Nanomanipulator-assisted fabrication and characterization of carbon nanotubes inside scanning electron microscope

We have installed two nanomanipulators, which can travel about 20mm with a minimum increment of 1 nm, for manipulation of nanostructured materials inside field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). Both manipulators render motions in x, y, and z directions, providing various manipulation freedoms such as moving, bending, cutting, and biasing. In addition, we have conducted in situ characterization of the electrical breakdown of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Our results demonstrate the possibility that MWCNTs can be used as a gas sensor.     

Titania-Doped Silica Fibers Prepared by Electrospinning and Sol-Gel Process

Titania-doped silica fibers were prepared by electrospinning of the sol of silica containing titania. The electrospun fibers had ribbon type morphology. The fibers had significant quantities of hydroxyl groups of Si—OH and Ti—OH. The fibers did not have crystalline structure. Diameters of the fibers were reduced by solvent evaporation and calcination. The hydroxyl groups on the fibers disappeared by calcination. The hydroxyl groups, M—OH (MSi, Ti) were changed to M—O—M by intermolecular and intramolecular condensation reactions.     

Necessary and sufficient conditions for s-Hopfian manifolds to be codimension-2 fibrators

Fibrators help detect approximate fibrations. A closed, connected -manifold is called a codimension-2 fibrator if each map defined on an -manifold such that all fibre , are shape equivalent to is an approximate fibration. The most natural objects to study are s-Hopfian manifolds. In this note we give some necessary and sufficient conditions for s-Hopfian manifolds to be codimension-2 fibrators.

     

Comtrans algebras, Thomas sums, and bilinear forms

A comtrans algebra is said to decompose as the Thomas sum of two subalgebras if it is a direct sum at the module level, and if its algebra structure is obtained from the subalgebras and their mutual interactions as a sum of the corresponding split extensions. In this paper, we investigate Thomas sums of comtrans algebras of bilinear forms. General necessary and sufficient conditions are given for the decomposition of the comtrans algebra of a bilinear form as a Thomas sum. Over rings in which 2 is not a zero divisor, comtrans algebras of symmetric bilinear forms are identified as Thomas summands of algebras of infinitesimal isometries of extended spaces, the complementary Thomas summand being the algebra of infinitesimal isometries of the original space. The corresponding Thomas duals are also identified. These results represent generalizations of earlier results concerning the comtrans algebras of finite-dimensional Euclidean spaces, which were obtained using known properties of symmetric spaces. By contrast, the methods of the current paper involve only the theory of comtrans algebras.Received: 30 March 2004     

Generic adjoints in comtrans algebras of bilinear spaces

As a first step towards a general structure theory for comtrans algebras (modeled loosely on the Cartan theory for Lie algebras), this paper investigates comtrans algebras of bilinear spaces. Attention focuses on invariants associated with comtrans algebras, and the extent to which these invariants may serve to specify the algebras up to isomorphism within certain classes. Over fields whose characteristic differs from two, comtrans algebras of symmetric forms are determined up to isomorphism by the eigenvalues of generic adjoints, while comtrans algebras of symplectic forms are determined by the dimensions of maximal abelian subalgebras. Examples show that the multiplicity of zero as a root of the characteristic polynomial is generally independent of the dimension of a maximal abelian subalgebra.     

A computational analysis of strained laminar flame propagation in a stratified CH4/H2/air mixture

Propagation of a H₂-added strained laminar CH₄/air flame in a rich-to-lean stratified mixture is numerically studied. The back-support effect, which is known to enhance the consumption speed of a flame propagating into a leaner mixture compared to that into a homogeneous mixture, is evaluated. A new method is devised to characterize unsteady reactant-to-reactant counterflow flames under transiently decreasing equivalence ratio, in order to elucidate the influence of flow strain on the back-support effect. In contrast to the conventional reactant-to-product configurations, the current configuration is more relevant to unsteady stratified flames back-supported by their own combustion products. Moreover, since H₂ distribution downstream of the flame is known to play a crucial role in back-supported CH₄/air flames, the influence of H₂ addition in the upstream mixture is examined. The results suggest that a larger strain rate leads to a larger equivalence ratio gradient at the reaction zone through increased flow divergence, which amplifies the back-support. Meanwhile, since H₂ addition in the upstream mixture does not affect the downstream H₂ content, the relative increase in the consumption speed, i.e. the back-support, is suppressed with larger H₂ addition. Especially, when the upstream H₂ content decreases with the equivalence ratio, the H₂ preferentially diffuses toward the unburned gas, which mitigates H₂ accumulation in the preheat zone and further weakens the back-support.     

Flame dynamics under various backpressures in a model scramjet with and without a cavity flameholder

Flame dynamics under various backpressure conditions were experimentally investigated using direct flame visualization, high-speed CH* chemiluminescence imaging, and wall pressure measurements. The stagnation pressure and temperature used in the present study were 100 kPa and 2500 K, respectively, with a freestream Mach number of 4.5. Rectangular scramjet models with and without a cavity were used to explore the effects of the cavity on flame dynamics when operating in scramjet mode, ramjet mode, and unstart. The flow rate of the ethylene jet was varied to impose backpressures corresponding to each operation mode. For both models, reverse flame propagation was observed for ramjet mode and unstart. For ramjet mode, flame fluctuation occurred within the isolator due to the coupling of fluid dynamics and combustion. The presence of a cavity enhanced combustion and reduced flame fluctuation in both scram and ramjet mode. The cavity promoted unstart because of the greater heat release from combustion. Further research using spatially resolved diagnostic techniques is needed to identify the flame locations for ramjet mode and unstart.     

Waterproof Light-Emitting Metal Halide Perovskite–Polymer Composite Microparticles Prepared via Microfluidic Device

Waterproof light-emitting perovskite–polymer composite microparticles are synthesized by a continuous one-step microfluidic reactor, which enables in situ production of metal halide perovskite nanoparticles (MHP-NPs) by the ligand-assisted reprecipitation process (LARP) and the encapsulation of MHP-NPs by UV cross-linking polymerization in the microfluidic channel. Successful encapsulation of MHP-NPs in polymer microparticles is attributed to the co-dispersion of an LARP solution and UV polymerizable solution in an aqueous continuous phase within the microfluidic channel, in which N,N-dimethylformamide, in co-dispersion droplets, is continuously extracted to the aqueous medium upon UV polymerization. MHP-NPs–polymer composite microparticles show enhanced stability against air and moisture.     

Solvent-free synthesis of polyhydroquinoline and 1,8-dioxodecahydroacridine derivatives through the Hantzsch reaction catalyzed by a natural organic acid: A green method

Solvent-free and high yielding one-pot synthesis of 1,8-dioxodecahydroacridine and polyhydroquinoline derivatives have been described through Hantzsch condensation of various aldehydes, ammonium acetate with cyclic 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds and ethyl acetoacetate in a very simple, efficient, and environmentally benign method using ascorbic acid as a nontoxic organocatalyst.