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This work describes a novel technique for the measurement of inorganic arsenic in water by generating arsine gas and detecting the conductivity of moving protons, H+ (aqueous or aq), produced by the reaction: Ag+ (aq) + AsH3 (gas, g) → AgAsH2 (solid, s) + H+ (aq). The detection is based on an electrochemical gradient of protons in a confined porous substrate (filter paper) and measures the change in the conductance due to the higher mobility of H+ compared to other ions. The conductance was measured with a pair of silver electrodes attached to opposite sides of the substrate with a bipolar pulse conductance technique. The method is established in theory and in practice. The theoretical equation for conductance change shows that a constant increase in conductance is directly proportional to the As(total) concentration. The method is validated with a standard reference material and applied to the measurement of the groundwater sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, in-plane thermal conductivity measurement was carried out on graphene-based papers. Graphene-based papers were fabricated using various processing techniques such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD), hot pressing of graphene slurry, and evaporation induced self-assembly. The prepared materials were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. In-plane thermal conductivity measurement was performed via a steady state thin film thermal conductivity apparatus. The in-plane thermal conductivity measurements show that the CVD based sample has the highest thermal conductivity. COMSOL Multiphysics was used to simulate the in-plane thermal conductivity of graphene-based papers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel method was developed for studying the ink-paper interface and the structural variations of a deposited layer of ink. Combining high-resolution x-ray tomography with laser ablation, the depth profile of ink (toner), i.e., its varying thickness, could be determined in a paper substrate. X-ray tomography was used to produce the 3D structure of paper with about 1 μm spatial resolution. Laser ablation combined with optical imaging was used to produce the 3D structure of the printed layer of ink on top of that paper with about 70 nm depth resolution. Ablation depth was calibrated with an optical profilometer. It can be concluded that a toner layer on a light-weight-coated paper substrate was strongly perturbed by protruding fibers of the base paper. Such fibers together with the surface topography of the base paper seem to be the major factors that control the leveling of toner and its penetration into a thinly coated paper substrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we describe the synthesis of novel electrically and magnetically dual-driven Janus particles for a handwriting-enabled twisting ball display via the microfluidic technique. One hemisphere of the Janus particles contains a charge control agent, which allows the display color to be controlled by applying a voltage and superparamagnetic nanoparticles, allows handwriting by applying a magnetic field to the display. We fabricated a twisting ball display utilizing these Janus particles and tested the electric color control and handwriting using a magnet. As a result, the display was capable of permitting handwriting with a small magnet in addition to conventional color control using an applied voltage (80 V). Handwriting performance was improved by increasing the concentration of superparamagnetic nanoparticles and was determined to be possible even when 80V was applied across the electrodes for 4 wt.% superparamagnetic nanoparticles in one hemisphere. This improvement was impossible when the concentration was reduced to 2 wt.% superparamagnetic nanoparticles. The technology presented in our work can be applied to low-cost, lightweight, highly visible, and energy-saving electronic message boards and large whiteboards because the large-size display can be fabricated easily due to its simple structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report fabrication of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) films using chemical reduction by hydrazine hydrate and rGO paper-like samples using low temperature treatment reduction. Structural analysis confirms the formation of the rGO structure for both samples. Current-voltage (I-V) measurements of the rGO film reveal semiconductor behavior with the maximum current value of ~3×10-4A. The current for the rGO paper sample is found to be, at least, one order of magnitude higher. Moreover, bipolar resistance switching, corresponding to memristive behavior of type II, is observed in the I-V data of the rGO paper. Although precise values of the rGO film conductivity and the Seebeck coefficient could not be measured, rGO paper shows an electrical conductivity of 6.7×102S/m and Seebeck coefficient of -6μV/°C. Thus, we demonstrate a simplified way for the fabrication of rGO paper that possesses better and easier measurable macroscopic electrical properties than that of rGO thin film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellulose insulating paper is widely used in the power industry for its good electrical insulating properties. Moisture sharply increases its conductivity, which directly leads to the weakening of insulation performance and greatly increases the risk of subsequent electric field distortion and insulation breakdown. This paper focuses on the microscopic mechanism of moisture changing the characteristics of charge transport in cellulose insulation and attempts to reveal the related conductivity mechanism. To achieve this purpose, microscopic and macroscopic perspectives are integrated and several simulation and experimental methods are utilized comprehensively. The molecular dynamics simulation results showed that most water molecules in damped cellulose were individually and uniformly adsorbed on the hydroxyl groups by hydrogen bond, and the quantum chemistry computation results showed that the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital more appeared on the water molecule and the corresponding density of state increased. Then, experimentally, it was confirmed that the trap energy level decreased by the thermally stimulated current method. On this basis, the promotion effect of moisture on charge transport is predicted and verified by polarization and depolarization current methods. As the moisture content increased, more charge carriers escaped from the trap by hopping and participated in long-range continuous charge motion. Therefore, after dampness, the current of cellulose insulating paper increased exponentially with the increase in electric field strength, which was consistent with the hopping conductivity mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic electronic applications are envisioned to address broad markets, which includes flexible displays, electronic papers, sensors, disposable and wearable electronics, and medical and biophysical applications, leading to a tremendous amount of interest from both academia and industry in the study of devices. These fields of science and technology constitute interdisciplinary fields that cover physics, chemistry, biology, and materials science, leading, as a wanted output, to the elucidation of physical and chemical properties, as well as structures, fabrication, and performance evaluation of devices and the creation of new knowledge underlying the operation of organic devices using new synthesized organic materials—organic semiconductors. We testify the situation when the available organic electronic applications sometimes lack a theoretical background. The cause may be the complicated properties of disordered, weak bounded, molecular materials with properties different from their inorganic counterparts. One of the basic information-rich resources is the electronic structure of organic semiconductors, elucidated by the methods, hardly possible to be transferred from the branch of inorganic semiconductors. Electrochemical spectroscopic methods, in general, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, in particular, tend and seem to fill this gap. In this Perspective article, the energy resolved-electrochemical impedance spectroscopic method for electronic structure studies of surface and bulk of organic semiconductors is presented, and its theoretical and implementation background is highlighted. To show the method's properties and strength, both as to the wide energy and excessive dynamic range, the basic measurements on polymeric materials and D–A blends are introduced, and to highlight its broad applicability, the results on polysilanes degradability, gap engineering of non-fullerene D–A blends, and electron structure spectroscopy of an inorganic nanocrystalline film are highlighted. In the outlook and perspective, the electrolyte/polymer interface will be studied in general and specifically devoted to the morphological, transport, and recombination properties of organic semiconductors and biophysical materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focused on developing a methodology and metrology using a differential photoacoustic (PA) system to determine the effective water vapor diffusion coefficient (D e f f ) and the effective permeability coefficient (Π) in thin films as a piece of paper and standard polystyrene for a controlled relative humidity. The methodology proposes a new differential photoacoustic system, including the water reservoir, relative humidity, and temperature detectors. Two cells, reference/sample, were used to obtain the instrumental function to reduce the electronic and environmental noises. A method based on the study of ln [ 1 − (S − S 0) / Δ S ] = t / τ D and the behaviors of R2 as a function of the number of data was proposed to assess the region in which the photoacoustic signal should be processed to determine each effective coefficient. S is the amplitude of the PA signal, S 0 is the initial amplitude value, Δ S is the change, t (time), and τ D is the water vapor diffusion time. The effective water diffusion coefficient (D e f f ) for water and polystyrene was 1.90 × 10−11 m2/s and 3.09 × 10−11 m2/s, respectively. The permeability coefficient value for the piece of paper was 4.18 × 10−9 mol kg−1 cm−2 s−1 Pa−1, while for polystyrene, it was 6.80 × 10−9 mol kg−1 cm−2 s−1 Pa−1 for 70% of relative humidity. This methodology can be extended by changing the moisture content on the chamber to obtain the dependence of D e f f as a function of relative humidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using sorbent materials to separate and concentrate ambient humidity is a promising option for atmospheric water harvesting in the face of impending worldwide freshwater scarcity. The method of cycled sorption and forced release can facilitate efficient condensation, but performance strongly depends on device-scale issues of heat and mass transfer. We examine the potential of using microwave radiation to liberate sorbed vapor, in proof-of-concept experiments with hygroscopic salt-infused paper towel as simple sorbents. We quantify performance as a function of tunable system parameters and ambient humidity. Our results demonstrate promising aspects: both rapid desorption and regeneration, owing to water-tuned dielectric heating and directing flow through fibrous sorbent, respectively; substantial efficiency of moisture separation toward very low (∼ 25 %) relative humidity; and robust repeatability over many cycles, due to the targeted energy input and retention of hygroscopic salt within the paper scaffold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]