Design Criteria for Horseshoe and Spiral-Based Interconnects for Highly Stretchable Electronic Devices

Stretchable electronics can be used for numerous advanced applications such as soft and wearable actuators, sensors, bio-implantable devices, and surgical tools because of their ability to conform to curvilinear surfaces, including human skin. The efficacy of these devices depends on the development of stretchable geometries such as interconnection-based configurations and the associated mechanics that helps to achieve optimum configurations. This work presents the essential mechanics of silicon (Si) island-interconnection structures, which include horseshoe and spiral interconnections, without reducing the areal efficiency. In particular, this study demonstrates the range of the geometrical parameters where they have a high stretchability and cyclic life. The numerical results predict the areas that are prone to breaking followed by experimental validation. The figure-of-merit for these configurations is achieved by mapping the fracture-free zones for in-plane and out-of-plane stretching with essential implications in stretchable and wearable system design. Furthermore, this work demonstrates the mechanical response for a range of materials (i.e., copper, gold, aluminum, silver, and graphene) that experience the plastic deformations in contrast to conventionally used Si-based devices that represent the extended usage for advanced stretchable electronic devices. The detailed mechanics of these configurations provides comprehensive guidelines to manufacture wearable and stretchable electronic devices.     

Criteria for Optimal Averaging of Cardiac Signals

The averaging process is modeled as a linear system whose low-pass filter characteristics are determined by the degree in temporal misalignment of signals. Assuming the errors in temporal alignment of successive cardiac cycles are random, then the model transfer function is equivalent to the probability density function. The response of the model to a step input is equivalent to the probability distribution function, which can be readily quantified. To validate the model, a high resolution ECG amplifier and QRS recognition system was constructed that synchronizes a step input with a point on the QRS. Design criteria for optimal amplification, filtering, and triggering of the ECG are determined. Test of the model reveals a close correspondence between observed and predicted step responses. From the average step response, the recording fidelity of any average can be determined-rapidly while the alignment is adjusted for optimal precision. Using ECG signals from patients, our model system demonstrates that alignment errors can both add and subtract signal components. Methods for estimating the extent of signal distortion induced by averaging as well as criteria for minimizing it are presented.     

Synthesis and conductivity of poly acene quinone radical polymers

Polymers with conductivities from 8.6 × 10⁰ to 7.3 × 10^?6 (ω cm)^?1 at 2–12 kbar were prepared by zinc-chloride-catalyzed condensation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heterocycles, and quinones with pyromellitic dianhydride, tetrabromophthalic anhydride, and tetrachlorophthalic anhydride at 450°C. These materials are stable in air and exhibit strong electroactive character without addition of oxidizing or reducing agents (dopants).     

Flavonoids of Alcea rosea L. and their immune stimulant,antioxidant and cytotoxic activities on hepatocellular carcinoma HepG-2 cell line

Alcea rosea L. is widely cultivated in gardens of Egypt as an ornamental plant and it has a great history of folkloric medicinal uses. In the present work, phytochemical investigation of the alcoholic extract of the flowers of A. rosea L. led to the isolation of six flavonoids (1–6). Dihydrokaempferol-4′-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (1), dihydrokaempferol (2), kaempferol-3-O-[6″-(E-coumaroyl)]-β-d-glucopyranoside (3), kaempferol-3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (4), Apigenin (5) and kaempferol-3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1′″→6″)-β-d-glucopyranoside (6). Four of the isolated compounds were evaluated for their antioxidant, immunostimulant and cytotoxic activities against HepG-2 cell line. Compound (3) showed potent cytotoxic activity against HepG-2 cell line with high selectivity towards hepatocellular carcinoma in vitro (with IC₅₀ = 3.8 μg/mL). Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited significant antioxidant activity and compound 4 showed a significant immune stimulant activity. Compound 1 is isolated for the first time from genus Alcea and this is the first report for its biological investigation.     

Upgrading In-Circuit Test of High Density PCBAs Using Electromagnetic Measurement and Principal Component Analysis

With the density increase of today’s printed circuit board assemblies (PCBA), electronic test methods such as in-circuit test (ICT) reached their limits. In the same time the requirements of high reliability and robustness are greater. Original equipment manufacturers are obliged to reduce the number of physical test points and to find better-adapted test methods to keep adequate test coverage. Current test methods must be rethought to include a large panel of physical phenomena that can be used to detect- electrical defects, absence, wrong value of components, absence and shorts without using test points on the board under test (BUT). In this paper, a test set-up based on the measurement of electromagnetic signature to diagnose faulty components contactlessly is presented. The technique consists in using magnetic field probes, which detect the field distribution over powered sensitive components. To evaluate the relevance of the method, reference EM signatures are extracted from fault-free circuits, which are compared to those extracted from a sample PCBA in which we introduced a component level defect by removing or changing the value of critical components. For more robust detection of multiple defect scenarios, the principal component analysis (PCA) method is used as an outlier detection algorithm.     

Molecular-level approach to inhibit degradations of alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers in aqueous media

A molecular-level approach is developed to prevent or inhibit the degradation processes of alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). Previous studies revealed two degradation pathways: direct desorption and oxidation-desorption. By use of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), in situ and time-dependent imaging reveals and confirms that degradations of alkanethiol SAMs on gold mainly initiate at defect sites, such as domain boundaries and vacancy islands, and then propagate into the ordered domains. Our approach targets at attaching small molecules with preferred adhesion to the defects. The best candidates are aqueous media containing a small amount of amphiphilic surfactant molecules, such as N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) or dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). High-resolution studies demonstrate that DMSO and DMF molecules attach to SAM surfaces and more favorably at defect sites, forming relatively stable adsorbates. This attachment increases the activation energy sufficiently to inhibit both degradation pathways. The robustness of this approach has been investigated as a function of surfactant concentration, solution temperature, and the stirring condition. Molecular-level mechanisms and energetics for degradation inhibition of SAMs are also discussed in detail.     

Electronic spectra and electrochemistry of disubstituted 2,2′-bipyridinetetracarbonylmolybdenum complexes. Solvent and substituent effects

Electronic absorption spectra of cis-[Mo(CO)₄(n,n′-X₂-bipy)] (n = 4, X = NMe₂, NH₂, OMe, CMe₃, Me, H, Ph, CH:CHPh, CO₂H, Cl, CO₂Me, NO; n=5, X = Me, CO₂H) have been measured at ambient temperature in a variety of solvents of different polarity. Emission spectra from glasses containing the complexes at 77 K have also been measured. The influence of the substituent X on the spectroscopic properties is correlated with the Hammett parameters, σ_p (X) and σ_p⁺ (X). The effect of solvent is correlated with the Taft-Kamlet parameter, π^★, indicating charge redistribution along the permanent dipole axis of the complex. The oxidation and reduction potentials in solution are simply related to the electronic effect of the substituent group, X, and are relatively independent of the solvent. The influence of the metal on these properties is not significant.     

Adsorption and controlled release of Chlortetracycline HCl by using multifunctional polymeric hydrogels

Adsorption and controlled release of Chlortetracycline HCl to and from multifunctional polymeric materials (HEMA/MAA) hydrogels were investigated. P(HEMA/MAA) hydrogels were synthesized by gamma radiation-induced copolymerization of 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA) and methacrylic acid (MAA) in aqueous solution. The influence of copolymer composition and pH value of the surrounding medium on the type of water diffusion into the glassy polymer were discussed. Drug, Chlortetracycline HCl containing hydrogels, with different drug concentration to polymer ratios, was loaded by direct adsorption method. The influence of MAA content in the gel on the adsorption capacities of hydrogel was studied. Chlortetracycline HCl adsorption capacity of hydrogels was found to increase from 8 to 138 mg Chlortetracycline HCl per gram dry gel with increasing amount of MAA in the gel system and drug concentration. The effect of pH on the releasing behavior of Chlortetracycline HCl from gel matrix was investigated. In vitro drug release studies in different buffer solutions show that the basic parameters affecting the drug release behavior of hydrogel are the pH of the solution and MAA content of hydrogel.     

Synthesis and Chemistry of 4-Aroyl-3-oxo- and 3-Chloropyridazine Derivatives

4H,5H-6-Phenyl (1a) and 6-p-phenoxyphenyl (1b) pyridazin-3(2H)-ones were reacted with aromatic aldehydes to give 4-arylmethylpyridazm-3(2H)-ones (2a-g), Oxidation of (2a-g) with various oxidising agents (selenium dioxide in ethanol or chromium trioxide in acetic acid) gave 4-aroyl-6-arylpyridazin-3(2H)-ones (3a-g). Chlorination of (3a-g) with phosphorous oxychloride afforded 4-aroyl-6-aryl-3-chloropyridazine (4a-g). 1H-3-Aryl-5-phenylpyrazolo[3,4-c]pyridazines (5a-d) were obtained by heating (4a-d) with excess hydrazine hydrate. Hydroxyamination of (3e-g) with iydroxylamine gave aryl-4(6-p-phenoxyphenyl-2,3-dihydro-3-oxo)pyridazinyl oxime (6a-c). Silylation of oximes (6b & 6c) gave (7a & 7b) as acyclic compound instead of the expected seven - membered - ring compound (8).     

Synthesis, 13C-NMR characterization and antimicrobial properties of a novel series of 3-(N-Substituted thiocarbamoyl)hydrazino-1,2,4-triazino-[5,6-b]indole derivatives

A series of 3-(N-substituted thiocarbamoyl)hydrazino-1,2,4-triazino[5,6-b]indole derivatives 3–22 has been synthesized and evaluated for in vitro antimicrobial activity. Although some of the products displayed significant activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Candida albicans, their bactericidal and bacterostatic potencies were lower than that of penicillin G. The structure of the products was assigned upon the basis of their infrared, ¹H-nmr and ¹³C-nmr spectra.