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Energy conversion by water flowing over graphene is a promising mode of energy harvesting. However, the mechanism, energy-conversion efficiency, and quantification of power density for this mode of interfacial electricity generation remain unknown. Quantification of the output performance for the flow-induced electricity generation using graphene is presented in this work. The output performance per unit contact area between water and graphene is found to be proportional to the flow speed, with an electromotive force density of 0.0025 [ μ V / mm 2 / mm / s ] for the conditions used in this work. The ability to quantify output density will help to construct guidelines for future applications of this form of electricity generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seaweed and fish have slippery outer surfaces because of the secretion of a layer of mucus. The hydrodynamics over a three-dimensional lubricant-infused slip surface that mimics the mucus layers of seaweed and fish was numerically explored. The morphological features of the lubricant-infused surface were designed to mimic such biological mucus storage systems. The lubricant was assumed to fill the cavity and to be supplemented without limit from the bottom surface of the cavity. The slip motion at the interface between the lubricant and water was simulated by using the volume of fluid method. Simulations were performed for two cavity open area fractions, 40% and 60%, and for three lid thicknesses, 0.01D, 0.03D, and 0.06D, where D is the width of the cavity (D = 400 μm). The simulation was conducted by employing realistic material properties. The contact angle of the lubricant in deionized water was directly measured (θeq = 25.9°). This slippery lubricant layer contributes to drag reduction by lessening the velocity gradient of the surrounding fluid. The hydrodynamics of the slip surface was examined by scrutinizing the effects of varying the open area and the lid thickness on the slip velocity and length, the dispersion area, and the lubricant consumption. The maximum slip velocity and length were obtained in the center of the contact interface, which forms a paraboloid. The effects of varying the cavity open area fraction on the maximum slip velocity and length are significant. The lid thickness affects both the lubricant dispersion pattern and the height to which the lubricant builds up. The lubricant consumption for a cavity open area fraction of 60% is larger than that for 40%. The cavity with an open area fraction of 60% and a lid thickness of 0.06D provides the best drag reduction of the cavities we simulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the process by which an explosive high-speed airflow extinguishes an arc and the characteristics of arc dielectric recovery in a semienclosed space, this study investigates the principles and processes of the formation, development, and extinction of an arc under the action of a high-speed airflow. When the impact arc occurs in a semienclosed arc-extinguishing chamber, the high-speed air suppresses arc development. Due to the high-speed airflow, the arc cools at an accelerated rate; the arc energy weakens, breakpoints occur, and the continuity of the arc energy channel is broken, preventing the arc from forming in the arc-extinguishing chamber and extinguishing it. This article employs AUTODYN software to establish a model for high-speed airflow arc extinguishing in a semienclosed space and then reveals a process by which a high-speed airflow extinguishes an arc in such a space. To verify whether a high-speed airflow can extinguish an arc, we conduct experiments in which high-speed airflow extinguishes a large impact arc and a power frequency arc. We recorded the arc extinguishing process with high-speed and ordinary cameras. The time taken to extinguish the arc is approximately 7 ms, and the arc does not regenerate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this study is to explore the role of viscoelastic properties of polymeric solutions on mode transitions in the electrospray process. By adjusting the applied electric potential between the nozzle and the collecting substrate, various electrohydrodynamic (EHD) modes were photographed by using a high-speed camera. Then, the effect of operating parameters on the droplet size in the dripping mode and the jet profile in the jet mode was investigated. By categorizing the EHD modes of each viscoelastic solution into dimensionless operating maps, it can be seen that by increasing the solution concentration, the extents of dripping mode and beads-on-a-string structure dwindle, while the jet stabilizes in a wider range of electric capillary numbers. Furthermore, contrary to deionized water, when the applied voltage escalates, the stick jet mode is observed where the jet sticks to the outer surface of the nozzle and the asymptotic thickness of the jet falls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photoactive bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) thin coatings were deposited on fluorine-doped tin oxide glass by plasma reactive sputtering from Bi2O3 and vanadium (V) radio frequency (RF) powered targets. The films were characterized by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersion spectroscopy, and UV-vis spectroscopy. The effects that the power density supplied to the Bi2O3 target, the post-annealing treatment, and the film thickness have on the structural features and on the photoelectrochemical (PEC) performances of the so obtained BiVO4 film-based photoelectrodes were investigated. Their PEC performance in water splitting was evaluated in a three-electrode cell by both incident photon to current efficiency and linear sweep voltammetry measurements under AM 1.5 G simulated solar light irradiation. A monoclinic phase of BiVO4, which is more photoactive than the tetragonal BiVO4 phase, was obtained by optimizing the power density supplied to the Bi2O3 target, i.e., by tuning the Bi:V:O atomic ratio. The best PEC performance was obtained for a stoichiometric 1:1 Bi:V atomic ratio, attained with 20 W power supplied to the Bi2O3 target and 300 W power supplied to the vanadium target, and an optimal 200 nm thickness of the BiVO4 film, with a 0.65 mA/cm2 photocurrent density attained at 1.23 V versus standard calomel electrode, under simulated solar light. These results show the suitability of plasma reactive sputtering with two RF powered electrodes for the deposition of BiVO4 photoanodes for water splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fabrication of microlenses on a diamond surface is an important way to enhance the performance of the embedded nitrogen vacancy (NV) center which is a promising single light source for quantum communication and quantum-based detection. In this work, lenses with a micrometer diameter were fabricated on a diamond surface by using the inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etching technique with a mask of polystyrene (PS) balls. First, 1 µm diameter PS balls were dispersed on the surface of deionized water. Then, the balls were transferred onto a diamond surface. Third, the sample was treated using the ICP technique to form microlenses. By increasing ICP etching time, the surface of fabricated microlenses became smoother. The simulation results demonstrate that the microlenses can greatly improve the photon collection efficiency of the embedded NV center and focus more excitation light to the NV center than bulk diamond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Treatments designed to intervene in conventional direct-drug-to-cell-binding communication have been hallmark approaches in designing new drug candidates. Given the random collision of molecules in living systems, this binding is laborious and too ineffective to precisely match the binding site. Therefore, it has been proposed that another non-chemical and non-electrical drug-cell communication channel, termed "bindingless" or "wired", could exist to impact signal transduction. Here we present the use of a micro-barrier well-array device to explore the unidentified bindingless anti-cancer mechanism. The device involves a 95-μm polydimethylsiloxane barrier to compartmentalize cancer cells and chemotherapeutic drugs. The lack of permeation of solutions across the device barrier was validated. Paclitaxel diluted in medium significantly inhibited the growth of prostate PC-3 cancer cells over a 95-μm barrier instead of cisplatin. The inhibition was attenuated by diluting drugs in other solvents, such as deionized water and phosphate-buffered saline. In addition, the orientation of magnetic field could partially dominate the "wired" communication. The collective data provide the experimental evidence of the postulated "wired" drug-cell communication as a potent in anti-cancer mechanism. These findings may inform cell biology investigations and stimulate studies of new physical and chemical phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the wetting properties and spatially dependent etch rate variation on the interaction of a dilute potassium hydroxide (KOH):water droplet with a nanopatterned one-dimensional, 500-nm period, grooved photoresist surface. The KOH liquid drop showed a hydrophilic contact angle both along and perpendicular to the grooves and a more significant elongation distortion as compared to a deionized water drop. From the etching of the photoresist lines by the KOH solution, monitored by SEM after the drop was removed, the droplet was in a Cassie–Baxter state with the liquid excluded from the grooves and was pinned at the edge of the grating lines. The etch rate varied with the evaporation rate of the droplet and showed a dependence on the local contact angle with faster etching for smaller contact angles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite extensive applications ranging from optoelectronic devices to flexible devices, two-dimensional layered materials used as ultrafast optical modulation materials have suffered from limited operation wavebands due to their intrinsic bandgap. Here, we investigate the nonlinear optical (NLO) response of group IIIA/IVA monochalcogenides XTe (X = Ga and Ge), which exhibit a remarkable saturable absorption response at a broadband wavelength. By using a liquid phase exfoliation technique, we prepare XTe nanosheets with few-layer thickness in a deionized water solvent and investigate their NLO responses at 800 nm, 1.5 µm, and 2 µm, respectively. Both GaTe and GeTe nanosheets exhibit ultrafast saturable absorption at 800 nm with 32.4 μJ (48.4 µJ) incident intensity. After preparing microfiber-based nanosheet optical modulators, their saturable absorptions are measured at 1.5 µm and 2 µm. The GaTe-SA possesses a little bit higher modulation depth (42.3% at 1.5 µm/30.7% at 2 µm) than the GeTe-SA (30.5% at 1.5 µm/8.3% at 2 µm) at two wavelengths. The lifetime of GaTe and GeTe nanosheets is measured to be 2.8 ps and 3.3 ps, respectively. In addition, we further examine their saturable absorption via incorporating them into an erbium- and a thulium-doped fiber laser system and obtain stably passively mode-locked pulse trains, respectively. The distinct NLO properties indicate a large potential of XTe nanosheets in the development of an ultrafast optical mode locker with a wideband operation wavelength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collision (PIC/MCC) simulations are performed to investigate the asymmetric secondary electron emission (SEE) effects when electrons strike two different material electrodes in low pressure capacitively coupled plasmas (CCPs). To describe the electron-surface interactions, a realistic model, considering the primary electron impact energy and angle, as well as the corresponding surface property-dependent secondary electron yields, is employed in PIC/MCC simulations. In this model, three kinds of electrons emitted from the surface are considered: (i) elastically reflected electrons, (ii) inelastically backscattered electrons, and (iii) electron induced secondary electrons (SEs, i.e., δ-electrons). Here, we examined the effects of electron-surface interactions on the ionization dynamics and plasma characteristics of an argon discharge. The discharge is driven by a voltage source of 13.56 MHz with amplitudes in the range of 200–2000 V. The grounded electrode material is copper (Cu) for all cases, while the powered electrode material is either Cu or silicon dioxide (SiO2). The simulations reveal that the electron impact-induced SEE is an essential process at low pressures, especially at high voltages. Different electrode materials result in an asymmetric response of SEE. Depending on the instantaneous local sheath potential and the phase of the SEE, these SEs either are reflected by the opposite sheath or strike the electrode surface, where they can induce δ-electrons upon their residual energies. It is shown that highly energetic δ-electrons contribute significantly to the ionization rate and a self-bias forms when the powered electrode material is assumed to be made of SiO2. Complex dynamics is observed due to the multiple electron-surface interaction processes and asymmetric yields of SEs in CCPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stability of cobalt-doped lanthanum iron silicide, La(FexCoySi1-x-y)13 have been investigated under conditions required for magnetocaloric refrigeration. The XRD analysis revealed that both milled and non-milled samples stored in water loose a few Bragg peaks corresponding to the NaZn13 phase of La(FexCoySi1-x-y)13. Samples stored in air show well-defined Bragg peaks similar to that of pristine material. The SEM-EDS of the milled and non-milled samples stored in water and air show an increased concentration of oxygen in the samples, particularly those treated with water. The course non-milled powders stored in air and water show sharp transitions at the Curie temperature TC = 300K without large magnetization above the TC. The milled, fine-particulate sample stored in air shows a slightly broadened transition at TC, and that stored in deionized water for 14 days shows significantly broadened transition from 300K and retains large magnetizations above 400 K. This is indicative of relatively fast hydrolysis and removal of some or all of La, likely as hydroxide, from fine powders, leaving behind La-poor or, potentially, La-free Fe-Co-Si containing ferromagnetic residue with much higher Curie temperature. The non-milled course sample stored in water has sharper magnetic transition and higher magnetization hence it shows the highest entropy change among all 4 type of samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid-cathode discharge at atmospheric pressure has been excited by a direct current voltage above the surfaces of deionized and tap water. Gap voltage decreases with increasing discharge current, which suggests that the discharges above both the liquids belong to a normal glow regime. For a given discharge current, gap and power voltages of the discharge above deionized water are higher than those above tap water. The optical spectrum obtained from the water surface reveals that there are abundant active species related to oxygen, nitrogen, and water vapor, which leads to changes in the pH value, conductivity, and concentrations of NO 3 − , NO 2 − , and H2O2 in liquid. Therefore, these parameters are investigated in the two liquids as functions of discharge current and plasma activation time. For both of them, the results show that the pH value decreases, while conductivity increment and concentrations of NO 3 − , NO 2 − , and H2O2 increase with increasing discharge current or activation time. Compared to activated tap water, deionized water has a lower pH value, while higher conductivity increment and concentrations of NO 3 − , NO 2 − , and H2O2 are observed after the same activation time and discharge current. Finally, these parameters are compared for different salt types and salt concentrations after plasma activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a microfluidic impedance device for achieving both the flow ratio sensing and the conductivity difference detection between sample stream and reference buffer. By using a flow focusing configuration, with the core flow having a higher conductivity sample than the sheath flow streams, the conductance of the device varies linearly with the flow ratio, with R²>0.999. On the other hand, by using deionized (DI)-water sheath flow as a reference, we can detect the difference in conductivity between the buffer of core flow and sheath DI-water with a high detection sensitivity of up to 1 nM of sodium chloride solution. Our study provides a promising approach for on-chip flow mixing characterization and bacteria detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultraviolet (UV) light-assisted wet oxidation in deionized water (photowashing) was done on commercial semi-insulating (SI) and N-type (Nd ∼ 7.5x1017 cm-3) (100) GaAs substrates. Oxidation rate, depth elemental composition profiling, and structural quality of prepared oxide layers and oxide/GaAs interfaces were evaluated for various oxidation times and for four selected intensities of UV light (320-480 nm) irradiation by means of x-ray reflectivity, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. N-type GaAs exhibited ∼30% higher oxidation rates as compared to SI GaAs. Oxidized layers were found to consist predominantly of Ga2O3. Peak gallium concentrations in oxidized layers related to Ga2O3 achieved ∼45 at. %, while concentrations of arsenic related to unfavorable As2O3 were found to be as low as 4-5 and 4-6 at. % for SI GaAs and N-type GaAs, respectively. As2O3 occurrence was not spatially confined and occurred throughout the oxidized layer. Arsenic depth concentration profiling showed no notable humps suggesting arsenic pile-up at the oxide/GaAs interface. TEM revealed strong correlation between UV light intensity and oxide/GaAs interface roughness. Inhomogeneous oxide layers, rough oxide/GaAs interface, and dislocation formation under excessive UV light intensity were observed. Optimized conditions were found to produce homogeneous oxide layers with smooth oxide/GaAs interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glancing angle deposition (GLAD) process has been regarded as an efficient method to fabricate nanostructured surfaces for enhanced boiling heat transfer because of its simplicity and variety of material selection. In this study, the effects of structural parameters (particularly the orientation and length of GLAD nanostructures) on boiling heat transfer were analyzed. The boiling heat transfer characteristics of Ag GLAD nanorods on a silicon substrate were examined using pool boiling experiments with deionized water. The vertical nanorod provided better performance than a slanted one, and a length of 200 nm was selected as the optimal length for maximizing the boiling heat transfer. A pool boiling critical heat flux of 20.6 W/cm² was obtained for a 200 nm tall Ag-vertical nanostructure, and 13.6 W/cm² was obtained for plain Ni-Ag layer on Si substrate. A 420% enhancement in the heat transfer coefficient was successfully achieved on a nanostructured surface compared to a plain Ni-Ag layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sonochemical synthesis can lead to a dramatic increase in the kinetics of formation of polymer spheres (templates for carbon spheres) compared to the modified Stöber silica method applied to produce analogous polymer spheres. Reactive molecular dynamics simulations of the sonochemical process indicate a significantly enhanced rate of polymer sphere formation starting from resorcinol and formaldehyde precursors. The associated chemical reaction kinetics enhancement due to sonication is postulated to arise from the localized lowering of atomic densities, localized heating, and generation of radicals due to cavitation collapse in aqueous systems. This dramatic increase in reaction rates translates into enhanced nucleation and growth of the polymer spheres. The results are of broad significance to understanding mechanisms of sonication induced synthesis as well as technologies utilizing polymers spheres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a method to fabricate insulated gold mechanically controlled break junctions (MCBJ) by coating the metal with a thin layer of aluminum oxide using plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition. The Al2O3 thickness deposited on the MCBJ devices was varied from 2 to 15nm to test the suppression of leakage currents in deionized water and phosphate buffered saline. Junctions coated with a 15 nm thick oxide layer yielded atomically sharp electrodes and negligible conductance counts in the range of 1 to 10-4 G0 (1 G0=77 μS), where single-molecule conductances are commonly observed. The insulated devices were used to measure the conductance of an amphiphilic oligophenylene ethynylene derivative in deionized water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comparative study of electrical breakdown properties of deionized water (H2O) and heavy water (D2O) is presented with two different electrode materials (stainless steel (SS) and brass) and polarity (positive and negative) combinations. The pulsed (~a few tens of nanoseconds) discharges are conducted by applying high voltage (~a few hundred kV) pulse between two hemisphere electrodes of the same material, spaced 3 mm apart, at room temperature (~26-28 °C) with the help of Tesla based pulse generator. It is observed that breakdown occurred in heavy water at lesser voltage and in short duration compared to deionized water irrespective of the electrode material and applied voltage polarity chosen. SS electrodes are seen to perform better in terms of the voltage withstanding capacity of the liquid dielectric as compared to brass electrodes. Further, discharges with negative polarity are found to give slightly enhanced discharge breakdown voltage when compared with those with positive polarity. The observations corroborate well with conductivity measurements carried out on original and post-treated liquid samples. An interpretation of the observations is attempted using Fourier transform infrared measurements on original and post-treated liquids as well as in situ emission spectra studies. A yet another important observation from the emission spectra has been that even short (nanosecond) duration discharges result in the formation of a considerable amount of ions injected into the liquid from the electrodes in a similar manner as reported for long (microseconds) discharges. The experimental observations show that deionised water is better suited for high voltage applications and also offer a comparison of the discharge behaviour with different electrodes and polarities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a microfluidic device that can automatically transport a droplet on a plastic plate. This device consists of a Cyclo Olefln Polymer (COP) plate and a SiO2 membrane and has wettability gradient surface. Lithographic patterns of hydrophilic SiO2 permitted wettability modification of a hydrophobic COP surface. A series of alternate hydrophobic and hydrophilic wedge-shaped patterns generated a required gradient in wettability. When we dropped a droplet on the wettability gradient surface, it moved along the wettability gradient due to an imbalance between surface tension forces acting on the opposite sides of the droplet edge. The droplet transportation test was carried out using water of 5µl. As a result, we succeeded in automatically transporting the droplet on the SiO2/COP wettability gradient pattern. We also carried out droplet transportation in an enclosed microchannel for preventing droplet evaporation using DI (Deionized) water of 5µl. In this case, the droplet was automatically transported by forming the wettability gradient pattern at the top and bottom in an enclosed microchannel without evaporation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate the formation of low- and high-density plasmas in aqueous media using sub-nanosecond laser pulses delivered at low numerical aperture (NA = 0.25). We observe two distinct regimes of plasma formation in deionized water, phosphate buffered saline, Minimum Essential Medium (MEM), and MEM supplemented with phenol red. Optical breakdown is first initiated in a low-energy regime and characterized by bubble formation without plasma luminescence with threshold pulse energies in the range of Ep ≈ 4-5 μJ, depending on media formulation. The onset of this regime occurs over a very narrow interval of pulse energies and produces small bubbles (Rmax = 2-20 μm) due to a tiny conversion (η < 0.01%) of laser energy to bubble energy EB. The lack of visible plasma luminescence, sharp energy onset, and low bubble energy conversion are all hallmarks of low-density plasma (LDP) formation. At higher pulse energies (Ep = 11-20 μJ), the process transitions to a second regime characterized by plasma luminescence and large bubble formation. Bubbles formed in this regime are 1-2 orders of magnitude larger in size (Rmax ≥ 100 μm) due to a roughly two-order-of-magnitude increase in bubble energy conversion (η ≥ 3%). These characteristics are consistent with high-density plasma formation produced by avalanche ionization and thermal runaway. Additionally, we show that supplementation of MEM with fetal bovine serum (FBS) limits optical breakdown to this high-energy regime. The ability to produce LDPs using sub-nanosecond pulses focused at low NA in a variety of cell culture media formulations without FBS can provide for cellular manipulation at high throughput with precision approaching that of femtosecond pulses delivered at high NA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile manganese ion Mn(II)-assisted assembly has been designed to fabricate microbowls by using graphene oxide nanosheets as basic building blocks, which were exfoliated ultrasonically from the oxidized soot powders in deionized water. From the morphology evolution observations of transmission electron microscope and scanning electron microscope, a coordinating-tilingcollapsing manner is proposed to interpret the assembly mechanism based on attractive Van der Waals forces, π-π stacking, and capillary action. It is interesting to note that the as-prepared microbowls present a room temperature superparamagnetic behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Streaming currents were measured in silica slit-like nanochannels with integrated electrodes using a pulsed flow of deionized water. The analysis of the transient streaming current measurements in nanochannels shows that streaming currents are proportional to the surface charge density σ and that the effective reduction of nanochannel height by immobilized biomolecules needs to be taken into account. The σ of silica nanochannels was measured after performing sequential chemical surface modification steps. The nanochannel surface was first altered with positively charged polylysine and then with non-charged polyethylene glycol showing that nanochannels can sense the charge and size of surface-immobilized molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated both numerically and experimentally the dynamics of individual zinc oxide nanowires immersed in an in-plane switching 4-Cyano-4′-pentylbiphenyl liquid crystal cell under switching electric fields. Comparing the motion of nanowires captured by a high-speed video camera with the simulated results allows the interaction among nanowires, liquid crystals, and external electric field to be studied. Our results show that in the nematic phase, the relaxation and response of a nanowire are both controlled by the dielectrophoretic torque induced by the external electric field and the elastic torque arising from the liquid crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the fabrication and characterisation of entirely inkjet-printed organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxithiophene) poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). These transistors were used to evaluate the assumed geometry-performance relationship of OECTs by changing the transistor dimensions and monitoring the output characteristics. We could show that the on-current depends on the PEDOT:PSS thickness and that the on-to-off current ratio is related to the distance between the printed electrodes. Taking these results into account, we fabricated entirely inkjet printed electrochemical inverters with a switching time of about 4 s. These inverters outline a first step from organic electrochemical transistors towards logic circuits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-brightness green phosphorescent hybrid inorganic-organic light-emitting diodes (HyLEDs) based on a simplified WO3/organic layer structure have been demonstrated. The WO3 layer greatly improved hole injection and enabled facile hole transport, leading to balanced charge injection and significant performance enhancement. The HyLEDs reached a luminance of 104 cd/m2 at 7.3 V. At this brightness level, their current efficiency was 55.2 cd/A, 57% higher than that of all-organic LEDs with a N,N-bis-(1-naphthyl)-N,N'-diphenyl-1,1′-biphenyl-4,4′-diamine hole transport layer. The HyLEDs also exhibited markedly improved reliability under constant-current stressing due to the stable indium-tin-oxide/WO3 interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A liquid membrane electrochemical etching process for preparing nano-tips is proposed by the introduction of buoyant force to the lower tip, in which the lower portion of the anodic wire is immersed into a floating layer. A mathematical model of this method is derived. Both calculation and experimental results demonstrate that the introduction of buoyant force can significantly decrease the tip radius. The lubricating oil and deionized water floating layers were tested for the processing of nano-tips. Further, high-aspect-ratio nano-electrodes were prepared by applying a relative vertical movement to the anodic wire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A microwave-induced hydrothermal etching of SrTiO3 (100) single crystal surfaces in deionized water and subsequent annealing in oxygen atmosphere results in single-terminated and atomically flat terraces for pure and niobium-doped substrates as confirmed through one unit-cell step height and uniform phase by atomic force microscopy. This process that requires 3 min of moderate microwave radiation completely avoids the use of hydrofluoric acid (HF) and related point defects due to fluorine in the crystal surface. The advantages of a safe, inexpensive, and environmentally neutral process hold promise to replace the existing standard protocol for substrate preparation based on buffered HF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel double pulse forming lines (PFLs) are fabricated with two separate coaxial single PFLs with the same dimensions with each inner cylinder of the PFL negatively charged to improve the breakdown voltage of PFL and the energy storage density of de-ionized water. A spiral line is adopted for the single PFL to raise the impedance of the PFL and prolongs the pulse duration. Ethylene glycol is mixed with de-ionized water to raise the leakage resistance and the impedance of the single PFL. A double structure is adopted to reduce the breakdown voltage requirement of the transformer and the switch. At the same time, the double structure is an advantage to raise the impedance of the PFL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction notice for the article "Laser wavelength and dose effects on Al nanoparticles structural formation in deionized water" is presented, which was published in the March 11, 2020 issue of the periodical.