Porous polyimides from polycyclic aromatic linkers: Selective CO2 capture and hydrogen storage

Porous polyimides are important class of macromolecules owing to their excellent redox behaviour, efficient capture of CO₂ and H₂ gases, interesting photocatalytic properties and superior thermal and chemical stabilities. Here we describe in detail, the synthesis and gas storage properties of a series of porous polyimides (Tr-NPI, Tr-PPI, Tr-CPI, Td-PPI and Td-CPI) with various network topologies derived from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon linkers. These polyimides are synthesized in a single step by the condensation of corresponding polycyclic aromatic dianhydrides (NDA, PDA and CDA) with structure directing amine (TAPA and TAPM) monomers, having trigonal and tetrahedral geometry. The structure of all the polymers was fully characterized by various techniques. The present work also introduces for the first time porous polyimides containing rigid polycyclic aromatic compounds such as coronene. All the polyimides presented here exhibit high thermal stability and show selectivity towards CO₂ uptake at room temperature (293 K), due to the presence of aromatic clouds and CO₂ phillic oxygen and nitrogen functionalities on their pore surface. Moreover these polymers also showed significant uptake of H₂ gas (77 K). The present work has significant implications on the design of robust porous organic solids from small molecules for efficient capture of CO₂ and H₂ gases.     

Synthesis and structural characterization of single-crystalline branched nanowire heterostructures

We report the synthesis of three-dimensional single-crystalline branched nanowire heterostructures, where the backbones and branches are assembled with ZnS and CdS, respectively. Growth of branch and backbones with control over the compositions was enabled via sequential seeding of gold nanocluster catalysts. Elemental mapping data confirmed that branched nanowire heterostructures were synthesized with the intended chemical modulation, CdS branches on ZnS backbones. Transmission electron microscopy studies showed that the growth of heterostructure branches occurs epitaxially from the backbone while maintaining single-crystalline structure. This unique class of heterostructures holds great potential in assembling electronics and photonics in three dimensions.     

Highly scalable non-volatile and ultra-low-power phase-change nanowire memory

The search for a universal memory storage device that combines rapid read and write speeds, high storage density and non-volatility is driving the exploration of new materials in nanostructured form. Phase-change materials, which can be reversibly switched between amorphous and crystalline states, are promising in this respect, but top-down processing of these materials into nanostructures often damages their useful properties. Self-assembled nanowire-based phase-change material memory devices offer an attractive solution owing to their sub-lithographic sizes and unique geometry, coupled with the facile etch-free processes with which they can be fabricated. Here, we explore the effects of nanoscaling on the memory-storage capability of self-assembled Ge2Sb2Te5 nanowires, an important phase-change material. Our measurements of write-current amplitude, switching speed, endurance and data retention time in these devices show that such nanowires are promising building blocks for non-volatile scalable memory and may represent the ultimate size limit in exploring current-induced phase transition in nanoscale systems.     

Integration of a Photovoltaic Panel with an Electric City Car

Abstract—Autonomy of light electric vehicles with limited mobility can be improved by assisting onboard energy sources, such as battery and ultra-capacitors, by solar energy. This article discusses the integration of a photovoltaic panel with an electric city car. The Photovoltaic Geographical Information Systems of Joint Research Center, Europe, is used for estimating the solar irradiance. Based on the estimations, a DC-to-DC boost converter topology is considered to interface the panel with the DC bus of the electric car. Experimental evaluation of the performance is carried out under a real climatic situation. An analytical loss model is used to comment on the associated losses and to explain the measured changes in gain and efficiency under varying irradiance. Acceptable extension in the autonomy of the electric city car is predicted from the results.     

Small GTPases and Their Regulators: A Leading Road toward Blood Vessel Development in Zebrafish

Members of the Ras superfamily have been found to perform several functions leading to the development of eukaryotes. These small GTPases are divided into five major subfamilies, and their regulators can “turn on” and “turn off” signals. Recent studies have shown that this superfamily of proteins has various roles in the process of vascular development, such as vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. Here, we discuss the role of these subfamilies in the development of the vascular system in zebrafish.     

A prefix-based approach for joint Doppler and channel estimation in underwater communication

Developing a reliable and robust underwater acoustic communication system is a difficult task due to the complicated nature of the underwater channel, non-stationary noise, and several other factors. Indeed, channel estimation or equalization presents numerous challenges in this non-stationary, highly Doppler, multipath environment; as a result, traditional equalizers and PLL-based methods have limited performance. Generally, communication over such time-varying channels is accomplished via packets that contain a prefix/preamble signal for training, a payload containing the actual data, and a silent period for proper alignment. The prefix signal must be designed properly because it is used to estimate the channel and determine the start of the packet. In this paper, we propose a new prefix signal based on the hyperbolic chirp signal, which has Doppler invariance properties. These properties enable the extraction of the entire packet even under severe multipath and Doppler. Our new proposed prefix signal can accurately and efficiently characterize an underwater channel by estimating the multipath delay, amplitude, and Doppler scales. Our new method has been validated through extensive simulations using various channel models for its robustness and effectiveness under various conditions. It has also been tested on a real-world channel.     

Development of in-situ pico hydropower from treated drain wastewater

Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy - Hydropower contributes around 13% of the total renewable power generation in India. Hydraulic power plants are dependent on diversion...