Epitaxial Growth of 2D Materials on High-Index Substrate Surfaces

Recently, the successful synthesis of wafer-scale single-crystal graphene, hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), and MoS₂ on transition metal surfaces with step edges boosted the research interests in synthesizing wafer-scale 2D single crystals on high-index substrate surfaces. Here, using hBN growth on high-index Cu surfaces as an example, a systematic theoretical study to understand the epitaxial growth of 2D materials on various high-index surfaces is performed. It is revealed that hBN orientation on a high-index surface is highly dependent on the alignment of the step edges of the surface as well as the surface roughness. On an ideal high-index surface, well-aligned hBN islands can be easily achieved, whereas curved step edges on a rough surface can lead to the alignment of hBN along with different directions. This study shows that high-index surfaces with a large step density are robust for templating the epitaxial growth of 2D single crystals due to their large tolerance for surface roughness and provides a general guideline for the epitaxial growth of various 2D single crystals.     

Improving through-thickness conductivity of carbon fiber reinforced polymer using carbon nanotube/polyethylenimine at the interlaminar region

The through-thickness conductivity of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite was increased by incorporating multiwalled carbon nanotubes in the interlaminar region. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were dispersed in a polyethylenimine (PEI) binder, which was then coated onto the carbon fiber fabric. Standard vacuum-assisted resin infusion process was applied to fabricate the composite laminates. This modification technique aims to enhance the electrical conductivity in through-thickness direction for the purpose of nondestructive testing, damage detection, and electromagnetic interference shielding. CNT concentrations ranging from 0 to 0.75 wt% were used and compared to pristine CFRP samples (reference). The through-thickness conductivity of the CFRP exhibited an improvement of up to 781% by adopting this technique. However, the dispersion of CNT in PEI led to a viscosity increase and poor wetting properties which resulted in the formation of voids/defects, poor adhesion (as shown in scanning electron micrographs) and the deterioration of the mechanical properties as manifested by interlaminar shear strength and dynamic mechanical analysis measurements.     

Cold plasma for the disinfection of industrial food-contact surfaces: An overview of current status and opportunities

Food safety is the primary goal for food and drink manufacturers. Cleaning and disinfection practices applied to the processing environment are vital to maintain this safety; yet, current approaches can incur costly downtime and the potential for microorganisms to grow and establish, if not effectively removed. For that reason, manufacturers are seeking nonthermal, online, and continuous disinfection processes to control the microbial levels within the processing environment. One such emerging technique, with great potential, is cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAP). This review presents the latest advances and challenges associated with CAP-based technologies for the decontamination of surfaces and equipment found within the food-processing environment. It provides a detailed overview of the technology and a comprehensive analysis of the many CAP-based antimicrobial studies on food-contact surfaces and materials. As CAP is considered an emerging technique, many of the recent studies are still in the preliminary stages, with results obtained under widely different conditions. This lack of cohesive information and an inability to directly compare CAP systems has greatly impeded technological development. The review further explores the challenge of scaling CAP technology to meet industry needs, considering aspects such as regulatory constraints, environmental credentials, and cost of use. Finally, a discussion is presented on the future outlook for CAP technology in this area, identifying key challenges that must be addressed to promote industry uptake.     

Recursive algorithm for modeling non-linear etching rates in reactive plasma jet based optical surface machining of borosilicate crown glass

Application-specific optical glass properties are achieved by utilizing complex material compositions. This can be problematic in reactive plasma-assisted deterministic surface processing since a non-volatile surface layer may form depending on the glass composition, which affects the etch rate and thereby the local etching depth. In this investigation, a model algorithm is proposed to tackle some restrictions in applying fluorine-based plasma jet as etching tool utilized for freeform surface machining of optics made of complex glass composition, like borosilicate crown glass (e.g., N-BK7®). In this regard, firstly an analytical model is proposed for estimating the depth-dependent etch rate function. Subsequently, a recursive simulation algorithm is introduced for convolving the derived depth-dependent etch rate function with the given dwell time matrix to simulate a deterministic freeform generation process. By the proposed simulation algorithm, the impeding influence of the residual layer on the reduction of etching depth is computed prior to a real experiment in order to scale the local dwell time to ensure the targeted local removal. Finally, the simulated freeform shape is compared with the corresponding result of an etching experiment to validate the feasibility of the proposed approach.     

可重构智能表面辅助的四元数调制无线通信系统

四元数调制(Quaternion Modulation,QMod)是一种新型高传输速率的极化调制(Polarized Modulation,PMod)技术,是未来卫星通信系统中极具潜力的多元调制方案之一。QMod将数据块分成4块,其中两块是传输数据信号,另外两块则映射到极化状态部分。每个极化状态块均有一位比特,那么它们可以产生4个极化状态组合。这些状态组合可以用来确定传输数据块在四元数4个不同维度中的位置,从而获得两位额外的传输比特。相比于传统的PMod技术,QMod有着更高的频谱效率。为了进一步挖掘QMod的潜力,介绍了由可重构智能表面(Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface,RIS)辅助的QMod系统,同时推导了该系统的平均误码率理论上界,并在瑞利信道下进行了BER性能仿真。仿真结果表明,RIS辅助的PMod或者QMod系统即便在较低的SNR情况下仍有良好的BER性能,并且随着RIS单元数的增多,其BER性能会逐步提升。     

Interfacial interactions and properties of cellular structured polyurethane nanocomposite based on carbonaceous nano-fillers

In this article, we have studied the effect of carbonaceous nanofillers viz. fullerenol (0D), carboxylated multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWCNT, 1D), hydroxylated graphene (2D) and combination of carboxylated CNT and hydroxylated graphene as 3D in thermoplastic polyurethane on the tensile properties of the fabricated cellular structures. The concentration of nano-fillers was varied as 0.1, 1, and 5 wt%. Tensile properties of the nanocomposite cellular structures were measured as per ASTM D882 at 20°C (below glass transition temperature, T_g) and 40°C (above T_g). The results have shown that the tensile strength was found to increase by 200%–300% and the tensile modulus was found to increase by 150%–300% for 2D and 3D nano-fillers while significantly poor results were observed for 0D. However, the test data tensile strength and modulus showed marginal increase at 20°C and marginally low at 40°C for 1D filler. The interfacial adhesion was calculated by using experimental tensile data and the predictive models. The interfacial adhesion parameter (B_σ) calculated using Pukanszky equation was found significantly higher value for 2D (B_σ20 = 195.8) and 3D (B_σ20 = 192.0) fillers while poor adhesion was observed for 0D (B_σ20 = −81.6) fillers. The developed cellular structured materials were also evaluated by attenuated total reflection Fourier transform IR spectra, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, and transmission electron microscope.     

Deformation-induced bonding of polymer films below the glass transition temperature

Bonding between polymers through interdiffusion of macromolecules is a well-known mechanism of polymer adhesion. A new polymer bonding mechanism in the solid state, taking place at ambient temperatures well below the glass transition value (T_g), has been recently reported; in this mechanism, bulk plastic compression of polymer films held in contact led to adhesion over timescales of the order of a fraction of a second. In this study, we prepared various blends of plasticized polymer films with desirable ductility from amorphous and semicrystalline powders of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose and polyvinyl alcohol derivatives; then, we observed the bonding of these polymers at ambient temperatures, up to 80 K below T_g, purely through mechanical deformation. The deformation-induced bonding of the polymer films studied in this work led to interfacial fracture toughnesses in the range of 1.0–21.0 J/m² when bulk plastic strains between 3% and 30% were imposed across the films. Scanning electron microscopy observation of the debonded interfaces also confirmed that bonding was caused by deformation-induced macromolecular mobilization and interpenetration. These results expand the range of applicability of sub-T_g, solid-state, deformation-induced bonding processes.     

Liquid Marble Patchwork on Super-Repellent Surface

Liquid marble (LM) is a droplet that is wrapped by hydrophobic solid particles, which behave as a non-wetting soft solid. Based on these properties, LM can be applied in fluidics and soft device applications. A wide variety of functional particles have been synthesized to form functional LMs. However, the formation of multifunctional LMs by integrating several types of functional particles is challenging. Here, a general strategy for the flexible patterning of functional particles on droplet surfaces in a patchwork-like design is reported. It is shown that LMs can switch their macroscopic behavior between a stable and active state on super-repellent surfaces in situ by jamming/unjamming the surface particles. Active LMs hydrostatically coalesce to form a self-sorted particle pattern on the droplet surface. With the support of LM handling robotics, on-demand cyclic activation–manipulation–coalescence–stabilization protocols by LMs with different sizes and particle types result in the reliable design of multi-faced LMs. Based on this concept, a single bi-functional LM is designed from two mono-functional LMs as an advanced droplet carrier.     

Lessons from a Minimal Genome: What Are the Essential Organizing Principles of a Cell Built from Scratch?

One of the primary challenges facing synthetic biology is reconstituting a living system from its component parts. A particularly difficult landmark is reconstituting a self-organizing system that can undergo autonomous chromosome compaction, segregation, and cell division. Here, we discuss how the syn3.0 minimal genome can inform us of the core self-organizing principles of a living cell and how these self-organizing processes can be built from the bottom up. The review underscores the importance of fundamental biology in rebuilding life from its molecular constituents.     

A novel miniaturized frequency selective surface

A novel single layer miniaturized frequency selective surface made of circular unit cell elements is presented in this article. The frequency selective surface (FSS) unit cell measures 0.055λ₀ × 0.055λ₀, where λ₀ corresponds to its free space wavelength. The proposed FSS offers band stop characteristics with bandwidth of 137.5 MHz centered at 1.39 GHz. The symmetrical structure of the unit cell elements provides polarization independency. The miniaturized unit cell elements help achieving angular independency for both TE and TM mode of polarization. The miniaturized design provides excellent angular independency with negligible frequency shift for varying incident angles. A prototype of the FSS is fabricated and its simulation results are validated using measurements.