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A series of novel hydrophobic cotton fabrics with polyvinylsilsesquioxane (PVS) polymer functional coatings were successfully prepared by solution immersion. The influence of the added amount of PVS polymer on the morphology, resistance to thermal and thermooxidative degradation, and hydrophobic properties of the treated cotton fabrics was studied by attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and water contact angle measurements, respectively. The experimental results show that the PVS polymer formed a protective film on the surface of the cotton fibers; the resistance to thermal and thermooxidative degradation, and the water-repellent properties of the novel cotton fabrics were also improved with increasing added amount of PVS polymer, compared with that of reference material. The enhancement in the thermal properties of the treated cotton fabrics can likely be attributed to synergistic carbonization between the PVS protective layer and the cellulose fibers during thermal degradation. Meanwhile, it was also found that, with increasing added amount of PVS polymer, the hydrophobicity of the treated cotton fabrics was greatly improved. The noticeable improvement in the hydrophobicity of the treated cotton fabrics is ascribed to the combination of low-surface-energy PVS film and the intrinsically rough surface of the woven cotton fabrics. This strategy for fabricating novel cellulose fabrics provides a guide for the development of high-performance functional cellulose fabrics with tunable properties in the textile industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ag@poly composites were synthesized by a facile method. The samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and infrared spectroscopy. Different concentrations and the molar ratios of AgNO3aqueous solution andp-diamino-azobenzene, as well as the solvent, were used in the synthesis. Different morphologies of treelike structure, polygonal sheets, microrods, microtubes, and dendritic nanostructure were obtained. These results indicate that some synthesis parameters, such as concentrations of solutions, mole ratios of raw materials, and solvents, play important roles in the control of morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this article, a new type of Cu-Co-P alloy with different atomic ratios of Co/P has been successfully synthesized, in which the Co2P particles have been formed. By means of the melt-spinning and phase extraction technologies, the pure Co2P particles with various morphologies could be obtained. It has been found that with the atomic ratio of Co/P changing from 1:2, 1:1, 3:2 to 2:1, the Co2P particles exhibit the morphologies of hollow hexagonal and quadrangular prisms, short rod-shape, fine and near-spheroidal particles, fibers and spheres, respectively. Besides of the stoichiometry of reactants Co/P, the non-equilibrium solidification caused by melt-spinning might be another reason for the morphological evolution of the Co2P phase. The synthesis of Co2P particles by the in-situ melt reaction provides an efficient, stable, controllable and green environment-friendly preparation method, in which the Cu-P alloy is supplied as the phosphorus resource. Meanwhile, this discovery provides new opportunities for the synthesis of transition metal phosphides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents characteristics of atmospheric aerosols of urban central Balkans area, using a size-segregated aerosol sampling method, calculation of mass distributions, SEM/EDX characterization, and ICP/MS analysis. Three types of mass distributions were observed: distribution with a pronounced domination of coarse mode, bimodal distribution, and distribution with minimum at 1 μm describing the urban aerosol. SEM/EDX analyses have shown morphological difference and variation in the content of elements in samples. EDX spectra demonstrate that particles generally contain the following elements: Al, Ca, K, Fe, Mg, Ni, K, Si, S. Additionally, the presence of As, Br, Sn, and Zn found in air masses from southeast segment points out the anthropogenic activities most probably from mining activities in southeastern part of Serbia. The ratio Al/Si equivalent to the ratio of desert dust was associated with air masses coming from southeastern and southwestern segments, pointing to influences from North Africa and Middle East desert areas whereas the Al/Si ratio in other samples is significantly lower. In several samples, we found high values of aluminum in the nucleation mode. Samples with low share of crustal elements in the coarse mode are collected when Mediterranean air masses prevailed, while high share in the coarse mode was associated with continental air masses that could be one of the approaches for identification of the aerosol origin. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A water-in-oil (W/O) microemulsion was prepared by mixing cyclohexane and HAuCl 4 aqueous solution at the presence of a nonionic surfactant Triton X-100 and 1-hexanol. By successively adding sodium borohydride (NaBH 4 ), ammonium hydroxide (NH 3 ·H 2 O) and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) to this microemulsion, Au@SiO 2 hybrid nanoparticles were produced which have been fully characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high resolution TEM (HR-TEM) observations, UV–vis measurements and thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA). It was found that in each Au@SiO 2 hybrid nanoparticle, the silica shell can encapsulate multiple Au nanodots. The parameters of the Au@SiO 2 hybrid nanoparticles including the thickness of the silica shell, the number of encapsulated Au nanodots and the size of the nanoparticles can be easily tuned by changing the volume of TEOS and the reaction time before adding TEOS, respectively. These interesting core–shell nanoparticles provide ideal candidates for a variety of applications in materials science, biology and catalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA)-based composites were prepared by blending PLA with precipitated barium sulfate (BaSO) modified with stearic acid. The morphologies, mechanical properties and thermal stability of samples with increased mass fraction of BaSO were investigated. Results showed that PLA was toughened and reinforced simultaneously by incorporation of precipitated BaSO particles. The highest impact toughness and elongation at break were both achieved at 15% BaSO, while the elastic modulus increased monotonically with increasing BaSO loading. Little effect of BaSO on the thermal behavior of PLA was observed in the present case. However, the thermal stability of PLA/BaSO composites at high temperature was enhanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a lightweight platform for evolving two-dimensional artificial creatures. The aim of providing such a platform is to reduce the barrier to entry for researchers interested in evolving creatures for artificial life experiments. In effect the novel platform, which is inspired by the Sodarace construction set, makes it easy to set up creative scenarios that test the abilities of Sodarace-like creatures made of masses and springs. In this way it allows the researcher to focus on evolutionary algorithms and dynamics. The new indirectly encoded Sodarace (IESoR) system introduced in this article extends the original Sodarace by enabling the evolution of significantly more complex and regular creature morphologies. These morphologies are themselves encoded by compositional pattern-producing networks (CPPNs), an indirect encoding previously shown effective at encoding regularities and symmetries in structure. The capability of this lightweight system to facilitate research in artificial life is then demonstrated through both walking and jumping domains, in which IESoR discovers a wide breadth of strategies through novelty search with local competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have established a multi-constraint, data-driven process to digitally reconstruct, and simulate prototypical neocortical microcircuitry, using sparse experimental data. We applied this process to reconstruct the microcircuitry of the somatosensory cortex in juvenile rat at the cellular and synaptic levels. The resulting reconstruction is broadly consistent with current knowledge about the neocortical microcircuit and provides an array of predictions on its structure and function. To engage the community in exploring, challenging, and refining the reconstruction, we have developed a collaborative, internet-accessible facility-the Neocortical Microcircuit Collaboration portal (NMC portal; https://bbp.epfl.ch/nmc-portal). The NMC portal allows users to access the experimental data used in the reconstruction process, download cellular and synaptic models, and analyze the predicted properties of the microcircuit: six layers, 31,000 neurons, 55 morphological types, 11 electrical types, 207 morpho-electrical types, 1941 unique synaptic connection types between neurons of specific morphological types, predicted properties for the anatomy and physiology of 40 million intrinsic synapses. It also provides data supporting comparison of the anatomy and physiology of the reconstructed microcircuit against results in the literature. The portal aims to catalyze consensus on the cellular and synaptic organization of neocortical microcircuitry (ion channel, neuron and synapse types and distributions, connectivity, etc.). Community feedback will contribute to refined versions of the reconstruction to be released periodically. We consider that the reconstructions and the simulations they enable represent a major step in the development of in silico neuroscience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 0.53 Ga 0.47 As epitaxial films are grown on 2-inch diameter Si (111) substrates by growing a low-temperature In 0.4 Ga 0.6 As buffer layer using molecular beam epitaxy. The effect of the buffer layer thickness on the as-grown In 0.53 Ga 0.47 As films is characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It is revealed that the crystalline quality and surface morphology of as-grown In 0.53 Ga 0.47 As epilayer are strongly affected by the thickness of the In 0.4 Ga 0.6 As buffer layer. From TEM investigation, we understand that the type and the distribution of dislocations of the buffer layer and the as-grown In 0.53 Ga 0.47 As film are different. We have demonstrated that the In 0.4 Ga 0.6 As buffer layer with a thickness of 12 nm can advantageously release the lattice mismatch stress between the In 0.53 Ga 0.47 As and Si substrate, ultimately leading to a high-quality In 0.53 Ga 0.47 As epitaxial film with low surface roughness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Galaxy morphology is a first-order descriptor of a galaxy and a useful proxy to identify physical processes. The 100 years old Hubble fork describes the structural diversity of galaxies in the local universe. Unveiling the origins of this galaxy zoology is a key challenge in galaxy evolution. In this review talk, I first summarized some key advances in our understanding of the morphological evolution of galaxies from z ~ 0 to z ~ 3, thank you in particular to the SDSS and HST legacies. In the second part, I focused on the classification techniques. With the emergence in the last years of large surveys the samples of study have increased by several orders of magnitude going from a few tens to several millions of objects. This trend will clearly continue in the next decade with coming surveys/missions such as EUCLID and WFIRST. While galaxy classification is still a required step in any survey, visual inspection of galaxies is becoming prohibitively time-consuming. Under these circumstances, the techniques used to estimate galaxy morphologies need to be updated. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The fully amorphous Fe nanoparticles with controllable size ranging from 80 to 120 nm have been fabricated by direct reduction reactions of Fe ions with NaBH as reducing agent. The morphologies and surface structures of these amorphous samples can be modified by varying the addition rate of NaBH solution during the reaction process. The uniform nanosized amorphous Fe particles with an average size of about 90 nm can be obtained at suitable reaction addition. The B element is observed to accumulate in the surface of the amorphous samples, which promotes their good thermal and air stability. The surface B concentration can be decreased with increasing the NaBH addition rate. Slight surface oxidation varying from FeO to FeO in the amorphous samples may lead to their different saturation magnetization of 126-140 A ⋅ m/kg. This simple method, good stability, and high saturation magnetization for these nanosized amorphous Fe particles promise their potential applications in high-frequency and high-temperature soft magnetic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have successfully synthesised four different CuO nano-flowers by the hydrothermal routes with different copper salts and additions under different conditions. The obtained samples were characterised by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. We described the morphology features of the four different CuO nano-flowers. Furthermore, we investigated the effects of additions except copper salts on the formation of different CuO nano-flowers, and the possible growth mechanisms of the four different CuO nano-flowers were proposed. In addition, we find that the CuO nano-flower(iv) shows better sensing performance than the other three CuO nano-flowers. Our research proves that the shapes and morphologies of CuO nano-flowers are essential to the gas sensing properties of CuO nano-flowers, which may bring great development in gas sensing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multiscale simulation scheme, which incorporates both long-range conformational disorder and local molecular ordering, is proposed for predicting large-scale morphologies and charge transport properties of polymeric semiconductors. Using poly(3-hexylthiophene) as an example, it is illustrated how the energy landscape and its spatial correlations evolve with increasing degree of structural order in mesophases with amorphous, uniaxial, and biaxial nematic ordering. It is shown that the formation of low-lying energy states in more ordered systems is mostly due to larger (on average) conjugation lengths and not due to electrostatic interactions. The proposed scheme is general and can be applied to a wide range of polymeric organic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we report a simple synthesis of multiple Au nanodots core-silica shell nanoparticles (multi-Au@SiO NPs). The Au@SiO hybrid nanoparticles were synthesized in a water-in-oil microemulsion with a composition of polyoxyethylene(10) tertoctylphenyl ether (Triton X-100)/1-hexanol/cyclohexane/HO and have been fully characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM (HR-TEM) observations, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), UV-vis measurements, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The morphologies of the hybrid nanoparticles of Au@SiO can be easily tuned by the molar ratio of HAuCl to NaBH and the volume ratio of HAuCl aqueous solution to TEOS. As the morphologies of Au@SiO nanoparticles varied, the optical properties also changed as revealed by UV absorption spectrum. These Au@SiO hybrid nanoparticles which possess these properties make them fascinating candidates for a variety of applications such as catalysis and life science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TiO 2 nanostructures were grown by oxidizing titanium foil. 1D nanomaterials were obtained via anodization in an electrolyte containing 1 wt% NH 4 F, ethylene glycol and 2 wt% H 2 O. Flower-like titanium dioxide (3D) was fabricated using chemical oxidation in a 30% H 2 O 2 solution at moderate temperature. XRD analysis revealed a mixture of anatase and a smaller amount of rutile TiO 2 . The shape of photocurrent-voltage characteristics recorded in a photoelectrochemical cell (PEC) was found to be affected by the type of nanostructure. It was shown that 3D interconnected architecture improved photoelectrochemical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Imide-containing vinyl fluorosilicone resin (MR-VFS) was synthesized from maleated rosin (MR). And then, with MR-VFS as a new polar cross-linking agent in a heat curable fluorosilicone rubber composition, a series of maleated rosin-modified fluorosilicone rubbers (MR-FSR) were obtained. The effects of MR-VFS on the mechanical properties, oil resistance, thermal stability, and low-temperature performance were studied in detail. It was found that MR-VFS could increase the tearing strength and high-temperature thermal stability of fluorosilicone rubber. When the MR-VFS weight content reached to 2 wt %, the tearing strength of MR-FSR increased by 20.1% compared with that of common fluorosilicone rubber. However, MR-FSR showed a similar low-temperature resistance and a little worse oil resistance. The morphological study showed that incorporation of maleated rosin could intensify the microphase separation of fluorosilicone rubber. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41888. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly(aniline- co- diphenylamine and 5-aminosalicylic acid), i.e., poly(aniline- co -DPA-and 5-ASA), was electrochemically synthesized in a acidic solution containing aniline, diphenylamine (DPA) and 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) in the presence of N , N- dimethylformamide (DMF), which was deposited on a reduced graphene oxide (RGO)/glassy carbon (GC) electrode to form a poly(aniline- co- DPA and 5-ASA)/RGO/GC electrode. Cyclic voltammetry demonstrated that this electrode can effectively catalyze the reduction of m -nitrophenol in aqueous solutions. Therefore, this electrode can be used to determine m- nitrophenol in aqueous media. The electrode exhibited a linear region of 20–400 μM m- nitrophenol in a phosphate buffer solution of pH 6.5 with a correlation coefficient of 0.9955, a linear region of 20–600 μM m- nitrophenol in a Na 2 SO 4 solution of pH 6.0 with a correlation coefficient of 0.9997, a good repeatability and long working life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study synthesizes the multilayered magnet c nanowires (NWs) with biocompatible interface by means of the chemical reducing, sol-gel, chemical polymerization, and photochemical reducing. These functionalized iron na owires including; Au/Fe NWs, Au/SiO 2 /Fe NWs, and Au/PDDA/SiO 2 /Fe NWs etc. The properties of these nanowires are characterized by XRD, FE-SEM, and ICP to investigate their structures, morphologies, and micro chemical characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fast ion conducting lithium argyrodites Li 6 PS 5 X (X = Cl, Br) are promising solid electrolytes for rechargeable all-solid-state lithium batteries. Here we realized all-solid-state lithium batteries combining Li 6 PS 5 Br with CuS as the cathode. An initial discharge capacity of 650 mAh/g was achieved, though the reversible capacity after 20 cycles was limited to be 90 mAh/g. Based on X-ray diffraction measurements at different discharge stages we identified a peculiar reaction mechanism of CuS in this all-solid-state battery design, as the Li 6 PS 5 Br electrolyte is found to reversibly participate in the cell reaction: at intermediate stages of the discharge Cu + is incorporated in the argyrodite leading to Cu y Li 6 − y PS 5 Br. The reduced ionic conductivity of Cu y Li 6 − y PS 5 Br and the volume change of the electrolyte during cycling affect the cyclic performance of the batteries in addition to the volume changes of the active materials. From the first cycle onwards both processes result – as evidenced by SEM – in progressive crack formation, dissociation of the active material from Li 6 PS 5 Br and carbon and consequential capacity fading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prepare polycarbonate/poly(acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) composites which are reinforced with sepiolite nanofibers and use a polystyrene-maleic anhydride copolymer for improving polycarbonate/poly(acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) compatibility. By measuring glass transition temperatures and morphologies, we conclude that the copolymer effectively improves the compatibility. Further, polycarbonate/poly(acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) composites containing various amounts of sepiolite are prepared. It is found that the surface-modified sepiolite nanofibers are well-dispersed in the polymer matrix, and the mechanical properties and heat resistance are increased with the sepiolite contents increasing. The influences of sepiolite nanofibers on the melt flowability are also investigated. With these results, the composite with the optimum properties is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In recent years, there are a growing number of researches in the field of self-assembling peptides. Due to their diversity structures and the promising applications, self-assembling peptides have already become the focus of studies in the fields of materials and biological science. Some amazing functions of these peptides in the medical field caught our attention, such as tissue repair and regeneration, therapeutic delivery, haemostasis, antimicrobial and so on. There are different morphologies of self-assembling peptides in different functions. This review provides an overview of the relationship between some amazing functions and various morphologies of self-assembling peptides principally. Furthermore, the mechanisms of peptide self-assembly are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A series of biodegradable acrylic terminated polyurethanes (APUs) based on poly(ε-caprolactone) diol (PCL), aliphatic 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) and hydroxyethyl methyl acrylate (HEMA) was synthesized as potential materials for hard tissue biomedical applications. PCLs with low molecular weights of 1000 and 2000 g/mol were employed to provide different amounts of end capped urethane acrylate in APUs. To control crosslink density, a mixture of two different reactive diluents including mono-functional HEMA and bi-functional ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) with different weight ratios was incorporated into the APUs, called here PUAs. Morphological characteristics and mechanical properties were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). DMA results indicated some degree of microphase separation between hard and soft segments; however, the microphase separation is more prominent for PUAs with higher molecular weight PCL. It was also found that the degree of crosslinking dominated greatly the formation of crystalline structure. PUAs with low crosslink density exhibited crystalline microstructure. The results also indicated that the mechanical properties of PUAs were governed considerably by crystalline microstructure, and hard segment content. All PUAs demonstrated hydrophobic behavior and were able to be degraded hydrolytically. The degradation process was closely related to the microstructure and surface tension of PUAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: AlN films have been epitaxially grown on nitrided Al(111) substrates with various nitrogen pressures by pulsed laser deposition with an in-plane alignment of AlN[11–20]//Al[1–10]. The effect of nitrogen pressure on the surface morphologies and structural properties of AlN films is studied in detail. It reveals that AlN films grown at appropriate pressure exhibit very flat and smooth surface with a surface root-mean-square roughness of 1.1nm, and abrupt interface; while AlN films grown at other pressures show poorer properties. This work presents an optimized growth conditions for the growth of high-quality AlN films for the application of film bulk acoustic wave resonators and surface acoustic wave devices that ask for the flat surface and abrupt interface. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Two alcohol‐soluble organic molecules are synthesized and introduced into inverted organic solar cells as the cathode interlayer. A power conversion efficiency as high as 9.22% is obtained by using the more hydrophobic molecule FTBTF‐N as the cathode interlayer. Morphological studies suggest that design of the backbone can help to enhance short‐circuit current density and fill factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] In all layers, the chemical reduction from PdO to metallic Pd was detected by an optical method. [•] Different morphologies of Pd layers have different sensing characteristics. [•] In contrast to freshly sputtered layers, roughened layers show a significantly increased signal ratio. [•] Roughened layers and nanoparticles show a complex desorption behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, we investigated morphological changes of hatchlings from asexually and sexually produced eggs of Daphnia galeata and D. similis against fish kairomones. In both species, hatchlings from asexual eggs showed induced traits, such as short body length, long tail spine and high relative tail spine length when influenced by fish kairomones. However, hatchlings from sexual eggs expressed high relative tail spine length regardless of kairomones presence. The results showed that the inducibility of morphological defences depends on the egg type, with inducible defences predominant in asexual eggs while fixed defences are employed by the offspring of sexual eggs in Daphnia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Core/shell microspheres with functional -doped microspheres (:) as core and with nanosilica particles as shell were prepared by a combination of sol-gel and self-templating techniques. The characteristic of this novel method was that the whole process required neither additional surfactant nor stabilizer, which exempted from removing the template and reduced reaction steps compared to the conventional process. The morphologies, structure and particle size distribution of the resulting :/2 microspheres were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS), respectively. Surface chemical composition and optical properties were determined with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, respectively. In addition, the effects of reaction conditions on the structure and morphologies were investigated. Experimental results indicated that the resulting :/2 microspheres were perfectly spherical with distinct core/shell structures, and exhibited stronger fluorescence emission. ZnS:Mn/SiO2 core/shell microspheres were obtained via a pseudo-O/W emulsion system using a combination of sol-gel and self-templating techniques. The effects of ammonia concentration and stirring rate of the homogenizer on the structure and morphologies of microspheres, and their optical properties were investigated. The whole process required neither additional surfactant nor stabilizer, which exempted from removing the template and reduced reaction steps compared to the conventional process. The experimental results indicated that the resulting ZnS:Mn/SiO2 microspheres were perfectly spherical with distinct core/shell structures, and exhibited stronger fluorescence emission than the uncoated ZnS:Mn. The particle size could be readily controlled by altering the reaction conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polysulfone (PSU) was used to modify 4,4′-diaminodiphenyl methane-based benzoxazine (BZ-m) through reaction-induced phase separation. The curing behaviors and kinetics were investigated using differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), and the results showed that the activation energies of PSU/BZ-m mixtures polymerization increased as the amount of PSU increased. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), temperature-modulated differential scanning calorimeter (TMDSC) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were applied to study the phase structures of PSU/BZ-m blends. Four different morphologies were obtained by increasing the proportion of PSU in this work. These blends displayed different properties due to the different phase morphologies. The blend with bicontinuous phase structure exhibited excellent mechanical properties and thermal properties, and we believe that these blends can be applied as matrices for high-performance composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanoparticles with various morphologies such as micelles, worm-like/rod-like and spherical vesicles are made using a polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) approach via a one-pot RAFT dispersion polymerization. On polymerization/self-assembly, we report a concurrent highly efficient loading of guest molecules within the nanoparticle structures. Different nanoparticle morphologies, such as spherical micelles, worm-like, rod-like, and spherical vesicles, are achieved by gradually increasing the number-average degree of polymerization (DP n) of the PST block via increasing polymerization times (in a poor solvent) as determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements. In parallel, a guest molecule (Nile Red) is encapsulated during the polymerization without disturbing the morphology or the polymerization kinetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: WO3 H2O with different morphologies were synthesized through hydrothermal method by adding different surfactants. The effect of surfactants on tailing morphology was investigated through XRD and SEM analyses in detail and the possible formation mechanism was discussed. Furthermore, the gas-sensing performances of obtained samples to ethanol were investigated. The results revealed that the WO3 H2O with the hierarchical architectures assembled by nanosheets shows the highest response to ethanol among four kinds of the nanostructures WO3. These results on the preparation, mechanism and gas sensing properties of WO3 H2O nanostructures hold great potential for the syntheses of oxide materials with novel nanostructures and their applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] Y6WO12:Yb/Er was prepared by hydrothermal and subsequently calcination method. [•] The phosphors present different morphologies by tuning the EDTA usage. [•] The green to red emission ratio changed from big to small when calcined. [•] The colors tunable of this phosphor make it an attractive material. [•] The relative mechanism was given and analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adsorption of Cr (VI) from aqueous solution onto nanoparticles hematite ( α-FeO) of different morphologies synthesized by acid hydrolysis, transformation of ferrihydrite, sol gel methods has been investigated. The hematite particle sizes were in the range 15.69-85.84 nm and exhibiting different morphologies such as hexagonal, plate-like, nano-cubes, sub-rounded and spherical. The maximum adsorption capacity of Cr (VI) was found to be in the range 6.33-200 mgg for all hematite samples. The kinetics of sorption was rapid, reaching equilibrium at 45-240 minutes. Sorption kinetics and equilibria followed pseudo-second order and Langmuir adsorption isotherm models. The rate constants were in the range 0.996-2.37×10 g/mg/min for all samples. The maximum adsorption was attained at pH 3.0, while adsorption decreased as the pH increased from pH 3.0 to 10.0. The study revealed that the hematite with plate-like morphology has the highest adsorption capacity. The sorption process has been found to be feasible following a chemisorption process, and adsorption of Cr (VI) onto hematite nanoparticles was by inner sphere surface complexation due to low desorption efficiency in the range 9.54-53.4 %. However, the result of ionic strength revealed that the reaction was by outer sphere complexation. This study showed that morphologies play a vital role in the adsorption capacities of samples of hematite in the removal of Cr (VI) from aqueous solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Nanopowders of elements doped Bi2Te3 thermoelectric alloy R0.2Bi1.8Te3 (R=Ce, Y and Sm) were synthesized by the hydrothermal method. The nanopowders were hot-pressed into pellets and their thermoelectric properties were investigated. The results show that Ce, Y, and Sm doping has significant effects on the morphologies of the synthesized nanopowders and thermoelectric properties. Among the doping elements, Ce doping is a superiority dopant. Although the electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient are not improved much by Ce doping, the thermal conductivity is supressed greatly. As a result the figure of merit (ZT) of Ce0.2Bi1.8Te3 is improved and reaches 1.29 at 398K, which is higher than the Bi2Te3 ingots made by the traditional zone-melting method [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Using three different amino acids (AAs) as organic matrices, including the highly nonpolar hydrophobic l-valine, the positively charged l-arginine and the less polar uncharged l-serine, calcium carbonate (CaCO) with different morphologies and polymorphs were synthesized by a facile gas diffusion reaction based on biomimetic strategy. Compared with the control cubic calcite obtained in the absence of AAs, the product from l-valine was cubic calcite aggregates assembled by nano-platelets. The product from l-arginine was spherical vaterite aggregates assembled by spherical nanoparticles. The product from l-serine was the mixture of cubic calcite and spherical vaterite. The structures and properties of the side chains of the AAs exerted the significant effects on the nucleation and growth of the CaCO. The formation mechanisms of the CaCO in the presence of AAs are preliminarily discussed. The results suggest that the polymorphs and morphologies of the inorganic nanomaterials might be easily adjusted through the careful selection of the organic matrices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: One of the most attractive characteristics of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is the fact that, following the international standards for polymer biodegradation, it can be potentially degraded in soil or compost. The potential of this material, however, requires additional investigations in order to understand the PLA behaviour during composting, including the main factors that affect the biodegradation phenomena. In this work, the degradation of PLA was investigated in both distilled water and controlled composting conditions at a temperature of 58 °C. PLA samples with different morphologies were prepared by injection moulding and successive annealing at high temperature. As expected, the crystallinity was found to decrease the PLA degradation rate, but it was also found that the crystallinity affects only partially the first stages of water diffusion in the polymer matrix, whereas it has a significant effect on the final swelling of the samples and on their biodegradation rate. It could therefore be concluded that the denser structure of the initially crystalline sample was more impermeable to the enzymatic attach and to oligomer diffusion. This was also testified by the fact that if the characteristic dimension of the crystalline sample is reduced, degradation rate becomes much faster and close (although still slower) to that of the amorphous sample. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study concerns the determination of hygromechanical properties of sunflower stems. Mechanical tests were carried out on specimens of sunflower bark and pith. Particular attention was paid to the influence on the mechanical properties of (i) specimen location along the stem and (ii) moisture content of specimens. For this purpose, specimens were taken from the bottom, middle, and top of the stems. The influence of humidity on the mechanical properties was studied by testing specimens conditioned at three different relative humidities: 0% RH, 33% RH and 75% RH. Moisture diffusion coefficients of bark and pith were deduced assuming Fick''s law to predict the variation in moisture content of the specimens during the mechanical test. The Young''s modulus of the bark was found to be higher than that of the pith, whereas the moisture diffusion coefficient of the bark was lower than that of the pith. Mechanical and hygroscopic properties of specimens depended on their location along the stem. In order to explain these results, morphological observations have been carried out on the specimen at each location. It was found that porosity of both the bark and the pith are lower at the top of the stem. The presence of sclerenchyma in the bark is also higher at the top of the stem. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Pt-Co electrocatalysts have attracted significant attention because of their excellent performance in many electrochemical reactions. This review focuses on Pt-Co electrocatalysts designed and prepared for electrocatalytic applications. First, the various synthetic methods and synthesis mechanisms are systematically summarized; typical examples and core synthesis parameters are discussed for regulating the morphology and structure. Then, starting with the design and structure-activity relationship of catalysts, the research progress of the morphologies and structures of Pt-Co electrocatalysts obtained based on various strategies, the structure-activity relationship between them, and their properties are summarized. In addition, the important electrocatalytic applications and mechanisms of Pt-Co catalysts, including electrocatalytic oxidation/reduction and bifunctional catalytic reactions, are described and summarized, and their high catalytic activities are discussed on the basis of their mechanism and active sites. Moreover, the advanced electrochemical in situ characterization techniques are summarized, and the challenges and direction concerning the development of high-performance Pt-Co catalysts in electrocatalysis are discussed., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Abstract: Hexagonal phase NaGdF4 microrods have been successfully synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method with ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) as the structure-directing agent. The additive amounts of NaF and NaNO3 as well as the reaction time have great effect on the morphology evolution of the products. A possible growth mechanism was proposed for the formation of β-NaGdF4 microrods. Under the excitation of 980nm near-infrared laser, bright green upconversion (UC) emissions can be readily achieved from NaGdF4:10%Yb3+,1%Er3+ microrods. In addition, the NaGdF4 microrods exhibit excellent paramagnetic features with the magnetization value of 5.02emu/g (18kOe) at room temperature. Both the UC luminescent and magnetic properties are closely related to the size of as-prepared products. These multifunctional β-NaGdF4 microrods would have potential applications in the fields such as solid-state lasers, lighting, displays, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and so on. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Numerous zinc oxide (ZnO) nanomaterials, with unique physical and chemical properties, have recently been synthesised by various methods. In this study, a hydrothermal method was developed to synthesise ZnO nanomaterials with different morphologies on indium doped tin oxide (ITO), and the growth mechanism was discussed. The structure and morphologies of the synthesised samples were characterised by X-ray diffraction and SEM. The photoluminescence (PL) and field emission characteristics of ZnO nanomaterials with different morphologies were measured. X-ray diffraction and SEM images indicate that ZnO with morphologies of nanocones, nanorods and nanotubes is grown along c axis to the ITO substrates. The room temperature PL spectra reveal a strong and sharp ultraviolet emission band at 386 nm and a weak blue emission band at 470 nm. The field emission measurements show that the turn-on field of ZnO nanocones, nanorods and nanotubes at emission current density of 10 μA cm-2 is approximately 2·62, 4·31 and 3·92 V μm-1. Moreover, the emission image of ZnO nanocones is more homogeneous than that of ZnO nanorods and nanotubes at the electric field of 4·5 V μm-1. The experimental results indicate that ZnO nanomaterials with different morphologies have good photoelectric properties. As cold cathode materials, ZnO has a great number of potential applications for the field emission display in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this work, we studied the effects of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) concentration and pH on the morphologies, microstructures and mechanical properties of the resultant poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/MWNT composite nanofibers prepared by electrospinning technique. The PVA solution dissolved in distilled water was blended with various acid-treated MWNTs concentrations ranging from 1.0 to 3.0wt%, and then electrospun to produce PVA/acid-treated MWNT composite nanofibers. The PVA/acid-treated MWNT nanofibers were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), and tensile testing. SEM analysis demonstrated that the PVA/MWNT nanofibers with acid-treated MWNTs of 1.0wt% gave rather smaller diameter and narrower distribution, suggesting well-distribution of the MWNTs onto the PVA nanofiber matrix, as also confirmed by TEM analysis. In addition, it was observed that the PVA/acid-treated MWNT (MWNT concentration ∼1.0wt%) nanofibers at higher pH gave lower diameter than those at lower pH, due to a decreased molecular interaction between PVA and acid-treated CNTs, and thereby results in a decreased viscosity and their diameters. Moreover, the resultant nanofibers at lower pH have better mechanical properties than those at higher pH. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Silver/polyaniline nanocomposites (Ag NPs/PANI) containing PANI nanofiber and Ag nanoparticles were synthesized by one-step approach without using any extra reducing agent or surfactant and applied to new antimicrobial agents. Morphologies and crystallinity of the nanocomposites were characterized with SEM and XRD. The results showed that the average diameter of the PANI nanofibers is around 50-150 nm, and the average particle size of Ag NPs is around 100 nm. The crystallinity of PANI gets better with increasing silver nitride concentration. UV-vis absorption spectroscopy analysis indicated that the Ag NPs have some effect on the microstructure of PANI. The antimicrobial properties of Ag NPs/PANI against Gram-negative Escherichia coli, Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and fungous Yeast were evaluated using viable cell counts. The test results demonstrated that Ag NPs/PANI have enhanced antimicrobial efficacy compared to that of pure Ag NPs or pure PANI under the same test condition. The mechanism of the synergistic antimicrobial effect of Ag NPs with PANI was also proposed. In addition, thermal gravity analysis indicated that pure PANI and Ag NPs/PANI exhibit better thermal stability. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]