Chemically induced porosity on BiVO4 films produced by double magnetron sputtering to enhance the photo-electrochemical response.

Science.gov (United States)

Thalluri, Sitaramanjaneya Mouli; Rojas, Roberto Mirabal; Rivera, Osmary Depablos; Hernández, Simelys; Russo, Nunzio; Rodil, Sandra Elizabeth

2015-07-21

Double magnetron sputtering (DMS) is an efficient system that is well known because of its precise control of the thin film synthesizing process over any kind of substrate. Here, DMS has been adopted to synthesize BiVO4 films over a conducting substrate (FTO), using metallic vanadium and ceramic Bi2O3 targets simultaneously. The films were characterized using different techniques, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and profilometry. The photo-electrochemical analysis was performed using linear scan voltammetry, chronoamperometry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) under the illumination of simulated solar light at 1 Sun. The photocurrent density of the sputtered BiVO4 thin films could be improved from 0.01 mA cm(-2) to 1.19 mA cm(-2) at 1.23 V vs. RHE by chemical treatment using potassium hydroxide (KOH). The effect of KOH was the removal of impurities from the grain boundaries, leading to a more porous structure and more pure crystalline monoclinic BiVO4 particles. Such variations in the microstructure as well as the improvement of the charge transfer properties of the BiVO4 film after the KOH treatment were confirmed and studied in depth by EIS analysis.

Photo-induced reduction of flavin mononucleotide in aqueous solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, S.-H.; Dick, B.; Penzkofer, A.

2007-01-01

The photo-induced reduction of flavin mononucleotide (FMN) in aqueous solutions is studied by absorption spectra measurement under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Samples without exogenous reducing agent and with the exogenous reducing agents ethylene-diamine-tetraacetic acid (EDTA) and dithiothreitol (DTT) are investigated. Under anaerobic conditions the photo-induced reduction with and without reducing agents is irreversible. Under aerobic conditions the photo-reduction without added reducing agent is small compared to the photo-degradation, and the photo-reduction of FMN by the reducing agents is reversible (re-oxidation in the dark). During photo-excitation of FMN the dissolved oxygen is consumed by singlet oxygen formation and subsequent chemical reaction. After light switch-off slow re-oxidation (slow absorption recovery) occurs due to air in-diffusion from surface. EDTA degradation by FMN excitation leads to oxygen scavenging. The quantum efficiencies of photo-reduction under aerobic and anaerobic conditions are determined. The re-oxidation of reduced FMN under aerobic conditions and due to air injection is investigated

Chemical Detection Based on Adsorption-Induced and Photo-Induced Stresses in MEMS Devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Datskos, P.G.

1999-04-05

Recently there has been an increasing demand to perform real-time in-situ chemical detection of hazardous materials, contraband chemicals, and explosive chemicals. Currently, real-time chemical detection requires rather large analytical instrumentation that are expensive and complicated to use. The advent of inexpensive mass produced MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) devices opened-up new possibilities for chemical detection. For example, microcantilevers were found to respond to chemical stimuli by undergoing changes in their bending and resonance frequency even when a small number of molecules adsorb on their surface. In our present studies, we extended this concept by studying changes in both the adsorption-induced stress and photo-induced stress as target chemicals adsorb on the surface of microcantilevers. For example, microcantilevers that have adsorbed molecules will undergo photo-induced bending that depends on the number of absorbed molecules on the surface. However, microcantilevers that have undergone photo-induced bending will adsorb molecules on their surfaces in a distinctly different way. Depending on the photon wavelength and microcantilever material, the microcantilever can be made to bend by expanding or contracting the irradiated surface. This is important in cases where the photo-induced stresses can be used to counter any adsorption-induced stresses and increase the dynamic range. Coating the surface of the microstructure with a different material can provide chemical specificity for the target chemicals. However, by selecting appropriate photon wavelengths we can change the chemical selectivity due to the introduction of new surface states in the MEMS device. We will present and discuss our results on the use of adsorption-induced and photo-induced bending of microcantilevers for chemical detection.

Photo-assisted electrochemical oxidation of the urea onto TiO2-nanotubes modified by hematite

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Waleed M. Omymen

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The electrochemical oxidation of the urea in near neutral pH is investigated on platinum electrode. It is shown that oxidation reaction is practically inhibited up to the potentials of ∼0.9 V. The same reaction is investigated onto electrochemically obtained titanium dioxide nanotubes modified by hematite using facile, low-cost successive ion layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR method. It is shown that such system possesses electrocatalytic activity at very low potentials, and activity can be further improved by the illumination of the electrode in the photo-assisted reaction. The possible application of the photoactive anode is considered in the application of urea based water electrolysis and urea based fuel cell. Keywords: Photoelectrochemical cell, Water electrolysis, Fuel cell, SILAR

Metal-based anode for high performance bioelectrochemical systems through photo-electrochemical interaction

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Yuxiang; Feng, Huajun; Shen, Dongsheng; Long, Yuyang; Li, Na; Zhou, Yuyang; Ying, Xianbin; Gu, Yuan; Wang, Yanfeng

2016-08-01

This paper introduces a novel composite anode that uses light to enhance current generation and accelerate biofilm formation in bioelectrochemical systems. The composite anode is composed of 316L stainless steel substrate and a nanostructured α-Fe2O3 photocatalyst (PSS). The electrode properties, current generation, and biofilm properties of the anode are investigated. In terms of photocurrent, the optimal deposition and heat-treatment times are found to be 30 min and 2 min, respectively, which result in a maximum photocurrent of 0.6 A m-2. The start-up time of the PSS is 1.2 days and the maximum current density is 2.8 A m-2, twice and 25 times that of unmodified anode, respectively. The current density of the PSS remains stable during 20 days of illumination. Confocal laser scanning microscope images show that the PSS could benefit biofilm formation, while electrochemical impedance spectroscopy indicates that the PSS reduce the charge-transfer resistance of the anode. Our findings show that photo-electrochemical interaction is a promising way to enhance the biocompatibility of metal anodes for bioelectrochemical systems.

Clay-Inspired MXene-Based Electrochemical Devices and Photo-Electrocatalyst: State-of-the-Art Progresses and Challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hou; Wu, Yan; Yuan, Xingzhong; Zeng, Guangming; Zhou, Jin; Wang, Xin; Chew, Jia Wei

2018-03-01

MXene, an important and increasingly popular category of postgraphene 2D nanomaterials, has been rigorously investigated since early 2011 because of advantages including flexible tunability in element composition, hydrophobicity, metallic nature, unique in-plane anisotropic structure, high charge-carrier mobility, tunable band gap, and favorable optical and mechanical properties. To fully exploit these potentials and further expand beyond the existing boundaries, novel functional nanostructures spanning monolayer, multilayer, nanoparticles, and composites have been developed by means of intercalation, delamination, functionalization, hybridization, among others. Undeniably, the cutting-edge developments and applications of clay-inspired 2D MXene platform as electrochemical electrode or photo-electrocatalyst have conferred superior performance and have made significant impact in the field of energy and advanced catalysis. This review provides an overview of the fundamental properties and synthesis routes of pure MXene, functionalized MXene and their hybrids, highlights the state-of-the-art progresses of MXene-based applications with respect to supercapacitors, batteries, electrocatalysis and photocatalysis, and presents the challenges and prospects in the burgeoning field. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Experimental study of a solar-driven photo-electrochemical hybrid system for the decolorization of Acid Red 26

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Yiping; Chen, Miao; Huang, Qunwu; Cui, Yong; Jin, Yanchao; Cui, Lingyun; Wen, Chen

2017-01-01

Highlights: • A solar-driven photo-electrochemical system (S/EC/PS) was first constructed. • Solar spectrum was fully used for the dye decolorization, power supply and thermal. • The electricity needed for EC was offered by the hybrid system. • In comparison with S/PS, decolorization time of S/EC/PS shorten 50%. • PV panels has lower working temperature due to the water cooling. - Abstract: This study presents a new solar-driven hybrid system that integrated a photo-electrochemical reactor with a photovoltaics (PV) panel for azo dyes’ decolorization and electricity generation. Full spectrum of sunlight is utilized to optimize the color removal of Acid Red 26 (AR26) in this hybrid system. Persulfate (PS, S 2 O 4 2− ) was selected as the photochemical oxidant and Ti/IrO 2 -Ta 2 O 5 electrode was used as the anode. Experiments were made to evaluate the efficiency of decolorization and the performance of PV panels in different reaction conditions outdoors. The results showed that the synergistic effect of two processes was observed for the AR26 decolorization. Comparing with the solar/persulfate process or the electrochemical process alone, the complete color removal time by the hybrid system decreased up to 50% and 44.4% respectively. In this system, the water layer in the flow channel cooled PV panels by absorbing the far infrared spectrum of sunlight, and the increased temperature of wastewater from 7 °C to 16 °C enhanced the decolorization efficiency of AR26. Moreover, the generated electricity by PV panels could satisfy the energy demand of electrochemical oxidation.

New Transparent Laser-Drilled Fluorine-doped Tin Oxide covered Quartz Electrodes for Photo-Electrochemical Water Splitting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hernández, Simelys; Tortello, Mauro; Sacco, Adriano; Quaglio, Marzia; Meyer, Toby; Bianco, Stefano; Saracco, Guido; Pirri, C. Fabrizio; Tresso, Elena

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • A new transparent, conductive and porous electrode was developed. • It has a high effective surface area available for catalyst molecules attachment. • It is an ideal support for testing new anodic and cathodic photoactive materials. • The proof-of-concept was achieved in an appositely designed water photo-electrolyzer. • The EIS technique was used as a very powerful tool to characterize the new designed electrode. - Abstract: A new-designed transparent, conductive and porous electrode was developed for application in a compact laboratory-scale proton exchange membrane (PEM) photo-electrolyzer. The electrode is made of a thin transparent quartz sheet covered with fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO), in which an array of holes is laser-drilled to allow water and gas permeation. The electrical, morphological, optical and electrochemical characterization of the drilled electrodes is presented in comparison with a non-drilled one. The drilled electrode exhibits, in the visible region, a good transmittance (average value of 62%), a noticeable reflectance due to the light scattering effect of the hole-drilled internal region, and a higher effective surface area than the non-drilled electrode. The proof-of-concept of the applicability of the drilled electrode was achieved by using it as a support for a traditional photocatalyst (i.e. commercial TiO 2 nanoparticles). The latter, coupled with a polymeric electrolyte membrane (i.e.Nafion 117) and a Pt counter electrode, forms a transparent membrane electrode assembly (MEA), with a good conductivity, wettability and porosity. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was used as a very powerful tool to gain information on the real active surface of the new drilled electrode and the main electrochemical parameters driving the charge transfer reactions on it. This new electrode architecture is demonstrated to be an ideal support for testing new anodic and cathodic photoactive

Limiting of photo induced changes in amorphous chalcogenide/alumino-silicate nanomultilayers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Charnovych, S.; Nemec, P.; Nazabal, V.; Csik, A.; Allix, M.; Matzen, G.; Kokenyesi, S.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Amorphous chalcogenides were investigated in this work. → Photo-induced effects were investigated in the created thin films. → Limiting of photo induced changes in amorphous chalcogenide/alumino-silicate nanomultilayers have been studied. - Abstract: Photo induced changes in amorphous As 20 Se 80 /alumino-silicate nanomultilayers (NML) produced by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method have been studied in this work. The aim was to investigate the photo induced optical and surface relief changes due to the band gap illumination under the size- and hard cover limited conditions. It was observed that the hard cover layer on the surface of the uniform film or alumino-silicate sub-layers in the NML structure influences the photo darkening and restricts surface relief formations in As 20 Se 80 film or in the related NML compared with this effect in a pure chalcogenide layer. The influence of hard layers is supposed to be connected with limiting the free volume formation at the initial stage of the transformation process, which in turn limits the atomic movement and so the surface relief formation.

Photo-induced Mass Transport through Polymer Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Yuan; Anthamatten, Mitchell

2014-03-01

Among adaptable materials, photo-responsive polymers are especially attractive as they allow for spatiotemporal stimuli and response. We have recently developed a macromolecular network capable of photo-induced mass transport of covalently bound species. The system comprises of crosslinked chains that form an elastic network and photosensitive fluorescent arms that become mobile upon irradiation. We form loosely crosslinked polymer networks by Michael-Addition between multifunctional thiols and small molecule containing acrylate end-groups. The arms are connected to the network by allyl sulfide, that undergoes addition-fragmentation chain transfer (AFCT) in the presence of free radicals, releasing diffusible fluorophore. The networks are loaded with photoinitiator to allow for spatial modulation of the AFCT reactions. FRAP experiments within bulk elastomers are conducted to establish correlations between the fluorophore's diffusion coefficient and experimental variables such as network architecture, temperature and UV intensity. Photo-induced mass transport between two contacted films is demonstrated, and release of fluorophore into a solvent is investigated. Spatial and temporal control of mass transport could benefit drug release, printing, and sensing applications.

Photo-induced travelling waves in condensed Langmuir monolayers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tabe, Y [Yokoyama Nano-Structured Liquid Crystal Project, ERATO, Japan Science and Technology Corporation, 5-9-9 Tokodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 300-2635, Japan (Japan); Yamamoto, T [Yokoyama Nano-Structured Liquid Crystal Project, ERATO, Japan Science and Technology Corporation, 5-9-9 Tokodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 300-2635, Japan (Japan); Yokoyama, H [Yokoyama Nano-Structured Liquid Crystal Project, ERATO, Japan Science and Technology Corporation, 5-9-9 Tokodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 300-2635, Japan (Japan)

2003-06-01

We report the detailed properties of photo-induced travelling waves in liquid crystalline Langmuir monolayers composed of azobenzene derivatives. When the monolayer, in which the constituent rodlike molecules are coherently tilted from the layer normal, is weakly illuminated to undergo the trans-cis photo-isomerization, spatio-temporal periodic oscillations of the molecular azimuth begin over the entire excited area and propagate as a two-dimensional orientational wave. The wave formation takes place only when the film is formed at an asymmetric interface with broken up-down symmetry and when the chromophores are continuously excited near the long-wavelength edge of absorption to induce repeated photo-isomerizations between the trans and cis forms. Under proper illumination conditions, Langmuir monolayers composed of a wide variety of azobenzene derivatives have been confirmed to exhibit similar travelling waves with velocity proportional to the excitation power irrespective of the degree of amphiphilicity. The dynamics can be qualitatively explained by the modified reaction-diffusion model proposed by Reigada, Sagues and Mikhailov.

Photo-induced-heat localization on nanostructured metallic glasses

Science.gov (United States)

Uzun, Ceren; Kahler, Niloofar; Grave de Peralta, Luis; Kumar, Golden; Bernussi, Ayrton A.

2017-09-01

Materials with large photo-thermal energy conversion efficiency are essential for renewable energy applications. Photo-excitation is an effective approach to generate controlled and localized heat at relatively low excitation optical powers. However, lateral heat diffusion to the surrounding illuminated areas accompanied by low photo-thermal energy conversion efficiency remains a challenge for metallic surfaces. Surface nanoengineering has proven to be a successful approach to further absorption and heat generation. Here, we show that pronounced spatial heat localization and high temperatures can be achieved with arrays of amorphous metallic glass nanorods under infrared optical illumination. Thermography measurements revealed marked temperature contrast between illuminated and non-illuminated areas even under low optical power excitation conditions. This attribute allowed for generating legible photo-induced thermal patterns on textured metallic glass surfaces.

Millisecond photo-thermal process on significant improvement of supercapacitor’s performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Kui; Wang, Jixiao; Wu, Ying; Zhao, Song; Wang, Zhi; Wang, Shichang

2016-01-01

Graphical abstract: A high way for charge transfer is created by a millisecond photo-thermal process which could decrease contact resistance among nanomaterials and improve the electrochemical performances. - Highlights: • Improve conductivity among nanomaterials with a millisecond photo-thermal process. • The specific capacitance can increase about 25% with an photo-thermal process. • The circle stability and rate capability can be improved above 10% with photo-thermal process. • Provide a new way that create electron path to improve electrochemical performance. - Abstract: Supercapacitors fabricated with nanomaterials usually have high specific capacitance and excellent performance. However, the small size of nanomaterials renders a considerable limitation of the contact area among nanomaterials, which is harmful to charge carrier transfer. This fact may hinder the development and application of nanomaterials in electrochemical storage systems. Here, a millisecond photo-thermal process was introduced to create a charge carries transfer path to decrease the contact resistance among nanomaterials, and enhance the electrochemical performance of supercapacitors. Polyaniline (PANI) nanowire, as a model nanomaterial, was used to modify electrodes under different photo-thermal process conditions. The modified electrodes were characterized by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and the results were analysed by equivalent circuit simulation. These results demonstrate that the photo-thermal process can alter the morphology of PANI nanowires, lower the charge transfer resistances and thus improve the performance of electrodes. The specific capacitance increase of the modified electrodes is about 25%. The improvement of the circle stability and rate capability are above 10%. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt on research the effect of photo-thermal process on the conductivity

Photo-Induced Electron Spin Polarization in a Narrow Band Gap Semiconductor Nanostructure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peter, A. John; Lee, Chang Woo

2012-01-01

Photo-induced spin dependent electron transmission through a narrow gap InSb/InGa x Sb 1−x semiconductor symmetric well is theoretically studied using transfer matrix formulism. The transparency of electron transmission is calculated as a function of electron energy for different concentrations of gallium. Enhanced spin-polarized photon assisted resonant tunnelling in the heterostructure due to Dresselhaus and Rashba spin-orbit coupling induced splitting of the resonant level and compressed spin-polarization are observed. Our results show that Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling is dominant for the photon effect and the computed polarization efficiency increases with the photon effect and the gallium concentration

Photo-induced phase transition: from where it comes and to where it goes?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koshihara, Shin-ya

2005-01-01

It is an attractive target for materials science to find a system which shows the phase transition triggered by external stimulation of light. The purpose of our study is to review experimental evidences indicating that the photo-injected local excitation can really trigger the cooperative phenomena in solids. In this sense, this unique photo-induced effect can be named as photo-induced phase transition (PIPT). Here, I will also make brief review on the experimental research on PIPT combining with a development of ultra-fast quantum electronics technology

Dynamic correlation of photo-excited electrons: Anomalous levels induced by light–matter coupling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jiang, Xiankai [Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 800-204, Shanghai 201800 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Huai, Ping, E-mail: huaiping@sinap.ac.cn [Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 800-204, Shanghai 201800 (China); Song, Bo, E-mail: bosong@sinap.ac.cn [Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 800-204, Shanghai 201800 (China)

2014-04-01

Nonlinear light–matter coupling plays an important role in many aspects of modern physics, such as spectroscopy, photo-induced phase transition, light-based devices, light-harvesting systems, light-directed reactions and bio-detection. However, excited states of electrons are still unclear for nano-structures and molecules in a light field. Our studies unexpectedly present that light can induce anomalous levels in the electronic structure of a donor–acceptor nanostructure with the help of the photo-excited electrons transferring dynamically between the donor and the acceptor. Furthermore, the physics underlying is revealed to be the photo-induced dynamical spin–flip correlation among electrons. These anomalous levels can significantly enhance the electron current through the nanostructure. These findings are expected to contribute greatly to the understanding of the photo-excited electrons with dynamic correlations, which provides a push to the development and application of techniques based on photosensitive molecules and nanostructures, such as light-triggered molecular devices, spectroscopic analysis, bio-molecule detection, and systems for solar energy conversion.

One-pot synthesis of MoS2/In2S3 ultrathin nanoflakes with mesh-shaped structure on indium tin oxide as photocathode for enhanced photo-and electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Baoliang; Shan, Fei; Jiang, Xinxin; Ji, Jing; Wang, Feng

2018-03-01

A bifunctional MoS2/In2S3 hybrid composite that has both photo- and electrocatalytic activity toward hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is prepared by a facile one pot hydrothermal method. The characterizations by scanning electron microscope (SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) and Photoluminescence (PL) shows that the MoS2/In2S3 hybrid exhibits ultrathin nanoflakes with mesh-shaped structure on transparent conductive substrates, and the as prepared catalyst composite obviously improves the separation of electro-hole pairs. The as prepared hybrid nanosheets with Mo:In of 1/2 integrate In-doped MoS2 to reduce the stacking and increase the active surface area. The novel mesh-shaped nanostructure with a moderate degree of disorder provides not only simultaneously intrinsic conductivity and defects but also higher electrochemically active surface area (ECSA). By electrochemical measurements, such as linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), electrochemical impedance spectroscope (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV), we find that the MoS2/In2S3 hybrid possesses much better photo/electrochemical activity than pristine MoS2 or In2S3. MoS2/In2S3 ultrathin nanoflaks are anticipated to be a superior photoelectrocatalyst for PEC cells, and the rational use of the MoS2/In2S3 cathode offers a new avenue toward achieving effective photo-assistant electrocatalytic activity.

Concatenation of electrochemical grafting with chemical or electrochemical modification for preparing electrodes with specific surface functionality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verma, Pallavi; Maire, Pascal; Novak, Petr

2011-01-01

Surface modified electrodes are used in electro-analysis, electro-catalysis, sensors, biomedical applications, etc. and could also be used in batteries. The properties of modified electrodes are determined by the surface functionality. Therefore, the steps involved in the surface modification of the electrodes to obtain specific functionality are of prime importance. We illustrate here bridging of two routes of surface modifications namely electrochemical grafting, and chemical or electrochemical reduction. First, by electrochemical grafting an organic moiety is covalently immobilized on the surface. Then, either by chemical or by electrochemical route the terminal functional group of the grafted moiety is transformed. Using the former route we prepared lithium alkyl carbonate (-O(CH 2 ) 3 OCO 2 Li) modified carbon with potential applications in batteries, and employing the latter we prepared phenyl hydroxyl amine (-C 6 H 4 NHOH) modified carbon which may find application in biosensors. Benzyl alcohol (-C 6 H 4 CH 2 OH) modified carbon was prepared by both chemical as well as electrochemical route. We report combinations of conjugating the two steps of surface modifications and show how the optimal route of terminal functional group modification depends on the chemical nature of the moiety attached to the surface in the electrochemical grafting step.

Concatenation of electrochemical grafting with chemical or electrochemical modification for preparing electrodes with specific surface functionality

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Verma, Pallavi; Maire, Pascal [Paul Scherrer Institut, Electrochemistry Laboratory, Section Electrochemical Energy Storage, CH-5232 Villigen PSI (Switzerland); Novak, Petr, E-mail: petr.novak@psi.c [Paul Scherrer Institut, Electrochemistry Laboratory, Section Electrochemical Energy Storage, CH-5232 Villigen PSI (Switzerland)

2011-04-01

Surface modified electrodes are used in electro-analysis, electro-catalysis, sensors, biomedical applications, etc. and could also be used in batteries. The properties of modified electrodes are determined by the surface functionality. Therefore, the steps involved in the surface modification of the electrodes to obtain specific functionality are of prime importance. We illustrate here bridging of two routes of surface modifications namely electrochemical grafting, and chemical or electrochemical reduction. First, by electrochemical grafting an organic moiety is covalently immobilized on the surface. Then, either by chemical or by electrochemical route the terminal functional group of the grafted moiety is transformed. Using the former route we prepared lithium alkyl carbonate (-O(CH{sub 2}){sub 3}OCO{sub 2}Li) modified carbon with potential applications in batteries, and employing the latter we prepared phenyl hydroxyl amine (-C{sub 6}H{sub 4}NHOH) modified carbon which may find application in biosensors. Benzyl alcohol (-C{sub 6}H{sub 4}CH{sub 2}OH) modified carbon was prepared by both chemical as well as electrochemical route. We report combinations of conjugating the two steps of surface modifications and show how the optimal route of terminal functional group modification depends on the chemical nature of the moiety attached to the surface in the electrochemical grafting step.

Interfacial stability and electrochemical behavior of Li/LiFePO4 batteries using novel soft and weakly adhesive photo-ionogel electrolytes

Science.gov (United States)

Aidoud, D.; Etiemble, A.; Guy-Bouyssou, D.; Maire, E.; Le Bideau, J.; Guyomard, D.; Lestriez, B.

2016-10-01

We have developed flexible polymer-gel electrolytes based on a polyacrylate cross-linked matrix that confines an ionic liquid doped with a lithium salt. Free-standing solid electrolyte membrane is obtained after UV photo-polymerization of acrylic monomers dissolved inside the ionic liquid/lithium salt mixture. The liquid precursor of the photo-ionogel may also be directly deposited onto porous composite electrode, which results in all-solid state electrode/electrolyte stacking after UV illumination. Minor variations in the polymer component of the electrolyte formulation significantly affect the electrochemical behavior in LiFePO4/lithium and lithium/lithium cells. The rate performance increases with an increase of the ionic conductivity, which decreases with the polymer content and decreases with increasing oxygen content in the polyacrylate matrix. Their fairly low modulus endow them weak and beneficial pressure-sensitive-adhesive character. X-Rays Tomography shows that the solid-state photo-ionogel electrolytes keep their integrity upon cycling and that their surface remains smooth. The coulombic efficiency of LiFePO4/lithium cells increases with an increase of the adhesive strength of the photo-ionogel, suggesting a relationship between the contact intimacy at the lithium/photo-ionogel interface and the efficiency of the lithium striping/plating. In lithium/lithium cells, only the photo-ionogels with the higher adhesion strength are able to allow the reversible striping/plating of lithium.

Study of a photo-induced lysozyme-riboflavin bond

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ferrer, I; Silva, E

1985-01-01

Irradiation of lysozyme in the presence of riboflavin results in the formation of a lysozyme-riboflavin adduct. Reduction and carboxymethylation of the four disulfide bonds as well as the chemical modification of the Tyr residues and the photochemical alteration of the His residue in lysozyme, do not affect the formation of the photo-induced lysozyme-riboflavin bond. When the lysozyme-riboflavin adduct was subjected to mild acid hydrolysis and ion exchange chromatography, the retention of a compound containing /sup 14/C-riboflavin was observed. Free /sup 14/C-riboflavin, on the contrary is not retained by the column. The photo-oxidation of free Trp in the presence of /sup 14/C-riboflavin, gave a compound which bound to the ion exchange resin like the above-mentioned derivative. The photo-oxidation of the Trp residues in lysozyme and in peptides obtained from lysozyme showed very high quantum yields, and these values were directly related to the incorporation of /sup 14/C-riboflavin in these samples.

Study of a photo-induced lysozyme-riboflavin bond

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferrer, I.; Silva, E.

1985-01-01

Irradiation of lysozyme in the presence of riboflavin results in the formation of a lysozyme-riboflavin adduct. Reduction and carboxymethylation of the four disulfide bonds as well as the chemical modification of the Tyr residues and the photochemical alteration of the His residue in lysozyme, do not affect the formation of the photo-induced lysozyme-riboflavin bond. When the lysozyme-riboflavin adduct was subjected to mild acid hydrolysis and ion exchange chromatography, the retention of a compound containing 14 C-riboflavin was observed. Free 14 C-ribboflavin, on the contrary is not retained by the column. The photo-oxidation of free Trp in the presence of 14 C-riboflavin, gave a compound which bound to the ion exchange resin like the above-mentioned derivative. The photo-oxidation of the Trp residues in lysozyme and in peptides obtained from lysozyme showed very high quantum yields, and these values were directly related to the incorporation of 14 C-riboflavin in these samples. (orig.)

Cooperative photo-induced effects: from photo-magnetism under continuous irradiation to ultra-fast phenomena - study through optical spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glijer, D.

2006-12-01

The control with ultra-short laser pulses of the collective and concerted transformation of molecules driving a macroscopic state switching on an ultra-fast time scale in solid state opens new prospects in materials science. The goal is to realize at the material level what happens at the molecular level in femto-chemistry. These processes are highly cooperative and highly non-linear, leading to self-amplification and self-organization within the material, a so-called photo-induced phase transition with a new long range order (structural, magnetic, ferroelectric,...). Two families of molecular compounds have been studied here: first of all, spin transition materials changing from a diamagnetic state over to a paramagnetic state under the effect of temperature or under continuous laser excitation. It concerns photo-active molecular bi-stability prototype materials in solid state, whose switching has been studied during X-ray diffraction, optical reflectivity and magnetism experiments. Then we have studied charge-transfer molecular systems, prototype compounds for ultrafast photo-induced phase transitions: insulator-metal, neutral-ionic....As well as ultrafast optical experiments, time-resolved X ray crystallography is a key technique in order to follow at the atomic level the different steps of the photo-induced transformation and thus to observe the involved mechanisms. We have underlined a process of photo-formation of one-dimensional nano-domains of lattice-relaxed charge-transfer excitations, governing the photo-induced phase transition of the molecular charge-transfer complex TTF-CA by the first time-resolved diffuse scattering measurements. Moreover, a new femtosecond laser-plasma source and a optical pump-probe spectroscopy set-up with a highly sensitive detecting system have been developed in this work. The results presented here will be an illustration of the present scientific challenges existing on the one hand with the development of projects of major

Label-free electrochemical detection of singlet oxygen protein damage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vargová, Veronika; Giménez, Rodrigo E.; Černocká, Hana; Trujillo, Diana Chito; Tulli, Fiorella; Zanini, Verónica I. Paz; Paleček, Emil; Borsarelli, Claudio D.; Ostatná, Veronika

2016-01-01

Oxidative damage of proteins results in changes of their structures and functions. In this work, the singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 )-mediated oxidation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and urease by blue-light photosensitization of the tris(2,2′-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) cation [Ru(bpy) 3 ] 2+ was studied by square wave voltammetry at glassy carbon electrode and by constant current chronopotentiometry at mercury electrode. Small changes in voltammetric oxidation Tyr and Trp peaks did not indicate significant changes in the BSA structure after photo-oxidation at carbon electrode. On the other hand chronopotentiometric peak H of BSA at HMDE increased during blue-light photosensitization, indicating that photo-oxidized BSA was more susceptible to the electric field-induced denaturation than non-oxidized native BSA. Similar results were obtained for urease, where enzymatic activity was also evaluated. The present results show the capability of label- and reagent-free electrochemical methods to detect oxidative changes in proteins. We believe that these methods will become important tools for detection of various protein damages.

Electrochemical functionalization of Au by aminobenzene and 2-aminotoluene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rösicke, F; Neubert, T; Rappich, J; Sun, G; Hinrichs, K; Janietz, S

2016-01-01

Au surfaces are functionalized by aminobenzene (AB) and 2-aminotoluene (AT) using the electrochemical reduction of diazotized 1,4-diaminobenzene and 2,5-diaminotoluene. The IR spectroscopic measurements reveal the successful modification of Au surfaces by AB and AT. Both types of layers show similar thicknesses as obtained by microgravimetric measurements via electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM). However, the faradaic efficiency for the grafting of AT onto an EQCM-Au sensor was 6% compared to 41% for the grafting of AB. This behavior points to a steric hindrance during the binding of AT to the EQCM surface induced by the additional methyl group present in the toluene derivative. The AB and AT functionalized surfaces have been further modified by the amidation reaction of EDC/NHS activated 4-nitrobenzoic acid. This model system reveals that the amidation reaction is slightly hindered in case of the AT layer due to the presence of the methyl group close to the amino group. This behavior leads to a four times less amount of amide bonds at the AT compared to AB modified Au surfaces as obtained from IR spectroscopic measurements. (paper)

Photo-reactive charge trapping memory based on lanthanide complex

Science.gov (United States)

Zhuang, Jiaqing; Lo, Wai-Sum; Zhou, Li; Sun, Qi-Jun; Chan, Chi-Fai; Zhou, Ye; Han, Su-Ting; Yan, Yan; Wong, Wing-Tak; Wong, Ka-Leung; Roy, V. A. L.

2015-10-01

Traditional utilization of photo-induced excitons is popularly but restricted in the fields of photovoltaic devices as well as photodetectors, and efforts on broadening its function have always been attempted. However, rare reports are available on organic field effect transistor (OFET) memory employing photo-induced charges. Here, we demonstrate an OFET memory containing a novel organic lanthanide complex Eu(tta)3ppta (Eu(tta)3 = Europium(III) thenoyltrifluoroacetonate, ppta = 2-phenyl-4,6-bis(pyrazol-1-yl)-1,3,5-triazine), in which the photo-induced charges can be successfully trapped and detrapped. The luminescent complex emits intense red emission upon ultraviolet (UV) light excitation and serves as a trapping element of holes injected from the pentacene semiconductor layer. Memory window can be significantly enlarged by light-assisted programming and erasing procedures, during which the photo-induced excitons in the semiconductor layer are separated by voltage bias. The enhancement of memory window is attributed to the increasing number of photo-induced excitons by the UV light. The charges are stored in this luminescent complex for at least 104 s after withdrawing voltage bias. The present study on photo-assisted novel memory may motivate the research on a new type of light tunable charge trapping photo-reactive memory devices.

Photo-isomerization induced rapid photo-degradation of optical nonlinearity in cyano substituted stilbene derivative doped poled polymer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan Jieyun; Liu Liying; Ji Liyong; Ye Mingxin; Xu Lei; Wang Wencheng

2004-01-01

We found that, although alpha'-cyano-4'-nitro-4-N, N-dimethylaminostilbene has larger hyperpolarizability than that of conventional 4'-N, N-dimethylamino-nitrostilbene, the addition of the cyano group makes it much more easy to photo-isomerize, thus destroying the molecular ordering in poled chromophore doped polymers. Experimental evidence was obtained by monitoring the second-harmonic generation intensity, UV-Vis absorption spectrum, and FTIR spectrum. The photo-isomerization reaction process was monitored by optical pump induced absorption anisotropy measurement. Comparisons with the behaviour of a azobenzene dye are also made

Fast photo-induced color changes of Ag particles deposited on single-crystalline TiO2 surface

Science.gov (United States)

Bai, Y. J.; Liu, W. Z.; Chen, A.; Shi, L.; Liu, X. H.; Zi, J.

2018-05-01

It is well known that surface-plasmon enhanced photo-electrochemical effect or photo-thermal effect of metallic particles on a semiconductor substrate or in a suspension may result in color changes. Such character could be potentially applicable to colorimetric sensors, optical filters, and data storage devices. However, usually the response time for color changes is too long to be practically applied. In this letter, we found that the response rate of color changes could be controlled by the annealing condition of the semiconductor substrate, and changes larger than 10% in spectra were observed after only 1-min exposure to light. Furthermore, such fast response was applied to realize wavelength-dependent "write" and "read" applications with high spatial resolution.

Evidence for photo-induced monoclinic metallic VO2 under high pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hsieh, Wen-Pin; Mao, Wendy L.; Trigo, Mariano; Reis, David A.; Andrea Artioli, Gianluca; Malavasi, Lorenzo

2014-01-01

We combine ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy with a diamond-anvil cell to decouple the insulator-metal electronic transition from the lattice symmetry changing structural transition in the archetypal strongly correlated material vanadium dioxide. Coherent phonon spectroscopy enables tracking of the photo-excited phonon vibrational frequencies of the low temperature, monoclinic (M 1 )-insulating phase that transforms into the metallic, tetragonal rutile structured phase at high temperature or via non-thermal photo-excitations. We find that in contrast with ambient pressure experiments where strong photo-excitation promptly induces the electronic transition along with changes in the lattice symmetry, at high pressure, the coherent phonons of the monoclinic (M 1 ) phase are still clearly observed upon the photo-driven phase transition to a metallic state. These results demonstrate the possibility of synthesizing and studying transient phases under extreme conditions

The factor that determines photo-induced crystalline-state reaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takenaka, Y.

1995-01-01

The photo-induced crystalline-state reaction of cobaloxime complexes were investigated by X-ray diffraction method. The reactivity or the reaction rate is dependent only on the volume of the reaction cavity. The hydrogen bond formation of the reactive group and the difference of the base ligand have no effect. (author)

Electrochemically induced transformation of NiS nanoparticles into Ni(OH)2 in KOH aqueous solution toward electrochemical capacitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hou Linrui; Yuan Changzhou; Li Diankai; Yang Long; Shen Laifa; Zhang Fang; Zhang Xiaogang

2011-01-01

Highlights: → NiS is synthesized by means of the H 2 O/CS 2 interface under hydrothermal treatment. → NiS itself owns poor electrochemical capacitance in 2 M KOH solution. → NiS is electrochemically induced and transformed into electroactive Ni(OH) 2 . → Ni(OH) 2 is responsible for good energy storage of the NiS in the KOH solution. → The new formed Ni(OH) 2 delivers large energy density at high rates. - Abstract: Nickel sulfide nanoparticles (NPs) are first synthesized by virtue of a unique H 2 O/CS 2 interface under mild hydrothermal treatment. Electrochemical data reveals that the as-synthesized NiS NPs themselves own poor supercapacitive behavior at initial cyclic voltammetry (CV) cycles in 2 M KOH solution, while a specific capacitance of 893 F g -1 can be surprisingly obtained at a current density of 5 A g -1 just after continuous 320 CV cycles. X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared techniques demonstrate that what is really responsible for the good electrochemical capacitance in the KOH aqueous solution is the new electrochemically formed Ni(OH) 2 phase, rather than NiS NPs themselves. The Ni(OH) 2 is slowly formed during the continuous CV cycling process, in which the electrochemically induced phase transformation from NiS to Ni(OH) 2 phase takes place. Furthermore, the new Ni(OH) 2 phase demonstrates the great ability of delivering large specific capacitance at high rates.

Design and Evaluation of Photo-Induced Biofeedback Fabric for the Enhancement in Sleeping Sense

OpenAIRE

Chu, Wei-Cheng; Lin, Hsin-Ju; Chiu, Shu-Ping

2013-01-01

Based on overcoming the sleeping obstacle for people, the purpose of this study is to design a photo-induced biofeedback fabric which is a kind of optical fiber fabric with the function of enhancing sleeping sense and to evaluate its effect. The fabrics with two layers including background layer and pattern layer were designed firstly. The pattern layers with 3 kinds of wavelengths of sine waves and the light controller with 3 kinds of flashing frequencies were then prepared. Guiding the ligh...

A ZnO nanowire-based photo-inverter with pulse-induced fast recovery.

Science.gov (United States)

Raza, Syed Raza Ali; Lee, Young Tack; Hosseini Shokouh, Seyed Hossein; Ha, Ryong; Choi, Heon-Jin; Im, Seongil

2013-11-21

We demonstrate a fast response photo-inverter comprised of one transparent gated ZnO nanowire field-effect transistor (FET) and one opaque FET respectively as the driver and load. Under ultraviolet (UV) light the transfer curve of the transparent gate FET shifts to the negative side and so does the voltage transfer curve (VTC) of the inverter. After termination of UV exposure the recovery of photo-induced current takes a long time in general. This persistent photoconductivity (PPC) is due to hole trapping on the surface of ZnO NWs. Here, we used a positive voltage short pulse after UV exposure, for the first time resolving the PPC issue in nanowire-based photo-detectors by accumulating electrons at the ZnO/dielectric interface. We found that a pulse duration as small as 200 ns was sufficient to reach a full recovery to the dark state from the UV induced state, realizing a fast UV detector with a voltage output.

Cellular Automata Modelling of Photo-Induced Oxidation Processes in Molecularly Doped Polymers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David M. Goldie

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The possibility of employing cellular automata (CA to model photo-induced oxidation processes in molecularly doped polymers is explored. It is demonstrated that the oxidation dynamics generated using CA models exhibit stretched-exponential behavior. This dynamical characteristic is in general agreement with an alternative analysis conducted using standard rate equations provided the molecular doping levels are sufficiently low to prohibit the presence of safe-sites which are impenetrable to dissolved oxygen. The CA models therefore offer the advantage of exploring the effect of dopant agglomeration which is difficult to assess from standard rate equation solutions. The influence of UV-induced bleaching or darkening upon the resulting oxidation dynamics may also be easily incorporated into the CA models and these optical effects are investigated for various photo-oxidation product scenarios. Output from the CA models is evaluated for experimental photo-oxidation data obtained from a series of hydrazone-doped polymers.

Neuroprotective effect of bilberry extract in a murine model of photo-stressed retina.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hideto Osada

Full Text Available Excessive exposure to light promotes degenerative and blinding retinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa. However, the underlying mechanisms of photo-induced retinal degeneration are not fully understood, and a generalizable preventive intervention has not been proposed. Bilberry extract is an antioxidant-rich supplement that ameliorates ocular symptoms. However, its effects on photo-stressed retinas have not been clarified. In this study, we examined the neuroprotective effects of bilberry extract against photo-stress in murine retinas. Light-induced visual function impairment recorded by scotopic and phototopic electroretinograms showing respective rod and cone photoreceptor function was attenuated by oral administration of bilberry extract through a stomach tube in Balb/c mice (750 mg/kg body weight. Bilberry extract also suppressed photo-induced apoptosis in the photoreceptor cell layer and shortening of the outer segments of rod and cone photoreceptors. Levels of photo-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS, oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum (ER stress markers, as measured by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, were reduced by bilberry extract treatment. Reduction of ROS by N-acetyl-L-cysteine, a well-known antioxidant also suppressed ER stress. Immunohistochemical analysis of activating transcription factor 4 expression showed the presence of ER stress in the retina, and at least in part, in Müller glial cells. The photo-induced disruption of tight junctions in the retinal pigment epithelium was also attenuated by bilberry extract, repressing an oxidative stress marker, although ER stress markers were not repressed. Our results suggest that bilberry extract attenuates photo-induced apoptosis and visual dysfunction most likely, and at least in part, through ROS reduction, and subsequent ER stress attenuation in the retina. This study can help understand the mechanisms of photo

Photo-induced degradation of some flavins in aqueous solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holzer, W.; Shirdel, J.; Zirak, P.; Penzkofer, A.; Hegemann, P.; Deutzmann, R.; Hochmuth, E.

2005-01-01

The blue-light induced photo-degradation of FMN, FAD, riboflavin, lumiflavin, and lumichrome in aqueous solution at pH 8 is studied by measurement of absorption coefficient spectral changes due to continuous excitation at 428 nm. The quantum yields of photo-degradation determined are φ D (riboflavin, pH 8) ∼ 7.8 x 10 -3 , φ D (FMN, pH 5.6) ∼ 7.3 x 10 -3 , φ D (FMN, pH 8) ∼ 4.6 x 10 -3 , φ D (FAD, pH 8) ∼ 3.7 x 10 -4 , φ D (lumichrome, pH 8) ∼ 1.8 x 10 -4 , and φ D (lumiflavin, pH 8) approx. 1.1 x 10 -5 . In a mass-spectroscopic analysis, the photo-products of FMN dissolved in water (solution pH is 5.6) were identified to be lumichrome and the lumiflavin derivatives dihydroxymethyllumiflavin, formyllumiflavin, and lumiflavin-hydroxy-acetaldehyde. An absorption and emission spectroscopic characterisation of the primary photoproducts of FMN at pH 8 is carried out

Photo-induced degradation of some flavins in aqueous solution

Science.gov (United States)

Holzer, W.; Shirdel, J.; Zirak, P.; Penzkofer, A.; Hegemann, P.; Deutzmann, R.; Hochmuth, E.

2005-01-01

The blue-light induced photo-degradation of FMN, FAD, riboflavin, lumiflavin, and lumichrome in aqueous solution at pH 8 is studied by measurement of absorption coefficient spectral changes due to continuous excitation at 428 nm. The quantum yields of photo-degradation determined are ϕD(riboflavin, pH 8) ≈ 7.8 × 10 -3, ϕD(FMN, pH 5.6) ≈ 7.3 × 10 -3, ϕD(FMN, pH 8) ≈ 4.6 × 10 -3, ϕD(FAD, pH 8) ≈ 3.7 × 10 -4, ϕD(lumichrome, pH 8) ≈ 1.8 × 10 -4, and ϕD(lumiflavin, pH 8) ⩽ 1.1 × 10 -5. In a mass-spectroscopic analysis, the photo-products of FMN dissolved in water (solution pH is 5.6) were identified to be lumichrome and the lumiflavin derivatives dihydroxymethyllumiflavin, formyllumiflavin, and lumiflavin-hydroxy-acetaldehyde. An absorption and emission spectroscopic characterisation of the primary photoproducts of FMN at pH 8 is carried out.

Photo-induced degradation of some flavins in aqueous solution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Holzer, W. [Institut II-Experimentelle und Angewandte Physik, Universitaet Regensburg, Universitaetsstrasse 31, D-93053 Regensburg (Germany); Shirdel, J. [Institut II-Experimentelle und Angewandte Physik, Universitaet Regensburg, Universitaetsstrasse 31, D-93053 Regensburg (Germany); Zirak, P. [Institut II-Experimentelle und Angewandte Physik, Universitaet Regensburg, Universitaetsstrasse 31, D-93053 Regensburg (Germany); Penzkofer, A. [Institut II-Experimentelle und Angewandte Physik, Universitaet Regensburg, Universitaetsstrasse 31, D-93053 Regensburg (Germany)]. E-mail: alfons.penzkofer@physik.uni-regensburg.de; Hegemann, P. [Institut fuer Biochemie I, Universitaet Regensburg, Universitaetsstrasse 31, D-93053 Regensburg (Germany); Deutzmann, R. [Institut fuer Biochemie I, Universitaet Regensburg, Universitaetsstrasse 31, D-93053 Regensburg (Germany); Hochmuth, E. [Institut fuer Biochemie I, Universitaet Regensburg, Universitaetsstrasse 31, D-93053 Regensburg (Germany)

2005-01-10

The blue-light induced photo-degradation of FMN, FAD, riboflavin, lumiflavin, and lumichrome in aqueous solution at pH 8 is studied by measurement of absorption coefficient spectral changes due to continuous excitation at 428 nm. The quantum yields of photo-degradation determined are {phi}{sub D}(riboflavin, pH 8) {approx} 7.8 x 10{sup -3}, {phi}{sub D}(FMN, pH 5.6) {approx} 7.3 x 10{sup -3}, {phi}{sub D}(FMN, pH 8) {approx} 4.6 x 10{sup -3}, {phi}{sub D}(FAD, pH 8) {approx} 3.7 x 10{sup -4}, {phi}{sub D}(lumichrome, pH 8) {approx} 1.8 x 10{sup -4}, and {phi}{sub D}(lumiflavin, pH 8) approx. 1.1 x 10{sup -5}. In a mass-spectroscopic analysis, the photo-products of FMN dissolved in water (solution pH is 5.6) were identified to be lumichrome and the lumiflavin derivatives dihydroxymethyllumiflavin, formyllumiflavin, and lumiflavin-hydroxy-acetaldehyde. An absorption and emission spectroscopic characterisation of the primary photoproducts of FMN at pH 8 is carried out.

Photo-induced absorption spectroscopy on organic, photovoltaically active donor-acceptor heterojunctions; Photoinduzierte Absorptionsspektroskopie an organischen, photovoltaisch aktiven Donor-Akzeptor-Heterouebergaengen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schueppel, Rico

2007-07-01

Starting from some general considerations about organic semiconductors first the foundations of molecular crystals, their spectroscopic properties, as well as the mechanisms, on which the exharge-carrier generation is based, are presented. The functionality of the organic solar cells is then explained. The applied experimental techniques are thereafter explained. Special regards gets the photo-induced and transient absorption. Thed the dicyanovinyl-oligothiophene studied in this thesis are presented, whereby the characteristics fitted to the heterojunction with the fullerene C{sub 60} are discussed. Then the photo-induced absorption in this system is presented. In these studies an indirect occupation of the triplet starte of the oligothiophene derivates at the heterojunction with C{sub 60} is observed. The application of the oligothiophene derivates in organic solar cells is thereafter described. Thereby especially the correlation between reached zero voltage and the fitting of the energy levels at the DCVnT:C{sub 60} junction is considered. Furthermore the data of the solar cells are discussed in view of the statements on the charge-carrier separation at the heterojunction with C{sub 60} obtained from the photo-induced absorption.

The influence of some anticancer preparations on photo induced lipid preoxidation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sargsyan, N.A.

2004-01-01

In nowadays it is very important in medicine to investigate mechanisms of actions of different pharmacological preparations including anticancer ones. As it is known during cancer there is the disruption of balance between free radical oxidative processes and amount of antioxidants. That is why it was investigated the possibility of cooperation of some anticancer preparations with membrane structures and the influence of these preparations on photo induced free radical oxidative process. For investigations of the influence of some anticancer preparations - sarkolizin and cyclophosphane - on the intensivity of chemiluminescence as a biological target it were taken homogenates of brains of cows in tris-HCL buffer solution (1:10, pH=7.4). Irradiation was done with UV-light for 1 minute. Also it was used the model-system of oleinic acid for investigation of action studied preparations on lipid peroxidation. All experiments were done at 40 degree C. It was found out that anticancer preparations suppressed lipid peroxidation and that it is expressed by decreasing of level of photo chemiluminescence. By the way it was discovered that maximal inhibition of photo chemiluminescence was at the moment of adding preparation to the biological target. And then level of photo chemiluminescence increased till some point, which was lower than normal one. Also it was found that the inhibition degree for these preparations was different. For example, sarkolizin decreased the level of photo chemiluminescence on 58%, and cyclophosphane - on 52%. Because chemiluminescence of oleinic acid very well imitates the chemiluminescence of different lipid structures, so it was used as a model-system for testing investigated preparations. And in this experiment also it was found that sarkolizin and cyclophosphane decreased the level of induced chemiluminescence. And this action depended on the concentration of preparations. In conclusion it can be said that sarkolizin and cyclophosphane inhibited

Evidence for photo-induced monoclinic metallic VO{sub 2} under high pressure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hsieh, Wen-Pin, E-mail: wphsieh@stanford.edu; Mao, Wendy L. [Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States); Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States); Trigo, Mariano [Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States); Stanford PULSE Institute, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States); Reis, David A. [Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States); Stanford PULSE Institute, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States); Department of Photon Science and Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States); Andrea Artioli, Gianluca; Malavasi, Lorenzo [Dipartimento di Chimica, Sezione di Chimica Fisica, INSTM (UdR Pavia), Università di Pavia, Viale Taramelli 16, 27100 Pavia (Italy)

2014-01-13

We combine ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy with a diamond-anvil cell to decouple the insulator-metal electronic transition from the lattice symmetry changing structural transition in the archetypal strongly correlated material vanadium dioxide. Coherent phonon spectroscopy enables tracking of the photo-excited phonon vibrational frequencies of the low temperature, monoclinic (M{sub 1})-insulating phase that transforms into the metallic, tetragonal rutile structured phase at high temperature or via non-thermal photo-excitations. We find that in contrast with ambient pressure experiments where strong photo-excitation promptly induces the electronic transition along with changes in the lattice symmetry, at high pressure, the coherent phonons of the monoclinic (M{sub 1}) phase are still clearly observed upon the photo-driven phase transition to a metallic state. These results demonstrate the possibility of synthesizing and studying transient phases under extreme conditions.

Trigonal warping and photo-induced effects on zone boundary phonon in monolayer graphene

Science.gov (United States)

Akay, D.

2018-05-01

We have reported the electronic band structure of monolayer graphene when the combined effects arising from the trigonal warp and highest zone-boundary phonons having A1 g symmetry with Haldane interaction which induced photo-irradiation effect. On the basis of our model, we have introduced a diagonalization to solve the associated Fröhlich Hamiltonian. We have examined that, a trigonal warping effect is introduced on the K and K ' points, leading to a dynamical band gap in the graphene electronic band spectrum due to the electron-A1 g phonon interaction and Haldane mass interaction. Additionally, the bands exhibited an anisotropy at this point. It is also found that, photo-irradiation effect is quite smaller than the trigonal warp effects in the graphene electronic band spectrum. In spite of this, controllability of the photo induced effects by the Haldane mass will have extensive implications in the graphene.

Towards a 3D modelling of the microwave photo-induced load in CPW technology

Science.gov (United States)

Gary, Rene; Arnould, Jean-Daniel; Vilcot, Anne

2005-09-01

The optical control study works on both the optical and the microwave behaviours of the plasma photo-induced in the semiconductor enlightened by a laser beam. The presented study is based on the necessity to be able to foresee the microwave response of CPW microwave devices versus different optical powers and different kinds of optical fibers, single-mode or multimode. The optical part has been achieved analytically by solving the diffusion equation of photo-induced carriers using the Hankel transform in 3-Dimensions. The added value of this technique is its precision and fastness. For the electromagnetic part we have chosen to use CST Microwave Studio software, which solves numerically Maxwell's equations with a Finite Integration Technique (FIT). For this aim we have had to model the photo-induced load using the locally changed conductivity directly depending of the excess carriers distribution. In the final paper, the first part will deal with the analytical computation of the photo-induced excess carrier in silicon substrate using the Hankel transform under permanent enlightening. Then the explanation of the model will be based on the need of a 3-Dimension model that may be described in an electromagnetic software. Finally simulation results of simple CPW devices as stub will be compared to measurements. In conclusion, we will show that the model is suitable for designing more complex devices and that it can be simplified in case of low precision needs.

Layered Metal Nanoparticle Structures on Electrodes for Sensing, Switchable Controlled Uptake/Release, and Photo-electrochemical Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Tel-Vered, Ran; Kahn, Jason S; Willner, Itamar

2016-01-06

Layered metal nanoparticle (NP) assemblies provide highly porous and conductive composites of unique electrical and optical (plasmonic) properties. Two methods to construct layered metal NP matrices are described, and these include the layer-by-layer deposition of NPs, or the electropolymerization of monolayer-functionalized NPs, specifically thioaniline-modified metal NPs. The layered NP composites are used as sensing matrices through the use of electrochemistry or surface plasmon resonance (SPR) as transduction signals. The crosslinking of the metal NP composites with molecular receptors, or the imprinting of molecular recognition sites into the electropolymerized NP matrices lead to selective and chiroselective sensing interfaces. Furthermore, the electrosynthesis of redox-active, imprinted, bis-aniline bridged Au NP composites yields electrochemically triggered "sponges" for the switchable uptake and release of electron-acceptor substrates, and results in conductive surfaces of electrochemically controlled wettability. Also, photosensitizer-relay-crosslinked Au NP composites, or electrochemically polymerized layered semiconductor quantum dot/metal NP matrices on electrodes, are demonstrated as functional nanostructures for photoelectrochemical applications. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Electrochemical supercapacitor behaviour of functionalized candle ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

... and G (graphite) phase of carbon present in the candle soots. The electrochemical characterization was performed by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge/discharge test and impedance spectroscopy in 1MH2SO4 electrolyte. The functionalized candle soot electrode showed an enhanced specific capacitance value of ...

Effect of carbon nano tube working electrode thickness on charge transport kinetics and photo-electrochemical characteristics of dye-sensitized solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Gacemi, Yahia; Cheknane, Ali; Hilal, Hikmat S.

2018-02-01

Physiochemical processes at the photo-electrode and the counter electrode of dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) involving having carbon nanotubes (CNTs) instead of the TiO2 layer, within the working electrode, are simulated in this work. Attention is paid to find the effect of CNT layer thickness on photo-electrochemical (PEC) characteristics of the CNT-DSSCs. Comparison with other conventional TiO2-DSSC systems, taking into account the working electrode film thickness, is also described here. To achieve these goals, a model is presented to explain charge transport and electron recombination which involve electron photo-excitation in dye molecules, injection of electrons from the excited dye to CNT working electrode conduction band, diffusion of electrons inside the CNT electrode, charge transfer between oxidized dye and (I-) and recombination of electrons. The simulation is based on solving non-linear equations using the Newton-Raphson numerical method. This concept is proposed for modelling numerical Faradaic impedance at the photo-electrode and the platinum counter electrode. It then simulates the cell impedance spectrum describing the locus of the three semicircles in the Nyquist diagram. The transient equivalent circuit model is also presented based on optimizing current-voltage curves of CNT-DSSCs so as to optimize the fill factor (FF) and conversion efficiency (η). The results show that the simulated characteristics of CNT-DSSCs, with different active CNT layer thicknesses, are superior to conventional TiO2-DSSCs.

Photo-electrochemical analysis of passive film formed on X80 pipeline steel in bicarbonate/carbonate buffer solution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, D.G. [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Tubular Goods Research Center of CNPC, Xi' an 710065 (China)], E-mail: dangguoli78@yahoo.com.cn; Feng, Y.R.; Bai, Z.Q. [Tubular Goods Research Center of CNPC, Xi' an 710065 (China); Zhu, J.W.; Zheng, M.S. [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China)

2008-02-28

Photo-electrochemical measurement was used to explore the formation potential, formation time, chloride ions concentration, applied potential and pH value of the solution on the electronic property of passive film formed on X80 pipeline steel in 1 M NaHCO{sub 3}/0.5 M Na{sub 2}CO{sub 3} buffer solution. The results showed that the photocurrent is positive, indicating an n-type semiconductor character of the passive film, the photocurrent increased with increasing the formation potential, prolonging the formation time, decreasing chloride ions concentration, rising applied potential and decreasing the pH value of the solution. Capacitance measurement exhibited a positive slope of Mott-Schottky plot, and the slopes of Mott-Schottky plots increased with the increasing formation potential, showing a decrement of the donor density of the passive film.

Unusual Photo-Induced Behaviour in a Side Chain Liquid Crystalline Azo-Polyester

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

López, D; Rodríguez, F.J.; Sánchez, C.

2006-01-01

An unusual behaviour has been observed in the photo-indueed response of an azobenzene side chain liquid erystalline polyester (P6d4). Room temperature irradiation with linearly polarised 488 nm light does not induce any birefringence (An) in films of this polymer that have been quenehed from...... the isotropie state. However, using the same irradiation conditions An is indueed in quenehed films that have been kept in darkness for a few minutes. Besides, no photo-induced An is observed in films irradiated with 488 nm light that have been previously irradiated with UV light. In this ease, An can...... be reeorded if the UV irradiated films have been kept in darkness for several hours. In another set of experiments performed with the P6d4 polymer, irradiation with high intensity linearly polarised 488 nm light induces an initial increase of An and then it goes back to zero. Subsequent irradiation...

A Comparison of Photo-Induced Hysteresis Between Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon and Amorphous IGZO Thin-Film Transistors.

Science.gov (United States)

Ha, Tae-Jun; Cho, Won-Ju; Chung, Hong-Bay; Koo, Sang-Mo

2015-09-01

We investigate photo-induced instability in thin-film transistors (TFTs) consisting of amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (a-IGZO) as active semiconducting layers by comparing with hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H). An a-IGZO TFT exhibits a large hysteresis window in the illuminated measuring condition but no hysteresis window in the dark condition. On the contrary, a large hysteresis window measured in the dark condition in a-Si:H was not observed in the illuminated condition. Even though such materials possess the structure of amorphous phase, optical responses or photo instability in TFTs looks different from each other. Photo-induced hysteresis results from initially trapped charges at the interface between semiconductor and dielectric films or in the gate dielectric which possess absorption energy to interact with deep trap-states and affect the movement of Fermi energy level. In order to support our claim, we also perform CV characteristics in photo-induced hysteresis and demonstrate thermal-activated hysteresis. We believe that this work can provide important information to understand different material systems for optical engineering which includes charge transport and band transition.

GOX-functionalized nanodiamond films for electrochemical biosensor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Villalba, Pedro [Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, University of South Florida (United States); Departamento de Medicina, Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla (Colombia); Ram, Manoj K., E-mail: mkram@usf.edu [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of South Florida, 4202 E Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL, 33620-5350 (United States); Nanotechnology Research and Education Center, University of South Florida (United States); Gomez, Humberto [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of South Florida, 4202 E Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL, 33620-5350 (United States); Departamento de Medicina, Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla (Colombia); Kumar, Amrita [Department of Physiology, Emory University. Atlanta GA (United States); Bhethanabotla, Venkat [Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, University of South Florida (United States); Kumar, Ashok [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of South Florida, 4202 E Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL, 33620-5350 (United States); Nanotechnology Research and Education Center, University of South Florida (United States)

2011-07-20

The importance of nanodiamond in biological and technological applications has been recognized recently, and applied in drug delivery, biochip, sensors and biosensors. Under this investigation, nanodiamond (ND) and nitrogen doped nanodiamond (NND) were deposited on n-type silicon films, and later functionalized with enzyme Glucose oxidase (GOX). The GOX functionalized doped and undoped ND films were characterized using combination of several techniques; i.e. FTIR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and electrochemical techniques. ND/GOX and NND/GOX thin films on n-type silicon have been found to provide sensitive glucose sensor. GOX has been chosen as a model enzyme system to functionalize with ND at molecular level to understand the glucose biosensor. - Research highlights: {yields} Nanodiamond (ND) films were used as an enzyme electrode for glucose quantification. {yields} Electrochemical behavior of doped and intrinsic films was analyzed. {yields} Electrode demonstrates sensitivity to glucose concentration in dynamic condition. {yields} Linear behavior was observed upto 8mM before saturation condition.

GOX-functionalized nanodiamond films for electrochemical biosensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Villalba, Pedro; Ram, Manoj K.; Gomez, Humberto; Kumar, Amrita; Bhethanabotla, Venkat; Kumar, Ashok

2011-01-01

The importance of nanodiamond in biological and technological applications has been recognized recently, and applied in drug delivery, biochip, sensors and biosensors. Under this investigation, nanodiamond (ND) and nitrogen doped nanodiamond (NND) were deposited on n-type silicon films, and later functionalized with enzyme Glucose oxidase (GOX). The GOX functionalized doped and undoped ND films were characterized using combination of several techniques; i.e. FTIR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and electrochemical techniques. ND/GOX and NND/GOX thin films on n-type silicon have been found to provide sensitive glucose sensor. GOX has been chosen as a model enzyme system to functionalize with ND at molecular level to understand the glucose biosensor. - Research highlights: → Nanodiamond (ND) films were used as an enzyme electrode for glucose quantification. → Electrochemical behavior of doped and intrinsic films was analyzed. → Electrode demonstrates sensitivity to glucose concentration in dynamic condition. → Linear behavior was observed upto 8mM before saturation condition.

Ultrafast photo-induced hidden phases in strained manganite thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jingdi; McLeod, A. S.; Zhang, Gu-Feng; Stoica, Vladimir; Jin, Feng; Gu, Mingqiang; Gopalan, Venkatraman; Freeland, John W.; Wu, Wenbin; Rondinelli, James; Wen, Haidan; Basov, D. N.; Averitt, R. D.

Correlated transition metal oxides (TMOs) are particularly sensitive to external control because of energy degeneracy in a complex energy landscape that promote a plethora of metastable states. However, it remains a grand challenge to actively control and fully explore the rich landscape of TMOs. Dynamic control with pulsed photons can overcome energetic barriers, enabling access to transient or metastable states that are not thermally accessible. In the past, we have demonstrated that mode-selective single-laser-pulse excitation of a strained manganite thin film La2/3Ca1/3MnO3 initiates a persistent phase transition from an emergent antiferromagnetic insulating ground state to a ferromagnetic metallic metastable state. Beyond the photo-induced insulator to metal transition, we recently discovered a new peculiar photo-induced hidden phase, identified by an experimental approach that combines ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy, THz spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, cryogenic near-field spectroscopy and SHG probe. This work is funded by the DOE, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Science under Award Numbers DE-SC0012375 and DE-SC0012592.

Single molecule manipulation at low temperature and laser scanning tunnelling photo-induced processes analysis through time-resolved studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riedel, Damien

2010-01-01

This paper describes, firstly, the statistical analysis used to determine the processes that occur during the manipulation of a single molecule through electronically induced excitations with a low temperature (5 K) scanning tunnelling microscope (STM). Various molecular operation examples are described and the ability to probe the ensuing molecular manipulation dynamics is discussed within the excitation context. It is, in particular, shown that such studies can reveal reversible manipulation for tuning dynamics through variation of the excitation energy. Secondly, the photo-induced process arising from the irradiation of the STM junction is also studied through feedback loop dynamics analysis, allowing us to distinguish between photo-thermally and photo-electronically induced signals.

Photo- and electro-chromism of diarylethene modified ITO electrodes - towards molecular based read-write-erase information storage

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Areephong, J.; Browne, W.R.; Katsonis, N.; Feringa, B.L.

2006-01-01

Molecular memory devices based on dithienylethene switch modified ITO electrodes undergo reversible ring opening/closing both photo- and electro-chemically with non-destructive electrochemical readout.

UV-Induced Radical Photo-Polymerization: A Smart Tool for Preparing Polymer Electrolyte Membranes for Energy Storage Devices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudio Gerbaldi

2012-06-01

Full Text Available In the present work, the preparation and characterization of quasi-solid polymer electrolyte membranes based on methacrylic monomers and oligomers, with the addition of organic plasticizers and lithium salt, are described. Noticeable improvements in the mechanical properties by reinforcement with natural cellulose hand-sheets or nanoscale microfibrillated cellulose fibers are also demonstrated. The ionic conductivity of the various prepared membranes is very high, with average values approaching 10^-3 S cm^-1 at ambient temperature. The electrochemical stability window is wide (anodic breakdown voltages > 4.5 V vs. Li in all the cases along with good cyclability in lithium cells at ambient temperature. The galvanostatic cycling tests are conducted by constructing laboratory-scale lithium cells using LiFePO₄ as cathode and lithium metal as anode with the selected polymer electrolyte membrane as the electrolyte separator. The results obtained demonstrate that UV induced radical photo-polymerization is a well suited method for an easy and rapid preparation of easy tunable quasi-solid polymer electrolyte membranes for energy storage devices.

UV-Induced Radical Photo-Polymerization: A Smart Tool for Preparing Polymer Electrolyte Membranes for Energy Storage Devices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudio Gerbaldi

2012-10-01

Full Text Available In the present work, the preparation and characterization of quasi-solid polymer electrolyte membranes based on methacrylic monomers and oligomers, with the addition of organic plasticizers and lithium salt, are described. Noticeable improvements in the mechanical properties by reinforcement with natural cellulose hand-sheets or nanoscale microfibrillated cellulose fibers are also demonstrated. The ionic conductivity of the various prepared membranes is very high, with average values approaching 10-3 S cm-1 at ambient temperature. The electrochemical stability window is wide (anodic breakdown voltages > 4.5 V vs. Li in all the cases along with good cyclability in lithium cells at ambient temperature. The galvanostatic cycling tests are conducted by constructing laboratory-scale lithium cells using LiFePO4 as cathode and lithium metal as anode with the selected polymer electrolyte membrane as the electrolyte separator. The results obtained demonstrate that UV induced radical photo-polymerization is a well suited method for an easy and rapid preparation of easy tunable quasi-solid polymer electrolyte membranes for energy storage devices.

Photo-induced toxicity in early life stage fiddler crab (Uca longisignalis) following exposure to Deepwater Horizon oil.

Science.gov (United States)

Damare, Leigh M; Bridges, Kristin N; Alloy, Matthew M; Curran, Thomas E; Soulen, Brianne K; Forth, Heather P; Lay, Claire R; Morris, Jeffrey M; Stoeckel, James A; Roberts, Aaron P

2018-05-01

The 2010 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil rig led to the release of millions of barrels of oil in the Gulf of Mexico. Oil in aquatic ecosystems exerts toxicity through multiple mechanisms, including photo-induced toxicity following co-exposure with UV radiation. The timing and location of the spill coincided with both fiddler crab reproduction and peak yearly UV intensities, putting early life stage fiddler crabs at risk of injury due to photo-induced toxicity. The present study assessed sensitivity of fiddler crab larvae to photo-induced toxicity during co-exposure to a range of environmentally relevant dilutions of high-energy water accommodated fractions of DWH oil, and either dark recovery period (duration: 17-h) in between. Survival was significantly decreased in treatments the presence of >10% UV and relatively low concentrations of oil. Results of the present study indicate fiddler crab larvae are sensitive to photo-induced toxicity in the presence of DWH oil. These results are of concern, as fiddler crabs play an important role as ecosystem engineers, modulating sediment biogeochemical processes via burrowing action. Furthermore, they occupy an important place in the food web in the Gulf of Mexico.

Photo-electrochemical solar cells with a SnO/sub 2/-liquid junction sensitized with highly concentrated dyes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shimura, Michiko; Shakushiro, Kiyoaki; Shimura, Yukio

1986-09-01

The sensitization of a SnO/sub 2/-liquid junction cell with highly concentrated dyes was investigated. The dyes used were Crystal Violet, Methyl Violet B, Malachite Green, Pararosaniline, and Rhodamine B. Anomalous or positive photovoltages were obtained in the system when Fe(CN)/sub 6//sup 3 -/ was added. The performance of the photovoltaic cells showed an open-circuit photovoltage, Vsub(oc), of 175 mV, a short-circuit photocurrent, Isub(sc), of 12 ..mu..A, and a fill factor of 0.42. The action spectra resembled the absorption spectra of the aggregated dyes. A D-D mechanism is introduced to explain the anomaly of the photovoltage of the SnO/sub 2/ electrode sensitized with the dyes. This behaviour is relevant to the practical usage of such photo-electrochemical cells and merits further investigation.

Photo-responsive liquid crystalline epoxy networks with exchangeable disulfide bonds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Yuzhan [Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States); Zhang, Yuehong [Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States); Rios, Orlando [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Keum, Jong K. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Kessler, Michael R. [Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States); North Dakota State Univ., Fargo, ND (United States)

2017-07-27

The increasing demand for intelligent materials has driven the development of polymers with a variety of functionalities. However, combining multiple functionalities within one polymer is still challenging because of the difficulties encountered in coordinating different functional building blocks during fabrication. In this work, we demonstrate the fabrication of a multifunctional liquid crystalline epoxy network (LCEN) using the combination of thermotropic liquid crystals, photo-responsive azobenzene molecules, and exchangeable disulfide bonds. In addition to shape memory behavior enabled by the reversible liquid crystalline phase transition and photo-induced bending behavior resulting from the photo-responsive azobenzene molecules, the introduction of dynamic disulfide bonds into the LCEN resulted in a structurally dynamic network, allowing the reshaping, repairing, and recycling of the material.

Riboflavin-induced photo-crosslinking of collagen hydrogel and its application in meniscus tissue engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Heo, Jiseung; Koh, Rachel H; Shim, Whuisu; Kim, Hwan D; Yim, Hyun-Gu; Hwang, Nathaniel S

2016-04-01

A meniscus tear is a common knee injury, but its regeneration remains a clinical challenge. Recently, collagen-based scaffolds have been applied in meniscus tissue engineering. Despite its prevalence, application of natural collagen scaffold in clinical setting is limited due to its extremely low stiffness and rapid degradation. The purpose of the present study was to increase the mechanical properties and delay degradation rate of a collagen-based scaffold by photo-crosslinking using riboflavin (RF) and UV exposure. RF is a biocompatible vitamin B2 that showed minimal cytotoxicity compared to conventionally utilized photo-initiator. Furthermore, collagen photo-crosslinking with RF improved mechanical properties and delayed enzyme-triggered degradation of collagen scaffolds. RF-induced photo-crosslinked collagen scaffolds encapsulated with fibrochondrocytes resulted in reduced scaffold contraction and enhanced gene expression levels for the collagen II and aggrecan. Additionally, hyaluronic acid (HA) incorporation into photo-crosslinked collagen scaffold showed an increase in its retention. Based on these results, we demonstrate that photo-crosslinked collagen-HA hydrogels can be potentially applied in the scaffold-based meniscus tissue engineering.

Colour centre recovery in yttria-stabilised zirconia: photo-induced versus thermal processes

Science.gov (United States)

Costantini, Jean-Marc; Touati, Nadia; Binet, Laurent; Lelong, Gérald; Guillaumet, Maxime; Beuneu, François

2018-05-01

The photo-annealing of colour centres in yttria-stabilised zirconia (YSZ) was studied by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy upon UV-ray or laser light illumination, and compared to thermal annealing. Stable hole centres (HCs) were produced in as-grown YSZ single crystals by UV-ray irradiation at room temperature (RT). The HCs produced by 200-MeV Au ion irradiation, as well as the F+-type centres (? centres involving oxygen vacancies) were left unchanged upon UV illumination. In contrast, a significant photo-annealing of the latter point defects was achieved in 1.4-MeV electron-irradiated YSZ by 553-nm laser light irradiation at RT. Almost complete photo-bleaching was achieved by laser irradiation inside the absorption band of ? centres centred at a wavelength 550 nm. Thermal annealing of these colour centres was also followed by UV-visible absorption spectroscopy showing full bleaching at 523 K. Colour-centre evolutions by photo-induced and thermally activated processes are discussed on the basis of charge exchange processes between point defects.

Cooperative photo-induced effects: from photo-magnetism under continuous irradiation to ultra-fast phenomena - study through optical spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction; Effets photo-induits cooperatifs: du photomagnetisme sous irradiation continue aux phenomenes ultrarapides - etude par spectroscopie optique et diffraction X

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Glijer, D

2006-12-15

The control with ultra-short laser pulses of the collective and concerted transformation of molecules driving a macroscopic state switching on an ultra-fast time scale in solid state opens new prospects in materials science. The goal is to realize at the material level what happens at the molecular level in femto-chemistry. These processes are highly cooperative and highly non-linear, leading to self-amplification and self-organization within the material, a so-called photo-induced phase transition with a new long range order (structural, magnetic, ferroelectric,...). Two families of molecular compounds have been studied here: first of all, spin transition materials changing from a diamagnetic state over to a paramagnetic state under the effect of temperature or under continuous laser excitation. It concerns photo-active molecular bi-stability prototype materials in solid state, whose switching has been studied during X-ray diffraction, optical reflectivity and magnetism experiments. Then we have studied charge-transfer molecular systems, prototype compounds for ultrafast photo-induced phase transitions: insulator-metal, neutral-ionic....As well as ultrafast optical experiments, time-resolved X ray crystallography is a key technique in order to follow at the atomic level the different steps of the photo-induced transformation and thus to observe the involved mechanisms. We have underlined a process of photo-formation of one-dimensional nano-domains of lattice-relaxed charge-transfer excitations, governing the photo-induced phase transition of the molecular charge-transfer complex TTF-CA by the first time-resolved diffuse scattering measurements. Moreover, a new femtosecond laser-plasma source and a optical pump-probe spectroscopy set-up with a highly sensitive detecting system have been developed in this work. The results presented here will be an illustration of the present scientific challenges existing on the one hand with the development of projects of major

Photo-assisted electrochemical abatement of trifluralin using a cathode containing a C60-carbon nanotubes composite.

Science.gov (United States)

Hasanzadeh, Aliyeh; Khataee, Alireza; Zarei, Mahmoud; Joo, Sang Woo

2018-05-01

This work reports the potential application of modified gas-diffusion electrode (GDE) with C 60 -CNT composite, as a stable and efficient cathode material for degradation of trifluralin (TRL) pesticide by photo-assisted electrochemical (PE) process. C 60 -CNT composite was prepared and characterized. Subsequently, a novel C 60 -CNT composite modified GDE cathode was developed and the electrochemical and physical characteristics of the modified GDEs were studied. C 60 -CNT composite/GDE showed great efficiencies for electro-generating H 2 O 2 , owing to huge surface area and high conductivity. Afterwards, a comparative study of TRL oxidation via photolysis, anodic oxidation (AO) and PE processes using C 60 -CNT composite/GDE revealed the degradation percentages of 42.2, 48.5 and 93.4%, respectively, after 180 min of treatment. The TRL degradation followed a pseudo-first-order kinetics, being faster in the order: photolysis composite/GDE exhibited great performance for the degradation of TRL (20 mg L -1 ) under its original pH, Na 2 SO 4 electrolyte concentration of 0.05 mol L -1 , applied current intensity of 300 mA, and flow rate of 12.5 L h -1 . TOC results displayed that 92.8% of TRL was mineralized after 8 h of PE process. In addition, a plausible pathway for mineralization of TRL was proposed according to the identified by-products detected by means of gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS), High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and ion chromatography analyses. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Antibody functionalized graphene biosensor for label-free electrochemical immunosensing of fibrinogen, an indicator of trauma induced coagulopathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Saleem, Waqas; Salinas, Carlos; Watkins, Brian; Garvey, Gavin; Sharma, Anjal C; Ghosh, Ritwik

2016-12-15

An antibody, specific to fibrinogen, has been covalently attached to graphene and deposited onto screen printed electrodes using a chitosan hydrogel binder to prepare an inexpensive electrochemical fibrinogen biosensor. Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy has been utilized to confirm the presence of the antibody on the graphene scaffold. Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) has been utilized to demonstrate that the biosensor responds in a selective manner to fibrinogen in aqueous media even in the presence of plasminogen, a potentially interfering molecule in the coagulopathy cascade. Furthermore, the biosensor was shown to reliably sense fibrinogen in the presence of high background serum albumin levels. Finally, we demonstrated detection of clinically relevant fibrinogen concentrations (938-44,542μg/dL) from human serum and human whole blood samples using this biosensor. This biosensor can potentially be used in a point-of-care device to detect the onset of coagulopathy and monitor response following therapeutic intervention in trauma patients. Thus this biosensor may improve the clinical management of patients with trauma-induced coagulopathy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Variable-temperature Microwave Impedance Microscope with Light Stimulation for Research on Photo-induced Phase Transitions

Science.gov (United States)

2017-07-24

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: The DURIP program "Variable-temperature Microwave Impedance Microscope with Light Stimulation for Research on Photo... Stimulation for Research on Photo- induced Phase Transitions The views, opinions and/or findings contained in this report are those of the author(s) and should...reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions

Laser-induced photo-thermal strain imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Changhoon; Ahn, Joongho; Jeon, Seungwan; Kim, Chulhong

2018-02-01

Vulnerable plaque is the one of the leading causes of cardiovascular disease occurrence. However, conventional intravascular imaging techniques suffer from difficulty in finding vulnerable plaque due to limitation such as lack of physiological information, imaging depth, and depth sensitivity. Therefore, new techniques are needed to help determine the vulnerability of plaque, Thermal strain imaging (TSI) is an imaging technique based on ultrasound (US) wave propagation speed that varies with temperature of medium. During temperature increase, strain occurs in the medium and its variation tendency is depending on the type of tissue, which makes it possible to use for tissue differentiation. Here, we demonstrate laser-induced photo-thermal strain imaging (pTSI) to differentiate tissue using an intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) catheter and a 1210-nm continuous-wave laser for heating lipids intensively. During heating, consecutive US images were obtained from a custom-made phantom made of porcine fat and gelatin. A cross correlation-based speckle-tracking algorithm was then applied to calculate the strain of US images. In the strain images, the positive strain produced in lipids (porcine fat) was clearly differentiated from water-bearing tissue (gelatin). This result shows that laser-induced pTSI could be a new method to distinguish lipids in the plaque and can help to differentiate vulnerability of plaque.

Hydroxyapatite/gelatin functionalized graphene oxide composite coatings deposited on TiO2 nanotube by electrochemical deposition for biomedical applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan, Yajing; Zhang, Xuejiao; Mao, Huanhuan; Huang, Yong; Ding, Qiongqiong; Pang, Xiaofeng

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Graphene oxide cross-linked gelatin was firstly employed as reinforcement fillers in hydroxyapatite coatings by electrochemical deposition process on TiO 2 nanotube arrays. • Gelatin functionalized graphene oxide induced the formation of hydroxyapatite coatings. • The success of gelatin and graphene oxide incorporation was evidenced with FTIR and XPS. • The synthesized composite coatings showed good biocompatibility and no adverse effect in cell culture tests. - Abstract: Graphene oxide cross-linked gelatin was employed as reinforcement fillers in hydroxyapatite coatings by electrochemical deposition process on TiO 2 nanotube arrays (TNs). The TNs were grown on titanium by electrochemical anodization in hydrofluoric electrolyte using constant voltage. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Field emission scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive X-ray analysis and biological studies were used to characterize the coatings. The corrosion resistance of the coatings was also investigated by electrochemical method in simulated body fluid solution

Lanthanum fluoride upconverting nanoparticles for photo-biomodulation of cell function

Science.gov (United States)

Tek, Sumeyra; Vincent, Brandy K.; Mimun, L. Christopher; Tran, Ashley N.; Shrestha, Binita; Tang, Liang; Nash, Kelly L.

2017-02-01

Inorganic fluorescent nanoprobes have been widely used as passive agents for intracellular imaging for decades. An emerging field of research is the development of these contrast agents and using them actively in a way that they respond to external stimulation by inducing photo-chemical, thermal or mechanical actions that enable control and modulation over cell function. To achieve such control, methods which are remote, non-invasive and with low-thermal means of stimulation is preferable. Among a large variety of candidates, lanthanide doped upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) are one of the most interesting class of fluorescent materials. Non-scattering, low energy near infrared (NIR) light can be used for excitation of UCNPs as on-demand light sources resulting in emission peaks throughout the near-UV and visible wavelengths. Towards this goal, we developed nano-size, hydrophilic, non-toxic and biocompatible core-shell nanoparticles with enhanced upconversion intensity for photo-biomodulation studies. Under this approach, un-doped LaF3 (inert) shell and Yb3+ doped LaF3 (active) shell are grown on core LaF3:20% Yb, 2% Tm upconverting nanoparticles for enhanced luminescence for the first time with rapid microwave-assisted synthesis method that employs Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as biocompatible surfactant. The as-synthesized high efficiency UCNPs are analyzed through XRD, TEM, HRTEM, and Photoluminescence spectrum that is acquired under 980 nm laser excitation. Confocal microscopy is used to visualize nanoparticles in cells. The cellular response to NIR irradiation and upconverted light are visualized by luminescence microscopy.

Synthesis and characterization of spray deposited CZTS thin films for photo-electrochemical application

Science.gov (United States)

Chavda, Arvind; Patel, Biren; Mukhopadhyay, Priyanka Marathey Indrajit; Ray, Abhijit

2018-05-01

Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) is one of the most promising light absorber materials for photovoltaic and photo-electrochemical applications. We synthesized CZTS thin films on a F:SnO2 and soda lime glass substrates by very simple, cost effective and highly scalable spray pyrolysis technique. The films were post treated by rapid thermal processing route of sulfurization to enhance the stoichiometry and crystallinity of the film. The structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties of RTP sulfurized films were studied. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern revealed the formation of tetragonal CZTS phase, which confirmed by Raman analysis with a major peak at 336 cm-1 without the presence of the principle vibration mode of any other secondary phases, such as Cu2SnS3, CuxS(x=1.8,2) etc. The sulfurized film exhibited increased crystallinity and better stoichiometry. The optical and electrical data reveal the direct optical band gap, bulk carrier concentration and resistivity of 1.5 eV, 2.28×1018 cm-3 and 1.21 Ω/cm2, respectively. Finally the photoactivity of CZTS thin films was tested by forming photoelectrochemical cell in 0.1M Na2S2O3 electrolyte (pH=7.72), showing a cathodic photocurrent of nearly 20 µA/cm2 at 0V RHE.

Structure analysis of photo-induced triplet phenylnitrene using synchrotron radiation

CERN Document Server

Kawano, M; Uekusa, H; Ohashi, Y; Ozawa, Y; Matsubara, K; Imabayashi, H; Mitsumi, M; Toriumi, K

2003-01-01

The crystal structures of [(PhCH sub 2) sub 2 NH sub 2] sup + [m-C sub 6 H sub 4 (N sub 3)-(COO)] sup - before and after UV-irradiation were analyzed at 25 K by using an X-ray vacuum camera set up at the synchrotron laboratory (SPring-8). The C-N (nitrene) bond distance in the triplet state of the photo-induced m-carboxyphenylnitrene is determined to be 1.34(4) A.

Photo-induced optical activity in phase-change memory materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Borisenko, Konstantin B; Shanmugam, Janaki; Williams, Benjamin A O; Ewart, Paul; Gholipour, Behrad; Hewak, Daniel W; Hussain, Rohanah; Jávorfi, Tamás; Siligardi, Giuliano; Kirkland, Angus I

2015-03-05

We demonstrate that optical activity in amorphous isotropic thin films of pure Ge2Sb2Te5 and N-doped Ge2Sb2Te5N phase-change memory materials can be induced using rapid photo crystallisation with circularly polarised laser light. The new anisotropic phase transition has been confirmed by circular dichroism measurements. This opens up the possibility of controlled induction of optical activity at the nanosecond time scale for exploitation in a new generation of high-density optical memory, fast chiroptical switches and chiral metamaterials.

Visible luminescence in photo-electrochemically etched p-type porous silicon: Effect of illumination wavelength

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naddaf, M.; Hamadeh, H.

2010-01-01

The effect of low power density of ∼5 μWcm - 2 monochromatic light of different wavelengths on the visible photoluminescence (PL) properties of photo-electrochemically formed p-type porous silicon (PS) has been investigated. Tow peak PL red and green is resolved in PS samples etched under blue-green wavelength illumination; 480,533 and 580 nm. It is found that the weight of green PL has maxima for the sample illuminated with 533 nm wavelength whereas, PL spectra of PS prepared under the influence of red illumination or in dark does not exhibit green PL band, but shows considerable enhancement in the red PL peak intensity. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic analysis reveals the relationship between the structures of chemical bonding in PS and the observed PL behavior. In particular, the PL efficiency is highly affected by the alteration of the relative content of hydride, oxide and hydroxyl species. Moreover, relative content of hydroxyl group with respect to oxide bonding is seen to have strong relationship to the blue PL. Although, the estimated energy gap value of PS samples shows a considerable enlargement with respect to that of bulk c-Si, the FTIR, low temperature PL and Raman measurements and analysis have inconsistency with quantum confinement of PS. (author)

Visible luminescence in photo-electrochemically etched p-type porous silicon: Effect of illumination wavelength

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naddaf, M.; Hamadeh, H.

2009-01-01

The effect of low power density of ∼ 5 μW/cm 2 monochromatic light of different wavelengths on the visible photoluminescence (PL) properties of photo-electrochemically formed p-type porous silicon (PS) has been investigated. Two-peak PL 'red' and 'green' is resolved in PS samples etched under blue-green wavelength illumination; 480, 533 and 580 nm. It is found that the weight of 'green' PL has maxima for the sample illuminated with 533 nm wavelength. Whereas, PL spectra of PS prepared under the influence of red illumination or in dark does not exhibit 'green' PL band, but shows considerable enhancement in the 'red' PL peak intensity. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic analysis reveals the relationship between the structures of chemical bonding in PS and the observed PL behavior. In particular, the PL efficiency is highly affected by the alteration of the relative content of hydride, oxide and hydroxyl species. Moreover, relative content of hydroxyl group with respect to oxide bonding is seen to have strong relationship to the blue PL. Although, the estimated energy gap value of PS samples shows a considerable enlargement with respect to that of bulk c-Si, the FTIR, low temperature PL and Raman measurements and analysis have inconsistency with quantum confinement of PS.

Photo-induced effects of the virgin Ge_2_4_._9Sb_1_1_._6S_6_3_._5 film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knotek, P.; Tichy, L.; Kutalek, P.

2015-01-01

Amorphous Ge_2_4_._9Sb_1_1_._6S_6_3_._5 film was prepared through thermal evaporation. A blue shift of the optical band gap by approximately 100 meV was observed as a result of self-bleaching process of protected film aged for two years. The magnitude of the light induced blue shift of the optical band of the virgin film is primarily dependent on the light penetration depth and on the light intensity. The kinetics of photo-bleaching follows the stretch exponential function with a formal rate of bleaching depending on the light intensity while the saturated state is independent from the light intensity. The far infrared spectra indicate that ageing, illumination by over-band gap-photons and annealing of the virgin film are mainly accompanied by the film network ordering. Illumination by UV light photons led to a blue shift accompanied by the significant oxidation as evidenced by the results of the far infrared spectra and the energy dispersive analysis. - Highlights: • “Giant” photo-induced effects in virgin Ge_2_4_._9Sb_1_1_._6S_6_3_._5 film • The role of the film thickness, the wavelengths and intensity of excitation photons • The changes of the photo-sensitivity due to the self-ageing process • The high-intensity illumination (> 10 W/cm"2) led to the different processes

Photo-induced effects of the virgin Ge{sub 24.9}Sb{sub 11.6}S{sub 63.5} film

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Knotek, P., E-mail: petr.knotek@upce.cz [University of Pardubice, Faculty of Chemical Technology, Department of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Studentska 573, 532 10 Pardubice (Czech Republic); Tichy, L. [Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, AS CR, Heyrovskeho sq. 2, 162 06 Prague (Czech Republic); Kutalek, P. [University of Pardubice, Faculty of Chemical Technology, Joint Laboratory of Solid State Chemistry of Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry of Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i., and University of Pardubice, Studentska 573, 532 10 Pardubice (Czech Republic)

2015-11-02

Amorphous Ge{sub 24.9}Sb{sub 11.6}S{sub 63.5} film was prepared through thermal evaporation. A blue shift of the optical band gap by approximately 100 meV was observed as a result of self-bleaching process of protected film aged for two years. The magnitude of the light induced blue shift of the optical band of the virgin film is primarily dependent on the light penetration depth and on the light intensity. The kinetics of photo-bleaching follows the stretch exponential function with a formal rate of bleaching depending on the light intensity while the saturated state is independent from the light intensity. The far infrared spectra indicate that ageing, illumination by over-band gap-photons and annealing of the virgin film are mainly accompanied by the film network ordering. Illumination by UV light photons led to a blue shift accompanied by the significant oxidation as evidenced by the results of the far infrared spectra and the energy dispersive analysis. - Highlights: • “Giant” photo-induced effects in virgin Ge{sub 24.9}Sb{sub 11.6}S{sub 63.5} film • The role of the film thickness, the wavelengths and intensity of excitation photons • The changes of the photo-sensitivity due to the self-ageing process • The high-intensity illumination (> 10 W/cm{sup 2}) led to the different processes.

Photon energy dependence of photo-induced inverse spin-Hall effect in Pt/GaAs and Pt/Ge

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Isella, Giovanni, E-mail: giovanni.isella@polimi.it; Bottegoni, Federico; Ferrari, Alberto; Finazzi, Marco; Ciccacci, Franco [LNESS-Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano (Italy)

2015-06-08

We report the photon energy dependence of photo-induced inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE) in Pt/GaAs and Pt/Ge Schottky junctions. The experimental results are compared with a spin drift-diffusion model, which highlights the role played by the different spin lifetime in the two semiconductors, in determining the energy dependence of the ISHE signal detected in the Pt layer. The good qualitative agreement between experiments and modelling indicates that photo-induced ISHE can be used as a tool to characterize spin lifetime in semiconductors.

Polymer Electrolyte Membranes for Water Photo-Electrolysis

Science.gov (United States)

Aricò, Antonino S.; Girolamo, Mariarita; Siracusano, Stefania; Sebastian, David; Baglio, Vincenzo; Schuster, Michael

2017-01-01

Water-fed photo-electrolysis cells equipped with perfluorosulfonic acid (Nafion® 115) and quaternary ammonium-based (Fumatech® FAA3) ion exchange membranes as separator for hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions were investigated. Protonic or anionic ionomer dispersions were deposited on the electrodes to extend the interface with the electrolyte. The photo-anode consisted of a large band-gap Ti-oxide semiconductor. The effect of membrane characteristics on the photo-electrochemical conversion of solar energy was investigated for photo-voltage-driven electrolysis cells. Photo-electrolysis cells were also studied for operation under electrical bias-assisted mode. The pH of the membrane/ionomer had a paramount effect on the photo-electrolytic conversion. The anionic membrane showed enhanced performance compared to the Nafion®-based cell when just TiO2 anatase was used as photo-anode. This was associated with better oxygen evolution kinetics in alkaline conditions compared to acidic environment. However, oxygen evolution kinetics in acidic conditions were significantly enhanced by using a Ti sub-oxide as surface promoter in order to facilitate the adsorption of OH species as precursors of oxygen evolution. However, the same surface promoter appeared to inhibit oxygen evolution in an alkaline environment probably as a consequence of the strong adsorption of OH species on the surface under such conditions. These results show that a proper combination of photo-anode and polymer electrolyte membrane is essential to maximize photo-electrolytic conversion. PMID:28468242

Photo-dynamics of the lyophilized photo-activated adenylate cyclase NgPAC2 from the amoeboflagellate Naegleria gruberi NEG-M strain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Penzkofer, A., E-mail: alfons.penzkofer@physik.uni-regensburg.de [Fakultät für Physik, Universität Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, D-93053 Regensburg (Germany); Tanwar, M.; Veetil, S.K.; Kateriya, S. [Department of Biochemistry, University of Delhi South Campus, Benito Juarez Road, New Delhi 110021 (India); Stierl, M.; Hegemann, P. [Institut für Biologie/Experimentelle Biophysik, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstrasse 42, D-10115 Berlin (Germany)

2013-09-23

Highlights: • Lyophilizing of NgPAC2 from Naegleria gruberi caused loss of BLUF domain activity. • Photo-induced tyrosine to flavin electron transfer in lyophilized NgPAC2. • Photo-induced Tyr–Tyr cross-linking to o,o′-dityrosine in lyophilized NgPAC2. • Photo-induced partial flavin cofactor reduction in lyophilized NgPAC2. • Two NgPAC2 conformations with fast and slow photo-induced electron transfer. - Abstract: The absorption and emission spectroscopic behavior of lyophilized photo-activated adenylate cyclase NgPAC2 from the amoeboflagellate Naegleria gruberi NEG-M strain consisting of a BLUF domain (BLUF = Blue Light sensor Using Flavin) and a cyclase homology domain was studied in the dark, during blue-light exposure and after blue-light exposure at a temperature of 4 °C. The BLUF domain photo-cycle dynamics observed for snap-frozen NgPAC2 was lost by lyophilization (no signaling state formation with flavin absorption red-shift). Instead, blue-light photo-excitation of lyophilized NgPAC2 caused sterically restricted Tyr–Tyr cross-linking (o,o′-ditysosine formation) and partial flavin cofactor reduction.

Photo-dynamics of the lyophilized photo-activated adenylate cyclase NgPAC2 from the amoeboflagellate Naegleria gruberi NEG-M strain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Penzkofer, A.; Tanwar, M.; Veetil, S.K.; Kateriya, S.; Stierl, M.; Hegemann, P.

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Lyophilizing of NgPAC2 from Naegleria gruberi caused loss of BLUF domain activity. • Photo-induced tyrosine to flavin electron transfer in lyophilized NgPAC2. • Photo-induced Tyr–Tyr cross-linking to o,o′-dityrosine in lyophilized NgPAC2. • Photo-induced partial flavin cofactor reduction in lyophilized NgPAC2. • Two NgPAC2 conformations with fast and slow photo-induced electron transfer. - Abstract: The absorption and emission spectroscopic behavior of lyophilized photo-activated adenylate cyclase NgPAC2 from the amoeboflagellate Naegleria gruberi NEG-M strain consisting of a BLUF domain (BLUF = Blue Light sensor Using Flavin) and a cyclase homology domain was studied in the dark, during blue-light exposure and after blue-light exposure at a temperature of 4 °C. The BLUF domain photo-cycle dynamics observed for snap-frozen NgPAC2 was lost by lyophilization (no signaling state formation with flavin absorption red-shift). Instead, blue-light photo-excitation of lyophilized NgPAC2 caused sterically restricted Tyr–Tyr cross-linking (o,o′-ditysosine formation) and partial flavin cofactor reduction

Pure and Nb2O5-doped TiO2 amorphous thin films grown by dc magnetron sputtering at room temperature: Surface and photo-induced hydrophilic conversion studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suchea, M.; Christoulakis, S.; Tudose, I.V.; Vernardou, D.; Lygeraki, M.I.; Anastasiadis, S.H.; Kitsopoulos, T.; Kiriakidis, G.

2007-01-01

Photo-induced hydrophilicity of titanium dioxide makes this material one of the most suitable for various coating applications in antifogging mirrors and self-cleaning glasses. The field of functional titanium dioxide coatings is expanding rapidly not only in applications for glass but also in applications for polymer, metal and ceramic materials. The high hydrophilic surface of TiO 2 is interesting for understanding also the basic photon-related surface science of titanium dioxide. In doing so, it is inevitably necessary to understand the relationship between the photoreaction and the surface properties. In this work, photo-induced hydrophilic conversion was evaluated on amorphous pure and niobium oxide-doped titanium dioxide thin films on Corning 1737F glass grown by dc magnetron sputtering technique at room temperature. This study is focused on the influence of the Ar:O ratio during sputtering plasma deposition on thin film surface morphology and subsequent photo-induced hydrophilic conversion results. Structural characterization carried out by X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy (AFM) has shown that our films are amorphous and extremely smooth with a surface roughness bellow 1 nm. Contact angle measurements were performed on as-deposited and during/after 10 min UV exposure. We present evidence that the photo-induced hydrophilic conversion of film surface is directly correlated with surface morphology and can be controlled by growth conditions

Phospholipid micelle-based magneto-plasmonic nanoformulation for magnetic field-directed, imaging-guided photo-induced cancer therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohulchanskyy, Tymish Y; Kopwitthaya, Atcha; Jeon, Mansik; Guo, Moran; Law, Wing-Cheung; Furlani, Edward P; Kim, Chulhong; Prasad, Paras N

2013-11-01

We present a magnetoplasmonic nanoplatform combining gold nanorods (GNR) and iron-oxide nanoparticles within phospholipid-based polymeric nanomicelles (PGRFe). The gold nanorods exhibit plasmon resonance absorbance at near infrared wavelengths to enable photoacoustic imaging and photothermal therapy, while the Fe3O4 nanoparticles enable magnetophoretic control of the nanoformulation. The fabricated nanoformulation can be directed and concentrated by an external magnetic field, which provides enhancement of a photoacoustic signal. Application of an external field also leads to enhanced uptake of the magnetoplasmonic formulation by cancer cells in vitro. Under laser irradiation at the wavelength of the GNR absorption peak, the PGRFe formulation efficiently generates plasmonic nanobubbles within cancer cells, as visualized by confocal microscopy, causing cell destruction. The combined magnetic and plasmonic functionalities of the nanoplatform enable magnetic field-directed, imaging-guided, enhanced photo-induced cancer therapy. In this study, a nano-formulation of gold nanorods and iron oxide nanoparticles is presented using a phospholipid micelle-based delivery system for magnetic field-directed and imaging-guided photo-induced cancer therapy. The gold nanorods enable photoacoustic imaging and photothermal therapy, while the Fe3O4 nanoparticles enable magnetophoretic control of the formulation. This and similar systems could enable more precise and efficient cancer therapy, hopefully in the near future, after additional testing. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Single-Nanoflake Photo-Electrochemistry Reveals Champion and Spectator Flakes in Exfoliated MoSe2 Films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Link, Elisa M [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Nanayakkara, Sanjini U [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Todt, Michael A. [Colorado State University; Isenberg, Allan E. [Colorado State University; Sambur, Justin B. [Colorado State University

2018-03-06

Semiconducting transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) nanoflake thin films are promising large-area electrodes for photo-electrochemical solar energy conversion applications. However, their energy conversion efficiencies are typically much lower than those of bulk electrodes. It is unclear to what extent this efficiency gap stems from differences among nanoflakes (e.g., area, thickness, and surface structural features). It is also unclear whether individual exfoliated nanoflakes can achieve energy conversion efficiencies similar to those of bulk crystals. Here, we use a single-nanoflake photo-electrochemical approach to show that there are both highly active and completely inactive nanoflakes within a film. For the exfoliated MoSe2 samples studied herein, 7% of nanoflakes are highly active champions, whose photocurrent efficiency exceeds that of the bulk crystal. However, 66% of nanoflakes are inactive spectators, which are mostly responsible for the overall lower photocurrent efficiency compared to the bulk crystal. The photocurrent collection efficiency increases with nanoflake area and decreases more at perimeter edges than at interior step edges. These observations, which are hidden in ensemble-level measurements, reveal the underlying performance issues of exfoliated TMD electrodes for photo-electrochemical energy conversion applications.

Ultra-fast and sensitive photo-induced phase switching in (EDO-TTF)2PF6

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chollet, Matthieu; Guerin, Laurent; Uchida, Naoki; Fukaya, Souichi; Ishikawa, Tadahiko; Koshihara, Shin-ya; Matsuda, Kazunari; Yamochi, Hideki; Ota, Akira; Saito, Gunzi

2005-01-01

Organic conductor (EDO-TTF) 2 PF 6 crystal having 14 filled band shows a metal (M)-insulator (I) transition accompanied with Peierls transition, charge ordering, and anion ordering at transition temperature, T C =280K. This crystal is an important and fascinating candidate for photo-induced M-I transition because the multi-instability will afford sensitivity to the tiny stimulation. We make the report of the reflectivity change in (EDO-TTF) 2 PF 6 crystal induced by the irradiation of femto-second (fs) pulsed laser (pulse width: 120fs, main wavelength: 800nm, repetition rate: 1kHz). The obtained results indicate that the highly efficient I-to-M transition occurs within 3ps in this material. Based on these results, the strong electron-lattice cooperative interaction is proved to play an essential role in the driving process of this M-I transition. Also, 14 filled materials, which show M-I transition, accompanied with the charge ordering, can be classified as fascinating candidates not only for superconductivity but also for photo-induced cooperative phenomena and application in phase switching devices

Visible luminescence in photo-electrochemically etched p-type porous silicon: Effect of illumination wavelength

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Naddaf, M.; Hamadeh, H., E-mail: scientific@aec.org.sy [Department of Physics, Atomic Energy Commission of Syria (AECS), P.O. Box 6091 Damascus (Syrian Arab Republic)

2009-08-31

The effect of low power density of {approx} 5 {mu}W/cm{sup 2} monochromatic light of different wavelengths on the visible photoluminescence (PL) properties of photo-electrochemically formed p-type porous silicon (PS) has been investigated. Two-peak PL 'red' and 'green' is resolved in PS samples etched under blue-green wavelength illumination; 480, 533 and 580 nm. It is found that the weight of 'green' PL has maxima for the sample illuminated with 533 nm wavelength. Whereas, PL spectra of PS prepared under the influence of red illumination or in dark does not exhibit 'green' PL band, but shows considerable enhancement in the 'red' PL peak intensity. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic analysis reveals the relationship between the structures of chemical bonding in PS and the observed PL behavior. In particular, the PL efficiency is highly affected by the alteration of the relative content of hydride, oxide and hydroxyl species. Moreover, relative content of hydroxyl group with respect to oxide bonding is seen to have strong relationship to the blue PL. Although, the estimated energy gap value of PS samples shows a considerable enlargement with respect to that of bulk c-Si, the FTIR, low temperature PL and Raman measurements and analysis have inconsistency with quantum confinement of PS.

Engineering the bioelectrochemical interface using functional nanomaterials and microchip technique toward sensitive and portable electrochemical biosensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Xiaofang; Dong, Shaojun; Wang, Erkang

2016-02-15

Electrochemical biosensors have played active roles at the forefront of bioanalysis because they have the potential to achieve sensitive, specific and low-cost detection of biomolecules and many others. Engineering the electrochemical sensing interface with functional nanomaterials leads to novel electrochemical biosensors with improved performances in terms of sensitivity, selectivity, stability and simplicity. Functional nanomaterials possess good conductivity, catalytic activity, biocompatibility and high surface area. Coupled with bio-recognition elements, these features can amplify signal transduction and biorecognition events, resulting in highly sensitive biosensing. Additionally, microfluidic electrochemical biosensors have attracted considerable attention on account of their miniature, portable and low-cost systems as well as high fabrication throughput and ease of scaleup. For example, electrochemical enzymetic biosensors and aptamer biosensors (aptasensors) based on the integrated microchip can be used for portable point-of-care diagnostics and environmental monitoring. This review is a summary of our recent progress in the field of electrochemical biosensors, including aptasensors, cytosensors, enzymatic biosensors and self-powered biosensors based on biofuel cells. We presented the advantages that functional nanomaterials and microfluidic chip technology bring to the electrochemical biosensors, together with future prospects and possible challenges. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electrochemically active functionalization of graphene for development of prototype biosensing devices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Halder, Arnab; Ulstrup, Jens; Chi, Qijin

nanosheets, (2) loading of different enzymes on functionalized graphene matrix, and (3) electrochemical performances of the functionalized nanaohybrid materials based prototype sensors. These latest advancements could be crucial for the design and fabrication of low-cost, flexible and disposable biosensors....

Photo-Electrochemical Effect of Zinc Addition on the Electrochemical Corrosion Potentials of Stainless Steels and Nickel Alloys in High Temperature Water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Yi-Ching; Fong, Clinton; Fang-Chu, Charles; Chang, Ching

2012-09-01

Hydrogen water chemistry (HWC) is one of the main mitigating methods for stress corrosion cracking problem of reactor core stainless steel and nickel based alloy components. Zinc is added to minimize the radiation increase associated with HWC. However, the subsequently formed zinc-containing surface oxides may exhibit p-type semiconducting characteristics. Upon the irradiation of Cherenkov and Gamma ray in the reactor core, the ECP of stainless steels and nickel based alloys may shift in the anodic direction, possibly offsetting the beneficial effect of HWC. This study will evaluate the photo-electrochemical effect of Zinc Water Chemistry on SS304 stainless steel and Alloy 182 nickel based weld metal under simulated irradiated BWR water environments with UV illumination. The experimental results reveal that Alloy 182 nickel-based alloy generally possesses n-type semiconductor characteristics in both oxidizing NWC and reducing HWC conditions with zinc addition. Upon UV irradiation, the ECP of Alloy 182 will shift in the cathodic direction. In most conditions, SS304 will also exhibit n-type semiconducting properties. Only under hydrogen water chemistry, a weak p-type property may emerge. Only a slight upward shift in the anodic direction is detected when SS304 is illuminated with UV light. The potential influence of p-type semiconductor of zinc containing surface oxides is weak and the mitigation effect of HWC on the stress corrosion cracking is not adversely affected. (authors)

CO2 laser photo-induced decomposition of ammoniated ammonium ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ikezoe, Yasumasa; Soga, Takesi; Suzuki, Kazuya; Moriyama, Noboru; Ohno, Shin-ichi

1995-01-01

Photo-induced decomposition of ammoniated (clustered) ammonium ions was studied using a CO 2 laser to excite vibrational levels of the cluster ion. A tandem mass spectrometer (TMS) was installed with two quadrupole mass filters, a corona discharge ionization chamber, and a series of einzel lenses. Cluster ions of NH 4 + ·nNH 3 with n=1-7 were formed in TMS, and found to decompose at the frequency of 1077 cm -1 to an extent in proportional to laser intensity. CO 2 laser between 925 and 1055 do not decompose the cluster ions with laser intensities examined. (author)

Black phosphorus induced photo-doping for high-performance organic-silicon heterojunction photovoltaics

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Zhouhui Xia; Pengfei Li; Yuqiang Liu; Tao Song; Qiaoliang Bao; Shuit-Tong Lee; Baoquan Sun

2017-01-01

In conventional crystalline silicon (Si) homojunction solar cells,a strategy of doping by transporting phosphorus or boron impurities into Si is commonly used to build Ohmic contacts at rear electrodes.However,this technique involves an energy intensive,high temperature (～ 800 ℃) process and toxic doping materials.Black phosphorus (BP) is a two-dimensional,narrow bandgap semiconductor with high carrier mobility that exhibits broad light harvesting properties.Here,we place BP:zinc oxide (ZnO) composite films between Si and aluminum (Al) to improve their contact.Once the BP harvests photons with energies below 1.1 eV from the crystalline Si,the ZnO carrier concentration increases dramatically due to charge injection.This photo-induced doping results in a high carrier concentration in the ZnO film,mimicking the modulated doping technique used in semiconductor heterojunctions.We show that photo-induced carriers dramatically increase the conductivities of the BP-modified ZnO films,thus reducing the contact resistance between Si and Al.A photovoltaic power conversion efficiency of 15.2％ is achieved in organic-Si heterojunction solar cells that use a ZnO:BP layer.These findings demonstrate an effective way of improving Si/metal contact via a simple,low temperature process.

A comparative view of radiation, photo and photocatalytically induced oxidation of water pollutants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Getoff, N.

1997-01-01

Water resources are presently overloaded with biologically resistant (refractory) pollutants. Several oxidation methods have been developed for their degradation, the most efficient of which is irradiation treatment, particularly that based on e-beam processing in the presence of O 2 /O 3 . The next-best method is photoinduced pollutant oxidation with VUV- and/or UV-light, using H 2 O 2 or H 2 O 2 /O 3 as an additional source of OH radicals. The photocatalytic method, using e.g. TiO 2 as a catalyst in combination with oxidation agents such as H 2 O 2 or H 2 O 2 /O 3 , is also recommended. The suitability of these three methods is illustrated by examples and they are briefly discussed and compared on the basis of the energy consumption and efficiency. Other methods, such as ozone treatment, the photo-Fenton process, ultrasonic and electrochemical treatments, as well as the well known biological process and thermal oxidation of refractory pollutants, are briefly mentioned. (author)

Review of iron oxide for photo electrode application in water splitting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amir Memar; Mohammad Kassim

2009-01-01

Full text: The use of the photoelectrochemical (PEC) route in hydrogen production is a promising, valuable, clean and efficient way of storing solar energy for use in hydrogen-powered fuel cells. Iron oxide (α-Fe 2 O 3 ) is an attractive photo electrode in PEC cell due to its constructive bandgap of ∼ 2.2 eV, lying in the visible region. This paper presents a review of the different methods of Fe2O3 thin film production and the characterization of the thin film and its application for photo-electrochemical hydrogen production. (author)

High-aspect ratio micro- and nanostructures enabled by photo-electrochemical etching for sensing and energy harvesting applications

Science.gov (United States)

Alhalaili, Badriyah; Dryden, Daniel M.; Vidu, Ruxandra; Ghandiparsi, Soroush; Cansizoglu, Hilal; Gao, Yang; Saif Islam, M.

2018-03-01

Photo-electrochemical (PEC) etching can produce high-aspect ratio features, such as pillars and holes, with high anisotropy and selectivity, while avoiding the surface and sidewall damage caused by traditional deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) or inductively coupled plasma (ICP) RIE. Plasma-based techniques lead to the formation of dangling bonds, surface traps, carrier leakage paths, and recombination centers. In pursuit of effective PEC etching, we demonstrate an optical system using long wavelength (λ = 975 nm) infra-red (IR) illumination from a high-power laser (1-10 W) to control the PEC etching process in n-type silicon. The silicon wafer surface was patterned with notches through a lithography process and KOH etching. Then, PEC etching was introduced by illuminating the backside of the silicon wafer to enhance depth, resulting in high-aspect ratio structures. The effect of the PEC etching process was optimized by varying light intensities and electrolyte concentrations. This work was focused on determining and optimizing this PEC etching technique on silicon, with the goal of expanding the method to a variety of materials including GaN and SiC that are used in designing optoelectronic and electronic devices, sensors and energy harvesting devices.

Perchlorate reduction during electrochemically induced pitting corrosion of zero-valent titanium (ZVT)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Chunwoo, E-mail: clee@doosanhydro.com [Department of Research and Development, Doosan Hydro Technology, Inc, Tampa, FL 33619 (United States); Batchelor, Bill [Zachry Department of Civil Engineering, Texas A and M University, College Station, TX 77840 (United States); Park, Sung Hyuk [Environmental and Engineering Research Team, GS Engineering and Construction Research Institute, Youngin, Kyunggi-do 449-831 (Korea, Republic of); Han, Dong Suk; Abdel-Wahab, Ahmed [Chemical Engineering Program, Texas A and M University at Qatar, Education City, Doha, PO Box 23874 (Qatar); Kramer, Timothy A.

2011-12-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer ZVT is oxidized during electrochemically induced pitting corrosion to produce reactive soluble species. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Perchlorate is effectively reduced to chloride by soluble titanium species. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Solution pH and surface area of ZVT showed negligible effects on rates of perchlorate reduction. - Abstract: Zero-valent metals and ionic metal species are a popular reagent for the abatement of contaminants in drinking water and groundwater and perchlorate is a contaminant of increasing concern. However, perchlorate degradation using commonly used reductants such as zero-valent metals and soluble reduced metal species is kinetically limited. Titanium in the zero-valent and soluble states has a high thermodynamic potential to reduce perchlorate. Here we show that perchlorate is effectively reduced to chloride by soluble titanium species in a system where the surface oxide film is removed from ZVT and ZVT is oxidized during electrochemically induced pitting corrosion to produce reactive soluble species. The pitting potential of ZVT was measured as 12.77 {+-} 0.04 V (SHE) for a 100 mM solution of perchlorate. The rate of perchlorate reduction was independent of the imposed potential as long as the potential was maintained above the pitting potential, but it was proportional to the applied current. Solution pH and surface area of ZVT electrodes showed negligible effects on rates of perchlorate reduction. Although perchlorate is effectively reduced during electrochemically induced corrosion of ZVT, this process may not be immediately applicable to perchlorate treatment due to the high potentials needed to produce active reductants, the amount of titanium consumed, the inhibition of perchlorate removal by chloride, and oxidation of chloride to chlorine.

Perchlorate reduction during electrochemically induced pitting corrosion of zero-valent titanium (ZVT)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Chunwoo; Batchelor, Bill; Park, Sung Hyuk; Han, Dong Suk; Abdel-Wahab, Ahmed; Kramer, Timothy A.

2011-01-01

Highlights: ► ZVT is oxidized during electrochemically induced pitting corrosion to produce reactive soluble species. ► Perchlorate is effectively reduced to chloride by soluble titanium species. ► Solution pH and surface area of ZVT showed negligible effects on rates of perchlorate reduction. - Abstract: Zero-valent metals and ionic metal species are a popular reagent for the abatement of contaminants in drinking water and groundwater and perchlorate is a contaminant of increasing concern. However, perchlorate degradation using commonly used reductants such as zero-valent metals and soluble reduced metal species is kinetically limited. Titanium in the zero-valent and soluble states has a high thermodynamic potential to reduce perchlorate. Here we show that perchlorate is effectively reduced to chloride by soluble titanium species in a system where the surface oxide film is removed from ZVT and ZVT is oxidized during electrochemically induced pitting corrosion to produce reactive soluble species. The pitting potential of ZVT was measured as 12.77 ± 0.04 V (SHE) for a 100 mM solution of perchlorate. The rate of perchlorate reduction was independent of the imposed potential as long as the potential was maintained above the pitting potential, but it was proportional to the applied current. Solution pH and surface area of ZVT electrodes showed negligible effects on rates of perchlorate reduction. Although perchlorate is effectively reduced during electrochemically induced corrosion of ZVT, this process may not be immediately applicable to perchlorate treatment due to the high potentials needed to produce active reductants, the amount of titanium consumed, the inhibition of perchlorate removal by chloride, and oxidation of chloride to chlorine.

The photo-dielectric effect in bio-systems and models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anitoff, Oleg Eric

1983-01-01

The first part of this thesis describes the photo-dielectric spectrometer, an original measurement set-up designed in order to enable the kinetic study of dielectric (or magnetic) relaxation in laser excited systems. In the second part, this new technique is applied to three systems: 1) thylakoid (the photo-electrochemically active part of the chloroplasts of green plants) and protochlorophyllide-protein complex: synchronous photo-dielectric effect, measure of the mean polarizability of laser excited states and of their degree of photonicity. 2) phases with electron traps: vitrified thylakoid (77K); chloro-aluminium chlorophthalocyanine: delayed photo-dielectric effect (RITDC) with memory effect in the former case. This effect results from the L-Fault stabilization of inverted hydrogenoid states e - L n H + , this hypothesis being further confirmed by the observation of the chemical activity of γ irradiated phosphate glasses (phosphorylative activity). These later systems can also be phonon activated at pH 8, thus opening the way to the quantitative analysis of the electro-vibronic interaction in chromophore-protein complexes. 3) Inverted micelles of Aerosol O.T.: thermodynamical and kinetic analysis of the structure of bounded water aggregates through photo-thermo-dielectric effect. (author) [fr

Photo-induced changes in nano-copper oxide for optoelectronic applications

Science.gov (United States)

Hendi, A. A.; Rashad, M.

2018-06-01

Copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles (NPs) have been prepared using microwave irradiation. A mother material was copper nitrate in distilled water. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used for characterizing the NPs powders. Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA) were measured for as-prepared CuO NPs. The obtained oxides NPs were confirmed produced during chemical precipitation by these characterizions. These NPs were dropped on top of glass substrate for measuring the optical characterizions. Both linear and nonlinear optical properties of the as-prepared CuO NP films were studied. The optical energy gap of the as-prepared CuO NP films is equal to 3.98 eV, which is higher than that of the bulk material. The effect of ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation on the CuO NP films was investigated at 2 and 5 h for study the photo-induced effect. The optical properties of CuO NP films were measured as a function of these UV irradiation time. The optical constants for as-prepared and irradiated CuO NP films were calculated which reflect the affect of UV irradiation time. As observed from these optical results, a highly forced for optoelectronic applications.

Does cooperativity influence the lifetime of the photo-induced HS state?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Letard, Jean-Francois; Costa, Jose Sanchez; Marcen, Silvia; Carbonera, Chiara; Desplanches, Cedric; Kobayashi, Atsushi; Daro, Nathalie; Guionneau, Philippe; Ader, Jean-Pierre

2005-01-01

We have first recalled the T(LIESST) procedure which consists to determine the temperature above which the photo-magnetic effect is erased. In addition we have selected to series of iron(II) spin crossover complexes, the [Fe(PM-L) 2 (NCS) 2 ] and [Fe(bpp) 2 ]X 2 ·nH 2 O families, to analyse the influence of the cooperativity on the stability of the photo-induced HS state. Some of these complexes exhibit gradual thermal spin crossover behaviours while some others undergo an abrupt thermal transition, with and without hysteresis. Interestingly, whatever the cooperativity effect on the thermal spin crossover transition, the lifetime of the metastable state of all these derivates remains governed by the T(LIESST) = T 0 - 0.31 T 1/2 relation. Finally, we have investigated the magnetic and the photomagnetic properties of a [Fe(bpp) 2 ]-Nafion film. Once more the role of the cooperativity on the stability of the photoinduced HS state appears minor. Conversely, the influence of the nature and the geometry of the inner coordination sphere appears preponderant

Photo-EMF Sensitivity of Porous Silicon Thin Layer–Crystalline Silicon Heterojunction to Ammonia Adsorption

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kae Dal Kwack

2011-01-01

Full Text Available A new method of using photo-electromotive force in detecting gas and controlling sensitivity is proposed. Photo-electromotive force on the heterojunction between porous silicon thin layer and crystalline silicon wafer depends on the concentration of ammonia in the measurement chamber. A porous silicon thin layer was formed by electrochemical etching on p-type silicon wafer. A gas and light transparent electrical contact was manufactured to this porous layer. Photo-EMF sensitivity corresponding to ammonia concentration in the range from 10 ppm to 1,000 ppm can be maximized by controlling the intensity of illumination light.

Photo-EMF sensitivity of porous silicon thin layer-crystalline silicon heterojunction to ammonia adsorption.

Science.gov (United States)

Vashpanov, Yuriy; Jung, Jae Il; Kwack, Kae Dal

2011-01-01

A new method of using photo-electromotive force in detecting gas and controlling sensitivity is proposed. Photo-electromotive force on the heterojunction between porous silicon thin layer and crystalline silicon wafer depends on the concentration of ammonia in the measurement chamber. A porous silicon thin layer was formed by electrochemical etching on p-type silicon wafer. A gas and light transparent electrical contact was manufactured to this porous layer. Photo-EMF sensitivity corresponding to ammonia concentration in the range from 10 ppm to 1,000 ppm can be maximized by controlling the intensity of illumination light.

Photo-EMF Sensitivity of Porous Silicon Thin Layer–Crystalline Silicon Heterojunction to Ammonia Adsorption

Science.gov (United States)

Vashpanov, Yuriy; Jung, Jae Il; Kwack, Kae Dal

2011-01-01

A new method of using photo-electromotive force in detecting gas and controlling sensitivity is proposed. Photo-electromotive force on the heterojunction between porous silicon thin layer and crystalline silicon wafer depends on the concentration of ammonia in the measurement chamber. A porous silicon thin layer was formed by electrochemical etching on p-type silicon wafer. A gas and light transparent electrical contact was manufactured to this porous layer. Photo-EMF sensitivity corresponding to ammonia concentration in the range from 10 ppm to 1,000 ppm can be maximized by controlling the intensity of illumination light. PMID:22319353

Precise thickness control in recess etching of AlGaN/GaN hetero-structure using photocarrier-regulated electrochemical process

Science.gov (United States)

Kumazaki, Yusuke; Uemura, Keisuke; Sato, Taketomo; Hashizume, Tamotsu

2017-05-01

The photocarrier-regulated electrochemical (PREC) process was developed for fabricating recessed-gate AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) for normally off operation. The PREC process is based on photo-assisted electrochemical etching using low-energy chemical reactions. The fundamental photo-electrochemical measurements on AlGaN/GaN heterostructures revealed that the photo-carriers generated in the top AlGaN layer caused homogeneous etching of AlGaN with a smooth surface, but those generated in the GaN layer underneath caused inhomogeneous etching that roughens the surface. The concept of the PREC process is to supply the photo-carriers generated only in the AlGaN layer by selecting proper conditions on light wavelength and voltage. The phenomenon of self-termination etching has been observed during the PREC process, where the etching depth was controlled by light intensity. The recessed-gate AlGaN/GaN HEMT fabricated with the PREC process showed positive threshold voltage and improvement in transconductance compared to planar-gate AlGaN/GaN HEMTs.

Photo-induced electrochemical functionality of the TiO.sub.2./sub. nanoscale films

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kment, Štěpán; Klusoň, Petr; Straňák, Vítězslav; Virostko, Petr; Krýsa, J.; Čada, Martin; Prachařová, Jarmila; Kohout, Michal; Morozová, Magdalena; Adámek, Petr; Hubička, Zdeněk

2009-01-01

Roč. 54, č. 12 (2009), s. 3352-3359 ISSN 0013-4686 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR KAN400720701; GA AV ČR KAN301370701; GA AV ČR KJB100100703 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100522; CEZ:AV0Z40720504 Keywords : titanium oxide * nanostructure * sol–gel * photocurrent * surfatron Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 3.325, year: 2009

Neutron dosimetry using electrochemical etching

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Su, S.J.; Stillwagon, G.B.; Morgan, K.Z.

1977-01-01

Registration of α-tracks and fast-neutron-induced recoils tracks by the electrochemical etching technique as applied to sensitive polymer foils (e.g., polycarbonate) provides a simple, sensitive and inexpensive means of fast neutron personnel dosimetry as well as a valuable research tool for microdosimetry. When tracks were amplified by our electrochemical technique and the etching results compared with conventional etching technique a striking difference was noted. The electrochemically etched tracks were of much larger diameter (approx. 100 μm) and gave superior contrast. Two optical devices--the transparency projector and microfiche reader--were adapted to facilitate counting of the tracks appearing on our polycarbonate foils. The projector produced a magnification of 14X for a screen to projector distance of 5.0 meter and read's magnification was 50X. A Poisson distribution was determined for the number of tracks located in a particular area of the foil and experimentally verified by random counting of quarter sections of the microfiche reader screen. Finally, in an effort to determine dose equivalent (rem), a conversion factor is being determined by finding the sensitivity response (tracks/neutron) of recoil particle induced tracks as a function of monoenergetic fast neutrons and comparing results with those obtained by others

Electrochemically induced reactions in soils - a new approach to the in-situ remediation of contaminated soils?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rahner, D.; Ludwig, G.; Roehrs, J. [Dresden Univ. of Technology, Inst. of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry (Germany); Neumann, V.; Nitsche, C.; Guderitz, I. [Soil and Groundwater Lab. GmbH, Dresden (Germany)

2001-07-01

Electrochemical reactions can be induced in soils if the soil matrix contains particles or films with electronic conducting properties ('microconductors'). In these cases the wet soil may act as a 'diluted' electrochemical solid bed reactor. A discussion of this reaction principle within the soil matrix will be presented here. It will be shown, that under certain conditions immobile organic contaminants may be converted. (orig.)

Toward an Aqueous Solar Battery: Direct Electrochemical Storage of Solar Energy in Carbon Nitrides.

Science.gov (United States)

Podjaski, Filip; Kröger, Julia; Lotsch, Bettina V

2018-03-01

Graphitic carbon nitrides have emerged as an earth-abundant family of polymeric materials for solar energy conversion. Herein, a 2D cyanamide-functionalized polyheptazine imide (NCN-PHI) is reported, which for the first time enables the synergistic coupling of two key functions of energy conversion within one single material: light harvesting and electrical energy storage. Photo-electrochemical measurements in aqueous electrolytes reveal the underlying mechanism of this "solar battery" material: the charge storage in NCN-PHI is based on the photoreduction of the carbon nitride backbone and charge compensation is realized by adsorption of alkali metal ions within the NCN-PHI layers and at the solution interface. The photoreduced carbon nitride can thus be described as a battery anode operating as a pseudocapacitor, which can store light-induced charge in the form of long-lived, "trapped" electrons for hours. Importantly, the potential window of this process is not limited by the water reduction reaction due to the high intrinsic overpotential of carbon nitrides for hydrogen evolution, potentially enabling new applications for aqueous batteries. Thus, the feasibility of light-induced electrical energy storage and release on demand by a one-component light-charged battery anode is demonstrated, which provides a sustainable solution to overcome the intermittency of solar radiation. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Influence of surface states of CuInS{sub 2} quantum dots in quantum dots sensitized photo-electrodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peng, Zhuoyin; Liu, Yueli [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070 (China); Wu, Lei [School of Electronic and Electrical, Wuhan Railway Vocational College of Technology, Wuhan 430205 (China); Zhao, Yinghan; Chen, Keqiang [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070 (China); Chen, Wen, E-mail: chenw@whut.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070 (China)

2016-12-01

Graphical abstract: J–V curves of different ligands capped CuInS{sub 2} QDs sensitized TiO{sub 2} photo-electrodes. - Highlights: • DDT, OLA, MPA, and S{sup 2−} ligand capped CuInS{sub 2} quantum dot sensitized photo-electrodes are prepared. • Surface states of quantum dots greatly influence the electrochemical performance of CuInS{sub 2} quantum dot sensitized photo-electrodes. • S{sup 2−} ligand enhances the UV–vis absorption and electron–hole separation property as well as the excellent charge transfer performance of the photo-electrodes. - Abstract: Surface states are significant factor for the enhancement of electrochemical performance in CuInS{sub 2} quantum dot sensitized photo-electrodes. DDT, OLA, MPA, and S{sup 2−} ligand capped CuInS{sub 2} quantum dot sensitized photo-electrodes are prepared by thermolysis, solvethermal and ligand-exchange processes, respectively, and their optical properties and photoelectrochemical properties are investigated. The S{sup 2−} ligand enhances the UV–vis absorption and electron–hole separation property as well as the excellent charge transfer performance of the photo-electrodes, which is attributed to the fact that the atomic S{sup 2−} ligand for the interfacial region of quantum dots may improve the electron transfer rate. These S{sup 2−}-capped CuInS{sub 2} quantum dot sensitized photo-electrodes exhibit the excellent photoelectrochemical efficiency and IPCE peak value, which is higher than that of the samples with DDT, OLA and MPA ligands.

Controlling the optical and structural properties of ZnS–AgInS2 nanocrystals by using a photo-induced process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takashi Yatsui

2014-10-01

Full Text Available ZnS–AgInS2 (ZAIS solid-solution nanocrystals are promising materials for nanophotonic devices in the visible region because of their low toxicity and good emission properties. We developed a technique of photo-induced synthesis to control the size and composition of the ZAIS nanocrystals. This method successfully decreased the defect levels, as well as the size and size variation of ZAIS nanocrystals by controlling the excitation wavelength during synthesis. Detailed analysis of transmission electron microscope images confirmed that the photo-induced synthesis yielded a high crystallinity of the ZAIS nanocrystals with small variations in size and content.

Efficient STEP (solar thermal electrochemical photo) production of hydrogen - an economic assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Licht, Stuart [Department of Chemistry, George Washington University, Ashburn, VA 20147 (United States); Solar Institute, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052 (United States); Chitayat, Olivia; Bergmann, Harry; Dick, Andrew; Ayub, Hina [Solar Institute, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052 (United States); Ghosh, Susanta [Department of Chemistry, George Washington University, Ashburn, VA 20147 (United States); Department of Chemistry, Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan (India)

2010-10-15

A consideration of the economic viability of hydrogen fuel production is important in the STEP (Solar Thermal Electrochemical Photo) production of hydrogen fuel. STEP is an innovative way to decrease costs and increase the efficiency of hydrogen fuel production, which is a synergistic process that can use concentrating photovoltaics (CPV) and solar thermal energy to drive a high temperature, low voltage, electrolysis (water-splitting), resulting in H{sub 2} at decreased energy and higher solar efficiency. This study provides evidence that the STEP system is an economically viable solution for the production of hydrogen. STEP occurs at both higher electrolysis and solar conversion efficiencies than conventional room temperature photovoltaic (PV) generation of hydrogen. This paper probes the economic viability of this process, by comparing four different systems: (1) 10% or (2) 14% flat plate PV driven aqueous alkaline electrolysis H{sub 2} production, (3) 25% CPV driven molten electrolysis H{sub 2} production, and (4) 35% CPV driven solid oxide electrolysis H{sub 2} production. The molten and solid oxide electrolysers are high temperature systems that can make use of light, normally discarded, for heating. This significantly increases system efficiency. Using levelized cost analysis, this study shows significant cost reduction using the STEP system. The total price per kg of hydrogen is shown to decrease from 5.74 to 4.96 to 3.01 to 2.61 with the four alternative systems. The advanced STEP plant requires less than one seventh of the land area of the 10% flat cell plant. To generate the 216 million kg H{sub 2}/year required by 1 million fuel cell vehicles, the 35% CPV driven solid oxide electrolysis requires a plant only 9.6 mi{sup 2} in area. While PV and electrolysis components dominate the cost of conventional PV generated hydrogen, they do not dominate the cost of the STEP-generated hydrogen. The lower cost of STEP hydrogen is driven by residual distribution and

DEMONSTRATION OF ELECTROCHEMICAL REMEDIATION TECHNOLOGIES-INDUCED COMPLEXATION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barry L. Burks

2002-12-01

The Project Team is submitting this Topical Report on the results of its bench-scale demonstration of ElectroChemical Remediation Technologies (ECRTs) and in particular the Induced Complexation (ECRTs-IC) process for remediation of mercury contaminated soils at DOE Complex sites. ECRTs is an innovative, in-situ, geophysically based soil remediation technology with over 50 successful commercial site applications involving remediation of over two million metric tons of contaminated soils. ECRTs-IC has been successfully used to remediate 220 cu m of mercury-contaminated sediments in the Union Canal, Scotland. In that operation, ECRTs-IC reduced sediment total mercury levels from an average of 243 mg/kg to 6 mg/kg in 26 days of operation. The clean up objective was to achieve an average total mercury level in the sediment of 20 mg/kg.

Flow-induced corrosion of absorbable magnesium alloy: In-situ and real-time electrochemical study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Juan; Jang, Yongseok; Wan, Guojiang; Giridharan, Venkataraman; Song, Guang-Ling; Xu, Zhigang; Koo, Youngmi; Qi, Pengkai; Sankar, Jagannathan; Huang, Nan; Yun, Yeoheung

2016-01-01

Highlights: • An in-situ and real-time electrochemical monitoring of flow-induced corrosion of Mg alloy is designed in a vascular bioreactor. • Effect of hydrodynamics on corrosion kinetics, types, rates and products is analyzed. • Flow accelerates mass and electron transfer, leading to an increase in uniform and localized corrosions. • Flow increases not only the thickness of uniform corrosion product layer, but the removal rate of localized corrosion products. • Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and linear polarization-measured polarization resistances provide a consistent correlation to corrosion rate calculated by computed tomography. - Abstract: An in-situ and real-time electrochemical study in a vascular bioreactor was designed to analyze corrosion mechanism of magnesium alloy (MgZnCa) under mimetic hydrodynamic conditions. Effect of hydrodynamics on corrosion kinetics, types, rates and products was analyzed. Flow-induced shear stress (FISS) accelerated mass and electron transfer, leading to an increase in uniform and localized corrosions. FISS increased the thickness of uniform corrosion layer, but filiform corrosion decreased this layer resistance at high FISS conditions. FISS also increased the removal rate of localized corrosion products. Impedance-estimated and linear polarization-measured polarization resistances provided a consistent correlation to corrosion rate calculated by computed tomography.

Nanoparticle-functionalized nucleic acids: A strategy for amplified electrochemical detection of some single-base mismatches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahangar, Laleh Enayati; Mehrgardi, Masoud A.

2011-01-01

In this study, nanoparticle-functionalized nucleic acids were employed to improve the sensitivity of electrochemical DNA biosensors that make capable them to detect different types of single-base mismatches (SBMs), including thermodynamically stable ones. The present biosensor was constructed by the immobilization of platinum nanoparticles (Pt-NPs) on the surface of a carbon paste electrode (CPE) via SH-functionalized DNA. A redox probe of 2-mercapto-1-methyl imidazole (MMI), which has different electrochemical behavior on Pt-NP and CPE, was used. This behavior helps to overcome the pinhole effect in DNA hybridization biosensors. Additionally, in the present biosensor, the positioning of the redox probe under the SBM in DNA, which decreases the sensitivity of most DNA biosensors, did not contribute to the observed electrochemical signal.

Nanoparticle-functionalized nucleic acids: A strategy for amplified electrochemical detection of some single-base mismatches

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahangar, Laleh Enayati [Department of Chemistry, University of Isfahan, Isfahan 81746-73441 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Mehrgardi, Masoud A., E-mail: m.mehrgardi@gmail.co [Department of Chemistry, University of Isfahan, Isfahan 81746-73441 (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2011-02-15

In this study, nanoparticle-functionalized nucleic acids were employed to improve the sensitivity of electrochemical DNA biosensors that make capable them to detect different types of single-base mismatches (SBMs), including thermodynamically stable ones. The present biosensor was constructed by the immobilization of platinum nanoparticles (Pt-NPs) on the surface of a carbon paste electrode (CPE) via SH-functionalized DNA. A redox probe of 2-mercapto-1-methyl imidazole (MMI), which has different electrochemical behavior on Pt-NP and CPE, was used. This behavior helps to overcome the pinhole effect in DNA hybridization biosensors. Additionally, in the present biosensor, the positioning of the redox probe under the SBM in DNA, which decreases the sensitivity of most DNA biosensors, did not contribute to the observed electrochemical signal.

Aggregation of Individual Sensing Units for Signal Accumulation: Conversion of Liquid-Phase Colorimetric Assay into Enhanced Surface-Tethered Electrochemical Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Tianxiang; Dong, Tingting; Wang, Zhaoyin; Bao, Jianchun; Tu, Wenwen; Dai, Zhihui

2015-07-22

A novel concept is proposed for converting liquid-phase colorimetric assay into enhanced surface-tethered electrochemical analysis, which is based on the analyte-induced formation of a network architecture of metal nanoparticles (MNs). In a proof-of-concept trial, thymine-functionalized silver nanoparticle (Ag-T) is designed as the sensing unit for Hg(2+) determination. Through a specific T-Hg(2+)-T coordination, the validation system based on functionalized sensing units not only can perform well in a colorimetric Hg(2+) assay, but also can be developed into a more sensitive and stable electrochemical Hg(2+) sensor. In electrochemical analysis, the simple principle of analyte-induced aggregation of MNs can be used as a dual signal amplification strategy for significantly improving the detection sensitivity. More importantly, those numerous and diverse colorimetric assays that rely on the target-induced aggregation of MNs can be augmented to satisfy the ambitious demands of sensitive analysis by converting them into electrochemical assays via this approach.

Ferrimagnetic resonance study on photo-induced magnetism in hybrid magnetic semiconductor V(TCNE)x, x ˜2 film

Science.gov (United States)

Yoo, Jung-Woo; Shima Edelstein, R.; Lincoln, D. M.; Epstein, A. J.

2007-03-01

The V(TCNE)x, x˜2 is a fully spin-polarized magnetic semiconductor, whose magnetic order exceeds room temperature (Tc > 350 K), and electronic transport follows hopping mechanism through the Coulomb energy split &*circ; subband. In addition, it was determined that this material has thermally reversible persistent change in both magnetism and conductivity driven by the optical excitation [1]. Here, we report detailed investigation on photo-induced magnetism in V(TCNE)x by employing ferrimagnetic resonance (PIFMR) study with an in-situ light illumination. Upon optical excitation (λ˜ 457.9 nm), the FMR spectra display substantial change in their linewidth and resonance field. Angular dependence analyses of line shift indicate the increase of unixial anisotropy field in the film caused by the light irradiation. The results demonstrated that the change in overall magnetic anisotropy by the illumination plays an important role in inducing photo- induced magnetism in (TCNE) class magnet. [1] J.-W. Yoo, et al. to be published in Phys. Rev. Lett.

A functional analysis of photo-object matching skills of severely retarded adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Dixon, L S

1981-01-01

Matching-to-sample procedures were used to assess picture representation skills of severely retarded, nonverbal adolescents. Identity matching within the classes of objects and life-size, full-color photos of the objects was first used to assess visual discrimination, a necessary condition for picture representation. Picture representation was then assessed through photo-object matching tasks. Five students demonstrated visual discrimination (identity matching) within the two classes of photos and the objects. Only one student demonstrated photo-object matching. The results of the four students who failed to demonstrate photo-object matching suggested that physical properties of photos (flat, rectangular) and depth dimensions of objects may exert more control over matching than the similarities of the objects and images within the photos. An analysis of figure-ground variables was conducted to provide an empirical basis for program development in the use of pictures. In one series of tests, rectangular shape and background were removed by cutting out the figures in the photos. The edge shape of the photo and the edge shape of the image were then identical. The results suggest that photo-object matching may be facilitated by using cut-out figures rather than the complete rectangular photo.

Photo-induced insulator-metal transition in Pr0.6Ca0.4MnO3 thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition: Effect of thickness dependent structural and transport properties

Science.gov (United States)

Elovaara, Tomi; Huhtinen, Hannu; Majumdar, Sayani; Paturi, Petriina

2016-09-01

We report photo-induced colossal magnetoresistive insulator-metal transition (IMT) in Pr0.6Ca0.4MnO3 thin films under much reduced applied magnetic field. The colossal effect was studied as a function of film thickness and thus with variable structural properties. Thorough structural, magnetic and magnetotransport characterization under light shows that the highest effect on the transition field can be obtained in the thinnest film (38 nm). However, due to the substrate induced strain of this film the required magnetic field for IMT is quite high. The best crystalline properties of the 110 nm film lead to the lowest IMT field under light and 109% change in resistance at 10 K. With increasing thickness, the film properties start to move more toward the bulk material and, hence, IMT is no more observed under the applied field of 9 T. Our results indicate that for obtaining large photo-induced CMR, the best epitaxial quality of thin films is essential.

Morphology-dependent photo-induced polarization recovery in ferroelectric thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, J. Y.; Liu, G.; Sando, D.; Nagarajan, V.; Seidel, J.

2017-08-01

We investigate photo-induced ferroelectric domain switching in a series of Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3/La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (PZT/LSMO) bilayer thin films with varying surface morphologies by piezoresponse force microscopy under light illumination. We demonstrate that reverse poled ferroelectric regions can be almost fully recovered under laser irradiation of the PZT layer and that the recovery process is dependent on the surface morphology on the nanometer scale. The recovery process is well described by the Kolmogorov-Avrami-Ishibashi model, and the evolution speed is controlled by light intensity, sample thickness, and initial write voltage. Our findings shed light on optical control of the domain structure in ferroelectric thin films with different surface morphologies.

Surface grafting via photo-induced copper-mediated radical polymerization at extremely low catalyst concentrations

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Laun, J.; Vorobii, Mariia; de los Santos Pereira, Andres; Pop-Georgievski, Ognen; Trouillet, V.; Welle, A.; Barner-Kowollik, C.; Rodriguez-Emmenegger, Cesar; Junkers, T.

2015-01-01

Roč. 36, č. 18 (2015), s. 1681-1686 ISSN 1022-1336 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GJ15-09368Y; GA MŠk(CZ) ED1.1.00/02.0109 Grant - others:OPPK(XE) CZ.2.16/3.1.00/21545 Program:OPPK Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : copper-mediated polymerization * photo-induced polymerization * polymer brushes Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 4.638, year: 2015

Amine functionalized graphene oxide/CNT nanocomposite for ultrasensitive electrochemical detection of trinitrotoluene

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sablok, Kavita; Bhalla, Vijayender; Sharma, Priyanka; Kaushal, Roohi; Chaudhary, Shilpa [Institute of Microbial Technology (CSIR) Sector-39A, Chandigarh160036 (India); Suri, C. Raman, E-mail: raman@imtech.res.in [Institute of Microbial Technology (CSIR) Sector-39A, Chandigarh160036 (India)

2013-03-15

Highlights: ► Binding of electron-deficient trinitrotoluene to the electron rich amino groups to form JM complexes. ► rGO/CNT based platform for enhanced electrochemical detection. ► Functionalization and characterization of rGO/CNT with amine derivative. ► Ultrasenstitive and specific detection of TNT. -- Abstract: Binding of electron-deficient trinitrotoluene (TNT) to the electron rich amine groups on a substrate form specific charge-transfer Jackson–Meisenheimer (JM) complex. In the present work, we report formation of specific JM complex on amine functionalized reduced graphene oxide/carbon nanotubes- (a-rGO/CNT) nanocomposite leading to sensitive detection of TNT. The CNT were dispersed using graphene oxide that provides excellent dispersion by attaching to CNT through its hydrophobic domains and solubilizes through the available -OH and -COOH groups on screen printed electrode (SPE). The GO was reduced electrochemically to form reduced graphene that remarkably increases electrochemical properties owing to the intercalation of high aspect CNT on graphene flakes as shown by TEM micrograph. The surface amine functionalization of dropcasted and rGO/CNT was carried out using a bi-functional cross linker ethylenediamine. The extent of amine functionalization on modified electrodes was confirmed using energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and confocal microscopy. The FTIR and Raman spectra further suggested the formation of JM complex between amine functionalized electrodes and TNT leading to a shift in peak intensity together with peak broadening. The a-rGO/CNT nanocomposite prepared electrode surface leads to ultra-trace detection of TNT upto 0.01 ppb with good reproducibility (n = 3). The a-rGO/CNT sensing platform could be an alternate for sensitive detection of TNT explosive for various security and environmental applications.

Amine functionalized graphene oxide/CNT nanocomposite for ultrasensitive electrochemical detection of trinitrotoluene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sablok, Kavita; Bhalla, Vijayender; Sharma, Priyanka; Kaushal, Roohi; Chaudhary, Shilpa; Suri, C. Raman

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Binding of electron-deficient trinitrotoluene to the electron rich amino groups to form JM complexes. ► rGO/CNT based platform for enhanced electrochemical detection. ► Functionalization and characterization of rGO/CNT with amine derivative. ► Ultrasenstitive and specific detection of TNT. -- Abstract: Binding of electron-deficient trinitrotoluene (TNT) to the electron rich amine groups on a substrate form specific charge-transfer Jackson–Meisenheimer (JM) complex. In the present work, we report formation of specific JM complex on amine functionalized reduced graphene oxide/carbon nanotubes- (a-rGO/CNT) nanocomposite leading to sensitive detection of TNT. The CNT were dispersed using graphene oxide that provides excellent dispersion by attaching to CNT through its hydrophobic domains and solubilizes through the available -OH and -COOH groups on screen printed electrode (SPE). The GO was reduced electrochemically to form reduced graphene that remarkably increases electrochemical properties owing to the intercalation of high aspect CNT on graphene flakes as shown by TEM micrograph. The surface amine functionalization of dropcasted and rGO/CNT was carried out using a bi-functional cross linker ethylenediamine. The extent of amine functionalization on modified electrodes was confirmed using energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and confocal microscopy. The FTIR and Raman spectra further suggested the formation of JM complex between amine functionalized electrodes and TNT leading to a shift in peak intensity together with peak broadening. The a-rGO/CNT nanocomposite prepared electrode surface leads to ultra-trace detection of TNT upto 0.01 ppb with good reproducibility (n = 3). The a-rGO/CNT sensing platform could be an alternate for sensitive detection of TNT explosive for various security and environmental applications

Separation of photo-induced radical pair in cryptochrome to a functionally critical distance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Solov'yov, Ilia; Domratcheva, Tatiana; Schulten, Klaus

2014-01-01

Cryptochrome is a blue light receptor that acts as a sensor for the geomagnetic field and assists many animals in long-range navigation. The magnetoreceptor function arises from light-induced formation of a radical pair through electron transfer between a flavin cofactor (FAD) and a triad...... of tryptophan residues. Here, this electron transfer is investigated by quantum chemical and classical molecular dynamics calculations. The results reveal how sequential electron transfer, assisted by rearrangement of polar side groups in the cryptochrome interior, can yield a FAD-Trp radical pair state...... step can overcome in speed both recombination (electron back-transfer) and proton transfer involving the radical pair reached after primary electron transfer....

Carboxyl functionalized carbon fibers with preserved tensile strength and electrochemical performance used as anodes of structural lithium-ion batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng, Mengjie; Wang, Shubin; Yu, Yalin; Feng, Qihang; Yang, Jiping; Zhang, Boming

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Carboxyl functionalized CF is acquired by simple chemical oxidation method. • These CF have preserved the tensile strength, better electrochemical properties. • The presence of H_3PO_4 prevented the turbostratic carbon from over-oxidization. • There CF can be used as anodes of multifunctional structural battery. • The preservation and improvement is result from the hindered over-oxidization. - Abstract: Carboxyl functionalized carbon fibers with preserved tensile strength and electrochemical properties were acquired through a simple chemical oxidation method, and the proposed underlying mechanism was verified. The surface of carboxyl functionalizing carbon fibers is necessary in acquiring functional groups on the surface of carbon fibers to further improve the thermal, electrical or mechanical properties of the fibers. Functionalization should preserve the tensile strength and electrochemical properties of carbon fibers, because the anodes of structural batteries need to have high strength and electrochemical properties. Functionalized with mixed H_2SO_4/HNO_3 considerably reduced the tensile strength of carbon fibers. By contrast, the appearance of H_3PO_4 preserved the tensile strength of functionalized carbon fibers, reduced the dispersion level of tensile strength values, and effectively increased the concentration of functional acid groups on the surface of carbon fibers. The presence of phosphoric acid hindered the over-oxidation of turbostratic carbon, and consequently preserved the tensile strength of carbon fibers. The increased proportion of turbostratic carbon on the surface of carbon fibers concurrently enhanced the electrochemical properties of carbon fibers.

Efficient electrochemical regeneration of nicotinamide cofactors using a cyclopentadienyl-rhodium complex on functionalized indium tin oxide electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Soojin; Lee, Ga Ye; Lee, Jungha; Rajkumar, Eswaran; Baeg, Jin-Ook; Kim, Jinheung

2013-01-01

Functionalized ITO electrodes are used to regenerate NADH using [Cp*Rh(bpy)(H 2 O)] 2+ (Cp* = pentamethylcyclopentadienyl, bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine) electrochemically in a buffer solution. Amino- and mercapto-functionalized electrodes featured higher activity and stability for electrocatalytic generation of NADH than a bare ITO electrode. Effect of metal nanoparticles was also studied on modified ITO electrodes and the addition of platinum nanoparticles even resulted in improved activity. The electrochemical regeneration was somewhat affected in the presence of dioxygen, but not significantly. In addition, a conversion of carbon dioxide was carried out utilizing the electrochemically generated NADH and formate dehydrogenase to produce formic acid

Graphene-Paper Based Electrochemical Sensors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Minwei; Halder, Arnab; Cao, Xianyi

2017-01-01

in electrochemical sensors and energy technologies amongothers. In this chapter, we present some examples to overview recent advances in theresearch and development of two-dimensional (2D) graphene papers as new materialsfor electrochemical sensors. The chapter covers the design, fabrication, functionalizationand...... functionalization ofgraphene papers with polymer and nanoscale functional building blocks for electrochemical-sensing purposes. In terms of electrochemical-sensing applications, the emphasis ison enzyme-graphene and nanoparticle-graphene paper-based systems for the detectionof glucose. We finally conclude...

A comparative view of radiation, photo and photocatalytically induced oxidation of water pollutants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Getoff, N [Institute for Theoretical Chemistry and Radiation Chemistry, Univ. of Vienna, Vienna (Austria)

1997-10-01

Water resources are presently overloaded with biologically resistant (refractory) pollutants. Several oxidation methods have been developed for their degradation, the most efficient of which is irradiation treatment, particularly that based on e-beam processing in the presence of O{sub 2}/O{sub 3}. The next-best method is photoinduced pollutant oxidation with VUV- and/or UV-light, using H{sub 2}O{sub 2} or H{sub 2}O{sub 2}/O{sub 3} as an additional source of OH radicals. The photocatalytic method, using e.g. TiO{sub 2} as a catalyst in combination with oxidation agents such as H{sub 2}O{sub 2} or H{sub 2}O{sub 2}/O{sub 3}, is also recommended. The suitability of these three methods is illustrated by examples and they are briefly discussed and compared on the basis of the energy consumption and efficiency. Other methods, such as ozone treatment, the photo-Fenton process, ultrasonic and electrochemical treatments, as well as the well known biological process and thermal oxidation of refractory pollutants, are briefly mentioned. (author). 36 refs, 9 figs, 3 tabs.

Photo-induced transformation process at gold clusters-semiconductor interface: Implications for the complexity of gold clusters-based photocatalysis

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Siqi; Xu, Yi-Jun

2016-03-01

The recent thrust in utilizing atomically precise organic ligands protected gold clusters (Au clusters) as photosensitizer coupled with semiconductors for nano-catalysts has led to the claims of improved efficiency in photocatalysis. Nonetheless, the influence of photo-stability of organic ligands protected-Au clusters at the Au/semiconductor interface on the photocatalytic properties remains rather elusive. Taking Au clusters-TiO2 composites as a prototype, we for the first time demonstrate the photo-induced transformation of small molecular-like Au clusters to larger metallic Au nanoparticles under different illumination conditions, which leads to the diverse photocatalytic reaction mechanism. This transformation process undergoes a diffusion/aggregation mechanism accompanied with the onslaught of Au clusters by active oxygen species and holes resulting from photo-excited TiO2 and Au clusters. However, such Au clusters aggregation can be efficiently inhibited by tuning reaction conditions. This work would trigger rational structural design and fine condition control of organic ligands protected-metal clusters-semiconductor composites for diverse photocatalytic applications with long-term photo-stability.

Photo-Enhanced Hydrogen Transport Technology for Clean Renewable Electrochemical Energy Systems, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Solid oxide fuel cells and electrolyzers are promising electrochemical devices for space and terrestrial applications due to their high power densities and clean...

Carboxyl functionalized carbon fibers with preserved tensile strength and electrochemical performance used as anodes of structural lithium-ion batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feng, Mengjie [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191 (China); Wang, Shubin, E-mail: shubinwang@buaa.edu.cn [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191 (China); Key Laboratory of Aerospace Materials and Performance (Ministry of Education), School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191 (China); Yu, Yalin; Feng, Qihang; Yang, Jiping; Zhang, Boming [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191 (China)

2017-01-15

Highlights: • Carboxyl functionalized CF is acquired by simple chemical oxidation method. • These CF have preserved the tensile strength, better electrochemical properties. • The presence of H{sub 3}PO{sub 4} prevented the turbostratic carbon from over-oxidization. • There CF can be used as anodes of multifunctional structural battery. • The preservation and improvement is result from the hindered over-oxidization. - Abstract: Carboxyl functionalized carbon fibers with preserved tensile strength and electrochemical properties were acquired through a simple chemical oxidation method, and the proposed underlying mechanism was verified. The surface of carboxyl functionalizing carbon fibers is necessary in acquiring functional groups on the surface of carbon fibers to further improve the thermal, electrical or mechanical properties of the fibers. Functionalization should preserve the tensile strength and electrochemical properties of carbon fibers, because the anodes of structural batteries need to have high strength and electrochemical properties. Functionalized with mixed H{sub 2}SO{sub 4}/HNO{sub 3} considerably reduced the tensile strength of carbon fibers. By contrast, the appearance of H{sub 3}PO{sub 4} preserved the tensile strength of functionalized carbon fibers, reduced the dispersion level of tensile strength values, and effectively increased the concentration of functional acid groups on the surface of carbon fibers. The presence of phosphoric acid hindered the over-oxidation of turbostratic carbon, and consequently preserved the tensile strength of carbon fibers. The increased proportion of turbostratic carbon on the surface of carbon fibers concurrently enhanced the electrochemical properties of carbon fibers.

Functionalized polypyrrole nanotube arrays as electrochemical biosensor for the determination of copper ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin Meng; Hu Xiaoke; Ma Zhaohu; Chen Lingxin

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► PPy nanotube arrays were electropolymerized using ZnO nanowire arrays as templates. ► PPy nanotube arrays were anchored onto ITO glass without any chemical linker. ► Using SWV, the biosensor was found to be highly sensitive and selective to Cu 2+ . ► The biosensor was successfully applied for the determination of Cu 2+ in drinking water. - Abstract: A novel electrochemical biosensor based on functionalized polypyrrole (PPy) nanotube arrays modified with a tripeptide (Gly-Gly-His) proved to be highly effective for electrochemical analysis of copper ions (Cu 2+ ). The vertically oriented PPy nanotube arrays were electropolymerized by using modified zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowire arrays as templates which were electrodeposited on indium–tin oxide (ITO) coated glass substrates. The electrodes were functionalized by appending pyrrole-α-carboxylic acid onto the surface of polypyrrole nanotube arrays by electrochemical polymerization. The carboxylic groups of the polymer were covalently coupled with the amine groups of the tripeptide, and its structural features were confirmed by attenuated total reflection infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopy. The tripeptide modified PPy nanotube arrays electrode was used for the electrochemical analysis of various trace copper ions by square wave voltammetry. The electrode was found to be highly sensitive and selective to Cu 2+ in the range of 0.1–30 μM. Furthermore, the developed biosensor exhibited a high stability and reproducibility, despite the repeated use of the biosensor electrode.

Two-dimensional bismuth nanosheets as prospective photo-detector with tunable optoelectronic performance

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Hao; Ren, Xiaohui; Li, Zhongjun; Wang, Huide; Huang, Zongyu; Qiao, Hui; Tang, Pinghua; Zhao, Jinlai; Liang, Weiyuan; Ge, Yanqi; Liu, Jie; Li, Jianqing; Qi, Xiang; Zhang, Han

2018-06-01

Two dimensional Bi nanosheets have been employed to fabricate electrodes for broadband photo-detection. A series of characterization techniques including scanning electron microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy have verified that Bi nanosheets with intact lamellar structure have been obtained after facile liquid phase exfoliation. In the meanwhile, UV–vis and Raman spectra are also carried out and the inherent optical and physical properties of Bi nanosheets are confirmed. Inherited from the topological characteristics of Bi bulk counterpart, the resultant Bi nanosheet-based photo-detector exhibits preferable photo-response activity as well as environmental robustness. We then evaluate the photo-electrochemical (PEC) performance of the photodetector in 1 M NaOH and 0.5 M Na2SO4 electrolytes, and demonstrated that the as-prepared Bi nanosheets may possess a great potential as PEC-type photo-detector. Additional PEC measurements show that the current density of Bi nanosheets can reach up to 830 nA cm‑2, while an enhanced responsivity (1.8 μA W‑1) had been achieved. We anticipate that this contribution can provide feasibility towards the construction of high-performance elemental Bi nanosheets-based optoelectronic devices in the future.

Direct electrochemistry and electrocatalysis of lobetyolin via magnetic functionalized reduced graphene oxide film fabricated electrochemical sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Bolu; Gou, Xiaodan; Bai, Ruibin; Abdelmoaty, Ahmed Attia Ahmed; Ma, Yuling; Zheng, Xiaoping; Hu, Fangdi

2017-01-01

A novel lobetyolin electrochemical sensor based on a magnetic functionalized reduced graphene oxide/Nafion nanohybrid film has been introduced in this work. The magnetic functionalized reduced graphene oxide was characterized by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, atomic force microscope, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The scanning electron microscopy characterized the morphology and microstructure of the prepared sensors, and the electrochemical effective surface areas of the prepared sensors were also calculated by chronocoulometry method. The electrochemical behavior of lobetyolin on the magnetic functionalized reduced graphene oxide/Nafion nanohybrid modified glassy carbon electrode was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry in a phosphate buffer solution of pH 6.0. The electron-transfer coefficient (α), electron transfer number (n), and electrode reaction rate constant (Κs) were calculated as 0.78, 0.73, and 4.63 s −1 , respectively. Under the optimized conditions, the sensor based on magnetic functionalized reduced graphene oxide/Nafion showed a linear voltammetric response to the lobetyolin concentration at 1.0 × 10 −7 to 1.0 × 10 −4 mol/L with detection limit (S/N = 3)of 4.3 × 10 −8 mol/L. The proposed sensor also displayed acceptable reproducibility, long-term stability, and high selectivity, and performs well for analysis of lobetyolin in real samples. The voltammetric sensor was successfully applied to detect lobetyolin in Codonopsis pilosula with recovery values in the range of 96.12% –102.66%. - Graphical abstract: Schematic diagram of the synthesis of MrGO hybrid and the fabrication process of the MrGO/Nafion/GCE for determination of lobetyolin. Display Omitted - Highlights: • The MrGO/Nafion@GCE electrochemical sensor was successfully fabricated. • The prepared MrGO was characterized by AFM, XRD, FTIR, VSM, TEM and SEM. • The proposed

Direct electrochemistry and electrocatalysis of lobetyolin via magnetic functionalized reduced graphene oxide film fabricated electrochemical sensor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun, Bolu [School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000 (China); Gou, Xiaodan [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, 210046 (China); Bai, Ruibin; Abdelmoaty, Ahmed Attia Ahmed; Ma, Yuling; Zheng, Xiaoping [School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000 (China); Hu, Fangdi, E-mail: hufd@lzu.edu.cn [School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000 (China)

2017-05-01

A novel lobetyolin electrochemical sensor based on a magnetic functionalized reduced graphene oxide/Nafion nanohybrid film has been introduced in this work. The magnetic functionalized reduced graphene oxide was characterized by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, atomic force microscope, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The scanning electron microscopy characterized the morphology and microstructure of the prepared sensors, and the electrochemical effective surface areas of the prepared sensors were also calculated by chronocoulometry method. The electrochemical behavior of lobetyolin on the magnetic functionalized reduced graphene oxide/Nafion nanohybrid modified glassy carbon electrode was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry in a phosphate buffer solution of pH 6.0. The electron-transfer coefficient (α), electron transfer number (n), and electrode reaction rate constant (Κs) were calculated as 0.78, 0.73, and 4.63 s{sup −1}, respectively. Under the optimized conditions, the sensor based on magnetic functionalized reduced graphene oxide/Nafion showed a linear voltammetric response to the lobetyolin concentration at 1.0 × 10{sup −7} to 1.0 × 10{sup −4} mol/L with detection limit (S/N = 3)of 4.3 × 10{sup −8} mol/L. The proposed sensor also displayed acceptable reproducibility, long-term stability, and high selectivity, and performs well for analysis of lobetyolin in real samples. The voltammetric sensor was successfully applied to detect lobetyolin in Codonopsis pilosula with recovery values in the range of 96.12% –102.66%. - Graphical abstract: Schematic diagram of the synthesis of MrGO hybrid and the fabrication process of the MrGO/Nafion/GCE for determination of lobetyolin. Display Omitted - Highlights: • The MrGO/Nafion@GCE electrochemical sensor was successfully fabricated. • The prepared MrGO was characterized by AFM, XRD, FTIR, VSM, TEM and SEM. �

Comparative Photoelectrochemical Study of PEC Solar Cell Fabricated with n-TiO2 Photo-electrodes at Different Temperatures and under Different Oxygen Flow Rates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mishra, P.R.; Srivastava, O.N.; Shukla, P.K.

2006-01-01

Photoelectrochemical splitting of water induced by solar energy for hydrogen production has been studied in the present investigation. PEC solar cell was fabricated with n-TiO 2 photo-electrodes synthesized at different oxidation temperatures e.g. 700 C, 750 C, 800 C and 850 C under oxygen flow rate 200 ml/min, 350 ml/min and 500 ml/min. The optimum oxygen flow rate for all the temperatures was found to be 350 ml/min. This is therefore kept invariant for synthesis of electrodes at different temperatures. The photo-electrochemical characterization of the PEC cell was done in the three-electrode configuration, i.e Ti/n-TiO 2 /1M-NaOH/Pt. It has been observed that the optimum values of the PEC solar cell parameters are exhibited by the solar cell employing the photo-electrodes prepared at ∼7500 C. The XRD and SEM explorations revealed that the TiO 2 prepared at ∼7500 C is in the nano-metric range (∼100-150 nm). The TiO 2 films formed at this temperature has been found to exhibit optimum PEC solar cell parameters. The PEC parameters, like photocurrent density, photo-conversion efficiency and hydrogen production rate, with this photo-electrode correspond to 0.93 mA/cm 2 , 0.472% and 4.00 l/hm 2 respectively. (authors)

Functionalization of carbon nanotubes/graphene by polyoxometalates and their enhanced photo-electrical catalysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Shuang-Shuang; Liu Rong-Ji; Zhang Guang-Jin; Gu Zhan-Jun

2014-01-01

Carbon nanotubes and graphene are carbon-based materials, which possess not only unique structure but also properties such as high surface area, extraordinary mechanical properties, high electronic conductivity, and chemical stability. Thus, they have been regarded as an important material, especially for exploring a variety of complex catalysts. Considerable efforts have been made to functionalize and fabricate carbon-based composites with metal nanoparticles. In this review, we summarize the recent progress of our research on the decoration of carbon nanotubes/graphene with metal nanoparticles by using polyoxometalates as key agents, and their enhanced photo-electrical catalytic activities in various catalytic reactions. The polyoxometalates play a key role in constructing the nanohybrids and contributing to their photo-electrical catalytic properties. (invited review — international conference on nanoscience and technology, china 2013)

Molecularly imprinted photo-sensitive polyglutamic acid nanoparticles for electrochemical sensing of hemoglobin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Rongli; Xu, Sheng; Luo, Jing; Liu, Xiaoya

2015-01-01

A voltammetric sensor for hemoglobin (Hb) was prepared from molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles (MINPs) via electrophoretic deposition. A photo-sensitive copolymer composed of poly-γ-glutamic grafted with the fluorophore 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin was converted into nanoparticles that were imprinted with Hb. The resultant MINPs were then placed on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) via electrophoretic deposition. Subsequent photo-crosslinking locks the recognition sites. The template was removed by extraction with a mixture of acetic acid and methanol at a ratio of 1:9 (v:v) to obtain a voltammetric sensor for Hb. The current response of the sensor at a working voltage of −260 mV is linearly related to the concentration of Hb in the range from 5 to 100 μg mL −1 , and recoveries range from 98.7 to 102.3 %. Compared to the respective non-imprinted nanoparticles, the sensor displays high recognition capability and affinity for Hb. (author)

Constructing superhydrophobic WO3@TiO2 nanoflake surface beyond amorphous alloy against electrochemical corrosion on iron steel

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, S. Q.; Ling, Y. H.; Wang, R. G.; Zhang, J.; Qin, F.; Zhang, Z. J.

2018-04-01

To eliminate harmful localized corrosion, a new approach by constructing superhydrophobic WO3@TiO2 hierarchical nanoflake surface beyond FeW amorphous alloy formed on stainless steel was proposed. Facile dealloying and liquid deposition was employed at low temperature to form a nanostructured layer composing inner WO3 nanoflakes coated with TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) layer. After further deposition of PFDS on nanoflakes, the contact angle reached 162° while the corrosion potential showed a negative shift of 230 mV under illumination, resulting in high corrosion resistance in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. The tradeoff between superhydrophobic surface and photo-electro response was investigated. It was found that this surface feature makes 316 SS be immune to localized corrosion and a pronounced photo-induced process of electron storage/release as well as the stability of the functional layer were detected with or without illumination, and the mechanism behind this may be related to the increase of surface potential due to water repellence and the delayed cathodic protection of semiconducting coating derived mainly from the valence state changes of WO3. This study demonstrates a simple and low-cost electrochemical approach for protection of steel and novel means to produce superhydrophobic surface and cathodic protection with controllable electron storage/release on engineering scale.

Effect of natural organic matter on the photo-induced toxicity of titanium dioxide nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Wormington, Alexis M; Coral, Jason; Alloy, Matthew M; Delmarè, Carmen L; Mansfield, Charles M; Klaine, Stephen J; Bisesi, Joseph H; Roberts, Aaron P

2017-06-01

Nano-titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) is the most widely used form of nanoparticles in commercial industry and comes in 2 main configurations: rutile and anatase. Rutile TiO 2 is used in ultraviolet (UV) screening applications, whereas anatase TiO 2 crystals have a surface defect that makes them photoreactive. There are numerous reports in the literature of photo-induced toxicity to aquatic organisms following coexposure to anatase nano-TiO 2 and UV. All natural freshwater contains varying amounts of natural organic matter (NOM), which can drive UV attenuation and quench reactive oxygen species (ROS) in aquatic ecosystems. The present research examined how NOM alters the photo-induced toxicity of anatase nano-TiO 2 . Daphnia magna neonates were coexposed to NOM and photoexcited anatase nano-TiO 2 for 48 h. Natural organic matter concentrations as low as 4 mg/L reduced anatase nano-TiO 2 toxicity by nearly 100%. These concentrations of NOM attenuated UV by <10% in the exposure system. However, ROS production measured using a fluorescence assay was significantly reduced in a NOM concentration--dependent manner. Taken together, these data suggest that NOM reduces anatase nano-TiO 2 toxicity via an ROS quenching mechanism and not by attenuation of UV. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:1661-1666. © 2016 SETAC. © 2016 SETAC.

How copper catalyzes the electroreduction of carbon dioxide into hydrocarbon fuels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Peterson, Andrew; Abild-Pedersen, Frank; Studt, Felix

2010-01-01

Density functional theory calculations explain copper's unique ability to convert CO2 into hydrocarbons, which may open up (photo-)electrochemical routes to fuels.......Density functional theory calculations explain copper's unique ability to convert CO2 into hydrocarbons, which may open up (photo-)electrochemical routes to fuels....

Synchrotron radiation induced direct photo-etching and surface modification of PTFE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oshima, Akihiro; Washio, Masakazu

2003-01-01

In the first part of this article, we have described and discussed the measurement results of etching rates by direct photo-etching using Synchrotron Radiation (SR) for various kind of crosslinked PTFEs, which were prepared by different crosslinking doses, comparing with the non-crosslinked PTFE. It has been found that the etching rates obtained for crosslinked PTFE were much larger than that of non-crosslinked one. These results are not described by simple consideration such as the G values of main chain scission. We propose that the etching rates should be discussed by the complex mechanism through at least two different steps such as polymer decomposition and fragment desorption. In the second part of the article, we have described and discussed the abnormal reaction induced at the surface region after the SR etching for non-crosslinked PTFE. Through the measurements using DSC and solid state 19 F-NMR, we have confirmed the crosslinking reaction of PTFE even in solid state PTFE. This should be induced by the very high density radical formation in very thin area of PTFE films by SR radiation. (author)

Seasonally-induced alterations of some facial signs in Caucasian women and their changes induced by a daily application of a photo-protective product.

Science.gov (United States)

Flament, F; Gautier, B; Benize, A-M; Charbonneau, A; Cassier, M

2017-12-01

These were two-fold: (i) to assess the possible changes in some facial signs induced in a 6-month period by the periodical shift from winter to summer in Caucasian women and (ii) to appraise the preventive effects of a strong photo-protective product. The facial signs of two cohorts of French women (N= 40 and 42), of comparable ages were graded between winter to summer. One group was left unprotected whereas the other daily applied a strong photo-protective product for 6 months. Facial signs (structural and pigmentation-related) were graded in blind by a panel of 12 experts from photographs taken under standard conditions. A global and focused analysis of the skin colour or dark spots, when present, was carried out through spectro-radiometry under diffuse and standardized visible light, using the L*, a*, b* referential system. The unprotected group showed significant changes in summer as compared to winter on 10 facial signs (two-third of the studied signs) that presented an increased severity, of variable respective amplitude. Five signs among the 10 were particularly and significantly affected by the seasonal transition, of an amplitude above the precision of the grading scale. Three of these five signs concerned structural elements (wrinkles), the two others being related to vascular disorders (redness). These season-induced alterations appear efficiently reduced in the photo-protected group. The colour of the facial skin then appears more homogeneous, less red, less dull, all criteria being quantified by the L*, a*, b* referential system. The comparison with a previous work carried out on Chinese women, through a similar protocol, shows that the photo-protective product brings, in Caucasian women, a more important effect upon structural and vascular features than upon pigmentation disorders, inversely to the results previously observed in Chinese women. The alterations in some facial signs occurring in a 6-month period between winter and summer are confirmed in

Electrochemical functionalization of glassy carbon electrode by reduction of diazonium cations in protic ionic liquid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shul, Galyna; Ruiz, Carlos Alberto Castro; Rochefort, Dominic; Brooksby, Paula A.; Bélanger, Daniel

2013-01-01

Protic ionic liquid based on 2-methoxypyridine and trifluoroacetic acid was used as electrolyte for the functionalization of a glassy carbon electrode surface by electrochemical reduction of in situ generated 4-chlorobenzene diazonium and 4-nitrobenzene diazonium cations. The diazonium cations were synthesized in an electrochemical cell by reaction of the corresponding amines with NaNO 2 dissolved in protic ionic liquid. The resulting electrografted organic layers exhibit similar properties to those layers obtained by the derivatization from isolated diazonium salts dissolved in protic ionic liquid. Functionalized glassy carbon electrode surfaces were characterized by cyclic voltammetry, Fourier transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies. Atomic force microscopy thickness measurements revealed that, in our experimental conditions, the use of protic ionic liquid led to the formation of film with a thickness of about 1.5 nm. It is also demonstrated that the nitrobenzene chemisorbed on glassy carbon electrode or dissolved in protic ionic liquid undergoes electrochemical conversion to hydroxyaminobenzene

Synthesis and Thermophysical Properties of Ether-Functionalized Sulfonium Ionic Liquids as Potential Electrolytes for Electrochemical Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Coadou, Erwan; Goodrich, Peter; Neale, Alex R; Timperman, Laure; Hardacre, Christopher; Jacquemin, Johan; Anouti, Mérièm

2016-12-05

During this work, a novel series of hydrophobic room temperature ionic liquids (ILs) based on five ether functionalized sulfonium cations bearing the bis{(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl}imide, [NTf 2 ] - anion were synthesized and characterized. Their physicochemical properties, such as density, viscosity and ionic conductivity, electrochemical window, along with thermal properties including phase transition behavior and decomposition temperature, have been measured. All of these ILs showed large liquid range temperature, low viscosity, and good conductivity. Additionally, by combining DFT calculations along with electrochemical characterization it appears that these novel ILs show good electrochemical stability windows, suitable for the potential application as electrolyte materials in electrochemical energy storage devices. ©2016 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

Photo-induced charge-transfer phase transition of rubidium manganese hexacyanoferrate in ferromagnetic and paramagnetic states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tokoro, Hiroko; Hashimoto, Kazuhito; Ohkoshi, Shin-ichi

2007-01-01

A charge transfer phase transition with thermal hysteresis loop is observed in a series of rubidium manganese hexacyanoferrates, RbMn[Fe(China) 6 ] (1), Rb 0.88 Mn[Fe(China) 6 ] 0.96 .0.6H 2 O (2), and Rb 0.97 Mn[Fe(China) 6 ] 0.99 .0.2H 2 O (3). This phase transition is accompanied by a structural change from cubic (F4-bar 3m) to tetragonal (I4-bar m2). Its high-temperature (HT) and low-temperature (LT) phases are composed of Mn II (S=2/5)NC-Fe III (S=1/2) and Mn III (S=2)-NC-Fe II (S=0), respectively. The phase transition is caused by a metal-to-metal charge transfer from Mn II to Fe III and a Jahn-Teller distortion of the produced Mn III ion. At the ferromagnetic state in LT phase of 2, the photo-induced phase transition is observed, i.e., magnetization is quenched by the irradiation with only one shot of laser pulse. This phenomenon is caused by a photo-induced phase transition from the LT phase to the HT phase. In 3, optical switching between LT and HT phases at room temperature in paramagnetic region is observed

Electrochemical and conversion electron Moessbauer study of corrosion induced by acid rain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vertes, C.; Lakatos-Varsanyi, M.; Vertes, A.; Meisel, W.; Guetlich, P.

1993-01-01

The passivation of low carbon steel was studied in aqueous solution of 0.5M Na 2 SO 4 +0.001M NaHSO 3 (pH 3.5, 6.5 and 8.5) which can be considered as a model of acid rain. The used conversion electron Moessbauer spectroscopy (CEMS) with the complementary electrochemical investigations proved that the sulfite ions induce pitting corrosion at pH 3.5 and 6.5, while the measurements showed much weaker pitting at pH 8.5. The compositions and thicknesses of the passive films formed during the electrochemical treatments are determined from the CEM spectra. Only γ-FeOOH was found on the surface of the samples at pH 6.5 and 8.5. Nevertheless, at pH 3.5 the sextet belonging to Fe 3 C appears in the spectra, and also FeSO 4 .H 2 O could be detected in low concentration. (orig.)

One-step electrochemical composite polymerization of polypyrrole integrated with functionalized graphene/carbon nanotubes nanostructured composite film for electrochemical capacitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ding Bing; Lu Xiangjun; Yuan Changzhou; Yang Sudong; Han Yongqin; Zhang Xiaogang; Che Qian

2012-01-01

Graphical abstract: A novel one-step electrochemical co-deposition strategy was first proposed to prepare unique polypyrrole/reduced graphene oxide/carbon nanotubes (PPy/F-RGO/CNTs) ternary composites, where F-RGO, CNTs, and PPy were electrodeposited simultaneously to construct a three-dimensional (3-D) highly porous film electrode. Highlights: ► Isolated, water-soluble graphene was obtained through benzenesulfonic functionalization. ► PPy/F-RGO/CNTs ternary composite film was prepared via one-step electrochemical co-deposition route. ► PPy/F-RGO/CNTs film shows 3-D highly porous nanostructure and high electrical conductivity. ► PPy/F-RGO/CNTs film exhibits high capacitance, good high-rate performance with a remarkable cycling stability. - Abstract: A novel one-step electrochemical composite polymerization strategy was first proposed to prepare unique polypyrrole/reduced graphene oxide/carbon nanotubes (PPy/F-RGO/CNTs) ternary composites, where F-RGO, CNTs, and PPy were electrodeposited simultaneously to construct a three-dimensional (3-D) highly porous film electrode. Such ternary composite film electrode exhibits a high specific capacitance of 300 F g −1 at 1 A g −1 as well as a remarkable cycling stability at high rates, which is related to its unique nanostructure and high electrical conductivity. F-RGO and CNTs act as an electron-transporting backbone of a 3-D porous nanostructure, leaving adequate working space for facile electrolyte penetration and better faradaic utilization of the electro-active PPy. Furthermore, the straightforward approach proposed here can be readily extended to prepare other composite film electrodes with good electrochemical performance for energy storage.

Photo-dissociation of hydrogen passivated dopants in gallium arsenide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tong, L.; Larsson, J.A.; Nolan, M.; Murtagh, M.; Greer, J.C.; Barbe, M.; Bailly, F.; Chevallier, J.; Silvestre, F.S.; Loridant-Bernard, D.; Constant, E.; Constant, F.M.

2002-01-01

A theoretical and experimental study of the photo-dissociation mechanisms of hydrogen passivated n- and p-type dopants in gallium arsenide is presented. The photo-induced dissociation of the Si Ga -H complex has been observed for relatively low photon energies (3.48 eV), whereas the photo-dissociation of C As -H is not observed for photon energies up to 5.58 eV. This fundamental difference in the photo-dissociation behavior between the two dopants is explained in terms of the localized excitation energies about the Si-H and C-H bonds

Photo-crosslinking induced geometric restriction controls the self-assembly of diphenylalanine based peptides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tie Zuoxiu; Qin Meng; Zou Dawei; Cao Yi; Wang Wei

2011-01-01

The diphenylalanine (FF) motif has been widely used in the design of peptides that are capable of forming various ordered structures, such as nanotubes, nanospheres and hydrogels. In these assemblies, FF based peptides adopt an antiparallel structure and are stabilized by π-π stacking among the phenyl groups. Here we show that assembly of FF-based peptides can be controlled by their geometric restrictions. Using tripeptide FFY (L-Phe-L-Phe-L-Tyr) as an example, we demonstrate that photo-crosslinking of C-terminal tyrosine can impose a geometric restriction to the formation of an antiparallel structure, leading to a structural change of the assemblies from nanosphere to amorphous. This finding is confirmed using far-UV circular dichroism, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. Based on such a mechanism, we are able to control the gel-sol transition of Fmoc-FFY using the geometric restriction induced by photo-crosslinking of C-terminal tyrosine groups. We believe that geometric restriction should be considered as an important factor in the design of peptide-based materials. It can also be implemented as a useful strategy for the construction of environment-responsive 'smart' materials. (authors)

Photo-galvanic effect in Bi2Se3 thin films with ionic liquid gating

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Yu; Richardella, Anthony; Lee, Joon Sue; Flanagan, Thomas; Samarth, Nitin

2013-03-01

A key challenge in three dimensional (3D) topological insulators (TIs) is to reveal the helical spin-polarized surface states via electrical transport measurements. A recent study [Nature Nanotech. 7, 96 (2012)] showed that circularly polarized light can be used to generate and control photocurrents in the 3D TI Bi2Se3, even at photon energies that are well above the bulk band gap. Symmetry considerations suggest that this ``photo-galvanic effect'' arises purely from photo-currents induced in the surface Dirac states. To gain insights into this phenomenon, we have carried out systematic measurements of the photo-galvanic effect in electrically gated MBE-grown Bi2Se3 thin films of varying thickness. By using an ionic liquid as an optically transparent gate, we map out the behavior of the photo-galvanic effect as a function of Fermi energy over a temperature range 5 K <= T <= 300 K. Supported by ONR and NSF.

Platinum nanoparticles functionalized nitrogen doped graphene platform for sensitive electrochemical glucose biosensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Zhanjun; Cao, Yue; Li, Juan; Jian, Zhiqin; Zhang, Yongcai; Hu, Xiaoya

2015-01-01

Highlights: • An efficient PtNPs@NG nanocomposite was prepared for the immobilization of enzyme. • A novel electrochemical glucose biosensor was constructed based on this PtNPs@NG. • The proposed glucose biosensor showed high sensitivity and low detection limit. • The PtNPs@NG composite provided a promising platform for biosensing applications. - Abstract: In this work, we reported an efficient platinum nanoparticles functionalized nitrogen doped graphene (PtNPs@NG) nanocomposite for devising novel electrochemical glucose biosensor for the first time. The fabricated PtNPs@NG and biosensor were characterized using transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, static water contact angle, UV–vis spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectra and cyclic voltammetry, respectively. PtNPs@NG showed large surface area and excellent biocompatibility, and enhanced the direct electron transfer between enzyme molecules and electrode surface. The glucose oxidase (GOx) immobilized on PtNPs@NG nanocomposite retained its bioactivity, and exhibited a surface controlled, quasi-reversible and fast electron transfer process. The constructed glucose biosensor showed wide linear range from 0.005 to 1.1 mM with high sensitivity of 20.31 mA M −1 cm −2 . The detection limit was calculated to be 0.002 mM at signal-to-noise of 3, which showed 20-fold decrease in comparison with single NG-based electrochemical biosensor for glucose. The proposed glucose biosensor also demonstrated excellent selectivity, good reproducibility, acceptable stability, and could be successfully applied in the detection of glucose in serum samples at the applied potential of −0.33 V. This research provided a promising biosensing platform for the development of excellent electrochemical biosensors

Platinum nanoparticles functionalized nitrogen doped graphene platform for sensitive electrochemical glucose biosensing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Zhanjun, E-mail: zjyang@yzu.edu.cn; Cao, Yue; Li, Juan; Jian, Zhiqin; Zhang, Yongcai; Hu, Xiaoya

2015-04-29

Highlights: • An efficient PtNPs@NG nanocomposite was prepared for the immobilization of enzyme. • A novel electrochemical glucose biosensor was constructed based on this PtNPs@NG. • The proposed glucose biosensor showed high sensitivity and low detection limit. • The PtNPs@NG composite provided a promising platform for biosensing applications. - Abstract: In this work, we reported an efficient platinum nanoparticles functionalized nitrogen doped graphene (PtNPs@NG) nanocomposite for devising novel electrochemical glucose biosensor for the first time. The fabricated PtNPs@NG and biosensor were characterized using transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, static water contact angle, UV–vis spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectra and cyclic voltammetry, respectively. PtNPs@NG showed large surface area and excellent biocompatibility, and enhanced the direct electron transfer between enzyme molecules and electrode surface. The glucose oxidase (GOx) immobilized on PtNPs@NG nanocomposite retained its bioactivity, and exhibited a surface controlled, quasi-reversible and fast electron transfer process. The constructed glucose biosensor showed wide linear range from 0.005 to 1.1 mM with high sensitivity of 20.31 mA M{sup −1} cm{sup −2}. The detection limit was calculated to be 0.002 mM at signal-to-noise of 3, which showed 20-fold decrease in comparison with single NG-based electrochemical biosensor for glucose. The proposed glucose biosensor also demonstrated excellent selectivity, good reproducibility, acceptable stability, and could be successfully applied in the detection of glucose in serum samples at the applied potential of −0.33 V. This research provided a promising biosensing platform for the development of excellent electrochemical biosensors.

Photo-Induced Phase Transitions to Liquid Crystal Phases: Influence of the Chain Length from C8E4 to C14E4

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simone Techert

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Photo-induced phase transitions are characterized by the transformation from phase A to phase B through the absorption of photons. We have investigated the mechanism of the photo-induced phase transitions of four different ternary systems CiE4/alkane (i with n = 8, 10, 12, 14; cyclohexane/H2O. We were interested in understanding the effect of chain length increase on the dynamics of transformation from the microemulsion phase to the liquid crystal phase. Applying light pump (pulse/x-ray probe (pulse techniques, we could demonstrate that entropy and diffusion control are the driving forces for the kind of phase transition investigated.

A mathematical model for predicting photo-induced voltage and photostriction of PLZT with coupled multi-physics fields and its application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, J H; Wang, X J; Wang, J

2016-01-01

The primary purpose of this paper is to propose a mathematical model of PLZT ceramic with coupled multi-physics fields, e.g. thermal, electric, mechanical and light field. To this end, the coupling relationships of multi-physics fields and the mechanism of some effects resulting in the photostrictive effect are analyzed theoretically, based on which a mathematical model considering coupled multi-physics fields is established. According to the analysis and experimental results, the mathematical model can explain the hysteresis phenomenon and the variation trend of the photo-induced voltage very well and is in agreement with the experimental curves. In addition, the PLZT bimorph is applied as an energy transducer for a photovoltaic–electrostatic hybrid actuated micromirror, and the relation of the rotation angle and the photo-induced voltage is discussed based on the novel photostrictive mathematical model. (paper)

Characterization of photo-induced valence tautomerism in a cobalt-dioxolene complex by ultrafast spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beni, A; Bogani, L; Bussotti, L; Dei, A; Gentili, P L; Righini, R

2005-01-01

The valence tautomerism of low-spin Co III (Cat-N-BQ)(Cat-N-SQ) was investigated by means of UV-vis pump-probe transient absorption spectroscopy in chloroform. By exciting the CT transition of the complex at 480 nm, an intramolecular electron transfer process is selectively triggered. The photo-induced charge transfer is pursued by a cascade of two main molecular events characterized by the ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy: the first gives rise to the metastable high-spin Co II (Cat-N-BQ) 2 that, secondly, reaches the chemical equilibrium with the reactant species

Characterization of photo-induced valence tautomerism in a cobalt-dioxolene complex by ultrafast spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Beni, A.; Bogani, L.; Bussotti, L.; Dei, A.; Gentili, P. L.; Righini, R.

2005-01-01

The valence tautomerism of low-spin CoIII(Cat-N-BQ)(Cat-N-SQ) was investigated by means of UV-vis pump-probe transient absorption spectroscopy in chloroform. By exciting the CT transition of the complex at 480 nm, an intramolecular electron transfer process is selectively triggered. The photo-induced charge transfer is pursued by a cascade of two main molecular events characterized by the ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy: the first gives rise to the metastable high-spin CoII(Cat-N-BQ)2 that, secondly, reaches the chemical equilibrium with the reactant species.

Characterization of deep level defects in Tl6I4S single crystals by photo-induced current transient spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peters, J A; Liu, Z; Sebastian, M; Wessels, B W; Im, J; Freeman, A J; Nguyen, S; Kanatzidis, M G

2015-01-01

Defect levels in semi-insulating Tl 6 I 4 S single crystals grown by the horizontal Bridgman technique have been characterized using photo-induced current transient spectroscopy (PICTS). These measurements revealed six electron traps located at (0.059  ±  0.007), (0.13  ±  0.012), (0.31  ±  0.074), (0.39  ±  0.019), (0.62  ±  0.110), and (0.597  ±  0.105). These defect levels are attributed to vacancies (V I , V S ) and antisite defects (I S , Tl S , Tl I ) upon comparison to calculations of native defect energy levels using density functional theory and defects recently reported from photoluminescence and photoconductivity measurements. (paper)

Structural and Conformational Chemistry from Electrochemical Molecular Machines. Replicating Biological Functions. A Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Otero, Toribio F

2017-12-14

Each constitutive chain of a conducting polymer electrode acts as a reversible multi-step electrochemical molecular motor: reversible reactions drive reversible conformational movements of the chain. The reaction-driven cooperative actuation of those molecular machines generates, or destroys, inside the film the free volume required to lodge/expel balancing counterions and solvent: reactions drive reversible film volume variations, which basic structural components are here identified and quantified from electrochemical responses. The content of the reactive dense gel (chemical molecular machines, ions and water) mimics that of the intracellular matrix in living functional cells. Reaction-driven properties (composition-dependent properties) and devices replicate biological functions and organs. An emerging technological world of soft, wet, reaction-driven, multifunctional and biomimetic devices and the concomitant zoomorphic or anthropomorphic robots is presented. © 2017 The Chemical Society of Japan & Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Mineralization of hetero bi-functional reactive dye in aqueous solution by Fenton and photo-Fenton reactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Torrades, Francesc; García-Hortal, José Antonio; García-Montaño, Julia

2015-01-01

This study focused on the advanced oxidation of the hetero bi-functional reactive dye Sumifix Supra Yellow 3RF (CI Reactive Yellow 145) using dark Fenton and photo-Fenton conditions in a lab-scale experiment. A 2(3) factorial design was used to evaluate the effects of the three key factors: temperature, Fe(II) and H2O2 concentrations, for a dye concentration of 250 mg L(-1) with chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 172 mg L(-1) O2 at pH=3. The response function was the COD reduction. This methodology lets us find the effects and interactions of the studied variables and their roles in the efficiency of the treatment process. In the optimization, the correlation coefficients for the model (R2) were 0.948 and 0.965 for Fenton and photo-Fenton treatments, respectively. Under optimized reaction conditions: pH=3, temperature=298 K, [H2O2]=11.765 mM and [Fe(II)]=1.075 mM; 60 min of treatment resulted in a 79% and 92.2% decrease in COD, for the dye taken as the model organic compound, after Fenton and photo-Fenton treatments, respectively.

Design and Evaluation of Photo-Induced Biofeedback Fabric for the Enhancement in Sleeping Sense

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei-Cheng Chu

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Based on overcoming the sleeping obstacle for people, the purpose of this study is to design a photo-induced biofeedback fabric which is a kind of optical fiber fabric with the function of enhancing sleeping sense and to evaluate its effect. The fabrics with two layers including background layer and pattern layer were designed firstly. The pattern layers with 3 kinds of wavelengths of sine waves and the light controller with 3 kinds of flashing frequencies were then prepared. Guiding the light into the optical fiber, it will emit out of the optical fiber and stimulate our visual system to change the form of brain wave. Finally, EEG and sleeping scale were applied to evaluate the effect of enhancing sleeping sense. The results were shown that human’s brain wave can be changed from sober status to shallow-sleeping status and the effect of enhancing sleeping sense can be achieved for all pattern layers in frequencies of 0, 5 and 10 Hz. Furthermore, female is more significant than male and participants age from 30 to 49 are the most significant. Besides, the stronger the participant’s stress is, the more significant the sleeping sense is.

Electrochemical reduction induced self-doping of Ti3+ for efficient water splitting performance on TiO2 based photoelectrodes

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Zhonghai

2013-01-01

Hetero-element doping (e.g., N, F, C) of TiO2 is inevitably accompanied by significantly increased structural defects due to the dopants\\' nature being foreign impurities. Very recently, in situ self-doping with homo-species (e.g., Ti3+) has been emerging as a rational solution to enhance TiO2 photoactivity within both UV and visible light regions. Herein we demonstrate that conventional electrochemical reduction is indeed a facile and effective strategy to induce in situ self-doping of Ti3+ into TiO2 and the self-doped TiO2 photoelectrodes showed remarkably improved and very stable water splitting performance. In this study, hierarchical TiO2 nanotube arrays (TiO2 NTs) were chosen as TiO2 substrates and then electrochemically reduced under varying conditions to produce Ti3+ self-doped TiO2 NTs (ECR-TiO2 NTs). The optimized saturation photocurrent density and photoconversion efficiency on the ECR-TiO2 NTs under simulated AM 1.5G illumination were identified to be 2.8 mA cm-2 at 1.23 V vs. RHE and 1.27% respectively, which are the highest values ever reported for TiO 2 based photoelectrodes. The electrochemical impedance spectra measurement confirms that the electrochemical induced Ti3+ self-doping improved the electrical conductivity of the ECR-TiO2 NTs. The versatility and effectiveness of the electrochemical reduction method for Ti3+ self-doping in P25 based TiO2 was also examined and confirmed. This journal is © 2013 the Owner Societies.

Effective modification of cell death-inducing intracellular peptides by means of a photo-cleavable peptide array-based screening system.

Science.gov (United States)

Kozaki, Ikko; Shimizu, Kazunori; Honda, Hiroyuki

2017-08-01

Intracellular functional peptides that play a significant role inside cells have been receiving a lot of attention as regulators of cellular activity. Previously, we proposed a novel screening system for intracellular functional peptides; it combined a photo-cleavable peptide array system with cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs). Various peptides can be delivered into cells and intracellular functions of the peptides can be assayed by means of our system. The aim of the present study was to demonstrate that the proposed screening system can be used for assessing the intracellular activity of peptides. The cell death-inducing peptide (LNLISKLF) identified in a mitochondria-targeting domain (MTD) of the Noxa protein served as an original peptide sequence for screening of peptides with higher activity via modification of the peptide sequence. We obtained 4 peptides with higher activity, in which we substituted serine (S) at the fifth position with phenylalanine (F), valine (V), tryptophan (W), or tyrosine (Y). During analysis of the mechanism of action, the modified peptides induced an increase in intracellular calcium concentration, which was caused by the treatment with the original peptide. Higher capacity for cell death induction by the modified peptides may be caused by increased hydrophobicity or an increased number of aromatic residues. Thus, the present work suggests that the intracellular activity of peptides can be assessed using the proposed screening system. It could be used for identifying intracellular functional peptides with higher activity through comprehensive screening. Copyright © 2017 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Photo-induced wettability of TiO{sub 2} film with Au buffer layer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Purkayastha, Debarun Dhar; Sangani, L. D. Varma; Krishna, M. Ghanashyam [School of Physics, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad-500046 (India); Madhurima, V., E-mail: madhurima.v@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur-610004 (India)

2014-04-24

The effect of thickness of Au buffer layer (15-25 nm) between TiO{sub 2} film and substrate on the wettability of TiO{sub 2} films is reported. TiO{sub 2} films grown on Au buffer layer have a higher contact angle of 96-;100° as compared to 47.6o for the film grown without buffer layer. The transition from hydrophobicity to hydrophilicity under UV irradiation occurs within 10 min. for the buffer layered films whereas it is almost 30 min. for the film grown without buffer layer. The enhanced photo induced hydrophilicity is shown to be surface energy driven.

Enhancing the functionality of photovoltaic and photonic biointerfaces through structuration

OpenAIRE

Wenzel, Tobias

2017-01-01

This two-part thesis focuses on biointerfaces of two different biological systems. It specifically examines the interplay of structure and functionality in these biointerfaces. Part one studies photo-bio-electrochemically active bacteria and the strong dependence of their electrical current generation on electrode structure and pigment organisation. Part two uncovers surprising design principles of photonic structures on flower petals and presents research tools to study disordered optical sy...

Reversible photo-induced trap formation in mixed-halide hybrid perovskites for photovoltaics.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoke, Eric T; Slotcavage, Daniel J; Dohner, Emma R; Bowring, Andrea R; Karunadasa, Hemamala I; McGehee, Michael D

2015-01-01

We report on reversible, light-induced transformations in (CH 3 NH 3 )Pb(Br x I 1- x ) 3 . Photoluminescence (PL) spectra of these perovskites develop a new, red-shifted peak at 1.68 eV that grows in intensity under constant, 1-sun illumination in less than a minute. This is accompanied by an increase in sub-bandgap absorption at ∼1.7 eV, indicating the formation of luminescent trap states. Light soaking causes a splitting of X-ray diffraction (XRD) peaks, suggesting segregation into two crystalline phases. Surprisingly, these photo-induced changes are fully reversible; the XRD patterns and the PL and absorption spectra revert to their initial states after the materials are left for a few minutes in the dark. We speculate that photoexcitation may cause halide segregation into iodide-rich minority and bromide-enriched majority domains, the former acting as a recombination center trap. This instability may limit achievable voltages from some mixed-halide perovskite solar cells and could have implications for the photostability of halide perovskites used in optoelectronics.

Experimental study and modelling of X-ray photo-triggering of a discharge for exciplex laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Louvet, Yolande

1986-01-01

As the excitation of the laser medium by using a photo-triggered discharge revealed to be more reliable that an excitation by pre-ionised discharge, this research thesis reports the use of such an excitation and the study of initiation mechanisms for discharges photo-triggered by X rays. The author first recalls the main characteristics of excimer and exciplex systems, and presents the principle of discharge photo-triggering. He presents the experimental set-up, and reports the use of an original method to characterise the X radiation. This method uses theoretical data related to Bremsstrahlung emission, and results are validated by experimental tests. Realistic data regarding X ray properties are introduced into the theoretical model which also takes X-ray-induced ionisation reactions and photo-electron energetic degradation into account. By using this model, the author determines the electron distribution function produced by the X pre-ionisation, and the resulting thermalized electron density [fr

A synthetic NO reduction cycle on a bis(pyrazolato)-bridged dinuclear ruthenium complex including photo-induced transformation.

Science.gov (United States)

Arikawa, Yasuhiro; Hiura, Junko; Tsuchii, Chika; Kodama, Mika; Matsumoto, Naoki; Umakoshi, Keisuke

2018-05-17

A synthetic NO reduction cycle (2NO + 2H+ + 2e- → N2O + H2O) on a dinuclear platform {(TpRu)2(μ-pz)2} (Tp = HB(pyrazol-1-yl)3) was achieved, where an unusual N-N coupling complex was included. Moreover, an interesting photo-induced conversion of the N-N coupling complex to an oxido-bridged complex was revealed.

Coupling ultraviolet light and ultrasound irradiation with Conductive-Diamond Electrochemical Oxidation for the removal of progesterone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vidales, María J. Martín de; Barba, Silvia; Sáez, Cristina; Cañizares, Pablo; Rodrigo, Manuel A.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Single sonolysis and photolysis technologies entail a slight progesterone removal and nil mineralization. • Synergistic effects of irradiating UV light and US are clearly observed in the oxidation rate. • The energy required by CDSEO and CDSPEO prevents against their application. • CDSEO mainly favors the mass transfer of organics to the conductive-diamond surface. • CDPEO promotes the formation of radicals in the bulk solution. - Abstract: This work focusses on the improvement of the efficiency of Conductive Diamond Electrochemical Oxidation (CDEO) by coupling US and UV irradiation in the degradation of progesterone from wastewater. Results show that CDEO is a promising technology for the degradation of progesterone, just the opposite of that observed for single sonolysis and photolysis technologies, which only entail a slight removal of progesterone and nil mineralization. Coupling UV light and US irradiations with CDEO seems to have a very positive effect, improving results obtained by single CDEO very significantly. Conductive Diamond Sono Electrochemical Oxidation (CDSEO) mainly seems to improve the transfer of pollutants to the conductive-diamond surface, while Conductive Diamond Photo Electrochemical Oxidation (CDPEO) seems to promote the formation of radicals from oxidants produced electrochemically. Soft oxidation conditions are obtained with the single application of both irradiation technologies, whereas an efficient mineralization is attained with CDEO, CDSEO, CDPEO and Conductive Diamond Sono-Photo Electrochemical Oxidation (CDSPEO). However, the high energy demands of US irradiation technologies advices against the use of CDSEO and CDSPEO

New insights on laser-induced graphene electrodes for flexible supercapacitors: tunable morphology and physical properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Lamberti, Andrea; Perrucci, Francesco; Caprioli, Matteo; Serrapede, Mara; Fontana, Marco; Bianco, Stefano; Ferrero, Sergio; Tresso, Elena

2017-04-28

In certain polymers the graphenization of carbon atoms can be obtained by laser writing owing to the easy absorption of long-wavelength radiation, which generates photo-thermal effects. On a polyimide surface this process allows the formation of a nanostructured and porous carbon network known as laser-induced graphene (LIG). Herein we report on the effect of the process parameters on the morphology and physical properties of LIG nanostructures. We show that the scan speed and the frequency of the incident radiation affect the gas evolution, inducing different structure rearrangements, an interesting nitrogen self-doping phenomenon and consequently different conduction properties. The materials were characterized by infrared and Raman spectroscopy, XPS elemental analysis, electron microscopy and electrical/electrochemical measurements. In particular the samples were tested as interdigitated electrodes into electrochemical supercapacitors and the optimized LIG arrangement was tested in parallel and series supercapacitor configurations to allow power exploitation.

A functional analysis of photo-object matching skills of severely retarded adolescents.

OpenAIRE

Dixon, L S

1981-01-01

Matching-to-sample procedures were used to assess picture representation skills of severely retarded, nonverbal adolescents. Identity matching within the classes of objects and life-size, full-color photos of the objects was first used to assess visual discrimination, a necessary condition for picture representation. Picture representation was then assessed through photo-object matching tasks. Five students demonstrated visual discrimination (identity matching) within the two classes of photo...

Photo-Crosslinking Induced Geometric Restriction Controls the Self-Assembly of Diphenylalanine Based Peptides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tie Zuo-Xiu; Qin Meng; Zou Da-Wei; Cao Yi; Wang Wei

2011-01-01

The diphenylalanine (FF) motif has been widely used in the design of peptides that are capable of forming various ordered structures, such as nanotubes, nanospheres and hydrogels. In these assemblies, FF based peptides adopt an antiparallel structure and are stabilized by π — π stacking among the phenyl groups. Here we show that assembly of FF-based peptides can be controlled by their geometric restrictions. Using tripeptide FFY (L-Phe-L-Phe-L-Tyr) as an example, we demonstrate that photo-crosslinking of C-terminal tyrosine can impose a geometric restriction to the formation of an antiparallel structure, leading to a structural change of the assemblies from nanosphere to amorphous. This finding is confirmed using far-UV circular dichroism, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. Based on such a mechanism, we are able to control the gel-sol transition of Fmoc-FFY using the geometric restriction induced by photo-crosslinking of C-terminal tyrosine groups. We believe that geometric restriction should be considered as an important factor in the design of peptide-based materials. It can also be implemented as a useful strategy for the construction of environment-responsive 'smart' materials. (cross-disciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology)

Luminescent nanoprobes for thermal bio-sensing: Towards controlled photo-thermal therapies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jaque, Daniel, E-mail: daniel.jaque@uam.es [Fluorescence Imaging Group, Departamento de Fisica de Materiales, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Madrid 28049 (Spain); Grupo de Fotônica e Fluidos Complexos (GFFC), Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, 57072-900 Maceió-AL (Brazil); Jacinto, Carlos [Grupo de Fotônica e Fluidos Complexos (GFFC), Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, 57072-900 Maceió-AL (Brazil)

2016-01-15

Photo-thermal therapies, based on the light-induced local heating of cancer tumors and tissues, are nowadays attracting an increasing attention due to their effectiveness, universality, and low cost. In order to avoid undesirable collateral damage in the healthy tissues surrounding the tumors, photo-thermal therapies should be achieved while monitoring tumor’s temperature in such a way that thermal therapy could be stopped before reaching the damage limit. Measuring tumor temperature is not an easy task at all and novel strategies should be adopted. In this work it is demonstrated how luminescent nanoparticles, in particular Neodymium doped LaF{sub 3} nanoparticles, could be used as multi-functional agents capable of simultaneous heating and thermal sensing. Advantages and disadvantages of such nanoparticles are discussed and the future perspectives are briefly raised. - Highlights: • Thermal control is essential in novel photo-thermal therapies. • Thermal control and heating can be achieved by Neodymium doped nanoparticles. • Perspectives of Neodymium doped nanoparticles in potential in vivo applications are discussed.

Integration of processes induced air flotation and photo-Fenton for treatment of residual waters contaminated with xylene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, Syllos S. da; Chiavone-Filho, Osvaldo; Barros Neto, Eduardo L. de; Nascimento, Claudio A.O.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► We have studied the treatment of wastewater contaminated with hydrocarbons represented by the xylene, using these processes in an integrated mode: induced air flotation and photo-Fenton. ► We have selected xylene as representative contaminant due to properties of toxicity, solubility in water and vapor pressure. ► The manuscript presents a series of accurate experimental data that can be useful for material and energy optimization purposes in the xylene removal aiming the treatment of oil field produced water. - Abstract: Produced water in oil fields is one of the main sources of wastewater generated in the industry. It contains several organic compounds, such as benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylene (BTEX), whose disposal is regulated by law. The aim of this study is to investigate a treatment of produced water integrating two processes, i.e., induced air flotation (IAF) and photo-Fenton. The experiments were conducted in a column flotation and annular lamp reactor for flotation and photodegradation steps, respectively. The first order kinetic constant of IAF for the wastewater studied was determined to be 0.1765 min −1 for the surfactant EO 7. Degradation efficiencies of organic loading were assessed using factorial planning. Statistical data analysis shows that H 2 O 2 concentration is a determining factor in process efficiency. Degradations above 90% were reached in all cases after 90 min of reaction, attaining 100% mineralization in the optimized concentrations of Fenton reagents. Process integration was adequate with 100% organic load removal in 20 min. The results of the integration of the IAF with the photo-Fenton allowed to meet the effluent limits established by Brazilian legislation for disposal.

Characterization of photo-induced valence tautomerism in a cobalt-dioxolene complex by ultrafast spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beni, A [Dipartimento di Chimica, Universita di Firenze, via della Lastruccia 3, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence (Italy); Bogani, L [Dipartimento di Chimica, Universita di Firenze, via della Lastruccia 3, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence (Italy); Bussotti, L [LENS, Universita di Firenze, Via Nello Carrara 1, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence (Italy); Dei, A [Dipartimento di Chimica, Universita di Firenze, via della Lastruccia 3, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence (Italy); Gentili, P L [LENS, Universita di Firenze, Via Nello Carrara 1, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence (Italy); Righini, R [Dipartimento di Chimica, Universita di Firenze, via della Lastruccia 3, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence (Italy)

2005-01-01

The valence tautomerism of low-spin Co{sup III}(Cat-N-BQ)(Cat-N-SQ) was investigated by means of UV-vis pump-probe transient absorption spectroscopy in chloroform. By exciting the CT transition of the complex at 480 nm, an intramolecular electron transfer process is selectively triggered. The photo-induced charge transfer is pursued by a cascade of two main molecular events characterized by the ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy: the first gives rise to the metastable high-spin Co{sup II}(Cat-N-BQ){sub 2} that, secondly, reaches the chemical equilibrium with the reactant species.

Electrochemically Functionalized Seamless Three-Dimensional Graphene-Carbon Nanotube Hybrid for Direct Electron Transfer of Glucose Oxidase and Bioelectrocatalysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Terse-Thakoor, Trupti; Komori, Kikuo; Ramnani, Pankaj; Lee, Ilkeun; Mulchandani, Ashok

2015-12-01

Three-dimensional seamless chemical vapor deposition (CVD) grown graphene-carbon nanotubes (G-CNT) hybrid film has been studied for its potential in achieving direct electron transfer (DET) of glucose oxidase (GOx) and its bioelectrocatalytic activity in glucose detection. A two-step CVD method was employed for the synthesis of seamless G-CNT hybrid film where CNTs are grown on already grown graphene film on copper foil using iron as a catalyst. Physical characterization using SEM and TEM show uniform dense coverage of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) grown directly on graphene with seamless contacts. The G-CNT hybrid film was electrochemically modified to introduce oxygenated functional groups for DET favorable immobilization of GOx. Pristine and electrochemically functionalized G-CNT film was characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry, X-ray photoelectron-spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. The DET between GOx and electrochemically oxidized G-CNT electrode was studied using cyclic voltammetry which showed a pair of well-defined and quasi-reversible redox peaks with a formal potential of -459 mV at pH 7 corresponding to the redox site of GOx. The constructed electrode detected glucose concentration over the clinically relevant range of 2-8 mM with the highest sensitivity of 19.31 μA/mM/cm(2) compared to reported composite hybrid electrodes of graphene oxide and CNTs. Electrochemically functionalized CVD grown seamless G-CNT structure used in this work has potential to be used for development of artificial mediatorless redox enzyme based biosensors and biofuel cells.

Soft photo structuring of porous silicon in water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Juan, M.; Bouillard, J.S.; Plain, J.; Bachelot, R.; Adam, P.M.; Lerondel, G.; Royer, P. [ICD - Laboratoire de Nanotechnologie et d' Instrumentation Optique, CNRS FRE 2848, Universite de Technologie de Troyes, 12 rue Marie Curie, BP 2060, 10010 Troyes (France)

2007-05-15

We report on local photo-induced patterning of porous silicon in water. Scanning probe microscopy images of the sample surface after illumination show that the emission properties as well as the topography are modified according to the interferometric illumination pattern. Local photo-oxidation is believed to be at the origin of these modifications. (copyright 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Electrochemically induced nuclear fusion of deuterium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jorne, J.

1990-01-01

In this paper cold fusion of deuterium by electrolysis of heavy water onto a palladium (or titanium) cathode is reported. Contrary to the assumption of Fleishmann and Pons that electrochemically compressed D + exists inside the palladium cathode, the observations of Jones et al. can be partially explained by the simultaneous presence of deuteride D - and the highly mobile positive deuterium ion D + . The opposite charges reduce the intranuclear distance and enhance the tunneling fusion rate. Furthermore, alloying of lithium with palladium can stabilize a negatively charged deuteride ion due to the salinelike character of lithium deuteride. The enormous pressure (or fugacity), achieved by the applied electrochemical potential (10 30 atm), is a virtual pressure that would have existed in equilibrium with palladium deuteride (PdD x ). It is speculated that nuclear fusion occurs at the surface, and the PdD x serves as a reservoir for the supply of deuteride ions

Comparison of fast neutron-induced tracks in plastics using the electrochemical etching method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cotter, S.J.; Gammage, R.B.; Thorngate, J.H.; Ziemer, P.L.

1979-01-01

Four plastics were examined by the electrochemical etching method for their suitability in registering fast neutron-induced recoil particle tracks. The plastics were cellulose acetate, cellulose triacetate, cellulose acetobutyrate and polycarbonate. Cellulose acetate and triacetate displayed high levels of water absorptivity during etching while the acetobutyrate foils cracked due to electromechanical stresses at high frequencies (>500 Hz). The clarity of the etched track was superior in the polycarbonate foils, suggesting the latter as the generally preferred dosimeter for fast neutrons. (author)

Microfabricated electrochemical sensor for the detection of radiation-induced DNA damage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, J.; Rivas, G.; Ozsoz, M.; Grant, D.H.; Cai, X.; Parrado, C. [New Mexico State Univ., Las Cruces, NM (United States)

1997-04-01

An electrochemical biosensor protocol for the detection of radiation-induced DNA damage is described. The procedure employs a dsDNA-coated screen-printed electrode and relies on changes in the guanine-DNA oxidation signal upon exposure to ultraviolet radiation. The decreased signal is ascribed primarily to conformational changes in the DNA and to the photoconversion of the guanine-DNA moiety to a nonelectroactive monomeric base product. Factors influencing the response of these microfabricated DNA sensors, such as irradiation time, wavelength, and distance, are explored, and future prospects are discussed. Similar results are given for the use of bare strip electrodes in connection with irradiated DNA solutions. 8 refs., 4 figs.

BIOTECHNOLOGICKÉ ASPEKTY SVĚTLEM INICIOVANÉHO SÍŤOVÁNÍ – PIXL (Z ANGL. PHOTO INDUCED CROSS LINKING): NOVÉ ALTERNATIVNÍ TECHNIKY PRO STUDIUM 3D STRUKTURY PROTEINŮ ČI VZÁJEMNÝCH INTERAKCÍ

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Šulc, Miroslav; Ptáčková, Renata

2016-01-01

Roč. 26, č. 4 (2016), s. 79-83 ISSN 1210-1737 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LO1509 Institutional support: RVO:61388971 Keywords : Photo Induced Cross Linking * photo methionine * photo methionine, diazirines Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology

Electric field control photo-induced Hall currents in semiconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miah, M. Idrish [Nanoscale Science and Technology Centre, Griffith University, Nathan, Brisbane, QLD 4111 (Australia); Department of Physics, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Chittagong 4331 (Bangladesh)], E-mail: m.miah@griffith.edu.au

2008-10-15

We generate spin-polarized carrier populations in GaAs and low temperature-grown GaAs (LT-GaAs) by circularly polarized optical beams and pull them by external electric fields to create spin-polarized currents. In the presence of the optically generated spin currents, anomalous Hall currents with an enhancement with increasing doping are observed and found to be almost steady in moderate electric fields up to {approx}120 mV {mu}m{sup -1}, indicating that photo-induced spin orientation of electrons is preserved in these systems. However, a field {approx}300 mV {mu}m{sup -1} completely destroys the electron spin polarization due to an increase of the D'yakonov-Perel' spin precession frequency of the hot electrons. This suggests that high field carrier transport conditions might not be suitable for spin-based technology with GaAs and LT-GaAs. It is also demonstrated that the presence of the excess arsenic sites in LT-GaAs might not affect the spin relaxation by Bir-Aronov-Pikus mechanism owing to a large number of electrons in n-doped materials.

Porphyrin mediated photo-modification of the structure and function of human serum albumin

Science.gov (United States)

Rozinek, Sarah C.

Photosensitization reactions involve irradiating (with visible light) molecules with a high efficiency for either electron transfer or entering an excited triplet state (photosensitizer). Such reactions are applied to photodynamic cancer therapy, many medical laser-treatments, and a potential array of disinfection and pest elimination techniques. To understand the biophysical mechanisms of how these applications are effective at the protein level, the group of Dr. Brancaleon (UTSA) has investigated the irradiation of several dye-protein combinations, and discovered effects on protein structure and function. To further that work, we have investigated irradiation of the protein, human serum albumin (HSA), photosensitized by either protoporphyrin IX (PPIX) or meso-tetrakis(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin (TSPP). HSA is the most abundant plasma protein, making it a likely substrate in PDT, and it possesses a specific binding pocket for iron-PPIX (heme) and possibly other porphyrin derivatives. The results of our research are summarized as follows. First, a thorough characterization of the binding of each photosensitizer to albumin was completed, elucidating a probable binding location for TSPP. Next, fluorescence lifetime emission of the single tryptophan residue, alongside circular dichroism, found tertiary structural changes around tryptophan and an overall 20% decrease in protein secondary structure after irradiation with TSPP bound. Finally, to determine if protein function was lost after photosensitization, size exclusion chromatography found modified albumin still recognizable by its receptor-protein, and comparative ex vivo up-take studies revealed that modified albumin is not processed the same way as native albumin in live tapeworm larva (Mesocestoides corti). Thus we found that visible light can induce partial unfolding of a protein by using a photo-activated ligand. These small structural modifications were sufficient to affect the protein's biological function.

Route to Photo-Enabled Random Terahertz Metasurfaces

KAUST Repository

Peters, Luke; Gongora, J. S. Totero; Tunesi, Jacob D.; Fratalocchi, Andrea; Pasquazi, Alessia; Peccianti, Marco

2017-01-01

We experimentally investigate the enhancement and phase change of the THz emission from photo-excited randomly structured black silicon substrates mediated by an induced metallic state of the nanostructured surface.

Route to Photo-Enabled Random Terahertz Metasurfaces

KAUST Repository

Peters, Luke

2017-07-17

We experimentally investigate the enhancement and phase change of the THz emission from photo-excited randomly structured black silicon substrates mediated by an induced metallic state of the nanostructured surface.

Electrochemical Aptasensor for Myoglobin-Specific Recognition Based on Porphyrin Functionalized Graphene-Conjugated Gold Nanocomposites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guojuan Zhang

2016-10-01

Full Text Available In this work, a novel electrochemical aptasensor was developed for sensitive and selective detection of myoglobin based on meso-tetra (4-carboxyphenyl porphyrin-functionalized graphene-conjugated gold nanoparticles (TCPP–Gr/AuNPs. Due to its good electric conductivity, large specific surface area, and excellent mechanical properties, TCPP–Gr/AuNPs can act as an enhanced material for the electrochemical detection of myoglobin. Meanwhile, it provides an effective matrix for immobilizing myoglobin-binding aptamer (MbBA. The electrochemical aptasensor has a sensitive response to myoglobin in a linear range from 2.0 × 10−11 M to 7.7 × 10−7 M with a detection limit of 6.7 × 10−12 M (S/N = 3. Furthermore, the method has the merits of high sensitivity, low price, and high specificity. Our work will supply new horizons for the diagnostic applications of graphene-based materials in biomedicine and biosensors.

Electrochemical Oxidation of Propene with a LSF15/CGO10 Electrochemical Reactor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ippolito, Davide; Kammer Hansen, Kent

2014-01-01

A porous electrochemical reactor, made of La0.85Sr0.15FeO3 (LSF) as electrode and Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95 (CGO) as electrolyte, was studied for the electrochemical oxidation of propene over a wide range of temperatures. Polarization was found to enhance propene oxidation rate. Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95 was used...... as infiltration material to enhance the effect of polarization on propene oxidation rate, especially at low temperatures. The influence of infiltrated material, as a function of heat treatment, on the reactor electrochemical behavior has been evaluated by using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy...... in suppressing the competing oxygen evolution reaction and promoting the oxidation of propene under polarization, with faradaic efficiencies above 70% at 250◦C. © 2014 The Electrochemical Society....

Ionic liquid-functionalized graphene as modifier for electrochemical and electrocatalytic improvement: comparison of different carbon electrodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Meng; Yang, Tao; Ma, Suyan; Zhao, Changzhi; Jiao, Kui

2011-04-01

Electrochemical activities of typically electrochemical targets at three kinds of modified carbon electrodes, i.e. carbon ionic liquid electrode (CILE), graphene/carbon paste electrode (CPE), and ionic liquid-functionalized graphene (IL-graphene)/CPE, were compared in detail. The redox processes of the probes at IL-graphene/CPE were faster than those at CILE and graphene/CPE from cyclic voltammetry. An electrochemical method for the simultaneous determination of guanine and adenine was described with detection limits of 6.5×10(-8) mol L(-1) (guanine) and 3.2×10(-8) mol L(-1) (adenine). Single A→G mutation of sequence-specific DNA could be discriminated by the IL-graphene/CPE. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electrochemical Incineration of Phenolic Compounds from the Hydrocarbon Industry Using Boron-Doped Diamond Electrodes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alejandro Medel

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Electrochemical incineration using boron-doped diamond electrodes was applied to samples obtained from a refinery and compared to the photo-electro-Fenton process in order to selectively eliminate the phenol and phenolic compounds from a complex matrix. Due to the complex chemical composition of the sample, a pretreatment to the sample in order to isolate the phenolic compounds was applied. The effects of the pretreatment and of pH on the degradation of the phenolic compounds were evaluated. The results indicate that the use of a boron-doped diamond electrode in an electrochemical incineration process mineralizes 99.5% of the phenolic sample content. Working in acidic medium (pH = 1, and applying 2 A at 298 K under constant stirring for 2 hours, also results in the incineration of the reaction intermediates reflected by 97% removal of TOC. In contrast, the photo-electro-Fenton process results in 99.9% oxidation of phenolic compounds with only a 25.69% removal of TOC.

Photo-induced current transient spectroscopy for high-resistivity neutron-transmutation-doped silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tokuda, Yutaka; Inoue, Yajiro; Usami, Akira

1987-01-01

Defects in high-resistivity neutron-transmutation-doped (NTD) silicon prior to annealing were studied by photo-induced current transient spectroscopy (PICTS). The thermal-neutron fluence was 9.5 x 10 17 cm -2 to give a resistivity of about 30 Ω after annealing, and the fast-neutron fluence was 9.5 x 10 16 cm -2 . Four traps with thermal emission activation energies of 0.15, 0.41. 0.47 and 0.50 eV were observed in NTD silicon. A trap with the thermal emission activation energy of 0.15 eV was considered to correspond to the divacancy. Although the clustered nature of the defects was observed, PICTS measurements suggest that the material state of high-resistivity NTD silicon is still crystalline and not amorphous. (author)

Synthesis and electrochemical properties of peripheral carbazole functional Ter(9,9-spirobifluorene)s.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Shi; Liu, Meirong; Gu, Cheng; Zhao, Yang; Lu, Ping; Lu, Dan; Liu, Linlin; Shen, Fangzhong; Yang, Bing; Ma, Yuguang

2008-06-06

A facile approach for synthesis of spirobifluorene trimers with peripheral carbazole functional groups by utilizing Suzuki coupling as the key reaction has been developed. These novel compounds exhibit blue emission with high quantum yields in solution and thin films, and excellent spectral stability upon photoirradiation and annealing in air. By the introduction of carbazole groups, the oxidation potentials of spirobifluorene trimers S TCPC-6 and STCPC-4 were significantly lower than that of model compound STHPH without peripheral carbazole groups, which reflect that the title compounds process higher HOMO energy level and better hole-injection ability. Highly luminescent films were obtained by electrochemical coupling between carbazole units. Pure blue-emission single-layer LEDs based on electrochemical deposition films as light emitting layers were achieved.

Electrochemical gating in scanning electrochemical microscopy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ahonen, P.; Ruiz, V.; Kontturi, K.; Liljeroth, P.; Quinn, B.M.

2008-01-01

We demonstrate that scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) can be used to determine the conductivity of nanoparticle assemblies as a function of assembly potential. In contrast to conventional electron transport measurements, this method is unique in that electrical connection to the film is not

Content-aware photo collage using circle packing.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Zongqiao; Lu, Lin; Guo, Yanwen; Fan, Rongfei; Liu, Mingming; Wang, Wenping

2014-02-01

In this paper, we present a novel approach for automatically creating the photo collage that assembles the interest regions of a given group of images naturally. Previous methods on photo collage are generally built upon a well-defined optimization framework, which computes all the geometric parameters and layer indices for input photos on the given canvas by optimizing a unified objective function. The complex nonlinear form of optimization function limits their scalability and efficiency. From the geometric point of view, we recast the generation of collage as a region partition problem such that each image is displayed in its corresponding region partitioned from the canvas. The core of this is an efficient power-diagram-based circle packing algorithm that arranges a series of circles assigned to input photos compactly in the given canvas. To favor important photos, the circles are associated with image importances determined by an image ranking process. A heuristic search process is developed to ensure that salient information of each photo is displayed in the polygonal area resulting from circle packing. With our new formulation, each factor influencing the state of a photo is optimized in an independent stage, and computation of the optimal states for neighboring photos are completely decoupled. This improves the scalability of collage results and ensures their diversity. We also devise a saliency-based image fusion scheme to generate seamless compositive collage. Our approach can generate the collages on nonrectangular canvases and supports interactive collage that allows the user to refine collage results according to his/her personal preferences. We conduct extensive experiments and show the superiority of our algorithm by comparing against previous methods.

Nonenzymatic electrochemical sensor based on imidazole-functionalized graphene oxide for progesterone detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Gevaerd, Ava; Blaskievicz, Sirlon F; Zarbin, Aldo J G; Orth, Elisa S; Bergamini, Márcio F; Marcolino-Junior, Luiz H

2018-07-30

The modification of electrode surfaces has been the target of study for many researchers in order to improve the analytical performance of electrochemical sensors. Herein, the use of an imidazole-functionalized graphene oxide (GO-IMZ) as an artificial enzymatic active site for voltammetric determination of progesterone (P4) is described for the first time. The morphology and electrochemical performance of electrode modified with GO-IMZ were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and cyclic voltammetry, respectively. Under optimized conditions, the proposed sensor showed a synergistic effect of the GO sheets and the imidazole groups anchored on its backbone, which promoted a significant enhancement on electrochemical reduction of P4. Figures of merits such as linear dynamic response for P4 concentration ranging from 0.22 to 14.0 μmol L -1 , limit of detection of 68 nmol L -1 and limit of quantification and 210 nmol L -1 were found. In addition, presented a higher sensitivity, 426 nA L µmol -1 , when compared to the unmodified electrode. Overall, the proposed device showed to be a promising platform for a simple, rapid, and direct analysis of progesterone. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electrochemical remediation technologies for soil and groundwater

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Doering, F. [Electrochemical Processes I.I. c. Valley Forge, PA (United States)]|[P2 Soil Remediation, Inc. Stuttgart (Germany); Doering, N. [P2 Soil Remediation, Inc. Stuttgart (Germany)

2001-07-01

In Direct Current Technologies (DCTs) a direct current electricity is passed between at least two subsurface electrodes in order to effect the remediation of the groundwater and/or the soil. DCTs in line with the U.S.-terminology comprise of the ElectroChemical Remediation Technologies (ECRTs), and GeoKinetics. The primary distinction between ECRTs and ElectroKinetics are the power input, and the mode of operation, which are electrochemical reactions vs. mass transport. ECRTs combine phenomena of colloid (surface) electrochemistry with the phenomena of Induced Polarization (IP). This report focuses on ECRTs, comprising of the ElectroChemical GeoOxidation (ECGO) for the mineralization of organic pollutants to finally carbon dioxide and water, and Induced Complexation (IC), related to the electrochemical conversion of metals enhancing the mobilization and precipitation of heavy metals on both electrodes. Both technologies are based on reduction-oxidation (redox) reactions at the scale of the individual soil particles. (orig.)

Photo-induced changes of silicate glasses optical parameters at multi-photon laser radiation absorption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Efimov, O.M.; Glebov, L.B.; Mekryukov, A.M.

1995-01-01

In this paper the results of investigations of the mechanisms of photo-induced changes of alkali-silicate (crown) and lead-silicate (flint) glasses optical parameters upon the exposure to the intense laser radiation, and the basic regularities of these processes are reported. These investigations were performed in Research Center open-quotes S. I. Vavilov State Optical Instituteclose quotes during last 15 years. The kinetics of stable and unstable CC formation and decay, the effect of widely spread impurity ions on these processes, the characteristics of fundamental and impure luminescence, the kinetics of refractive index change under conditions of multi-photon glass matrix excitation, and other properties are considered. On the basis of analysis of received regularities it was shown that the nonlinear coloration of alkali-silicate glasses (the fundamental absorption edge is nearly 6 eV) takes place only as a result of two-photon absorption. Important efforts were aimed at the detection of three- or more photon matrix ionization of these glasses, but they were failed. However it was established that in the lead silicate glasses the long-wave carriers mobility boundary (> 5.6 eV) is placed considerably higher the fundamental absorption edge (∼ 3.5 eV) of material matrix. This results in that the linear color centers formation in the lead silicate glasses is not observed. The coloration of these glasses arises only from the two- or three-photon matrix ionization, and the excitation occurs through virtual states that are placed in the fundamental absorption region. In the report the available mechanisms of photo-induced changes of glasses optical parameters, and some applied aspects of this problem are discussed

Integration of processes induced air flotation and photo-Fenton for treatment of residual waters contaminated with xylene

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silva, Syllos S. da [Departamento Engenharia Quimica, NUPEG, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Campus Universitario, Lagoa Nova, Natal 59066-800, RN (Brazil); Chiavone-Filho, Osvaldo, E-mail: osvaldo@eq.ufrn.br [Departamento Engenharia Quimica, NUPEG, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Campus Universitario, Lagoa Nova, Natal 59066-800, RN (Brazil); Barros Neto, Eduardo L. de [Departamento Engenharia Quimica, NUPEG, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Campus Universitario, Lagoa Nova, Natal 59066-800, RN (Brazil); Nascimento, Claudio A.O. [Departamento de Engenharia Quimica, Escola Politecnica, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Cidade Universitaria, Sao Paulo 05508-900, SP (Brazil)

2012-01-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We have studied the treatment of wastewater contaminated with hydrocarbons represented by the xylene, using these processes in an integrated mode: induced air flotation and photo-Fenton. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We have selected xylene as representative contaminant due to properties of toxicity, solubility in water and vapor pressure. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The manuscript presents a series of accurate experimental data that can be useful for material and energy optimization purposes in the xylene removal aiming the treatment of oil field produced water. - Abstract: Produced water in oil fields is one of the main sources of wastewater generated in the industry. It contains several organic compounds, such as benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylene (BTEX), whose disposal is regulated by law. The aim of this study is to investigate a treatment of produced water integrating two processes, i.e., induced air flotation (IAF) and photo-Fenton. The experiments were conducted in a column flotation and annular lamp reactor for flotation and photodegradation steps, respectively. The first order kinetic constant of IAF for the wastewater studied was determined to be 0.1765 min{sup -1} for the surfactant EO 7. Degradation efficiencies of organic loading were assessed using factorial planning. Statistical data analysis shows that H{sub 2}O{sub 2} concentration is a determining factor in process efficiency. Degradations above 90% were reached in all cases after 90 min of reaction, attaining 100% mineralization in the optimized concentrations of Fenton reagents. Process integration was adequate with 100% organic load removal in 20 min. The results of the integration of the IAF with the photo-Fenton allowed to meet the effluent limits established by Brazilian legislation for disposal.

Electrochemical thermodynamic measurement system

Science.gov (United States)

Reynier, Yvan [Meylan, FR; Yazami, Rachid [Los Angeles, CA; Fultz, Brent T [Pasadena, CA

2009-09-29

The present invention provides systems and methods for accurately characterizing thermodynamic and materials properties of electrodes and electrochemical energy storage and conversion systems. Systems and methods of the present invention are configured for simultaneously collecting a suite of measurements characterizing a plurality of interconnected electrochemical and thermodynamic parameters relating to the electrode reaction state of advancement, voltage and temperature. Enhanced sensitivity provided by the present methods and systems combined with measurement conditions that reflect thermodynamically stabilized electrode conditions allow very accurate measurement of thermodynamic parameters, including state functions such as the Gibbs free energy, enthalpy and entropy of electrode/electrochemical cell reactions, that enable prediction of important performance attributes of electrode materials and electrochemical systems, such as the energy, power density, current rate and the cycle life of an electrochemical cell.

Influence of photo- and thermal bleaching on pre-irradiation low water peak single mode fibers

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Jianchong; Wen, Jianxiang; Luo, Wenyun; Xiao, Zhongyin; Chen, Zhenyi; Wang, Tingyun

2011-12-01

Reducing the radiation-induced transmission loss in low water peak single mode fiber (LWP SMF) has been investigated by using photo-bleaching method with 980nm pump light source and using thermal-bleaching method with temperature control system. The results show that the radiation-induced loss of pre-irradiation optical fiber can be reduced effectively with the help of photo-bleaching or thermal-bleaching. Although the effort of photo-bleaching is not as significant as thermal-bleaching, by using photo-bleaching method, the loss of fiber caused by radiation-induced defects can be reduced best up to 49% at 1310nm and 28% at 1550nm in low pre-irradiation condition, the coating of the fiber are not destroyed, and the rehabilitating time is just several hours, while self-annealing usually costs months' time. What's more, the typical high power LASER for photo-bleaching can be 980nm pump Laser Diode, which is very accessible.

Impact of solar UV radiation on toxicity of ZnO nanoparticles through photocatalytic reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and photo-induced dissolution

Science.gov (United States)

The present study investigated the impact of solar UV radiation on ZnO nanoparticle toxicity through photocatalytic ROS generation and photo-induced dissolution. Toxicity of ZnO nanoparticles to Daphnia magna was examined under laboratory light versus simulated solar UV radiatio...

Chafuroside B, an Oolong tea polyphenol, ameliorates UVB-induced DNA damage and generation of photo-immunosuppression related mediators in human keratinocytes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tatsuya Hasegawa

Full Text Available Chafuroside B was recently isolated as a new polyphenolic constituent of oolong tea leaves. However, the effects of chafuroside B on skin function have not been examined. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of chafuroside B against UVB-induced DNA damage, apoptosis and generation of photo-immunosuppression related mediators in cultured normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEK. Chafuroside B at 1 µM attenuated both UVB-induced apoptosis, evaluated in terms of caspase-3/7 activity, and UVB-induced DNA damage, evaluated in terms of formation of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPD, in NHEK exposed to UVB (20 mJ/cm2. In addition, chafuroside B at 0.3 or 1 µM suppressed the UVB-induced production of interleukin (IL-10, tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2, as determined by ELISA, and conversely enhanced IL-12 mRNA expression and production, as measured by RT-PCR and ELISA. Further, chafuroside B at 1 µM also suppressed UVB-induced expression of receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL mRNA. These results indicate that chafuroside B promotes repair of UVB-induced DNA damage and ameliorates the generation of IL-10, TNF-α, PGE2, and RANKL, all of which are UVB-induced immunosuppression related mediators. These effects of chafuroside B may be mediated at least in part through induction of IL-12 synthesis in human keratinocytes. Because chafuroside B might have practical value as a photoprotective agent, a further study of the in vivo effects of chafuroside B seems warranted.

Functionalization of single-walled carbon nanotubes with protein by click chemistry as sensing platform for sensitized electrochemical immunoassay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qi Honglan; Ling Chen; Huang Ru; Qiu Xiaoying; Shangguan Li; Gao Qiang; Zhang Chengxiao

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Single-walled carbon nanotubes were functionalized with protein by click chemistry. ► The SWNTs conjugated with protein showed excellent dispersion in water and kept good bioacitvity. ► A competitive electrochemical immunoassay for the determination of anti-IgG was developed with high sensitivity and good stability. - Abstract: The application of the Cu(I)-catalyzed [3 + 2] Huisgen cycloaddition to the functionalization of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with the protein and the use of the artificial SWNTs as a sensing platform for sensitive immunoassay were reported. Covalent functionalization of azide decorated SWNTs with alkyne modified protein was firstly accomplished by the Cu(I)-catalyzed [3 + 2] Huisgen cycloaddition. FT-IR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron micrograph were used to characterize the protein-functionalized SWNTs. It was found that the SWNTs conjugated with the proteins showed excellent dispersion in water and kept good bioacitivity when immunoglobulin (IgG) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) were chosen as model proteins. As a proof-of-concept, IgG-functionalized SWNTs were immobilized onto the surface of a glassy carbon electrode by simple casting method as immunosensing platform and a sensitive competitive electrochemical immunoassay was developed for the determination of anti-immunoglobulin (anti-IgG) using HRP as enzyme label. The fabrication of the immunosensor were characterized by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy with the redox probe [Fe(CN) 6 ] 3−/4− . The SWNTs as immobilization platform showed better sensitizing effect, a detection limit of 30 pg mL −1 (S/N = 3) was obtained for anti-IgG. The proposed strategy provided a stable immobilization method and sensitized recognition platform for analytes. This work demonstrated that the click coupling of SWNTs with protein was an effective

Development and application of the electrochemical etching technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanders, M.E.

1984-07-01

This report documents the advances achieved in the development and application of several etched damage track plastic dosimeters that can be used to measure dose-equivalent from neutrons with energies from thermal to 20 MeV. The project was initiated with the design of a rem-responding dosimeter that measured fast (> 1 MeV) neutron dose-equivalent as a function of the damage track density directly induced within the volume of polycarbonate foils amplified by electrochemical etching. Stillwagon (1978) adapted electrochemical etching of polycarbonate foils (ECEPF) to alpha dosimetry and used the technique to determine Pu-239 uptake in human bone. Su (1979) extended the usefulness of the ECEPF neutron dosimetry technique to encompass thermal neutron dose measurement. The thermal neutron dosimeter was composed of an external radiator tablet made of 7 LiF in contact with a polycarbonate foil and utilized the thermal neutron-induced 6 Li(n, α) 3 H reaction to give a dose-equivalent response as a function of alpha track density registered in the detector foil. An intermediate (1 eV-1 MeV) neutron dosimeter was developed and has been shown to give an approximately dose-equivalent response to neutrons with energies from 1 eV to 17 MeV. The intermediate neutron dosimeter consists of 6 LiF-Teflon/CR-39 Polymer foil assembly which is enclosed by a (Cd + In) neutron filter. The neutron dose-equivalent is measured as a variable function of the damage track density registered in the CR-39 detector foil due to alpha particles from the 1/v dependent 6 Li(n, α) 3 H reaction, recoil H, C, O nuclei from neutron-induced elastic scattering within the foil volume, and protons from the 6 Li(n, p) reaction for neutron energies above 2 MeV. 46 figs., 6 tabs

Electrochemical studies of Pu on prussian blue (PB)-gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) functionalized glassy carbon (GC) electrode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, Manoj K.; Ambolikar, Arvind S.; Aggarwal, Suresh K.

2011-01-01

In electrochemical processes, electron transfer across the solid-liquid interface is the elementary step and electron transfer kinetics is significantly influenced by the interfacial properties. Therefore, preparation of well-defined electrochemical interface with highly controllable properties - larger effective surface area, increased mass transport, and better electronic interaction between the analyte and electrode - is significant for both fundamental and applied studies in electrochemistry. In the present work electrochemistry of Pu(IV)/Pu(III) is studied on multilayered AuNPs-PB-AuNPs functionalized electrode

Synthesis of palladium@gold nanoalloys/nitrogen and sulphur-functionalized multiple graphene aerogel for electrochemical detection of dopamine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Ruiyi; Yang, Tingting [School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122 (China); Li, Zaijun, E-mail: zaijunli@jiangnan.edu.cn [School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122 (China); Key Laboratory of Food Colloids and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Wuxi 214122 (China); Gu, Zhiguo; Wang, Guangli; Liu, Junkang [School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122 (China)

2017-02-15

Integration of noble metal nanomaterials on graphene nanosheets potentially paves one way to improve their electronic, chemical and electrochemical properties. The study reported synthesis of palladium@gold nanoalloys/nitrogen and sulphur-functionalized multiple graphene aerogel composite (Pd@Au/N,S-MGA). The as-prepared composite offers a well-defined three-dimensional architecture with rich of mesopores. The Pd@Au nanoalloys were dispersed on the graphene framework networks and their active sites were fully exposed. The unique structure achieves to ultra high electron/ion conductivity, electrocatalytic activity and structural stability. The sensor based on the Pd@Au/N,S-MGA creates ultrasensitive electrochemical response towards dopamine due to significantly electrochemical synergy between Pd, Au and N,S-MGA. Its differential pulse voltammetric signal linearly increases with the increase of dopamine concentration in the range from 1.0 × 10{sup −9} M to 4.0 × 10{sup −5} M with the detection limit of 3.6 × 10{sup −10} M (S/N = 3). The analytical method provides the advantage of sensitivity, reproducibility, rapidity and long-term stability. It has been successfully applied in the detection of trace dopamine in biological samples. The study also opens a window on the electronic properties of graphene aerogel and metal nanomaterials as well their nanohybrids to meet needs of further applications as nanoelectronics in diagnosis, bioanalysis and catalysis. - Graphical abstract: We reported a new palladium@gold nanoalloys/nitrogen and sulphur-functionalized multiple graphene aerogel. The sensor based on the nanohybrid exhibits ultrahigh sensitivity, reproducibility and stability to electrochemical detection of dopamine. - Highlights: • We reported Pd@A/nitrogen and sulphur-functionalized multiple graphene aerogel. • The nanohybrid offers unique three-dimensional architecture with rich of mesopores. • The architecture achieve to ultrahigh

Synthesis of palladium@gold nanoalloys/nitrogen and sulphur-functionalized multiple graphene aerogel for electrochemical detection of dopamine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Ruiyi; Yang, Tingting; Li, Zaijun; Gu, Zhiguo; Wang, Guangli; Liu, Junkang

2017-01-01

Integration of noble metal nanomaterials on graphene nanosheets potentially paves one way to improve their electronic, chemical and electrochemical properties. The study reported synthesis of palladium@gold nanoalloys/nitrogen and sulphur-functionalized multiple graphene aerogel composite (Pd@Au/N,S-MGA). The as-prepared composite offers a well-defined three-dimensional architecture with rich of mesopores. The Pd@Au nanoalloys were dispersed on the graphene framework networks and their active sites were fully exposed. The unique structure achieves to ultra high electron/ion conductivity, electrocatalytic activity and structural stability. The sensor based on the Pd@Au/N,S-MGA creates ultrasensitive electrochemical response towards dopamine due to significantly electrochemical synergy between Pd, Au and N,S-MGA. Its differential pulse voltammetric signal linearly increases with the increase of dopamine concentration in the range from 1.0 × 10"−"9 M to 4.0 × 10"−"5 M with the detection limit of 3.6 × 10"−"1"0 M (S/N = 3). The analytical method provides the advantage of sensitivity, reproducibility, rapidity and long-term stability. It has been successfully applied in the detection of trace dopamine in biological samples. The study also opens a window on the electronic properties of graphene aerogel and metal nanomaterials as well their nanohybrids to meet needs of further applications as nanoelectronics in diagnosis, bioanalysis and catalysis. - Graphical abstract: We reported a new palladium@gold nanoalloys/nitrogen and sulphur-functionalized multiple graphene aerogel. The sensor based on the nanohybrid exhibits ultrahigh sensitivity, reproducibility and stability to electrochemical detection of dopamine. - Highlights: • We reported Pd@A/nitrogen and sulphur-functionalized multiple graphene aerogel. • The nanohybrid offers unique three-dimensional architecture with rich of mesopores. • The architecture achieve to ultrahigh electron

Alternating voltage-induced electrochemical synthesis of colloidal Au nanoicosahedra

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McCann, Kevin; Cloud, Jacqueline E.; Yang, Yongan, E-mail: yonyang@mines.edu [Colorado School of Mines, Department of Chemistry and Geochemistry (United States)

2013-11-15

A simple method of alternating voltage-induced electrochemical synthesis has been developed to synthesize highly dispersed colloidal Au nanoicosahedra of 14 ± 3 nm in size. This simple and effective method uses a common transformer to apply a zero-offset alternating voltage to a pair of identical Au electrodes that are immersed in an electrolyte solution containing ligands. The obtained Au nanoicosahedra in this work are among the smallest Au icosahedra synthesized in aqueous solutions. A series of experimental conditions have been studied, such as voltage, the electrolyte identity and concentration, stabilizer identity and concentration, and reaction temperature. The mechanistic study indicates that Au nanoicosahedra are produced on electrode surfaces through an intermediate state of AuO{sub x}. The kinetic rate constant of these Au icosahedra in catalyzing the reduction of 4-nitrophenol with sodium borohydride is found much larger than the literature values of similar Au nanocrystals. In addition, the synthesis of Au–Pd-alloyed NCs has also been attempted.Graphical Abstract.

Improvement in the assessment of direct and facilitated ion transfers by electrochemically induced redox transformations of common molecular probes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhou, Min; Gan, Shiyu; Zhong, Lijie

2012-01-01

A new strategy based on a thick organic film modified electrode allowed us, for the first time, to explore the voltammetric processes for a series of hydrophilic ions by electrochemically induced redox transformations of common molecular probes. During the limited time available for voltammetry, ...

Energy dependence of fast neutron dosimetry using electrochemical etching

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Su, S.J.; Morgan, K.Z.

1978-01-01

Registration of fast-neutron induced recoil tracks by the electrochemical etching technique as applied to sensitive Lexan polycarbonate foils provides a simple and inexpensive means of fast neutron personnel dosimetry. The sensitivity (tracks/neutron) of recoil particle registration is given as a function of neutron energy. Neutrons of 7 Li (p,n) 7 Be, 3 T (d,n) 4 He and 9 B, respectively. Results are compared with other studies using other neutron sources and conventional etching method

Effect of silver nanoparticles on photo-induced reorientation of azo groups in polymer films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Jingli; Yang Jianjun; Sun Youyi; Zhang Douguo; Shen Jing; Zhang Qijin; Wang Keyi

2007-01-01

A series of polymer films containing azo groups and silver nanoparticles were prepared. Photo-induced reorientation of the film was conducted under irradiation of polarized light with wavelength at 365 nm, 442 nm and 532 nm, respectively. The influence of the concentration of dopant silver on the reorientation of the azo groups was studied. An enhancement of about 50% for the reorientation rate and about 70% for the reorientation amplitude was achieved. From a comparison of the enhancement obtained by irradiating with three different light sources, it was realized that the mechanism for enhancement of reorientation of azo groups is due to plasmon resonance of silver nanoparticles doped in the polymer films

Temperature behaviour of photo-emissive films. The case of photo-multipliers used in scintillation counters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ardalan, A.H.

1966-01-01

This work concerns the changes in the spectral sensitivity of 3 types of normal photo-cathodes (Cs 3 Sb, tri-alkali and bi-alkali without cesium) as a function of temperature. The photo-cathodes of cathodes of commercial photomultipliers (DARIO, E.M.I., R.C.A., A.S.C.O.F.) were used for these tests. The temperature range studied was -25 C to +55 C (except for the bi-alkali photo-cathodes which were tested up to +150 C) and the wave-length range was 3250 to 7000 angstrom. After a brief review of photo-electric effect theories, the experimental device is described and the measurement results presented. Finally, an interpretation of these results is proposed. For the normal range of scintillator emission, i.e. between 3000 and 5000 angstroms (Na I (Tl), plastics, anthracene) the temperature coefficient is always negative: -0.15 % C for Cs 3 Sb and up to -0.5 % C for the most temperature-sensitive photo-cathode. Above 5000 angstrom, the temperature coefficient of Cs 3 Sb films becomes positive: +0.5 % C on the overage. The accuracy of the spectral sensitivity measurements is ±4 % in absolute value and ±1 % in relative value. (author) [fr

Electrochemical double-layer capacitors based on functionalized graphene

Science.gov (United States)

Pope, Michael Allan

Graphene is a promising electrode material for electrochemical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) used for energy storage due to its high electrical conductivity and theoretical specific surface area. However, the intrinsic capacitance of graphene is known to be low and governed by the electronic side of the interface. Furthermore, graphene tends to aggregate and stack together when processed into thick electrode films. This significantly lowers the ion-accessible specific surface area (SSA). Maximizing both the SSA and the intrinsic capacitance are the main problems addressed in this thesis in an effort to improve the specific capacitance and energy density of EDLCs. In contrast to pristine graphene, functionalized graphene produced by the thermal exfoliation of graphite oxide contains residual functional groups and lattice defects. To study how these properties affect the double-layer capacitance, a model electrode system capable of measuring the intrinsic electrochemical properties of functionalized graphene was developed. To prevent artifacts and uncertainties related to measurements on porous electrodes, the functionalized graphene sheets (FGSs) were assembled as densely tiled monolayers using a Langmuir-Blodgett technique. In this way, charging can be studied in a well-defined 2D geometry. The possibility of measuring and isolating the intrinsic electrochemical properties of FGS monolayers was first demonstrated by comparing capacitance and redox probe measurements carried out on coatings deposited on passivated gold and single crystal graphite substrates. This monolayer system was then used to follow the double-layer capacitance of the FGS/electrolyte interface as the structure and chemistry of graphene was varied by thermal treatments ranging from 300 °C to 2100 °C. Elemental analysis and Raman spectroscopy were used to determine the resulting chemical and structural transformation upon heat treatment. It was demonstrated that intrinsically defective

In situ AFM investigation of electrochemically induced surface-initiated atom-transfer radical polymerization.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Bin; Yu, Bo; Zhou, Feng

2013-02-12

Electrochemically induced surface-initiated atom-transfer radical polymerization is traced by in situ AFM technology for the first time, which allows visualization of the polymer growth process. It affords a fundamental insight into the surface morphology and growth mechanism simultaneously. Using this technique, the polymerization kinetics of two model monomers were studied, namely the anionic 3-sulfopropyl methacrylate potassium salt (SPMA) and the cationic 2-(metharyloyloxy)ethyltrimethylammonium chloride (METAC). The growth of METAC is significantly improved by screening the ammonium cations by the addition of ionic liquid electrolyte in aqueous solution. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Nanocarbon/elastomer composites: Characterization and applications in photo-mechanical actuation

Science.gov (United States)

Loomis, Robert James, III

The magnitude and direction of photo-mechanical actuation responses generated in carbon nanostructure/elastomer composites depend on applied pre-strains. At low levels of pre-strains (3--9%), actuators show reversible photo-induced expansion while at high levels (15--40%), actuators exhibit reversible contraction. Large, light-induced reversible and elastic responses of graphene nanoplatelet (GNP) polymer composites were demonstrated for the first time, with an extraordinary optical-to-mechanical energy conversion factor (etaM) of 7--9 MPa/W. Following this demonstration, similar elastomeric composite were fabricated with a variety of carbon nanostructures. Investigation into photo-actuation properties of these composites revealed both layer-dependent, as well as dimensionally-dependent responses. For a given carbon concentration, both steady-state photo-mechanical stress response and energy conversion efficiency were found to be directly related to dimensional state of carbon nanostructure additive, with one-dimensional (1D) carbon nanotubes demonstrating the highest responses (˜60 kPa stress and ˜5 x 10-3% efficiency at just 1 wt% loading) and three-dimensional (3D) highly ordered pyrolytic graphite demonstrating the lowest responses. Furthermore, development of an advanced dispersion technique (evaporative mixing) resulted in the ability to fabricate conductive composites. Actuation and relaxation kinetics responses were investigated and found to be related not to dimensionality, but rather the percolation threshold of carbon nanostructure additive in the polymer. Establishing a connective network of carbon nanostructure additive allowed for energy transduction responsible for photo-mechanical effect to activate carbon beyond the infrared (IR) illumination point, resulting in enhanced actuation. Additionally, in the conductive samples photo-conductivity as a function of applied pre-strain was also measured. Photo-conductive response was found to be inversely

Photos

Science.gov (United States)

GPS U.S. Air Force Academy Warrior Care Warrior Games Women's History Month Tag: Search Tag Sort By Squadron Ruck March Download Full Image Photo Details F-22 Demonstration Download Full Image Photo Details

Electrochemical properties of ion implanted silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pham minh Tan.

1979-11-01

The electrochemical behaviour of ion implanted silicon in contact with hydrofluoric acid solution was investigated. It was shown that the implanted layer on silicon changes profoundly its electrochemical properties (photopotential, interface impedance, rest potential, corrosion, current-potential behaviour, anodic dissolution of silicon, redox reaction). These changes depend strongly on the implantation parameters such as ion dose, ion energy, thermal treatment and ion mass and are weakly dependent on the chemical nature of the implantation ion. The experimental results were evaluated and interpreted in terms of the semiconductor electrochemical concepts taking into account the interaction of energetic ions with the solid surface. The observed effects are thus attributed to the implantation induced damage of silicon lattice and can be used for profiling of the implanted layer and the electrochemical treatment of the silicon surface. (author)

Correlation of electrical and physical properties of photoanode with hydrogen evolution in enzymatic photo-electrochemical cell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bae, Sanghyun; Kang, Junwon [Department of Environmental Engineering, Yonsei University, 234 Maeji-ri, Hungub-myun, Wonju, Gangwon-do 220-710 (Korea); Shim, Eunjung [Department of Chemistry, Chungnam National University, 220 Gung-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-764 (Korea); Yoon, Jaekyung; Joo, Hyunku [Fossil Energy and Environment Research Department, Korea Institute of Energy Research, 71-2 Jang-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-343 (Korea)

2008-05-01

In this study, the electrical and physical properties, including the current density, open-circuit voltage, morphology and crystalline structure, of an anodized TiO{sub 2} electrode on a titanium foil are correlated with the hydrogen production rate in an enzymatic photo-electrochemical system. The effect of light intensity at ca. 74 and ca. 146 mW cm{sup -2} on the properties is also examined. Anodizing (20 V; bath temperature 5 C; anodizing time 45 min) and subsequent annealing (350-850 C for 5 h) of the Ti foils in an O{sub 2} atmosphere led to the formation of a tube-shaped, or a compact layered, TiO{sub 2} film on the Ti substrate depending on the annealing temperature. The annealing temperature has a similar effect on the properties of the sample and the hydrogen evolution rate. The generated electrical value, the chronoamperometry (CA), is +13 to -229 and +13 to -247 {mu}A for light intensities of ca. 74 and ca. 146 mW cm{sup -2}, while the corresponding open-circuit voltage (OCV) is in the range of -41 to -687 and -144 to 738 mV, respectively. In the absence of light (dark), the CA is 13-29 {mu}A and the OCV is +258 to -126 mW cm{sup -2}. The trend in the electrical properties for the different samples is well matched with the rate of hydrogen evolution. The samples with higher activities (450, 550, and 650 C) have similar X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, which clearly indicates that the samples showing the highest evolution rate are composed of both anatase and rutile, while those showing a lower evolution rate are made of either anatase or rutile. Increasing the intensity of the irradiated light causes a remarkable enhancement in the rate of hydrogen production from 71 to 153 {mu}mol h{sup -1} cm{sup -2}. (author)

Photo-induced conductivity in 2, 6-diaminopyridine functionalized graphene oxide containing Eu2+ for optoelectronic applications

Science.gov (United States)

Mondal, Supriya; Gupta, Abhisek; Shaw, Bikash Kumar; Saha, Shyamal K.

2017-11-01

Although, graphene is a unique electronic material, its optical property especially photoluminescence behavior is very poor. Several techniques have been developed to invoke optical property in graphene. Among these, functionalization is the most powerful technique to introduce optical property in graphene. In the present work, graphene oxide is functionalized by Diaminopyridine to achieve bright blue-green emission and subsequently Eu2+ ions are attached to the nitrogen due to electrostatic interaction between Eu2+ and the loan pair electrons of pyridinic nitrogen to tune the photoluminescence peak more broaden (extended upto green) and intense. This enhancement of photoluminescence property has been used to achieve superior photocurrent. By inducing photons, the conductivity of the device structure ITO/PEDOT: PSS/RGO-Amino-Pyridine-Eu2+/Al is better changed than that of the dark condition. It is also investigated the concentration of Eu2+ and thickness dependent photocurrent to optimize the photocurrent. Time correlated Single Photon Counting (TCSPC) spectra, Density Functional Theory (DFT) and Band structure have been used to explain this enhancement in photoluminescence and photocurrent. The formation of layered type materials with Eu2+ attached to pyridine moiety has also been confirmed by FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, AFM, XPS, TEM, and FESEM.

Photo-Curable Metal-Chelating Coatings Offer a Scalable Approach to Production of Antioxidant Active Packaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Zhuangsheng; Goddard, Julie

2018-02-01

Synthetic metal chelators (for example, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, EDTA) are widely used as additives to control trace transition metal induced oxidation in consumer products. To enable removal of synthetic chelators in response to increasing consumer demand for clean label products, metal-chelating active food packaging technologies have been developed with demonstrated antioxidant efficacy in simulated food systems. However, prior work in fabrication of metal-chelating materials leveraged batch chemical reactions to tether metal-chelating ligands, a process with limited industrial translatability for large-scale fabrication. To improve the industrial translatability, we have designed a 2-step laminated photo-grafting process to introduce metal chelating functionality onto common polymeric packaging materials. Iminodiacetic acid (IDA) functionalized materials were fabricated by photo-grafting poly(acrylic acid) onto polypropylene (PP) films, followed by a second photo-grafting process to graft-polymerize an IDA functionalized vinyl monomer (GMA-IDA). The photo-grafting was conducted under atmospheric conditions and was completed in 2 min. The resulting IDA functionalized metal-chelating material was able to chelate iron and copper, and showed antioxidant efficacy against ascorbic acid degradation, supporting its potential to be used synergistically with natural antioxidants for preservation of food and beverage products. The 2-step photo-grafting process improves the throughput of active packaging coatings, enabling potential roll-to-roll fabrication of metal-chelating active packaging materials for antioxidant food packaging applications. To address consumer and retail demands for "clean label" foods and beverages without a corresponding loss in product quality and shelf life, producers are seeking next generation technologies such as active packaging. In this work, we will report the synthesis of metal-chelating active packaging films, which enable removal

Electrochemical characterization of organosilane-functionalized nanostructured ITO surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pruna, R., E-mail: rpruna@el.ub.edu; Palacio, F.; López, M. [SIC, Departament d' Enginyeries: Electrònica, Universitat de Barcelona, C/ Martí i Franquès 1, E-08028 Barcelona (Spain); Pérez, J. [Nanobioengineering Group, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Baldiri Reixac 15-21, E-08028 Barcelona (Spain); Mir, M. [Nanobioengineering Group, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Baldiri Reixac 15-21, E-08028 Barcelona (Spain); Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Monforte de Lemos 3-5 Pabellón 11, E-28029 Madrid (Spain); Blázquez, O.; Hernández, S.; Garrido, B. [MIND-IN" 2UB, Departament d' Enginyeries: Electrònica, Universitat de Barcelona, C/ Martí i Franquès 1, E-08028 Barcelona (Spain)

2016-08-08

The electroactivity of nanostructured indium tin oxide (ITO) has been investigated for its further use in applications such as sensing biological compounds by the analysis of redox active molecules. ITO films were fabricated by using electron beam evaporation at different substrate temperatures and subsequently annealed for promoting their crystallization. The morphology of the deposited material was monitored by scanning electron microscopy, confirming the deposition of either thin films or nanowires, depending on the substrate temperature. Electrochemical surface characterization revealed a 45 % increase in the electroactive surface area of nanostructured ITO with respect to thin films, one third lower than the geometrical surface area variation determined by atomic force microscopy. ITO surfaces were functionalized with a model organic molecule known as 6-(ferrocenyl)hexanethiol. The chemical attachment was done by means of a glycidoxy compound containing a reactive epoxy group, the so-called 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxy-silane. ITO functionalization was useful for determining the benefits of nanostructuration on the surface coverage of active molecules. Compared to ITO thin films, an increase in the total peak height of 140 % was observed for as-deposited nanostructured electrodes, whereas the same measurement for annealed electrodes resulted in an increase of more than 400 %. These preliminary results demonstrate the ability of nanostructured ITO to increase the surface-to-volume ratio, conductivity and surface area functionalization, features that highly benefit the performance of biosensors.

Electrochemical characterization of organosilane-functionalized nanostructured ITO surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pruna, R.; Palacio, F.; López, M.; Pérez, J.; Mir, M.; 2UB, Departament d'Enginyeries: Electrònica, Universitat de Barcelona, C/ Martí i Franquès 1, E-08028 Barcelona (Spain))" data-affiliation=" (MIND-IN2UB, Departament d'Enginyeries: Electrònica, Universitat de Barcelona, C/ Martí i Franquès 1, E-08028 Barcelona (Spain))" >Blázquez, O.; 2UB, Departament d'Enginyeries: Electrònica, Universitat de Barcelona, C/ Martí i Franquès 1, E-08028 Barcelona (Spain))" data-affiliation=" (MIND-IN2UB, Departament d'Enginyeries: Electrònica, Universitat de Barcelona, C/ Martí i Franquès 1, E-08028 Barcelona (Spain))" >Hernández, S.; 2UB, Departament d'Enginyeries: Electrònica, Universitat de Barcelona, C/ Martí i Franquès 1, E-08028 Barcelona (Spain))" data-affiliation=" (MIND-IN2UB, Departament d'Enginyeries: Electrònica, Universitat de Barcelona, C/ Martí i Franquès 1, E-08028 Barcelona (Spain))" >Garrido, B.

2016-01-01

The electroactivity of nanostructured indium tin oxide (ITO) has been investigated for its further use in applications such as sensing biological compounds by the analysis of redox active molecules. ITO films were fabricated by using electron beam evaporation at different substrate temperatures and subsequently annealed for promoting their crystallization. The morphology of the deposited material was monitored by scanning electron microscopy, confirming the deposition of either thin films or nanowires, depending on the substrate temperature. Electrochemical surface characterization revealed a 45 % increase in the electroactive surface area of nanostructured ITO with respect to thin films, one third lower than the geometrical surface area variation determined by atomic force microscopy. ITO surfaces were functionalized with a model organic molecule known as 6-(ferrocenyl)hexanethiol. The chemical attachment was done by means of a glycidoxy compound containing a reactive epoxy group, the so-called 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxy-silane. ITO functionalization was useful for determining the benefits of nanostructuration on the surface coverage of active molecules. Compared to ITO thin films, an increase in the total peak height of 140 % was observed for as-deposited nanostructured electrodes, whereas the same measurement for annealed electrodes resulted in an increase of more than 400 %. These preliminary results demonstrate the ability of nanostructured ITO to increase the surface-to-volume ratio, conductivity and surface area functionalization, features that highly benefit the performance of biosensors.

Photo-degradation behaviour of roseoflavin in some aqueous solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tyagi, A.; Penzkofer, A.; Mathes, T.; Hegemann, P.

2010-01-01

An absorption and emission spectroscopic characterization of roseoflavin (8-dimethylamino-8-demethyl-riboflavin, RoF) in aqueous solutions was carried out. The studies were concentrated on roseoflavin in pH 8 phosphate buffer. Absorption cross-section spectra, fluorescence excitation spectra, fluorescence quantum distributions, fluorescence quantum yields and fluorescence lifetimes were determined. The fluorescence of RoF is quenched by photo-induced intra-molecular charge-transfer at room temperature. The photo-degradation of RoF in un-buffered water, in Tris-HCl buffer, and in phosphate buffer was studied. Phosphate buffer and to a smaller extent Tris buffer catalyse the RoF photo-degradation. Photo-excitation of the primary photoproduct, 8-methylamino-riboflavin (8-MNH-RF), enhanced the RoF degradation by triplet 8-MNH-RF - singlet RoF excitation transfer with subsequent triplet-state RoF degradation.

Photo-degradation behaviour of roseoflavin in some aqueous solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Tyagi, A.; Penzkofer, A.; Mathes, T.; Hegemann, P.

2010-03-01

An absorption and emission spectroscopic characterization of roseoflavin (8-dimethylamino-8-demethyl-riboflavin, RoF) in aqueous solutions was carried out. The studies were concentrated on roseoflavin in pH 8 phosphate buffer. Absorption cross-section spectra, fluorescence excitation spectra, fluorescence quantum distributions, fluorescence quantum yields and fluorescence lifetimes were determined. The fluorescence of RoF is quenched by photo-induced intra-molecular charge-transfer at room temperature. The photo-degradation of RoF in un-buffered water, in Tris-HCl buffer, and in phosphate buffer was studied. Phosphate buffer and to a smaller extent Tris buffer catalyse the RoF photo-degradation. Photo-excitation of the primary photoproduct, 8-methylamino-riboflavin (8-MNH-RF), enhanced the RoF degradation by triplet 8-MNH-RF - singlet RoF excitation transfer with subsequent triplet-state RoF degradation.

Photo-degradation behaviour of roseoflavin in some aqueous solutions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tyagi, A. [Institut II - Experimentelle und Angewandte Physik, Universitaet Regensburg, Universitaetsstrasse 31, D-93053 Regensburg (Germany); Penzkofer, A., E-mail: alfons.penzkofer@physik.uni-regensburg.de [Institut II - Experimentelle und Angewandte Physik, Universitaet Regensburg, Universitaetsstrasse 31, D-93053 Regensburg (Germany); Mathes, T.; Hegemann, P. [Institut fuer Biologie/Experimentelle Biophysik, Humboldt Universitaet zu Berlin, Invalidenstrasse 42, D-10115 Berlin (Germany)

2010-03-24

An absorption and emission spectroscopic characterization of roseoflavin (8-dimethylamino-8-demethyl-riboflavin, RoF) in aqueous solutions was carried out. The studies were concentrated on roseoflavin in pH 8 phosphate buffer. Absorption cross-section spectra, fluorescence excitation spectra, fluorescence quantum distributions, fluorescence quantum yields and fluorescence lifetimes were determined. The fluorescence of RoF is quenched by photo-induced intra-molecular charge-transfer at room temperature. The photo-degradation of RoF in un-buffered water, in Tris-HCl buffer, and in phosphate buffer was studied. Phosphate buffer and to a smaller extent Tris buffer catalyse the RoF photo-degradation. Photo-excitation of the primary photoproduct, 8-methylamino-riboflavin (8-MNH-RF), enhanced the RoF degradation by triplet 8-MNH-RF - singlet RoF excitation transfer with subsequent triplet-state RoF degradation.

Elongational viscosity of photo-oxidated LDPE

Science.gov (United States)

Rolón-Garrido, Víctor H.; Wagner, Manfred H.

2014-05-01

Sheets of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) were photo-oxidatively treated at room temperature, and subsequently characterized rheologically in the melt state by shear and uniaxial extensional experiments. For photo-oxidation, a xenon lamp was used to irradiate the samples for times between 1 day and 6 weeks. Linear-viscoelastic characterization was performed in a temperature range of 130 to 220°C to obtain the master curve at 170°C, the reference temperature at which the elongational viscosities were measured. Linear viscoelasticity is increasingly affected by increasing photo-oxidation due to crosslinking of LDPE, as corroborated by an increasing gel fraction as determined by a solvent extraction method. The elongational measurements reveal a strong enhancement of strain hardening until a saturation level is achieved. The elongational data are analyzed in the frame work of two constitutive equations, the rubber-like liquid and the molecular stress function models. Within the experimental window, timedeformation separability is confirmed for all samples, independent of the degree of photo-oxidation.

CERN Photo club

CERN Multimedia

CERN Photo club

2016-01-01

The CERN Photo Club organizes in collaboration with Canon Switzerland a photo contest open to all members of the CERN (Persons with a CERN access card). The only restriction is that the photos must have been taken with a CANON camera (DSLR, bridge or compact) between 1 and 31 October 2016. Send your three best pictures at  Photo.Contest@cern.ch with a short description explaining the images. Further information on the Photo club website: http://photoclub.web.cern.ch/content/photo-contest-october-2016

Diamond surface functionalization with biomimicry - Amine surface tether and thiol moiety for electrochemical sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Sund, James B.; Causey, Corey P.; Wolter, Scott D.; Parker, Charles B.; Stoner, Brian R.; Toone, Eric J.; Glass, Jeffrey T.

2014-05-01

The surface of conducting diamond was functionalized with a terminal thiol group that is capable of binding and detecting nitrogen-oxygen species. The functionalization process employed multiple steps starting with doped diamond films grown by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition followed by hydrogen termination and photochemical attachment of a chemically protected amine alkene. The surface tether was deprotected to reveal the amine functionality, which enabled the tether to be extended with surface chemistry to add a terminal thiol moiety for electrochemical sensing applications. Each step of the process was validated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis.

Regeneration of irradiated optical fibres by photo-bleaching?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henschel, H.; Koehn, O.

1999-01-01

It is known that a light power between 0,1 and 20 μW caused bleaching of colour centres, which implies a reduction of induced loss. Older fibres especially those with a core made of undoped, low OH silica, experience tremendous photo-bleaching. Light of shorter wavelengths has a higher bleaching efficiency than that of longer wavelengths and same light intensity. The investigations have demonstrated that the injection of photo-bleaching light of shorter wavelength and higher intensity can distinctly decrease the radiation-induced loss of Ge-doped fibres, especially at low temperatures. Another possibility to apply photo-bleaching by short wavelength is to regenerate fibres that are permanently installed in radiation environments. Modern undoped multi-mode (MM) step index (Si), Ge-doped MM graded index (Gi) and Ge-doped single-mode (SM) fibres that had been irradiated were submitted to bleaching light. In this article it is shown how loss reduction and necessary bleaching time depend on wavelength and intensity of the bleaching light, on fibre length (bleaching time) and on radiation dose. These results are promising for the regeneration of optical fibres in facilities where the fibres cannot be replaced easily by new ones. (A.C.)

Investigation of Novel Electrode Materials for Electrochemically-Based Remediation of High- and Low-Level Mixed Wastes in the DOE Complex - Final Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lewis, N.S.; Anderson, M.

2000-12-01

New materials are investigated, based on degenerately-doped titanias, for use in the electrochemical degradation of organics and nitrogen-containing compounds in sites of concern to the DOE remediation effort. The data collected in this project appear to provide a rational approach for design of more efficient nanoporous electrodes. Also, osmium complexes appear to be promising candidates for further optimization in operating photo electrochemical cells for solar energy conversion applications.

Investigation of Novel Electrode Materials for Electrochemically-Based Remediation of High- and Low-Level Mixed Wastes in the DOE Complex - Final Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lewis, N.S.; Anderson, M.

2000-01-01

New materials are investigated, based on degenerately-doped titanias, for use in the electrochemical degradation of organics and nitrogen-containing compounds in sites of concern to the DOE remediation effort. The data collected in this project appear to provide a rational approach for design of more efficient nanoporous electrodes. Also, osmium complexes appear to be promising candidates for further optimization in operating photo electrochemical cells for solar energy conversion applications

An Electrochemical pH Sensor Based on the Amino-Functionalized Graphene and Polyaniline Composite Film.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, W; Xu, J; Ding, Xianting

2016-12-01

Conventional glass-based pH sensors are usually fragile and space consuming. Herein, a miniature electrochemical pH sensor based on amino-functionalized graphene fragments and polyaniline (NH 2 -G/PANI) composite film is developed via simply one-pot electrochemical polymerization on the ITO-coated glass substrates. Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), and Raman Spectra are involved to confirm the successful synthesis and to characterize the properties of the NH 2 -G/PANI composite film. The developed electrochemical pH sensor presents fast response, high sensitivity (51.1 mV/pH) and wide detection range when applied to PBS solutions of pH values from 1 to 11. The robust reproducibility and good stability of the developed pH sensors are investigated as well. Compared to the conventional glass-based pH meters, the NH 2 -G/PANI composite film-based pH sensor could be a promising contender for the flexible and miniaturized pH-sensing devices.

Aggregation-Induced Emission Enhancement from Disilane-Bridged Donor-Acceptor-Donor Luminogens Based on the Triarylamine Functionality.

Science.gov (United States)

Usuki, Tsukasa; Shimada, Masaki; Yamanoi, Yoshinori; Ohto, Tatsuhiko; Tada, Hirokazu; Kasai, Hidetaka; Nishibori, Eiji; Nishihara, Hiroshi

2018-04-18

Six novel donor-acceptor-donor organic dyes containing a Si-Si moiety based on triarylamine functionalities as donor units were prepared by Pd-catalyzed arylation of hydrosilanes. Their photophysical, electrochemical, and structural properties were studied in detail. Most of the compounds showed attractive photoluminescence (PL) and electrochemical properties both in solution and in the solid state because of intramolecular charge transfer (ICT), suggesting these compounds could be useful for electroluminescence (EL) applications. The aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) characteristics of 1 and 3 were examined in mixed water/THF solutions. The fluorescence intensity in THF/water was stronger in the solution with the highest ratio of water because of the suppression of molecular vibration and rotation in the aggregated state. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction of 4 showed that the reduction of intermolecular π-π interaction led to intense emission in the solid state and restricted intramolecular rotation of the donor and acceptor moieties, thereby indicating that the intense emission in the solid state is due to AIEE. An electroluminescence device employing 1 as an emitter exhibited an external quantum efficiency of up to 0.65% with green light emission. The emission comes solely from 1 because the EL spectrum is identical to that of the PL of 1. The observed luminescence was sufficiently bright for application in practical devices. Theoretical calculations and electrochemical measurements were carried out to aid in understanding the optical and electrochemical properties of these molecules.

Natural dye sensitizer from cassava (Manihot utilissima) leaves extract and its adsorption onto TiO2 photo-anode

Science.gov (United States)

Nurlela; Wibowo, R.; Gunlazuardi, J.

2017-04-01

Interaction between TiO2 and dyes sensitizer have been studied. The chlorophyll presents in the crude leave extract (CLE-dye) from cassava (Manihot utilissima) was immobilized on to the photo-anode, consists of TiO2 supported by fluor doped Tin oxide (SnO2-F) Glass. The TiO2 was prepared by Rapid Breakdown Anodization (RBA) method then immobilized on to glass coated by SnO2-F using doctor blade technique, to give CLE-dye/TiO2/SnO2-F/Glass photo-anode. The prepared photo-anode was characterized by UV-Vis-DRS, FTIR, XRD, SEM, electrochemical and spectro-electrochemical systems. In this study, the HOMO (highest occupied molecular orbital) and LUMO (lowest unoccupied molecular orbital) energy level of the CLE-dye were empirically determined by cyclic voltammetry method, while spectro-electro-chemistry method was used to determine the coefficient of degradation and formation of the dyes, and diffusion coefficient of the hole recombination as well. Good anchoring between TiO2 with dye extracts (CLE-dye) can be seen from value of dye LUMO energy level (-4.26 eV), which is approaching the conduction band of TiO2 (-4.3 eV). The coefficient of degradation and formation of the CLE-dye showed a quasi reversible and diffusion coefficient hole recombination values were small, indicated that it is quite suitable as a sensitizer in a dyes sensitized solar cell.

Electrochemical Characterization of O2 Plasma Functionalized Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube Electrode for Legionella pneumophila DNA Sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Eun Jin; Lee, Jun-Yong; Hyup Kim, Jun; Kug Kim, Sun; Lee, Cheol Jin; Min, Nam Ki

2010-08-01

An electrochemical DNA sensor for Legionella pneumophila detection was constructed using O2 plasma functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) film as a working electrode (WE). The cyclic voltammetry (CV) results revealed that the electrocatalytic activity of plasma functionalized MWCNT (pf-MWCNT) significantly changed depending on O2 plasma treatment time due to some oxygen containing functional groups on the pf-MWCNT surface. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra were also presented the changes of their surface morphologies and oxygen composition before and after plasma treatment. From a comparison study, it was found that the pf-MWCNT WEs had higher electrocatalytic activity and more capability of probe DNA immobilization: therefore, electrochemical signal changes by probe DNA immobilization and hybridization on pf-MWCNT WEs were larger than on Au WEs. The pf-MWCNT based DNA sensor was able to detect a concentration range of 10 pM-100 nM of target DNA to detect L. pneumophila.

In situ monitoring magnetism and resistance of nanophase platinum upon electrochemical oxidation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eva-Maria Steyskal

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Controlled tuning of material properties by external stimuli represents one of the major topics of current research in the field of functional materials. Electrochemically induced property tuning has recently emerged as a promising pathway in this direction making use of nanophase materials with a high fraction of electrode-electrolyte interfaces. The present letter reports on electrochemical property tuning of porous nanocrystalline Pt. Deeper insight into the underlying processes could be gained by means of a direct comparison of the charge-induced response of two different properties, namely electrical resistance and magnetic moment. For this purpose, four-point resistance measurements and SQUID magnetometry were performed under identical in situ electrochemical control focussing on the regime of electrooxidation. Fully reversible variations of the electrical resistance and the magnetic moment of 6% and 1% were observed upon the formation or dissolution of a subatomic chemisorbed oxygen surface layer, respectively. The increase of the resistance, which is directly correlated to the amount of deposited oxygen, is considered to be primarily caused by charge-carrier scattering processes at the metal–electrolyte interfaces. In comparison, the decrease of the magnetic moment upon positive charging appears to be governed by the electric field at the nanocrystallite–electrolyte interfaces due to spin–orbit coupling.

Numerical simulations used for a validity check on the laser induced photo-detachment diagnostic method in electronegative plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oudini, N. [Laboratoire des plasmas de décharges, Centre de Développement des Technologies Avancées, Cité du 20 Aout BP 17 Baba Hassen, 16081 Algiers (Algeria); Taccogna, F. [Istituto di Metodologie Inorganiche e dei Plasmi, CNR, via Amendola 122/D, 70126 Bari (Italy); Bendib, A. [Laboratoire d' Electronique Quantique, Faculté de Physique, USTHB, El Alia BP 32, Bab Ezzouar 16111, Algiers (Algeria); Aanesland, A. [Laboratoire de Physique des Plasmas (CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Univ Paris-Sud), École Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau Cedex (France)

2014-06-15

Laser photo-detachment is used as a method to measure or determine the negative ion density and temperature in electronegative plasmas. In essence, the method consists of producing an electropositive channel (negative ion free region) via pulsed laser photo-detachment within an electronegative plasma bulk. Electrostatic probes placed in this channel measure the change in the electron density. A second pulse might be used to track the negative ion recovery. From this, the negative ion density and temperature can be determined. We study the formation and relaxation of the electropositive channel via a two-dimensional Particle-In-Cell/Mote Carlo collision model. The simulation is mainly carried out in a Hydrogen plasma with an electronegativity of α = 1, with a parametric study for α up to 20. The temporal and spatial evolution of the plasma potential and the electron densities shows the formation of a double layer (DL) confining the photo-detached electrons within the electropositive channel. This DL evolves into two fronts that move in the opposite directions inside and outside of the laser spot region. As a consequence, within the laser spot region, the background and photo-detached electron energy distribution function relaxes/thermalizes via collisionless effects such as Fermi acceleration and Landau damping. Moreover, the simulations show that collisional effects and the DL electric field strength might play a non-negligible role in the negative ion recovery within the laser spot region, leading to a two-temperature negative ion distribution. The latter result might have important effects in the determination of the negative ion density and temperature from laser photo detachment diagnostic.

Photo-protective effect of calcipotriol upon skin photoreaction to UVA and UVB

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Youn, J.I.; Park, B.S.; Chung, J.H.; Lee, J.H.

1997-01-01

It has been shown that 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 has a photo-protective effect against UVB injury in mouse skin and cultured rat keratinocytes by induction of metallothionein (MT). Calcipotriol is a synthetic analogue of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 with equi-potent cell regulating properties, but with a lower risk of calcium-related side effects. The aim of the present study was to see whether calcipotriol has a photo-protective property both in vitro and in vivo. We examined the effect of calcipotriol on UV-induced damage of cultured human keratinocytes through a cell viability assay, and measurement of DNA synthesis by cultured keratinocytes, on UV-induced damage of mouse skin and on minimal erythema dose (MED). We found that calcipotriol was protective against UVB-induced reduction in DNA synthetic activity of cultured keratinocytes in relatively low doses (20 and 40 mJ/cm 2 ) of UVB. With photo-testing following application of calcipotriol, five subjects among 10 healthy volunteers and three among six psoriasis patients showed an increase in MED compared with the vehicle-treated site. These findings imply that calcipotriol may be photo-protective and that more extensive studies with various doses of UV irradiation and modes of calcipotriol delivery are required. (au)

Photo-protective effect of calcipotriol upon skin photoreaction to UVA and UVB

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Youn, J.I.; Park, B.S.; Chung, J.H. [Seoul National Univ. College of Medicine, Dept. of Dermatology, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Lee, J.H. [Inha Univ. College of Medicine, Incheon (Korea, Republic of)

1997-03-01

It has been shown that 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D{sub 3} has a photo-protective effect against UVB injury in mouse skin and cultured rat keratinocytes by induction of metallothionein (MT). Calcipotriol is a synthetic analogue of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D{sub 3} with equi-potent cell regulating properties, but with a lower risk of calcium-related side effects. The aim of the present study was to see whether calcipotriol has a photo-protective property both in vitro and in vivo. We examined the effect of calcipotriol on UV-induced damage of cultured human keratinocytes through a cell viability assay, and measurement of DNA synthesis by cultured keratinocytes, on UV-induced damage of mouse skin and on minimal erythema dose (MED). We found that calcipotriol was protective against UVB-induced reduction in DNA synthetic activity of cultured keratinocytes in relatively low doses (20 and 40 mJ/cm{sup 2}) of UVB. With photo-testing following application of calcipotriol, five subjects among 10 healthy volunteers and three among six psoriasis patients showed an increase in MED compared with the vehicle-treated site. These findings imply that calcipotriol may be photo-protective and that more extensive studies with various doses of UV irradiation and modes of calcipotriol delivery are required. (au). 21 refs.

Fast and low-cost synthesis of 1D ZnO–TiO{sub 2} core–shell nanoarrays: Characterization and enhanced photo-electrochemical performance for water splitting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hernández, Simelys, E-mail: simelys.hernandez@iit.it [Center for Space Human Robotics (IIT-POLITO), Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Corso Trento 21, 10129 Torino (Italy); Cauda, Valentina; Hidalgo, Diana; Farías Rivera, Vivian; Manfredi, Diego; Chiodoni, Angelica [Center for Space Human Robotics (IIT-POLITO), Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Corso Trento 21, 10129 Torino (Italy); Pirri, Fabrizio C. [Center for Space Human Robotics (IIT-POLITO), Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Corso Trento 21, 10129 Torino (Italy); Applied Science and Technology Department, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino (Italy)

2014-12-05

Highlights: • Simple, fast and low-cost synthesis of 1-D ZnO–TiO{sub 2} core–shell heterostructures. • ZnO NWs completely covered with a shell of anatase TiO{sub 2} nanocrystals in only 3 min. • The TiO{sub 2} shell thickness depends on the impregnation time in the titania synthesis bath. • 2-fold enhancement of photo-electrochemical activity and better stability of ZnONWs. • Forty- times higher photocurrent densities than TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles film. - Abstract: We report on a simple, fast and low-cost synthesis procedure for the complete covering of zinc oxide (ZnO) 1D nanostructures with a protective shell of titania (TiO{sub 2}) nanoparticles. ZnO nanowires (NWs) were grown on transparent F-doped Tin Oxide (FTO) conductive layer on glass by seed layer-assisted hydrothermal route in aqueous media, while the titania shell was deposited on the ZnO NWs through an in situ non-acid sol–gel synthesis. The nanowires impregnation time in the titania sol was varied from 3 to 10 min. The resulting core–shell ZnO–TiO{sub 2} structures were characterized by different techniques, including Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopy, X-ray diffraction and UV–Vis spectroscopy, confirming the uniform coverage of the wurzite ZnO NWs with anatase TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles (NPs), with a shell thickness dependent on the impregnation time in the titania synthesis bath. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) tests of the ZnO–TiO{sub 2} material, used as anode for the water splitting reaction, confirmed the formation of the heterojunction by the enhanced photocurrent densities, reaching values of about 0.7 mA/cm{sup 2} under simulated solar light (AM1.5G, 100mW/cm{sup 2}). The core–shell photo-anodes performance was about twice and forty- times better than the ones with a film of equivalent thickness of bare ZnO NWs and TiO{sub 2} NPs, respectively. Steady-state measures of the photocurrent over the time and FESEM analysis confirmed that this procedure could be

Studies on Synthesis of Electrochemically Exfoliated Functionalized Graphene and Polylactic Acid/Ferric Phytate Functionalized Graphene Nanocomposites as New Fire Hazard Suppression Materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Xiaming; Wang, Xin; Cai, Wei; Qiu, Shuilai; Hu, Yuan; Liew, Kim Meow

2016-09-28

Practical application of functionalized graphene in polymeric nanocomposites is hampered by the lack of cost-effective and eco-friendly methods for its production. Here, we reported a facile and green electrochemical approach for preparing ferric phytate functionalized graphene (f-GNS) by simultaneously utilizing biobased phytic acid as electrolyte and modifier for the first time. Due to the presence of phytic acid, electrochemical exfoliation leads to low oxidized graphene sheets (a C/O ratio of 14.8) that are tens of micrometers large. Successful functionalization of graphene was confirmed by the appearance of phosphorus and iron peaks in the X-ray photoelectron spectrum. Further, high-performance polylactic acid/f-GNS nanocomposites are readily fabricated by a convenient masterbatch strategy. Notably, inclusion of well-dispersed f-GNS resulted in dramatic suppression on fire hazards of polylactic acid in terms of reduced peak heat-release rate (decreased by 40%), low CO yield, and formation of a high graphitized protective char layer. Moreover, obviously improvements in crystallization rate and thermal conductivities of polylactic acid nanocomposites were observed, highlighting its promising potential in practical application. This novel strategy toward the simultaneous exfoliation and functionalization for graphene demonstrates a simple yet very effective approach for fabricating graphene-based flame retardants.

Classifying the mechanisms of electrochemical shock in ion-intercalation materials

OpenAIRE

Woodford, William; Carter, W. Craig; Chiang, Yet-Ming

2014-01-01

“Electrochemical shock” – the electrochemical cycling-induced fracture of materials – contributes to impedance growth and performance degradation in ion-intercalation batteries, such as lithium-ion. Using a combination of micromechanical models and acoustic emission experiments, the mechanisms of electrochemical shock are identified, classified, and modeled in targeted model systems with different composition and microstructure. A particular emphasis is placed on mechanical degradation occurr...

Mechanisms of Photo-Induced Deformations of Liquid Crystal Elastomers

Science.gov (United States)

Dawson, Nathan; Kuzyk, Mark; Neal, Jeremy; Luchette, Paul; Palffy-Muhoray, Peter

2010-03-01

Over a century ago, Alexander Graham Bell invented the photophone, which he used to transmit mechanical information on a beam of light. We report on the use of an active Fabry-Perot interferometer to encode and detect mechanical information using the photomechanical effect of a liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) that is placed at a critical point between the reflectors. These are the first steps in the creation of ultra smart materials which require a large photomechanical response. Thus, understanding the underlying mechanisms is critical. Only limited studies of the mechanisms of the photomechanical effect, such as photo-isomerization, photo-reorientation and thermal effects have been studied in azo-dye-doped LCEs and in azo-dye-doped polymer fibers have been reported. The focus of our present work is to use the Fabry-Perot transducer geometry to study the underlying mechanisms and to determine the relevant material parameters that are used to develop theoretical models of the response. We use various intensity-modulated optical wave forms to determine the frequency response of the material, which are used to predict the material response.

Photoelectrochemical kinetics of Eosin Y-sensitized zinc oxide films investigated by scanning electrochemical microscopy under illumination with different LED

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen Yan; Tefashe, Ushula Mengesha; Nonomura, Kazuteru; Loewenstein, Thomas; Schlettwein, Derck; Wittstock, Gunther

2009-01-01

The overall efficiency of the light-induced charge separation in dye-sensitized solar cells depends on the kinetic competition between back electron transfer and dye regeneration processes by a redox electrolyte. In a previous study, the reduction of the intermittently formed photo-oxidized dye molecules by iodide ions in the electrolyte phase was investigated using the feedback mode of a scanning electrochemical microscope (SECM) and a quantitative model had been derived. Here we provide a more thorough experimental verification of this model by variation of the excitation wavelength, light intensities and mediator concentrations. Nanoporous ZnO/Eosin Y films prepared by self-assembly were used as model electrodes and were used with an iodide/triiodide electrolyte. The experimentally found effective rate constants could be related to the rate constant for the reaction of the dissolved donor with photo-oxidized Eosin Y bound to ZnO and the absorption spectrum of the dye and confirmed the assumption made in the derivation of the model. For the regeneration process of Eosin Y, a rate constant of k ox with different light emitting diodes and light intensities is determined.

Photoelectrochemical kinetics of Eosin Y-sensitized zinc oxide films investigated by scanning electrochemical microscopy under illumination with different LED

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shen Yan; Tefashe, Ushula Mengesha [Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, D-26111 Oldenburg (Germany); Nonomura, Kazuteru; Loewenstein, Thomas; Schlettwein, Derck [Institute of Applied Physics, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 16, D-35392 Giessen (Germany); Wittstock, Gunther, E-mail: gunther.wittstock@uni-oldenburg.d [Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, D-26111 Oldenburg (Germany)

2009-12-30

The overall efficiency of the light-induced charge separation in dye-sensitized solar cells depends on the kinetic competition between back electron transfer and dye regeneration processes by a redox electrolyte. In a previous study, the reduction of the intermittently formed photo-oxidized dye molecules by iodide ions in the electrolyte phase was investigated using the feedback mode of a scanning electrochemical microscope (SECM) and a quantitative model had been derived. Here we provide a more thorough experimental verification of this model by variation of the excitation wavelength, light intensities and mediator concentrations. Nanoporous ZnO/Eosin Y films prepared by self-assembly were used as model electrodes and were used with an iodide/triiodide electrolyte. The experimentally found effective rate constants could be related to the rate constant for the reaction of the dissolved donor with photo-oxidized Eosin Y bound to ZnO and the absorption spectrum of the dye and confirmed the assumption made in the derivation of the model. For the regeneration process of Eosin Y, a rate constant of k{sub ox} with different light emitting diodes and light intensities is determined.

Photo-induced hydrophilicity of TiO2-xNx thin films on PET plates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chou, H.-Y.; Lee, E.-K.; You, J.-W.; Yu, S.-S.

2007-01-01

TiO 2-x N x thin films were deposited on PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plates by sputtering a TiN target in a N 2 /O 2 plasma and without heating. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) was used to investigate the N 1s, Ti 2p core levels and the nitrogen composition in the TiO 2-x N x films. The results indicate that Ti-O-N bonds are formed in the thin films. Two nitrogen states, substitution and interstitial nitrogen atoms, were attributed to peaks at 396 and 399 eV, respectively. It was observed that the nitrogen atoms occupy both the substitutive and interstitial sites in respective of the nitrogen content in the thin films. UV-VIS absorption spectroscopy of PET coated thin films shows a significant shift of the absorption edge to lower energy in the visible-light region. UV and visible-light irradiation are used to activate PET coated thin films for the development of hydrophilicity. The photo-induced surface wettability conversion reaction of the thin films has been investigated by means of water contact angle measurement. PET plates coated with TiO 2-x N x thin films are found to exhibit lower water contact angle than non-coated plates when the surface is illuminated with UV and visible light. The effects of nitrogen doping on photo-generated hydrophilicity of the thin films are investigated in this work

Today’s Mumbai as Photo-Textuality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carmen Concilio

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of this essay is to enquire into representations of the city of Mumbai whose urban development has produced images of heaven and hell, sometimes within enclosed boundaries. What is interesting to tackle here is its aestheticisation in a photo-book which presents itself as ‘image-text’ (Mitchel, Stafford, Bombay/Mumbai. Immersions (2013. Not differently from what happens in other cities, such as Cape Town, for instance, here considered only very briefly as counterpoint, the Indian megalopolis’s development has produced disconnected images of urban heaven and hell. The photo-text here discussed presents itself as a composite narrative of words and photos, as the product of the cooperation between an Indian woman poet, Priya Sarukkai Chabria, and an English photographer now based in France, Christopher Taylor. Last but certainly not least in a long sequence of urban photo-texts, this new project requires the reader’s attention in order to try and clarify its role, its meaning, its function, its ethical/aesthetic responsibilities.

Gas-Phase Functionalization of Macroscopic Carbon Nanotube Fiber Assemblies: Reaction Control, Electrochemical Properties, and Use for Flexible Supercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Iglesias, Daniel; Senokos, Evgeny; Alemán, Belén; Cabana, Laura; Navío, Cristina; Marcilla, Rebeca; Prato, Maurizio; Vilatela, Juan J; Marchesan, Silvia

2018-02-14

The assembly of aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) into fibers (CNTFs) is a convenient approach to exploit and apply the unique physico-chemical properties of CNTs in many fields. CNT functionalization has been extensively used for its implementation into composites and devices. However, CNTF functionalization is still in its infancy because of the challenges associated with preservation of CNTF morphology. Here, we report a thorough study of the gas-phase functionalization of CNTF assemblies using ozone which was generated in situ from a UV source. In contrast with liquid-based oxidation methods, this gas-phase approach preserves CNTF morphology, while notably increasing its hydrophilicity. The functionalized material is thoroughly characterized by Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Its newly acquired hydrophilicity enables CNTF electrochemical characterization in aqueous media, which was not possible for the pristine material. Through comparison of electrochemical measurements in aqueous electrolytes and ionic liquids, we decouple the effects of functionalization on pseudocapacitive reactions and quantum capacitance. The functionalized CNTF assembly is successfully used as an active material and a current collector in all-solid supercapacitor flexible devices with an ionic liquid-based polymer electrolyte.

Role of coherence and delocalization in photo-induced electron transfer at organic interfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Abramavicius, V.; Pranculis, V.; Melianas, A.; Inganäs, O.; Gulbinas, V.; Abramavicius, D.

2016-09-01

Photo-induced charge transfer at molecular heterojunctions has gained particular interest due to the development of organic solar cells (OSC) based on blends of electron donating and accepting materials. While charge transfer between donor and acceptor molecules can be described by Marcus theory, additional carrier delocalization and coherent propagation might play the dominant role. Here, we describe ultrafast charge separation at the interface of a conjugated polymer and an aggregate of the fullerene derivative PCBM using the stochastic Schrödinger equation (SSE) and reveal the complex time evolution of electron transfer, mediated by electronic coherence and delocalization. By fitting the model to ultrafast charge separation experiments, we estimate the extent of electron delocalization and establish the transition from coherent electron propagation to incoherent hopping. Our results indicate that even a relatively weak coupling between PCBM molecules is sufficient to facilitate electron delocalization and efficient charge separation at organic interfaces.

Semantic photo books: leveraging blogs and social media for photo book creation

Science.gov (United States)

Rabbath, Mohamad; Sandhaus, Philipp; Boll, Susanne

2011-03-01

Recently, we observed a substantial increase in the users' interest in sharing their photos online in travel blogs, social communities and photo sharing websites. An interesting aspect of these web platforms is their high level of user-media interaction and thus a high-quality source of semantic annotations: Users comment on the photos of each others, add external links to their travel blogs, tag each other in the social communities and add captions and descriptions to their photos. However, while those media assets are shared online, many users still highly appreciate the representation of these media in appealing physical photo books where the semantics are represented in form of descriptive text, maps, and external elements in addition to their related photos. Thus, in this paper we aim at fulfilling this need and provide an approach for creating photo books from Web 2.0 resources. We concentrate on two kinds of online shared media as resources for printable photo books: (a) Blogs especially travel blogs (b) Social community websites like Facebook which witness a rapidly growing number of shared media elements including photos. We introduce an approach to select media elements including photos, geographical maps and texts from both blogs and social networks semi-automatically, and then use these elements to create a printable photo book with an appealing layout. Because the selected media elements can be too many for the resulting book, we choose the most proper ones by exploiting content based, social based, and interactive based criteria. Additionally we add external media elements such as geographical maps, texts and externally hosted photos from linked resources. Having selected the important media, our approach uses a genetic algorithm to create an appealing layout using aesthetical rules, such as positioning the photo with the related text or map in a way that respects the golden ratio and symmetry. Distributing the media over the pages is done by

Photo catalyst; Ko shokubai

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-07-01

While titanium oxide is excited by the light, electrons of titanium oxide are taken away by the light energy to form positive holes. Water will be decomposed into hydrogen ion and hydroxy radical (OH) by these positive holes. This hydroxy radical is a strong reactive substance called active oxygen, it decomposes organisms. Besides this photo- catalyst function, the titanium oxide can also make surface of a substance superhydrophilic. The super hydrophilicity results in not forming water drops on the glass surface but spreading all over the surface to prevent a covering of fog on the glass surface. The published patents concerning the photo catalysts were 593 from Jan. 1998 to Jan. 1999. The applicant order is the first TOTO 143, the second Daikin Industry 19, the third Toshiba Raitech, Nitto Denko, Hitachi 17 respectively. (NEDO)

Epitomize Your Photos

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Vajda

2011-01-01

Full Text Available With the rapid growth of digital photography, sharing of photos with friends and family has become very popular. When people share their photos, they usually organize them into albums according to events or places. To tell the story of some important events in one’s life, it is desirable to have an efficient summarization tool which can help people to receive a quick overview of an album containing large number of photos. In this paper, we present and analyze an approach for photo album summarization through a novel social game “Epitome” as a Facebook application. This social game can collect research data, and, at the same time, it provides a collage or a cover photo of the user’s photo album, while the user enjoys playing the game. The proof of concept of the proposed method is demonstrated through a set of experiments on several photo albums. As a benchmark comparison to this game, we perform automatic visual analysis considering several state-of-the-art features. We also evaluate the usability of the game by making use of a questionnaire on several subjects who played the “Epitome” game. Furthermore, we address privacy issues concerning shared photos in Facebook applications.

Integration of processes induced air flotation and photo-Fenton for treatment of residual waters contaminated with xylene.

Science.gov (United States)

da Silva, Syllos S; Chiavone-Filho, Osvaldo; de Barros Neto, Eduardo L; Nascimento, Claudio A O

2012-01-15

Produced water in oil fields is one of the main sources of wastewater generated in the industry. It contains several organic compounds, such as benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylene (BTEX), whose disposal is regulated by law. The aim of this study is to investigate a treatment of produced water integrating two processes, i.e., induced air flotation (IAF) and photo-Fenton. The experiments were conducted in a column flotation and annular lamp reactor for flotation and photodegradation steps, respectively. The first order kinetic constant of IAF for the wastewater studied was determined to be 0.1765 min(-1) for the surfactant EO 7. Degradation efficiencies of organic loading were assessed using factorial planning. Statistical data analysis shows that H(2)O(2) concentration is a determining factor in process efficiency. Degradations above 90% were reached in all cases after 90 min of reaction, attaining 100% mineralization in the optimized concentrations of Fenton reagents. Process integration was adequate with 100% organic load removal in 20 min. The results of the integration of the IAF with the photo-Fenton allowed to meet the effluent limits established by Brazilian legislation for disposal. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

First-principles density functional calculation of electrochemical stability of fast Li ion conducting garnet-type oxides.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakayama, Masanobu; Kotobuki, Masashi; Munakata, Hirokazu; Nogami, Masayuki; Kanamura, Kiyoshi

2012-07-28

The research and development of rechargeable all-ceramic lithium batteries are vital to realize their considerable advantages over existing commercial lithium ion batteries in terms of size, energy density, and safety. A key part of such effort is the development of solid-state electrolyte materials with high Li(+) conductivity and good electrochemical stability; lithium-containing oxides with a garnet-type structure are known to satisfy the requirements to achieve both features. Using first-principles density functional theory (DFT), we investigated the electrochemical stability of garnet-type Li(x)La(3)M(2)O(12) (M = Ti, Zr, Nb, Ta, Sb, Bi; x = 5 or 7) materials against Li metal. We found that the electrochemical stability of such materials depends on their composition and structure. The electrochemical stability against Li metal was improved when a cation M was chosen with a low effective nuclear charge, that is, with a high screening constant for an unoccupied orbital. In fact, both our computational and experimental results show that Li(7)La(3)Zr(2)O(12) and Li(5)La(3)Ta(2)O(12) are inert to Li metal. In addition, the linkage of MO(6) octahedra in the crystal structure affects the electrochemical stability. For example, perovskite-type La(1/3)TaO(3) was found, both experimentally and computationally, to react with Li metal owing to the corner-sharing MO(6) octahedral network of La(1/3)TaO(3), even though it has the same constituent elements as garnet-type Li(5)La(3)Ta(2)O(12) (which is inert to Li metal and features isolated TaO(6) octahedra).

Functionalization of optical nanotip arrays with an electrochemical microcantilever for multiplexed DNA detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Descamps, Emeline; Duroure, Nathalie; Deiss, Frédérique; Leichlé, Thierry; Adam, Catherine; Mailley, Pascal; Aït-Ikhlef, Ali; Livache, Thierry; Nicu, Liviu; Sojic, Neso

2013-08-07

Optical nanotip arrays fabricated on etched fiber bundles were functionalized with DNA spots. Such unconventional substrates (3D and non-planar) are difficult to pattern with standard microfabrication techniques but, using an electrochemical cantilever, up to 400 spots were electrodeposited on the nanostructured optical surface in 5 min. This approach allows each spot to be addressed individually and multiplexed fluorescence detection is demonstrated. Finally, remote fluorescence detection was performed by imaging through the optical fiber bundle itself after hybridisation with the complementary sequence.

Biomimetic photo-actuation: sensing, control and actuation in sun-tracking plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dicker, M P M; Bond, I P; Weaver, P M; Rossiter, J M

2014-01-01

Although the actuation mechanisms that drive plant movement have been investigated from a biomimetic perspective, few studies have looked at the wider sensing and control systems that regulate this motion. This paper examines photo-actuation—actuation induced by, and controlled with light—through a review of the sun-tracking functions of the Cornish Mallow. The sun-tracking movement of the Cornish Mallow leaf results from an extraordinarily complex—yet extremely elegant—process of signal perception, generation, filtering and control. Inspired by this process, a concept for a simplified biomimetic analogue of this leaf is proposed: a multifunctional structure employing chemical sensing, signal transmission, and control of composite hydrogel actuators. We present this multifunctional structure, and show that the success of the concept will require improved selection of materials and structural design. This device has application in the solar-tracking of photovoltaic panels for increased energy yield. More broadly it is envisaged that the concept of chemical sensing and control can be expanded beyond photo-actuation to many other stimuli, resulting in new classes of robust solid-state devices. (paper)

Photo and pH dual-responsive polydiacetylene smart nanocontainer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Jingguo; Yu, Zhiqiang; Jiang, Hao; Zou, Gang; Zhang, Qijin

2012-01-01

Herein, a novel smart nanocontainer was developed by incorporating photo-responsive azobenzene derivative/cyclodextrin (Azo–CD) supramolecular complex into pH-responsive polydiacetylene (PDA) vesicles matrix. The designed nanocontainer exhibited excellent cell-toxicity, and the controlled release property response to external photo and pH stimuli. The photo-controlled inclusion and exclusion reaction between α-cyclodextrin (α-CD) and azobenzene moiety were used to act as the driving force to induce photo-triggered controlled release behavior of the designed nanocontainer. Moreover, the pH-responsive PDA vesicle matrix endowed the designed system with a controlled release property upon pH variation. The facile preparation procedures and their efficiency of response to the external stimuli render the novel smart nanocontainer potential candidate for future applications in remote controlled drug release. -- Graphical abstract: Herein, we developed a novel smart nanocontainer comprising the azobenzene derivative/cyclodextrin supramolecular complex and polydiacetylene vesicles, which exhibited excellent biocompatibility, and controlled release property response to external photo and pH stimuli. Highlights: ► We developed a novel dual-responsive smart polydiacetylene nanocontainer. ► The azobenzene/cyclodextrin complex was introduced into polydiacetylene vesicles. ► The designed nanocontainer exhibited excellent biocompatibility and stability. ► 365 and 435 nm light irradiations are used to realize photo controlled release. ► The smart nanocontainer exhibited controlled release property upon pH variation.

Alizarin red S functionalized mesoporous silica modified glassy carbon electrode for electrochemical determination of anthracene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Shan; Wei, Maochao; Zheng, Xiangli; Xu, Shuai; Xia, Fangquan; Zhou, Changli

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Alizarin red S-SBA15 composite was prepared and characterized. • A novel sensing platform was constructed for anthracene determination. • The proposed sensor exhibited high sensitivity and low detection limit for detecting anthracene. • This method can be applied to the practical detection of anthracene in waste water. - Abstract: In the paper, a novel and sensitive electrochemical sensor based on modification of electroactive alizarin red S functionalized mesoporous silica material SBA15 onto glassy carbon electrode (ARS-SBA15/GCE) was developed. Alizarin red S, called electrochemical probe that can selectively recognize polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), as tools for the detection of tricyclic aromatic hydrocarbon anthracene. The morphology and interface property of ARS modified SBA15 (ARS-SBA15) were examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Taking advantage of the π-π stacking force between alizarin red S and anthracene, the ARS-SBA15/GCE sensor could detect anthracene quantitatively in a wide range of 1.0 pM–10.0 nM and a low detection limit of 0.5 pM (S/N = 3). Other PAHs, such as naphthalene, phenanthrene, pyrene, and benzo[a]pyrene show little interference on the detection. Consequently, a simple and sensitive electrochemical method was proposed for the determination of anthracene, which can be used to determine anthracene in waste water samples. The electrochemical method provides a general tool that complements the commonly used spectroscopic methods and immune method for the detection of PAHs

A disposable electrochemical immunosensor for prolactin involving affinity reaction on streptavidin-functionalized magnetic particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreno-Guzman, Maria; Gonzalez-Cortes, Araceli; Yanez-Sedeno, Paloma; Pingarron, Jose M.

2011-01-01

A novel electrochemical immunosensor was developed for the determination of the hormone prolactin. The design involved the use of screen-printed carbon electrodes and streptavidin-functionalized magnetic particles. Biotinylated anti-prolactin antibodies were immobilized onto the functionalized magnetic particles and a sandwich-type immunoassay involving prolactin and anti-prolactin antibody labelled with alkaline phosphatase was employed. The resulting bio-conjugate was trapped on the surface of the screen-printed electrode with a small magnet and prolactin quantification was accomplished by differential pulse voltammetry of 1-naphtol formed in the enzyme reaction using 1-naphtyl phosphate as alkaline phosphatase substrate. All variables involved in the preparation of the immunosensor and in the electrochemical detection step were optimized. The calibration plot for prolactin exhibited a linear range between 10 and 2000 ng mL -1 with a slope value of 7.0 nA mL ng -1 . The limit of detection was 3.74 ng mL -1 . Furthermore, the modified magnetic beads-antiprolactin conjugates showed an excellent stability. The immunosensor exhibited also a high selectivity with respect to other hormones. The analytical usefulness of the immnunosensor was demonstrated by analyzing human sera spiked with prolactin at three different concentration levels.

A disposable electrochemical immunosensor for prolactin involving affinity reaction on streptavidin-functionalized magnetic particles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moreno-Guzman, Maria; Gonzalez-Cortes, Araceli [Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University Computense of Madrid, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Yanez-Sedeno, Paloma, E-mail: yseo@quim.ucm.es [Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University Computense of Madrid, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Pingarron, Jose M. [Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University Computense of Madrid, 28040 Madrid (Spain)

2011-04-29

A novel electrochemical immunosensor was developed for the determination of the hormone prolactin. The design involved the use of screen-printed carbon electrodes and streptavidin-functionalized magnetic particles. Biotinylated anti-prolactin antibodies were immobilized onto the functionalized magnetic particles and a sandwich-type immunoassay involving prolactin and anti-prolactin antibody labelled with alkaline phosphatase was employed. The resulting bio-conjugate was trapped on the surface of the screen-printed electrode with a small magnet and prolactin quantification was accomplished by differential pulse voltammetry of 1-naphtol formed in the enzyme reaction using 1-naphtyl phosphate as alkaline phosphatase substrate. All variables involved in the preparation of the immunosensor and in the electrochemical detection step were optimized. The calibration plot for prolactin exhibited a linear range between 10 and 2000 ng mL{sup -1} with a slope value of 7.0 nA mL ng{sup -1}. The limit of detection was 3.74 ng mL{sup -1}. Furthermore, the modified magnetic beads-antiprolactin conjugates showed an excellent stability. The immunosensor exhibited also a high selectivity with respect to other hormones. The analytical usefulness of the immnunosensor was demonstrated by analyzing human sera spiked with prolactin at three different concentration levels.

Polarization-induced local pore-wall functionalization for biosensing: from micropore to nanopore.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jie; Pham, Pascale; Haguet, Vincent; Sauter-Starace, Fabien; Leroy, Loïc; Roget, André; Descamps, Emeline; Bouchet, Aurélie; Buhot, Arnaud; Mailley, Pascal; Livache, Thierry

2012-04-03

The use of biological-probe-modified solid-state pores in biosensing is currently hindered by difficulties in pore-wall functionalization. The surface to be functionalized is small and difficult to target and is usually chemically similar to the bulk membrane. Herein, we demonstrate the contactless electrofunctionalization (CLEF) approach and its mechanism. This technique enables the one-step local functionalization of the single pore wall fabricated in a silica-covered silicon membrane. CLEF is induced by polarization of the pore membrane in an electric field and requires a sandwich-like composition and a conducting or semiconducting core for the pore membrane. The defects in the silica layer of the micropore wall enable the creation of an electric pathway through the silica layer, which allows electrochemical reactions to take place locally on the pore wall. The pore diameter is not a limiting factor for local wall modification using CLEF. Nanopores with a diameter of 200 nm fabricated in a silicon membrane and covered with native silica layer have been successfully functionalized with this method, and localized pore-wall modification was obtained. Furthermore, through proof-of-concept experiments using ODN-modified nanopores, we show that functionalized nanopores are suitable for translocation-based biosensing.

ATLAS HEC PHOTOS TRIUMF

CERN Multimedia

1997-01-01

Photo 1 - Removal of a glued foil from the glue press. The foils still need to be cut with a steel rule die and the HV pins soldered on. Photo 2 - Inspection of EST foil. Photo 3 - Placing the first plate of the front Module 0 on the stacking table with the tie-rods in place. Photo 4 - As each gap is stacked, it is tested by applying 3kV across each honeycomb sheet and ensuring that the current draw is low (a few tens of nA). Photo 5 - HV testing on a stacked front module. Photo 6 - Detail of a gap in a module. Four sheets of honeycomb spacing mats separate the centre PAD foil from the two EST foils on either side, and hold the EST foils away from the copper absorber structure. Photo 7 - Last plate of rear module being stacked. Photo 8 - Stacked rear module 0. Photo 9 - Four Module 0's, one front and one rear from TRIUMF, one from Germany, and one from and one from Russia, are "married" into one structure. In this picture, two front modules are married together. Photo 10 - After two modules are married, they ...

Photo-induced fluorescence of magnesium derivatives of tetracycline antibiotics in wastewater samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pena, A.; Albert-Garcia, J.R.; Silva, L.J.G.; Lino, C.M.; Calatayud, J. Martinez

2010-01-01

An analytical strategy, for the determination of tetracyclines (TCs), based on a HPLC system coupled with a photo-reactor followed by post-column derivatization was developed. Higher fluorescence emission after coupling the resulting photo-fragments with magnesium ions was observed for the determination of minocycline (MC), epitetracycline (ETC), tetracycline (TC) and doxycycline (DC). The manifold included a HPLC system with a photo-reactor (PTFE tubing helically coiled around a low-pressure mercury lamp), a mixing T-piece and a fluorescence detector. The derivatization reagent was delivered at 0.5 mL min -1 by a pump. After HPLC separation using a gradient system with a mobile phase containing oxalic acid 0.02 M and acetonitrile, TCs were irradiated for 60 s, and the resulting photo-fragments were mixed with the post-column derivatization reagent, and the magnesium derivatives of TCs were detected by fluorimetry (λ exc 386 nm, λ em 500 nm). The results obtained showed a significant increase of sensitivity due to photodegration of TCs, 45.4%, 37.6% and 25.3% for MC, TC and ETC respectively. For DC an increase of only 1.5% was observed. The developed method was successfully applied to TCs determination in hospital and municipal wastewater samples using solid phase extraction with Oasis HLB cartridges. The LOQs were 0.25, 0.15, 01 and 0.25 μg L -1 for TC, ETC, MC and DC, respectively. The recovery values oscillated between 107.1% and 92.4% for fortification of 2.5 μg L -1 of each antibiotic.

Photo-induced fluorescence of magnesium derivatives of tetracycline antibiotics in wastewater samples

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pena, A., E-mail: apena@ff.uc.pt [Group of Health Surveillance, Center of Pharmaceutical Studies, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra (Portugal); Albert-Garcia, J.R. [Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Valencia (Portugal); Silva, L.J.G.; Lino, C.M. [Group of Health Surveillance, Center of Pharmaceutical Studies, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra (Portugal); Calatayud, J. Martinez [Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Valencia (Portugal)

2010-07-15

An analytical strategy, for the determination of tetracyclines (TCs), based on a HPLC system coupled with a photo-reactor followed by post-column derivatization was developed. Higher fluorescence emission after coupling the resulting photo-fragments with magnesium ions was observed for the determination of minocycline (MC), epitetracycline (ETC), tetracycline (TC) and doxycycline (DC). The manifold included a HPLC system with a photo-reactor (PTFE tubing helically coiled around a low-pressure mercury lamp), a mixing T-piece and a fluorescence detector. The derivatization reagent was delivered at 0.5 mL min{sup -1} by a pump. After HPLC separation using a gradient system with a mobile phase containing oxalic acid 0.02 M and acetonitrile, TCs were irradiated for 60 s, and the resulting photo-fragments were mixed with the post-column derivatization reagent, and the magnesium derivatives of TCs were detected by fluorimetry ({lambda}{sub exc} 386 nm, {lambda}{sub em} 500 nm). The results obtained showed a significant increase of sensitivity due to photodegration of TCs, 45.4%, 37.6% and 25.3% for MC, TC and ETC respectively. For DC an increase of only 1.5% was observed. The developed method was successfully applied to TCs determination in hospital and municipal wastewater samples using solid phase extraction with Oasis HLB cartridges. The LOQs were 0.25, 0.15, 01 and 0.25 {mu}g L{sup -1} for TC, ETC, MC and DC, respectively. The recovery values oscillated between 107.1% and 92.4% for fortification of 2.5 {mu}g L{sup -1} of each antibiotic.

Facile synthesis of aluminium doped zinc oxide-polyaniline hybrids for photoluminescence and enhanced visible-light assisted photo-degradation of organic contaminants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mitra, Mousumi [Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur, Howrah 711103, West Bengal (India); Ghosh, Amrita; Mondal, Anup [Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur, Howrah 711103, West Bengal (India); Kargupta, Kajari [Department of Chemical Engineering, Jadavpur University, Kolkata 700032, West Bengal (India); Ganguly, Saibal [Department of Chemical Engineering, BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus, NH 17 B Bypass Road, Zuarinagar, Sancoale, Goa 403726 (India); Banerjee, Dipali, E-mail: dipalibanerjeebesu@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur, Howrah 711103, West Bengal (India)

2017-04-30

species and accordingly a mechanism was proposed. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and linear scan voltammetry under dark and visible-light irradiation also established the visible-light activity of the PAZ hybrid due to decrease in the electron transfer resistance that resulted in an enhancement in photocurrent. The significant enhancement of photo degradation may be attributed to the efficiency of charge separation, induced by synergistic effect between an organic conductor PANI and an inorganic semiconductor AlZnO. Owing to its superior photo electrochemical performance and photocatalytic degradation, aluminium doped zinc oxide-polyaniline (PAZ) hybrid offers stable and efficient organic-inorganic hybrid hetero-structures in near future.

Flow-induced corrosion of absorbable magnesium alloy: In-situ and real-time electrochemical study.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Juan; Jang, Yongseok; Wan, Guojiang; Giridharan, Venkataraman; Song, Guang-Ling; Xu, Zhigang; Koo, Youngmi; Qi, Pengkai; Sankar, Jagannathan; Huang, Nan; Yun, Yeoheung

2016-03-01

An in-situ and real-time electrochemical study in a vascular bioreactor was designed to analyze corrosion mechanism of magnesium alloy (MgZnCa) under mimetic hydrodynamic conditions. Effect of hydrodynamics on corrosion kinetics, types, rates and products was analyzed. Flow-induced shear stress (FISS) accelerated mass and electron transfer, leading to an increase in uniform and localized corrosions. FISS increased the thickness of uniform corrosion layer, but filiform corrosion decreased this layer resistance at high FISS conditions. FISS also increased the removal rate of localized corrosion products. Impedance-estimated and linear polarization-measured polarization resistances provided a consistent correlation to corrosion rate calculated by computed tomography.

Flow-induced corrosion of absorbable magnesium alloy: In-situ and real-time electrochemical study

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Juan; Jang, Yongseok; Wan, Guojiang; Giridharan, Venkataraman; Song, Guang-Ling; Xu, Zhigang; Koo, Youngmi; Qi, Pengkai; Sankar, Jagannathan; Huang, Nan; Yun, Yeoheung

2016-01-01

An in-situ and real-time electrochemical study in a vascular bioreactor was designed to analyze corrosion mechanism of magnesium alloy (MgZnCa) under mimetic hydrodynamic conditions. Effect of hydrodynamics on corrosion kinetics, types, rates and products was analyzed. Flow-induced shear stress (FISS) accelerated mass and electron transfer, leading to an increase in uniform and localized corrosions. FISS increased the thickness of uniform corrosion layer, but filiform corrosion decreased this layer resistance at high FISS conditions. FISS also increased the removal rate of localized corrosion products. Impedance-estimated and linear polarization-measured polarization resistances provided a consistent correlation to corrosion rate calculated by computed tomography. PMID:28626241

Electrochemical production and use of free chlorine for pollutant removal: an experimental design approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Antonelli, Raissa; de Araújo, Karla Santos; Pires, Ricardo Francisco; Fornazari, Ana Luiza de Toledo; Granato, Ana Claudia; Malpass, Geoffroy Roger Pointer

2017-10-28

The present paper presents the study of (1) the optimization of electrochemical-free chlorine production using an experimental design approach, and (2) the application of the optimum conditions obtained for the application in photo-assisted electrochemical degradation of simulated textile effluent. In the experimental design the influence of inter-electrode gap, pH, NaCl concentration and current was considered. It was observed that the four variables studied are significant for the process, with NaCl concentration and current being the most significant variables for free chlorine production. The maximum free chlorine production was obtained at a current of 2.33 A and NaCl concentrations in 0.96 mol dm -3 . The application of the optimized conditions with simultaneous UV irradiation resulted in up to 83.1% Total Organic Carbon removal and 100% of colour removal over 180 min of electrolysis. The results indicate that a systematic (statistical) approach to the electrochemical treatment of pollutants can save time and reagents.

Influenza Photos

Science.gov (United States)

... Polio Whooping cough Influenza (flu) Rabies Yellow fever Influenza Photos Photographs accompanied by text that reads "Courtesy ... of these photos are quite graphic. Shows how influenza germs spread through the air when someone coughs ...

The electrochemical signature of functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes bearing electroactive groups

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Floch, Fabien; Thuaire, Aurelie; Simonato, Jean-Pierre; Bidan, Gerard

2009-01-01

We report the modification and characterization of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in view of molecular sensing applications. We found that ultrasonicated SWCNTs present sticking properties that make them adhere on electrode surfaces. This allows excellent characterization of SWCNTs by cyclic voltammetry (CV) before and after chemical functionalization with diazonium salts bearing electroactive groups. Bare SWCNTs presented distinct invariant shapes in CV, used as control curves, in comparison with functionalized SWCNTs for which specific signatures corresponding to the presence of grafted molecules were identified. According to the electronic substituents in the para position of the diazonium salts, divergent behaviours were observed for the grafting reactions. Diazonium salts having electrowithdrawing groups could be grafted without electrochemical induction whereas those bearing electron donating groups required a cathodic potential to generate the formation of the radical species.

The electrochemical signature of functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes bearing electroactive groups

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Le Floch, Fabien; Thuaire, Aurelie; Simonato, Jean-Pierre [LITEN/DTNM/LCRE, CEA-Grenoble 17 rue des Martyrs, 38054 Grenoble cedex 9 (France); Bidan, Gerard [INAC/DIR, CEA-Grenoble 17 rue des Martyrs, 38054 Grenoble cedex 9 (France)], E-mail: jean-pierre.simonato@cea.fr

2009-04-08

We report the modification and characterization of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in view of molecular sensing applications. We found that ultrasonicated SWCNTs present sticking properties that make them adhere on electrode surfaces. This allows excellent characterization of SWCNTs by cyclic voltammetry (CV) before and after chemical functionalization with diazonium salts bearing electroactive groups. Bare SWCNTs presented distinct invariant shapes in CV, used as control curves, in comparison with functionalized SWCNTs for which specific signatures corresponding to the presence of grafted molecules were identified. According to the electronic substituents in the para position of the diazonium salts, divergent behaviours were observed for the grafting reactions. Diazonium salts having electrowithdrawing groups could be grafted without electrochemical induction whereas those bearing electron donating groups required a cathodic potential to generate the formation of the radical species.

Effect of pressure on photo-induced expansion of As0.2Se0.8 layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Charnovych, S.; Kokenyesi, S.; Erdelyi, G.; Csik, A.

2011-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. Amorphous chalcogenide glasses are well known as materials where different kinds of structure-related transformations, like amorphysation-crystallization, volume and chemical stability changes take place under certain external influences (heat-, light-, and electric field). In spite of a rather long history of investigations and even some important applications in memory devices the mechanism of these effects is not completely clear, since besides the necessary condition of light interaction with glass and charge generation of the mass transport, shift or diffusion of atoms must occur. Unfortunately, we have only very little information about the light induced atomic transport processes in amorphous chalcogenides. Recent investigations on light-induced expansion, and holographic recording in chalcogenide glasses show that As 0.2 Se 0.8 composition reveals giant photo-expansion and photoplasticity effects. We selected this material for more detailed investigations of the direct relief formation process. In this work we investigate the influence of hydrostatic pressure on photo-stimulated surface relief formation in As 0.2 Se 0.8 thin films. 1 μm tick layers were evaporated from bulk glassy materials. Silica glass plates were used as substrate for films. The thickness of the layers were measured with profilometer type Ambios XP-I. The samples were illuminated with red laser beam (633 nm, output power P=7.5mW) through a copper grid, which resulted to an imprint picture on the surface of the film with interference fringes at the edges. In this way surface relief with different heights were formed after the given exposure according to the distribution of light intensity. The measurements were carried out at room temperature in a large-volume (1 cm 3 ) optical cell having sapphire windows. The hydrostatic pressure was generated by means of a 3-stage gas compressor. We used profilometer as well as scanning electron- and atomic force

Ultrasensitive electrochemical biosensor for detection of DNA from Bacillus subtilis by coupling target-induced strand displacement and nicking endonuclease signal amplification.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Yuhua; Xu, Xueqin; Liu, Qionghua; Wang, Ling; Lin, Zhenyu; Chen, Guonan

2014-09-02

A simple, ultrasensitive, and specific electrochemical biosensor was designed to determine the given DNA sequence of Bacillus subtilis by coupling target-induced strand displacement and nicking endonuclease signal amplification. The target DNA (TD, the DNA sequence from the hypervarient region of 16S rDNA of Bacillus subtilis) could be detected by the differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) in a range from 0.1 fM to 20 fM with the detection limit down to 0.08 fM at the 3s(blank) level. This electrochemical biosensor exhibits high distinction ability to single-base mismatch, double-bases mismatch, and noncomplementary DNA sequence, which may be expected to detect single-base mismatch and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Moreover, the applicability of the designed biosensor for detecting the given DNA sequence from Bacillus subtilis was investigated. The result obtained by electrochemical method is approximately consistent with that by a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction detecting system (QPCR) with SYBR Green.

Effect of molecular aggregation on the photo-induced anisotropy in amorphous polymethacrylate bearing an aminonitroazobenzene moiety

CERN Document Server

Kim, B J; Choi, D H

2001-01-01

We investigated H-type molecular aggregation in a simply spin-coated amorphous homopolymer film of polymethacrylate containing push-pull azobenzene moieties. It was found that the aggregate formation was strongly influenced by thermal treatment and that the aggregate created in the polymer film could be easily disrupted by irradiation of a linearly polarized light. In the first writing cycle of aggregated polymer film, photo-induced birefringence showed a steep increase to the highest value followed by a gradual decrease to the certain asymptotic value under longer irradiation of linearly polarized light. This unique behavior could be attributed to the cooperative motion and the disruption of the aggregated molecules under continuous irradiation of light.

Effect of molecular aggregation on the photo-induced anisotropy in amorphous polymethacrylate bearing an aminonitroazobenzene moiety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Beom Jun; Park, Soo Young; Choi, Dong Hoon

2001-01-01

We investigated H-type molecular aggregation in a simply spin-coated amorphous homopolymer film of polymethacrylate containing push-pull azobenzene moieties. It was found that the aggregate formation was strongly influenced by thermal treatment and that the aggregate created in the polymer film could be easily disrupted by irradiation of a linearly polarized light. In the first writing cycle of aggregated polymer film, photo-induced birefringence showed a steep increase to the highest value followed by a gradual decrease to the certain asymptotic value under longer irradiation of linearly polarized light. This unique behavior could be attributed to the cooperative motion and the disruption of the aggregated molecules under continuous irradiation of light

CMOS Electrochemical Instrumentation for Biosensor Microsystems: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haitao Li

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Modern biosensors play a critical role in healthcare and have a quickly growing commercial market. Compared to traditional optical-based sensing, electrochemical biosensors are attractive due to superior performance in response time, cost, complexity and potential for miniaturization. To address the shortcomings of traditional benchtop electrochemical instruments, in recent years, many complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS instrumentation circuits have been reported for electrochemical biosensors. This paper provides a review and analysis of CMOS electrochemical instrumentation circuits. First, important concepts in electrochemical sensing are presented from an instrumentation point of view. Then, electrochemical instrumentation circuits are organized into functional classes, and reported CMOS circuits are reviewed and analyzed to illuminate design options and performance tradeoffs. Finally, recent trends and challenges toward on-CMOS sensor integration that could enable highly miniaturized electrochemical biosensor microsystems are discussed. The information in the paper can guide next generation electrochemical sensor design.

Rapid extraction and quantitative detection of the herbicide diuron in surface water by a hapten-functionalized carbon nanotubes based electrochemical analyzer.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Priyanka; Bhalla, Vijayender; Tuteja, Satish; Kukkar, Manil; Suri, C Raman

2012-05-21

A solid phase extraction micro-cartridge containing a non-polar polystyrene absorbent matrix was coupled with an electrochemical immunoassay analyzer (EIA) and used for the ultra-sensitive detection of the phenyl urea herbicide diuron in real samples. The EIA was fabricated by using carboxylated carbon nanotubes (CNTs) functionalized with a hapten molecule (an amine functionalized diuron derivative). Screen printed electrodes (SPE) were modified with these haptenized CNTs and specific in-house generated anti diuron antibodies were used for bio-interface development. The immunodetection was realized in a competitive electrochemical immunoassay format using alkaline phosphatase labeled secondary anti-IgG antibody. The addition of 1-naphthyl phosphate substrate resulted in the production of an electrochemically active product, 1-naphthol, which was monitored by using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The assay exhibited excellent sensitivity and specificity having a dynamic response range of 0.01 pg mL(-1) to 10 μg mL(-1) for diuron with a limit of detection of around 0.1 pg mL(-1) (n = 3) in standard water samples. The micro-cartridge coupled hapten-CNTs modified SPE provided an effective and efficient electrochemical immunoassay for the real-time monitoring of pesticides samples with a very high degree of sensitivity.

A combined electrochemical-irradiation treatment of highly colored and polluted industrial wastewater

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barrera-Diaz, C. E-mail: cbarrera@uaemex.mx; Urena-Nunez, F. E-mail: fun@nuclear.inin.mx; Campos, E.; Palomar-Pardave, M. E-mail: mepp@correo.azc.uam.mx; Romero-Romo, M

2003-07-01

This study reports on the attainment of optimal conditions for two electrolytic methods to treat wastewater: namely, electrocoagulation and particle destabilization of a highly polluted industrial wastewater, and electrochemically induced oxidation induced by in situ generation of Fenton's reactive. Additionally, a combined method that consisted of electrochemical treatment plus {gamma}-irradiation was carried out. A typical composition of the industrial effluent treated was COD 3400 mg/l, color 3750 Pt/Co units, and fecal coliforms 21000 MPN/ml. The best removal efficiency was obtained with electrochemical oxidation induced in situ, that resulted in the reduction of 78% for the COD, 86% color and 99.9% fecal coliforms removal. A treatment sequence was designed and carried out, such that after both electrochemical processes, a {gamma}-irradiation technique was used to complete the procedure. The samples were irradiated with various doses in an ALC {gamma}-cell unit provided with a Co-60 source. The removal efficiency obtained was 95% for the COD values, 90% color and 99.9% for fecal coliforms.

A combined electrochemical-irradiation treatment of highly colored and polluted industrial wastewater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barrera-Diaz, C.; Urena-Nunez, F.; Campos, E.; Palomar-Pardave, M.; Romero-Romo, M.

2003-01-01

This study reports on the attainment of optimal conditions for two electrolytic methods to treat wastewater: namely, electrocoagulation and particle destabilization of a highly polluted industrial wastewater, and electrochemically induced oxidation induced by in situ generation of Fenton's reactive. Additionally, a combined method that consisted of electrochemical treatment plus γ-irradiation was carried out. A typical composition of the industrial effluent treated was COD 3400 mg/l, color 3750 Pt/Co units, and fecal coliforms 21000 MPN/ml. The best removal efficiency was obtained with electrochemical oxidation induced in situ, that resulted in the reduction of 78% for the COD, 86% color and 99.9% fecal coliforms removal. A treatment sequence was designed and carried out, such that after both electrochemical processes, a γ-irradiation technique was used to complete the procedure. The samples were irradiated with various doses in an ALC γ-cell unit provided with a Co-60 source. The removal efficiency obtained was 95% for the COD values, 90% color and 99.9% for fecal coliforms

A combined electrochemical-irradiation treatment of highly colored and polluted industrial wastewater

Science.gov (United States)

Barrera-Díaz, C.; Ureña-Nuñez, F.; Campos, E.; Palomar-Pardavé, M.; Romero-Romo, M.

2003-07-01

This study reports on the attainment of optimal conditions for two electrolytic methods to treat wastewater: namely, electrocoagulation and particle destabilization of a highly polluted industrial wastewater, and electrochemically induced oxidation induced by in situ generation of Fenton's reactive. Additionally, a combined method that consisted of electrochemical treatment plus γ-irradiation was carried out. A typical composition of the industrial effluent treated was COD 3400 mg/l, color 3750 Pt/Co units, and fecal coliforms 21000 MPN/ml. The best removal efficiency was obtained with electrochemical oxidation induced in situ , that resulted in the reduction of 78% for the COD, 86% color and 99.9% fecal coliforms removal. A treatment sequence was designed and carried out, such that after both electrochemical processes, a γ-irradiation technique was used to complete the procedure. The samples were irradiated with various doses in an ALC γ-cell unit provided with a Co-60 source. The removal efficiency obtained was 95% for the COD values, 90% color and 99.9% for fecal coliforms.

Morula-like cells in photo-symbiotic clams harboring zooxanthellae.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakayama, K; Nishijima, M; Maruyama, T

1998-06-01

Symbiosis is observed between zooxanthellae, symbiotic dinoflagellates, and giant clams and related clams which belong to the families Tridacnidae and Cardiidae. We have previously shown that a photo-symbiotic clam Tridacna crocea has three types of hemocytes, the eosinophilic granular hemocyte with phagocytic activity, the agranular cell with electron lucent granules, and the morula-like cell with large (ca. 2 mum in diameter) colorless granules. The function of the morula-like cell is not clear, but it has not been reported in any other bivalves except photo-symbiotic clams T. crocea and Tridacna maxima. In order to clarify whether it is specific to photo-symbiotic clams or not, we studied hemocytes in the photo-symbiotic clams Tridacna derasa (Tridacnidae), Hippopus hippopus (Tridacnidae) and Corculum cardissa (Cardiidae), and a closely related non-symbiotic clam Fulvia mutica (Cardiidae). The eosinophilic granular hemocytes and the agranular cells were found in all of the clams examined. However, the morula-like cells which were packed with many large electron dense granules (ca. 2 mum in diameter), were observed only in the photo-symbiotic clams. In F. mutica, a closely related non-symbiotic clam, this type of hemocyte was not found. Instead a hemocyte with vacuoles and a few large granules containing peroxidase activity was observed. The large granules of F. mutica varied in size from ca. 1-9 mum in diameter. Present data suggests that the presence of morula-like cells is restricted to photo-symbiotic clams and that the hemocytes associated with the morula-like cells may have some functional relationship to symbiosis with zooxanthellae.

PtNi alloy nanoparticles supported on carbon-doped TiO2 nanotube arrays for photo-assisted methanol oxidation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He, Huichao; Xiao, Peng; Zhou, Ming; Liu, Feila; Yu, Shujuan; Qiao, Lei; Zhang, Yunhuai

2013-01-01

To develop anode catalysts for photo-assisted direct methanol fuel cell (PDMFC), carbon-doped TiO 2 nanotube arrays-supported PtNi alloy nanoparticles with different Pt/Ni atomic ratio (PtNi/C-TiO 2 NTs) prepared by pulsed electrodeposition method are evaluated as catalysts for photo-assisted methanol oxidation. The cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometry results show that the PtNi/C-TiO 2 NTs prepared at t onPt :t onNi : = 10:7 (t on is the current-on time) with a Pt:Ni atomic ratio of 6.1:5.7 presents the highest catalytic activity for methanol oxidation both in the dark and under illumination. In addition, according to the results obtained from the CO stripping voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests, it was found that the light play an accelerative role in the oxidation of methanol on PtNi/C-TiO 2 NTs under illumination. The effect of illumination which enhancing the catalytic activity of PtNi/C-TiO 2 NTs are attributed to (1) methanol and the intermediates be oxidized directly on C-TiO 2 NTs for the light-induced catalytic effect; (2) more abundant oxygen-donating species be produced on C-TiO 2 NTs in the presence of light; (3) less CO ads adsorbing on catalysts due to the presence of stronger metal–support interactions between PtNi alloy nanoparticles and C-TiO 2 NTs under illumination

OAS :: Photos

Science.gov (United States)

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Label-free DNA electrochemical sensor based on a PNA-functionalized conductive polymer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Reisberg, S; Dang, L A; Nguyen, Q A

2008-01-01

-solution interface. A reagentless and direct electrochemical detection was obtained by detection of the electrochemical changes using square wave voltammetry (SWV). An increase in the peak current of quinone was observed upon hybridization of probe on the target, whereas no change is observed with non...

An investigation of the electrochemical action of the epoxy zinc-rich coatings containing surface modified aluminum nanoparticle

Science.gov (United States)

Jalili, M.; Rostami, M.; Ramezanzadeh, B.

2015-02-01

Aluminum nanoparticle was modified with amino trimethylene phosphonic acid (ATMP). The surface characterization of the nanoparticles was done by X-ray photo electron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermal gravimetric analysis. The influence of the replacement of 2 wt% of zinc dust in the standard zinc-rich epoxy coating by nanoparticles on the electrochemical action of the coating was studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and salt spray tests. The morphology and phase composition of the zinc rich paints were evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and filed-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). Results showed that the ATMP molecules successfully adsorbed on the surface of Al nanoparticles. Results obtained from salt spray and electrochemical measurements revealed that the addition of surface modified nanoparticles to the zinc rich coating enhanced its galvanic action and corrosion protection properties.

Electrochemical synthesis of polydiphenylamine nanofibrils through AAO template

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Yanchun; Chen Miao; Liu Xiang; Xu Tao; Liu Weimin

2005-01-01

Highly ordered polydiphenylamine (PDPA) nanofibrils arrays have been fabricated within the pores of porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template membrane by electrochemical polymerization. The morphology of PDPA nanofibrils array was observed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and its electrochemical behavior and structure were examined by cyclic voltammetry, UV-vis spectroscopy and Fourier transmission infrared spectrum. The result of TEM revealed that the obtained PDPA nanofibrils had uniform and well-aligned array. The UV-vis spectroscopy and electrochemical experimental result indicated that the spatial restraint in the pores of AAO membrane is sufficient to induce the formation of more ordered PDPA chains in the AAO membrane

Electrochemical synthesis of polydiphenylamine nanofibrils through AAO template

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yanchun, Zhao [State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000 (China); Miao, Chen [State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000 (China); Xiang, Liu [State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000 (China); Tao, Xu [State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000 (China); Weimin, Liu [State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000 (China)

2005-06-15

Highly ordered polydiphenylamine (PDPA) nanofibrils arrays have been fabricated within the pores of porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template membrane by electrochemical polymerization. The morphology of PDPA nanofibrils array was observed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and its electrochemical behavior and structure were examined by cyclic voltammetry, UV-vis spectroscopy and Fourier transmission infrared spectrum. The result of TEM revealed that the obtained PDPA nanofibrils had uniform and well-aligned array. The UV-vis spectroscopy and electrochemical experimental result indicated that the spatial restraint in the pores of AAO membrane is sufficient to induce the formation of more ordered PDPA chains in the AAO membrane.

Research Update: Nanoscale electrochemical transistors in correlated oxides

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Teruo Kanki

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Large reversible changes of the electronic transport properties of solid-state oxide materials induced by electrochemical fields have received much attention as a new research avenue in iontronics. In this research update, dramatic transport changes in vanadium dioxide (VO2 nanowires were demonstrated by electric field-induced hydrogenation at room temperature through the nanogaps separated by humid air in a field-effect transistor structure with planar-type gates. This unique structure allowed us to investigate hydrogen intercalation and diffusion behavior in VO2 channels with respect to both time and space. Our results will contribute to further strategic researches to examine fundamental chemical and physical properties of devices and develop iontronic applications, as well as offering new directions to explore emerging functions for sensing, energy, and neuromorphologic devices combining ionic and electronic behaviors in solid-state materials.

Progress in the electrochemical modification of graphene-based materials and their applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chakrabarti, M.H.; Low, C.T.J.; Brandon, N.P.; Yufit, V.; Hashim, M.A.; Irfan, M.F.; Akhtar, J.; Ruiz-Trejo, E.; Hussain, M.A.

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Six means of functionalizing graphene electrochemically is reviewed. • Electrochemical functionalization is relatively new to other standard methods. • The technique is expected to improve graphene's application range considerably. -- Abstract: Graphene is a 2D allotrope of carbon with exciting properties such as extremely high electronic conductivity and superior mechanical strength. It has considerable potential for applications in fields such as bio-sensors, electrochemical energy storage and electronics. In most cases, graphene has been functionalized and modified with other materials to prepare composites. This work reviews the electrochemical modification of graphene. Commencing with a brief history, a summary of several different means of modifying graphene to effect diverse applications is provided. This is followed by a discussion on different composite materials that have been prepared with reduced graphene oxide prior to moving onto a detailed consideration of six different methods of electrochemically modifying graphene to prepare composite materials. These methods involve cathodic reduction of graphene oxide, electrophoretic deposition, electro-deposition techniques, electrospinning, electrochemical doping and electrochemical polymerization. Finally a consideration on the applications of electrochemically modified graphene composite materials in various fields is presented prior to discussing some prospects in enhancing the electrochemical process to realize excellent and economic composite materials in bulk

Control of surface wettability by light illumination: surface wettability control utilizing photo-induced surface reaction of titanium oxide; Hikari de nure wo seigyosuru - sanka chitan no hikari reiki hanno wo riyoshtia nure seigyo gijutsu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Watanabe, T.; Hashimoto, K. [The Universityof Tokyo (Japan)

1999-02-15

We report photo-generation of highly hydrophilic surface of titanium dioxide. The photo-induced hydrophilicizing is achieved by photo-generation of Ti{sup 4+} to Ti{sup 3+} at definite sites on the surface, resulting in preferential adsorption of hydroxyl groups on corresponding oxygen vacant sites. We also report the photo-generation of titanium dioxide amphiphilic surface on definite photo illumination condition. The unique character of this surface is ascribed to the microstructure of hydrophilic and oreophilic domain. The hydrophilic or amphiphilic titanium dioxide coating can be applied for antifogging mirror or glass and also self-cleaning paint for various industrial materials. Several commercial applications including antifogging automobile side-view mirror or self-cleaning exterior ceramic tile has been starting to hit the market. (author)

A role of nanotube dangling pyrrole and oxygen functions in the electrochemical synthesis of polypyrrole/MWCNTs hybrid materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krukiewicz, Katarzyna; Herman, Artur P.; Turczyn, Roman; Szymańska, Katarzyna; Koziol, Krzysztof K.K.; Boncel, Sławomir; Zak, Jerzy K.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The effect of MWCNT functionalization on properties of PPy composites was explained. • The behavior of pristine, pyrrole-modified and oxidized MWCNT was explained. • Functionalization of MWCNT improved their dispersibility and processability. • Different mechanisms of (f-)MWCNT incorporation into PPy composites were explained. • Orientation of growing PPy chains was tailored through the addition of (f-)MWCNT. - Abstract: The effect of the functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on the process of electrochemical co-deposition of MWCNTs and polypyrrole (PPy), as well as the morphology of obtained composites have been demonstrated. As the nanotube components of the hybrids, three types of MWCNT were used, namely c-CVD derived (pristine) MWCNTs, their oxidized counterparts MWCNT-Ox and pyrrole-modified MWCNT-Py. The stability of pristine and functionalized MWCNTs (f-MWCNT) dispersions in tetrahydrofuran and water was studied together with the description of the process of formation PPy/(f-)MWCNT hybrid materials via electrochemical co-deposition. The structural and morphological properties of the hybrids were characterized by Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy revealing substantial differences among hybrid materials in their surface morphology and the influence of MWCNT functionalization on the orientation of growing PPy chains

A role of nanotube dangling pyrrole and oxygen functions in the electrochemical synthesis of polypyrrole/MWCNTs hybrid materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krukiewicz, Katarzyna, E-mail: katarzyna.krukiewicz@polsl.pl [Department of Physical Chemistry and Technology of Polymers, Silesian University of Technology, Strzody 9, 44-100 Gliwice (Poland); Herman, Artur P., E-mail: artur.herman@polsl.pl [Department of Organic Chemistry, Bioorganic Chemistry and Biotechnology, Silesian University of Technology, Krzywoustego 4, Gliwice 44-100 (Poland); Turczyn, Roman, E-mail: roman.turczyn@polsl.pl [Department of Physical Chemistry and Technology of Polymers, Silesian University of Technology, Strzody 9, 44-100 Gliwice (Poland); Szymańska, Katarzyna, E-mail: katarzyna.szymanska@polsl.pl [Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Strzody 7, 44-100 Gliwice (Poland); Koziol, Krzysztof K.K., E-mail: kk292@cam.ac.uk [Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, 27 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge CB3 0FS (United Kingdom); Boncel, Sławomir, E-mail: slawomir.boncel@polsl.pl [Department of Organic Chemistry, Bioorganic Chemistry and Biotechnology, Silesian University of Technology, Krzywoustego 4, Gliwice 44-100 (Poland); Zak, Jerzy K., E-mail: jerzy.zak@polsl.pl [Department of Physical Chemistry and Technology of Polymers, Silesian University of Technology, Strzody 9, 44-100 Gliwice (Poland)

2014-10-30

Highlights: • The effect of MWCNT functionalization on properties of PPy composites was explained. • The behavior of pristine, pyrrole-modified and oxidized MWCNT was explained. • Functionalization of MWCNT improved their dispersibility and processability. • Different mechanisms of (f-)MWCNT incorporation into PPy composites were explained. • Orientation of growing PPy chains was tailored through the addition of (f-)MWCNT. - Abstract: The effect of the functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on the process of electrochemical co-deposition of MWCNTs and polypyrrole (PPy), as well as the morphology of obtained composites have been demonstrated. As the nanotube components of the hybrids, three types of MWCNT were used, namely c-CVD derived (pristine) MWCNTs, their oxidized counterparts MWCNT-Ox and pyrrole-modified MWCNT-Py. The stability of pristine and functionalized MWCNTs (f-MWCNT) dispersions in tetrahydrofuran and water was studied together with the description of the process of formation PPy/(f-)MWCNT hybrid materials via electrochemical co-deposition. The structural and morphological properties of the hybrids were characterized by Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy revealing substantial differences among hybrid materials in their surface morphology and the influence of MWCNT functionalization on the orientation of growing PPy chains.

Electrochemical signature of the grafting of diazonium salts: A probing parameter for monitoring the electro-addressed functionalization of devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Le Floch, Fabien [LETI/DIHS/LCMS, CEA-Grenoble 17 rue des martyrs, 38054 Grenoble cedex 9 (France); Simonato, Jean-Pierre [LITEN/DTNM/LCH, CEA-Grenoble 17 rue des martyrs, 38054 Grenoble cedex 9 (France); Bidan, Gerard [INAC/DIR, CEA-Grenoble 17 rue des martyrs, 38054 Grenoble cedex 9 (France)], E-mail: gerard.bidan@cea.fr

2009-04-15

The reciprocal influence of the phenylsubstituents and diazonium groups allows to monitor the diazonium reactivity and to electrochemically detect the grafting reaction. Extended understanding concerning the grafting of para substituted tetrafluoroborate aryl diazonium salts p-(R-Ph-N{sub 2}{sup +}, BF{sub 4}{sup -}) was obtained by studying comparatively four compounds (R = NO{sub 2}, NEt{sub 2}, NHPh, NPh{sub 2}) by electrochemistry. For R = NEt{sub 2}, the grafted molecules showed no reversible electroactivity whereas for the aminophenyl substituents, the first oxidation process induced chemical modification of the deposited layers before being totally reversible. The compound with electron withdrawing group (NO{sub 2}) was the only one able to create spontaneous covalent bounding with the glassy carbon electrode (GCE). We observed that the substituent directly acts upon the diazonium reactivity. This effect can be directly monitored through the potential onset value of the diazonium reduction. In addition, the elimination of the diazonium group during electrografting induces a cathodic shift of the electroactivity of the aminodiphenyl and aminotriphenyl groups covalently attached onto the carbon electrode surface. The shift between these electrochemical values may be considered as a signature of the grafting reaction.

Discharge amplified photo-emission from ultra-thin films applied to tuning work function of transparent electrodes in organic opto-electronic devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gentle, A.R.; Smith, G.B.; Watkins, S.E.

2013-01-01

A novel photoemission technique utilising localised discharge amplification of photo-yield is reported. It enables fast, accurate measurement of work function and ionisation potential for ultra-thin buffer layers vacuum deposited onto single and multilayer transparent conducting electrodes for organic solar cells and OLED's. Work function in most traditional transparent electrodes has to be raised to maximise charge transfer while high transmittance and high conductance must be retained. Results are presented for a range of metal oxide buffers, which achieve this goal. This compact photo-yield spectroscopy tool with its fast turn-around has been a valuable development aid since ionisation potential can vary significantly as deposition conditions change slightly, and as ultra-thin films grow. It has also been useful in tracking the impact of different post deposition cleaning treatments along with some storage and transport protocols, which can adversely reduce ionisation potential and hence subsequent device performance.

Electrochemical Implications of Defects in Carbon Nanotubes

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, Jonathan Peter

The electrochemical behavior of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) containing both intrinsic and extrinsically introduced defects has been investigated through the study of bamboo and hollow multi-walled CNT morphologies. The controlled addition of argon, hydrogen, and chlorine ions in addition to atomic hydrogen and magnesium vapor was used for varying the charge and type of extrinsic defects. To quantify changes in the CNTs upon treatment, Raman spectroscopy and electrochemical techniques were employed. It was indicated from Raman spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and chronopotentiometric experiments that the electrochemical response of hollow type CNTs could be tailored more significantly compared to bamboo type CNTs, which have innately high reactive site densities and are less amenable to modification. Total defect density and edge-plane-like defect concentrations monitored through Raman spectroscopy were used to correlate changes in the electrochemical response of the CNT electrodes as a function of treatment. The implementation of CNT electrodes in a prototypical electrolytic capacitor device was then explored and characterized. Dependencies on source current and redox couple concentration were evaluated, as well as changes in the total capacitance as a function of treatment. Cyclability studies were also performed as a function of source current magnitude to evaluate the longevity of the faradaic currents which typically decrease over time in other similar capacitors. This thesis then concludes with an overall summary of the themes and findings of the research presented in this work.

Electrochemical reaction rates in a dye-sensitised solar cell - the iodide/tri-iodide redox system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bay, L.; West, K.; Winther-Jensen, B.

2006-01-01

The electrochemical reaction rate of the redox couple iodide/tri-iodide in acetonitrile is characterised by impedance spectroscopy. Different electrode materials relevant for the function of dye-sensitised solar cells (DSSC) are investigated. Preferably, the reaction with the iodide....../tri-iodide couple should be fast at the counter electrode, i.e. this electrode must have a high catalytic activity towards the redox couple, and the same reaction must be slow on the photo electrode. The catalytic activity is investigated for platinum, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), polypyrrole (PPy......), and polyaniline (PANI)-all deposited onto fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass. Both Pt and PEDOT are found to have sufficiently high catalytic activities for practical use as counter electrodes in DSSC. The reaction resistance on FTO and anatase confirmed the beneficial effect of a compact anatase layer on top...

Electrochemical reaction rates in a dye sentisised solar cell - the iodide/tri-iodide redox system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bay, Lasse; West, Keld; Winter-Jensen, Bjørn

2006-01-01

The electrochemical reaction rate of the redox couple iodide / tri-iodide in acetonitrile is characterised by impedance spectroscopy. Different electrode materials relevant for the function of dye-sensitised solar cells (DSSC) are investigated. Preferably, the reaction with the iodide / tri......-iodide couple should be fast at the counter electrode, i.e. this electrode must have a high catalytic activity towards the redox couple, and the same reaction must be slow on the photo electrode. The catalytic activity is investigated for platinum, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), polypyrrole (PPy......), and polyaniline (PANI) - all deposited onto fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) glass. Both Pt and PEDOT are found to have sufficiently high catalytic activities for practical use as counter electrode in DSSC. The reaction resistance on FTO and anatase confirmed the beneficial effect of a compact anatase layer on top...

Origin of current-induced forces in an atomic gold wire: A first-principles study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brandbyge, Mads; Stokbro, Kurt; Taylor, Jeremy Philip

2003-01-01

We address the microscopic origin of the current-induced forces by analyzing results of first principles density functional calculations of atomic gold wires connected to two gold electrodes with different electrochemical potentials. We find that current induced forces are closely related...

Electrochemical Chloride extraction using external electrodes?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ottosen, Lisbeth M.; Pedersen, Anne Juul

2006-01-01

Electrochemical methods for the removal of chloride from concrete have been developed and the methods are primarily designed for situations where corrosion has started due to an increased chloride concentration in the vicinity of the reinforcement. In these methods the reinforcement is used...... as the cathode. However, some unwanted side effects can occur, including alkali-silica reaction and in some cases hydrogen embrittlement. It is also suggested also to use electrochemical chloride extraction in a preventive way in constructions where chloride induced corrosion is likely to be a problem after...... a period of time, i.e. remove the chlorides before the chloride front reaches the reinforcement. If the chlorides are removed from outer few centimetres from the surface, the chloride will not reach the reinforcement and cause damage. By using the electrochemical chloride removal in this preventive way...

Photo-oxidation of LDPE: Effects on elongational viscosity

Science.gov (United States)

Rolón-Garrido, Víctor H.; Wagner, Manfred H.

2013-04-01

Sheets of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) were photo-oxidatively treated at room temperature, and subsequently characterized rheologically in the melt state by shear and uniaxial extensional experiments. For photo-oxidation, a xenon lamp was used to irradiate the samples for times between 1 day and 6 weeks. Linear-viscoelastic characterization was performed in a temperature range of 130 to 220°C to obtain the master curve at 170°C, the reference temperature at which the elongational viscosities were measured. Linear viscoelasticity is increasingly affected by increasing photo-oxidation due to crosslinking of LDPE, as corroborated by an increasing gel fraction as determined by a solvent extraction method. The elongational measurements reveal a strong enhancement of strain hardening until a saturation level is achieved. The elongational data are analyzed in the frame work of two constitutive equations, the rubber-like liquid and the molecular stress function models. Within the experimental window, time-deformation separability is confirmed for all samples, independent of the degree of photo-oxidation.

Electrochemical Sensor for Bilirubin Detection Using Screen Printed Electrodes Functionalized with Carbon Nanotubes and Graphene

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Madasamy Thangamuthu

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Practice oriented point-of-care diagnostics require easy-to-handle, miniaturized, and low-cost analytical tools. In a novel approach, screen printed carbon electrodes (SPEs, which were functionalized with nanomaterials, are employed for selective measurements of bilirubin, which is an important biomarker for jaundice. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT and graphene separately deposited on SPEs provide the core of an electrochemical sensor for bilirubin. The electrocatalytic activity towards bilirubin oxidation (bilirubin to biliverdin was observed at +0.25 V. In addition, a further peak corresponding to the electrochemical conversion of biliverdin into purpurin appeared at +0.48 V. When compared to MWCNT, the graphene type shows a 3-fold lower detection limit (0.3 ± 0.022 nM and 0.1 ± 0.018 nM, respectively, moreover, the graphene type exhibits a larger linear range (0.1–600 µM than MWCNT (0.5–500 µM with a two-fold better sensitivity, i.e., 30 nA µM−1 cm−2, and 15 nA µM−1 cm−2, respectively. The viability is validated through measurements of bilirubin in blood serum samples and the selectivity is ensured by inhibiting common interfering biological substrates using an ionic nafion membrane. The presented approach enables the design and implementation of low cost and miniaturized electrochemical sensors.

Electrochemical Sensor for Bilirubin Detection Using Screen Printed Electrodes Functionalized with Carbon Nanotubes and Graphene.

Science.gov (United States)

Thangamuthu, Madasamy; Gabriel, Willimann Eric; Santschi, Christian; Martin, Olivier J F

2018-03-07

Practice oriented point-of-care diagnostics require easy-to-handle, miniaturized, and low-cost analytical tools. In a novel approach, screen printed carbon electrodes (SPEs), which were functionalized with nanomaterials, are employed for selective measurements of bilirubin, which is an important biomarker for jaundice. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and graphene separately deposited on SPEs provide the core of an electrochemical sensor for bilirubin. The electrocatalytic activity towards bilirubin oxidation (bilirubin to biliverdin) was observed at +0.25 V. In addition, a further peak corresponding to the electrochemical conversion of biliverdin into purpurin appeared at +0.48 V. When compared to MWCNT, the graphene type shows a 3-fold lower detection limit (0.3 ± 0.022 nM and 0.1 ± 0.018 nM, respectively), moreover, the graphene type exhibits a larger linear range (0.1-600 µM) than MWCNT (0.5-500 µM) with a two-fold better sensitivity, i.e., 30 nA µM -1 cm -2 , and 15 nA µM -1 cm -2 , respectively. The viability is validated through measurements of bilirubin in blood serum samples and the selectivity is ensured by inhibiting common interfering biological substrates using an ionic nafion membrane. The presented approach enables the design and implementation of low cost and miniaturized electrochemical sensors.

Experimental photoallergic contact dermatitis (photo-ACD) and persistent light reactivity (PLR) induced by bisphenol-A

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maguire, H.C. Jr.

1986-01-01

Bisphenol-A, a compound widely used in the plastics industry, clinically has been reported to induce photo-ACD and PLR. In mice, the authors find that Bisphenol-A (Bis-A) is a substantial photosensitizer and can serve as a model compound for the study of the cutaneous disorder, PLR. Mice were photosensitized by 2 daily applications of 1% Bis-A followed by irradiation of the skin site with UVB (280-320nm) and UVA (320-400nm). Sometimes, intradermal C.parvum (30 μ g) and/or pretreatment with cyclophosphamide (Cy; 50mg/kg) was used for nonspecific immunopotentiation. Photochallenge of an ear with chemical followed by UVA is usually done on Day 6. The reaction is consistent with that of delayed type hypersensitivity. Positive photochallenge sites react to UVA alone, thereby mimicking the clinical condition of the persistent light reactor

Photocatalytic and electrochemical combined treatment of textile wash water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neelavannan, M.G.; Revathi, M.; Ahmed Basha, C.

2007-01-01

Various chemical and physical processes for treatment of textile effluent are not destructive but they only transfer the contaminants from one form to another. The presence of high concentration of organic dye and total dissolved solids (TDS) in the effluent that are not removed by biological treatment must be eliminated by an alternative method to the conventional ones is the advanced oxidation process (AOP). A procion blue dye effluent was treated by photo and electrochemical oxidation process as well as by combining photocatalytic degradation using TiO 2 suspensions. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) and colour removal can be used to follow the degradation of the organic pollutant. The effects of pH, current density, flow rate of effluent that passes into the reactor and supporting electrolyte were studied. Comparative studies were carried out on photocatalytic and electrochemical process to degrade the procion blue. The maximum COD reduction and colour removal were 96 and 100%, respectively. Photodegradation efficiency of dye was high when photolysis was carried out in the presence of 40 mg/l of TiO 2

Pulsed laser synthesis in liquid of efficient visible-light-active ZnO/rGO nanocomposites for improved photo-catalytic activity

Science.gov (United States)

Moqbel, Redhwan A.; Gondal, Mohammed A.; Qahtan, Talal F.; Dastageer, Mohamed A.

2018-03-01

In this work the synthesis of visible light active zinc oxide/reduced graphene oxide (ZnO/rGO) nanocomposite by laser induced fragmentation of particulates in liquid, its morphological/optical characterizations, and its application in the process of photo-catalytic degradation of toxic Rhodamine B (RhB) dye under visible radiation were studied. It is observed from the optical and morphological characterization that the anchoring of ZnO on the rGO sheets in ZnO/rGO nanocomposite considerably reduced the aggregation of ZnO (increased surface area), reduced the recombination of photo-induced charge carriers, promoted more adsorption of reactants on the catalytic surface and also enhanced and extended the light absorption in the visible spectral region. With all these improved characteristics of ZnO/rGO nanocomposite, it was found that this material as a photo-catalyst yielded an RhB degradation efficiency of 86%, as compared to the 40% degradation with pure ZnO NPs under the same experimental conditions. In the ZnO/rGO nanocomposite, rGO functions as an electron acceptor to promote charge separation, an aggregation inhibitor to enhance the active surface area, a co-catalyst, a good dye adsorber and also as a supporting matrix for ZnO.

Simultaneously Coupled Mechanical-Electrochemical-Thermal Simulation of Lithium-Ion Cells: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Chao; Santhanagopalan, Shriram; Sprague, Michael A.; Pesaran, Ahmad A.

2016-08-01

Understanding the combined electrochemical-thermal and mechanical response of a system has a variety of applications, for example, structural failure from electrochemical fatigue and the potential induced changes of material properties. For lithium-ion batteries, there is an added concern over the safety of the system in the event of mechanical failure of the cell components. In this work, we present a generic multi-scale simultaneously coupled mechanical-electrochemical-thermal model to examine the interaction between mechanical failure and electrochemical-thermal responses. We treat the battery cell as a homogeneous material while locally we explicitly solve for the mechanical response of individual components using a homogenization model and the electrochemical-thermal responses using an electrochemical model for the battery. A benchmark problem is established to demonstrate the proposed modeling framework. The model shows the capability to capture the gradual evolution of cell electrochemical-thermal responses, and predicts the variation of those responses under different short-circuit conditions.

Electrochemical ammonia production on molybdenum nitride nanoclusters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Howalt, Jakob Geelmuyden; Vegge, Tejs

2013-01-01

Theoretical investigations of electrochemical production of ammonia at ambient temperature and pressure on nitrogen covered molybdenum nanoparticles are presented. Density functional theory calculations are used in combination with the computational hydrogen electrode approach to calculate the free...... energy profile for electrochemical protonation of N2 and N adatoms on cuboctahedral Mo13 nanoparticles. Pathways for electrochemical ammonia production via direct protonation of N adatoms and N2 admolecules with an onset potential as low as -0.5 V and generally lower than -0.8 V on both a nitrogen...

ATLAS TileCal Submodule Production Photos (2001)

CERN Multimedia

Errede, S.

2001-01-01

Photo 1 - Dirty Spacers Photo 2 - Washing Plates Photo 3 - Throw Photo 4 - Catch Photo 5 - Mascot Photo 6 - Glue Machine Photo 7 - Gluing Photo 8 - Finished submodule Photo 9 - Submodule being final welded Photo 10 - Paint tank Photo 11 - Submodule is wrapped Photo 12 - Exhaustion

Comparing Electrochemical and Biological Water Splitting

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rossmeisl, Jan; Dimitrievski, Kristian; Siegbahn, P.

2007-01-01

On the basis of density functional theory calculations, we compare the free energies of key intermediates in the water splitting reaction over transition metal oxide surfaces to those of the Mn cluster in photo system II. In spite of the very different environments in the enzyme system and on the......On the basis of density functional theory calculations, we compare the free energies of key intermediates in the water splitting reaction over transition metal oxide surfaces to those of the Mn cluster in photo system II. In spite of the very different environments in the enzyme system...... and on the inorganic catalyst surface of an acidic electrolysis cell, the thermochemical features of the catalysts can be directly compared. We suggest a simple test for a thermochemically optimal catalyst. We show that, although both the RuO2 surface and the Mn cluster in photo system II are quite close to optimal...

Regime dependence of photo-darkening-induced modal degradation in high power fiber amplifier (Conference Presentation)

Science.gov (United States)

Boullet, Johan; Vincont, Cyril; Jolly, Alain; Pierre, Christophe

2017-03-01

Thermally induced transverse modal instabilities (TMI) have attracted these five years an intense research efforts of the entire fiber laser development community, as it represents the current most limiting effect of further power scaling of high power fiber laser. Anyway, since 2014, a few publications point out a new limiting thermal effect: fiber modal degradation (FMD). It is characterized by a power rollover and simultaneous increase of the cladding light at an average power far from the TMI threshold together with a degraded beam which does not exhibit temporal fluctuations, which is one of the main characteristic of TMI. We report here on the first systemic experimental study of FMD in a high power photonic crystal fiber. We put a particular emphasis on the dependence of its average power threshold on the regime of operation. We experimentally demonstrate that this dependence is intrinsically linked to regime-dependent PD-saturated losses, which are nearly three times higher in CW regime than in short pulse picosecond regime. We make the hypothesis that the existence of these different PD equilibrium states between CW regime and picosecond QCW pulsed regime is due to a partial photo-bleaching of color centers in picosecond regime thanks to a higher probability of multi-photon process induced photobleaching (PB) at high peak power. This hypothesis is corroborated by the demonstration of the reversibility of the FMD induced in CW regime by simply switching the seed CW 1064 nm light by a short pulse, picosecond oscillator.

Animation of Mapped Photo Collections for Storytelling

Science.gov (United States)

Fujita, Hideyuki; Arikawa, Masatoshi

Our research goal is to facilitate the sharing of stories with digital photographs. Some map websites now collect stories associated with peoples' relationships to places. Users map collections of places and include their intangible emotional associations with each location along with photographs, videos, etc. Though this framework of mapping stories is important, it is not sufficiently expressive to communicate stories in a narrative fashion. For example, when the number of the mapped collections of places is particularly large, it is neither easy for viewers to interpret the map nor is it easy for the creator to express a story as a series of events in the real world. This is because each narrative, in the form of a sequence of textual narratives, a sequence of photographs, a movie, or audio is mapped to just one point. As a result, it is up to the viewer to decide which points on the map must be read, and in what order. The conventional framework is fairly suitable for mapping and expressing fragments or snapshots of a whole story and not for conveying the whole story as a narrative using the entire map as the setting. We therefore propose a new framework, Spatial Slideshow, for mapping personal photo collections and representing them as stories such as route guidances, sightseeing guidances, historical topics, fieldwork records, personal diaries, and so on. It is a fusion of personal photo mapping and photo storytelling. Each story is conveyed through a sequence of mapped photographs, presented as a synchronized animation of a map and an enhanced photo slideshow. The main technical novelty of this paper is a method for creating three-dimensional animations of photographs that induce the visual effect of motion from photo to photo. We believe that the proposed framework may have considerable significance in facilitating the grassroots development of spatial content driven by visual communication concerning real-world locations or events.

Laser Compton Scattering Gamma Ray Induced Photo-Trasmutation

CERN Document Server

Li, Dazhi

2004-01-01

High brightness beams of gamma rays produced with laser Compton scattering have the potential to realize photo-transmutation through (γ,n) reaction, implying an efficient method to dispose long-lived fission products. Preliminary investigations have been carried out in understanding the feasibility of development of a transmutation facility to repose nuclear waste. A laser Compton scattering experimental setup based on a storage ring started to generate gamma-ray beams for studying the coupling of gamma photons and nuclear giant resonance. This paper demonstrates the dependency of nuclear transmutation efficiency on target dimensions and gamma ray features. 197Au sample was adopted in our experiment, and experimental results correspond to the theoretical estimations.

A study of electrochemically-induced corrosion of low carbon steel in a medium modelling acid rain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vertes, C.; Lakatos-Varsanyi, M.; Vertes, A.; Meisel, W.; Guetlich, P.

1994-01-01

Complementary electrochemical, spectrophotometric and electron microsopic investigations were made in addition to the conversion electron Moessbauer spectroscopic (CEMS) measurements to learn more about the mechanism of corrosion of low carbon steel samples in aqueous sulfate and sulfite containing sulfate solutions (pH 3.5, 6.5 and 8.5). Passivation of iron in pure sulfate solution was studied in detail in earlier papers. In the present work, we used a solution containing both sulfate and sulfite anions to obtain more information about the effect of acid rain on low carbon steel samples. The compositions and thicknesses of the passive films formed due to the electrochemical treatments were determined from the CEM spectra. γ-FeOOH was found in each case on the surface of the samples; nevertheless, at pH 3.5 the sextet belonging to Fe 3 C appears in the CEM spectra, and also FeSO 4 . H 2 O was detected in low concentration after the shortest polarization time (90 min). The results of the applied methods proved that the sulfite ions induce pitting corrosion at pH 3.5 and 6.5, while the measurements referred to suppressed pitting at pH 8.5. (orig.)

Synthesis of modified polymer inclusion membranes for photo-electrodeposition of cadmium using polarized electrodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yahia Cherif, Asma [Laboratory of Hydrometallurgy and Inorganic Molecular Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, USTHB, BP 32 El Alia, 16111, Algiers (Algeria); Arous, Omar, E-mail: omararous@yahoo.fr [Laboratory of Hydrometallurgy and Inorganic Molecular Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, USTHB, BP 32 El Alia, 16111, Algiers (Algeria); Center of Research in Physical and Chemical Analysis CRAPC, BP 248 Algiers, RP 16004, Algiers (Algeria); Amara, Mourad [Laboratory of Hydrometallurgy and Inorganic Molecular Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, USTHB, BP 32 El Alia, 16111, Algiers (Algeria); Omeiri, Said [Center of Research in Physical and Chemical Analysis CRAPC, BP 248 Algiers, RP 16004, Algiers (Algeria); Laboratory of Storage and Valorization of Renewable Energies, Faculty of Chemistry, USTHB, BP 32 El Alia, 16111, Algiers (Algeria); Kerdjoudj, Hacene [Laboratory of Hydrometallurgy and Inorganic Molecular Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, USTHB, BP 32 El Alia, 16111, Algiers (Algeria); Trari, Mohamed [Laboratory of Storage and Valorization of Renewable Energies, Faculty of Chemistry, USTHB, BP 32 El Alia, 16111, Algiers (Algeria)

2012-08-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Homogeneous PIM membranes containing water soluble polymers have been obtained under new experimental conditions. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Photoelectrodeposition of 'Cd' has been carried out using WO{sub 3} and CuFeO{sub 2} as electrode. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Using both photo-polarized electrodes enhances transference of cadmium compared to one. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Membrane with poly-phosphoric acid (PPA) give a rise of transferred amount of Cd. - Abstract: In this work, we have developed a novel class of polymeric inclusion membranes (PIMs) for the cations separation. The membrane is made up of cellulose triacetate modified by poly-electrolytes (poly-phosphoric acid, polyvinyl pyrolidone, polyacrylic acid, polyvinyl alcohol and poly-anetholsulfonic acid) using 2-hydroxy-5-dodecylbenzaldehyde incorporated into the polymer as carrier and tris ethyl hexyl phosphate or glycerine as plasticizers. Different PIMs are synthesized and characterized by the Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis and scanning electron microscopy. The influence of the membrane nature is studied using supports with different physical characteristics (porosity, thickness, hydrophobia). As application, the transport of Cd{sup 2+} using PIMs coupled with photo-electrodes is investigated. The photo-catalytic results indicate that the combined system p-CuFeO{sub 2}/membrane/n-WO{sub 3} enhances considerably the electrons transfer toward the delafossite CuFeO{sub 2}. The position of the conduction band of CuFeO{sub 2} is looked to be the key issue for the photo electrochemical Cd{sup 2+} reduction.

Photo-crystallography: from the structure towards the electron density of metastable states

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Legrand, V [Laboratoire de Cristallographie et de Modelisation des Materiaux Mineraux et Biologiques, CNRS UMR 7036, UHP Nancy 1, Faculte des sciences, Boulevard des Aiguillettes, BP 239, 54506 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy Cedex (France); Carbonera, C [Institut de Chimie de la Matiere Condensee de Bordeaux, UPR CNRS 9048, Universite de Bordeaux 1, Groupe de Sciences Moleculaires, 87 Avenue du Docteur Schweitzer, 33608 Pessac cedex (France); Pillet, S [Laboratoire de Cristallographie et de Modelisation des Materiaux Mineraux et Biologiques, CNRS UMR 7036, UHP Nancy 1, Faculte des sciences, Boulevard des Aiguillettes, BP 239, 54506 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy Cedex (France); Souhassou, M [Laboratoire de Cristallographie et de Modelisation des Materiaux Mineraux et Biologiques, CNRS UMR 7036, UHP Nancy 1, Faculte des sciences, Boulevard des Aiguillettes, BP 239, 54506 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy Cedex (France); Letard, J F [Institut de Chimie de la Matiere Condensee de Bordeaux, UPR CNRS 9048, Universite de Bordeaux 1, Groupe de Sciences Moleculaires, 87 Avenue du Docteur Schweitzer, 33608 Pessac cedex (France); Guionneau, P [Institut de Chimie de la Matiere Condensee de Bordeaux, UPR CNRS 9048, Universite de Bordeaux 1, Groupe de Sciences Moleculaires, 87 Avenue du Docteur Schweitzer, 33608 Pessac cedex (France); Lecomte, C [Laboratoire de Cristallographie et de Modelisation des Materiaux Mineraux et Biologiques, CNRS UMR 7036, UHP Nancy 1, Faculte des sciences, Boulevard des Aiguillettes, BP 239, 54506 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy Cedex (France)

2005-01-01

A photo-crystallographic study of Fe(btr){sub 2}(NCS){sub 2}{center_dot}H{sub 2}O was performed in order to describe the modification of structures and charge densities on going from the ground low spin (LS) state to the metastable high spin (HS) state during the LIESST phenomenon at 15 K. Related photo-magnetic and spectroscopic measurements are also described. We show that at 15 K, the thermally quenched and photo-induced structures of the metastable HS state are identical. For comparison, we also derived the structure of the HS and LS states at 130 K in the hysteresis loop; the thermal spin transition and the LIESST spin transition exhibit similar structural behaviours.

Thermophysical and Electrochemical Properties of Ethereal Functionalised Cyclic Alkylammonium-based Ionic Liquids as Potential Electrolytes for Electrochemical Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Neale, Alex R; Murphy, Sinead; Goodrich, Peter; Hardacre, Christopher; Jacquemin, Johan

2017-08-05

A series of hydrophobic room temperature ionic liquids (ILs) based on ethereal functionalised pyrrolidinium, piperidinium and azepanium cations bearing the bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide, [TFSI] - , anion were synthesized and characterized. Their physicochemical properties such as density, viscosity and electrolytic conductivity, and thermal properties including phase transition behaviour and decomposition temperature have been measured. All of the ILs showed low melting point, low viscosity and good conductivity and the latter properties have been discussed in terms of the IL fragility, an important electrolyte feature of the transport properties of glass-forming ILs. Furthermore, the studied [TFSI] - -based ILs generally exhibit good electrochemical stabilities and, by coupling electrochemical experiments and DFT calculations, the effect of ether functionalisation at the IL cation on the electrochemical stability of the IL is discussed. Preliminary investigations into the Li-redox chemistry at a Cu working electrode are also reported as a function of ether-functionality within the pyrrolidinium-based IL family. Overall, the results show that these ionic liquids are suitable for electrochemical devices such as battery systems, fuel cells or supercapacitors. © 2017 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

The mechanism of persistent photoconductivity induced by minority carrier trapping effect in ultraviolet photo-detector made of polycrystalline diamond film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Lanxi; Chen Xuekang; Wu Gan; Guo Wantu; Cao Shengzhu; Shang Kaiwen; Han Weihua

2011-01-01

Performances of long persistent photoconductivity, high responsivity and high photoconductive gain were observed in a metal–semiconductor–metal ultraviolet photo-detector fabricated on a microcrystalline diamond film. Charge-based deep level transient spectroscopy measurement confirmed that a shallow level with activation energy of 0.21 eV and capture cross section of 9.9 × 10 −20 cm 2 is presented in the band gap of the diamond film. The shallow level may not act as effective recombination center due to the so small activation energy according to Schockly-Read-Hall statistics. The persistent photoconductivity relaxation fits in with the so called “barrier-limited recombination” model, which may be a minority carrier trapping effect related recombination process. The photo-induced minority carriers (electrons in this paper) may be trapped by the shallow level during light irradiation process and then de-trap slowly via thermal excitation or tunneling effect after removing the light source, which contributes to the persistent photoconductivity. The trapping effect can also reduce the probability of carrier recombination, resulting in the high responsivity and the high gain.

USRCRN Photo Information

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Photos of USRCRN stations and their immediate surroundings. Taken by engineering techs from NOAA's Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division (ATDD). Photos are...

Kodak's Photo CD and Proposed Photo YCC Color Standard.

Science.gov (United States)

Urrows, Henry; Urrows, Elizabeth

1991-01-01

Describes new technology being developed by Eastman Kodak for storing 35mm color photos on compact disk (CD) and discusses its applications for desktop publishing. Benefits of photo CD and costs are examined, a proposed universal color standard that is an improved way to represent color digitally is explained, and software is discussed. (LRW)

Satellite photo of CERN

CERN Multimedia

1991-01-01

This photo from the Landsat5 orbital telescope shows the locations of CERN's Meyrin and Prevessin sites near Geneva on the Swiss-France border. The tunnels housing the LHC and SPS accelerators are also illustrated. Photo credit: US Geological Survey/photo by Jane Doe.

CRN Photo Information

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Photos of CRN stations and their immediate surroundings. Taken by engineering techs from NOAA's Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division (ATDD). Photos are used...

Effective electrochemical method for investigation of hemoglobin unfolding based on the redox property of heme groups at glassy carbon electrodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xianchan; Zheng, Wei; Zhang, Limin; Yu, Ping; Lin, Yuqing; Su, Lei; Mao, Lanqun

2009-10-15

This study demonstrates a facile and effective electrochemical method for investigation of hemoglobin (Hb) unfolding based on the electrochemical redox property of heme groups in Hb at bare glassy carbon (GC) electrodes. In the native state, the heme groups are deeply buried in the hydrophobic pockets of Hb with a five-coordinate high-spin complex and thus show a poor electrochemical property at bare GC electrodes. Upon the unfolding of Hb induced by the denaturant of guanidine hydrochloride (GdnHCl), the fifth coordinative bond between the heme groups and the residue of the polypeptides (His-F8) is broken, and as a result, the heme groups initially buried deeply in the hydrophobic pockets dissociate from the polypeptide chains and are reduced electrochemically at GC electrodes, which can be used to probe the unfolding of Hb. The results on the GdnHCl-induced Hb unfolding obtained with the electrochemical method described here well coincide with those studied with other methods, such as UV-vis spectroscopy, fluorescence, and circular dichroism. The application of the as-established electrochemical method is illustrated to study the kinetics of GdnHCl-induced Hb unfolding, the GdnHCl-induced unfolding of another kind of hemoprotein, catalase, and the pH-induced Hb unfolding/refolding.

Investigation of Electrochemically Deposited and Chemically Reduced Platinum Nanostructured Thin Films as Counter Electrodes in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chih-Hung Tsai

2018-02-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we demonstrated that platinum (Pt counter electrodes (CEs fabricated using electrochemical deposition and chemical reduction can replace conventional high-temperature thermally decomposed Pt electrodes. In this study, Pt electrodes were fabricated using thermal decomposition, electrochemical deposition, and chemical reduction, and the influence of the different Pt counter electrodes on the efficiency of the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs was analyzed. The properties of the various Pt CEs were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM, surface area analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS, and cyclic voltammetry (CV. DSSCs with various Pt CEs were characterized using current density-voltage (J-V, incident photo-current conversion efficiency (IPCE, and EIS measurements. The results show that the power conversion efficiencies of these three types of DSSC devices were between 7.43% and 7.72%. The DSSCs based on the Pt electrode fabricated through electrochemical deposition exhibited the optimal power conversion efficiency. Because the processes of electrochemical deposition and chemical reduction do not require high-temperature sintering, these two methods are suitable for the fabrication of Pt on flexible plastic substrates.

Correlation-Preserving Photo Collage.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Lingjie; Zhang, Hongjie; Jing, Guangmei; Guo, Yanwen; Chen, Zhonggui; Wang, Wenping

2017-05-12

A new method is presented for producing photo collages that preserve content correlation of photos. We use deep learning techniques to find correlation among given photos to facilitate their embedding on the canvas, and develop an efficient combinatorial optimization technique to make correlated photos stay close to each other. To make efficient use of canvas space, our method first extracts salient regions of photos and packs only these salient regions. We allow the salient regions to have arbitrary shapes, therefore yielding informative, yet more compact collages than by other similar collage methods based on salient regions. We present extensive experimental results, user study results, and comparisons against the state-of-the-art methods to show the superiority of our method.

Effects of nitrogen- and oxygen-containing functional groups of activated carbon nanotubes on the electrochemical performance in supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Haiyan; Song, Huaihe; Chen, Xiaohong; Zhang, Su; Zhou, Jisheng; Ma, Zhaokun

2015-07-01

A kind of nitrogen- and oxygen-containing activated carbon nanotubes (ACNTs) has been prepared by carbonization and activation of polyaniline nanotubes obtained by rapidly mixed reaction. The ACNTs show oxygen content of 15.7% and nitrogen content of 2.97% (atomic ratio). The ACNTs perform high capacitance and good rate capability (327 F g-1 at the current density of 10 A g-1) when used as the electrode materials for supercapacitors. Hydrogen reduction has been further used to investigate the effects of surface functional groups on the electrochemical performance. The changes for both structural component and electrochemical performance reveal that the quinone oxygen, pyridinic nitrogen, and pyrrolic nitrogen of carbon have the most obvious influence on the capacitive property because of their pseudocapacitive contributions.

Electrochemically induced chemical sensor properties in graphite screen-printed electrodes: The case of a chemical sensor for uranium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kostaki, Vasiliki T.; Florou, Ageliki B.; Prodromidis, Mamas I.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Electrochemical treatment endows analytical characteristics to SPEs. → A sensitive chemical sensor for uranium is described. → Performance is due to a synergy between electrochemical treatment and ink's solvents. → The amount of the solvent controls the achievable sensitivity. - Abstract: We report for the first time on the possibility to develop chemical sensors based on electrochemically treated, non-modified, graphite screen-printed electrodes (SPEs). The applied galvanostatic treatment (5 μA for 6 min in 0.1 M H 2 SO 4 ) is demonstrated to be effective for the development of chemical sensors for the determination of uranium in aqueous solutions. A detailed study of the effect of various parameters related to the fabrication of SPEs on the performance of the resulting sensors along with some diagnostic experiments on conventional graphite electrodes showed that the inducible analytical characteristics are due to a synergy between electrochemical treatment and ink's solvents. Indeed, the amount of the latter onto the printed working layer controls the achievable sensitivity. The preconcentration of the analyte was performed in an electroless mode in an aqueous solutions of U(VI), pH 4.6, and then, the accumulated species was reduced by means of a differential pulse voltammetry scan in 0.1 M H 3 BO 3 , pH 3. Under selected experimental conditions, a linear calibration curve over the range 5 x 10 -9 to 10 -7 M U(VI) was constructed. The 3σ limit of detection at a preconcentration time of 30 min, and the relative standard deviation of the method were 4.5 x 10 -9 M U(VI) and >12% (n = 5, 5 x 10 -8 M U(VI)), respectively. The effect of potential interferences was also examined.

Functionalized Solid Electrodes for Electrochemical Biosensing of Purine Nucleobases and Their Analogues: A Review

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Vimal Kumar; Jelen, Frantisek; Trnkova, Libuse

2015-01-01

Interest in electrochemical analysis of purine nucleobases and few other important purine derivatives has been growing rapidly. Over the period of the past decade, the design of electrochemical biosensors has been focused on achieving high sensitivity and efficiency. The range of existing electrochemical methods with carbon electrode displays the highest rate in the development of biosensors. Moreover, modification of electrode surfaces based on nanomaterials is frequently used due to their extraordinary conductivity and surface to volume ratio. Different strategies for modifying electrode surfaces facilitate electron transport between the electrode surface and biomolecules, including DNA, oligonucleotides and their components. This review aims to summarize recent developments in the electrochemical analysis of purine derivatives, as well as discuss different applications. PMID:25594595

Functionalized Solid Electrodes for Electrochemical Biosensing of Purine Nucleobases and Their Analogues: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vimal Kumar Sharma

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Interest in electrochemical analysis of purine nucleobases and few other important purine derivatives has been growing rapidly. Over the period of the past decade, the design of electrochemical biosensors has been focused on achieving high sensitivity and efficiency. The range of existing electrochemical methods with carbon electrode displays the highest rate in the development of biosensors. Moreover, modification of electrode surfaces based on nanomaterials is frequently used due to their extraordinary conductivity and surface to volume ratio. Different strategies for modifying electrode surfaces facilitate electron transport between the electrode surface and biomolecules, including DNA, oligonucleotides and their components. This review aims to summarize recent developments in the electrochemical analysis of purine derivatives, as well as discuss different applications.

Photo-induced surface functionalization of carbon surfaces: The role of photoelectron ejection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colavita, Paula E.; Sun Bin; Tse, K.-Y.; Hamers, Robert J.

2008-01-01

Carbon-based materials are attractive for a wide range of applications, from biomaterials to fuel cells; however, their effective use often requires controlling the surface chemistry to incorporate recognition moieties or reactive centers. The high stability of carbon also makes it a challenging material to functionalize; recently, the use of ultraviolet light (254 nm) to initiate functionalization of carbon surfaces has emerged as a way to obtain carbon/organic interfaces with tailored properties. The authors have investigated the mechanism of covalent grafting of amorphous carbon surfaces with functional organic molecules using the photochemical reaction of terminal alkenes. Measurements comparing the reactivity of different n-alkenes bearing different terminal groups at the terminus opposite the olefin showed pronounced differences in reactivity. They characterized the rate and final coverage of the resulting organic layers using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy and photocurrent measurements suggested that the reaction involves photoelectron emission from the carbon surface into the liquid phase. Density functional calculations show a strong correlation between the electron affinity of the alkenes and the observed reactivity. The specific terminal group opposite to the olefin was found to play an important role in the stabilization of excess negative charges on the molecule, thus explaining the strong dependence of reactivity on the particular terminal group. These findings suggest that the reaction involves injection of photoelectrons into the alkene acceptor levels, leading to the formation of radical anions in the liquid phase. Finally, the authors demonstrate that the grafting of marginally reactive alkenes can be enhanced by seeding the surface with a small amount of good electron accepting groups. These results provide fundamental new insights into the role of

Enhanced electrochemical etching of ion irradiated silicon by localized amorphization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dang, Z. Y.; Breese, M. B. H. [Centre for Ion Beam Applications (CIBA), Department of Physics, National University of Singapore Singapore 117542 (Singapore); Lin, Y.; Tok, E. S. [Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, 2 Science Drive 3, Singapore 117542 (Singapore); Vittone, E. [Physics Department, NIS Excellence Centre and CNISM, University of Torino, via Pietro Giuria 1, 10125 Torino (Italy)

2014-05-12

A tailored distribution of ion induced defects in p-type silicon allows subsequent electrochemical anodization to be modified in various ways. Here we describe how a low level of lattice amorphization induced by ion irradiation influences anodization. First, it superposes a chemical etching effect, which is observable at high fluences as a reduced height of a micromachined component. Second, at lower fluences, it greatly enhances electrochemical anodization by allowing a hole diffusion current to flow to the exposed surface. We present an anodization model, which explains all observed effects produced by light ions such as helium and heavy ions such as cesium over a wide range of fluences and irradiation geometries.

Electrochemically induced C-H functionalization using bromide ion/2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyl-N-oxyl dual redox catalysts in a two-phase electrolytic system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Chao; Zeng, Cheng-Chu; Hu, Li-Ming; Yang, Feng-Lin; Yoo, Seung Joon; Little, R. Daniel

2013-01-01

Highlights: •Electrocatalytic C-H bond functionalization of tetrahydroisoquinolines is reported. •The transformation is mediated by a bromide ion/TEMPO dual redox catalyst system. •The transformation is conducted in a two-phase electrolytic medium. •The mechanism is proposed to proceed via a sequence of oxidation and addition reactions involving water as a nucleophile. •The procedure features wide substrate scope, the use of mild reaction conditions. -- Abstract: The electrochemical oxidative functionalization of benzylic C-H bonds, mediated by a dual bromide ion/2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyl-N-oxyl (TEMPO) redox catalyst system in a two-phase electrolytic medium, has been explored using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and preparative electrolysis techniques. The results show that electron transfer between TEMPO + and a neutral substrate occurs with an efficiency that depends upon the presence of a base. The preparative scale electrolysis led to the formation of dihydro-isoquinolinones, isochromanone and xanthenone in moderate to excellent yields. On the basis of the CV analysis and preparative electrolysis results, a reaction mechanism is proposed

Exploiting multi-function Metal-Organic Framework nanocomposite Ag@Zn-TSA as highly efficient immobilization matrixes for sensitive electrochemical biosensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong, Sheying; Zhang, Dandan; Suo, Gaochao; Wei, Wenbo; Huang, Tinglin

2016-01-01

A novel multi-function Metal-Organic Framework composite Ag@Zn-TSA (zinc thiosalicylate, Zn(C_7H_4O_2S), Zn-TSA) was synthesized as highly efficient immobilization matrixes of myoglobin (Mb)/glucose oxidase (GOx) for electrochemical biosensing. The electrochemical biosensors based on Ag@Zn-TSA composite and ionic liquid (IL) modified carbon paste electrode (CPE) were fabricated successfully. Furthermore, the properties of the sensors were discussed by cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and amperometric current-time curve, respectively. The results showed the proposed biosensors had wide linear response to hydrogen peroxide (H_2O_2) in the range of 0.3–20,000 μM, to nitrite (NO_2"−) for 1.3 μM–1660 μM and 2262 μM–1,33,000 μM, to glucose for 2.0–1022 μM, with a low detection limit of 0.08 μM for H_2O_2, 0.5 μM for NO_2"−, 0.8 μM for glucose. The values of the apparent heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant (k_s) for Mb and GOx were estimated as 2.05 s"−"1 and 2.45 s"−"1, respectively. Thus, Ag@Zn-TSA was a kind of ideal material as highly efficient immobilization matrixes for sensitive electrochemical biosensing. In addition, this work indicated that MOF nanocomposite had a great potential for constructing wide range of sensing interface. - Highlights: • Novel Ag@Zn-TSA was used as highly efficient immobilization matrixes of Mb/glucose. • We exploited multi-function MOFs for a wide range of electrocatalytic sensing interface. • The proposed biosensors had an excellent catalytic effect on the small molecule (NO_2"−, H_2O_2, glucose).

Photo-electron spectroscopy using synchrotron radiation of molecular radicals and fragments produced by laser photo-dissociation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nahon, Laurent

1991-01-01

This research thesis reports the combined use of a laser and of a synchrotron radiation in order to respectively photo-dissociate a molecule and to photo-ionize fragments which are analysed by photo-electron spectroscopy. This association allows, on the one hand, radical photo-ionization to be studied, and, on the other hand, polyatomic molecule photo-dissociation to be studied. The author studied the photo-excitation and/or photo-ionization in layer 4d (resp. 3d) of atomic iodine (resp. bromine) produced almost complete laser photo-dissociation of I_2 (resp. Br_2). He discuses the processes of relaxation of transitions from valence 4d to 5p (resp. 3d to 4p) which occur either by direct self-ionization or by resonant Auger effect, and reports the study of photo-dissociation of s-tetrazine (C_2N_4H_2) [fr

In-tank photo analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vorvick, C.A.; Baird, D.B.; Heasler, P.G.

1995-09-01

This report documents an analysis performed by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) of photographs showing the interior of a single shell tank (SST) at the Hanford site. This report shows that in-tank photos can be used to create a plan-view map of the waste surface inside a tank, and that measuring the elevation of the waste surface from the photos is possible, but not accurate enough to be useful at this time. In-tank photos were acquired for Tanks BX111 and T111. The BX111 photos were used to create the waste surface map and to measure the waste surface elevation. T111 photos were used to measure the waste surface elevation. Uncertainty analyses of the mapping and surface elevation are included to show the accuracy of the calculations for both methods

In situ synthesis of N and Cu functionalized mesoporous FDU-14 resins and carbons for electrochemical hydrogen storage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kong, AiGuo; Wang, WenJuan; Yang, Fan; Ding, HanMing; Shan, YongKui [Department of Chemistry, East China Normal University, ShangHai 200062 (China)

2010-07-15

N and Cu cooperatively functionalized mesoporous resin and carbon materials with bicontinuous cubic structure (FDU-14) were obtained by a novel synthesis method. In this method, block copolymers were used as the templates as well as the precursors for the preparation of these modifying mesoporous materials. The CuC{sub 2}O{sub 4} in the channels of mesoporous FDU-14 resins was gotten by in situ oxidation of the templates in a catalytic redox system containing Cu{sup 2+}, Al{sup 3+}, NO{sub 3}{sup -}, PO{sub 4}{sup 3-}, SO{sub 4}{sup 2-} ions. Simultaneously, the phenol-formaldehyde resin frameworks were in situ functionalized by the amine group resulting from the reduction of NO{sub 3}{sup -}, leading to the formation of N and CuC{sub 2}O{sub 4} modified mesoporous FDU-14 resin materials. Its pyrolysis at the different temperatures resulted in the production of N and Cu cooperatively functionalized mesoporous FDU-14 resin and carbon materials. The structure and composition of these materials were characterized by the X-ray power diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, N{sub 2} adsorption-desorption analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetry analysis, and inductive coupled plasma emission spectroscopy. The electrochemical measurement indicated that N and Cu cooperatively functionalized mesoporous FDU-14 carbon materials possessed the enhanced electrochemical hydrogen storage performance. (author)

Detection of an ylide intermediate in the electrochemically-induced Stevens rearrangement of an ammonium salt by in situ UV–vis spectroelectrochemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Capobianco, Amedeo; Caruso, Tonino; Palombi, Laura; Peluso, Andrea

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Mechanistic insights of the electro-induced Stevens rearrangement are provided. ► The reduction of PhCOCH 2 N + (CH 3 ) 2 CH 2 Ph is ascribed to a one-electron transfer process. ► An electrogenerated ammonium ylide has been detected by UV-spectroelectrochemistry. -- Abstract: The electrochemically-induced Stevens rearrangement of 2-(benzyldimethyl)ammonium acetophenone has been investigated by in situ UV–vis spectroelectrochemistry. Voltammetric analysis and absorption spectra recorded during the potentiostatic reduction indicate that the reaction proceeds via a one-electron transfer with a Platinum cathode and generation of an ammonium ylide intermediate

Ordered mesoporous carbon for electrochemical sensing: A review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ndamanisha, Jean Chrysostome [Faculty of Chemistry, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024 (China); Universite du Burundi, Institut de pedagogie appliquee, B.P. 5223, Bujumbura (Burundi); Guo Liping, E-mail: guolp078@nenu.edu.cn [Faculty of Chemistry, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024 (China)

2012-10-17

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The preparation and functionalization of ordered mesoporous carbon. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Their applications as electrochemical sensors with high electrocatalytic activity. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A promising electrode material based on its interesting properties. - Abstract: With its well-ordered pore structure, high specific surface area and tunable pore diameters in the mesopore range, ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) is suitable for applications in catalysis and sensing. We report recent applications of OMC in electrochemical sensors and biosensors. After a brief description of the electrochemical properties, the functionalization of the OMC for improvement of the electrocatalytic properties is then presented. We show how the ordered mesostructure of OMC is very important in those applications. The high density of edge plane-like defective sites (EDSs), oxygen-containing groups and a large surface area on OMC may provide many favorable sites for electron transfer to compounds, which makes OMC a potential novel material for an investigation of the electrochemical behavior of substances. Moreover, the structural capabilities of OMC at the scale of a few nanometers agree with immobilization of other electrocataytic substances. Interesting properties of this material may open up a new approach to study the electrochemical determination of other biomolecules.

Diamond surface functionalization with biomimicry – Amine surface tether and thiol moiety for electrochemical sensors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sund, James B., E-mail: jim@jamessund.com [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC (United States); Causey, Corey P. [Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC (United States); Wolter, Scott D. [Department of Physics, Elon University, Elon, NC 27244 (United States); Parker, Charles B., E-mail: charles.parker@duke.edu [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC (United States); Stoner, Brian R. [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC (United States); Research Triangle Institute (RTI) International, Research Triangle Park, NC (United States); Toone, Eric J. [Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC (United States); Glass, Jeffrey T. [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC (United States)

2014-05-01

Highlights: • Diamond surfaces were functionalized with organic molecules using a novel approach. • Used biomimicry to select a molecule to bind NO, similar to the human body. • Molecular orbital theory predicted the molecule-analyte oxidation behavior. • A thiol moiety was attached to an amine surface tether on the diamond surface. • XPS analysis verified each surface functionalization step. - Abstract: The surface of conducting diamond was functionalized with a terminal thiol group that is capable of binding and detecting nitrogen–oxygen species. The functionalization process employed multiple steps starting with doped diamond films grown by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition followed by hydrogen termination and photochemical attachment of a chemically protected amine alkene. The surface tether was deprotected to reveal the amine functionality, which enabled the tether to be extended with surface chemistry to add a terminal thiol moiety for electrochemical sensing applications. Each step of the process was validated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis.

Diamond surface functionalization with biomimicry – Amine surface tether and thiol moiety for electrochemical sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sund, James B.; Causey, Corey P.; Wolter, Scott D.; Parker, Charles B.; Stoner, Brian R.; Toone, Eric J.; Glass, Jeffrey T.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Diamond surfaces were functionalized with organic molecules using a novel approach. • Used biomimicry to select a molecule to bind NO, similar to the human body. • Molecular orbital theory predicted the molecule-analyte oxidation behavior. • A thiol moiety was attached to an amine surface tether on the diamond surface. • XPS analysis verified each surface functionalization step. - Abstract: The surface of conducting diamond was functionalized with a terminal thiol group that is capable of binding and detecting nitrogen–oxygen species. The functionalization process employed multiple steps starting with doped diamond films grown by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition followed by hydrogen termination and photochemical attachment of a chemically protected amine alkene. The surface tether was deprotected to reveal the amine functionality, which enabled the tether to be extended with surface chemistry to add a terminal thiol moiety for electrochemical sensing applications. Each step of the process was validated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis

Suppression of photo-bias induced instability for amorphous indium tungsten oxide thin film transistors with bi-layer structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Po-Tsun, E-mail: ptliu@mail.nctu.edu.tw; Chang, Chih-Hsiang; Chang, Chih-Jui [Department of Photonics and Institute of Electro-Optical Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan (China)

2016-06-27

This study investigates the instability induced by bias temperature illumination stress (NBTIS) for an amorphous indium-tungsten-oxide thin film transistor (a-IWO TFT) with SiO{sub 2} backchannel passivation layer (BPL). It is found that this electrical degradation phenomenon can be attributed to the generation of defect states during the BPL process, which deteriorates the photo-bias stability of a-IWO TFTs. A method proposed by adding an oxygen-rich a-IWO thin film upon the a-IWO active channel layer could effectively suppress the plasma damage to channel layer during BPL deposition process. The bi-layer a-IWO TFT structure with an oxygen-rich back channel exhibits superior electrical reliability of device under NBTIS.

Probing the structural dependency of photoinduced properties of colloidal quantum dots using metal-oxide photo-active substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patty, Kira; Campbell, Quinn; Hamilton, Nathan; West, Robert G.; Sadeghi, Seyed M.; Mao, Chuanbin

2014-01-01

We used photoactive substrates consisting of about 1 nm coating of a metal oxide on glass substrates to investigate the impact of the structures of colloidal quantum dots on their photophysical and photochemical properties. We showed during irradiation these substrates can interact uniquely with such quantum dots, inducing distinct forms of photo-induced processes when they have different cores, shells, or ligands. In particular, our results showed that for certain types of core-shell quantum dot structures an ultrathin layer of a metal oxide can reduce suppression of quantum efficiency of the quantum dots happening when they undergo extensive photo-oxidation. This suggests the possibility of shrinking the sizes of quantum dots without significant enhancement of their non-radiative decay rates. We show that such quantum dots are not influenced significantly by Coulomb blockade or photoionization, while those without a shell can undergo a large amount of photo-induced fluorescence enhancement via such blockade when they are in touch with the metal oxide.

Functional Carbon Materials for Electrochemical Energy Storage

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Huihui

The ability to harvest and convert solar energy has been associated with the evolution of human civilization. The increasing consumption of fossil fuels since the industrial revolution, however, has brought to concerns in ecological deterioration and depletion of the fossil fuels. Facing these challenges, humankind is forced to seek for clean, sustainable and renewable energy resources, such as biofuels, hydraulic power, wind power, geothermal energy and other kinds of alternative energies. However, most alternative energy sources, generally in the form of electrical energy, could not be made available on a continuous basis. It is, therefore, essential to store such energy into chemical energy, which are portable and various applications. In this context, electrochemical energy-storage devices hold great promises towards this goal. The most common electrochemical energy-storage devices are electrochemical capacitors (ECs, also called supercapacitors) and batteries. In comparison to batteries, ECs posses high power density, high efficiency, long cycling life and low cost. ECs commonly utilize carbon as both (symmetric) or one of the electrodes (asymmetric), of which their performance is generally limited by the capacitance of the carbon electrodes. Therefore, developing better carbon materials with high energy density has been emerging as one the most essential challenges in the field. The primary objective of this dissertation is to design and synthesize functional carbon materials with high energy density at both aqueous and organic electrolyte systems. The energy density (E) of ECs are governed by E = CV 2/2, where C is the total capacitance and V is the voltage of the devices. Carbon electrodes with high capacitance and high working voltage should lead to high energy density. In the first part of this thesis, a new class of nanoporous carbons were synthesized for symmetric supercapacitors using aqueous Li2SO4 as the electrolyte. A unique precursor was adopted to

Advances in Home Photo Printing

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Qian Lin; Brian Atkins; Huitao Luo

2004-01-01

With digital camera adoptions going main stream, consumers capture a record number of photos.Currently, the majority of the digital photos are printed at home. One of the key enablers of this transformation is the advancement of home photo printing technologies. In the past few years, inkjet printing technologies have continued to deliver smaller drop size, larger number of inks, and longer-lasting prints. In the mean time, advanced image processing automatically enhances captured digital photos while being printed. The combination of the above two forces has closed the gap between the home photo prints and AgX prints. It will give an overview of the home photo printing market and technology trends, and discuss major advancements in automatic image processing.

Analysis of Light-Induced Transmembrane Ion Gradients and Membrane Potential in Photosystem I Proteoliposomes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pennisi, Cristian P.; Greenbaum, Elias; Yoshida, Ken

2010-01-01

Photosystem I (PSI) complexes can support a light-driven electrochemical gradient for protons, which is the driving force for energy-conserving reactions across biological membranes. In this work, a computational model that enables a quantitative description of the light-induced proton gradients across the membrane of PSI proteoliposomes is presented. Using a set of electrodiffusion equations, a compartmental model of a vesicle suspended in aqueous medium was studied. The light-mediated proton movement was modeled as a single proton pumping step with backpressure of the electric potential. The model fits determinations of pH obtained from PSI proteoliposomes illuminated in the presence of mediators of cyclic electron transport. The model also allows analysis of the proton gradients in relation to the transmembrane ion fluxes and electric potential. Sensitivity analysis enabled a determination of the parameters that have greater influence on steady-state levels and onset/decay rates of transmembrane pH and electric potential. This model could be used as a tool for optimizing PSI proteoliposomes for photo-electrochemical applications.

Microelectrode array fabrication for electrochemical detection with carbon nanotubes

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, James

Understanding how the brain works remains one of the key challenges for scientists. To further this understanding a wide variety of technologies and research methods have been developed. One such technology is conductive electrodes, used to measure the electrical signals elicited from neuronal cells and tissues. These electrodes can be fabricated as a singular electrode or as a multi-electrode array (MEA). This permits bio-electrical measurements from one particular area or simultaneous measurements from multiple areas, respectively. Studying electrical and chemical signals of individual cells in situ requires the use of electrodes with ≤20 µm diameter. However, electrodes of this size generally produce high impedance, perturbing recording of the small signals generated from individual cells. Nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), can be deposited to increase the real surface area of these electrodes, producing higher sensitivity measurements. This thesis investigates the potential for using photo-thermal chemical vapour deposition grown CNTs as the electrode material for a de novo fabricated MEA. This device aimed to measure electrochemical signals in the form of dopamine, an important mammalian neurotransmitter, as well as conventional bio-electrical signals that the device is designed for. Realising this aim began with improving CNT aqueous wetting behaviour via oxygen plasma functionalisation. This procedure demonstrated grafting of oxygen functional groups to the CNT structure, and dramatic improvements in aqueous wetting behaviour, with CNTs attached to the device. Subsequently, oxygen plasma functionalised CNT-based MEAs were fabricated and tested, allowing comparisons with a non-functionalised CNT MEA and a state-of-the-art commercial MEA. The functionalised CNT MEA demonstrated an order of magnitude improvement compared to commercial MEAs (2.75 kΩ vs. 25.6 kΩ), at the biologically relevant frequency of 1 kHz. This was followed by measurement

High pressure chemistry of red phosphorus by photo-activated simple molecules

Science.gov (United States)

Ceppatelli, M.; Fanetti, S.; Bini, R.; Caporali, M.; Peruzzini, M.

2014-05-01

High pressure (HP) is very effective in reducing intermolecular distances and inducing unexpected chemical reactions. In addition the photo-activation of the reactants in HP conditions can lead to very efficient and selective processes. The chemistry of phosphorus is currently based on the white molecular form. The red polymeric allotrope, despite more stable and much less toxic, has not attracted much attention so far. However, switching from the white to the red form would benefit any industrial procedure, especially from an environmental point of view. On the other side, water and ethanol are renewable, environmental friendly and largely available molecules, usable as reactants and photo-activators in HP conditions. Here we report a study on the HP photo-induced reactivity of red phosphorus with water and ethanol, showing the possibility of very efficient and selective processes, leading to molecular hydrogen and valuable phosphorus compounds. The reactions have been studied by means of FTIR and Raman spectroscopy and pressure has been generated using membrane Diamond (DAC) and Sapphire (SAC) anvil cells. HP reactivity has been activated by the two-photon absorption of near-UV wavelengths and occurred in total absence of solvents, catalysts and radical initiators, at room T and mild pressure conditions (0.2-1.5 GPa).

High pressure chemistry of red phosphorus by photo-activated simple molecules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ceppatelli, M; Bini, R; Caporali, M; Peruzzini, M; Fanetti, S

2014-01-01

High pressure (HP) is very effective in reducing intermolecular distances and inducing unexpected chemical reactions. In addition the photo-activation of the reactants in HP conditions can lead to very efficient and selective processes. The chemistry of phosphorus is currently based on the white molecular form. The red polymeric allotrope, despite more stable and much less toxic, has not attracted much attention so far. However, switching from the white to the red form would benefit any industrial procedure, especially from an environmental point of view. On the other side, water and ethanol are renewable, environmental friendly and largely available molecules, usable as reactants and photo-activators in HP conditions. Here we report a study on the HP photo-induced reactivity of red phosphorus with water and ethanol, showing the possibility of very efficient and selective processes, leading to molecular hydrogen and valuable phosphorus compounds. The reactions have been studied by means of FTIR and Raman spectroscopy and pressure has been generated using membrane Diamond (DAC) and Sapphire (SAC) anvil cells. HP reactivity has been activated by the two-photon absorption of near-UV wavelengths and occurred in total absence of solvents, catalysts and radical initiators, at room T and mild pressure conditions (0.2–1.5 GPa).

Copper-doped titanium dioxide nanoparticles as dual-functional labels for fabrication of electrochemical immunosensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Sen; Ma, Hongmin; Yan, Liangguo; Cao, Wei; Yan, Tao; Wei, Qin; Du, Bin

2014-09-15

Constructions of versatile electroactive labels are key issues in the development of electrochemical immunosensors. In this study, copper-doped titanium dioxide nanoparticle (Cu@TiO2) was synthesized and used as labels for fabrication of sandwich-type electrochemical immunosensors on glassy carbon electrode (GCE). Due to the presence of copper ions, Cu@TiO2 shows a strong response current when coupled to an electrode. The prepared nanocomposite also shows high electrocatalytic activity towards reduction of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The dual functionality of Cu@TiO2 enables the fabrication of immunosensor using different detection modes, that is, square wave voltammetry (SWV) or chronoamperometry (CA). While Cu@TiO2 was used as labels of secondary antibodies (Ab2), carboxyl functionalized graphene oxide (CFGO) was used as electrode materials to immobilize primary antibodies (Ab1). Using human immunoglobulin G (IgG) as a model analyte, the immunosensor shows high sensitivity, acceptable stability and good reproducibility for both detection modes. Under optimal conditions, a linear range from 0.1 pg/mL to 100 ng/mL with a detection limit of 0.052 pg/mL was obtained for SWV analysis. For CA analysis, a wider linear range from 0.01 pg/mL to 100 ng/mL and a lower detection limit of 0.0043 pg/mL were obtained. The proposed metal ion-based enzyme-free and noble metal-free immunosensor may have promising applications in clinical diagnoses and many other fields. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Scattering-layer-induced energy storage function in polymer-based quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xi; Jiang, Hongrui

2015-03-09

Photo-self-charging cells (PSCs) are compact devices with dual functions of photoelectric conversion and energy storage. By introducing a scattering layer in polymer-based quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells, two-electrode PSCs with highly compact structure were obtained. The charge storage function stems from the formed ion channel network in the scattering layer/polymer electrolyte system. Both the photoelectric conversion and the energy storage functions are integrated in only the photoelectrode of such PSCs. This design of PSC could continuously output power as a solar cell with considerable efficiency after being photo-charged. Such PSCs could be applied in highly-compact mini power devices.

Swift heavy ions induced surface modifications in Ag-polypyrrole composite films synthesized by an electrochemical route

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, Vijay; Ali, Yasir; Sharma, Kashma; Kumar, Vinod; Sonkawade, R.G.; Dhaliwal, A.S.; Swart, H.C.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Two steps electrochemical synthesis for the fabrication of Ag-polypyrrole composite films. • Surface modifications by swift heavy ion beam. • SEM image shows the formation of craters and humps after irradiation. • Detailed structural analysis by Raman spectroscopy. - Abstract: The general aim of this work was to study the effects of swift heavy ions on the properties of electrochemically synthesized Ag-polypyrrole composite thin films. Initially, polypyrrole (PPy) films were electrochemically synthesized on indium tin oxide coated glass surfaces using a chronopotentiometery technique, at optimized process conditions. The prepared PPy films have functioned as working electrodes for the decoration of submicron Ag particles on the surface of the PPy films through a cyclicvoltammetry technique. Towards probing the effect of swift heavy ion irradiation on the structural and morphological properties, the composite films were subjected to a 40 MeV Li 3+ ion beam irradiation for various fluences (1 × 10 11 , 1 × 10 12 and 1 × 10 13 ions/cm 2 ). Comparative microstructural investigations were carried out after the different ion fluences using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and micro-Raman spectroscopy techniques. Raman and SEM studies revealed that the structure of the films became disordered after irradiation. The SEM studies of irradiated composite films show significant changes in their surface morphologies. The surface was smoother at lower fluence but craters were observed at higher fluence

Swift heavy ions induced surface modifications in Ag-polypyrrole composite films synthesized by an electrochemical route

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumar, Vijay, E-mail: vijays_phy@rediffmail.com [Department of Physics, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein ZA 9300 (South Africa); Ali, Yasir [Department of Physics, Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology, Longowal, District Sangrur 148106, Punjab (India); Sharma, Kashma [Department of Physics, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein ZA 9300 (South Africa); Department of Chemistry, Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences, Solan 173212 (India); Kumar, Vinod [Department of Physics, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein ZA 9300 (South Africa); Sonkawade, R.G. [Inter University Accelerator Center, Aruna Asif Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067 (India); Dhaliwal, A.S. [Department of Physics, Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology, Longowal, District Sangrur 148106, Punjab (India); Swart, H.C., E-mail: swarthc@ufs.ac.za [Department of Physics, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein ZA 9300 (South Africa)

2014-03-15

Highlights: • Two steps electrochemical synthesis for the fabrication of Ag-polypyrrole composite films. • Surface modifications by swift heavy ion beam. • SEM image shows the formation of craters and humps after irradiation. • Detailed structural analysis by Raman spectroscopy. - Abstract: The general aim of this work was to study the effects of swift heavy ions on the properties of electrochemically synthesized Ag-polypyrrole composite thin films. Initially, polypyrrole (PPy) films were electrochemically synthesized on indium tin oxide coated glass surfaces using a chronopotentiometery technique, at optimized process conditions. The prepared PPy films have functioned as working electrodes for the decoration of submicron Ag particles on the surface of the PPy films through a cyclicvoltammetry technique. Towards probing the effect of swift heavy ion irradiation on the structural and morphological properties, the composite films were subjected to a 40 MeV Li{sup 3+} ion beam irradiation for various fluences (1 × 10{sup 11}, 1 × 10{sup 12} and 1 × 10{sup 13} ions/cm{sup 2}). Comparative microstructural investigations were carried out after the different ion fluences using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and micro-Raman spectroscopy techniques. Raman and SEM studies revealed that the structure of the films became disordered after irradiation. The SEM studies of irradiated composite films show significant changes in their surface morphologies. The surface was smoother at lower fluence but craters were observed at higher fluence.

Tuning inner-layer oxygen functional groups of reduced graphene oxide by potentiostatic oxidation for high performance electrochemical energy storage devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Huixin; Feng, Bingmei; Ye, Yifan; Guo, Jinghua; Fang, Hai-Tao

2017-01-01

Graphical abstract: Tuning inner-layer oxygen functional groups of reduced graphene oxide by potentiostatic oxidation in carbonate-based electrolyte improves the electrochemical performance. - Abstract: The electrochemical lithiation/delithiation of oxygen-containing functional groups (OCFGs) of nanocarbon materials, particularly graphene, have attracted intensive interest in recent years. Here, we propose a controllable potentiostatic oxidation approach to tune the OCFGs of as-prepared reduced graphene oxide (rGO) in a carbonate-based electrolyte to improve the specific capacity and rate capability. By X-Ray absorption spectroscopy in total fluorescence yield mode and X-Ray diffraction, we confirm that potentiostatic oxidations generate new OCFGs in the inner-layer of rGO. The content of OCFGs increases as oxidation potential being elevated. Such increasing of OCFGs in quantity significantly enhances the capacity. For instance, the specific capacity of 170.4 mAh g −1 for pristine rGO electrode is increased to 290.5 mAh g −1 after the oxidation at 5.0 V. We demonstrate that oxidations at moderate potentials can reduce the electrochemical and ohmic polarizations of rGO electrodes without deteriorating diffusion dynamic, thereby improving rate capability. After the optimal oxidation at 4.7 V, rGO electrode exhibits an excellent rate capability, delivering 58.4 mAh g −1 at 20 A g −1 .

Biodegradation of sulfamethoxazole photo-transformation products in a water/sediment test.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Tong; Deng, Huiping; Benskin, Jonathan P; Radke, Michael

2016-04-01

Occurrence of the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole (SMX) in the aquatic environment is of concern due to its potential to induce antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria. While degradation of SMX can occur by numerous processes, the environmental fate of its transformation products (TPs) remains poorly understood. In the present work, biodegradation of SMX photo-TPs was investigated in a water/sediment system. Photo-TPs were produced by exposing SMX to artificial sunlight for 48 h. The resulting mixture of 8 photo-TPs was characterized using a combination of ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry, and then used in biodegradation experiments. Significant differences in transformation among SMX photo-TPs were observed in the water/sediment system, with four photo-TPs displaying evidence of biodegradation (dissipation half-lives [DT50] of 39.7 d for 3-amino-5-methylisoxazole, 12.7 d for 4-nitro-sulfamethxoazole, 7.6 d for an SMX isomer and 2.4 d for [C10H13N3O4S]), two displaying primarily abiotic degradation (DT50 of 31 d for sulfanilic acid and 74.9 d for 5-methylisoxazol-3-yl-sulfamate), and two photo-TPs behaving largely recalcitrantly. Remarkably, TPs previously reported to be photo-stable also were persistent in biodegradation experiments. The most surprising observation was an increase in SMX concentrations when the irradiated solution was incubated, which we attribute to back-transformation of certain photo-TPs by sediment bacteria (85% from 4-nitro-sulfamethoxazole). This process could contribute to exposure to SMX in the aquatic environment that is higher than one would expect based on the fate of SMX alone. The results highlight the importance of considering TPs along with their parent compounds when characterizing environmental risks of emerging contaminants. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electrochemical modification of carbon electrode with benzylphosphonic groups

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benjamin, Ossonon Diby; Weissmann, Martin; Bélanger, Daniel

2014-01-01

Electrochemical modification of carbon electrodes by aryl groups bearing a phosphonate terminal functionality was carried out by both electrochemical reduction of diazonium ions (diazobenzylphosphonic acid) and electrochemical oxidation of an amine (aminobenzylphosphonic acid). The grafting by electrochemical reduction of aryl diazonium ions was found to be more efficient. The surface concentration of phosphonate groups, estimated by electrochemical reduction of electrostatically bound Pb(II) ions, was found to be about 25% higher for the layer formed by electrochemical reduction of diazonium ions than for the layer formed by oxidation of the amine. The acid–base properties of the grafted films were slightly influenced by the grafting procedure and the difference in the apparent pK a was most likely related to the presence of the substrate –NH-aryl linkage for the film generated by amine oxidation. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to get some insight on the chemical species present at the carbon electrode surface. For both procedures, the films consist in mixture of at least two different covalently grafted species

Electrochemical control of a DNA Holliday Junction nanoswitch by Mg2+ ions.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferapontova, E E; Mountford, C P; Crain, J; Buck, A H; Dickinson, P; Beattie, J S; Ghazal, P; Terry, J G; Walton, A J; Mount, A R

2008-11-15

The molecular conformation of a synthetic branched, 4-way DNA Holliday junction (HJ) was electrochemically switched between the open and closed (stacked) conformers. Switching was achieved by electrochemically induced quantitative release of Mg(2+) ions from the oxidised poly(N-methylpyrrole) film (PPy), which contained polyacrylate as an immobile counter anion and Mg(2+) ions as charge compensating mobile cations. This increase in the Mg(2+) concentration screened the electrostatic repulsion between the widely separated arms in the open HJ configuration, inducing switching to the closed conformation. Upon electrochemical reduction of PPy, entrapment of Mg(2+) ions back into the PPy film induced the reverse HJ switching from the closed to open state. The conformational transition was monitored using fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between donor and acceptor dyes each located at the terminus of one of the arms. The demonstrated electrochemical control of the conformation of the used probe-target HJ complex, previously reported as a highly sequence specific nanodevice for detecting of unlabelled target [Buck, A.H., Campbell, C.J., Dickinson, P., Mountford, C.P., Stoquert, H.C., Terry, J.G., Evans, S.A.G., Keane, L., Su, T.J., Mount, A.R., Walton, A.J., Beattie, J.S., Crain, J., Ghazal, P., 2007. Anal. Chem., 79, 4724-4728], allows the development of electronically addressable DNA nanodevices and label-free gene detection assays.

ARM-microcontroller based portable nitrite electrochemical analyzer using cytochrome c reductase biofunctionalized onto screen printed carbon electrode.

Science.gov (United States)

Santharaman, Paulraj; Venkatesh, Krishna Arun; Vairamani, Kanagavel; Benjamin, Alby Robson; Sethy, Niroj K; Bhargava, Kalpana; Karunakaran, Chandran

2017-04-15

Nitrite (NO 2 - ) supplementation limits hypoxia-induced oxidative stress and activates the alternate NO pathway which may partially account for the nitrite-mediated cardioprotection. So, sensitive and selective biosensors with point-of-care devices need to be explored to detect the physiological nitrite level due to its important role in human pathophysiology. In this work, cytochrome c reductase (CcR) biofunctionalized self assembled monolayer (SAM) functionalized on gold nanoparticles (GNPs) in polypyrrole (PPy) nanocomposite onto the screen printed carbon electrode (SPCE) was investigated as a biosensor for the detection of nitrite based on its electrochemical and catalytic properties. CcR was covalently coupled with SAM layers on GNPs by using EDC and NHS. Direct electrochemical response of CcR biofunctionalized electrodes showed a couple of well-defined and nearly reversible cyclic voltammetric peaks at -0.34 and -0.45 vs. Ag/AgCl. Under optimal conditions, the biosensor could be used for the determination of NO 2 - with a linear range from 0.1-1600µm and a detection limit of 60nM with a sensitivity of 0.172µAµM -1 cm -2 . Further, we have designed and developed a novel and cost effective portable electrochemical analyzer for the measurement of NO 2 - in hypoxia induced H9c2 cardiac cells using ARM microcontroller. The results obtained here using the developed portable electrochemical nitrite analyzer were also compared with the standard cyclic voltammetry instrument and found in agreement with each other. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A novel electrochemical approach for nuclear factor kappa B detection based on triplex DNA and gold nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen Min; Yang Mei; Li Hao; Liang Zhiqiang; Li Genxi

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► A simple, selective, and sensitive electrochemical NF-κB sensor was presented. ► NF-κB was precisely qualified by chronocoulometry with a detection limit of 0.13 nM. ► NF-κB was also successfully detected in contaminated samples by our approach. - Abstract: The transcription factor nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) is always a standard for inducible transcription factors, while nearly all NF-κB studies require the measurement of the level of activated NF-κB in cells. Herein we report a novel electrochemical approach for accurate detection of NF-κB with the help of triplex DNA and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Firstly, double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) molecules are self-assembled on the surface of a gold electrode. Then, AuNPs are functionalized with triplex-forming oligonucleotide (TFO). Since TFO may act with the dsDNA to form triplex DNA, the TFO functionalized on the AuNPs surfaces will bind with the dsDNA immobilized on the electrode surface, bringing large amounts of electrochemical compounds [Ru(NH 3 ) 6 ] 3+ close to the electrode to generate an intense electrochemical signal. However, in the presence of NF-κB, the protein will capture and bind with the dsDNA to replace TFO–AuNPs, resulting in significant decrease of electrochemical signal of [Ru(NH 3 ) 6 ] 3+ . By using this “on-off” strategy, NF-κB has been quantified in the range from 0.4 to 12.0 nM, with a detection limit of 0.13 nM. This approach has also been successfully used to detect NF-κB in contaminated samples with high specificity.

Electrochemical and spectroscopic study on thiolation of polyaniline

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blomquist, Maija; Bobacka, Johan; Ivaska, Ari; Levon, Kalle

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► We have thiolated and characterized polyaniline films in order to verify that the thiolation process has taken place. ► Such extensive characterization of thiolation of polyaniline has not previously been reported. ► Thiolation alters the electrochemical properties of polyaniline and the process should be understood. ► Through thiolation many reactive groups may covalently be bound to the polymer backbone. ► Possibility of covalent binding makes polyaniline films an attractive substrate for, e.g., biosensors. -- Abstract: Polyaniline (PANI) is a conducting polymer, easily synthesized and lucrative for many electrochemical applications like ion-selective sensors and biosensors. Thiolated molecules, including biological ones, can be bound by nucleophilic attachment to the polyaniline backbone. These covalently bound thiols add functionality to PANI, but also cause changes in the electrochemical properties of PANI. Polyaniline studied in this work was electropolymerized on glassy carbon electrodes. 2-Mercaptoethanol (MCE) and 6-(ferrocenyl)hexanethiol (FCHT) were used as the thiols to form functionalized films. The films were characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV), ex situ FTIR and Raman spectroscopies, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The goal of this work was to confirm the thiolation by spectroscopic methods and to study the impact of thiolation on the electrochemical properties of PANI. Our study showed that thiolated PANI has different electrochemical properties than PANI. Although the thiolation partially reduced the PANI backbone it still remained conductive after the thiolation. Detailed understanding of the thiolation process can be very useful for future applications of PANI

The CP-based electrochemical biosensors with autocatalytic stage in their function and the mathematical description of their work

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Volodymyr Valentynovych Tkach

2012-07-01

Full Text Available The electroanalytic process of the detection of biosubstances, realized by the biosensor, based in conducting polyheterocyclic compounds, the function of which contained autocatalytic stage, was mathematically described. The correspondent mathematical model was analyzed by linear stability theory and bifurcational analysis. The electrochemical instabilities, capable to succeed in this process, were explained in the terms of this model.

Water-mediated electrochemical nano-writing on thin ceria films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Nan; Doria, Sandra; Tebano, Antonello; Licoccia, Silvia; Balestrino, Giuseppe; Kumar, Amit; Arruda, Thomas M; Jesse, Stephen; Ivanov, Ilia N; Baddorf, Arthur P; Strelcov, Evgheni; Kalinin, Sergei V; Jang, Jae Hyuck; Borisevich, Albina Y

2014-01-01

Bias dependent mechanisms of irreversible cathodic and anodic processes on a pure CeO 2 film are studied using modified atomic force microscopy (AFM). For a moderate positive bias applied to the AFM tip an irreversible electrochemical reduction reaction is found, associated with significant local volume expansion. By changing the experimental conditions we are able to deduce the possible role of water in this process. Simultaneous detection of tip height and current allows the onset of conductivity and the electrochemical charge transfer process to be separated, further elucidating the reaction mechanism. The standard anodic/cathodic behavior is recovered in the high bias regime, where a sizable transport current flows between the tip and the film. These studies give insight into the mechanisms of the tip-induced electrochemical reactions as mediated by electronic currents, and into the role of water in these processes, as well as providing a different approach for electrochemical nano-writing. (paper)

SRIM Scheme: An Impression-Management Scheme for Privacy-Aware Photo-Sharing Users

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fenghua Li

2018-02-01

Full Text Available With the development of online social networks (OSNs and modern smartphones, sharing photos with friends has become one of the most popular social activities. Since people usually prefer to give others a positive impression, impression management during photo sharing is becoming increasingly important. However, most of the existing privacy-aware solutions have two main drawbacks: ① Users must decide manually whether to share each photo with others or not, in order to build the desired impression; and ② users run a high risk of leaking sensitive relational information in group photos during photo sharing, such as their position as part of a couple, or their sexual identity. In this paper, we propose a social relation impression-management (SRIM scheme to protect relational privacy and to automatically recommend an appropriate photo-sharing policy to users. To be more specific, we have designed a lightweight face-distance measurement that calculates the distances between users’ faces within group photos by relying on photo metadata and face-detection results. These distances are then transformed into relations using proxemics. Furthermore, we propose a relation impression evaluation algorithm to evaluate and manage relational impressions. We developed a prototype and employed 21 volunteers to verify the functionalities of the SRIM scheme. The evaluation results show the effectiveness and efficiency of our proposed scheme. Keywords: Impression management, Relational privacy, Photo sharing, Policy recommendation, Proxemics

Modeling Photo-multiplier Gain and Regenerating Pulse Height Data for Application Development

Science.gov (United States)

Aspinall, Michael D.; Jones, Ashley R.

2018-01-01

Systems that adopt organic scintillation detector arrays often require a calibration process prior to the intended measurement campaign to correct for significant performance variances between detectors within the array. These differences exist because of low tolerances associated with photo-multiplier tube technology and environmental influences. Differences in detector response can be corrected for by adjusting the supplied photo-multiplier tube voltage to control its gain and the effect that this has on the pulse height spectra from a gamma-only calibration source with a defined photo-peak. Automated methods that analyze these spectra and adjust the photo-multiplier tube bias accordingly are emerging for hardware that integrate acquisition electronics and high voltage control. However, development of such algorithms require access to the hardware, multiple detectors and calibration source for prolonged periods, all with associated constraints and risks. In this work, we report on a software function and related models developed to rescale and regenerate pulse height data acquired from a single scintillation detector. Such a function could be used to generate significant and varied pulse height data that can be used to integration-test algorithms that are capable of automatically response matching multiple detectors using pulse height spectra analysis. Furthermore, a function of this sort removes the dependence on multiple detectors, digital analyzers and calibration source. Results show a good match between the real and regenerated pulse height data. The function has also been used successfully to develop auto-calibration algorithms.

Stability of nanocrystalline electrochemically deposited layers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pantleon, Karen; Somers, Marcel A. J.

2009-01-01

have different microstructure and properties compared to bulk materials and the thermodynamic non-equilibrium state of as-deposited layers frequently results in changes of the microstructure as a function of time and/or temperature. The evolving microstructure affects the functionality and reliability......The technological demand for manufacturing components with complex geometries of micrometer or sub-micrometer dimensions and ambitions for ongoing miniaturization have attracted particular attention to electrochemical deposition methods. Thin layers of electrochemically deposited metals and alloys...... of electrodeposited components, which can be beneficial, as for the electrical conductivity of copper interconnect lines, or detrimental, as for reduced strength of nickel in MEMS applications. The present work reports on in-situ studies of the microstructure stability of as-deposited nanocrystalline Cu-, Ag- and Ni...

Preparation of Stellerite Loading Titanium Dioxide Photo catalyst and Its Catalytic Performance on Methyl Orange

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, H.; Wang, J.; Wang, H.; Chen, H.; Yang, F.; Chen, H.; Zhou, J.; Fu, J.; Yang, J.; Yuan, Z.; Zheng, B.

2015-01-01

TiO 2 /stellerite composite photo catalysts were prepared by dispersing TiO 2 onto the surface of HCl, NaOH, or NaCl treated stellerite using a sol-gel method. The materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), BET surface area analysis, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). HCl and NaCl modification result in the promotion of the pore formation at the stellerite surfaces and induced the microscopic changes, while the surface morphology and structure of the stellerite were almost ruined by NaOH modification. Supported TiO 2 calcinate at 200 degree presented anatase structure. The photo catalytic degradation activities of TiO 2 loaded HCl and NaCl modified stellerite were better than that of natural stellerite, accompanied with increasing specific surface area. On the contrary, NaOH modification induced the loss of photo catalytic ability of composite due to the generation of silicates

Tin Oxide Crystals Exposed by Low-Energy {110} Facets for Enhanced Electrochemical Heavy Metal Ions Sensing: X-ray Absorption Fine Structure Experimental Combined with Density-Functional Theory Evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Zhen; Yang, Meng; Chen, Shao-Hua; Liu, Jin-Huai; Li, Qun-Xiang; Huang, Xing-Jiu

2017-02-21

Herein, we revealed that the electrochemical behaviors on the detection of heavy metal ions (HMIs) would largely rely on the exposed facets of SnO 2 nanoparticles. Compared to the high-energy {221} facet, the low-energy {110} facet of SnO 2 possessed better electrochemical performance. The adsorption/desorption tests, density-functional theory (DFT) calculations, and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) studies showed that the lower barrier energy of surface diffusion on {110} facet was critical for the superior electrochemical property, which was favorable for the ions diffusion on the electrode, and further leading the enhanced electrochemical performance. Through the combination of experiments and theoretical calculations, a reliable interpretation of the mechanism for electroanalysis of HMIs with nanomaterials exposed by different crystal facets has been provided. Furthermore, it provides a deep insight into understanding the key factor to improve the electrochemical performance for HMIs detection, so as to design high-performance electrochemical sensors.

3,5-Diamino-1,2,4-triazole@electrochemically reduced graphene oxide film modified electrode for the electrochemical determination of 4-nitrophenol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, Deivasigamani Ranjith; Kesavan, Srinivasan; Baynosa, Marjorie Lara; Shim, Jae-Jin

2017-01-01

Highlights: •Triazole film was formed on electrochemically reduced graphene oxide. •pDAT@ERGO/GC was utilized for the electrochemical determination of 4-nitrophenol. •pDAT@ERGO/GC electrode offered wide concentration and nanomolar detection limit. •The fabricated electrode was employed in water sample analyses. -- Abstract: In this study, an eco-friendly benign method for the modification of electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (ERGO) on glassy carbon (GC) surface and electrochemical polymerized 3,5-diamino-1,2,4-triazole (DAT) film composite (pDAT@ERGO/GC) electrode was developed. The surface morphologies of the pDAT@ERGO/GC modified electrode were analyzed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). FESEM images indicated that the ERGO supported pDAT has an almost homogeneous morphology structure with a size of 70 to 80 nm. It is due to the water oxidation reaction occurred while pDAT@ERGO/GC fabrication peak at +1.4 V leads to O 2 evolution and oxygen functional group functionalization on ERGO, which confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). In contrast, the bare GC modified with pDAT showed randomly arranged irregular bulky morphology structure compared to those of pDAT@ERGO/GC. Electrochemical reduction of graphene oxide was confirmed by Raman spectroscopy, XPS, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The pDAT@ERGO/GC modified electrode was used for the electrochemical determination of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP). The 4-NP oxidation peak was observed at +0.25 V, and the differential pulse voltammetry demonstrated wide concentration range (5–1500 μM), high sensitivity (0.7113 μA μM −1 ), and low limit of detection (37 nM). Moreover, the pDAT@ERGO/GC electrode was applied to real water sample analysis by standard addition method, where in good recoveries (97.8% to 102.4%) were obtained.

Model calculations for electrochemically etched neutron detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pitt, E.; Scharmann, A.; Werner, B.

1988-01-01

Electrochemical etching has been established as a common method for visualisation of nuclear tracks in solid state nuclear track detectors. Usually the Mason equation, which describes the amplification of the electrical field strength at the track tip, is used to explain the treeing effect of electrochemical etching. The yield of neutron-induced tracks from electrochemically etched CR-39 track detectors was investigated with respect to the electrical parameters. A linear dependence on the response from the macroscopic field strength was measured which could not be explained by the Mason equation. It was found that the reality of a recoil proton track in the detector does not fit the boundary conditions which are necessary when the Mason equation is used. An alternative model was introduced to describe the track and detector geometry in the case of a neutron track detector. The field strength at the track tip was estimated with this model and compared with the experimental data, yielding good agreement. (author)

Surface modification and electrochemical behaviour of undoped nanodiamonds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zang Jianbing; Wang Yanhui; Bian Linyan; Zhang Jinhui; Meng Fanwei; Zhao Yuling; Ren Shubin; Qu Xuanhui

2012-01-01

Surface modifications of undoped nanodiamond (ND) particles were carried out through different annealing treatments. The methods of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the ND surface before and after the annealing process. The electrochemical properties of the modified ND powders in aqueous solution were investigated with Fe(CN) 6 3−/4− as a redox probe. When the annealing temperature was below 850 °C, vacuum annealing removed parts of the oxygen-containing surface functionalities from the ND surface and produced more sp 2 carbon atoms in the shell. The charge transfer of the Fe(CN) 6 3−/4− redox couple decreased with increasing annealing temperature. Re-annealing in air restored the original surface conditions: few sp 2 -bonded carbon atoms and similar surface functionalities, and thus the electrochemical activity. When ND was annealed in vacuum at 900–1100 °C, more serious graphitization produced a continuous fullerenic shell wrapped around a diamond core, which had a high conductivity and electrochemical activity. This provides a novel nanoparticle with high conductivity and high stability for electrochemical applications.

Synthesis of nucleotide–amino acid conjugates designed for photo-CIDNP experiments by a phosphotriester approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tatyana V. Abramova

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Conjugates of 2’-deoxyguanosine, L-tryptophan and benzophenone designed to study pathways of fast radical reactions by the photo Chemically Induced Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (photo-CIDNP method were obtained by the phosphotriester block liquid phase synthesis. The phosphotriester approach to the oligonucleotide synthesis was shown to be a versatile and economic strategy for preparing the required amount of high quality samples of nucleotide–amino acid conjugates.

Functionalized Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Electrochemical Sensor for Determination of Anticancer Drug Flutamide

Science.gov (United States)

Farias, Julianna Santos; Zanin, Hudson; Caldas, Adriana Silva; dos Santos, Clenilton Costa; Damos, Flavio Santos; de Cássia Silva Luz, Rita

2017-10-01

An electrochemical sensor based on functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTf) has been developed and applied for determination of anticancer drug flutamide in pharmaceutical and artificial urine samples. The electrode was prepared by modifying a glassy carbon electrode with MWCNTf, denoted herein as MWCNTf/GCE. The MWCNTf/GCE electrode exhibited high catalytic activity, high sensitivity, and high stability and was applicable over a wide concentration range for flutamide. The effects of the scan rate, pH, and nature of the electrolyte on the electrochemical behavior of flutamide on the MWCNTf/GCE were investigated. The results showed that this electrode presented the best square-wave voltammetric response to flutamide in Britton-Robinson buffer solution at pH 5.0 at frequency of 50 Hz and amplitude of 0.06 V. The proposed sensor presents a wide linear response range from concentration of 0.1 μmol L-1 up to 1000 μmol L-1 (or 27.6 μg L-1 up to 0.27 g L-1), with limit of detection, limit of quantification, and sensitivity of 0.03 μmol L-1, 0.1 μmol L-1, and 0.30 μA μmol-1 L, respectively. The MWCNTf/GCE electrode was successfully applied for determination of flutamide in pharmaceutical formulations and artificial urine samples, giving results in agreement with those obtained by a comparative method described in literature. A paired Student's t-test revealed no statistical difference between the reference and proposed method at 95% confidence level. The average recovery for fortified samples was 101 ± 1%.

Exploiting multi-function Metal-Organic Framework nanocomposite Ag@Zn-TSA as highly efficient immobilization matrixes for sensitive electrochemical biosensing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dong, Sheying, E-mail: dongsyy@126.com [College of Sciences, Xi' an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi' an, 710055 (China); Zhang, Dandan; Suo, Gaochao; Wei, Wenbo [College of Sciences, Xi' an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi' an, 710055 (China); Huang, Tinglin [School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi' an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi' an, 710055 (China)

2016-08-31

A novel multi-function Metal-Organic Framework composite Ag@Zn-TSA (zinc thiosalicylate, Zn(C{sub 7}H{sub 4}O{sub 2}S), Zn-TSA) was synthesized as highly efficient immobilization matrixes of myoglobin (Mb)/glucose oxidase (GOx) for electrochemical biosensing. The electrochemical biosensors based on Ag@Zn-TSA composite and ionic liquid (IL) modified carbon paste electrode (CPE) were fabricated successfully. Furthermore, the properties of the sensors were discussed by cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and amperometric current-time curve, respectively. The results showed the proposed biosensors had wide linear response to hydrogen peroxide (H{sub 2}O{sub 2}) in the range of 0.3–20,000 μM, to nitrite (NO{sub 2}{sup −}) for 1.3 μM–1660 μM and 2262 μM–1,33,000 μM, to glucose for 2.0–1022 μM, with a low detection limit of 0.08 μM for H{sub 2}O{sub 2}, 0.5 μM for NO{sub 2}{sup −}, 0.8 μM for glucose. The values of the apparent heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant (k{sub s}) for Mb and GOx were estimated as 2.05 s{sup −1} and 2.45 s{sup −1}, respectively. Thus, Ag@Zn-TSA was a kind of ideal material as highly efficient immobilization matrixes for sensitive electrochemical biosensing. In addition, this work indicated that MOF nanocomposite had a great potential for constructing wide range of sensing interface. - Highlights: • Novel Ag@Zn-TSA was used as highly efficient immobilization matrixes of Mb/glucose. • We exploited multi-function MOFs for a wide range of electrocatalytic sensing interface. • The proposed biosensors had an excellent catalytic effect on the small molecule (NO{sub 2}{sup −}, H{sub 2}O{sub 2}, glucose).

Photo-electret effects in homogenous semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nabiev, G.A.

2004-01-01

In the given work is shown the opportunity and created the theory of photo-electret condition in semiconductors with Dember mechanism of photo-voltage generation. Photo-electret of such type can be created, instead of traditional and without an external field as a result of only one illumination. Polar factor, in this case, is the distinction of electrons and holes mobility. Considered the multilayered structure with homogeneous photoactive micro areas shared by the layers, which are interfering to alignment of carriers concentration. We consider, that the homogeneous photoactive areas contain deep levels of stick. Because of addition of elementary photo voltage in separate micro photo cells it is formed the abnormal-large photo voltage (APV-effect). Let's notice, that Dember photo-voltage in a separate micro photo-cell ≤kT/q. From the received expressions, in practically important, special case, when quasi- balance between valent zone and stick levels established in much more smaller time, than free hole lifetime, and we received, that photo-voltage is relaxing. Comparing of the received expressions with the laws of photo voltage attenuation in p-n- junction structures shows their identity; the difference is only in absolute meanings of photo voltage. During the illumination in the semiconductor are created the superfluous concentration of charge carriers and part from them stays at deep levels. At de-energizing light there is a gradual generation of carriers located at these levels

Structural and photo-physical properties of spin-coated poly (3-hexylthiophene) thin films

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Motaung, DE

2009-07-01

Full Text Available were studied using UV–vis spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL), fourier transform infrared absorption (FTIR) spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy analysis. Films based on the polymer blends with C60 showed photo-induced absorption characteristic...

Poly(zwitterionic liquids) functionalized polypyrrole/graphene oxide nanosheets for electrochemically detecting dopamine at low concentration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mao, Hui; Liang, Jiachen; Ji, Chunguang; Zhang, Haifeng; Pei, Qi; Zhang, Yuyang; Zhang, Yu [Liaoning Key Laboratory for Green Synthesis and Preparative Chemistry of Advanced Materials, College of Chemistry, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036 (China); Hisaeda, Yoshio [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395 (Japan); Song, Xi-Ming, E-mail: songlab@lnu.edu.cn [Liaoning Key Laboratory for Green Synthesis and Preparative Chemistry of Advanced Materials, College of Chemistry, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036 (China); Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395 (Japan)

2016-08-01

Poly(3-(1-vinylimidazolium-3-yl)propane-1-sulfonate) (PVIPS), a novel kind of poly(zwitterionic liquids) (PZILs) containing both imidazolium cation and sulfonate anion, was successfully modified on the surface of polypyrrole/graphene oxide nanosheets (PPy/GO) by covalent bonding. The obtained novel PZILs functionalized PPy/GO nanosheets (PVIPS/PPy/GO) modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) presented the excellent electrochemical catalytic activity towards dopamine (DA) with high stability, sensitivity, selectivity and wide linear range (40–1220 nM), especially having a lower detection limit (17.3 nM). The excellent analytical performance is attributed to the strongly negative charges on the surface of modified GCE in aqueous solution, which is different from conventional poly(ionic liquids) modified GCE. DA cations could be quickly enriched on the electrode surface by electrostatic interaction in solution due to the existence of −SO{sub 3}{sup −} groups with negative charge at the end of pendant groups in zwitterionic PVIPS, resulting in a change of the electrons transmission mode in the oxidation of DA, that is, from a typical diffusion-controlled process at conventional poly(1-vinyl-3-ethylimidazole bromide) (PVEIB)/PPy/GO modified GCE to a typical surface-controlled process. - Graphical Abstract: Novel poly(zwitterionic liquids) functionalized polypyrrole/graphene oxide nanosheets were successfully synthesized and presented an excellent performance for determination to DA. Display Omitted - Highlights: • Zwitterionic PVIPS functionalized PPy/GO nanosheets were successfully synthesized. • Their surface charge property has been obviously changed to electronegativity. • The excellent electrochemical catalytic activities towards DA were achieved. • −SO{sub 3}{sup −} groups with negative charge changed the transmission mode of electrons. • PVIPS/PPy/GO can act as an electrode material for detecting DA at low concentration.

Photocatalytic studies of electrochemically synthesized polysaccharide-functionalized ZnO nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Kaur, Simranjeet; Kaur, Harpreet

2018-05-01

The present work reports the electrochemical synthesis of polysaccharide-functionalized ZnO nanoparticles using sodium hydroxide, starch, and zinc electrodes for the degradation of cationic dye (Rhodamine-B) under sunlight. Physiochemical properties of synthesized sample have been characterized by different techniques such as XRD, TEM, FESEM, EDS, IR, and UV-visible spectroscopic techniques. The influence of various factors such as effect of dye concentration, contact time, amount of photocatalyst, and pH has been studied. The results obtained from the photodegradation study showed that degradation rate of Rhodamine-B dye has been increased with increase of amount of photocatalyst and decreased with increase in initial dye concentration. Furthermore, the kinetics of the degradation has been investigated. It has been found that the photodegradation of Rhodamine-B dye follows pseudo-first-order kinetics and prepared photocatalyst can effectively degrade the cationic dye. Thus, this ecofriendly and efficient photocatalyst can be used for the treatment of dye-contaminated water. This catalyst also showed the antibacterial activity against Bacillus pumilus and Escherichia coli bacterial strains, so the synthesized nanoparticles also have the pharmaceutical properties.

Non-natural and photo-reactive amino acids as biochemical probes of immune function.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marta Gómez-Nuñez

Full Text Available Wilms tumor protein (WT1 is a transcription factor selectively overexpressed in leukemias and cancers; clinical trials are underway that use altered WT1 peptide sequences as vaccines. Here we report a strategy to study peptide-MHC interactions by incorporating non-natural and photo-reactive amino acids into the sequence of WT1 peptides. Thirteen WT1 peptides sequences were synthesized with chemically modified amino acids (via fluorination and photo-reactive group additions at MHC and T cell receptor binding positions. Certain new non-natural peptide analogs could stabilize MHC class I molecules better than the native sequences and were also able to elicit specific T-cell responses and sometimes cytotoxicity to leukemia cells. Two photo-reactive peptides, also modified with a biotin handle for pull-down studies, formed covalent interactions with MHC molecules on live cells and provided kinetic data showing the rapid clearance of the peptide-MHC complex. Despite "infinite affinity" provided by the covalent peptide bonding to the MHC, immunogenicity was not enhanced by these peptides because the peptide presentation on the surface was dominated by catabolism of the complex and only a small percentage of peptide molecules covalently bound to the MHC molecules. This study shows that non-natural amino acids can be successfully incorporated into T cell epitopes to provide novel immunological, biochemical and kinetic information.

A study of the characteristics of indium tin oxide after chlorine electro-chemical treatment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Moonsoo; Kim, Jongmin; Cho, Jaehee; Kim, Hyunwoo; Lee, Nayoung; Choi, Byoungdeog, E-mail: bdchoi@skku.edu

2016-10-15

Graphical abstract: The presence of Chlorine in the outer surface resulted in a highly electro-negative surface states and an increase in the vacuum energy level. - Highlights: • We investigated the influence of chlorine surface treatment on ITO properties. • Chlorination induced the change of the electro-static potential in the outer surface. • Chlorine electro-chemical treatment of ITO is a simple, fast and effective technique. - Abstract: In this work, we investigate the influence of a chlorine-based electro-chemical surface treatment on the characteristics of indium tin oxide (ITO) including the work function, chemical composition, and phase transition. The treated ITOs were characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ultra-violet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), 4-point probe measurements, and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GI-XRD). We confirmed a change of the chemical composition in the near-surface region of the ITO and the formation of indium-chlorine (In-Cl) bonds and surface dipoles (via XPS). In particular, the change of the electro-static potential in the outer surface was caused by chlorination. Due to the vacuum-level shift after the electro-chemical treatment in a dilute hydrochloric acid, the ITO work function was increased by ∼0.43 eV (via UPS); furthermore, the electro-negativity of the chlorine anions attracted electrons to emit them from the hole transport layer (HTL) to the ITO anodes, resulting in an increase of the hole-injection efficiency.

On the photo-ionization of impurity centres in semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tomak, M.

1982-10-01

The dependence of the photo-ionization cross-section on photon energy is calculated. The impurity potential is assumed to be of the Hulthen potential type and bound state wave function is calculated variationally. The results show that, at least in some cases, the Hulthen potential may describe the impurity better than the hydrogen or delta function potentials. (author)

Constructing ternary polyaniline-graphene-TiO{sub 2} hybrids with enhanced photoelectrochemical performance in photo-generated cathodic protection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Weiwei, E-mail: vivizhg@yahoo.com [College of Material Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590 (China); State Key Laboratory of Mining Disaster Prevention and Control Co-founded by Shandong Province and the Ministry of Science and Technology, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266590 (China); Guo, Hanlin; Sun, Haiqing [College of Material Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590 (China); Zeng, Rongchang [College of Material Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590 (China); State Key Laboratory of Mining Disaster Prevention and Control Co-founded by Shandong Province and the Ministry of Science and Technology, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266590 (China)

2017-07-15

Highlights: • Ternary polyaniline-graphene-TiO{sub 2} hybrids were synthesized. • Flat band potential shift facilitates electron injection to the coupled metal. • Electrons and holes transfer in the hybrids promotes electron–hole separation. • Synergistic effects of the ternary components make the hybrids photo-chargeable. - Abstract: Ternary polyaniline-graphene-TiO{sub 2} nanocomposites were constructed through a stepwise synthetic route. The hybrids exhibit remarkable enhancement in photoelectrochemical performance. The transfer of photo-excited carriers in the ternary composites facilitates the photo-induced electron-hole separation. Meanwhile, the flat band potential shift of the hybrids increases the inner electric field intensity that drives the photo-excited electron migration from the composites to the coupled metal. Furthermore, the ternary hybrids were found firstly to be photo-chargeable, which shows application potentials in photo-generated cathodic protection in dark.

Lie Group Analysis of the Photo-Induced Fluorescence of Drosophila Oogenesis with the Asymmetrically Localized Gurken Protein.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jen-Cheng Wang

Full Text Available Lie group analysis of the photo-induced fluorescence of Drosophila oogenesis with the asymmetrically localized Gurken protein has been performed systematically to assess the roles of ligand-receptor complexes in follicle cells. The (2×2 matrix representations resulting from the polarized tissue spectra were employed to characterize the asymmetrical Gurken distributions. It was found that the fluorescence of the wild-type egg shows the Lie point symmetry X 23 at early stages of oogenesis. However, due to the morphogen regulation by intracellular proteins and extracellular proteins, the fluorescence of the embryogenesis with asymmetrically localized Gurken expansions exhibits specific symmetry features: Lie point symmetry Z 1 and Lie point symmetry X 1. The novel approach developed herein was successfully used to validate that the invariant-theoretical characterizations are consonant with the observed asymmetric fluctuations during early embryological development.

ADMET Polymerization Activities of Electrochemically Reduced W-Based Active Species for Ge- and Sn-Containing Dienes

Science.gov (United States)

Imamoglu, Yavuz; Aydogdu, Cemil; Karabulut, Solmaz; Düz, Bülent

In the last 20 years metal atom-containing polymers have become important classes of polymers [1]. Properties like high thermic stability, electric, and photo conductometry make them very interesting for producing films, fibers, and coating [2]. Many of these compounds can be synthesized by conventional methods [3]. For producing metal-containing polymers anionic, cationic, and radicalic polymerizations were used [4-6]. Metal-containing polymers were also synthesized via acyclic diene metathesis (ADMET) polymerization that is facilitated by Schrock’s molybdenum alkylidene, or Grubbs’ ruthenium carbene catalyst [7-9]. In 1979, Gilet and coworkers succeeded in synthesizing metathetically active species from electrochemical reduction of WCl6 and MoCl5 [10,11]. In the light of these works, we have showed that electrochemically generated tungsten-based active species (WCl6-e--Al-CH2Cl2) catalyzes various metathesis-related reactions [12-16].

In-situ SEM microchip setup for electrochemical experiments with water based solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jensen, E.; Købler, C.; Jensen, P.S.; Mølhave, K.

2013-01-01

Studying electrochemical (EC) processes with electron microscopes offers the possibility of achieving much higher resolution imaging of nanoscale processes in real time than with optical microscopes. We have developed a vacuum sealed liquid sample electrochemical cell with electron transparent windows, microelectrodes and an electrochemical reference electrode. The system, called the EC-SEM Cell, is used to study electrochemical reactions in liquid with a standard scanning electron microscope (SEM). The central component is a microfabricated chip with a thin (50 nm) Si-rich silicon nitride (SiNx) window with lithographically defined platinum microelectrodes. We show here the design principles of the EC-SEM system, its detailed construction and how it has been used to perform a range of EC experiments, two of which are presented here. It is shown that the EC-SEM Cell can survive extended in-situ EC experiments. Before the EC experiments we characterized the beam current being deposited in the liquid as this will affect the experiments. The first EC experiment shows the influence of the electron-beam (e-beam) on a nickel solution by inducing electroless nickel deposition on the window when increasing the current density from the e-beam. The second experiment shows electrolysis in EC-SEM Cell, induced by the built-in electrodes. - Highlights: • New in-situ SEM system for electrochemistry. • In-situ Beam current measurements through liquid. • In-situ SEM E-beam-induced electroless deposition of Ni. • In-situ electrolysis

In-situ SEM microchip setup for electrochemical experiments with water based solutions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jensen, E., E-mail: eric.jensen@nanotech.dtu.dk [DTU Nanotech, Technical University of Denmark, Ørsteds Plads, Building 345E, 2800 Kongens Lyngby (Denmark); DTU CEN, Technical University of Denmark, Fysikvej, Building 307, 2800 Kongens Lyngby (Denmark); Købler, C., E-mail: carsten.kobler@nanotech.dtu.dk [DTU Nanotech, Technical University of Denmark, Ørsteds Plads, Building 345E, 2800 Kongens Lyngby (Denmark); DTU CEN, Technical University of Denmark, Fysikvej, Building 307, 2800 Kongens Lyngby (Denmark); Jensen, P.S., E-mail: psj@kemi.dtu.dk [DTU Kemi, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet, Building 207, 2800 Kongens Lyngby (Denmark); Mølhave, K., E-mail: kristian.molhave@nanotech.dtu.dk [DTU Nanotech, Technical University of Denmark, Ørsteds Plads, Building 345E, 2800 Kongens Lyngby (Denmark)

2013-06-15

Studying electrochemical (EC) processes with electron microscopes offers the possibility of achieving much higher resolution imaging of nanoscale processes in real time than with optical microscopes. We have developed a vacuum sealed liquid sample electrochemical cell with electron transparent windows, microelectrodes and an electrochemical reference electrode. The system, called the EC-SEM Cell, is used to study electrochemical reactions in liquid with a standard scanning electron microscope (SEM). The central component is a microfabricated chip with a thin (50 nm) Si-rich silicon nitride (SiNx) window with lithographically defined platinum microelectrodes. We show here the design principles of the EC-SEM system, its detailed construction and how it has been used to perform a range of EC experiments, two of which are presented here. It is shown that the EC-SEM Cell can survive extended in-situ EC experiments. Before the EC experiments we characterized the beam current being deposited in the liquid as this will affect the experiments. The first EC experiment shows the influence of the electron-beam (e-beam) on a nickel solution by inducing electroless nickel deposition on the window when increasing the current density from the e-beam. The second experiment shows electrolysis in EC-SEM Cell, induced by the built-in electrodes. - Highlights: • New in-situ SEM system for electrochemistry. • In-situ Beam current measurements through liquid. • In-situ SEM E-beam-induced electroless deposition of Ni. • In-situ electrolysis.

Development of a 3D origami multiplex electrochemical immunodevice using a nanoporous silver-paper electrode and metal ion functionalized nanoporous gold-chitosan.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Weiping; Li, Long; Li, Meng; Yu, Jinghua; Ge, Shenguang; Yan, Mei; Song, Xianrang

2013-10-25

A simple and sensitive 3D microfluidic origami multiplex electrochemical immunodevice was developed for the first time using a novel nanoporous silver modified paper working electrode as a sensor platform and different metal ion functionalized nanoporous gold-chitosan as a tracer.

Nanogold–polyaniline–nanogold microspheres-functionalized molecular tags for sensitive electrochemical immunoassay of thyroid-stimulating hormone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cui Yuling; Chen Huafeng; Hou Li; Zhang Bing; Liu Bingqian; Chen Guonan; Tang Dianping

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► A novel immunosensing strategy was designed for detection of thyroid-stimulating hormone. ► Using nanogold–polyaniline–nanogold microspheres as molecular tags. ► Improvement of electrochemical activity of nanolabels. ► Combination enzyme labels with nanolabels for signal amplification. - Abstract: Methods based on nanomaterial labels have been developed for electrochemical immunosensors and immunoassays, but most involved low sensitivity. Herein a novel class of molecular tags, nanogold–polyaniline–nanogold microspheres (GPGs), was first synthesized and functionalized with horseradish peroxidase-conjugated thyroid-stimulating hormone antibody (HRP-Ab 2 ) for sensitive electrochemical immunoassay of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). X-ray diffraction, confocal Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope were employed to characterize the prepared GPGs. Based on a sandwich-type immunoassay format, the assay was performed in pH 5.0 acetate buffer containing 6.0 mmol L −1 H 2 O 2 by using GPG-labeled HRP-Ab 2 as molecular tags. Compared with pure polyaniline nanospheres and gold nanoparticles alone, the GPG hybrid nanostructures increased the surface area of the nanomaterials, and enhanced the immobilized amount of HRP-Ab 2 . Several labeling protocols comprising HRP-Ab 2 , nanogold particle-labeled HRP-Ab 2 , and polyaniline nanospheres-labeled HRP-Ab 2 , were also investigated for determination of TSH and improved analytical features were obtained by using the GPG-labeled HRP-Ab 2 . With the GPG labeling method, the effects of incubation time and pH of acetate buffer on the current responses of the immunosensors were also studied. The strong attachment of HRP-Ab 2 to the GPGs resulted in a good repeatability and intermediate precision down to 7%. The dynamic concentration range spanned from 0.01 to 20 μIU mL −1 with a detection limit (LOD) of 0.005 μIU mL −1 TSH at the 3s B criterion

Phosphomolybdic acid functionalized graphene loading copper nanoparticles modified electrodes for non-enzymatic electrochemical sensing of glucose

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Jiaoyan; Cao, Xiyue [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong Sino-Japanese Center for Collaborative Research of Carbon Nanomaterials, Collaborative Innovation Center for Marine Biomass Fiber Materials and Textiles, Laboratory of Fiber Materials and Modern Textile, The Growing Base for State Key Laboratory, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071 (China); Xia, Jianfei, E-mail: xiajianfei@126.com [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong Sino-Japanese Center for Collaborative Research of Carbon Nanomaterials, Collaborative Innovation Center for Marine Biomass Fiber Materials and Textiles, Laboratory of Fiber Materials and Modern Textile, The Growing Base for State Key Laboratory, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071 (China); Gong, Shida [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong Sino-Japanese Center for Collaborative Research of Carbon Nanomaterials, Collaborative Innovation Center for Marine Biomass Fiber Materials and Textiles, Laboratory of Fiber Materials and Modern Textile, The Growing Base for State Key Laboratory, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071 (China); Wang, Zonghua, E-mail: wangzonghua@qdu.edu.cn [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong Sino-Japanese Center for Collaborative Research of Carbon Nanomaterials, Collaborative Innovation Center for Marine Biomass Fiber Materials and Textiles, Laboratory of Fiber Materials and Modern Textile, The Growing Base for State Key Laboratory, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071 (China); Lu, Lin [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong Sino-Japanese Center for Collaborative Research of Carbon Nanomaterials, Collaborative Innovation Center for Marine Biomass Fiber Materials and Textiles, Laboratory of Fiber Materials and Modern Textile, The Growing Base for State Key Laboratory, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071 (China); Zibo Normal College, Zibo, Shandong 255100 (China)

2016-08-31

A sensitive non-enzymatic glucose electrochemical biosensor (Cu/PMo{sub 12}-GR/GCE) was developed based on the combination of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) and phosphomolybdic acid functionalized graphene (PMo{sub 12}-GR). PMo{sub 12}-GR films were modified on the surface of glassy carbon electrode (GCE) through electrostatic self-assembly with the aid of poly diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride (PDDA). Then CuNPs were successfully decorated onto the PMo{sub 12}-GR modified GCE through electrodeposition. The morphology of Cu/PMo{sub 12}-GR/GCE was characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM). Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometry were used to investigate the electrochemical performances of the biosensor. The results indicated that the modified electrode displayed a synergistic effect of PMo{sub 12}-GR sheets and CuNPs towards the electro-oxidation of glucose in the alkaline solution. At the optimal detection potential of 0.50 V, the response towards glucose presented a linear response ranging from 0.10 μM to 1.0 mM with a detection limit of 3.0 × 10{sup −2} μM (S/N = 3). In addition, Cu/PMo{sub 12}-GR/GCE possessed a high selectivity, good reproducibility, excellent stability and acceptable recovery, which indicating the potential application in clinical field. - Highlights: • Cu/PMo{sub 12}-GR/GCE as a non-enzymatic glucose electrochemical sensor. • PMo{sub 12} is efficient for the uniform growth of Cu-NPs and electron transport. • The sensor exhibits good sensitivity and specificity towards glucose.

Simulated body-fluid tests and electrochemical investigations on biocompatibility of metallic glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, C.H.; Huang, C.H.; Chuang, J.F.; Lee, H.C.; Liu, M.C.; Du, X.H.; Huang, J.C.; Jang, J.S.C.; Chen, C.H.

2012-01-01

This paper presents the in-vitro and electrochemical investigations of four metallic glasses (MGs) for finding potential MG-based bio-materials. The simulation body-fluid Hanks solution is utilized for testing the corrosion resistance of MGs, and microorganisms of Escherichia coli are used in testing the bio-toxicity. In addition, a simple cyclic voltammetry method is used for rapid verification of the potential electrochemical responses. It is found that the Zr-based MG can sustain in the body-fluid, exhibiting the best corrosion resistance and electrochemical stability. The microbiologic test shows that E. coli can grow on the surface of the Zr-based metallic glass, confirming the low cell toxicity of this Zr-based MG. Highlights: ► Vanadium is added in Cu–Zr–Al alloy to induce B2-CuZr formation. ► The more induced B2-CuZr phase can improve compressive plasticity. ► The plasticity improvement might be caused by B2 phase dynamic coarsening.

Photos from the CMS Photo Book

CERN Multimedia

Boreham, S

2008-01-01

Photos from the CMS Photo Book. Activities at Point 5 in Cessy, France, between 1998 - 2008. Images of assembly and Installation of the CMS detector: - Civil Engineering - Assembly in the Surface Building - Lowering of the Heavy Elements - Installing and connecting the CMS detector in the underground experiment These images illustrate the assembly, installation and commissioning of the CMS detector. They cover the activities at Point 5 in Cessy, France, between 1998 and 2008. CMS is one of the most complex scientific instruments ever built. It has taken about 20 years to go from conceptual design to the completion of construction of the CMS detector for the LHC start-up in September 2008. Accomplishing this has required the talents, efforts and resources of over 2500 scientists and engineers from about 180 institutions in 38 countries. caverns Compiled by: S. Cittolin, F. Marcastel and T.S. Virdee

Opposite photo-induced deformations in azobenzene-containing polymers with different molecular architecture: Molecular dynamics study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ilnytskyi, Jaroslav M.; Neher, Dieter; Saphiannikova, Marina

2011-01-01

Photo-induced deformations in azobenzene-containing polymers (azo-polymers) are central to a number of applications, such as optical storage and fabrication of diffractive elements. The microscopic nature of the underlying opto-mechanical coupling is yet not clear. In this study, we address the experimental finding that the scenario of the effects depends on molecular architecture of the used azo-polymer. Typically, opposite deformations in respect to the direction of light polarization are observed for liquid crystalline and amorphous azo-polymers. In this study, we undertake molecular dynamics simulations of two different models that mimic these two types of azo-polymers. We employ hybrid force field modeling and consider only trans-isomers of azobenzene, represented as Gay-Berne sites. The effect of illumination on the orientation of the chromophores is considered on the level of orientational hole burning and emphasis is given to the resulting deformation of the polymer matrix. We reproduce deformations of opposite sign for the two models being considered here and discuss the relevant microscopic mechanisms in both cases.

NiCoBP-doped carbon nanotube hybrid: A novel oxidase mimetic system for highly efficient electrochemical immunoassay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Bing; He, Yu; Liu, Bingqian; Tang, Dianping, E-mail: dianping.tang@fzu.edu.cn

2014-12-03

Highlights: • We report a new oxidase mimetic system for highly efficient electrochemical immunoassay. • NiCoBP-doped carbon nanotube hybrids were used as the nanocatalysts. • NiCoBP-doped carbon nanotube hybrids were used as the mimic oxidase. - Abstract: NiCoBP-doped multi-walled carbon nanotube (NiCoBP–MWCNT) was first synthesized by using induced electroless-plating method and functionalized with the biomolecules for highly efficient electrochemical immunoassay of prostate-specific antigen (PSA, used as a model analyte). We discovered that the as-synthesized NiCoBP–MWCNT had the ability to catalyze the glucose oxidization with a stable and well-defined redox peak. The catalytic current increased with the increment of the immobilized NiCoBP–MWCNT on the electrode. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX) were employed to characterize the as-prepared NiCoBP–MWCNT. Using the NiCoBP–MWCNT-conjugated anti-PSA antibody as the signal-transduction tag, a new enzyme-free electrochemical immunoassay protocol could be designed for the detection of target PSA on the capture antibody-functionalized immunosensing interface. Experimental results revealed that the designed immunoassay system could exhibit good electrochemical responses toward target PSA, and allowed the detection of PSA at a concentration as low as 0.035 ng mL{sup −1}. More importantly, the NiCoBP-MWCNT-based oxidase mimetic system could be further extended for the monitoring of other low-abundance proteins or disease-related biomarkers by tuning the target antibody.

Integrated Electrochemical Analysis System with Microfluidic and Sensing Functions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hiroaki Suzuki

2008-02-01

Full Text Available An integrated device that carries out the timely transport of solutions andconducts electroanalysis was constructed. The transport of solutions was based oncapillary action in overall hydrophilic flow channels and control by valves that operateon the basis of electrowetting. Electrochemical sensors including glucose, lactate,glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT, glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT, pH,ammonia, urea, and creatinine were integrated. An air gap structure was used for theammonia, urea, and creatinine sensors to realize a rapid response. To enhance thetransport of ammonia that existed or was produced by the enzymatic reactions, the pHof the solution was elevated by mixing it with a NaOH solution using a valve based onelectrowetting. The sensors for GOT and GPT used a freeze-dried substrate matrix torealize rapid mixing. The sample solution was transported to required sensing sites atdesired times. The integrated sensors showed distinct responses when a sample solutionreached the respective sensing sites. Linear relationships were observed between theoutput signals and the concentration or the logarithm of the concentration of theanalytes. An interferent, L-ascorbic acid, could be eliminated electrochemically in thesample injection port.

Influence of polymerisation on the reversibility of low-energy proton exchange reactions by Para-Aminothiolphenol.

Science.gov (United States)

Balakrishnan, Divya; Lamblin, Guillaume; Thomann, Jean Sebastien; Guillot, Jerome; Duday, David; van den Berg, Albert; Olthuis, Wouter; Pascual-García, César

2017-11-13

The reversibility of redox processes is an important function for sensing and molecular electronic devices such as pH reporters or molecular switches. Here we report the electrochemical behaviour and redox reversibility of para-aminothiolphenol (PATP) after different polymerisation methods. We used electrochemical and photo-polymerisation in neutral buffers and plasma polymerisation in air to induce reversible redox states. The chemical stoichiometry and surface coverage of PATP in the polymerized layers were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), while cyclic voltammetry (CV) was used to measure the charge transfer, double layer capacitance and electrochemical rate of the layers during successive potential cycles. Our results show that the surface coverage of the redox active species is higher on electro-polymerised samples, however, after consecutive cycles all the methods converge to the same charge transfer, while the plasma polymerised samples achieve higher efficiency per molecule and UV polymerised samples have a higher electron transfer rate.

Electrochemical acidification of milk by whey desalination

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Balster, J.H.; Punt, Ineke G.M.; Stamatialis, Dimitrios; Lammers, H.; Verver, A.B.; Wessling, Matthias

2007-01-01

We describe a process configuration for the electrochemical acidification of milk using the desalination function and the acid/base production function of a bipolar membrane process. First, the milk is acidified by the acid produced in the bipolar membrane stack. The precipitate is removed by a

Photoassisted Electrochemical Treatment of Azo and Phtalocyanine Reactive Dyes in the Presence of Surfactants

Science.gov (United States)

Sala, Mireia; López-Grimau, Víctor; Gutiérrez-Bouzán, Carmen

2016-01-01

An electrochemical treatment (EC) was applied at different intensities to degrade the chromophoric groups of dyes C.I. Reactive Black 5 (RB5) and C.I. Reactive Blue 7 (Rb7) until uncolored species were obtained. Decolorization rate constants of the azo dye RB5 were higher than the phtalocyanine Rb7 ones. In addition, the EC treatment was more efficient at higher intensities, but these conditions significantly increased the generation of undesirable by-products such as chloroform. The combination of EC with UV irradiation (UVEC) drastically minimized the generation of chloroform. The photo-assisted electrochemical treatment was also able to achieve decolorization values of 99%. Finally, mixtures of dyes and surfactants were treated by EC and UVEC. In the presence of surfactants, the decolorization kinetic of dyes was slowed due to the competitive reactions of surfactants degradation. Both methods achieved total decolorization and in both cases, the generation of haloforms was negligible. PMID:28773335

Photo catalytic degradation of nitrobenzene using nanocrystalline TiO2 photo catalyst doped with Zn ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reynoso S, E. A.; Perez S, S.; Reyes C, A. P.; Castro R, C. L.; Felix N, R. M.; Lin H, S. W.; Paraguay D, F.; Alonso N, G.

2013-01-01

Photo catalysis is a method widely used in the degradation of organic pollutants of the environment. The development of new materials is very important to improve the photo catalytic properties and to find new applications for TiO 2 as a photo catalyst. In this article we reported the synthesis of a photo catalyst based on TiO 2 doped with Zn 2+ ions highly efficient in the degradation of nitrobenzene. The results of photo catalytic activity experiments showed that the Zn 2+ doped TiO 2 is more active that un-doped TiO 2 catalyst with an efficiency of 99% for the nitrobenzene degradation at 120 min with an apparent rate constant of 35 x 10 -3 min -1 . For the characterization of photo catalyst X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy were used. (Author)

ATLAS Pixel Group - Photo Gallery from Irradiation

CERN Multimedia

2001-01-01

Photos 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 - Photos taken before irradiation of Pixel Test Analog Chip and Pmbars (April 2000) Photos 8,9,10,11 - Irradiation of VDC chips (May 2000) Photos 12, 13 - Irradiation of Passive Components (June 2000) Photos 14,15, 16 - Irradiation of Marebo Chip (November 1999)

Exploiting multi-function Metal-Organic Framework nanocomposite Ag@Zn-TSA as highly efficient immobilization matrixes for sensitive electrochemical biosensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Sheying; Zhang, Dandan; Suo, Gaochao; Wei, Wenbo; Huang, Tinglin

2016-08-31

A novel multi-function Metal-Organic Framework composite Ag@Zn-TSA (zinc thiosalicylate, Zn(C7H4O2S), Zn-TSA) was synthesized as highly efficient immobilization matrixes of myoglobin (Mb)/glucose oxidase (GOx) for electrochemical biosensing. The electrochemical biosensors based on Ag@Zn-TSA composite and ionic liquid (IL) modified carbon paste electrode (CPE) were fabricated successfully. Furthermore, the properties of the sensors were discussed by cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and amperometric current-time curve, respectively. The results showed the proposed biosensors had wide linear response to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in the range of 0.3-20,000 μM, to nitrite (NO2(-)) for 1.3 μM-1660 μM and 2262 μM-1,33,000 μM, to glucose for 2.0-1022 μM, with a low detection limit of 0.08 μM for H2O2, 0.5 μM for NO2(-), 0.8 μM for glucose. The values of the apparent heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant (ks) for Mb and GOx were estimated as 2.05 s(-1) and 2.45 s(-1), respectively. Thus, Ag@Zn-TSA was a kind of ideal material as highly efficient immobilization matrixes for sensitive electrochemical biosensing. In addition, this work indicated that MOF nanocomposite had a great potential for constructing wide range of sensing interface. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Shadow corrosion phenomenon. An out-of-pile study on electrochemical effects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weber, Nadine

2017-04-28

The focus of the present thesis was the study of the enhanced corrosion phenomenon named ''Shadow Corrosion''. Within the context of researching based on the corrosion mechanism as well as the influencing parameters and driving forces, which cause or even intensify the corrosion, a variety of electrochemical characterization and surface analysis techniques were used. The first part of this thesis gives a short introduction with the definition of the term Shadow Corrosion and of the specific type called ''Enhanced Spacer Shadow Corrosion'' (ESSC). This is followed by a description of the involved materials being Zircaloy and Inconel 718. Chapter 2 introduces the background knowledge including fundamentals about environ-mental conditions under which Shadow Corrosion occurs as well as the oxidation behavior of Zircaloy and Inconel 718. Furthermore, the state of the art about the Shadow Corrosion mechanism is presented and a description of the influencing effects on the enhanced corrosion phenomenon, like galvanic corrosion, water radiolysis, and photo-effect, is given. Further information and parameters on the part of AREVA GmbH concerning water impurities and a used coating layer on Inconel 718 are listed, which are of interest for the issue concerning the phenomenon Shadow Corrosion. The last part of this chapter contains the experimental conditions and parameters for the laboratory experiments with focus on water chemistry, specimen geometry, and UV-light exposure for photoexcitation and water radiolysis. Three different working hypotheses of this thesis are described in chapter 3. One hypothesis regarding the Shadow Corrosion Phenomenon is based on a galvanic corrosion mechanism between Zircaloy and Inconel 718. In addition, it is supposed that the galvanic corrosion could be influenced by the deposition of silver on Zircaloy and Inconel 718 in the form of an increased galvanic current. A further assumption is that the

Shadow corrosion phenomenon. An out-of-pile study on electrochemical effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weber, Nadine

2017-01-01

The focus of the present thesis was the study of the enhanced corrosion phenomenon named ''Shadow Corrosion''. Within the context of researching based on the corrosion mechanism as well as the influencing parameters and driving forces, which cause or even intensify the corrosion, a variety of electrochemical characterization and surface analysis techniques were used. The first part of this thesis gives a short introduction with the definition of the term Shadow Corrosion and of the specific type called ''Enhanced Spacer Shadow Corrosion'' (ESSC). This is followed by a description of the involved materials being Zircaloy and Inconel 718. Chapter 2 introduces the background knowledge including fundamentals about environ-mental conditions under which Shadow Corrosion occurs as well as the oxidation behavior of Zircaloy and Inconel 718. Furthermore, the state of the art about the Shadow Corrosion mechanism is presented and a description of the influencing effects on the enhanced corrosion phenomenon, like galvanic corrosion, water radiolysis, and photo-effect, is given. Further information and parameters on the part of AREVA GmbH concerning water impurities and a used coating layer on Inconel 718 are listed, which are of interest for the issue concerning the phenomenon Shadow Corrosion. The last part of this chapter contains the experimental conditions and parameters for the laboratory experiments with focus on water chemistry, specimen geometry, and UV-light exposure for photoexcitation and water radiolysis. Three different working hypotheses of this thesis are described in chapter 3. One hypothesis regarding the Shadow Corrosion Phenomenon is based on a galvanic corrosion mechanism between Zircaloy and Inconel 718. In addition, it is supposed that the galvanic corrosion could be influenced by the deposition of silver on Zircaloy and Inconel 718 in the form of an increased galvanic current. A further assumption is that the galvanic current could be decreased by a Cr

Biodegradation of photo-oxidized lignite and characterization of the products

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jiantao; Liu, Xiangrong; Yue, Zilin; Zhang, Yaowen

2018-01-01

Biodegradation of photo-oxidized Inner Mongolia lignite by pseudomonas aeruginosa was studied and the degradation percentage reached 56.27%, while the corresponding degradation percentage of the strain degrading raw Inner Mongolia lignite is only 23.16%. The degradation products were characterized. Proximate and ultimate analyses show that the higher oxygen content increased by photo-oxidation pretreatment maybe promoted the degradation process. Ultraviolet spectroscopy (UV) analysis of the liquid product reveals that it contains unsaturated structures and aromatic rings are the main structure units. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis indicates that the main components of the ethyl acetate extracts are low molecular weight organic compounds, such as ketones, acids, hydrocarbons, esters and alcohols. Infrared spectroscopy (IR) analysis of raw lignite, photo-oxidized lignite and residual lignite demonstrates that the absorption peaks of functional groups in residual lignite disappeared or weakened obviously. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis manifests that small holes appear in photo-oxidized lignite surface, which may be promote the degradation process and this is only from the physical morphology aspects, so it can be inferred from the tests and analyses results that the more important reason of the high degradation percentage is mostly that the photo-oxidation pretreatment changes the chemical structures of lignite.

Detection of radiation-induced changes in electrochemical properties of austenitic stainless steels using miniaturized specimens and the single-loop electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inazumi, T.; Bell, G.E.C.; Kenik, E.A.; Kiuchi, K.

1993-01-01

Single-loop electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation testing of miniaturized (TEM) specimens can provide reliable data comparable to data obtained with larger specimens. Significant changes in electrochemical properties (increased reactivation current and Flade potential) were detected for PCA and type 316 stainless steels irradiated at 200--420 degrees C up to 7--9 dpa. Irradiations in the FFTF Materials Open Test Assembly and in the Oak Ridge Research Reactor are reported on. 45 figs., 5 tabs., 52 refs

Photo-Darkening Kinetics and Structural Anisotropic Modifications in the Chalcogenide Glass Arsenic Trisulfide: a Study of Kinetic X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jay Min

1990-08-01

The purpose of the study is to investigate the mechanisms involved with photo-induced atomic structural modifications in the chalcogenide glass As_2 S_3. This glass exhibits the reversible effects of photo-darkening followed by thermal bleaching. We observed the time behavior of photo-induced properties under the influence of linearly polarized band -gap light. In a macroscopic optical investigation, we monitor optical changes in the photo-darkening process, and in a local structural probe we study kinetic (or time -resolved dispersive) x-ray absorption spectroscopy. Our observations center on kinetic phenomena and structural modifications induced by polarized excitation of lone-pair orbitals in the chalcogenide glass. Experimental results include the following observations: (i) The polarity of the optically induced anisotropy is critically dependent on the intensity and the polarization of the band-gap irradiation beam. (ii) The near edge peak height in x-ray absorption spectra shows subtle but sensitive change during the photo-darkening process. (iii) Photon intensity dependent dichroic kinetics reflect a connection between the optically probed macroscopic property and the x-ray probed local anisotropic structure. Analysis of the x-ray absorption results includes a computer simulation of the polarized absorption spectra. These results suggest that specific structural units tend to orient themselves with respect to the photon polarization. A substantial part of the analysis involves a major effort in dealing with the x-ray kinetic data manipulation and the experimental difficulties caused by a synchrotron instability problem. Based on our observations, we propose a possible mechanism for the observed photo-structural modifications. Through a model of computer relaxed photo-darkening kinetics, we support the notion that a twisting of a specific intermediate range order structure is responsible for local directional variations and global network distortions. In the

Taking Your iPhoto '11 to the Max

CERN Document Server

Grothaus, Michael

2011-01-01

Taking Your iPhoto '11 to the Max walks users through Apple's most popular software application in the iLife suite - iPhoto. This book helps readers use iPhoto to its fullest to organize and create digital memories and keepsakes. * Learn all about Apple's newest version of iPhoto - iPhoto '11 * Explore iPhoto, one menu button at a time * Walk-through tutorials guide you step-by-step What you'll learn * How to import existing photo libraries from popular Windows applications * How to organize and edit your photos * How to tag your photos using iPhoto's Faces and Places features * How to create

Electrochemical activity of heavy metal oxides in the process of ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

2002-02-02

Feb 2, 2002 ... Electrochemical activity of heavy metal oxides in the process of chloride induced .... represents the protective barrier moderating the chloride attack which ... inhibitors and their influence on the physical properties of. Portland ...

Electrochemical Functionalization of Graphene at the Nanoscale with Self-Assembling Diazonium Salts.

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Zhenyuan; Leonardi, Francesca; Gobbi, Marco; Liu, Yi; Bellani, Vittorio; Liscio, Andrea; Kovtun, Alessandro; Li, Rongjin; Feng, Xinliang; Orgiu, Emanuele; Samorì, Paolo; Treossi, Emanuele; Palermo, Vincenzo

2016-07-26

We describe a fast and versatile method to functionalize high-quality graphene with organic molecules by exploiting the synergistic effect of supramolecular and covalent chemistry. With this goal, we designed and synthesized molecules comprising a long aliphatic chain and an aryl diazonium salt. Thanks to the long chain, these molecules physisorb from solution onto CVD graphene or bulk graphite, self-assembling in an ordered monolayer. The sample is successively transferred into an aqueous electrolyte, to block any reorganization or desorption of the monolayer. An electrochemical impulse is used to transform the diazonium group into a radical capable of grafting covalently to the substrate and transforming the physisorption into a covalent chemisorption. During covalent grafting in water, the molecules retain the ordered packing formed upon self-assembly. Our two-step approach is characterized by the independent control over the processes of immobilization of molecules on the substrate and their covalent tethering, enabling fast (t < 10 s) covalent functionalization of graphene. This strategy is highly versatile and works with many carbon-based materials including graphene deposited on silicon, plastic, and quartz as well as highly oriented pyrolytic graphite.

Carbon Nanostructures for Tagging in Electrochemical Biosensing: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paloma Yáñez-Sedeño

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Growing demand for developing ultrasensitive electrochemical bioassays has led to the design of numerous signal amplification strategies. In this context, carbon-based nanomaterials have been demonstrated to be excellent tags for greatly amplifying the transduction of recognition events and simplifying the protocols used in electrochemical biosensing. This relevant role is due to the carbon-nanomaterials’ large surface area, excellent biological compatibility and ease functionalization and, in some cases, intrinsic electrochemistry. These carbon-based nanomaterials involve well-known carbon nanotubes (CNTs and graphene as well as the more recent use of other carbon nanoforms. This paper briefly discusses the advantages of using carbon nanostructures and their hybrid nanocomposites for amplification through tagging in electrochemical biosensing platforms and provides an updated overview of some selected examples making use of labels involving carbon nanomaterials, acting both as carriers for signal elements and as electrochemical tracers, applied to the electrochemical biosensing of relevant (biomarkers.

A sensitive electrochemical sensor for paracetamole based on a glassy carbon electrode modified with multiwalled carbon nanotubes and dopamine nanospheres functionalized with gold nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Xue; Wang, Ling-Ling; Wang, Ya-Ya; Zhang, Xiao-Yan

2014-01-01

We describe an electrochemical sensor for paracetamole that is based on a glassy carbon electrode modified with multiwalled carbon nanotubes and dopamine nanospheres functionalized with gold nanoparticles. The functionalized nanospheres were prepared by a chemical route and characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The well-dispersed gold nanoparticles were anchored on the dopamine nanosphere via a chemical reduction of the gold precursor. The stepwise fabrication of the modified electrode and its electrochemical response to paracetamole were evaluated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. The modified electrode displayed improved electrocatalytic activity towards paracetamole, a lower oxidation potential (371 mV), and a larger peak current when compared to a bare electrode or other modified electrodes. The kinetic parameters governing the electro-oxidation of paracetamole were studied, and the analytical conditions were optimized. The peak current was linearly related to the concentration of paracetamole in 0.8–400 μM range, and the detection limit was 50 nM (at an SNR of 3). The method was successfully applied to the determination of paracetamole in spiked human urine samples and gave recoveries between 95.3 and 105.2 %. (author)

Tunable photonic multilayer sensors from photo-crosslinkable polymers

Science.gov (United States)

Chiappelli, Maria; Hayward, Ryan

2014-03-01

The fabrication of tunable photonic multilayer sensors from stimuli-responsive, photo-crosslinkable polymers will be described. Benzophenone is covalently incorporated as a pendent photo-crosslinker, allowing for facile preparation of multilayer films by sequential spin-coating and crosslinking processes. Copolymer chemistries and layer thicknesses are selected to provide robust multilayer sensors which can show color changes across nearly the full visible spectrum due to the specific stimulus-responsive nature of the hydrated film stack. We will describe how this approach is extended to alternative sensor designs by tailoring the thickness and chemistry of each layer independently, allowing for the preparation of sensors which depend not only on the shift in wavelength of a reflectance peak, but also on the transition between Bragg mirrors and filters. Device design is optimized by photo-patterning sensor arrays on a single substrate, providing more efficient fabrication time as well as multi-functional sensors. Finally, radiation-sensitive multilayers, designed by choosing polymers which will preferentially degrade or crosslink under ionizing radiation, will also be described.

Gamma radiation induced sensitization and photo-transfer in Mg2SiO4:Tb TLD phosphor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lakshmanan, A.R.; Vohra, K.G.

1979-01-01

Mg 2 SiO 4 :Tb TLD phosphor was found to show enhanced TL sensitivity to both gamma and UV radiations after high pre-gamma exposures (>100 R) and a post-annealing treatment at 300 0 C for 1 h. Maximum sensitization factors of 2.8 and 55 were obtained at the pre-expsoure levels of 5.2x10 1 C/kg and 1.3x10 3 C/kg for gamma and UV test radiations respectively. The near constancy of the intensity of the residual TL (RTL) peak at 500 0 C for the sensitized sample with increasing test-gamma exposures has ruled out the re-trapping model proposed earlier for the gamma radiation induced sensitization in this phosphor. The Tsub(max) for the sensitized phosphor was found to occur at a higher temperature compared to that for the virgin phosphor. The dependence of sensitization on RTL was explained qualitatively on the basis of competition between sensitization traps (having higher energy than the dosimetry traps) and RTL traps while capturing the charge carriers generated during the test-gamma exposure. The sensitization observed in this phosphor to UV test radiation was found to be a consequence of the photo-transfer of charge carriers from deep (RTL) traps to the shallow (dosimetry) traps. The reduction in RTL peak (500 0 C) intensity of the sensitized sample with increasing test-UV exposure has demonstrated the photo-transfer mechanism in this phosphor. The TL response of the virgin Mg 2 SiO 4 :Tb phosphor was found to be supralinear to both gamma and UV radiations. The TL response of the sensitized phosphor was found to be linear to gamma radiation and sublinear to UV radiation. (Auth.)

Oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) modulating radiation-induced oxidative stress on functional and structural performance of eye in male rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Said, U.Z.; Soliman, S.M.; Azab, Kh.Sh.; El-Tahawy, N.A.

2005-01-01

Eye oxidative stress may play a major role in the etiology and pathogenesis of eye disorders such as macular degeneration and photic injury of retinal degeneration that lead to vision loss. Proanthocyanidins derived from pine bark and from grape seeds have various anti pathophysiological functions. This study was performed to evaluate the role of oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) on the radiation-induced changes in rat eye tissues. OPCs were supplemented to rats (100 mg /kg body weight/ day) for 14 successive days before and 7 successive days after exposure to 7 Gy (single dose) of whole body gamma irradiation. The results revealed radiation-induced depletion in the activities of eye endogenous antioxidant enzymes and rise in pro-oxidant levels. Supplementation of OPCs pre- and post-irradiation has significantly reduced the levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, xanthine oxidase, and significantly ameliorated the activities of xanthine dehydrogenase and reactive oxygen scavenging enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase activities in eye tissues. OPCs significantly ameliorated the radiation-induced changes in levels of insulin and glucose in the serum. The oxidative stress induced cellular damage as indicated by retardation in the responses of eye to photo stimulation as well as histopathological changes in the eye tissues. Severe intra-retinal hemorrhages, cornea swelling, disruption of photoreceptor layer of the retina and epithelial necrosis were seen. The eye tissues of rats that received OPCs supplement showed significant less severe histological damage and remarkable improvement in photo stimulation responses when compared to irradiated rats on the 7 T h and 21 s t days after exposure to gamma irradiation. According to the results obtained, it could be concluded that OPCs might protect the eye tissues from the oxidative stress possibly by virtue of its anti oxidative activity through augmentation of antioxidant

On the excess photon noise in single-beam measurements with photo-emissive and photo-conductive cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Alkemade, C.T.J.

In this paper the so-called excess photon noise is theoretically considered with regard to noise power measurements with a single, illumined photo-emissive or photo-conductive cell. Starting from a modification of Mandel's stochastic association of the emission of photo-electrons with wave

Patterned electrochemical deposition of copper using an electron beam

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark den Heijer

2014-02-01

Full Text Available We describe a technique for patterning clusters of metal using electrochemical deposition. By operating an electrochemical cell in the transmission electron microscope, we deposit Cu on Au under potentiostatic conditions. For acidified copper sulphate electrolytes, nucleation occurs uniformly over the electrode. However, when chloride ions are added there is a range of applied potentials over which nucleation occurs only in areas irradiated by the electron beam. By scanning the beam we control nucleation to form patterns of deposited copper. We discuss the mechanism for this effect in terms of electron beam-induced reactions with copper chloride, and consider possible applications.

Enhanced photo-stability and photocatalytic activity of Ag3PO4 via modification with BiPO4 and polypyrrole

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Li; Jiang, Hui; Wang, Luxi

2017-10-01

Ag3PO4 photocatalysts modified with BiPO4 and polypyrrole (PPy) were successfully synthesized via a combination of co-precipitation hydrothermal technique and oxidative polymerization method. Their morphologies, structures and optical and electronic properties were characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscope (TEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface areas, X-ray diffraction (XRD), fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR), X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-vis diffuse reflection spectra (UV-vis DRS), photocurrent technique and electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS). The typical triphenylmethane dye (malachite green) was chosen as a target organic contaminants to estimate the photocatalytic activities and photo-stabilities of Ag3PO4-BiPO4-PPy heterostructures under visible light irradiation. The results indicated that the existence of BiPO4 and PPy not only showed great influences on the photocatalytic activity, but also significantly enhanced photo-stability of Ag3PO4 in repeated and long-term applications. The degradation conversion of Ag3PO4-BiPO4-PPy heterostructures (ABP-3) was 1.58 times of that of pure Ag3PO4. The photo-corrosion phenomenon of Ag3PO4 was effectively avoided. The photocatalytic activity of up to 87% in the Ag3PO4-BiPO4-PPy heterostructures (ABP-3) can be remained after five repeated cycles, while only about 33% of the degradation efficiency can be reserved in pure Ag3PO4. The possible mechanism of enhanced photo-stability and photocatalytic activity of Ag3PO4-BiPO4-PPy heterostructures was also discussed in this work.

Electrochemical sensors and biosensors based on less aggregated graphene.

Science.gov (United States)

Bo, Xiangjie; Zhou, Ming; Guo, Liping

2017-03-15

As a novel single-atom-thick sheet of sp 2 hybridized carbon atoms, graphene (GR) has attracted extensive attention in recent years because of its unique and remarkable properties, such as excellent electrical conductivity, large theoretical specific surface area, and strong mechanical strength. However, due to the π-π interaction, GR sheets are inclined to stack together, which may seriously degrade the performance of GR with the unique single-atom layer. In recent years, an increasing number of GR-based electrochemical sensors and biosensors are reported, which may reflect that GR has been considered as a kind of hot and promising electrode material for electrochemical sensor and biosensor construction. However, the active sites on GR surface induced by the irreversible GR aggregations would be deeply secluded inside the stacked GR sheets and therefore are not available for the electrocatalysis. So the alleviation or the minimization of the aggregation level for GR sheets would facilitate the exposure of active sites on GR and effectively upgrade the performance of GR-based electrochemical sensors and biosensors. Less aggregated GR with low aggregation and high dispersed structure can be used in improving the electrochemical activity of GR-based electrochemical sensors or biosensors. In this review, we summarize recent advances and new progress for the development of electrochemical sensors based on less aggregated GR. To achieve such goal, many strategies (such as the intercalation of carbon materials, surface modification, and structural engineering) have been applied to alleviate the aggregation level of GR in order to enhance the performance of GR-based electrochemical sensors and biosensors. Finally, the challenges associated with less aggregated GR-based electrochemical sensors and biosensors as well as related future research directions are discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electrochemical biosensors

CERN Document Server

Cosnier, Serge

2015-01-01

"This is an excellent book on modern electrochemical biosensors, edited by Professor Cosnier and written by leading international experts. It covers state-of-the-art topics of this important field in a clear and timely manner."-Prof. Joseph Wang, UC San Diego, USA 　"This book covers, in 13 well-illustrated chapters, the potential of electrochemical methods intimately combined with a biological component for the assay of various analytes of biological and environmental interest. Particular attention is devoted to the description of electrochemical microtools in close contact with a biological cell for exocytosis monitoring and to the use of nanomaterials in the electrochemical biosensor architecture for signal improvement. Interestingly, one chapter describes the concept and design of self-powered biosensors derived from biofuel cells. Each topic is reviewed by experts very active in the field. This timely book is well suited for providing a good overview of current research trends devoted to electrochemical...

Final Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chidambaram, Dev [Univ. of Nevada, Reno, NV (United States); Misra, Mano [Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States); Heske, Clemens [Univ. of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV (United States)

2014-12-21

The objectives included: Develop high efficiency metal oxide nanotubular array photo-anodes for generating hydrogen by water splitting; Develop density functional theory to understand the effect of the morphology of the nanotubes on the photo-electrochemical (PEC) properties of the photo-anodes; Develop kinetics and formation mechanism of the metal oxide nanotubes under different synthesis conditions; Develop combinatorial approach to prepare hybrid photo-anodes having multiple hetero-atoms incorporation in a single photo anode; Improve the durability of the material; and Scale up the laboratory demonstration to production unit.

Poly(vinyl Alcohol) Borate Gel Polymer Electrolytes Prepared by Electrodeposition and Their Application in Electrochemical Supercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Mengjin; Zhu, Jiadeng; Chen, Chen; Lu, Yao; Ge, Yeqian; Zhang, Xiangwu

2016-02-10

Gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) have been studied for preparing flexible and compact electrochemical energy storage devices. However, the preparation and use of GPEs are complex, and most GPEs prepared through traditional methods do not have good wettability with the electrodes, which retard them from achieving their performance potential. In this study, these problems are addressed by conceiving and implementing a simple, but effective, method of electrodepositing poly(vinyl alcohol) potassium borate (PVAPB) GPEs directly onto the surfaces of active carbon electrodes for electrochemical supercapacitors. PVAPB GPEs serve as both the electrolyte and the separator in the assembled supercapacitors, and their scale and shape are determined solely by the geometry of the electrodes. PVAPB GPEs have good bonding to the active electrode materials, leading to excellent and stable electrochemical performance of the supercapacitors. The electrochemical performance of PVAPB GPEs and supercapacitors can be manipulated simply by adjusting the concentration of KCl salt used during the electrodeposition process. With a 0.9 M KCl concentration, the as-prepared supercapacitors deliver a specific capacitance of 65.9 F g(-1) at a current density of 0.1 A g(-1) and retain more than 95% capacitance after 2000 charge/discharge cycles at a current density of 1 A g(-1). These supercapacitors also exhibit intelligent high voltage self-protection function due to the electrolysis-induced cross-linking effect of PVAPB GPEs.

Photo-electrochemical and impedance investigation of passive layers grown anodically on titanium alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oliveira, N.T.C. [Departamento de Quimica, Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos, CP 676, 13560-970 Sao Carlos, SP (Brazil); Biaggio, S.R. [Departamento de Quimica, Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos, CP 676, 13560-970 Sao Carlos, SP (Brazil); Piazza, S. [Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica dei Processi e dei Materiali, Universita di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo (Italy)]. E-mail: piazza@dicpm.unipa.it; Sunseri, C. [Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica dei Processi e dei Materiali, Universita di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo (Italy); Di Quarto, F. [Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica dei Processi e dei Materiali, Universita di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo (Italy)

2004-10-15

The anodic behaviour of two titanium cast alloys, obtained by fusion in a voltaic arc under argon atmosphere, was analyzed in aerated aqueous solutions having different pH values. In all solutions the alloys, having nominal compositions Ti-50Zr at.% and Ti-13Zr-13Nb wt.%, displayed a valve-metal behaviour, owing to the formation of barrier-type oxide films. Passive films, grown potentiodynamically up to about 9 V, were investigated by photocurrent spectroscopy (PCS) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). These passive layers show photoactivity under anodic polarizations, with optical gaps close to 3.55 and 3.25 eV for the binary and the ternary alloy, respectively, independent of the anodizing electrolyte. Films grown on the binary alloy present insulating behaviour and anodic impedance spectra with one time constant; this was interpreted in terms of a single-layer mixed Ti-Zr oxide enriched in Ti with respect to the alloy composition. Also for the ternary alloy the results are consistent with the formation, upon anodization, of Ti-Nb-Zr mixed oxide films, but they display n-type semiconducting behaviour, owing to their poor content of ZrO{sub 2} groups.

Location - Global Positioning System (GPS) Photos

Data.gov (United States)

Army Corps of Engineers, Department of the Army, Department of Defense — Digital photos tagged with GPS location information. The St. Paul District maintains a digital library of over 10,000 GPS photos. Photos are often associated with...

Electrochemically exfoliated graphene anodes with enhanced biocurrent production in single-chamber air-breathing microbial fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Najafabadi, Amin Taheri; Ng, Norvin; Gyenge, Előd

2016-07-15

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) present promising options for environmentally sustainable power generation especially in conjunction with waste water treatment. However, major challenges remain including low power density, difficult scale-up, and durability of the cell components. This study reports enhanced biocurrent production in a membrane-free MFC, using graphene microsheets (GNs) as anode and MnOx catalyzed air cathode. The GNs are produced by ionic liquid assisted simultaneous anodic and cathodic electrochemical exfoliation of iso-molded graphite electrodes. The GNs produced by anodic exfoliation increase the MFC peak power density by over 300% compared to plain carbon cloth (i.e., 2.85Wm(-2) vs 0.66Wm(-2), respectively), and by 90% compared to conventional carbon black (i.e., Vulcan XC-72) anode. These results exceed previously reported power densities for graphene-containing MFC anodes. The fuel cell polarization results are corroborated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy indicating three times lower charge transfer resistance for the GN anode. Material characterizations suggest that the best performing GN samples were of relatively smaller size (~500nm), with higher levels of ionic liquid induced surface functionalization during the electrochemical exfoliation process. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

MnWO{sub 4} nanocapsules: Synthesis, characterization and its electrochemical sensing property

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muthamizh, Selvamani; Suresh, Ranganathan; Giribabu, Krishnamoorthy; Manigandan, Ramadoss; Praveen Kumar, Sivakumar; Munusamy, Settu; Narayanan, Vengidusamy, E-mail: vnnara@yahoo.co.in

2015-01-15

Highlights: • Synthesis of MnWO{sub 4} nanocapsules without use of any other external reagent. • High crystalline MnWO{sub 4} was obtained with phase purity. • Electrochemical sensing platform based on MnWO{sub 4} for sensing quercetin. • Micromolar detection ability of MnWO{sub 4} modified GCE. - Abstract: Manganese tungstate (MnWO{sub 4}) was synthesized by surfactant free precipitation method. MnWO{sub 4} was characterized by using various spectroscopic techniques. The phase, crystalline nature and the morphological analysis were carried out using XRD, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). Further, FT-IR, Raman, and DRS-UV–Vis spectral analysis were carried out in order to ascertain the optical property and the presence of functional groups. From the analysis, the morphology of the MnWO{sub 4} was observed to be in capsules with breadth and thickness were in nm range. The oxidation state of tungsten (W), and manganese (Mn) were investigated using X-ray photo electron spectroscopy (XPS) and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR). The synthesized MnWO{sub 4} nanocapsules were used to modify glassy carbon electrode (GCE) to detect quercetin.

Electrochemical Evaluation of Corrosion Inhibiting Layers Formed in a Defect from Lithium-Leaching Organic Coatings

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Visser, P.; Meeusen, M.; Gonzalez Garcia, Y.; Terryn, H.A.; Mol, J.M.C.

2017-01-01

This work presents the electrochemical evaluation of protective layers generated in a coating defect from lithium-leaching organic coatings on AA2024-T3 aluminum alloys as a function of neutral salt spray exposure time. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was used to study the electrochemical

Auger-generated hot carrier current in photo-excited forward biased single quantum well blue light emitting diodes

Science.gov (United States)

Espenlaub, Andrew C.; Alhassan, Abdullah I.; Nakamura, Shuji; Weisbuch, Claude; Speck, James S.

2018-04-01

We report on measurements of the photo-modulated current-voltage and electroluminescence characteristics of forward biased single quantum well, blue InGaN/GaN light emitting diodes with and without electron blocking layers. Low intensity resonant optical excitation of the quantum well was observed to induce an additional forward current at constant forward diode bias, in contrast to the usual sense of the photocurrent in photodiodes and solar cells, as well as an increased electroluminescence intensity. The presence of an electron blocking layer only slightly decreased the magnitude of the photo-induced current at constant forward bias. Photo-modulation at constant forward diode current resulted in a reduced diode bias under optical excitation. We argue that this decrease in diode bias at constant current and the increase in forward diode current at constant applied bias can only be due to additional hot carriers being ejected from the quantum well as a result of an increased Auger recombination rate within the quantum well.

Biological diversity of photosynthetic reaction centers and the solid-state photo-CIDNP effect

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Roy, Esha

2007-01-01

Photosynthetic reaction centers (RCs) from plants, heliobacteria and green sulphur bacteria has been investigated with photochemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization (photo-CIDNP) MAS NMR. In photosystem (PS) I of spinach, all signals appear negative which is proposed by a predominance of the

Electrochemically adsorbed Pb on Ag (111) studied with grazing- incidence x-ray scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kortright, J.B.; Ross, P.N.; Melroy, O.R.; Toney, M.F.; Borges, G.L.; Samant, M.G.

1989-04-01

Grazing-incidence x-ray scattering studies of the evolution of electrochemically deposited layers of lead on silver (111) as a function of applied electrochemical potential are presented. Measurements were made with the adsorbed layers in contact with solution in a specially designed sample cell. The observed lead structures are a function of the applied potential and range from an incommensurate monolayer, resulting from underpotential deposition, to randomly oriented polycrystalline bulk lead, resulting from lower deposition potentials. These early experiments demonstrate the ability of in situ x-ray diffraction measurements to determine structures associated with electrochemical deposition. 6 refs., 4 figs

Photo-Induced Room-Temperature Gas Sensing with a-IGZO Based Thin-Film Transistors Fabricated on Flexible Plastic Foil.

Science.gov (United States)

Knobelspies, Stefan; Bierer, Benedikt; Daus, Alwin; Takabayashi, Alain; Salvatore, Giovanni Antonio; Cantarella, Giuseppe; Ortiz Perez, Alvaro; Wöllenstein, Jürgen; Palzer, Stefan; Tröster, Gerhard

2018-01-26

We present a gas sensitive thin-film transistor (TFT) based on an amorphous Indium-Gallium-Zinc-Oxide (a-IGZO) semiconductor as the sensing layer, which is fabricated on a free-standing flexible polyimide foil. The photo-induced sensor response to NO₂ gas at room temperature and the cross-sensitivity to humidity are investigated. We combine the advantages of a transistor based sensor with flexible electronics technology to demonstrate the first flexible a-IGZO based gas sensitive TFT. Since flexible plastic substrates prohibit the use of high operating temperatures, the charge generation is promoted with the help of UV-light absorption, which ultimately triggers the reversible chemical reaction with the trace gas. Furthermore, the device fabrication process flow can be directly implemented in standard TFT technology, allowing for the parallel integration of the sensor and analog or logical circuits.

Photo-Induced Room-Temperature Gas Sensing with a-IGZO Based Thin-Film Transistors Fabricated on Flexible Plastic Foil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefan Knobelspies

2018-01-01

Full Text Available We present a gas sensitive thin-film transistor (TFT based on an amorphous Indium–Gallium–Zinc–Oxide (a-IGZO semiconductor as the sensing layer, which is fabricated on a free-standing flexible polyimide foil. The photo-induced sensor response to NO2 gas at room temperature and the cross-sensitivity to humidity are investigated. We combine the advantages of a transistor based sensor with flexible electronics technology to demonstrate the first flexible a-IGZO based gas sensitive TFT. Since flexible plastic substrates prohibit the use of high operating temperatures, the charge generation is promoted with the help of UV-light absorption, which ultimately triggers the reversible chemical reaction with the trace gas. Furthermore, the device fabrication process flow can be directly implemented in standard TFT technology, allowing for the parallel integration of the sensor and analog or logical circuits.

Immobilized WO3 nanoparticles on graphene oxide as a photo-induced antibacterial agent against UV-resistant Bacillus pumilus

Science.gov (United States)

Hosseini, Farshad; Rasuli, Reza; Jafarian, Vahab

2018-04-01

We present the antibacterial and photo-catalytic activity of immobilized WO3 nanoparticles on graphene oxide sheets. WO3 nanoparticles were immobilized on graphene oxide using the arc discharge method in arc currents of 5, 20, 40 and 60 A. Tauc plots of the UV-visible spectra show that the band gap of the prepared samples decreases (to ~2.7 eV) with respect to the WO3 nanoparticles. Photo-catalytic activity was examined by the degradation of rhodamine B under ultra-violet irradiation and the results show that the photo-catalytic activity of WO3 nanoparticles is increased by immobilizing them on graphene oxide sheets. In addition, the photo-degradation yield of the samples prepared by the 5 A arc current is 84% in 120 min, which is more than that of the other samples. The antibacterial activity of the prepared samples was studied against Bacillus pumilus (B. pumilus) bacteria, showing high resistance to ultra-violet exposure. Our results show that the bare and immobilized WO3 nanoparticles become more active under UV irradiation and their antibacterial properties are comparable with Ag nanoparticles. Besides this, the results show that although the photo-catalytic activity of the post-annealed samples at 500 °C is less than the as-prepared samples, it is, however, more active against B. pumilus bacteria under UV irradiation.

Developing the photovoltaic performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) using a SnO2-doped graphene oxide hybrid nanocomposite as a photo-anode

Science.gov (United States)

Sasikumar, Ragu; Chen, Tse-Wei; Chen, Shen-Ming; Rwei, Syang-Peng; Ramaraj, Sayee Kannan

2018-05-01

Tin(IV) oxide nanoparticles (SnO2 NPs) doped on the surface of graphene oxide (GO) sheets for application in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs). The effective incorporation of SnO2 on the surface of GO sheets were confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and Raman spectroscopy. The morphology of the GO/SnO2 hybrid nanocomposite was confirmed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) analysis. This current study involvement with the effect of different photo-anodes such as GO, SnO2, and GO/SnO2 hybrid nanocomposite on the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the triiodide electrolyte based DSSCs. Remarkably, GO/SnO2 hybrid nanocomposite based photo-anode for DSSC observed PCE of 8.3% and it is about 12% higher than that of un-doped TiO2 photo-anode. The equivalent short-circuit photocurrent density (Jsc) of 16.67 mA cm-2, open circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.77 V, and fill factor (FF) of 0.65 respectively. The achieved results propose that the hybrid nanocomposite is an appropriate photo-anodic material for DSSCs applications.

Electrochemical energy generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kreysa, G.; Juettner, K.

1993-01-01

The proceedings encompass 40 conference papers belonging to the following subject areas: Baseline and review papers; electrochemical fuel cells; batteries: Primary and secondary cells; electrochemical, regenerative systems for energy conversion; electrochemical hydrogen generation; electrochemistry for nuclear power plant; electrochemistry for spent nuclear fuel reprocessing; energy efficiency in electrochemical processes. There is an annex listing the authors and titles of the poster session, and compacts of the posters can be obtained from the office of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker, Abteilung Tagungen. (MM) [de

Enhancing graphene/CNT based electrochemical detection using magneto-nanobioprobes

OpenAIRE

sprotocols

2015-01-01

Authors: Priyanka Sharma, V Bhalla, E Senthil Prasad, V Dravid, G Shekhawat & C. Raman Suri ### Abstract This protocol describes an optimized signal amplification strategy to develop an ultra-sensitive magneto-electrochemical biosensing platform. The new protocol combines the advantages of carbon nanotube (CNT) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) together with electrochemical bursting of magnetic nanoparticles. The method involves synthesis of gold-iron (Au/Fe) nano-structures function...

Fabrication strategies, sensing modes and analytical applications of ratiometric electrochemical biosensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Hui; Gui, Rijun; Yu, Jianbo; Lv, Wei; Wang, Zonghua

2017-05-15

Previously developed electrochemical biosensors with single-electric signal output are probably affected by intrinsic and extrinsic factors. In contrast, the ratiometric electrochemical biosensors (RECBSs) with dual-electric signal outputs have an intrinsic built-in correction to the effects from system or background electric signals, and therefore exhibit a significant potential to improve the accuracy and sensitivity in electrochemical sensing applications. In this review, we systematically summarize the fabrication strategies, sensing modes and analytical applications of RECBSs. First, the different fabrication strategies of RECBSs were introduced, referring to the analytes-induced single- and dual-dependent electrochemical signal strategies for RECBSs. Second, the different sensing modes of RECBSs were illustrated, such as differential pulse voltammetry, square wave voltammetry, cyclic voltammetry, alternating current voltammetry, electrochemiluminescence, and so forth. Third, the analytical applications of RECBSs were discussed based on the types of target analytes. Finally, the forthcoming development and future prospects in the research field of RECBSs were also highlighted. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Time-resolved spectroscopic characterization of photo-induced valence tautomerism for a cobalt dioxolene complex

Science.gov (United States)

Gentili, Pier Luigi; Bussotti, Laura; Righini, Roberto; Beni, Alessandra; Bogani, Lapo; Dei, Andrea

2005-07-01

The valence tautomerism of low-spin Co III(Cat-N-BQ)(Cat-N-SQ) (where Cat-N-BQ is 2-(2-hydroxy-3,5-di- tert-butylphenylimino)-4,6-di- tert-butylcyclohexa-3,5-dienone and Cat-N-SQ is the dianionic radical analogue) was investigated by means of UV-vis pump-probe transient absorption spectroscopy and 1H NMR technique in chloroform and dichloromethane. By exciting the CT transition of the complex at 480 nm, an intramolecular electron transfer process is selectively triggered. The photo-induced charge transfer is pursued by a cascade of two main molecular events characterized by the ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy: the first gives rise to the metastable high-spin Co II(Cat-N-BQ) 2 that, secondly, reaches the chemical equilibrium with the reactant species. The rate constant of back valence tautomerization estimated by measuring the lifetime of high-spin Co II(Cat-N-BQ) 2 species and the equilibrium constant for the Co III(Cat-N-BQ)(Cat-N-SQ) ⇄ Co II(Cat-N-BQ) 2 interconversion, is significantly large (on the order of 10 9 s -1). It is interpreted under the point of view of the theory formulated by Jortner and Buhks et al. for non-adiabatic radiationless processes.

Time-resolved spectroscopic characterization of photo-induced valence tautomerism for a cobalt-dioxolene complex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gentili, Pier Luigi; Bussotti, Laura; Righini, Roberto; Beni, Alessandra; Bogani, Lapo; Dei, Andrea

2005-01-01

The valence tautomerism of low-spin Co III (Cat-N-BQ)(Cat-N-SQ) (where Cat-N-BQ is 2-(2-hydroxy-3,5-di-tert-butylphenylimino)-4,6-di-tert-butylcyclohexa-3, 5-dien one and Cat-N-SQ is the dianionic radical analogue) was investigated by means of UV-vis pump-probe transient absorption spectroscopy and 1 H NMR technique in chloroform and dichloromethane. By exciting the CT transition of the complex at 480 nm, an intramolecular electron transfer process is selectively triggered. The photo-induced charge transfer is pursued by a cascade of two main molecular events characterized by the ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy: the first gives rise to the metastable high-spin Co II (Cat-N-BQ) 2 that, secondly, reaches the chemical equilibrium with the reactant species. The rate constant of back valence tautomerization estimated by measuring the lifetime of high-spin Co II (Cat-N-BQ) 2 species and the equilibrium constant for the Co III (Cat-N-BQ)(Cat-N-SQ) Co II (Cat-N-BQ) 2 interconversion, is significantly large (on the order of 10 9 s -1 ). It is interpreted under the point of view of the theory formulated by Jortner and Buhks et al. for non-adiabatic radiationless processes

Photo catalytic degradation of nitrobenzene using nanocrystalline TiO{sub 2} photo catalyst doped with Zn ions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reynoso S, E. A.; Perez S, S.; Reyes C, A. P.; Castro R, C. L.; Felix N, R. M.; Lin H, S. W. [Instituto Tecnologico de Tijuana, Centro de Graduados e Investigacion, Apdo. Postal 1166, 22000 Tijuana, Baja California (Mexico); Paraguay D, F. [Centro de Investigacion en Materiales Avanzados, Apdo. Postal 311109, Chihuahua (Mexico); Alonso N, G. [UNAM, Centro de Nanociencias y Nanotecnologia, Carretera Tijuana-Ensenada Km 107, Apdo. Postal 356, 22800 Ensenada, Baja California (Mexico)

2013-07-01

Photo catalysis is a method widely used in the degradation of organic pollutants of the environment. The development of new materials is very important to improve the photo catalytic properties and to find new applications for TiO{sub 2} as a photo catalyst. In this article we reported the synthesis of a photo catalyst based on TiO{sub 2} doped with Zn{sup 2+} ions highly efficient in the degradation of nitrobenzene. The results of photo catalytic activity experiments showed that the Zn{sup 2+} doped TiO{sub 2} is more active that un-doped TiO{sub 2} catalyst with an efficiency of 99% for the nitrobenzene degradation at 120 min with an apparent rate constant of 35 x 10{sup -3} min{sup -1}. For the characterization of photo catalyst X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy were used. (Author)

An investigation of the electrochemical action of the epoxy zinc-rich coatings containing surface modified aluminum nanoparticle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jalili, M. [Nanomaterials and Nanocoatings Department, Institute for Color Science and Technology (ICST), PO 16765-654, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Surface Coatings and Corrosion Department, Institute for Color Science and Technology (ICST), PO 16765-654, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Rostami, M. [Nanomaterials and Nanocoatings Department, Institute for Color Science and Technology (ICST), PO 16765-654, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Ramezanzadeh, B., E-mail: ramezanzadeh-bh@icrc.ac.ir [Surface Coatings and Corrosion Department, Institute for Color Science and Technology (ICST), PO 16765-654, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2015-02-15

Highlights: • Aluminum nanoparticle was modified with amino trimethylene phosphonic acid. • 2 wt% of zinc dust in zinc-rich paint was substituted by aluminum nanoparticles. • Surface modified aluminum nanoparticle improved the cathodic period of protection. • Aluminum nanoparticles enhanced the corrosion protection of the zinc-rich coating. - Abstract: Aluminum nanoparticle was modified with amino trimethylene phosphonic acid (ATMP). The surface characterization of the nanoparticles was done by X-ray photo electron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermal gravimetric analysis. The influence of the replacement of 2 wt% of zinc dust in the standard zinc-rich epoxy coating by nanoparticles on the electrochemical action of the coating was studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and salt spray tests. The morphology and phase composition of the zinc rich paints were evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and filed-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). Results showed that the ATMP molecules successfully adsorbed on the surface of Al nanoparticles. Results obtained from salt spray and electrochemical measurements revealed that the addition of surface modified nanoparticles to the zinc rich coating enhanced its galvanic action and corrosion protection properties.

An investigation of the electrochemical action of the epoxy zinc-rich coatings containing surface modified aluminum nanoparticle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jalili, M.; Rostami, M.; Ramezanzadeh, B.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Aluminum nanoparticle was modified with amino trimethylene phosphonic acid. • 2 wt% of zinc dust in zinc-rich paint was substituted by aluminum nanoparticles. • Surface modified aluminum nanoparticle improved the cathodic period of protection. • Aluminum nanoparticles enhanced the corrosion protection of the zinc-rich coating. - Abstract: Aluminum nanoparticle was modified with amino trimethylene phosphonic acid (ATMP). The surface characterization of the nanoparticles was done by X-ray photo electron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermal gravimetric analysis. The influence of the replacement of 2 wt% of zinc dust in the standard zinc-rich epoxy coating by nanoparticles on the electrochemical action of the coating was studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and salt spray tests. The morphology and phase composition of the zinc rich paints were evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and filed-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). Results showed that the ATMP molecules successfully adsorbed on the surface of Al nanoparticles. Results obtained from salt spray and electrochemical measurements revealed that the addition of surface modified nanoparticles to the zinc rich coating enhanced its galvanic action and corrosion protection properties

Nature of the Electrochemical Properties of Sulphur Substituted LiMn2O4 Spinel Cathode Material Studied by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Monika Bakierska

2016-08-01

Full Text Available In this work, nanostructured LiMn2O4 (LMO and LiMn2O3.99S0.01 (LMOS1 spinel cathode materials were comprehensively investigated in terms of electrochemical properties. For this purpose, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS measurements as a function of state of charge (SOC were conducted on a representative charge and discharge cycle. The changes in the electrochemical performance of the stoichiometric and sulphur-substituted lithium manganese oxide spinels were examined, and suggested explanations for the observed dependencies were given. A strong influence of sulphur introduction into the spinel structure on the chemical stability and electrochemical characteristic was observed. It was demonstrated that the significant improvement in coulombic efficiency and capacity retention of lithium cell with LMOS1 active material arises from a more stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI layer. Based on EIS studies, the Li ion diffusion coefficients in the cathodes were estimated, and the influence of sulphur on Li+ diffusivity in the spinel structure was established. The obtained results support the assumption that sulphur substitution is an effective way to promote chemical stability and the electrochemical performance of LiMn2O4 cathode material.

Functionalized graphene oxide-reinforced electrospun carbon nanofibers as ultrathin supercapacitor electrode

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

W.K.Chee; H.N.Lim; Y.Andou; Z.Zainal; A.A.B.Hamra; I.Harrison; M.Altarawneh; Z.T.Jiang; N.M.Huang

2017-01-01

Graphene oxide has been used widely as a starting precursor for applications that cater to the needs of tunable graphene. However, the hydrophilic characteristic limits their application, especially in a hydrophobic condition. Herein, a novel non-covalent surface modification approach towards graphene oxide was conducted via a UV-induced photo-polymerization technique that involves two major routes; a UV-sensitive initiator embedded via pi-pi interactions on the graphene planar rings, and the polymerization of hydrophobic polymeric chains along the surface. The functionalized graphene oxide successfully achieved the desired hydrophobicity as it displayed the characteristic of being readily dissolved in organic solvent. Upon its addition into a polymeric solution and subjected to an electrospinning process,non-woven random nanofibers embedded with graphene oxide sheets were obtained. The prepared polymeric nanofibers were subjected to two-step thermal treatments that eventually converted the polymeric chains into a carbon-rich conductive structure. A unique morphology was observed upon the addition of the functionalized graphene oxide, whereby the sheets were embedded and intercalated within the carbon nanofibers and formed a continuous structure. This reinforcement effectively enhanced the electrochemical performance of the carbon nanofibers by recording a specific capacitance of up to 140.10 F/g at the current density of 1 A/g, which was approximately three folds more than that of pristine nanofibers.It also retained the capacitance up to 96.2% after 1000 vigorous charge/discharge cycles. This functionalization technique opens up a new pathway in tuning the solubility nature of graphene oxide towards the synthesis of a graphene oxide-reinforced polymeric structure.

Fabrication of doped TiO2 nanotube array films with enhanced photo-catalytic activity

Science.gov (United States)

Peighambardoust, Naeimeh-Sadat; Khameneh-asl, Shahin; Khademi, Adib

2018-01-01

In the present work, we investigate the N and Fe-doped TiO2 nanotube array film prepared by treating TiO2 nanotube array film with ammonia solution and anodizing in Fe(NO3)3 solution respectively. This method avoided the use of hazardous ammonia gas, or laborious ion implantation process. N and Fe-doped TiO2 nanotube arrays (TiO2 NTs) were prepared by electrochemical anodization process in 0.5 wt % HF aqueous solution. The anodization was performed at the conditions of 20 V and 20 min, Followed by a wet immersion in NH3.H2O (1M) for N-doping for 2 hr and annealing post-treatment at 450 °C. The morphology and structure of the nanotube films were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and EDX. UV-vis. illumination test were done to observe photo-enhanced catalysis. The effect of different annealing temperature on the structure and photo-absorption property of the TiO2-TNTs was investigated. The results showed that N-TNTs nanotubes exhibited higher photocatalytic activity compared whit the Fe-doped and pure TNTs, because doping N promoted the separation of the photogenerated electrons and holes.

Binder-free carbon nanotube electrode for electrochemical removal of chromium.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Haitao; Na, Chongzheng

2014-11-26

Electrochemical treatment of chromium-containing wastewater has the advantage of simultaneously reducing hexavalent chromium (CrVI) and reversibly adsorbing the trivalent product (CrIII), thereby minimizing the generation of waste for disposal and providing an opportunity for resource reuse. The application of electrochemical treatment of chromium is often limited by the available electrochemical surface area (ESA) of conventional electrodes with flat surfaces. Here, we report the preparation and evaluation of carbon nanotube (CNT) electrodes consisting of vertically aligned CNT arrays directly grown on stainless steel mesh (SSM). We show that the 3-D organization of CNT arrays increases ESA up to 13 times compared to SSM. The increase of ESA is correlated with the length of CNTs, consistent with a mechanism of roughness-induced ESA enhancement. The increase of ESA directly benefits CrVI reduction by proportionally accelerating reduction without compromising the electrode's ability to adsorb CrIII. Our results suggest that the rational design of electrodes with hierarchical structures represents a feasible approach to improve the performance of electrochemical treatment of contaminated water.

Electrochemical activity of heavy metal oxides in the process of ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

2002-02-02

Feb 2, 2002 ... Electrochemical activity of heavy metal oxides in the process of chloride induced .... decrease of pH value by MeOx, a synergism of acidic and chloride ... inhibitors and their influence on the physical properties of. Portland ...

Synthesis of graphene platelets by chemical and electrochemical route

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ramachandran, Rajendran; Felix, Sathiyanathan [Centre for Nanotechnology Research, VIT University, Vellore 632014, Tamil Nadu (India); Joshi, Girish M. [Materials Physics Division, School of Advanced Sciences, VIT University, Vellore 632014, Tamil Nadu (India); Raghupathy, Bala P.C., E-mail: balapraveen2000@yahoo.com [Centre for Nanotechnology Research, VIT University, Vellore 632014, Tamil Nadu (India); Research and Advanced Engineering Division (Materials), Renault Nissan Technology and Business Center India (P) Ltd., Chennai, Tamil Nadu (India); Jeong, Soon Kwan, E-mail: jeongsk@kier.re.kr [Climate Change Technology Research Division, Korea Institute of Energy Research, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-343 (Korea, Republic of); Grace, Andrews Nirmala, E-mail: anirmalagrace@vit.ac.in [Centre for Nanotechnology Research, VIT University, Vellore 632014, Tamil Nadu (India); Climate Change Technology Research Division, Korea Institute of Energy Research, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-343 (Korea, Republic of)

2013-10-15

Graphical abstract: A schematic showing the overall reduction process of graphite to reduced graphene platelets by chemical and electrochemical route. - Highlights: • Graphene was prepared by diverse routes viz. chemical and electrochemical methods. • NaBH{sub 4} was effective for removing oxygen functional groups from graphene oxide. • Sodium borohydride reduced graphene oxide (SRGO) showed high specific capacitance. • Electrochemical rendered a cheap route for production of graphene in powder form. - Abstract: Graphene platelets were synthesized from graphene oxide by chemical and electrochemical route. Under the chemical method, sodium borohydride and hydrazine chloride were used as reductants to produce graphene. In this paper, a novel and cost effective electrochemical method, which can simplify the process of reduction on a larger scale, is demonstrated. The electrochemical method proposed in this paper produces graphene in powder form with good yield. The atomic force microscopic images confirmed that the graphene samples prepared by all the routes have multilayers of graphene. The electrochemical process provided a new route to make relatively larger area graphene sheets, which will have interest for further patterning applications. Attempt was made to quantify the quantum of reduction using cyclic voltammetry and choronopotentiometry techniques on reduced graphene samples. As a measure in reading the specific capacitance values, a maximum specific capacitance value of 265.3 F/g was obtained in sodium borohydride reduced graphene oxide.

Synthesis of graphene platelets by chemical and electrochemical route

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramachandran, Rajendran; Felix, Sathiyanathan; Joshi, Girish M.; Raghupathy, Bala P.C.; Jeong, Soon Kwan; Grace, Andrews Nirmala

2013-01-01

Graphical abstract: A schematic showing the overall reduction process of graphite to reduced graphene platelets by chemical and electrochemical route. - Highlights: • Graphene was prepared by diverse routes viz. chemical and electrochemical methods. • NaBH 4 was effective for removing oxygen functional groups from graphene oxide. • Sodium borohydride reduced graphene oxide (SRGO) showed high specific capacitance. • Electrochemical rendered a cheap route for production of graphene in powder form. - Abstract: Graphene platelets were synthesized from graphene oxide by chemical and electrochemical route. Under the chemical method, sodium borohydride and hydrazine chloride were used as reductants to produce graphene. In this paper, a novel and cost effective electrochemical method, which can simplify the process of reduction on a larger scale, is demonstrated. The electrochemical method proposed in this paper produces graphene in powder form with good yield. The atomic force microscopic images confirmed that the graphene samples prepared by all the routes have multilayers of graphene. The electrochemical process provided a new route to make relatively larger area graphene sheets, which will have interest for further patterning applications. Attempt was made to quantify the quantum of reduction using cyclic voltammetry and choronopotentiometry techniques on reduced graphene samples. As a measure in reading the specific capacitance values, a maximum specific capacitance value of 265.3 F/g was obtained in sodium borohydride reduced graphene oxide

Development of a microfabricated electrochemical-cantilever hybrid platform

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fischer, Lee MacKenzie; Pedersen, Christoffer; Elkjær, Karl

2011-01-01

The design and fabrication of a combined electrochemical-cantilever microfluidic system is described. A chip integrating cantilevers with electrodes into a microchannel is presented with the accompanying polymer flow cell. Issues such as electrical and fluid connections are addressed......, electromechanical behavior in ionic solution is investigated, and two uses of the system are demonstrated. First, all cantilevers are functionalized with cysteine, to facilitate detection of Cu2+ ions, then one cantilever is electrochemically cleaned in situ to generate a reference cantilever for differential...

An electrochemical-cantilever platform for hybrid sensing applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fischer, Lee MacKenzie; Dohn, Søren; Boisen, Anja

2011-01-01

This work presents a fully-functional, microfabricated electrochemical-cantilever hybrid platform with flow control. A new cantilever chip format is designed, fabricated, and mounted in a custom polymer flow cell. Issues such as leakage and optical/electrical access are addressed, and combined...... mechanical and electrochemical performance is investigated. Lastly, a cantilever is “defunctionalized” in situ to create a reference cantilever for differential measurements in detection of Cu2+ ions at concentrations of 10 μM and 100 nM....

Practices surrounding children's photos in homes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vyas, Dhaval; van der Veer, Gerrit C.; Nijholt, Antinus; Grassel, Guido; Chi, E.H.; Höök, K,

2012-01-01

New parents cherish photos of their children. In their homes one can observe a varied set of arrangements of their young ones' photos. We studied eight families with young children to learn about their practices related to photos. We provide preliminary results from the field study and elaborate on

Electrochemical deposition of iron sulfide thin films and heterojunction diodes with zinc oxide

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shoichi Kawai

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Iron sulfide thin films were fabricated by the electrochemical deposition method from an aqueous solution containing FeSO4 and Na2S2O3. The composition ratio obtained was Fe:S:O = 36:56:8. In the photoelectrochemical measurement, a weak negative photo-current was observed for the iron sulfide films, which indicates that its conduction type is p-type. No peaks were observed in X-ray diffraction pattern, and thus the deposited films were considered to be amorphous. For a heterojunction with ZnO, rectification properties were confirmed in the current-voltage characteristics. Moreover, the current was clearly enhanced under AM1.5 illumination.

Low-dimensional carbon and MXene-based electrochemical capacitor electrodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Yeoheung; Lee, Keunsik; Lee, Hyoyoung

2016-04-29

Due to their unique structure and outstanding intrinsic physical properties such as extraordinarily high electrical conductivity, large surface area, and various chemical functionalities, low-dimension-based materials exhibit great potential for application in electrochemical capacitors (ECs). The electrical properties of electrochemical capacitors are determined by the electrode materials. Because energy charge storage is a surface process, the surface properties of the electrode materials greatly influence the electrochemical performance of the cell. Recently, graphene, a single layer of sp(2)-bonded carbon atoms arrayed into two-dimensional carbon nanomaterial, has attracted wide interest as an electrode material for electrochemical capacitor applications due to its unique properties, including a high electrical conductivity and large surface area. Several low-dimensional materials with large surface areas and high conductivity such as onion-like carbons (OLCs), carbide-derived carbons (CDCs), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene, metal hydroxide, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), and most recently MXene, have been developed for electrochemical capacitors. Therefore, it is useful to understand the current issues of low-dimensional materials and their device applications.

Low-dimensional carbon and MXene-based electrochemical capacitor electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, Yeoheung; Lee, Hyoyoung; Lee, Keunsik

2016-01-01

Due to their unique structure and outstanding intrinsic physical properties such as extraordinarily high electrical conductivity, large surface area, and various chemical functionalities, low-dimension-based materials exhibit great potential for application in electrochemical capacitors (ECs). The electrical properties of electrochemical capacitors are determined by the electrode materials. Because energy charge storage is a surface process, the surface properties of the electrode materials greatly influence the electrochemical performance of the cell. Recently, graphene, a single layer of sp 2 -bonded carbon atoms arrayed into two-dimensional carbon nanomaterial, has attracted wide interest as an electrode material for electrochemical capacitor applications due to its unique properties, including a high electrical conductivity and large surface area. Several low-dimensional materials with large surface areas and high conductivity such as onion-like carbons (OLCs), carbide-derived carbons (CDCs), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene, metal hydroxide, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), and most recently MXene, have been developed for electrochemical capacitors. Therefore, it is useful to understand the current issues of low-dimensional materials and their device applications. (topical review)

Optimization of some electrochemical etching parameters for cellulose derivatives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chowdhury, Annis; Gammage, R.B.

1978-01-01

Electrochemical etching of fast neutron induced recoil particle tracks in cellulose derivatives and other polymers provides an inexpensive and sensitive means of fast neutron personnel dosimetry. A study of the shape, clarity, and size of the tracks in Transilwrap polycarbonate indicated that the optimum normality of the potassium hydroxide etching solution is 9 N. Optimizations have also been attempted for cellulose nitrate, triacetate, and acetobutyrate with respect to such electrochemical etching parameters as frequency, voltage gradient, and concentration of the etching solution. The measurement of differential leakage currents between the undamaged and the neutron damaged foils aided in the selection of optimum frequencies. (author)

Content-aware automatic cropping for consumer photos

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Hao; Tretter, Daniel; Lin, Qian

2013-03-01

Consumer photos are typically authored once, but need to be retargeted for reuse in various situations. These include printing a photo on different size paper, changing the size and aspect ratio of an embedded photo to accommodate the dynamic content layout of web pages or documents, adapting a large photo for browsing on small displays such as mobile phone screens, and improving the aesthetic quality of a photo that was badly composed at the capture time. In this paper, we propose a novel, effective, and comprehensive content-aware automatic cropping (hereafter referred to as "autocrop") method for consumer photos to achieve the above purposes. Our autocrop method combines the state-of-the-art context-aware saliency detection algorithm, which aims to infer the likely intent of the photographer, and the "branch-and-bound" efficient subwindow search optimization technique, which seeks to locate the globally optimal cropping rectangle in a fast manner. Unlike most current autocrop methods, which can only crop a photo into an arbitrary rectangle, our autocrop method can automatically crop a photo into either a rectangle of arbitrary dimensions or a rectangle of the desired aspect ratio specified by the user. The aggressiveness of the cropping operation may be either automatically determined by the method or manually indicated by the user with ease. In addition, our autocrop method is extended to support the cropping of a photo into non-rectangular shapes such as polygons of any number of sides. It may also be potentially extended to return multiple cropping suggestions, which will enable the creation of new photos to enrich the original photo collections. Our experimental results show that the proposed autocrop method in this paper can generate high-quality crops for consumer photos of various types.

Photo-switching element

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Masaki, Yuichi

1987-10-31

Photo-input MOS transistor (Photo-switching element) cannot give enough ON/OFF ratio but requires an auxiliary condenser for a certain type of application. In addition, PN junction of amorphous silicon is not practical because it gives high leak current resulting in low electromotive force. In this invention, a solar cell was constructed with a lower electrode consisting of a transparent electro-conducting film, a photosensitive part consisting of an amorphous Si layer of p-i-n layer construction, and an upper metal electrode consisting of Cr or Nichrome, and a thin film transistor was placed on the solar cell, and further the upper metal electrode was co-used as a gate electrode of the thin film transistor; this set-up of this invention enabled to attain an efficient photo-electric conversion of the incident light, high electromotive force of the solar cell, and the transistor with high ON/OFF ratio. (3 figs)

Electrochemical etching amplification of low-let recoil particle tracks in polymers for fast neutron dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sohrabi, M.; Morgan, K.Z.

1975-11-01

An electrochemical etching method for the amplification of fast-neutron-induced recoil particle tracks in polymers was investigated. The technique gave superior results over those obtained by conventional etching methods especially when polycarbonate foils were used for recoil particle track amplification. Electrochemical etching systems capable of multi-foil processing were designed and constructed to demonstrate the feasibility of the techniques for large-scale neutron dosimetry. Electrochemical etching parameters were studied including the nature or type of the polymer foil used, foil thickness and its effect on etching time, the applied voltage and its frequency, the chemical composition, concentration, and temperature of the etchant, distance and angle between the electrodes, and the type of particles such as recoil particles including protons. Recoil particle track density, mean track diameter, and optical density as functions of the mentioned parameters were determined. Each parameter was found to have a distinct effect on the etching results in terms of the measured responses. Several new characteristics of this fast neutron dosimetry method were studied especially for personnel dosimetry using various radiation sources such as nuclear reactors, medical cyclotrons, and isotopic neutron sources. The dose range, neutron energy dependence, directional response, fading characteristics, neutron threshold energy, etc. were investigated

Synthesis and characterization of a new photo-crosslinkable glycol chitosan thermogel for biomedical applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Ik Sung; Cho, Myeong Ok; Li, Zhengzheng; Nurunnabi, Md; Park, Sung Young; Kang, Sun-Woong; Huh, Kang Moo

2016-06-25

The major limitations of typical thermogelling polymers for practical applications are low gel stability and weak mechanical properties under physiological conditions. In this study, we have synthesized a new polysaccharide-based thermogelling polymer that can be photo-crosslinked by UV irradiation to form a mechanically resilient and elastic hydrogel. Methacrylated hexanoyl glycol chitosan (M-HGC), was synthesized by a series of chemical modifications, N-hexanoylation and N-methacrylation, of glycol chitosan (GC). Various M-HGC polymers with different methacryl group contents were synthesized and their thermogelling and photo-crosslinkable properties were evaluated. The M-HGCs demonstrated a thermo-reversible sol-gel transition behavior in aqueous solutions. The thermally-induced hydrogels could be chemically crosslinked by UV-triggered photo-crosslinking. From the cytotoxicity studies using MTT and the live/dead assay, the M-HGC hydrogels showed non-cytotoxicity. These photo-crosslinkable thermogelling M-HGC polymers may hold great promises for various biomedical applications, such as an injectable delivery system and 3D cell culture. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dual-Function Electrocatalytic and Macroporous Hollow-Fiber Cathode for Converting Waste Streams to Valuable Resources Using Microbial Electrochemical Systems

KAUST Repository

Katuri, Krishna; Kalathil, Shafeer; Ragab, Ala'a; Bian, Bin; AlQahtani, Manal Faisal; Pant, Deepak; Saikaly, Pascal

2018-01-01

Dual-function electrocatalytic and macroporous hollow-fiber cathodes are recently proposed as promising advanced material for maximizing the conversion of waste streams such as wastewater and waste CO2 to valuable resources (e.g., clean freshwater, energy, value-added chemicals) in microbial electrochemical systems. The first part of this progress report reviews recent developments in this type of cathode architecture for the simultaneous recovery of clean freshwater and energy from wastewater. Critical insights are provided on suitable materials for fabricating these cathodes, as well as addressing some challenges in the fabrication process with proposed strategies to overcome them. The second and complementary part of the progress report highlights how the unique features of this cathode architecture can solve one of the intrinsic bottlenecks (gas-liquid mass transfer limitation) in the application of microbial electrochemical systems for CO2 reduction to value-added products. Strategies to further improve the availability of CO2 to microbial catalysts on the cathode are proposed. The importance of understanding microbe-cathode interactions, as well as electron transfer mechanisms at the cathode-cell and cell-cell interface to better design dual-function macroporous hollow-fiber cathodes, is critically discussed with insights on how the choice of material is important in facilitating direct electron transfer versus mediated electron transfer.

Dual-Function Electrocatalytic and Macroporous Hollow-Fiber Cathode for Converting Waste Streams to Valuable Resources Using Microbial Electrochemical Systems

KAUST Repository

Katuri, Krishna

2018-04-30

Dual-function electrocatalytic and macroporous hollow-fiber cathodes are recently proposed as promising advanced material for maximizing the conversion of waste streams such as wastewater and waste CO2 to valuable resources (e.g., clean freshwater, energy, value-added chemicals) in microbial electrochemical systems. The first part of this progress report reviews recent developments in this type of cathode architecture for the simultaneous recovery of clean freshwater and energy from wastewater. Critical insights are provided on suitable materials for fabricating these cathodes, as well as addressing some challenges in the fabrication process with proposed strategies to overcome them. The second and complementary part of the progress report highlights how the unique features of this cathode architecture can solve one of the intrinsic bottlenecks (gas-liquid mass transfer limitation) in the application of microbial electrochemical systems for CO2 reduction to value-added products. Strategies to further improve the availability of CO2 to microbial catalysts on the cathode are proposed. The importance of understanding microbe-cathode interactions, as well as electron transfer mechanisms at the cathode-cell and cell-cell interface to better design dual-function macroporous hollow-fiber cathodes, is critically discussed with insights on how the choice of material is important in facilitating direct electron transfer versus mediated electron transfer.

Effect of chemical functionalization on the electrochemical properties of conducting polymers. Modification of polyaniline by diazonium ion coupling and subsequent reductive degradation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Acevedo, Diego F.; Rivarola, Claudia R.; Miras, Maria C. [Departamento de Quimica, Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto, Ruta Nacional 8, Km 601, X5804ZAB, Rio Cuarto, Cordoba (Argentina); Barbero, Cesar A., E-mail: cbarbero@exa.unrc.edu.a [Departamento de Quimica, Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto, Ruta Nacional 8, Km 601, X5804ZAB, Rio Cuarto, Cordoba (Argentina)

2011-04-01

The electrochemical properties of polyaniline (PANI) can be altered by coupling the polymer with aryldiazonium ions. The ions are synthesized by diazotization of aromatic primary amines (1-aminoanthraquinone, sulphadiazine and 4-cyanoaniline) bearing functional groups which are then linked to the polyaniline backbone. All materials produced are electroactive, suggesting that the reaction involves coupling of the diazonium ion with the aromatic rings and not nucleophilic substitution by the aminic nitrogen of PANI on the aryl cations. The electrochemical properties of the modified polymers are different to those of PANI, likely due to electronic and steric effects of the attached groups. Reductive degradation of the azo linkages, using dithionite ion, removes the attached moieties leaving primary amino groups attached to the polyaniline backbone. In that way, the effect of the attached groups on the electrochemical properties of PANI is eliminated. FTIR spectroscopy measurement of the different polymers supports the proposed mechanism. Using the method a polymer containing redox (anthraquinone) groups, which could be used for charge storage, is obtained. Additionally a material containing sulphadiazine moieties, which can be released in vivo by bacterial activity, is also produced. The molecule is a well-known sulfa drug with bacteriostatic activity. The reaction sequence seems to be of general application to modify polyanilines, by attaching functional groups, and then to produce a PANI backbone bearing primary amino groups. Evidence is presented on the kinetic control of attached group removal.

Effect of chemical functionalization on the electrochemical properties of conducting polymers. Modification of polyaniline by diazonium ion coupling and subsequent reductive degradation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Acevedo, Diego F.; Rivarola, Claudia R.; Miras, Maria C.; Barbero, Cesar A.

2011-01-01

The electrochemical properties of polyaniline (PANI) can be altered by coupling the polymer with aryldiazonium ions. The ions are synthesized by diazotization of aromatic primary amines (1-aminoanthraquinone, sulphadiazine and 4-cyanoaniline) bearing functional groups which are then linked to the polyaniline backbone. All materials produced are electroactive, suggesting that the reaction involves coupling of the diazonium ion with the aromatic rings and not nucleophilic substitution by the aminic nitrogen of PANI on the aryl cations. The electrochemical properties of the modified polymers are different to those of PANI, likely due to electronic and steric effects of the attached groups. Reductive degradation of the azo linkages, using dithionite ion, removes the attached moieties leaving primary amino groups attached to the polyaniline backbone. In that way, the effect of the attached groups on the electrochemical properties of PANI is eliminated. FTIR spectroscopy measurement of the different polymers supports the proposed mechanism. Using the method a polymer containing redox (anthraquinone) groups, which could be used for charge storage, is obtained. Additionally a material containing sulphadiazine moieties, which can be released in vivo by bacterial activity, is also produced. The molecule is a well-known sulfa drug with bacteriostatic activity. The reaction sequence seems to be of general application to modify polyanilines, by attaching functional groups, and then to produce a PANI backbone bearing primary amino groups. Evidence is presented on the kinetic control of attached group removal.

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