Nanofabrication of hybrid nanomaterials: Macroscopically aligned nanoparticles pattern via directed self-assembly of block copolymers

Periodic hybrid nanostructured materials based on aligned inorganic nanoparticles within self-assembled copolymer matrixes aimed to harness the collective properties of generated functional nanomaterials. The nanoparticles are desirable for their useful magnetic, optical, catalytic, and electronic properties owed to the quantum confinement effect. For instance, gold, palladium and platinum as nanoparticles, have shown significant change in the physiochemical properties in comparison to their bulk materials. If the nanoparticles are aligned into well-defined macroscopic periodic nanostructures in diverse of morphologies, the unique collective properties are significantly enhanced. These unique properties can be transformed to improve the performance of storage media, multi-contact tracks solar panels and optoelectronic devices. Within this review, the nanofabrication tools will be presented as an alternative route to conventional top-down methods for the fabrication of periodic nanostructured hybrid materials. A simple approach is reviewed to fabricate periodic nanostructured hybrid systems based on the directed assembly of inorganic nanoparticles into well-defined periodic three-dimensional nanostructures provided by the self-assembling ability of block copolymers. The fabrications of varieties morphologies and the formation mechanism at different dimensions will be discussed as well as the characterization techniques. Finally, several applications of the proposed hybrid nanostructures are highlighted for the next generation of miniaturized devices.     

Nano-Ceramic Coating: A Novel Idea to Reduce Laparoscope Lens Fogging – Experimental Study

Silicon - One of the basic principles of a successful laparoscopic procedure is a clear operating area. The endoscopic lens should be able to visualize the internal organs as clearly as possible....     

The Correlation of Device Parameters with Illumination Energy to Explore the Performance of a Monocrystalline Silicon Solar Module

Silicon - The effect of illumination energy on the electrical parameters of a monocrystalline silicon solar module was investigated and results used to reveal the effective spectrum which can help...     

Parametric analysis of the damage characterization tests of aluminum bulk material

Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology - Several models have been developed to study materials behaviors under different states of stress. In manufacturing processes, several types of...     

Electrospinning of ultrafine non-hydrolyzed silk sericin/PEO fibers on PLA: A bilayer scaffold fabrication

We report the feasibility of electrospinning of protein-polymer multilayered scaffolds with selected materials such as non-hydrolyzed silk sericin (SS), polyethylene oxide (PEO), and polylactic acid (PLA), with tuned fiber size and properties for each layer. We present a new innovative way for the electrospinning (ES) of non-hydrolyzed SS mixed with PEO yielding fibers with an average diameter ranging between 120 and 150 nm. Different SS:PEO ratios have been electrospun to study the effect of the concentration of SS protein on the fibers size and shape, as well and their electrospinnability. Electrospun SS:PEO fibers display weak to no mechanical resistance (non-measurable) and their deposition onto a sturdier scaffold is necessary to allow their use in biomedical and/or pharmaceutical fields. Therefore, bilayer scaffolds have been fabricated consisting of a PLA support and SS:PEO fibers obtained from the optimized SS:PEO ratio (1.2:4). They are composed of a sturdy hydrophobic layer of PLA fibers and a layer of sticky hydrophilic SS:PEO fibers. The scaffolds have been characterized extensively by Fourier transforms infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and their resistance to mechanical stress. Finally, hydrophobicity of both layers has been determined by measuring the contact angle of water droplets on the scaffolds, further proving the bilayer nature of the scaffolds.     

Effect of Gamma Rays on Corn Grains. Part III. Effect of Post-Irradiation Storage on Some Technological Properties of Corn Grains and Fatty Acids

The effect of storage after irradiation of corn grains on steeping process, starch isolation, quality of by-products and fatty acids composition of germ oil was investigated. It was found that post-irradiation storage led to a decrease in water absorption and protein solubilization during steeping process. The starch yield was lower, contained a high percentage of protein and was darker from above 500 Krads. Post-irradiation caused a change in the proportions and disappearance or induced new fatty acids in the corn germ oil.