Creep fracture behaviour of SUS304H steel with vanadium addition based on small punch creep testing

The high-temperature creep fracture behaviour and creep strength of SUS 304H containing a minor addition of V were investigated in this study. A series of small punch (SP) creep and uniaxial creep tests were performed at 700 °C. The load and punch displacement rates obtained from the SP creep tests were used to derive conversion equations to determine the equivalent stress and creep strain rates. A converting equation is suggested in this study so that Norton’s secondary power law creep constants obtained from the SP creep testing can be in agreement with those obtained from the uniaxial tensile creep tests. The creep strength of the modified SUS 304H steel containing V was shown to be superior to that without V based on the current results and other available results for type 304H steel.     

Plasmon Resonances of Nanoshells of Spheroidal Shape

Plasmon resonances are computed for nanoshells of prolate and oblate spheroidal shape. Both longitudinal and transverse resonances are investigated as a function of aspect ratio and shell thickness. Formulas for the surface charge density on the outside and inside shell surfaces are derived.     

Gold nanostars: surfactant-free synthesis, 3D modelling, and two-photon photoluminescence imaging

Understanding the control of the optical and plasmonic properties of unique nanosystems--gold nanostars--both experimentally and theoretically permits superior design and fabrication for biomedical applications. Here, we present a new, surfactant-free synthesis method of biocompatible gold nanostars with adjustable geometry such that the plasmon band can be tuned into the near-infrared region 'tissue diagnostic window', which is most suitable for in vivo imaging. Theoretical modelling was performed for multiple-branched 3D nanostars and yielded absorption spectra in good agreement with experimental results. The plasmon band shift was attributed to variations in branch aspect ratio, and the plasmon band intensifies with increasing branch number, branch length, and overall star size. Nanostars showed an extremely strong two-photon photoluminescence (TPL) process. The TPL imaging of wheat-germ agglutinin (WGA) functionalized nanostars on BT549 breast cancer cells and of PEGylated nanostars circulating in the vasculature, examined through a dorsal window chamber in vivo in laboratory mouse studies, demonstrated that gold nanostars can serve as an efficient contrast agent for biological imaging applications.     

Analysis of stresses during the freezing of solid spherical foods

An analytical model is presented to calculate thermal stresses and strains during the freezing of a spherical food, taking into account both the expansion during phase change and subsequent thermal contraction due to temperature decrease. The Young modulus and Poisson ratio are assumed to undergo a step change at the freezing point. The expansion due to phase change cause a uniform and virtually constant isotropic tensile stress in the unfrozen core. In the frozen shell, this expansion gives rise to tensile radial stress and compressive tangential stress. The thermal contraction subsequent to phase change causes reverse effects, i.e. uniform compressive stress in the unfrozen core and compressive radial stress in the frozen shell, while tangential stress is tensile on the outside and compressive on the inside of the frozen shell. The effect of thermal contraction is noticeable only at cryogenic temperatures.     

Simultaneous measurement of temperature and pressure by a single fiber Bragg grating with a broadened reflection spectrum

Simultaneous measurement of temperature and pressure with a single fiber Bragg grating (FBG) based on a broadened reflection spectrum is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. A novel double-hole structure of a cantilever beam is designed, and a FBG is affixed on the nonuniform strain area of the cantilever beam. The Bragg reflection bandwidth is sensitive to the spatially gradient strain but is free from the spatially uniform temperature. The wavelength peak shift and the bandwidth broadening of the FBG with a change of temperature and pressure allow for simultaneous discrimination between the temperature and the pressure effects. Standard deviation errors of 1.4 degrees C and 1.8 kPa were obtained with temperature and pressure ranges of 20 degrees C-100 degrees C and 0-80 kPa, respectively. This novel and low-cost sensor approach has considerable potential applications for temperature-insensitive strain measurement.     

Catalytic solid-phase seeding of silicon nanowires by nickel nanocrystals in organic solvents

Colloidal nickel (Ni) nanocrystals were used to direct the synthesis of crystalline silicon (Si) nanowires in an organic solvent. The reaction temperatures ranged from 400 degrees C to 520 degrees C with pressures from 14.3 to 23.4 MPa, conditions that are well above the critical point of the solvent. The Ni nanocrystals play two roles in the synthesis: (1) Ni catalyzes the decomposition of the silicon precursors, i.e., arylsilanes, alkylsilanes, and trisilane, to silicon; (2) Ni nanocrystals induce silicon crystallization through the solid-phase alloying of Si in the Ni seeds. We call this nanowire growth mechanism supercritical fluid-solid-solid (SFSS) synthesis.     

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrate based on a self-assembled monolayer for use in gene diagnostics

The development of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-active substrates for cancer gene detection is described. The detection method uses Raman active dye-labeled DNA gene probes, self-assembled monolayers, and nanostructured metallic substrates as SERS-active platforms. The mercaptohexane-labeled single-stranded DNA (SH-(CH(2))(6)-ssDNA)/6-mercapto-1-hexanol system formed on a silver surface is characterized by atomic force microscopy. The surface-enhanced Raman gene (SERGen) probes developed in this study can be used to detect DNA targets via hybridization to complementary DNA probes. The probes do not require the use of radioactive labels and have a great potential to provide both sensitivity and selectivity. The effectiveness of this approach and its application in cancer gene diagnostics (BRCA1 breast cancer gene) are investigated.     

Ion release from three lead-free piezoelectric ceramics and their physical and cytotoxicity characteristics

The ions released from the polarized potassium sodium niobate (KNN), lithium-doped potassium sodium niobate (LKNN) and barium titanate (BT) specimens after soaking in a normal saline up to 28 days were monitored. The cytotoxicity of ion released products was evaluated. The cytotoxicity testing on these three lead-free piezoelectric ceramics exhibited low toxicity. However, the decrease of biaxial strength for KNN and the decrease of piezoelectric charge coefficient d₃₃ for LKNN were noted after soaking in saline solution. Such decreases can be related to the release of ions from the surface of the KNN and LKNN specimens during soaking in saline solution.