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Showing papers in "Science & Engineering Faculty in 2010"


Journal Article
TL;DR: In this paper, various technologies currently used for dewatering microalgal cultures along with a comparative study of the performances of the different technologies are reviewed and compared, as well as a comparison of the performance of different technologies.
Abstract: Microalgae dewatering is a major obstruction to industrial-scale processing of microalgae for biofuel prodn. The dil. nature of harvested microalgal cultures creates a huge operational cost during dewatering, thereby, rendering algae-based fuels less economically attractive. Currently there is no superior method of dewatering microalgae. A technique that may result in a greater algal biomass may have drawbacks such as a high capital cost or high energy consumption. The choice of which harvesting technique to apply will depend on the species of microalgae and the final product desired. Algal properties such as a large cell size and the capability of the microalgae to autoflocculate can simplify the dewatering process. This article reviews and addresses the various technologies currently used for dewatering microalgal cultures along with a comparative study of the performances of the different technologies.

851 citations


Journal Article
TL;DR: In this paper, a few and single-layered BN nanoribbons, mostly terminated with zigzag edges, can be produced under unwrapping multi-walled Bn nanotubes through plasma etching.
Abstract: Inspired by rich physics and functionalities of graphenes, scientists have taken an intensive interest in two-dimensional (2D) crystals of h-BN (analogue of graphite, so-called "white" graphite). Recent calculations have predicted the exciting potentials of BN nanoribbons in spintronics due to tunable magnetic and electrical properties; however no experimental evidence has been provided since fabrication of such ribbons remains a challenge. Here, we show that few- and single-layered BN nanoribbons, mostly terminated with zigzag edges, can be produced under unwrapping multiwalled BN nanotubes through plasma etching. The interesting stepwise unwrapping and intermediate states were observed and analyzed. Opposed to insulating primal tubes, the nanoribbons become semiconducting due to doping-like conducting edge states and vacancy defects, as revealed by structural analyses and ab initio simulations. This study paves the way for BN nanoribbon production and usage as functional semiconductors with a wide range of applications in optoelectronics and spintronics.

577 citations


Journal Article
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used gene specific primers to show that the three activators of apple anthocyanin (myb10/myb1/myBA) are likely alleles of each other.
Abstract: Background The control of plant anthocyanin accumulation is via transcriptional regulation of the genes encoding the biosynthetic enzymes. A key activator appears to be an R2R3 MYB transcription factor. In apple fruit, skin anthocyanin levels are controlled by a gene called MYBA or MYB1, while the gene determining fruit flesh and foliage anthocyanin has been termed MYB10. In order to further understand tissue-specific anthocyanin regulation we have isolated orthologous MYB genes from all the commercially important rosaceous species. Results We use gene specific primers to show that the three MYB activators of apple anthocyanin (MYB10/MYB1/MYBA) are likely alleles of each other. MYB transcription factors, with high sequence identity to the apple gene were isolated from across the rosaceous family (e.g. apples, pears, plums, cherries, peaches, raspberries, rose, strawberry). Key identifying amino acid residues were found in both the DNA-binding and C-terminal domains of these MYBs. The expression of these MYB10 genes correlates with fruit and flower anthocyanin levels. Their function was tested in tobacco and strawberry. In tobacco, these MYBs were shown to induce the anthocyanin pathway when co-expressed with bHLHs, while over-expression of strawberry and apple genes in the crop of origin elevates anthocyanins. Conclusions This family-wide study of rosaceous R2R3 MYBs provides insight into the evolution of this plant trait. It has implications for the development of new coloured fruit and flowers, as well as aiding the understanding of temporal-spatial colour change.

480 citations


Journal Article
TL;DR: The state-of-the-art research activities that focus on the one-dimensional inorganic nanostructures and their photodetector applications can be found in this article.
Abstract: With large surface-to-volume ratios and Debye length comparable to their small sizes, one-dimensional inorganic nanostructures have extensively been investigated and widely used to fabricate high-performance nanoscale electronic and optoelectronic devices This feature article reviews the state-of-the-art research activities that focus on the one-dimensional inorganic nanostructures and their photodetector applications It begins with a survey of one-dimensional inorganic nanostructures and the fundamentals of photodetectors Some remarkable photoresponse characteristics are then presented, which are organized into sections covering several kinds of important nanostructures, such as ZnO, V 2 O 5 , ZnS, In 2 Se 3 , InSe, CdS, CdSe, ZnSe, Sb 2 Se 3 , ZrS 2 , Ag 2 S, and Zn x Cd 1-x Se Each section describes the corresponding photodetective properties in detail Finally, the article concludes with some perspectives and outlook on the future developments in the field

274 citations


Journal Article
TL;DR: In this paper, an efficient and low-cost method to achieve high-performance "visible-blind" microscale ZnS nanobelt-based ultraviolet (UV)-light sensors without using a lithography technique, by increasing the surface areas exposed to light, is reported.
Abstract: Although there has been significant progress in the fabrication and performance optimization of one-dimensional nanostructure-based photodetectors, it is still a challenge to develop an effective and low-cost device with high performance characteristics, such as a high photocurrent/ dark-current ratio, photocurrent stability, and fast time response. Herein an efficient and low-cost method to achieve high-performance 'visible-blind' microscale ZnS nanobelt-based ultraviolet (UV)-light sensors without using a lithography technique, by increasing the nanobelt surface areas exposed to light, is reported. The devices exhibit about 750 times enhancement of a photocurrent compared with individual nanobelt-based sensors and an ultrafast time response. The photocurrent stability and time response to UV-light do not change significantly when a channel distance is altered from 2 to 100 μm or the sensor environment changes from air to vacuum and different measurement temperatures (60 and 150°C). The photoelectrical behaviors can be recovered well after returning the measurement conditions to air and room temperature again. The low cost and high performance of the resultant ZnS nanobelt photodetectors guarantee their highest potential for visible-blind UV-light sensors working in the UV-A band.

204 citations


Journal Article
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used high-resolution optical microscopy to observe switching of single motors and uncover the stochastic multistate nature of the switch, which is in detailed quantitative agreement with a recent general model of allosteric cooperativity that exhibits conformational spread.
Abstract: The bacterial flagellar switch that controls the direction of flagellar rotation during Chemotaxis has a highly cooperative response. This has previously been understood in terms of the classic two-state, concerted model of allosteric regulation. Here, we used high-resolution optical microscopy to observe switching of single motors and uncover the stochastic multistate nature of the switch. Our observations are in detailed quantitative agreement with a recent general model of allosteric cooperativity that exhibits conformational spread-the stochastic growth and shrinkage of domains of adjacent subunits sharing a particular conformational state. We expect that conformational spread will be important in explaining cooperativity in other large signaling complexes.

177 citations


Journal Article
TL;DR: In this article, Boron nitride nanotubes (BNNT)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) composite fibers were fabricated via electrospinning so that all BNNTs became aligned in the fiber casting direction.
Abstract: Boron nitride nanotube (BNNT)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) composite fibers (<5 vol % BNNTs) were fabricated via electrospinning so that all BNNTs became aligned in the fiber casting direction. A several-fibers-thick ensemble of parallel-arranged contacting fibers made a single polymer sheet. Numerous sheets were then stacked in different ways with respect to the BNNT orientation (all fibers in adjacent sheets were either parallel or alternately rotated 90°) to make multilayer films that were finally hot-pressed. Various BNNT textures were reflected by the corresponding differences in the measured thermal conductivities of the resultant films due to anisotropy of thermal transport in the nanotubes. The highest values (0.54 W/mK) were obtained along the long axes of aligned BNNTs. Somewhat lower values (0.38 W/mK) were documented in films with alternately stacked fibers/tubes. The theoretical thermal conductivity values were estimated using the Nielsen’s model. These show good match with the experimental data. ...

162 citations


Journal Article
TL;DR: In this paper, individual ZrS(2)-nanobelt field effect transistors were fabricated using a photolithography process and temperature-dependent electrical transport revealed different electrical conductivity mechanism at different working temperature regions.
Abstract: Individual ZrS(2)-nanobelt field-effect transistors were fabricated using a photolithography process. Temperature-dependent electrical transport revealed different electrical conductivity mechanism at different working temperature regions. ZrS(2)-nanobelt photodetectors demonstrated a high-performance visible-light photoconductivity.

151 citations


Journal Article
TL;DR: The modification of a tandem linear ion-trap mass spectrometer specifically for OzID analyses wherein ozone vapor is supplied to the collision cell is described, significantly enhancing the utility of OzID in high-throughput lipidomic protocols.
Abstract: Ozone-induced dissociation (OzID) exploits the gas-phase reaction between mass-selected lipid ions and ozone vapor to determine the position(s) of unsaturation In this contribution, we describe the modification of a tandem linear ion-trap mass spectrometer specifically for OzID analyses wherein ozone vapor is supplied to the collision cell This instrumental configuration provides spatial separation between mass-selection, the ozonolysis reaction, and mass-analysis steps in the OzID process and thus delivers significant enhancements in speed and sensitivity (ca 30-fold) These improvements allow spectra revealing the double-bond position(s) within unsaturated lipids to be acquired within 1 s significantly enhancing the utility of OzID in high-throughput lipidomic protocols The stable ozone concentration afforded by this modified instrument also allows direct comparison of relative reactivity of isomeric lipids and reveals reactivity trends related to (1) double-bond position, (2) substitution position on the glycerol backbone, and (3) stereochemistry For cis- and trans-isomers, differences were also observed in the branching ratio of product ions arising from the gas-phase ozonolysis reaction, suggesting that relative ion abundances could be exploited as markers for double-bond geometry Additional activation energy applied to mass-selected lipid ions during injection into the collision cell (with ozone present) was found to yield spectra containing both OzID and classical-CID fragment ions This combination CID-OzID acquisition on an ostensibly simple monounsaturated phosphatidylcholine within a cow brain lipid extract provided evidence for up to four structurally distinct phospholipids differing in both double-bond position and sn-substitution U Am Soc Mass Spectrom 2010, 21, 1989-1999) (C) 2010 American Society for Mass Spectrometry

110 citations


Journal Article
TL;DR: It is shown that in cv Royal Gala apples that have the ethylene biosynthetic gene ACC OXIDASE1 suppressed, a cold treatment preconditions the apples to soften independently of added ethylene, suggesting a possible molecular mechanism for the cold- and ethylene-regulated control of fruit softening.
Abstract: *This article is free to read on the publisher's website* Fruit softening in apple (Malus 3 domestica) is associated with an increase in the ripening hormone ethylene. Here, we show that in cv Royal Gala apples that have the ethylene biosynthetic gene ACC OXIDASE1 suppressed, a cold treatment preconditions the apples to soften independently of added ethylene. When a cold treatment is followed by an ethylene treatment, a more rapid softening occurs than in apples that have not had a cold treatment. Apple fruit softening has been associated with the increase in the expression of cell wall hydrolase genes. One such gene, POLYGALACTURONASE1 (PG1), increases in expression both with ethylene and following a cold treatment. Transcriptional regulation of PG1 through the ethylene pathway is likely to be through an ETHYLENE-INSENSITIVE3-like transcription factor, which increases in expression during apple fruit development and transactivates the PG1 promoter in transient assays in the presence of ethylene. A coldrelated gene that resembles a COLD BINDING FACTOR (CBF) class of gene also transactivates the PG1 promoter. The transactivation by the CBF-like gene is greatly enhanced by the addition of exogenous ethylene. These observations give a possible molecular mechanism for the coldand ethylene-regulated control of fruit softening and suggest that either these two pathways act independently and synergistically with each other or cold enhances the ethylene response such that background levels of ethylene in the ethylene-suppressed apples is sufficient to induce fruit softening in apples.

105 citations


Journal Article
TL;DR: The value of List Length Analysis is demonstrated to model changes in species prevalence (i.e., the proportion of lists on which the species occurs) using bird lists collected by a local bird club over 40 years around Brisbane, southeast Queensland, Australia.
Abstract: Long-term systematic population monitoring data sets are rare but are essential in identifying changes in species abundance. In contrast, community groups and natural history organizations have collected many species lists. These represent a large, untapped source of information on changes in abundance but are generally considered of little value. The major problem with using species lists to detect population changes is that the amount of effort used to obtain the list is often uncontrolled and usually unknown. It has been suggested that using the number of species on the list, the "list length," can be a measure of effort. This paper significantly extends the utility of Franklin's approach using Bayesian logistic regression. We demonstrate the value of List Length Analysis to model changes in species prevalence (i.e., the proportion of lists on which the species occurs) using bird lists collected by a local bird club over 40 years around Brisbane, southeast Queensland, Australia. We estimate the magnitude and certainty of change for 269 bird species and calculate the probabilities that there have been declines and increases of given magnitudes. List Length Analysis confirmed suspected species declines and increases. This method is an important complement to systematically designed intensive monitoring schemes and provides a means of utilizing data that may otherwise be deemed useless. The results of List Length Analysis can be used for targeting species of conservation concern for listing purposes or for more intensive monitoring. While Bayesian methods are not essential for List Length Analysis, they can offer more flexibility in interrogating the data and are able to provide a range of parameters that are easy to interpret and can facilitate conservation listing and prioritization. © 2010 by the Ecological Society of America.

Journal Article
TL;DR: Effective nanophase segregation at a low hydrogen dilution ratio of 4.0 leads to the formation of highly uniform Si QDs embedded in the amorphous SiC matrix, which is highly relevant to the development of next-generation photovoltaic solar cells, light-emitting diodes, thin-film transistors, and other applications.
Abstract: Nanophase nc-Si/a-SiC films that contain Si quantum dots (QDs) embedded in an amorphous SiC matrix were deposited on single-crystal silicon substrates using inductively coupled plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition from the reactive silane and methane precursor gases diluted with hydrogen at a substrate temperature of 200 °C. The effect of the hydrogen dilution ratio X (X is defined as the flow rate ratio of hydrogen-to-silane plus methane gases), ranging from 0 to 10.0, on the morphological, structural, and compositional properties of the deposited films, is extensively and systematically studied by scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared absorption spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Effective nanophase segregation at a low hydrogen dilution ratio of 4.0 leads to the formation of highly uniform Si QDs embedded in the amorphous SiC matrix. It is also shown that with the increase of X, the crystallinity degree and the crystallite size increase while the carbon content and the growth rate decrease. The obtained experimental results are explained in terms of the effect of hydrogen dilution on the nucleation and growth processes of the Si QDs in the high-density plasmas. These results are highly relevant to the development of next-generation photovoltaic solar cells, light-emitting diodes, thin-film transistors, and other applications.

Journal Article
TL;DR: The complete mitochondrial genome of Acraea issoria (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Heliconiinae: Acraeini) is reported in this article.
Abstract: In this paper, the complete mitochondrial genome of Acraea issoria (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Heliconiinae: Acraeini) is reported; a circular molecule of 15,245 bp in size. For A. issoria, genes are arranged in the same order and orientation as the complete sequenced mitochondrial genomes of the other lepidopteran species, except for the presence of an extra copy of tRNAIle(AUR)b in the control region. All protein-coding genes of A. issoria mitogenome start with a typical ATN codon and terminate in the common stop codon TAA, except that COI gene uses TTG as its initial codon and terminates in a single T residue. All tRNA genes possess the typical clover leaf secondary structure except for tRNASer(AGN), which has a simple loop with the absence of the DHU stem. The sequence, organization and other features including nucleotide composition and codon usage of this mitochondrial genome were also reported and compared with those of other sequenced lepidopterans mitochondrial genomes. There are some short microsatellite-like repeat regions (e.g., (TA)9, polyA and polyT) scattered in the control region, however, the conspicuous macro-repeats units commonly found in other insect species are absent.

Journal Article
TL;DR: In this article, it was found that the morphologies of as-obtained micron-sized particles turned from spheroidal to octahedral according to different doping levels, and the dielectric constant of Bi 1- x 1 La x FeO 3 sample increased after La doping, and reached the largest value for the sample of x = 0.2, both in low and high frequency range at room temperature.
Abstract: Multiferroic Bi 1- x1 La x FeO 3 ( x = 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3) micro-particles were successfully synthesized by a hydrothermal technique. All the samples were phase pure crystallizing in a perovskite structure with a space group of R 3 c . XRD refinement revealed that the lattice parameters increased along with increase of La content, while the Fe–O octahedra became more distorted. It was found that the morphologies of as-obtained micron-sized particles turned from spheroidal to octahedral according to different doping levels. The dielectric constant of Bi 1- x1 La x FeO 3 sample increased after La doping, and reached the largest value for the sample of x = 0.2, both in low and high frequency range at room temperature. All the as-prepared samples exhibited magnetic moments starting above room temperature. It was found that the magnetic moment was significantly enhanced from 0.264 emu/g of BiFeO 3 to 0.658 emu/g of Bi 0.9 La 0.1 FeO 3 in a field of 3 T at 77 K. Both enhancements of ferromagnetic and dielectric properties possibly attribute to the changes of lattice parameters and Fe–O bond lengths caused by lanthanum substitution.

Journal Article
TL;DR: In this article, a visible-blind deep-ultraviolet (DUV) photodetectors with metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) Schottky contacts based on individual Zn2GeO4 nanowire single-crystals is presented.
Abstract: We report on the visible-blind deep-ultraviolet (DUV) photodetectors with metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) Schottky contacts based on individual Zn2GeO4 nanowire single-crystals. At an 8 V bias voltage, the device shows an extremely low dark current (<0.1 pA), a responsivity of 38.3 A/W (corresponding gain ∼200), a high DUV-to-visible discrimination ratio up to ∼104, and a relatively fast response time upon 245 nm DUV illumination. By analyzing the light-intensity-dependent photocurrent generation and carrier transport, the photogenerated holes trapped in Schottky barrier and shrinking of depletion region under DUV illumination at the metal/Zn2GeO4 interface are proposed for the carrier injection and the photocurrent gain.

Journal Article
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explored relationships between personality, video game preference and gaming experiences and found that game genre, personality and gaming experience were found to correlate positively with the player experience of need satisfaction.
Abstract: This study explored relationships between personality, video game preference and gaming experiences. Two hundred and thirty-five participants completed an online survey in which they recalled a recent gaming experience, and provided measures of personality and their gaming experience via the Player Experience of Need Satisfaction (PENS) measure. Relationships between game genre, personality and gaming experience were found. Results are interpreted with reference to the validity of the PENS, current models of video gaming motivations and enjoyment, and sub-groups of people that may be more vulnerable to possible negative effects of games.

Journal Article
TL;DR: Feral horses are able to travel long distances and withstand long periods without water, allowing them to survive in semi-arid conditions.
Abstract: Reasons for performing study: The distance travelled by Australian feral horses in an unrestricted environment has not previously been determined. It is important to investigate horse movement in wilderness environments to establish baseline data against which the movement of domestically managed horses and wild equids can be compared. Objectives: To determine the travel dynamics of 2 groups of feral horses in unrestricted but different wilderness environments. Methods: Twelve feral horses living in 2 wilderness environments (2000 vs. 20,000 km2) in outback Australia were tracked for 6.5 consecutive days using custom designed, collar mounted global positioning systems (GPS). Collars were attached after darting and immobilising the horses. The collars were recovered after a minimum of 6.5 days by re-darting the horses. Average daily distance travelled was calculated. Range use and watering patterns of horses were analysed by viewing GPS tracks overlaid on satellite photographs of the study area. Results: Average distance travelled was 15.9 ± 1.9 km/day (range 8.1–28.3 km/day). Horses were recorded up to 55 km from their watering points and some horses walked for 12 h to water from feeding grounds. Mean watering frequency was 2.67 days (range 1–4 days). Central Australian horses watered less frequently and showed a different range use compared to horses from central Queensland. Central Australian horses walked for long distances in direct lines to patchy food sources whereas central Queensland horses were able to graze close to water sources and moved in a more or less circular pattern around the central water source. Conclusions: The distances travelled by feral horses were far greater than those previously observed for managed domestic horses and other species of equid. Feral horses are able to travel long distances and withstand long periods without water, allowing them to survive in semi-arid conditions.

Journal Article
TL;DR: In this paper, a low-pressure, thermally nonequilibrium, high-density inductively coupled plasmas is proposed to rapidly synthesize Si quantum dots (QDs) embedded in an amorphous SiC (a-SiC) matrix at a low substrate temperature and without any commonly used hydrogen dilution.
Abstract: A simple, effective and innovative approach based on low-pressure, thermally nonequilibrium, high-density inductively coupled plasmas is proposed to rapidly synthesize Si quantum dots (QDs) embedded in an amorphous SiC (a-SiC) matrix at a low substrate temperature and without any commonly used hydrogen dilution. The experimental results clearly demonstrate that uniform crystalline Si QDs with a size of 3-4 nm embedded in the silicon-rich (carbon content up to 10.7at.%) a-SiC matrix can be formed from the reactive mixture of silane and methane gases, with high growth rates of ∼1.27-2.34 nm s-1 and at a low substrate temperature of 200 °C. The achievement of the high-rate growth of Si QDs embedded in the a-SiC without any commonly used hydrogen dilution is discussed based on the unique properties of the inductively coupled plasma-based process. This work is particularly important for the development of the all-Si tandem cell-based third generation photovoltaic solar cells.

Journal Article
TL;DR: In this article, the authors presented large, accurately calibrated and time-synchronized data sets, gathered outdoors in controlled and variable environmental conditions, using an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), equipped with a wide variety of sensors.
Abstract: In this paper we present large, accurately calibrated and time-synchronized data sets, gathered outdoors in controlled and variable environmental conditions, using an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), equipped with a wide variety of sensors. These include four 2D laser scanners, a radar scanner, a color camera and an infrared camera. It provides a full description of the system used for data collection and the types of environments and conditions in which these data sets have been gathered, which include the presence of airborne dust, smoke and rain.

Journal Article
TL;DR: In this article, structural interviews were conducted with RMAA contractors to explore causes of accidents in the RMAA sector and a two-round Delphi method with 13 safety experts was subsequently employed to verify the interview findings and rank the relative degree of importance for various causes of various accidents.
Abstract: This study unveils causes of accidents in repair, maintenance, alteration and addition (RMAA) work. RMAA work is playing an increasingly important role in developed societies, including Hong Kong. Safety problems associated with RMAA work in Hong Kong has reached an alarming level. In view of rapid expansion of the RMAA sector and rising proportion of accidents in the construction industry, there is a pressing need to investigate causes of RMAA accidents. Structured interviews were conducted with RMAA contractors to explore causes of accidents in the RMAA sector. A two-round Delphi method with 13 safety experts was subsequently employed to verify the interview findings and rank the relative degree of importance for various causes of accidents. Accidents happen in RMAA work due to intersection of reasons. One of the root causes of accidents in RMAA works is low safety awareness of RMAA workers; however, wider organizational and industrial factors are not negligible. This study sheds light on why accidents happen in the RMAA sector. Only when the factors leading to accidents are identified can effective measures be made.


Journal Article
TL;DR: In this article, the formation of arrays of vertically aligned nanotips on a moderately heated (up to 500 degrees C) Si surface exposed to reactive low-temperature radio frequency (RF) Ar+H(2) plasmas is studied.
Abstract: The formation of arrays of vertically aligned nanotips on a moderately heated (up to 500 degrees C) Si surface exposed to reactive low-temperature radio frequency (RF) Ar+H(2) plasmas is studied It is demonstrated that the nanotip surface density, aspect ratio and height dispersion strongly depend on the substrate temperature, discharge power, and gas composition It is shown that nanotips with aspect ratios from 20 to 40 can only be produced at a higher RF power density (417 mW cm(-3)) and a hydrogen content of about 60%, and that larger aspect ratios can be achieved at substrate temperatures of about 300 degrees C The use of higher (up to 500 degrees C) temperatures leads to a decrease of the aspect ratio but promotes the formation of more uniform arrays with the height dispersion decreasing to 15 At lower (approximately 20 mW cm(-3)) RF power density, only semispherical nanodots can be produced Based on these experimental results, a nanotip formation scenario is proposed suggesting that sputtering, etching, hydrogen termination, and atom/radical re-deposition are the main concurrent mechanisms for the nanostructure formation Numerical calculations of the ion flux distribution and hydrogen termination profiles can be used to predict the nanotip shapes and are in a good agreement with the experimental results This approach can be applied to describe the kinetics of low-temperature formation of other nanoscale materials by plasma treatment

Journal Article
TL;DR: Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are a unique class of nanomaterials that can be imagined as rolled graphene sheets The inner hollow of a CNT provides an extremely small, one-dimensional space for storage of materials In the last decade, enormous effort has been spent to produce filled CNTs that combine the properties of both the host CNT and the guest filling material.
Abstract: Full-text article is free to read on the publisher's website Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are a unique class of nanomaterials that can be imagined as rolled graphene sheets The inner hollow of a CNT provides an extremely small, one-dimensional space for storage of materials In the last decade, enormous effort has been spent to produce filled CNTs that combine the properties of both the host CNT and the guest filling material CNTs filled with various inorganic materials such as metals, alloys, semiconductors and insulators have been obtained using different synthesis approaches including capillary filling and chemical vapor deposition Recently, several potential applications have emerged for these materials, such as the measurement of temperature at the nanoscale, nano-spot welding, and the storage and delivery of extremely small quantities of materials A clear distinction between this class of materials and other nanostructures is the existence of an enormous interfacial area between the CNT and the filling matter Theoretical investigations have shown that the lattice mismatch and strong exchange interaction of CNTs with the guest material across the interface should result in reordering of the guest crystal structure and passivation of the surface dangling bonds and thus yielding new and interesting physical properties Despite preliminary successes, there remain many challenges in realizing applications of CNTs filled with inorganic materials, such as a comprehensive understanding of their growth and physical properties and control of their structural parameters In this article, we overview research on filled CNT nanomaterials with special emphasis on recent progress and key achievements We also discuss the future scope and the key challenges emerging out of a decade of intensive research on these fascinating materials

Journal Article
TL;DR: The mathematical derivations at the core of this model are not particularly novel or complicated, but the rigorous analysis and application to field robotics seems to be largely absent from the literature to date.
Abstract: Reliable robotic perception and planning are critical to performing autonomous actions in uncertain, unstructured environments. In field robotic systems, automation is achieved by interpreting exteroceptive sensor information to infer something about the world. This is then mapped to provide a consistent spatial context, so that actions can be planned around the predicted future interaction of the robot and the world. The whole system is as reliable as the weakest link in this chain. In this paper, the term mapping is used broadly to describe the transformation of range-based exteroceptive sensor data (such as LIDAR or stereo vision) to a fixed navigation frame, so that it can be used to form an internal representation of the environment. The coordinate transformation from the sensor frame to the navigation frame is analyzed to produce a spatial error model that captures the dominant geometric and temporal sources of mapping error. This allows the mapping accuracy to be calculated at run time. A generic extrinsic calibration method for exteroceptive range-based sensors is then presented to determine the sensor location and orientation. This allows systematic errors in individual sensors to be minimized, and when multiple sensors are used, it minimizes the systematic contradiction between them to enable reliable multisensor data fusion. The mathematical derivations at the core of this model are not particularly novel or complicated, but the rigorous analysis and application to field robotics seems to be largely absent from the literature to date. The techniques in this paper are simple to implement, and they offer a significant improvement to the accuracy, precision, and integrity of mapped information. Consequently, they should be employed whenever maps are formed from range-based exteroceptive sensor data. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Journal Article
TL;DR: In this paper, it was shown that the magnetic moments of zigzag ZnO nanoribbons can be efficiently modulated by transverse electric fields over a threshold strength.
Abstract: We show by first-principles calculations that the magnetic moments of zigzag ZnO nanoribbons can be efficiently modulated by transverse electric fields. Depending on the field direction, the total magnetic moment in a zigzag ZnO nanoribbon can be remarkably enhanced or reduced and even completely quenched with increasing field over a threshold strength. However, in weak electric fields below the threshold, the magnetic moment in the zigzag ZnO nanoribbons nearly remains unchanged, which can be explained in terms of intrinsic transverse electric polarization and quantum confinement effects. The threshold electric field required to modulate the magnetic moment decreases significantly with increasing ribbon width, showing practical importance.

Journal Article
TL;DR: In this paper, a nanostructured gold surface consisting of closely packed outwardly growing spikes was investigated for the electrochemical detection of dopamine and cytochrome c. The surface active sites were found to have a significant electrocatalytic effect due to the presence of active sites.
Abstract: A nanostructured gold surface consisting of closely packed outwardly growing spikes is investigated for the electrochemical detection of dopamine and cytochrome c. A significant electrocatalytic effect for the electrooxidation of both dopamine and ascorbic acid at the nanostructured electrode was found due to the presence of surface active sites which allowed the detection of dopamine in the presence of excess ascorbic acid to be achieved by differential pulse voltammetry. By simple modification with a layer of Nafion, the enhanced electrocatalytic properties of the nanostructured surface was maintained while increasing the selectivity of dopamine detection in the presence of interfering species such as excess ascorbic and uric acids. Also, upon modification of the nanostructured surface with a monolayer of cysteine, the electrochemical response of immobilised cytochrome c in two distinct conformations was observed. This opens up the possibility of using such a nanostructured surface for the characterisation of other biomolecules and in bio-electroanalytical applications.

Journal Article
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present results of computational simulations of tungsten-inert-gas and metal inert gas welding and show that the geometry and depth of the weld pool depend strongly on the properties of the arc.
Abstract: We present results of computational simulations of tungsten-inert-gas and metal-inert-gas welding. The arc plasma and the electrodes (including the molten weld pool when necessary) are included self-consistently in the computational domain. It is shown, using three examples, that it would be impossible to accurately estimate the boundary conditions on the weld-pool surface without including the arc plasma in the computational domain. First, we show that the shielding gas composition strongly affects the properties of the arc that influence the weld pool: heat flux density, current density, shear stress and arc pressure at the weld-pool surface. Demixing is found to be important in some cases. Second, the vaporization of the weld-pool metal and the diffusion of the metal vapour into the arc plasma are found to decrease the heat flux density and current density to the weld pool. Finally, we show that the shape of the wire electrode in metal-inert-gas welding has a strong influence on flow velocities in the arc and the pressure and shear stress at the weld-pool surface. In each case, we present evidence that the geometry and depth of the weld pool depend strongly on the properties of the arc.

Journal Article
TL;DR: In this article, a single carbon "onion" was welded onto the end of a tungsten tip inside a high-resolution transmission electron microscope to reduce the onset voltage.
Abstract: The novel type of an electron field emitter is demonstrated by welding a single carbon "onion" onto the end of a tungsten tip inside a high-resolution transmission electron microscope. Such merged structure is found to markedly reduce the onset voltage peculiar to a standard tungsten field emitter due to the small size of the onion and its highly curved surface. Similar to short carbon nanotubes, individual C-onion emitters can sustain large emission currents, more than 100 muA, and exhibit good long-term emission stability. Moreover the insertion of a high electrical resistance in series can suppress the current fluctuation to only 1.9%. All these properties make these newly created field emitters promising candidates for the advanced point electron sources.

Journal Article
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors demonstrate the possibility to achieve effective bandgap control in a broad range by using high-density inductively coupled plasmas, which is related to their outstanding dissociation ability.
Abstract: To overcome major problems associated with insufficient incorporation of nitrogen in hydrogenated amorphous silicon nitride (a-SiNx:H) nanomaterials, which in turn impedes the development of controlled-bandgap nanodevices, here we demonstrate the possibility to achieve effective bandgap control in a broad range by using high-density inductively coupled plasmas. This achievement is related to the outstanding dissociation ability of such plasmas. It is shown that the compositional, structural, optical, and morphological properties of the synthesized a-SiNx:H nanomaterials can be effectively tailored through the manipulation of the flow rate ratio of the silane to nitrogen gases X. In particular, a wide bandgap of 5.21 eV can be uniquely achieved at a low flow rate ratio of the nitrogen to silane gas of 1.0, whereas typically used values often exceed 20.0. These results are highly-relevant to the development of the next-generation nanodevices that rely on the effective control of the functional nano-layer bandgap energies.

Journal Article
TL;DR: In this article, the dielectric and thermal prop- erties of epoxy/boron nitride nanotube (BNNT) composites were investigated, and it was found that BNNT fillers can effectively adjust the epoxy constant.
Abstract: We report the fabrication of and investigations into the dielectric and thermal prop- erties of epoxy/boron nitride nanotube (BNNT) composites. It was found that BNNT fillers can effectively adjust the dielectric constant of epoxy. Moreover, the thermal conductivity of epoxy was improved by up to 69 % with 5 wt % BNNTs. Our studies indicate that BNNTs are promising nanofillers for polymers, to obtain and control an adjustable dielectric prop- erty and improved thermal conductivity.