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Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Effect Of Polymer Ligand Structures On Fluorescence Of Gold Clusters Prepared By Photoreduction, Luo Li, Zhen Li, Hui Zhang, Shoucun Zhang, Irfan Majeed, Bien Tan Jan 2013

Effect Of Polymer Ligand Structures On Fluorescence Of Gold Clusters Prepared By Photoreduction, Luo Li, Zhen Li, Hui Zhang, Shoucun Zhang, Irfan Majeed, Bien Tan

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Blue emission fluorescent Au5 clusters with maximum quantum yield of 20.1% were synthesized by a simple photoreduction method using three specially designed tridentate polymer ligands. The evolution of fluorescent Au nanoclusters (Au NCs) under UV irradiation was studied by fluorescence, UV-Vis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic techniques, suggesting that the fluorescence of Au NCs is size-dependent and is associated with the presence of Au(i) ions in the Au NCs. The effect of polymer structure on the fluorescent Au NCs has also been discussed. These highly fluorescent Au NCs have potential applications in the fabrication of optoelectronic devices and light emitting materials.


Conducting Polymer Coated Neural Recording Electrodes, Alexander R. Harris, Simon Morgan, Jun Chen, Robert M. Kapsa, Gordon G. Wallace, Antonio Paolini Jan 2013

Conducting Polymer Coated Neural Recording Electrodes, Alexander R. Harris, Simon Morgan, Jun Chen, Robert M. Kapsa, Gordon G. Wallace, Antonio Paolini

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Neural recording electrodes suffer from poor signal to noise ratio, charge density, biostability and biocompatibility. This paper investigates the ability of conducting polymer coated electrodes to record acute neural response in a systematic manner, allowing in depth comparison of electrochemical and electrophysiological response. Approach. Polypyrrole (Ppy) and poly-3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (PEDOT) doped with sulphate (SO4) or para-toluene sulfonate (pTS) were used to coat iridium neural recording electrodes. Detailed electrochemical and electrophysiological investigations were undertaken to compare the effect of these materials on acute in vivo recording. Main results. A range of charge density and impedance responses were seen with each respectively doped …


Tensile Testing Of Individual Glassy, Rubbery And Hydrogel Electrospun Polymer Nanofibres To High Strain Using The Atomic Force Microscope, Adrian Gestos, Philip G. Whitten, Geoffrey M. Spinks, Gordon G. Wallace Jan 2013

Tensile Testing Of Individual Glassy, Rubbery And Hydrogel Electrospun Polymer Nanofibres To High Strain Using The Atomic Force Microscope, Adrian Gestos, Philip G. Whitten, Geoffrey M. Spinks, Gordon G. Wallace

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

The production and use of polymer nanofibre assemblies prepared by electrospinning is now widespread. It is known that the tensile properties of electrospun polymer fibres can be different to those of bulk polymers. Here, we report a general method for measuring the tensile properties of individual electrospun nanofibres that employs a commercial atomic force microscope. Methods for preparing samples, force calibration and calculation of tensile stress and strain are described along with error estimation. By appropriate choice of AFM cantilever, it is shown that the tensile stress-strain curves can be measured for glassy, rubbery and gel polymer nanofibres. Testing can …


A Merocyanine-Based Conductive Polymer, Klaudia K. Wagner, Michele Zanoni, Anastasia Elliott, Pawel W. Wagner, Robert P. Byrne, Larisa Florea, Dermot Diamond, Keith Gordon, Gordon G. Wallace, David L. Officer Jan 2013

A Merocyanine-Based Conductive Polymer, Klaudia K. Wagner, Michele Zanoni, Anastasia Elliott, Pawel W. Wagner, Robert P. Byrne, Larisa Florea, Dermot Diamond, Keith Gordon, Gordon G. Wallace, David L. Officer

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

We report the first example of a conducting polymer with a merocyanine incorporated into the polymer backbone by electropolymerisation of a spiropyran moiety covalently linked between two alkoxythiophene units. Utilising the known metal coordination capabilities of merocyanines, introduction of cobalt ions into the electropolymerisation led to an enhancement of the conductivity, morphology and optical properties of the polymer films.


Inkjet Printed Conductive Polymer-Based Beam-Splitters For Terahertz Applications, Benjamin S-Y Ung, Bo Weng, Roderick L. Shepherd, Derek Abbott, Christopher Fumeaux Jan 2013

Inkjet Printed Conductive Polymer-Based Beam-Splitters For Terahertz Applications, Benjamin S-Y Ung, Bo Weng, Roderick L. Shepherd, Derek Abbott, Christopher Fumeaux

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Terahertz beam-splitters are fabricated from conductive polymers inkjet printed onto an acetate film substrate. The principle is a significant evolution of the recently proposed ultra-thin beam-splitter realized using silver conductive paint. The splitting ratios of the beam-splitters are dependent on the thickness and conductivity of the conductive polymer layer, allowing for any splitting ratio to be achieved accurately from a controlled printing process. As the processing technology of conductive polymers matures, this approach will allow for low cost and accurate fabrication of THz beam-splitters with a predefined near frequency-independent splitting ratio, in contrast to the commonly used float zone silicon …


Multifunctional Conducting Polymer Fibres For Drug Delivery Applications, Dorna Esrafilzadeh, Simon E. Moulton, Joselito M. Razal, Elise M. Stewart, Gordon G. Wallace Jan 2013

Multifunctional Conducting Polymer Fibres For Drug Delivery Applications, Dorna Esrafilzadeh, Simon E. Moulton, Joselito M. Razal, Elise M. Stewart, Gordon G. Wallace

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Advances in the fabrication of neuroprosthetic electrodes have attracted considerable interest from biomedical researchers. These electrodes are incorporated into a neuroprosthetic device capable of, electrically stimulating and recording of neuron activity. Critical to the successful application of these electrodes is their biocompatibility, stable conductivity, lower impedance and flexibility whilst maintaining appropriate mechanical properties [1] .


Effect Of Ply Configuration On Hollow Square Reinforced Concrete Columns Confined With Carbon Fibre-Reinforced Polymer (Cfrp), T D. Le, M T. Lester, Muhammad N. S Hadi Jan 2013

Effect Of Ply Configuration On Hollow Square Reinforced Concrete Columns Confined With Carbon Fibre-Reinforced Polymer (Cfrp), T D. Le, M T. Lester, Muhammad N. S Hadi

Faculty of Engineering - Papers (Archive)

This paper presents results of testing twelve hollow square reinforced concrete specimens wrapped with Carbon fibre reinforced polymer CFRP. The effect of ply configuration on the behaviour of the specimens is investigated. All specimens were 800mm high and had the dimensions of 200mm×200mm in cross-section and a hollow core of 80mm×80 mm. The specimens were divided into four groups with three specimens each. The specimens in the first group without bonding CFRP served as references. While the remaining three groups of specimens were externally wrapped with CFRP in three different ply configurations of hoop, vertical and 45◦ angle with reference …


Fabrication And Characterization Of A Polymer Micro-Fiber Bragg Grating, Ginu Rajan, Gang-Ding Peng Jan 2013

Fabrication And Characterization Of A Polymer Micro-Fiber Bragg Grating, Ginu Rajan, Gang-Ding Peng

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Polymer micro-fibers with inscribed Bragg gratings are reported in this paper. By implementing a two-stage fabrication process a 16 μm diameter micro-fiber is fabricated with an inscribed 10 mm long Bragg grating which exhibits a peak reflected wavelength circa 1530 nm. The growth dynamics of the polymer micro-fiber Bragg grating are also observed and analyzed. A maximum reflectivity of 5% is obtained after an exposure time of 3 minutes to a 50 mW power He-Cd laser of 325 nm wavelength. The temperature characterization of the micro-fiber Bragg grating with different diameters is also presented. The fabricated micro-fiber Bragg grating can …


Parameter Identification Study Of Frequency Response Data For A Trilayer Conjugated Polymer Actuator Displacement Model, Emmanuel D. Blanchard, Mitchell J. Smith, Chuc H. Nguyen Jan 2013

Parameter Identification Study Of Frequency Response Data For A Trilayer Conjugated Polymer Actuator Displacement Model, Emmanuel D. Blanchard, Mitchell J. Smith, Chuc H. Nguyen

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

This article investigates the effect of three uncertain parameters on a model of conjugated polymer actuators. These uncertain parameters are the diffusion coefficient (D), the resistance (R), and the double-layer WKLFNQHVV / 7KH PRGHO VHQVLWLvity to these parameters is analyzed and a parameter estimation study is performed using artificially generated data as well as laboratory yielded experimental measurements. The parameter estimation method used in this article is based on a Bayesian cost function, and gives us an insight on how much the estimation can be trusted, which is useful information for the design of controllers. Results indicate that for stochastic …


Comment On "Equilibrium Conformation Of Polymer Chains With Noncircular Cross Section", Alexander Gerhardt-Bourke, Ngamta Thamwattana Jan 2013

Comment On "Equilibrium Conformation Of Polymer Chains With Noncircular Cross Section", Alexander Gerhardt-Bourke, Ngamta Thamwattana

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

In this Comment, we point out that the Euler-Lagrange equations, which are referred to as the general equilibrium equations by Zhao are incorrect along with the equations which are derived from them. The correct equations are provided in this Comment. We produce new numerical results with the use of the correct equations. © 2013 American Physical Society.


Characterising Poly (Vinyl Chloride)/Aliquat 336 Polymer Inclusion Membranes: Evidence Of Phase Separation And Its Role In Metal Extraction, Nurul-Syazana Abdul-Halim, Philip G. Whitten, Long D. Nghiem Jan 2013

Characterising Poly (Vinyl Chloride)/Aliquat 336 Polymer Inclusion Membranes: Evidence Of Phase Separation And Its Role In Metal Extraction, Nurul-Syazana Abdul-Halim, Philip G. Whitten, Long D. Nghiem

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

The miscibility of the base polymer poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC) and the extractant Aliquat 336 in polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs) was investigated by characterisation of thermal transitions using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The extractions of Cd (II) and Zn (II) using PVC/Aliquat 336 PIMs with different base polymer/extractant composition and different extraction temperature were also investigated. Changes in the PIM's heat capacity measured by DSC were small, thus, could only be used to determine the glass transition temperature (Tg) of PIMs with low Aliquat 336 content. On the other hand, DMA results clearly identify the …


Parameter Identification Study Of A Trilayer Conjugated Polymer Actuator Curvature Model, Emmanuel D. Blanchard, Patrick S. Chen, Chuc H. Nguyen Jan 2013

Parameter Identification Study Of A Trilayer Conjugated Polymer Actuator Curvature Model, Emmanuel D. Blanchard, Patrick S. Chen, Chuc H. Nguyen

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

This article investigates the effect of two uncertain parameters on a recent new model of conjugated polymer actuators. These uncertain parameters are the diffusion coefficient (D) and the double-layer capacitance (C dl), which are difficult to measure directly. The model sensitivity to these parameters is analysed and a parameter estimation study is performed using artificially generated data. The parameter estimation method used in this article is based on a Bayesian cost function, and gives us an insight on how much the estimation can be trusted, which is useful information for the design of controllers. Results indicate that for controllers to …


Graphene-Polymer Multilayer Heterostructure For Terahertz Metamaterials, Zaiquan Xu, Caiyun Chen, Steve Qing Yang Wu, Bing Wang, Jinghua Teng, Chao Zhang, Qiaoliang Bao Jan 2013

Graphene-Polymer Multilayer Heterostructure For Terahertz Metamaterials, Zaiquan Xu, Caiyun Chen, Steve Qing Yang Wu, Bing Wang, Jinghua Teng, Chao Zhang, Qiaoliang Bao

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

The optical response and plasmon coupling between graphene sheets for graphene/polymer multilayer heterostructures with controlled separation were systematically investigated. Anomalous transmission of light was experimentally observed in mid-infrared range. The position of the broad passband in the transmission spectra was observed to red-shift with the increase of the number of layers.


Fuzzy Control Of A Conjugated Polymer Actuator, Mohammadreza Sabetghadam, Mehmet Itik, Gursel Alici Jan 2013

Fuzzy Control Of A Conjugated Polymer Actuator, Mohammadreza Sabetghadam, Mehmet Itik, Gursel Alici

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Polypyrrole actuators may represent time varying and nonlinear dynamics as the solvent evaporation continuously affects their performance. Linear models can be used to design controllers for polypyrrole actuators to some extent but their performance may not be sufficient in order to comply with the requirements for applications where high precision is necessary. This paper proposes a Fuzzy Logic controller to improve the tracking performance of a trilayer polypyyrole conducting polymer actuator. As the fuzzy controller does not require a model for the system, the nonlinearities and uncertainties can be handled effectively. Experimental results show that fuzzy control improves the tracking …


An Effective Methodology To Solve Inverse Kinematics Of Electroactive Polymer Actuators Modelled As Active And Soft Robotic Structures, Rahim Mutlu, Gursel Alici, Weihua Li Jan 2013

An Effective Methodology To Solve Inverse Kinematics Of Electroactive Polymer Actuators Modelled As Active And Soft Robotic Structures, Rahim Mutlu, Gursel Alici, Weihua Li

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Electroactive polymers (EAPs) generate highly non-linear deflections when they are used as actuators, which are known as artificial muscles. Though several modelling methods have been proposed before to understand their mechanical, chemical, electrical behaviours or 'electro-chemo-mechanical' behaviour, estimating the whole shape deflection of the EAP actuators has not been studied yet. Therefore, we report on (i) an effective methodology to estimate these actuators' whole shape deflection by employing a soft robotic actuator/manipulator approach and (ii) an angle optimization method, which we call AngleOPT, to accurately solve the EAP actuators' inverse kinematic problem. Laminated polypyrrole (PPy) EAP actuators are employed to …


Levetiracetam-Loaded Biodegradable Polymer Implants In The Tetanus Toxin Model Of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy In Rats, Amy J. Halliday, Toni E. Campbell, Timothy S. Nelson, Karen J. Mclean, Gordon G. Wallace, Mark J. Cook Jan 2013

Levetiracetam-Loaded Biodegradable Polymer Implants In The Tetanus Toxin Model Of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy In Rats, Amy J. Halliday, Toni E. Campbell, Timothy S. Nelson, Karen J. Mclean, Gordon G. Wallace, Mark J. Cook

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Approximately one-third of people with epilepsy receive insufficient benefit from currently available anticonvulsant medication, and some evidence suggests that this may be due to a lack of effective penetration into brain parenchyma. The current study investigated the ability of biodegradable polymer implants loaded with levetiracetam to ameliorate seizures following implantation above the motor cortex in the tetanus toxin model of temporal lobe epilepsy in rats. The implants led to significantly shorter seizures and a trend towards fewer seizures for up to 1 week. The results of this study indicate that drug-eluting polymer implants represent a promising evolving treatment option for …


Polypyrrole As Cathode Materials For Zn-Polymer Battery With Various Biocompatible Aqueous Electrolytes, Sha Li, Irin Sultana, Zaiping Guo, Caiyun Wang, G G. Wallace, Hua-Kun Liu Jan 2013

Polypyrrole As Cathode Materials For Zn-Polymer Battery With Various Biocompatible Aqueous Electrolytes, Sha Li, Irin Sultana, Zaiping Guo, Caiyun Wang, G G. Wallace, Hua-Kun Liu

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Polypyrrole films doped with p-toluenesulfonic anions on stainless steel mesh substrates were prepared by the electropolymerization method. A Zn/aqueous solution/polymer battery system was thus established with the polymer film as the cathode and three different biocompatible aqueous electrolytes. The mechanism of the anode reaction can be explained as the dissolution of Zn. It was found, however, that the discharge performance, including the discharge plateaus and capacities, were significantly affected by the polymer reactions. To elucidate the reaction mechanisms of the conductive polymer, its electrochemical properties were systematically studied by several techniques, including cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and monitoring mass …


Mechanical Properties Of Interpenetrating Polymer Network Hydrogels Based On Hybrid Ionically And Covalently Crosslinked Networks, Sina Naficy, Shota Kawakami, Sasha Sadeghovaad, Minato Wakisaka, Geoffrey M. Spinks Jan 2013

Mechanical Properties Of Interpenetrating Polymer Network Hydrogels Based On Hybrid Ionically And Covalently Crosslinked Networks, Sina Naficy, Shota Kawakami, Sasha Sadeghovaad, Minato Wakisaka, Geoffrey M. Spinks

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Hydrogels are polymer networks swollen in water. Because of their soft and wet nature, and their ability to show large volume changes, hydrogels can be useful in many biomedical and actuator applications. In these applications, it is crucial to tune the mechanical and physical properties of a hydrogel in a controllable manner. Here, interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) made of a covalently crosslinked network and an ionically crosslinked network were produced to investigate the effective parameters that control the physical and mechanical properties of an IPN hydrogel. Covalently crosslinked polyacrylamide (PAAm) or poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) networks were produced in the presence …