The present invention relates to enhancement of detectable emissions from carbon nanodots or variants thereof by using the techniques of MEF to further enhance carbon nanodot brightness, photostability, and thus, potentially detectability in biological imaging applications by using plasmon supporting materials, such as silver island films and positioning of the carbon nanodots an optimal distance from the plasmon supporting materials.

A method of making a fuel grain for a hybrid rocket engine includes deposing beads of fuel grain material onto mandrel using additive manufacturing to form a cylindrical fuel grain, each bead including a polymer based rocket fuel material and a nanoscale metallic material. The deposing includes deposing multiple, adjacent beads to form concentric layers of beads, wherein a composition of the beads of the fuel grain material differs between the beads of a first layer and the beads of a second layer of the fuel grain.

The present disclosure relates to sulfur-treated zerovalent iron nanoparticles and the use of same for transforming chlorinated solvent pollutants and may therefore be useful as water treatment technology for restoration of groundwater resources contaminated with toxic, chlorinated solvent pollutants.

A light emitting device including an emissive material comprising quantum dots is disclosed. In one embodiment, the device includes a cathode, a layer comprising a material capable of transporting and injection electrons comprising an inorganic material, an emissive layer comprising quantum dots, a layer comprising a material capable of transporting holes, a layer comprising a hole injection material, and an anode. In certain embodiments, the hole injection material can be a p-type doped hole transport material. In certain preferred embodiments, quantum dots comprise semiconductor nanocrystals. In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a light emitting device wherein the device has an initial turn-on voltage that is not greater than 1240/λ, wherein λ represents the wavelength (nm) of light emitted by the emissive layer. Other light emitting devices and a method are disclosed.

Provided is a structure for forming carbon nanofiber, including a base material containing an oxygen ion-conductive oxide, and a metal catalyst that is provided on one surface side of the base material.

An animal litter composition having enhanced odor reduction properties, and a related method, are disclosed. The animal litter can include a zeolite-based liquid adsorbing material. The animal litter can also include a nanosilicate odor reducing agent that reduces an odor of litter waste, the animal litter composition having a total nanosilicate odor reducing agent content of about 0.5% by weight to about 13% by weight based on the total weight of the animal litter composition.

A variable capacitance capacitor element according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a supporting substrate; a first electrode layer provided on the supporting substrate; a second electrode layer provided opposite to the first electrode layer; and a dielectric layer positioned between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer. In accordance with an aspect, a main component of the dielectric layer is represented by a composition formula Ba.sub.1−xSr.sub.xTiO.sub.3 (0.5≦x≦0.8), and the first thin film dielectric layer has a thickness of 200 nm or smaller.

Designs of extremely high efficiency solar cells are described. A novel alternating bias scheme enhances the photovoltaic power extraction capability above the cell band-gap by enabling the extraction of hot carriers. When applied in conventional solar cells, this alternating bias scheme has the potential of more than doubling their yielded net efficiency. When applied in conjunction with solar cells incorporating quantum wells (QWs) or quantum dots (QDs) based solar cells, the described alternating bias scheme has the potential of extending such solar cell power extraction coverage, possibly across the entire solar spectrum, thus enabling unprecedented solar power extraction efficiency. Within such cells, a novel alternating bias scheme extends the cell energy conversion capability above the cell material band-gap while the quantum confinement structures are used to extend the cell energy conversion capability below the cell band-gap. Light confinement cavities are incorporated into the cell structure in order to allow the absorption of the cell internal photo emission, thus further enhancing the cell efficiency.

A carbon nanotube composite film includes a carbon nanotube film and a polymer material composited with the carbon nanotube film. The carbon nanotube film includes a number of carbon nanotube linear units spaced from each other and a number of carbon nanotube groups spaced from each other. The carbon nanotube groups are combined with the carbon nanotube linear units. The polymer material is coated on surfaces of the carbon nanotube linear units and the carbon nanotube groups.

A vascular graft includes deformable sleeves that include an electrical component. The electrical component can be variable-resistance or piezoelectric, in embodiments, such that deformation of the sleeves due to pressure changes create or modify an electrical signal. A transponder can then transmit information relating to the pressure inside and outside of the vascular graft.