Regioregular poly(3-hexyl-thiophene) helical self-organization on carbon nanotubes

Mixtures of Regioregular Poly(3-hexyl-thiophene) (rrP3HT) and multi wall carbon nanotubes have been investigated by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy in Ultra High Vacuum. Carbon nanotubes covered by rrP3HT have been imaged and analyzed, providing a clear evidence that this polymer self assembles on the nanotube surface following geometrical constraints and adapting its equilibrium chain-to-chain distance. Largely spaced covered nanotubes have been analyzed to investigate the role played by nanotube chirality in the polymer wrapping, evidencing strong rrP3HT interactions along well defined directions.

Poly(3-hexyl-thiophene) coil-wrapped single wall carbon nanotube investigated by scanning tunneling spectroscopy

Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy was performed on a (15,0) single wall carbon nanotube partially wrapped by Poly(3-hexyl-thiophene). On the bare nanotube section, the local density of states is in good agreement with the theoretical model based on local density approximation and remarkably is not perturbed by the polymer wrapping. On the coiled section, a rectifying current-voltage characteristic has been observed along with the charge transfer from the polymer to the nanotube. The electron transfer from Poly(3-hexyl-thiophene) to metallic nanotube was previously theoretically proposed and contributes to the presence of the Schottky barrier at the interface responsible for the rectifying behavior.

The social role of design on collaborative destination branding : creating a new journey, a new story for the Waterfall Way, New South Wales, Australia.

This paper suggests that collaborative design can be an effective tool to promote social change. A co-design methodology and the results of its application in branding the Waterfall Way (New South Wales, Australia) as an eco- and nature-based tourism destination are presented as an example. The co-design exercise actively involved stakeholders in all stages of the design process, harnessing local tacit knowledge in relation to communication design, stimulating reflection upon what is special about the places, and consequently reinforcing a sense of belonging and the environmental and cultural conservation of place. The achieved results reflect the involvement and ownership of the community towards the design process. However, the application of a collaborative brand design methodology produced more than just a destination brand that is attractive to visitors, in line with local values, ways of living and the environment. It helped to catalyse a social network around tourism, triggering self-organising activity amongst stakeholders, who started to liaise with each other around the emergent regional identity - represented by the new brand they created together. The Waterfall Way branding process is a good example of social construction of shared understanding in and through design, showing that design exercises can have a significant social impact not only on the final product, but also on the realities of people involved in the process.

Carbon nanotube synthesis from germanium nanoparticles on patterned substrates

Controlled synthesis of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is highly desirable for nanoelectronic applications. To date, metallic catalyst particles have been deemed unavoidable for the nucleation and growth of any kind of CNTs. Ordered arrays of nanotubes have been obtained by controlled deposition of the metallic catalyst particles. However, the presence of metal species mixed with the CNTs represents a shortcoming for most electronic applications, as metal particles are incompatible with silicon semiconductor technology. In the present paper we report on a metal-catalyst-free synthesis of CNTs, obtained through Ge nanoparticles on a Si(001) surface patterned by nanoindentation. By using acetylene as the carbon feed gas in a low-pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) system, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) have been observed to arise from the smallest Ge islands. The CNTs and the Ge three-dimensional structures have been analysed by SEM, EDX and AFM in order to assess their elemental features and properties. EDX and SEM results allow confirmation of the absence of any metallic contamination on the surface, indicating that the origin of the CNT growth is due to the Ge nanocrystals.

Towards controlled growth of carbon nanotubes from germanium on nanoindented silicon substrates

In this paper, we report on a metal-catalyst-free synthesis of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on a pre-patterned Si(001) surface. Arrays of triangular-shaped holes were created by nanoindentation in specific sites of the sample. After germanium deposition and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of acetylene, a few CNTs nucleated and grew from germanium nanoparticles. These results illustrate that it is possible to control the growth of CNTs without the use of any metal catalyst. By leading the assembly of Ge nanoparticles with a patterning technique, a precise control over the growth order is also attainable.

Controlled carbon nanotube synthesis from germanium nanoparticles

Controlled syntheses of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are highly desirable for nanoelectronic applications. To date, metallic catalyst particles have usually been deemed unavoidable for the nucleation and growth of any kind of CNTs. However, the presence of metal species mixed with the CNTs represents a shortcoming for most electronic applications, as metal particles are incompatible with silicon semiconductor technology. Recently it has been shown that it is possible to create nanotubes without the presence of metallic catalysts, by using SIO2, Ge and other non-metallic nanoparticles. Here we report on a metal-catalyst-free synthesis of CNTs, obtained through Ge nano-particles assembled on silicon surfaces previously patterned by Focused Ion Beam and nanoindentation.

An integrated approach to tourism planning in a developing nation : a case study from Beloi (Timor-Leste)

In this chapter we present a case study set in Beloi, a fishing village located on Ataúro Island, 30 km across the sea from Díli, capital of Timor-Leste (East-Timor). We explore the tension between tourism development, food security and marine conservation in a developing country context. In order to better understand the relationships between the social, ecological and economic issues that arise in tourism planning we use an approach and associated methodology based on storytelling, complexity theory and concept mapping. Through testing scenarios with this methodology we hope to evaluate which trade-offs are acceptable to local people in return for the hoped-for economic boost from increased tourist visitation and associated developments.

Evidence of multiwall carbon nanotube deformation caused by poly(3-hexylthiophene) adhesion

We show that when a soft polymer like Poly(3-hexyl-thiophene) wraps multiwall nanotubes by coiling around the main axis, a localized deformation of the nanotube structure is observed. High resolution transmission electron microscopy shows that radial compressions of about 4% can take place, and could possibly lead to larger interlayer distance between the nanotube inner walls and reduce the innermost nanotube radius. The mechanical stress due to the polymer presence was confirmed by Raman spectroscopic observation of a gradual upshift of the carbon nanotube G-band when the polymer content in the composites was progressively increased. Vibrational spectroscopy also indicates that charge transfer from the polymer to the nanotubes is responsible for a peak frequency relative downshift for high P3HT-content samples. Continuously acquired transmission electron microscopy images at rising temperature show the MWCNT elastic compression and relaxation due to polymer rearrangement on the nanotube surface.

Collaborative destination branding : planning for tourism development through design in the Waterfall Way, NSW, Australia

This thesis develops, applies and analyses a collaborative design methodology for branding a tourism destination. The area between the Northern Tablelands and the Mid-North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, was used as a case study for this research. The study applies theoretical concepts of systems thinking and complexity to the real world, and tests the use of design as a social tool to engage multiple stakeholders in planning. In this research I acknowledge that places (and destinations) are socially constructed through people's interactions with their physical and social environments. This study explores a methodology that is explicit about the uncertainties of the destination’s system, and that helps to elicit knowledge and system trends. The collective design process used the creation of brand concepts, elements and strategies as instruments to directly engage stakeholders in the process of reflecting about their places and the issues related to tourism activity in the region. The methods applied included individual conversations and collaborative design sessions to elicit knowledge from local stakeholders. Concept maps were used to register and interpret information released throughout the process. An important aspect of the methodology was to bring together different stakeholder groups and translate the information into a common language that was understandable by all participants. This work helped release significant information as to what kind of tourism activity local stakeholders are prepared to receive and support. It also helped the emergence of a more unified regional identity. The outcomes delivered by the project (brand, communication material and strategies) were of high quality and in line with the desires and expectation of the local hosts. The process also reinforced local sense of pride, belonging and conservation. Furthermore, interaction between participants from different parts of the region triggered some self organising activity around the brand they created together. A major contribution of the present work is the articulation of an inclusive methodology to facilitate the involvement of locals into the decision-making process related to tourism planning. Of particular significance is the focus on the social construction of meaning in and through design, showing that design exercises can have significant social impact – not only on the final product, but also on the realities of the people involved in the creative process.

Microscopic and spectroscopic investigation of poly(3-hexylthiophene) interaction with carbon nanotubes

The inclusion of carbon nanotubes in polymer matrix has been proposed to enhance the polymer’s physical and electrical properties. In this study, microscopic and spectroscopic techniques are used to investigate the interaction between poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and nanotubes and the reciprocal modification of physical properties. The presence of P3HT-covered nanotubes dispersed in the polymer matrix has been observed by atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Then, the modification of P3HT optical properties due to nanotube inclusion has been evidenced with spectroscopic techniques like absorption and Raman spectroscopy. The study is completed with detailed nanoscale analysis by scanning probe techniques. The ordered self assembly of polymer adhering on the nanotube is unveiled by showing an example of helical wrapping of P3HT. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy study provides information on the electronic structure of nanotube-polymer assembly, revealing the charge transfer from P3HT to the nanotube.

Producing solidarity : a settlement strategy of the Karen refugee community in Brisbane, Australia

This paper explores the link between experience and context. It places the lived experiences of Karen refugees during settlement in Brisbane, Australia within the socio-political context of Burma, or particularly the historical context of persecution. Two key events – the Wrist-tying Ceremony and the Karen New Year – provide a link between experience and context. The findings of this study show a community strategically at work in a new and ongoing settlement process. This process pays respect to the complexities of cultural integrity whilst also engaging with the challenges of integration. The complexities are local (in terms of cultural, linguistic and religious diversity), national (maintaining a broader sense of community that includes linkages across Australia, as well as an engagement with the Australian socio-political context), and transnational (participating in a global Karen community). This transnational community encompasses Karen settling elsewhere in the world, Karen in refugee camps neighbouring Burma, and Karen living inside Burma. This paper argues that substantial “identity work” is involved in Karen settlement. The two key community events are useful vignettes of this identity work. Both events demonstrate how Karen cultural practices can meaningfully negotiate deeply historical ideas of Karen identity with contemporary challenges of settlement. In addition, they set out a version of settlement that departs from traditional settlement constructs; they show how the lived experience of settlement is messy, complex and dynamic, and not reflective of the neat, idealistic models that immigration policy and settlement theory project.

Engaging complexity through collaborative brand design

In this research we used inductive reasoning through design to understand how stakeholders in the Waterfall Way (New South Wales, Australia) perceive the relationships between themselves and the place they live in. This paper describes a collaborative design methodology used to release information about local identities, which guided the regional brand exercise. The methodology is explicit about the uncertainties and complexities of the design process and of its reception system. As such, it aims to engage with local stakeholders and experts in order to help elicit tacit knowledge and identify system patterns and trends that would possibly not be visible if a top-down expert-based process was used. Through collective design, local people were drawn together in search for a symbol to represent the meaning attached to their places/region in relation to sustainable tourism activity.

Oceanografia UFBA : Desenvolvimento de Marca, Imagem e Identidade

A well-developed brand helps to establish a solid identity and creates support to an image that is coherent to the actual motivations in an institution. Educational institutions have inherent characteristics that are diverse from the other sort of institutions, mainly when the focus is set on its internal and external publics. Consequently, these institutions should deal with the development of their brand and identity system also in a different approach. This research aims to investigate the traditional methodology for brand and identity systems development and proposes some modifications in order to allow a broader inclusion of the stakeholders in the process. The implementation of the new Oceanography Course in the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA) offered a unique opportunity to investigate and test these new strategies. In order to investigate and relate the image, identity, interaction and experience concepts through a participative methodology, this research project applies the new suggested strategies in the development of a brand and an identity system for the Oceanography Course in UFBA. Open surveys have been carried out between the alumni, lecturers and coordination body, in order to discover and establish a symbol for the course. The statistic analysis of the surveys’ results showed clear aesthetic preferences to some icons and colours to represent the course. The participative methodology celebrated, in this project, a democratization of the generally expert-centred brand development process.