Homogeneous Surface Research Articles

Ultra-Slippery Hydrophilic Surfaces by Hybrid Monolayers.

Slippery solid surfaces with low droplet contact angle hysteresis (CAH) are crucial for applications in thermal management, energy harvesting, and environmental remediation. Traditionally, reducing CAH has been achieved by enhancing surface homogeneity. This work challenges this conventional approach by developing slippery yet hydrophilic surfaces through hybrid monolayers composed of hydrophilic polyethylene glycol (PEG)-silane and hydrophobic alkyl-silane molecules. These hybrid surfaces exhibited exceptionally low CAH (<2°), outperforming well-established homogeneous slippery surfaces. Molecular structural analyses suggested that the remarkable slipperiness is due to a unique spatially staggered molecular configuration, where longer PEG chains shield shorter alkyl chains, thus creating additional free volume while ensuring surface coverage. This was supported by the observation of decreased CAH with increasing temperature, highlighting the role of grafted chain mobility in enhancing slipperiness by self-smoothing and fluid-like behaviors. Furthermore, condensation experiments demonstrated the exceptional performance of the hydrophilic slippery surfaces in dew harvesting due to superior condensation nucleation, droplet coalescence, and self-sweeping efficiency. These findings offer a novel paradigm for designing advanced slippery surfaces and provide valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms governing dynamic wetting.

Waste refractory brick material added chitosan/oxidized pullulan complex gel production and removal of heavy metals from waste water

Wastewater is a by-product of numerous industrial processes that have been demonstrated to have adverse effects on human and natural health due to the pollutants it contains. The pollutants in these substances are organic or inorganic molecules and heavy metal ions that significantly harm the environment and human health. A variety of techniques have been devised for the removal of heavy metal ions from wastewater. The adsorption process has attracted significant attention due to its straightforward implementation, cost-effectiveness, and the environmentally friendly production of adsorbent materials using biocompatible substances. In this study, the removal of Cu2+ ions from wastewater was conducted using chitosan pullulan, a biocompatible and biodegradable polymer. In addition to chitosan and pullulan, waste refractory materials from a furnace used in iron and steel production were added to these polymer materials to increase the adsorption capacity. The initial step involved grinding the waste refractory brick material. Subsequently, chitosan was dissolved in acetic acid. After that, the refractory material was suspended in this solution, facilitating the formation of hydrogel beads using a NaOH solution. The obtained hydrogels were coated with pullulan to produce polyelectrolyte gel. Pullulan was oxidized to 6-carboxypullulan by the TEMPO (2,2,6,6-Tetramethylpiperidin-1-yl)oxyl) oxidation method and the negatively charged groups in its structure interacted with the positively charged groups in the chitosan structure to produce a complex gel. The chemical structure, morphological analysis, thermal analysis, and water release analysis of the produced waste refractory brick material added chitosan/oxidized pullulan complex gels were examined. The impact of the 6-carboxypullulan coating on the gels’ properties was elucidated. Furthermore, the adsorption of Cu2⁺ was conducted using solutions containing 100, 500, and 1000 ppm Cu2⁺ ions. It has been observed that the material can clean water with over 98% efficiency, even in solutions that exceed the standards set for wastewater. The material’s efficacy in cleaning solutions with concentrations above the standard for wastewater cleaning is evidence of its high performance. Furthermore, the kinetics and isotherm of the adsorption reaction were examined. The kinetics were determined to be consistent with the Pseudo Second Order (chemical reaction controlled) and aligned with the Langmuir and Freundlich Isotherm (mixed adsorption occurred on homogeneous and heterogeneous surfaces).

Exploring the potential of CdSe nanostructured thin films for energy conversion and environmental remediation

Abstract The rapid thermal evaporation method was employed to prepare cadmium selenide (CdSe) nanostructured thin films with varying thicknesses on glass and FTO substrates. The films were characterized for their structural, optical, and electrochemical properties. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis revealed inhomogeneous surfaces with particle sizes ranging from 18 to 46 nm. The photocatalytic performance of the CdSe films was evaluated by the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye under visible light, with varying pH values, achieving a degradation efficiency of 100 % at pH 10 after 180 minutes. Photocurrent density measurements demonstrated the films' ability to sense visible light. We performed a cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurement and analyzed the CV curves of the CdSe nanostructured thin film electrodes. It clearly shows that the CV curves had a rectangular shape, which suggests that EDLC behavior was present and non-faradaic capacitance was the main type. The photoconversion efficiency measured is 1.4858 at a bias voltage of 0.66 V under illuminated conditions. Nonlinear optical properties were conducted for CdSe nanostructured thin films.

Vapor Nucleation on Hybrid-Wetting Nanoconvex Surfaces: The Competition between Intrinsic Wettability and Topography.

Hybrid-wetting surfaces with hydrophilic spots reduced from the micrometer to nanometer scale have been confirmed to enhance vapor nucleation while simultaneously minimizing droplet pinning. Given that surface topography also plays a critical role in influencing nucleation characteristics, the effect of competition between intrinsic wettability and topography on nucleation remains unclear when both surface topography and hydrophilic regions approach the critical nucleation size. This work investigated vapor nucleation on two types of hybrid-wetting nanoconvex surfaces. On random hybrid-wetting convex surfaces, the most negative potential energy sites were located at the sides of the convex structures, leading vapor to preferentially nucleate at these locations, consistent with observations on homogeneous surfaces. Despite similar average potential energy values across the surface, wettability variations in hydrophilic and hydrophobic atoms significantly alter the surface energy distribution. As the wettability difference between hydrophilic and hydrophobic atoms increases, stronger hydrophilic atoms generate relatively higher local energy regions, promoting vapor rapid nucleation. The edge effect still exists at a hydrophilic atom ratio of 10%, and competition among hydrophilic spots impedes vapor nucleation and growth. However, when the ratio increases to 40%, the increased surface average potential energy promotes the probability of vapor contacting the surface, leading to rapid vapor nucleation on the sides of the convex structures. In addition, surface potential energy analysis and the Monte Carlo method revealed that nucleation locations on nanoconvex surfaces are governed by the competition between intrinsic wettability and topography. When the magnitude of the potential energy generated by the hydrophilic atoms exceeds that from the topography, stronger solid-liquid interactions at the top of the convex structure increase the likelihood of vapor contacting the surface, resulting in nucleation at the top. Conversely, when the magnitude of the potential energy generated by hydrophilic atoms is lower than that from topography, nucleation preferentially still occurs on the sides.

Na3Zr2Si2PO12-Polymer Composite Electrolyte for Solid State Sodium Batteries.

The integration of the flexibility of organic polymer electrolyte and high ionic conductivity of the ceramic electrolyte is attempted in search of efficient and safer battery. Composite solid polymer electrolyte (CSPE) provides high ionic conductivity with a sustainable thin film of electrolyte having the synergistic effect of ionic liquid and active inorganic filler. The CSPE is synthesized by the solution cast technique using Na3Zr2Si2PO12 (NZSP) as ceramic and poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) with Salt-Ionic liquid as polymer electrolyte. X-ray diffraction (XRD) of CSPE includes amorphous nature due to the polymer part as well as crystalline peaks of ceramic NZSP, simultaneously. The prepared CSPE sample shows homogeneous and interconnected surface morphology is observed by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) shows electrolyte is thermally stable up to 200 °C and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) reveals decrease in degree of crystallinity due to NZSP addition in the CSPE. By complex impedance spectroscopy (CIS), room temperature ionic conductivity of the prepared CSPE is found ~1.03 mS/cm. The dielectric behaviour of the prepared electrolyte is also studied to investigate the ion dynamics within the sample. The cationic transference number is 0.53 and the electrochemical stability window (ESW) of the CSPE is 4.9 V which is suitable for sodium solid-state batteries applications.

Adaptable Plasmonic Membrane Sensors for Fast and Reliable Detection of Trace Low-Micrometer Microplastics in Lake Water.

In freshwater environments, low-micrometer microplastics (LMMPs) have captured significant attention due to their prevalence and toxicity. Yet, rapid detection of LMMPs (1-10 μm) at the single-particle level within complex freshwater matrices remains a hurdle. We developed an adaptable plasmonic membrane sensor for fast detection of individual LMMPs in eutrophic lake waters. The plasmonic membrane sensor functions both as a membrane filter and as a sensor for LMMP collection and analysis. Among the four types of membrane sensors, polycarbonate track-etch (PCTE) membrane sensors exhibit superior imaging quality for LMMPs due to their flat and homogeneous surfaces. Besides the significantly improved imaging contrast and reduced background interferences, the Raman intensity of LMMPs is enhanced by 48% ± 25% on PCTE membrane sensors compared to unmodified membranes. The increased Raman intensities of a chemical probe with an increasing gold layer thickness and a decreasing membrane pore size suggest a surface-enhanced Raman scattering effect from the membrane sensors. The membrane sensors achieve a detection limit of 1 μg/L and an ultrafast scanning time of 0.01 s for individual LMMPs across natural eutrophic lake water. The developed membrane sensors offer an adaptable tool for the swift and reliable detection of individual LMMPs in complex environmental matrices.

Olive pomace upcycling: Eco-friendly production of cellulose nanofibers by enzymatic hydrolysis and application in starch films.

Olive pomace (OP) waste, produced in large quantities, contains significant amounts of cellulose and fibers, making it a valuable resource for developing reinforcing ingredients in biodegradable packaging materials. This study aimed to produce nanofibers from OP using enzymatic hydrolysis with hemicellulases and cellulases, and to incorporate these nanofibers into starch films as a reinforcing agent. Cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) were prepared by alkaline pretreatment followed by enzymatic hydrolysis (with hemicellulases and cellulases) from olive pomace and applied as reinforcement in starch films in concentrations of 0.5%-5% (w/v). The nanofibers were analyzed according to composition, structural, and thermal properties. The nanofibers' suspension presented a cloudy and white color in aqueous suspension, the X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed the increase of crystallinity, and the fibers' range was no wider than 100nm (according to Scherer equation). The composition analysis showed the decrease of carbonyl groups of hemicellulose and lignin. The starch films presented a homogenous surface. The solubility from these biodegradable films significantly reduced after the incorporation of CNF, and the nanomaterial's presence improved the degradation temperature (from 310°C to 322°C) and the mechanical resistance because the tension of rupture increased from 3.79 to 6.21MPa. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The utilization of waste from the olive pomace for cellulose nanofiber production holds promise, given the nanofibers' ability to readily integrate into various materials, including starches used in biodegradable film production. Within these matrices, nanofibers act as structure reinforcers and significantly reduce the solubility of films. Although biodegradable films ensure the shelf life, safety, and quality of food, their properties currently do not match those of traditional petroleum-based materials at an industrial scale, indicating a need for further enhancement.

Optimization of parameters for the preparation of AlN powder/thin films by tris(N,N,n’,n’-tetramethylethylenediamine) al(III) chloride precursor

The single source precursor tris(N,N,N’,N’-tetramethylethylenediamine)Al(III)Cl3 has been synthesized by the reaction of N,N,N’,N’-tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA) with AlCl3 in 3:1 molar ratio in ethanol. The precursor is stable for long periods of time and cleanly generated aluminum nitride upon pyrolysis. The pyrolysis process was optimized by varying parameters such as temperature, pressure, and the flow rate of gases (N2 and Ar). Thin films of AlN were prepared by spin coating the precursor onto Si(100) and quartz substrates followed by pyrolysis under optimized CVD conditions obtained from bulk pyrolysis. Pyrolyzed powders and films were characterized with a variety of techniques. X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed 8.5 nm grain size with a dominant 220 orientation. UV-Vis spectroscopy indicated a band gap for the AlN films of ∼5.7 eV, which is close to bulk AlN (6.1 eV). FESEM showed a smooth and homogeneous film surface and EDAX showed a 1.4:1 ratio of Al:N, respectively.

Effects of Homogeneous and Inhomogeneous Roughness on the Ship Resistance

Ship hull roughness can significantly increase the ship resistance. The roughness caused by biofouling attached to the ship hull is not uniform but has a random distribution. The purpose of this study is to investigate how the inhomogeneous surface roughness distribution affects the ship resistance and the various resistance components. The KRISO container ship (KCS) is considered as a case study. To model the inhomogeneous surface roughness, the ship hull is divided into three segments with equal wetted surface area. Combinations of three roughness heights, denoted as P, Q, and R with ks values of 125 μm, 269 μm, and 425 μm, respectively, are considered to obtain homogeneous and inhomogeneous roughness arrangements (PPP, QQQ, RRR, PQR, PRQ, QPR, QRP, RPQ, and RQP). CFD method is utilized in this study, utilizing RANS equations and k-ω SST turbulence model. A VoF method is used to model the free surface. CFD simulation results show that for the homogeneous roughness, the total resistance coefficient CT increases with increasing ks (PPP &lt; QQQ &lt; RRR), as expected. For the inhomogeneous roughness, the friction resistance coefficient CF increases in the order PQR &lt; PRQ &lt; QPR &lt; QRP &lt; RPQ &lt; RQP, consistent with results from earlier studies. In all the cases, the friction resistance (CF) is the dominant component of the total resistance. As Re increases from 2.2 x 109 to 2.7 x 109, the percentage of the friction resistance decreases, while the percentage of the wave resistance increases. The viscous-pressure resistance decreases slightly as Re increases from 2.2 x 109 to 2.7 x 109.

Special homogeneous surfaces

Abstract We classify hyperbolic polynomials in two real variables that admit a transitive action on some component of their hyperbolic level sets. Such surfaces are called special homogeneous surfaces, and they are equipped with a natural Riemannian metric obtained by restricting the negative Hessian of their defining polynomial. Independent of the degree of the polynomials, there exist a finite number of special homogeneous surfaces. They are either flat, or have constant negative curvature.

Efficacy of Sodium Fluoride and Fluoridated Calcium Phosphate in Mitigating Dental Erosion on Human Enamel: An In Vitro Analysis.

With increasing prevalence of dental erosion, this study explores the protective role of traditional fluoride-based products and newer formulations on eroded enamel. To assess the protective effectiveness of casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate fluoride (CPP-ACPF) and sodium fluoride (NaF) on human enamel against erosion using surface microhardness (SMH) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses. Ten extracted human third molars were sectioned to obtain 40 enamel sections and randomly assigned into four groups (n = 10) and treated as follows: G1 (Sound Enamel), G2 (Erosive Challenge), G3 (CPP-ACPF + Erosive Challenge), and G4 (NaF + Erosive Challenge). All samples were subjected to Vicker's SMH analysis, while changes in surface morphology and elemental composition were validated in few representative samples using FTIR and SEM, respectively. Paired samples test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Tukey HSD test were performed using SPSS software version 23 setting P value < 0.05 as statistically significant. The mean SMH1 values for the experimental groups G3 and G4 were significantly higher (426.58VHN and 455.83VHN) when compared to G1 (P = 0.000) and G2 (P = 0.000). In SEM analysis, G2 showed eroded honeycomb appearance compared to the smooth homogenous surface of G1, while both G3 and G4 showed deposition of some precipitates. FTIR analysis revealed that in G3 and G4, a characteristic peak of phosphate vibrations between 528 and 823 cm-1 and carbonate bands at 845-932 cm-1 was observed. Both CPP-ACPF and NaF demonstrated a protective effect on enamel against erosive challenge by an orange juice-based beverage.

Treatment of turbine blades in electric power stations by adding nano oxides to the matrix material (Al80-Ni20)

Abstract A base material of Al80-Ni20 was used and mixed with variable proportions of Nano chromium oxide (Cr2O3) at percentages of 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10%, as well as with Nano magnesium oxide (MgO) at percentages of 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10%. These mixtures were then applied using the thermal spraying method with a flame. This particular method is commonly used for repairing cracks and protecting turbine blades in electric power stations from external corrosion. However, it is important to note that this method may face challenges when exposed to high-temperature water vapour, salts and other working conditions experienced by turbine blades. Samples were prepared by thermally sintering the coating at 1000 °C for two hours. Various measurements were performed to assess the structural properties using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), as well as other physical tests such as porosity, hardness, adhesion strength and frictional wear. The SEM analysis revealed that the presence of 10% Cr2O3 resulted in a surface that was uniformly free from external defects, whereas the addition of MgO led to a less homogeneous surface. The physical data obtained indicated a preference for Cr2O3, as evidenced by the porosity results (4.5%) observed after thermal sintering at 10%, as well as the hardness (193 HV), adhesion strength (40 MPa) and wear (2.90 × 10−5 g cm−1) measurements. Moreover, the analyses of the properties of MgO under the same conditions included porosity (10%), hardness (155 HV), adhesion strength (35 MPa) and wear (5.50 × 10−5 g cm−1).

Jicama (Pachyrhizus spp.), a nonconventional starch: Effects of citric acid and heat−moisture treatment on properties of starch and its application in film

AbstractBackground and ObjectivesThis study investigated the effects of citric acid (CA) and heat–moisture treatment (HMT) on the properties of jicama starch (JS). Furthermore, it explores the potential of modified jicama starch for film preparation.FindingsThe amylose content of the JS increases after HMT and decreases for CA‐modified starch. CA and HMT modification lowered the swelling power, solubility, peak viscosity, breakdown viscosity, final viscosity, setback viscosity, and crystallinity percentage compared to the native JS. After modification, there was an increase in the transition and pasting temperature of JS. The strong peak for the control and treated JS was observed at around 1008 cm−1 wavenumber in the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. SEM showed the overlapping and clusters of the granules in all the modified JS. Modified JS‐based film significantly affects the water solubility, barrier, and mechanical properties of film. The film's SEM showed that the CA‐ and HMT‐modified films had more homogeneous surfaces than the native JS film.ConclusionsHMT and CA modification significantly impacted JS properties and improved the film properties for further application.Significance and NoveltyThis study's findings will facilitate selecting an appropriate treatment to enhance the properties of JS for applications in food formulation and sustainable packaging.

Point-Spread Function Deformations Unlock 3D Localization Microscopy on Spherical Nanoparticles.

Nanoparticles (NPs) have proven their applicability in biosensing, drug delivery, and photothermal therapy, but their performance depends critically on the distribution and number of functional groups on their surface. When studying surface functionalization using super-resolution microscopy, the NP modifies the fluorophore's point-spread function (PSF). This leads to systematic mislocalizations in conventional analyses employing Gaussian PSFs. Here, we address this shortcoming by deriving the analytical PSF model for a fluorophore near a spherical NP. Its calculation is four orders of magnitude faster than numerical approaches and thus feasible for direct use in localization algorithms. We fit this model to individual 2D images from DNA-PAINT experiments on DNA-coated gold NPs and demonstrate extraction of the 3D positions of functional groups with <5 nm precision, revealing inhomogeneous surface coverage. Our method is exact, fast, accessible, and poised to become the standard in super-resolution imaging of NPs for biosensing and drug delivery applications.

ASPECTS OF SURFACE ENAMEL MINERALIZATION IN PERMANENT TEETH OF CHILDREN FROM DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS

The purpose of our study was the examination of external surface enamel mineralization in permanent teeth of children from different age groups. We examined sections of 50 extracted for orthodontic indications premolars in patients from different age groups. A study of 16 teeth was conducted in 11-13 years old children, 8 teeth were investigated in each group of 13-15 years old, as well as 9 teeth in 15-16-year-old patients. All patients were appointed with remineralization therapy during the first six months after tooth eruption fallowed by application of “Tooth Mousse” ones a day for 2 weeks every six months with appropriate monitoring. The comparison group, on the other hand, consisted from extracted teeth taken from children who were not subjected to any preventive remineralization measures. The distribution by age and the studied material was identical to the main group. Segmentation of the teeth was carried out after the tooth extraction with separation of the crown structure and further polishing of the crown using polishing brushes without pastes. Sections 0.3-0.5 mm thick were formed with a diamond disc. The enamel samples were cleaned and degreased and then examined in a polarizing microscope (Optika B-150POL-B 40x-640x Bino) at a magnification in 500 times. The description of the enamel microscopic surface was carried out according to the following parameters: surface heterogeneity, surface opaqueness/shininess, surface roughness/smoothness. The surface homogeneity was assessed by calculating the ratio of identified surface areas that visually differed from the overall enamel texture, which was characteristic of the predominant investigated surface enamel. There were criteria for evaluating the enamel surface heterogeneity according to the research data in a polarizing microscope : the presence of numerous well-defined cracks, the visualization and number of areas from which the enamel prisms extend, the presence and number of enamel surface irregularities confirmed by a change in the direction of the light beam, the percentage of surface homogeneity, which was calculated as the ratio of the area of ​​the visually homogeneous enamel surface to the area with ​​any microscopically detected changes. To assess the opacity of the enamel surface by the microscopic polarization study, the criteria of visual assessment of shiny and dark areas of interest were used. The study suggested that microscopic changes are characterized by a decrease of total number in enamel surface irregularities and an increase of its glossiness and smoothness at the approach of structural compositional stabilization at 15-16 years. The analysis also revealed that there were marked microscopic differences observed in enamel of 15-16 years old after remineralization with the "Tooth Mousse" gel and a comparison group (without remineralization therapy).The difference between them is reliable (p&lt;0.01) according to the indicators of the relative average level of surface heterogeneity, and also statistically different from similar indicators that were registered in the age groups 11-13 and 13-15 years old (p&lt;0.01). The gained results can be considered as the expediency grounds for implementation of dental caries prevention at the early stages of secondary mineralization (immediately after eruption) and throughout the entire period of its intensive phase, which will further contribute to the stabilization of the caries-resistant enamel.

Homogenized contact in all-perovskite tandems using tailored 2D perovskite.

The fabrication of scalable all-perovskite tandem solar cells is considered an attractive route to commercialize perovskite photovoltaic modules1. However, The certified efficiency of 1-cm2 scale all-perovskite tandem solar cells lags behind their small-area (~0.1 cm2) counterparts2,3. This performance deficit originates from inhomogeneity in wide-bandgap (WBG) perovskite solar cells (PSCs) at a large scale. The inhomogeneity is known to be introduced at the bottom interface and within the perovskite bulk itself4,5. Here we uncover another crucial source for the inhomogeneity - the top interface formed during the deposition of the electron transport layer (ETL, C60). Meanwhile, the poor ETL interface is also a significant limitation of device performance. We address this issue by introducing a mixture of 4-fluorophenethylamine (F-PEA) and 4-trifluoromethyl-phenylammonium (CF3-PA) to create a tailored two-dimensional perovskite layer (TTDL), in which F-PEA forms a two-dimensional perovskite at the surface reducing contact losses and inhomogeneity, CF3-PA enhances charge extraction and transport. As a result, we demonstrate a high open-circuit voltage of 1.35 V and an efficiency of 20.5% in 1.77-eV WBG PSCs at a square centimeter scale. By stacking with a narrow-bandgap perovskite sub-cell, we report 1.05 cm2 all-perovskite tandem cells delivering 28.5% (certified 28.2%) efficiency, the highest among all reported so far. Our work showcases the importance of treating the top perovskite/ETL contact for upscaling perovskite solar cells.

Fabrication of thiosemicarbazide-modified biochar/carrageenan composite beads based on Eichhornia crassipes for effective removal of Pb (II) from aqueous medium

Several biomasses have been applied as environmentally friendly substitutes to produce biochar, which can be utilized to remediate effluents that contain inorganic chemicals. This study applied water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) as a foundation source for the assembly of thiosemicarbazide-modified biochar (BC), which then was modified with potassium carrageenan (KC). Thiosemicarbazide-modified biochar (BC), potassium carrageenan (KC), and thiosemicarbazide-modified biochar/carrageenan composite beads (BKC) were described by several physicochemical methods. The adsorption of Pb (II) onto the three solid adsorbents was investigated under various experimental conditions. The BKC composite beads revealed a surface area of 687.43 m2/g and a mesoporous structure. The best adsorption conditions were found to be 25 min as an equilibrium time, 1.2 g/L of adsorbent dose, and a solution pH of 5 at a temperature of 15 °C. The pseudo-second-order, Elovich kinetic models, Langmuir, and Temkin isotherms were well familiar to the experimental data, inferring that the progression was physical monolayer adsorption onto the homogenous surface. The highest capacity of Pb (II) adsorption onto BKC was 460.45 mg/g at 15 °C. Thermodynamic measurements proved that adsorption was a spontaneous process and endothermic in the case of BC and BKC while exothermic for KC. Furthermore, BKC showed high reusability conditions.

Adaptive infrared patterns for microscopic surface reconstructions.

Multi-zoom microscopic surface reconstructions of operating sites, especially in ENT surgeries, would allow multimodal image fusion for determining the amount of resected tissue, for recognizing critical structures, and novel tools for intraoperative quality assurance. State-of-the-art three-dimensional model creation of the surgical scene is challenged by the surgical environment, illumination, and the homogeneous structures of skin, muscle, bones, etc., that lack invariant features for stereo reconstruction. An adaptive near-infrared pattern projector illuminates the surgical scene with optimized patterns to yield accurate dense multi-zoom stereoscopic surface reconstructions. The approach does not impact the clinical workflow. The new method is compared to state-of-the-art approaches and is validated by determining its reconstruction errors relative to a high-resolution 3D-reconstruction of CT data. 200 surface reconstructions were generated for 5 zoom levels with 10 reconstructions for each object illumination method (standard operating room light, microscope light, random pattern and adaptive NIR pattern). For the adaptive pattern, the surface reconstruction errors ranged from 0.5 to 0.7 mm, as compared to 1-1.9 mm for the other approaches. The local reconstruction differences are visualized in heat maps. Adaptive near-infrared (NIR) pattern projection in microscopic surgery allows dense and accurate microscopic surface reconstructions for variable zoom levels of small and homogeneous surfaces. This could potentially aid in microscopic interventions at the lateral skull base and potentially open up new possibilities for combining quantitative intraoperative surface reconstructions with preoperative radiologic imagery.

Influence of modeling conditions on the estimation of the dry deposition velocity of aerosols on highly inhomogeneous surfaces

An approach to estimating the dry deposition velocity of aerosol particles on the surfaces of Arctic regions, where snow-covered surfaces, open water surface, tundra and coniferous forest predominate, is proposed and numerically investigated. Optimal modeling conditions are proposed, taking into account the characteristic sizes and densities of aerosol particles involved in transport in the planetary boundary layer, and the interaction of air flows with the surface through the parameter u*, calculated using the WRF-ARW model. The proposed approach is compared with other known models and experimental data. The dependence of the dry deposition velocity obtained by the proposed approach on the diameter, density of aerosol particles and dynamic velocity u* for the surfaces in the Far North is estimated.

Structural and Electrochemical Properties of Binary ZnO:Al Nanocomposites as Anode for Lithium-ion Batteries

In conventional lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), carbon compounds are commonly utilised as the anode owing to their great performance, low cost, and abundance. However, due to the limited storage capability of pure carbon materials that restrict further improvement of LIBs, zinc oxide (ZnO) has been one of the promising anode materials to be used as an alternative to strengthen the electrochemical performance of LIBs due to its high theoretical capacity of 987 mAh g-1. This study aims to synthesise ZnO:Al nanowires using the hot-tube thermal evaporation method. Three types of samples are made using this method by varying the concentration of 0 wt% (S1), 3wt% (S2), and 6 wt% (S3) of aluminium (Al) during the Al deposition process. The EDX findings indicated that the sample has a high proportion of zinc (Zn) and oxygen (O), with the S3 sample having the highest Al concentration after being deposited. The most substantial diffraction peak for XRD of all samples was found at (101), exhibiting a single crystalline hexagonal structure with optimum growth direction on the c-axis. For EIS analysis, the S3 sample has the lowest bulk resistance and maximum ionic conductivity. In conclusion, the ZnO sample with 3 wt% of Al as a dopant was selected as the optimum result to synthesise a homogenous surface of ZnO:Al with good crystallinity by using a hot-tube thermal evaporation process and giving the best conductivity in electrochemical performance.