Selective perception of novel science: how definitions affect information processing about nanotechnology

This study examines how familiarity with an issue—nanotechnology—moderates the effect of exposure to science information on how people process mediated messages about a complex issue. In an online experiment, we provide a nationally representative sample three definitions of nanotechnology (technical, technical applications, and technical risk/benefit definitions). We then ask them to read an article about the topic. We find significant interactions between perceived nano-familiarity and the definition received in terms of how respondents perceive favorable information conveyed in the stimulus. People less familiar with nanotechnology were more significantly affected by the type of definition they received.     

Public understanding of science and the perception of nanotechnology: the roles of interest in science,methodological knowledge,epistemological beliefs,and beliefs about science

In this article, we report data from an online questionnaire study with 587 respondents, representative for the adult U.S. population in terms of age, gender, and level of education. The aim of this study was to assess how interest in science and knowledge as well as beliefs about science are associated with risk and benefit perceptions of nanotechnology. The findings suggest that the U.S. public is still rather unfamiliar with nanotechnology. Those who have some knowledge mainly have gotten it from TV and the Internet. The content of current media reports is perceived as fairly positive. Knowledge of scientific methods is unrelated to benefit and risk perceptions, at least when other predictors are controlled. In contrast, positive beliefs about science (e.g., its impact on economy or health) and more sophisticated epistemological beliefs about the nature of scientific knowledge are moderately linked to more positive perceptions of nanotechnology. The only exception is the perception of scientific uncertainty: This is associated with less positive evaluations. Finally, higher engagement with science is associated with higher risk perceptions. These findings show that laypersons who are engaged with science and who are aware of the inherent uncertainty of scientific evidence might perceive nanotechnology in a somewhat more differentiated way, contrary to how it is portrayed in the media today.     

Polylactic acid (PLA)/Silver-NP/VitaminE bionanocomposite electrospun nanofibers with antibacterial and antioxidant activity

The antibacterial property of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) and the antioxidant activity of Vitamin E have been combined by incorporation of these two active components within polylactic acid (PLA) nanofibers via electrospinning (PLA/Ag-NP/VitaminE nanofibers). The morphological and structural characterizations of PLA/Ag-NP/VitaminE nanofibers were performed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The average fiber diameter was 140 ± 60 nm, and the size of the Ag-NP was 2.7 ± 1.5 nm. PLA/Ag-NP/VitaminE nanofibers inhibited growth of Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella typhymurium up to 100 %. The amount of released Ag ions from the nanofibers immersed in aqueous solution was determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry, and it has been observed that the release of Ag ions was kept approximately constant after 10 days of immersion. The antioxidant activity of PLA/Ag-NP/VitaminE nanofibers was evaluated according to DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) method and determined as 94 %. The results of the tests on fresh apple and apple juice indicated that the PLA/Ag/VitaminE nanofiber membrane actively reduced the polyphenol oxidase activity. The multifunctional electrospun PLA nanofibers incorporating Ag-NP and Vitamin E may be quite applicable in food packaging due to the extremely large surface area of nanofibers along with antibacterial and antioxidant activities. These materials could find application in food industry as a potential preservative packaging for fruits and juices.     

Double-walled core-shell structured Si@SiO2@C nanocomposite as anode for lithium-ion batteries

Double-walled core-shell structured Si@SiO₂@C nanocomposite has been prepared by calcination of silicon nanoparticles in air and subsequent carbon coating. The obtained Si@SiO₂@C nanocomposite demonstrates a reversible specific capacity of about 786 mAh g^?1 after 100 cycles at a current density of 100 mA g^?1 with a capacity fading of 0.13 % per cycle. The enhanced electrochemical performance can be due to that the double walls of carbon and SiO₂ improve the electronic conductivity and enhance the compatibility of electrode materials and electrolyte as a result of accommodating the significant volumetric change during cycles. The interlayer SiO₂ may release the mechanical strain and enhance the interfacial adhesion between carbon shell and silicon core.     

Tunable long-distance light transportation along Au nanoparticle chains: promising for optical interconnect

Tunable light resonance transportation along a single long Au hemisphere nanoparticles (NPs) chain was studied. The realistic experimentally determined gold dielectric function was used for the simulation of Au localized surface plasmon polariton (LSPPs) effect. The resonance light energy with minimized attenuation and its bandwidth were quantitatively analyzed by inducing the effective mass which was observed to increase only with the length of Au NPs between the source and the test point. The geometric ratio g/r of NP size and gap were investigated at 5 µm far of NPs with different gaps from 0 to 70 nm. Strongest resonance can be achieved with g/r = 1.2 by the factor of 1.5 than the connected NPs. This resonance mode falls in the wavelength λ = 555 nm (green light), which is exactly the maximum sensitivity of a light-adapted eye of human beings.     

GHz frequency band soliton generation using integrated ring resonator for WiMAX optical communication

New system of optical soliton signal generation with a high frequency band is presented. Microring resonator can be used to generate soliton signals with high frequency of GHz. These signals can be transmitted via a wireless network system known as WiMAX, which is providing broadband wireless access up to 50 km. The soliton pulses are more stable with less loss during propagation which is good candidate compare to other current optical waves used in optical communication. In this study, soliton pulses with full width at half maximum of 3 MHz and FSR of 85 MHz could be generated using an add/drop filter system which is used to generate high frequency signals, required for wireless network systems. These pulses can be used as carrier signals in order to transmit information codes without significant changes, thus improving transmission quality and delivery of the right information.     

Optimized AC conductivity correlated to structure,morphology and thermal properties of PVDF/PVA/Nafion composites

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) composites were prepared by controlled loading of Nafion (5 to 15 wt%) by solution casting using water and dimethylformamide (DMF) as a solvent. The surface morphology of composite analyzed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) reveals the presence of Nafion ionomers. The increase in interlayer spacing of modified PVDF/PVA polymer system as a function of Nafion was detected by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The major change in Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirms the chemical bond C=O stretching around 1,700 cm^?1 due to Nafion. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) demonstrates the thermal stability of polymer composites and the decrease in melting temperature (T _m). The optimized AC conductivity (σ) of the prepared composite was evaluated by using an impedance analyzer as a function of temperature (40 to 150 °C) at constant 30-MHz frequency. The highest conductivity of 1.3?×?10^?2 S m^?1 was observed at 80 °C for 10 wt% of Nafion and correlated with structure, morphology and thermal properties of modified PVDF/PVA/Nafion composites. The experimental results may be useful for sensors, fuel cells and battery application domains.     

Specular X-ray reflectivity study of interfacial SiO2 layer in thermally annealed NiO/Si assembly

Present report details an analysis of X-ray reflectivity (XRR) for solution processed NiO thin films on Si (100) substrates. The films were annealed at 700–1,000 °C for 1 h in air. XRR data indicated growth of SiO₂ layer from ~8 nm at 700 °C to ~66 nm at 1,000 °C along with significant variation of electron density profile. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction studies were used as supporting studies for phase purity and oxidation states of the NiO thin films as well as interfacial SiO₂ layer.     

Public Attitudes Toward Nanotechnology

Data from 3909 respondents to an Internet survey questionnaire provide the first insights into public perceptions of nanotechnology. Quantitative analysis of statistics about agreement and disagreement with two statements, one positive and the other negative, reveals high levels of enthusiasm for the potential benefits of nanotechnology and little concern about possible dangers. The respondents mentally connect nanotechnology with the space program, nuclear power, and cloning research, but rate it more favorably. In contrast, they do not associate nanotechnology with pseudoscience, despite its imaginative exploitation by science fiction writers. Qualitative analysis of written comments from 598 respondents indicates that many ideas about the value of nanotechnology have entered popular culture, and it provides material for an additional 108 questionnaire items that can be used in future surveys on the topic. The findings of this exploratory study can serve as benchmarks against which to compare results of future research on the evolving status of nanotechnology in society.     

Fabrication and performance of polymer–nanocomposite anti-reflective thin films deposited by RIR-MAPLE

Design of polymer anti-reflective (AR) optical coatings for plastic substrates is challenging because polymers exhibit a relatively narrow range of refractive indices. Here, we report synthesis of a four-layer AR stack using hybrid polymer:nanoparticle materials deposited by resonant infrared matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation. An Er:YAG laser ablated frozen solutions of a high-index composite containing TiO₂ nanoparticles and poly(methyl-methacrylate) (PMMA), alternating with a layer of PMMA. The optimized AR coatings, with thicknesses calculated using commercial software, yielded a coating for polycarbonate with transmission over 97 %, scattering <3 %, and a reflection coefficient below 0.5 % across the visible range, with a much smaller number of layers than would be predicted by a standard thin film calculation. The TiO₂ nanoparticles contribute more to the enhanced refractive index of the high-index layers than can be accounted for by an effective medium model of the nanocomposite.     

Public perceptions about nanotechnology: Risks,benefits and trust

We report data from the first representative national phone survey of Americans' perceptions about nanotechnology (N =1536). Public opinion about nanotechnology is in its infancy, and knowledge about it is quite limited. Yet, Americans' initial reaction to nanotechnology is thus far generally positive, probably rooted in a generally positive view of science overall. Survey respondents expected benefits of nanotechnology to be more prevalent than risks, and they reported feeling hopeful about nanotechnology rather than worried. Their most preferred potential benefit of nanotechnology is new and better ways to detect and treat human diseases, and they identified losing personal privacy to tiny new surveillance devices as the most important potential risk to avoid. The most discouraging aspect to the data is respondents' lack of trust in business leaders to minimize nanotechnology risks to human health. Overall, these data indicate that while Americans do not necessarily presume benefits and the absence of risks, their outlook is much more positive than not.     

Study on performance of a novel P(VDF-HFP)/SiO2 composite polymer electrolyte using urea as pore-forming agent

Novel poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (P(VDF-HFP))-based composite polymer electrolyte (CPE) membranes doped with different contents of nano-SiO₂ using urea as a pore-forming agent were prepared by phase inversion method, and the desired CPEs were obtained by being immersed into 1.0 M LiPF₆-EC/DMC/EMC electrolytes for 0.5 h. The physicochemical properties of the CPEs were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV). The results show that the CPEs doped with 10 % nano-SiO₂ exhibit the best performance, in which the SEM images of the as-prepared polymer membranes present homogeneous surface and abundant micropores; the uptake ratio is up to 107.4 %; EIS and LSV analysis also show that the ionic conductivity at room temperature and electrochemical stability window of the modified membrane can reach 3.652 mS cm^?1 and 5.0 V, respectively; the interfacial resistance R _i is 380 Ω cm^?2 in the first day,then increases rapidly to a stable value about 500 Ω cm^?2 in a 5-day storage at room temperature. The Li/As-fabricated CPEs/LiCoO₂ cell also shows excellent charge-discharge performance, which suggests that it can be a potential electrolyte for the lithium-ion battery.     

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering of 4-mercaptobenzoic acid and hemoglobin adsorbed on self-assembled Ag monolayer films with different shapes

Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-protected silver nanostructures of various shapes, including nanocubes, nanospheres, and hybrid shapes with nanospheres and nanorods, on the surface of glass or Si substrates (PVP-Ag films) are prepared by using electrostatic self-assembly. With 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA) as a probe molecule, it is demonstrated that the PVP-protected silver nanocubes films (PVP-Ag NCs) have better surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity with an order of magnitude larger enhancement factors (EF) than the PVP-protected silver nanospheres films and the PVP-protected silver hybrid shapes films, which is confirmed by our numerical simulations. The EF of 4-MBA on the PVP-Ag NCs film are up to ~5.38 × 10⁶, and the detection limit is at least down to ~10^?8 M. The uniformity and reproducibility of the SERS signals on PVP-Ag NCs film are tested by point-to-point and batch-to-batch measurements. Meanwhile, the PVP-Ag films are also shown to be an excellent SERS substrate with good biocompatibility for hemoglobin detection. It is shown that the PVP-Ag NCs films can be used as excellent SERS substrate with good activity, uniformity, reproducibility, and biocompatibility and are promising for a myriad of chemical and biochemical sensing applications.     

Two dimension photonic crystal Y-branch beam splitter with variation of splitting ratio based on hybrid defect controlled

This article represents a new Y-branch hybrid design of 2D photonic crystal with defect control. The structure is made of hexagonal arrays of InP nano-rods surrounded by air. This system is comprised of a modified add/change to a polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) rod, which can be applied to the beam splitter selection device. The optical properties and radial of PMMA defect rods have been transfigured. By selecting an appropriate temperature, a change of refractive index and expanded radius are occurred. The obtained results have shown that the selected optical amplitude in a hybrid semiconductor-polymer Y-branch can be separated to 50–50, 60–40 and 67–33 % at wavelength 1.557 µm. Both of the photonic band gap and transmission spectra are calculated by using 2D finite different time domain (FDTD) method via OptiFDTD software. Such a device can be useful for photonic crystal switching devices in the integrated optical circuit.     

Effects of cerium dopant concentration on structural properties and photocatalytic activity of electrospun Ce-doped TiO2 nanofibers

Electrospun \(\hbox {TiO}_2\) and Ce-doped \(\hbox {TiO}_2\) nanofibers were prepared with 0.5, 2.0 and 8.0 % weight Ce. The structural properties and phase composition were characterized using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES) at the Ti K-edge. The undoped nanofibers are composed of an assembly of \(\hbox {TiO}_2\) nanoparticles and their crystal structure is a mixture of anatase and rutile phases with an anatase:rutile volume ratio close to 3:1. As Ce is introduced, the nanoparticles decrease in size and the rutile phase volume decreases. Ce \(\hbox {L}_3\) -edge XANES probed the local structure of Ce dopants. At 0.5 % Ce, most Ce ions are incorporated in the \(\hbox {Ce}^{3+}\) charge state but, at 2 % Ce, the majority are \(\hbox {Ce}^{4+}\) . Visible light absorption indicated that \(\hbox {Ce}^{3+}\) act as shallow acceptors that only participate in absorption of wavelengths below 420 nm but \(\hbox {Ce}^{4+}\) impurity states are associated with absorption of wavelengths up to 550 nm. Photocatalytic performance of the nanofibers was assessed by measuring the degradation of adsorbed Rhodamine B in aqueous solution under visible and ultraviolet light. The 0.5 % Ce-doped \(\hbox {TiO}_2\) nanofiber showed the best visible-light photocatalytic activity, which is probably due to the majority presence of \(\hbox {Ce}^{3+}\) . At higher Ce concentration, the photocatalytic reaction rate was lower than undoped nanofibers, indicating that recombination at the \(\hbox {Ce}^{4+}\) sites is rate limiting.     

Optical and luminescence properties of Dy3+ ions in K–Sr–Al phosphate glasses for yellow laser applications

Trivalent dysprosium (Dy³⁺)-doped K–Sr–Al phosphate glasses have been prepared and investigated for their optical and luminescence properties. Judd–Ofelt theory has been used to derive radiative properties for the ⁴F_9/2 level of Dy³⁺ ions. The luminescence spectrum of 1.0 mol% Dy₂O₃-doped glass shows intense yellow emission around 572 nm ascribed to ⁴F_9/2 → ⁶H_13/2 transition with 78 % branching ratio and emission cross section of the order of 2.48 × 10^?21 cm². Moreover, the quantum efficiency of the ⁴F_9/2 level has been found to be 76 %. The luminescence decay curves for the yellow emission (⁴F_9/2 → ⁶H_13/2) have been measured and analyzed as a function of Dy³⁺ ion concentration. The results revealed that Dy³⁺-doped phosphate glasses could be useful for yellow laser applications.     

Electronic structure of low-pressure and high-pressure phases of silicon disulfide

Self-consistent density functional theory calculations of band spectra, densities of states as well as the spatial distribution of valence electron charge density were carried out for the low-pressure α-phase and the high-pressure β-phase of SiS₂. Group-theoretical analysis performed for both phases enabled the symmetry of wave functions in a number of high-symmetry points of the Brillouin zone as well as the structure of valence band representations to be found. Based on the calculations of the band structure, the orthorhombic α-phase of SiS₂ was determined to be an indirect-gap semiconductor with the band gap E _gi = 2.44 eV (T ₁ → X ₈ transition), while the β-phase was shown to be direct gap with E _gd = 2.95 eV (Г ₃ → Г ₂ transition). The calculated energy distribution of the total density of states in the valence band of α-SiS₂ qualitatively and quantitatively correlates with the main experimental features of the X-ray photoelectron spectrum.     

Electrofabrication of multilayer Fe–Ni alloy coatings for better corrosion protection

Electrofabrication of multilayer Fe–Ni alloy coatings were accomplished successfully on mild steel and their corrosion behaviors were studied. Multilayer comprised of alternatively formed ‘nano-size’ layers of Fe–Ni alloy of different composition have been produced from a single bath having Fe²⁺and Ni²⁺ ions using modulated (i.e. periodic pulse control) current density (cd). The deposition conditions were optimized for both composition and thickness of individual layers for best performance of the coatings against corrosion. The deposits were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Hardness Tester, electrochemical AC and DC methods respectively. The multi layered deposits showed better corrosion resistances compared to the monolayer Fe–Ni (CR = 3.77 mm year^?1) coating deposited using DC from the same bath; the maximum corrosion resistance being shown by the coating having 300 layers, deposited at cyclic cathodic current densities of 2.0 and 4.0 A dm^?2 (CR = 0.03 mm year^?1). Drastic improvement in the corrosion performance of multilayer coatings were explained in the light of changed kinetics of mass transfer at cathode and increased surface area due to modulation and layering.     

THz photomixer with milled nanoelectrodes on LT-GaAs

A terahertz (THz) photomixer: (i) a meander type antenna with integrated nanoelectrodes on (ii) a low temperature grown GaAs has been fabricated and characterized. It was designed for spectral range of 0.3–0.4 THz where molecular fingerprinting and sensing are performed. By combination of electron beam lithography with post-processing using focused ion beam (FIB), milling the THz emitter was successfully fabricated. Nanogaps as small as 40 nm width in the active area of photomixer were milled by FIB. Nanocontacts enhance electric fields of the illuminated and THz radiation and contribute to a better collection of photo-electrons. THz emission was obtained and spectrally characterized.     

Investigation of a nanostrip patch antenna in optical frequencies

This is the first report and investigation of a patch antenna in optical frequency range. Variety of plasmonic nanoantenna reported so far is good at enhancing the local field intensity of light by orders of magnitude. However, their far-field radiation efficiency is very poor. The proposed patch antenna emits a directional beam with high efficacy in addition to enhancing the intensity of near field. The nano-patch antenna (NPA) consists of a square patch of gold film of dimension 480 nm², placed on a substrate of dielectric constant \( \varepsilon_{\text{r}} \)  = 3.9 and thickness 150 nm with a ground plane of gold film of dimension 1,080 nm². The NPA resonates at 210 THz and has gain nearly 2 dB and radiation efficiency 45.18 %. The NPA might be useful in variety of applications such as optical communication, nano-photonics, biosensing, and spectroscopy.