Polythiophene gold nanoparticles composite film for application to glucose sensor

Regioregular poly‐3‐hexylthiophene (regP3HT) and dithiobissuccinimidyl propionate (DTSP) have been used to prepare bifunctionalized gold nanoparticles (Bf AuNPs). Processable properties of regP3HT have been used to obtain regP3HT‐AuNPs‐DTSP film on a gold‐coated glass surface and the succinimidyl group of DTSP in this regP3HT‐AuNPs‐DTSP/Au electrode has been utilized for covalent immobilization of glucose oxidase (GOx). The UV‐visible (UV‐vis), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic studies have been used to characterize regP3HT‐AuNPs‐DTSP/Au and GOx‐regP3HT‐AuNPs‐DTSP/Au electrode, respectively. This GOx‐regP3HT‐AuNPs‐DTSP/Au bioelectrode shows response time of 10 s, linearity from 25 to 300 mg/dL of glucose and the value of Michaelis‐Menten constant as 5.85 mM (105.3 mg/dL). © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Study of photoelectret phenomenon and dark depolarization current in evaporated semiconductor films of CdS

The photoelectret properties of vacuum evaporated CdS films on Pyrex glass plate have been studied. The deposition conditions were controlled to obtain high resistivity CdS films (resistivity of the order of 10⁷ Ω cm). The photoelectret polarization was carried out by simultaneous application of electric field and white light illumination from tungsten lamp source. The polarization exhibits the linear dependence upon the polarizing voltage and polarizing time, with saturation effects for large values of these parameters. The polarization in films is found to be four orders of magnitude higher than the corresponding value in thick CdS crystals or powders. The dark depolarization current decay is very slow, and time for current, to decay to approximately half of its initial value varies between 1 and 8 min. This large decay time is correlated to the presence of deep trap levels in the CdS films. The study is of significance to improve the performance of thin film CdS devices.     

Influence of Laser Power on the Hardening of Ti6Al4V Low-Pressure Steam Turbine Blade Material for Enhancing Water Droplet Erosion Resistance

To overcome water droplet erosion of Ti6Al4V alloy blade material used in low-pressure steam turbine (LPST) of high-rating nuclear and super critical thermal power plants, high-power diode laser (HPDL) surface treatment at two temperatures corresponding to two different power levels was carried out. During incubation as well as under prolonged erosion testing, the HPDL surface treatment of this alloy has enhanced its resistance significantly. This is due to the formation of fine-grained martensitic (ά) phase due to rapid heating and cooling associated with laser treatment. The droplet erosion test results after HPDL surface treatment on this alloy, SEM, XRD analysis, and residual stresses developed due to HPDL surface treatment are given in this paper.     

Preparation temperature effect on the synthesis of various carbon nanostructures

Various carbon nanostructures (CNs) have been prepared by a simple deposition technique based on the pyrolysis of a new carbon source material tetrahydrofuran (THF) mixed with ferrocene using quartz tube reactor in the temperature range 700–1100 °C. A detailed study of how the synthesis parameter such as growth temperature affects the morphology of the carbon nanostructures is presented. The obtained CNs are investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron dispersive scattering (EDS), thermogravimetry analysis (TGA), Raman and transmission electron microscope (TEM). It is observed that at 700 °C, normal CNTs are formed. Iron filled multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and carbon nanoribbons (CNRs) are formed at 950 °C. Magnetic characterization of iron filled MWCNTs and CNRs studied at 300 K by superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) reveals that these nanostructures have an enhanced coercivity (Hc = 1049 Oe) higher than that of bulk Fe. The large shape anisotropy of MWCNTs, which act on the encapsulated material (Fe), is attributed for the contribution of the higher coercivity. Coiled carbon nanotubes (CCNTs) were obtained as main products in large quantities at temperature 1100 °C.     

Digitally controlled oscillator design with a variable capacitance XOR gate

A digitally controlled oscillator(DCO) using a three-transistor XOR gate as the variable load has been presented.A delay cell using an inverter and a three-transistor XOR gate as the variable capacitance is also proposed. Three-,five- and seven-stage DCO circuits have been designed using the proposed delay cell.The output frequency is controlled digitally with bits applied to the delay cells.The three-bit DCO shows output frequency and power consumption variation in the range of 3.2486-4.0267 GHz and 0.6121-0.3901 mW,respectively,with a change in the control word 111-000.The five-bit DCO achieves frequency and power of 1.8553-2.3506 GHz and 1.0202-0.6501 mW,respectively,with a change in the control word 11111-00000.Moreover,the seven-bit DCO shows a frequency and power consumption variation of 1.3239-1.6817 GHz and 1.4282-0.9102 mW,respectively, with a varying control word 1111111-0000000.The power consumption and output frequency of the proposed circuits have been compared with earlier reported circuits and the present approaches show significant improvements.     

Experimental Setup and Standardization of a Continuous Flow Stable Isotope Mass Spectrometer for Measuring Stable Isotopes of Carbon,Nitrogen and Sulfur in Environmental Samples

We present here the experimental setup and standardization of a newly acquired stable isotope ratio mass-spectrometer (Isoprime 100, Isoprime^® UK) coupled with elemental analyzer (Pyrocube, Elementar^®-Germany) in a continuous flow mode, for the measurements of C, N and S isotopes in a variety of natural as well as synthetic organics and sulfur containing solid samples. We have calibrated our instrument using a suite of certified international standards supplied by International Atomic Energy Agency Vienna and cross-checked against several in-house laboratory standards used by other institutions of international repute. A synthetic organic compound Sulfanilamide was continuously used along with international standards to develop an in-house internal laboratory standard for the accurate and precise isotopic measurements. Important components contributing to the overall uncertainty of the isotopic measurements such as blank contributions, amount effect and response of mass-spectrometric current against thermal conductivity detector were performed using several aliquots of ε-Amino-n-caproic acid and sulfanilamide (in-house) standards. Both short and long term variabilities in the measure isotopic data were assessed using our in-house laboratory standard Sulfanilamide. Overall estimated uncertainties of C, N and S isotopic measurements are better than 0.2, 0.2 and 0.3 ‰, respectively; which are well within the recommended limits of aforementioned isotopic data.