Arraying Cell Cultures Using PEG‐DMA Micromolding in Standard Culture Dishes

A robust and effortless procedure is presented, which allows for the microstructuring of standard cell culture dishes. Cell adhesion and proliferation are controlled by three‐dimensional poly(ethylene glycol)‐dimethacrylate (PEG‐DMA) microstructures. The spacing between microwells can be extended to millimeter size in order to enable the combination with robotic workstations. Cell arrays of microcolonies can be studied under boundary‐free growth conditions by lift‐off of the PEG‐DMA layer in which the growth rate is accessible via the evolution of patch areas. Alternatively, PEG‐DMA stencils can be used as templates for plasma‐induced patterning.

     

Microstructural evolution during oxidative ablation in air for polyacrylonitrile based carbon fibers with different graphite degrees

Polyacrylonitrile‐based carbon fibers with different graphite degrees were oxidative ablated at 500 and 600 °C in air. By Thermal gravimetric (TG), Raman spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and SEM, the mass loss, microstructure, and surface morphology of carbon fibers were investigated. The mass loss of carbon fiber increases linearly with increasing oxidative ablated time under 500 and 600 °C. The carbon fiber with higher graphite degree shows higher oxidative resistance, and the surface roughness increases gradually because of chemical ablation during the whole oxidation. A gloss morphology appears on the surface primarily because of physical denudation for carbon fibers with lower graphite degree and then burn off according to carbon and oxygen reaction. The crystallite size (La) decreases significantly, while interlayer spacing(d₀₀₂) remains nearly unchanged. SEM observation suggests the two kinds of ablation mechanisms for carbon fibers with different graphite degrees indicating that CC band in sp³ hybridization prefers to be attacked by oxygen molecule more than that in sp² hybridization during oxidation ablation in air. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Microstructures of Aqueous Two‐Phase Systems Formed by Mixture of Polymer and Cationic‐Anionic Surfactants

Microstructure and phase behavior of decyltriethylammonium bromide (C₁₀NE)/sodium decylsulfonate (C₁₀SO₃)/poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)/water quaternary systems were studied by freeze‐fracture transmission electron microscopy, small angle X‐ray diffraction, and dynamic light scattering methods. Aqueous two‐phase systems (ATPS) could be prepared by properly mixing the aqueous solution of PEO and equimolar mixed C₁₀NE and C₁₀SO₃. It was shown that the top phase of the ATPS was surfactant‐enriched and mainly composed of multi‐lamellar structure, while the bottom phase of the ATPS was polymer‐enriched in which some vesicles were observed.     

Effect of the Spherical Silica Surface on the Photoluminescence of the Loaded CdS Nanoparticles

CdS nanoparticles were formed on the surface of silica microspheres by the improved layer‐by‐layer self‐assembled technique. High‐resolution electron microscope (HRTEM) image and energy dispersive x‐ray analysis (EDX) confirmed formation of a quasi‐continuous CdS nanoparticles film on the silica microspheres. The results of UV‐vis and fluorescence spectra display that the spherical silica surface has a great effect on the photoluminescence of the loaded CdS nanoparticles. In contrast to the CdS nanoparticles powder, the composite can exhibit the emission ascribed to the band gap transition when the CdS nanoparticles film is relatively thick. This phenomenon is probably due to an enhancement of the crystallinity of CdS nanoparticles induced by the silica spheres.     

Ferroelectric smectic meso-phase formed by banana-shaped achiral liquid crystals

A new banana-shaped achiral molecule, 1,3-phenylene bis[4-(3-chloro-4-n-octyloxyphenyliminomethyl)benzoate] (PBCOB) has been synthesized, and its ferroelectric properties and homeotropic alignment investigated. The presence of a lateral chloro-substituent in the Schiff 's base moiety prevents the regular stacking of molecules and results in lowering the transition temperature and the degree of crystallinity of the switchable banana phase. Their smectic mesophases, including a switchable banana phase B₇, were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray scattering and polarizing optical microscopy. Both the left- and right-handed helical domains are spontaneously formed upon cooling from the isotropic liquid to the switchable banana phase B₇. By X-ray study, the smectic phases showed a layer spacing of 38.1 Å, compatible with the end-to-end distance of the molecule with a bent conformation. Significantly, the smectic B7 phase exhibited a periodicity of 292 Å that corresponds to a helical structure with periodicity about 7.5 times 38.1 Å. The spontaneous polarization for PBCOB is about 50 nCcm^-2 and shows a temperature dependence. The ferroelectric lyomesophase of PBCOB showed a ferroelectric electro-optical switching range extending more than 50°C, switchable at room temperature.     

Comparative study on structure and properties of titanium/silicon mono‐ and co‐doped amorphous carbon films deposited by mid‐frequency magnetron sputtering

The titanium/silicon mono‐ and co‐doped amorphous carbon films were deposited by mid‐frequency magnetron sputtering Ti target, Si target, and Ti80S20 alloy target, respectively. The effects of doped elements on the composition, surface morphology, microstructure, and mechanical and tribological properties of the films were investigated. The results reveal that the ratio of sp³ and sp² carbon bonds of the films is regulated between 0.28 and 0.62 by a combination of Ti and Si dopant. The addition of small amounts of silicon leads to an increase in sp³ bonds and disorder degree of the sp² carbon. The co‐doped film exhibits significantly superior friction performance than the mono‐doped films. The ultra‐low friction (μ < 0.01) was achieved under a load of 2 N in ambient air with 40% RH. By comparing to the mono‐and co‐doped films, it is thought that the sp³/sp² ratio of the films may play a key role for the superlow friction. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

均匀化退火和锻造对双相耐磨钢强韧性的影响

研究了一种低合金双相耐磨钢经均匀化退火和锻造处理后的微观组织和强韧性能.结果表明:经980℃均匀化退火4,8 h和1 150℃锻造处理后,实验钢显微组织主要为板条状马氏体、针状贝氏体及少量残余奥氏体,锻造处理后的晶粒度最小为7.0~7.5级,均匀化退火处理后的晶粒度最大为6.5~7.0级.均匀化退火的保温时间是影响双相耐磨钢力学性能的主要因素,实验钢保温4 h时的冲击韧性和延伸率值高于保温8 h的值.锻造比均匀化退火更适宜于提高低合金双相耐磨钢的强韧性,优化工艺为始锻温度1 150℃、终锻温度800℃、锻造比2.     

薄板坯连铸连轧工艺下Hi-B钢的组织及织构

采用金相显微镜和扫描电镜研究实验室模拟薄板坯连铸连轧( TSCR)工艺试制的高磁感取向硅钢( Hi- B钢)组织、织构的演变特征. 研究发现实验室模拟薄板坯连铸连轧工艺试制的Hi-B钢热轧板显微组织及织构在厚度方向上存在不均匀性. 常化板表面脱碳层铁素体晶粒明显粗化,常化板织构基本继承了热轧板相应的织构类型,仅织构强度不同. 一次大压下率冷轧后,晶粒及其晶界沿轧向被拉长形成鲜明的纤维组织,织构主要为α纤维织构和γ纤维织构,脱碳退火后试样发生回复和再结晶现象并形成初次晶粒组织,脱碳退火后织构分布较为集中. 温度升高至1000℃时二次再结晶开始,1010℃时钢中晶粒发生异常长大,高斯织构强度达到61. 779. 成品磁感为1. 915 T,铁损为1. 067 W·kg-1 .