Immobilization of glucoamylase on magnetic poly(styrene) particles

Magnetic poly(styrene) particles including active groups were prepared for enzyme immobilization without any activation process. Glucoamylase, which is widely used in industry, was immobilized onto these particles. The effects of pH, buffer concentration, and temperature on immobilization were investigated; moreover, the effect of immobilization temperature on immobilized glucoamylase activity was determined for the hydrolysis of maltose. The acetate buffer with the concentration of 6 × 10⁻⁴ M at pH 4 and 20–30°C was found as the most suitable medium for the immobilization of the glucoamylase. The amount of bound protein is 8 mg/g particle with the immobilization yield of 70%. The maximum activity obtained with immobilized glucoamylase is approximately 70% of the free one. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 72: 69–73, 1999     

Three-dimensional phase step profilometry with a multicore optical fiber

This paper demonstrates the feasibility of using phase stepping and a multicore optical fiber to calculate an object's depth profile. An interference pattern is projected by an optical fiber onto the object. The distorted interference pattern containing the object information is captured by a CCD camera and processed using a phase step interferometry method. The phase step method is less computationally intensive compared to two-dimensional Fourier transform profilometry and provides more accuracy when measuring objects of high frequency spatial variations.     

Influence of processing additives to nano-morphology and efficiency of bulk-heterojunction solar cells: A comparative review

Research and development towards high efficiency plastic solar cells have been accelerating in recent years. Polymer-based bulk heterojunction solar cells are offering an attractive and inexpensive concept for large scale production by solution processing as well as advantageous flexible and aesthetic form factors. The thin film nano-morphology of bulk-heterojunction solar cells has been shown to dramatically influence the photovoltaic performance of the devices. This article reviews the different methods used to control the film nano-morphology of bulk-heterojunction solar cells focussing on the chemical additives during solution processing. All power conversion efficiency limiting mechanisms of bulk-heterojunction solar cells are discussed in detail. It is shown, how the formation of optimal percolation pathways between donor and acceptor influences the photovoltaic device performance. It is explained how the film nano-morphology relates to light absorption, free charge carrier generation as well as charge transport to the electrodes.     

Structural Reliability Estimation with Vibration-Based Identified Parameters

This paper presents a unique structural reliability estimation method incorporating structural parameter identification results based on the seismic response measurement. In the shaking table test, a three-bent concrete bridge model was shaken to different damage levels by a sequence of earthquake motions with increasing intensities. Structural parameters, stiffness and damping values of the bridge were identified under damaging seismic events based on the seismic response measurement. A methodology was developed to understand the importance of structural parameter identification in the reliability estimation. Along this line, a set of structural parameters were generated based on the Monte Carlo simulation. Each of them was assigned to the base bridge model. Then, every bridge model was analyzed using nonlinear time history analyses to obtain damage level at the specific locations. Last, reliability estimation was performed for bridges modeled with two sets of structural parameters. The first one was obtained by the nonlinear time history analysis with the Monte Carlo simulated parameters which is called nonupdated structural parameters. The second one was obtained by updating the first set in Bayesian sense based on the vibration-based identification results which is called updated structural parameters. In the scope of this paper, it was shown that residual reliability of the system estimated using the updated structural parameters is lower than the one estimated using the nonupdated structural parameters.     

Transient Temperature and Thermal Stress Distributions in a Hollow Disk Subjected to a Moving Uniform Heat Source

This study presents numerical analyses of transient temperature and thermally induced stress distributions in a stationary hollow steel disk partially heated by a moving uniform heat source from its outer surface under stagnant ambient conditions. The moving heat source applied on a certain angular segment of the processed surface rotates with a constant angular speed (ω). The peak levels of the temperature gradients and the thermal stress ratios at the heated segments do not rise very much after 2–3 cycles. When the value of ω is increased, the maximum effective thermal stress ratio can be decreased in a considerable amount.     

Vacuum-processed polyethylene as a dielectric for low operating voltage organic field effect transistors

We report on the fabrication and performance of vacuum-processed organic field effect transistors utilizing evaporated low-density polyethylene (LD-PE) as a dielectric layer. With C₆₀ as the organic semiconductor, we demonstrate low operating voltage transistors with field effect mobilities in excess of 4 cm²/Vs. Devices with pentacene showed a mobility of 0.16 cm²/Vs. Devices using tyrian Purple as semiconductor show low-voltage ambipolar operation with equal electron and hole mobilities of ～0.3 cm²/Vs. These devices demonstrate low hysteresis and operational stability over at least several months. Grazing-angle infrared spectroscopy of evaporated thin films shows that the structure of the polyethylene is similar to solution-cast films. We report also on the morphological and dielectric properties of these films. Our experiments demonstrate that polyethylene is a stable dielectric supporting both hole and electron channels.     

Photovoltaic textile structure using polyaniline/carbon nanotube composite materials

In this paper, an investigation of flexible electrodes for photovoltaic textile structures utilizing polymer‐based organic materials is presented. The composite structure consisting of a blend of water dispersible carbon nanotube:polyaniline (CNT:PANI) components with poly(3,4 ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) was applied to be used as the hole collecting electrode in photovoltaic textile applications. Both photovoltaic textiles and conventional solar cells were fabricated by using a blend of poly(3‐hexylthiophene‐2,5‐diyl) (P3HT):(6,6)‐phenyl C61‐butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). All devices were characterized by measuring current versus voltage characteristics under AM 1.5 conditions. The nanoscale morphology of the photovoltaic structures was investigated using scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy.