for CO(2) laser-treated 316 LS stainless steel, untreated, and mechanically roughened samples were analyzed, and their effects on the wettability characteristics of the material were studied. It was found that modification of the wettability characteristics of the 316 LS stainless steel following CO(2) laser treatment was achieved. This improvement was identified as being mainly due to the change in the polar component of the surface energy. One-day cell adhesion tests showed that cells not only adhered and spread better, but also grew faster on the CO(2) laser-treated sample than on either the untreated or mechanically roughened sample. Further, compared with the untreated sample, MTT cell proliferation analysis revealed that the mechanically roughed surface resulted in a slight enhancement, and CO(2) laser treatment brought about a significant increase in cell proliferation. An increase in the wettability of the 316 LS stainless steel was observed to positively correlate with the cell proliferation. (c) 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Method and system for near-field spectroscopy using targeted deposition of nanoparticles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, Mark S. (Inventor)

2012-01-01

There is provided in one embodiment of the invention a method for analyzing a sample material using surface enhanced spectroscopy. The method comprises the steps of imaging the sample material with an atomic force microscope (AFM) to select an area of interest for analysis, depositing nanoparticles onto the area of interest with an AFM tip, illuminating the deposited nanoparticles with a spectrometer excitation beam, and disengaging the AFM tip and acquiring a localized surface enhanced spectrum. The method may further comprise the step of using the AFM tip to modulate the spectrometer excitation beam above the deposited nanoparticles to obtain improved sensitivity data and higher spatial resolution data from the sample material. The invention further comprises in one embodiment a system for analyzing a sample material using surface enhanced spectroscopy.

Rapid deposition of triangular silver nanoplates on planar surfaces: application to metal-enhanced fluorescence.

PubMed

Aslan, Kadir; Lakowicz, Joseph R; Geddes, Chris D

2005-04-07

A simple and rapid wet-chemical technique for the deposition of silver triangles on conventional glass substrates, which alleviates the need for lithography, has been developed. The technique is based on the seed-mediated cetyltrimethylammonium-bromide-directed growth of silver triangles on glass surfaces, where smaller spherical silver seeds that were attached to the surface were subsequently converted and grown into silver triangles in the presence of a cationic surfactant and silver ions. The size of the silver triangles was controlled by sequential immersion of silver seed-coated glass substrates into a growth solution and by the duration time of immersion. Atomic force microscopy studies revealed that the size of the silver triangles ranged between 100 and 500 nm. Interestingly, these new surfaces are a significant improvement over traditional silver island films for applications in metal-enhanced fluorescence. A routine 16-fold enhancement in emission intensity was typically observed, for protein-immobilized indocyanine green, with a relatively very low loading density of silver triangles on the glass surface.

Effect of l-lysine-assisted surface grafting for nano-hydroxyapatite on mechanical properties and in vitro bioactivity of poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid).

PubMed

Liuyun, Jiang; Lixin, Jiang; Chengdong, Xiong; Lijuan, Xu; Ye, Li

2016-01-01

It is promising and challenging to study surface modification for nano-hydroxyapatite to improve the dispersion and enhance the mechanical properties and bioactivity of poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid). In this paper, we designed an effective new surface grafting with the assist of l-lysine for nano-hydroxyapatite, and the nano-hydroxyapatite surface grafted with the assist of l-lysine (g-nano-hydroxyapatite) was incorporated into poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) to develop a series of g-nano-hydroxyapatite/poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) nano-composites. The surface modification reaction for nano-hydroxyapatite, the mechanical properties, and in vitro human osteoblast-like cell (MG-63) response were characterized and investigated by Fourier transformation infrared, thermal gravimetric analysis, dispersion test, electromechanical universal tester, differential scanning calorimeter measurements, and in vitro cells culture experiment. The results showed that the grafting amount on the surface of nano-hydroxyapatite was enhanced with the increase of l-lysine, and the dispersion of nano-hydroxyapatite was improved more, so that it brought about better promotion crystallization and more excellent mechanical enhancement effect for poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid), comparing with the unmodified nano-hydroxyapatite. Moreover, the cells' attachment and proliferation results confirmed that the incorporation of the g-nano-hydroxyapatite into poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) exhibited better biocompatibility than poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid). The above results indicated that the new surface grafting with the assist of l-lysine for nano-hydroxyapatite was an ideal novel surface modification method, which brought about better mechanical enhancement effect and in vitro bioactivity for poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) with adding higher g-nano-hydroxyapatite content, suggesting it had a great potential to be used as bone fracture internal fixation materials in future. © The Author(s) 2015.

Hemp reinforced composites: surface treatment, manufacturing method and fabric type effects

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cicala, G.; Cristaldi, G.; Recca, G.

2010-06-02

Hemp mats and weaved fabrics were used as received and after surface treatment as reinforcement for composites. Mercerization and amino silane surface treatments improved fibre/matrix adhesion and, as results, the mechanical properties of the composites were also improved. However, if surface treatment was too severe degradation of the mechanical properties of the single fibre was observed and this resulted in a reinforcing efficiency loss. Weaved fabrics obtained from twisted fibres in unidirectional and 0/90 deg. architecture were used. The use of weaved fabrics lead to high improvements of composite mechanical properties despite the absence of fibre's surface treatment. The specimensmore » manufactured by LRTM (Light Resin Transfer Moulding) showed enhanced mechanical properties compared to specimens made by hand lay up. Mechanical models were also used to predict the mechanical properties of the composites.« less

Hemp reinforced composites: surface treatment, manufacturing method and fabric type effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cicalạ, G.; Cristaldi, G.; Recca, G.

2010-06-01

Hemp mats and weaved fabrics were used as received and after surface treatment as reinforcement for composites. Mercerization and amino silane surface treatments improved fibre/matrix adhesion and, as results, the mechanical properties of the composites were also improved. However, if surface treatment was too severe degradation of the mechanical properties of the single fibre was observed and this resulted in a reinforcing efficiency loss. Weaved fabrics obtained from twisted fibres in unidirectional and 0/90° architecture were used. The use of weaved fabrics lead to high improvements of composite mechanical properties despite the absence of fibre's surface treatment. The specimens manufactured by LRTM (Light Resin Transfer Moulding) showed enhanced mechanical properties compared to specimens made by hand lay up. Mechanical models were also used to predict the mechanical properties of the composites.

Design of the sample cell in near-field surface-enhanced Raman scattering by finite difference time domain method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yaqin; Jian, Guoshu; Wu, Shifa

2006-11-01

The rational design of the sample cell may improve the sensitivity of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection in a high degree. Finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulations of the configuration of Ag film-Ag particles illuminated by plane wave and evanescent wave are performed to provide physical insight for design of the sample cell. Numerical solutions indicate that the sample cell can provide more "hot spots' and the massive field intensity enhancement occurs in these "hot spots'. More information on the nanometer character of the sample can be got because of gradient-field Raman (GFR) of evanescent wave.

Improved wear resistance by phase transformation of surface nanocrystalline 1090 steel prepared by sandblasting technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Rong; Fu, Licai; Zhou, Lingping

2016-12-01

A surface nanocrystalline 1090 steel has been fabricated by using sandblasting technique. The surface average grain size was about 78 nm. The high strain rate and strain in sandblasting were main reasons for surface nanocrystallization. The wear resistance of 1090 steel was considerably enhanced as grain size decreased. The microstructure and hardness of contact zones before and after wear tests have been examined by XRD, SEM and TEM. Except the higher hardness, the results demonstrated that parts of ferrite transferred to cementite and martensite. It was additional beneficial for improving the wear resistance of 1090 steel as the grain size decreased.

Improved molecular fingerprint analysis employing multi-branched gold nanoparticles in conjunction with surface-enhanced Raman scattering.

PubMed

Johnston, Jencilin; Taylor, Erik N; Gilbert, Richard J; Webster, Thomas J

2016-01-01

Vibrational spectroscopy is a powerful analytical tool that assesses molecular properties based on spectroscopic signatures. In this study, the effect of gold nanoparticle morphology (spherical vs multi-branched) was assessed for the characterization of a Raman signal (ie, molecular fingerprint) that may be helpful for numerous medical applications. Multi-branched gold nanoparticles (MBAuNPs) were fabricated using a green chemistry method which employed the reduction of gold ion solute by 2-[4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazyl] ethane sulfonic acid. Two types of reporter dyes, indocyanine (IR820 and IR792) and carbocyanine (DTTC [3,3'-diethylthiatricarbocyanine iodide] and DTDC [3,3'-diethylthiadicarbocyanine iodide]), were functionalized to the surface of the MBAuNPs and stabilized with denatured bovine serum albumin, thus forming the surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy tag. Fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated anti-epidermal growth factor receptor to the surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy tags and the properties of the resulting conjugates were assessed through determination of the Raman signal. Using the MBAuNP Raman probes synthesized in this manner, we demonstrated that MBAuNP provided significantly more surface-enhanced Raman scattering signal when compared with the associated spherical gold nanoparticle of similar size and concentration. MBAuNP enhancements were retained in the surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy tags complexed to anti-epidermal growth factor receptor, providing evidence that this could be a useful biological probe for enhanced Raman molecular fingerprinting. Furthermore, while utilizing IR820 as a novel reporter dye linked with MBAuNP, superior Raman signal fingerprint results were obtained. Such results provide significant promise for the use of MBAuNP in the detection of numerous diseases for which biologically specific surface markers exist.

Improved molecular fingerprint analysis employing multi-branched gold nanoparticles in conjunction with surface-enhanced Raman scattering

PubMed Central

Johnston, Jencilin; Taylor, Erik N; Gilbert, Richard J; Webster, Thomas J

2016-01-01

Vibrational spectroscopy is a powerful analytical tool that assesses molecular properties based on spectroscopic signatures. In this study, the effect of gold nanoparticle morphology (spherical vs multi-branched) was assessed for the characterization of a Raman signal (ie, molecular fingerprint) that may be helpful for numerous medical applications. Multi-branched gold nanoparticles (MBAuNPs) were fabricated using a green chemistry method which employed the reduction of gold ion solute by 2-[4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazyl] ethane sulfonic acid. Two types of reporter dyes, indocyanine (IR820 and IR792) and carbocyanine (DTTC [3,3′-diethylthiatricarbocyanine iodide] and DTDC [3,3′-diethylthiadicarbocyanine iodide]), were functionalized to the surface of the MBAuNPs and stabilized with denatured bovine serum albumin, thus forming the surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy tag. Fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated anti-epidermal growth factor receptor to the surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy tags and the properties of the resulting conjugates were assessed through determination of the Raman signal. Using the MBAuNP Raman probes synthesized in this manner, we demonstrated that MBAuNP provided significantly more surface-enhanced Raman scattering signal when compared with the associated spherical gold nanoparticle of similar size and concentration. MBAuNP enhancements were retained in the surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy tags complexed to anti-epidermal growth factor receptor, providing evidence that this could be a useful biological probe for enhanced Raman molecular fingerprinting. Furthermore, while utilizing IR820 as a novel reporter dye linked with MBAuNP, superior Raman signal fingerprint results were obtained. Such results provide significant promise for the use of MBAuNP in the detection of numerous diseases for which biologically specific surface markers exist. PMID:26730189

Tropospheric Ozone Profiling Using Simulated GEO-CAPE Measurement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Natraj, Vijay; Li, Xiong; Kulawik, Susan; Chance, Kelly; Chatfield, Robert; Edwards, David P .; Eldering, Annmarie; Francis, Gene; Kurosu, Thomas; Pickering, Kenneth;

Sensitive determination of dopamine levels via surface-enhanced Raman scattering of Ag nanoparticle dimers.

PubMed

Yu, Xiantong; He, XiaoXiao; Yang, Taiqun; Zhao, Litao; Chen, Qichen; Zhang, Sanjun; Chen, Jinquan; Xu, Jianhua

2018-01-01

Dopamine (DA) is an important neurotransmitter in the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, which can produce a direct influence on mammals' emotions in midbrain. Additionally, the level of DA is highly related with some important neurologic diseases such as schizophrenia, Parkinson, and Huntington's diseases, etc. In light of the important roles that DA plays in the disease modulation, it is of considerable significance to develop a sensitive and reproducible approach for monitoring DA. The objective of this study was to develop an efficient approach to quantitatively monitor the level of DA using Ag nanoparticle (NP) dimers and enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Ag NP dimers were synthesized for the sensitive detection of DA via surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Citrate was used as both the capping agent of NPs and sensing agent to DA, which is self-assembled on the surface of Ag NP dimers by reacting with the surface carboxyl group to form a stable amide bond. To improve accuracy and precision, the multiplicative effects model for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy was utilized to analyze the SERS assays. A low limits of detection (LOD) of 20 pM and a wide linear response range from 30 pM to 300 nM were obtained for DA quantitative detection. The SERS enhancement factor was theoretically valued at approximately 10 7 by discrete dipole approximation. DA was self-assembled on the citrate capped surface of Ag NPs dimers through the amide bond. The adsorption energy was estimated to be 256 KJ/mol using the Langmuir isotherm model. The density functional theory was used to simulate the spectral characteristics of SERS during the adsorption of DA on the surface of the Ag dimers. Furthermore, to improve the accuracy and precision of quantitative analysis of SERS assays with a multiplicative effects model for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. A LOD of 20 pM DA-level was obtained, and the linear response ranged from 30 pM to 300 nM for quantitative DA detection. The absolute relative percentage error was 4.22% between the real and predicted DA concentrations. This detection scheme is expected to have good applications in the prevention and diagnosis of certain diseases caused by disorders in the DA level.

Sensitive determination of dopamine levels via surface-enhanced Raman scattering of Ag nanoparticle dimers

PubMed Central

Yu, Xiantong; He, XiaoXiao; Yang, Taiqun; Zhao, Litao; Chen, Qichen; Zhang, Sanjun; Chen, Jinquan; Xu, Jianhua

2018-01-01

Background Dopamine (DA) is an important neurotransmitter in the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, which can produce a direct influence on mammals’ emotions in midbrain. Additionally, the level of DA is highly related with some important neurologic diseases such as schizophrenia, Parkinson, and Huntington’s diseases, etc. In light of the important roles that DA plays in the disease modulation, it is of considerable significance to develop a sensitive and reproducible approach for monitoring DA. Purpose The objective of this study was to develop an efficient approach to quantitatively monitor the level of DA using Ag nanoparticle (NP) dimers and enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Methods Ag NP dimers were synthesized for the sensitive detection of DA via surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Citrate was used as both the capping agent of NPs and sensing agent to DA, which is self-assembled on the surface of Ag NP dimers by reacting with the surface carboxyl group to form a stable amide bond. To improve accuracy and precision, the multiplicative effects model for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy was utilized to analyze the SERS assays. Results A low limits of detection (LOD) of 20 pM and a wide linear response range from 30 pM to 300 nM were obtained for DA quantitative detection. The SERS enhancement factor was theoretically valued at approximately 107 by discrete dipole approximation. DA was self-assembled on the citrate capped surface of Ag NPs dimers through the amide bond. The adsorption energy was estimated to be 256 KJ/mol using the Langmuir isotherm model. The density functional theory was used to simulate the spectral characteristics of SERS during the adsorption of DA on the surface of the Ag dimers. Furthermore, to improve the accuracy and precision of quantitative analysis of SERS assays with a multiplicative effects model for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Conclusion A LOD of 20 pM DA-level was obtained, and the linear response ranged from 30 pM to 300 nM for quantitative DA detection. The absolute relative percentage error was 4.22% between the real and predicted DA concentrations. This detection scheme is expected to have good applications in the prevention and diagnosis of certain diseases caused by disorders in the DA level. PMID:29713165

Effective Charge Carrier Utilization in Photocatalytic Conversions.

PubMed

Zhang, Peng; Wang, Tuo; Chang, Xiaoxia; Gong, Jinlong

2016-05-17

Continuous efforts have been devoted to searching for sustainable energy resources to alleviate the upcoming energy crises. Among various types of new energy resources, solar energy has been considered as one of the most promising choices, since it is clean, sustainable, and safe. Moreover, solar energy is the most abundant renewable energy, with a total power of 173 000 terawatts striking Earth continuously. Conversion of solar energy into chemical energy, which could potentially provide continuous and flexible energy supplies, has been investigated extensively. However, the conversion efficiency is still relatively low since complicated physical, electrical, and chemical processes are involved. Therefore, carefully designed photocatalysts with a wide absorption range of solar illumination, a high conductivity for charge carriers, a small number of recombination centers, and fast surface reaction kinetics are required to achieve a high activity. This Account describes our recent efforts to enhance the utilization of charge carriers for semiconductor photocatalysts toward efficient solar-to-chemical energy conversion. During photocatalytic reactions, photogenerated electrons and holes are involved in complex processes to convert solar energy into chemical energy. The initial step is the generation of charge carriers in semiconductor photocatalysts, which could be enhanced by extending the light absorption range. Integration of plasmonic materials and introduction of self-dopants have been proved to be effective methods to improve the light absorption ability of photocatalysts to produce larger amounts of photogenerated charge carriers. Subsequently, the photogenerated electrons and holes migrate to the surface. Therefore, acceleration of the transport process can result in enhanced solar energy conversion efficiency. Different strategies such as morphology control and conductivity improvement have been demonstrated to achieve this goal. Fine-tuning of the morphology of nanostructured photocatalysts can reduce the migration distance of charge carriers. Improving the conductivity of photocatalysts by using graphitic materials can also improve the transport of charge carriers. Upon charge carrier migration, electrons and holes also tend to recombine. The suppression of recombination can be achieved by constructing heterojunctions that enhance charge separation in the photocatalysts. Surface states acting as recombination centers should also be removed to improve the photocatalytic efficiency. Moreover, surface reactions, which are the core chemical processes during the solar energy conversion, can be enhanced by applying cocatalysts as well as suppressing side reactions. All of these strategies have been proved to be essential for enhancing the activities of semiconductor photocatalysts. It is hoped that delicate manipulation of photogenerated charge carriers in semiconductor photocatalysts will hold the key to effective solar-to-chemical energy conversion.

Through tissue imaging of a live breast cancer tumour model using handheld surface enhanced spatially offset resonance Raman spectroscopy (SESORRS).

PubMed

Nicolson, Fay; Jamieson, Lauren E; Mabbott, Samuel; Plakas, Konstantinos; Shand, Neil C; Detty, Michael R; Graham, Duncan; Faulds, Karen

2018-04-21

In order to improve patient survival and reduce the amount of unnecessary and traumatic biopsies, non-invasive detection of cancerous tumours is of imperative and urgent need. Multicellular tumour spheroids (MTS) can be used as an ex vivo cancer tumour model, to model in vivo nanoparticle (NP) uptake by the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect. Surface enhanced spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (SESORS) combines both surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (SORS) to yield enhanced Raman signals at much greater sub-surface levels. By utilizing a reporter that has an electronic transition in resonance with the laser frequency, surface enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) yields even greater enhancement in Raman signal. Using a handheld SORS spectrometer with back scattering optics, we demonstrate the detection of live breast cancer 3D MTS containing SERRS active NPs through 15 mm of porcine tissue. False color 2D heat intensity maps were used to determine tumour model location. In addition, we demonstrate the tracking of SERRS-active NPs through porcine tissue to depths of up to 25 mm. This unprecedented performance is due to the use of red-shifted chalcogenpyrylium-based Raman reporters to demonstrate the novel technique of surface enhanced spatially offset resonance Raman spectroscopy (SESORRS) for the first time. Our results demonstrate a significant step forward in the ability to detect vibrational fingerprints from a tumour model at depth through tissue. Such an approach offers significant promise for the translation of NPs into clinical applications for non-invasive disease diagnostics based on this new chemical principle of measurement.

Polyacrylonitrile nanocomposite fibers from acrylonitrile-grafted carbon nanofibers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hiremath, Nitilaksha; Evora, Maria Cecilia; Naskar, Amit K.

For the first time, uniform distribution of surface functionalized carbon nanofibers (CNFs) has been achieved in low molecular weight (≈120,000 g/mol) textile grade-polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based composite filaments. Furthermore, surface grafting of CNFs with acrylonitrile enhances the dispersion of nanofibers in PAN fiber matrix. XPS study reveals high atomic nitrogen content (7%) on the CNF surface due to the grafting reaction. The solution-spun filaments have been characterized for distribution of CNFs in the PAN matrix by electron microscopy. PAN composite filaments containing 3.2 wt.% CNF and processed at draw ratio of ≈6.3 exhibit enhanced tensile strength and modulus by more than threemore » folds compared to the control PAN filament. Because of chemically compatible surface modification of the nanofibers, better dispersion and improved mechanical properties were accomplished in the reinforced PAN fibers. This should then allow the production of CNF reinforced carbon fibers with improved tensile properties. An increase in CNF loading (6.4 wt.%), however, reduced performance due to inefficient alignment of CNF along the fiber axis. Nevertheless, hot stretching (at draw ratio ≈ 10) of the filaments enhanced tensile strength and elastic modulus of PAN composite filaments by 20–30% compared to the control hot stretched PAN filaments.« less

Polyacrylonitrile nanocomposite fibers from acrylonitrile-grafted carbon nanofibers

DOE PAGES

Hiremath, Nitilaksha; Evora, Maria Cecilia; Naskar, Amit K.; ...

2017-07-31

For the first time, uniform distribution of surface functionalized carbon nanofibers (CNFs) has been achieved in low molecular weight (≈120,000 g/mol) textile grade-polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based composite filaments. Furthermore, surface grafting of CNFs with acrylonitrile enhances the dispersion of nanofibers in PAN fiber matrix. XPS study reveals high atomic nitrogen content (7%) on the CNF surface due to the grafting reaction. The solution-spun filaments have been characterized for distribution of CNFs in the PAN matrix by electron microscopy. PAN composite filaments containing 3.2 wt.% CNF and processed at draw ratio of ≈6.3 exhibit enhanced tensile strength and modulus by more than threemore » folds compared to the control PAN filament. Because of chemically compatible surface modification of the nanofibers, better dispersion and improved mechanical properties were accomplished in the reinforced PAN fibers. This should then allow the production of CNF reinforced carbon fibers with improved tensile properties. An increase in CNF loading (6.4 wt.%), however, reduced performance due to inefficient alignment of CNF along the fiber axis. Nevertheless, hot stretching (at draw ratio ≈ 10) of the filaments enhanced tensile strength and elastic modulus of PAN composite filaments by 20–30% compared to the control hot stretched PAN filaments.« less

Enhanced performance of solar cells with optimized surface recombination and efficient photon capturing via anisotropic-etching of black silicon

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, H. Y.; Peng, Y., E-mail: gdyuan@semi.ac.cn, E-mail: py@usst.edu.cn; Hong, M.

2014-05-12

We report an enhanced conversion efficiency of femtosecond-laser treated silicon solar cells by surface modification of anisotropic-etching. The etching improves minority carrier lifetime inside modified black silicon area substantially; moreover, after the etching, an inverted pyramids/upright pyramids mixed texture surface is obtained, which shows better photon capturing capability than that of conventional pyramid texture. Combing of these two merits, the reformed solar cells show higher conversion efficiency than that of conventional pyramid textured cells. This work presents a way for fabricating high performance silicon solar cells, which can be easily applied to mass-production.

Novel Highly Porous Metal Technology in Artificial Hip and Knee Replacement: Processing Methodologies and Clinical Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muth, John; Poggie, Matthew; Kulesha, Gene; Michael Meneghini, R.

2013-02-01

Hip and knee replacement can dramatically improve a patient's quality of life through pain relief and restored function. Fixation of hip and knee replacement implants to bone is critical to the success of the procedure. A variety of roughened surfaces and three-dimensional porous surfaces have been used to enhance biological fixation on orthopedic implants. Recently, highly porous metals have emerged as versatile biomaterials that may enhance fixation to bone and are suitable to a number of applications in hip and knee replacement surgery. This article provides an overview of several processes used to create these implant surfaces.

Improved corrosion resistance on biodegradable magnesium by zinc and aluminum ion implantation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Ruizhen; Yang, Xiongbo; Suen, Kai Wong; Wu, Guosong; Li, Penghui; Chu, Paul K.

2012-12-01

Magnesium and its alloys have promising applications as biodegradable materials, and plasma ion implantation can enhance the corrosion resistance by modifying the surface composition. In this study, suitable amounts of zinc and aluminum are plasma-implanted into pure magnesium. The surface composition, phases, and chemical states are determined, and electrochemical tests and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) are conducted to investigate the surface corrosion behavior and elucidate the mechanism. The corrosion resistance enhancement after ion implantation is believed to stem from the more compact oxide film composed of magnesium oxide and aluminum oxide as well as the appearance of the β-Mg17Al12 phase.

Reusable Surface Insulation Tile Thermal Protection Materials: Past, Present and the Future

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leiser, Daniel B.; Stewart, David A.; Venkatapathy, Ethiras (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Silica (LI-900) Reusable Surface Insulation (RSI) tile have been used on the majority of the Shuttle since its initial flight. Its overall performance with Reaction Cured Glass (RCG) coating applied will be reviewed. Improvements in insulations, Fibrous Refractory Composite Insulation (FRCI-12) and Alumina Enhanced Thermal Barrier (AETB-8) and coatings/surface treatments such as Toughened Uni-Piece Fibrous Insulation (TUFI) have been developed and successfully applied. The performance of these enhancements on the Shuttle Orbiters over the past few years along with the next version of tile materials, High Efficiency Tantalum-based Ceramic (HETC) with even broader applicability will also be discussed.

An enhanced VIIRS aerosol optical thickness (AOT) retrieval algorithm over land using a global surface reflectance ratio database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Hai; Kondragunta, Shobha; Laszlo, Istvan; Liu, Hongqing; Remer, Lorraine A.; Huang, Jingfeng; Superczynski, Stephen; Ciren, Pubu

2016-09-01

The Visible/Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on board the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) satellite has been retrieving aerosol optical thickness (AOT), operationally and globally, over ocean and land since shortly after S-NPP launch in 2011. However, the current operational VIIRS AOT retrieval algorithm over land has two limitations in its assumptions for land surfaces: (1) it only retrieves AOT over the dark surfaces and (2) it assumes that the global surface reflectance ratios between VIIRS bands are constants. In this work, we develop a surface reflectance ratio database over land with a spatial resolution 0.1° × 0.1° using 2 years of VIIRS top of atmosphere reflectances. We enhance the current operational VIIRS AOT retrieval algorithm by applying the surface reflectance ratio database in the algorithm. The enhanced algorithm is able to retrieve AOT over both dark and bright surfaces. Over bright surfaces, the VIIRS AOT retrievals from the enhanced algorithm have a correlation of 0.79, mean bias of -0.008, and standard deviation (STD) of error of 0.139 when compared against the ground-based observations at the global AERONET (Aerosol Robotic Network) sites. Over dark surfaces, the VIIRS AOT retrievals using the surface reflectance ratio database improve the root-mean-square error from 0.150 to 0.123. The use of the surface reflectance ratio database also increases the data coverage of more than 20% over dark surfaces. The AOT retrievals over bright surfaces are comparable to MODIS Deep Blue AOT retrievals.

Surface transportation security : TSA has taken actions to manage risk, improve coordination, and measure performance, but additional actions would enhance its efforts, April 21, 2010.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-04-21

Terrorist attacks on surface transportation facilities in Moscow, Mumbai, London, and Madrid caused casualties and highlighted the vulnerability of such systems. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), within the Department of Homeland Secu...

The Influence of the Inner Topology of Cooling Units on the Performance of Automotive Exhaust-Based Thermoelectric Generators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, D. C.; Su, C. Q.; Deng, Y. D.; Wang, Y. P.; Liu, X.

2017-11-01

Automotive exhaust-based thermoelectric generators are currently a hot topic in energy recovery. The waste heat of automotive exhaust gas can be converted into electricity by means of thermoelectric modules. Generally, inserting fins into the cooling unit contributes to enhancing the heat transfer for a higher power output. However, the introduction of fins will result in a pressure drop in the cooling system. In current research, in order to enhance the heat transfer and avoid a large pressure drop, a cooling unit with cylindrical grooves on the interior surface was proposed. To evaluate the performance of the cylindrical grooves, different inner topologies, including a smooth interior surface,a smooth interior surface with inserted fins and an interior surface with cylindrical grooves, were compared. The results revealed that compared with the smooth interior surface, the smooth interior surface with inserted fins and the interior surface with cylindrical grooves both enhanced the heat transfer, but the interior surface with cylindrical grooves obtained a lower pressure drop. To improve the performance of the cylindrical grooves, different groove-depth ratios were tried, and the results showed that a groove-depth ratio of 0.081 could provide the best overall performance.

The Influence of the Inner Topology of Cooling Units on the Performance of Automotive Exhaust-Based Thermoelectric Generators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, D. C.; Su, C. Q.; Deng, Y. D.; Wang, Y. P.; Liu, X.

2018-06-01

Automotive exhaust-based thermoelectric generators are currently a hot topic in energy recovery. The waste heat of automotive exhaust gas can be converted into electricity by means of thermoelectric modules. Generally, inserting fins into the cooling unit contributes to enhancing the heat transfer for a higher power output. However, the introduction of fins will result in a pressure drop in the cooling system. In current research, in order to enhance the heat transfer and avoid a large pressure drop, a cooling unit with cylindrical grooves on the interior surface was proposed. To evaluate the performance of the cylindrical grooves, different inner topologies, including a smooth interior surface,a smooth interior surface with inserted fins and an interior surface with cylindrical grooves, were compared. The results revealed that compared with the smooth interior surface, the smooth interior surface with inserted fins and the interior surface with cylindrical grooves both enhanced the heat transfer, but the interior surface with cylindrical grooves obtained a lower pressure drop. To improve the performance of the cylindrical grooves, different groove-depth ratios were tried, and the results showed that a groove-depth ratio of 0.081 could provide the best overall performance.

Stability enhanced, repeatability improved Parylene-C passivated on QCM sensor for aPTT measurement.

PubMed

Yang, Yuchen; Zhang, Wei; Guo, Zhen; Zhang, Zhiqi; Zhu, Hongnan; Yan, Ruhong; Zhou, Lianqun

2017-12-15

Determination of blood clotting time is essential in monitoring therapeutic anticoagulants. In this work, Parylene-C passivated on quartz crystal microbalance (P-QCM) was developed for the activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) measurement. Compared with typical QCM, P-QCM possessed a hydrophobic surface and sensitive frequency response to viscoelastic variations on electrode surface. Fibrin could be adsorbed effectively, due to the hydrophobicity of the P-QCM surface. Comparing with typical QCM, the peak-to-peak value (PPV) of P-QCM was increased by 1.94% ± 0.63%, which indicated enhancement of signal-to-noise ratio. For P-QCM, the coefficient of variation (CV) of frequency decrease and aPTT were 2.58% and 1.24% separately, which demonstrated improvement of stability and reproducibility. Moreover, compared with SYSMEX CS 2000i haematology analyzer, clinical coefficient index (R 2 ) was 0.983. In conclusion, P-QCM exhibited potential for improving stability, reproducibility and linearity of piezoelectric sensors, and might be more promising for point of care testing (POCT) applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Aerosol loading in the Southeastern United States: reconciling surface and satellite observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ford, B.; Heald, C. L.

2013-04-01

We investigate the seasonality in aerosols over the Southeastern United States using observations from several satellite instruments (MODIS, MISR, CALIOP) and surface network sites (IMPROVE, SEARCH, AERONET). We find that the strong summertime enhancement in satellite-observed aerosol optical depth (factor 2-3 enhancement over wintertime AOD) is not present in surface mass concentrations (25-55% summertime enhancement). Goldstein et al. (2009) previously attributed this seasonality in AOD to biogenic organic aerosol; however, surface observations show that organic aerosol only accounts for ~35% of PM2.5 mass and exhibits similar seasonality to total PM2.5. The GEOS-Chem model generally reproduces these surface aerosol measurements, but under represents the AOD seasonality observed by satellites. We show that seasonal differences in water uptake cannot sufficiently explain the magnitude of AOD increase. As CALIOP profiles indicate the presence of additional aerosol in the lower troposphere (below 700 hPa), which cannot be explained by vertical mixing; we conclude that the discrepancy is due to a missing source of aerosols above the surface in summer.

Multi-scale silica structures for improved point of care detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Sophia; Lin, Lancy; Cho, Eunbyul; Pezzani, Gaston A. O.; Khine, Michelle

2017-03-01

The need for sensitive, portable diagnostic tests at the point of care persists. We report on a simple method to obtain improved detection of biomolecules by a two-fold mechanism. Silica (SiO2) is coated on pre-stressed thermoplastic shrink-wrap film. When the film retracts, the resulting micro- and nanostructures yield far-field fluorescence signal enhancements over their planar or wrinkled counterparts. Because the film shrinks by 95% in surface area, there is also a 20x concentration effect. The SiO2 structured substrate is therefore used for improved detection of labeled proteins and DNA hybridization via both fluorescent and bright field. Through optical characterization studies, we attribute the fluorescence signal enhancements of 100x to increased surface density and light scattering from the rough SiO2 structures. Combining with our open channel self-wicking microfluidics, we can achieve extremely low cost yet sensitive point of care diagnostics.

Facile synthesis of gold coated copper(II) hydroxide pine-needle-like micro/nanostructures for surface-enhanced Raman scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Long, Kailin; Du, Deyang; Luo, Xiaoguang; Zhao, Weiwei; Wu, Zhangting; Si, Lifang; Qiu, Teng

2014-08-01

This work reports a facile method to fabricate gold coated copper(II) hydroxide pine-needle-like micro/nanostructures for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) application. The effects of reaction parameters on the shape, size and surface morphology of the products are systematically investigated. The as-prepared 3D hierarchical structures have the advantage of a large surface area available for the formation of hot spots and the adsorption of target analytes, thus dramatically improving the Raman signals. The finite difference time domain calculations indicate that the pine-needle-like model pattern may demonstrate a high quality SERS property owing to the high density and abundant hot spot characteristic in closely spaced needle-like arms.

Spine interbody implants: material selection and modification, functionalization and bioactivation of surfaces to improve osseointegration.

PubMed

Rao, Prashanth J; Pelletier, Matthew H; Walsh, William R; Mobbs, Ralph J

2014-05-01

The clinical outcome of lumbar spinal fusion is correlated with achievement of bony fusion. Improving interbody implant bone on-growth and in-growth may enhance fusion, limiting pseudoarthrosis, stress shielding, subsidence and implant failure. Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and titanium (Ti) are commonly selected for interbody spacer construction. Although these materials have desirable biocompatibility and mechanical properties, they require further modification to support osseointegration. Reports of extensive research on this topic are available in biomaterial-centric published reports; however, there are few clinical studies concerning surface modification of interbody spinal implants. The current article focuses on surface modifications aimed at fostering osseointegration from a clinician's point of view. Surface modification of Ti by creating rougher surfaces, modifying its surface topography (macro and nano), physical and chemical treatment and creating a porous material with high interconnectivity can improve its osseointegrative potential and bioactivity. Coating the surface with osteoconductive materials like hydroxyapatite (HA) can improve osseointegration. Because PEEK spacers are relatively inert, creating a composite by adding Ti or osteoconductive materials like HA can improve osseointegration. In addition, PEEK may be coated with Ti, effectively bio-activating the coating. © 2014 Chinese Orthopaedic Association and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Surface modification of malachite with ethanediamine and its effect on sulfidization flotation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Qicheng; Zhao, Wenjuan; Wen, Shuming

2018-04-01

Ethanediamine was used to modify the mineral surface of malachite to improve its sulfidization and flotation behavior. The activation mechanism was investigated by adsorption experiments, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, and zeta potential measurements. Microflotation experiments showed that the flotation recovery of malachite was enhanced after the pretreatment of the mineral particles with ethanediamine prior to the addition of Na2S. Adsorption tests revealed that numerous sulfide ion species in the pulp solution were transferred onto the mineral surface through the formation of more copper sulfide species. This finding was confirmed by the results of the XPS measurements. Ethanediamine modification not only increased the contents of copper sulfide species on the malachite surface but also enhanced the reactivity of the sulfidization products. During sulfidization, Cu(II) species on the mineral surface were reduced into Cu(I) species, and the percentages of S22- and Sn2- relative to the total S increased after modification, resulting in increased surface hydrophobicity. The results of zeta potential measurements showed that the ethanediamine-modified mineral surface adsorbed with more sulfide ion species was advantageous to the attachment of xanthate species, thereby improving malachite floatability. The proposed ethanediamine modification followed by sulfidization xanthate flotation exhibits potential for industrial application.

Layer-by-layer assembly surface modified microbial biomass for enhancing biorecovery of secondary gold.

PubMed

Zhou, Ying; Zhu, Nengwu; Kang, Naixin; Cao, Yanlan; Shi, Chaohong; Wu, Pingxiao; Dang, Zhi; Zhang, Xiaoping; Qin, Benqian

2017-02-01

Enhancement of the biosorption capacity for gold is highly desirable for the biorecovery of secondary gold resources. In this study, polyethylenimine (PEI) was grafted on Shewanella haliotis surface through layer-by-layer assembly approach so as to improve the biosorption capacity of Au(III). Results showed that the relative contribution of amino group to the biosorption of Au(III) was the largest one (about 44%). After successful grafting 1, 2 and 3-layer PEI on the surface of biomass, the biosorption capacity significantly enhanced from 143.8mg/g to 597.1, 559.1, and 536.8mg/g, respectively. Interestingly, the biomass modified with 1-layer PEI exhibited 4.2 times higher biosorption capacity than the untreated control. When 1-layer modified biomass was subjected to optimizing the various conditions by response surface methodology, the theoretical maximum adsorption capacity could reach up to 727.3mg/g. All findings demonstrated that PEI modified S. haliotis was effective for enhancing gold biorecovery. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Second-surface silvered glass solar mirrors of very high reflectance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butel, Guillaume P.; Coughenour, Blake M.; Macleod, H. Angus; Kennedy, Cheryl E.; Olbert, Blain H.; Angel, J. Roger P.

2011-10-01

This paper reports methods developed to maximize the overall reflectance second-surface silvered glass. The reflectance at shorter wavelengths is increased with the aid of a dielectric enhancing layer between the silver and the glass, while at longer wavelengths it is enhanced by use of glass with negligible iron content. The calculated enhancement of reflectance, compared to unenhanced silver on standard low-iron float glass, corresponds to a 4.4% increase in reflectance averaged across the full solar spectrum, appropriate for CSP, and 2.7% for CPV systems using triple junction cells. An experimental reflector incorporating these improvements, of drawn crown glass and a silvered second-surface with dielectric boost, was measured at NREL to have 95.4% solar weighted reflectance. For comparison, non-enhanced, wetsilvered reflectors of the same 4 mm thickness show reflectance ranging from 91.6 - 94.6%, depending on iron content. A potential drawback of using iron-free drawn glass is reduced concentration in high concentration systems because of the inherent surface errors. This effect is largely mitigated for glass shaped by slumping into a concave mold, rather than by bending.

Metal Nanoparticles/Porous Silicon Microcavity Enhanced Surface Plasmon Resonance Fluorescence for the Detection of DNA.

PubMed

Wang, Jiajia; Jia, Zhenhong

2018-02-23

A porous silicon microcavity (PSiMC) with resonant peak wavelength of 635 nm was fabricated by electrochemical etching. Metal nanoparticles (NPs)/PSiMC enhanced fluorescence substrates were prepared by the electrostatic adherence of Au NPs that were distributed in PSiMC. The Au NPs/PSiMC device was used to characterize the target DNA immobilization and hybridization with its complementary DNA sequences marked with Rhodamine red (RRA). Fluorescence enhancement was observed on the Au NPs/PSiMC device substrate; and the minimum detection concentration of DNA ran up to 10 pM. The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of the MC substrate; which is so well-positioned to improve fluorescence enhancement rather the fluorescence enhancement of the high reflection band of the Bragg reflector; would welcome such a highly sensitive in biosensor.

Integrated experimental and theoretical approach for corrosion and wear evaluation of laser surface nitrided, Ti-6Al-4V biomaterial in physiological solution.

PubMed

Vora, Hitesh D; Shanker Rajamure, Ravi; Dahotre, Sanket N; Ho, Yee-Hsien; Banerjee, Rajarshi; Dahotre, Narendra B

2014-09-01

A laser based surface nitriding process was adopted to further enhance the osseo-integration, corrosion resistance, and tribological properties of the commonly used bioimplant alloy, Ti-6Al-4V. Earlier preliminary osteoblast, electrochemical, and corrosive wear studies of laser nitrided titanium in simulated body fluid clearly revealed improvement of cell adhesion as well as enhancement in corrosion and wear resistance but mostly lacked the in-depth fundamental understanding behind these improvements. Therefore, a novel integrated experimental and theoretical approach were implemented to understand the physical phenomena behind the improvements and establish the property-structure-processing correlation of nitrided surface. The first principle and thermodynamic calculations were employed to understand the thermodynamic, electronic, and elastic properties of TiN for enthalpy of formation, Gibbs free energy, density of states, and elastic properties of TiN were investigated. Additionally, open circuit potential and cyclic potentio-dynamic polarization tests were carried out in simulated body fluid to evaluate the corrosion resistance that in turn linked with the experimentally measured and computationally predicted surface energies of TiN. From these results, it is concluded that the enhancement in the corrosion resistance after laser nitriding is mainly attributed to the presence of covalent bonding via hybridization among Ti (p) and N (d) orbitals. Furthermore, mechanical properties, such as, Poisson׳s ratio, stiffness, Pugh׳s ductility criteria, and Vicker׳s hardness, predicted from first principle calculations were also correlated to the increase in wear resistance of TiN. All the above factors together seem to have contributed to significant improvement in both wear and corrosion performance of nitride surface compared to the bare Ti-6Al-4V in physiological environment indicating its suitability for bioimplant applications. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multi-scale enhancement of climate prediction over land by increasing the model sensitivity to vegetation variability in EC-Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alessandri, Andrea; Catalano, Franco; De Felice, Matteo; Van Den Hurk, Bart; Doblas Reyes, Francisco; Boussetta, Souhail; Balsamo, Gianpaolo; Miller, Paul

2016-04-01

The EC-Earth earth system model has been recently developed to include the dynamics of vegetation. In its original formulation, vegetation variability is simply operated by the Leaf Area Index (LAI), which affects climate basically by changing the vegetation physiological resistance to evapotranspiration. This coupling has been found to have only a weak effect on the surface climate modeled by EC-Earth. In reality, the effective sub-grid vegetation fractional coverage will vary seasonally and at interannual time-scales in response to leaf-canopy growth, phenology and senescence. Therefore it affects biophysical parameters such as the albedo, surface roughness and soil field capacity. To adequately represent this effect in EC-Earth, we included an exponential dependence of the vegetation cover on the LAI. By comparing two sets of simulations performed with and without the new variable fractional-coverage parameterization, spanning retrospective predictions at the decadal (5-years), seasonal and sub-seasonal time-scales, we show for the first time a significant multi-scale enhancement of vegetation impacts in climate simulation and prediction over land. Particularly large effects at multiple time scales are shown over boreal winter middle-to-high latitudes over Canada, West US, Eastern Europe, Russia and eastern Siberia due to the implemented time-varying shadowing effect by tree-vegetation on snow surfaces. Over Northern Hemisphere boreal forest regions the improved representation of vegetation cover tends to correct the winter warm biases, improves the climate change sensitivity, the decadal potential predictability as well as the skill of forecasts at seasonal and sub-seasonal time-scales. Significant improvements of the prediction of 2m temperature and rainfall are also shown over transitional land surface hot spots. Both the potential predictability at decadal time-scale and seasonal-forecasts skill are enhanced over Sahel, North American Great Plains, Nordeste Brazil and South East Asia, mainly related to improved performance in the surface evapotranspiration.

Multi-scale enhancement of climate prediction over land by increasing the model sensitivity to vegetation variability in EC-Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alessandri, A.; Catalano, F.; De Felice, M.; van den Hurk, B.; Doblas-Reyes, F. J.; Boussetta, S.; Balsamo, G.; Miller, P. A.

2016-12-01

The European consortium earth system model (EC-Earth; http://www.ec-earth.org) has been recently developed to include the dynamics of vegetation. In its original formulation, vegetation variability is simply operated by the Leaf Area Index (LAI), which affects climate basically by changing the vegetation physiological resistance to evapotranspiration. This coupling has been found to have only a weak effect on the surface climate modeled by EC-Earth. In reality, the effective sub-grid vegetation fractional coverage will vary seasonally and at interannual time-scales in response to leaf-canopy growth, phenology and senescence. Therefore it affects biophysical parameters such as the albedo, surface roughness and soil field capacity. To adequately represent this effect in EC-Earth, we included an exponential dependence of the vegetation cover on the LAI. By comparing two sets of simulations performed with and without the new variable fractional-coverage parameterization, spanning from centennial (20th Century) simulations and retrospective predictions to the decadal (5-years), seasonal and weather time-scales, we show for the first time a significant multi-scale enhancement of vegetation impacts in climate simulation and prediction over land. Particularly large effects at multiple time scales are shown over boreal winter middle-to-high latitudes over Canada, West US, Eastern Europe, Russia and eastern Siberia due to the implemented time-varying shadowing effect by tree-vegetation on snow surfaces. Over Northern Hemisphere boreal forest regions the improved representation of vegetation cover tends to correct the winter warm biases, improves the climate change sensitivity, the decadal potential predictability as well as the skill of forecasts at seasonal and weather time-scales. Significant improvements of the prediction of 2m temperature and rainfall are also shown over transitional land surface hot spots. Both the potential predictability at decadal time-scale and seasonal-forecasts skill are enhanced over Sahel, North American Great Plains, Nordeste Brazil and South East Asia, mainly related to improved performance in the surface evapotranspiration.

Multi-scale enhancement of climate prediction over land by increasing the model sensitivity to vegetation variability in EC-Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alessandri, Andrea; Catalano, Franco; De Felice, Matteo; Van Den Hurk, Bart; Doblas Reyes, Francisco; Boussetta, Souhail; Balsamo, Gianpaolo; Miller, Paul A.

2017-08-01

The EC-Earth earth system model has been recently developed to include the dynamics of vegetation. In its original formulation, vegetation variability is simply operated by the Leaf Area Index (LAI), which affects climate basically by changing the vegetation physiological resistance to evapotranspiration. This coupling has been found to have only a weak effect on the surface climate modeled by EC-Earth. In reality, the effective sub-grid vegetation fractional coverage will vary seasonally and at interannual time-scales in response to leaf-canopy growth, phenology and senescence. Therefore it affects biophysical parameters such as the albedo, surface roughness and soil field capacity. To adequately represent this effect in EC-Earth, we included an exponential dependence of the vegetation cover on the LAI. By comparing two sets of simulations performed with and without the new variable fractional-coverage parameterization, spanning from centennial (twentieth century) simulations and retrospective predictions to the decadal (5-years), seasonal and weather time-scales, we show for the first time a significant multi-scale enhancement of vegetation impacts in climate simulation and prediction over land. Particularly large effects at multiple time scales are shown over boreal winter middle-to-high latitudes over Canada, West US, Eastern Europe, Russia and eastern Siberia due to the implemented time-varying shadowing effect by tree-vegetation on snow surfaces. Over Northern Hemisphere boreal forest regions the improved representation of vegetation cover tends to correct the winter warm biases, improves the climate change sensitivity, the decadal potential predictability as well as the skill of forecasts at seasonal and weather time-scales. Significant improvements of the prediction of 2 m temperature and rainfall are also shown over transitional land surface hot spots. Both the potential predictability at decadal time-scale and seasonal-forecasts skill are enhanced over Sahel, North American Great Plains, Nordeste Brazil and South East Asia, mainly related to improved performance in the surface evapotranspiration.

Multi-scale enhancement of climate prediction over land by increasing the model sensitivity to vegetation variability in EC-Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alessandri, Andrea; Catalano, Franco; De Felice, Matteo; Van Den Hurk, Bart; Doblas Reyes, Francisco; Boussetta, Souhail; Balsamo, Gianpaolo; Miller, Paul A.

2017-04-01

The EC-Earth earth system model has been recently developed to include the dynamics of vegetation. In its original formulation, vegetation variability is simply operated by the Leaf Area Index (LAI), which affects climate basically by changing the vegetation physiological resistance to evapotranspiration. This coupling has been found to have only a weak effect on the surface climate modeled by EC-Earth. In reality, the effective sub-grid vegetation fractional coverage will vary seasonally and at interannual time-scales in response to leaf-canopy growth, phenology and senescence. Therefore it affects biophysical parameters such as the albedo, surface roughness and soil field capacity. To adequately represent this effect in EC-Earth, we included an exponential dependence of the vegetation cover on the LAI. By comparing two sets of simulations performed with and without the new variable fractional-coverage parameterization, spanning from centennial (20th Century) simulations and retrospective predictions to the decadal (5-years), seasonal and weather time-scales, we show for the first time a significant multi-scale enhancement of vegetation impacts in climate simulation and prediction over land. Particularly large effects at multiple time scales are shown over boreal winter middle-to-high latitudes over Canada, West US, Eastern Europe, Russia and eastern Siberia due to the implemented time-varying shadowing effect by tree-vegetation on snow surfaces. Over Northern Hemisphere boreal forest regions the improved representation of vegetation cover tends to correct the winter warm biases, improves the climate change sensitivity, the decadal potential predictability as well as the skill of forecasts at seasonal and weather time-scales. Significant improvements of the prediction of 2m temperature and rainfall are also shown over transitional land surface hot spots. Both the potential predictability at decadal time-scale and seasonal-forecasts skill are enhanced over Sahel, North American Great Plains, Nordeste Brazil and South East Asia, mainly related to improved performance in the surface evapotranspiration.

Memory Enhancement by Targeting Cdk5 Regulation of NR2B

PubMed Central

Plattner, Florian; Hernandéz, Adan; Kistler, Tara M.; Pozo, Karine; Zhong, Ping; Yuen, Eunice Y.; Tan, Chunfeng; Hawasli, Ammar H.; Cooke, Sam F.; Nishi, Akinori; Guo, Ailan; Wiederhold, Thorsten; Yan, Zhen; Bibb, James A.

2014-01-01

SUMMARY Many psychiatric and neurological disorders are characterized by learning and memory deficits, for which cognitive enhancement is considered a valid treatment strategy. The N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) is a prime target for the development of cognitive enhancers due to its fundamental role in learning and memory. In particular, the NMDAR subunit NR2B improves synaptic plasticity and memory when over-expressed in neurons. However, NR2B regulation is not well understood and no therapies potentiating NMDAR function have been developed. Here, we show that serine 1116 of NR2B is phosphorylated by cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5). Cdk5-dependent NR2B phosphorylation is regulated by neuronal activity and controls the receptor’s cell surface expression. Disrupting NR2B-Cdk5 interaction using a small interfering peptide (siP) increases NR2B surface levels, facilitates synaptic transmission, and improves memory formation in vivo. Our results reveal a novel regulatory mechanism critical to NR2B function that can be targeted for the development of cognitive enhancers. PMID:24607229

Battery element and method for making same

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clough, Thomas J. (Inventor); Pinsky, Naum (Inventor)

1989-01-01

In a method for producing a battery element useful as at least a positive plate in a lead-acid battery, the element comprising a fluid impervious, electrically conductive matrix having mutually opposing first and second surfaces and positive active electrode material associated with the first surface of the matrix, the improvement which comprises: conditioning the first surface to enhance the association of the positive active electrode material and the first surface; and applying and associating the positive active electrode material to the first surface.

Wick for metal vapor laser

DOEpatents

Duncan, David B.

1992-01-01

An improved wick for a metal vapor laser is made of a refractory metal cylinder, preferably molybdenum or tungsten for a copper laser, which provides the wicking surface. Alternately, the inside surface of the ceramic laser tube can be metalized to form the wicking surface. Capillary action is enhanced by using wire screen, porous foam metal, or grooved surfaces. Graphite or carbon, in the form of chunks, strips, fibers or particles, is placed on the inside surface of the wick to reduce water, reduce metal oxides and form metal carbides.

Department of the Navy Supporting Data for Fiscal Year 1983 Budget Estimates Descriptive Summaries Submitted to Congress February 1982. Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Navy. Book 2 of 3. Tactical Programs.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-02-01

control unit will detect and classify submerged submarins transiting within PJ The EnCAPsulated pedo augments air, surface and submarine anti...vidicon (date link video enhancement). Conduct Operational Test and Evaluation. Complete Large Scale Integration Receiver-Decoder improvement. Continue...analysis, and data link video enhancement focusing on application of a new silicon vidicon was continued; data link improvements such as adaptive null

Experimental study on rat NK cell activity improvement by laser acupoint irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Dongxiao; Chen, Xiufeng; Ruan, Buqing; Yang, Feng

1998-08-01

To study the improvement of the natural killer (NK) cell activity by semiconductor laser acupoint irradiation, rats were used in this experiment and were injected immunosuppressant in their abdomen. The immunoassay was made after the surface irradiation and inner irradiation at Baihui point by semiconductor laser. The NK cell activity is an important index of immunologic function. The results showed that the NK cell activity after laser acupoint irradiation was enhanced. This enhancement is relatively important in the clinical therapy of tumor.

Enhancing the corrosion resistance of the 2205 duplex stainless steel bipolar plates in PEMFCs environment by surface enriched molybdenum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jinlong, Lv; Zhuqing, Wang; Tongxiang, Liang; Ken, Suzuki; Hideo, Miura

Surface molybdenum enrichment on 2205 duplex stainless steel was obtained by the ball milling technique. The electrochemical results showed molybdenum enrichment on the surface of 2205 duplex stainless steel improved its corrosion resistance in a typical proton exchange membrane fuel cell environment. This was mainly attributed to higher molybdenum content in the passive film formed on 2205 duplex stainless steel after ball milling. The decreased donor and acceptor concentrations improved significantly the corrosion resistance of surface molybdenum-enriched 2205 duplex stainless steel bipolar plates in the simulated cathodic proton exchange membrane fuel cells environment. In addition, the interfacial contact resistance of the 2205 duplex stainless steel bipolar plates slightly decreased due to surface molybdenum enrichment.

Shrink-induced silica multiscale structures for enhanced fluorescence from DNA microarrays.

PubMed

Sharma, Himanshu; Wood, Jennifer B; Lin, Sophia; Corn, Robert M; Khine, Michelle

2014-09-23

We describe a manufacturable and scalable method for fabrication of multiscale wrinkled silica (SiO2) structures on shrink-wrap film to enhance fluorescence signals in DNA fluorescence microarrays. We are able to enhance the fluorescence signal of hybridized DNA by more than 120 fold relative to a planar glass slide. Notably, our substrate has improved detection sensitivity (280 pM) relative to planar glass slide (11 nM). Furthermore, this is accompanied by a 30-45 times improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Unlike metal enhanced fluorescence (MEF) based enhancements, this is a far-field and uniform effect based on surface concentration and photophysical effects from the nano- to microscale SiO2 structures. Notably, the photophysical effects contribute an almost 2.5 fold enhancement over the concentration effects alone. Therefore, this simple and robust method offers an efficient technique to enhance the detection capabilities of fluorescence based DNA microarrays.

Shrink-Induced Silica Multiscale Structures for Enhanced Fluorescence from DNA Microarrays

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

We describe a manufacturable and scalable method for fabrication of multiscale wrinkled silica (SiO2) structures on shrink-wrap film to enhance fluorescence signals in DNA fluorescence microarrays. We are able to enhance the fluorescence signal of hybridized DNA by more than 120 fold relative to a planar glass slide. Notably, our substrate has improved detection sensitivity (280 pM) relative to planar glass slide (11 nM). Furthermore, this is accompanied by a 30–45 times improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Unlike metal enhanced fluorescence (MEF) based enhancements, this is a far-field and uniform effect based on surface concentration and photophysical effects from the nano- to microscale SiO2 structures. Notably, the photophysical effects contribute an almost 2.5 fold enhancement over the concentration effects alone. Therefore, this simple and robust method offers an efficient technique to enhance the detection capabilities of fluorescence based DNA microarrays. PMID:25191785

Selectivity/Specificity Improvement Strategies in Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Analysis

PubMed Central

Wang, Feng; Cao, Shiyu; Yan, Ruxia; Wang, Zewei; Wang, Dan; Yang, Haifeng

2017-01-01

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a powerful technique for the discrimination, identification, and potential quantification of certain compounds/organisms. However, its real application is challenging due to the multiple interference from the complicated detection matrix. Therefore, selective/specific detection is crucial for the real application of SERS technique. We summarize in this review five selective/specific detection techniques (chemical reaction, antibody, aptamer, molecularly imprinted polymers and microfluidics), which can be applied for the rapid and reliable selective/specific detection when coupled with SERS technique. PMID:29160798

Bio-sensing with butterfly wings: naturally occurring nano-structures for SERS-based malaria parasite detection.

PubMed

Garrett, Natalie L; Sekine, Ryo; Dixon, Matthew W A; Tilley, Leann; Bambery, Keith R; Wood, Bayden R

2015-09-07

Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a powerful tool with great potential to provide improved bio-sensing capabilities. The current 'gold-standard' method for diagnosis of malaria involves visual inspection of blood smears using light microscopy, which is time consuming and can prevent early diagnosis of the disease. We present a novel surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy substrate based on gold-coated butterfly wings, which enabled detection of malarial hemozoin pigment within lysed blood samples containing 0.005% and 0.0005% infected red blood cells.

Aerosol loading in the Southeastern United States: reconciling surface and satellite observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ford, B.; Heald, C. L.

2013-09-01

We investigate the seasonality in aerosols over the Southeastern United States using observations from several satellite instruments (MODIS, MISR, CALIOP) and surface network sites (IMPROVE, SEARCH, AERONET). We find that the strong summertime enhancement in satellite-observed aerosol optical depth (AOD) (factor 2-3 enhancement over wintertime AOD) is not present in surface mass concentrations (25-55% summertime enhancement). Goldstein et al. (2009) previously attributed this seasonality in AOD to biogenic organic aerosol; however, surface observations show that organic aerosol only accounts for ∼35% of fine particulate matter (smaller than 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter, PM2.5) and exhibits similar seasonality to total surface PM2.5. The GEOS-Chem model generally reproduces these surface aerosol measurements, but underrepresents the AOD seasonality observed by satellites. We show that seasonal differences in water uptake cannot sufficiently explain the magnitude of AOD increase. As CALIOP profiles indicate the presence of additional aerosol in the lower troposphere (below 700 hPa), which cannot be explained by vertical mixing, we conclude that the discrepancy is due to a missing source of aerosols above the surface layer in summer.

Enhanced Deep Blue Aerosol Retrieval Algorithm: The Second Generation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hsu, N. C.; Jeong, M.-J.; Bettenhausen, C.; Sayer, A. M.; Hansell, R.; Seftor, C. S.; Huang, J.; Tsay, S.-C.

2013-01-01

The aerosol products retrieved using the MODIS collection 5.1 Deep Blue algorithm have provided useful information about aerosol properties over bright-reflecting land surfaces, such as desert, semi-arid, and urban regions. However, many components of the C5.1 retrieval algorithm needed to be improved; for example, the use of a static surface database to estimate surface reflectances. This is particularly important over regions of mixed vegetated and non- vegetated surfaces, which may undergo strong seasonal changes in land cover. In order to address this issue, we develop a hybrid approach, which takes advantage of the combination of pre-calculated surface reflectance database and normalized difference vegetation index in determining the surface reflectance for aerosol retrievals. As a result, the spatial coverage of aerosol data generated by the enhanced Deep Blue algorithm has been extended from the arid and semi-arid regions to the entire land areas.

Improvement of organic solar cells by flexible substrate and ITO surface treatments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Yuang-Tung; Ho, Jyh-Jier; Wang, Chien-Kun; Lee, William; Lu, Chih-Chiang; Yau, Bao-Shun; Nain, Jhen-Liang; Chang, Shun-Hsyung; Chang, Chiu-Cheng; Wang, Kang L.

2010-10-01

In this paper, surface treatments on polyethylene terephthalate with polymeric hard coating (PET-HC) substrates are described. The effect of the contact angle on the treatment is first investigated. It has been observed that detergent is quite effective in removing organic contamination on the flexible PET-HC substrates. Next, using a DC-reactive magnetron sputter, indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films of 90 nm are grown on a substrate treated by detergent. Then, various ITO surface treatments are made for improving the performance of the finally developed organic solar cells with structure Al/P3HT:PCBM/PEDOT:PSS/ITO/PET. It is found that the parameters of the ITO including resistivity, carrier concentration, transmittance, surface morphology, and work function depended on the surface treatments and significantly influence the solar cell performance. With the optimal conditions for detergent treatment on flexible PET substrates, the ITO film with a resistivity of 5.6 × 10 -4 Ω cm and average optical transmittance of 84.1% in the visible region are obtained. The optimal ITO surface treated by detergent for 5 min and then by UV ozone for 20 min exhibits the best WF value of 5.22 eV. This improves about 8.30% in the WF compared with that of the untreated ITO film. In the case of optimal treatment with the organic photovoltaic device, meanwhile, 36.6% enhancement in short circuit current density ( Jsc) and 92.7% enhancement in conversion efficiency ( η) over the untreated solar cell are obtained.

Influence of surface microroughness by plasma deposition and chemical erosion followed by TiO2 coating upon anticoagulation, hydrophilicity, and corrosion resistance of NiTi alloy stent.

PubMed

Wang, Gui-Xue; Shen, Yang; Zhang, He; Quan, Xue-Jun; Yu, Qing-Song

2008-06-15

Two different surface modification techniques were used to change the surface morphology and roughness of stents at the micrometer level, and eventually improve their surface adhesion properties with respect to endothelial cells. One was chemical erosion followed by sol-gel TiO(2) coating, and the other was low temperature gas plasma deposition. After surface modification, the biocompatibility including the anticoagulation properties, hydrophilicity, and corrosion resistance of these stents was evaluated. It was found that both techniques could change the surface morphology of the stents with microroughness. In comparison with the control, the treated NiTi alloy intravascular stents showed increased surface hydrophilicity and enhanced anticoagulation properties. However, the corrosion properties of the stents were not improved significantly.

Ag-Decorated Localized Surface Plasmon-Enhanced Ultraviolet Electroluminescence from ZnO Quantum Dot-Based/GaN Heterojunction Diodes by Optimizing MgO Interlayer Thickness.

PubMed

Chen, Cheng; Chen, Jingwen; Zhang, Jun; Wang, Shuai; Zhang, Wei; Liang, Renli; Dai, Jiangnan; Chen, Changqing

2016-12-01

We demonstrate the fabrication and characterization of localized surface plasmon (LSP)-enhanced n-ZnO quantum dot (QD)/MgO/p-GaN heterojunction light-emitting diodes (LEDs) by embedding Ag nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) into the ZnO/MgO interface. The maximum enhancement ration of the Ag-NP-decorated LEDs in electroluminescence (EL) is 4.3-fold by optimizing MgO electron-blocking layer thickness. The EL origination was investigated qualitatively in terms of photoluminescence (PL) results. Through analysis of the energy band structure of device and carrier transport mechanisms, it suggests that the EL enhancement is attributed to the increased rate of spontaneous emission and improved internal quantum efficiency induced by exciton-LSP coupling.

Ag-Decorated Localized Surface Plasmon-Enhanced Ultraviolet Electroluminescence from ZnO Quantum Dot-Based/GaN Heterojunction Diodes by Optimizing MgO Interlayer Thickness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Cheng; Chen, Jingwen; Zhang, Jun; Wang, Shuai; Zhang, Wei; Liang, Renli; Dai, Jiangnan; Chen, Changqing

2016-10-01

We demonstrate the fabrication and characterization of localized surface plasmon (LSP)-enhanced n-ZnO quantum dot (QD)/MgO/p-GaN heterojunction light-emitting diodes (LEDs) by embedding Ag nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) into the ZnO/MgO interface. The maximum enhancement ration of the Ag-NP-decorated LEDs in electroluminescence (EL) is 4.3-fold by optimizing MgO electron-blocking layer thickness. The EL origination was investigated qualitatively in terms of photoluminescence (PL) results. Through analysis of the energy band structure of device and carrier transport mechanisms, it suggests that the EL enhancement is attributed to the increased rate of spontaneous emission and improved internal quantum efficiency induced by exciton-LSP coupling.

Whispering-gallery nanocavity plasmon-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

PubMed Central

Zhang, Jing; Li, Jinxing; Tang, Shiwei; Fang, Yangfu; Wang, Jiao; Huang, Gaoshan; Liu, Ran; Zheng, Lirong; Cui, Xugao; Mei, Yongfeng

2015-01-01

The synergy effect in nature could enable fantastic improvement of functional properties and associated effects. The detection performance of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) can be highly strengthened under the cooperation with other factors. Here, greatly-enhanced SERS detection is realized based on rolled-up tubular nano-resonators decorated with silver nanoparticles. The synergy effect between whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) and surface plasmon leads to an extra enhancement at the order of 105 compared to non-resonant flat SERS substrates, which can be well tuned by altering the diameter of micron- and nanotubes and the excitation laser wavelengths. Such synchronous and coherent coupling between plasmonics and photonics could lead to new principle and design for various sub-wavelength optical devices, e.g. plasmonic waveguides and hyperbolic metamaterials. PMID:26443526

Method of removing arsenic and other anionic contaminants from contaminated water using enhanced coagulation

DOEpatents

Teter, David M.; Brady, Patrick V.; Krumhansl, James L.; Khandaker, Nadim R.

2006-11-21

An improved water decontamination process comprising contacting water containing anionic contaminants with an enhanced coagulant to form an enhanced floc, which more efficiently binds anionic species (e.g., arsenate, arsenite, chromate, fluoride, selenate, and borate, and combinations thereof) predominantly through the formation of surface complexes. The enhanced coagulant comprises a trivalent metal cation coagulant (e.g., ferric chloride or aluminum sulfate) mixed with a divalent metal cation modifier (e.g., copper sulfate or zinc sulfate).

Enhanced condensation heat transfer with wettability patterning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinha Mahapatra, Pallab; Ghosh, Aritra; Ganguly, Ranjan; Megaridis, Constantine

2015-11-01

Condensation of water vapor on metal surfaces is useful for many engineering applications. A facile and scalable method is proposed for removing condensate from a vertical plate during dropwise condensation (DWC) in the presence of non-condensable gases (NCG). We use wettability-patterned superhydrophilic tracks (filmwise condensing domains) on a mirror-finish (hydrophilic) aluminum surface that promotes DWC. Tapered, horizontal ``collection'' tracks are laid to create a Laplace pressure driven flow, which collects condensate from the mirror-finish domains and sends it to vertical ``drainage tracks'' for gravity-induced shedding. An optimal design is achieved by changing the fractional area of superhydrophilic tracks with respect to the overall plate surface, and augmenting capillary-driven condensate-drainage by adjusting the track spatial layout. The design facilitates pump-less condensate drainage and enhances DWC heat transfer on the mirror-finish regions. The study highlights the relative influences of the promoting and retarding effects of dropwise and filmwise condensation zones on the overall heat transfer improvement on the substrate. The study demonstrated ~ 34% heat transfer improvement on Aluminum surface for the optimized design.

Improved strategies for DNP-enhanced 2D 1 H-X heteronuclear correlation spectroscopy of surfaces

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kobayashi, Takeshi; Perras, Frederic A.; Chaudhary, Umesh

We demonstrate that dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP)-enhanced 1H-X heteronuclear correlation (HETCOR) measurements of hydrogen-rich surface species are better accomplished by using proton-free solvents. This approach notably prevents HETCOR spectra from being obfuscated by the solvent-derived signals otherwise present in DNP measurements. Additionally, in the hydrogen-rich materials studied here, which included functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles and metal organic frameworks, the use of proton-free solvents afforded higher sensitivity gains than the commonly used solvents containing protons. Here, we also explored the possibility of using a solvent-free sample formulation and the feasibility of indirect detection in DNP-enhanced HETCOR experiments.

Improved strategies for DNP-enhanced 2D 1 H-X heteronuclear correlation spectroscopy of surfaces

DOE PAGES

Kobayashi, Takeshi; Perras, Frederic A.; Chaudhary, Umesh; ...

2017-08-12

We demonstrate that dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP)-enhanced 1H-X heteronuclear correlation (HETCOR) measurements of hydrogen-rich surface species are better accomplished by using proton-free solvents. This approach notably prevents HETCOR spectra from being obfuscated by the solvent-derived signals otherwise present in DNP measurements. Additionally, in the hydrogen-rich materials studied here, which included functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles and metal organic frameworks, the use of proton-free solvents afforded higher sensitivity gains than the commonly used solvents containing protons. Here, we also explored the possibility of using a solvent-free sample formulation and the feasibility of indirect detection in DNP-enhanced HETCOR experiments.

Improving the durability of a drag-reducing nanocoating by enhancing its mechanical stability.

PubMed

Cheng, Mengjiao; Zhang, Songsong; Dong, Hongyu; Han, Shihui; Wei, Hao; Shi, Feng

2015-02-25

The durability of superhydrophobic surface is a major problem to restrict industrial application of superhydrophobic materials from laboratory research, which can be attributed to a more general issue of mechanical stability for superhydrophobic coatings. Therefore, in order to handle this issue, we have fabricated a mechanically stable drag-reducing coating composed of elastic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and hydrophobic copper particles on model ships, which can resist mechanical abrasion and has displayed a durable drag-reducing effect. In comparison with normal Au superhydrophobic coatings, the as-prepared PDMS/copper coatings showed durable drag reduction performance with a similar drag-reducing rate before (26%) and after (24%) mechanical abrasion. The mechanism for the enhanced mechanical stability and maintained drag reduction of the superhydrophobic surfaces was investigated through characterizations of surface morphology, surface wettability, and water adhesive force evaluation before and after abrasion. This is the first demonstration to realize the application of durable drag reduction by improving the mechanical stability of superhydrophobic coatings. We do believe that superhydrophobic surfaces with good resistance to mechanical abrasion or scratching may draw wide attention and gain significant applications with durable drag-reducing properties.

Enhanced photoelectrochemical water splitting performance of anodic TiO(2) nanotube arrays by surface passivation.

PubMed

Gui, Qunfang; Xu, Zhen; Zhang, Haifeng; Cheng, Chuanwei; Zhu, Xufei; Yin, Min; Song, Ye; Lu, Linfeng; Chen, Xiaoyuan; Li, Dongdong

2014-10-08

One-dimensional anodic titanium oxide nanotube (TONT) arrays provide a direct pathway for charge transport, and thus hold great potential as working electrodes for electrochemical energy conversion and storage devices. However, the prominent surface recombination due to the large amount surface defects hinders the performance improvement. In this work, the surface states of TONTs were passivated by conformal coating of high-quality Al2O3 onto the tubular structures using atomic layer deposition (ALD). The modified TONT films were subsequently employed as anodes for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. The photocurrent (0.5 V vs Ag/AgCl) recorded under air mass 1.5 global illumination presented 0.8 times enhancement on the electrode with passivation coating. The reduction of surface recombination rate is responsible for the substantially improved performance, which is proposed to have originated from a decreased interface defect density in combination with a field-effect passivation induced by a negative fixed charge in the Al2O3 shells. These results not only provide a physical insight into the passivation effect, but also can be utilized as a guideline to design other energy conversion devices.

Silver nanowires as infrared-active materials for surface-enhanced Raman scattering.

PubMed

Becucci, Maurizio; Bracciali, Monica; Ghini, Giacomo; Lofrumento, Cristiana; Pietraperzia, Giangaetano; Ricci, Marilena; Tognaccini, Lorenzo; Trigari, Silvana; Gellini, Cristina; Feis, Alessandro

2018-05-17

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is increasing in significance as a bioanalytical tool. Novel nanostructured metal substrates are required to improve performances and versatility of SERS spectroscopy. In particular, as biological tissues are relatively transparent in the infrared wavelength range, SERS-active materials suitable for infrared laser excitation are needed. Nanowires appear interesting in this respect as they show a very broad localized surface plasmon resonance band, ranging from near UV to near infrared wavelengths. The SERS activity of silver nanowires has been tested at three wavelengths and a fair enhancement at 1064 and 514 nm has been observed, whereas a very weak enhancement was present when exciting close to the nanowire extinction maximum. These experimentally measured optical properties have been contrasted with finite element method simulations. Furthermore, laser-induced optoacoustic spectroscopy measurements have shown that the extinction at 1064 nm is completely due to scattering. This result has an important implication that no heating occurs when silver nanowires are utilized as SERS-active substrates, thereby preventing possible thermal damage.

Experimental Study of Laser - enhanced 5A03 Aluminum Alloy and Its Stress Corrosion Resistance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Guicheng; Chen, Jing; Pang, Tao

2018-02-01

Based on the study of improving the stress corrosion resistance of 5A03 aluminum alloy for ship, this paper mainly studied the tensile test, surface morphology and residual stress under laser shock, high temperature and stress corrosion. It is found that the residual compressive stress and the grain refinement on the surface of the material during the heat strengthening process increase the breaking strength of the sample in the stress corrosion environment. Appropriate high temperature maintenance helps to enhance the effect of deformation strengthening. In the 300°C environment insulation, due to recrystallization of the material, the performance decreased significantly. This study provides an experimental basis for effectively improving the stress corrosion resistance of 5A03 aluminum alloy.

Fundamental understanding of oxygen reduction and reaction behavior and developing high performance and stable hetero-structured cathodes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Xingbo

2016-11-14

New unique hetero-structured cathode has been developed in this project. La 2NiO 4+δ (LNO) as a surface catalyst with interstitial oxygen defects was introduced onto the state-of-the-art (La 0.6Sr 0.4) 0.95Co 0.2Fe 0.8O 3-δ (LSCF) cathode to enhance the surface-limited ORR kinetics on SOFC cathode. Furthermore, the hetero-structured cathode surface maintains high activity under electrode polarization with much less negative effects from surface cation segregation of Sr, which is known to cause degradation issues for conventional LSCF and LSC cathodes, thus improving the cathode long-term stability. The interface chemistry distribution and oxygen transport properties have been studied to prove themore » enhancement of power out and stability of LNO-infiltrated LSCF cathode. The further investigation demonstrates that CeO 2 & La 2-xNiO 4+δ (x=0-0.2) co-infiltration is a simple and cost-effective method to improve both performance and stability of LSCF cathode by limiting nano-particles growth/delamination and further improve the surface stability. For the first time, a physical model is proposed to illustrate how unique interstitial species on hetero-structured cathode surface work to regulate the exchange rate of the incorporation reaction. Meanwhile, fundamental investigation of the surface oxygen exchange and bulk oxygen transport properties under over-potential conditions across cathode materials have been carried out in this project, which were discussed and compared to the Nernst equation that is generally applied to treat any oxide electrodes under equilibrium.« less

Enhanced methanol utilization in direct methanol fuel cell

DOEpatents

Ren, Xiaoming; Gottesfeld, Shimshon

2001-10-02

The fuel utilization of a direct methanol fuel cell is enhanced for improved cell efficiency. Distribution plates at the anode and cathode of the fuel cell are configured to distribute reactants vertically and laterally uniformly over a catalyzed membrane surface of the fuel cell. A conductive sheet between the anode distribution plate and the anodic membrane surface forms a mass transport barrier to the methanol fuel that is large relative to a mass transport barrier for a gaseous hydrogen fuel cell. In a preferred embodiment, the distribution plate is a perforated corrugated sheet. The mass transport barrier may be conveniently increased by increasing the thickness of an anode conductive sheet adjacent the membrane surface of the fuel cell.

Rapid ultrasensitive single particle surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy using metallic nanopores.

PubMed

Cecchini, Michael P; Wiener, Aeneas; Turek, Vladimir A; Chon, Hyangh; Lee, Sangyeop; Ivanov, Aleksandar P; McComb, David W; Choo, Jaebum; Albrecht, Tim; Maier, Stefan A; Edel, Joshua B

2013-10-09

Nanopore sensors embedded within thin dielectric membranes have been gaining significant interest due to their single molecule sensitivity and compatibility of detecting a large range of analytes, from DNA and proteins, to small molecules and particles. Building on this concept we utilize a metallic Au solid-state membrane to translocate and rapidly detect single Au nanoparticles (NPs) functionalized with 589 dye molecules using surface-enhanced resonance Raman spectroscopy (SERRS). We show that, due to the plasmonic coupling between the Au metallic nanopore surface and the NP, signal intensities are enhanced when probing analyte molecules bound to the NP surface. Although not single molecule, this nanopore sensing scheme benefits from the ability of SERRS to provide rich vibrational information on the analyte, improving on current nanopore-based electrical and optical detection techniques. We show that the full vibrational spectrum of the analyte can be detected with ultrahigh spectral sensitivity and a rapid temporal resolution of 880 μs.

Can solvent induced surface modifications applied to screen-printed platforms enhance their electroanalytical performance?

PubMed

Blanco, Elias; Foster, Christopher W; Cumba, Loanda R; do Carmo, Devaney R; Banks, Craig E

2016-04-25

In this paper the effect of solvent induced chemical surface enhancements upon graphitic screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) is explored. Previous literature has indicated that treating the working electrode of a SPE with the solvent N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) offers improvements within the electroanalytical response, resulting in a 57-fold increment in the electrode surface area compared to their unmodified counterparts. The protocol involves two steps: (i) the SPE is placed into DMF for a selected time, and (ii) it is cured in an oven at a selected time and temperature. Beneficial electroanalytical outputs are reported to be due to the increased surface area attributed to the binder within the bulk surface of the SPEs dissolving out during the immersion step (step i). We revisit this exciting concept and explore these solvent induced chemical surface enhancements using edge- and basal-plane like SPEs and a new bespoke SPE, utilising the solvent DMF and explore, in detail, the parameters utilised in steps (i) and (ii). The electrochemical performance following steps (i) and (ii) is evaluated using the outer-sphere redox probe hexaammineruthenium(iii) chloride/0.1 M KCl, where it is found that the largest improvement is obtained using DMF with an immersion time of 10 minutes and a curing time of 30 minutes at 100 °C. Solvent induced chemical surface enhancement upon the electrochemical performance of SPEs is also benchmarked in terms of their electroanalytical sensing of NADH (dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide reduced form) and capsaicin both of which are compared to their unmodified SPE counterparts. In both cases, it is apparent that a marginal improvement in the electroanalytical sensitivity (i.e. gradient of calibration plots) of 1.08-fold and 1.38-fold are found respectively. Returning to the original exciting concept, interestingly it was found that when a poor experimental technique was employed, only then significant increases within the working electrode area are evident. In this case, the insulating layer that defines the working electrode surface, which was not protected from the solvent (step (i)) creates cracks within the insulating layer exposing the underlying carbon connections and thus increasing the electrode area by an unknown quantity. We infer that the origin of the response reported within the literature, where an extreme increase in the electrochemical surface area (57-fold) was reported, is unlikely to be solely due to the binder dissolving but rather poor experimental control over step (i).

Novel hydrophilic nanostructured microtexture on direct metal laser sintered Ti-6Al-4V surfaces enhances osteoblast response in vitro and osseointegration in a rabbit model.

PubMed

Hyzy, Sharon L; Cheng, Alice; Cohen, David J; Yatzkaier, Gustavo; Whitehead, Alexander J; Clohessy, Ryan M; Gittens, Rolando A; Boyan, Barbara D; Schwartz, Zvi

2016-08-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the biological effects in vivo of hierarchical surface roughness on laser sintered titanium-aluminum-vanadium (Ti-6Al-4V) implants to those of conventionally machined implants on osteoblast response in vitro and osseointegration. Laser sintered disks were fabricated to have micro-/nano-roughness and wettability. Control disks were computer numerical control (CNC) milled and then polished to be smooth (CNC-M). Laser sintered disks were polished smooth (LST-M), grit blasted (LST-B), or blasted and acid etched (LST-BE). LST-BE implants or implants manufactured by CNC milling and grit blasted (CNC-B) were implanted in the femurs of male New Zealand white rabbits. Most osteoblast differentiation markers and local factors were enhanced on rough LST-B and LST-BE surfaces in comparison to smooth CNC-M or LST-M surfaces for MG63 and normal human osteoblast cells. To determine if LST-BE implants were osteogenic in vivo, we compared them to implant surfaces used clinically. LST-BE implants had a unique surface with combined micro-/nano-roughness and higher wettability than conventional CNC-B implants. Histomorphometric analysis demonstrated a significant improvement in cortical bone-implant contact of LST-BE implants compared to CNC-B implants after 3 and 6 weeks. However, mechanical testing revealed no differences between implant pullout forces at those time points. LST surfaces enhanced osteoblast differentiation and production of local factors in vitro and improved the osseointegration process in vivo. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 104A: 2086-2098, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Electric field induced self-assembly of monolayers of gold nanoparticles for surface enhanced Raman scattering applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Suchandra; Musunuri, Naga; Kucheryavy, Pavel; Lockard, Jenny; Fischer, Ian; Singh, Pushpendra; New Jersey Institute of Technology Collaboration; Rutgers University Newark Collaboration

2017-11-01

We present a technique that uses an electric field in the direction normal to the interface for self-assembling monolayers of gold nanoparticles on fluid-liquid interfaces and freezing these monolayers onto the surface of a flexible thin film. The electric field gives rise to dipole-dipole and capillary forces which cause the particles to arrange in a triangular pattern. The technique involves assembling the monolayer on the interface between a UV-curable resin and another fluid by applying an electric field, and then curing the resin by applying UV light. The monolayer becomes embedded on the surface of the solidified resin film. We are using these films for surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) applications. Initial measurements indicate improved performance over commercially available SERS substrates.

Effect of Aluminum Coating on the Surface Properties of Ti-(~49 at. pct) Ni Alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinha, Arijit; Khan, Gobinda Gopal; Mondal, Bholanath; Majumdar, Jyotsna Dutta; Chattopadhyay, Partha Protim

2015-08-01

Stable porous layer of mixed Al2O3 and TiO2 has been formed on the Ti-(~49 at. pct) Ni alloy surface with an aim to suppress leaching of Ni from the alloy surface in contact with bio-fluid and to enhance the process of osseointegration. Aluminum coating on the Ni-Ti alloy surface prior to the anodization treatment has resulted in enhancement of depth and uniformity of pores. Thermal oxidation of the anodized aluminum-coated Ni-Ti samples has exhibited the formation of Al2O3 and TiO2 phases with dense porous structure. The nanoindentation and nanoscratch measurements have indicated a remarkable improvement in the hardness, wear resistance, and adhesiveness of the porous aluminum-coated Ni-Ti sample after thermal oxidation.

Systemic delivery of blood-brain barrier-targeted polymeric nanoparticles enhances delivery to brain tissue.

PubMed

Saucier-Sawyer, Jennifer K; Deng, Yang; Seo, Young-Eun; Cheng, Christopher J; Zhang, Junwei; Quijano, Elias; Saltzman, W Mark

2015-01-01

Delivery of therapeutic agents to the central nervous system is a significant challenge, hindering progress in the treatment of diseases such as glioblastoma. Due to the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), therapeutic agents do not readily transverse the brain endothelium to enter the parenchyma. Previous reports suggest that surface modification of polymer nanoparticles (NPs) can improve their ability to cross the BBB, but it is unclear whether the observed enhancements in transport are large enough to enhance therapy. In this study, we synthesized two degradable polymer NP systems surface-modified with ligands previously suggested to improve BBB transport, and tested their ability to cross the BBB after intravenous injection in mice. All the NP preparations were able to cross the BBB, although generally in low amounts (<0.5% of the injected dose), which was consistent with prior reports. One NP produced significantly higher brain uptake (∼0.8% of the injected dose): a block copolymer of polylactic acid and hyperbranched polyglycerol, surface modified with adenosine (PLA-HPG-Ad). PLA-HPG-Ad NPs provided controlled release of camptothecin, killing U87 glioma cells in culture. When administered intravenously in mice with intracranial U87 tumors, they failed to increase survival. These results suggest that enhancing NP transport across the BBB does not necessarily yield proportional pharmacological effects.

Enhanced electrochemical nanoring electrode for analysis of cytosol in single cells.

PubMed

Zhuang, Lihong; Zuo, Huanzhen; Wu, Zengqiang; Wang, Yu; Fang, Danjun; Jiang, Dechen

2014-12-02

A microelectrode array has been applied for single cell analysis with relatively high throughput; however, the cells were typically cultured on the microelectrodes under cell-size microwell traps leading to the difficulty in the functionalization of an electrode surface for higher detection sensitivity. Here, nanoring electrodes embedded under the microwell traps were fabricated to achieve the isolation of the electrode surface and the cell support, and thus, the electrode surface can be modified to obtain enhanced electrochemical sensitivity for single cell analysis. Moreover, the nanometer-sized electrode permitted a faster diffusion of analyte to the surface for additional improvement in the sensitivity, which was evidenced by the electrochemical characterization and the simulation. To demonstrate the concept of the functionalized nanoring electrode for single cell analysis, the electrode surface was deposited with prussian blue to detect intracellular hydrogen peroxide at a single cell. Hundreds of picoamperes were observed on our functionalized nanoring electrode exhibiting the enhanced electrochemical sensitivity. The success in the achievement of a functionalized nanoring electrode will benefit the development of high throughput single cell electrochemical analysis.

Effects of O 2 and N 2/H 2 plasma treatments on the neuronal cell growth on single-walled carbon nanotube paper scaffolds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, Ok Ja; Lee, Hyun Jung; Jang, Yeong Mi; Kim, Hyun Woo; Lee, Won Bok; Kim, Sung Su; Lee, Nae-Eung

2011-08-01

The O 2 and N 2/H 2 plasma treatments of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) papers as scaffolds for enhanced neuronal cell growth were conducted to functionalize their surfaces with different functional groups and to roughen their surfaces. To evaluate the effects of the surface roughness and functionalization modifications of the SWCNT papers, we investigated the neuronal morphology, mitochondrial membrane potential, and acetylcholine/acetylcholinesterase levels of human neuroblastoma during SH-SY5Y cell growth on the treated SWCNT papers. Our results demonstrated that the plasma-chemical functionalization caused changes in the surface charge states with functional groups with negative and positive charges and then the increased surface roughness enhanced neuronal cell adhesion, mitochondrial membrane potential, and the level of neurotransmitter in vitro. The cell adhesion and mitochondrial membrane potential on the negatively charged SWCNT papers were improved more than on the positively charged SWCNT papers. Also, measurements of the neurotransmitter level showed an enhanced acetylcholine level on the negatively charged SWCNT papers compared to the positively charged SWCNT papers.

Nano-Gap Embedded Plasmonic Gratings for Surface Plasmon Enhanced Fluorescence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhatnagar, Kunal; Bok, Sangho; Korampally, Venumadhav; Gangopadhyay, Shubhra

2012-02-01

Plasmonic nanostructures have been extensively used in the past few decades for applications in sub-wavelength optics, data storage, optoelectronic circuits, microscopy and bio-photonics. The enhanced electromagnetic field produced at the metal/dielectric interface by the excitation of surface plasmons via incident radiation can be used for signal enhancement in fluorescence and surface enhanced Raman scattering studies. Novel plasmonic structures on the sub wavelength scale have been shown to provide very efficient and extreme light concentration at the nano-scale. The enhanced electric field produced within a few hundred nanometers of these structures can be used to excite fluorophores in the surrounding environment. Fluorescence based bio-detection and bio-imaging are two of the most important tools in the life sciences. Improving the qualities and capabilities of fluorescence based detectors and imaging equipment has been a big challenge to the industry manufacturers. We report the novel fabrication of nano-gap embedded periodic grating substrates on the nanoscale using micro-contact printing and polymethylsilsesquioxane (PMSSQ) polymer. Fluorescence enhancement of up to 118 times was observed with these silver nanostructures in conjugation with Rhodamine-590 fluorescent dye. These substrates are ideal candidates for low-level fluorescence detection and single molecule imaging.

Hierarchical Targeting Strategy for Enhanced Tumor Tissue Accumulation/Retention and Cellular Internalization.

PubMed

Wang, Sheng; Huang, Peng; Chen, Xiaoyuan

2016-09-01

Targeted delivery of therapeutic agents is an important way to improve the therapeutic index and reduce side effects. To design nanoparticles for targeted delivery, both enhanced tumor tissue accumulation/retention and enhanced cellular internalization should be considered simultaneously. So far, there have been very few nanoparticles with immutable structures that can achieve this goal efficiently. Hierarchical targeting, a novel targeting strategy based on stimuli responsiveness, shows good potential to enhance both tumor tissue accumulation/retention and cellular internalization. Here, the recent design and development of hierarchical targeting nanoplatforms, based on changeable particle sizes, switchable surface charges and activatable surface ligands, will be introduced. In general, the targeting moieties in these nanoplatforms are not activated during blood circulation for efficient tumor tissue accumulation, but re-activated by certain internal or external stimuli in the tumor microenvironment for enhanced cellular internalization. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Spatially selective photonic crystal enhanced fluorescence and application to background reduction for biomolecule detection assays

PubMed Central

Chaudhery, Vikram; Huang, Cheng-Sheng; Pokhriyal, Anusha; Polans, James; Cunningham, Brian T.

2011-01-01

By combining photonic crystal label-free biosensor imaging with photonic crystal enhanced fluorescence, it is possible to selectively enhance the fluorescence emission from regions of the PC surface based upon the density of immobilized capture molecules. A label-free image of the capture molecules enables determination of optimal coupling conditions of the laser used for fluorescence imaging of the photonic crystal surface on a pixel-by-pixel basis, allowing maximization of fluorescence enhancement factor from regions incorporating a biomolecule capture spot and minimization of background autofluorescence from areas between capture spots. This capability significantly improves the contrast of enhanced fluorescent images, and when applied to an antibody protein microarray, provides a substantial advantage over conventional fluorescence microscopy. Using the new approach, we demonstrate detection limits as low as 0.97 pg/ml for a representative protein biomarker in buffer. PMID:22109210

Spatially selective photonic crystal enhanced fluorescence and application to background reduction for biomolecule detection assays.

PubMed

Chaudhery, Vikram; Huang, Cheng-Sheng; Pokhriyal, Anusha; Polans, James; Cunningham, Brian T

2011-11-07

By combining photonic crystal label-free biosensor imaging with photonic crystal enhanced fluorescence, it is possible to selectively enhance the fluorescence emission from regions of the PC surface based upon the density of immobilized capture molecules. A label-free image of the capture molecules enables determination of optimal coupling conditions of the laser used for fluorescence imaging of the photonic crystal surface on a pixel-by-pixel basis, allowing maximization of fluorescence enhancement factor from regions incorporating a biomolecule capture spot and minimization of background autofluorescence from areas between capture spots. This capability significantly improves the contrast of enhanced fluorescent images, and when applied to an antibody protein microarray, provides a substantial advantage over conventional fluorescence microscopy. Using the new approach, we demonstrate detection limits as low as 0.97 pg/ml for a representative protein biomarker in buffer.

Biocompatibility enhancement of rare earth magnesium alloy by laser surface processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nie, Shilin; Wang, Yuqing; Liu, Haifeng; Guan, Yingchun

2018-01-01

Although magnesium and magnesium alloys are considered biocompatible and biodegradable, insufficient biocompatibility in body fluid environment is still the major drawback of magnesium alloys for their successful applications as biodegradable orthopaedic implants. In this work, magnesium alloy surface with both enhanced corrosion resistance and better cell adhesion property was directly fabricated by laser surface processing. Laser surface melting was used to improve corrosion resistance of Mg-6Gd-0.6Ca alloy. After laser surface melting, laser surface texturing was utilized on melted surface for better cell adhesion property. The corrosion resistance of laser-treated and as-received samples were evaluated using electrochemical technique. The effect of laser surface treatment on phase and microstructure evolution was evaluated using scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction. This work investigated the effect of laser treatment on cell distribution across the surface of magnesium alloy substrates. Osteoblast was cultured on the laser-treated surface and as-received surface. Cell morphology was observed with a scanning electron microscopy, and cell viability was evaluated by optical density measurement.

Optical Relaxation Time Enhancement in Graphene-Passivated Metal Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chugh, Sunny; Mehta, Ruchit; Man, Mengren; Chen, Zhihong

2016-07-01

Due to the small skin depth in metals at optical frequencies, their plasmonic response is strongly dictated by their surface properties. Copper (Cu) is one of the standard materials of choice for plasmonic applications, because of its high conductivity and CMOS compatibility. However, being a chemically active material, it gets easily oxidized when left in ambient environment, causing an inevitable degradation in its plasmonic resonance. Here, for the first time, we report a strong enhancement in the optical relaxation time in Cu by direct growth of few-layer graphene that is shown to act as an excellent passivation layer protecting Cu surface from any deterioration. Spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements reveal a 40-50% reduction in the total scattering rate in Cu itself, which is attributed to an improvement in its surface properties. We also study the impact of graphene quality and show that high quality graphene leads to an even larger improvement in electron scattering rate. These findings are expected to provide a big push towards graphene-protected Cu plasmonics.

Scalable graphene coatings for enhanced condensation heat transfer.

PubMed

Preston, Daniel J; Mafra, Daniela L; Miljkovic, Nenad; Kong, Jing; Wang, Evelyn N

2015-05-13

Water vapor condensation is commonly observed in nature and routinely used as an effective means of transferring heat with dropwise condensation on nonwetting surfaces exhibiting heat transfer improvement compared to filmwise condensation on wetting surfaces. However, state-of-the-art techniques to promote dropwise condensation rely on functional hydrophobic coatings that either have challenges with chemical stability or are so thick that any potential heat transfer improvement is negated due to the added thermal resistance of the coating. In this work, we show the effectiveness of ultrathin scalable chemical vapor deposited (CVD) graphene coatings to promote dropwise condensation while offering robust chemical stability and maintaining low thermal resistance. Heat transfer enhancements of 4× were demonstrated compared to filmwise condensation, and the robustness of these CVD coatings was superior to typical hydrophobic monolayer coatings. Our results indicate that graphene is a promising surface coating to promote dropwise condensation of water in industrial conditions with the potential for scalable application via CVD.

Hydrophobic/Hydrophilic Cooperative Janus System for Enhancement of Fog Collection.

PubMed

Cao, Moyuan; Xiao, Jiasheng; Yu, Cunming; Li, Kan; Jiang, Lei

2015-09-09

Harvesting micro-droplets from fog is a promising method for solving global freshwater crisis. Different types of fog collectors have been extensively reported during the last decade. The improvement of fog collection can be attributed to the immediate transportation of harvested water, the effective regeneration of the fog gathering surface, etc. Through learning from the nature's strategy for water preservation, the hydrophobic/hydrophilic cooperative Janus system that achieved reinforced fog collection ability is reported here. Directional delivery of the surface water, decreased re-evaporation rate of the harvested water, and thinner boundary layer of the collecting surface contribute to the enhancement of collection efficiency. Further designed cylinder Janus collector can facilely achieve a continuous process of efficient collection, directional transportation, and spontaneous preservation of fog water. This Janus fog harvesting system should improve the understanding of micro-droplet collection system and offer ideas to solve water resource crisis. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Nanotextured polymer substrates show enhanced cancer cell isolation and cell culture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Islam, Muhymin; Sajid, Adeel; Arif Iftakher Mahmood, M.; Motasim Bellah, Mohammad; Allen, Peter B.; Kim, Young-Tae; Iqbal, Samir M.

2015-06-01

Detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the early stages of cancer is a great challenge because of their exceedingly small concentration. There are only a few approaches sensitive enough to differentiate tumor cells from the plethora of other cells in a sample like blood. In order to detect CTCs, several antibodies and aptamers have already shown high affinity. Nanotexture can be used to mimic basement membrane to further enhance this affinity. This article reports an approach to fabricate nanotextured polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates using micro reactive ion etching (micro-RIE). Three recipes were used to prepare nanotextured PDMS using oxygen and carbon tetrafluoride. Micro-RIE provided better control on surface properties. Nanotexturing improved the affinity of PDMS surfaces to capture cancer cells using surface immobilized aptamers against cell membrane overexpressed with epidermal growth factor receptors. In all cases, nanotexture of PDMS increased the effective surface area by creating nanoscale roughness on the surface. Nanotexture also enhanced the growth rate of cultured cells compared to plain surfaces. A comparison among the three nanotextured surfaces demonstrated an almost linear relationship between the surface roughness and density of captured tumor cells. The nanotextured PDMS mimicked biophysical environments for cells to grow faster. This can have many implications in microfluidic platforms used for cell handling.

Effect of diameter of metal nanowires on pool boiling heat transfer with FC-72

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar G., Udaya; S., Suresh; M. R., Thansekhar; Babu P., Dinesh

2017-11-01

Effect of varying diameter of metal nanowires on pool boiling heat transfer performance is presented in this study. Copper nanowires (CuNWs) of four different diameters (∼35 nm, ∼70 nm, ∼130 nm and ∼200 nm) were grown directly on copper specimen using template-based electrodeposition technique. Both critical heat flux (CHF) and boiling heat transfer coefficient (h) were found to be improved in surfaces with nanowires as compared to the bare copper surface. Moreover, both the parameters were found to increase with increasing diameter of the nanowires. The percentage increases observed in CHF for the samples with nanowires were 38.37%, 40.16%, 48.48% and 45.57% whereas the percentage increase in the heat transfer coefficient were 86.36%, 95.45%, 184.1% and 131.82% respectively as compared to the bare copper surface. Important reasons believed for this enhancement were improvement in micron scale cavity density and cavity size which arises as a result of the coagulation and grouping of nanowires during the drying process. In addition to this, superhydrophilic nature, capillary effect, and enhanced bubble dynamics parameters (bubble frequency, bubble departure diameter, and nucleation site density) were found to be the concurring mechanisms responsible for this enhancement in heat transfer performance. Qualitative bubble dynamics analysis was done for the surfaces involved and the visual observations are provided to support the results presented and discussed.

Surface passivation of InP solar cells with InAlAs layers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jain, Raj K.; Flood, Dennis J.; Landis, Geoffrey A.

1993-01-01

The efficiency of indium phosphide solar cells is limited by high values of surface recombination. The effect of a lattice-matched In(0.52)Al(0.48)As window layer material for InP solar cells, using the numerical code PC-1D is investigated. It was found that the use of InAlAs layer significantly enhances the p(+)n cell efficiency, while no appreciable improvement is seen for n(+)p cells. The conduction band energy discontinuity at the heterojunction helps in improving the surface recombination. An optimally designed InP cell efficiency improves from 15.4 percent to 23 percent AMO for a 10 nm thick InAlAs layer. The efficiency improvement reduces with increase in InAlAs layer thickness, due to light absorption in the window layer.

Enhanced light absorption of solar cells and photodetectors by diffraction

DOEpatents

Zaidi, Saleem H.; Gee, James M.

2005-02-22

Enhanced light absorption of solar cells and photodetectors by diffraction is described. Triangular, rectangular, and blazed subwavelength periodic structures are shown to improve performance of solar cells. Surface reflection can be tailored for either broadband, or narrow-band spectral absorption. Enhanced absorption is achieved by efficient optical coupling into obliquely propagating transmitted diffraction orders. Subwavelength one-dimensional structures are designed for polarization-dependent, wavelength-selective absorption in solar cells and photodetectors, while two-dimensional structures are designed for polarization-independent, wavelength-selective absorption therein. Suitable one and two-dimensional subwavelength periodic structures can also be designed for broadband spectral absorption in solar cells and photodetectors. If reactive ion etching (RIE) processes are used to form the grating, RIE-induced surface damage in subwavelength structures can be repaired by forming junctions using ion implantation methods. RIE-induced surface damage can also be removed by post RIE wet-chemical etching treatments.

Aligned hierarchical Ag/ZnO nano-heterostructure arrays via electrohydrodynamic nanowire template for enhanced gas-sensing properties.

PubMed

Yin, Zhouping; Wang, Xiaomei; Sun, Fazhe; Tong, Xiaohu; Zhu, Chen; Lv, Qiying; Ye, Dong; Wang, Shuai; Luo, Wei; Huang, YongAn

2017-09-22

Gas sensing performance can be improved significantly by the increase in both the effective gas exposure area and the surface reactivitiy of ZnO nanorods. Here, we propose aligned hierarchical Ag/ZnO nano-heterostructure arrays (h-Ag/ZnO-NAs) via electrohydrodynamic nanowire template, together with a subsequent hydrothermal synthesis and photoreduction reaction. The h-Ag/ZnO-NAs scatter at top for higher specific surface areas with the air, simultaneously contact at root for the electrical conduction. Besides, the ZnO nanorods are uniformly coated with dispersed Ag nanoparticles, resulting in a tremendous enhancement of the surface reactivity. Compared with pure ZnO, such h-Ag/ZnO-NAs exhibit lower electrical resistance and faster responses. Moreover, they demonstrate enhanced NO 2 gas sensing properties. Self-assembly via electrohydrodynamic nanowire template paves a new way for the preparation of high performance gas sensors.

A novel method for automated grid generation of ice shapes for local-flow analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ogretim, Egemen; Huebsch, Wade W.

2004-02-01

Modelling a complex geometry, such as ice roughness, plays a key role for the computational flow analysis over rough surfaces. This paper presents two enhancement ideas in modelling roughness geometry for local flow analysis over an aerodynamic surface. The first enhancement is use of the leading-edge region of an airfoil as a perturbation to the parabola surface. The reasons for using a parabola as the base geometry are: it resembles the airfoil leading edge in the vicinity of its apex and it allows the use of a lower apparent Reynolds number. The second enhancement makes use of the Fourier analysis for modelling complex ice roughness on the leading edge of airfoils. This method of modelling provides an analytical expression, which describes the roughness geometry and the corresponding derivatives. The factors affecting the performance of the Fourier analysis were also investigated. It was shown that the number of sine-cosine terms and the number of control points are of importance. Finally, these enhancements are incorporated into an automated grid generation method over the airfoil ice accretion surface. The validations for both enhancements demonstrate that they can improve the current capability of grid generation and computational flow field analysis around airfoils with ice roughness.

Synthesis, characterization, and 3D-FDTD simulation of Ag@SiO2 nanoparticles for shell-isolated nanoparticle-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

PubMed

Uzayisenga, Viviane; Lin, Xiao-Dong; Li, Li-Mei; Anema, Jason R; Yang, Zhi-Lin; Huang, Yi-Fan; Lin, Hai-Xin; Li, Song-Bo; Li, Jian-Feng; Tian, Zhong-Qun

2012-06-19

Au-seed Ag-growth nanoparticles of controllable diameter (50-100 nm), and having an ultrathin SiO(2) shell of controllable thickness (2-3 nm), were prepared for shell-isolated nanoparticle-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SHINERS). Their morphological, optical, and material properties were characterized; and their potential for use as a versatile Raman signal amplifier was investigated experimentally using pyridine as a probe molecule and theoretically by the three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain (3D-FDTD) method. We show that a SiO(2) shell as thin as 2 nm can be synthesized pinhole-free on the Ag surface of a nanoparticle, which then becomes the core. The dielectric SiO(2) shell serves to isolate the Raman-signal enhancing core and prevent it from interfering with the system under study. The SiO(2) shell also hinders oxidation of the Ag surface and nanoparticle aggregation. It significantly improves the stability and reproducibility of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) signal intensity, which is essential for SERS applications. Our 3D-FDTD simulations show that Ag-core SHINERS nanoparticles yield at least 2 orders of magnitude greater enhancement than Au-core ones when excited with green light on a smooth Ag surface, and thus add to the versatility of our SHINERS method.

Performance Improvement of V-Fe-Cr-Ti Solid State Hydrogen Storage Materials in Impure Hydrogen Gas.

PubMed

Ulmer, Ulrich; Oertel, Daria; Diemant, Thomas; Bonatto Minella, Christian; Bergfeldt, Thomas; Dittmeyer, Roland; Behm, R Jürgen; Fichtner, Maximilian

2018-01-17

Two approaches of engineering surface structures of V-Ti-based solid solution hydrogen storage alloys are presented, which enable improved tolerance toward gaseous oxygen (O 2 ) impurities in hydrogen (H 2 ) gas. Surface modification is achieved through engineering lanthanum (La)- or nickel (Ni)-rich surface layers with enhanced cyclic stability in an H 2 /O 2 mixture. The formation of a Ni-rich surface layer does not improve the cycling stability in H 2 /O 2 mixtures. Mischmetal (Mm, a mixture of La and Ce) agglomerates are observed within the bulk and surface of the alloy when small amounts of this material are added during arc melting synthesis. These agglomerates provide hydrogen-transparent diffusion pathways into the bulk of the V-Ti-Cr-Fe hydrogen storage alloy when the remaining oxidized surface is already nontransparent for hydrogen. Thus, the cycling stability of the alloy is improved in an O 2 -containing hydrogen environment as compared to the same alloy without addition of Mm. The obtained surface-engineered storage material still absorbs hydrogen after 20 cycles in a hydrogen-oxygen mixture, while the original material is already deactivated after 4 cycles.

Retardation of surface corrosion of biodegradable magnesium-based materials by aluminum ion implantation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Guosong; Xu, Ruizhen; Feng, Kai; Wu, Shuilin; Wu, Zhengwei; Sun, Guangyong; Zheng, Gang; Li, Guangyao; Chu, Paul K.

2012-07-01

Aluminum ion implantation is employed to modify pure Mg as well as AZ31 and AZ91 magnesium alloys and their surface degradation behavior in simulated body fluids is studied. Polarization tests performed in conjunction with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) reveal that the surface corrosion resistance after Al ion implantation is improved appreciably. This enhancement can be attributed to the formation of a gradient surface structure with a gradual transition from an Al-rich oxide layer to Al-rich metal layer. Compared to the high Al-content magnesium alloy (AZ91), a larger reduction in the degradation rate is achieved from pure magnesium and AZ31. Our results reveal that the surface corrosion resistance of Mg alloys with no or low Al content can be improved by Al ion implantation.

Towards Enhanced Performance Thin-film Composite Membranes via Surface Plasma Modification

PubMed Central

Reis, Rackel; Dumée, Ludovic F.; Tardy, Blaise L.; Dagastine, Raymond; Orbell, John D.; Schutz, Jürg A.; Duke, Mikel C.

2016-01-01

Advancing the design of thin-film composite membrane surfaces is one of the most promising pathways to deal with treating varying water qualities and increase their long-term stability and permeability. Although plasma technologies have been explored for surface modification of bulk micro and ultrafiltration membrane materials, the modification of thin film composite membranes is yet to be systematically investigated. Here, the performance of commercial thin-film composite desalination membranes has been significantly enhanced by rapid and facile, low pressure, argon plasma activation. Pressure driven water desalination tests showed that at low power density, flux was improved by 22% without compromising salt rejection. Various plasma durations and excitation powers have been systematically evaluated to assess the impact of plasma glow reactions on the physico-chemical properties of these materials associated with permeability. With increasing power density, plasma treatment enhanced the hydrophilicity of the surfaces, where water contact angles decreasing by 70% were strongly correlated with increased negative charge and smooth uniform surface morphology. These results highlight a versatile chemical modification technique for post-treatment of commercial membrane products that provides uniform morphology and chemically altered surface properties. PMID:27363670

Enhancement of the surface methane hydrate-bearing layer based on the specific microorganisms form deep seabed sediment in Japan Sea.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hata, T.; Yoneda, J.; Yamamoto, K.

2017-12-01

A methane hydrate-bearing layer located near the Japan Sea has been investigated as a new potential energy resource. In this study examined the feasibility of the seabed surface sediment strength located in the Japan Sea improvement technologies for enhancing microbial induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) process. First, the authors cultivated the specific urease production bacterium culture medium from this surface methane hydrate-bearing layer in the seabed (-600m depth) of Japan Sea. After that, two types of the laboratory test (consolidated-drained triaxial tests) were conducted using this specific culture medium from the seabed in the Japan Sea near the Toyama Prefecture and high urease activities bacterium named Bacillus pasteurii. The main outcomes of this research are as follows. 1) Specific culture medium focused on the urease production bacterium can enhancement of the urease activities from the methane hydrate-bearing layer near the Japan Sea side, 2) This specific culture medium can be enhancement of the surface layer strength, 3) The microbial induced carbonate precipitation process can increase the particle size compared to that of the original particles coating the calcite layer surface, 4) The mechanism for increasing the soil strength is based on the addition of cohesion like a cement stabilized soil.

Broadband enhancement of photoluminance from colloidal metal halide perovskite nanocrystals on plasmonic nanostructured surfaces.

PubMed

Zhang, Si; Liang, Yuzhang; Jing, Qiang; Lu, Zhenda; Lu, Yanqing; Xu, Ting

2017-11-07

Metal halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) as a new kind of promising optoelectronic material have attracted wide attention due to their high photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield, narrow emission linewidth and wideband color tunability. Since the PL intensity always has a direct influence on the performance of optoelectronic devices, it is of vital importance to improve the perovskite NCs' fluorescence emission efficiency. Here, we synthesize three inorganic perovskite NCs and experimentally demonstrate a broadband fluorescence enhancement of perovskite NCs by exploiting plasmonic nanostructured surface consisting of nanogrooves array. The strong near-field optical localization associated with surface plasmon polariton-coupled emission effect generated by the nanogrooves array can significantly boost the absorption of perovskite NCs and tailor the fluorescence emissions. As a result, the PL intensities of perovskite NCs are broadband enhanced with a maximum factor higher than 8-fold achieved in experimental demonstration. Moreover, the high efficiency PL of perovskite NCs embedded in the polymer matrix layer on the top of plasmonic nanostructured surface can be maintained for more than three weeks. These results imply that plasmonic nanostructured surface is a good candidate to stably broadband enhance the PL intensity of perovskite NCs and further promote their potentials in the application of visible-light-emitting devices.

Bio-inspired dewetted surfaces based on SiC/Si interlocked structures for enhanced-underwater stability and regenerative-drag reduction capability

PubMed Central

Lee, By Junghan; Zhang, Zhuo; Baek, Seunghyun; Kim, Sangkuk; Kim, Donghyung; Yong, Kijung

2016-01-01

Drag reduction has become a serious issue in recent years in terms of energy conservation and environmental protection. Among diverse approaches for drag reduction, superhydrophobic surfaces have been mainly researched due to their high drag reducing efficiency. However, due to limited lifetime of plastron (i.e., air pockets) on superhydrophobic surfaces in underwater, the instability of dewetted surfaces has been a sticking point for practical applications. This work presents a breakthrough in improving the underwater stability of superhydrophobic surfaces by optimizing nanoscale surface structures using SiC/Si interlocked structures. These structures have an unequaled stability of underwater superhydrophobicity and enhance drag reduction capabilities,with a lifetime of plastron over 18 days and maximum velocity reduction ratio of 56%. Furthermore, through photoelectrochemical water splitting on a hierarchical SiC/Si nanostructure surface, the limited lifetime problem of air pockets was overcome by refilling the escaping gas layer, which also provides continuous drag reduction effects. PMID:27095674

Demonstration of enhanced side-mode suppression in metal-filled photonic crystal vertical cavity lasers.

PubMed

Griffin, Benjamin G; Arbabi, Amir; Peun Tan, Meng; Kasten, Ansas M; Choquette, Kent D; Goddard, Lynford L

2013-06-01

Previously reported simulations have suggested that depositing thin layers of metal over the surface of a single-mode, etched air hole photonic crystal (PhC) vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) could potentially improve the laser's side-mode suppression ratio by introducing additional losses to the higher-order modes. This work demonstrates the concept by presenting the results of a 30 nm thin film of Cr deposited on the surface of an implant-confined PhC VCSEL. Both experimental measurements and simulation results are in agreement showing that the single-mode operation is improved at the same injection current ratio relative to threshold.

Carbon-based nanostructured surfaces for enhanced phase-change cooling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Selvaraj Kousalya, Arun

To maintain acceptable device temperatures in the new generation of electronic devices under development for high-power applications, conventional liquid cooling schemes will likely be superseded by multi-phase cooling solutions to provide substantial enhancement to the cooling capability. The central theme of the current work is to investigate the two-phase thermal performance of carbon-based nanostructured coatings in passive and pumped liquid-vapor phase-change cooling schemes. Quantification of the critical parameters that influence thermal performance of the carbon nanostructured boiling surfaces presented herein will lead to improved understanding of the underlying evaporative and boiling mechanisms in such surfaces. A flow boiling experimental facility is developed to generate consistent and accurate heat transfer performance curves with degassed and deionized water as the working fluid. New means of boiling heat transfer enhancement by altering surface characteristics such as surface energy and wettability through light-surface interactions is explored in this work. In this regard, carbon nanotube (CNT) coatings are exposed to low-intensity irradiation emitted from a light emitting diode and the subcooled flow boiling performance is compared against a non-irradiated CNT-coated copper surface. A considerable reduction in surface superheat and enhancement in average heat transfer coefficient is observed. In another work involving CNTs, the thermal performance of CNT-integrated sintered wick structures is evaluated in a passively cooled vapor chamber. A physical vapor deposition process is used to coat the CNTs with varying thicknesses of copper to promote surface wetting with the working fluid, water. Thermal performance of the bare sintered copper powder sample and the copper-functionalized CNT-coated sintered copper powder wick samples is compared using an experimental facility that simulates the capillary fluid feeding conditions of a vapor chamber. Nanostructured samples having a thicker copper coating provided a considerable increase in dryout heat flux while maintaining lower surface superheat temperatures compared to a bare sintered powder sample; this enhancement is attributed primarily to the improved surface wettability. Dynamic contact angle measurements are conducted to quantitatively compare the surface wetting trends for varying copper coating thicknesses and confirm the increase in hydrophilicity with increasing coating thickness. The second and relatively new carbon nanostructured coating, carbon nanotubes decorated with graphitic nanopetals, are used as a template to manufacture boiling surfaces with heterogeneous wettability. Heat transfer surfaces with parallel alternating superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic stripes are fabricated by a combination of oxygen plasma treatment, Teflon coating and shadow masking. Such composite wetting surfaces exhibit enhanced flow-boiling performance compared to homogeneous wetting surfaces. Flow visualization studies elucidate the physical differences in nucleate boiling mechanisms between the different heterogeneous wetting surfaces. The third and the final carbon nanomaterial, graphene, is examined as an oxidation barrier coating for liquid and liquid-vapor phase-change cooling systems. Forced convection heat transfer experiments on bare and graphene-coated copper surfaces reveal nearly identical liquid-phase and two-phase thermal performance for the two surfaces. Surface analysis after thermal testing indicates significant oxide formation on the entire surface of the bare copper substrate; however, oxidation is observed only along the grain boundaries of the graphene-coated substrate. Results suggest that few-layer graphene can act as a protective layer even under vigorous flow boiling conditions, indicating a broad application space of few-layer graphene as an ultra-thin oxidation barrier coating.

CELL-SURFACE DISPLAY OF SYNTHETIC PHYTOCHELATINS USING ICE NUCLEATION PROTEIN FOR ENHANCED HEAVY-METAL BIOACCUMULATION. (R827227)

EPA Science Inventory

Synthetic phytochelatins (ECs) composed of (Glu–Cys)_nGly are protein analogs of phytochelatin that exhibit improved metal-binding capacity over metallothioneins (MTs). Expression of EC20 on the surface of E. coli using the Lpp-OmpA anchor resulted in i...

Biomimetic coatings enhance tribocorrosion behavior and cell responses of commercially pure titanium surfaces

PubMed Central

Marques, Isabella da Silva Vieira; Alfaro, Maria Fernanda; Saito, Miki Taketomi; da Cruz, Nilson Cristino; Takoudis, Christos; Landers, Richard; Mesquita, Marcelo Ferraz; Nociti Junior, Francisco Humberto; Mathew, Mathew T.; Sukotjo, Cortino; Barão, Valentim Adelino Ricardo

2016-01-01

Biofunctionalized surfaces for implants are currently receiving much attention in the health care sector. Our aims were (1) to create bioactive Ti-coatings doped with Ca, P, Si, and Ag produced by microarc oxidation (MAO) to improve the surface properties of biomedical implants, (2) to investigate the TiO2 layer stability under wear and corrosion, and (3) to evaluate human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) responses cultured on the modified surfaces. Tribocorrosion and cell experiments were performed following the MAO treatment. Samples were divided as a function of different Ca/P concentrations and treatment duration. Higher Ca concentration produced larger porous and harder coatings compared to the untreated group (p < 0.001), due to the presence of rutile structure. Free potentials experiments showed lower drops (−0.6 V) and higher coating lifetime during sliding for higher Ca concentration, whereas lower concentrations presented similar drops (−0.8 V) compared to an untreated group wherein the drop occurred immediately after the sliding started. MAO-treated surfaces improved the matrix formation and osteogenic gene expression levels of hMSCs. Higher Ca/P ratios and the addition of Ag nanoparticles into the oxide layer presented better surface properties, tribocorrosive behavior, and cell responses. MAO is a promising technique to enhance the biological, chemical, and mechanical properties of dental implant surfaces. PMID:27514370

Biomimetic coatings enhance tribocorrosion behavior and cell responses of commercially pure titanium surfaces.

PubMed

Marques, Isabella da Silva Vieira; Alfaro, Maria Fernanda; Saito, Miki Taketomi; da Cruz, Nilson Cristino; Takoudis, Christos; Landers, Richard; Mesquita, Marcelo Ferraz; Nociti Junior, Francisco Humberto; Mathew, Mathew T; Sukotjo, Cortino; Barão, Valentim Adelino Ricardo

2016-09-11

Biofunctionalized surfaces for implants are currently receiving much attention in the health care sector. Our aims were (1) to create bioactive Ti-coatings doped with Ca, P, Si, and Ag produced by microarc oxidation (MAO) to improve the surface properties of biomedical implants, (2) to investigate the TiO2 layer stability under wear and corrosion, and (3) to evaluate human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) responses cultured on the modified surfaces. Tribocorrosion and cell experiments were performed following the MAO treatment. Samples were divided as a function of different Ca/P concentrations and treatment duration. Higher Ca concentration produced larger porous and harder coatings compared to the untreated group (p < 0.001), due to the presence of rutile structure. Free potentials experiments showed lower drops (-0.6 V) and higher coating lifetime during sliding for higher Ca concentration, whereas lower concentrations presented similar drops (-0.8 V) compared to an untreated group wherein the drop occurred immediately after the sliding started. MAO-treated surfaces improved the matrix formation and osteogenic gene expression levels of hMSCs. Higher Ca/P ratios and the addition of Ag nanoparticles into the oxide layer presented better surface properties, tribocorrosive behavior, and cell responses. MAO is a promising technique to enhance the biological, chemical, and mechanical properties of dental implant surfaces.

Engineering the internal surfaces of three-dimensional nanoporous catalysts by surfactant-modified dealloying.

PubMed

Wang, Zhili; Liu, Pan; Han, Jiuhui; Cheng, Chun; Ning, Shoucong; Hirata, Akihiko; Fujita, Takeshi; Chen, Mingwei

2017-10-20

Tuning surface structures by bottom-up synthesis has been demonstrated as an effective strategy to improve the catalytic performances of nanoparticle catalysts. Nevertheless, the surface modification of three-dimensional nanoporous metals, fabricated by a top-down dealloying approach, has not been achieved despite great efforts devoted to improving the catalytic performance of three-dimensional nanoporous catalysts. Here we report a surfactant-modified dealloying method to tailor the surface structure of nanoporous gold for amplified electrocatalysis toward methanol oxidation and oxygen reduction reactions. With the assistance of surfactants, {111} or {100} faceted internal surfaces of nanoporous gold can be realized in a controllable manner by optimizing dealloying conditions. The surface modified nanoporous gold exhibits significantly enhanced electrocatalytic activities in comparison with conventional nanoporous gold. This study paves the way to develop high-performance three-dimensional nanoporous catalysts with a tunable surface structure by top-down dealloying for efficient chemical and electrochemical reactions.

Influence of surface oxidation on ion dynamics and capacitance in porous and nonporous carbon electrodes

DOE PAGES

Dyatkin, Boris; Zhang, Yu; Mamontov, Eugene; ...

2016-04-07

Here, we investigate the influence of surface chemistry and ion confinement on capacitance and electrosorption dynamics of room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) in supercapacitors. Using air oxidation and vacuum annealing, we produced defunctionalized and oxygen-rich surfaces of carbide-derived carbons (CDCs) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs). While oxidized surfaces of porous CDCs improve capacitance and rate handling abilities of ions, defunctionalized nonporous GNPs improve charge storage densities on planar electrodes. Quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS) and inelastic neutron scattering (INS) probed the structure, dynamics, and orientation of RTIL ions confined in divergently functionalized pores. Oxidized, ionophilic surfaces draw ions closer to pore surfaces andmore » enhance potential-driven ion transport during electrosorption. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations corroborated experimental data and demonstrated the significance of surface functional groups on ion orientations, accumulation densities, and capacitance.« less

Surface modification of protein enhances encapsulation in chitosan nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koyani, Rina D.; Andrade, Mariana; Quester, Katrin; Gaytán, Paul; Huerta-Saquero, Alejandro; Vazquez-Duhalt, Rafael

2018-04-01

Chitosan nanoparticles have a huge potential as nanocarriers for environmental and biomedical purposes. Protein encapsulation in nano-sized chitosan provides protection against inactivation, proteolysis, and other alterations due to environmental conditions, as well as the possibility to be targeted to specific tissues by ligand functionalization. In this work, we demonstrate that the chemical modification of the protein surface enhances the protein loading in chitosan nanocarriers. Encapsulation of green fluorescent protein and the cytochrome P450 was studied. The increase of electrostatic interactions between the free amino groups of chitosan and the increased number of free carboxylic groups in the protein surface enhance the protein loading, protein retention, and, thus, the enzymatic activity of chitosan nanoparticles. The chemical modification of protein surface with malonic acid moieties reduced drastically the protein isoelectric point increasing the protein interaction with the polycationic biomaterial and chitosan. The chemical modification of protein does not alter the morphology of chitosan nanoparticles that showed an average diameter of 18 nm, spheroidal in shape, and smooth surfaced. The strategy of chemical modification of protein surface, shown here, is a simple and efficient technique to enhance the protein loading in chitosan nanoparticles. This technique could be used for other nanoparticles based on polycationic or polyanionic materials. The increase of protein loading improves, doubtless, the performance of protein-loaded chitosan nanoparticles for biotechnological and biomedical applications.

Surface Ligand Promotion of Carbon Dioxide Reduction through Stabilizing Chemisorbed Reactive Intermediates.

PubMed

Wang, Zhijiang; Wu, Lina; Sun, Kun; Chen, Ting; Jiang, Zhaohua; Cheng, Tao; Goddard, William A

2018-05-23

We have explored functionalizing metal catalysts with surface ligands as an approach to facilitate electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO 2 RR). To provide a molecular level understanding of the mechanism by which this enhancement occurs, we combine in situ spectroscopy analysis with an interpretation based on quantum mechanics (QM) calculations. We find that a surface ligand can play a critical role in stabilizing the chemisorbed CO 2 , which facilitates CO 2 activation and leads to a 0.3 V decrease in the overpotential for carbon monoxide (CO) formation. Moreover, the presence of the surface ligand leads to nearly exclusive CO production. At -0.6 V (versus reversible hydrogen electrode, RHE), CO is the only significant product with a faradic efficiency of 93% and a current density of 1.9 mA cm -2 . This improvement corresponds to 53-fold enhancement in turnover frequency compared with the Ag nanoparticles (NPs) without surface ligands.

Method for identifying anomalous terrestrial heat flows

DOEpatents

Del Grande, Nancy Kerr

1977-01-25

A method for locating and mapping the magnitude and extent of terrestrial heat-flow anomalies from 5 to 50 times average with a tenfold improved sensitivity over orthodox applications of aerial temperature-sensing surveys as used for geothermal reconnaissance. The method remotely senses surface temperature anomalies such as occur from geothermal resources or oxidizing ore bodies by: measuring the spectral, spatial, statistical, thermal, and temporal features characterizing infrared radiation emitted by natural terrestrial surfaces; deriving from these measurements the true surface temperature with uncertainties as small as 0.05 to 0.5 K; removing effects related to natural temperature variations of topographic, hydrologic, or meteoric origin, the surface composition, detector noise, and atmospheric conditions; factoring out the ambient normal-surface temperature for non-thermally enhanced areas surveyed under otherwise identical environmental conditions; distinguishing significant residual temperature enhancements characteristic of anomalous heat flows and mapping the extent and magnitude of anomalous heat flows where they occur.

NOx Binding and Dissociation: Enhanced Ferroelectric Surface Chemistry by Catalytic Monolayers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kakekhani, Arvin; Ismail-Beigi, Sohrab

2013-03-01

NOx molecules are regulated air pollutants produced during automotive combustion. As part of an effort to design viable catalysts for NOx decomposition operating at higher temperatures that would allow for improved fuel efficiency, we examine NOx chemistry on ferroelectric perovskite surfaces. Changing the direction of ferroelectric polarization can modify surface electronic properties and may lead to switchable surface chemistry. Here, we describe our recent work on potentially enhanced surface chemistry using catalytic RuO2 monolayers on perovskite ferroelectric substrates. In addition to thermodynamic stabilization of the RuO2 layer, we present results on the polarization-dependent binding of NO, O2, N2, and atomic O and N. We present results showing that one key problem with current catalysts, involving the difficulty of releasing dissociation products (especially oxygen), can be ameliorated by this method. Primary support from Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing, North America, Inc.

Influence of Femtosecond Laser Parameters and Environment on Surface Texture Characteristics of Metals and Non-Metals - State of the Art

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bharatish, A.; Soundarapandian, S.

2018-04-01

Enhancing the surface functionality by ultrashort pulsed laser texturing has received the considerable attention from researchers in the past few decades. Femtosecond lasers are widely adopted since it provides high repeatability and reproducibility by minimizing the heat affected zone (HAZ) and other collateral damages to a great extent. The present paper reports some recent studies being made worldwide on femtosecond laser surface texturing of metals, ceramics, polymers, semiconductors, thinfilms and advanced nanocomposites. It presents the state of the art knowledge in femtosecond laser surface texturing and the potential of this technology to improve properties in terms of biological, tribological and wetting performance. Since the texture quality and functionality are enhanced by the proper selection of appropriate laser parameters and ambient conditions for individual application, reporting the influence of laser parameters on surface texture characteristics assume utmost importance.

Influence of Femtosecond Laser Parameters and Environment on Surface Texture Characteristics of Metals and Non-Metals - State of the Art

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bharatish, A.; Soundarapandian, S.

2018-06-01

Enhancing the surface functionality by ultrashort pulsed laser texturing has received the considerable attention from researchers in the past few decades. Femtosecond lasers are widely adopted since it provides high repeatability and reproducibility by minimizing the heat affected zone (HAZ) and other collateral damages to a great extent. The present paper reports some recent studies being made worldwide on femtosecond laser surface texturing of metals, ceramics, polymers, semiconductors, thinfilms and advanced nanocomposites. It presents the state of the art knowledge in femtosecond laser surface texturing and the potential of this technology to improve properties in terms of biological, tribological and wetting performance. Since the texture quality and functionality are enhanced by the proper selection of appropriate laser parameters and ambient conditions for individual application, reporting the influence of laser parameters on surface texture characteristics assume utmost importance.

Development of Vestibular Stochastic Resonance as a Sensorimotor Countermeasure: Improving Otolith Ocular and Motor Task Responses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mulavara, Ajitkumar; Fiedler, Matthew; DeDios,Yiri E.; Galvan, Raquel; Bloomberg, Jacob; Wood, Scott

2011-01-01

Astronauts experience disturbances in sensorimotor function after spaceflight during the initial introduction to a gravitational environment, especially after long-duration missions. Stochastic resonance (SR) is a mechanism by which noise can assist and enhance the response of neural systems to relevant, imperceptible sensory signals. We have previously shown that imperceptible electrical stimulation of the vestibular system enhances balance performance while standing on an unstable surface. The goal of our present study is to develop a countermeasure based on vestibular SR that could improve central interpretation of vestibular input and improve motor task responses to mitigate associated risks.

Edge enhancement improves disruptive camouflage by emphasising false edges and creating pictorial relief

PubMed Central

Egan, John; Sharman, Rebecca J.; Scott-Brown, Kenneth C.; Lovell, Paul George

2016-01-01

Disruptive colouration is a visual camouflage composed of false edges and boundaries. Many disruptively camouflaged animals feature enhanced edges; light patches are surrounded by a lighter outline and/or a dark patches are surrounded by a darker outline. This camouflage is particularly common in amphibians, reptiles and lepidopterans. We explored the role that this pattern has in creating effective camouflage. In a visual search task utilising an ultra-large display area mimicking search tasks that might be found in nature, edge enhanced disruptive camouflage increases crypsis, even on substrates that do not provide an obvious visual match. Specifically, edge enhanced camouflage is effective on backgrounds both with and without shadows; i.e. this is not solely due to background matching of the dark edge enhancement element with the shadows. Furthermore, when the dark component of the edge enhancement is omitted the camouflage still provided better crypsis than control patterns without edge enhancement. This kind of edge enhancement improved camouflage on all background types. Lastly, we show that edge enhancement can create a perception of multiple surfaces. We conclude that edge enhancement increases the effectiveness of disruptive camouflage through mechanisms that may include the improved disruption of the object outline by implying pictorial relief. PMID:27922058

Edge enhancement improves disruptive camouflage by emphasising false edges and creating pictorial relief.

PubMed

Egan, John; Sharman, Rebecca J; Scott-Brown, Kenneth C; Lovell, Paul George

2016-12-06

Disruptive colouration is a visual camouflage composed of false edges and boundaries. Many disruptively camouflaged animals feature enhanced edges; light patches are surrounded by a lighter outline and/or a dark patches are surrounded by a darker outline. This camouflage is particularly common in amphibians, reptiles and lepidopterans. We explored the role that this pattern has in creating effective camouflage. In a visual search task utilising an ultra-large display area mimicking search tasks that might be found in nature, edge enhanced disruptive camouflage increases crypsis, even on substrates that do not provide an obvious visual match. Specifically, edge enhanced camouflage is effective on backgrounds both with and without shadows; i.e. this is not solely due to background matching of the dark edge enhancement element with the shadows. Furthermore, when the dark component of the edge enhancement is omitted the camouflage still provided better crypsis than control patterns without edge enhancement. This kind of edge enhancement improved camouflage on all background types. Lastly, we show that edge enhancement can create a perception of multiple surfaces. We conclude that edge enhancement increases the effectiveness of disruptive camouflage through mechanisms that may include the improved disruption of the object outline by implying pictorial relief.

Enhanced Dispersion of TiO2 Nanoparticles in a TiO2/PEDOT:PSS Hybrid Nanocomposite via Plasma-Liquid Interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yazi; Sun, Dan; Askari, Sadegh; Patel, Jenish; Macias-Montero, Manuel; Mitra, Somak; Zhang, Richao; Lin, Wen-Feng; Mariotti, Davide; Maguire, Paul

2015-10-01

A facile method to synthesize a TiO2/PEDOT:PSS hybrid nanocomposite material in aqueous solution through direct current (DC) plasma processing at atmospheric pressure and room temperature has been demonstrated. The dispersion of the TiO2 nanoparticles is enhanced and TiO2/polymer hybrid nanoparticles with a distinct core shell structure have been obtained. Increased electrical conductivity was observed for the plasma treated TiO2/PEDOT:PSS nanocomposite. The improvement in nanocomposite properties is due to the enhanced dispersion and stability in liquid polymer of microplasma treated TiO2 nanoparticles. Both plasma induced surface charge and nanoparticle surface termination with specific plasma chemical species are proposed to provide an enhanced barrier to nanoparticle agglomeration and promote nanoparticle-polymer binding.

Tunable plasmon-enhanced broadband light harvesting for perovskite solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Que, Meidan; Zhu, Liangliang; Yang, Yawei; Liu, Jie; Chen, Peng; Chen, Wei; Yin, Xingtian; Que, Wenxiu

2018-04-01

In this work, we report a reliable method for synthesizing (Au, Au/Ag core)/(TiO2 shell) nanostructures with their plasmonic wavelengths covering the visible light region for perovskite solar cells. The mono- and bi-metallic core-shell nanoparticles exhibit tunable localized surface plasmon resonance wavelength and function as "light tentacle" to improve the photo-electricity conversion efficiency. Plasmonic nanoparticles with different sizes and shapes, different thicknesses of TiO2 shell and Ag interlayer are found to have a strong influence on the localized surface plasmon resonance enhancement effect. The experimental photovoltaic performance of perovskite solar cells is significantly enhanced when the plasmonic nanoparticles are embedded inmesoporous TiO2 scaffolds. A champion photo-electricity conversion efficiency of 17.85% is achieved with nanoparticles (Au/Ag, λLSPR = 650 nm), giving a 18.7% enhancement over that of the pristine device (15.04%). Finite-difference time-domain simulations show that nanorod Au in mesoporus TiO2 scaffold induces the most intense electromagnetic coupling, and provides a novel emitter for photon flux in mesoporous perovskite solar cells. These theoretical results are consistent with the corresponding experimental those. Thus, enhancing the incident light intensities around 650 nm will be most favorable to the improvement of the photo-electricity conversion efficiency of perovskite solar cells.

IR sensitivity enhancement of CMOS Image Sensor with diffractive light trapping pixels.

PubMed

Yokogawa, Sozo; Oshiyama, Itaru; Ikeda, Harumi; Ebiko, Yoshiki; Hirano, Tomoyuki; Saito, Suguru; Oinoue, Takashi; Hagimoto, Yoshiya; Iwamoto, Hayato

2017-06-19

We report on the IR sensitivity enhancement of back-illuminated CMOS Image Sensor (BI-CIS) with 2-dimensional diffractive inverted pyramid array structure (IPA) on crystalline silicon (c-Si) and deep trench isolation (DTI). FDTD simulations of semi-infinite thick c-Si having 2D IPAs on its surface whose pitches over 400 nm shows more than 30% improvement of light absorption at λ = 850 nm and the maximum enhancement of 43% with the 540 nm pitch at the wavelength is confirmed. A prototype BI-CIS sample with pixel size of 1.2 μm square containing 400 nm pitch IPAs shows 80% sensitivity enhancement at λ = 850 nm compared to the reference sample with flat surface. This is due to diffraction with the IPA and total reflection at the pixel boundary. The NIR images taken by the demo camera equip with a C-mount lens show 75% sensitivity enhancement in the λ = 700-1200 nm wavelength range with negligible spatial resolution degradation. Light trapping CIS pixel technology promises to improve NIR sensitivity and appears to be applicable to many different image sensor applications including security camera, personal authentication, and range finding Time-of-Flight camera with IR illuminations.

Enhancement radiative cooling performance of nanoparticle crystal via oxidation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Zi-Xun; Shuai, Yong; Li, Meng; Guo, Yanmin; Tan, He-ping

2018-03-01

Nanoparticle-crystal is a promising candidate for large scale metamaterial fabrication. However, in radiative cooling application, the maximum blackbody radiation wavelength locates far from metal's plasmon wavelength. In this paper, it will be shown if the metallic nanoparticle crystal can be properly oxidized, the absorption performance within room temperature blackbody radiation spectrum can be improved. Magnetic polariton and surface plasmon polariton have been explained for the mechanism of absorption improvement. Three different oxidation patterns have been investigated in this paper, and the results show they share a similar enhancing mechanism.

Improved Prediction of Quasi-Global Vegetation Conditions Using Remotely-Sensed Surface Soil Moisture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bolten, John; Crow, Wade

2012-01-01

The added value of satellite-based surface soil moisture retrievals for agricultural drought monitoring is assessed by calculating the lagged rank correlation between remotely-sensed vegetation indices (VI) and soil moisture estimates obtained both before and after the assimilation of surface soil moisture retrievals derived from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-EOS (AMSR-E) into a soil water balance model. Higher soil moisture/VI lag correlations imply an enhanced ability to predict future vegetation conditions using estimates of current soil moisture. Results demonstrate that the assimilation of AMSR-E surface soil moisture retrievals substantially improve the performance of a global drought monitoring system - particularly in sparsely-instrumented areas of the world where high-quality rainfall observations are unavailable.

SiN{sub x} layers on nanostructured Si solar cells: Effective for optical absorption and carrier collection

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cho, Yunae; Kim, Eunah; Gwon, Minji

2015-10-12

We compared nanopatterned Si solar cells with and without SiN{sub x} layers. The SiN{sub x} layer coating significantly improved the internal quantum efficiency of the nanopatterned cells at long wavelengths as well as short wavelengths, whereas the surface passivation helped carrier collection of flat cells mainly at short wavelengths. The surface nanostructured array enhanced the optical absorption and also concentrated incoming light near the surface in broad wavelength range. Resulting high density of the photo-excited carriers near the surface could lead to significant recombination loss and the SiN{sub x} layer played a crucial role in the improved carrier collection ofmore » the nanostructured solar cells.« less

Electric field assisted sintering to improve the performance of nanostructured dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shojaeifar, Mohsen; Mohajerani, Ezeddin; Fathollahi, Mohammadreza

2018-01-01

Herein, we report the application of electric field assisted sintering (EFAS) procedure in dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The EFAS process improved DSSC performance by enhancing optical and electrical characteristics simultaneously. The EFAS procedure is shown to be capable of reducing the TiO2 nanoparticle aggregation leading to the higher surface area for dye molecules adsorbates. Lower nanoparticle aggregation can be evidently observed by field emission scanning electron microscopy imaging. By applying an external electric field, the current density and conversion efficiency improved significantly about 30% and 45%, respectively. UV-Visible spectra of the desorbed dye molecules on the porous nanoparticles bedding confirm a higher amount of dye loading in the presence of an external electric field. Correspondingly, comprehensive J-V characteristics modeling reveals the enhancement of the diffusion coefficient by EFAS process. The proposed method can be applied to improve the efficiency of the mesostructured hybrid perovskite solar cells, photodetectors, and quantum dot-sensitized solar cells, as well as reduction of the surface area loss in all porous media.

Improvement of in vitro corrosion and cytocompatibility of biodegradable Fe surface modified by Zn ion implantation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Henan; Zheng, Yang; Li, Yan; Jiang, Chengbao

2017-05-01

Pure Fe was surface-modified by Zn ion implantation to improve the biodegradable behavior and cytocompatibility. Surface topography, chemical composition, corrosion resistance and cytocompatibility were investigated. Atomic force microscopy, auger electron spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results showed that Zn was implanted into the surface of pure Fe in the depth of 40-60 nm and Fe2O3/ZnO oxides were formed on the outmost surface. Electrochemical measurements and immersion tests revealed an improved degradable behavior for the Zn-implanted Fe samples. An approximately 12% reduction in the corrosion potential (Ecorr) and a 10-fold increase in the corrosion current density (icorr) were obtained after Zn ion implantation with a moderate incident ion dose, which was attributed to the enhanced pitting corrosion. The surface free energy of pure Fe was decreased by Zn ion implantation. The results of direct cell culture indicated that the short-term (4 h) cytocompatibility of MC3T3-E1 cells was promoted by the implanted Zn on the surface.

Near-infrared surface-enhanced fluorescence using silver nanoparticles in solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furtaw, Michael D.

Fluorescence spectroscopy is a widely used detection technology in many research and clinical assays. Further improvement to assay sensitivity may enable earlier diagnosis of disease, novel biomarker discovery, and ultimately, improved outcomes of clinical care along with reduction in costs. Near-infrared, surface-enhanced fluorescence (NIR-SEF) is a promising approach to improve assay sensitivity via simultaneous increase in signal with a reduction in background. This dissertation describes research conducted with the overall goal to determine the extent to which fluorescence in solution may be enhanced by altering specific variables involved in the formation of plasmon-active nanostructures of dye-labeled protein and silver nanoparticles in solution, with the intent of providing a simple solution that may be readily adopted by current fluorescence users in the life science research community. First, it is shown that inner-filtering, re-absorption of the emitted photons, can red-shift the optimal fluorophore spectrum away from the resonant frequency of the plasmon-active nanostructure. It is also shown that, under certain conditions, the quality factor may be a better indicator of SEF than the commonly accepted overlap of the fluorophore spectrum with the plasmon resonance of the nanostructure. Next, it is determined that streptavidin is the best choice for carrier protein, among the most commonly used dye-labeled detection antibodies, to enable the largest fluorescence enhancement when labeled with IRDye 800CW and used in combination with silver nanoparticles in solution. It is shown that the relatively small and symmetric geometry of streptavidin enables substantial electromagnetic-field confinement when bound to silver nanoparticles, leading to strong and reproducible enhancement. The role of silver nanoparticle aggregation is demonstrated in a droplet-based microfluidic chip and further optimized in a standard microtiter-plate format. A NIR-SEF technology based on aggregation with optimized salt concentration demonstrates a fluorescence signal enhancement up to 2530-fold while improving the limit-of-detection over 1000-fold. Finally, the NIR-SEF technology is applied to demonstrate 42-fold improvement in sensitivity of the clinically-relevant biomarker, alpha-fetoprotein, along with a 16-fold improvement in limit-of-detection.

Improving osteointegration and osteogenesis of three-dimensional porous Ti6Al4V scaffolds by polydopamine-assisted biomimetic hydroxyapatite coating.

PubMed

Li, Yong; Yang, Wei; Li, Xiaokang; Zhang, Xing; Wang, Cairu; Meng, Xiangfei; Pei, Yifeng; Fan, Xiangli; Lan, Pingheng; Wang, Chunhui; Li, Xiaojie; Guo, Zheng

2015-03-18

Titanium alloys with various porous structures can be fabricated by advanced additive manufacturing techniques, which are attractive for use as scaffolds for bone defect repair. However, modification of the scaffold surfaces, particularly inner surfaces, is critical to improve the osteointegration of these scaffolds. In this study, a biomimetic approach was employed to construct polydopamine-assisted hydroxyapatite coating (HA/pDA) onto porous Ti6Al4V scaffolds fabricated by the electron beam melting method. The surface modification was characterized with the field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, water contact angle measurement, and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Attachment and proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells on the scaffold surface were significantly enhanced by the HA/pDA coating compared to the unmodified surfaces. Additionally, MC3T3-E1 cells grown on the HA/pDA-coated Ti6Al4V scaffolds displayed significantly higher expression of runt-related transcription factor-2, alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, osteopontin, and collagen type-1 compared with bare Ti6Al4V scaffolds after culture for 14 days. Moreover, microcomputed tomography analysis and Van-Gieson staining of histological sections showed that HA/pDA coating on surfaces of porous Ti6Al4V scaffolds enhanced osteointegration and significantly promoted bone regeneration after implantation in rabbit femoral condylar defects for 4 and 12 weeks. Therefore, this study provides an alternative to biofunctionalized porous Ti6Al4V scaffolds with improved osteointegration and osteogenesis functions for orthopedic applications.

Effects of different surface modification and contents on municipal solid waste incineration fly ash/epoxy composites.

PubMed

Goh, C K; Valavan, S E; Low, T K; Tang, L H

2016-12-01

Incineration fly ash, a waste from municipal solid waste incineration plant can be used to replace conventional filler as reinforcing filler to enhance the mechanical strength of a composite. Surface modification was performed on the incineration fly ash before mixing into the soft polymer matrix so as to improve interfacial bond of the filler and epoxy resin. In this study, detailed characterisation of mechanical, morphological and leaching behaviours of municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash infused composite has been carried out. Flexural and tensile test was conducted to determine the effect on mechanical properties of the composite by varying the concentration of incineration fly ash filler added into polymer matrix and surface modification of incineration fly ash filler using silane coupling agent and colloidal mesoporous silica (CMS). The results indicated that composite infused with incineration fly ash filler surface treated with CMS shown improvement on the tensile and flexural strengths. In addition, SEM images showed that surface modification of incineration fly ash with colloidal mesoporous silica enhanced the interfacial bonding with polymer resin which explained the improvement of mechanical strength. Leaching test showed result of toxic metals such as Pb, Zn, Fe, Cu, Cr, Cd and Rb immobilised in the polymer matrix of the composite. Hence, the use of MSWI fly ash as reinforcing filler in the composite appears green and sustainable because this approach is a promising opportunity to substitute valuable raw material with MSWI fly ash. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gas-sensing enhancement methods for hydrothermal synthesized SnO2-based sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yalei; Zhang, Wenlong; Yang, Bin; Liu, Jingquan; Chen, Xiang; Wang, Xiaolin; Yang, Chunsheng

2017-11-01

Gas sensing for hydrothermal synthesized SnO2-based gas sensors can be enhanced in three ways: structural improvement, composition optimization, and processing improvement. There have been zero-dimensional, one-dimensional, and three-dimensional structures reported in the literature. Controllable synthesis of different structures has been deployed to increase specific surface area. Change of composition would intensively tailor the SnO2 structure, which affected the gas-sensing performance. Furthermore, doping and compounding methods have been adopted to promote gas-sensing performance by adjusting surface conditions of SnO2 crystals and constructing heterojunctions. As for processing area, it is very important to find the optimal reaction time and temperature. In this paper, a gas-solid reaction rate constant was proposed to evaluate gas-sensing properties and find an excellent hydrothermal synthesized SnO2-based gas sensor.

Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite quantum dots with high PLQY and enhanced carrier mobility through crystallinity control by solvent engineering and solid-state ligand exchange.

PubMed

Woo Choi, Jin; Woo, Hee Chul; Huang, Xiaoguang; Jung, Wan-Gil; Kim, Bong-Joong; Jeon, Sie-Wook; Yim, Sang-Youp; Lee, Jae-Suk; Lee, Chang-Lyoul

2018-05-22

The photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) and charge carrier mobility of organic-inorganic perovskite QDs were enhanced by the optimization of crystallinity and surface passivation as well as solid-state ligand exchange. The crystallinity of perovskite QDs was determined by the Effective solvent field (Esol) of various solvents for precipitation. The solvent with high Esol could more quickly countervail the localized field generated by the polar solvent, and it causes fast crystallization of the dissolved precursor, which results in poor crystallinity. The post-ligand adding process (PLAP) and post-ligand exchange process (PLEP) increase the PLQY of perovskite QDs by reducing non-radiative recombination and the density of surface defect states through surface passivation. Particularly, the post ligand exchange process (PLEP) in the solid-state improved the charge carrier mobility of perovskite QDs in addition to the PLQY enhancement. The ligand exchange with short alkyl chain length ligands could improve the packing density of perovskite QDs in films by reducing the inter-particle distance between perovskite QDs. The maximum hole mobility of 6.2 × 10-3 cm2 V-1 s-1, one order higher than that of pristine QDs without the PLEP, is obtained at perovskite QDs with hexyl ligands. By using PLEP treatment, compared to the pristine device, a 2.5 times higher current efficiency in perovskite QD-LEDs was achieved due to the improved charge carrier mobility and PLQY.

In vitro investigations into enhancement of tPA bioavailability in whole blood clots using pulsed-high intensity focused ultrasound exposures.

PubMed

Jones, Guy; Hunter, Finnie; Hancock, Hilary A; Kapoor, Ankur; Stone, Michael J; Wood, Bradford J; Xie, Jianwu; Dreher, Matthew R; Frenkel, Victor

2010-01-01

Investigations were carried out on the manner by which pulsed-high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) enhances the effectiveness of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) in whole blood clots, in vitro. Scanning electronic microscope (SEM) of the surface of the clots showed that the exposures increased exposed fibrin, as well as the number of openings to more interior regions. These findings were supported by fluorescent antibody labeling of tPA in frozen sections of clots treated post-HIFU. Here, improved accumulation at the surface and penetration of the tPA into the clots were observed in those treated with HIFU. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching was also performed, indicating that the diffusion coefficient increased 6.3-fold for fluorescently labeled dextrans, comparable in size to tPA, in the HIFU-treated clots. Improved understanding of the manner by which pulsed--HIFU exposures can improve the effectiveness of thrombolytics will help optimize the exposures for this application and potentially facilitate translation to the clinic.

In Vitro Investigations Into Enhancement of tPA Bioavailability in Whole Blood Clots Using Pulsed–High Intensity Focused Ultrasound Exposures

PubMed Central

Jones, Guy; Hunter, Finnie; Hancock, Hilary A.; Kapoor, Ankur; Stone, Michael J.; Wood, Bradford J.; Xie, Jianwu; Dreher, Matthew R.

2012-01-01

Investigations were carried out on the manner by which pulsed–high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) enhances the effectiveness of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) in whole blood clots, in vitro. Scanning electronic microscope (SEM) of the surface of the clots showed that the exposures increased exposed fibrin, as well as the number of openings to more interior regions. These findings were supported by fluorescent antibody labeling of tPA in frozen sections of clots treated post-HIFU. Here, improved accumulation at the surface and penetration of the tPA into the clots were observed in those treated with HIFU. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching was also performed, indicating that the diffusion coefficient increased 6.3-fold for fluorescently labeled dextrans, comparable in size to tPA, in the HIFU-treated clots. Improved understanding of the manner by which pulsed–HIFU exposures can improve the effectiveness of thrombolytics will help optimize the exposures for this application and potentially facilitate translation to the clinic. PMID:20064753

Optical Field Confinement Enhanced Single ZnO Microrod UV Photodetector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Ming; Xu, Chun-Xiang; Qin, Fei-Fei; Gowri Manohari, Arumugam; Lu, Jun-Feng; Zhu, Qiu-Xiang

2017-07-01

ZnO microrods are synthesized using the vapor phase transport method, and the magnetron sputtering is used to decorate the Al nanoparticles (NPs) on a single ZnO microrod. The micro-PL and I-V responses are measured before and after the decoration of Al NPs. The FDTD stimulation is also carried out to demonstrate the optical field distribution around the decoration of Al NPs on the surface of a ZnO microrod. Due to an implementation of Al NPs, the ZnO microrod exhibits an improved photoresponse behavior. In addition, Al NPs induced localized surface plasmons (LSPs) as well as improved optical field confinement can be ascribed to an enhancement of ultraviolet (UV) response. This research provides a method for improving the responsivity of photodetectors. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos 61475035 and 61275054, the Science and Technology Support Program of Jiangsu Province under Grant No BE2016177, and the Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology.

Gold-modified indium tin oxide as a transparent window in optoelectronic diagnostics of electrochemically active biofilms.

PubMed

Schmidt, Igor; Gad, Alaaeldin; Scholz, Gregor; Boht, Heidi; Martens, Michael; Schilling, Meinhard; Suryo Wasisto, Hutomo; Waag, Andreas; Schröder, Uwe

2017-08-15

Microbial electrochemical technologies (METs) are one of the emerging green bioenergy domains that are utilizing microorganisms for wastewater treatment or electrosynthesis. Real-time monitoring of bioprocess during operation is a prerequisite for understanding and further improving bioenergy harvesting. Optical methods are powerful tools for this, but require transparent, highly conductive and biocompatible electrodes. Whereas indium tin oxide (ITO) is a well-known transparent conductive oxide, it is a non-ideal platform for biofilm growth. Here, a straightforward approach of surface modification of ITO anodes with gold (Au) is demonstrated, to enhance direct microbial biofilm cultivation on their surface and to improve the produced current densities. The trade-off between the electrode transmittance (critical for the underlying integrated sensors) and the enhanced growth of biofilms (crucial for direct monitoring) is studied. Au-modified ITO electrodes show a faster and reproducible biofilm growth with three times higher maximum current densities and about 6.9 times thicker biofilms compared to their unmodified ITO counterparts. The electrochemical analysis confirms the enhanced performance and the reversibility of the ITO/Au electrodes. The catalytic effect of Au on the ITO surface seems to be the key factor of the observed performance improvement since the changes in the electrode conductivity and their surface wettability are relatively small and in the range of ITO. An integrated platform for the ITO/Au transparent electrode with light-emitting diodes was fabricated and its feasibility for optical biofilm thickness monitoring is demonstrated. Such transparent electrodes with embedded catalytic metals can serve as multifunctional windows for biofilm diagnostic microchips. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Local atmospheric response to warm mesoscale ocean eddies in the Kuroshio-Oyashio Confluence region.

PubMed

Sugimoto, Shusaku; Aono, Kenji; Fukui, Shin

2017-09-19

In the extratropical regions, surface winds enhance upward heat release from the ocean to atmosphere, resulting in cold surface ocean: surface ocean temperature is negatively correlated with upward heat flux. However, in the western boundary currents and eddy-rich regions, the warmer surface waters compared to surrounding waters enhance upward heat release-a positive correlation between upward heat release and surface ocean temperature, implying that the ocean drives the atmosphere. The atmospheric response to warm mesoscale ocean eddies with a horizontal extent of a few hundred kilometers remains unclear because of a lack of observations. By conducting regional atmospheric model experiments, we show that, in the Kuroshio-Oyashio Confluence region, wintertime warm eddies heat the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL), and accelerate westerly winds in the near-surface atmosphere via the vertical mixing effect, leading to wind convergence around the eastern edge of eddies. The warm-eddy-induced convergence forms local ascending motion where convective precipitation is enhanced, providing diabatic heating to the atmosphere above MABL. Our results indicate that warm eddies affect not only near-surface atmosphere but also free atmosphere, and possibly synoptic atmospheric variability. A detailed understanding of warm eddy-atmosphere interaction is necessary to improve in weather and climate projections.

Solid-State Synthesized Nanostructured Au Dendritic Aggregates Towards Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gentile, A.; Ruffino, F.; D'Andrea, C.; Gucciardi, P. G.; Reitano, R.; Grimaldi, M. G.

2016-06-01

Micrometric Au structures, presenting a dendritic nano-structure, have been fabricated on a Si-based substrate. The fabrication method involves the deposition of a thin Au film on the substrate and a high-temperature annealing (1100°C) using fast heating and cooling ramps. The thermal process produces the growth, from the substrate, of Si micro-pillars whose top surfaces, covered by a crystalline Au layer, present a nanodendritic morphology. In addition to the micro-pillars, the sample surface presents a complex structural and chemical composition including Si3N4 regions due to the silicon-nitrogen intermixing during the heating stage. By studying the kinetic processes at the Au-Si interface during the thermal treatment, we describe the stages involved in the micro-pillars growth, in the dendritic morphology development, and in the Au atoms entrapment at the top of the dendritic surfaces. Finally, we present the analyses of the optical and surface enhanced Raman scattering properties of the Au dendritic aggregates. We show, in particular, that: (1) the Au dendrites aggregates act as effective scattering elements for the electromagnetic radiation in the infrared spectral region; and (2) the higher surface area due to the branched dendritic structure is responsible for the improvement in the sensitivity of the surface enhanced Raman scattering activity.

Enhanced out-coupling efficiency of organic light-emitting diodes using an nanostructure imprinted by an alumina nanohole array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Endo, Kuniaki; Adachi, Chihaya

2014-03-01

We demonstrate organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) with enhanced out-coupling efficiency containing nanostructures imprinted by an alumina nanohole array template that can be applied to large-emitting-area and flexible devices using a roll-to-roll process. The nanostructures are imprinted on a glass substrate by an ultraviolet nanoimprint process using an alumina nanohole array mold and then an OLED is fabricated on the nanostructures. The enhancement of out-coupling efficiency is proportional to the root-mean-square roughness of the nanostructures, and a maximum improvement of external electroluminescence quantum efficiency of 17% is achieved. The electroluminescence spectra of the OLEDs indicate that this improvement is caused by enhancement of the out-coupling of surface plasmon polaritons.

Nanogap embedded silver gratings for surface plasmon enhanced fluorescence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhatnagar, Kunal

Plasmonic nanostructures have been extensively used in the past few decades for applications in sub-wavelength optics, data storage, optoelectronic circuits, microscopy and bio-photonics. The enhanced electromagnetic field produced at the metal and dielectric interface by the excitation of surface plasmons via incident radiation can be used for signal enhancement in fluorescence and surface enhanced Raman scattering studies. Novel plasmonic structures have shown to provide very efficient and extreme light concentration at the nano-scale in recent years. The enhanced electric field produced within a few hundred nanometers of these surfaces can be used to excite fluorophores in the surrounding environment. Fluorescence based bio-detection and bio-imaging are two of the most important tools in the life sciences and improving the qualities and capabilities of fluorescence based detectors and imaging equipment remains a big challenge for industry manufacturers. We report a novel fabrication technique for producing nano-gap embedded periodic grating substrates on the nanoscale using a store bought HD-DVD and conventional soft lithography procedures. Polymethylsilsesquioxane (PMSSQ) polymer is used as the ink for the micro-contact printing process with PDMS stamps obtained from the inexpensive HD-DVDs as master molds. Fluorescence enhancement factors of up to 118 times were observed with these silver nanostructures in conjugation with Rhodamine-590 fluorescent dye. These substrates are ideal candidates for a robust and inexpensive optical system with applications such as low-level fluorescence based analyte detection, single molecule imaging, and surface enhanced Raman studies. Preliminary results in single molecule experiments have also been obtained by imaging individual 3 nm and 20 nm dye-doped nanoparticles attached to the silver plasmonic gratings using epi-fluorescence microscopy.

Stabilization of Hydrogen Production via Methanol Steam Reforming in Microreactor by Al2O3 Nano-Film Enhanced Catalyst Adhesion.

PubMed

Jeong, Heondo; Na, Jeong-Geol; Jang, Min Su; Ko, Chang Hyun

2016-05-01

In hydrogen production by methanol steam reforming reaction with microchannel reactor, Al2O3 thin film formed by atomic layer deposition (ALD) was introduced on the surface of microchannel reactor prior to the coating of catalyst particles. Methanol conversion rate and hydrogen production rate, increased in the presence of Al2O3 thin film. Over-view and cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy study showed that the adhesion between catalyst particles and the surface of microchannel reactor enhanced due to the presence of Al2O3 thin film. The improvement of hydrogen production rate inside the channels of microreactor mainly came from the stable fixation of catalyst particles on the surface of microchannels.

Flexible Microsphere-Embedded Film for Microsphere-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy.

PubMed

Xing, Cheng; Yan, Yinzhou; Feng, Chao; Xu, Jiayu; Dong, Peng; Guan, Wei; Zeng, Yong; Zhao, Yan; Jiang, Yijian

2017-09-27

Dielectric microspheres with extraordinary microscale optical properties, such as photonic nanojets, optical whispering-gallery modes (WGMs), and directional antennas, have drawn interest in many research fields. Microsphere-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (MERS) is an alternative approach for enhanced Raman detection by dielectric microstructures. Unfortunately, fabrication of microsphere monolayer arrays is the major challenge of MERS for practical applications on various specimen surfaces. Here we report a microsphere-embedded film (MF) by immersing a highly refractive microsphere monolayer array in the poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) film as a flexible MERS sensing platform for one- to three-dimensional (1D to 3D) specimen surfaces. The directional antennas and wave-guided whispering-gallery modes (WG-WGMs) contribute to the majority of Raman enhancement by the MFs. Moreover, the MF can be coupled with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to provide an extra >10-fold enhancement. The limit of detection is therefore improved for sensing of crystal violet (CV) and Sudan I molecules in aqueous solutions at concentrations down to 10 -7 M. A hybrid dual-layer microsphere enhancer, constructed by depositing a MF onto a microsphere monolayer array, is also demonstrated, wherein the WG-WGMs become dominant and boost the enhancement ratio >50-fold. The present work opens up new opportunities for design of cost-effective and flexible MERS sensing platforms as individual or associated techniques toward practical applications in ultrasensitive Raman detection.

Silane surface modification effects on the electromagnetic properties of phosphatized iron-based SMCs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Liang-Fang; Hsiang, Hsing-I.; Hung, Jia-Jing

2018-03-01

It is difficult to achieve homogeneous phosphatized iron powder dispersion in organic resins during the preparation of soft magnetic composites (SMCs). Inhomogeneous iron powder mixing in organic resins generally leads to the formation of micro-structural defects in SMCs and hence causes the magnetic properties to become worse. Phosphatized iron powder dispersion in organic resins can be improved by coating the phosphatized iron powder surfaces with a coupling agent. This study investigated the (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES) surface modification effects on the electromagnetic properties of phosphatized iron-based soft magnetic composites (SMCs). The results showed that the phosphatized iron powder surface can be modified using APTES to improve the phosphatized iron powder and epoxy resin compatibility and hence enhance phosphate iron powder epoxy mixing. The tensile strength, initial permeability, rated current under DC-bias superposition and magnetic loss in SMCs prepared using phosphatized iron powders can be effectively improved using APTES surface modification, which provides a promising candidate for power chip inductor applications.

Active substrates improving sensitivity in biomedical fluorescence microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le Moal, E.; Leveque-Fort, S.; Fort, E.; Lacharme, J.-P.; Fontaine-Aupart, M.-P.; Ricolleau, C.

2005-08-01

Fluorescence is widely used as a spectroscopic tool or for biomedical imaging, in particular for DNA chips. In some cases, detection of very low molecular concentrations and precise localization of biomarkers are limited by the weakness of the fluorescence signal. We present a new method based on sample substrates that improve fluorescence detection sensitivity. These active substrates consist in glass slides covered with metal (gold or silver) and dielectric (alumina) films and can directly be used with common microscope set-up. Fluorescence enhancement affects both excitation and decay rates and is strongly dependant on the distance to the metal surface. Furthermore, fluorescence collection is improved since fluorophore emission lobes are advantageously modified close to a reflective surface. Finally, additional improvements are achieved by structuring the metallic layer. Substrates morphology was mapped by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Substrates optical properties were studied using mono- and bi-photonic fluorescence microscopy with time resolution. An original set-up was implemented for spatial radiation pattern's measurement. Detection improvement was then tested on commercial devices. Several biomedical applications are presented. Enhancement by two orders of magnitude are achieved for DNA chips and signal-to-noise ratio is greatly increased for cells imaging.

O2 Plasma Etching and Antistatic Gun Surface Modifications for CNT Yarn Microelectrode Improve Sensitivity and Antifouling Properties.

PubMed

Yang, Cheng; Wang, Ying; Jacobs, Christopher B; Ivanov, Ilia N; Venton, B Jill

2017-05-16

Carbon nanotube (CNT) based microelectrodes exhibit rapid and selective detection of neurotransmitters. While different fabrication strategies and geometries of CNT microelectrodes have been characterized, relatively little research has investigated ways to selectively enhance their electrochemical properties. In this work, we introduce two simple, reproducible, low-cost, and efficient surface modification methods for carbon nanotube yarn microelectrodes (CNTYMEs): O 2 plasma etching and antistatic gun treatment. O 2 plasma etching was performed by a microwave plasma system with oxygen gas flow and the optimized time for treatment was 1 min. The antistatic gun treatment flows ions by the electrode surface; two triggers of the antistatic gun was the optimized number on the CNTYME surface. Current for dopamine at CNTYMEs increased 3-fold after O 2 plasma etching and 4-fold after antistatic gun treatment. When the two treatments were combined, the current increased 12-fold, showing the two effects are due to independent mechanisms that tune the surface properties. O 2 plasma etching increased the sensitivity due to increased surface oxygen content but did not affect surface roughness while the antistatic gun treatment increased surface roughness but not oxygen content. The effect of tissue fouling on CNT yarns was studied for the first time, and the relatively hydrophilic surface after O 2 plasma etching provided better resistance to fouling than unmodified or antistatic gun treated CNTYMEs. Overall, O 2 plasma etching and antistatic gun treatment improve the sensitivity of CNTYMEs by different mechanisms, providing the possibility to tune the CNTYME surface and enhance sensitivity.

Design of Supercapacitor Electrodes Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bo, Zheng; Li, Changwen; Yang, Huachao; Ostrikov, Kostya; Yan, Jianhua; Cen, Kefa

2018-06-01

Electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) are advanced electrochemical devices for energy storage and have attracted strong interest due to their outstanding properties. Rational optimization of electrode-electrolyte interactions is of vital importance to enhance device performance for practical applications. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations could provide theoretical guidelines for the optimal design of electrodes and the improvement of capacitive performances, e.g., energy density and power density. Here we discuss recent MD simulation studies on energy storage performance of electrode materials containing porous to nanostructures. The energy storage properties are related to the electrode structures, including electrode geometry and electrode modifications. Altering electrode geometry, i.e., pore size and surface topography, can influence EDL capacitance. We critically examine different types of electrode modifications, such as altering the arrangement of carbon atoms, doping heteroatoms and defects, which can change the quantum capacitance. The enhancement of power density can be achieved by the intensified ion dynamics and shortened ion pathway. Rational control of the electrode morphology helps improve the ion dynamics by decreasing the ion diffusion pathway. Tuning the surface properties (e.g., the affinity between the electrode and the ions) can affect the ion-packing phenomena. Our critical analysis helps enhance the energy and power densities of EDLCs by modulating the corresponding electrode structures and surface properties.[Figure not available: see fulltext.

Hierarchical and Well-Ordered Porous Copper for Liquid Transport Properties Control.

PubMed

Pham, Quang N; Shao, Bowen; Kim, Yongsung; Won, Yoonjin

2018-05-09

Liquid delivery through interconnected pore network is essential for various interfacial transport applications ranging from energy storage to evaporative cooling. The liquid transport performance in porous media can be significantly improved through the use of hierarchical morphology that leverages transport phenomena at different length scales. Traditional surface engineering techniques using chemical or thermal reactions often show nonuniform surface nanostructuring within three-dimensional pore network due to uncontrollable diffusion and reactivity in geometrically complex porous structures. Here, we demonstrate hierarchical architectures on the basis of crystalline copper inverse opals using an electrochemistry approach, which offers volumetric controllability of structural and surface properties within the complex porous metal. The electrochemical process sequentially combines subtractive and additive steps-electrochemical polishing and electrochemical oxidation-to improve surface wetting properties without sacrificing structural permeability. We report the transport performance of the hierarchical inverse opals by measuring the capillary-driven liquid rise. The capillary performance parameter of hierarchically engineered inverse opal ( K/ R eff = ∼5 × 10 -3 μm) is shown to be higher than that of a typical crystalline inverse opal ( K/ R eff = ∼1 × 10 -3 μm) owing to the enhancement in fluid permeable and hydrophilic pathways. The new surface engineering method presented in this work provides a rational approach in designing hierarchical porous copper for transport performance enhancements.

Simulation of nonlinear superconducting rf losses derived from characteristic topography of etched and electropolished niobium surfaces

DOE PAGES

Xu, Chen; Reece, Charles E.; Kelley, Michael J.

2016-03-22

A simplified numerical model has been developed to simulate nonlinear superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) losses on Nb surfaces. This study focuses exclusively on excessive surface resistance (R s) losses due to the microscopic topographical magnetic field enhancements. When the enhanced local surface magnetic field exceeds the superconducting critical transition magnetic field H c, small volumes of surface material may become normal conducting and increase the effective surface resistance without inducing a quench. We seek to build an improved quantitative characterization of this qualitative model. Using topographic data from typical buffered chemical polish (BCP)- and electropolish (EP)-treated fine grain niobium, we havemore » estimated the resulting field-dependent losses and extrapolated this model to the implications for cavity performance. The model predictions correspond well to the characteristic BCP versus EP high field Q 0 performance differences for fine grain niobium. Lastly, we describe the algorithm of the model, its limitations, and the effects of this nonlinear loss contribution on SRF cavity performance.« less

Nanotubular topography enhances the bioactivity of titanium implants.

PubMed

Huang, Jingyan; Zhang, Xinchun; Yan, Wangxiang; Chen, Zhipei; Shuai, Xintao; Wang, Anxun; Wang, Yan

2017-08-01

Surface modification on titanium implants plays an important role in promoting mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) response to enhance osseointegration persistently. In this study, nano-scale TiO 2 nanotube topography (TNT), micro-scale sand blasted-acid etched topography (SLA), and hybrid sand blasted-acid etched/nanotube topography (SLA/TNT) were fabricated on the surfaces of titanium implants. Although the initial cell adherence at 60 min among TNT, SLA and TNT/SLA was not different, SLA and SLA/TNT presented to be rougher and suppressed the proliferation of MSC. TNT showed hydrophilic surface and balanced promotion of cellular functions. After being implanted in rabbit femur models, TNT displayed the best osteogenesis inducing ability as well as strong bonding strength to the substrate. These results indicate that nano-scale TNT provides favorable surface topography for improving the clinical performance of endosseous implants compared with micro and hybrid micro/nano surfaces, suggesting a promising and reliable surface modification strategy of titanium implants for clinical application. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Photovoltaic enhancement due to surface-plasmon assisted visible-light absorption at the inartificial surface of lead zirconate-titanate film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Fengang; Zhang, Peng; Wang, Xiaofeng; Huang, Wen; Zhang, Jinxing; Shen, Mingrong; Dong, Wen; Fang, Liang; Bai, Yongbin; Shen, Xiaoqing; Sun, Hua; Hao, Jianhua

2014-02-01

PZT film of 300 nm thickness was deposited on tin indium oxide (ITO) coated quartz by a sol-gel method. Four metal electrodes, such as Pt, Au, Cu and Ag, were used as top electrodes deposited on the same PZT film by sputtering at room temperature. In ITO-PZT-Ag and ITO-PZT-Au structures, the visible light (400-700 nm) can be absorbed partially by a PZT film, and the maximum efficiency of photoelectric conversion of the ITO-PZT-Ag structure was enhanced to 0.42% (100 mW cm-2, AM 1.5G), which is about 15 times higher than that of the ITO-PZT-Pt structure. Numerical simulations show that the natural random roughness of polycrystalline-PZT-metal interface can offer a possibility of coupling between the incident photons and SPs at the metal surface. The coincidence between the calculated SP properties and the measured EQE spectra reveals the SP origin of the photovoltaic enhancement in these ITO-PZT-metal structures, and the improved photocurrent output is caused by the enhanced optical absorption in the PZT region near the metal surface, rather than by the direct charge-transfer process between two materials.PZT film of 300 nm thickness was deposited on tin indium oxide (ITO) coated quartz by a sol-gel method. Four metal electrodes, such as Pt, Au, Cu and Ag, were used as top electrodes deposited on the same PZT film by sputtering at room temperature. In ITO-PZT-Ag and ITO-PZT-Au structures, the visible light (400-700 nm) can be absorbed partially by a PZT film, and the maximum efficiency of photoelectric conversion of the ITO-PZT-Ag structure was enhanced to 0.42% (100 mW cm-2, AM 1.5G), which is about 15 times higher than that of the ITO-PZT-Pt structure. Numerical simulations show that the natural random roughness of polycrystalline-PZT-metal interface can offer a possibility of coupling between the incident photons and SPs at the metal surface. The coincidence between the calculated SP properties and the measured EQE spectra reveals the SP origin of the photovoltaic enhancement in these ITO-PZT-metal structures, and the improved photocurrent output is caused by the enhanced optical absorption in the PZT region near the metal surface, rather than by the direct charge-transfer process between two materials. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr05757g

Design of Solid-Gas Interfaces for Enhanced Thermal Transfer

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-28

modifications. Specifically, for metal surfaces modified with organic self - assembled monolayers (SAMs), both TAC and MAC are close to its theoretical...we designed solid surfaces functionalized with organic self - assembled monolayers (SAMs) and demonstrated associated significant improvement of the...at solid-gas interfaces by self - assembled monolayers ” Applied Physics Letters 102, 061907 (2013). 2. Zhi Liang, William Evans, and Pawel Keblinski

Experimental analysis of surface finish in normal conducting cavities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zarrebini-Esfahani, A.; Aslaninejad, M.; Ristic, M.; Long, K.

2017-10-01

A normal conducting 805 MHz test cavity with an in built button shaped sample is used to conduct a series of surface treatment experiments. The button enhances the local fields and influences the likelihood of an RF breakdown event. Because of their smaller sizes, compared to the whole cavity surface, they allow practical investigations of the effects of cavity surface preparation in relation to RF breakdown. Manufacturing techniques and steps for preparing the buttons to improve the surface quality are described in detail. It was observed that even after the final stage of the surface treatment, defects on the surface of the cavities still could be found.

Engineering Novel and Improved Biocatalysts by Cell Surface Display

PubMed Central

Smith, Mason R.; Khera, Eshita; Wen, Fei

2017-01-01

Biocatalysts, especially enzymes, have the ability to catalyze reactions with high product selectivity, utilize a broad range of substrates, and maintain activity at low temperature and pressure. Therefore, they represent a renewable, environmentally friendly alternative to conventional catalysts. Most current industrial-scale chemical production processes using biocatalysts employ soluble enzymes or whole cells expressing intracellular enzymes. Cell surface display systems differ by presenting heterologous enzymes extracellularly, overcoming some of the limitations associated with enzyme purification and substrate transport. Additionally, coupled with directed evolution, cell surface display is a powerful platform for engineering enzymes with enhanced properties. In this review, we will introduce the molecular and cellular principles of cell surface display and discuss how it has been applied to engineer enzymes with improved properties as well as to develop surface-engineered microbes as whole-cell biocatalysts. PMID:29056821

Photothermal-enhanced catalysis in core-shell plasmonic hierarchical Cu7S4 microsphere@zeolitic imidazole framework-8.

PubMed

Wang, Feifan; Huang, Yanjie; Chai, Zhigang; Zeng, Min; Li, Qi; Wang, Yuan; Xu, Dongsheng

2016-12-01

Conventional semiconductor photocatalysis based on band-edge absorption remains inefficient due to the limited harvesting of solar irradiation and the complicated surface/interface chemistry. Herein, novel photothermal-enhanced catalysis was achieved in a core-shell hierarchical Cu 7 S 4 nano-heater@ZIF-8 heterostructures via near-infrared localized surface plasmon resonance. Our results demonstrated that both the high surface temperature of the photothermal Cu 7 S 4 core and the close-adjacency of catalytic ZIF-8 shell contributed to the extremely enhanced catalytic activity. Under laser irradiation (1450 nm, 500 mW), the cyclocondensation reaction rate increased 4.5-5.4 fold compared to that of the process at room temperature, in which the 1.6-1.8 fold enhancement was due to the localized heating effect. The simulated sunlight experiments showed a photothermal activation efficiency (PTAE) of 0.07%, further indicating the validity of photothermal catalysis based on the plasmonic semiconductor nanomaterials. More generally, this approach provides a platform to improve reaction activity with efficient utilization of solar energy, which can be readily extended to other green-chemistry processes.

Enhancement of surface damage resistance by selective chemical removal of CeO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamimura, Tomosumi; Motokoshi, Shinji; Sakamoto, Takayasu; Jitsuno, Takahisa; Shiba, Haruya; Akamatsu, Shigenori; Horibe, Hideo; Okamoto, Takayuki; Yoshida, Kunio

2005-02-01

The laser-induced damage threshold of polished fused silica surfaces is much lower than the damage threshod of its bulk. It is well known that contaminations of polished surface are one of the causes of low threshold of laser-induced surface damage. Particularly, polishing contamination such as cerium dioxide (CeO2) compound used in optical polishing process is embedded inside the surface layer, and cannot be removed by conventional cleaning. For the enhancement of surface damage resistance, various surface treatments have been applied to the removal of embedded polishing compound. In this paper, we propose a new method using slective chemical removal with high-temperature sulfuric acid (H2SO4). Sulfuric acid could dissolve only CeO2 from the fused silica surface. The surface roughness of fused silica treated H2SO4 was kept through the treatment process. At the wavelength of 355 nm, the surface damage threshold was drastically improved to the nearly same as bulk quality. However, the effect of our treatment was not observed at the wavelength of 1064 nm. The comparison with our previous results obtained from other surface treatments will be discussed.

Theory of hyperbolic stratified nanostructures for surface-enhanced Raman scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong, Herman M. K.; Dezfouli, Mohsen Kamandar; Axelrod, Simon; Hughes, Stephen; Helmy, Amr S.

2017-11-01

We theoretically investigate the enhancement of surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) using hyperbolic stratified nanostructures and compare to metal nanoresonators. The photon Green function of each nanostructure within its environment is first obtained from a semianalytical modal theory, which is used in a quantum optics formalism of the molecule-nanostructure interaction to model the SERS spectrum. An intuitive methodology is presented for calculating the single-molecule enhancement factor (SMEF), which is also able to predict known experimental SERS enhancement factors of a gold nanodimer. We elucidate the important figures-of-merit of the enhancement and explore these for different designs. We find that the use of hyperbolic stratified materials can enhance the photonic local density of states (LDOS) by close to two times in comparison to pure metal nanostructures, when both designed to work at the same operating wavelengths. However, the increased LDOS is accompanied by higher electric field concentration within the lossy hyperbolic material, which leads to increased quenching that serves to reduce the overall detected SERS enhancement in the far field. For nanoresonators with resonant localized surface plasmon wavelengths in the near-infrared, the SMEF for the hyperbolic stratified nanostructure is approximately one order of magnitude lower than the pure metal counterpart. Conversely, we show that by detecting the Raman signal using a near-field probe, hyperbolic materials can provide an improvement in SERS enhancement compared to using pure metal nanostructures when the probe is sufficiently close (<50 nm ) to the Raman active molecule at the plasmonic hotspot.

The surface grafting of graphene oxide with poly(ethylene glycol) as a reinforcement for poly(lactic acid) nanocomposite scaffolds for potential tissue engineering applications.

PubMed

Zhang, Chunmei; Wang, Liwei; Zhai, Tianliang; Wang, Xinchao; Dan, Yi; Turng, Lih-Sheng

2016-01-01

Graphene oxide (GO) was incorporated into poly(lactic acid) (PLA) as a reinforcing nanofiller to produce composite nanofibrous scaffolds using the electrospinning technique. To improve the dispersion of GO in PLA and the interfacial adhesion between the filler and matrix, GO was surface-grafted with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). Morphological, thermal, mechanical, and wettability properties, as well as preliminary cytocompatibility with Swiss mouse NIH 3T3 cells of PLA, PLA/GO, and PLA/GO-g-PEG electrospun nanofibers, were characterized. Results showed that the average diameter of PLA/GO-g-PEG electrospun nanofibers decreased with filler content. Both GO and GO-g-PEG improved the thermal stability of PLA, but GO-g-PEG was more effective. The water contact angle test of the nanofiber mats showed that the addition of GO in PLA did not change the surface wettability of the materials, but PLA/GO-g-PEG samples exhibited improved wettability with lower water contact angles. The tensile strength of the composite nanofiber mats was improved with the addition of GO, and it was further enhanced when GO was surface grafted with PEG. This suggested that improved interfacial adhesion between GO and PLA was achieved by grafting PEG onto the GO. The cell viability and proliferation results showed that the cytocompatibility of PLA was not compromised with the addition of GO and GO-g-PEG. With enhanced mechanical properties as well as good wettability and cytocompatibility, PLA/GO-g-PEG composite nanofibers have the potential to be used as scaffolds in tissue engineering. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of a Smart Start Playground Improvement Grant on Child Care Playground Hazards. Smart Start Evaluation Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kotch, Jonathan; Guthrie, Christine

Smart Start (North Carolina) playground improvement grants were awarded to cover playground safety assessment, planning and evaluation, quality enhancements (such as fencing, surfacing, and new equipment), and safety programs. Visual inspections were conducted of the safety of child care home and center playgrounds after Smart Start-sponsored…

Using the surface charge profiler for in-line monitoring of doping concentration in silicon epitaxial wafer manufacturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tower, Joshua P.; Kamieniecki, Emil; Nguyen, M. C.; Danel, Adrien

1999-08-01

The Surface Charge Profiler (SCP) has been introduced for monitoring and development of silicon epitaxial processes. The SCP measures the near-surface doping concentration and offers advantages that lead to yield enhancement in several ways. First, non-destructive measurement technology enables in-line process monitoring, eliminating the need to sacrifice production wafers for resistivity measurements. Additionally, the full-wafer mapping capability helps in development of improved epitaxial growth processes and early detection of reactor problems. As examples, we present the use of SCP to study the effects of susceptor degradation in barrel reactors and to study autodoping for development of improved dopant uniformity.

Hybrid micro/nanostructural surface offering improved stress distribution and enhanced osseointegration properties of the biomedical titanium implant.

PubMed

Hou, Ping-Jen; Ou, Keng-Liang; Wang, Chin-Chieh; Huang, Chiung-Fang; Ruslin, Muhammad; Sugiatno, Erwan; Yang, Tzu-Sen; Chou, Hsin-Hua

2018-03-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate the surface characteristic, biomechanical behavior, hemocompatibility, bone tissue response and osseointegration of the optimal micro-arc oxidation surface-treated titanium (MST-Ti) dental implant. The surface characteristic, biomechanical behavior and hemocompatibility of the MST-Ti dental implant were performed using scanning electron microscope, finite element method, blood dripping and immersion tests. The mini-pig model was utilized to evaluate the bone tissue response and osseointegration of the MST-Ti dental implant in vivo. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance using the Student's t-test (P ≤ 0.05). The hybrid volcano-like micro/nanoporous structure was formed on the surface of the MST-Ti dental implant. The hybrid volcano-like micro/nanoporous surface played an important role to improve the stress transfer between fixture, cortical bone and cancellous bone for the MST-Ti dental implant. Moreover, the MST-Ti implant was considered to have the outstanding hemocompatibility. In vivo testing results showed that the bone-to-implant contact (BIC) ratio significantly altered as the implant with micro/nanoporous surface. After 12 weeks of implantation, the MST-Ti dental implant group exhibited significantly higher BIC ratio than the untreated dental implant group. In addition, the MST-Ti dental implant group also presented an enhancing osseointegration, particularly in the early stages of bone healing. It can be concluded that the micro-arc oxidation approach induced the formation of micro/nanoporous surface is a promising and reliable alternative surface modification for Ti dental implant applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microstructures, mechanical, and biological properties of a novel Ti-6V-4V/zinc surface nanocomposite prepared by friction stir processing

PubMed Central

Ding, Zihao; Jiao, Ting; Gu, Xiaoyu; Lu, Eryi; Wang, Liqiang; Zhang, Fuqiang

2018-01-01

Background The interaction between the material and the organism affects the survival rate of the orthopedic or dental implant in vivo. Friction stir processing (FSP) is considered a new solid-state processing technology for surface modification. Purpose This study aims to strengthen the surface mechanical properties and promote the osteogenic capacity of the biomaterial by constructing a Ti-6Al-4V (TC4)/zinc (Zn) surface nanocomposites through FSP. Methods FSP was used to modify the surface of TC4. The microstructures and mechanical properties were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, nanoindentation and Vickers hardness. The biological properties of the modified surface were evaluated by the in vitro and in vivo study. Results The results showed that nanocrystalline and numerous β regions, grain boundary α phase, coarser acicular α phase and finer acicular martensite α′ appeared because of the severe plastic deformation caused by FSP, resulting in a decreased elastic modulus and an increased surface hardness. With the addition of Zn particles and the enhancement of hydrophilicity, the biocompatibility was greatly improved in terms of cell adhesion and proliferation. The in vitro osteogenic differentiation of rat bone marrow stromal cells and rapid in vivo osseointegration were enhanced on the novel TC4/Zn metal matrix nanocomposite surface. Conclusion These findings suggest that this novel TC4/Zn surface nanocomposite achieved by FSP has significantly improved mechanical properties and biocompatibility, in addition to promoting osseointegration and thus has potential for dental and orthopedic applications. PMID:29636607

A Review of the Various Surface Treatments of NiTi Instruments

PubMed Central

Mohammadi, Zahed; Soltani, Mohammad Karim; Shalavi, Sousan; Asgary, Saeed

2014-01-01

Since the introduction of engine-driven nickel-titanium (NiTi) instruments, attempts have been made to minimize or eliminate their inherent defects, increase their surface hardness/flexibility and also improve their resistance to cyclic fatigue and cutting efficiency. The various strategies of enhancing instrument surface include ion implantation, thermal nitridation, cryogenic treatment and electropolishing. The purpose of this paper was to review the metallurgy and crystal characteristics of NiTi alloy and to present a general over review of the published articles on surface treatment of NiTi endodontic instruments. PMID:25386201

Enhancement of local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect by biocompatible metal clustering based on ZnO nanorods in Raman measurements.

PubMed

Lee, Sanghwa; Lee, Seung Ho; Paulson, Bjorn; Lee, Jae-Chul; Kim, Jun Ki

2018-06-20

The development of size-selective and non-destructive detection techniques for nanosized biomarkers has many reasons, including the study of living cells and diagnostic applications. We present an approach for Raman signal enhancement on biocompatible sensing chips based on surface enhancement Raman spectroscopy (SERS). A sensing chip was fabricated by forming a ZnO-based nanorod structure so that the Raman enhancement occurred at a gap of several tens to several hundred nanometers. The effect of coffee-ring formation was eliminated by introducing the porous ZnO nanorods for the bio-liquid sample. A peculiarity of this approach is that the gold sputtered on the ZnO nanorods initially grows at their heads forming clusters, as confirmed by secondary electron microscopy. This clustering was verified by finite element analysis to be the main factor for enhancement of local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). This clustering property and the ability to adjust the size of the nanorods enabled the signal acquisition points to be refined using confocal based Raman spectroscopy, which could be applied directly to the sensor chip based on the optimization process in this experiment. It was demonstrated by using common cancer cell lines that cell growth was high on these gold-clad ZnO nanorod-based surface-enhanced Raman substrates. The porosity of the sensing chip, the improved structure for signal enhancement, and the cell assay make these gold-coated ZnO nanorods substrates promising biosensing chips with excellent potential for detecting nanometric biomarkers secreted by cells. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Vibratory noise to the fingertip enhances balance improvement associated with light touch.

PubMed

Magalhães, Fernando Henrique; Kohn, André Fabio

2011-03-01

Light touch of a fingertip on an external stable surface greatly improves the postural stability of standing subjects. The hypothesis of the present work was that a vibrating surface could increase the effectiveness of fingertip signaling to the central nervous system (e.g., by a stochastic resonance mechanism) and hence improve postural stability beyond that achieved by light touch. Subjects stood quietly over a force plate while touching with their right index fingertip a surface that could be either quiescent or randomly vibrated at two low-level noise intensities. The vibratory noise of the contact surface caused a significant decrease in postural sway, as assessed by center of pressure measures in both time and frequency domains. Complementary experiments were designed to test whether postural control improvements were associated with a stochastic resonance mechanism or whether attentional mechanisms could be contributing. A full curve relating body sway parameters and different levels of vibratory noise resulted in a U-like function, suggesting that the improvement in sway relied on a stochastic resonance mechanism. Additionally, no decrease in postural sway was observed when the vibrating contact surface was attached to the subject's body, suggesting that no attentional mechanisms were involved. These results indicate that sensory cues obtained from the fingertip need not necessarily be associated with static contact surfaces to cause improvement in postural stability. A low-level noisy vibration applied to the contact surface could lead to a better performance of the postural control system.

Adaptive Enhancement of X-Band Marine Radar Imagery to Detect Oil Spill Segments

PubMed Central

Liu, Peng; Li, Ying; Xu, Jin; Zhu, Xueyuan

2017-01-01

Oil spills generate a large cost in environmental and economic terms. Their identification plays an important role in oil-spill response. We propose an oil spill detection method with improved adaptive enhancement on X-band marine radar systems. The radar images used in this paper were acquired on 21 July 2010, from the teaching-training ship “YUKUN” of the Dalian Maritime University. According to the shape characteristic of co-channel interference, two convolutional filters are used to detect the location of the interference, followed by a mean filter to erase the interference. Small objects, such as bright speckles, are taken as a mask in the radar image and improved by the Fields-of-Experts model. The region marked by strong reflected signals from the sea’s surface is selected to identify oil spills. The selected region is subject to improved adaptive enhancement designed based on features of radar images. With the proposed adaptive enhancement technique, calculated oil spill detection is comparable to visual interpretation in accuracy. PMID:29036892

Enhancement of biocompatibility of nickel-titanium by laser surface modification technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ng, Ka Wai

Nickel Titanium is a relatively new biomaterial that has attracted research interest for biomedical application. The good biocompatibility with specific functional properties of shape memory effect and superelasticity creates a smart material for medical applications. However, there are still concerns on nickel ion release of this alloy if it is going to be implanted for a long time. Nickel ion is carcinogenic and also causes allergic response and degeneration of muscle tissue. The subsequent release of Ni+ ions into the body system is fatal for the long term application of this alloy in the human body. To improve the long term biocompatibility and corrosion properties of NiTi, different surface treatment techniques have been investigated but no optimum technique has been established yet. This project will investigate the feasibility of applying laser surface alloying technique to improve the corrosion resistance and biocompatibility of NiTi in simulated body fluid condition. This thesis summarizes the result of laser surface modification of NiTi with Mo, Nb and Co using CO2 laser. The modified layer, which is free of microcracks and pores, acts as physical barrier to reduce nickel release and enhance the surface properties. The hardness values of the Mo-alloyed NiTi, Nb-alloyed NiTi and Co-alloyed NiTi surface were found to be three to four times harder than the NiTi substrate. Corrosion polarization tests also showed that the alloyed NiTi are significantly more resistant than the NiTi alloy. The release of Ni ions can be greatly reduced after laser surface alloying NiTi with Mo, Nb and Co. The improvement in wettability characteristics, the growth of the apatite on the specimen's surface and the adhesion of cell confirm the good biocompatibility after laser surface alloying. It is concluded that laser surface alloying is one of the potential technique not only to improve the corrosion resistance with low nickel release rate, but also retain the good biocompatibility of NiTi. The technique can be applied to bone fixation plates or implants with relatively large surface area. The results of this project are significant as they add new knowledge on the surface modification of NiTi for long term implant application.

Surface Plasmon-Assisted Solar Energy Conversion.

PubMed

Dodekatos, Georgios; Schünemann, Stefan; Tüysüz, Harun

2016-01-01

The utilization of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) from plasmonic noble metals in combination with semiconductors promises great improvements for visible light-driven photocatalysis, in particular for energy conversion. This review summarizes the basic principles of plasmonic photocatalysis, giving a comprehensive overview about the proposed mechanisms for enhancing the performance of photocatalytically active semiconductors with plasmonic devices and their applications for surface plasmon-assisted solar energy conversion. The main focus is on gold and, to a lesser extent, silver nanoparticles in combination with titania as semiconductor and their usage as active plasmonic photocatalysts. Recent advances in water splitting, hydrogen generation with sacrificial organic compounds, and CO2 reduction to hydrocarbons for solar fuel production are highlighted. Finally, further improvements for plasmonic photocatalysts, regarding performance, stability, and economic feasibility, are discussed for surface plasmon-assisted solar energy conversion.

Some investigations on the enhancement of boiling heat transfer from planer surface embedded with continuous open tunnels

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Das, A.K.; Das, P.K.; Saha, P.

2010-11-15

Boiling heat transfer from a flat surface can be enhanced if continuous open tunnel type structures are embedded in it. Further, improvement of boiling heat transfer from such surfaces has been tried by two separate avenues. At first, inclined tunnels are embedded over the solid surface and an effort is made to optimize the tunnel inclination for boiling heat transfer. Surfaces are manufactured in house with four different inclinations of the tunnels with or without a reentrant circular pocket at the end of the tunnel. Experiments conducted in the nucleate boiling regime showed that 45 deg inclination of the tunnelsmore » for both with and without base geometry provides the highest heat transfer coefficient. Next, active fluid rotation was imposed to enhance the heat transfer from tunnel type surfaces with and without the base geometry. Rotational speed imparted by mechanical stirrer was varied over a wide range. It was observed that fluid rotation enhances the heat transfer coefficient only up to a certain value of stirrer speed. Rotational speed values, beyond this limit, reduce the boiling heat transfer severely. A comparison shows that embedding continuous tunnel turns out to be a better option for the increase of heat transfer coefficient compared to the imposition of fluid rotation. But the behavior of inclined tunnels under the action of fluid rotation is yet to be established and can be treated as a future scope of the work. (author)« less

Characterization of stainless steel surface processed using electrolytic oxidation and titanium complex ion solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Yubin; Choi, Jaeyoung; Park, Jinju; Kim, Woo-Byoung; Lee, Kun-Jae

2017-09-01

This study attempts to improve the physical and chemical adhesion between metals and ceramics by using electrolytic oxidation and a titanium organic/inorganic complex ion solution on the SS-304 plate. Surface analysis confirmed the existence of the Tisbnd Osbnd Mx bonds formed by the bonding between the metal ions and the Ti oxide at the surface of the pre-processed SS plate, and improved chemical adhesion during ceramic coating was expected by confirming the presence of the carboxylic group. The adhesion was evaluated by using the ceramic coating solution in order to assess the improved adhesion of the SS plate under conditions. The results showed that both the adhesion and durability were largely improved in the sample processed with all the pre-processing steps, thus confirming that the physical and chemical adhesion between metals and ceramics can be improved by enhancing the physical roughness via electrolytic oxidation and pre-processing using a Ti complex ion solution.

Enhanced road weather forecasting : Clarus regional demonstrations.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-01-01

The quality of road weather forecasts has major impacts on users of surface transportation systems and managers of those systems. Improving the quality involves the ability to provide accurate, route-specific road weather information (e.g., timing an...

Nanostructured diamond layers enhance the infrared spectroscopy of biomolecules.

PubMed

Kozak, Halyna; Babchenko, Oleg; Artemenko, Anna; Ukraintsev, Egor; Remes, Zdenek; Rezek, Bohuslav; Kromka, Alexander

2014-03-04

We report on the fabrication and practical use of high-quality optical elements based on Au mirrors coated with diamond layers with flat, nanocolumnar, and nanoporous morphologies. Diamond layers (100 nm thickness) are grown at low temperatures (about 300 °C) from a methane, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen gas mixture by a pulsed microwave plasma system with linear antennas. Using grazing angle reflectance (GAR) Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy with p-polarized light, we compare the IR spectra of fetal bovine serum proteins adsorbed on diamond layers with oxidized (hydrophilic) surfaces. We show that the nanoporous diamond layers provide IR spectra with a signal gain of about 600% and a significantly improved sensitivity limit. This is attributed to its enhanced internal surface area. The improved sensitivity enabled us to distinguish weak infrared absorption peaks of <10-nm-thick protein layers and thereby to analyze the intimate diamond-molecule interface.

Enhancement of CNT/PET film adhesion by nano-scale modification for flexible all-solid-state supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Yu Jin; Chung, Haegeun; Kim, Min-Seop; Kim, Woong

2015-11-01

We demonstrate the fabrication of high-integrity flexible supercapacitors using carbon nanotubes (CNTs), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films, and ion gels. Although both CNTs and PET films are attractive materials for flexible electronics, they have poor adhesion properties. In this work, we significantly improve interfacial adhesion by introducing nanostructures at the interface of the CNT and PET layers. Simple reactive ion etching (RIE) of the PET substrates generates nano-scale roughness on the PET surface. RIE also induces hydrophilicity on the PET surface, which further enhances adhesive strength. The improved adhesion enables high integrity and excellent flexibility of the fabricated supercapacitors, demonstrated over hundreds of bending cycles. Furthermore, the supercapacitors show good cyclability with specific capacitance retention of 87.5% after 10,000 galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) cycles. Our demonstration may be important for understanding interfacial adhesion properties in nanoscale and for producing flexible, high-integrity, high-performance energy storage systems.

Graphite coated PVA fibers as the reinforcement for cementitious composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yunhua; Zhang, Zhipeng; Liu, Zhichao

2018-02-01

A new preconditioning method was developed to PVA fibers as the reinforcement in cement-based materials. Virgin PVA fibers exhibits limited adhesion to graphite powders due to the presence of oil spots on the surface. Mixing PVA fibers with a moderately concentrated KMnO4-H2SO4 solution can efficiently remove the oil spots by oxidation without creating extra precipitate (MnO2) associated with the reduction reaction. This enhances the coating of graphite powders onto fiber surface and improves the mechanical properties of PVA fiber reinforced concrete (PVA-FRC). Graphite powders yields better fiber distribution in the matrix and reduces the fiber-matrix bonding, which is beneficial in uniformly distributing the stress among embedded fibers and creating steady generation and propagation of tight microcracks. This is evidenced by the significantly enhanced strain hardening behavior and improved flexural strength and toughness.

Improvement of efficiency in graphene/gallium nitride nanowire on Silicon photoelectrode for overall water splitting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bae, Hyojung; Rho, Hokyun; Min, Jung-Wook; Lee, Yong-Tak; Lee, Sang Hyun; Fujii, Katsushi; Lee, Hyo-Jong; Ha, Jun-Seok

2017-11-01

Gallium nitride (GaN) nanowires are one of the most promising photoelectrode materials due to their high stability in acidic and basic electrolytes, and tunable band edge potentials. In this study, GaN nanowire arrays (GaN NWs) were prepared by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE); their large surface area enhanced the solar to hydrogen conversion efficiency. More significantly, graphene was grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), which enhanced the electron transfer between NWs for water splitting and protected the GaN NW surface. Structural characterizations of the prepared composite were performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The photocurrent density of Gr/GaN NWs exhibited a two-fold increase over pristine GaN NWs and sustained water splitting up to 70 min. These improvements may accelerate possible applications for hydrogen generation with high solar to hydrogen conversion efficiency.

Enhanced wettability of SU-8 photoresist through a photografting procedure for bioanalytical device applications

PubMed Central

Gao, Zhan; Henthorn, David B.; Kim, Chang-Soo

2009-01-01

In this work, we detail a method whereby a polymeric hydrogel layer is grafted to the negative tone photoresist SU-8 in order to improve its wettability. A photoinitiator is first immobilized on freshly prepared SU-8 samples, acting as the starting point for various surface modifications strategies. Grafting of a 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate-based hydrogel from the SU-8 surface resulted in the reduction of the static contact angle of a water droplet from 79 ± 1° to 36 ± 1°, while addition of a poly(ethylene glycol)-rich hydrogel layer resulted in further improvement (8 ± 1°). Wettability is greatly enhanced after 30 minutes of polymerization, with a continued but more gradual decrease in contact angle up to approximately 50 minutes. Hydrogel formation is triggered by exposure to UV irradiation, allowing for the formation of photopatterned structures using existing photolithographic techniques. PMID:19756177

Improving light extraction of InGaN-based light emitting diodes with a roughened p-GaN surface using CsCl nano-islands.

PubMed

Wei, Tongbo; Kong, Qingfeng; Wang, Junxi; Li, Jing; Zeng, Yiping; Wang, Guohong; Li, Jinmin; Liao, Yuanxun; Yi, Futing

2011-01-17

InGaN-based light emitting diodes (LEDs) with a top nano-roughened p-GaN surface are fabricated using self-assembled CsCl nano-islands as etch masks. Following formation of hemispherical GaN nano-island arrays, electroluminescence (EL) spectra of roughened LEDs display an obvious redshift due to partial compression release in quantum wells through Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) etching. At a 350-mA current, the enhancement of light output power of LEDs subjected to ICP treatment with durations of 50, 150 and 250 sec compared with conventional LED have been determined to be 9.2, 70.6, and 42.3%, respectively. Additionally, the extraction enhancement factor can be further improved by increasing the size of CsCl nano-island. The economic and rapid method puts forward great potential for high performance lighting devices.

Multifunctional zirconium nitride/copper multilayer coatings on medical grade 316L SS and titanium substrates for biomedical applications.

PubMed

Kumar, D Dinesh; Kaliaraj, Gobi Saravanan

2018-01-01

Protecting from wear and corrosion of many medical devices in the biomedical field is an existing scientific challenge. Surface modification with multilayer ZrN/Cu coating was deposited on medical grade stainless steel (SS) and titanium substrates to enhance their surface properties. Structural results revealed that the ZrN/Cu coatings are highly crystalline and uniform microstructure on both the substrates. Dry and wet tribological measurements of the coated titanium substrate exhibit enhanced wear resistance and low friction coefficient due to the improved microstructure. Similarly, the corrosion resistance was exceptionally improved on titanium substrates, resulting from the high inertness of coating to the SBF electrolyte solution. Antibacterial activity and epifluorescence results signify the effective killing of pathogens by means of ion release killing as well as contact killing mechanisms. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Laser ablation surface-enhanced Raman microspectroscopy.

PubMed

Londero, Pablo S; Lombardi, John R; Leona, Marco

2013-06-04

Improved identification of trace organic compounds in complex matrixes is critical for a variety of fields such as material science, heritage science, and forensics. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a vibrational spectroscopy technique that can attain single-molecule sensitivity and has been shown to complement mass spectrometry, but lacks widespread application without a robust method that utilizes the effect. We demonstrate a new, highly sensitive, and widely applicable approach to SERS analysis based on laser ablation in the presence of a tailored plasmonic substrate. We analyze several challenging compounds, including non-water-soluble pigments and dyed leather from an ancient Egyptian chariot, achieving sensitivity as high as 120 amol for a 1:1 signal-to-noise ratio and 5 μm spatial resolution. This represents orders of magnitude improvement in spatial resolution and sensitivity compared to those of other SERS approaches intended for widespread application, greatly increasing the applicability of SERS.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sun, Ying-Sui; Yang, Wei-En; Zhang, Lan

In nasal reconstruction, the response of cells to titanium (Ti) implants is mainly determined by surface features of the implant. In a pilot study, the authors applied electrochemical anodization to Ti surfaces in an alkaline solution to create a network of nanoscale surface structures. This nanonetwork was intended to enhance the responses of primary human nasal epithelial cell (HNEpC) to the Ti surface. In this study, the authors then treated the anodized, nanonetwork-structured Ti surface using nitrogen plasma immersion ion implantation (NPIII) in order to further improve the HNEpC response to the Ti surface. Subsequently, surface characterization was performed tomore » elucidate morphology, roughness, wettability, and chemistry of specimens. Cytotoxicity, blood, and HNEpC responses were also evaluated. Our results demonstrate that NPIII treatment led to the formation of a noncytotoxic TiN-containing thin film (thickness <100 nm) on the electrochemically anodized Ti surface with a nanonetwork-structure. NPIII treatment was shown to improve blood clotting and the adhesion of platelets to the anodized Ti surface as well as the adhesion and proliferation of hNEpC. This research spreads our understanding of the fact that a TiN-containing thin film, produced using NPIII treatment, could be used to improve blood and HNEpC responses to anodized, nanonetwork-structured Ti surfaces in nasal implant applications.« less

Enhancing oil removal from water by immobilizing multi-wall carbon nanotubes on the surface of polyurethane foam.

PubMed

Keshavarz, Alireza; Zilouei, Hamid; Abdolmaleki, Amir; Asadinezhad, Ahmad

2015-07-01

A surface modification method was carried out to enhance the light crude oil sorption capacity of polyurethane foam (PUF) through immobilization of multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) on the foam surface at various concentrations. The developed sorbent was characterized using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and tensile elongation test. The results obtained from thermogravimetric and tensile elongation tests showed the improvement of thermal and mechanical resistance of surface-modified foam. The experimental data also revealed that the immobilization of MWCNT on PUF surface enhanced the sorption capacity of light crude oil and reduced water sorption. The highest oil removal capacity was obtained for 1 wt% MWCNT on PUF surface which was 21.44% enhancement in light crude oil sorption compared to the blank PUF. The reusability of surface modified PUF was determined through four cycles of chemical regeneration using petroleum ether. The adsorption of light crude oil with 30 g initial mass showed that 85.45% of the initial oil sorption capacity of this modified sorbent was remained after four regeneration cycles. Equilibrium isotherms for adsorption of oil were analyzed by the Freundlich, Langmuir, Temkin, and Redlich-Peterson models through linear and non-linear regression methods. Results of equilibrium revealed that Langmuir isotherm is the best fitting model and non-linear method is a more accurate way to predict the parameters involved in the isotherms. The overall findings suggested the promising potentials of the developed sorbent in order to be efficiently used in large-scale oil spill cleanup. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enhanced Dynamics of Hydrated tRNA on Nanodiamond Surfaces: A Combined Neutron Scattering and MD Simulation Study.

PubMed

Dhindsa, Gurpreet K; Bhowmik, Debsindhu; Goswami, Monojoy; O'Neill, Hugh; Mamontov, Eugene; Sumpter, Bobby G; Hong, Liang; Ganesh, Panchapakesan; Chu, Xiang-Qiang

2016-09-14

Nontoxic, biocompatible nanodiamonds (ND) have recently been implemented in rational, systematic design of optimal therapeutic use in nanomedicines. However, hydrophilicity of the ND surface strongly influences structure and dynamics of biomolecules that restrict in situ applications of ND. Therefore, fundamental understanding of the impact of hydrophilic ND surface on biomolecules at the molecular level is essential. For tRNA, we observe an enhancement of dynamical behavior in the presence of ND contrary to generally observed slow motion at strongly interacting interfaces. We took advantage of neutron scattering experiments and computer simulations to demonstrate this atypical faster dynamics of tRNA on ND surface. The strong attractive interactions between ND, tRNA, and water give rise to unlike dynamical behavior and structural changes of tRNA in front of ND compared to without ND. Our new findings may provide new design principles for safer, improved drug delivery platforms.

Surface display of synthetic phytochelatins on Saccharomyces cerevisiae for enhanced ethanol production in heavy metal-contaminated substrates.

PubMed

Yang, Chi-En; Chu, I-Ming; Wei, Yu-Hong; Tsai, Shen-Long

2017-12-01

The aim of this work was to study the feasibility of surface displaying synthetic phytochelatin (EC) on Saccharomyces cerevisiae to overcome the inhibitory effect of heavy metals on ethanol production. Via the fusion of a gene encoding EC to an α-agglutinin gene, the engineered S. cerevisiae was able to successfully display EC on its surface. This surface engineered yeast strain exhibited an efficient cadmium adsorption capability and a remarkably enhanced cadmium tolerance. Moreover, its ethanol production efficiency was significantly improved as compared to a control strain in the presence of cadmium. Similar results could also be observed in the presence of other metals, such as nickel, lead and copper. Overall, this method allows simultaneous biorefinery and heavy metal removal when using heavy metal-contaminated biomass as raw materials. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improving NOAA's NWLON Through Enhanced Data Inputs from NASA's Ocean Surface Topography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guest, DeNeice C.

2010-01-01

This report assesses the benefit of incorporating NASA's OSTM (Ocean Surface Topography Mission) altimeter data (C- and Ku-band) into NOAA's (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) NWLON (National Water Level Observation Network) DSS (Decision Support System). This data will enhance the NWLON DSS by providing additional inforrnation because not all stations collect all meteorological parameters (sea-surface height, ocean tides, wave height, and wind speed over waves). OSTM will also provide data where NWLON stations are not present. OSTM will provide data on seasurface heights for determining sea-level rise and ocean circulation. Researchers and operational users currently use satellite altimeter data products with the GSFCOO NASA data model to obtain sea-surface height and ocean circulation inforrnation. Accurate and tirnely inforrnation concerning sea-level height, tide, and ocean currents is needed to irnprove coastal tidal predictions, tsunarni and storm surge warnings, and wetland restoration.

Improved bread-baking process using Saccharomyces cerevisiae displayed with engineered cyclodextrin glucanotransferase.

PubMed

Shim, Jae-Hoon; Seo, Nam-Seok; Roh, Sun-Ah; Kim, Jung-Wan; Cha, Hyunju; Park, Kwan-Hwa

2007-06-13

A bread-baking process was developed using a potential novel enzyme, cyclodextrin glucanotransferase[3-18] (CGTase[3-18]), that had previously been engineered to have enhanced hydrolyzing activity with little cyclodextrin (CD) formation activity toward starch. CGTase[3-18] was primarily manipulated to be displayed on the cell surface of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. S. cerevisiae carrying pdeltaCGT integrated into the chromosome exhibited starch-hydrolyzing activity at the same optimal pH and temperature as the free enzyme. Volumes of the bread loaves and rice cakes prepared using S. cerevisiae/pdeltaCGT increased by 20% and 45%, respectively, with no detectable CD. Retrogradation rates of the bread and rice cakes decreased significantly during storage. In comparison to the wild type, S. cerevisiae/pdeltaCGT showed improved viability during four freeze-thaw cycles. The results indicated that CGTase[3-18] displayed on the surface of yeast hydrolyzed starch to glucose and maltose that can be used more efficiently for yeast fermentation. Therefore, display of an antistaling enzyme on the cell surface of yeast has potential for enhancing the baking process.

A Real-Time Clinical Endoscopic System for Intraluminal, Multiplexed Imaging of Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Garai, Ellis; Loewke, Nathan O.; Rogalla, Stephan; Mandella, Michael J.; Felt, Stephen A.; Friedland, Shai; Liu, Jonathan T. C.; Gambhir, Sanjiv S.; Contag, Christopher H.

2015-01-01

The detection of biomarker-targeting surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) nanoparticles (NPs) in the human gastrointestinal tract has the potential to improve early cancer detection; however, a clinically relevant device with rapid Raman-imaging capability has not been described. Here we report the design and in vivo demonstration of a miniature, non-contact, opto-electro-mechanical Raman device as an accessory to clinical endoscopes that can provide multiplexed molecular data via a panel of SERS NPs. This device enables rapid circumferential scanning of topologically complex luminal surfaces of hollow organs (e.g., colon and esophagus) and produces quantitative images of the relative concentrations of SERS NPs that are present. Human and swine studies have demonstrated the speed and simplicity of this technique. This approach also offers unparalleled multiplexing capabilities by simultaneously detecting the unique spectral fingerprints of multiple SERS NPs. Therefore, this new screening strategy has the potential to improve diagnosis and to guide therapy by enabling sensitive quantitative molecular detection of small and otherwise hard-to-detect lesions in the context of white-light endoscopy. PMID:25923788

UV-driven microvalve based on a micro-nano TiO₂/SiO₂ composite surface for microscale flow control.

PubMed

Guo, Ting; Meng, Tao; Li, Wei; Qin, Jilong; Tong, Zhiping; Zhang, Qing; Li, Xueru

2014-03-28

This paper presents a novel ultraviolet (UV)-driven microvalve based on the concept of inserting a trimethyl chlorosilane (CTMS) modified TiO₂/SiO₂ composite patch of switchable wettability in a microfluidic system. A unique micro-nano hierarchical structure was designed and used to enhance the overall wetting contrast with the aim of improving the wetting-based valve performances. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to characterize the morphology and chemical composition of the surface. UV-driven wettability conversion on the patched microchannel was investigated using water column relative height tests, and the results confirmed the significant improvement of the hierarchical structure with the surface hydrophobic/hydrophilic conversion, which produced enhancements of 276% and 95% of the water-repellent and water-sucking pressures, respectively, compared with those of the single-scale TiO₂ nanopatterned structure. Accordingly, a good reversible and repeated on-off performance was identified by the valve tests, highlighting the potential application of the novel microvalve in the efficient control of microscale flow.

UV-driven microvalve based on a micro-nano TiO2/SiO2 composite surface for microscale flow control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Ting; Meng, Tao; Li, Wei; Qin, Jilong; Tong, Zhiping; Zhang, Qing; Li, Xueru

2014-03-01

This paper presents a novel ultraviolet (UV)-driven microvalve based on the concept of inserting a trimethyl chlorosilane (CTMS) modified TiO2/SiO2 composite patch of switchable wettability in a microfluidic system. A unique micro-nano hierarchical structure was designed and used to enhance the overall wetting contrast with the aim of improving the wetting-based valve performances. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to characterize the morphology and chemical composition of the surface. UV-driven wettability conversion on the patched microchannel was investigated using water column relative height tests, and the results confirmed the significant improvement of the hierarchical structure with the surface hydrophobic/hydrophilic conversion, which produced enhancements of 276% and 95% of the water-repellent and water-sucking pressures, respectively, compared with those of the single-scale TiO2 nanopatterned structure. Accordingly, a good reversible and repeated on-off performance was identified by the valve tests, highlighting the potential application of the novel microvalve in the efficient control of microscale flow.

Synthetic Vision Enhanced Surface Operations With Head-Worn Display for Commercial Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arthur, Jarvis J., III; Prinzel, Lawrence J., III; Shelton, Kevin J.; Kramer, Lynda J.; Williams, Steven P.; Bailey, Randall E.; Norman, R. M.

2007-01-01

Experiments and flight tests have shown that airport surface operations can be enhanced by using synthetic vision and associated technologies, employed on a Head-Up Display (HUD) and head-down display electronic moving maps (EMM). Although HUD applications have shown the greatest potential operational improvements, the research noted that two major limitations during ground operations were its monochrome form and limited, fixed field-of-regard. A potential solution to these limitations may be the application of advanced Head Worn Displays (HWDs) particularly during low-visibility operations wherein surface movement is substantially limited because of the impaired vision of pilots and air traffic controllers. The paper describes the results of ground simulation experiments conducted at the NASA Langley Research Center. The results of the experiments showed that the fully integrated HWD concept provided significantly improved path performance compared to using paper charts alone. When comparing the HWD and HUD concepts, there were no statistically-significant differences in path performance or subjective ratings of situation awareness and workload. Implications and directions for future research are described.

Nitride coating enhances endothelialization on biomedical NiTi shape memory alloy.

PubMed

Ion, Raluca; Luculescu, Catalin; Cimpean, Anisoara; Marx, Philippe; Gordin, Doina-Margareta; Gloriant, Thierry

2016-05-01

Surface nitriding was demonstrated to be an effective process for improving the biocompatibility of implantable devices. In this study, we investigated the benefits of nitriding the NiTi shape memory alloy for vascular stent applications. Results from cell experiments indicated that, compared to untreated NiTi, a superficial gas nitriding treatment enhanced the adhesion of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), cell spreading and proliferation. This investigation provides data to demonstrate the possibility of improving the rate of endothelialization on NiTi by means of nitride coating. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Method of improving field emission characteristics of diamond thin films

DOEpatents

Krauss, A.R.; Gruen, D.M.

1999-05-11

A method of preparing diamond thin films with improved field emission properties is disclosed. The method includes preparing a diamond thin film on a substrate, such as Mo, W, Si and Ni. An atmosphere of hydrogen (molecular or atomic) can be provided above the already deposited film to form absorbed hydrogen to reduce the work function and enhance field emission properties of the diamond film. In addition, hydrogen can be absorbed on intergranular surfaces to enhance electrical conductivity of the diamond film. The treated diamond film can be part of a microtip array in a flat panel display. 3 figs.

Method of improving field emission characteristics of diamond thin films

DOEpatents

Krauss, Alan R.; Gruen, Dieter M.

1999-01-01

A method of preparing diamond thin films with improved field emission properties. The method includes preparing a diamond thin film on a substrate, such as Mo, W, Si and Ni. An atmosphere of hydrogen (molecular or atomic) can be provided above the already deposited film to form absorbed hydrogen to reduce the work function and enhance field emission properties of the diamond film. In addition, hydrogen can be absorbed on intergranular surfaces to enhance electrical conductivity of the diamond film. The treated diamond film can be part of a microtip array in a flat panel display.

Graphene/CdTe heterostructure solar cell and its enhancement with photo-induced doping

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lin, Shisheng, E-mail: shishenglin@zju.edu.cn; Chen, Hongsheng; State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027

2015-11-09

We report a type of solar cell based on graphene/CdTe Schottky heterostructure, which can be improved by surface engineering as graphene is atomic thin. By coating a layer of ultrathin CdSe quantum dots onto graphene/CdTe heterostructure, the power conversion efficiency is increased from 2.08% to 3.10%. Photo-induced doping is mainly accounted for this enhancement, as evidenced by field effect transport, Raman, photoluminescence, and quantum efficiency measurements. This work demonstrates a feasible way of improving the performance of graphene/semiconductor heterostructure solar cells by combining one dimensional with two dimensional materials.

Effectiveness of surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy of tear fluid with soft substrate for point-of-care therapeutic drug monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamada, K.; Endo, T.; Imai, H.; Kido, M.; Jeong, H.; Ohno, Y.

2016-03-01

We have developed the point-of-care therapeutic drug monitoring kit based on Raman Spectroscopy of tear fluid. In this study, we were examined a soft substrate for an optimal lattice based on nanoimprint lithography using cyclo-olefin polymer to improve the sensitivity for measuring drug concentration in tear fluid. This is photonics crystal which is one of the nano-photonics based device was fabricated. Target is Sodium Phenobarbital which is an anticonvulsant agent. We show the effectiveness of Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy of tear fluid with soft substrate for point-of-care therapeutic drug monitoring.

In situ Silver Spot Preparation and on-Plate Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Detection in Thin Layer Chromatography Separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herman, K.; Mircescu, N. E.; Szabo, L.; Leopold, L. F.; Chiş, V.; Leopold, N.

2013-05-01

An improved approach for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection of mixture constituents after thin layer chromatography (TLC) separation is presented. A SERS active silver substrate was prepared under open air conditions, directly on the thin silica film by photo-reduction of silver nitrate, allowing the detection of binary mixtures of cresyl violet, bixine, crystal violet, and Cu(II) complex of 4-(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol. The recorded SERS spectrum provides a unique spectral fingerprint for each molecule; therefore the use of analyte standards is avoided, thus rendering the presented procedure advantageous compared to the conventional detection methodology in TLC.

Detection of swine-origin influenza A (H1N1) viruses using a paired surface plasma waves biosensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Li-Chen; Chang, Ying-Feng; Li, Ying-Chang; Hsieh, Jo-Ping; Lee, Cheng-Chung; Chou, Chien

2010-08-01

In order to enhance the sensitivity of conventional rapid test technique for the detection of swine-origin influenza A (H1N1) viruses (S-OIVs), we used a paired surface plasma waves biosensor (PSPWB) based on SPR in conjunction with an optical heterodyne technique. Experimentally, PSPWB showed a 125-fold improvement at least in the S-OIV detection as compared to conventional enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Moreover, the detection limit of the PSPWB for the S-OIV detection was enhanced 250-fold in buffer at least in comparison with that of conventional rapid influenza diagnostic test.

Redirecting adenovirus tropism by genetic, chemical, and mechanical modification of the adenovirus surface for cancer gene therapy.

PubMed

Yoon, A-Rum; Hong, Jinwoo; Kim, Sung Wan; Yun, Chae-Ok

2016-06-01

Despite remarkable advancements, clinical evaluations of adenovirus (Ad)-mediated cancer gene therapies have highlighted the need for improved delivery and targeting. Genetic modification of Ad capsid proteins has been extensively attempted. Although genetic modification enhances the therapeutic potential of Ad, it is difficult to successfully incorporate extraneous moieties into the capsid and the engineering process is laborious. Recently, chemical modification of the Ad surface with nanomaterials and targeting moieties has been found to enhance Ad internalization into the target by both passive and active mechanisms. Alternatively, external stimulus-mediated targeting can result in selective accumulation of Ad in the tumor and prevent dissemination of Ad into surrounding nontarget tissues. In the present review, we discuss various genetic, chemical, and mechanical engineering strategies for overcoming the challenges that hinder the therapeutic efficacy of Ad-based approaches. Surface modification of Ad by genetic, chemical, or mechanical engineering strategies enables Ad to overcome the shortcomings of conventional Ad and enhances delivery efficiency through distinct and unique mechanisms that unmodified Ad cannot mimic. However, although the therapeutic potential of Ad-mediated gene therapy has been enhanced by various surface modification strategies, each strategy still possesses innate limitations that must be addressed, requiring innovative ideas and designs.

Natural abundance 17O DNP two-dimensional and surface-enhanced NMR spectroscopy

DOE PAGES

Perras, Frédéric A.; Kobayashi, Takeshi; Pruski, Marek

2015-06-22

Due to its extremely low natural abundance and quadrupolar nature, the 17O nuclide is very rarely used for spectroscopic investigation of solids by NMR without isotope enrichment. Additionally, the applicability of dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP), which leads to sensitivity enhancements of 2 orders of magnitude, to 17O is wrought with challenges due to the lack of spin diffusion and low polarization transfer efficiency from 1H. Here, we demonstrate new DNP-based measurements that extend 17O solid-state NMR beyond its current capabilities. The use of the PRESTO technique instead of conventional 1H– 17O cross-polarization greatly improves the sensitivity and enables the facilemore » measurement of undistorted line shapes and two-dimensional 1H– 17O HETCOR NMR spectra as well as accurate internuclear distance measurements at natural abundance. This was applied for distinguishing hydrogen-bonded and lone 17O sites on the surface of silica gel; the one-dimensional spectrum of which could not be used to extract such detail. As a result, this greatly enhanced sensitivity has enabled, for the first time, the detection of surface hydroxyl sites on mesoporous silica at natural abundance, thereby extending the concept of DNP surface-enhanced NMR spectroscopy to the 17O nuclide.« less

Lithography process for patterning HgI2 photonic devices

DOEpatents

Mescher, Mark J.; James, Ralph B.; Hermon, Haim

2004-11-23

A photolithographic process forms patterns on HgI.sub.2 surfaces and defines metal sublimation masks and electrodes to substantially improve device performance by increasing the realizable design space. Techniques for smoothing HgI.sub.2 surfaces and for producing trenches in HgI.sub.2 are provided. A sublimation process is described which produces etched-trench devices with enhanced electron-transport-only behavior.

Tuning the relative concentration ratio of bulk defects to surface defects in TiO2 nanocrystals leads to high photocatalytic efficiency.

PubMed

Kong, Ming; Li, Yuanzhi; Chen, Xiong; Tian, Tingting; Fang, Pengfei; Zheng, Feng; Zhao, Xiujian

2011-10-19

TiO(2) nanocrystals with tunable bulk/surface defects were synthesized and characterized with TEM, XRD, BET, positron annihilation, and photocurrent measurements. The effect of defects on photocatalytic activity was studied. It was found for the first time that decreasing the relative concentration ratio of bulk defects to surface defects in TiO(2) nanocrystals could significantly improve the separation efficiency of photogenerated electrons and holes, thus significantly enhancing the photocatalytic efficiency.

Effects of ionic strength and sugars on the aggregation propensity of monoclonal antibodies: influence of colloidal and conformational stabilities.

PubMed

Saito, Shuntaro; Hasegawa, Jun; Kobayashi, Naoki; Tomitsuka, Toshiaki; Uchiyama, Susumu; Fukui, Kiichi

2013-05-01

To develop a general strategy for optimizing monoclonal antibody (MAb) formulations. Colloidal stabilities of four representative MAbs solutions were assessed based on the second virial coefficient (B 2) at 20°C and 40°C, and net charges at different NaCl concentrations, and/or in the presence of sugars. Conformational stabilities were evaluated from the unfolding temperatures. The aggregation propensities were determined at 40°C and after freeze-thawing. The electrostatic potential of antibody surfaces was simulated for the development of rational formulations. Similar B 2 values were obtained at 20°C and 40°C, implying little dependence on temperature. B 2 correlated quantitatively with aggregation propensities at 40°C. The net charge partly correlated with colloidal stability. Salts stabilized or destabilized MAbs, depending on repulsive or attractive interactions. Sugars improved the aggregation propensity under freeze-thaw stress through improved conformational stability. Uneven and even distributions of potential surfaces were attributed to attractive and strong repulsive electrostatic interactions. Assessment of colloidal stability at the lowest ionic strength is particularly effective for the development of formulations. If necessary, salts are added to enhance the colloidal stability. Sugars further improved aggregation propensities by enhancing conformational stability. These behaviors are rationally predictable according to the surface potentials of MAbs.

Gravitationally Driven Wicking for Enhanced Condensation Heat Transfer.

PubMed

Preston, Daniel J; Wilke, Kyle L; Lu, Zhengmao; Cruz, Samuel S; Zhao, Yajing; Becerra, Laura L; Wang, Evelyn N

2018-04-17

Vapor condensation is routinely used as an effective means of transferring heat or separating fluids. Filmwise condensation is prevalent in typical industrial-scale systems, where the condensed fluid forms a thin liquid film due to the high surface energy associated with many industrial materials. Conversely, dropwise condensation, where the condensate forms discrete liquid droplets which grow, coalesce, and shed, results in an improvement in heat transfer performance of an order of magnitude compared to filmwise condensation. However, current state-of-the-art dropwise technology relies on functional hydrophobic coatings, for example, long chain fatty acids or polymers, which are often not robust and therefore undesirable in industrial conditions. In addition, low surface tension fluid condensates, such as hydrocarbons, pose a unique challenge because common hydrophobic condenser coatings used to shed water (with a surface tension of 73 mN/m) often do not repel fluids with lower surface tensions (<25 mN/m). We demonstrate a method to enhance condensation heat transfer using gravitationally driven flow through a porous metal wick, which takes advantage of the condensate's affinity to wet the surface and also eliminates the need for condensate-phobic coatings. The condensate-filled wick has a lower thermal resistance than the fluid film observed during filmwise condensation, resulting in an improved heat transfer coefficient of up to an order of magnitude and comparable to that observed during dropwise condensation. The improved heat transfer realized by this design presents the opportunity for significant energy savings in natural gas processing, thermal management, heating and cooling, and power generation.

Biochar modification to enhance sorption of inorganics from water.

PubMed

Sizmur, Tom; Fresno, Teresa; Akgül, Gökçen; Frost, Harrison; Moreno-Jiménez, Eduardo

2017-12-01

Biochar can be used as a sorbent to remove inorganic pollutants from water but the efficiency of sorption can be improved by activation or modification. This review evaluates various methods to increase the sorption efficiency of biochar including activation with steam, acids and bases and the production of biochar-based composites with metal oxides, carbonaceous materials, clays, organic compounds, and biofilms. We describe the approaches, and explain how each modification alters the sorption capacity. Physical and chemical activation enhances the surface area or functionality of biochar, whereas modification to produce biochar-based composites uses the biochar as a scaffold to embed new materials to create surfaces with novel surface properties upon which inorganic pollutants can sorb. Many of these approaches enhance the retention of a wide range of inorganic pollutants in waters, but here we provide a comparative assessment for Cd 2+ , Cu 2+ , Hg 2+ , Pb 2+ , Zn 2+ , NH 4 + , NO 3 - , PO 4 3- , CrO 4 2- and AsO 4 3- . Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Polyvinylpyrrolidone- (PVP-) coated silver aggregates for high performance surface-enhanced Raman scattering in living cells.

PubMed

Tan, Xuebin; Wang, Zhuyuan; Yang, Jing; Song, Chunyuan; Zhang, Ruohu; Cui, Yiping

2009-11-04

A biocompatible and stable surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) probe has been successfully synthesized through a simple route with silver aggregates. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), a biocompatible polymer, was utilized to control the aggregation process and improve the chemical stability of the aggregates. Extinction spectroscopy and TEM results show the aggregation degree and core-shell structure of the probe. It is found that when we employ 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4MBA), crystal violet (CV), Rhodamine 6G (R6G) or 4,4'-bipyridine molecules as Raman reporters, the SERS signal from the proposed probe can remain at a high level under aggressive chemical environments, even after being incorporated into living cells. In comparison with the traditional probes without the PVP shell, the new ones exhibit strong surface-enhanced effects and low toxicity towards living cells. We demonstrate that the PVP-coated silver aggregates are highly SERS effective, for which the fabrication protocol is advantageous in its simplicity and reproducibility.

Fabrication of (NH4)2S passivated GaAs metal-insulator-semiconductor devices using low-frequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaouad, A.; Aimez, V.; Aktik, Ç.; Bellatreche, K.; Souifi, A.

2004-05-01

Metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) capacitors were fabricated on n-GaAs(100) substrate using (NH4)2S surface passivation and low-frequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposited silicon nitride as gate insulators. The electrical properties of the fabricated MIS capacitors were analyzed using high-frequency capacitance-voltage and conductance-voltage measurements. The high concentration of hydrogen present during low-frequency plasma deposition of silicon nitride enhances the passivation of GaAs surface, leading to the unpinning of the Fermi level and to a good modulation of the surface potential by gate voltage. The electrical properties of the insulator-semiconductor interface are improved after annealing at 450 °C for 60 s, as a significant reduction of the interface fixed charges and of the interface states density is put into evidence. The minimum interface states density was found to be about 3×1011 cm-2 eV-1, as estimated by the Terman method. .

Enhancement of phytoplankton chlorophyll by submesoscale frontal dynamics in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre.

PubMed

Liu, Xiao; Levine, Naomi M

2016-02-28

Subtropical gyres contribute significantly to global ocean productivity. As the climate warms, the strength of these gyres as a biological carbon pump is predicted to diminish due to increased stratification and depleted surface nutrients. We present results suggesting that the impact of submesoscale physics on phytoplankton in the oligotrophic ocean is substantial and may either compensate or exacerbate future changes in carbon cycling. A new statistical tool was developed to quantify surface patchiness from sea surface temperatures. Chlorophyll concentrations in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre were shown to be enhanced by submesoscale frontal dynamics with an average increase of 38% (maximum of 83%) during late winter. The magnitude of this enhancement is comparable to the observed decline in chlorophyll due to a warming of ~1.1°C. These results highlight the need for an improved understanding of fine-scale physical variability in order to predict the response of marine ecosystems to projected climate changes.

Enhancement of phytoplankton chlorophyll by submesoscale frontal dynamics in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xiao; Levine, Naomi M.

2016-02-01

Subtropical gyres contribute significantly to global ocean productivity. As the climate warms, the strength of these gyres as a biological carbon pump is predicted to diminish due to increased stratification and depleted surface nutrients. We present results suggesting that the impact of submesoscale physics on phytoplankton in the oligotrophic ocean is substantial and may either compensate or exacerbate future changes in carbon cycling. A new statistical tool was developed to quantify surface patchiness from sea surface temperatures. Chlorophyll concentrations in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre were shown to be enhanced by submesoscale frontal dynamics with an average increase of 38% (maximum of 83%) during late winter. The magnitude of this enhancement is comparable to the observed decline in chlorophyll due to a warming of ~1.1°C. These results highlight the need for an improved understanding of fine-scale physical variability in order to predict the response of marine ecosystems to projected climate changes.

High-contrast fluorescence imaging based on the polarization dependence of the fluorescence enhancement using an optical interference mirror slide.

PubMed

Yasuda, Mitsuru; Akimoto, Takuo

2015-01-01

High-contrast fluorescence imaging using an optical interference mirror (OIM) slide that enhances the fluorescence from a fluorophore located on top of the OIM surface is reported. To enhance the fluorescence and reduce the background light of the OIM, transverse-electric-polarized excitation light was used as incident light, and the transverse-magnetic-polarized fluorescence signal was detected. As a result, an approximate 100-fold improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio was achieved through a 13-fold enhancement of the fluorescence signal and an 8-fold reduction of the background light.

SU-E-T-82: Comparison of Several Lumbar Intervertebral Fusion Titanium Cages with Respect to Their Backscattering Properties

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Failing, T; Chofor, N; Poppinga, D

Purpose: Investigating the backscatter dose factor with regards to structure and geometry of the surface material. Methods: The titanium cages used for this study representing both prototypes and well established products are made of a laser-sintered titanium alloy (AditusV GmbH, Berlin, Germany). A set of four radiochromic EBT3 films was used in a stacked geometry to measure the range and the magnitude of the expected surface dose enhancement due to the in comparison to water increased secondary electron release from the material. The measurement geometry and the small thickness of radiochromic EBT3 film allowed the dose measurement at distances ofmore » 0.1 mm, 0.9 mm, 1.7 mm and 2.5 mm from the probe surfaces. Water reference measurements were taken under equal conditions, in order to allow the calculation of the relative dose enhancement at the surface of a probe. Measurements were performed within a water phantom. An Epson Expression 10000 XL flatbed scanner was used for digitization. Results: Sintered titanium showed a dose enhancement factor of 1.22 at the surface of the material. The factor can be reduced to less than 1.10 by utilizing mesh structures. In both cases, the dose enhancement factor decreased to less than 1.03 at a distance of 1.7mm indicating the low energy of scattered electrons. Conclusion: Backscattering of titanium cages should be considered in treatment planning, especially when the cages are located close to organs at risk. While mesh structures were introduced to improve bone fusion with the implant structure, the potentially harmful surface dose enhancement is significantly reduced.« less

Improving the Fatigue Crack Propagation Resistance and Damage Tolerance of 2524-T3 Alloy with Amorphous Electroless Ni-P Coating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Lai; Zeng, Diping; Liu, Zhiyi; Bai, Song; Li, Junlin

2018-02-01

The surface microhardness, as well as the fatigue crack propagation (FCP) resistance of 2524-T3 alloy, is improved by producing a 20-μm-thick amorphous electroless Ni-12% P coating on its surface. Compared to the substrate, this deposited EN coating possesses higher strength properties and exhibits a greater ability of accommodating the plastic deformation at the fatigue crack tip, thereby remarkably improving the FCP resistance in near-threshold and early Paris regimes. Regardless of the similar FCP rates in Paris regime (Δ K ≥ 16.2 MPa m0.5), the coated sample exhibits extended Paris regime and enhanced damage tolerance.

Future Bearing Surfaces in Total Hip Arthroplasty

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

One of the most important issues in the modern total hip arthroplasty (THA) is the bearing surface. Extensive research on bearing surfaces is being conducted to seek an ideal bearing surface for THA. The ideal bearing surface for THA should have superior wear characteristics and should be durable, bio-inert, cost-effective, and easy to implant. However, bearing surfaces that are currently being implemented do not completely fulfill these requirements, especially for young individuals for whom implant longevity is paramount. Even though various new bearing surfaces have been investigated, research is still ongoing, and only short-term results have been reported from clinical trials. Future bearing surfaces can be developed in the following ways: (1) change in design, (2) further improvement of polyethylene, (3) surface modification of the metal, (4) improvement in the ceramic, and (5) use of alternative, new materials. One way to reduce wear and impingement in THA is to make changes in its design by using a large femoral head, a monobloc metal shell with preassembled ceramic liner, dual mobility cups, a combination of different bearing surfaces, etc. Polyethylene has improved over time with the development of highly crosslinked polyethylene. Further improvements can be made by reinforcing it with vitamin E or multiwalled carbon nanotubes and by performing a surface modification with a biomembrane. Surface modifications with titanium nitride or titanium niobium nitride are implemented to try to improve the metal bearings. The advance to the fourth generation ceramics has shown relatively promising results, even in young patients. Nevertheless, further improvement is required to reduce fragility and squeaking. Alternative materials like diamond coatings on surfaces, carbon based composite materials, oxidized zirconium, silicon nitride, and sapphire are being sought. However, long-term studies are necessary to confirm the efficacy of these surfaces after enhancements have been made with regard to fixation technique and implant quality. PMID:24605198

Laser-Based Surface Modification of Microstructure for Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Plastics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Wenfeng; Sun, Ting; Cao, Yu; Li, Shaolong; Liu, Chang; Tang, Qingru

2018-05-01

Bonding repair is a powerful feature of carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP). Based on the theory of interface bonding, the interface adhesion strength and reliability of the CFRP structure will be directly affected by the microscopic features of the CFRP surface, including the microstructure, physical, and chemical characteristics. In this paper, laser-based surface modification was compared to Peel-ply, grinding, and polishing to comparatively evaluate the surface microstructure of CFRP. The surface microstructure, morphology, fiber damage, height and space parameters were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and laser confocal microscopy (LCM). Relative to the conventional grinding process, laser modification of the CFRP surface can result in more uniform resin removal and better processing control and repeatability. This decreases the adverse impact of surface fiber fractures and secondary damage. The surface properties were significantly optimized, which has been reflected such things as the obvious improvement of surface roughness, microstructure uniformity, and actual area. The improved surface microstructure based on laser modification is more conducive to interface bonding of CFRP structure repair. This can enhance the interfacial adhesion strength and reliability of repair.

Physics of microstructures enhancement of thin film evaporation heat transfer in microchannels flow boiling

PubMed Central

Bigham, Sajjad; Fazeli, Abdolreza; Moghaddam, Saeed

2017-01-01

Performance enhancement of the two-phase flow boiling heat transfer process in microchannels through implementation of surface micro- and nanostructures has gained substantial interest in recent years. However, the reported results range widely from a decline to improvements in performance depending on the test conditions and fluid properties, without a consensus on the physical mechanisms responsible for the observed behavior. This gap in knowledge stems from a lack of understanding of the physics of surface structures interactions with microscale heat and mass transfer events involved in the microchannel flow boiling process. Here, using a novel measurement technique, the heat and mass transfer process is analyzed within surface structures with unprecedented detail. The local heat flux and dryout time scale are measured as the liquid wicks through surface structures and evaporates. The physics governing heat transfer enhancement on textured surfaces is explained by a deterministic model that involves three key parameters: the drying time scale of the liquid film wicking into the surface structures (τd), the heating length scale of the liquid film (δH) and the area fraction of the evaporating liquid film (Ar). It is shown that the model accurately predicts the optimum spacing between surface structures (i.e. pillars fabricated on the microchannel wall) in boiling of two fluids FC-72 and water with fundamentally different wicking characteristics. PMID:28303952

Designs for improving electromagnetic acoustic transducers’ excitation performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Jianpeng; Xu, Ke; Ren, Weiping

2018-06-01

The main drawback of electromagnetic acoustic transducers (EMATs) is their low energy transition efficiency. For the purpose of increasing the amplitude of the received signal, a ferrite core (FC) and a bias magnet (BM) are utilized respectively to improve the EMAT’s excitation performance in this paper. It indicates that the new configurations can increase the peak-to-peak amplitude of the received signal by a factor of 2.7 and 2.9, respectively. The reasons for the signal enhancement are also investigated through simulation and experimental methods. For the FC EMAT, improvement is achieved due to the enhancement of the dynamic magnetic field and the increase of coil inductance. In comparison, the change of the magnetostrictive transduction mechanism leads to the signal enhancement for the BM EMAT. The bias magnet magnetized the surface of the steel plate, which changes the signal excitation mechanism from domain wall movement to reversible domain rotations.

MSR performance enhancements and modifications at St. Lucie Power Plant

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rubano, V.F.; Ugelow, A.G.; Menocal, A.G.

1989-01-01

The St. Lucie Power Plant provides an excellent historical prospective on various moisture separator/reheater improvements. Between the two essentially identical units there is a total of 14 years of operating experience with various moisture separator/reheater configurations, with a combination of four different heat transfer surfaces and three moisture removal configurations. Through various modifications and enhancements, the performance and the reliability of the moisture separator/reheaters at the St. Lucie Power Plant and consequently the overall plant performance has been improved. This improvement has taken place over several years and involves changes in both the heat transfer and moisture removal areas. Thismore » paper provides an overview of the history and description of moisture separator/reheater modifications at the St. Lucie Power Plant with the resulting performance improvements.« less

Stabilization of surface-immobilized enzymes using grafted polymers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moskovitz, Yevgeny; Srebnik, Simcha

2004-03-01

Vast research efforts focus on improving the biocompatibility and biofunctionality of surfaces for artificial implants and organs. A relatively successful approach involves grafting of polymer (usually PEG) on the artificial surface, which significantly improves its biocompatibility. In addition, positioning enzymes on or in the vicinity of the surface can significantly enhance bioseparation processes. However, the catalytic activity of the anchored enzyme is often drastically impaired by the nonnatural environment, leading to loss of activity and denaturation. We study protein adsorption and stabilization by grafted polymers using a mean-field lattice model. The model protein is designed as a compact HP with a specific bulk conformation reproducing a catalytic cleft of natural enzymes. Using hydrophilic grafted polymers of tailored length and density, we show that the conformation as well as hydrophobic and active centers of the model enzyme can be restored. This research is inspired by the problem of biocompatibility and biofunctionality of surfaces for artificial implants and organs.

Modification of implant material surface properties by means of oxide nano-structured coatings deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Safonov, Vladimir; Zykova, Anna; Smolik, Jerzy; Rogowska, Renata; Lukyanchenko, Vladimir; Kolesnikov, Dmitrii

2014-08-01

The deposition of functional coatings on the metal surface of artificial joints is an effective way of enhancing joint tribological characteristics. It is well-known that nanostructured oxide coatings have specific properties advantageous for future implant applications. In the present study, we measured the high hardness parameters, the adhesion strength and the low friction coefficient of the oxide magnetron sputtered coatings. The corrosion test results show that the oxide coating deposition had improved the corrosion resistance by a factor of ten for both stainless steel and titanium alloy substrates. Moreover, the hydrophilic nature of coated surfaces in comparison with the metal ones was investigated in the tensiometric tests. The surfaces with nanostructured oxide coatings demonstrated improved biocompatibility for in vitro and in vivo tests, attributed to the high dielectric constants and the high values of the surface free energy parameters.

Laser-modified titanium surfaces enhance the osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells.

PubMed

Bressel, Tatiana A B; de Queiroz, Jana Dara Freires; Gomes Moreira, Susana Margarida; da Fonseca, Jéssyca T; Filho, Edson A; Guastaldi, Antônio Carlos; Batistuzzo de Medeiros, Silvia Regina

2017-11-28

Titanium surfaces have been modified by various approaches with the aim of improving the stimulation of osseointegration. Laser beam (Yb-YAG) treatment is a controllable and flexible approach to modifying surfaces. It creates a complex surface topography with micro and nano-scaled patterns, and an oxide layer that can improve the osseointegration of implants, increasing their usefulness as bone implant materials. Laser beam irradiation at various fluences (132, 210, or 235 J/cm 2 ) was used to treat commercially pure titanium discs to create complex surface topographies. The titanium discs were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and measurement of contact angles. The surface generated at a fluence of 235 J/cm 2 was used in the biological assays. The behavior of mesenchymal stem cells from an umbilical cord vein was evaluated using a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, a mineralization assay, and an alkaline phosphatase activity assay and by carrying out a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction for osteogenic markers. CHO-k1 cells were also exposed to titanium discs in the MTT assay. The best titanium surface was that produced by laser beam irradiation at 235 J/cm 2 fluence. Cell proliferation analysis revealed that the CHO-k1 and mesenchymal stem cells behaved differently. The laser-processed titanium surface increased the proliferation of CHO-k1 cells, reduced the proliferation of mesenchymal stem cells, upregulated the expression of the osteogenic markers, and enhanced alkaline phosphatase activity. The laser-treated titanium surface modulated cellular behavior depending on the cell type, and stimulated osteogenic differentiation. This evidence supports the potential use of laser-processed titanium surfaces as bone implant materials, and their use in regenerative medicine could promote better outcomes.

Efficacies of roadway safety improvements across functional subclasses of rural two-lane highways.

PubMed

Labi, Samuel

2011-08-01

Highway crash occurrence is a leading cause of unnatural deaths, and highway agencies continually seek to identify engineering measures to reduce crashes and to assess the efficacy of such measures. Most past studies on the effectiveness of roadway improvements in terms of crash reduction considered all rural two-lane sections as a single category of roads. However, it may be hypothesized that the differences in the mobility and accessibility characteristics that are reflected in (and due to) the different design standards between different functional subclasses in the rural two-lane highway system can lead to differences in efficacies of safety improvements at these subclasses. This paper investigates the efficacy of roadway improvements, in terms of crash reduction, at the various subclasses of rural two-lane highways. An empirical analysis of safety performance at each of the three subclasses of rural two-lane highways was carried out using the negative binomial modeling technique. For each subclass, crash prediction models were developed separately for the three levels of crash severity: property-damage only, injury, and fatal/injury. The crash factors that were considered include lane width, shoulder width, pavement surface friction, pavement condition, and horizontal and vertical alignments. After having developed the safety performance functions, the effectiveness (in terms of the extent of crash reduction, for different levels of crash severity) of highway safety enhancements at each highway subclass were determined using the theoretical concepts established in past literature. These enhancements include widening lanes, widening shoulders, enhancing pavement surface friction, and improving the vertical or horizontal alignment. The study found that there is empirical evidence to justify the decomposition of the family of rural two-lane roads into its constituent subclasses for purposes of analyzing the effectiveness of safety enhancement projects and thus to avoid underestimation or overestimation of benefits of safety improvements at this class of highways. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electronic structure of BaO/W cathode surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Muller, Wolfgang

1989-01-01

The local electronic structure of the emissive layer of barium dispenser thermionic cathodes is investigated theoretically using the relativistic scattered-wave approach. The interaction of Ba and O with W, Os, and W-Os alloy surfaces is studied with atomic clusters modeling different absorption environments representative of B- and M-type cathodes. Ba is found to be strongly oxidized, while O and the metal substrate are in a reduced chemical state. The presence of O enhances the surface dipole and Ba binding energy relative to Ba on W. Model results for W-Os alloy substrates show only relatively small changes in Ba and O for identical geometries, but very large charge redistributions inside the substrate, which are attributed to the electronegativity difference between Os and W. If Os is present in the surface layer, the charge transfer from Ba to the substrate and the Ba binding energy increase relative to W. Explanations are offered for the improved electron emission from alloy surfaces and the different emission enhancement for different alloy substrates.

Recent Advances in the Study of Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-01-01

Bacterial Behavior During Biofouling of Surfaces. Proceedings of Biofouling/ Biocorrosion in Water Systems (1992 Symposium American Chemical Society...Enhancement of Biocide Action for Improved Biofouling and Biocorrosion Con- trol. Proceedings of BiofoulinglBiocorrosion in Water Systems (1992 Symposium

Analysis of the influence of chemical treatment to the strength and surface roughness of FDM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hambali, R. H.; Cheong, K. M.; Azizan, N.

2017-06-01

The applications of Additive Manufacturing (AM) technology have a greater functionality and wider range of application beyond an intention of prototyping. AM is the process of joining materials to form objects from Computer-Aided Design (CAD) models via layer upon layer process. One of AM technologies is the Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM), which use an extrusion method to create a part. FDM has been applied in many manufacturing applications includes an end-used parts. However, FDM tends to have bad surface quality due to staircase effect and post treatment is required. This chemical treatment is one of a way to improve the surface roughness of FDM fabricated parts. This method is one of economical and faster method. In order to enhance the surface finish of Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS) FDM parts by performing chemical treatment in an acetone solution as acetone has very low toxicity, high diffusion and low cost chemical solution. Therefore, the aim of this research is to investigate the influence of chemical treatment to the FDM used part in terms of surface roughness as well as the strength. In this project, ten specimens of standard ASTM D638 dogbone specimens have been fabricated using MOJO 3D printer. Five specimens from the dogbone were tested for surface roughness and tensile testing while another five were immersed in the chemical solution before the same testing. Based on results, the surface roughness of chemically treated dogbone has dramatically improved, compared to untreated dogbone with 97.2% of improvement. However, in term of strength, the tensile strength of dogbone is reduced 42.58% due to the rearrange of material properties and chemical effects to the joining of the filaments. In conclusion, chemical treatment is an economical and sustainable approach to enhance the surface quality of AM parts.

Vibration-enhanced posture stabilization achieved by tactile supplementation: may blind individuals get extra benefits?

PubMed

Magalhães, Fernando Henrique; Kohn, André Fabio

2011-08-01

Diminished balance ability poses a serious health risk due to the increased likelihood of falling, and impaired postural stability is significantly associated with blindness and poor vision. Noise stimulation (by improving the detection of sub-threshold somatosensory information) and tactile supplementation (i.e., additional haptic information provided by an external contact surface) have been shown to improve the performance of the postural control system. Moreover, vibratory noise added to the source of tactile supplementation (e.g., applied to a surface that the fingertip touches) has been shown to enhance balance stability more effectively than tactile supplementation alone. In view of the above findings, in addition to the well established consensus that blind subjects show superior abilities in the use of tactile information, we hypothesized that blind subjects may take extra benefits from the vibratory noise added to the tactile supplementation and hence show greater improvements in postural stability than those observed for sighted subjects. If confirmed, this hypothesis may lay the foundation for the development of noise-based assistive devices (e.g., canes, walking sticks) for improving somatosensation and hence prevent falls in blind individuals. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

RF dual-gate-trench LDMOS on InGaAs with improved performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Payal, M.; Singh, Y.

2018-02-01

A new power dual-gate-trench LDMOSFET (DGTLDMOS) structure implemented on emerging InGaAs material is proposed. The proposed device consists of two gates out of which one gate is placed horizontally on the surface while other gate is located vertically in a trench. The dual-gate structure of DGTLDMOS creates two channels in p-base which carry current simultaneously from drain to source. This not only enhances the drain current (ID) but also reduces specific on-resistance (Ron,sp) and improves the peak transconductance (gm) resulting higher cut-off frequency (fT) and maximum oscillation frequency (fmax). Another trench filled with Al2O3 is placed in the drift region between gate and drain to enhance reduced-surface-field effect leading to higher breakdown voltage (Vbr) even at increased drift region doping. Based on 2D simulations, it is demonstrate that a DGTLDMOS designed for Vbr of 90 V achieves 2.2 times higher ID, 10 times reduction in Ron,sp, 1.8 times improvement in gm, 2.8 times increase in fT, and 1.8 times improvement in fmax with 3.3 times reduction in cell pitch as compared to the conventional LDMOS.

Dielectric Property Enhancement in Polymer Composites with Engineered Interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krentz, Timothy Michael

This thesis reports studies into the dielectric behavior of polymer composites filled with silica nanoparticles. The permittivity and dielectric breakdown strength (DBS) of these materials are critical to their performance in insulating applications such as high voltage power transmission. Until now, the mechanisms which lead to improvements in DBS in these systems have been poorly understood, in part because the effects of dispersion of the filler and the filler's surface electronic characteristics have been confused. The new surface modifications created in this thesis permit these two parameters to be addressed independently, leading to the hypothesis that nanocomposite dielectric materials exhibit DBS enhancement when electron avalanches are prevented from proceeding to reach a critical size capable of causing failure. The same control of dispersion and surface properties also lead to changes in the permittivity of the composite based upon the polarizability and trapping behavior of the filler. In this work, the dispersion and surface states of silica nanoparticles were independently controlled with two separate populations of surface molecules. Two matrix materials were studied, and in each system, a different, matrix-compatible long chain polymer is required to control dispersion. Conversely, a second population of short molecules is shown to be capable of creating electronic traps associated with the silica nanoparticle surface which lead to DBS enhancements largely independent of the matrix, indicating that the same failure mechanism is operating in both epoxy and polypropylene. Progressive variation in dispersion quality is attained with this surface modification scheme. This creates progressively smaller volumes of matrix polymer unaffected by the filler. This work shows that when these volumes approach and become smaller than the same scale as predicted for electron avalanches, the greatest changes in DBS are seen. Likewise, the plateau behavior of this data implicates that the DBS improvements occur as avalanches are halted in their early phases by the filler, before sufficiently energy can be gathered to damage the matrix. These data indicate that avalanche sizes on the order of 150 nm are sufficient to lead to failure. Furthermore, the depths of the traps induced by small molecules on the silica surface are shown to relate to the DBS enhancement obtained for well dispersed fillers based upon the ability of these localized traps to absorb the energy gathered by growing avalanches.

Nitriding of super alloys for enhancing physical properties

DOEpatents

Purohit, Ankur

1986-01-01

The invention teaches the improvement of certain super alloys by exposing the alloy to an atmosphere of elemental nitrogen at elevated temperatures in excess of 750.degree. C. but less than 1150.degree. C. for an extended duration, viz., by nitriding the surface of the alloy, to establish barrier nitrides of the order of 25-100 micrometers thickness. These barrier nitrides appear to shield the available oxidizing metallic species of the alloy for up to a sixfold improved resistance against oxidation and also appear to impede egress of surface dislocations for increased fatigue and creep strengths.

Megasonic cleaning strategy for sub-10nm photomasks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, Jyh-Wei; Samayoa, Martin; Dress, Peter; Dietze, Uwe; Ma, Ai-Jay; Lin, Chia-Shih; Lai, Rick; Chang, Peter; Tuo, Laurent

2016-10-01

One of the main challenges in photomask cleaning is balancing particle removal efficiency (PRE) with pattern damage control. To overcome this challenge, a high frequency megasonic cleaning strategy is implemented. Apart from megasonic frequency and power, photomask surface conditioning also influences cleaning performance. With improved wettability, cleanliness is enhanced while pattern damage risk is simultaneously reduced. Therefore, a particle removal process based on higher megasonic frequencies, combined with proper surface pre-treatment, provides improved cleanliness without the unintended side effects of pattern damage, thus supporting the extension of megasonic cleaning technology into 10nm half pitch (hp) device node and beyond.

Foliar penetration enhanced by biosurfactant rhamnolipid.

PubMed

Liu, Haojing; Shao, Bing; Long, Xuwei; Yao, Yang; Meng, Qin

2016-09-01

With recent environmental and health concerns, biosurfactants have obtained increasing interest in replacing conventional surfactants for diverse applications. In agriculture, the use of surfactant in stimulating foliar uptake is mainly for wetting leaf surface, resisting deposition/evaporation, enhancing penetration across cuticular membrane (CM) and translocation. This paper aimed to address the improved foliar uptake by rhamnolipid (RL) in comparison with the currently used alkyl polyglucoside (APG). As found, compared with APG at 900mg/L (1×critical micellar concentration, CMC), RL at a much lower concentration of 50mg/L (1×CMC) showed much better wettability and surface activity, indicative of its high effectiveness as surfactants. Its performance on resistance to deposition and evaporation was at least as same as APG. Moreover, RL could significantly improve the penetration of herbicide glyphosate and other two small water-soluble molecules (phenol red and Fe(2+)) across CM at an equivalent efficiency as APG at 1×CMC. Finally, the greatly enhanced herbicidal actitivity of glyphosate on greenhouse plants confirmed that RL and APG could both enhance the foliar uptake including translocation. Overall, RL should be more applicable than APG in agriculture due to its more promising properties on health/environmental friendliness. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An investigation into the mechanism for enhanced mechanical properties in friction stir welded AA2024-T3 joints coated with cold spraying

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, N.; Li, W. Y.; Yang, X. W.; Feng, Y.; Vairis, A.

2018-05-01

Using cold spraying (CS), a surface layer with a modified microstructure and enhanced mechanical properties was formed on a 3.2 mm thick friction stir welded (FSWed) AA2024-T3 joint. The combined effect of "shot peening effect (SPE)" and "heat flow effect (HFE)" during CS were used to enhance joint mechanical properties. The microstructure evolution of the FSWed AA2024-T3 joints in the surface layer following CS coatings and their effect on mechanical properties were systematically characterized with electron back-scattered diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and mechanical tests. Based on these experiments, a grain refinement, finer and more S phases, and improved amount of Guinier-Preston-Bagaryatsky (GPB) zones produced by CS treatments are proposed. The deposition of aluminum coating on the joint, lead to hardness recovery in the stir zone and the development of two low hardness zones as the density of GPB increased. The tensile properties of FSWed AA2024-T3 joints improved with the application of the aluminum coatings. Experiments and analysis of the enhanced mechanical properties mechanism indicate that SPE with a high plastic deformation and HFE with an intensive heat flow are necessary for the production of refined grains and increased numbers of GPB zones.

Enhanced chlorhexidine skin penetration with eucalyptus oil

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Chlorhexidine digluconate (CHG) is a widely used skin antiseptic, however it poorly penetrates the skin, limiting its efficacy against microorganisms residing beneath the surface layers of skin. The aim of the current study was to improve the delivery of chlorhexidine digluconate (CHG) when used as a skin antiseptic. Method Chlorhexidine was applied to the surface of donor skin and its penetration and retention under different conditions was evaluated. Skin penetration studies were performed on full-thickness donor human skin using a Franz diffusion cell system. Skin was exposed to 2% (w/v) CHG in various concentrations of eucalyptus oil (EO) and 70% (v/v) isopropyl alcohol (IPA). The concentration of CHG (μg/mg of skin) was determined to a skin depth of 1500 μm by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results The 2% (w/v) CHG penetration into the lower layers of skin was significantly enhanced in the presence of EO. Ten percent (v/v) EO in combination with 2% (w/v) CHG in 70% (v/v) IPA significantly increased the amount of CHG which penetrated into the skin within 2 min. Conclusion The delivery of CHG into the epidermis and dermis can be enhanced by combination with EO, which in turn may improve biocide contact with additional microorganisms present in the skin, thereby enhancing antisepsis. PMID:20860796

Morphological effects of MMPs inhibitors on the dentin bonding

PubMed Central

Li, He; Li, Tianbo; Li, Xiuying; Zhang, Zhimin; Li, Penglian; Li, Zhenling

2015-01-01

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been studied extensively, and MMP inhibitors have been used as dental pretreatment agents prior to dentin bonding because they reduce collagen fiber degradation and improve bonding strength. However, morphologic characteristics of the collagen network after etching and of the post-adhesive dentin hybrid layers (DHL) after MMP inhibitors pretreatment have not been evaluated. Thus, we investigated demineralized dentin pretreated with chlorhexidine (CHX) and minocycline (MI) in an etch- and -rinse adhesive system with field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and immuno-gold labeling markers to observe the collagen network and DHL. FESEM revealed after CHX and MI, a demineralized dentin surface and improved collagen network formation, reduced collagen degradation, and distinct gold-labeling signals. Applying adhesive after either MMP inhibitor created a better dentin interface as evidenced by immuno-gold staining, better adhesive penetration, and higher DHL quality. With microtensile bond strength tests (µTBS) we estimated bonding strength using µTBS data. Immediate µTBS was enhanced with MMP inhibitor application to the bonding surface, and the CHX group was significantly different than non-treated etched surfaces, but no significant change was detected in the MI group. Surface micromorphology of the fractured dentin resin restoration showed that the CHX group had a better resin and dentin tube combination. Both MMP inhibitors created uniform resin coverage. Thus, morphologic results and µTBS data suggest that CHX and MI can inhibit MMP activity, improve immediate bonding strength, and enhance dentin bonding stability with an etch- and -rinse adhesive system. PMID:26379873

Improvement of charge separation in TiO{sub 2} by its modification with different tungsten compounds

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tryba, B., E-mail: beata.tryba@zut.edu.pl; Tygielska, M.; Grzeskowiak, M.

2016-04-15

Highlights: • Ammonium m-tungstate doped to TiO{sub 2} highly improved charge separation in TiO{sub 2}. • Negative electrokinetic potential of TiO{sub 2} facilitates holes migration to its surface. • Fast migration of holes to TiO{sub 2} surfaces increased yield of OH radicals formation. • Adsorption of dyes on photocatalyst increased its decomposition under visible light. - Abstract: Three different tungsten precursors were used for TiO{sub 2} modification: H{sub 2}WO{sub 4}, WO{sub 2}, and ammonium m-tungstate. It was proved that modification of TiO{sub 2} with tungsten compounds enhanced its photocatalytic activity through the improvement of charge separation. This effect was obtainedmore » by coating of TiO{sub 2} particles with tungsten compound, which changed their surficial electrokinetical potential from positive onto negative. The most efficient tungsten compound, which caused enhanced separation of free carriers was ammonium m-tungstate (AMT). Two dyes with different ionic potential were used for the photocatalytic decomposition. It appeared that cationic dye—Methylene Blue was highly adsorbed on the negatively charged surface of TiO{sub 2} modified by AMT and decomposed, however this photocatalyst was quickly deactivated whereas anionic dye—acid red was better adsorbed on the less acidic surface of TiO{sub 2} and was rapidly decomposed with almost the same rate in the five following cycles.« less

Surface functionalized magnetic nanoparticles for cancer therapy applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wydra, Robert John

Despite recent advances, cancer remains the second leading cause of deaths in the United States. Magnetic nanoparticles have found various applications in cancer research as drug delivery platforms, enhanced contrast agents for improved diagnostic imaging, and the delivery of thermal energy as standalone therapy. Iron oxide nanoparticles absorb the energy from an alternating magnetic field and convert it into heat through Brownian and Neel relaxations. To better utilize magnetic nanoparticles for cancer therapy, surface functionalization is essential for such factors as decreasing cytotoxicity of healthy tissue, extending circulation time, specific targeting of cancer cells, and manage the controlled delivery of therapeutics. In the first study, iron oxide nanoparticles were coated with a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) based polymer shell. The PEG coating was selected to prevent protein adsorption and thus improve circulation time and minimize host response to the nanoparticles. Thermal therapy application feasibility was demonstrated in vitro with a thermoablation study on lung carcinoma cells. Building on the thermal therapy demonstration with iron oxide nanoparticles, the second area of work focused on intracellular delivery. Nanoparticles can be appropriately tailored to enter the cell and deliver energy on the nanoscale eliminating individual cancer cells. The underlying mechanism of action is still under study, and we were interested in determining the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) catalytically generated from the surface of iron oxide nanoparticles in this measured cytotoxicity. When exposed to an AMF, the nanoscale heating effects are capable of enhancing the Fenton-like generation of ROS determined through a methylene blue degradation assay. To deliver this enhanced ROS effect to cells, monosaccharide coated nanoparticles were developed and successfully internalized by colon cancer cell lines. Upon AMF exposure, there was a measured increase in cellular ROS and apoptosis that was attributed to lysosomal disruption since the surface functionalization selected inhibited the Fenton-like surface chemistry. To overcome this surface inhibition, a biodegradable poly(beta-amino ester) (PBAE) polymer coating was synthesized to deliver bare iron oxide to intracellular components. Delivering enhanced ROS to cancer cells is a promising new route of therapy that deserves future studies.

Ultrafast carrier dynamics and optical pumping of lasing from Ar-plasma treated ZnO nanoribbons

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sarkar, Ketaki; Mukherjee, Souvik; Wiederrecht, Gary

We report that it is a well-known fact that ZnO has been one of the most studied wide bandgap II-VI materials by the scientific community specifically due to its potential for being used as exciton-related optical devices. Hence, realizing ways to increase the efficiency of these devices is important. We discuss a plasma treatment technique to enhance the near-band-edge (NBE) excitonic emission from ZnO based nanoribbons. We observed an enhancement of the NBE peak and simultaneous quenching of the visible emission peak resulting from the removal of surface traps on these ZnO nanoribbons. More importantly, we report here the associatedmore » ultrafast carrier dynamics resulting from this surface treatment. Femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy was performed using pump-probe differential transmission measurements shedding new light on these improved dynamics with faster relaxation times. The knowledge obtained is important for improving the application of ZnO based optoelectronic devices. Finally, we also observed how these improved carrier dynamics have a direct effect on the threshold and efficiency of random lasing from the material.« less

Ultrafast carrier dynamics and optical pumping of lasing from Ar-plasma treated ZnO nanoribbons

DOE PAGES

Sarkar, Ketaki; Mukherjee, Souvik; Wiederrecht, Gary; ...

2018-01-04

We report that it is a well-known fact that ZnO has been one of the most studied wide bandgap II-VI materials by the scientific community specifically due to its potential for being used as exciton-related optical devices. Hence, realizing ways to increase the efficiency of these devices is important. We discuss a plasma treatment technique to enhance the near-band-edge (NBE) excitonic emission from ZnO based nanoribbons. We observed an enhancement of the NBE peak and simultaneous quenching of the visible emission peak resulting from the removal of surface traps on these ZnO nanoribbons. More importantly, we report here the associatedmore » ultrafast carrier dynamics resulting from this surface treatment. Femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy was performed using pump-probe differential transmission measurements shedding new light on these improved dynamics with faster relaxation times. The knowledge obtained is important for improving the application of ZnO based optoelectronic devices. Finally, we also observed how these improved carrier dynamics have a direct effect on the threshold and efficiency of random lasing from the material.« less

Multilayer Choline Phosphate Molecule Modified Surface with Enhanced Cell Adhesion but Resistance to Protein Adsorption.

PubMed

Chen, Xingyu; Yang, Ming; Liu, Botao; Li, Zhiqiang; Tan, Hong; Li, Jianshu

2017-08-22

Choline phosphate (CP), which is a new zwitterionic molecule, and has the reverse order of phosphate choline (PC) and could bind to the cell membrane though the unique CP-PC interaction. Here we modified a glass surface with multilayer CP molecules using surface-initiated atom-transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) and the ring-opening method. Polymeric brushes of (dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) were synthesized by SI-ATRP from the glass surface. Then the grafted PDMAEMA brushes were used to introduce CP groups to fabricate the multilayer CP molecule modified surface. The protein adsorption experiment and cell culture test were used to evaluate the biocompatibility of the modified surfaces by using human umbilical veinendothelial cells (HUVECs). The protein adsorption results demonstrated that the multilayer CP molecule decorated surface could prevent the adsorption of fibrinogen and serum protein. The adhesion and proliferation of cells were improved significantly on the multilayer CP molecule modified surface. Therefore, the biocompatibility of the material surface could be improved by the modified multilayer CP molecule, which exhibits great potential for biomedical applications, e.g., scaffolds in tissue engineering.

Surface plasmon optical sensor with enhanced sensitivity using top ZnO thin film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bao, Ming; Li, Ge; Jiang, Dongmei; Cheng, Wenjuan; Ma, Xueming

2012-05-01

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) is one of the most sensitive label-free detection methods and has been used in a wide range of chemical and biochemical sensing. Upon using a 200 nm top layer of dielectric film with a high value of the real part ɛ' of the dielectric function, on top of an SPR sensor in the Kretschmann configuration, the sensitivity is improved. The refractive index effect of dielectric film on sensitivity is usually ignored. Dielectric films with different refractive indices were prepared by radio frequency magnetron (RF) sputtering and measured with spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). The imaginary part ɛ'' of the top nanolayer permittivity needs to be small enough in order to reduce the losses and get sharper dips. The stability of the sensor is also improved because the nanolayer is protecting the Ag film from interacting with the environment. The response curves of the Ag/ZnO chips were obtained by using SPR sensor. Theoretical analysis of the sensitivity of the SPR sensors with different ZnO film refractive indices is presented and studied. Both experimental and simulation results show that the Ag/ZnO films exhibit an enhanced SPR over the pure Ag film with a narrower full width at half maximum (FWHM). It shows that the top ZnO layer is effective in enhancing the surface plasmon resonance and thus its sensitivity.

Synergetic enhancement of gold nanoparticles and 2-mercaptobenzothiazole as highly-sensitive sensing strategy for tetrabromobisphenol A

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xuerong; Ji, Liudi; Zhou, Yikai; Wu, Kangbing

2016-05-01

Various gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were in-situ prepared on the electrode surface through electrochemical reduction under different potentials such as -0.60, -0.50, -0.40, -0.30 and -0.20 V. The reduction potentials heavily affect the surface morphology and electrochemical activity of AuNPs such as effective area and catalytic ability, as confirmed using atomic force microscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The electrochemical behaviors of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), a widely-existed pollutant with severe adverse health effects, were studied. The oxidation activity of TBBPA enhances obviously on the surface of AuNPs, and the signal improvements of TBBPA show difference on the prepared AuNPs. Interestingly, the existence of 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) further improves the oxidation signals of TBBPA on AuNPs. The synergetic enhancement effects of AuNPs and MBT were studied using cyclic voltammetry and chronocoulometry. The numerous nano-scaled gold particles together with the strong hydrophobic interaction between TBBPA and the assembled MBT on AuNPs jointly provide highly-effective accumulation for TBBPA. As a result, a sensitive and simple electrochemical method was developed for the direct determination of TBBPA, with detection limit of 0.12 μg L-1 (0.22 nM). The practical applications in water samples manifest that this new sensing system is accurate and feasible.

Engineering of global regulators and cell surface properties toward enhancing stress tolerance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

PubMed

Kuroda, Kouichi; Ueda, Mitsuyoshi

2017-12-01

Microbial cell factories are subject to various stresses, leading to the reductions of metabolic activity and bioproduction efficiency. Therefore, the development of stress-tolerant microorganisms is important for improving bio-production efficiency. Recently, modifications of cell surface properties and master regulators have been shown to be effective approaches for enhancing stress tolerance. The cell surface is an attractive target owing to its interactions with the environment and its role in transmitting environmental information. Cell surface engineering in yeast has enabled the convenient modification of cell surface properties. Displaying random peptide libraries and subsequent screening can successfully improve stress tolerance. Furthermore, master regulators including transcription factors are also promising target to be engineered because stress tolerance is determined by many cooperative factors and modification of master regulators can simultaneously affect the expression of multiple downstream genes. The key single amino acid mutations in transcription factors have been identified by analyzing tolerant yeasts that were isolated by adaptive evolution under stress conditions. This enabled the reconstruction of stress-tolerant yeast without burdening cells by introducing the identified mutations. Therefore, for the construction of stress-tolerant yeast from any strains, these two approaches are promising alternatives to conventional overexpression and deletion of stress-related genes. Copyright © 2017 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Enhanced selective photocatalytic reduction of CO2 to CH4 over plasmonic Au modified g-C3N4 photocatalyst under UV-vis light irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Hailong; Gao, Yan; Xiong, Zhuo; Liao, Chen; Shih, Kaimin

2018-05-01

A series of Au-g-C3N4 (Au-CN) catalysts were prepared through a NaBH4-reduction method using g-C3N4 (CN) from pyrolysis of urea as precursor. The catalysts' surface area, crystal structure, surface morphology, chemical state, functional group composition and optical properties were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscope, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ultraviolet visible (UV-vis) diffuse reflectance spectra, fourier transform infrared, photoluminescence and transient photocurrent analysis. The carbon dioxide (CO2) photoreduction activities under ultraviolet visible (UV-vis) light irradiation were significantly enhanced when gold (Au) was loaded on the surface of CN. 2Au-CN catalyst with Au to CN mole ratio of 2% showed the best catalytic activity. After 2 h UV-vis light irradiation, the methane (CH4) yield over the 2Au-CN catalyst was 9.1 times higher than that over the pure CN. The CH4 selectivity also greatly improved for the 2Au-CN compared to the CN. The deposited Au nanoparticles facilitated the separation of electron-hole pairs on the CN surface. Moreover, the surface plasmon resonance effect of Au further promoted the generation of hot electrons and visible light absorption. Therefore, Au loading significantly improved CO2 photoreduction performance of CN under UV-vis light irradiation.

Surface modification of biodegradable porous Mg bone scaffold using polycaprolactone/bioactive glass composite.

PubMed

Yazdimamaghani, Mostafa; Razavi, Mehdi; Vashaee, Daryoosh; Tayebi, Lobat

2015-04-01

A reduction in the degradation rate of magnesium (Mg) and its alloys is in high demand to enable these materials to be used in orthopedic applications. For this purpose, in this paper, a biocompatible polymeric layer reinforced with a bioactive ceramic made of polycaprolactone (PCL) and bioactive glass (BG) was applied on the surface of Mg scaffolds using dip-coating technique under low vacuum. The results indicated that the PCL-BG coated Mg scaffolds exhibited noticeably enhanced bioactivity compared to the uncoated scaffold. Moreover, the mechanical integrity of the Mg scaffolds was improved using the PCL-BG coating on the surface. The stable barrier property of the coatings effectively delayed the degradation activity of Mg scaffold substrates. Moreover, the coatings induced the formation of apatite layer on their surface after immersion in the SBF, which can enhance the biological bone in-growth and block the microcracks and pore channels in the coatings, thus prolonging their protective effect. Furthermore, it was shown that a three times increase in the concentration of PCL-BG noticeably improved the characteristics of scaffolds including their degradation resistance and mechanical stability. Since bioactivity, degradation resistance and mechanical integrity of a bone substitute are the key factors for repairing and healing fractured bones, we suggest that PCL-BG is a suitable coating material for surface modification of Mg scaffolds. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Electric Propulsion Interactions Code (EPIC): Recent Enhancements and Goals for Future Capabilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gardner, Barbara M.; Kuharski, Robert A.; Davis, Victoria A.; Ferguson, Dale C.

2007-01-01

The Electric Propulsion Interactions Code (EPIC) is the leading interactive computer tool for assessing the effects of electric thruster plumes on spacecraft subsystems. EPIC, developed by SAIC under the sponsorship of the Space Environments and Effects (SEE) Program at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, has three primary modules. One is PlumeTool, which calculates plumes of electrostatic thrusters and Hall-effect thrusters by modeling the primary ion beam as well as elastic scattering and charge-exchange of beam ions with thruster-generated neutrals. ObjectToolkit is a 3-D object definition and spacecraft surface modeling tool developed for use with several SEE Program codes. The main EPIC interface integrates the thruster plume into the 3-D geometry of the spacecraft and calculates interactions and effects of the plume with the spacecraft. Effects modeled include erosion of surfaces due to sputtering, re-deposition of sputtered materials, surface heating, torque on the spacecraft, and changes in surface properties due to erosion and deposition. In support of Prometheus I (JIMO), a number of new capabilities and enhancements were made to existing EPIC models. Enhancements to EPIC include adding the ability to scale and view individual plume components, to import a neutral plume associated with a thruster (to model a grid erosion plume, for example), and to calculate the plume from new initial beam conditions. Unfortunately, changes in program direction have left a number of desired enhancements undone. Variable gridding over a surface and resputtering of deposited materials, including multiple bounces and sticking coefficients, would significantly enhance the erosion/deposition model. Other modifications such as improving the heating model and the PlumeTool neutral plume model, enabling time dependent surface interactions, and including EM1 and optical effects would enable EPIC to better serve the aerospace engineer and electric propulsion systems integrator. We review EPIC S overall capabilities and recent modifications, and discuss directions for future enhancements.

ATD-2 IADS Metroplex Traffic Management Overview Brief

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Engelland, Shawn

2016-01-01

ATD-2 will improve the predictability and the operational efficiency of the air traffic system in metroplex environments through the enhancement, development and integration of the nation's most advanced and sophisticated arrival, departure, and surface prediction, scheduling and management systems.

Asphalt surface treatment practice in southeastern United States : [tech summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-09-01

Pavement preservation is an approach in enhancing pavement performance using a set of practices that extends the life : of the pavement and improves safety and ride quality. According to the World Banks Pavement Deterioration Model, the : cost of ...

Electropolishing of Re-melted SLM Stainless Steel 316L Parts Using Deep Eutectic Solvents: 3 × 3 Full Factorial Design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alrbaey, K.; Wimpenny, D. I.; Al-Barzinjy, A. A.; Moroz, A.

2016-07-01

This three-level three-factor full factorial study describes the effects of electropolishing using deep eutectic solvents on the surface roughness of re-melted 316L stainless steel samples produced by the selective laser melting (SLM) powder bed fusion additive manufacturing method. An improvement in the surface finish of re-melted stainless steel 316L parts was achieved by optimizing the processing parameters for a relatively environmentally friendly (`green') electropolishing process using a Choline Chloride ionic electrolyte. The results show that further improvement of the response value-average surface roughness ( Ra) can be obtained by electropolishing after re-melting to yield a 75% improvement compared to the as-built Ra. The best Ra value was less than 0.5 μm, obtained with a potential of 4 V, maintained for 30 min at 40 °C. Electropolishing has been shown to be effective at removing the residual oxide film formed during the re-melting process. The material dissolution during the process is not homogenous and is directed preferentially toward the iron and nickel, leaving the surface rich in chromium with potentially enhanced properties. The re-melted and polished surface of the samples gave an approximately 20% improvement in fatigue life at low stresses (approximately 570 MPa). The results of the study demonstrate that a combination of re-melting and electropolishing provides a flexible method for surface texture improvement which is capable of delivering a significant improvement in surface finish while holding the dimensional accuracy of parts within an acceptable range.

Towards optical brain imaging: getting light through a bone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, J. V.; Hokr, B. H.; Nodurft, D. T.; Yakovlev, V. V.

2018-06-01

Optical imaging and detection in biological samples is severely limited by scattering effects. In particular, optical techniques for measuring conditions beneath the skull and within the bone marrow hold significant promise when it comes to speed, sensitivity and specificity. However, the strong optical scattering due to bone hinders the realization of these methods. In this article, we propose a technique to enhance the transmittance of light through bone. This is achieved by injecting light below the top surface of the bone and utilizing multiple scattering to increase transmittance. This technique suggests that enhancements of 2-6 times may be realized by injection of light 1 mm below the surface of the bone. By enhancing the transmittance of light through bone, we will greatly improve our ability to utilize optical methods to better understand and diagnose conditions within biological media.

The Otto Aufranc Award: enhanced biocompatibility of stainless steel implants by titanium coating and microarc oxidation.

PubMed

Lim, Young Wook; Kwon, Soon Yong; Sun, Doo Hoon; Kim, Yong Sik

2011-02-01

Stainless steel is one of the most widely used biomaterials for internal fixation devices, but is not used in cementless arthroplasty implants because a stable oxide layer essential for biocompatibility cannot be formed on the surface. We applied a Ti electron beam coating, to form oxide layer on the stainless steel surface. To form a thicker oxide layer, we used a microarc oxidation process on the surface of Ti coated stainless steel. Modification of the surface using Ti electron beam coating and microarc oxidation could improve the ability of stainless steel implants to osseointegrate. The ability of cells to adhere to grit-blasted, titanium-coated, microarc-oxidated stainless steel in vitro was compared with that of two different types of surface modifications, machined and titanium-coated, and microarc-oxidated. We performed energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy investigations to assess the chemical composition and structure of the stainless steel surfaces and cell morphology. The biologic responses of an osteoblastlike cell line (SaOS-2) were examined by measuring proliferation (cell proliferation assay), differentiation (alkaline phosphatase activity), and attraction ability (cell migration assay). Cell proliferation, alkaline phosphatase activity, migration, and adhesion were increased in the grit-blasted, titanium-coated, microarc-oxidated group compared to the two other groups. Osteoblastlike cells on the grit-blasted, titanium-coated, microarc-oxidated surface were strongly adhered, and proliferated well compared to those on the other surfaces. The surface modifications we used (grit blasting, titanium coating, microarc oxidation) enhanced the biocompatibility (proliferation and migration of osteoblastlike cells) of stainless steel. This process is not unique to stainless steel; it can be applied to many metals to improve their biocompatibility, thus allowing a broad range of materials to be used for cementless implants.

Enhanced in vitro biocompatibility of ultrafine-grained biomedical NiTi alloy with microporous surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, C. Y.; Nie, F. L.; Zheng, Y. F.; Cheng, Y.; Wei, S. C.; Valiev, R. Z.

2011-08-01

Bulk ultrafine-grained Ni 50.8Ti 49.2 alloy (UFG-NiTi) was successfully fabricated by equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP) technique in the present study, and to further improve its surface biocompatibility, surface modification techniques including sandblasting, acid etching and alkali treatment were employed to produce either irregularly roughened surface or microporous surface or hierarchical porous surface with bioactivity. The effect of the above surface treatments on the surface roughness, wettability, corrosion behavior, ion release, apatite forming ability and cytocompatibility of UFG-NiTi alloy were systematically investigated with the coarse-grained NiTi alloy as control. The pitting corrosion potential ( Epit) was increased from 393 mV (SCE) to 704 mV (SCE) with sandblasting and further increased to 1539 mV (SCE) with following acid etching in HF/HNO 3 solution. All the above surface treatment increased the apatite forming ability of UFG-NiTi in varying degrees when soaked them in simulated body fluid (SBF). Meanwhile, both sandblasting and acid etching could promote the cytocompatibility for osteoblasts: sandblasting enhanced cell attachment and acid etching increased cell proliferation. The different corrosion behavior, apatite forming ability and cellular response of UFG-NiTi after different surface modifications are attributed to the topography and wettability of the resulting surface oxide layer.

Food-safe modification of stainless steel food processing surfaces to reduce bacterial biofilms.

PubMed

Awad, Tarek Samir; Asker, Dalal; Hatton, Benjamin D

2018-06-11

Biofilm formation on stainless steel (SS) surfaces of food processing plants, leading to foodborne illness outbreaks, is enabled by the attachment and confinement within microscale cavities of surface roughness (grooves, scratches). We report Foodsafe Oil-based Slippery Coatings (FOSCs) for food processing surfaces that suppress bacterial adherence and biofilm formation by trapping residual oil lubricant within these surface cavities to block microbial growth. SS surfaces were chemically functionalized with alkylphosphonic acid to preferentially wet a layer of food grade oil. FOSCs reduced the effective surface roughness, the adhesion of organic food residue, and bacteria. FOSCs significantly reduced Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation on standard roughness SS-316 by 5 log CFU cm-2, and by 3 log CFU cm-2 for mirror-finished SS. FOSCs also enhanced surface cleanability, which we measured by bacterial counts after conventional detergent cleaning. Importantly, both SS grades maintained their anti-biofilm activity after erosion of the oil layer by surface wear with glass beads, which suggests there is a residual volume of oil that remains to block surface cavity defects. These results indicate the potential of such low-cost, scalable approaches to enhance the cleanability of SS food processing surfaces and improve food safety by reducing biofilm growth.

Cobalt chromium alloy with immobilized BMP peptide for enhanced bone growth.

PubMed

Poh, Chye Khoon; Shi, Zhilong; Tan, Xiao Wei; Liang, Zhen Chang; Foo, Xue Mei; Tan, Hark Chuan; Neoh, Koon Gee; Wang, Wilson

2011-09-01

Cobalt chromium (CoCr) alloys are widely used in orthopedic practice, however, lack of integration into the bone for long-term survival often occurs, leading to implant failure. Revision surgery to address such a failure involves increased risks, complications, and costs. Advances to enhancement of bone-implant interactions would improve implant longevity and long-term results. Therefore, we investigated the effects of BMP peptide covalently grafted to CoCr alloy on osteogenesis. The BMP peptide was derived from the knuckle epitope of bone morphogenic protein-2 (BMP-2) and was conjugated via a cysteine amino acid at the N-terminus. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and o-phthaldialdehyde were used to verify successful grafting at various stages of surface functionalization. Surface topography was evaluated from the surface profile determined by atomic force microscopy. Osteoblastic cells (MC3T3-E1) were seeded on the substrates, and the effects of BMP peptide on osteogenic differentiation were evaluated by measuring alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and calcium mineral deposition. The functionalized surfaces showed a twofold increase in ALP activity after 2 weeks incubation and a fourfold increase in calcium content after 3 weeks incubation compared to the pristine substrate. These findings are potentially useful in the development of improved CoCr implants for use in orthopedic applications. Copyright © 2011 Orthopaedic Research Society.

Novel β-TCP Coated Titanium Nanofiber Surface for Enhanced Bone Growth.

PubMed

Lim, Hyun-Pil; Park, Sang-Won; Yun, Kwi-Dug; Park, Chan; Ji, Min-Kyung; Oh, Gye-Jeong; Lee, Jong-Tak; Lee, Kwangmin

2018-02-01

In this study, we examined the effect of β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) coating on alkali-treated CP Grade II titanium surface via RF magnetron sputtering on osteoblast like cell (MC3T3-E1) viability and bone formation in rat tibia. The specimens were divided into three groups; commercially pure titanium (control group), alkali-treated titanium with nanofiber structure (NF group) and β-TCP coating on alkali-treated titanium with nanofiber structure (TNF group). The surface characteristics of specimens were observed under a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), and contact angle was measured. The cell viability was assessed in vitro after 1 day, 3 days and 7 days. Implants of 2.0 mm diameter and 5.0 mm length were inserted into the tibia of rats. After 4 wks, the histomorphometric analysis was performed. Group NF and group TNF showed improved hydrophilicity of Ti. Group TNF showed significantly higher cell viability (P < 0.05) after 7 days. The bone to implant contact (BIC) ratio of the control group, NF group, and TNF group were 32.3%, 35.5%, and 63.9%, respectively. The study results suggested that β-TCP coated alkali-treated titanium surface via RF magnetron sputtering might be effective in implant dentistry due to enhanced hydrophilicity, improved cell response, and better osseointegration.

Biological Response of Human Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells to Commercial Tantalum Coatings with Microscale and Nanoscale Surface Topographies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skoog, Shelby A.; Kumar, Girish; Goering, Peter L.; Williams, Brian; Stiglich, Jack; Narayan, Roger J.

2016-06-01

Tantalum is a promising orthopaedic implant coating material due to its robust mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, and excellent biocompatibility. Previous studies have demonstrated improved biocompatibility and tissue integration of surface-treated tantalum coatings compared to untreated tantalum. Surface modification of tantalum coatings with biologically inspired microscale and nanoscale features may be used to evoke optimal tissue responses. The goal of this study was to evaluate commercial tantalum coatings with nanoscale, sub-microscale, and microscale surface topographies for orthopaedic and dental applications using human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs). Tantalum coatings with different microscale and nanoscale surface topographies were fabricated using a diffusion process or chemical vapor deposition. Biological evaluation of the tantalum coatings using hBMSCs showed that tantalum coatings promote cellular adhesion and growth. Furthermore, hBMSC adhesion to the tantalum coatings was dependent on surface feature characteristics, with enhanced cell adhesion on sub-micrometer- and micrometer-sized surface topographies compared to hybrid nano-/microstructures. Nanostructured and microstructured tantalum coatings should be further evaluated to optimize the surface coating features to promote osteogenesis and enhance osseointegration of tantalum-based orthopaedic implants.

Enhanced Chemisorption of Cu(hfac)2 on Parylene Surface by N2 Plasma Treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pimanpang, S.; Wang, P.-I.; Ye, D.-X.; Juneja, J. S.; Wang, G.-C.; Lu, T.-M.

2006-03-01

The metallization of polymers has been intensively studied due to its wide industrial applications. We report a study of interfacial interaction of metalorganic Cu(hfac)2 with the Parylene surface. Parylene is a low k dielectric polymer prepared by a chemical vapor deposition technique. The as-deposited Parylene surface is shown to be hydrophobic with a measured water droplet contact angle ˜72 . However, after the N2 plasma treatment, the water droplet contact angle decreases to ˜40 due to the formation of oxygen and nitrogen functional groups on the surface, as observed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). These functional groups improve Cu(hfac)2 chemisorption on the plasma treated Parylene surface. Further studies by XPS show that chemisorption of Cu(hfac)2 is self-limiting up to 20 sec of Cu(hfac)2 precursor exposure time. The enhancement of chemisorption of metalorganic precursors on the polymer surface is an important step for chemical vapor deposition or atomic layer deposition of metal. ^a Supported by Thai govt. fellowship (SP) and SRC (JSJ).

Laser surface modification of Ti and TiC coatings on magnesium alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, J. M.; Lee, S. G.; Park, J. S.; Kim, H. G.

2014-12-01

In order to enhance the surface properties of magnesium alloy, a highly intense laser surface melting process following plasma spraying of Ti or TiC on AZ31 alloy were employed. When laser surface melting was applied to Ti coated magnesium alloy, the formation of fine Ti particle dispersed surface layer on the substrate occurred. The corrosion potential of the AZ31 alloy with Ti dispersed surface was significantly increased in 3.5 wt % NaCl solution. Additionally, an improved hardness was observed for the laser treated specimens as compared to the untreated AZ31 alloy. Laser melting process following plasma thermal deposition was also applied for obtaining in situ TiC coating layer on AZ31 alloy. The TiC coating layer could be successfully formed via in situ reaction between pure titanium and carbon powders. Incomplete TiC formation was observed in the plasma sprayed specimen, while completely transformed TiC layer was found after post laser melting process. It was also confirmed that the laser post treatment induced enhanced adhesion strength between the coating and the substrate.

Effects of a micro/nano rough strontium-loaded surface on osseointegration

PubMed Central

Li, Yongfeng; Qi, Yaping; Gao, Qi; Niu, Qiang; Shen, Mingming; Fu, Qian; Hu, Kaijin; Kong, Liang

2015-01-01

We developed a hierarchical hybrid micro/nanorough strontium-loaded Ti (MNT-Sr) surface fabricated through hydrofluoric acid etching followed by magnetron sputtering and evaluated the effects of this surface on osseointegration. Samples with a smooth Ti (ST) surface, micro Ti (MT) surface treated with hydrofluoric acid etching, and strontium-loaded nano Ti (NT-Sr) surface treated with SrTiO3 target deposited via magnetron sputtering technique were investigated in parallel for comparison. The results showed that MNT-Sr surfaces were prepared successfully and with high interface bonding strength. Moreover, slow Sr release could be detected when the MNT-Sr and NT-Sr samples were immersed in phosphate-buffered saline. In in vitro experiments, the MNT-Sr surface significantly improved the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts compared with the other three groups. Twelve weeks after the four different surface implants were inserted into the distal femurs of 40 rats, the bone–implant contact in the ST, MT, NT-Sr, and MNT-Sr groups were 39.70%±6.00%, 57.60%±7.79%, 46.10%±5.51%, and 70.38%±8.61%, respectively. In terms of the mineral apposition ratio, the MNT-Sr group increased by 129%, 58%, and 25% compared with the values of the ST, MT, and NT-Sr groups, respectively. Moreover, the maximal pullout force in the MNT-Sr group was 1.12-, 0.31-, and 0.69-fold higher than the values of the ST, MT, and NT-Sr groups, respectively. These results suggested that the MNT-Sr surface has a synergistic effect of hierarchical micro/nano-topography and strontium for enhanced osseointegration, and it may be a promising option for clinical use. Compared with the MT surface, the NT-Sr surface significantly improved the differentiation of osteoblasts in vitro. In the in vivo animal experiment, the MT surface significantly enhanced the bone-implant contact and maximal pullout force than the NT-Sr surface. PMID:26213468

Eastern equatorial Pacific sea surface temperature annual cycle in the Kiel climate model: simulation benefits from enhancing atmospheric resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wengel, C.; Latif, M.; Park, W.; Harlaß, J.; Bayr, T.

2018-05-01

A long-standing difficulty of climate models is to capture the annual cycle (AC) of eastern equatorial Pacific (EEP) sea surface temperature (SST). In this study, we first examine the EEP SST AC in a set of integrations of the coupled Kiel Climate Model, in which only atmosphere model resolution differs. When employing coarse horizontal and vertical atmospheric resolution, significant biases in the EEP SST AC are observed. These are reflected in an erroneous timing of the cold tongue's onset and termination as well as in an underestimation of the boreal spring warming amplitude. A large portion of these biases are linked to a wrong simulation of zonal surface winds, which can be traced back to precipitation biases on both sides of the equator and an erroneous low-level atmospheric circulation over land. Part of the SST biases also is related to shortwave radiation biases related to cloud cover biases. Both wind and cloud cover biases are inherent to the atmospheric component, as shown by companion uncoupled atmosphere model integrations forced by observed SSTs. Enhancing atmosphere model resolution, horizontal and vertical, markedly reduces zonal wind and cloud cover biases in coupled as well as uncoupled mode and generally improves simulation of the EEP SST AC. Enhanced atmospheric resolution reduces convection biases and improves simulation of surface winds over land. Analysis of a subset of models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) reveals that in these models, very similar mechanisms are at work in driving EEP SST AC biases.

Improved mechanical performance of PBO fiber-reinforced bismaleimide composite using mixed O2/Ar plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Dong; Chen, Ping; Yu, Qi; Ma, Keming; Ding, Zhenfeng

2014-06-01

The mixed O2/Ar plasma was employed to enhance mechanical properties of the PBO/bismaleimide composite. The interlaminar shear strength was improved to 61.6 MPa or by 38.1%, but the composite brittleness increased. The plasma gas compositions exhibited notable effects on the interfacial adhesion strength. XPS results suggested that the mixed plasma presented higher activation effects on the surface chemical compositions than pure gas plasmas and a larger number of oxygen atoms and hydrophilic groups were introduced on the fiber surface due to the synergy effect, but the synergy effect was considerably performed only within the O2 percentage range of 40-60%. The fibers surface was increasingly etched with growing the O2 contents in the plasma, deteriorating the fibers tensile strength. SEM micrographs demonstrated that the composite shear fracture changed from debonding to cohesive failure in the matrices, and the improving mechanisms were discussed.

Photocatalytic activity of Ti3+ self-doped dark TiO2 ultrafine nanorods, grey SiO2 nanotwin crystalline, and their composite under visible light

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Renhui; Yang, Yingchang; Leng, Senlin; Wang, Qing

2018-04-01

Efficient electron-holes separation is of crucial importance for the improvement of photocatalytic activity for photocatalytic reaction. In this work, dark TiO2 (D-TiO2) nanorods, grey SiO2 (G-SiO2) and D-TiO2/G-SiO2 composite with surface defects are synthesized. We report that the efficiency of photo-generated electrons and holes separation is well enhanced by introducing G-SiO2 into D-TiO2 lattice. Using first-principles method, we find that surface defects (O or Si vacancy) can be conducive to improving the optical absorption under visible-light region. Combination of the experimental results, for D-TiO2/G-SiO2 composite, the surface defects of TiO2 nanocrystallines can significantly improve the photocatalytic efficiency.

NASA Trapezoidal Wing Computations Including Transition and Advanced Turbulence Modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rumsey, C. L.; Lee-Rausch, E. M.

2012-01-01

Flow about the NASA Trapezoidal Wing is computed with several turbulence models by using grids from the first High Lift Prediction Workshop in an effort to advance understanding of computational fluid dynamics modeling for this type of flowfield. Transition is accounted for in many of the computations. In particular, a recently-developed 4-equation transition model is utilized and works well overall. Accounting for transition tends to increase lift and decrease moment, which improves the agreement with experiment. Upper surface flap separation is reduced, and agreement with experimental surface pressures and velocity profiles is improved. The predicted shape of wakes from upstream elements is strongly influenced by grid resolution in regions above the main and flap elements. Turbulence model enhancements to account for rotation and curvature have the general effect of increasing lift and improving the resolution of the wing tip vortex as it convects downstream. However, none of the models improve the prediction of surface pressures near the wing tip, where more grid resolution is needed.

Human mesenchymal stem cell behavior on femtosecond laser-textured Ti-6Al-4V surfaces.

PubMed

Cunha, Alexandre; Zouani, Omar Farouk; Plawinski, Laurent; Botelho do Rego, Ana Maria; Almeida, Amélia; Vilar, Rui; Durrieu, Marie-Christine

2015-01-01

The aim of the present work was to investigate ultrafast laser surface texturing as a surface treatment of Ti-6Al-4V alloy dental and orthopedic implants to improve osteoblastic commitment of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). Surface texturing was carried out by direct writing with an Yb:KYW chirped-pulse regenerative amplification laser system with a central wavelength of 1030 nm and a pulse duration of 500 fs. The surface topography and chemical composition were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. Three types of surface textures with potential interest to improve implant osseointegration can be produced by this method: laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSSs); nanopillars (NPs); and microcolumns covered with LIPSSs, forming a bimodal roughness distribution. The potential of the laser treatment in improving hMSC differentiation was assessed by in vitro study of hMSCs spreading, adhesion, elongation and differentiation using epifluorescence microscopy at different times after cell seeding, after specific stainings and immunostainings. Cell area and focal adhesion area were lower on the laser-textured surfaces than on a polished reference surface. Obviously, the laser-textured surfaces have an impact on cell shape. Osteoblastic commitment was observed independently of the surface topography after 2 weeks of cell seeding. When the cells were cultured (after 4 weeks of seeding) in osteogenic medium, LIPSS- and NP- textured surfaces enhanced matrix mineralization and bone-like nodule formation as compared with polished and microcolumn-textured surfaces. The present work shows that surface nanotextures consisting of LIPSSs and NPs can, potentially, improve hMSC differentiation into an osteoblastic lineage.

Improved performance of flexible amorphous silicon solar cells with silver nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Y. R.; Li, Z. Q.; Chen, X. H.; Liu, C.; Ye, X. J.; Wang, Z. B.; Sun, Z.; Huang, S. M.

2012-12-01

A novel hybrid electrode structure using Ag nanowires (NWs) to create surface plasmons to enhance light trapping is designed and applied on the front surface of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) solar cells on steel substrates, targeting broad-band absorption enhancements. Ag NWs were synthesized using a soft and self-seeding process. The produced Ag NWs were deposited on indium tin oxide (ITO) glass substrates or the ITO layers of the as-prepared flexible a-Si:H solar cells to form Ag NW-ITO hybrid electrodes. The Ag NW-ITO hybrid electrodes were optimized to achieve maximum optical enhancement using surface plasmons and obtain good electrical contacts in cells. Finite-element electromagnetic simulations confirmed that the presence of the Ag NWs resulted in increased electromagnetic fields within the a-Si:H layer. Compared to the cell with conventional ITO electrode, the measured quantum efficiency of the best performing a-Si:H cell shows an obvious enhancement in the wavelength range from 330 nm to 600 nm. The cell based on the optimized Ag NW-ITO demonstrates an increase about 4% in short-circuit current density and over 6% in power conversion efficiency under AM 1.5 illumination.

Decreased fibrous encapsulation and enhanced osseointegration in vitro by decorin-modified titanium surface.

PubMed

He, Ronghan; Lu, Yunxiang; Ren, Jianhua; Wang, Zhe; Huang, Junqi; Zhu, Lei; Wang, Kun

2017-07-01

Orthopedic implants, using materials such as titanium, are extensively used in clinical surgeries. Despite its popularity, titanium is still inadequate to reliable osseointegration due to aseptic loosing. Fibrous encapsulation on the titanium implant interface prevents osseointegration and leads to the loosing of orthopedic implant. In this study, decorin was loaded on titanium surface by polydopamine film to examine fibrous encapsulation inhibition and bone growth acceleration. The coating of decorin was evaluated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and fluorescence microscopy. Quantitative analysis showed increased decorin coating on titanium surface when decorin in the loading solution increases. To test the effect of decorin modification, fibroblast and osteoblast cultures were utilized in vitro. The results showed that the functions of fibroblasts (proliferation, migration and collagen synthesis) were significantly attenuated on the decorin-modified surfaces and this anti-fibrous effect could be due to fibrotic gene suppression by decorin. In contrast, osteoblastic activities, such as calcium deposition and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, were enhanced by the modified decorin. These results suggest that decorin coating on titanium surface inhibited proliferation and function of fibroblasts and improved that of osteoblasts. Therefore, this study is potentially useful for enhancing orthopedic implant. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Improve oxidation resistance at high temperature by nanocrystalline surface layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, Z. X.; Zhang, C.; Huang, X. F.; Liu, W. B.; Yang, Z. G.

2015-08-01

An interesting change of scale sequence occurred during oxidation of nanocrystalline surface layer by means of a surface mechanical attrition treatment. The three-layer oxide structure from the surface towards the matrix is Fe3O4, spinel FeCr2O4 and corundum (Fe,Cr)2O3, which is different from the typical two-layer scale consisted of an Fe3O4 outer layer and an FeCr2O4 inner layer in conventional P91 steel. The diffusivity of Cr, Fe and O is enhanced concurrently in the nanocrystalline surface layer, which causes the fast oxidation in the initial oxidation stage. The formation of (Fe,Cr)2O3 inner layer would inhabit fast diffusion of alloy elements in the nanocrystalline surface layer of P91 steel in the later oxidation stage, and it causes a decrease in the parabolic oxidation rate compared with conventional specimens. This study provides a novel approach to improve the oxidation resistance of heat resistant steel without changing its Cr content.

In situ study on surface roughening in radiation-resistant Ag nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shang, Z.; Li, Jin; Fan, C.; Chen, Y.; Li, Q.; Wang, H.; Shen, T. D.; Zhang, X.

2018-05-01

Metallic materials subjected to heavy ion irradiation experience significant radiation damage. Free surface is a type of effective defect sinks to improve the radiation resistance in metallic materials. However, the radiation resistance of metallic nanowires (NWs) is largely unknown. Here we show, via in situ Kr ion irradiations in a transmission electron microscope, Ag NWs exhibited much better radiation resistance than coarse-grained Ag. Irradiation-induced prominent surface roughening in Ag NWs provides direct evidence for interaction between defect clusters and free surface. Diameter dependent variation of the surface roughness in irradiated Ag NWs has also been observed. This study provides insight on mechanisms of enhanced radiation resistance via free surfaces in metallic NWs.

In situ study on surface roughening in radiation-resistant Ag nanowires.

PubMed

Shang, Z; Li, Jin; Fan, C; Chen, Y; Li, Q; Wang, H; Shen, T D; Zhang, X

2018-05-25

Metallic materials subjected to heavy ion irradiation experience significant radiation damage. Free surface is a type of effective defect sinks to improve the radiation resistance in metallic materials. However, the radiation resistance of metallic nanowires (NWs) is largely unknown. Here we show, via in situ Kr ion irradiations in a transmission electron microscope, Ag NWs exhibited much better radiation resistance than coarse-grained Ag. Irradiation-induced prominent surface roughening in Ag NWs provides direct evidence for interaction between defect clusters and free surface. Diameter dependent variation of the surface roughness in irradiated Ag NWs has also been observed. This study provides insight on mechanisms of enhanced radiation resistance via free surfaces in metallic NWs.

Heterogeneous surface charge enhanced micromixing for electrokinetic flows.

PubMed

Biddiss, Elaine; Erickson, David; Li, Dongqing

2004-06-01

Enhancing the species mixing in microfluidic applications is key to reducing analysis time and increasing device portability. The mixing in electroosmotic flow is usually diffusion-dominated. Recent numerical studies have indicated that the introduction of electrically charged surface heterogeneities may augment mixing efficiencies by creating localized regions of flow circulation. In this study, we experimentally visualized the effects of surface charge patterning and developed an optimized electrokinetic micromixer applicable to the low Reynolds number regime. Using the optimized micromixer, mixing efficiencies were improved between 22 and 68% for the applied potentials ranging from 70 to 555 V/cm when compared with the negatively charged homogeneous case. For producing a 95% mixture, this equates to a potential decrease in the required mixing channel length of up to 88% for flows with Péclet numbers between 190 and 1500.

Enhancement of field effect mobility of poly(3-hexylthiophene) thin film transistors by soft-lithographical nanopatterning on the gate-dielectric surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Jeong-Ho; Kang, Seok-Ju; Park, Jeong-Woo; Lim, Bogyu; Kim, Dong-Yu

2007-11-01

The submicroscaled octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) line patterns on gate-dielectric surfaces were introduced into the fabrication of organic field effect transistors (OFETs). These spin-cast regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) films on soft-lithographically patterned SiO2 surfaces yielded a higher hole mobility (˜0.072cm2/Vs ) than those of unpatterned (˜0.015cm2/Vs) and untreated (˜5×10-3cm2/Vs) OFETs. The effect of mobility enhancement as a function of the patterned line pitch was investigated in structural and geometric characteristics. The resulting improved mobility is likely attributed to the formation of efficient π-π stacking as a result of guide-assisted, local self-organization-involved molecular interactions between the poly(3-hexylthiophene) polymer and the geometrical OTS patterns.

Improved Land Use and Leaf Area Index Enhances WRF-3DVAR Satellite Radiance Assimilation: A Case Study Focusing on Rainfall Simulation in the Shule River Basin during July 2013

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Junhua; Ji, Zhenming; Chen, Deliang; Kang, Shichang; Fu, Congshen; Duan, Keqin; Shen, Miaogen

2018-06-01

The application of satellite radiance assimilation can improve the simulation of precipitation by numerical weather prediction models. However, substantial quantities of satellite data, especially those derived from low-level (surface-sensitive) channels, are rejected for use because of the difficulty in realistically modeling land surface emissivity and energy budgets. Here, we used an improved land use and leaf area index (LAI) dataset in the WRF-3DVAR assimilation system to explore the benefit of using improved quality of land surface information to improve rainfall simulation for the Shule River Basin in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau as a case study. The results for July 2013 show that, for low-level channels (e.g., channel 3), the underestimation of brightness temperature in the original simulation was largely removed by more realistic land surface information. In addition, more satellite data could be utilized in the assimilation because the realistic land use and LAI data allowed more satellite radiance data to pass the deviation test and get used by the assimilation, which resulted in improved initial driving fields and better simulation in terms of temperature, relative humidity, vertical convection, and cumulative precipitation.

Surface science studies on titania for solar fuel applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hadsell, Courtney Sara Mathews

Titanium dioxide (titania) is a well-studied material for various applications including but not limited to, paint, sunscreen, pharmaceuticals and solar cell applications (photocatalysis.) It can be found in three main crystal forms; rutile, anatase, and brookite and this work will focus on the anatase form which has been heavily studied for its potential in dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs.) I propose that aqueous and photo dye stability can be improved by taking special care to the exposed surface of anatase. Additionally, the theoretical maximum open circuit voltage of a DSSC is dependent upon which surface is exposed to the electrolyte. Previous works in this area have not been rigorous with respect to the surface and morphology of titania being used. Standard synthesis techniques of anatase lead to a crystal that generally has 94% of the titania (101) surface exposed, and the other 6% is the higher energy (001) surface. The (101) surface has 5 & 6-fold coordinated titania whereas the (001) surface only has 5-fold (under) coordinated titania. This under-coordination leads to enhanced reactivity of the (001) surface which has been demonstrated by dissassociative adsorption of water, and catalysis applications. Much theoretical work has focused on the minority (001) surface because up until recently synthesizing anatase with enhanced exposure of the (001) surface has been difficult. The initial materials for this study will be multilayer titania nanotubes (TiNTs) and nanosheets (TiNS) which have been previously characterized by my predecessor. The TiNTs and TiNS have 100% exposed (001)-like surface. Both of these materials show enhanced stability of phosphonated dye binding as compared to the current standard of anatase nanoparticles (NPs) however, due to their limited thermal stability the potential of incorporating the TiNTs and TiNSs into devices has been eliminated in this study. To overcome the device limitations I will synthesis a novel titania nanotile (ntile) material which will have enhancement of the (001) surface while an increased thermal stability allowing for incorporation into a device. These ntiles will be created from a hydrothermal hydrolysis reaction between titanium n-butoxide (TiBuOx) and hydrofluoric acid (HF.) I will characterize this novel material and demonstrate the enhanced dye binding as well as the device capabilities.

Oil Spill AISA+ Hyperspectral Data Detection Based on Different Sea Surface Glint Suppression Methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, J.; Ren, G.; Ma, Y.; Dong, L.; Wan, J.

2018-04-01

The marine oil spill is a sudden event, and the airborne hyperspectral means to detect the oil spill is an important part of the rapid response. Sun glint, the specular reflection of sun light from water surface to sensor, is inevitable due to the limitation of observation geometry, which makes so much bright glint in image that it is difficult to extract oil spill feature information from the remote sensing data. This paper takes AISA+ airborne hyperspectral oil spill image as data source, using multi-scale wavelet transform, enhanced Lee filter, enhanced Frost filter and mean filter method for sea surface glint suppression of images. And then the classical SVM method is used for the oil spill information detection, and oil spill information distribution map obtained by human-computer interactive interpretation is used to verify the accuracy of oil spill detection. The results show that the above methods can effectively suppress the sea surface glints and improve the accuracy of oil spill detection. The enhanced Lee filter method has the highest detection accuracy of 88.28 %, which is 12.2 % higher than that of the original image.

Laser texturing of Hastelloy C276 alloy surface for improved hydrophobicity and friction coefficient

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yilbas, B. S.; Ali, H.

2016-03-01

Laser treatment of Hastelloy C276 alloy is carried out under the high pressure nitrogen assisting gas environment. Morphological and metallurgical changes in the laser treated layer are examined using the analytical tools including, scanning electron and atomic force microscopes, X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Microhardness is measured and the residual stress formed in the laser treated surface is determined from the X-ray data. The hydrophibicity of the laser treated surface is assessed using the sessile drop method. Friction coefficient of the laser treated layer is obtained incorporating the micro-tribometer. It is found that closely spaced laser canning tracks create a self-annealing effect in the laser treated layer and lowers the thermal stress levels through modifying the cooling rates at the surface. A dense structure, consisting of fine size grains, enhances the microhardness of the surface. The residual stress formed at the surface is compressive and it is in the order of -800 MPa. Laser treatment improves the surface hydrophobicity significantly because of the formation of surface texture composing of micro/nano-pillars.

Enhanced fatigue performance of porous coated Ti6Al4V biomedical alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Apachitei, I.; Leoni, A.; Riemslag, A. C.; Fratila-Apachitei, L. E.; Duszczyk, J.

2011-05-01

Biofunctional coatings are necessary to improve integration of titanium implants in the host tissue but they may be detrimental for the implant fatigue properties. This study presents an attempt towards enhancement of the in vitro fatigue strength of plasma electrolytic oxidation coated Ti6Al4V alloy by applying shot peening process prior to coating. The electrolytic oxidation was performed in calcium acetate and calcium glycerophosphate electrolytes that allowed formation of porous oxide coatings with high surface free energy and apatite like ability. A deformed surface layer coupled with induced residual compressive stresses seem to affect oxide growth rate and fatigue behavior of the titanium alloy.

Towing Asteroids with Gravity Tractors Enhanced by Tethers and Solar Sails

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shen, Haijun; Roithmayr, Carlos M.

2015-01-01

Material collected from an asteroid's surface can be used to increase gravitational attraction between the asteroid and a Gravity Tractor (GT); the spacecraft therefore operates more effectively and is referred to as an Enhanced Gravity Tractor (EGT). The use of tethers and solar sails to further improve effectiveness and simplify operations is investigated. By employing a tether, the asteroidal material can be placed close to the asteroid while the spacecraft is stationed farther away, resulting in a better safety margin and improved thruster efficiency. A solar sail on a spacecraft can naturally provide radial offset and inter-spacecraft separation required for multiple EGTs.

Sensorimotor enhancement with a mixed reality system for balance and mobility rehabilitation.

PubMed

Fung, Joyce; Perez, Claire F

2011-01-01

We have developed a mixed reality system incorporating virtual reality (VR), surface perturbations and light touch for gait rehabilitation. Haptic touch has emerged as a novel and efficient technique to improve postural control and dynamic stability. Our system combines visual display with the manipulation of physical environments and addition of haptic feedback to enhance balance and mobility post stroke. A research study involving 9 participants with stroke and 9 age-matched healthy individuals show that the haptic cue provided while walking is an effective means of improving gait stability in people post stroke, especially during challenging environmental conditions such as downslope walking.

Novel Zirconia Surface Treatments for Enhanced Osseointegration: Laboratory Characterization

PubMed Central

Ewais, Ola H.; Al Abbassy, Fayza; Ghoneim, Mona M.; Aboushelib, Moustafa N.

2014-01-01

Purpose. The aim of this study was to evaluate three novel surface treatments intended to improve osseointegration of zirconia implants: selective infiltration etching treatment (SIE), fusion sputtering (FS), and low pressure particle abrasion (LPPA). The effects of surface treatments on roughness, topography, hardness, and porosity of implants were also assessed. Materials and Methods. 45 zirconia discs (19 mm in diameter × 3 mm in thickness) received 3 different surface treatments: selective infiltration etching, low pressure particle abrasion with 30 µm alumina, and fusion sputtering while nontreated surface served as control. Surface roughness was evaluated quantitatively using profilometery, porosity was evaluated using mercury prosimetry, and Vickers microhardness was used to assess surface hardness. Surface topography was analyzed using scanning and atomic force microscopy (α = 0.05). Results. There were significant differences between all groups regarding surface roughness (F = 1678, P < 0.001), porosity (F = 3278, P < 0.001), and hardness (F = 1106.158, P < 0.001). Scanning and atomic force microscopy revealed a nanoporous surface characteristic of SIE, and FS resulted in the creation of surface microbeads, while LPPA resulted in limited abrasion of the surface. Conclusion. Within the limitations of the study, changes in surface characteristics and topography of zirconia implants have been observed after different surface treatment approaches. Thus possibilities for enhanced osseointegration could be additionally offered. PMID:25349610

Treatment of Silk Fibroin with Poly(ethylene glycol) for the Enhancement of Corneal Epithelial Cell Growth

PubMed Central

Suzuki, Shuko; Dawson, Rebecca A.; Chirila, Traian V.; Shadforth, Audra M. A.; Hogerheyde, Thomas A.; Edwards, Grant A.; Harkin, Damien G.

2015-01-01

A silk protein, fibroin, was isolated from the cocoons of the domesticated silkworm (Bombyx mori) and cast into membranes to serve as freestanding templates for tissue-engineered corneal cell constructs to be used in ocular surface reconstruction. In this study, we sought to enhance the attachment and proliferation of corneal epithelial cells by increasing the permeability of the fibroin membranes and the topographic roughness of their surface. By mixing the fibroin solution with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) of molecular weight 300 Da, membranes were produced with increased permeability and with topographic patterns generated on their surface. In order to enhance their mechanical stability, some PEG-treated membranes were also crosslinked with genipin. The resulting membranes were thoroughly characterized and compared to the non-treated membranes. The PEG-treated membranes were similar in tensile strength to the non-treated ones, but their elastic modulus was higher and elongation lower, indicating enhanced rigidity. The crosslinking with genipin did not induce a significant improvement in mechanical properties. In cultures of a human-derived corneal epithelial cell line (HCE-T), the PEG treatment of the substratum did not improve the attachment of cells and it enhanced only slightly the cell proliferation in the longer term. Likewise, primary cultures of human limbal epithelial cells grew equally well on both non-treated and PEG-treated membranes, and the stratification of cultures was consistently improved in the presence of an underlying culture of irradiated 3T3 feeder cells, irrespectively of PEG-treatment. Nevertheless, the cultures grown on the PEG-treated membranes in the presence of feeder cells did display a higher nuclear-to-cytoplasmic ratio suggesting a more proliferative phenotype. We concluded that while the treatment with PEG had a significant effect on some structural properties of the B. mori silk fibroin (BMSF) membranes, there were minimal gains in the performance of these materials as a substratum for corneal epithelial cell growth. The reduced mechanical stability of freestanding PEG-treated membranes makes them a less viable choice than the non-treated membranes. PMID:26034883

Surface flashover performance of epoxy resin microcomposites improved by electron beam irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Yin; Min, Daomin; Li, Shengtao; Li, Zhen; Xie, Dongri; Wang, Xuan; Lin, Shengjun

2017-06-01

The influencing mechanism of electron beam irradiation on surface flashover of epoxy resin/Al2O3 microcomposite was investigated. Epoxy resin/Al2O3 microcomposite samples with a diameter of 50 mm and a thickness of 1 mm were prepared. The samples were irradiated by electron beam with energies of 10 and 20 keV and a beam current of 5 μA for 5 min. Surface potential decay, surface conduction, and surface flashover properties of untreated and irradiated samples were measured. Both the decay rate of surface potential and surface conductivity decrease with an increase in the energy of electron beam. Meanwhile, surface flashover voltage increase. It was found that both the untreated and irradiated samples have two trap centers, which are labeled as shallow and deep traps. The increase in the energy and density of deep surface traps enhance the ability to capture primary emitted electrons. In addition, the decrease in surface conductivity blocks electron emission at the cathode triple junction. Therefore, electron avalanche at the interface between gas and an insulating material would be suppressed, eventually improving surface flashover voltage of epoxy resin microcomposites.

Plasmon-Induced Magnetic Resonance Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy.

PubMed

Chen, Shu; Zhang, Yuejiao; Shih, Tien-Mo; Yang, Weimin; Hu, Shu; Hu, Xiaoyan; Li, Jianfeng; Ren, Bin; Mao, Bingwei; Yang, Zhilin; Tian, Zhongqun

2018-04-11

Plasmon-induced magnetic resonance has shown great potentials in optical metamaterials, chemical (bio)-sensing, and surface-enhanced spectroscopies. Here, we have theoretically and experimentally revealed (1) a correspondence of the strongest near-field response to the far-field scattering valley and (2) a significant improvement in Raman signals of probing molecules by the plasmon-induced magnetic resonance. These revelations are accomplished by designing a simple and practical metallic nanoparticle-film plasmonic system that generates magnetic resonances at visible-near-infrared frequencies. Our work may provide new insights for understanding the enhancement mechanism of various plasmon-enhanced spectroscopies and also helps further explore light-matter interactions at the nanoscale.

Conductivity Enhancement of PEDOT:PSS Films Through the Surface Treatment with Organic Solvent.

PubMed

Lee, Sungkoo

2016-03-01

The improvement of conductivity is a key factor in application of conducting polymer to elec- tronic devices. The conductivity enhancement of PSS films were observed after dipping in polar organic solvents, including DMSO, ethylene glycol, glycerol and IPA. The conductivity of PSS films increased from 0.5 S/cm to over 800 S/cm, that is, by a factor of more than 1,600. The conductivity enhancement was dependent on the type of organic solvents and dipping time of PSS into solvent. The enhancement of conductivity may be caused by the phase separation between PEDOT chains and PSS counter anions.

Enhanced photovoltaic performance of Sb2S3-sensitized solar cells through surface treatments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Qing; Xu, Yafeng; Chen, Wenyong; Yang, Shangfeng; Zhu, Jun; Weng, Jian

2018-05-01

Efficient antimony sulfide (Sb2S3)-sensitized solar cells were obtained by a sequential treatment with thioacetamide (TA) and 1-decylphosphonic acid (DPA). Compared with the untreated Sb2S3-sensitized solar cells, the power conversion efficiency of the treated Sb2S3 solar cells was improved by 1.80% to 3.23%. The TA treatment improved the Sb2S3 films by reducing impurities and decreasing the film's surface defects, which inhibited the emergence of recombination centers. The DPA treatment reduced the recombination between hole transport materials (HTMs) and the Sb2S3. Therefore, we have presented an efficient strategy to improve the performance of Sb2S3-sensitized solar cells.

Chemically Derivatized Semiconductor Photoelectrodes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wrighton, Mark S.

1983-01-01

Deliberate modification of semiconductor photoelectrodes to improve durability and enhance rate of desirable interfacial redox processes is discussed for a variety of systems. Modification with molecular-based systems or with metals/metal oxides yields results indicating an important role for surface modification in devices for fundamental study…

Two-dimensional TiO2-based nanosheets co-modified by surface-enriched carbon dots and Gd2O3 nanoparticles for efficient visible-light-driven photocatalysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Dingze; Fang, Pengfei; Ding, Junqian; Yang, Minchen; Cao, Yufei; Zhou, Yawei; Peng, Kui; Kondamareddy, Kiran Kumar; Liu, Min

2017-02-01

Two-dimensional TiO2-based nanosheets (TNSs) co-modified by surface-enriched carbon dots (CDs) and Gd2O3 nanoparticles: (Gd-C-TNSs), capable of exhibiting visible-light-driven photo catalysis were synthesized using a two-pot hydrothermal route. The samples had a sheet-like structure, thickness of approximately 3.6 nm, large specific surface area of 240-350 cm2/g. The CDs (2-3 nm) and Gd2O3 nanoparticles (1-2 nm) were highly dispersed over the surface of the nanosheets. The co-modification by Gd2O3 nanoparticles and CDs influenced the crystallinity, crystal structure, and surface area of the TNSs, and improved the visible-light absorption. Surface photocurrent and fluorescence spectral studies revealed that the photo-generated charge carrier separation efficiency could be improved by an appropriate amount of modification. A very high efficiency was obtained using 0.5 at% Gd/Ti and 3.0 g/L of CDs. The visible-light-induced photocatalytic activity is enhanced under the isolated Cr(VI) system, isolated Rhodamin B (RhB) system, and the synergism between RhB degradation and Cr(VI) reduction for the Gd-C-TNSs photocatalysts. Initially, the photocatalytic activity gradually increased with an increase in the amount of CDs, and then decreased after attaining a maximum, in the case where 0.5 at% Gd/Ti and 3.0 g/L of CDs were used. The enhancement in the photocatalytic activity was attributed to the synergetic effect of the Gd2O3 nanoparticles, TNSs, and CDs in the Gd-C-TNSs composites. The effect led to a fast separation and slow recombination of photo-induced electron-hole pairs. An alternate mechanism for enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity was also considered.

Plasmon-enhanced energy transfer for improved upconversion of infrared radiation in doped-lanthanide nanocrystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Qi; Mundoor, Haridas; Ribot, Josep; Singh, Vivek; Smalyukh, Ivan; Nagpal, Prashant

2014-03-01

Upconversion of infrared radiation into visible light has been investigated for applications in biological imaging and photovoltaics. However, low conversion efficiency due to small absorption cross-section for infrared light (Yb3+) , and slow rate of energy transfer (to Er3+ states) has prevented application of upconversion photoluminescence (UPL) for diffuse sunlight or imaging tissue samples. Here, we utilize resonant surface plasmon polaritons (SPP) waves to enhance UPL in doped-lanthanide nanocrystals. Our analysis indicates that SPP waves not only enhance the electromagnetic field, and hence weak Purcell effect, but also increases the rate of resonant energy transfer from Yb3+ to Er3+ ions by 6 fold. While we do observe strong metal mediated quenching (14 fold) of green fluorescence on flat metal surfaces, the nanostructured metal is resonant in the infrared, and hence enhances the nanocrystal UPL. This strong columbic effect on energy transfer can have important implications for other fluorescent and excitonic systems too.

Sensitive enhancement of vessel wall imaging with an endoesophageal Wireless Amplified NMR Detector (WAND).

PubMed

Zeng, Xianchun; Barbic, Mladen; Chen, Liangliang; Qian, Chunqi

2017-11-01

To improve the imaging quality of vessel walls with an endoesophageal Wireless Amplified NMR Detector (WAND). A cylindrically shaped double-frequency resonator has been constructed with a single metal wire that is self-connected by a pair of nonlinear capacitors. The double-frequency resonator can convert wirelessly provided pumping power into amplified MR signals. This compact design makes the detector easily insertable into a rodent esophagus. The detector has good longitudinal and axial symmetry. Compared to an external surface coil, the WAND can enhance detection sensitivity by at least 5 times, even when the distance separation between the region of interest and the detector's cylindrical surface is twice the detector's own radius. Such detection capability enables us to observe vessel walls near the aortic arch and carotid bifurcation with elevated sensitivity. A cylindrical MRI detector integrated with a wireless-powered amplifier has been developed as an endoesophageal detector to enhance detection sensitivity of vessel walls. This detector can greatly improve the imaging quality for vessel regions that are susceptible to atherosclerotic lesions. Magn Reson Med 78:2048-2054, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Surface engineering of ferroelectric polymer for the enhanced electrical performance of organic transistor memory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Do-Kyung; Lee, Gyu-Jeong; Lee, Jae-Hyun; Kim, Min-Hoi; Bae, Jin-Hyuk

2018-05-01

We suggest a viable surface control method to improve the electrical properties of organic nonvolatile memory transistors. For viable surface control, the surface of the ferroelectric insulator in the memory field-effect transistors was modified using a smooth-contact-curing process. For the modification of the ferroelectric polymer, during the curing of the ferroelectric insulators, the smooth surface of a soft elastomer contacts intimately with the ferroelectric surface. This smooth-contact-curing process reduced the surface roughness of the ferroelectric insulator without degrading its ferroelectric properties. The reduced roughness of the ferroelectric insulator increases the mobility of the organic field-effect transistor by approximately eight times, which results in a high memory on–off ratio and a low-voltage reading operation.

The effect of bulk/surface defects ratio change on the photocatalysis of TiO2 nanosheet film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Fangfang; Ge, Wenna; Shen, Tong; Ye, Bangjiao; Fu, Zhengping; Lu, Yalin

2017-07-01

The photocatalysis behavior of TiO2 nanosheet array films was studied, in which the ratio of bulk/surface defects were adjusted by annealing at different temperature. Combining positron annihilation spectroscopy, EPR and XPS, we concluded that the bulk defects belonged to Ti3+ related vacancy defects. The results show that the separation efficiency of photogenerated electrons and holes could be significantly improved by optimizing the bulk/surface defects ratio of TiO2 nanosheet films, and in turn enhancing the photocatalysis behaviors.

Surface modifications of photoanodes in dye sensitized solar cells: enhanced light harvesting and reduced recombination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saxena, Vibha; Aswal, D. K.

2015-06-01

In a quest to harvest solar power, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have potential for low-cost eco-friendly photovoltaic devices. The major processes which govern the efficiency of a DSSC are photoelectron generation, injection of photo-generated electrons to the conduction band (CB) of the mesoporous nanocrystalline semiconductor (nc-SC); transport of CB electrons through nc-SC and subsequent collection of CB electrons at the counter electrode (CE) through the external circuit; and dye regeneration by redox couple or hole transport layer (HTL). Most of these processes occur at various interfaces of the photoanode. In addition, recombination losses of photo-generated electrons with either dye or redox molecules take place at the interfaces. Therefore, one of the key requirements for high efficiency is to improve light harvesting of the photoanode and to reduce the recombination losses at various interfaces. In this direction, surface modification of the photoanode is the simplest method among the various other approaches available in the literature. In this review, we present a comprehensive discussion on surface modification of the photoanode, which has been adopted in the literature for not only enhancing light harvesting but also reducing recombination. Various approaches towards surface modification of the photoanode discussed are (i) fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO)/nc-SC interface modified via a compact layer of semiconductor material which blocks exposed sites of FTO to electrolyte (or HTL), (ii) nc-SC/dye interface modification either through acid treatment resulting in enhanced dye loading due to a positively charged surface or by depositing insulating/semiconducting blocking layer on the nc-SC surface, which acts as a tunneling barrier for recombination, (iii) nc-SC/dye interface modified by employing co-adsorbents which helps in reducing the dye aggregation and thereby recombination, and (iv) dye/electrolyte (or dye/HTL) interface modification using additives which provides surface passivation as well as positive movement of the nc-SC Fermi level owing to negative charge at the surface and hence improves light harvesting and reduced recombination. Finally, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of various approaches towards high-efficiency DSSCs.

Double polymer sheathed carbon nanotube supercapacitors show enhanced cycling stability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Wenqi; Wang, Shanshan; Wang, Chunhui; Wu, Shiting; Xu, Wenjing; Zou, Mingchu; Ouyang, An; Cao, Anyuan; Li, Yibin

2015-12-01

Pseudo-materials are effective in boosting the specific capacitance of supercapacitors, but during service their degradation may also be very strong, causing reduced cycling stability. Here, we show that a carbon nanotube sponge grafted by two conventional pseudo-polymer layers in sequence can serve as a porous supercapacitor electrode with significantly enhanced cycling stability compared with single polymer grafting. Creating conformal polymer coatings on the nanotube surface and the resulting double-sheath configuration are important structural factors leading to the enhanced performance. Combining different polymers as double sheaths as reported here might be a potential route to circumvent the dilemma of pseudo-materials, and to simultaneously improve the capacitance and stability for various energy storage devices.Pseudo-materials are effective in boosting the specific capacitance of supercapacitors, but during service their degradation may also be very strong, causing reduced cycling stability. Here, we show that a carbon nanotube sponge grafted by two conventional pseudo-polymer layers in sequence can serve as a porous supercapacitor electrode with significantly enhanced cycling stability compared with single polymer grafting. Creating conformal polymer coatings on the nanotube surface and the resulting double-sheath configuration are important structural factors leading to the enhanced performance. Combining different polymers as double sheaths as reported here might be a potential route to circumvent the dilemma of pseudo-materials, and to simultaneously improve the capacitance and stability for various energy storage devices. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr05978j

Fiber-Reinforced Reactive Nano-Epoxy Composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhong, Wei-Hong

2011-01-01

An ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene/ matrix interface based on the fabrication of a reactive nano-epoxy matrix with lower surface energy has been improved. Enhanced mechanical properties versus pure epoxy on a three-point bend test include: strength (25 percent), modulus (20 percent), and toughness (30 percent). Increased thermal properties include higher Tg (glass transition temperature) and stable CTE (coefficient of thermal expansion). Improved processability for manufacturing composites includes faster wetting rates on macro-fiber surfaces, lower viscosity, better resin infusion rates, and improved rheological properties. Improved interfacial adhesion properties with Spectra fibers by pullout tests include initial debonding force of 35 percent, a maximum pullout force of 25 percent, and energy to debond at 65 percent. Improved mechanical properties of Spectra fiber composites (tensile) aging resistance properties include hygrothermal effects. With this innovation, high-performance composites have been created, including carbon fibers/nano-epoxy, glass fibers/nano-epoxy, aramid fibers/ nano-epoxy, and ultra-high-molecularweight polyethylene fiber (UHMWPE).

Alteration of Electrostatic Surface Potential Enhances Affinity and Tumor Killing Properties of Anti-ganglioside GD2 Monoclonal Antibody hu3F8.

PubMed

Zhao, Qi; Ahmed, Mahiuddin; Guo, Hong-fen; Cheung, Irene Y; Cheung, Nai-Kong V

2015-05-22

Ganglioside GD2 is highly expressed on neuroectodermal tumors and an attractive therapeutic target for antibodies that have already shown some clinical efficacy. To further improve the current antibodies, which have modest affinity, we sought to improve affinity by using a combined method of random mutagenesis and in silico assisted design to affinity-mature the anti-GD2 monoclonal antibody hu3F8. Using yeast display, mutants in the Fv with enhanced binding over the parental clone were FACS-sorted and cloned. In silico modeling identified the minimal key interacting residues involved in the important charged interactions with the sialic acid groups of GD2. Two mutations, D32H (L-CDR1) and E1K (L-FR1) altered the electrostatic surface potential of the antigen binding site, allowing for an increase in positive charge to enhance the interaction with the negatively charged GD2-pentasaccharide headgroup. Purified scFv and IgG mutant forms were then tested for antigen specificity by ELISA, for tissue specificity by immunohistochemistry, for affinity by BIACORE, for antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) and complement-mediated cytotoxicity in vitro, and for anti-tumor efficacy in xenografted humanized mice. The nearly 7-fold improvement in affinity of hu3F8 with a single D32H (L-CDR1) mutation translated into a ∼12-fold improvement in NK92MI-transfected CD16-mediated ADCC, a 6-fold improvement in CD32-mediated ADCC, and a 2.5-fold improvement in complement-mediated cytotoxicity while maintaining restricted normal tissue cross-reactivity and achieving substantial improvement in tumor ablation in vivo. Despite increasing GD2 affinity, the double mutation D32H (L-CDR1) and E1K (L-FR1) did not further improve anti-tumor efficacy. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Bone Cell–materials Interactions and Ni Ion Release of Anodized Equiatomic NiTi Alloy

PubMed Central

Bernard, Sheldon A.; Balla, Vamsi Krishna; Davies, Neal M.; Bose, Susmita; Bandyopadhyay, Amit

2011-01-01

Laser processed NiTi alloy was anodized for different durations in H2SO4 electrolyte with varying pH to create biocompatible surfaces with low Ni ion release as well as bioactive surfaces to enhance biocompatibility and bone cell-materials interactions. The anodized surfaces were assessed for their in vitro cell-materials interactions using human fetal osteoblast (hFOB) cells for 3, 7 and 11 days, and Ni ion release up to 8 weeks in simulated body fluids. The results were correlated with surface morphologies of anodized surfaces characterized using field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The results show that the anodization creates a surface with nano/micro roughness depending on anodization conditions. The hydrophilicity of NiTi surface was found to improve after anodization due to lower contact angles in cell media, which dropped from 32° to < 5°. The improved wettability of anodized surfaces is further corroborated by their high surface energy comparable to that of cp Ti. Relatively high surface energy, especially polar component, and nano/micro surface features of anodized surfaces significantly increased the number of living cells and their adherence and growth on these surfaces. Finally, a significant drop in Ni ion release from 268 ± 11 to 136 ± 15 ppb was observed for NiTi surfaces after anodization. This work indicates that anodization of NiTi alloy has a positive influence on the surface energy and surface morphology, which in turn improve bone cell-materials interactions and reduce Ni ion release in vitro. PMID:21232641

Inverted organic electronic and optoelectronic devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Small, Cephas E.

The research and development of organic electronics for commercial application has received much attention due to the unique properties of organic semiconductors and the potential for low-cost high-throughput manufacturing. For improved large-scale processing compatibility and enhanced device stability, an inverted geometry has been employed for devices such as organic light emitting diodes and organic photovoltaic cells. These improvements are attributed to the added flexibility to incorporate more air-stable materials into the inverted device geometry. However, early work on organic electronic devices with an inverted geometry typically showed reduced device performance compared to devices with a conventional structure. In the case of organic light emitting diodes, inverted devices typically show high operating voltages due to insufficient carrier injection. Here, a method for enhancing hole injection in inverted organic electronic devices is presented. By incorporating an electron accepting interlayer into the inverted device, a substantial enhancement in hole injection efficiency was observed as compared to conventional devices. Through a detailed carrier injection study, it is determined that the injection efficiency enhancements in the inverted devices are due to enhanced charge transfer at the electron acceptor/organic semiconductor interface. A similar situation is observed for organic photovoltaic cells, in which devices with an inverted geometry show limited carrier extraction in early studies. In this work, enhanced carrier extraction is demonstrated for inverted polymer solar cells using a surface-modified ZnO-polymer composite electron-transporting layer. The insulating polymer in the composite layer inhibited aggregation of the ZnO nanoparticles, while the surface-modification of the composite interlayer improved the electronic coupling with the photoactive layer. As a result, inverted polymer solar cells with power conversion efficiencies of over 8% were obtained. To further study carrier extraction in inverted polymer solar cells, the active layer thickness dependence of the efficiency was investigated. For devices with active layer thickness < 200 nm, power conversion efficiencies over 8% was obtained. This result is important for demonstrating improved large-scale processing compatibility. Above 200 nm, significant reduction in cell efficiency were observed. A detailed study of the loss processes that contributed to the reduction in efficiency for thick-film devices are presented.

Enhanced adhesion by high energy bombardment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Griffith, Joseph E. (Inventor); Qiu, Yuanxun (Inventor); Tombrello, Thomas A. (Inventor)

1984-01-01

Films (12) of gold, copper, silicon nitride, or other materials are firmly bonded to insulator substrates (12) such as silica, a ferrite, or Teflon (polytetrafluorethylene) by irradiating the interface with high energy ions. Apparently, track forming processes in the electronic stopping region cause intermixing in a thin surface layer resulting in improved adhesion without excessive doping. Thick layers can be bonded by depositing or doping the interfacial surfaces with fissionable elements or alpha emitters.

Surface modification to improve fireside corrosion resistance of Fe-Cr ferritic steels

DOEpatents

Park, Jong-Hee; Natesan, Krishnamurti; Rink, David L.

2010-03-16

An article of manufacture and a method for providing an Fe--Cr ferritic steel article of manufacture having a surface layer modification for corrosion resistance. Fe--Cr ferritic steels can be modified to enhance their corrosion resistance to liquid coal ash and other chemical environments, which have chlorides or sulfates containing active species. The steel is modified to form an aluminide/silicide passivating layer to reduce such corrosion.

Solar energy collection system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Selcuk, M. K. (Inventor)

1977-01-01

An improved solar energy collection system, having enhanced energy collection and conversion capabilities, is delineated. The system is characterized by a plurality of receivers suspended above a heliostat field comprising a multiplicity of reflector surfaces, each being adapted to direct a concentrated beam of solar energy to illuminate a target surface for a given receiver. A magnitude of efficiency, suitable for effectively competing with systems employed in collecting and converting energy extracted from fossil fuels, is indicated.

Surface modification of model hydrogel contact lenses with hyaluronic acid via thiol-ene "click" chemistry for enhancing surface characteristics.

PubMed

Korogiannaki, Myrto; Zhang, Jianfeng; Sheardown, Heather

2017-10-01

Discontinuation of contact lens wear as a result of ocular dryness and discomfort is extremely common; as many as 26% of contact lens wearers discontinue use within the first year. While patients are generally satisfied with conventional hydrogel lenses, improving on-eye comfort continues to remain a goal. Surface modification with a biomimetic, ocular friendly hydrophilic layer of a wetting agent is hypothesized to improve the interfacial interactions of the contact lens with the ocular surface. In this work, the synthesis and characterization of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) surfaces grafted with a hydrophilic layer of hyaluronic acid are described. The immobilization reaction involved the covalent attachment of thiolated hyaluronic acid (20 kDa) on acrylated poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) via nucleophile-initiated Michael addition thiol-ene "click" chemistry. The surface chemistry of the modified surfaces was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy-attenuated total reflectance and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The appearance of N (1s) and S (2p) peaks on the low resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectra confirmed successful immobilization of hyaluronic acid. Grafting hyaluronic acid to the poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) surfaces decreased the contact angle, the dehydration rate, and the amount of nonspecific sorption of lysozyme and albumin in comparison to pristine hydrogel materials, suggesting the development of more wettable surfaces with improved water-retentive and antifouling properties, while maintaining optical transparency (>92%). In vitro testing also showed excellent viability of human corneal epithelial cells with the hyaluronic acid-grafted poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) surfaces. Hence, surface modification with hyaluronic acid via thiol-ene "click" chemistry could be useful in improving contact lens surface properties, potentially alleviating symptoms of contact lens related dryness and discomfort during wear.

Pulsed Laser Deposition Processing of Improved Titanium Nitride Coatings for Implant Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haywood, Talisha M.

Recently surface coating technology has attracted considerable attention of researchers to develop novel coatings with enhanced functional properties such as hardness, biocompatibility, wear and corrosion resistance for medical devices and surgical tools. The materials currently being used for surgical implants include predominantly stainless steel (316L), cobalt chromium (Co-Cr), titanium and its alloys. Some of the limitations of these implants include improper mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, cytotoxicity and bonding with bone. One of the ways to improve the performance and biocompatibility of these implants is to coat their surfaces with biocompatible materials. Among the various coating materials, titanium nitride (TiN) shows excellent mechanical properties, corrosion resistance and low cytotoxicity. In the present work, a systematic study of pulsed laser ablation processing of TiN coatings was conducted. TiN thin film coatings were grown on commercially pure titanium (Ti) and stainless steel (316L) substrates at different substrate temperatures and different nitrogen partial pressures using the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. Microstructural, surface, mechanical, chemical, corrosion and biological analysis techniques were applied to characterize the TiN thin film coatings. The PLD processed TiN thin film coatings showed improvements in mechanical strength, corrosion resistance and biocompatibility when compared to the bare substrates. The enhanced performance properties of the TiN thin film coatings were a result of the changing and varying of the deposition parameters.

TOMS UV Algorithm: Problems and Enhancements. 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krotkov, Nickolay; Herman, Jay; Bhartia, P. K.; Seftor, Colin; Arola, Antti; Kaurola, Jussi; Kroskinen, Lasse; Kalliskota, S.; Taalas, Petteri; Geogdzhaev, I.

2002-01-01

Satellite instruments provide global maps of surface ultraviolet (UV) irradiance by combining backscattered radiance measurements with radiative transfer models. The models are limited by uncertainties in input parameters of the atmosphere and the surface. We evaluate the effects of possible enhancements of the current Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) surface UV irradiance algorithm focusing on effects of diurnal variation of cloudiness and improved treatment of snow/ice. The emphasis is on comparison between the results of the current (version 1) TOMS UV algorithm and each of the changes proposed. We evaluate different approaches for improved treatment of pixel average cloud attenuation, with and without snow/ice on the ground. In addition to treating clouds based only on the measurements at the local time of the TOMS observations, the results from other satellites and weather assimilation models can be used to estimate attenuation of the incident UV irradiance throughout the day. A new method is proposed to obtain a more realistic treatment of snow covered terrain. The method is based on a statistical relation between UV reflectivity and snow depth. The new method reduced the bias between the TOMS UV estimations and ground-based UV measurements for snow periods. The improved (version 2) algorithm will be applied to re-process the existing TOMS UV data record (since 1978) and to the future satellite sensors (e.g., Quik/TOMS, GOME, OMI on EOS/Aura and Triana/EPIC).

LSPR Tuning from 470 to 800 nm and Improved Stability of Au-Ag Nanoparticles Formed by Gold Deposition and Rebuilding in the Presence of Poly(styrenesulfonate).

PubMed

Cathcart, Nicole; Chen, Jennifer I L; Kitaev, Vladimir

2018-01-16

Stability and precise control over functional properties of metal nanoparticles remain a challenge for the realization of prospective applications. Our described process of shell formation and rebuilding can address both these challenges. Template silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) stabilized by poly(styrenesulfonate) are first transformed with gold deposition, after which the resulting shell rebuilds with the replaced silver. The shell formation and rebuilding are accompanied by large shifts in localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) peak position, which enables LSPR tuning in a range from 470 to 800 nm. Furthermore, chemical stability of Au-AgNPs is significantly improved compared to AgNPs due to gold stability. Silver templates of different shapes and sizes were demonstrated to transform to AuAg composite NPs to further extend the accessible LSPR range tuning. Stabilization of template AgNPs with poly(styrenesulfonate), in contrast to commonly used poly(vinylpyrrolidone), was found to be a key factor for shell rebuilding. The developed Au-AgNPs were shown to be advantageous for surface plasmon resonance (SPR) detection and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) owing to their tunable LSPR and enhanced stability.

The Extract of Roots of Sophora flavescens Enhances the Recovery of Motor Function by Axonal Growth in Mice with a Spinal Cord Injury.

PubMed

Tanabe, Norio; Kuboyama, Tomoharu; Kazuma, Kohei; Konno, Katsuhiro; Tohda, Chihiro

2015-01-01

Although axonal extension to reconstruct spinal tracts should be effective for restoring function after spinal cord injury (SCI), chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG) levels increase at spinal cord lesion sites, and inhibit axonal regrowth. In this study, we found that the water extract of roots of Sophora flavescens extended the axons of mouse cortical neurons, even on a CSPG-coated surface. Consecutive oral administrations of S. flavescens extract to SCI mice for 31 days increased the density of 5-HT-positive axons at the lesion site and improved the motor function. Further, the active constituents in the S. flavescens extract were identified. The water and alkaloid fractions of the S. flavescens extract each exhibited axonal extension activity in vitro. LC/MS analysis revealed that these fractions mainly contain matrine and/or oxymatrine, which are well-known major compounds in S. flavescens. Matrine and oxymatrine promoted axonal extension on the CSPG-coated surface. This study is the first to demonstrate that S. flavescens extract, matrine, and oxymatrine enhance axonal growth in vitro, even on a CSPG-coated surface, and that S. flavescens extract improves motor function and increases axonal density in SCI mice.

Postsynthetic Functionalization of Mg-MOF-74 with Tetraethylenepentamine: Structural Characterization and Enhanced CO2 Adsorption.

PubMed

Su, Xiao; Bromberg, Lev; Martis, Vladimir; Simeon, Fritz; Huq, Ashfia; Hatton, T Alan

2017-03-29

Postsynthetic functionalization of magnesium 2,5-dihydroxyterephthalate (Mg-MOF-74) with tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA) resulted in improved CO 2 adsorption performance under dry and humid conditions. XPS, elemental analysis, and neutron powder diffraction studies indicated that TEPA was incorporated throughout the MOF particle, although it coordinated preferentially with the unsaturated metal sites located in the immediate proximity to the surface. Neutron and X-ray powder diffraction analyses showed that the MOF structure was preserved after amine incorporation, with slight changes in the lattice parameters. The adsorption capacity of the functionalized amino-Mg-MOF-74 (TEPA-MOF) for CO 2 was as high as 26.9 wt % versus 23.4 wt % for the original MOF due to the extra binding sites provided by the multiunit amines. The degree of functionalization with the amines was found to be important in enhancing CO 2 adsorption, as the optimal surface coverage improved performance and stability under both pure CO 2 and CO 2 /H 2 O coadsorption, and with partially saturated surface coverage, optimal CO 2 capacity could be achieved under both wet and dry conditions by a synergistic binding of CO 2 to the amines as well as metal centers.

Adsorption of molecular additive onto lead halide perovskite surfaces: A computational study on Lewis base thiophene additive passivation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Lei; Yu, Fengxi; Chen, Lihong; Li, Jingfa

2018-06-01

Organic additives, such as the Lewis base thiophene, have been successfully applied to passivate halide perovskite surfaces, improving the stability and properties of perovskite devices based on CH3NH3PbI3. Yet, the detailed nanostructure of the perovskite surface passivated by additives and the mechanisms of such passivation are not well understood. This study presents a nanoscopic view on the interfacial structure of an additive/perovskite interface, consisting of a Lewis base thiophene molecular additive and a lead halide perovskite surface substrate, providing insights on the mechanisms that molecular additives can passivate the halide perovskite surfaces and enhance the perovskite-based device performance. Molecular dynamics study on the interactions between water molecules and the perovskite surfaces passivated by the investigated additive reveal the effectiveness of employing the molecular additives to improve the stability of the halide perovskite materials. The additive/perovskite surface system is further probed via molecular engineering the perovskite surfaces. This study reveals the nanoscopic structure-property relationships of the halide perovskite surface passivated by molecular additives, which helps the fundamental understanding of the surface/interface engineering strategies for the development of halide perovskite based devices.

Electron mobility enhancement in ZnO thin films via surface modification by carboxylic acids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spalenka, Josef W.; Gopalan, Padma; Katz, Howard E.; Evans, Paul G.

2013-01-01

Modifying the surface of polycrystalline ZnO films using a monolayer of organic molecules with carboxylic acid attachment groups increases the field-effect electron mobility and zero-bias conductivity, resulting in improved transistors and transparent conductors. The improvement is consistent with the passivation of defects via covalent bonding of the carboxylic acid and is reversible by exposure to a UV-ozone lamp. The properties of the solvent used for the attachment are crucial because solvents with high acid dissociation constants (Ka) for carboxylic acids lead to high proton activities and etching of the nanometers-thick ZnO films, masking the electronic effect.

The effect of EDTA in attachment gain and root coverage.

PubMed

Kassab, Moawia M; Cohen, Robert E; Andreana, Sebastiano; Dentino, Andrew R

2006-06-01

Root surface biomodification using low pH agents such as citric acid and tetracycline has been proposed to enhance root coverage following connective tissue grafting. The authors hypothesized that root conditioning with neutral pH edetic acid would improve vertical recession depth, root surface coverage, pocket depth, and clinical attachment levels. Twenty teeth in 10 patients with Miller class I and II recession were treated with connective tissue grafting. The experimental sites received 24% edetic acid in sterile distilled water applied to the root surface for 2 minutes before grafting. Controls were pretreated with only sterile distilled water. Measurements were evaluated before surgery and 6 months after surgery. Analysis of variance was used to determine differences between experimental and control groups. We found significant postoperative improvements in vertical recession depth, root surface coverage, and clinical attachment levels in test and control groups, compared to postoperative data. Pocket depth differences were not significant (P<.01).

Graphene-Based Long-Period Fiber Grating Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensor for High-Sensitivity Gas Sensing

PubMed Central

Wei, Wei; Nong, Jinpeng; Zhang, Guiwen; Tang, Linlong; Jiang, Xiao; Chen, Na; Luo, Suqin; Lan, Guilian; Zhu, Yong

2016-01-01

A graphene-based long-period fiber grating (LPFG) surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor is proposed. A monolayer of graphene is coated onto the Ag film surface of the LPFG SPR sensor, which increases the intensity of the evanescent field on the surface of the fiber and thereby enhances the interaction between the SPR wave and molecules. Such features significantly improve the sensitivity of the sensor. The experimental results demonstrate that the sensitivity of the graphene-based LPFG SPR sensor can reach 0.344 nm%−1 for methane, which is improved 2.96 and 1.31 times with respect to the traditional LPFG sensor and Ag-coated LPFG SPR sensor, respectively. Meanwhile, the graphene-based LPFG SPR sensor exhibits excellent response characteristics and repeatability. Such a SPR sensing scheme offers a promising platform to achieve high sensitivity for gas-sensing applications. PMID:28025483

A novel method for improving cerussite sulfidization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Qi-cheng; Wen, Shu-ming; Zhao, Wen-juan; Cao, Qin-bo; Lü, Chao

2016-06-01

Evaluation of flotation behavior, solution measurements, and surface analyses were performed to investigate the effects of chloride ion addition on the sulfidization of cerussite in this study. Micro-flotation tests indicate that the addition of chloride ions prior to sulfidization can significantly increase the flotation recovery of cerussite, which is attributed to the formation of more lead sulfide species on the mineral surface. Solution measurement results suggest that the addition of chloride ions prior to sulfidization induces the transformation of more sulfide ions from pulp solution onto the mineral surface by the formation of more lead sulfide species. X-ray diffraction and energy-dispersive spectroscopy indicate that more lead sulfide species form on the mineral surface when chloride ions are added prior to sulfidization. These results demonstrate that the addition of chloride ions prior to sulfidization can significantly improve the sulfidization of cerussite, thereby enhancing the flotation performance.

Moth eye-inspired anti-reflective surfaces for improved IR optical systems & visible LEDs fabricated with colloidal lithography and etching.

PubMed

Chan, Lesley W; Morse, Daniel E; Gordon, Michael J

2018-05-08

Near- and sub-wavelength photonic structures are used by numerous organisms (e.g. insects, cephalopods, fish, birds) to create vivid and often dynamically-tunable colors, as well as create, manipulate, or capture light for vision, communication, crypsis, photosynthesis, and defense. This review introduces the physics of moth eye (ME)-like, biomimetic nanostructures and discusses their application to reduce optical losses and improve efficiency of various optoelectronic devices, including photodetectors, photovoltaics, imagers, and light emitting diodes. Light-matter interactions at structured and heterogeneous surfaces over different length scales are discussed, as are the various methods used to create ME-inspired surfaces. Special interest is placed on a simple, scalable, and tunable method, namely colloidal lithography with plasma dry etching, to fabricate ME-inspired nanostructures in a vast suite of materials. Anti-reflective surfaces and coatings for IR devices and enhancing light extraction from visible light emitting diodes are highlighted.

Fuel cell plates with improved arrangement of process channels for enhanced pressure drop across the plates

DOEpatents

Spurrier, Francis R.; Pierce, Bill L.; Wright, Maynard K.

1986-01-01

A plate for a fuel cell has an arrangement of ribs defining an improved configuration of process gas channels and slots on a surface of the plate which provide a modified serpentine gas flow pattern across the plate surface. The channels are generally linear and arranged parallel to one another while the spaced slots allow cross channel flow of process gas in a staggered fashion which creates a plurality of generally mini-serpentine flow paths extending transverse to the longitudinal gas flow along the channels. Adjacent pairs of the channels are interconnected to one another in flow communication. Also, a bipolar plate has the aforementioned process gas channel configuration on one surface and another configuration on the opposite surface. In the other configuration, there are not slots and the gas flow channels have a generally serpentine configuration.

Explorations in the application of nanotechnology to improve the mechanical properties of composite materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Cheng

2007-12-01

This thesis presents the research achievements on the design, preparation, characterization, and analysis of a series of composite materials. By studying the interface interaction of the composite materials using nanotechnology, we developed composite materials that achieve satisfactory mechanical properties in two classes of materials. Durable press (DP) natural textiles are important consumer products usually achieved by erosslinking the molecules in the textiles to achieve long-term wrinkle resistance, which, however, also leads to the simultaneous significant drop of mechanical properties. Herein, a series of polymeric nanoparticl es were investigated, the application of as little as ˜0.14 wt% addition of the nanoparticles improved the mechanical property of the DP cotton fabric by 56% in tearing resistance and 100% in abrasion resistance; the loss in recovery angle is negligible. The author also studied the enzyme-triggered DP treatments of silk fabrics, as a green process method. After the treatment of enzymes, excellent DP property was achieved with improved strain property. Injectable calcium phosphate powder containing acrylic bone cements are widely used in orthopedic surgery to fix artificial prostheses. However, the bending strength is still unsatisfactory. The author modified the surface of the strontium (Sr) containing hydroxyapatite (HA) filler powders with acrylolpamidronate in order to improve the overall mechanical performance of the bone cement composites. By adding 0.25 wt% of acrylolpamidronate to the Sr-HA nanopowders, more than 19% of the bending strength and more than 23% compression strength of the Sr-HA bone cement were improved. Biological evaluations revealed that these bone cement composites were biocompatible and bioactive in cell culture. The results obtained in this thesis work show an effective method to significantly enhance the mechanical properties of composite materials. Different from other available methods, by developing a new series of chemical compounds and nanoparticles, we successfully bound them to the surface or to the constitutional components of the materials through covalent bond. The treatment can enhance and modulate the interface-bonding of the filler materials and enhances the mechanical property of the surface through grafting a thin nano-layer. Since only surface reaction is involved, very small amount of the new material is needed, and the treatment can be readily integrated to the existing processes. The work is instructive in modifying available composite materials to acquire ultra-high mechanical performance.

Thickness dependence of polydopamine thin films on detection sensitivity of surface plasmon-enhanced fluorescence biosensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toma, Mana; Tawa, Keiko

2018-03-01

A bioinspired polydopamine (PDA) coating is a good candidate for the rapid and cheap chemical modification of biosensor surfaces. Herein, we report the effect of PDA thickness on the detection sensitivity of a fluorescence biosensor utilizing surface plasmon-enhanced fluorescence. The thickness of PDA films was tuned by the incubation time of the dopamine solution and varied from 1 to 17 nm. The detection sensitivity was evaluated as the limit of detection (LOD) of a fluorescently labelled target analyte by a model immunoassay. The LOD was determined to be 1.6 pM for the thickest PDA film and was improved to 1.0 pM by reducing the thickness to the range from 1 to 5 nm, corresponding to the incubation time of 10 to 60 min. The experimental results indicate that the PDA coating is suitable for the surface functionalization of biosensors in mass production as it does not require precise control of the incubation time.

Enhanced dynamics of hydrated tRNA on nanodiamond surfaces: A combined neutron scattering and MD simulation study

DOE PAGES

Dhindsa, Gurpreet K.; Bhowmik, Debsindhu; Goswami, Monojoy; ...

2016-09-01

Nontoxic, biocompatible nanodiamonds (ND) have recently been implemented in rational, systematic design of optimal therapeutic use in nanomedicines. However, hydrophilicity of the ND surface strongly influences structure and dynamics of biomolecules that restrict in situ applications of ND. Therefore, fundamental understanding of the impact of hydrophilic ND surface on biomolecules at the molecular level is essential. For tRNA, we observe an enhancement of dynamical behavior in the presence of ND contrary to generally observed slow motion at strongly interacting interfaces. We took advantage of neutron scattering experiments and computer simulations to demonstrate this atypical faster dynamics of tRNA on NDmore » surface. The strong attractive interactions between ND, tRNA, and water give rise to unlike dynamical behavior and structural changes of tRNA in front of ND compared to without ND. As a result, our new findings may provide new design principles for safer, improved drug delivery platforms.« less

Preclinical trial of a novel surface architecture for improved primary fixation of cementless orthopaedic implants.

PubMed

Harrison, Noel; Field, John R; Quondamatteo, Fabio; Curtin, William; McHugh, Peter E; Mc Donnell, Pat

2014-09-01

A new surface architecture for cementless orthopaedic implants (OsteoAnchor), which incorporates a multitude of tiny anchor features for enhancing primary fixation, was tested in an ovine hemi-arthroplasty pilot study. Test animals were implanted with a hip stem component incorporating the OsteoAnchor surface architecture produced using additive layer manufacturing and control animals were implanted with stems containing a standard plasma sprayed titanium coating. Intra-operative surgeon feedback indicated that superior primary fixation was achieved for the OsteoAnchor stems and rapid return to normal gait and load bearing was observed post-operation. Following a 16-week recovery time, histological evaluation of the excised femurs revealed in-growth of healthy bone into the porous structure of the OsteoAnchor stems. Bone in-growth was not achieved for the plasma sprayed stems. These results indicate the potential for the OsteoAnchor surface architecture to enhance both the initial stability and long term lifetime of cementless orthopaedic implants. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Poly(methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic acid)-functionalized porous silicon nanoparticles for enhanced stability and cellular internalization.

PubMed

Shahbazi, Mohammad-Ali; Almeida, Patrick V; Mäkilä, Ermei; Correia, Alexandra; Ferreira, Mónica P A; Kaasalainen, Martti; Salonen, Jarno; Hirvonen, Jouni; Santos, Hélder A

2014-03-01

Currently, developing a stable nanocarrier with high cellular internalization and low toxicity is a key bottleneck in nanomedicine. Here, we have developed a successful method to covalently conjugate poly(methyl vinyl ether-co-maleic acid) (PMVE-MA) copolymer on the surface of (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane-functionalized thermally carbonized porous silicon nanoparticles (APSTCPSi NPs), forming a surface negatively charged nanovehicle with unique properties. This polymer conjugated NPs could modify surface smoothness, charge, and hydrophilicity of the developed NPs, leading to considerable improvement in the colloidal and plasma stabilities via enhanced suspensibility and charge repulsion. Furthermore, despite the surface negative charge of the polymer-conjugated NPs, the cellular internalization was increased in both MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 breast cancer cells. These results provide a proof-of-concept evidence that such polymer-based PSi nanocomposite can be extensively used as a promising candidate for intracellular drug delivery. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Preparation of carbon fiber unsaturated sizing agent for enhancing interfacial strength of carbon fiber/vinyl ester resin composite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiao, Weiwei; Cai, Yemeng; Liu, Wenbo; Yang, Fan; Jiang, Long; Jiao, Weicheng; Wang, Rongguo

2018-05-01

The practical application of carbon fiber (CF) reinforced vinyl ester resin (VE) composite was hampered seriously by the poor interfacial adhesion property. In this work, a novel unsaturated sizing agent was designed and prepared to improve the interfacial strength by covalently bonding CF with VE matrix. The main component of the sizing agent, N-(4‧4-diaminodiphenyl methane)-2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate (DMHM), was synthesized and confirmed by FTIR and NMR. XPS results of sized carbon fiber (SCF) showed that DMHM has adhered to desized fiber surface and reacted with some active functional groups on the surface. The SCF was characterized by high surface roughness and surface energy (especially the polar component), which means better wettability by VE. As a result, the interface shear strength and interlaminar shear strength of SCF/VE composite were enhanced by 96.56% and 66.07% respectively compared with CF/VE composite, benefited mainly from the strong and tough interphase.

Enhanced bonding property of cold-sprayed Zn-Al coating on interstitial-free steel substrate with a nanostructured surface layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Y. L.; Wang, Z. B.; Zhang, J.; Zhang, J. B.; Lu, K.

2016-11-01

By means of surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT), a gradient nanostructured surface layer was fabricated on a hot-rolled interstitial-free steel plate. A Zn-Al coating was subsequently deposited on the SMAT sample by using cold spray process. The bonding property of the coating on the SMAT substrate was compared with that on the coarse-grained (CG) sample. Stud-pull tests showed that the bonding strength in the as-sprayed SMAT sample is ∼30% higher than that in the as-sprayed CG sample. No further improvement in bonding strength was achieved in the coated SMAT sample after annealing at 400 °C, mostly due to the formation of cracks and intermetallic compounds at the coating/substrate interface in an earlier stage (<30 min) and in a final stage (>90 min), respectively. The enhanced bonding property of the Zn-Al coating on the SMAT sample might be related with the promoted atomic diffusion and hardness in the nanostructured surface layer.

Fabrication of TiO2-modified polytetrafluoroethylene ultrafiltration membranes via plasma-enhanced surface graft pretreatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qian, Yingjia; Chi, Lina; Zhou, Weili; Yu, Zhenjiang; Zhang, Zhongzhi; Zhang, Zhenjia; Jiang, Zheng

2016-01-01

Surface hydrophilic modification of polymer ultrafiltration membrane using metal oxide represents an effective yet highly challenging solution to improve water flux and antifouling performance. Via plasma-enhanced graft of poly acryl acid (PAA) prior to coating TiO2, we successfully fixed TiO2 functional thin layer on super hydrophobic polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) ultrafiltration (UF) membranes. The characterization results evidenced TiO2 attached on the PTFE-based UF membranes through the chelating bidentate coordination between surface-grafted carboxyl group and Ti4+. The TiO2 surface modification may greatly reduce the water contact angle from 115.8° of the PTFE membrane to 35.0° without degradation in 30-day continuous filtration operations. The novel TiO2/PAA/PTFE membranes also exhibited excellent antifouling and self-cleaning performance due to the intrinsic hydrophilicity and photocatalysis properties of TiO2, which was further confirmed by the photo-degradation of MB under Xe lamp irradiation.

Generating enhanced site topography data to improve permeable pavement performance assessment methods - presentation

EPA Science Inventory

Permeable pavement surfaces are infiltration based stormwater control measures (SCM) commonly applied in parking lots to decrease impervious area and reduce runoff volume. Many are not optimally designed however, as little attention is given to draining a large enough contributin...

Enhanced photocatalytic CO₂-reduction activity of electrospun mesoporous TiO₂ nanofibers by solvothermal treatment.

PubMed

Fu, Junwei; Cao, Shaowen; Yu, Jiaguo; Low, Jingxiang; Lei, Yongpeng

2014-06-28

Photocatalytic reduction of CO2 into renewable hydrocarbon fuels using semiconductor photocatalysts is considered as a potential solution to the energy deficiency and greenhouse effect. In this work, mesoporous TiO2 nanofibers with high specific surface areas and abundant surface hydroxyl groups are prepared using an electrospinning strategy combined with a subsequent calcination process, followed by a solvothermal treatment. The solvothermally treated mesoporous TiO2 nanofibers exhibit excellent photocatalytic performance on CO2 reduction into hydrocarbon fuels. The significantly improved photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the enhanced CO2 adsorption capacity and the improved charge separation after solvothermal treatment. The highest activity is achieved for the sample with a 2-h solvothermal treatment, showing 6- and 25-fold higher CH4 production rate than those of TiO2 nanofibers without solvothermal treatment and P25, respectively. This work may also provide a prototype for studying the effect of solvothermal treatment on the structure and photocatalytic activity of semiconductor photocatalysts.

Stabilizing ultrasmall Au clusters for enhanced photoredox catalysis.

PubMed

Weng, Bo; Lu, Kang-Qiang; Tang, Zichao; Chen, Hao Ming; Xu, Yi-Jun

2018-04-18

Recently, loading ligand-protected gold (Au) clusters as visible light photosensitizers onto various supports for photoredox catalysis has attracted considerable attention. However, the efficient control of long-term photostability of Au clusters on the metal-support interface remains challenging. Herein, we report a simple and efficient method for enhancing the photostability of glutathione-protected Au clusters (Au GSH clusters) loaded on the surface of SiO 2 sphere by utilizing multifunctional branched poly-ethylenimine (BPEI) as a surface charge modifying, reducing and stabilizing agent. The sequential coating of thickness controlled TiO 2 shells can further significantly improve the photocatalytic efficiency, while such structurally designed core-shell SiO 2 -Au GSH clusters-BPEI@TiO 2 composites maintain high photostability during longtime light illumination conditions. This joint strategy via interfacial modification and composition engineering provides a facile guideline for stabilizing ultrasmall Au clusters and rational design of Au clusters-based composites with improved activity toward targeting applications in photoredox catalysis.

Enhanced heat transfer is dependent on thickness of graphene films: the heat dissipation during boiling

PubMed Central

Ahn, Ho Seon; Kim, Jin Man; Kim, TaeJoo; Park, Su Cheong; Kim, Ji Min; Park, Youngjae; Yu, Dong In; Hwang, Kyoung Won; Jo, HangJin; Park, Hyun Sun; Kim, Hyungdae; Kim, Moo Hwan

2014-01-01

Boiling heat transfer (BHT) is a particularly efficient heat transport method because of the latent heat associated with the process. However, the efficiency of BHT decreases significantly with increasing wall temperature when the critical heat flux (CHF) is reached. Graphene has received much recent research attention for applications in thermal engineering due to its large thermal conductivity. In this study, graphene films of various thicknesses were deposited on a heated surface, and enhancements of BHT and CHF were investigated via pool-boiling experiments. In contrast to the well-known surface effects, including improved wettability and liquid spreading due to micron- and nanometer-scale structures, nanometer-scale folded edges of graphene films provided a clue of BHT improvement and only the thermal conductivity of the graphene layer could explain the dependence of the CHF on the thickness. The large thermal conductivity of the graphene films inhibited the formation of hot spots, thereby increasing the CHF. Finally, the provided empirical model could be suitable for prediction of CHF. PMID:25182076

Enhanced activity and stability of L-arabinose isomerase by immobilization on aminopropyl glass.

PubMed

Zhang, Ye-Wang; Jeya, Marimuthu; Lee, Jung-Kul

2011-03-01

Immobilization of Bacillus licheniformis L: -arabinose isomerase (BLAI) on aminopropyl glass modified with glutaraldehyde (4 mg protein g support⁻¹) was found to enhance the enzyme activity. The immobilization yield of BLAI was proportional to the quantity of amino groups on the surface of support. Reducing particle size increased the adsorption capacity (q(m)) and affinity (k(a)). The pH and temperature for immobilization were optimized to be pH 7.1 and 33 °C using response surface methodology (RSM). The immobilized enzyme was characterized and compared to the free enzyme. There is no change in optimal pH and temperature before and after immobilization. However, the immobilized BLAI enzyme achieved 145% of the activity of the free enzyme. Correspondingly, the catalytic efficiency (k(cat)/K(m)) was improved 1.47-fold after immobilization compared to the free enzyme. The thermal stability was improved 138-fold (t₁/₂) increased from 2 to 275 h) at 50 °C following immobilization.

Evolution of silver/gold triangular nanoframes from prismatic silver/gold core/shell nanostructures and their SERS properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parthiban, P.; Sakar, M.; Balakumar, S.

2013-02-01

We report the evolution of Ag/Au triangular nanoframes from nano core/shell of Ag/Au and their surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) properties. The Ag/Au prismatic core/shell nanostructures were synthesized using chemical reduction method. It was observed that, on the addition of excess gold chloride (HAuCl4) solution, the morphology of nano core/shell was changed to alloy like triangular nanoframes. Accordingly, a shift was found towards higher wavelengths in the UV-Visible absorption peaks of Ag/Au nanoframes compare to Ag/Au nano core/shell. Consequently, the SERS effect of these Ag/Au anisotropic nanostructures were studied on methylene blue. The Ag/Au alloy like prismatic nanoframes showed improved SERS effect than that of prismatic core/shell nanostructures. The experimental findings were revealed that the improved SERS effect could be resulted from the enhanced surface plasmon resonance (SPR) due to the alloy like construction of Ag/Au system.

Graphene transparent electrode for enhanced optical power and thermal stability in GaN light-emitting diodes.

PubMed

Youn, Doo-Hyeb; Yu, Young-Jun; Choi, Hongkyw; Kim, Suck-Hwan; Choi, Sung-Yool; Choi, Choon-Gi

2013-02-22

We report an improvement of the optical power and thermal stability of GaN LEDs using a chemically doped graphene transparent conducting layer (TCL) and a low-resistance contact structure. In order to obtain low contact resistance between the TCL and p-GaN surface, a patterned graphene TCL with Cr/Au electrodes is suggested. A bi-layer patterning method of a graphene TCL was utilized to prevent the graphene from peeling off the p-GaN surface. To improve the work function and the sheet resistance of graphene, CVD (chemical vapor deposition) graphene was doped by a chemical treatment using a HNO(3) solution. The effect of the contact resistance on the power degradation of LEDs at a high injection current level was investigated. In addition, the enhancement of the optical power via an increase in the current spreading and a decrease in the potential barrier of the graphene TCL was investigated.

Graphene transparent electrode for enhanced optical power and thermal stability in GaN light-emitting diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Youn, Doo-Hyeb; Yu, Young-Jun; Choi, HongKyw; Kim, Suck-Hwan; Choi, Sung-Yool; Choi, Choon-Gi

2013-02-01

We report an improvement of the optical power and thermal stability of GaN LEDs using a chemically doped graphene transparent conducting layer (TCL) and a low-resistance contact structure. In order to obtain low contact resistance between the TCL and p-GaN surface, a patterned graphene TCL with Cr/Au electrodes is suggested. A bi-layer patterning method of a graphene TCL was utilized to prevent the graphene from peeling off the p-GaN surface. To improve the work function and the sheet resistance of graphene, CVD (chemical vapor deposition) graphene was doped by a chemical treatment using a HNO3 solution. The effect of the contact resistance on the power degradation of LEDs at a high injection current level was investigated. In addition, the enhancement of the optical power via an increase in the current spreading and a decrease in the potential barrier of the graphene TCL was investigated.

PEGylation of cationic, shell-crosslinked-knedel-like nanoparticles modulates inflammation and enhances cellular uptake in the lung

PubMed Central

Ibricevic, Aida; Guntsen, Sean P.; Zhang, Ke; Shrestha, Ritu; Liu, Yongjian; Sun, Jing Yi; Welch, Michael J.; Wooley, Karen L.; Brody, Steven L.

2013-01-01

The airway provides a direct route for administration of nanoparticles bearing therapeutic or diagnostic payloads to the lung, however optimization of nanoplatforms for intracellular delivery remains challenging. Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) surface modification improves systemic performance but less is known about PEGylated nanoparticles administered to the airway. To test this, we generated a library of cationic, shell crosslinked knedel-like nanoparticles (cSCKs), including PEG (1.5 kDa PEG; 2, 5, 10 molecules/polymer arm) on the outer shell. Delivery of PEGylated cSCK to the mouse airway showed significantly less inflammation in a PEG dose-dependent manner. PEGylation also enhanced the entry of cSCKs in lung alveolar epithelial cells and improved surfactant penetration. The PEGylation effect could be explained by the altered mechanism of endocytosis. While non-PEGylated cSCKs used the clathrin-dependent route for endocytosis, entry of PEGylated cSCK was clathrin-independent. Thus, nanoparticle surface modification with PEG represents an advantageous design for lung delivery. PMID:23453959

n-MoS2/p-Si Solar Cells with Al2O3 Passivation for Enhanced Photogeneration.

PubMed

Rehman, Atteq Ur; Khan, Muhammad Farooq; Shehzad, Muhammad Arslan; Hussain, Sajjad; Bhopal, Muhammad Fahad; Lee, Sang Hee; Eom, Jonghwa; Seo, Yongho; Jung, Jongwan; Lee, Soo Hong

2016-11-02

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) has recently emerged as a promising candidate for fabricating ultrathin-film photovoltaic devices. These devices exhibit excellent photovoltaic performance, superior flexibility, and low production cost. Layered MoS 2 deposited on p-Si establishes a built-in electric field at MoS 2 /Si interface that helps in photogenerated carrier separation for photovoltaic operation. We propose an Al 2 O 3 -based passivation at the MoS 2 surface to improve the photovoltaic performance of bulklike MoS 2 /Si solar cells. Interestingly, it was observed that Al 2 O 3 passivation enhances the built-in field by reduction of interface trap density at surface. Our device exhibits an improved power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 5.6%, which to our knowledge is the highest efficiency among all bulklike MoS 2 -based photovoltaic cells. The demonstrated results hold the promise for integration of bulklike MoS 2 films with Si-based electronics to develop highly efficient photovoltaic cells.

Extended T-index models for glacier surface melting: a case study from Chorabari Glacier, Central Himalaya, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karakoti, Indira; Kesarwani, Kapil; Mehta, Manish; Dobhal, D. P.

2016-10-01

Two enhanced temperature-index (T-index) models are proposed by incorporating meteorological parameters viz. relative humidity, wind speed and net radiation. The models are an attempt to explore different climatic variables other than temperature affecting glacier surface melting. Weather data were recorded at Chorabari Glacier using an automatic weather station during the summers of 2010 (July 10 to September 10) and 2012 (June 10 to October 25). The modelled surface melt is validated against the measured point surface melting at the snout. Performance of the developed models is evaluated by comparing with basic temperature-index model and is quantified through different efficiency criteria. The results suggest that proposed models yield considerable improvement in surface melt simulation . Consequently, the study reveals that glacier surface melt depends not only on temperature but also on weather parameters viz. relative humidity, wind speed and net radiation play a significant role in glacier surface melting. This approach provides a major improvement on basic temperature-index method and offers an alternative to energy balance model.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Kuangcai; Lin, Chia -Cheng; Vela, Javier

In this study, three-layer core–shell plasmonic nanorods (Au/Ag/SiO 2–NRs), consisting of a gold nanorod core, a thin silver shell, and a thin silica layer, were synthesized and used as optical imaging probes under a differential interference contrast microscope for single particle orientation and rotational tracking. The localized surface plasmon resonance modes were enhanced upon the addition of the silver shell, and the anisotropic optical properties of gold nanorods were maintained. The silica coating enables surface functionalization with silane coupling agents and provides enhanced stability and biocompatibility. Taking advantage of the longitudinal LSPR enhancement, the orientation and rotational information of themore » hybrid nanorods on synthetic lipid bilayers and on live cell membranes were obtained with millisecond temporal resolution using a scientific complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor camera. The results demonstrate that the as-synthesized hybrid nanorods are promising imaging probes with improved sensitivity and good biocompatibility for single plasmonic particle tracking experiments in biological systems.« less

Disc Antenna Enhanced Infrared Spectroscopy: From Self-Assembled Monolayers to Membrane Proteins.

PubMed

Pfitzner, Emanuel; Seki, Hirofumi; Schlesinger, Ramona; Ataka, Kenichi; Heberle, Joachim

2018-05-25

Plasmonic surfaces have emerged as a powerful platform for biomolecular sensing applications and can be designed to optimize the plasmonic resonance for probing molecular vibrations at utmost sensitivity. Here, we present a facile procedure to generate metallic microdisc antenna arrays that are employed in surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) spectroscopy of biomolecules. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) grids are used as shadow mask deployed during physical vapor deposition of gold. The resulting disc-shaped antennas exhibit enhancement factors of the vibrational bands of 4 × 10 4 giving rise to a detection limit <1 femtomol (10 -15 mol) of molecules. Surface-bound monolayers of 4-mercaptobenzoic acid show polyelectrolyte behavior when titrated with cations in the aqueous medium. Conformational rigidity of the self-assembled monolayer is validated by density functional theory calculations. The membrane protein sensory rhodopsin II is tethered to the disc antenna arrays and is fully functional as inferred from the light-induced SEIRA difference spectra. As an advance to previous studies, the accessible frequency range is improved and extended into the fingerprint region.

Enhancing in vivo tumor boundary delineation with structured illumination fluorescence molecular imaging and spatial gradient mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Jessica; Miller, Jessica P.; Hathi, Deep; Zhou, Haiying; Achilefu, Samuel; Shokeen, Monica; Akers, Walter J.

2016-08-01

Fluorescence imaging, in combination with tumor-avid near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent molecular probes, provides high specificity and sensitivity for cancer detection in preclinical animal models, and more recently, assistance during oncologic surgery. However, conventional camera-based fluorescence imaging techniques are heavily surface-weighted such that surface reflection from skin or other nontumor tissue and nonspecific fluorescence signals dominate, obscuring true cancer-specific signals and blurring tumor boundaries. To address this challenge, we applied structured illumination fluorescence molecular imaging (SIFMI) in live animals for automated subtraction of nonspecific surface signals to better delineate accumulation of an NIR fluorescent probe targeting α4β1 integrin in mice bearing subcutaneous plasma cell xenografts. SIFMI demonstrated a fivefold improvement in tumor-to-background contrast when compared with other full-field fluorescence imaging methods and required significantly reduced scanning time compared with diffuse optical spectroscopy imaging. Furthermore, the spatial gradient mapping enhanced highlighting of tumor boundaries. Through the relatively simple hardware and software modifications described, SIFMI can be integrated with clinical fluorescence imaging systems, enhancing intraoperative tumor boundary delineation from the uninvolved tissue.

Nanospherical-lens lithographical Ag nanodisk arrays embedded in p-GaN for localized surface plasmon-enhanced blue light emitting diodes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wei, Tongbo, E-mail: tbwei@semi.ac.cn; Wu, Kui; Sun, Bo

2014-06-15

Large-scale Ag nanodisks (NDs) arrays fabricated using nanospherical-lens lithography (NLL) are embedded in p-GaN layer of an InGaN/GaN light-emitting diode (LED) for generating localized surface plasmon (LSP) coupling with the radiating dipoles in the quantum-well (QWs). Based on the Ag NDs with the controlled surface coverage, LSP leads to the improved crystalline quality of regrowth p-GaN, increased photoluminescence (PL) intensity, reduced PL decay time, and enhanced output power of LED. Compared with the LED without Ag NDs, the optical output power at a current of 350 mA of the LSP-enhanced LEDs with Ag NDs having a distance of 20 andmore » 35 nm to QWs is increased by 26.7% and 31.1%, respectively. The electrical characteristics and optical properties of LEDs with embedded Ag NPs are dependent on the distance of between Ag NPs and QWs region. The LED with Ag NDs array structure is also found to exhibit reduced emission divergence, compared to that without Ag NDs.« less

Morphology-dependent Electrochemical Enhancements of Porous Carbon as Sensitive Determination Platform for Ascorbic Acid, Dopamine and Uric Acid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Qin; Ji, Liudi; Wu, Kangbing; Zhang, Weikang

2016-02-01

Using starch as the carbon precursor and different-sized ZnO naoparticles as the hard template, a series of porous carbon materials for electrochemical sensing were prepared. Experiments of scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and Nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms reveal that the particle size of ZnO has big impacts on the porous morphology and surface area of the resulting carbon materials. Through ultrasonic dispersion of porous carbon and subsequent solvent evaporation, different sensing interfaces were constructed on the surface of glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The electrochemical behaviors of ascorbic acid (AA), dopamine (DA) and uric acid (UA) were studied. On the surface of porous carbon materials, the accumulation efficiency and electron transfer ability of AA, DA and UA are improved, and consequently their oxidation signals enhance greatly. Moreover, the interface enhancement effects of porous carbon are also controlled by the particle size of hard template. The constructed porous carbon interface displays strong signal amplification ability and holds great promise in constructing a sensitive platform for the simultaneous determination of AA, DA and UA.

Electrochemically hydrogenated TiO2 nanotubes with improved photoelectrochemical water splitting performance

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

One-dimensional anodic titanium oxide (ATO) nanotube arrays hold great potential as photoanode for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. In this work, we report a facile and eco-friendly electrochemical hydrogenation method to modify the electronic and PEC properties of ATO nanotube films. The hydrogenated ATO (ATO-H) electrodes present a significantly improved photocurrent of 0.65 mA/cm2 in comparison with that of pristine ATO nanotubes (0.29 mA/cm2) recorded under air mass 1.5 global illumination. The incident photon-to-current efficiency measurement suggests that the enhanced photocurrent of ATO-H nanotubes is mainly ascribed to the improved photoactivity in the UV region. We propose that the electrochemical hydrogenation induced surface oxygen vacancies contribute to the substantially enhanced electrical conductivity and photoactivity. PMID:24047205

Thinking outside the boxes: Using current reading models to assess and treat developmental surface dyslexia.

PubMed

Law, Caroline; Cupples, Linda

2017-03-01

Improving the reading performance of children with developmental surface dyslexia has proved challenging, with limited generalisation of reading skills typically reported after intervention. The aim of this study was to provide tailored, theoretically motivated intervention to two children with developmental surface dyslexia. Our objectives were to improve their reading performance, and to evaluate the utility of current reading models in therapeutic practice. Detailed reading and cognitive profiles for two male children with developmental surface dyslexia were compared to the results obtained by age-matched control groups. The specific area of single-word reading difficulty for each child was identified within the dual route model (DRM) of reading, following which a theoretically motivated intervention programme was devised. Both children showed significant improvements in single-word reading ability after training, with generalisation effects observed for untrained words. However, the assessment and intervention results also differed for each child, reinforcing the view that the causes and consequences of developmental dyslexia, even within subtypes, are not homogeneous. Overall, the results of the interventions corresponded more closely with the DRM than other current reading models, in that real word reading improved in the absence of enhanced nonword reading for both children.

Nanoparticle-Enhanced Silver-Nanowire Plasmonic Electrodes for High-Performance Organic Optoelectronic Devices.

PubMed

Kim, Taehyo; Kang, Saewon; Heo, Jungwoo; Cho, Seungse; Kim, Jae Won; Choe, Ayoung; Walker, Bright; Shanker, Ravi; Ko, Hyunhyub; Kim, Jin Young

2018-05-21

Improved performance in plasmonic organic solar cells (OSCs) and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) via strong plasmon-coupling effects generated by aligned silver nanowire (AgNW) transparent electrodes decorated with core-shell silver-silica nanoparticles (Ag@SiO 2 NPs) is demonstrated. NP-enhanced plasmonic AgNW (Ag@SiO 2 NP-AgNW) electrodes enable substantially enhanced radiative emission and light absorption efficiency due to strong hybridized plasmon coupling between localized surface plasmons (LSPs) and propagating surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) modes, which leads to improved device performance in organic optoelectronic devices (OODs). The discrete dipole approximation (DDA) calculation of the electric field verifies a strongly enhanced plasmon-coupling effect caused by decorating core-shell Ag@SiO 2 NPs onto the AgNWs. Notably, an electroluminescence efficiency of 25.33 cd A -1 (at 3.2 V) and a power efficiency of 25.14 lm W -1 (3.0 V) in OLEDs, as well as a power conversion efficiency (PCE) value of 9.19% in OSCs are achieved using hybrid Ag@SiO 2 NP-AgNW films. These are the highest values reported to date for optoelectronic devices based on AgNW electrodes. This work provides a new design platform to fabricate high-performance OODs, which can be further explored in various plasmonic and optoelectronic devices. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The hourly updated US High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) storm-scale forecast model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexander, Curtis; Dowell, David; Benjamin, Stan; Weygandt, Stephen; Olson, Joseph; Kenyon, Jaymes; Grell, Georg; Smirnova, Tanya; Ladwig, Terra; Brown, John; James, Eric; Hu, Ming

2016-04-01

The 3-km convective-allowing High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) is a US NOAA hourly updating weather forecast model that use a specially configured version of the Advanced Research WRF (ARW) model and assimilate many novel and most conventional observation types on an hourly basis using Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI). Included in this assimilation is a procedure for initializing ongoing precipitation systems from observed radar reflectivity data (and proxy reflectivity from lightning and satellite data), a cloud analysis to initialize stable layer clouds from METAR and satellite observations, and special techniques to enhance retention of surface observation information. The HRRR is run hourly out to 15 forecast hours over a domain covering the entire conterminous United States using initial and boundary conditions from the hourly-cycled 13km Rapid Refresh (RAP, using similar physics and data assimilation) covering North America and a significant part of the Northern Hemisphere. The HRRR is continually developed and refined at NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory, and an initial version was implemented into the operational NOAA/NCEP production suite in September 2014. Ongoing experimental RAP and HRRR model development throughout 2014 and 2015 has culminated in a set of data assimilation and model enhancements that will be incorporated into the first simultaneous upgrade of both the operational RAP and HRRR that is scheduled for spring 2016 at NCEP. This presentation will discuss the operational RAP and HRRR changes contained in this upgrade. The RAP domain is being expanded to encompass the NAM domain and the forecast lengths of both the RAP and HRRR are being extended. RAP and HRRR assimilation enhancements have focused on (1) extending surface data assimilation to include mesonet observations and improved use of all surface observations through better background estimates of 2-m temperature and dewpoint including projection of 2-m temperature observations through the model boundary layer and (2) extending the use of radar observations to include both radial velocity and 3-D retrieval of rain hydrometeors from observed radar reflectivities in the warm-season. The RAP hybrid EnKF 3D-variational data assimilation will increase weighting of GFS ensemble-based background error covariance estimation and introduce this hybrid data assimilation configuration in the HRRR. Enhancement of RAP and HRRR model physics include improved land surface and boundary layer prediction using the updated Mellor-Yamada-Nakanishi-Niino (MYNN) parameterization scheme, Grell-Freitas-Olson (GFO) shallow and deep convective parameterization, aerosol-aware Thompson microphysics and upgraded Rapid Update Cycle (RUC) land-surface model. The presentation will highlight improvements in the RAP and HRRR model physics to reduce certain systematic forecast biases including a warm and dry daytime bias over the central and eastern CONUS during the warm season along with improved convective forecasts in more weakly-forced diurnally-driven events. Examples of RAP and HRRR forecast improvements will be demonstrated through both retrospective and real-time verification statistics and case-study examples.

Tailoring the surface properties of polypropylene films through cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAPP) assisted polymerization and immobilization of biomolecules for enhancement of anti-coagulation activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Navaneetha Pandiyaraj, K.; Ram Kumar, M. C.; Arun Kumar, A.; Padmanabhan, P. V. A.; Deshmukh, R. R.; Bah, M.; Ismat Shah, S.; Su, Pi-Guey; Halleluyah, M.; Halim, A. S.

2016-05-01

Enhancement of anti-thrombogenic properties of polypropylene (PP) to avert the adsorption of plasma proteins (fibrinogen and albumin), adhesion and activation of the platelets are very important for vast biomedical applications. The cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAPP) assisted polymerization has potential to create the specific functional groups such as Osbnd Cdbnd O, Cdbnd O, Csbnd N and Ssbnd S. on the surface of polymeric films using selective precursor in vapour phase to enhance anti-thrombogenic properties. Such functionalized polymeric surfaces would be suitable for various biomedical applications especially to improve the blood compatibility. The eventual aspiration of the present investigation is to develop the biofunctional coating onto the surface of PP films using acrylic acid (AAc) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a precursor in a vapour phase by incorporating specific functional groups for immobilization of biomolecules such as heparin (HEP), chitosan (CHI) and insulin (INS) on the surface of plasma modified PP films. The surface properties such as hydrophilicity, chemical composition, surface topography of the surface modified PP films were analyzed by contact angle (CA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photo electron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Furthermore the anti-thrombogenic properties of the surface modified PP films were studied by in vitro tests which include platelet adhesion and protein adsorption analysis. It was found that the anti-thrombogenic properties of the PP films are effectively controlled by the CAPP grafting of AAc and PEG followed by immobilization of biomolecules of heparin, chitosan and insulin. The grafting and immobilization was confirmed by FTIR and XPS through the recognition of specific functional groups such as COOH, Csbnd O, Ssbnd S and Csbnd N. on the surface of PP film. Furthermore, the surface morphology and hydrophilic nature of the PP films also tailored significantly by the successful grafting and immobilization which is confirmed by AFM and CA analysis. Owing to the physico-chemical changes on the surface of PP films induced by CAPP assisted polymerization, the anti-thrombogenic properties of PP films were enhanced as confirmed by in vitro analysis.

How Surface Treatments Enhance Ground Handling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yager, Thomas J.

2002-01-01

Several runway surface treatments developed in recent years are described in terms of how aircraft tire landing and takeoff friction requirements are met, particularly during adverse weather conditions. Changing the surface texture with grooving, grinding and shot peening, use of chemicals to remove or prevent accumulation of natural or man-made contaminants, and the use of new techniques and materials are discussed as means of improving surface friction performance. Test data are presented to illustrate the effects of runway conditions on aircraft ground performance. The severity of the problem of operating on runway surfaces which cannot provide sufficient aircraft tire friction capability is also illustrated from documented aircraft accident/incident reports. The paper concludes with recommendations for future pavement research activities.

Colloidal lithography with electrochemical nickel deposition as a unique method for improved silver decorated nanocavities in SERS applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petruš, Ondrej; Oriňak, Andrej; Oriňaková, Renáta; Orságová Králová, Zuzana; Múdra, Erika; Kupková, Miriam; Kovaľ, Karol

2017-11-01

Two types of metallised nanocavities (single and hybrid) were fabricated by colloid lithography followed by electrochemical deposition of Ni and subsequently Ag layers. Introductory Ni deposition step iniciates more homogenous decoration of nanocavities with Ag nanoparticles. Silver nanocavity decoration has been so performed with lower nucleation rate and with Ag nanoparticles homogeinity increase. By this, two step Ni and Ag deposition trough polystyrene nanospheres (100, 300, 500, 700, 900 nm), the various Ag surfaces were obtained. Ni layer formation in the first step of deposition enabled more precise controlling of Ag film deposition and thus final Ag surface morphology. Prepared substrates were tested as active surfaces in SERS application. The best SERS signal enhancement was observed at 500 nm Ag nanocavities with normalised thickness Ni layer ∼0.5. Enhancement factor has been established at value 1.078 × 1010; time stability was determined within 13 weeks; charge distribution at nanocavity Ag surfaces as well as reflection spectra were calculated by FDTD method. Newly prepared nanocavity surface can be applied in SERS analysis, predominantly.

Exploring surface characterization and electrostatic property of Hybrid Pennisetum during alkaline sulfite pretreatment for enhanced enzymatic hydrolysability.

PubMed

Yang, Ming; Wang, Jingfeng; Hou, Xincun; Wu, Juying; Fan, Xifeng; Jiang, Fan; Tao, Pan; Wang, Fan; Peng, Pai; Yang, Fangxia; Zhang, Junhua

2017-11-01

The surface characterization and electrostatic property of Hybrid Pennisetum (HP) after alkaline sulfite pretreatment were explored for enhanced enzymatic hydrolysability. The O/C ratio in HP increased from 0.34 to 0.60, and C1 concentration decreased from 62.5% to 31.6%, indicating that alkaline sulfite pretreatment caused poorer lignin but richer carbohydrate on HP surface. Zeta potential and sulfur element analysis indicated that more enzymes would preferably adsorb on the carbohydrate surface of alkaline sulfite pretreated HP because the lignin was sulfonated, which facilitated the decrease of non-productive adsorption. Glucose yield of alkaline sulfite pretreated HP reached to 100% by synergistic action of cellulase and xylanase in the hydrolysis, which was significantly higher than that of NaOH pretreated, and the concentration of glucose released was 1.52times higher. The results suggested that alkaline sulfite pretreatment had potential for improving the HP hydrolysability, and the surface characterization and electrostatic property facilitated the enzymatic digestibility. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of Surface Treatments on Mechanical Properties and Water Resistance of Kenaf Fiber-Reinforced Unsaturated Polyester Composites

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ren, Xiaofeng; Qui, Renhui; Fifield, Leonard S.

2012-05-17

Effects of surface treatments on the strength and water resistance of kenaf fiber-reinforced unsaturated polyester (UPE) composites were investigated. A new coupling agent that consists of 1,6-diisocyanato-hexane (DIH) and 2-hydroxylethyl acrylate (HEA) was investigated for surface treatments of kenaf fibers. The surface treatments were found to significantly enhance the tensile strength, modulus of rupture, modulus of elasticity, and water resistance of the resulting kenaf UPE composites. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed that DIH-HEA was covalently bonded onto kenaf fibers. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of the composites revealed that chemical treatment of kenaf fibers with a combination of DIHmore » and HEA improved the interfacial adhesion between kenaf fibers and UPE resin in the DIHHEA-treated kenafUPE composites. The mechanisms by which the chemical treatment of kenaf fiber surfaces improved strength and water resistance of the resulting kenaf UPE composites were discussed.« less

Improved sensitivity of polychlorinated-biphenyl-orientated porous-ZnO surface photovoltage sensors from chemisorption-formed ZnO-CuPc composites

PubMed Central

Li, Mingtao; Meng, Guowen; Huang, Qing; Zhang, Shile

2014-01-01

We report a new mechanism for the enhancement of porous-ZnO surface photovoltage (SPV) response to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs, a notorious class of persistent organic pollutants as global environmental hazard) based on copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) chemisorptive bonding on porous-ZnO. A new ZnO-CuPc composite is formed on the porous-ZnO surface due to the interaction between the surface ZnO and CuPc, with its valence band (VB) energy level being higher than that of the pristine porous-ZnO. So that the efficiency of the photogenerated-electron transfer from the composite VB to the adjacent ZnO's surface states is drastically increased due to the reduced energy gap between the transition states. As a result, the sensitivity of the PCB-orientated SPV sensor is much improved by showing amplified variation of the SPV-signals perturbed by PCBs adsorbed on the ZnO-CuPc@porous-ZnO sensitive material. PMID:24594662

Enhancement in photovoltaic properties of silicon solar cells by surface plasmon effect of palladium nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atyaoui, Malek; Atyaoui, Atef; Khalifa, Marwen; Elyagoubi, Jalel; Dimassi, Wissem; Ezzaouia, Hatem

2016-04-01

This work presents the surface Plasmon effect of Palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs) on the photovoltaic properties of silicon solar cells. Pd NPs were deposited on the p-type silicon base of the n+/p junction using a chemical deposition method in an aqueous solution containing Palladium (II) Nitrate (PdNO3)2 and Ammonium Hydroxide (NH4OH) followed by a thermal treatment at 500 °C under nitrogen atmosphere. Chemical composition and surface morphology of the treated silicon base were examined by energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The effect of the deposited Pd NPs on the electrical properties was evaluated by the internal quantum efficiency (IQE) and current-voltage (I-V) measurements. The results indicate that the formation of the Pd NPs is accompanied by an enhanced light absorption and improved photovoltaic parameters.

Single-layer graphdiyne-covered Pt(111) surface: improved catalysis confined under two-dimensional overlayer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xi; Lin, Zheng-Zhe

2018-05-01

In recent years, two-dimensional confined catalysis, i.e., the enhanced catalytic reactions in confined space between metal surface and two-dimensional overlayer, makes a hit and opens up a new way to enhance the performance of catalysts. In this work, graphdiyne overlayer was proposed as a more excellent material than graphene or hexagonal boron nitride for two-dimensional confined catalysis on Pt(111) surface. Density functional theory calculations revealed the superiority of graphdiyne overlayer originates from the steric hindrance effect which increases the catalytic ability and lowers the reaction barriers. Moreover, with the big triangle holes as natural gas tunnels, graphdiyne possesses higher efficiency for the transit of gaseous reactants and products than graphene or hexagonal boron nitride. The results in this work would benefit future development of two-dimensional confined catalysis. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Addition of alkali to the hydrothermal-mechanochemical treatment of Eucalyptus enhances its enzymatic saccharification.

PubMed

Ishiguro, Maki; Endo, Takashi

2014-02-01

The effects of alkali on hydrothermal-mechanochemical treatment (hydrothermal treatment combined with wet-milling) were examined with the aim of improving pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass before enzymatic saccharification. After enzymatic saccharification, the highest glucose yield was obtained by autoclaving at 170°C in the presence of 20% NaOH per substrate weight. The wood fiber was unraveled into finer nanofibers by hydrothermal-mechanochemical treatment, thus increasing the specific surface area of the substrate from 11 to 132m(2)/g. Adding 20% NaOH to the treatment further increased the specific surface area of the already fibrillated substrate by 76% (232m(2)/g) due to lignin removal and ester bond cleavage between lignin and hemicellulose. This increase in specific surface area was closely related to the increase in enzymatic digestibility; therefore, NaOH addition may have enhanced the effect of hydrothermal-mechanochemical treatment. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Superhydrophobic nanofluidic channels for enhanced electrokinetic conversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Checco, Antonio; Al Hossain, Aktaruzzaman; Rahmani, Amir; Black, Charles; Doerk, Gregory; Colosqui, Carlos

2017-11-01

We present current efforts in the development of novel slit nanofluidic channels with superhydrophobic nanostructured surfaces designed to enhance hydrodynamic conductivity and improve selective transport and electrokinetic energy conversion efficiencies (mechanical-electrical energy conversion). The nanochannels are fabricated on silicon wafers using UV lithography, and their internal surface is patterned with conical nanostructures (feature size and spacing 30 nm) defined by block copolymer self-assembly and plasma etching. These nanostructures are rendered superhydrophobic by passivation with a hydrophobic silane monolayer. We experimentally characterize hydrodynamic conductivity, effective zeta potentials, and eletrokinetic flows for the patterned nanochannels, comparing against control channels with bare surfaces. Experimental observations are rationalized using both continuum-based modeling and molecular dynamics simulations. Scientific and technical knowledge produced by this work is particularly relevant for sustainable energy conversion and storage, separation processes and water treatment using nanoporous materials. The ONR Contract # N000141613178 and NSF-CBET award# 1605809.

Surface immobilization of heparin on functional polyisobutylene-based thermoplastic elastomer as a potential artificial vascular graft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Yi-Bo; Li, Kang; Xiang, Dong; Zhang, Min; Yang, Dan; Zhang, Jin-Han; Mao, Jing; Wang, Hao; Guo, Wen-Li

2018-07-01

Polyisobutylene-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) is a new soft biomaterial. Hydroxyl functional dendritic polyisobutylene-based TPEs (arb-SIBS-OH), which satisfy the design requirements for small-diameter vascular substitutes, were synthesized by controlled carbocationic polymerization. Creep property, which is the destructive weakness of polyisobutylene-based TPEs, was significantly improved with the formation of a "double network" promoted by branched structure and microphase separation. Compatibility of arb-SIBS-OH with rabbit blood was markedly enhanced by modifying heparin grafted from these hydroxyl functional groups. Application of "click chemistry" to immobilize heparin on arb-SIBS-OH surface was apparently effective in enhancing the bioactivity of heparin. Immobilized heparin, which directly bonded by ester bonds, was more likely to form multi-point binding on arb-SIBS-OH surface. This process hindered the accessibility of the heparin active sequence to antithrombin.

A Gallium Oxide-Graphene Oxide Hybrid Composite for Enhanced Photocatalytic Reaction

PubMed Central

Kim, Seungdu; Han, Kook In; Lee, In Gyu; Park, Won Kyu; Yoon, Yeojoon; Yoo, Chan Sei; Yang, Woo Seok; Hwang, Wan Sik

2016-01-01

Hybrid composites (HCs) made up of gallium oxide (GaO) and graphene oxide (GO) were investigated with the intent of enhancing a photocatalytic reaction under ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The material properties of both GaO and GO were preserved, even after the formation of the HCs. The incorporation of the GO into the GaO significantly enhanced the photocatalytic reaction, as indicated by the amount of methylene blue (MB) degradation. The improvements in the reaction were discussed in terms of increased surface area and the retarded recombination of generated charged carriers. PMID:28335255

Continuous cryopump with a device for regenerating the cryosurface

DOEpatents

Foster, C.A.

1988-02-16

A high throughput continuous cryopump is provided. The cryopump incorporates an improved method for regenerating the cryopumping surface while the pump is in continuous operation. The regeneration of the cryopumping surface does not thermally cycle the pump, and to this end a small chamber connected to a secondary pumping source serves to contain and exhaust frost removed from the cryopumping surface during such regeneration. The frost is exhausted at a rate substantially independent of the speed of the cryopump which enhances the capability of the pump to achieve a high compression ratio and allow the pump to operate continuously while the cryopumping surface is being regenerated. 8 figs.

Increased Biocompatibility and Bioactivity after Energetic PVD Surface Treatments

PubMed Central

Mändl, Stephan

2009-01-01

Ion implantation, a common technology in semiconductor processing, has been applied to biomaterials since the 1960s. Using energetic ion bombardment, a general term which includes conventional ion implantation plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) and ion beam assisted thin film deposition, functionalization of surfaces is possible. By varying and adjusting the process parameters, several surface properties can be attuned simultaneously. Extensive research details improvements in the biocompatibility, mainly by reducing corrosion rates and increasing wear resistance after surface modification. Recently, enhanced bioactivity strongly correlated with the surface topography and less with the surface chemistry has been reported, with an increased roughness on the nanometer scale induced by self-organisation processes during ion bombardment leading to faster cellular adhesion processes.

Surface treatment of magnetic recording heads

DOEpatents

Komvopoulos, Kyriakos; Brown, Ian G.; Wei, Bo; Anders, Simone; Anders, Andre; Bhatia, C. Singh

1998-01-01

Surface modification of magnetic recording heads using plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition is disclosed. This method may be carried out using a vacuum arc deposition system with a metallic or carbon cathode. By operating a plasma gun in a long-pulse mode and biasing the substrate holder with short pulses of a high negative voltage, direct ion implantation, recoil implantation, and surface deposition are combined to modify the near-surface regions of the head or substrate in processing times which may be less than 5 min. The modified regions are atomically mixed into the substrate. This surface modification improves the surface smoothness and hardness and enhances the tribological characteristics under conditions of contact-start-stop and continuous sliding. These results are obtained while maintaining original tolerances.

Surface treatment of magnetic recording heads

DOEpatents

Komvopoulos, Kyriakos; Brown, Ian G.; Wei, Bo; Anders, Simone; Anders, Andre; Bhatia, Singh C.

1995-01-01

Surface modification of magnetic recording heads using plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition is disclosed. This method may be carried out using a vacuum arc deposition system with a metallic or carbon cathode. By operating a plasma gun in a long-pulse mode and biasing the substrate holder with short pulses of a high negative voltage, direct ion implantation, recoil implantation, and surface deposition are combined to modify the near-surface regions of the head or substrate in processing times which may be less than 5 min. The modified regions are atomically mixed into the substrate. This surface modification improves the surface smoothness and hardness and enhances the tribological characteristics under conditions of contact-start-stop and continuous sliding. These results are obtained while maintaining original tolerances.

Surface treatment of magnetic recording heads

DOEpatents

Komvopoulos, K.; Brown, I.G.; Wei, B.; Anders, S.; Anders, A.; Bhatia, C.S.

1998-11-17

Surface modification of magnetic recording heads using plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition is disclosed. This method may be carried out using a vacuum arc deposition system with a metallic or carbon cathode. By operating a plasma gun in a long-pulse mode and biasing the substrate holder with short pulses of a high negative voltage, direct ion implantation, recoil implantation, and surface deposition are combined to modify the near-surface regions of the head or substrate in processing times which may be less than 5 min. The modified regions are atomically mixed into the substrate. This surface modification improves the surface smoothness and hardness and enhances the tribological characteristics under conditions of contact-start-stop and continuous sliding. These results are obtained while maintaining original tolerances. 22 figs.

Surface treatment of magnetic recording heads

DOEpatents

Komvopoulos, K.; Brown, I.G.; Wei, B.; Anders, S.; Anders, A.; Bhatia, S.C.

1995-12-19

Surface modification of magnetic recording heads using plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition is disclosed. This method may be carried out using a vacuum arc deposition system with a metallic or carbon cathode. By operating a plasma gun in a long-pulse mode and biasing the substrate holder with short pulses of a high negative voltage, direct ion implantation, recoil implantation, and surface deposition are combined to modify the near-surface regions of the head or substrate in processing times which may be less than 5 min. The modified regions are atomically mixed into the substrate. This surface modification improves the surface smoothness and hardness and enhances the tribological characteristics under conditions of contact-start-stop and continuous sliding. These results are obtained while maintaining original tolerances. 15 figs.

GOME-2 Tropospheric Ozone Profile Retrievals from Joint UV/Visible Measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, X.; Zoogman, P.; Chance, K.; Cai, Z.; Nowlan, C. R.; Huang, G.; Gonzalez Abad, G.

2016-12-01

It has been shown from sensitivity studies that adding visible measurements in the Chappuis ozone band to UV measurements in the Hartley/Huggins ozone bands can significantly enhance retrieval sensitivity to lower tropospheric ozone from backscattered solar radiances due to deeper photon penetration in the visible to the surface than in the ultraviolet. The first NASA EVI (Earth Venture Instrument) TEMPO (Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution) instrument is being developed to measure backscattered solar radiation in two channels ( 290-490 and 540-740 nm) and make atmospheric pollution measurements over North America from the Geostationary orbit. However, this retrieval enhancement has yet to be demonstrated from existing measurements due to the weak ozone absorption in the visible and strong interferences from surface reflectance and aerosols and the requirement of accurate radiometric calibration across different spectral channels. We present GOME-2 retrievals from joint UV/visible measurements using the SAO ozone profile retrieval algorithm, to directly explore the retrieval improvement in lower tropospheric ozone from additional visible measurements. To reduce the retrieval interference from surface reflectance, we add characterization of surface spectral reflectance in the visible based on combining EOFs (Empirical Orthogonal Functions) derived from ASTER and other surface reflectance spectra with MODIS BRDF climatology into the ozone profile algorithm. The impacts of various types of aerosols and surface BRDF on the retrievals will be investigated. In addition, we will also perform empirical radiometric calibration of the GOME-2 data based on radiative transfer simulations. We will evaluate the retrieval improvement of joint UV/visible retrieval over the UV retrieval based on fitting quality and validation against ozonesonde observations.

Enhancing surface functionality of reduced graphene oxide biosensors by oxygen plasma treatment for Alzheimer's disease diagnosis.

PubMed

Chae, Myung-Sic; Kim, Jinsik; Jeong, Dahye; Kim, YoungSoo; Roh, Jee Hoon; Lee, Sung Min; Heo, Youhee; Kang, Ji Yoon; Lee, Jeong Hoon; Yoon, Dae Sung; Kim, Tae Geun; Chang, Suk Tai; Hwang, Kyo Seon

2017-06-15

We performed oxygen plasma treatment on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to improve its surface reactivity with respect to biomolecular interactions. Oxygen-plasma-treated rGO surfaces were employed as reactive interfaces for the detection of amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides, the pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD), as the target analytes. By measuring the changes in electrical characteristics and confirmation through topographic analysis, the oxygen-plasma-treated rGO sensors had enhanced surface functionality for better antibody immobilization and sensing performance, with a 3.33-fold steeper slope for the electrical responses versus analyte concentration curve (logarithmic scale) compared to the untreated. The elicited biomolecular reactivity of the rGO surfaces with the oxygen plasma treatment remained at 46-51% of the initial value even after aging for 6h in ambient conditions. This phenomenon was also confirmed by pretreating the rGO surfaces with a blocking agent and subsequently subjecting them to antibody immobilization. Finally, the feasibility of the oxygen-plasma-treated rGO sensors as a diagnostic tool was evaluated with clinical samples of neural-derived exosomal Aβ peptides extracted from apparent AD patients and normal controls (NC). In contrast to the untreated sensors (p=0.0460), the oxygen-plasma-treated rGO sensors showed a significant p-value in the identification of clinical samples of AD and NC subjects (p<0.001). These results suggest that oxygen plasma treatment improves sensor performance without complicated fabrication procedures and should aid in the development of novel diagnostic tools based on carbon nanomaterials. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Improved mucoadhesion and cell uptake of chitosan and chitosan oligosaccharide surface-modified polymer nanoparticles for mucosal delivery of proteins.

PubMed

Dyawanapelly, Sathish; Koli, Uday; Dharamdasani, Vimisha; Jain, Ratnesh; Dandekar, Prajakta

2016-08-01

The main aim of the present study was to compare mucoadhesion and cellular uptake efficiency of chitosan (CS) and chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) surface-modified polymer nanoparticles (NPs) for mucosal delivery of proteins. We have developed poly (D, L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) NPs, surface-modified COS-PLGA NPs and CS-PLGA NPs, by using double emulsion solvent evaporation method, for encapsulating bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a model protein. Surface modification of NPs was confirmed using physicochemical characterization methods such as particle size and zeta potential, SEM, TEM and FTIR analysis. Both surface-modified PLGA NPs displayed a slow release of protein compared to PLGA NPs. Furthermore, we have explored the mucoadhesive property of COS as a material for modifying the surface of polymeric NPs. During in vitro mucoadhesion test, positively charged COS-PLGA NPs and CS-PLGA NPs exhibited enhanced mucoadhesion, compared to negatively charged PLGA NPs. This interaction was anticipated to improve the cell interaction and uptake of NPs, which is an important requirement for mucosal delivery of proteins. All nanoformulations were found to be safe for cellular delivery when evaluated in A549 cells. Moreover, intracellular uptake behaviour of FITC-BSA loaded NPs was extensively investigated by confocal laser scanning microscopy and flow cytometry. As we hypothesized, positively charged COS-PLGA NPs and CS-PLGA NPs displayed enhanced intracellular uptake compared to negatively charged PLGA NPs. Our results demonstrated that CS- and COS-modified polymer NPs could be promising carriers for proteins, drugs and nucleic acids via nasal, oral, buccal, ocular and vaginal mucosal routes.

Candle Soot-Driven Performance Enhancement in Pyroelectric Energy Conversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azad, Puneet; Singh, V. P.; Vaish, Rahul

2018-05-01

We observed substantial enhancement in pyroelectric output with the help of candle soot coating on the surface of lead zirconate titanate (PZT). Candle soot of varying thicknesses was coated by directly exposing pyroelectric material to the candle flame. The open-circuit pyroelectric voltage and closed-circuit pyroelectric current were recorded while applying infrared heating across the uncoated and candle soot-coated samples for different heating and cooling cycles. In comparison to the uncoated sample, the maximum open-circuit voltage improves seven times for the candle soot-coated sample and electric current increases by eight times across a resistance of 10Å. Moreover, the harvested energy is enhanced by 50 times for candle soot-coated sample. Results indicate that candle soot coating is an effective and economic method to improve infrared sensing performance of pyroelectric materials.

Induced Infiltration of Hole-Transporting Polymer into Photocatalyst for Staunch Polymer-Metal Oxide Hybrid Solar Cells.

PubMed

Park, Jong Hwan; Jung, Youngsuk; Yang, Yooseong; Shin, Hyun Suk; Kwon, Soonchul

2016-10-05

For efficient solar cells based on organic semiconductors, a good mixture of photoactive materials in the bulk heterojunction on the length scale of several tens of nanometers is an important requirement to prevent exciton recombination. Herein, we demonstrate that nanoporous titanium dioxide inverse opal structures fabricated using a self-assembled monolayer method and with enhanced infiltration of electron-donating polymers is an efficient electron-extracting layer, which enhances the photovoltaic performance. A calcination process generates an inverse opal structure of titanium dioxide (<70 nm of pore diameters) providing three-dimensional (3D) electron transport pathways. Hole-transporting polymers was successfully infiltrated into the pores of the surface-modified titanium dioxide under vacuum conditions at 200 °C. The resulting geometry expands the interfacial area between hole- and electron-transport materials, increasing the thickness of the active layer. The controlled polymer-coating process over titanium dioxide materials enhanced photocurrent of the solar cell device. Density functional theory calculations show improved interfacial adhesion between the self-assembled monolayer-modified surface and polymer molecules, supporting the experimental result of enhanced polymer infiltration into the voids. These results suggest that the 3D inverse opal structure of the surface-modified titanium dioxide can serve as a favorable electron-extracting layer in further enhancing optoelectronic performance based on organic or organic-inorganic hybrid solar cell.

Strong emission from nano-iron using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rashid, F. F.; ELSherbini, A. M.; Al-Muhamady, A.

2014-06-01

In this paper, we report a strong enhanced emission from laser produced plasma in air from iron oxide nano-material in comparison with the corresponding bulk samples. The enhancement strength differs with different Nd:YAG laser harmonics wavelengths. The analysis showed that such enhancement increased exponentially with the plasma evolution time, while it declines as the laser fluence increased. Experimental data analysis clearly showed that the observed enhancement is mainly associated with the change in the plasma electron density. We claim that this strong enhanced optical emission from laser produced plasma is due to the surface plasmon resonant excitation preferably on nano-oxide materials. Such experimental findings could improve the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy sensitivity down to extremely low concentrations.

Airspace Technology Demonstration 2 (ATD-2) Phase 1 Concept of Use (ConUse)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jung, Yoon; Engelland, Shawn; Capps, Richard; Coppenbarger, Rich; Hooey, Becky; Sharma, Shivanjli; Stevens, Lindsay; Verma, Savita; Lohr, Gary; Chevalley, Eric;

Cicada wing decorated by silver nanoparticles as low-cost and active/sensitive substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Lei; Zhang, Chang Xing; Deng, Li; Zhang, Guo Xin; Xu, Hai Jun; Sun, Xiao Ming

2014-06-01

A green, low-cost and highly efficient surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate was achieved by a chemical deposition of silver nanoparticles on a cicada wing, which has the large-scale nanosized protrusions on its surface. Employing the already-formed Ag/cicada wing as substrate for SERS detection, the detection limit for rhodamine 6G could reach 10-7M, the Raman enhancement factor of the substrate was as large as 106 and the relative standard deviation remains lower than 7%. The three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain simulation results showed that two types of inter-Ag-nanoparticle nanogaps in the formed geometry created a huge number of SERS "hot spots" where the electromagnetic field is substantially amplified and contributes to the higher SERS sensitivity. Meanwhile, the water contact angle of the SERS substrate is roughly 150°, which indicates the super-hydrophobic surface of the substrate. This feature may be conducive to the gathering of target molecules during the SERS detection, which in turn further improves the detection limit of target molecules. In order to improve the application of the substrate, thiram was used as the probe molecule, and the detection limit also reached 10-7 M. Meanwhile, the calibration of the Raman peak intensities of Rhodamine 6G and thiram allowed their quantitative detection. Therefore, the green and low-cost SERS substrates could be used for fast and quantitative detection of trace organic molecules. Our findings may contribute to the development of the green and low-cost SERS substrates and will allow the fast and quantitative detection of trace organic molecules.

Surface-enhanced molecularly imprinted electrochemiluminescence sensor based on Ru@SiO2 for ultrasensitive detection of fumonisin B1.

PubMed

Zhang, Wei; Xiong, Huiwen; Chen, Miaomiao; Zhang, Xiuhua; Wang, Shengfu

2017-10-15

A novel molecularly imprinted electrochemiluminescence (MIP-ECL) sensor based on Ru(bpy) 3 2+ -doped silica nanoparticles (Ru@SiO 2 NPs) is developed for highly sensitive detection of fumonisin B 1 (FB 1 ). Gold-nanoparticles (AuNPs), Ru@SiO 2 NPs with chitosan (CS) composites and a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) are assembled on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) to fabricate an ECL platform step by step. AuNPs could greatly promote the ECL intensity and improve the analytical sensitivity according to the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) and the electrochemical effect. In this surface-enhanced electrochemiluminescence (SEECL) system, AuNPs work as the LSPR source to improve the ECL intensity and Ru@SiO 2 NPs are used as ECL luminophores. In the phosphate buffer solution (PBS), the evident anodic ECL of Ru@SiO 2 on the above working electrode is observed in the presence of the template molecule fumonisin B 1 (FB 1 ), which could act as the coreactant of Ru@SiO 2 NPs due to the amino group of FB 1 . When the template molecules were eluted from the MIP, little coreactant was left, resulting in an apparent decrease of ECL signal. After the MIP-ECL sensor was incubated in FB 1 solution, the template molecules rebound to the MIP surface, leading to the enhancement of ECL signal again. On the basis of these results, a facile MIP-ECL sensor has been successfully fabricated, which exhibited a linear range from 0.001 to 100ngmL -1 with a detection limit of 0.35pgmL -1 for FB 1 . Moreover, the proposed MIP-ECL sensor displayed an excellent application in real samples. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Substrate Oxide Layer Thickness Optimization for a Dual-Width Plasmonic Grating for Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) Biosensor Applications

PubMed Central

Bauman, Stephen J.; Brawley, Zachary T.; Darweesh, Ahmad A.; Herzog, Joseph B.

2017-01-01

This work investigates a new design for a plasmonic SERS biosensor via computational electromagnetic models. It utilizes a dual-width plasmonic grating design, which has two different metallic widths per grating period. These types of plasmonic gratings have shown larger optical enhancement than standard single-width gratings. The new structures have additional increased enhancement when the spacing between the metal decreases to sub-10 nm dimensions. This work integrates an oxide layer to improve the enhancement even further by carefully studying the effects of the substrate oxide thickness on the enhancement and reports ideal substrate parameters. The combined effects of varying the substrate and the grating geometry are studied to fully optimize the device’s enhancement for SERS biosensing and other plasmonic applications. The work reports the ideal widths and substrate thickness for both a standard and a dual-width plasmonic grating SERS biosensor. The ideal geometry, comprising a dual-width grating structure atop an optimal SiO2 layer thickness, improves the enhancement by 800%, as compared to non-optimized structures with a single-width grating and a non-optimal oxide thickness. PMID:28665308

Improvement of 19F MR image uniformity in a mouse model of cellular therapy using inductive coupling.

PubMed

Park, Bu S; Ma, Ge; Koch, William T; Rajan, Sunder S; Mastromanolis, Manuel; Lam, Johnny; Sung, Kyung; McCright, Brent

2018-06-15

Improve 19 F magnetic resonance imaging uniformity of perfluorocarbon (PFC)-labeled cells by using a secondary inductive resonator tuned to 287 MHz to enhance the induced radio frequency (RF) magnetic field (B 1 ) at 7.05 T. Following Faraday's induction law, the sign of induced B 1 made by the secondary resonator can be changed depending on the tuning of the resonator. A secondary resonator located on the opposite side of the phantom of the 19 F surface coil can be shown to enhance or subtract the induced B 1 field, depending upon its tuning. The numerical simulation results of rotating transmit B 1 magnitude (|B 1 + |) and corresponding experimental 19 F images were compared without and with the secondary resonator. With the secondary resonator tuned to 287 MHz, improvements of |B 1 + | and 19 F image uniformity were demonstrated. The use of the secondary resonator improved our ability to visualize transplanted cell location non-invasively over a period of 6 weeks. The secondary resonator tuned to enhance the induced B 1 results in improved image uniformity in a pre-clinical application, enabling cell tracking of PFC-labeled cells with the secondary resonator.

Electrostatic Surface Modifications to Improve Gene Delivery

PubMed Central

Shmueli, Ron B.; Anderson, Daniel G.

2010-01-01

Importance of the field Gene therapy has the potential to treat a wide variety of diseases including genetic diseases and cancer. Areas covered in this review This review introduces biomaterials used for gene delivery and then focuses on the use of electrostatic surface modifications to improve gene delivery materials. These modifications have been used to stabilize therapeutics in vivo, add cell-specific targeting ligands, and promote controlled release. Coatings of nanoparticles and microparticles as well as non-particulate surface coatings are covered in this review. Electrostatic principles are crucial for the development of multilayer delivery structures fabricated by the layer-by-layer method. What the reader will gain The reader will gain knowledge about the composition of biomaterials used for surface modifications and how these coatings and multilayers can be utilized to improve spatial control and efficiency of delivery. Examples are shown for the delivery of nucleic acids, including DNA and siRNA, to in vitro and in vivo systems. Take home message The versatile and powerful approach of electrostatic coatings and multilayers will lead to the development of enhanced gene therapies. PMID:20201712

Guide for Resurfacing, Restoration and Rehabilitation of Highways and Streets (Other than Freeways)

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1995-04-01

The primary purpose of R-R-R projects is to provide a better riding surface, enhance safety, : improve operating conditions, and to preserve and extend the service life of existing non-freeway : facilities. Highway safety is an essential element of R...

Enhancement on the Surface Hydrophobicity and Oleophobicity of an Organosilicon Film by Conformity Deposition and Surface Fluorination Etching.

PubMed

Xu, Zheng-Wen; Zhang, Yu-Kai; Chen, Tai-Hong; Chang, Jin-How; Lee, Tsung-Hsin; Li, Pei-Yu; Liu, Day-Shan

2018-06-26

In this work, the surface morphology of a hydrophobic organosilicon film was modified as it was deposited onto a silver seed layer with nanoparticles. The surface hydrophobicity evaluated by the water contact angle was significantly increased from 100° to 128° originating from the surface of the organosilicon film becoming roughened, and was deeply relevant to the Ag seed layer conform deposition. In addition, the organosilicon film became surface oleophobic and the surface hydrophobicity was improved due to the formation of the inactive C-F chemical on the surface after the carbon tetrafluoride glow discharge etching. The surface hydrophobicity and oleophobicity of the organosilicon film could be further optimized with water and oleic contact angles of about 138° and 61°, respectively, after an adequate fluorination etching.

Self-assembled monolayer of designed and synthesized triazinedithiolsilane molecule as interfacial adhesion enhancer for integrated circuit

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Self-assembled monolayer (SAM) with tunable surface chemistry and smooth surface provides an approach to adhesion improvement and suppressing deleterious chemical interactions. Here, we demonstrate the SAM comprising of designed and synthesized 6-(3-triethoxysilylpropyl)amino-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-dithiol molecule, which can enhance interfacial adhesion to inhibit copper diffusion used in device metallization. The formation of the triazinedithiolsilane SAM is confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The adhesion strength between SAM-coated substrate and electroless deposition copper film was up to 13.8 MPa. The design strategy of triazinedithiolsilane molecule is expected to open up the possibilities for replacing traditional organosilane to be applied in microelectronic industry. PMID:21812994

A Summary of Revisions Applied to a Turbulence Response Analysis Method for Flexible Aircraft Configurations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Funk, Christie J.; Perry, Boyd, III; Silva, Walter A.; Newman, Brett

2014-01-01

A software program and associated methodology to study gust loading on aircraft exists for a classification of geometrically simplified flexible configurations. This program consists of a simple aircraft response model with two rigid and three flexible symmetric degrees-of - freedom and allows for the calculation of various airplane responses due to a discrete one-minus- cosine gust as well as continuous turbulence. Simplifications, assumptions, and opportunities for potential improvements pertaining to the existing software program are first identified, then a revised version of the original software tool is developed with improved methodology to include more complex geometries, additional excitation cases, and additional output data so as to provide a more useful and precise tool for gust load analysis. In order to improve the original software program to enhance usefulness, a wing control surface and horizontal tail control surface is added, an extended application of the discrete one-minus-cosine gust input is employed, a supplemental continuous turbulence spectrum is implemented, and a capability to animate the total vehicle deformation response to gust inputs is included. These revisions and enhancements are implemented and an analysis of the results is used to validate the modifications.

Development of a Tip-Enhanced Near-Field Optical Microscope for Nanoscale Interrogation of Surface Chemistry and Plasmonic Phenomena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heilman, Alexander Lee

Optical microscopy and spectroscopy are invaluable tools for the physical and chemical characterization of materials and surfaces in a wide range of scientific disciplines. However, the application of conventional optical methods in the study of nanomaterials is inherently limited by diffraction. Tip-enhanced near-field optical microscopy (TENOM) is a hybrid technique that marries optical spectroscopy with scanning probe microscopy to overcome the spatial resolution limit imposed by diffraction. By coupling optical energy into the plasmonic modes of a sharp metal probe tip, a strong, localized optical field is generated near the tip's apex and is used to enhance spectroscopic emissions within a sub-diffraction-limited volume. In this thesis, we describe the design, construction, validation, and application of a custom TENOM instrument with a unique attenuated total reflectance (ATR)-geometry excitation/detection system. The specific goals of this work were: (i) to develop a versatile TENOM instrument capable of investigating a variety of optical phenomena at the nanoscale, (ii) to use the instrument to demonstrate chemical interrogation of surfaces with sub-diffraction-limited spatial resolution (i.e., at super resolution), (iii) to apply the instrument to study plasmonic phenomena that influence spectroscopic enhancement in TENOM measurements, and (iv) to leverage resulting insights to develop systematic improvements that expand the ultimate capabilities of near-field optical interrogation techniques. The TENOM instrument described herein is comprised of three main components: an atomic force microscope (AFM), a side-on confocal Raman microscope, and a novel ATR excitation/detection system. The design of each component is discussed along with the results of relevant validation experiments, which were performed to rigorously assess each component's performance. Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) optical simulations were also developed and used extensively to evaluate the results of validation studies and to optimize experimental design and instrument performance. By combining and synchronizing the operation of the instrument's three components, we perform a variety of near-field optical experiments that demonstrate the instrument's functionality and versatility. ATR illumination is combined with a plasmonic AFM tip to show that: (i) the tip can quantitatively transduce the optical near-field (evanescent waves) above the surface by scattering photons into the far-field, (ii) the ATR geometry enables excitation and characterization of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs), whose associated optical fields are shown to enhance Raman scattering from a thin layer of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc), and (iii) SPPs can be used to plasmonically excite the tip for super-resolution chemical imaging of patterned CuPc via tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS). ATR-illumination TERS is quantitatively compared with side-on illumination. In both cases, spatial resolution was better than 40 nm and tip-on/tip-off Raman enhancement factors were >6500. Furthermore, ATR illumination was shown to provide similar Raman signal levels at lower "effective'' pump powers due to additional optical energy delivered by SPPs to the active region in the tip-surface gap. We also investigate the sensitivity of the TENOM instrument to changes in the plasmonic properties of the tip-surface system in the strongly-coupled regime at small tip-surface separations. Specifically, we demonstrate detection of a resonant plasmonic tip-surface mode (a gap plasmon) that dramatically influences the optical response of the system, and we use experimental results and FDTD simulations to support a hypothesized mechanism. Moreover, we confirm that the gap plasmon resonance has a strong effect on the enhancement of both fluorescence and Raman scattering, and we propose that this phenomenon could ultimately be exploited to improve sensitivity in super-resolution chemical imaging measurements. Finally, we recommend a straightforward modification to the TENOM instrument that could enable future application of these gap-mode plasmon resonances to increase spectroscopic enhancements by an order of magnitude.