Microwave synthesis of large few-layer graphene sheets in aqueous solution of ammonia

Few-layer graphene (FLG) sheets with sizes exceeding several micrometers have been synthesized by exfoliation of expanded graphite in aqueous solution of ammonia under microwave irradiation, with an overall yield approaching 8 wt.%. Transmission electron microscopy (in bright-field and dark-field modes) together with electron diffraction patterns and atomic force microscopy confirmed that this graphene material consisted mostly of mono-, bi- or few-layer graphene (less than ten layers). The high degree of surface reduction was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron and infrared spectroscopies. In addition, the high stability of the FLG in the liquid medium facilitates the deposition of the graphene material onto several substrates via low-cost solution-phase processing techniques, opening the way to subsequent applications of the material.      

Analysis of temperature gradient bifurcation in porous media – An exact solution

The phenomenon of temperature gradient bifurcation in a porous medium is analyzed by studying the convective heat transfer process within a channel filled with a porous medium, with internal heat generation. A local thermal non-equilibrium (LTNE) model is used to represent the energy transport within the porous medium. Exact solutions are derived for both the fluid and solid temperature distributions for two primary approaches (Models A and B) for the constant wall heat flux boundary condition. The Nusselt number for the fluid at the channel wall is also obtained. The effects of the pertinent parameters such as fluid and solid internal heat generations, Biot number and fluid to solid thermal conductivity ratio are discussed. It is shown that the internal heat generation in the solid phase is significant for the heat transfer characteristics. The validity of the one equation model is investigated by comparing the Nusselt number obtained from the LTNE model with that from the local thermal equilibrium (LTE) model. The results demonstrate the importance of utilizing the LTNE model in the present study. The phenomenon of temperature gradient bifurcation for the fluid and solid phases at the wall for Model A is established and demonstrated. In addition, the temperature distributions for Models A and B are compared. A numerical study for the constant temperature boundary condition was also carried out. It was established that the phenomenon of temperature gradient bifurcation for the fluid and solid phases for the constant temperature boundary condition can occur over a given axial region.     

Designing scalable product families by the radial basis function–high-dimensional model representation metamodelling technique

Product family design is cost-efficient for achieving the best trade-off between commonalization and diversification. However, for computationally intensive design functions which are viewed as black boxes, the family design would be challenging. A two-stage platform configuration method with generalized commonality is proposed for a scale-based family with unknown platform configuration. Unconventional sensitivity analysis and information on variation in the individual variants’ optimal design are used for platform configuration design. Metamodelling is employed to provide the sensitivity and variable correlation information, leading to significant savings in function calls. A family of universal electric motors is designed for product performance and the efficiency of this method is studied. The impact of the employed parameters is also analysed. Then, the proposed method is modified for obtaining higher commonality. The proposed method is shown to yield design solutions with better objective function values, allowable performance loss and higher commonality than the previously developed methods in the literature.     

High temperature stability of platinum nanoparticles on few-layer graphene investigated by In Situ high resolution transmission electron microscopy

eterogeneous catalytic reactions involve the use of highly dispersed active phases such as metal, metal oxide, or metal sulphide nanoparticles on thermally stable supports. Fluctuations of the reaction temperature during the reactions can induce sintering of the particles. The stability of such small particles represents a crucial parameter in the development of new families of catalysts with high activity in many fields. Here we report the stability of platinum nanoparticles (2–3 nm) on a few-layer graphene (FLG) surface as studied by in situ high temperature transmission electron microscopy.     

Novel Nanorod Precipitate Formation in Neodymium and Titanium Codoped Bismuth Ferrite

The discovery of unusual nanorod precipitates in bismuth ferrite doped with Nd and Ti is reported. The atomic structure and chemistry of the nanorods are determined using a combination of high angle annular dark field imaging, electron energy loss spectroscopy, and density functional calculations. It is found that the structure of the BiFeO₃ matrix is strongly modified adjacent to the precipitates; the readiness of BiFeO₃ to adopt different structural allotropes in turn explains why such a large axial ratio, uncommon in precipitates, is stabilized. In addition, a correlation is found between the alignment of the rods and the orientation of ferroelastic domains in the matrix, which is consistent with the system's attempt to minimize its internal strain. Density functional calculations indicate a finite density of electronic states at the Fermi energy within the rods, suggesting enhanced electrical conductivity along the rod axes, and motivating future investigations of nanorod functionalities.     

Effects of calcination temperature on morphological and crystallographic properties of oyster shell as biocidal agent

To develop biocompatible antimicrobial agent, oyster shell wastes were thermally calcined at different temperatures ranging from 300 to 1000 °C. The chemical compositions and properties of oyster shells were characterized. As such, crystallographic analysis presented that oyster shells had a hexagonal crystalline shape, and calcination process reduced their crystalline size, volume (grain dimension), and bond length, which strongly affected antimicrobial efficacy. Results showed that the main components of uncalcined and calcined oyster shells were CaCO₃ and CaO, by which CaO was found to be the main antimicrobial component. Notably, calcined oyster shells showed antimicrobial potency against both Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) and Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus). Furthermore, cytotoxicity analysis proved that calcined oyster shells had good cell viability and low cytotoxicity. Results highlighted that calcined oyster shells, particularly those treated at 750°C, could be a biocompatible alternative to synthetic biocidal and antimicrobial agents using in food packaging, biomedical, and cosmetic industries.     

Compact bandpass filter based on SIW loaded by open complementary split‐ring resonators

A compact substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) with open complementary split‐ring resonators (OCSRRs) loaded on the waveguide surface is proposed. The OCSRRs can be interpreted in terms of electric dipoles and they are good candidates to behave as electric scatterers. By loading OCSRRs on the waveguide surface, a forward‐wave pass‐band propagating below the waveguide cutoff frequency is generated. The resonance frequency of the OCSRRs is approximately half of the resonance frequency of the complementary split ring resonator (CSRR). Therefore, the electrical size of this particle is larger than the CSRRs and the OCSRRs are more appropriate for the SIW miniaturization. A bandpass response with a sharp rejection frequency band is obtained by properly manipulating the structure of the elements. By changing the orientation of the OCSRRs, two types of unit cell are proposed. Moreover, by resizing the OCSRRs, resonance frequency can be easily moved and the bandwidth can be tuned by the coupling between two OCSRRs. Compared with some other reported bandpass filters (BPFs) with SIW technique, the presented BPF has great improvements on size reduction and selectivity. To verify the methodology, two filters with center frequency of 5.5 GHz are designed and measured. The measured results are in good agreement with the simulated ones. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE 26:674–682, 2016.     

Area-Efficient 60 GHz +18.9 dBm Power Amplifier with On-Chip Four-Way Parallel Power Combiner in 65-nm CMOS

This paper presents a compact 60-GHz power amplifier utilizing a four-way on-chip parallel power combiner and splitter. The proposed topology provides the capability of combining the output power of four individual power amplifier cores in a compact die area. Each power amplifier core consists of a three-stage common-source amplifier with transformer-coupled impedance matching networks. Fabricated in 65-nm CMOS process, the measured gain of the 0.19-mm² power amplifier at 60 GHz is 18.8 and 15 dB utilizing 1.4 and 1.0 V supply. Three-decibel band width of 4 GHz and P_1dB of 16.9 dBm is measured while consuming 424 mW from a 1.4-V supply. A maximum saturated output power of 18.3 dBm is measured with the 15.9% peak power added efficiency at 60 GHz. The measured insertion loss is 1.9 dB at 60 GHz. The proposed power amplifier achieves the highest power density (power/area) compared to the reported 60-GHz CMOS power amplifiers in 65 nm or older CMOS technologies.     

Interfacial interactions of biomaterials in water decontamination applications

Understanding the fundamental aspects of transport through biomaterials is a necessity for a vast range of bio-related studies. Biofilm formation on the surface of adsorptive media such as granular activated carbon (GAC) has been extensively used to remove organic materials, nitrogen species, heavy metals, and other contaminants in wastewater treatment. In this study, a multilayer mass transfer system consisting of the reactor’s bulk fluid, diffusion layer, biofilm, and GAC is modeled. In order to consider the equilibrium at the interface of biofilm and activated carbon, Freundlich adsorption method is applied. The interfacial interactions are taken into account in the biodegradation process. The results of model prediction are compared with the available experimental data and show a very good agreement. The effect of biofilm formation on the reactor porosity is considered through a porous media approach. Furthermore, the influence of variation in particle diameters on the removal efficiency is studied. It can be seen that porosity alteration as a result of biofilm formation within the carbon bed has a noticeable effect on the removal efficiency.     

Critical assessment of arterial transport models

Works pertinent to arterial transport models are analyzed and a critical assessment of the models utilized in the study of fluid flow and mass transfer within the arteries is presented with an emphasis on the role of porous media. Arterial transport models are assessed and classified based on their ability to physically prescribe the arterial anatomy as well as the related transport processes. Pertinent models such as wall-free, homogeneous-wall, and multi-layer models as well as the governing equations and different types of boundary conditions utilized in each model are analyzed.