We report on the characterization, active tuning, and modeling of the first mode resonance frequency of dielectric electroactive polymer (DEAP) membranes. Unlike other resonance frequency tuning techniques, the tuning procedure presented here requires no external actuators or variable elements. Compliant electrodes were sputtered or implanted on both sides of 20-35-µm-thick and 2-4-mm-diameter polydimethylsiloxane membranes. The electrostatic force from an applied voltage adds compressive stress to the membrane, effectively softening the device and reducing its resonance frequency, in principle to zero at the buckling threshold. A reduction in resonance frequency up to 77% (limited by dielectric breakdown) from the initial value of 1620 Hz was observed at 1800 V for ion-implanted membranes. Excellent agreement was found between our measurements and an analytical model we developed based on the Rayleigh-Ritz theory. This model is more accurate in the tensile domain than the existing model for thick plates applied to DEAPs. By varying the resonance frequency of the membranes (and, hence, their compliance), they can be used as frequency-tunable attenuators. The same technology could also allow the fine-tuning of the resonance frequencies in the megahertz range of devices made from much stiffer polymers.
a b s t r a c tCalcium carbonate nanofibres are found in numerous terrestrial environments, often associated with needle fibre calcite. This study attempts to mimic the natural system and generate comparable crystalline structures. A comparison of natural and synthesized nanofibre structures, using HRTEM as well as electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and electron spectroscopic imaging (ESI), has demonstrated that this type of nanocrystal can result from precipitation on organic templates, most likely cellulose nanofibres. This study emphasizes the fundamental role of organic templates in the precipitation of calcium carbonate in vadose environments, even at the nanoscale.
We report on the use of the bulge test method to characterize the mechanical properties of miniaturized bucklingmode dielectric elastomer actuators (DEA). Our actuator consists of a Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane bonded to a silicon chip with through holes. Compliant electrodes are fabricated on both sides of the membrane by metal ion implantation. The membrane buckles when a critical voltage is applied to the electrodes. The maximum displacements as well as the efficiency of such actuators strongly depend on the mechanical parameters of the combined electrode-elastomer-electrode layer, mainly effective Young's modulus E and residual stress σ. We report measured E and σ obtained from bulge tests on PDMS membranes for two PDMS brands and for several different curing methods, which allows tuning the residual stress by controlling the rate of solvent evaporation. Bulge test measurements were then used to study the change in membranes' mechanical properties due to titanium ion implantation, compared to the properties obtained from depositing an 8 nm thick gold electrode. At the doses required to create a conductive layer, we find that the Ti ion implantation has a low impact on the membrane's overall rigidity (doubling of the Young's modulus and reducing the tensile stress) compared to the Au film (400% increase in E). The ion implantation method is an excellent candidate for DEAs' electrodes, which need to be compliant in order to achieve large displacements.
Engineering of advanced semiconductor photocatalysts for CO 2 conversion to solar fuels is a promising strategy to solve the greenhouse effect and energy crisis. Herein, hierarchical urchin-like yolk@shell TiO 2−x H x decorated with core/shell Au−Pd plasmonic nanoparticles (HUY@S-TOH/AuPd) have been prepared using a multistep process and are employed as an advanced visible light active photocatalyst in CO 2 conversion to CH 4 with a rate of 47 μmol/g cat •h (up to 126 μmol/g cat after 7 h). Different engineered sites in this structure for high gas adsorption, powerful visible light activation, and intense electron transportation are responsible for the observed high photocatalytic CO 2 conversion efficiency. The present smart design process can produce considerable cooperation in not only disclosing the architectural engineering for the improvement of photoconversion efficiency but also disclosing it as a viable and appropriate photocatalytic process to sustainable energy production.
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