The surface relief gratings (SRGs) can be generated when azo-polymer films are exposed to laser beam interference as a result of mass migration. Despite considerable research effort over the past two decades this complex phenomenon remains incompletely understood. Here we show, for the first time, the athermal photofluidisation of azo-polysiloxane films exposed to 488 nm light, directly monitored by optical microscopy. A process of surface relief erasure occurring in parallel with its inscription was also observed during laser irradiation. We therefore propose a new mechanism of SRG formation, based on three different processes: (1) the polymer photo-fluidization in illuminated regions, (2) the mass displacement from illuminated to dark regions and (3) the inverse mass displacement, from dark to illuminated regions. The mechanical properties of the films during UV light irradiation were investigated by classical rheology and, for the first time, by using amplitude modulation-frequency modulation atomic force microscopy (AM-FM AFM).

Submicrometric periodic patterning of an organic solar cell surface is investigated in order to optimize the photovoltaic conversion efficiency of the device. Patterning is achieved using a single-step all-optical technique based on photoinduced mass transport in azopolymer films. The polymer film with a structured surface is used as a substrate for an organic solar cell based on a copper phthalocyanine/C60 heterojunction. The effect of periodic patterning is investigated through the solar-cell optical-absorption properties and external quantum efficiency measurements. The possibility to increase the short circuit current density and the corresponding photovoltaic conversion efficiency is evidenced with one-dimensional periodic structures.

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A careful analysis of the dynamics of the pull-in displacement reveals a metastable transient interval for devices with a Q factor lower than 1.2. The duration of this metastable regime could be up to 20 ms for the structure used in this work, depending on the damping. For typical device dimensions this regime dominates pull-in dynamics. This paper explicitly focuses on the metastable regime. The results of numerical simulations are confirmed with measurement results with the purpose of providing a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms. This may contribute to both improved actuator design and enhanced sensitivity of pressure sensors and accelerometers operating on pull-in time interval measurement. The sensitivity of the pull-in time to external accelerations is 6 × 10−2 s/ms−2 (∼0.6 ms mg−1) for current devices and can be increased by design.

An aneurysm is a localized blood-filled dilatation of an artery whose consequences can be deadly. One of its current treatments is endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), a minimally invasive procedure in which an endoprosthesis, called a stentgraft, is placed transluminally to prevent wall rupture. 2Early stent-grafts were custom designed for the patient through the assembling of off-the-shelf components by the operating surgeon. However, nowadays, stentgrafts have become a commercial product. The existing endoprostheses differ in several aspects, such as shape design and materials, but they have in common a metallic scaffold with a polymeric covering membrane. This paper aims to gather relevant information for those who wish to understand the principles of stent-grafts and even to develop new devices. Hence, a stent-graft classification based on different characteristics is presented, and the significant features of an ideal device are pointed out. Additionally, the materials currently in use to fabricate this type of prosthesis are reviewed and new materials are suggested.

We report on the realization of a compact distributed feedback laser using luminescent polymer films where the optical feedback is provided by Bragg diffraction on an index grating. Permanent modulation of the polymer refractive index is achieved using an original technique for photoinduced patterning of surface relief grating, using laser-controlled mass-transport in azoaromatic polymers. We describe the fabrication of such surface gratings and show the laser emission properties resulting from a transversal one-photon pumping of the sinusoidally modulated polymer films upcovered with a luminescent-dye-doped film. Control of the laser wavelength by the grating pitch is evidenced.

The elastic response of vertically aligned-carbon nanotube/polydimethylsiloxane (A-CNT/PDMS) nanocomposites is presented in this study and related to the underlying aligned-CNT morphology. Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) at 1% Vf are embedded in a flexible substrate of PDMS to create a flexible polymer nanocomposite (PNC). The PNC properties are evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and tensile mechanical tests, and the full linearly elastic constitutive relation is established for such a PNC. The results suggest that the CNTs retain the alignment after wetting and curing of PDMS. PDMS is significantly modified by the reinforcing aligned-CNT fibers, demonstrating non-isotropic (as opposed to the isotropic neat PDMS) elastic properties all different from PDMS (Young's modulus of 0.8 MPa), including an anisotropy ratio of 4.8 and increases in the modulus of A-CNT/PDMS over PDMS by more than 900% and 100%, in the CNT longitudinal and transverse directions, respectively. This study reports the first full constitutive relation that may be useful in modeling PNCs as composites or as elements of hierarchical nanoengineered composites, particularly PDMS-CNT PNCs are envisioned as elements in biomedical devices such as pressure transducers and energy harvesters.

Background: The cause of frequent falls in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is still not well understood. Nevertheless, balance control and sensory organization are known to be critical for moving safely and adapting to the environment. Methods: We evaluated postural stability in 20 AD patients (11 fallers and 9 nonfallers) and 16 healthy controls with an inertial measurement unit (triaxial accelerometers and gyroscopes) attached to the center of mass (COM) in different balance conditions (Romberg on flat surface and frontward/backward-inclined surface, with or without visual suppression) in a motor lab. Results: In AD patients, the group of fallers showed a different kinetic pattern of postural stability characterized by higher vulnerability to visual suppression, higher total/maximal displacement and a mediolateral/anteroposterior range of sway, and a consequent need for more corrections of COM pitch and roll angles. Conclusion: Further studies are needed to consolidate the normative values of the discriminatory kinetic variables with the potential of inclusion in a multifactorial analysis of the risk of falls. Nevertheless, these results highlight signs of impairment of central postural control in AD, which may require early therapeutic intervention.