Comparison of elemental contents of Korean space foods using instrumental neutron activation analysis

The analysis of mineral contents in space foods is needed to obtain an information on a comprehensive elemental composition as well as the investigation on the effects of human nutrition and health based on the dietary intake of mineral elements. Recently, six items of new Korean space foods (KSFs) such as kimchi, bibimbap, bulgogi, a ramen, a mulberry beverage and a fruit punch which was developed by the KAERI, and the contents of more than 15 elements in the samples were examined by using instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). Five biological certified reference materials, NIST SRM were used for analytical quality control. The results were compared with those of common Korean foods reported, and these results will be applied toward the identification of irradiated foods.     

New regioisomeric naphthol-substituted thiazole based ratiometric fluorescence sensor for Zn2+ with a remarkable red shift in emission spectra

Ratiometric fluorescent chemosensors based on the position of ring annulation of the naphthol–thiazole moiety for quantification of zinc ions in aqueous ethanol were synthesized and investigated. It was found that sensor 3 exhibited a remarkably large red shift of 140 nm in emission upon complexation with Zn²⁺. A TD-B3LYP/6-31G (d,p) calculation was performed to characterize the nature of the fluorescence behavior of sensor 3 upon Zn²⁺ complexation. The combination of experimental and computational analyses provides a more complete understanding of the molecular level origin of these unique photophysical properties of this type of chemosensor.     

ZnO–SnO2 branch–stem nanowires based on a two-step process: Synthesis and sensing capability

ZnO–SnO₂ branch–stem nanostructures were realized on a basis of a two-step process. In step 1, SnO₂-stem nanowires were synthesized. In step 2, ZnO-branch nanowires were successfully grown on the SnO₂-stem nanowires through a simple evaporation technique. We have pre-deposited thin Au layers on the surface of SnO₂ nanowire stems and subsequently evaporated Zn powders on the nanowires. The ZnO branches, which sprouted from the SnO₂ stems, had diameters in a range of 30–35 nm. As-synthesized branches were of single crystalline hexagonal ZnO structures. Since the branch tips were comprised of Au-containing nanoparticles, the Au-catalyzed vapor–liquid–solid growth mechanism was more likely to control the growth process of the ZnO branches. To test a potential use of ZnO–SnO₂ branch–stem nanostructures in chemical gas sensors, their sensing performances with respect to NO₂ gas were investigated, showing the promising potential in chemical gas sensors.     

The upperbound of the volume expansion rate in a Lorentzian manifold

Using the differential equation obtained from spacelike level hypersurfaces in a Lorentzian manifold, the volume expansion rate of an achronal spacelike hypersurface orthogonal to a timelike geodesic is investigated in terms of the integral Ricci and scalar curvature bound.     

Effects of controllable process factors on Al rear surface bumps in Si solar cells

High efficiency solar cells require good back surface field passivation and high back reflectance in the rear Al region. In module processes, wafer-based solar cell can break through stress during soldering uneven rear aluminum surfaces - a serious problem that affects throughput. This work examined rear surfaces with respect to controllable process factors such as ramping and cooling rates during rapid thermal processing, and the fineness of aluminum powder used in the screen-printed paste. A faster ramp up rate resulted in a uniform temperature gradient between the aluminum and silicon surfaces. As a results, the bumps on the aluminum surface were small and of high density. Fine aluminum metal powder in the paste for screen-printing contact points resulted in large distribution, high density bumps. Bumps formed during cooling in metallization, their sizes and densities were dependent the on uniformity of the aluminum and silicon liquid wetting of the silicon surface.     

1H and 13C NMR spectral assignments of novel chromenylchalcones

Several types of chalcones containing 2H‐chromen group were synthesized. Claisen–Schmidt condensation of 2H‐chromen‐3‐carbaldehydes (I) with methoxy substituted acetophenones afforded (E)‐3‐(2H‐chromen‐3‐yl)‐1‐(methoxyphenyl)prop‐2‐en‐1‐ones (chromenylchalcones, 1–7). Other types of chromenylchalcone, (E)‐1‐(6‐methoxy‐2H‐chromen‐3‐yl)‐3‐(methoxyphenyl)prop‐2‐en‐1‐ones (8–13) were also obtained between reaction of methoxy substituted benzaldehydes and 1‐(6‐methoxy‐2H‐chromen‐3‐yl)ethanone (II). Dichromenylchalcones (14–16) were also synthesized through the same reaction between aldehydes (I) and ketone (II). Their complete ¹H‐NMR and ¹³C‐NMR assignments are reported here and more polysubstituted chromenylchalcones synthesized or isolated from the natural sources in the future can be identified on the basis of the NMR data reported here. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The formation of sub-10 nm nanohole array on block copolymer thin films on gold surface using surface neutralization based on O2 plasma treatment and self-assembled monolayer

Blockcopolymer (BCP) lithography is an emerging nanolithography technique for fabrications of various nanoscale devices and materials. In this study, self-assembled BCP thin films having cylindrical nanoholes were prepared on gold by surface neutralization using self-assembled monolayer (SAM). Oxygen plasma treatment was investigated as a way to enhance the functionality of Au surface toward SAM formation. After surface neutralization, well-ordered nanoholes with 9 to 20 nm diameters were formed inside BCP thin films on Au surfaces through microphase separation. The effects of oxygen plasma treatment on the formation of BCP nanopattern were investigated using surface analysis techniques including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and water contact angle measurement. Au nanodot arrays were fabricated on gold film by utilizing the BCP nanotemplate and investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM).     

Fluidic applications for atomic force microscopy (AFM) with microcantilever sensors

This review presents the fundamentals of atomic force microscopy (AFM) with microcantilever probes and their use as fluidic sensors for the measurement of micro/nanoscale transport properties. Over the last two decades, AFM has been widely used for, among other purposes, nanoscale topography, nanomechanical characterization, and intermolecular force spectroscopy. Furthermore, a microcantilever, an essential part of AFM, has been modified and exploited as a mechanical transducer for various sensing applications. Among many prospective uses, there appears to be great potential for micro/nanoscale sensing of fluid density and viscosity (Sect. 3.1), temperature (Sect. 3.2), pressure (Sect. 3.3), and flow velocity (Sect. 3.4). These micro/nanomechanical measurement techniques are expected to complement the advanced optical and electrical measurement techniques currently employed for micro/nanoscale fluidic sensors and also to fill the gap between microscale and nanoscale fluidic transport property measurements.     

Kinetic Study on the Pretreatment and Enzymatic Saccharification of Rice Hull for the Production of Fermentable Sugars

The production of fermentable sugars from rice hull was studied by dilute acid pretreatment and enzymatic saccharification. Rice hull (15%, w/v) was pretreated by 1% (v/v) sulfuric acid at high temperature (120∼160 °C) for 15, 30, 45, and 60 min, respectively. The maximum sugar concentration from rice hull in the prehydrolysate was obtained at 140 °C for 30 min, but the enzymatic saccharification yield from the corresponding pretreated rice hull is not high. To another aspect, the maximum enzymatic saccharification yield was achieved at 160 °C for 60 min, while the recovery of fermentable sugars was the poorest. To take account of fermentable sugars from pretreatment and enzymatic saccharification, the maximum yield of sugars was obtained only when rice hull was treated at 140 °C for 30 min. Under this condition, 72.5% (w/w) of all sugars generated from the raw material can be recovered. The kinetic study on the enzymatic saccharification of dilute acid pretreated rice hull was also performed in this work by a modified Michaelis–Menten model and a diffusion-limited model. After calculation by a linear and a non-linear regression analysis, both models showed good relation with the experimental results.