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Transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) coatings have attracted enormous scientific and industrial interest due to their outstanding tribological behavior. The paradigmatic example is MoS2, even though selenides and tellurides have demonstrated superior tribological properties. Here, we describe an innovative in-operando conversion of Se nano-powders into lubricious 2D selenides by sprinkling them onto sliding metallic surfaces coated with Mo and W thin films. Advanced material characterization confirms the tribochemical formation of a thin tribofilm containing selenides, reducing the coefficient of friction down to below 0.1 in ambient air, levels typically reached using fully formulated oils. Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations under tribological conditions reveal the atomistic mechanisms that result in shear-induced synthesis of selenide monolayers from nano-powders. The use of Se nano-powder provides thermal stability and prevents outgassing in vacuum environments. Additionally, the high reactivity of the Se nano-powder with the transition metal coating in the conditions prevailing in the contact interface yields highly reproducible results, making it particularly suitable for the replenishment of sliding components with solid lubricants, avoiding the long-lasting problem of TMD-lubricity degradation caused by environmental molecules. The suggested straightforward approach demonstrates an unconventional and smart way to synthesize TMDs in-operando and exploit their friction- and wear reducing impact.

A novel bio-sensing technique based on the measurement of nanobeads' Brownian motion using a micro-particle tracking velocimetry (micro-PTV) has been successfully developed to detect antigen-antibody interactions. The rapid interaction between antigens (C-reactive proteins, CRPs) and nanobeads with conjugated antibodies (anti-CRPs) has enabled real-time detection of CRPs to be easily carried out. During the binding process of CRPs to nanobeads, the mean value of the beads' diameters increases so that the Brownian velocity decreases with the increase of time. Moreover, higher CRP concentration leads to a lower Brownian velocity of the nanobeads in the equilibrium state. From the results, the limit of detection 0.1microg/ml was observed and could be further improved by using smaller nanobeads. Moreover, based on kinetic analysis, the average dissociation constant K(D)=(6.48+/-1.43)x10(-7) found by this technique for anti-CRP was shown to be in close agreement with the literature values obtained by dual-polarization interferometry (DPI) and indirect competition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). This simple sensing method can further be used to detect other bio-molecules and viruses.

A microfluidic flow-converter that transforms an oscillatory flow into a steady-like flow in a reciprocating-type pumping device is successfully developed in this study. The flow quality at the outlet is found to be significantly improved. The present micro-device is composed of two single-chamber PZT micropumps in parallel arrangement and can be fabricated using simple micro-electro-mechanical-system (MEMS) techniques. Based on the concept of the electronic bridge converter, the flow rectification is supported by four passive planar valves. Two operation modes, in-phase and anti-phase, were used to test the performance of the present device. In addition, the flow characteristics at the outlet were examined by an externally triggered micro-PIV system. The results reveal that the current flow-converter provided both high volume and smoothly continuous flow rates at the outlet when it was in anti-phase mode. Moreover, the volume flow rate was linearly proportional to the excitation frequency within a specific frequency regime. This indicates that the flow-converter was easily operated and controlled. The present microfluidic flow-converter has great potential for integration into future portable micro- or bio-fluidic systems.

In this paper, a PZT micropump excited by amplified squarewave signals with various frequencies was used to study the transient flow behaviors in an obstacle-type valveless micropump. A micro-particle-image-velocimetry (micro-PIV) with an external trigger was developed to obtain flow fields at the outlet and around the obstacle with various phases in a cycle. In comparison with previous studies on the pump performance, such as pump pressure and volume flow rate, more detailed information about the pump was obtained. The velocity profiles and periodic sectional mean velocities exhibited the unsteady flow nature. The total net flow generation efficiency per cycle was obtained experimentally by integrating the phase-dependent velocities. The flow recirculation around the obstacle was observed and quantified to investigate the influence on the pump performance. The duration, circulation, and the size of the recirculation regions indicated that this flow behavior could enhance the flow-directing capability. These results are very useful for the design and improvement of obstacle-type valveless micropumps.

In this paper, a simply-designed reciprocating-type micropump is presented. We also report the coupling effects between the valve motion and the flow behaviors, which were studied using a micro-PIV technique. The fluids were easily driven by a PZT plate and net flow was directed toward the outlet after rectification by two planar passive valves. The results revealed that good pumping performance was obtained even at a low excitation voltage of 10V. The optimum flow rate was measured at a frequency of 0.8kHz and the maximum flow rate was 275μl/min at 30V. The micropump was uniquely characterized by the existence of a linear relationship between the flow rate and the driving frequency, which enabled this micropump to be easily operated and controlled. The experimental results showed that the micropump was reliable in terms of the high linearity and repeatability, which is very favorable for portable microfluidic systems. The micro-PIV measurements of the transient motions of the valve and the flow behaviors clearly revealed that the valve efficiency depended on the mass inertia of the moving part, excitation frequency, and voltage. The present results are useful for the optimum design of this planar passive valve to improve the pumping efficiency.Copyright © 2009 by ASME