Copper aluminum oxide (CuAlO2) with delafossite structure is a promising candidate for high temperature thermoelectric applications because of its modest band gap, high stability and low cost. We investigate magnesium doping on the aluminum site as a means of producing higher electrical conductivity and optimized Seebeck coefficient. Powder samples were synthesized using solid-state reaction and bulk samples were prepared using both cold-pressing and hot-pressing techniques. Composition analysis, microstructural examination and transport property measurements were performed, and the results suggest that while hot-pressing can achieve high density samples, secondary phases tend to form and lower the performance of the materials.

We study spin injection from an in-plane magnetized Fe thin layer into a GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well (QW) in low magnetic fields of ±0.37 T using oblique Hanle effect. An oblique low magnetic field induces the precession of electron spins in the GaAs QW, allowing us to detect the spin polarization of electrons injected across the Fe/AlGaAs interface. Our analysis of the circular polarization of light emitted in the electron-hole recombination process in the QW gives an estimate of the lower bounds of the spin polarization to be 4.0%. Also, a spin lifetime of 140 psec is obtained in this analysis, indicating that spin depolarization at the Fe/AlGaAs interface is more predominant rather than spin relaxation in the QW region.

In this paper, we present the manufacturing process of a polymer microfluidic device which is currently being used to investigate wetting properties of nanostructured microchannels replicated in hydrophobic thermoplastic materials like cyclo-olefin co-polymer (COC), polypropylene (PP) or polymethylmetacrylate (PMMA). These devices feature large structural dynamics (feature sizes between 200 μm and 200 nm). The mold insert necessary was fabricated using a combination of precision machining with single-point diamond turning (SPDT).

The positive magnetocaloric effect (MCE) in the vicinity of the Curie point in Ni2+xMn1-xGa (x=0.33, 0.36, 0.39) Heusler alloys and the negative and positive MCE near the metamagnetostructural (MMS) transition and the Curie point, respectively, in Ni45Co5Mn36.5In13.5 Heusler alloy has been measured by a direct method. For the magnetic field change ΔH = 2 T, the maximal adiabatic temperature change ΔTad at the Curie point in Ni2+xMn1-xGa alloys is larger than 0.6 K. For Ni45Co5Mn36.5In13.5 alloy, the maximal value of ΔTad = 1.68 K (for the same magnetic field change, ΔH = 2 T) is observed at the MMS phase transition temperature.

Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibility of API X60 pipeline steel in a soil solution by slow strain rate tests (SSRT), and surface fracture analysis was investigated. The SSRT were performed at strain rate of 25.4 × 10-6 mm/sec in a glass autoclave containing the soil solution called NS4 with pH of 3 and 10 at room temperature and 50°C. Both anodic and cathodic polarization potentials of 200 mV referred to Ecorr was applied. The results of ratio reduction area (RRA), time to failure ratio (TFR) and elongation plastic ratio (EPR) indicate that X60 pipeline steel was susceptible to SCC at pH 3 and cathodic polarization of -200 mV at room temperature and 50°C. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations of these specimens showed a brittle type of fracture with transgranular appearance. The SCC process and mechanism of X60 steel into NS4 solution was hydrogen based mechanism. With the different applied potentials the dominance of SCC process changes. At low pH the temperature effect on SCC susceptibility is more noticeable at 20°C. However at high pH this effects changes, being the steel more susceptible to SCC at 50°C.

FF-GDMS and MIC-ICP-MS methods were developed for the determination of mg/kg- and μg/kg-level B, Mg, Al, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Zr, Mo, Sb, W and Pb in nuclear-grade graphite. Consistent results have been achieved in determining trace elements like B, Ti, Cr, Mn, Zr, Sb and Pb by both methods, which vary mostly less than ±30%, and are in line with the manufacturer reference values. On Mg, Al, Fe, Co, Zn, Mo and W, FF-GDMS analyses also show good agreement with the manufacturer's data. Continuing efforts in identifying source of interference, which has limited the MIC-ICP-MS analysis of these elements, is currently underway.

Aluminum-based composites prepared from pure Al powder and previously Cu metallized graphite are fabricated by a solid state route and are characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy in order to follow their microstructural evolution. Composites are processed using powder metallurgy technique in order to obtain cylindrical samples to carry out mechanical testing. Microstructural and mechanical characterizations reveal that, by milling, a homogeneous dispersion of insoluble particles into the Al matrix is obtained; this produces an important improvement in hardness and strength with respect to an un-milled sample. Milling intensity and particle concentration have an important effect on the mechanical properties of the synthesized composites.

In this work, Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3(BST) thin films were deposited on Ti substrates using conductive La0.5Sr0.5CoO3 (LCSO) as buffer layers. Both BST and LSCO films were prepared by sol-gel methods. The structure and morphology of BST and LSCO films were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). XRD results show that both BST and LSCO films have perovskite structure with random orientation. The dielectric properties of BST films were dependent on the thickness of LSCO buffer layers. Upon using LSCO buffer layers, the dielectric properties of BST films were significantly improved. The dielectric constant, tunability, and dielectric loss of BST thin films for LSCO of 150 nm achieved about 453, 0.032 and 31.26% respectively.

Two recent ongoing major projects at the Grimsel Test Site (GTS) (www.grimsel.com) that were initiated to simulate the long-term behaviour of radionuclides in the repository near-field and the surrounding host rock are presented: the Colloid Formation and Migration (CFM) project, which focuses on colloid generation and migration from a bentonite source doped with radionuclides and the Long-Term Diffusion (LTD) project, which aims at in-situ verification and understanding of the processes that control the long-term diffusion of repository-relevant radionuclides. So far, the CFM project has principally involved: development and implementation of a state-of-the-art sealing concept to control hydraulic gradients in a shear zone to imitate repository-relevant conditions; extensive laboratory studies to examine bentonite erosion and colloid formation in a shear zone; and, development of models to estimate colloid formation and migration. The next stage will be to assess the behavior of bentonite colloids generated from a radionuclide spiked bentonite source-term emplaced into the controlled flow field of the shear zone. This will be coupled with further extensive laboratory studies in order to refine and evaluate the colloid models currently used in performance assessments. The LTD project consists of: a monopole diffusion experiment where weakly sorbing and non-sorbing radionuclides (3H, 22Na, 131I, 134Cs) have been circulating and diffusing into undisturbed rock matrix since June 2007; experiments to characterise pore space geometry, including determination of in-situ porosity with 14C doped MMA resin for comparison with laboratory derived data; a study of natural tracers to elucidate evidence of long-term diffusion processes; and, an investigation of the in-situ matrix diffusion paths in core material from earlier GTS experiments. Future experiments will focus on diffusion processes starting from a water-conducting feature under realistic boundary conditions.

White OLED consisting of a fluorescent blue emissive layer combined with a phosphorescent green and a phosphorescent red emissive layer were processed by means of Organic Vapor Phase Deposition (OVPD). Different concepts to tune the color coordinates of the device are discussed with respect to the luminous efficiency. Furthermore, the influence of device aging on the emitted spectrum is being investigated by means of spectrally resolved lifetime measurements.

Two alternative chemical methods are studied for the extraction of Al2O3 from Mexican Fly Ash (FA). Reaction of FA with H2SO4 at high temperature allows extracting ∼37% of the total Al2O3 contained in the FA as Al2(SO4)3, regardless of H2SO4 concentration, treatment time and temperature employed. This is partly due to the high chemical resistance of mullite (Al6Si2O13) contained in the FA. In contrast, reaction of FA with a CaCO3-Na2CO3 mixture at 1300°C/1h, followed by lixiviation with a Na2CO3 aqueous solution and precipitation of bohemite [AlO(OH)] by addition of either H2O2 or NH4HCO3, allows extracting ∼80% of the total Al2O3 contained in the FA as θ-alumina, after calcination of bohemite at 1200°C/1h.

We present a novel, simple, and accurate approach based on low frequency voltage fluctuations to determine the averaged carrier lifetime in semiconductor materials and devices. This technique serves to address the limitations faced by existing techniques that use light as the excitation source for lifetime measurement. In this paper, the minority carrier lifetime is inferred from the 1/f low frequency noise profile exhibited by the device during low current operation. The current dependence of the power spectral density and its relation to minority carrier lifetime is modeled and derived directly giving a current dependent carrier lifetime. This technique is solely based on the electrical noise and no light source is required for excitation. The low frequency noise can be easily acquired without significant distortion via a signal analyzer as long as there is a sufficiently good Ohmic contact between the probe and the device under test, and that the device is sufficiently shielded from the influence of EMI. This technique has lower crosstalk, fewer fitting parameters, is low cost and allows the lifetime to be extracted directly from data collected at lower frequencies. These characteristics make our method useful in encapsulated devices, applicable on wafers and devices in

As a potential biological imaging probe with a long-wavelength of emission, InP quantum dots were prepared via a high-temperature organic solution approach, and successfully transferred into an aqueous system through a ligand-exchange process using various functional surfactants. Photoluminescence and X-ray characterizations confirmed the desired properties of the InP quantum dots. The cytotoxicity of the water-soluble InP quantum dots against phaeochromocytoma PC12 cells as evaluated by the MTS cell viability assay was low relative to a positive control, poly(ethyleneimine). This study suggests a bright potential for this new type of InP quantum dots in bioimaging applications.

Dental remineralization may be achieved by mediating the interactions between tooth surfaces with free ions and biomimetic peptides. We recently developed octuplet repeats of aspartate-serine-serine (DSS-8) peptide, which occurs in high abundance in naturally occurring proteins that are critical for tooth remineralization. In this paper, we evaluated the possible role of DSS-8 in dentin remineralization. Human dentin specimens were demineralized, exposed briefly to DSS-8 solution, and then exposed to concentrated ionic solutions that favor remineralization. Dentin nano-mechanical behaviors, hardness and elastic modulus, at various stages of treatment were determined by nanoindentation. The phase, microstructure and morphology of the resultant surfaces were characterized using grazing incidence X-ray diffraction, variable pressure scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy, respectively. Nanoindentation results show that DSS-8 remineralization effectively improves the mechanical and elastic properties of native dentin. Moreover, the hardness and elastic modulus for the DSS-8 treated dentin were significantly higher than surfaces remineralized without DSS-8.

For more than two decades, the edible clam Ruditapes philippinarum has been affected by the Brown Ring Disease (BRD), a bacterial infection characterized by the formation of a brown organic deposit in the internal side of the valves. Although this infection is often lethal, in some cases specimens can overcome it by remineralizing over the organic deposit. The goal of the present study is to compare biochemically and immunologically the shell matrices of repaired and healthy zones. Our data suggest that the repair zones exhibit certain variability, which would be the direct consequence of a modification of the secretory regime of calcifying tissues responsible of the repair process.

We propose more practical method to realize the superfocusing modes based on waveguide structures, and present a numerical analysis these structures using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations. For metallic wedged structure coupled to dielectric waveguides, we investigate a method of controlling superfocusing by changing the phase of waveguide modes.

The dimensionless thermoelectric figure-of-merit (ZT) in bulk materials has remained about 1 for many years. Here we show that a significant ZT improvement can be achieved in nanocrystalline bulk materials. These nanocrystalline bulk materials were made by hot-pressing nanopowders that are ball-milled from either crystalline ingots or elements. Electrical transport measurements, coupled with microstructure studies and modeling, show that the ZT improvement is the result of low thermal conductivity caused by the increased phonon scattering by grain boundaries and defects. More importantly, the nanostructure approach has been demonstrated in a few thermoelectric material systems, proving its generosity. The approach can be easily scaled up to multiple tons. Thermal stability studies have shown that the nanostructures are stable at the application temperature for an extended period of time. It is expected that such enhanced materials will make the existing cooling and power generation systems more efficient.

TiO2 anatase nanotubes synthesised via anodic oxidation were used as adsorbent for the uptake of U and Pb from aqueous solution and the photoremoval of As(III). An X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study of the sorbent medium surface revealed a high adsorption of U and Pb at pH 8. The adsorption of the uranyl ion was enhanced in an anoxy (N2) atmosphere, because this prevents the formation of very stable carbonyl complexes. As(III) was adsorbed on TiO2 but in the presence of O2 and UV light was oxidized to As(V). XPS analysis revealed that in the pH range 3-9 As(V) was always the major species detected at the surface of the titania photocatalyst.

The influence of native point defects on the electrical and optical stability of zinc oxide (ZnO) layers in air produced by reactive RF magnetron sputtering is investigated. ZnO thin films are strongly affected by oxygen (O2) molecules in ambient atmosphere. For instance, surface defects such as oxygen vacancies act as adsorption sites of O2 molecules, and the chemisorption of O2 molecules depletes the surface electronic states and reduces channel conductivity. Thin films of ZnO produced have electrical resistivities between 8.6 × 103 and 8.3 × 108 Ω-cm, and were found to be electrically-stable in air. TFTs fabricated using these films exhibited effective mobilities of ∼3 cm2V-1s-1 and the threshold voltage shifts by < 5 V under gate bias stress of 1 MV/cm for up to 104 s.

From uranium-ore treatment to spent fuel recycling, waste treatment and conditioning and to final storage of waste packages, radionuclides are involved in numerous chemical and physical reactions. The understanding of their chemical forms (speciation) and behavior as well (retention, complexation,...), as a function of the environment conditions (T, P, solid/liquid/gas interfaces), are key issues for the development of the industrial nuclear activities. Dedicated analytical tools are needed to determine the radionuclide concentrations and speciation in the liquids, solids and gas, over a wide range of concentrations and matrixes. The obtained experimental data on radionuclide speciation are integrated in dedicated data bases, supporting various models used to simulate the system behavior (i.e. RN migration under geological disposal, RN contamination in the primary fluids of nuclear power plants, RN behavior in the PUREX process, etc.). There are several needs in the following domains of the fuel cycle :

♦ The development of innovative methods to enhance analytical performances of isotopic composition of elements in irradiated fuels or waste streams arising from processed spent fuels. Isobaric interferences may be suppressed by specific ion-molecules reactions in collision/cell coupled with Mass Spectrometer, instead of preliminary chromatographic separations.

♦ The thermo chemistry at high temperature and pressure of the coolant fluids of the nuclear power plants, to model the solid/liquids interactions controlling its contamination by the activated products and hideout processes.

♦ The development of scientific and operational models of the radiolysis of organic molecules and materials, under extreme conditions (γ and α radiolysis), to understand the controlling long-term degradation phenomena ( i.e. H2 degassing in the waste packages).

♦ The fundamental understanding of sorption processes of redox sensitive elements such as U on specific mineral surfaces, in the presence of organic molecules, to develop dedicated tools for radionuclide monitoring and measurement in the environment.