Printed electrochromic flexible films were obtained by combining transparent silver grid electrodes formed by self-assembly and inkjet printed WO3 nanoparticles. Concd. dispersions of WO3 nanoparticles were inkjet printed on transparent plastic silver grid electrodes with a high transparency of 83% in the spectral range of 400-800 nm, and a low sheet resistance in the range of 1-5 Ω sq-1. These electrodes were used for electrochromic applications for the first time. The resultant patterned nanostructured electrochromic films maintained their coloring and bleaching performance after bending of the flexible films. [on SciFinder(R)]

A method for prepg. a novel bixbyite non-selective coating for solar thermal conversion is described. The coating is formed by a thermal reaction between a titania sol-gel precursor with a copper manganese spinel to form a new material, Cu0.44Ti0.44Mn0.84Fe0.28O3, with a bixbyite structure. The effect of temp. and ratio between the two components on the formation of the bixbyite layer (deposited on Inconel by spray-coating) was studied. The absorptance of the films (AM 1.5; 335-2500 nm) with a thickness of 10±2 μm after annealing at 2 h at 650 °C and 750 °C was 97.4% and 94.7%, resp. This synthesis represents a novel approach in which the final solar thermal coating is formed as a continuous and uniform layer which combines both the absorber and the ceramic binder. The developed material shows promising results for future applications as absorber in solar thermal energy conversion. [on SciFinder(R)]

Hybrid thin films composed of multilayer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(4-styrenesulfonic acid) (PEDOT:PSS) and W trioxide (WO3) were electrochem. deposited on In Sn oxide (ITO) from a 1-pot soln. using a square-wave galvanostatic method. The morphol. of the hybrid thin films could be easily manipulated to optimize their electrochromic properties by adjusting deposition conditions. In the hybrids, both components can be simultaneously switched to colored or bleached states. The hybrid film obtained with very short deposition times of PEDOT:PSS and WO3 in each cycle exhibits significantly enhanced electrochromic properties. The optical contrast of the hybrid film is higher than that of PEDOT:PSS or WO3 films of the same thickness. Also, the stability of the hybrid film is also drastically enhanced. The enhancement may be attributed to the favorable interactions between the two components, i.e., PEDOT:PSS may enter the defect sites in electrodeposited WO3, preventing surface-defect-induced anodic dissoln. during cycling, while the surface functional groups of WO3 may act as dopants to inhibit over-oxidn. of PEDOT, as well as the large interfacial area created using this unique 1-pot multilayer deposition method. [on SciFinder(R)]

This work reports a novel approach of patterning carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with scanning electrochem. microscopy (SECM). The concept is based on the localized cathodic current flux, which induces the pH increase on the conductive surface confined under the microelectrode. The latter facilitates the local deposition of silane sol-gel films, which embed the CNTs from the dispersion. The patterns can be tuned by deposition potential, time and scan rate of the microelectrode, as characterized by optical microscopy, SEM (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray anal. (EDX) and profilometry. [on SciFinder(R)]

Anisotropic CdS nanorods tipped by Au nanoparticles on one edge (Au-CdSNRs) are perpendicularly oriented at the air/water interface, whereby all the Au tips are located in the subphase, using the Langmuir-Blodgett technique. Since these nano-objects reveal light-induced charge sepn. at the semiconductor/metal interface, it is of high interest to control their organization. The orientation of these assemblies was studied in situ while compressing the Langmuir-Blodgett trough using the π-A isotherm, Brewster angle microscopy, and horizontal touch voltammetry. All these analyses clearly confirm the induced organization of the amphiphilic Au-CdS-NRs by compression of the Langmuir layer. The compressed layers are successfully transferred by the Langmuir-Schaefer method onto transmission electron microscopy grids while maintaining the preferential orientation as analyzed by TEM, SEM, STEM, and XPS. As far as can be detd., the Langmuir-Blodgett technique was not used so far for perpendicularly orienting anisotropic nano-objects. Moreover, these findings clearly demonstrate that anisotropic amphiphilic nano-objects can be treated with some similarity to the traditional amphiphilic mol. building blocks. [on SciFinder(R)]

Ti-6Al-4V alloy is the most commonly used alloy for dental and orthopedic implants. In order to improve osseointegration, different surface modification methods are usually employed, including self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). This study presents an investigation of both active (electroassisted) and passive (adsorption) approaches for the modification of Ti-6Al-4V using alkylphosphonic acid. The monolayers were characterized by cyclic voltammetry, double-layer capacitance, contact angle measurements, XPS, polarization modulation IR reflection adsorption spectroscopy, electrochem. impedance spectroscopy, and corrosion potentiodynamic polarization measurements. It is shown that the electrochem. assisted monolayers, which are assembled faster, exhibit better control over surface properties, a superior degree of order, and a somewhat higher packing d. The electrosorbed SAMs also exhibit better blockage of electron transfer across the interface and thus have better corrosion resistance. [on SciFinder(R)]

Ti-6Al-4V alloy is the most commonly used alloy for dental and orthopedic implants. In order to improve osseointegration, different surface modification methods are usually employed, including self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). This study presents an investigation of both active (electroassisted) and passive (adsorption) approaches for the modification of Ti-6Al-4V using alkylphosphonic acid. The monolayers were characterized by cyclic voltammetry, double-layer capacitance, contact angle measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, polarization modulation infrared reflection adsorption spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and corrosion potentiodynamic polarization measurements. It is shown that the electrochemically assisted monolayers, which are assembled faster, exhibit better control over surface properties, a superior degree of order, and a somewhat higher packing density. The electrosorbed SAMs also exhibit better blockage of electron transfer across the interface and thus have better corrosion resistance.[on SciFinder (R)]

Paint formulations having a high absorptivity with respect to solar radiation are described. The paint formulations are also thermally and mech. durable, enabling the paint formulations to be used on components in solar thermal applications where exposure to high temps. and environmental conditions may be an issue. The paint formulation can include an oxide-based pigment, an org. binder, >=1 additives, an inorg. filler, and/or an org. solvent. The pigment can have a relatively high absorptivity with respect to light having a wavelength in the range 250-3000 nm. Curing of the paint formulation can irreversibly convert the org. binder into an inorg. binder. [on SciFinder(R)]

A surface-localized enzymatic AND gate based on scanning electrochemical microscopy was designed and studied. The gate is composed of an insulating glass surface modified with the enzyme glucose oxidase (GOx) and another surface opposing it made of a microelectrode. The latter was modified with a second enzyme, invertase (INV). The distance separating the modified microelectrode and surface controlled the output of the AND gate produced upon the biocatalytic reaction of the confined enzymes. Specifically, as the GOx-modified glass substrate entered the diffusion layer of the microelectrode, it catalyzed the regeneration of an electron-transfer mediator, ferroceniummethanol, generated electrochemically at the tip by oxidizing glucose, also generated at the tip, by catalytic cleaving of sucrose by INV. To enhance the activity of the GOx, mutarotase was added to convert α- to β-glucose to be further consumed by GOx. Hence, an increase of the current at the microelectrode was obtained by approaching the glass surface only in the presence of all the components. This is the first micrometer-sized biomolecular logic gate, of which we are aware, that is surface-confined and shows the promise held by the localization of biomolecular information-processing species.[on SciFinder (R)]

A surface-localized enzymic AND gate based on scanning electrochem. microscopy was designed and studied. The gate is composed of an insulating glass surface modified with the enzyme glucose oxidase (GOx) and another surface opposing it made of a microelectrode. The latter was modified with a second enzyme, invertase (INV). The distance sepg. the modified microelectrode and surface controlled the output of the AND gate produced upon the biocatalytic reaction of the confined enzymes. Specifically, as the GOx-modified glass substrate entered the diffusion layer of the microelectrode, it catalyzed the regeneration of an electron-transfer mediator, ferroceniummethanol, generated electrochem. at the tip by oxidizing glucose, also generated at the tip, by catalytic cleaving of sucrose by INV. To enhance the activity of the GOx, mutarotase was added to convert α- to β-glucose to be further consumed by GOx. Hence, an increase of the current at the microelectrode was obtained by approaching the glass surface only in the presence of all the components. This is the first micrometer-sized biomol. logic gate, of which the authors are aware, that is surface-confined and shows the promise held by the localization of biomol. information-processing species. [on SciFinder(R)]