Search results for " Materials Science"
showing 10 items of 7414 documents
Topological surface wave metamaterials for robust vibration attenuation and energy harvesting
2021
International audience; We propose topological metamaterials working in Hertz frequency range, constituted of concrete pillars on the soil ground in a honeycomb lattice. Based on the analog of the quantum valley Hall effect, a non-trivial bandgap is formed by breaking the inversion symmetry of the unit cell. A topological interface is created between two different crystal phases whose robustness against various defects and disorders is quantitatively analyzed. Finally, we take advantage of the robust and compact topological edge state for designing a harvesting energy device. The results demonstrate the functionality of the proposed structure for both robust surface vibration reduction and …
Thermoelectrics: From history, a window to the future
2019
Thermoelectricity offers a sustainable path to recover and convert waste heat into readily available electric energy, and has been studied for more than two centuries. From the controversy between Galvani and Volta on the Animal Electricity, dating back to the end of the XVIII century and anticipating Seebeck’s observations, the understanding of the physical mechanisms evolved along with the development of the technology. In the XIX century Ørsted clarified some of the earliest observations of the thermoelectric phenomenon and proposed the first thermoelectric pile, while it was only after the studies on thermodynamics by Thomson, and Rayleigh’s suggestion to exploit the Seebeck effect for …
Electrochemical Synthesis of an Organic Thermoelectric Power Generator.
2020
[EN] Energy harvesting through residual heat is considered one of the most promising ways to power wearable devices. In this work, thermoelectric textiles were prepared by coating the fabrics, first with multiple-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) by using the layer-by-layer technique and second with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) deposited by electrochemical polymerization. Sodium deoxycholate and poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) were used as stabilizers to prepare the aqueous dispersions of MWCNTs. The electrochemical deposition of PEDOT on the MWCNT-coated fabric was carried out in a three-electrode electrochemical cell. The polymerization of PEDOT on the fabric increased the…
Progress in THz Rectifier Technology: Research and Perspectives
2022
Schottky diode (SD) has seen great improvements in the past few decades and, for many THz applications, it is the most useful device. However, the use and recycling of forms of energy such as solar energy and the infrared thermal radiation that the Earth continuously emits represent one of the most relevant and critical issues for this diode, which is unable to rectify signals above 5 THz. The goal is to develop highly efficient diodes capable of converting radiation from IR spectra to visible ones in direct current (DC). A set of performance criteria is investigated to select some of the most prominent materials required for developing innovative types of electrodes, but also a wide variet…
Influence of Surface-Related Phenomena on Mechanism, Selectivity, and Conversion of TiO2 -Induced Photocatalytic Reactions
2018
Heterogeneous photocatalysis is the result of an inextricable connection of several factors differently contributing to the overall process. Photon absorption is the “sine qua non” condition for the reaction to occur. In fact, photons can be considered as immaterial reactants, and all of the phenomena related to the interaction of light–matter play a prominent role. However, other factors contribute in a concerted way to address the reaction, so that the relative contribution of each of them is often difficult to evaluate. In this framework, the present paper highlights some aspects of the interaction of TiO 2 surface-adsorbate species that could be underestimated and their influence on the…
Biogas Pollution and Mineral Deposits Formed on the Elements of Landfill Gas Engines
2022
Municipal landfills generate a significant amount of high-energy biogas, which can be used as a renewable gaseous fuel. However, it is necessary to improve the quality of this biogas due to the presence of various chemical compounds. The most common pollutants in landfill biogas include volatile compounds of silicon, sulphur, phosphorus and chlorine. The aforementioned elements, as well as other metals, were found both in the deposits and in the engine oil. The paper presents detailed characteristics of the solid residues formed in selected parts of gas engines powered by landfill biogas. Its elemental composition and morphology were investigated in order to determine the structure and infl…
Reconfigurable DNA Origami Nanocapsule for pH-Controlled Encapsulation and Display of Cargo
2019
DNA nanotechnology provides a toolbox for creating custom and precise nanostructures with nanometer-level accuracy. These nano-objects are often static by nature and serve as versatile templates for assembling various molecular components in a user-defined way. In addition to the static structures, the intrinsic programmability of DNA nanostructures allows the design of dynamic devices that can perform predefined tasks when triggered with external stimuli, such as drug delivery vehicles whose cargo display or release can be triggered with a specified physical or chemical cue in the biological environment. Here, we present a DNA origami nanocapsule that can be loaded with cargo and reversibl…
Classification of EEG signals for prediction of epileptic seizures
2022
Epilepsy is a common brain disorder that causes patients to face multiple seizures in a single day. Around 65 million people are affected by epilepsy worldwide. Patients with focal epilepsy can be treated with surgery, whereas generalized epileptic seizures can be managed with medications. It has been noted that in more than 30% of cases, these medications fail to control epileptic seizures, resulting in accidents and limiting the patient’s life. Predicting epileptic seizures in such patients prior to the commencement of an oncoming seizure is critical so that the seizure can be treated with preventive medicines before it occurs. Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals of patients recorded to ob…
An implicit mesh discontinuous Galerkin formulation for higher-order plate theories
2019
In this work, a discontinuous Galerkin formulation for higher-order plate theories is presented. The starting point of the formulation is the strong form of the governing equations, which are derived in the context of the Generalized Unified Formulation and the Equivalent Single Layer approach from the Principle of Virtual Displacements. To express the problem within the discontinuous Galerkin framework, an auxiliary flux variable is introduced and the governing equations are rewritten as a system of first-order partial differential equations, which are weakly stated over each mesh element. The link among neighboring mesh elements is then retrieved by introducing suitably defined numerical …
Hemorheological abnormalities in human arterial hypertension
2014
Blood rheology is impaired in hypertensive patients. The alteration involves blood and plasma viscosity, and the erythrocyte behaviour is often abnormal. The hemorheological pattern appears to be related to some pathophysiological mechanisms of hypertension and to organ damage, in particular left ventricular hypertrophy and myocardial ischemia. Abnormalities have been observed in erythrocyte membrane fluidity, explored by fluorescence spectroscopy and electron spin resonance. This may be relevant for red cell flow in microvessels and oxygen delivery to tissues. Although blood viscosity is not a direct target of antihypertensive therapy, the rheological properties of blood play a role in the…