High catalytic activity of Au-PEDOT nanoflowers toward electrooxidation of glucose

Electrochemically deposited porous film of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) on carbon paper current collector is used as the substrate for electrochemical deposition of Au. PEDOT facilitates the formation of Au nanoflowers with an enhanced electrochemical active surface area, when compared with sub-micron size Au particles deposited on bare carbon paper electrode. Owing to enhanced surface area of Au nanoflowers, the Au-PEDOT/C electrode shows greater activity than Au/C electrode toward electrooxidation of glucose in 0.5 M NaOH electrolyte. Cyclic voltammetry studies show that the peak current density increases with increase in concentrations of glucose and NaOH in the electrolyte. H-1-NMR spectroscopy data indicates that sodium formate and gluconate are the primary products of electrooxidation of glucose on Au-PEDOT/C electrode. Repetitive cyclic voltametry and amperometry studies suggest that the electrochemical stability of Au-PEDOT/C electrode is higher than that of Au/C electrode. Thus, electrochemically deposited nanostructured Au on PEDOT/C is an efficient catalyst for direct glucose oxidation in alkaline media. (C) 2013 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.

Electronic transport in patterned graphene nanoroads

Graphane, hydrogenated graphene, can be patterned into electronic devices by selectively removing hydrogen atoms. The most simple of such devices is the so-called nanoroad, analogous to the graphene nanoribbon, where confinement-and the opening of a gap-is obtained without the need for breaking the carbon bonds. In this work we address the electronic transport properties of such systems considering different hydrogen impurities within the conduction channel. We show, using a combination of density functional theory and non-equilibrium Green's functions, that hydrogen leads to significant changes in the transport properties and in some cases to current polarization.

Electric field activated nonlinear anisotropic charge transport in doped polypyrrole

Electric field activated nonlinear transport is investigated in polypyrrole thin film in both in-plane and out-of-plane geometries down to 5 K and strong anisotropy is observed. A morphological model is suggested to explain the anisotropy through inter-chain and intra-chain transport. The deviation from the variable range hopping at low temperature is accounted by fluctuation assisted transport. From Zabrodaskii plots, it is found that electric field can tune the transport from insulating to metallic regime. Glazman-Matveev model is used to describe the nonlinear conduction. Field scaling analysis shows that conductance data at different temperature falls on to a single curve. Nonlinearity exponent, m(T) and characteristic length, L-E are estimated to characterize the transport in both the geometries. (C) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.

Transport properties of CuIn1-xAlxSe2/AZnO heterostructure for low cost thin film photovoltaics

CuIn1-xAlxSe2 (CIASe) thin films were grown by a simple sol-gel route followed by annealing under vacuum. Parameters related to the spin-orbit (Delta(SO)) and crystal field (Delta(CF)) were determined using a quasi-cubic model. Highly oriented (002) aluminum doped (2%) ZnO, 100 nm thin films, were co-sputtered for CuIn1-xAlxSe2/AZnO based solar cells. Barrier height and ideality factor varied from 0.63 eV to 0.51 eV and 1.3186 to 2.095 in the dark and under 1.38 A. M 1.5 solar illumination respectively. Current-voltage characteristics carried out at 300 K were confined to a triangle, exhibiting three limiting conduction mechanisms: Ohms law, trap-filled limit curve and SCLC, with 0.2 V being the cross-over voltage, for a quadratic transition from Ohm's to Child's law. Visible photodetection was demonstrated with a CIASe/AZO photodiode configuration. Photocurrent was enhanced by one order from 3 x 10(-3) A in the dark at 1 V to 3 x 10(-2) A upon 1.38 sun illumination. The optimized photodiode exhibits an external quantum efficiency of over 32% to 10% from 350 to 1100 nm at high intensity 17.99 mW cm(-2) solar illumination. High responsivity R-lambda similar to 920 A W-1, sensitivity S similar to 9.0, specific detectivity D* similar to 3 x 10(14) Jones, make CIASe a potential absorber for enhancing the forthcoming technological applications of photodetection.

Modulation of redox regulatory molecules and electron transport chain activity in muscle of air breathing fish Heteropneustes fossilis under air exposure stress

Responses of redox regulatory system to long-term survival (> 18 h) of the catfish Heteropneustes fossilis in air are not yet understood. Lipid and protein oxidation level, oxidant (H2O2) generation, antioxidative status (levels of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and reductase, ascorbic acid and non-protein sulfhydryl) and activities of respiratory complexes (I, II, III and IV) in mitochondria were investigated in muscle of H. fossilis under air exposure condition (0, 3, 6, 12 and 18 h at 25 A degrees C). The increased levels of both H2O2 and tissue oxidation were observed due to the decreased activities of antioxidant enzymes in muscle under water deprivation condition. However, ascorbic acid and non-protein thiol groups were the highest at 18 h air exposure time. A linear increase in complex II activity with air exposure time and an increase up to 12 h followed by a decrease in activity of complex I at 18 h were observed. Negative correlation was observed for complex III and V activity with exposure time. Critical time to modulate the above parameters was found to be 3 h air exposure. Dehydration induced oxidative stress due to modulation of electron transport chain and redox metabolizing enzymes in muscle of H. fossilis was clearly observed. Possible contribution of redox regulatory system in muscle tissue of the fish for long-term survival in air is elucidated. Results of the present study may be useful to understand the redox metabolism in muscle of fishes those are exposed to air in general and air breathing fishes in particular.

Second order transport from anomalies

We study parity odd transport at second order in derivative expansion for a non-conformal charged fluid. We see that there are 27 parity odd transport coefficients, of which 12 are non-vanishing in equilibrium. We use the equilibrium partition function method to express 7 of these in terms of the anomaly, shear viscosity, charge diffusivity and thermodynamic functions. The remaining 5 are constrained by 3 relations which also involve the anomaly. We derive Kubo formulae for 2 of the transport coefficients and show these agree with that derived from the equilibrium partition function.

Temperature dependent magnetic ordering and electrical transport behavior of nano zinc ferrite from 20 to 800 K

The nano ZnFe2O4 compound was prepared by eco-friendly hydrothermal method. The characterization of the sample for its structure, morphology and composition were done by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), dynamic light scattering, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, zeta surface profiler and UV-Visible spectroscopy studies. The PXRD measurement reveals that the compound shows spinel cubic phase belong Fd (3) over barm (227) space group. Morphology of the compound from SEM and surface profile shows nearly spherical agglomerated particles with well defined grains and grain boundaries. The material shows the semiconducting behavior with E-g of 2.3 eV at room temperature (RT). The variation in the magnetic ordering was observed for wide range of temperature. The compound behaves like a soft magnetic material with ferrimagnetic at various temperatures except at RT. Both magnetic and EPR studies supports the superparamagnetic behavior of the the sample. The DC conductivity, dielectric and AC conductivity behavior of the 1000 degrees C pellets sintered for 2 h shows good frequency dependent transport properties. The present study facilitate in selecting the suitable materials for the nanoelectronics and spintronic applications. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characterization, charge transport and magnetic properties of multi-walled carbon nanotube-polyvinyl chloride nanocomposites

Multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-polyvinyl chloride (PVC) nanocomposites, with MWCNT loading up to 44.4 weight percent (wt%), were prepared by the solvent mixing and casting method. Electron microscopy indicates high degree of dispersion of MWCNT in PVC matrix, achieved by ultrasonication without using any surfactants. Thermogravimetric analysis showed a significant monotonic enhancement in the thermal stability of nanocomposites by increasing the wt% of MWCNT. Electrical conductivity of nanocomposites followed the classical percolation theory and the conductivity prominently improved from 10(-7) to 9 S/cm as the MWCNT loading increased from 0.1 to 44.4 wt%. Low value of electrical percolation threshold similar to 0.2 wt% is achieved which is attributed to high aspect ratio and homogeneous dispersion of MWCNT in PVC. The analysis of the low temperature electrical resistivity data shows that sample of 1.9 wt% follows three dimensional variable range hopping model whereas higher wt% nanocomposite samples follow power law behavior. The magnetization versus applied field data for both bulk MWCNTs and nanocomposite of 44.4 wt% display ferromagnetic behavior with enhanced coercivities of 1.82 and 1.27 kOe at 10 K, respectively. The enhancement in coercivity is due to strong dipolar interaction and shape anisotropy of rod-shaped iron nanoparticles. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Numerical study of the impact of inoculant and grain transport on macrosegregation and microstructure formation during solidification of an Al-22%Cu alloy

We investigate the impact of the nucleation law for nucleation on Al-Ti-B inoculant particles, of the motion of inoculant particles and of the motion of grains on the predicted macrosegregation and microstructure in a grain-refined Al-22 wt.% Cu alloy casting. We conduct the study by numerical simulations of a casting experiment in a side-cooled 76×76×254 mm sand mould. Macrosegregation and microstructure formation are studied with a volume-averaged two-phase model accounting for macroscopic heat and solute transport, melt convection, and transport of inoculant particles and equiaxed grains. On the microscopic scale it accounts for nucleation on inoculant particles with a given size distribution (and corresponding activation undercooling distribution)and for the growth of globular solid grains. The growth kinetics is described by accounting for limited solute diffusion in both liquid and solid phases and for convective effects. We show that the consideration of a size distribution of the inoculants has a strong impact on the microstructure(final grain size) prediction. The transport of inoculants significantly increases the microstructure heterogeneities and the grain motion refines the microstructure and reduces the microstructure heterogeneities.

Large deviation function and fluctuation theorem for classical particle transport

We analytically evaluate the large deviation function in a simple model of classical particle transfer between two reservoirs. We illustrate how the asymptotic long-time regime is reached starting from a special propagating initial condition. We show that the steady-state fluctuation theorem holds provided that the distribution of the particle number decays faster than an exponential, implying analyticity of the generating function and a discrete spectrum for its evolution operator.

Functional Corannulene: Diverse Structures, Enhanced Charge Transport, and Tunable Optoelectronic Properties

Chemical functionalization of various hydrocarbons, such as coronene, corannulene, and so forth, shows good promise in electronics applications because of their tunable optoelectronic properties. By using quantum chemical calculations, we have investigated the changes in the corannulene buckybowl structure, which greatly affect its electronic and optical properties when functionalized with different electron-withdrawing imide groups. We find that the chemical nature and position of functional groups strongly regulate the stacking geometry, -stacking interactions, and electronic structure. Herein, a range of optoelectronic properties and structure-property relationships of various imide-functionalized corannulenes are explored and rationalized in detail. In terms of carrier mobility, we find that the functionalization strongly affects the reorganization energy of corannulene, while the enhanced stacking improves hopping integrals, favoring the carrier mobility of crystals of pentafluorophenylcorannulene-5-monoimide. The study shows a host of emerging optoelectronic properties and enhancements in the charge-transport characteristics of functionalized corannulene, which may find possible semiconductor and electronics applications.

IS A DEEP ONE-CELL MERIDIONAL CIRCULATION ESSENTIAL FOR THE FLUX TRANSPORT SOLAR DYNAMO?

The solar activity cycle is successfully modeled by the flux transport dynamo, in which the meridional circulation of the Sun plays an important role. Most of the kinematic dynamo simulations assume a one-cell structure of the meridional circulation within the convection zone, with the equatorward return flow at its bottom. In view of the recent claims that the return flow occurs at a much shallower depth, we explore whether a meridional circulation with such a shallow return flow can still retain the attractive features of the flux transport dynamo (such as a proper butterfly diagram, the proper phase relation between the toroidal and poloidal fields). We consider additional cells of the meridional circulation below the shallow return flow-both the case of multiple cells radially stacked above one another and the case of more complicated cell patterns. As long as there is an equatorward flow in low latitudes at the bottom of the convection zone, we find that the solar behavior is approximately reproduced. However, if there is either no flow or a poleward flow at the bottom of the convection zone, then we cannot reproduce solar behavior. On making the turbulent diffusivity low, we still find periodic behavior, although the period of the cycle becomes unrealistically large. In addition, with a low diffusivity, we do not get the observed correlation between the polar field at the sunspot minimum and the strength of the next cycle, which is reproduced when diffusivity is high. On introducing radially downward pumping, we get a more reasonable period and more solar-like behavior even with low diffusivity.

Post-absorptive glucose lowering in normal healthy individuals: An epidemiological observation

Post-absorptive glucose lowering (PALG) is observed in individuals with glucose intolerance and in healthy individuals. We report a prevalence of about 23% among healthy Asian Indians. Individuals with PALG are characterized by leaner phenotype, low body fat percentage, increased insulin sensitivity and higher fasting glucose levels. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Diffusion in an elastic medium: A model for macromolecule transport across the nuclear pore complex

Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) are very selective filters that sit on the membrane of the nucleus and monitor the transport between the cytoplasm and the nucleoplasm. For the central plug of NPC two models have been suggested in the literature. The first suggests that the plug is a reversible hydrogel while the other suggests that it is a polymer brush. Here we propose a model for the transport of a protein through the plug, which is general enough to cover both the models. The protein stretches the plug and creates a local deformation, which together with the protein, we refer to as the bubble. We start with the free energy for creation of the bubble and consider its motion within the plug. The relevant coordinate is the center of the bubble which executes random walk. We find that for faster relaxation of the gel, the diffusion of the bubble is greater. (C) 2014 Elsevier-B.V. All rights reserved.

Study of liquid fuel transport in a small carburetted engine in the context of cold-start HC emission control

In the present study, a detailed visualization of the transport of fuel film has been performed in a small carburetted engine with a transparent manifold at the exit of the carburettor. The presence of fuel film is observed significantly on the lower half of the manifold at idling, while at load conditions, the film is found to be distributed all throughout the manifold walls. Quantitative measurement of the fuel film in a specially-designed manifold of square cross section has also been performed using the planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) technique. The measured fuel film thickness is observed to be of the order of 1 nun at idling, and in the range of 0.1 to 0.4 mm over the range of load and speed studied. These engine studies are complemented by experiments conducted in a carburettor rig to study the state of the fuel exiting the carburettor. Laser-based Particle/Droplet Image Analysis (PDIA) technique is used to identify fuel droplets and ligaments and estimate droplet diameters. At a throttle position corresponding to idling, the fuel exiting the carburettor is found to consist of very fine droplets of size less than 15 mu m and large fuel ligaments associated with length scales of the order of 500 mu m and higher. For a constant pressure difference across the carburettor, the fuel consists of droplets with an SMD of the order of 30 mu m. Also, the effect of liquid fuel film on the cold start HC emissions is studied. Based on the understanding obtained from these studies, strategies such as manifold heating and varying carburettor main jet nozzle diameter are implemented. These are observed to reduce emissions under both idling and varying load conditions.