Engineering Science and Materials Commons^™

Use Of Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy For In Situ Observation Of Interaction Of Cells With Micro- And Nanoprobes, Alexander Goponenko, B. J. Boyle, K. I. Jahan, Maxim V. Gerashchenko, Dmitri E. Fomenko, Vadim N. Gladyshev, Yuris A. Dzenis

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Precision intracellular sensing, probing and manipulation offer unprecedented opportunities for advances in biological sciences. Next-generation ultra-fine probes will be capable of targeting individual cell organelles. Development of such probes as well as probes capable of penetrating through tough cell walls requires detailed knowledge of cell-probe interaction. This Letter evaluated the applicability of environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) for cell and cell-probe interaction imaging. Several types of cells (plant and yeast cells as well as mouse spermatozoa) were successfully imaged in their natural state, with mouse spermatozoa observed by ESEM for the first time. Computerized stage applied to image was tough …

Intermediate Layers In Tandem Organic Solar Cells, Yongbo Yuan, Jinsong Huang, Gang Li

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Tandem structures can boost the efficiency of organic solar cell to more than 15%, compared to the 10% limit of single layer bulk heterojunction devices. Design and fabricating of intermediate layers plays a very important role to achieve high device performance. This article will review the main experimental progresses of tandem organic solar cells, and focus on the intermediate layers (charge recombination layers) in both thermal evaporated and solution processed organic tandem solar cell devices.

A Model Of Giant Vacuole Dynamics In Human Schlemm’S Canal Endothelial Cells, Ryan M. Pedrigi, David Simon, Ashley Reed, W. Daniel Stamer, Darryl R. Overby

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Aqueous humour transport across the inner wall endothelium of Schlemm’s canal likely involves flow through giant vacuoles and pores, but the mechanics of how these structures form and how they influence the regulation of intraocular pressure (IOP) are not well understood. In this study, we developed an in vitro model of giant vacuole formation in human Schlemm’s canal endothelial cells (HSCECs) perfused in the basal-to-apical direction (i.e., the direction that flow crosses the inner wall in vivo) under controlled pressure drops (2 or 6 mmHg). The system was mounted on a confocal microscope for time-lapse en face imaging, and cells …

In Vitro Models For Glaucoma Research: Effects Of Hydrostatic Pressure, Yuan Lei, Shadi Rajabi, Ryan M. Pedrigi, Darryl R. Overby, A. Thomas Read, C. Ross Ethier

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

PURPOSE. The response of cells (e.g., optic nerve head [ONH] cells) to mechanical stress is important in glaucoma. Studies have reported the biological effects of hydrostatic pressure on ONH cells cultured on a rigid substrate. An apparatus, designed to independently vary hydrostatic pressure and gas tension (including oxygen tension) in culture medium, was used to evaluate the effects of pressure and tension on cell migration, shape, and α-tubulin architecture in a transformed cell line (DITNC1 rat cortical astrocytes).

METHODS. During the assay period, cells were exposed to one of four experimental configurations: (1) control pressure and control gas tension; (2) …

Development And Characterization Of The Oxidation Behavior Of Various High Temperature Niobium Based Alloys, Benedict Isabel Portillo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The oxidation response of various niobium based refractory alloys from the Nb-Mo-Si-B-X alloy system has been examined at temperatures between 700 and 1400°C in air. The development of these alloys was part of an ongoing effort to develop and discover a new materials system capable of replacing nickel based super alloys. Additions of titanium were found to provide limited oxidation resistance. A discontinuous layer of TiO2 was observed to from at temperatures above 1100°C. Alloys containing titanium additions were observed to suffer from pest oxidation at low and intermediate temperatures due to the development of Nb2O5. Poor oxidation resistance at …

Graphene Based Anode Materials For Lithium-Ion Batteries, Sree Lakshmi Cheekati

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Improvements of the anode performances in Li-ions batteries are in demand to satisfy applications in transportation. In comparison with graphitic carbons, transition metal oxides as well as graphene can store over twice amount of lithium per gram. Recently, graphene-based anodes for Li-ion batteries are under extensive development. In this research, lithium storage characteristics in graphene oxide (GO), GO/Manganese acetate (GO/MnAc), GO/manganese oxide (GO/MnOx) composites and Nano Graphene Platelets (NGP) were studied. The prepared GO delivered reversible capacities of 706mAh/g with an average columbic efficiency of 87%. Reversible capacities of 533 mAh/g were observed for GO/MnAc composite. GO/MnOx nanocomposite thermal annealed …

Highly Active Porous Catalysts Fabricated By Attachment Of Palladium Nanoparticles On Hierarchical Carbon Structures, Hema Vijwani

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The effectiveness of metal-based catalysts can be significantly enhanced by increasing the available surface area relative to the volume through the creation of hierarchical nanostructures. The catalyst demonstrated here is palladium, which is a widely recognized heterogeneous catalyst suitable for a variety of industrial applications such as water purification, hydrogen storage, and electrochemical devices. In this study, a novel multi-scale supporting material developed in this group, has been used as support. It consists of micro-porous graphitic carbon with strongly attached carbon nanotubes. This can increase the surface area by orders of magnitude without increasing the size or weight while still …

The Functionalization And Characterization Of Adherent Carbon Nanotubes With Silver Nanoparticles For Biological Applications, Adam A. Maleszewski

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project is to form silver nanoparticles (Ag-NP) attached to a hierarchical substrate for possible use in biological applications. The effectiveness of these Ag-NP-containing devices, including biofilters and biosensors, may be dramatically enhanced by the use of hierarchical structures such as carbon nanotubes (CNT), as they offer a high surface area surface suitable for cell-device interactions, while Ag-NP would be a suitable component in many such devices due to its plasmonic surface properties (e.g. in sensor and directed energy applications) and its anti-microbial properties (desirable for fluid filtration due to its low weight. Meaningful control over the …

Nanomechanical Analysis Of Insulinoma Cells After Glucose And Capsaicin Stimulation Using Atomic Force Microscopy, Ruiguo Yang, Ning Xi, King Wai-Chu Lai, Bei-Hua Zhong, Carmen Kar-Man Fung, Chen-Geng Qu, Donna H. Wang

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Aim: Glucose stimulates insulin secretion from pancreatic islet β cells by altering ion channel activity and membrane potential in the β cells. TRPV1 channel is expressed in the β cells and capsaicin induces insulin secretion similarly to glucose. This study aims to investigate the biophysical properties of the β cells upon stimulation of membrane channels using an atomic force microscopic (AFM) nanoindentation system.

Methods: ATCC insulinoma cell line was used. Cell stiffness, a marker of reorganization of cell membrane and cytoskeleton due to ion channel activation, was measured in real time using an integrated AFM nanoindentation system. Cell height that …

Nanostructured Arrays For Sensing And Energy Storage Applications, Raghu Mangu

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Vertically aligned multi walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) arrays fabricated by xylene pyrolysis in anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) templates without the use of a catalyst, were integrated into a resistive sensor design. The steady state sensitivities as high as 5% and 10% for 100 ppm of NH₃ and NO₂ respectively at a flow rate of 750 sccm were observed. A study was undertaken to elucidate (i) the dependence of sensitivity on the thickness of amorphous carbon layers, (ii) the effect of UV light on gas desorption characteristics and (iii) the dependence of room temperature sensitivity on different NH_{3 …}

Design Decisions Under Risk And Uncertainty, Sravya Thoomu

All Theses

In the contemporary world of engineering, engineers strive towards designing reliable and robust artifacts while considering and attempting to control manufacturing costs. In due course they have to deal with some sort of uncertainty. Many aspects of the design are the result of properties that are defined within some tolerances, of measurements that are appropriate, and of circumstances and environmental conditions that are out of their control. This uncertainty was typically handled by using factors of safety, and resulted in designs that may have been overly conservative. Therefore, understanding and handling the uncertainties is critical in improving the design, controlling …

Anomalous Loss Of Toughness Of Work Toughened Polycarbonate, Shawn E. Meagher

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

Glassy polymers such as polycarbonate (PC) can be toughened through compressive plastic deformation. The increase in toughness is substantial, showing as much as a fifteen fold increase in the amount of dissipated energy during failure for samples compressed to 50% plastic strain. This toughness increase can be reversed through thermal aging at temperatures below the glass transition temperature (T_g = 147°C).

The combined effect of plastic compression and thermal aging has been studied using Charpy, Single Edge Notch Bending (SENB), and Compact Tension (CT) tests. The tests mapped the response of samples cut along different orientations relative to the …

Hybrid Nanomanufacturing Process For High-Rate Polymer Nanofiber Production, Chad T. Peterson

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

Nanotechnology and nanomaterials have the potential to revolutionize existing and create entirely new industries. Unique physical, mechanical, chemical, and biological properties of nanomaterials have been extensively documented in the last two decades. However, most nanomaterials are discontinuous in nature, creating problems with their processing and manipulation into devices and raising health concerns. Continuous nanofibers represent an emerging class of nanomaterials with critical advantages to applications. Continuous nanofibers are readily produced by electrospinning process comprising spinning polymer solutions in high electric fields. Electrospinning is a very economic top-down nanomanufacturing process that has been used to produce ultrafine continuous nanofibers from several …

Me-Em Enewsbrief, December 2010, Department Of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics, Michigan Technological University

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering eNewsBrief

No abstract provided.

Processing And Composition Effects On The Fracture Behavior Of Spray-Formed 7xxx Series Al Alloys, Mala M. Sharma, Constance W. Ziemian, Timothy J. Eden

Faculty Journal Articles

The fracture properties of high-strength spray-formed Al alloys were investigated, with consideration of the effects of elemental additions such as zinc,manganese, and chromium and the influence of the addition of SiC particulate. Fracture resistance values between 13.6 and 25.6 MPa (m)^1/2 were obtained for the monolithic alloys in the T6 and T7 conditions, respectively. The alloys with SiC particulate compared well and achieved fracture resistance values between 18.7 and 25.6 MPa (m)^1/2. The spray-formed materials exhibited a loss in fracture resistance (KI) compared to ingot metallurgy 7075 alloys but had an improved
performance compared to high-solute powder …

Electrochemical Detection For The Corrosion Of Reinforcing Steel In Concrete During Immersion And Drying Cycles, Bing-Li Jia, Fa-He Cao, An-Na Chen, Jian-Qing Zhang

Journal of Electrochemistry

The corrosion behavior of reinforcing steel in concrete under dry-wet cycle condition has been studied by electrochemical noise(EN) compared with the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS),SEM micrographs and EDS.The statistical method has been employed to analyze the EN data of reinforcing steel in concrete,which revealed three different corrosion stages of reinforcing steel in concrete,including the dissolution of the passive film,the active corrosion and the cumulation of corrosion product.The wavelet transform has also been employed,which indicated that steel in concrete with pH 1 is associated with uniform corrosion,while steel in concrete with pH 3 and pH 7 are associated with localized corrosion,such as …

Study On Preparing Technology And Corrosion Resistance Of Ti/Zr Based Chromium-Free Chemical Conversion Coating On Zinc Electroplating Layer, Yong Guan, Jian-Guo Liu, Chuan-Wei Yan

Journal of Electrochemistry

In this paper,we obtained environmental-friendly chromium-free chemical conversion coating on the non-cyanide alkaline zinc electroplating layer by employing the optimized Ti/Zr based conversion technique.At the same time,the performances of the Ti/Zr based conversion coating were compared with chromate colour passivation coating.The corrosion resistances of the conversion coatings were investigated by using neutral salt spray(NSS) test,potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS).The results showed that the white rust appeared after 96 hours when the NSS test was performed on the Ti/Zr based conversion coating,which was close to the corrosion resistance rating of chromate colour passivation coating.Compared with the chromate passivation coating,the Ti/Zr …

Preparation And Characterization Of The Silane-Phosphonic Acid Composite Passivation Coating For Electrogalvanized Steel, Yong Guan, Jian-Guo Liu, Chuan-Wei Yan

Journal of Electrochemistry

A new silane-phosphonic acid composite passivation coating process has been developed for the protection of electrogalvanized steel based on N-(β-aminoethyl)-γ-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane(AAPTMS),γ-(2,3-epoxypropoxy)propyltrimethoxy-silane(GPTMS) and 1-hydroxy ethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid(HEDP).The results of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS),Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR),potentiodynamic polarization scan,electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS) and neutral salt spray(NSS) tests indicated that the major structure of the prepared silane-phosphonic acid composite passivation coating consisted mainly of Si—O—Si and Si—O—P bonds.The area of white rust was not more than 5% of the total panal after 120 h NSS test,which could be compared favourably with the chromate colour passivation coating.However,the corrosion reaction on the anode of the silane-phosphonic acid composite passivation …

The Roles Of The Width Of Gas/Liquid/Solid Three-Phase Boundary Zone Of Dispersion Water Films In Atmospheric Corrosion Of Metals, Jia Wang, Jing Jiang

Journal of Electrochemistry

The roles of TPB(Three-Phase Boundary) width in the corrosion processes of metals under dispersed water films were investigated by electrochemical techniques combined with contact angle measurement.It is found that both cathodic limiting current density and corrosion current density linearly increases with increasing the TPB width,confirming the important role of TPB width in gas/liquid/solid multiphase corrosion systems.Based on above results,the effect of water film thickness on atmospheric corrosion rate was quantitatively evaluated by the TPB width.

Initial Stage Of Atmospheric Corrosion Of Ndfeb(M35) In A Simulated Marine Atmosphere, Chun-Ling Li, Yuan-Tai Ma, Ying Li, Fu-Hui Wang

Journal of Electrochemistry

This study detailed the atmospheric corrosion behaviour of sintered NdFeB(M35) in a simulated marine atmosphere with 80% relative humidity(RH).The dissolution and subsequent reaction of NaCl particles cause the attack of NdFeB.The corrosion presented three representative types:if the electrolyte covered magnetic phase and Nd-rich phase,the Nd-rich phase was corroded firstly due to galvanic effect;if the electrolyte covered magnetic phase,magnetic phase was corroded along the grain boundary;if the electrolyte located near the position of defects,corrosion progressed along with the defect because of low concentration of oxygen inside the defect.With corrosion progressing,local corrosion areas were mutually connected,with Nd-rich phase and grain boundary being …