Carbon nanotube network thin-film transistors on flexible/stretchable substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Takei, Kuniharu; Takahashi, Toshitake; Javey, Ali

2016-03-29

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus for flexible thin-film transistors. In one aspect, a device includes a polymer substrate, a gate electrode disposed on the polymer substrate, a dielectric layer disposed on the gate electrode and on exposed portions of the polymer substrate, a carbon nanotube network disposed on the dielectric layer, and a source electrode and a drain electrode disposed on the carbon nanotube network.

Semi-flexible bimetal-based thermal energy harvesters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boisseau, S; Despesse, G; Monfray, S; Puscasu, O; Skotnicki, T

2013-01-01

This paper introduces a new semi-flexible device able to turn thermal gradients into electricity by using a curved bimetal coupled to an electret-based converter. In fact, a two-step conversion is carried out: (i) a curved bimetal turns the thermal gradient into a mechanical oscillation that is then (ii) converted into electricity thanks to an electrostatic converter using electrets in Teflon ® . The semi-flexible and low-cost design of these new energy converters pave the way to mass production over large areas of thermal energy harvesters. Raw output powers up to 13.46 μW per device were reached on a hot source at 60 °C with forced convection. Then, a DC-to-DC flyback converter has been sized to turn the energy harvesters’ raw output powers into a viable supply source for an electronic circuit (DC-3 V). At the end, 10 μW of directly usable output power were reached with 3 devices, which is compatible with wireless sensor network powering applications. (paper)

Adsorption of ammonium and phosphate by feather protein based semi-interpenetrating polymer networks hydrogel as a controlled-release fertilizer.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Yuan; Liu, Jia; Yue, Qinyan; Li, Qian; Gao, Baoyu

2014-01-01

A new feather protein-grafted poly(potassium acrylate)/polyvinyl alcohol (FP-g-PKA/PVA) semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (semi-IPNs) hydrogel was produced through graft copolymerization with FP as a basic macromolecular skeletal material, acrylic acid as a monomer and PVA as a semi-IPNs polymer. The adsorption of ammonium and phosphate ions from aqueous solution using the new hydrogel as N and P controlled-release fertilizer with water-retention capacity was studied. The effects of pH value, concentration, contact time and ion strength on NH4+ and PO3-4 removal by FP-g-PKA/PVA semi-IPNs hydrogel were investigated using batch adsorption experiments. The results indicated that the hydrogel had high adsorption capacities and fast adsorption rates for NH4+ and PO3-4 in wide pH levels ranging from 4.0 to 9.0. Kinetic analysis presented that both NH4+ and PO3-4 removal were closely fitted with the pseudo-second-order model. Furthermore, the adsorption isotherms of hydrogel were best represented by the Freundlich model. The adsorption-desorption experimental results showed the sustainable stability of FP-g-PKA/PVA semi-IPNs hydrogel for NH4+ and PO3-4 removal. Overall, FP-g-PKA/PVA could be considered as an efficient material for the removal and recovery of nitrogen and phosphorus with the agronomic reuse as a fertilizer.

21 CFR 888.3560 - Knee joint patellofemorotibial polymer/metal/polymer semi-constrained cemented prosthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Knee joint patellofemorotibial polymer/metal... Devices § 888.3560 Knee joint patellofemorotibial polymer/metal/polymer semi-constrained cemented prosthesis. (a) Identification. A knee joint patellofemorotibial polymer/metal/polymer semi-constrained...

Semi-conducting plastics for disposable electronic devices - What are the organic semi-conductors arriving on the market?; Des plastiques semi-conducteurs pour l'electronique jetable. Qui sont les semi-conducteurs organiques qui arrivent sur le marche?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nueesch, F. A. [EMPA, Duebendorf (Switzerland)

2010-07-01

This is a popularization article that describes basic properties of semi-conductors and reports on the status of research and development of organic semi-conductors. In a first part, fundamentals of semi-conductors are recalled. Comparisons are made between inorganic and organic (i.e. based on carbon polymers) compounds. Indications are given on how semi-conducting polymers are obtained. Potential applications are listed: flexible organic solar cells, light emitting diodes, flexible organic displays, intelligent cards for ticketing, etc. Research on organic semi-conductors is of great interest for industry, worldwide, and several companies are widely investing in this area.

Semi-interpenetrating networks based on POLY(N-isopropyl acrilamide and POLY(N-vinylpyrrolidone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Žugić Dragana

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Three series of semi-interpenetrating polymer networks based on cross-linked poly(N-isopropylacrylamide, PNIPA, and 1, 2 and 3 wt% of linear poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone, PVP, were synthesized in order to improve the mechanical properties of PNIPA gels. The effect of the incorporation of the linear PVP polymer into the temperature responsive networks on the phase transition temperature, swelling behavior and mechanical properties was studied. Polymer networks with four different crosslinking densities were prepared with various molar ratios (25/1 to 100/1 of the monomer (N-isopropylacrylamide to the cross linker (N,N'-methylene-bisacrylamide. The hydrogels were characterized by determination of the equilibrium degree of swelling at 25 °C, the dynamic shear modulus and the effective crosslinking density, as well as the ultimate hydrogel properties, such as the tensile strength and elongation at break. Furthermore, the deswelling kinetics of the hydrogels was also studied by measuring their water retention capacity. The inclusion of the linear hydrophilic PVP in the PNIPA networks increased the equilibrium degree of swelling, the highest values of which were obtained for samples with 2 and 3 wt% of PVP and the NIPA/MBA molar ratio of 75/1 and 100/1. The highest reinforcement effect, evaluated from the ratio of G'red(semi-IPN to G'red(PNIPA, was obtained by incorporation of 2 wt% PVP. The tensile strength of the semi-IPNs reinforced with linear PVP was higher than that of the PNIPA networks. The elongation at break of these semi-IPNs varied between 22 and 55%, which are 22^11% larger than those for single PNIPA networks. The tensile measurements confirmed that the presence of 2 wt% of the linear polymer significantly reinforced the PNIPA network.

Semi-Degradable Poly(β-amino ester) Networks with Temporally-Controlled Enhancement of Mechanical Properties

Science.gov (United States)

Safranski, David L.; Weiss, Daiana; Clark, J. Brian; Taylor, W.R.; Gall, Ken

2014-01-01

Biodegradable polymers are clinically used in numerous biomedical applications, and classically show a loss in mechanical properties within weeks of implantation. This work demonstrates a new class of semi-degradable polymers that show an increase in mechanical properties through degradation via a controlled shift in a thermal transition. Semi-degradable polymer networks, poly(β-amino ester)-co-methyl methacrylate, were formed from a low glass transition temperature crosslinker, poly(β-amino ester), and high glass transition temperature monomer, methyl methacrylate, which degraded in a manner dependent upon the crosslinker chemical structure. In vitro and in vivo degradation revealed changes in mechanical behavior due to the degradation of the crosslinker from the polymer network. This novel polymer system demonstrates a strategy to temporally control the mechanical behavior of polymers and to enhance the initial performance of smart biomedical devices. PMID:24769113

Tuning the Mechanical Properties of Polymer Nanocomposites Filled with Grafted Nanoparticles by Varying the Grafted Chain Length and Flexibility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zixuan Wang

2016-08-01

Full Text Available By employing coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulation, we simulate the spatial organization of the polymer-grafted nanoparticles (NPs in homopolymer matrix and the resulting mechanical performance, by particularly regulating the grafted chain length and flexibility. The morphologies ranging from the agglomerate, cylinder, sheet, and string to full dispersion are observed, by gradually increasing the grafted chain length. The radial distribution function and the total interaction energy between NPs are calculated. Meanwhile, the stress–strain behavior of each morphology and the morphological evolution during the uniaxial tension are simulated. In particular, the sheet structure exhibits the best mechanical reinforcement compared to other morphologies. In addition, the change of the grafted chain flexibility to semi-flexibility leads to the variation of the morphology. We also find that at long grafted chain length, the stress–strain behavior of the system with the semi-flexible grafted chain begins to exceed that of the system with the flexible grafted chain, attributed to the physical inter-locking interaction between the matrix and grafted polymer chains. A similar transition trend is as well found in the presence of the interfacial chemical couplings between grafted and matrix polymer chains. In general, this work is expected to help to design and fabricate high performance polymer nanocomposites filled with grafted NPs with excellent and controllable mechanical properties.

PCL-PLLA Semi-IPN Shape Memory Polymers (SMPs): Degradation and Mechanical Properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Woodard, Lindsay N; Page, Vanessa M; Kmetz, Kevin T; Grunlan, Melissa A

2016-12-01

Thermoresponsive shape memory polymers (SMPs) based on poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) whose shape may be actuated by a transition temperature (T trans ) have shown utility for a variety of biomedical applications. Important to their utility is the ability to modulate mechanical and degradation properties. Thus, in this work, SMPs are formed as semi-interpenetrating networks (semi-IPNs) comprised of a cross-linked PCL diacrylate (PCL-DA) network and thermoplastic poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA). The semi-IPN uniquely allows for requisite crystallization of both PCL and PLLA. The influence of PLLA (PCL:PLLA wt% ratio) and PCL-DA molecular weight (n) on film properties are investigated. PCL-PLLA semi-IPNs are able to achieve enhanced mechanical properties and accelerated rates of degradation. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Semi-degradable poly(β-amino ester) networks with temporally controlled enhancement of mechanical properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Safranski, David L; Weiss, Daiana; Clark, J Brian; Taylor, W Robert; Gall, Ken

2014-08-01

Biodegradable polymers are clinically used in numerous biomedical applications, and classically show a loss of mechanical properties within weeks of implantation. This work demonstrates a new class of semi-degradable polymers that show an increase in mechanical properties through degradation via a controlled shift in a thermal transition. Semi-degradable polymer networks, poly(β-amino ester)-co-methyl methacrylate, were formed from a low glass transition temperature crosslinker, poly(β-amino ester), and high glass transition temperature monomer, methyl methacrylate, which degraded in a manner dependent upon the crosslinker chemical structure. In vitro and in vivo degradation revealed changes in mechanical behavior due to the degradation of the crosslinker from the polymer network. This novel polymer system demonstrates a strategy to temporally control the mechanical behavior of polymers and to enhance the initial performance of smart biomedical devices. Copyright © 2014 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Inspecting the cochlear scala tympanic with flexible and semi-flexible micro-endoscope].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Daoxcing; Zhang, Yankun

2006-02-01

Flexible and semi-flexible micro-endoscopes were used in cochlear scala tympani inspection , to explore their application in inner ear examination. Fifteen profound hearing loss patients preparing for cochlear implant were included in this study. During the operation, micro-endoscopy was performed after opening the cochlear scala tympani. And 1 mm diameter semi-flexible micro-endoscope could go as deep as 9 mm into the cochlear scala tympani, while 0. 5 mm diameter flexible micro-endoscope could go as deep as 25 mm. The inspecting results were compared with video recording. Using 0.5 mm flexible micro-endoscope, we canould check cochlear scala tympani with depth range of 15-25 mm, but the video imaging was not clear enough to examine the microstructure in the cochlear. With 1 mm diameter semi-flexible micro-endoscope, we could reach 9 mm deep into the cochlear. During the examination, we found 3 cases with calcification deposit in osseous spiral lamina, l case with granulation tissue in the lateral wall of scala tympani, no abnormal findings in the other 11 cases. Inspecting the cochlear scala tympani with 0.5 mm flexible micro-endoscope, even though we can reach the second circuit of the cochlear, it is difficult to find the pathology in the cochlear because of the poor video imaging. With 1 mm semi-flexible micro-endoscope, we can identify the microstructure of the cochlear clearly and find the pathologic changes, but the inserting depth was limited to 9 mm with limitation to examine the whole cochlear.

Irradiation sterilization of semi-crystalline polymers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, J.; Dunn, T.; Stannett, V.

1978-01-01

A semi-crystalline polymer such as polypropylene, is sterilized by high energy irradiation, with the polymer containing a non-crystalline mobilizing additive which increases the free volume of the polymer, to prevent embrittlement of the polymer during and subsequent to the irradiation. The additive has a density of from 0.6 to 1.9 g/cm 3 and a molecular weight from 100 to 10,000 g/mole

Polyvinylpyrrolidone-based semi-interpenetrating polymer networks as highly selective and chemically stable membranes for all vanadium redox flow batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, L.; Zhao, T. S.; Wei, L.; Zeng, Y. K.; Zhang, Z. H.

2016-09-01

Vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) with their high flexibility in configuration and operation, as well as long cycle life are competent for the requirement of future energy storage systems. Nevertheless, due to the application of perfluorinated membranes, VRFBs are plagued by not only the severe migration issue of vanadium ions, but also their high cost. Herein, we fabricate semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (SIPNs), consisting of cross-linked polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and polysulfone (PSF), as alternative membranes for VRFBs. It is demonstrated that the PVP-based SIPNs exhibit extremely low vanadium permeabilities, which contribute to the well-established hydrophilic/hydrophobic microstructures and the Donnan exclusion effect. As a result, the coulombic efficiencies of VRFBs with PVP-based SIPNs reach almost 100% at 40 mA cm-2 to 100 mA cm-2; the energy efficiencies are more than 3% higher than those of VRFBs with Nafion 212. More importantly, the PVP-based SIPNs exhibit a superior chemical stability, as demonstrated both by an ex situ immersion test and continuously cycling test. Hence, all the characterizations and performance tests reported here suggest that PVP-based SIPNs are a promising alternative membrane for redox flow batteries to achieve superior cell performance and excellent cycling stability at the fraction of the cost of perfluorinated membranes.

Polymer electronics a flexible technology

CERN Document Server

Technology, Rapra

2009-01-01

The worldwide market for polymer electronic products has been estimated to be worth up to £15 billion by 2015 and the opportunity for new markets could be as high as £125 billion by 2025.'The rapid development of polymer electronics has revealed the possibility for transforming the electronics market by offering lighter, flexible and more cost effective alternatives to conventional materials and products. With applications ranging from printed, flexible conductors and novel semiconductor components to intelligent labels and large area displays and solar panels, products that were previously un

Semi-interpenetrating polymer networks composed of silk fibroin and poly(ethylene glycol) for wound dressing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kweon, HaeYong; Yeo, Joo-hong; Lee, Kwang-gill; Lee, Hyun Chul; Na, Hee Sam; Won, Young Ho; Cho, Chong Su

2008-01-01

Semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (SIPNs) composed of silk fibroin (SF) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) were prepared by photopolymerization of a PEG macromer in the presence of SF to improve the mechanical properties of SF sponge as wound dressing. The morphological structure of the SF/PEG SIPNs was observed to be composed of an interconnected microporous surface and a cross-sectional area. SF/PEG SIPNs showed non-cytotoxicity evaluated by a cell proliferation method using L929 fibroblasts. Wound contraction treated with SF/PEG SIPNs sponges was faster than that of Vaseline gauze as a control. Histological observation confirmed that the deposition of collagen in the dermis was organized by covering the wound area with SF/PEG SIPNs. The above results indicated that SF/PEG SIPNs could be used as wound dressing

Developing Flexible, High Performance Polymers with Self-Healing Capabilities

Science.gov (United States)

Jolley, Scott T.; Williams, Martha K.; Gibson, Tracy L.; Caraccio, Anne J.

2011-01-01

Flexible, high performance polymers such as polyimides are often employed in aerospace applications. They typically find uses in areas where improved physical characteristics such as fire resistance, long term thermal stability, and solvent resistance are required. It is anticipated that such polymers could find uses in future long duration exploration missions as well. Their use would be even more advantageous if self-healing capability or mechanisms could be incorporated into these polymers. Such innovative approaches are currently being studied at the NASA Kennedy Space Center for use in high performance wiring systems or inflatable and habitation structures. Self-healing or self-sealing capability would significantly reduce maintenance requirements, and increase the safety and reliability performance of the systems into which these polymers would be incorporated. Many unique challenges need to be overcome in order to incorporate a self-healing mechanism into flexible, high performance polymers. Significant research into the incorporation of a self-healing mechanism into structural composites has been carried out over the past decade by a number of groups, notable among them being the University of I1linois [I]. Various mechanisms for the introduction of self-healing have been investigated. Examples of these are: 1) Microcapsule-based healant delivery. 2) Vascular network delivery. 3) Damage induced triggering of latent substrate properties. Successful self-healing has been demonstrated in structural epoxy systems with almost complete reestablishment of composite strength being achieved through the use of microcapsulation technology. However, the incorporation of a self-healing mechanism into a system in which the material is flexible, or a thin film, is much more challenging. In the case of using microencapsulation, healant core content must be small enough to reside in films less than 0.1 millimeters thick, and must overcome significant capillary and surface

Conjugated Polymers for Flexible Energy Harvesting and Storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhitao; Liao, Meng; Lou, Huiqing; Hu, Yajie; Sun, Xuemei; Peng, Huisheng

2018-03-01

Since the discovery of conjugated polymers in the 1970s, they have attracted considerable interest in light of their advantages of having a tunable bandgap, high electroactivity, high flexibility, and good processability compared to inorganic conducting materials. The above combined advantages make them promising for effective energy harvesting and storage, which have been widely studied in recent decades. Herein, the key advancements in the use of conjugated polymers for flexible energy harvesting and storage are reviewed. The synthesis, structure, and properties of conjugated polymers are first summarized. Then, their applications in flexible polymer solar cells, thermoelectric generators, supercapacitors, and lithium-ion batteries are described. The remaining challenges are then discussed to highlight the future direction in the development of conjugated polymers. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

21 CFR 888.3350 - Hip joint metal/polymer semi-constrained cemented prosthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Hip joint metal/polymer semi-constrained cemented... HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES ORTHOPEDIC DEVICES Prosthetic Devices § 888.3350 Hip joint metal/polymer semi-constrained cemented prosthesis. (a) Identification. A hip joint metal/polymer semi...

21 CFR 888.3110 - Ankle joint metal/polymer semi-constrained cemented prosthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Ankle joint metal/polymer semi-constrained... Ankle joint metal/polymer semi-constrained cemented prosthesis. (a) Identification. An ankle joint metal/polymer semi-constrained cemented prosthesis is a device intended to be implanted to replace an ankle...

Structure-Property Relationships of Semiconducting Polymers for Flexible and Durable Polymer Field-Effect Transistors.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Min Je; Jung, A-Ra; Lee, Myeongjae; Kim, Dongjin; Ro, Suhee; Jin, Seon-Mi; Nguyen, Hieu Dinh; Yang, Jeehye; Lee, Kyung-Koo; Lee, Eunji; Kang, Moon Sung; Kim, Hyunjung; Choi, Jong-Ho; Kim, BongSoo; Cho, Jeong Ho

2017-11-22

We report high-performance top-gate bottom-contact flexible polymer field-effect transistors (FETs) fabricated by flow-coating diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP)-based and naphthalene diimide (NDI)-based polymers (P(DPP2DT-T2), P(DPP2DT-TT), P(DPP2DT-DTT), P(NDI2OD-T2), P(NDI2OD-F2T2), and P(NDI2OD-Se2)) as semiconducting channel materials. All of the polymers displayed good FET characteristics with on/off current ratios exceeding 10 7 . The highest hole mobility of 1.51 cm 2 V -1 s -1 and the highest electron mobility of 0.85 cm 2 V -1 s -1 were obtained from the P(DPP2DT-T2) and P(NDI2OD-Se2) polymer FETs, respectively. The impacts of the polymer structures on the FET performance are well-explained by the interplay between the crystallinity, the tendency of the polymer backbone to adopt an edge-on orientation, and the interconnectivity of polymer fibrils in the film state. Additionally, we demonstrated that all of the flexible polymer-based FETs were highly resistant to tensile stress, with negligible changes in their carrier mobilities and on/off ratios after a bending test. Conclusively, these high-performance, flexible, and durable FETs demonstrate the potential of semiconducting conjugated polymers for use in flexible electronic applications.

Thermally rearranged (TR) bismaleimide-based network polymers for gas separation membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Do, Yu Seong; Lee, Won Hee; Seong, Jong Geun; Kim, Ju Sung; Wang, Ho Hyun; Doherty, Cara M; Hill, Anita J; Lee, Young Moo

2016-11-15

Highly permeable, thermally rearranged polymer membranes based on bismaleimide derivatives that exhibit excellent CO 2 permeability up to 5440 Barrer with a high BET surface area (1130 m 2 g -1 ) are reported for the first time. In addition, the membranes can be easily used to form semi-interpenetrating networks with other polymers endowing them with superior gas transport properties.

Novel composite membrane coated with a poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride)/urushi semi-interpenetrating polymer network for non-aqueous redox flow battery application

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Eunhae; Won, Jongok

2016-12-01

Novel composite membranes of a semi-interpenetrating network (semi-IPN) coated on the surfaces of a porous Celgard 2400 support are prepared and investigate for application in a non-aqueous redox flow battery (RFB). A natural polymer, urushi, is used for the matrix because of its high mechanical robustness, and poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) provides anionic exchange sites. The PDDA/urushi (P/U) semi-IPN film is prepared by the photo polymerization of urushiol in the presence of PDDA. The thin layer composed of the P/U semi-IPN on the porous support provides selectivity while maintaining the ion conductivity. The coulombic and energy efficiencies increase with increasing amounts of PDDA in the P/U semi-IPN layer, and the values reach 69.5% and 42.5%, respectively, for the one containing 40 wt% of PDDA. These values are substantially higher than those of the Neosepta AHA membrane and the Celgard membrane, indicating that the selective layer reduces the crossover of the redox active species through the membrane. This result implies that the formation of composite membranes using semi-IPN selective layers on the dimensionally stable porous membrane enable the successful use of a non-aqueous RFB for future energy storage systems.

21 CFR 888.3530 - Knee joint femorotibial metal/polymer semi-constrained cemented prosthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Knee joint femorotibial metal/polymer semi... § 888.3530 Knee joint femorotibial metal/polymer semi-constrained cemented prosthesis. (a) Identification. A knee joint femorotibial metal/polymer semi-constrained cemented prosthesis is a device intended...

21 CFR 888.3540 - Knee joint patellofemoral polymer/metal semi-constrained cemented prosthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Knee joint patellofemoral polymer/metal semi... § 888.3540 Knee joint patellofemoral polymer/metal semi-constrained cemented prosthesis. (a) Identification. A knee joint patellofemoral polymer/metal semi-constrained cemented prosthesis is a two-part...

Concept of polymer alloy electrolytes: towards room temperature operation of lithium-polymer batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noda, Kazuhiro; Yasuda, Toshikazu; Nishi, Yoshio

2004-01-01

Polymer alloy technique is very powerful tool to tune the ionic conductivity and mechanical strength of polymer electrolyte. A semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPN) polymer alloy electrolyte, composed of non-cross-linkable siloxane-based polymer and cross-linked 3D network polymer, was prepared. Such polymer alloy electrolyte has quite high ionic conductivity (more than 10 -4 Scm -1 at 25 o C and 10 -5 Scm -1 at -10 o C) and mechanical strength as a separator film with a wide electrochemical stability window. A lithium metal/semi-IPN polymer alloy solid state electrolyte/LiCoO 2 cell demonstrated promising cycle performance with room temperature operation of the energy density of 300Wh/L and better rate performance than conventional PEO based lithium polymer battery ever reported

Polymer Ferroelectric Memory for Flexible Electronics

KAUST Repository

Khan, Mohd Adnan

2013-01-01

With the projected growth of the flexible and plastic electronics industry, there is renewed interest in the research community to develop high performance all-polymeric memory which will be an essential component of any electronic circuit. Some of the efforts in polymer memories are based on different mechanisms such as filamentary conduction, charge trapping effects, dipole alignment, and reduction-oxidation to name a few. Among these the leading candidate are those based on the mechanism of ferroelectricity. Polymer ferroelectric memory can be used in niche applications like smart cards, RFID tags, sensors etc. This dissertation will focus on novel material and device engineering to fabricate high performance low temperature polymeric ferroelectric memory for flexible electronics. We address and find solutions to some fundamental problems affecting all polymer ferroelectric memory like high coercive fields, fatigue and thermal stability issues, poor breakdown strength and poor p-type hole mobilities. Some of the strategies adopted in this dissertation are: Use of different flexible substrates, electrode engineering to improve charge injection and fatigue properties of ferroelectric polymers, large area ink jet printing of ferroelectric memory devices, use of polymer blends to improve insulating properties of ferroelectric polymers and use of oxide semiconductors to fabricate high mobility p-type ferroelectric memory. During the course of this dissertation we have fabricated: the first all-polymer ferroelectric capacitors with solvent modified highly conducting polymeric poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) [PEDOT:PSS] electrodes on plastic substrates with performance as good as devices with metallic Platinum-Gold electrodes on silicon substrates; the first all-polymer high performance ferroelectric memory on banknotes for security applications; novel ferroelectric capacitors based on blends of ferroelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride

Polymer Ferroelectric Memory for Flexible Electronics

KAUST Repository

Khan, Mohd Adnan

2013-11-01

With the projected growth of the flexible and plastic electronics industry, there is renewed interest in the research community to develop high performance all-polymeric memory which will be an essential component of any electronic circuit. Some of the efforts in polymer memories are based on different mechanisms such as filamentary conduction, charge trapping effects, dipole alignment, and reduction-oxidation to name a few. Among these the leading candidate are those based on the mechanism of ferroelectricity. Polymer ferroelectric memory can be used in niche applications like smart cards, RFID tags, sensors etc. This dissertation will focus on novel material and device engineering to fabricate high performance low temperature polymeric ferroelectric memory for flexible electronics. We address and find solutions to some fundamental problems affecting all polymer ferroelectric memory like high coercive fields, fatigue and thermal stability issues, poor breakdown strength and poor p-type hole mobilities. Some of the strategies adopted in this dissertation are: Use of different flexible substrates, electrode engineering to improve charge injection and fatigue properties of ferroelectric polymers, large area ink jet printing of ferroelectric memory devices, use of polymer blends to improve insulating properties of ferroelectric polymers and use of oxide semiconductors to fabricate high mobility p-type ferroelectric memory. During the course of this dissertation we have fabricated: the first all-polymer ferroelectric capacitors with solvent modified highly conducting polymeric poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) [PEDOT:PSS] electrodes on plastic substrates with performance as good as devices with metallic Platinum-Gold electrodes on silicon substrates; the first all-polymer high performance ferroelectric memory on banknotes for security applications; novel ferroelectric capacitors based on blends of ferroelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride

Mechanistic modelling of weak interlayers in flexible and semi-flexible road pavements: Part 2

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

De Beer, Morris

2012-04-01

Full Text Available This paper (Part 2 of a two-part set of papers) discusses models and illustrates the adverse effects of weak layers, interlayers, laminations and/or weak interfaces in flexible and semi-flexible pavements, also incorporating lightly cemented layers...

Rapid synthesis of flexible conductive polymer nanocomposite films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blattmann, C O; Sotiriou, G A; Pratsinis, S E

2015-01-01

Polymer nanocomposite films with nanoparticle-specific properties are sought out in novel functional materials and miniaturized devices for electronic and biomedical applications. Sensors, capacitors, actuators, displays, circuit boards, solar cells, electromagnetic shields and medical electrodes rely on flexible, electrically conductive layers or films. Scalable synthesis of such nanocomposite films, however, remains a challenge. Here, flame aerosol deposition of metallic nanosliver onto bare or polymer-coated glass substrates followed by polymer spin-coating on them leads to rapid synthesis of flexible, free-standing, electrically conductive nanocomposite films. Their electrical conductivity is determined during their preparation and depends on substrate composition and nanosilver deposition duration. Accordingly, thin (<500 nm) and flexible nanocomposite films are made having conductivity equivalent to metals (e.g. 5  × 10 4 S cm −1 ), even during repetitive bending. (paper)

New 3-D coordination polymers based on semi-rigid V-shape tetracarboxylates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Jing-Jing; Xu, Wei; Wang, Yan-Ning; Yu, Jie-Hui; Zhang, Ping; Xu, Ji-Qing

2015-01-01

Under the hydrothermal conditions, the reactions of transition-metal salts, tetracarboxylic acids and N,N′-donor ligands yielded three new coordination polymers as [Cu 4 (fph) 2 (bpe) 3 (H 2 O) 2 ]·2H 2 O (fph=4,4′-(hexafluoroisopropylidene)diphthalate, bpe=1,2-bis(pyridyl)ethylene) 1, [Co 2 (fph)(bpa) 2 (H 2 O) 2 ]·3H 2 O (bpa=1,2-bis(pyridyl)ethylane) 2, and [Ni(H 2 O)(H 2 oph)(bpa)] (oph=4,4′-oxydiphthalate) 3. X-ray single-crystal diffraction analysis revealed that the title three compounds all possess the three-dimensional (3-D) network structures. For compound 1, the fph molecules first link the Cu 2+ ions into a two-dimensional (2-D) wave-like layer with a (4,4) topology. The bpe molecules act as the second linkers, extending the 2-D layers into a 3-D network. For compound 2, the fph molecules still serve as the first connectors, linking the Co 2+ ions into a one-dimensional (1-D) tube-like chain. Then the bpa molecules propagate the chains into a 3-D (4,4,4)-connected network. In the formation of the 3-D network of compound 3, the oph molecule does not play a role. The bpa molecules as well as the water molecules act as a mixed bridge. Only a kind of 4-connected metal node is observed in compound 3. The magnetic properties of compounds 1–3 were investigated and all exhibit the predominant antiferromegnetic magnetic behaviors. - Graphical abstract: Structures of three semi-rigid V-shape tetracarboxylate-based coordination polymers were reported, and their magnetic properties were investigated. - Highlights: • Structures of three tetracarboxylate-based coordination polymers were reported. • Role of organic bases in metal–tetracarboxylate compounds was discussed. • Characters of V-shape and semi-rigidity for tetracarboxylate play a key role in crystal growth. • Their magnetic properties were investigated

New 3-D coordination polymers based on semi-rigid V-shape tetracarboxylates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Jing-Jing; Xu, Wei; Wang, Yan-Ning [College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Jiefang Road 2519, Changchun 130023, Jilin (China); State Key Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis and Preparative Chemistry, Jilin University, Qianjin Road 2699, Changchun 130012, Jilin (China); Yu, Jie-Hui, E-mail: jhyu@jlu.edu.cn [College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Jiefang Road 2519, Changchun 130023, Jilin (China); State Key Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis and Preparative Chemistry, Jilin University, Qianjin Road 2699, Changchun 130012, Jilin (China); Zhang, Ping, E-mail: zhangping@jlu.edu.cn [College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Jiefang Road 2519, Changchun 130023, Jilin (China); Xu, Ji-Qing [College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Jiefang Road 2519, Changchun 130023, Jilin (China); State Key Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis and Preparative Chemistry, Jilin University, Qianjin Road 2699, Changchun 130012, Jilin (China)

2015-03-15

Under the hydrothermal conditions, the reactions of transition-metal salts, tetracarboxylic acids and N,N′-donor ligands yielded three new coordination polymers as [Cu{sub 4}(fph){sub 2}(bpe){sub 3}(H{sub 2}O){sub 2}]·2H{sub 2}O (fph=4,4′-(hexafluoroisopropylidene)diphthalate, bpe=1,2-bis(pyridyl)ethylene) 1, [Co{sub 2}(fph)(bpa){sub 2}(H{sub 2}O){sub 2}]·3H{sub 2}O (bpa=1,2-bis(pyridyl)ethylane) 2, and [Ni(H{sub 2}O)(H{sub 2}oph)(bpa)] (oph=4,4′-oxydiphthalate) 3. X-ray single-crystal diffraction analysis revealed that the title three compounds all possess the three-dimensional (3-D) network structures. For compound 1, the fph molecules first link the Cu{sup 2+} ions into a two-dimensional (2-D) wave-like layer with a (4,4) topology. The bpe molecules act as the second linkers, extending the 2-D layers into a 3-D network. For compound 2, the fph molecules still serve as the first connectors, linking the Co{sup 2+} ions into a one-dimensional (1-D) tube-like chain. Then the bpa molecules propagate the chains into a 3-D (4,4,4)-connected network. In the formation of the 3-D network of compound 3, the oph molecule does not play a role. The bpa molecules as well as the water molecules act as a mixed bridge. Only a kind of 4-connected metal node is observed in compound 3. The magnetic properties of compounds 1–3 were investigated and all exhibit the predominant antiferromegnetic magnetic behaviors. - Graphical abstract: Structures of three semi-rigid V-shape tetracarboxylate-based coordination polymers were reported, and their magnetic properties were investigated. - Highlights: • Structures of three tetracarboxylate-based coordination polymers were reported. • Role of organic bases in metal–tetracarboxylate compounds was discussed. • Characters of V-shape and semi-rigidity for tetracarboxylate play a key role in crystal growth. • Their magnetic properties were investigated.

Metal{Polymer Hybrid Materials For Flexible Transparent Conductors

Science.gov (United States)

Narayanan, Sudarshan

owing to the sensitivity of this resonant tunneling effect, such as optical filters, optical power limiters, antireflection coatings, electrochromic devices, to name a few. Our second approach to realizing an alternative flexible TC is based on random networks of Ag-NWs and their composites with various polymers that are electrically conducting or insulating. While considered a highly promising material system with a potential to replace commercially used TCOs like ITO, the high variability in films of Ag-NWs fabricated from solutions is however a major issue for scalability and reproducibility. This variability can in turn be attributed partly to NW dispersion instability, which can be addressed by the use of polymer additives and modified solution chemistries. In preparing such composites, considerable attention has been given to the use of conducting polymers like PEDOT:PSS which can contribute to charge transport as well. We present here a systematic approach to obtaining quantifiably uniform, highly transparent and conducting films in a reproducible manner, with composites of Ag-NWs with both conducting (PEDOT:PSS) and nonconducting polymers (like PSS and PVA), demonstrating the effectiveness of such an approach. While Ag-NW films spun cast from solution show good electrical conductivity (˜2-50 = O/□) and high transparency (˜ 70-90%), they also show high variability (˜15-20% in RSheet and NW coverage) and poor reproducibility. Ag- NW/polymer composites, on the other hand, show similar electrical and optical properties with high figures of merit but with lower variability and greater uniformity (mechanical flexing, further justifying the use of polymer-stabilized networks and paving the way for greater control and ease in processing transparent, conducting and flexible films for novel devices. The Ag-NWs based TCs were also incorporated in organic solar cell devices to test for their efficacy in an application and their performances were compared to that of

Conductive polymer/metal composites for interconnect of flexible devices

Science.gov (United States)

Kawakita, Jin; Hashimoto Shinoda, Yasuo; Shuto, Takanori; Chikyow, Toyohiro

2015-06-01

An interconnect of flexible and foldable devices based on advanced electronics requires high electrical conductivity, flexibility, adhesiveness on a plastic substrate, and efficient productivity. In this study, we investigated the applicability of a conductive polymer/metal composite to the interconnect of flexible devices. By combining an inkjet process and a photochemical reaction, micropatterns of a polypyrrole/silver composite were formed on flexible plastic substrates with an average linewidth of approximately 70 µm within 10 min. The conductivity of the composite was improved to 6.0 × 102 Ω-1·cm-1. From these results, it is expected that the conducting polymer/metal composite can be applied to the microwiring of flexible electronic devices.

Toward flexible polymer and paper-based energy storage devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nyholm, Leif [Department of Materials Chemistry, The Aangstroem Laboratory, Uppsala University, Box 538, SE-751 21 Uppsala (Sweden); Nystroem, Gustav; Mihranyan, Albert; Stroemme, Maria [Nanotechnology and Functional Materials, Department of Engineering Sciences, The Aangstroem Laboratory, Uppsala University, Box 534, SE-751 21 Uppsala (Sweden)

2011-09-01

All-polymer and paper-based energy storage devices have significant inherent advantages in comparison with many currently employed batteries and supercapacitors regarding environmental friendliness, flexibility, cost and versatility. The research within this field is currently undergoing an exciting development as new polymers, composites and paper-based devices are being developed. In this report, we review recent progress concerning the development of flexible energy storage devices based on electronically conducting polymers and cellulose containing composites with particular emphasis on paper-based batteries and supercapacitors. We discuss recent progress in the development of the most commonly used electronically conducting polymers used in flexible device prototypes, the advantages and disadvantages of this type of energy storage devices, as well as the two main approaches used in the manufacturing of paper-based charge storage devices. (Copyright copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Polymer-metal hybrid transparent electrodes for flexible electronics

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Hongkyu; Jung, Suhyun; Jeong, Soyeong; Kim, Geunjin; Lee, Kwanghee

2015-03-01

Despite nearly two decades of research, the absence of ideal flexible and transparent electrodes has been the largest obstacle in realizing flexible and printable electronics for future technologies. Here we report the fabrication of ‘polymer-metal hybrid electrodes’ with high-performance properties, including a bending radius 95% and a sheet resistance solar cells that exhibit a high power conversion efficiency of 10% and polymer light-emitting diodes that can outperform those based on transparent conducting oxides.

Radiation synthesis and characterization of network structure of natural/synthetic double-network superabsorbent polymers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sen, M.; Hayrabolulu, H.

2011-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) are moderately cross linked, 3-D, hydrophilic network polymers that can absorb and conserve considerable amounts of aqueous fluids even under certain heat or pressure. Because of the unique properties superior to conventional absorbents, SAPs have found potential application in many fields such as hygienic products, disposable diapers, horticulture, gel actuators, drug-delivery systems, as well as water-blocking tapes coal dewatering, water managing materials for the renewal of arid and desert environment, etc. In recent years, naturally available resources, such as polysaccharides have drawn considerable attention for the preparation of SAPs. Since the mechanical properties of polysaccharide based natural polymers are low, researchers have mostly focused on natural/synthetic polymer/monomer mixtures to obtain novel SAPs. The aim of this study is to synthesize and characterization of network structure of novel double-network (DN) hydrogels as a SAP. Hydrogels with high mechanical strength have been prepared by radiation induced polymerization and crosslink of acrylic acid sodium salt in the presence of natural polymer locust bean gum. Liquid retention capacities and absorbency under load (AUL) analysis of synthesized SAPs was performed at different temperatures in water and synthetic urine solution, in order to determine their SAP character. For the characterization of network structure of the semi-IPN hydrogels, the average molecular weight between cross links (M c ) were evaluated by using uniaxial compression and oscillatory dynamical mechanical analyses and the advantage and disadvantage of these two technique for the characterization of network structures were compared.

Strain induced tunable wavelength filters based on flexible polymer waveguide Bragg reflector.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Kyung-Jo; Seo, Jun-Kyu; Oh, Min-Cheol

2008-02-04

A tunable wavelength filter is demonstrated by imposing a strain on a polymeric Bragg reflection waveguide fabricated on a flexible substrate. The highly elastic property of flexible polymer device enables much wider tuning than the silica fiber. To produce a uniform grating pattern on a flexible plastic substrate, a post lift-off process along with an absorbing layer is incorporated. The flexible Bragg reflector shows narrow bandwidth, which is convincing the uniformity of the grating structure fabricated on plastic film. By stretching the flexible polymer device, the Bragg reflection wavelength is tuned continuously up to 45 nm for the maximum strain of 31,690 muepsilon, which is determined by the elastic expansion limit of waveguide polymer. From the linear wavelength shift proportional to the strain, the photoelastic coefficient of the ZPU polymer is found.

Amphiphilic semi-interpenetrating polymer networks using pulverized rubber

Science.gov (United States)

Shahidi, Nima

Scrap rubber materials provide a significant challenge to either reuse or safe disposal. Every year, millions of tires are discarded to landfills in the United States, consuming a staggering amount of land space, creating a high risk for large fires, breeding mosquitoes that spread diseases, and wasting the planet's natural resources. This situation cannot be sustained. The challenge of reusing scrap rubber materials is mainly due to the crosslinked structure of vulcanized rubber that prevent them from melting and further processing for reuse. The most feasible recycling approach is believed to be a process in which the vulcanized rubber is first pulverized into a fine powder and then incorporated into new products. The production of fine rubber particles is generally accomplished through the use of a cryogenic process that is costly. Therefore, development of a cost effective technology that utilizes a large quantity of the scrap rubber materials to produce high value added materials is an essential element in maintaining a sustainable solution to rubber recycling. In this research, a cost effective pulverization process, solid state shear extrusion (SSSE), was modified and used for continuous pulverization of the rubber into fine particles. In the modified SSSE process, pulverization takes place at high compressive shear forces and a controlled temperature. Furthermore, an innovative particle modification process was developed to enhance the chemical structure and surface properties of the rubber particles for manufacturing of high value added products. Modification of rubber particles was accomplished through the polymerization of a hydrophilic monomer mixture within the intermolecular structure of the hydrophobic rubber particles. The resulting composite particles are considered as amphiphilic particulate phase semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (PPSIPNs). The modified rubber particles are water dispersible and suitable for use in a variety of aqueous media

The effect of chain flexibility and chain mobility on radiation crosslinking reactions of polymers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Jiazhen

2003-01-01

Flexibility of polymer chains is an important factor to effects of radiation crosslinking of the polymer. Polymers with flexible chains are easier to be crosslinked, with lower dose of gelation, than polymers with more rigid chains. And it is known that most polymers with abnormal rigidity can be radiation-crosslinked only at high temperatures when the molecular chains get enough mobility. The flexibility of polymer chains also influences the relationship between degree of degradation and radiation dose. A chain flexibility factor β has been introduced to modify the Charlesby-Pinner equation of sol-fraction and radiation dose. The new relationship equation applies to a wider range of polymers in radiation crosslinking. Studies also show that for flexible polymers with lower T g and molecular internal rotating factor, mechanism of radiation crosslinking is mainly in H type, whereas for rigid polymers with higher T g and molecular internal rotating factor, mechanism of radiation crosslinking is mainly in T type

21 CFR 888.3358 - Hip joint metal/polymer/metal semi-constrained porous-coated uncemented prosthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Hip joint metal/polymer/metal semi-constrained... Devices § 888.3358 Hip joint metal/polymer/metal semi-constrained porous-coated uncemented prosthesis. (a) Identification. A hip joint metal/polymer/metal semi-constrained porous-coated uncemented prosthesis is a device...

Injectable and inherently vascularizing semi-interpenetrating polymer network for delivering cells to the subcutaneous space.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahou, Redouan; Zhang, David K Y; Vlahos, Alexander E; Sefton, Michael V

2017-07-01

Injectable hydrogels are suitable for local cell delivery to the subcutaneous space, but the lack of vasculature remains a limiting factor. Previously we demonstrated that biomaterials containing methacrylic acid promoted vascularization. Here we report the preparation of a semi-interpenetrating polymer network (SIPN), and its evaluation as an injectable carrier to deliver cells and generate blood vessels in a subcutaneous implantation site. The SIPN was prepared by reacting a blend of vinyl sulfone-terminated polyethylene glycol (PEG-VS) and sodium polymethacrylate (PMAA-Na) with dithiothreitol. The swelling of SIPN was sensitive to the PMAA-Na content but only small differences in gelation time, permeability and stiffness were noted. SIPN containing 20 mol% PMAA-Na generated a vascular network in the surrounding tissues, with 2-3 times as many vessels as was obtained with 10 mol% PMAA-Na or PEG alone. Perfusion studies showed that the generated vessels were perfused and connected to the host vasculature as early as seven days after transplantation. Islets embedded in SIPN were viable and responsive to glucose stimulation in vitro. In a proof of concept study in a streptozotocin-induced diabetic mouse model, a progressive return to normoglycemia was observed and the presence of insulin positive islets was confirmed when islets were embedded in SIPN prior to delivery. Our approach proposes a biomaterial-mediated strategy to deliver cells while enhancing vascularization. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

All-solid state flexible supercapacitors based on graphene/polymer composites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Jung Won; Choi, Bong Gill, E-mail: bgchoi@kangwon.ac.kr

2015-06-01

Recent advances in lightweight, flexible, and wearable electronic equipment has led to advancements in the development of sufficiently compact and flexible energy storage. A challenge remains to integrate the storage elements as closely as possible within a fully flexible device. Here, we demonstrate the fabrication of all-solid state flexible supercapacitors with the integration of two electrodes that consist of graphene/polymer composites. Robust conductive free-standing thin graphene/polymer composite electrodes were prepared through a simple “physical grinding” process. As-prepared composite electrodes store energy up to a reversible gravimetric capacitance of 90.6 F/g, at a constant current density of 0.5 A/g while also delivering long-term durability (90% retention) for excess of five-thousands of cycles. Notably, the enhancement of mechanical properties of supercapacitors enables them to maintain their electrochemical performance even when twisted or folded. This straightforward approach to the fabrication of fully flexible supercapacitors provides new design opportunities within wearable electronics and electrochemical applications. - Highlights: • All solid-sate supercapacitors were fabricated using graphene/polymer composite electrodes. • Supercapacitor devices show an excellent mechanical flexibility. • High electrochemical performances were demonstrated.

All-solid state flexible supercapacitors based on graphene/polymer composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jung Won; Choi, Bong Gill

2015-01-01

Recent advances in lightweight, flexible, and wearable electronic equipment has led to advancements in the development of sufficiently compact and flexible energy storage. A challenge remains to integrate the storage elements as closely as possible within a fully flexible device. Here, we demonstrate the fabrication of all-solid state flexible supercapacitors with the integration of two electrodes that consist of graphene/polymer composites. Robust conductive free-standing thin graphene/polymer composite electrodes were prepared through a simple “physical grinding” process. As-prepared composite electrodes store energy up to a reversible gravimetric capacitance of 90.6 F/g, at a constant current density of 0.5 A/g while also delivering long-term durability (90% retention) for excess of five-thousands of cycles. Notably, the enhancement of mechanical properties of supercapacitors enables them to maintain their electrochemical performance even when twisted or folded. This straightforward approach to the fabrication of fully flexible supercapacitors provides new design opportunities within wearable electronics and electrochemical applications. - Highlights: • All solid-sate supercapacitors were fabricated using graphene/polymer composite electrodes. • Supercapacitor devices show an excellent mechanical flexibility. • High electrochemical performances were demonstrated

Characterization of polymer silver pastes for screen printed flexible RFID antennas

Science.gov (United States)

Janeczek, Kamil; Jakubowska, Małgorzata; Futera, Konrad; MłoŻniak, Anna; Kozioł, GraŻyna; Araźna, Aneta

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems have become more and more popular in the last few years because of their wide application fields, such as supply chain management and logistics. To continue their development further investigations of new conductive materials for fabrication of RFID transponders' antennas are necessary to be carried out. These materials should provide high flexibility and good radiation performance of printed antennas. In this paper, two polymer silver pastes based on silver flakes were characterized with regard to manufacturing of flexible RFID antennas with screen printing technique. Foil and paper were used as a substrate materials. Surface profile of the printed antennas was measured using an optical profilometer and their resistance was measured with a four-point-probe method. Antenna flexibility was evaluated in cyclic bending tests and its performance with reflection coefficient measurements with the use of differential probe connected to a vector network analyzer. In addition, a maximum read distance of a fabricated RFID transponder was measured.

Semi-metallic, strong and stretchable wet-spun conjugated polymer microfibers

KAUST Repository

Zhou, Jian

2015-01-21

A dramatic improvement in electrical conductivity is necessary to make conductive polymer fibers viable candidates in applications such as flexible electrodes, conductive textiles, and fast-response sensors and actuators. In this study, high-performance poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT/PSS) conjugated polymer microfibers were fabricated via wet-spinning followed by hot-drawing. Due to the combined effects of the vertical hot-drawing process and doping/de-doping the microfibers with ethylene glycol (EG), we achieved a record electrical conductivity of 2804 S cm−1. This is, to the best of our knowledge, a six-fold improvement over the best previously reported value for PEDOT/PSS fibers (467 S cm−1) and a two-fold improvement over the best values for conductive polymer films treated by EG de-doping (1418 S cm−1). Moreover, we found that these highly conductive fibers experience a semiconductor–metal transition at 313 K. They also have superior mechanical properties with a Young\\'s modulus up to 8.3 GPa, a tensile strength reaching 409.8 MPa and a large elongation before failure (21%). The most conductive fiber also demonstrates an extraordinary electrical performance during stretching/unstretching: the conductivity increased by 25% before the fiber rupture point with a maximum strain up to 21%. Simple fabrication of the semi-metallic, strong and stretchable wet-spun PEDOT/PSS microfibers described here could make them available for conductive smart electronics.

Damage characterization for particles filled semi-crystalline polymer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lauro Franck

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Damage evolution and characterization in semi-crystalline polymer filled with particles under various loadings is still a challenge. A specific damage characterization method using Digital Image Correlation is proposed for a wide range of strain rates considering tensile tests with hydraulic jacks as well as Hopkinson's bars. This damage measurement is obtained by using and adapting the SEE method [1] which was developed to characterize the behaviour laws at constant strain rates of polymeric materials in dynamic. To validate the characterization process, various damage measurement techniques are used under quasi-static conditions before to apply the procedure in dynamic. So, the well-known damage characterization by loss of stiffness technique under quasi-static loading is applied to a polypropylene. In addition, an in-situ tensile test, carried out in a microtomograph, is used to observe the cavitation phenomenon in real time. A good correlation is obtained between all these techniques and consequently the proposed technique is supposed suitable for measuring the ductile damage observed in semi-crystalline polymers under dynamic loading. By applying it to the semi-crystalline polymer at moderate and high speed loadings, the damage evolution is measured and it is observed that the damage evolution is not strain rate dependent but the failure strain on the contrary is strain rate dependent.

Phase behaviour of rod-like colloid + flexible polymer mixtures

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lekkerkerker, H.N.W.; Stroobants, A.

The effect of non-adsorbing, flexible polymer on the isotropic-nematic transition in dispersions of rod-like colloids is investigated. A widening of the biphasic gap is observed, in combination with a marked polymer partitioning between the coexisting phases. Under certain conditions, areas of

Molecular model for solubility of gases in flexible polymers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Neergaard, Jesper; Hassager, Ole; Szabo, Peter

1999-01-01

We propose a model for a priori prediction of the solubility of gases in flexible polymers. The model is based on the concept of ideal solubility of gases in liquids. According to this concept, the mole fraction of gases in liquids is given by Raoult's law with the total pressure and the vapor...... pressure of the gas, where the latter may have to be extrapolated. However, instead of considering each polymer molecule as a rigid structure, we estimate the effective number of degrees of freedom from an equivalent freely jointed bead-rod model for the flexible polymer. In this model, we associate...... the length of the rods with the molecular weight corresponding to a Kuhn step. The model provides a tool for crude estimation of the gas solubility on the basis of only the monomer unit of the polymer and properties of the gas. A comparison with the solubility data for several gases in poly...

Flat flexible polymer heat pipes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oshman, Christopher; Li, Qian; Liew, Li-Anne; Yang, Ronggui; Bright, Victor M; Lee, Y C

2013-01-01

Flat, flexible, lightweight, polymer heat pipes (FPHP) were fabricated. The overall geometry of the heat pipe was 130 mm × 70 mm × 1.31 mm. A commercially available low-cost film composed of laminated sheets of low-density polyethylene terephthalate, aluminum and polyethylene layers was used as the casing. A triple-layer sintered copper woven mesh served as a liquid wicking structure, and water was the working fluid. A coarse nylon woven mesh provided space for vapor transport and mechanical rigidity. Thermal power ranging from 5 to 30 W was supplied to the evaporator while the device was flexed at 0°, 45° and 90°. The thermal resistance of the FPHP ranged from 1.2 to 3.0 K W −1 depending on the operating conditions while the thermal resistance for a similar-sized solid copper reference was a constant at 4.6 K W −1 . With 25 W power input, the thermal resistance of the liquid–vapor core of the FPHP was 23% of a copper reference sample with identical laminated polymer material. This work shows a promising combination of technologies that has the potential to usher in a new generation of highly flexible, lightweight, low-cost, high-performance thermal management solutions. (paper)

Solid state MEMS devices on flexible and semi-transparent silicon (100) platform

KAUST Repository

Ahmed, Sally; Hussain, Aftab M.; Rojas, Jhonathan Prieto; Hussain, Muhammad Mustafa

2014-01-01

We report fabrication of MEMS thermal actuators on flexible and semi-transparent silicon fabric released from bulk silicon (100). We fabricated the devices first and then released the top portion of the silicon (≈ 19 μm) which is flexible and semi-transparent. We also performed chemical mechanical polishing to reuse the remaining wafer. A tested thermal actuator with 3 μm wide 240 μm hot arm and 10 μm wide 185 μm long cold arm deflected by 1.7 μm at 1 V. The fabricated thermal actuators exhibit similar performance before and after bending. We believe the demonstrated process will expand the horizon of flexible electronics into MEMS world devices. © 2014 IEEE.

Self-organisation of semi-flexible rod-like particles

Science.gov (United States)

de Braaf, Bart; Oshima Menegon, Mariana; Paquay, Stefan; van der Schoot, Paul

2017-12-01

We report on a comprehensive computer simulation study of the liquid-crystal phase behaviour of purely repulsive, semi-flexible rod-like particles. For the four aspect ratios we consider, the particles form five distinct phases depending on their packing fraction and bending flexibility: the isotropic, nematic, smectic A, smectic B, and crystal phase. Upon increasing the particle bending flexibility, the various phase transitions shift to larger packing fractions. Increasing the aspect ratio achieves the opposite effect. We find two different ways in which the layer thickness of the particles in the smectic A phase may respond to an increase in concentration. The layer thickness may either decrease or increase depending on the aspect ratio and flexibility. For the smectic B and the crystalline phases, increasing the concentration always decreases the layer thickness. Finally, we find that the layer spacing jumps to a larger value on transitioning from the smectic A phase to the smectic B phase.

Current progress and technical challenges of flexible liquid crystal displays

Science.gov (United States)

Fujikake, Hideo; Sato, Hiroto

2009-02-01

We focused on several technical approaches to flexible liquid crystal (LC) display in this report. We have been developing flexible displays using plastic film substrates based on polymer-dispersed LC technology with molecular alignment control. In our representative devices, molecular-aligned polymer walls keep plastic-substrate gap constant without LC alignment disorder, and aligned polymer networks create monostable switching of fast-response ferroelectric LC (FLC) for grayscale capability. In the fabrication process, a high-viscosity FLC/monomer solution was printed, sandwiched and pressed between plastic substrates. Then the polymer walls and networks were sequentially formed based on photo-polymerization-induced phase separation in the nematic phase by two exposure processes of patterned and uniform ultraviolet light. The two flexible backlight films of direct illumination and light-guide methods using small three-primary-color light-emitting diodes were fabricated to obtain high-visibility display images. The fabricated flexible FLC panels were driven by external transistor arrays, internal organic thin film transistor (TFT) arrays, and poly-Si TFT arrays. We achieved full-color moving-image displays using the flexible FLC panel and the flexible backlight film based on field-sequential-color driving technique. Otherwise, for backlight-free flexible LC displays, flexible reflective devices of twisted guest-host nematic LC and cholesteric LC were discussed with molecular-aligned polymer walls. Singlesubstrate device structure and fabrication method using self-standing polymer-stabilized nematic LC film and polymer ceiling layer were also proposed for obtaining LC devices with excellent flexibility.

Fabrication of flexible polymer dispersed liquid crystal films using conducting polymer thin films as the driving electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Yang-Bae; Park, Sucheol; Hong, Jin-Who

2009-01-01

Conducting polymers exhibit good mechanical and interfacial compatibility with plastic substrates. We prepared an optimized coating formulation based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl acrylate and fabricated a transparent electrode on poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrate. The surface resistances and transmittance of the prepared thin films were 500-600 Ω/□ and 87% at 500 nm, respectively. To evaluate the performance of the conducting polymer electrode, we fabricated a five-layer flexible polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) device as a PET-PEDOT-PDLC-PEDOT-PET flexible film. The prepared PDLC device exhibited a low driving voltage (15 VAC), high contrast ratio (60:1), and high transmittance in the ON state (60%), characteristics that are comparable with those of conventional PDLC film based on indium tin oxide electrodes. The fabrication of conducting polymer thin films as the driving electrodes in this study showed that such films can be used as a substitute for an indium tin oxide electrode, which further enhances the flexibility of PDLC film

Time dependent mechanical modeling for polymers based on network theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Billon, Noëlle [MINES ParisTech, PSL-Research University, CEMEF – Centre de mise en forme des matériaux, CNRS UMR 7635, CS 10207 rue Claude Daunesse 06904 Sophia Antipolis Cedex (France)

2016-05-18

Despite of a lot of attempts during recent years, complex mechanical behaviour of polymers remains incompletely modelled, making industrial design of structures under complex, cyclic and hard loadings not totally reliable. The non linear and dissipative viscoelastic, viscoplastic behaviour of those materials impose to take into account non linear and combined effects of mechanical and thermal phenomena. In this view, a visco-hyperelastic, viscoplastic model, based on network description of the material has recently been developed and designed in a complete thermodynamic frame in order to take into account those main thermo-mechanical couplings. Also, a way to account for coupled effects of strain-rate and temperature was suggested. First experimental validations conducted in the 1D limit on amorphous rubbery like PMMA in isothermal conditions led to pretty goods results. In this paper a more complete formalism is presented and validated in the case of a semi crystalline polymer, a PA66 and a PET (either amorphous or semi crystalline) are used. Protocol for identification of constitutive parameters is described. It is concluded that this new approach should be the route to accurately model thermo-mechanical behaviour of polymers using a reduced number of parameters of some physical meaning.

Interlayer adhesion in roll-to-roll processed flexible inverted polymer solar cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dupont, Stephanie R.; Oliver, Mark; Krebs, Frederik C

2012-01-01

demonstrate how a thin-film adhesion technique can be applied to flexible organic solar cells to obtain quantitative adhesion values. For the P3HT:PCBM-based BHJ polymer solar cells, the interface of the BHJ with the conductive polymer layer PEDOT:PSS was found to be the weakest. The adhesion fracture energy......The interlayer adhesion of roll-to-roll processed flexible inverted P3HT:PCBM bulk heterojunction (BHJ) polymer solar cells is reported. Poor adhesion between adjacent layers may result in loss of device performance from delamination driven by the thermomechanical stresses in the device. We...... energies was observed....

Nanomorphological study of polymer bulk heterojuntion used in flexible solar devices

Science.gov (United States)

Calderón-Ortiz, Gabriel; Carrasco, Hector; Vedrine-Pauleus, Josee

2014-03-01

Solar cells fabricated with organic polymeric materials can enable large area fabrication on printable and flexible substrates, but increasing their efficiency is coupled to understanding their electrical properties and mechanical function on the nanoscale. In this study we measure the nanoscale conducting and mechanical properties of organic bulk heterojunction polymers coated on graphene and flexible PET or Si substrates. We characterize the nanomorphology of bulk heterojunction conducting polymers by applying conductive atomic force microscope (c-AFM), and force volume mapping for quantitative nanomechanical property calculations.

Transparent conductive-polymer strain sensors for touch input sheets of flexible displays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takamatsu, Seiichi; Takahata, Tomoyuki; Muraki, Masato; Iwase, Eiji; Matsumoto, Kiyoshi; Shimoyama, Isao

2010-01-01

A transparent conductive polymer-based strain-sensor array, designed especially for touch input sheets of flexible displays, was developed. A transparent conductive polymer, namely poly(3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrenesulfonate (PEDOT:PSS), was utilized owing to its strength under repeated mechanical bending. PEDOT:PSS strain sensors with a thickness of 130 nm exhibited light transmittance of 92%, which is the same as the transmittance of ITO electrodes widely used in flat panel displays. We demonstrated that the sensor array on a flexible sheet was able to sustain mechanical bending 300 times at a bending radius of 5 mm. The strain sensor shows a gauge factor of 5.2. The touch point on a flexible sheet could be detected from histograms of the outputs of the strain sensors when the sheet was pushed with an input force of 5 N. The touch input could be detected on the flexible sheet with a curved surface (radius of curvature of 20 mm). These results show that the developed transparent conductive polymer-based strain-sensor array is applicable to touch input sheets of mechanically bendable displays.

Fabrication and characterization of all-polymer, transparent ferroelectric capacitors on flexible substrates

KAUST Repository

Khan, Yasser

2011-12-01

All-polymer, transparent ferroelectric devices, based on the functional polymer poly(vinylidene fluoride trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)], have been fabricated on flexible substrates. The performance of the all-polymer devices was studied and compared to devices with metal electrodes. Specifically, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonic acid) [PEDOT:PSS] and platinum (Pt) electrode effects on the morphology, crystallinity and orientation of P(VDF-TrFE) films were investigated. The devices with PEDOT:PSS electrodes showed similar hysteresis and switching current response compared to Pt electrodes but with tremendously improved fatigue performance. Further, the devices with PEDOT:PSS electrodes showed lower coercive field and better fatigue performance than values reported for other polymer electrodes used with P(VDF-TrFE) on flexible substrates. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fabrication of ferroelectric polymer nanostructures on flexible substrates by soft-mold reverse nanoimprint lithography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, Jingfeng; Lu, Haidong; Gruverman, Alexei; Ducharme, Stephen; Li, Shumin; Tan, Li

2016-01-01

Conventional nanoimprint lithography with expensive rigid molds is used to pattern ferroelectric polymer nanostructures on hard substrate for use in, e.g., organic electronics. The main innovation here is the use of inexpensive soft polycarbonate molds derived from recordable DVDs and reverse nanoimprint lithography at low pressure, which is compatible with flexible substrates. This approach was implemented to produce regular stripe arrays with a spacing of 700 nm from vinylidene fluoride co trifluoroethylene ferroelectric copolymer on flexible polyethylene terephthalate substrates. The nanostructures have very stable and switchable piezoelectric response and good crystallinity, and are highly promising for use in organic electronics enhanced or complemented by the unique properties of the ferroelectric polymer, such as bistable polarization, piezoelectric response, pyroelectric response, or electrocaloric function. The soft-mold reverse nanoimprint lithography also leaves little or no residual layer, affording good isolation of the nanostructures. This approach reduces the cost and facilitates large-area, high-throughput production of isolated functional polymer nanostructures on flexible substrates for the increasing application of ferroelectric polymers in flexible electronics. (paper)

Fabrication of ferroelectric polymer nanostructures on flexible substrates by soft-mold reverse nanoimprint lithography.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Jingfeng; Lu, Haidong; Li, Shumin; Tan, Li; Gruverman, Alexei; Ducharme, Stephen

2016-01-08

Conventional nanoimprint lithography with expensive rigid molds is used to pattern ferroelectric polymer nanostructures on hard substrate for use in, e.g., organic electronics. The main innovation here is the use of inexpensive soft polycarbonate molds derived from recordable DVDs and reverse nanoimprint lithography at low pressure, which is compatible with flexible substrates. This approach was implemented to produce regular stripe arrays with a spacing of 700 nm from vinylidene fluoride co trifluoroethylene ferroelectric copolymer on flexible polyethylene terephthalate substrates. The nanostructures have very stable and switchable piezoelectric response and good crystallinity, and are highly promising for use in organic electronics enhanced or complemented by the unique properties of the ferroelectric polymer, such as bistable polarization, piezoelectric response, pyroelectric response, or electrocaloric function. The soft-mold reverse nanoimprint lithography also leaves little or no residual layer, affording good isolation of the nanostructures. This approach reduces the cost and facilitates large-area, high-throughput production of isolated functional polymer nanostructures on flexible substrates for the increasing application of ferroelectric polymers in flexible electronics.

A flexible tactile-feedback touch screen using transparent ferroelectric polymer film vibrators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ju, Woo-Eon; Moon, Yong-Ju; Park, Cheon-Ho; Choi, Seung Tae

2014-01-01

To provide tactile feedback on flexible touch screens, transparent relaxor ferroelectric polymer film vibrators were designed and fabricated in this study. The film vibrator can be integrated underneath a transparent cover film or glass, and can also produce acoustic waves that cause a tactile sensation on human fingertips. Poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE)] polymer was used as the relaxor ferroelectric polymer because it produces a large strain under applied electric fields, shows a fast response, and has excellent optical transparency. The natural frequency of this tactile-feedback touch screen was designed to be around 200–240 Hz, at which the haptic perception of human fingertips is the most sensitive; therefore, the resonance of the touch screen at its natural frequency provides maximum haptic sensation. A multilayered relaxor ferroelectric polymer film vibrator was also demonstrated to provide the same vibration power at reduced voltage. The flexible P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE) film vibrators developed in this study are expected to provide tactile sensation not only in large-area flat panel displays, but also in flexible displays and touch screens. (papers)

Highly flexible and all-solid-state paperlike polymer supercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Chuizhou; Liu, Changhong; Chen, Luzhuo; Hu, Chunhua; Fan, Shoushan

2010-10-13

In recent years, much effort have been dedicated to achieve thin, lightweight and even flexible energy-storage devices for wearable electronics. Here we demonstrate a novel kind of ultrathin all-solid-state supercapacitor configuration with an extremely simple process using two slightly separated polyaniline-based electrodes well solidified in the H(2)SO(4)-polyvinyl alcohol gel electrolyte. The thickness of the entire device is much comparable to that of a piece of commercial standard A4 print paper. Under its highly flexible (twisting) state, the integrate device shows a high specific capacitance of 350 F/g for the electrode materials, well cycle stability after 1000 cycles and a leakage current of as small as 17.2 μA. Furthermore, due to its polymer-based component structure, it has a specific capacitance of as high as 31.4 F/g for the entire device, which is more than 6 times that of current high-level commercial supercapacitor products. These highly flexible and all-solid-state paperlike polymer supercapacitors may bring new design opportunities of device configuration for energy-storage devices in the future wearable electronic area.

Simulation of Stimuli-Responsive Polymer Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Gruhn

2013-11-01

Full Text Available The structure and material properties of polymer networks can depend sensitively on changes in the environment. There is a great deal of progress in the development of stimuli-responsive hydrogels for applications like sensors, self-repairing materials or actuators. Biocompatible, smart hydrogels can be used for applications, such as controlled drug delivery and release, or for artificial muscles. Numerical studies have been performed on different length scales and levels of details. Macroscopic theories that describe the network systems with the help of continuous fields are suited to study effects like the stimuli-induced deformation of hydrogels on large scales. In this article, we discuss various macroscopic approaches and describe, in more detail, our phase field model, which allows the calculation of the hydrogel dynamics with the help of a free energy that considers physical and chemical impacts. On a mesoscopic level, polymer systems can be modeled with the help of the self-consistent field theory, which includes the interactions, connectivity, and the entropy of the polymer chains, and does not depend on constitutive equations. We present our recent extension of the method that allows the study of the formation of nano domains in reversibly crosslinked block copolymer networks. Molecular simulations of polymer networks allow the investigation of the behavior of specific systems on a microscopic scale. As an example for microscopic modeling of stimuli sensitive polymer networks, we present our Monte Carlo simulations of a filament network system with crosslinkers.

A study of selenium nanoparticles as charge storage element for flexible semi-transparent memory devices

Science.gov (United States)

Alotaibi, Sattam; Nama Manjunatha, Krishna; Paul, Shashi

2017-12-01

Flexible Semi-Transparent electronic memory would be useful in coming years for integrated flexible transparent electronic devices. However, attaining such flexibility and semi-transparency leads to the boundaries in material composition. Thus, impeding processing speed and device performance. In this work, we present the use of inorganic stable selenium nanoparticles (Se-NPs) as a storage element and hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H) as an insulating layer in two terminal non-volatile physically flexible and semi-transparent capacitive memory devices (2T-NMDs). Furthermore, a-C:H films can be deposited at very low temperature (industrial technique called Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition (PECVD) which is available in many existing fabrication labs. Self-assembled Se-NPs has several unique features including deposition at room temperature by simple vacuum thermal evaporation process without the need for further optimisation. This facilitates the fabrication of memory on a flexible substrate. Moreover, the memory behaviour of the Se-NPs was found to be more distinct than those of the semiconductor and metal nanostructures due to higher work function compared to the commonly used semiconductor and metal species. The memory behaviour was observed from the hysteresis of current-voltage (I-V) measurements while the two distinguishable electrical conductivity states (;0; and "1") were studied by current-time (I-t) measurements.

Time-dependent deformation of polymer network in polymer-stabilized cholesteric liquid crystals (Conference Presentation)

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Kyung Min; Tondiglia, Vincent P.; Bunning, Timothy J.; White, Timothy J.

2017-02-01

Recently, we reported direct current (DC) field controllable electro-optic (EO) responses of negative dielectric anisotropy polymer stabilized cholesteric liquid crystals (PSCLCs). A potential mechanism is: Ions in the liquid crystal mixtures are trapped in/on the polymer network during the fast photopolymerization process, and the movement of ions by the application of the DC field distorts polymer network toward the negative electrode, inducing pitch variation through the cell thickness, i.e., pitch compression on the negative electrode side and pitch expansion on positive electrode side. As the DC voltage is directly applied to a target voltage, charged polymer network is deformed and the reflection band is tuned. Interestingly, the polymer network deforms further (red shift of reflection band) with time when constantly applied DC voltage, illustrating DC field induced time dependent deformation of polymer network (creep-like behavior). This time dependent reflection band changes in PSCLCs are investigated by varying the several factors, such as type and concentration of photoinitiators, liquid crystal monomer content, and curing condition (UV intensity and curing time). In addition, simple linear viscoelastic spring-dashpot models, such as 2-parameter Kelvin and 3-parameter linear models, are used to investigate the time-dependent viscoelastic behaviors of polymer networks in PSCLC.

Catalytic molecularly imprinted polymer membranes: development of the biomimetic sensor for phenols detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Sergeyeva, T A; Slinchenko, O A; Gorbach, L A; Matyushov, V F; Brovko, O O; Piletsky, S A; Sergeeva, L M; Elska, G V

2010-02-05

Portable biomimetic sensor devices for the express control of phenols content in water were developed. The synthetic binding sites mimicking active site of the enzyme tyrosinase were formed in the structure of free-standing molecularly imprinted polymer membranes. Molecularly imprinted polymer membranes with the catalytic activity were obtained by co-polymerization of the complex Cu(II)-catechol-urocanic acid ethyl ester with (tri)ethyleneglycoldimethacrylate, and oligourethaneacrylate. Addition of the elastic component oligourethaneacrylate provided formation of the highly cross-linked polymer with the catalytic activity in a form of thin, flexible, and mechanically stable membrane. High accessibility of the artificial catalytic sites for the interaction with the analyzed phenol molecules was achieved due to addition of linear polymer (polyethyleneglycol Mw 20,000) to the initial monomer mixture before the polymerization. As a result, typical semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (semi-IPNs) were formed. The cross-linked component of the semi-IPN was represented by the highly cross-linked catalytic molecularly imprinted polymer, while the linear one was represented by polyethyleneglycol Mw 20,000. Extraction of the linear polymer from the fully formed semi-IPN resulted in formation of large pores in the membranes' structure. Concentration of phenols in the analyzed samples was detected using universal portable device oxymeter with the oxygen electrode in a close contact with the catalytic molecularly imprinted polymer membrane as a transducer. The detection limit of phenols detection using the developed sensor system based on polymers-biomimics with the optimized composition comprised 0.063 mM, while the linear range of the sensor comprised 0.063-1 mM. The working characteristics of the portable sensor devices were investigated. Storage stability of sensor systems at room temperature comprised 12 months (87%). As compared to traditional methods of phenols

Micromechanical modeling of the elasto-viscoplastic bahavior of semi-crystalline polymers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dommelen, van J.A.W.; Parks, D.M.; Boyce, M.C.; Brekelmans, W.A.M.; Baaijens, F.P.T.

2003-01-01

A micromechanically-based constitutive model for the elasto-viscoplastic deformationand texture evolution of semi-crystalline polymers is developed. The modelidealizes the microstructure to consist of an aggregate of two-phase layered compositeinclusions. A new framework for the composite inclusion

Micro-fabrication of Flexible Coils with Copper Filled Through Polymer Via Structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, Q S; Zhang, Y; Itoh, T; Maeda, R; Toda, A

2013-01-01

In this work, we present one flexible 3D micro-coil. This 3D micro-coil is successfully prepared in a thin polymer film with a thickness of 120μm. The flexible coil is expected to be used in current sensing and energy harvesting MEMS those require a large deformation degree to wrap target object. A typical micro-machined 3D coil is composed of bottom, vertical and top windings. We firstly adopt through polymer vias (TPVs) and metal filling technology to fabricate the vertical windings. A high-speed copper electrodeposition technology of TPVs is developed to obtain void-free vertical windings

Flexible semi-transparent silicon (100) fabric with high-k/metal gate devices

KAUST Repository

Rojas, Jhonathan Prieto; Hussain, Muhammad Mustafa

2013-01-01

(100) wafers and then released as continuous, mechanically flexible, optically semi-transparent and high thermal budget compatible silicon fabric with devices. This is the first ever demonstration with this set of materials which allows full degree

Flexible network wireless transceiver and flexible network telemetry transceiver

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Kenneth D.

2008-08-05

A transceiver for facilitating two-way wireless communication between a baseband application and other nodes in a wireless network, wherein the transceiver provides baseband communication networking and necessary configuration and control functions along with transmitter, receiver, and antenna functions to enable the wireless communication. More specifically, the transceiver provides a long-range wireless duplex communication node or channel between the baseband application, which is associated with a mobile or fixed space, air, water, or ground vehicle or other platform, and other nodes in the wireless network or grid. The transceiver broadly comprises a communication processor; a flexible telemetry transceiver including a receiver and a transmitter; a power conversion and regulation mechanism; a diplexer; and a phased array antenna system, wherein these various components and certain subcomponents thereof may be separately enclosed and distributable relative to the other components and subcomponents.

Dielectric properties and conductivity of carbon nanofiber/semi-crystalline polymer composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sui, G.; Jana, S.; Zhong, W.H.; Fuqua, M.A.; Ulven, C.A.

2008-01-01

The properties of semi-crystalline polymer nanocomposites are affected by the nanofillers directly and indirectly, as two phases, i.e., crystalline and amorphous, exist in the polymer. The effects of nanofillers on the two phases could be competitive. The dielectric properties and conductivity of carbon nanofibers (CNF)/semi-crystalline polymer nanocomposites are studied in this paper. CNF/polypropylene (PP) nanocomposites are prepared in experiment by melt blending. The resulting morphology and crystalline structure are characterized by means of differential scanning calorimetry, wide angle X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The PP nanocomposite containing 5 wt.% CNF exhibits a surprisingly high dielectric constant under wide sweep frequencies attended by low dielectric loss. Its dielectric constant is >600 under lower frequency, and remains >200 at a frequency of 4000 Hz. The electrical and thermal conductivities of the nanocomposites are studied, and enhancements are seen with increased CNF content. Theoretical analyses on the physical properties are carried out by applying the existing models. Research results indicate that a common commercial plastic with good comprehensive performance, which exhibited the potential for applications in advanced electronics, was obtained by a simple industry benign technique

Statistical mechanics of polymer networks of any topology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duplantier, B.

1989-01-01

The statistical mechanics is considered of any polymer network with a prescribed topology, in dimension d, which was introduced previously. The basic direct renormalization theory of the associated continuum model is established. It has a very simple multiplicative structure in terms of the partition functions of the star polymers constituting the vertices of the network. A calculation is made to O(ε 2 ), where d = 4 -ε, of the basic critical dimensions σ L associated with any L=leg vertex (L ≥ 1). From this infinite series of critical exponents, any topology-dependent critical exponent can be derived. This is applied to the configuration exponent γ G of any network G to O(ε 2 ), including L-leg star polymers. The infinite sets of contact critical exponents θ between multiple points of polymers or between the cores of several star polymers are also deduced. As a particular case, the three exponents θ 0 , θ 1 , θ 2 calculated by des Cloizeaux by field-theoretic methods are recovered. The limiting exact logarithmic laws are derived at the upper critical dimension d = 4. The results are generalized to the series of topological exponents of polymer networks near a surface and of tricritical polymers at the Θ-point. Intersection properties of networks of random walks can be studied similarly. The above factorization theory of the partition function of any polymer network over its constituting L-vertices also applies to two dimensions, where it can be related to conformal invariance. The basic critical exponents σ L and thus any topological polymer exponents are then exactly known. Principal results published elsewhere are recalled

Flexible manifold embedding: a framework for semi-supervised and unsupervised dimension reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Nie, Feiping; Xu, Dong; Tsang, Ivor Wai-Hung; Zhang, Changshui

2010-07-01

We propose a unified manifold learning framework for semi-supervised and unsupervised dimension reduction by employing a simple but effective linear regression function to map the new data points. For semi-supervised dimension reduction, we aim to find the optimal prediction labels F for all the training samples X, the linear regression function h(X) and the regression residue F(0) = F - h(X) simultaneously. Our new objective function integrates two terms related to label fitness and manifold smoothness as well as a flexible penalty term defined on the residue F(0). Our Semi-Supervised learning framework, referred to as flexible manifold embedding (FME), can effectively utilize label information from labeled data as well as a manifold structure from both labeled and unlabeled data. By modeling the mismatch between h(X) and F, we show that FME relaxes the hard linear constraint F = h(X) in manifold regularization (MR), making it better cope with the data sampled from a nonlinear manifold. In addition, we propose a simplified version (referred to as FME/U) for unsupervised dimension reduction. We also show that our proposed framework provides a unified view to explain and understand many semi-supervised, supervised and unsupervised dimension reduction techniques. Comprehensive experiments on several benchmark databases demonstrate the significant improvement over existing dimension reduction algorithms.

Design of semi-rigid type of flexible pavements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pranshoo Solanki

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The primary objective of the study presented in this paper is to develop design curves for performance prediction of stabilized layers and to compare semi-rigid flexible pavement designs between the empirical AASHTO 1993 and the mechanistic-empirical pavement design methodologies. Specifically, comparisons were made for a range of different sections consisting of cementitious layers stabilized with different types and percentages of additives. It is found that the design thickness is influenced by the type of soil, additive, selection of material property and design method. Cost comparisons of sections stabilized with different percentage and type of additives showed that CKD-stabilization provides economically low cost sections as compared to lime- and CFA-stabilized sections. Knowledge gained from the parametric analysis of different sections using AASHTO 1993 and MEPDG is expected to be useful to pavement designers and others in implementation of the new MEPDG for future pavement design. Keywords: Semi-rigid, Mechanistic, Resilient modulus, Fatigue life, Reliability, Traffic

A stretchable polymer-carbon nanotube composite electrode for flexible lithium-ion batteries: porosity engineering by controlled phase separation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Hojun; Yoo, Jung-Keun; Jung, Yeon Sik [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Park, Jong-Hyun [Material R and D Department, LG Display Co., Ltd., Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jin Ho [Icheon Branch, Korea Institute of Ceramic Engineering and Technology, Icheon-si, Gyeonggi-do (Korea, Republic of); Kang, Kisuk [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2012-08-15

Flexible energy-storage devices have attracted growing attention with the fast development of bendable electronic systems. However, it still remains a challenge to find reliable electrode materials with both high mechanical flexibility/toughness and excellent electron and lithium-ion conductivity. This paper reports the fabrication and characterization of highly porous, stretchable, and conductive polymer nanocomposites embedded with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for application in flexible lithium-ion batteries. The systematic optimization of the porous morphology is performed by controllably inducing the phase separation of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and removing PMMA, in order to generate well-controlled pore networks. It is demonstrated that the porous CNT-embedded PDMS nanocomposites are capable of good electrochemical performance with mechanical flexibility, suggesting these nanocomposites could be outstanding anode candidates for use in flexible lithium-ion batteries. The optimization of the pore size and the volume fraction provides higher capacity by nearly seven-fold compared to a nonporous nanocomposite. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Network approach towards understanding the crazing in glassy amorphous polymers

Science.gov (United States)

Venkatesan, Sudarkodi; Vivek-Ananth, R. P.; Sreejith, R. P.; Mangalapandi, Pattulingam; Hassanali, Ali A.; Samal, Areejit

2018-04-01

We have used molecular dynamics to simulate an amorphous glassy polymer with long chains to study the deformation mechanism of crazing and associated void statistics. The Van der Waals interactions and the entanglements between chains constituting the polymer play a crucial role in crazing. Thus, we have reconstructed two underlying weighted networks, namely, the Van der Waals network and the entanglement network from polymer configurations extracted from the molecular dynamics simulation. Subsequently, we have performed graph-theoretic analysis of the two reconstructed networks to reveal the role played by them in the crazing of polymers. Our analysis captured various stages of crazing through specific trends in the network measures for Van der Waals networks and entanglement networks. To further corroborate the effectiveness of network analysis in unraveling the underlying physics of crazing in polymers, we have contrasted the trends in network measures for Van der Waals networks and entanglement networks in the light of stress-strain behaviour and voids statistics during deformation. We find that the Van der Waals network plays a crucial role in craze initiation and growth. Although, the entanglement network was found to maintain its structure during craze initiation stage, it was found to progressively weaken and undergo dynamic changes during the hardening and failure stages of crazing phenomena. Our work demonstrates the utility of network theory in quantifying the underlying physics of polymer crazing and widens the scope of applications of network science to characterization of deformation mechanisms in diverse polymers.

Atomic layer deposition on polymer based flexible packaging materials: Growth characteristics and diffusion barrier properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaeaeriaeinen, Tommi O.; Maydannik, Philipp; Cameron, David C.; Lahtinen, Kimmo; Johansson, Petri; Kuusipalo, Jurkka

2011-01-01

One of the most promising areas for the industrial application of atomic layer deposition (ALD) is for gas barrier layers on polymers. In this work, a packaging material system with improved diffusion barrier properties has been developed and studied by applying ALD on flexible polymer based packaging materials. Nanometer scale metal oxide films have been applied to polymer-coated papers and their diffusion barrier properties have been studied by means of water vapor and oxygen transmission rates. The materials for the study were constructed in two stages: the paper was firstly extrusion coated with polymer film, which was then followed by the ALD deposition of oxide layer. The polymers used as extrusion coatings were polypropylene, low and high density polyethylene, polylactide and polyethylene terephthalate. Water vapor transmission rates (WVTRs) were measured according to method SCAN-P 22:68 and oxygen transmission rates (O 2 TRs) according to a standard ASTM D 3985. According to the results a 10 nm oxide layer already decreased the oxygen transmission by a factor of 10 compared to uncoated material. WVTR with 40 nm ALD layer was better than the level currently required for most common dry flexible packaging applications. When the oxide layer thickness was increased to 100 nm and above, the measured WVTRs were limited by the measurement set up. Using an ALD layer allowed the polymer thickness on flexible packaging materials to be reduced. Once the ALD layer was 40 nm thick, WVTRs and O 2 TRs were no longer dependent on polymer layer thickness. Thus, nanometer scale ALD oxide layers have shown their feasibility as high quality diffusion barriers on flexible packaging materials.

Atomic layer deposition on polymer based flexible packaging materials: Growth characteristics and diffusion barrier properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaeaeriaeinen, Tommi O., E-mail: tommi.kaariainen@lut.f [ASTRaL, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Prikaatinkatu 3 E, 50100 Mikkeli (Finland); Maydannik, Philipp, E-mail: philipp.maydannik@lut.f [ASTRaL, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Prikaatinkatu 3 E, 50100 Mikkeli (Finland); Cameron, David C., E-mail: david.cameron@lut.f [ASTRaL, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Prikaatinkatu 3 E, 50100 Mikkeli (Finland); Lahtinen, Kimmo, E-mail: kimmo.lahtinen@tut.f [Tampere University of Technology, Paper Converting and Packaging Technology, P.O. Box 541, 33101 Tampere (Finland); Johansson, Petri, E-mail: petri.johansson@tut.f [Tampere University of Technology, Paper Converting and Packaging Technology, P.O. Box 541, 33101 Tampere (Finland); Kuusipalo, Jurkka, E-mail: jurkka.kuusipalo@tut.f [Tampere University of Technology, Paper Converting and Packaging Technology, P.O. Box 541, 33101 Tampere (Finland)

2011-03-01

One of the most promising areas for the industrial application of atomic layer deposition (ALD) is for gas barrier layers on polymers. In this work, a packaging material system with improved diffusion barrier properties has been developed and studied by applying ALD on flexible polymer based packaging materials. Nanometer scale metal oxide films have been applied to polymer-coated papers and their diffusion barrier properties have been studied by means of water vapor and oxygen transmission rates. The materials for the study were constructed in two stages: the paper was firstly extrusion coated with polymer film, which was then followed by the ALD deposition of oxide layer. The polymers used as extrusion coatings were polypropylene, low and high density polyethylene, polylactide and polyethylene terephthalate. Water vapor transmission rates (WVTRs) were measured according to method SCAN-P 22:68 and oxygen transmission rates (O{sub 2}TRs) according to a standard ASTM D 3985. According to the results a 10 nm oxide layer already decreased the oxygen transmission by a factor of 10 compared to uncoated material. WVTR with 40 nm ALD layer was better than the level currently required for most common dry flexible packaging applications. When the oxide layer thickness was increased to 100 nm and above, the measured WVTRs were limited by the measurement set up. Using an ALD layer allowed the polymer thickness on flexible packaging materials to be reduced. Once the ALD layer was 40 nm thick, WVTRs and O{sub 2}TRs were no longer dependent on polymer layer thickness. Thus, nanometer scale ALD oxide layers have shown their feasibility as high quality diffusion barriers on flexible packaging materials.

SANS from interpenetrating polymer networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Markotsis, M.G.; Burford, R.P.; Knott, R.B.; Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Menai, NSW; Hanley, T.L.; CRC for Polymers,; Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Menai, NSW; Papamanuel, N.

2003-01-01

Full text: Interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) have been formed by combining two polymeric systems in order to gain enhanced material properties. IPNs are a combination of two or more polymers in network form with one network polymerised and/or crosslinked in the immediate presence of the other(s).1 IPNs allow better blending of two or more crosslinked networks. In this study two sets of IPNs were produced and their microstructure studied using a variety of techniques including small angle neutron scattering (SANS). The first system combined a glassy polymer (polystyrene) with an elastomeric polymer (SBS) with the glassy polymer predominating, to give a high impact plastic. The second set of IPNs contained epichlorohydrin (CO) and nitrile rubber (NBR), and was formed in order to produce novel materials with enhanced chemical and gas barrier properties. In both cases if the phase mixing is optimised the probability of controlled morphologies and synergistic behaviour is increased. The PS/SBS IPNs were prepared using sequential polymerisation. The primary SBS network was thermally crosslinked, then the polystyrene network was polymerised and crosslinked using gamma irradiation to avoid possible thermal degradation of the butadiene segment of the SBS. Tough transparent systems were produced with no apparent thermal degradation of the polybutadiene segments. The epichlorohydrin/nitrile rubber IPNs were formed by simultaneous thermal crosslinking reactions. The epichlorohydrin network was formed using lead based crosslinker, while the nitrile rubber was crosslinked by peroxide methods. The use of two different crosslinking systems was employed in order to achieve independent crosslinking thus resulting in an IPN with minimal grafting between the component networks. SANS, Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to examine the size and shape of the phase domains and investigate any variation with crosslinking level and

Polymer-Assisted Direct Deposition of Uniform Carbon Nanotube Bundle Networks for High Performance Transparent Electrodes

KAUST Repository

Hellstrom, Sondra L.; Lee, Hang Woo; Bao, Zhenan

2009-01-01

Flexible transparent electrodes are crucial for touch screen, flat panel display, and solar cell technologies. While carbon nanotube network electrodes show promise, characteristically poor dispersion properties have limited their practicality. We report that addition of small amounts of conjugated polymer to nanotube dispersions enables straightforward fabrication of uniform network electrodes by spin-coating and simultaneous tuning of parameters such as bundle size and density. After treatment in thionyl chloride, electrodes have sheet resistances competitive with other reported carbon nanotube based transparent electrodes to date. © 2009 American Chemical Society.

Polymer-Assisted Direct Deposition of Uniform Carbon Nanotube Bundle Networks for High Performance Transparent Electrodes

KAUST Repository

Hellstrom, Sondra L.

2009-06-23

Flexible transparent electrodes are crucial for touch screen, flat panel display, and solar cell technologies. While carbon nanotube network electrodes show promise, characteristically poor dispersion properties have limited their practicality. We report that addition of small amounts of conjugated polymer to nanotube dispersions enables straightforward fabrication of uniform network electrodes by spin-coating and simultaneous tuning of parameters such as bundle size and density. After treatment in thionyl chloride, electrodes have sheet resistances competitive with other reported carbon nanotube based transparent electrodes to date. © 2009 American Chemical Society.

Effect of Ultrasonic Vibration on Mechanical Properties of 3D Printing Non-Crystalline and Semi-Crystalline Polymers.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Guiwei; Zhao, Ji; Wu, Wenzheng; Jiang, Jili; Wang, Bofan; Jiang, Hao; Fuh, Jerry Ying Hsi

2018-05-17

Fused deposition modeling 3D printing has become the most widely used additive manufacturing technology because of its low manufacturing cost and simple manufacturing process. However, the mechanical properties of the 3D printing parts are not satisfactory. Certain pressure and ultrasonic vibration were applied to 3D printed samples to study the effect on the mechanical properties of 3D printed non-crystalline and semi-crystalline polymers. The tensile strength of the semi-crystalline polymer polylactic acid was increased by 22.83% and the bending strength was increased by 49.05%, which were almost twice the percentage increase in the tensile strength and five times the percentage increase in the bending strength of the non-crystalline polymer acrylonitrile butadiene styrene with ultrasonic strengthening. The dynamic mechanical properties of the non-crystalline and semi-crystalline polymers were both improved after ultrasonic enhancement. Employing ultrasonic energy can significantly improve the mechanical properties of samples without modifying the 3D printed material or adjusting the forming process parameters.

Poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene polymer electrolyte for paper-based and flexible battery applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nojan Aliahmad

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Paper-based batteries represent a new frontier in battery technology. However, low-flexibility and poor ionic conductivity of solid electrolytes have been major impediments in achieving practical mechanically flexible batteries. This work discuss new highly ionic conductive polymer gel electrolytes for paper-based battery applications. In this paper, we present a poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene (PVDH-HFP porous membrane electrolyte enhanced with lithium bis(trifluoromethane sulphoneimide (LiTFSI and lithium aluminum titanium phosphate (LATP, with an ionic conductivity of 2.1 × 10−3 S cm−1. Combining ceramic (LATP with the gel structure of PVDF-HFP and LiTFSI ionic liquid harnesses benefits of ceramic and gel electrolytes in providing flexible electrolytes with a high ionic conductivity. In a flexibility test experiment, bending the polymer electrolyte at 90° for 20 times resulted in 14% decrease in ionic conductivity. Efforts to further improving the flexibility of the presented electrolyte are ongoing. Using this electrolyte, full-cell batteries with lithium titanium oxide (LTO and lithium cobalt oxide (LCO electrodes and (i standard metallic current collectors and (ii paper-based current collectors were fabricated and tested. The achieved specific capacities were (i 123 mAh g−1 for standard metallic current collectors and (ii 99.5 mAh g−1 for paper-based current collectors. Thus, the presented electrolyte has potential to become a viable candidate in paper-based and flexible battery applications. Fabrication methods, experimental procedures, and test results for the polymer gel electrolyte and batteries are presented and discussed.

Poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) polymer electrolyte for paper-based and flexible battery applications

Science.gov (United States)

Aliahmad, Nojan; Shrestha, Sudhir; Varahramyan, Kody; Agarwal, Mangilal

2016-06-01

Paper-based batteries represent a new frontier in battery technology. However, low-flexibility and poor ionic conductivity of solid electrolytes have been major impediments in achieving practical mechanically flexible batteries. This work discuss new highly ionic conductive polymer gel electrolytes for paper-based battery applications. In this paper, we present a poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDH-HFP) porous membrane electrolyte enhanced with lithium bis(trifluoromethane sulphone)imide (LiTFSI) and lithium aluminum titanium phosphate (LATP), with an ionic conductivity of 2.1 × 10-3 S cm-1. Combining ceramic (LATP) with the gel structure of PVDF-HFP and LiTFSI ionic liquid harnesses benefits of ceramic and gel electrolytes in providing flexible electrolytes with a high ionic conductivity. In a flexibility test experiment, bending the polymer electrolyte at 90° for 20 times resulted in 14% decrease in ionic conductivity. Efforts to further improving the flexibility of the presented electrolyte are ongoing. Using this electrolyte, full-cell batteries with lithium titanium oxide (LTO) and lithium cobalt oxide (LCO) electrodes and (i) standard metallic current collectors and (ii) paper-based current collectors were fabricated and tested. The achieved specific capacities were (i) 123 mAh g-1 for standard metallic current collectors and (ii) 99.5 mAh g-1 for paper-based current collectors. Thus, the presented electrolyte has potential to become a viable candidate in paper-based and flexible battery applications. Fabrication methods, experimental procedures, and test results for the polymer gel electrolyte and batteries are presented and discussed.

Poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) polymer electrolyte for paper-based and flexible battery applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aliahmad, Nojan; Shrestha, Sudhir; Varahramyan, Kody [Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), Indianapolis, IN, 46202 (United States); Integrated Nanosystems Development Institute (INDI), Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), Indianapolis, IN, 46202 (United States); Agarwal, Mangilal, E-mail: agarwal@iupui.edu [Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), Indianapolis, IN, 46202 (United States); Integrated Nanosystems Development Institute (INDI), Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), Indianapolis, IN, 46202 (United States); Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), Indianapolis, IN, 46202 (United States)

2016-06-15

Paper-based batteries represent a new frontier in battery technology. However, low-flexibility and poor ionic conductivity of solid electrolytes have been major impediments in achieving practical mechanically flexible batteries. This work discuss new highly ionic conductive polymer gel electrolytes for paper-based battery applications. In this paper, we present a poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDH-HFP) porous membrane electrolyte enhanced with lithium bis(trifluoromethane sulphone)imide (LiTFSI) and lithium aluminum titanium phosphate (LATP), with an ionic conductivity of 2.1 × 10{sup −3} S cm{sup −1}. Combining ceramic (LATP) with the gel structure of PVDF-HFP and LiTFSI ionic liquid harnesses benefits of ceramic and gel electrolytes in providing flexible electrolytes with a high ionic conductivity. In a flexibility test experiment, bending the polymer electrolyte at 90° for 20 times resulted in 14% decrease in ionic conductivity. Efforts to further improving the flexibility of the presented electrolyte are ongoing. Using this electrolyte, full-cell batteries with lithium titanium oxide (LTO) and lithium cobalt oxide (LCO) electrodes and (i) standard metallic current collectors and (ii) paper-based current collectors were fabricated and tested. The achieved specific capacities were (i) 123 mAh g{sup −1} for standard metallic current collectors and (ii) 99.5 mAh g{sup −1} for paper-based current collectors. Thus, the presented electrolyte has potential to become a viable candidate in paper-based and flexible battery applications. Fabrication methods, experimental procedures, and test results for the polymer gel electrolyte and batteries are presented and discussed.

Interpenetrating networks of two conducting polymers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Winther-Jensen, Bjørn; West, Keld

2005-01-01

Interpenetrating networks (IPNs) of two conjugated polymers are prepared by a combination of a chemical oxidation step and a vapour phase polymerisation step on non-conducting surfaces. In this work ferric tosylate was used as the oxidant as it gives very smooth and homogeneous coatings, and beca......Interpenetrating networks (IPNs) of two conjugated polymers are prepared by a combination of a chemical oxidation step and a vapour phase polymerisation step on non-conducting surfaces. In this work ferric tosylate was used as the oxidant as it gives very smooth and homogeneous coatings......, and because its reaction products can be removed efficiently after the formation of the composite. Several combinations of polymers are demonstrated, and the versatility of the proposed method allows extensions to a wide range of conjugated polymers. The IPNs show optical and electrochemical characteristics......, which are sums of the characteristics from the participating conducting polymers....

Liquid crystallinity in flexible and rigid rod polymers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pickett, Galen T.; Schweizer, Kenneth S.

2000-01-01

We apply an anisotropic version of the polymer reference interaction site model (PRISM) integral equation description of flexible polymers to analyze athermal liquid crystallinity. The polymers are characterized by a statistical segment length, σ o , and by a physical hard-core thickness, d, that prevents the overlap of monomers on different chains. At small segment densities, ρ, the microscopic length scale d is irrelevant (as it must be in the universal semidilute regime), but becomes important in concentrated solutions and melts. Under the influence of the excluded volume interactions alone, the chains undergo a lyotropic, first-order isotropic-nematic transition at a concentration dependent upon the dimensionless ''aspect ratio,'' σ o /d. The transition becomes weaker as d→0, becoming second order, as has been previously shown. We extend the theory to describe the transition of rigid, thin rods, and discuss the evolution of the anisotropic liquid structure in the ordered phase. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics

Synthesis, Characterization and Biological Studies of New Linear Thermally Stable Schiff Base Polymers with Flexible Spacers.

Science.gov (United States)

Qureshi, Farah; Khuhawar, Muhammad Yar; Jahangir, Taj Muhammad; Channar, Abdul Hamid

2016-01-01

Five new linear Schiff base polymers having azomethine structures, ether linkages and extended aliphatic chain lengths with flexible spacers were synthesized by polycondensation of dialdehyde (monomer) with aliphatic and aromatic diamines. The formation yields of monomer and polymers were obtained within 75-92%. The polymers with flexible spacers of n-hexane were somewhat soluble in acetone, chloroform, THF, DMF and DMSO on heating. The monomer and polymers were characterized by melting point, elemental microanalysis, FT-IR, (1)HNMR, UV-Vis spectroscopy, thermogravimetry (TG), differential thermal analysis (DTA), fluorescence emission, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and viscosities and thermodynamic parameters measurements of their dilute solutions. The studies supported formation of the monomer and polymers and on the basis of these studies their structures have been assigned. The synthesized polymers were tested for their antibacterial and antifungal activities.

Cd(II)-coordination polymers based on tetracarboxylic acid and diverse bis(imidazole) ligands: Synthesis, structural diversity and photoluminescence properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arıcı, Mürsel, E-mail: marici@ogu.edu.tr [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Eskişehir Osmangazi University, 26480 Eskişehir (Turkey); Yeşilel, Okan Zafer [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Eskişehir Osmangazi University, 26480 Eskişehir (Turkey); Taş, Murat [Department of Science Education, Education Faculty, Ondokuz Mayıs University, 55139 Samsun (Turkey)

2017-01-15

Three new Cd(II)-coordination polymers, namely, ([Cd{sub 2}(μ{sub 6}-ao{sub 2}btc)(μ-1,5-bipe){sub 2}]·2H{sub 2}O){sub n} (1), ([Cd{sub 2}(μ{sub 6}-ao{sub 2}btc)(μ-1,4-bix){sub 2}]{sub n}·2DMF) (2) and ([Cd{sub 2}(μ{sub 8}-abtc)(μ-1,4-betix)]·DMF·H{sub 2}O){sub n} (3) (ao{sub 2}btc=di-oxygenated form of 3,3′,5,5′-azobenzenetetracarboxylate, 1,5-bipe: 1,5-bis(imidazol-1yl)pentane, 1,4-bix=1,4-bis(imidazol-1ylmethyl)benzene, 1,4-betix=1,4-bis(2-ethylimidazol-1ylmethyl)benzene) were synthesized with 3,3′,5,5′-azobenzenetetracarboxylic acid and flexible, semi-flexible and semi-flexible substituted bis(imidazole) linkers. They were characterized by IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, powder X-ray diffractions (PXRD) and thermal analyses (TG/DTA). Complexes 1–3 exhibited structural diversities depending on flexible, semi-flexible and semi-flexible substituted bis(imidazole) ligands. Complex 1 was 2D structure with 3,6L18 topology. Complex 2 had a 3D pillar-layered framework with the rare sqc27 topology. When semi-flexible substituted bis(imidazole) linker was used, 3D framework of complex 3 was obtained with the paddlewheel Cd{sub 2}(CO{sub 2}){sub 4}-type binuclear SBU. Moreover, thermal and photoluminescence properties of the complexes were determined in detailed. - Graphical abstract: In this study, three novel Cd(II)-coordination polymers were synthesized with 3,3′,5,5′-azobenzenetetracarboxylic acid and flexible, semi-flexible and semi-flexible substituted bis(imidazole) linkers. They were characterized by IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, powder X-ray diffractions (PXRD) and thermal analyses (TG/DTA). Complexes 1–3 exhibited structural diversities depending on flexible, semi-flexible and semi-flexible substituted bis(imidazole) ligands. Complex 1 was 2D structure with 3,6L18 topology. Complex 2 had a 3D pillar-layered framework with the rare sqc27 topology. When semi-flexible

All-organic polymer-dispersed liquid crystal light-valves integrated with electroactive anthraquinone-2-sulfonate-doped polypyrrole thin films as driving electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Pen-Cheng; Yu, Jing-Yu; Li, Kuan-Hsun

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Fabrication of flexible semi-transparent all-polymer electrodes under ambient conditions without using a CVD system. → Characterization of the above electrodes based on anthraquinone-2-sulfonate-doped polypyrrole thin films. → Demonstration of all-organic liquid crystal light-valves with polypyrrole thin films as the driving electrodes. - Abstract: All-organic PDLC (polymer-dispersed liquid crystal) light-valves using all-polymer conductive substrates containing thin films of polypyrrole doped with anthraquinone-2-sulfonate (AQSA - ) as the driving electrodes were fabricated in this study. The all-polymer conductive substrates were prepared under ambient conditions by in situ depositing polypyrrole thin films on blank flexible poly(ethylene terephthalate), or PET, substrates from aqueous media in which oxidative polymerization of pyrrole was taking place. The obtained flexible all-polymer conductive substrates were semi-transparent with cohesive coatings of AQSA - doped polypyrrole thin films (thickness ∼55 nm). The all-polymer flexible conductive substrates had sheet resistivity ∼40 kΩ □ -1 and T% transparency against air ∼78% at 600 nm. The light-valves fabricated using the above all-polymer conductive substrates showed ∼50% transparency against air at 600 nm when 4 V μm -1 electric field was applied.

Flexible polymers in a nematic medium : a Monte Carlo simulation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vliet, J.H. van; Luyten, M.C.; Brinke, G. ten

Monte Carlo simulations of self-avoiding random walks surrounded by aligned rods on a square lattice and a simple cubic lattice were performed to address the topological constraints involved for dilute solutions of flexible polymers in a highly oriented nematic solvent. The nematic constraint

Interlayer adhesion in roll-to-roll processed flexible inverted polymer solar cells

KAUST Repository

Dupont, Stephanie R.

2012-02-01

The interlayer adhesion of roll-to-roll processed flexible inverted P3HT:PCBM bulk heterojunction (BHJ) polymer solar cells is reported. Poor adhesion between adjacent layers may result in loss of device performance from delamination driven by the thermomechanical stresses in the device. We demonstrate how a thin-film adhesion technique can be applied to flexible organic solar cells to obtain quantitative adhesion values. For the P3HT:PCBM-based BHJ polymer solar cells, the interface of the BHJ with the conductive polymer layer PEDOT:PSS was found to be the weakest. The adhesion fracture energy varied from 1.6 J/m2 to 0.1 J/m2 depending on the composition of the P3HT:PCBM layer. Post-deposition annealing time and temperature were shown to increase the adhesion at this interface. Additionally the PEDOT:PSS cells are compared with V2O5 cells whereby adhesive failure marked by high fracture energies was observed. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

Flory-Stockmayer analysis on reprocessable polymer networks

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Lingqiao; Chen, Xi; Jin, Kailong; Torkelson, John

Reprocessable polymer networks can undergo structure rearrangement through dynamic chemistries under proper conditions, making them a promising candidate for recyclable crosslinked materials, e.g. tires. This research field has been focusing on various chemistries. However, there has been lacking of an essential physical theory explaining the relationship between abundancy of dynamic linkages and reprocessability. Based on the classical Flory-Stockmayer analysis on network gelation, we developed a similar analysis on reprocessable polymer networks to quantitatively predict the critical condition for reprocessability. Our theory indicates that it is unnecessary for all bonds to be dynamic to make the resulting network reprocessable. As long as there is no percolated permanent network in the system, the material can fully rearrange. To experimentally validate our theory, we used a thiol-epoxy network model system with various dynamic linkage compositions. The stress relaxation behavior of resulting materials supports our theoretical prediction: only 50 % of linkages between crosslinks need to be dynamic for a tri-arm network to be reprocessable. Therefore, this analysis provides the first fundamental theoretical platform for designing and evaluating reprocessable polymer networks. We thank McCormick Research Catalyst Award Fund and ISEN cluster fellowship (L. L.) for funding support.

Stretchable and semitransparent conductive hybrid hydrogels for flexible supercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Guang-Ping; Hippauf, Felix; Oschatz, Martin; Wisser, Florian M; Leifert, Annika; Nickel, Winfried; Mohamed-Noriega, Nasser; Zheng, Zhikun; Kaskel, Stefan

2014-07-22

Conductive polymers showing stretchable and transparent properties have received extensive attention due to their enormous potential in flexible electronic devices. Here, we demonstrate a facile and smart strategy for the preparation of structurally stretchable, electrically conductive, and optically semitransparent polyaniline-containing hybrid hydrogel networks as electrode, which show high-performances in supercapacitor application. Remarkably, the stability can extend up to 35,000 cycles at a high current density of 8 A/g, because of the combined structural advantages in terms of flexible polymer chains, highly interconnected pores, and excellent contact between the host and guest functional polymer phase.

High-Performance Flexible Force and Temperature Sensing Array with a Robust Structure

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Min-Seok; Song, Han-Wook; Park, Yon-Kyu

We have developed a flexible tactile sensor array capable of sensing physical quantities, e.g. force and temperature with high-performances and high spatial resolution. The fabricated tactile sensor consists of 8 × 8 force measuring array with 1 mm spacing and a thin metal (copper) temperature sensor. The flexible force sensing array consists of sub-millimetre-size bar-shaped semi-conductor strain gage array attached to a thin and flexible printed circuit board covered by stretchable elastomeric material on both sides. This design incorporates benefits of both materials; the semi-conductor's high performance and the polymer's mechanical flexibility and robustness, while overcoming their drawbacks of those two materials. Special fabrication processes, so called “dry-transfer technique” have been used to fabricate the tactile sensor along with standard micro-fabrication processes.

Flexible semi-transparent silicon (100) fabric with high-k/metal gate devices

KAUST Repository

Rojas, Jhonathan Prieto

2013-01-07

Can we build a flexible and transparent truly high performance computer? High-k/metal gate stack based metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitor devices are monolithically fabricated on industry\\'s most widely used low-cost bulk single-crystalline silicon (100) wafers and then released as continuous, mechanically flexible, optically semi-transparent and high thermal budget compatible silicon fabric with devices. This is the first ever demonstration with this set of materials which allows full degree of freedom to fabricate nanoelectronics devices using state-of-the-art CMOS compatible processes and then to utilize them in an unprecedented way for wide deployment over nearly any kind of shape and architecture surfaces. Electrical characterization shows uncompromising performance of post release devices. Mechanical characterization shows extra-ordinary flexibility (minimum bending radius of 1 cm) making this generic process attractive to extend the horizon of flexible electronics for truly high performance computers. Schematic and photograph of flexible high-k/metal gate MOSCAPs showing high flexibility and C-V plot showing uncompromised performance. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Interpenetrating polymer networks based on polyol modified castor ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) of glycerol modified castor oil polyurethane (GC–PU) and poly[2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate] (PHEMA) were synthesized using benzoyl peroxide as initiator and N,N-methylene bis acrylamide as crosslinker. GC–PU/PHEMA interpenetrating polymer networks were obtained by ...

Carbon Nanotube/Polymer Nanocomposites Flexible Stress and Strain Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Jin Ho; Sauti, Godfrey; Park, Cheol; Scholl, Jonathan A.; Lowther, Sharon E.; Harrison, Joycelyn S.

2008-01-01

Conformable stress and strain sensors are required for monitoring the integrity of airframe structures as well as for sensing the mechanical stimuli in prosthetic arms. For this purpose, we have developed a series of piezoresistive single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT)/polymer nanocomposites. The electromechanical coupling of pressure with resistance changes in these nanocomposites is exceptionally greater than that of metallic piezoresistive materials. In fact, the piezoresistive stress coefficient (pi) of a SWCNT/polymer nanocomposite is approximately two orders of magnitude higher than that of a typical metallic piezoresistive. The piezoresistive stress coefficient is a function of the nanotube concentration wherein the maximum value occurs at a concentration just above the percolation threshold concentration (phi approx. 0.05 %). This response appears to originate from a change in intrinsic resistivity under compression/tension. A systematic study of the effect of the modulus of the polymer matrix on piezoresistivity allowed us to make flexible and conformable sensors for biomedical applications. The prototype haptic sensors using these nanocomposites are demonstrated. The piezocapacitive properties of SWCNT/polymer are also characterized by monitoring the capacitance change under pressure.

Preliminary In-Situ Evaluation of an Innovative, Semi-Flexible Pavement Wearing Course Mixture Using Fast Falling Weight Deflectometer.

Science.gov (United States)

Pratelli, Chiara; Betti, Giacomo; Giuffrè, Tullio; Marradi, Alessandro

2018-04-16

In the last forty, years semi-flexible pavements have been successfully employed, especially in those areas subjected to heavy and slow-moving loads. They usually comprise a wearing course of Grouted Macadam, a composite pavement material that provides significant advantages in comparison to both concrete and asphalt pavements. On the other hand, the laying process of this material is a two-stage operation, and the realization complexity leads to long realization times and high initial costs. Therefore, the use of semi-flexible pavements has been limited to some fields of application and areas. Recently, an innovative material has been developed to be used as an alternative to Grouted Macadam for semi-flexible pavement wearing course realization. This material should provide similar or even superior characteristics compared to traditional Grouted Macadam. This will reduce semi-flexible pavement construction time and avoid the need for dividing the laying process. This paper presents an experimental program involving the use of FastFWD, as an APT device, to evaluate in-situ properties and performance of this material. The achieved results regarding the validation of this new material by means of FastFWD appear promising both in terms of the material's properties and resistance to dynamic load repetitions.

Preliminary In-Situ Evaluation of an Innovative, Semi-Flexible Pavement Wearing Course Mixture Using Fast Falling Weight Deflectometer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chiara Pratelli

2018-04-01

Full Text Available In the last forty, years semi-flexible pavements have been successfully employed, especially in those areas subjected to heavy and slow-moving loads. They usually comprise a wearing course of Grouted Macadam, a composite pavement material that provides significant advantages in comparison to both concrete and asphalt pavements. On the other hand, the laying process of this material is a two-stage operation, and the realization complexity leads to long realization times and high initial costs. Therefore, the use of semi-flexible pavements has been limited to some fields of application and areas. Recently, an innovative material has been developed to be used as an alternative to Grouted Macadam for semi-flexible pavement wearing course realization. This material should provide similar or even superior characteristics compared to traditional Grouted Macadam. This will reduce semi-flexible pavement construction time and avoid the need for dividing the laying process. This paper presents an experimental program involving the use of FastFWD, as an APT device, to evaluate in-situ properties and performance of this material. The achieved results regarding the validation of this new material by means of FastFWD appear promising both in terms of the material’s properties and resistance to dynamic load repetitions.

Poisson–Boltzmann theory of the charge-induced adsorption of semi-flexible polyelectrolytes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ubbink, J.; Khokhlov, A.R.

2004-01-01

A model is suggested for the structure of an adsorbed layer of a highly charged semi-flexible polyelectrolyte on a weakly charged surface of opposite charge sign. The adsorbed phase is thin, owing to the effective reversal of the charge sign of the surface upon adsorption, and ordered, owing to the

Semi-metallic, strong conductive polymer microfiber, method and fast response rate actuators and heating textiles

KAUST Repository

Zhou, Jian; Li, Er Qiang; Lubineau, Gilles; Thoroddsen, Sigurdur T; Mulle, Matthieu

2016-01-01

A method comprising: providing at least one first composition comprising at least one conjugated polymer and at least one solvent, wet spinning the at least one first composition to form at least one first fiber material, hot-drawing the at least one fiber to form at least one second fiber material. In lead embodiments, high-performance poly(3,4-ethylenedioxy- thiophene)/poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT/PSS) conjugated polymer microfibers were fabricated via wet- spinning followed by hot-drawing. In these lead embodiments, due to the combined effects of the vertical hot-drawing process and doping/de-doping the microfibers with ethylene glycol (EG), a record electrical conductivity of 2804 S · cm-1 was achieved. This is believed to be a six-fold improvement over the best previously reported value for PEDOT/PSS fibers (467 S · cm-1) and a twofold improvement over the best values for conductive polymer films treated by EG de-doping (1418 S · cm-1). Moreover, these lead, highly conductive fibers experience a semiconductor-metal transition at 313 K. They also have superior mechanical properties with a Young's modulus up to 8.3 GPa, a tensile strength reaching 409.8 MPa and a large elongation before failure (21%). The most conductive fiber also demonstrates an extraordinary electrical performance during stretching/unstretching: the conductivity increased by 25% before the fiber rupture point with a maximum strain up to 21%. Simple fabrication of the semi-metallic, strong and stretchable wet-spun PEDOT/PSS microfibers can make them available for conductive smart electronics. A dramatic improvement in electrical conductivity is needed to make conductive polymer fibers viable candidates in applications such as flexible electrodes, conductive textiles, and fast-response sensors and actuators.

Semi-metallic, strong conductive polymer microfiber, method and fast response rate actuators and heating textiles

KAUST Repository

Zhou, Jian

2016-06-09

A method comprising: providing at least one first composition comprising at least one conjugated polymer and at least one solvent, wet spinning the at least one first composition to form at least one first fiber material, hot-drawing the at least one fiber to form at least one second fiber material. In lead embodiments, high-performance poly(3,4-ethylenedioxy- thiophene)/poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT/PSS) conjugated polymer microfibers were fabricated via wet- spinning followed by hot-drawing. In these lead embodiments, due to the combined effects of the vertical hot-drawing process and doping/de-doping the microfibers with ethylene glycol (EG), a record electrical conductivity of 2804 S · cm-1 was achieved. This is believed to be a six-fold improvement over the best previously reported value for PEDOT/PSS fibers (467 S · cm-1) and a twofold improvement over the best values for conductive polymer films treated by EG de-doping (1418 S · cm-1). Moreover, these lead, highly conductive fibers experience a semiconductor-metal transition at 313 K. They also have superior mechanical properties with a Young\\'s modulus up to 8.3 GPa, a tensile strength reaching 409.8 MPa and a large elongation before failure (21%). The most conductive fiber also demonstrates an extraordinary electrical performance during stretching/unstretching: the conductivity increased by 25% before the fiber rupture point with a maximum strain up to 21%. Simple fabrication of the semi-metallic, strong and stretchable wet-spun PEDOT/PSS microfibers can make them available for conductive smart electronics. A dramatic improvement in electrical conductivity is needed to make conductive polymer fibers viable candidates in applications such as flexible electrodes, conductive textiles, and fast-response sensors and actuators.

Hybrid Polymer-Network Hydrogels with Tunable Mechanical Response

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sebastian Czarnecki

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Hybrid polymer-network gels built by both physical and covalent polymer crosslinking combine the advantages of both these crosslinking types: they exhibit high mechanical strength along with excellent fracture toughness and extensibility. If these materials are extensively deformed, their physical crosslinks can break such that strain energy is dissipated and irreversible fracturing is restricted to high strain only. This mechanism of energy dissipation is determined by the kinetics and thermodynamics of the physical crosslinking contribution. In this paper, we present a poly(ethylene glycol (PEG based material toolkit to control these contributions in a rational and custom fashion. We form well-defined covalent polymer-network gels with regularly distributed additional supramolecular mechanical fuse links, whose strength of connectivity can be tuned without affecting the primary polymer-network composition. This is possible because the supramolecular fuse links are based on terpyridine–metal complexation, such that the mere choice of the fuse-linking metal ion adjusts their kinetics and thermodynamics of complexation–decomplexation, which directly affects the mechanical properties of the hybrid gels. We use oscillatory shear rheology to demonstrate this rational control and enhancement of the mechanical properties of the hybrid gels. In addition, static light scattering reveals their highly regular and well-defined polymer-network structures. As a result of both, the present approach provides an easy and reliable concept for preparing hybrid polymer-network gels with rationally designed properties.

Semi-Interpenetrating polymer network hydrogels based on aspen hemicellulose and chitosan: Effect of crosslinking sequence on hydrogel properties

Science.gov (United States)

Muzaffer Ahmet Karaaslan; Mandla A. Tshabalala; Gisela Buschle-Diller

2012-01-01

Semi-interpenetrating network hydrogel films were prepared using hemicellulose and chemically crosslinked chitosan. Hemicellulose was extracted from aspen by using a novel alkaline treatment and characterized by HPSEC, and consisted of a mixture of high and low molecular weight polymeric fractions. HPLC analysis of the acid hydrolysate of the hemicellulose showed that...

Synthesis and characterization of semi-crystalline polyarylene ether nitrile with AIEE feature

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Pan; Li, Kui; Jia, Kun; Liu, Xiaobo

2017-12-01

An AIEgen 1, 2-di (4-hydroxyphenyl)-1, 2-diphenylethene (TPE-2OH) was introduced into the back bone of semi-crystalline poly arylene ether nitriles (PEN). The fluorescence spectra results indicated that the derived polymer displayed a typical aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) active with an emitting peak at ∼470 nm. Then the AIEE active PEN was prepared into films through casting method and realised strong fluorescence emission and excellent mechanics properties. Besides, the crystal AIEE active polymer shows sphere micro-morphology along with a strong blue emission. These findings will open a door for further research on the high performance semi-crystalline PEN at flexible display technology and optical sensors.

Polycaprolactone diacrylate crosslinked biodegradable semi-interpenetrating networks of polyacrylamide and gelatin for controlled drug delivery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaiswal, Maneesh; Koul, Veena; Dinda, Amit K; Gupta, Asheesh

2010-01-01

A biodegradable semi-interpenetrating hydrogel network (semi-IPN) of polyacrylamide and gelatin was prepared using polycaprolactone diacrylate (mol. wt ∼ 640) as a crosslinker. The drug-polymer interaction and IPN formation were investigated by attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). Scanning electron micrographs of lyophilized matrices revealed porous internal structure with varying pore sizes under equilibrium hydrated conditions, depending upon formulation composition. pH-dependent swelling and degradation was enhanced with increasing gelatin content and decreasing crosslinker concentration (Cs). Compression modulus (CM) (at 20% strain) increased significantly from 23 ± 1.4 to 75 ± 2.7 kPa (p 0 C). Fitting of drug release data in the Korsmeyer-Peppas model suggested sustained release behavior up to 10 days with a combination of diffusion and erosion mechanism (0.5 t /M ∞ ≤ 0.6). The newly developed porous, biodegradable and elastic semi-IPNs may serve as an ideal matrix for controlled drug release and wound healing applications. The possibilities can be explored for pharmaceutical and tissue engineering applications.

Creep-induced anisotropy in covalent adaptable network polymers.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanzon, Drew W; He, Xu; Yang, Hua; Shi, Qian; Yu, Kai

2017-10-11

Anisotropic polymers with aligned macromolecule chains exhibit directional strengthening of mechanical and physical properties. However, manipulating the orientation of polymer chains in a fully cured thermoset is almost impossible due to its permanently crosslinked nature. In this paper, we demonstrate that rearrangeable networks with bond exchange reactions (BERs) can be utilized to tailor the anisotropic mechanical properties of thermosetting polymers. When a constant force is maintained at BER activated temperatures, the malleable thermoset creeps in the direction of stress, and macromolecule chains align themselves in the same direction. The aligned polymer chains result in an anisotropic network with a stiffer mechanical behavior in the direction of creep, while with a more compliant behavior in the transverse direction. The degree of network anisotropy is proportional to the amount of creep strain. A multi-length scale constitutive model is developed to study the creep-induced anisotropy of thermosetting polymers. The model connects the micro-scale BER kinetics, orientation of polymer chains, and directional mechanical properties of network polymers. Without any fitting parameters, it is able to predict the evolution of creep strain at different temperatures and anisotropic stress-strain behaviors of CANs after creep. Predictions on the chain orientation are verified by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. Based on parametric studies, it is shown that the influences of creep time and temperature on the network anisotropy can be generalized into a single parameter, and the evolution of directional modulus follows an Arrhenius type time-temperature superposition principle (TTSP). The presented work provides a facile approach to transform isotropic thermosets into anisotropic ones using simple heating, and their directional properties can be readily tailored by the processing conditions.

Selective removal of heavy metal ions by disulfide linked polymer networks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ko, Dongah [Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Miljøvej 113, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark); Lee, Joo Sung [Graduate School of EEWS, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141 (Korea, Republic of); Patel, Hasmukh A. [Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); Jakobsen, Mogens H. [Department of Micro and Nano technology, Technical University of Denmark, Ørsteds Plads, 345B, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark); Hwang, Yuhoon [Department of Environmental Engineering, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, 232 Gongreung-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul 01811 (Korea, Republic of); Yavuz, Cafer T. [Graduate School of EEWS, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141 (Korea, Republic of); Hansen, Hans Chr. Bruun [Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C (Denmark); Andersen, Henrik R., E-mail: henrik@ndersen.net [Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Miljøvej 113, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark)

2017-06-15

Highlights: • Disulfide/thiol polymer networks are promising as sorbent for heavy metals. • Rapid sorption and high Langmuir affinity constant (a{sub L}) for stormwater treatment. • Selective sorption for copper, cadmium, and zinc in the presence of calcium. • Reusability likely due to structure stability of disulfide linked polymer networks. - Abstract: Heavy metal contaminated surface water is one of the oldest pollution problems, which is critical to ecosystems and human health. We devised disulfide linked polymer networks and employed as a sorbent for removing heavy metal ions from contaminated water. Although the polymer network material has a moderate surface area, it demonstrated cadmium removal efficiency equivalent to highly porous activated carbon while it showed 16 times faster sorption kinetics compared to activated carbon, owing to the high affinity of cadmium towards disulfide and thiol functionality in the polymer network. The metal sorption mechanism on polymer network was studied by sorption kinetics, effect of pH, and metal complexation. We observed that the metal ions–copper, cadmium, and zinc showed high binding affinity in polymer network, even in the presence of competing cations like calcium in water.

Photonic shape memory polymer with stable multiple colors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Moirangthem, M.; Engels, T.A.P.; Murphy, J.; Bastiaansen, C.W.M.; Schenning, A.P.H.J.

2017-01-01

A photonic shape memory polymer film that shows large color response (∼155 nm) in a wide temperature range has been fabricated from a semi-interpenetrating network of a cholesteric polymer and poly(benzyl acrylate). The large color response is achieved by mechanical embossing of the photonic film

Virus-Assembled Flexible Electrode-Electrolyte Interfaces for Enhanced Polymer-Based Battery Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ayan Ghosh

2012-01-01

Full Text Available High-aspect-ratio cobalt-oxide-coated Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV- assembled polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE nonstick surfaces were integrated with a solvent-free polymer electrolyte to create an anode-electrolyte interface for use in lithium-ion batteries. The virus-assembled PTFE surfaces consisted primarily of cobalt oxide and were readily intercalated with a low-molecular-weight poly (ethylene oxide (PEO based diblock copolymer electrolyte to produce a solid anode-electrolyte system. The resulting polymer-coated virus-based system was then peeled from the PTFE backing to produce a flexible electrode-electrolyte component. Electrochemical studies indicated the virus-structured metal-oxide PEO-based interface was stable and displayed robust charge transfer kinetics. Combined, these studies demonstrate the development of a novel solid-state electrode architecture with a unique peelable and flexible processing attribute.

Study of castor oil polyurethane - poly(methyl methacrylate semi-interpenetrating polymer network (SIPN reaction parameters using a 2³ factorial experimental design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernanda Oliveira Vieira da Cunha

2004-12-01

Full Text Available In this work was employed a 2³ factorial experiment design to evaluate the castor oil polyurethane-poly(methyl methacrylate semi-IPN synthesis. The reaction parameters used as independent variables were NCO/OH molar ratio, polyurethane polymerization time and methyl methacrylate (MMA content. The semi-IPNs were cured over 28 h using two thermal treatments. The polymers were characterized by infrared and Raman spectroscopy, thermal analysis and swelling profiles in n-hexane. The glass transition temperature (Tg and the swelling were more affect by the NCO/OH molar ratio variation. The semi-IPNs showed Tg from - 27 to - 6 °C and the swelling range was from 3 to 22%, according to the crosslink density. The IPN mechanical properties were dependent on the cure temperature and MMA content in it. Lower elastic modulus values were observed in IPNs cured at room temperature.

Development of 3D carbon nanotube interdigitated finger electrodes on polymer substrate for flexible capacitive sensor application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, Chih-Fan; Wang, Jhih-Yu; Fang, Weileun; Liu, Yu-Chia; Tsai, Ming-Han

2013-01-01

This study reports a novel approach to the implementation of 3D carbon nanotube (CNT) interdigitated finger electrodes on flexible polymer, and the detection of strain, bending curvature, tactile force and proximity distance are demonstrated. The merits of the presented CNT-based flexible sensor are as follows: (1) the silicon substrate is patterned to enable the formation of 3D vertically aligned CNTs on the substrate surface; (2) polymer molding on the silicon substrate with 3D CNTs is further employed to transfer the 3D CNTs to the flexible polymer substrate; (3) the CNT–polymer composite (∼70 μm in height) is employed to form interdigitated finger electrodes to increase the sensing area and initial capacitance; (4) other structures such as electrical routings, resistors and mechanical supporters are also available using the CNT–polymer composite. The preliminary fabrication results demonstrate a flexible capacitive sensor with 50 μm high CNT interdigitated electrodes on a poly-dimethylsiloxane substrate. The tests show that the typical capacitance change is several dozens of fF and the gauge factor is in the range of 3.44–4.88 for strain and bending curvature measurement; the sensitivity of the tactile sensor is 1.11% N −1 ; a proximity distance near 2 mm away from the sensor can be detected. (paper)

Elaboration of fabrication technology of ITO/CdS/CdTe solar cells on flexible polymer substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Potlog, T.; Spalatu, N.; Capros, N.

2007-01-01

The development of high efficiency, stable, lightweight and flexible solar cell is important for terrestrial and space applications. We have developed a novel process to make solar cells on flexible polymer sheets. A thin layer of CdTe compound semiconductor is used for the absorption of solar light and generation of electrical current. In this work the solar electricity conversion efficiency of 4,66% is the highest efficiency reported for a solar cell grown on a polymer sheet. (authors)

EFFICIENCY OF THE CAPACITY-TYPE SOLAR WATER HEATER WITH THE FLEXIBLE POLYMER ABSORBER.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ermuratschii V.V.

2008-08-01

Full Text Available Energetic indexes of solar capacity-type water heaters with flexible polymer absorbers and different constructions of enclosures using the refined method of calculus were obtained.

Interlayer adhesion in roll-to-roll processed flexible inverted polymer solar cells

KAUST Repository

Dupont, Stephanie R.; Oliver, Mark; Krebs, Frederik C.; Dauskardt, Reinhold H.

2012-01-01

The interlayer adhesion of roll-to-roll processed flexible inverted P3HT:PCBM bulk heterojunction (BHJ) polymer solar cells is reported. Poor adhesion between adjacent layers may result in loss of device performance from delamination driven

Graphene-epoxy flexible transparent capacitor obtained by graphene-polymer transfer and UV-induced bonding.

Science.gov (United States)

Sangermano, Marco; Chiolerio, Alessandro; Veronese, Giulio Paolo; Ortolani, Luca; Rizzoli, Rita; Mancarella, Fulvio; Morandi, Vittorio

2014-02-01

A new approach is reported for the preparation of a graphene-epoxy flexible transparent capacitor obtained by graphene-polymer transfer and UV-induced bonding. SU8 resin is employed for realizing a well-adherent, transparent, and flexible supporting layer. The achieved transparent graphene/SU8 membrane presents two distinct surfaces: one homogeneous conductive surface containing a graphene layer and one dielectric surface typical of the epoxy polymer. Two graphene/SU8 layers are bonded together by using an epoxy photocurable formulation based on epoxy resin. The obtained material showed a stable and clear capacitive behavior. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Selective removal of heavy metal ions by disulfide linked polymer networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ko, Dongah; Sung Lee, Joo; Patel, Hasmukh A.

2017-01-01

Heavy metal contaminated surface water is one of the oldest pollution problems, which is critical to ecosystems and human health. We devised disulfide linked polymer networks and employed as a sorbent for removing heavy metal ions from contaminated water. Although the polymer network material has...... a moderate surface area, it demonstrated cadmium removal efficiency equivalent to highly porous activated carbon while it showed 16 times faster sorption kinetics compared to activated carbon, owing to the high affinity of cadmium towards disulfide and thiol functionality in the polymer network. The metal...... sorption mechanism on polymer network was studied by sorption kinetics, effect of pH, and metal complexation. We observed that the metal ions―copper, cadmium, and zinc showed high binding affinity in polymer network, even in the presence of competing cations like calcium in water....

Polymer functionalized single-walled carbon nanotube composites and semi-fluorinated quaternary ammonium polymer colloids and coatings

Science.gov (United States)

Paul, Abhijit

Scope and Method of Study: Current study focused on understanding of "wetting" and "dewetting" phenomena between surfaces of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) which are lightly grafted with polymer chains by reversible-deactivation radical polymerization, when they are mixed with matrix chains of the same architecture as grafts. Effects of grafts to matrix chain lengths on SWCNT dispersion in matrix polymers were studied by measuring electrical conductivity, glass transition temperature, and storage and loss moduli of nanocomposites. Another area of work was to design semi-fluorinated copolymers with core-shell morphology by emulsion polymerization, study their catalytic activities for hydrolyses of Paraoxon, a toxic insecticide, in the forms of both colloidal dispersions and films, and to characterize the surfaces of the films by atomic force microscopy and by dynamic contact angle measurements. Findings and Conclusions: The glass transition temperature ( Tg) of polystyrene (PS) filled with SWCNT grafted with PS of different lengths increased from 99 to 109 °C at 6 wt% of SWCNT followed by a plateau. The heat capacity (DeltaCp ) at Tg continued to decrease only for the smallest chain length grafted PS nanocomposites. SWCNT/PS nanocomposites had low electrical conductivity and showed no percolation threshold due to the thick polymer coatings. A key finding was that the SWCNT surface can accommodate only a fixed numbers of styrene units. Similar results on change in Tg were obtained for SWCNT/PMMA nanocomposites when molecular weight of matrix (Mmatrix) ≥ molecular weight of grafts (Mgraft). No change in DeltaCp was observed for SWCNT/PMMA nanocomposites. "Wetting" to "dewetting" occurred Mmatrix/ Mgraft ≈ 1. For Mmatrix > Mgraft, electrical conductivity of nanocomposites reached the value of 10-9 S cm-1 at 1.0 wt% nanotube loading and had percolation threshold of electrical conductivity at ˜0.25 wt% SWCNT. Raman and UV-vis-NIR data confirmed that

Transparent and flexible quantum dot-polymer composites using an ionic liquid as compatible polymerization medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woelfle, Caroline; Claus, Richard O

2007-01-01

Quantum dot (QD)-polymer composites were fabricated based on a solution of QDs dispersed in an ionic liquid. Positively charged water-soluble nanocrystals were obtained from solutions of CdSe/ZnS QDs dispersed in toluene by ligand exchange with 2-dimethylaminoethanethiol (DAET). The resulting QDs were further transferred into a hydrophobic ionic liquid HMITFSI (1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide) by cation exchange, resulting in a CdSe/ZnS-HMITFSI solution, which was used as a compatible medium for the polymerization and cross-linking of polymethyl methacrylate networks. Transparent, fluorescent and flexible materials resulted. The quantum yields of the composites depended on the initial properties of the QDs dispersed in toluene, and medium-size QDs (2.6 nm) resulted in the highest quantum yields

Polymerization speed and diffractive experiments in polymer network LC test cells

Science.gov (United States)

Braun, Larissa; Gong, Zhen; Habibpourmoghadam, Atefeh; Schafforz, Samuel L.; Wolfram, Lukas; Lorenz, Alexander

2018-02-01

Polymer-network liquid crystals (LCs), where the response properties of a LC can be enhanced by the presence of a porous polymer network, are investigated. In the reported experiments, liquid crystals were doped with a small amount (situ generated polymer network, the electro-optic response properties of photo cured samples were enhanced. For example, their continuous phase modulation properties led to more localized responses in samples with interdigitated electrodes, which caused suppression of selected diffraction orders in the diffraction patterns recorded in polymer network LC samples. Moreover, capacitance changes were investigated during photopolymerization of a blue phase LC.

Stainless and Galvanized Steel, Hydrophobic Admixture and Flexible Polymer-Cement Coating Compared in Increasing Durability of Reinforced Concrete Structures

Science.gov (United States)

Tittarelli, Francesca; Giosuè, Chiara; Mobili, Alessandra

2017-08-01

The use of stainless or galvanized steel reinforcements, a hydrophobic admixture or a flexible polymer-cement coating were compared as methods to improve the corrosion resistance of sound or cracked reinforced concrete specimens exposed to chloride rich solutions. The results show that in full immersion condition, negligible corrosion rates were detected in all cracked specimens, except those treated with the flexible polymer-cement mortar as preventive method against corrosion and the hydrophobic concrete specimens. High corrosion rates were measured in all cracked specimens exposed to wet-dry cycles, except for those reinforced with stainless steel, those treated with the flexible polymer-cement coating as restorative method against reinforcement corrosion and for hydrophobic concrete specimens reinforced with galvanized steel reinforcements.

The casting and mechanism of formation of semi-permeable polymer membranes in a microgravity environment

Science.gov (United States)

Vera, I.

The National Electric Company of Venezuela, C.A.D.A.F.E., is sponsoring the development of this experiment which represents Venezuela's first scientific experiment in space. The apparatus for the automatic casting of polymer thin films will be contained in NASA's payload No. G-559 of the Get Away Special program for a future orbital space flight in the U.S. Space Shuttle. Semi-permeable polymer membranes have important applications in a variety of fields, such as medecine, energy, and pharmaceuticals, and in general fluid separation processes such as reverse osmosis, ultra-filtration, and electro-dialysis. The casting of semi-permeable membranes in space will help to identify the roles of convection in determining the strucutre of these membranes.

Study and modeling of heat transfer during the solidification of semi-crystalline polymers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Le Goff, R.; Poutot, G.; Delaunay, D. [Laboratoire de Thermocinetique de l' ecole polytechnique de l' universite de Nantes, UMR CNRS 6607, rue Christian Pauc, BP 50609 44306 Nantes cedex 3 (France); Fulchiron, R.; Koscher, E. [Laboratoire des Materiaux Polymeres et des Biomateriaux, IMP/UMR CNRS 5627, Universite Claude Bernard, Lyon 1, 69622 Villeurbanne Cedex (France)

2005-12-01

Semi-crystalline polymers are materials whose behavior during their cooling is difficult to model because of the strong coupling between the crystallization, heat transfer, pressure and shear. Thanks to two original apparatus we study solidification of such a polymer without shear. Firstly the comparison between experimental results and a numerical model will permit to validate crystallization kinetic for cooling rate reachable by DSC. The second experiment makes it possible to analyze solidification for high cooling rate, corresponding to some manufacturing processes. It appears that crystallization has an influence on the thermal contact resistance. (author)

Multicast traffic grooming in flexible optical WDM networks

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Ankitkumar N.; Ji, Philip N.; Jue, Jason P.; Wang, Ting

2012-12-01

In Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs), point-to-multipoint applications, such as IPTV, video-on-demand, distance learning, and content distribution, can be efficiently supported through light-tree-based multicastcommunications instead of lightpath-based unicast-communications. The application of multicasting for such traffic is justified by its inherent benefits of reduced control and management overhead and elimination of redundant resource provisioning. Supporting such multicast traffic in Flexible optical WDM (FWDM) networks that can provision light-trees using optimum amount of spectrum within flexible channel spacing leads to higher wavelength and spectral efficiencies compared to the conventional ITU-T fixed grid networks. However, in spite of such flexibility, the residual channel capacity of stranded channels may not be utilized if the network does not offer channels with arbitrary line rates. Additionally, the spectrum allocated to guard bands used to isolate finer granularity channels remains unutilized. These limitations can be addressed by using traffic grooming in which low-rate multicast connections are aggregated and switched over high capacity light-trees. In this paper, we address the multicast traffic grooming problem in FWDM networks, and propose a novel auxiliary graph-based algorithm for the first time. The performance of multicast traffic grooming is evaluated in terms of spectral, cost, and energy efficiencies compared to lightpath-based transparent FWDM networks, lightpathbased traffic grooming-capable FWDM networks, multicast-enabled transparent FWDM networks, and multicast traffic grooming-capable fixed grid networks. Simulation results demonstrate that multicast traffic grooming in FWDM networks not only improves spectral efficiency, but also cost, and energy efficiencies compared to other multicast traffic provisioning approaches of FWDM and fixed grid networks.

The influence of flexible branches in flexible polymers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wescott, J.T.

1998-06-01

In this work the influence of branches in flexible polymer systems has been investigated by consideration of (1) the behaviour of isolated poly-α-olefin chains and (2) the p -T phase behaviour of poly(4-methylpentene-1)(P4MP1). Molecular dynamics simulations of isolated poly-α-olefins were performed in order to gauge directly the effect of molecular structure on chain dimensions, flexibility (via the persistence length) and shape. Under Θ-conditions the addition of short linear branches was shown to increase the flexibility of the backbone. In conditions of good solvent, however, the effect of longer and bulkier branches was to increase the persistence length and average size of the coil with the arrangement of side chain atoms making a small difference. The side branches themselves also affected the solvent conditions experienced by the backbone, behaving much like bound solvent. Consideration of ethylene-α-olefin copolymers, where the branch content was varied from 0-50%, showed that under good solvent conditions the branches increased the chain stiffness only when the gap between side branches was less than five backbone carbon atoms. The backbone torsions were also shown to play an important role in determining these trends. For comparison with the above simulations, persistence length values for polyethylene (= 7.3±0.2A) and P4MP1 (=7.6±0.3A) were measured experimentally by neutron scattering in dilute solution. A value of 6.7±0.5 for the characteristic ratio of PE was also calculated. To investigate the role of a bulky side group in crystalline phases, wide angle X-ray diffraction experiments using a Hikosaka pressure cell were performed on P4MP1. Computer modelling, utilising the experimental data obtained, determined the structure of a disordered phase produced at room temperature and a new high pressure/high temperature phase. The disordered phase was found to be due to a collapse of the backbone combined with some disordering of the side chains

Silver nanowires network encapsulated by low temperature sol-gel ZnO for transparent flexible electrodes with ambient stability

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Wonjung; Cho, Wonki; Baik, Seung Jae

2018-01-01

As a geometrically engineered realization of transparent electrode, Ag nanowires network is promising for its superior characteristics both on electrical conductivity and optical transmittance. However, for a potential commercialization of Ag nanowires network, further investigations on encapsulation materials are necessary to prevent degradation caused by ambient aging. In addition, the temperature range of the coating process for the encapsulation material needs to be low enough to prevent degradation of polymer substrates during the film coating processes, when considering emerging flexible device application of transparent electrodes. We present experimental results showing that low temperature sol-gel ZnO processed under 130 °C is an effective encapsulation material preventing ambient oxidation of Ag nanowires network without degrading electrical, optical, and mechanical properties.

Compliant gel polymer electrolyte based on poly(methyl acrylate-co-acrylonitrile)/poly(vinyl alcohol) for flexible lithium-ion batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma, Xianguo; Huang, Xinglan; Gao, Jiandong; Zhang, Shu; Deng, Zhenghua; Suo, Jishuan

2014-01-01

Highlights: •Compliant gel polymer electrolyte based on P(MA-co-AN)/PVA is facilely prepared for flexible lithium-ion batteries. •The compliant gel polymer electrolyte displays high ionic conductivity, self-standing and mechanical flexible. •The compliant gel polymer electrolyte exhibits excellent chemical and electrochemical performances. -- Abstract: In this report, mechanically compliant gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) for flexible lithium-ion batteries is facilely fabricated. The GPE that based on the poly(methyl acrylate-co-acrylonitrile)/poly(vinyl alcohol) (P(MA-co-AN)/PVA) was prepared via emulsion polymerization. Herein, the P(MA-co-AN) copolymer is anticipated to exert beneficial for the bendability of the GPE, as well as swollen with the liquid electrolyte to provide a facile pathway for ion movement. The PVA serves as a stabilizer during the emulsion polymerization and a mechanical framework for the compliant polymer membrane. Performance benefits of the mechanically compliant membrane are elucidated in terms of mechanical behavior, thermostability and ionic conductivity. The GPE is still self-standing and mechanical flexible after swollen with liquid electrolyte. The GPE displays a conductivity of 0.98 mS cm −1 with the uptake electrolyte up to 150% of its own weight at 30 °C, excellent electrochemical stability window (5.2 V vs. Li/Li + ) and favorable interfacial characteristics. When used in flexible lithium-ion batteries, such a GPE demonstrates satisfactory compatibility with LiCoO 2 and graphite electrodes

Design, fabrication and performance tests for a polymer-based flexible flat heat pipe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hsieh, Shou-Shing; Yang, Ya-Ru

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Fabrication of a polymer-based flexible flat heat pipe. ► Bending angle of 15° will lead to a better thermal performance of the system. ► Powers higher than 12.67 W can be transferred/delivered. - Abstract: In this paper, we report on the novel design, fabrication and performance tests for a polymer-based flexible flat heat pipe (FHP) with a bending angle in the range of 15–90°. Each heat pipe is 4 mm thick, 20 mm wide and 80 mm long, with two layers of No. 250 copper mesh as the wicking material. A copper/silicone rubber hybrid structure is designed and fabricated to achieve the flexibility of the heat pipe. Thermal characteristics are measured and studied for de-ionized water under different working conditions. Experimental results reveal that a bending angle of 15° on the vertical plane has a better thermal performance than those of heat pipes with/without bending. In addition, a higher power of 12.67 W can be transferred/delivered

Organic ferroelectric memory devices with inkjet-printed polymer electrodes on flexible substrates

KAUST Repository

Bhansali, Unnat Sampatraj

2013-05-01

Drop-on-demand piezoelectric inkjet-printing technique has been used to fabricate a functional cross-bar array of all-organic ferroelectric memory devices. The polymer-ferroelectric-polymer device consists of a ferroelectric copolymer P(VDF-TrFE) film sandwiched between inkjet-patterned, continuous, orthogonal lines of PEDOT:PSS polymer as the bottom and top electrodes. These devices exhibit well-saturated hysteresis curves with a maximum remnant polarization (Pr) = 6.7 μC/cm2, coercive field (E c) = 55 MV/m and a peak capacitance density of 45 nF/cm2. Our polarization fatigue measurements show that these devices retain ∼100% and 45% of their initial Pr values after 103 and 10 5 stress cycles, respectively. The overall performance and polarization retention characteristics of these ferroelectric capacitors with inkjet-printed polymer electrodes are comparable to metal and spin-cast polymer electrodes suggesting their potential use in large-area flexible electronics. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Highly efficient Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells grown on flexible polymer films.

Science.gov (United States)

Chirilă, Adrian; Buecheler, Stephan; Pianezzi, Fabian; Bloesch, Patrick; Gretener, Christina; Uhl, Alexander R; Fella, Carolin; Kranz, Lukas; Perrenoud, Julian; Seyrling, Sieghard; Verma, Rajneesh; Nishiwaki, Shiro; Romanyuk, Yaroslav E; Bilger, Gerhard; Tiwari, Ayodhya N

2011-09-18

Solar cells based on polycrystalline Cu(In,Ga)Se(2) absorber layers have yielded the highest conversion efficiency among all thin-film technologies, and the use of flexible polymer films as substrates offers several advantages in lowering manufacturing costs. However, given that conversion efficiency is crucial for cost-competitiveness, it is necessary to develop devices on flexible substrates that perform as well as those obtained on rigid substrates. Such comparable performance has not previously been achieved, primarily because polymer films require much lower substrate temperatures during absorber deposition, generally resulting in much lower efficiencies. Here we identify a strong composition gradient in the absorber layer as the main reason for inferior performance and show that, by adjusting it appropriately, very high efficiencies can be obtained. This implies that future manufacturing of highly efficient flexible solar cells could lower the cost of solar electricity and thus become a significant branch of the photovoltaic industry.

Semi-crystalline photovoltaic polymers with siloxane-terminated hybrid side-chains

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Yuxiang Li; Seyeong Song; Song Yi Park; Jin Young Kim; Han Young Woo

2017-01-01

Three types of semi-cry stalline photovoltaic polymers were synthesized by incorporating a siloxane-terminated organic/inorganic hybrid side-chain and changing the number of fluorine substituents.A branch point away from a polymer main backbone in the siloxane-containing side-chains and the intra-and/or interchain noncovalent coulombic interactions enhance a chain planarity and facile interchain organization.The resulting polymers formed strongly agglomerated films with high roughness,suggesting strong intermolecular interactions.The optical band gap of ca.1.7 eV was measured for all polymers with a pronounced shoulder peak due to tight π-π stacking.With increasing the fluorine substituents,the frontier energy levels decreased and preferential face-on orientation was observed.The siloxane-terminated side-chains and fluorine substitution promoted the intermolecular packing,showing well resolved lamellar scatterings up to（300） for this series of polymers in the grazing incidence wide angle X-ray scattering measurements.The PPsiDTBT,PPsiDTFBT and PPsiDT2 FBT devices showed a power conversion efficiency of 3.16%,4.40%and 5.65%,respectively,by blending with PC71BM.Langevin-type bimolecular charge recombination was similar for three polymeric solar cells.The main loss in the photocurrent generation for PPsiDTBT:PC71BM was interpreted to originate from the trap assisted charge recombination by measuring light-intensity dependent short-circuit current density(JSC) and open-circuit voltage(VOc).Our results provide a new insight into the rational selection of solubilizing substituents for optimizing crystalline interchain packing with appropriate miscibility with PC71 BM for further optimizing polymer solar cells.

Semi-crystalline photovoltaic polymers with siloxane-terminated hybrid side-chains

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Yuxiang Li; Seyeong Song; Song Yi Park; Jin Young Kim; Han Young Woo

2017-01-01

Three types of semi-crystalline photovoltaic polymers were synthesized by incorporating a siloxane-terminated organic/inorganic hybrid side-chain and changing the number of fluorine substituents.A branch point away from a polymer main backbone in the siloxane-containing side-chains and the intra-and/or interchain noncovalent coulombic interactions enhance a chain planarity and facile interchain organization.The resulting polymers formed strongly agglomerated films with high roughness,suggesting strong intermolecular interactions.The optical band gap of ca.1.7 eV was measured for all polymers with a pronounced shoulder peak due to tight π-π stacking.With increasing the fluorine substituents,the frontier energy levels decreased and preferential face-on orientation was observed.The siloxane-terminated side-chains and fluorine substitution promoted the intermolecular packing,showing well resolved lamellar scatterings up to (300) for this series of polymers in the grazing incidence wide angle X-ray scattering measurements.The PPsiDTBT,PPsiDTFBT and PPsiDT2FBT devices showed a power conversion efficiency of 3.16％,4.40％ and 5.65％,respectively,by blending with PC71BM.Langevin-type bimolecular charge recombination was similar for three polymeric solar cells.The main loss in the photocurrent generation for PPsiDTBT:PC71BM was interpreted to originate from the trap assisted charge recombination by measuring light-intensity dependent short-circuit current density (Jsc) and open-circuit voltage (Voc).Our results provide a new insight into the rational selection of solubilizing substituents for optimizing crystalline interchain packing with appropriate miscibility with PC71BM for further optimizing polymer solar cells.

Driven translocation of Polymer through a nanopore: effect of heterogeneous flexibility

Science.gov (United States)

Adhikari, Ramesh; Bhattacharya, Aniket

2014-03-01

We have studied translocation of a model bead-spring polymer through a nanopore whose building blocks consist of alternate stiff and flexible segments and variable elastic bond potentials. For the case of uniform spring potential translocation of a symmetric periodic stiff-flexible chain of contour length N and segment length m (mod(N,2m)=0), we find that the end-to-end distance and the mean first passage time (MFPT) have weak dependence on the length m. The characteristic periodic pattern of the waiting time distribution captures the stiff and flexible segments of the chain with stiff segments taking longer time to translocate. But when we vary both the elastic bond energy, and the bending energy, as well as the length of stiff/flexible segments, we discover novel patterns in the waiting time distribution which brings out structural information of the building blocks of the translocating chain. Partially supported by UCF Office of Research and Commercialization & College of Science SEED grant.

3D Printing of Shape Memory Polymers for Flexible Electronic Devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Zarek, Matt; Layani, Michael; Cooperstein, Ido; Sachyani, Ela; Cohn, Daniel; Magdassi, Shlomo

2016-06-01

The formation of 3D objects composed of shape memory polymers for flexible electronics is described. Layer-by-layer photopolymerization of methacrylated semicrystalline molten macromonomers by a 3D digital light processing printer enables rapid fabrication of complex objects and imparts shape memory functionality for electrical circuits. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Porous polymer networks and ion-exchange media and metal-polymer composites made therefrom

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kanatzidis, Mercouri G.; Katsoulidis, Alexandros

2016-10-18

Porous polymeric networks and composite materials comprising metal nanoparticles distributed in the polymeric networks are provided. Also provided are methods for using the polymeric networks and the composite materials in liquid- and vapor-phase waste remediation applications. The porous polymeric networks, are highly porous, three-dimensional structures characterized by high surface areas. The polymeric networks comprise polymers polymerized from aldehydes and phenolic molecules.

Topological structure and mechanics of glassy polymer networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Elder, Robert M; Sirk, Timothy W

2017-11-22

The influence of chain-level network architecture (i.e., topology) on mechanics was explored for unentangled polymer networks using a blend of coarse-grained molecular simulations and graph-theoretic concepts. A simple extension of the Watts-Strogatz model is proposed to control the graph properties of the network such that the corresponding physical properties can be studied with simulations. The architecture of polymer networks assembled with a dynamic curing approach were compared with the extended Watts-Strogatz model, and found to agree surprisingly well. The final cured structures of the dynamically-assembled networks were nearly an intermediate between lattice and random connections due to restrictions imposed by the finite length of the chains. Further, the uni-axial stress response, character of the bond breaking, and non-affine displacements of fully-cured glassy networks were analyzed as a function of the degree of disorder in the network architecture. It is shown that the architecture strongly affects the network stability, flow stress, onset of bond breaking, and ultimate stress while leaving the modulus and yield point nearly unchanged. The results show that internal restrictions imposed by the network architecture alter the chain-level response through changes to the crosslink dynamics in the flow regime and through the degree of coordinated chain failure at the ultimate stress. The properties considered here are shown to be sensitive to even incremental changes to the architecture and, therefore, the overall network architecture, beyond simple defects, is predicted to be a meaningful physical parameter in the mechanics of glassy polymer networks.

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.

Design and Application of Nanogel-Based Polymer Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Dailing, Eric Alan

Crosslinked polymer networks have wide application in biomaterials, from soft hydrogel scaffolds for cell culture and tissue engineering to glassy, high modulus dental restoratives. Composite materials formed with nanogels as a means for tuning network structure on the nanoscale have been reported, but no investigation into nanogels as the primary network component has been explored to this point. This thesis was dedicated to studying network formation from the direct polymerization of nanogels and investigating applications for these unique materials. Covalently crosslinked polymer networks were synthesized from polymerizable nanogels without the use of reactive small monomers or oligomers. Network properties were controlled by the chemical and physical properties of the nanogel, allowing for materials to be designed from nanostructured macromolecular precursors. Nanogels were synthesized from a thermally initiated solution free radical polymerization of a monomethacrylate, a dimethacrylate, and a thiol-based chain transfer agent. Monomers with a range of hydrophilic and hydrophobic character were copolymerized, and polymerizable groups were introduced through an alcohol-isocyanate click reaction. Nanogels were dispersible in water up to 75 wt%, including nanogels that contained a relatively high fraction of a conventionally water-insoluble component. Nanogels with molecular weights that ranged from 10's to 100's of kDa and hydrodynamic radii between 4 and 10 nm were obtained. Macroscopic crosslinked polymer networks were synthesized from the photopolymerization of methacrylate-functionalized nanogels in inert solvent, which was typically water. The nanogel composition and internal branching density affected both covalent and non-covalent interparticle interactions, which dictated the final mechanical properties of the networks. Nanogels with progressively disparate hydrophilic and hydrophobic character were synthesized to explore the potential for creating

Coating flexible probes with an ultra fast degrading polymer to aid in tissue insertion.

Science.gov (United States)

Lo, Meng-chen; Wang, Shuwu; Singh, Sagar; Damodaran, Vinod B; Kaplan, Hilton M; Kohn, Joachim; Shreiber, David I; Zahn, Jeffrey D

2015-04-01

We report a fabrication process for coating neural probes with an ultrafast degrading polymer to create consistent and reproducible devices for neural tissue insertion. The rigid polymer coating acts as a probe insertion aid, but resorbs within hours post-implantation. Despite the feasibility for short term neural recordings from currently available neural prosthetic devices, most of these devices suffer from long term gliosis, which isolates the probes from adjacent neurons, increasing the recording impedance and stimulation threshold. The size and stiffness of implanted probes have been identified as critical factors that lead to this long term gliosis. Smaller, more flexible probes that match the mechanical properties of brain tissue could allow better long term integration by limiting the mechanical disruption of the surrounding tissue during and after probe insertion, while being flexible enough to deform with the tissue during brain movement. However, these small flexible probes inherently lack the mechanical strength to penetrate the brain on their own. In this work, we have developed a micromolding method for coating a non-functional miniaturized SU-8 probe with an ultrafast degrading tyrosine-derived polycarbonate (E5005(2K)). Coated, non-functionalized probes of varying dimensions were reproducibly fabricated with high yields. The polymer erosion/degradation profiles of the probes were characterized in vitro. The probes were also mechanically characterized in ex vivo brain tissue models by measuring buckling and insertion forces during probe insertion. The results demonstrate the ability to produce polymer coated probes of consistent quality for future in vivo use, for example to study the effects of different design parameters that may affect tissue response during long term chronic intra-cortical microelectrode neural recordings.

Effects of Operating Temperature on Droplet Casting of Flexible Polymer/Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube Composite Gas Sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jin-Chern Chiou

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This study examined the performance of a flexible polymer/multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT composite sensor array as a function of operating temperature. The response magnitudes of a cost-effective flexible gas sensor array equipped with a heater were measured with respect to five different operating temperatures (room temperature, 40 °C, 50 °C, 60 °C, and 70 °C via impedance spectrum measurement and sensing response experiments. The selected polymers that were droplet cast to coat a MWCNT conductive layer to form two-layer polymer/MWCNT composite sensing films included ethyl cellulose (EC, polyethylene oxide (PEO, and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP. Electrical characterization of impedance, sensing response magnitude, and scanning electron microscope (SEM morphology of each type of polymer/MWCNT composite film was performed at different operating temperatures. With respect to ethanol, the response magnitude of the sensor decreased with increasing operating temperatures. The results indicated that the higher operating temperature could reduce the response and influence the sensitivity of the polymer/MWCNT gas sensor array. The morphology of polymer/MWCNT composite films revealed that there were changes in the porous film after volatile organic compound (VOC testing.

Ag/Au/Polypyrrole Core-shell Nanowire Network for Transparent, Stretchable and Flexible Supercapacitor in Wearable Energy Devices

Science.gov (United States)

Moon, Hyunjin; Lee, Habeom; Kwon, Jinhyeong; Suh, Young Duk; Kim, Dong Kwan; Ha, Inho; Yeo, Junyeob; Hong, Sukjoon; Ko, Seung Hwan

2017-02-01

Transparent and stretchable energy storage devices have attracted significant interest due to their potential to be applied to biocompatible and wearable electronics. Supercapacitors that use the reversible faradaic redox reaction of conducting polymer have a higher specific capacitance as compared with electrical double-layer capacitors. Typically, the conducting polymer electrode is fabricated through direct electropolymerization on the current collector. However, no research have been conducted on metal nanowires as current collectors for the direct electropolymerization, even though the metal nanowire network structure has proven to be superior as a transparent, flexible, and stretchable electrode platform because the conducting polymer’s redox potential for polymerization is higher than that of widely studied metal nanowires such as silver and copper. In this study, we demonstrated a highly transparent and stretchable supercapacitor by developing Ag/Au/Polypyrrole core-shell nanowire networks as electrode by coating the surface of Ag NWs with a thin layer of gold, which provide higher redox potential than the electropolymerizable monomer. The Ag/Au/Polypyrrole core-shell nanowire networks demonstrated superior mechanical stability under various mechanical bending and stretching. In addition, proposed supercapacitors showed fine optical transmittance together with fivefold improved areal capacitance compared to pristine Ag/Au core-shell nanowire mesh-based supercapacitors.

Fabrication of flexible gold nanorods polymer metafilm via phase transfer method as SERS substrate for detecting food contaminants.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Nan; You, Ting-Ting; Gao, Yu-Kun; Zhang, Chen-Meng; Yin, Penggang

2018-06-08

Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has been widely used in detection of food safety due to the nondestructive examination property. Here, we reported a flexible SERS film based on polymer immobilized gold nanorods polymer metafilm. Polystyrene-polyisoprene-polystyrene (SIS), a transparent and flexible along with excellent elasticity polymer was chosen as main support of gold nanorods. A simple phase transfer progress was adopted to mix the gold nanorods with polymer which can further used in most water-insoluble polymers. The SERS film performed satisfactorily while tested in a series of standard Raman probes like crystal violet (CV) and malachite green (MG). Moreover, the excellent reproducibility and elastic properties make the film promising substrates in practical detection. Hence, the MG detection on fish surface and trace thiram detection on orange pericarp were inspected with the detection result of 1 × 10-10 M and 1 × 10-6 M which below the demand of National standard of China, exactly matching the realistic application requirements.

Longitudinal relaxation of initially straight flexible and stiff polymers

Science.gov (United States)

Dimitrakopoulos, Panagiotis; Dissanayake, Inuka

2004-11-01

The present talk considers the relaxation of a single flexible or stiff polymer chain from an initial straight configuration in a viscous solvent. This problem commonly arises when strong flows are turned off in both industrial and biological applications. The problem is also motivated by recent experiments with single biopolymer molecules relaxing after being fully extended by applied forces as well as by the recent development of micro-devices involving stretched tethered biopolymers. Our results are applicable to a wide array of synthetic polymers such as polyacrylamides, Kevlar and polyesters as well as biopolymers such as DNA, actin filaments, microtubules and MTV. In this talk we discuss the mechanism of the polymer relaxation as was revealed through Brownian Dynamics simulations covering a broad range of time scales and chain stiffness. After the short-time free diffusion, the chain's longitudinal reduction at early intermediate times is shown to constitute a universal behavior for any chain stiffness caused by a quasi-steady relaxation of tensions associated with the deforming action of the Brownian forces. Stiff chains are shown to exhibit a late intermediate-time longitudinal reduction associated with a relaxation of tensions affected by the deforming Brownian and the restoring bending forces. The longitudinal and transverse relaxations are shown to obey different laws, i.e. the chain relaxation is anisotropic at all times. In the talk, we show how from the knowledge of the relaxation mechanism, we can predict and explain the polymer properties including the polymer stress and the solution birefringence. In addition, a generalized stress-optic law is derived valid for any time and chain stiffness. All polymer properties which depend on the polymer length are shown to exhibit two intermediate-time behaviors with the early one to constitute a universal behavior for any chain stiffness. This work was supported in part by the Minta Martin Research Fund. The

Introduction of Spectrally and Spatially Flexible Optical Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Xia, Tiejun J.; Fevrier, Herve; Wang, Ting

2015-01-01

Given the introduction of coherent 100G systems has provided enough fiber capacity to meet data traffic growth in the near term, enhancing network efficiency will be service providers' high priority. Adding flexibility at the optical layer is a key step to increasing network efficiency, and both...... spectral and spatial functionality will be considered in next generation optical networks along with advanced network management to effectively harness the new capabilities....

Development of patterned carbon nanotubes on a 3D polymer substrate for the flexible tactile sensor application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, Chih-Fan; Fang, Weileun; Su, Wang-Shen

2011-01-01

This study reports an improved approach to implement a carbon nanotube (CNT)-based flexible tactile sensor, which is integrated with a flexible print circuit (FPC) connector and is capable of detecting normal and shear forces. The merits of the presented tactile sensor by the integration process are as follows: (1) 3D polymer tactile bump structures are naturally formed by the use of an anisotropically etched silicon mold; (2) planar and 3D distributed CNTs are adopted as piezoresistive sensing elements to enable the detection of shear and normal forces; (3) the processes of patterning CNTs and metal routing can be easily batch fabricated on rigid silicon instead of flexible polymer; (4) robust electrical routing is realized using parylene encapsulation to avoid delamination; (5) patterned CNTs, electrical routing and FPC connector are integrated and transferred to a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate by a molding process. In application, the CNT-based flexible tactile sensor and its integration with the FPC connector are implemented. Preliminary tests show the feasibility of detecting both normal and shear forces using the presented flexible sensor.

Proton conducting semi-IPN based on Nafion and crosslinked poly(AMPS) for direct methanol fuel cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Ki-Yun; Jung, Ho-Young; Shin, Seung-Shik; Choi, Nam-Soon; Sung, Shi-Joon; Park, Jung-Ki; Choi, Jong-Ho; Park, Kyung-Won; Sung, Yung-Eun

2004-01-01

For direct methanol fuel cell, the proton conducting membrane based on semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) of Nafion and crosslinked poly(AMPS) was prepared and characterized. The modification of Nafion with crosslinked poly(AMPS) such as hydrocarbon polymer changed the state of water in membranes. Without a significant increase of the membrane resistance, the semi-IPNs demonstrated a reduction of the methanol permeability, comparing to the native Nafion. And the maximum power density of AMPS60 increased as much as 22.2% compared with Nafion

Probing Rubber Cross-Linking Generation of Industrial Polymer Networks at Nanometer Scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Gabrielle, Brice; Gomez, Emmanuel; Korb, Jean-Pierre

2016-06-23

We present improved analyses of rheometric torque measurements as well as (1)H double-quantum (DQ) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) buildup data on polymer networks of industrial compounds. This latter DQ NMR analysis allows finding the distribution of an orientation order parameter (Dres) resulting from the noncomplete averaging of proton dipole-dipole couplings within the cross-linked polymer chains. We investigate the influence of the formulation (filler and vulcanization systems) as well as the process (curing temperature) ending to the final polymer network. We show that DQ NMR follows the generation of the polymer network during the vulcanization process from a heterogeneous network to a very homogeneous one. The time variations of microscopic Dres and macroscopic rheometric torques present power-law behaviors above a threshold time scale with characteristic exponents of the percolation theory. We observe also a very good linear correlation between the kinetics of Dres and rheometric data routinely performed in industry. All these observations confirm the description of the polymer network generation as a critical phenomenon. On the basis of all these results, we believe that DQ NMR could become a valuable tool for investigating in situ the cross-linking of industrial polymer networks at the nanometer scale.

Self-Positioned Nanosized Mask for Transparent and Flexible Ferroelectric Polymer Nanodiodes Array.

Science.gov (United States)

Hyun, Seung; Kwon, Owoong; Choi, Chungryong; Vincent Joseph, Kanniyambatti L; Kim, Yunseok; Kim, Jin Kon

2016-10-12

High density arrays of ferroelectric polymer nanodiodes have gained strong attention for next-generation transparent and flexible nonvolatile resistive memory. Here, we introduce a facile and innovative method to fabricate ferroelectric polymer nanodiode array on an ITO-coated poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrate by using block copolymer self-assembly and oxygen plasma etching. First, polystyrene-block-poly(2-vinylpyridine) copolymer (PS-b-P2VP) micelles were spin-coated on poly(vinylidene fluoride-ran-trifluoroethylene) copolymer (P(VDF-TrFE)) film/ITO-coated PET substrate. After the sample was immersed in a gold precursor (HAuCl 4 ) containing solution, which strongly coordinates with nitrogen group in P2VP, oxygen plasma etching was performed. During the plasma etching, coordinated gold precursors became gold nanoparticles (GNPs), which successfully acted as self-positioned etching mask to fabricate a high density array of P(VDF-TrFE)) nanoislands with GNP at the top. Each nanoisland shows clearly individual diode property, as confirmed by current-voltage (I-V) curve. Furthermore, due to the transparent and flexible nature of P(VDF-TrFE)) nanoisland as well as the substrate, the P(VDF-TrFE) nanodiode array was highly tranparent, and the diode property was maintained even after a large number of bendings (for instance, 1000 times). The array could be used as the next-generation tranparent and flexible nonvolatile memory device.

The Trust-Committment-Flexibility Link in Transnational Buyer-Supplier Relationships: A Network Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matevž Rašković

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to analyze the manner in which trust and commitment impact relationship flexibility in a transnational buyer-supplier network context. There is an abundance of research on trust and commitment related to buyer-supplier relationships in the marketing literature; however, their link to relationship flexibility in particular has not attracted much attention within the marketing field to date. Whereas the marketing literature tends to focus on traditional performance outcomes in buyer-supplier relationships (i.e. financial performance, satisfaction, loyalty, the supply chain management literature emphasizes the importance of flexibility as fundamental characteristics of well-performing supply networks. In this paper, a novel network analysis approach is employed for the marketing literature to analyze the link between trust, commitment and relationship flexibility. The analyzed network is a two-mode, egocentric and valued network, consisting of 11 purchasing managers and 53 suppliers connected to a transnational company in the steel construction industry with headquarters in Slovenia. To analyze the impact of trust and commitment on buyer-supplier relationship flexibility, a Multiple Regression Quadratic Assignment Procedure (MRQAP approach was used. Results show that trust and commitment are not just important determinants of buyer-supplier relationship flexibility in a network context, but also how their impact on relationship flexibility changes depending on the importance of the buyer-supplier relationship. In high importance relationships trust is the overwhelming determinant of relationship flexibility, while in low importance relationships commitment is a more important determinant of relationship flexibility.

Mechanical properties of polymer-infiltrated-ceramic-network materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Coldea, Andrea; Swain, Michael V; Thiel, Norbert

2013-04-01

To determine and identify correlations between flexural strength, strain at failure, elastic modulus and hardness versus ceramic network densities of a range of novel polymer-infiltrated-ceramic-network (PICN) materials. Four ceramic network densities ranging from 59% to 72% of theoretical density, resin infiltrated PICN as well as pure polymer and dense ceramic cross-sections were subjected to Vickers Indentations (HV 5) for hardness evaluation. The flexural strength and elastic modulus were measured using three-point-bending. The fracture response of PICNs was determined for cracks induced by Vickers-indentation. Optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was employed to observe the indented areas. Depending on the density of the porous ceramic the flexural strength of PICNs ranged from 131 to 160MPa, the hardness values ranged between 1.05 and 2.10GPa and the elastic modulus between 16.4 and 28.1GPa. SEM observations of the indentation induced cracks indicate that the polymer network causes greater crack deflection than the dense ceramic material. The results were compared with simple analytical expressions for property variation of two phase composite materials. This study points out the correlation between ceramic network density, elastic modulus and hardness of PICNs. These materials are considered to more closely imitate natural tooth properties compared with existing dental restorative materials. Copyright © 2013 Academy of Dental Materials. All rights reserved.

Synthesis and characterization of semi-IPNs based on PVP and PLLA; Sintese e caracterizacao de semi-IPNs envolvendo os homopolimeros PVP e PLLA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Camilo, A.P.R.; Mano, V., E-mail: mano@ufsj.edu.b [Universidade Federal de Sao Joao del Rei (UFSJ), MG (Brazil). Dept. de Ciencias Naturais; Felisberti, M.I. [Universidade Estadual de Campinas (IQ/UNICAMP), SP (Brazil). Inst. de Quimica

2010-07-01

The specific interest in the synthesis of semi-IPNs based on PLLA and PVP homopolymers due to the fact these are biodegradable and biocompatible, which allows us to infer applications in the medical field as sutures, implants, matrices for controlled release of drugs etc. The objective was to prepare a multicomponent material amphiphile in the form of semi-interpenetrating polymer networks, based on poly (L-lactide), PLLA, hydrophobic homopolymer, and poly (vinylpyrrolidone), PVP, hydrophilic component. The preparation of semi-IPN combined the polymerization and crosslinking of N-vinylpyrrolidone in the presence of poly (L-lactide). The products were characterized by spectroscopic and thermal methods. (author)

Path connectivity based spectral defragmentation in flexible bandwidth networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ying; Zhang, Jie; Zhao, Yongli; Zhang, Jiawei; Zhao, Jie; Wang, Xinbo; Gu, Wanyi

2013-01-28

Optical networks with flexible bandwidth provisioning have become a very promising networking architecture. It enables efficient resource utilization and supports heterogeneous bandwidth demands. In this paper, two novel spectrum defragmentation approaches, i.e. Maximum Path Connectivity (MPC) algorithm and Path Connectivity Triggering (PCT) algorithm, are proposed based on the notion of Path Connectivity, which is defined to represent the maximum variation of node switching ability along the path in flexible bandwidth networks. A cost-performance-ratio based profitability model is given to denote the prons and cons of spectrum defragmentation. We compare these two proposed algorithms with non-defragmentation algorithm in terms of blocking probability. Then we analyze the differences of defragmentation profitability between MPC and PCT algorithms.

Broad-scale small-world network topology induces optimal synchronization of flexible oscillators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Markovič, Rene; Gosak, Marko; Marhl, Marko

2014-01-01

The discovery of small-world and scale-free properties of many man-made and natural complex networks has attracted increasing attention. Of particular interest is how the structural properties of a network facilitate and constrain its dynamical behavior. In this paper we study the synchronization of weakly coupled limit-cycle oscillators in dependence on the network topology as well as the dynamical features of individual oscillators. We show that flexible oscillators, characterized by near zero values of divergence, express maximal correlation in broad-scale small-world networks, whereas the non-flexible (rigid) oscillators are best correlated in more heterogeneous scale-free networks. We found that the synchronization behavior is governed by the interplay between the networks global efficiency and the mutual frequency adaptation. The latter differs for flexible and rigid oscillators. The results are discussed in terms of evolutionary advantages of broad-scale small-world networks in biological systems

Solution-Processed Donor-Acceptor Polymer Nanowire Network Semiconductors For High-Performance Field-Effect Transistors

Science.gov (United States)

Lei, Yanlian; Deng, Ping; Li, Jun; Lin, Ming; Zhu, Furong; Ng, Tsz-Wai; Lee, Chun-Sing; Ong, Beng S.

2016-01-01

Organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) represent a low-cost transistor technology for creating next-generation large-area, flexible and ultra-low-cost electronics. Conjugated electron donor-acceptor (D-A) polymers have surfaced as ideal channel semiconductor candidates for OFETs. However, high-molecular weight (MW) D-A polymer semiconductors, which offer high field-effect mobility, generally suffer from processing complications due to limited solubility. Conversely, the readily soluble, low-MW D-A polymers give low mobility. We report herein a facile solution process which transformed a lower-MW, low-mobility diketopyrrolopyrrole-dithienylthieno[3,2-b]thiophene (I) into a high crystalline order and high-mobility semiconductor for OFETs applications. The process involved solution fabrication of a channel semiconductor film from a lower-MW (I) and polystyrene blends. With the help of cooperative shifting motion of polystyrene chain segments, (I) readily self-assembled and crystallized out in the polystyrene matrix as an interpenetrating, nanowire semiconductor network, providing significantly enhanced mobility (over 8 cm2V−1s−1), on/off ratio (107), and other desirable field-effect properties that meet impactful OFET application requirements. PMID:27091315

Three-Dimensional Nanoporous Cellulose Gels as a Flexible Reinforcement Matrix for Polymer Nanocomposites.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Zhuqun; Huang, Junchao; Liu, Chuanjun; Ding, Beibei; Kuga, Shigenori; Cai, Jie; Zhang, Lina

2015-10-21

With the world's focus on utilization of sustainable natural resources, the conversion of wood and plant fibers into cellulose nanowhiskers/nanofibers is essential for application of cellulose in polymer nanocomposites. Here, we present a novel fabrication method of polymer nanocomposites by in-situ polymerization of monomers in three-dimensionally nanoporous cellulose gels (NCG) prepared from aqueous alkali hydroxide/urea solution. The NCG have interconnected nanofibrillar cellulose network structure, resulting in high mechanical strength and size stability. Polymerization of the monomer gave P(MMA/BMA)/NCG, P(MMA/BA)/NCG nanocomposites with a volume fraction of NCG ranging from 15% to 78%. SEM, TEM, and XRD analyses show that the NCG are finely distributed and preserved well in the nanocomposites after polymerization. DMA analysis demonstrates a significant improvement in tensile storage modulus E' above the glass transition temperature; for instance, at 95 °C, E' is increased by over 4 orders of magnitude from 0.03 MPa of the P(MMA/BMA) up to 350 MPa of nanocomposites containing 15% v/v NCG. This reinforcement effect can be explained by the percolation model. The nanocomposites also show remarkable improvement in solvent resistance (swelling ratio of 1.3-2.2 in chloroform, acetone, and toluene), thermal stability (do not melt or decompose up to 300 °C), and low coefficients of thermal expansion (in-plane CTE of 15 ppm·K(-1)). These nanocomposites will have great promising applications in flexible display, packing, biomedical implants, and many others.

An inter-laboratory stability study of roll-to-roll coated flexible polymer solar modules

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gevorgyan, Suren; Medford, Andrew James; Bundgaard, Eva

2011-01-01

A large number of flexible polymer solar modules comprising 16 serially connected individual cells was prepared at the experimental workshop at Risø DTU. The photoactive layer was prepared from several varieties of P3HT (Merck, Plextronics, BASF and Risø DTU) and two varieties of ZnO (nanoparticu......A large number of flexible polymer solar modules comprising 16 serially connected individual cells was prepared at the experimental workshop at Risø DTU. The photoactive layer was prepared from several varieties of P3HT (Merck, Plextronics, BASF and Risø DTU) and two varieties of Zn......O (nanoparticulate, thin film) were employed as electron transport layers. The devices were all tested at Risø DTU and the functional devices were subjected to an inter-laboratory study involving the performance and the stability of modules over time in the dark, under light soaking and outdoor conditions. 24...

Mechanical reinforcement and segmental dynamics of polymer nanocomposites

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Shushan

The addition of nanofiller into a polymer matrix will dramatically change the physical properties of polymer. The introduction of nanofiller makes the polymer more applicable in many industries, such as automobile tires, coatings, semiconductors, and packaging. The altered properties are not the simple combination of the characters from the two components. The interactions in polymer nanocomposites play an important role in determining the physical properties. This dissertation focuses on the mechanical properties of polymer nanocomposites (silica/poly-2-vinylpyridine) above their glass transition temperature Tg, as a model for automobile tires, which utilize small silica particles in crosslinked rubber far above Tg. We also investigate the impacts of the interaction between particle filler and polymer matrix on the altered mechanical properties. Dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS) is used to study the glassy bound polymer layers formed around the particles. The results show evidence of the existence of immobilized polymer layers at the surface of each nanoparticle. At the same time, the thickness of the immobilized polymer layers is quantified and formed to be around 2 nm. Then we consider particles with glassy bound polymer layers are bridged together (either rubbery bridge or glassy bridge) by polymer chains and form small clusters. Clusters finally percolate to form a particle-polymer network as loading fraction increases. Rheology is used to study the network formation, and to predict the boundary of rubbery bridge and glassy bridge regimes. The distance between particles determines the type of polymer bridging. The particle spacing larger than Kuhn length makes flexible (rubbery) bridge with rheology described by a flexible Rouse model for percolation. When the spacing is shorter than the Kuhn length (~ 1nm), stiffer bridge forms instead, which is called glassy bridge. The mechanical differences between rubbery bridge and glassy bridge, and the effect of

Optical fiber cabling technologies for flexible access network

Science.gov (United States)

Tanji, Hisashi

2008-07-01

Fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) outside plant infrastructure should be so designed and constructed as to flexibly deal with increasing subscribers and system evolution to be expected in the future, taking minimization of total cost (CAPEX and OPEX) into consideration. With this in mind, fiber access architectures are reviewed and key technologies on optical fiber and cable for supporting flexible access network are presented. Low loss over wide wavelength (low water peak) and bend-insensitive single mode fiber is a future proof solution. Enhanced separable ribbon facilitates mid-span access to individual fibers in a cable installed, improving fiber utilizing efficiency and flexibility of distribution design. It also contributes to an excellent low PMD characteristic which could be required for video RF overlay system or high capacity long reach metro-access convergence network in the future. Bend-insensitive fiber based cabling technique including field installable connector greatly improves fiber/cable handling in installation and maintenance work.

Flexible organic/inorganic hybrid solar cells based on conjugated polymer and ZnO nanorod array

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tong, Fei; Kim, Kyusang; Martinez, Daniel; Thapa, Resham; Ahyi, Ayayi; Williams, John; Park, Minseo; Kim, Dong-Joo; Lee, Sungkoo; Lim, Eunhee; Lee, Kyeong K

2012-01-01

We report on the photovoltaic characteristics of organic/inorganic hybrid solar cells fabricated on ‘flexible’ transparent substrates. The solar cell device is composed of ZnO nanorod array and the bulk heterojunction structured organic layer which is the blend of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and (6,6)-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). The ZnO nanorod array was grown on indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates via a low-temperature (85 °C) aqueous solution process. The blend solution consisting of conjugated polymer P3HT and fullerene PCBM was spin coated at a low spinning rate of 400 rpm on top of the ZnO nanorod array structure and then the photoactive layer was slow dried at room temperature in air to promote its infiltration into the nanorod network. As a top electrode, silver was sputtered on top of the photoactive layer. The flexible solar cell with the structure of PET/ITO/ZnO thin film/ZnO nanorods/P3HT:PCBM/Ag exhibited a photovoltaic performance with an open circuit voltage (V OC ) of 0.52 V, a short circuit current density (J SC ) of 9.82 mA cm −2 , a fill factor (FF) of 35% and a power conversion efficiency (η) of 1.78%. All the measurements were performed under 100 mW cm −2 of illumination with an air mass 1.5 G filter. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first presentation of investigation into the fabrication and characterization of organic/inorganic hybrid solar cells based on bulk heterojunction structured conjugated polymer/fullerene photoactive layer and ZnO nanorod array constructed on flexible transparent substrates. (paper)

A complete process for production of flexible large area polymer solar cells entirely using screen printing-First public demonstration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krebs, Frederik C; Jørgensen, Mikkel; Norrman, Kion

2009-01-01

, complete processing in air using commonly available screen printing, and finally, simple mechanical encapsulation using a flexible packaging material and electrical contacting post-production using crimped contacts. We detail the production of more than 2000 modules in one production run and show......A complete polymer solar cell module prepared in the ambient atmosphere under industrial conditions is presented. The versatility of the polymer solar cell technology is demonstrated through the use of abstract forms for the active area, a flexible substrate, processing entirely from solution...

Learning outdoors: male lizards show flexible spatial learning under semi-natural conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Noble, Daniel W. A.; Carazo, Pau; Whiting, Martin J.

2012-01-01

Spatial cognition is predicted to be a fundamental component of fitness in many lizard species, and yet some studies suggest that it is relatively slow and inflexible. However, such claims are based on work conducted using experimental designs or in artificial contexts that may underestimate their cognitive abilities. We used a biologically realistic experimental procedure (using simulated predatory attacks) to study spatial learning and its flexibility in the lizard Eulamprus quoyii in semi-natural outdoor enclosures under similar conditions to those experienced by lizards in the wild. To evaluate the flexibility of spatial learning, we conducted a reversal spatial-learning task in which positive and negative reinforcements of learnt spatial stimuli were switched. Nineteen (32%) male lizards learnt both tasks within 10 days (spatial task mean: 8.16 ± 0.69 (s.e.) and reversal spatial task mean: 10.74 ± 0.98 (s.e.) trials). We demonstrate that E. quoyii are capable of flexible spatial learning and suggest that future studies focus on a range of lizard species which differ in phylogeny and/or ecology, using biologically relevant cognitive tasks, in an effort to bridge the cognitive divide between ecto- and endotherms. PMID:23075525

Structure and properties of semi-interpenetrating network hydrogel based on starch.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Baodong; Ma, Dongzhuo; Wang, Jian; Zhang, Shuang

2015-11-20

Starch-g-P(acrylic acid-co-acrylamide)/PVA semi-interpenetrating network (semi-IPN) hydrogels were prepared by aqueous solution polymerization method. Starch grafting copolymerization reaction, semi-IPN structure and crystal morphology were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The PVA in the form of partial crystallization distributing in the gel matrix uniformly were observed by Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). The space network structure, finer microstructure and pore size in the interior of hydrogel were presented by biomicroscope. The results demonstrated that absorption ratio of water and salt generated different degree changes with the effect of PVA. In addition, the mechanical strength of hydrogel was improved. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of chain rigidity on network architecture and deformation behavior of glassy polymer networks

Science.gov (United States)

Knowles, Kyler Reser

Processing carbon fiber composite laminates creates molecular-level strains in the thermoset matrix upon curing and cooling which can lead to failures such as geometry deformations, micro-cracking, and other issues. It is known strain creation is attributed to the significant volume and physical state changes undergone by the polymer matrix throughout the curing process, though storage and relaxation of cure-induced strains remain poorly understood. This dissertation establishes two approaches to address the issue. The first establishes testing methods to simultaneously measure key volumetric properties of a carbon fiber composite laminate and its polymer matrix. The second approach considers the rigidity of the polymer matrix in regards to strain storage and relaxation mechanisms which ultimately control composite performance throughout manufacturing and use. Through the use of a non-contact, full-field strain measurement technique known as digital image correlation (DIC), we describe and implement useful experiments which quantify matrix and composite parameters necessary for simulation efforts and failure models. The methods are compared to more traditional techniques and show excellent correlation. Further, we established relationships which represent matrix-fiber compatibility in regards to critical processing constraints. The second approach involves a systematic study of epoxy-amine networks which are chemically-similar but differ in chain segment rigidity. Prior research has investigated the isomer effect of glassy polymers, showing sizeable differences in thermal, volumetric, physical, and mechanical properties. This work builds on these themes and shows the apparent isomer effect is rather an effect of chain rigidity. Indeed, it was found that structurally-dissimilar polymer networks exhibit very similar properties as a consequence of their shared average network rigidity. Differences in chain packing, as a consequence of chain rigidity, were shown to

A semi-analytical bearing model considering outer race flexibility for model based bearing load monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Kerst, Stijn; Shyrokau, Barys; Holweg, Edward

2018-05-01

This paper proposes a novel semi-analytical bearing model addressing flexibility of the bearing outer race structure. It furthermore presents the application of this model in a bearing load condition monitoring approach. The bearing model is developed as current computational low cost bearing models fail to provide an accurate description of the more and more common flexible size and weight optimized bearing designs due to their assumptions of rigidity. In the proposed bearing model raceway flexibility is described by the use of static deformation shapes. The excitation of the deformation shapes is calculated based on the modelled rolling element loads and a Fourier series based compliance approximation. The resulting model is computational low cost and provides an accurate description of the rolling element loads for flexible outer raceway structures. The latter is validated by a simulation-based comparison study with a well-established bearing simulation software tool. An experimental study finally shows the potential of the proposed model in a bearing load monitoring approach.

Polymer-Sorted Semiconducting Carbon Nanotube Networks for High-Performance Ambipolar Field-Effect Transistors

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Efficient selection of semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) from as-grown nanotube samples is crucial for their application as printable and flexible semiconductors in field-effect transistors (FETs). In this study, we use atactic poly(9-dodecyl-9-methyl-fluorene) (a-PF-1-12), a polyfluorene derivative with asymmetric side-chains, for the selective dispersion of semiconducting SWNTs with large diameters (>1 nm) from plasma torch-grown SWNTs. Lowering the molecular weight of the dispersing polymer leads to a significant improvement of selectivity. Combining dense semiconducting SWNT networks deposited from an enriched SWNT dispersion with a polymer/metal-oxide hybrid dielectric enables transistors with balanced ambipolar, contact resistance-corrected mobilities of up to 50 cm2·V–1·s–1, low ohmic contact resistance, steep subthreshold swings (0.12–0.14 V/dec) and high on/off ratios (106) even for short channel lengths (<10 μm). These FETs operate at low voltages (<3 V) and show almost no current hysteresis. The resulting ambipolar complementary-like inverters exhibit gains up to 61. PMID:25493421

Flexible and semi-transparent thermoelectric energy harvesters from low cost bulk silicon (100)

KAUST Repository

Sevilla, Galo T.

2013-07-09

Flexible and semi-transparent high performance thermoelectric energy harvesters are fabricated on low cost bulk mono-crystalline silicon (100) wafers. The released silicon is only 3.6% as thick as bulk silicon reducing the thermal loss significantly and generating nearly 30% more output power than unpeeled harvesters. This generic batch processing is a pragmatic way of transforming traditional silicon circuitry for extremely deformable high-performance integrated electronics. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Flexible and semi-transparent thermoelectric energy harvesters from low cost bulk silicon (100)

KAUST Repository

Sevilla, Galo T.; Inayat, Salman Bin; Rojas, Jhonathan Prieto; Hussain, Aftab M.; Hussain, Muhammad Mustafa

2013-01-01

Flexible and semi-transparent high performance thermoelectric energy harvesters are fabricated on low cost bulk mono-crystalline silicon (100) wafers. The released silicon is only 3.6% as thick as bulk silicon reducing the thermal loss significantly and generating nearly 30% more output power than unpeeled harvesters. This generic batch processing is a pragmatic way of transforming traditional silicon circuitry for extremely deformable high-performance integrated electronics. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

An extension of the counterion condensation theory to conformational changes of flexible polymers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benegas, J.C.; Cesaro, A.

1988-01-01

A full report on a statistical model is presented in which an ionic polymer is taken as an aggregate of linear flexible segments (similar to the spring-bead model). This model is thought to represent fairly well some flexible ionic polymers in solution. The model assumes two factorizable energy contributions, one purely conformational the other electrostatic. The first contribution is calculated from distribution function of the end-to-end distances and can be obtained from numerical Monte Carlo calculations of chain conformations. The second contribution is the excess thermodynamic property and is calculated, by using Manning's theory of linear polyelectrolytes, as a function of the degree of ionization and of a number of physical variables. Procedures to evaluate changes in the chain conformation of polysaccharides and polypeptides bearing ionizable charged groups are presented. The results show excellent quantitative agreement of averaged functions and experimental data. They also show that statistical average over the conformational states is not equivalent to the thermodynamic property of the averaged conformation. (author). 37 refs, 17 figs

Ultraviolet photodetection of flexible ZnO nanowire sheets in polydimethylsiloxane polymer

OpenAIRE

Jinzhang Liu; Nunzio Motta; Soonil Lee

2012-01-01

Summary ZnO nanowires are normally exposed to an oxygen atmosphere to achieve high performance in UV photodetection. In this work we present results on a UV photodetector fabricated using a flexible ZnO nanowire sheet embedded in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a gas-permeable polymer, showing reproducible UV photoresponse and enhanced photoconduction. PDMS coating results in a reduced response speed compared to that of a ZnO nanowire film in air. The rising speed is slightly reduced, while the ...

Next Generation Flexible and Cognitive Heterogeneous Optical Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tomkos, Ioannis; Angelou, Marianna; Barroso, Ramón J. Durán

2012-01-01

Optical networking is the cornerstone of the Future Internet as it provides the physical infrastructure of the core backbone networks. Recent developments have enabled much better quality of service/experience for the end users, enabled through the much higher capacities that can be supported...... the capabilities of the Future Internet. In this book chapter, we highlight the latest activities of the optical networking community and in particular what has been the focus of EU funded research. The concepts of flexible and cognitive optical networks are introduced and their key expected benefits...

Transient response of nonlinear polymer networks: A kinetic theory

Science.gov (United States)

Vernerey, Franck J.

2018-06-01

Dynamic networks are found in a majority of natural materials, but also in engineering materials, such as entangled polymers and physically cross-linked gels. Owing to their transient bond dynamics, these networks display a rich class of behaviors, from elasticity, rheology, self-healing, or growth. Although classical theories in rheology and mechanics have enabled us to characterize these materials, there is still a gap in our understanding on how individuals (i.e., the mechanics of each building blocks and its connection with others) affect the emerging response of the network. In this work, we introduce an alternative way to think about these networks from a statistical point of view. More specifically, a network is seen as a collection of individual polymer chains connected by weak bonds that can associate and dissociate over time. From the knowledge of these individual chains (elasticity, transient attachment, and detachment events), we construct a statistical description of the population and derive an evolution equation of their distribution based on applied deformation and their local interactions. We specifically concentrate on nonlinear elastic response that follows from the strain stiffening response of individual chains of finite size. Upon appropriate averaging operations and using a mean field approximation, we show that the distribution can be replaced by a so-called chain distribution tensor that is used to determine important macroscopic measures such as stress, energy storage and dissipation in the network. Prediction of the kinetic theory are then explored against known experimental measurement of polymer responses under uniaxial loading. It is found that even under the simplest assumptions of force-independent chain kinetics, the model is able to reproduce complex time-dependent behaviors of rubber and self-healing supramolecular polymers.

Optical fiber sensors embedded in flexible polymer foils

Science.gov (United States)

van Hoe, Bram; van Steenberge, Geert; Bosman, Erwin; Missinne, Jeroen; Geernaert, Thomas; Berghmans, Francis; Webb, David; van Daele, Peter

2010-04-01

In traditional electrical sensing applications, multiplexing and interconnecting the different sensing elements is a major challenge. Recently, many optical alternatives have been investigated including optical fiber sensors of which the sensing elements consist of fiber Bragg gratings. Different sensing points can be integrated in one optical fiber solving the interconnection problem and avoiding any electromagnetical interference (EMI). Many new sensing applications also require flexible or stretchable sensing foils which can be attached to or wrapped around irregularly shaped objects such as robot fingers and car bumpers or which can even be applied in biomedical applications where a sensor is fixed on a human body. The use of these optical sensors however always implies the use of a light-source, detectors and electronic circuitry to be coupled and integrated with these sensors. The coupling of these fibers with these light sources and detectors is a critical packaging problem and as it is well-known the costs for packaging, especially with optoelectronic components and fiber alignment issues are huge. The end goal of this embedded sensor is to create a flexible optical sensor integrated with (opto)electronic modules and control circuitry. To obtain this flexibility, one can embed the optical sensors and the driving optoelectronics in a stretchable polymer host material. In this article different embedding techniques for optical fiber sensors are described and characterized. Initial tests based on standard manufacturing processes such as molding and laser structuring are reported as well as a more advanced embedding technique based on soft lithography processing.

Dissolution of covalent adaptable network polymers in organic solvent

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Kai; Yang, Hua; Dao, Binh H.; Shi, Qian; Yakacki, Christopher M.

2017-12-01

It was recently reported that thermosetting polymers can be fully dissolved in a proper organic solvent utilizing a bond-exchange reaction (BER), where small molecules diffuse into the polymer, break the long polymer chains into short segments, and eventually dissolve the network when sufficient solvent is provided. The solvent-assisted dissolution approach was applied to fully recycle thermosets and their fiber composites. This paper presents the first multi-scale modeling framework to predict the dissolution kinetics and mechanics of thermosets in organic solvent. The model connects the micro-scale network dynamics with macro-scale material properties: in the micro-scale, a model is developed based on the kinetics of BERs to describe the cleavage rate of polymer chains and evolution of chain segment length during the dissolution. The micro-scale model is then fed into a continuum-level model with considerations of the transportation of solvent molecules and chain segments in the system. The model shows good prediction on conversion rate of functional groups, degradation of network mechanical properties, and dissolution rate of thermosets during the dissolution. It identifies the underlying kinetic factors governing the dissolution process, and reveals the influence of different material and processing variables on the dissolution process, such as time, temperature, catalyst concentration, and chain length between cross-links.

Experimental Study on OSNR Requirements for Spectrum-Flexible Optical Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borkowski, Robert; Karinou, Fotini; Angelou, Marianna

2012-01-01

on adaptive allocation of superchannels in spectrum-flexible heterogeneous optical network. In total, three superchannels were transmitted. Two 5-subcarrier 14-GHz-spaced, 14 Gbaud, polarization-division-multiplexed (PDM) quadrature-phase-shift-keyed (QPSK) superchannels were separated by a spectral gap...... to maintain a 1×10−3 bit error rate of the central BOI subcarrier. The results provide a rule of thumb that can be exploited in resource allocation mechanisms of future spectrum-flexible optical networks.......The flexibility and elasticity of the spectrum is an important topic today. As the capacity of deployed fiber-optic systems is becoming scarce, it is vital to shift towards solutions ensuring higher spectral efficiency. Working in this direction, we report an extensive experimental study...

A comparative study of fluorine substituents for enhanced stability of flexible and ITO-free high-performance polymer solar cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Carlé, Jon Eggert; Helgesen, Martin; Zawacka, Natalia Klaudia

2014-01-01

lifetime in flexible large area roll-coated bulk heterojunction solar cells. The two polymer series have different side chains on the BDT unit, namely 2-hexyldecyloxy (BDTHDO) (P1-P3) or 2-hexyldecylthiophene (BDT THD) (P4-P6). The photochemical stability clearly shows that the stability enhances along...... with the number of fluorine atoms incorporated on the polymer backbone. Fabrication of the polymer solar cells based on the materials was carried out in ambient atmosphere on a roll coating/printing machine employing flexible and indium-tin-oxide-free plastic substrates. Solar cells based on the P4-P6 series...... in the performance followed by a much slower decay rate, still retaining 40-55% of their initial performance after 250 h of testing under ISOS-L-1 conditions. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc....

Structural variability in Cu(I) and Ag(I) coordination polymers with a flexible dithione ligand: Synthesis, crystal structure, microbiological and theoretical studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beheshti, Azizolla, E-mail: a.beheshti@scu.ac.ir [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Nozarian, Kimia; Babadi, Susan Soleymani; Noorizadeh, Siamak [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Motamedi, Hossein [Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Mayer, Peter [LMU München Department Chemie, Butenandtstr 5-13, D-81377 München (Germany); Bruno, Giuseppe [Dipartimento di Chimica Inorganica, Università di Messina, Vill. S. Agata, Salita Sperone 31, 98166 Messina (Italy); Rudbari, Hadi Amiri [Faculty of Chemistry, University of Isfahan, Isfahan 81746-73441 (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2017-05-15

Two new compounds namely [Cu(SCN)(µ-L)]{sub n} (1) and ([Ag (µ{sub 2}-L)](ClO{sub 4})){sub n} (2) have been synthesized at room temperature by one-pot reactions between the 1,1-(1,4-butanediyl)bis(1,3-dihydro-3-methyl-1H-imidazole- 2-thione) (L) and appropriate copper(I) and silver(I) salts. These polymers have been characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, XRPD, TGA, elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, antibacterial activity and scanning probe microscopy studies. In the crystal structure of 1, copper atoms have a distorted trigonal planar geometry with a CuS{sub 2}N coordination environment. Each of the ligands in the structure of 1 acting as a bidentate S-bridging ligand to form a 1D chain structure. Additionally, the adjacent 1D chains are interconnected by the intermolecular C-H…S interactions to create a 2D network structure. In contrast to 1, in the cationic 3D structure of 2 each of the silver atoms exhibits an AgS{sub 4} tetrahedral geometry with 4-membered Ag{sub 2}S{sub 2} rings. In the structure of 2, the flexible ligand adopts two different conformations; gauche-anti-gauche and anti-anti-anti. The antibacterial studies of these polymers showed that polymer 2 is more potent antibacterial agent than 1. Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) study of the treated bacteria was carried out to investigate the structural changes cause by the interactions between the polymers and target bacteria. Theoretical study of polymer 1 investigated by the DFT calculations indicates that observed transitions at 266 nm and 302 nm in the UV–vis spectrum could be attributed to the π→π* and MLCT transitions, respectively. - Graphical abstract: Two new Cu(I) and Ag(I) coordination polymers have been have been synthesized by one-pot reactions. Copper complex has a 2D non-covalent structure, but silver compound is a 3D coordination compound. These compounds have effective antibacterial activity. - Highlights: • Cu(I) and Ag(I) based coordination polymers

Role of architecture in the elastic response of semiflexible polymer and fiber networks

Science.gov (United States)

Heussinger, Claus; Frey, Erwin

2007-01-01

We study the elasticity of cross-linked networks of thermally fluctuating stiff polymers. As compared to their purely mechanical counterparts, it is shown that these thermal networks have a qualitatively different elastic response. By accounting for the entropic origin of the single-polymer elasticity, the networks acquire a strong susceptibility to polydispersity and structural randomness that is completely absent in athermal models. In extensive numerical studies we systematically vary the architecture of the networks and identify a wealth of phenomena that clearly show the strong dependence of the emergent macroscopic moduli on the underlying mesoscopic network structure. In particular, we highlight the importance of the polymer length, which to a large extent controls the elastic response of the network, surprisingly, even in parameter regions where it does not enter the macroscopic moduli explicitly. Understanding these subtle effects is only possible by going beyond the conventional approach that considers the response of typical polymer segments only. Instead, we propose to describe the elasticity in terms of a typical polymer filament and the spatial distribution of cross-links along its backbone. We provide theoretical scaling arguments to relate the observed macroscopic elasticity to the physical mechanisms on the microscopic and mesoscopic scales.

Gas permeation through a polymer network

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmittmann, B; Gopalakrishnan, Manoj; Zia, R K P

2005-01-01

We study the diffusion of gas molecules through a two-dimensional network of polymers with the help of Monte Carlo simulations. The polymers are modelled as non-interacting random walks on the bonds of a two-dimensional square lattice, while the gas particles occupy the lattice cells. When a particle attempts to jump to a nearest-neighbour empty cell, it has to overcome an energy barrier which is determined by the number of polymer segments on the bond separating the two cells. We investigate the gas current J as a function of the mean segment density ρ, the polymer length l and the probability q m for hopping across m segments. Whereas J decreases monotonically with ρ for fixed l, its behaviour for fixed ρ and increasing ldepends strongly on q. For small, non-zero q, J appears to increase slowly with l. In contrast, for q = 0, it is dominated by the underlying percolation problem and can be non-monotonic. We provide heuristic arguments to put these interesting phenomena into context

Synthesis and characterization of semi-IPNs based on PVP and PLLA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Camilo, A.P.R.; Mano, V.; Felisberti, M.I.

2010-01-01

The specific interest in the synthesis of semi-IPNs based on PLLA and PVP homopolymers due to the fact these are biodegradable and biocompatible, which allows us to infer applications in the medical field as sutures, implants, matrices for controlled release of drugs etc. The objective was to prepare a multicomponent material amphiphile in the form of semi-interpenetrating polymer networks, based on poly (L-lactide), PLLA, hydrophobic homopolymer, and poly (vinylpyrrolidone), PVP, hydrophilic component. The preparation of semi-IPN combined the polymerization and crosslinking of N-vinylpyrrolidone in the presence of poly (L-lactide). The products were characterized by spectroscopic and thermal methods. (author)

Roll type conducting polymer legs for rigid-flexible thermoelectric generator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Teahoon Park

2017-07-01

Full Text Available A roll-type conducting polymer film was explored as a flexible organic p-type thermoelectric leg using poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (PEDOT doped with tosylate. The PEDOT films were prepared through solution casting polymerization and rolled up for a roll-type leg. Due to the high flexibility, the roll-type PEDOT leg enabled easy contact to both top and bottom electrodes. Simulation on the dynamic heat transfer and convective cooling for a vertically roosted rod- and roll-type PEDOT leg showed that the temperature difference (ΔT between the hot and cold sides of the leg was much higher in the roll than that of the rod. The PEDOT legs were integrated with n-type Bi2Te3 blocks, to give a 36-couple rigid-flexible thermoelectric generator (RF-TEG. The maximum output voltage from the 36-couple RF-TEG under a ΔT of 7.9 K was determined as 36.7 mV along with a high output power of 115 nW. A wearable RF-TEG was prepared upon the combination of the 36-couple RF-TEG with an arm warmer, to afford an output voltage of 10.6 mV, which was generated constantly and steadily from human wrist heat.

Tuneable light-emitting carbon-dot/polymer flexible films prepared through one-pot synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Bhunia, Susanta Kumar; Nandi, Sukhendu; Shikler, Rafi; Jelinek, Raz

2016-02-01

Development of efficient, inexpensive, and environmentally-friendly light emitters, particularly devices that produce white light, have drawn intense interest due to diverse applications in the lighting industry, photonics, solar energy, and others. We present a simple strategy for the fabrication of flexible transparent films exhibiting tuneable light emission through one-pot synthesis of polymer matrixes with embedded carbon dots assembled in situ. Importantly, different luminescence colours were produced simply by preparing C-dot/polymer films using carbon precursors that yielded C-dots exhibiting distinct fluorescence emission profiles. Furthermore, mixtures of C-dot precursors could be also employed for fabricating films exhibiting different colours. In particular, we successfully produced films emitting white light with attractive properties (i.e. ``warm'' white light with a high colour rendering index) - a highly sought after goal in optical technologies.Development of efficient, inexpensive, and environmentally-friendly light emitters, particularly devices that produce white light, have drawn intense interest due to diverse applications in the lighting industry, photonics, solar energy, and others. We present a simple strategy for the fabrication of flexible transparent films exhibiting tuneable light emission through one-pot synthesis of polymer matrixes with embedded carbon dots assembled in situ. Importantly, different luminescence colours were produced simply by preparing C-dot/polymer films using carbon precursors that yielded C-dots exhibiting distinct fluorescence emission profiles. Furthermore, mixtures of C-dot precursors could be also employed for fabricating films exhibiting different colours. In particular, we successfully produced films emitting white light with attractive properties (i.e. ``warm'' white light with a high colour rendering index) - a highly sought after goal in optical technologies. Electronic supplementary information (ESI

Entanglement effects in model polymer networks

Science.gov (United States)

Everaers, R.; Kremer, K.

The influence of topological constraints on the local dynamics in cross-linked polymer melts and their contribution to the elastic properties of rubber elastic systems are a long standing problem in statistical mechanics. Polymer networks with diamond lattice connectivity (Everaers and Kremer 1995, Everaers and Kremer 1996a) are idealized model systems which isolate the effect of topology conservation from other sources of quenched disorder. We study their behavior in molecular dynamics simulations under elongational strain. In our analysis we compare the measured, purely entropic shear moduli G to the predictions of statistical mechanical models of rubber elasticity, making extensive use of the microscopic structural and topological information available in computer simulations. We find (Everaers and Kremer 1995) that the classical models of rubber elasticity underestimate the true change in entropy in a deformed network significantly, because they neglect the tension along the contour of the strands which cannot relax due to entanglements (Everaers and Kremer (in preparation)). This contribution and the fluctuations in strained systems seem to be well described by the constrained mode model (Everaers 1998) which allows to treat the crossover from classical rubber elasticity to the tube model for polymer networks with increasing strand length within one transparant formalism. While this is important for the description of the effects we try to do a first quantitative step towards their explanation by topological considerations. We show (Everaers and Kremer 1996a) that for the comparatively short strand lengths of our diamond networks the topology contribution to the shear modulus is proportional to the density of entangled mesh pairs with non-zero Gauss linking number. Moreover, the prefactor can be estimated consistently within a rather simple model developed by Vologodskii et al. and by Graessley and Pearson, which is based on the definition of an entropic

Self-Tuning Vibration Control of a Rotational Flexible Timoshenko Arm Using Neural Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Minoru Sasaki

2012-01-01

Full Text Available A self-tuning vibration control of a rotational flexible arm using neural networks is presented. To the self-tuning control system, the control scheme consists of gain tuning neural networks and a variable-gain feedback controller. The neural networks are trained so as to make the root moment zero. In the process, the neural networks learn the optimal gain of the feedback controller. The feedback controller is designed based on Lyapunov's direct method. The feedback control of the vibration of the flexible system is derived by considering the time rate of change of the total energy of the system. This approach has the advantage over the conventional methods in the respect that it allows one to deal directly with the system's partial differential equations without resorting to approximations. Numerical and experimental results for the vibration control of a rotational flexible arm are discussed. It verifies that the proposed control system is effective at controlling flexible dynamical systems.

Some experiments to study diffusive transport through a semi interpenetrating polymeric network in the absence and presence of aqueous electrolytes

Science.gov (United States)

Biswas, Pritha; Das, Atreyee; Yasmin, Tanvee; Kanjilal, Baishali; Chakrabarti, Haimanti

2018-05-01

The study of ion transport in biological system has become a topic of great current interest. This work presents the diffusive transport properties through a typical semi interpenetrating polymeric network (SIPN) which mimics many characteristic features of the walls of human food pipes. The SIPN matrix has been synthesised from Polyvinyl alcohol, Acrylamide monomer, Glutaraldehyde and Ammonium Per sulphate in our laboratory is utilised to study the diffusive transport in the absence and presence of aqueous electrolyte (KCl) at varying concentrations. The diffusivity of the SIPN polymer hydrogel was estimated by the `Theory of Elastomer' to get an insight into process of Potassium and Chlorine ion transport through the SIPN.

Shape memory polymers based on uniform aliphatic urethane networks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wilson, T S; Bearinger, J P; Herberg, J L; Marion III, J E; Wright, W J; Evans, C L; Maitland, D J

2007-01-19

Aliphatic urethane polymers have been synthesized and characterized, using monomers with high molecular symmetry, in order to form amorphous networks with very uniform supermolecular structures which can be used as photo-thermally actuable shape memory polymers (SMPs). The monomers used include hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI), trimethylhexamethylenediamine (TMHDI), N,N,N{prime},N{prime}-tetrakis(hydroxypropyl)ethylenediamine (HPED), triethanolamine (TEA), and 1,3-butanediol (BD). The new polymers were characterized by solvent extraction, NMR, XPS, UV/VIS, DSC, DMTA, and tensile testing. The resulting polymers were found to be single phase amorphous networks with very high gel fraction, excellent optical clarity, and extremely sharp single glass transitions in the range of 34 to 153 C. Thermomechanical testing of these materials confirms their excellent shape memory behavior, high recovery force, and low mechanical hysteresis (especially on multiple cycles), effectively behaving as ideal elastomers above T{sub g}. We believe these materials represent a new and potentially important class of SMPs, and should be especially useful in applications such as biomedical microdevices.

Fracture Simulation of Highly Crosslinked Polymer Networks: Triglyceride-Based Adhesives

Science.gov (United States)

Lorenz, Christian; Stevens, Mark; Wool, Richard

2003-03-01

The ACRES program at the U. of Delaware has shown that triglyceride oils derived from plants are a favorable alternative to the traditional adhesives. The triglyceride networks are formed from an initial mixture of styrene monomers, free-radical initiators and triglycerides. We have performed simulations to study the effect of physical composition and physical characteristics of the triglyceride network on the strength of triglyceride network. A coarse-grained, bead-spring model of the triglyceride system is used. The average triglyceride consists of 6 beads per chain, the styrenes are represented as a single bead and the initiators are two bead chains. The polymer network is formed using an off-lattice 3D Monte Carlo simulation, in which the initiators activate the styrene and triglyceride reactive sites and then bonds are randomly formed between the styrene and active triglyceride monomers producing a highly crosslinked polymer network. Molecular dynamics simulations of the network under tensile and shear strains were performed to determine the strength as a function of the network composition. The relationship between the network structure and its strength will also be discussed.

Large area flexible polymer solar cells with high efficiency enabled by imprinted Ag grid and modified buffer layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Shudi; Lin, Jie; Liu, Kong; Yue, Shizhong; Ren, Kuankuan; Tan, Furui; Wang, Zhijie; Jin, Peng; Qu, Shengchun; Wang, Zhanguo

2017-01-01

To take a full advantage of polymer semiconductors on realization of large-area flexible photovoltaic devices, herein, we fabricate polymer solar cells on the basis of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) with imprinted Ag grid as transparent electrode. The key fabrication procedure is the adoption of a modified PEDOT:PSS (PH1000) solution for spin-coating the buffer layer to form a compact contact with the substrate. In comparison with the devices with intrinsic PEDOT:PSS buffer layer, the advanced devices present a much higher efficiency of 6.51%, even in a large device area of 2.25 cm"2. Subsequent characterizations reveal that such devices show an impressive performance stability as the bending angle is enlarged to 180° and bending time is up to 1000 cycles. Not only providing a general methodology to construct high efficient and flexible polymer solar cells, this paper also involves deep insights on device working mechanism in bending conditions.

Polymer substrates for flexible photovoltaic cells application in personal electronic system

Science.gov (United States)

Znajdek, K.; Sibiński, M.; Strąkowska, A.; Lisik, Z.

2016-01-01

The article presents an overview of polymeric materials for flexible substrates in photovoltaic (PV) structures that could be used as power supply in the personal electronic systems. Four types of polymers have been elected for testing. The first two are the most specialized and heat resistant polyimide films. The third material is transparent polyethylene terephthalate film from the group of polyesters which was proposed as a cheap and commercially available substrate for the technology of photovoltaic cells in a superstrate configuration. The last selected polymeric material is a polysiloxane, which meets the criteria of high elasticity, is temperature resistant and it is also characterized by relatively high transparency in the visible light range. For the most promising of these materials additional studies were performed in order to select those of them which represent the best optical, mechanical and temperature parameters according to their usage for flexible substrates in solar cells.

ITO-free inverted polymer/fullerene solar cells: Interface effects and comparison of different semi-transparent front contacts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wilken, Sebastian; Hoffmann, Thomas; von Hauff, Elizabeth; Borchert, Holger; Parisi, Juergen

Polymer/fullerene solar cells with an inverted layer sequence and free from indium tin oxide (ITO) are presented in this study. We concentrate on critical interface effects in inverted devices and compare different semi-transparent front contacts, such as ultra-thin Au films and Au grid structures.

Enabling Flexible Polymer Tandem Solar Cells by 3D Ptychographic Imaging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dam, Henrik Friis; Andersen, Thomas Rieks; Pedersen, Emil Bøje Lind

2015-01-01

one after the other by wet processing leaves plenty of room for error and the process development calls for an analytical technique that enables 3D reconstruction of the layer stack with the possibility to probe thickness, density, and chemistry of the individual layers in the stack. The use......The realization of a complete tandem polymer solar cell under ambient conditions using only printing and coating methods on a flexible substrate results in a fully scalable process but also requires accurate control during layer formation to succeed. The serial process where the layers are added...

Modelling the permeability of polymers: a neural network approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wessling, Matthias; Mulder, M.H.V.; Bos, A.; Bos, A.; van der Linden, M.K.T.; Bos, M.; van der Linden, W.E.

1994-01-01

In this short communication, the prediction of the permeability of carbon dioxide through different polymers using a neural network is studied. A neural network is a numeric-mathematical construction that can model complex non-linear relationships. Here it is used to correlate the IR spectrum of a

Modeling fiber Bragg grating device networks in photomechanical polymer optical fibers

Science.gov (United States)

Lanska, Joseph T.; Kuzyk, Mark G.; Sullivan, Dennis M.

2015-09-01

We report on the modeling of fiber Bragg grating (FBG) networks in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) polymer fibers doped with azo dyes. Our target is the development of Photomechanical Optical Devices (PODs), comprised of two FBGs in series, separated by a Fabry-Perot cavity of photomechanical material. PODs exhibit photomechanical multi-stability, with the capacity to access multiple length states for a fixed input intensity when a mechanical shock is applied. Using finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) numerical methods, we modeled the photomechanical response of both Fabry-Perot and Bragg-type PODs in a single polymer optical fiber. The polymer fiber was modeled as an instantaneous Kerr-type nonlinear χ(3) material. Our model correctly predicts the essential optical features of FBGs as well as the photomechanical multi-stability of nonlinear Fabry-Perot cavity-based PODs. Networks of PODs may provide a framework for smart shape-shifting materials and fast optical computation where the decision process is distributed over the entire network. In addition, a POD can act as memory, and its response can depend on input history. Our models inform and will accelerate targeted development of novel Bragg grating-based polymer fiber device networks for a variety of applications in optical computing and smart materials.

A Flexible Approach for Human Activity Recognition Using Artificial Hydrocarbon Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Ponce, Hiram; Miralles-Pechuán, Luis; Martínez-Villaseñor, María de Lourdes

2016-10-25

Physical activity recognition based on sensors is a growing area of interest given the great advances in wearable sensors. Applications in various domains are taking advantage of the ease of obtaining data to monitor personal activities and behavior in order to deliver proactive and personalized services. Although many activity recognition systems have been developed for more than two decades, there are still open issues to be tackled with new techniques. We address in this paper one of the main challenges of human activity recognition: Flexibility. Our goal in this work is to present artificial hydrocarbon networks as a novel flexible approach in a human activity recognition system. In order to evaluate the performance of artificial hydrocarbon networks based classifier, experimentation was designed for user-independent, and also for user-dependent case scenarios. Our results demonstrate that artificial hydrocarbon networks classifier is flexible enough to be used when building a human activity recognition system with either user-dependent or user-independent approaches.

Flexible and fragmentable tandem photosensitive nanocrystal skins

Science.gov (United States)

Akhavan, S.; Uran, C.; Bozok, B.; Gungor, K.; Kelestemur, Y.; Lesnyak, V.; Gaponik, N.; Eychmüller, A.; Demir, H. V.

2016-02-01

We proposed and demonstrated the first account of large-area, semi-transparent, tandem photosensitive nanocrystal skins (PNSs) constructed on flexible substrates operating on the principle of photogenerated potential buildup, which avoid the need for applying an external bias and circumvent the current-matching limitation between junctions. We successfully fabricated and operated the tandem PNSs composed of single monolayers of colloidal water-soluble CdTe and CdHgTe nanocrystals (NCs) in adjacent junctions on a Kapton polymer tape. Owing to the usage of a single NC layer in each junction, noise generation was significantly reduced while keeping the resulting PNS films considerably transparent. In each junction, photogenerated excitons are dissociated at the interface of the semi-transparent Al electrode and the NC layer, with holes migrating to the contact electrode and electrons trapped in the NCs. As a result, the tandem PNSs lead to an open-circuit photovoltage buildup equal to the sum of those of the two single junctions, exhibiting a total voltage buildup of 128.4 mV at an excitation intensity of 75.8 μW cm-2 at 350 nm. Furthermore, we showed that these flexible PNSs could be bent over 3.5 mm radius of curvature and cut out in arbitrary shapes without damaging the operation of individual parts and without introducing any significant loss in the total sensitivity. These findings indicate that the NC skins are promising as building blocks to make low-cost, flexible, large-area UV/visible sensing platforms with highly efficient full-spectrum conversion.We proposed and demonstrated the first account of large-area, semi-transparent, tandem photosensitive nanocrystal skins (PNSs) constructed on flexible substrates operating on the principle of photogenerated potential buildup, which avoid the need for applying an external bias and circumvent the current-matching limitation between junctions. We successfully fabricated and operated the tandem PNSs composed of

Flexible Ultrahigh-Temperature Polymer-Based Dielectrics with High Permittivity for Film Capacitor Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zejun Pu

2017-11-01

Full Text Available In this report, flexible cross-linked polyarylene ether nitrile/functionalized barium titanate(CPEN/F-BaTiO3 dielectrics films with high permittivitywere prepared and characterized. The effects of both the F-BaTiO3 and matrix curing on the mechanical, thermal and dielectric properties of the CPEN/F-BaTiO3 dielectric films were investigated in detail. Compared to pristine BaTiO3, the surface modified BaTiO3 particles effectively improved their dispersibility and interfacial adhesion in the polymer matrix. Moreover, the introduction of F-BaTiO3 particles enhanced dielectric properties of the composites, with a relatively high permittivity of 15.2 and a quite low loss tangent of 0.022 (1 kHz when particle contents of 40 wt % were utilized. In addition, the cyano (–CN groups of functional layer also can serve as potential sites for cross-linking with polyarylene ether nitrile terminated phthalonitrile (PEN-Ph matrix and make it transform from thermoplastic to thermosetting. Comparing with the pure PEN-ph film, the latter results indicated that the formation of cross-linked network in the polymer-based system resulted in increased tensile strength by ~67%, improved glass transition temperature (Tg by ~190 °C. More importantly, the CPEN/F-BaTiO3 composite films filled with 30 wt % F-BaTiO3 particles showed greater energy density by nearly 190% when compared to pure CPEN film. These findings enable broader applications of PEN-based composites in high-performance electronics and energy storage devices materials used at high temperature.

Free energy landscape of siRNA-polycation complexation: Elucidating the effect of molecular geometry, polymer flexibility, and charge neutralization.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gianvito Grasso

Full Text Available The success of medical threatments with DNA and silencing interference RNA is strongly related to the design of efficient delivery technologies. Cationic polymers represent an attractive strategy to serve as nucleic-acid carriers with the envisioned advantages of efficient complexation, low cost, ease of production, well-defined size, and low polydispersity index. However, the balance between efficacy and toxicity (safety of these polymers is a challenge and in need of improvement. With the aim of designing more effective polycationic-based gene carriers, many parameters such as carrier morphology, size, molecular weight, surface chemistry, and flexibility/rigidity ratio need to be taken into consideration. In the present work, the binding mechanism of three cationic polymers (polyarginine, polylysine and polyethyleneimine to a model siRNA target is computationally investigated at the atomistic level. In order to better understand the polycationic carrier-siRNA interactions, replica exchange molecular dynamic simulations were carried out to provide an exhaustive exploration of all the possible binding sites, taking fully into account the siRNA flexibility together with the presence of explicit solvent and ions. Moreover, well-tempered metadynamics simulations were employed to elucidate how molecular geometry, polycation flexibility, and charge neutralization affect the siRNA-polycations free energy landscape in term of low-energy binding modes and unbinding free energy barriers. Significant differences among polymer binding modes have been detected, revealing the advantageous binding properties of polyarginine and polylysine compared to polyethyleneimine.

Towards the understanding of the molecular weight dependence of essential work of fracture in semi-crystalline polymers: A study on poly(ε-caprolactone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Tuba

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The plane-stress ductile fracture of poly(#-caprolactone (PCL has been investigated as a function of molecular weight and related crystalline structure. Because of the interacting effects in semi-crystalline polymers a separate study of a given structural parameter is rather challenging. Nevertheless, this polymer seems to be a good model material to study the effect of molecular weight on the essential work of fracture, as the interactions between the separate parameters, at room temperature, are negligible. The molecular characteristics of PCL were determined by size exclusion chromatography. To confirm the entangled molecular structure of studied polymers rheological measurements were performed. The crystalline morphology has been characterized by differential scanning calorimetry and wide angle X-ray diffraction. Quasi-static tensile tests and essential work of fracture tests were performed to study the mechanical behavior. Based on the experimental observations an empirical model has been proposed to outline the molecular weight and crystallinity dependence of the essential work of fracture in this semi-crystalline polymer.

Polycaprolactone diacrylate crosslinked biodegradable semi-interpenetrating networks of polyacrylamide and gelatin for controlled drug delivery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jaiswal, Maneesh; Koul, Veena [Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi 110016 (India); Dinda, Amit K [Department of Pathology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi 110029 (India); Gupta, Asheesh, E-mail: veenak_iitd@yahoo.co [Department of Biochemical Pharmacology, Defense Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, Ministry of Defense, New Delhi 110059 (India)

2010-12-15

A biodegradable semi-interpenetrating hydrogel network (semi-IPN) of polyacrylamide and gelatin was prepared using polycaprolactone diacrylate (mol. wt {approx} 640) as a crosslinker. The drug-polymer interaction and IPN formation were investigated by attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). Scanning electron micrographs of lyophilized matrices revealed porous internal structure with varying pore sizes under equilibrium hydrated conditions, depending upon formulation composition. pH-dependent swelling and degradation was enhanced with increasing gelatin content and decreasing crosslinker concentration (Cs). Compression modulus (CM) (at 20% strain) increased significantly from 23 {+-} 1.4 to 75 {+-} 2.7 kPa (p < 0.02) with increasing Cs (from 0.5 to 2.0 mol%), while it decreased from 162 {+-} 6.4 to 23 {+-} 1.4 kPa (p < 0.05) with decreasing PAm/G ratio. Cell viability studies by MTT assay showed excellent cytocompatibility of matrices with fibroblast L929 cells. Curcumin, a hydrophobic phytochemical, was loaded by a diffusion method and its release profile was investigated in 4% w/v aqueous BSA solution at 75 rpm (at 37 {+-} 0.2 {sup 0}C). Fitting of drug release data in the Korsmeyer-Peppas model suggested sustained release behavior up to 10 days with a combination of diffusion and erosion mechanism (0.5 < n < 1.0; M{sub t}/M{sub {infinity} {<=}} 0.6). The newly developed porous, biodegradable and elastic semi-IPNs may serve as an ideal matrix for controlled drug release and wound healing applications. The possibilities can be explored for pharmaceutical and tissue engineering applications.

Nonvolatile flexible organic bistable devices fabricated utilizing CdSe/ZnS nanoparticles embedded in a conducting poly N-vinylcarbazole polymer layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Son, Dong-Ick; Kim, Ji-Hwan; Park, Dong-Hee; Choi, Won Kook; Li, Fushan; Ham, Jung Hun; Kim, Tae Whan

2008-01-01

The bistable effects of CdSe/ZnS nanoparticles embedded in a conducting poly N-vinylcarbazole (PVK) polymer layer by using flexible poly-vinylidene difluoride (PVDF) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates were investigated. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images revealed that CdSe/ZnS nanoparticles were formed inside the PVK polymer layer. Current-voltage (I-V) measurement on the Al/[CdSe/ZnS nanoparticles+ PVK]/ITO/PVDF and Al/[CdSe/ZnS nanoparticles+ PVK ]/ITO/PET structures at 300 K showed a nonvolatile electrical bistability behavior with a flat-band voltage shift due to the existence of the CdSe/ZnS nanoparticles, indicative of trapping, storing and emission of charges in the electronic states of the CdSe nanoparticles. A bistable behavior for the fabricated organic bistable device (OBD) structures is described on the basis of the I-V results. These results indicate that OBDs fabricated by embedding inorganic CdSe/ZnS nanoparticles in a conducting polymer matrix on flexible substrates are prospects for potential applications in flexible nonvolatile flash memory devices

Cross-linking of polymer and ionic liquid as high-performance gel electrolyte for flexible solid-state supercapacitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhong, Xiongwei; Tang, Jun; Cao, Lujie; Kong, Weiguang; Sun, Zheng; Cheng, Hua; Lu, Zhouguang; Pan, Hui; Xu, Baomin

2017-01-01

Highlights: •A facile method to prepare gel polymer electrolyte with high conductivity is proposed. •A flexible symmetric capacitor based on the prepared GPE shows ultra-flexibility. •The capacitor with high voltage can power up a 3.0 V LED even bended to a angle of 180°. -- Abstract: It is highly desirable to develop flexible solid-state electrochemical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) with non-liquid electrolyte. However, it is still a great challenge to prepare gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) possessing high ionic conductivity and good mechanical property. In this work, a simple and novel method to improve the conductivity and mechanical properties of GPE film for their applications as electrolyte and separator in EDLC is presented. The GPE film is prepared by cross-linking ionic liquid (IL) with poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) and benzophenone (Bp) followed by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Then, a non-woven cellulose separator (FPC) is used to absorb the GPE. By tuning the mass ratio (n) between IL and PEO, the flexible EDLC cooperated with low-cost active carbon and the electrolyte film with n = 10 has a high capacitance of 70.84 F∙g −1 , a wide and stable electrochemical window of 3.5 V, an energy density of 30.13 Wh∙kg −1 and a power density of 874.8 W∙kg −1 at a current density of 1 A∙g −1 , which can drive a 3.0 V light-emitting diode (LED). Importantly, the excellent performance of the flexible and low-cost EDLC can be maintained at a bending angle up to 180°, indicating the ultra-flexibility. It is expected that the IL-PEO-FPC electrolyte film is a promising candidate of GPE for flexible devices and energy storage systems.

Fusion Control of Flexible Logic Control and Neural Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lihua Fu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Based on the basic physical meaning of error E and error variety EC, this paper analyzes the logical relationship between them and uses Universal Combinatorial Operation Model in Universal Logic to describe it. Accordingly, a flexible logic control method is put forward to realize effective control on multivariable nonlinear system. In order to implement fusion control with artificial neural network, this paper proposes a new neuron model of Zero-level Universal Combinatorial Operation in Universal Logic. And the artificial neural network of flexible logic control model is implemented based on the proposed neuron model. Finally, stability control, anti-interference control of double inverted-pendulum system, and free walking of cart pendulum system on a level track are realized, showing experimentally the feasibility and validity of this method.

Substituted Polyacetylenes Prepared with Rh Catalysts: From Linear to Network-Type Conjugated Polymers

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Sedláček, J.; Balcar, Hynek

2017-01-01

Roč. 57, č. 1 (2017), s. 31-51 ISSN 1558-3724 Institutional support: RVO:61388955 Keywords : conjugated polymers * polyacetylenes * conjugated polymer networks Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry OBOR OECD: Polymer science Impact factor: 6.459, year: 2016

Ultraviolet photodetection of flexible ZnO nanowire sheets in polydimethylsiloxane polymer.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jinzhang; Motta, Nunzio; Lee, Soonil

2012-01-01

ZnO nanowires are normally exposed to an oxygen atmosphere to achieve high performance in UV photodetection. In this work we present results on a UV photodetector fabricated using a flexible ZnO nanowire sheet embedded in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a gas-permeable polymer, showing reproducible UV photoresponse and enhanced photoconduction. PDMS coating results in a reduced response speed compared to that of a ZnO nanowire film in air. The rising speed is slightly reduced, while the decay time is prolonged by about a factor of four. We conclude that oxygen molecules diffusing in PDMS are responsible for the UV photoresponse.

Rapid Stencil Mask Fabrication Enabled One-Step Polymer-Free Graphene Patterning and Direct Transfer for Flexible Graphene Devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Yong, Keong; Ashraf, Ali; Kang, Pilgyu; Nam, SungWoo

2016-04-27

We report a one-step polymer-free approach to patterning graphene using a stencil mask and oxygen plasma reactive-ion etching, with a subsequent polymer-free direct transfer for flexible graphene devices. Our stencil mask is fabricated via a subtractive, laser cutting manufacturing technique, followed by lamination of stencil mask onto graphene grown on Cu foil for patterning. Subsequently, micro-sized graphene features of various shapes are patterned via reactive-ion etching. The integrity of our graphene after patterning is confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. We further demonstrate the rapid prototyping capability of a stretchable, crumpled graphene strain sensor and patterned graphene condensation channels for potential applications in sensing and heat transfer, respectively. We further demonstrate that the polymer-free approach for both patterning and transfer to flexible substrates allows the realization of cleaner graphene features as confirmed by water contact angle measurements. We believe that our new method promotes rapid, facile fabrication of cleaner graphene devices, and can be extended to other two dimensional materials in the future.

Printing continuously graded interpenetrating polymer networks of acrylate/epoxy by manipulating cationic network formation during stereolithography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W. Li

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Ultra-violet (UV laser assisted stereolithography is used to print graded interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs by controlling network formation. Unlike the traditional process where structural change in IPNs is achieved by varying the feeding ratio of monomers or polymer precursors, in this demonstration property is changed by controlled termination of network formation. A photo-initiated process is used to construct IPNs by a combination of radical and cationic network formation in an acrylate/epoxy system. The extent of the cationic network formation is used to control the final properties of the system. Rapid-Scan Fourier Transformation Infrared Spectroscopy (RS-FTIR is used to track the curing kinetics of the two networks and identify key parameters to control the final properties. Atomic force microscopy (AFM and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC confirm the formation of homogenous IPNs, whereas nano-indentation indicates that properties vary with the extent of cationic network formation. The curing characteristics are used to design and demonstrate printing of graded IPNs that show two orders of magnitude variation in mechanical properties in the millimeter scale.

Multi-level Control Framework for Enhanced Flexibility of Active Distribution Network

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nainar, Karthikeyan; Pokhrel, Basanta Raj; Pillai, Jayakrishnan Radhakrishna

2017-01-01

In this paper, the control objectives of future active distribution networks with high penetration of renewables and flexible loads are analyzed and reviewed. From a state of the art review, the important control objectives seen from the perspective of a distribution system operator are identifie......-ordination and management of the network assets at different voltage levels and geographical locations. The paper finally shows the applicability of the multi-level control architecture to some of the key challenges in the distribution system operation by relevant scenarios....... to be hosting capacity improvement, high reliable operation and cost effective network management. Based on this review and a state of the art review concerning future distribution network control methods, a multi-level control architecture is constructed for an active distribution network, which satisfies...... the selected control objectives and provides enhanced flexibility. The control architecture is supported by generation/load forecasting and distribution state estimation techniques to improve the controllability of the network. The multi-level control architecture consists of three levels of hierarchical...

Room temperature synthesis of heptazine-based microporous polymer networks as photocatalysts for hydrogen evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Kailasam, Kamalakannan; Schmidt, Johannes; Bildirir, Hakan; Zhang, Guigang; Blechert, Siegfried; Wang, Xinchen; Thomas, Arne

2013-06-25

Two emerging material classes are combined in this work, namely polymeric carbon nitrides and microporous polymer networks. The former, polymeric carbon nitrides, are composed of amine-bridged heptazine moieties and showed interesting performance as a metal-free photocatalyst. These materials have, however, to be prepared at high temperatures, making control of their chemical structure difficult. The latter, microporous polymer networks have received increasing interest due to their high surface area, giving rise to interesting applications in gas storage or catalysis. Here, the central building block of carbon nitrides, a functionalized heptazine as monomer, and tecton are used to create microporous polymer networks. The resulting heptazine-based microporous polymers show high porosity, while their chemical structure resembles the ones of carbon nitrides. The polymers show activity for the photocatalytic production of hydrogen from water, even under visible light illumination. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A round robin study of flexible large-area roll-to-roll processed polymer solar cell modules

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krebs, Frederik C; Gevorgyan, Suren; Gholamkhass, Bobak

2009-01-01

A round robin for the performance of roll-to-roll coated flexible large-area polymer solar-cell modules involving 18 different laboratories in Northern America, Europe and Middle East is presented. The study involved the performance measurement of the devices at one location (Risø DTU) followed b...

A round robin study of flexible large-area roll-to-roll processed polymer solar cell modules

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gevorgyan, Suren

2010-01-01

by transportation to a participating laboratory for performance measurement and return to the starting location (Risø DTU) for re-measurement of the performance. It was found possible to package polymer solar-cell modules using a flexible plastic barrier material in such a manner that degradation of the devices...

Surface analysis of the selective excimer laser patterning of a thin PEDOT:PSS film on flexible polymer films

Science.gov (United States)

Schaubroeck, David; De Smet, Jelle; Willems, Wouter; Cools, Pieter; De Geyter, Nathalie; Morent, Rino; De Smet, Herbert; Van Steenbeerge, Geert

2016-07-01

Fast patterning of highly conductive polymers like PEDOT:PSS (poly (3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene): polystyrene sulfonate) with lasers can contribute to the development of industrial production of liquid crystal displays on polymer foils. In this article, the selective UV laser patterning of a PEDOT:PSS film on flexible polymer films is investigated. Based on their optical properties, three polymer films are investigated: polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and cellulose triacetate (TAC). Ablation parameters for a 110 nm PEDOT:PSS film on these polymer films are optimized. A detailed study of the crater depth, topography and surface composition are provided using optical profilometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. The electrical insulation of the lines is measured and correlated to the crater analyses for different laser settings. Finally, potential ablation parameters for each of the polymer films are derived.

Evolution of egoism on semi-directed and undirected Barabási-Albert networks

Science.gov (United States)

Lima, F. W. S.

2015-05-01

Through Monte Carlo simulations, we study the evolution of the four strategies: Ethnocentric, altruistic, egoistic and cosmopolitan in one community of individuals. Interactions and reproduction among computational agents are simulated on undirected and semi-directed Barabási-Albert (BA) networks. We study the Hammond-Axelrod (HA) model on undirected and semi-directed BA networks for the asexual reproduction case. With a small modification in the traditional HA model, our simulations showed that egoism wins, differently from other results found in the literature where ethnocentric strategy is common. Here, mechanisms such as reciprocity are absent.

Determination of stamp deformation during imprinting on semi-spherical surfaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kafka, Jan; Matschuk, Maria; Pranov, Henrik

of sol-gel was applied onto spherical injection mold inserts and subsequently imprinted using a flexible stamp. A hard curing step transformed the sol-gel into a quartz-like and durable material. As an example, we present theory and results regarding the imprint of pillar nanostructures on semi......-spherical mold surfaces. Imprints were realized on three different radii of circumferenceof the spherical mold: R = 0.5 mm, R = 1.0 mm, and R = 2 mm. After hard-curing of theimprinted sol-gel, the inserts were used for cold-mold as well as vario-therm injection molding.The polymer replicas and the inserts were...

Flexible packaging for PV modules

Science.gov (United States)

Dhere, Neelkanth G.

2008-08-01

Economic, flexible packages that provide needed level of protection to organic and some other PV cells over >25-years have not yet been developed. However, flexible packaging is essential in niche large-scale applications. Typical configuration used in flexible photovoltaic (PV) module packaging is transparent frontsheet/encapsulant/PV cells/flexible substrate. Besides flexibility of various components, the solder bonds should also be flexible and resistant to fatigue due to cyclic loading. Flexible front sheets should provide optical transparency, mechanical protection, scratch resistance, dielectric isolation, water resistance, UV stability and adhesion to encapsulant. Examples are Tefzel, Tedlar and Silicone. Dirt can get embedded in soft layers such as silicone and obscure light. Water vapor transmittance rate (WVTR) of polymer films used in the food packaging industry as moisture barriers are ~0.05 g/(m2.day) under ambient conditions. In comparison, light emitting diodes employ packaging components that have WVTR of ~10-6 g/(m2.day). WVTR of polymer sheets can be improved by coating them with dense inorganic/organic multilayers. Ethylene vinyl acetate, an amorphous copolymer used predominantly by the PV industry has very high O2 and H2O diffusivity. Quaternary carbon chains (such as acetate) in a polymer lead to cleavage and loss of adhesional strength at relatively low exposures. Reactivity of PV module components increases in presence of O2 and H2O. Adhesional strength degrades due to the breakdown of structure of polymer by reactive, free radicals formed by high-energy radiation. Free radical formation in polymers is reduced when the aromatic rings are attached at regular intervals. This paper will review flexible packaging for PV modules.

Synthesis of wheat straw cellulose-g-poly (potassium acrylate)/PVA semi-IPNs superabsorbent resin.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jia; Li, Qian; Su, Yuan; Yue, Qinyan; Gao, Baoyu; Wang, Rui

2013-04-15

To better use wheat straw and minimize its negative impact on environment, a novel semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (semi-IPNs) superabsorbent resin (SAR) composed of wheat straw cellulose-g-poly (potassium acrylate) (WSC-g-PKA) network and linear polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was prepared by polymerization in the presence of a redox initiating system. The structure and morphology of semi-IPNs SAR were characterized by means of FTIR, SEM and TGA, which confirmed that WSC and PVA participated in the graft polymerization reaction with acrylic acid (AA). The factors that can influence the water absorption of the semi-IPNs SAR were investigated and optimized, including the weight ratios of AA to WSC and PVA to WSC, the content of initiator and crosslinker, neutralization degree (ND) of AA, reaction temperature and time. The semi-IPNs SAR prepared under optimized synthesis condition gave the best water absorption of 266.82 g/g in distilled water and 34.32 g/g in 0.9 wt% NaCl solution. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cost-effective computational method for radiation heat transfer in semi-crystalline polymers

Science.gov (United States)

Boztepe, Sinan; Gilblas, Rémi; de Almeida, Olivier; Le Maoult, Yannick; Schmidt, Fabrice

2018-05-01

This paper introduces a cost-effective numerical model for infrared (IR) heating of semi-crystalline polymers. For the numerical and experimental studies presented here semi-crystalline polyethylene (PE) was used. The optical properties of PE were experimentally analyzed under varying temperature and the obtained results were used as input in the numerical studies. The model was built based on optically homogeneous medium assumption whereas the strong variation in the thermo-optical properties of semi-crystalline PE under heating was taken into account. Thus, the change in the amount radiative energy absorbed by the PE medium was introduced in the model induced by its temperature-dependent thermo-optical properties. The computational study was carried out considering an iterative closed-loop computation, where the absorbed radiation was computed using an in-house developed radiation heat transfer algorithm -RAYHEAT- and the computed results was transferred into the commercial software -COMSOL Multiphysics- for solving transient heat transfer problem to predict temperature field. The predicted temperature field was used to iterate the thermo-optical properties of PE that varies under heating. In order to analyze the accuracy of the numerical model experimental analyses were carried out performing IR-thermographic measurements during the heating of the PE plate. The applicability of the model in terms of computational cost, number of numerical input and accuracy was highlighted.

Improved model of activation energy absorption for different electrical breakdowns in semi-crystalline insulating polymers

Science.gov (United States)

Sima, Wenxia; Jiang, Xiongwei; Peng, Qingjun; Sun, Potao

2018-05-01

Electrical breakdown is an important physical phenomenon in electrical equipment and electronic devices. Many related models and theories of electrical breakdown have been proposed. However, a widely recognized understanding on the following phenomenon is still lacking: impulse breakdown strength which varies with waveform parameters, decrease in the breakdown strength of AC voltage with increasing frequency, and higher impulse breakdown strength than that of AC. In this work, an improved model of activation energy absorption for different electrical breakdowns in semi-crystalline insulating polymers is proposed based on the Harmonic oscillator model. Simulation and experimental results show that, the energy of trapped charges obtained from AC stress is higher than that of impulse voltage, and the absorbed activation energy increases with the increase in the electric field frequency. Meanwhile, the frequency-dependent relative dielectric constant ε r and dielectric loss tanδ also affect the absorption of activation energy. The absorbed activation energy and modified trap level synergistically determine the breakdown strength. The mechanism analysis of breakdown strength under various voltage waveforms is consistent with the experimental results. Therefore, the proposed model of activation energy absorption in the present work may provide a new possible method for analyzing and explaining the breakdown phenomenon in semi-crystalline insulating polymers.

Interpenetrating Polymer Networks as Innovative Drug Delivery Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alka Lohani

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Polymers have always been valuable excipients in conventional dosage forms, also have shown excellent performance into the parenteral arena, and are now capable of offering advanced and sophisticated functions such as controlled drug release and drug targeting. Advances in polymer science have led to the development of several novel drug delivery systems. Interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs have shown superior performances over the conventional individual polymers and, consequently, the ranges of applications have grown rapidly for such class of materials. The advanced properties of IPNs like swelling capacity, stability, biocompatibility, nontoxicity and biodegradability have attracted considerable attention in pharmaceutical field especially in delivering bioactive molecules to the target site. In the past few years various research reports on the IPN based delivery systems showed that these carriers have emerged as a novel carrier in controlled drug delivery. The present review encompasses IPNs, their types, method of synthesis, factors which affects the morphology of IPNs, extensively studied IPN based drug delivery systems, and some natural polymers widely used for IPNs.

Copper-catalyzed azide alkyne cycloaddition polymer networks

Science.gov (United States)

Alzahrani, Abeer Ahmed

The click reaction concept, introduced in 2001, has since spurred the rapid development and reexamination of efficient, high yield reactions which proceed rapidly under mild conditions. Prior to the discovery of facile copper catalysis in 2002, the thermally activated azide-alkyne or Huisgen cycloaddition reaction was largely ignored following its discovery in large part due to its slow kinetics, requirement for elevated temperature and limited selectivity. Now, arguably, the most prolific and capable of the click reactions, the copper-catalyzed azide alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction is extremely efficient and affords exquisite control of the reaction. The orthogonally and chemoselectivity of this reaction enable its wide utility across varied scientific fields. Despite numerous inherent advantages and widespread use for small molecule synthesis and solution-based polymer chemistry, it has only recently and rarely been utilized to form polymer networks. This work focuses on the synthesis, mechanisms, and unique attributes of the CuAAC reaction for the fabrication of functional polymer networks. The photo-reduction of a series of copper(II)/amine complexes via ligand metal charge transfer was examined to determine their relative efficiency and selectivity in catalyzing the CuAAC reaction. The aliphatic amine ligands were used as an electron transfer species to reduce Cu(II) upon irradiation with 365 nm light while also functioning as an accelerating agent and as protecting ligands for the Cu(I) that was formed. Among the aliphatic amines studied, tertiary amines such as triethylamine (TEA), tetramethyldiamine (TMDA), N,N,N',N",N"-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine (PMDTA), and hexamethylenetetramine (HMTETA) were found to be the most effective. The reaction kinetics were accelerated by increasing the PMDETA : Cu(II) ratio with a ratio of ligand to Cu(II) of 4:1 yielding the maximum conversion in the shortest time. The sequential and orthogonal nature of the photo

Flexible supercapacitor yarns with coaxial carbon nanotube network electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smithyman, Jesse; Liang, Richard

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Fabricated flexible yarn supercapacitor with coaxial electrodes. • Use of multifunctional carbon nanotube network electrodes eliminates inactive components and enables high energy/power density. • Robust structure maintains >95% of energy/power while under deformation. - Abstract: Flexible supercapacitors with a yarn-like geometry were fabricated with coaxially arranged electrodes. Carbon nanotube (CNT) network electrodes enabled the integration of the electronic conductor and active material of each electrode into a single component. CNT yarns were employed as the inner electrode to provide the supporting structure of the device. These part integration strategies eliminated the need for inactive material, which resulted in device volumetric energy and power densities among the highest reported for flexible carbon-based EDLCs. In addition, the coaxial yarn cell design provided a robust structure able to undergo flexural deformation with minimal impact on the energy storage performance. Greater than 95% of the energy density and 99% of the power density were retained when wound around an 11 cm diameter cylinder. The electrochemical properties were characterized at stages throughout the fabrication process to provide insights and potential directions for further development of these novel cell designs

Dynamic assembly of ultrasoft colloidal networks enables cell invasion within restrictive fibrillar polymers

Science.gov (United States)

Douglas, Alison M.; Fragkopoulos, Alexandros A.; Gaines, Michelle K.; Lyon, L. Andrew; Fernandez-Nieves, Alberto; Barker, Thomas H.

2017-01-01

In regenerative medicine, natural protein-based polymers offer enhanced endogenous bioactivity and potential for seamless integration with tissue, yet form weak hydrogels that lack the physical robustness required for surgical manipulation, making them difficult to apply in practice. The use of higher concentrations of protein, exogenous cross-linkers, and blending synthetic polymers has all been applied to form more mechanically robust networks. Each relies on generating a smaller network mesh size, which increases the elastic modulus and robustness, but critically inhibits cell spreading and migration, hampering tissue regeneration. Here we report two unique observations; first, that colloidal suspensions, at sufficiently high volume fraction (ϕ), dynamically assemble into a fully percolated 3D network within high-concentration protein polymers. Second, cells appear capable of leveraging these unique domains for highly efficient cell migration throughout the composite construct. In contrast to porogens, the particles in our system remain embedded within the bulk polymer, creating a network of particle-filled tunnels. Whereas this would normally physically restrict cell motility, when the particulate network is created using ultralow cross-linked microgels, the colloidal suspension displays viscous behavior on the same timescale as cell spreading and migration and thus enables efficient cell infiltration of the construct through the colloidal-filled tunnels.

Prediction of Polymer Flooding Performance with an Artificial Neural Network: A Two-Polymer-Slug Case

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Jestril Ebaga-Ololo

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Many previous contributions to methods of forecasting the performance of polymer flooding using artificial neural networks (ANNs have been made by numerous researchers previously. In most of those forecasting cases, only a single polymer slug was employed to meet the objective of the study. The intent of this manuscript is to propose an efficient recovery factor prediction tool at different injection stages of two polymer slugs during polymer flooding using an ANN. In this regard, a back-propagation algorithm was coupled with six input parameters to predict three output parameters via a hidden layer composed of 10 neurons. Evaluation of the ANN model performance was made with multiple linear regression. With an acceptable correlation coefficient, the proposed ANN tool was able to predict the recovery factor with errors of <1%. In addition, to understand the influence of each parameter on the output parameters, a sensitivity analysis was applied to the input parameters. The results showed less impact from the second polymer concentration, owing to changes in permeability after the injection of the first polymer slug.

The synthesis of hydrogels with controlled distribution of polymer brushes in hydrogel network

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun, YuWei; Zhou, Chao; Zhang, AoKai; Xu, LiQun; Yao, Fang [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Jiangning District, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, 211189 (China); Cen, Lian, E-mail: cenlian@hotmail.com [National Tissue Engineering Center of China, No.68, East Jiang Chuan Road, Shanghai, 200241 (China); School of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, No.130, Mei Long Road, Shanghai, 200237 (China); Fu, Guo-Dong, E-mail: fu7352@seu.edu.cn [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Jiangning District, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, 211189 (China)

2014-11-30

Highlights: • Many biological tissues are 3-dimensionally asymmetric in structure and properties, it would be desirable if hydrogels could bear such structural similarity with specialized surface and bulk properties. Moreover, gradual but continuous variation in spatial structural and property is also a common phenomenon in biological tissues, such as interfaces between bone and tendon, or between bone and cartilage. Hence, the development of a method to introduce well-defined functional polymer brushes on PEG hydrogels, especially with precisely controlled spatial structure in 3-dimensions, would impart the hydrogels with special functionalities and wider applications. Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogels with 3-dimensionally controlled well-defined poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (poly(NIPAAm)) brushes were prepared by combined copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (“Click Chemistry”) and atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The resulting hydrogels were presented as representatives with their detailed synthesis routes and characterization. H{sub PEG}-S-poly(NIPAAm) is a hydrogel with poly(NIPAAm) brushes mainly grafted on surface, whereas H{sub PEG}-G-poly(NIPAAm) has a gradiently decreased poly(NIPAAm) brushes in their chain length from surface to inside. On the other hand, poly(NIPAAm) brushes in H{sub PEG}-U-poly(NIPAAm) are uniformly dispersed throughout the whole hydrogel network. Successful preparation of H{sub PEG}-S-poly(NIPAAm), H{sub PEG}-G-poly(NIPAAm) and H{sub PEG}-U-poly(NIPAAm) were ascertained by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and water contact angle measurement. Hence, the flexibility and controllability of the synthetic strategy in varying the distribution of polymer brushes and hydrogel surface properties was demonstrated. Hydrogels with tunable and well-defined 3-dimensional poly(NIPAAm) polymer brushes could be tailor-designed to find potential applications in smart devices or skin dressing, such as for diabetics

Flexible multimode polymer waveguides for high-speed short-reach communication links

Science.gov (United States)

Bamiedakis, N.; Shi, F.; Chu, D.; Penty, R. V.; White, I. H.

2018-02-01

Multimode polymer waveguides have attracted great interest for use in high-speed short-reach communication links as they can be cost-effectively integrated onto standard PCBs using conventional methods of the electronics industry and provide low loss (30 GHz×m) interconnection. The formation of such waveguides on flexible substrates can further provide flexible low-weight low-thickness interconnects and offer additional freedom in the implementation of high-speed short-reach optical links. These attributes make these flexible waveguides particularly attractive for use in low-cost detachable chip-to-chip links and in environments where weight and shape conformity become important, such as in cars and aircraft. However, the highly-multimoded nature of these waveguides raises important questions about their performance under severe flex due to mode loss and mode coupling. In this work therefore, we investigate the loss, crosstalk and bandwidth performance of such waveguides under out-of plane bending and in-plane twisting under different launch conditions and carry out data transmission tests at 40 Gb/s on a 1 m long spiral flexible waveguide under flexure. Excellent optical transmission characteristics are obtained while robust loss, crosstalk and bandwidth performance are demonstrated under flexure. Error-free (BER<10-12) 40 Gb/s data transmission is achieved over the 1 m long spiral waveguide for a 180° bend with a 4 mm radius. The obtained results demonstrate the excellent optical and mechanical properties of this technology and highlight its potential for use in real-world systems.

A numerical investigation on piezoresistive behaviour of carbon nanotube/polymer composites: mechanism and optimizing principle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Zhifeng; Ye Xiongying

2013-01-01

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) filled polymeric composites can be used as a kind of flexible piezoresistive material in potentially many fields. Due to the diversity of CNTs and polymers, the mechanism and features of their piezoresistive behaviour is still not fully understood. This paper reports our investigations into the mechanism and optimization of piezoresistive CNT/polymer composites. Numerical simulation results showed that the junction resistances between CNTs are a major component of the network conductance of the composite as well as the piezoresistive behaviour. Average junction gap variation (AJGV) was introduced as a quantitative description of the conductance variation of a CNT network caused by strain and the conductance variation of the CNT network was found to be dominated by AJGV. Numerical simulation and analytical results indicated that the key parameters affecting AJGV include the orientation and diameter of CNTs, Poisson’s ratio of the polymer, and the concentration of CNTs in the polymer matrix. An optimizing principle was then given for piezoresistive CNT/polymer composites. (paper)

Flexibility Matters: Cooperative Active Sites in Covalent Organic Framework and Threaded Ionic Polymer.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Qi; Aguila, Briana; Perman, Jason; Nguyen, Nicholas; Ma, Shengqian

2016-12-07

The combination of two or more reactive centers working in concert on a substrate to facilitate the reaction is now considered state of the art in catalysis, yet there still remains a tremendous challenge. Few heterogeneous systems of this sort have been exploited, as the active sites spatially separated within the rigid framework are usually difficult to cooperate. It is now shown that this roadblock can be surpassed. The underlying principle of the strategy presented here is the integration of catalytic components with excellent flexibility and porous heterogeneous catalysts, as demonstrated by the placement of linear ionic polymers in close proximity to surface Lewis acid active sites anchored on the walls of a covalent organic framework (COF). Using the cycloaddition of the epoxides and CO 2 as a model reaction, dramatic activity improvements have been achieved for the composite catalysts in relation to the individual catalytic component. Furthermore, they also clearly outperform the benchmark catalytic systems formed by the combination of the molecular organocatalysts and heterogeneous Lewis acid catalysts, while affording additional recyclability. The extraordinary flexibility and enriched concentration of the catalytically active moieties on linear polymers facilitate the concerted catalysis, thus leading to superior catalytic performance. This work therefore uncovers an entirely new strategy for designing bifunctional catalysts with double-activation behavior and opens a new avenue in the design of multicapable systems that mimic biocatalysis.

Abnormal viscoelastic behavior of side-chain liquid-crystal polymers

Science.gov (United States)

Gallani, J. L.; Hilliou, L.; Martinoty, P.; Keller, P.

1994-03-01

We show that, contrary to what is commonly believed, the isotropic phase of side-chain liquid-crystal polymers has viscoelastic properties which are totally different from those of ordinary flexible melt polymers. The results can be explained by the existence of a transient network created by the dynamic association of mesogenic groups belonging to different chains. The extremely high sensitivity of the compound to the state of the surfaces with which it is in contact offers us an unexpected method of studying surface states.

Life test of DMFC using poly(ethylene glycol)bis(carboxymethyl)ether plasticized PVA/PAMPS proton-conducting semi-IPNs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qiao, Jinli [National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Higashi 1-1-1, Central 5, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8565 (Japan); New Energy Technology Research Center, Tongji University, Shanghai 201804 (China); Ikesaka, Shinya; Saito, Morihiro; Kuwano, Jun [Department of Industrial Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Tokyo University of Science, 12-1 Ichigayafunagawara-machi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0826 (Japan); Okada, Tatsuhiro [National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Higashi 1-1-1, Central 5, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8565 (Japan)

2007-08-15

A novel, low-cost proton-conducting semi-IPN (semi-interpenetrating polymer network) has been successfully prepared from PVA/PAMPS (poly(vinyl alcohol) and poly(2-acrylamindo-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid))blends by incorporating poly(ethylene glycol)bis(carboxymethyl)ether (PEGBCME) as a novel plasticizer. Although, the polymer is based on a relatively low content of PAMPS as a component of ion conducting sites, the resulting semi-IPN exhibited high proton conductivity (0.1 S cm{sup -1}) at 25 C, which afforded a higher power density of 51 mW cm{sup -2} at 80 C. A striking feature is that a long-term initial performance is achieved with a 130 h of stable fuel cell operation in DMFC mode due to effectively suppressed methanol crossover. This is a new record for a fully hydrocarbon membrane in DMFC, seeing that the PVA-PAMPS proton-conducting semi-IPNs are made simply of aliphatic skeletons. (author)

Generative Adversarial Networks-Based Semi-Supervised Learning for Hyperspectral Image Classification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhi He

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Classification of hyperspectral image (HSI is an important research topic in the remote sensing community. Significant efforts (e.g., deep learning have been concentrated on this task. However, it is still an open issue to classify the high-dimensional HSI with a limited number of training samples. In this paper, we propose a semi-supervised HSI classification method inspired by the generative adversarial networks (GANs. Unlike the supervised methods, the proposed HSI classification method is semi-supervised, which can make full use of the limited labeled samples as well as the sufficient unlabeled samples. Core ideas of the proposed method are twofold. First, the three-dimensional bilateral filter (3DBF is adopted to extract the spectral-spatial features by naturally treating the HSI as a volumetric dataset. The spatial information is integrated into the extracted features by 3DBF, which is propitious to the subsequent classification step. Second, GANs are trained on the spectral-spatial features for semi-supervised learning. A GAN contains two neural networks (i.e., generator and discriminator trained in opposition to one another. The semi-supervised learning is achieved by adding samples from the generator to the features and increasing the dimension of the classifier output. Experimental results obtained on three benchmark HSI datasets have confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed method , especially with a limited number of labeled samples.

An Atomic Force Microscopy Study of the Interactions Involving Polymers and Silane Networks

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Rodrigo L. Oréfice

1998-12-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: Silane coupling agents have been frequently used as interfacial agents in polymer composites to improve interfacial strength and resistance to fluid migration. Although the capability of these agents in improving properties and performance of composites has been reported, there are still many uncertainties regarding the processing-structure-property relationships and the mechanisms of coupling developed by silane agents. In this work, an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM was used to measure interactions between polymers and silica substrates, where silane networks with a series of different structures were processed. The influence of the structure of silane networks on the interactions with polymers was studied and used to determine the mechanisms involved in the coupling phenomenon. The AFM results showed that phenomena such as chain penetration, entanglements, intersegment bonding, chain conformation in the vicinities of rigid surfaces were identified as being relevant for the overall processes of adhesion and adsorption of polymeric chains within a silane network. AFM adhesion curves showed that penetration of polymeric chains through a more open silane network can lead to higher levels of interactions between polymer and silane agents.

A 1D thermomechanical network transition constitutive model coupled with multiple structural relaxation for shape memory polymers

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Hao; Xie, Zhimin; Gu, Jianping; Sun, Huiyu

2018-03-01

A new thermomechanical network transition constitutive model is proposed in the study to describe the viscoelastic behavior of shape memory polymers (SMPs). Based on the microstructure of semi-crystalline SMPs, a new simplified transformation equation is proposed to describe the transform of transient networks. And the generalized fractional Maxwell model is introduced in the paper to estimate the temperature-dependent storage modulus. In addition, a neo-KAHR theory with multiple discrete relaxation processes is put forward to study the structural relaxation of the nonlinear thermal strain in cooling/heating processes. The evolution equations of the time- and temperature-dependent stress and strain response are developed. In the model, the thermodynamical and mechanical characteristics of SMPs in the typical thermomechanical cycle are described clearly and the irreversible deformation is studied in detail. Finally, the typical thermomechanical cycles are simulated using the present constitutive model, and the simulation results agree well with the experimental results.

Effect of pH on chitosan hydrogel polymer network structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Hongcheng; Matysiak, Silvina

2017-06-29

Chitosan is a molecule that can form water-filled 3D polymer networks with a wide range of applications. A new coarse-grained model for chitosan hydrogel was developed to explore its pH-dependent self-assembly behavior and mechanical properties. Our results indicate that the underlying polymer physical crosslinking pattern induced by solution pH has a significant effect on hydrogel elastic moduli. With this model, we obtain pH-dependent structural and mechanical property changes in agreement with experimental observations, and provide a molecular mechanism behind the changes in polymer crosslinking patterns.

Atomic Origins of the Self-Healing Function in Cement–Polymer Composites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nguyen, Manh Thuong; Wang, Zheming; Rod, Kenton A.; Childers, Matthew I.; Fernandez, Carlos A.; Koech, Phillip K.; Bennett, Wendy D.; Rousseau, Roger J.; Glezakou, Vassiliki-Alexandra

2018-01-09

Motivated by recent advances in self-healing cement and epoxy polymer composites, we present a combined ab initio molecular dynamics and sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy study of a calcium-silicate-hydrate/polymer interface. On stable, low-defect surfaces, the polymer only weakly adheres through coordination and hydrogen bonding interactions and can be easily mobilized towards defected surfaces. Conversely, on fractured surfaces, the polymer strongly anchors through ionic Ca-O bonds resulting from the deprotonation of polymer hydroxyl groups. In addition, polymer S-S groups are turned away from the cement/polymer interface, allowing for the self-healing function within the polymer. The overall elasticity and healing properties of these composites stem from a flexible hydrogen bonding network that can readily adapt to surface morphology. The theoretical vibrational signals associated with the proposed cement-polymer interfacial chemistry were confirmed experimentally by SFG spectroscopy.

Single-walled carbon nanotube networks for flexible and printed electronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaumseil, Jana

2015-01-01

Networks of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) can be processed from solution and have excellent mechanical properties. They are highly flexible and stretchable. Depending on the type of nanotubes (semiconducting or metallic) they can be used as replacements for metal or transparent conductive oxide electrodes or as semiconducting layers for field-effect transistors (FETs) with high carrier mobilities. They are thus competitive alternatives to other solution-processable materials for flexible and printed electronics. This review introduces the basic properties of SWNTs, current methods for dispersion and separation of metallic and semiconducting SWNTs and techniques to deposit and pattern dense networks from dispersion. Recent examples of applications of carbon nanotubes as conductors and semiconductors in (opto-)electronic devices and integrated circuits will be discussed. (paper)

Ultraviolet photodetection of flexible ZnO nanowire sheets in polydimethylsiloxane polymer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jinzhang Liu

2012-05-01

Full Text Available ZnO nanowires are normally exposed to an oxygen atmosphere to achieve high performance in UV photodetection. In this work we present results on a UV photodetector fabricated using a flexible ZnO nanowire sheet embedded in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS, a gas-permeable polymer, showing reproducible UV photoresponse and enhanced photoconduction. PDMS coating results in a reduced response speed compared to that of a ZnO nanowire film in air. The rising speed is slightly reduced, while the decay time is prolonged by about a factor of four. We conclude that oxygen molecules diffusing in PDMS are responsible for the UV photoresponse.

High-conductivity large-area semi-transparent electrodes for polymer photovoltaics by silk screen printing and vapour-phase deposition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Winther-Jensen, B.; Krebs, Frederik C

2006-01-01

. We subsequently demonstrate the application of PEDOT electrodes to flexible polyethyleneterphthalate plastic substrates (PET) prepared by this procedure for polymer photovoltaic devices with active areas of 4.2cm(2) using a 1:4 w/w mixture of MEHPPV and PCBM. We obtain typical efficiencies of 0...

Novel 3D porous semi-IPN hydrogel scaffolds of silk sericin and poly(N-hydroxyethyl acrylamide for dermal reconstruction

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S. Ross

2017-09-01

Full Text Available In this work, a novel semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPN hydrogel scaffold based on silk sericin (SS and poly(N-hydroxyethyl acrylamide (PHEA was successfully fabricated via conventional free-radical polymerization. The porous structure of the scaffolds was introduced using a lyophilization technique and the effect of cross-linker (XL on morphology, gelation time and physical properties of hydrogel scaffold was first studied. The results show that using low cross-linker content (0.125, 0.25 and 0.5 wt% XL produced flexible scaffolds and appropriate gelation times for fabricating the scaffold. Therefore, the polymerization system with a constant percentage of XL at 0.5 wt% was chosen to study further the effect of SS on the physical properties and cell culture of the scaffolds. It was observed that the hydrogel scaffold of PHEA without SS (PHEA/SS-0 had no cell proliferation, whereas hydrogel scaffolds with SS enhanced cell viability when compared to the positive control. The sample of PHEA/SS at 1.25 wt% of SS and 0.5 wt% of cross-linker was the most suitable for HFF-1 cells to migrate and cell proliferation due to possessing a connective porous structure, along with silk sericin. The results proved that this novel porous semi-IPN hydrogel has the potential to be used as dermal reconstruction scaffold.

Persistency and flexibility of complex brain networks underlie dual-task interference.

Science.gov (United States)

Alavash, Mohsen; Hilgetag, Claus C; Thiel, Christiane M; Gießing, Carsten

2015-09-01

Previous studies on multitasking suggest that performance decline during concurrent task processing arises from interfering brain modules. Here, we used graph-theoretical network analysis to define functional brain modules and relate the modular organization of complex brain networks to behavioral dual-task costs. Based on resting-state and task fMRI we explored two organizational aspects potentially associated with behavioral interference when human subjects performed a visuospatial and speech task simultaneously: the topological overlap between persistent single-task modules, and the flexibility of single-task modules in adaptation to the dual-task condition. Participants showed a significant decline in visuospatial accuracy in the dual-task compared with single visuospatial task. Global analysis of topological similarity between modules revealed that the overlap between single-task modules significantly correlated with the decline in visuospatial accuracy. Subjects with larger overlap between single-task modules showed higher behavioral interference. Furthermore, lower flexible reconfiguration of single-task modules in adaptation to the dual-task condition significantly correlated with larger decline in visuospatial accuracy. Subjects with lower modular flexibility showed higher behavioral interference. At the regional level, higher overlap between single-task modules and less modular flexibility in the somatomotor cortex positively correlated with the decline in visuospatial accuracy. Additionally, higher modular flexibility in cingulate and frontal control areas and lower flexibility in right-lateralized nodes comprising the middle occipital and superior temporal gyri supported dual-tasking. Our results suggest that persistency and flexibility of brain modules are important determinants of dual-task costs. We conclude that efficient dual-tasking benefits from a specific balance between flexibility and rigidity of functional brain modules. © 2015 Wiley

Integrated fast assembly of free-standing lithium titanate/carbon nanotube/cellulose nanofiber hybrid network film as flexible paper-electrode for lithium-ion batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Shaomei; Feng, Xin; Song, Yuanyuan; Xue, Xin; Liu, Hongjiang; Miao, Miao; Fang, Jianhui; Shi, Liyi

2015-05-27

A free-standing lithium titanate (Li4Ti5O12)/carbon nanotube/cellulose nanofiber hybrid network film is successfully assembled by using a pressure-controlled aqueous extrusion process, which is highly efficient and easily to scale up from the perspective of disposable and recyclable device production. This hybrid network film used as a lithium-ion battery (LIB) electrode has a dual-layer structure consisting of Li4Ti5O12/carbon nanotube/cellulose nanofiber composites (hereinafter referred to as LTO/CNT/CNF), and carbon nanotube/cellulose nanofiber composites (hereinafter referred to as CNT/CNF). In the heterogeneous fibrous network of the hybrid film, CNF serves simultaneously as building skeleton and a biosourced binder, which substitutes traditional toxic solvents and synthetic polymer binders. Of importance here is that the CNT/CNF layer is used as a lightweight current collector to replace traditional heavy metal foils, which therefore reduces the total mass of the electrode while keeping the same areal loading of active materials. The free-standing network film with high flexibility is easy to handle, and has extremely good conductivity, up to 15.0 S cm(-1). The flexible paper-electrode for LIBs shows very good high rate cycling performance, and the specific charge/discharge capacity values are up to 142 mAh g(-1) even at a current rate of 10 C. On the basis of the mild condition and fast assembly process, a CNF template fulfills multiple functions in the fabrication of paper-electrode for LIBs, which would offer an ever increasing potential for high energy density, low cost, and environmentally friendly flexible electronics.

Multirate IP traffic transmission in flexible access networks based on optical FFH-CDMA

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Raddo, Thiago R.; Sanches, Anderson L.; Tafur Monroy, Idelfonso

2016-01-01

In this paper, we propose a new IP transmission architecture over optical fast frequency hopping code-division multiple-access (OFFH-CDMA) network capable of supporting multirate transmissions for applications in flexible optical access networks. The proposed network architecture is independent...

Engineering the Mechanical Properties of Polymer Networks with Precise Doping of Primary Defects.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Doreen; Ding, Yichuan; Dauskardt, Reinhold H; Appel, Eric A

2017-12-06

Polymer networks are extensively utilized across numerous applications ranging from commodity superabsorbent polymers and coatings to high-performance microelectronics and biomaterials. For many applications, desirable properties are known; however, achieving them has been challenging. Additionally, the accurate prediction of elastic modulus has been a long-standing difficulty owing to the presence of loops. By tuning the prepolymer formulation through precise doping of monomers, specific primary network defects can be programmed into an elastomeric scaffold, without alteration of their resulting chemistry. The addition of these monomers that respond mechanically as primary defects is used both to understand their impact on the resulting mechanical properties of the materials and as a method to engineer the mechanical properties. Indeed, these materials exhibit identical bulk and surface chemistry, yet vastly different mechanical properties. Further, we have adapted the real elastic network theory (RENT) to the case of primary defects in the absence of loops, thus providing new insights into the mechanism for material strength and failure in polymer networks arising from primary network defects, and to accurately predict the elastic modulus of the polymer system. The versatility of the approach we describe and the fundamental knowledge gained from this study can lead to new advancements in the development of novel materials with precisely defined and predictable chemical, physical, and mechanical properties.

Surface analysis of the selective excimer laser patterning of a thin PEDOT:PSS film on flexible polymer films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schaubroeck, David, E-mail: David.Schaubroeck@elis.ugent.be [Center for Microsystems Technology (CMST), imec and Ghent University, Technologiepark 15, B-9052 Ghent (Belgium); De Smet, Jelle; Willems, Wouter [Center for Microsystems Technology (CMST), imec and Ghent University, Technologiepark 15, B-9052 Ghent (Belgium); Cools, Pieter; De Geyter, Nathalie; Morent, Rino [Research Unit Plasma Technology (RUPT), Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Engineering, Ghent University, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 41, B-9000 Ghent (Belgium); De Smet, Herbert; Van Steenbeerge, Geert [Center for Microsystems Technology (CMST), imec and Ghent University, Technologiepark 15, B-9052 Ghent (Belgium)

2016-07-15

Highlights: • Laser patterning of thin film PEDOT:PSS on polymer foils is characterized in great detail. • PEDOT:PSS does not need to be fully removed to create electrically insulating patterns. • The underlying polymer foil influences the ablation behavior. - Abstract: Fast patterning of highly conductive polymers like PEDOT:PSS (poly (3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene): polystyrene sulfonate) with lasers can contribute to the development of industrial production of liquid crystal displays on polymer foils. In this article, the selective UV laser patterning of a PEDOT:PSS film on flexible polymer films is investigated. Based on their optical properties, three polymer films are investigated: polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and cellulose triacetate (TAC). Ablation parameters for a 110 nm PEDOT:PSS film on these polymer films are optimized. A detailed study of the crater depth, topography and surface composition are provided using optical profilometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. The electrical insulation of the lines is measured and correlated to the crater analyses for different laser settings. Finally, potential ablation parameters for each of the polymer films are derived.

Networks 90: Polymer Networks Group Meeting (10th) and IUPAC international Symposium on Polymer Networks (10th) Held in Jerusalem on 20-25 May 1990. Programme and Abstracts

Science.gov (United States)

1990-05-25

Ingenieria Quimica, 12 de octubre 1842, 8000 Bahia Blanca, Argentina. P-36 BRANCHING KINETICS OF EPOXY POLYMERIZATION OF 1,4-BUTANEDIOL DIGLYCIDYL ETHER...OF ENTANGLED POLYMERS IN MELTS L-6 J. des Cloizeaux (France) 14:45-15:05 THE CONCEPT OF INTRINSIC CHAIN STRESS IN L-7 POLYMER NETWORKS J.J. Weiner, J...RELATION TO DIFFUSIVE TRANSPORT A.M. Weiss, K. Adler, A.J. Grodzinsky, M.L. Yarmush (Israel, USA) 15:05-15:25 DIFFUSION BEHAVIOUR IN SOLUTIONS OF L-25

Energy efficiency analysis for flexible-grid OFDM-based optical networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vizcaíno, Jorge López; Ye, Yabin; Tafur Monroy, Idelfonso

2012-01-01

As the Internet traffic grows, the energy efficiency gains more attention as a design factor for the planning and operation of telecommunication networks. This paper is devoted to the study of energy efficiency in optical transport networks, comparing the performance of an innovative flexible......-grid network based on Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) with that of conventional fixed-grid Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) networks with a Single Line Rate (SLR) and with a Mixed Line Rate (MLR) operation. The power consumption values of the network elements are introduced. Energy......-aware heuristic algorithms are proposed for the resource allocation both in static (offline) and dynamic (online) scenarios with time-varying demands for the Elastic-bandwidth OFDM-based network and the WDM networks (with SLR and MLR). The energy efficiency performance of the two network technologies under...

Analysis and control of Boolean networks a semi-tensor product approach

CERN Document Server

Cheng, Daizhan; Li, Zhiqiang

2010-01-01

This book presents a new approach to the investigation of Boolean control networks, using the semi-tensor product (STP), which can express a logical function as a conventional discrete-time linear system. This makes it possible to analyze basic control problems.

Systematic study of the structure of alternate pyromellitimide-PEO copolymers: Influence of the chain flexibility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Djurado, David; Curtet, Jean Pierre; Bee, Marc; Michot, Christophe; Armand, Michel

2007-01-01

The structure of a family of copolyimides in which are alternating stiff/redox pyromellitimide units and flexible/solvating polyethyleneoxide (PEO) strands were studied by using wide angle and small angle X-ray scattering techniques and is fully discussed. It is shown that the rich variety of structures exhibited by these compounds can be understood by considering the dramatic change of flexibility of the chain induced by the variation of the length of the PEO strand compared to that of the pyromellimide segment. In this respect, concerning the compounds which exhibit fully amorphous structures a better understanding of their structural behavior can be obtained in the framework of Flory's theory of semi-rigid polymers. In this approach, the degree of flexibility of the chain is mainly resulting from the relative amount of flexible units constituting the repetition unit of the polymer chain. The final structural mode adopted by each compound in the solid state is then directly a consequence of this intrinsic property of the chain. The introduction of a lithium salt in contact with the copolymer chains induces some structure changes which can also be explained by the modification of the degree of flexibility of the chain. It is found that the best performances in terms of electroactivity and mixed conduction are precisely obtained with the only compound which keeps full amorphicity in absence and in presence of the lithium salt

Synthesis and characterization of two new zinc(II) coordination polymers with bidentate flexible ligands: Formation of a 2D structure with (44.62)-sql topology

Science.gov (United States)

Lalegani, Arash; Khaledi Sardashti, Mohammad; Gajda, Roman; Woźniak, Krzysztof

2017-12-01

Zinc(II) coordination polymers [Zn(bip)2(NCS)2]n (1) and [Zn(μ-bbd)(N3)2]n (2) were synthesized by using the neutral flexible bidentate N-donor ligands 1,4-bis(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)butane (bbd) and 1,3-bis(imidazolyl)propane (bip), mono-anionic NCS- or N3-ligand and zinc(II) chloride salts. The results of the X-ray analyses demonstrate that in the structure of 1, the zinc(II) ion is located on an inversion center and exhibits an ZnN6 octahedral arrangement while, in the structure of 2, the zinc(II) ion adopts an ZnN4 tetrahedral geometry. In the polymer 1, the NCS groups are terminally N-bonded to the metal center and the each bip with anti-gauche conformation acts as bridging connecting four zinc(II) ions to form a two-dimensional network with a sql [point symbol (44.62)] topology while, in the polymer 1, the N3 groups are terminally bonded to the metal center and each bbd with anti-anti-anti conformation acts as bridging ligand connecting two zinc(II) ions to form a one-dimensional zig-zag chain. Coordination compounds 1 and 2 have been characterized by infrared spectroscopy, elemental analyses and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Thermal analyses of polymers were also presented.

Coded-subcarrier-aided chromatic dispersion monitoring scheme for flexible optical OFDM networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Tse, Kam-Hon; Chan, Chun-Kit

2014-08-11

A simple coded-subcarrier aided scheme is proposed to perform chromatic dispersion monitoring in flexible optical OFDM networks. A pair of coded label subcarriers is added to both edges of the optical OFDM signal spectrum at the edge transmitter node. Upon reception at any intermediate or the receiver node, chromatic dispersion estimation is performed, via simple direct detection, followed by electronic correlation procedures with the designated code sequences. The feasibility and the performance of the proposed scheme have been experimentally characterized. It provides a cost-effective monitoring solution for the optical OFDM signals across intermediate nodes in flexible OFDM networks.

Flexible ITO-Free Polymer Solar Cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Angmo, Dechan; Krebs, Frederik C

2013-01-01

Indium tin oxide (ITO) is the material-of-choice for transparent conductors in any optoelectronic application. However, scarce resources of indium and high market demand of ITO have created large price fluctuations and future supply concerns. In polymer solar cells (PSCs), ITO is the single......-cost alternatives to ITO suitable for use in PSCs. These alternatives belong to four material groups: polymers; metal and polymer composites; metal nanowires and ultra-thin metal films; and carbon nanotubes and graphene. We further present the progress of employing these alternatives in PSCs and identify future...

Grafting of Interpenetrating Networks of Two Stimuli-responsive Polymers onto PP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruiz, J. C.

2006-01-01

In this work a new strategy was used to prepare interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) of two 'stimuli-responsive' polymers: a thermosensitive poly N-isopropylacrylamide (PNIPAAm) and pH sensitive poly acrylic acid (PAAc), the last grafted onto PP films. IPNs are a combination of two or more polymers in network form, which are mixed together (not chemically but physically), with al least one such polymer polymerized and/or crosslinked in the immediate presence of the other(s). The 'stimuli-responsive' polymers, also called 'smart' polymers, exhibit relatively large and sharp physical or chemical changes in response to small physical or chemical stimuli. These polymers are being used as hydrogels or copolymers for technical applications in chemical and mechanical engineering systems such as mass separation, chemical valves, temperature or pH indicators, biomedical and drug delivery systems. For these applications a rapid response and good mechanical properties are necessary. Formerly when PNIPAAm and PAAc were chemically combined their sensitivity was often altered or eliminated and their copolymer had poor mechanical properties. Attempts to solve this problem by creating IPN's with a reduced gel size or by using a macro-porous structure were successful in preserving sensitivity but failed to produce adequate mechanical properties. The object of this paper is to improve the past results of using a binary graft of PNIPAAm and PAAc onto poly(tetrafluoroethylene) PTFE. Poly acrylic acid was grafted onto polypropylene films (with good mechanical properties) by gamma radiation in air (pre-irradiation method), then these grafts were crosslinked using any of the next two methods: The first one, the grafted film in water and argon atmosphere by gamma radiation; and the second one, in the same conditions, but adding a crosslinking agent N, N'-methylenebisacrylamide (MBAAm). The second network was carried out in situ, in the cross-linked PAAc grafted onto PP films, by

Wood hemicellulose/chitosan-based semi-interpenetrating network hydrogels : mechanical swelling and controlled drug release properties

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmet M. Karaaslan; Mandla A. Tshabalala; Gisela Buschle-Diller

2010-01-01

The cell wall of most plant biomass from forest and agricultural resources consists of three major polymers, cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Of these, hemicelluloses have gained increasing attention as sustainable raw materials. In this study, novel pH-sensitive semi-IPN hydrogels based on hemicelluloses and chitosan were prepared using glutaraldehyde as the...

Active semi-supervised learning method with hybrid deep belief networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Shusen; Chen, Qingcai; Wang, Xiaolong

2014-01-01

In this paper, we develop a novel semi-supervised learning algorithm called active hybrid deep belief networks (AHD), to address the semi-supervised sentiment classification problem with deep learning. First, we construct the previous several hidden layers using restricted Boltzmann machines (RBM), which can reduce the dimension and abstract the information of the reviews quickly. Second, we construct the following hidden layers using convolutional restricted Boltzmann machines (CRBM), which can abstract the information of reviews effectively. Third, the constructed deep architecture is fine-tuned by gradient-descent based supervised learning with an exponential loss function. Finally, active learning method is combined based on the proposed deep architecture. We did several experiments on five sentiment classification datasets, and show that AHD is competitive with previous semi-supervised learning algorithm. Experiments are also conducted to verify the effectiveness of our proposed method with different number of labeled reviews and unlabeled reviews respectively.

Determination of flexibility factors in curved pipes with end restraints using a semi-analytic formulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fonseca, E.M.M.; Melo, F.J.M.Q. de; Oliveira, C.A.M.

2002-01-01

Piping systems are structural sets used in the chemical industry, conventional or nuclear power plants and fluid transport in general-purpose process equipment. They include curved elements built as parts of toroidal thin-walled structures. The mechanical behaviour of such structural assemblies is of leading importance for satisfactory performance and safety standards of the installations. This paper presents a semi-analytic formulation based on Fourier trigonometric series for solving the pure bending problem in curved pipes. A pipe element is considered as a part of a toroidal shell. A displacement formulation pipe element was developed with Fourier series. The solution of this problem is solved from a system of differential equations using mathematical software. To build-up the solution, a simple but efficient deformation model, from a semi-membrane behaviour, was followed here, given the geometry and thin shell assumption. The flexibility factors are compared with the ASME code for some elbow dimensions adopted from ISO 1127. The stress field distribution was also calculated

Pavement structure mechanics response of flexible on semi-flexible overlay that based on the old cement concrete pavement damage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiang Ruinan

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The old cement pavement damage status directly affect the design of the paving renovation. Based on the state of the old road investigation, combined with the research data at home and abroad, use the control index that average deflection, deflection value and CBR value to determine the reasonable time to overlay. Draw up the typical pavement structure according to the principle of combination of old cement pavement overlay structure design, and calculated that the tensile stress and shear stress in asphalt layer ,semi-flexible layer and the tensile in the old cement pavement adopting BISA3.0 statics finite element analysis model when modulus in the old road was diminishing. Use the computed result to analyses the influence of old road damage condition the influence of pavement structure.

A flexible liquid crystal polymer MEMS pressure sensor array for fish-like underwater sensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kottapalli, A G P; Asadnia, M; Miao, J M; Barbastathis, G; Triantafyllou, M S

2012-01-01

In order to perform underwater surveillance, autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) require flexible, light-weight, reliable and robust sensing systems that are capable of flow sensing and detecting underwater objects. Underwater animals like fish perform a similar task using an efficient and ubiquitous sensory system called a lateral-line constituting of an array of pressure-gradient sensors. We demonstrate here the development of arrays of polymer microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) pressure sensors which are flexible and can be readily mounted on curved surfaces of AUV bodies. An array of ten sensors with a footprint of 60 (L) mm × 25 (W) mm × 0.4 (H) mm is fabricated using liquid crystal polymer (LCP) as the sensing membrane material. The flow sensing and object detection capabilities of the array are illustrated with proof-of-concept experiments conducted in a water tunnel. The sensors demonstrate a pressure sensitivity of 14.3 μV Pa −1 . A high resolution of 25 mm s −1 is achieved in water flow sensing. The sensors can passively sense underwater objects by transducing the pressure variations generated underwater by the movement of objects. The experimental results demonstrate the array’s ability to detect the velocity of underwater objects towed past by with high accuracy, and an average error of only 2.5%. (paper)

Highly porous ceramic oxide aerogels having improved flexibility

Science.gov (United States)

Meador, Mary Ann B. (Inventor); Nguyen, Baochau N. (Inventor); Guo, Haiquan (Inventor)

2012-01-01

Ceramic oxide aerogels having improved flexibility are disclosed. Preferred embodiments exhibit high modulus and other strength properties despite their improved flexibility. The gels may be polymer cross-linked via organic polymer chains to further improve strength properties, without substantially detracting from the improved flexibility. Methods of making such aerogels are also disclosed.

Efficient Supercapacitor Energy Storage Using Conjugated Microporous Polymer Networks Synthesized from Buchwald-Hartwig Coupling.

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Yaozu; Wang, Haige; Zhu, Meifang; Thomas, Arne

2018-03-01

Supercapacitors have received increasing interest as energy storage devices due to their rapid charge-discharge rates, high power densities, and high durability. In this work, novel conjugated microporous polymer (CMP) networks are presented for supercapacitor energy storage, namely 3D polyaminoanthraquinone (PAQ) networks synthesized via Buchwald-Hartwig coupling between 2,6-diaminoanthraquinone and aryl bromides. PAQs exhibit surface areas up to 600 m 2 g -1 , good dispersibility in polar solvents, and can be processed to flexible electrodes. The PAQs exhibit a three-electrode specific capacitance of 576 F g -1 in 0.5 m H 2 SO 4 at a current of 1 A g -1 retaining 80-85% capacitances and nearly 100% Coulombic efficiencies (95-98%) upon 6000 cycles at a current density of 2 A g -1 . Asymmetric two-electrode supercapacitors assembled by PAQs show a capacitance of 168 F g -1 of total electrode materials, an energy density of 60 Wh kg -1 at a power density of 1300 W kg -1 , and a wide working potential window (0-1.6 V). The asymmetric supercapacitors show Coulombic efficiencies up to 97% and can retain 95.5% of initial capacitance undergo 2000 cycles. This work thus presents novel promising CMP networks for charge energy storage. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Development of a polymer based fully flexible electrode tip for neuronal micro-stimulation applications

Science.gov (United States)

David, Romain; Miki, Norihisa

2017-06-01

Neural stimulation systems design is highly impacted by the overall resolution and adaptability of the device to the targeted application and area to stimulate. In this paper, we report a novel design for neural micro-stimulation electrode presenting high resolution and adaptability to any targeted area via a high flexibility. We propose the use of liquid metal micro-channels encapsulated into a polymer volume, achieving micro-stimulation pads at the tip of the channels. It presents a high degree of patternability to match different possible targeted applications, and good flexibility and mechanic properties to make it insertable and adaptable into soft tissues. A stable fabrication process, including insertion of the liquid alloy into 50 µm half-channels, the necessity of the U-shape to produce functional conductive micro-channels and the mechanical integrity of the device are discussed.

Hybrid Photonic Integration on a Polymer Platform

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ziyang Zhang

2015-09-01

Full Text Available To fulfill the functionality demands from the fast developing optical networks, a hybrid integration approach allows for combining the advantages of various material platforms. We have established a polymer-based hybrid integration platform (polyboard, which provides flexible optical input/ouptut interfaces (I/Os that allow robust coupling of indium phosphide (InP-based active components, passive insertion of thin-film-based optical elements, and on-chip attachment of optical fibers. This work reviews the recent progress of our polyboard platform. On the fundamental level, multi-core waveguides and polymer/silicon nitride heterogeneous waveguides have been fabricated, broadening device design possibilities and enabling 3D photonic integration. Furthermore, 40-channel optical line terminals and compact, bi-directional optical network units have been developed as highly functional, low-cost devices for the wavelength division multiplexed passive optical network. On a larger scale, thermo-optic elements, thin-film elements and an InP gain chip have been integrated on the polyboard to realize a colorless, dual-polarization optical 90° hybrid as the frontend of a coherent receiver. For high-end applications, a wavelength tunable 100Gbaud transmitter module has been demonstrated, manifesting the joint contribution from the polyboard technology, high speed polymer electro-optic modulator, InP driver electronics and ceramic electronic interconnects.

Polymer electronics

CERN Document Server

Hsin-Fei, Meng

2013-01-01

Polymer semiconductor is the only semiconductor that can be processed in solution. Electronics made by these flexible materials have many advantages such as large-area solution process, low cost, and high performance. Researchers and companies are increasingly dedicating time and money in polymer electronics. This book focuses on the fundamental materials and device physics of polymer electronics. It describes polymer light-emitting diodes, polymer field-effect transistors, organic vertical transistors, polymer solar cells, and many applications based on polymer electronics. The book also disc

21 CFR 888.3410 - Hip joint metal/polymer or ceramic/polymer semiconstrained resurfacing cemented prosthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Hip joint metal/polymer or ceramic/polymer... Devices § 888.3410 Hip joint metal/polymer or ceramic/polymer semiconstrained resurfacing cemented prosthesis. (a) Identification. A hip joint metal/polymer or ceramic/polymer semi-constrained resurfacing...

Characterization and swelling-deswelling properties of wheat straw cellulose based semi-IPNs hydrogel.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jia; Li, Qian; Su, Yuan; Yue, Qinyan; Gao, Baoyu

2014-07-17

A novel wheat straw cellulose-g-poly(potassium acrylate)/polyvinyl alcohol (WSC-g-PKA/PVA) semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (semi-IPNs) hydrogel was prepared by polymerizing wheat straw and an aqueous solution of acrylic acid (AA), and further semi-interpenetrating with PVA occurred during the chemosynthesis. The swelling and deswelling properties of WSC-g-PKA/PVA semi-IPNs hydrogel and WSC-g-PKA hydrogel were studied and compared in various pH solutions, salt solutions, temperatures, particle sizes and ionic strength. The results indicated that both hydrogels had the largest swelling capacity at pH=6, and the effect of ions on the swelling of hydrogels was in the order: Na(+)>K(+)>Mg(2+)>Ca(2+). The Schott's pseudo second order model can be effectively used to evaluate swelling kinetics of hydrogels. Moreover, the semi-IPNs hydrogel had improved swelling-deswelling properties compared with that of WSC-g-PKA hydrogel. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) based antenna for flexible system on package (SoP) applications

KAUST Repository

Marnat, Loic; Shamim, Atif

2012-01-01

The design, fabrication and measurement of a bowtie antenna on a flexible Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) substrate is reported in this paper. The antenna is fed by a balun transition which helps improve the gain up to 5.1 dB. The antenna performance is analyzed for both planar and curved substrates. The comparison between simulation and measurements shows a good agreement. This structure can either be used to sense the bending of the substrate or use the bending to tilt the beam. © 2012 IEEE.

Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) based antenna for flexible system on package (SoP) applications

KAUST Repository

Marnat, Loic

2012-06-01

The design, fabrication and measurement of a bowtie antenna on a flexible Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) substrate is reported in this paper. The antenna is fed by a balun transition which helps improve the gain up to 5.1 dB. The antenna performance is analyzed for both planar and curved substrates. The comparison between simulation and measurements shows a good agreement. This structure can either be used to sense the bending of the substrate or use the bending to tilt the beam. © 2012 IEEE.

Organic against inorganic electrodes grown onto polymer substrates for flexible organic electronics applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Logothetidis, S.; Laskarakis, A.

2009-01-01

One of the most challenging topics in the area of organic electronic devices is the growth of transparent electrodes onto flexible polymeric substrates that will be characterized by enhanced conductivity in combination with high optical transparency. An essential aspect for these materials is their synthesis and/or microstructure which define the transparency, the stability and the interfacial chemistry which in turn determine the performance and stability of the organic electronic devices, such as organic light emitting diodes, organic photovoltaics, etc. In this work, we will discuss the latest advances in the growth of organic (e.g. PEDOT:PSS) and inorganic (e.g. zinc oxide-ZnO, indium tin oxide-ITO) conductive materials and their deposition onto flexible polymeric substrates. We will compare the optical, structural, nano-mechanical and nano-topographical properties of the inorganic and organic materials and we investigate the effect of their structure on their properties and functionality. In the case of the organic conductive materials, we will discuss the effects of PEDOT:PSS weight ratios and the various spin speeds on their optical and electrical properties. Furthermore, in the case of ZnO the growth mechanisms, interface phenomena, crystallinity and optical properties of ZnO thin films grown onto polymer and hybrid (inorganic-organic) flexible substrates will be also discussed.

Pricing-based revenue management for flexible products on a network

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sierag, DIrk

2017-01-01

This paper proposes and analyses a pricing-based revenue management model that allows flexible products on a network, with a non-trivial extension to group reservations. Under stochastic demand the problem can be solved using dynamic programming, though it suffers from the curse of dimensionality.

Flexible and Efficient Wireless Sensor Networks for Detecting Rainfall-Induced Landslides

OpenAIRE

Nguyen, Chinh D.; Tran, Tan D.; Tran, Nghia D.; Huynh, Tue Huu; Nguyen, Duc T.

2015-01-01

The effect of climate change and human activities leads to a series of dangerous phenomena, such as landslides and flood. In such a context, building a system to monitor environmental hazards is seriously needed. Some studies propose to use wireless sensor network (WSN) technique for landslide monitoring systems. Two important factors for these systems are the flexibility and the energy management. This paper focuses on the development of a flexible and efficient WSN for detecting rainfall-in...

A Novel Hierarchical Semi-centralized Telemedicine Network Architecture Proposition for Bangladesh

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Choudhury, Samiul; Peterson, Carrie Beth; Kyriazakos, Sofoklis

2011-01-01

. The model utilizes the existing fiber optic backbone and wireless telecommunication infrastructures to connect the remote healthcare centers with the urban special-ized hospitals. The proposed network is of low cost, flexible and faster as well as more concrete than the existing healthcare organogram...

Semi-supervised prediction of gene regulatory networks using machine learning algorithms.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Nihir; Wang, Jason T L

2015-10-01

Use of computational methods to predict gene regulatory networks (GRNs) from gene expression data is a challenging task. Many studies have been conducted using unsupervised methods to fulfill the task; however, such methods usually yield low prediction accuracies due to the lack of training data. In this article, we propose semi-supervised methods for GRN prediction by utilizing two machine learning algorithms, namely, support vector machines (SVM) and random forests (RF). The semi-supervised methods make use of unlabelled data for training. We investigated inductive and transductive learning approaches, both of which adopt an iterative procedure to obtain reliable negative training data from the unlabelled data. We then applied our semi-supervised methods to gene expression data of Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and evaluated the performance of our methods using the expression data. Our analysis indicated that the transductive learning approach outperformed the inductive learning approach for both organisms. However, there was no conclusive difference identified in the performance of SVM and RF. Experimental results also showed that the proposed semi-supervised methods performed better than existing supervised methods for both organisms.

Integrative gene network construction to analyze cancer recurrence using semi-supervised learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Chihyun; Ahn, Jaegyoon; Kim, Hyunjin; Park, Sanghyun

2014-01-01

The prognosis of cancer recurrence is an important research area in bioinformatics and is challenging due to the small sample sizes compared to the vast number of genes. There have been several attempts to predict cancer recurrence. Most studies employed a supervised approach, which uses only a few labeled samples. Semi-supervised learning can be a great alternative to solve this problem. There have been few attempts based on manifold assumptions to reveal the detailed roles of identified cancer genes in recurrence. In order to predict cancer recurrence, we proposed a novel semi-supervised learning algorithm based on a graph regularization approach. We transformed the gene expression data into a graph structure for semi-supervised learning and integrated protein interaction data with the gene expression data to select functionally-related gene pairs. Then, we predicted the recurrence of cancer by applying a regularization approach to the constructed graph containing both labeled and unlabeled nodes. The average improvement rate of accuracy for three different cancer datasets was 24.9% compared to existing supervised and semi-supervised methods. We performed functional enrichment on the gene networks used for learning. We identified that those gene networks are significantly associated with cancer-recurrence-related biological functions. Our algorithm was developed with standard C++ and is available in Linux and MS Windows formats in the STL library. The executable program is freely available at: http://embio.yonsei.ac.kr/~Park/ssl.php.

Integrative gene network construction to analyze cancer recurrence using semi-supervised learning.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chihyun Park

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The prognosis of cancer recurrence is an important research area in bioinformatics and is challenging due to the small sample sizes compared to the vast number of genes. There have been several attempts to predict cancer recurrence. Most studies employed a supervised approach, which uses only a few labeled samples. Semi-supervised learning can be a great alternative to solve this problem. There have been few attempts based on manifold assumptions to reveal the detailed roles of identified cancer genes in recurrence. RESULTS: In order to predict cancer recurrence, we proposed a novel semi-supervised learning algorithm based on a graph regularization approach. We transformed the gene expression data into a graph structure for semi-supervised learning and integrated protein interaction data with the gene expression data to select functionally-related gene pairs. Then, we predicted the recurrence of cancer by applying a regularization approach to the constructed graph containing both labeled and unlabeled nodes. CONCLUSIONS: The average improvement rate of accuracy for three different cancer datasets was 24.9% compared to existing supervised and semi-supervised methods. We performed functional enrichment on the gene networks used for learning. We identified that those gene networks are significantly associated with cancer-recurrence-related biological functions. Our algorithm was developed with standard C++ and is available in Linux and MS Windows formats in the STL library. The executable program is freely available at: http://embio.yonsei.ac.kr/~Park/ssl.php.

Facile and Reliable in Situ Polymerization of Poly(Ethyl Cyanoacrylate)-Based Polymer Electrolytes toward Flexible Lithium Batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Yanyan; Chai, Jingchao; Du, Huiping; Duan, Yulong; Xie, Guangwen; Liu, Zhihong; Cui, Guanglei

2017-03-15

Polycyanoacrylate is a very promising matrix for polymer electrolyte, which possesses advantages of strong binding and high electrochemical stability owing to the functional nitrile groups. Herein, a facile and reliable in situ polymerization strategy of poly(ethyl cyanoacrylate) (PECA) based gel polymer electrolytes (GPE) via a high efficient anionic polymerization was introduced consisting of PECA and 4 M LiClO 4 in carbonate solvents. The in situ polymerized PECA gel polymer electrolyte achieved an excellent ionic conductivity (2.7 × 10 -3 S cm -1 ) at room temperature, and exhibited a considerable electrochemical stability window up to 4.8 V vs Li/Li + . The LiFePO 4 /PECA-GPE/Li and LiNi 1.5 Mn 0.5 O 4 /PECA-GPE/Li batteries using this in-situ-polymerized GPE delivered stable charge/discharge profiles, considerable rate capability, and excellent cycling performance. These results demonstrated this reliable in situ polymerization process is a very promising strategy to prepare high performance polymer electrolytes for flexible thin-film batteries, micropower lithium batteries, and deformable lithium batteries for special purpose.

A combined stretching-tilting mechanism produces negative, zero and positive linear thermal expansion in a semi-flexible Cd(II)-MOF.

Science.gov (United States)

Lama, Prem; Das, Raj Kumar; Smith, Vincent J; Barbour, Leonard J

2014-06-21

A novel semi-flexible Cd(II)-MOF has been synthesized and characterized by variable temperature powder and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The material displays an unusual combination of thermal expansion (TE) i.e. negative, zero and positive, which is an extremely rare finding, especially for metal-organic frameworks as a result of a combined stretching-tilting mechanism.

PHOTOREFRACTIVE POLYMERS

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Morichere, D; Malliaras, G.G; Krasnikov, V.V.; Bolink, H.J; Hadziioannou, G

The use of polymers as photorefractive materials offers many advantages : flexibility in synthesis, doping, processing and low cost. The required functionalities responsible for photorefractivity, namely charge generation, transport, trapping and linear electrooptic effect are given in the polymer

Design and scale-up of a semi-industrial downer-reactor for the rounding of irregular polymer particles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sachs, Marius; Schmidt, Jochen; Peukert, Wolfgang; Wirth, Karl-Ernst [Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Institute of Particle Technology, Cauerstr. 4, D-91058 Erlangen (Germany)

2016-03-09

The recent development of rapid prototyping technologies towards additive manufacturing reveals some major drawbacks of processes such as laser beam melting (LBM). This contribution focuses on the lack of suitable polymer material with a fine particle size and good flowability. Polymer particles obtained by a wet grinding process 1 are treated in a heated downer reactor. This treatment changes the particles’ morphology from a chiselled state towards a spherical form by surface tension forces in a molten state 2 and leads to an improved flowability. To reach the required amount of rounded polymer powder, a downer reactor in semi-industrial scale has been established and will be characterized in this article. For the purpose of particle rounding it is necessary to avoid contact of molten particles with each other and with the hot reactor walls. Furthermore, the heat distribution has been investigated as one of the key parameters of the process. Finally, a proof of concept by rounding wet grinded PBT material was successfully conducted. The product was examined to obtain data about a change in particle size and flowability.

Real-Time Congestion Management in Distribution Networks by Flexible Demand Swap

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Huang, Shaojun; Wu, Qiuwei

2017-01-01

In addition to the day-ahead congestion management in distribution networks, the real-time congestion management is very important because many unforeseen events can occur at the real operation time, e.g. loss of generation of distributed energy resources (DERs) or inaccurate forecast of energy...... pumps (HPs) for real time congestion management. The swap method can maintain the power balance of the system and avoid the imbalance cost of activating the flexibility service. An algorithm for forming swaps through optimal power flow (OPF) and mixed integer linear programming (MILP) is proposed...... consumption or production. Flexibility service from demand will be a good option to solve the real-time congestions if the cost of activating the flexibility service is fully addressed. This paper proposes a new method, namely “swap”, to employ the flexibility service from electric vehicles (EVs) and heat...

Flexible nano-GFO/PVDF piezoelectric-polymer nano-composite films for mechanical energy harvesting

Science.gov (United States)

Mishra, Monali; Roy, Amritendu; Dash, Sukalyan; Mukherjee, Somdutta

2018-03-01

Owing to the persistent quest of renewable energy technology, piezoelectric energy harvesters are gathering considerable research interest due to their potential in driving microelectronic devices with small power requirement. Electrical energy (milli to microwatt range) is generated from mechanical counterparts such as vibrations of machines, human motion, flowing water etc. based on the principles of piezoelectricity. Flexible high piezoelectric constant (d33) ceramic/polymer composites are crucial components for fabricating these energy harvesters. The polymer composites composed of gallium ferrite nanoparticles and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as the matrix have been synthesized by solvent casting method. First, 8 wt. % PVDF was dissolved in DMF and then different compositions of GaFeO3 or GFO (10, 20, 30 wt. %) (with respect to PVDF only) nanocomposites were synthesized. The phase of the synthesized nanocomposites were studied by X- Ray diffraction which shows that with the increase in the GFO concentration, the intensity of diffraction peaks of PVDF steadily decreased and GFO peaks became increasingly sharp. As the concentration of GFO increases in the PVDF polymer matrix, band gap is also increased albeit to a small extent. The maximum measured output voltage and current during mechanical pressing and releasing conditions were found to be ~ 3.5 volt and 4 nA, respectively in 30 wt % GFO-PVDF composite, comparable to the available literature.

Silk Fibroin/Polyvinyl Pyrrolidone Interpenetrating Polymer Network Hydrogels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dajiang Kuang

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Silk fibroin hydrogel is an ideal model as biomaterial matrix due to its excellent biocompatibility and used in the field of medical polymer materials. Nevertheless, native fibroin hydrogels show poor transparency and resilience. To settle these drawbacks, an interpenetrating network (IPN of hydrogels are synthesized with changing ratios of silk fibroin/N-Vinyl-2-pyrrolidonemixtures that crosslink by H2O2 and horseradish peroxidase. Interpenetrating polymer network structure can shorten the gel time and the pure fibroin solution gel time for more than a week. This is mainly due to conformation from the random coil to the β-sheet structure changes of fibroin. Moreover, the light transmittance of IPN hydrogel can be as high as more than 97% and maintain a level of 90% within a week. The hydrogel, which mainly consists of random coil, the apertures inside can be up to 200 μm. Elastic modulus increases during the process of gelation. The gel has nearly 95% resilience under the compression of 70% eventually, which is much higher than native fibroin gel. The results suggest that the present IPN hydrogels have excellent mechanical properties and excellent transparency.

An electroactive polymer energy harvester for wireless sensor networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKay, T G; Rosset, S; Shea, H; Anderson, I A

2013-01-01

This paper reports the design, fabrication, and testing of a soft electroactive polymer power generator that has a volume of 1cm 3 . The generator provides an opportunity to harvest energy from environmental sources to power wireless sensor networks because it can harvest from low frequency motions, is compact, and lightweight. Electroactive polymers are highly stretchable variable capacitors. Electrical energy is produced when the deformation of a stretched, charged electroactive polymer is relaxed; like-charges are compressed together and opposite-charges are pushed apart, resulting in an increased voltage. Although electroactive polymers have impressively displayed energy densities as high as 550 mJ/g, they have been based on films with thicknesses of tens to hundreds of micrometers, thus a generator covering a large area would be required to provide useful power. Energy harvesters covering large areas are inconvenient to deploy in a wireless sensor network with a large number of nodes, so a generator that is compact in all three dimensions is required. In this work we fabricated a generator that can fit within a 11×11×9 mm envelope by stacking 42, 11mm diameter generator films on top of each other. When compressed cyclically at a rate of 0.5 Hz our generator produced 300 uW of power which is a sufficient amount of power for a low power wireless sensor node. The combination of our generator's small form factor and ability to harvest useful energy from low frequency motions provides an opportunity to deploy large numbers of wireless sensor nodes without the need for periodic, costly battery replacement

Experimental Demonstration of Mixed Formats and Bit Rates Signal Allocation for Spectrum-flexible Optical Networking

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borkowski, Robert; Karinou, Fotini; Angelou, Marianna

2012-01-01

We report on an extensive experimental study for adaptive allocation of 16-QAM and QPSK signals inside spectrum flexible heterogeneous superchannel. Physical-layer performance parameters are extracted for use in resource allocation mechanisms of future flexible networks....

Printed polymer photonic devices for optical interconnect systems

Science.gov (United States)

Subbaraman, Harish; Pan, Zeyu; Zhang, Cheng; Li, Qiaochu; Guo, L. J.; Chen, Ray T.

2016-03-01

Polymer photonic device fabrication usually relies on the utilization of clean-room processes, including photolithography, e-beam lithography, reactive ion etching (RIE) and lift-off methods etc, which are expensive and are limited to areas as large as a wafer. Utilizing a novel and a scalable printing process involving ink-jet printing and imprinting, we have fabricated polymer based photonic interconnect components, such as electro-optic polymer based modulators and ring resonator switches, and thermo-optic polymer switch based delay networks and demonstrated their operation. Specifically, a modulator operating at 15MHz and a 2-bit delay network providing up to 35.4ps are presented. In this paper, we also discuss the manufacturing challenges that need to be overcome in order to make roll-to-roll manufacturing practically viable. We discuss a few manufacturing challenges, such as inspection and quality control, registration, and web control, that need to be overcome in order to realize true implementation of roll-to-roll manufacturing of flexible polymer photonic systems. We have overcome these challenges, and currently utilizing our inhouse developed hardware and software tools, <10μm alignment accuracy at a 5m/min is demonstrated. Such a scalable roll-to-roll manufacturing scheme will enable the development of unique optoelectronic devices which can be used in a myriad of different applications, including communication, sensing, medicine, security, imaging, energy, lighting etc.

Semi-interpenetrating network of acrylamide-grafted-sodium alginate microspheres for controlled release of diclofenac sodium, preparation and characterization.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Kahtani, Ahmed A; Sherigara, B S

2014-03-01

The semi-interpenetrating networks (semi-IPNs) of acrylamide grafted sodium alginate (AAm-g-NaAlg) microspheres (MPs) were prepared by emulsion-crosslinking method using glutaraldehyde (GA) as a crosslinking agent. The grafting of acrylamide onto sodium alginate was prepared by free-radical graft polymerization using ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) as initiator at three acrylamide concentrations with monomer to polymer ratio of 1:1, 2:1 and 3:1, respectively. The grafting efficiency was found to be 91%. The produced MPs are almost spherical in nature with smooth surfaces. Diclofenac sodium (DS), an anti-inflammatory drug was successfully encapsulated into the MPs. The encapsulation efficiency was found to vary between 83% and 95%. The MPs were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The diffusion coefficient (D) was dependent upon the amount of crosslinking agent (GA) and amount of grafting ratio in the matrix. The rate of release was found to be dependent on the amount of GA, AAm:NaAlg grafting ratio and % drug loading in the MPs. The release data have been fitted to an empirical equation to investigate the diffusional exponent (n), which indicated that the release mechanism from MPs follows the super Case II transport. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of surface tension and coefficient of thermal expansion in 30 nm scale nanoimprinting with two flexible polymer molds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jae Kwan; Cho, Hye Sung; Jung, Ho-Sup; Suh, Kahp-Yang; Lim, Kipil; Kim, Ki-Bum; Choi, Dae-Geun; Jeong, Jun-Ho

2012-01-01

We report on nanoimprinting of polymer thin films at 30 nm scale resolution using two types of ultraviolet (UV)-curable, flexible polymer molds: perfluoropolyether (PFPE) and polyurethane acrylate (PUA). It was found that the quality of nanopatterning at the 30 nm scale is largely determined by the combined effects of surface tension and the coefficient of thermal expansion of the polymer mold. In particular, the polar component of surface tension may play a critical role in clean release of the mold, as evidenced by much reduced delamination or broken structures for the less polarized PFPE mold when patterning a relatively hydrophilic PMMA film. In contrast, such problems were not notably observed with a relatively hydrophobic PS film for both polymer molds. In addition, the demolding characteristic was also influenced by the coefficient of thermal expansion so that no delamination or uniformity problems were observed when patterning a UV-curable polymer film at room temperature. These results suggest that a proper polymeric mold material needs to be chosen for patterning polymer films under different surface properties and processing conditions, providing insights into how a clean demolding characteristic can be obtained at 30 nm scale nanopatterning. (paper)

Conformation and elasticity of a charged polymer chain bridging two nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nowicki, W.; Nowicka, G.

2013-01-01

A complex composed of a charged flexible polymer chain irreversibly attached with its ends to surfaces of two nanoparticles was investigated using the Metropolis Monte Carlo method on a simple cubic lattice. The simulations were performed in the presence of explicit ions. The bridging chain and the nanoparticles bearing the same and the opposite sign charges were considered. Changes in the free energy of the complex upon its stretching or compression, together with the magnitude of the elastic force, were examined. The relative roles of energetic and entropic effects in determining the properties of the complex were identified. Also, the adsorption of charged monomers on the opposite-sign charged nanoparticles and its influence on the examined quantities was studied. Moreover, a simple semi-analytical approach to the thermodynamics of the polymer bridge was derived

Flexible Design for α-Duplex Communications in Multi-Tier Cellular Networks

KAUST Repository

Alammouri, Ahmad; Elsawy, Hesham; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2016-01-01

the foreseen FD gains. This paper presents flexible and tractable modeling framework for multi-tier cellular networks with FD BSs and FD/HD UEs. The presented model is based on stochastic geometry and accounts for the intrinsic vulnerability of uplink

Semi-Autonomous Systems Laboratory

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — VisionThe Semi-Autonomous Systems Lab focuses on developing a comprehensive framework for semi-autonomous coordination of networked robotic systems. Semi-autonomous...

Semi-empirical neural network models of controlled dynamical systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mihail V. Egorchev

2017-12-01

Full Text Available A simulation approach is discussed for maneuverable aircraft motion as nonlinear controlled dynamical system under multiple and diverse uncertainties including knowledge imperfection concerning simulated plant and its environment exposure. The suggested approach is based on a merging of theoretical knowledge for the plant with training tools of artificial neural network field. The efficiency of this approach is demonstrated using the example of motion modeling and the identification of the aerodynamic characteristics of a maneuverable aircraft. A semi-empirical recurrent neural network based model learning algorithm is proposed for multi-step ahead prediction problem. This algorithm sequentially states and solves numerical optimization subproblems of increasing complexity, using each solution as initial guess for subsequent subproblem. We also consider a procedure for representative training set acquisition that utilizes multisine control signals.

Aggregation of flexible polyelectrolytes: Phase diagram and dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Tom, Anvy Moly; Rajesh, R; Vemparala, Satyavani

2017-10-14

Similarly charged polymers in solution, known as polyelectrolytes, are known to form aggregated structures in the presence of oppositely charged counterions. Understanding the dependence of the equilibrium phases and the dynamics of the process of aggregation on parameters such as backbone flexibility and charge density of such polymers is crucial for insights into various biological processes which involve biological polyelectrolytes such as protein, DNA, etc. Here, we use large-scale coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations to obtain the phase diagram of the aggregated structures of flexible charged polymers and characterize the morphology of the aggregates as well as the aggregation dynamics, in the presence of trivalent counterions. Three different phases are observed depending on the charge density: no aggregation, a finite bundle phase where multiple small aggregates coexist with a large aggregate and a fully phase separated phase. We show that the flexibility of the polymer backbone causes strong entanglement between charged polymers leading to additional time scales in the aggregation process. Such slowing down of the aggregation dynamics results in the exponent, characterizing the power law decay of the number of aggregates with time, to be dependent on the charge density of the polymers. These results are contrary to those obtained for rigid polyelectrolytes, emphasizing the role of backbone flexibility.

Simbrain 3.0: A flexible, visually-oriented neural network simulator.

Science.gov (United States)

Tosi, Zachary; Yoshimi, Jeffrey

2016-11-01

Simbrain 3.0 is a software package for neural network design and analysis, which emphasizes flexibility (arbitrarily complex networks can be built using a suite of basic components) and a visually rich, intuitive interface. These features support both students and professionals. Students can study all of the major classes of neural networks in a familiar graphical setting, and can easily modify simulations, experimenting with networks and immediately seeing the results of their interventions. With the 3.0 release, Simbrain supports models on the order of thousands of neurons and a million synapses. This allows the same features that support education to support research professionals, who can now use the tool to quickly design, run, and analyze the behavior of large, highly customizable simulations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modification of the Highly Conductive PEDOT:PSS Layer for Use in Silver Nanogrid Electrodes for Flexible Inverted Polymer Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jie; Fei, Fei; Luo, Qun; Nie, Shuhong; Wu, Na; Chen, Xiaolian; Su, Wenming; Li, Yuanjie; Ma, Chang-Qi

2017-03-01

Silver nanogrid based flexible transparent electrode is recognized as the most promising alternative to ITO electrode for organic electronics, owing to its low production cost and excellent flexibility. Typically, a highly conductive thin film coating layer, such as highly conductive PEDOT:PSS (HC-PEDOT:PSS) is usually deposited onto the Ag-grid electrode to smooth the surface and to minimize the sheet resistance. In this paper, we found that inverted flexible polymer solar cells with structure of Ag-grid/HC-PEDOT:PSS/ZnO/photoactive layer/MoO 3 /Al generally exhibits strong S-shaped J-V curves, which could be eliminated by light-soaking treatment. Kelvin probe force microscope (KPFM) measurement proved that a large work function (WF) difference (0.70 eV) between HC-PEDOT:PSS and ZnO is the main reason for the formation of S-shape. White light soaking of the Ag-grid/HC-PEDOT:PSS gradually decreased the WF of HC-PEDOT:PSS from 5.10 to 4.60 eV, leading to a reduced WF difference between HC-PEDOT:PSS and ZnO from 0.70 to 0.38 eV. Such a WF difference decrease was believed to be the working mechanism for the light-soaking effect in this flexible device. Based on this finding, the HC-PEDOT:PSS solution was then modified by doping with polyethylenimine (PEI) and aqueous ammonia. The modified PEDOT:PSS film is characteristic of adjusting WF through varying PEI doping concentrations. By using such a modified PEDOT:PSS layer, light-soaking-free flexible inverted polymer solar cell with a power conversion efficiency of 6.58% was achieved for PTB7-Th:PC 71 BM cells. The current work provides a useful guideline for interfacial modification for Ag-grid based flexible electrode.

Printing polymer optical waveguides on conditioned transparent flexible foils by using the aerosol jet technology

Science.gov (United States)

Reitberger, Thomas; Hoffmann, Gerd-Albert; Wolfer, Tim; Overmeyer, Ludger; Franke, Joerg

2016-09-01

The optical data transfer is considered as the future of signal transfer due to its various advantages compared to conventional copper-based technologies. The Aerosol Jet Printing (AJP) technology offers the opportunity to print materials with high viscosities, such as liquid transparent polymer adhesives (epoxy resins), on almost any possible substrate material and even in third dimension. This paper introduces a new flexible and comparatively cost-effective way of generating polymer optical waveguides through AJP. Furthermore, the conditioning of the substrate material and the printing process of planar waveguides are presented. In the first step, two lines with hydrophobic behavior are applied on foil material (PMMA, PVC, PI) by using a flexographic printing machine. These silicone based patterns containing functional polymer form barriers for the core material due to their low surface energy after curing. In the second step, the core material (liquid polymer, varnish) is printed between the barrier lines. Because of the hydrophobic behavior of the lines, the contact angle between the substrate surface and the liquid core material is increased which yields to higher aspect ratio. The distance between the barrier lines is at least 100 μm, which defines the width of the waveguide. The minimum height of the core shall be 50 μm. After UV-curing of the core polymer, the cladding material is printed on the top. This is also applied by using the AJP technology. Various tests were performed to achieve the optimal surface properties for adequate adhesion and machine process parameters.

The advantage of flexible neuronal tunings in neural network models for motor learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ellisha N Marongelli

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Human motor adaptation to novel environments is often modeled by a basis function network that transforms desired movement properties into estimated forces. This network employs a layer of nodes that have fixed broad tunings that generalize across the input domain. Learning is achieved by updating the weights of these nodes in response to training experience. This conventional model is unable to account for rapid flexibility observed in human spatial generalization during motor adaptation. However, added plasticity in the breadths of the basis function tunings can achieve this flexibility, and several neurophysiological experiments have revealed flexibility in tunings of sensorimotor neurons. We found a model, Locally Weighted Projection Regression (LWPR, which uniquely possesses the structure of a basis function network in which both the weights and tuning widths of the nodes are updated incrementally during adaptation. We presented this LWPR model with training functions of different spatial complexities and monitored incremental updates to receptive field sizes. An inverse pattern of dependence of receptive field adaptation on experienced error became evident, underlying both a relationship between generalization and complexity, and a unique behavior in which generalization always narrows after a sudden switch in environmental complexity. These results implicate a model with a flexible structure, like LWPR, as a viable alternative model for human motor adaptation that can account for previously observed plasticity in spatial generalization. This theory can be tested by using the behaviors observed in our experiments as novel hypotheses in human studies.

Magnetoelectric polymer nanocomposite for flexible electronics

KAUST Repository

Al-Nassar, Mohammed Y.

2015-03-06

This paper reports the fabrication and characterization of a new type of magnetoelectric polymer nanocomposite that exhibits excellent ferromagnetism and ferroelectricity simultaneously at room temperature. The multiferroic nanocomposite consists of high aspect ratio ferromagnetic iron nanowires embedded inside a ferroelectric co-polymer poly(vinylindene fluoride-trifluoroethylene), P(VDF-TrFE). The nanocomposite has been fabricated via a simple low temperature spin coating technique. Structural, ferromagnetic, ferroelectric, and magnetoelectric properties of the developed nanocomposite have been characterized. The nanocomposite films showed isotropic magnetic properties due to the random orientation of the iron nanowires inside the film. In addition, the embedded nanowires did not hinder the ferroelectric phase development of the nanocomposite. The developed nanocomposite showed a high magnetoelectric coupling response of 156 mV/cmOe measured at 3.1 kOe DC bias field. This value is among the highest reported magnetoelectric coupling in two phase particulate polymer nanocomposites.

Magnetoelectric polymer nanocomposite for flexible electronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alnassar, M.; Alfadhel, A.; Ivanov, Yu. P.; Kosel, J.

2015-01-01

This paper reports the fabrication and characterization of a new type of magnetoelectric polymer nanocomposite that exhibits excellent ferromagnetism and ferroelectricity simultaneously at room temperature. The multiferroic nanocomposite consists of high aspect ratio ferromagnetic iron nanowires embedded inside a ferroelectric co-polymer poly(vinylindene fluoride-trifluoroethylene), P(VDF-TrFE). The nanocomposite has been fabricated via a simple low temperature spin coating technique. Structural, ferromagnetic, ferroelectric, and magnetoelectric properties of the developed nanocomposite have been characterized. The nanocomposite films showed isotropic magnetic properties due to the random orientation of the iron nanowires inside the film. In addition, the embedded nanowires did not hinder the ferroelectric phase development of the nanocomposite. The developed nanocomposite showed a high magnetoelectric coupling response of 156 mV/cmOe measured at 3.1 kOe DC bias field. This value is among the highest reported magnetoelectric coupling in two phase particulate polymer nanocomposites

Magnetoelectric polymer nanocomposite for flexible electronics

KAUST Repository

Al-Nassar, Mohammed Y.; Alfadhel, Ahmed; Ivanov, Yurii P.; Kosel, Jü rgen

2015-01-01

This paper reports the fabrication and characterization of a new type of magnetoelectric polymer nanocomposite that exhibits excellent ferromagnetism and ferroelectricity simultaneously at room temperature. The multiferroic nanocomposite consists of high aspect ratio ferromagnetic iron nanowires embedded inside a ferroelectric co-polymer poly(vinylindene fluoride-trifluoroethylene), P(VDF-TrFE). The nanocomposite has been fabricated via a simple low temperature spin coating technique. Structural, ferromagnetic, ferroelectric, and magnetoelectric properties of the developed nanocomposite have been characterized. The nanocomposite films showed isotropic magnetic properties due to the random orientation of the iron nanowires inside the film. In addition, the embedded nanowires did not hinder the ferroelectric phase development of the nanocomposite. The developed nanocomposite showed a high magnetoelectric coupling response of 156 mV/cmOe measured at 3.1 kOe DC bias field. This value is among the highest reported magnetoelectric coupling in two phase particulate polymer nanocomposites.

Covalently crosslinked diels-alder polymer networks.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bowman, Christopher (University of Colorado, Boulder, CO); Adzima, Brian J. (University of Colorado, Boulder, CO); Anderson, Benjamin John

2011-09-01

This project examines the utility of cycloaddition reactions for the synthesis of polymer networks. Cycloaddition reactions are desirable because they produce no unwanted side reactions or small molecules, allowing for the formation of high molecular weight species and glassy crosslinked networks. Both the Diels-Alder reaction and the copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) were studied. Accomplishments include externally triggered healing of a thermoreversible covalent network via self-limited hysteresis heating, the creation of Diels-Alder based photoresists, and the successful photochemical catalysis of CuAAC as an alternative to the use of ascorbic acid for the generation of Cu(I) in click reactions. An analysis of the results reveals that these new methods offer the promise of efficiently creating robust, high molecular weight species and delicate three dimensional structures that incorporate chemical functionality in the patterned material. This work was performed under a Strategic Partnerships LDRD during FY10 and FY11 as part of a Sandia National Laboratories/University of Colorado-Boulder Excellence in Science and Engineering Fellowship awarded to Brian J. Adzima, a graduate student at UC-Boulder. Benjamin J. Anderson (Org. 1833) was the Sandia National Laboratories point-of-contact for this fellowship.

Biomimetic oral mucin from polymer micelle networks

Science.gov (United States)

Authimoolam, Sundar Prasanth

-functional implant coats. KEYWORDS: Biomimic, Bioapplication, Drug delivery, Filomicelle, Mucin, Polymer networks.

A phenomenological one-parameter equation of state for osmotic pressures of PEG and other neutral flexible polymers in good solvents

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cohen, J.A.; Podgornik, R; Hansen, Per Lyngs

2009-01-01

We present a phenomenological one-parameter scaling equation of state that accurately represents osmotic pressures of neutral flexible polymers in good solvents from the dilute through the semidilute regime. The equation comprises a sum of scaled van't Hoff and des Cloizeaux terms including a fit...

Enhanced adsorption of methyl violet and congo red by using semi and full IPN of polymethacrylic acid and chitosan.

Science.gov (United States)

Maity, Jayabrata; Ray, Samit Kumar

2014-04-15

Semi and full interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) type hydrogels were prepared by free radical in situ polymerization of methacrylic acid in presence of chitosan using N,N'-methylene-bis-acrylamide (MBA) and glutaraldehyde (for full IPN) as crosslinker. Several semi and full IPN type hydrogels were prepared by varying initiator and crosslinker concentration and also monomer to chitosan mass ratio. These hydrogels were characterized and used for removal of methyl violet and congo red dye from water. Isotherms and kinetics of dye adsorption were also evaluated. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Roll-to-Roll Production of Transparent Silver-Nanofiber-Network Electrodes for Flexible Electrochromic Smart Windows.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Sen; Bai, Xiaopeng; Wang, Haiyang; Wang, Haolun; Song, Jianan; Huang, Kai; Wang, Chang; Wang, Ning; Li, Bo; Lei, Ming; Wu, Hui

2017-11-01

Electrochromic smart windows (ECSWs) are considered as the most promising alternative to traditional dimming devices. However, the electrode technology in ECSWs remains stagnant, wherein inflexible indium tin oxide and fluorine-doped tin oxide are the main materials being used. Although various complicated production methods, such as high-temperature calcination and sputtering, have been reported, the mass production of flexible and transparent electrodes remains challenging. Here, a nonheated roll-to-roll process is developed for the continuous production of flexible, extralarge, and transparent silver nanofiber (AgNF) network electrodes. The optical and mechanical properties, as well as the electrical conductivity of these products (i.e., 12 Ω sq -1 at 95% transmittance) are comparable with those AgNF networks produced via high-temperature sintering. Moreover, the as-prepared AgNF network is successfully assembled into an A4-sized ECSW with short switching time, good coloration efficiency, and flexibility. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A fast platform for simulating semi-flexible fiber suspensions applied to cell mechanics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nazockdast, Ehssan, E-mail: ehssan@cims.nyu.edu [Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, New York, NY 10012 (United States); Center for Computational Biology, Simons Foundation, New York, NY 10010 (United States); Rahimian, Abtin, E-mail: arahimian@acm.org [Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, New York, NY 10012 (United States); Zorin, Denis, E-mail: dzorin@cs.nyu.edu [Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, New York, NY 10012 (United States); Shelley, Michael, E-mail: shelley@cims.nyu.edu [Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, New York, NY 10012 (United States); Center for Computational Biology, Simons Foundation, New York, NY 10010 (United States)

2017-01-15

cloud of semi-flexible fibers.

A fast platform for simulating semi-flexible fiber suspensions applied to cell mechanics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nazockdast, Ehssan; Rahimian, Abtin; Zorin, Denis; Shelley, Michael

2017-01-01

cloud of semi-flexible fibers.

A fast platform for simulating semi-flexible fiber suspensions applied to cell mechanics

Science.gov (United States)

Nazockdast, Ehssan; Rahimian, Abtin; Zorin, Denis; Shelley, Michael

2017-01-01

semi-flexible fibers.

Exact critical properties of two-dimensional polymer networks from conformal invariance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duplantier, B.

1988-03-01

An infinity of exact critical exponents for two-dimensional self-avoiding walks can be derived from conformal invariance and Coulomb gas techniques applied to the O(n) model and to the Potts model. They apply to polymer networks of any topology, for which a general scaling theory is given, valid in any dimension d. The infinite set of exponents has also been calculated to O(ε 2 ), for d=4-ε. The 2D study also includes other universality classes like the dense polymers, the Hamiltonian walks, the polymers at their θ-point. Exact correlation functions can be further given for Hamiltonian walks, and exact winding angle probability distributions for the self-avoiding walks

Software defined multi-OLT passive optical network for flexible traffic allocation

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Shizong; Gu, Rentao; Ji, Yuefeng; Zhang, Jiawei; Li, Hui

2016-10-01

With the rapid growth of 4G mobile network and vehicular network services mobile terminal users have increasing demand on data sharing among different radio remote units (RRUs) and roadside units (RSUs). Meanwhile, commercial video-streaming, video/voice conference applications delivered through peer-to-peer (P2P) technology are still keep on stimulating the sharp increment of bandwidth demand in both business and residential subscribers. However, a significant issue is that, although wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) technology have been proposed to fulfil the ever-increasing bandwidth demand in access network, the bandwidth of optical fiber is not unlimited due to the restriction of optical component properties and modulation/demodulation technology, and blindly increase the wavelength cannot meet the cost-sensitive characteristic of the access network. In this paper, we propose a software defined multi-OLT PON architecture to support efficient scheduling of access network traffic. By introducing software defined networking technology and wavelength selective switch into TWDM PON system in central office, multiple OLTs can be considered as a bandwidth resource pool and support flexible traffic allocation for optical network units (ONUs). Moreover, under the configuration of the control plane, ONUs have the capability of changing affiliation between different OLTs under different traffic situations, thus the inter-OLT traffic can be localized and the data exchange pressure of the core network can be released. Considering this architecture is designed to be maximum following the TWDM PON specification, the existing optical distribution network (ODN) investment can be saved and conventional EPON/GPON equipment can be compatible with the proposed architecture. What's more, based on this architecture, we propose a dynamic wavelength scheduling algorithm, which can be deployed as an application on control plane

Conducting polymer micro-supercapacitors for flexible energy storage and Ac line-filtering

KAUST Repository

Kurra, Narendra

2015-04-01

We propose a novel surfactant-mediated process to fabricate flexible microsupercapacitors (MSCs) combining conventional photolithography and electrochemical deposition. The anionic surfactant mediates the process of electropolymerisation at a lower anodic potential while causing template effects in producing porous conducting poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) electrodes. Using this strategy, PEDOT MSCs with remarkable performance in terms of tunable frequency response and energy density are achieved. Specifically, ultrahigh scan rate capability up to 500V/s is achieved with a crossover frequency of 400Hz at a phase angle of -45°. This is the first polymer-based redox microsupercapacitor with excellent frequency characteristics other than carbonaceous-based electrochemical double layer capacitors reported so far in the literature. Thus, the micro-supercapacitors exhibit maximum areal cell capacitance of 9mF/cm2 with a volumetric stack capacitance of 50F/cm3 in 1M H2SO4 aqueous electrolyte. The flexibility and stability of these PEDOT MSCs is tested in aqueous gel electrolyte which showed a capacitance retention up to 80% over 10,000 cycles with a Coulombic efficiency of 100%. The maximum energy density of solid state ion gel based PEDOT MSCs was found to be 7.7mWh/cm3, which is comparable to the lithium based thin film batteries and superior to the current state-of-the-art carbon and metal oxide based MSCs. Further, the tandem configuration of flexible solid state ion gel based PEDOT MSCs is employed to demonstrate it as a power source for glowing a red light emitting diode. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd.

Mechanical response of biopolymer double networks

Science.gov (United States)

Carroll, Joshua; Das, Moumita

We investigate a double network model of articular cartilage (AC) and characterize its equilibrium mechanical response. AC has very few cells and the extracellular matrix mainly determines its mechanical response. This matrix can be thought of as a double polymer network made of collagen and aggrecan. The collagen fibers are stiff and resist tension and compression forces, while aggrecans are flexible and control swelling and hydration. We construct a microscopic model made of two interconnected disordered polymer networks, with fiber elasticity chosen to qualitatively mimic the experimental system. We study the collective mechanical response of this double network as a function of the concentration and stiffness of the individual components as well as the strength of the connection between them using rigidity percolation theory. Our results may provide a better understanding of mechanisms underlying the mechanical resilience of AC, and more broadly may also lead to new perspectives on the mechanical response of multicomponent soft materials. This work was partially supported by a Cottrell College Science Award.

Application of the cementitious grouts on stability and durability of semi flexible bituminous mixtures

Science.gov (United States)

Karami, Muhammad

2017-11-01

This paper describes the results of laboratory test for a high durability semi flexible bituminous mixtures (SFBM). The SFBM consists of an open asphalt structure where a high strength mortar is penetrated into the air voids of the bituminous mixtures. The SFBM combines the cement concrete's strength and the asphalt material flexibility. The objective of this study is to involve in the determination of stability and durability of SFBM by located the position of the specimen on an exposed area for 7, 90, 180 and 240 days. The performance of the SFBM was assessed using Marshall and wheel tracking apparatus. Total 18 specimens were prepared and examined for both of test. The Marshall specimens were cylindrical with dimension of 10.16 cm in diameter and 6.35 cm in high. For wheel tracking test, the specimens consisted of slabs with dimension of 30 cm in length, 30 cm in width and 5 cm in height. The results indicated that the first durability index and second durability index increased significantly. For Marshall test, the first and second durability index increased about 0.9% per day and 52.3%, respectively. However, for wheel tracking test, the first and second durability index increased about 1.9% per day and 119%, respectively.

Flexible transparent conductive materials based on silver nanowire networks: a review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Langley, Daniel; Giusti, Gaël; Bellet, Daniel; Mayousse, Céline; Celle, Caroline; Simonato, Jean-Pierre

2013-01-01

The class of materials combining high electrical or thermal conductivity, optical transparency and flexibility is crucial for the development of many future electronic and optoelectronic devices. Silver nanowire networks show very promising results and represent a viable alternative to the commonly used, scarce and brittle indium tin oxide. The science and technology research of such networks are reviewed to provide a better understanding of the physical and chemical properties of this nanowire-based material while opening attractive new applications. (topical review)

Depression of Glass Transition Temperatures of Polymer Networks by Diluents

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brinke, Gerrit ten; Karasz, Frank E.; Ellis, Thomas S.

1983-01-01

A classical thermodynamic theory is used to derive expressions for the depression of the glass transition temperature Tg of a polymer network by a diluent. The enhanced sensitivity of Tg in cross-linked systems to small amounts of diluent is explained. Predictions of the theory are in satisfactory

Cross-Linked Liquid Crystalline Systems From Rigid Polymer Networks to Elastomers

CERN Document Server

Broer, Dirk

2011-01-01

With rapidly expanding interest in liquid crystalline polymers and elastomers among the liquid crystal community, researchers are currently exploring the wide range of possible application areas for these unique materials, including optical elements on displays, tunable lasers, strain gauges, micro-structures, and artificial muscles. Written by respected scientists from academia and industry around the world, who are not only active in the field but also well-known in more traditional areas of research, "Cross-Linked Liquid Crystalline Systems: From Rigid Polymer Networks to Elastomers&qu

The advantage of flexible neuronal tunings in neural network models for motor learning

Science.gov (United States)

Marongelli, Ellisha N.; Thoroughman, Kurt A.

2013-01-01

Human motor adaptation to novel environments is often modeled by a basis function network that transforms desired movement properties into estimated forces. This network employs a layer of nodes that have fixed broad tunings that generalize across the input domain. Learning is achieved by updating the weights of these nodes in response to training experience. This conventional model is unable to account for rapid flexibility observed in human spatial generalization during motor adaptation. However, added plasticity in the widths of the basis function tunings can achieve this flexibility, and several neurophysiological experiments have revealed flexibility in tunings of sensorimotor neurons. We found a model, Locally Weighted Projection Regression (LWPR), which uniquely possesses the structure of a basis function network in which both the weights and tuning widths of the nodes are updated incrementally during adaptation. We presented this LWPR model with training functions of different spatial complexities and monitored incremental updates to receptive field widths. An inverse pattern of dependence of receptive field adaptation on experienced error became evident, underlying both a relationship between generalization and complexity, and a unique behavior in which generalization always narrows after a sudden switch in environmental complexity. These results implicate a model that is flexible in both basis function widths and weights, like LWPR, as a viable alternative model for human motor adaptation that can account for previously observed plasticity in spatial generalization. This theory can be tested by using the behaviors observed in our experiments as novel hypotheses in human studies. PMID:23888141

On the dynamics of semi-rigid chains

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodriguez Talavera, R.; Alexander-Katz, R.

1993-01-01

The dynamics of a semi-rigid polymer chain is studied. The force structure of the chain is derived from the statistics generated through a Wiener measure whose end-to-end distance is that of a Kratky-Porod chain. Additionally, the dissipative terms in the equation of motion will contain, besides the usual Stokes' term, a non-local friction term (internal viscosity) which is quadratic in the normal mode q, in order to take into account the resistance to changes in curvature. The analytical shape of this term is the same as the one introduced by Edwards and Freed. We show that this model of stiff chain reproduces both asymptotic limits: the flexible and the rod limits for the elastic moduli. A form for the internal viscosity coefficient is deduced from a phenomenological approach, which has the right solvent viscosity dependency as obtained by MacInnes. (Author)

Filament networks attached to membranes: cytoskeletal pressure and local bilayer deformation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Auth, Thorsten; Safran, S A; Gov, Nir S

2007-01-01

Several cell types, among them red blood cells, have a cortical, two-dimensional (2D) network of filaments sparsely attached to their lipid bilayer. In many mammalian cells, this 2D polymer network is connected to an underlying 3D, more rigid cytoskeleton. In this paper, we consider the pressure exerted by the thermally fluctuating, cortical network of filaments on the bilayer and predict the bilayer deformations that are induced by this pressure. We treat the filaments as flexible polymers and calculate the pressure that a network of such linear chains exerts on the bilayer; we then minimize the bilayer shape in order to predict the resulting local deformations. We compare our predictions with membrane deformations observed in electron micrographs of red blood cells. The polymer pressure along with the resulting membrane deformation can lead to compartmentalization, regulate in-plane diffusion and may influence protein sorting as well as transmit signals to the polymerization of the underlying 3D cytoskeleton

Laser-assisted simultaneous transfer and patterning of vertically aligned carbon nanotube arrays on polymer substrates for flexible devices.

Science.gov (United States)

In, Jung Bin; Lee, Daeho; Fornasiero, Francesco; Noy, Aleksandr; Grigoropoulos, Costas P

2012-09-25

We demonstrate a laser-assisted dry transfer technique for assembling patterns of vertically aligned carbon nanotube arrays on a flexible polymeric substrate. A laser beam is applied to the interface of a nanotube array and a polycarbonate sheet in contact with one another. The absorbed laser heat promotes nanotube adhesion to the polymer in the irradiated regions and enables selective pattern transfer. A combination of the thermal transfer mechanism with rapid direct writing capability of focused laser beam irradiation allows us to achieve simultaneous material transfer and direct micropatterning in a single processing step. Furthermore, we demonstrate that malleability of the nanotube arrays transferred onto a flexible substrate enables post-transfer tailoring of electric conductance by collapsing the aligned nanotubes in different directions. This work suggests that the laser-assisted transfer technique provides an efficient route to using vertically aligned nanotubes as conductive elements in flexible device applications.

Cross-Linked Solid Polymer Electrolyte for All-Solid-State Rechargeable Lithium Batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ben youcef, Hicham; Garcia-Calvo, Oihane; Lago, Nerea; Devaraj, Shanmukaraj; Armand, Michel

2016-01-01

Semi-interpenetrated network Solid Polymer Electrolytes (SPEs) were fabricated by UV-induced cross-linking of poly(ethyleneglycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) and divinylbenzene (DVB) within a poly(ethyleneoxide) (PEO) matrix (M v = 5 × 10 6 g mol −1 ), comprising lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide salt (LiTFSI), at a molar ratio of EO:Li ∼ 30:1. The influence of the DVB content on the final SPE properties was investigated in detail. An increase of DVB concentration resulted in self-standing polymer electrolytes. The DVB cross-linker incorporation was found to decrease the crystallinity of the PEO matrix from 34% to 23%, with a decrease in the melting temperature (T m ) of the membrane from 50 °C to 34 °C. Moreover, the influence of the DVB concentration on the ionic conductivity was determined for polymer electrolytes with 0, 10, 20 and 45% DVB from room temperature (RT) to 80 °C. The resulting SPEs showed a high electrochemical stability of 4.3 V as well as practical conductivity values exceeding 10 −4 S cm −1 at 70 °C. Cycling performance of these semi-interpenetrated SPE’s have been shown with a Li metal polymer battery and all solid -state Li sulphur battery.

Model for a flexible motor memory based on a self-active recurrent neural network.

Science.gov (United States)

Boström, Kim Joris; Wagner, Heiko; Prieske, Markus; de Lussanet, Marc

2013-10-01

Using recent recurrent network architecture based on the reservoir computing approach, we propose and numerically simulate a model that is focused on the aspects of a flexible motor memory for the storage of elementary movement patterns into the synaptic weights of a neural network, so that the patterns can be retrieved at any time by simple static commands. The resulting motor memory is flexible in that it is capable to continuously modulate the stored patterns. The modulation consists in an approximately linear inter- and extrapolation, generating a large space of possible movements that have not been learned before. A recurrent network of thousand neurons is trained in a manner that corresponds to a realistic exercising scenario, with experimentally measured muscular activations and with kinetic data representing proprioceptive feedback. The network is "self-active" in that it maintains recurrent flow of activation even in the absence of input, a feature that resembles the "resting-state activity" found in the human and animal brain. The model involves the concept of "neural outsourcing" which amounts to the permanent shifting of computational load from higher to lower-level neural structures, which might help to explain why humans are able to execute learned skills in a fluent and flexible manner without the need for attention to the details of the movement. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Injectable glycosaminoglycan-protein nano-complex in semi-interpenetrating networks: A biphasic hydrogel for hyaline cartilage regeneration.

Science.gov (United States)

Radhakrishnan, Janani; Subramanian, Anuradha; Sethuraman, Swaminathan

2017-11-01

Articular hyaline cartilage regeneration remains challenging due to its less intrinsic reparability. The study develops injectable biphasic semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (SIPN) hydrogel impregnated with chondroitin sulfate (ChS) nanoparticles for functional cartilage restoration. ChS loaded zein nanoparticles (∼150nm) prepared by polyelectrolyte-protein complexation were interspersed into injectable SIPNs developed by blending alginate with poly(vinyl alcohol) and calcium crosslinking. The hydrogel exhibited interconnected porous microstructure (39.9±5.8μm pore diameter, 57.7±5.9% porosity), 92% swellability and >350Pa elastic modulus. Primary chondrocytes compatibility, chondrocyte-matrix interaction with cell-cell clustering and spheroidal morphology was demonstrated in ChS loaded hydrogel and long-term (42days) proliferation was also determined. Higher fold expression of cartilage-specific genes sox9, aggrecan and collagen-II was observed in ChS loaded hydrogel while exhibiting poor expression of collagen-I. Immunoblotting of aggregan and collagen II demonstrate favorable positive influence of ChS on chondrocytes. Thus, the injectable biphasic SIPNs could be promising composition-mimetic substitute for cartilage restoration at irregular defects. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Flexible thin film magnetoimpedance sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurlyandskaya, G.V.; Fernández, E.; Svalov, A.; Burgoa Beitia, A.; García-Arribas, A.; Larrañaga, A.

2016-01-01

Magnetically soft thin film deposited onto polymer substrates is an attractive option for flexible electronics including magnetoimpedance (MI) applications. MI FeNi/Ti based thin film sensitive elements were designed and prepared using the sputtering technique by deposition onto rigid and flexible substrates at different deposition rates. Their structure, magnetic properties and MI were comparatively analyzed. The main structural features were sufficiently accurately reproduced in the case of deposition onto cyclo olefine polymer substrates compared to glass substrates for the same conditions. Although for the best condition (28 nm/min rate) of the deposition onto polymer a significant reduction of the MI field sensitivity was found satisfactory for sensor applications sensitivity: 45%/Oe was obtained for a frequency of 60 MHz. - Highlights: • [FeNi/Ti] 3 /Cu/[FeNi/Ti] 3 films were prepared by sputtering at different deposition rates. • Polymer substrates insure sufficiently accurate reproducibility of the film structure. • High deposition rate of 28 nm/min insures the highest values of the magnetoimpedance sensitivity. • Deposition onto polymer results in the satisfactory magnetoimpedance sensitivity of 45%/Oe.

Flexible thin film magnetoimpedance sensors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kurlyandskaya, G.V., E-mail: galina@we.lc.ehu.es [Universidad del País Vasco, UPV/EHU, Departamento de Electricidad y Electrónica, P.O. Box 644, Bilbao 48080 (Spain); Ural Federal University, Laboratory of Magnetic sensoric, Lenin Ave. 51, 620083 Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation); Fernández, E. [BCMaterials UPV-EHU, Vizcaya Science and Technology Park, 48160 Derio (Spain); Svalov, A. [Universidad del País Vasco, UPV/EHU, Departamento de Electricidad y Electrónica, P.O. Box 644, Bilbao 48080 (Spain); Ural Federal University, Laboratory of Magnetic sensoric, Lenin Ave. 51, 620083 Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation); Burgoa Beitia, A. [Universidad del País Vasco, UPV/EHU, Departamento de Electricidad y Electrónica, P.O. Box 644, Bilbao 48080 (Spain); García-Arribas, A. [Universidad del País Vasco, UPV/EHU, Departamento de Electricidad y Electrónica, P.O. Box 644, Bilbao 48080 (Spain); BCMaterials UPV-EHU, Vizcaya Science and Technology Park, 48160 Derio (Spain); Larrañaga, A. [SGIker, Servicios Generales de Investigación, Universidad del País Vasco (UPV/EHU), 48080 Bilbao (Spain)

2016-10-01

Magnetically soft thin film deposited onto polymer substrates is an attractive option for flexible electronics including magnetoimpedance (MI) applications. MI FeNi/Ti based thin film sensitive elements were designed and prepared using the sputtering technique by deposition onto rigid and flexible substrates at different deposition rates. Their structure, magnetic properties and MI were comparatively analyzed. The main structural features were sufficiently accurately reproduced in the case of deposition onto cyclo olefine polymer substrates compared to glass substrates for the same conditions. Although for the best condition (28 nm/min rate) of the deposition onto polymer a significant reduction of the MI field sensitivity was found satisfactory for sensor applications sensitivity: 45%/Oe was obtained for a frequency of 60 MHz. - Highlights: • [FeNi/Ti]{sub 3}/Cu/[FeNi/Ti]{sub 3} films were prepared by sputtering at different deposition rates. • Polymer substrates insure sufficiently accurate reproducibility of the film structure. • High deposition rate of 28 nm/min insures the highest values of the magnetoimpedance sensitivity. • Deposition onto polymer results in the satisfactory magnetoimpedance sensitivity of 45%/Oe.

Energy-efficient virtual optical network mapping approaches over converged flexible bandwidth optical networks and data centers.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Bowen; Zhao, Yongli; Zhang, Jie

2015-09-21

In this paper, we develop a virtual link priority mapping (LPM) approach and a virtual node priority mapping (NPM) approach to improve the energy efficiency and to reduce the spectrum usage over the converged flexible bandwidth optical networks and data centers. For comparison, the lower bound of the virtual optical network mapping is used for the benchmark solutions. Simulation results show that the LPM approach achieves the better performance in terms of power consumption, energy efficiency, spectrum usage, and the number of regenerators compared to the NPM approach.

Radiation synthesis and characterisation of the network structure of natural/synthetic double-network superabsorbent polymers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Şen, Murat; Hayrabolulu, Hande

2012-01-01

In this study radiation synthesis and characterisation of the network structure of acrylic acid sodium salt/locust bean gum, (AAcNa/LBG) natural/synthetic double-network super absorbent polymers were investigated. Quartet systems composed of acrylic acid sodium salt/locust bean gum/N,N methylene bis acrylamide/water (AAcNa/LBG/MBAAm/water) were prepared at varying degree of neutralisations (DN) by controlling the DN value of AAc and irradiated with gamma rays at ambient temperature at a very low dose rate. The influences of the DN on the swelling and network properties were examined. It was observed that the DN strongly affected the gelation and super absorption properties of the gels. Molecular weight between crosslinks (M ¯ c ), effective crosslink density (ν e ) and mesh size (ξ) of SAPs were calculated from swelling and shear modules data obtained from compression and oscillatory frequency sweep tests. M ¯ c values obtained from the uniaxial deformation experiments were very close to those obtained from the oscillatory shear experiments excluding the completely neutralised gel system. It was concluded that the uniaxial compression technique could be used for the characterisation of the network structure of a hydrogel as along with the rheological analyses; however, a very precise control of the gel size was also needed. - Highlights: ► Radiation synthesis and characterisation of AAcNa/LBG super absorbent polymers described. ► Influences of the DN on the swelling and network properties were examined. ► Molecular weight between crosslinks and effective crosslink density of SAPs were calculated. ► Suitability of rheology technique for the characterisation of hydrogels were demonstrated.

Preparation and Properties of a Novel Semi-IPN Slow-Release Fertilizer with the Function of Water Retention.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiang, Yang; Ru, Xudong; Shi, Jinguo; Song, Jiang; Zhao, Haidong; Liu, Yaqing; Guo, Dongdong; Lu, Xin

2017-12-20

A new semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPN) slow-release fertilizer (SISRF) with water absorbency, based on the kaolin-g-poly(acrylic acid-co-acrylic amide) (kaolin-g-P(AA-co-AM)) network and linear urea-formaldehyde oligomers (UF), was prepared by solution polymerization. Nutrients phosphorus and potassium were supplied by adding dipotassium hydrogen phosphate during the preparation process. The structure and properties of SISRF were characterized by various characterization methods. SISRF showed excellent water absorbency of 68 g g -1 in tap water. The slow-release behavior of nutrients and water-retention capacity of SISRF were also measured. Meanwhile, the swelling kinetics was well described by a pseudo-second-order kinetics model. Results suggested the formation of SISRF with simultaneously good slow-release and water-retention capacity, which was expected to apply in modern agriculture and horticulture.

Finite-Time Nonfragile Synchronization of Stochastic Complex Dynamical Networks with Semi-Markov Switching Outer Coupling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rathinasamy Sakthivel

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The problem of robust nonfragile synchronization is investigated in this paper for a class of complex dynamical networks subject to semi-Markov jumping outer coupling, time-varying coupling delay, randomly occurring gain variation, and stochastic noise over a desired finite-time interval. In particular, the network topology is assumed to follow a semi-Markov process such that it may switch from one to another at different instants. In this paper, the random gain variation is represented by a stochastic variable that is assumed to satisfy the Bernoulli distribution with white sequences. Based on these hypotheses and the Lyapunov-Krasovskii stability theory, a new finite-time stochastic synchronization criterion is established for the considered network in terms of linear matrix inequalities. Moreover, the control design parameters that guarantee the required criterion are computed by solving a set of linear matrix inequality constraints. An illustrative example is finally given to show the effectiveness and advantages of the developed analytical results.

Transition state analogue imprinted polymers as artificial amidases for amino acid p-nitroanilides: morphological effects of polymer network on catalytic efficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Mathew, Divya; Thomas, Benny; Devaky, K S

2017-11-13

The morphology of the polymer network - porous/less porous - plays predominant role in the amidase activities of the polymer catalysts in the hydrolytic reactions of amino acid p-nitroanilides. Polymers with the imprints of stable phosphonate analogue of the intermediate of hydrolytic reactions were synthesized as enzyme mimics. Molecular imprinting was carried out in thermodynamically stable porogen dimethyl sulphoxide and unstable porogen chloroform, to investigate the morphological effects of polymers on catalytic amidolysis. It was found that the medium of polymerization has vital influence in the amidase activities of the enzyme mimics. The morphological studies of the polymer catalysts were carried out by scanning electron microscopy and Bruner-Emmett-Teller analysis. The morphology of the polymer catalysts and their amidase activities are found to be dependent on the composition of reaction medium. The polymer catalyst prepared in dimethyl sulphoxide is observed to be efficient in 1:9 acetonitrile (ACN)-Tris HCl buffer and that prepared in chloroform is noticed to be stereo specifically and shape-selectively effective in 9:1 ACN-Tris HCl buffer. The solvent memory effect in catalytic amidolysis was investigated using the polymer prepared in acetonitrile.

Fabrication and simulation of semi-transparent and flexible PMMA/ATO conductive nanocomposites obtained by compression molding at different temperatures and pressures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Youngho Jin

2017-05-01

Full Text Available This paper investigated the effect of temperature and pressure on the microstructure and electrical behavior of compression molded and mechanically blended polymer composites. Poly (methyl methacrylate (PMMA and antimony tin oxide (ATO were used as the matrix and conductive filler respectively and the composition was varied from 0 to 1.75 ATO vol %. Mixtures of the two precursor materials were compression molded at temperatures ranging from 150 to 190 °C and pressures ranging from 12 to 50 MPa. It was found that a segregated network microstructure was formed in all cases but that the distribution of the conductive ATO fillers varied as a function of the compression molding temperature and pressure used. The thickness of the specimens, determined by the amount of precursor materials and pressure used during compression molding, was also found to affect the resulting microstructure and concomitant properties. The electrical conductivity of these polymer matrix composites can be increased by up to 2 orders of magnitude by decreasing the processing temperature, while maintaining the processing pressure and the filler concentration constant. On the other hand, the flexibility of PMCs can be improved by increasing the processing temperature. For the compositions evaluated, the maximum electrical conductivity obtained was 5 x 10-3 S/m (about three orders of magnitude lower than the conductivity of the filler. Finite element simulations were used to model this microstructure-driven phase segregated percolation behavior. COMSOL Multiphysics® was used to calculate the electric potential and current density distribution in a 3D geometry. There was good agreement between the experimental and simulation results.

Laser-Assisted Simultaneous Transfer and Patterning of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotube Arrays on Polymer Substrates for Flexible Devices

KAUST Repository

In, Jung Bin

2012-09-25

We demonstrate a laser-assisted dry transfer technique for assembling patterns of vertically aligned carbon nanotube arrays on a flexible polymeric substrate. A laser beam is applied to the interface of a nanotube array and a polycarbonate sheet in contact with one another. The absorbed laser heat promotes nanotube adhesion to the polymer in the irradiated regions and enables selective pattern transfer. A combination of the thermal transfer mechanism with rapid direct writing capability of focused laser beam irradiation allows us to achieve simultaneous material transfer and direct micropatterning in a single processing step. Furthermore, we demonstrate that malleability of the nanotube arrays transferred onto a flexible substrate enables post-transfer tailoring of electric conductance by collapsing the aligned nanotubes in different directions. This work suggests that the laser-assisted transfer technique provides an efficient route to using vertically aligned nanotubes as conductive elements in flexible device applications. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

Rigid versus Flexible Ligands on Carbon Nanotubes for the Enhanced Sensitivity of Cobalt Ions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gou, Pingping; Kraut, Nadine D.; Feigel, Ian Matthew; Star, Alexander

2013-02-26

Carbon nanotubes have shown great promise in the fabrication of ultra-compact and highly sensitive chemical and biological sensors. Additional chemical functionalization schemes can controllably improve selectivity of the carbon nanotube-based sensors; however the exact transduction mechanism is still under debate. In this article we detail the synthesis and selective response of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) functionalized with polyazomethine (PAM) polymer towards the application of a specific trace metal ion detector. The response of the polymer system was compared to shape persistent macrocycle (MAC) comprised of identical ion coordination ligands. While ion detection with rigid MAC/SWNT chemiresistor was comparable to bare SWNT, flexible PAM offers significant SWNT signal amplification, allowing for picomolar detection of Co{sup 2+} ions with both selectivity and a fast response. We hypothesized that rearrangement of the flexible PAM on the SWNT network is a sensing mechanism which allows for ultrasensitive detection of metal ions. The electron transfer and polymer rearrangement on the SWNT was studied by a combination of optical spectroscopy and electrical measurements - ultimately allowing for a better understanding of fundamental mechanisms that prompt device response.

Composite Polymer Electrolytes: Nanoparticles Affect Structure and Properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei Wang

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Composite polymer electrolytes (CPEs can significantly improve the performance in electrochemical devices such as lithium-ion batteries. This review summarizes property/performance relationships in the case where nanoparticles are introduced to polymer electrolytes. It is the aim of this review to provide a knowledge network that elucidates the role of nano-additives in the CPEs. Central to the discussion is the impact on the CPE performance of properties such as crystalline/amorphous structure, dielectric behavior, and interactions within the CPE. The amorphous domains of semi-crystalline polymer facilitate the ion transport, while an enhanced mobility of polymer chains contributes to high ionic conductivity. Dielectric properties reflect the relaxation behavior of polymer chains as an important factor in ion conduction. Further, the dielectric constant (ε determines the capability of the polymer to dissolve salt. The atom/ion/nanoparticle interactions within CPEs suggest ways to enhance the CPE conductivity by generating more free lithium ions. Certain properties can be improved simultaneously by nanoparticle addition in order to optimize the overall performance of the electrolyte. The effects of nano-additives on thermal and mechanical properties of CPEs are also presented in order to evaluate the electrolyte competence for lithium-ion battery applications.

Graphene-cellulose paper flexible supercapacitors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weng, Zhe; Su, Yang; Li, Feng; Du, Jinhong; Cheng, Hui-Ming [Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016 (China); Wang, Da-Wei [ARC Centre of Excellence for Functional Nanomaterials, Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Qld 4072 (Australia)

2011-10-15

A simple and scalable method to fabricate graphene-cellulose paper (GCP) membranes is reported; these membranes exhibit great advantages as freestanding and binder-free electrodes for flexible supercapacitors. The GCP electrode consists of a unique three-dimensional interwoven structure of graphene nanosheets and cellulose fibers and has excellent mechanical flexibility, good specific capacitance and power performance, and excellent cyclic stability. The electrical conductivity of the GCP membrane shows high stability with a decrease of only 6% after being bent 1000 times. This flexible GCP electrode has a high capacitance per geometric area of 81 mF cm{sup -2}, which is equivalent to a gravimetric capacitance of 120 F g{sup -1} of graphene, and retains >99% capacitance over 5000 cycles. Several types of flexible GCP-based polymer supercapacitors with various architectures are assembled to meet the power-energy requirements of typical flexible or printable electronics. Under highly flexible conditions, the supercapacitors show a high capacitance per geometric area of 46 mF cm{sup -2} for the complete devices. All the results demonstrate that polymer supercapacitors made using GCP membranes are versatile and may be used for flexible and portable micropower devices. (Copyright copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Integration of conducting polymer network in non-conductive polymer substrates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Thomas Steen; West, Keld; Hassager, Ole

2006-01-01

Anew method for integration ofconjugated, inherently conducting polymers into non-conductive polymer substrates has been developed. Alayer of the conducting polymer is polymerised by chemical oxidation, e.g. using Fe(ID) p-toluene sulfonate (ferri tosylate) followed by washing with a solvent which...... simultaneously removes residual and spent oxidant and at the same time dissolves the top layer of the polymer substrate. This results in an integration of the conducting polymer into the surface layers of the polymer substrate. Several combinations of conducting polymers and substrates have been tested...... absorption during sequential reactive ion etching has allowed for analysis of the PEDOT distribution within the surface layer of thePMMA substrate. The surface resistance ofthe conducting polymer layer remains low while the surface layer at the same time adapts some of the mechanical properties...

Processing and Dynamic Failure Characterization of Novel Impact Absorbing Transparent Interpenetrating Polymer Networks (t-IPN)

Science.gov (United States)

2014-02-01

samples were placed into the oven for the same curing treatment as before. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) photo in Figure 19 shows a typical...Interpenetrating Polymer Networks with Polyurethane and Methacrylate-based Polymers,’ S. A . Bird , PhD Dissertation, Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering...Jajam, H. V. Tippur, S. A . Bird , and M. L. Auad, Proceedings of the 50th SES Annual Technical Meeting and ASME-AMD Summer Meeting, Providence, RI

Mercury coordination polymers with flexible ethane-1,2-diyl-bis-(pyridyl-3-carboxylate): Synthesis, structures, thermal and luminescent properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vallejos, Javier [Departamento de Química, Universidad Católica del Norte, Av. Angamos 0610, Antofagasta (Chile); Brito, Iván, E-mail: ivanbritob@yahoo.com [Departamento de Quimica, Universidad de Antofagasta, Av. Angamos 601, Antofagasta (Chile); Cárdenas, Alejandro [Departamento de Física, Universidad de Antofagasta, Av. Angamos 601, Antofagasta (Chile); Llanos, Jaime [Departamento de Química, Universidad Católica del Norte, Av. Angamos 0610, Antofagasta (Chile); Bolte, Michael [Institut für Anorganische Chemie der Goethe—Universität Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 7, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main (Germany); López-Rodríguez, Matías [Instituto de Bio-Orgánica “Antonio González”, Universidad de La Laguna, Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez N° 2, La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain)

2015-03-15

The reaction of the flexible ligand, ethane-1,2-diyl-bis-(pyridyl-3-carboxylate), (L) with HgI{sub 2} and HgBr{sub 2} salts under the same experimental conditions leads to the formation of two coordination polymers with different motifs: ([Hg(L)(Br{sub 2})]){sub n}(1) and ([Hg(L)(I{sub 2})]){sub n}(2). In both compounds, the ligand, (L) acts in a μ2-N:N′-bidentate fashion to link HgBr{sub 2} and HgI{sub 2} units to form a linear and helical chain motif, along [1 0 0] for (1) and [0 0 1] for (2). The ethylene moiety of (L) has gauche and trans conformation in compounds (1) and (2), respectively. The flexible conformation of L produces differences in the optical and crystal properties of the two compounds. - Graphical abstract: This work demonstrates how the HgX{sub 2} units are coordinates by bi-dentate ligand forming polymeric coordination complexes by self-assembly of both chemical units.- Highlights: • News 1-D d{sup 10} transition metal coordination polymers. • The photoluminescent properties have been measured. • The thermal properties have been measured.

Overlay of semi-dried functional layers in offset printing for rapid and high-precision fabrication of flexible TFTs

Science.gov (United States)

Kusaka, Yasuyuki; Sugihara, Kazuyoshi; Koutake, Masayoshi; Ushijima, Hirobumi

2014-03-01

We achieved a reduction in the misregistration of overlying patterns printed on a flexible plastic film and a drastically shorter processing time with fully printed thin-film transistor (TFT) fabrication. This was achieved using a newly developed wet-on-wet (WoW) printing process wherein a subsequent layer can be printed on a previous semi-dried (not-sintered) layer. In the WoW process, as examined by rheological measurements, a semi-dried (highly solidified) state of ink was attained before transferring by utilizing the solvent uptake of a PDMS blanket in offset printing to ensure the structural integrity of the ink layer, and to reduce the inter-contamination of adjoining layers. Loss-on-drying tests and resistivity measurements indicated that molecular penetration at the boundary of adjoining layers with a length of c.a. 70 nm occurred in the WoW process; however, with thicker electrodes, we successfully fabricated a WoW-processed TFT whose performance was comparable with a TFT formed by a conventional printing process.

Capacity enhancement and flexible operation of unified power quality conditioner in smart and microgrid network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shafiuzzaman Khan Khadem

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a new approach to design Unified Power Quality Conditioner (UPQC, termed as distributed UPQC (D-UPQC, for smart or microgrid network where capacity enhancement and flexible operation of UPQC are the important issues. This paper shows the possibility of capacity enhancement and operational flexibility of UPQC through a coordinated control of existing resources. This UPQC consists of a single unit series active power filter (APFse and multiple shunt APF (APFsh units in a distributed (parallel mode. These units can be connected with a common/separate dc linked capacitor(s. The requirement of capacity enhancement arises from the flexibility to cope up with the increased harmonic load demand at low voltage (LV distribution network. This can be accomplished by a coordinated control where multiple APFsh units are operated by utilizing the capacity of APFse while it is in idle/low mode using. Operational flexibility can be accomplished by compensating (i the reactive and harmonic current individually or (ii splitting the combined reactive and harmonic current/power among the APFsh units. Design and control issues have been discussed to identify the capacity enhancement limit with the possibility of operational flexibility. A system then has been simulated in MATLAB to show the effectiveness of D-UPQC in capacity enhancement and flexible operation by applying its existing resource utilization capability.

Layer-by-layer assembly of MXene and carbon nanotubes on electrospun polymer films for flexible energy storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Zehang; Panatdasirisuk, Weerapha; Mathis, Tyler S; Anasori, Babak; Lu, Canhui; Zhang, Xinxing; Liao, Zhiwei; Gogotsi, Yury; Yang, Shu

2018-03-29

Free-standing, highly flexible and foldable supercapacitor electrodes were fabricated through the spray-coating assisted layer-by-layer assembly of Ti3C2Tx (MXene) nanoflakes together with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) fiber networks. The open structure of the PCL network and the use of MWCNTs as spacers not only limit the restacking of Ti3C2Tx flakes but also increase the accessible surface of the active materials, facilitating fast diffusion of electrolyte ions within the electrode. Composite electrodes have areal capacitance (30-50 mF cm-2) comparable to other templated electrodes reported in the literature, but showed significantly improved rate performance (14-16% capacitance retention at a scan rate of 100 V s-1). Furthermore, the composite electrodes are flexible and foldable, demonstrating good tolerance against repeated mechanical deformation, including twisting and folding. Therefore, these tens of micron thick fiber electrodes will be attractive for applications in energy storage, electroanalytical chemistry, brain electrodes, electrocatalysis and other fields, where flexible freestanding electrodes with an open and accessible surface are highly desired.

Carrier transport in flexible organic bistable devices of ZnO nanoparticles embedded in an insulating poly(methyl methacrylate) polymer layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Son, Dong-Ick; Park, Dong-Hee; Choi, Won Kook; Cho, Sung-Hwan; Kim, Won-Tae; Kim, Tae Whan

2009-01-01

The bistable effects of ZnO nanoparticles embedded in an insulating poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) polymer single layer by using flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates were investigated. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images revealed that ZnO nanoparticles were formed inside the PMMA polymer layer. Current-voltage (I-V) measurement on the Al/ZnO nanoparticles embedded in an insulating PMMA polymer layer/ITO/PET structures at 300 K showed a nonvolatile electrical bistability behavior with a flat-band voltage shift due to the existence of the ZnO nanoparticles, indicative of trapping, storing, and emission of charges in the electronic states of the ZnO nanoparticles. The carrier transport mechanism of the bistable behavior for the fabricated organic bistable device (OBD) structures is described on the basis of the I-V results by analyzing the effect of space charge.

Aerogel / Polymer Composite Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Martha K. (Inventor); Smith, Trent M. (Inventor); Fesmire, James E. (Inventor); Roberson, Luke B. (Inventor); Clayton, LaNetra M. (Inventor)

2017-01-01

The invention provides new composite materials containing aerogels blended with thermoplastic polymer materials at a weight ratio of aerogel to thermoplastic polymer of less than 20:100. The composite materials have improved thermal insulation ability. The composite materials also have better flexibility and less brittleness at low temperatures than the parent thermoplastic polymer materials.

Scalable Approach To Construct Free-Standing and Flexible Carbon Networks for Lithium–Sulfur Battery

KAUST Repository

Li, Mengliu

2017-02-21

Reconstructing carbon nanomaterials (e.g., fullerene, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and graphene) to multidimensional networks with hierarchical structure is a critical step in exploring their applications. Herein, a sacrificial template method by casting strategy is developed to prepare highly flexible and free-standing carbon film consisting of CNTs, graphene, or both. The scalable size, ultralight and binder-free characteristics, as well as the tunable process/property are promising for their large-scale applications, such as utilizing as interlayers in lithium-sulfur battery. The capability of holding polysulfides (i.e., suppressing the sulfur diffusion) for the networks made from CNTs, graphene, or their mixture is pronounced, among which CNTs are the best. The diffusion process of polysulfides can be visualized in a specially designed glass tube battery. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis of discharged electrodes was performed to characterize the species in electrodes. A detailed analysis of lithium diffusion constant, electrochemical impedance, and elementary distribution of sulfur in electrodes has been performed to further illustrate the differences of different carbon interlayers for Li-S batteries. The proposed simple and enlargeable production of carbon-based networks may facilitate their applications in battery industry even as a flexible cathode directly. The versatile and reconstructive strategy is extendable to prepare other flexible films and/or membranes for wider applications.

Clamping effect on the piezoelectric responses of screen-printed low temperature PZT/Polymer films on flexible substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Almusallam, A.; Yang, K.; Zhu, D.; Torah, R. N.; Komolafe, A.; Tudor, J.; Beeby, S. P.

2015-11-01

This paper introduces a new flexible lead zirconate titanate (PZT)/polymer composite material that can be screen-printed onto fabrics and flexible substrates, and investigates the clamping effect of these substrates on the characterization of the piezoelectric material. Experimental results showed that the optimum blend of PZT/polymer binder with a weight ratio of 12:1 provides a dielectric constant of 146. The measured value of the piezoelectric coefficient d33 was found to depend on the substrate used. Measured d33clp values of 70, 40, 36 pC N-1 were obtained from the optimum formulation printed on Polyester-cotton with an interface layer, Kapton and alumina substrates, respectively. The variation in the measured d33clp values occurs because of the effect of the mechanical boundary conditions of the substrate. The piezoelectric film is mechanically bonded to the surface of the substrate and this constrains the film in the plane of the substrate (the 1-direction). This constraint means that the perpendicular forces (applied in the 3-direction) used to measure d33 introduce a strain in the 1-direction that produces a charge of the opposite polarity to that induced by the d33 effect. This is due to the negative sign of the d31 coefficient and has the effect of reducing the measured d33 value. Theoretical and experimental investigations confirm a reduction of 13%, 50% and 55% in the estimated freestanding d33fs values (80 pC N-1) on Polyester-cotton, Kapton and alumina substrates, respectively. These results demonstrate the effect of the boundary conditions of the substrate/PZT interface on the piezoelectric response of the PZT/polymer film and in particular the reduced effect of fabric substrates due to their lowered stiffness.

Inkjet printing of conjugated polymer precursors on paper substrates for colorimetric sensing and flexible electrothermochromic display.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Bora; Ham, Dae-Young; Yarimaga, Oktay; An, Hyosung; Lee, Chan Woo; Kim, Jong-Man

2011-12-08

Inkjet-printable aqueous suspensions of conjugated polymer precursors are developed for fabrication of patterned color images on paper substrates. Printing of a diacetylene (DA)-surfactant composite ink on unmodified paper and photopaper, as well as on a banknote, enables generation of latent images that are transformed to blue-colored polydiacetylene (PDA) structures by UV irradiation. Both irreversible and reversible thermochromism with the PDA printed images are demonstrated and applied to flexible and disposable sensors and to displays. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Picot-Benoit Effect in Polymer Solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Beaucage, Gregory; Sukumaran, Sathish; Ilavsky, Jan

2003-03-01

SAXS from polymers in solution is well described at intermediate (q = 0.01-0.1 Å-1) scattering vectors by scaling theory which predicts three regimes in concentration: dilute, semi-dilute and concentrated [1-3]. A persistent problem is the appearance of excess scattering at low-q, q molecular weight dependence for these fluctuations in the dilute and semi-dilute regimes. The later is unexpected since above c* scaling theory predicts no M dependencies due to screening [1-3]. The literature associates PB features with semi-dilute and concentrated solutions, yet we have observed excess scattering even in dilute solutions of polystyrene in cyclopentane. 1) de Gennes P-G, Scaling Concepts in Polymer Physics, 1979. 2) Strobl G, The Physics of Polymers, Berlin 1997. 3) Doi M, Introduction to Polymer Physics, Oxford 1997. 4) Benoit H, Picot C Pure Appl. Chem. 12 545 (1966). 5) Benoit H, Picot C Pure Appl. Chem. 12 1271 (1966). 6) Xie Y, et al. Physica A 232 94 (1996). 7) Korberstein JT, et al. Polymer 26 673 (1985). 8) Morfin I, et al. Macromolecules 32 7208 (1999). 9) Blanco CM, et al. Langmuir 16 8585 (2000).

Effect of fillers on parameters of dry and swollen polymer matrix networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stojčeva-Radovanović Blaga

2002-01-01

Full Text Available The effect of nano- and micro- particle size of SiO2 on dry and swollen parameter network of the polymer matrix blends of acrylontrile-butadiene (NBR and chlorosulphonated polyethylene (CSM such as: volume and mass degree of swelling Rv and Rw; volume fraction of NBR-CSM polymer matrix in swollen gel V2 elasticity modulus G; interaction parameter between NBR-CSM polymer matrix and solvent λ and crossiinking density ν, was tested. The influence of nano-and micro- particle size of SiO2 on physical and mechanical properties, as well as effectiveness volume ratio of filiers in NBR-CSM polymer matrix at 300% elongation was tested using Einstein-Quth-Gold equation. The Kraus equation for swelling test of NBR-CSM polymer matrix containing nano- and micro- particle size of SiO2. Test results have shown that a greater interaction of nano-particie size of SiO2 with NBR-CSM polymer matrix, and possible chemical bonding, than the one of micro-silica was a consequence of a greater contact area. This results in better physical and mechanical properties.

Organic thin film transistors and polymer light-emitting diodes patterned by polymer inking and stamping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Dawen; Guo, L Jay

2008-01-01

To fully realize the advantages of organic flexible electronics, patterning is very important. In this paper we show that a purely additive patterning technique, termed polymer inking and stamping, can be used to pattern conductive polymer PEDOT and fabricate sub-micron channel length organic thin film transistors. In addition, we applied the technique to transfer a stack of metal/conjugated polymer in one step and fabricated working polymer light-emitting devices. Based on the polymer inking and stamping technique, a roll-to-roll printing for high throughput fabrication has been demonstrated. We investigated and explained the mechanism of this process based on the interfacial energy consideration and by using the finite element analysis. This technique can be further extended to transfer more complex stacked layer structures, which may benefit the research on patterning on flexible substrates

Asymmetric Flexible Supercapacitor Stack

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leela Mohana Reddy A

2008-01-01

Full Text Available AbstractElectrical double layer supercapacitor is very significant in the field of electrical energy storage which can be the solution for the current revolution in the electronic devices like mobile phones, camera flashes which needs flexible and miniaturized energy storage device with all non-aqueous components. The multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs have been synthesized by catalytic chemical vapor deposition technique over hydrogen decrepitated Mischmetal (Mm based AB3alloy hydride. The polymer dispersed MWNTs have been obtained by insitu polymerization and the metal oxide/MWNTs were synthesized by sol-gel method. Morphological characterizations of polymer dispersed MWNTs have been carried out using scanning electron microscopy (SEM, transmission electron microscopy (TEM and HRTEM. An assymetric double supercapacitor stack has been fabricated using polymer/MWNTs and metal oxide/MWNTs coated over flexible carbon fabric as electrodes and nafion®membrane as a solid electrolyte. Electrochemical performance of the supercapacitor stack has been investigated using cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.

A high-performance, flexible and robust metal nanotrough-embedded transparent conducting film for wearable touch screen panels

Science.gov (United States)

Im, Hyeon-Gyun; An, Byeong Wan; Jin, Jungho; Jang, Junho; Park, Young-Geun; Park, Jang-Ung; Bae, Byeong-Soo

2016-02-01

We report a high-performance, flexible and robust metal nanotrough-embedded transparent conducting hybrid film (metal nanotrough-GFRHybrimer). Using an electro-spun polymer nanofiber web as a template and vacuum-deposited gold as a conductor, a junction resistance-free continuous metal nanotrough network is formed. Subsequently, the metal nanotrough is embedded on the surface of a glass-fabric reinforced composite substrate (GFRHybrimer). The monolithic composite structure of our transparent conducting film allows simultaneously high thermal stability (24 h at 250 °C in air), a smooth surface topography (Rrms touch screen panel (TSP) is fabricated using the transparent conducting films. The flexible TSP device stably operates on the back of a human hand and on a wristband.We report a high-performance, flexible and robust metal nanotrough-embedded transparent conducting hybrid film (metal nanotrough-GFRHybrimer). Using an electro-spun polymer nanofiber web as a template and vacuum-deposited gold as a conductor, a junction resistance-free continuous metal nanotrough network is formed. Subsequently, the metal nanotrough is embedded on the surface of a glass-fabric reinforced composite substrate (GFRHybrimer). The monolithic composite structure of our transparent conducting film allows simultaneously high thermal stability (24 h at 250 °C in air), a smooth surface topography (Rrms touch screen panel (TSP) is fabricated using the transparent conducting films. The flexible TSP device stably operates on the back of a human hand and on a wristband. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr07657a

Physical Properties of Polymers (Ultrastructure Processing of Polymers)

Science.gov (United States)

1982-09-30

vinyl benzene Network-Diluent Systems". 17. J . Appl. Polym. Sci. 28, 219-224 (1983) (with R. Vukovic and W.J. MacKnight) "Compatibility of Some...Temperature of Polymer Networks by Dil uents". 23. J . Appl. Polym. Sci. 28, 1379-1389 (1983) (with R. Vukovic , V. Kuresevic, N. Segudovic, and W.J...AFOSR 80-0101 IV. DATES: 1 January 1980 - 30 September 1982 V. SENIOR RESEARCH PERSONNEL*: Dr. C. Crosby Dr. G. ten Brinke Dr. T. Ellis Dr. R. Vukovic

Structural and electrical characteristics of high-k/metal gate metal oxide semiconductor capacitors fabricated on flexible, semi-transparent silicon (100) fabric

KAUST Repository

Rojas, Jhonathan Prieto

2013-02-12

In pursuit of flexible computers with high performance devices, we demonstrate a generic process to fabricate 10 000 metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors (MOSCAPs) with semiconductor industry\\'s most advanced high-k/metal gate stacks on widely used, inexpensive bulk silicon (100) wafers and then using a combination of iso-/anisotropic etching to release the top portion of the silicon with the already fabricated devices as a mechanically flexible (bending curvature of 133 m−1), optically semi-transparent silicon fabric (1.5 cm × 3 cm × 25 μm). The electrical characteristics show 3.7 nm effective oxide thickness, −0.2 V flat band voltage, and no hysteresis from the fabricated MOSCAPs.

Structural and electrical characteristics of high-k/metal gate metal oxide semiconductor capacitors fabricated on flexible, semi-transparent silicon (100) fabric

KAUST Repository

Rojas, Jhonathan Prieto; Hussain, Muhammad Mustafa; Sevilla, Galo T.

2013-01-01

In pursuit of flexible computers with high performance devices, we demonstrate a generic process to fabricate 10 000 metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors (MOSCAPs) with semiconductor industry's most advanced high-k/metal gate stacks on widely used, inexpensive bulk silicon (100) wafers and then using a combination of iso-/anisotropic etching to release the top portion of the silicon with the already fabricated devices as a mechanically flexible (bending curvature of 133 m−1), optically semi-transparent silicon fabric (1.5 cm × 3 cm × 25 μm). The electrical characteristics show 3.7 nm effective oxide thickness, −0.2 V flat band voltage, and no hysteresis from the fabricated MOSCAPs.

Shape memory polymers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wilson, Thomas S.; Bearinger, Jane P.

2017-08-29

New shape memory polymer compositions, methods for synthesizing new shape memory polymers, and apparatus comprising an actuator and a shape memory polymer wherein the shape memory polymer comprises at least a portion of the actuator. A shape memory polymer comprising a polymer composition which physically forms a network structure wherein the polymer composition has shape-memory behavior and can be formed into a permanent primary shape, re-formed into a stable secondary shape, and controllably actuated to recover the permanent primary shape. Polymers have optimal aliphatic network structures due to minimization of dangling chains by using monomers that are symmetrical and that have matching amine and hydroxl groups providing polymers and polymer foams with clarity, tight (narrow temperature range) single transitions, and high shape recovery and recovery force that are especially useful for implanting in the human body.

Shape memory polymers

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Thomas S.; Bearinger, Jane P.

2015-06-09

New shape memory polymer compositions, methods for synthesizing new shape memory polymers, and apparatus comprising an actuator and a shape memory polymer wherein the shape memory polymer comprises at least a portion of the actuator. A shape memory polymer comprising a polymer composition which physically forms a network structure wherein the polymer composition has shape-memory behavior and can be formed into a permanent primary shape, re-formed into a stable secondary shape, and controllably actuated to recover the permanent primary shape. Polymers have optimal aliphatic network structures due to minimization of dangling chains by using monomers that are symmetrical and that have matching amine and hydroxyl groups providing polymers and polymer foams with clarity, tight (narrow temperature range) single transitions, and high shape recovery and recovery force that are especially useful for implanting in the human body.

A Simple Approach to Dynamic Optimisation of Flexible Optical Networks with Practical Application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vic Grout

2017-05-01

Full Text Available This paper provides an initial introduction to, and definition of, the ‘Dynamically Powered Relays for a Flexible Optical Network’ (DPR-FON problem for opto-electro-optical (OEO regenerators used in optical networks. In such networks, optical transmission parameters can be varied dynamically as traffic patterns change. This will provide different bandwidths, but also change the regeneration limits as a result. To support this flexibility, OEOs (‘relays’ may be switched on and off as required, thus saving power. DPR-FON is shown to be NP-complete; consequently, solving such a dynamic problem in real-time requires a fast heuristic capable of delivering an acceptable approximation to the optimal configuration with low complexity. In this paper, just such an algorithm is developed, implemented, and evaluated against more computationally-demanding alternatives for two known cases. A number of real-world extensions are considered as the paper develops, combining to produce the ‘Generalised Dynamically Powered Relays for a Flexible Optical Network’ (GDPR-FON problem. This, too, is analysed and an associated fast heuristic proposed, along with an exploration of the further research that is required.

The application of SANS to ''soft condensed matter'': the structure of polymer-like lecithin reverse micelles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schurtenberger, P.; Cavaco, C.

1992-01-01

''Complex fluids'' or ''soft condensed matter'' have recently attracted considerable attention both experimentally as well as theoretically. The hypothesis of a water-induced formation of flexible cylindrical micelles and the existence of entanglement networks was largely based on ''low-resolution'' light scattering and rheological measurements and analogies to classical polymer theory. In order to directly confirm this picture and verify the postulated analogy between the structural properties of polymer chains and lecithin reverse micelles we now used a combination of static light scattering and small angle neutron scattering. (author) 2 figs., 3 refs

Dynamic traffic grooming with Spectrum Engineering (TG-SE) in flexible grid optical networks

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Xiaosong; Zhao, Yongli; Zhang, Jiawei; Wang, Jianping; Zhang, Guoying; Chen, Xue; Zhang, Jie

2015-12-01

Flexible grid has emerged as an evolutionary technology to satisfy the ever increasing demand for higher spectrum efficiency and operational flexibility. To optimize the spectrum resource utilization, this paper introduces the concept of Spectrum Engineering in flex-grid optical networks. The sliceable optical transponder has been proposed to offload IP traffic to the optical layer and reduce the number of IP router ports and transponders. We discuss the impact of sliceable transponder in traffic grooming and propose several traffic-grooming schemes with Spectrum Engineering (TG-SE). Our results show that there is a tradeoff among different traffic grooming policies, which should be adopted based on the network operator's objectives. The proposed traffic grooming with Spectrum Engineering schemes can reduce OPEX as well as increase spectrum efficiency by efficiently utilizing the bandwidth variability and capability of sliceable optical transponders.

Subsurface imaging of carbon nanotube networks in polymers with DC-biased multifrequency dynamic atomic force microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Hank T; Barroso-Bujans, Fabienne; Herrero, Julio Gomez; Reifenberger, Ron; Raman, Arvind

2013-04-05

The characterization of dispersion and connectivity of carbon nanotube (CNT) networks inside polymers is of great interest in polymer nanocomposites in new material systems, organic photovoltaics, and in electrodes for batteries and supercapacitors. We focus on a technique using amplitude modulation atomic force microscopy (AM-AFM) in the attractive regime of operation, using both single and dual mode excitation, which upon the application of a DC tip bias voltage allows, via the phase channel, the in situ, nanoscale, subsurface imaging of CNT networks dispersed in a polymer matrix at depths of 10-100 nm. We present an in-depth study of the origins of phase contrast in this technique and demonstrate that an electrical energy dissipation mechanism in the Coulomb attractive regime is key to the formation of the phase contrast which maps the spatial variations in the local capacitance and resistance due to the CNT network. We also note that dual frequency excitation can, under some conditions, improve the contrast for such samples. These methods open up the possibility for DC-biased amplitude modulation AFM to be used for mapping the variations in local capacitance and resistance in nanocomposites with conducting networks.

Mesoscopic Simulations of Crosslinked Polymer Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Megariotis, Grigorios; Vogiatzis, Georgios G.; Schneider, Ludwig; Müller, Marcus; Theodorou, Doros N.

2016-08-01

A new methodology and the corresponding C++ code for mesoscopic simulations of elastomers are presented. The test system, crosslinked ds-1’4-polyisoprene’ is simulated with a Brownian Dynamics/kinetic Monte Carlo algorithm as a dense liquid of soft, coarse-grained beads, each representing 5-10 Kuhn segments. From the thermodynamic point of view, the system is described by a Helmholtz free-energy containing contributions from entropic springs between successive beads along a chain, slip-springs representing entanglements between beads on different chains, and non-bonded interactions. The methodology is employed for the calculation of the stress relaxation function from simulations of several microseconds at equilibrium, as well as for the prediction of stress-strain curves of crosslinked polymer networks under deformation.

Three-Dimensional Networked Metal-Organic Frameworks with Conductive Polypyrrole Tubes for Flexible Supercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Xingtao; Tang, Jing; Qian, Huayu; Hou, Shujin; Bando, Yoshio; Hossain, Md Shahriar A; Pan, Likun; Yamauchi, Yusuke

2017-11-08

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with high porosity and a regular porous structure have emerged as a promising electrode material for supercapacitors, but their poor electrical conductivity limits their utilization efficiency and capacitive performance. To increase the overall electrical conductivity as well as the efficiency of MOF particles, three-dimensional networked MOFs are developed via using preprepared conductive polypyrrole (PPy) tubes as the support for in situ growth of MOF particles. As a result, the highly conductive PPy tubes that run through the MOF particles not only increase the electron transfer between MOF particles and maintain the high effective porosity of the MOFs but also endow the MOFs with flexibility. Promoted by such elaborately designed MOF-PPy networks, the specific capacitance of MOF particles has been increased from 99.2 F g -1 for pristine zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF)-67 to 597.6 F g -1 for ZIF-PPy networks, indicating the importance of the design of the ZIF-PPy continuous microstructure. Furthermore, a flexible supercapacitor device based on ZIF-PPy networks shows an outstanding areal capacitance of 225.8 mF cm -2 , which is far above other MOFs-based supercapacitors reported up to date, confirming the significance of in situ synthetic chemistry as well as the importance of hybrid materials on the nanoscale.

Reversible networks in supramolecular polymers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Havermans - van Beek, D.J.M.

2007-01-01

Non–covalent interactions between low molecular weight polymers form the basis of supramolecular polymers. The material properties of such polymers are determined by the strength and lifetime of the non–covalent reversible interactions. Due to the reversibility of the interactions between the low

Optical temperature sensing on flexible polymer foils

Science.gov (United States)

Sherman, Stanislav; Xiao, Yanfen; Hofmann, Meike; Schmidt, Thomas; Gleissner, Uwe; Zappe, Hans

2016-04-01

In contrast to established semiconductor waveguide-based or glass fiber-based integrated optical sensors, polymerbased optical systems offer tunable material properties, such as refractive index or viscosity, and thus provide additional degrees of freedom for sensor design and fabrication. Of particular interest in sensing applications are fully-integrated optical waveguide-based temperature sensors. These typically rely on Bragg gratings which induce a periodic refractive index variation in the waveguide so that a resonant wavelength of the structure is reflected.1,2 With broad-band excitation, a dip in the spectral output of the waveguide is thus generated at a precisely-defined wavelength. This resonant wavelength depends on the refractive index of the waveguide and the grating period, yet both of these quantities are temperature dependent by means of the thermo-optic effect (change in refractive index with temperature) and thermal expansion (change of the grating period with temperature). We show the design and fabrication of polymer waveguide-integrated temperature sensors based on Bragggratings, fabricated by replication technology on flexible PMMA foil substrates. The 175 μm thick foil serves as lower cladding for a polymeric waveguide fabricated from a custom-made UV-crosslinkable co-monomer composition. The fabrication of the grating structure includes a second replication step into a separate PMMA-foil. The dimensions of the Bragg-gratings are determined by simulations to set the bias point into the near infrared wavelength range, which allows Si-based detectors to be used. We present design considerations and performance data for the developed structures. The resulting sensor's signal is linear to temperature changes and shows a sensitivity of -306 nm/K, allowing high resolution temperature measurements.

Guide wire extension for shape memory polymer occlusion removal devices

Science.gov (United States)

Maitland, Duncan J [Pleasant Hill, CA; Small, IV, Ward; Hartman, Jonathan [Sacramento, CA

2009-11-03

A flexible extension for a shape memory polymer occlusion removal device. A shape memory polymer instrument is transported through a vessel via a catheter. A flexible elongated unit is operatively connected to the distal end of the shape memory polymer instrument to enhance maneuverability through tortuous paths en route to the occlusion.

Polymer solar cells - Non toxic processing and stable polymer photovoltaic materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Soendergaard, R

2012-07-01

The field of polymer solar cell has experienced enormous progress in the previous years, with efficiencies of small scale devices (approx1 mm2) now exceeding 8%. However, if the polymer solar cell is to achieve success as a renewable energy resource, mass production of sufficiently stable and efficient cell must be achieved. For a continuous success it is therefore essential to transfer the accomplishments from the laboratory to large scale facilities for actual production. In order to do so, several issues have to be approached. Among these are more environmentally friendly processing and development of more stable materials. The field of polymer solar cells has evolved around the use of toxic and carcinogenic solvents like chloroform, benzene, toluene, chlorobenzene, dichlorobenzene and xylene. As large scale production of organic solar cells is envisaged to production volumes corresponding to several GW{sub peek}, this is not a suitable approach from neither a production nor environmental point of view. As a consequence new materials, which can be processed from more environmentally friendly solvents (preferably water), need to be developed. In this thesis, the issue has been approached through synthesis of polymers carrying water coordinating side chains which allow for processing from semi-aqueous solution. A series of different side chains were synthesized and incorporated into the final polymers as thermocleavable tertiary esters. Using a cleavable side chain induces stability to solar cells as it slows down diffusion though the active layer, but just as important it renders the layer insoluble. This allows for further processing, using the same solvent, without dissolving already processed layers, and resulted in the first ever reported solar cells where all layers are processed from aqueous or semi-aqueous solution. As previously mentioned many advantages can be achieved by use of thermocleavable materials. Unfortunately the cleavage temperatures are too

Alumina nanoparticle/polymer nanocomposite dielectric for flexible amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide thin film transistors on plastic substrate with superior stability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lai, Hsin-Cheng [Department of Electrical Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 40227, Taiwan (China); Pei, Zingway, E-mail: zingway@dragon.nchu.edu.tw [Department of Electrical Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 40227, Taiwan (China); Graduate Institute of Optoelectronic Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 40227, Taiwan (China); Center of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 40227, Taiwan (China); Jian, Jyun-Ruri; Tzeng, Bo-Jie [Graduate Institute of Optoelectronic Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 40227, Taiwan (China)

2014-07-21

In this study, the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanoparticles were incorporated into polymer as a nono-composite dielectric for used in a flexible amorphous Indium-Gallium-Zinc Oxide (a-IGZO) thin-film transistor (TFT) on a polyethylene naphthalate substrate by solution process. The process temperature was well below 100 °C. The a-IGZO TFT exhibit a mobility of 5.13 cm{sup 2}/V s on the flexible substrate. After bending at a radius of 4 mm (strain = 1.56%) for more than 100 times, the performance of this a-IGZO TFT was nearly unchanged. In addition, the electrical characteristics are less altered after positive gate bias stress at 10 V for 1500 s. Thus, this technology is suitable for use in flexible displays.

The advantage of flexible neuronal tunings in neural network models for motor learning

OpenAIRE

Marongelli, Ellisha N.; Thoroughman, Kurt A.

2013-01-01

Human motor adaptation to novel environments is often modeled by a basis function network that transforms desired movement properties into estimated forces. This network employs a layer of nodes that have fixed broad tunings that generalize across the input domain. Learning is achieved by updating the weights of these nodes in response to training experience. This conventional model is unable to account for rapid flexibility observed in human spatial generalization during motor adaptation. Ho...

Associating Polymer Networks Based on Cyclodextrin Inclusion Compounds for Heavy Oil Recovery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xi Li

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This work evaluates an approach to improve the enhanced heavy oil recovery performance of hydrophobic associating polymer. A polymeric system based on water-soluble hydrophobic associating polymer (WSHAP and cyclodextrin (CD polymer was proposed in this work. Addition of CD polymer to WSHAP forms interpolymer bridges by inclusion of CD groups with hydrophobic tails, and thereby the network structure is strengthened. The proposed system offers good viscoelasticity, pronounced shear thinning, and interesting viscosity-temperature relations. Sand pack tests indicated that the proposed system can build high resistance factor during the propagation in porous media, and its moderate adsorption phenomenon was represented by the thickness of the adsorbed layer. The relationship between effective viscosity and oil recovery increment indicated that the proposed system can significantly reduce the residual oil saturation due to the “piston-like” propagation. The overall oil recovery was raised by 5.7 and 24.5% of the original oil in place compared with WSHAP and partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM, respectively.

Time Shared Optical Network (TSON): a novel metro architecture for flexible multi-granular services.

Science.gov (United States)

Zervas, Georgios S; Triay, Joan; Amaya, Norberto; Qin, Yixuan; Cervelló-Pastor, Cristina; Simeonidou, Dimitra

2011-12-12

This paper presents the Time Shared Optical Network (TSON) as metro mesh network architecture for guaranteed, statistically-multiplexed services. TSON proposes a flexible and tunable time-wavelength assignment along with one-way tree-based reservation and node architecture. It delivers guaranteed sub-wavelength and multi-granular network services without wavelength conversion, time-slice interchange and optical buffering. Simulation results demonstrate high network utilization, fast service delivery, and low end-to-end delay on a contention-free sub-wavelength optical transport network. In addition, implementation complexity in terms of Layer 2 aggregation, grooming and optical switching has been evaluated. © 2011 Optical Society of America

Synthesis of Nanometer-Sized Poly (methyl methacrylate) Polymer Network by Gold Nanoparticle Template

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Fu-Ken; Hsieh, Shang-Yu; Ko, Fu-Hsiang; Chu, Tieh-Chi; Dai, Bau-Tong

2003-06-01

Gold nanoparticle/polymer composites have been produced using a one-system polymer synthesis. The linear polymer, poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA, MW = 15,000 g/mol) is applied for the stabilization of gold nanoparticles. The Fourier transfer infrared (FT-IR) analysis data and transition electron microscopy (TEM) image reveal that the core shell structure of gold/PMMA nanocomposite has been synthesized. The ratio of the concentration of the capping polymer material to the concentration of the gold precursor could control the sizes of gold nanoparticles. With specific concentration of the reductant, the core-shell nanostructure could be fluctuated in order. After heating treatment, the network structure of PMMA capped gold nanoparticles could be synthesized as confirmed by the TEM image. The result indicates that PMMA not only acts as the stabilizer, but also as the bridge of the neighboring gold nanoparticles.

Overlay of semi-dried functional layers in offset printing for rapid and high-precision fabrication of flexible TFTs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kusaka, Yasuyuki; Ushijima, Hirobumi; Sugihara, Kazuyoshi; Koutake, Masayoshi

2014-01-01

We achieved a reduction in the misregistration of overlying patterns printed on a flexible plastic film and a drastically shorter processing time with fully printed thin-film transistor (TFT) fabrication. This was achieved using a newly developed wet-on-wet (WoW) printing process wherein a subsequent layer can be printed on a previous semi-dried (not-sintered) layer. In the WoW process, as examined by rheological measurements, a semi-dried (highly solidified) state of ink was attained before transferring by utilizing the solvent uptake of a PDMS blanket in offset printing to ensure the structural integrity of the ink layer, and to reduce the inter-contamination of adjoining layers. Loss-on-drying tests and resistivity measurements indicated that molecular penetration at the boundary of adjoining layers with a length of c.a. 70 nm occurred in the WoW process; however, with thicker electrodes, we successfully fabricated a WoW-processed TFT whose performance was comparable with a TFT formed by a conventional printing process. (paper)

A Triblock Copolymer Design Leads to Robust Hybrid Hydrogels for High-Performance Flexible Supercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Guangzhao; Chen, Yunhua; Deng, Yonghong; Wang, Chaoyang

2017-10-18

We report here an intriguing hybrid conductive hydrogel as electrode for high-performance flexible supercapacitor. The key is using a rationally designed water-soluble ABA triblock copolymer (termed as IAOAI) containing a central poly(ethylene oxide) block (A) and terminal poly(acrylamide) (PAAm) block with aniline moieties randomly incorporated (B), which was synthesized by reversible additional fragment transfer polymerization. The subsequent copolymerization of aniline monomers with the terminated aniline moieties on the IAOAI polymer generates a three-dimensional cross-linking hybrid network. The hybrid hydrogel electrode demonstrates robust mechanical flexibility, remarkable electrochemical capacitance (919 F/g), and cyclic stability (90% capacitance retention after 1000 cycles). Moreover, the flexible supercapacitor based on this hybrid hydrogel electrode presents a large specific capacitance (187 F/g), superior to most reported conductive hydrogel-based supercapacitors. With the demonstrated additional favorable cyclic stability and excellent capacitive and rate performance, this hybrid hydrogel-based supercapacitor holds great promise for flexible energy-storage device.

A constitutive law for degrading bioresorbable polymers.

Science.gov (United States)

Samami, Hassan; Pan, Jingzhe

2016-06-01

This paper presents a constitutive law that predicts the changes in elastic moduli, Poisson's ratio and ultimate tensile strength of bioresorbable polymers due to biodegradation. During biodegradation, long polymer chains are cleaved by hydrolysis reaction. For semi-crystalline polymers, the chain scissions also lead to crystallisation. Treating each scission as a cavity and each new crystal as a solid inclusion, a degrading semi-crystalline polymer can be modelled as a continuum solid containing randomly distributed cavities and crystal inclusions. The effective elastic properties of a degrading polymer are calculated using existing theories for such solid and the tensile strength of the degrading polymer is predicted using scaling relations that were developed for porous materials. The theoretical model for elastic properties and the scaling law for strength form a complete constitutive relation for the degrading polymers. It is shown that the constitutive law can capture the trend of the experimental data in the literature for a range of biodegradable polymers fairly well. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Micropore analysis of polymer networks by gas sorption and 129Xe NMR spectroscopy: toward a better understanding of intrinsic microporosity.

Science.gov (United States)

Weber, Jens; Schmidt, Johannes; Thomas, Arne; Böhlmann, Winfried

2010-10-05

The microporosity of two microporous polymer networks is investigated in detail. Both networks are based on a central spirobifluorene motif but have different linker groups, namely, imide and thiophene units. The microporosity of the networks is based on the "polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIM)" design strategy. Nitrogen, argon, and carbon dioxide were used as sorbates in order to analyze the microporosity in greater detail. The gas sorption data was analyzed with respect to important parameters such as specific surface area, pore volume, and pore size (distribution). It is shown that the results can be strongly model dependent and swelling effects have to be regarded. (129)Xe NMR was used as an independent technique for the estimation of the average pore size of the polymer networks. The results indicate that both networks are mainly ultramicroporous (pore sizes microporous matter might have a different micropore size in the solvent swollen/filled state that in the dry state.

Flexible network reconstruction from relational databases with Cytoscape and CytoSQL.

Science.gov (United States)

Laukens, Kris; Hollunder, Jens; Dang, Thanh Hai; De Jaeger, Geert; Kuiper, Martin; Witters, Erwin; Verschoren, Alain; Van Leemput, Koenraad

2010-07-01

Molecular interaction networks can be efficiently studied using network visualization software such as Cytoscape. The relevant nodes, edges and their attributes can be imported in Cytoscape in various file formats, or directly from external databases through specialized third party plugins. However, molecular data are often stored in relational databases with their own specific structure, for which dedicated plugins do not exist. Therefore, a more generic solution is presented. A new Cytoscape plugin 'CytoSQL' is developed to connect Cytoscape to any relational database. It allows to launch SQL ('Structured Query Language') queries from within Cytoscape, with the option to inject node or edge features of an existing network as SQL arguments, and to convert the retrieved data to Cytoscape network components. Supported by a set of case studies we demonstrate the flexibility and the power of the CytoSQL plugin in converting specific data subsets into meaningful network representations. CytoSQL offers a unified approach to let Cytoscape interact with relational databases. Thanks to the power of the SQL syntax, this tool can rapidly generate and enrich networks according to very complex criteria. The plugin is available at http://www.ptools.ua.ac.be/CytoSQL.

Multi-stimulus-responsive shape-memory polymer nanocomposite network cross-linked by cellulose nanocrystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ye; Li, Ying; Yang, Guang; Zheng, Xiaotong; Zhou, Shaobing

2015-02-25

In this study, we developed a thermoresponsive and water-responsive shape-memory polymer nanocomposite network by chemically cross-linking cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) with polycaprolactone (PCL) and polyethylene glycol (PEG). The nanocomposite network was fully characterized, including the microstructure, cross-link density, water contact angle, water uptake, crystallinity, thermal properties, and static and dynamic mechanical properties. We found that the PEG[60]-PCL[40]-CNC[10] nanocomposite exhibited excellent thermo-induced and water-induced shape-memory effects in water at 37 °C (close to body temperature), and the introduction of CNC clearly improved the mechanical properties of the mixture of both PEG and PCL polymers with low molecular weights. In addition, Alamar blue assays based on osteoblasts indicated that the nanocomposites possessed good cytocompatibility. Therefore, this thermoresponsive and water-responsive shape-memory nanocomposite could be potentially developed into a new smart biomaterial.

Polymer gels and networks

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Osada, Yoshihito; Khokhlov, A. R

2002-01-01

... or magnetic field, etc.). It was realized that not only can polymer gels absorb and hold a considerable volume of liquids, but they can also be forced to expel the absorbed liquid in a controlled manner. Of particular interest are hydrogels, i.e., polymer gels, which swell extensively in water. The most common hydrogels are polyelectrolyte gels: ...

Effect of crosslink torsional stiffness on elastic behavior of semiflexible polymer networks

Science.gov (United States)

Hatami-Marbini, H.

2018-02-01

Networks of semiflexible filaments are building blocks of different biological and structural materials such as cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix. The mechanical response of these systems when subjected to an applied strain at zero temperature is often investigated numerically using networks composed of filaments, which are either rigidly welded or pinned together at their crosslinks. In the latter, filaments during deformation are free to rotate about their crosslinks while the relative angles between filaments remain constant in the former. The behavior of crosslinks in actual semiflexible networks is different than these idealized models and there exists only partial constraint on torques at crosslinks. The present work develops a numerical model in which two intersecting filaments are connected to each other by torsional springs with arbitrary stiffness. We show that fiber networks composed of rigid and freely rotating crosslinks are the limiting case of the present model. Furthermore, we characterize the effects of stiffness of crosslinks on effective Young's modulus of semiflexible networks as a function of filament flexibility and crosslink density. The effective Young's modulus is determined as a function of the mechanical properties of crosslinks and is found to vanish for networks composed of very weak torsional springs. Independent of the stiffness of crosslinks, it is found that the effective Young's modulus is a function of fiber flexibility and crosslink density. In low density networks, filaments primarily bend and the effective Young's modulus is much lower than the affine estimate. With increasing filament bending stiffness and/or crosslink density, the mechanical behavior of the networks becomes more affine and the stretching of filaments depicts itself as the dominant mode of deformation. The torsional stiffness of the crosslinks significantly affects the effective Young's modulus of the semiflexible random fiber networks.

Electric double-layer capacitors with tea waste derived activated carbon electrodes and plastic crystal based flexible gel polymer electrolytes

Science.gov (United States)

Suleman, M.; Deraman, M.; Othman, M. A. R.; Omar, R.; Hashim, M. A.; Basri, N. H.; Nor, N. S. M.; Dolah, B. N. M.; Hanappi, M. F. Y. M.; Hamdan, E.; Sazali, N. E. S.; Tajuddin, N. S. M.; Jasni, M. R. M.

2016-08-01

We report a novel configuration of symmetrical electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) comprising a plastic crystalline succinonitrile (SN) based flexible polymer gel electrolyte, incorporated with sodium trifluoromethane sulfonate (NaTf) immobilised in a host polymer poly (vinylidine fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVdF-HFP). The cost-effective activated carbon powder possessing a specific surface area (SSA) of ~ 1700 m2g-1 containing a large proportion of meso-porosity has been derived from tea waste to use as supercapacitor electrodes. The high ionic conductivity (~3.6×10-3 S cm-1 at room temperature) and good electrochemical stability render the gel polymer electrolyte film a suitable candidate for the fabrication of EDLCs. The performance of the EDLCs has been tested by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and galvanostatic charge-discharge studies. The performance of the EDLC cell is found to be promising in terms of high values of specific capacitance (~270 F g-1), specific energy (~ 36 Wh kg-1), and power density (~ 33 kW kg-1).

Electric double-layer capacitors with tea waste derived activated carbon electrodes and plastic crystal based flexible gel polymer electrolytes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suleman, M; Deraman, M; Othman, M A R; Omar, R; Basri, N H; Nor, N S M; Dolah, B N M; Hanappi, M F Y M; Hamdan, E; Sazali, N E S; Tajuddin, N S M; Jasni, M R M; Hashim, M A

2016-01-01

We report a novel configuration of symmetrical electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) comprising a plastic crystalline succinonitrile (SN) based flexible polymer gel electrolyte, incorporated with sodium trifluoromethane sulfonate (NaTf) immobilised in a host polymer poly (vinylidine fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVdF-HFP). The cost-effective activated carbon powder possessing a specific surface area (SSA) of ∼ 1700 m 2 g -1 containing a large proportion of meso-porosity has been derived from tea waste to use as supercapacitor electrodes. The high ionic conductivity (∼3.6×10 -3 S cm -1 at room temperature) and good electrochemical stability render the gel polymer electrolyte film a suitable candidate for the fabrication of EDLCs. The performance of the EDLCs has been tested by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and galvanostatic charge-discharge studies. The performance of the EDLC cell is found to be promising in terms of high values of specific capacitance (∼270 F g -1 ), specific energy (∼ 36 Wh kg -1 ), and power density (∼ 33 kW kg -1 ). (paper)

Study on the value of flexibility in the management and design basis of distribution networks in France. Summary - Version dated 7 December 2015

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-01-01

The French electricity distribution networks (medium and low voltage) are subject to a range of changes, such as the increase of the connections of renewable energy sources (RES) and the natural growth of peak consumption, which lead to constraints (voltage and current) on the infrastructure, and which require investment in reinforcements in the various components of the network: HV/MV transformers, MV feeders and MV/LV transformers. At the same time, the development of decentralised sources of flexibility such as load curtailment (distributed or industrial), stimulated by national mechanisms, and the reduced cost of some technologies such as electricity storage offer new solutions to Distribution System Operators (DSOs) and may, in some cases, provide local alternatives to network reinforcement. In this study, flexibility is defined as a temporary increase or decrease in the energy exchanged with the network, managed in real time (manually or automatically), based on the needs of the DSO and according to the local situation. The study of flexibility in distribution networks is a new and complex exercise: the limited number of cases implemented internationally (apart from demonstrators) reflects this. This complexity stems mainly from the diversity and number of situations encountered. Thus, in the French distribution network, there are approximately 2200 primary substations (defined as substations at the interface between HV and MV networks), 20,000 MV feeders and 700,000 MV/LV substations. The purpose of this work is to analyse fifteen 'case studies', in order to illustrate the potential value of flexibility for distribution networks and the underlying economic rationale. To do this, these studies are aimed initially at characterising the potential income of flexibility (i.e. the value of delaying investment in reinforcement that it allows), and subsequently, at estimating the costs of flexibility required to capture this income. The &apos

Design of polymer networks by variation of precursor structure and crosslinking regime

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Dušek, Karel; Dušková, Miroslava; Huybrecht, J.

2003-01-01

Roč. 44, č. 1 (2003), s. 62-63 ISSN 0032-3934. [ACS National Meeting "Crosslinking Materials and Processes"/254./. New Orleans, 23.03.2003-27.03.2003] R&D Projects: GA AV ČR KSK4050111 Keywords : polymer networks * designed precursor * crosslinking Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry

Contact mechanics in glassy polymers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Breemen, van L.C.A.

2009-01-01

Polymers, primarily semi-crystalline, are widely used in applications where low friction is required; examples are cups in artificial hip joints, bearings and gears. Until now there is no clear indication why some polymers display low friction and others don’t. In this thesis a systematic

Fluid and flexible minds: Intelligence reflects synchrony in the brain’s intrinsic network architecture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael A. Ferguson

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Human intelligence has been conceptualized as a complex system of dissociable cognitive processes, yet studies investigating the neural basis of intelligence have typically emphasized the contributions of discrete brain regions or, more recently, of specific networks of functionally connected regions. Here we take a broader, systems perspective in order to investigate whether intelligence is an emergent property of synchrony within the brain’s intrinsic network architecture. Using a large sample of resting-state fMRI and cognitive data (n = 830, we report that the synchrony of functional interactions within and across distributed brain networks reliably predicts fluid and flexible intellectual functioning. By adopting a whole-brain, systems-level approach, we were able to reliably predict individual differences in human intelligence by characterizing features of the brain’s intrinsic network architecture. These findings hold promise for the eventual development of neural markers to predict changes in intellectual function that are associated with neurodevelopment, normal aging, and brain disease. In our study, we aimed to understand how individual differences in intellectual functioning are reflected in the intrinsic network architecture of the human brain. We applied statistical methods, known as spectral decompositions, in order to identify individual differences in the synchronous patterns of spontaneous brain activity that reliably predict core aspects of human intelligence. The synchrony of brain activity at rest across multiple discrete neural networks demonstrated positive relationships with fluid intelligence. In contrast, global synchrony within the brain’s network architecture reliably, and inversely, predicted mental flexibility, a core facet of intellectual functioning. The multinetwork systems approach described here represents a methodological and conceptual extension of earlier efforts that related differences in

Synthesis, Crystal Structure and Luminescent Property of A Novel Cd(II) Coordination Polymer with Bis-imidazole Ligand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Yong Hong

2013-01-01

The key to the successful design of metal-organic coordination polymers is the judicious selection of organic ligand. Recently, polydentate aromatic nitrogen heterocyclic ligands with five-membered rings have been well-studied in the construction of supramolecular structure for their N-coordinated sites apt to coordinating to transition metals. Similar to six-membered N-heterocyclic ligands, the azole-based five-membered N-heterocyclic ligands, such as imidazoles, triazoles and tetrazoles have been extensively employed in the construction of various coordination polymers with diverse topologies and interesting properties. The bis(azole) ligands in which N-donor azole rings (imidazole, triazole, or tetrazole) are separated by alkyl, (CH 2 ) n , spacers are good choices for flexible bridging ligands. The conformational flexibility of the spacers makes the ligands adaptable to various coordination networks with one-, two-, and three dimensional structures

Electrophysiological evidence for spatiotemporal flexibility in the ventrolateral attention network.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jelena Ristic

Full Text Available Successful completion of many everyday tasks depends on interactions between voluntary attention, which acts to maintain current goals, and reflexive attention, which enables responding to unexpected events by interrupting the current focus of attention. Past studies, which have mostly examined each attentional mechanism in isolation, indicate that volitional and reflexive orienting depend on two functionally specialized cortical networks in the human brain. Here we investigated how the interplay between these two cortical networks affects sensory processing and the resulting overt behavior. By combining measurements of human performance and electrocortical recordings with a novel analytical technique for estimating spatiotemporal activity in the human cortex, we found that the subregions that comprise the reflexive ventrolateral attention network dissociate both spatially and temporally as a function of the nature of the sensory information and current task demands. Moreover, we found that together with the magnitude of the early sensory gain, the spatiotemporal neural dynamics accounted for the high amount of the variance in the behavioral data. Collectively these data support the conclusion that the ventrolateral attention network is recruited flexibly to support complex behaviors.

Polymer-assisted metal deposition (PAMD): a full-solution strategy for flexible, stretchable, compressible, and wearable metal conductors.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, You; Yan, Casey; Zheng, Zijian

2014-08-20

Metal interconnects, contacts, and electrodes are indispensable elements for most applications of flexible, stretchable, and wearable electronics. Current fabrication methods for these metal conductors are mainly based on conventional microfabrication procedures that have been migrated from Si semiconductor industries, which face significant challenges for organic-based compliant substrates. This Research News highlights a recently developed full-solution processing strategy, polymer-assisted metal deposition (PAMD), which is particularly suitable for the roll-to-roll, low-cost fabrication of high-performance compliant metal conductors (Cu, Ni, Ag, and Au) on a wide variety of organic substrates including plastics, elastomers, papers, and textiles. This paper presents i) the principles of PAMD, and how to use it for making ii) flexible, stretchable, and wearable conductive metal electrodes, iii) patterned metal interconnects, and d) 3D stretchable and compressible metal sponges. A critical perspective on this emerging strategy is also provided. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Processing of thermoplastic polymers using reactive solvents

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meijer, H.E.H.; Venderbosch, R.W.; Goossens, J.G.P.; Lemstra, P.J.

1996-01-01

The use of reactive solvents offers an interesting and flexible route to extent the processing characteristics of thermoplastic polymers beyond their existing limits. This holds for both intractable and tractable polymers. The first mainly applies for amorphous high-Tg polymers where processing may

Predictive networks: a flexible, open source, web application for integration and analysis of human gene networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Haibe-Kains, Benjamin; Olsen, Catharina; Djebbari, Amira; Bontempi, Gianluca; Correll, Mick; Bouton, Christopher; Quackenbush, John

2012-01-01

Genomics provided us with an unprecedented quantity of data on the genes that are activated or repressed in a wide range of phenotypes. We have increasingly come to recognize that defining the networks and pathways underlying these phenotypes requires both the integration of multiple data types and the development of advanced computational methods to infer relationships between the genes and to estimate the predictive power of the networks through which they interact. To address these issues we have developed Predictive Networks (PN), a flexible, open-source, web-based application and data services framework that enables the integration, navigation, visualization and analysis of gene interaction networks. The primary goal of PN is to allow biomedical researchers to evaluate experimentally derived gene lists in the context of large-scale gene interaction networks. The PN analytical pipeline involves two key steps. The first is the collection of a comprehensive set of known gene interactions derived from a variety of publicly available sources. The second is to use these 'known' interactions together with gene expression data to infer robust gene networks. The PN web application is accessible from http://predictivenetworks.org. The PN code base is freely available at https://sourceforge.net/projects/predictivenets/.

WOOD HEMICELLULOSE/CHITOSAN-BASED SEMI-INTERPENETRATING NETWORK HYDROGELS: MECHANICAL, SWELLING AND CONTROLLED DRUG RELEASE PROPERTIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muzaffer Ahmet Karaaslan

2010-04-01

Full Text Available The cell wall of most plant biomass from forest and agricultural resources consists of three major polymers, cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Of these, hemicelluloses have gained increasing attention as sustainable raw materials. In this study, novel pH-sensitive semi-IPN hydrogels based on hemicelluloses and chitosan were prepared using glutaraldehyde as the crosslinking agent. The hemicellulose isolated from aspen was analyzed for sugar content by HPLC, and its molecular weight distribution was determined by high performance size exclusion chromatography. Results revealed that hemicellulose had a broad molecular weight distribution with a fair amount of polymeric units, together with xylose, arabinose, and glucose. The effects of hemicellulose content on mechanical properties and swelling behavior of hydrogels were investigated. The semi-IPNs hydrogel structure was confirmed by FT-IR, X-ray study, and the ninhydrin assay method. X-ray analysis showed that higher hemicellulose contents yielded higher crystallinity. Mechanical properties were mainly dependent on the crosslink density and average molecular weight between crosslinks. Swelling ratios increased with increasing hemicellulose content and were high at low pH values due to repulsion between similarly charged groups. In vitro release study of a model drug showed that these semi-IPN hydrogels could be used for controlled drug delivery into gastric fluid.

Predicting The Type Of Pregnancy Using Flexible Discriminate Analysis And Artificial Neural Networks: A Comparison Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hooman, A.; Mohammadzadeh, M.

2008-01-01

Some medical and epidemiological surveys have been designed to predict a nominal response variable with several levels. With regard to the type of pregnancy there are four possible states: wanted, unwanted by wife, unwanted by husband and unwanted by couple. In this paper, we have predicted the type of pregnancy, as well as the factors influencing it using three different models and comparing them. Regarding the type of pregnancy with several levels, we developed a multinomial logistic regression, a neural network and a flexible discrimination based on the data and compared their results using tow statistical indices: Surface under curve (ROC) and kappa coefficient. Based on these tow indices, flexible discrimination proved to be a better fit for prediction on data in comparison to other methods. When the relations among variables are complex, one can use flexible discrimination instead of multinomial logistic regression and neural network to predict the nominal response variables with several levels in order to gain more accurate predictions

Polymer and Water Dynamics in Poly(vinyl alcohol/Poly(methacrylate Networks. A Molecular Dynamics Simulation and Incoherent Neutron Scattering Investigation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ester Chiessi

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Chemically cross-linked polymer networks of poly(vinyl alcohol/poly(methacrylate form monolitic hydrogels and microgels suitable for biomedical applications, such as in situ tissue replacement and drug delivery. In this work, molecular dynamics (MD simulation and incoherent neutron scattering methods are used to study the local polymer dynamics and the polymer induced modification of water properties in poly(vinyl alcohol/poly(methacrylate hydrogels. This information is particularly relevant when the diffusion of metabolites and drugs is a requirement for the polymer microgel functionality. MD simulations of an atomic detailed model of the junction domain at the experimental hydration degree were carried out at 283, 293 and 313 K. The polymer-water interaction, the polymer connectivity and the water dynamics were investigated as a function of temperature. Simulation results are compared with findings of elastic and quasi-elastic incoherent neutron scattering measurements, experimental approaches which sample the same space-time window of MD simulations. This combined analysis shows a supercooled water component and an increase of hydrophilicity and mobility with temperature of these amphiphilic polymer networks.

Sulfur and Nitrogen co-doped graphene quantum dot decorated ZnO nanorod/polymer hybrid flexible device for photosensing applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hmar, Jehova Jire L.; Majumder, Tanmoy; Dhar, Saurab; Mondal, Suvra Prakash, E-mail: suvraphy@gmail.com

2016-08-01

S and N co-doped graphene quantum dots (S,N-GQDs) have been synthesized by a hydrothermal process. S,N-GQDs are made up of 1–5 monolayer of graphene with average diameter 13.3 nm. The absorption peaks at 336 and 621 nm, are attributed to n → Π{sup ⁎} transitions of electrons in C=O and S=O bonds, respectively. S,N-GQDs are highly luminescent and showed excitation dependent emission behaviors. Hybrid photosensing device has been fabricated with S,N-GQD sensitized ZnO nanorods and a conjugated polymer poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT). S,N-GQD decorated ZnO nanorod demonstrated higher photoresponse compared to pristine ZnO nanorod based device. S,N-GQD/ZnO nanorod hybrid device showed superior incident photon to electron conversion efficiency (IPCE), photoresponsivity and detectivity compared to the control samples. The flexibility study of the samples has been monitored by measuring current-voltage characteristics at different bending angles. - Highlights: • S and N co-doped graphene quantum dots (S,N-GQDs) were synthesized. • ZnO nanorods were grown on ITO coated flexible PET substrates. • S,N-GQDs were attached with ZnO nanorods and used as a green sensitizer. • Photosensing properties of S,N-GQD/ZnO and P3HT polymer hybrid device was studied.

Capacity enhancement and flexible operation of unified power quality conditioner in smart and microgrid network

OpenAIRE

Khadem, Shafiuzzaman Khan; Basu, Malabika; Conlon, Michael F.

2018-01-01

This paper presents a new approach to design Unified Power Quality Conditioner (UPQC), termed as distributed UPQC (D-UPQC), for smart or microgrid network where capacity enhancement and flexible operation of UPQC are the important issues. This paper shows the possibility of capacity enhancement and operational flexibility of UPQC through a coordinated control of existing resources. This UPQC consists of a single unit series active power filter (APFse) and multiple shunt APF (APFsh) units in a...

Flexible, elastic and tear-resistant networks prepared by photo-crosslinking poly(trimethylene carbonate) macromers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schuller-Ravoo, S.; Feijen, J.; Grijpma, D. W.

2012-01-01

Poly(trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC) macromers with molecular weights (M-n) between 1000 and 41,000 g mol(-1) were prepared by ring opening polymerization and subsequent functionalization with methacrylate end groups. Flexible networks were obtained by radical photo-crosslinking reactions of these

Flexible CIGS solar cells on large area polymer foils with in-line deposition methods and application of alternative back contacts - Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tiwari, A. N.

2009-08-15

This illustrated report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) summarises the work performed within this project and also reports on synergies with other projects that helped to make a significant contribution to the development of CIGS thin film solar cells on flexible substrates such as polymer foils. The project's aims were to learn more about up-scaling issues and to demonstrate the abilities required for the processing of layers on large area polyimide foils for flexible CIGS solar cells. Custom-built evaporators that were designed and constructed in-house are described. A CIGS system for in-line deposition was also modified for roll-to-roll deposition and alternative electrical back contacts to conventional ones were evaluated on flexible polyimide foils. The objectives of the project and the results obtained are looked at and commented on in detail.

Chemical and phase structure of poly cyanurate-polyurethane grafted semi interpenetrating polymer networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fainleib, A.M.; Gomza, Yu.P.; Privalko, V.P.; Bershtein, V.A.; Carini, G.

2001-01-01

In this research the phase morphology and properties of dicyanate ester of bisphenol A (DCEBA) based poly cyanurate network (PCN) modified with linear polyurethane (LPU) were successfully studied by the combination of infra-red spectroscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), differential scanning calorimetry and laser-interferometric creep rate spectroscopy

Effect of waste polymer addition on the rheology of modified bitumen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

M. Garcia-Morales; P. Partal; F.J. Navarro; C. Gallegos [Universidad de Huelva, Huelva (Spain). Departamento de Ingenieria Quimica, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales

2006-05-15

This paper deals with the modification of petroleum bitumen with four different types of waste polymers. EVA, EVA/LDPE blend, crumb tire rubber and ABS, all of them coming from recycling plants of waste plastic materials, were used as modifying agents of the bitumen employed in the pavement building. Optical microscopy, modulated calorimetry and a set of different rheological tests were developed in order to characterise the modified bitumens. The results obtained reveal that tire rubber as well as its blends with other polymers can be considered as an interesting modifier of the bitumen in a wide range of temperatures. As an elastomer, it endows the pavement a higher flexibility, which makes it more resistant to the traffic loading. The blend composed of EVA and LDPE displays quite promising results at high in-service temperatures, due to the development of a polymer network throughout the modified bitumen. Furthermore, the calorimetry tests carried out demonstrate different degrees of compatibility between the bitumen and the polymers used. 45 refs., 8 figs., 3 tabs.

Synthesis and characterization of hybrid carbon nanotube/polymer for use in the active layer of organic solar cells'

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ferreira, Luiza De Lazari; Calado, Hallen Daniel Rezende, E-mail: luizadl@yahoo.com.br [Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil)

2016-07-01

Full text: Nowadays, the fast development of portable and flexible devices such as smart phones, smart watches and adhesive sensors, has stimulated research into alternative energy generators for the operation of these devices. Organic solar cells (OPVs) are seen as a promising technology in this scenario because their properties such as low weight, semi-transparency, low cost and flexibility. Intrinsically conducting polymers (CPs) are studied as active layer in OPVs because their good electrical and optical properties. The carbon nanotube - CNT in the polymer matrix leads to the formation of interconnected nano networks influencing the crystalline CP behavior and reducing the resistance in the charge transfer. This increases the transport of electrons and minimizes recombination by p-p and p-CH{sub 2} interaction with CPs, enhancing its properties and improving the efficiency of OPVs optoelectronics. To preparing the hybrid for this work in 3 stages it was used a homemade multi-walled CNT. Initially, the CNT's were functionalized with amine 1,3-diaminopropane - DAP (CNT-DAP) and then with an amine monomer from p-aminobenzoic acid - ABA. In a subsequent step, the hybrid (CNT-DAP-ABA-P3HT) was obtained by polymerizing using FeCl{sub 3} 3- hexylthiophene (3HT) in the presence of NTC-DAP-ABA, which led to obtaining the PC directly connected to CNT. The resulting hybrid was characterized by FTIR, Raman, XPS, thermal analysis, SEM, optical absorption and fluorescence. FTIR spectra showed bands associated with functional groups present in the functionalization steps. Raman results showed the increase of the ratio ID/IG caused by greater disorder by inserting the new groups to the CNT. The electrochemical profile was studied by cyclic voltammetry at different scan rates, generating curves with almost reversible profile. The analyzes showed that the CNT were functionalized covalently and have potential for application in active layer of OPVs. (author)

Artificial Neural Network Model to Estimate the Viscosity of Polymer Solutions for Enhanced Oil Recovery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pan-Sang Kang

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Polymer flooding is now considered a technically- and commercially-proven method for enhanced oil recovery (EOR. The viscosity of the injected polymer solution is the key property for successful polymer flooding. Given that the viscosity of a polymer solution has a non-linear relationship with various influential parameters (molecular weight, degree of hydrolysis, polymer concentration, cation concentration of polymer solution, shear rate, temperature and that measurement of viscosity based on these parameters is a time-consuming process, the range of solution samples and the measurement conditions need to be limited and precise. Viscosity estimation of the polymer solution is effective for these purposes. An artificial neural network (ANN was applied to the viscosity estimation of FlopaamTM 3330S, FlopaamTM 3630S and AN-125 solutions, three commonly-used EOR polymers. The viscosities measured and estimated by ANN and the Carreau model using Lee’s correlation, the only method for estimating the viscosity of an EOR polymer solution in unmeasured conditions, were compared. Estimation accuracy was evaluated by the average absolute relative deviation, which has been widely used for accuracy evaluation of the results of ANN models. In all conditions, the accuracy of the ANN model is higher than that of the Carreau model using Lee’s correlation.

Soft hydrogels interpenetrating silicone – a polymer network for drug releasing medical devices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Steffensen, Søren Langer; Merete H., Vestergaard,; Møller, Eva Horn

2016-01-01

such a sophisticated material by forming an interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) material through modification of silicone elastomers with a poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA)-based hydrogel. IPN materials with a PHEMA content in the range of 13%–38% (w/w) were synthesized by using carbon dioxide...

Unleashing Flexibility from Electric Boilers and Heat Pumps in Danish Residential Distribution Network

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sinha, Rakesh; Bak-Jensen, Birgitte; Pillai, Jayakrishnan Radhakrishna

2018-01-01

and thereby improving its techno-economic efficiency. The data used for the evaluation are also from the real household sites in Denmark provided by the district heating utility. Focus is on the low-voltage grid, and that’s very relevant since many doesn’t expect any flexibility from that voltage level. Study...... this model is compared to responses from an average model of the hot water storage tank to evaluate the benefit of the more detailed model. Finally, analysis on consumption patterns of electrical and thermal loads in residential buildings in Northern Jutland, Denmark, are used for analysis of the system...... and use of thermal units as flexible consumer loads in the low voltage (LV) distribution network grid. The models of EB and HP with storage tank are briefly discussed in relation to the actual control and flexibility based on grid condition and status of storage tank temperature or position...

Semi-supervised spectral algorithms for community detection in complex networks based on equivalence of clustering methods

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Xiaoke; Wang, Bingbo; Yu, Liang

2018-01-01

Community detection is fundamental for revealing the structure-functionality relationship in complex networks, which involves two issues-the quantitative function for community as well as algorithms to discover communities. Despite significant research on either of them, few attempt has been made to establish the connection between the two issues. To attack this problem, a generalized quantification function is proposed for community in weighted networks, which provides a framework that unifies several well-known measures. Then, we prove that the trace optimization of the proposed measure is equivalent with the objective functions of algorithms such as nonnegative matrix factorization, kernel K-means as well as spectral clustering. It serves as the theoretical foundation for designing algorithms for community detection. On the second issue, a semi-supervised spectral clustering algorithm is developed by exploring the equivalence relation via combining the nonnegative matrix factorization and spectral clustering. Different from the traditional semi-supervised algorithms, the partial supervision is integrated into the objective of the spectral algorithm. Finally, through extensive experiments on both artificial and real world networks, we demonstrate that the proposed method improves the accuracy of the traditional spectral algorithms in community detection.

Optically transparent semiconducting polymer nanonetwork for flexible and transparent electronics

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Kilho; Park, Byoungwook; Kim, Geunjin; Kim, Chang-Hyun; Park, Sungjun; Kim, Jehan; Jung, Suhyun; Jeong, Soyeong; Kwon, Sooncheol; Kang, Hongkyu; Kim, Junghwan; Yoon, Myung-Han; Lee, Kwanghee

2016-01-01

Simultaneously achieving high optical transparency and excellent charge mobility in semiconducting polymers has presented a challenge for the application of these materials in future “flexible” and “transparent” electronics (FTEs). Here, by blending only a small amount (∼15 wt %) of a diketopyrrolopyrrole-based semiconducting polymer (DPP2T) into an inert polystyrene (PS) matrix, we introduce a polymer blend system that demonstrates both high field-effect transistor (FET) mobility and excellent optical transparency that approaches 100%. We discover that in a PS matrix, DPP2T forms a web-like, continuously connected nanonetwork that spreads throughout the thin film and provides highly efficient 2D charge pathways through extended intrachain conjugation. The remarkable physical properties achieved using our approach enable us to develop prototype high-performance FTE devices, including colorless all-polymer FET arrays and fully transparent FET-integrated polymer light-emitting diodes. PMID:27911774

Towards room-temperature performance for lithium-polymer batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kerr, J.B.; Liu, Gao; Curtiss, L.A.; Redfern, Paul C.

2003-01-01

Recent work on molecular simulations of the mechanisms of lithium ion conductance has pointed towards two types of limiting process. One has involved the commonly cited segmental motion while the other is related to energy barriers in the solvation shell of polymeric ether oxygens around the lithium ions. Calculations of the barriers to lithium ion migration have provided important indicators as to the best design of the polymer. The theoretical work has coincided with and guided some recent developments on polymer synthesis for lithium batteries. Structural change of the polymer solvation shell has been pursued by the introduction of trimethylene oxide (TMO) units into the polymer. The conductivity measurements on polymers containing TMO unit are encouraging. The architecture of the polymer networks has been varied upon which the solvating groups are attached and significant improvements in sub-ambient performance are observed as a result. However, the above-ambient temperature performance appears controlled by an Arrhenius process that is not completely consistent with the theoretical calculations described here and may indicate the operation of a different mechanism. The new polymers possess significantly lower T g values in the presence of lithium salts, which indicates weaker binding of the lithium ions by the polymers. These properties provide considerable improvement in the transport properties close to the electrode surfaces resulting in decreased impedances at the surfaces both at lithium metal and in composite electrodes. The greater flexibility of the solvation groups combined with appropriate architecture not only has applications in lithium metal-polymer batteries but also in lithium ion liquid and gel systems as well as in fuel cell electrodes

A semi-automatic method for extracting thin line structures in images as rooted tree network

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)