Electrical properties of Poly(ethylene glycol dimethacrylate-n-vinyl imidazole)/Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes/n-Si Schottky diodes formed by surface polymerization of Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes

In this paper we report the electrical characteristics of the Schottky diodes formed by surface polymerization of the Poly(ethylene glycol dimethacrylate-n-vinyl imidazole)/Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes on n-Si. The Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes were synthesized by CVD method. The main electrical properties of the Poly(ethylene glycol dimethacrylate-n-vinyl imidazole)/Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes/n-Si have been investigated through the barrier heights, the ideality factors and the impurity density distribution, by using current-voltage and reverse bias capacitance voltage characteristics. Electrical measurements were carried out at room temperature. Poly(ethylene glycol dimethacrylate-n-vinyl imidazole)/Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes/n-Si Schottky diode current-voltage characteristics display low reverse-bias leakage currents and average barrier heights of 0.61 ± 0.02 eV and 0.72 ± 0.02 eV obtained from both current-voltage and capacitance-voltage measurements at room temperature, respectively.     

Atomically detailed models of gas mixture diffusion through CuBTC membranes

Metal–organic frameworks are intriguing crystalline nanoporous materials that have potential applications in adsorption-based and membrane-based gas separations. We describe atomically detailed simulations of gas adsorption and diffusion in CuBTC that have been used to predict the performance of CuBTC membranes for separation of H₂/CH₄, CO₂/CH₄ and CO₂/H₂ mixtures. CuBTC membranes are predicted to have higher selectivities for all three mixtures than MOF-5 membranes, the only other metal–organic framework material for which detailed predictions of membrane selectivities have been made. Our results give insight into the physical properties that will be desirable in tuning the pore structure of MOFs for specific membrane-based separations.     

Disintegration efficiency of pulsed electric field induced effects on onion (Allium cepa L.) tissues as a function of pulse protocol and determination of cell integrity by ¹H-NMR relaxometry

The influence of electrical pulse protocol parameters on cell rupture of onion tissues was investigated in order to improve fundamental understanding and to enhance the processing of plant tissues with pulsed electric fields (PEFs). The impact of PEF parameters on cell integrity of 20 mm dia, 4-mm thick disks of Don Victor onions (Allium cepa L.) was determined by ion leakage measurements. Electric field strength, pulse width, total pulse duration, and frequency effects were determined in relation to their effects on cell damage as a function of pulse protocol. Electric field strengths up to 500 V/cm increased the damage efficiency but there was no significant difference in efficiency beyond this field strength. Larger pulse widths increased the degree of tissue disintegration at a constant pulse number. Higher PEF efficiency was achieved with shorter pulse widths and a larger number of pulses at a constant total treatment time. Lower frequencies caused a greater degree of disintegration at constant number of pulses. 1H-NMR experiments were performed to determine the proton relaxation components of the PEF-treated onion samples and to obtain cell damage information nondestructively. Paramagnetic ion uptake by the onion sample was used to identify different proton relaxation components. Five different proton relaxation components were observed and changes in the 2 components representing different proton environments showed high correlations with ion leakage results (R2= 0.99), indicating that T(2) distributions can be used to obtain information about cell membrane integrity in PEF-treated samples. 1H-NMR proved to be an effective method for nondestructive quantification of cell membrane rupture in onions.     

Preparation and characterization of La0.8Sr0.2Ga0.83Mg0.17O3 electrolyte by polyol method for solid oxide fuel cells

Perovskite type La_0.8Sr_0.2Ga_0.83Mg_0.17O₃ powders were prepared via simple polyol method for the first time in literature. Obtained material was characterized by using XRD, SEM, Impedance Spectroscopy and density measurements. Pure LSGM powders were achieved after heat treatment at 1100 °C for 12 h. 87% relative density was obtained after pressing of these powders under 1 MPa and sintering at 1250 °C for 12 h. Average particle size was calculated as 1.77–2.4 μm from SEM micrographs. Overall conductivity of the LSGM pellet was found to be 0.0014 S/cm at 850 °C with impedance analysis and showed that the preparation process needs improvements.     

Design, Fabrication, and Characterization of a Rotary Micromotor Supported on Microball Bearings

We report the design, fabrication, and characterization of a rotary micromotor supported on microball bearings. This is the first demonstration of a rotary micromachine with a robust mechanical support provided by microball-bearing technology. A six-phase bottom-drive variable-capacitance micromotor (Phi = 14 mm) is designed and simulated using the finite-element (FE) method. The stator and the rotor are fabricated separately on silicon substrates and assembled with the microballs. Three layers of low-k benzocyclobutene polymer, two layers of gold, and a silicon microball housing are fabricated on the stator. Microball housing and salient structures (poles) are etched in the rotor and are coated with a silicon carbide film that reduces the friction without which the operation was not possible. A top angular velocity of 517 r/min, corresponding to the linear tip velocity of 324 mm/s, is measured at plusmn150-V and 800-Hz excitation. This is 44 times higher than the velocity previously demonstrated for linear micromotors supported on the microball bearings. A noncontact method is developed to extract the torque and the bearing coefficient of friction through dynamic response measurements. The torque is indirectly measured to be -5.62 plusmn 0.5 muN ldr m at plusmn150-V excitation which is comparable with the FE simulation results predicting -6.75 muN ldr m. The maximum output mechanical power at plusmn150 V and 517 r/min was calculated to be 307 muW. The bearing coefficient of friction is measured to be 0.02 plusmn 0.002 which is in good agreement with the previously reported values. The rotary micromotor developed in this paper is a platform technology for centrifugal micropumps used for fuel-delivery and cooling applications.     

Theoretical study of corrosion inhibition of amides and thiosemicarbazones

An examination of quantum chemical and corrosion inhibition studies were carried out to investigate whether any clear links exist between the results of quantum chemical calculations and the experimental efficiencies of urea (U), thiourea (TU), acetamide (A), thioacetamide (TA), semicarbazide (SC), thiosemicarbazide (TSC), methoxybenzaldehydethiosemicarbazone (MBTSC), 2-acetylpyridine-(4phenyl) thiosemicarbazone (2AP4PTSC), 2-acetylpyridine-(4-methyl) thiosemicarbazone (2AP4MTSC), benzointhiosemicarbazone (BZOTSC) and benzilthiosemicarbazone (BZITSC) being corrosion inhibitors. The quantum chemical calculations have been performed by using DFT, ab-initio molecular orbital and semi-empirical methods for some amides and thiosemicarbozone derivatives being corrosion inhibitors. The highest occupied molecular orbital energy (E_HOMO), lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy (E_LUMO), the energy gap between E_HOMO and E_LUMO (ΔE_HOMO-LUMO), dipole moments (μ), charges on the C, O, N, S atoms, the total energies of the molecules and the polarizabilities 〈α〉, the coefficients of the development of the MO over the atomic orbital (AO) corresponding to the between atoms which a new bond is established have been calculated.The results of quantum chemical calculations and experimental efficiencies of inhibitors were subjected to correlation analysis. We have reached the conclusion that the synthesis of better corrosion inhibitors can be achieved by controlling all electronic properties and parameters of a selected group of molecules.     

Wavelet networks for nonlinear system modeling

This study presents a nonlinear systems and function learning by using wavelet network. Wavelet networks are as neural network for training and structural approach. But, training algorithms of wavelet networks is required a smaller number of iterations when the compared with neural networks. Gaussian-based mother wavelet function is used as an activation function. Wavelet networks have three main parameters; dilation, translation, and connection parameters (weights). Initial values of these parameters are randomly selected. They are optimized during training (learning) phase. Because of random selection of all initial values, it may not be suitable for process modeling. Because wavelet functions are rapidly vanishing functions. For this reason heuristic procedure has been used. In this study serial-parallel identification model has been applied to system modeling. This structure does not utilize feedback. Real system outputs have been exercised for prediction of the future system outputs. So that stability and approximation of the network is guaranteed. Gradient methods have been applied for parameters updating with momentum term. Quadratic cost function is used for error minimization. Three example problems have been examined in the simulation. They are static nonlinear functions and discrete dynamic nonlinear system.     

Equilibrium, kinetic and thermodynamic studies on the adsorption of phenol onto chitin

The adsorption of phenol onto chitin, a naturally occurring material was studied as a function of initial pH, temperature and initial phenol concentration. The highest phenol adsorption capacity was determined as 21.5 mgg(-1) for 300 mgdm(-3) initial phenol concentration at pH 1.0 and 40 degrees C. Adsorption data were well described by the Freundlich Model, although they could be modeled by the Langmuir equation. The pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models were applied to test the experimental data. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model provided the best correlation of the experimental data compared to the pseudo-first-order model. The thermodynamic constants of the adsorption process; DeltaG degrees , DeltaH degrees and DeltaS degrees were evaluated as -19.4 kJmol(-1) (at 40 degrees C), 10.2 kJmol(-1) and 0.093 kJmol(-1)K(-1), respectively. These showed that adsorption of phenol on chitin was endothermic and spontaneous.     

The influence of gallium on the magnetocaloric properties of Gd5Si2Ge2

Gd₅Si₂Ge₂ was alloyed with varying amounts of Ga to study its influence on the giant magnetocaloric effect. Investigations on Gd₅(Si_2−xGe_2−x)Ga_2x with 2x = 0.03, 0.05 and 0.13 were carried out using X-ray powder diffraction, temperature and magnetic field dependent magnetization measurements, and differential scanning calorimetry. We observe that as the Ga content increases, the temperature stability range of the monoclinic phase narrows, and the orthorhombic structure gains stability. This is expected to be related to the decrease in the (Si/Ge)(Si/Ge) bond distance in the monoclinic phase. The maximum entropy change for the parent compound at 270 K was found to be 9.8 J kg⁻¹ K⁻¹ in an applied field of 5 T. For 2x = 0.03, this value reduces to 8.5 J kg⁻¹ K⁻¹, and the temperature corresponding to the maximum entropy change shifts marginally to 278 K. For other 2x values, the maximum entropy change further decreases.