Optical and electrochemical DNA nanobiosensors

In the past two decades, nanoscale advanced materials have been explored for biosensing molecules, so new horizons have opened up for identifying and quantifying biomolecules, and possible early diagnosis of diseases.DNA nanobiosensors show promise. This article provides an overview on their optical and electrochemical aspects. We discuss recent progress in this field, describing basic concepts of molecular beacons and quantum dots as optical nano-imaging systems. Also, carbon nanotubes provide a platform for development and advancement of electrochemical DNA nanobiosensors, which are increasingly being implemented as robust tools for detection in biomedical sciences.     

A novel piezoelectric immunosensor for the detection of malarial Plasmodium falciparum histidine rich protein-2 antigen

A novel piezoelectric (PZ) immunosensor for the direct detection of malarial Plasmodium falciparum histidine rich protein-2 (PfHRP-2) antigen was developed. The mixed self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of thioctic acid and 1-dodecanethiol were formed on gold surface of quartz crystal. Cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and surface Raman spectroscopy techniques were used to characterize the mixed SAMs. The rabbit anti-PfHRP-2 antibodies were coupled on mixed SAM modified gold surface of quartz crystal via NHS/EDC activation method. The PZ immunosensor was applied to detect PfHRP-2 in the linear range of 15-60 ng/ml with a detection limit of 12 ng/ml. It was also found that even after 14 days of storage, 50% of the activity still remained. Clinical human serum samples were tested with this method, and the results were in agreement with those obtained from commercially available ICT kit (NOW^® Malaria).     

Effects of electric and mechanical loads on the morphological evolution of a void in piezoelectric films

This paper reports the result of an investigation into the effect of electric and mechanical loads on the morphological evolution of a void in piezoelectric materials based on a model for the morphological evolution of a void, the thermodynamics potential and energy principle. Thus, the path and the bifurcation condition of the morphological evolution of the void in piezoelectric materials are described, which gives some insight into the reliability of piezoelectric films under electric and mechanical loads.     

Characteristics of wave propagation in piezoelectric bent rods with arbitrary curvature

The wave propagation in the piezoelectric bend rods with arbitrary curvature is studied in this paper. Basic three-dimensional equations in an orthogonal curvilinear coordinate system (r, θ, s) are established. The Bessel functions in radial co-ordinate and triangle series in the angular co-ordinate are used to describe the displacements and electrical potential. Characteristics of dispersion, distributions of displacements and electrical potential over the cross section are calculated, respectively. In the numerical examples, the effects of the ratio of the two ellipse axes on the dispersion relations of the first three modes are observed. The characteristics of the distribution of displacements and electric potential in the cross section, along the radial and s direction are investigated.     

Time-harmonic P-waves engulfing a rectangular limited-permeable crack in piezoelectric medium: Energy density and energy release

The dynamic behavior of a limited-permeable rectangular crack in a transversely isotropic piezoelectric material is impinged by to a P-wave. The generalized Almansi theorem and the Schmidt method are used to determine the stress intensity factor and energy density factor as the primary fracture criterion of failure. The mixed boundary value problem entails the evaluation of the appropriate crack edge stress singularities that are characteristics of the fundamental functions. The stress and electric displacement intensity factors are also used to find the energy release rate that can be computed numerically and compared with the results corresponding to those of the stress intensity factor, and energy density factor. Graphical presentation shows that the energy release rate is always negative for the boundary conditions considered while the energy density factors always remain positive. Under certain conditions, the stress and electric displacement intensity factors can be negative and subject to physical limitations. Piezoelectric material boundary value problem solutions should therefore be qualified by the application of failure criteria by fracture of otherwise, particularly when the mechanical and electrical energy can release by creating free surface at the macroscopic and microscopic scales. Negative energy release rate found for the piezoelectric medium in this work can be a case in point.Positive definiteness of the energy density factor can be applied to mutliscale fracture. This is not true for the stress intensity factor nor the energy release rate. Hence, crack initiation behavior for the permittivity of a rectangular crack due to the wave propagation effects may be studied. In particular, the initiation of micro-cracks may be identified with certain critical stress wave frequency band. Negative stress intensity factor may not enhance macrocracking but it does not exclude microcrack initiation.     

Energy density and release rate study of an elliptic-arc interface crack in piezoelectric solid under anti-plane shear

The anti-plane problem of an elliptical inhomogeneity with an interfacial crack in piezoelectric materials is investigated. The system is subjected to arbitrary singularity loads (point charge and anti-plane concentrated force) and remote anti-plane mechanical and in-plane electrical loads. Using the complex variable method, the explicit series form solutions for the complex potentials in the matrix and the inclusion regions are derived. The electroelastic field intensity factors, the corresponding energy release rates and the generalized strain energy density at the cracks tips are then provided. The influence of the aspect ratio of the ellipse, the crack geometry and the electromechanical coupling coefficient on the energy release rate and the strain energy density is discussed and shown in graphs. The results indicate that the energy release rate increases with increment of the aspect ratio of the ellipse and the influence of electromechanical coupling coefficient on the energy release rate is significant. The strain energy density decreases with increment of the aspect radio of the ellipse and it is always positive for the cases discussed. The energy release rate, however, can be negative when both mechanical and fields are applied.     

功率型压电陶瓷的分类及研究进展综述

功率型压电材料是大功率换能器及压电变压器等的核心功能材料,广泛应用于声纳系统、超声检测、振动控制及其它机电设备等。尽管其组成和制备方法与其他压电材料类似,但特定的使用目的对功率型压电材料提出了特殊的综合性能要求。本文基于对功率型压电陶瓷材料组成的分类归纳,综述了该材料的性能特点、国内外研究进展,并对现存问题和应用前景进行了论述。     

Impact response of an interface crack in a hybrid piezoelectric laminate

Summary  In a hybrid laminate containing an interfacial crack between piezoelectric and orthotropic layers, the dynamic field intensity factors and energy release rates are obtained for electro-mechanical impact loading. The analysis is performed within the framework of linear piezoelectricity. By using integral transform techniques, the problem is reduced to the solution of a Fredholm integral equation of the second kind, which is obtained from one pair of dual integral equations. Numerical results for the dynamic stress intensity factor show the influence of the geometry and electric field. Received 29 June 2001; accepted for publication 3 December 2001     

低声阻抗复合压电陶瓷的研究及应用

本文研究了我们所配制夹心结构复合压电材料低声阻抗的特性。实验表明，夹心复合压电陶瓷材料的声阻抗，与所用陶瓷材料的种类，气孔率，孔径，样品厚度以及工艺制备过程有关。实验证明，研制特定阻抗的材料是可行的，最后，用研制的新材料成功地应用于混凝土、Ｃ／Ｃ复合材料等非金属材料的超声检测中。     

Moving eccentric crack in a piezoelectric strip bonded to elastic materials

Summary  The steady-state of a propagation eccentric crack in a piezoelectric ceramic strip bonded between two elastic materials under combined anti-plane mechanical shear and in-plane electrical loadings is considered in this paper. The analysis based on the integral transform approach is conducted on the permeable crack condition. Field intensity factors and energy release rate are obtained in terms of a Fredholm integral equation of the second kind. It is shown for this geometry that the crack propagation speed has influence on the dynamic energy release rate. The initial crack branching angle for a PZT-5H piezoceramic structure is predicted by the maximum energy release rate criterion. Received 23 January 2001; accepted for publication 18 October 2001