This invention provides a continuous process for the growth of vapor grown carbon fiber (VGCNT) reinforced continuous fiber preforms for the manufacture of articles with useful mechanical, electrical, and thermal characteristics. Continuous fiber preforms are treated with a catalyst or catalyst precursor and processed without vaporization of the preform to yield VGCNT produced in situ resulting in a highly entangled mass of VGCNT infused with the continuous fiber preform. The continuous process disclosed herein provides denser and more uniform carbon nanotubes and provides the opportunity to fine-tune the variables both within an individual preform and between different preforms depending on the characteristics of the carbon nanotubes desired. The resulting continuous fiber preforms are essentially endless and are high in volume fraction of VGCNT and exhibit high surface area useful for many applications. The invention also provides for composites made from the preforms.

An electronic device is disclosed. The electronic device includes: a first electrode disposed on a substrate and extending in a first direction; a second electrode disposed above the first electrode and extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction; and at least one switching particle disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode and bonded to the first electrode and the second electrode via van der Waals bond, wherein the switching particle controls flow of current between the first electrode and the second electrode, based on a difference of voltages of the first electrode and the second electrode applied thereto.

The present disclosure provides, in some aspects, methods and compositions for producing nucleic acid nanostructures having little to no kinetic barriers to self-assembly.

A method is disclosed for fabricating free-standing polymeric nanopillars or nanotubes with remarkably high aspect ratios. The nanopillars and nanotubes may be used, for example, in integrated microfluidic systems for rapid, automated, high-capacity analysis or separation of complex protein mixtures or their enzyme digest products. One embodiment, preferably fabricated entirely from polymer substrates, comprises a cell lysis unit; a solid-phase extraction unit with free-standing, polymeric nanostructures; a multi-dimensional electrophoretic separation unit with high peak capacity; a solid-phase nanoreactor for the proteolytic digestion of isolated proteins; and a chromatographic unit for the separation of peptide fragments from the digestion of proteins. The nanopillars and nanotubes may also be used to increase surface area for reaction with a solid phase, for example, with immobilized enzymes or other catalysts within a microchannel, or as a solid support for capillary electrochromatography-based separations of proteins or peptides.

This present disclosure provides methods for utilizing such forces in when generating nanofibrillar constructs with engineered morphology from the nano- to macro-scales. Using for example, a biopolymer silk fibroin as a base material, patterns an intermediate hydrogel were generated within a deformable mold. Subsequently, mechanical tension was introduced via either hydrogel contraction or mold deformation, and finally a material is reentrapped in this transformed shape via beta-sheet crystallization and critical point drying. Topdown engineered anchorages, cables, and shapes act in concert to mediate precision changes in nanofiber alignment/orientation and a macroscale form of provided nanofibrillar structure. An ability of this technique to engineer large gradients of nano- and micro-scale order, manipulate mechanical properties (such as plasticity and thermal transport), and the in-situ generation of 2D and 3D, multi-tiered and doped, nanofibrillar constructs was demonstrated.

The present invention generally relates, in some aspects, to systems and methods for making and using sensors or other devices, such as optical components. One aspect is generally directed to a sensor or other device comprising a nanometer-sized portion. In some embodiments, the sensor can be used to determine various characteristics such as temperature, humidity, an electric field, a magnetic field, an analyte, or the like. For instance, in one embodiment, a portion of a sensor device may be inserted into a cell and used to study the cell, e.g., using optical techniques such as surface plasma resonance. In some embodiments, such sensors or other devices may comprise metal, glass, or other materials, which can be prepared using etching or other techniques.

A nanomaterial ribbon patterning method includes: forming a first nanomaterial layer having a first threshold strain on an upper surface of a substrate; forming a second nanomaterial layer on an upper surface of the first nanomaterial layer; forming a thin layer having a second threshold strain smaller than the first threshold strain on an upper surface of the second nanomaterial layer; generating plural cracks on the thin layer and the second nanomaterial layer by applying tensile force to the substrate; placing a mask on an upper surface of the thin layer; removing the mask and peeling off the sacrificial layer on the upper surface of the thin layer; and removing the sacrificial layer to form a nanomaterial ribbon pattern.

Provided are a hydrogen ion electrode composed of a composite material of polymer resin and nano iridium oxide, the composite material containing 1-10 nm sized nano iridium oxide particles and/or aggregates thereof which are dispersed to be electrically connected to each other in a moldable, thermoplastic, and hydrophobic polymer resin matrix; a pH sensor using the same; and a method for manufacturing the same. The surface of the hydrogen ion electrode shows very fast pH sensitivity when exposed to a sample solution, and the pH sensitivity is approximate to biphasic characteristics. Furthermore, regardless of high reproducibility of pH sensitivity, abrupt pH change, and repetitive use, very low hysteresis, durability due to high physical strength, and high surface regeneration due to polishing are exhibited, and thus, the lifetime of the electrode can be extended and various sizes and shapes of electrodes can be easily manufactured.

Provided are a hydrogen ion electrode composed of a composite material of polymer resin and nano iridium oxide, the composite material containing 1-10 nm sized nano iridium oxide particles and/or aggregates thereof which are dispersed to be electrically connected to each other in a moldable, thermoplastic, and hydrophobic polymer resin matrix; a pH sensor using the same; and a method for manufacturing the same. The surface of the hydrogen ion electrode shows very fast pH sensitivity when exposed to a sample solution, and the pH sensitivity is approximate to biphasic characteristics. Furthermore, regardless of high reproducibility of pH sensitivity, abrupt pH change, and repetitive use, very low hysteresis, durability due to high physical strength, and high surface regeneration due to polishing are exhibited, and thus, the lifetime of the electrode can be extended and various sizes and shapes of electrodes can be easily manufactured.

The present disclosure discloses the laminated ceramic chimp component including an element part having a ceramic main body and an internal electrode placed in the ceramic main body; an external electrode part having a first external electrode and a second external electrode, the first and second external electrodes being provided with side electrodes covering both side surfaces of the ceramic main body, respectively, upper electrodes covering portions of both sides of an upper surface of the ceramic main body, respectively, and lower electrodes covering portions of both sides of a lower surface of the ceramic main body, respectively; and a nano thin film layer formed of electric insulation material and applied to a region including the upper electrodes, the method for manufacturing the same and the atomic layer deposition apparatus for the same.