Use of Sb spray for improved performance of InAs/GaAs quantum dots for novel photovoltaic structures

Photoluminescence output from InAs/GaAs quantum dots has been improved by a Sb treatment immediately prior to capping with GaAs. Spectra taken at 300 and 80 K show a significant increase in output intensity when the quantum dots are exposed for 15 s under a Sb flux of approximately 0.1 monolayers per second, but this improvement is lost when the Sb exposure is extended to 30 s. There is no significant shift in the emission energies between samples indicating strain relief due to the cap layer is not responsible for the improvement. Analysis of temperature dependent photoluminescence taken between 80 and 300 K show increased activation energies at lower temperatures when an Sb spray is used, suggesting passivation of deep defect levels. For the higher temperature activation energy, corresponding to carrier escape from the QD to the barrier, whilst a 15 s Sb spray gives a substantial increase, the longer 30 s Sb spray sees the activation energy decrease, a result deduced to be due to Sb segregation providing shallow defect levels. A band structure including a very thin GaAsSb layer adjacent to the quantum dots is used to explain these results, with the 30 s Sb spray leading to shallow Sb segregation related defects and a lower activation energy. Depth dependent X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data support the band structure proposed to explain the photoluminescence results and also reveals the highest concentration of Sb at the sample surface suggesting a ‘floating layer’ of Sb during growth of the GaAs cap. Some of the implications of these results, for growth of quantum dot samples and for two novel solar cell proposals, the intermediate band and hot carrier solar cells, are discussed.     

Novel electrohydrodynamic preparation of porous chitosan particles for drug delivery

Uniform spherical chitosan particles of size <10 μm in diameter are important in drug delivery applications due to their excellent biocompability and biodegradability. A high concentration of chitosan in the particles can help to control the release of drugs and methods for processing high viscosity chitosan solutions are therefore required. In principle, any type of polymer, whether hydrophobic or hydrophilic, can be electrosprayed to obtain monodisperse particles of diameter <10 μm. In practice, however, electrospraying of biopolymers having viscosities of >100 mPa s results in particles >10 μm diameter. In this study, by reducing surface tension of a high viscosity chitosan suspension, it was found that smaller diameter particles could be prepared. Chitosan solutions were electrosprayed in the stable cone-jet mode to systematically study the relationship between particle diameter, viscosity and surface tension. Increasing viscosity resulted in larger diameter particles with a broad size distribution, but decreasing surface tension had the opposite effect. Results show that a chitosan solution having a viscosity of ~80 mPa s can be used to prepare chitosan particles of diameter ~2.5 μm which on drying reduced to particles of 500 nm.     

Influence of hydroxyvalerate composition of polyhydroxy butyrate valerate (PHBV) copolymer on bone cell viability and in vitro degradation

The objective of this study was to elucidate the role of hydroxyvalerate (HV) composition in polyhydroxy butyrate valerate (PHBV) copolymer film on the degradation of copolymer and osteoblastic cell activity. Degradation was studied by monitoring time‐dependent changes in mass and chemical composition of the macroporous films. The mass loss of PHBV film upon 19 weeks of exposure to pH 7.4 phosphate buffer medium was found to range from 2.8% to 9.2% with a strong dependence on the original composition of the copolyester film and morphology. Tapping mode atomic force microscopy (TMAFM) was used to examine the roughness change of polyester films due to exposure to buffer medium. Chemical analysis of the degraded film was carried out using NMR to aid in the interpretation of the mass loss and TMAFM data. The NMR results showed a significant decrease in the mol % of HV content in the degraded PHBV film. Additionally, we established that UMR‐106 cell proliferation on macroporous PHBV matrix is minimally enhanced by the HV content of PHBV copolymer. Information provided by this study can be used in the selection of appropriate PHBV copolymer for clinical use where the biopolymer needs to remain physically intact and chemically unchanged during the intended period of biomedical application. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Increasing the nonlinear character of microbubble oscillations at low acoustic pressures

The nonlinear response of gas bubbles to acoustic excitation is an important phenomenon in both the biomedical and engineering sciences. In medical ultrasound imaging, for example, microbubbles are used as contrast agents on account of their ability to scatter ultrasound nonlinearly. Increasing the degree of nonlinearity, however, normally requires an increase in the amplitude of excitation, which may also result in violent behaviour such as inertial cavitation and bubble fragmentation. These effects may be highly undesirable, particularly in biomedical applications, and the aim of this work was to investigate alternative means of enhancing nonlinear behaviour. In this preliminary report, it is shown through theoretical simulation and experimental verification that depositing nanoparticles on the surface of a bubble increases the nonlinear character of its response significantly at low excitation amplitudes. This is due to the fact that close packing of the nanoparticles restricts bubble compression.     

Improvement of organic solar cell efficiency by solution-processed doping of pentacene in PEDOT:PSS layer

In the current research, organic solar cells (OSCs) with various concentrations of pentacene in Poly(ethylenedioxythiopene):Poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) interface layer were investigated for better hole extraction. The ITO/Pentacene?+?PEDOT:PSS/P3HT:PCBM/Al-fabricated solar cell fabricated via brush coating provides superior photovoltaic, electrical and optical characteristics when compared with the ITO/PEDOT:PSS/P3HT:PCBM/Al solar cell. The ITO/Pentacene?+?PEDOT:PSS/P3HT:PCBM/Al solar cells deliver a V_OC ~350?mV and 2.57% efficiency. It is observed that the optimized concentration of pentacene doping in PEDOT:PSS layer, along with an active layer of P3HT and PC₆₀BM, doubles the efficiency of the device, when compared with pristine PEDOT:PSS layer. The degradation studies of the fabricated bulk heterojunction OSCs reveal that the degrading abilities of ITO/Pentacene?+?PEDOT:PSS/P3HT:PCBM/Al solar cells are 60% more better than those of ITO/PEDOT:PSS/P3HT:PCBM/Al devices. Thus, this work will ultimately contribute toward fully solution processed painted device, which will provide low-cost manufacturing and improved stability of pentacene-based organic photovoltaics.     

Blend analysis by conventional infra-red spectrophotometry. Part 1-polyester/cotton blends

This paper deals with the blend analysis of polyester/cotton blends using conventional i.r. spectrophotometry. More accurate prediction of blend composition is possible by using the peak areas at the 725cm^-1 band and logarithmic ratios of 3385cm^-1/725cm^-1 and 3385cm^-1/1715cm^-1 than by using the 1715cm^-1 peak area as is the normal practice. The results are then found to be less affected by sample inhomogeneity and variations in sampling accuracy.     

Relating microtexture and dynamic micro hardness in an extruded AA8090 alloy and AA8090-8 vol% SiCp composite

The present study involves combined measurements of microtexture and dynamic ultra micro hardness (DUH) in hot extruded AA8090 aluminum alloy and its composite reinforced with 8 vol% SiC_p. Both the materials show strong crystallographic fiber textures—111 and 001. The dynamic micro hardness shows a clear pattern of difference between these two fiber textures, 111 oriented grains being harder and stiffer. The difference in θ/d between the fibers, where θ and d are the average cell misorientation and cell size, respectively, was marginal in the alloy and thus cannot explain the observed hardness difference. The hardness difference can be explained from the difference in Taylor factors between the respective fibers. Elastic stiffness values estimated from microtexture and DUH follow a similar trend qualitatively.     

Nuclear data sheets for A = 138

Detailed level schemes and the experimental reaction and decay data on which they are based are presented for all the nuclei with mass number A = 138. The experimental data are evaluated; inconsistencies and discrepancies are noted; and adopted values for level and gamma-ray energies, gamma intensities, and other nuclear properties are given. All data received before December 1975 have been included.     

Place Making for Knowledge Generation and Innovation: Planning and Branding Brisbane's Knowledge Community Precincts

Knowledge generation and innovation have been a priority for global city administrators particularly during the last couple of decades. This is mainly due to the growing consensus in identifying knowledge-based urban development as a panacea for burgeoning economic problems. Place making has become a critical element for success in knowledge-based urban development as planning and branding places is claimed to be an effective marketing tool for attracting investment and talent. This paper aims to investigate the role of planning and branding in place making by assessing the effectiveness of planning and branding strategies in the development of knowledge and innovation milieus. The methodology of the study comprises reviewing the literature thoroughly, developing an analysis framework, and using this framework to analyze Brisbane's knowledge community precincts—namely Boggo Road Knowledge Precinct, Kelvin Grove Urban Knowledge Village, and Sippy Downs Knowledge Town. The analysis findings generate invaluable insights into Brisbane's journey in place making for knowledge and innovation milieus and communities. The results suggest as much as good planning, branding strategies, and good practice, the requirements of external and internal conditions also need to be met for successful place making in knowledge community precincts.     

Utilization of the Antiferromagnetic IrMn Electrode in Spin Thermoelectric Devices and Their Beneficial Hybrid for Thermopiles

The thermoelectric effect in various magnetic systems, in which electric voltage is generated by a spin current, has attracted much interest owing to its potential applications in energy harvesting, but its power generation capability has to be improved further for actual applications. In this study, the first instance of the formation of a spin thermopile via a simplified and straightforward method which utilizes two distinct characteristics of antiferromagnetic IrMn is reported: the inverse spin Hall effect and the exchange bias. The former allows the IrMn efficiently to convert the thermally induced spin current into a measurable voltage, and the latter can be used to control the spin direction of adjacent ferromagnetic materials. It is observed that a thermoelectric signal is successfully amplified in spin thermopiles with exchange‐biased IrMn/CoFeB structures, where an alternating magnetic alignment is formed using the IrMn thickness dependence of the exchange bias. The scalable signal on a number of thermopiles allowing a large‐area application paves the way toward the development of practical spin thermoelectric devices. A detailed model analysis is also provided for a quantitative understanding of the thermoelectric voltages, which consist of the spin Seebeck and anomalous Nernst contributions.