High-pressure dc sputtering of High-Tc BPSCCO thin films withTc(0) above 100 K

High-T _c Bi(Pb)-Sr-Ca-Cu-O thin films have been made on single-crystal MgO substrates using high-pressure dc sputtering technique. X-ray studies confirm the crystallinity and highly oriented structure withc-axis perpendicular to the substrate. By optimizing the annealing schedule the formation of the high-T _c phase is stabilized. The best film exhibited superconducting transition temperature with zero-resistance temperature,T _c(0), as high as 101 K. Temperature dependence ofJ _c indicates the presence of Josephson-type weak links.     

Photo-reversible Reaction in Polymer Langmuir-Blodgett Films

Preparation of photoreactive Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films was carried out using polymers/oligomers prepared from long-chain dialkyl esters of di-and tetra-olefins and having cyclobutane rings in the main chain. These polymers/oligomers formed stable monolayers on a water surface when mixed with arachidic acid. These monolayers could be deposited onto a substrate successfully forming Y-type films. The oligomer LB films were polymerized on irradiation. The polymer LB films showed a photo-reversible process between polymers and oligomers, depending on wavelength of the irradiating light. On the basis of spectral data and molecular weight change, this behaviour was found to be caused by cleavage and formation of cyclobutane rings.     

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy of a free-standing oxide film

The corrosion of low carbon steel in natural sea-water is characterized by the formation and growth of compact and thick layers composed of oxides, insoluble salts and organic materials. These layers are the result of corrosion processes induced by local environmental conditions, water oxygen supply; ionic species; bacteria and organic matter. The exchange of various species (ions, molecules, gas) between sea-water and the rust layers or the metal depends both on the kinetics of the Faradaic reactions of the entities with either the oxides or the metal, as well as on their transport properties through the different strata of the rust layers. In this work, an impedance study was carried out using the 4-electrodes cell arrangement with corrosion products picked up on steel sheet piling immersed for 25 years and analyzed as free standing membranes. This new approach is a good way to reach the specific transport and transfer properties of the oxide without being blurred by the metal influence. The physical model developed in this work was based on a transmission line, and accurately described the experimental diagrams. The electronic resistivity of the oxide layer, its porosity, the mean pore size and the reaction kinetics parameters could be determined from the fittings.     

Open‐cycle OTEC systems with freshwater product: Effects of noncondensable gases on performance of condenser

An open‐cycle ocean thermal energy conversion (OC‐OTEC) system is one of the energy conversion methods used to generate electricity from ocean thermal energy. For the OC‐OTEC system, steam evaporated from the surface seawater due to flash evaporation drives the turbine. At that time, dissolved gas such as air is introduced into the low‐pressure system (OC‐OTEC system) as the noncondensable gas, which degrades the performance of condensation heat transfer. In this paper, a small‐scale OC‐OTEC experimental unit experimentally investigates the effect of noncondensable gas on the heat transfer performance in a condenser. The experimental results are discussed in comparison with theoretical estimation by the Sparrow–in method. It is shown that the condensation is occupied by heat and mass transfer near a condensation surface and that the condensation efficiency is affected by exhaust quantity of noncondensable gas at a relatively high concentration ratio of condensable gas. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 154(1): 29–35, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20179     

Application of SiC-Si functionally gradient material to thermoelectric energy conversion device

Because of its high–temperature chemical stability, SiC ceramic is a promising material for high-temperature device applications such as thermoelectric energy converters. However, the electrical conductivity of SiC ceramic is too low for it to be used as a thermoelectric energy converter at the cold junction. Therefore, we propose a SiC-Si functionally gradient material (FGM) in order to improve the electrical conductivity of the SiC ceramic at the cold junction. An SiC rod was fired in a temperature gradient furnace. One end of the SiC rod was maintained at 2473 K and the other end was maintained at 1973 K for 30 min. After firing, the porous SiC edge fired at 1973 K was dipped into molten Si in order to infiltrate molten Si into the porous SiC. The microstructure of the FGM is classified into three regions: the SiC-Si composite material; the porous SiC ceramic; and the densified SiC ceramic. The electrical conductivity, the Seebeck coefficient and the thermal conductivity for each region of SiC-Si FGM was measured at 300 K; a figure of merit was calculated. The figure of merit of the SiC-Si FGM at the cold junction, at room temperature, was 10⁸ times higher than that of a nongradient SiC ceramic.     

Cover Picture: Light‐Emitting Organic Solar Cells Based on a 3D Conjugated System with Internal Charge Transfer (Adv. Mater. 22/2006)

The cover image illustrates the dual photovoltaic and electroluminescence function of a single‐layer device based on a thienylenevinylene–triphenylamine with internal charge transfer (ICT), as reported by Cravino, Roncali, and co‐workers on p. 3033. The material forms an organic glass with isotropic electronic properties while ICT leads simultaneously to an extension of the photoresponse to the red and to an increase of the open circuit voltage. The use of an additional layer of C₆₀ further improves the photovoltaic. Images of the sun and moon courtesy NASA/JPL–Caltech.     

Influence of the deposition atmosphere on the characteristics of Pd–Mg thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition

Bilayered palladium (30 nm thick)–magnesium (350 nm thick) thin films were prepared using the pulsed laser deposition technique in the presence of various background gases (Ar, He and a mixture He + H₂) under different partial pressures (47 and 27 Pa). According to the deposition atmosphere, the Pd/Mg interface shows either a sharp or an extended transition. The electrochemical hydriding properties and the mechanical stability upon cycling of the Pd/Mg film are greatly improved when an extended «intermixing» zone between the Pd and Mg layers is present. The Pd–Mg films prepared under pure helium fulfill these conditions.     

用SY87721实现城域网波分复用系统的多业务接入

为了使城域网的DWDM（密集波分复用）系统可以接入多种信号速率和格式，以满足用户的要求，首先介绍了一种波长转换板的设计方法，使用SY87721自适应提取28Mbit／s～2.7Gbit/s之间任意速率信号的时钟，其次介绍了SY87721提取时钟的工作原理、与单片机和CPLD（复杂可编程逻辑器件）的接口方式、对寄存器的配置和读出方式。最后介绍了使用参考时钟测量接入信号频率的方法，这会在系统维护时带来较大的方便。     

Synthesis and characterization of polyaniline films using Fenton reagent

The chemical oxidation of aniline to form polyaniline (PANI) films and powder samples was made using Fenton reagent as an oxidizing agent in aqueous sulfuric acid medium. The PANI films were monitored by using the quartz crystal microbalance and the electronic absorption techniques. The optimum concentration was determined and the results were justified by measuring the UV–vis absorption spectra for the in situ PANI films. The conductivity for the PANI films and powder samples, prepared in different conditions, was measured. Also, the IR spectra, X‐ray and the thermogravimetric analysis for the PANI powder formed in the bulk were measured and compared with the polymer prepared using ammonium peroxydisulfate. A preliminary investigation to the dielectric properties of the polymer powder was measured and discussed. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008