A method for preparing a novel bixbyite non-selective coating for solar thermal conversion is described. The coating is formed by a thermal reaction between a titania sol–gel precursor with a copper manganese spinel to form a new material, Cu0.44Ti0.44Mn0.84Fe0.28O3, with a bixbyite structure. The effect of temperature and ratio between the two components on the formation of the bixbyite layer (deposited on Inconel by spray-coating) was studied. The absorptance of the films (AM 1.5; 335–2500nm) with a thickness of 10±2µm after annealing at 2h at 650°C and 750°C was 97.4% and 94.7%, respectively. This synthesis represents a novel approach in which the final solar thermal coating is formed as a continuous and uniform layer which combines both the absorber and the ceramic binder. The developed material shows promising results for future applications as absorber in solar thermal energy conversion.•A new material combining the absorber and a ceramic matrix was formed.•This material was used for solar thermal application with high absorptivity.•The formation of the material occurred by thermal treatment of a sprayed thin film.

Neurodegenerative diseases generate the accumulation of specific misfolded proteins, such as PrPSc prions or A-beta in Alzheimer’s diseases, and share common pathological features, like neuronal death and oxidative damage. To test whether reduced oxidation alters disease manifestation, we treated TgMHu2ME199K mice, modeling for genetic prion disease, with Nano-PSO, a nanodroplet formulation of pomegranate seed oil (PSO). PSO comprises large concentrations of a unique polyunsaturated fatty acid, Punicic acid, among the strongest natural antioxidants. Nano-PSO significantly delayed disease presentation when administered to asymptomatic TgMHu2ME199K mice and postponed disease aggravation in already sick mice. Analysis of brain samples revealed that Nano-PSO treatment did not decrease PrPSc accumulation, but rather reduced lipid oxidation and neuronal loss, indicating a strong neuroprotective effect. We propose that Nano-PSO and alike formulations may be both beneficial and safe enough to be administered for long years to subjects at risk or to those already affected by neurodegenerative conditions.From the Clinical Editor This team of authors report that a nanoformulation of pomegranade seed oil, containing high levels of a strong antioxidant, can delay disease onset in a mouse model of genetic prion diseases, and the formulation also indicates a direct neuroprotective effect.

In recent years carbon based devices are exploited for a wide range of applications related to electronics and optoelectronics, due to their unique electrical, optical and mechanical properties. Many sensors, emitters, transistors and logic devices use carbon nanotubes as their major building block. Here we present a technology for inkjet printing of a hybrid tunable detector composed of carbon nanotubes and nanocrystals. The printing can be performed on flexible elastic transparent substrates, as well as on a rigid semiconductor or dielectric substrates. The presented detector is low cost, operates at room temperature and can be printed easily in a large format. We show that these types of sensor function with high quantum efficiency due to a gating effect induced by the light excitation.

In order to develop a prediction model for resistivity evolution during isothermal sintering, a commercial silver nanoparticle ink was characterized for its metal content, particle size and behavior upon heating. Electrical properties, mass loss behavior, grain size development and material densification were studied for thermal sintering at 175 °C. The correlation between mass loss, height loss of the resulting sintered structures, grain size and electrical resistivity was investigated to gain further understanding of the silver nanoparticle sintering process. The results of thermal sintering were used to calibrate a discrete element sintering model that provides microstructural properties with which the resistivity development at 150 and 200 °C was successfully predicted. The model was validated by experimental data obtained at these temperatures. A variation of particle size and particle size distribution in the simulations furthermore illustrate their influence on final resistivity showing that using small particles with a broad distribution are preferable for reducing the final resistivity of the inkjet-printed pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]Copyright of Journal of Materials Chemistry C is the property of Royal Society of Chemistry and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder’s express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

•Copper nanoparticles increase the fluorescence in doped glasses.•Increase the emission of Rh B is result of its interaction with Cu NPs surface plasmons.•Optimal distances would be increase of fluorescence by orders of magnitude.We present the possibility to increase the emission of Rhodamine B (Rh B) as a result of its interaction with surface plasmons (SF) created by copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs). The optical absorption and emission of Rh B with Cu NPs incorporated into glass films formed by sol–gel method were studied by steady state and picosecond spectroscopy. The observed increased luminescence is the result of interaction of the excited state of the dye with scattered light created by copper plasmons and possible energy transfer from the excited Cu NPs which occur at femptosecond time range. The steady state absorption, excitation, fluorescence and lifetimes excited by picosecond pulses were measured. The quantum efficiencies of the films were obtained by comparative method.

This is a review on recent developments in the field of transparent conductive coatings (TCCs) for ITO replacement. The review describes the basic properties of conductive nanomaterials suitable for fabrication of such TCCs (metallic nanoparticles and nanowires, carbon nanotubes and graphene sheets), various methods of patterning the metal nanoparticles with formation of conductive transparent metallic grids, honeycomb structures and 2D arrays of interconnected rings as well as fabrication of TCCs based on graphene and carbon nanotubes. Applications of TCCs in electronic and optoelectronic devices, such as solar cells, electroluminescent and electrochromic devices, touch screens and displays, and transparent EMI shielders, are discussed. [on SciFinder(R)]

In recent years carbon based devices are exploited for a wide range of applications related to electronics and optoelectronics, due to their unique electrical, optical and mechanical properties. Many sensors, emitters, transistors and logic devices use carbon nanotubes as their major building block. Here we present a technology for inkjet printing of a hybrid tunable detector composed of carbon nanotubes and nanocrystals. The printing can be performed on flexible elastic transparent substrates, as well as on a rigid semiconductor or dielectric substrates. The presented detector is low cost, operates at room temperature and can be printed easily in a large format. We show that these types of sensor function with high quantum efficiency due to a gating effect induced by the light excitation.

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The introduction of nanostructures has been considered as one of the promising strategies to enhance the thermoelectric performance of bulk materials. In this work, we report a low-cost and facile aqueous solution method to prepare (Sb, Bi)2(Te, Se)3 nanocrystals with controllable composition and morphology by using short ligands containing thiol, acid and amine groups. The control of the morphology of the nanostructures such as nanowires and nanosheets is studied, and both n-type and p-type nanoparticles have been prepared successfully. The results show that the thermal conductivities of these nanocrystals are effectively reduced due to phonon scattering and the thermoelectric performance is affected greatly by the morphology. TE measurements show that the electrical conductivity can be enhanced significantly by using Bi2Te3 nanosheets, and as a result, a maximum thermoelectric figure-of-merit (ZT) of 0.86 is obtained for Bi2Te3 nanosheets at 225 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]Copyright of Journal of Materials Chemistry C is the property of Royal Society of Chemistry and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder’s express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The present study investigated the influence of a covalently grown polythiophene (polyTh)-based adlayer on the N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) dispersion of chemically modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Poly(thiophen-3-yl-acetic acid) (PTAA), poly(ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), and PTAA/PEDOT co-polymer have been oxidatively grown from the surface of functional MWCNTs afforded corresponding polyThA-, polyThB-, and polyThA/B-MWCNTs, respectively. To study and quantify the MWCNT particle sedimentation behavior of corresponding dispersion systems, an analytical centrifuge system was used. Comparison of dispersion quality of such polyTh-MWCNT composites with both commercial MWCNTs (COM-MWCNTs) and oxidized MWCNTs (polyCOOH-MWCNTs) was established. Analysis of sedimentation results combined with TGA, Elemental Analysis (EA), and Kaiser Test data showed that the COOH groups present on the surface of MWCNTs strongly promote the dispersability much beyond current sedimentation rate observed for COM-MWCNTs, – sedimentation rates were higher than 80% and below 2% for oxidized polyCOOH-MWCNTs. However, regarding MWCNTs coated with polyTh polymers in a core (MWCNT)–shell (polyTh) structure, outer functional groups are not the only influential factor for promoting high dispersion qualities. For these dual phase composite systems, the weight and thickness of polyTh-shell on the composite must be considered.

The binding mechanism of poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride), PDAC, and sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS, has been comprehensively studied by combining binding isotherms data with microcalorimetry, zeta potential, and cond. measurements, as well as ab initio quantum mech. calcns. The obtained results demonstrate that surfactant-polymer interaction is governed by both electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions, and is cooperative in the presence of salt. This binding results in the formation of nanoparticles, which are pos. or neg. charged depending on the molar ratio of surfactant to PDAC monomeric units. From microcalorimetry data it was concluded that the exothermic character of the interaction diminishes with the increase in the surfactant/polymer ratio as well as with an increase in electrolyte concn. [on SciFinder(R)]

Alginate-gelatin beads with dispersed droplets of a model pheromone, dodecyl acetate, were prepd. as a vehicle for slow release of pheromones into the atm. over a prolonged period of time. The beads are prepd. in two steps, the first being prepn. of an oil-in-water emulsion composed of dodecyl acetate as the oil phase and gelatin as the emulsifier, which provides steric stabilization. After mixing with alginate soln., this emulsion is embedded within beads by simple electrostatic crosslinking. Bead porosity at micrometric and nanometric scales plays an important role in controlling the release of dodecyl acetate. [on SciFinder(R)]

We describe a new method for the prepn. of org. nanoparticles from nanoemulsions which were prepd. by the phase inversion temp. (PIT) method. This is a low-energy technique which does not require any special equipment such as high pressure homogenizers. In this work, the method is demonstrated for prepn. of nanoparticles of poly-lauryl acrylate contg., in some cases, a crosslinker (trimethylolpropane triacrylate-TMPTA) and pyrene as microviscosity and micropolarity probes, resp. The nanoemulsions were prepd. by using a poly(oxyethylene) nonionic surfactant, Brij 96V (POE (10) oleyl alc.), and combinations of Brij 96V and Brij 92V (POE (2) oleyl alc.), with acrylate monomers which form the oil phase in the oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions. The nanodroplets were polymd., yielding nanoparticles having an av. diam. between 50 and 120 nm with a narrow size distribution, using a water-sol. thermal initiator (ammonium persulfate) and activated by ferrous ions, Fe+2. The emission colors of the pyrene-embedded nanoemulsions changed from blue to violet after polymn., due to the absence of excimers. This method may be applied for the prepn. of a variety of polymeric nanoparticles, in which functional mols. are embedded within the particles. [on SciFinder(R)]

A new method for the prepn. of nanoparticles from nano-emulsions using a low-energy emulsification method based on phase inversion at const. temp. (catastrophic inversion) is described. This method does not require any special equipment such as high-pressure homogenizers. The method is demonstrated for the prepn. of Et cellulose nanoparticles contg. pyrene (a microviscosity and micropolarity probe) as a hydrophobic model mol. The nano-emulsions were prepd. using a combination of non-ionic surfactants: Polyglycerol fatty acid ester (decaglycerol mono laurate) and sorbitan ester (Span 20), volatile org. solvent (toluene) and Et cellulose. Toluene was evapd. from the nano-emulsions, resulting in Et cellulose nanoparticles 50-120 nm in size. The emission colors of the pyrene-embedded nano-emulsions changed from blue to violet after the evapn. of the toluene because of the absence of excimers. This method may be applied for the prepn. of a variety of polymeric nanoparticles in which functional mols. are embedded within the particles. [on SciFinder(R)]

The efficient amplification of genomic libraries, cDNA libraries and other complex mixts. of genes by PCR is impeded by two phenomena: firstly, short fragments tend to be amplified in preference to larger ones; and, secondly, artifactual fragments are generated by recombination between homologous regions of DNA. Recombination in this case occurs when a primer is partially extended on one template during one cycle of PCR and further extended on another template during a later cycle. Thus, chimeric mols. are generated, the short ones of which are then preferentially amplified. A variety of PCR protocols have been proposed to minimize these problems, most of which rely on high template concns. and low nos. of PCR cycles. Clearly, however, such an approach is not viable if little template DNA is available. Here we describe a protocol for amplifying complex DNA mixts., based on the compartmentalization of genes in a water-in-oil (w/o) emulsion. Template fragments are segregated in the minute aq. droplets of the emulsion and amplified by PCR in isolation. This approach alleviates the problems described above while enabling the use of small amts. of template DNA and high nos. of PCR cycles. Box 1 described an alternative method for generating very stable emulsions for emulsion PCR using the surfactant ABIL EM 90. [on SciFinder(R)]