Facile electrochemical surface-alloying and etching of Au wires to enable high-performance substrates for surface enhanced Raman scattering

Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy(SERS)is a nondestructive technique for rapid detection of analytes even at the single-molecule level.However,highly sensitive and reliable SERS substrates are mostly fabricated with complex nanofabrication techniques,greatly restricting their practical applications.A convenient electrochemical method for transforming the surface of commercial gold wires/foils into silver-alloyed nanostructures is demonstrated in this report.Au substrates are treated with repetitive anodic and cathodic bias in an electrolyte of thiourea,in a one-pot one-step manner.X-rays absorption fine structure(XAFS)spectroscopy confirms that the AuAg alloy is induced at the surface.The unique AuAg alloyed surface nanostructures are particularly advantageous when served as SERS substrates,enabling a remarkably sensitive detection of Rhodamine B(a detection limit of 10^(-14)M,and uniform strong response throughout the substrates at 10^(-12)M).

Relative reactivities of halogen-substituted substrates (R-Br,R-C1) toward the halophilic attack by a carbanion

Relative reactivities of bromine-substituted substrates (R-Br) or chlorine-substituted substrates (R-CI) toward bromophilic or chlorophilic attack by a carbanion have been evaluated by the intermolecular competition kinetics. Relative reactivity orders are CF3CFBr2 >CF3CBr3≥CBr4 > CHBr3 > CF3CFBrCF2Br > CF2Br2 > BrCF2CF2Br > BrCH2CO2Et≥ BrCF2CFHBr > CH2Br2 > BrCH2CH2Br, and CI3CNO2 > CI3CCN > CI3CCOPh > cyclo-C5CI6> CI3CCOCI > CCI3CF2CI > CCI3CF3 ≥ CCI4 > CCI3CCI3 ≥ CCI3(CF2)2CI > CI3CCOCCI3 > CCI3(CF2)6CI > CI3CCO2Et > CI3CF > CI3CPh>CI3CCH2O2CCH3.

Evaluation of Different Substrates Compositions for Acclimatization of Tissue Culture Taro Plantlets in a Propagator

Taro is cultivated in most Regions of Cameroon and it is affected by taro leaf blight disease since 2010 which has decreased its production. Lack of disease-free planting materials has been a main problem to farmers. This study was carried out at International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Yaounde and Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD) Bambui to assess different substrates for acclimatization of tissue culture taro plantlets in apropagator. No information is available on acclimatization of Cameroonian taro plantlets in different substrates. Taro plantlets from tissue culture were acclimatised in a propagator for six weeks under different substrates, the first substrate consisted of sterile three parts of soil and one part of river sand mixed together (3:1), the second substrate consisted of sterile two parts of soil and two parts of river sand mixed together (2:2), the third substrate consisted of sterile two parts of soil, one part of rice husk and one part of river sand mixed together (2:1:1) and the fourth substrate consisted of sterile one part of soil and three parts of river sand mixed together (1:3). After acclimatisation of the different taroplantlets (Dark green petiole with small leaves (L1), Red petiole with small leaves (L2), Light green petiole with large leaves (L3) and Light green petiole with small leaves (L4) in these four substrates, it was observed that the best growth rate of plant was recorded on substrate sand + soil (1:3). The other substrates showed moderate growth of plants. Substrate sand + soil (1:3) can be recommended for acclimatization of Cameroonian taro plantlets.

Structure of Cu-Phthalocyanine Vacuum Deposited on Inclined Glass Substrates

Cu-phthalocyanine is widely studied as a hole-transport layer in organic electronic devices. Since Cu-phthalocyanine is a molecular solid, the crystal structure depends on a circumstance to a great extent. Vacuum deposited layers were known to consist of two consecutive layers. In this article, Cu-phthalocyanine was deposited on the glass substrate inclined at several angles. The thickness of the first layer was found to be dependent on the substrate angle.

Performance of Two Food Substrates in the Mass Rearing of Bactrocera dorsalis Hendel (Diptera: Tephritidae)

The fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis Hendel is a major constraint to mango production in Burkina Faso. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of two types of food substrates in optimizing the mass rearing of B. dorsalis larvae. For this purpose, 200 eggs of B. dorsalis were divided into four batches of 50 eggs and incubated in Petri dishes containing the different food substrates (Diet 1 and Diet 2). This method was used to evaluate the rate and duration of egg hatching, as well as the development time of the different larval stages. In addition, 1200 pupae divided into four batches of 300 pupae, contained in PVC tubes, were placed inside the rearing cages to monitor the emergence of B. dorsalis. Ten pairs of B. dorsalis were placed in rearing cages and fed with Enzymatic Yeast Hydrolysate and sugar to evaluate the fecundity of female flies and the survival of both sexes. The developmental cycle length in Diet 1 and Diet 2 was 23.03 days and 23.24 days, respectively. Fecundity duration ranged from 57.75 ± 2.29 to 109.81 ± 3.81 days for females from Diet 1 and Diet 2, respectively. The pupal hatching rate varied significantly (P B. dorsalis, but the spawning index was 4 times higher with Diet 1. Most of the components of Diet 1 are available on the local market and are cheaper. Thus, we recommend the use of Diet 1 for B. dorsalis larvae mass rearing.

11.2 W/mm power density AlGaN/GaN high electron-mobility transistors on a GaN substrate

In this letter,high power density AlGaN/GaN high electron-mobility transistors(HEMTs)on a freestanding GaN substrate are reported.An asymmetricΓ-shaped 500-nm gate with a field plate of 650 nm is introduced to improve microwave power performance.The breakdown voltage(BV)is increased to more than 200 V for the fabricated device with gate-to-source and gate-to-drain distances of 1.08 and 2.92μm.A record continuous-wave power density of 11.2 W/mm@10 GHz is realized with a drain bias of 70 V.The maximum oscillation frequency(f_(max))and unity current gain cut-off frequency(f_(t))of the AlGaN/GaN HEMTs exceed 30 and 20 GHz,respectively.The results demonstrate the potential of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs on freestanding GaN substrates for microwave power applications.

High-temperature annealing of(201)β-Ga_(2)O_(3) substrates for reducing structural defects after diamond sawing

A commercial epi-ready(201)β-Ga_(2)O_(3) wafer was investigated upon diamond sawing into pieces measuring 2.5×3 mm^(2).The defect structure and crystallinity in the cut samples has been studied by X-ray diffraction and a selective wet etching technique.The density of defects was estimated from the average value of etch pits calculated,including near-edge regions,and was obtained close to 109 cm^(-2).Blocks with lattice orientation deviated by angles of 1-3 arcmin,as well as non-stoichiometric fractions with a relative strain about(1.0-1.5)×10^(-4)in the[201]direction,were found.Crystal perfection was shown to decrease significantly towards the cutting lines of the samples.To reduce the number of structural defects and increase the crystal perfection of the samples via increasing defect motion mobility,the thermal annealing was employed.Polygonization and formation of a mosaic structure coupled with dislocation wall appearance upon 3 h of annealing at 1100℃ was observed.The fractions characterized by non-stoichiometry phases and the block deviation disappeared.The annealing for 11 h improved the homogeneity and perfection in the crystals.The average density of the etch pits dropped down significantly to 8×10^(6) cm^(-2).

Evolution of microstructure, stress and dislocation of AlN thick film on nanopatterned sapphire substrates by hydride vapor phase epitaxy

A crack-free AlN film with 4.5 μm thickness was grown on a 2-inch hole-type nano-patterned sapphire substrates(NPSSs) by hydride vapor phase epitaxy(HVPE). The coalescence, stress evolution, and dislocation annihilation mechanisms in the AlN layer have been investigated. The large voids located on the pattern region were caused by the undesirable parasitic crystallites grown on the sidewalls of the nano-pattern in the early growth stage. The coalescence of the c-plane AlN was hindered by these three-fold crystallites and the special triangle void appeared. The cross-sectional Raman line scan was used to characterize the change of stress with film thickness, which corresponds to the characteristics of different growth stages of AlN. Threading dislocations(TDs) mainly originate from the boundary between misaligned crystallites and the c-plane AlN and the coalescence of two adjacent c-plane AlN crystals, rather than the interface between sapphire and AlN.

Effects of Scarification and Substrates on Seed Germination Quality for Domestication of Stereospermum kunthianum(Bignoniaceae)

The demand for medicinal plants at the origin of phyto-drugs,like all ethnobotanical plants,threatens their existence today.The aim of this work was to determine suitable methods for optimizing the possibilities of regenerating Stereospermum kunthianum.To achieve this objective,3 levels of mechanical scarification(light scarification,medium scarification and deep scarification)were applied to the seeds of this species using a rough instrument,and 5 days after germination,the seedlings were transplanted into 5 types of substrate to study their effects on seedling growth.The length of the seedlings was measured using a graduated ruler.The results obtained showed that the best latency time was 2 days for average seed scarifications.The highest germination half-time was 4.00±0.06 days observed for average seed scarification,the highest germination speed was 22.50±1.00 and the highest germination rate was 100.00%±0.00%for average scarification.The homogeneous substrate mixes black earth/woodsilk and Fine sand/woodsilk were more effective for seedling growth(1.9 cm/day in the juvenile state)and development.Medium seed scarification is the most effective method for regenerating Stereospermum kunthianum,and the black earth/wood shavings substrate mix is the best for its cultivation.

A Pore-Forming Strategy Toward Porous Carbon-Based Substrates for High Performance Flexible Lithium Metal Full Batteries

Self-standing carbon-based substrates with satisfied structural stability and property adjustability have promising applications in flexible lithium(Li)metal batteries(FLMBs).Current strategies for modifying carbon materials are normally carried out on powder carbon,and very few of them are suitable for self-standing carbon substrates.Herein,a pore-forming strategy based on the redox chemistry of metallic oxide nanodots is developed to prepare two porous carbon substrates for anode and cathode.Starting with cotton cloth,the resulting hollow carbon fibers substrate with nanopores effectively prevents from Li dendrites formation and large volume change in lithium metal anode(LMA).Simulations indicate that the porous structure leads to homogeneous ion flux,Li-ion concentration,and electric field during Li deposition.Li symmetrical cell based on this substrate remains stable for 8300 h with an ultralow voltage hysteresis of 9 mV.Via a similar route,porous carbon cloth substrate is obtained for subsequently seeding V_(2)O_(5)nanowires to prepare the cathode.The assembled FLMBs pouch cell delivers a capacity of 8.2 mAh with a high capacity retention of~100%even under dramatic deformation.The demonstrated strategy has far-reaching potential in preparing free-standing porous carbon-based materials for flexible energy storage devices.

Influence of substrate effect on near-field radiative modulator based on biaxial hyperbolic materials

Relative rotation between the emitter and receiver could effectively modulate the near-field radiative heat transfer(NFRHT)in anisotropic media.Due to the strong in-plane anisotropy,natural hyperbolic materials can be used to construct near-field radiative modulators with excellent modulation effects.However,in practical applications,natural hyperbolic materials need to be deposited on the substrate,and the influence of substrate on modulation effect has not been studied yet.In this work,we investigate the influence of substrate effect on near-field radiative modulator based onα-MoO_(3).The results show that compared to the situation without a substrate,the presence of both lossless and lossy substrate will reduce the modulation contrast(MC)for different film thicknesses.When the real or imaginary component of the substrate permittivity increases,the mismatch of hyperbolic phonon polaritons(HPPs)weakens,resulting in a reduction in MC.By reducing the real and imaginary components of substrate permittivity,the MC can be significantly improved,reaching 4.64 forε_(s)=3 at t=10 nm.This work indicates that choosing a substrate with a smaller permittivity helps to achieve a better modulation effect,and provides guidance for the application of natural hyperbolic materials in the near-field radiative modulator.

Enhanced resonance frequency in Co2FeAl thin film with different thicknesses grown on flexible graphene substrate

The flexible materials exhibit more favorable properties than most rigid substrates in flexibility,weight saving,mechanical reliability,and excellent environmental toughness.Particularly,flexible graphene film with unique mechanical properties was extensively explored in high frequency devices.Herein,we report the characteristics of structure and magnetic properties at high frequency of Co2FeAl thin film with different thicknesses grown on flexible graphene substrate at room temperature.The exciting finding for the columnar structure of Co2FeAl thin film lays the foundation for excellent high frequency property of Co2FeAl/flexible graphene structure.In-plane magnetic anisotropy field varying with increasing thickness of Co2FeAl thin film can be obtained by measurement of ferromagnetic resonance,which can be ascribed to the enhancement of crystallinity and the increase of grain size.Meanwhile,the resonance frequency which can be achieved by the measurement of vector network analyzer with the microstrip method increases with increasing thickness of Co2FeAl thin film.Moreover,in our case with graphene film,the resonance magnetic field is quite stable though folded for twenty cycles,which demonstrates that good flexibility of graphene film and the stability of high frequency magnetic property of Co2FeAl thin film grown on flexible graphene substrate.These results are promising for the design of microwave devices and wireless communication equipment.

Recess-free enhancement-mode AlGaN/GaN RF HEMTs on Si substrate

Enhancement-mode(E-mode)GaN-on-Si radio-frequency(RF)high-electron-mobility transistors(HEMTs)were fabri-cated on an ultrathin-barrier(UTB)AlGaN(<6 nm)/GaN heterostructure featuring a naturally depleted 2-D electron gas(2DEG)channel.The fabricated E-mode HEMTs exhibit a relatively high threshold voltage(VTH)of+1.1 V with good uniformity.A maxi-mum current/power gain cut-off frequency(fT/fMAX)of 31.3/99.6 GHz with a power added efficiency(PAE)of 52.47%and an out-put power density(Pout)of 1.0 W/mm at 3.5 GHz were achieved on the fabricated E-mode HEMTs with 1-μm gate and Au-free ohmic contact.

Split Addition of Nitrogen-Rich Substrate at Thermophilic and Mesophilic Stages of Composting: Effect on Green House Gases Emission and Quality of Compost

Composting as a solution to the increasing generation of municipal solid waste (MSW), also contribute to GHGs emission when not controlled and could lack some basic nutrients, especially nitrogen. This study assessed the split-additions of nitrogen-rich substrate to composting materials and their effect on GHGs emissions as well as the quality of the composts. Nitrogen-rich substrates formulated from pig and goat manure were co-composted with MSW for a 12-weeks period by split adding at mesophilic (˚C) and thermophilic (>50˚C) stages in five different treatments. Representative samples from the compost were taken from each treatment for physicochemical, heavy metals and bacteriological analysis. In-situ CH4, CO2, N2O gas emissions were also analyzed weekly during composting. It was observed that all the treatments showed significant organic matter decomposition, reaching thermophilic temperatures in the first week of composting. The absence affects the suitable agronomic properties. All nitrogen-rich substrate applied at thermophilic stage (Treatment two) recorded the highest N, P and K concentrations of 1.34%, 0.97% and 2.45%, respectively with highest nitrogen retention. In terms of GHG emissions, CO2 was highest at the thermophilic stage when N-rich substrate was added in all treatment, while CH4 was highest in the mesophilic stage with N-rich substrate addition. N2O showed no specific trend in the treatments. Split addition of the N-rich substrate for co-composting of MSW produced compost which is stable, has less nutrient loss and low GHG emissions. Split addition of a nitrogen-rich substrate could be an option for increasing the fertilizer value of MSW compost.

Influence of different substrates on the formation and characteristics of aerobic granules in sequencing batch reactors

The effects of different substrates on the aerobic granulation process were studied using laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactors （SBRs）. Four parallel granules sequencing batch reactors （GSBR）： R1, R2, R3, and R4 were fed with acetate, glucose, peptone and fecula, respectively. Stable aerobic granules were successfully cultivated in R1, R2, R4, and smaller granules less than 500 μm were formed in R3. Morphology and the physic-chemical characteristics of aerobic granules fed with different carbon substrates were investigated by the four reactors operated under the same pressure. The aerobic granules in the four reactors were observed and found that peptone was the most stable one due to its good settleability even after a sludge age as short as 10 d. A strong correlation was testified between the characteristics of aerobic granules and the properties of carbon substrates. The stability of aerobic granules was affected by extracellular polymer substances （EPS） derived from microorganism growth during feast time fed with different carbon substrates, and the influence of the property of storage substance was greater than that of its quantity. Optimal carbon substrates, which are helpful in the cultivation and retention of well-settling granules and in the enhancement of the overall ability of the aerobic granules reactors, were found.

Effect of heat treatment of titanium substrates on the properties of IrO_2-Ta_2O_5 coated anodes

The Ti substrates of IrO 2 -Ta 2 O 5 coated anodes were treated by solid-solution and aging, stress relieving annealing, and recrystallization annealing, and the coatings were prepared by thermal decomposition of a mixture of H 2 IrCl 6 ·6H 2 O dissolved in hydrochloric acid and TaCl 5 dissolved in alcohol. Scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, cyclic voltammetry （CV）, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy （EIS）, and accelerated life test （ALT） were employed to study the microstructure and electrochemical properties of the anodes. Compared with the anode without heat treatment, the anodes with heat treatment are of higher electrochemical activity and longer accelerated life; especially, the anode with recrystallization annealing treatment has the best electrochemical properties and the longest accelerated life.

Fabrication of Superhydrophobic Micro Post Array on Aluminum Substrates Using Mask Electrochemical Machining

Surfaces with controllable micro structures are significant in fundamental development of superhydrophobicity. However,preparation of superhydrophobic surfaces with array structures on metal substrates is not effective using existing methods. A new method was presented to fabricate super-hydrophobic post arrays on aluminum(Al) substrates using mask electrochemical machining and fluoridation. Electrochemical etching was first applied on Al plates with pre-prepared photoresist arrays to make the post array structures. Surface modification was subsequently applied to reduce the surface energy, followed by interaction with water to realize superhydrophobicity. Simulation and experimental verification were conducted to investigate how machining parameters affect the array structures. Analysis of the water contact angle was implemented to explore the relationship between wettability and micro structures.The results indicate that superhydrophobic surfaces with controllable post structures can be fabricated through this proposed method, producing surfaces with high water static contact angles.

Substrates and interlayer coupling effects on Mo1-xWxSe2 alloys

Two-dimensional(2D) transition metal dichalcogenides alloys are potential materials in the application of photodetectors over a wide spectral range due to their composition-dependent bandgaps. The study of bandgap engineering is important for the application of 2D materials in devices. Here, we grow the Mo1-xWxSe2 alloys on mica, sapphire and SiO2/Si substrates by chemical vapor deposition(CVD) method. Mo1-x Wx Se2 alloys are grown on the mica substrates by CVD method for the first time. Photoluminescence(PL) spectroscopy is used to investigate the effects of substrates and interlayer coupling force on the optical bandgaps of as-grown Mo1-xWxSe2 alloys. We find that the substrates used in this work have an ignorable effect on the optical bandgaps of as-grown Mo1-xWxSe2. The interlayer coupling effect on the optical bandgaps of as-grown Mo1-xWxSe2 is larger than the substrates effect. These findings provide a new way for the future study of the growth and physical properties of 2D alloy materials.

Low-temperature Preparation of Photocatalytic TiO_2 Thin Films on Polymer Substrates by Direct Deposition from Anatase Sol

Anatase TiO2 sol was synthesized under mild conditions （75℃ and ambient pressure） by hydrolysis of titaniumn-butoxide in abundant acidic aqueous solution and subsequent reflux to enhance crystallization. At room temperature and in ambient atmosphere, crystalline TiO2 thin films were deposited on polymethylmethacrylate （PMMA）, SiO2-coated PMMA and SiO2-coated silicone rubber substrates from the as-prepared TiO2 sol by a dip-coating process. SiO2 layers prior to TiO2 thin films on polymer substrates could not only protect the substrates from the photocatalytic decomposition of the TiO2 thin films but also enhance the adhesion of the TiO2 thin films to the substrates. Field-emission type scanning electron microscope （FE-SEM） investigations revealed that the average particle sizes of the nanoparticles composing the TiO2 thin films were about 35-47 nm. The TiO2 thin films exhibited high photocatalytic activities in the degradation of reactive brilliant red dye X-3B in aqueous solution under aerated conditions. The preparation process of photocatalytic TiO2 thin films on the polymer substrates was quite simple and a low temperature route.

Involvement of insulin receptor substrates in cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease

Type 2 diabetes一associated with impaired insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF1) signaling (IIS)一is a risk factor for cognitive impairment and dementia including Alzheimer's disease (AD). The insulin receptor substrate (IRS) proteins are major components of IIS, which transmit upstream signals via the insulin receptor and/or IGF1 receptor to multiple intracellular signaling pathways, including AKT/protein kinase B and extracellular-signal-regulated kinase cascades. Of the four IRS proteins in mammals, IRS1 and IRS2 play key roles in regulating growth and survival, metabolism, and aging. Meanwhile, the roles of IRS1 and IRS2 in the central nervous system with respect to cognitive abilities remain to be clarified. In contrast to IRS2 in peripheral tissues, inactivation of neural IRS2 exerts beneficial effects, resulting in the reduction of amyloid p accumulation and premature mortality in AD mouse models. On the other hand, the increased phosphorylation of IRS 1 at several serine sites is observed in the brains from patients with AD and animal models of AD or cognitive impairment induced by type 2 diabetes. However, these serine sites are also activated in a mouse model of type 2 diabetes, in which the diabetes drug metformin improves memory impairment. Because IRS1 and IRS2 signaling pathways are regulated through complex mechanisms including positive and negative feedback loops, whether the elevated phosphorylation of IRS1 at specific serine sites found in AD brains is a primary response to cognitive dysfunction remains unknown. Here, we examine the associations between IRS 1 /1 RS2-mediated signaling in the central nervous system and cognitive decline.