Mobility of water molecules in Li+, Na+ and Cs+ ionic forms of Nafion membrane studied by NMR

Correlation times and diffusion coefficients of water molecules were measured for the first time by ¹H spin relaxation and pulsed field gradient NMR in Li⁺, Na⁺ and Cs⁺ ionic forms of Nafion 117 membrane. Hydration numbers of Li⁺, Na⁺ and Cs⁺ cations were calculated. It was shown that at high humidity macroscopic transfer is controlled by the local translational motion of water molecules.     

氧化铝/氮化硅双层膜晶硅钝化的开尔文探针力显微镜研究

对晶体硅(c-Si)太阳能电池而言, 氧化铝(AlOx)是一种广泛使用的钝化材料, 因为它具有优异的沉积保形性和良好的钝化质量. 为了确保AlOx发挥其良好的钝化效果, 在沉积后退火并氢化处理是必不可少的. 通过在AlOx薄膜上沉积氢化氮化硅(SiNx:H)来实现氢化, 利用开尔文探针力显微镜研究了在不同热处理和氢化作用下, AlOx/SiNx:H双层薄膜功函数的变化, 并基于沉积薄膜所含氢与固定电荷展开了讨论. 发现钝化质量和功函数之间有相关性, 影响因素包括薄膜厚度、氢化与热处理顺序.     

Topical application of zein-silk sericin nanoparticles loaded with curcumin for improved therapy of dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis is characterized by leukocyte migration into the skin dermis and typically driven by excessive chemokine production at the site of inflammation. Conventional topical formulations such as gels, creams, and ointments are insufficient for this treatment because of low penetration of drug molecules into the targeted skin tissues. Herein, using a simple, green, sustainable strategy, we have developed novel primary zein nanoparticles embedded in curcumin (Cur) and coated with silk sericin (ZHSCs) for the topical delivery of Cur to penetrate into the dermis and exercise anti-dermatitis effects on the lesion with minimal side-effects. Transdermal delivery experiments and porcine skin fluorescence imaging indicated that ZHSCs facilitate the penetration of Cur across the epidermis layer of skin to reach deep-seated sites. Notably, ZHSCs = 1:0.25 (zein-to-silk sericin mass ratios of 1:0.25) markedly elevated the skin permeability and cumulative turnover of Cur transferred, which were provided a greater than a 3.8-fold increase relative to free Cur. The special nanoparticles of ZHS = 1:0.25 possessed the deepest localization depth and experience a transition of the particle structure and core-shell separation after penetrating into the dermis of skin. In a cell model of dermatitis induced by tumor necrosis factor α/interferon γ co-stimulation, compared with free Cur, Cur-loaded ZHS nanoparticles down-regulated the generation of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in keratinocytes through suppression of the nuclear translocation of NF-κBp65 and hence exerted an anti-dermatitis effect. This strategy may provide new avenues and direction for the demanding issues of valid topical delivery systems.     

Enhanced Power Density of Alcohol Biofuel Cell by Polymer-assisted Crosslinks of 3D Graphene on Carbon Paper as the Bioanode

Herein, we successfully construct the 3D biocompatible graphene through crosslinking 2D graphene nanosheet onto carbon fiber paper with poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) as anode of the alcohol biofuel cell. Compared with the bioanode without 3D graphene, the current density and output power of PDDA-graphene-ADH bioanode is increased by 23 % and 41 % at a high concentration of ethanol at pH 8.9, suggesting the stabilization role of graphene in enzyme loading. The study provides us a deep analysis on structures and performances of the bioanode incl. electrochemistry, X-ray photoelectron spectra, and atomic force microscopy images, which is significant to develop the new methods to construct 3D porous electrodes in energy conversion device.     

Effects of van der Waals force on nonlinear vibration of electromechanical integrated electrostatic harmonic actuator

An electromechanical integrated electrostatic harmonic actuator is promising for the miniaturization of electromechanical devices. As the dimensions of the actuator decrease, the effects of the van der Waals force become obvious. In this study, by considering the nonlinearity of electrostatic and van der Waals forces, nonlinear vibration equations of the flexible ring of an electrostatic harmonic actuator are deduced. Using these equations, the nonlinear free vibration and nonlinear forced response of the actuator are investigated. The effects of the van der Waals force on the nonlinear vibration of the flexible ring are analyzed. Results show that these effects of the van der Waals force are relatively obvious under some conditions and should be considered.     

Direct visualization of the nanoscopic three‐phase structure and stiffness of NBR/PVC blends by AFM nanomechanical mapping

The PeakForce Quantitative Nanomechanical Mapping based on atomic force microscope (AFM) is employed to first visualize and then quantify the elastic properties of a model nitrile rubber/poly(vinyl chloride) (NBR/PVC) blend at the nanoscale. This method allows us to consistently observe the changes in mechanical properties of each phase in polymer blends. Beyond measuring and discriminating elastic modulus and adhesion forces of each phase, we tune the AFM tips and the peak force parameters in order to reliably image samples. In view of viscoelastic difference in each phase, a three‐phase coexistence of an unmixed NBR phase, the mixed phase, and PVC microcrystallites is directly visualized in NBR/PVC blends. The nanomechanical investigation is also capable of recognizing the crosslinked rubber phase in cured rubber. The contribution of the mixed phase was quantified and it was found that the mechanical properties of blends are mainly determined by the homogeneity and stiffness of the mixed phase. This study furthers our understanding the structure–mechanical property relationship of thermoplastic elastomers, which is important for their potential design and applications. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2019 , 57, 662–669     

Imaging and tracking an electrostatic charge micro-domain by Kelvin force microscopy as evidence of water adsorption on mica surface

Muscovite mica is a widely accepted substrate for scanning probe microscopy (SPM) investigations. However, mica has intrinsic properties that alter samples and obstruct their analysis due to free charges build-up, ionic exchange and water adsorption taking place at the surface. In addition to interfacial phenomena, there is a growing interest in electrostatic charges on insulators as they are crucial in diverse applications. Despite the high demand for studies of this nature, experimental set-ups capable of resolving charge build-up at the micro-scale are still scarce and technically limited. Here, we report the imaging of surface charge dissipation on freshly cleaved mica by Kelvin-probe Force Microscopy (KPFM). A local electrostatic charge micro-domain was generated by friction between an atomic force microscope (AFM) tip and mica, and its decay was tracked by two-dimensional mapping using KPFM. We found time-dependent charge dissipation, which is attributed to the adsorption of water molecules on mica surface.     

基于Retinex理论与概率非局部均值的红外图像增强方法

针对传统红外图像增强算法中细节模糊及过度增强的问题,提出了一种基于Retinex理论与概率非局部均值相结合的红外图像增强方法.首先通过单尺度Retinex方法调整图像中过暗与过亮部分的灰度级;然后利用概率非局部均值对图像进行分解处理得到基本层与细节层,对基本层采用直方图均衡化拉伸对比度,对细节层采用非线性函数进行增强;最后,将不同层次的结果融合得到对比度与细节增强的红外图像.用该方法对多组不同场景的红外图像进行仿真实验,并将其与多种增强方法进行主、客观对比分析,结果表明所提方法在红外图像的细节及对比度增强方面都获得了更好的效果.