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With both foodborne illness and food spoilage detrimentally impacting human health and the economy, there is growing interest in the development of in situ sensors that offer real-time monitoring of food quality within enclosed food packages. While oligonucleotide-based fluorescent sensors have illustrated significant promise, the development of such on-food sensors requires consideration towards sensing-relevant fluorescence properties of target food products – information that has not yet been reported. To address this need, comprehensive fluorescence profiles for various contamination-prone food products are established in this study across several wavelengths and timepoints. The intensity of these food backgrounds is further contextualized to biomolecule-mediated sensing using overlaid fluorescent oligonucleotide arrays, which offer perspective towards the viability of distinct wavelengths and fluorophores for in situ food monitoring. Results show that biosensing in the Cy3 range is optimal for all tested foods, with the Cy5 range offering comparable performance with meat products specifically. Moreover, recognizing that mass fabrication of on-food sensors requires rapid and simple deposition of sensing agents onto packaging substrates, RNA-cleaving fluorescent nucleic acid probes are successfully deposited via microcontact printing for the first time. Direct incorporation onto food packaging yields cost-effective sensors with performance comparable to ones produced using conventional deposition strategies.

Nonspecific binding is a significant challenge associated with biosensors in complex food textures. To overcome this, we have developed LISzymes, which are DNAzymes incorporated in lubricant-infused surfaces (LISs). Using milk as a complex background matrix, we show that LISzyme biosensors are significantly more effective in preventing nonspecific binding compared to other commonly used "blocking" methods. The use of lubricant infusion to treat sensing surfaces results in a 4-fold increase in the signal-to-noise ratio obtained with the DNAzyme with respect to untreated surfaces, when detecting the presence of specific bacteria in milk. This is a striking improvement upon previous DNAzyme sensors. We also show that the use of LISs does not affect the DNAzyme's ability to effectively and specifically detect its target─a protein specifically produced by

Engineered surfaces that repel pathogens are of great interest due to their role in mitigating the spread of infectious diseases. A robust, universal, and scalable omniphobic spray coating with excellent repellency against water, oil, and pathogens is presented. The coating is substrate-independent and relies on hierarchically structured polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microparticles, decorated with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Wettability studies reveal the relationship between surface texturing of micro- and/or nano-hierarchical structures and the omniphobicity of the coating. Studies of pathogen transfer with bacteria and viruses reveal that an uncoated contaminated glove transfers pathogens to50 subsequent surfaces, while a coated glove picks up 10

Various fields within biomedical engineering have been afforded rapid scientific advancement through the incorporation of microfluidics. As literature surrounding biological systems become more comprehensive and many microfluidic platforms show potential for commercialization, the development of representative fluidic systems has become more intricate. This has brought increased scrutiny towards the material properties of microfluidic substrates. Thermoplastics have been highlighted as a promising material, given their material adaptability and commercial compatibility. This review provides a comprehensive discussion surrounding recent developments pertaining to thermoplastic microfluidic device fabrication. Existing and emerging approaches related to both microchannel fabrication and device assembly are highlighted, with consideration towards how specific approaches induce physical and/or chemical properties that are optimally suited for relevant real-world applications.

High-touch surfaces are known to be a major route for the spread of pathogens in healthcare and public settings. Antimicrobial coatings have, therefore, garnered significant attention to help mitigate the transmission of infectious diseases

The surface fouling of biomedical devices has been an ongoing issue in healthcare. Bacterial and blood adhesion in particular, severely impede the performance of such tools, leading to poor patient outcomes. Various structural and chemical modifications have been shown to reduce fouling, but all existing strategies lack the combination of physical, chemical, and economic traits necessary for widespread use. Herein, a lubricant infused, hierarchically micro- and nanostructured polydimethylsiloxane surface is presented. The surface is easy to produce and exhibits the high flexibility and optical transparency necessary for incorporation into various biomedical tools. Tests involving two clinically relevant, priority pathogens show up to a 98.5% reduction in the biofilm formation of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. With blood, the surface reduces staining by 95% and suppresses thrombin generation to background levels. Furthermore, the surface shows applicability within applications such as catheters, extracorporeal circuits, and microfluidic devices, through its effectiveness in dynamic conditions. The perfusion of bacterial media shows up to 96.5% reduction in bacterial adhesion. Similarly, a 95.8% reduction in fibrin networks is observed following whole blood perfusion. This substrate stands to hold high applicability within biomedical systems as a means to prevent fouling, thus improving performance.

Cross-contamination of biological samples during handling and preparation, is a major issue in laboratory setups, leading to false-positives or false-negatives. Sample carryover residue in pipette tips contributes greatly to this issue. Most pipette tips on the market are manufactured with hydrophobic polymers that are able to repel high surface tension liquids, yet they lack in performance when low surface tension liquids are involved. This presents an obstacle for pipette tips as inaccuracies and loss in precision arise when low surface tension liquids such as viscous oils are pipetted. Here we propose the use of lubricant-infused surface (LIS) technology to achieve omniphobic properties in pipette tips. Using a versatile and simple design, the inner lumen of commercially available pipette tips was coated with a fluorosilane (FS) layer using chemical vapor deposition (CVD). We show that after lubricating the tips through simply pipetting up and down a fluorinated lubricant, the surface free energy of the tips drastically decreased enabling them to attain low retention properties. Contact angle measurements reveals that the treated pipette tips have enhanced omniphobic properties. The repellent behavior of the lubricant-infused pipette tips against physical adsorption is investigated through pipetting a food coloring dye as well as human blood samples and are compared to the untreated tips. The results show significantly less amount carryover residue when the lubricant-infused tips are utilized compared to commercially available ones.

Microfluidics is an emerging and multidisciplinary field that is of great interest to manufacturers in medicine, biotechnology, and chemistry, as it provides unique tools for the development of point-of-care diagnostics, organs-on-chip systems, and biosensors. Polymeric microfluidics, unlike glass and silicon, offer several advantages such as low-cost mass manufacturing and a wide range of beneficial material properties, which make them the material of choice for commercial applications and high-throughput systems. Among polymers used for the fabrication of microfluidic devices, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) still remains the most widely used material in academia due to its advantageous properties, such as excellent transparency and biocompatibility. However, commercialization of PDMS has been a challenge mostly due to the high cost of the current fabrication strategies. Moreover, specific surface modification and functionalization steps are required to tailor the surface chemistry of PDMS channels (e.g. biomolecule immobilization, surface hydrophobicity and antifouling properties) with respect to the desired application. While significant research has been reported in the field of PDMS microfluidics, functionalization of PDMS surfaces remains a critical step in the fabrication process that is difficult to navigate. This review first offers a thorough illustration of existing fabrication methods for PDMS-based microfluidic devices, providing several recent advancements in this field with the aim of reducing the cost and time for mass production of these devices. Next, various conventional and emerging approaches for engineering the surface chemistry of PDMS are discussed in detail. We provide a wide range of functionalization techniques rendering PDMS microchannels highly biocompatible for physical or covalent immobilization of various biological entities while preventing non-specific interactions.

The optoferroelectric materials have attracted a great deal of attention in recent years. Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin films are fabricated on FTO glass substrates by sol–gel technique to investigate optical properties of the films. Heat treatment conditions and sol parameters are investigated to determine the optimum condition for fabricating the PZT thin films. Crack free almost pure perovskite crystal structure is formed at calcination temperature of 600 °C, for 5 min, and sol concentration of 0.33 mol/l. Increasing thickness of thin films raises the grain size and average roughness from 30 to 105 nm and 2.36 to 5.48 nm, respectively. FTIR analysis shows that 600 °C is an appropriate temperature for crystallization of PZT thin films due to the existence of metallic bond (M–O–M) in the spectrum. The films are characterized at different thicknesses for optical transmission and electrical investigation. Value of bandgap energy is estimated to be about 3.5 eV. It has been shown that the presence of rosette-type perovskite structure in the pyrochlore background has negative effect on capacitance and resistance of PZT films.

As a result of their favorable physical and chemical characteristics, thermoplastics have garnered significant interest in the area of microfluidics. The moldable nature of these inexpensive polymers enables easy fabrication, while their durability and chemical stability allow for resistance to high shear stress conditions and functionalization, respectively. This review provides a comprehensive examination several commonly used thermoplastic polymers in the microfluidics space including poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), cyclic olefin polymer (COP) and copolymer (COC), polycarbonates (PC), poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), polystyrene (PS), poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), polylactic acid (PLA), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), and polyester. We describe various biofunctionalization strategies applied within thermoplastic microfluidic platforms and their resultant applications. Lastly, emerging technologies with a focus on applying recently developed microfluidic and biofunctionalization strategies into thermoplastic systems are discussed.

The ongoing problem with the thrombogenicity and poor tissue integration of synthetic vascular grafts demands the design of new surfaces that simultaneously suppress thrombosis and promote endothelialization. Lubricant-infused surfaces have shown outstanding results in preventing clot formation; however, their innate ability to completely block the surface, averts targeted binding of desired biomolecules. We report a new class of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) vascular grafts that prevent blood coagulation and concurrently promote endothelial cell adhesion. This is made possible by direct silanization of anti-CD34 antibody with the coupling agent and subsequent conjugation of the silanized antibody to the ePTFE surface. In contrast to the conventional methods, we eliminated the need to chemically modify the ePTFE substrate for attaching the capturing ligand, and as a result preserved the innate surface properties of the ePTFE substrate. This is crucial for infiltrating the fluorine-based ePTFE substrate with a biocompatible perfluorocarbon-based lubricant and ultimately creating a functional and stable lubricant-infused layer. Compared to commercially available ePTFE vascular grafts and the ones coated using conventional methods, our developed ePTFE grafts significantly attenuate thrombin generation and blood clot formation and specifically capture endothelial cells from human whole blood while preventing nonspecific adhesion of undesirable proteins and cells. The developed technology can be applied to other biomarkers and biomaterials and can be tailored toward different biomedical applications where biofunctionality and targeted binding are of importance.

Recent studies have shown a correlation between elevated interleukin 6 (IL-6) concentrations and the risk of respiratory failure in COVID-19 patients. Therefore, detection of IL-6 at low concentrations permits early diagnosis of worst-case outcome in viral respiratory infections. Here, a versatile biointerface is presented that eliminates nonspecific adhesion and thus enables immunofluorescence detection of IL-6 in whole human plasma or whole human blood during coagulation, down to a limit of detection of 0.5 pg mL-1 . The sensitivity of the developed lubricant-infused biosensor for immunofluorescence assays in detecting low molecular weight proteins such as IL-6 is facilitated by i) producing a bioink in which the capture antibody is functionalized by an epoxy-based silane for covalent linkage to the fluorosilanized surface and ii) suppressing nonspecific adhesion by patterning the developed bioink into a lubricant-infused coating. The developed biosensor addresses one of the major challenges for biosensing in complex fluids, namely nonspecific adhesion, therefore paving the way for highly sensitive biosensing in complex fluids.

Barium zirconium titanate (Ba(Zr x Ti1−x)O3, BZT) super smooth thin films are synthesized through modified sol-gel dip coating route on fluorine-doped tin oxide substrates with a suitably low calcination temperature. The Fourier tranformed infrared spectroscopy proves that impurities and starting materials are completely removed in the calcination process. Crystallographic phases of the samples are identified by the X-ray diffractometry and confirms that all samples are crystallized into a single perovskite phase. Introducing zirconium into the structure causes a reduction in dielectric constant of barium titanate. The optical properties of the films are also investigated. The results indicate that all samples are highly transparent and zirconium reduces the absorption coefficient. Moreover, the band gap energy of barium titanate increases when doped with zirconium and the highest band gap energy of about 3.71 eV along with the lowest dielectric constant of 850 at frequency of 100 kHz are obtained in 15 at.% zirconium-doped sample.

Improving the piezoelectric performance of thin film piezoelectric devices is vital for their future application. In this research, the multi-stacked hard/soft piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate (PZT) films with improved ferroelectric properties are introduced. The films are achieved by sol-gel dip coating deposition of the layers of PZT doped with niobium (PNZT) and iron (PFZT) as soft and hard ferroelectrics, respectively. Different sequences of the layer deposition are applied to form various multi-stacked hard/soft composites. The films demonstrate near stoichiometry composition and high quality crack-free surfaces. The polarization-electric field loops illustrate that the composite can not only enhance the polarization significantly compared to the soft PNZT, but also maintain high coercive field and provide square shaped polarization-electric field loops. The results show that the remanent polarization of 94.1 μC cm−2 along with the coercive field of 5.9 kV/cm are achieved in the 10-layer double PFZT/double PNZT multi-stacked film, which are much improved compared to PZT, PFZT, and PNZT films. Moreover, dielectric constant of 2535 at 1 kHz is obtained in this sample. These intriguing properties of hard/soft composite can arise from polarization interaction of composite layers and diffusion ions through the layers.

Micropatterned biofunctional surfaces provide a wide range of applications in bioengineering. A key characteristic which is sought in these types of bio-interfaces is prevention of non-specific adhesion for enhanced biofunctionality and targeted binding. Lubricant-infused omniphobic coatings have exhibited superior performance in attenuating non-specific adhesion; however, these coatings completely block the surfaces and do not support targeted adhesion or patterning. In this work, we introduce a novel lubricant-infused surface with biofunctional micropatterned domains integrated within an omniphobic layer. This new class of micropatterned lubricant-infused surfaces simultaneously promotes localized and directed binding of desired targets, as well as repellency of undesired species, especially in human whole blood. Furthermore, this modification method is easily translatable to microfluidic devices offering a wider range of applications and improved performance for immunoassays in whole blood and inhibition of clot formation in microfluidic channels. The biofunctional micropatterned lubricant-infused surfaces were created through a bench-top straight forward process by integrating microcontact printing, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of fluorosilanes, and further infusion of the SAMs with a bio-compatible fluorocarbon-based lubricant layer. The developed surfaces, patterned with anti-CD34 antibodies, yield enhanced adhesion and controlled localized binding of target biomolecules (e.g. antibodies) and CD34 positive cells (e.g. HUVECs) inside microfluidic devices, outperforming conventional blocking methods (e.g. bovine serum albumin (BSA) or poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)) in buffer and human whole blood. These surfaces offer a straightforward and effective way to enhance blocking capabilities while preserving the biofunctionality of a micropatterned system in complex biological environments such as whole blood. We anticipate that these micropatterned biofunctional interfaces will find a wide range of applications in microfluidic devices and biosensors for enhanced and localized targeted binding while preventing non-specific adhesion.

Here, we present a straightforward technique to create bio-functional microfluidic channels using CO2 plasma to induce both carboxylic and hydroxyl groups onto the channel surface. Consequently, not only does the surface allow for irreversible covalent bonding to an oxygen plasma treated PDMS for microfluidic device fabrication, but it also provides functionality for biomolecular immobilization. Furthermore, we demonstrate integration of this technique with microcontact printing to covalently micropattern functional biomolecules inside microfluidic channels. The bio-functionality and efficacy of the microcontact printed antibodies is demonstrated for both bioassays as well as patterning and culturing different cell lines. Results show that the introduced method can be an excellent candidate for cell culture studies in microfluidics. With the new printing method, full cell confluency (∼400 cells per mm2) was achieved after incubation for only 1 day, which is significantly greater than other conventional cell culture techniques inside microfluidic devices. As a proof of concept, we demonstrated the endothelial cells functionality by stimulating von Willebrand Factor secretion under shear stress. This is done via perfusion of histamine through the channel and performing immunofluorescence labeling to observe the inflammatory response of the cells. The developed method eliminates the need for wet chemistry and significantly simplifies producing bio-functional chips which can be used for biosensing, organs-on-chips and tissue engineering applications.

Specific ranges of dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations must be maintained in a waterbody for it to be hospitable for aquatic animals. DO sensor designs can employ selectively permeable membranes to isolate DO from untargeted compounds or organisms in waterbodies. Hence, the DO concentration can be monitored and the health of the water can be evaluated over time. However, the presence of bacteria in natural waterbodies can lead to the formation of biofilms that can block pores and prevent analyte from permeating the membrane, resulting in inaccurate readings. In this work, we demonstrate the implementation of a fluorosilane-based omniphobic lubricant-infused (OLI) coating on a selectively permeable membrane and investigate the rate of biofilm formation for a commercially available DO sensor. Coated and unmodified membranes were incubated in an environment undergoing accelerated bacterial growth, and the change in sensitivity was evaluated after 40, 100, 250, and 500 h. Our findings show that the OLI membranes attenuate biofouling by 70% and maintain sensitivity after 3 weeks of incubation, further demonstrating that oxygen transfer through the OLI coating is achievable. Meanwhile, unmodified membranes exhibit significant biofouling that results in a 3.35 higher rate of decay in oxygen measurement sensitivity and an over 70% decrease in static contact angle. These results show that the OLI coating can be applied on commercially available membranes to prevent biofouling. Therefore, OLI coatings are a suitable candidate to suppress biofilm formation in the widespread use of selectively permeable membranes for environmental, medical, and fluid separation applications.

This chapter presents various techniques that are employed to engineer and embed biofunctional interfaces in microfluidic platforms. Microfluidic systems exhibit high proficiency in rapid throughput and analysis, as well as small sample and reagent requirements. Achieving biofunctionalization, or controlled immobilization of specific biomolecules, within microchannels is of growing importance due to the rising capabilities of microfluidic systems in biomedical applications including three-dimensional cell culture platforms for tissue- and organ-on-a-chip technologies and point-of-care diagnostics. The formation of cell-functionalized microfluidic devices requires proper microfabrication techniques and biological patterning. Different coating and patterning processes can induce chemically reactive groups on the microchannel’s surface, which can then be used to establish a stable interaction between biomolecules of interest and the surface. The following sections explore widely used approaches to develop cell-laden microchannels: plasma- and silanization-based treatments, microcontact printing, microfluidic patterning, polymer grafting, and extracellular matrix-based hydrogel coating. Furthermore, this chapter introduces numerous surface blocking agents that prevent nonspecific adsorption of biomolecules and boost the sensitivity of biological assays. Through developing target-specific biofunctional interfaces, these techniques enhance the biological compatibility of microfluidic devices for a variety of microfluidic applications such as cell sorting, detection and isolation of circulating tumor cells, and organs-on-chips systems.

Lead zirconate titanate is one of the most well-known ferroelectric oxides and has been widely used in nano/micro-electromechanical systems and piezoelectric industries. Doping the lead zirconate titanate thick films by Fe3+ as an acceptor dopant leads to hard lead zirconate titanate piezoelectrics for specific applications including high frequency transducers. In this article, Fe-doped lead zirconate titanate thick films with the thickness of 27 µm are synthesized by using a modified acetic acid/alcoholic based sol–gel method and applying diethanolamine as a complexing agent. Crystallographic measurements are performed considering lattice constants and lattice distortion of the films by means of X-ray diffraction. Pure perovskite phase is obtained by adding the dopant up to 5 at. % Fe. The tetragonal lattice distortion and lattice parameters decrease by adding Fe and reach to its minimum level of c t = 4.024 A and a t = 3.966 A at 3 at. % Fe. The surface morphology and grain size are surveyed using field emission scanning electron microscopy, which shows the reduction in grain size by adding the dopant. Polarization-voltage loops and dielectric constants of the films are calculated by electrical measurement and illustrate reduction in the polarization by increasing Fe dopant. The highest value of coercive voltage is achieved at 3 at. % Fe. Moreover, the lowest dielectric constant of 318 is obtained at 5 at. % Fe. Nanostructured crack-free Fe-doped PZT thick films are successfully prepared by using modified sol–gel route with different Fe dopant percentages (a) surface morphology of PF(3 %)ZT, (b) cross section of PZT thick film.

Modifying the lead zirconate titanate thick films by Nb5+ can thoroughly optimize the properties of the thick films in micro-electromechanical systems, sensors, and microactuators. In this article, the Nb5+ is doped in sol–gel synthesized thick films of PZT with the thickness of more than 27 µm. In order to produce the thick films, a new modified sol–gel method based on the niobium chloride precursor is applied. The lattice constants, lattice distortion, and the preferred-orientation of the films are measured by means of X-ray diffraction. The surface morphology and grain size of the films are examined by field emission scanning electron microscopy. The results demonstrated the formation of pure perovskite phase with the tetragonal lattice parameters of ct = 4.114 A and at = 4.039 A and the average grain size of 28 nm in the sample with 2 at.% Nb. Moreover, the hysteresis loops and dielectric constants of the films are compared by electrical measurements. The results illustrated 1.23-fold increase in remanent (from 5.7 µC cm−2 for undoped sample to 12.7 µC cm−2 for 2 at.% Nb) and 6.65-fold increase in dielectric constant (from 275 for undoped sample to 2080 for 3 at.% Nb).

The high photocatalytic power of TiO2 nanoparticles has drawn great attention in environmental and medical applications. Coating surfaces with these particles enables us to benefit from self-cleaning properties and decomposition of pollutants. In this paper, two strategies have been introduced to coat ceramic tiles with TiO2 nanoparticles, and the self-cleaning effect of the surfaces on degradation of an organic dye under ultraviolent (UV) exposure is investigated. In the first approach, a simple one-step heat treatment method is introduced for coating, and different parameters of the heat treatment process are examined. In the second method, TiO2 nanoparticles are first aminosilanized using (3-Aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) treatment followed by their covalently attachment onto CO2 plasma treated ceramic tiles via N-(3-Dimethylaminopropyl)-N&prime, ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) and N-Hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) chemistry. We monitor TiO2 nanoparticle sizes throughout the coating process using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and characterize developed surfaces using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Moreover, hydrophilicity of the coated surfaces is quantified using a contact angle measurement. It is shown that applying a one-step heat treatment process with the optimum temperature of 200 &deg, C for 5 h results in successful coating of nanoparticles and rapid degradation of dye in a short time. In the second strategy, the APTES treatment creates a stable covalent coating, while the photocatalytic capability of the particles is preserved. The results show that coated ceramic tiles are capable of fully degrading the added dyes under UV exposure in less than 24 h.

The advent of 3D printing has allowed for rapid bench-top fabrication of molds for casting polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chips, a widely-used polymer in prototyping microfluidic devices. While fabricating PDMS devices from 3D printed molds is fast and cost-effective, creating smooth surface topology is highly dependent on the printer's quality. To produce smooth PDMS channels from these molds, we propose a novel technique in which a lubricant is tethered to the surface of a 3D printed mold, which results in a smooth interface for casting PDMS. Fabricating the omniphobic-lubricant-infused molds (OLIMs) was accomplished by coating the mold with a fluorinated-silane to produce a high affinity for the lubricant, which tethers it to the mold. PDMS devices cast onto OLIMs produced significantly smoother topology and can be further utilized to fabricate smooth-channeled PDMS devices. Using this method, we reduced the surface roughness of PDMS microfluidic channels from 2 to 0.2 μm (10-fold decrease), as well as demonstrated proper operation of the fabricated devices with superior optical properties compared to the rough devices. Furthermore, a COMSOL simulation was performed to investigate how the distinct surface topographies compare regarding their volumetric velocity profile and the shear rate produced. Simulation results showed that, near the channel's surface, variations in flow regime and shear stress is significantly reduced for the microfluidic channels cast on OLIM compared to the ones cast on uncoated 3D printed molds. The proposed fabrication method produces high surface-quality microfluidic devices, comparable to the ones cast on photolithographically fabricated molds while eliminating its costly and time-consuming fabrication process.

PZT thin films deposited on glass substrates have been proposed for many applications such as adjustable optics in future X-ray telescopes. Sol-gel method is widely utilized to prepare PZT thin films due to its low reaction temperature, uniform mixing of reactants, and precise control of component. Crack-free transparent PZT thin films were prepared by dip-coating the solutions of complex alkoxides. PZT thin films were calcined at various temperatures and characterized by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy to examine the surface morphology, and FT-IR spectroscopy. The XRD analysis confirmed the formation of perovskite phase at 600 °C. FE-SEM results showed nucleation of PZT perovskite phase. Furthermore, the average grain size was measured in the range of 55 to 190 nm.

This study reports a microfluidic device for generating 2-dimensional concentration gradients of biomolecules along the width and length of a chamber and conventional 1-dimensional gradients along the width of its lateral parallel channels. The gradient profile can be precisely controlled by the applied flow rate. The proposed design is simple and straightforward, has a small footprint size compared to previously reported devices such as tree-shape designs, and for the first time, provides capability of generating desired 2D and 1D gradients, simultaneously. The finite element simulation analysis proves the feasibility of the microfluidic device, and the fluorescently labelled IgG antibody is used to demonstrate generated chemical gradients. This simple microfluidic device can be implemented for a wide range of high-throughput concentration gradient applications such as chemotaxis, drug screening, and organs-on-chips.

Thick films of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) offer possibilities for micro-electro-mechanical systems such as high frequency ultrasonic transducers. In this paper, crack-free thick films of PZT have been prepared up to 45 μm thickness via modified sol–gel dip coating method. In this procedure, acetic acid–alcoholic based sol is used by applying diethanolamine (DEA) and deionized water as additives. The effects of DEA and water on the crystal structure and surface morphology of the films are investigated. The mechanisms of acetic acid and DEA complexations are introduced by using FTIR spectrometer which illustrates suitable substitution of complexing agents with alkoxide groups. DEA/(Ti + Zr) = 0.5 or water/(Ti + Zr) = 0.5 are determined as the optimum molar ratio of additives, which lead to the formation of almost pure perovskite phase with the tetragonal lattice parameters of c t = 4.16 Ǻ and a t = 4.02 Ǻ and a distortion of 2%. Values of remanent polarization and dielectric constant of 7.8 μC cm −2 and 1630 were obtained for 45 μm thick films, respectively.

High strength steels are desirable materials for use in automobile bodies in order to reduce vehicle weight and increase the safety of car passengers, but steel grades with high strength commonly show poor formability. Recently, steels with controlled microstructures and compositions are used to gain adequate strength after hot stamping while maintaining good formability during processing. In this study, microstructure evolutions and changes in mechanical properties of AISI 4140 steel sheets resulting from the hot stamping process at different austenitization temperatures were investigated. To determine the proper austenitization temperatures, the results were compared with those of the cold-worked and cold-worked plus quench-tempered specimens. Comparisons showed that the austenitization temperatures of 1000 and 1100 °C are proper for hot stamping of 3-mm-thick AISI 4140 steel sheets due to the resultant martensitic microstructure which led to the yield and ultimate tensile strength of 1.3 and 2.1 GPa, respectively. Such conditions resulted in more favorable simultaneous strength and elongation than those of hot-stamped conventional boron steels.

The highest piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) occur in vicinity of morphotropic phase boundary (MPB). In MPB, crystalline phase ratios play a crucial role in determining the dielectric properties. In this paper, PZT nanoparticles were synthesized by a modified sol gel procedure and the effects of different solvents of methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, and acetic acid on tetragonal, rhombohedral, and monoclinic phase ratios near the Pb (Zr0.53Ti0.47)O3 were investigated. The X-ray diffraction results show the formation of almost pure perovskite structure in all samples. The volume fraction of tetragonal and rhombohedral phases, lattice constants, and lattice distortion were measured from the X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopic analysis for each solvent. Also, the domain size was compared between the solvents. A trace amount of monoclinic phase could be detected by Raman spectroscopy. The results show that acetic acid is the most appropriate solvent for synthesizing of PZT nanoparticles in which the tetragonal lattice parameters are ct=4.16 Ǻ and at=4.02 Ǻ with a distortion of 3%. The tetragonal volume fraction is estimated about 77%. The particle size and degree of agglomeration were measured according to field emission electron microscopy and indicates that 70 nm particles were formed for acid-based sample.

Barium titanate (BT) is one of the most important lead-free ferroelectric materials with perovskite crystal structure and high dielectric constant. Among synthesis techniques of BT, sol-gel processing has attracted considerable interest due to the control of composition, surface morphology engineering, low temperature processing, and low equipment cost. In this research, nanocrystalline BT powders were prepared by a modified sol-gel technique. Acetic acid and water were used as solvents. The samples were heat treated at various temperatures, times, and rates for investigating the effect of heat treatment parameters on formation of single perovskite crystalline phase. According to the results of X-ray diffraction analysis, highly pure BT powder with minimum secondary phases (Magneli) was obtained after calcination at 650 °C for 1 h with the rate of 10 °C/min. The grain size and morphology of BT powders were obtained by field emission scanning electron microscopy which indicated the size of about 60 nm.

Lead zirconate titanate nanopowder Pb(Zr0.53Ti0.47)O3 (PZT) was prepared by modified sol-gel method with 1-propanol as solvent and acetylacetone as stabilizer. The microstructure and particle size measurements at different heat treatment conditions were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction analysis. It was found that the PZT nanoparticles calcinated at 600 °C showed mean diameter of 75-125 nm with high crystallinity of perovskite-type structure.

Localized ventilation systems typically create highly asymmetric or non-isothermal environments around occupants with significant vertical temperature gradient and highly non-uniform airflow regimes that could be directed toward a segment of the body. These effects may have pronounced impact on occupant’s thermal comfort. The airflow field and temperature distribution near the occupant can be determined either by performing full-scale measurements or by simulation methods. Usually, human subjects or manikins are used in field studies involving measurement techniques. However, as an alternative to full-scale measurement, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) has been proven to be a practical and valuable tool for predicting the airflow field. At the same time, the accuracy of the predictions of the local airflow within the microclimate of the occupant is highly dependent on the proper modelling of the occupant itself. The human body not only has a complicated physical shape, but also has complex therm...