Formation of FeMo_2B_2 phase in boron containing 9Cr-1.5Mo ferritic steels

The segregation and diffusion of boron during heat treatments were studied. The influence of boron contents, aging time and applied stress on FeMo2B2 formation was also studied. Finally, the effects of boron contents and FeMo2B2 formation on the high temperature strength were studied. Boron atoms were segregated to prior austenite grain boundary during normalizing treatment. And these boron atoms were slowly diffused into the grain interior during tempering and aging at 700 ℃. The FeMo2B2 phase was only formed after 1,000 h aging at 700 ℃ in alloy containing 196 ppm boron. The formation of FeMo2B2 phase is accelerated by the applied stress. It was expected that the formation of FeMo2B2 is closely related to the redistribution of boron atoms. The tensile strengths at 700 ℃ are increased with the increase of boron contents. However, the formation of FeMo2B2 phase results in lower tensile strength.

Modeling the Impact of Cell Type and Substrate Stiffness on Cell Traction

We propose a mathematical model to suggest a unified explanation behind the observation that some cell types tend to spread more efficiently on stiff substrates and are able to adapt their internal stiffness to the external stiffness. Our model also offers an explanation regarding the dependence of cell spreading on cell type. We show that our model for stiffness adaptation is in good agreement with experimental data. We also apply our model to calculate the energy of traction on bulk substrates as well as thin coatings, thereby extracting estimates of critical coating thickness as a function of cell type and coating bulk modulus.

Synthesis of large-scale atomic-layer SnS2 through chemical vapor deposition

Two-dimensional layers of metal dichalcogenides have attracted much attention because of their ultrathin thickness and potential applications in electronics and optoelectronics. Monolayer SnS2, with a band gap of -2.6 eV, has an octahedral lattice made of two atomic layers of sulfur and one atomic layer of tin. Till date, there have been limited reports on the growth of large-scale and high quality SnS2 atomic layers and the investigation of their properties as a semiconductor. Here, we report the chemical vapor deposition （CVD） growth of atomic-layer SnS2 with a large crystal size and uniformity. In addition, the number of layers can be changed from a monolayer to few layers and to bulk by changing the growth time. Scanning transmission electron microscopy was used to analyze the atomic structure and demonstrate the 2H stacking poly-type of different layers. The resultant SnS2 crystals is used as a photodetector with external quantum efficiency as high as 150%, suggesting promise for optoelectronic applications.

Bench-top aqueous two-phase extraction of isolated individual single-walled carbon nanotubes

Isolation and purification of single-walled carbon nanotubes （SWCNTs） are prerequisites for their implementation in various applications. In this work, we present a fast （-5 min）, low-cost, and easily scalable bench-top approach to the extraction of high-quality isolated SWCNTs from bundles and impurities in an aqueous dispersion. The extraction procedure, based on aqueous two-phase （ATP） separation, is widely applicable to any SWCNT source （tested on samples up to 1.7 nm in diameter） and independent of defect density, purity, diameter, and length. The extracted dispersions demonstrate that the removal of large aggregates, small bundles, and impurities is comparable to that by density gradient ultracentrifugation, but without the need for high-end instrumentation. Raman and fluorescence-excitation spectroscopy, single-nanotube fluorescence imaging, atomic force and transmission electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis all confirm the high purity of the isolated SWCNTs. By predispersing the SWCNTs without sonication （only gentle stirring）, full-length, pristine SWCNTs can be isolated （tested up to 20 μm）. Hence, this simple ATP method will find immediate application in the generation of SWCNT materials for all levels of nanotube research and applications, from fundamental studies to high-performance devices.

Characterizing and modeling the precipitation of Mg-rich phases in Al 5xxx alloys aged at low temperatures

Al 5083 alloys(5.25 at.% Mg) of different tempers(H131 and H116) were aged at low temperatures(50and 70?C) for 41 months. Scanning transmission electron microscopy(STEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDS), and atom probe tomography(APT) were applied to characterize precipitates formed in the sensitized samples. Experimental results revealed that the size of Mg-rich precipitates increased with aging time at 70?C for both alloys. APT results showed that Mg-rich precipitates of different Mg concentrations and morphologies formed in Al matrix and on the interface of Al matrix/pre-existing particles. In addition, a model based on local equilibrium of chemical potential and multi-class precipitates number evolution was adopted to predict the multiphase precipitation process in the Al-Mg binary system. The overall trend of precipitate radius and number density predicted by the model matched well with the experimental results. Moreover, modeling results revealed that nucleation and coarsening occurred faster in Al 5083 H131 than in Al 5083 H116 when aged at same temperature. The high density of dislocations and the pipe diffusion mechanism of dislocations can be used to explain such behavior.

Synthesis of Ag/AgCl-mesoporous silica nanocomposites using a simple aqueous solution-based chemical method and a study of their antibacterial activity on E. coli

Simple aqueous solution-based chemical methods have been developed for the synthesis of Ag/AgCI nanoparticle-mesoporous silica nanocomposites. Ag loading in the mesoporous silica was accomplished using a wet-impregnation method. The AgCl-mesoporous silica nanocomposite material （AgCl-mSi） was synthesized by using a ＇one pot method. Synthesized materials were characterized using X-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption-desorption analysis and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Antibacterial activity of the synthesized materials was investigated against Escherichia coil （E. coil） using the conventional plate-count method. All the materials showed high antibacterial activity even when the percentage loading of Ag in the nanocomposite was as low as 10wt%.

An Experimentally Validated SOA Model for High-Bit Rate System Applications

A comprehensive model of the Semiconductor Optical Amplifier with experimental validation result is presented. This model accounts for various physical behavior of the device which is necessary for high bit-rate system application.

Molecular dynamics simulation of latent track formation in α-quartz

The latent ion track in α-quartz is studied by molecular dynamics simulations. The latent track is created by depositing electron energies into a cylindrical region with a radius of 3nm. In this study, the electron stopping power varies from 3.0keV/nm to 12.0keV/nm, and a continuous latent track is observed for all the simulated values of electron stopping power except 3.0keV/nm. The simulation results indicate that the threshold electron stopping power for a continous latent track lies between 3.0keV/nm and 3.7 keV/nm. In addition, the coordination defects produced in the latent track are analyzed for all the simulation conditions, and the results show that the latent track in α-quartz consists of an O-rich amorphous phase and Si-rich point defects. At the end of this paper, the influence of the energy deposition model on the latent track in α-quartz is investigated. The results indicate that different energy deposition models reveal similar latent track properties. However, the values of the threshold electron stopping power and the ion track radius are dependent on the choice of energy deposition model.

Microstructural characterization of polycrystalline materials by synchrotron X-rays

Third generation synchrotron X-rays provide an unprecedented opportu- nity for microstructural characterization of many engineering materials as well as natural materials. This article demonstrates the usage of three techniques for the study of structural materials： differential-aperture X-ray microscopy （DAXM）, three-dimensional X- ray diffraction （3DXRD）, and simultaneous wide angle/small angle X-ray scattering （WAXS/SAXS）. DAXM is able to measure the 3D grain structure in polycrystalline materials with high spatial and angular resolution. In a deformed material, streaked diffraction peaks can be used to analyze local dislocation content in individual grains. Compared to DAXM, 3DXRD is able to map grains in bulk materials more quickly at the expense of spatial resolution. It is very useful for studying evolving microstructures when the materials are under deformation. WAXS/SAXS is suitable for studying materials with inhomogeneous structure, such as precipitate strengthened alloys. Structural informa- tion revealed by WAXS and SAXS can be combined for a deeper insight into material behavior. Future development and applications of these three techniques will also be discussed.