Characterization of SiO2 protective coatings on polycarbonate

SiO₂ protective coatings have been deposited on polycarbonate substrates by plasma ion assisted deposition. The influence of ion energy on the water permeability and the surface topography of the coatings was studied by infrared spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. Coatings deposited at sufficiently high ion energies show a barrier effect against moisture uptake and considerably reduced film roughness. Both effects are attributed to an increase of the packing densities of the coatings.     

Investigations on the determination of NO2 with galvanic nitrate solid electrolyte cells

Solid electrolyte cells for detecting NO₂ with Ba(NO₃)₂ or Sr(NO₃)₂ partially replaced by -Al₂O₃ as solid electrolytes have been studied. The cell tension depends on the NO₂- as well as on the NO-concentration. Investigations of the establishment of the NO₂-NO-O₂-equilibrium by the catalytic effects of the used electrode materials Pt and Au have shown that a decomposition of NO₂ below 400°C cannot be expected.17th Communication on oxoanionic solid electrolytes and their possible applications; 16th Communication see Solid State Ionics 51:183–185 (1992)Extension of a part of the lecture of V. Brüser, S. Jakobs, H.-H. Möbius and U. Schönauer Galvanische NO₂-Sensoren mit Nitrat-Festelektrolyten given in Feldberg, 3. 6. 1993     

Micrometer scale gel patterns

A novel method for fabricating micrometer sized gel patterns is described. The presented method involves spin-coating a pre-gel solution on a surface that was chemically treated to modulate its surface energy, creating highly hydrophobic areas on a hydrophilic substrate. Following spin-coating, the gel solution self organizes on the hydrophilic sites. This method offers the advantages of high resolution, self-alignment to pre-patterned electrodes, and a simple straightforward fabrication process. Minimum feature size achieved was approximately 20 μm. The characteristic shrinking and swelling times of gel patterns were measured and found to be around 0.6 s for swelling and 2 s for shrinking (for a 60 μm diameter gel) in agreement with the reduced response time expected for scaled down gel patterns. These results suggest the suitability of these gel patterns as valves or actuators in microfluidic devices. Micron-size gel patterns were also incorporated into microfluidic channels thus demonstrating a new approach to create simple, affordable, microfluidic devices, which incorporate “smart” hydrogels as building elements in a simple fashion.     

Prospects for the search for a standard model Higgs boson in ATLAS using vector boson fusion

The European Physical Journal C - The potential for the discovery of a Standard Model Higgs boson in the mass range m H < 2 m Z in the vector boson fusion mode has been studied for the ATLAS...     

ORSIS – News and further developments

The paper deals with the simulation program Off Road Systems Interactive Simulation (ORSIS) which is the w,orldwide leading simulation tool for off road driving of wheeled vehicles. Even though the present state of development allows a very realistic simulation of the man–vehicle–terrain system, there is continuous further improvement in the computer program’s detail. Some of the recent innovations integrated into the program are presented in this paper. These examples were chosen in a way that the scope of the further developments can be demonstrated. They represent three main directions of the work carried out: the refining of the tire–soil-model, the integration of new technologies and subsystems into the vehicle model and the improvement of the man–machine–interface especially in driving simulators.The first part of the paper describes a further development of the tire–soil-model. A significant improvement has been achieved to include the influence of slippery surfaces on traction in combination with the tire tread pattern. Results from finite element method (FEM) as well as real measurements were used to build up an approach, which qualitatively allows the influence of the positive–negative portion of the tire tread and the lug height of the tire tread on traction to be considered. The basic idea is very simple and straightforward. Moreover the calculation costs are very low, so the enhancement does not affect real time operation.In the second part a physical model for the central tire inflation system (CTIS) is presented. With this model it is possible to simulate the complete pneumatic system of a CTIS, including the air compressor with an accumulator, the pressure line and the wheel valves. The components are modelled by their physical parameters, so an adaptation to different existing tire-pressure-control-systems (TPC) can be made. The paper presents a short review of the modelling and a first validation using real measurements. Furthermore the influence of each parameter, e.g. the discharge flow of the compressor on the inflation time, is presented.The third part of the paper describes a further development of the visualization system. The ORSIS OpenGL graphic engine was separated from the main ORSIS simulation and can be run on different PCs controlled via a network. It is therefore possible to build up very cheap multi-channel visualization systems using consumer PCs running under LinuX. The fact that ORSIS itself is running on a normal PC allows the assembly of comparatively cheap driving simulators of a high end simulation quality.     

Investigations on the determination of NO with galvanic ZrO2 solid electrolyte cells

In order to demonstrate the usefulness of gassymmetrical galvanic ZrO₂ solid electrolyte cells for the determination of NO, cell tensions caused by catalytically different active electrodes and thereby different oxygen partial pressures in N₂/NO mixtures with a low oxygen concentration (<50 vol.-ppm) were measured in the temperature range of 500 to 800°C. Separate investigations demonstrated that the catalytic activity of Pt decreases with increasing sinter temperature (1000 to 1300°C), but is higher than the activity of perovskite type oxides La_1?xSr_xMeO₃ (x=0.1.... 0.5; Me=Co, Mn, Fe, Cr). The activity of the perovskites decreases in the order Co>Mn ≈ Fe>Cr. Between different Pt electrodes changes of cell tension were measured when alternating between pure and NO containing nitrogen (e.g. 19.7 mV with 0.4 vol.-% NO). Cells with a Pt electrode and a perovskite electrode produce higher changes of the cell tension, but without going to zero in pure nitrogen due to own oxygen potentials of the mixed oxides.     

Electron Spin Resonance Evidence of the Generation of Superoxide Anion, Hydroxyl Radical and Singlet Oxygen during the Photohemolysis of Human Erythrocytes with Bacteriochlorin a

Abstract— Photodynamic therapy with bacteriochlorin a (BCA) as sensitizer induces damage to red blood cells in vivo. To assess the extent of the contributuion of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and to determine a possible reaction mechanism, competition experiments with assorted ROS quenching or/and enhancing agents were performed in human erythrocytes as model system and in phosphate buffer. In the erythrocyte experiments, a 2% suspension was incubated with BCA for 1 h, washed with phosphate-buffered saline, resuspended and subsequently illuminated with a diode laser using a fluence rate of 2.65 mW/cm₂. Potassium leakage and hemolysis were light and BCA dose dependent. Adding tryptophan (3.3 mM), azide (1 mM) or histidine (10 mM) to the erythrocyte suspension before illumination delayed the onset of K-leakage and hemolysis suggesting a type II mechanism. The D₂O did not affect K-leakage nor photohemolysis. Adding mannitol (13.3 mM) or glycerol (300 nM) also caused a delay in the onset of K-leakage and hemolysis, suggesting the involvement of radicals. In phosphate buffer experiments, it was shown using electron spin resonance (ESR) associated with spin-trapping techniques that BCA is able to generate 0₂～* and OH* radicals without production of aqueous electron. Visible or UV irradiation of the dye in the presence of the spin trap 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-iV-oxide (DMPO) gave an ESR spectrum characteristic of the DMPO-hydroxyl radical spin adduct DMPO-OH. Addition of ethanol or sodium formate produced supplementary hyperfine splittings due to the respective CH₃CHOH _* and CO_2-1 radical adducts, indicating the presence of free OH_*. Production of DMPO-OH was partly inhibited by superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase and desferoxamine, suggesting that the iron-catalyzed decomposition of H₂O₂ was partly involved in the formation of one part of the observed OH _*. The complementary inhibition of DMPO-OH production by azide and 9,10-anthracenedipropionic acid (ADPA) was consistent with ₁O₂ production by BCA followed by reaction of ₁O₂ with DMPO and decay of the intermediate complex to form DMPO-OH and free OH_*. All our results seem to indicate that BCA is a 50%/50% type 1/type 2 sensitizer in buffered aqueous solutions and confirmed that the dye-induced hemolysis of erythrocytes was well caused by a mixed type 1/type 2 mechanism.     

Gold-composite electrodes for hydrocarbon sensors based on YSZ solid electrolyte

In potentiometric zirconia based sensors gold electrodes show a high sensitivity for hydrocarbons (HC's) when the measurements are carried out in non equilibrated oxygen containing gas mixtures at temperatures <700 °C. This behaviour explained by mixed potential theory is not stable and depends strongly on preparation and particularly on measuring conditions. To modify the electrode behaviour composites consisting of gold and gallium oxide were investigated. Gold pastes with different amount of Ga₂O₃ were prepared and screen printed on YSZ pellets. After sintering at defined temperatures between 900 and 950 °C the cells were tested regarding the electrode behaviour in a C₃H₆, O₂ gas mixture using a platinum air reference electrode. These composite electrodes show as compared with pure gold an enhanced sensitivity at low propylene concentrations and a time-independent characteristic at high concentrations of C₃H₆. The optimal composition is found to be at 20 mass-% Ga₂O₃. This electrode can be treated in reducing gases at temperatures 850 °C without changing its characteristics. Paper presented at the 7th Euroconference on Ionics, Calcatoggio, Corsica, France, Oct. 1–7, 2000.