Polypyrrole Polyethylene Composite for Controllable Linear Actuators in Different Organic Electrolytes

Controllable linear actuation of polypyrrole (PPy) is the envisaged goal where only one ion dominates direction (here anions) in reversible redox cycles. PPy with polyethylene oxide (PEO) doped with dodecylbenzenesulfonate forms PPy-PEO/DBS films (PPy-PEO), which are applied in propylene carbonate (PC) solvent with electrolytes such as 1-ethyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate (EDMICF3SO3), sodium perchlorate (NaClO4) and tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphate (TBAPF6) and compared in their linear actuation properties with pristine PPy/DBS samples. PPy-PEO showed for all applied electrolytes that only expansion at oxidation appeared in cyclic voltammetric studies, while pristine PPy/DBS had mixed-ion actuation in all electrolytes. The electrolyte TBAPF6-PC revealed for PPy-PEO best results with 18% strain (PPy/DBS had 8.5% strain), 2 times better strain rates, 1.8 times higher electronic conductivity, 1.4 times higher charge densities and 1.5 times higher diffusion coefficients in comparison to PPy/DBS. Long-term measurements up to 1000 cycles at 0.1 Hz revealed strain over 4% for PPy-PEO linear actuators, showing that combination of PPy/DBS with PEO gives excellent material for artificial muscle-like applications envisaged for smart textiles and soft robotics. FTIR and Raman spectroscopy confirmed PEO content in PPy. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) of PPy samples revealed 1.3 times higher ion conductivity of PPy-PEO films in PC solvent. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to investigate morphologies of PPy samples, and EDX spectroscopy was conducted to determine ion contents of oxidized/reduced films.

Newton’s Third Law in the Framework of Special Relativity for Charged Bodies Part 2: Preliminary Analysis of a Nano Relativistic Motor

(1) Background: In a recent paper discussing Newton’s third law in the framework of special relativity for charged bodies, it was suggested that one can construct a practical relativistic motor provided high enough charge and current densities are available. As on the macroscopic scale charge density is limited by the phenomena of dielectric breakdown, it was suggested to take advantage of the high charge densities which are available on the microscopic scale. (2) Methods: We use standard physical theories such as Maxwell electrodynamics and quantum mechanics, supplemented by tools from vector analysis and numerics. (3) Results: We show that a hydrogen atom either in the ground state or excited state will not produce a relativistic engine effect, but by breaking the symmetry or putting the electron in a wave packet state may produce relativistic motor effect. (4) Conclusions: A highly localized wave packet will produce a strong relativistic motor effect. The preliminary analysis of the current paper suggests new promising directions of research both theoretical and experimental.

Performance of Reduced Titanium Oxide and Boron Doped Diamond as anodes in hyperthermophilic bioelectrochemical systems

This work investigates Reduced Titanium Oxide (RTO) in comparison with Carbon Cloth (CC) and commercial Boron Doped Diamond (BDD) as anodes in hyperthermophilic bioelectrochemical systems operating at 80°C by Thermotoga neapolitana. Two samples of RTO were synthesized by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) of titanium plates and subsequent electrochemical reduction. Electrochemical performance of CC, BDD, and RTO are tested by performing cyclic voltammetry in the anodic region (0-1V, 50 mV/s), in abiotic and biotic conditions. The surface of colonized materials is observed by SEM microscopy. Results show that bacteria fast settle on all tested material, significantly affecting their electrochemical conductivity. The integration of voltammetric cycles reveals that biofilm generates capacitive effects on the anodic surfaces, particularly evident in RTO, less in CC and absent in BDD. Charge densities provided by capacitive response of RTO and CC are of the order of 5.58 and 0.77 mC/cm2, respectively.

Preliminary Analysis of a Nano Relativistic Motor

In a recent paper discussing Newton’s third law in the framework of special relativity for charged bodies, it was suggested that one can construct a practical relativistic motor provided high enough charge and current densities are available. As on the macroscopic scale charge density is limited by the phenomena of dielectric breakdown, it was suggested to take advantage of the high charge densities which are available on the microscopic scale. A preliminary analysis of this option denoted "nano relativistic scale" is studied in the current paper.

Computational studies on Emodin (C15H10O5) from Methanol extract of Pteridium acquilinum leaves

This research isolates, characterizes, and studies the computational and frequency calculations of emodin, extracted from the leaf extract of Pteridium acquilinum leaves using methanol. Vacuum liquid and tin layer Chromatography was used for the purification of the molecule. The (VLC purified), fraction was analyzed by Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and the chemical structure of the compound isolated (anthraquinone), was confirmed by 1H & 13C-NMR analyses as emodin (C15H10O5). Computational and frequency studies have been done on the isolated molecule. Optimized geometry, IR frequencies, Bond distances (R) and angles (A), Dipole moments and other parameters have been computationally determined for the isolated molecule from quantum chemical calculations using the GAUSSIAN 09 retinue programs. Experimentally determined and computationally measured IR frequencies agree perfectly with each other. Computational studies can be used to predict unobserved chemical phenomena like design of new drugs and materials such as the positions of constituent atoms in relationship to their relative and absolute energies, electronic charge densities, dipoles, higher multiple moments, vibrational frequencies, relativity or other spectroscopic quantities and cross sections for collision with other molecules. This is the first time this anthraquinone, [emodin], with most of the parameters examined is reported from P. aquilinum.

Facile and Sustainable Modification for Improving the Adsorption Ability of Sugarcane Bagasse Towards Cationic Organic Pollutants

Using low-cost agro-industrial wastes and by-products derived from lignocellulosic biomass for adsorption is believed to an affordable and sustainable way to tackle the burning issue of cationic pollution in the marine, while its relatively low adsorption capability limits its large-scale application. Chemical modifications to improve the adsorption abilities of lignocellulosic biomass usually has problems such as long reaction time, high operational cost, rigorous reaction conditions (high temperature and pressure) as well as the second pollution. In this study, a green, rapid, simple, and mild method was developed by using ozone to improve the adsorption abilities of sugarcane bagasse (SB). The effects of ozone modification on the SB and its related adsorption abilities towards cationic polymers were quantitatively investigated. Results showed that ozone modification under very low ozone consumption (~ 1.5 wt%) could efficiently increase the carboxyl groups, change the chemical compositions of SB, and does not significantly change its morphology, thereby ensuring the good recovery and adsorption performance of SB. The maximum adsorption rate and capacity of SB for positively charged methylene blue (MB) were increased about 33.3% and 11.3% than the original SB. Besides, ozone modified SB maintained its high adsorption capability even at high NaCl concentration (0.6 M). For cationic polymer with high charge densities, the adsorption capacity of milled SB increased about 125.4%.

Improving Deep Brain Stimulation Electrode Performance in vivo Through Use of Conductive Hydrogel Coatings

Active implantable neurological devices like deep brain stimulators have been used over the past few decades to treat movement disorders such as those in people with Parkinson’s disease and more recently, in psychiatric conditions like obsessive compulsive disorder. Electrode-tissue interfaces that support safe and effective targeting of specific brain regions are critical to success of these devices. Development of directional electrodes that activate smaller volumes of brain tissue requires electrodes to operate safely with higher charge densities. Coatings such as conductive hydrogels (CHs) provide lower impedances and higher charge injection limits (CILs) than standard platinum electrodes and support safer application of smaller electrode sizes. The aim of this study was to examine the chronic in vivo performance of a new low swelling CH coating that supports higher safe charge densities than traditional platinum electrodes. A range of hydrogel blends were engineered and their swelling and electrical performance compared. Electrochemical performance and stability of high and low swelling formulations were compared during insertion into a model brain in vitro and the formulation with lower swelling characteristics was chosen for the in vivo study. CH-coated or uncoated Pt electrode arrays were implanted into the brains of 14 rats, and their electrochemical performance was tested weekly for 8 weeks. Tissue response and neural survival was assessed histologically following electrode array removal. CH coating resulted in significantly lower voltage transient impedance, higher CIL, lower electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and higher charge storage capacity compared to uncoated Pt electrodes in vivo, and this advantage was maintained over the 8-week implantation. There was no significant difference in evoked potential thresholds, signal-to-noise ratio, tissue response or neural survival between CH-coated and uncoated Pt groups. The significant electrochemical advantage and stability of CH coating in the brain supports the suitability of this coating technology for future development of smaller, higher fidelity electrode arrays with higher charge density requirement.

A diffusion Monte Carlo method for charge density on a conducting surface at non-constant potentials

We develop a last-passage Monte Carlo algorithm on a conducting surface at non-constant potentials. In the previous researches, last-passage Monte Carlo algorithms on conducting surfaces with a constant potential have been developed for charge density at a specific point or on a finite region and a hybrid BIE-WOS algorithm for charge density on a conducting surface at non-constant potentials. In the hybrid BIE-WOS algorithm, they used a deterministic method for the contribution from the lower non-constant potential surface. In this paper, we modify the hybrid BIE-WOS algorithm to a last-passage Monte Carlo algorithm on a conducting surface at non-constant potentials, where we can avoid the singularities on the non-constant potential surface very naturally. We demonstrate the last-passage Monte Carlo algorithm for charge densities on a circular disk and the four rectangle plates with a simple voltage distribution, and update the corner singularities on the unit square plate and cube.

First-Principles Study of Bi-Doping Effects in Hg0.75Cd0.25Te

First-principles calculations based on density functional theory have been performed for exploring the structural and electronic properties of Bi-doped Hg0.75Cd0.25Te (MCT), using the state-of-the-art computational method with the Heyd–Scuseria–Ernzerhof (HSE) of hybrid functional to correct the band gap. Structural relaxations, charge densities, electron localization functions (ELFs), density of states (DOSs), band structures, and band decomposed charge density were obtained to reveal the amphoteric behavior of Bi in Hg0.75Cd0.25Te. The bonding characteristics between Bi and host atoms were discussed by analyzing charge densities and ELFs. The influence of Bi impurity on the electronic structure of Bi-doped Hg0.75Cd0.25Te was also analyzed by the calculated DOSs, band structures, and the band decomposed charge density of the defect band. It has been demonstrated that Bi can show a typical amphoteric substitution effect of group V elements.