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Sample records for surface size dependent

  1. Size- and shape-dependent surface thermodynamic properties of nanocrystals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Qingshan; Xue, Yongqiang; Cui, Zixiang

    2018-05-01

    As the fundamental properties, the surface thermodynamic properties of nanocrystals play a key role in the physical and chemical changes. However, it remains ambiguous about the quantitative influence regularities of size and shape on the surface thermodynamic properties of nanocrystals. Thus by introducing interface variables into the Gibbs energy and combining Young-Laplace equation, relations between the surface thermodynamic properties (surface Gibbs energy, surface enthalpy, surface entropy, surface energy and surface heat capacity), respectively, and size of nanocrystals with different shapes were derived. Theoretical estimations of the orders of the surface thermodynamic properties of nanocrystals agree with available experimental values. Calculated results of the surface thermodynamic properties of Au, Bi and Al nanocrystals suggest that when r > 10 nm, the surface thermodynamic properties linearly vary with the reciprocal of particle size, and when r < 10 nm, the effect of particle size on the surface thermodynamic properties becomes greater and deviates from linear variation. For nanocrystals with identical equivalent diameter, the more the shape deviates from sphere, the larger the surface thermodynamic properties (absolute value) are.

  2. Self-assembled Au nanoparticles on heated Corning glass by dc magnetron sputtering: size-dependent surface plasmon resonance tuning

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grammatikopoulos, S.; Pappas, S. D. [University of Patras, Laboratory of High-Tech Materials, School of Engineering (Greece); Dracopoulos, V. [Hellas-Institute of Chemical Engineering and High Temperature Chemical Processes, (FORTH/ICE-HT), Foundation for Research and Technology (Greece); Poulopoulos, P., E-mail: poulop@upatras.gr [University of Patras, Laboratory of High-Tech Materials, School of Engineering (Greece); Fumagalli, P. [Freie Universitaet Berlin, Institut fuer Experimentalphysik (Germany); Velgakis, M. J.; Politis, C. [University of Patras, Laboratory of High-Tech Materials, School of Engineering (Greece)

    2013-02-15

    We report on the growth of Au nanoparticles on Corning glass by direct current magnetron sputtering and on the optical absorption of the films. The substrate temperature was kept to relatively high temperatures of 100 or 450 Degree-Sign C. This lead to the growth of Au nanoparticles instead of smooth Au films as the surface energy of Au is much larger than the one of glass. The size of the particles depended on the substrate temperature and deposition time and was shown to follow a logarithmic normal distribution function. Both, the surface plasmon resonance position and bandwidth, were found to depend upon the average particle size. The surface plasmon resonance position showed a 75 nm continuous blue shift from 14 nm down to 2.5 nm average particle size. Thus, we have shown how to tune the nanoparticle size and surface plasmon resonance of Au by varying the substrate temperature and deposition time. The experimental results are reproduced reasonably using a method which is based on the size- and wavelength-dependent complex dielectric function of Au within the framework of the Mie theory for the optical properties of metallic nanospheres.

  3. Dimerization of eosin on nanostructured gold surfaces: Size regime dependence of the small metallic particles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghosh, Sujit Kumar; Pal, Anjali; Nath, Sudip; Kundu, Subrata; Panigrahi, Sudipa; Pal, Tarasankar

    2005-08-01

    Gold nanoparticles of variable sizes have been exploited to study their influence on the absorption and emission spectral characteristics of eosin, a fluorescent dye. It has been found that smaller particles of gold stimulate J-aggregation of eosin on the surface of metal particles whereas larger particles cannot induce any kind of aggregation amongst the dye molecules. The size regime dependence of the gold nanoparticles has been attributed to the intercluster interactions induced by the dye molecules for smaller gold nanoparticles and consequently, close packing of the dye molecules around the gold surface engenders intermolecular interactions amongst the dye molecules leading to dimerization.

  4. Orientation dependent size effects in single crystalline anisotropic nanoplates with regard to surface energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Assadi, Abbas; Salehi, Manouchehr; Akhlaghi, Mehdi

    2015-01-01

    In this work, size dependent behavior of single crystalline normal and auxetic anisotropic nanoplates is discussed with consideration of material surface stresses via a generalized model. Bending of pressurized nanoplates and their fundamental resonant frequency are discussed for different crystallographic directions and anisotropy degrees. It is explained that the orientation effects are considerable when the nanoplates' edges are pinned but for clamped nanoplates, the anisotropy effect may be ignored. The size effects are the highest when the simply supported nanoplates are parallel to [110] direction but as the anisotropy gets higher, the size effects are reduced. The orientation effect is also discussed for possibility of self-instability occurrence in nanoplates. The results in simpler cases are compared with previous experiments for nanowires but with a correction factor. There are still some open questions for future studies. - Highlights: • Size effects in single crystalline anisotropic nanoplates are discussed. • A generalized model is established containing some physical assumptions. • Orientation dependent size effects due to material anisotropy are explained. • Bending, instability and frequencies are studied at normal/auxetic domain

  5. Probing size-dependent electrokinetics of hematite aggregates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kedra-Królik, Karolina; Rosso, Kevin M.; Zarzycki, Piotr

    2017-02-01

    Aqueous particle suspensions of many kinds are stabilized by the electrostatic potential developed at their surfaces from reaction with water and ions. An important and less well understood aspect of this stabilization is the dependence of the electrostatic surface potential on particle size. Surface electrostatics are typically probed by measuring particle electrophoretic mobilities and quantified in the electrokinetic potential (f), using commercially available Zeta Potential Analyzers (ZPA). Even though ZPAs provide frequency-spectra (histograms) of electrophoretic mobility and hydrodynamic diameter, typically only the maximal-intensity values are reported, despite the information in the remainder of the spectra. Here we propose a mapping procedure that inter-correlates these histograms to extract additional insight, in this case to probe particle size-dependent electrokinetics. Our method is illustrated for a suspension of prototypical iron (III) oxide (hematite, a-Fe2O3). We found that the electrophoretic mobility and f-potential are a linear function of the aggregate size. By analyzing the distribution of surface site types as a function of aggregate size we show that site coordination increases with increasing aggregate diameter. This observation explains why the acidity of the iron oxide particles decreases with increasing particle size.

  6. Size-Dependent Specific Surface Area of Nanoporous Film Assembled by Core-Shell Iron Nanoclusters

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiji Antony

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Nanoporous films of core-shell iron nanoclusters have improved possibilities for remediation, chemical reactivity rate, and environmentally favorable reaction pathways. Conventional methods often have difficulties to yield stable monodispersed core-shell nanoparticles. We produced core-shell nanoclusters by a cluster source that utilizes combination of Fe target sputtering along with gas aggregations in an inert atmosphere at 7∘C. Sizes of core-shell iron-iron oxide nanoclusters are observed with transmission electron microscopy (TEM. The specific surface areas of the porous films obtained from Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET process are size-dependent and compared with the calculated data.

  7. Size-dependent surface plasmon resonance in silver silica nanocomposites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thomas, Senoy; Nair, Saritha K; Jamal, E Muhammad Abdul; Anantharaman, M R; Al-Harthi, S H; Varma, Manoj Raama

    2008-01-01

    Silver silica nanocomposites were obtained by the sol-gel technique using tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and silver nitrate (AgNO 3 ) as precursors. The silver nitrate concentration was varied for obtaining composites with different nanoparticle sizes. The structural and microstructural properties were determined by x-ray diffractometry (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) studies were done for determining the chemical states of silver in the silica matrix. For the lowest AgNO 3 concentration, monodispersed and spherical Ag crystallites, with an average diameter of 5 nm, were obtained. Grain growth and an increase in size distribution was observed for higher concentrations. The occurrence of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) bands and their evolution in the size range 5-10 nm is studied. For decreasing nanoparticle size, a redshift and broadening of the plasmon-related absorption peak was observed. The observed redshift and broadening of the SPR band was explained using modified Mie scattering theory

  8. Size-dependent thermoelasticity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali R. Hadjesfandiari

    Full Text Available In this paper a consistent theory is developed for size-dependent thermoelasticity in heterogeneous anisotropic solids. This theory shows that the temperature change can create not only thermal strains, but also thermal mean curvatures in the solids. This formulation is based on the consistent size-dependent continuum mechanics in which the couple-stress tensor is skew-symmetric. Here by including scale-dependent measures in the energy and entropy equations, the general expressions for force- and couple-stresses, as well as entropy density, are obtained. Next, for the linear material the constitutive relations and governing coupled size-dependent thermoelasticity equations are developed. For linear material, one can see that the thermal properties are characterized by the classical symmetric thermal expansion tensor and the new size-dependent skew-symmetric thermal flexion tensor. Thus, for the most general anisotropic case, there are nine independent thermoelastic constants. Interestingly, for isotropic and cubic materials the thermal flexion tensor vanishes, which shows there is no thermal mean curvature

  9. Role of surface on the size-dependent mechanical properties of copper nanowire under tensile load: A molecular dynamics simulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Wei-Ting; Hsiao, Chun-I.; Hsu, Wen-Dung

    2014-01-01

    In this study we have used atomistic simulations to investigate the role of surface on the size-dependent mechanical properties of nanowires. In particular, we have performed computational investigation on single crystal face-centered cubic copper nano-wires with diameters ranging from 2 to 20 nm. The wire axis for all the nanowires are considered along the [0 0 1] direction. Characterization of the initial optimized structures revealed clear differences in interatomic spacing, stress, and potential energy in all the nanowires. The mechanical properties with respect to wire diameter are evaluated by applying tension along the [0 0 1] direction until yielding. We have discussed the stress–strain relationships, Young's modulus, and the variation in potential energy from surface to the center of the wire for all the cases. Our results indicate that the mechanical response (including yield strain, Young's modulus, and resilience) is directly related to the proportion of surface to bulk type atoms present in each nanowire. Thus the size-dependent mechanical properties of single crystal copper nanowire within elastic region are attributed to the surface to volume ratio (surface effect). Using the calculated response, we have formulated a mathematical relationship, which predicts the nonlinear correlation between the mechanical properties and the diameter of the wire.

  10. Role of surface on the size-dependent mechanical properties of copper nanowire under tensile load: A molecular dynamics simulation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Wei-Ting [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City 70101 Taiwan (China); Hsiao, Chun-I. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City 70101 Taiwan (China); Promotion Center for Global Materials Research, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City 70101 Taiwan (China); Hsu, Wen-Dung, E-mail: wendung@mail.ncku.edu.tw [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City 70101 Taiwan (China); Research Center for Energy Technology and Strategy, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City 70101 Taiwan (China); Promotion Center for Global Materials Research, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City 70101 Taiwan (China)

    2014-01-15

    In this study we have used atomistic simulations to investigate the role of surface on the size-dependent mechanical properties of nanowires. In particular, we have performed computational investigation on single crystal face-centered cubic copper nano-wires with diameters ranging from 2 to 20 nm. The wire axis for all the nanowires are considered along the [0 0 1] direction. Characterization of the initial optimized structures revealed clear differences in interatomic spacing, stress, and potential energy in all the nanowires. The mechanical properties with respect to wire diameter are evaluated by applying tension along the [0 0 1] direction until yielding. We have discussed the stress–strain relationships, Young's modulus, and the variation in potential energy from surface to the center of the wire for all the cases. Our results indicate that the mechanical response (including yield strain, Young's modulus, and resilience) is directly related to the proportion of surface to bulk type atoms present in each nanowire. Thus the size-dependent mechanical properties of single crystal copper nanowire within elastic region are attributed to the surface to volume ratio (surface effect). Using the calculated response, we have formulated a mathematical relationship, which predicts the nonlinear correlation between the mechanical properties and the diameter of the wire.

  11. Size-dependent mechanical properties of 2D random nanofibre networks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lu, Zixing; Zhu, Man; Liu, Qiang

    2014-01-01

    The mechanical properties of nanofibre networks (NFNs) are size dependent with respect to different fibre diameters. In this paper, a continuum model is developed to reveal the size-dependent mechanical properties of 2D random NFNs. Since such size-dependent behaviours are attributed to different micromechanical mechanisms, the surface effects and the strain gradient (SG) effects are, respectively, introduced into the mechanical analysis of NFNs. Meanwhile, a modified fibre network model is proposed, in which the axial, bending and shearing deformations are incorporated. The closed-form expressions of effective modulus and Poisson's ratio are obtained for NFNs. Different from the results predicted by conventional fibre network model, the present model predicts the size-dependent mechanical properties of NFNs. It is found that both surface effects and SG effects have significant influences on the effective mechanical properties. Moreover, the present results show that the shearing deformation of fibre segment is also crucial to precisely evaluate the effective mechanical properties of NFNs. This work mainly aims to provide an insight into the micromechanical mechanisms of NFNs. Besides, this work is also expected to provide a more accurate theoretical model for 2D fibre networks. (paper)

  12. Role of surface on the size-dependent mechanical properties of copper nano-wire under tensile load: A molecular dynamics simulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Wei-Ting; Hsiao, Chun-I.; Hsu, Wen-Dung

    2014-01-01

    In this study we have used atomistic simulations to investigate the role of surface on the size-dependent mechanical properties of nano-wires. In particular, we have performed computational investigation on single crystal face-centered cubic copper nano-wires with diameters ranging from 2 to 20 nm. The wire axis for all the nano-wires are considered along the [0 0 1] direction. Characterization of the initial optimized structures revealed clear differences in interatomic spacing, stress, and potential energy in all the nano-wires. The mechanical properties with respect to wire diameter are evaluated by applying tension along the [0 0 1] direction until yielding. We have discussed the stress-strain relationships, Young's modulus, and the variation in potential energy from surface to the center of the wire for all the cases. Our results indicate that the mechanical response (including yield strain, Young's modulus, and resilience) is directly related to the proportion of surface to bulk type atoms present in each nano-wire. Thus the size-dependent mechanical properties of single crystal copper nano-wire within elastic region are attributed to the surface to volume ratio (surface effect). Using the calculated response, we have formulated a mathematical relationship, which predicts the nonlinear correlation between the mechanical properties and the diameter of the wire.

  13. Functional-dependent and size-dependent uptake of nanoparticles in PC12

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sakai, N; Matsui, Y; Nakayama, A; Yoneda, M; Tsuda, A

    2011-01-01

    It is suggested that the uptake of nanoparticles is changed by the particle size or the surface modification. In this study, we quantified the uptake of nanoparticles in PC12 cells exposed Quantum Dots with different surface modification or fluorescent polystyrene particles with different particle size. The PC12 cells were exposed three types of the Quantum Dots (carboxyl base-functionalized, amino base-functionalized or non-base-functionalized) or three types of the fluorescent particles (22 nm, 100 nm or 1000 nm) for 3 hours. The uptake of the nanoparticles was quantified with a spectrofluorophotometer. The carboxyl base-functionalized Quantum Dots were considerably taken up by the cells than the non-base-functionalized Quantum Dots. Conversely, the amino base-functionalized Quantum Dots were taken up by the cells less frequently than the non-base-functionalized Quantum Dots. The particle number of the 22 nm-nanoparticles taken up by the cells was about 53 times higher than the 100 nm-particles. However, the particle weight of the 100 nm-particles taken up by the cells was higher than that of the 22 nm-nanoparticles. The 1000 nm-particles were adhered to the cell membrane, but they were little taken up by the cells. We concluded that nanoparticles can be taken up nerve cells in functional-dependent and size-dependent manners.

  14. Size-dependent electronic eigenstates of multilayer organic quantum wells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nguyen Ba An; Hanamura, E.

    1995-09-01

    A detailed theoretical treatment is given eigenfunctions and eigenenergies of a multilayer organic quantum well sandwiched between two different dielectric media. The abrupt change of dielectric constants at the interfaces distorts the wave function and results in possible surface states in addition to propagating states. The proper boundary conditions are accounted for by the method of image charges. Analytic criteria for existence of surface states are established using the nearest layers approximation, which depend not only on the intralayer parameters but also on the number of layers. The size dependence together with the dependence on signs and relative magnitudes of the structure parameters fully determine the energy spectrum of propagating states as well as the number and the location of surface states. (author). 28 refs, 10 figs, 2 tabs

  15. Morphological evolution of dissolving feldspar particles with anisotropic surface kinetics and implications for dissolution rate normalization and grain size dependence: A kinetic modeling study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Li; Lüttge, Andreas

    2009-11-01

    With previous two-dimensional (2D) simulations based on surface-specific feldspar dissolution succeeding in relating the macroscopic feldspar kinetics to the molecular-scale surface reactions of Si and Al atoms ( Zhang and Lüttge, 2008, 2009), we extended our modeling effort to three-dimensional (3D) feldspar particle dissolution simulations. Bearing on the same theoretical basis, the 3D feldspar particle dissolution simulations have verified the anisotropic surface kinetics observed in the 2D surface-specific simulations. The combined effect of saturation state, pH, and temperature on the surface kinetics anisotropy has been subsequently evaluated, found offering diverse options for morphological evolution of dissolving feldspar nanoparticles with varying grain sizes and starting shapes. Among the three primary faces on the simulated feldspar surface, the (1 0 0) face has the biggest dissolution rate across an extensively wide saturation state range and thus acquires a higher percentage of the surface area upon dissolution. The slowest dissolution occurs to either (0 0 1) or (0 1 0) faces depending on the bond energies of Si-(O)-Si ( ΦSi-O-Si/ kT) and Al-(O)-Si ( ΦAl-O-Si/ kT). When the ratio of ΦSi-O-Si/ kT to ΦAl-O-Si/ kT changes from 6:3 to 7:5, the dissolution rates of three primary faces change from the trend of (1 0 0) > (0 1 0) > (0 0 1) to the trend of (1 0 0) > (0 0 1) > (0 1 0). The rate difference between faces becomes more distinct and accordingly edge rounding becomes more significant. Feldspar nanoparticles also experience an increasing degree of edge rounding from far-from-equilibrium to close-to-equilibrium. Furthermore, we assessed the connection between the continuous morphological modification and the variation in the bulk dissolution rate during the dissolution of a single feldspar particle. Different normalization treatments equivalent to the commonly used mass, cube assumption, sphere assumption, geometric surface area, and reactive

  16. Universal relation for size dependent thermodynamic properties of metallic nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiong, Shiyun; Qi, Weihong; Cheng, Yajuan; Huang, Baiyun; Wang, Mingpu; Li, Yejun

    2011-06-14

    The previous model on surface free energy has been extended to calculate size dependent thermodynamic properties (i.e., melting temperature, melting enthalpy, melting entropy, evaporation temperature, Curie temperature, Debye temperature and specific heat capacity) of nanoparticles. According to the quantitative calculation of size effects on the calculated thermodynamic properties, it is found that most thermodynamic properties of nanoparticles vary linearly with 1/D as a first approximation. In other words, the size dependent thermodynamic properties P(n) have the form of P(n) = P(b)(1 -K/D), in which P(b) is the corresponding bulk value and K is the material constant. This may be regarded as a scaling law for most of the size dependent thermodynamic properties for different materials. The present predictions are consistent literature values. This journal is © the Owner Societies 2011

  17. Size-dependent modification of asteroid family Yarkovsky V-shapes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bolin, B. T.; Morbidelli, A.; Walsh, K. J.

    2018-04-01

    Context. The thermal properties of the surfaces of asteroids determine the magnitude of the drift rate cause by the Yarkovsky force. In the general case of Main Belt asteroids, the Yarkovsky force is indirectly proportional to the thermal inertia, Γ. Aim. Following the proposed relationship between Γ and asteroid diameter D, we find that asteroids' Yarkovsky drift rates might have a more complex size dependence than previous thought, leading to a curved family V-shape boundary in semi-major axis, a, vs. 1/D space. This implies that asteroids are drifting faster at larger sizes than previously considered decreasing on average the known ages of asteroid families. Methods: The V-Shape curvature is determined for >25 families located throughout the Main Belt to quantify the Yarkovsky size-dependent drift rate. Results: We find that there is no correlation between family age and V-shape curvature. In addition, the V-shape curvature decreases for asteroid families with larger heliocentric distances suggesting that the relationship between Γ and D is weaker in the outer MB possibly due to homogenous surface roughness among family members.

  18. Size-dependent reactivity of magnetite nanoparticles: a field-laboratory comparison

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swindle, Andrew L.; Elwood Madden, Andrew S.; Cozzarelli, Isabelle M.; Benamara, Mourad

    2014-01-01

    Logistic challenges make direct comparisons between laboratory- and field-based investigations into the size-dependent reactivity of nanomaterials difficult. This investigation sought to compare the size-dependent reactivity of nanoparticles in a field setting to a laboratory analog using the specific example of magnetite dissolution. Synthetic magnetite nanoparticles of three size intervals, ∼6 nm, ∼44 nm, and ∼90 nm were emplaced in the subsurface of the USGS research site at the Norman Landfill for up to 30 days using custom-made subsurface nanoparticle holders. Laboratory analog dissolution experiments were conducted using synthetic groundwater. Reaction products were analyzed via TEM and SEM and compared to initial particle characterizations. Field results indicated that an organic coating developed on the particle surfaces largely inhibiting reactivity. Limited dissolution occurred, with the amount of dissolution decreasing as particle size decreased. Conversely, the laboratory analogs without organics revealed greater dissolution of the smaller particles. These results showed that the presence of dissolved organics led to a nearly complete reversal in the size-dependent reactivity trends displayed between the field and laboratory experiments indicating that size-dependent trends observed in laboratory investigations may not be relevant in organic-rich natural systems.

  19. Frictional behaviour of sandstone: A sample-size dependent triaxial investigation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roshan, Hamid; Masoumi, Hossein; Regenauer-Lieb, Klaus

    2017-01-01

    Frictional behaviour of rocks from the initial stage of loading to final shear displacement along the formed shear plane has been widely investigated in the past. However the effect of sample size on such frictional behaviour has not attracted much attention. This is mainly related to the limitations in rock testing facilities as well as the complex mechanisms involved in sample-size dependent frictional behaviour of rocks. In this study, a suite of advanced triaxial experiments was performed on Gosford sandstone samples at different sizes and confining pressures. The post-peak response of the rock along the formed shear plane has been captured for the analysis with particular interest in sample-size dependency. Several important phenomena have been observed from the results of this study: a) the rate of transition from brittleness to ductility in rock is sample-size dependent where the relatively smaller samples showed faster transition toward ductility at any confining pressure; b) the sample size influences the angle of formed shear band and c) the friction coefficient of the formed shear plane is sample-size dependent where the relatively smaller sample exhibits lower friction coefficient compared to larger samples. We interpret our results in terms of a thermodynamics approach in which the frictional properties for finite deformation are viewed as encompassing a multitude of ephemeral slipping surfaces prior to the formation of the through going fracture. The final fracture itself is seen as a result of the self-organisation of a sufficiently large ensemble of micro-slip surfaces and therefore consistent in terms of the theory of thermodynamics. This assumption vindicates the use of classical rock mechanics experiments to constrain failure of pressure sensitive rocks and the future imaging of these micro-slips opens an exciting path for research in rock failure mechanisms.

  20. First-principles study of size-, surface- and mechanical strain-dependent electronic properties of wurtzite and zinc-blende InSb nanowires

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Yong [School of Mathematics, Physics and Energy Engineering, Hunan Institute of Technology, Hengyang 421002 (China); Xie, Zhong-Xiang, E-mail: xiezxhu@163.com [School of Mathematics, Physics and Energy Engineering, Hunan Institute of Technology, Hengyang 421002 (China); Yu, Xia; Wang, Hai-Bin; Deng, Yuan-Xiang [School of Mathematics, Physics and Energy Engineering, Hunan Institute of Technology, Hengyang 421002 (China); Ning, Feng, E-mail: fning@gxtc.edu.cn [College of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Guangxi Teachers Education University, Nanning 530001 (China)

    2016-08-06

    Using first-principle calculations with density functional theory, we investigated the modification of electronic properties in zinc-blende (ZB) and wurtzite (WZ) InSb nanowires (NWs) grown along the [111] and [0001] directions for different size, different surface coverage and different mechanical strain. The results show that before the surface passivation, ZBNWs and WZNWs exhibit the metallic character and the semiconductor character, respectively. WZNWs show a crossover from a direct to an indirect as diameter decreases. After the surface passivation, both ZBNWs and WZNWs are found to be direct-gap character. The electronic band structure shows a significant response to changes in surface passivation with pseudo hydrogen and halogen. The band structure with mechanical strain is strongly dependent on the crystal orientation and the NW diameter. In ZBNWs, compressive strain induces the indirect band gap character, whereas tensile strain can not form it. WZNWs have various strain dependence in that both compressive and tensile strain make InSb show a direct band gap character. A brief analysis of these results is given. - Highlights: • InSb nanowires with different surfaces can show the different band structures. • Band gap magnitude of InSb nanowires depends on the suppression of surface states. • Different types of mechanical strains show the different effect on the band structure of the InSb nanowires.

  1. Size-dependent magnetic properties of branchlike nickel oxide nanocrystals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dan Liu

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Branchlike nickel oxide nanocrystals with narrow size distribution are obtained by a solution growth method. The size-dependent of magnetic properties of the nickel oxides were investigated. The results of magnetic characterization indicate that the NiO nanocrystals with size below 12.8 nm show very weak ferromagnetic state at room temperature due to the uncompensated spins. Both of the average blocking temperature (Tb and the irreversible temperature (Tirr increase with the increase of nanoparticle sizes, while both the remnant magnetization and the coercivity at 300 K increase with the decrease of the particle sizes. Moreover, the disappearance of two-magnon (2M band and redshift of one-phonon longitudinal (1LO and two-phonon LO in vibrational properties due to size reduction are observed. Compared to the one with the spherical morphological, it is also found that nano-structured nickel oxides with the branchlike morphology have larger remnant magnetization and the coercivity at 5 K due to their larger surface-to-volume ratio and greater degree of broken symmetry at the surface or the higher proportion of broken bonds.

  2. Size dependent magnetism of mass selected deposited transition metal clusters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lau, T.

    2002-05-01

    The size dependent magnetic properties of small iron clusters deposited on ultrathin Ni/Cu(100) films have been studied with circularly polarised synchrotron radiation. For X-ray magnetic circular dichroism studies, the magnetic moments of size selected clusters were aligned perpendicular to the sample surface. Exchange coupling of the clusters to the ultrathin Ni/Cu(100) film determines the orientation of their magnetic moments. All clusters are coupled ferromagnetically to the underlayer. With the use of sum rules, orbital and spin magnetic moments as well as their ratios have been extracted from X-ray magnetic circular dichroism spectra. The ratio of orbital to spin magnetic moments varies considerably as a function of cluster size, reflecting the dependence of magnetic properties on cluster size and geometry. These variations can be explained in terms of a strongly size dependent orbital moment. Both orbital and spin magnetic moments are significantly enhanced in small clusters as compared to bulk iron, although this effect is more pronounced for the spin moment. Magnetic properties of deposited clusters are governed by the interplay of cluster specific properties on the one hand and cluster-substrate interactions on the other hand. Size dependent variations of magnetic moments are modified upon contact with the substrate. (orig.)

  3. Rough surface electrical contact resistance considering scale dependent properties and quantum effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jackson, Robert L.; Crandall, Erika R.; Bozack, Michael J.

    2015-01-01

    The objective of this work is to evaluate the effect of scale dependent mechanical and electrical properties on electrical contact resistance (ECR) between rough surfaces. This work attempts to build on existing ECR models that neglect potentially important quantum- and size-dependent contact and electrical conduction mechanisms present due to the asperity sizes on typical surfaces. The electrical conductance at small scales can quantize or show a stepping trend as the contact area is varied in the range of the free electron Fermi wavelength squared. This work then evaluates if these effects remain important for the interface between rough surfaces, which may include many small scale contacts of varying sizes. The results suggest that these effects may be significant in some cases, while insignificant for others. It depends on the load and the multiscale structure of the surface roughness

  4. SU-F-18C-12: On the Relationship of the Weighted Dose to the Surface Dose In Abdominal CT - Patient Size Dependency

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhou, Y; Scott, A; Allahverdian, J [Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA (United States)

    2014-06-15

    Purpose: It is possible to measure the patient surface dose non-invasively using radiolucent dosimeters. However, the patient size specific weighted dose remains unknown. We attempted to study the weighted dose to surface dose relationship as the patient size varies in abdominal CT. Methods: Seven abdomen phantoms (CIRS TE series) simulating patients from an infant to a large adult were used. Size specific doses were measured with a 100 mm CT chamber under axial scans using a Siemens Sensation 64 (mCT) and a GE 750 HD. The scanner settings were 120 kVp, 200 mAs with fully opened collimations. Additional kVps (80, 100, 140) were added depending on the phantom sizes. The ratios (r) of the weighted CT dose (Dw) to the surface dose (Ds) were related to the phantom size (L) defined as the diameter resulting the equivalent cross-sectional area. Results: The Dw versus Ds ratio (r) was fitted to a linear relationship: r = 1.083 − 0.007L (R square = 0.995), and r = 1.064 − 0.007L (R square = 0.953), for Siemens Sensation 64 and GE 750 HD, respectively. The relationship appears to be independent of the scanner specifics. Conclusion: The surface dose to the weighted dose ratio decreases linearly as the patient size increases. The result is independent of the scanner specifics. The result can be used to obtain in vivo CT dosimetry in abdominal CT.

  5. SU-F-18C-12: On the Relationship of the Weighted Dose to the Surface Dose In Abdominal CT - Patient Size Dependency

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou, Y; Scott, A; Allahverdian, J

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: It is possible to measure the patient surface dose non-invasively using radiolucent dosimeters. However, the patient size specific weighted dose remains unknown. We attempted to study the weighted dose to surface dose relationship as the patient size varies in abdominal CT. Methods: Seven abdomen phantoms (CIRS TE series) simulating patients from an infant to a large adult were used. Size specific doses were measured with a 100 mm CT chamber under axial scans using a Siemens Sensation 64 (mCT) and a GE 750 HD. The scanner settings were 120 kVp, 200 mAs with fully opened collimations. Additional kVps (80, 100, 140) were added depending on the phantom sizes. The ratios (r) of the weighted CT dose (Dw) to the surface dose (Ds) were related to the phantom size (L) defined as the diameter resulting the equivalent cross-sectional area. Results: The Dw versus Ds ratio (r) was fitted to a linear relationship: r = 1.083 − 0.007L (R square = 0.995), and r = 1.064 − 0.007L (R square = 0.953), for Siemens Sensation 64 and GE 750 HD, respectively. The relationship appears to be independent of the scanner specifics. Conclusion: The surface dose to the weighted dose ratio decreases linearly as the patient size increases. The result is independent of the scanner specifics. The result can be used to obtain in vivo CT dosimetry in abdominal CT

  6. Response Surface Methodology's Steepest Ascent and Step Size Revisited

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kleijnen, J.P.C.; den Hertog, D.; Angun, M.E.

    2002-01-01

    Response Surface Methodology (RSM) searches for the input combination maximizing the output of a real system or its simulation.RSM is a heuristic that locally fits first-order polynomials, and estimates the corresponding steepest ascent (SA) paths.However, SA is scale-dependent; and its step size is

  7. Surface dependency in thermodynamics of ideal gases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sisman, Altug

    2004-01-01

    The Casimir-like size effect rises in ideal gases confined in a finite domain due to the wave character of atoms. By considering this effect, thermodynamic properties of an ideal gas confined in spherical and cylindrical geometries are derived and compared with those in rectangular geometry. It is seen that an ideal gas exhibits an unavoidable quantum surface free energy and surface over volume ratio becomes a control variable on thermodynamic state functions in microscale. Thermodynamics turns into non-extensive thermodynamics and geometry difference becomes a driving force since the surface over volume ratio depends on the geometry

  8. Synthesis of Silica Nanoparticles by Sol-Gel: Size-Dependent Properties, Surface Modification, and Applications in Silica-Polymer Nano composites-A Review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ismail, A.R.; Vejayakumaran, P.

    2012-01-01

    Application of silica nanoparticles as fillers in the preparation of nano composite of polymers has drawn much attention, due to the increased demand for new materials with improved thermal, mechanical, physical, and chemical properties. Recent developments in the synthesis of monodispersed, narrow-size distribution of nanoparticles by sol-gel method provide significant boost to development of silica-polymer nano composites. This paper is written by emphasizing on the synthesis of silica nanoparticles, characterization on size-dependent properties, and surface modification for the preparation of homogeneous nano composites, generally by sol-gel technique. The effect of nano silica on the properties of various types of silica-polymer composites is also summarized.

  9. Pore size dependent molecular adsorption of cationic dye in biomass derived hierarchically porous carbon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Long; Ji, Tuo; Mu, Liwen; Shi, Yijun; Wang, Huaiyuan; Zhu, Jiahua

    2017-07-01

    Hierarchically porous carbon adsorbents were successfully fabricated from different biomass resources (softwood, hardwood, bamboo and cotton) by a facile two-step process, i.e. carbonization in nitrogen and thermal oxidation in air. Without involving any toxic/corrosive chemicals, large surface area of up to 890 m 2 /g was achieved, which is comparable to commercial activated carbon. The porous carbons with various surface area and pore size were used as adsorbents to investigate the pore size dependent adsorption phenomenon. Based on the density functional theory, effective (E-SSA) and ineffective surface area (InE-SSA) was calculated considering the geometry of used probing adsorbate. It was demonstrated that the adsorption capacity strongly depends on E-SSA instead of total surface area. Moreover, a regression model was developed to quantify the adsorption capacities contributed from E-SSA and InE-SSA, respectively. The applicability of this model has been verified by satisfactory prediction results on porous carbons prepared in this work as well as commercial activated carbon. Revealing the pore size dependent adsorption behavior in these biomass derived porous carbon adsorbents will help to design more effective materials (either from biomass or other carbon resources) targeting to specific adsorption applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Size effect of the elastic modulus of rectangular nanobeams: Surface elasticity effect

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yao Hai-Yan; Fan Wen-Liang; Yun Guo-Hong

    2013-01-01

    The size-dependent elastic property of rectangular nanobeams (nanowires or nanoplates) induced by the surface elasticity effect is investigated by using a developed modified core-shell model. The effect of surface elasticity on the elastic modulus of nanobeams can be characterized by two surface related parameters, i.e., inhomogeneous degree constant and surface layer thickness. The analytical results show that the elastic modulus of the rectangular nanobeam exhibits a distinct size effect when its characteristic size reduces below 100 nm. It is also found that the theoretical results calculated by a modified core-shell model have more obvious advantages than those by other models (core-shell model and core-surface model) by comparing them with relevant experimental measurements and computational results, especially when the dimensions of nanostructures reduce to a few tens of nanometers. (condensed matter: structural, mechanical, and thermal properties)

  11. Grain size dependence of wear in ceramics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, C.C.; Rice, R.W.; Johnson, D.; Platt, B.A.

    1985-01-01

    Pin-On-Disk (POD), microwear tests of Al 2 O 3 , MgO, MgAl 2 O 4 , and ZrO 2 , most being dense and essentially single phase, showed the reciprocal of wear following a hall-petch type relationship. However, extrapolation to infinite grain size always gave a lower intercept than most or all single-crystal values; in particular, Al 2 O 3 data projects to a negative intercept. Initial macro wear tests of some of the same Al 2 O 3 materials also indicate a hall-petch type grain-size dependence, but with a greatly reduced grain-size dependence, giving a positive hall-petch intercept. Further, the macrowear grain-size dependence appears to decrease with increased wear. It is argued that thermal expansion anisotropy (of Al 2 O 3 ) significantly affects the grain size dependence of POD wear, in particular, giving a negative intercept, while elastic anisotropy is suggested as a factor in the grain-size dependence of the cubic (MgO, MgAl 2 O 4 , and ZrO 2 ) materials. The reduced grain-size dependence in the macrowear tests is attributed to overlapping wear tracks reducing the effects of enhanced wear damage, e.g., from elastic and thermal expansion anisotropies

  12. Size and temperature dependent stability and phase transformation in single-crystal zirconium nanowire

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sutrakar, Vijay Kumar; Roy Mahapatra, D.

    2011-01-01

    A novel size dependent FCC (face-centered-cubic) → HCP (hexagonally-closed-pack) phase transformation and stability of an initial FCC zirconium nanowire are studied. FCC zirconium nanowires with cross-sectional dimensions 20 Å, in which surface stresses are not enough to drive the phase transformation, show meta-stability. In such a case, an external kinetic energy in the form of thermal heating is required to overcome the energy barrier and achieve FCC → HCP phase transformation. The FCC-HCP transition pathway is also studied using Nudged Elastic Band (NEB) method, to further confirm the size dependent stability/metastability of Zr nanowires. We also show size dependent critical temperature, which is required for complete phase transformation of a metastable-FCC nanowire.

  13. Surface bond contraction and its effect on the nanometric sized lead zirconate titanate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haitao Huang; Sun, Chang Q.; Hing, Peter

    2000-01-01

    The grain size effect of lead zirconate titanate PbZr 1-x Ti x O 3 (PZT, x≥0.6) caused by surface bond contraction has been investigated by using the Landau-Ginsburg-Devonshire (LGD) phenomenological theory. It has been shown that, due to the surface bond contraction, both the Curie temperature and the spontaneous polarization of tetragonal PZT decrease with decreasing grain size. These effects become more significant when the grain size is in the nanometre range. A dielectric anomaly appears with decreasing grain size, which corresponds to a size dependent phase transformation. The ferroelectric critical size below which a loss of ferroelectricity will happen is estimated from the results obtained. (author). Letter-to-the-editor

  14. Measuring agglomerate size distribution and dependence of localized surface plasmon resonance absorbance on gold nanoparticle agglomerate size using analytical ultracentrifugation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zook, Justin M; Rastogi, Vinayak; Maccuspie, Robert I; Keene, Athena M; Fagan, Jeffrey

    2011-10-25

    Agglomeration of nanoparticles during measurements in relevant biological and environmental media is a frequent problem in nanomaterial property characterization. The primary problem is typically that any changes to the size distribution can dramatically affect the potential nanotoxicity or other size-determined properties, such as the absorbance signal in a biosensor measurement. Herein we demonstrate analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) as a powerful method for measuring two critical characteristics of nanoparticle (NP) agglomerates in situ in biological media: the NP agglomerate size distribution, and the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) absorbance spectrum of precise sizes of gold NP agglomerates. To characterize the size distribution, we present a theoretical framework for calculating the hydrodynamic diameter distribution of NP agglomerates from their sedimentation coefficient distribution. We measure sedimentation rates for monomers, dimers, and trimers, as well as for larger agglomerates with up to 600 NPs. The AUC size distributions were found generally to be broader than the size distributions estimated from dynamic light scattering and diffusion-limited colloidal aggregation theory, an alternative bulk measurement method that relies on several assumptions. In addition, the measured sedimentation coefficients can be used in nanotoxicity studies to predict how quickly the agglomerates sediment out of solution under normal gravitational forces, such as in the environment. We also calculate the absorbance spectra for monomer, dimer, trimer, and larger gold NP agglomerates up to 600 NPs, to enable a better understanding of LSPR biosensors. Finally, we validate a new method that uses these spectra to deconvolute the net absorbance spectrum of an unknown bulk sample and approximate the proportions of monomers, dimers, and trimers in a polydisperse sample of small agglomerates, so that every sample does not need to be measured by AUC. These results

  15. Measuring the specific surface area of natural and manmade glasses: effects of formation process, morphology, and particle size

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Papelis, Charalambos; Um, Wooyong; Russel, Charles E.; Chapman, Jenny B.

    2003-01-01

    The specific surface area of natural and manmade solid materials is a key parameter controlling important interfacial processes in natural environments and engineered systems, including dissolution reactions and sorption processes at solid-fluid interfaces. To improve our ability to quantify the release of trace elements trapped in natural glasses, the release of hazardous compounds trapped in manmade glasses, or the release of radionuclides from nuclear melt glass, we measured the specific surface area of natural and manmade glasses as a function of particle size, morphology, and composition. Volcanic ash, volcanic tuff, tektites, obsidian glass, and in situ vitrified rock were analyzed. Specific surface area estimates were obtained using krypton as gas adsorbent and the BET model. The range of surface areas measured exceeded three orders of magnitude. A tektite sample had the highest surface area (1.65 m2/g), while one of the samples of in situ vitrified rock had the lowest surf ace area (0.0016 m2/g). The specific surface area of the samples was a function of particle size, decreasing with increasing particle size. Different types of materials, however, showed variable dependence on particle size, and could be assigned to one of three distinct groups: (1) samples with low surface area dependence on particle size and surface areas approximately two orders of magnitude higher than the surface area of smooth spheres of equivalent size. The specific surface area of these materials was attributed mostly to internal porosity and surface roughness. (2) samples that showed a trend of decreasing surface area dependence on particle size as the particle size increased. The minimum specific surface area of these materials was between 0.1 and 0.01 m2/g and was also attributed to internal porosity and surface roughness. (3) samples whose surface area showed a monotonic decrease with increasing particle size, never reaching an ultimate surface area limit within the particle

  16. Size-dependent abnormal thermo-enhanced luminescence of ytterbium-doped nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Xiangshui; Cheng, Yao; Lin, Hang; Huang, Feng; Wu, Qingping; Wang, Yuansheng

    2017-09-21

    Thermal quenching above 300 K is widely expected in photoluminescence. Luminescence quenching is usually ascribed to the non-radiative relaxation of excited electrons to the ground state of the activators, during which a high temperature always plays a role in pushing the excited electrons towards the quenching channels, leading to thermal quenching. For the lanthanide-doped nanoparticles, however, there is a special luminescence quenching channel that does not exist in their bulk counterparts, i.e., energy migration-induced surface quenching. Herein, a size-dependent abnormal thermal enhancement of luminescence in the temperature range of 300 K to 423 K in the ytterbium-doped fluoride nanoparticles is presented for the first time. Importantly, in this work, we originally demonstrate that the energy migration-induced surface quenching can be suppressed by increasing temperature, which results in the abnormal thermal enhancement of luminescence. According to the temperature-dependent X-ray diffraction and lifetime analyses, an underlying mechanism based on the effect of thermal lattice expansion on ytterbium-mediated energy migration is proposed. This new finding adds new insights to the size effect on the luminescent characteristics of nanoparticles, which could be utilized to construct some unique nanostructures, especially for many important temperature-related purposes, such as thermal sensing technology.

  17. Size and shape dependent deprotonation potential and proton affinity of nanodiamond

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barnard, Amanda S; Per, Manolo C

    2014-01-01

    Many important reactions in biology and medicine involve proton abstraction and transfer, and it is integral to applications such as drug delivery. Unlike electrons, which are quantum mechanically delocalized, protons are instantaneously localized on specific residues in these reactions, which can be a distinct advantage. However, the introduction of nanoparticles, such as non-toxic nanodiamonds, to this field complicates matters, as the number of possible sites increases as the inverse radius of the particle. In this paper we present >10 4 simulations that map the size- and shape-dependence of the deprotonation potential and proton affinity of nanodiamonds in the range 1.8–2.7 nm in average diameter. We find that while the average deprotonation potential and proton affinities decrease with size, the site-specific values are inhomogeneous over the surface of the particles, exhibiting strong shape-dependence. The proton affinity is strongly facet-dependent, whereas the deprotonation potential is edge/corner-dependent, which creates a type of spatial hysteresis in the transfer of protons to and from the nanodiamond, and provides new opportunities for selective functionalization. (paper)

  18. Size and shape dependent deprotonation potential and proton affinity of nanodiamond

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnard, Amanda S.; Per, Manolo C.

    2014-11-01

    Many important reactions in biology and medicine involve proton abstraction and transfer, and it is integral to applications such as drug delivery. Unlike electrons, which are quantum mechanically delocalized, protons are instantaneously localized on specific residues in these reactions, which can be a distinct advantage. However, the introduction of nanoparticles, such as non-toxic nanodiamonds, to this field complicates matters, as the number of possible sites increases as the inverse radius of the particle. In this paper we present \\gt {{10}4} simulations that map the size- and shape-dependence of the deprotonation potential and proton affinity of nanodiamonds in the range 1.8-2.7 nm in average diameter. We find that while the average deprotonation potential and proton affinities decrease with size, the site-specific values are inhomogeneous over the surface of the particles, exhibiting strong shape-dependence. The proton affinity is strongly facet-dependent, whereas the deprotonation potential is edge/corner-dependent, which creates a type of spatial hysteresis in the transfer of protons to and from the nanodiamond, and provides new opportunities for selective functionalization.

  19. Grain size measurements by ultrasonic Rayleigh surface waves

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Palanichamy, P.; Jayakumar, T.

    1996-01-01

    The use of Rayleigh surface waves to determine average grain size nondestructively in an austenitic stainless steel AISI type 316 stainless is discussed. Two commercial type 4MHz frequency surface wave transducers, one as transmitter and the other as receiver were employed for the measurement of surface wave amplitudes. Relative amplitudes of the Rayleigh surface waves were correlated with the metallographically obtained grain sizes. Results indicate that surface/sub-surface average grain sizes of AISI type 316 austenitic stainless steel can be estimated with a confidence level of more than 80% in the grain size range 30-170 μm. (author)

  20. Size-Dependent Affinity of Glycine and Its Short Oligomers to Pyrite Surface: A Model for Prebiotic Accumulation of Amino Acid Oligomers on a Mineral Surface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Afrin, Rehana; Ganbaatar, Narangerel; Aono, Masashi; Cleaves, H. James; Yano, Taka-aki; Hara, Masahiko

    2018-01-01

    The interaction strength of progressively longer oligomers of glycine, (Gly), di-Gly, tri-Gly, and penta-Gly, with a natural pyrite surface was directly measured using the force mode of an atomic force microscope (AFM). In recent years, selective activation of abiotically formed amino acids on mineral surfaces, especially that of pyrite, has been proposed as an important step in many origins of life scenarios. To investigate such notions, we used AFM-based force measurements to probe possible non-covalent interactions between pyrite and amino acids, starting from the simplest amino acid, Gly. Although Gly itself interacted with the pyrite surface only weakly, progressively larger unbinding forces and binding frequencies were obtained using oligomers from di-Gly to penta-Gly. In addition to an expected increase of the configurational entropy and size-dependent van der Waals force, the increasing number of polar peptide bonds, among others, may be responsible for this observation. The effect of chain length was also investigated by performing similar experiments using l-lysine vs. poly-l-lysine (PLL), and l-glutamic acid vs. poly-l-glutamic acid. The results suggest that longer oligomers/polymers of amino acids can be preferentially adsorbed on pyrite surfaces. PMID:29370126

  1. Particle size dependence of biogenic secondary organic aerosol molecular composition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tu, Peijun; Johnston, Murray V.

    2017-06-01

    Formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) is initiated by the oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the gas phase whose products subsequently partition to the particle phase. Non-volatile molecules have a negligible evaporation rate and grow particles at their condensation rate. Semi-volatile molecules have a significant evaporation rate and grow particles at a much slower rate than their condensation rate. Particle phase chemistry may enhance particle growth if it transforms partitioned semi-volatile molecules into non-volatile products. In principle, changes in molecular composition as a function of particle size allow non-volatile molecules that have condensed from the gas phase (a surface-limited process) to be distinguished from those produced by particle phase reaction (a volume-limited process). In this work, SOA was produced by β-pinene ozonolysis in a flow tube reactor. Aerosol exiting the reactor was size-selected with a differential mobility analyzer, and individual particle sizes between 35 and 110 nm in diameter were characterized by on- and offline mass spectrometry. Both the average oxygen-to-carbon (O / C) ratio and carbon oxidation state (OSc) were found to decrease with increasing particle size, while the relative signal intensity of oligomers increased with increasing particle size. These results are consistent with oligomer formation primarily in the particle phase (accretion reactions, which become more favored as the volume-to-surface-area ratio of the particle increases). Analysis of a series of polydisperse SOA samples showed similar dependencies: as the mass loading increased (and average volume-to-surface-area ratio increased), the average O / C ratio and OSc decreased, while the relative intensity of oligomer ions increased. The results illustrate the potential impact that particle phase chemistry can have on biogenic SOA formation and the particle size range where this chemistry becomes important.

  2. Particle size dependence of biogenic secondary organic aerosol molecular composition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Tu

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA is initiated by the oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs in the gas phase whose products subsequently partition to the particle phase. Non-volatile molecules have a negligible evaporation rate and grow particles at their condensation rate. Semi-volatile molecules have a significant evaporation rate and grow particles at a much slower rate than their condensation rate. Particle phase chemistry may enhance particle growth if it transforms partitioned semi-volatile molecules into non-volatile products. In principle, changes in molecular composition as a function of particle size allow non-volatile molecules that have condensed from the gas phase (a surface-limited process to be distinguished from those produced by particle phase reaction (a volume-limited process. In this work, SOA was produced by β-pinene ozonolysis in a flow tube reactor. Aerosol exiting the reactor was size-selected with a differential mobility analyzer, and individual particle sizes between 35 and 110 nm in diameter were characterized by on- and offline mass spectrometry. Both the average oxygen-to-carbon (O ∕ C ratio and carbon oxidation state (OSc were found to decrease with increasing particle size, while the relative signal intensity of oligomers increased with increasing particle size. These results are consistent with oligomer formation primarily in the particle phase (accretion reactions, which become more favored as the volume-to-surface-area ratio of the particle increases. Analysis of a series of polydisperse SOA samples showed similar dependencies: as the mass loading increased (and average volume-to-surface-area ratio increased, the average O ∕ C ratio and OSc decreased, while the relative intensity of oligomer ions increased. The results illustrate the potential impact that particle phase chemistry can have on biogenic SOA formation and the particle size range where this chemistry becomes

  3. How Can Polarization States of Reflected Light from Snow Surfaces Inform Us on Surface Normals and Ultimately Snow Grain Size Measurements?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schneider, A. M.; Flanner, M.; Yang, P.; Yi, B.; Huang, X.; Feldman, D.

    2016-12-01

    The Snow Grain Size and Pollution (SGSP) algorithm is a method applied to Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer data to estimate snow grain size from space-borne measurements. Previous studies validate and quantify potential sources of error in this method, but because it assumes flat snow surfaces, however, large scale variations in surface normals can cause biases in its estimates due to its dependence on solar and observation zenith angles. To address these variations, we apply the Monte Carlo method for photon transport using data containing the single scattering properties of different ice crystals to calculate polarization states of reflected monochromatic light at 1500nm from modeled snow surfaces. We evaluate the dependence of these polarization states on solar and observation geometry at 1500nm because multiple scattering is generally a mechanism for depolarization and the ice crystals are relatively absorptive at this wavelength. Using 1500nm thus results in a higher number of reflected photons undergoing fewer scattering events, increasing the likelihood of reflected light having higher degrees of polarization. In evaluating the validity of the model, we find agreement with previous studies pertaining to near-infrared spectral directional hemispherical reflectance (i.e. black-sky albedo) and similarities in measured bidirectional reflectance factors, but few studies exist modeling polarization states of reflected light from snow surfaces. Here, we present novel results pertaining to calculated polarization states and compare dependences on solar and observation geometry for different idealized snow surfaces. If these dependencies are consistent across different ice particle shapes and sizes, then these findings could inform the SGSP algorithm by providing useful relationships between measurable physical quantities and solar and observation geometry to better understand variations in snow surface normals from remote sensing observations.

  4. Size dependence of adsorption kinetics of nano-MgO: a theoretical and experimental study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Shuting; Wen, Yanzhen; Cui, Zixiang; Xue, Yongqiang

    2016-01-01

    Nanoparticles present tremendous differences in adsorption kinetics compared with corresponding bulk particles which have great influences on the applications of nanoparticles. A size-dependent adsorption kinetic theory was proposed, the relations between adsorption kinetic parameters, respectively, and particle size of nano-adsorbent were derived theoretically, and the influence mechanism of particle size on the adsorption kinetic parameters was discussed. In experiment, nanoscale magnesium oxide (nano-MgO) with different diameters between 11.5 and 41.4 nm with narrow size distribution and low agglomeration were prepared, and the kinetic parameters of adsorption of benzene on nano-MgO in aqueous solution were obtained. Then the influence regularities of the particle size on the adsorption kinetic parameters were obtained. The experimental results are consistent with the nano-adsorption kinetic theory. With particle size decreasing, the adsorption rate constant increases; the adsorption activation energy and the adsorption pre-exponential factor decrease. Furthermore, the logarithm of adsorption rate constant, the adsorption activation energy, and the logarithm of adsorption pre-exponential factor are linearly related to the reciprocal of particle diameter, respectively. The mechanism of particle size influence on the kinetic parameters is that the activation energy is influenced by the molar surface enthalpy of nano-adsorbent, the pre-exponential factor by the molar surface entropy, and the rate constant by both the molar surface enthalpy and the molar surface entropy

  5. Anisotropic surface strain in single crystalline cobalt nanowires and its impact on the diameter-dependent Young's modulus

    KAUST Repository

    Huang, Xiaohu; Li, Guanghai; Kong, Lingbing; Huang, Yizhong; Wu, Tao

    2013-01-01

    Understanding and measuring the size-dependent surface strain of nanowires are essential to their applications in various emerging devices. Here, we report on the diameter-dependent surface strain and Young's modulus of single-crystalline Co

  6. Generation of nanobubbles by ceramic membrane filters: The dependence of bubble size and zeta potential on surface coating, pore size and injected gas pressure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmed, Ahmed Khaled Abdella; Sun, Cuizhen; Hua, Likun; Zhang, Zhibin; Zhang, Yanhao; Zhang, Wen; Marhaba, Taha

    2018-07-01

    Generation of gaseous nanobubbles (NBs) by simple, efficient, and scalable methods is critical for industrialization and applications of nanobubbles. Traditional generation methods mainly rely on hydrodynamic, acoustic, particle, and optical cavitation. These generation processes render issues such as high energy consumption, non-flexibility, and complexity. This research investigated the use of tubular ceramic nanofiltration membranes to generate NBs in water with air, nitrogen and oxygen gases. This system injects pressurized gases through a tubular ceramic membrane with nanopores to create NBs. The effects of membrane pores size, surface energy, and the injected gas pressures on the bubble size and zeta potential were examined. The results show that the gas injection pressure had considerable effects on the bubble size, zeta potential, pH, and dissolved oxygen of the produced NBs. For example, increasing the injection air pressure from 69 kPa to 414 kPa, the air bubble size was reduced from 600 to 340 nm respectively. Membrane pores size and surface energy also had significant effects on sizes and zeta potentials of NBs. The results presented here aim to fill out the gaps of fundamental knowledge about NBs and development of efficient generation methods. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Modified Continuum Mechanics Modeling on Size-Dependent Properties of Piezoelectric Nanomaterials: A Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhi Yan

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Piezoelectric nanomaterials (PNs are attractive for applications including sensing, actuating, energy harvesting, among others in nano-electro-mechanical-systems (NEMS because of their excellent electromechanical coupling, mechanical and physical properties. However, the properties of PNs do not coincide with their bulk counterparts and depend on the particular size. A large amount of efforts have been devoted to studying the size-dependent properties of PNs by using experimental characterization, atomistic simulation and continuum mechanics modeling with the consideration of the scale features of the nanomaterials. This paper reviews the recent progresses and achievements in the research on the continuum mechanics modeling of the size-dependent mechanical and physical properties of PNs. We start from the fundamentals of the modified continuum mechanics models for PNs, including the theories of surface piezoelectricity, flexoelectricity and non-local piezoelectricity, with the introduction of the modified piezoelectric beam and plate models particularly for nanostructured piezoelectric materials with certain configurations. Then, we give a review on the investigation of the size-dependent properties of PNs by using the modified continuum mechanics models, such as the electromechanical coupling, bending, vibration, buckling, wave propagation and dynamic characteristics. Finally, analytical modeling and analysis of nanoscale actuators and energy harvesters based on piezoelectric nanostructures are presented.

  8. Modified Continuum Mechanics Modeling on Size-Dependent Properties of Piezoelectric Nanomaterials: A Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Zhi; Jiang, Liying

    2017-01-26

    Piezoelectric nanomaterials (PNs) are attractive for applications including sensing, actuating, energy harvesting, among others in nano-electro-mechanical-systems (NEMS) because of their excellent electromechanical coupling, mechanical and physical properties. However, the properties of PNs do not coincide with their bulk counterparts and depend on the particular size. A large amount of efforts have been devoted to studying the size-dependent properties of PNs by using experimental characterization, atomistic simulation and continuum mechanics modeling with the consideration of the scale features of the nanomaterials. This paper reviews the recent progresses and achievements in the research on the continuum mechanics modeling of the size-dependent mechanical and physical properties of PNs. We start from the fundamentals of the modified continuum mechanics models for PNs, including the theories of surface piezoelectricity, flexoelectricity and non-local piezoelectricity, with the introduction of the modified piezoelectric beam and plate models particularly for nanostructured piezoelectric materials with certain configurations. Then, we give a review on the investigation of the size-dependent properties of PNs by using the modified continuum mechanics models, such as the electromechanical coupling, bending, vibration, buckling, wave propagation and dynamic characteristics. Finally, analytical modeling and analysis of nanoscale actuators and energy harvesters based on piezoelectric nanostructures are presented.

  9. Renal Epithelial Cell Injury Induced by Calcium Oxalate Monohydrate Depends on their Structural Features: Size, Surface, and Crystalline Structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Xin-Yuan; Ouyang, Jian-Ming; Gan, Qiong-Zhi; Liu, Ai-Jie

    2016-11-01

    Urinary crystals in normal and kidney stone patients often differ in crystal sizes and surface structures, but the effects of different crystal properties on renal tubular epithelial cells remain unclear. This study aimed to compare the cytotoxicity of micron/nano-calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) crystals with sizes of 50 nm, 200 nm, 1 μm, 3 μm, and 10 μm to African green monkey renal epithelial (Vero) cells, to reveal the effect of crystal size and surface structure on cell injury, and to investigate the pathological mechanism of calcium oxalate kidney stones. Cell viability, cellular biochemical parameters, and internalized crystal amount in Vero cells were closely associated with the size of COM crystals. At the same concentration (200 μg/mL), COM-1 μm induced the most serious injury to Vero cells and caused the most significant change to cellular biochemical parameters, which were related to the specific porous structure and highest internalized amount in Vero cells. By contrast, COM-50 nm and COM-200 nm crystals lost their small size effect because of serious aggregation and weakened their toxicity to cells. COM-3 μm and COM-10 μm crystals were too large for cells to completely internalize; these crystals also exhibited a low specific surface area and thus weakened their toxicity. The excessive expression of intracellular ROS and reduction of the free-radical scavenger SOD were the main reasons for cell injury and eventually caused necrotic cell death. Crystal size, surface structure, aggregation, and internalization amount were closely related to the cytotoxicity of COM crystals.

  10. Nonlinear dynamics of contact interaction of a size-dependent plate supported by a size-dependent beam

    Science.gov (United States)

    Awrejcewicz, J.; Krysko, V. A.; Yakovleva, T. V.; Pavlov, S. P.; Krysko, V. A.

    2018-05-01

    A mathematical model of complex vibrations exhibited by contact dynamics of size-dependent beam-plate constructions was derived by taking the account of constraints between these structural members. The governing equations were yielded by variational principles based on the moment theory of elasticity. The centre of the investigated plate was supported by a beam. The plate and the beam satisfied the Kirchhoff/Euler-Bernoulli hypotheses. The derived partial differential equations (PDEs) were reduced to the Cauchy problems by the Faedo-Galerkin method in higher approximations, whereas the Cauchy problem was solved using a few Runge-Kutta methods. Reliability of results was validated by comparing the solutions obtained by qualitatively different methods. Complex vibrations were investigated with the help of methods of nonlinear dynamics such as vibration signals, phase portraits, Fourier power spectra, wavelet analysis, and estimation of the largest Lyapunov exponents based on the Rosenstein, Kantz, and Wolf methods. The effect of size-dependent parameters of the beam and plate on their contact interaction was investigated. It was detected and illustrated that the first contact between the size-dependent structural members implies chaotic vibrations. In addition, problems of chaotic synchronization between a nanoplate and a nanobeam were addressed.

  11. Rutile TiO₂ particles exert size and surface coating dependent retention and lesions on the murine brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Lili; Bai, Ru; Li, Bai; Ge, Cuicui; Du, Jiangfeng; Liu, Ying; Le Guyader, Laurent; Zhao, Yuliang; Wu, Yanchuan; He, Shida; Ma, Yongmei; Chen, Chunying

    2011-11-10

    The rising commercial use and large-scale production of engineered nanoparticles (NPs) may lead to unintended exposure to humans. The central nervous system (CNS) is a potential susceptible target of the inhaled NPs, but so far the amount of studies on this aspect is limited. Here, we focus on the potential neurological lesion in the brain induced by the intranasally instilled titanium dioxide (TiO₂) particles in rutile phase and of various sizes and surface coatings. Female mice were intranasally instilled with four different types of TiO₂ particles (i.e. two types of hydrophobic particles in micro- and nano-sized without coating and two types of water-soluble hydrophilic nano-sized particles with silica surface coating) every other day for 30 days. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) were used to determine the titanium contents in the sub-brain regions. Then, the pathological examination of brain tissues and measurements of the monoamine neurotransmitter levels in the sub-brain regions were performed. We found significant up-regulation of Ti contents in the cerebral cortex and striatum after intranasal instillation of hydrophilic TiO₂ NPs. Moreover, TiO₂ NPs exposure, in particular the hydrophilic NPs, caused obvious morphological changes of neurons in the cerebral cortex and significant disturbance of the monoamine neurotransmitter levels in the sub-brain regions studied. Thus, our results indicate that the surface modification of the NPs plays an important role on their effects on the brain. In addition, the difference in neurotoxicity of the two types of hydrophilic NPs may be induced by the shape differences of the materials. The present results suggest that physicochemical properties like size, shape and surface modification of the nanomaterials should be considered when evaluating their neurological effects. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Size-dependent production of radicals in catalyzed reduction of Eosin Y using gold nanorods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weng, Guojun; Qi, Ying; Li, Jianjun; Zhao, Junwu

    2015-09-01

    Gold nanostructures have been widely used as catalysts for chemical processes, energy conversion, and pollution control. The size of gold nanocatalysts is thus paramount for their catalytic activity. In this paper, gold nanorods with different sizes were prepared by means of the improved seeding growth approach by adding aromatic additive. The sizes and aspect ratios of the obtained gold nanorods were calculated according to the TEM characterization. Then, we studied the catalytic activities of gold nanorods using a model reaction based on the reduction of Eosin Y by NaBH4. By monitoring the absorption intensities of the radicals induced by gold nanorods in real time, we observed the clear size-dependent activity in the conversion of EY2- to EY3-. The conversion efficiency indicated that the gold nanorods with the smallest size were catalytically the most active probably due to their high number of coordinatively unsaturated surface atoms. In addition, a compensation effect dominated by the surface area of nanorods was observed in this catalytic reduction, which could be primarily attributed to the configuration of Eosin Y absorbed onto the surfaces of gold nanorods.

  13. Size-dependent production of radicals in catalyzed reduction of Eosin Y using gold nanorods

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weng, Guojun; Qi, Ying; Li, Jianjun; Zhao, Junwu, E-mail: nanoptzhao@163.com [Xi’an Jiaotong University, The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology (China)

    2015-09-15

    Gold nanostructures have been widely used as catalysts for chemical processes, energy conversion, and pollution control. The size of gold nanocatalysts is thus paramount for their catalytic activity. In this paper, gold nanorods with different sizes were prepared by means of the improved seeding growth approach by adding aromatic additive. The sizes and aspect ratios of the obtained gold nanorods were calculated according to the TEM characterization. Then, we studied the catalytic activities of gold nanorods using a model reaction based on the reduction of Eosin Y by NaBH{sub 4}. By monitoring the absorption intensities of the radicals induced by gold nanorods in real time, we observed the clear size-dependent activity in the conversion of EY{sup 2−} to EY{sup 3−}. The conversion efficiency indicated that the gold nanorods with the smallest size were catalytically the most active probably due to their high number of coordinatively unsaturated surface atoms. In addition, a compensation effect dominated by the surface area of nanorods was observed in this catalytic reduction, which could be primarily attributed to the configuration of Eosin Y absorbed onto the surfaces of gold nanorods.

  14. Size-dependent production of radicals in catalyzed reduction of Eosin Y using gold nanorods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weng, Guojun; Qi, Ying; Li, Jianjun; Zhao, Junwu

    2015-01-01

    Gold nanostructures have been widely used as catalysts for chemical processes, energy conversion, and pollution control. The size of gold nanocatalysts is thus paramount for their catalytic activity. In this paper, gold nanorods with different sizes were prepared by means of the improved seeding growth approach by adding aromatic additive. The sizes and aspect ratios of the obtained gold nanorods were calculated according to the TEM characterization. Then, we studied the catalytic activities of gold nanorods using a model reaction based on the reduction of Eosin Y by NaBH 4 . By monitoring the absorption intensities of the radicals induced by gold nanorods in real time, we observed the clear size-dependent activity in the conversion of EY 2− to EY 3− . The conversion efficiency indicated that the gold nanorods with the smallest size were catalytically the most active probably due to their high number of coordinatively unsaturated surface atoms. In addition, a compensation effect dominated by the surface area of nanorods was observed in this catalytic reduction, which could be primarily attributed to the configuration of Eosin Y absorbed onto the surfaces of gold nanorods

  15. Surface energy effect on free vibration of nano-sized piezoelectric double-shell structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fang, Xue-Qian; Zhu, Chang-Song; Liu, Jin-Xi; Liu, Xiang-Lin

    2018-01-01

    Combining Goldenveizer-Novozhilov shell theory, thin plate theory and electro-elastic surface theory, the size-dependent vibration of nano-sized piezoelectric double-shell structures under simply supported boundary condition is presented, and the surface energy effect on the natural frequencies is discussed. The displacement components of the cylindrical nano-shells and annular nano-plates are expanded as the superposition of standard Fourier series based on Hamilton's principle. The total stresses with consideration of surface energy effect are derived, and the total energy function is obtained by using Rayleigh-Ritz energy method. The free vibration equation is solved, and the natural frequency is analyzed. In numerical examples, it is found that the surface elastic constant, piezoelectric constant and surface residual stress show different effects on the natural frequencies. The effect of surface piezoelectric constant is the maximum. The effect of dimensions of the double-shell under different surface material properties is also examined.

  16. Temperature dependence of coercivity behavior in iron films on silicone oil surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu Xiaojun; Ye Quanlin; Ye Gaoxiang

    2007-01-01

    A new iron film system, deposited on silicone oil surfaces by vapor phase deposition method, has been fabricated and its microstructure as well as magnetic properties has been studied. It is found that the temperature dependence of the coercive field H c (T) of the films exhibits a peak around a critical temperature T crit =10-15 K: for the temperature T crit ,H c (T) increases with the temperature; if T>T crit , however, it decreases rapidly and then approaches a steady value as T further increases. Our study shows that, for T>T crit , the observed coercivity behavior is mainly dominated by the effect of the non-uniform single-domain particle size distribution, and for T crit , the anomalous coercivity behavior may be resulted from the surface anisotropy, the surface effect and the characteristic internal stress distribution in the films. The influence of the shape and size of the particles on the thermal dependence of the magnetization is also investigated

  17. Size and temperature dependence of the tensile mechanical properties of zinc blende CdSe nanowires

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fu, Bing; Chen, Na; Xie, Yiqun; Ye, Xiang; Gu, Xiao

    2013-01-01

    The effect of size and temperature on the tensile mechanical properties of zinc blende CdSe nanowires is investigated by all atoms molecular dynamic simulation. We found the ultimate tensile strength and Young's modulus will decrease as the temperature and size of the nanowire increase. The size and temperature dependence are mainly attributed to surface effect and thermally elongation effect. High reversibility of tensile behavior will make zinc blende CdSe nanowires suitable for building efficient nanodevices.

  18. The energetics and structure of nickel clusters: Size dependence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cleveland, C.L.; Landman, U.

    1991-01-01

    The energetics of nickel clusters over a broad size range are explored within the context of the many-body potentials obtained via the embedded atom method. Unconstrained local minimum energy configurations are found for single crystal clusters consisting of various truncations of the cube or octahedron, with and without (110) faces, as well as some monotwinnings of these. We also examine multitwinned structures such as icosahedra and various truncations of the decahedron, such as those of Ino and Marks. These clusters range in size from 142 to over 5000 atoms. As in most such previous studies, such as those on Lennard-Jones systems, we find that icosahedral clusters are favored for the smallest cluster sizes and that Marks' decahedra are favored for intermediate sizes (all our atomic systems larger than about 2300 atoms). Of course very large clusters will be single crystal face-centered-cubic (fcc) polyhedra: the onset of optimally stable single-crystal nickel clusters is estimated to occur at 17 000 atoms. We find, via comparisons to results obtained via atomistic calculations, that simple macroscopic expressions using accurate surface, strain, and twinning energies can usefully predict energy differences between different structures even for clusters of much smaller size than expected. These expressions can be used to assess the relative energetic merits of various structural motifs and their dependence on cluster size

  19. Temperature dependence of nuclear surface properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Campi, X.; Stringari, S.

    1982-01-01

    Thermal properties of nuclear surface are investigated in a semi-infinite medium. Explicit analytical expression are given for the temperature dependence of surface thickness, surface energy and surface free energy. In this model the temperature effects depend critically on the nuclear incompressibility and on the shape of the effective mass at the surface. To illustrate the relevance of these effects we made an estimate of the temperature dependence of the fission barrier height. (orig.)

  20. Measurements of the size dependence of the concentration of nonvolatile material in fog droplets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ogren, J. A.; Noone, K. J.; Hallberg, A.; Heintzenberg, J.; Schell, D.; Berner, A.; Solly, I.; Kruisz, C.; Reischl, G.; Arends, B. G.; Wobrock, W.

    1992-11-01

    Measurements of the size dependence of the mass concentration of nonvolatile material dissolved and suspended in fog droplets were obtained with three complementary approaches, covering a size range from c. 1 50µm diameter: a counterflow virtual impactor, an eight-stage aerosol impactor, and a two-stage fogwater impactor. Concentrations were observed to decrease with size over the entire range, contrary to expectations of increasing concentrations at larger sizes. It is possible that the larger droplets had solute concentrations that increased with increasing size, but that the increase was too weak for the measurements to resolve. Future studies should consider the hypothesis that the droplets were coated with a surface-active substance that hindered their uptake of water.

  1. Size dependence of 13C nuclear spin-lattice relaxation in micro- and nanodiamonds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panich, A. M.; Sergeev, N. A.; Shames, A. I.; Osipov, V. Yu; Boudou, J.-P.; Goren, S. D.

    2015-02-01

    Size dependence of physical properties of nanodiamond particles is of crucial importance for various applications in which defect density and location as well as relaxation processes play a significant role. In this work, the impact of defects induced by milling of micron-sized synthetic diamonds was studied by magnetic resonance techniques as a function of the particle size. EPR and 13C NMR studies of highly purified commercial synthetic micro- and nanodiamonds were done for various fractions separated by sizes. Noticeable acceleration of 13C nuclear spin-lattice relaxation with decreasing particle size was found. We showed that this effect is caused by the contribution to relaxation coming from the surface paramagnetic centers induced by sample milling. The developed theory of the spin-lattice relaxation for such a case shows good compliance with the experiment.

  2. Dependence of the specific surface area of the nuclear fuel with the matrix oxidation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gomez, F.; Quinones, J.; Iglesias, E.; Rodriguez, N.

    2008-01-01

    This paper is focused on the study of the changes in the specific surface area measured using BET techniques. The objective is to obtain a relation between this parameter and the change in the matrix stoichiometry (i.e., oxidation increase). None of the actual models used for extrapolating the behaviour of the spent fuel matrix under repository conditions have included this dependence yet. In this work the specific surface area of different uranium oxide were measured using N 2 (g) and Kr(g). The starting material was UO 2+x (s) with a size powder distribution lower than 20 μm. The results included in this paper shown a strong dependence on specific surface area with the matrix stoichiometry, i.e., and increase of more than one order of magnitude (SUO 2 = 6 m 2 *g -1 and SU 3 O 8 = 16.07 m 2 *g -1 ). Furthermore, the particle size distribution measured as a function of the thermal treatment done shows changes on the powder size related to the changes observed in the uranium oxide stoichiometry. (authors)

  3. A review of the findings and theories on surface size effects on visual attention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peschel, Anne O; Orquin, Jacob L

    2013-12-09

    That surface size has an impact on attention has been well-known in advertising research for almost a century; however, theoretical accounts of this effect have been sparse. To address this issue, we review studies on surface size effects on eye movements in this paper. While most studies find that large objects are more likely to be fixated, receive more fixations, and are fixated faster than small objects, a comprehensive explanation of this effect is still lacking. To bridge the theoretical gap, we relate the findings from this review to three theories of surface size effects suggested in the literature: a linear model based on the assumption of random fixations (Lohse, 1997), a theory of surface size as visual saliency (Pieters etal., 2007), and a theory based on competition for attention (CA; Janiszewski, 1998). We furthermore suggest a fourth model - demand for attention - which we derive from the theory of CA by revising the underlying model assumptions. In order to test the models against each other, we reanalyze data from an eye tracking study investigating surface size and saliency effects on attention. The reanalysis revealed little support for the first three theories while the demand for attention model showed a much better alignment with the data. We conclude that surface size effects may best be explained as an increase in object signal strength which depends on object size, number of objects in the visual scene, and object distance to the center of the scene. Our findings suggest that advertisers should take into account how objects in the visual scene interact in order to optimize attention to, for instance, brands and logos.

  4. Anisotropic surface strain in single crystalline cobalt nanowires and its impact on the diameter-dependent Young's modulus

    KAUST Repository

    Huang, Xiaohu

    2013-01-01

    Understanding and measuring the size-dependent surface strain of nanowires are essential to their applications in various emerging devices. Here, we report on the diameter-dependent surface strain and Young\\'s modulus of single-crystalline Co nanowires investigated by in situ X-ray diffraction measurements. Diameter-dependent initial longitudinal elongation of the nanowires is observed and ascribed to the anisotropic surface stress due to the Poisson effect, which serves as the basis for mechanical measurements. As the nanowire diameter decreases, a transition from the "smaller is softer" regime to the "smaller is tougher" regime is observed in the Young\\'s modulus of the nanowires, which is attributed to the competition between the elongation softening and the surface stiffening effects. Our work demonstrates a new nondestructive method capable of measuring the initial surface strain and estimating the Young\\'s modulus of single crystalline nanowires, and provides new insights on the size effect. © 2013 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

  5. Influence of solvent polarization and non-uniform ion size on electrostatic properties between charged surfaces in an electrolyte solution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sin, Jun-Sik

    2017-12-01

    In this paper, we study electrostatic properties between two similar or oppositely charged surfaces immersed in an electrolyte solution by using the mean-field approach accounting for solvent polarization and non-uniform size effects. Applying a free energy formalism accounting for unequal ion sizes and orientational ordering of water dipoles, we derive coupled and self-consistent equations to calculate electrostatic properties between charged surfaces. Electrostatic properties for similarly charged surfaces depend on the counterion size but not on the coion size. Moreover, electrostatic potential and osmotic pressure between similarly charged surfaces are found to be increased with increasing counterion size. On the other hand, the corresponding ones between oppositely charged surfaces are related to both sizes of positive and negative ions. For oppositely charged surfaces, the electrostatic potential, number density of solvent molecules, and relative permittivity of an electrolyte having unequal ion sizes are not symmetric about the centerline between the charged surfaces. For either case, the consideration of solvent polarization results in a decrease in the electrostatic potential and the osmotic pressure compared to the case without the effect.

  6. Size-dependent effective properties of anisotropic piezoelectric composites with piezoelectric nano-particles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Ming-Juan; Fang, Xue-Qian; Liu, Jin-Xi; Feng, Wen-Jie; Zhao, Yong-Mao

    2015-01-01

    Based on the electro-elastic surface/interface theory, the size-dependent effective piezoelectric and dielectric coefficients of anisotropic piezoelectric composites that consist of spherically piezoelectric inclusions under a uniform electric field are investigated, and the analytical solutions for the elastic displacement and electric potentials are derived. With consideration of the coupling effects of elasticity, permittivity and piezoelectricity, the effective field method is introduced to derive the effective dielectric and piezoelectric responses in the dilute limit. The numerical examples show that the effective dielectric constant exhibits a significant variation due to the surface/interface effect. The dielectric property of the surface/interface displays greater effect than the piezoelectric property, and the elastic property shows little effect. A comparison with the existing results validates the present approach. (paper)

  7. Size-Dependent Dynamic Behavior of a Microcantilever Plate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaoming Wang

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Material length scale considerably affects the mechanical properties of microcantilever components. Recently, cantilever-plate-like structures have been commonly used, whereas the lack of studies on their size effects constrains the design, testing, and application of these structures. We have studied the size-dependent dynamic behavior of a cantilever plate based on a modified couple stress theory and the differential quadrature method in this note. The numerical solutions of microcantilever plate equation involving the size effect have been presented. We have also analyzed the bending and vibration of the microcantilever plates considering the size effect and discussed the dependence of the size effect on their geometric dimensions. The results have shown that (1 the mechanical characteristics of the cantilever plate show obvious size effects; as a result, the bending deflection of a microcantilever plate reduces whereas the natural frequency increases effectively and (2 for the plates with the same material, the size effect becomes more obvious when the plates are thinner.

  8. Density-dependence as a size-independent regulatory mechanism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Vladar, Harold P

    2006-01-21

    The growth function of populations is central in biomathematics. The main dogma is the existence of density-dependence mechanisms, which can be modelled with distinct functional forms that depend on the size of the population. One important class of regulatory functions is the theta-logistic, which generalizes the logistic equation. Using this model as a motivation, this paper introduces a simple dynamical reformulation that generalizes many growth functions. The reformulation consists of two equations, one for population size, and one for the growth rate. Furthermore, the model shows that although population is density-dependent, the dynamics of the growth rate does not depend either on population size, nor on the carrying capacity. Actually, the growth equation is uncoupled from the population size equation, and the model has only two parameters, a Malthusian parameter rho and a competition coefficient theta. Distinct sign combinations of these parameters reproduce not only the family of theta-logistics, but also the van Bertalanffy, Gompertz and Potential Growth equations, among other possibilities. It is also shown that, except for two critical points, there is a general size-scaling relation that includes those appearing in the most important allometric theories, including the recently proposed Metabolic Theory of Ecology. With this model, several issues of general interest are discussed such as the growth of animal population, extinctions, cell growth and allometry, and the effect of environment over a population.

  9. Investigations of grain size dependent sediment transport phenomena on multiple scales

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thaxton, Christopher S.

    Sediment transport processes in coastal and fluvial environments resulting from disturbances such as urbanization, mining, agriculture, military operations, and climatic change have significant impact on local, regional, and global environments. Primarily, these impacts include the erosion and deposition of sediment, channel network modification, reduction in downstream water quality, and the delivery of chemical contaminants. The scale and spatial distribution of these effects are largely attributable to the size distribution of the sediment grains that become eligible for transport. An improved understanding of advective and diffusive grain-size dependent sediment transport phenomena will lead to the development of more accurate predictive models and more effective control measures. To this end, three studies were performed that investigated grain-size dependent sediment transport on three different scales. Discrete particle computer simulations of sheet flow bedload transport on the scale of 0.1--100 millimeters were performed on a heterogeneous population of grains of various grain sizes. The relative transport rates and diffusivities of grains under both oscillatory and uniform, steady flow conditions were quantified. These findings suggest that boundary layer formalisms should describe surface roughness through a representative grain size that is functionally dependent on the applied flow parameters. On the scale of 1--10m, experiments were performed to quantify the hydrodynamics and sediment capture efficiency of various baffles installed in a sediment retention pond, a commonly used sedimentation control measure in watershed applications. Analysis indicates that an optimum sediment capture effectiveness may be achieved based on baffle permeability, pond geometry and flow rate. Finally, on the scale of 10--1,000m, a distributed, bivariate watershed terain evolution module was developed within GRASS GIS. Simulation results for variable grain sizes and for

  10. The Dependence of Atomic Oxygen Undercutting of Protected Polyimide Kapton(tm) H upon Defect Size

    Science.gov (United States)

    Snyder, Aaron; deGroh, Kim K.

    2001-01-01

    Understanding the behavior of polymeric materials when exposed to the low-Earth-orbit (LEO) environment is important in predicting performance characteristics such as in-space durability. Atomic oxygen (AO) present in LEO is known to be the principal agent in causing undercutting erosion of SiO(x) protected polyimide Kapton(R) H film, which serves as a mechanically stable blanket material in solar arrays. The rate of undercutting is dependent on the rate of arrival, directionality and energy of the AO with respect to the film surface. The erosion rate also depends on the distribution of the size of defects existing in the protective coating. This paper presents results of experimental ground testing using low energy, isotropic AO flux together with numerical modeling to determine the dependence of undercutting erosion upon defect size.

  11. Stimulus size dependence of hue changes induced by chromatic surrounds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kellner, Christian Johannes; Wachtler, Thomas

    2016-03-01

    A chromatic surround induces a change in the perceived hue of a stimulus. This shift in hue depends on the chromatic difference between the stimulus and the surround. We investigated how chromatic induction varies with stimulus size and whether the size dependence depends on the surround hue. Subjects performed asymmetric matching of color stimuli with different sizes in surrounds of different chromaticities. Generally, induced hue shifts decreased with increasing stimulus size. This decrease was quantitatively different for different surround hues. However, when size effects were normalized to an overall induction strength, the chromatic specificity was largely reduced. The separability of inducer chromaticity and stimulus size suggests that these effects are mediated by different neural mechanisms.

  12. Interaction between carbon fibers and polymer sizing: Influence of fiber surface chemistry and sizing reactivity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moosburger-Will, Judith; Bauer, Matthias; Laukmanis, Eva; Horny, Robert; Wetjen, Denise; Manske, Tamara; Schmidt-Stein, Felix; Töpker, Jochen; Horn, Siegfried

    2018-05-01

    Different aspects of the interaction of carbon fibers and epoxy-based polymer sizings are investigated, e.g. the wetting behavior, the strength of adhesion between fiber and sizing, and the thermal stability of the sizing layer. The influence of carbon fiber surface chemistry and sizing reactivity is investigated using fibers of different degree of anodic oxidation and sizings with different number of reactive epoxy groups per molecule. Wetting of the carbon fibers by the sizing dispersion is found to be specified by both, the degree of fiber activation and the sizing reactivity. In contrast, adhesion strength between fibers and sizing is dominated by the surface chemistry of the carbon fibers. Here, the number of surface oxygen groups seems to be the limiting factor. We also find that the sizing and the additional functionalities induced by anodic oxidation are removed by thermal treatment at 600 °C, leaving the carbon fiber in its original state after carbonization.

  13. A review of the findings and theories on surface size effects on visual attention

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Peschel, Anne Odile; Orquin, Jacob Lund

    2013-01-01

    in the literature: a linear model based on the assumption of random fixations (Lohse, 1997), a theory of surface size as visual saliency (Pieters et al., 2007), and a theory based on competition for attention (CA; Janiszewski, 1998). We furthermore suggest a fourth model – demand for attention – which we derive...... the demand for attention model showed a much better alignment with the data. We conclude that surface size effects may best be explained as an increase in object signal strength which depends on object size, number of objects in the visual scene, and object distance to the center of the scene. Our findings...... suggest that advertisers should take into account how objects in the visual scene interact in order to optimize attention to, for instance, brands and logos....

  14. Size Dependence of Doping by a Vacancy Formation Reaction in Copper Sulfide Nanocrystals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Elimelech, Orian [The Institute of Chemistry and The Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904 Israel; Liu, Jing [Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook NY 11794 USA; Plonka, Anna M. [Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook NY 11794 USA; Frenkel, Anatoly I. [Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook NY 11794 USA; Banin, Uri [The Institute of Chemistry and The Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904 Israel

    2017-07-19

    Doping of nanocrystals (NCs) is a key, yet underexplored, approach for tuning of the electronic properties of semiconductors. An important route for doping of NCs is by vacancy formation. The size and concentration dependence of doping was studied in copper(I) sulfide (Cu2S) NCs through a redox reaction with iodine molecules (I2), which formed vacancies accompanied by a localized surface plasmon response. X-ray spectroscopy and diffraction reveal transformation from Cu2S to Cu-depleted phases, along with CuI formation. Greater reaction efficiency was observed for larger NCs. This behavior is attributed to interplay of the vacancy formation energy, which decreases for smaller sized NCs, and the growth of CuI on the NC surface, which is favored on well-defined facets of larger NCs. This doping process allows tuning of the plasmonic properties of a semiconductor across a wide range of plasmonic frequencies by varying the size of NCs and the concentration of iodine. Controlled vacancy doping of NCs may be used to tune and tailor semiconductors for use in optoelectronic applications.

  15. Size dependent emission stimulation in ZnO nanosheets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Torchynska, T.V.; El Filali, B.

    2014-01-01

    Photoluminescence (PL), X ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman scattering have been studied in crystalline ZnO nanosheets (NSs) of different sizes, estimated by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). ZnO NSs with the size from the range of 60–600 nm were created by the electrochemical (anodization) method and followed thermal annealing at 400 °C for 2 h in ambient air. XRD study confirms the wurtzite structure of ZnO NSs and has revealed that the lattice parameters increase monotonically with decreasing NS sizes. Simultaneously the intensity of a set of Raman peaks increases and Raman peaks shift into the low energy range. The surface phonon has been detected in smallest size ZnO NSs. Two types of PL bands deal with a set of phonon replicas of free excitons and the defect related emission have been detected in ZnO NSs. The intensity enhancement of exciton- and defect-related PL bands with decreasing ZnO NS sizes has been detected. The intensity stimulation of exciton-related PL bands is attributed to the realization of the week confinement and the exciton-light coupling with the formation of polariton in small size ZnO NSs of 67–170 nm. The intensity rising of defect-related PL bands is attributed to the concentration enlargement of surface defects when the surface to volume ration increases at decreasing ZnO NS sizes. Numerical simulations of radiative lifetimes and exciton radiative recombination rates in ZnO NSs for different emission wavelengths have been done using the exciton-light coupling model. Then the experimental and numerically simulated PL results have been compared and discussed. - Highlights: • Optical and structural investigations of the ZnO nanosheets with the sizes 60–600 nm. • The enlargement of interplanar distances in the wurtzite ZnO crystal lattice is detected. • The change of optic phonon energy and surface phonon appearing are reveled. • ZnO emission stimulation at the week confinement and electron-light coupling with the

  16. New developments on size-dependent growth applied to the crystallization of sucrose

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martins, P. M.; Rocha, F.

    2007-12-01

    The effect of crystal size on the growth rate of sucrose (C 12H 22O 11) at 40 °C is investigated from a theoretical and an experimental point of view. Based on new perspectives resulting from the recently introduced spiral nucleation model [P.M. Martins, F. Rocha, Surf. Sci. 601 (2007) 3400], crystal growth rates are expressed in terms of mass deposition per time and crystal volume units. This alternative definition is demonstrated to be size-independent over the considered supersaturation range. The conventional overall growth rate expressed per surface area units is found to be linearly dependent on crystal size. The advantages of the "volumetric" growth rate concept are discussed. Sucrose dissolution rates were measured under reciprocal conditions of the growth experiments in order to investigate the two-way effect of crystal size on mass transfer rates and on the integration kinetics. Both effects are adequately described by combining a well-established diffusion-integration model and the spiral nucleation mechanism.

  17. Size dependent magnetic and electrical properties of Ba-doped nanocrystalline BiFeO{sub 3}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hasan, Mehedi, E-mail: mhrizvi@gce.buet.ac.bd; Hakim, M. A.; Zubair, M. A.; Hussain, A.; Islam, Md. Fakhrul [Department of Glass and Ceramic Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka 1000 (Bangladesh); Basith, M. A., E-mail: mabasith@phy.buet.ac.bd [Department of Physics, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka-1000 (Bangladesh); Hossain, Md. Sarowar [S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Salt Lake City, Kolkata, West Bengal 700098 (India); Ahmmad, Bashir [Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Yamagata University, 4-3-16 Jonan, Yonezawa 992-8510 (Japan)

    2016-03-15

    Improvement in magnetic and electrical properties of multiferroic BiFeO{sub 3} in conjunction with their dependence on particle size is crucial due to its potential applications in multifunctional miniaturized devices. In this investigation, we report a study on particle size dependent structural, magnetic and electrical properties of sol-gel derived Bi{sub 0.9}Ba{sub 0.1}FeO{sub 3} nanoparticles of different sizes ranging from ∼ 12 to 49 nm. The substitution of Bi by Ba significantly suppresses oxygen vacancies, reduces leakage current density and Fe{sup 2+} state. An improvement in both magnetic and electrical properties is observed for 10 % Ba-doped BiFeO{sub 3} nanoparticles compared to its undoped counterpart. The saturation magnetization of Bi{sub 0.9}Ba{sub 0.1}FeO{sub 3} nanoparticles increase with reducing particle size in contrast with a decreasing trend of ferroelectric polarization. Moreover, a first order metamagnetic transition is noticed for ∼ 49 nm Bi{sub 0.9}Ba{sub 0.1}FeO{sub 3} nanoparticles which disappeared with decreasing particle size. The observed strong size dependent multiferroic properties are attributed to the complex interaction between vacancy induced crystallographic defects, multiple valence states of Fe, uncompensated surface spins, crystallographic distortion and suppression of spiral spin cycloid of BiFeO{sub 3}.

  18. Vessel size effect on the characteristic frequency of the free surface fluctuations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nam, Ho Yun; Kim, Min Joon; Kim, Jong Man; Choi, Byoung Hae

    2004-01-01

    Studies of the free surface fluctuations is one of the important topics in a liquid metal nuclear reactor using sodium as the coolant that has a free surface in the upper plenum of the reactor vessel. The main reasons for the study on the free surface fluctuations can be summarized as: 1. to secure the structural integrity of a reactor vessel by considering the thermal stress on the vessel wall induced by the fluctuations of the free surface between the hot sodium and cold cover gas, 2. to prevent the cover gas entrainment at the free surface of the sodium because the entrained gas causes a change in the reactivity and also reduces the heat removal capability in the core. Some experimental studies on the free surface fluctuations have been reported. However, most of them focus on the gas entrainment phenomena and only a few works concern the basic characteristics of the free surface fluctuations. Since the thermal stress on the wall is strongly dependent on the amplitude and frequency of the free surface fluctuations, studies on the amplitudes and frequencies should receive more attention. In Nam, empirical formulae on the amplitudes and frequencies with respect to the geometric and hydraulic parameters were introduced. It is an interesting result, but the experiment was performed within the parameter range near the onset point of the fluctuations. In the real reactor condition, larger sized fluctuations may exist and the formula needs to be modified. In this study, we performed experiments on the free surface fluctuations, especially on larger sized fluctuations and made an analysis of the amplitudes and frequencies. The main focus of this paper is the effect of the vessel size on the characteristic frequencies. It is thought to be helpful for finding the scaling laws, for example, designing a scale-down experiment

  19. Response of MG63 osteoblast-like cells onto polycarbonate membrane surfaces with different micropore sizes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Sang Jin; Choi, Jin San; Park, Ki Suk; Khang, Gilson; Lee, Young Moo; Lee, Hai Bang

    2004-08-01

    Response of different types of cells on materials is important for the applications of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. It is recognized that the behavior of the cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation on materials depends largely on surface characteristics such as wettability, chemistry, charge, rigidity, and roughness. In this study, we examined the behavior of MG63 osteoblast-like cells cultured on a polycarbonate (PC) membrane surfaces with different micropore sizes (0.2-8.0 microm in diameter). Cell adhesion and proliferation to the PC membrane surfaces were determined by cell counting and MTT assay. The effect of surface micropore on the MG63 cells was evaluated by cell morphology, protein content, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) specific activity. It seems that the cell adhesion and proliferation were progressively inhibited as the PC membranes had micropores with increasing size, probably due to surface discontinuities produced by track-etched pores. Increasing micropore size of the PC membrane results in improved protein synthesis and ALP specific activity in isolated cells. There was a statistically significant difference (Pmicropore sizes. The MG63 cells also maintained their phenotype under conditions that support a round cell shape. RT-PCR analysis further confirmed the osteogenic phenotype of the MG63 cells onto the PC membranes with different micropore sizes. In results, as micropore size is getting larger, cell number is reduced and cell differentiation and matrix production is increased. This study demonstrated that the surface topography plays an important role for phenotypic expression of the MG63 osteoblast-like cells.

  20. Surface ages of mid-size saturnian satellites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di Sisto, Romina P.; Zanardi, Macarena

    2016-01-01

    The observations of the surfaces of the mid-sized saturnian satellites made by Cassini-Huygens mission have shown a variety of features that allows study of the processes that took place and are taking place on those worlds. Research of the saturnian satellite surfaces has clear implications not only for Saturn's history and Saturn's surroundings, but also for the Solar System. Crater counting from high definition images is very important and could serve for the determination of the age of the surfaces. In a recent paper, we have calculated the production of craters on the mid-sized saturnian satellites by Centaur objects considering the current configuration of the Solar System. Also, we have compared our results with crater counts from Cassini images by other authors and we have noted that the number of observed small craters is less than our calculated theoretical number. In this paper we estimate the age of the surface for each observed terrain on each mid-sized satellite of Saturn. All the surfaces analyzed appear to be old with the exception of Enceladus. However, we have noticed that since there are less observed small craters than calculated (except on Iapetus), this results in younger ages than expected. This could be the result of efficient endogenous or exogenous process(es) for erasing small craters and/or crater saturation at those sizes. The size limit from which the observed number of smaller craters is less than the calculated is different for each satellite, possibly indicating processes that are unique to each, but other potential common explanations for this paucity of small craters would be crater saturation and/or deposition of E-ring particles. These processes are also suggested by the findings that the smaller craters are being preferentially removed, and the erasure process is gradual. On Enceladus, only mid and high latitude plains have remnants of old terrains; the other regions could be young. In particular, the regions near the South

  1. Nanometer-size surface modification produced by single, low energy, highly charged ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stockli, M.P.

    1994-01-01

    Atomically flat surfaces of insulators have been bombarded with low energy, highly charged ions to search for nanometer-size surface modifications. It is expected that the high electron deficiency of highly charged ions will capture and/or remove many of the insulator's localized electrons when impacting on an insulating surface. The resulting local electron deficiency is expected to locally disintegrate the insulator through a open-quotes Coulomb explosionclose quotes forming nanometer-size craters. Xe ions with charge states between 10+ and 45+ and kinetic energies between 0 and 10 keV/q were obtained from the KSU-CRYEBIS, a CRYogenic Electron Beam Ion Source and directed onto various insulating materials. Mica was favored as target material as atomically flat surfaces can be obtained reliably through cleaving. However, the authors observations with an atomic force microscope have shown that mica tends to defoliate locally rather than disintegrate, most likely due to the small binding forces between adjacent layers. So far the authors measurements indicate that each ion produces one blister if the charge state is sufficiently high. The blistering does not seem to depend very much on the kinetic energy of the ions

  2. Novel Size and Surface Oxide Effects in Silicon Nanowires as Lithium Battery Anodes

    KAUST Repository

    McDowell, Matthew T.

    2011-09-14

    With its high specific capacity, silicon is a promising anode material for high-energy lithium-ion batteries, but volume expansion and fracture during lithium reaction have prevented implementation. Si nanostructures have shown resistance to fracture during cycling, but the critical effects of nanostructure size and native surface oxide on volume expansion and cycling performance are not understood. Here, we use an ex situ transmission electron microscopy technique to observe the same Si nanowires before and after lithiation and have discovered the impacts of size and surface oxide on volume expansion. For nanowires with native SiO2, the surface oxide can suppress the volume expansion during lithiation for nanowires with diameters <∼50 nm. Finite element modeling shows that the oxide layer can induce compressive hydrostatic stress that could act to limit the extent of lithiation. The understanding developed herein of how volume expansion and extent of lithiation can depend on nanomaterial structure is important for the improvement of Si-based anodes. © 2011 American Chemical Society.

  3. Nano-material size dependent laser-plasma thresholds

    Science.gov (United States)

    EL Sherbini, Ashraf M.; Parigger, Christian G.

    2016-10-01

    The reduction of laser fluence for initiation of plasma was measured for zinc monoxide nanoparticles of diameters in the range of 100 to 20 nm. In a previous work by EL Sherbini and Parigger [Wavelength Dependency and Threshold Measurements for Nanoparticle-enhanced Laser-induced Breakdown Spectroscopy, Spectrochim. Acta Part B 116 (2016) 8-15], the hypothesis of threshold dependence on particle size leads to the interpretation of the experiments for varying excitation wavelengths with fixed, 30 nm nanomaterial. The experimental results presented in this work were obtained with 1064 nm Nd:YAG radiation and confirm and validate the suspected reduction due to quenching of the thermal conduction length to the respective sizes of the nanoparticles.

  4. Size dependent photoluminescence property of hydrothermally synthesized crystalline carbon quantum dots

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sarkar, S.; Banerjee, D.; Ghorai, U.K.; Das, N.S. [School of Material Science and Nanotechnology Jadavpur University, Kolkata 700032 (India); Chattopadhyay, K.K., E-mail: kalyan_chattopadhyay@yahoo.com [School of Material Science and Nanotechnology Jadavpur University, Kolkata 700032 (India); Thin Film and NanoScience Laboratory, Department of Physics, Jadavpur University, Kolkata 700032 (India)

    2016-10-15

    In this work, simple hydrothermal synthesis of water soluble Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) of different sizes has been reported. The effect of synthesis temperature and synthesis time on the particle size has also been shown. The structures of all the as-prepared samples were studied by field emission scanning electron microscope and high resolution transmission electron microscope. Fourier transformed infrared spectrophotometer analyzes the different bonding present in the sample whereas Raman spectrophotometer quantifies the hybridization state of the prepared samples. UV–vis spectrophotometer gives the variation of absorbance of all the samples with wavelength. Dynamic light scattering study shows the variation of particle size with deposition condition and corresponding zeta potential gives the idea about the stability of the CQD solutions. The photoluminescence (PL) properties of the as prepared CQDs were also studied in detail. It is noticed that with the increase of excitation wavelength, the PL emissions for the different samples were red shifted. The results have been explained in terms of the excitation dependent emission, variations in size of the CQD and presence of different functional groups on the surface of CQDs.

  5. Size dependent photoluminescence property of hydrothermally synthesized crystalline carbon quantum dots

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sarkar, S.; Banerjee, D.; Ghorai, U.K.; Das, N.S.; Chattopadhyay, K.K.

    2016-01-01

    In this work, simple hydrothermal synthesis of water soluble Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) of different sizes has been reported. The effect of synthesis temperature and synthesis time on the particle size has also been shown. The structures of all the as-prepared samples were studied by field emission scanning electron microscope and high resolution transmission electron microscope. Fourier transformed infrared spectrophotometer analyzes the different bonding present in the sample whereas Raman spectrophotometer quantifies the hybridization state of the prepared samples. UV–vis spectrophotometer gives the variation of absorbance of all the samples with wavelength. Dynamic light scattering study shows the variation of particle size with deposition condition and corresponding zeta potential gives the idea about the stability of the CQD solutions. The photoluminescence (PL) properties of the as prepared CQDs were also studied in detail. It is noticed that with the increase of excitation wavelength, the PL emissions for the different samples were red shifted. The results have been explained in terms of the excitation dependent emission, variations in size of the CQD and presence of different functional groups on the surface of CQDs.

  6. [Size dependent SERS activity of gold nanoparticles studied by 3D-FDTD simulation].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Li-mei; Fang, Ping-ping; Yang, Zhi-lin; Huang, Wen-da; Wu, De-yin; Ren, Bin; Tian, Zhong-qun

    2009-05-01

    By synthesizing Au nanoparticles with the controllable size from about 16 to 160 nm and measuring their SERS activity, the authors found that Au nanoparticles film with a size in the range of 120-135 nm showed the highest SERS activity with the 632.8 nm excitation, which is different from previous experimental results and theoretical predictions. The three dimensional finite difference time domain (3D-FDTD)method was employed to simulate the size dependent SERS activity. At the 632.8 nm excitation, the particles with a size of 110 nm shows the highest enhancement under coupling condition and presents an enhancement as high as 10(9) at the hot site. If the enhancement is averaged over the whole surface, the enhancement can still be as high as 10(7), in good agreement with our experimental data. For Au nanoparticles with a larger size such as 220 nm, the multipolar effect leads to the appearance of the second maximum enhancement with the increase in particles size. The averaged enhancement for the excitation line of 325 nm is only 10(2).

  7. On the Size Dependence of Molar and Specific Properties of Independent Nano-phases and Those in Contact with Other Phases

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaptay, George

    2018-05-01

    Nano-materials are materials with at least one nano-phase. A nano-phase is a phase with at least one of its dimensions below 100 nm. It is shown here that nano-phases have at least 1% of their atoms along their surface layer. The ratio of surface atoms is proportional to the specific surface area of the phase, defined as the ratio of its surface area to its volume. Each specific/molar property has its bulk value and its surface value for the given phase, being always different, as the energetic states of the atoms in the bulk and in the surface layer of a phase are different. The average specific/molar property of a nano-phase is modeled here as a linear combination of the bulk and surface values of the same property, scaled with the ratio of the surface atoms. That makes the performance of all nano-phases proportional to their specific surface area. As the characteristic size of the nano-phase is inversely proportional to its specific surface area, all specific/molar properties of nano-phases are inversely proportional to the characteristic size of the phase. This is applied to the size dependence of the molar Gibbs energy of the nano-phase, which appears to be in agreement with the thermodynamics of Gibbs. This agreement proves the general validity of the present model on the size dependence of the specific/molar properties of independent nano-phases. It is shown that the properties of nano-phases are different for independent nano-phases (surrounded only by their equilibrium vapor phase) and for nano-phases in multi-phase situations, such as a liquid nano-droplet in the sessile drop configuration.

  8. Size-dependent photodegradation of CdS particles deposited onto TiO2 mesoporous films by SILAR method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmed, Rasin; Will, Geoffrey; Bell, John; Wang Hongxia

    2012-01-01

    The particle size, size distribution and photostability of CdS nanoparticles incorporated onto mesoporous TiO 2 films by a successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method were investigated by Raman spectroscopy, UV–Visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). High-resolution TEM indicated that the synthesized CdS particles were hexagonal phase and the particle sizes were less than 5 nm for up to nine SILAR deposition cycles. Quantum size effect was found with the CdS-sensitized TiO 2 films prepared with up to nine SILAR cycles. The band gap of CdS nanoparticles decreased from 2.65 to 2.37 eV with the increase of the SILAR cycles from 1 to 11. The investigation of the stability of the CdS/TiO 2 films in air under illumination (440.6 μW/cm 2 ) showed that the photodegradation rate was up to 85 % per day for the sample prepared with three SILAR cycles. XPS analysis indicated that the photodegradation was due to the oxidation of CdS, leading to the transformation from sulphide to sulphate (CdSO 4 ). Furthermore, the degradation rate was strongly dependent upon the particle size of CdS. Smaller particles showed faster degradation rate. The size-dependent photo-induced oxidization was rationalized with the variation of size-dependent distribution of surface atoms of CdS particles. Molecular dynamics-based theoretical calculation has indicated that the surface sulphide anion of a large CdS particle such as CdS made with 11 cycles (CdS × 11, average particle size = 5.6 nm) accounts for 9.6 % of the material whereas this value is increased to 19.2 % for (CdS × 3)-based smaller particles (average particle size = 2.7 nm). The photostability of CdS nanoparticles was significantly enhanced when coated with ZnS particles deposited with four SILAR cycles. The growth mechanism of ZnS upon CdS nanoparticles was discussed.

  9. A random energy model for size dependence : recurrence vs. transience

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Külske, Christof

    1998-01-01

    We investigate the size dependence of disordered spin models having an infinite number of Gibbs measures in the framework of a simplified 'random energy model for size dependence'. We introduce two versions (involving either independent random walks or branching processes), that can be seen as

  10. Hydrothermal synthesis of HoMn{sub 2}O{sub 5} nanorods and their size-dependent magnetic properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lv, Yichao; Wu, Songping, E-mail: chwsp@scut.edu.cn; Xu, Rui

    2017-03-01

    The HoMn{sub 2}O{sub 5} nanorods were synthesized by a surfactant-assisted hydrothermal process. The length of nanorods is readily controllable with basically constant diameter. HoMn{sub 2}O{sub 5} nanorods show recognizable divagation at T{sub N}(Ho) of 13 K between FC and ZFC curve due to the contribution of the magnetic ordering of holmium. Size-dependent magnetic properties (i.e. a critical length for magnetization) of HoMn{sub 2}O{sub 5} nanorods can be ascribed to the competition between surface strain and uncompensated spin at the surface. - Highlights: • HoMn{sub 2}O{sub 5} nanorods were synthesized by a surfactant-assisted hydrothermal route. • HoMn{sub 2}O{sub 5} nanorods show recognizable divagation at T{sub N}(Ho) of 13 K between FC and ZFC. • Size-dependent magnetic properties of HoMn{sub 2}O{sub 5} nanorods can be observed.

  11. Surface Redox Chemistry of Immobilized Nanodiamond: Effects of Particle Size and Electrochemical Environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, S.; McDonald, B.; Carrizosa, S. B.

    2017-07-01

    The size of the diamond particle is tailored to nanoscale (nanodiamond, ND), and the ND surface is engineered targeting specific (electrochemical and biological) applications. In this work, we investigated the complex surface redox chemistry of immobilized ND layer on conductive boron-doped diamond electrode with a broad experimental parameter space such as particle size (nano versus micron), scan rate, pH (cationic/acidic versus anionic/basic), electrolyte KCl concentration (four orders of magnitude), and redox agents (neutral and ionic). We reported on the significant enhancement of ionic currents while recording reversible oxidation of neutral ferrocene methanol (FcMeOH) by almost one order of magnitude than traditional potassium ferricyanide (K3Fe(CN)6) redox agent. The current enhancement is inversely related to ND particle diameter in the following order: 1 μm << 1000 nm < 100 nm < 10 nm ≤ 5 nm < 2 nm. We attribute the current enhancement to concurrent electrocatalytic processes, i.e. the electron transfer between redox probes and electroactive surface functional (e.g. hydroxyl, carboxyl, epoxy) moieties and the electron transfer mediated by adsorbed FcMeOH+ (or Fe(CN) 6 3+ ) ions onto ND surface. The first process is pH dependent since it depends upon ND surface functionalities for which the electron transfer is coupled to proton transfer. The adsorption mediated process is observed most apparently at slower scan rates owing to self-exchange between adsorbed FcMeOH+ ions and FcMeOH redox agent molecules in diffusion-limited bulk electrolyte solution. Alternatively, it is hypothesized that the surface functionality and defect sites ( sp 2-bonded C shell and unsaturated bonds) give rise to surface electronic states with energies within the band gap (midgap states) in undoped ND. These surface states serve as electron donors (and acceptors) depending upon their bonding (and antibonding) character and, therefore, they can support electrocatalytic redox

  12. Density-dependence as a size-independent regulatory mechanism

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    De Vladar, H.P.

    2006-01-01

    The growth function of populations is central in biomathematics. The main dogma is the existence of density-dependence mechanisms, which can be modelled with distinct functional forms that depend on the size of the Population. One important class of regulatory functions is the theta-logistic, which

  13. Size-dependent endocytosis of gold nanoparticles studied by three-dimensional mapping of plasmonic scattering images

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lee Chia-Wei

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Understanding the endocytosis process of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs is important for the drug delivery and photodynamic therapy applications. The endocytosis in living cells is usually studied by fluorescent microscopy. The fluorescent labeling suffers from photobleaching. Besides, quantitative estimation of the cellular uptake is not easy. In this paper, the size-dependent endocytosis of AuNPs was investigated by using plasmonic scattering images without any labeling. Results The scattering images of AuNPs and the vesicles were mapped by using an optical sectioning microscopy with dark-field illumination. AuNPs have large optical scatterings at 550-600 nm wavelengths due to localized surface plasmon resonances. Using an enhanced contrast between yellow and blue CCD images, AuNPs can be well distinguished from cellular organelles. The tracking of AuNPs coated with aptamers for surface mucin glycoprotein shows that AuNPs attached to extracellular matrix and moved towards center of the cell. Most 75-nm-AuNPs moved to the top of cells, while many 45-nm-AuNPs entered cells through endocytosis and accumulated in endocytic vesicles. The amounts of cellular uptake decreased with the increase of particle size. Conclusions We quantitatively studied the endocytosis of AuNPs with different sizes in various cancer cells. The plasmonic scattering images confirm the size-dependent endocytosis of AuNPs. The 45-nm-AuNP is better for drug delivery due to its higher uptake rate. On the other hand, large AuNPs are immobilized on the cell membrane. They can be used to reconstruct the cell morphology.

  14. The scaling of urban surface water abundance and impairment with city size

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steele, M. K.

    2018-03-01

    Urbanization alters surface water compared to nonurban landscapes, yet little is known regarding how basic aquatic ecosystem characteristics, such as the abundance and impairment of surface water, differ with population size or regional context. This study examined the abundance, scaling, and impairment of surface water by quantifying the stream length, water body area, and impaired stream length for 3520 cities in the United States with populations from 2500 to 18 million. Stream length, water body area, and impaired stream length were quantified using the National Hydrography Dataset and the EPA's 303(d) list. These metrics were scaled with population and city area using single and piecewise power-law models and related to biophysical factors (precipitation, topography) and land cover. Results show that abundance of stream length and water body area in cities actually increases with city area; however, the per person abundance decreases with population size. Relative to population, impaired stream length did not increase until city populations were > 25,000 people, then scaled linearly with population. Some variation in abundance and impairment was explained by biophysical context and land cover. Development intensity correlated with stream density and impairment; however, those relationships depended on the orientation of the land covers. When high intensity development occupied the local elevation highs (+ 15 m) and undeveloped land the elevation lows, the percentage of impaired streams was less than the opposite land cover orientation (- 15 m) or very flat land. These results show that surface water abundance and impairment across contiguous US cities are influenced by city size and by biophysical setting interacting with land cover intensity.

  15. CdSe quantum dots co-sensitized TiO2 photoelectrodes: particle size dependent properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prabakar, K; Minkyu, S; Inyoung, S; Heeje, K

    2010-01-01

    Cadmium selenide (CdSe) quantum dots (QDs) with different particle sizes have been used as an inorganic co-sensitizer in addition to organic dye for large band gap mesoporous TiO 2 dye sensitized solar cells. The QDs co-sensitized solar cells exhibited overall highest conversion efficiency of 3.65% at 1 sun irradiation for 3.3 nm particle size corresponding to a visible light absorption wavelength of 528 nm. The photovoltaic characteristics of CdSe QDs co-sensitized cells depend on the particle sizes rather than broad spectral light absorption as compared with CdSe QDs alone sensitized and standard dye-sensitized solar cells. Correlation between CdSe QDs adsorption on mesoporous TiO 2 surfaces and photoelectron injection into TiO 2 has been demonstrated. (fast track communication)

  16. Sediment size of surface floodplain sediments along a large lowland river

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swanson, K. M.; Day, G.; Dietrich, W. E.

    2007-12-01

    Data on size distribution of surface sediment across a floodplain should place important constraints of modeling of floodplain deposition. Diffusive or advective models would predict that, generally, grain size should decrease away from channel banks. Variations in grain size downstream along floodplains may depend on downstream fining of river bed material, exchange rate with river banks and net deposition onto the floodplain. Here we report detailed grain size analyses taken from 17 floodplain transects along 450 km (along channel distance) reach of the middle Fly River, Papua New Guinea. Field studies have documented a systematic change in floodplain characteristics downstream from forested, more topographically elevated and topography bounded by an actively shifting mainstem channel to a downstream swamp grass, low elevation topography along which the river meanders are currently stagnant. Frequency and duration of flooding increase downstream. Flooding occurs both by overbank flows and by injections of floodwaters up tributary and tie channels connected to the mainstem. Previous studies show that about 40% of the total discharge of water passes across the floodplain, and, correspondingly, about 40% of the total load is deposited on the plain - decreasing exponentially from channel bank. We find that floodplain sediment is most sandy at the channel bank. Grain size rapidly declines away from the bank, but surprisingly two trends were also observed. A relatively short distance from the bank the surface material is finest, but with further distance from the bank (out to greater than 1 km from the 250 m wide channel) clay content decreases and silt content increases. The changes are small but repeated at most of the transects. The second trend is that bank material fines downstream, corresponding to a downstream finding bed material, but once away from the bank, there is a weak tendency for a given distance away from the bank the floodplain surface deposits to

  17. Size-dependent electronic properties of metal nanostructures

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    First page Back Continue Last page Overview Graphics. Size-dependent electronic properties of metal nanostructures. G.U. Kulkarni. Chemistry and Physics of Materials Unit. Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research. Bangalore, India. kulkarni@jncasr.ac.in.

  18. Size-dependent photodegradation of CdS particles deposited onto TiO{sub 2} mesoporous films by SILAR method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ahmed, Rasin; Will, Geoffrey; Bell, John; Wang Hongxia, E-mail: hx.wang@qut.edu.au [Queensland University of Technology, School of Chemistry, Physics and Mechanical Engineering (Australia)

    2012-09-15

    The particle size, size distribution and photostability of CdS nanoparticles incorporated onto mesoporous TiO{sub 2} films by a successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method were investigated by Raman spectroscopy, UV-Visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). High-resolution TEM indicated that the synthesized CdS particles were hexagonal phase and the particle sizes were less than 5 nm for up to nine SILAR deposition cycles. Quantum size effect was found with the CdS-sensitized TiO{sub 2} films prepared with up to nine SILAR cycles. The band gap of CdS nanoparticles decreased from 2.65 to 2.37 eV with the increase of the SILAR cycles from 1 to 11. The investigation of the stability of the CdS/TiO{sub 2} films in air under illumination (440.6 {mu}W/cm{sup 2}) showed that the photodegradation rate was up to 85 % per day for the sample prepared with three SILAR cycles. XPS analysis indicated that the photodegradation was due to the oxidation of CdS, leading to the transformation from sulphide to sulphate (CdSO{sub 4}). Furthermore, the degradation rate was strongly dependent upon the particle size of CdS. Smaller particles showed faster degradation rate. The size-dependent photo-induced oxidization was rationalized with the variation of size-dependent distribution of surface atoms of CdS particles. Molecular dynamics-based theoretical calculation has indicated that the surface sulphide anion of a large CdS particle such as CdS made with 11 cycles (CdS Multiplication-Sign 11, average particle size = 5.6 nm) accounts for 9.6 % of the material whereas this value is increased to 19.2 % for (CdS Multiplication-Sign 3)-based smaller particles (average particle size = 2.7 nm). The photostability of CdS nanoparticles was significantly enhanced when coated with ZnS particles deposited with four SILAR cycles. The growth mechanism of ZnS upon CdS nanoparticles was discussed.

  19. Concentration-dependent, size-independent toxicity of citrate capped AuNPs in Drosophila melanogaster.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giuseppe Vecchio

    Full Text Available The expected potential benefits promised by nanotechnology in various fields have led to a rapid increase of the presence of engineered nanomaterials in a high number of commercial goods. This is generating increasing questions about possible risks for human health and environment, due to the lack of an in-depth assessment of the physical/chemical factors responsible for their toxic effects. In this work, we evaluated the toxicity of monodisperse citrate-capped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs of different sizes (5, 15, 40, and 80 nm in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster, upon ingestion. To properly evaluate and distinguish the possible dose- and/or size-dependent toxicity of the AuNPs, we performed a thorough assessment of their biological effects, using two different dose-metrics. In the first approach, we kept constant the total surface area of the differently sized AuNPs (Total Exposed Surface area approach, TES, while, in the second approach, we used the same number concentration of the four different sizes of AuNPs (Total Number of Nanoparticles approach, TNN. We observed a significant AuNPs-induced toxicity in vivo, namely a strong reduction of Drosophila lifespan and fertility performance, presence of DNA fragmentation, as well as a significant modification in the expression levels of genes involved in stress responses, DNA damage recognition and apoptosis pathway. Interestingly, we found that, within the investigated experimental conditions, the toxic effects in the exposed organisms were directly related to the concentration of the AuNPs administered, irrespective of their size.

  20. Size dependence investigations of hot electron cooling dynamics in metal/adsorbates nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bauer, Christophe; Abid, Jean-Pierre; Girault, Hubert H.

    2005-01-01

    The size dependence of electron-phonon coupling rate has been investigated by femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy for gold nanoparticles (NPs) wrapped in a shell of sulfate with diameter varying from 1.7 to 9.2 nm. Broad-band spectroscopy gives an overview of the complex dynamics of nonequilibrium electrons and permits the choice of an appropriate probe wavelength for studying the electron-phonon coupling dynamics. Ultrafast experiments were performed in the weak perturbation regime (less than one photon in average per nanoparticle), which allows the direct extraction of the hot electron cooling rates in order to compare different NPs sizes under the same conditions. Spectroscopic data reveals a decrease of hot electron energy loss rates with metal/adsorbates nanosystem sizes. Electron-phonon coupling time constants obtained for 9.2 nm NPs are similar to gold bulk materials (∼1 ps) whereas an increase of hot electron cooling time up to 1.9 ps is observed for sizes of 1.7 nm. This is rationalized by the domination of surface effects over size (bulk) effects. The slow hot electron cooling is attributed to the adsorbates-induced long-lived nonthermal regime, which significantly reduces the electron-phonon coupling strength (average rate of phonon emission)

  1. Size-dependent properties of silica nanoparticles for Pickering stabilization of emulsions and foams

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Ijung, E-mail: ijungkim@utexas.edu [The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering (United States); Worthen, Andrew J.; Johnston, Keith P. [The University of Texas at Austin, McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering (United States); DiCarlo, David A.; Huh, Chun [The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering (United States)

    2016-04-15

    Nanoparticles are a promising alternative to surfactants to stabilize emulsions or foams in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes due to their effectiveness in very harsh environments found in many of the oilfields around the world. While the size-dependent properties of nanoparticles have been extensively studied in the area of optics or cellular uptake, little is known on the effects of nanoparticle size on emulsion/foam generation, especially for EOR applications. In this study, silica nanoparticles with four different sizes (5, 12, 25, and 80 nm nominal diameter) but with the same surface treatment were employed to test their emulsion or foam generation behavior in high-salinity conditions. The decane-in-brine emulsion generated by sonication or flowing through sandpack showed smaller droplet size and higher apparent viscosity as the nanoparticle size decreased. Similarly, the CO{sub 2}-in-brine foam generation in sandstone or sandpacks was also significantly affected by the nanoparticle size, exhibiting higher apparent foam viscosity as the nanoparticle size decreased. In case of foam generation in sandstone cores with 5 nm nanoparticles, a noticeable hysteresis occurred when the flow velocity was initially increased and then decreased, implying a strong foam generation initially; and then the trapping of the generated foam in the rock pores, as the flow velocity decreased. On the other hand, weak foams stabilized with larger nanoparticles indicated a rapid coalescence of bubbles which prevented foam generation. Overall, stable emulsions/foams were achievable by the smaller particles as a result of greater diffusivity and/or higher number concentration, thus allowing more nanoparticles with higher surface area to volume ratio to be adsorbed at the fluid/fluid interfaces of the emulsion/foam dispersion.Graphical abstract.

  2. Unravelling the dependence of hydrogen oxidation kinetics on the size of Pt nanoparticles by in operando nanoplasmonic temperature sensing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wettergren, Kristina; Hellman, Anders; Cavalca, Filippo Carlo

    2015-01-01

    We use a noninvasive nanoscale optical-temperature measurement method based on localized surface plasmon resonance to investigate the particle size-dependence of the hydrogen oxidation reaction kinetics on model supported Pt nanocatalysts at atmospheric pressure in operando. With decreasing average...

  3. Quantitative size-dependent structure and strain determination of CdSe nanoparticles using atomic pair distribution function analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Masadeh, A S; Bozin, E S; Farrow, C L; Paglia, G; Juhas, P; Billinge, S J. L.; Karkamkar, A; Kanatzidis, M G [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1116 (United States); Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1116 (United States)

    2007-09-15

    The size-dependent structure of CdSe nanoparticles, with diameters ranging from 2 to 4 nm, has been studied using the atomic pair distribution function (PDF) method. The core structure of the measured CdSe nanoparticles can be described in terms of the wurtzite atomic structure with extensive stacking faults. The density of faults in the nanoparticles is {approx}50%. The diameter of the core region was extracted directly from the PDF data and is in good agreement with the diameter obtained from standard characterization methods, suggesting that there is little surface amorphous region. A compressive strain was measured in the Cd-Se bond length that increases with decreasing particle size being 0.5% with respect to bulk CdSe for the 2 nm diameter particles. This study demonstrates the size-dependent quantitative structural information that can be obtained even from very small nanoparticles using the PDF approach.

  4. A simple shear limited, single size, time dependent flocculation model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuprenas, R.; Tran, D. A.; Strom, K.

    2017-12-01

    This research focuses on the modeling of flocculation of cohesive sediment due to turbulent shear, specifically, investigating the dependency of flocculation on the concentration of cohesive sediment. Flocculation is important in larger sediment transport models as cohesive particles can create aggregates which are orders of magnitude larger than their unflocculated state. As the settling velocity of each particle is determined by the sediment size, density, and shape, accounting for this aggregation is important in determining where the sediment is deposited. This study provides a new formulation for flocculation of cohesive sediment by modifying the Winterwerp (1998) flocculation model (W98) so that it limits floc size to that of the Kolmogorov micro length scale. The W98 model is a simple approach that calculates the average floc size as a function of time. Because of its simplicity, the W98 model is ideal for implementing into larger sediment transport models; however, the model tends to over predict the dependency of the floc size on concentration. It was found that the modification of the coefficients within the original model did not allow for the model to capture the dependency on concentration. Therefore, a new term within the breakup kernel of the W98 formulation was added. The new formulation results is a single size, shear limited, and time dependent flocculation model that is able to effectively capture the dependency of the equilibrium size of flocs on both suspended sediment concentration and the time to equilibrium. The overall behavior of the new model is explored and showed align well with other studies on flocculation. Winterwerp, J. C. (1998). A simple model for turbulence induced flocculation of cohesive sediment. .Journal of Hydraulic Research, 36(3):309-326.

  5. Connection between the growth rate distribution and the size dependent crystal growth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mitrović, M. M.; Žekić, A. A.; IIić, Z. Z.

    2002-07-01

    The results of investigations of the connection between the growth rate dispersions and the size dependent crystal growth of potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP), Rochelle salt (RS) and sodium chlorate (SC) are presented. A possible way out of the existing confusion in the size dependent crystal growth investigations is suggested. It is shown that the size independent growth exists if the crystals belonging to one growth rate distribution maximum are considered separately. The investigations suggest possible reason for the observed distribution maxima widths, and the high data scattering on the growth rate versus the crystal size dependence.

  6. Size-dependent filtration of nanoparticles on porous films composed by polystyrene microsphere monolayers and applications in site-selective deposition of nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruan, Weidong; Zhou, Tieli; Sun, Chengbin; Tao, Yanchun; Lu, Fei; Wang, Xu; Zhao, Bing; Cui, Yinqiu

    2015-01-01

    Composite films composed of polystyrene (PS) microsphere monolayers and gold (Au) and/or silver (Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) decorations were prepared by a novel size-dependent filtration effect on close-packed PS microsphere arrays. The uniform pores inlaid in the PS monolayer films acted as the transport tunnels for NPs. The steric restriction induced by the size of the pores was used as a main strategy to fabricate hybrid micro/nano films, which were composed of PS microspheres with inhomogeneous anisotropic decorations. The Au and Ag NPs were used as the building blocks to decorate the PS microspheres through a layer-by-layer self-assembly technique with the aid of polyelectrolyte coupling agents. Only the small particles which could pass through the micropores could reach to and deposit on the inner surfaces of the PS microsphere monolayer films. Large particles remained on the outside and could only deposit on the outer surfaces. Thus, the inhomogeneous anisotropic decoration was obtained. This study provides a novel strategy for fabricating anisotropic micro/nanostructures by the size-dependent filtration effect of NPs on porous films and has the potential in applications of anisotropic self-assembly, sensor, and surface modifications at nanoscale.

  7. Size-dependent filtration of nanoparticles on porous films composed by polystyrene microsphere monolayers and applications in site-selective deposition of nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ruan, Weidong [Jilin University, State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials (China); Zhou, Tieli [Changchun University, College of Food Engineering and Landscape Architecture (China); Sun, Chengbin; Tao, Yanchun; Lu, Fei; Wang, Xu; Zhao, Bing, E-mail: zhaob@mail.jlu.edu.cn [Jilin University, State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials (China); Cui, Yinqiu, E-mail: cuiyq@jlu.edu.cn [Jilin University, School of Life Sciences (China)

    2015-10-15

    Composite films composed of polystyrene (PS) microsphere monolayers and gold (Au) and/or silver (Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) decorations were prepared by a novel size-dependent filtration effect on close-packed PS microsphere arrays. The uniform pores inlaid in the PS monolayer films acted as the transport tunnels for NPs. The steric restriction induced by the size of the pores was used as a main strategy to fabricate hybrid micro/nano films, which were composed of PS microspheres with inhomogeneous anisotropic decorations. The Au and Ag NPs were used as the building blocks to decorate the PS microspheres through a layer-by-layer self-assembly technique with the aid of polyelectrolyte coupling agents. Only the small particles which could pass through the micropores could reach to and deposit on the inner surfaces of the PS microsphere monolayer films. Large particles remained on the outside and could only deposit on the outer surfaces. Thus, the inhomogeneous anisotropic decoration was obtained. This study provides a novel strategy for fabricating anisotropic micro/nanostructures by the size-dependent filtration effect of NPs on porous films and has the potential in applications of anisotropic self-assembly, sensor, and surface modifications at nanoscale.

  8. Size- and food-dependent growth drives patterns of competitive dominance along productivity gradients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huss, Magnus; Gårdmark, Anna; Van Leeuwen, Anieke; de Roos, André M

    2012-04-01

    Patterns of coexistence among competing species exhibiting size- and food-dependent growth remain largely unexplored. Here we studied mechanisms behind coexistence and shifts in competitive dominance in a size-structured fish guild, representing sprat and herring stocks in the Baltic Sea, using a physiologically structured model of competing populations. The influence of degree of resource overlap and the possibility of undergoing ontogenetic diet shifts were studied as functions of zooplankton and zoobenthos productivity. By imposing different size-dependent mortalities, we could study the outcome of competition under contrasting environmental regimes representing poor and favorable growth conditions. We found that the identity of the dominant species shifted between low and high productivity. Adding a herring-exclusive benthos resource only provided a competitive advantage over sprat when size-dependent mortality was high enough to allow for rapid growth in the zooplankton niche. Hence, the importance of a bottom-up effect of varying productivity was dependent on a strong top-down effect. Although herring could depress shared resources to lower levels than could sprat and also could access an exclusive resource, the smaller size at maturation of sprat allowed it to coexist with herring and, in some cases, exclude it. Our model system, characterized by interactions among size cohorts, allowed for consumer coexistence even at full resource overlap at intermediate productivities when size-dependent mortality was low. Observed shifts in community patterns were crucially dependent on the explicit consideration of size- and food-dependent growth. Accordingly, we argue that accounting for food-dependent growth and size-dependent interactions is necessary to better predict changes in community structure and dynamics following changes in major ecosystem drivers such as resource productivity and mortality, which are fundamental for our ability to manage exploitation of

  9. Theoretical and experimental study: the size dependence of decomposition thermodynamics of nanomaterials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cui, Zixiang; Duan, Huijuan; Li, Wenjiao; Xue, Yongqiang

    2015-01-01

    In the processes of preparation and application of nanomaterials, the decomposition reactions of nanomaterials are often involved. However, there is a dramatic difference in decomposition thermodynamics between nanomaterials and the bulk counterparts, and the difference depends on the size of the particles that compose the nanomaterials. In this paper, the decomposition model of a nanoparticle was built, the theory of decomposition thermodynamics of nanomaterials was proposed, and the relations of the size dependence of thermodynamic quantities for the decomposition reactions were deduced. In experiment, taking the thermal decomposition of nano-Cu 2 (OH) 2 CO 3 with different particle sizes (the range of radius is at 8.95–27.4 nm) as a system, the reaction thermodynamic quantities were determined, and the regularities of size dependence of the quantities were summarized. These experimental regularities consist with the above thermodynamic relations. The results show that there is a significant effect of the size of particles composing a nanomaterial on the decomposition thermodynamics. When all the decomposition products are gases, the differences in thermodynamic quantities of reaction between the nanomaterials and the bulk counterparts depend on the particle size; while when one of the decomposition products is a solid, the differences depend on both the initial particle size of the nanoparticle and the decomposition ratio. When the decomposition ratio is very small, these differences are only related to the initial particle size; and when the radius of the nanoparticles approaches or exceeds 10 nm, the reaction thermodynamic functions and the logarithm of the equilibrium constant are linearly associated with the reciprocal of radius, respectively. The thermodynamic theory can quantificationally describe the regularities of the size dependence of thermodynamic quantities for decomposition reactions of nanomaterials, and contribute to the researches and the

  10. Particle Size-Dependent Antibacterial Activity and Murine Cell Cytotoxicity Induced by Graphene Oxide Nanomaterials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lin Zhao

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Recent studies have indicated that graphene and its derivative graphene oxide (GO engage in a wide range of antibacterial activities with limited toxicity to human cells. Here, we systematically evaluate the dependence of GO toxicity on the size of the nanoparticles used in treatments: we compare the cytotoxic effects of graphene quantum dots (GQDs, <15 nm, small GOs (SGOs, 50–200 nm, and large GOs (LGOs, 0.5–3 μm. We synthesize the results of bacterial colony count assays and SEM-based observations of morphological changes to assess the antibacterial properties that these GOs bring into effect against E. coli. We also use Live/Dead assays and morphological analysis to investigate changes to mammalian (Murine macrophage-like Raw 264.7 cells induced by the presence of the various GO particle types. Our results demonstrate that LGOs, SGOs, and GQDs possess antibacterial activities and cause mammalian cell cytotoxicity at descending levels of potency. Placing our observations in the context of previous simulation results, we suggest that both the lateral size and surface area of GO particles contribute to cytotoxic effects. We hope that the size dependence elucidated here provides a useful schematic for tuning GO-cell interactions in biomedical applications.

  11. Size dependence in tunneling spectra of PbSe quantum-dot arrays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ou, Y C; Cheng, S F; Jian, W B

    2009-07-15

    Interdot Coulomb interactions and collective Coulomb blockade were theoretically argued to be a newly important topic, and experimentally identified in semiconductor quantum dots, formed in the gate confined two-dimensional electron gas system. Developments of cluster science and colloidal synthesis accelerated the studies of electron transport in colloidal nanocrystal or quantum-dot solids. To study the interdot coupling, various sizes of two-dimensional arrays of colloidal PbSe quantum dots are self-assembled on flat gold surfaces for scanning tunneling microscopy and scanning tunneling spectroscopy measurements at both room and liquid-nitrogen temperatures. The tip-to-array, array-to-substrate, and interdot capacitances are evaluated and the tunneling spectra of quantum-dot arrays are analyzed by the theory of collective Coulomb blockade. The current-voltage of PbSe quantum-dot arrays conforms properly to a scaling power law function. In this study, the dependence of tunneling spectra on the sizes (numbers of quantum dots) of arrays is reported and the capacitive coupling between quantum dots in the arrays is explored.

  12. Effect of nanofillers' size on surface properties after toothbrush abrasion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cavalcante, Larissa M; Masouras, Konstantinos; Watts, David C; Pimenta, Luiz A; Silikas, Nick

    2009-02-01

    To investigate the effect of filler-particle size of experimental and commercial resin composites, undergoing toothbrush abrasion, on three surface properties: surface roughness (SR), surface gloss (G) and color stability (CS). Four model (Ivoclar/Vivadent) and one commercial resin composite (Tokuyama) with varying filler-size from 100-1000 nm were examined. Six discs (10 mm x 2 mm) from each product were prepared and mechanically polished. The samples were then submitted to 20,000 brushing strokes in a toothbrush abrasion machine. SR parameters (Ra, Rt and RSm), G, and CS were measured before and after toothbrush abrasion. Changes in SR and G were analyzed by 2-way ANOVA, with Bonferroni post hoc test. CS values were submitted to one-way ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc test (alpha=0.05). Initial G values ranged between 73-87 gloss units (GU) and were reduced after toothbrush abrasion to a range of 8-64 GU. Toothbrush abrasion resulted in significant modifications in SR and G amongst the materials tested, attributed to filler sizes. There was statistically significant difference in color (delta E* ranged from 0.38-0.88). Filler size did not affect color stability. Toothbrush abrasion resulted in rougher and matte surfaces for all materials tested. Although the individual differences in surface roughness among filler sizes were not always significant, the correlation showed a trend that larger filler sizes resulted in higher surface roughness after abrasion for the SR parameters Ra and Rt (r = 0.95; r = 0.93, respectively). RSm showed an increase after toothbrush abrasion for all resin composites, however no significant correlation was detected (r = 0.21).There was a significant correlation between G and Ra ratios (r = - 0.95).

  13. Preparation and Surface Sizing Application of Sizing Agent Based on Collagen from Leather Waste

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xuechuan Wang

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Collagen extracted from leather waste was modified with maleic anhydride. Then, using ammonium persulfate as an initiator, by pre-modifying collagen reacted with styrene and ethyl acrylate monomers, a vinyl-grafted collagen sizing agent (VGCSA for paper was prepared. Before the experiment, the performance of VGCSA was tested and VGCSA emulsion was applied to the surface sizing of the corrugated paper. Effects of the amount of VGCSA, the compound proportion of VGCSA, and starch and styrene-acrylic emulsion were studied relative to paper properties. The morphological changes of the paper before and after sizing were characterized by SEM. It was found that the collagen reacted with styrene and ethyl acrylate monomers. Through the grafting of vinyl and collagen, the crystallinity and thermal stability of VGCSA increased. The structure of VGCSA was spherical with a uniform size, and the average particle size was approximately 350 to 400 nm. After being sized, the surface fibers of paper became smooth and orderly. The optimal sizing of VGCSA was 8 g/m2. The optimal proportion of VGCSA with starch was 4:6, and the optimal proportion of VGCSA with SAE was 2:8. The research indicates that collagen extracted from leather waste could be used as a biomaterial, and environmental and economic benefits could be created as well.

  14. Surface conductivity dependent dynamic behaviour of an ultrafine atmospheric pressure plasma jet for microscale surface processing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Abuzairi, Tomy [Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, Hamamatsu 432-8561 (Japan); Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia, Depok 16424 (Indonesia); Okada, Mitsuru [Department of Engineering, Shizuoka University, Hamamatsu 432-8561 (Japan); Bhattacharjee, Sudeep [Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur 208016 (India); Nagatsu, Masaaki, E-mail: nagatsu.masaaki@shizuoka.ac.jp [Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, Hamamatsu 432-8561 (Japan); Department of Engineering, Shizuoka University, Hamamatsu 432-8561 (Japan); Research Institute of Electronics, Shizuoka University, Hamamatsu 432-8561 (Japan)

    2016-12-30

    Highlights: • Spatio-temporal behaviors of capillary APPJs are studied for various substrates. • Plasma irradiation area depended on the substrate conductivity and permittivity. • Surface irradiation area was significantly broadened in polymer-like substrate. • Effect of applying a substrate bias on the APPJ irradiation area was investigated. - Abstract: An experimental study on the dynamic behaviour of microcapillary atmospheric pressure plasma jets (APPJs) with 5 μm tip size for surfaces of different conductivity is reported. Electrical and spatio-temporal characteristics of the APPJs are monitored using high voltage probe, current monitor and high speed intensified charge couple device camera. From these experimental results, we presented a simple model to understand the electrical discharge characteristics of the capillary APPJs with double electrodes, and estimated the velocity of the ionization fronts in the jet and the electron density to be 3.5–4.2 km/s and 2–7 × 10{sup 17} m{sup −3}. By analyzing the dynamics of the microcapillary APPJs for different substrate materials, it was found that the surface irradiation area strongly depended on the substrate conductivity and permittivity, especially in the case of polymer-like substrate, surface irradiation area was significantly broadened probably due to the repelling behaviour of the plasma jets from the accumulated electrical charges on the polymer surface. The effect of applying a substrate bias in the range from −900 V to +900 V on the plasma irradiation onto the substrates was also investigated. From the knowledge of the present results, it is helpful for choosing the substrate materials for microscale surface modification.

  15. Surface conductivity dependent dynamic behaviour of an ultrafine atmospheric pressure plasma jet for microscale surface processing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abuzairi, Tomy; Okada, Mitsuru; Bhattacharjee, Sudeep; Nagatsu, Masaaki

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Spatio-temporal behaviors of capillary APPJs are studied for various substrates. • Plasma irradiation area depended on the substrate conductivity and permittivity. • Surface irradiation area was significantly broadened in polymer-like substrate. • Effect of applying a substrate bias on the APPJ irradiation area was investigated. - Abstract: An experimental study on the dynamic behaviour of microcapillary atmospheric pressure plasma jets (APPJs) with 5 μm tip size for surfaces of different conductivity is reported. Electrical and spatio-temporal characteristics of the APPJs are monitored using high voltage probe, current monitor and high speed intensified charge couple device camera. From these experimental results, we presented a simple model to understand the electrical discharge characteristics of the capillary APPJs with double electrodes, and estimated the velocity of the ionization fronts in the jet and the electron density to be 3.5–4.2 km/s and 2–7 × 10"1"7 m"−"3. By analyzing the dynamics of the microcapillary APPJs for different substrate materials, it was found that the surface irradiation area strongly depended on the substrate conductivity and permittivity, especially in the case of polymer-like substrate, surface irradiation area was significantly broadened probably due to the repelling behaviour of the plasma jets from the accumulated electrical charges on the polymer surface. The effect of applying a substrate bias in the range from −900 V to +900 V on the plasma irradiation onto the substrates was also investigated. From the knowledge of the present results, it is helpful for choosing the substrate materials for microscale surface modification.

  16. Significance of size dependent and material structure coupling on the characteristics and performance of nanocrystalline micro/nano gyroscopes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larkin, K.; Ghommem, M.; Abdelkefi, A.

    2018-05-01

    Capacitive-based sensing microelectromechanical (MEMS) and nanoelectromechanical (NEMS) gyroscopes have significant advantages over conventional gyroscopes, such as low power consumption, batch fabrication, and possible integration with electronic circuits. However, inadequacies in the modeling of these inertial sensors have presented issues of reliability and functionality of micro-/nano-scale gyroscopes. In this work, a micromechanical model is developed to represent the unique microstructure of nanocrystalline materials and simulate the response of micro-/nano-gyroscope comprising an electrostatically-actuated cantilever beam with a tip mass at the free end. Couple stress and surface elasticity theories are integrated into the classical Euler-Bernoulli beam model in order to derive a size-dependent model. This model is then used to investigate the influence of size-dependent effects on the static pull-in instability, the natural frequencies and the performance output of gyroscopes as the scale decreases from micro-to nano-scale. The simulation results show significant changes in the static pull-in voltage and the natural frequency as the scale of the system is decreased. However, the differential frequency between the two vibration modes of the gyroscope is observed to drastically decrease as the size of the gyroscope is reduced. As such, the frequency-based operation mode may not be an efficient strategy for nano-gyroscopes. The results show that a strong coupling between the surface elasticity and material structure takes place when smaller grain sizes and higher void percentages are considered.

  17. Size effects on failure behaviour of reactor pressure vessel steel and their dependence on deformation inhomogeneity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aktaa, J.; Klotz, M.; Schmitt, R.

    2003-01-01

    The investigation of the size dependence of the material behaviour and particularly of the failure strain is the main objective of the European research project LISSAC (Limit Strains for Severe Accident Conditions). Within our activities in LISSAC, tensile test series with specimens of similar geometry and different sizes are performed. The specimens, cut from the wall of a real reactor vessel, are flat with a central hole, flat with a double edge notch as well as round with a circumferential notch in order to obtain inhomogeneous deformation with high strain gradients, which will be higher in the smaller specimens and might be responsible for size effects. An additional variation of the strain gradient is obtained by varying the central hole radius of the flat specimens, with three different hole geometries being considered: round hole, increased round hole and slot. During the tests optical methods are used for measuring local deformations and partly local strain gradients. The results obtained show a size effect neither on the global nor on the local deformation behaviour, whereas the damage and failure behaviour is influenced significantly by the size of the specimen. On the basis of the surface deformation measurements, finite element calculations are performed to estimate the local failure strains as well as the corresponding strain gradients. A clear dependence of local failure strains on strain gradients is obtained. (author)

  18. Possible pore size effects on the state of tris(8-quinolinato)aluminum(III) (Alq3) adsorbed in mesoporous silicas and their temperature dependence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tagaya, Motohiro; Ogawa, Makoto

    2008-12-07

    The states of tris(8-quinolinato)aluminum(III) (Alq3) adsorbed in mesoporous silicas with different pore sizes (2.5, 3.1 and 5.0 nm) were investigated. Alq3 was successfully occluded into the mesoporous silicas from solution and the adsorbed amount of Alq3 per BET surface area was effectively controlled by changing the added amount Alq3 to the solution. The state of Alq3 in the mesopore varied depending on the pore size as well as the adsorbed amount of Alq3 as revealed by variation of the photoluminescence spectra. The luminescence of the adsorbed Alq3 was found to be temperature-dependent, indicating the mobility of the adsorbed Alq3 to temperature variations. The temperature-dependence also depended on the pore size. The guest-guest interactions between Alq3 molecules as well as the host-guest interactions between Alq3 and the mesopore were controlled by the pore size.

  19. Modeling motoneuron firing properties: dependency on size and calcium dynamics

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Heyden, M. J.; Hilgevoord, A. A.; Bour, L. J.; Ongerboer de Visser, B. W.

    1994-01-01

    The origin of functional differences between motoneurons of varying size was investigated by employing a one-compartmental motoneuron model containing a slow K+ conductance dependent on the intracellular calcium concentration. The size of the cell was included as an explicit parameter. Simulations

  20. Size-dependent deformation behavior of nanocrystalline graphene sheets

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, Zhi [State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi (China); Huang, Yuhong [College of Physics and Information Technology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710062, Shaanxi (China); Ma, Fei, E-mail: mafei@mail.xjtu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi (China); Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong (China); Sun, Yunjin [Faculty of Food Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing Key Laboratory of Agricultural Product Detection and Control of Spoilage Organisms and Pesticide Residue, Beijing Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety, Beijing 102206 (China); Xu, Kewei, E-mail: kwxu@mail.xjtu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi (China); Department of Physics and Opt-electronic Engineering, Xi’an University of Arts and Science, Xi’an 710065, Shaanxi (China); Chu, Paul K., E-mail: paul.chu@cityu.edu.hk [Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong (China)

    2015-08-15

    Highlights: • MD simulation is conducted to study the deformation of nanocrystalline graphene. • Unexpectedly, the elastic modulus decreases with the grain size considerably. • But the fracture stress and strain are nearly insensitive to the grain size. • A composite model with grain domains and GBs as two components is suggested. - Abstract: Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation is conducted to study the deformation behavior of nanocrystalline graphene sheets. It is found that the graphene sheets have almost constant fracture stress and strain, but decreased elastic modulus with grain size. The results are different from the size-dependent strength observed in nanocrystalline metals. Structurally, the grain boundaries (GBs) become a principal component in two-dimensional materials with nano-grains and the bond length in GBs tends to be homogeneously distributed. This is almost the same for all the samples. Hence, the fracture stress and strain are almost size independent. As a low-elastic-modulus component, the GBs increase with reducing grain size and the elastic modulus decreases accordingly. A composite model is proposed to elucidate the deformation behavior.

  1. Field size dependence of wedge factor: miniphantom vs full phantom measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Allen Li, X.; Szanto, J.; Soubra, M.; Gerig, L. H.

    1995-01-01

    It is empirically known that the transmission factor for wedge in a high-energy photon beam is dependent upon field size and depth of measurement. The field-size dependence of wedge factors may be attributed to changes in (i) head scatter, (ii) phantom scatter, and (iii) backscatter from the wedge into the linac monitor chamber. In this work we present the results of studies designed to examine each of these factors in isolation. The wedge factors for wedges with nominal wedge angles of 15 deg. , 30 deg. , 45 deg. and 60 deg. were measured with a 3-g/cm 2 -diameter narrow cylindrical phantom (miniphantom), a brass cap with 1.5-g/cm 2 side-wall thickness and a full water phantom for 6-, 10- and 18-MV photon beams. The measurements were performed with and without flattening filter in place. The wedge factors measured with the miniphantom and the brass cap exclude the phantom scatter contribution. It has been found that the field-size behaviour of wedge factor measured with full water phantom is similar to that measured with the miniphantom and cap. This indicates that the head scatter radiation is the major contributor to the field size dependence of wedge factors. Wedge factors measured with water phantom are up to 5.0% smaller than those measured with miniphantom. This difference increases with wedge angle. When Measured with the flattening filter removed, the field size dependence of the wedge factor is reduced. This justify that the flattening filter is one of the major contributors to head scatters. The measurement results made with the brass cap agree well with those made by using the miniphantom. By measuring the monitor chamber output, it is found that the backscatters from the wedge into the linac ion chamber have little effect on the field size dependence of the wedge factor

  2. Particle size- and concentration-dependent separation of magnetic nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Witte, Kerstin, E-mail: witte@micromod.de [University of Rostock, Institute of Physics, Albert-Einstein-Str. 23, 18059 Rostock (Germany); Micromod Partikeltechnologie GmbH, Friedrich-Barnewitz-Str. 4, 18119 Rostock (Germany); Müller, Knut; Grüttner, Cordula; Westphal, Fritz [Micromod Partikeltechnologie GmbH, Friedrich-Barnewitz-Str. 4, 18119 Rostock (Germany); Johansson, Christer [Acreo Swedish ICT AB, 40014 Göteborg (Sweden)

    2017-04-01

    Small magnetic nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution are of great interest for several biomedical applications. When the size of the particles decreases, the magnetic moment of the particles decreases. This leads to a significant increase in the separation time by several orders of magnitude. Therefore, in the present study the separation processes of bionized nanoferrites (BNF) with different sizes and concentrations were investigated with the commercial Sepmag Q system. It was found that an increasing initial particle concentration leads to a reduction of the separation time for large nanoparticles due to the higher probability of building chains. Small nanoparticles showed exactly the opposite behavior with rising particle concentration up to 0.1 mg(Fe)/ml. For higher iron concentrations the separation time remains constant and the measured Z-average decreases in the supernatant at same time intervals. At half separation time a high yield with decreasing hydrodynamic diameter of particles can be obtained using higher initial particle concentrations. - Highlights: • Size dependent separation processes of multicore nanoparticles. • Concentration dependent separation processes of multicore nanoparticles. • Increasing separation time with rising concentrations for small particles. • Large particles show typical cooperative magnetophoresis behavior.

  3. The effect of alcohols on red blood cell mechanical properties and membrane fluidity depends on their molecular size.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sonmez, Melda; Ince, Huseyin Yavuz; Yalcin, Ozlem; Ajdžanović, Vladimir; Spasojević, Ivan; Meiselman, Herbert J; Baskurt, Oguz K

    2013-01-01

    The role of membrane fluidity in determining red blood cell (RBC) deformability has been suggested by a number of studies. The present investigation evaluated alterations of RBC membrane fluidity, deformability and stability in the presence of four linear alcohols (methanol, ethanol, propanol and butanol) using ektacytometry and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. All alcohols had a biphasic effect on deformability such that it increased then decreased with increasing concentration; the critical concentration for reversal was an inverse function of molecular size. EPR results showed biphasic changes of near-surface fluidity (i.e., increase then decrease) and a decreased fluidity of the lipid core; rank order of effectiveness was butanol > propanol > ethanol > methanol, with a significant correlation between near-surface fluidity and deformability (r = 0.697; palcohol enhanced the impairment of RBC deformability caused by subjecting cells to 100 Pa shear stress for 300 s, with significant differences from control being observed at higher concentrations of all four alcohols. The level of hemolysis was dependent on molecular size and concentration, whereas echinocytic shape transformation (i.e., biconcave disc to crenated morphology) was observed only for ethanol and propanol. These results are in accordance with available data obtained on model membranes. They document the presence of mechanical links between RBC deformability and near-surface membrane fluidity, chain length-dependence of the ability of alcohols to alter RBC mechanical behavior, and the biphasic response of RBC deformability and near-surface membrane fluidity to increasing alcohol concentrations.

  4. A surface flaw sizing study by time-of-flight ultrasonic technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lamy, C.A.

    1990-07-01

    In this work, sizing of inclined slits and surface cracks in ferritic steel using the ultrasonic time-of-flight technique was studied. The surface cracks were vertical and inclined, nut the slits were only inclined. It was surface Rayleigh wave that was converted to shear wave mode in the material. The specimens with surface crack were submitted to a three four point loading fracture mechanics tests, so that the region of the crack tip became under an increasing tensile stress. Thus, the ultrasonic crack sizing could be compared to the material stress intensity factor (K) of the material for different loadings. Results show that the greater the slope and/or lenght of the slits the greater its subsizing. Vertical cracks int he parent metal are reliably and accuratly sized; in the weld the same remark held if one increases the gain of ultrasonic flaw detector to compensate for the weld attenuation phenomenon. Sizing of inclined cracks in the parent metal shows the same trends of the inclined slits, differing only in slopes over 30 sup(0) where the sizing in surface cracks is no longer reliable. A new appraisal procedure here proposed made reliable these results. The techniques employed in this work lead to reliable and accurate results for sizing of different slits and cracks. It should be noted however that good results are only obtained if a tensile stress state exists in the neighbourhood of the c rack tip. (author)

  5. Size-dependent diffusion promotes the emergence of spatiotemporal patterns

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhang, Lai; Thygesen, Uffe Høgsbro; Banerjee, Malay

    2014-01-01

    intraspecific physiological variations at the individual level. Here we explore the impacts of size variation within species resulting from individual ontogeny, on the emergence of spatiotemporal patterns in a fully size-structured population model. We found that size dependency of animal's diffusivity greatly......, we found that the single-generation cycle is more likely to drive spatiotemporal patterns compared to predator-prey cycles, meaning that the mechanism of Hopf bifurcation might be more common than hitherto appreciated since the former cycle is more widespread than the latter in case of interacting...

  6. Laser Surface Modification of H13 Die Steel using Different Laser Spot Sizes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aqida, S. N.; Naher, S.; Brabazon, D.

    2011-05-01

    This paper presents a laser surface modification process of AISI H13 tool steel using three sizes of laser spot with an aim to achieve reduced grain size and surface roughness. A Rofin DC-015 diffusion-cooled CO2 slab laser was used to process AISI H13 tool steel samples. Samples of 10 mm diameter were sectioned to 100 mm length in order to process a predefined circumferential area. The parameters selected for examination were laser peak power, overlap percentage and pulse repetition frequency (PRF). Metallographic study and image analysis were done to measure the grain size and the modified surface roughness was measured using two-dimensional surface profilometer. From metallographic study, the smallest grain sizes measured by laser modified surface were between 0.51 μm and 2.54 μm. The minimum surface roughness, Ra, recorded was 3.0 μm. This surface roughness of the modified die steel is similar to the surface quality of cast products. The grain size correlation with hardness followed the findings correlate with Hall-Petch relationship. The potential found for increase in surface hardness represents an important method to sustain tooling life.

  7. Body size-dependent Cd accumulation in the zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha from different routes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Wen-Li; Evans, Douglas; Kraemer, Lisa; Zhong, Huan

    2017-02-01

    Understanding body size-dependent metal accumulation in aquatic organisms (i.e., metal allometry) is critical in interpreting biomonitoring data. While growth has received the most attention, little is known about controls of metal exposure routes on metal allometry. Here, size-dependent Cd accumulation in zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) from different routes were investigated by exposing mussels to A.( 111 Cd spiked algae+ 113 Cd spiked river water) or B.( 111 Cd spiked sediments+ 113 Cd spiked river water). After exposure, 111 Cd or 113 Cd levels in mussel tissue were found to be negatively correlated with tissue weight, while Cd allometry coefficients (b values) were dependent on Cd exposure routes: -0.664 for algae, -0.241 for sediments and -0.379 for river water, compared to -0.582 in un-exposed mussels. By comparing different Cd exposure routes, we found that size-dependent Cd bioaccumulation from algae or river water could be more responsible for the overall size-dependent Cd accumulation in mussels, and the relative importance of the two sources was dependent on mussel size ranges: Cadmium obtained from algae (algae-Cd) was more important in size-dependent Cd accumulation in smaller mussels (tissue dry weight  5 mg). In contrast, sediment-Cd contributed only a small amount to Cd accumulation in zebra mussels and may have little effect on size-dependent Cd bioaccumulation. Our results suggest that size-dependent Cd accumulation in mussels could be largely affected by exposure routes, which should be considered when trying to interpret Cd biomonitoring data of zebra mussels. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Effects of nanoscale size dependent parameters on lattice thermal ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    diameter dependence also indicates a strong control of surface effect in surface to bulk ratio for the 22 nm wire diameter. ... dimensional systems of variable transverse dimension using a large scale numerical transverse .... include unharmonic interaction (three-phonon Umklapp scattering,τU ), mass difference scat-.

  9. A simple method for estimating the size of nuclei on fractal surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Qiang

    2017-10-01

    Determining the size of nuclei on complex surfaces remains a big challenge in aspects of biological, material and chemical engineering. Here the author reported a simple method to estimate the size of the nuclei in contact with complex (fractal) surfaces. The established approach was based on the assumptions of contact area proportionality for determining nucleation density and the scaling congruence between nuclei and surfaces for identifying contact regimes. It showed three different regimes governing the equations for estimating the nucleation site density. Nuclei in the size large enough could eliminate the effect of fractal structure. Nuclei in the size small enough could lead to the independence of nucleation site density on fractal parameters. Only when nuclei match the fractal scales, the nucleation site density is associated with the fractal parameters and the size of the nuclei in a coupling pattern. The method was validated by the experimental data reported in the literature. The method may provide an effective way to estimate the size of nuclei on fractal surfaces, through which a number of promising applications in relative fields can be envisioned.

  10. Observation of a hole-size-dependent energy shift of the surface-plasmon resonance in Ni antidot thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fang, H.; Akinoglu, E. M.; Fumagalli, P., E-mail: paul.fumagalli@fu-berlin.de [Institut für Experimentalphysik, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin (Germany); Caballero, B.; García-Martín, A. [IMM-Instituto de Microelectrónica de Madrid (CNM-CSIC), Isaac Newton 8, PTM, Tres Cantos, E-28760 Madrid (Spain); Papaioannou, E. Th. [Fachbereich Physik and Landesforschungszentrum OPTIMAS, Technische Universität Kaiserslautern, 67663 Kaiserslautern (Germany); Cuevas, J. C. [Departamento de Física Teórica de la Materia Condensada and Condensed Matter Physics Center (IFIMAC), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, E-28049 Madrid (Spain); Giersig, M. [Institut für Experimentalphysik, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin (Germany); Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin, Institute of Nanoarchitectures for Energy Conversion, 14195 Berlin (Germany)

    2015-04-13

    A combined experimental and theoretical study of the magneto-optic properties of a series of nickel antidot thin films is presented. The hole diameter varies from 869 down to 636 nm, while the lattice periodicity is fixed at 920 nm. This results in an overall increase of the polar Kerr rotation with decreasing hole diameter due to the increasing surface coverage with nickel. In addition, at photon energies of 2.7 and 3.3 eV, where surface-plasmon excitations are expected, we observe distinct features in the polar Kerr rotation not present in continuous nickel films. The spectral position of the peaks exhibits a red shift with decreasing hole size. This is explained within the context of an effective medium theory by a change in the effective dielectric function of the Ni thin films.

  11. Field size and dose distribution of electron beam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kang, Wee Saing

    1980-01-01

    The author concerns some relations between the field size and dose distribution of electron beams. The doses of electron beams are measured by either an ion chamber with an electrometer or by film for dosimetry. We analyzes qualitatively some relations; the energy of incident electron beams and depths of maximum dose, field sizes of electron beams and depth of maximum dose, field size and scatter factor, electron energy and scatter factor, collimator shape and scatter factor, electron energy and surface dose, field size and surface dose, field size and central axis depth dose, and field size and practical range. He meets with some results. They are that the field size of electron beam has influence on the depth of maximum dose, scatter factor, surface dose and central axis depth dose, scatter factor depends on the field size and energy of electron beam, and the shape of the collimator, and the depth of maximum dose and the surface dose depend on the energy of electron beam, but the practical range of electron beam is independent of field size

  12. Cytotoxicity and cellular uptake of tri-block copolymer nanoparticles with different size and surface characteristics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bhattacharjee Sourav

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Polymer nanoparticles (PNP are becoming increasingly important in nanomedicine and food-based applications. Size and surface characteristics are often considered to be important factors in the cellular interactions of these PNP, although systematic investigations on the role of surface properties on cellular interactions and toxicity of PNP are scarce. Results Fluorescent, monodisperse tri-block copolymer nanoparticles with different sizes (45 and 90 nm and surface charges (positive and negative were synthesized, characterized and studied for uptake and cytotoxicity in NR8383 and Caco-2 cells. All types of PNP were taken up by the cells. The positive smaller PNP45 (45 nm showed a higher cytotoxicity compared to the positive bigger PNP90 (90 nm particles including reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm, induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS production, ATP depletion and TNF-α release. The negative PNP did not show any cytotoxic effect. Reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm, uncoupling of the electron transfer chain in mitochondria and the resulting ATP depletion, induction of ROS and oxidative stress may all play a role in the possible mode of action for the cytotoxicity of these PNP. The role of receptor-mediated endocytosis in the intracellular uptake of different PNP was studied by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM. Involvement of size and charge in the cellular uptake of PNP by clathrin (for positive PNP, caveolin (for negative PNP and mannose receptors (for hydroxylated PNP were found with smaller PNP45 showing stronger interactions with the receptors than bigger PNP90. Conclusions The size and surface characteristics of polymer nanoparticles (PNP; 45 and 90 nm with different surface charges play a crucial role in cellular uptake. Specific interactions with cell membrane-bound receptors (clathrin, caveolin and mannose leading to cellular internalization were observed to depend on

  13. Size and surface AREA analysis of some metallic and intermetallic powders

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elmasry, M.A.A.; Elsayed, A.A.; Abadir, M.F.

    1988-01-01

    The powder characterization of three intermetallic compounds ( Cr B, B 4 c and S ib 4 ) and three metallic powders (Fe, Co, and Ni) has been performed. This included the determination of powder density, chemical analysis, impurity analysis, shape factor, particle size analysis and specific surface area. The particle size analysis for the six powders was carried out using three techniques, namely; the 0-23, the microtrac and the fisher sub sieve and size. It was found that the analysis of the two powders and deviates from the log-normal probability distribution and the deviation was corrected. The specific surface area of the powders was measured using the high speed surface area analysis (BET method), and it was also calculated from surface area analysis findings, the BET technique was found to give the highest specific surface area values, and was attributed to the inclusion of internal porosity in the measurement. 8 fig., 10 tab

  14. Size-dependent proinflammatory effects of ultrafine polystyrene particles: a role for surface area and oxidative stress in the enhanced activity of ultrafines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, D M; Wilson, M R; MacNee, W; Stone, V; Donaldson, K

    2001-09-15

    Studies into the effects of ultrafine particles in the lung have shown adverse effects considered to be due in part to the particle size. Air pollution particles (PM(10)) are associated with exacerbations of respiratory disease and deaths from cardiovascular causes in epidemiological studies and the ultrafine fraction of PM(10) has been hypothesized to play an important role. The aim of the present study was to investigate proinflammatory responses to various sizes of polystyrene particles as a simple model of particles of varying size including ultrafine. In the animal model, we demonstrated that there was a significantly greater neutrophil influx into the rat lung after instillation of 64-nm polystyrene particles compared with 202- and 535-nm particles and this was mirrored in other parameters of lung inflammation, such as increased protein and lactate dehydrogenase in bronchoalveolar lavage. When surface area instilled was plotted against inflammation, these two variables were directly proportional and the line passed through zero. This suggests that surface area drives inflammation in the short term and that ultrafine particles cause a greater inflammatory response because of the greater surface area they possess. In vitro, we measured the changes in intracellular calcium concentration in mono mac 6 cells in view of the potential role of calcium as a signaling molecule. Calcium changes after particle exposure may be important in leading to proinflammatory gene expression such as chemokines. We demonstrated that only ultrafine polystyrene particles induced a significant increase in cytosolic calcium ion concentration. Experiments using dichlorofluorescin diacetate demonstrated greater oxidant activity of the ultrafine particles, which may explain their activity in these assays. There were significant increases in IL-8 gene expression in A549 epithelial cells after treatment with the ultrafine particles but not particles of other sizes. These findings suggest

  15. Size-Dependent Axonal Bouton Dynamics following Visual Deprivation In Vivo

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosanna P. Sammons

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Persistent synapses are thought to underpin the storage of sensory experience, yet little is known about their structural plasticity in vivo. We investigated how persistent presynaptic structures respond to the loss of primary sensory input. Using in vivo two-photon (2P imaging, we measured fluctuations in the size of excitatory axonal boutons in L2/3 of adult mouse visual cortex after monocular enucleation. The average size of boutons did not change after deprivation, but the range of bouton sizes was reduced. Large boutons decreased, and small boutons increased. Reduced bouton variance was accompanied by a reduced range of correlated calcium-mediated neural activity in L2/3 of awake animals. Network simulations predicted that size-dependent plasticity may promote conditions of greater bidirectional plasticity. These predictions were supported by electrophysiological measures of short- and long-term plasticity. We propose size-dependent dynamics facilitate cortical reorganization by maximizing the potential for bidirectional plasticity.

  16. Size dependence of elastic mechanical properties of nanocrystalline aluminum

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu, Wenwu; Dávila, Lilian P., E-mail: ldavila@ucmerced.edu

    2017-04-24

    The effect of grain size on the elastic mechanical properties of nanocrystalline pure metal Al is quantified by molecular dynamics simulation method. In this work, the largest nanocrystalline Al sample has a mean grain size of 29.6 nm and contains over 100 millions atoms in the modeling system. The simulation results show that the elastic properties including elastic modulus and ultimate tensile strength of nanocrystalline Al are relatively insensitive to the variation of mean grain size above 13 nm yet they become distinctly grain size dependent below 13 nm. Moreover, at a grain size <13 nm, the elastic modulus decreases monotonically with decreasing grain size while the ultimate tensile strength of nanocrystalline Al initially decreases with the decrease of the grain size down to 9 nm and then increases with further reduction of grain size. The increase of ultimate tensile strength below 9 nm is believed to be a result of an extended elasticity in the ultrafine grain size nanocrystalline Al. This study can facilitate the prediction of varied mechanical properties for similar nanocrystalline materials and even guide testing and fabrication schemes of such materials.

  17. The effect of alcohols on red blood cell mechanical properties and membrane fluidity depends on their molecular size.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Melda Sonmez

    Full Text Available The role of membrane fluidity in determining red blood cell (RBC deformability has been suggested by a number of studies. The present investigation evaluated alterations of RBC membrane fluidity, deformability and stability in the presence of four linear alcohols (methanol, ethanol, propanol and butanol using ektacytometry and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR spectroscopy. All alcohols had a biphasic effect on deformability such that it increased then decreased with increasing concentration; the critical concentration for reversal was an inverse function of molecular size. EPR results showed biphasic changes of near-surface fluidity (i.e., increase then decrease and a decreased fluidity of the lipid core; rank order of effectiveness was butanol > propanol > ethanol > methanol, with a significant correlation between near-surface fluidity and deformability (r = 0.697; p<0.01. The presence of alcohol enhanced the impairment of RBC deformability caused by subjecting cells to 100 Pa shear stress for 300 s, with significant differences from control being observed at higher concentrations of all four alcohols. The level of hemolysis was dependent on molecular size and concentration, whereas echinocytic shape transformation (i.e., biconcave disc to crenated morphology was observed only for ethanol and propanol. These results are in accordance with available data obtained on model membranes. They document the presence of mechanical links between RBC deformability and near-surface membrane fluidity, chain length-dependence of the ability of alcohols to alter RBC mechanical behavior, and the biphasic response of RBC deformability and near-surface membrane fluidity to increasing alcohol concentrations.

  18. Time-dependent liquid metal flows with free convection and free surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McClelland, M.A.

    1990-11-01

    A finite element analysis is given for time-dependent liquid metal flows with free convection and free surfaces. Consideration is given to a two-dimensional shallow trough with vertical walls maintained at different temperatures. The spatial formulation incorporates mixed Lagrangian approximations to the velocity, pressure, temperature, and interface position. The time integration method is performed using the Trapezoid Rule with step-size control. The Galerkin method is employed to reduce the problem to a set of nonlinear algebraic equations which are solved with the Newton-Raphson method. Calculations are performed for conditions relevant to the electron beam vaporization of refractory metals. The Prandtl number is 0.015, and Grashof numbers are in the transition region between laminar and turbulent flow. The results reveal the effects of flow intensity, surface-tension gradients, and mesh and time-step refinement

  19. Porous silicon structures with high surface area/specific pore size

    Science.gov (United States)

    Northrup, M.A.; Yu, C.M.; Raley, N.F.

    1999-03-16

    Fabrication and use of porous silicon structures to increase surface area of heated reaction chambers, electrophoresis devices, and thermopneumatic sensor-actuators, chemical preconcentrates, and filtering or control flow devices. In particular, such high surface area or specific pore size porous silicon structures will be useful in significantly augmenting the adsorption, vaporization, desorption, condensation and flow of liquids and gases in applications that use such processes on a miniature scale. Examples that will benefit from a high surface area, porous silicon structure include sample preconcentrators that are designed to adsorb and subsequently desorb specific chemical species from a sample background; chemical reaction chambers with enhanced surface reaction rates; and sensor-actuator chamber devices with increased pressure for thermopneumatic actuation of integrated membranes. Examples that benefit from specific pore sized porous silicon are chemical/biological filters and thermally-activated flow devices with active or adjacent surfaces such as electrodes or heaters. 9 figs.

  20. Size dependence of non-magnetic thickness in YIG nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Niyaifar, M., E-mail: md.niyaifar@gmail.com; Mohammadpour, H.; Dorafshani, M.; Hasanpour, A.

    2016-07-01

    This study is focused on particle size dependence of structural and magnetic properties in yttrium iron garnet (Y{sub 3}Fe{sub 5}O{sub 12}) nanoparticles. A series of YIG samples with different particle size were produced by varying the annealing temperatures. The X-ray analysis revealed an inverse correlation between lattice parameter and the crystallite size. The normal distribution is used for fitting the particles size distribution which is extracted from scanning electron micrographs. Also, by using the results of vibrating sample magnetometer, the magnetic diameter was calculated based on Langevin model in order to investigate the variation of dead layer thickness. Furthermore, the observed line broadening in Mössbauer spectra confirmed the increase of non-magnetic thickness due to the reduction of particle size. - Highlights: • Pure phase Y{sub 3}Fe{sub 5}O{sub 12} nanoparticles are fabricated in different particle size by a thermal treatment. • The size effect on magnetic properties is studied with a core/shell (magnetic/nonmagnetic) model. • The logarithmic variation of (dead layer thickness)/(particle size) ratio with the particle size is investigated. • The results of Mossbauer are explained based on the correlation between lattice constant and particle size variation.

  1. Temperature dependence of surface nanobubbles

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Berkelaar, R.P.; Seddon, James Richard Thorley; Zandvliet, Henricus J.W.; Lohse, Detlef

    2012-01-01

    The temperature dependence of nanobubbles was investigated experimentally using atomic force microscopy. By scanning the same area of the surface at temperatures from 51 °C to 25 °C it was possible to track geometrical changes of individual nanobubbles as the temperature was decreased.

  2. A Heuristic Probabilistic Approach to Estimating Size-Dependent Mobility of Nonuniform Sediment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woldegiorgis, B. T.; Wu, F. C.; van Griensven, A.; Bauwens, W.

    2017-12-01

    Simulating the mechanism of bed sediment mobility is essential for modelling sediment dynamics. Despite the fact that many studies are carried out on this subject, they use complex mathematical formulations that are computationally expensive, and are often not easy for implementation. In order to present a simple and computationally efficient complement to detailed sediment mobility models, we developed a heuristic probabilistic approach to estimating the size-dependent mobilities of nonuniform sediment based on the pre- and post-entrainment particle size distributions (PSDs), assuming that the PSDs are lognormally distributed. The approach fits a lognormal probability density function (PDF) to the pre-entrainment PSD of bed sediment and uses the threshold particle size of incipient motion and the concept of sediment mixture to estimate the PSDs of the entrained sediment and post-entrainment bed sediment. The new approach is simple in physical sense and significantly reduces the complexity and computation time and resource required by detailed sediment mobility models. It is calibrated and validated with laboratory and field data by comparing to the size-dependent mobilities predicted with the existing empirical lognormal cumulative distribution function (CDF) approach. The novel features of the current approach are: (1) separating the entrained and non-entrained sediments by a threshold particle size, which is a modified critical particle size of incipient motion by accounting for the mixed-size effects, and (2) using the mixture-based pre- and post-entrainment PSDs to provide a continuous estimate of the size-dependent sediment mobility.

  3. Size dependence of the optical spectrum in nanocrystalline silver

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taneja, Praveen; Ayyub, Pushan; Chandra, Ramesh

    2002-01-01

    We report a detailed study of the optical reflectance in sputter-deposited, nanocrystalline silver thin films in order to understand the marked changes in color that occur with decreasing particle size. In particular, samples with an average particle size in the 20 to 35 nm range are golden yellow, while those with a size smaller than 15 nm are black. We simulate the size dependence of the observed reflection spectra by incorporating Mie's theory of scattering and absorption of light in small particles, into the bulk dielectric constant formalism given by Ehrenreich and Philipp [Phys. Rev. 128, 1622 (1962)]. This provides a general method for understanding the reflected color of a dense collection of nanoparticles, such as in a nanocrystalline thin film. A deviation from Mie's theory is observed due to strong interparticle interactions

  4. Dependence of size and size distribution on reactivity of aluminum nanoparticles in reactions with oxygen and MoO3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun, Juan; Pantoya, Michelle L.; Simon, Sindee L.

    2006-01-01

    The oxidation reaction of aluminum nanoparticles with oxygen gas and the thermal behavior of a metastable intermolecular composite (MIC) composed of the aluminum nanoparticles and molybdenum trioxide are studied with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) as a function of the size and size distribution of the aluminum particles. Both broad and narrow size distributions have been investigated with aluminum particle sizes ranging from 30 to 160 nm; comparisons are also made to the behavior of micrometer-size particles. Several parameters have been used to characterize the reactivity of aluminum nanoparticles, including the fraction of aluminum that reacts prior to aluminum melting, heat of reaction, onset and peak temperatures, and maximum reaction rates. The results indicate that the reactivity of aluminum nanoparticles is significantly higher than that of the micrometer-size samples, but depending on the measure of reactivity, it may also depend strongly on the size distribution. The isoconversional method was used to calculate the apparent activation energy, and the values obtained for both the Al/O 2 and Al/MoO 3 reaction are in the range of 200-300 kJ/mol

  5. Manipulating surface wettability and oil absorbency of diatomite depending on processing and ambient conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Özen, İlhan; Şimşek, Süleyman; Okyay, Gamze

    2015-03-01

    In this study, a diatomite sample, which is a natural inorganic mineral with inherently high water and oil absorption capacity, was subjected to grinding before surface modification. Afterwards, the diatomite surface was modified via facile methods using a fluorocarbon (FC) chemical and stearic acid (SA) in addition to the sol-gel fluorosilanization (FS) process. The water and oil wettability, and oil absorbency properties of the unmodified and modified diatomites were investigated in addition to diatomite characterizations such as chemical content, surface area, particle size distribution, morphology, and modification efficiency. It was revealed that the wettability was changed completely depending on the surface modification agent and the media used, while the oil absorbency property surprisingly did not change. On the other hand, the oil absorbency was worsened by the grinding process, whereas the wettability was not affected.

  6. Uniform deposition of size-selected clusters using Lissajous scanning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beniya, Atsushi; Watanabe, Yoshihide; Hirata, Hirohito

    2016-01-01

    Size-selected clusters can be deposited on the surface using size-selected cluster ion beams. However, because of the cross-sectional intensity distribution of the ion beam, it is difficult to define the coverage of the deposited clusters. The aggregation probability of the cluster depends on coverage, whereas cluster size on the surface depends on the position, despite the size-selected clusters are deposited. It is crucial, therefore, to deposit clusters uniformly on the surface. In this study, size-selected clusters were deposited uniformly on surfaces by scanning the cluster ions in the form of Lissajous pattern. Two sets of deflector electrodes set in orthogonal directions were placed in front of the sample surface. Triangular waves were applied to the electrodes with an irrational frequency ratio to ensure that the ion trajectory filled the sample surface. The advantages of this method are simplicity and low cost of setup compared with raster scanning method. The authors further investigated CO adsorption on size-selected Pt n (n = 7, 15, 20) clusters uniformly deposited on the Al 2 O 3 /NiAl(110) surface and demonstrated the importance of uniform deposition.

  7. Uniform deposition of size-selected clusters using Lissajous scanning

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Beniya, Atsushi; Watanabe, Yoshihide, E-mail: e0827@mosk.tytlabs.co.jp [Toyota Central R& D Labs., Inc., 41-1 Yokomichi, Nagakute, Aichi 480-1192 (Japan); Hirata, Hirohito [Toyota Motor Corporation, 1200 Mishuku, Susono, Shizuoka 410-1193 (Japan)

    2016-05-15

    Size-selected clusters can be deposited on the surface using size-selected cluster ion beams. However, because of the cross-sectional intensity distribution of the ion beam, it is difficult to define the coverage of the deposited clusters. The aggregation probability of the cluster depends on coverage, whereas cluster size on the surface depends on the position, despite the size-selected clusters are deposited. It is crucial, therefore, to deposit clusters uniformly on the surface. In this study, size-selected clusters were deposited uniformly on surfaces by scanning the cluster ions in the form of Lissajous pattern. Two sets of deflector electrodes set in orthogonal directions were placed in front of the sample surface. Triangular waves were applied to the electrodes with an irrational frequency ratio to ensure that the ion trajectory filled the sample surface. The advantages of this method are simplicity and low cost of setup compared with raster scanning method. The authors further investigated CO adsorption on size-selected Pt{sub n} (n = 7, 15, 20) clusters uniformly deposited on the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/NiAl(110) surface and demonstrated the importance of uniform deposition.

  8. Optical extinction dependence on wavelength and size distribution of airborne dust

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pangle, Garrett E.; Hook, D. A.; Long, Brandon J. N.; Philbrick, C. R.; Hallen, Hans D.

    2013-05-01

    The optical scattering from laser beams propagating through atmospheric aerosols has been shown to be very useful in describing air pollution aerosol properties. This research explores and extends that capability to particulate matter. The optical properties of Arizona Road Dust (ARD) samples are measured in a chamber that simulates the particle dispersal of dust aerosols in the atmospheric environment. Visible, near infrared, and long wave infrared lasers are used. Optical scattering measurements show the expected dependence of laser wavelength and particle size on the extinction of laser beams. The extinction at long wavelengths demonstrates reduced scattering, but chemical absorption of dust species must be considered. The extinction and depolarization of laser wavelengths interacting with several size cuts of ARD are examined. The measurements include studies of different size distributions, and their evolution over time is recorded by an Aerodynamic Particle Sizer. We analyze the size-dependent extinction and depolarization of ARD. We present a method of predicting extinction for an arbitrary ARD size distribution. These studies provide new insights for understanding the optical propagation of laser beams through airborne particulate matter.

  9. Size-dependent electronic properties of metal nanostructures

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Table of contents. Size-dependent electronic properties of metal nanostructures · Slide 2 · Slide 3 · Slide 4 · Slide 5 · Slide 6 · Slide 7 · Slide 8 · Slide 9 · Slide 10 · Slide 11 · Slide 12 · Slide 13 · Slide 14 · Slide 15 · Slide 16 · Slide 17 · Slide 18 · Slide 19 · Nanocrystalline film at liquid-liquid interface · Slide 21 · Slide 22.

  10. Dry deposition to vegetated surfaces: parametric dependencies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Underwood, B.Y.

    1987-12-01

    The dry deposition velocity of airborne pollutants to vegetated surfaces depends on the physico-chemical form of the pollutant, on meteorological conditions (windspeed, atmospheric stability) and on characteristics of the surface cover. This report examines these dependencies, drawing on experimental data and on information from theoretical analyses. A canopy model is outlined which uses first-order closure of the equations for turbulent transport of momentum (or matter), with losses of momentum (or matter) to individual canopy elements parameterised in terms of the mean windspeed: the model has previously been tested against experimental data on an artificial 'grass' canopy. The model is used to elucidate the features of the dependence of deposition velocity on windspeed and on whether the pollutant is in gaseous or particulate form: in the former case, the dependence on the molecular diffusivity of the gas is shown; in the latter case, dependencies on particle diameter and density are deduced. The predictions are related to available measurements. Additional hypotheses are introduced to treat the influence of atmospheric stability on deposition, and the analysis is used to shed light on the somewhat confusing picture that has emerged from past experimental studies. In considering the dependence of deposition velocity on the structural properties of the vegetation, it is established that more parameters than the single one conventionally used -aerodynamic roughness length - are needed to characterise the surface cover. Some indications of the extent of variation in deposition velocity from one type of vegetation to another are elicited from the model. (author)

  11. Size-dependent plastic deformation of twinned nanopillars in body-centered cubic tungsten

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Shuozhi; Startt, Jacob K.; Payne, Thomas G.; Deo, Chaitanya S.; McDowell, David L.

    2017-05-01

    Compared with face-centered cubic metals, twinned nanopillars in body-centered cubic (BCC) systems are much less explored partly due to the more complicated plastic deformation behavior and a lack of reliable interatomic potentials for the latter. In this paper, the fault energies predicted by two semi-empirical interatomic potentials in BCC tungsten (W) are first benchmarked against density functional theory calculations. Then, the more accurate potential is employed in large scale molecular dynamics simulations of tensile and compressive loading of twinned nanopillars in BCC W with different cross sectional shapes and sizes. A single crystal, a twinned crystal, and single crystalline nanopillars are also studied as references. Analyses of the stress-strain response and defect nucleation reveal a strong tension-compression asymmetry and a weak pillar size dependence in the yield strength. Under both tensile and compressive loading, plastic deformation in the twinned nanopillars is dominated by dislocation slip on {110} planes that are nucleated from the intersections between the twin boundary and the pillar surface. It is also found that the cross sectional shape of nanopillars affects the strength and the initial site of defect nucleation but not the overall stress-strain response and plastic deformation behavior.

  12. Microscopic Investigation of Reversible Nanoscale Surface Size Dependent Protein Conjugation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael A. Carpenter

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available Aβ1-40 coated 20 nm gold colloidal nanoparticles exhibit a reversible color change as pH is externally altered between pH 4 and 10. This reversible process may contain important information on the initial reversible step reported for the fibrillogenesis of Aβ (a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. We examined this reversible color change by microscopic investigations. AFM images on graphite surfaces revealed the morphology of Aβ aggregates with gold colloids. TEM images clearly demonstrate the correspondence between spectroscopic features and conformational changes of the gold colloid.

  13. Gamma-irradiated cationic starches: Paper surface-sizing agents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hofreiter, B.T.; Heath, H.D.; Schulte, M.I.; Phillips, B.S.

    1981-01-01

    Cationic starches, precisely depolymerized by gamma-irradiation ( 60 Co), were dispersed in mild alkali and evaluated as surface sizes for bond paper on a pilot paper machine. The irradiated products had excellent dispersion properties, were well retained on fibers when sized wastepaper (broke) was repulped and had an ability to enhance paper properties that was comparable to that of starch-based materials used commercially. A yellow corn flour, cationized by an essentially dry reaction process recently developed at this Center, was also radiolyzed and evaluated as a size. This latter product was unique in that all drying steps were eliminated in the preparation of a cationic ceral product of reduced viscosity. (orig.) [de

  14. Effect of droplet size on the droplet behavior on the heterogeneous surface

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Choi, Ho Yeon; Son, Sung Wan; Ha, ManYeong [Pusan National University, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Park, Yong Gap [Pusan National University, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-06-15

    The characteristics of a three-dimensional hemispherical droplet on a heterogeneous surface were studied using the Lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). The hydrophilic surface has a hydrophobic part at the center. The hemispherical droplets are located at the center of the heterogeneous surface. According to the contact angles of hydrophilic and hydrophobic bottom surfaces, the droplet either separates or reaches a new equilibrium state. The separation time varies according to the change in droplet size, and it affects the status of droplet separation. The droplet separation behavior was investigated by analyzing the velocity vector around the phase boundary line. The shape and separation time of a droplet are determined by the contact angle of each surface. The speed of droplet separation increases as the difference in contact angle increases between the hydrophobic surface and hydrophilic surface. The separation status and the separation time of a droplet are also determined by the change of the droplet size. As the size of the droplet decreases, the effect of surface tension decreases, and the separation time of the droplet also decreases. On the other hand, as the droplet becomes larger, the effect of surface tension increases and the time required for the droplet to separate also increases.

  15. Size-dependent cytotoxicity of yttrium oxide nanoparticles on primary osteoblasts in vitro

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhou, Guoqiang, E-mail: zhougq1982@163.com; Li, Yunfei; Ma, Yanyan; Liu, Zhu; Cao, Lili; Wang, Da; Liu, Sudan; Xu, Wenshi; Wang, Wenying [Hebei University, Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Diagnosis of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Hebei Province, College of Chemistry and Environmental Science (China)

    2016-05-15

    Yttrium oxide nanoparticles are an excellent host material for the rare earth metals and have high luminescence efficiency providing a potential application in photodynamic therapy and biological imaging. In this study, the effects of yttrium oxide nanoparticles with four different sizes were investigated using primary osteoblasts in vitro. The results demonstrated that the cytotoxicity generated by yttrium oxide nanoparticles depended on the particle size, and smaller particles possessed higher toxicological effects. For the purpose to elucidate the relationship between reactive oxygen species generation and cell damage, cytomembrane integrity, intracellular reactive oxygen species level, mitochondrial membrane potential, cell apoptosis rate, and activity of caspase-3 in cells were then measured. Increased reactive oxygen species level was also observed in a size-dependent way. Thus, our data demonstrated that exposure to yttrium oxide nanoparticles resulted in a size-dependent cytotoxicity in cultured primary osteoblasts, and reactive oxygen species generation should be one possible damage pathway for the toxicological effects produced by yttrium oxide particles. The results may provide useful information for more rational applications of yttrium oxide nanoparticles in the future.

  16. In Vivo Quantitative Study of Sized-Dependent Transport and Toxicity of Single Silver Nanoparticles Using Zebrafish Embryos

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Kerry J.; Browning, Lauren M.; Nallathamby, Prakash D.; Desai, Tanvi; Cherukui, Pavan K.; Xu, Xiao-Hong Nancy

    2012-01-01

    Nanomaterials possess distinctive physicochemical properties (e.g., small sizes, high surface area-to-volume ratios) and promise a wide variety of applications, ranging from design of high quality consumer products to effective disease diagnosis and therapy. These properties can lead to toxic effects, potentially hindering advance in nanotechnology. In this study, we have synthesized and characterized purified and stable (non-aggregation) silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs, 41.6±9.1 nm in average diameters), and utilized early-developing (cleavage-stage) zebrafish embryos (critical aquatic and eco- species) as in vivo model organisms to probe diffusion and toxicity of Ag NPs. We found that single Ag NPs (30–72 nm diameters) passively diffused into the embryos through chorionic pores via random Brownian motion and stayed inside the embryos throughout their entire development (120 hours-post-fertilization, hpf). Dose and size dependent toxic effects of the NPs on embryonic development were observed, showing the possibility of tuning biocompatibility and toxicity of the NPs. At lower concentrations of the NPs (≤ 0.02 nM), 75–91% of embryos developed to normal zebrafish. At the higher concentrations of NPs (≥ 0.20 nM), 100% of embryos became dead. At the concentrations in between (0.02–0.2 nM), embryos developed to various deformed zebrafish. Number and sizes of individual Ag NPs embedded in tissues of normal and deformed zebrafish at 120 hpf were quantitatively analyzed, showing deformed zebrafish with higher number of larger NPs than normal zebrafish, and size-dependent nanotoxicity. By comparing with our previous studies of smaller Ag NPs (11.6±3.5 nm), the results further demonstrate striking size-dependent nanotoxicity that, at the same molar concentration, the larger Ag NPs (41.6±9.1 nm) are more toxic than the smaller Ag NPs (11.6±3.5 nm). PMID:22486336

  17. Durable superhydrophobic paper enabled by surface sizing of starch-based composite films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Gang; Zhu, Penghui; Kuang, Yudi; Liu, Yu; Lin, Donghan; Peng, Congxing; Wen, Zhicheng; Fang, Zhiqiang

    2017-07-01

    Superhydrophobic paper with remarkable durability is of considerable interest for its practical applications. In this study, a scalable, inexpensive, and universal surface sizing technique was implemented to prepare superhydrophobic paper with enhanced durability. A thin layer of starch-based composite, acting as a bio-binder, was first coated onto the paper surface by a sophisticated manufacturing technique called surface sizing, immediately followed by a spray coating of hexamethyl disilazane treated silica nanoparticles (HMDS-SiNPs) dispersed in ethanol on the surface of the wet starch-coated sheet, and the dual layers dried at the same time. Consequently, durable superhydrophobic paper with bi-layer structure was obtained after air drying. The as-prepared superhydrophobic paper not only exhibited a self-cleaning behavior, but also presented an enhanced durability against scratching, bending/deformation, as well as moisture. The universal surface sizing of starch-based composites may pave the way for the up-scaled and cost-effective production of durable superhydrophobic paper.

  18. Surface modification and particles size distribution control in nano-CdS/polystyrene composite film

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Min Zhirong; Ming Qiuzhang; Hai Chunliang; Han Minzeng

    2003-01-01

    Preparation of nano-CdS particles with surface thiol modification by microemulsion method and their influences on the particle size distribution in highly filled polystyrene-based composites were studied. The modified nano-CdS was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), light absorption and emission measurements to reveal the morphologies of the surface modifier, which are consistent with the surface molecules packing calculation. The morphologies of the surface modifier exerted a great influence not only on the optical performance of the particles themselves, but also on the size distribution of the particle in polystyrene matrix. A monolayer coverage with tightly packed thiol molecules was believed to be most effective in promoting a uniform particle size distribution and eliminating the surface defects that cause radiationless recombination. Control of the particles size distribution in polystyrene can be attained by adjusting surface coverage status of the thiol molecules based on the strong interaction between the surface modifier and the matrix

  19. Continuous Size-Dependent Sorting of Ferromagnetic Nanoparticles in Laser-Ablated Microchannel

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yiqiang Fan

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper reports a low-cost method of continuous size-dependent sorting of magnetic nanoparticles in polymer-based microfluidic devices by magnetic force. A neodymium permanent magnet was used to generate a magnetic field perpendicular to the fluid flow direction. Firstly, FeNi3 magnetic nanoparticles were chemically synthesized with diameter ranges from 80 nm to 200 nm; then, the solution of magnetic nanoparticles and a buffer were passed through the microchannel in laminar flow; the magnetic nanoparticles were deflected from the flow direction under the applied magnetic field. Nanoparticles in the microchannel will move towards the direction of high-gradient magnetic fields, and the degree of deflection depends on their sizes; therefore, magnetic nanoparticles of different sizes can be separated and finally collected from different output ports. The proposed method offers a rapid and continuous approach of preparing magnetic nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution from an arbitrary particle size distribution. The proposed new method has many potential applications in bioanalysis field since magnetic nanoparticles are commonly used as solid support for biological entities such as DNA, RNA, virus, and protein. Other than the size sorting application of magnetic nanoparticles, this approach could also be used for the size sorting and separation of naturally magnetic cells, including blood cells and magnetotactic bacteria.

  20. Unraveling the size-dependent optical properties of dissolved organic matter

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wünsch, Urban; Stedmon, Colin; Tranvik, Lars

    2018-01-01

    The size-dependent optical properties of dissolved organic matter (DOM) from four Swedish lakes were investigated using High Performance Size Exclusion Chromatography (HPSEC) in conjunction with online characterization of absorbance (240–600 nm) and fluorescence (excitation: 275 nm, emission: 300....... This study demonstrates the potential for HPSEC and novel mathematical approaches to provide unprecedented insights into the relationship between optical and chemical properties of DOM in aquatic systems...

  1. Size-dependent elastic moduli and vibrational properties of fivefold twinned copper nanowires

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Y. G.; Zhao, Y. T.; Ye, H. F.; Zhang, H. W.

    2014-08-01

    Based on atomistic simulations, the elastic moduli and vibration behaviors of fivefold twinned copper nanowires are investigated in this paper. Simulation results show that the elastic (i.e., Young’s and shear) moduli exhibit size dependence due to the surface effect. The effective Young’s modulus is found to decrease slightly whereas the effective shear modulus increases slightly with the increase in the wire radius. Both moduli tend to approach certain values at a larger radius and can be suitably described by core-shell composite structure models. Furthermore, we show by comparing simulation results and continuum predictions that, provided the effective Young’s and shear moduli are used, classic elastic theory can be applied to describe the small-amplitude vibration of fivefold twinned copper nanowires. Moreover, for the transverse vibration, the Timoshenko beam model is more suitable because shear deformation becomes apparent.

  2. Size-dependent elastic moduli and vibrational properties of fivefold twinned copper nanowires

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zheng, Y G; Zhao, Y T; Ye, H F; Zhang, H W

    2014-01-01

    Based on atomistic simulations, the elastic moduli and vibration behaviors of fivefold twinned copper nanowires are investigated in this paper. Simulation results show that the elastic (i.e., Young’s and shear) moduli exhibit size dependence due to the surface effect. The effective Young’s modulus is found to decrease slightly whereas the effective shear modulus increases slightly with the increase in the wire radius. Both moduli tend to approach certain values at a larger radius and can be suitably described by core-shell composite structure models. Furthermore, we show by comparing simulation results and continuum predictions that, provided the effective Young’s and shear moduli are used, classic elastic theory can be applied to describe the small-amplitude vibration of fivefold twinned copper nanowires. Moreover, for the transverse vibration, the Timoshenko beam model is more suitable because shear deformation becomes apparent. (paper)

  3. A Reactive Oxide Overlayer on Rh Nanoparticles during CO Oxidation and Its Size Dependence Studied by in Situ Ambient Pressure XPS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grass, Michael E.; Zhang, Yawen; Butcher, Derek R.; Park, Jeong Y.; Li, Yimin; Bluhm, Hendrik; Bratlie, Kaitlin M.; Zhang, Tianfu; Somorjai, Gabor A.

    2008-01-01

    CO oxidation is one of the most studied heterogeneous reactions, being scientifically and industrially important, particularly for removal of CO from exhaust streams and preferential oxidation for hydrogen purification in fuel cell applications. The precious metals Ru, Rh, Pd, Pt, and Au are most commonly used for this reaction because of their high activity and stability. Despite the wealth of experimental and theoretical data, it remains unclear what is the active surface for CO oxidation under catalytic conditions for these metals. In this communication, we utilize in situ synchrotron ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (APXPS) to monitor the oxidation state at the surface of Rh nanoparticles during CO oxidation and demonstrate that the active catalyst is a surface oxide, the formation of which is dependent on particle size. The amount of oxide formed and the reaction rate both increase with decreasing particle size.

  4. Effective size of density-dependent two-sex populations: the effect of mating systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Myhre, A M; Engen, S; SAEther, B-E

    2017-08-01

    Density dependence in vital rates is a key feature affecting temporal fluctuations of natural populations. This has important implications for the rate of random genetic drift. Mating systems also greatly affect effective population sizes, but knowledge of how mating system and density regulation interact to affect random genetic drift is poor. Using theoretical models and simulations, we compare N e in short-lived, density-dependent animal populations with different mating systems. We study the impact of a fluctuating, density-dependent sex ratio and consider both a stable and a fluctuating environment. We find a negative relationship between annual N e /N and adult population size N due to density dependence, suggesting that loss of genetic variation is reduced at small densities. The magnitude of this decrease was affected by mating system and life history. A male-biased, density-dependent sex ratio reduces the rate of genetic drift compared to an equal, density-independent sex ratio, but a stochastic change towards male bias reduces the N e /N ratio. Environmental stochasticity amplifies temporal fluctuations in population size and is thus vital to consider in estimation of effective population sizes over longer time periods. Our results on the reduced loss of genetic variation at small densities, particularly in polygamous populations, indicate that density regulation may facilitate adaptive evolution at small population sizes. © 2017 European Society For Evolutionary Biology. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2017 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

  5. Angle dependent focal spot size of a conical X-ray target

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saeed Raza, Hamid; Jin Kim, Hyun; Nam Kim, Hyun; Oh Cho, Sung

    2015-01-01

    Misaligned phantoms may severely affect the focal spot calculations. A method is proposed to determine the geometry of the X-ray target and the position of the image radiograph around the X-ray target to get a relatively smaller focal spot size. Results reveal that the focal spot size is not always isotropic around the target but it decreases as the point of observation shifts radially away from the center line of the conical X-ray target. This research will help in producing high quality X-ray images in multi-directions by properly aligning the phantoms and the radiograph tallies. - Highlights: • Misaligned phantoms may severely affect the focal spot calculations. • The aim of this research is to analyze systematically the angle dependent behavior of the focal spot size around a conical shaped X-ray target. • A general purpose Monte Carlo (MCNP5) computer code is used to achieve a relatively small focal spot size. • Angular distribution of the X-ray focal spot size mainly depends on the angular orientation of the phantom and its aligned FIR tally. • This research will help in producing high quality X-ray images in multi-directions

  6. Photoluminescence effects of graphitic core size and surface functional groups in carbon dots: COO− induced red-shift emission

    KAUST Repository

    Hola, Katerina; Bourlinos, Athanasios B.; Kozak, Ondrej; Berka, Karel; Siskova, Karolina M.; Havrdova, Marketa; Tucek, Jiri; Safarova, Klara; Otyepka, Michal; Giannelis, Emmanuel P.; Zboril, Radek

    2014-01-01

    We present a simple molecular approach to control the lipophilic/ hydrophilic nature of photoluminescent carbon dots (CDs) based on pyrolysis of alkyl gallate precursors. Depending on the gallic acid derivative used, CDs with different alkyl groups (methyl, propyl, lauryl) on the surface can be obtained by isothermal heating at 270 C. This precursor-derived approach allows not only the control of lipophilicity but also the length of the particular alkyl chain enables the control over both the size and photoluminescence (PL) of the prepared CDs. Moreover, the alkyl chains on the CDs surface can be readily converted to carboxylate groups via a mild base hydrolysis to obtain water dispersible CDs with a record biocompatibility. The observed differences in PL properties of CDs and time-resolved PL data, including contributions from carbogenic cores and surface functional group, are rationalized and discussed in detail using time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Photoluminescence effects of graphitic core size and surface functional groups in carbon dots: COO− induced red-shift emission

    KAUST Repository

    Hola, Katerina

    2014-04-01

    We present a simple molecular approach to control the lipophilic/ hydrophilic nature of photoluminescent carbon dots (CDs) based on pyrolysis of alkyl gallate precursors. Depending on the gallic acid derivative used, CDs with different alkyl groups (methyl, propyl, lauryl) on the surface can be obtained by isothermal heating at 270 C. This precursor-derived approach allows not only the control of lipophilicity but also the length of the particular alkyl chain enables the control over both the size and photoluminescence (PL) of the prepared CDs. Moreover, the alkyl chains on the CDs surface can be readily converted to carboxylate groups via a mild base hydrolysis to obtain water dispersible CDs with a record biocompatibility. The observed differences in PL properties of CDs and time-resolved PL data, including contributions from carbogenic cores and surface functional group, are rationalized and discussed in detail using time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. KIDNEY SIZE IN INFANTS OF TIGHTLY CONTROLLED INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETIC MOTHERS

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    BOS, AF; AALDERS, AL; VANDOORMAAL, JJ; MARTIJN, A; OKKEN, A

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in pregnant women on the kidney size of their infants. We measured kidney length in the first week of life using ultrasonography in 20 infants of tightly controlled insulin-dependent diabetic mothers and 20

  9. Lattice Constant Dependence on Particle Size for Ceria prepared from a Citrate Sol-Gel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morris, V N; Farrell, R A; Sexton, A M; Morris, M A

    2006-01-01

    High surface area ceria nanoparticles have been prepared using a citrate solgel precipitation method. Changes to the particle size have been made by calcining the ceria powders at different temperatures, and X-ray methods used to determine their lattice parameters. The particle sizes have been assessed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and the lattice parameter found to fall with decreasing particle size. The results are discussed in the light of the role played by surface tension effects

  10. Anomalous roughness of turbulent interfaces with system size dependent local roughness exponent

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balankin, Alexander S.; Matamoros, Daniel Morales

    2005-01-01

    In a system far from equilibrium the system size can play the role of control parameter that governs the spatiotemporal dynamics of the system. Accordingly, the kinetic roughness of interfaces in systems far from equilibrium may depend on the system size. To get an insight into this problem, we performed a detailed study of rough interfaces formed in paper combustion experiments. Using paper sheets of different width λ, we found that the turbulent flame fronts display anomalous multi-scaling characterized by non-universal global roughness exponent α and by the system size dependent spectrum of local roughness exponents, ζ q (λ)=ζ 1 (1)q -ω λ φ q =0.93q -0.15 . The structure factor of turbulent flame fronts also exhibits unconventional scaling dependence on λ. These results are expected to apply to a broad range of far from equilibrium systems when the kinetic energy fluctuations exceed a certain critical value.

  11. Scale-Dependent Habitat Selection and Size-Based Dominance in Adult Male American Alligators.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bradley A Strickland

    Full Text Available Habitat selection is an active behavioral process that may vary across spatial and temporal scales. Animals choose an area of primary utilization (i.e., home range then make decisions focused on resource needs within patches. Dominance may affect the spatial distribution of conspecifics and concomitant habitat selection. Size-dependent social dominance hierarchies have been documented in captive alligators, but evidence is lacking from wild populations. We studied habitat selection for adult male American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis; n = 17 on the Pearl River in central Mississippi, USA, to test whether habitat selection was scale-dependent and individual resource selectivity was a function of conspecific body size. We used K-select analysis to quantify selection at the home range scale and patches within the home range to determine selection congruency and important habitat variables. In addition, we used linear models to determine if body size was related to selection patterns and strengths. Our results indicated habitat selection of adult male alligators was a scale-dependent process. Alligators demonstrated greater overall selection for habitat variables at the patch level and less at the home range level, suggesting resources may not be limited when selecting a home range for animals in our study area. Further, diurnal habitat selection patterns may depend on thermoregulatory needs. There was no relationship between resource selection or home range size and body size, suggesting size-dependent dominance hierarchies may not have influenced alligator resource selection or space use in our sample. Though apparent habitat suitability and low alligator density did not manifest in an observed dominance hierarchy, we hypothesize that a change in either could increase intraspecific interactions, facilitating a dominance hierarchy. Due to the broad and diverse ecological roles of alligators, understanding the factors that influence their

  12. Scale-dependent habitat selection and size-based dominance in adult male American alligators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strickland, Bradley A.; Vilella, Francisco; Belant, Jerrold L.

    2016-01-01

    Habitat selection is an active behavioral process that may vary across spatial and temporal scales. Animals choose an area of primary utilization (i.e., home range) then make decisions focused on resource needs within patches. Dominance may affect the spatial distribution of conspecifics and concomitant habitat selection. Size-dependent social dominance hierarchies have been documented in captive alligators, but evidence is lacking from wild populations. We studied habitat selection for adult male American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis; n = 17) on the Pearl River in central Mississippi, USA, to test whether habitat selection was scale-dependent and individual resource selectivity was a function of conspecific body size. We used K-select analysis to quantify selection at the home range scale and patches within the home range to determine selection congruency and important habitat variables. In addition, we used linear models to determine if body size was related to selection patterns and strengths. Our results indicated habitat selection of adult male alligators was a scale-dependent process. Alligators demonstrated greater overall selection for habitat variables at the patch level and less at the home range level, suggesting resources may not be limited when selecting a home range for animals in our study area. Further, diurnal habitat selection patterns may depend on thermoregulatory needs. There was no relationship between resource selection or home range size and body size, suggesting size-dependent dominance hierarchies may not have influenced alligator resource selection or space use in our sample. Though apparent habitat suitability and low alligator density did not manifest in an observed dominance hierarchy, we hypothesize that a change in either could increase intraspecific interactions, facilitating a dominance hierarchy. Due to the broad and diverse ecological roles of alligators, understanding the factors that influence their social dominance

  13. The Effects of Particle Size on the Surface Properties of an HVOF Coating of WC-Co

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cho, Tong Yul; Yoon, Jae Hong; Yoon, Sang Hwan; Joo, Yun Kon [Changwon National University, Changwon (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Won Ho; Son, Young Bok [Xinix Metallizing Co., Ltd, Gyungnam (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-04-15

    The effects of particle size on the surface properties of HVOF spray coating were studied to improve of the durability of metal components. Micro and nano sized WC-12Co powders were coated on the surface of Inconel718, and the effects of particle size on surface properties were studied. Surface hardness was reduced when the particle sizes of the powder were decreased, because the larger specific surface area of the smaller particles caused greater heat absorption and decomposition of the hard WC to less hard W{sub 2}C and graphite. Porosity was increased by decreasing the particle size, because the larger specific surface area of the smaller particles caused a greater decomposition of WC to W{sub 2}C and free carbon. The free carbon formed carbon oxide gases which created the porous surface. The friction coefficient was reduced by decreasing the particle size because the larger specific surface area of the smaller particles produced more free carbon free Co and Co oxide which acted as solid lubricants. The friction coefficient increased when the surface temperature was increased from 25 to 500 ℃, due to local cold welding. To improve the durability of metal mechanical components, WC-Co coating with the proper particle size is recommended.

  14. Size-dependent interaction of silica nanoparticles with lysozyme and bovine serum albumin proteins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yadav, Indresh; Aswal, Vinod K.; Kohlbrecher, Joachim

    2016-05-01

    The interaction of three different sized (diameter 10, 18, and 28 nm) anionic silica nanoparticles with two model proteins—cationic lysozyme [molecular weight (MW) 14.7 kDa)] and anionic bovine serum albumin (BSA) (MW 66.4 kDa) has been studied by UV-vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). The adsorption behavior of proteins on the nanoparticles, measured by UV-vis spectroscopy, is found to be very different for lysozyme and BSA. Lysozyme adsorbs strongly on the nanoparticles and shows exponential behavior as a function of lysozyme concentration irrespective of the nanoparticle size. The total amount of adsorbed lysozyme, as governed by the surface-to-volume ratio, increases on lowering the size of the nanoparticles for a fixed volume fraction of the nanoparticles. On the other hand, BSA does not show any adsorption for all the different sizes of the nanoparticles. Despite having different interactions, both proteins induce similar phase behavior where the nanoparticle-protein system transforms from one phase (clear) to two phase (turbid) as a function of protein concentration. The phase behavior is modified towards the lower concentrations for both proteins with increasing the nanoparticle size. DLS suggests that the phase behavior arises as a result of the nanoparticles' aggregation on the addition of proteins. The size-dependent modifications in the interaction potential, responsible for the phase behavior, have been determined by SANS data as modeled using the two-Yukawa potential accounting for the repulsive and attractive interactions in the systems. The protein-induced interaction between the nanoparticles is found to be short-range attraction for lysozyme and long-range attraction for BSA. The magnitude of attractive interaction irrespective of protein type is enhanced with increase in the size of the nanoparticles. The total (attractive+repulsive) potential leading to two-phase formation is found to be

  15. Sample-size dependence of diversity indices and the determination of sufficient sample size in a high-diversity deep-sea environment

    OpenAIRE

    Soetaert, K.; Heip, C.H.R.

    1990-01-01

    Diversity indices, although designed for comparative purposes, often cannot be used as such, due to their sample-size dependence. It is argued here that this dependence is more pronounced in high diversity than in low diversity assemblages and that indices more sensitive to rarer species require larger sample sizes to estimate diversity with reasonable precision than indices which put more weight on commoner species. This was tested for Hill's diversity number N sub(0) to N sub( proportional ...

  16. Surface particle sizes on armoured gravel streambeds: Effects of supply and hydraulics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peter J. Whiting; John G. King

    2003-01-01

    Most gravel-bed streams exhibit a surface armour in which the median grain size of the surface particles is coarser than that of the subsurface particles. This armour has been interpreted to result when the supply of sediment is less than the ability of the stream to move sediment. While there may be certain sizes in the bed for which the supply is less than the...

  17. Statistical mechanics of surfaces with curvature dependent action

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jonsson, T.

    1987-01-01

    We review recent results about discretized random surfaces whose action (energy) depends on the extrinsic curvature. The surface tension scales to zero at an appropriate critical point if the coupling constant of the curvature term is taken to infinity. At this critical point one expects to be able to construct a continuum theory of smooth surfaces. (orig.)

  18. Evaluation of size dependent design shear strength of reinforced ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    to the development of the size dependent models on the shear strength in ... predict the diagonal cracking strength and the ultimate shear strength of RC ... ing strength of normal beams was by Zsutty (1968) based on the data base available without .... The comparison of the calculated shear strength of the beams is shown.

  19. Size and Site Dependence of the Catalytic Activity of Iridium Clusters toward Ethane Dehydrogenation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ge, Yingbin; Jiang, Hao; Kato, Russell; Gummagatta, Prasuna

    2016-12-01

    This research focuses on optimizing transition metal nanocatalyst immobilization and activity to enhance ethane dehydrogenation. Ethane dehydrogenation, catalyzed by thermally stable Ir n (n = 8, 12, 18) atomic clusters that exhibit a cuboid structure, was studied using the B3LYP method with triple-ζ basis sets. Relativistic effects and dispersion corrections were included in the calculations. In the dehydrogenation reaction Ir n + C 2 H 6 → H-Ir n -C 2 H 5 → (H) 2 -Ir n -C 2 H 4 , the first H-elimination is the rate-limiting step, primarily because the reaction releases sufficient heat to facilitate the second H-elimination. The catalytic activity of the Ir clusters strongly depends on the Ir cluster size and the specific catalytic site. Cubic Ir 8 is the least reactive toward H-elimination in ethane: Ir 8 + C 2 H 6 → H-Ir 8 -C 2 H 5 has a large (65 kJ/mol) energy barrier, whereas Ir 12 (3 × 2 × 2 cuboid) and Ir 18 (3 × 3 × 2 cuboid) lower this energy barrier to 22 and 3 kJ/mol, respectively. The site dependence is as prominent as the size effect. For example, the energy barrier for the Ir 18 + C 2 H 6 → H-Ir 18 -C 2 H 5 reaction is 3, 48, and 71 kJ/mol at the corner, edge, or face-center sites of the Ir 18 cuboid, respectively. Energy release due to Ir cluster insertion into an ethane C-H bond facilitates hydrogen migration on the Ir cluster surface, and the second H-elimination of ethane. In an oxygen-rich environment, oxygen molecules may be absorbed on the Ir cluster surface. The oxygen atoms bonded to the Ir cluster surface may slightly increase the energy barrier for H-elimination in ethane. However, the adsorption of oxygen and its reaction with H atoms on the Ir cluster releases sufficient heat to yield an overall thermodynamically favored reaction: Ir n + C 2 H 6 + 1 / 2 O 2 → Ir n + C 2 H 4 + H 2 O. These results will be useful toward reducing the energy cost of ethane dehydrogenation in industry.

  20. Size matters: influence of the size of nanoparticles on their interactions with ligands immobilized on the solid surface.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piletska, Elena V; Piletsky, Sergey A

    2010-03-16

    The correlation between the size of biotinylated nanoparticles and their affinity in relation to interactions with the solid surface was investigated. The silica particles with a diameter of 50-200 nm containing amino groups on the surface were labeled with different quantities of biotin. The affinity properties of biotinylated nanoparticles were studied using a Biacore 3000 instrument equipped with a streptavidin-coated sensor chip (SA chip). It was shown that the increase in the particle size from 50 to 200 nm reduced the affinity (K(D)) of biotin-streptavidin interactions from 1.2 x 10(-12) to 1.2 x 10(-10) M. It was found that the particles with higher concentrations of immobilized biotin on particle surfaces demonstrated stronger binding with streptavidin.

  1. Cell Size and Growth Rate Are Modulated by TORC2-Dependent Signals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lucena, Rafael; Alcaide-Gavilán, Maria; Schubert, Katherine; He, Maybo; Domnauer, Matthew G; Marquer, Catherine; Klose, Christian; Surma, Michal A; Kellogg, Douglas R

    2018-01-22

    The size of all cells, from bacteria to vertebrates, is proportional to the growth rate set by nutrient availability, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. Here, we show that nutrients modulate cell size and growth rate via the TORC2 signaling network in budding yeast. An important function of the TORC2 network is to modulate synthesis of ceramide lipids, which play roles in signaling. TORC2-dependent control of ceramide signaling strongly influences both cell size and growth rate. Thus, cells that cannot make ceramides fail to modulate their growth rate or size in response to changes in nutrients. PP2A associated with the Rts1 regulatory subunit (PP2A Rts1 ) is embedded in a feedback loop that controls TORC2 signaling and helps set the level of TORC2 signaling to match nutrient availability. Together, the data suggest a model in which growth rate and cell size are mechanistically linked by ceramide-dependent signals arising from the TORC2 network. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Size-dependent melting modes and behaviors of Ag nanoparticles: a molecular dynamics study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Tianshou; Zhou, Dejian; Wu, Zhaohua; Shi, Pengpeng

    2017-12-01

    The size-dependent melting behaviors and mechanisms of Ag nanoparticles (NPs) with diameters of 3.5-16 nm were investigated by molecular dynamics (MD). Two distinct melting modes, non-premelting and premelting with transition ranges of about 7-8 nm, for Ag NPs were demonstrated via the evolution of distribution and transition of atomic physical states during annealing. The small Ag NPs (3.5-7 nm) melt abruptly without a stable liquid shell before the melting point, which is characterized as non-premelting. A solid-solid crystal transformation is conducted through the migration of adatoms on the surface of Ag NPs with diameters of 3.5-6 nm before the initial melting, which is mainly responsible for slightly increasing the melting point of Ag NPs. On the other hand, surface premelting of Ag NPs with diameters of 8-16 nm propagates from the outer shell to the inner core with initial anisotropy and late isotropy as the temperature increases, and the close-packed facets {111} melt by a side-consumed way which is responsible for facets {111} melting in advance relative to the crystallographic plane {111}. Once a stable liquid shell is formed, its size-independent minimum thickness is obtained, and a three-layer structure of atomic physical states is set up. Lastly, the theory of point defect-pair (vacancy-interstitial) severing as the mechanism of formation and movement of the solid-liquid interface was also confirmed. Our study provides a basic understanding and theoretical guidance for the research, production and application of Ag NPs.

  3. Different size biomolecules anchoring on porous silicon surface: fluorescence and reflectivity pores infiltration comparative studies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Giovannozzi, Andrea M.; Rossi, Andrea M. [National Institute for Metrological Research, Thermodynamic Division, Strada delle Cacce 91, 10135 Torino (Italy); Renacco, Chiara; Farano, Alessandro [Ribes Ricecrhe Srl, Via Lavoratori Vittime del Col du Mont 24, 11100 Aosta (Italy); Derosas, Manuela [Biodiversity Srl, Via Corfu 71, 25124 Brescia (Italy); Enrico, Emanuele [National Institute for Metrological Research, Electromagnetism Division, Strada delle Cacce 91, 10135 Torino (Italy)

    2011-06-15

    The performance of porous silicon optical based biosensors strongly depends on material nanomorphology, on biomolecules distribution inside the pores and on the ability to link sensing species to the pore walls. In this paper we studied the immobilization of biomolecules with different size, such as antibody anti aflatoxin (anti Aflatox Ab, {proportional_to}150 KDa), malate dehydrogenase (MDH, {proportional_to}36KDa) and metallothionein (MT, {proportional_to}6KDa) at different concentrations on mesoporous silicon samples ({proportional_to}15 nm pores diameter). Fluorescence measurements using FITC- labeled biomolecules and refractive index analysis based on reflectivity spectra have been employed together to detect the amount of proteins bound to the surface and to evaluate their diffusion inside the pores. Here we suggest that these two techniques should be used together to have a better understanding of what happens at the porous silicon surface. In fact, when pores dimensions are not perfectly tuned to the protein size a higher fluorescence signal doesn't often correspond to a higher biomolecules distribution inside the pores. When a too much higher concentration of biomolecule is anchored on the surface, steric crowd effects and repulsive interactions probably take over and hinder pores infiltration, inducing a small or absent shift in the fringe pattern even if a higher fluorescence signal is registered. (copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  4. Size-dependent structure of silver nanoparticles under high pressure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Koski, Kristie Jo [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

    2008-12-31

    Silver noble metal nanoparticles that are<10 nm often possess multiply twinned grains allowing them to adopt shapes and atomic structures not observed in bulk materials. The properties exhibited by particles with multiply twinned polycrystalline structures are often far different from those of single-crystalline particles and from the bulk. I will present experimental evidence that silver nanoparticles<10 nm undergo a reversible structural transformation under hydrostatic pressures up to 10 GPa. Results for nanoparticles in the intermediate size range of 5 to 10 nm suggest a reversible linear pressure-dependent rhombohedral distortion which has not been previously observed in bulk silver. I propose a mechanism for this transitiion that considers the bond-length distribution in idealized multiply twinned icosahedral particles. Results for nanoparticles of 3.9 nm suggest a reversible linear pressure-dependent orthorhombic distortion. This distortion is interpreted in the context of idealized decahedral particles. In addition, given these size-dependent measurements of silver nanoparticle compression with pressure, we have constructed a pressure calibration curve. Encapsulating these silver nanoparticles in hollow metal oxide nanospheres then allows us to measure the pressure inside a nanoshell using x-ray diffraction. We demonstrate the measurement of pressure gradients across nanoshells and show that these nanoshells have maximum resolved shear strengths on the order of 500 MPa to IGPa.

  5. Uniform TiO2 nanoparticles induce apoptosis in epithelial cell lines in a size-dependent manner.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Qingqing; Ishii, Takayuki; Kanehira, Koki; Sato, Takeshi; Taniguchi, Akiyoshi

    2017-05-02

    The size of titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanoparticles is a vital parameter that determines their cytotoxicity. However, most reported studies have employed irregular shapes and sizes of TiO 2 nanoparticles, as it is difficult to produce nanoparticles of suitable sizes for research. We produced good model TiO 2 nanoparticles of uniform shape and size for use in studying their cytotoxicity. In this work, spherical, uniform polyethylene glycol-modified TiO 2 (TiO 2 -PEG) nanoparticles of differing sizes (100, 200, and 300 nm) were prepared using the sol-gel method. A size-dependent decrease in cell viability was observed with increasing nanoparticle size. Furthermore, apoptosis was found to be positively associated with nanoparticle size, as evidenced by an increase in caspase-3 activity with increasing nanoparticle size. Larger nanoparticles exhibited higher cellular uptake, suggesting that larger nanoparticles more strongly induce apoptosis. In addition, the cellular uptake of different sizes of nanoparticles was energy dependent, suggesting that there are size-dependent uptake pathways. We found that 100 and 200 nm (but not 300 nm) nanoparticles were taken up via clathrin-mediated endocytosis. These results utilizing uniform nanoparticles suggest that the size-dependent cytotoxicity of nanoparticles involves active cellular uptake, caspase-3 activation, and apoptosis in the epithelial cell line (NCI-H292). These findings will hopefully aid in the future design and safe use of nanoparticles.

  6. Processing surface sizing starch using oxidation, enzymatic hydrolysis and ultrasonic treatment methods--Preparation and application.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brenner, Tobias; Kiessler, Birgit; Radosta, Sylvia; Arndt, Tiemo

    2016-03-15

    The surface application of starch is a well-established method for increasing paper strength. In surface sizing, a solution of degraded starch is applied to the paper. Two procedures have proved valuable for starch degradation in the paper mill: enzymatic and thermo-oxidative degradation. The objective of this study was to determine achievable efficiencies of cavitation in preparing degraded starch for surface application on paper. It was found that ultrasonic-assisted starch degradation can provide a starch solution that is suitable for surface sizing. The molecular composition of starch solutions prepared by ultrasonic treatment differed from that of starch solutions degraded by enzymes or by thermo-oxidation. Compared to commercial degradation processes, this resulted in intensified film formation and in greater penetration during surface sizing and ultimately in a higher starch content of the paper. Paper sized with ultrasonically treated starch solutions show the same strength properties compared to commercially sized paper. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Synthesis of high efficient Cu/TiO2 photocatalysts by grinding and their size-dependent photocatalytic hydrogen production

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ni, Dawei; Shen, Haiyan; Li, Huiqiao; Ma, Ying; Zhai, Tianyou

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Cu nanodots were decorated on TiO 2 surface through ball milling method. • Its size distribution was investigated in water and ethanolic medium. • Photocurrent response and hydrogen evolution was improved. • Performance was found to be dependent on size of Cu nanodots. - Abstract: Recently, copper species have been extensively investigated to replace Pt as efficient co-catalysts for the evolution of H 2 due to their low cost and relatively high activity. Cu nanoparticles less than 5 nm are successfully decorated on TiO 2 surface in this work by an easy and mild milling process. These Cu nanoparticles are highly dispersed on TiO 2 when the loading amount of Cu is no more than 10 wt%. The sizes of Cu nanoparticles can be controlled by changing the milling environment and decrease in the order of Cu-ethanol > Cu-water > Cu nanoparticles obtained through drying milling. The highest and stable hydrogen generation can be realized on Cu/TiO 2 with 2.0 wt% Cu and sizes of Cu nanoparticles ranging from 2 to 4 nm, in which high and stable photocurrent confirms promoted photogenerated charge separation. Smaller Cu clusters are demonstrated to be detrimental to hydrogen evolution at same Cu content. High loading of Cu nanoparticles of 2–4 nm will benefit photogenerated electron-hole recombination and thus decrease the activity of Cu/TiO 2 . The results here demonstrate the key roles of Cu cluster size in addition to Cu coverage on photocatalytic activity of Cu/TiO 2 composite photocatalysts.

  8. Surfactant adsorption and aggregate structure of silica nanoparticles: a versatile stratagem for the regulation of particle size and surface modification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chaudhary, Savita; Rohilla, Deepak; Mehta, S K

    2014-01-01

    The area of silica nanoparticles is incredibly polygonal. Silica particles have aroused exceptional deliberation in bio-analysis due to great progress in particular arenas, for instance, biocompatibility, unique properties of modifiable pore size and organization, huge facade areas and pore volumes, manageable morphology and amendable surfaces, elevated chemical and thermal stability. Currently, silica nanoparticles participate in crucial utilities in daily trade rationales such as power storage, chemical and genetic sensors, groceries dispensation and catalysis. Herein, the size-dependent interfacial relation of anionic silica nanoparticles with twelve altered categories of cationic surfactants has been carried out in terms of the physical chemical facets of colloid and interface science. The current analysis endeavours to investigate the virtual consequences of different surfactants through the development of the objective composite materials. The nanoparticle size controls, the surface-to-volume ratio and surface bend relating to its interaction with surfactant will also be addressed in this work. More importantly, the simulated stratagem developed in this work can be lengthened to formulate core–shell nanostructures with functional nanoparticles encapsulated in silica particles, making this approach valuable and extensively pertinent for employing sophisticated materials for catalysis and drug delivery. (papers)

  9. Size of pancreas in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: a study based on CT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shin, Ju Won; Yoon, Soon Min; Yoon, Mi Jin; Song, Moon Gab; Kim, Yoon Suk; Yoon, Young Kyu; Jun, Se June

    1997-01-01

    To evaluate changes of pancreatic size with aging in control subjects and in non-insulin- dependent diabetic patients. Two groups of non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients were examined; one had been treated with an oral hypoglycemic agent(n=59), and the other with insulin(n=56). The CT findings of 175 patients without clinical evidence of pancreatic disease were included as a normal control. In control subjects, pancreatic size and age correlated. The pancreas was smaller in non-insulin-dependent diabetics than in control subjects and smaller in insulin- treated non-insulin-dependent diabetics than in non-insulin treated patients. The pancreas was smaller in non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients than in control subjects within the same age range

  10. Model catalysis by size-selected cluster deposition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anderson, Scott [Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States)

    2015-11-20

    This report summarizes the accomplishments during the last four years of the subject grant. Results are presented for experiments in which size-selected model catalysts were studied under surface science and aqueous electrochemical conditions. Strong effects of cluster size were found, and by correlating the size effects with size-dependent physical properties of the samples measured by surface science methods, it was possible to deduce mechanistic insights, such as the factors that control the rate-limiting step in the reactions. Results are presented for CO oxidation, CO binding energetics and geometries, and electronic effects under surface science conditions, and for the electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction, ethanol oxidation reaction, and for oxidation of carbon by water.

  11. Size-Dependent Characterization of Atmospheric Particles during Winter in Beijing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haiyan Li

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Two real-time instruments, NCSA (Nanoparticle Chemical Speciation Analyzer and ACSA (Aerosol Chemical Speciation Analyzer, were both deployed in Beijing, China to explore the sized-dependent characterization of atmospheric particles. The mass concentrations of PM1, PM2.5, PM10, and sulfate and nitrate in the three size fractions were hourly measured in situ from 13 December 2013 to 7 January 2014. Generally, “sawtooth cycles” are common during winter in Beijing, with the PM concentrations increasing slowly over a few days, then falling to a low level abruptly in only a few hours. The secondary species, sulfate and nitrate, play important roles in haze formation and account for 10.5% and 11.1% of total PM1 mass on average. Based on the variation of PM1 mass concentrations, we classify the study periods into three categories, clean, slightly polluted, and polluted. The oxidation ratios of sulfur and nitrogen both increase from clean to polluted periods, indicating the significant contribution of secondary transformation to haze evolution. While the PM2.5/PM10 ratio shows high dependence on PM pollution level, the ratio of PM1/PM2.5 remains almost stable during the entire study, with an average of 0.90. With respect to the mass-size distribution of chemical components, both sulfate and nitrate show dominant contributions in PM1 size fraction, accounting for 80.7% and 60.3% of total sulfate and nitrate, respectively. Our results also reveal that the elevated sulfate in PM1, and the enhanced nitrate in PM1 and PM2.5–1 size fraction, prompt the formation of haze pollution.

  12. Gold nanoparticles: role of size and surface chemistry on blood protein adsorption

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Benetti, F., E-mail: filippo.benetti@unitn.it; Fedel, M. [BIOtech Research Centre (Italy); Minati, L.; Speranza, G. [Fondazione Bruno Kessler (Italy); Migliaresi, C. [BIOtech Research Centre (Italy)

    2013-06-15

    Material interaction with blood proteins is a critical issue, since it could influence the biological processes taking place in the body following implantation/injection. This is particularly important in the case of nanoparticles, where innovative properties, such as size and high surface to volume ratio can lead to a behavioral change with respect to bulk macroscopic materials and could be responsible for a potential risk for human health. The aim of this work was to compare gold nanoparticles (AuNP) and planar surfaces to study the role of surface curvature moving from the macro- to the nano-size in the process of blood protein adsorption. In the course of the study, different protocols were tested to optimize the analysis of protein adsorption on gold nanoparticles. AuNP with different size (10, 60 and 200 nm diameter) and surface coatings (citrate and polyethylene glycol) were carefully characterized. The stabilizing action of blood proteins adsorbed on AuNP was studied measuring the variation of size and solubility of the nanoparticles following incubation with single protein solutions (human serum albumin and fibrinogen) and whole blood plasma. In addition, we developed a method to elute proteins from AuNP to study the propensity of gold materials to adsorb plasma proteins in function of dimensional characteristics and surface chemistry. We showed a different efficacy of the various eluting media tested, proving that even the most aggressive agent cannot provide a complete detachment of the protein corona. Enhanced protein adsorption was evidenced on AuNP if compared to gold laminae (bare and PEGylated) used as macroscopic control, probably due to the superior AuNP surface reactivity.

  13. Anisotropic localized surface plasmon resonances in CuS nanoplates prepared by size-selective precipitation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamanaka, Yasushi; Yamada, Kaoru; Hirose, Tatsunori; Kuzuya, Toshihiro

    2018-05-01

    CuS nanoplates were synthesized by a colloidal method and separated into four fractions of nanoplates with different aspect ratios by a size-selective precipitation. In addition to a strong near infrared absorption band ascribed to the in-plane mode of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), we found a weak absorption band on the high frequency tail of the in-plane LSPR band. The frequency of the weak absorption band was almost constant and independent of the aspect ratio, while the in-plane LSPR band exhibited a strong aspect ratio dependence. These characteristics suggested that the weak absorption band is ascribed to the out-of-plane LSPR. Although the out-of-plane LSPR was expected to be difficult to observe for CuS nanoplates due to its low intensity and overlap with the strong in-plane resonance, we could successfully identify the out-of-plane mode by reducing the width of the size distribution and spectral broadening caused thereby.

  14. Spectral properties and lattice-size dependences in cluster algorithms

    OpenAIRE

    Kerler, W.

    1993-01-01

    Simulation results of Ising systems for several update rules, observables, and dimensions are analyzed. The lattice-size dependence is discussed for the autocorrelation times and for the weights of eigenvalues, giving fit results in the case of power laws. Implications of spectral properties are pointed out and the behavior of a particular observable not governed by detailed balance is explained.

  15. FDTD simulation study of size/gap and substrate-dependent SERS activity study of Au@SiO2 nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang Jing-Liang; Li Ruo-Ping; Han Jun-He; Huang Ming-Ju

    2016-01-01

    We use Au@SiO 2 nanoparticles (NPs) to systematically and comprehensively study the relationship between nanostructure and activity for surface-enhanced Raman scattering. Calculation simulation using the finite different time domain method verifies the experiment results and further reveals that the particle size and the distance between the NPs play vital roles in the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Furthermore, in order to better simulate the real experiment, a Au@SiO 2 nanosphere dimer is placed on the silicon substrate and Au substrate, separately. The simulation results show that the large EM field coupling is due to the “hot spots” transferred from the NP–NP gaps to NP–surface of metal gaps, meanwhile, more “hot spots” occur. We also find that the signal intensity strongly depends on the position of the probe molecule. This work provides a better understanding of EM field enhancement. (paper)

  16. Study on Size-Dependent Young’s Modulus of a Silicon Nano beam by Molecular Dynamics Simulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu, H.; Sun, C.; Zhang, W.W.; Lei, S.Y.; Huang, K.A.

    2013-01-01

    Young’s modulus of a silicon nano beam with a rectangular cross-section is studied by molecular dynamics method. Dynamic simulations are performed for doubly clamped silicon nano beams with lengths ranging from 4.888 to 12.491 nm and cross-sections ranging from 1.22 nm ×1.22 nm to 3.39 nm × 3.39 nm. The results show that Young’s moduli of such small silicon nano beams are much higher than the value of Young’s modulus for bulk silicon. Moreover, the resonant frequency and Young’s modulus of the Si nano beam are strongly dependent not only on the size of the nano beam but also on surface effects. Young’s modulus increases significantly with the decreasing of the thickness of the silicon nano beam. This result qualitatively agrees with one of the conclusions based on a semi continuum model, in which the surface relaxation and the surface tension were taken into consideration. The impacts of the surface reconstruction with (2 ×1) dimmers on the resonant frequency and Young’s modulus are studied in this paper too. It is shown that the surface reconstruction makes the silicon nano beam stiffer than the one without the surface reconstruction, resulting in a higher resonant frequency and a larger Young’s modulus

  17. Size-dependent characteristics of ultra-fine oxygen-enriched nanoparticles in austenitic steels

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Miao, Yinbin, E-mail: ymiao@anl.gov [Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439 (United States); University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Mo, Kun [Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439 (United States); Zhou, Zhangjian [University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100082 (China); Liu, Xiang; Lan, Kuan-Che [University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Zhang, Guangming [University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100082 (China); Miller, Michael K.; Powers, Kathy A. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 (United States); Stubbins, James F. [University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research (I2CNER), Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395 (Japan)

    2016-11-15

    Here, a coordinated investigation of the elemental composition and morphology of ultra-fine-scale nanoparticles as a function of size within a variety of austenitic oxide dispersion-strengthened (ODS) steels is reported. Atom probe tomography was utilized to evaluate the elemental composition of these nanoparticles. Meanwhile, the crystal structures and orientation relationships were determined by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The nanoparticles with sufficient size (>4 nm) to maintain a Y{sub 2}Ti{sub 2−x}O{sub 7−2x} stoichiometry were found to have a pyrochlore structure, whereas smaller Y{sub x}Ti{sub y}O{sub z} nanoparticles lacked a well-defined structure. The size-dependent characteristics of the nanoparticles in austenitic ODS steels differ from those in ferritic/martensitic ODS steels. - Highlights: • The structural and chemical characteristics of nanoparticles are revealed. • Nanoparticles' crystal structure and elemental composition are size-dependent. • Characteristics of austenitic ODS steels are compared to that of an F/M ODS steel. • Hypothesis about the formation mechanism of nanoparticles is proposed accordingly.

  18. Estimation of the PCR efficiency based on a size-dependent modelling of the amplification process

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lalam, N.; Jacob, C.; Jagers, P.

    2005-01-01

    We propose a stochastic modelling of the PCR amplification process by a size-dependent branching process starting as a supercritical Bienaymé–Galton–Watson transient phase and then having a saturation near-critical size-dependent phase. This model based on the concept of saturation allows one to

  19. Effect of sizing on carbon fiber surface properties and fibers/epoxy interfacial adhesion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dai Zhishuang; Shi Fenghui; Zhang Baoyan; Li Min; Zhang Zuoguang

    2011-01-01

    This paper aims to study effect of sizing on surface properties of carbon fiber and the fiber/epoxy interfacial adhesion by comparing sized and desized T300B and T700SC carbon fibers. By means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), activated carbon atoms can be detected, which are defined as the carbon atoms conjunction with oxygen and nitrogen. Surface chemistry analysis shows that the desized carbon fibers present less concentration of activated carbon, especially those connect with the hydroxyl and epoxy groups. Inverse gas chromatography (IGC) analysis reveals that the desized carbon fibers have larger dispersive surface energy γ S D and smaller polar component γ S SP than the commercial sized ones. Moreover, micro-droplet test shows that the interfacial shear strength (IFSS) of the desized carbon fiber/epoxy is higher than those of the T300B and T700SC. Variations of the IFSS for both the sized and desized carbon fibers correspond to γ S D /γ S tendency of the fiber surface, however the work of adhesion does not reveal close correlation with IFSS trend for different fiber/epoxy systems.

  20. Transient Properties of Probability Distribution for a Markov Process with Size-dependent Additive Noise

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamada, Yuhei; Yamazaki, Yoshihiro

    2018-04-01

    This study considered a stochastic model for cluster growth in a Markov process with a cluster size dependent additive noise. According to this model, the probability distribution of the cluster size transiently becomes an exponential or a log-normal distribution depending on the initial condition of the growth. In this letter, a master equation is obtained for this model, and derivation of the distributions is discussed.

  1. Size dependence of efficiency at maximum power of heat engine

    KAUST Repository

    Izumida, Y.; Ito, N.

    2013-01-01

    We perform a molecular dynamics computer simulation of a heat engine model to study how the engine size difference affects its performance. Upon tactically increasing the size of the model anisotropically, we determine that there exists an optimum size at which the model attains the maximum power for the shortest working period. This optimum size locates between the ballistic heat transport region and the diffusive heat transport one. We also study the size dependence of the efficiency at the maximum power. Interestingly, we find that the efficiency at the maximum power around the optimum size attains a value that has been proposed as a universal upper bound, and it even begins to exceed the bound as the size further increases. We explain this behavior of the efficiency at maximum power by using a linear response theory for the heat engine operating under a finite working period, which naturally extends the low-dissipation Carnot cycle model [M. Esposito, R. Kawai, K. Lindenberg, C. Van den Broeck, Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 150603 (2010)]. The theory also shows that the efficiency at the maximum power under an extreme condition may reach the Carnot efficiency in principle.© EDP Sciences Società Italiana di Fisica Springer-Verlag 2013.

  2. Size dependence of efficiency at maximum power of heat engine

    KAUST Repository

    Izumida, Y.

    2013-10-01

    We perform a molecular dynamics computer simulation of a heat engine model to study how the engine size difference affects its performance. Upon tactically increasing the size of the model anisotropically, we determine that there exists an optimum size at which the model attains the maximum power for the shortest working period. This optimum size locates between the ballistic heat transport region and the diffusive heat transport one. We also study the size dependence of the efficiency at the maximum power. Interestingly, we find that the efficiency at the maximum power around the optimum size attains a value that has been proposed as a universal upper bound, and it even begins to exceed the bound as the size further increases. We explain this behavior of the efficiency at maximum power by using a linear response theory for the heat engine operating under a finite working period, which naturally extends the low-dissipation Carnot cycle model [M. Esposito, R. Kawai, K. Lindenberg, C. Van den Broeck, Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 150603 (2010)]. The theory also shows that the efficiency at the maximum power under an extreme condition may reach the Carnot efficiency in principle.© EDP Sciences Società Italiana di Fisica Springer-Verlag 2013.

  3. Modeling the size dependent pull-in instability of beam-type NEMS using strain gradient theory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Koochi

    Full Text Available It is well recognized that size dependency of materials characteristics, i.e. size-effect, often plays a significant role in the performance of nano-structures. Herein, strain gradient continuum theory is employed to investigate the size dependent pull-in instability of beam-type nano-electromechanical systems (NEMS. Two most common types of NEMS i.e. nano-bridge and nano-cantilever are considered. Effects of electrostatic field and dispersion forces i.e. Casimir and van der Waals (vdW attractions have been considered in the nonlinear governing equations of the systems. Two different solution methods including numerical and Rayleigh-Ritz have been employed to solve the constitutive differential equations of the system. Effect of dispersion forces, the size dependency and the importance of coupling between them on the instability performance are discussed.

  4. Dependence of US hurricane economic loss on maximum wind speed and storm size

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhai, Alice R; Jiang, Jonathan H

    2014-01-01

    Many empirical hurricane economic loss models consider only wind speed and neglect storm size. These models may be inadequate in accurately predicting the losses of super-sized storms, such as Hurricane Sandy in 2012. In this study, we examined the dependences of normalized US hurricane loss on both wind speed and storm size for 73 tropical cyclones that made landfall in the US from 1988 through 2012. A multi-variate least squares regression is used to construct a hurricane loss model using both wind speed and size as predictors. Using maximum wind speed and size together captures more variance of losses than using wind speed or size alone. It is found that normalized hurricane loss (L) approximately follows a power law relation with maximum wind speed (V max ) and size (R), L = 10 c V max a R b , with c determining an overall scaling factor and the exponents a and b generally ranging between 4–12 and 2–4 respectively. Both a and b tend to increase with stronger wind speed. Hurricane Sandy’s size was about three times of the average size of all hurricanes analyzed. Based on the bi-variate regression model that explains the most variance for hurricanes, Hurricane Sandy’s loss would be approximately 20 times smaller if its size were of the average size with maximum wind speed unchanged. It is important to revise conventional empirical hurricane loss models that are only dependent on maximum wind speed to include both maximum wind speed and size as predictors. (letters)

  5. Femoral sizing in total knee arthroplasty is rotation dependant.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koninckx, Angelique; Deltour, Arnaud; Thienpont, Emmanuel

    2014-12-01

    The mismatch between the medio-lateral (ML) and the antero-posterior (AP) size of femoral components in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has been linked to gender, ethnicity, morphotype and height differences in patients. The hypothesis of this study was that the AP size measurement of a femoral component increases with more external rotation in posterior referencing TKA. During a 2-year period, 201 patients were included in this prospective study. The AP distance of the distal femur was measured with an AP sizer of the Vanguard (Biomet, Warsaw, US) knee system. This AP sizer allows to dial in external rotation by 1° increments and to determine the femoral size with an anterior boom. AP size was noted at 0°, 3° and 5° of external rotation and then compared for ML matching. Antero-posterior and corresponding ML sizes match perfectly for the Vanguard at 0° of external rotation and a central boom position on the anterior femoral surface. Then, the anterior boom was positioned on the antero-lateral cortex and the AP size increased a mean (SD) 1 (0.5) mm. With 3° of external rotation, the AP size increased a mean (SD) 2.3 (0.4) mm and for 5° a mean (SD) 3.8 (0.3) mm (P external rotation that is dialled in during surgery. Since these parameters vary case per case, the availability of narrow components offers more surgical options to the surgeon and its importance extends beyond the gender aspect allowing different amounts of external rotation to be used without ML overhang. II.

  6. Effect of the size of silica nanoparticles on wettability and surface chemistry of sol–gel superhydrophobic and oleophobic nanocomposite coatings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lakshmi, R.V., E-mail: lakshmi_rv@nal.res.in; Bera, Parthasarathi; Anandan, C.; Basu, Bharathibai J.

    2014-11-30

    Highlights: • Superhydrophobic coatings from Cab-O-Sil EH5 and M5 particles in MTEOS sol. • Particle size of Cab-O-Sil influenced its optimum concentration in coating. • FAS-13 modification improved the oleophobicity of the coating. • Coating surface exhibited porous structure with nanovoids and microscale bumps. • Coatings with Cab-O-Sil EH5 retained water repelling property for a long time. - Abstract: Superhydrophobic sol–gel nanocomposite coatings have been fabricated by incorporating silica nanoparticles with different particle sizes separately in an acid-catalyzed sol of methyltriethoxysilane (MTEOS). Water contact angle (WCA) of the coatings increased with increase in the concentration of silica nanoparticles in both the cases. The coatings became superhydrophobic at an optimum silica concentration. The water repellency was further improved by the addition of fluoroalkylsilane (FAS). The optimum silica concentration was found to depend on the size of silica nanoparticles and FAS content and the coatings exhibited WCA of about 160° and water sliding angle (WSA) of <2°. FAS addition also improved the oleophobicity of the coatings. The coatings exhibited oil-repellency with a lubricant oil contact angle of 126° and ethylene glycol contact angle of 153.3°. Surface morphology of the coatings analyzed using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) showed a rough surface with microscale bumps and nanoscale pores. XPS was used to study the surface composition of the coatings. The superhydrophobic property of the coatings was due to the synergistic effect of surface chemistry and surface microstructure and can be explained using Cassie-Baxter model.

  7. Size- and food-dependent growth drives patterns of competitive dominance along productivity gradients

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Huss, M.; Gårdmark, A.; van Leeuwen, A.; de Roos, A.M.

    2012-01-01

    Patterns of coexistence among competing species exhibiting size- and food-dependent growth remain largely unexplored. Here we studied mechanisms behind coexistence and shifts in competitive dominance in a size-structured fish guild, representing sprat and herring stocks in the Baltic Sea, using a

  8. Surface Potential and Particle Size Effect on the Rate of Perikinetic Coagulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Molina-Bolivar, J. A.; Galisteo-Gonzalez, F.; Cabrerizo-Vilchez, M.; Hidalgo-alvarez, R.

    1998-01-01

    The diffusion-controlled rapid coagulation rate of monodisperse polystyrene particles in aqueous solutions has been measured with a low angle scattering apparatus (nephelometer). We have refined this technique by using a narrow scattering flow cell and a pneumatic addicting-mixing device to introduce the salt solution and the latex sample in the cell. Coagulation rate constants were determined from analysis of the scattered light intensity dependence with time at an angle of 4.5 degree centigrade ± 1 degree centigrade. Experiments were designed to check the effects of particle size, surface potential and counterion valency on rapid coagulation constant. The particle ranged in diameter from 151 nm to 530 nm. The results are compared with the predictions of Smoluchowski's theory. Experiments to obtain the stability diagrams and the critical coagulation concentration of latexes have been performed. (Author) 31 refs

  9. Ash dust co-centration in the vicinity of the ash disposal site depending on the size of the pond (“Water Mirror”

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zoran Gršić

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Thermal power plants Nikola Tesla “A” and “B” are large sources of ash from their ashes/slag deposit sites. Total sizes of ashes/slag depots are 600ha and 382ha, with active cassettes having dimensions ∼200 ha and ∼130 ha. The active cassettes of the disposal sites are covered by rather large waste ponds, the sizes of vary depending on the working condition of a sluice system and on meteorological conditions. Modeling of ash lifting was attempted using results from the dust lifting research. The relation between sizes of ponds and air dust concentration in the vicinity of ash disposal sites was analyzed. As expected, greater sizes of dried disposal site surfaces in combination with stronger winds gave greater dust emission and greater air dust concentration.

  10. Tunable preparation of ruthenium nanoparticles with superior size-dependent catalytic hydrogenation properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhao, Yuan; Luo, Yaodong; Yang, Xuan; Yang, Yaxin; Song, Qijun, E-mail: qsong@jiangnan.edu.cn

    2017-06-15

    Highlights: • A facile and efficient strategy is firstly developed for the synthesis of Ru NPs. • Ru NPs are stable and uniform with the controllable sizes from 2.6 to 51.5 nm. • Ru NPs exhibit size-dependent and superior catalytic hydrogenation activity. - Abstract: Ruthenium (Ru) featured with an unusual catalytic behavior is of great significance in several heterogeneous and electro-catalytic reactions. The preparation of tractable Ru nanocatalysts and the building of highly active catalytic system at ambient temperature remains a grand challenge. Herein, a facile strategy is developed for the controllable preparation of Ru nanoparticles (NPs) with the sizes ranging from 2.6 to 51.5 nm. Ru NPs show superior size-dependent catalytic performance with the best kinetic rate constant as high as −1.52 min{sup −1}, which could far surpass the other traditional noble metals. Ru NPs exert exceedingly efficient low-temperature catalytic activity and good recyclability in the catalytic reduction of nitroaromatic compounds (NACs) and azo dyes. The developed catalytic system provides a distinguishing insight for the artificial preparation of Ru NPs with desired sizes, and allows for the development of rational design rules for exploring catalysts with superior catalytic performances, potentially broadening the applications of metallic NP-enabled catalytic analysis.

  11. Size-dependent pull-in instability of electrostatically actuated microbeam-based MEMS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Binglei; Zhou, Shenjie; Zhao, Junfeng; Chen, Xi

    2011-01-01

    We present a size-dependent model for electrostatically actuated microbeam-based MEMS using strain gradient elasticity theory. The normalized pull-in voltage is shown to increase nonlinearly with the decrease of the beam height, and the size effect becomes prominent if the beam thickness is on the order of microns or smaller (i.e. when the beam dimension is comparable to the material length scale parameter). Very good agreement is found between the present model and available experimental data. The study may be helpful to characterize the mechanical properties of small size MEMS, or guide the design of microbeam-based devices for a wide range of potential applications. (technical note)

  12. Size dependence of magnetization reversal of ring shaped magnetic tunnel junction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, C.C.; Kuo, C.Y.; Chang, Y.C.; Chang, C.C.; Horng, Lance; Wu, Teho; Chern, G.; Huang, C.Y.; Tsunoda, M.; Takahashi, M.; Wu, J.C.

    2007-01-01

    The size dependence of magnetization reversal of magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) rings has been investigated. The MTJ rings, with outer diameter of 4, 2 and 1 μm and inner diameter of 1.5, 1 and 0.5 μm were fabricated by a top-down technique. The magnetoresistance curves manifest all of the magnetic domain configurations during magnetization reversal in different sized rings. Various transition processes were observed, such as four transition, three transition and two transition in the largest, middle and smallest MTJ ring, respectively. Furthermore, the biasing fields observed from major loops decrease with decreasing size, which may result from edge roughness produced in the ion-milling process

  13. Investigation of sizing - from glass fibre surface to composite interface

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, Helga Nørgaard; Kusano, Yukihiro

    significantly. The usage span wide, from furniture and car components to construction materials. Even though, the concept of composites is well known and widely applied, the fundamental principles of the interaction of the constituents, in the composites are still not fully understood. This thesis is a part...... of the sizing from the glass fibre surface to the interface in composites. Through soxhlet extraction with acetone it was possible to remove a part of the sizing from the glass fibres for analysis. By burning off the sizing at 565 ºC a higher mass loss was obtained than from the extraction, indicating...... increased after the removal of sizing by extraction but also when the sizing was removed by burning. This could partly be explained by the sizing being less dense than the glass fibres. For the burned glass fibres compactment of the glass structure also yields an increase in stiffness. The fibre strength...

  14. Dependency of Nanodiamond Particle Size and Outermost-Surface Composition on Organo-Modification: Evaluation by Formation of Organized Molecular Films and Nanohybridization with Organic Polymers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tasaki, Taira; Guo, Yifei; Meng, Qi; Mamun, Muhammad Abdullah Al; Kasahara, Yusuke; Akasaka, Shuichi; Fujimori, Atsuhiro

    2017-04-26

    The formation behavior of organized organo-modified nanodiamond films and polymer nanocomposites has been investigated using nanodiamonds of several different particle sizes and outermost-surface compositions. The nanodiamond particle sizes used in this study were 3 and 5 nm, and the outermost surface contained -OH and/or -COOH groups. The nanodiamond was organo-modified to prepare -OH 2 + cations and -COO - anions on the outermost surface by carboxylic anion of fatty acid and long-chain phosphonium cation, respectively. The surface of nanodiamond is known to be covered with a nanolayer of adsorbed water, which was exploited here for the organo-modification of nanodiamond with long-chain fatty acids via adsorption, leading to nanodispersions of nanodiamond in general organic solvents as a mimic of solvency. Particle multilayers were then formed via the Langmuir-Blodgett technique and subjected to fine structural analysis. The organo-modification enabled integration and multilayer formation of inorganic nanoparticles due to enhancement of the van der Waals interactions between the chains. Therefore, "encounters" between the organo-modifying chain and the inorganic particles led to solubilization of the inorganic particles and enhanced interactions between the particles; this can be regarded as imparting a new functionality to the organic molecules. Nanocomposites with a transparent crystalline polymer were fabricated by nanodispersing the nanodiamond into the polymer matrix, which was achievable due to the organo-modification. The resulting transparent nanocomposites displayed enhanced degrees of crystallization and improved crystallization temperatures, compared with the neat polymer, due to a nucleation effect.

  15. Size-dependent axisymmetric vibration of functionally graded circular plates in bifurcation/limit point instability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ashoori, A. R.; Vanini, S. A. Sadough; Salari, E.

    2017-04-01

    In the present paper, vibration behavior of size-dependent functionally graded (FG) circular microplates subjected to thermal loading are carried out in pre/post-buckling of bifurcation/limit-load instability for the first time. Two kinds of frequently used thermal loading, i.e., uniform temperature rise and heat conduction across the thickness direction are considered. Thermo-mechanical material properties of FG plate are supposed to vary smoothly and continuously throughout the thickness based on power law model. Modified couple stress theory is exploited to describe the size dependency of microplate. The nonlinear governing equations of motion and associated boundary conditions are extracted through generalized form of Hamilton's principle and von-Karman geometric nonlinearity for the vibration analysis of circular FG plates including size effects. Ritz finite element method is then employed to construct the matrix representation of governing equations which are solved by two different strategies including Newton-Raphson scheme and cylindrical arc-length method. Moreover, in the following a parametric study is accompanied to examine the effects of the several parameters such as material length scale parameter, temperature distributions, type of buckling, thickness to radius ratio, boundary conditions and power law index on the dimensionless frequency of post-buckled/snapped size-dependent FG plates in detail. It is found that the material length scale parameter and thermal loading have a significant effect on vibration characteristics of size-dependent circular FG plates.

  16. Nanoscale size dependence parameters on lattice thermal conductivity of Wurtzite GaN nanowires

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mamand, S.M.; Omar, M.S.; Muhammad, A.J.

    2012-01-01

    Graphical abstract: Temperature dependence of calculated lattice thermal conductivity of Wurtzite GaN nanowires. Highlights: ► A modified Callaway model is used to calculate lattice thermal conductivity of Wurtzite GaN nanowires. ► A direct method is used to calculate phonon group velocity for these nanowires. ► 3-Gruneisen parameter, surface roughness, and dislocations are successfully investigated. ► Dislocation densities are decreases with the decrease of wires diameter. -- Abstract: A detailed calculation of lattice thermal conductivity of freestanding Wurtzite GaN nanowires with diameter ranging from 97 to 160 nm in the temperature range 2–300 K, was performed using a modified Callaway model. Both longitudinal and transverse modes are taken into account explicitly in the model. A method is used to calculate the Debye and phonon group velocities for different nanowire diameters from their related melting points. Effect of Gruneisen parameter, surface roughness, and dislocations as structure dependent parameters are successfully used to correlate the calculated values of lattice thermal conductivity to that of the experimentally measured curves. It was observed that Gruneisen parameter will decrease with decreasing nanowire diameters. Scattering of phonons is assumed to be by nanowire boundaries, imperfections, dislocations, electrons, and other phonons via both normal and Umklapp processes. Phonon confinement and size effects as well as the role of dislocation in limiting thermal conductivity are investigated. At high temperatures and for dislocation densities greater than 10 14 m −2 the lattice thermal conductivity would be limited by dislocation density, but for dislocation densities less than 10 14 m −2 , lattice thermal conductivity would be independent of that.

  17. Nanoscale size dependence parameters on lattice thermal conductivity of Wurtzite GaN nanowires

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mamand, S.M., E-mail: soran.mamand@univsul.net [Department of Physics, College of Science, University of Sulaimani, Sulaimanyah, Iraqi Kurdistan (Iraq); Omar, M.S. [Department of Physics, College of Science, University of Salahaddin, Arbil, Iraqi Kurdistan (Iraq); Muhammad, A.J. [Department of Physics, College of Science, University of Kirkuk, Kirkuk (Iraq)

    2012-05-15

    Graphical abstract: Temperature dependence of calculated lattice thermal conductivity of Wurtzite GaN nanowires. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A modified Callaway model is used to calculate lattice thermal conductivity of Wurtzite GaN nanowires. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A direct method is used to calculate phonon group velocity for these nanowires. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer 3-Gruneisen parameter, surface roughness, and dislocations are successfully investigated. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Dislocation densities are decreases with the decrease of wires diameter. -- Abstract: A detailed calculation of lattice thermal conductivity of freestanding Wurtzite GaN nanowires with diameter ranging from 97 to 160 nm in the temperature range 2-300 K, was performed using a modified Callaway model. Both longitudinal and transverse modes are taken into account explicitly in the model. A method is used to calculate the Debye and phonon group velocities for different nanowire diameters from their related melting points. Effect of Gruneisen parameter, surface roughness, and dislocations as structure dependent parameters are successfully used to correlate the calculated values of lattice thermal conductivity to that of the experimentally measured curves. It was observed that Gruneisen parameter will decrease with decreasing nanowire diameters. Scattering of phonons is assumed to be by nanowire boundaries, imperfections, dislocations, electrons, and other phonons via both normal and Umklapp processes. Phonon confinement and size effects as well as the role of dislocation in limiting thermal conductivity are investigated. At high temperatures and for dislocation densities greater than 10{sup 14} m{sup -2} the lattice thermal conductivity would be limited by dislocation density, but for dislocation densities less than 10{sup 14} m{sup -2}, lattice thermal conductivity would be independent of that.

  18. Minimizing cell size dependence in micromagnetics simulations with thermal noise

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    MartInez, E [Departamento de Ingenieria Electromecanica, Universidad de Burgos, Plaza Misael Banuelos, s/n, E-09001, Burgos (Spain); Lopez-DIaz, L [Departamento de Fisica Aplicada. Universidad Salamanca. Plaza de la Merced s/n. Salamanca E-37008 (Spain); Torres, L [Departamento de Fisica Aplicada. Universidad Salamanca. Plaza de la Merced s/n. Salamanca E-37008 (Spain); GarcIa-Cervera, C J [Department of Mathematics. University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States)

    2007-02-21

    Langevin dynamics treats finite temperature effects in a micromagnetics framework by adding a thermal fluctuation field to the effective field. Several works have addressed the dependence of numerical results on the cell size used to split the ferromagnetic samples on the nanoscale regime. In this paper, some former problems dealing with the dependence on the spatial discretization at finite temperature have been revised. We have focused our attention on the stability of the numerical schemes used to integrate the Langevin equation. In particular, a detailed analysis of results was carried out as a function of the time step. It was confirmed that the mentioned dependence can be minimized if an unconditional stable integration method is used to numerically solve the Langevin equation.

  19. Minimizing cell size dependence in micromagnetics simulations with thermal noise

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    MartInez, E; Lopez-DIaz, L; Torres, L; GarcIa-Cervera, C J

    2007-01-01

    Langevin dynamics treats finite temperature effects in a micromagnetics framework by adding a thermal fluctuation field to the effective field. Several works have addressed the dependence of numerical results on the cell size used to split the ferromagnetic samples on the nanoscale regime. In this paper, some former problems dealing with the dependence on the spatial discretization at finite temperature have been revised. We have focused our attention on the stability of the numerical schemes used to integrate the Langevin equation. In particular, a detailed analysis of results was carried out as a function of the time step. It was confirmed that the mentioned dependence can be minimized if an unconditional stable integration method is used to numerically solve the Langevin equation

  20. Crystal-Size-Dependent Structural Transitions in Nanoporous Crystals: Adsorption-Induced Transitions in ZIF-8

    KAUST Repository

    Zhang, Chen

    2014-09-04

    © 2014 American Chemical Society. Understanding the crystal-size dependence of both guest adsorption and structural transitions of nanoporous solids is crucial to the development of these materials. We find that nano-sized metal-organic framework (MOF) crystals have significantly different guest adsorption properties compared to the bulk material. A new methodology is developed to simulate the adsorption and transition behavior of entire MOF nanoparticles. Our simulations predict that the transition pressure significantly increases with decreasing particle size, in agreement with crystal-size-dependent experimental measurements of the N2-ZIF-8 system. We also propose a simple core-shell model to examine this effect on length scales that are inaccessible to simulations and again find good agreement with experiments. This study is the first to examine particle size effects on structural transitions in ZIFs and provides a thermodynamic framework for understanding the underlying mechanism.

  1. Grain size and burnup dependence of spent fuel oxidation: Geological repository impact

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kansa, E.J.; Hanson, B.D.; Stout, R.B.

    1999-01-01

    Further refinements to the oxidation model of Stout et al. have been made. The present model incorporates the burnup dependence of the oxidation rate and an allowance for a distribution of grain sizes. The model was tested by comparing the model results with the oxidation histories of spent-fuel samples oxidized in thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) or oven dry-bath (ODB) experiments. The experimental and model results are remarkably close and confirm the assumption that grain-size distributions and activation energies are the important parameters to predicting oxidation behavior. The burnup dependence of the activation energy was shown to have a greater effect than decreasing the effective grain size in suppressing the rate of the reaction U 4 O 9 r↓U 3 O 8 . Model results predict that U 3 O 8 formation of spent fuels exposed to oxygen will be suppressed even for high burnup fuels that have undergone restructuring in the rim region, provided the repository temperature is kept sufficiently low

  2. Resolving nanoparticle growth mechanisms from size- and time-dependent growth rate analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pichelstorfer, Lukas; Stolzenburg, Dominik; Ortega, John; Karl, Thomas; Kokkola, Harri; Laakso, Anton; Lehtinen, Kari E. J.; Smith, James N.; McMurry, Peter H.; Winkler, Paul M.

    2018-01-01

    Atmospheric new particle formation occurs frequently in the global atmosphere and may play a crucial role in climate by affecting cloud properties. The relevance of newly formed nanoparticles depends largely on the dynamics governing their initial formation and growth to sizes where they become important for cloud microphysics. One key to the proper understanding of nanoparticle effects on climate is therefore hidden in the growth mechanisms. In this study we have developed and successfully tested two independent methods based on the aerosol general dynamics equation, allowing detailed retrieval of time- and size-dependent nanoparticle growth rates. Both methods were used to analyze particle formation from two different biogenic precursor vapors in controlled chamber experiments. Our results suggest that growth rates below 10 nm show much more variation than is currently thought and pin down the decisive size range of growth at around 5 nm where in-depth studies of physical and chemical particle properties are needed.

  3. Domain-size-dependent exchange bias in Co/LaFeO3

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Scholl, A.; Nolting, F.; Seo, J.W.; Ohldag, H.; Stohr, J.; Raoux,S.; Locquet, J.-P.; Fompeyrine, J.

    2004-09-22

    X-ray microscopy using magnetic linear dichroism of a zero-field-grown, multi-domain Co/LaFeO{sub 3} ferromagnet/antiferromagnet sample shows a local exchange bias of random direction and magnitude. A statistical analysis of the local bias of individual, micron-size magnetic domains demonstrates an increasing bias field with decreasing domain size as expected for a random distribution of pinned, uncompensated spins, which are believed to mediate the interface coupling. A linear dependence with the inverse domain diameter is found.

  4. Micrometer-sized TPM emulsion droplets with surface-mobile binding groups

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Wel, Casper; van de Stolpe, Guido L.; Verweij, Ruben W.; Kraft, Daniela J.

    2018-03-01

    Colloids coated with lipid membranes have been widely employed for fundamental studies of lipid membrane processes, biotechnological applications such as drug delivery and biosensing, and more recently, for self-assembly. The latter has been made possible by inserting DNA oligomers with covalently linked hydrophobic anchors into the membrane. The lateral mobility of the DNA linkers on micrometer-sized droplets and solid particles has opened the door to creating structures with unprecedented structural flexibility. Here, we investigate micro-emulsions of TPM (3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate) as a platform for lipid monolayers and further functionalization with proteins and DNA oligonucleotides. TPM droplets can be produced with a narrow size distribution and are polymerizable, thus providing supports for model lipid membranes with controlled size and curvature. With fluorescence recovery after photobleaching, we observed that droplet-attached lipids, NeutrAvidin proteins, as well as DNA oligonucleotides all show mobility on the surface. We explored the assembly of micron-sized particles on TPM-droplets by exploiting either avidin-biotin interactions or double-stranded DNA with complementary single-stranded end groups. While the single molecules are mobile, the particles that are attached to them are not. We propose that this is caused by the heterogeneous nature of emulsified TPM, which forms an oligomer network that limits the collective motion of linkers, but allows the surface mobility of individual molecules.

  5. Size-Dependent Materials Properties Toward a Universal Equation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guisbiers G

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Due to the lack of experimental values concerning some material properties at the nanoscale, it is interesting to evaluate this theoretically. Through a “top–down” approach, a universal equation is developed here which is particularly helpful when experiments are difficult to lead on a specific material property. It only requires the knowledge of the surface area to volume ratio of the nanomaterial, its size as well as the statistic (Fermi–Dirac or Bose–Einstein followed by the particles involved in the considered material property. Comparison between different existing theoretical models and the proposed equation is done.

  6. Size, Shape, and Sequence-Dependent Immunogenicity of RNA Nanoparticles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sijin Guo

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available RNA molecules have emerged as promising therapeutics. Like all other drugs, the safety profile and immune response are important criteria for drug evaluation. However, the literature on RNA immunogenicity has been controversial. Here, we used the approach of RNA nanotechnology to demonstrate that the immune response of RNA nanoparticles is size, shape, and sequence dependent. RNA triangle, square, pentagon, and tetrahedron with same shape but different sizes, or same size but different shapes were used as models to investigate the immune response. The levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines induced by these RNA nanoarchitectures were assessed in macrophage-like cells and animals. It was found that RNA polygons without extension at the vertexes were immune inert. However, when single-stranded RNA with a specific sequence was extended from the vertexes of RNA polygons, strong immune responses were detected. These immunostimulations are sequence specific, because some other extended sequences induced little or no immune response. Additionally, larger-size RNA square induced stronger cytokine secretion. 3D RNA tetrahedron showed stronger immunostimulation than planar RNA triangle. These results suggest that the immunogenicity of RNA nanoparticles is tunable to produce either a minimal immune response that can serve as safe therapeutic vectors, or a strong immune response for cancer immunotherapy or vaccine adjuvants.

  7. Enhanced ductility of surface nano-crystallized materials by modulating grain size gradient

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Jianjun; Soh, A K

    2012-01-01

    Surface nano-crystallized (SNC) materials with a graded grain size distribution on their surfaces have been attracting increasing scientific interest over the past few decades due to their good synergy of high strength and high ductility. However, to date most of the existing studies have focused on the individual contribution of three different aspects, i.e. grain size gradient (GSG), work-hardened region and surface compressive residual stresses, which were induced by surface severe plastic deformation processes, to the improved strength of SNC materials as compared with that of their coarse grained (CG) counterparts. And the ductility of these materials has hardly been studied. In this study, a combination of theoretical analysis and finite element simulations was used to investigate the role of GSG in tuning the ductility of SNC materials. It was found that the ductility of an SNC material can be comparable to that of its CG counterpart, while it simultaneously possessed a much higher strength than its CG core if the optimal GSG thickness and grain size of the topmost phase were adopted. A design map that can be used as a guideline for fabrication of SNC materials was also plotted. Our predictions were also compared with the corresponding experimental results. (paper)

  8. Size dependent compressibility of nano-ceria: Minimum near 33 nm

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodenbough, Philip P.; Song, Junhua; Chan, Siu-Wai; Walker, David; Clark, Simon M.; Kalkan, Bora

    2015-01-01

    We report the crystallite-size-dependency of the compressibility of nanoceria under hydrostatic pressure for a wide variety of crystallite diameters and comment on the size-based trends indicating an extremum near 33 nm. Uniform nano-crystals of ceria were synthesized by basic precipitation from cerium (III) nitrate. Size-control was achieved by adjusting mixing time and, for larger particles, a subsequent annealing temperature. The nano-crystals were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and standard ambient x-ray diffraction (XRD). Compressibility, or its reciprocal, bulk modulus, was measured with high-pressure XRD at LBL-ALS, using helium, neon, or argon as the pressure-transmitting medium for all samples. As crystallite size decreased below 100 nm, the bulk modulus first increased, and then decreased, achieving a maximum near a crystallite diameter of 33 nm. We review earlier work and examine several possible explanations for the peaking of bulk modulus at an intermediate crystallite size

  9. Size dependent compressibility of nano-ceria: Minimum near 33 nm

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rodenbough, Philip P. [Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Materials Science and Engineering Program, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027 (United States); Chemistry Department, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027 (United States); Song, Junhua; Chan, Siu-Wai, E-mail: sc174@columbia.edu [Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Materials Science and Engineering Program, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027 (United States); Walker, David [Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, New York 10964 (United States); Clark, Simon M. [ARC Center of Excellence for Core to Crust Fluid Systems and Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2019, Australia and The Bragg Institute, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Kirrawee DC, New South Wales 2232 (Australia); Kalkan, Bora [Department of Physics Engineering, Hacettepe University, 06800 Beytepe, Ankara (Turkey)

    2015-04-20

    We report the crystallite-size-dependency of the compressibility of nanoceria under hydrostatic pressure for a wide variety of crystallite diameters and comment on the size-based trends indicating an extremum near 33 nm. Uniform nano-crystals of ceria were synthesized by basic precipitation from cerium (III) nitrate. Size-control was achieved by adjusting mixing time and, for larger particles, a subsequent annealing temperature. The nano-crystals were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and standard ambient x-ray diffraction (XRD). Compressibility, or its reciprocal, bulk modulus, was measured with high-pressure XRD at LBL-ALS, using helium, neon, or argon as the pressure-transmitting medium for all samples. As crystallite size decreased below 100 nm, the bulk modulus first increased, and then decreased, achieving a maximum near a crystallite diameter of 33 nm. We review earlier work and examine several possible explanations for the peaking of bulk modulus at an intermediate crystallite size.

  10. Confinement of surface waves at the air-water interface to control aerosol size and dispersity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nazarzadeh, Elijah; Wilson, Rab; King, Xi; Reboud, Julien; Tassieri, Manlio; Cooper, Jonathan M.

    2017-11-01

    The precise control over the size and dispersity of droplets, produced within aerosols, is of great interest across many manufacturing, food, cosmetic, and medical industries. Amongst these applications, the delivery of new classes of high value drugs to the lungs has recently attracted significant attention from pharmaceutical companies. This is commonly achieved through the mechanical excitation of surface waves at the air liquid interface of a parent liquid volume. Previous studies have established a correlation between the wavelength on the surface of liquid and the final aerosol size. In this work, we show that the droplet size distribution of aerosols can be controlled by constraining the liquid inside micron-sized cavities and coupling surface acoustic waves into different volumes of liquid inside micro-grids. In particular, we show that by reducing the characteristic physical confinement size (i.e., either the initial liquid volume or the cavities' diameters), higher harmonics of capillary waves are revealed with a consequent reduction of both aerosol mean size and dispersity. In doing so, we provide a new method for the generation and fine control of aerosols' sizes distribution.

  11. The Dependence of Tropical Cyclone Count and Size on Rotation Rate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chavas, D. R.; Reed, K. A.

    2017-12-01

    Both theory and idealized equilibrium modeling studies indicate that tropical cyclone size decreases with background rotation rate. In contrast, in real-world observations size tends to increase with latitude. Here we seek to resolve this apparent contradiction via a set of reduced-complexity global aquaplanet simulations with varying planetary rotation rates using the NCAR Community Atmosphere Model 5. The latitudinal distribution of both storm count and size are found to vary markedly with rotation rate, yielding insight into the dynamical constraints on tropical cyclone activity on a rotating planet. Moreover, storm size is found to vary non-monotonically with latitude, indicating that non-equilibrium effects are crucial to the life-cycle evolution of size in nature. Results are then compared to experiments in idealized, time-dependent limited-area modeling simulations using CM1 in axisymmetric and three-dimensional geometry. Taken together, this hierarchy of models is used to quantify the role of equilibrium versus transient controls on storm size and the relevance of each to real storms in nature.

  12. Size-dependent Fano Interaction in the Laser-etched Silicon Nanostructures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kumar Rajesh

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available AbstractPhoto-excitation and size-dependent Raman scattering studies on the silicon (Si nanostructures (NSs prepared by laser-induced etching are presented here. Asymmetric and red-shifted Raman line-shapes are observed due to photo-excited Fano interaction in the quantum confined nanoparticles. The Fano interaction is observed between photo-excited electronic transitions and discrete phonons in Si NSs. Photo-excited Fano studies on different Si NSs show that the Fano interaction is high for smaller size of Si NSs. Higher Fano interaction for smaller Si NSs is attributed to the enhanced interference between photo-excited electronic Raman scattering and phonon Raman scattering.

  13. Modelling the PCR amplification process by a size-dependent branching process and estimation of the efficiency

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lalam, N.; Jacob, C.; Jagers, P.

    2004-01-01

    We propose a stochastic modelling of the PCR amplification process by a size-dependent branching process starting as a supercritical Bienaymé-Galton-Watson transient phase and then having a saturation near-critical size-dependent phase. This model allows us to estimate the probability of replication

  14. [C57BL/6 mice open field behaviour qualitatively depends on arena size].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lebedev, I V; Pleskacheva, M G; Anokhin, K V

    2012-01-01

    Open field behavior is well known to depend on physical characteristics of the apparatus. However many of such effects are poorly described especially with using of modern methods of behavioral registration and analysis. The previous results of experiments on the effect of arena size on behavior are not numerous and contradictory. We compared the behavioral scores of four groups of C57BL/6 mice in round open field arenas of four different sizes (diameter 35, 75, 150 and 220 cm). The behavior was registered and analyzed using Noldus EthoVision, WinTrack and SegmentAnalyzer software. A significant effect of arena size was found. Traveled distance and velocity increased, but not in proportion to increase of arena size. Moreover a significant effect on segment characteristics of the trajectory was revealed. Detailed behavior analysis revealed drastic differences in trajectory structure and number of rears between smaller (35 and 75 cm) and bigger (150 and 220 cm) arenas. We conclude, that the character of exploration in smaller and bigger arenas depends on relative size of central open zone in arena. Apparently its extension increases the motivational heterogeneity of space, that requires another than in smaller arenas, strategy of exploration.

  15. Physico-chemical changes of ZnO nanoparticles with different size and surface chemistry under physiological pH conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gwak, Gyeong-Hyeon; Lee, Won-Jae; Paek, Seung-Min; Oh, Jae-Min

    2015-03-01

    We studied the physico-chemical properties of ZnO nanoparticles under physiological pH conditions (gastric, intestinal and plasma) as functions of their size (20 and 70 nm) and surface chemistry (pristine, L-serine, or citrate coating). ZnO nanoparticles were dispersed in phosphate buffered saline under physiological pH conditions and aliquots were collected at specific time points (0.5, 1, 4, 10 and 24 h) for further characterization. The pH values of the aqueous ZnO colloids at each condition were in the neutral to slightly basic range and showed different patterns depending on the original size and surface chemistry of the ZnO nanoparticles. The gastric pH condition was found to significantly dissolve ZnO nanoparticles up to 18-30 wt%, while the intestinal or plasma pH conditions resulted in much lower dissolution amounts than expected. Based on the X-ray diffraction patterns and X-ray absorption spectra, we identified partial phase transition of the ZnO nanoparticles from wurtzite to Zn(OH)2 under the intestinal and plasma pH conditions. Using scanning electron microscopy, we verified that the overall particle size and morphology of all ZnO nanoparticles were maintained regardless of the pH. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Changes in silver nanoparticles exposed to human synthetic stomach fluid: Effects of particle size and surface chemistry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mwilu, Samuel K.; El Badawy, Amro M.; Bradham, Karen; Nelson, Clay; Thomas, David; Scheckel, Kirk G.; Tolaymat, Thabet; Ma, Longzhou; Rogers, Kim R.

    2013-01-01

    The significant rise in consumer products and applications utilizing the antibacterial properties of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) has increased the possibility of human exposure. The mobility and bioavailability of AgNPs through the ingestion pathway will depend, in part, on properties such as particle size and the surface chemistries that will influence their physical and chemical reactivities during transit through the gastrointestinal tract. This study investigates the interactions between synthetic stomach fluid and AgNPs of different sizes and with different capping agents. Changes in morphology, size and chemical composition were determined during a 30 min exposure to synthetic human stomach fluid (SSF) using Absorbance Spectroscopy, High Resolution Transmission Electron and Scanning Electron Microscopy (TEM/SEM), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), and Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA). AgNPs exposed to SSF were found to aggregate significantly and also released ionic silver which physically associated with the particle aggregates as silver chloride. Generally, the smaller sized AgNPs (< 10 nm) showed higher rates of aggregation and physical transformation than larger particles (75 nm). Polyvinylpyrrolidone (pvp)-stabilized AgNPs prepared in house behaved differently in SSF than particles obtained from a commercial source despite having similar surface coating and size distribution characteristics. - Highlights: ► Interactions between synthetic stomach fluid (SSF) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are described. ► AgNPs exposed to SSF aggregate and silver chloride are associated with the particle aggregates. ► Smaller AgNPs (< 10 nm) showed higher rates of aggregation and transformation than larger particles (75 nm). ► Polyvinylpyrrolidone-stabilized AgNPs obtained from different sources aggregated at different rates when exposed to SSF

  17. Grain size dependence of the critical current density in YBa2Cu3Ox superconductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuwabara, M.; Shimooka, H.

    1989-01-01

    The grain size dependence of the critical current density in bulk single-phase YBa 2 Cu 3 O x ceramics was investigated. The grain size of the materials was changed to range approximately from 1.0 to 25 μm by changing the conditions of power processing and sintering, associated with an increase in the sintered density of the materials with increasing grain size. The critical current density has been found to exhibit a significant grain size dependence, changing from 880 A/cm 2 to a value of 100 A/cm 2 with a small increase in the average grain size from 1.2 to 2.0 μm. This seems to provide information about the nature of the weak link between superconducting grains which might govern the critical current density of the materials

  18. Inverse size scaling of the nucleolus by a concentration-dependent phase transition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weber, Stephanie C; Brangwynne, Clifford P

    2015-03-02

    Just as organ size typically increases with body size, the size of intracellular structures changes as cells grow and divide. Indeed, many organelles, such as the nucleus [1, 2], mitochondria [3], mitotic spindle [4, 5], and centrosome [6], exhibit size scaling, a phenomenon in which organelle size depends linearly on cell size. However, the mechanisms of organelle size scaling remain unclear. Here, we show that the size of the nucleolus, a membraneless organelle important for cell-size homeostasis [7], is coupled to cell size by an intracellular phase transition. We find that nucleolar size directly scales with cell size in early C. elegans embryos. Surprisingly, however, when embryo size is altered, we observe inverse scaling: nucleolar size increases in small cells and decreases in large cells. We demonstrate that this seemingly contradictory result arises from maternal loading of a fixed number rather than a fixed concentration of nucleolar components, which condense into nucleoli only above a threshold concentration. Our results suggest that the physics of phase transitions can dictate whether an organelle assembles, and, if so, its size, providing a mechanistic link between organelle assembly and cell size. Since the nucleolus is known to play a key role in cell growth, this biophysical readout of cell size could provide a novel feedback mechanism for growth control. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Effect of particle size and distribution of the sizing agent on the carbon fibers surface and interfacial shear strength (IFSS) of its composites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, R.L.; Liu, Y.; Huang, Y.D.; Liu, L.

    2013-01-01

    Effect of particle size and distribution of the sizing agent on the performance of carbon fiber and carbon fiber composites has been investigated. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize carbon fiber surface topographies. At the same time, the single fiber strength and Weibull distribution were also studied in order to investigate the effect of coatings on the fibers. The interfacial shear strength and hygrothermal aging of the carbon fiber/epoxy resin composites were also measured. The results indicated that the particle size and distribution is important for improving the surface of carbon fibers and its composites performance. Different particle size and distribution of sizing agent has different contribution to the wetting performance of carbon fibers. The fibers sized with P-2 had higher value of IFSS and better hygrothermal aging resistant properties.

  20. Investigating the size, shape and surface roughness dependence of polarization lidars with light-scattering computations on real mineral dust particles: Application to dust particles' external mixtures and dust mass concentration retrievals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehri, Tahar; Kemppinen, Osku; David, Grégory; Lindqvist, Hannakaisa; Tyynelä, Jani; Nousiainen, Timo; Rairoux, Patrick; Miffre, Alain

    2018-05-01

    Our understanding of the contribution of mineral dust to the Earth's radiative budget is limited by the complexity of these particles, which present a wide range of sizes, are highly-irregularly shaped, and are present in the atmosphere in the form of particle mixtures. To address the spatial distribution of mineral dust and atmospheric dust mass concentrations, polarization lidars are nowadays frequently used, with partitioning algorithms allowing to discern the contribution of mineral dust in two or three-component particle external mixtures. In this paper, we investigate the dependence of the retrieved dust backscattering (βd) vertical profiles with the dust particle size and shape. For that, new light-scattering numerical simulations are performed on real atmospheric mineral dust particles, having determined mineralogy (CAL, DOL, AGG, SIL), derived from stereogrammetry (stereo-particles), with potential surface roughness, which are compared to the widely-used spheroidal mathematical shape model. For each dust shape model (smooth stereo-particles, rough stereo-particles, spheroids), the dust depolarization, backscattering Ångström exponent, lidar ratio are computed for two size distributions representative of mineral dust after long-range transport. As an output, two Saharan dust outbreaks involving mineral dust in two, then three-component particle mixtures are studied with Lyon (France) UV-VIS polarization lidar. If the dust size matters most, under certain circumstances, βd can vary by approximately 67% when real dust stereo-particles are used instead of spheroids, corresponding to variations in the dust backscattering coefficient as large as 2 Mm- 1·sr- 1. Moreover, the influence of surface roughness in polarization lidar retrievals is for the first time discussed. Finally, dust mass-extinction conversion factors (ηd) are evaluated for each assigned shape model and dust mass concentrations are retrieved from polarization lidar measurements. From

  1. Size-dependent photoacclimation of the phytoplankton community in temperate shelf waters (southern Bay of Biscay)

    KAUST Repository

    Á lvarez, E; Moran, Xose Anxelu G.; Ló pez-Urrutia, Á ; Nogueira, E

    2015-01-01

    © Inter-Research 2016. Shelf waters of the Cantabrian Sea (southern Bay of Biscay) are productive ecosystems with a marked seasonality. We present the results from 1 yr of monthly monitoring of the phytoplankton community together with an intensive sampling carried out in 2 contrasting scenarios during the summer and autumn in a mid-shelf area. Stratification was apparent on the shelf in summer, while the water column was comparatively well mixed in autumn. The size structure of the photoautotrophic community, from pico-to micro-phytoplankton, was tightly coupled with the meteo-climatic and hydrographical conditions. Over the short term, variations in the size structure and chlorophyll content of phytoplankton cells were related to changes in the physico-chemical environment, through changes in the availability of nutrients and light. Uncoupling between the dynamics of carbon biomass and chlorophyll resulted in chlorophyll to carbon ratios dependent on body size. The slope of the size dependence of chlorophyll content increased with increasing irradiance, reflecting different photoacclimation plasticity from pico-to micro-phytoplankton. The results have important implications for the productivity and the fate of biogenic carbon in this region, since the size dependence of photosynthetic rates is directly related to the size scaling of chlorophyll content.

  2. Size-dependent photoacclimation of the phytoplankton community in temperate shelf waters (southern Bay of Biscay)

    KAUST Repository

    Álvarez, E

    2015-12-09

    © Inter-Research 2016. Shelf waters of the Cantabrian Sea (southern Bay of Biscay) are productive ecosystems with a marked seasonality. We present the results from 1 yr of monthly monitoring of the phytoplankton community together with an intensive sampling carried out in 2 contrasting scenarios during the summer and autumn in a mid-shelf area. Stratification was apparent on the shelf in summer, while the water column was comparatively well mixed in autumn. The size structure of the photoautotrophic community, from pico-to micro-phytoplankton, was tightly coupled with the meteo-climatic and hydrographical conditions. Over the short term, variations in the size structure and chlorophyll content of phytoplankton cells were related to changes in the physico-chemical environment, through changes in the availability of nutrients and light. Uncoupling between the dynamics of carbon biomass and chlorophyll resulted in chlorophyll to carbon ratios dependent on body size. The slope of the size dependence of chlorophyll content increased with increasing irradiance, reflecting different photoacclimation plasticity from pico-to micro-phytoplankton. The results have important implications for the productivity and the fate of biogenic carbon in this region, since the size dependence of photosynthetic rates is directly related to the size scaling of chlorophyll content.

  3. Size Dependence of Dust Distribution around the Earth Orbit

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ueda, Takahiro; Takeuchi, Taku [Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro, Tokyo, 152-8551 (Japan); Kobayashi, Hiroshi; Ishihara, Daisuke; Kondo, Toru; Kaneda, Hidehiro, E-mail: t.ueda@geo.titech.ac.jp [Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8602 (Japan)

    2017-05-01

    In the solar system, interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) originating mainly from asteroid collisions and cometary activities drift to Earth orbit due to Poynting–Robertson drag. We analyzed the thermal emission from IDPs that was observed by the first Japanese infrared astronomical satellite, AKARI . The observed surface brightness in the trailing direction of the Earth orbit is 3.7% greater than that in the leading direction in the 9 μ m band and 3.0% in the 18 μ m band. In order to reveal dust properties causing leading–trailing surface brightness asymmetry, we numerically integrated orbits of the Sun, the Earth, and a dust particle as a restricted three-body problem including radiation from the Sun. The initial orbits of particles are determined according to the orbits of main-belt asteroids or Jupiter-family comets. Orbital trapping in mean motion resonances results in a significant leading–trailing asymmetry so that intermediate sized dust (∼10–100 μ m) produces a greater asymmetry than zodiacal light. The leading–trailing surface brightness difference integrated over the size distribution of the asteroidal dust is obtained to be 27.7% and 25.3% in the 9 μ m and 18 μ m bands, respectively. In contrast, the brightness difference for cometary dust is calculated as 3.6% and 3.1% in the 9 μ m and 18 μ m bands, respectively, if the maximum dust radius is set to be s {sub max} = 3000 μ m. Taking into account these values and their errors, we conclude that the contribution of asteroidal dust to the zodiacal infrared emission is less than ∼10%, while cometary dust of the order of 1 mm mainly accounts for the zodiacal light in infrared.

  4. Size Dependence of Dust Distribution around the Earth Orbit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ueda, Takahiro; Takeuchi, Taku; Kobayashi, Hiroshi; Ishihara, Daisuke; Kondo, Toru; Kaneda, Hidehiro

    2017-01-01

    In the solar system, interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) originating mainly from asteroid collisions and cometary activities drift to Earth orbit due to Poynting–Robertson drag. We analyzed the thermal emission from IDPs that was observed by the first Japanese infrared astronomical satellite, AKARI . The observed surface brightness in the trailing direction of the Earth orbit is 3.7% greater than that in the leading direction in the 9 μ m band and 3.0% in the 18 μ m band. In order to reveal dust properties causing leading–trailing surface brightness asymmetry, we numerically integrated orbits of the Sun, the Earth, and a dust particle as a restricted three-body problem including radiation from the Sun. The initial orbits of particles are determined according to the orbits of main-belt asteroids or Jupiter-family comets. Orbital trapping in mean motion resonances results in a significant leading–trailing asymmetry so that intermediate sized dust (∼10–100 μ m) produces a greater asymmetry than zodiacal light. The leading–trailing surface brightness difference integrated over the size distribution of the asteroidal dust is obtained to be 27.7% and 25.3% in the 9 μ m and 18 μ m bands, respectively. In contrast, the brightness difference for cometary dust is calculated as 3.6% and 3.1% in the 9 μ m and 18 μ m bands, respectively, if the maximum dust radius is set to be s max  = 3000 μ m. Taking into account these values and their errors, we conclude that the contribution of asteroidal dust to the zodiacal infrared emission is less than ∼10%, while cometary dust of the order of 1 mm mainly accounts for the zodiacal light in infrared.

  5. Synthesis of high efficient Cu/TiO{sub 2} photocatalysts by grinding and their size-dependent photocatalytic hydrogen production

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ni, Dawei; Shen, Haiyan; Li, Huiqiao; Ma, Ying; Zhai, Tianyou, E-mail: yingma@hust.edu.cn

    2017-07-01

    Highlights: • Cu nanodots were decorated on TiO{sub 2} surface through ball milling method. • Its size distribution was investigated in water and ethanolic medium. • Photocurrent response and hydrogen evolution was improved. • Performance was found to be dependent on size of Cu nanodots. - Abstract: Recently, copper species have been extensively investigated to replace Pt as efficient co-catalysts for the evolution of H{sub 2} due to their low cost and relatively high activity. Cu nanoparticles less than 5 nm are successfully decorated on TiO{sub 2} surface in this work by an easy and mild milling process. These Cu nanoparticles are highly dispersed on TiO{sub 2} when the loading amount of Cu is no more than 10 wt%. The sizes of Cu nanoparticles can be controlled by changing the milling environment and decrease in the order of Cu-ethanol > Cu-water > Cu nanoparticles obtained through drying milling. The highest and stable hydrogen generation can be realized on Cu/TiO{sub 2} with 2.0 wt% Cu and sizes of Cu nanoparticles ranging from 2 to 4 nm, in which high and stable photocurrent confirms promoted photogenerated charge separation. Smaller Cu clusters are demonstrated to be detrimental to hydrogen evolution at same Cu content. High loading of Cu nanoparticles of 2–4 nm will benefit photogenerated electron-hole recombination and thus decrease the activity of Cu/TiO{sub 2}. The results here demonstrate the key roles of Cu cluster size in addition to Cu coverage on photocatalytic activity of Cu/TiO{sub 2} composite photocatalysts.

  6. Size-dependent and tunable crystallization of GeSbTe phase-change nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Bin; Ten Brink, Gert H.; Palasantzas, George; Kooi, Bart J.

    2016-12-01

    Chalcogenide-based nanostructured phase-change materials (PCMs) are considered promising building blocks for non-volatile memory due to their high write and read speeds, high data-storage density, and low power consumption. Top-down fabrication of PCM nanoparticles (NPs), however, often results in damage and deterioration of their useful properties. Gas-phase condensation based on magnetron sputtering offers an attractive and straightforward solution to continuously down-scale the PCMs into sub-lithographic sizes. Here we unprecedentedly present the size dependence of crystallization for Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) NPs, whose production is currently highly challenging for chemical synthesis or top-down fabrication. Both amorphous and crystalline NPs have been produced with excellent size and composition control with average diameters varying between 8 and 17 nm. The size-dependent crystallization of these NPs was carefully analyzed through in-situ heating in a transmission electron microscope, where the crystallization temperatures (Tc) decrease when the NPs become smaller. Moreover, methane incorporation has been observed as an effective method to enhance the amorphous phase stability of the NPs. This work therefore elucidates that GST NPs synthesized by gas-phase condensation with tailored properties are promising alternatives in designing phase-change memories constrained by optical lithography limitations.

  7. Chromospheric rotation. II. Dependence on the size of chromospheric features

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Azzarelli, L; Casalini, P; Cerri, S; Denoth, F [Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pisa (Italy). Ist. di Elaborazione della Informazione

    1979-08-01

    The dependence of solar rotation on the size of the chromospheric tracers is considered. On the basis of an analysis of Ca II K/sub 3/ daily filtergrams taken in the period 8 May-14 August, 1972, chromospheric features can be divided into two classes according to their size. Features with size falling into the range 24 000-110 000 km can be identified with network elements, while those falling into the range 120 000-300 000 km with active regions, or brightness features of comparable size present at high latitudes. The rotation rate is determined separately for the two families of chromospheric features by means of a cross-correlation technique directly yields the average daily displacement of tracers due to rotation. Before computing the cross-correlation functions, chromospheric brightness data have been filtered with appropriate bandpass and highpass filters for separating spatial periodicities whose wavelengths fall into the two ranges of size, characteristic of the network pattern and of the activity centers. A difference less than 1% of the rotation rate of the two families of chromospheric features has been found. This is an indication for a substantial corotation at chromospheric levels of different short-lived features, both related to solar activity and controlled by the convective supergranular motions.

  8. Inelastic surface vibrations versus energy-dependent nucleus ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Limitations of the static Woods–Saxon potential and the applicability of the energy dependent Woods–Saxon potential (EDWSP) model within the framework of one-dimensional Wong formula to explore the sub-barrier fusion data are highlighted. The inelastic surface excitations of the fusing nuclei are found to be ...

  9. Size, Shape, and Sequence-Dependent Immunogenicity of RNA Nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Sijin; Li, Hui; Ma, Mengshi; Fu, Jian; Dong, Yizhou; Guo, Peixuan

    2017-12-15

    RNA molecules have emerged as promising therapeutics. Like all other drugs, the safety profile and immune response are important criteria for drug evaluation. However, the literature on RNA immunogenicity has been controversial. Here, we used the approach of RNA nanotechnology to demonstrate that the immune response of RNA nanoparticles is size, shape, and sequence dependent. RNA triangle, square, pentagon, and tetrahedron with same shape but different sizes, or same size but different shapes were used as models to investigate the immune response. The levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines induced by these RNA nanoarchitectures were assessed in macrophage-like cells and animals. It was found that RNA polygons without extension at the vertexes were immune inert. However, when single-stranded RNA with a specific sequence was extended from the vertexes of RNA polygons, strong immune responses were detected. These immunostimulations are sequence specific, because some other extended sequences induced little or no immune response. Additionally, larger-size RNA square induced stronger cytokine secretion. 3D RNA tetrahedron showed stronger immunostimulation than planar RNA triangle. These results suggest that the immunogenicity of RNA nanoparticles is tunable to produce either a minimal immune response that can serve as safe therapeutic vectors, or a strong immune response for cancer immunotherapy or vaccine adjuvants. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Dependence of CuO particle size and diameter of reaction tubing on tritium recovery for tritium safety operation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hu, Cui, E-mail: cdxohc10000@163.com [Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga-ku Shizuoka 422-8529 (Japan); Uemura, Yuki; Yuyama, Kenta; Fujita, Hiroe; Sakurada, Shodai; Azuma, Keisuke [Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga-ku Shizuoka 422-8529 (Japan); Taguchi, Akira; Hara, Masanori; Hatano, Yuji [University of Toyama, 3190 Gofuku, Toyama 939-8555 (Japan); Chikada, Takumi; Oya, Yasuhisa [Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga-ku Shizuoka 422-8529 (Japan)

    2016-12-15

    Highlights: • Influence of CuO particle size and diameter of reaction tubing on the tritium recovery was evaluated. • Reaction rate constant of tritium with CuO particle has been calculated by the combination of experimental results and a simulation code. • Dependence of reaction tubing length on tritium conversion ratio has been explored. - Abstract: Usage of CuO and water bubbler is one of the conventional and convenient methods for tritium recovery. In present work, influence of CuO particle size and diameter of reaction tubing on the tritium recovery was evaluated. Reaction rate constant of tritium with CuO particle has been calculated by the combination of experimental results and a simulation code. Then, these results were applied for exploring the dependence of reaction tubing length on tritium conversion ratio. The results showed that the surface area of CuO has a great influence on the oxidation rate constant. The frequency factor of the reaction would be approximately doubled by reducing the CuO particle size from 1.0 mm to 0.2 mm. Cross section of reaction tubing mainly affected on the duration of tritium at the temperature below 600 K. Reaction tubing with length of 1 m at temperature of 600 K would be suitable for keeping the tritium conversion ratio above 99.9%. The length of reaction tubing can be reduced by using the smaller CuO particle or increasing the CuO temperature.

  11. Nanocrystalline cellulose-dispersed AKD emulsion for enhancing the mechanical and multiple barrier properties of surface-sized paper.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Luming; Lu, Sheng; Li, Juanjuan; Zhang, Fengshan; Cha, Ruitao

    2016-01-20

    In this study, we employed nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) as an efficient dispersant to perpare alkyl ketene dimer (AKD) emulsion. The particle size and zeta potential of AKD/NCC emulsion were measured, which were approximately 5 μm and -50 mV, respectively. The surface-sized paper possessed multiple barriers properties. The air permeability of surface-sized paper was 0.29 μm/Pas and the sizing degree reached 42 s when the amount of sizing was 12.58 g/m(2) with a 96.83% decrease and a 40.00%, increase, respectively. Furthermore, the mechanical properties were optimal when the amount of sizing was about 8 g/m(2). AKD/NCC emulsion acted as a good reinforcing agent in surface-sized paper. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Inelastic surface vibrations versus energy-dependent nucleus ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Abstract. Limitations of the static Woods–Saxon potential and the applicability of the energy- dependent Woods–Saxon potential (EDWSP) model within the framework of one-dimensional. Wong formula to explore the sub-barrier fusion data are highlighted. The inelastic surface exci- tations of the fusing nuclei are found to ...

  13. Layer-dependent surface potential of phosphorene and anisotropic/layer-dependent charge transfer in phosphorene-gold hybrid systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Renjing; Yang, Jiong; Zhu, Yi; Yan, Han; Pei, Jiajie; Myint, Ye Win; Zhang, Shuang; Lu, Yuerui

    2016-01-07

    The surface potential and the efficiency of interfacial charge transfer are extremely important for designing future semiconductor devices based on the emerging two-dimensional (2D) phosphorene. Here, we directly measured the strong layer-dependent surface potential of mono- and few-layered phosphorene on gold, which is consistent with the reported theoretical prediction. At the same time, we used an optical way photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy to probe charge transfer in the phosphorene-gold hybrid system. We firstly observed highly anisotropic and layer-dependent PL quenching in the phosphorene-gold hybrid system, which is attributed to the highly anisotropic/layer-dependent interfacial charge transfer.

  14. Size-dependent cytotoxicity and inflammatory responses of PEGylated silica-iron oxide nanocomposite size series

    Science.gov (United States)

    Injumpa, Wishulada; Ritprajak, Patcharee; Insin, Numpon

    2017-04-01

    incubation with the highest concentration of 1000 μg/mL. Although 1000 μg/mL of all sizes of the nanocomposites decreased macrophage viability, the cytotoxicity of the nanocomposites was notably less than silica. The inflammatory response of macrophage was also observed by ELISA, and we found that the size of 20 and 40 nm, but not 100 and 200 nm, obviously stimulated IL-6 production. From this study, the preparations of multifunctional superparamagnetic nanocomposites of different sizes along with the size-dependent effects on cellular toxicity and inflammatory response were demonstrated and could be applied for designing of new drug carriers.

  15. The effects of surface finish and grain size on the strength of sintered silicon carbide

    Science.gov (United States)

    You, Y. H.; Kim, Y. W.; Lee, J. G.; Kim, C. H.

    1985-01-01

    The effects of surface treatment and microstructure, especially abnormal grain growth, on the strength of sintered SiC were studied. The surfaces of sintered SiC were treated with 400, 800 and 1200 grit diamond wheels. Grain growth was induced by increasing the sintering times at 2050 C. The beta to alpha transformation occurred during the sintering of beta-phase starting materials and was often accompanied by abnormal grain growth. The overall strength distributions were established using Weibull statistics. The strength of the sintered SiC is limited by extrinsic surface flaws in normal-sintered specimens. The finer the surface finish and grain size, the higher the strength. But the strength of abnormal sintering specimens is limited by the abnormally grown large tabular grains. The Weibull modulus increases with decreasing grain size and decreasing grit size for grinding.

  16. Size-dependent mechanical properties of PVA nanofibers reduced via air plasma treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fu Qiang; Song Xuefeng; Gao Jingyun; Han Xiaobing; Zhao Qing; Yu Dapeng; Jin Yu; Jiang Xingyu

    2010-01-01

    Organic nanowires/fibers have great potential in applications such as organic electronics and soft electronic techniques. Therefore investigation of their mechanical performance is of importance. The Young's modulus of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanofibers was analyzed by scanning probe microscopy (SPM) methods. Air plasma treatment was used to reduce the nanofibers to different sizes. Size-dependent mechanical properties of PVA nanofibers were studied and revealed that the Young's modulus increased dramatically when the scales became very small (<80 nm).

  17. Size-dependent mechanical properties of PVA nanofibers reduced via air plasma treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Qiang; Jin, Yu; Song, Xuefeng; Gao, Jingyun; Han, Xiaobing; Jiang, Xingyu; Zhao, Qing; Yu, Dapeng

    2010-03-05

    Organic nanowires/fibers have great potential in applications such as organic electronics and soft electronic techniques. Therefore investigation of their mechanical performance is of importance. The Young's modulus of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanofibers was analyzed by scanning probe microscopy (SPM) methods. Air plasma treatment was used to reduce the nanofibers to different sizes. Size-dependent mechanical properties of PVA nanofibers were studied and revealed that the Young's modulus increased dramatically when the scales became very small (<80 nm).

  18. Size and shape dependent lattice parameters of metallic nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qi, W. H.; Wang, M. P.

    2005-01-01

    A model is developed to account for the size and shape dependent lattice parameters of metallic nanoparticles, where the particle shape difference is considered by introducing a shape factor. It is predicted that the lattice parameters of nanoparticles in several nanometers decrease with decreasing of the particle size, which is consistent with the corresponding experimental results. Furthermore, it is found that the particle shape can lead to 10% of the total lattice variation. The model is a continuous media model and can deal with the nanoparticles larger than 1 nm. Since the shape factor approaches to infinity for nanowires and nanofilms, therefore, the model cannot be generalized to the systems of nanowires and nanofilms. For the input parameters are physical constants of bulk materials, therefore, the present model may be used to predict the lattice variation of different metallic nanoparticles with different lattice structures

  19. Current in heavy-current planar diode with discrete emission surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Belomyttsev, S.Ya.; Korovin, S.D.; Pegel', I.V

    1999-01-01

    Dependence of current in a high-current planar diode on the size of emission centres was studied. Essential effect of emission surface microstructure on the current value in the planar diode was demonstrated. It was determined that if the distance between the emitter essentially exceeded their size then current dependence on the ratio of size to the value of the diode gap was an exponential function with 3/2 index. Current dependence on voltage obeyed the exponential law with 3/2 index up to higher voltage values in the planar diode with discrete emission surface in contrast to the case of a planar diode with homogeneous emission surface [ru

  20. Linear and nonlinear surface spectroscopy of supported size selected metal clusters and organic adsorbates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thaemer, Martin Georg

    2012-03-08

    The spectroscopic investigation of supported size selected metal clusters over a wide wavelength range plays an important role for understanding their outstanding catalytic properties. The challenge which must be overcome to perform such measurements is the difficult detection of the weak spectroscopic signals from these samples. As a consequence, highly sensitive spectroscopic methods are applied, such as surface Cavity Ringdown Spectroscopy and surface Second Harmonic Generation Spectroscopy. The spectroscopic apparatus developed is shown to have a sensitivity which is high enough to detect sub-monolayer coverages of adsorbates on surfaces. In the measured spectra of small supported silver clusters of the sizes Ag{sub 4}2, Ag{sub 2}1, Ag{sub 9}, and Ag atoms a stepwise transition from particles with purely metallic character to particles with molecule-like properties can be observed within this size range.

  1. Temperature-dependent surface density of alkylthiol monolayers on gold nanocrystals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Xuepeng; Lu, Pin; Zhai, Hua; Wu, Yucheng

    2018-03-01

    Atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are performed to study the surface density of passivating monolayers of alkylthiol chains on gold nanocrystals at temperatures ranging from 1 to 800 K. The results show that the surface density of alkylthiol monolayer reaches a maximum value at near room temperature (200-300 K), while significantly decreases with increasing temperature in the higher temperature region (> 300 {{K}}), and slightly decreases with decreasing temperature at low temperature (< 200 {{K}}). We find that the temperature dependence of surface ligand density in the higher temperature region is attributed to the substantial ligand desorption induced by the thermal fluctuation, while that at low temperature results from the reduction in entropy caused by the change in the ordering of passivating monolayer. These results are expected helpful to understand the temperature-dependent surface coverage of gold nanocrystals.

  2. Size-dependent cytotoxicity and inflammatory responses of PEGylated silica-iron oxide nanocomposite size series

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Injumpa, Wishulada [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand); Ritprajak, Patcharee [Department of Microbiology, and RU in Oral Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand); Insin, Numpon, E-mail: Numpon.I@chula.ac.th [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand)

    2017-04-01

    incubation with the highest concentration of 1000 μg/mL. Although 1000 μg/mL of all sizes of the nanocomposites decreased macrophage viability, the cytotoxicity of the nanocomposites was notably less than silica. The inflammatory response of macrophage was also observed by ELISA, and we found that the size of 20 and 40 nm, but not 100 and 200 nm, obviously stimulated IL-6 production. From this study, the preparations of multifunctional superparamagnetic nanocomposites of different sizes along with the size-dependent effects on cellular toxicity and inflammatory response were demonstrated and could be applied for designing of new drug carriers. - Highlights: • Magnetic iron oxide-silica nanocomposites (MNCs) size series were synthesized. • PPEGMA-MNCs exhibited low cytotoxicity against fibroblast and macrophage lines. • The effects on the sizes of PPEGMA-coated MNCs on immune responses were observed.

  3. Thermodynamic theory of intrinsic finite-size effects in PbTiO3 nanocrystals. I. Nanoparticle size-dependent tetragonal phase stability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akdogan, E. K.; Safari, A.

    2007-03-01

    We propose a phenomenological intrinsic finite-size effect model for single domain, mechanically free, and surface charge compensated ΔG-P ⃗s-ξ space, which describes the decrease in tetragonal phase stability with decreasing ξ rigorously.

  4. Analytical description of concentration dependence of surface tension in multicomponent systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dadashev, R; Kutuev, R [Complex Science Research Institute of the Science Academy of the Chechen Republic, 21 Staropromisl. shosse, Grozny 364096 (Russian Federation); Elimkhanov, D [Science Academy of the Chechen Republic (Russian Federation)], E-mail: edzhabrail@mail.ru

    2008-02-15

    From the basic fundamental thermodynamic expressions the equation of isotherms of the surface tension of a ternary system is received. Various assumptions concerning the concentration dependence of molar areas are usually made when the equation is derived. The dependence of the molar areas is calculated as an additive function of the structure of a volumetric phase or the structure of a surface layer. To define the concentration dependence of the molar areas we used a stricter thermodynamic expression offered by Butler. In the received equation the dependence of molar areas on the structure of the solution is taken into account. Therefore, the equation can be applied for the calculation of surface tension over a wide concentration range of the components. Unlike the known expressions, the equation includes the surface tension properties of lateral binary systems, which makes the accuracy of the calculated values considerably higher. Thus, among the advantages of the offered equation we can point out the mathematical simplicity of the received equation and the fact that the equation includes physical parameters the experimental definition of which does not present any special difficulties.

  5. Surface plasmon enhanced organic light emitting diodes by gold nanoparticles with different sizes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gao, Chia-Yuan; Chen, Ying-Chung [Department of Electrical Engineering, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Chen, Kan-Lin [Department of Electronic Engineering, Fortune Institute of Technology, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Huang, Chien-Jung, E-mail: chien@nuk.edu.tw [Department of Applied Physics, National University of Kaohsiung, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China)

    2015-11-30

    Highlights: • Different varieties, sizes, and shapes for nanoparticles will generate different surface plasmon resonance effects in the devices. • The red-shift phenomenon for absorption peaks is because of an increasing contribution of higher-order plasmon modes for the larger gold nanoparticles. • The mobility of electrons in the electron-transport layer of organic light-emitting diodes is a few orders of magnitude lower than that of holes in the hole-transport layer of organic light-emitting diodes. - Abstract: The influence of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) with different sizes doped into (poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) poly(styrenesulfonate)) (PEDOT:PSS) on the performance of organic light-emitting diodes is investigated in this study. The current efficiency of the device, at a current density of 145 mA/cm, with PEDOT:PSS doped with GNPs of 8 nm is about 1.57 times higher than that of the device with prime PEDOT:PSS because the absorption peak of GNPs is closest to the photoluminescence peak of the emission layer, resulting in maximum surface plasmon resonance effect in the device. In addition, the surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy also reveals the maximum surface plasmon resonance effect in the device when the mean particle size of GNPs is 8 nm.

  6. Photometric imaging in particle size measurement and surface visualization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sandler, Niklas

    2011-09-30

    The aim of this paper is to give an insight into photometric particle sizing approaches, which differ from the typical particle size measurement of dispersed particles. These approaches can often be advantageous especially for samples that are moist or cohesive, when dispersion of particles is difficult or sometimes impossible. The main focus of this paper is in the use of photometric stereo imaging. The technique allows the reconstruction of three-dimensional images of objects using multiple light sources in illumination. The use of photometric techniques is demonstrated in at-line measurement of granules and on-line measurement during granulation and dry milling. Also, surface visualization and roughness measurements are briefly discussed. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Determination of the surface area and sizes of supported copper nanoparticles through organothiol adsorption—ñhemisorption

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ndolomingo, Matumuene Joe; Meijboom, Reinout, E-mail: rmeijboom@uj.ac.za

    2016-12-30

    Highlights: • Cu on γ-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} catalysts were prepared and characterized. • The ligand sorption-based technique was used for the determination of specific surface area and particle sizes. • The ligand packing density on Cu nanoparticles was quantified. • A fair agreement was found between the Cu particle sizes obtained from ligand adsorption and TEM methods. • The oxidation of morin by hydrogen peroxide was used to evaluate the catalytic activities of the Cu supported catalysts. - Abstract: The mechanisms involving the nanoparticle surfaces in catalytic reactions are more difficult to elucidate due to the nanoparticle surface unevenness, size distributions, and morphological irregularity. True surface area and particle sizes determination are key aspects of the activity of metal nanoparticle catalysts. Here we report on the organothiol adsorption-based technique for the determination of specific surface area of Cu nanoparticles, and their resultant sizes on γ-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} supports. Quantification of ligand packing density on copper nanoparticles is also reported. The concentration of the probe ligand, 2-mercaptobenzimidazole (2-MBI) before and after immersion of supported copper catalysts was determined by ultraviolet-visible spectrometry (UV–vis). The amount of ligand adsorbed was found to be proportional to the copper nanoparticles surface area. Atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS), N{sub 2}-physisorption (BET), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were used for the characterization of the catalysts. A fair agreement was found between particle sizes obtained from ligand adsorption and TEM methods. The catalytic activity of the copper nanoparticles related to their inherent surface area was evaluated using the model reaction of the oxidation of morin by hydrogen peroxide.

  8. Geometry- and rate-dependent adhesive failure of micropatterned surfaces

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bakker, H.; Lindstrom, S.B.; Sprakel, J.H.B.

    2012-01-01

    The dynamic nature of adhesive interface failure remains poorly understood, especially when the contact between the two surfaces is localized in microscopic points of adhesion. Here, we explore the dynamic failure of adhesive interfaces composed of a large number of micron-sized pillars against

  9. Surface dependent behaviour of CdS LO-phonon mode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Molina-Contreras, J R; Medina-Gutierrez, C; Frausto-Reyes, C; Trejo-Vazquez, R; Villalobos-Pina, F J; Romo-Luevano, G; Calixto, S

    2007-01-01

    In this paper, we develop a sensitive optical method to monitor the surface roughness in the investigation of surfaces. By applying this method to measure the RMS surface roughness of various surfaces, we found RMS values which are comparable to those obtained by atomic force microscopy measurements. In addition, we present a simple empirical model to calculate the RMS surface roughness which shows very good agreement with the surface roughness measurements taken by the method reported in this paper. Finally, the application of our method to the study of the LO-phonon mode of CdS suggests that its intensity is dominated by the surface roughness. This roughness dependent behaviour of the CdS LO-phonon mode is experimentally confirmed by using an excitation wavelength near its E 0 transition

  10. The effect of surface albedo and grain size distribution on ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Sand dams are very useful in arid and semi arid lands (ASALs) as facilities for water storage and conservation. Soils in ASALs are mainly sandy and major water loss is by evaporation and infiltration. This study investigated the effect of sand media characteristics, specifically surface albedo, grain size and stratification on ...

  11. Surface chemistry and size influence the release of model therapeutic nanoparticles from poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hume, Stephanie L.; Jeerage, Kavita M.

    2013-01-01

    Nanoparticles have emerged as promising therapeutic and diagnostic tools, due to their unique physicochemical properties. The specific core and surface chemistries, as well as nanoparticle size, play critical roles in particle transport and interaction with biological tissue. Localized delivery of therapeutics from hydrogels is well established, but these systems generally release molecules with hydrodynamic radii less than ∼5 nm. Here, model nanoparticles with biologically relevant surface chemistries and diameters between 10 and 35 nm are analyzed for their release from well-characterized hydrogels. Functionalized gold nanoparticles or quantum dots were encapsulated in three-dimensional poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels with varying mesh size. Nanoparticle size, surface chemistry, and hydrogel mesh size all influenced the release of particles from the hydrogel matrix. Size influenced nanoparticle release as expected, with larger particles releasing at a slower rate. However, citrate-stabilized gold nanoparticles were not released from hydrogels. Negatively charged carboxyl or positively charged amine-functionalized quantum dots were released from hydrogels at slower rates than neutrally charged PEGylated nanoparticles of similar size. Transmission electron microscopy images of gold nanoparticles embedded within hydrogel sections demonstrated uniform particle distribution and negligible aggregation, independent of surface chemistry. The nanoparticle-hydrogel interactions observed in this work will aid in the development of localized nanoparticle delivery systems.

  12. Genotoxicity assessment of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles with different particle sizes and surface coatings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Yanping; Xia, Qiyue; Liu, Ying; Zhang, Shuyang; Cheng, Feng; Wang, Li; Li, Hongxia; Xiao, Kai; Zhong, Zhihui

    2014-01-01

    Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) have been widely used for various biomedical applications such as magnetic resonance imaging and drug delivery. However, their potential toxic effects, including genotoxicity, need to be thoroughly understood. In the present study, the genotoxicity of IONPs with different particle sizes (10, 30 nm) and surface coatings (PEG, PEI) were assessed using three standard genotoxicity assays, the Salmonella typhimurium reverse mutation assay (Ames test), the in vitro mammalian chromosome aberration test, and the in vivo micronucleus assay. In the Ames test, SMG-10 (PEG coating, 10 nm) showed a positive mutagenic response in all the five test bacterial strains with and without metabolic activation, whereas SEI-10 (PEI coating, 10 nm) showed no mutagenesis in all tester strains regardless of metabolic activation. SMG-30 (PEG coating, 30 nm) was not mutagenic in the absence of metabolic activation, and became mutagenic in the presence of metabolic activation. In the chromosomal aberration test, no increase in the incidence of chromosomal aberrations was observed for all three IONPs. In the in vivo micronucleus test, there was no evidence of increased micronuclei frequencies for all three IONPs, indicating that they were not clastogenic in vivo. Taken together, our results demonstrated that IONPs with PEG coating exhibited mutagenic activity without chromosomal and clastogenic abnormalities, and smaller IONPs (SMG-10) had stronger mutagenic potential than larger ones (SMG-30); whereas, IONPs with SEI coating (SEI-10) were not genotoxic in all three standard genotoxicity assays. This suggests that the mutagenicity of IONPs depends on their particle size and surface coating. (paper)

  13. Influence of measuring temperature in size dependence of coercivity in nanostructured alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lopez, M.; Marin, P.; Kulik, T.; Hernando, A.

    2005-01-01

    An increase of coercive field with decreasing particle size has been observed in ball milled nanocomposite of Fe-rich nanocrystals embedded in an amorphous matrix. Previous works (J. Appl. Phys. 64 (1998) 6044) have concluded that for high lattice strain, , the increase of coercivity is due to the magnetoelastic anisotropy generated by . Even though other effects can also be involved, the experimental results seem to indicate that the influence of the particle size on the average structural anisotropy noticeably contributes to the hardening observed for low . The influence of measuring temperature in size dependence of coercivity in nanostructured alloys has been analyzed. Some analogies and differences in respect of that observed in partially nanocrystallized samples have been found

  14. Biofouling on buoyant marine plastics: An experimental study into the effect of size on surface longevity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fazey, Francesca M.C.; Ryan, Peter G.

    2016-01-01

    Recent estimates suggest that roughly 100 times more plastic litter enters the sea than is found floating at the sea surface, despite the buoyancy and durability of many plastic polymers. Biofouling by marine biota is one possible mechanism responsible for this discrepancy. Microplastics (<5 mm in diameter) are more scarce than larger size classes, which makes sense because fouling is a function of surface area whereas buoyancy is a function of volume; the smaller an object, the greater its relative surface area. We tested whether plastic items with high surface area to volume ratios sank more rapidly by submerging 15 different sizes of polyethylene samples in False Bay, South Africa, for 12 weeks to determine the time required for samples to sink. All samples became sufficiently fouled to sink within the study period, but small samples lost buoyancy much faster than larger ones. There was a direct relationship between sample volume (buoyancy) and the time to attain a 50% probability of sinking, which ranged from 17 to 66 days of exposure. Our results provide the first estimates of the longevity of different sizes of plastic debris at the ocean surface. Further research is required to determine how fouling rates differ on free floating debris in different regions and in different types of marine environments. Such estimates could be used to improve model predictions of the distribution and abundance of floating plastic debris globally. - Highlights: • We tested how fragment size affects the rate of buoyancy loss at sea due to biofouling for two low-density plastic polymers. • We found a strong direct relationship between fragment size and surface longevity. • Our longevity estimates ranged from 17 days for the thinnest microplastics to 66 days for thicker macroplastics. • Our results provide the first estimates of the longevity of different sizes of plastic debris at the ocean surface. • The results could be used to improve model predictions of the

  15. Age- and size-dependent mating performance and fertility in a pelagic copepod, Temora longicornis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sichlau, Mie Hylstofte; Kiørboe, Thomas

    2011-01-01

    Prepress abstract: In many species, size and age have been shown to be strong determinants of the reproductive success for both sexes. Here we examine age- and size dependent reproductive performance (egg- and sperm production, mating success) in a pelagic copepod. Compared to smaller males, larger...... males produce larger spermatophores containing more spermatozoa, and fertilize a larger fraction of available females. Females mating with large males produce more offspring than those mating with small males. Similarly, large females have higher egg production rates as well as a higher life-time egg...... fertilize females for only about eight days after they mature. The strong size- and age-dependent fertility observed in this species is conducive to the development of sexual selection via mate choice for young and large partners, as has been shown in one other copepod species...

  16. Monte Carlo simulations in CT for the study of the surface air kerma and energy imparted to phantoms of varying size and position

    Science.gov (United States)

    Avilés Lucas, P.; Dance, D. R.; Castellano, I. A.; Vañó, E.

    2004-04-01

    A Monte Carlo computational model of CT has been developed and used to investigate the effect of various physical factors on the surface air kerma length product, the peak surface air kerma, the air kerma length product within a phantom and the energy imparted. The factors investigated were the bow-tie filter and the size, shape and position of a phantom which simulates the patient. The calculations show that the surface air kerma length product and the maximum surface air kerma are mainly dependent on phantom position and decrease along the vertical axis of the CT plane as the phantom surface moves away from the isocentre along this axis. As a result, measurements using standard body dosimetry phantoms may underestimate the skin dose for real patients. This result is specially important for CT fluoroscopic procedures: for an adult patient the peak skin dose can be 37% higher than that estimated with a standard measurement on the body AAPM (American Association of Physicists in Medicine) phantom. The results also show that the energy imparted to a phantom is mainly influenced by phantom size and is nearly independent of phantom position (within 3%) and shape (up to 5% variation). However, variations of up to 30% were found for the air kerma to regions within the AAPM body phantom when it is moved vertically. This highlights the importance of calculating doses to organs taking into account their size and position within the gantry.

  17. Effects of γ-irradiation and ageing on surface and catalytic properties of nano-sized Cu O/Mg O system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    El-Molla, S. A.; Ismail, S. A.; Ibrahim, M. M.

    2011-01-01

    0.2 Cu O/Mg O system prepared by impregnation method was calcined at 350 and 450 C. The effects of γ-rays (0.2-1.6 MGy) on its structure, surface and catalytic properties were investigated by using XRD, N 2 -adsorption at -196 C and catalytic conversion of isopropanol at 150-275 C using a flow technique. The results revealed that the investigated solids consisted of nano-sized Mg O as a major phase besides Cu O and trace amount of Cu 2 O. γ-Irradiation of the solids investigated exerted measurable changes in their surface and catalytic properties dependent on the calcination temperature and dose of irradiation. The catalysts investigated acted as active dehydrogenation solids. The five years-ageing of different solids showed limited changes of their surface and catalytic properties indicating a good catalytic stability of the irradiated prepared solids. (Author)

  18. Effects of {gamma}-irradiation and ageing on surface and catalytic properties of nano-sized Cu O/Mg O system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    El-Molla, S. A. [Ain Shams University, Faculty of Education, Chemistry Deparment, Roxy, Heliopolis, 11757 Cairo (Egypt); Ismail, S. A.; Ibrahim, M. M., E-mail: saharelmolla@yahoo.com [National Center for Radiation Research and Technology, Nasr City, P.O. Box 29, 11731 Cairo (Egypt)

    2011-07-01

    0.2 Cu O/Mg O system prepared by impregnation method was calcined at 350 and 450 C. The effects of {gamma}-rays (0.2-1.6 MGy) on its structure, surface and catalytic properties were investigated by using XRD, N{sub 2}-adsorption at -196 C and catalytic conversion of isopropanol at 150-275 C using a flow technique. The results revealed that the investigated solids consisted of nano-sized Mg O as a major phase besides Cu O and trace amount of Cu{sub 2}O. {gamma}-Irradiation of the solids investigated exerted measurable changes in their surface and catalytic properties dependent on the calcination temperature and dose of irradiation. The catalysts investigated acted as active dehydrogenation solids. The five years-ageing of different solids showed limited changes of their surface and catalytic properties indicating a good catalytic stability of the irradiated prepared solids. (Author)

  19. Size-dependent nonlocal effects in plasmonic semiconductor particles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Maack, Johan Rosenkrantz; Mortensen, N. Asger; Wubs, Martijn

    2017-01-01

    Localized surface plasmons (LSP) in semiconductor particles are expected to exhibit spatial nonlocal response effects as the geometry enters the nanometer scale. To investigate these nonlocal effects, we apply the hydrodynamic model to nanospheres of two different semiconductor materials: intrinsic...... InSb and n-doped GaAs. Our results show that the semiconductors indeed display nonlocal effects, and that these effects are even more pronounced than in metals. In a 150 nm InSb particle at 300 K, the LSP frequency is blueshifted 35%, which is orders of magnitude larger than the blueshift in a metal...... particle of the same size. This property, together with their tunability, makes semiconductors a promising platform for experiments in nonlocal effects. Copyright (C)EPLA, 2017...

  20. Estimation of Sway Velocity-Dependent Hydrodynamic Derivatives in Surface Ship Manoeuvring Using Ranse Based CFD

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sheeja Janardhanan

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available The hydrodynamic derivatives appearing in the manoeuvring equations of motion are the primary parameters in the prediction of the trajectory of a vessel. Determination of these derivatives poses major challenge in ship manoeuvring related problems. This paper deals with one such problem in which an attempt has been made to numerically simulate the conventional straight line test in a towing tank using computational fluid dynamics (CFD. Free-surface effects have been neglected here. The domain size has been fixed as per ITTC guide lines. The grid size has been fixed after a thorough grid independency analysis and an optimum grid size has been chosen in order to ensure the insensitivity of the flow parameters to grid size and also to have reduced computational effort. The model has been oriented to wider range of drift angles to capture the non-linear effects and subsequently the forces and moments acting on the model in each angle have been estimated. The sway velocity dependent derivatives have been obtained through plots and curve-fits. The effect of finite water depth on the derivatives has also been looked into. The results have been compared with the available experimental and empirical values and the method was found to be promising.

  1. Analysis of surface dark current dependent upon surface passivation in APD based on GaAs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Song, Hong Joo; Roh, Cheong Hyun; Lee, Jun Ho; Choi, Hong Goo; Hahn, Cheol-Koo; Kim, Dong Ho; Park, Jung Ho

    2009-01-01

    In this paper, we investigated the dependence of reverse dark current on two types of surface passivation, one of which is polyimide and the other is SiN x , for InAs quantum dots/GaAs separate absorption, charge, multiplication avalanche photodiode (SACM APD). From the experimental results, we found that dark current was dominated by surface current, and not bulk current. It was also noted that SiN x passivation has a surface current that is lower by three to nine times in magnitude than that in polyimide passivation in the whole range of bias. To analyze the difference in dark current due to the passivation types, we propose the theoretical current components. This shows that the dark current of both passivation types is mainly composed of generation–recombination (G–R) and tunneling components, originating from the surface. However, each component has a different magnitude for passivation types, which can be explained by carrier concentration and trap density. The dependence of dark current on temperature shows the different behaviors between passivation types and supports a theoretical description of current components

  2. Molecular size-dependent abundance and composition of dissolved organic matter in river, lake and sea waters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Huacheng; Guo, Laodong

    2017-06-15

    Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is ubiquitous in natural waters. The ecological role and environmental fate of DOM are highly related to the chemical composition and size distribution. To evaluate size-dependent DOM quantity and quality, water samples were collected from river, lake, and coastal marine environments and size fractionated through a series of micro- and ultra-filtrations with different membranes having different pore-sizes/cutoffs, including 0.7, 0.4, and 0.2 μm and 100, 10, 3, and 1 kDa. Abundance of dissolved organic carbon, total carbohydrates, chromophoric and fluorescent components in the filtrates decreased consistently with decreasing filter/membrane cutoffs, but with a rapid decline when the filter cutoff reached 3 kDa, showing an evident size-dependent DOM abundance and composition. About 70% of carbohydrates and 90% of humic- and protein-like components were measured in the definition of DOM and its size continuum in quantity and quality in aquatic environments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Convergence of surface diffusion parameters with model crystal size

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cohen, Jennifer M.; Voter, Arthur F.

    1994-07-01

    A study of the variation in the calculated quantities for adatom diffusion with respect to the size of the model crystal is presented. The reported quantities include surface diffusion barrier heights, pre-exponential factors, and dynamical correction factors. Embedded atom method (EAM) potentials were used throughout this effort. Both the layer size and the depth of the crystal were found to influence the values of the Arrhenius factors significantly. In particular, exchange type mechanisms required a significantly larger model than standard hopping mechanisms to determine adatom diffusion barriers of equivalent accuracy. The dynamical events that govern the corrections to transition state theory (TST) did not appear to be as sensitive to crystal depth. Suitable criteria for the convergence of the diffusion parameters with regard to the rate properties are illustrated.

  4. Grain-size dependent accommodation due to intragranular distributions of dislocation loops

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Richeton, T.; Berbenni, S.; Berveiller, M.

    2009-01-01

    A grain-size dependent accommodation law for polycrystals is deduced from an inclusion/matrix problem (i.e., each grain is seen as embedded in a homogeneous equivalent medium) where plastic strain inside the inclusion is given as a discrete distribution of circular coaxial glide dislocation loops. The loops are assumed constrained at spherical grain boundaries. From thermodynamic considerations specific to a process of identical plastification in all the loops (considered as 'super-dislocations'), an average back-stress over the grain is derived. In order to compute the very early stages of plastic deformation in a face-centred cubic polycrystal, this back-stress is incorporated into a diluted model in terms of concentration of plastic grains. Contrary to conventional mean-field approaches, a grain-size effect is obtained for the initial overall strain-hardening behaviour. This size effect results from an intrinsic contribution of intragranular slip heterogeneities on the kinematical hardening

  5. An investigation of the general regularity of size dependence of reaction kinetics of nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cui, Zixiang; Duan, Huijuan; Xue, Yongqiang; Li, Ping

    2015-01-01

    In the processes of preparation and application of nanomaterials, the chemical reactions of nanoparticles are often involved, and the size of nanoparticles has dramatic influence on the reaction kinetics. Nevertheless, there are many conflicts on regularities of size dependence of reaction kinetic parameters, and these conflicts have not been explained so far. In this paper, taking the reaction of nano-ZnO (average diameter is from 20.96 to 53.31 nm) with acrylic acid solution as a system, the influence regularities of the particle size on the kinetic parameters were researched. The regularities were consistent with that in most literatures, but inconsistent with that in a few of literatures, the reasons for the conflicts were interpreted. The reasons can be attributed to two factors: one is improper data processing for fewer data points, and the other is the difference between solid particles and porous particles. A general regularity of the size dependence of reaction kinetics for solid particles was obtained. The regularity shows that with the size of nanoparticles decreasing, the rate constant and the reaction order increase, while the apparent activation energy and the pre-exponential factor decrease; and the relationships of the logarithm of rate constant, the logarithm of pre-exponential factor, and the apparent activation energy to the reciprocal of the particle size are linear, respectively

  6. Size dependence study of the ordering temperature in the Fast Monte Carlo method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Velasquez, E. A., E-mail: eavelas@gmail.com [Universidad de San Buenaventura Seccional Medellin, Grupo de Investigacion en Modelamiento y Simulacion Computacional, Facultad de Ingenierias (Colombia); Mazo-Zuluaga, J., E-mail: johanmazo@gmail.com [Universidad de Antioquia, Grupo de Estado Solido, Grupo de Instrumentacion Cientifica y Microelectronica, Instituto de Fisica-FCEN (Colombia); Mejia-Lopez, J., E-mail: jmejia@puc.cl [Universidad de Antioquia, Instituto de Fisica-FCEN (Colombia)

    2013-02-15

    Based on the framework of the Fast Monte Carlo approach, we study the diameter dependence of the ordering temperature in magnetic nanostructures of cylindrical shape. For the purposes of this study, Fe cylindrical-shaped samples of different sizes (20 nm height, 30-100 nm in diameter) have been chosen, and their magnetic properties have been computed as functions of the scaled temperature. Two main set of results are concluded: (a) the ordering temperature of nanostructures follows a linear scaling relationship as a function of the scaling factor x, for all the studied sizes. This finding rules out a scaling relation T Prime {sub c} = x{sup 3{eta}}T{sub c} (where {eta} is a scaling exponent, and T Prime {sub c} and T{sub c} are the scaled and true ordering temperatures) that has been proposed in the literature, and suggests that temperature should scale linearly with the scaling factor x. (b) For the nanostructures, there are three different order-disorder magnetic transition modes depending on the system's size, in very good agreement with previous experimental reports.

  7. Condition-Dependent Trade-Off Between Weapon Size and Immunity in Males of the European Earwig.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Körner, Maximilian; Vogelweith, Fanny; Foitzik, Susanne; Meunier, Joël

    2017-08-11

    Investigating the expression of trade-offs between key life-history functions is central to our understanding of how these functions evolved and are maintained. However, detecting trade-offs can be challenging due to variation in resource availability, which masks trade-offs at the population level. Here, we investigated in the European earwig Forficula auricularia whether (1) weapon size trades off with three key immune parameters - hemocyte concentration, phenoloxidase and prophenoloxidase activity - and whether (2) expression and strength of these trade-offs depend on male body condition (body size) and/or change after an immune challenge. Our results partially confirmed condition dependent trade-offs between weapon size and immunity in male earwigs. Specifically, we found that after an immune challenge, weapon size trades off with hemocyte concentrations in low-condition, but not in good-condition males. Contrastingly, weapon size was independent of pre-challenge hemocyte concentration. We also found no trade-off between weapon size and phenoloxidase activity, independent of body condition and immune challenge. Overall, our study reveals that trade-offs with sexual traits may weaken or disappear in good-condition individuals. Given the importance of weapon size for male reproductive success, our results highlight how low-condition individuals may employ alternative life-history investment strategies to cope with resource limitation.

  8. Size-dependent mortality rate profiles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roa-Ureta, Ruben H

    2016-08-07

    Knowledge of mortality rates is crucial to the understanding of population dynamics in populations of free-living fish and invertebrates in marine and freshwater environments, and consequently to sustainable resource management. There is a well developed theory of population dynamics based on age distributions that allow direct estimation of mortality rates. However, for most cases the aging of individuals is difficult or age distributions are not available for other reasons. The body size distribution is a widely available alternative although the theory underlying the formation of its shape is more complicated than in the case of age distributions. A solid theory of the time evolution of a population structured by any physiological variable has been developed in 1960s and 1970s by adapting the Hamilton-Jacobi formulation of classical mechanics, and equations to estimate the body size-distributed mortality profile have been derived for simple cases. Here I extend those results with regards to the size-distributed mortality profile to complex cases of non-stationary populations, individuals growing according to a generalised growth model and seasonally patterned recruitment pulses. I apply resulting methods to two cases in the marine environment, a benthic crustacean population that was growing during the period of observation and whose individuals grow with negative acceleration, and a sea urchin coastal population that is undergoing a stable cycle of two equilibrium points in population size whose individuals grow with varying acceleration that switches sign along the size range. The extension is very general and substantially widens the applicability of the theory. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Implication of oxidative stress in size-dependent toxicity of silica nanoparticles in kidney cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Passagne, Isabelle; Morille, Marie; Rousset, Marine; Pujalté, Igor; L’Azou, Béatrice

    2012-01-01

    Silica nanoparticles (nano-SiO 2 ) are one of the most popular nanomaterials used in industrial manufacturing, synthesis, engineering and medicine. While inhalation of nanoparticles causes pulmonary damage, nano-SiO 2 can be transported into the blood and deposit in target organs where they exert potential toxic effects. Kidney is considered as such a secondary target organ. However, toxicological information of their effect on renal cells and the mechanisms involved remain sparse. In the present study, the cytotoxicity of nano-SiO 2 of different sizes was investigated on two renal proximal tubular cell lines (human HK-2 and porcine LLC-PK 1 ). The molecular pathways involved were studied with a focus on the involvement of oxidative stress. Nanoparticle characterization was performed (primary nanoparticle size, surface area, dispersion) in order to investigate a potential relationship between their physical properties and their toxic effects. Firstly, evidence of particle internalization was obtained by transmission electron microscopy and conventional flux cytometry techniques. The use of specific inhibitors of endocytosis pathways showed an internalization process by macropinocytosis and clathrin-mediated endocytosis for 100 nm nano-SiO 2 nanoparticles. These nanoparticles were localized in vesicles. Toxicity was size- and time-dependent (24 h, 48 h, 72 h). Indeed, it increased as nanoparticles became smaller. Secondly, analysis of oxidative stress based on the assessment of ROS (reactive oxygen species) production (DHE, dihydroethidium) or lipid peroxidation (MDA, malondialdehyde) clearly demonstrated the involvement of oxidative stress in the toxicity of 20 nm nano-SiO 2 . The induction of antioxidant enzymes (catalase, GSTpi, thioredoxin reductase) could explain their lesser toxicity with 100 nm nano-SiO 2 .

  10. Nanotoxicity of silver nanoparticles to red blood cells: size dependent adsorption, uptake, and hemolytic activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Li Qiang; Fang, Li; Ling, Jian; Ding, Cheng Zhi; Kang, Bin; Huang, Cheng Zhi

    2015-03-16

    Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are increasingly being used as antimicrobial agents and drug carriers in biomedical fields. However, toxicological information on their effects on red blood cells (RBCs) and the mechanisms involved remain sparse. In this article, we examined the size dependent nanotoxicity of AgNPs using three different characteristic sizes of 15 nm (AgNPs15), 50 nm (AgNPs50), and 100 nm (AgNPs100) against fish RBCs. Optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy observations showed that AgNPs exhibited a size effect on their adsorption and uptake by RBCs. The middle sized AgNPs50, compared with the smaller or bigger ones, showed the highest level of adsorption and uptake by the RBCs, suggesting an optimal size of ∼50 nm for passive uptake by RBCs. The toxic effects determined based on the hemolysis, membrane injury, lipid peroxidation, and antioxidant enzyme production were fairly size and dose dependent. In particular, the smallest sized AgNPs15 displayed a greater ability to induce hemolysis and membrane damage than AgNPs50 and AgNPs100. Such cytotoxicity induced by AgNPs should be attributed to the direct interaction of the nanoparticle with the RBCs, resulting in the production of oxidative stress, membrane injury, and subsequently hemolysis. Overall, the results suggest that particle size is a critical factor influencing the interaction between AgNPs and the RBCs.

  11. Influences of surface charge, size, and concentration of colloidal nanoparticles on fabrication of self-organized porous silica in film and particle forms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nandiyanto, Asep Bayu Dani; Suhendi, Asep; Arutanti, Osi; Ogi, Takashi; Okuyama, Kikuo

    2013-05-28

    Studies on preparation of porous material have attracted tremendous attention because existence of pores can provide material with excellent performances. However, current preparation reports described successful production of porous material with only partial information on charges, interactions, sizes, and compositions of the template and host materials. In this report, influences of self-assembly parameters (i.e., surface charge, size, and concentration of colloidal nanoparticles) on self-organized porous material fabrication were investigated. Silica nanoparticles (as a host material) and polystyrene (PS) spheres (as a template) were combined to produce self-assembly porous materials in film and particle forms. The experimental results showed that the porous structure and pore size were controllable and strongly depended on the self-assembly parameters. Materials containing highly ordered pores were effectively created only when process parameters fall within appropriate conditions (i.e., PS surface charge ≤ -30 mV; silica-to-PS size ratio ≤0.078; and silica-to-PS mass ratio of about 0.50). The investigation of the self-assembly parameter landscape was also completed using geometric considerations. Because optimization of these parameters provides significant information in regard to practical uses, results of this report could be relevant to other functional properties.

  12. Size- and composition-dependent toxicity of synthetic and soil-derived Fe oxide colloids for the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Höss, Sebastian; Fritzsche, Andreas; Meyer, Carolin; Bosch, Julian; Meckenstock, Rainer U; Totsche, Kai Uwe

    2015-01-06

    Colloidal iron oxides (FeOx) are increasingly released to the environment due to their use in environmental remediation and biomedical applications, potentially harming living organisms. Size and composition could affect the bioavailability and toxicity of such colloids. Therefore, we investigated the toxicity of selected FeOx with variable aggregate size and variably composed FeOx-associated organic matter (OM) toward the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Ferrihydrite colloids containing citrate were taken up by C. elegans with the food and accumulated inside their body. The toxicity of ferrihydrite, goethite, and akaganeite was dependent on aggregate size and specific surface area, with EC50 values for reproduction ranging from 4 to 29 mg Fe L(-1). Experiments with mutant strains lacking mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (sod-2) showed oxidative stress for two FeOx and Fe(3+)-ions, however, revealed that it was not the predominant mechanism of toxicity. The OM composition determined the toxicity of mixed OM-FeOx phases on C. elegans. FeOx associated with humic acids or citrate were less toxic than OM-free FeOx. In contrast, soil-derived ferrihydrite, containing proteins and polysaccharides from mobile OM, was even more toxic than OM-free Fh of similar aggregate size. Consequently, the careful choice of the type of FeOx and the type of associated OM may help in reducing the ecological risks if actively applied to the subsurface.

  13. Facile Synthesis of Micron-Sized Hollow Silver Spheres as Substrates for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lixin Xia

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available A well-designed type of micron-sized hollow silver sphere was successfully synthesized by a simple hard-template method to be used as substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering. 4 Å molecular sieves were employed as a removable solid template. [Ag(NH32]+ was absorbed as the precursor on the surface of the molecular sieve. Formaldehyde was selected as a reducing agent to reduce [Ag(NH32]+, resulting in the formation of a micron-sized silver shell on the surface of the 4 Å molecular sieves. The micron-sized hollow silver spheres were obtained by removing the molecular sieve template. SEM and XRD were used to characterize the structure of the micron-sized hollow silver spheres. The as-prepared micro-silver spheres exhibited robust SERS activity in the presence of adsorbed 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA with excitation at 632.8 nm, and the enhancement factor reached ~1.5 × 106. This synthetic process represents a promising method for preparing various hollow metal nanoparticles.

  14. Size-dependent impact of CNTs on dynamic properties of calmodulin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Jian; Wang, Liming; Kang, Seung-gu; Zhao, Lina; Ji, Mingjuan; Chen, Chunying; Zhao, Yuliang; Zhou, Ruhong; Li, Jingyuan

    2014-11-07

    There are growing concerns about the biosafety of nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as their applications become more widespread. We report here a theoretical and experimental study of the binding of various sizes of CNTs [CNT (4,4), (5,5), (6,6) and (7,7)] to calmodulin (CaM) protein and, in particular, their impact on the Ca(2+)-dependent dynamic properties of CaM. Our simulations show that all the CNTs can plug into the hydrophobic binding pocket of Ca(2+)-bound CaM with binding affinities comparable with the native substrate M13 peptide. Even though CNT (4,4) shows a similar behavior to the M13 peptide in its dissociation from Ca(2+)-free CaM, wider CNTs still bind firmly to CaM, indicating a potential failure of Ca(2+) regulation. Such a size-dependent impact of CNTs on the dynamic properties of CaM is a result of the excessively strong hydrophobic interactions between the wider CNTs and CaM. These simulation results were confirmed by circular dichroism spectroscopy, which showed that the secondary structures of CaM become insensitive to Ca(2+) concentrations after the addition of CNTs. Our findings indicate that the cytotoxicity of nanoparticles to proteins arises not only from the inhibition of static protein structures (binding pockets), but also from impacts on their dynamic properties.

  15. Turbulent flows over superhydrophobic surfaces with shear-dependent slip length

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khosh Aghdam, Sohrab; Seddighi, Mehdi; Ricco, Pierre

    2015-11-01

    Motivated by recent experimental evidence, shear-dependent slip length superhydrophobic surfaces are studied. Lyapunov stability analysis is applied in a 3D turbulent channel flow and extended to the shear-dependent slip-length case. The feedback law extracted is recognized for the first time to coincide with the constant-slip-length model widely used in simulations of hydrophobic surfaces. The condition for the slip parameters is found to be consistent with the experimental data and with values from DNS. The theoretical approach by Fukagata (PoF 18.5: 051703) is employed to model the drag-reduction effect engendered by the shear-dependent slip-length surfaces. The estimated drag-reduction values are in very good agreement with our DNS data. For slip parameters and flow conditions which are potentially realizable in the lab, the maximum computed drag reduction reaches 50%. The power spent by the turbulent flow on the walls is computed, thereby recognizing the hydrophobic surfaces as a passive-absorbing drag-reduction method, as opposed to geometrically-modifying techniques that do not consume energy, e.g. riblets, hence named passive-neutral. The flow is investigated by visualizations, statistical analysis of vorticity and strain rates, and quadrants of the Reynolds stresses. Part of this work was funded by Airbus Group. Simulations were performed on the ARCHER Supercomputer (UKTC Grant).

  16. Deposition of size-selected atomic clusters on surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carroll, S.J.

    1999-06-01

    This dissertation presents technical developments and experimental and computational investigations concerned with the deposition of atomic clusters onto surfaces. It consists of a collection of papers, in which the main body of results are contained, and four chapters presenting a subject review, computational and experimental techniques and a summary of the results presented in full within the papers. Technical work includes the optimization of an existing gas condensation cluster source based on evaporation, and the design, construction and optimization of a new gas condensation cluster source based on RF magnetron sputtering (detailed in Paper 1). The result of cluster deposition onto surfaces is found to depend on the cluster deposition energy; three impact energy regimes are explored in this work. (1) Low energy: n clusters create a defect in the surface, which pins the cluster in place, inhibiting cluster diffusion at room temperature (Paper V). (3) High energy: > 50 eV/atom. The clusters implant into the surface. For Ag 20 -Ag 200 clusters, the implantation depth is found to scale linearly with the impact energy and inversely with the cross-sectional area of the cluster, with an offset due to energy lost to the elastic compression of the surface (Paper VI). For smaller (Ag 3 ) clusters the orientation of the cluster with respect to the surface and the precise impact site play an important role; the impact energy has to be 'focused' in order for cluster implantation to occur (Paper VII). The application of deposited clusters for the creation of Si nanostructures by plasma etching is explored in Paper VIII. (author)

  17. Time-dependent image potential at a metal surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alducin, M.; Diez Muino, R.; Juaristi, J.I.

    2003-01-01

    Transient effects in the image potential induced by a point charge suddenly created in front of a metal surface are studied. The time evolution of the image potential is calculated using linear response theory. Two different time scales are defined: (i) the time required for the creation of the image potential and (ii) the time it takes to converge to its stationary value. Their dependence on the distance of the charge to the surface is discussed. The effect of the electron gas damping is also analyzed. For a typical metallic density, the order of magnitude of the creation time is 0.1 fs, whereas for a charge created close to the surface the convergence time is around 1-2 fs

  18. Particle size, spin wave and surface effects on magnetic properties of MgFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aslibeiki, B., E-mail: b.aslibeiki@tabrizu.ac.ir [Department of Physics, University of Tabriz, Tabriz 51666-16471 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Varvaro, G.; Peddis, D. [Istituto di Struttura della Materia, National Research Council, Monterotondo Scalo, Roma 00015 (Italy); Kameli, P. [Department of Physics, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111 (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2017-01-15

    Magnesium ferrite, MgFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}, nanoparticles with a mean diameter varying from ∼6 to ∼17 nm were successfully synthesized using a simple thermal decomposition method at different annealing temperatures ranging in between 400 and 600 °C. Pure spinel ferrite nanoparticles were obtained at temperatures lower than 500 °C, while the presence of hematite (α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}) impurities was observed at higher temperatures. Single-phase samples show a superparamagnetic behavior at 300 K, the saturation magnetization (M{sub s}) becoming larger with the increase of particles size. The temperature dependence of M{sub s} was explained in terms of surface spin-canting as well as spin wave excitations in the core. Using a modified Bloch law, [M{sub s}(T)=M{sub s}(0)(1−βT{sup α})], we observed a size dependent behavior of the Bloch constant β and the exponent α, whose values increase and decrease, respectively, as the particle size reduces. - Highlights: • MgFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanoparticles were synthesized using a thermal decomposition method. • Pure ferrite nanoparticles were obtained at temperatures lower than 500 °C. • Samples show a superparamagnetic behavior at room temperatures. • Spin wave excitations were studied using a modified Bloch law.

  19. Survival Times of Meter-Sized Rock Boulders on the Surface of Airless Bodies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basilevsky, A. T.; Head, J. W.; Horz, F.; Ramsley, K.

    2015-01-01

    This study considers the survival times of meter-sized rock boulders on the surfaces of several airless bodies. As the starting point, we employ estimates of the survival times of such boulders on the surface of the Moon by[1], then discuss the role of destruction due to day-night temperature cycling, consider the meteorite bombardment environment on the considered bodies in terms of projectile flux and velocities and finally estimate the survival times. Survival times of meter-sized rocks on lunar surface: The survival times of hand specimen-sized rocks exposed to the lunar surface environment were estimated based on experiments modeling the destruction of rocks by meteorite impacts, combined with measurements of the lunar surface meteorite flux, (e.g.,[2]). For estimations of the survival times of meter-sized lunar boulders, [1] suggested a different approach based on analysis of the spatial density of boulders on the rims of small lunar craters of known absolute age. It was found that for a few million years, only a small fraction of the boulders ejected by cratering process are destroyed, for several tens of million years approx.50% are destroyed, and for 200-300 Ma, 90 to 99% are destroyed. Following [2] and other works, [1] considered that the rocks are mostly destroyed by meteorite impacts. Destruction of rocks by thermal-stress. However, high diurnal temperature variations on the surface of the Moon and other airless bodies imply that thermal stresses may also be a cause of surface rock destruction. Delbo et al. [3] interpreted the observed presence of fine debris on the surface of small asteroids as due to thermal surface cycling. They stated that because of the very low gravity on the surface of these bodies, ejecta from meteorite impacts should leave the body, so formation there of fine debris has to be due to thermal cycling. Based on experiments on heating-cooling of cm-scale pieces of ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites and theoretical modeling of

  20. Size and composition dependence of the frozen structures in Co-based bimetallic clusters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Guojian; Wang, Qiang; Cao, Yongze; Du, Jiaojiao; He, Jicheng

    2012-01-01

    This Letter studies the size-dependent freezing of Co, Co–Ni, and Co–Cu clusters by using molecular dynamics with embedded atom method. Size effect occurs in these three types of clusters. The clusters with large sizes always freeze to form their bulk-like structures. However, the frozen structures for small sizes are generally related to their compositions. The icosahedral clusters are formed for Co clusters (for ⩽3.2 nm diameter) and also for Co–Ni clusters but at a larger size range (for ⩽4.08 nm). Upon the Co–Cu clusters, decahedral structure is obtained for small size (for 2.47 nm). The released energy induced the structural transformation plays a key role in the frozen structures. These results indicate that the preformed clusters with special structures can be tuned by controlling their compositions and sizes. -- Highlights: ► The size effect occurs in the Co, Co–Ni, and Co–Cu clusters. ► The clusters with large sizes always freeze to form their bulk-like structures. ► The frozen structures for small sizes are generally related to their compositions. ► Icosahedron is formed for Co and also for Co–Ni but at a larger size range. ► Upon the Co–Cu clusters, decahedral structure is obtained for small size.

  1. A size selective porous silicon grating-coupled Bloch surface and sub-surface wave biosensor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodriguez, Gilberto A; Ryckman, Judson D; Jiao, Yang; Weiss, Sharon M

    2014-03-15

    A porous silicon (PSi) grating-coupled Bloch surface and sub-surface wave (BSW/BSSW) biosensor is demonstrated to size selectively detect the presence of both large and small molecules. The BSW is used to sense large immobilized analytes at the surface of the structure while the BSSW that is confined inside but near the top of the structure is used to sensitively detect small molecules. Functionality of the BSW and BSSW modes is theoretically described by dispersion relations, field confinements, and simulated refractive index shifts within the structure. The theoretical results are experimentally verified by detecting two different small chemical molecules and one large 40 base DNA oligonucleotide. The PSi-BSW/BSSW structure is benchmarked against current porous silicon technology and is shown to have a 6-fold higher sensitivity in detecting large molecules and a 33% improvement in detecting small molecules. This is the first report of a grating-coupled BSW biosensor and the first report of a BSSW propagating mode. © 2013 Published by Elsevier B.V.

  2. Large size self-assembled quantum rings: quantum size effect and modulation on the surface diffusion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tong, Cunzhu; Yoon, Soon Fatt; Wang, Lijun

    2012-09-24

    We demonstrate experimentally the submicron size self-assembled (SA) GaAs quantum rings (QRs) by quantum size effect (QSE). An ultrathin In0.1 Ga0.9As layer with different thickness is deposited on the GaAs to modulate the surface nucleus diffusion barrier, and then the SA QRs are grown. It is found that the density of QRs is affected significantly by the thickness of inserted In0.1 Ga0.9As, and the diffusion barrier modulation reflects mainly on the first five monolayer . The physical mechanism behind is discussed. The further analysis shows that about 160 meV decrease in diffusion barrier can be achieved, which allows the SA QRs with density of as low as one QR per 6 μm2. Finally, the QRs with diameters of 438 nm and outer diameters of 736 nm are fabricated using QSE.

  3. Nonlocal superelastic model of size-dependent hardening and dissipation in single crystal Cu-Al-Ni shape memory alloys.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiao, Lei; Rimoli, Julian J; Chen, Ying; Schuh, Christopher A; Radovitzky, Raul

    2011-02-25

    We propose a nonlocal continuum model to describe the size-dependent superelastic effect observed in recent experiments of single crystal Cu-Al-Ni shape memory alloys. The model introduces two length scales, one in the free energy and one in the dissipation, which account for the size-dependent hardening and dissipation in the loading and unloading response of micro- and nanopillars subject to compression tests. The information provided by the model suggests that the size dependence observed in the dissipation is likely to be associated with a nonuniform evolution of the distribution of the austenitic and martensitic phases during the loading cycle. © 2011 American Physical Society

  4. Load-dependent surface diffusion model for analyzing the kinetics of protein adsorption onto mesoporous materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marbán, Gregorio; Ramírez-Montoya, Luis A; García, Héctor; Menéndez, J Ángel; Arenillas, Ana; Montes-Morán, Miguel A

    2018-02-01

    The adsorption of cytochrome c in water onto organic and carbon xerogels with narrow pore size distributions has been studied by carrying out transient and equilibrium batch adsorption experiments. It was found that equilibrium adsorption exhibits a quasi-Langmuirian behavior (a g coefficient in the Redlich-Peterson isotherms of over 0.95) involving the formation of a monolayer of cyt c with a depth of ∼4nm on the surface of all xerogels for a packing density of the protein inside the pores of 0.29gcm -3 . A load-dependent surface diffusion model (LDSDM) has been developed and numerically solved to fit the experimental kinetic adsorption curves. The results of the LDSDM show better fittings than the standard homogeneous surface diffusion model. The value of the external mass transfer coefficient obtained by numerical optimization confirms that the process is controlled by the intraparticle surface diffusion of cyt c. The surface diffusion coefficients decrease with increasing protein load down to zero for the maximum possible load. The decrease is steeper in the case of the xerogels with the smallest average pore diameter (∼15nm), the limit at which the zero-load diffusion coefficient of cyt c also begins to be negatively affected by interactions with the opposite wall of the pore. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Size and surface effects on the magnetism of magnetite and maghemite nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nikiforov, V. N., E-mail: pppnvn@yandex.ru [Moscow State University (Russian Federation); Ignatenko, A. N.; Irkhin, V. Yu. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Mikheev Institute of Metal Physics, Ural Branch (Russian Federation)

    2017-02-15

    The size effects of magnetite and maghemite nanoparticles on their magnetic properties (magnetic moment, Curie temperature, blocking temperature, etc.) have been investigated. Magnetic separation and centrifugation of an aqueous solution of nanoparticles were used for their separation into fractions; their sizes were measured by atomic force microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and electron microscopy. A change in the size leads to a change in the Curie temperature and magnetic moment per formula unit. Both native nanoparticles and those covered with a bioresorbable layer have been considered. The magnetic properties have been calculated by the Monte Carlo method for the classical Heisenberg model with various bulk and surface magnetic moments.

  6. Reversing Size-Dependent Trends in the Oxidation of Copper Clusters through Support Effects: Reversing Size-Dependent Trends in the Oxidation of Copper Clusters through Support Effects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mammen, Nisha [Theoretical Sciences Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, -560064 Bangalore India; Spanu, Leonardo [Shell Technology Center, Shell India Markets Private Limited, -560048 Bangalore India; Tyo, Eric C. [Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 60439 Argonne IL USA; Yang, Bing [Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 60439 Argonne IL USA; Halder, Avik [Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 60439 Argonne IL USA; Seifert, Sönke [X-ray Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 60439 Argonne IL USA; Pellin, Michael J. [Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 60439 Argonne IL USA; Vajda, Stefan [Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 60439 Argonne IL USA; Institute for Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, 60637 Chicago IL USA; Narasimhan, Shobhana [Theoretical Sciences Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, -560064 Bangalore India

    2017-12-22

    Having the ability to tune the oxidation state of Cu nanoparticles is essential for their utility as catalysts. The degree of oxidation that maximizes product yield and selectivity is known to vary, depending on the particular reaction. Using first principles calculations and XANES measurements, we show that for subnanometer sizes in the gas phase, smaller Cu clusters are more resistant to oxidation. However, this trend is reversed upon deposition on an alumina support. We are able to explain this result in terms of strong cluster-support interactions, which differ significantly for the oxidized and elemental clusters. The stable cluster phases also feature novel oxygen stoichiometries. Our results suggest that one can tune the degree of oxidation of Cu catalysts by optimizing not just their size, but also the support they are deposited on.

  7. Shape-dependent Surface Energetics of Nanocrystalline TiO2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, T.J.; Wong, S.; Levchenko, A.A.; Zhou, H.; Navrotsky, A.

    2010-01-01

    We report the direct determination of surface enthalpies for nanophase TiO 2 anatase with different morphologies derived from drop solution calorimetry in a molten sodium molybdate (3Na 2 Ol·4MoO 3 ) solvent at 702 C. The energetics of surface hydration has been measured using a Calvet microcalorimeter coupled with a gas dosing system. The surface enthalpies of hydrated surfaces for anatase TiO 2 nanoparticles, nanowires and sea-urchin-like assemblies are 0.51 ± 0.05, 1.07 ± 0.28, and 1.29 ± 0.16 J m -2 , respectively, whereas those of anhydrous surfaces are 0.74 ± 0.04, 1.24 ± 0.28, and 1.41 ± 0.16 J m -2 , respectively. The trend in TiO 2 , which shows higher surface enthalpies for more complex nanostructures, is consistent with that reported in ZnO. The shape-dependent surface enthalpy at the nanoscale level is discussed in terms of exposed surface structures. The enthalpies of hydration appear to be similar for all morphologies.

  8. Shape-dependent Surface Energetics of Nanocrystalline TiO2

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, T.J.; Wong, S.; Levchenko, A.A.; Zhou, H.; Navrotsky, A.

    2010-10-21

    We report the direct determination of surface enthalpies for nanophase TiO{sub 2} anatase with different morphologies derived from drop solution calorimetry in a molten sodium molybdate (3Na{sub 2}Ol{center_dot}4MoO{sub 3}) solvent at 702 C. The energetics of surface hydration has been measured using a Calvet microcalorimeter coupled with a gas dosing system. The surface enthalpies of hydrated surfaces for anatase TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles, nanowires and sea-urchin-like assemblies are 0.51 {+-} 0.05, 1.07 {+-} 0.28, and 1.29 {+-} 0.16 J m{sup -2}, respectively, whereas those of anhydrous surfaces are 0.74 {+-} 0.04, 1.24 {+-} 0.28, and 1.41 {+-} 0.16 J m{sup -2}, respectively. The trend in TiO{sub 2}, which shows higher surface enthalpies for more complex nanostructures, is consistent with that reported in ZnO. The shape-dependent surface enthalpy at the nanoscale level is discussed in terms of exposed surface structures. The enthalpies of hydration appear to be similar for all morphologies.

  9. Prediction of Fermi-Surface Pressure Dependence in Rb and Cs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jan, J. P.; MacDonald, A. H.; Skriver, Hans Lomholt

    1980-01-01

    The linear muffin-tin orbitals method of band-structure calculation, combined with a Gaussian integration technique using special directions in the Brillouin zone, has been used to calculate Fermi radii and extremal cross-sectional areas of the Fermi surface in rubidium and cesium. Band shifts we......-surface pressure dependence agree with the limited experimental data available....

  10. Ambiance-dependent agglomeration and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy response of self-assembled silver nanoparticles for plasmonic photovoltaic devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gwamuri, Jephias; Venkatesan, Ragavendran; Sadatgol, Mehdi; Mayandi, Jeyanthinath; Guney, Durdu O.; Pearce, Joshua M.

    2017-07-01

    The agglomeration/dewetting process of thin silver films provides a scalable method of obtaining self-assembled nanoparticles (SANPs) for plasmonics-based thin-film solar photovoltaic (PV) devices. We show the effect of annealing ambiance on silver SANP average size, particle/cluster finite shape, substrate area coverage/particle distribution, and how these physical parameters influence optical properties and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) responses of SANPs. Statistical analysis performed indicates that generally Ag SANPs processed in the presence of a gas (argon and nitrogen) ambiance tend to have smaller average size particles compared to those processed under vacuum. Optical properties are observed to be highly dependent on particle size, separation distance, and finite shape. The greatest SERS enhancement was observed for the argon-processed samples. There is a correlation between simulation and experimental data that indicate argon-processed AgNPs have a great potential to enhance light coupling when integrated to thin-film PV.

  11. Seasonal and particle size-dependent variations in gas/particle partitioning of PCDD/Fs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Se-Jin; Ale, Debaki; Chang, Yoon-Seok; Oh, Jeong-Eun; Shin, Sun Kyoung

    2008-01-01

    This study monitored particle size-dependent variations in atmospheric polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). Two gas/particle partitioning models, the subcooled liquid vapor pressure (P L 0 ) and the octanol-air partition coefficient (K OA ) model, were applied to each particle sizes. The regression coefficients of each fraction against the gas/particle partition coefficient (K P ) were similar for separated particles within the same sample set but differed for particles collected during different periods. Gas/particle partitioning calculated from the integral of fractions was similar to that of size-segregated particles and previously measured bulk values. Despite the different behaviors and production mechanisms of atmospheric particles of different sizes, PCDD/F partitioning of each size range was controlled by meteorological conditions such as atmospheric temperature, O 3 and UV, which reflects no source related with certain particle size ranges but mixed urban sources within this city. Our observations emphasize that when assessing environmental and health effects, the movement of PCDD/Fs in air should be considered in conjunction with particle size in addition to the bulk aerosol. - Gas/particle partitioning of atmospheric PCDD/Fs for different particle sizes reflects the impacts of emitters of different size ranges

  12. Surface modification of carbon fibers by a polyether sulfone emulsion sizing for increased interfacial adhesion with polyether sulfone

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yuan, Haojie [National Engineering Laboratory for Carbon Fiber Technology, Institute of Coal Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Taiyuan 030001 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Zhang, Shouchun, E-mail: zschun@sxicc.ac.cn [National Engineering Laboratory for Carbon Fiber Technology, Institute of Coal Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Taiyuan 030001 (China); Lu, Chunxiang [National Engineering Laboratory for Carbon Fiber Technology, Institute of Coal Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Taiyuan 030001 (China)

    2014-10-30

    Highlights: • A polyether sulfone emulsion (PES) sizing was prepared for the first time. • The sizing enhanced the surface activity and wettability of carbon fibers. • Compared to the original sizing, the PES emulsion sizing resulted in an 18.4% increase in the interlaminar shear strength of carbon fiber/PES composites. • Important influences of emulsifier on the fiber surface and composite interface were demonstrated. • The reinforcing mechanisms are the improved fiber surface wettability and interfacial compatibility in composites. - Abstract: Interests on carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites are growing rapidly, but the challenges with poor interfacial adhesion have slowed their adoption. In this work, a polyether sulfone (PES) emulsion sizing was prepared successfully for increased interfacial adhesion of carbon fiber/PES composites. To obtain a high-quality PES emulsion sizing, the key factor, emulsifier concentration, was studied by dynamic light scattering technique. The results demonstrated that the suitable weight ratio of PES to emulsifier was 8:3, and the resulting PES emulsion sizing had an average particle diameter of 117 nm and Zeta potential of −52.6 mV. After sizing, the surface oxygen-containing functional groups, free energy and wettability of carbon fibers increased significantly, which were advantageous to promote molecular-level contact between carbon fiber and PES. Finally, short beam shear tests were performed to evaluate the interfacial adhesion of carbon fiber/PES composites. The results indicated that PES emulsion sizing played a critical role for the enhanced interfacial adhesion in carbon fiber/PES composites, and a 26% increase of interlaminar shear strength was achieved, because of the improved fiber surface wettability and interfacial compatibility between carbon fiber and PES.

  13. Surface modification of carbon fibers by a polyether sulfone emulsion sizing for increased interfacial adhesion with polyether sulfone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yuan, Haojie; Zhang, Shouchun; Lu, Chunxiang

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • A polyether sulfone emulsion (PES) sizing was prepared for the first time. • The sizing enhanced the surface activity and wettability of carbon fibers. • Compared to the original sizing, the PES emulsion sizing resulted in an 18.4% increase in the interlaminar shear strength of carbon fiber/PES composites. • Important influences of emulsifier on the fiber surface and composite interface were demonstrated. • The reinforcing mechanisms are the improved fiber surface wettability and interfacial compatibility in composites. - Abstract: Interests on carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites are growing rapidly, but the challenges with poor interfacial adhesion have slowed their adoption. In this work, a polyether sulfone (PES) emulsion sizing was prepared successfully for increased interfacial adhesion of carbon fiber/PES composites. To obtain a high-quality PES emulsion sizing, the key factor, emulsifier concentration, was studied by dynamic light scattering technique. The results demonstrated that the suitable weight ratio of PES to emulsifier was 8:3, and the resulting PES emulsion sizing had an average particle diameter of 117 nm and Zeta potential of −52.6 mV. After sizing, the surface oxygen-containing functional groups, free energy and wettability of carbon fibers increased significantly, which were advantageous to promote molecular-level contact between carbon fiber and PES. Finally, short beam shear tests were performed to evaluate the interfacial adhesion of carbon fiber/PES composites. The results indicated that PES emulsion sizing played a critical role for the enhanced interfacial adhesion in carbon fiber/PES composites, and a 26% increase of interlaminar shear strength was achieved, because of the improved fiber surface wettability and interfacial compatibility between carbon fiber and PES

  14. Eddy current technique for detecting and sizing surface cracks in steel components

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cecco, V.S.; Carter, J.R.; Sullivan, S.P.

    1995-01-01

    Cracking has occurred in pressure vessel nozzles and girth welds due to thermal fatigue. Pipe welds, welds in support structures, and welds in reactor vault liner panels in nuclear facilities have failed because of cracks. Cracking can also occur in turbine rotor bore surfaces due to high cycle fatigue. Dye penetrant, magnetic particle and other surface NDT methods are used to detect cracks but cannot be used for depth sizing. Crack depth can be measured with various NDT methods such as ultrasonic time-of-flight diffraction (TOFD), potential drop, and eddy current. The TOFD technique can be difficult to implement on nozzle welds and is best suited for sizing deep cracks (>5 mm). The conventional eddy current method is easy to implement, but crack sizing is normally limited to shallow cracks ( 2 mm) cracks. Eddy current testing (ET) techniques are readily amenable to remote/automatic inspections. These new probes could augment present magnetic particle (MT) and dye penetrant (PT) testing through provision of reliable defect depth information. Reliable crack sizing permits identification of critical cracks for plant life extension and licensing purposes. In addition, performing PT and MT generates low level radioactive waste in some inspection applications in nuclear facilities. Replacing these techniques with ET for some components will eliminate some of this radioactive waste. (author)

  15. Balancing the dilution and oddity effects: decisions depend on body size.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gwendolen M Rodgers

    Full Text Available Grouping behaviour, common across the animal kingdom, is known to reduce an individual's risk of predation; particularly through dilution of individual risk and predator confusion (predator inability to single out an individual for attack. Theory predicts greater risk of predation to individuals more conspicuous to predators by difference in appearance from the group (the 'oddity' effect. Thus, animals should choose group mates close in appearance to themselves (eg. similar size, whilst also choosing a large group.We used the Trinidadian guppy (Poecilia reticulata, a well known model species of group-living freshwater fish, in a series of binary choice trials investigating the outcome of conflict between preferences for large and phenotypically matched groups along a predation risk gradient. We found body-size dependent differences in the resultant social decisions. Large fish preferred shoaling with size-matched individuals, while small fish demonstrated no preference. There was a trend towards reduced preferences for the matched shoal under increased predation risk. Small fish were more active than large fish, moving between shoals more frequently. Activity levels increased as predation risk decreased. We found no effect of unmatched shoal size on preferences or activity.Our results suggest that predation risk and individual body size act together to influence shoaling decisions. Oddity was more important for large than small fish, reducing in importance at higher predation risks. Dilution was potentially of limited importance at these shoal sizes. Activity levels may relate to how much sampling of each shoal was needed by the test fish during decision making. Predation pressure may select for better decision makers to survive to larger size, or that older, larger fish have learned to make shoaling decisions more efficiently, and this, combined with their size relative to shoal-mates, and attractiveness as prey items influences shoaling

  16. Importance and role of grain size in free surface cracking prediction of heavy forgings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Zhenhua [State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); Key Laboratory of Advanced Forging & Stamping Technology and Science, Yanshan University, Ministry of Education of China, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); Sun, Shuhua; Wang, Bo [State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); Shi, Zhongping [Key Laboratory of Advanced Forging & Stamping Technology and Science, Yanshan University, Ministry of Education of China, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); Fu, Wantang, E-mail: wtfu@ysu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China)

    2015-02-11

    The importance and role of grain size in predicting surface cracking of heavy forgings were investigated. 18Mn18Cr0.5N steel specimens with four different grain sizes were tensioned between 900 and 1100 °C at a strain rate of 0.1 s{sup −1}. The nucleation sites and crack morphology were analyzed through electron backscatter diffraction analysis, and the fracture morphology was examined using scanning electron microscopy. The nucleation sites were independent of the grain size, and cracks primarily formed at grain boundaries and triple junctions between grains with high Taylor factors. Grains with lower Taylor factors inhibited crack propagation. Strain was found to mainly concentrate near the grain boundaries; thus, a material with a larger grain size cracks more easily because there are fewer grain boundaries. Fine grains can be easily rotated to a lower Taylor factor to further inhibit cracking. The fracture morphology transformed from a brittle to ductile type with a lowering of grain size. At lower temperature, small dimples on the fracture surfaces of specimens with smaller grain sizes were left by single parent grains and the dimple edge was the grain edge. At higher temperature, dimples formed through void coalescence and the dimple edge was the tearing edge. Finally, the relationship between the reduction in area, grain size, and deformation temperature was obtained.

  17. Macrophages recognize size and shape of their targets.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nishit Doshi

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available Recognition by macrophages is a key process in generating immune response against invading pathogens. Previous studies have focused on recognition of pathogens through surface receptors present on the macrophage's surface. Here, using polymeric particles of different geometries that represent the size and shape range of a variety of bacteria, the importance of target geometry in recognition was investigated. The studies reported here reveal that attachment of particles of different geometries to macrophages exhibits a strong dependence on size and shape. For all sizes and shapes studied, particles possessing the longest dimension in the range of 2-3 microm exhibited highest attachment. This also happens to be the size range of most commonly found bacteria in nature. The surface features of macrophages, in particular the membrane ruffles, might play an important role in this geometry-based target recognition by macrophages. These findings have significant implications in understanding the pathogenicity of bacteria and in designing drug delivery carriers.

  18. Effects of Particle Size and Surface Chemistry on the Dispersion of Graphite Nanoplates in Polypropylene Composites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raquel M. Santos

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Carbon nanoparticles tend to form agglomerates with considerable cohesive strength, depending on particle morphology and chemistry, thus presenting different dispersion challenges. The present work studies the dispersion of three types of graphite nanoplates (GnP with different flake sizes and bulk densities in a polypropylene melt, using a prototype extensional mixer under comparable hydrodynamic stresses. The nanoparticles were also chemically functionalized by covalent bonding polymer molecules to their surface, and the dispersion of the functionalized GnP was studied. The effects of stress relaxation on dispersion were also analyzed. Samples were removed along the mixer length, and characterized by microscopy and dielectric spectroscopy. A lower dispersion rate was observed for GnP with larger surface area and higher bulk density. Significant re-agglomeration was observed for all materials when the deformation rate was reduced. The polypropylene-functionalized GnP, characterized by increased compatibility with the polymer matrix, showed similar dispersion effects, albeit presenting slightly higher dispersion levels. All the composites exhibit dielectric behavior, however, the alternate current (AC conductivity is systematically higher for the composites with larger flake GnP.

  19. Time-Dependent Liquid Transport on a Biomimetic Topological Surface.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Cunlong; Li, Chuxin; Gao, Can; Dong, Zhichao; Wu, Lei; Jiang, Lei

    2018-05-02

    Liquid drops impacting on a solid surface is a familiar phenomenon. On rainy days, it is quite important for leaves to drain off impacting raindrops. Water can bounce off or flow down a water-repellent leaf easily, but with difficulty on a hydrophilic leaf. Here, we show an interesting phenomenon in which impacting drops on the hydrophilic pitcher rim of Nepenthes alata can spread outward to prohibit water filling the pitcher tank. We mimic the peristome surface through a designed 3D printing and replicating way and report a time-dependently switchable liquid transport based on biomimetic topological structures, where surface curvature can work synergistically with the surface microtextures to manipulate the switchable spreading performance. Motived by this strange behavior, we construct a large-scaled peristome-mimetic surface in a 3D profile, demonstrating the ability to reduce the need to mop or to squeegee drops that form during the drop impacting process on pipes or other curved surfaces in food processing, moisture transfer, heat management, etc.

  20. Implication of oxidative stress in size-dependent toxicity of silica nanoparticles in kidney cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Passagne, Isabelle; Morille, Marie; Rousset, Marine; Pujalté, Igor; L'azou, Béatrice

    2012-09-28

    Silica nanoparticles (nano-SiO(2)) are one of the most popular nanomaterials used in industrial manufacturing, synthesis, engineering and medicine. While inhalation of nanoparticles causes pulmonary damage, nano-SiO(2) can be transported into the blood and deposit in target organs where they exert potential toxic effects. Kidney is considered as such a secondary target organ. However, toxicological information of their effect on renal cells and the mechanisms involved remain sparse. In the present study, the cytotoxicity of nano-SiO(2) of different sizes was investigated on two renal proximal tubular cell lines (human HK-2 and porcine LLC-PK(1)). The molecular pathways involved were studied with a focus on the involvement of oxidative stress. Nanoparticle characterization was performed (primary nanoparticle size, surface area, dispersion) in order to investigate a potential relationship between their physical properties and their toxic effects. Firstly, evidence of particle internalization was obtained by transmission electron microscopy and conventional flux cytometry techniques. The use of specific inhibitors of endocytosis pathways showed an internalization process by macropinocytosis and clathrin-mediated endocytosis for 100 nm nano-SiO(2) nanoparticles. These nanoparticles were localized in vesicles. Toxicity was size- and time-dependent (24h, 48 h, 72 h). Indeed, it increased as nanoparticles became smaller. Secondly, analysis of oxidative stress based on the assessment of ROS (reactive oxygen species) production (DHE, dihydroethidium) or lipid peroxidation (MDA, malondialdehyde) clearly demonstrated the involvement of oxidative stress in the toxicity of 20 nm nano-SiO(2). The induction of antioxidant enzymes (catalase, GSTpi, thioredoxin reductase) could explain their lesser toxicity with 100 nm nano-SiO(2). Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. The protein corona protects against size- and dose-dependent toxicity of amorphous silica nanoparticles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dominic Docter

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Besides the lung and skin, the gastrointestinal (GI tract is one of the main targets for accidental exposure or biomedical applications of nanoparticles (NP. Biological responses to NP, including nanotoxicology, are caused by the interaction of the NP with cellular membranes and/or cellular entry. Here, the physico-chemical characteristics of NP are widely discussed as critical determinants, albeit the exact mechanisms remain to be resolved. Moreover, proteins associate with NP in physiological fluids, forming the protein corona potentially transforming the biological identity of the particle and thus, adding an additional level of complexity for the bio–nano responses.Here, we employed amorphous silica nanoparticles (ASP and epithelial GI tract Caco-2 cells as a model to study the biological impact of particle size as well as of the protein corona. Caco-2 or mucus-producing HT-29 cells were exposed to thoroughly characterized, negatively charged ASP of different size in the absence or presence of proteins. Comprehensive experimental approaches, such as quantifying cellular metabolic activity, microscopic observation of cell morphology, and high-throughput cell analysis revealed a dose- and time-dependent toxicity primarily upon exposure with ASP30 (Ø = 30 nm. Albeit smaller (ASP20, Ø = 20 nm or larger particles (ASP100; Ø = 100 nm showed a similar zeta potential, they both displayed only low toxicity. Importantly, the adverse effects triggered by ASP30/ASP30L were significantly ameliorated upon formation of the protein corona, which we found was efficiently established on all ASP studied. As a potential explanation, corona formation reduced ASP30 cellular uptake, which was however not significantly affected by ASP surface charge in our model. Collectively, our study uncovers an impact of ASP size as well as of the protein corona on cellular toxicity, which might be relevant for processes at the nano–bio interface in general.

  2. Generalized Bragg-Williams model for the size-dependent order-disorder transition of bimetallic nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Y J; Qi, W H; Wang, M P; Liu, J F; Xiong, S Y; Huang, B Y

    2011-01-01

    Considering the different effects of exterior atoms (face, edge and corner atoms), the Bragg-Williams model is generalized to account for the size, shape and composition-dependent order-disorder transition of bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) with B 2 , L1 0 and L1 2 ordered structures. The results show that the order-disorder temperatures T C,p are different for different shapes even in the identical particle size. The order of order-disorder temperatures of different shapes varies for different sizes. The long-range order parameter decreases with the increase in temperature in all size ranges and decreases smoothly in large sizes, but drops dramatically in small sizes. Moreover, it is also found that the order-disorder temperature of bimetallic NPs rises with increasing particle sizes and decreases with a deviation from the ideal compositions. The present predictions are consistent with the available literature results, indicating its capability in predicting other order-disorder transition phenomena of bimetallic NPs.

  3. Rock discontinuity surface roughness variation with scale

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bitenc, Maja; Kieffer, D. Scott; Khoshelham, Kourosh

    2017-04-01

    ABSTRACT: Rock discontinuity surface roughness refers to local departures of the discontinuity surface from planarity and is an important factor influencing the shear resistance. In practice, the Joint Roughness Coefficient (JRC) roughness parameter is commonly relied upon and input to a shear strength criterion such as developed by Barton and Choubey [1977]. The estimation of roughness by JRC is hindered firstly by the subjective nature of visually comparing the joint profile to the ten standard profiles. Secondly, when correlating the standard JRC values and other objective measures of roughness, the roughness idealization is limited to a 2D profile of 10 cm length. With the advance of measuring technologies that provide accurate and high resolution 3D data of surface topography on different scales, new 3D roughness parameters have been developed. A desirable parameter is one that describes rock surface geometry as well as the direction and scale dependency of roughness. In this research a 3D roughness parameter developed by Grasselli [2001] and adapted by Tatone and Grasselli [2009] is adopted. It characterizes surface topography as the cumulative distribution of local apparent inclination of asperities with respect to the shear strength (analysis) direction. Thus, the 3D roughness parameter describes the roughness amplitude and anisotropy (direction dependency), but does not capture the scale properties. In different studies the roughness scale-dependency has been attributed to data resolution or size of the surface joint (see a summary of researches in [Tatone and Grasselli, 2012]). Clearly, the lower resolution results in lower roughness. On the other hand, have the investigations of surface size effect produced conflicting results. While some studies have shown a decrease in roughness with increasing discontinuity size (negative scale effect), others have shown the existence of positive scale effects, or both positive and negative scale effects. We

  4. Size-dependent dynamic stability analysis of microbeams actuated by piezoelectric voltage based on strain gradient elasticity theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sahmani, Saeid; Bahrami, Mohsen [Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2015-01-15

    In the current paper, dynamic stability analysis of microbeams subjected to piezoelectric voltage is presented in which the microbeam is integrated with piezoelectric layers on the lower and upper surfaces. Both of the flutter and divergence instabilities of microbeams with clamped-clamped and clamped-free boundary conditions are predicted corresponding to various values of applied voltage. To take size effect into account, the classical Timoshenko beam theory in conjunction with strain gradient elasticity theory is utilized to develop nonclassical beam model containing three additional internal length scale parameters. By using Hamilton's principle, the higher-order governing differential equations and associated boundary conditions are derived. Afterward, generalized differential quadrature method is employed to discretize the size-dependent governing differential equations along with clamped-clamped and clamped-free end supports. The critical piezoelectric voltages corresponding to various values dimensionless length scale parameter are evaluated and compared with those predicted by the classical beam theory. It is revealed that in the case of clamped-free boundary conditions, the both of flutter and divergence instabilities occur. However, for the clamped-clamped microbeams, only divergence instability takes place.

  5. Unravelling the size and temperature dependence of exciton lifetimes in colloidal ZnSe quantum dots

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Eilers, Joren; Van Hest, Jacobine; Meijerink, A; Donega, Celso De Mello

    2014-01-01

    We report on the temperature dependence of the band-edge photoluminescence decay of organically capped colloidal ZnSe quantum dots (QDs) in the size range from 4.0 to 7.5 nm. A similar trend is observed for all investigated sizes: the decay time is short (∼5 ns) above 20 K and increases sharply

  6. Fractal and multifractal approaches for the analysis of crack-size dependent scaling laws in fatigue

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Paggi, Marco [Politecnico di Torino, Department of Structural Engineering and Geotechnics, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino (Italy)], E-mail: marco.paggi@polito.it; Carpinteri, Alberto [Politecnico di Torino, Department of Structural Engineering and Geotechnics, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino (Italy)

    2009-05-15

    The enhanced ability to detect and measure very short cracks, along with a great interest in applying fracture mechanics formulae to smaller and smaller crack sizes, has pointed out the so-called anomalous behavior of short cracks with respect to their longer counterparts. The crack-size dependencies of both the fatigue threshold and the Paris' constant C are only two notable examples of these anomalous scaling laws. In this framework, a unified theoretical model seems to be missing and the behavior of short cracks can still be considered as an open problem. In this paper, we propose a critical reexamination of the fractal models for the analysis of crack-size effects in fatigue. The limitations of each model are put into evidence and removed. At the end, a new generalized theory based on fractal geometry is proposed, which permits to consistently interpret the short crack-related anomalous scaling laws within a unified theoretical formulation. Finally, this approach is herein used to interpret relevant experimental data related to the crack-size dependence of the fatigue threshold in metals.

  7. Fractal and multifractal approaches for the analysis of crack-size dependent scaling laws in fatigue

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paggi, Marco; Carpinteri, Alberto

    2009-01-01

    The enhanced ability to detect and measure very short cracks, along with a great interest in applying fracture mechanics formulae to smaller and smaller crack sizes, has pointed out the so-called anomalous behavior of short cracks with respect to their longer counterparts. The crack-size dependencies of both the fatigue threshold and the Paris' constant C are only two notable examples of these anomalous scaling laws. In this framework, a unified theoretical model seems to be missing and the behavior of short cracks can still be considered as an open problem. In this paper, we propose a critical reexamination of the fractal models for the analysis of crack-size effects in fatigue. The limitations of each model are put into evidence and removed. At the end, a new generalized theory based on fractal geometry is proposed, which permits to consistently interpret the short crack-related anomalous scaling laws within a unified theoretical formulation. Finally, this approach is herein used to interpret relevant experimental data related to the crack-size dependence of the fatigue threshold in metals.

  8. Time-dependent inversion of surface subsidence due to dynamic reservoir compaction

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Muntendam-Bos, A.G.; Kroon, I.C.; Fokker, P.A.

    2008-01-01

    We introduce a novel, time-dependent inversion scheme for resolving temporal reservoir pressure drop from surface subsidence observations (from leveling or GPS data, InSAR, tiltmeter monitoring) in a single procedure. The theory is able to accommodate both the absence of surface subsidence estimates

  9. Effects of dimensional size and surface roughness on service performance for a micro Laval nozzle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cai, Yukui; Liu, Zhanqiang; Shi, Zhenyu

    2017-01-01

    Nozzles with large and small dimensions are widely used in various industries. The main objective of this research is to investigate the effects of dimensional size and surface roughness on the service performance of a micro Laval nozzle. The variation of nozzle service performance from the conventional macro to micro scale is presented in this paper. This shows that the dimensional nozzle size has a serious effect on the nozzle gas flow friction. With the decrease of nozzle size, the velocity performance and thrust performance deteriorate. The micro nozzle performance has less sensitivity to the variation of surface roughness than the large scale nozzle does. Surface quality improvement and burr prevention technologies are proposed to reduce the friction effect on the micro nozzle performance. A novel process is then developed to control and depress the burr generation during micro nozzle machining. The polymethyl-methacrylate as a coating material is coated on the rough machined surface before finish machining. Finally, the micro nozzle with a throat diameter of 1 mm is machined successfully. Thrust test results show that the implement and application of this machining process benefit the service performance improvement of the micro nozzle. (paper)

  10. Size-dependent sex allocation in Aconitum gymnandrum (Ranunculaceae): physiological basis and effects of maternal family and environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Z-G; Meng, J-L; Fan, B-L; Du, G-Z

    2008-11-01

    Theory predicts size-dependent sex allocation (SDS): flowers on plants with a high-resource status should have larger investment in females than plants with a low-resource status. Through a pot experiment with Aconitum gymnandrum (Ranunculaceae) in the field, we examined the relationship between sex allocation of individual flowers and plant size for different maternal families under different environmental conditions. We also determined the physiological base of variations in plant size. Our results support the prediction of SDS, and show that female-biased allocation with plant size is consistent under different environmental conditions. Negative correlations within families showed a plastic response of sex allocation to plant size. Negative genetic correlations between sex allocation and plant size at the family level indicate a genetic cause of the SDS pattern, although genetic correlation was influenced by environmental factors. Hence, the size-dependency of sex allocation in this species had both plastic and genetic causes. Furthermore, genotypes that grew large also had higher assimilation ability, thus showing a physiological basis for SDS.

  11. A fourth gradient to overcome slice dependent phase effects of voxel-sized coils in planar arrays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bosshard, John C; Eigenbrodt, Edwin P; McDougall, Mary P; Wright, Steven M

    2010-01-01

    The signals from an array of densely spaced long and narrow receive coils for MRI are complicated when the voxel size is of comparable dimension to the coil size. The RF coil causes a phase gradient across each voxel, which is dependent on the distance from the coil, resulting in a slice dependent shift of k-space. A fourth gradient coil has been implemented and used with the system's gradient set to create a gradient field which varies with slice. The gradients are pulsed together to impart a slice dependent phase gradient to compensate for the slice dependent phase due to the RF coils. However the non-linearity in the fourth gradient which creates the desired slice dependency also results in a through-slice phase ramp, which disturbs normal slice refocusing and leads to additional signal cancelation and reduced field of view. This paper discusses the benefits and limitations of using a fourth gradient coil to compensate for the phase due to RF coils.

  12. Nonlinear primary resonance of micro/nano-beams made of nanoporous biomaterials incorporating nonlocality and strain gradient size dependency

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sahmani, S.; Aghdam, M. M.

    2018-03-01

    A wide range of biological applications such as drug delivery, biosensors and hemodialysis can be provided by nanoporous biomaterials due to their uniform pore size as well as considerable pore density. In the current study, the size dependency in the nonlinear primary resonance of micro/nano-beams made of nanoporous biomaterials is anticipated. To accomplish this end, a refined truncated cube is introduced to model the lattice structure of nanoporous biomaterial. Accordingly, analytical expressions for the mechanical properties of material are derived as functions of pore size. After that, based upon a nonlocal strain gradient beam model, the size-dependent nonlinear Duffing type equation of motion is constructed. The Galerkin technique together with the multiple time-scales method is employed to obtain the nonlocal strain gradient frequency-response and amplitude-response related to the nonlinear primary resonance of a micro/nano-beam made of the nanoporous biomaterial with different pore sizes. It is indicated that the nonlocality causes to decrease the response amplitudes associated with the both bifurcation points of the jump phenomenon, while the strain gradient size dependency causes to increase them. Also, it is found that increasing the pore size leads to enhance the nonlinearity, so the maximum deflection of response occurs at higher excitation frequency.

  13. The effects of size and surface modification of amorphous silica particles on biodistribution and liver metabolism in mice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Xiaoyan; Ji, Cai; Jin, Tingting; Fan, Xiaohui

    2015-05-01

    Engineered nanoparticles, with unconventional properties, are promising platforms for biomedical applications. Since they may interact with a wide variety of biomolecules, it is critical to understand the impact of the physicochemical properties of engineered nanoparticles on biological systems. In this study, the effects of particle size and surface modification alone or in combination of amorphous silica particles (SPs) on biological responses were determined using a suite of general toxicological assessments and metabonomics analysis in mice model. Our results suggested that amino or carboxyl surface modification mitigated the liver toxicity of plain-surface SPs. 30 nm SPs with amino surface modification were found to be the most toxic SPs among all the surface-modified SP treatments at the same dosage. When treatment dose was increased, submicro-sized SPs with amino or carboxyl surface modification also induced liver toxicity. Biodistribution studies suggested that 70 nm SPs were mainly accumulated in liver and spleen regardless of surface modifications. Interestingly, these two organs exhibited different uptake trends. Furthermore, metabonomics studies indicated that surface modification plays a more dominant role to affect the liver metabolism than particle size.

  14. Unsteady Helical Flows of a Size-Dependent Couple-Stress Fluid

    OpenAIRE

    Rubbab, Qammar; Mirza, Itrat Abbas; Siddique, Imran; Irshad, Saadia

    2017-01-01

    The helical flows of couple-stress fluids in a straight circular cylinder are studied in the framework of the newly developed, fully determinate linear couple-stress theory. The fluid flow is generated by the helical motion of the cylinder with time-dependent velocity. Also, the couple-stress vector is given on the cylindrical surface and the nonslip condition is considered. Using the integral transform method, analytical solutions to the axial velocity, azimuthal velocity, nonsymmetric force...

  15. One-dimensional critical heat flux concerning surface orientation and gap size effects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Yong Hoon; Suh, Kune Y. E-mail: kysuh@snu.ac.kr

    2003-12-01

    Tests were conducted to examine the critical heat flux (CHF) on a one-dimensional downward heating rectangular channel having a narrow gap by changing the orientation of the copper test heater assembly in a pool of saturated water under atmospheric pressure. The test parameters include both the gap sizes of 1, 2, 5 and 10 mm, and the surface orientation angles from the downward-facing position (180 deg.) to the vertical position (90 deg.), respectively. Also, the CHF experiments were performed for pool boiling with varying heater surface orientations in the unconfined space at atmospheric pressure using the rectangular test section. It was observed that the CHF generally decreases as the surface inclination angle increases and as the gap size decreases. In consistency with several studies reported in the literature, it was found that there exists a transition angle at which the CHF changes with a rapid slope. An engineering correlation is developed for the CHF during natural convective boiling in the inclined, confined rectangular channels with the aid of dimensional analysis. This correlation agrees with the experimental data of this study within {+-}20%.

  16. Modeling and Sizing of Supercapacitors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    PETREUS, D.

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available Faced with numerous challenges raised by the requirements of the modern industries for higher power and higher energy, supercapacitors study started playing an important role in offering viable solutions for some of these requirements. This paper presents the surface redox reactions based modeling in order to study the origin of high capacity of EDLC (electrical double-layer capacitor for better understanding the working principles of supercapacitors. Some application-dependent sizing methods are also presented since proper sizing can increase the efficiency and the life cycle of the supercapacitor based systems.

  17. On grain size dependent void swelling in pure copper irradiated with fission neutrons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh, B.N.; Eldrup, M.; Golubov, S.I.; Zinkle, S.J.

    2001-03-01

    The effect of grain size on void swelling has its origin in the intrinsic property of grain boundaries as neutral and unsaturable sinks for both vacancies and self-interstitial atoms (SIAs). The phenomenon was investigated already in the 1970s and it was demonstrated that the grain size dependent void swelling measured under irradiation producing only Frenkel pairs could be satisfactorily explained in terms of the standard rate theory (SRT) and dislocation bias. Experimental results reported in the 1980s demonstrated, on the other hand, that the effect of grain boundaries on void swelling under cascade damage conditions was radically different and could not be explained in terms of the SRT. In an effort to understand the source of this significant difference, the effect of grain size on void swelling under cascade damage conditions has been investigated both experimentally and theoretically in pure copper irradiated with fission neutrons at 623K to a dose level of ∼0.3 dpa (displacement per atom). The post-irradiation defect microstructure including voids was investigated using transmission electron microscopy and positron annihilation spectroscopy. The evolution of void swelling was calculated within the framework of the production bias model (PBM) and the SRT. The grain size dependent void swelling measured experimentally is in good accord with the theoretical results obtained using PMB. Implications of these results on modeling of void swelling under cascade damage conditions are discussed. (au)

  18. Size dependent nanomechanics of coil spring shaped polymer nanowires.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ushiba, Shota; Masui, Kyoko; Taguchi, Natsuo; Hamano, Tomoki; Kawata, Satoshi; Shoji, Satoru

    2015-11-27

    Direct laser writing (DLW) via two-photon polymerization (TPP) has been established as a powerful technique for fabrication and integration of nanoscale components, as it enables the production of three dimensional (3D) micro/nano objects. This technique has indeed led to numerous applications, including micro- and nanoelectromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS), metamaterials, mechanical metamaterials, and photonic crystals. However, as the feature sizes decrease, an urgent demand has emerged to uncover the mechanics of nanosized polymer materials. Here, we fabricate coil spring shaped polymer nanowires using DLW via two-photon polymerization. We find that even the nanocoil springs follow a linear-response against applied forces, following Hooke's law, as revealed by compression tests using an atomic force microscope. Further, the elasticity of the polymer material is found to become significantly greater as the wire radius is decreased from 550 to 350 nm. Polarized Raman spectroscopy measurements show that polymer chains are aligned in nanowires along the axis, which may be responsible for the size dependence. Our findings provide insight into the nanomechanics of polymer materials fabricated by DLW, which leads to further applications based on nanosized polymer materials.

  19. Nanoparticle separation based on size-dependent aggregation of nanoparticles due to the critical Casimir effect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Hongyu; Stan, Gheorghe; Liu, Yun

    2018-02-21

    Nanoparticles typically have an inherent wide size distribution that may affect the performance and reliability of many nanomaterials. Because the synthesis and purification of nanoparticles with desirable sizes are crucial to the applications of nanoparticles in various fields including medicine, biology, health care, and energy, there is a great need to search for more efficient and generic methods for size-selective nanoparticle purification/separation. Here we propose and conclusively demonstrate the effectiveness of a size-selective particle purification/separation method based on the critical Casimir force. The critical Casimir force is a generic interaction between colloidal particles near the solvent critical point and has been extensively studied in the past several decades due to its importance in reversibly controlling the aggregation and stability of colloidal particles. Combining multiple experimental techniques, we found that the critical Casimir force-induced aggregation depends on relative particle sizes in a system with larger ones aggregating first and the smaller ones remaining in solution. Based on this observation, a new size-dependent nanoparticle purification/separation method is proposed and demonstrated to be very efficient in purifying commercial silica nanoparticles in the lutidine/water binary solvent. Due to the ubiquity of the critical Casimir force for many colloidal particles in binary solvents, this method might be applicable to many types of colloidal particles.

  20. Origin of the Size-Dependent Stokes Shift in CsPbBr3 Perovskite Nanocrystals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brennan, Michael C; Herr, John E; Nguyen-Beck, Triet S; Zinna, Jessica; Draguta, Sergiu; Rouvimov, Sergei; Parkhill, John; Kuno, Masaru

    2017-09-06

    The origin of the size-dependent Stokes shift in CsPbBr 3 nanocrystals (NCs) is explained for the first time. Stokes shifts range from 82 to 20 meV for NCs with effective edge lengths varying from ∼4 to 13 nm. We show that the Stokes shift is intrinsic to the NC electronic structure and does not arise from extrinsic effects such as residual ensemble size distributions, impurities, or solvent-related effects. The origin of the Stokes shift is elucidated via first-principles calculations. Corresponding theoretical modeling of the CsPbBr 3 NC density of states and band structure reveals the existence of an intrinsic confined hole state 260 to 70 meV above the valence band edge state for NCs with edge lengths from ∼2 to 5 nm. A size-dependent Stokes shift is therefore predicted and is in quantitative agreement with the experimental data. Comparison between bulk and NC calculations shows that the confined hole state is exclusive to NCs. At a broader level, the distinction between absorbing and emitting states in CsPbBr 3 is likely a general feature of other halide perovskite NCs and can be tuned via NC size to enhance applications involving these materials.

  1. Angular dependence of Auger signals from a GaAs (111) surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barnard, W.O.

    1984-03-01

    This dissertation is concerned with the angular dependence of the L 3 M 4 M 4 1067 eV Ga and L 3 M 4 M 4 1228 eV As Auger electron signals from a (111) GaAs surface, using a system which is equipped with a cylindrical mirror analyser. Following a detailed discussion of the Auger process, a review is given of angular effects in the emission excitation and detection of Auger signals. Present theories are discussed and an empirical theory is developed to test the experimental results obtained in this study. The experimental procedures and equipment used are presented. It was found that the Auger signals show a strong variation with the angle of rotation about the normal of a GaAs surface. Furthermore, the nature of the angular spectra of the Ga and As signals are interchanged when the electron beam incident surface is changed from (111) to (111). The main features of the angular variation of the quasi-elastic backscattered signal is reflected in the corresponding Ga and As Auger angular spectra. The angular dependence of the quasi-elastic backscattered signal can be explained semi-quantitatively in terms of the empirical theory. Theoretical arguments are presented which suggest that the Auger signals should show an angular dependence similar to the quasi-elastic backscattered signal. Evidence was found that geometric screening-off of underlying atoms by surface and near surface atoms influence the Auger yield

  2. Size dependence of spin-torque induced magnetic switching in CoFeB-based perpendicular magnetization tunnel junctions (invited)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, J. Z.; Trouilloud, P. L.; Gajek, M. J.; Nowak, J.; Robertazzi, R. P.; Hu, G.; Abraham, D. W.; Gaidis, M. C.; Brown, S. L.; O'Sullivan, E. J.; Gallagher, W. J.; Worledge, D. C.

    2012-04-01

    CoFeB-based magnetic tunnel junctions with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy are used as a model system for studies of size dependence in spin-torque-induced magnetic switching. For integrated solid-state memory applications, it is important to understand the magnetic and electrical characteristics of these magnetic tunnel junctions as they scale with tunnel junction size. Size-dependent magnetic anisotropy energy, switching voltage, apparent damping, and anisotropy field are systematically compared for devices with different materials and fabrication treatments. Results reveal the presence of sub-volume thermal fluctuation and reversal, with a characteristic length-scale of the order of approximately 40 nm, depending on the strength of the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and exchange stiffness. To have the best spin-torque switching efficiency and best stability against thermal activation, it is desirable to optimize the perpendicular anisotropy strength with the junction size for intended use. It also is important to ensure strong exchange-stiffness across the magnetic thin film. These combine to give an exchange length that is comparable or larger than the lateral device size for efficient spin-torque switching.

  3. Size-dependent concentration of N0 paramagnetic centres in HPHT nanodiamonds

    OpenAIRE

    Yavkin, Boris V; Mamin, Georgy V; Gafurov, Marat R.; Orlinskii, Sergei B.

    2015-01-01

    Size-calibrated commercial nanodiamonds synthesized by high-pressure high-temperature (HPHT) technique were studied by high-frequency W and conventional X band electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. The numbers of spins in the studied samples were estimated. The core-shell model of the HPHT nanodiamonds was proposed to explain the observed dependence of the concentration of the N0 paramagnetic centers. Two other observed paramagnetic centers are attributed to the two types of str...

  4. On grain-size-dependent void swelling in pure copper irradiated with fission neutrons

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Singh, Bachu Narain; Eldrup, Morten Mostgaard; Zinkle, S.J.

    2002-01-01

    The effect of grain size on void swelling has its origin in the intrinsic property of grain boundaries as neutral and unsaturable sinks for both vacancies and self-interstitial atoms. The phenomenon had already been investigated in the 1970s and it was demonstrated that the grain......-size-dependent void swelling measured under irradiation producing only Frenkel pairs could be satisfactorily explained in terms of the standard rate theory (SRT) and dislocation bias. Experimental results reported in the 1980s demonstrated, on the other hand, that the effect of grain boundaries on void swelling under...

  5. Particle size-dependent radical generation from wildland fire smoke

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leonard, Stephen S.; Castranova, Vince; Chen, Bean T.; Schwegler-Berry, Diane; Hoover, Mark; Piacitelli, Chris; Gaughan, Denise M.

    2007-01-01

    ultrafine particles also caused significant increases in H 2 O 2 production by monocytes and lipid peroxidation. All particle sizes showed the ability to cause DNA damage. These results indicate that the radical generation and the damage caused by them is not only a function of surface area but is also influenced by changing chemical and other characteristics due to particle size

  6. Film size-dependent voltage-modulated magnetism in multiferroic heterostructures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, J.-M.; Shu, L.; Li, Z.; Gao, Y.; Shen, Y.; Lin, Y. H.; Chen, L. Q.; Nan, C. W.

    2014-01-01

    The electric-voltage-modulated magnetism in multiferroic heterostructures, also known as the converse magnetoelectric (ME) coupling, has drawn increasing research interest recently owing to its great potential applications in future low-power, high-speed electronic and/or spintronic devices, such as magnetic memory and computer logic. In this article, based on combined theoretical analysis and experimental demonstration, we investigate the film size dependence of such converse ME coupling in multiferroic magnetic/ferroelectric heterostructures, as well as exploring the interaction between two relating coupling mechanisms that are the interfacial strain and possibly the charge effects. We also briefly discuss some issues for the next step and describe new device prototypes that can be enabled by this technology. PMID:24421375

  7. Surface decontamination using dry ice snow

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ryu, Jungdong; Park, Kwangheon; Lee, Bumsik; Kim Yangeun

    1999-01-01

    An adjustable nozzle for controlling the size of dry ice snow was developed. The converging/diverging nozzle can control the size of snows from sub-microns to 10 micron size. Using the nozzle, a surface decontamination device was made. The removal mechanisms of surface contaminants are mechanical impact, partial dissolving and evaporation process, and viscous flow. A heat supply system is added for the prevention of surface ice layer formation. The cleaning power is slightly dependent on the size of snow. Small snows are the better in viscous flow cleaning, while large snows are slightly better in dissolving and sublimation process. Human oils like fingerprints on glass were easy to remove. Decontamination ability was tested using a contaminated pump-housing surface. About 40 to 80% of radioactivity was removed. This device is effective in surface-decontamination of any electrical devices like detector, controllers which cannot be cleaned in aqueous solution. (author)

  8. Role of particle size and composition in metal adsorption by solids deposited on urban road surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gunawardana, Chandima; Egodawatta, Prasanna; Goonetilleke, Ashantha

    2014-01-01

    Despite common knowledge that the metal content adsorbed by fine particles is relatively higher compared to coarser particles, the reasons for this phenomenon have gained little research attention. The research study discussed in the paper investigated the variations in metal content for different particle sizes of solids associated with pollutant build-up on urban road surfaces. Data analysis confirmed that parameters favourable for metal adsorption to solids such as specific surface area, organic carbon content, effective cation exchange capacity and clay forming minerals content decrease with the increase in particle size. Furthermore, the mineralogical composition of solids was found to be the governing factor influencing the specific surface area and effective cation exchange capacity. There is high quartz content in particles >150 μm compared to particles <150 μm. As particle size reduces below 150 μm, the clay forming minerals content increases, providing favourable physical and chemical properties that influence adsorption. -- Highlights: • Physico-chemical parameters investigated in build-up samples from 32 road surfaces. • Mineralogical composition primarily governs the physico-chemical characteristics. • High clay forming mineral content in fine solids increases SSA and ECEC. • Characteristics influenced by quartz and amorphous content with particle size. • High quartz content in coarse particles contributes reduced metal adsorption. -- The mineralogical composition of solids is the governing factor influencing metal adsorption to solids in pollutant build-up on urban surfaces

  9. THE TRIAL OF FOUNDING THE DEPENDENCE BETWEEN THE SIZE OF HOOF SOLE AND BIOMETRIC MEASUREMENTS OF HUCUL HORSES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. ŁUSZCZYŃSKI

    2007-10-01

    Full Text Available Hoofs are an important part of horse body and significantly influence its usability.According to irregular weight of horse limbs, fore-hoofs and hind-hoofs differ withthe shape, the angle of fore-wall inclination and size but they should be proportionalto horse body size. The objective of this study was the trial of founding the dependencebetween the size sole surface of fore- and hind-hoofs and biometric measurementsof Hucul horses. Contours of left fore- and hind-hoof were collected from 50Hucul horses from Gładyszów Stud (7 stallions and 43 mares. The contours werescanned in 1:1 scale and using the AutoCad computer program the surface and circumferenceof hoof sole were evaluated. At the same time the biometrical measurementswere taken from mentioned horses – height at withers, girth and cannon circumferences.In studied population the surface and circumference of fore-hoofs weresignificantly higher than of hind-hoofs. Biometrical measurements and indexescounted highly significantly and significantly affected the surface and circumferenceof Hucul horse hoofs. Horses with higher height at withers and higher girth capacitywere characterized by significantly higher surface and circumference of hind-hoofsthan in horses with lower height. Highly significantly higher sole surface and circumferenceof fore-hoofs was shown in horses with higher cannon circumference.

  10. DEPENDENCE OF THE SPECKLE-PATTERNS SIZE AND THEIR CONTRAST ON THE BIOPHYSICAL AND STRUCTURAL PARAMETERS OF BIOLOGICAL TISSUES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. D. Abramovich

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Speckle fields are widely used in optical diagnostics of biotissues and evaluation of the functional state of bioobjects. The speckle field is formed by laser radiation scattered from the object under study. It bears information about the average dimensions of the scatterers, the degree of surface roughness makes it possible to judge the structural and biophysical characteristics of individual tissue cells (particles, on the one hand, and the integral optical characteristics of the entire biological tissue. The aim of the study was – the determination of connections between the biophysical and structural characteristics of the biotissue and the light fields inside the biotissues.The model developed of the medium gives a direct relationship between the optical and biophysical parameters of the biotissue. Calculations were carried out using known solutions of the radiation transfer equation, taking into account the multilayer structure of the tissue, multiple scattering in the medium, and multiple reflection of irradiation between the layers.With the increase wavelength, the size of speckles formed by the non-scattered component (direct light of laser radiation increases by a factor of 2 from 400 to 800 μm in the stratum corneum and 5 times from 0.6 to 3 μm for the epidermis and from 0.27 to 1.4 μm to the dermis. Typical values of sizes of speckles formed by the diffraction component of laser radiation for the stratum corneum and epidermis range from 0.02 to 0.15 μm. For the dermis typical spot sizes are up to 0.03 μm. The speckle-spot size of the diffusion component in the dermis can vary from ±10 % at 400 nm and up to ±23 % for 800 nm when the volume concentration of blood capillaries changes. Characteristic dependencies are obtained and biophysical factors associated with the volume concentration of blood and the degree of it’s oxygenation that affect the contrast of the speckle structure in the dermis are discussed.The of speckles

  11. Stress dependence of microstructures in experimentally deformed calcite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Platt, John P.; De Bresser, J. H. P.

    2017-12-01

    Optical measurements of microstructural features in experimentally deformed Carrara marble help define their dependence on stress. These features include dynamically recrystallized grain size (Dr), subgrain size (Sg), minimum bulge size (Lρ), and the maximum scale length for surface-energy driven grain-boundary migration (Lγ). Taken together with previously published data Dr defines a paleopiezometer over the range 15-291 MPa and temperature over the range 500-1000 °C, with a stress exponent of -1.09 (CI -1.27 to -0.95), showing no detectable dependence on temperature. Sg and Dr measured in the same samples are closely similar in size, suggesting that the new grains did not grow significantly after nucleation. Lρ and Lγ measured on each sample define a relationship to stress with an exponent of approximately -1.6, which helps define the boundary between a region of dominant strain-energy-driven grain-boundary migration at high stress, from a region of dominant surface-energy-driven grain-boundary migration at low stress.

  12. Optimization of binder addition and particle size for densification of coffee husks briquettes using response surface methodology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raudah; Zulkifli

    2018-03-01

    The present research focuses on establishing the optimum conditions in converting coffee husk into a densified biomass fuel using starch as a binding agent. A Response Surface Methodology (RSM) approach using Box-Behnken experimental design with three levels (-1, 0, and +1) was employed to obtain the optimum level for each parameter. The briquettes wereproduced by compressing the mixture of coffee husk-starch in a piston and die assembly with the pressure of 2000 psi. Furthermore, starch percentage, pyrolysis time, and particle size were the input parameters for the algorithm. Bomb calorimeter was used to determine the heating value (HHV) of the solid fuel. The result of the study indicated that a combination of 34.71 mesh particle size, 110.93 min pyrolysis time, and 8% starch concentration werethe optimum variables.The HHV and density of the fuel were up to 5644.66 calgr-1 and 0.7069 grcm-3,respectively. The study showed that further research should be conducted to improve the briquette density therefore the coffee husk could be convert into commercialsolid fuel to replace the dependent on fossil fuel.

  13. Particle size dependent confinement and lattice strain effects in LiFePO4.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shahid, Raza; Murugavel, Sevi

    2013-11-21

    We report the intrinsic electronic properties of LiFePO4 (LFP) with different particle sizes measured by broad-band impedance spectroscopy and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The electronic properties show typical size-dependent effects with decreasing particle size (up to 150 nm). However, at the nanoscale level, we observed an enhancement in the polaronic conductivity about an order of magnitude. We found that the origin of the enhanced electronic conductivity in LFP is due to the significant lattice strain associated with the reduction of particle size. The observed lattice strain component corresponds to the compressive part which leads to a decrease in the hopping length of the polarons. We reproduce nonlinearities in the transport properties of LFP with particle size, to capture the interplay between confinement and lattice strain, and track the effects of strain on the electron-phonon interactions. These results could explain why nano-sized LFP has a better discharge capacity and higher rate capability than the bulk counterpart. We suggest that these new correlations will bring greater insight and better understanding for the optimization of LFP as a cathode material for advanced lithium ion batteries.

  14. Response dependence of a ring ionization chamber response on the size of the X radiation field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoshizumi, Maira T.; Caldas, Linda V.E.

    2009-01-01

    A ring monitor ionization chamber was developed at the IPEN-Sao Paulo, Brazil, fixed on a system of collimators which determine the dimension of the radiation field size. This work verified that the ring chamber response depends on the exponential form with the size of de radiation field

  15. Surface properties, more than size, limiting convective distribution of virus-sized particles and viruses in the central nervous system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Michael Y; Hoffer, Alan; Morrison, Paul F; Hamilton, John F; Hughes, Jeffrey; Schlageter, Kurt S; Lee, Jeongwu; Kelly, Brandon R; Oldfield, Edward H

    2005-08-01

    Achieving distribution of gene-carrying vectors is a major barrier to the clinical application of gene therapy. Because of the blood-brain barrier, the distribution of genetic vectors to the central nervous system (CNS) is even more challenging than delivery to other tissues. Direct intraparenchymal microinfusion, a minimally invasive technique, uses bulk flow (convection) to distribute suspensions of macromolecules widely through the extracellular space (convection-enhanced delivery [CED]). Although acute injection into solid tissue is often used for delivery of oligonucleotides, viruses, and liposomes, and there is preliminary evidence that certain of these large particles can spread through the interstitial space of the brain by the use of convection, the use of CED for distribution of viruses in the brain has not been systematically examined. That is the goal of this study. Investigators used a rodent model to examine the influence of size, osmolarity of buffering solutions, and surface coating on the volumetric distribution of virus-sized nanoparticles and viruses (adeno-associated viruses and adenoviruses) in the gray matter of the brain. The results demonstrate that channels in the extracellular space of gray matter in the brain are large enough to accommodate virus-sized particles and that the surface characteristics are critical determinants for distribution of viruses in the brain by convection. These results indicate that convective distribution can be used to distribute therapeutic viral vectors in the CNS.

  16. Quantum surface tension in ideal gases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sisman, A.

    2005-01-01

    Due to wave character of atoms, an ideal gas confined in a finite domain exhibits Casimir like size effects. These effects become appreciable in a domain with at least one dimension in the order of micron. On this scale, thermodynamic state functions of an ideal gas become shape and size dependent and some new effects appear. In the literature, only some domains of regular shapes have been considered. In this study, the results are generalized to a domain of an arbitrary shape by using Weyl s conjecture for density of states. It is seen that free energy expression of an ideal Maxwellian gas consists of a classical volume dependent term and also a quantum originated surface dependent term, which causes a quantum surface tension. In a rectangular box filled by an ideal gas and separated by a movable wall into two parts, it is shown that a lateral force appears on the movable wall due to quantum surface tension

  17. The effects of size and surface modification of amorphous silica particles on biodistribution and liver metabolism in mice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lu, Xiaoyan; Ji, Cai; Jin, Tingting; Fan, Xiaohui

    2015-01-01

    Engineered nanoparticles, with unconventional properties, are promising platforms for biomedical applications. Since they may interact with a wide variety of biomolecules, it is critical to understand the impact of the physicochemical properties of engineered nanoparticles on biological systems. In this study, the effects of particle size and surface modification alone or in combination of amorphous silica particles (SPs) on biological responses were determined using a suite of general toxicological assessments and metabonomics analysis in mice model. Our results suggested that amino or carboxyl surface modification mitigated the liver toxicity of plain-surface SPs. 30 nm SPs with amino surface modification were found to be the most toxic SPs among all the surface-modified SP treatments at the same dosage. When treatment dose was increased, submicro-sized SPs with amino or carboxyl surface modification also induced liver toxicity. Biodistribution studies suggested that 70 nm SPs were mainly accumulated in liver and spleen regardless of surface modifications. Interestingly, these two organs exhibited different uptake trends. Furthermore, metabonomics studies indicated that surface modification plays a more dominant role to affect the liver metabolism than particle size. (paper)

  18. Thermal conductivity of nanocrystalline silicon: importance of grain size and frequency-dependent mean free paths.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zhaojie; Alaniz, Joseph E; Jang, Wanyoung; Garay, Javier E; Dames, Chris

    2011-06-08

    The thermal conductivity reduction due to grain boundary scattering is widely interpreted using a scattering length assumed equal to the grain size and independent of the phonon frequency (gray). To assess these assumptions and decouple the contributions of porosity and grain size, five samples of undoped nanocrystalline silicon have been measured with average grain sizes ranging from 550 to 64 nm and porosities from 17% to less than 1%, at temperatures from 310 to 16 K. The samples were prepared using current activated, pressure assisted densification (CAPAD). At low temperature the thermal conductivities of all samples show a T(2) dependence which cannot be explained by any traditional gray model. The measurements are explained over the entire temperature range by a new frequency-dependent model in which the mean free path for grain boundary scattering is inversely proportional to the phonon frequency, which is shown to be consistent with asymptotic analysis of atomistic simulations from the literature. In all cases the recommended boundary scattering length is smaller than the average grain size. These results should prove useful for the integration of nanocrystalline materials in devices such as advanced thermoelectrics.

  19. Surface degassing and modifications to vesicle size distributions in active basalt flows

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cashman, K.V.; Mangan, M.T.; Newman, S.

    1994-01-01

    The character of the vesicle population in lava flows includes several measurable parameters that may provide important constraints on lava flow dynamics and rheology. Interpretation of vesicle size distributions (VSDs), however, requires an understanding of vesiculation processes in feeder conduits, and of post-eruption modifications to VSDs during transport and emplacement. To this end we collected samples from active basalt flows at Kilauea Volcano: (1) near the effusive Kupaianaha vent; (2) through skylights in the approximately isothermal Wahaula and Kamoamoa tube systems transporting lava to the coast; (3) from surface breakouts at different locations along the lava tubes; and (4) from different locations in a single breakout from a lava tube 1 km from the 51 vent at Pu'u 'O'o. Near-vent samples are characterized by VSDs that show exponentially decreasing numbers of vesicles with increasing vesicle size. These size distributions suggest that nucleation and growth of bubbles were continuous during ascent in the conduit, with minor associated bubble coalescence resulting from differential bubble rise. The entire vesicle population can be attributed to shallow exsolution of H2O-dominated gases at rates consistent with those predicted by simple diffusion models. Measurements of H2O, CO2 and S in the matrix glass show that the melt equilibrated rapidly at atmospheric pressure. Down-tube samples maintain similar VSD forms but show a progressive decrease in both overall vesicularity and mean vesicle size. We attribute this change to open system, "passive" rise and escape of larger bubbles to the surface. Such gas loss from the tube system results in the output of 1.2 ?? 106 g/day SO2, an output representing an addition of approximately 1% to overall volatile budget calculations. A steady increase in bubble number density with downstream distance is best explained by continued bubble nucleation at rates of 7-8/cm3s. Rates are ???25% of those estimated from the vent

  20. Size-dependent distribution and feeding habits of Terebralia palustris in mangrove habitats of Gazi Bay, Kenya

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pape, Ellen; Muthumbi, Agnes; Kamanu, Chomba Peter; Vanreusel, Ann

    2008-03-01

    The gastropod Terebralia palustris often dominates the surface of muddy to sandy substrates of intertidal mudflats and mangrove forests, where they clearly destabilize the sediment. In the present study, it was investigated whether and to what extent the behaviour of juvenile and adult snails differs among habitats (mudflat vs. mangrove stand) in a Sonneratia alba mangal at Gazi Bay, Kenya. For this purpose we: (1) examined their distribution along three land-sea transects; and (2) applied stable isotope analysis to determine the feeding patterns of different-sized snails from the mangrove and mudflat habitats. Additionally, we investigated if these gastropods exert an impact on microphytobenthic (diatom) biomass, and whether this is size-dependent. The latter objective was met by either enclosing or excluding different-sized snails from experimental cages on the intertidal mudflat and the subsequent assessment of a change in pigment concentration of the sediment surface. In agreement with several previous studies conducted in other mangroves and geographical locations, a spatial segregation was demonstrated between juveniles (more common on the mudflat) and adults (more common in the mangrove forest). On the intertidal mudflat juveniles avoided sediment patches characterized by highly saline water in intertidal pools and a high mud content, while adults tended to dwell on substrates covered by a high amount of leaf litter. Stable carbon isotope analysis of the foot tissue of snails sampled from the S. alba stand and the mudflat indicated a transition in food source when a shell length of 51 mm is reached. Considering the δ13C value of juveniles, it seems they might be selecting for microphytobenthos, which might explain their preference for the mudflat. The diet of size classes found in both habitats did not differ significantly, although juveniles inhabiting the mangrove forest were slightly more depleted in 13C compared to those residing on the mudflat

  1. Characterization of size, surface charge, and agglomeration state of nanoparticle dispersions for toxicological studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jiang Jingkun; Oberdoerster, Guenter; Biswas, Pratim

    2009-01-01

    Characterizing the state of nanoparticles (such as size, surface charge, and degree of agglomeration) in aqueous suspensions and understanding the parameters that affect this state are imperative for toxicity investigations. In this study, the role of important factors such as solution ionic strength, pH, and particle surface chemistry that control nanoparticle dispersion was examined. The size and zeta potential of four TiO 2 and three quantum dot samples dispersed in different solutions (including one physiological medium) were characterized. For 15 nm TiO 2 dispersions, the increase of ionic strength from 0.001 M to 0.1 M led to a 50-fold increase in the hydrodynamic diameter, and the variation of pH resulted in significant change of particle surface charge and the hydrodynamic size. It was shown that both adsorbing multiply charged ions (e.g., pyrophosphate ions) onto the TiO 2 nanoparticle surface and coating quantum dot nanocrystals with polymers (e.g., polyethylene glycol) suppressed agglomeration and stabilized the dispersions. DLVO theory was used to qualitatively understand nanoparticle dispersion stability. A methodology using different ultrasonication techniques (bath and probe) was developed to distinguish agglomerates from aggregates (strong bonds), and to estimate the extent of particle agglomeration. Probe ultrasonication performed better than bath ultrasonication in dispersing TiO 2 agglomerates when the stabilizing agent sodium pyrophosphate was used. Commercially available Degussa P25 and in-house synthesized TiO 2 nanoparticles were used to demonstrate identification of aggregated and agglomerated samples.

  2. Size-Dependent Regulation of Intracellular Trafficking of Polystyrene Nanoparticle-Based Drug-Delivery Systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ting; Wang, Lu; Li, Xiaoming; Hu, Xingjie; Han, Yuping; Luo, Yao; Wang, Zejun; Li, Qian; Aldalbahi, Ali; Wang, Lihua; Song, Shiping; Fan, Chunhai; Zhao, Yun; Wang, Maolin; Chen, Nan

    2017-06-07

    Nanoparticles (NPs) have shown great promise as intracellular imaging probes or nanocarriers and are increasingly being used in biomedical applications. A detailed understanding of how NPs get "in and out" of cells is important for developing new nanomaterials with improved selectivity and less cytotoxicity. Both physical and chemical characteristics have been proven to regulate the cellular uptake of NPs. However, the exocytosis process and its regulation are less explored. Herein, we investigated the size-regulated endocytosis and exocytosis of carboxylated polystyrene (PS) NPs. PS NPs with a smaller size were endocytosed mainly through the clathrin-dependent pathway, whereas PS NPs with a larger size preferred caveolae-mediated endocytosis. Furthermore, our results revealed exocytosis of larger PS NPs and tracked the dynamic process at the single-particle level. These results indicate that particle size is a key factor for the regulation of intracellular trafficking of NPs and provide new insight into the development of more effective cellular nanocarriers.

  3. Spot size and pulse number dependence of femtosecond laser ablation thresholds of silicon and stainless steel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Armbruster, Oskar; Naghilou, Aida [University of Vienna, Department of Physical Chemistry, Währinger Straße 42, A-1090 Vienna (Austria); Kitzler, Markus [TU Wien, Photonics Institute, Gusshausstraße 27-29, A-1040 Vienna (Austria); Kautek, Wolfgang, E-mail: wolfgang.kautek@univie.ac.at [University of Vienna, Department of Physical Chemistry, Währinger Straße 42, A-1090 Vienna (Austria)

    2017-02-28

    Highlights: • Influence of laser spot size and pulse number on the ablation of solids. • An extended defect model describes the dependence of the threshold fluence on the basis of high and low density defects. • Successfully applied to silicon and stainless steel. - Abstract: Laser spot size and pulse number are two major parameters influencing the ablation of solids. The extended defect model describes the dependence of the threshold fluence on the basis of high and low density defects. This model was successfully applied to silicon and stainless steel. It is demonstrated that heat accumulation cannot describe the experimental results.

  4. Evolution of Cell Size Homeostasis and Growth Rate Diversity during Initial Surface Colonization of Shewanella oneidensis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Calvin K; Kim, Alexander J; Santos, Giancarlo S; Lai, Peter Y; Lee, Stella Y; Qiao, David F; Anda, Jaime De; Young, Thomas D; Chen, Yujie; Rowe, Annette R; Nealson, Kenneth H; Weiss, Paul S; Wong, Gerard C L

    2016-09-06

    Cell size control and homeostasis are fundamental features of bacterial metabolism. Recent work suggests that cells add a constant size between birth and division ("adder" model). However, it is not known how cell size homeostasis is influenced by the existence of heterogeneous microenvironments, such as those during biofilm formation. Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 can use diverse energy sources on a range of surfaces via extracellular electron transport (EET), which can impact growth, metabolism, and size diversity. Here, we track bacterial surface communities at single-cell resolution to show that not only do bacterial motility appendages influence the transition from two- to three-dimensional biofilm growth and control postdivisional cell fates, they strongly impact cell size homeostasis. For every generation, we find that the average growth rate for cells that stay on the surface and continue to divide (nondetaching population) and that for cells that detach before their next division (detaching population) are roughly constant. However, the growth rate distribution is narrow for the nondetaching population, but broad for the detaching population in each generation. Interestingly, the appendage deletion mutants (ΔpilA, ΔmshA-D, Δflg) have significantly broader growth rate distributions than that of the wild type for both detaching and nondetaching populations, which suggests that Shewanella appendages are important for sensing and integrating environmental inputs that contribute to size homeostasis. Moreover, our results suggest multiplexing of appendages for sensing and motility functions contributes to cell size dysregulation. These results can potentially provide a framework for generating metabolic diversity in S. oneidensis populations to optimize EET in heterogeneous environments.

  5. High-frequency EPR of surface impurities on nanodiamond

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Zaili; Stepanov, Viktor; Takahashi, Susumu

    Diamond is a fascinating material, hosting nitrogen-vacancy (NV) defect centers with unique magnetic and optical properties. There have been many reports that suggest the existence of paramagnetic impurities near surface of various kinds of diamonds. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) investigation of mechanically crushed nanodiamonds (NDs) as well as detonation NDs revealed g 2 like signals that are attributed to structural defects and dangling bonds near the diamond surface. In this presentation, we investigate paramagnetic impurities in various sizes of NDs using high-frequency (HF) continuous wave (cw) and pulsed EPR spectroscopy. Strong size dependence on the linewidth of HF cw EPR spectra reveals the existence of paramagnetic impurities in the vicinity of the diamond surface. We also study the size dependence of the spin-lattice and spin-spin relaxation times (T1 and T2) of single substitutional nitrogen defects in NDs Significant deviations from the temperature dependence of the phonon-assisted T1 process were observed in the ND samples, and were attributed to the contribution from the surface impurities. This work was supported by the Searle Scholars Program and the National Science Foundation (DMR-1508661 and CHE-1611134).

  6. Size-dependent error of the density functional theory ionization potential in vacuum and solution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sosa Vazquez, Xochitl A; Isborn, Christine M

    2015-12-28

    Density functional theory is often the method of choice for modeling the energetics of large molecules and including explicit solvation effects. It is preferable to use a method that treats systems of different sizes and with different amounts of explicit solvent on equal footing. However, recent work suggests that approximate density functional theory has a size-dependent error in the computation of the ionization potential. We here investigate the lack of size-intensivity of the ionization potential computed with approximate density functionals in vacuum and solution. We show that local and semi-local approximations to exchange do not yield a constant ionization potential for an increasing number of identical isolated molecules in vacuum. Instead, as the number of molecules increases, the total energy required to ionize the system decreases. Rather surprisingly, we find that this is still the case in solution, whether using a polarizable continuum model or with explicit solvent that breaks the degeneracy of each solute, and we find that explicit solvent in the calculation can exacerbate the size-dependent delocalization error. We demonstrate that increasing the amount of exact exchange changes the character of the polarization of the solvent molecules; for small amounts of exact exchange the solvent molecules contribute a fraction of their electron density to the ionized electron, but for larger amounts of exact exchange they properly polarize in response to the cationic solute. In vacuum and explicit solvent, the ionization potential can be made size-intensive by optimally tuning a long-range corrected hybrid functional.

  7. Size-dependent concentration of N0 paramagnetic centres in HPHT nanodiamonds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B.V. Yavkin, G.V. Mamin, M.R. Gafurov, S.B. Orlinskii

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Size-calibrated commercial nanodiamonds synthesized by high-pressure high-temperature (HPHT technique were studied by high-frequency W- and conventional X-band electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR spectroscopy. The numbers of spins in the studied samples were estimated. The core-shell model of the HPHT nanodiamonds was proposed to explain the observed dependence of the concentration of the N0 paramagnetic centers. Two other observed paramagnetic centers are attributed to the two types of structures in the nanodiamond shell.

  8. Seasonal and size-dependent variations in the phytoplankton growth and microzooplankton grazing in the southern South China Sea under the influence of the East Asian monsoon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, L.; Tan, Y.; Huang, L.; Hu, Z.; Ke, Z.

    2015-11-01

    To examine seasonal and size-dependent variations in the phytoplankton growth and microzooplankton grazing in oligotrophic tropical waters under the influence of seasonal reversing monsoon, dilution experiments were conducted during the summer of 2009 (21 May to 9 June) and winter 2010 (9 to 18 November) in the southern South China Sea (SSCS). The results showed that environmental variables, phytoplankton biomass, phytoplankton growth rate (μ), microzooplankton grazing rate (m), and correlationship (coupling) between the μ and m, rather than the microzooplankton grazing impact on phytoplankton (m/μ) significantly varied between the two seasons. Higher relative preference index (RPI) for the larger-sized (> 3 μm) phytoplankton than pico-phytoplankton (intermittent arrivals of the northeast winter monsoon could lead to the low μ and m, and the decoupling between the μ and m in the SSCS, through influencing nutrient supply to the surface water, and inducing surface seawater salinity decrease. The low m/μ (waters such as that of the SSCS.

  9. Design of water-repellant coating using dual scale size of hybrid silica nanoparticles on polymer surface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conti, J.; De Coninck, J.; Ghazzal, M. N.

    2018-04-01

    The dual-scale size of the silica nanoparticles is commonly aimed at producing dual-scale roughness, also called hierarchical roughness (Lotus effect). In this study, we describe a method to build a stable water-repellant coating with controlled roughness. Hybrid silica nanoparticles are self-assembled over a polymeric surface by alternating consecutive layers. Each one uses homogenously distributed silica nanoparticles of a particular size. The effect of the nanoparticle size of the first layer on the final roughness of the coating is studied. The first layer enables to adjust the distance between the silica nanoparticles of the upper layer, leading to a tuneable and controlled final roughness. An optimal size nanoparticle has been found for higher water-repellency. Furthermore, the stability of the coating on polymeric surface (Polycarbonate substrate) is ensured by photopolymerization of hybridized silica nanoparticles using Vinyl functional groups.

  10. Size-dependent standard deviation for growth rates: empirical results and theoretical modeling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Podobnik, Boris; Horvatic, Davor; Pammolli, Fabio; Wang, Fengzhong; Stanley, H Eugene; Grosse, I

    2008-05-01

    We study annual logarithmic growth rates R of various economic variables such as exports, imports, and foreign debt. For each of these variables we find that the distributions of R can be approximated by double exponential (Laplace) distributions in the central parts and power-law distributions in the tails. For each of these variables we further find a power-law dependence of the standard deviation sigma(R) on the average size of the economic variable with a scaling exponent surprisingly close to that found for the gross domestic product (GDP) [Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 3275 (1998)]. By analyzing annual logarithmic growth rates R of wages of 161 different occupations, we find a power-law dependence of the standard deviation sigma(R) on the average value of the wages with a scaling exponent beta approximately 0.14 close to those found for the growth of exports, imports, debt, and the growth of the GDP. In contrast to these findings, we observe for payroll data collected from 50 states of the USA that the standard deviation sigma(R) of the annual logarithmic growth rate R increases monotonically with the average value of payroll. However, also in this case we observe a power-law dependence of sigma(R) on the average payroll with a scaling exponent beta approximately -0.08 . Based on these observations we propose a stochastic process for multiple cross-correlated variables where for each variable (i) the distribution of logarithmic growth rates decays exponentially in the central part, (ii) the distribution of the logarithmic growth rate decays algebraically in the far tails, and (iii) the standard deviation of the logarithmic growth rate depends algebraically on the average size of the stochastic variable.

  11. Size-dependent standard deviation for growth rates: Empirical results and theoretical modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Podobnik, Boris; Horvatic, Davor; Pammolli, Fabio; Wang, Fengzhong; Stanley, H. Eugene; Grosse, I.

    2008-05-01

    We study annual logarithmic growth rates R of various economic variables such as exports, imports, and foreign debt. For each of these variables we find that the distributions of R can be approximated by double exponential (Laplace) distributions in the central parts and power-law distributions in the tails. For each of these variables we further find a power-law dependence of the standard deviation σ(R) on the average size of the economic variable with a scaling exponent surprisingly close to that found for the gross domestic product (GDP) [Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 3275 (1998)]. By analyzing annual logarithmic growth rates R of wages of 161 different occupations, we find a power-law dependence of the standard deviation σ(R) on the average value of the wages with a scaling exponent β≈0.14 close to those found for the growth of exports, imports, debt, and the growth of the GDP. In contrast to these findings, we observe for payroll data collected from 50 states of the USA that the standard deviation σ(R) of the annual logarithmic growth rate R increases monotonically with the average value of payroll. However, also in this case we observe a power-law dependence of σ(R) on the average payroll with a scaling exponent β≈-0.08 . Based on these observations we propose a stochastic process for multiple cross-correlated variables where for each variable (i) the distribution of logarithmic growth rates decays exponentially in the central part, (ii) the distribution of the logarithmic growth rate decays algebraically in the far tails, and (iii) the standard deviation of the logarithmic growth rate depends algebraically on the average size of the stochastic variable.

  12. Theoretical characterization on the size-dependent electron and hole trapping activity of chloride-passivated CdSe nanoclusters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Yingqi; Cui, Xianhui; Zhang, Li; Xie, Yujuan; Yang, Mingli

    2018-04-01

    Ligand passivation is often used to suppress the surface trap states of semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) for their continuous photoluminescence output. The suppression process is related to the electrophilic/nucleophilic activity of surface atoms that varies with the structure and size of QD and the electron donating/accepting nature of ligand. Based on first-principles-based descriptors and cluster models, the electrophilic/nucleophilic activities of bare and chloride-coated CdSe clusters were studied to reveal the suppression mechanism of Cl-passivated QDs and compared to experimental observations. The surface atoms of bare clusters have higher activity than inner atoms and their activity decreases with cluster size. In the ligand-coated clusters, the Cd atom remains as the electrophilic site, while the nucleophilic site of Se atoms is replaced by Cl atoms. The activities of Cd and Cl atoms in the coated clusters are, however, remarkably weaker than those in bare clusters. Cluster size, dangling atoms, ligand coverage, electronegativity of ligand atoms, and solvent (water) were found to have considerable influence on the activity of surface atoms. The suppression of surface trap states in Cl-passivated QDs was attributed to the reduction of electrophilic/nucleophilic activity of Cd/Se/Cl atoms. Both saturation to under-coordinated surface atoms and proper selection for the electron donating/accepting strength of ligands are crucial for eliminating the charge carrier traps. Our calculations predicted a similar suppressing effect of chloride ligands with experiments and provided a simple but effective approach to assess the charge carrier trapping behaviors of semiconductor QDs.

  13. The effect of grain size and surface area on organic matter, lignin and carbohydrate concentration, and molecular compositions in Peru Margin sediments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bergamaschi, Brian A.; Tsamakis, Elizabeth; Keil, Richard G.; Eglinton, Timothy I.; Montluçon, Daniel B.; Hedges, John I.

    1997-03-01

    A C-rich sediment sample from the Peru Margin was sorted into nine hydrodynamically-determined grain size fractions to explore the effect of grain size distribution and sediment surface area on organic matter content and composition. The neutral monomeric carbohydrate composition, lignin oxidation product yields, total organic carbon, and total nitrogen contents were determined independently for each size fraction, in addition to sediment surface area and abundance of biogenic opal. The percent organic carbon and percent total nitrogen were strongly related to surface area in these sediments. In turn, the distribution of surface area closely followed mass distribution among the textural size classes, suggesting hydrodynamic controls on grain size also control organic carbon content. Nevertheless, organic compositional distinctions were observed between textural size classes. Total neutral carbohydrate yields in the Peru Margin sediments were found to closely parallel trends in total organic carbon, increasing in abundance among grain size fractions in proportion to sediment surface area. Coincident with the increases in absolute abundance, rhamnose and mannose increased as a fraction of the total carbohydrate yield in concert with surface area, indicating these monomers were preferentially represented in carbohydrates associated with surfaces. Lignin oxidation product yields varied with surface area when normalized to organic carbon, suggesting that the terrestrially-derived component may be diluted by sorption of marine derived material. Lignin-based parameters suggest a separate source for terrestrially derived material associated with sand-size material as opposed to that associated with silts and clays.

  14. Size-dependent magnetism in nanocrystals of spin-chain α-CoV2O6

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shu, H.; Ouyang, Z.W.; Sun, Y.C.; Ruan, M.Y.; Li, J.J.; Yue, X.Y.; Wang, Z.X.; Xia, Z.C.; Rao, G.H.

    2016-01-01

    Magnetization and high-field ESR measurements have been performed to study the magnetism of nanocrystals of α-CoV 2 O 6 , an Ising spin-chain system without triangular lattice but presenting interesting 1/3 magnetization step. The results demonstrated the antiferromagnetic (AFM) enhancement and gradual suppression of the 1/3 magnetization step in nanoparticle samples. Within the framework of core–shell model consisting of the AFM core spins and the uncompensated/disordered shell spins, the AFM enhancement below T N =13 K is a result of enhanced shell disorder with weak ferromagnetism. This AFM enhancement, along with the suppression of saturation magnetization, results in the suppression of 1/3 magnetization step. Furthermore, the paramagnetism of the shell was confirmed by our high-field ESR measurements. The time-dependent magnetization suggests the presence of spin-glass-like freezing. This is expected for nanoparticles with surface shell disorder with ferromagnetic correlations, but is not expected for bulk material of α-CoV 2 O 6 without spin frustration. These findings demonstrate that size tuning is an effective parameter for controlling the ground state of α-CoV 2 O 6 .

  15. Nano rare-earth oxides induced size-dependent vacuolization: an independent pathway from autophagy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Ying; Yu, Chenguang; Huang, Guanyi; Wang, Changli; Wen, Longping

    2010-09-07

    Four rare earth oxides have been shown to induce autophagy. Interestingly, we often noticed plentiful vacuolization, which was not always involved in this autophagic process. In this study, we investigated three other rare-earth elements, including Yttrium (Y), Ytterbium (Yb), and Lanthanum (La). Autophagic effect could be induced by all of them but only Y(2)O(3) and Yb(2)O(3) could cause massive vacuolization. Y(2)O(3) and Yb(2)O(3) treated by sonication or centrifugation to reduce particle size were used to test vacuolization level in HeLa cell lines. The results showed that rare earth oxides-induced vacuolization is size-dependent and differs from autophagic pathway. To further clarify the characteristics of this autophagic process, we used MEF Atg-5 (autophagy associated gene 5) knockout cell line, and the result showed that the autophagic process induced by rare earth oxides is Atg-5-dependent and the observed vacuolization was independent from autophagy. Similar results could also be observed in our tests on 3-methyladenine(3-MA), a well-known autophagy inhibitor. In conclusion, for the first time, we clarified the relationship between massive vacuolization and autophagic process induced by rare earth oxides and pointed out the size effect of rare earth oxides on the formation of vacuoles, which give clues to further investigation on the mechanisms underlying their biological effects.

  16. Size effects and strain localization in atomic-scale cleavage modeling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elsner, B A M; Müller, S

    2015-01-01

    In this work, we study the adhesion and decohesion of Cu(1 0 0) surfaces using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. An upper stress to surface decohesion is obtained via the universal binding energy relation (UBER), but the model is limited to rigid separation of bulk-terminated surfaces. When structural relaxations are included, an unphysical size effect arises if decohesion is considered to occur as soon as the strain energy equals the energy of the newly formed surfaces. We employ the nudged elastic band (NEB) method to show that this size effect is opposed by a size-dependency of the energy barriers involved in the transition. Further, we find that the transition occurs via a localization of bond strain in the vicinity of the cleavage plane, which resembles the strain localization at the tip of a sharp crack that is predicted by linear elastic fracture mechanics. (paper)

  17. Size- and dose-dependent toxicity of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) on human fibroblasts and colon adenocarcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanif, Zahid; Ahmed, Farrukh R; Shin, Seung Won; Kim, Young-Kee; Um, Soong Ho

    2014-07-01

    A controlled preparation of cellulose nanocrystals of different sizes and shapes has been carried out by acid hydrolysis of microcrystalline cellulose. The size- and concentration-dependent toxicity effects of the resulting cellulose nanocrystals were evaluated against two different cell lines, NIH3T3 murine embryo fibroblasts and HCT116 colon adenocarcinoma. It could serve as a therapeutic platform for cancer treatment. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. SU-E-T-44: Angular Dependence of Surface Dose Enhancement Measured On Several Inhomogeneities Using Radiochromic EBT3 Films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jansen, A; Schoenfeld, A; Poppinga, D; Chofor, N; Poppe, B

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: The quantification of the relative surface dose enhancement in dependence on the angle of incidence and the atomic number Z of the surface material. Methods: Experiments were performed with slabs made of aluminum, titanium, copper, silver, dental gold and lead. The metal slabs with equal sizes of 1.0×8.0×8.8mm 3 were embedded in an Octavius 4D phantom (PTW Freiburg, Germany). Radiochromic EBT3 films were used to measure the surface dose for angles of incidence ranging from 0° to 90°. The setup with the metals slabs at the isocenter was irradiated with acceleration voltages of 6MV and 10MV. Water reference measurements were taken under equal conditions. Results: The surface dose enhancement is highest for angles of incidence below 30° and drops significantly for higher. The surface dose enhancement produced by lead and dental gold at 6MV showed a peak of 65%. At 90°, the surface dose enhancement dropped to 15% for both materials. The surface dose enhancements for silver, copper, titanium and aluminum were 45%, 32%, 22% and 12% at 0°, respectively. At an angle of incidence of 80°, the values dropped to 22%, 18%, 12% und 6%. The values for 10MV were very similar. Lead and dental gold showed peaks of 65% und 60%. Their values dropped to 18% at an angle of 90°. The surface dose enhancements for silver, copper, titanium and aluminum were 45%, 30%, 20% and 8% at 0°. At 80° the values dropped to 30%, 20%, 12% and 5%. A dependence of the magnitude of the surface dose enhancement on the atomic number of the surface material can be seen, which is in consistence with literature. Conclusion: The results show that the surface dose enhancements near implant materials with high Z-values should be taken into consideration in radio therapy, even when the angle of incidence is flat

  19. Exotic Paired States with Anisotropic Spin-Dependent Fermi Surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feiguin, Adrian E.; Fisher, Matthew P. A.

    2009-01-01

    We propose a model for realizing exotic paired states in cold Fermi gases by using a spin-dependent optical lattice to engineer mismatched Fermi surfaces for each hyperfine species. The BCS phase diagram shows a stable paired superfluid state with coexisting pockets of momentum space with gapless unpaired carriers, similar to the Sarma state in polarized mixtures, but in our case the system is unpolarized. We propose the possible existence of an exotic 'Cooper-pair Bose-metal' phase, which has a gap for single fermion excitations but gapless and uncondensed 'Cooper-pair' excitations residing on a 'Bose surface' in momentum space.

  20. Constitutive modeling of rate dependence and microinertia effects in porous-plastic materials with multi-sized voids (MSVs)

    KAUST Repository

    Liu, Jinxing

    2012-11-27

    Micro-voids of varying sizes exist in most metals and alloys. Both experiments and numerical studies have demonstrated the critical influence of initial void sizes on void growth. The classical Gurson-Tvergaard-Needleman model summarizes the influence of voids with a single parameter, namely the void-volume fraction, excluding any possible effects of the void-size distribution. We extend our newly proposed model including the multi-sized void (MSV) effect and the void-interaction effect for the capability of working for both moderate and high loading rate cases, where either rate dependence or microinertia becomes considerable or even dominant. Parametric studies show that the MSV-related competitive mechanism among void growth leads to the dependence of the void growth rate on void size, which directly influences the void\\'s contribution to the total energy composition. We finally show that the stress-strain constitutive behavior is also affected by this MSV-related competitive mechanism. The stabilizing effect due to rate sensitivity and microinertia is emphasized. © 2013 IOP Publishing Ltd.

  1. Valence and atomic size dependent exchange barriers in vacancy-mediated dopant diffusion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nelson, J.S.; Schultz, P.A.; Wright, A.F.

    1998-01-01

    First-principles pseudopotential calculations of dopant-vacancy exchange barriers indicate a strong dependency on dopant valence and atomic size, in contrast to current models of vacancy-mediated dopant diffusion. First-row elements (B, C, N) are found to have exchange barriers which are an order of magnitude larger than the assumed value of 0.3 eV (the Si vacancy migration energy). copyright 1998 American Institute of Physics

  2. Hierarchically structured superhydrophobic coatings fabricated by successive Langmuir-Blodgett deposition of micro-/nano-sized particles and surface silanization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsai, Ping-Szu; Yang, Yu-Min; Lee, Yuh-Lang

    2007-11-21

    The present study demonstrates the creation of a stable, superhydrophobic surface by coupling of successive Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) depositions of micro- and nano-sized (1.5 µm/50 nm, 1.0 µm/50 nm, and 0.5 µm/50 nm) silica particles on a glass substrate with the formation of a self-assembled monolayer of dodecyltrichlorosilane on the surface of the particulate film. Particulate films, in which one layer of 50 nm particles was deposited over one to five sublayers of larger micro-sized particles, with hierarchical surface roughness and superhydrophobicity, were successfully fabricated. Furthermore, the present 'two-scale' (micro- and nano-sized particles) approach is superior to the previous 'one-scale' (micro-sized particles) approach in that both higher advancing contact angle and lower contact angle hysteresis can be realized. Experimental results revealed that the superhydrophobicity exhibited by as-fabricated particulate films with different sublayer particle diameters increases in the order of 0.5 µm>1.0 µm>1.5 µm. However, no clear trend between sublayer number and surface superhydrophobicity could be discerned. An explanation of superhydrophobicity based on the surface roughness introduced by two-scale particles is also proposed.

  3. Hierarchical and Size Dependent Mechanical Properties of Silica and Silicon Nanostructures Inspired by Diatom Algae

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-09-01

    Chaniotakis. The physical and mechanical properties of composite cements manufactured with cal- careous and clayey greek diatomite mixtures. Cement and...Hierarchical and size dependent mechanical properties of silica and silicon nanostructures inspired by diatom algae by Andre Phillipe Garcia B.S...dependent mechanical properties of silica and silicon nanostructures inspired by diatom algae 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM

  4. Photophysics of size-selected InP nanocrystals: Exciton recombination kinetics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, S.; Wolters, R.H.; Heath, J.R.

    1996-01-01

    We report here on the size-dependent kinetics of exciton recombination in a III endash V quantum dot system, InP. The measurements reported include various frequency dependent quantum yields as a function of temperature, frequency dependent luminescence decay curves, and time-gated emission spectra. This data is fit to a three-state quantum model which has been previously utilized to explain photophysical phenomena in II endash VI quantum dots. The initial photoexcitation is assumed to place an electron in a (delocalized) bulk conduction band state. Activation barriers for trapping and detrapping of the electron to surface states, as well as activation barriers for surface-state radiationless relaxation processes are measured as a function of particle size. The energy barrier to detrapping is found to be the major factor limiting room temperature band-edge luminescence. This barrier increases with decreasing particle size. For 30 A particles, this barrier is found to be greater than 6 kJ/mol emdash a barrier which is more than an order of magnitude larger than that previously found for 32 A CdS nanocrystals. copyright 1996 American Institute of Physics

  5. SENSITIVITY OF BODY SWAY PARAMETERS DURING QUIET STANDING TO MANIPULATION OF SUPPORT SURFACE SIZE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarabon Nejc

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available The centre of pressure (COP movement during stance maintenance on a stable surface is commonly used to describe and evaluate static balance. The aim of our study was to test sensitivity of individual COP parameters to different stance positions which were used to address size specific changes in the support surface. Twenty-nine subjects participated in the study. They carried out three 60-second repetitions of each of the five balance tasks (parallel stance, semi-tandem stance, tandem stance, contra-tandem stance, single leg stance. Using the force plate, the monitored parameters included the total COP distance, the distance covered in antero-posterior and medio-lateral directions, the maximum oscillation amplitude in antero-posterior and medio-lateral directions, the total frequency of oscillation, as well as the frequency of oscillation in antero-posterior and medio-lateral directions. The parameters which describe the total COP distance were the most sensitive to changes in the balance task, whereas the frequency of oscillation proved to be sensitive to a slightly lesser extent. Reductions in the support surface size in each of the directions resulted in proportional changes of antero-posterior and medio- lateral directions. The frequency of oscillation did not increase evenly with the increase in the level of difficulty of the balance task, but reached a certain value, above which it did not increase. Our study revealed the monitored parameters of the COP to be sensitive to the support surface size manipulations. The results of the study provide an important source for clinical and research use of the body sway measurements.

  6. Size-dependent multiple magnetic phases and exchange bias effect in hole-doped double perovskite La1.6Sr0.4NiMnO6

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Wenjie; Shi, Lei; Zhou, Shiming; Zhao, Jiyin; Li, Yang; Guo, Yuqiao

    2014-01-01

    La 1.6 Sr 0.4 NiMnO 6 nanoparticles of different sizes (18–150 nm) have been prepared by a sol–gel method, and the size effects on their magnetic properties are investigated. It is found that there is a ferromagnetic (FM) transition at T C  ∼ 245 K for the sample with particle size D ∼ 150 nm. As the particle size decreases, a spin glass (SG) transition appears at T G  ∼ 60 K and becomes more obvious. Meanwhile, the T C shifts to a lower temperature and the FM transition becomes indistinct. The size dependent saturation magnetization M S , which is in the range 0.78 ∼ 1.27 μ B /f.u., shows a non-monotonic variation with a maximum of 1.27 μ B /f.u. at the particle size D C  ∼ 42 nm. The exchange bias (EB) effect is clearly observed for D > 32 nm and becomes indistinct as D ⩽ 32 nm. As the particle size decreasing, the EB field H E decreases and becomes near nil at D C . Meanwhile, the coercive field H C first increases to a maximum at D C and then decreases. All the results indicate the coexistence of AFM APBs related to the anti-site disorders, FM domains, and SG phase in La 1.6 Sr 0.4 NiMnO 6 nanoparticles. The magnetic properties of the nanoparticles are understood by a complex core-shell model, i.e. both AFM APBs and FM domains coexist in the core, and the SG phase mainly resides on the surface (shell) of each particle, which reveals that the size effects on the FM phase, AFM APBs and surface SG phase in grain are different, even are opposite. The nanometer size effect is a crucial factor to influence the magnetic properties of La 1.6 Sr 0.4 NiMnO 6 nanoparticles. (paper)

  7. Influence of size and surface structure of microparticles on accuracy of measurements of its uranium isotopic composition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stebelkov, V.; Kolesnikov, O.; Moulenko, D.; Sokolov, A.; Pavlov, A.; Simakin, S.

    2002-01-01

    Full text: One of the elements of the scheme for complex analysis of environmental samples, collected in the regions of location of nuclear facilities, is mass-spectrometry of microparticles of nuclear materials implemented for determination of isotopic composition of these materials. Widely used technique of mass-spectrometry of particles is secondary ion mass-spectrometry. This technique is characterized by successive acquisition of ions from different isotopes under gradual sputtering of microparticle during analysis. The purpose of this work was investigation of kinetic of size changing and changing of measured values of uranium-235 concentration as well as investigation of influence of size and surface structure of microparticle on measurement results. Method of investigation had been comprised to several sequential measurements of uranium isotopes content in the same particle and photography of this particle before every sequential measurement by using electron microscope. Analysis of each particle was finished when this particle was fully sputtered. There were investigated 33 particles of irregular shape and initial sizes from 0.5 μm to 3.5 μm. These particles had different types of surface structure and different isotopic composition. Besides there were investigated 22 spherical particles of UO 2 with 3.7% uranium-235 abundance with sizes from 0.7 μm to 2.4 μm. Thirteen particles of irregular shape were sputtered fully during first measurement of isotopic composition. Two sequential measurements were implemented for 12 particles, three sequential measurements were implemented for 7 particles. For 2 particles of sizes 3.5 μm x 2 μm and 1.2 μm there were implemented four sequential measurements of isotopic composition. During these investigations it was determined that the number of sequential measurements depends not only on size but also on surface structure of particle. With rare exception the sequential values of concentrations of uranium-235

  8. Biological Fate of Fe3O4 Core-Shell Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles Depending on Particle Surface Chemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rascol, Estelle; Daurat, Morgane; Da Silva, Afitz; Maynadier, Marie; Dorandeu, Christophe; Charnay, Clarence; Garcia, Marcel; Lai-Kee-Him, Joséphine; Bron, Patrick; Auffan, Mélanie; Angeletti, Bernard; Devoisselle, Jean-Marie; Guari, Yannick; Gary-Bobo, Magali; Chopineau, Joël

    2017-01-01

    The biological fate of nanoparticles (NPs) for biomedical applications is highly dependent of their size and charge, their aggregation state and their surface chemistry. The chemical composition of the NPs surface influences their stability in biological fluids, their interaction with proteins, and their attraction to the cell membranes. In this work, core-shell magnetic mesoporous silica nanoparticles (Fe3O4@MSN), that are considered as potential theranostic candidates, are coated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) or 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) lipid bilayer. Their biological fate is studied in comparison to the native NPs. The physicochemical properties of these three types of NPs and their suspension behavior in different media are investigated. The attraction to a membrane model is also evaluated using a supported lipid bilayer. The surface composition of NPs strongly influences their dispersion in biological fluids mimics, protein binding and their interaction with cell membrane. While none of these types of NPs is found to be toxic on mice four days after intravenous injection of a dose of 40 mg kg−1 of NPs, their surface coating nature influences the in vivo biodistribution. Importantly, NP coated with DMPC exhibit a strong accumulation in liver and a very low accumulation in lung in comparison with nude or PEG ones. PMID:28665317

  9. Insights on finite size effects in ab initio study of CO adsorption and dissociation on Fe 110 surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chakrabarty, Aurab; Bouhali, Othmane; Mousseau, Normand; Becquart, Charlotte S.; El-Mellouhi, Fedwa

    2016-01-01

    Adsorption and dissociation of hydrocarbons on metallic surfaces represent crucial steps on the path to carburization, eventually leading to dusting corrosion. While adsorption of CO molecules on Fe surface is a barrier-less exothermic process, this is not the case for the dissociation of CO into C and O adatoms and the diffusion of C beneath the surface that are found to be associated with large energy barriers. In practice, these barriers can be affected by numerous factors that combine to favour the CO-Fe reaction such as the abundance of CO and other hydrocarbons as well as the presence of structural defects. From a numerical point of view, studying these factors is challenging and a step-by-step approach is necessary to assess, in particular, the influence of the finite box size on the reaction parameters for adsorption and dissociation of CO on metal surfaces. Here, we use density functional theory (DFT) total energy calculations with the climbing-image nudged elastic band method to estimate the adsorption energies and dissociation barriers for different CO coverages with surface supercells of different sizes. We further compute the effect of periodic boundary condition for DFT calculations and find that the contribution from van der Waals interaction in the computation of adsorption parameters is important as they contribute to correcting the finite-size error in small systems. The dissociation process involves carbon insertion into the Fe surface causing a lattice deformation that requires a larger surface system for unrestricted relaxation. We show that, in the larger surface systems associated with dilute CO-coverages, C-insertion is energetically more favourable, leading to a significant decrease in the dissociation barrier. This observation suggests that a large surface system with dilute coverage is necessary for all similar metal-hydrocarbon reactions in order to study their fundamental electronic mechanisms, as an isolated phenomenon, free from

  10. Insights on finite size effects in ab initio study of CO adsorption and dissociation on Fe 110 surface

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chakrabarty, Aurab, E-mail: aurab.chakrabarty@qatar.tamu.edu; Bouhali, Othmane [Texas A& M University at Qatar, P.O. Box 23874, Doha (Qatar); Mousseau, Normand [Département de Physique and RQMP, Université de Montréal, Case Postale 6128, Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec H3C 3J7 (Canada); Becquart, Charlotte S. [UMET, UMR CNRS 8207, ENSCL, Université Lille I, 59655 Villeneuve d' Ascq Cédex (France); El-Mellouhi, Fedwa [Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, P.O. Box 5825, Doha (Qatar)

    2016-08-07

    Adsorption and dissociation of hydrocarbons on metallic surfaces represent crucial steps on the path to carburization, eventually leading to dusting corrosion. While adsorption of CO molecules on Fe surface is a barrier-less exothermic process, this is not the case for the dissociation of CO into C and O adatoms and the diffusion of C beneath the surface that are found to be associated with large energy barriers. In practice, these barriers can be affected by numerous factors that combine to favour the CO-Fe reaction such as the abundance of CO and other hydrocarbons as well as the presence of structural defects. From a numerical point of view, studying these factors is challenging and a step-by-step approach is necessary to assess, in particular, the influence of the finite box size on the reaction parameters for adsorption and dissociation of CO on metal surfaces. Here, we use density functional theory (DFT) total energy calculations with the climbing-image nudged elastic band method to estimate the adsorption energies and dissociation barriers for different CO coverages with surface supercells of different sizes. We further compute the effect of periodic boundary condition for DFT calculations and find that the contribution from van der Waals interaction in the computation of adsorption parameters is important as they contribute to correcting the finite-size error in small systems. The dissociation process involves carbon insertion into the Fe surface causing a lattice deformation that requires a larger surface system for unrestricted relaxation. We show that, in the larger surface systems associated with dilute CO-coverages, C-insertion is energetically more favourable, leading to a significant decrease in the dissociation barrier. This observation suggests that a large surface system with dilute coverage is necessary for all similar metal-hydrocarbon reactions in order to study their fundamental electronic mechanisms, as an isolated phenomenon, free from

  11. Dependence of tracer diffusion on atomic size in amorphous Ni-Zr

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hahn, H.; Averback, R.S.

    1988-01-01

    Tracer diffusion coefficients for several impurities and Ni self-atoms were measured in amorphous (a-) Ni/sub 50/Zr/sub 50/ at 573 K using secondary-ion-mass spectroscopy, Rutherford backscattering, and radioactive tracer methods. The results showed that atomic mobility in the a-Ni-Zr alloy depends strongly on atomic size, decreasing rapidly with increasing atomic radius. This diffusion behavior is similar to that in α-Zr and α-Ti and is suggestive of an interstitial-like mechanism of diffusion. The consequences of these results for solid-state amorphization transformations are discussed

  12. Measuring the sizes of nanospheres on a rough surface by using atomic force microscopy and a curvature-reconstruction method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oikawa, Koudai; Kim, Hyonchol; Watanabe, Naoya; Shigeno, Masatsugu; Shirakawabe, Yoshiharu; Yasuda, Kenji

    2007-01-01

    One of the advantages of atomic force microscopy (AFM) is that it can accurately measure the heights of targets on flat substrates. It is difficult, however, to determine the shape of nanoparticles on rough surfaces. We therefore propose a curvature-reconstruction method that estimates the sizes of particles by fitting sphere curvatures acquired from raw AFM data. We evaluated this fitting estimation using 15-, 30-, and 50-nm gold nanoparticles on mica and confirmed that particle sizes could be estimated within 5% from 20% of their curvature measured using a carbon nanotube (CNT) tip. We also estimated the sizes of nanoparticles on the rough surface of dried cells and found we also can estimate the size of those particles within 5%, which is difficult when we only used the height information. The results indicate the size of nanoparticles even on rough surfaces can be measured by using our method and a CNT tip

  13. Irreversible particle motion in surfactant-laden interfaces due to pressure-dependent surface viscosity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manikantan, Harishankar; Squires, Todd M.

    2017-09-01

    The surface shear viscosity of an insoluble surfactant monolayer often depends strongly on its surface pressure. Here, we show that a particle moving within a bounded monolayer breaks the kinematic reversibility of low-Reynolds-number flows. The Lorentz reciprocal theorem allows such irreversibilities to be computed without solving the full nonlinear equations, giving the leading-order contribution of surface pressure-dependent surface viscosity. In particular, we show that a disc translating or rotating near an interfacial boundary experiences a force in the direction perpendicular to that boundary. In unbounded monolayers, coupled modes of motion can also lead to non-intuitive trajectories, which we illustrate using an interfacial analogue of the Magnus effect. This perturbative approach can be extended to more complex geometries, and to two-dimensional suspensions more generally.

  14. Particle size effects in the catalytic electroreduction of CO₂ on Cu nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reske, Rulle; Mistry, Hemma; Behafarid, Farzad; Roldan Cuenya, Beatriz; Strasser, Peter

    2014-05-14

    A study of particle size effects during the catalytic CO2 electroreduction on size-controlled Cu nanoparticles (NPs) is presented. Cu NP catalysts in the 2-15 nm mean size range were prepared, and their catalytic activity and selectivity during CO2 electroreduction were analyzed and compared to a bulk Cu electrode. A dramatic increase in the catalytic activity and selectivity for H2 and CO was observed with decreasing Cu particle size, in particular, for NPs below 5 nm. Hydrocarbon (methane and ethylene) selectivity was increasingly suppressed for nanoscale Cu surfaces. The size dependence of the surface atomic coordination of model spherical Cu particles was used to rationalize the experimental results. Changes in the population of low-coordinated surface sites and their stronger chemisorption were linked to surging H2 and CO selectivities, higher catalytic activity, and smaller hydrocarbon selectivity. The presented activity-selectivity-size relations provide novel insights in the CO2 electroreduction reaction on nanoscale surfaces. Our smallest nanoparticles (~2 nm) enter the ab initio computationally accessible size regime, and therefore, the results obtained lend themselves well to density functional theory (DFT) evaluation and reaction mechanism verification.

  15. Evolution of surface topography in dependence on the grain orientation during surface thermal fatigue of polycrystalline copper

    CERN Document Server

    Aicheler, M; Taborelli, M; Calatroni, S; Neupert, H; Wuensch, W; Sgobba, S

    2011-01-01

    Surface degradation due to cyclic thermal loading plays a major role in the Accelerating Structures (AS) of the future Compact Linear Collider (CLIC) In this article results on surface degradation of thermally cycled polycrystalline copper as a function of the orientation of surface grains are presented Samples with different grain sizes were subjected to thermal fatigue using two different methods and were then characterized using roughness measurements and Orientation Imaging Scanning-Electron-Microscopy (OIM-SEM) Samples fatigued by a pulsed laser show the same trend in the orientation-fatigue damage accumulation as the sample fatigued by pulsed Radio-Frequency-heating (RF) it is clearly shown that 11 1 1] surface grains develop significantly more damage than the surface grains oriented in {[}100] and three reasons for this behaviour are pointed out Based on observations performed near grain boundaries their role in the crack initiation process is discussed The results are in good agreement with previous f...

  16. Size and shape-dependent cytotoxicity profile of gold nanoparticles for biomedical applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woźniak, Anna; Malankowska, Anna; Nowaczyk, Grzegorz; Grześkowiak, Bartosz F; Tuśnio, Karol; Słomski, Ryszard; Zaleska-Medynska, Adriana; Jurga, Stefan

    2017-06-01

    Metallic nanoparticles, in particular gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), offer a wide spectrum of applications in biomedicine. A crucial issue is their cytotoxicity, which depends greatly on various factors, including morphology of nanoparticles. Because metallic nanoparticles have an effect on cell membrane integrity, their shape and size may affect the viability of cells, due to their different geometries as well as physical and chemical interactions with cell membranes. Variations in the size and shape of gold nanoparticles may indicate particular nanoparticle morphologies that provide strong cytotoxicity effects. Synthesis of different sized and shaped bare AuNPs was performed with spherical (~ 10 nm), nanoflowers (~ 370 nm), nanorods (~ 41 nm), nanoprisms (~ 160 nm) and nanostars (~ 240 nm) morphologies. These nanostructures were characterized and interacting with cancer (HeLa) and normal (HEK293T) cell lines and cell viability tests were performed by WST-1 tests and fluorescent live/dead cell imaging experiments. It was shown that various shapes and sizes of gold nanostructures may affect the viability of the cells. Gold nanospheres and nanorods proved to be more toxic than star, flower and prism gold nanostructures. This may be attributed to their small size and aggregation process. This is the first report concerning a comparison of cytotoxic profile in vitro with a wide spectrum of bare AuNPs morphology. The findings show their possible use in biomedical applications.

  17. Characterization of combustion-generated carbonaceous nanoparticles by size-dependent ultraviolet laser photoionization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Commodo, Mario; Sgro, Lee Anne; Minutolo, Patrizia; D'Anna, Andrea

    2013-05-16

    Photoelectric charging of particles is a powerful tool for online characterization of submicrometer aerosol particles. Indeed photoionization based techniques have high sensitivity and chemical selectivity. Moreover, they yield information on electronic properties of the material and are sensitive to the state of the surface. In the present study the photoionization charging efficiency, i.e., the ratio between the generated positive ions and the corresponding neutral ones, for different classes of flame-generated carbonaceous nanoparticles was measured. The fifth harmonics of a Nd:YAG laser, 213 nm (5.82 eV), was used as an ionization source for the combustion generated nanoparticles, whereas a differential mobility analyzer (DMA) coupled to a Faraday cup electrometer was used for particle classification and detection. Carbonaceous nanoparticles in the nucleation mode, i.e., sizes ranging from 1 to 10 nm, show a photoionization charging efficiency clearly dependent on the flame conditions. In particular, we observed that the richer the flame is, i.e., the higher the equivalent ratio is, the higher the photon charging efficiency is. We hypothesized that such an increase in the photoionization propensity of the carbonaceous nanoparticles from richer flame condition is associated to the presence within the particles of larger aromatic moieties. The results clearly show that photoionization is a powerful diagnostic tool for the physical-chemical characterization of combustion aerosol, and it may lead to further insights into the soot formation mechanism.

  18. Effect of silica nanoparticles with variable size and surface functionalization on human endothelial cell viability and angiogenic activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guarnieri, Daniela; Malvindi, Maria Ada; Belli, Valentina; Pompa, Pier Paolo; Netti, Paolo

    2014-02-01

    Silica nanoparticles could be promising delivery vehicles for drug targeting or gene therapy. However, few studies have been undertaken to determine the biological behavior effects of silica nanoparticles on primary endothelial cells. Here we investigated uptake, cytotoxicity and angiogenic properties of silica nanoparticle with positive and negative surface charge and sizes ranging from 25 to 115 nm in primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Dynamic light scattering measurements and nanoparticle tracking analysis were used to estimate the dispersion status of nanoparticles in cell culture media, which was a key aspect to understand the results of the in vitro cellular uptake experiments. Nanoparticles were taken up by primary endothelial cells in a size-dependent manner according to their degree of agglomeration occurring after transfer in cell culture media. Functionalization of the particle surface with positively charged groups enhanced the in vitro cellular uptake, compared to negatively charged nanoparticles. However, this effect was contrasted by the tendency of particles to form agglomerates, leading to lower internalization efficiency. Silica nanoparticle uptake did not affect cell viability and cell membrane integrity. More interestingly, positively and negatively charged 25 nm nanoparticles did not influence capillary-like tube formation and angiogenic sprouting, compared to controls. Considering the increasing interest in nanomaterials for several biomedical applications, a careful study of nanoparticle-endothelial cells interactions is of high relevance to assess possible risks associated to silica nanoparticle exposure and their possible applications in nanomedicine as safe and effective nanocarriers for vascular transport of therapeutic agents.

  19. Mass-velocity and size-velocity distributions of ejecta cloud from shock-loaded tin surface using atomistic simulations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Durand, O.; Soulard, L. [CEA, DAM, DIF, F-91297 Arpajon (France)

    2015-04-28

    The mass (volume and areal densities) versus velocity as well as the size versus velocity distributions of a shock-induced cloud of particles are investigated using large scale molecular dynamics simulations. A generic three-dimensional tin crystal with a sinusoidal free surface roughness (single wavelength) is set in contact with vacuum and shock-loaded so that it melts directly on shock. At the reflection of the shock wave onto the perturbations of the free surface, two-dimensional sheets/jets of liquid metal are ejected. The simulations show that the distributions may be described by an analytical model based on the propagation of a fragmentation zone, from the tip of the sheets to the free surface, in which the kinetic energy of the atoms decreases as this zone comes closer to the free surface on late times. As this kinetic energy drives (i) the (self-similar) expansion of the zone once it has broken away from the sheet and (ii) the average size of the particles which result from fragmentation in the zone, the ejected mass and the average size of the particles progressively increase in the cloud as fragmentation occurs closer to the free surface. Though relative to nanometric scales, our model may help in the analysis of experimental profiles.

  20. Plastic strain and grain size effects in the surface roughening of a model aluminum alloy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, Eric Joseph

    To address issues surrounding improved automotive fuel economy, an experiment was designed to study the effect of uniaxial plastic tensile deformation on surface roughness and on slip and grain rotation. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and scanning laser confocal microscopy (SLCM) were used to track grain size, crystallographic texture, and surface topography as a function of incremental true strain for a coarse-grained binary alloy that is a model for AA5xxx series aluminum alloys. One-millimeter thick sheets were heat treated at 425°C to remove previous rolling texture and to grow grains to sizes in the range ˜10-8000 mum. At five different strain levels, 13 sample regions, containing 43 grains, were identified in both EBSD and SLCM micrographs, and crystallographic texture and surface roughness were measured. After heat treatment, a strong cube texture matrix emerged, with bands of generally non-cube grains embedded parallel to the rolling direction (RD). To characterize roughness, height profiles from SLCM micrographs were extracted and a filtered Fourier transform approach was used to separate the profiles into intergranular (long wavelength) and intragranular (short wavelength) signatures. The commonly-used rms roughness parameter (Rq) characterized intragranular results. Two important parameters assess intergranular results in two grain size regimes: surface tilt angle (Deltatheta) and surface height discontinuity (DeltazH) between neighboring grains at a boundary. In general, the magnitude of Rq and Deltatheta increase monotonically with strain and indicate that intergranular roughness is the major contributor to overall surface roughness for true strains up to epsilon = 0.12. Surface height discontinuity DeltazH is defined due to exceptions in surface tilt angle analyses. The range of observed Deltatheta= 1-10° are consistent with the observed 3-12° rotation of individual grains as measured with EBSD. For some grain boundaries with Deltatheta

  1. Size effects in PbTiO3 nanocrystals: Effect of particle size on spontaneous polarization and strains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akdogan, E. K.; Rawn, C. J.; Porter, W. D.; Payzant, E. A.; Safari, A.

    2005-04-01

    The spontaneous polarization (Ps) and spontaneous strains (xi) in mechanically unclamped and surface charge compensated PbTiO3 nanocrystals were determined as a function of particle size in the range <150nm by differential scanning calorimetry and x-ray powder diffraction, respectively. Significant deviations from bulk order parameters (P,xi) have been observed as the particle size decreased below ˜100nm. The critical size (rc) below which the ferroelectric tetragonal phase transforms to the paraelectric cubic phase was determined as ˜15nm. The depression in transition temperature with particle size is 14 °C at 28 nm. No change in the order of m3m →4mm ferrodistortive phase transition is observed. A simple analysis showed that ΔHtr/(kBT )˜103 at 25 °C for r =16nm, indicating that the stabilization of the cubic phase at rc cannot be linked to an instability in dipolar ordering due to thermal agitations. Comparison of the spontaneous volumetric strains with the strain induced by surface stress indicated that the effect of surface stress on ferroelectric phase stability was negligible. Anomalies in electrostrictive properties were determined for r →rc. The observed size dependence of PS is attributed to the reduced extent of long-range dipole-dipole interactions that arise due to the changes in bonding characteristics of ions with decreasing particle size in the perovskite lattice, in conformity with a recent study by Tsunekawa et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 85 (16), 4340 (2000)].

  2. Time-Dependent Wetting Behavior of PDMS Surfaces with Bio-Inspired, Hierarchical Structures

    KAUST Repository

    Mishra, Himanshu

    2015-12-28

    Wetting of rough surfaces involves time-dependent effects, such as surface deformations, non-uniform filling of surface pores within or outside the contact area, and surface chemistries, but the detailed impact of these phenomena on wetting is not entirely clear. Understanding these effects is crucial for designing coatings for a wide range of applications, such as membrane-based oil-water separation and desalination, waterproof linings/windows for automobiles, aircrafts, and naval vessels, and antibiofouling. Herein, we report on time-dependent contact angles of water droplets on a rough polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surface that cannot be completely described by the conventional Cassie-Baxter or Wenzel models or the recently proposed Cassie-impregnated model. Shells of sand dollars (Dendraster excentricus) were used as lithography-free, robust templates to produce rough PDMS surfaces with hierarchical, periodic features ranging from 10-7-10-4 m. Under saturated vapor conditions, we found that in the short-term (<1 min), the contact angle of a sessile water droplet on the templated PDMS, θSDT = 140° ± 3°, was accurately described by the Cassie-Baxter model (predicted θSDT = 137°); however, after 90 min, θSDT fell to 110°. Fluorescent confocal microscopy confirmed that the initial reduction in θSDT to 110° (the Wenzel limit) was primarily a Cassie-Baxter to Wenzel transition during which pores within the contact area filled gradually, and more rapidly for ethanol-water mixtures. After 90 min, the contact line of the water droplet became pinned, perhaps caused by viscoelastic deformation of the PDMS around the contact line, and a significant volume of water began to flow from the droplet to pores outside the contact region, causing θSDT to decrease to 65° over 48 h on the rough surface. The system we present here to explore the concept of contact angle time dependence (dynamics) and modeling of natural surfaces provides insights into the design and

  3. Time-Dependent Wetting Behavior of PDMS Surfaces with Bio-Inspired, Hierarchical Structures

    KAUST Repository

    Mishra, Himanshu; Schrader, Alex M.; Lee, Dong Woog; Gallo, Adair; Chen, Szu-Ying; Kaufman, Yair; Das, Saurabh; Israelachvili, Jacob N.

    2015-01-01

    Wetting of rough surfaces involves time-dependent effects, such as surface deformations, non-uniform filling of surface pores within or outside the contact area, and surface chemistries, but the detailed impact of these phenomena on wetting is not entirely clear. Understanding these effects is crucial for designing coatings for a wide range of applications, such as membrane-based oil-water separation and desalination, waterproof linings/windows for automobiles, aircrafts, and naval vessels, and antibiofouling. Herein, we report on time-dependent contact angles of water droplets on a rough polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surface that cannot be completely described by the conventional Cassie-Baxter or Wenzel models or the recently proposed Cassie-impregnated model. Shells of sand dollars (Dendraster excentricus) were used as lithography-free, robust templates to produce rough PDMS surfaces with hierarchical, periodic features ranging from 10-7-10-4 m. Under saturated vapor conditions, we found that in the short-term (<1 min), the contact angle of a sessile water droplet on the templated PDMS, θSDT = 140° ± 3°, was accurately described by the Cassie-Baxter model (predicted θSDT = 137°); however, after 90 min, θSDT fell to 110°. Fluorescent confocal microscopy confirmed that the initial reduction in θSDT to 110° (the Wenzel limit) was primarily a Cassie-Baxter to Wenzel transition during which pores within the contact area filled gradually, and more rapidly for ethanol-water mixtures. After 90 min, the contact line of the water droplet became pinned, perhaps caused by viscoelastic deformation of the PDMS around the contact line, and a significant volume of water began to flow from the droplet to pores outside the contact region, causing θSDT to decrease to 65° over 48 h on the rough surface. The system we present here to explore the concept of contact angle time dependence (dynamics) and modeling of natural surfaces provides insights into the design and

  4. Scattering from objects and surfaces in room acoustical simulations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Marbjerg, Gerd Høy; Brunskog, Jonas; Jeong, Cheol-Ho

    2016-01-01

    been implemented in the simulation tool PARISM (Phased Acoustical Radiosity and Image Source Method). Scattering from objects and surfaces is likely to be strongly frequency dependent and the frequency dependence can depend on their sizes, shapes and structure. The importance of the frequency...

  5. Factors influencing the cytotoxicity of zinc oxide nanoparticles: particle size and surface charge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baek, M; Kim, M K; Cho, H J; Lee, J A; Yu, J; Chung, H E; Choi, S J

    2011-01-01

    Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticle is one of the most important materials in diverse applications, since it has UV light absorption, antimicrobial, catalytic, semi-conducting, and magnetic properties. However, there is little information about the toxicological effects of ZnO nanoparticles with respect to physicochemical properties. The aim of this study was, therefore, to evaluate the relationships between cytotoxicity and physicochemical properties of ZnO nanoparticle such as particle size and surface charge in human lung cells. Two different sizes of ZnO nanoparticles (20 and 70 nm) were prepared with positive (+) or negative (-) charge, and then, cytotoxicity of different ZnO nanoparticles was evaluated by measuring cell proliferation in short-term and long-term, membrane integrity, and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The results demonstrated that smaller particles exhibited high cytotoxic effects compared to larger particles in terms of inhibition of cell proliferation, membrane damage, and ROS generation. In addition, positively charged ZnO showed greater ROS production than ZnO with negative charge. These findings suggest that the cytoxicity of ZnO nanoparticles are strongly affected by their particle size and surface charge, highlighting the role of the physicochemical properties of nanoparticles to understand and predict their potential adverse effects on human.

  6. Factors influencing the cytotoxicity of zinc oxide nanoparticles: particle size and surface charge

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baek, M; Kim, M K; Cho, H J; Lee, J A; Yu, J; Chung, H E; Choi, S J, E-mail: sjchoi@swu.ac.kr [Department of Food Science and Technology, Seoul Women' s University, 126 Gongneung 2-dong, Nowon-gu, Seoul 139-774 (Korea, Republic of)

    2011-07-06

    Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticle is one of the most important materials in diverse applications, since it has UV light absorption, antimicrobial, catalytic, semi-conducting, and magnetic properties. However, there is little information about the toxicological effects of ZnO nanoparticles with respect to physicochemical properties. The aim of this study was, therefore, to evaluate the relationships between cytotoxicity and physicochemical properties of ZnO nanoparticle such as particle size and surface charge in human lung cells. Two different sizes of ZnO nanoparticles (20 and 70 nm) were prepared with positive (+) or negative (-) charge, and then, cytotoxicity of different ZnO nanoparticles was evaluated by measuring cell proliferation in short-term and long-term, membrane integrity, and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The results demonstrated that smaller particles exhibited high cytotoxic effects compared to larger particles in terms of inhibition of cell proliferation, membrane damage, and ROS generation. In addition, positively charged ZnO showed greater ROS production than ZnO with negative charge. These findings suggest that the cytoxicity of ZnO nanoparticles are strongly affected by their particle size and surface charge, highlighting the role of the physicochemical properties of nanoparticles to understand and predict their potential adverse effects on human.

  7. Measuring size dependent electrical properties from nanoneedle structures: Pt/ZnO Schottky diodes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mao, Shimin; Anderson, Daniel D.; Shang, Tao; Park, Byoungnam; Dillon, Shen J.

    2014-01-01

    This work reports the fabrication and testing of nanoneedle devices with well-defined interfaces that are amenable to a variety of structural and electrical characterization, including transmission electron microscopy. Single Pt/ZnO nanoneedle Schottky diodes were fabricated by a top down method using a combination of electro-polishing, sputtering, and focused ion beam milling. The resulting structures contained nanoscale planar heterojunctions with low ideality factors, the dimensions of which were tuned to study size-dependent electrical properties. The diameter dependence of the Pt/ZnO diode barrier height is explained by a joule heating effect and/or electronic inhomogeneity in the Pt/ZnO contact area

  8. Synthesis and electrochemical performance of surface-modified nano-sized core/shell tin particles for lithium ion batteries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schmuelling, Guido; Meyer, Hinrich-Wilhelm; Placke, Tobias; Winter, Martin; Oehl, Nikolas; Knipper, Martin; Kolny-Olesiak, Joanna; Plaggenborg, Thorsten; Parisi, Jürgen

    2014-01-01

    Tin is able to lithiate and delithiate reversibly with a high theoretical specific capacity, which makes it a promising candidate to supersede graphite as the state-of-the-art negative electrode material in lithium ion battery technology. Nevertheless, it still suffers from poor cycling stability and high irreversible capacities. In this contribution, we show the synthesis of three different nano-sized core/shell-type particles with crystalline tin cores and different amorphous surface shells consisting of SnO x and organic polymers. The spherical size and the surface shell can be tailored by adjusting the synthesis temperature and the polymer reagents in the synthesis, respectively. We determine the influence of the surface modifications with respect to the electrochemical performance and characterize the morphology, structure, and thermal properties of the nano-sized tin particles by means of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis. The electrochemical performance is investigated by constant current charge/discharge cycling as well as cyclic voltammetry. (paper)

  9. Using self-consistent Gibbs free energy surfaces to calculate size distributions of neutral and charged clusters for the sulfuric acid-water binary system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, J. A.; Froyd, K. D.; Toon, O. B.

    2012-12-01

    We construct tables of reaction enthalpies and entropies for the association reactions involving sulfuric acid vapor, water vapor, and the bisulfate ion. These tables are created from experimental measurements and quantum chemical calculations for molecular clusters and a classical thermodynamic model for larger clusters. These initial tables are not thermodynamically consistent. For example, the Gibbs free energy of associating a cluster consisting of one acid molecule and two water molecules depends on the order in which the cluster was assembled: add two waters and then the acid or add an acid and a water and then the second water. We adjust the values within the tables using the method of Lagrange multipliers to minimize the adjustments and produce self-consistent Gibbs free energy surfaces for the neutral clusters and the charged clusters. With the self-consistent Gibbs free energy surfaces, we calculate size distributions of neutral and charged clusters for a variety of atmospheric conditions. Depending on the conditions, nucleation can be dominated by growth along the neutral channel or growth along the ion channel followed by ion-ion recombination.

  10. Characterization of Time-Dependent Contact Angles for Oleic Acid Mixed Sands with Different Particle Size Fractions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wijewardana, Y. N. S.; Kawamoto, Ken; Komatsu, Toshiko

    2014-01-01

    ) mixed sands representing four different particle size fractions ranging from 0.105 to 0.84 mm. Initial soil-water contact angle (αi), and the time dependence of contact angle were measured by the sessile drop method. Results showed that the αi value for fine and middle sand fractions increased rapidly...... in contact angle (α), well captured the time dependence of α....

  11. Surface treatment and history-dependent corrosion in lead alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Ning; Zhang Jinsuo; Sencer, Bulent H.; Koury, Daniel

    2006-01-01

    In oxygen-controlled lead and lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE), steel corrosion may be strongly history dependent. This is due to the competition between liquid metal dissolution corrosion and oxidation as a 'self-healing' protection barrier. Such effects can be observed from corrosion testing of a variety of surface-treated materials, such as cold working, shot peening, pre-oxidation, etc. Shot peening of austenitic steels produces surface-layer microstructural damages and grain compression, which could contribute to increased Cr migration to the surface and enhance the protection through an impervious oxide. Pre-oxidation under conditions different from operating ones may form more protective oxides, reduce oxygen and metal ion migration through the oxides, and achieve better protection for longer durations. Corrosion and oxidation modeling and analysis reveal the potential for significantly reducing long-term corrosion rates by initial and early-stage conditioning of steels for Pb/LBE services

  12. Surface treatment and history-dependent corrosion in lead alloys

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li Ning [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM (United States)]. E-mail: ningli@lanl.gov; Zhang Jinsuo [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM (United States); Sencer, Bulent H. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM (United States); Koury, Daniel [University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV (United States)

    2006-06-23

    In oxygen-controlled lead and lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE), steel corrosion may be strongly history dependent. This is due to the competition between liquid metal dissolution corrosion and oxidation as a 'self-healing' protection barrier. Such effects can be observed from corrosion testing of a variety of surface-treated materials, such as cold working, shot peening, pre-oxidation, etc. Shot peening of austenitic steels produces surface-layer microstructural damages and grain compression, which could contribute to increased Cr migration to the surface and enhance the protection through an impervious oxide. Pre-oxidation under conditions different from operating ones may form more protective oxides, reduce oxygen and metal ion migration through the oxides, and achieve better protection for longer durations. Corrosion and oxidation modeling and analysis reveal the potential for significantly reducing long-term corrosion rates by initial and early-stage conditioning of steels for Pb/LBE services.

  13. Discrete dislocation plasticity analysis of loading rate-dependent static friction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, H; Deshpande, V S; Van der Giessen, E

    2016-08-01

    From a microscopic point of view, the frictional force associated with the relative sliding of rough surfaces originates from deformation of the material in contact, by adhesion in the contact interface or both. We know that plastic deformation at the size scale of micrometres is not only dependent on the size of the contact, but also on the rate of deformation. Moreover, depending on its physical origin, adhesion can also be size and rate dependent, albeit different from plasticity. We present a two-dimensional model that incorporates both discrete dislocation plasticity inside a face-centred cubic crystal and adhesion in the interface to understand the rate dependence of friction caused by micrometre-size asperities. The friction strength is the outcome of the competition between adhesion and discrete dislocation plasticity. As a function of contact size, the friction strength contains two plateaus: at small contact length [Formula: see text], the onset of sliding is fully controlled by adhesion while for large contact length [Formula: see text], the friction strength approaches the size-independent plastic shear yield strength. The transition regime at intermediate contact size is a result of partial de-cohesion and size-dependent dislocation plasticity, and is determined by dislocation properties, interfacial properties as well as by the loading rate.

  14. Size dependent polaronic conduction in hematite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sharma, Monika; Banday, Azeem; Murugavel, Sevi

    2016-01-01

    Lithium Ion Batteries have been attracted as the major renewable energy source for all portable electronic devices because of its advantages like superior energy density, high theoretical capacity, high specific energy, stable cycling and less memory effects. Recently, α-Fe_2O_3 has been considered as a potential anode material due to high specific capacity, low cost, high abundance and environmental benignity. We have synthesized α-Fe_2O_3 with various sizes by using the ball milling and sol-gel procedure. Here, we report the dc conductivity measurement for the crystallite size ranging from 15 nm to 50 nm. It has been observed that the enhancement in the polaronic conductivity nearly two orders in magnitude while reducing the crystallite size from bulk into nano scale level. The enhancement in the conductivity is due to the augmented to compressive strain developed in the material which leads to pronounced decrease in the hopping length of polarons. Thus, nanocrystaline α-Fe_2O_3 may be a better alternative anode material for lithium ion batteries than earlier reported systems.

  15. Phylogeny determines flower size-dependent sex allocation at flowering in a hermaphroditic family.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teixido, A L; Guzmán, B; Staggemeier, V G; Valladares, F

    2017-11-01

    In animal-pollinated hermaphroditic plants, optimal floral allocation determines relative investment into sexes, which is ultimately dependent on flower size. Larger flowers disproportionally increase maleness whereas smaller and less rewarding flowers favour female function. Although floral traits are considered strongly conserved, phylogenetic relationships in the interspecific patterns of resource allocation to floral sex remain overlooked. We investigated these patterns in Cistaceae, a hermaphroditic family. We reconstructed phylogenetic relationships among Cistaceae species and quantified phylogenetic signal for flower size, dry mass and nutrient allocation to floral structures in 23 Mediterranean species using Blomberg's K-statistic. Lastly, phylogenetically-controlled correlational and regression analyses were applied to examine flower size-based allometry in resource allocation to floral structures. Sepals received the highest dry mass allocation, followed by petals, whereas sexual structures increased nutrient allocation. Flower size and resource allocation to floral structures, except for carpels, showed a strong phylogenetic signal. Larger-flowered species allometrically allocated more resources to maleness, by increasing allocation to corollas and stamens. Our results suggest a major role of phylogeny in determining interspecific changes in flower size and subsequent floral sex allocation. This implies that flower size balances the male-female function over the evolutionary history of Cistaceae. While allometric resource investment in maleness is inherited across species diversification, allocation to the female function seems a labile trait that varies among closely related species that have diversified into different ecological niches. © 2017 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

  16. Thermoluminescent dependence with the particle size in ionized foods by radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Teuffer Z, C.A.

    2005-01-01

    The influence of the particle size of poly minerals in the signals of the thermally stimulated luminescence (TL) is analysed. The poly minerals were extracted of Mexican spices such as Origanum vulgare L. (origanum) and Capsicum annum (Chilli guajillo), these underwent to an homogenization process to obtain four different particle sizes corresponding to 149, 74, 53 and 10 μ m, and later on to expose them to gamma radiation in an interval of 0.5- 45 kGy in the Gamma beam 651 PT of 60 Co irradiator of the Nuclear Sciences Institute, UNAM. The glow curves show a maximum of TL intensity for Capsicum annum to dose of 0.5- 10 kGy with particle size selected by means of a mesh of opening of 53 μ m, while for Origanum vulgare L., the more intense emission is observed with 149 μ m. In the interval of dose 12- 45 kGy the maximum in intensity emission it was presented in 53 μ m in both cases. For the case of 10 μ m, the TL emissions were of smaller intensity, and were achieved glow curves in a clear, defined way and an overlapping that allows to center the maximum of TL emission, in a defined temperature 126 C for Origanum vulgare L., and 166 C for Capsicum annum. The behavior before described is related with the composition of the samples. For Capsicum annum it was found Quartz (60%), Albite (30%) and Ortosa (10%), while Origanum vulgare stops L., Quartz (50%), Calcite (20%), Albite (20%) and Clay (10%). The homogenization of the samples is an important factor because exists high probability of avoiding as much as possible rests of organic matter traces that can contribute to the total signal of the glow curves. Likewise the defects that pollute from a natural way to each one of the minerals found in the samples, they play an outstanding role in the TL emissions. Although to the interacting the gamma radiation with the poly minerals of different particle sizes, there is a certain energy transfer that will be translated in the absorbed dose and this it will depend on the

  17. Micrometer-sized Water Ice Particles for Planetary Science Experiments: Influence of Surface Structure on Collisional Properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaertner, Sabrina; Gundlach, Bastian; Headen, Thomas F.; Ratte, Judy; Oesert, Joachim; Gorb, Stanislav N.; Youngs, Tristan G. A.; Bowron, Daniel T.; Blum, Jürgen; Fraser, Helen

    2018-06-01

    Models and observations suggest that particle aggregation at and beyond the snowline is aided by water ice. As icy particles play such a crucial role in the earliest stages of planet formation, many laboratory studies have exploited their collisional properties across a wide range of parameters (particle size, impact velocity, temperature T, and pressure P).However, not all of these parameters have always been varied systematically, leading to apparently contradictory results on collision outcomes. Previous experiments only agreed that a temperature dependence set in above ≈210 K. Open questions remain as to what extent the structural properties of the particles themselves dictate collision outcomes. The P–T gradients in protoplanetary disks mean that the ices are constantly processed, undergoing phase changes between different solid phases and the gas phase. To understand how effectively collision experiments reproduce protoplanetary disk conditions, environmental impacts on particle structure need to be investigated.We characterized the bulk and surface structure of icy particles used in collision experiments, exploiting the unique capabilities of the NIMROD neutron scattering instrument. Varying temperature at a constant pressure of around 30 mbar, we studied structural alterations to determine which of the observed properties matches the temperature dependencies observed in collisional behaviour.Our icy grains are formed under liquid nitrogen and heated from 103 to 247 K. As a result, they undergo changes in the crystalline ice-phase, sublimation, sintering and surface pre-melting. An increase in the thickness of the diffuse surface layer from ≈10 to ≈30 Å (≈2.5 to 12 bilayers) suggests increased molecular mobility at temperatures above ≈210 K.Because none of the other changes ties in with the temperature trends in collisional outcomes, we conclude that the diffuse interface plays a key role in collision experiments at these temperatures

  18. Simulation of reflecting surface deviations of centimeter-band parabolic space radiotelescope (SRT) with the large-size mirror

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kotik, A.; Usyukin, V.; Vinogradov, I.; Arkhipov, M.

    2017-11-01

    he realization of astrophysical researches requires the development of high-sensitive centimeterband parabolic space radiotelescopes (SRT) with the large-size mirrors. Constructively such SRT with the mirror size more than 10 m can be realized as deployable rigid structures. Mesh-structures of such size do not provide the reflector reflecting surface accuracy which is necessary for the centimeter band observations. Now such telescope with the 10 m diameter mirror is developed in Russia in the frame of "SPECTR - R" program. External dimensions of the telescope is more than the size of existing thermo-vacuum chambers used to prove SRT reflecting surface accuracy parameters under the action of space environment factors. That's why the numerical simulation turns out to be the basis required to accept the taken designs. Such modeling should be based on experimental working of the basic constructive materials and elements of the future reflector. In the article computational modeling of reflecting surface deviations of a centimeter-band of a large-sized deployable space reflector at a stage of his orbital functioning is considered. The analysis of the factors that determines the deviations - both determined (temperatures fields) and not-determined (telescope manufacturing and installation faults; the deformations caused by features of composite materials behavior in space) is carried out. The finite-element model and complex of methods are developed. They allow to carry out computational modeling of reflecting surface deviations caused by influence of all factors and to take into account the deviations correction by space vehicle orientation system. The results of modeling for two modes of functioning (orientation at the Sun) SRT are presented.

  19. Surface shear stress dependence of gas transfer velocity parameterizations using DNS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fredriksson, S. T.; Arneborg, L.; Nilsson, H.; Handler, R. A.

    2016-10-01

    Air-water gas-exchange is studied in direct numerical simulations (DNS) of free-surface flows driven by natural convection and weak winds. The wind is modeled as a constant surface-shear-stress and the gas-transfer is modeled via a passive scalar. The simulations are characterized via a Richardson number Ri=Bν/u*4 where B, ν, and u* are the buoyancy flux, kinematic viscosity, and friction velocity respectively. The simulations comprise 0Ric or kg=AShearu*Sc-n, Ridepends on the water surface-characteristics.

  20. Size-dependent tissue kinetics of PEG-coated gold nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cho, Wan-Seob; Cho, Minjung; Jeong, Jinyoung; Choi, Mina; Han, Beom Seok; Shin, Hyung-Seon; Hong, Jin; Chung, Bong Hyun; Jeong, Jayoung; Cho, Myung-Haing

    2010-01-01

    Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) can be used in various biomedical applications, however, very little is known about their size-dependent in vivo kinetics. Here, we performed a kinetic study in mice with different sizes of PEG-coated AuNPs. Small AuNPs (4 or 13 nm) showed high levels in blood for 24 h and were cleared by 7 days, whereas large (100 nm) AuNPs were completely cleared by 24 h. All AuNPs in blood re-increased at 3 months, which correlated with organ levels. Levels of small AuNPs were peaked at 7 days in the liver and spleen and at 1 month in the mesenteric lymph node, and remained high until 6 months, with slow elimination. In contrast, large AuNPs were taken up rapidly (∼ 30 min) into the liver, spleen, and mesenteric lymph nodes with less elimination phase. TEM showed that AuNPs were entrapped in cytoplasmic vesicles and lysosomes of Kupffer cells and macrophages of spleen and mesenteric lymph node. Small AuNPs transiently activated CYP1A1 and 2B, phase I metabolic enzymes, in liver tissues from 24 h to 7 days, which mirrored with elevated gold levels in the liver. Large AuNPs did not affect the metabolic enzymes. Thus, propensity to accumulate in the reticuloendothelial organs and activation of phase I metabolic enzymes, suggest that extensive further studies are needed for practical in vivo applications.

  1. The Role of Isolation Methods on a Nanoscale Surface Structure and Its Effect on the Size of Exosomes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    JungReem Woo

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Exosomes are ~100 nanometre diameter vesicles secreted by mammalian cells. These emerging disease biomarkers carry nucleic acids, proteins and lipids specific to the parental cells that secrete them. Exosomes are typically isolated in bulk by ultracentrifugation, filtration or immu‐ noaffinity precipitation for downstream proteomic, genomic, or lipidomic analysis. However, the structural properties and heterogeneity of isolated exosomes at the single vesicle level are not well characterized due to their small size. In this paper, by using high-resolution atomic force microscope imaging, we show the nanoscale mor‐ phology and structural heterogeneity in exosomes derived from U87 cells. Quantitative assessment of single exosomes reveals nanoscale variations in morphology, surface roughness and counts isolated by ultracentrifugation (UC and immunoaffinity (IA purification. Both methods produce intact globular, 30-120 nm sized vesicles when imaged under fluid and in air. However, IA exosomes had higher surface roughness and bimodal size population compared to UC exosomes. The study highlights the differences in size and surface topography of exosomes purified from a single cell type using different isolation methods.

  2. Blood drop size in passive dripping from weapons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kabaliuk, N; Jermy, M C; Morison, K; Stotesbury, T; Taylor, M C; Williams, E

    2013-05-10

    Passive dripping, the slow dripping of blood under gravity, is responsible for some bloodstains found at crime scenes, particularly drip trails left by a person moving through the scene. Previous work by other authors has established relationships, under ideal conditions, between the size of the stain, the number of spines and satellite stains, the roughness of the surface, the size of the blood droplet and the height from which it falls. To apply these relationships to infer the height of fall requires independent knowledge of the size of the droplet. This work aims to measure the size of droplets falling from objects representative of hand-held weapons. Pig blood was used, with density, surface tension and viscosity controlled to fall within the normal range for human blood. Distilled water was also tested as a reference. Drips were formed from stainless steel objects with different roughnesses including cylinders of diameter between 10 and 100 mm, and flat plates. Small radius objects including a knife and a wrench were also tested. High speed images of the falling drops were captured. The primary blood drop size ranged from 4.15±0.11 mm up to 6.15±0.15 mm (depending on the object), with the smaller values from sharper objects. The primary drop size correlated only weakly with surface roughness, over the roughness range studied. The number of accompanying droplets increased with the object size, but no significant correlation with surface texture was observed. Dripping of blood produced slightly smaller drops, with more accompanying droplets, than dripping water. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Fluorescence quenching studies of potential-dependent DNA reorientation dynamics at glassy carbon electrode surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Qin; Cui, Chenchen; Higgins, Daniel A; Li, Jun

    2012-09-05

    The potential-dependent reorientation dynamics of double-stranded DNA (ds-DNA) attached to planar glassy carbon electrode (GCE) surfaces were investigated. The orientation state of surface-bound ds-DNA was followed by monitoring the fluorescence from a 6-carboxyfluorescein (FAM6) fluorophore covalently linked to the distal end of the DNA. Positive potentials (i.e., +0.2 V vs open circuit potential, OCP) caused the ds-DNA to align parallel to the electrode surface, resulting in strong dipole-electrode quenching of FAM6 fluorescence. Switching of the GCE potential to negative values (i.e., -0.2 V vs OCP) caused the ds-DNA to reorient perpendicular to the electrode surface, with a concomitant increase in FAM6 fluorescence. In addition to the very fast (submilliseconds) dynamics of the initial reorientation process, slow (0.1-0.9 s) relaxation of FAM6 fluorescence to intermediate levels was also observed after potential switching. These dynamics have not been previously described in the literature. They are too slow to be explained by double layer charging, and chronoamperometry data showed no evidence of such effects. Both the amplitude and rate of the dynamics were found to depend upon buffer concentration, and ds-DNA length, demonstrating a dependence on the double layer field. The dynamics are concluded to arise from previously undetected complexities in the mechanism of potential-dependent ds-DNA reorientation. The possible origins of these dynamics are discussed. A better understanding of these dynamics will lead to improved models for potential-dependent ds-DNA reorientation at electrode surfaces and will facilitate the development of advanced electrochemical devices for detection of target DNAs.

  4. Sizing of small surface-breaking tight cracks by using laser-ultrasonics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ochiai, M.; Miura, T.; Kuroda, H.; Yamamoto, S.; Onodera, T.

    2004-01-01

    On the nondestructive testing, not only detection but also sizing of crack is desirable because the crack depth is one of the most important parameter to evaluate the impact of the crack to the material, to estimate crack growth and ultimately to predict lifetime of the component. Moreover, accurate measurement of the crack depth optimizes countermeasures and timing of repairs, and eventually reduces total cost for plant maintenance. Laser-ultrasonic is a technique that uses two laser beams; one with a short pulse for the generation of ultrasound and another one, long pulse or continuous, coupled to an optical interferometer for detection. The technique features a large detection bandwidth, which is important for small defect inspection. Another feature of laser-ultrasonics is the remote optical scanning of generation and detection points, which enables to inspect components in narrow space and/or having complex shapes. A purpose of this paper is to describe the performance of a laser-ultrasonic testing (LUT) system on stress corrosion cracking (SCC) inspection. We have developed a new technique for sizing shallow cracks, say 0.5-1.5mm, based on the laser-induced surface wave and its frequency analysis. First, sizing capability of the system will be demonstrated by using an artificial surface-breaking slot having depth of 0-2mm in a stainless steel plate. Evaluated depths show good agreement with the machined slot depths within the accuracy of about a few hundred micrometers. Then, SCCs in a stainless steel plate are examined by using the system. Depth of SCC is evaluated every 0.2mm over the crack aperture length. The evaluated depths are compared with the depths measured by the destructive testing. (author)

  5. The effects of surface roughness on the scattering properties of hexagonal columns with sizes from the Rayleigh to the geometric optics regimes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Chao; Lee Panetta, R.; Yang, Ping

    2013-01-01

    Effects of surface roughness on the optical scattering properties of ice crystals are investigated using a random wave superposition model of roughness that is a simplification of models used in studies of scattering by surface water waves. Unlike previous work with models of rough surfaces applicable only in limited size ranges, such as surface perturbation methods in the small particle regime or the tilted-facet (TF) method in the large particle regime, ours uses a single roughness model to cover a range in sizes extending from the Rayleigh to the geometric optics regimes. The basic crystal shape we examine is the hexagonal column but our roughening model can be used for a wide variety of particle geometries. To compute scattering properties over the range of sizes we use the pseudo-spectral time domain method (PSTD) for small to moderate sized particles and the improved geometric optics method (IGOM) for large ones. Use of the PSTD with our roughness model is straightforward. By discretizing the roughened surface with triangular sub-elements, we adapt the IGOM to give full consideration of shadow effects, multiple reflections/refractions at the surface, and possible reentrance of the scattered beams. We measure the degree of roughness of a surface by the variance (σ 2 ) of surface slopes occurring on the surfaces. For moderately roughened surfaces (σ 2 ≤0.1) in the large particle regime, the scattering properties given by the TF and IGOM agree well, but differences in results obtained with the two methods become noticeable as the surface becomes increasingly roughened. Having a definite, albeit idealized, roughness model we are able to use the combination of the PSTD and IGOM to examine how a fixed degree of surface roughness affects the scattering properties of a particle as the size parameter of the particle changes. We find that for moderately rough surfaces in our model, as particle size parameter increases beyond about 20 the influence of surface

  6. Precise large deviations of aggregate claims in a size-dependent renewal risk model with stopping time claim-number process

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shuo Zhang

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract In this paper, we consider a size-dependent renewal risk model with stopping time claim-number process. In this model, we do not make any assumption on the dependence structure of claim sizes and inter-arrival times. We study large deviations of the aggregate amount of claims. For the subexponential heavy-tailed case, we obtain a precise large-deviation formula; our method substantially relies on a martingale for the structure of our models.

  7. Uncovering the intrinsic size dependence of hydriding phase transformations in nanocrystals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bardhan, Rizia; Hedges, Lester O; Pint, Cary L; Javey, Ali; Whitelam, Stephen; Urban, Jeffrey J

    2013-10-01

    A quantitative understanding of nanocrystal phase transformations would enable more efficient energy conversion and catalysis, but has been hindered by difficulties in directly monitoring well-characterized nanoscale systems in reactive environments. We present a new in situ luminescence-based probe enabling direct quantification of nanocrystal phase transformations, applied here to the hydriding transformation of palladium nanocrystals. Our approach reveals the intrinsic kinetics and thermodynamics of nanocrystal phase transformations, eliminating complications of substrate strain, ligand effects and external signal transducers. Clear size-dependent trends emerge in nanocrystals long accepted to be bulk-like in behaviour. Statistical mechanical simulations show these trends to be a consequence of nanoconfinement of a thermally driven, first-order phase transition: near the phase boundary, critical nuclei of the new phase are comparable in size to the nanocrystal itself. Transformation rates are then unavoidably governed by nanocrystal dimensions. Our results provide a general framework for understanding how nanoconfinement fundamentally impacts broad classes of thermally driven solid-state phase transformations relevant to hydrogen storage, catalysis, batteries and fuel cells.

  8. Density dependence of avian clutch size in resident and migrant species: is there a constraint on the predictability of competitor density?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Both, C.

    2000-01-01

    The presence of density dependence of clutch size is tested in 57 long-term population studies of 10 passerine bird species. In about half of the studies of tit species Parus spp. density dependence of clutch size was found, while none was found in studies of two flycatcher species Ficedula spp. One

  9. Effect of dislocation pile-up on size-dependent yield strength in finite single-crystal micro-samples

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pan, Bo; Shibutani, Yoji, E-mail: sibutani@mech.eng.osaka-u.ac.jp [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871 (Japan); Zhang, Xu [State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, School of Aerospace, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); School of Mechanics and Engineering Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001 (China); Shang, Fulin [State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, School of Aerospace, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China)

    2015-07-07

    Recent research has explained that the steeply increasing yield strength in metals depends on decreasing sample size. In this work, we derive a statistical physical model of the yield strength of finite single-crystal micro-pillars that depends on single-ended dislocation pile-up inside the micro-pillars. We show that this size effect can be explained almost completely by considering the stochastic lengths of the dislocation source and the dislocation pile-up length in the single-crystal micro-pillars. The Hall–Petch-type relation holds even in a microscale single-crystal, which is characterized by its dislocation source lengths. Our quantitative conclusions suggest that the number of dislocation sources and pile-ups are significant factors for the size effect. They also indicate that starvation of dislocation sources is another reason for the size effect. Moreover, we investigated the explicit relationship between the stacking fault energy and the dislocation “pile-up” effect inside the sample: materials with low stacking fault energy exhibit an obvious dislocation pile-up effect. Our proposed physical model predicts a sample strength that agrees well with experimental data, and our model can give a more precise prediction than the current single arm source model, especially for materials with low stacking fault energy.

  10. Simulating Sediment Sorting of Streambed Surfaces - It's the Supply, Stupid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilcock, P. R.

    2014-12-01

    The grain size of the streambed surface is an integral part of the transport system because it represents the grains immediately available for transport. If the rate and size of grains entrained from the bed surface differ from that delivered to the bed surface, the bed surface grain size will change. Although this balance is intuitively clear, its implications can surprise. The relative mobility of different sizes in a mixture change as transport rates increase. At small transport rates, smaller sizes are more mobile. As transport rate increases, the transport grain size approaches that of the bed. This presents a dilemma when using flumes to simulate surface sorting and transport. When sediment is fed into a flume, the same sediment is typically used regardless of feed rate. The transport grain size remains constant at all rates, which does not match the pattern observed in the field. This operational constraint means that sediment supply is coarser than transport capacity in feed flumes, increasingly so as transport rates diminish. This imbalance drives a coarsening of the stream bed as less mobile coarse grains concentrate on the surface as the system approaches steady-state. If sediment is recirculated in a flume, sediment supply and entrainment are perfectly matched. Surface coarsening is not imposed, but does occur via kinematic sieving. The coarsening of the transport (and supply) accommodates the rate-dependent change in mobility such that the bed surface grain size does not change with transport rate. Streambed armoring depends on both the rate and grain size of sediment supply - their implications do not seem to be fully appreciated. A coarsened bed surface does not indicate sorting of the bed surface during waning flows - it can persist with active sediment supply and transport. Neither sediment feed nor sediment recirculating flumes accurately mimic natural conditions but instead represent end members that bracket the dynamics of natural streams

  11. Nanoparticle heterodimers: The role of size and interparticle gap distance on the optical response

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mokkath, Junais Habeeb

    2018-05-01

    Composite plasmonic nanostructures with controlled size, shape and relative arrangement is a subject of significant current research interest. Much of this is stimulated by the prospects by generating enormous near-field enhancements of the surface and interparticle gap regions for potential applications in surface-enhanced spectroscopies. In this manuscript, using time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations, we investigate how the optical response in size matched homodimers and size mismatched heterodimers composed of Aluminum modify while varying the size and interparticle gap distances in the sub-nanometer range. Both systems show interesting optical response evolution. In particular, the size mismatched heterodimers show even more complex optical response evolution due to a symmetry-breaking in the system.

  12. Size dependent polaronic conduction in hematite

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sharma, Monika; Banday, Azeem; Murugavel, Sevi [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi – 110 007 (India)

    2016-05-23

    Lithium Ion Batteries have been attracted as the major renewable energy source for all portable electronic devices because of its advantages like superior energy density, high theoretical capacity, high specific energy, stable cycling and less memory effects. Recently, α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} has been considered as a potential anode material due to high specific capacity, low cost, high abundance and environmental benignity. We have synthesized α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} with various sizes by using the ball milling and sol-gel procedure. Here, we report the dc conductivity measurement for the crystallite size ranging from 15 nm to 50 nm. It has been observed that the enhancement in the polaronic conductivity nearly two orders in magnitude while reducing the crystallite size from bulk into nano scale level. The enhancement in the conductivity is due to the augmented to compressive strain developed in the material which leads to pronounced decrease in the hopping length of polarons. Thus, nanocrystaline α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} may be a better alternative anode material for lithium ion batteries than earlier reported systems.

  13. Size dependences of crystal structure and magnetic properties of DyMnO{sub 3} nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tajiri, T., E-mail: tajiri@fukuoka-u.ac.jp [Faculty of Science, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka 814-0180 (Japan); Terashita, N.; Hamamoto, K.; Deguchi, H.; Mito, M. [Faculty of Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Kitakyushu 804-8550 (Japan); Morimoto, Y.; Konishi, K. [Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Ehime University, Matsuyama 790-8577 (Japan); Kohno, A. [Faculty of Science, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka 814-0180 (Japan)

    2013-11-15

    We synthesized DyMnO{sub 3} nanoparticles with particle sizes of about 7.5–15.3 nm in the pores of mesoporous silica and investigated their crystal structure and magnetic properties. As the particle size decreased, the lattice constants of the DyMnO{sub 3} nanoparticles deviated from those of the bulk crystal, and the Jahn–Teller distortion in the nanoparticle systems decreased. In addition, the estimated lattice strain increased with decreasing particle size. The DyMnO{sub 3} nanoparticles showed superparamagnetic behavior. The blocking temperature and the coercive field increased with decreasing particle size, and this behavior was contrary to the usual magnetic size effects. It is deduced that these unique size dependences of the magnetic properties for the DyMnO{sub 3} nanoparticles were derived from the changes in lattice constants and lattice strain. The anisotropic lattice deformation in the crystal structure of the nanoparticles induces an enhancement of the magnetic anisotropy, which results in the increase in blocking temperature and coercive field with decreasing particle size. - Highlights: • We successfully synthesized DyMnO{sub 3} nanoparticles with particle size of 7.5–15.3 nm. • Lattice strain increases with decreasing particle size. • Lattice constants exhibit anisotropic change with decreasing particle size. • Distortion of crystal structure leads to enhancement of magnetic anisotropy constant. • Blocking temperature and coercive field increases with decreasing particle size.

  14. Surface and finite size effect on fluctuations dynamics in nanoparticles with long-range order

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morozovska, A. N.; Eliseev, E. A.

    2010-02-01

    The influence of surface and finite size on the dynamics of the order parameter fluctuations and critical phenomena in the three-dimensional (3D)-confined systems with long-range order was not considered theoretically. In this paper, we study the influence of surface and finite size on the dynamics of the order parameter fluctuations in the particles of arbitrary shape. We consider concrete examples of the spherical and cylindrical ferroic nanoparticles within Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire phenomenological approach. Allowing for the strong surface energy contribution in micro and nanoparticles, the analytical expressions derived for the Ornstein-Zernike correlator of the long-range order parameter spatial-temporal fluctuations, dynamic generalized susceptibility, relaxation times, and correlation radii discrete spectra are different from those known for bulk systems. Obtained analytical expressions for the correlation function of the order parameter spatial-temporal fluctuations in micro and nanosized systems can be useful for the quantitative analysis of the dynamical structural factors determined from magnetic resonance diffraction and scattering spectra. Besides the practical importance of the correlation function for the analysis of the experimental data, derived expressions for the fluctuations strength determine the fundamental limits of phenomenological theories applicability for 3D-confined systems.

  15. Size- and coating-dependent cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of silver nanoparticles evaluated using in vitro standard assays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Xiaoqing; Li, Yan; Yan, Jian; Ingle, Taylor; Jones, Margie Yvonne; Mei, Nan; Boudreau, Mary D; Cunningham, Candice K; Abbas, Mazhar; Paredes, Angel M; Zhou, Tong; Moore, Martha M; Howard, Paul C; Chen, Tao

    2016-11-01

    The physicochemical characteristics of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) may greatly alter their toxicological potential. To explore the effects of size and coating on the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of AgNPs, six different types of AgNPs, having three different sizes and two different coatings, were investigated using the Ames test, mouse lymphoma assay (MLA) and in vitro micronucleus assay. The genotoxicities of silver acetate and silver nitrate were evaluated to compare the genotoxicity of nanosilver to that of ionic silver. The Ames test produced inconclusive results for all types of the silver materials due to the high toxicity of silver to the test bacteria and the lack of entry of the nanoparticles into the cells. Treatment of L5718Y cells with AgNPs and ionic silver resulted in concentration-dependent cytotoxicity, mutagenicity in the Tk gene and the induction of micronuclei from exposure to nearly every type of the silver materials. Treatment of TK6 cells with these silver materials also resulted in concentration-dependent cytotoxicity and significantly increased micronucleus frequency. With both the MLA and micronucleus assays, the smaller the AgNPs, the greater the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity. The coatings had less effect on the relative genotoxicity of AgNPs than the particle size. Loss of heterozygosity analysis of the induced Tk mutants indicated that the types of mutations induced by AgNPs were different from those of ionic silver. These results suggest that AgNPs induce cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in a size- and coating-dependent manner. Furthermore, while the MLA and in vitro micronucleus assay (in both types of cells) are useful to quantitatively measure the genotoxic potencies of AgNPs, the Ames test cannot.

  16. Scale-Dependent Grasp

    OpenAIRE

    Kaneko, Makoto; Shirai, Tatsuya; Tsuji, Toshio

    2000-01-01

    This paper discusses the scale-dependent grasp.Suppose that a human approaches an object initially placed on atable and finally achieves an enveloping grasp. Under such initialand final conditions, he (or she) unconsciously changes the graspstrategy according to the size of objects, even though they havesimilar geometry. We call the grasp planning the scale-dependentgrasp. We find that grasp patterns are also changed according tothe surface friction and the geometry of cross section in additi...

  17. Fermi surface of the one-dimensional Hubbard model. Finite-size effects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bourbonnais, C.; Nelisse, H.; Reid, A.; Tremblay, A.M.S. (Dept. de Physique and Centre de Recherche en Physique du Solide (C.R.P.S.), Univ. de Sherbrooke, Quebec (Canada))

    1989-12-01

    The results reported here, using a standard numerical algorithm and a simple low temperature extrapolation, appear consistent with numerical results of Sorella et al. for the one-dimensional Hubbard model in the half-filled and quarter-filled band cases. However, it is argued that the discontinuity at the Fermi level found in the quarter-filled case is likely to come from the zero-temperature finite-size dependence of the quasiparticle weight Z, which is also discussed here. (orig.).

  18. Nuclear size is sensitive to NTF2 protein levels in a manner dependent on Ran binding

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vuković, Lidija D.; Jevtić, Predrag; Zhang, Zhaojie; Stohr, Bradley A.; Levy, Daniel L.

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT Altered nuclear size is associated with many cancers, and determining whether cancer-associated changes in nuclear size contribute to carcinogenesis necessitates an understanding of mechanisms of nuclear size regulation. Although nuclear import rates generally positively correlate with nuclear size, NTF2 levels negatively affect nuclear size, despite the role of NTF2 (also known as NUTF2) in nuclear recycling of the import factor Ran. We show that binding of Ran to NTF2 is required for NTF2 to inhibit nuclear expansion and import of large cargo molecules in Xenopus laevis egg and embryo extracts, consistent with our observation that NTF2 reduces the diameter of the nuclear pore complex (NPC) in a Ran-binding-dependent manner. Furthermore, we demonstrate that ectopic NTF2 expression in Xenopus embryos and mammalian tissue culture cells alters nuclear size. Finally, we show that increases in nuclear size during melanoma progression correlate with reduced NTF2 expression, and increasing NTF2 levels in melanoma cells is sufficient to reduce nuclear size. These results show a conserved capacity for NTF2 to impact on nuclear size, and we propose that NTF2 might be a new cancer biomarker. PMID:26823604

  19. Forces that Drive Nanoscale Self-assembly on Solid Surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suo, Z.; Lu, W.

    2000-01-01

    Experimental evidence has accumulated in the recent decade that nanoscale patterns can self-assemble on solid surfaces. A two-component monolayer grown on a solid surface may separate into distinct phases. Sometimes the phases select sizes about 10 nm, and order into an array of stripes or disks. This paper reviews a model that accounts for these behaviors. Attention is focused on thermodynamic forces that drive the self-assembly. A double-welled, composition-dependent free energy drives phase separation. The phase boundary energy drives phase coarsening. The concentration-dependent surface stress drives phase refining. It is the competition between the coarsening and the refining that leads to size selection and spatial ordering. These thermodynamic forces are embodied in a nonlinear diffusion equation. Numerical simulations reveal rich dynamics of the pattern formation process. It is relatively fast for the phases to separate and select a uniform size, but exceedingly slow to order over a long distance, unless the symmetry is suitably broken

  20. Modeling of surface tension effects in venturi scrubbing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ott, Robert M.; Wu, Tatsu K. L.; Crowder, Jerry W.

    A modified model of venturi scrubber performance has been developed that addresses two effects of liquid surface tension: its effect on droplet size and its effect on particle penetration into the droplet. The predictions of the model indicate that, in general, collection efficiency increases with a decrease in liquid surface tension, but the range over which this increase is significant depends on the particle size and on the scrubber operating parameters. The predictions further indicate that the increases in collection efficiency are almost totally due to the effect of liquid surface tension on the mean droplet size, and that the collection efficiency is not significantly affected by the ability of the particle to penetrate the droplet.

  1. Modeling of magnetic fields on a cylindrical surface and associated parameter estimation for development of a size sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Song; Rajamani, Rajesh

    2016-01-01

    This paper develops analytical sensing principles for estimation of circumferential size of a cylindrical surface using magnetic sensors. An electromagnet and magnetic sensors are used on a wearable band for measurement of leg size. In order to enable robust size estimation during rough real-world use of the wearable band, three estimation algorithms are developed based on models of the magnetic field variation over a cylindrical surface. The magnetic field models developed include those for a dipole and for a uniformly magnetized cylinder. The estimation algorithms used include a linear regression equation, an extended Kalman filter and an unscented Kalman filter. Experimental laboratory tests show that the size sensor in general performs accurately, yielding sub-millimeter estimation errors. The unscented Kalman filter yields the best performance that is robust to bias and misalignment errors. The size sensor developed herein can be used for monitoring swelling due to fluid accumulation in the lower leg and a number of other biomedical applications. (paper)

  2. Concentration Dependences of the Surface Tension and Density of Solutions of Acetone-Ethanol-Water Systems at 293 K

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dadashev, R. Kh.; Dzhambulatov, R. S.; Mezhidov, V. Kh.; Elimkhanov, D. Z.

    2018-05-01

    Concentration dependences of the surface tension and density of solutions of three-component acetone-ethanol-water systems and the bounding binary systems at 273 K are studied. The molar volume, adsorption, and composition of surface layers are calculated. Experimental data and calculations show that three-component solutions are close to ideal ones. The surface tensions of these solutions are calculated using semi-empirical and theoretical equations. Theoretical equations qualitatively convey the concentration dependence of surface tension. A semi-empirical method based on the Köhler equation allows us to predict the concentration dependence of surface tension within the experimental error.

  3. Modelling size-dependent cannibalism in barramundi Lates calcarifer: cannibalistic polyphenism and its implication to aquaculture.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Flavio F Ribeiro

    Full Text Available This study quantified size-dependent cannibalism in barramundi Lates calcarifer through coupling a range of prey-predator pairs in a different range of fish sizes. Predictive models were developed using morphological traits with the alterative assumption of cannibalistic polyphenism. Predictive models were validated with the data from trials where cannibals were challenged with progressing increments of prey sizes. The experimental observations showed that cannibals of 25-131 mm total length could ingest the conspecific prey of 78-72% cannibal length. In the validation test, all predictive models underestimate the maximum ingestible prey size for cannibals of a similar size range. However, the model based on the maximal mouth width at opening closely matched the empirical observations, suggesting a certain degree of phenotypic plasticity of mouth size among cannibalistic individuals. Mouth size showed allometric growth comparing with body depth, resulting in a decreasing trend on the maximum size of ingestible prey as cannibals grow larger, which in parts explains why cannibalism in barramundi is frequently observed in the early developmental stage. Any barramundi has the potential to become a cannibal when the initial prey size was 58% of their size, suggesting that 50% of size difference can be the threshold to initiate intracohort cannibalism in a barramundi population. Cannibalistic polyphenism was likely to occur in barramundi that had a cannibalistic history. An experienced cannibal would have a greater ability to stretch its mouth size to capture a much larger prey than the models predict. The awareness of cannibalistic polyphenism has important application in fish farming management to reduce cannibalism.

  4. Size-dependent tuning of horseradish peroxidase bioreactivity by gold nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Haohao; Liu, Yi; Li, Meng; Chong, Yu; Zeng, Mingyong; Lo, Y. Martin; Yin, Jun-Jie

    2015-02-01

    Molecules with diverse biological functions, such as heme peroxidases, can be useful tools for identifying potential biological effects of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) at the molecular level. Here, using UV-Vis, circular dichroism, dynamic light scattering, and electron spin resonance spectroscopy, we report tuning of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) bioactivity by reactant-free AuNPs with diameters of 5, 10, 15, 30 and 60 nm (Au-5 nm, Au-10 nm, Au-15 nm, Au-30 nm and Au-60 nm). HRP conjugation to AuNPs was observed with only Au-5 nm and Au-10 nm prominently increasing the α-helicity of the enzyme to extents inversely related to their size. Au-5 nm inhibited both HRP peroxidase activity toward 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine and HRP compound I/II reactivity toward 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide. Au-5 nm enhanced the HRP peroxidase activity toward ascorbic acid and the HRP compound I/II reactivity toward redox-active residues in the HRP protein moiety. Further, Au-5 nm also decreased the catalase- and oxidase-like activities of HRP. Au-10 nm showed similar, but weaker effects, while Au-15 nm, Au-30 nm and Au-60 nm had no effect. Results suggest that AuNPs can size-dependently enhance or inhibit HRP bioreactivity toward substrates with different redox potentials via a mechanism involving extension of the HRP substrate access channel and decline in the redox potentials of HRP catalytic intermediates.Molecules with diverse biological functions, such as heme peroxidases, can be useful tools for identifying potential biological effects of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) at the molecular level. Here, using UV-Vis, circular dichroism, dynamic light scattering, and electron spin resonance spectroscopy, we report tuning of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) bioactivity by reactant-free AuNPs with diameters of 5, 10, 15, 30 and 60 nm (Au-5 nm, Au-10 nm, Au-15 nm, Au-30 nm and Au-60 nm). HRP conjugation to AuNPs was observed with only Au-5 nm and Au-10 nm prominently increasing the

  5. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy on laser-engineered ruthenium dye-functionalized nanoporous gold

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schade, Lina; Franzka, Steffen; Biener, Monika; Biener, Jürgen; Hartmann, Nils

    2016-06-01

    Photothermal processing of nanoporous gold with a microfocused continuous-wave laser at λ = 532 nm provides a facile means in order engineer the pore and ligament size of nanoporous gold. In this report we take advantage of this approach in order to investigate the size-dependence of enhancement effects in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Surface structures with laterally varying pore sizes from 25 nm to ≥200 nm are characterized using scanning electron microscopy and then functionalized with N719, a commercial ruthenium complex, which is widely used in dye-sensitized solar cells. Raman spectroscopy reveals the characteristic spectral features of N719. Peak intensities strongly depend on the pore size. Highest intensities are observed on the native support, i.e. on nanoporous gold with pore sizes around 25 nm. These results demonstrate the particular perspectives of laser-fabricated nanoporous gold structures in fundamental SERS studies. In particular, it is emphasized that laser-engineered porous gold substrates represent a very well defined platform in order to study size-dependent effects with high reproducibility and precision and resolve conflicting results in previous studies.

  6. Dependence of ultrasound attenuation in rare earth metals on ratio of grain size and wavelength

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kanevskij, I.N.; Nisnevich, M.M.; Spasskaya, A.A.; Kaz'mina, V.I.

    1978-01-01

    Results of investigation of dependences of ultrasound attenuation coefficient α on the ratio of grain average size D and wavelength lambda are presented. The investigations were carried out on rare earth metal samples produced by arc remelting in a vacuum furnace. It is shown that the way of α dependence curves of D/lambda for each of the rare earth metal is determined only by the D. This fact permits to use ultrasound measurement for control average diameter of the rare earth metal grain

  7. Large Time Asymptotics for a Continuous Coagulation-Fragmentation Model with Degenerate Size-Dependent Diffusion

    KAUST Repository

    Desvillettes, Laurent

    2010-01-01

    We study a continuous coagulation-fragmentation model with constant kernels for reacting polymers (see [M. Aizenman and T. Bak, Comm. Math. Phys., 65 (1979), pp. 203-230]). The polymers are set to diffuse within a smooth bounded one-dimensional domain with no-flux boundary conditions. In particular, we consider size-dependent diffusion coefficients, which may degenerate for small and large cluster-sizes. We prove that the entropy-entropy dissipation method applies directly in this inhomogeneous setting. We first show the necessary basic a priori estimates in dimension one, and second we show faster-than-polynomial convergence toward global equilibria for diffusion coefficients which vanish not faster than linearly for large sizes. This extends the previous results of [J.A. Carrillo, L. Desvillettes, and K. Fellner, Comm. Math. Phys., 278 (2008), pp. 433-451], which assumes that the diffusion coefficients are bounded below. © 2009 Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics.

  8. Particle size dependence of zero-field microwave absorption in powdered Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O superconductors

    CERN Document Server

    Topacli, C

    1997-01-01

    The non-resonant magnetically modulated microwave response measurements of powdered Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O samples using the conventional EPR spectrometer are presented. After cooling in a near zero magnetic field, all samples exhibited a sharp (about 12-37 mu T) microwave absorption with applied magnetic field, superimposed on the widely observed and well explained broader minimum. The width of the absorption maximum is found to be dependent on the particle size. It becomes broader with decreasing particle size. The effects of particle size and field history on the peak are given in detail and some possible mechanisms to account for the observations are presented. (author)

  9. Adsorption, desorption, and removal of polymeric nanomedicine on and from cellulose surfaces: effect of size.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Ming; Akbulut, Mustafa

    2011-10-18

    The increased production and commercial use of nanoparticulate drug delivery systems combined with a lack of regulation to govern their disposal may result in their introduction to soils and ultimately into groundwater systems. To better understand how such particles interact with environmentally significant interfaces, we study the adsorption, desorption, and removal behavior of poly(ethylene glycol)-based nanoparticulate drug delivery systems on and from cellulose, which is the most common organic compound on Earth. It is shown that such an adsorption process is only partially reversible, and most of the adsorbate particles do not desorb from the cellulose surface even upon rinsing with a large amount of water. The rate constant of adsorption decreases with increasing particle size. Furthermore, hydrodynamic forces acting parallel to the surfaces are found to be of great importance in the context of particle dynamics near the cellulose surface, and ultimately responsible for the removal of some fraction of particles via rolling or sliding. As the particle size increases, the removal rates of the particles increase for a given hydrodynamical condition. © 2011 American Chemical Society

  10. Aerosol size-dependent below-cloud scavenging by rain and snow in the ECHAM5-HAM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Posselt

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available Wet deposition processes are highly efficient in the removal of aerosols from the atmosphere, and thus strongly influence global aerosol concentrations, and clouds, and their respective radiative forcings. In this study, physically detailed size-dependent below-cloud scavenging parameterizations for rain and snow are implemented in the ECHAM5-HAM global aerosol-climate model. Previously, below-cloud scavenging by rain in the ECHAM5-HAM was simply a function of the aerosol mode, and then scaled by the rainfall rate. The below-cloud scavenging by snow was a function of the snowfall rate alone. The global mean aerosol optical depth, and sea salt burden are sensitive to the below-cloud scavenging coefficients, with reductions near to 15% when the more vigorous size-dependent below-cloud scavenging by rain and snow is implemented. The inclusion of a prognostic rain scheme significantly reduces the fractional importance of below-cloud scavenging since there is higher evaporation in the lower troposphere, increasing the global mean sea salt burden by almost 15%. Thermophoretic effects are shown to produce increases in the global and annual mean number removal of Aitken size particles of near to 10%, but very small increases (near 1% in the global mean below-cloud mass scavenging of carbonaceous and sulfate aerosols. Changes in the assumptions about the below-cloud scavenging by rain of particles with radius smaller than 10 nm do not cause any significant changes to the global and annual mean aerosol mass or number burdens, despite a change in the below-cloud number removal rate for nucleation mode particles by near to five-fold. Annual and zonal mean nucleation mode number concentrations are enhanced by up to 30% in the lower troposphere with the more vigourous size-dependent below-cloud scavenging. Closer agreement with different observations is found when the more physically detailed below-cloud scavenging parameterization is employed in the ECHAM5

  11. The size prediction of potential inclusions embedded in the sub-surface of fused silica by damage morphology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gao Xiang

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available A model for predicting the size ranges of different potential inclusions initiating damage on the surface of fused silica has been presented. This accounts for the heating of nanometric inclusions whose absorptivity is described based on Mie Theory. The depth profile of impurities has been measured by ICP-OES. By the measured temporal pulse profile on the surface of fused silica, the temperature and thermal stress has been calculated. Furthermore, considering the limit conditions of temperature and thermal stress strength for different damage morphologies, the size range of potential inclusions for fused silica is discussed.

  12. Threat-level-dependent manipulation of signaled body size: dog growls' indexical cues depend on the different levels of potential danger.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bálint, Anna; Faragó, Tamás; Miklósi, Ádám; Pongrácz, Péter

    2016-11-01

    Body size is an important feature that affects fighting ability; however, size-related parameters of agonistic vocalizations are difficult to manipulate because of anatomical constraints within the vocal production system. Rare examples of acoustic size modulation are due to specific features that enable the sender to steadily communicate exaggerated body size. However, one could argue that it would be more adaptive if senders could adjust their signaling behavior to the fighting potential of their actual opponent. So far there has been no experimental evidence for this possibility. We tested this hypothesis by exposing family dogs (Canis familiaris) to humans with potentially different fighting ability. In a within-subject experiment, 64 dogs of various breeds consecutively faced two threateningly approaching humans, either two men or two women of different stature, or a man and a woman of similar or different stature. We found that the dogs' vocal responses were affected by the gender of the threatening stranger and the dog owner's gender. Dogs with a female owner, or those dogs which came from a household where both genders were present, reacted with growls of lower values of the Pitch-Formant component (including deeper fundamental frequency and lower formant dispersion) to threatening men. Our results are the first to show that non-human animals react with dynamic alteration of acoustic parameters related to their individual indexical features (body size), depending on the level of threat in an agonistic encounter.

  13. The flexoelectric effect associated size dependent pyroelectricity in solid dielectrics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bai, Gang; Liu, Zhiguo; Xie, Qiyun; Guo, Yanyan; Li, Wei; Yan, Xiaobing

    2015-09-01

    A phenomenological thermodynamic theory is used to investigate the effect of strain gradient on the pyroelectric effect in centrosymmetric dielectric solids. Direct pyroelectricity can exist as external mechanical stress is applied to non-pyroelectric dielectrics with shapes such as truncated pyramids, due to elastic strain gradient induced flexoelectric polarization. Effective pyroelectric coefficient was analyzed in truncated pyramids. It is found to be controlled by size, ambient temperature, stress, and aspect ratio and depends mainly on temperature sensitivity of flexoelectric coefficient (TSFC) and strain gradient of the truncated pyramids dielectric solids. These results show that the pyroelectric property of Ba0.67Sr0.33TiO3 above Tc similar to PZT and other lead-based ferroelectrics can be obtained. This feature might widely broaden the selection of materials for infrared detectors with preferable properties.

  14. Investigation of Low-Cost Surface Processing Techniques for Large-Size Multicrystalline Silicon Solar Cells

    OpenAIRE

    Cheng, Yuang-Tung; Ho, Jyh-Jier; Lee, William J.; Tsai, Song-Yeu; Lu, Yung-An; Liou, Jia-Jhe; Chang, Shun-Hsyung; Wang, Kang L.

    2010-01-01

    The subject of the present work is to develop a simple and effective method of enhancing conversion efficiency in large-size solar cells using multicrystalline silicon (mc-Si) wafer. In this work, industrial-type mc-Si solar cells with area of 125×125 mm2 were acid etched to produce simultaneously POCl3 emitters and silicon nitride deposition by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposited (PECVD). The study of surface morphology and reflectivity of different mc-Si etched surfaces has also been d...

  15. Dose dependency of the frequency of micronucleated binucleated clone cells and of division related median clone sizes difference. Pt. 2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hagemann, G,; Kreczik, A.; Treichel, M.

    1996-01-01

    Following irradiation of the progenitor cells the clone growth of CHO cells decreases as a result of cell losses. Lethally acting expressions of micronuclei are produced by heritable lethal mutations. The dependency of the frequency of micronucleated binucleated clone cells and of the median clone sizes difference on the radiation dose was measured and compared to non-irradiated controls. Using the cytokinesis-block-micronucleus-method binucleated cells with micronuclei were counted as ratio of all binucleated cells within a clone size distribution. This ratio (shortened: micronucleus yield) was determined for all clone size distributions, which had been exposed to different irradiation doses and incubation times. The micronucleus yields were compared to the corresponding median clone sizes differences. The micronucleus yield is linearly dependent on the dose and is independent of the incubation time. The same holds true for the division related median clone sizes difference, which as a result is also linearly dependent on the micronucleus yield. Due to the inevitably errors of the cell count of micronucleated binucleated cells, an automatic measurement of the median clone sizes differences is the preferred method for evaluation of cellular radiation sensitivity for heritable lethal mutations. This value should always be determined in addition, if clone survival fractions are used as predictive test because it allows for an estimation of the remission probability of surviving cells. (orig.) [de

  16. Effects of angular dependence of surface diffuseness in deformed nuclei on Coulomb barrier

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adamian, G.G.; Antonenko, N.V.; Malov, L.A.; Scamps, G.; Lacroix, D.

    2014-01-01

    The angular dependence of surface diffuseness is further discussed. The results of self-consistent calculations are compared with those obtained with the phenomenological mean-field potential. The rather simple parametrizations are suggested. The effects of surface polarization and hexadecapole deformation on the height of the Coulomb barrier are revealed. (authors)

  17. Variability of Surface Reflection Amplitudes of GPR Horn Antenna Depending on Distance between Antenna and Surface

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Komačka Jozef

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available The study focused on variability of surface reflections amplitudes of GPR horn antenna in relation to distance between an antenna and a surface is presented in the paper. The air-coupled antenna with the central frequency of 1 GHz was used in the investigation. Four types of surfaces (dry pavement, wet pavement, metal plate and composite layer from gypsum and wood were tested. The distance of antenna above the surfaces was changed in the range from 37.5 cm to 53.5 cm. The amplitudes of negative and positive peaks and their variability were analysed in relation to the distance of antenna above the surfaces. Moreover, the influence of changes in the peaks of negative and positive amplitudes on the total amplitudes was assessed. It was found out the amplitudes of negative peaks for all investigated surfaces were relatively consistent in the range from 40.5 cm to 48.5 cm and the moderate decline was identified in the case of amplitudes of positive peaks in the range of distances from 37.5 cm to 51.5 cm. This decline influences the tendency of total amplitudes. Based on the results of analysis it can be stated the distance of air-coupled antenna above the surface can influence the value of total amplitude and the differences depend on the type of surface.

  18. Particle size dependence on oxygen reduction reaction activity of electrodeposited TaOx catalysts in acidic media

    KAUST Repository

    Seo, J.; Cha, Dong Kyu; Takanabe, Kazuhiro; Kubota, J.; Domen, K.

    2013-01-01

    The size dependence of the oxygen reduction reaction activity was studied for TaOx nanoparticles electrodeposited on carbon black for application to polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). Compared with a commercial Ta2O5 material, the ultrafine

  19. Size-confined fixed-composition and composition-dependent engineered band gap alloying induces different internal structures in L-cysteine-capped alloyed quaternary CdZnTeS quantum dots

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adegoke, Oluwasesan; Park, Enoch Y.

    2016-06-01

    The development of alloyed quantum dot (QD) nanocrystals with attractive optical properties for a wide array of chemical and biological applications is a growing research field. In this work, size-tunable engineered band gap composition-dependent alloying and fixed-composition alloying were employed to fabricate new L-cysteine-capped alloyed quaternary CdZnTeS QDs exhibiting different internal structures. Lattice parameters simulated based on powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) revealed the internal structure of the composition-dependent alloyed CdxZnyTeS QDs to have a gradient nature, whereas the fixed-composition alloyed QDs exhibited a homogenous internal structure. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis confirmed the size-confined nature and monodispersity of the alloyed nanocrystals. The zeta potential values were within the accepted range of colloidal stability. Circular dichroism (CD) analysis showed that the surface-capped L-cysteine ligand induced electronic and conformational chiroptical changes in the alloyed nanocrystals. The photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield (QY) values of the gradient alloyed QDs were 27-61%, whereas for the homogenous alloyed QDs, the PL QY values were spectacularly high (72-93%). Our work demonstrates that engineered fixed alloying produces homogenous QD nanocrystals with higher PL QY than composition-dependent alloying.

  20. The dependence of halo mass on galaxy size at fixed stellar mass using weak lensing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Charlton, Paul J. L.; Hudson, Michael J.; Balogh, Michael L.; Khatri, Sumeet

    2017-12-01

    Stellar mass has been shown to correlate with halo mass, with non-negligible scatter. The stellar mass-size and luminosity-size relationships of galaxies also show significant scatter in galaxy size at fixed stellar mass. It is possible that, at fixed stellar mass and galaxy colour, the halo mass is correlated with galaxy size. Galaxy-galaxy lensing allows us to measure the mean masses of dark matter haloes for stacked samples of galaxies. We extend the analysis of the galaxies in the CFHTLenS catalogue by fitting single Sérsic surface brightness profiles to the lens galaxies in order to recover half-light radius values, allowing us to determine halo masses for lenses according to their size. Comparing our halo masses and sizes to baselines for that stellar mass yields a differential measurement of the halo mass-galaxy size relationship at fixed stellar mass, defined as Mh(M_{*}) ∝ r_{eff}^{η }(M_{*}). We find that, on average, our lens galaxies have an η = 0.42 ± 0.12, i.e. larger galaxies live in more massive dark matter haloes. The η is strongest for high-mass luminous red galaxies. Investigation of this relationship in hydrodynamical simulations suggests that, at a fixed M*, satellite galaxies have a larger η and greater scatter in the Mh and reff relationship compared to central galaxies.

  1. Size-dependent δ18O and δ13C variations in a planktic foraminiferal Neogloboquadrina pachyderma (sinistral) record from Chukchi Plateau: implications for (sub)surface water conditions in the western Arctic Ocean over the past 50 ka

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, R.; Xiao, W.; Mei, J.; Polyak, L.

    2017-12-01

    Oxygen and carbon stable isotopes in planktic foraminifera Neogloboquadrina pachyderma (sinistral) (Nps) have a promising potential for reconstructing (sub)surface water conditions in the Arctic Ocean. Size-dependent (63-154 µm, 154-250 µm, and >250 µm) Nps δ18O and δ13C were measured along with Ice Rafted Debris (IRD) and scanned XRF Ca and Mn contents in sediment core ARC3-P31 from the Chukchi Plateau (434 m water depth) representing paleoceanographic conditions during the last 50 ka (Marine Isotope Stages 1-3). While the interval corresponding to the Last Glacial Maximum is represented by a hiatus, the following deglaciation is clearly marked by a strong depletion in both δ18O and δ13C in all Nps size fractions along with a peak in detrital carbonate IRD indicative of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago provenance. This pronounced feature presumably indicates a collapse event of the northwestern Laurentide Ice Sheet, potentially linked to the rising sea level. In the overall record under study, average values of Nps δ18O and δ13C fluctuate in the range of 1.2-2.1‰ and 0.3-0.9 ‰, respectively. Mid-size Nps δ18O values (154-250 µm) are in average lighter by 0.2-0.5 ‰ than those of small (63-154 µm) and large (>250 µm) Nps tests. This offset may indicate a different water-depth dwelling, possibly affected by a relatively warm subsurface Atlantic water.

  2. On the size and temperature dependence of the energy gap in cadmium-selenide quantum dots embedded in fluorophosphate glasses

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lipatova, Zh. O., E-mail: zluka-yo@mail.ru; Kolobkova, E. V.; Babkina, A. N.; Nikonorov, N. V. [ITMO University (Russian Federation)

    2017-03-15

    The temperature and size dependences of the energy gap in CdSe quantum dots with diameters of 2.4, 4.0, and 5.2 nm embedded in fluorophosphate glasses are investigated. It is shown that the temperature coefficient of the band gap dE{sub g}/dT in the quantum dots differs from the bulk value and depends strictly on the dot size. It is found that, furthermore, the energy of each transition in these quantum dots is characterized by an individual temperature coefficient dE/dT.

  3. Effect of the critical size of initial voids on stress-induced migration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aoyagi, Minoru

    2004-01-01

    The stress-induced migration phenomenon is one of the problems related to the reliability of metal interconnections in semiconductor devices. This phenomenon causes voids and fractures in interconnections. The basic feature of this phenomenon is vacancy migration to minute initial voids. Expanding initial voids grow into larger voids and fractures. The purpose of this work is to theoretically clarify the effects of residual thermal stress and void surface stress on the behavior of the initial voids which exist immediately after a passivation process. Using a spherical metal sample with a spherical void under external stress, vacancy absorption or emission was investigated between the void surface and the sample surface. The behavior of vacancies and atoms was also investigated in interconnections under residual thermal stress. We show that the void or sample surface becomes a vacancy sink or source, depending on the mutual relationship between the surface stress due to the surface-free energy and the residual thermal stress. We also reveal that the initial voids, which exist immediately after a passivation process, grow into larger voids and fractures when the size of the initial voids exceeds the critical size. If the size of the initial void can be controlled to below the critical size, voids and fractures do not occur

  4. Direct observation of hierarchical nucleation of martensite and size-dependent superelasticity in shape memory alloys.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Lifeng; Ding, Xiangdong; Li, Ju; Lookman, Turab; Sun, Jun

    2014-02-21

    Martensitic transformation usually creates hierarchical internal structures beyond mere change of the atomic crystal structure. Multi-stage nucleation is thus required, where nucleation (level-1) of the underlying atomic crystal lattice does not have to be immediately followed by the nucleation of higher-order superstructures (level-2 and above), such as polysynthetic laths. Using in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we directly observe the nucleation of the level-2 superstructure in a Cu-Al-Ni single crystal under compression, with critical super-nuclei size L2c around 500 nm. When the sample size D decreases below L2c, the superelasticity behavior changes from a flat stress plateau to a continuously rising stress-strain curve. Such size dependence definitely would impact the application of shape memory alloys in miniaturized MEMS/NEMS devices.

  5. Dependence of strength on particle size in graphite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kennedy, E.P.; Kennedy, C.R.

    The strength to particle size relationship for specially fabricated graphites has been demonstrated and rationalized using fracture mechanics. In the past, similar studies have yielded empirical data using only commercially available material. Thus, experimental verification of these relationships has been difficult. However, the graphites of this study were fabricated by controlling the particle size ranges for a series of isotropic graphites. All graphites that were evaluated had a constant 1.85 g/cm 3 density. Thus, particle size was the only variable. This study also considered the particle size effect on other physical properties; coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), electrical resistivity, fracture strain, and Young's modulus

  6. Silver Nanoparticles Incite Size and Dose-Dependent Developmental Phenotypes and Nanotoxicity in Zebrafish Embryos

    Science.gov (United States)

    Browning, Lauren M.; Lee, Kerry J.; Nallathamby, Prakash D.; Xu, Xiao-Hong Nancy

    2013-01-01

    Nanomaterials possess distinctive physicochemical properties and promise a wide range of applications, from advanced technology to leading-edge medicine. However, their effects on living organisms remain largely unknown. Here we report that the purified silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs, 97 ± 13 nm) incite specific developmental stage embryonic phenotypes and nanotoxicity in a dose-dependent manner, upon acute exposure of given-stage embryos to the NPs (0–24 pM) for only 2 h. The critical concentrations of the NPs that cause 50% of embryos develop normally for cleavage, early-gastrula, early-segmentation, late-segmentation, and hatching stage zebrafish embryos are 3.5, 4, 6, 6, and 8 pM, respectively, showing that the earlier developmental stage embryos are much more sensitive to the effects of the NPs than the later stage. Interestingly, distinctive phenotypes (head abnormality and no eyes) are observed only in cleavage and early-gastrula stage embryos treated with the NPs, showing the stage-specific effects of the NPs. By comparing with our study of the smaller Ag NPs (13.1 ± 2.5 nm), we found that the embryonic phenotypes strikingly depend upon the sizes of Ag NPs and embryonic developmental stages. These notable findings suggest that the Ag NPs are unlike any conventional chemicals or ions. They can potentially enable target specific study and therapy for early embryonic development in size, stage, dose, and exposure-duration dependent manners. PMID:24024906

  7. Silver nanoparticles incite size- and dose-dependent developmental phenotypes and nanotoxicity in zebrafish embryos.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Browning, Lauren M; Lee, Kerry J; Nallathamby, Prakash D; Xu, Xiao-Hong Nancy

    2013-10-21

    Nanomaterials possess distinctive physicochemical properties and promise a wide range of applications, from advanced technology to leading-edge medicine. However, their effects on living organisms remain largely unknown. Here we report that the purified silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) (97 ± 13 nm) incite specific developmental stage embryonic phenotypes and nanotoxicity in a dose-dependent manner, upon acute exposure of given stage embryos to the NPs (0-24 pM) for only 2 h. The critical concentrations of the NPs that cause 50% of embryos to develop normally for cleavage, early gastrula, early segmentation, late segmentation, and hatching stage zebrafish embryos are 3.5, 4, 6, 6, and 8 pM, respectively, showing that the earlier developmental stage embryos are much more sensitive to the effects of the NPs than the later stage embryos. Interestingly, distinctive phenotypes (head abnormality and no eyes) are observed only in cleavage and early gastrula stage embryos treated with the NPs, showing the stage-specific effects of the NPs. By comparing these Ag NPs with smaller Ag NPs (13.1 ± 2.5 nm), we found that the embryonic phenotypes strikingly depend upon the sizes of Ag NPs and embryonic developmental stages. These notable findings suggest that the Ag NPs are unlike any conventional chemicals or ions. They can potentially enable target-specific study and therapy for early embryonic development in size-, stage-, dose-, and exposure duration-dependent manners.

  8. Particle Size Effects of TiO2 Layers on the Solar Efficiency of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ming-Jer Jeng

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Large particle sizes having a strong light scattering lead to a significantly decreased surface area and small particle sizes having large surface area lack light-scattering effect. How to combine large and small particle sizes together is an interesting work for achieving higher solar efficiency. In this work, we investigate the solar performance influence of the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs by the multiple titanium oxide (TiO2 layers with different particle sizes. It was found that the optimal TiO2 thickness depends on the particle sizes of TiO2 layers for achieving the maximum efficiency. The solar efficiency of DSSCs prepared by triple TiO2 layers with different particle sizes is higher than that by double TiO2 layers for the same TiO2 thickness. The choice of particle size in the bottom layer is more important than that in the top layer for achieving higher solar efficiency. The choice of the particle sizes in the middle layer depends on the particle sizes in the bottom and top layers. The mixing of the particle sizes in the middle layer is a good choice for achieving higher solar efficiency.

  9. THE SIZE AND SURFACE COATING OF NANOSILVER DIFFERENTIALLY AFFECTS BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY IN BLOOD BRAIN BARRIER (RBEC4) CELLS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Linking the physical properties of nanoparticles with differences in their biological activity is critical for understanding their potential toxicity and mode of action. The influence of aggregate size, surface coating, and surface charge on nanosilver's (nanoAg) movement through...

  10. Atomic force microscopy analysis of different surface treatments of Ti dental implant surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bathomarco, R.V.; Solorzano, G.; Elias, C.N.; Prioli, R.

    2004-01-01

    The surface of commercial unalloyed titanium, used in dental implants, was analyzed by atomic force microscopy. The morphology, roughness, and surface area of the samples, submitted to mechanically-induced erosion, chemical etching and a combination of both, were compared. The results show that surface treatments strongly influence the dental implant physical and chemical properties. An analysis of the length dependence of the implant surface roughness shows that, for scan sizes larger than 50 μm, the average surface roughness is independent of the scanning length and that the surface treatments lead to average surface roughness in the range of 0.37 up to 0.48 μm. It is shown that the implant surface energy is sensitive to the titanium surface area. As the area increases there is a decrease in the surface contact angle

  11. Atomic force microscopy analysis of different surface treatments of Ti dental implant surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bathomarco, Ti R. V.; Solorzano, G.; Elias, C. N.; Prioli, R.

    2004-06-01

    The surface of commercial unalloyed titanium, used in dental implants, was analyzed by atomic force microscopy. The morphology, roughness, and surface area of the samples, submitted to mechanically-induced erosion, chemical etching and a combination of both, were compared. The results show that surface treatments strongly influence the dental implant physical and chemical properties. An analysis of the length dependence of the implant surface roughness shows that, for scan sizes larger than 50 μm, the average surface roughness is independent of the scanning length and that the surface treatments lead to average surface roughness in the range of 0.37 up to 0.48 μm. It is shown that the implant surface energy is sensitive to the titanium surface area. As the area increases there is a decrease in the surface contact angle.

  12. Flavivirus internalization is regulated by a size-dependent endocytic pathway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hackett, Brent A; Cherry, Sara

    2018-04-17

    Flaviviruses enter host cells through the process of clathrin-mediated endocytosis, and the spectrum of host factors required for this process are incompletely understood. Here we found that lymphocyte antigen 6 locus E (LY6E) promotes the internalization of multiple flaviviruses, including West Nile virus, Zika virus, and dengue virus. Perhaps surprisingly, LY6E is dispensable for the internalization of the endogenous cargo transferrin, which is also dependent on clathrin-mediated endocytosis for uptake. Since viruses are substantially larger than transferrin, we reasoned that LY6E may be required for uptake of larger cargoes and tested this using transferrin-coated beads of similar size as flaviviruses. LY6E was indeed required for the internalization of transferrin-coated beads, suggesting that LY6E is selectively required for large cargo. Cell biological studies found that LY6E forms tubules upon viral infection and bead internalization, and we found that tubule formation was dependent on RNASEK, which is also required for flavivirus internalization, but not transferrin uptake. Indeed, we found that RNASEK is also required for the internalization of transferrin-coated beads, suggesting it functions upstream of LY6E. These LY6E tubules resembled microtubules, and we found that microtubule assembly was required for their formation and flavivirus uptake. Since microtubule end-binding proteins link microtubules to downstream activities, we screened the three end-binding proteins and found that EB3 promotes virus uptake and LY6E tubularization. Taken together, these results highlight a specialized pathway required for the uptake of large clathrin-dependent endocytosis cargoes, including flaviviruses. Copyright © 2018 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

  13. Thermoluminescent dependence with the particle size of polyminerals in food irradiated of Mexican spices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Teuffer Z, C.; Cruz Z, E.; Calderon, T.; Chernov, V.; Barboza F, M.

    2004-01-01

    The influence of grain size on Tl was analysed in poly minerals extracted from Mexican spices as Origanum vulgare L. (oregano) y Capsicum annun (chile guajillo). The poly minerals size were selected by Zimmerman method up to 10 μm and exposed to 0.5-10 kGy range from 60 Co. The glow curves were centered at 166 C for Capsicum annun and at 126 C for Origanum vulgare l. In both cases was observed at 5 kGy a weak saturation for Tl response. This behaviour is attributed to feldspar and quartz are present in the samples and this results is in agreement with other european spices obtained. For >10 μm particle size the Tl response increased respect to the doses, and it is possible that increase the organic impurities quantities are present in the samples and contributed to the Tl when the samples were thermally excited. The aim of this work is provide more ideas with regard to the behaviour of luminescence emission as dependent of the size particle in the irradiated spices. The methodology might useful for quality control also in radiation processing. (Author)

  14. The effects of density dependent resource limitation on size of wild reindeer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skogland, Terje

    1983-11-01

    A density-dependent decrement in size for wild reindeer from 12 different Norwegian herds at 16 different densities was shown using lower jawbone-length as the criterion of size. This criterion was tested and found to adequately predict body size of both bucks and does. Lactation in does did not affect jaw length but significantly affected dressed weights.A decrement in the size of does as a result of gross density was found. This size decrement was further analysed in relation to the habitat densities in winter (R 2 =0.85) and in summer (R 2 =0.75) separately, in order to estimate the relative effects of each factor. For herds with adequate food in winter (no signs of overgrazing of lichens) density in relation to summer habitat and mires yielded the highest predictive power in a multiple regression. For herds with adequate summer pastures, densities per winter habitat and lichen volumes showed likewise a highly significant correlation. The inclusion of the lichen volume data in the regression increased its predictive power. The major effect of resource limitation was to delay the time of calving because a maternal carry-over effect allowed the calf a shorter period of growth to be completed during its first summer. Neonate size at birth was highly correlated with maternal size regardless of the mean calving date although the latter was significantly delayed for small-sized does in food resource-limited herds. Likewise the postnatal growth rate of all calves were not significantly different during 50 days postpartum regardless of maternal conditions in winter feeding. The summer growth rates of bucks ≧1 year did not vary significantly between herds. The age of maturity of food resource-limited does was delayed by one year and growth ceased after the initiation of reproduction. This shows that under conditions of limited resources the does with delayed births of calves allocated less energy to body growth simply because they had less time to replenish body

  15. Modeling the effect of intermolecular force on the size-dependent pull-in behavior of beam-type NEMS using modified couple stress theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Beni, Yaghoub Tadi; Karimipour, Iman [Shahrekord University, Shahrekord (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Abadyan, Mohamadreza [Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2014-09-15

    Experimental observations reveal that the physical response of nano structures is size-dependent. Herein, modified couple stress theory has been used to study the effect of intermolecular van der Waals force on the size dependent pull-in of nano bridges and nano cantilevers. Three approaches including using differential transformation method, applying numerical method and developing a simple lumped parameter model have been employed to solve the governing equation of the systems. The pull-in parameters i.e. critical tip deflection and instability voltage of the nano structures have been determined. Effect of the van der Waals attraction and the size dependency and the importance of coupling between them on the pull-in performance have been discussed.

  16. Modeling the effect of intermolecular force on the size-dependent pull-in behavior of beam-type NEMS using modified couple stress theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beni, Yaghoub Tadi; Karimipour, Iman; Abadyan, Mohamadreza

    2014-01-01

    Experimental observations reveal that the physical response of nano structures is size-dependent. Herein, modified couple stress theory has been used to study the effect of intermolecular van der Waals force on the size dependent pull-in of nano bridges and nano cantilevers. Three approaches including using differential transformation method, applying numerical method and developing a simple lumped parameter model have been employed to solve the governing equation of the systems. The pull-in parameters i.e. critical tip deflection and instability voltage of the nano structures have been determined. Effect of the van der Waals attraction and the size dependency and the importance of coupling between them on the pull-in performance have been discussed.

  17. Do Surface Porosity and Pore Size Influence Mechanical Properties and Cellular Response to PEEK?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Torstrick, F Brennan; Evans, Nathan T; Stevens, Hazel Y; Gall, Ken; Guldberg, Robert E

    2016-11-01

    Despite its widespread use in orthopaedic implants such as soft tissue fasteners and spinal intervertebral implants, polyetheretherketone (PEEK) often suffers from poor osseointegration. Introducing porosity can overcome this limitation by encouraging bone ingrowth; however, the corresponding decrease in implant strength can potentially reduce the implant's ability to bear physiologic loads. We have previously shown, using a single pore size, that limiting porosity to the surface of PEEK implants preserves strength while supporting in vivo osseointegration. However, additional work is needed to investigate the effect of pore size on both the mechanical properties and cellular response to PEEK. (1) Can surface porous PEEK (PEEK-SP) microstructure be reliably controlled? (2) What is the effect of pore size on the mechanical properties of PEEK-SP? (3) Do surface porosity and pore size influence the cellular response to PEEK? PEEK-SP was created by extruding PEEK through NaCl crystals of three controlled ranges: 200 to 312, 312 to 425, and 425 to 508 µm. Micro-CT was used to characterize the microstructure of PEEK-SP. Tensile, fatigue, and interfacial shear tests were performed to compare the mechanical properties of PEEK-SP with injection-molded PEEK (PEEK-IM). The cellular response to PEEK-SP, assessed by proliferation, alkaline phosphatase activity, vascular endothelial growth factor production, and calcium content of osteoblast, mesenchymal stem cell, and preosteoblast (MC3T3-E1) cultures, was compared with that of machined smooth PEEK and Ti6Al4V. Micro-CT analysis showed that PEEK-SP layers possessed pores that were 284 ± 35 µm, 341 ± 49 µm, and 416 ± 54 µm for each pore size group. Porosity and pore layer depth ranged from 61% to 69% and 303 to 391 µm, respectively. Mechanical testing revealed tensile strengths > 67 MPa and interfacial shear strengths > 20 MPa for all three pore size groups. All PEEK-SP groups exhibited > 50% decrease

  18. The flexoelectric effect associated size dependent pyroelectricity in solid dielectrics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bai, Gang, E-mail: baigang@njupt.edu.cn [Jiangsu Provincial Engineering Laboratory for RF Integration and Micropackaging and College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210023 (China); Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Liu, Zhiguo [Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Xie, Qiyun; Guo, Yanyan; Li, Wei [Jiangsu Provincial Engineering Laboratory for RF Integration and Micropackaging and College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210023 (China); Yan, Xiaobing [College of Electronic and information Engineering, Hebei University, Baoding 071002 (China)

    2015-09-15

    A phenomenological thermodynamic theory is used to investigate the effect of strain gradient on the pyroelectric effect in centrosymmetric dielectric solids. Direct pyroelectricity can exist as external mechanical stress is applied to non-pyroelectric dielectrics with shapes such as truncated pyramids, due to elastic strain gradient induced flexoelectric polarization. Effective pyroelectric coefficient was analyzed in truncated pyramids. It is found to be controlled by size, ambient temperature, stress, and aspect ratio and depends mainly on temperature sensitivity of flexoelectric coefficient (TSFC) and strain gradient of the truncated pyramids dielectric solids. These results show that the pyroelectric property of Ba{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.33}TiO{sub 3} above T{sub c} similar to PZT and other lead-based ferroelectrics can be obtained. This feature might widely broaden the selection of materials for infrared detectors with preferable properties.

  19. Size-dependent magnetic anisotropy of PEG coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles; comparing two magnetization methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nayek, C.; Manna, K.; Imam, A. A.; Alqasrawi, A. Y.; Obaidat, I. M.

    2018-02-01

    Understanding the size dependent magnetic anisotropy of iron oxide nanoparticles is essential for the successful application of these nanoparticles in several technological and medical fields. PEG-coated iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles with core diameters of 12 nm, 15 nm, and 16 nm were synthesized by the usual co-precipitation method. The morphology and structure of the nanoparticles were investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Magnetic measurements were conducted using a SQUID. The effective magnetic anisotropy was calculated using two methods from the magnetization measurements. In the first method the zero-field-cooled magnetization versus temperature measurements were used at several applied magnetic fields. In the second method we used the temperature-dependent coercivity curves obtained from the zero-field-cooled magnetization versus magnetic field hysteresis loops. The role of the applied magnetic field on the effective magnetic anisotropy, calculated form the zero-field-cooled magnetization versus temperature measurements, was revealed. The size dependence of the effective magnetic anisotropy constant Keff obtained by the two methods are compared and discussed.

  20. Size constraints on a Majorana beam-splitter interferometer: Majorana coupling and surface-bulk scattering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Røising, Henrik Schou; Simon, Steven H.

    2018-03-01

    Topological insulator surfaces in proximity to superconductors have been proposed as a way to produce Majorana fermions in condensed matter physics. One of the simplest proposed experiments with such a system is Majorana interferometry. Here we consider two possibly conflicting constraints on the size of such an interferometer. Coupling of a Majorana mode from the edge (the arms) of the interferometer to vortices in the center of the device sets a lower bound on the size of the device. On the other hand, scattering to the usually imperfectly insulating bulk sets an upper bound. From estimates of experimental parameters, we find that typical samples may have no size window in which the Majorana interferometer can operate, implying that a new generation of more highly insulating samples must be explored.

  1. In situ Raman spectroscopy of LiFePO4: size and morphology dependence during charge and self-discharge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Jing; Dathar, Gopi Krishna Phani; Sun, Chunwen; Theivanayagam, Murali G; Applestone, Danielle; Dylla, Anthony G; Manthiram, Arumugam; Henkelman, Graeme; Goodenough, John B; Stevenson, Keith J

    2013-10-25

    Previous studies of the size dependent properties of LiFePO4 have focused on the diffusion rate or phase transformation pathways by bulk analysis techniques such as x-ray diffraction (XRD), neutron diffraction and electrochemistry. In this work, in situ Raman spectroscopy was used to study the surface phase change during charge and self-discharge on a more localized scale for three morphologies of LiFePO4: (1) 25 ± 6 nm width nanorods, (2) 225 ± 6 nm width nanorods and (3) ∼2 μm porous microspheres. Both the large nanorod and microsphere geometries showed incomplete delithiation at the end of charge, which was most likely caused by anti-site defects along the 1D diffusion channels in the bulk of the larger particles. Based on the in situ Raman measurements, all of the morphologies studied exhibited self-discharge with time. Among them, the smallest FePO4 particles self-discharged (lithiated) the fastest. While nanostructuring LiFePO4 can offer advantages in terms of lowering anti-site defects within particles, it also creates new problems due to high surface energies that allow self-discharge. The in situ Raman spectroscopy also showed that carbon coating did not provide significant improvement to the stability of the lithiated particles.

  2. Research surface resistance of copper normal and abnormal skin-effects depending on the frequency of electromagnetic field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kutovyi, V.A.; Komir, A.I.

    2013-01-01

    The results of the frequency dependence of surface resistance of copper in diffuse and specular reflection of electrons from the conductive surface of the high-frequency resonance of the system depending on the frequency of the electromagnetic field in the normal and anomalous skin effect. Found, the surface resistance of copper is reduced by more than 10 times at the temperature of liquid helium, as compared with a surface resistivity at room temperature, at frequencies f ≤ 173 MHz, for diffuse reflection of conduction electrons from the surface of the conductive layer, and the specular reflection - at frequencies f ≤ 346 MHz

  3. Exhalation of radon and thoron from ground surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Megumi, Kazuko

    1978-01-01

    When radon and thoron in the environment are considered, the exhalations of radon and thoron from the ground surface are important. The following matters are described: a method of measuring directly the quantities of radon and thoron exhaled from the ground surface, the respective quantities measured by the method in summer and winter, and the dependence of the exhalations upon soil particle sizes. In this direct method, to obtain the exhalation quantities, radon and thoron from the ground surface are adsorbed in granular active carbon, and the γ-ray spectra are measured. The method is capable of measuring radon and thoron simultaneously in direct and inexpensive manner. For continuous measurement, however, it needs further improvement. The measurements by the method revealed the difference between summer and winter, the effect of rainfall, the dependence on soil particle size and on soil moisture of radon and thoron exhalations. (J.P.N.)

  4. Contact angle of a nanodrop on a nanorough solid surface.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berim, Gersh O; Ruckenstein, Eli

    2015-02-21

    The contact angle of a cylindrical nanodrop on a nanorough solid surface is calculated, for both hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces, using the density functional theory. The emphasis of the paper is on the dependence of the contact angle on roughness. The roughness is modeled by rectangular pillars of infinite length located on the smooth surface of a substrate, with fluid-pillar interactions different in strength from the fluid-substrate ones. It is shown that for hydrophobic substrates the trend of the contact angle to increase with increasing roughness, which was noted in all previous studies, is not universally valid, but depends on the fluid-pillar interactions, pillar height, interpillar distance, as well as on the size of the drop. For hydrophilic substrate, an unusual kink-like dependence of the contact angle on the nanodrop size is found which is caused by the change in the location of the leading edges of the nanodrop on the surface. It is also shown that the Wenzel and Cassie-Baxter equations can not explain all the peculiarities of the contact angle of a nanodrop on a nanorough surface.

  5. Cellular Stress Response to Engineered Nanoparticles: Effect of Size, Surface Coating, and Cellular Uptake

    Science.gov (United States)

    CELLULAR STRESS RESPONSE TO ENGINEERED NANOPARTICLES: EFFECT OF SIZE, SURFACE COATING, AND CELLULAR UPTAKE RY Prasad 1, JK McGee2, MG Killius1 D Ackerman2, CF Blackman2 DM DeMarini2 , SO Simmons2 1 Student Services Contractor, US EPA, RTP, NC 2 US EPA, RTP, NC The num...

  6. Size-dependent responses of zooplankton to submerged macrophyte restoration in a subtropical shallow lake

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Lei; He, Feng; Zhang, Yi; Liu, Biyun; Dai, Zhigang; Zhou, Qiaohong; Wu, Zhenbin

    2018-03-01

    To explore the size-dependent responses of zooplankton to submerged macrophyte restoration, we collected macrophyte, zooplankton and water quality samples seasonally from a subtropical shallow lake from 2010 to 2012. Special attention was given to changes in rotifers and crustaceans (cladocerans and copepods). The rotifers were grouped into three size classes (400 μm) to explore their size-related responses to macrophyte restoration. The results showed that during the restoration, the annual mean biomass and macrophyte coverage increased significantly from 0 to 637 g/m2 and 0 to 27%, respectively. In response, the density and biomass of crustaceans and the crustacean-to-rotifer ratio increased significantly, while the rotifer density decreased significantly. Moreover, rotifers showed significant sizedependent responses to macrophyte restoration. Specially, rotifers sized zooplankton tended to boom, while that of small rotifers was inhibited during macrophyte restoration. Redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed positive correlations between macrophytes and crustaceans, rotifers and COD or Chl- a, but negative correlations between macrophytes and COD or Chl- a, and between crustaceans and Chl- a. Moreover, the results indicate that increased predation on phytoplankton by large-sized zooplankton might be an important mechanism for macrophyte restoration during development of aquatic ecosystems, and that this mechanism played a very important role in promoting the formation of a clear-water state in subtropical shallow lakes.

  7. Size-dependent structural disorder in nanocrystalline Cu probed by synchrotron-based X-ray techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johannessen, B.; Kluth, P.; Cookson, D.J.; Foran, G.J.; Ridgway, M.C.

    2006-01-01

    Elemental Cu nanocrystals were synthesized in thin film SiO 2 by ion implantation and thermal annealing. The local atomic structure and nanocrystal size distribution were investigated by means of extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), respectively. We quantify the bondlength contraction and increased structural disorder in the nanocrystals as compared to a bulk Cu reference. Both are proportional to the inverse of the nanocrystal diameter, which in turn is proportional to the surface-area-to-volume ratio. In particular we show that a simple liquid-drop model can explain the bondlength contraction and estimate the surface tension of nanocrystalline Cu to be 3.8 ± 0.4 J/m 2

  8. Uniform-sized silicone oil microemulsions: preparation, investigation of stability and deposition on hair surface.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nazir, Habiba; Lv, Piping; Wang, Lianyan; Lian, Guoping; Zhu, Shiping; Ma, Guanghui

    2011-12-01

    Emulsions are commonly used in foods, pharmaceuticals and home-personal-care products. For emulsion based products, it is highly desirable to control the droplet size distribution to improve storage stability, appearance and in-use property. We report preparation of uniform-sized silicone oil microemulsions with different droplets diameters (1.4-40.0 μm) using SPG membrane emulsification technique. These microemulsions were then added into model shampoos and conditioners to investigate the effects of size, uniformity, and storage stability on silicone oil deposition on hair surface. We observed much improved storage stability of uniform-sized microemulsions when the droplets diameter was ≤22.7 μm. The uniform-sized microemulsion of 40.0 μm was less stable but still more stable than non-uniform sized microemulsions prepared by conventional homogenizer. The results clearly indicated that uniform-sized droplets enhanced the deposition of silicone oil on hair and deposition increased with decreasing droplet size. Hair switches washed with small uniform-sized droplets had lower values of coefficient of friction compared with those washed with larger uniform and non-uniform droplets. Moreover the addition of alginate thickener in the shampoos and conditioners further enhanced the deposition of silicone oil on hair. The good correlation between silicone oil droplets stability, deposition on hair and resultant friction of hair support that droplet size and uniformity are important factors for controlling the stability and deposition property of emulsion based products such as shampoo and conditioner. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Improved size-tunable synthesis and SERS properties of Au nanostars

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khlebtsov, Boris; Panfilova, Elizaveta; Khanadeev, Vitaly; Khlebtsov, Nikolai

    2014-10-01

    Multibranched Au nanoparticles with sharp tips (commonly called nanostars, NSTs) have attracted significant attention as bright scattering labels, photothermal transducers, nanocarriers, and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) tags. However, for surfactant-free synthesized NSTs, the existing data on the size tuning and the relation between the size of NSTs and their SERS efficiency still remain limited. Here, we address these questions by synthesizing and comparing SERS for surfactant-free NSTs of different sizes and plasmon resonance (PR) wavelengths. The NSTs were fabricated by seeded growth through a two-step surfactant-free approach in which quasispherical seeds were overgrown via reduction of added Au by ascorbic acid in the presence of Ag ions. By varying the seed size from 3 to 35 nm, we tuned the final NST size from 45 to 150 nm while retaining the star-like morphology with sharp tips and ensuring PR tunability from 630 to 900 nm. The NST size and PR limits can be expanded from 40 to 200 nm and from 600 to 930 nm, respectively, by simultaneous variation in the seed size and concentration. The SERS efficiency of the fabricated NSTs was examined by Raman measurements of 1,4-aminothiophenol (ATP) adsorbed on the surface of colloidal NST particles. Although the homogenous analytical enhancement factor (AEF) did not depend essentially on the NST size and varied from 4 × 106 to 107, the enhancing properties of single-particle NST tags were strongly size-dependent. Specifically, the AEF for 150-nm NST35-ATP complexes was 30 and 100 times greater than that for 70-nm NST15-ATP and 45-nm NST3-ATP complexes, respectively. These properties make the NST-ATP complex a prospective platform for SERS imaging.

  10. Angular dependent XPS study of surface band bending on Ga-polar n-GaN

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Rong; Liu, Tong; Zhao, Yanfei; Zhu, Yafeng; Huang, Zengli; Li, Fangsen; Liu, Jianping; Zhang, Liqun; Zhang, Shuming; Dingsun, An; Yang, Hui

    2018-05-01

    Surface band bending and composition of Ga-polar n-GaN with different surface treatments were characterized by using angular dependent X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Upward surface band bending of varying degree was observed distinctly upon to the treatment methods. Besides the nitrogen vacancies, we found that surface states of oxygen-containing absorbates (O-H component) also contribute to the surface band bending, which lead the Fermi level pined at a level further closer to the conduction band edge on n-GaN surface. The n-GaN surface with lower surface band bending exhibits better linear electrical properties for Ti/GaN Ohmic contacts. Moreover, the density of positively charged surface states could be derived from the values of surface band bending.

  11. Size-dependent optical properties of colloidal PbS quantum dots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moreels, Iwan; Lambert, Karel; Smeets, Dries; De Muynck, David; Nollet, Tom; Martins, José C; Vanhaecke, Frank; Vantomme, André; Delerue, Christophe; Allan, Guy; Hens, Zeger

    2009-10-27

    We quantitatively investigate the size-dependent optical properties of colloidal PbS nanocrystals or quantum dots (Qdots), by combining the Qdot absorbance spectra with detailed elemental analysis of the Qdot suspensions. At high energies, the molar extinction coefficient epsilon increases with the Qdot volume d(3) and agrees with theoretical calculations using the Maxwell-Garnett effective medium theory and bulk values for the Qdot dielectric function. This demonstrates that quantum confinement has no influence on epsilon in this spectral range, and it provides an accurate method to calculate the Qdot concentration. Around the band gap, epsilon only increases with d(1.3), and values are comparable to the epsilon of PbSe Qdots. The data are related to the oscillator strength f(if) of the band gap transition and results agree well with theoretical tight-binding calculations, predicting a linear dependence of f(if) on d. For both PbS and PbSe Qdots, the exciton lifetime tau is calculated from f(if). We find values ranging between 1 and 3 mus, in agreement with experimental literature data from time-resolved luminescence spectroscopy. Our results provide a thorough general framework to calculate and understand the optical properties of suspended colloidal quantum dots. Most importantly, it highlights the significance of the local field factor in these systems.

  12. On geometry-dependent vortex stability and topological spin excitations on curved surfaces with cylindrical symmetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carvalho-Santos, V.L.; Apolonio, F.A.; Oliveira-Neto, N.M.

    2013-01-01

    We study the Heisenberg model on cylindrically symmetric curved surfaces. Two kinds of excitations are considered. The first is given by the isotropic regime, yielding the sine-Gordon equation and π solitons are predicted. The second one is given by the XY model, leading to a vortex turning around the surface. Helical states are also considered, however, topological arguments cannot be used to ensure its stability. The energy and the anisotropy parameter which stabilizes the vortex state are explicitly calculated for two surfaces: catenoid and hyperboloid. The results show that the anisotropy and the vortex energy depends on the underlying geometry. -- Highlights: •Applying the anisotropic Heisenberg model on curved surfaces. •Appearance of topological solitons on curved surfaces with cylindrical symmetry. •Calculus of the vortex energy, which depends on curvature. •Discussion on features of non-topological helical-like states. •Vortex stability ensured by the anisotropy parameter value

  13. Pore size distribution and supercritical hydrogen adsorption in activated carbon fibers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Purewal, J. J.; Kabbour, H.; Vajo, J. J.; Ahn, C. C.; Fultz, B.

    2009-05-01

    Pore size distributions (PSD) and supercritical H2 isotherms have been measured for two activated carbon fiber (ACF) samples. The surface area and the PSD both depend on the degree of activation to which the ACF has been exposed. The low-surface-area ACF has a narrow PSD centered at 0.5 nm, while the high-surface-area ACF has a broad distribution of pore widths between 0.5 and 2 nm. The H2 adsorption enthalpy in the zero-coverage limit depends on the relative abundance of the smallest pores relative to the larger pores. Measurements of the H2 isosteric adsorption enthalpy indicate the presence of energy heterogeneity in both ACF samples. Additional measurements on a microporous, coconut-derived activated carbon are presented for reference.

  14. Pore size distribution and supercritical hydrogen adsorption in activated carbon fibers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Purewal, J J; Kabbour, H; Ahn, C C; Fultz, B; Vajo, J J

    2009-01-01

    Pore size distributions (PSD) and supercritical H 2 isotherms have been measured for two activated carbon fiber (ACF) samples. The surface area and the PSD both depend on the degree of activation to which the ACF has been exposed. The low-surface-area ACF has a narrow PSD centered at 0.5 nm, while the high-surface-area ACF has a broad distribution of pore widths between 0.5 and 2 nm. The H 2 adsorption enthalpy in the zero-coverage limit depends on the relative abundance of the smallest pores relative to the larger pores. Measurements of the H 2 isosteric adsorption enthalpy indicate the presence of energy heterogeneity in both ACF samples. Additional measurements on a microporous, coconut-derived activated carbon are presented for reference.

  15. Molecular-dynamics theory of the temperature-dependent surface phonons of W(001)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, C.Z.; Fasolino, A.; Tosatti, E.

    1987-04-01

    We study the temperature-dependent zone-boundary surface phonons across the c(2x2)→1x1 reconstruction phase transition of the clean W(001) surface. Velocity-velocity correlations and hence the phonon spectral densities are calculated by molecular dynamics for the surface atoms of a finite thickness (001) slab, with interatomic potentials established in a previous study of the surface statics. Our calculated k = (1/2,1/2)(2π/a) surface phonon are dominated by three main low-frequency modes. Of these, the longitudinal and the shear horizontal are reconstruction-related and display critical broadening and softening at the phase transition, while the third, the shear vertical, is basically unaffected. The reconstruction phase mode, shear horizontal, appears to be responsible for the phase fluctuations which destroy long-range order at the transition. (author). 30 refs, 12 figs

  16. Effect of argon implantation on solid-state dewetting: control of size and surface density of silicon nanocrystals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Almadori, Y; Borowik, Ł; Chevalier, N; Barbé, J-C

    2017-01-27

    Thermally induced solid-state dewetting of ultra-thin films on insulators is a process of prime interest, since it is capable of easily forming nanocrystals. If no particular treatment is performed to the film prior to the solid-state dewetting, it is already known that the size, the shape and the density of nanocrystals is governed by the initial film thickness. In this paper, we report a novel approach to control the size and the surface density of silicon nanocrystals based on an argon-implantation preliminary surface treatment. Using 7.5 nm thin layers of silicon, we show that increasing the implantation dose tends to form smaller silicon nanocrystals with diameter and height lower than 50 nm and 30 nm, respectively. Concomitantly, the surface density is increased by a factor greater than 20, going from 5 μm -2 to values over 100 μm -2 .

  17. Size- and Wavelength-Dependent Two-Photon Absorption Cross-Section of CsPbBr3 Perovskite Quantum Dots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Junsheng; Žídek, Karel; Chábera, Pavel; Liu, Dongzhou; Cheng, Pengfei; Nuuttila, Lauri; Al-Marri, Mohammed J; Lehtivuori, Heli; Messing, Maria E; Han, Keli; Zheng, Kaibo; Pullerits, Tõnu

    2017-05-18

    All-inorganic colloidal perovskite quantum dots (QDs) based on cesium, lead, and halide have recently emerged as promising light emitting materials. CsPbBr 3 QDs have also been demonstrated as stable two-photon-pumped lasing medium. However, the reported two photon absorption (TPA) cross sections for these QDs differ by an order of magnitude. Here we present an in-depth study of the TPA properties of CsPbBr 3 QDs with mean size ranging from 4.6 to 11.4 nm. By using femtosecond transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy we found that TPA cross section is proportional to the linear one photon absorption. The TPA cross section follows a power law dependence on QDs size with exponent 3.3 ± 0.2. The empirically obtained power-law dependence suggests that the TPA process through a virtual state populates exciton band states. The revealed power-law dependence and the understanding of TPA process are important for developing high performance nonlinear optical devices based on CsPbBr 3 nanocrystals.

  18. Distribution of Different Sized Ocular Surface Vessels in Diabetics and Normal Individuals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banaee, Touka; Pourreza, Hamidreza; Doosti, Hassan; Abrishami, Mojtaba; Ehsaei, Asieh; Basiry, Mohsen; Pourreza, Reza

    2017-01-01

    To compare the distribution of different sized vessels using digital photographs of the ocular surface of diabetic and normal individuals. In this cross-sectional study, red-free conjunctival photographs of diabetic and normal individuals, aged 30-60 years, were taken under defined conditions and analyzed using a Radon transform-based algorithm for vascular segmentation. The image areas occupied by vessels (AOV) of different diameters were calculated. The main outcome measure was the distribution curve of mean AOV of different sized vessels. Secondary outcome measures included total AOV and standard deviation (SD) of AOV of different sized vessels. Two hundred and sixty-eight diabetic patients and 297 normal (control) individuals were included, differing in age (45.50 ± 5.19 vs. 40.38 ± 6.19 years, P distribution curves of mean AOV differed between patients and controls (smaller AOV for larger vessels in patients; P distribution curve of vessels compared to controls. Presence of diabetes mellitus is associated with contraction of larger vessels in the conjunctiva. Smaller vessels dilate with diabetic retinopathy. These findings may be useful in the photographic screening of diabetes mellitus and retinopathy.

  19. Layer Dependence of Graphene for Oxidation Resistance of Cu Surface

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Yu-qing Song; Xiao-ping Wang

    2017-01-01

    We studied the oxidation resistance of graphene-coated Cu surface and its layer dependence by directly growing monolayer graphene with different multilayer structures coexisted,diminishing the influence induced by residue and transfer technology.It is found that the Cu surface coated with the monolayer graphene demonstrate tremendous difference in oxidation pattern and oxidation rate,compared to that coated with the bilayer graphene,which is considered to be originated from the strain-induced linear oxidation channel in monolayer graphene and the intersection of easily-oxidized directions in each layer of bilayer graphene,respectively.We reveal that the defects on the graphene basal plane but not the boundaries are the main oxidation channel for Cu surface under graphene protection.Our finding indicates that compared to putting forth efforts to improve the quality of monolayer graphene by reducing defects,depositing multilayer graphene directly on metal is a simple and effective way to enhance the oxidation resistance of graphene-coated metals.

  20. Microstrain engineered magnetic properties in Bi1-x Ca x Fe1-y Ti y O3-δ nanoparticles: deviation from Néel’s 1/d size-dependent magnetization behaviour

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mocherla, Pavana S. V.; Sahana, M. B.; Gopalan, R.; Ramachandra Rao, M. S.; Nanda, B. R. K.; Sudakar, C.

    2017-10-01

    Magnetization of antiferromagnetic nanoparticles is known to generally scale up inversely to their diameter (d) according to Néel’s model. Here we report a deviation from this conventional linear 1/d dependence, altered significantly by the microstrain, in Ca and Ti substituted BiFeO3 nanoparticles. Magnetic properties of microstrain-controlled Bi1-x Ca x Fe1-y Ti y O3-δ (y  =  0 and x  =  y) nanoparticles are analyzed as a function of their size ranging from 18 nm to 200 nm. A complex interdependence of doping concentration (x or y), annealing temperature (T), microstrain (ɛ) and particle size (d) is established. X-ray diffraction studies reveal a linear variation of microstrain with inverse particle size, 1/d nm-1 (i.e. ɛ · d  =  16.5 nm·%). A rapid increase in the saturation magnetization below a critical size d c ~ 35 nm, exhibiting a (1/d) α (α  ≈  2.6) dependence, is attributed to the influence of microstrain. We propose an empirical formula M \\propto (1/d)ɛ β (β  ≈  1.6) to highlight the contributions from both the size and microstrain towards the total magnetization in the doped systems. The magnetization observed in nanoparticles is thus, a result of the competing magnetic contribution from the terminated spin cycloid on the surface and counteracting microstrain present at a given size.