Synthesis of TiO2-based nanotube on Ti substrate by hydrothermal treatment

TiO2-based titanate nanotube film was directly synthesized by hydrothermal treatment of Ti substrate in NaOH solution. The prepared high aspect ratio nanotubes have diameter of 10 nm and pore size of 5 nm with length of several microns. The nanotubes show the same structure and component characteristics as the nanotubes prepared through hydrothermal treatment of TiO2. Other nanostructured titanate as oriented nanofiber film and translucent film were also prepared by adjusting the hydrothermal conditions. The formation mechanism of nanostructured titanate was discussed.     

Promotive effect of auxins on UDP-glucose: flavonol glucosyltransferase activity in Vitis sp. cell cultures

The addition of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2, 4-D) to Vitis sp. cell cultures significantly enhanced the production of quercetin 3,7,4′-tri-O-glucoside, 3,7-di-O-glucoside and 3,4′-O-glucoside from quercetin. This enhancement of glucosylation by 2,4-D was also observed in cell cultures of other plant species. The activity of UDP-glucose: flavonol glucosyltransferase (UFGT) in cell-free extracts of Vitis sp. cell cultures increased approximately 10-fold, 48 h after the addition of 2,4-D to the culture medium. The UFGT activity increased linearly up to 15 h and showed a maximal response to the addition of 10–50 mg/l of 2,4-D at 48 h. The promotive effect of 2,4-D was inhibited by cycloheximide suggesting that de novo protein synthesis was involved in this phenomenon. Interestingly, similar promotive effects on the UFGT activity were observed for other phytohormones such as kinetin and several anti-auxins.     

Photocatalytic oxidation mechanism of As(III) on TiO2: unique role of As(III) as a charge recombinant species

Using TiO(2) photocatalyst, arsenite, As(III), can be rapidly oxidized to arsenate, As(V), which is less toxic and less mobile in the aquatic environment. Therefore, the TiO(2)/UV process can be employed as an efficient pretreatment method for arsenic contaminated water. Since we first reported in 2002 that the superoxide (or hydroperoxyl radical) plays the role of main oxidant of As(III) in the TiO(2)/UV process, there has been much debate over the true identity of the major photooxidant among superoxides, holes, and OH radicals. The key issue is centered on why the much stronger OH radicals cannot oxidize As(III), and it has been proposed that the unique role of As(III) as an external charge recombination center on the UV-excited TiO(2) particle is responsible for this eccentric mechanism. Although the proposed mechanism has been supported by many experimental evidences, doubts on it were not clearly removed. In this study, we provided direct and undisputed evidence to support the role of As(III) in the charge recombination dynamics using time-resolved transient absorption spectroscopy. The presence of As(III) indeed mediated the charge recombination in TiO(2). Under this condition, the role of the OH radical is suppressed because of the null cycle, and the weaker oxidant, superoxide, should prevail. The role of the superoxide has been previously doubted on the basis of the observation that the addition of excess formic acid (hole scavenger that should enhance the production of superoxides) inhibited the photocatalytic oxidation of As(III). However, this study proved that this was due to the photogeneration of reducing radicals (HCO(2)·) that recycle As(V)/As(IV) back to As(III). It was also demonstrated that the 4-chlorophenol/TiO(2) system under visible light that cannot generate neither OH radicals nor valence band holes converted As(III) to As(V) through the superoxide pathway.     

Effect of solvent vapor treatment on photovoltaic properties of conducting polymer/C60 interpenetrating heterojunction structured organic solar cell

The effect of solvent vapor treatment on the characteristics of a photovoltaic cell with a structure of indium–tin–oxide (ITO)/C₆₀/poly (3-hexylthiophene) (PAT6)/Au was studied. Interpenetrating film of C₆₀ and PAT6 fabricated by using chloroform (CF) as a solvent was exposed to vaporized CF atmosphere at different concentrations, temperatures and time periods before an evaporation of metal electrode. Solvent vapor treatment caused an increase in the open-circuit voltage, the fill factor and the external quantum efficiency; these were discussed by taking the surface morphology and crystallinity of the PAT6 layer which underwent a change after it was treated by this method.     

MoO3 buffer layer effect on photovoltaic properties of interpenetrating heterojunction type organic solar cells

Photovoltaic cells, with a conducting polymer/fullerene (C₆₀) interpenetrating heterojunction structure fabricated by spin-coating a conducting polymer onto a C₆₀ thin film, have been investigated and demonstrated a high efficiency as solar cells based on organic materials. The photovoltaic properties of the solar cells with a structure of indium-tin-oxide (ITO)/C₆₀/poly(3-hexylthiophene) (PAT6)/Au have been improved by the insertion of a molybdenum trioxide (VI) (MoO₃) layer as a cathode buffer layer. In the solar cells with the structure of ITO/C₆₀/PAT6/MoO₃/Au, the energy conversion efficiency has been improved to 1.15% under AM1.5 (100 mW/cm²) illumination.     

Unstable Oscillation of Rectangular Cylinder at Various Mass Ratios

For aerodynamic unstable oscillations, the dynamic properties of a structural system have a strong influence on its response behavior. The mass-damping parameter (the product of the mass ratio and the damping factor), known as the Scruton number, has usually been employed to evaluate the occurrence of aeroelastic instabilities. Buildings and structures have become very light of weight and susceptible to wind-induced oscillations. Consequently, we cannot suppose that the dominant frequency of response is almost equal to the natural frequency of the structural system. Taking into consideration that various kinds of unstable oscillations appear in the heaving oscillation of a rectangular cylinder, a variation in the mass ratio may cause peculiar behavior of the structure, even if the Scruton number is constant. Thus, we must clarify the dependency of various unstable oscillations on the Scruton number and the mass ratio. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the above issues using three-dimensional simulation of the fluid flow around an oscillating rectangular cylinder. The numerical method allows precise control and wide variation of the dynamic properties.     

Electrolytic production of NF3 with a LiNiO2 coated nickel sheet anode prepared by atmospheric plasma spraying technique

A nickel sheet coated with LiNiO₂ powder having average particle sizes of 40 and 50 μm in diameter by atmospheric plasma spraying technique was employed as the anode for electrolytic production of NF₃. In electrolysis of a molten NH₄F·2HF at 100 °C and 25 mA cm⁻², the anode gas generated at the LiNiO₂ coated Ni sheet anode was composed of N₂, O₂, NF₃, N₂F₂, N₂F₄, and N₂O, and its composition was almost the same as that at the Ni sheet anode. The current efficiency for the NF₃ formation on the LiNiO₂ coated Ni sheet anode was increased to reach the constant value of ca. 55% during electrolysis for 100 h, and it was almost the same as that on the Ni sheet anode. The anode consumption of the LiNiO₂ coated Ni sheet was small compared with that of the Ni sheet. Also, the oxygen content in the oxidized layer formed on the LiNiO₂ coated Ni sheet anode was high compared with that on the Ni sheet anode, and the surface of the LiNiO₂ coated Ni sheet anode was covered with a compact and adhesive film having some defects. Although the bottom of the hollow was covered with a thinner layer, no pore penetrated through the oxidized layer. Hence, the LiNiO₂ coated Ni sheet anode is favorable for the electrolytic production of NF₃, and the oxidized layer on the LiNiO₂ coated Ni sheet anode has the higher resistance to corrosion, because of the compact and adhesive film containing the higher content of oxygen formed on the anode.     

High-speed bus circuit methodology

High-speed bus circuits are the key to high performance systems with built-in processors. However, conventional bus circuits with low power consumption suffer problems such as ringing and dips caused by reflection and, as a result, the bus transmission rate cannot reach 100 MHz. Lattice diagrams have been used to analyze bus circuits, but these only show the approximate reflection behavior and cannot graphically portray the relation between reflection timing and waveform distortion due to reflection. This paper introduces a bus circuit with non-power-consuming termination that can achieve data transmission speeds over 100 MHz, 2.5 to 3 times faster than conventional low-power bus circuits. The paper also proposes a newly devised lattice diagram that can graphically clarify the relation between reflection timing and waveform distortion due to reflection. A SPICE simulation was carried out to examine the data transmission rate for each bus circuit. It was experimentally confirmed that our bus circuit, with non-power-consuming termination, operates at a 167-MHz data transmission rate. © 1998 Scripta Technica. Electr Eng Jpn, 122(1): 49–59, 1998     

Thermochemical two-step water splitting by internally circulating fluidized bed of NiFe2O4 particles: Successive reaction of thermal-reduction and water-decomposition steps

Thermochemical two-step water splitting using a redox system of iron-based oxides or ferrites is a promising process for producing hydrogen without CO₂ emission by the use of high-temperature solar heat as an energy source and water as a chemical source. In this study, thermochemical hydrogen production by two-step water splitting was demonstrated on a laboratory scale by using a single reactor of an internally circulating fluidized bed. This involved the successive reactions of thermal-reduction (T-R) and water-decomposition (W-D). The internally circulating fluidized bed was exposed to simulated solar light from Xe lamps with an input power of 2.4-2.6 kW_th for the T-R step and 1.6-1.7 kW_th for the subsequent W-D step. The feed gas was switched from an inert gas (N₂) in the T-R step to a gas mixture of N₂ and steam in the W-D step. NiFe₂O₄/m-ZrO₂ and unsupported NiFe₂O₄ particles were tested as a fluidized bed of reacting particles, and the production rate and productivity of hydrogen and the reactivity of reacting particles were examined.     

Nuclear magnetic proton relaxation studies of oxidized coals

Coals of NCB rank 301 a (coking), 502 (caking) and 802 (very weakly caking) are oxidized in air at 373 K or 383 K for up to 42 days. Spin-lattice and spin-spin relaxation times, T₁ and T₂ respectively, of oxidized coals are measured using a Bruker SXP 4–100 and FT spectrometer. Free radical concentrations in the coals are obtained using a JES PE e.s.r. spectrometer. Infrared spectra of oxidized coals are obtained and optical textures of cokes from fresh and oxidized coals are assessed by optical microscopy. For two coking coals, decreasing values of T₁, and increasing concentration of free radicals occurred with oxidation at 383 K to 16 and 28 days. Thereupon values of T₁, increased and free radical concentrations decreased with further progressive oxidation. At the point of inflexion in properties, resultant cokes from the coals ceased to shown any anisotropy in their optical textures and became isotropic resembling cokes from low-rank coals. For the caking coals, T₁ increased at all stages of oxidation to 42 days with decreasing concentrations of free radicals. Two values of T₂ were found in each coal corresponding to a rigid and mobile component ((T₂)_r < (T₂)_m). The rigid component (T₂)_r was not affected by oxidation but values of (T₂)_m decreased with increasing duration of oxidation. It is considered that coking and caking coals exhibit different effects of oxidation with perhaps phenols and quinones in caking coals acting as inhibitors to the growth of stable free radicals. Oxidized coking coal may behave like fresh caking coal.