Amir Zareian Jahromi has completed his M.Sc. at the age of 27 years from university of Tehran and starts his new program in management and business administration. He is the executive manager of Danesh Pajoohan Company in Iran, and is in cooperation with international companies in electrical engineering and bioelectronics.

Hydrogen is a foundation element of the universe and has attracted attention as a key of the solution for the energy and environmental problem. However, liquid hydrogen shows strange behavior as compared to other field due to the nuclear quantum effect. Because of this effect it is difficult to comprehend the thermodynamic and transport properties of liquid hydrogen by using the usual method. Therefore several methods have been proposed to reproduce the time evolution of the molecules in which the nuclear quantum effect contributes to their behavior. However, since the previous studies are still verification stage of the methods, an effect of the nuclear quantum nature of hydrogen and its mechanism on the thermodynamics and transport properties have not been clarified in details. Especially, how the quantum nature would effect on the energy transfer in molecular scale has not been clarified. In this study, therefore, we investigated the effect of this quantum nature and its mechanism on the thermodynamics and transport properties of cryogenic hydrogen using classical molecular dynamics (MD) methods. We applied Centroid Molecular Dynamics (CMD) methods, Ring Polymer Molecular Dynamics (RPMD) methods, and Maximum Entropy numerical analytic continuation (MEAC) methods. First, we have conducted thermodynamics estimation of cryogenic hydrogen using the MD methods. As a result, it was confirmed, that both quantitative and qualitative effect of the quantu.

In this study, C,N,S-doped ZrO2 and a series of Eu doped C,N,S-ZrO2 photocatalysts were synthesized by a modified sol-gel method using thiourea as the source of C,N and S and Eu(NO3).6H2O as source of Eu. The materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV-Visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/ energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Indigo Carmine (IC) was chosen as a model for organic pollutants and used to evaluate the photocatalytic performance of the photocatalysts under simulated solar light. Commercial ZrO2 was used as a reference material. XRD and Raman results indicated the formation of both tetragonal and monoclinic phase ZrO2 with particle size ranging from 8-30 nm. Multi-element doping had a great influence on the optical responses manifested as red shift in the absorption edge. The highest photocatalytic activity towards IC was observed for the Eu,C,N,S-doped ZrO2 (0.6% Eu) sample (k=1.09 x 10-2 min-1). The commercial ZrO2 showed the lowest photodegradation activity (k=5.83 x 10-4 min-1). The results showed that the control of Eu doping in the C,N,S-ZrO2 is very important in reducing electron-hole recombination. The synergistic effect of Eu, C, N, and S in the ZrO¬2 matrix led to enhanced utilization of simulated solar energy for the degradation of IC through narrowing of bandgaps.

Neodymium, nitrogen and sulphur tridoped titania (Nd,N,S-TiO2) was decorated on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) via a simple sol-gel method. Aqueous solutions of eriochrome black T (EBT) and eosin blue shade (EBS) were used to evaluate the photocatalytic activity of the composites under simulated solar light irradiation. Degradation of the dyes was performed in single and mixed dye solutions. The reduced graphene based photocatalyst (rGO/Nd,N,S-TiO2) displayed superior photocatalytic activity over the MWCNT/Nd,N,S-TiO2 composite in both single and mixed dye solutions. In the single dye solutions, a maximum degradation of 99.3% and 94.6% was achieved for EBS and EBT, respectively. Moreover, a maximum degradation efficiency of 65.7% and 58.9% was attained by rGO/Nd,N,S-TiO2 for EBS and EBT, respectively, from mixed dye solutions. The superiority of the rGO/Nd,N,S-TiO2 over its MWCNT based counterpart may be attributed to better interaction with dye molecules, higher charge separation and transportation, better interaction between the rGO and tridoped titania and sufficient dispersion of the titania nanoparticles. Furthermore, radical scavenging experiments confirmed the superoxide and hydroxyl radicals as the active species during dye degradation. Total organic carbon analyses revealed a fairly high degree of complete mineralisation of both dyes.

The navy is interested in designing RF front-ends for receivers to handle high power jammers and other strong interferers. Instead of blocking that energy or dissipating it as heat in filters or amplifiers, this project investigates re-directing that energy for harvesting and storage. The approach is based on channelizing a high power jamming signal into a passive intermodulation device to create intermodulation products in sub-band frequencies, which could then be harvested for energy. The intermodulation device is fabricated using carbon nanotube transistors and such devices can be modified by creating chemical defects in the sidewalls of the nanotubes and locally gating the devices with a slowly varying electric field. Theseeffects controllably enhance the hysteretic non-linearity in the transistors IV behavior. Combining these components with a RF energy harvester on the back-end should optimize the re-use of inbound jamming energy while maximizing the utility of standard back end radio components.

Jamin Johnston received his Master’s degree in physics from The University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2013 where he is continuing pursuit of his Ph.D. in applied physics. His research experience began with the exploration of CdSe quantum dot fabrication and electrophoretic deposition into thin-films, and has shifted focus to nanostructured diamond thin-film growth and deposition. Accomplishments include joint research partnerships with industrial collaborators to bridge the gap between scientific research and industrial application.

The objective of this research is to explore the use of Chemical Vapor-Deposition (CVD) boronizing to improve nanostructured diamond (NSD) growth on cemented tungsten carbide (WC-Co) by fabricating a cobalt boride interlayer; preventing cobalt triggered graphitic formation and improving NSD adhesion for increased tool life. We show that interfacial cobalt boride (CoB) is formed during plasma boriding, creating a functional barrier against cobalt diffusion during NSD growth and leading to improved nanodiamond adhesion. Glancing angle x-ray diffraction indicates that the boronized WC-Co interfacial layer consists heavily of tungsten carbide with a distinct presence of cobalt boride (CoB) and no detectable elemental cobalt. Unlike pack boriding or acid etching techniques that tend to leech cobalt from cemented carbides, the effect of plasma chemical vapor deposition boriding is not well known. Early results indicate that CVD boriding creates an interlayer that improves NSD adhesion without damaging the cemented carbide substrate. Nanostructured diamond and amorphous carbon of sp3 and sp2 bonding composes the well adhered diamond thin film. Initial field testing of diamond coated cemented carbides shows a 300% average increase in tool lifetime over traditional cemented carbides. Comparison of diamond coated boronized carbides to diamond coated raw carbides shows improved surface adhesion when the cobalt boride interlayer is present. The applications of this research are as broad as the applications of cemented tungsten carbide. Carbides are the primary mining, drilling, and material reclamation tool in use today. Improved performance through well adhered diamond coatings could potential impact every industry currently using these tools.

Srivas M.C is a student of the undergraduate programme in Telecommunications at B.M.S College of engineering, Bangalore, Visvesvaraya technological university.Has keen interest in Environmental protection and conservation, worked on the reconnaisance survey of lakes.

This paper describes the status of the lakes in and aroundthe study area, which is located in Mandya district in Karnataka, where sand mining and quarry activities are carried out in a large scale.Due to the ex[loitation of the natural resources the inland fresh water ecosystems in the lakes/ tanks in and around the study area are being increasingly subjected to greater stress due to various human activities and constant introduction of toxic materials and pollutants into their habitat. The discharge of domestic and non-domestic pollutants to fresh water bodies have enriched them with nutrients with consequent deterioration of water quality accompanied by undesirable growth of microorganisms Protection of lake water quality aquatic life and diverse water life is more complicated in lakes or bound waters than in running water. As a result of repeated misuse, fresh water lakes become deteriorated in quality and slowly Oligotrophic lakes become Eutrophic. Pollution and contamination may cause enormous losses to the environment and the ecosystem on the whole, for instance. The Dal Lake in Kashmir; The Pichola Lake, The Fatehsagar Lake and The Udaisagar Lake in Udaipur city, to name a few.The study consisted in making field observations, status of the lake with reference to pollution and encroachment, salient features of the lake and simple lake water quality analysis. The eight tanks that were chosen for study .Based on the status of these lakes, further developments, suitable conservation measures have been discussed for the upkeep of the tanks’ water quality and the quality of the surrounding environment, by taking into consideration ,the limitations and the local factors.The studies have been supplemented with remote sensing and GIS studies.

Carbon is a phenomenal material that has garnered much attention from the scientific community given its many unique forms. Diamond is only one example that possesses some of the most attractive properties of any material including ultimate hardness and exceptional thermal conductivity. Use of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) allows for thin films of diamond to be deposited onto a variety of materials. This surface modification allows for the increased longevity of the bulk material by utilizing the thin film's properties. Diamond's extreme hardness makes it a natural coating choice for many applications such as cutting tools. In this work, thin films are deposited via plasma-assisted CVD onto 316 stainless steel. Prior to diamond deposition, the steel surface is borided using diborane in conjunction with the CVD process. This method of plasma boronization should have a reduced energy consumption advantage over more commonly used industrial boriding methods such as pack cementation given the lower temperatures and times utilized. Control of the CVD parameters during the boriding step allows one to tailor the resultant borided surface layer. X-ray diffraction of as-borided samples shows that for substrate temperatures from 500-600 ºC, the CrB structure (end-centered orthorhombic) dominates while for higher substrate temperatures near 700 ºC the Fe2B phase (body-centered tetragonal) is the only boride observed. Furthermore, boriding time influences the layer thickness (in addition to the temperature) given that this is a diffusion-based process. The purpose of the borided surface is to allow for subsequent adherent diamond film deposition by preventing the catalytic effect of elemental iron on carbon that otherwise results in graphitic soot formation and poor coating adhesion. Additionally, intermediate physical properties of the metal-boride, such as hardness and coefficient of thermal expansion, relative to the stainless steel and diamond film will help to offset residual stresses that are detrimental to adhesion strength. Given the wide use of steel based materials, successful deposition of an adherent diamond film would be a huge achievement with far-reaching applications.

Michal Duchek earned his Master's degree from the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen in 2006. Since that year, he has been a Researcher in the Department of Metallurgical Technology and Heat Treatment of the company COMTES FHT. He authored several research papers and utility designs.

Numerical simulations are among the most widely used time and cost-saving tools for optimizing forming processes. Regardless of the software used, the prediction of material behaviour depends on the accuracy of input data, which may be difficult to achieve. The accuracy of input data has a direct effect on the accuracy of the results. One of the quantities which are difficult to determine, is the coefficient of friction between the tool and the work piece. Spike test is a method for determining the magnitude of this coefficient. It is a plain technological test which relies on material flow in a special die. The test specimen is a cylinder of specific dimensions. The result is a forging whose shape reflects the magnitude of the friction coefficient. The present paper describes the technological test itself and its implementation in the numerical model used by the DEFORM software.

Ternary oxides are potential candidates as electron-transporting materials as their electronic/optical properties can be easily controlled by manipulating the composition and/or by doping and so can be uses in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Here perovskite BaSnO3 (BSO) nanoparticles and the effects of different dyes on the photovoltaic properties of BSO-based DSSCs are investigated. BSO nanoparticles of average size of 43 nm were prepared by the co-precipitation method. Structural characterization by XRD revealed the presence of perovskite phased BSO without any secondary phase and the calculated lattice parameters agreed with the JCPDS data (89-2488). The surface morphology and the chemical composition of BSO nanomaterials were investigated by SEM with EDS analysis. The optical absorption and emission spectra of the synthesized samples were examined with UV-Vis and photoluminescence spectroscopy, respectively. The band gap of the BSO is 3.17 eV, which is higher than that of earlier works (3.1 eV). FTIR analysis was used to determine the vibrational modes of the synthesized samples. The magnetic and dielectric properties were studied for various fields and temperatures and only a feeble signature of multiferroic properties obtained at room temperature. Finally, I-V measurements were carried out on the fabricated solar cell and the solar conversion efficiency was found to be is >4.2% and the result are compared with earlier reports.

Magnesium (Mg) alloys are very attractive as biodegradable temporary implants. It is essential for any implant to have adequate resistance to cracking/fracture in actual body environments. The most important mechanisms by which implants may fail are corrosion fatigue (CF) or/and stress corrosion cracking (SCC). This talk will present CF behaviour of two magnesium alloys, i.e., a common as-cast alloy AZ91D, and a wrought Mg-Zn-Ca Mg alloy in modified simulated body fluid (m-SBF) at 37ËšC. Both alloys were found to be susceptible to CF in m-SBF. However, the Mg-Zn-Ca alloy has shown a superior resistance to CF as compared to that of as-cast AZ91D and could be considered as a potential candidate for biodegradable implant applications.

Sara HANY is a Ph.D. student in the UCEIV/LPCA laboratories at the University of Littoral, France. Born in Lebanon in 1987, Sara received her M.S. degree in physical chemistry from the Lebanese University faculty of Sciences (Lebanon) and the Paul Sabatier University (Toulouse, France). Her Ph.D. work is related to thermic and mechanical ageing of metallic materials used in the construction of LNG terminals.

The growing needs for energy combined with the will to reduce CO2 emissions lead to the increase of the demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG), which will be stably available for many decades to come. Cryogenic materials used for the manufacture of the inner tanks for LNG storage are composed of 9% Ni steel plates with excellent low-temperature toughness, great ductility and crack resistance for a high safety level [1]. To guarantee the reliability and safe operation of large-scale metallic structures exposed to cryogenic temperatures for extended periods, it is important to evaluate structural and mechanical properties of the metal base as well as the welded zone in their own operating conditions in order to prevent damages that could occur [2]. The effects of cyclic fatigue at very low temperature on mechanical and structural properties of 9% Ni steel were investigated. The structure and the chemical composition of the samples were determined by means of several techniques such as: Inductive Coupled Plasma – Atomic Emission Spectroscopy, X-ray Fluorescence, X-ray Diffraction at low temperature, High Energy Synchrotron X-ray diffraction, 57Fe Mossbauer Spectroscopy and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance. Mechanical tests were carried out at room temperature and at –196°C. Then, the topography of fractured surfaces was observed by Scanning Electron Microscope to identify the fracture modes. Further structural details and phase transformations during accelerated mechanical aging at low temperature will be reported and discussed in this report.

Tremendous advances have been achieved over the past decade in the area of design and synthesis of novel conjugated polymers for bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells and light emitting diodes (LEDs). With ingenious use of variety of synthetic techniques, researchers have synthesised copolymers with optimized physical properties. For instance, an organic photovoltaic (OPV) material showing a record-breaking power conversion efficiency (PCE) of ca. 10% has been reported recently. In the design of semiconducting copolymers, the donor-acceptor (DA) approach has been found to afford low band gap (LBG) copolymers with broad absorptionto efficiently harvest solar energy. Here we report the synthesis of two novel LBG copolymers (PFDEBT and PFDES) and studies of their photo-physical and electrochemical properties, for prospective use in organic electronics. PFDEBT with benzothiadiazole acceptor moiety demonstrated bathochromic shift of absorption from 578 nm in solution to 591 nm in the solid state with an optical band gap of 1.69 eV, while PFDES containingdibenzothiophene-S,S-dioxide unit showed absorption at 489 and 494 nm in both the liquid and solid states respectively with an optical band gap of 2.25 eV. Both polymers are highly emissive materials; with the former emitting in the red region of the emission spectrum attaining emission λmax of 709 nm and 28% photoluminescence quantum yield (PL Φ) in solution, while the later emits in the green region with an emission λmaxof 517 nm and 55% PL Φ. The HOMO energy levels of the polymers estimated from cyclic voltammetry analysis are – 4.9 and – 5.1 respectively. Preliminary studies of BHJ solar devices ofthe blend of these copolymers with PC60BM showed PCE of 1.45% and 1.1% for PFDEBT and PFDES respectively for non-optimised devices.

V Stathopoulos has BSc Chemistry, PhD Physical Chemistry, and Postdoctoral studies from Johannes Gutenberg Univeristat Mainz, Germany. He is the head of Laboratory of Chemistry and Materials Technology, Technological Educational Institute of Sterea Ellada, Greece. His research is focused on oxide ceramics with environmental and energy applications incl. catalysis. He is the coordinator of an EU project (12 partners/8 countries) and well experienced in the management of projects for the private and academic sector. He is author of over 25 scientific publications, >90 conference presentations and several technical papers in the private sector.

A novel process for methanol synthesis at atmospheric pressure from CO2 and H2O through the use of co-ionic conducting ceramic Electrochemical Membrane Reactors (EMRs) is under research. These reactors require materials with sufficient ionic conductivity. Three different preparation methods are applied (Solid State method-SS, Auto Combustion-AC and Spray Pyrolysis-SP) in order to produce a suitable single phase electrolyte materials. The target has been to optimize the preparation procedure towards a pure BaZr0.8Y0.2O3±δ (BZY) as well as its shaping into dense electrolyte disks/membranes of 1-2mm thickness. In SS method researchers report a persistent impurity phase of Y2O3 in final oxide. However after firing at 1450oC/14h in the presence of a sintering agent, dense structures are prepared. The production protocol applied in this research eliminates the impurity phase prior sintering providing a material of pure perovskite phase for further powder processing. A multistep firing protocol is proposed with ball milling intervals. Two intermediate thermal steps at 600oCand 900oC, ball milling and thermal treatment at 1300oC are applied. On the other hand AC method (cations to citric acid equal to 1:1.5 molar ratio) is successfully applied. Random shaped particles (~7μm) of pure perovskite phase are successfully prepared. Furthermore SP produces cubic like particles even from 500oC. Firing up to 1200oC or 1300oC develops single-phase BZY while the cubic morphology of the primary particles is maintained (~2 μm edge). All the above are verified by XRD, SEM and particle size distribution analysis whilst dense electrolyte pellets are successfully produced with >93% relative density.

Yusun Zhou is pursuing on his doctorate in Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China. His research is supervised by Professor Surong Mei and supported by several project funds. His research interest is to prepare functional materials and apply them in the field of environmental and biological science.

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) include a large group of man-made chemicals characterized by a fully fluorinated alkyl chain attached with different hydrophilic functional groups (carboxyl or sulfonate group). In recent years, PFCs have been recognized as emerging organic pollutants mainly due to their global distribution, environmental persistence, bioaccumulative ability and potential hazard to human beings. Until now, several adsorptive materials (e.g. crosslinked chitosan beads, anion exchange resins) have been synthesized as effective adsorbents for removal of PFCs from a variety of water samples. However, these materials all have shortcomings and the novel adsorbents with more efficiency for PFCs removal are still required. In this study, functional magnetic nanomaterial, namely Fe3O4@SiO2/APTES&PFOTES, was prepared by a modified Stöber method. As can be seen in Fig. 1, using poly(acrylic acid)-modified Fe3O4 nanoparticles as support substrate, (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) and 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane (PFOTES) as functional monomers, core-shell structured Fe3O4@SiO2/APTES&PFOTES was obtained. Fluorine-fluorine interaction and electrostatic attraction were the two major acting forces for PFCs recognition and Fe3O4@SiO2/APTES&PFOTES exhibited much higher adsorption amounts for PFCs than the other reference compounds (Fig. 2). As the following study, Fe3O4@SiO2/APTES&PFOTES will be applied for selective removal of PFCs in environmental, biological and foodstuff samples.

Chris Boyer is currently a Ph. D. candidate in Molecular Science and Nanotechnology at Louisiana Tech University. Jeffery Ambrose is a Ph. D. candidate in Biomedical Engineering at Louisiana Tech University. Dr. Mills received his Ph.D. in 1990. He holds a joint faculty appointment in the Center for Biomedical Engineering and Rehabilitation Science and the School of Biological Sciences. He has over 50 papers published in national and international and has directed over 80 MS and PHD students in the fields of Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Molecular Science and Nanotechnology. Dr. Mills is President of organicNANO , a Louisiana company focused on the development and commercializing halloysite nanotube-based polymer technologies.

Biofilms aggressively colonize and spread among many surfaces, including toilets, furniture, medical beds, countertops, keyboards, touchpads, equipment and storage bays, computers, cabinets and lockers.1,2 There exists a critical need for surface modification of these types of surfaces that imparts an antimicrobial capability.3,4 Most hospitals and medical facilities rely on antimicrobial washes to achieve coated surfaces that are resistant to bacterial growth and biofilms. Unfortunately, the uses of antimicrobial washing agents have resulted in increased bacterial resistance and the rise of institutional-bred infections.5,6 Thisis a significant health issue for those being treated in health care facilities, and especially a problem for immune-compromised patients. This research encompasses the formulation of a new hybrid rubber polymer nanocomposites. Polymers were infused with halloysite nanotubes (HNTs), gold nanoparticles, and photosensitive agents, such as methylene blue and crystal violet. Tensile strengths and thermal gravimetric analysis showed that material properties are maintained with the addition of HNTs. UV-Visible spectroscopy showed that HNTs increase the loading percentages of photosensitive agents during solvent swelling processes. Scanning electron microscopy was used to study the nanotopographies and transmission electron microscopy showed interactions of HNTs and gold nanoparticles. ATP fluorescence detection results demonstrated the antimicrobial properties of the hybrid rubber/HNT nanocomposites. It is suggested that these types of rubber nanocomposites are ideal candidates for use as a novel antimicrobial surface and surface coating systems.

Powder-based inkjet 3Dprinting method is one of the most attractive solid free form techniques. It involves a sequential layering process through which 3D porous scaffolds can be directly produced from computer-generated m¬¬odels. 3D printedproducts’ quality are controlled by the optimal build parameters. In this study, Calcium Sulfate based powders were used for porous scaffolds fabrication. The printed scaffolds of 0.8 mm pore size, with different layer thickness and printing orientation, were subjected to the depowdering step. The effects of four layer thicknesses and printing orientations, (parallel to X, Y and Z), on the physical and mechanical properties of printed scaffolds were investigated. It was observed that the compressive strength, toughness and Young’s modulus of samples with 0.1125 and 0.125 mm layer thickness were more than others. Furthermore, the results of SEM and μCT analyses showed that samples with 0.1125 mm layer thickness printed in X direction have more dimensional accuracy and significantly close to CAD software based designs with predefined pore size, porosity and pore interconnectivity.

The current investigation describes the synthesis of ZnO nanostructures containing Ln3+ (Ln= Er, Ho) ions via a conventional sol-gel synthesis method. The quantum dots produced were found to exhibit hexagonalwurtzite structure in both ZnO and ZnO:Ln3+ samples. Morphology mutation was observed with addition of dopant in the ZnO host matrix, resulting from the Ostwald ripening effect occurring during the nanocrystals growth. The photoluminescence properties of the samples have been studied under room temperature conditions. The Ln3+ ions luminescence lines 4f-4f electronic transitions were detected in ZnO:Ln3+ samples. Finally, defect states in the samples were analyzed using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) techniques.

Poly (ethylene terephthalate) waste bottles are recycled to prepare rigid polyurethane foams (RPUFs). The recycle method is glycolysis of Poly (ethylene terephthalate) waste bottles with diethylene glycol and propylene glycol as glycolysis agents in different glycol/polymer molar ratios. The structure and molecular weight of the glycolysis products were characterized using, FTIR, GPC spectroscopy analysis methods. Also, their hydroxyl number and viscosity were measured. The possibility of RPUFs fabrication using glycolysis products was investigated. The glycolysis products in GPC show a trimodal molecular weight distribution, as a proof for the presence of dimers, trimers and tetramers in the structure of recycling products. Glycolysis products are used for the fabrication of RPUFs with different densities. It was found that they have a proper range of densities were affected by the type and amount of glycolysis agent. The characteristics of foam were examined by FTIR, SEM, TGA, thermal conductivity coefficient and compressive strength. The properties of foams were compared with foam made with original polyol. The results revealed that the prepared foams have same properties compare the sample that is produced by original polyols.