Optimization of Sr content in layered SmBa1–xSrxCo2O5+δ perovskite cathodes for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells

Cation ordered perovskites have been recognized as advanced cathode materials for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs). This study focuses on the effects of Sr substitution on crystal characteristics, electrical properties, and electrochemical performance of SmBa_1−xSr_xCo₂O_5+δ (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1.0) as an IT-SOFC cathode material. The electrical conductivity improves with increasing Sr content due to the greater amount of electronic holes originated from the increased interstitial oxygen. The area specific resistances (ASRs) of SmBa_1−xSr_xCo₂O_5+δ decrease with Sr content up to x = 0.75 and increase abruptly for x = 1. For x = 0.75, the lowest ASR value, 0.138 Ω cm², and the highest single cell performance, 1.039 W cm⁻² at 600 °C, are obtained. These results indicate that SmBa_1−xSr_xCo₂O_5+δ is optimized at x = 0.75 in terms of obtaining the best performance for IT-SOFCs.     

Preparation and evaluation of poly(2-hydroxyethyl aspartamide)-hexadecylamine-iron oxide for MR imaging of lymph nodes

The purpose of this study was to synthesize biocompatible poly(2-hydroxyethyl aspartamide)–C₁₆-iron oxide (PHEA-C₁₆-iron oxide) nanoparticles and to evaluate their efficacy as a contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging of lymph nodes. The PHEA-C₁₆-iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by coprecipitation method. The core size of the PHEA-C₁₆-iron oxide nanoparticles was about 5 to 7 nm, and the overall size of the nanoparticles was around 20, 60, and 150 nm in aqueous solution. The size of the nanoparticles was controlled by the amount of C₁₆. The 3.0-T MRI signal intensity of a rabbit lymph node was effectively reduced after intravenous administration of PHEA-C₁₆-iron oxide with the size of 20 nm. The in vitro and in vivo toxicity tests revealed the high biocompatibility of PHEA-C₁₆-iron oxide nanoparticles. Therefore, PHEA-C₁₆-iron oxide nanoparticles with 20-nm size can be potentially useful as T2-weighted MR imaging contrast agents for the detection of lymph nodes.     

Commercial Runner peanut cultivars in the USA: Fatty acid composition

Though peanuts are classified as a high‐fat food, they possess good proportions of fatty acids deemed as heart healthy. The fatty acid compositions of Runner peanuts were determined for commercially grown cultivars over two recent crop years. GC‐FID analyses revealed that the fatty acid levels for Runner peanuts were significantly (p <0.05) different among the normal, mid‐, and high‐oleic peanuts investigated. Oleic acid‐to‐linoleic acid (O/L) ratios were found to be 1.93 ± 0.30, 5.25 ± 1.12, and 16.9 ± 5.20 for normal, mid‐, and high‐oleic peanut lipids, respectively. Tamrun OL01 possessed a fatty acid profile characteristic of a mid‐oleic cultivar. From the sample set (n = 151), mean % weights for oleic acid and linoleic acid were 52.09 ± 2.84 and 27.38 ± 2.60 in normal, 69.33 ± 3.18 and 13.66 ± 2.35 in mid‐oleic, and 78.45 ± 2.05 and 5.11 ± 1.67 in high‐oleic peanuts, respectively. Cluster analysis segregated cultivars based on fatty acids into normal, mid‐, and high‐oleic groups. Factorial analysis revealed that cultivar effects were significant (p <0.01) for all fatty acids, except for lignoceric acid. Cultivar effects were also highly significant (p <0.001) for O/L, IV, unsaturated/saturated fatty acid (U/S) ratio, and % saturation. Significant crop year effects were shown for palmitic, oleic, arachidic, gondoic, and lignoceric acids, as well as U/S ratio and % saturation. Healthy unsaturated fats accounted for ?80% in all crop years and cultivars.     

A perturbation analysis on solid polymer surfaces

A linear stability model was formulated to analyze the perturbation of solid polymer surfaces. Surface energy and thermal stress were considered as the main variables. The surface tends to more unstable as the temperature increase. This is interpreted as the dominancy of the lattice vacancy diffusion over surface mass diffusion and the increase in thermal stress.     

Diffraction by an arbitrary-angled dielectric wedge. II. Correctionto physical optics solution

For pt.I see ibid., vol.39, no.9, p.1272-81 (1991). The error of the physical optics solution for the E-polarized plane wave incidence in connection with diffraction by an arbitrary-angled dielectric wedge is corrected by calculating the nonuniform current distributed along the dielectric interfaces. Two kinds of series expansions to the nonuniform current are employed. One is an asymptotic expansion as the multipole line source located at the edge of the dielectric wedge, since the correction field seems to be a cylindrical wave emanating from the edge in the far-field region. The other is arbitrary electric and magnetic surface currents expanded by infinite series of the Bessel functions, i.e. the Neumann expansion, of which fractional order is chosen to satisfy the edge condition near the edge of the dielectric wedge in the static limit. Both of the two different expansion coefficients for a wedge angle of 45°, relative dielectric constants 2, 10, and 100, and the E-polarized incident angle of 150° are evaluated by solving the dual series equation numerically after finite truncation     

Fluorinated xerogel-derived microelectrodes for amperometric nitric oxide sensing

An amperometric fluorinated xerogel-derived nitric oxide (NO) microelectrode is described. A range of fluorine-modified xerogel polymers were synthesized via the cohydrolysis and condensation of alkylalkoxy- and fluoroalkoxysilanes. Such polymers were evaluated as NO sensor membranes to identify the optimum composition for maximizing NO permeability while providing sufficient selectivity for NO in the presence of common interfering species. By taking advantage of both the versatility of sol-gel chemistry and the "poly(tetrafluoroethylene)-like" high NO permselective properties of the xerogels, the performance of the fluorinated xerogel-derived sensors was excellent, surpassing all miniaturized NO sensors reported to date. In contrast to previous electrochemical NO sensor designs, xerogel-based NO microsensors were fabricated using a simple, reliable dip-coating procedure. An optimal permselective membrane was achieved by synthesizing xerogels of methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMOS) and 20% (heptadecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrodecyl)trimethoxysilane (17FTMS, balance MTMOS) under acid-catalyzed conditions. The resulting NO microelectrode had a conical tip of approximately 20 microm in diameter and approximately 55 microm in length and exhibited sensitivities of 7.91 pA x nM (-1) from 0.2 to 3.0 nM (R (2) = 0.9947) and 7.60 nA x microM (-1) from 0.5 to 4.0 microM ( R (2) = 0.9999), detection limit of 83 pM (S/ N = 3), response time ( t 95%) of <3 s, and selectivity (log K NO, j (amp)) of -5.74, <-6, <-6, <-6, <-6, -5.84, and -1.33 for j = nitrite, ascorbic acid, uric acid, acetaminophen, dopamine, ammonia/ammonium, and carbon monoxide. In addition, the sensor proved functional up to 20 d, maintaining >or=90% of the sensor's initial sensitivity without serious deterioration in selectivity.     

Interface‐Driven Partial Dislocation Formation in 2D Heterostructures

Van der Waals (vdW) epitaxy allows the fabrication of various heterostructures with dramatically released lattice matching conditions. This study demonstrates interface‐driven stacking boundaries in WS₂ using epitaxially grown tungsten disulfide (WS₂) on wrinkled graphene. Graphene wrinkles function as highly reactive nucleation sites on WS₂ epilayers; however, they impede lateral growth and induce additional stress in the epilayer due to anisotropic friction. Moreover, partial dislocation‐driven in‐plane strain facilitates out‐of‐plane buckling with a height of 1 nm to release in‐plane strain. Remarkably, in‐plane strain relaxation at partial dislocations restores the bandgap to that of monolayer WS₂ due to reduced interlayer interaction. These findings clarify significant substrate morphology effects even in vdW epitaxy and are potentially useful for various applications involving modifying optical and electronic properties by manipulating extended 1D defects via substrate morphology control.     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of quaternary Cr–Si–O–N films by a hybrid coating system

Quaternary Cr–Si–O–N films were deposited by a hybrid coating system using a Cr cathodic arc target and a Si sputtering target in an Ar/N₂/O₂ gaseous mixture. The influence of oxygen flux rate on the microstructure and properties of the Cr–Si–O–N films were investigated. The results indicated that the oxygen-free Cr–Si–N film exhibited nanocolumnar microstructure containing CrN nano columns and amorphous Si₃N₄ phase. The Cr–Si–O–N films exhibit equiaxed CrN nanocrystallites likely surrounded by amorphous SiO₂ and Si₃N₄ phases. Further increasing the oxygen content gives films containing Cr₂O₃ crystallites. The hardness first increases from 30 GPa for the Cr–Si–N film to a maximum value of approximately 50 GPa for the oxygen content of 16 at.% and then decreases for larger oxygen content. All the Cr–Si–O–N films exhibit low friction coefficient (0.22–0.26) and low residual stress (− 0.03–0.08 GPa). The influence of the oxygen content on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the Cr–Si–O–N films is discussed.     

Design and behaviour of a reinforced concrete high‐rise tube building with belt walls

This paper discusses modelling, analysis and design issues for a 55‐storey hotel building recently planned for New York City, USA. The lateral force resistance of the investigated building primarily makes use of exterior reinforced concrete shear walls in one direction and exterior reinforced concrete moment frames in the other direction, in which tube action credited to the connection of the walls and frames was designed to play a significant role in the lateral stiffness and strength. In addition, a full‐storey belt wall system, enclosing the entire perimeter of the building at approximately the mid‐height, is expected to provide a considerable contribution to the lateral force resistance. In this paper, the contribution of tube action and the belt wall system to structural behaviour is investigated in terms of quantitative measures such as lateral drift, building dynamic properties and flange frame contribution to overturning moment resistance. In addition, axial force distribution among the various vertical members under lateral forces is discussed for each of the two principal building directions. Finally, the seismic behaviour of the investigated building is qualitatively discussed in order to propose a seismic force‐resisting system classification into which this concrete tube system would fit. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.