1. |
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2. |
- Bring, Torun, et al.
(author)
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Potassium sulfate droplets and the origin of turbidity in alabaster glass
- 2006
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In: Glass Technology : European Journal of Glass Science and Technology A. ; 47:1, s. 15-18
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A study of the criteria required to manufacture multi-component semi-transparent silicate glasses, so called “alabaster” glass, has found that the optical effect is caused by non-crystal¬line potassium sulfate droplets. The droplets were characterized by use of XRD, SEM/EDX and Raman spectroscopy. The size range of the particles is in the order of 5-50 micrometers. It was found that the droplets consisted of potassium sulfate, even if other sulfate compounds were added to the glass. The amount of sulfate compound added, the melting temperature of the furnace and the melting time have significant effect on the optical density of the glass. The optical density of the glass can be correlated to the calculated surface tension of the host glass, suggesting that phase separation of a sulfate enriched liquid phase is part of the mecha¬nism forming the droplets. By adding pigments several different colours can be obtained, but the alabaster effect is not achieved during reducing conditions, thus it seems not possible to produce colours originating from reduced pigments. Pigments tested were Cr, Fe, Co, Cu, Au, Mo/Se, Nd and Ti/Ce/Se.
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3. |
- Lewin, Erik, et al.
(author)
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Industrialisation Study of Nanocomposite nc-TiC/a-C Coatings for Electrical Contact Applications
- 2009
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In: Plasma Processes and Polymers. - : WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. - 1612-8850. ; 6:S1, s. S928-S934
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Nanocomposite nc-TiC/a-C coatings were prepared by non-reactive magnetron sputtering in industrial scale equipment, under varying deposition conditions in order to investigate upscaling and possible industrialisation. The coatings were found to have similar microstructure and performance compared to previous laboratory scale experiments. The samples were characterised with XRD, XPS and SEM as well with ball-on-disc, nanoindentation and electrical measurements. Coatings containing a small fraction of a-C matrix phase were found to have promising both electrical properties (rho < 400 mu Omega cm and contact resistances down to 0.34 m Omega at 40 N) and tribological properties (f < 0.3 for 10 000 laps).
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4. |
- Berggren, Gustav, et al.
(author)
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Synthesis, Characterization and Reactivity Study of a New Penta-Coordinated Mn(II) Complex
- 2009
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In: Applied Magnetic Resonance. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0937-9347 .- 1613-7507. ; 36:1, s. 9-24
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A penta-coordinated Mn(II) compound [dqpMnCl2] (1) (dqp = 2,6-di-(8-quinoline-yl)-pyridine) has been synthesized and its X-ray crystallographic structure is reported here. Magnetic susceptibility measurements confirmed a high-spin Mn(II) (S = 5/2) center in 1. The X-band EPR spectrum of 1 in dimethylformamide solution exhibits widely distributed transitions in the spectral range from 0 to 700 mT with particularly well-resolved hyperfine lines due to the 55Mn (I = 5/2) nucleus. The abundance of highly resolved transition lines in the spectrum facilitated the electron paramagnetic resonance spectral simulation which revealed large zero-field splitting and g-anisotropies. When dissolved, 1 exists in equilibrium with a hexa-coordinated species, the latter probably resulting from disassociation of one chlorido-ligand allowing ligation of two solvent molecules. The redox behavior of 1 was studied and was compared to that of a structural analog for which water oxidation in the presence of a chemical oxidant has been shown. The results from water oxidation trials of 1 are discussed
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5. |
- Berggren, Gustav, et al.
(author)
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Two tetranuclear Mn-complexes as biomimetic models of the oxygen evolving complex in Photosystem II - A synthesis, characterisation and reactivity study
- 2009
-
In: Dalton Transactions. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 1477-9226 .- 1477-9234. ; 45, s. 10044-10054
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this work we report the preparation of two metallamacrocyclic tetranuclear manganese(II) complexes, [L1(4)Mn(4)](ClO4)(4) and [L2(4)Mn(4)](ClO4)(4) where L1 and L2 are the anions of the heptadentate ligands 2-((2-(bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl) amino) ethyl)(methyl) amino) acetic acid and 2-(benzyl(2-(bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl) amino) ethyl) amino) acetic acid), respectively. The complexes have been fully characterized by ESI-MS, elemental analysis, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, magnetic susceptibility, and EPR spectroscopy. Electrochemical reactions as well as reactions with different chemical redox reagents have been performed and a reversible two electron oxidation per manganese ion has been identified. The reaction of [L1(4)Mn(4)](ClO4)(4) with oxone or cerium(IV) results in the evolution of oxygen which makes this system interesting for future studies in the search for a functional mimic of the oxygen evolving complex in Photosystem II.
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6. |
- Kristensen, Emma, et al.
(author)
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Heparin coating durability on artificial heart valves studied by XPS and antithrombin binding capacity
- 2006
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In: Colloids and Surfaces B. - : Elsevier BV. - 0927-7765 .- 1873-4367. ; 49:1, s. 1-7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The durability and functionality of a heparin coating on artificial heart valve leaflets were evaluated with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and by the coatings’ capacity to bind antithrombin. Current methods for accelerated life-time testing are based on exposing leaflets to water solutions. In this paper a method is explored, in which heart valve leaflets were exposed to a continuous high shear rate (4 L/min) of human citrated plasma. It was found that the heparin coating was stable and wear resistant enough to still be present after 3 weeks and to have about the same antithrombin uptake as coatings not exposed to circulating plasma. It was, however, partly destroyed by the test as found using XPS. We suggest that heparin chains from the upper layer of heparin have been torn off from the carrier chain, in combination with loss of heparin conjugate and plasma deposition in patches. This study showed that XPS provides additional information to biological measurements such as antithrombin uptake. XPS is therefore a valuable technique not only to characterize biomaterials but also to evaluate the effect of a performance test.
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7. |
- Karlsson, Maths, 1978, et al.
(author)
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Structure of Proton-Conducting Alkali Thio-Hydroxogermanates
- 2008
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In: Chemistry of Materials. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1520-5002 .- 0897-4756. ; 20:19, s. 6014-6021
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Using a combination of neutron diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, and first-principles calculations, we have investigated the structure of hydrated and dehydrated proton conducting alkali thio-hydroxogermanates of general formula M2GeS2(OH)2·yH2O (M = K, Rb, and Cs). The results show that the structure of hydrated and dry materials are basically the same, which confirms previous indications that the main effect of heating these materials is just a loss of water. We suggest that in the hydrated state the structure of these materials is built of dimers of thio-hydroxogermanate anions, with the water molecules acting as bridges between such dimers. In the dehydrated structure, the thio-hydroxogermanate anions instead form an extended network through the formation of interdimer hydrogen bonds through the −OH groups in the structure. The alkali ions are suggested to act as “space-fillers” in voids formed by the thio-hydroxogermanate anion dimers, in both the hydrated and the dehydrated state.
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8. |
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9. |
- Olabarrieta, Idoia, et al.
(author)
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Aging properties of films of plasticized vital wheat gluten cast from acidic and basic solutions
- 2006
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In: Biomacromolecules. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1525-7797 .- 1526-4602. ; 7:5, s. 1657-1664
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In order to understand the mechanisms behind the undesired aging of films based on vital wheat gluten plasticized with glycerol, films cast from water/ethanol solutions were investigated. The effect of pH was studied by casting from solutions at pH 4 and pH 11. The films were aged for 120 days at 50% relative humidity and 23 C, and the tensile properties and oxygen and water vapor permeabilities were measured as a function of aging time. The changes in the protein structure were determined by infrared spectroscopy and size-exclusion and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, and the film structure was revealed by optical and scanning electron microscopy. The pH 11 film was mechanically more stable with time than the pH 4 film, the latter being initially very ductile but turning brittle toward the end of the aging period. The protein solubility and infrared spectroscopy measurements indicated that the protein structure of the pH 4 film was initially significantly less polymerized/ aggregated than that of the pH 11 film. The polymerization of the pH 4 film increased during storage but it did not reach the degree of aggregation of the pH 11 film. Reverse-phase chromatography indicated that the pH 11 films were to some extent deamidated and that this increased with aging. At the same time a large fraction of the aged pH 11 film was unaffected by reducing agents, suggesting that a time-induced isopeptide cross-linking had occurred. This isopeptide formation did not, however, change the overall degree of aggregation and consequently the mechanical properties of the film. During aging, the pH 4 films lost more mass than the pH 11 films mainly due to migration of glycerol but also due to some loss of volatile mass. Scanning electron and optical microscopy showed that the pH 11 film was more uniform in thickness and that the film structure was more homogeneous than that of the pH 4 film. The oxygen permeability was also lower for the pH 11 film. The fact that the pH 4 film experienced a larger and more rapid change in its mechanical properties with time than the pH 11 film, as a consequence of a greater loss of plasticizer, was presumably due to its initial lower degree of protein aggregation/ polymerization. Consequently, the cross-link density achieved at pH 4 was too low to effectively retain volatiles and glycerol within the matrix.
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10. |
- Zhu, Jiefang, 1973, et al.
(author)
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Nanostructured materials for photocatalytic hydrogen production
- 2009
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In: Current Opinion in Colloid and Interface Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 1359-0294 .- 1879-0399. ; 14:4, s. 260-269
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Photocatalytic hydrogen (H-2) production represents a very promising but challenging contribution to a clean, sustainable and renewable energy system. The photocatalyst material plays a key role in photocatalytic H-2 production, and it has proven difficult to obtain corrosion resistant, chemically stable, visible light harvesting and highly efficient photocatalysts, which have their band edges matching the O-2 and H-2 production levels. Nanoscience and nanotechnology are opening a new vista in the development of highly active, nanostructured photocatalysts with large surface areas for optimized light absorption, minimized distances (or times) for charge-carrier transport, and further favorable properties. Our focus here is on recently developed nanostructured photocatalysts. In particular. the particle size, chemical composition (including dopants), microstructure, crystal phase. morphology, surface modification, bandgap and flat-band potential of the nanophotocatalysts have shown a visible effect on photocatalytic H-2 production rates, which may be further increased by adding sensitizers, cocatalysts or scavengers. Finally, potential directions required to push this research field a step further are highlighted. (
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11. |
- Salomonsson, Anette, et al.
(author)
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Nanocrystalline Ruthenium oxide and Ruthenium in sensing applications -an experimental and theoretical study
- 2006
-
In: Journal of Nanoparticle Research. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1388-0764 .- 1572-896X. ; 8:6, s. 899-910
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this project, we have explored RuO2 and Ru nanoparticles (∼ ∼10 and ∼ ∼5 nm, respectively, estimated from XRD data) to be used as gate material in field effect sensor devices. The particles were synthesized by wet chemical procedure. The capacitance versus voltage characteristics of the studied capacitance shifts to a lower voltage while exposed to reducing gases. The main objectives are to improve the selectivity of the FET sensors by tailoring the dimension and surface chemistry of the nanoparticles and to improve the high temperature stability. The sensors were characterized using capacitance versus voltage measurements, at different frequencies, 500 Hz to 1 MHz, and temperatures at 100–400°C. The sensor response patterns have been found to depend on operating temperature. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses were performed to investigate the oxidation state due to gas exposure. Quantum-chemical computations suggest that heterolytic dissociative adsorption is favored and preliminary computations regarding water formation from adsorbed hydrogen and oxygen was also performed.
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12. |
- Wågberg, Lars, et al.
(author)
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The build-up of polyelectrolyte multilayers of microfibrillated cellulose and cationic polyelectrolytes
- 2008
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In: Langmuir. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0743-7463 .- 1520-5827. ; 24:3, s. 784-795
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A new type of nanocellulosic material has been prepared by high-pressure homogenization of carboxymethylated cellulose fibers followed by ultrasonication and centrifugation. This material had a cylindrical cross-section as shown by transmission electron microscopy with a diameter of 5-15 nm and a length of up to 1 mu m. Calculations, using the Poisson-Boltzmann equation, showed that the surface potential was between 200 and 250 mV, depending on the pH, the salt concentration, and the size of the fibrils. They also showed that the carboxyl groups on the surface of the nanofibrils are not fully dissociated until the pH has reached pH = similar to 10 in deionized water. Calculations of the interaction between the fibrils using the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek theory and assuming a cylindrical geometry indicated that there is a large electrostatic repulsion between these fibrils, provided the carboxyl groups are dissociated. If the pH is too low and/or the salt concentration is too high, there will be a large attraction between the fibrils, leading to a rapid aggregation of the fibrils. It is also possible to form polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) by combining different types of polyelectrolytes and microfibrillated cellulose (MFC). In this study, silicon oxide surfaces were first treated with cationic polyelectrolytes before the surfaces were exposed to MFC. The build-up of the layers was monitored with ellipsometry, and they show that it is possible to form very well-defined layers by combinations of MFC and different types of polyelectrolytes and different ionic strengths of the solutions during the adsorption of the polyelectrolyte. A polyelectrolyte with a three-dimensional structure leads to the build-up of thick layers of MFC, whereas the use of a highly charged linear polyelectrolyte leads to the formation of thinner layers of MFC. An increase in the salt concentration during the adsorption of the polyelectrolyte results in the formation of thicker layers of MFC, indicating that the structure of the adsorbed polyelectrolyte has a large influence on the formation of the MFC layer. The films of polyelectrolytes and MFC were so smooth and well-defined that they showed clearly different interference colors, depending on the film thickness. A comparison between the thickness of the films, as measured with ellipsometry, and the thickness estimated from their colors showed good agreement, assuming that the films consisted mainly of solid cellulose with a refractive index of 1.53. Carboxymethylated MFC is thus a new type of nanomaterial that can be combined with oppositely charged polyelectrolytes to form well-defined layers that may be used to form, for example, new types of sensor materials.
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13. |
- Elihn, Karine, et al.
(author)
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Size and structure of nanoparticles formed via ultraviolet photolysis of ferrocene
- 2007
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In: Journal of Applied Physics. - : AIP Publishing. - 0021-8979 .- 1089-7550. ; 101:3, s. 034311-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Iron nanoparticles enclosed in carbon shells were formed by laser-assisted chemical vapor decomposition of ferrocene (Fe(C5H5)2) vapor in Ar gas atmosphere. The particle size dependence on the total ambient gas pressure and on laser fluence of the pulsed ArF excimer laser was examined and, e.g., an effective size decrease of the iron core was observed at elevated laser fluences. Characterizations of the iron and carbon microstructures were performed by x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy, while relative iron deposition rates were measured by x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. Both -Fe and -Fe phases were found for the single crystalline iron cores, surrounded by graphitic (inner) and amorphous (outer) carbon layers. The temperature rise of the laser-excited particles was also determined by optical spectroscopy of the emitted thermal radiation, which allowed an estimation of the iron loss of the nanoparticles due to evaporation. The estimated and measured iron losses are in good agreement.
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14. |
- Lloyd-Spets, Anita, et al.
(author)
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New materials for chemical and biosensors
- 2006
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In: Materials and Manufacturing Processes. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1042-6914 .- 1532-2475. ; 21:3, s. 253-256
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Wide band gap materials such as SiC, AlN, GaN, ZnO, and diamond have excellent properties such as high operation temperature when used as field effect devices and a high resonating frequency of the substrate materials used in piezoelectric resonator devices. Integration of FET and resonating sensors on the same chip enables powerful miniaturized devices, which can deliver increased information about a gas mixture or complex liquid. Examples of sensor devices based on different wide band gap materials will be given.
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15. |
- Wilhelmsson, Ola, et al.
(author)
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Intrusion-type deformation in epitaxial Ti3SiC2/TiC0.67 nanolaminates
- 2007
-
In: Applied Physics Letters. - : AIP Publishing. - 0003-6951 .- 1077-3118. ; 91:12, s. 123124-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We investigate the deformation of epitaxial Ti3SiC2(0001)/TiCx(111) (x~0.67) nanolaminates deposited by magnetron sputtering. Nanoindentation and transmission electron microscopy show that the Ti3SiC2 layers deform via basal plane slip and intrusion into the TiC layers, suppressing kink-band and pile-up deformation behaviors analogous with monolithic Ti3SiC2. This remarkable response to indentation is due to persistent slip in the TiC layers and prevention of gross slip throughout the nanolaminate by the interleaving Ti3SiC2 layers. Hardness and Young's modulus were measured as ~15 and ~240 GPa, respectively.
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16. |
- Asplund, Maria, 1978-, et al.
(author)
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Composite biomolecule/PEDOT materials for neural electrodes
- 2008
-
In: Biointerphases. - NY : American Institute of Physics. - 1559-4106 .- 1934-8630. ; 3:3, s. 83-93
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Electrodes intended for neural communication must be designed to meet boththe electrochemical and biological requirements essential for long term functionality. Metallic electrode materials have been found inadequate to meet theserequirements and therefore conducting polymers for neural electrodes have emergedas a field of interest. One clear advantage with polymerelectrodes is the possibility to tailor the material to haveoptimal biomechanical and chemical properties for certain applications. To identifyand evaluate new materials for neural communication electrodes, three chargedbiomolecules, fibrinogen, hyaluronic acid (HA), and heparin are used ascounterions in the electrochemical polymerization of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT). The resultingmaterial is evaluated electrochemically and the amount of exposed biomoleculeon the surface is quantified. PEDOT:biomolecule surfaces are also studiedwith static contact angle measurements as well as scanning electronmicroscopy and compared to surfaces of PEDOT electrochemically deposited withsurfactant counterion polystyrene sulphonate (PSS). Electrochemical measurements show that PEDOT:heparinand PEDOT:HA, both have the electrochemical properties required for neuralelectrodes, and PEDOT:heparin also compares well to PEDOT:PSS. PEDOT:fibrinogen isfound less suitable as neural electrode material.
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17. |
- Sul, Young-Taeg, 1960, et al.
(author)
-
Oxidized, bioactive implants are rapidly and strongly integrated in bone. Part 1--experimental implants.
- 2006
-
In: Clinical Oral Implants Research. - : Wiley. - 0905-7161 .- 1600-0501. ; 17:5, s. 521-6
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: The study presented was designed to investigate the speed and the strength of osseointegration of oxidized implants at early healing times in comparison which machined, turned implants. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Screw-shaped titanium implants were prepared and divided into two groups: magnesium ion incorporated, oxidized implants (Mg implants, n=10) and machined, turned implants (controls, n=10). Mg implants were prepared using micro-arc oxidation methods. Surface oxide properties of implants such as surface chemistry, oxide thickness, morphology/pore characteristics, crystal structures and roughness were characterized with various surface analytic techniques. Implants were inserted into the tibiae of ten New Zealand white rabbits. After a follow-up period of 3 and 6 weeks, removal torque (RTQ), osseointegration speed (DeltaRTQ/Deltahealing time) and integration strength of implants were measured. Bonding failure analysis of the bone-to-implant interface was performed. RESULTS: The speed the and strength of osseointegration of Mg implants were significantly more rapid and stronger than for turned implants at follow-up periods of 3 and 6 weeks. Bonding failure for Mg implants dominantly occurred within the bone tissue, whereas bonding failure for turned implants mainly occurred at the interface between implant and bone. CONCLUSIONS: Oxidized, bioactive implants are rapidly and strongly integrated in bone. The present results indicate that the rapid and strong integration of oxidized, bioactive Mg implants to bone may encompass immediate/early loading of clinical implants.
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18. |
- Christensen, Jeppe, 1975-
(author)
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Non-Standard Crystallography : Examples in 3- and 3+1 Dimensional Space
- 2007
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Crystallography today is by many seen as merely a tool for determining the structure of a material on the atomic level. It is expected that whatever comes out of the tool is the indisputable truth, a fact. This thesis is based on five publications illustrating that this is very far from the real world of materials research. The experiences drawn from the structural work in the papers are put together to illustrate when to be alert, and how to proceed with a structural investigation using non-standard crystallography. The focus is on interpreting the signs of additional order being present in a structure. The signs may be weak, such as extreme thermal vibration, or unit cell deformation. Or the signs can be strong, with superstructure reflections indicating the presence of either commensurate or incommensurate superstructures.
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19. |
- Björling, T., et al.
(author)
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SrAlSiH : A polyanionic semiconductor hydride
- 2005
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In: Angewandte Chemie International Edition. - : Wiley. - 1433-7851 .- 1521-3773. ; 44:44, s. 7269-7273
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- (Chemical Equation Presented) Stable and semiconducting: Polyanionic hydrides represent a new class of main-group-metal hydrides with unforeseen hydrogen-coordination environments. The hydrogen atom in SrAlSiH is attached exclusively to Al and forms part of a layered [AlHSi]2- polyanion (see figure). This material is the first narrow bandgap semiconductor hydride and combines the high thermal stability of saline hydrides with the air and moisture stability of interstitial transition-metal hydrides.
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20. |
- Bring, Torun, et al.
(author)
-
Colour development in copper ruby alkali silicate glasses : Part 1. The impact of tin (II) oxide, time and temperature
- 2007
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In: Glass Technology, Eur J Glass Sci Technol A. - : Society of Glass Technology. ; 48:2, s. 101-108
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The development of the red colour in copper ruby alkali silicate glasses has been studied by means of ultraviolet/visible spectroscopy, TEM and EXAFS. The results show that in both red and slightly overstruck, brownish glasses the colour is due to clusters of metallic copper. Before striking non-coloured glasses contain mainly cuprous ions, Cu+. Tin acts as a reducing agent but also has an accelerating effect on colour development.
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21. |
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22. |
- Chen, Zhuo Yuan, et al.
(author)
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In situ studies of the effect of SO2 on the initial NaCl-induced atmospheric corrosion of copper
- 2005
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In: Journal of the Electrochemical Society. - : The Electrochemical Society. - 0013-4651 .- 1945-7111. ; 152:12, s. B526-B533
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The initial SO2-induced atmospheric corrosion of copper deposited with NaCl has been examined with Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy under in situ and ex situ conditions in order to reveal the spatial distribution of reaction products. The oxidation of S(IV) turns out to be fast at the area of the NaCl-containing electrolyte droplet, and both sulfate (SO42-) and dithionate (S2O62-) ions form. A copper-catalyzed reaction route for the sulfite oxidation has been suggested, which includes the formation of a Cu(II)-sulfito complex as an important step. The presence of gaseous oxidants such as NO2 and O-3 has previously been considered as an important prerequisite for the oxidation of sulfite on copper. The results obtained here suggest that the formation of local electrochemical cells induced by deposited NaCl particles could be another important route for S(IV) oxidation to sulfate formation. SO2 was found to promote the formation of less soluble paratacamite [Cu-2(OH)(3)Cl] and nantokite (CuCl), which may slow down the atmospheric corrosion rate of copper.
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23. |
- Kus, Hulya, et al.
(author)
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Temperature and moisture conditions in materials : effects on risk for degradation of rendered autoclaved aerated concrete
- 2005
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In: Paper TT1-107. ; , s. 60-67
-
Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Temperature and moisture conditions are, in general, the two major factors influencing the long-term performance of external walls made of porous mineral building materials. Degradation of wall components is accelerated by temperature and moisture induced stresses which lead to cracks and in turn a surface more vulnerable to other degradation agents. The degradation rate depends on both the environmental conditions and the material-inherent and component design properties. Extreme and rapid temperature fluctuations as well as moderate diurnal and seasonal temperature cycles cause thermal stresses and strains in the material, resulting in expansion or contraction and eventual deformation such as cracking or fracture. Material properties such as thermal expansion, elasticity and tensile strength determine if cracking occurs either immeadiately when the surface temperature drops below the initial temperature after rapid cooling or after a period of time if alternating or repeated stresses result in creep and fatigue. In this paper an attempt is made to evaluate the temperature effects on the risk for degradation of external walls made of rendered autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) based on temperature measurement data and the material properties. The measurement results are obtained from the continuous microenvironment monitoring carried out on a test cabin built on the roof of the Centre for Built Environment building in Gävle, Sweden. A finite element model (FEM) is used to simply calculate the temperature induced stresses in two different cases; with and without creep and relaxation in the material. According to the microenvironment measurement results the test panels attain maximum surface temperatures up to about 60 °C during summer and experience surface temperature fluctuations between day and night up to about 55 °C during winter. Rapid changes in surface temperatures frequently occur particularly throughout late spring and early summer. The preliminary calculated results indicate that the tensile forces built up during cold spells may be sufficient to crack the surface of AAC panels but the risk for fatigue damages due to combined moisture and temperature cycles induced by radiation from the sun seems to be small. Further studies are needed for better knowledge and reliable information on the degradation mechanisms related to temperature by complementary measurements of stress-strain, stress relaxation, creep and fatigue behaviour of AAC panels under different and cyclic temperature loading.
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24. |
- Li, Shanghua, 1981-
(author)
-
Fabrication of Nanostructured Materials for Energy Applications
- 2008
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- World energy crisis has triggered more attention to energy saving and energy conversion systems with high efficiency. There is a growing awareness that nanoscience and nanotechnology can have a profound impact on energy generation, conversion, and recovery. Nanotechnology-based solutions are being developed for a wide range of energy problems such as, solar electricity, hydrogen generation and storage, batteries, fuel cells, heat pumps and thermoelectrics. This thesis deals with the design and fabrication of novel functional materials/architectures for energy-related applications. The study includes two parts: Nanostructured thermoelectric (TE) materials for energy conversion and nanostructured metallic surfaces for energy heat transfer. In the first part, the focus is given to the fabrication of novel nanostructured TE materials and architectures. TE materials are very important functional materials that can convert heat to electrical energy and vice versa. Recently, nanostructuring TE materials showed very promising potential to improve their TE figure of merit which opens a new venue for the TE world. As a result, some advanced nanostructured TE architectures are proposed as the state-of-the-art TE materials/structures. Among these advanced TE architectures, bismuth telluride nanowires/thick films and skutterudite nanocomposites with nanoinclusions have been successfully fabricated and some of their advantageous TE performance has been demonstrated. For example, an improvement of 11% on the figure of merit, ZT, was achieved in the CoSb3 nanocomposite with 5 mole% ZrO2 as nanoinclusion. Comprehensive physico-chemical characterization techniques have been used for the synthesized TE materials. The potential-Seebeck microprobe, 4-point probe and laser flash apparatus have been used for the measurement of TE parameters on the TE materials. In the second part of the thesis, we developed a nanostructured macro-porous (NMp) surface for enhancing heat transfer in boiling process. Enhanced surfaces for boiling improve the energy efficiency of heat pumping equipment such as air conditioners, refrigerators, etc. Conventional techniques currently used for fabricating enhanced surfaces are often based on the use of complicated mechanical machine tools and require a large consumption of materials and give only limited enhancement of the boiling heat transfer. In this thesis, we present a new approach to fabricate enhanced surfaces by using electrodeposition under specific conditions forming in-situ dynamic gas bubble templates. As a result, the NMp metallic surface layer comprising of dendritically ordered copper branches is obtained. Since the structure is formed during the evolution of the dynamic bubbles, it is ideal for the bubble generation applications such as boiling. The efficiency of the NMp surfaces for boiling heat transfer was evaluated in pool boiling experiments. At the heat flux of 1 W/cm2, the heat transfer coefficient for the NMp surface is found to be more than 17 times higher than the reference surface. It's estimated that such an effective boiling surface would improve the energy efficiency of many heat pumping machines with 10 - 30 %. The extraordinary enhancement of boiling performance is explained by the structure characteristics, which assist in enhancing nucleation of the gas bubbles, subsequent coalescence, and facilitated departure from the surfaces.
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25. |
- Sahlberg, Martin, 1981-, et al.
(author)
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A new material for hydrogen storage; ScAl0.8Mg0.2
- 2009
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In: Journal of Solid State Chemistry. - : Elsevier BV. - 0022-4596 .- 1095-726X. ; 182:11, s. 3113-3117
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A novel aluminium rich alloy for hydrogen storage has been discovered, ScAl0.8Mg0.2, which has very promising properties regarding hydrogen storage capacity, kinetics and stability towards air oxidation in comparison to hydrogen absorption in state-of-the-art intermetallic compounds. The absorption of hydrogen was found to be very fast, even without adding any catalyst, and reversible. The discovered alloy crystallizes in a CsCl-type structure, but decomposes to ScH2 and Al(Mg) during hydrogen absorption. Detailed analysis of the hydrogen absorption in ScAl0.8Mg0.2 has been performed using in situ synchrotron radiation powder X-ray diffraction, neutron powder diffraction and quantum mechanical calculations. The results from theory and experiments are in good agreement with each other.
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26. |
- Schmitt, Thorsten, et al.
(author)
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Electronic structure of Li-inserted V6O13 battery cathodes: Rigid band behavior and effects of hybridization
- 2005
-
In: Applied Physics Letters. - : AIP Publishing. - 0003-6951 .- 1077-3118. ; 86:6, s. 064101-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Resonant soft x-ray emission (SXE) spectroscopy was used to study the electronic structure of LixV6O13 battery cathodes. We observe that the V 3d-bands of V6O13 exhibit a rather rigid behavior. Upon lithiation, electrons enter the top of the valence band and add intensity to the corresponding part of the V L-emission spectrum without significantly distorting the lower lying bands. We perform ab initio calculations which are in good agreement with the experimental results. Moreover, we find that lithiation leads to an overall decrease of the V 3d–O 2p hybridization. In contrast to x-ray diffraction, it is possible to study charge transfer effects in Li-batteries with SXE spectroscopy over the entire lithiation range.
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27. |
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28. |
- Bleskov, I. D., et al.
(author)
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Ab initio calculations of elastic properties of Ru1-xNixAl superalloys
- 2009
-
In: Applied Physics Letters. - : AIP Publishing. - 0003-6951 .- 1077-3118. ; 94:16
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Ab initio total energy calculations based on the exact muffin-tin orbitals method, combined with the coherent potential approximation, have been used to study the thermodynamical and elastic properties of substitutional refractory Ru1-xNixAl alloys. We have found that the elastic constants C' and C11 exhibit pronounced peculiarities near the concentration of about 40 at. % Ni, which we ascribe to electronic topological transitions. Our suggestion is supported by the Fermi surface calculations in the whole concentration range. Results of our calculations show that one can design Ru-Ni-Al alloys substituting Ru by Ni (up to 40 at. %) with almost invariable elastic constants and reduced density.
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29. |
- Komitov, Lachezar, 1944, et al.
(author)
-
Electrically commanded surfaces for nematic liquid crystal displays
- 2005
-
In: Applied Physics Letters. - : AIP Publishing. - 0003-6951 .- 1077-3118. ; 86
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Electrically commanded surfaces (ECS) is a liquid crystal display concept whereby the switching of the alignment layer, which is driven by an electric field applied across the layer, is further transferred to the bulk liquid crystal material via elastic forces. This work presents the electro-optic response of a sandwich cell with alignment layer made of siloxane-based ferroelectric liquid crystal polymer, representing the ECS. The bulk liquid crystal material of choice was an in-house nematic mixture comprising fluorinated liquid crystalline compounds with negative dielectric anisotropy (Delta-epsilon < 0). We report a distinct linear electro-optic response, arising from the field-induced in-plane switching of the nematic which in turn is mediated by the ECS. © 2005 American Institute of Physics. [DOI: 10.1063/1.1849844]
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30. |
- Schuch, Reinhold, et al.
(author)
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Guiding of highly charged ions through insulating nanocapillaries
- 2008
-
In: Canadian journal of physics (Print). - 0008-4204 .- 1208-6045. ; 86:1, s. 327-330
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The guiding of highly charged ions through nanocapillaries in different insulating materials, such as polyethylene terephthalate, SiO2, and Al2O3 has been investigated by our group, using 7 keV Ne7+ ions. We find transmission of ions incident at angles larger than the angle given by the capillary aspect ratio in all these materials. The measured angular distributions, however, vary with the membrane material. In this report we compare the experimental findings with the different membranes.
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31. |
- Dahlin, Andreas, 1980
(author)
-
Nanoplasmonic Biosensors compatible with Artificial Cell Membranes
- 2008
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Within life science, there is currently an intense search for novel techniques that enable efficient and reliable analysis of biomolecular interactions. Such methods have future applications within medical diagnostics and drug development, as well as within proteomic research in general. Lately, several concepts have emerged that are based on monitoring molecular binding to surfaces via optical, mechanical or electrical signal transduction. In particular, the plasmons associated with metallic nanoparticles are of interest since they offer a convenient way to monitor biomolecular interactions, also in a miniaturized format, by optical spectroscopy.This thesis describes the development of a biosensor based on the optical properties of nanoscale apertures in continuous metal films. The fabrication and characterization of the nanostructure is described, as well as surface modification protocols based on thiol chemistry for material-specific functionalization. In addition, an experimental setup for spectroscopy is presented together with data analysis algorithms for minimizing noise.It is emphasized that, from an experimental sensing perspective, nanoholes and nanoparticles have essentially the same plasmonic properties. However, the nanoholes offer several advantages because of the fact that the structure is physically different. In particular, it is shown how various artificial cell membranes can be spontaneously formed inside nanoholes. This makes the sensor compatible with studies of processes related to biological membranes. In this context, membrane-bound proteins are of special interest since they constitute a third of our genome and represent the target of half of the most common medical drugs. Potential future applications of the artificial membranes on the plasmonic nanostructures are discussed, with focus on probing transport across the membrane.
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32. |
- Rahm, Martin, 1982, et al.
(author)
-
Novel 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of dinitraminic acid: Implications for the chemical stability of ammonium dinitramide
- 2008
-
In: Journal of Physical Chemistry A. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1089-5639 .- 1520-5215. ; 112:11, s. 2456-2463
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Density functional theory at the B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) level and ab initio calculations at the CBS-QB3 level have been used to analyze 1,3 dipolar cycloaddition reactions of dinitraminic acid (HDN) and its proton transfer isomer (HO(O)NNNO2). It is shown that the nitro group of HDN and the -N-N = O functionality of the isomer react readily with carbon-carbon double bonds. Cycloadditions of HDN are compared with the corresponding reactions with azides and nitrile oxides as 1,3 dipoles. It is shown that the reactivities of HDN and its proton transfer isomer decrease with increasing electron withdrawing power of the substituents adjacent to the carbon-carbon double bond. In contrast, for azides and nitrile oxides, the highest reactivity is obtained with dipolarophiles with strongly electron withdrawing substituents. The observed reactivity trends allow for the design of unsaturated compounds that are highly reactive toward azides and chemically inert toward dinitramides. This may be of relevance for the development of binder materials for ammonium dinitramide based propellants.
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33. |
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34. |
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35. |
- Wallin, Mikaela, 1975, et al.
(author)
-
Vibrational analysis of H2 and NH3 adsorption on Pt/SiO2 and Ir/SiO2 model sensors
- 2007
-
In: 2007 IEEE Sensors. - 1930-0395. - 9781424412617 ; 1-3, s. 1315-1317
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The sensing mechanism of metal insulator silicon-based field effect transistor devices (MISFET) for H2 and NH3 detection has been studied for Pt/SiO2 and Ir/SiO2 model sensors with in situ infrared spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations (DFT). The spectroscopy experiments showed reversible formation of isolated OH groups on the silica surface upon H2 or NH3 exposure. In addition, an intense broad band was observed around 3270 cm(-1). Supported by the calculations, this band was assigned to perturbed OH groups on the silica surface. These results strongly indicate that dissociation and spill-over of hydrogen occurs during exposure of Pt/SiO2 and Ir/SiO2 to H2 or NH3. These results indicate a common sensing mechanism for hydrogen and ammonia.
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36. |
- Komitov, Lachezar, 1944, et al.
(author)
-
Controllable alignment of nematics by nanostructured polymeric layers
- 2009
-
In: Liquid Crystals. - 1366-5855 .- 0267-8292. ; 36:6 & 7, s. 747-753
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A method for a continuous control of the pretilt angle of the easy axis in the range 0-90° degrees and of the anchoring strength by using nanostructured polymers as alignment layers is described. The nanostructured polymers are blends of two different side-chain polymers each of them promoting planar and homeotropic alignment, respectively. A model to interpret the alignment of a nematic liquid crystal induced by such polymer layers is proposed. We show that in this case the anisotropic part of the surface tension can be approximated by a simple extension of the Rapini-Papoular expression. The predicted trend of the pretilt of the easy axis versus the concentration of the side-chain polymer promoting the planar alignment, for instance, is in good agreement with the experimental data. We also show that the effective anchoring strength of the system depends on the concentration of the side-chain polymer promoting planar alignment, and exhibits a minimum for a well-defined value of this quantity. The results obtained in this work seems to be of importance for liquid crystal displays technology since the control of the pretilt and the anchoring strength strongly affect the performance of liquid crystal displays.
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37. |
- Komitov, Lachezar, 1944, et al.
(author)
-
Nano-Structured Polymers for Alignment Layers in LCDs
- 2008
-
In: SID Symposium Digest of Technical Papers. - : Wiley. - 0097-966X. ; 39:1, s. 598-599
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- By employing a nano-engineering approach, nano-structered polymers were designed, synthesised and used as materials for alignment layers in LCDs. Such materials make possible to control the molecular tilt angle in a broad range, from 0° to 90°, and they seems to enable the control of the anchoring strength as well.
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38. |
- Atluri, Rambabu, 1981-, et al.
(author)
-
Co-Structure Directing Agent Induced Phase Transformation of Mesoporous Materials
- 2009
-
In: Langmuir. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0743-7463 .- 1520-5827. ; 25:5, s. 3189-3195
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The synthesis of cubic Pm (3) over barn mesocaged solid templated by cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (C(16)TMABr) surfactant by direct cocondensation of (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilanes (APES) under strong alkaline conditions is reported. The novel route gives direct incorporation of amino functional groups on the porous silica wall, and the structural formation has been followed by means of in situ SAXS studies performed at a synchrotron beam line. Data shows that a molar ratio of C(16)TMABr/APES = 0.6 favors the formation of 3D cubic mesocaged solid with Pm3n symmetry which transforms to a cylindrical mesoporous phase with p6mm symmetry at higher molar ratios. Further structural evaluation has been performed by means electron crystallography (EC). Reconstructed 3D models based on EC show the presence of spherical cages (A-cages, 45 angstrom) and ellipsoidal cages (B-cages, 48 x 43 angstrom) whereby every cage in the unit cell is connected to 14 nearest cages with a window size of 18 angstrom. Finally, a mechanism is proposed, denoted S+similar to N degrees I-, in which penetration of the neutral aminopropyl moiety within the micellar corona is responsible for the formation of the Pm (3) over barn phase, accounting for the formation of the hexagonal phase at higher molar ratios and higher temperatures. In comparison to other mesocaged materials with the same symmetry this structure possesses a more open porous network which will help assess its potential in a variety of applications discussed herein.
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39. |
- Wang, Zheng, et al.
(author)
-
Zeolite coated ATR crystal probes
- 2006
-
In: Sensors and actuators. B, Chemical. - : Elsevier BV. - 0925-4005 .- 1873-3077. ; 115:2, s. 685-690
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Thin and well-defined MFI type molecular sieve films were grown on a range of ATR crystals by employing a seeding method. The type of ATR crystal does not influence film morphology. FTIR spectroscopy was used to evaluate the coated ATR crystals as sensor probes. These novel sensor probes could be used to detect low concentrations of organic molecules in a gas flow.
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40. |
- Kim, Sang Hwa, et al.
(author)
-
Effects of polymer concentration and localization on the electro-optical performance of cholesteric flexoelectro-optical devices
- 2005
-
In: Proceedings of the SPIE. - 0277-786X. ; 5741, s. 15-22
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We discussed the effect of polymer concentration and localization on flexoelectro-optical device using short pitch cholesterics oriented in uniform lying helix texture. By using a small concentration of photoreactive liquid crystal monomer with various concentrations and selecting the illumination conditions, we have been able to create a localized polymeric network at both substrate surfaces. We can stabilized the two switching modes and eliminating at the same time the effect of the residual birefringence of the polymeric network in the field-unwound state of the sample. The device has two operating modes: amplitude and phase modulation mode, respectively. The amplitude modulation mode is a fast in-plane switching of the device optic axis that enables to achieve a 100 % modulation of the transmitted light intensity whereas the phase mode gives a continuous change of the refractive index and thus of the phase shift of the transmitted light.
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41. |
- Kim, Sang Hwa, et al.
(author)
-
Short pitch cholesteric electro-optical device stabilized nonuniform polymer network
- 2005
-
In: Appl.Phys.Lett.. - : AIP Publishing. - 0003-6951. ; 86
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We have developed a method for stabilization of the uniform lying helix (ULH) texture of short pitch cholesterics in an electro-optical device, based on the flexoelectro-optic effect in such a texture. By using a small concentration of photoreactive liquid crystal monomer (less than 5 wt. %) and selecting the illumination conditions, we were able to create a nonuniform polymeric network in the liquid crystal bulk (localized essentially at both substrate surfaces) which stabilized efficiently the amplitude and the phase modulation modes of the device. Most importantly, the effect of the residual birefringence of the polymeric network in the field-unwound state of the device was eliminated resulting thus in a substantial improvement of device performance. ©2005 American Institute of Physics doi:10.1063/1.1897057
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42. |
- Liu, Jing, et al.
(author)
-
Dielectric, piezoelectric, and ferroelectric properties of grain-orientated Bi3.25La0.75Ti3O12 ceramics
- 2007
-
In: Journal of Applied Physics. - : AIP Publishing. - 0021-8979 .- 1089-7550. ; 102:10, s. 104107-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- By dynamic forging during Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS), grain-orientated ferroelectric Bi3.25La0.75Ti3O12 (BLT) ceramics were prepared. Their ferroelectric, piezoelectric, and dielectric properties are anisotropic. The textured ceramics parallel and perpendicular to the shear flow directions have similar thermal depoling behaviors. The d(33) piezoelectric coefficient of BLT ceramics gradually reduces up to 350 degrees C; it then drops rapidly. The broadness of the dielectric constant and loss peaks and the existence of d(33) above the permittivity peak, T-m, show that the BLT ceramic has relaxor-like behavior.
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43. |
- Espert, Ana, 1977-
(author)
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Strategies for improving mechanical properties of polypropylene/cellulose composites
- 2005
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The interest for polypropylene/cellulose composites has experienced a great increase in different applications such as car interiors and construction materials. Cellulose fibres are inexpensive, renewable, biodegradable, they present lower density and their mechanical properties can be compared to those of inorganic fillers. However, several factors must be considered when designing polypropylene/cellulose composites: the poor compatibility between the hydrophilic fibres and the hydrophobic thermoplastic matrix leads to a weak interface, which has to be improved by coupling agents; the hydrophilic nature of the fibres makes them very sensitive towards water absorption, which also leads to a loss of properties and swelling with subsequent dimensional instability; the reduced thermal stability of cellulose fibres leads to degradation of the fibres at thermoplastic processing temperatures producing odours in the final material; and finally the properties of composites are greatly influenced by the structure, size and quality of the fibres. Pulp fibres modified by different methods in order to enhance the compatibility fibre-matrix, were tested. Modified fibres led to improved mechanical properties and thermal behaviour when used in composites with recycled polypropylene. Four different types of natural fibres were used as reinforcement in two different polypropylene types: virgin and recycled polypropylene. The mechanical properties of the composites were mostly dependent on the fibre loading and slightly dependent on the type of fibre. Moreover, water absorption kinetics was studied by the Fickian diffusion theory. After absorption, a remarkable loss of properties was observed. Hydrolysed cellulose fibres showed a greater enhancing effect on polypropylene than non-hydrolysed cellulose fibres. This is attributed to the greater mechanical properties of reduced cellulose structures. The effect of using cellulose fibres in PP/clay nanocomposites was also studied. The interaction between the clay particles and the cellulose fibres and the combined effect of both reinforcements were believed to be the main reasons for the enhancing properties.
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44. |
- Ivanov, Sergey, et al.
(author)
-
Influence of PbZrO3 doping on the structural and magnetic properties of BiFeO3
- 2008
-
In: Solid State Sciences. - : Elsevier BV. - 1293-2558 .- 1873-3085. ; 10:12, s. 1875-1885
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Solid solutions of the perovskites (1 - x)BiFeO3-xPbZrO3 with x ranging from 0 to 0.2 were synthesized by solid-state reaction in an attempt to find magnetoelectric materials, in which ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism coexist. These complex perovskites have been studied by X-ray and neutron powder diffractions, magnetic and Mössbauer spectroscopic measurements. All samples are single phase with rhombohedrally distorted perovskite structure. The field and temperature dependences of the magnetization of (1 - x)BiFeO3-xPbZrO3 samples showed antiferromagnetic behavior with Neel temperatures, TN = 635 K (x = 0.1) and 500 K (x = 0.2); a weak ferromagnetic moment appeared at TN in both samples reaching about 0.01 μB/Fe at low temperature for the x = 0.1 sample. Mössbauer spectra also support the existence of the magnetic order and are consistent with the presence of high-spin Fe3+ cations located in the octahedral B-site position. Rietveld refinements of neutron powder diffraction data collected at different temperatures, between 10 and 700 K, have been carried out. The structure of these compounds is a rhombohedrally distorted perovskite (space group R3c) within the whole temperature interval. The Bi/Pb and Fe/Zr ions were found to be disordered over the perovskite A- and B-sites, respectively. Neutron diffraction patterns showed evidence of a long-range magnetic ordering below TN with a G-type antiferromagnetic arrangement of the magnetic moments of Fe3+ cations in the B-site. The effect of PbZrO3 doping on BiFeO3 results in a noticeable lattice expansion and a significant decrease of TN. The factors governing the observed structural and magnetic properties of (1 - x)BiFeO3-xPbZrO3 are discussed and compared with those of pure BiFeO3.
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45. |
- Kjellin, Per, 1972, et al.
(author)
-
On the activity and stability of Sr3NiPtO6 and Sr3CuPtO6 as electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction in a polymer electrolyte fuel cell
- 2007
-
In: Journal of Power Sources. - : Elsevier BV. - 0378-7753 .- 1873-2755. ; 168:2, s. 346-350
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Sr3NiPtO6 and Sr3CUPtO6 were evaluated as low-platinum alternative oxygen reduction catalysts in a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell at 80 degrees C. The oxides were synthesised using a new method based on an organometallic precursor route. The electrochemical evaluation showed similar oxygen reduction performance for Sr3NiPtO6 and Sr3CUPtO6, with a slightly higher activity for Sr3NiPtO6. In comparison with the oxides, the oxygen reduction activity for a commercial Pt/C catalyst was approximately 10 times higher. XRD analysis of the used electrodes revealed that the oxides were not stable in the PEMFC environment, and converted into platinum during operation. Elemental analysis of the used electrodes also showed a difference in platinum formation, where the platinum content on the surface of the electrode facing the gas diffusion layer was several times higher for Sr3NiPtO6 than Sr3CUPtO6. This indicates that the Sr3NiPtO6 electrode may be more susceptible to platinum migration.
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46. |
- Mattson, Maria K., et al.
(author)
-
Enhanced Adsorption of Alkyl Glucosides on the Silica/Water Interface by Addition of Amine Oxides
- 2005
-
In: Langmuir. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0743-7463 .- 1520-5827. ; 21:7, s. 2766-2772
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The effect of adding a small amount of dodecyl dimethylamine oxide (DDAO) on adsorption on silica from an aqueous solution of dodecyl maltoside (C(12)G(2)) has been investigated. The C(12)G(2) itself does not adsorb significantly on silica at any concentration. DDAO on the other hand readily adsorbs in a bilayer-like structure at concentrations approaching the critical micelle concentration (cmc), but the adsorbed amount at the concentrations it has been applied in these mixtures is small. In contrast, by combination of the two surfactants, significant adsorption is observed at concentrations where the adsorption of the pure DDAO, as well as pure C(12)G(2), is very low. We thus see a strong enhancement of the adsorption from the mixed system. The adsorption is suggested to be a two-step process, where individual DDAO molecules first adsorb to the silica surface through electrostatic interactions, and then C(12)G(2) adsorbs at the hydrophobic sites the DDAO tails constitute through hydrophobic bonding. A minimum concentration of DDAO is required to induce adsorption from a solution with constant C(12)G(2) concentration. This concentration is lower for C(12)G(2) solutions below and equal to cmcC(12)G(2) than above cmc(C12)G(2). In addition, the total adsorbed amount shows a maximum around cmcC(12)G(2) of the mixture for a solution with low DDAO contents. Both these effects are explained by incorporation of DDAO in the mixed micelles above cmc(mix)., which leads to a desorption of DDAO from the surface.
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47. |
- Trey, Stacy. M., et al.
(author)
-
Effects of dual cure and surface treatments on coating adhesion to different SMC substrates
- 2009
-
In: Plastics, rubber and composites. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1465-8011 .- 1743-2898. ; 38:2-4, s. 131-137
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Sheet moulded compound (SMC) is a highly filled, glass fibre reinforced, thermoset material used in trim and body panel automotive parts. When SMC substrates are coated with conventional thermally cured paints, inherent porosity and entrapped volatiles of the substrate result in popping ('paint pops') defects. UV curable primers (UVP) provide an order of magnitude reduction of paint defects in SMC coatings, but typically have poor adhesion. The present study investigates a series of UVPs, showing the effect of resin functionality and isocyanate additive content on the adhesion of the coatings to SMC substrates. The SMC formulation is also considered regarding how variables such as surface chemistry, morphology, surface area and degree of post-mould emissions affect UVP adhesion. The present study reveals the crucial factors involved in achieving adhesion including the importance of low post-mould emissions, high surface areas, glass fibre and other oxygen moieties on the surface, and improved wetting of the surface.
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48. |
- Ullsten, Henrik, et al.
(author)
-
Properties of Extruded Vital Wheat Gluten Sheets with Sodium Hydroxide and Salicylic Acid
- 2009
-
In: Biomacromolecules. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1525-7797 .- 1526-4602. ; 10:3, s. 479-488
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper presents a novel approach to improve the barrier and mechanical properties of extruded glycerol-plasticized vital wheat gluten sheets. The sheets were extruded with a single screw extruder at alkaline conditions using 3-5 wt % NaOH. Salicylic acid (SA), known to improve the extrudability of wheat gluten, was also added alone or in combination with NaOH. Oxygen transmission rate and volatile mass measurements, tensile tests, protein solubility, glycerol migration, infrared spectroscopy, and electrophoresis were used to assess the properties of the extrudate. Electrophoresis showed that the gluten/glycerol sheet and the sheet with 3 wt % NaOH and I wt % SA contained the same building blocks in terms of proteins and protein subunits, although the protein solubility in these samples was different. The oxygen barrier, at dry conditions, was improved significantly with the addition of NaOH, On the other hand, the addition of salicylic acid yielded poorer barrier properties. The extrudate was placed on a blotting paper and its aging properties were investigated during the first 120 days. It was observed that the extrudate with 3 wt % NaOH had the most suitable combination of properties (low oxygen permeability, large strain at break, and relatively small aging-induced changes in mechanical properties); the reason is probably due to low plasticizer migration and an optimal protein aggregation/polymerization.
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49. |
- Vamvounis, George, et al.
(author)
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Self-assembly of poly(9,9 '-dihexylfluorene) to form highly ordered isoporous films via blending
- 2006
-
In: Langmuir. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0743-7463 .- 1520-5827. ; 22:9, s. 3959-3961
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Highly ordered hexagonal arrays of isoporous films prepared from poly(9,9'-dihexylfluorene) and polystyrene-grafted silica nanoparticles (Si-graft-PS) are presented. These close-packed arrays were formed in areas of many square millimeters. The pore size varied from 3.6 to 8.5 mu m, depending on the concentration of Si-graft-PS and the processing conditions. Solid-state photoluminescence resulted in a significant red shift of up to 30 nm in these films compared to that in conventional processing techniques. These differences are attributed to enhanced aggregation of the polymers caused by polymer-solvent interactions. These highly ordered polymer films may find use in microelectronic and biological and/or chemical sensor applications.
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50. |
- Mosca, Alessandra, et al.
(author)
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NO2 and N2 sorption in MFI films with varying Si/Al and Na/Al ratios
- 2009
-
In: Microporous and Mesoporous Materials. - : Elsevier BV. - 1387-1811 .- 1873-3093. ; 120:3, s. 195-205
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- MFI crystals or films with controlled thicknesses and different Si/Al ratios were grown on seeded cordierite monoliths using a clear synthesis mixture with template or a template-free gel. The materials were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and sorption experiments using N 2 or NO 2 adsorbates. The films were uniformly distributed over the support surface. As expected, the specific monolayer N 2 adsorption capacity (mol/g zeolite ) was constant and independent of film thickness. The specific molar NO 2 adsorption capacity was significantly lower than the specific molar monolayer N 2 adsorption capacity, indicating that NO 2 is adsorbed at specific sites rather than evenly distributed in a monolayer. A number of NO 2 adsorption sites with varying strengths were observed by TPD experiments. At 30 °C, the amount of adsorbed NO 2 in the MFI films increased with increasing Al and Na content as opposed to the N 2 adsorption capacity, which was independent of these parameters. At 200 °C, the adsorbed amount of NO 2 was lower than at 30 °C and apparently independent on Al concentration in the Na-MFI films. These results indicate that different mechanisms are involved in NO 2 adsorption. NO 2 may adsorb weakly on Na + cations and also react with silanol groups and residual water in the zeolite, the latter two results in more strongly bound species. Upon NO 2 adsorption, formation of NO was observed. This work represents the first systematic study of the effects of Al and Na content on NO 2 adsorption in MFI films. © 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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