Au-doped polyacrylonitrile-polyaniline core-shell electrospun nanofibers having high field-effect mobilities

Au-doped polyacrylonitrile–polyaniline core–shell nanofibers are fabricated via electrospinning and subsequent gas-phase polymerization, providing a very high field-effect mobility of up to 11.6 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹. This method is also suitable for other conducting polymers and may eventually lead to a new and simplified fabrication of high-performance polymer organic field-effect transistors.

Reinforcement of natural rubber with core-shell structure silica-poly(Methyl Methacrylate) nanoparticles

A highly performing natural rubber/silica (NR/SiO2) nanocomposite with a SiO2 loading of 2 wt% was prepared by combining similar dissolve mutually theory with latex compounding techniques. Before polymerization, double bonds were introduced onto the surface of the SiO2 particles with the silane-coupling agent. The core-shell structure silica-poly(methyl methacrylate), SiO2-PMMA, nanoparticles were formed by grafting polymerization of MMA on the surface of the modified SiO2 particles via in situ emulsion, and then NR/SiO2 nanocomposite was prepared by blending SiO2-PMMA and PMMA-modified NR (NR-PMMA). The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy results show that PMMA has been successfully introduced onto the surface of SiO2, which can be well dispersed in NR matrix and present good interfacial adhesion with NR phase. Compared with those of pure NR, the thermal resistance and tensile properties of NR/SiO2 nanocomposite are significantly improved.

Synthesis and characterization of tin dioxide core-shell structure nanowires

In this study, one-dimensional and quasi-one-dimensional tin dioxide nanowires and nan-owalls were fabricated by the use of the chemical vapor deposition technique. It was demonstrated that the growth and nanostructure of tin oxide can be controlled by varying the thickness of gold layer and the partial pressure of vapor at growing sites. Nanowires with a core-shell structure, i.e., pure tin core and tin oxide shell, were synthesized from C-S_nO₂ powders at a mol ratio of C/S_nO₂=3/5 on both silicon and Lanthanum Strontium Co-balt Ferrite ceramic wafers through the vapor-solid mechanism. The conditions that are favorable to the growth of core-shell structure nanowires are investigated.

Comparative studies of structural transition between AlN nanocrystals and nanowires

The structural transition of AIN nanocrystals and nanowires were investigated simultaneously under pressures up to 37.2 GPa by in situ angle dispersive high-pressure x-ray diffraction using synchrotron radiation source and a single diamond anvil cell. The size of hexagonal AIN nanocrystals and the diameter of nanowires are 45 nm on average. A pressure-induced wurtzite to rocksalt phase transition starts at 21.5 GPa and completes at 27.8 GPa for the nanocrystals and nanowires, respectively. The high-pressure behaviors of AlN nanocrystals the same as the AIN nanowires might arise from the similar size and diameter in nanocrystals and nanowires. Hexagonal AIN nanocrystals (45 nm) display an apparent volumetric contraction as compared to the AlN nanocrystals (10 nm) which might induce the difference of transition pressure.

Using the solid-shell element to model the roll forming of large radii profiles

Roll forming is an incremental bending process for forming metal sheet, strip or coiled stock. Although Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is a standard tool for metal forming simulation, it is only now being increasingly used for the analysis of the roll forming process. This is because of the excessive computational time due to the long strip length and the multiple numbers of stands that have to be modelled. Typically a single solid element is used through the thickness of the sheet for roll forming simulations. Recent investigations have shown that residual stresses introduced during steel processing may affect the roll forming process and therefore need to be included in roll forming simulations. These residual stresses vary in intensity through the thickness and this cannot be accounted for by using only one solid element through the material thickness, in this work a solid-shell element with an arbitrary number of integration points has been used to simulate the roll forming process. The system modelled is that of roll forming a V-channel with dual phase DP780 sheet steel. In addition, the influence of other modelling parameters, such as friction, on CPU time is further investigated. The numerical results are compared to experimental data and a good correlation has been observed. Additionally the numerical results show that the CPU time is reduced in the model without friction and that considering friction does not have a significant effect on springback prediction in the numerical analysis of the roll forming process.

The impact of continuous versus intermittent high frequency stimulation of the nucleus accumbens shell on ethanol preference and circadian locomotor activity in alcohol preferring rats

This study aimed to investigate the effect of different patterns of high-frequency stimulation at the nucleus accumbens shell on ethanol preference and circadian locomotor activity in adult male alcohol preferring (P) and nonpreferring (NP) rats.

Distilled technical cashew nut shell liquid (DT-CNSL) as an effective biofuel and additive to stabilize triglyceride biofuels in diesel

We report distilled technical cashew nut shell liquid (DT-CNSL) as a non-transesterified biofuel and also as an additive to convert triglycerides to biofuel, without the need for the formation of methyl esters. DT-CNSL blends of diesel obey physico-chemical parameters of diesel. DT-CNSL offers stability to blends of straight vegetable oil (SVO) and tallow oil in diesel. Fluorescence studies using charge transfer probes show that the blend of DT-CNSL, triglycerides and diesel is a uniform solution, and fluorescence behavior is similar to that of diesel. The economics for the cultivation of cashew (Anacardium occidentale), its industrial use and rich carbon sink properties indicate that DT-CNSL could complement or replace traditional biodiesel crops like Jatropha and improve income for farmers. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.