Negative faradaic resistance in extracellular electron transfer by anode-respiring Geobacter sulfurreducens cells

Geobacter sulfurreducens is a gram-negative δ-proteobacterium that is capable of transferring respiratory electrons to solid-state extracellular acceptors, including anodes, via abundant c-type cytochromes expressed in the outer membrane. As extracellular electron transfer (EET) to solid-state acceptors can proceed without the addition of exogenous mediators, this microbe has attracted significant attention with respect to energy conversion between electrical and chemical energy. Here, we revealed that clear redox peaks were present in the whole-cell cyclic voltammogram of G. sulfurreducens at around -0.15 V vs Ag|AgCl when tin-doped In(2)O(3) (ITO) glass was used as an anode. Interestingly, the EET current decreased in the potential region more positive than the midpoint potential (E(m)) of the redox peak. Thus, EET of anode-respiring G. sulfurreducens cells exhibited a negative Faradaic resistance (NFR) characteristic at the E(m) of the redox peak, in contrast to general electrochemical systems where the Faradaic current typically increases with increasing overpotential.     

Advanced fabrication technologies of integrated-type structure for a-Si solar cells

This paper proposes a new advanced fabrication technology for a low-cost integrated-type a-Si solar cell. Integrated-type cells provide many advantages and have been industrialized with a laser patterning method. However, a higher throughput and more efficient patterning method was required for applying a-Si solar cells to a power generating system. Plasma CVM (Chemical Vaporization Machining) was first applied to advanced patterning because of its advantages of high speed and selectivity. In this method, a plasma generated under high pressure localizes near the wire electrode and concentrates reactive radicals. As a result, we achieved an etching rate of more than 1 μm/s and selective patterning of a 200 μm-wide a-Si layer in 1 s multiline patterning was also developed for large-area modules.     

Heat Transfer & Thermal Stress Analysis of Plastic-Encapsulated ICs

Analytic approaches of thermal stress in plastic-encapslated ICs reliability have been studied using a simple, 2-dimensional model of the cross section of ICs by the finite-element method. To test the validity of the model, the actual stress within the silicon chip was measured using piezoresistive devices. The calculated stress in the silicon chip agreed with the experimental values. The stress distributions were changed by lead-frame properties. Package cracking, and delamination between the molding plastic and the lead-frame were qualitatively explained. We estimated the effect of the plastic properties on stress quantitatively. Furthermore, to test the validity of this model, the temperature change at the silicon chip was measured using the Vf temperature dependency of a diode. The calculated temperature change at the silicon chip agreed with the observed values. A very high temperature gradient was observed near the surface of the plastic immediately after solder dipping. The non-uniform temperature distributions produced different thermal stress distributions than those observed in the steady-state. This result indicated that rapid thermal shock could delaminate the plastic from the lead-frame. We believe that these results can guide the development of an optimum low-stress plastic.     

Thermodynamic modeling of an ammonia–water absorption chiller

This article develops a general thermodynamic framework for the modeling of an irreversible absorption chiller at the design point, with application to a single-stage ammonia–water absorption chiller. Component models of the chiller have been assembled so as to quantify the internal entropy production and thermal conductance (UA) in a thermodynamically rigorous formalism, which is in agreement with the simultaneous heat-and-mass transfer processes occurring within the exchangers. Local thermodynamic balance (viz. energy, entropy, and mass balance) and consistency within the components is respected, in addition to the overall thermodynamic balance as determined by the inlet and outlet states of the components. For the absorbers, Colburn-and-Drew mass transfer equations are incorporated to describe the absorption process. Furthermore, the impact of various irreversibilities on the performance of chiller is also evaluated through the use of a general macroscopic equation.     

Temperature dependency of bound water of cellulose studied by a high-resolution NMR spectrometer

The widths at half-value of high-resolution NMR spectra of bound water of cellulose were studied in relation to the temperature change. Two points were made clear: First, the amount of bound water of the cellulose sample can be pointed out with higher accuracy the lower the temperature of the measurement. Second, it is possible to determine in a simple manner the boundary temperature T_c at which water molecules become bound by the cellulose. T_c is characteristic of the cellulose sample of a given water content and corresponds to the glass transition temperature of the water-containing sample. The measurements appear to be readily applicable to other hydrophilic polymers.     

The lattice energy of lithium monoxide

The lattice energy of lithium monooxide (Li₂O) has been derived by a term-by-term calculation on the assumption that the atomic binding force in Li₂O is ionic in character. The value is about twice as large as a value obtained by the Born-Haber cycle, and the effective charge in Li₂O is estimated to be Li₂^+0.4O^?0.8.     

Study of rubber oxidation by thermoanalysis

A method using the DSC was utilized whereby the oxidation of natural rubber was studied by adapting the procedures developed by Kissinger, Doyle, and Ozawa for thermoanalysis. Thus oxidative induction time of several hours for a particular rubber sample can be estimated in a relatively short time. Some of the results of this method are compared with those from other established methods, the estimated oxidative induction time showing a good correlation with some of the systems tested. The validity and limitations of this method are discussed.