Improved Stretchable and Sensitive Fe Nanowire-Based Strain Sensor by Optimizing Areal Density of Nanowire Network

Flexible strain sensors, when considering high sensitivity and a large strain range, have become a key requirement for current robotic applications. However, it is still a thorny issue to take both factors into consideration at the same time. Here, we report a sandwich-structured strain sensor based on Fe nanowires (Fe NWs) that has a high GF (37–53) while taking into account a large strain range (15–57.5%), low hysteresis (2.45%), stability, and low cost with an areal density of Fe NWs of 4.4 mg/cm². Additionally, the relationship between the contact point of the conductive network, the output resistance, and the areal density of the sensing unit is analyzed. Microscopically, the contact points of the conductive network directly affect the sensor output resistance distribution, thereby affecting the gauge factor (GF) of the sensor. Macroscopically, the areal density and the output resistivity of the strain sensor have the opposite percolation theory, which affects its linearity performance. At the same time, there is a positive correlation between the areal density and the contact point: when the stretching amount is constant, it theoretically shows that the areal density affects the GF. When the areal density reaches this percolation threshold range, the sensing performance is the best. This will lay the foundation for rapid applications in wearable robots.     

Modelling the spread of sexually transmitted diseases on scale-free networks

In this paper a new model for the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) is presented. The dynamic behaviors of the model on a heterogenous scale-free (SF) network are considered, where the absence of a threshold on the SF network is demonstrated, and the stability of the disease-free equilibrium is obtained. Three immunization strategies, uniform immunization, proportional immunization and targeted immunization, are applied in this model. Analytical and simulated results are given to show that the proportional immunization strategy in the model is effective on SF networks.     

Ellipsometric analysis and optical absorption characterization of gallium phosphide nanoparticulate thin film

Gallium phosphide (GaP) nanoparticulate thin films were easily fabricated by colloidal suspension deposition via GaP nanoparticles dispersed in N,N-dimethylformamide. The microstructure of the film was performed by x-ray diffraction, high resolution transmission electron microscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The film was further investigated by spectroscopic ellipsometry. After the model GaP+void|SiO₂ was built and an effective medium approximation was adopted, the values of the refractive index n and the extinction coefficient k were calculated for the energy range of 0.75 eV-4.0 eV using the dispersion formula in DeltaPsi2 software. The absorption coefficient of the film was calculated from its k and its energy gaps were further estimated according to the Tauc equation, which were further verified by its fluorescence spectrum measurement. The structure and optical absorption properties of the nanoparticulate films are promising for their potential applications in hybrid solar cells.     

The effects of cubic potentials on discrete breathers in a mixed Klein－Gordon /Fermi－Pasta－Ulam chain

Nonlinearity has a crucial impact on the symmetry properties of dynamical systems. This paper studies a one-dimensional mixed Klein--Gordon/Fermi--Pasta--Ulam diatomic chain using the expanded rotating plane-wave approximation and numerical calculations to determine the effect of cubic potentials on the symmetry properties of discrete breathers in this system. The results will be very useful to researchers in the field of numerical calculations on discrete breathers.     

Synthesis of Novel Naphthoquinone Fused 1, 3-Dithioles

2, 3-Dichloro-1, 4-naphthoquinone 3 reacts with 1, 1 -dithiolates 2, prepared from the reaction of CH-acids and carbon disulfide, to give 2-methylidene-4, 10-dioxonaphtho [2, 3-d]-1, 3-dithioles 4. The similar reaction of 3 and dithiocarbamates 6 affords 2-imino-4, 10-dioxonaphtho [2, 3-d] dithioles 7.     

Theory of nematic–smectic phase separation in thin twisted liquid crystal cells

Recently it has been shown experimentally by the authors that a highly twisted thin nematic cell at low temperatures can separate into a smectic A region in the middle of the cell surrounded by twisted nematic layers at the boundaries. In this case the twist is expelled into the nematic layers and the nematic–smectic A transition temperature is strongly depressed. We present a thermodynamic theory of such a phase transition in a twisted nematic cell, taking into account that the smectic A slab inside the nematic cell can be stable only if the decrease of free energy in the smectic region overcomes the increase in distortion energy of the twist deformation in the nematic layers plus the energy of the nematic–smectic A interface. In such a system the equilibrium thickness of the smectic A slab corresponds to the minimum of the total free energy of the whole cell, which includes all the bulk and surface contributions. Existing experimental data are at least qualitatively explained by the results of the present theory. This opens a unique possibility to study the properties of the nematic–smectic interface which is perpendicular to the smectic layers.     

Parallel detection and quantitative analysis of specific binding of proteins by oblique-incidence reflectivity difference technique in label-free format

In this work, we parallelly detected the specific binding between microarray targets including 12 different kinds of proteins and the probe solution containing five corresponding antibodies and quantitatively analyzed the interactions between CDH13 and solution phase anti-CDH13 at six different probe concentrations by oblique-incidence reflectivity difference (OIRD) method in label-free format. The detection sensitivity reached 10 ng/mL. The experimental results indicate that the OIRD method is a promising and competing technique not only in research work but also in clinic.     

Structural and electronic properties of type-I and type-VIII Ba8Ga16Sn30 clathrates under compression

The total energy and electronic structures for type-I (β phase) and type-VIII (α phase) Ba₈Ga₁₆Sn₃₀ clathrates under hydrostatic pressure have been investigated using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. It was found that the type-VIII phase is more stable than the type-I one at ambient conditions and that β→α phase transition can not occur under hydrostatic pressure. The band structures show that the type-I and type-VIII Ba₈Ga₁₆Sn₃₀ are indirect semiconductors with band gaps of 0.24 eV and 0.19 eV, respectively. The results suggested that type-I clathrate Ba₈Ga₁₆Sn₃₀ has a larger value of the thermoelectric (TE) power than that of type-VIII clathrate. We found that pressure tuning changes the k-point of conduction band minimum (CBM) in the Brillouin zone for β-phase, but it is not the case for α-phase. Furthermore, the results show that the pressure can change the interaction between guest atoms and the host lattice, and consequently results in the decrease of the band gap of β-phase and the increase of the band gap of α-phase, indicating that the pressure effect can play an important role in the magnitude of the TE power.     

Microwave solid phase synthesis, characterization, and antimicrobial activity of 3,5-diiodo-salicylalidene-glycine-cobalt(II)

One mononuclear complex, C₉H₇I₂NO₄Co(II) (I) with 3,5-diiodo-salicylalidene, glycine and Co(CH₃COO)₂ · 4H₂O were microwave solid synthesized. The complex was characterized by X-ray crystallography, UV, IR, ESI-MS, and elemental analyses. In addition, further investigation revealed that the central cobalt(II) atom in complex is five-coordinated by one nitrogen atom and four oxygen atoms. The complex was assayed for antibacterial (B. subtilis, S. aureus, S. faecalis, P. aeruginosa, E. coli, and E. cloacae) activities by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl trtrazolium bromide) method. Complex I showed favorable antimicrobial activity with MICs of 3.125, 6.25, 6.25, 6.25, 3.125, and 6.25 μg/mL against B. subtilis, S. aureus, S. faecalis, P. aeruginosa, E. coli, and E. cloacae, respectively.