The organic and printed electronics bares a great potential to become an industry of $300B in next 20 years. While more and more companies and research institutes around the world are joining into this industry for a large variety of exciting applications, however, there still lack of extraordinarily successful stores in product commercialization. At NanoMas Technologies, Inc., we have been keeping challenging ourselves to bring in more materials that would be better suitable for needs in the development and commercialization of high performance printed electronics on low cost substrates, such as paper and plastics. We have developed a variety of nanoparticle based inks with different electric functionalities. Those truly nano-sized materials (mostly less than 5 nm) have low sintering temperatures, and thus can be processed on most widely used plastic substrates. In this presentation, we also demonstrated using printing technologies to fabricate various patterns as well as OTFTs using conjugated polymers and nanomaterials. Sintering behaviors from metal nanoparticles to conductive metallic films have been further investigated. In addition, we have tested the stretching of printed silver nanoparticle films on PET, and found the films electrically conductive up to 120% elongation.

A dynamic riser system is a key component in offshore deepwater development. The long-term fatigue performance of a riser is a crucial design consideration in such systems. As water depth increases, the riser fatigue assessment becomes increasingly challenging. Overly conservative designs can be costly, while less conservative designs can result in the higher probability of catastrophic failure. In some cases, the target fatigue life cannot be achieved with only conventional riser design and analysis. The Weld Fatigue Enhancer (WFE), a physical device, was jointly developed by ExxonMobil, Balmoral, and Stress Engineering Services, Inc. with the goal of improving riser fatigue performance. The qualification tests have shown that the WFE can reduce hotspot stress experienced at a girth weld by 40% or more. This effectively increases the riser fatigue life in the range of 5-10 times, which can make riser systems feasible in some challenging environments. It can also provide the possibility of using more cost-effective welds. In addition, the WFE can be used for a variety of fatigue sensitive applications, such as pipeline and dynamic jumpers.

Local dynamics in molecular solutions of cellulose have been studied using quasi-elastic neutron scattering on ternary mixtures of microcrystalline cellulose, ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methyl-imidazolium acetate, and cosolvent dimethylformamide. Two distinct dynamic behaviors in solutions have been identified, with slow dynamics likely attributed to long-range translational diffusion and fast dynamics likely involving the motion of IL in nanoaggregates. The presence of cellulose suppresses both dynamic modes as the residence time for both slow and fast dynamics increases, while the radius of confinement remains invariant upon cellulose dissolution. Arrhenius activation behaviors are followed generally; the activation energy decreases for fast dynamics upon cellulose dissolution while showing no measurable change for slow ones. This study offers new information about the dynamics of an important class of renewable biomaterials.

Species transport in thin-film Nafion heavily influences proton-exchange membrane (PEMFC) performance, particularly in low-platinum-loaded cells. Literature suggests that phase-segregated nanostructures in hydrated Nafion thin films can reduce species mobility and increase transport losses in cathode catalyst layers. However, these structures have primarily been observed at silicon-Nafion interfaces rather than at more relevant material (e.g., Pt and carbon black) interfaces. In this work, we use neutron reflectometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to investigate carbon-supported Nafion thin films. Measurements were taken in humidified environments for Nafion thin films (≈30-80 nm) on four different carbon substrates. Results show a variety of interfacial morphologies in carbon-supported Nafion. Differences in carbon samples' roughness, surface chemistry, and hydrophilicity suggest that thin-film Nafion phase segregation is impacted by multiple substrate characteristics. For instance, hydrophilic substrates with smooth surfaces correlate with a high likelihood of lamellar phase segregation parallel to the substrate. When present, the lamellar structures are less pronounced than those observed at silicon oxide interfaces. Local oscillations in water volume fraction for the lamellae were less severe, and the lamellae were thinner and were not observed when the water was removed, all in contrast to Nafion-silicon interfaces. For hydrophobic and rough samples, phase segregation was more isotropic rather than lamellar. Results suggest that Nafion in PEMFC catalyst layers is less influenced by the interface compared with thin films on silicon. Despite this, our results demonstrate that neutron reflectometry measurements of silicon-Nafion interfaces are valuable for PEMFC performance predictions, as water uptake in the majority Nafion layers (i.e., the uniformly hydrated region beyond the lamellar region) trends similarly with thickness, regardless of support material.

The adsorption of radioactive iodate (IO3-) and iodide (I-) anions on natural minerals is critical for nuclear environmental safety. Allophane, a nanosized clay mineral, is considered to adsorb IO3- and I-, but the essential interactions between both anions and allophane remain unknown, due to the challenges of characterizing extremely small allophane nanoparticles in complex soils and obtaining high-purity natural allophane. In this work, neat allophane (Allo) nanoparticles were synthesized and used to study their adsorption for IO3- and Ianions. The adsorption kinetics, adsorption thermodynamics, pH -dependent adsorption-desorption, and competitive adsorption (Cl- and SO42-) were quantitatively investigated. Moreover, combined with advanced spectroscopic analyses of X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), the atomistic adsorption mechanisms were illustrated. The adsorption capacities of Allo can be about 0.22 mmol/g for IO3- and 0.077 mmol/g for I-, which are at least one order of magnitude and 2.6 -fold higher than those of other clay minerals, respectively. The IO3- adsorption involved the ligand exchange and electrostatic attraction interactions, while the I- adsorption involved the Lewis acid-base and hydrogen -bond interactions. The innersphere adsorption mainly occurred in the wedge-shaped nanopores within Allo. The findings will improve the understanding of IO3- and I- adsorption on allophane, promote the practical applications of natural allophane in the management of nuclear wastes, and provide foundations for revealing the geochemical behaviors of iodine.

Integrating lithium metal anodes with polymer electrolytes is a promising technology for the next generation high-energy-density rechargeable batteries. As the progress is often hindered by the dendrite growth upon cycling, quantifying three-dimensional (3D) microstructures of dendrites in polymer electrolytes is essential to better understanding of dendrite formation for the development of mitigation strategies. Techniques for 3D quantification and visualization of dendrites, especially those with low Li contents, are rather limited. This study reports quantitative measurements of the spatial distribution of Li dendrites grown in solid polymer electrolytes using 3D tomographic neutron depth profiling (NDP) with improved spatial resolution, compositional range, and data presentation. Data reveal heterogeneous distribution of Li over length scales from tens nanometers to centimeters. While most dendrites grow from the plating toward the stripping electrode with dwindling Li quantities, dendrites apparently grown from the Li-stripping electrode are also observed. The discovery is only possibly due to the unique combination of the high specificity and high sensitivity of the neutron activation analysis of Li isotope.

Oligocellulose (OC) with low polydispersity indices has been produced in large quantities using an improved method of acid-assisted hydrolysis, in which long cellulose chains disintegrate in concentrated phosphoric acid at moderately elevated temperatures. The hydrolysis time has been reduced by three orders of magnitude without compromising the overall yield of the process or the quality of OC products. The efficient production of high-quality OCs in large quantities allows for developing OC-derived elastomeric materials. A series of OC-graft-poly(isobornyl methacrylate-random-n-butyl acrylate) [OC-g-P(IBOMA-r-BA)] elastomers have been synthesized via activators regenerated by electron transfer for atom transfer radical polymerization (ARGET ATRP). OC-g-P(IBOMA-r-BA) elastomers have tunable molecular architectures and phase morphologies toward desirable mechanical properties and thermal stability suitable for various applications. The methodologies of the OC production and the graft-polymers synthesis in this study would help advance technologies for broader applications of bio-based elastomers.

Electrification of transportation and rising demand for grid energy storage continue to build momentum around batteries across the globe. However, the supply chain of Li-ion batteries is exposed to the increasing challenges of resourcing essential and scarce materials. Therefore, incentives to develop more sustainable battery chemistries are growing. Here we show an aqueous ZnCl2 electrolyte with introduced LiCl as supporting salt. Once the electrolyte is optimized to Li2ZnCl4⋅9H2O, the assembled Zn–air battery can sustain stable cycling over the course of 800 hours at a current density of 0.4 mA cm−2 between −60 °C and +80 °C, with 100% Coulombic efficiency for Zn stripping/plating. Even at −60 °C, >80% of room-temperature power density can be retained. Advanced characterization and theoretical calculations reveal a high-entropy solvation structure that is responsible for the excellent performance. The strong acidity allows ZnCl2 to accept donated Cl− ions to form ZnCl42− anions, while water molecules remain within the free solvent network at low salt concentration or coordinate with Li ions. Our work suggests an effective strategy for the rational design of electrolytes that could enable next-generation Zn batteries. Zinc batteries are receiving growing attention due to their sustainability merits not shared by lithium-ion technologies. Here the aqueous electrolyte design features unique solvation structures that render Zn–air pouch cell excellent cycling stability in a wide temperature range from −60 to 80 °C.

Concentration scaling on linear viscoelastic properties of cellular suspensions has been studied by rheometric characterisation of Phormidium suspensions and human blood in a wide range of volume fraction under small amplitude oscillatory shear experiments. The rheometric characterisation results are analysed by the time-concentration superposition (TCS) principle and show a power law scaling of characteristic relaxation time, plateau modulus and the zero-shear viscosity over the concentration ranges studied. The results show that the concentration effect of Phormidium suspensions on their elasticity is much stronger than that of human blood due to its strong cellular interactions and a high aspect ratio. For human blood, no obvious phase transition could be observed over the range of hematocrits studied here and with respect to a high-frequency dynamic regime, only one concentration scaling exponent could be identified. For Phormidium suspensions with respect to a low-frequency dynamic regime, three concentration scaling exponents in the volume fraction Region I (0.36≤ϕ/ϕref≤0.46), Region II (0.59≤ϕ/ϕref≤2.89) and Region III (3.11≤ϕ/ϕref≤3.44) are identified. The image observation shows that the network formation of Phormidium suspensions occurs as the volume fraction is increased from Region I to Region II; the sol-gel transition takes place from Region II to Region III. In combination with analysis of other nanoscale suspensions and liquid crystalline polymer solutions reported in the literature, it is revealed that such a power law concentration scaling exponent depends on colloidal or molecular interactions mediated with solvent and is sensitive to the equilibrium phase behaviour of complex fluids. The TCS principle is an unambiguous tool to give a quantitative estimation.

The structural transformation of thin amorphous cellulose films in water and organic solvent vapour has been studied using grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy. Amorphous cellulose films transform to cellulose II upon exposure to water vapour, and cellulose IV II in the dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) vapour. The anisotropy in crystalline orientation has developed during the vapour exposure, due both to the surface and confinement effects in thin film geometry. The findings imply a novel route of the vapour treatment of cellulose films to obtain unique structures.

RNA replication and transcription machinery is an important drug target for fighting against coronavirus. Non-structure protein nsp8 was proposed harboring primase activity. However, the RNA primer synthesis mechanism of nsp8 is still largely unknown. Here, we purified dimer and tetramer forms of SARS-CoV-2 nsp8. Combined with dynamic light scattering, small-angle neutron scattering and thermo-stability analysis, we found that both dimer and tetramer become loosened and destabilized with decreasing salt concentration, and the dimer form is more stable than the tetramer form. Further investigation showed that nsp8 dimer and tetramer can undergo phase separation but exhibit different phase separation behaviors. Nsp8 dimer can form liquid-like droplets in the buffer with a low concentration of NaCl; phase separation of nsp8 tetramer depends on the assistance of RNA. Our findings on different phase separation behaviors of nsp8 dimer and tetramer may provide insight into the functional studies of nsp8 in coronavirus. The phase separation behaviour of non-structure protein nsp8 of SARS CoV2 in the primer synthesis mechanism is presented, underpinning the replication of coronavirus.

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are remarkable electrochemical energy storage systems, which play a critical role in modern society. Demanding new applications have been pushing for further battery advancements, such as developments of all-solid-state and sodium-ion batteries. However, both the LIBs and these new technologies still face challenges that limit their full realization. These include irreversible electrochemical reactions, electrode structure degradations, and surface/interface side reactions. Solving them requires comprehensive characterizations of battery systems over multiple length and time scales. Among the advanced probing techniques, neutron-based ones have unique advantages in exploring battery material structures, ionic diffusions, electrochemical reactions, and cell failure mechanisms, information that will aid the development of next-generation high-performance battery systems. In this Perspective, we briefly review the principles and characteristics of various neutron techniques and their recent applications in battery system studies. Operando neutron characterizations of batteries on spatiotemporal scales and prospects of their future designs and applications are discussed.

Diblock copolymer thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) of poly(methyl methacrylate)-block-poly(n-butyl acrylaterandom-vinylimidazole) [PMMA-b-P(BA-r-VI)] have been designed and synthesized as a model system for demonstrating simultaneously tailoring photoluminescence (PL) and mechanical properties of TPEs via lanthanide coordination. Europium ions with red PL and terbium ions with green PL have been incorporated in TPEs to coordinate imidazole groups on soft blocks. PL spectra can be continuously tuned by varying both the overall ion composition and their relative portions. The rubber elasticity of TPEs arises from entropic restoring of entangled coil chains in the soft matrix filled with glassy PMMA microdomains as physical cross-links. Upon incorporating lanthanide ions, a second network forms due to the lanthanide coordination cross-linkages among soft P(BA-r-VI) chains. Synergistic interactions and reinforcement of local and global networks greatly enhance both the tensile strength and toughness of TPEs without compromising the stretchability and elasticity. In situ small-angle X-ray scattering reveals deformation and relaxation of microstructures upon cyclic uniaxial stretching and recovery. The novel strategy in the design and synthesis of TPEs with tunable optical and mechanical properties enables a wide range of smart materials and technologies.

The classical method of producing cellulose oligomers through hydrolysis of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) in phosphoric acid has been re-examined. Hydrolysis products are fractionated by precipitation to yield two types of cellulose oligomers with different average degrees of polymerization (DP). The number- and weight-averaged molecular weights of the lower DP fraction are 1339 g/mol and 1388 g/mol respectively, corresponding to a polydispersity index of 1.04. The cellulose oligomer forms type-II crystal, and can be dissolved in both alkaline aqueous solutions and dimethyl sulfoxide. The X-ray and neutron small angle scattering of the cellulose oligomers in solution can be described as rigid slabs.

All-cellulose nanocomposites have been produced from cellulose nanofiber (CNF) suspensions and molecular coil solutions. Morphology and small-angle neutron scattering studies show the exfoliation and dispersion of CNFs in aqueous suspensions. Cellulose solutions in mixtures of ionic liquid and organic solvents were homogeneously mixed with CNF suspensions and subsequently dried to yield cellulose composites comprising CNF and amorphous cellulose over the entire composition range. Tensile tests show that stiffness and strength quantities of cellulose nanocomposites are the highest value at ca. 20% amorphous cellulose, while their fracture strain and toughness are the lowest. The inclusion of amorphous cellulose in cellulose nanocomposites alters their water uptake capacity, as measured in the ratio of the absorbed water to the cellulose mass, reducing from 37 for the neat CNF to less than 1 for a composite containing 35% or more amorphous cellulose. This study offers new insights into the design and production of all-cellulose nanocomposites.

Oligomeric cellulose with an average degree of polymerization of 7.68 and a polydispersity of 1.04 has been fractionated using solution processes. Three fractions have been obtained through initial dissolution, subsequent crystallization, and solvent precipitation, respectively. The resulting oligocellulose fraction has an average degree of polymerization of 7.70 and a polydispersity of 1.01, respectively. Cellulose IV2 crystals form in the oligocellulose fraction, and reversibly transform to II and back to IV using simple solvents.

Borate bioactive glass (BBG) stimulates angiogenesis and promotes cell growth. However, controlling the degradation rate of BBG and maintaining the critical concentration of bioactive ions suitable for cell promotion and differentiation remain great challenges in soft tissue repair. In this study, a novel approach was proposed to produce nanosized CO32- -containing hydroxyapatite (HCA)-coated BBG (nano-HCA@BG). Unlike the previously reported hard-to-degrade hydroxyapatite (HA) coating after static soaking treatment of BBG, the nano-HCA@BG, obtained by dynamically immersing the BBG powder in a flowing buffer, had a porous structure and was surfacecoated with a layer of amorphous HCA, which improved the biocompatibility and retained the biodegradability of BBG. The effects of nano-HCA@BG were evaluated and compared with those of powdered BBG at the cellular and animal levels. The formation of the HCA-coated nanoporous architecture significantly improves biocompatibility, promotes cell growth and proliferation, and is beneficial for wound healing in rodent skin defects.

Submitted for the MAR08 Meeting of The American Physical Society Isothermal and Self-Seeding Crystallization from Polyethylene Solution1 HOWARD WANG, NARAYAN CH DAS, KAIKUN YANG, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Institute of Materials Research, Binghamton University, SUNY, Binghamton, NY 13902, BOUALEM HAMMOUDA, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899 — We have applied time-resolved small angle neutron scattering (SANS) to studying self-seeding and isothermal crystallization kinetics of low molecular weight polyethylene in solution. In one example, SANS spectra of isothermal crystallization of 2.1 kg/mol PE at 78.8 ◦C from a solution containing 4.3 % PE by mass show both the characteristic form and structure factors of stacked lamellae. The intensity hump around 0.025 Å−1 indicates the correlation among lamellae. On the other hand, SANS from the same solution after quenched from melt to the room temperature, then stored at 90 ◦C for 5 min, followed by quenching to 78.7 ◦C are different from those of isothermal crystallization; the first correlation peak from the structure factor is not obvious, implying that crystals are dominantly in single or few lamellae forms. A morphological model that accommodates arbitrary distributions of structures from individual lamellae to infinite stacks has been used to analyze the SANS data. A possible lyotropic transition from isolated to stacked lamellae is suggested. 1This work is supported by the National Science Foundation. Howard Wang Binghamton University, SUNY Date submitted: 04 Dec 2007 Electronic form version 1.4

Ceramics are an important class of materials with widespread applications because of their high thermal, mechanical, and chemical stability. Computational predictions based on first principles methods can be a valuable tool in accelerating materials discovery to develop improved ceramics. It is essential to experimentally confirm the material properties of such predictions. However, materials screening rates are limited by the long processing times and the poor compositional control from volatile element loss in conventional ceramic sintering techniques. To overcome these limitations, we developed an ultrafast high-temperature sintering (UHS) process for the fabrication of ceramic materials by radiative heating under an inert atmosphere. We provide several examples of the UHS process to demonstrate its potential utility and applications, including advancements in solid-state electrolytes, multicomponent structures, and high-throughput materials screening.