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Various near-atom-thickness two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) crystals with unparalleled electromechanical properties have been explored for transformative devices. Currently, the availability of 2D vdW crystals is rather limited in nature as they are only obtained from certain mother crystals with intrinsically possessed layered crystallinity and anisotropic molecular bonding. Recent efforts to transform conventionally non-vdW three-dimensional (3D) crystals into ultrathin 2D-like structures have seen rapid developments to explore device building blocks of unique form factors. Herein, we explore a "peel-and-stick" approach, where a nonlayered 3D platinum sulfide (PtS) crystal, traditionally known as a cooperate mineral material, is transformed into a freestanding 2D-like membrane for electromechanical applications. The ultrathin (∼10 nm) 3D PtS films grown on large-area (cm

The fabrication of oxide-based p-n heterojunctions that exhibit high rectification performance has been difficult to realize using standard manufacturing techniques that feature mild vacuum requirements, low thermal budget processing, and scalability. Critical bottlenecks in the fabrication of these heterojunctions include the narrow processing window of p-type oxides and the charge-blocking performance across the metallurgical junction required for achieving low reverse current and hence high rectification behavior. The overarching goal of the present study is to demonstrate a simple processing route to fabricate oxide-based p-n heterojunctions that demonstrate high on/off rectification behavior, a low saturation current, and a small turn-on voltage. For this study, room-temperature sputter-deposited p-SnOx and n-InGaZnO (IGZO) films were chosen. SnOx is a promising p-type oxide material due to its monocationic system that limits complexities related to processing and properties, compared to other multicationic oxide materials. For the n-type oxide, IGZO is selected due to the knowledge that postprocessing annealing critically reduces the defect and trap densities in IGZO to ensure minimal interfacial recombination and high charge-blocking performance in the heterojunctions. The resulting oxide p-n heterojunction exhibits a high rectification ratio greater than 103 at ±3 V, a low saturation current of ∼2 × 10-10 A, and a small turn-on voltage of ∼0.5 V. In addition, the demonstrated oxide p-n heterojunctions exhibit excellent stability over time in air due to the p-SnOx with completed reaction annealing in air and the reduced trap density in n-IGZO.

A Schottky photodiode based on a binary mixture of Ag2Se CQDs and PbS CQDs and the photodiode's spectral responsivity.

As an emerging member of the colloidal semiconductor quantum dot materials family, intraband quantum dots are being extensively studied for thermal infrared sensing applications. High-performance detectors can be realized using a traditional p-n junction device design; however, the heavily doped nature of intraband quantum dots presents a new challenge in realizing diode devices. In this work, we utilize a trait uniquely available in a colloidal quantum dot material system to overcome this challenge: the ability to blend two different types of quantum dots to control the electrical property of the resulting film. We report on the preparation of binary mixture films containing midwavelength infrared Ag2Se intraband quantum dots and the fabrication of p-n heterojunction diodes with strong rectifying characteristics. The peak specific detectivity at 4.5 μm was measured to be 107 Jones at room temperature, which is an orders of magnitude improvement compared to the previous generation of intraband quantum dot detectors.

Colloidal quantum dots have been a spotlight of nanoscience and technology due to their exquisite physical properties that can be harnessed for next generation nanoelectronics and optoelectronics. Particularly, semiconductor quantum dots that are active in the thermal infrared provide a new path for fabricating infrared devices with significantly reduced cost and enable capabilities beyond that offered by conventional semiconductor technologies. In this presentation, we report on recent advances in materials design and device structure for silver selenide mid-infrared quantum dots, building on our recent demonstration of uncooled photoconductive devices. We highlight two key approaches to reduce the high dark current associated with self-doped, intraband quantum dots used in these devices with detailed analyses of the device characteristics.

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in leveraging two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) crystals for infrared (IR) photodetection, exploiting their unusual optoelectrical properties. Some 2D vdW materials with small band gap energies such as graphene and black phosphorus have been explored as stand-alone IR responsive layers in photodetectors. However, the devices incorporating these IR-sensitive 2D layers often exhibited poor performances owing to their preparation issues such as limited scalability and air instability. Herein, we explored wafer-scale 2D platinum ditelluride (PtTe2) layers for near-to-mid IR photodetection by directly growing them onto silicon (Si) wafers. 2D PtTe2/Si heterojunctions exhibited wavelength- and intensity-dependent high photocurrents in a spectral range of ∼1-7 μm, significantly outperforming stand-alone 2D PtTe2 layers. The observed superiority is attributed to their excellent Schottky junction characteristics accompanying suppressed carrier recombination as well as optical absorbance competition between 2D PtTe2 layers and Si. The direct and scalable growth of 2D PtTe2 layers was further extended to demonstrate mechanically flexible IR photodetectors.

Lead selenide (PbSe) was the first semiconductor used for photosensors operating in the mid-wavelength infrared spectral region (3-5 um) and is still the primary choice for low-cost, uncooled photoconductive detector applications. Even through PbSe has been studied for over 70 years, more understandings on its physical mechanism for high photoresponsivity is still emerging. Common methods of fabricating PbSe detectors involve physical/chemical vapor deposition or chemical bath deposition (CBD) techniques, followed by post-deposition sensitization processes including oxygen annealing and iodization. Here, we present a new approach to fabricating photoconductive devices based on PbSe colloidal nanocrystals. This infrared colloidal ink can serve as a critical component to enabling digital additive manufacturing of mid-infrared sensor arrays and simultaneously lower the fabrication cost by removing multiple masking steps required in conventional approaches. We report on the synthesis and fabrication of PbSe nanostructured film and the effects of thermal annealing as well as oxygen and iodide incorporation on the photoconductive properties.

The fabrication of oxide-based p-n heterojunctions that exhibit high rectification performance has been difficult to realize using standard manufacturing techniques that feature mild vacuum requirements, low thermal budget processing, and scalability. Critical bottlenecks in the fabrication of these heterojunctions include the narrow processing window of p-type oxides and the charge-blocking performance across the metallurgical junction required for achieving low reverse current and hence high rectification behavior. The overarching goal of the present study is to demonstrate a simple processing route to fabricate oxide-based p-n heterojunctions that demonstrate high on/off rectification behavior, a low saturation current, and a small turn-on voltage. For this study, room-temperature sputter-deposited p-SnO

Amorphous oxide semiconductors (AOSs), specifically those based on ternary cation systems such as Ga-, Si-, and Hf-doped InZnO, have emerged as promising material candidates for application in next-gen transparent electronic and optoelectronic devices. Third cation-doping is a common method used during the manufacturing of amorphous oxide thin film transistors (TFTs), primarily with the intention of suppressing carrier generation during the fabrication of the channel layer of a transistor. However, the incorporation of a third cation species has been observed to negatively affect the carrier transport properties of the thin film, as it may act as an additional scattering center and subsequently lower the carrier mobility from ∼20–40 cm2 V−1 s−1 of In2O3 or a binary cation system (i.e., InZnO) to ∼1–10 cm2 V−1 s−1. This study investigates the structural, electrical, optoelectronic, and chemical properties of the ternary cation material system, InAlZnO (IAZO). The optimized carrier mobility (Hall Effect) of Al-doped InZnO is shown to remain as high as ∼25–45 cm2 V−1 s−1. Furthermore, Al incorporation in InZnO proves to enhance the amorphous phase stability under thermal stresses when compared to baseline InZnO films. Thin film transistors integrating optimized IAZO as the channel layer are shown to demonstrate promisingly high field effect mobilities (∼18–20 cm2 V−1 s−1), as well as excellent drain current saturation and high drain current on/off ratios (>107). The high mobility and improved amorphous phase stability suggest strong potential for IAZO incorporation in the next generation of high performance and sustainable optoelectronic devices such as transparent displays.

Over the past decade, Ag2Se has attracted increasing attention due to its potentially excellent thermoelectric (TE) performance as an n-type semiconductor. It has been considered a promising alternative to Bi–Te alloys and other commonly used yet toxic and/or expensive TE materials. To optimize the TE performance of Ag2Se, recent research has focused on fabricating nanosized Ag2Se. However, synthesizing Ag2Se nanoparticles involves energy-intensive and time-consuming techniques with poor yield of final product. In this work, we report a low-cost, solution-processed approach that enables the formation of Ag2Se thin films from Cu2−xSe template films via cation exchange at room temperature. Our simple two-step method involves fabricating Cu2−xSe thin films by the thiol-amine dissolution of bulk Cu2Se, followed by soaking Cu2−xSe films in AgNO3 solution and annealing to form Ag2Se. We report an average power factor (PF) of 617 ± 82 μW m−1 K−2 and a corresponding ZT value of 0.35 at room temperature. We obtained a maximum PF of 825 μW m−1 K−2 and a ZT value of 0.46 at room temperature for our best-performing Ag2Se thin-film after soaking for 5 minutes. These high PFs have been achieved via full solution processing without hot-pressing.

Lately discovered silver selenide (Ag2Se) colloidal quantum dots with tetragonal crystal structure exhibit promising optical properties in the mid-wavelength infrared. Although colloidal synthesis of uniform sizes and shapes as well as detailed phase transformation and photoluminescence properties have been studied recently, investigations of their optoelectronic properties as an active layer in photodetector devices remain scarce. Herein, we present the fabrication and characterization of Ag2Se colloidal quantum dot-based photoconductive photodetectors. We investigate the effect of ligand exchange as well as temperature and spectral-dependent photoresponses. Our results suggest that further enhancement in performance could be achieved through accurate control of carrier concentration. With this improvement, Ag2Se colloidal quantum dots may serve as a promising mid-wavelength infrared absorber for the development of thermal infrared sensors and imagers with low size, weight, power consumption, and cost.

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in leveraging two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) crystals for infrared (IR) photodetection, exploiting their unusual optoelectrical properties. Some 2D vdW materials with small band gap energies such as graphene and black phosphorus have been explored as stand-alone IR responsive layers in photodetectors. However, the devices incorporating these IR-sensitive 2D layers often exhibited poor performances owing to their preparation issues such as limited scalability and air instability. Herein, we explored wafer-scale 2D platinum ditelluride (PtTe

In thin film transistors (TFTs), carrier density in the channel layer is a fundamental intrinsic factor to engineer desirable TFT performance parameters such as the threshold voltage, drain current, and on-to-off ratio. Here, we report on the origin of carrier density modulation in a ternary cation system of InAlZnO (IAZO) and its effect on the TFT performance. Through work function investigations and bandgap analysis, the carrier density of IAZO is found to be increased by >104 times compared to that of unannealed IAZO after low temperature annealing at 200 °C in air. Photoelectron spectroscopic studies reveal that no significant changes were made in dopant concentrations, neither intrinsic (vacancy-based native defect) nor extrinsic (cation substitution) after annealing. From high pressure oxidation with much enhanced reactivity of reaction gases, it is identified that the equilibrium carrier density of IAZO is much higher than those used in typical TFT channel application. The low channel carrier density tends to increase and reach the higher equilibrium carrier density in the absence of kinetic constraints. This notion is further supported by a defect-state transition mechanism. The combinatorial investigations presented herein help understand the origin of the unintentional increase in channel carrier density in amorphous oxides and its effect on the operation of TFTs.

본 연구에서는 입자상물질 저감을 위해 개발한 디젤미립자 필터를 선박용 고속 디젤엔진에 적용하여 측정방법에 따른 저감효율을 비교 분석하였다. 시험에 사용된 엔진은 최고출력 403 kW의 4행정 기계식 선박용 고속 디젤엔진이며, 선박 엔진의 부하와 회전속도 제어를 위해 AC 동력계를 사용하였다. 선박 엔진 시험주기인 E3 cycle의 네 운전조건에서 저감효율을 측정하였으며, 측정방법으로는 입자상물질 및 soot의 저감특성을 살펴보기 위해 분류희석 방법과 광흡수법이 적용된 계측기를 각각 이용하였다. 디젤미립자 필터 적용에 따른 저감효율 측정 결과, 엔진허용 배압을 충족함과 동시에 입자상물질의 경우 76 ~ 91 %, soot(≈블랙카본)은 90 %이상 확인할 수 있었다. 이 결과로부터, 선박용 디젤엔진에서 배출되는 입자상물질 및 soot 저감기술로 디젤미립자 필터 적용 가능성을 확인할 수 있었다. 또한, 측정방법별 저감효율이 상이한 결과로부터 측정방법의 단일화 필요성을 확인할 수 있었다.

We show that photoluminescence properties of PbS nanocrystal thin films are directly related to film morphology and nanocrystal density. In densely packed PbS nanocrystal films, low-temperature donor-to-acceptor energy transfer is mainly responsible for the photoluminescence spectra narrowing and shift toward longer wavelengths. At elevated temperatures, back energy transfer is proposed to be responsible for an unusual photoluminescence intensity temperature dependence. In thin films with a low PbS nanocrystal density, the energy transfer is suppressed, and the effect is dramatically reduced., Comment: (8 pages, 7 figures)

The popularity of colloidal quantum dot (CQD) solar cells has increased owing to their tunable bandgap, multiple exciton generation, and low-cost solution processes. ZnO nanoparticle (NP) layers are generally employed as electron transport layers in CQD solar cells to efficiently extract the electrons. However, trap sites and the unfavorable band structure of the as-synthesized ZnO NPs have hindered their potential performance. Herein, we introduce a facile method of ZnO NP annealing in the colloidal state. Electrical, structural, and optical analyses demonstrated that the colloidal-annealing of ZnO NPs effectively passivated the defects and simultaneously shifted their band diagram; therefore, colloidal-annealing is a more favorable method as compared to conventional film-annealing. These CQD solar cells based on colloidal-annealed ZnO NPs exhibited efficient charge extraction, reduced recombination and achieved an enhanced power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 9.29%, whereas the CQD solar cells based on ZnO NPs without annealing had a PCE of 8.05%. Moreover, the CQD solar cells using colloidal-annealed ZnO NPs exhibited an improved air stability with 98% retention after 120 days, as compared to that of CQD solar cells using non-annealed ZnO NPs with 84% retention.

Recent advances in quantum dot surface passivation have led to a rapid development of high-efficiency solar cells. Another critical element for achieving efficient power conversion is the charge neutrality of quantum dots, as charge imbalances induce electronic states inside the energy gap. Here we investigate how the simultaneous introduction of metal cations and halide anions modifies the charge balance and enhances the solar cell efficiency. The addition of metal salts between QD deposition and ligand exchange with 1,3-BDT results in an increase in the short-circuit current and fill factor, accompanied by a distinct reduction in a crossover between light and dark current density-voltage characteristics.

Silver selenide colloidal quantum dots exhibit distinct optical absorption in the mid-wavelength infrared spectral region, which arises from the intraband transition between the first and the second quantum-confined energy levels. The optical absorption coefficient, carrier mobility, and carrier lifetime, which are the three primary parameters that determine the ultimate performance of a photodetector, are expected to be heavily dependent on the surface capping ligands. Herein, we characterize these parameters on silver selenide colloidal quantum dots films chemically treated with ligands selected from literatures that report high-performance quantum dot-based solar cells, photodetectors, transistors, and thermoelectrics. We correlate these results with the mid-infrared responsivities measured from photoconductive photodetectors fabricated from respective ligand-exchanged films. The insights gained from this study may serve as a foundation for enabling future intraband CQD-based MWIR sensing and imaging technologies.

With increasing interests in emergent wearable technologies such as e-skin healthcare devices, it is essential to develop new materials that can satisfy their demanded attributes; e.g., mechanical strain-invariant electrical and thermal properties. In this regard, two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) layered materials have received tremendous attention owing to their intrinsic suitability, such as large tolerance limits under mechanical deformation coupled with decent electrical and thermal properties. However, these intrinsic advantages are often compromised upon their large wafer-scale integrations onto deformable substrates, which is commonly observed with conventional liquid-based or mechanical exfoliation approaches. In this paper, we demonstrate high-performance electrically-stretchable heaters by combining 2D platinum ditelluride (PtTe2) layers – a relatively unexplored class of 2D TMDs – with a strain engineering design scheme. We directly grew wafer-scale 2D PtTe2 layers on soft polyimide (PI) substrates by taking advantage of their low growth temperature. We verified their intrinsically low sheet resistance as low as 19.4 Ω/□ (thus, high electrical conductivity), which is superior to most other 2D TMDs. We then explored their Joule heating efficiencies and demonstrated they greatly surpass the performances of previously explored flexible heaters employing state-of-the-art nanomaterials including graphene, silver nanowires (Ag NWs), carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and their hybrids. By employing Kirigami patterning approaches for judicious strain engineering, we developed high-efficiency skin attachable 2D PtTe2 layers-based Kirigami heaters, which exhibited nearly strain-invariant excellent electrical-thermal properties; e.g., voltage-driven reliable heat generation upon a cyclic application/termination of 70% tensile stretch for 1000 times. We believe this study on intrinsically metallic 2D layered material will open up new venues for futuristic high-performance large-scale stretchable electronic applications of wearable thermotherapy, e-textile, and soft actuators.

Herein, we introduce a unique nanomaterial chemical transformation (NCT) process whereby selenium (Se) anion is introduced to colloidal silver (Ag) nanocrystals (NCs) to create nanostructured silver selenide (Ag2Se). We present a complete suite of material characterizations, including chemical, structural, optical, and electrical characterizations to understand the details of the transformation process. The Ag2Se thin-films obtained through the NCT process exhibit degenerately-doped n-type semiconductor characteristics with high carrier mobility. We discuss the chemical mechanism that drives the material transformation and elucidates the origin of doping in these semiconducting thin-films. We also demonstrate the robustness of Ag2Se thin-films toward mechanical strain and temperature cycling stress for flexible device applications. We believed that the NCT process demonstrated here is of wide applicability to other material systems which can open up new avenues for solid-state chemistry and device engineering research.

Colloidal quantum dot/organic hybrid materials approach offer a path toward engineering solution-processed photodetectors with extended spectral responsivity in the infrared. We demonstrate this approach in the technologically important thermal infrared region of mid-wavelength infrared, utilizing a solution blend of Ag2Se colloidal quantum dots and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). We report on the device fabrication and their optical, electrical, and optoelectronic properties. At room temperature, a responsivity of 0.2 mA/W was measured under 5 μm irradiation and 5 V bias. The new hybrid optoelectronic film demonstrated in this study brings the advantage of cost-effectiveness and greater fabrication versatility than the single crystal or epitaxial semiconductors that comprise today’s infrared technologies.

Background: This study sought to determine safe ranges of oblique angle, skin entry point and needle length by reviewing computed tomography (CT) scans and to evaluate the usefulness of a bent tip needle during celiac plexus block (CPB). Methods: CT scans of 60 CPB patients were reviewed. Image of the uppermost margin of L2 vertebral body was used to measure the minimal and maximal oblique angles and the distances from the midline to skin puncture point. The imaginary needle trajectory distance was calculated by three-dimensional measurement. When the procedure was performed by using a 10o bent tip needle under a 20o oblique X-ray fluoroscopic view, the distance (GF/G’F) from the midline to the actual puncture site was measured. Results: The imaginary safe oblique angle range was 26.4.34.2o and 27.7.36.0o on the right and left, respectively. The distance from the midline to skin puncture point was 6.1.7.6 cm on the right and 6.3.7.6 cm on the left. The needle trajectory distance at minimal angle was 9.6.11.6 cm on the right and 9.5.11.5 cm on the left. The distance of GF/G’F was 5.1.6.5 cm and 5.0.6.4 cm on the right and left, respectively. All imaginary parameters were correlated with BMI except for GF/G’F. All complications were mild and transient. Conclusions: We identified safe values of angles and distances using a straight needle. Furthermore, using a bent tip needle under a 20o oblique fluoroscopic view, we could safely perform CPB with smaller parameter values. (Korean J Pain 2015; 28: 109-115)

Electronic and optoelectronic devices fabricated from colloidal quantum dots (CQD) provide a promising path toward realizing low-cost devices with greatly simplified device fabrication procedure, owing to their solution-processability. The impact that CQD technology would bring is expected to be significant, especially in the mid-infrared application areas, which is currently dominated by epitaxial semiconductor technologies. In this work, we introduce a new generation of infrared CQDs, namely Ag2Se CQDs, which has been recently uncovered to show distinct optical absorption in the mid-infrared. We report on the fabrication of solution-processed photoconductive photodetectors and discuss our analyses on the electronic and optoelectronic characteristics of our devices. We also demonstrate the feasibility of mid-infrared photodetection with a measured peak responsivity of 0.16 mA/W at 4 μm under room temperature operation.

Live bee acupuncture (Bong-Chim) dermatitis is an iatrogenic disease induced by so-called live bee acupuncture therapy, which applies the honeybee (Apis cerana) stinger directly into the lesion to treat various diseases in Korea. We present two cases of live bee acupuncture dermatitis and review previously published articles about this disease. We classify this entity into three stages: acute, subacute, and chronic. The acute stage is an inflammatory reaction, such as anaphylaxis or urticaria. In the chronic stage, a foreign body granuloma may develop from the remaining stingers, similar to that of a bee sting reaction. However, in the subacute stage, unlike bee stings, we see the characteristic histological "flame" figures resulting from eosinophilic stimulation induced by excessive bee venom exposure. We consider this stage to be different from the adverse skin reaction of accidental bee sting.

Cd1–xZnxS (CdZnS) is a promising replacement for the CdS buffer layers in copper indium gallium (di)selenide (CIGS) solar cells because the wider band gap of CdZnS offers improved optical transmittance of blue light. Chemical bath deposition (CBD) is the state-of-the-art deposition method for CdS and CdZnS. However, CBD of CdZnS is poorly understood, and relationships between bath composition and stoichiometry, microstructure, and optoelectronic properties of the deposited film are lacking. We introduce CBD using a continuous flow microreactor as a new technique to rapidly explore a wide variety of deposition conditions on a single substrate using spatially dependent characterization. X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption spectroscopy indicate that the film is a mixture of nanocrystalline CdZnS and amorphous Zn(O,OH,S). Over the length of a single substrate, films showed increasing Zn:Cd ratio in the nanocrystalline phase, increasing amorphous content, and increasing quantum confinement, and resultant mo...

The development of paper-based sensors, antennas, and energy-harvesting devices can transform the way electronic devices are manufactured and used. Herein we describe an approach to fabricate paper thermoelectric generators for the first time by directly impregnating naturally abundant cellulose materials with p- or n-type colloidal semiconductor quantum dots. We investigate Seebeck coefficients and electrical conductivities as a function of temperature between 300 and 400 K as well as in-plane thermal conductivities using Angstrom’s method. We further demonstrate equipment-free fabrication of flexible thermoelectric modules using p- and n-type paper strips. Leveraged by paper’s inherently low thermal conductivity and high flexibility, these paper modules have the potential to efficiently utilize heat available in natural and man-made environments by maximizing the thermal contact to heat sources of arbitrary geometry.

Background/Objectives: In maladjustment problems of adolescence, due to developmental characteristics of adolescence in ‘a storm and stress’ and the lack of opportunity to practice how to recognize their own feelings accurately and cope with them efficiently, the adolescent reveal the social maladaptive behavior, aggressive behavior or delinquent behavior such as juvenile delinquency, school violence and running away from home, which is an outward expressed form but the underlying cause is anger. Methods/Statistical analysis: This study aims to evaluate the effect of psychomotricity by the adolescent on the anger. Total 20 subjects of elementary school students (grades 5-6) were divided into the experimental group (of 10) and the control group (of 10). During the total 18 weeks, the psychomotor program was carried out for 16 weeks, excluding two weeks of inspection-periods, each before and after the experiment period. The adapted program was composed of activities of the psychomotor program with including tension and relaxation. For the verification of the study, the levels of delinquency and aggression, the outward expressed forms of anger, were measured and analyzed. Findings: The results showed statistically significant effect both on delinquency levels and on aggression levels, especially very positive effect on aggression levels. So we can see that adolescents’ participation in psychomotricity has very positive effect on their anger management. And the aggression levels increased in the control group, it seemed why during the study period they continued to experience indirect violence from the internet, etc. Application/Improvements: We suggest that the psychomotor program designed for this study has very positive effect on adolescents’ anger management and can be actively used for general adolescents in schools or regional educational fields.

Finding an alternative fuel and reducing environmental pollution are the main goals for future internal combustion engines. The purpose of this study is to obtain low-emission and high-efficiency by hydrogen enriched LPG fuel in constant volume chamber. An experimental study was carried out to obtain fundamental data for the combustion and emission characteristics of pre-mixed hydrogen and LPG in a constant volume chamber (CVC) with various fractions of hydrogen-LPG blends. To maintain equal heating value of fuel blend, the amount of LPG was decreased as hydrogen was gradually added. Exhaust emissions were measured using a HORIBA exhaust gas analyzer for various fractions of hydrogen-LPG blends. The results showed that the rapid combustion duration was shortened, and the rate of heat release elevated as the hydrogen fraction in the fuel blend was increased. Moreover, the maximum rate of pressure rise also increased. These phenomena were attributed to the burning velocity which increased exponentially with the increased hydrogen fraction in the H2-LPG fuel blend. Exhaust HC and CO2 concentrations decreased, while NOX emission increased with an increase in the hydrogen fraction in the fuel blend. Our results could facilitate the application of hydrogen and LPG as a fuel in the current fossil hydrocarbon-based economy and the strict emission regulations in internal combustion engines.

Directed self-assembly of colloidal nanocrystals into ordered superlattices enables the preparation of novel metamaterials with diverse functionalities. Structural control and precise characterization of these superlattices allow the interactions between individual nanocrystal building blocks and the origin of their collective properties to be understood. Here, we report the directed liquid interfacial assembly of gadolinium trifluoride (GdF3) nanoplates into liquid crystalline assemblies displaying long-range orientational and positional order. The macroscopic orientation of superlattices is controlled by changing the subphases upon which liquid interfacial assembly occurs. The assembled structures are characterized by a combination of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements performed on a laboratory diffractometer. By doping GdF3 nanoplates with europium (Eu3+), luminescent phosphorescent superlattices with controlled structure are produced and enable ...

This work demonstrates the first solution-processable metal-semiconductor nanocomposites with enhanced thermoelectric properties via carrier energy filtering. Platinum nanocrystals are embedded in a p-type antimony(III) telluride (Sb(2)Te(3)) semiconductor matrix, thus introducing band-bending potentials for holes. By scattering low energy holes, an increase in thermopower is observed. Introduction of Pt nanocrystals also increases carrier concentration thereby partially compensating for reduced electrical conductivity due to the decreased mobility. At room temperature, an improvement in thermoelectric power factor was achieved compared to that of the Sb(2)Te(3) films. This work highlights the possibility of combining a diverse set of n- and p-type semiconductor matrices with nanocrystals to engineer and optimize energy-dependent carrier scattering with the ease of materials processing.

The position of the Fermi energy level (E(F)) with respect to the energy level where the transport process occurs (transport energy level, E(T)) is an important parameter that determines the electrical properties of semiconductors. However, little attention has been devoted to investigating the position of E(F) in semiconductor nanocrystal solids, both theoretically and experimentally. In this study, we perform temperature-dependent thermopower measurements on PbTe nanocrystal solids to directly probe E(F) - E(T). We observe that as the size of the nanocrystals reduces, E(F) - E(T) increases primarily due to the widening of density of state (DOS) gap. Furthermore, by modifying the monodispersity of nanocrystals, we observe an increase in thermopower as the distribution of energy states sharpens. This work promotes a deeper understanding of thermal occupation of energy states as well as electronic transport processes in semiconductor nanocrystal solid systems.

Self-assembly of nanocrystals (NCs) into periodically ordered structures on multiple length scales and over large areas is crucial to the manufacture of NC-based devices. Here, we report an unusual yet universal approach to rapidly assembling hierarchically organized NC films that display highly periodic, tunable microscale stripe patterns over square centimeter areas while preserving the local superlattice structure. Our approach is based on a drying-driven dynamic assembly process occurring on a liquid surface with the stripe pattern formed by a new type of contact-line instability. Periodic ordering of NCs is realized on microscopic and nanoscopic scales simultaneously without the need of any specialized equipment or the application of external fields. The striped NC superlattice films obtained can be readily transferred to arbitrary substrates for device fabrication. The periodic structure imparts interesting modulation and anisotropy to the properties of such striped NC assemblies. This assembly approach is applicable to NCs with a variety of compositions, sizes, and shapes, offering a robust, inexpensive route for large-scale periodic patterning of NCs.

The impact fracture behavior of Zr-based bulk metallic glass was investigated by an instrumented impact tester using subsize Charpy specimens. Influences of loading rate and notch shape on the fracture behavior of amorphous Zr-Al-Ni-Cu alloy were examined. As a result, the maximum load and absorbed fracture energy under impact loading were lower than those under quasi-static loading. A large part of the absorbed fracture energy in the Zr-based BMG was consumed in the process for crack initiation and not for crack propagation. In addition, fractographic characteristics of BMGs were investigated. Fractured surfaces under impact loading are smoother than those under quasi-static loading. The absorbed fracture energy appeared differently depending on the appearance of the shear bands developed. It can be found that the fracture energy and fracture toughness of Zr-based BMG are closely related with the extent of shear bands developed during fracture.

The deformation and fracture behaviors of a bulk amorphous metal, Zr-based one (Zr41.2/Ti13.8/Cu12.5/Ni10/Be22.5/: Vitreloy), were investigated over a strain rate range (7x10-4/～4 s-1/). The uniaxial compression test and the indentation test using 3mm-diameter WC balls were carried out under quasi-static loading conditions. As a result, at the uniaxial compressive state, the fracture stress of the material was very high (～1,700MPa) and the elastic strain limit was about 2%. The fracture strength showed a strain rate independent behavior up to 4 s-1/. Using indentation tests, the plastic deformation behavior of the Zr-based BAM up to a large strain value of 15% could be achieved, even though it was the deformation under locally constrained condition. The Meyer hardness of the Zr-based BAM measured by static indentation tests was about 5 GPa and it revealed negligible strain hardening behavior. At indented sites, the plastic indentation occurred forming a crater and well-developed multiple shear bands were generated around it along the direction of 45 degree when the indentation load exceeded 7kN. With increasing indentation load, shear bands became dense. The fracture surface of the specimen after uniaxial compressive tests showed vein-like pattern, typical morphology of many BAMs.

The influence of the bending strain on the critical current (I/sub c/) in Ag alloy/Bi-2223 superconducting tapes was investigated at 77 K. The strain effect on I/sub c/ degradation in the different bending modes is discussed in terms of sample geometry and n-value. The I/sub c/ degradation behavior with bending occurring across the tape's width direction called 'hard bending' is discussed in particular, and compared with results under conventional bending tests known as 'easy bending'. It was found that I/sub c/ degraded with increases in the bending strain. In the case of hard bending, greater degradation in I/sub c/ occurred than under easy bending. This might be a result of the difference in the filaments cross-section of the tape and the generation of a new type of damage, such as local buckling, expected during hard bending. The n-value also decreased as the bending strain increased and its behavior was similar to the I/sub c/-bending strain relationship.

The deformation and fracture behaviors of a bulk amorphous metal, Zr-based one ( Zr 41.2 Ti 13.8 CU 12.5 Ni 10 Be 22.5: Vitreloy), were investigated over a strain rate range (7 × 10-4~4 s -1). The uniaxial compression test and the indentation test using 3mm-diameter WC balls were carried out under the quasi-static loading condition. As a test result, at the uniaxial compression state, the fracture strength of the material was ~1,700MPa and the elastic strain limit was about 2%. The fracture strength showed a strain rate independent behavior up to 4 s-1. Using indentation tests, the plastic deformation behavior of the Zr-based BAM up to a large strain value of 15% could be achieved, even though it was the deformation under locally constrained condition. The Meyer hardness of the Zr-based BAM measured by static indentation tests was about 5 GPa and it revealed negligible strain hardening behavior. At indented sites, the plastic indentation occurred forming a crater and well-developed multiple shear bands were generated around it along the direction of 45° when the indentation load exceeded 7kN. With increasing indentation load, shear bands became dense. The fracture surface of the specimen after uniaxial compressive tests showed vein-like pattern, typical morphology of many BAMs.

Pemphigus vulgaris is an autoimmune blistering disease that commonly involves the scalp. Lesions of pemphigus vulgaris that persist on the scalp for a long period may be accompanied by tufted hair folliculitis. Only two previous accounts of tufted hair folliculitis developing in a lesion of pemphigus vulgaris have been reported. We report a 51-year-old-man with erosions and clusters of hair on the scalp. The scalp lesion had persisted for about 20 years. A histopathological examination of the skin lesion on the scalp revealed separation of the epidermis and clusters of several adjacent hair follicles. The patient was diagnosed with persistent pemphigus vulgaris of the scalp showing features of tufted hair folliculitis.