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This study reports the low temperature and low pressure conversion (up to 160 °C, p = 3.5 bar) of CO 2 and H 2 to CO using plasmonic Au/TiO 2 nanocatalysts and mildly concentrated artificial sunlight as the sole energy source (up to 13.9 kW·m -2 = 13.9 suns). To distinguish between photothermal and non-thermal contributors, we investigated the impact of the Au nanoparticle size and light intensity on the activity and selectivity of the catalyst. A comparative study between P25 TiO 2 -supported Au nanocatalysts of a size of 6 nm and 16 nm displayed a 15 times higher activity for the smaller particles, which can only partially be attributed to the higher Au surface area. Other factors that may play a role are e.g., the electronic contact between Au and TiO 2 and the ratio between plasmonic absorption and scattering. Both catalysts displayed ≥84% selectivity for CO (side product is CH 4 ). Furthermore, we demonstrated that the catalytic activity of Au/TiO 2 increases exponentially with increasing light intensity, which indicated the presence of a photothermal contributor. In dark, however, both Au/TiO 2 catalysts solely produced CH 4 at the same catalyst bed temperature (160 °C). We propose that the difference in selectivity is caused by the promotion of CO desorption through charge transfer of plasmon generated charges (as a non-thermal contributor).

Galinstan, a liquid metal at room temperature, is a promising material for use in flexible electronics. Since it has been successfully integrated in devices for external use, e.g., as stretchable electronic skin in tactile sensation, the possibility of using galinstan for flexible implant technology comes to mind. Usage of liquid metals in a flexible implant would reduce the risk of broken conductive pathways in the implants and therefore reduce the possibility of implant failure. However, the biocompatibility of the liquid metal under study, i.e., galinstan, has not been proven in state-of-the-art literature. Therefore, in this paper, a material combination of galinstan and silicone rubber is under investigation regarding the success of sterilization methods and to establish biocompatibility testing for an in vivo application. First cell biocompatibility tests (WST-1 assays) and cell toxicity tests (LDH assays) show promising results regarding biocompatibility. This work paves the way towards the successful integration of stretchable devices using liquid metals embedded in a silicone rubber encapsulant for flexible surface electro-cortical grid arrays and other flexible implants.

Ultrasonic spray-coating (USSC)-a wet chemical deposition method to deposit ultrathin (down to 20 nm) coatings-is being applied as a promising alternative deposition method for functional coatings due to an economical, simple, and precise coating process with easy control over its operating parameters. In this research, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were ultrasonically spray-coated on commercial-grade polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate- co -3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBHHx) films. The most suitable parameters for the ink composition, the ultrasonic spray-coating process, and the number of coating passes (up to 50×) were selected on the basis of a series of experiments. The oxygen gas barrier properties in terms of the oxygen transmission rate (OTR) of neat PET, and 3×, 5×, 10×, and 50× ZnO NP-coated PET and PHBHHx substrates were investigated. The OTR values for neat PET, and 3×, 5×, and 10× ZnO NP-coated PET substrates were found to be the same; however, a 5% reduction in OTR for 50× ZnO NP-coated PET substrate was observed compared to the neat PET substrate. No reduction in OTR was found for any above number of coating passes on PHBHHx substrates against the neat PHBHHx substrate. However, the ultraviolet (UV) tests of 3×, 5×, and 10× ZnO NP-coated PET and PHBHH× substrates revealed a significant decrease in percentage transmission for 10× coated PET and PHBHHx substrates as compared to their 3× and 5× ZnO NP-coated substrates, respectively. It was revealed from the study that the 50× ZnO NP coating of the PET substrate created a slight difference in OTR as compared to the reference substrate. However, the ultrasonic spray-coating method created a significant UV barrier effect for 3×, 5×, and 10× ZnO NP-coated PET and PHBHHx substrates, which demonstrates that the optimized coating method cannot be used to create a high oxygen barrier but can certainly be applied for UV barrier applications in food packaging. It is concluded that ultrasonic spray deposition of ZnO NPs on PET and PHBHHx materials has shown promising results for UV barrier properties, demonstrating the advantages of using this method compared to other coating methods with regard to cost-effectiveness, precise coating, and better process control., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a highly recommended secondary prevention measure for patients with diagnosed cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately, participation rates are low due to enrollment and adherence issues. As such, new CR delivery strategies are of interest, as to improve overall CR delivery. The goal of the study was to obtain a better understanding of the short-term progression of functional capacity throughout multidisciplinary CR, measured as the change in walking distance between baseline six-minute walking test (6MWT) and four consecutive follow-up tests. One-hundred-and-twenty-nine patients diagnosed with cardiovascular disease participated in the study, of which 89 patients who completed the whole study protocol were included in the statistical analysis. A one-way repeated measures ANOVA was conducted to determine whether there was a significant change in mean 6MWT distance (6MWD) throughout CR. A three-way-mixed ANOVA was performed to determine the influence of categorical variables on the progression in 6MWD between groups. Significant differences in mean 6MWD between consecutive measurements were observed. Two subgroups were identified based on the change in distance between baseline and end-of-study. Patients who increased most showed a linear progression. In the other group progression leveled off halfway through rehabilitation. Moreover, the improvement during the initial phase of CR seemed to be indicative for overall progression. The current study adds to the understanding of the short-term progression in exercise capacity of patients diagnosed with cardiovascular disease throughout a CR program. The results are not only of interest for CR in general, but could be particularly relevant in the setting of home-based CR., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) field emitters have attracted significant interest for vacuum microelectronics applications. This work presents an approach to enhance the field electron emission (FEE) properties of NCD films by co-doping phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) using microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. While the methane (CH 4 ) and P concentrations are kept constant, the N 2 concentration is varied from 0.2% to 2% and supplemented by H 2 . The composition of the gas mixture is tracked in situ by optical emission spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy are used to provide evidence of the changes in crystal morphology, surface roughness, microstructure, and crystalline quality of the different NCD samples. The FEE results display that the 2% N 2 concentration sample had the best FEE properties, viz. the lowest turn-on field value of 14.3 V/µm and the highest current value of 2.7 µA at an applied field of 73.0 V/µm. Conductive AFM studies reveal that the 2% N 2 concentration NCD sample showed more emission sites, both from the diamond grains and the grain boundaries surrounding them. While phosphorus doping increased the electrical conductivity of the diamond grains, the incorporation of N 2 during growth facilitated the formation of nano-graphitic grain boundary phases that provide conducting pathways for the electrons, thereby improving the FEE properties for the 2% N 2 concentrated NCD films.

The field of printed electronics is rapidly evolving, producing low cost applications with enhanced performances with transparent, stretchable properties and higher reliability. Due to the versatility of printed electronics, industry can consider the implementation of electronics in a way which was never possible before. However, a post-processing step to achieve conductive structures-known as sintering-limits the production ease and speed of printed electronics. This study addresses the issues related to fast sintering without scarifying important properties such as conductivity and surface roughness. A drop-on-demand inkjet printer is employed to deposit silver nanoparticle-based inks. The post-processing time of these inks is reduced by replacing the conventional oven sintering procedure with the state-of-the-art method, named near-infrared sintering. By doing so, the post-processing time shortens from 30-60 min to 6-8 s. Furthermore, the maximum substrate temperature during sintering is reduced from 200 °C to 120 °C. Based on the results of this study, one can conclude that near-infrared sintering is a ready-to-industrialize post-processing method for the production of printed electronics, capable of sintering inks at high speed, low temperature and with low complexity. Furthermore, it becomes clear that ink optimization plays an important role in processing inkjet printable inks, especially after being near-infrared sintered.

Nanotechnology is playing a pivotal role in improving quality of life due to its versatile applications in many areas of research. In this regard, nanoparticles have gained significant importance. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) amongst other nanoparticles are being used in producing nanocomposites. Methods like solvent casting, solution casting, solvent volatilization, twin-screw extrusion, melt compounding and extrusion blow molding have been applied to produce ZnO NPs based (bio)polymer composites. These composites are of great interest in the research area of food packaging materials due to their improved multifunctional characteristics like their mechanical, barrier and antimicrobial properties. This paper gives an overview of the main methods to synthesize ZnO NPs, methods to incorporate ZnO NPs in (bio)polymers, and finally, the gas barrier and mechanical properties of the nanocomposites. As a conclusion, a maximum decline in oxygen, carbon dioxide and water vapor permeability was reported as 66%, 17% and 38% respectively, while tensile strength and young's modulus were observed to increase by 32% and 57% respectively, for different (bio)polymer/ZnO nanocomposites.

This paper presents a plasma display device (PDD) based on laser-induced graphene nanoribbons (LIGNs), which were directly fabricated on polyimide sheets. Superior field electron emission (FEE) characteristics, viz. a low turn-on field of 0.44 V/μm and a large field enhancement factor of 4578, were achieved for the LIGNs. Utilizing LIGNs as a cathode in a PDD showed excellent plasma illumination characteristics with a prolonged plasma lifetime stability. Moreover, the LIGN cathodes were directly laser-patternable. Such superior plasma illumination performance of LIGN-based PDDs has the potential to make a significant impact on display technology.

Lipid bilayers represent the interface between the cell and its environment, serving as model systems for the study of various biological processes. For instance, the addition of small molecules such as alcohols is a well-known process that modulates lipid bilayer properties, being considered as a reference for general anesthetic molecules. A plethora of experimental and simulation studies have focused on alcohol's effect on lipid bilayers. Nevertheless, most studies have focused on lipid membranes formed in the presence of alcohols, while the effect of n -alcohols on preformed lipid membranes has received much less research interest. Here, we monitor the real-time interaction of short-chain alcohols with solid-supported vesicles of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) as a label-free method. Results indicate that the addition of ethanol at different concentrations induces changes in the bilayer organization but preserves the stability of the supported vesicle layer. In turn, the addition of 1-pentanol induces not only changes in the bilayer organization, but also promotes vesicle rupture and inhomogeneous lipid layers at very high concentrations.

The development of new power devices taking full advantage of the potential of diamond has prompted the design of innovative 3D structures. This implies the overgrowth towards various crystallographic orientations. To understand the consequences of such growth geometries on the defects generation, a Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) study of overgrown, mesa-patterned, homoepitaxial, microwave-plasma-enhanced, chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) diamond is presented. Samples have been grown under quite different conditions of doping and methane concentration in order to identify and distinguish the factors involved in the defects generation. TEM is used to reveal threading dislocations and planar defects. Sources of dislocation generation have been evidenced: (i) doping level versus growth plane, and (ii) methane concentration. The first source of dislocations was shown to generate <110> Burgers vector dislocations above a critical boron concentration, while the second induces <112> type Burgers vector above a critical methane/hydrogen molar ratio. The latter is attributed to partial dislocations whose origin is related to the dissociation of perfect ones by a Shockley process. This dissociation generated stacking faults that likely resulted in penetration twins, which were also observed on these samples. Lateral growth performed at low methane and boron content did not exhibit any dislocation.

Low temperature (350 °C) grown conductive nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) films were realized by lithium diffusion from Cr-coated lithium niobate substrates (Cr/LNO). The NCD/Cr/LNO films showed a low resistivity of 0.01 Ω·cm and excellent field electron emission characteristics, viz. a low turn-on field of 2.3 V/µm, a high-current density of 11.0 mA/cm² (at 4.9 V/m), a large field enhancement factor of 1670, and a life-time stability of 445 min (at 3.0 mA/cm²). The low temperature deposition process combined with the excellent electrical characteristics offers a new prospective for applications based on temperature sensitive materials.

Epitaxial lateral growth will be required if complex diamond-based device architecture, such as, for example, Metal-oxide-semiconductor Field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) or epitaxial lateral overgrowth (ELO) substrates, need to be developed for high-power applications. To this end, undoped and doped non-planar homoepitaxial diamond were overgrown on (001)-oriented diamond-patterned substrates. Defects induced by both the heavy boron doping and three-dimensional (3D) growth were studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). At high methane and boron concentrations, threading dislocations with Burgers vectors b = 1/6 &lang;211&rang;, b = 1/2 &lang;110&rang;, or both were observed. Their generation mechanisms were established, revealing boron proximity effects as precursors of dislocations generated in boron-doped samples and providing clues as to the different Burgers vectors. The concentration ranges of boron and methane resulting in good crystalline quality depended on the plane of growth. The microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition (MPCVD) growth conditions and the maximum boron concentration versus plane orientation yielding a dislocation-free diamond epitaxial layer were determined.