Cation doping is a practical way of engineering the optical properties of one-dimensional semiconductor nanomaterials, such as their band gap. We have grown zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods doped with sodium cations (Na+) using a hydrothermal method at temperatures as low as 60 °C. We have investigated the effect of different concentrations of Na+ on structural and optical properties and morphology of the ZnO nanostructures. We have also simulated and discussed the chemical route of formation of doped and undoped ZnO nanorods. We found that, for low-temperature hydrothermal doping of ZnO nanorods with Na+, the optimum concentration ratio of zinc to sodium precursors is 1:10.

Molten vanadate-induced hot corrosion is the major cause of failure of superalloys which are generally used at higher temperatures (such as in internal combustion engines, gas turbines, high temperature tooling and dies, and petrochemical industries and marines). This effect can be minimized by applying thermally stable coatings over the superalloy. In this aspect, the current work investigates the effect of nanostructured aluminum chromium nitride (AlCrN) and titanium aluminum nitride (TiAlN) coatings on the hot corrosion behavior of Co-based superalloy, Superco-605, in an aggressive environment of Na2SO4–60% V2O5 (ratio by weight) at 700 °C up to 80 cycles. Each cycle consisted of 1 h heating at 700 °C followed by 20 min cooling in an ambient temperature. Hot corrosion kinetics was studied using the thermogravimetric technique and found to follow the parabolic rate law. The corrosion surface morphology and phases formed during hot corrosion were studied using field emission scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques. It was found that AlCrN coating had a better hot corrosion resistance than TiAlN coating.

The fire-retardant and water-repellent bio-structural panels (BISPs) were successfully developed using cellulose nanofibrils, corn starch, boric acid, and n-dodecenyl succinic anhydride with adhesive-free character. Its performance properties were evaluated and compared with other well-known products on the market. The BISP's density (0.1 g/cm3) and permeance value [41.81 g/day/m2 with 5.76% coefficient of variation (CV)] were found higher than compared competitor products. The BISPs' contact angle was found 132.13° (1.59% CV) for BISP. The BISP was the only fire-retardant product, and the only one developed almost no smoke 2.20%.

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is a life-threatening illness that presents significant healthcare challenges. About 90% of ESRD patients receive hemodialysis treatment, but the currently available hemodialysis systems are bulky and prone to complications. We report the design of a microfluidic hemodialysis device composed of two polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chambers separated by a cellulose ester (CE) membrane. The polyethylene glycol-passivated PDMS and CE surfaces reduced platelet adhesion by 74% and 86%, respectively. Moreover, the device exhibited a higher urea clearance rate per unit area than a healthy kidney. The reported design sets the foundation for a next-generation biomimetic portable hemodialysis device.

A longitudinal field component parallel to the wave vector is generally considered in nonlocal optical response. Longitudinal volume plasmons accompanied by inhomogeneous internal field optically break symmetry for isotropic metal nanoparticles. Here, natural circular dichroism in the interband transitions of TiN nanocubes, Au nanospheres, and Cu nanospheres in solution is presented. A field gradient or volume plasmons exert an electric force and consequently Lorentz force on bound valence-band electrons inside the nanoparticles. It is generalized that interband transitions in nanoparticles intrinsically produce a positive rotational strength and optical right-handedness. Electromechanical chiralty is introduced to explain the optical activity of achiral nanoparticles.

In this study, we performed computational simulations to extend the behavior knowledge over molecular systems composed by amylose oligomers, three fatty acids often found in Brazilian vegetable oils, water solvent, and montmorillonite. The focus is directed to the molecular movement and to intra and intermolecular interactions, each simulation step being compared with the literature's experimental profile. The calculations were mostly performed by Molecular Mechanics and Dynamics methods. The excellent agreement and complementarities with the literature results indicate, once again, the important contribution offered by the computational simulations to the design of new polymer–clay nanocomposites with biopolymers.

This work presents an in-depth study of how the choice of boundary conditions can impact upon the calculated photovoltage and photocurrent in photoelectrochemical (PEC) devices. Utilizing a floating boundary condition for the electrostatic potential and pseudo-Schottky boundary conditions for the interfacial electron/hole currents, we show simultaneous calculation of photovoltage and photocurrent. We also explore the significance of capturing the photovoltage, with proper boundary conditions, to accurately replicate practical photocurrent along with the realistic band alignments. Finally, our results decouple the interfacial hole transfer from the recombination at the interface/space-charged region and suggest possible methods to engineer the mesoscopic transfer process at PEC electrodes.