Poly(butylene terephthalate)–clay nanocomposites prepared by melt intercalation: morphology and thermomechanical properties

Nanocomposites based on poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) and an organoclay (Cloisite 30B) were prepared by melt blending using a twin‐screw extruder. Two kinds of PBTs, ie PBT‐A and PBT‐B, with different inherent viscosities (η_inh), were used for this study (η_inh of PBT‐A and PBT‐B were 0.74 and 1.48, respectively). Dispersion of the clay layers in the PBT nanocomposites was characterized by using X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Tensile and dynamic mechanical properties and non‐isothermal crystallization temperatures of the nanocomposites were also examined. Nanocomposites based on the higher‐viscosity PBT (PBT‐B) showed a higher degree of exfoliation of the clay and a higher reinforcing effect when compared to the composites based on the lower‐viscosity PBT (PBT‐A). The clay nanolayers dispersed in PBT matrices lead to increases in the non‐isothermal crystallization temperatures of the PBTs, with such increases being more significant for the PBT‐B nanocomposites than for the PBT‐A nanoocomposites. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Holographic polymer‐dispersed liquid crystal fabrication under electric field

The transmission mode of holographic polymer‐dispersed liquid crystals (HPDLCs) was developed an under electric field. It is reported that orientation of LC molecules under an electric field induces orientation of oligomer molecules giving rise to low off‐state diffraction and small grating shrinkage. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

A simple handling technique for mammalian oocytes and embryos during preparation for transmission electron microscopy

Due to their small size, mammalian oocytes and embryos pose unique problems during preparation for transmission electron microscopy. This paper outlines a method which combines protein embedding with centrifugation to locate the specimens on the face of a Beem capsule mould. This method facilitates both the processing of oocytes with minimal loss and rapid location of the specimens within the block for simultaneous sectioning, staining and examination.     

Application of a multi-channel system for continuous monitoring and an early warning system.

A multi-channel continuous toxicity monitoring system developed in our laboratory, based on two-stage mini-bioreactors, was successfully implemented in the form of computer-based data acquisition. The multi-channel system consists of a series of a two-stage minibioreactor systems connected by a fiber optic probe to a luminometer, and uses genetically engineered bioluminescent bacteria for the detection of the potential toxicity from the soluble chemicals. This system can be stably and continuously operated due to the separation of the culture reactor from the test reactor and accomplish easy and long-term monitoring without system shut down by abrupt inflows of severe polluting chemicals. Four different recombinant bioluminescent bacteria were used in different channels so that the modes of the samples toxicities can be reasonably identified and evaluated based upon the response signature of each channel. The bioluminescent signatures were delivered from four channels by switching one at once, while the data is automatically logged to an IBM compatible computer. We also achieved the enhancement of the system through the manipulation of the dilution rate and the use of thermo-lux fusion strains. Finally, this system is now being implemented to a drinking water reservoir and river for remote sensing as an early warning system.     

Effects of hot-carrier stress on high performance polycrystalline silicon thin film transistor with a single perpendicular grain boundary

This paper is a report on the effect of a single perpendicular grain boundary on the hot-carrier and high current stability in high performance polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) thin film transistors (TFTs). Under a hot carrier stress condition (Vg = Vth + 1 V, Vd = 12 V), the poly-Si TFT with a single grain boundary is superior to the poly-Si without any grain boundary because of the smaller free carriers available for electric conduction. The shift of transconductance in poly-Si TFT with a single grain boundary is less than 5% after hot carrier stress during a period of 1000 s. The shift of transconductance is about 25% in the case of the poly-Si TFTs without a grain boundary in the channel. On high current stress, the poly-Si TFT without the grain boundary is less degraded than the poly-Si TFT with the grain boundary because the concentrated electric field near the drain junction is lower.     

Using ion implantation to adjust the transition temperature of superconducting films

We summarize a continuing investigation into using ion implantation to alter the transition temperature of superconducting thin films. The primary motivation for the work presented here was to study the feasibility of using magnetic ion doping to replace the bi-layer T_c control process currently used for certain cryogenic detector applications at National Institute for Standards and Technology. The results from work with various ion species implanted into aluminum, molybdenum, titanium and tungsten host films are presented.     

Pulse stabilisation in harmonically FM modelocked erbium fibre ring laser with DFBLD

A new pulse stabilisation scheme for a harmonically frequency modulated (FM) modelocked erbium fibre ring laser using a distributed feedback laser diode (DFBLD) is presented. More than 65 dB supermode noise suppression in the RF spectrum was obtained with the proposed method. Effective reduction of supermode noise can be accomplished as the DFBLD in the fibre laser acts not only as a fast-gain saturated medium but also as an optical bandpass filter for suppressing supermode noise in a harmonically modelocked laser system.     

Protein binding study of isoflavone, perillyl alcohol and S-ibuprofen by high-performance frontal analysis

High-performance frontal analysis (HPFA) was used for a protein binding study of isoflavones (daidzein, genistin, and genistein), enantiomers of perillyl alcohol and S-ibuprofen to human serum albumin (HSA). The analyses were performed on a Develosil and Inertsil 100-Diol-5 column (10 cm×4.6mm). Sodium phosphate solution (pH 7.4, ionic strength 0.17) was used as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 1 ml/min. To ensure the drug to be eluted as a trapezoidal peak with a plateau, injection volumes were each fixed up the zonal profile with an evident plateau appears. The unbound drug concentration was determined from a plateau height of the plateau region after that experimental data were fitted by Scatchard equation. The binding constants (K) and total binding affinities (nK) of drugs to HSA were calculated, respectively.