Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Commons^™

Fluorescein-Polyethyleneimine Coated Gadolinium Oxide Nanoparticles As T1 Magnetic Resonance Imaging (Mri)–Cell Labeling (Cl) Dual Agents, Wenlong Xu, Ja Young Park, Krishna Kattel, Md Wasi Ahmad, Badrul Alam Bony, Woo Choul Heo, Seonguk Jin, Jang Woo Park, Yongmin Chang, Tae Jeong Kim, Ji Ae Park, Ji Yeon Do, Kwon Seok Chae, Gang Ho Lee

Dr. Mohammad Wasi Ahmad (Md Wasi Ahmad)

We report the synthesis, characterization and application of highly water-soluble fluoresceinpolyethyleneimine (PEI) coated gadolinium oxide (Gd2O3) nanoparticles to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cell labeling (CL). The average particle diameter and average hydrodynamic diameter were estimated to be 3.92 and 7.5 nm, respectively. Fluorescein-PEI was prepared from EDC/NHS coupling method. The surface coating was characterized by the FT-IR absorption spectrum and the surface coating amount was estimated to be 22.42 wt% from a TGA analysis, corresponding to 0.65 nm22 grafting density. The fluorescein-PEI coated gadolinium oxide nanoparticles showed r1 and r2 of 6.76 and 20.27 s21mM21, respectively, and a strong …

Enhancement In The Photocatalytic Activity Of Au@Tio2 Nanocomposites By Pretreatment Of Tio2 With Uv Light, Mohammad Mansoob Khan Dr, M. H. Cho Dr

Dr. Mohammad Mansoob Khan

A novel, efficient and controlled protocol for the synthesis and enhanced photocatalytic activity of Au@TiO2 nanocomposite is developed. TiO2 (P25) was pretreated by employing UV light (λ = 254 nm) and the pretreated TiO2 was uniformly decorated by gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in presence of sodium citrate and UV light. UV pretreatment makes the TiO2 activated, as electrons were accumulated within the TiO2 in the conduction band. These accumulated electrons facilitate the formation of AuNPs which were of very small size (2-5 nm), similar morphology and uniformly deposited at TiO2 surface. It leads to formation of stable and crystalline Au@TiO2 nanocomposites. …

Geometrical Frustration In Nanowire Growth, K. W. Schwarz, J. Tersoff, S. Kodambaka, Y.C. Chou, F. M. Ross

Birck and NCN Publications

Idealized nanowire geometries assume stable sidewalls at right angles to the growth front. Here we report growth simulations that include a mix of nonorthogonal facet orientations, as for Au-catalyzed Si. We compare these with in situ microscopy observations, finding striking correspondences. In both experiments and simulations, there are distinct growth modes that accommodate the lack of right angles in different ways-one through sawtooth-textured sidewalls, the other through a growth front at an angle to the growth axis. Small changes in conditions can reversibly switch the growth between modes. The fundamental differences between these modes have important implications for control of …

Formation Of Organized Nanostructures From Unstable Bilayers Of Thin Metallic Liquids, Mikhail Khenner, Sagar Yadavali, Ramki Kalyanaraman

Mathematics Faculty Publications

Dewetting of pulsed-laser irradiated, thin (< 20 nm), optically reflective metallic bilayers on an optically transparent substrate with a reflective support layer is studied within the lubrication equations model. A steady-state bilayer film thickness (h) dependent temperature profile is derived based on the mean substrate temperature estimated from the elaborate thermal model of transient heating and melting/freezing. Large thermocapillary forces are observed along the plane of the liquid-liquid and liquid-gas interfaces due to this h-dependent temperature, which, in turn, is strongly influenced by the h-dependent laser light reflection and absorption. Consequently the dewetting is a result of the competition between thermocapillary and intermolecular forces. A linear analysis of the dewetting length scales established that the non-isothermal calculations better predict the experimental results as compared to the isothermal case within the bounding Hamaker coefficients. Subsequently, a computational non-linear dynamics study of the dewetting pathway was performed for Ag/Co and Co/Ag bilayer systems to predict the morphology evolution. We found that the systems evolve towards formation of different morphologies, including core-shell, embedded, or stacked nanostructure morphologies.

Formation Of Organized Nanostructures From Unstable Bilayers Of Thin Metallic Liquids, Mikhail Khenner, Sagar Yadavali, Ramki Kalyanaraman

Mikhail Khenner

Dewetting of pulsed-laser irradiated, thin (< 20 nm), optically reflective metallic bilayers on an optically transparent substrate with a reflective support layer is studied within the lubrication equations model. A steady-state bilayer film thickness (h) dependent temperature profile is derived based on the mean substrate temperature estimated from the elaborate thermal model of transient heating and melting/freezing. Large thermocapillary forces are observed along the plane of the liquid-liquid and liquid-gas interfaces due to this h-dependent temperature, which, in turn, is strongly influenced by the h-dependent laser light reflection and absorption. Consequently the dewetting is a result of the competition between thermocapillary and intermolecular forces. A linear analysis of the dewetting length scales established that the non-isothermal calculations better predict the experimental results as compared to the isothermal case within the bounding Hamaker coefficients. Subsequently, a computational non-linear dynamics study of the dewetting pathway was performed for Ag/Co and Co/Ag bilayer systems to predict the morphology evolution. We found that the systems evolve towards formation of different morphologies, including core-shell, embedded, or stacked nanostructure morphologies.

Synthesis And Characterization Of One- And Two-Dimensional Novel Nanomaterials, Yu Zhong

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Nanomaterials have attracted extensive interest due to their unique structure and excellent properties compared with their bulk counterparts. To obtain nanodevices with controlled properties, it is prerequisite to synthesize nanostructured materials with designed architecture.

In this work, low (one- and two-) dimensional nanomaterials with controlled structures have been synthesized and characterized based on chemical vapour deposition strategy. Our research targets cover one-dimensinoal hollow, solid, and solid @ hollow heterostructural nanomaterials including carbon nanotubes (CNTs), nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (NCNTs), SnO₂ nanowires, Mo doped-SnO₂ nanowires, Sn nanowires encapsulated in CNTs (Sn@CNTs), and two-dimensional Mo₂S₃ nanopetals. Dependence of …

Development Of Novel Nanomaterials For High-Performance And Low-Cost Fuel Cell Applications, Shuhui Sun

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are promising energy converting technologies to generate electricity by mainly using hydrogen as a fuel, producing water as the only exhaust. However, short life-time and high cost of Pt catalyst are the main obstacles for the commercialization of PEMFCs. In the conventional carbon black supported platinum nanoparticle (NP) commercial catalyst, carbon supports are prone to oxidation and corrosion over time that results in Pt NPs migration, coalescence, even detaching from the catalyst support. In addition, Ostwald ripening of the Pt NPs could also occur due to their high surface energy and zero dimensional structural …

Effect Of Extracellular Matrix (Ecm) Protein Micropatterns On The Behavior Of Human Neuroblastoma Cells, Ishwari Poudel

Department of Engineering Mechanics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Recent advances in patterning techniques and emerging surface microtechnologies have allowed cell micropatterning to control spatial location of the cells on a surface as well as cell shape, attachment area, and number of contacting neighbor cells. These parameters play important roles in cell cellular behaviors. Cell micropatterning has thus become one of the most important strategies for biomedical applications, such as, tissue engineering, diagnostic immunoassays, lab-on-chip devices, bio-sensing, etc., and cell biology studies as well. For neuronal cells, there have been attempts to distribute neuronal cells on specific patterns to control cell-to-cell interaction. However, there have been very limited understanding …

Surface Wetting And Friction Studies Of Nano-Engineered Surfaces On Copper Substrate, Julius Sheldon Morehead

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nano-engineered-textures on a material surface can dramatically improve the wetting and non-wetting properties of a surface, and they also show promise to address friction issues that affect surfaces in contact. In this work, aluminum-induced crystallization (AIC) of amorphous silicon (a-Si) was used to produce nano-textures on copper (Cu) substrates. A study was performed to examine the effects of changing the annealing conditions and a-Si thickness on nano-texture formation. The creation of various nano-topographies and chemically modifying them using octafluorocyclobutane (C4F8) was performed to control hydrophilicity, hydrophobicity, and oil affinity of nano-textured surfaces. A video-based contact angle measurement system was used …

Study On The Use Of Mgal Hydrotalcites As Solid Heterogeneous Catalysts For Biodiesel Production, João F. Gomes

João F Gomes

This paper, reports experimental work on the use of new heterogeneous solid basic catalysts for biodiesel production: double oxides of Mg and Al, produced by calcination, at high temperature, of MgAl lamellar structures, the hydrotalcites (HT). The most suitable catalyst system studied are hydrotalcite Mg:Al 2:1 calcinated at 507 ºC and 700 ºC, leading to higher values of FAME also in the second reaction stage. One of the prepared catalysts resulted in 97.1 % Fatty acids methyl esters (FAME) in the 1st reaction step, 92.2 % FAME in the 2nd reaction step and 34 % FAME in the 3rd reaction …

On The Accuracy Of Classical And Long Wavelength Approximations For Phonon Transport In Graphene, Dhruv Singh, Jayathi Murthy, Timothy S. Fisher

Birck and NCN Publications

This paper presents a critical evaluation of the approximations usually made in thermal conductivity modeling applied to graphene. The baseline for comparison is thermal conductivity computations performed using a rigorous calculation of three-phonon scattering events and accounting for the anharmonicity of interatomic forces. Three central assumptions that underlie published theories are evaluated and shown to compromise the accuracy of thermal conductivity predictions. It is shown that the use of classical phonon occupation statistics in place of the Bose-Einstein distribution causes the overprediction of specific heat and the underprediction of phonon relaxation time; for ZA phonons, the classical approximation can underpredict …

A Novel Telecommunications-Based Approach To Mathematical Modeling Of Hiv Infection, Aaron T. Sharp

Computer and Electronics Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

It is well known that biological systems utilize communication in some form, one prolific example of this is the propagation of HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) in the human body. By modeling HIV infection as a communication system, we hope to gain a unique insight into HIV and biological communication systems in general. Such a model would provide researchers a platform for experimenting and simulating various biological communication systems. We have previously developed a layered communication protocol for interpreting biological communication systems using telecommunications paradigms and will apply said model to HIV proliferation. We will also demonstrate the effectiveness of the …

Superhydrophilic/Superhydrophobic Surface Constructions On Titanium And Their Effects On Anti-Bacterial Properties, Guo-Wei Wang, Qiao-Ling Huang, Ren Hu, Chang-Jian Lin, Hao Wang, Li-Hai Zhang, Pei-Fu Tang

Journal of Electrochemistry

The microbial infection of biomaterials often causes clinic problems and sometimes even leads to the prosthesis failure. It is, therefore, important to prevent the biomaterials from bacterial contamination. This can be done by using anti-bacteria drugs. However, this method causes physiological burdens to the patients and does not always work. To stop the contamination from the just beginning is believed to be a better choice. The first step for infection is the attachment of bacteria on the material. In this work, the thin TiO2 nanotubes array films were constructed with totally different wettabilities showing either superhydrophobic or superhydrophilic. The bacterial …

Preparation And Application Of Nano-Nio As Anode In Lithium-Ion Batteries, Cheng-Dong Bai, Jia-Jia Chen, Qi Zhang, Ming-Sen Zheng, Quan-Feng Dong

Journal of Electrochemistry

In this work, the nano-NiO material was prepared by hydrothermal method. The surface morphologies and electrochemical properties of nano-NiO material were investigated. The special nano-NiO material with porous surface assembling honeycombs(100-200nm) was obtained by using surface active agents. The discharge capacity of nano-NiO electrode up to 2385.7 mAh/g was achieved at current density of 0.1A/g in the first circle,while 1100mAh/g could be maintained after 100 circles. At current density of 2.0A/g, the discharge capacity of 600 mAh/g was obtained. And when the current density was reduced to 0.1A/g, the discharge capacity was restored to 1050 mAh/g. The nano-NiO electrode exhibited …

Electrocatalytic Determination Of 15 Kinds Of Phenolic Compounds By Novel Gold Nanoparticles-Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode, Yan-Ping Cui, Wei-Xing Wang, Chang-Zhu Yang, Wen-Hong Pu

Journal of Electrochemistry

A gold nanoparticles modified glassy carbon electrode (Au/GCE) was used to detect 15 kinds of phenolic compounds. In the cyclic voltammetry measurements, the peak currents of phenolic compounds at Au/GCE were all increased as compared with GCE and planar gold electrodes, and the oxidation potentials were determined by the activity of analytes. Besides, electrocatalysis of salicylic acid was studied at Au/GCE. The results showed that, there was a good linear relationship between the oxidation current and the concentration of salicylic acid, and the current sensitivity was 1.8 fold higher than that obtained on GCE. Trace phenolic compounds determination could be …

Electrochemical Studies On Surface Inclusion Of Β-Cyclodextrin With Adriamycin, Jian Shi, Qi-Ping Zhang, Nan-Ping Wang

Journal of Electrochemistry

The β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) modified gold electrode (β-CD/Au) was fabricated to study the electrochemical behavior of adriamycin (ADM). The results indicated that the complexing reaction of ADM with β-CD took place at the β-CD/Au surface. At 25 ℃，the complexing constant (K) was 9.54×104 L?mol-1 in pH=7.0. The K values changed regularly with temperature, and the most suitable temperature of the surface inclusion reaction was 30 ℃. The complexing reaction of ADM with β-CD at the β-CD/Au surface could undergo the quasi-reversible electrochemical reaction with the rate constant being 0.0995 s-1. The cathodic peak current (Ip) of ADM was proportional to the …

Electronic Structure Of Realistically Extended Atomistically Resolved Disordered Si:P Delta-Doped Layers, Sunhee Lee, Hoon Ryu, Lloyd Hollenberg, Michelle Simmons, Gerhard Klimeck

Birck and NCN Publications

The emergence of scanning tunneling microscope (STM) lithography and low temperature molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) opens the possibility of creating scalable donor based quantum computing architectures. In particular, atomically precise Si:P monolayer structures (delta-doped layers) serve as crucial contact regions and in-plane gates in single impurity devices. In this paper we study highly confined delta-doped layers to explain the disorder in the P dopant placements in realistically extended systems. The band structure is computed using the tight-binding formalism and charge-potential self-consistency. The exchange-correlation corrected impurity potential pulls down subbands below the silicon valley minima to create impurity bands. Our methodology …

Effects Of Carbon Nanotube-Tethered Nanosphere Density On Amperometric Biosensing: Simulation And Experiment, Jonathan Caussen, James Hengenius, Monique Wickner, Timothy Fisher, David Umulis, Marshall Porterfield

Birck and NCN Publications

Nascent nanofabrication approaches are being applied to reduce electrode feature dimensions from the microscale to the nanoscale, creating biosensors that are capable of working more efficiently at the biomolecular level. The development of nanoscale biosensors has been driven largely by experimental empiricism to date. Consequently, the precise positioning of nanoscale electrode elements is typically neglected, and its impact on biosensor performance is subsequently overlooked. Herein, we present a bottom-up nanoelectrode array fabrication approach that utilizes low-density and horizontally oriented single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) as a template for the growth and precise positioning of Pt nanospheres. We further develop a computational …

Spectral Phonon Conduction And Dominant Scattering Pathways In Graphene, Dhruv Singh, Jayathi Murthy, Timothy Fisher

Birck and NCN Publications

In this paper, we examine the lattice thermal conductivity and dominant phonon scattering mechanisms of graphene. The interatomic interactions are modeled using the Tersoff interatomic potential and perturbation theory is applied to calculate the transition probabilities for three-phonon scattering. The matrix elements of the perturbing Hamiltonian are calculated using the anharmonic interatomic force constants obtained from the interatomic potential as well. The linearized Boltzmann transport equation is applied to compute the thermal conductivity of graphene for a wide range of parameters giving spectral and polarization-resolved information. The complete spectral detail of selection rules, important phonon scattering pathways, and phonon relaxation …

A Review Of International Best Practice In E-Governmentsome Lessons For New Adopters, Deogratias Harorimana Sr

Dr Deogratias Harorimana

Efficient bureaucratic processes as essential to attract and retain investment, as well as promote SME growth. The e_Gov is one of many ways emerging economies have used to streamline public service delivery and create a freindly and conducive atmosphere for business -both MNC and SMEs. This presentation provide an overview of some of the World's most recent case examples on the successful design-plan-implementation of eGov to build a strong basis to attract investment and deliver seamless essential services to Citizens.

A Critical Review Of The Effectiveness Of Fiscal And Monetary Policies In The Pacific Island Countries (Pics) Between 1990-2010, Deogratias Harorimana Mr

Dr Deogratias Harorimana

The purpose of this paper is to critically assess the effectiveness of Fiscal and Monetary Policies in the South Pacific Island Countries. The paper tracks down the economic growth for the last 20 years between 1990-2010, and drawing from key fiscal and monetary policies in place during the time under consideration, as well as specific interventions in the region, we find that: 1) While the South Pacific Island Countries (SPICs) particularly the six major economies (Solomon Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu, PNG, Samoa, Tonga) pursued fiscal and monetary policies for promoting growth and diversification of their economies, their fiscal policies relied heavily …

Enhanced Valence Force Field Model For The Lattice Properties Of Gallium Arsenide, Sebastian Steiger, Mehdi Salmani-Jelodar, Denis Areshkin, Abhijeet Paul, Tillmann Kubis, Michael Povolotskyi, Hong-Hyun Park, Gerhard Klimeck

Birck and NCN Publications

An enhanced valence force field model for zinc-blende crystals is developed to provide a unified description of the isothermal static and dynamical lattice properties of gallium arsenide. The expression for the lattice energy includes a second-nearest-neighbor coplanar interaction term, the Coulomb interaction between partially charged ions, and anharmonicity corrections. General relations are derived between the microscopic force constants and the macroscopic elastic constants in zinc-blende crystals. Applying the model to gallium arsenide, parameter sets are presented that yield quantitative agreement with experimental results for the phonon dispersion, elastic constants, sound velocities, and Gru ̈neisen mode parameters.

Effects Of (Nh(4))(2)S Passivation On The Off-State Performance Of 3-Dimensional Ingaas Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors, J J Gu, A T. Neal, P D. Ye

Birck and NCN Publications

Planar and 3-dimensional (3D) buried-channel InGaAs metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) have been experimentally demonstrated at deep-submicron gate lengths. The effect of (NH(4))(2)S passivation with different concentrations (20%, 10%, or 5%) on the off-state performance of these devices has been systematically studied. 10% (Na(4))(2)S treatment is found to yield the optimized high-k/InP harrier layer interface property, resulting in a minimum subthreshold swing (SS) lower than 100 mV/dec. Moreover, the 3D device structure greatly improves the off-state performance and facilitates enhancement-mode operation. A scaling metrics study has been carried out for 10% (NH(4))(2)S treated 3D devices with gate lengths down to 100 …

Issues In Human Capital Development : Lessons For Public Administration And Governance, Deogratias Harorimana Mr

Dr Deogratias Harorimana

With few minerals or other natural resources, Rwanda believes that she can still achieve her ambitions by investing in human capital - her unique resource. If this ambition can be achieved, then is this the next role model for international development? We used a case study design and analysis methods to examine development models used elsewhere in recent decades, using both qualitative and quantitative data on Rwanda to establish the comparative advantages in relation to Singapore’s economic development model. The implications for international development are that (1) an effective human capital development strategy should be inclusive enough to respond to …

Technical Note: Friction Factor Diagrams For Pipe Flow, Jim Mcgovern

Articles

This technical note describes diagrams of friction factor for pipe flow that have been prepared using, mainly, the equations that Lewis Moody used to prepare his famous diagram in 1944. The preparation of the new diagrams was prompted by the need for vector graphics versions that could be used for teaching purposes and that could be distributed freely to students and others under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike license. Using a structure very similar to that of Moody's diagram, variants with the Darcy friction factor and the Fanning friction factor have been prepared. In addition, variants have been prepared that include …

Graphene Formation On Step-Free 4h-Sic(0001), M. L. Bolen, R. Colby, E A. Stach, Michael A. Capano

Birck and NCN Publications

Step-free SiC was thermally decomposed in vacuum to better understand graphene formation in the absence of step fronts. Atomic force microscopy revealed graphene nucleating at surface pits that preferentially form along SiC{1 $(1) over bar $ 00} planes. The density of these pits is 1 x 10(8)cm(-2), which is three orders of magnitude greater than the measured density of SiC threading dislocations. Additionally, Raman spectroscopy demonstrated that graphene on step-free regions have a redshifted 2D peak position and a smaller peak width than does graphene grown on stepped regions. This difference is attributed to film thickness, which is confirmed by …

The Significance Of In Situ Conditions In The Characterization Of Gasb Nanopatterned Surfaces Via Ion Beam Sputtering, Osman El-Atwani, Jean Paul, Alex Cimaroli, Anastassiya Suslova, Sami Ortoleva

Birck and NCN Publications

A systematic study is conducted in order to elucidate the underlying mechanism(s) for nanopatterning with low-energy irradiation of GaSb (100) under normal incidence. Ion energies between 50 and 1000 eV of Ar+ and ion fluences of up to 10(18) cm(-2) were employed. Characterization of the shallow (e.g., 1 to 6 nm) amorphous phase region induced by irradiation and the subsurface crystalline phase region is accomplished with low-energy ion scattering spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. In situ studies are conducted due to the strong chemical affinity for oxygen of GaSb. The studies conclude that at energies below 200 eV, the …

Laser Direct Write Of Silicon Nanowires, James Mitchell, Se Jun Park, C Adam Watson, Pornsak Srisungsitthisunti, Chookiat Tansarawiput, Minghao Qi, Eric Stach, Chen Yang, Xianfan Xu

Birck and NCN Publications

Using laser direct writing in combination with chemical vapor deposition to produce nanometer scale electronics holds several advantages over current large scale photolithography methods. These include single step electrical interconnect deposition, mask-less patterning, and parallel processing. When taken together they make quick production of individualized electronic circuits possible. This work demonstrates the ability of combining laser direct write and chemical vapor deposition to produce silicon wires a few hundred nanometers wide. Optimized parameters will be discussed, with a particular emphasis paid to the laser-material interactions. The feasibility for electronic applications will be shown by examining the deposition formation on a …

Role Of Ammonia In The Activiation Of Methanol Dehydrogenase/Cytochrome C(L) Enzyme, Ancy Kunjumon

Doctoral Dissertations

Recent advancement in enzyme catalysis has opened ways to design efficient biocatalysts, bio-sensors and bio-fuel cells. An in-depth knowledge about the mechanism of the reaction taking place within the enzymes is of great importance to achieve these goals. In this dissertation, various computation methods are applied to investigate the mechanism behind enzyme catalysis in the presence of compounds called activators.

Methanol dehydrogenase (MDH) is a well-known bio-catalyst that can oxidize excess of methanol from the environment to formaldehyde. The enzyme works well within the bacterial environment, but under in vitro, it loses activity. Ammonia is used as an activator …

Passive Micromixers And Organic Electrochemical Transistors For Biosensor Applications, Senaka Krishna Kanakamedala

Doctoral Dissertations

Fluid handling at the microscale has greatly affected different fields such as biomedical, pharmaceutical, biochemical engineering and environmental monitoring due to its reduced reagent consumption, portability, high throughput, lower hardware cost and shorter analysis time compared to large devices. The challenges associated with mixing of fluids in microscale enabled us in designing, simulating, fabricating and characterizing various micromixers on silicon and flexible polyester substrates. The mixing efficiency was evaluated by injecting the fluids through the two inlets and collecting the sample at outlet. The images collected from the microscope were analyzed, and the absorbance of the color product at the …